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Libyan Prime Minister Zeidan kidnapped by gunmen
Today's Headlines
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Africa Horn
Kenya's role in Somalia questioned in US Senate
[Shabelle] A US government official and two think-tank analysts raised questions on Tuesday about Kenya's role in Somalia in comments to the US Senate.

"Increasing security efforts by the Kenya Defence Forces may have [aid] access implications in Kismayo and re-ignite tensions in the community," said Nancy Lindborg, assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development.

Somalis express "great scepticism" in regard to Kenya's claim that it wants to remove its troops from Kismayo, added EJ Hogendoorn, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

He pointed to a UN allegation that Kenyan military officers earn "large amounts of money from trade, including illegal charcoal, passing through Kismayo."

Most Somalis "believe Kenya wants to control southern Somalia because it has large oil and natural gas deposits," Mr Hogendoorn told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Abdi Aynte, director of the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, said the US has "a moral obligation to exert pressure" on Kenya and Ethiopia to cease interfering in Somalia's internal politics.

"Their unchecked interference risks further destabilising of the country and a reversal of recent fragile gains," Mr Aynte warned. "Interference galvanises militant groups and further divides Somali communities."
There doesn't appear to be any word in Somali for "gratitude," either, assuming the interpretation of Somali opinion is approximately accurate. Without the Ethiopian intervention they'd still be ruled by the Islamic Courts. Once they were chased out, the Amisom troops weren't capable of suppressing the Shaboobs. They didn't start falling apart until the Kenyans showed up with an approximately disciplined army.

As usual, doing anything at all will only cheese the turbans off, so we should all just sit on our hands and give them what they want, which is our children and grandchildren.

Bastards.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab


We are about to attack Barawe town says Somalia's defense minister
[Shabelle] Somalia's defense minister Abdihakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi has for the first time revealed the government's intentions to attack Barawe town which is Alshabab's stronghold.

"We are on the final preparations to liberate the entire Lower Shabelle region including Barawe". Said Fiqi

The minister added that Barawe will follow Mogadishu and other many towns which were freed from Alshabab rule by Somali national army forces which were aided by AMISOM troops.

The minister's words come days after foreign commandos failed to arrest a foreign jihadist based in Barawe town which is completely under Alshabab rule.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab

#1  Nice OPSEC, dudes. Of course, the Somali govt may be so infiltrated that the only person who didn't know about this was me.
Posted by: SteveS || 10/10/2013 19:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Head fake. They will do it on Sat PM/Sunday AM when most of the Shaboobs are drunk watching NASCAR nite race at Charlotte
Posted by: Frank G || 10/10/2013 21:20 Comments || Top||


EU May Help Somalia Establish Coast Guard To Combat Piracy
[Shabelle] The European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
wants to help Somalia establish a coasties service to combat piracy in the Horn of Africa.

The possibility of a Somali coasties was discussed during a a presser by Etienne de Poncins, head of the EU's regional maritime capacity-building mission, known as EUCAP Nestor.

"There is no coasties in Somalia at all. There are the Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
maritime police forces, but no national coasties," de Poncins said.

Options for a Somali coasties will be discussed later this year during a strategic review of the maritime training mission to the Horn of Africa and the western Indian Ocean.

EUCAP Nestor's primary mission is to provide training and advice for legal systems, but it can also supply training equipment, de Poncins said. Its main focus is Somalia, which de Poncins described as "the most important because it has the longest coastline and because many pirates come from Somali."

EUCAP Nestor's annual budget is €23 million (US $31 million), with "a few million euro available for equipment such as life jackets, night goggles, communications or health equipment, but not vessels," he said. There are three EU advisers in legal teams drafting legislation to counter piracy who are well placed to identify needs, he said, after which EU funding programs will be launched.

The mission maintains close contact with the central federal government and the Somaliland and Puntland regional bodies. It has held a training seminar on anti-piracy legislation with prosecutors and judges in the capital of Puntland. Discussions are ongoing between the regional governments and central government about a Somali maritime strategy, which will also address the coasties issue.

Currently, the oceans off the Horn of Africa are being patroled by EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta. According to information provided by the Operation Atalanta headquarters in London, 27 countries contribute about 1,200 personnel to the mission.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Pirates

#1  Please - how fast this 'Coast Guard' gets infiltrated by pirate groups will be measured in minutes. And how many millions will get siphoned off wasted on this effort only depends on the side of the first wire transfer. Idiots...
Posted by: Raj || 10/10/2013 0:12 Comments || Top||

#2  EU armed Somali pirates with international law---"we're the coast guard, prepare to be boarded for inspection"---on their side?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 1:39 Comments || Top||

#3  One of the unseen benefits for the local communities was that wild fish stocks in that area grew when the 'pirates' were operating because no commercial fishing vessels dare come near . This is an area that should be exploited more in respect to getting involved with the locals , but alas shitty terrorist Islamic wideboys out-thought successive governments and got there first, then took everything off the said locals . The whole place needs rinsing properly and cleared out , but no one likes to take as bite out of that shit pie cherry

As someone mentioned yesterday - arc light ?
Posted by: Zorba || 10/10/2013 5:06 Comments || Top||

#4  This is a job for Green Peace, an NGO ready to conserve stocks of stuff and things swimming. Let loose the NGO's of War.

Posted by: Shipman || 10/10/2013 17:53 Comments || Top||

#5  arc light ?

Drinks!
Posted by: SteveS || 10/10/2013 19:53 Comments || Top||

#6  Drinks!
Posted by: Frank G || 10/10/2013 21:19 Comments || Top||


Sierra Leone takes precautions against al-Shabab
[Shabelle] Sierra Leone officials say they are bolstering security in response to the heightened threat posed by the Islamic krazed killer rebels of al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
, expressing concern the West African nation could be targeted because of its support for peacekeeping operations in Somalia.

Francis Munu, police inspector general, said at a meeting Wednesday that new security measures would require government offices to issue identity cards for their staff and maintain visitors' logs, while petty traders would be kept away from government buildings.

Sierra Leone deployed an 850-member battalion to the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
mission in Somalia earlier this year.

The new measures are in response to al-Shabaab's attack on a Kenyan mall last month in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia nearly two years ago. The attack killed more than 60 people.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab


Africa North
Egypt's Morsi to stand trial for inciting murder
h/t Gates of Vienna
Egypt's deposed president, Mohammed Morsi, is to go on trial next month accused of inciting the killings of protesters, a mirror image of the case against his predecessor Hosni Mubarak.
What's sauce for the goose...
Mr Morsi is to face a court on November 4 along with fourteen other senior Muslim Brotherhood figures, bringing to an end a period of legal limbo for the toppled leader. His whereabouts have been secret since he disappeared on July 3, when the defence minister, Gen Abdulfattah al-Sisi, announced he had been removed from office.
I'm getting ear plugs in anticipation of international community's howling
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 03:04 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


US withholds Egypt military aid over crackdown
[BBC.CO.UK] The US is suspending a large part of the $1.3bn (£810m) in aid it gives to Egypt's military.

The delivery of large-scale military systems as well as cash assistance to the Egyptian government would be withheld, said the state department. It said "credible progress" must be made towards free and fair elections.

A review was launched in August after a crackdown by the authorities on supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi
...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
left hundreds of people dead.

"We will continue to hold the delivery of certain large-scale military systems and cash assistance to the government pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government through free and fair elections," state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Officials said the freeze amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. Washington also plans to halt a $260m cash transfer and a $300m loan guarantee. It is also halting the delivery of Apache helicopters, as well as Harpoon missiles and tank parts, officials said.

The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says the suspension of aid is more symbolic - a slap on the wrist - than a painful cut in essential aid.

The US will continue to provide health and education assistance, and money to help Egypt to ensure security in the increasingly volatile Sinai peninsula. The freeze was not intended to be permanent, it added.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  'NYT' quotes Israeli official as saying US "playing with fire."
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 1:17 Comments || Top||

#2  Barack is backing his bros in the Muslim Brotherhood. What do you expect.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 10/10/2013 7:40 Comments || Top||

#3  Who says history doesn't repeat itself? The Russians are toasting John Foster Duller and making plans to play kissy face with al-Sisi.
Posted by: Thumper Hatrack2359 || 10/10/2013 9:54 Comments || Top||

#4  'Re-programming' gummit dollars are they? Perhaps some of that could be used for military survivor benefits. Just say'n.

Ya sickening, leftist, communist bastids.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/10/2013 10:07 Comments || Top||


Moussa: Egypt's new constitution to be passed to President Mansour end of November
[Al Ahram] In press statement Wednesday, Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa
... who was head of the Arab League for approximately two normal lifespans, accomplishing nothing that was obvious to the casual observer ...
, chairman of the 50-member committee mandated with finalising Egypt's new constitution, disclosed that the final draft of the country's post-30 June charter will be complete by the end of November.

"After this, we will pass it to Interim President Adly Mansour to be put to a national referendum," Moussa said.

In the words of Moussa, "The new constitution will be modern, reflecting the requirements of the 21st century, not to mention that it will be completely different from the 2012 Constitution."

"This constitution will be new," Moussa added, "in the sense that it will be aimed to serve the interests of all Egyptians, rather than the 2012 Constitution that was tailored to serve the interests of the [deposed] Moslem Brüderbund."

According to Moussa, the current debate over the constitution has highlighted many differences, particularly over articles regulating the performance of the armed forces. "In this respect," said Moussa, "let me emphasise that we are by no means under any pressure from the army to draft articles in a certain way." "Let me also stress that we show a lot of respect for army officials and their viewpoints," said Moussa.

Moussa indicated that there is also a lot of controversy over whether women would be given a quota of 30 per cent of seats in the coming parliament and whether the traditional quota of 50 per cent of seats reserved for farmers and workers will be maintained.

Moussa confirmed that the vast majority of the 50-member committee are in favour of imposing an outright ban on political parties formed on a religious foundation or background. "The majority is against forming religious parties, be they Islamist or Christian," Moussa said.

Reviewing the progress of the 50-member committee in a plenary session Wednesday, Abdel-Gelil Mostafa, chairman of a subcommittee responsible for reviewing the language of the constitution's articles, disclosed that 150 articles have been reviewed, 30 of which are new.

"Most of these articles belong to the first two chapters covering the state, and rights and freedoms," said Mostafa, indicating that "the articles of the chapter on the system of government will be complete Thursday."

At the end of that stage, explained Mostafa, "We will have an initial draft constitution before the holiday of Eid Al-Adha next week, after which we will move to the second stage, which is designed to include a dialogue with members of subcommittees to reach an agreement on articles after they were reviewed by the constitution writing committee."

"Finally, we will a have a third final stage in which there will be a final draft ready for discussion in plenary sessions of the Committee of the 50."
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Egypt rights group demands report on Maspero massacre
[Al Ahram] Two years on, 'We are Following You with the Report' (WFYR) demands justice for the Maspero massacre's slain on Wednesday, marking the anniversary of the bloody night when 25 non-combatants were killed in festivities with the army.

"The Maspero massacre started with the failure of the state to secure Egyptians' right to practice their religion and build houses of worship, and ended with the state violating Egyptians' right to life," read the report, published by the WFYR, an independent Human Rights Group, which aims to pressure state institutions to carry out investigations into crimes committed against citizens by the regime.

On 9 October 2011, a peaceful march by thousands of Coptic and Moslem protesters headed towards the TV headquarters at Maspero near Tahrir Square, to protest the failure of authorities to investigate the burning of a church in Marinab, in the southern governorate of Aswan. The protests turned into deadly festivities with military police, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 protesters and the injury of 329. Video footage from Maspero shows military forces running over several protesters with armoured vehicles.

The WFYR are demanding that results of the fact-finding committee, formed under the ruling of deposed president Mohammed Morsi
...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
, are revealed.

On 5 July 2012, former president Morsi ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the killings of unarmed protesters since the start of the 25 January uprising, including the Maspero massacre.

The WFYR holds Morsi accountable for the lack of punishment of culprits, as he allegedly ignored the committee's recommendations and did not disclose the results and evidence of the report, only sending them to the prosecution for further investigation.

"The WFYR were later informed that the public prosecution sent all the reports regarding military personnel to the military judiciary, which did not investigate further," said a WFYR representative, emphasising that final conclusions on the Maspero massacre were among the reports.

The rights group also demanded results from complaints filed against leaders of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces, who ruled following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
and the inauguration of Mohammed Morsi, namely Hussein Tantawi, Sami Anan and Hamdee Badeen.

On the first anniversary of the tragic event in 2012, a report was issued by Amnesia Amnesty International criticising Egyptian authorities for failure "to conduct a full, impartial and independent investigation into the circumstances of the violence and bring those responsible to account."

In September 2012, three soldiers were convicted of manslaughter for the murder of protesters. The verdict was widely criticised, as all investigations were led by the military.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Africa Subsaharan
Boko Haram: Shekau's 'Am Alive' Video is Fake, Says Security Analysis
[THISDAYLIVE] The last may not have been heard concerning the survival or otherwise of the leader of the outlawed Islamic sect, Boko Haram
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
, Abubkar Shekau, as a security analysis conducted by the Department of the State Security (DSS), yesterday revealed that the recent video appearance of the sect's leader was unreal.

The security analysis of the video sighted by THISDAY, noted that the amateur replica cloned everything wrongly but was not categorical on the death of the terrorist as it waited on time to determine.

This, however, came same day the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, said it was not part of his duty or mandate as minister and chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of the Conflicts in Northern Nigeria to locate Shekau's whereabout.

But the expert analysis of the video of the sect's leader in previous appearances showed that Shekau usually starts with the recitation of a full verse of the Koran, which sometimes could last up to five minutes, a sequence the stand-in Shekau did not observe.

According to a bigwig of the agency, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, the amateur cloned replica of Shekau was wrong on several grounds including the fact that his former appearances in videos was patterned after a certain modus operandi.

It was also observed in the analysis, that unlike on previous occasions when Shekau spoke, he was never interrupted by any background praising quite unlike what happened in the latest video.

The video, which was sent in for analysis by experts showed that the movement of "Shekau's lips" did not synchronise with the words as pronounced, apparently betraying a recorded message inefficiently manipulated to sustain a non-existent continuum in leadership, now in disarray.

The experts had stated that the cloned attempt to mimick Shekau voice during the opening stanza soon gave in, as the impostor reverted to his real voice, while the intonation was different as Shekau was not known to drawl while talking.

Other inconsistencies discovered by the experts were that: "This 'Shekau' even said a dead woman -Margaret Thatcher, and Oladipo Diya, rejoiced over his (Shekau's) death.

A DSS source who spoke to THISDAY said, "How does these add up to strengthen his case? One is dead and the other had left government long before the advent of Boko Haram. The video was just to create unnecessary panic in the public.

"The fact is that Abubakar Shekau, was truly shot, critically injured and evacuated by his lieutenants to a conventional hospital outside Nigeria. It is only time that will tell if he survived but we know now that the video is as fake as it gets."

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Count Guido had escaped from his bonds and overwhelmed his guard using the bludgeon the faithful Filomena had smuggled to him in the loaf of bread...
Turaki, while briefing journalists after giving a scorecard of his portfolio as minister to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC), said the report of the committee was almost 99 per cent completed.

He noted that the committee would soon notify President Goodluck Jonathan
... 14th President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is a lover of nifty hats, which makes him easily recognizable unless someone else in the room is wearing a neat chapeau...
on a convenient date to submit the report, while also hinting that it cost the federal government about N100 billion to finance constituency projects of members of the National Assembly.

The minister, who put the number of the ongoing constituency projects at 2,399 projects, said: "I think I should also ask you, where is Shekau? With all sense of responsibility, we have been directed by Mr. President to identify key members of the sect and then engage them in dialogue. Mr. President didn't ask us to look for Shekau and engage him in dialogue."

According to him, "It is important for Nigerians to appreciate that in matters of this nature you don't just wake up one day even as a dialogue committee established by government and say you are discussing with the leadership of the Death Eaters. Usually, what happens and that was what happened in our own case is that after we have been able to establish confidence.

However,
there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened...
Turaki said the committee had identified some key elements of the Death Eater group and has made some useful recommendations in the report that would be soon be submitted to the president.

Noting that the insurgency should not be expected to come to an end suddenly, the minister said: "Necessarily, it has to take time to contain the insurgency and it is not what will be done today or tomorrow."
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Boko Haram


Arabia
Southerners, Zaidis protest 'injustice' in Yemen talks
[Al Ahram] A session of Yemen's national dialogue was called off on Wednesday after representatives of southern autonomists and northern rebels protested that they were being marginalised.

A team representing the Southern Movement, demanding a north-south federation, and another for Zaidi Ansarullah rebels held a sit-in at the Sanaa hall where the meeting was to be held, an AFP news hound said.

This forced organisers to postpone the session until Thursday.

The two groups had boycotted Tuesday's session during which President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi promised that outstanding issues would be resolved within days.

In a joint statement, the groups said they boycotted the session due to a "lack of consensus" on the northern and southern questions.

They charged that "the most important national issues have been handed over to traditional forces who are dividing its outcomes among themselves."

"It is injustice that has united us," said Mohammed Ali Ahmed, head of the southern delegation and chairman of the People's Congress of the South -- a Southern Movement faction.

The dialogue that opened in March is aimed at drawing up a new constitution for Yemen and preparing for elections in February.

Fighting between Zaidi Shias and government forces in the mainly Sunni state after a 2004 rebellion killed thousands of people before a ceasefire was reached in February 2010.

The dialogue was scheduled to end 18 September but delayed after participants, despite having accepted the concept of a federal structure, failed to agree on the numbers of regions making up the future state.

The southern question has been a major stumbling-block in the talks, with hardline factions of the Southern Movement boycotting the discussions and demanding secession.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


India-Pakistan
Perv Released From House Arrest
[NY Times] A Pak court granted bail on Wednesday to Pervez Perv Musharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
, the country's former military ruler, clearing the way for him to leave the country as early as Thursday, his lawyers said.

Mr. Musharraf, 70, has been under house arrest at his villa outside Islamabad since April, facing criminal charges in three cases related to his nine years in power, from 1999 to 2008. The prospect of a former army chief facing potential imprisonment appeared, for a time, to signal new limits to the unofficial immunity from prosecution that Pakistain's top generals have long enjoyed.

Mr. Musharraf had already been granted bail in two of the three cases, and the decision on Wednesday to grant bail in the third -- related to the death of Akbar Khan Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed in a military operation -- opens the door for him to avoid prosecution entirely.

Mr. Musharraf's lawyers said that his bail payment of $20,000 could be processed as early as Thursday morning; he could then leave Pakistain immediately. Ahmad Raza Khan Qasuri, the vice president of Mr. Musharraf's political party, the All Pakistain Mohammedan League, said that Mr. Musharraf might go to see his 90-year-old mother.

"He's a free person -- he can go out whenever he likes," Mr. Qasuri said in a telephone interview. "His mother, who is a very aged lady, lives in Dubai. He might go tomorrow or the day after to see her. But his base will continue to be in Islamabad."

Still, Mr. Musharraf has rebuffed previous entreaties from his advisers, and from senior military leaders, to leave Pakistain, particularly if doing so would prevent him from returning to fight his battles in court. Aides say that Mr. Musharraf, a former commando with a famous stubborn streak, insists on clearing his name and does not want to spend his retirement in exile.

But for the military, his case has become an unwelcome distraction, complicating relations among the army, the civilian government and the courts and raising the prospect of a troubling precedent.

Mohammed Amjad, secretary general of Mr. Musharraf's party, told news hounds outside his home that if Mr. Musharraf leaves Pakistain, it will be only temporarily. "He will not escape from Pakistain," Mr. Amjad said.

Mr. Musharraf has been incarcerated
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
at his luxurious farmhouse outside Islamabad rather than in prison for security reasons, following Taliban threats to his life. Aides say he has been confined to two rooms in the house, which has a swimming pool and sweeping lawns, and has had limited access to his friends and family.

Still, in a country where senior military officers are generally considered to be above the law, the sight of a former military ruler facing justice in a civilian court is a startling novelty.

Besides the three current criminal cases, Mr. Musharraf faces potential treason charges for his role in suspending the constitution in 2007, though few analysts believe the government of Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
is likely to go ahead with those charges.

Mr. Musharraf was disqualified from standing in the general election in May, in which his party performed poorly. More generally, few Paks have shown much enthusiasm for returning him to power.

One factor in Mr. Musharraf's present calculation might be the position of his nemesis, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, whom he tried to fire in 2007. With Mr. Chaudhry due to retire in December, analysts say that Mr. Musharraf might be waiting until then to decide whether his long-term future lies in or out of Pakistain.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  You sure it wasn't this perv?
Posted by: Raj || 10/10/2013 0:07 Comments || Top||

#2  Run Perv! Run!
See Perv Run.
Sally laughed.

Hell I read this before.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/10/2013 17:56 Comments || Top||


TTP chief Mehsud rules out peace talks through 'media'
[Dawn] Criticising the government for not being able to take any substantial step towards peace talks, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud Wednesday said they would not hold dialogue through the media.

Speaking in a rare interview with the BBC, he said the Pak government should have officially announced initiation of peace talks and should have sent a tribal Jirga to them for that purpose.

"We don't wish to negotiate with the media....neither do we wish to hear the government's preconditions through the media nor do we want to put our precondition in front of it," said Mehsud.

He said Taliban were ready for serious talks with the government and would welcome such an effort from it. He vowed to provide a government Jirga with complete security if it was sent to them.

The TTP chief said scheduled withdrawal of NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization....
and US forces from Afghanistan will not change anything in Pakistain and vowed to carry on with their 'activities.'

"We are engaged in a war with Pakistain for two reasons; firstly Pakistain is a friend of America and Ulema (Islamic holy mans) were killed and madrassas (religious seminaries) were destroyed in the country upon America's command."

"Another reason for waging a Jihad here is the prevailing Kafirana (infidel) system in place in Pakistain," he added.

Mehsud said the Pak Taliban will carry on demanding implementation of Shariah laws in the country even after the 2014 withdrawal.

Acknowledging Pak holy mans' appeal for a ceasefire prior to peace talks, he said for any ceasefire to be credible it was important that US drone strikes on Pak land are stopped.

Distancing themselves from terrorist attacks on public places, Mehsud said spy agencies were involved in such activities. "Purpose behind those attacks is to move the masses against Taliban so that public support towards us is stopped," he said.

The TTP chief vowed to carry on attacking "friends of America and devil believers."

When asked why previous peace initiatives had failed, he blamed the government. "The government of Pakistain bombs innocent tribal people due to the pressure of America... Drone strikes conducted by Americans were (backed) by Pakistain. Then the Americans pressed Pakistain to start ground operations in these areas, and Pakistain complied," said Mehsud.

"So the government is responsible for past failures," he added.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Pakistan denies Taliban claim Mullah Baradar still in custody
[Dawn] Pakistain on Wednesday denied a Taliban claim that it had failed to free former rebel commander Abdul Ghani Baradar, whose release was meant to boost Afghanistan's grinding of the peace processor.

Baradar, often described as the Taliban's former second-in-command, was supposedly set free last month, after months of negotiations between the two governments.

"However,
you can observe a lot just by watching...
with great regret, he is still spending days and nights locked up behind bars in worrisome health conditions which are deteriorating by the day," the Taliban said in a statement on their website.

A senior Taliban member told AFP that Baradar was being held at a house in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
run by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistain's leading intelligence agency.

"He doesn't have any freedom, and his family can't even visit him," he said. "The Pakistain government says he has health problems which are being treated, and then his family will be able to visit."
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Rift appears in PTI over 'flawed' policies
[Dawn] Rifts emerged within the ruling Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
on Tuesday after one of its MPAs submitted an application to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
Assembly speaker for a separate seat in the House.

"The party leadership in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has deviated from its policies and manifesto and therefore, I have requested the speaker to allot me a separate seat in the House as soon as possible," PTI MPA Javed Naseem from Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
told Dawn here.

Mr Naseem said PTI had pledged to eradicate corruption and follow merit if it came to power, but some of its ministers and leaders were trying to maintain the status quo and were reluctant to take action against 'corrupt officers'.

"I am neither acceptable to the treasury benches nor the opposition and that is why I have asked the speaker to allot me a separate seat," he said.

He claimed that many PTI MPAs were not happy with the provincial government's policies and they would soon submit applications to the speaker to allot them separate benches.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Greece, Israel look to new era of strategic cooperation
h/t Gates of Vienna
Athens and Tel Aviv have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties, the leaders of the two Mediterranean countries said on Tuesday as reported by daily Kathimerini. During an official visit by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Israel on Tuesday, in which he is accompanied by eight of his ministers including Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, the two states signed a number of agreements and collaboration protocols in their first-ever government-to-government meeting.

The talks between Environment Minister Yiannis Maniatis and his counterpart Uzi Landau focused on major energy infrastructure projects, including the construction of a gas pipeline between Israel, Cyprus and Greece, and the transport of liquefied gas with Greek ships.
And also, maybe, teaching Turks that the Grand Porte is long dead.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 03:14 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I think the Israelis could teach the Greeks a few things , like , eer ... maybe financial management .

Wheres Aris when needed for his clear input !
Posted by: Zorba || 10/10/2013 4:53 Comments || Top||

#2  Note the use of the word Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem
Posted by: BernardZ || 10/10/2013 6:38 Comments || Top||

#3  The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 10/10/2013 7:42 Comments || Top||

#4  Our civilization comes from the ancient Hebrews and the ancient Greeks. I wonder if anything will come of this.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 10/10/2013 10:36 Comments || Top||

#5  I see homo-Israelis.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 10/10/2013 11:29 Comments || Top||

#6  "Greece, Israel look to new era of strategic cooperation"

Translation: The Greeks think they can suck money from Israel, the way they used to from the EU.
Posted by: Barbara || 10/10/2013 13:02 Comments || Top||

#7  It is a good way to box in the Turks. Israel and Greece really should be making nice with Putin and guarantees that a restored Constantinople would always welcome Russian ships.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 10/10/2013 14:54 Comments || Top||

#8  Damn RJ, that's kinda funny and weirdly orignal.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/10/2013 17:57 Comments || Top||

#9  Offer to restore the Santa Sophia to its former glory. And mission...
Posted by: Steve White || 10/10/2013 20:18 Comments || Top||

#10  When you have oil, you suddenly discover new friends.
Posted by: Iblis || 10/10/2013 20:56 Comments || Top||

#11  #4: We celebrate Greek-Jewish relations next month on the night of Nov. 27 and the next week.
Posted by: Eric Jablow || 10/10/2013 23:42 Comments || Top||


Gaza protesters demand death penalty as anti-NGOs meet
[Al Ahram] Death penalty supporters protested in the Gazoo Strip on Wednesday outside a conference calling for its abolition, days after Islamist rulers Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, hanged a convicted murderer.

Relatives of murder victims held aloft pictures of their loved ones, demanding the execution of imprisoned suspects, while human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
groups in the Paleostinian territory marked World Day against the Death Penalty.

"The death penalty is Islamic law - implement it against all criminals," one banner read.

On 2 October, Hamas hanged Hani Abu Aliyan, a 28-year-old who had been convicted for murder.

"The death penalty is fair, it's a balanced outcome," said Shayma Tilbani, 17, whose brother was killed at his home in an attempted burglary in August.

"The NGOs want to stop the criminals getting executed, but even life in prison is not the right punishment. We want a punishment based on the Koran," she told AFP.

Under Paleostinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking are all punishable by death.
Mohammed Shurab, front man for Gazoo's "Families of the Victims" movement, urged "the government in Gazoo led by (prime minister) Ismail Haniya to continue carrying out the death sentence against those who are killing our sons."

But speakers at the conference said the death penalty went against both international humanitarian law and the principles of Islam.

"Islam doesn't allow the death penalty or the killing of anyone," said Suleiman Awda, a lecturer in Islamic law at Gazoo's Al-Azhar University. "It is a religion of forgiveness."

UN human rights delegate Pradeep Wagle expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
over Hamas's use of capital punishment, warning in particular of the dangers of mistakenly sentencing a suspect.

"Human failure is always possible irrespective of how developed a justice system is and there is always the possibility of executing innocent people in any justice system," he said.

Saeed al-Madhun, from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned it was "not possible to correct a mistake... There's no going back once the death penalty has been carried out."

Last week's hanging was the first time since July 2012 that Hamas has carried out capital punishment for murder.

But on 22 June, the Islamist movement hanged two men accused of collaborating with Israel.

Under Paleostinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking are all punishable by death.

Hamas has executed 17 people since taking over Gazoo in 2007, according to the Paleostinian Centre for Human Rights.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  Sounds good, Agree, with the protesters first. (Kill them all)
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 10/10/2013 11:32 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Report: Hizbullah Dissolves Sidon's Resistance Brigades
[An Nahar] Hizbullah decided to dissolve its affiliated Resistance Brigades and to lift the cover off any member that breaches security, An Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, the party's decision came in light of the increasing disputes between the members of the Resistance
That'd be the Hezbullies, natch...
Brigades and the residents and parties of the southern city of Sidon.

The report pointed out that Hizbullah is "convinced that the Resistance Brigades in Sidon is tarnishing its image in the city."

"The decision to dissolve it achieves more than one positive goal for Hizbullah," the report added.

Salafist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir
...Leb Salafist holy man with the usual grouch against Shiites. Currently on the run, he seems intent on reigniting the Leb civil war...
accused in June Hizbullah of using several apartments in Abra in Sidon to stockpile weapons and house fighters.

Al-Asir supporters clashed several times with the members of the Hizbullah's Resistance Brigades in Abra.

The Salafist holy man, a 45-year-old holy man who supports the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Trampler of Homs...
, is no where to be found after his supporters clashed in June with the army.

Officials in Sidon have been demanding Hizbullah, after al-Asir's battle with the army, to withdraw its resistance brigades members from the city.
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah


Chemical watchdog seeks temporary Syria truces
[Al Ahram] The head of the world's chemical weapons watchdog called Wednesday for temporary ceasefires in Syria's raging civil war in order to meet tight disarmament deadlines.

"I think if some temporary ceasefires can be established, I think those targets could be reached," Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons chief Ahmet Uzumcu told journalists in The Hague.

The OPCW has been charged with dismantling Syria's chemical arsenal and facilities by mid-2014 under the terms of a UN Security Council resolution drawn up after deadly nerve gas attacks in August.

Uzumcu said during a rare public briefing on the state of Syria's disarmament that the timeline "is extremely tight".

He denied however that the deadlines, including the destruction of all production facilities by 1 November, were unrealistic.

"Much depends on the situation on the ground, that's why we have urged all parties in Syria to be cooperative," Uzumcu said.

"The elimination is in the interest of all."
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Terror Networks
Who are the world's 10 most dangerous terrorists?
[Shabelle]
1. Ayman al-Zawahiri
... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is...
Despite the whittling away by drone attacks of "al Qaeda central" in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistain, the group's leader remains vocal and active in trying to harness the disparate affiliates that claim the al Qaeda name.

Source: al Qaeda leader urged affiliate to 'do something'

Since former leader the late Osama bin Laden
... who used to be alive but now he's not...
's death in 2011, al-Zawahiri has sought to take advantage of the unrest sweeping the Arab world, and has recognized that groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are better placed to carry out attacks than the ever-diminishing core that remains in "Af-Pak." At times, al-Zawahiri has struggled to exercise authority over groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq, not least because of the difficulty in communicating with far-flung offshoots.

Aware that pulling off another 9/11 is a remote possibility, al-Zawahiri has suggested a shift to less ambitious and less expensive but highly disruptive attacks on "soft" targets, as well as hostage-taking. In an audio message in August he recommended taking "the citizens of the countries that are participating in the invasion of Musselmen countries as hostages."

Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who is now 62, is not the inspirational figure to jihadists that bin Laden was, but he is trying to fashion a role as the CEO of a sprawling enterprise. According to the Economist, he may be succeeding. "From Somalia to Syria, al-Qaeda franchises and jihadist fellow travellers now control more territory, and can call on more fighters, than at any time since Osama bin Laden created the organization 25 years ago," it wrote this month.

Reward offered by the U.S. government for his capture: up to $25 million

How effective are terror watch lists? First woman added to FBI terror list Terrorists spreading ideology on Twitter

2. Nasir al Wuhayshi

For someone thought to be about 36 years old, al Wuhayshi's terror resumé is already extensive. Once bin Laden's private secretary in Afghanistan, he returned to his native Yemen and ended up in jail. But not for long: He and several other al Qaeda operatives dug their way out in 2006. He went on to to help found al Qaeda in Yemen, and began launching attacks on Yemeni security services and foreign tourists, as well as directing an ambitious attack against the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.

He is now the emir of AQAP, widely regarded as the most dangerous and active of al Qaeda's many offshoots. A slight figure with an impish sense of humor, according to some who have met him, al Wuhayshi appears to have been anointed al Qaeda's overall deputy leader in a bold move by al-Zawahiri to leverage the capabilities of AQAP. Seth Jones, a Rand Corporation analyst, called the appointment "unprecedented because he's living in Yemen, he's not living in Pakistain."

If al-Zawahiri is al Qaeda's CEO, al Wuhayshi appears to be its COO -- with responsibilities that extend far beyond Yemen. It appears that in 2012 he was already giving operational advice to al Qaeda's affiliate in North Africa.

Despite a concerted effort by the Yemeni government and the United States to behead AQAP, al Wuhayshi survives, and his fighters have recently gone on the offensive again in southern Yemen. The group is bent on exporting terror to the West -- both through bomb plots and by dispatching Western converts home to sow carnage.

3. Ibrahim al Asiri

Not a household name, but one that provokes plenty of anxiety among Western intelligence agencies. Al Asiri, a 31-year-old Saudi, is AQAP's master bomb-maker, as expert as he is ruthless. He is widely thought to have designed the "underwear" bomb that nearly brought down a U.S. airliner over bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit
... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang...
on Christmas Day 2009, as well as the ingenious printer bombs sent as freight from Sanaa, Yemen, and destined for the United States before being intercepted thanks to a Saudi tip-off. The bombs were so well hidden that at first British police were unable to find one device even after isolating the printer.

Al Asiri also fitted his younger brother Abduillah with a bomb hidden in his rectum in an effort to kill Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
's counter-terrorism chief, Mohammed bin Nayef. The brother died in the attack; bin Nayef survived.

His trademark explosive is PETN -- a white, odorless powder than cannot be detected by most X-ray machines.

Al Asiri is thought to be somewhere in the vast mountainous interior of southern Yemen. The anxiety among Saudi and Western intelligence officials is that he has passed on his expertise to apprentices.

4. Ahmed Abdi Godane

Godane, aka Mukhtar Abu Zubayr, became the leader of the Somali group Al-Shabaab
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
at the end of 2008. Traditionally, Al-Shabaab has been focused on bringing Islamic rule to Somalia, and as such has attracted dozens of ethnic Somalis (and a few Western coverts) from the United States and Europe. But Godane appears to be refocusing the group on terrorist attacks beyond Somalia, against the east African states that are supporting the Somali government -- especially Uganda and Kenya -- and against Western interests in east Africa.

The Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi September 21 was Al-Shabaab's most audacious, but not its first nor most deadly outside Somalia. In 2010, Al-Shabaab carried out suicide kabooms in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, in which more than 70 people were killed. But the Westgate siege, which left 67 people dead, demonstrated Godane's desire to align his group more closely with al Qaeda. In a taped message afterward, he noted the attack took place "just 10 days after the anniversary date of the blessed 9/11 operations."

Under Godane, Al-Shabaab has become a formal ally of al Qaeda. That has led to dissent, which Godane has dealt with ruthlessly, using his control of Al-Shabaab's intelligence wing. The American jihadist Omar Hammami was killed in September after criticizing Godane's leadership and his treatment of imported muscle.

Godane is said to be 36 years old, and is originally from Somaliland in northern Somalia. He is slim to the point of wispy, as seen in the very few photographs of him, and prefers recording audio messages to appearing in public.

After the Westgate attack, Kenyan and Western intelligence agencies will undoubtedly step up efforts to end his reign of terror. But he should not be underestimated. A former Somali prime minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, once described Godane as the cleverest of Al-Shabaab's leaders.

The U.S. government's Rewards for Justice program lists him under another alias, Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohammed, and is offering up to $7 million for information leading to his location.

5. Moktar Belmoktar

Belmoktar is Algerian but based in the endless expanse of desert known as the Sahel. Like many on this list, he has an uncanny knack for survival against the odds. A year ago, he probably would not have been counted among the world's most dangerous terrorists. Then he announced the formation of an elite unit called "Those Who Sign With Blood," which he said would be the shield against the "invading enemy." A short time later, his fighters launched an attack on the In Amenas gas plant in southern Algeria. A three-day siege left nearly 40 foreign workers dead.

Since then, Belmoktar's fighters have launched attacks on a military academy and French uranium mine in Niger in May, despite losing much of their freedom of movement after the French intervention in Mali in January.

Belmoktar is unusual in combining jihadist credentials with a lucrative business in smuggling and kidnapping. He is often called "Mr. Marlboro" because of his illicit cigarette trafficking, and is thought to have amassed millions of dollars through ransoms for westerners kidnapped in Mali.

Intelligence officials have told CNN that he has also developed contacts with jihadist groups in Libya as instability has gripped the country in the wake of Muammar Qadaffy
... who had more funny outfits than Louis XIV...
's overthrow.

Born in 1972, Belmoktar grew up in poverty in southern Algeria. He traveled to Afghanistan in 1991 in his late teens to fight its then-Communist government, and returned to Algeria as a hardened fighter with a new nickname "Belaouar" -- the "one-eyed" -- after a battlefield injury. He later joined forces with the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in its brutal campaign against the Algerian regime.

Reward offered by the U.S. government: up to $5 million for information leading to his location.

6. Abu Muhammad al Julani

While Belmoktar might have been on the fringes of a "most dangerous terrorist list" a year ago, Abu Muhammad al Julani would not have been anywhere near it. But as Syria has descended into a state of civil war, al Julani's group -- the al-Nusra Front -- has emerged as one of the most effective rebel factions. Formed in January 2012, it is a jihadist group with perhaps 10,000 fighters, many of them battle-hardened in Iraq. It has specialized in suicide kabooms and IED attacks against regime forces, and its success has attracted hundreds of fighters from other rebel groups.

Al Julani personally pledged his group's allegiance to al-Zawahiri in April, and the U.S. State Department has branded al-Nusra as part of the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State in Iraq. In May, the United States added al Julani to to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Al-Nusra has so far not shown any inclination to take the fight to Western targets. Andrew Parker, the head of the British intelligence agency MI5, thinks that will change.

"A growing proportion of our casework now has some link to Syria... Al-Nusra and other myrmidon Sunni groups there aligned with al Qaeda aspire to attack Western countries," he said in a speech in London this week.

Of al Julani himself, very little is known. Al-Nusra places a premium on organizational security. Even his nationality is unclear, but he is thought to have had experience as an bad boy in Iraq. A recent study by the Quilliam Foundation in London concluded his leadership of the group was "uncontested."

"Sources tell us that his face is always covered in meetings, even with other leaders. Al Julani is thought to be a Syrian jihadist with suspected close ties to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and al Qaeda in Iraq," the study's authors said.

Al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. missile strike in 2006.

7. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi

One factor that may influence the growth and potency of al-Nusra is its relationship with fellow jihadists in Iraq. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) was publicly at odds with al Julani over the regional pecking order earlier this year, asserting that al-Nusra was part of his group, a claim swiftly rejected by al Julani. Western intelligence would like nothing more than dissent between these two groups. Close cooperation between them across the long Syrian-Iraqi border -- the goal of al-Zawahiri -- is the nightmare scenario.

On the battlefield in Syria, cooperation between the two groups appears to be continuing, especially in towns like Deir Izzor in eastern Syria.

Inside Iraq, al Baghdadi has overseen a dramatic spike in terror attacks against the Shia-dominated state and security apparatus, aided by jail breaks and bank robberies. It has also claimed devastating kabooms against Shia civilians and is open about carrying out attacks on purely sectarian grounds. It claimed credit for a wave of boom-mobileings in Storied Baghdad on September 30, in which more than 50 people were killed, calling it a "new page in the series of destructive blows" against Shiite areas in Iraq.

The monthly number of civilian deaths in Iraq, according to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
, is now at its highest since 2008.

Al Baghdadi benefits from fertile ground in that Iraq's Sunni minority is increasingly fearful of the Shia-dominated government led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Sunni tribes straddle the Syrian-Iraqi border, adding to a combustible regional picture.

Born in Samarra, al Baghdadi is in his early 40s. In a eulogy for bin Laden, he threatened violent retribution for his killing. Analysts regard ISIS as a greater threat now than at any time since the U.S. "surge" and the emergence of the Sunni Awakening Councils six years ago, which then turned the tide against al Qaeda in Iraq.

Reward offered by U.S. government, which lists him as Abu Du'a: up to $10 million for information leading to his location.

8. Sirajudin Haqqani

Shifting from the Middle East to the Afghan-Pakistain border regions, several groups are positioning themselves for the exit of U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan next year. Among the most dangerous is the Haqqani Network, responsible for some of the deadly attacks in Kabul in recent years. A 2008 coordinated suicide kaboom on the Serena Hotel in Kabul left six dead. Another strike in June 2011 killed 12 at the InterContinental Hotel.

U.S. officials say that in addition to its high-profile suicide kabooms against hotels and other civilian targets in the Afghan capital, it is responsible for killing and wounding more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Siraj Haqqani is the son of the group's founder, and is in his early 40s.

"Siraj is a brutal criminal murderer," Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, the outgoing commander of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division in eastern Afghanistan, told the publication Jane's in 2009.

Jeffrey Dressler, a senior analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, told CNN last year that Haqqani is "very, very competent, a very capable leader who has really grown the network over the past five, six years."

U.S. officials say the Haqqani Network is all the more dangerous in that its presence in the tribal territories of Pakistain is tolerated by the Pak government. The family belongs to the Zadran tribe, which spans the Afghanistan-Pakistain border and stretches to Khost province
... across the border from Miranshah, within commuting distance of Haqqani hangouts such as Datta Khel and probably within sight of Mordor. Khost is populated by six different tribes of Pashtuns, the largest probably being the Khostwal, from which it takes its name...
. The Haqqanis have a close relationship with both al Qaeda and the Taliban, but are also thought to have begun recruiting Chechen and Turkish jihadists.

The B.O. regime designated the Haqqani Network a terror group last year. It is regarded as well-funded because of a series of legitimate and illicit businesses that stretch to the Gulf.

Reward offered by U.S. government for information leading to Haqqani's location: up to $5 million

9. Abubakar Shekau

Shekau's inclusion recognizes the growing tide of Islamist militancy in West Africa. For the last four years, he has led Boko Haram, a Salafist group in northern Nigeria that has begun cooperating with other groups as far away as Mali.

But its main focus remains churches and other Christian targets, the police and the moderate Moslem establishment in northern Nigeria. Just last month, suspected Boko Haram fighters broke into a college in Yobe state and murdered more than 40 students as they slept.

In 2010, Shekau warned that the group would attack Western interests and the following year it carried out its first suicide kaboom -- against U.N. offices in the capital, Abuja -- killing at least 23 people. The group has also kidnapped and killed several Western hostages. While Bokko Haram is not an affiliate of al Qaeda, Shekau has made clear his sympathy for the group's goals. The United States made him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2012.

Two caveats here: there are conflicting reports that Shekau was killed in an August raid by Nigerian special forces. But a video that appeared weeks later purported to show he was still alive. And Boko Haram's leadership structure is opaque at best; it's unclear how much control Shekau himself exerts over its fighters.

John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, wrote last month that so far "Boko Haram has shown little interest in the world outside of Nigeria and the Sahel. But the situation in Nigeria is dynamic, and it is possible that closer ties will develop between al-Qaeda and elements of Boko Haram."

"Boko Haram" means "Western education is forbidden" and reflects the group's utter rejection of modernity and Western influences.

"Hostile to democracy, modern science, and Western education as non-Islamic, it is highly diffuse," Campbell said of the group. "For some adherents, religious, even apocalyptic, themes appear to be paramount."

Reward offered by the U.S. government: up to $7 million for his location.

10. Doku Umarov
... Self-styled first emir of the Caucasus Emirate. Count Doku has announced that his forces will not target civilians, but qualified that statement by saying there aren't any civilians in Russia...
Doku Umarov leads the Caucasus Emirate (CE), a Chechen group dedicated to bringing Islamic rule to much of southern Russia.

The U.S. State Department named Umarov a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2010, and said subsequently he was "encouraging followers to commit violent acts against CE's declared enemies, which include the United States as well as Israel, Russia, and the United Kingdom."

U.S. officials have been investigating whether the Tsarnaev brothers -- who were blamed for carrying out the bombing at the Boston Marathon in April -- had any links with Chechen bully boy groups. But nothing has surfaced connecting them with CE. And the group's main focus has been on attacking Russian institutions and civilian targets. In January 2011, it bombed Moscow's Domodedovo airport, killing 36 people, and suicide kabooms of Moscow subway stations in 2010 killed 40 people.

Umarov was born in southern Chechnya in 1964, according to Chechen websites, and describes his family as part of the "intelligentsia." He came of age as the separatist campaign against Russian rule began to take root and joined the insurgency when then-Russian leader Boris Yeltsin sent troops into the region in 1994.

In a proclamation published on a Chechen jihadist website in 2007, he declared, "It was my destiny to lead the Jihad... I will lead and organize Jihad according to the understanding, given to me by Allah."

Reward offered by the U.S. government for information on his location: up to $5 million.
This article starring:
Abubakar ShekauBoko Haram
Abu Bakr al BaghdadiIslamic State in Iraq
Abu Muhammad al Julanial-Nusra
Abu Musab al-Zarqawial-Qaeda in Iraq
Ahmed Abdi Godaneal-Shabaab
Doku UmarovIslamic Emirate of the Caucasus
Ibrahim al Asirial-Qaeda in Arabia
Moktar Belmoktaral-Qaeda in North Africa
Nasir al Wuhayshial-Qaeda
Sirajudin Haqqanial-Qaeda in Afghanistan
Posted by: Fred || 10/10/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda

#1  Don't know, but I know who are the four world's greatest terrorist enablers.
(1) UN bureaucracy
(2) Council of Europe
(3) USDS
(4) Her Majesty's Foreign office
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 1:42 Comments || Top||

#2 
Posted by: dimeola is a fake || 10/10/2013 3:25 Comments || Top||

#3  Troll dreck on aile 2.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/10/2013 4:10 Comments || Top||

#4  US vets
Tea Party
White People
Tea Party
Etc
Posted by: Iblis || 10/10/2013 19:07 Comments || Top||

#5  Billy Ayers has done the most damage. And he aint done yet.
Posted by: Grunter || 10/10/2013 19:14 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
28[untagged]
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5Arab Spring
5Govt of Pakistan
4al-Shabaab
3Boko Haram
2Pirates
1Hamas
1Hezbollah
1Thai Insurgency
1TTP
1al-Qaeda

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On Sale now!


A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
Click here for more information

Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Thu 2013-10-10
  Libyan Prime Minister Zeidan kidnapped by gunmen
Wed 2013-10-09
  Egypt Strips Muslim Brotherhood of NGO Status
Tue 2013-10-08
  Egypt: Huge Explosion Hits Security HQ In Sinai
Mon 2013-10-07
  SEAL Strike on Shaboob Big Turban Fails in Somalia
Sun 2013-10-06
  Abu Anas al-Libi snatched
Sat 2013-10-05
  Boko Haram: 186 killed, 15 arrested as Military raids insurgents' camp in Yobe
Fri 2013-10-04
  Belgium Extradites Nisar Trabelsi to U.S.
Thu 2013-10-03
  Iranian cyber warfare commander shot dead in suspected assassination
Wed 2013-10-02
  Iraq Executes 23 People in Two Days
Tue 2013-10-01
  Drone strike in North Waziristan kills two, injures one
Mon 2013-09-30
  US drone kills three in Pakistan
Sun 2013-09-29
  Boko murders up to 50 students in their sleep
Sat 2013-09-28
  Sudan Arrests 600 over 'Vandalism'
Fri 2013-09-27
  Peshawar Bus Bombing Kills 17 Govt Employees
Thu 2013-09-26
  Syria rebels reject opposition coalition, call for Islamic leadership

Better than the average link...



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