"When you call them troops you are saying that they are coming to fight on our behalf," I Museveni say this. "We shall never have troops coming to fight for us. I cannot accept foreign troops to come and fight for me. We have the capacity to fight our wars." .... but you can come, we will fight, but you are not to fight.... you are not troops, we are troops, you have radio boxes that talk and birds that see and also talk, but we will fight not you. Please come, bring birds, doctors and money for my troops. You are not troops. I Museveni say this! You can, how you say.... take it to my bank in Berne, Museveni make good joke eh, hahahahaa. His coke levels are either too high or too low...
[An Nahar] Potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei Egyptian law scholar and Iranian catspaw. He was head of the IAEA from December 1997 to November 2009. At some point during his tenure he was purchased by the Iranians. ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for something in 2005. After stepping down from his IAEA position ElBaradei attempted to horn in on the 2011 Egyptian protests which culminated in the collapse of the Mubarak regime. ElBaradei served on the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group, a lefty NGO that is bankrolled by the Carnegie Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as George Soros' Open Society Institute. Soros himself serves as a member of the organization's Executive Committee. called on Sunday for a "clear roadmap" to civilian rule in Egypt, accusing all sides of having fallen short so far in the post-Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... era.
"What I ask of (the ruling military) Council is that it announce a clear roadmap, to have a clear vision for citizens and for investors," the former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief told a news conference in Cairo.
"I believe everybody has failed to manage it, whether it be the Council, the government or the revolutionaries," said ElBaradei, referring to the transition since Mubarak's ouster in February in the face of mass protests.
Egypt has since been ruled by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has named a caretaker government in the run-up to legislative elections starting on November 28.
The military has said it will stand aside for a handover to civilian rule after a presidential poll, for which a date has yet to be set.
"We need a government of national salvation ... or that the current government have powers," said ElBaradei, while deploring the splintering of the anti-Mubarak camp.
"The revolutionaries are divided. There are 50 parties and many coalitions," he said.
ElBaradei also called for an independent probe of the October 9 festivities in Cairo between security forces and mainly Coptic Christian demonstrators that left 25 dead.
The probe should examine the role of state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
which had also "incited" the violence, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Given his record, I'm surprised El Baradei can even find Egypt.
CAIRO: Egyptian presidential hopeful Ayman Nour on Sunday failed in a bid to overturn a ruling that bars him from running for public office, imposed in 2005 when he was convicted of forging documents.
So he was convicted in a Hosni court, which the military finds convenient to let stand. And people are 'stunned' by the way the military there behaves, yes they are...
A court turned down the appeal by Nour, the leader of Al-Ghad party, who was sentenced to five years in prison due to the conviction. Nour was released in February 2009 on health grounds.
Egyptian law does not let former convicts run for the presidency until five years after the end of their jail term.
"I am not surprised by this verdict because the ruling military council has refused to cancel laws imposing lifetime bans on convicts it appears to be a line this regime is following," Nour told Reuters shortly after the verdict.
He said Sunday's verdict by the Cassation Court, Egypt's highest court of appeal, was invalid as the judge had been a member of the Political Parties Affairs Committee, a body accused of helping former President Hosni Mubarak's government suppress opposition groups including Al-Ghad.
"He can't be an opponent and an arbitrator at the same time," Nour said, pledging to press ahead with his presidential campaign.
Nour, 48, came a distant second to Mubarak in the 2005 election, Egypt's first and only multi-candidate presidential race.
Nour has said the conviction for forging party membership papers was trumped up by the state as part of a harassment campaign against his party. "I will present new reasons to challenge the ruling and I will continue participating in political life," Nour said.
Another presidential candidate, Hamdeen Sabahi, said: "It's not logical that Ayman Nour gets banned from practising his right to stand for the presidency while the remnants of the regime and the corrupt are running."
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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CAIRO: An army crackdown on a protest that killed more than 20 Christians has not only stunned Egyptians, it has left them with deeply torn feelings toward the force seen as the protector of the nation. Even supporters of the ruling military are grappling with the question of how the bloodshed could have happened.
Oh stop. They're 'stunned'? What's so stunning about an Arab army mistreating its citizens? This has been going since the first of the Pharaohs, so you'd think the people of the Nile would have figured the drill out by now. The army isn't there to protect them, the army is there to protect whoever is in charge.
The deaths a week ago have deepened mistrust of the military among the "revolutionary" sector, the politically naive active liberal and leftist activists who have been leading protests against the generals' rule for months. They have become increasingly vocal in calls for the army to step aside.
That's usually what leftist activists demand, at least until they take control of the army, as Trotsky found out way back in early 1918...
A broader sector of the public has been thrown into shocked confusion. Many Egyptians view the military as the last bastion of stability -- a force "made up of our own sons," as many often say -- and tend to trust it to handle the transition toward a democratic system.
Again, that just has to be a line some smart-aleck Egyptian interpreter fed a gullible western reporter. The army has been suppressing the people for the last half-century: for Hosni, for Anwar before him, and for Gamal before him. When did the mighty Egyptian army decide to fight for 'democracy'?
So images of army troops wildly running over protesters with armored vehicles have jolted them.
#2
A cleric delivering his Friday sermon in a state-run mosque in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria warned Christians against demanding a new law to ease restrictions on building churches and accused them of seeking foreign protection. Another cleric urged Egyptians to protect the military against protesters. The Muslim Brotherhood said now is not the time for Christians to press demands.
My now: the Brotherhood really are working the moderate angle these days, aren't they? They sound like the DNC.
#3
But ... but ...this was supposed to be The Arab Spring, sweetness and light, a real democracy, not like the reactionary/centrist/radical version controlled by Wall Street.
Not unlike the vision of those who voted for hope-and-change in 2008 and became disillusioned in 2010.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/17/2011 7:42 Comments ||
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#4
"We are stunned. Please send us more rapeable reporters."
#6
Fear not, I'm sure they'll turn to radical islam to fill the void, sooner or later.
It always seems to come back to that. Expect some mental gymnastics to rationalize it all.
For a map, click here
Mexican Army units between October 4th and October 12th seized 5,780.1 kilograms of marijuana, 18.25 kilograms of cocaine, 106.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.15 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 284 liters of liquid methamphetamine and MP $2460.00 (USD $182.56) in cash in various operations throughout Mexico.
An army unit with the Mexican 6th Military Zone seized a quantity of marijuana and arrested ten unidentified individuals in Coahuila state October 5th. The unit had been dispatched to Ejido Piedras Negras in Piedras Negras municipality based on a citizen's complaint when it found the drugs. 520 kilograms of marijuana in 80 packages were seized along with two vehicles.
Army units with the Mexican 15th Military Zone seized a quantity of drug making equipment, drugs and munitions in several municipalities in Jalisco state prior to October 5th.
In Tlajomulco de Zuniga municipality 11 metal drums of 200 liters capacity, each containing apparent precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs and a vehicle were seized.
In Tonala municipality, 4.3 kilograms of marijuana and 8.4 kilograms of fireworks were seized.
In Poncitlan municipality a small amount of methamphetamine was seized along with one rifle, one handgun, four weapons magazines, 86 rounds of ammunition and eight metal containers. One unidentified individual was arrested.
An army unit with the Mexican 25th Military Zone seized a quantity of marijuana and arrested one unidentified individual in Puebla state October 5th. The unit had set up a surprise checkpoint near San Lorenzo Teotipilco municipality when it stopped and searched a vehicle which exuded the odor of marijuana. About 100 kilograms of marijuana in 46 packages were seized in the search.
Mexican Army units with the 2nd Military Zone seized more than two metric tons of marijuana as well as other contraband in two separate operations in Baja California October 7th.
In Tijuana in Otay colony, Mesa de Otay delegation an army unit on patrol located 1,690.8 kilograms of marijuana in 467 packages. Also seized in the raid were five vehicles, 797 rounds of ammunition and MP $2460.00 (USD $182.56). Seven unidentified individuals were arrested at the scene.
At a checkpoint near Mexicali, an army unit stopped two vehicles and seized 652 kilograms of marijuana in 118 packages. Two unidentified individuals were arrested at the scene.
A Mexican Army unit with the 6th Military Zone raided a location in Tampico, Tamaulipas October 6th and seized a quantity of cocaine and firearms. The unit had been dispatched to a residence in the Primavera colony where soldiers found 10 packages and 5 bags of powder cocaine totalling 11.63 kilograms, four handguns, seven weapons magazines and 290 rounds of ammunition.
An army unit with the Mexican 8th Military Zone seized more than two metric tons of marijuana and a large munitions cache in Tamaulipas October 8th. The unit was on patrol in Camargo when it detected an underground chamber obscured by wooden pallets. Inside the cave soldiers found 2,799.5 kilograms of marijuana in 441 packages. In the same general area soldiers also seized 35 rifles, five handguns, one 40mm grenade launcher attachment, 16 grenades, 850 weapons magazines, 21,628 rounds of ammunition, 38 trimmings, 45 bibs, 15 vests and 18 armor plates.
An army unit with the Mexican 8th Military Zone located a hidden synthetic drugs laboratory and seized quantities of methamphetamine in Sinaloa state October 8th. The unit was on patrol in Culican municipality when it discovered the lab in the brush. Soldiers seized 86 kilograms of methamphetamine, 280 liters of liquid methamphetamine, 535 kilograms of caustic soda, 235 liters of an unknown liquid substance, 80 kilograms of tartaric acid and other material for the manufacture of the drug.
A Mexican Army unit with the 10th Military Zone seized quantities of drugs and weapons at a traffic stop in Durango state October 9th, arresting 6 unidentified individuals. The traffic stop took place in Nuevo Ideal municipality where soldiers seized 31 packages of marijuana weighing a total of 13.5 kilograms, personal quantities of methamphetamine, opium gum and cocaine, 15 rifles, three handguns, three hand grenades, 39 weapons magazines, 1,060 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear and a vehicle.
Army units with the Mexican 15th Military Zone located quantities of drugs and weapons in Zacatecas state October 10th in two separate operations.
An army unit conducted an apparent traffic stop in La Barca municipality where soldiers seized 7.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, one rifle, five handguns, 152 rounds of ammunition and two vehicles. Six unidentified individuals were arrested at the scene.
In Concepcion de Buenos Aires municipality in Jalisco state a unit on patrol found one rifle, two handguns and 15 rounds of ammunition.
One unit in the southern border area of Zacatecas seized four rifles, including one Barrett .50 caliber rifle, one handgun, two hand grenades, 17 weapons magazines, 229 rounds of ammunition and one vehicle.
Mexican Army units with the 29th Military Zone seized weapons and small quantities of drugs in two separate incidents in Veracruz state October 11th.
An army unit on patrol in Coatzacoalcos municipality conducted traffic stops, arresting five unidentified individuals and seizing one grenade launcher, one grenade, 166 rounds of ammunition and two vehicles.
In Cosoleacaque municipality soldiers seized three rifles, 34 weapons magazines, 376 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear and two vehicles.
A Mexican Army unit on patrol in Ciudad Miguel Aleman in Tamaulipas came under small arms fire while on patrol, capturing four unidentified armed suspects. The unit was on Calle Antonio Alzate in Mesquite colony when the attack took place. Following the capture soldiers seized five rifles, one handgun, 1,239 rounds of ammunition, 51 weapons magazines and one vehicle.
An army unit with the Mexican 35th Military Zone arrested one unidentified individual and secured several rifles and munitions in Guerrero state October 11th. The unit was sent to a location in Iguala municipality based on a citizen's complaint where the arrest took pace. Seized materials included two handguns, two rifles, two weapons magazines, 12 rounds of ammunition and one vehicle.
An army unit with the Mexican 9th Military Zone discovered a hidden drug laboratory in Sinaloa state October 11th. The unit was on patrol in El Rosario municipality near the village of Tepehuaje when the discovery was made. Soldiers secured 3.15 kilograms of crystal methamphetimine, 12.9 kilograms of solid methamphetamine, 4 liters of liquid methamphetamine, four metal reactors and an unspecified quantity of chemicals used to manufacture synthetic drugs.
A Mexican Army unit in Baja California located a quantity of cocaine October 12th. The unit was on patrol in Granjas Santa Cecilia colony in Mexicali when it came upon an abandoned vehicle with the drugs inside. A total of 6.62 kilograms of cocaine in six packages were seized.
#1
Anette Remme, president of SAIH, finds the reactions from the Iranian Embassy to be both provocative and unacceptable. We have been told that the image of the poster now has begun to circulate among students in Iran. I hope that this gives the Iranian students the feeling that we stand together, and that it can provide inspiration in the struggle for justice.
Which is why the embassy demanded its removal, of course.
Militants ambushed Pakistani troops on Monday, killing nine soldiers in gunbattles and underscoring the gravity of the insurgent threat on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar.
"It was an ambush in the afternoon. It continued for two to three hours, and there have been casualties in the ambush. There have been killings of the terrorists as well," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.
#2
Yes, yes. You Iranians are too smart, too powerful, and think we are not listening. You do what you think is best, we will do what we think is best. Years ago, I saw the last Iraqi big shot standing on a gallows. Perhaps the Iranian politicians should think about where they want to stand.
Military force should not be ruled out as a response to the Iranian assassination plot, said the top House Republican on intelligence issues. Representative Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said, "I don't think you should take it off the table," on ABC's "This Week."
#3
"I don't think you should take it off the table," said Representative Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on ABC's "This Week."
More jibberish gum flapping from the HPSCI. Obviously it should not be "taken off the table." That fact should not even have to be spoken.
That would be fun. Does Turkey have drones? We could paint them with Turkish markings. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara ||
10/17/2011 11:25 Comments ||
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#5
Turkey has some drones they bought from Israel, which they've grounded. They announced they were producing their own, which at the moment are not capable of making it to Teheran without crashing in embarassing ways.
#9
In Tehran's view, its the US-Israel-West that will be the ones to initiate any sort of milaction in the Persian Gulf - IRAN IS JUST A REACTIONARY TO WILY DASTARDLY ZIONIST-CRUSADER, ETC. MILITARY AGGRESSIONISM.
MAHA-RUSHIAN WORLD, MIL, ISLAMIC "HISTOIRE'" = says that to fight the scrappy Persians, now Iranians, FOREIGN POWERS HAVE TO GO ATTACK + FIGHT THEM IN THEIR REGION = BACKYARD.
[An Nahar] The Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on Sunday said that Syrian and Lebanese fates are one stressing that what the West and Israel are planning for Syria will affect Leb.
"Leb and Syria's destinies are linked together, and thus, Leb's stability is linked to Syrian stability, its steadfastness and its resistance against the Western-Israeli campaign against it" Arslan said in front of a Syrian delegation who visited him at his residence in Khaldeh.
Syria had been witnessing unprecedented protests against its regime in which the suppression of demonstrators led to 3000 deaths according to the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... , while Syrian authorities say that it had been facing a "terrorist groups" and a media "conspiracy" against it.
Arslan said: "Unfortunately, there is a huge media campaign from neighboring and regional countries on Syria magnifying the issue."
He noted that those who meddle with Syria are "meddling in Syria's resistance role in the region which consistent with the Lebanese and Paleostinian's position."
"Some political parties are betting on the Syrian instability and on hitting its national unity," Arslan said, expressing regret that these parties are colluding against the regime.
He added: All those who tried throughout history to have politics prevail over geography had failed."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
We missed reading MEMRI.ORG + INSHALLAH this AM, didn't we???
[An Nahar] As the revolt in Syria drags on, experts say weapons smuggling into the country has flourished, especially from Leb, with automatic weapons, grenades and hunting rifles in high demand.
They say that those behind the trafficking are smugglers in search of quick profits rather than political parties backing protesters against the Alawite-dominated regime in Syria.
"Smuggling networks that for years have operated along Syria's borders seem to have turned to weapons trafficking in recent months," said Peter Harling, a Damascus ...The City of Jasmin is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. It has not always been inhabited by the same set of fascisti... -based expert with the International Crisis Group.
"It appears that a market has quickly developed in a country which, contrary to Leb, Iraq, Yemen or Libya, had few weapons circulating beforehand," he told AFP.
He said the smugglers were motivated by money, at least for the time being.
"I don't think that at this point we can say, as the Syrian regime claims, that foreign powers are playing a significant role in this," Harling said.
"People on both sides in Syria are buying weapons to defend themselves," he added.
"Residents in Alawite villages are arming themselves for fear of reprisals and the (mainly Sunni Mohammedan) opposition is increasingly doing the same given the regime's harsh crackdown against any form of protest.
"So the temptation for people to defend themselves is growing."
A western diplomat in Beirut who did not wish to be identified confirmed that weapons smuggling from Leb into Syria was on the rise but also stressed he believed this was the work of individuals rather than parties.
"Those sending weapons may sympathize with a certain party but you can't say that a political faction as such is behind the smuggling," the diplomat said.
He noted the situation was ironic given that for years weapons had been smuggled from Syria into neighboring Iraq and Leb. "The tables are turned now, and it's a case of the biter getting bitten," he said.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in mid-March, Damascus has accused loyalists of former Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's liquidation. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too. , a Sunni, of sending cash and weapons to the opposition in Syria.
Hariri has denied the allegations. No, no! Certainly not!
Lebanese authorities have tossed in the calaboose a number of Lebanese and Syrian nationals on charges of weapons smuggling. A judicial official said the arms seized in those cases were either hunting rifles or light weapons.
The smuggling has led to a hike in prices on the black market, notably for hunting rifles, automatic weapons and grenades.
"The Syrians are raking in all the weapons and driving up prices," said one licensed weapons dealer who did not wish to be identified.
He added that much of the weapons on the black market in Leb date back to the country's 1975-1990 civil war or were smuggled in from Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
An underground weapons dealer in north Leb, also on condition of anonymity, said the price of a used Kalashnikov assault rifle has risen from $800 (575 euros) to $1500 (1079 euros) since the Syria uprising began.
The price of a grenade has also doubled, from about $5 to more than $10, he added, while rocket-propelled grenades are now fetching $200 a piece as opposed to $70 previously.
"There is high demand for Kalashnikovs and ammunition as well as pump-action shotguns which usually come from Turkey and are sold for $500, compared to $200 normally," he said.
He said the weapons are smuggled by foot or by car through remote areas along the 330-kilometre (205-mile) border between Leb and Syria.
"There are more than 50 illegal crossings between the two countries and there is no way to station enough troops to control them all," said retired Lebanese army General Elias Hanna.
The Western diplomat said that Hizbullah, a staunch supporter of Assad and a key player in the Beirut government, had boosted its presence along the border in the eastern Bekaa region to stem the smuggling.
The Syrian army has also stepped up security along the border.
Hanna said that while the arms being smuggled into Syria at this point were light weapons and unlikely to upset the current balance of power, the situation could change if neighboring countries decided to arm the opposition.
"When countries like Turkey change their stand and allow the transfer of heavy weapons through the border, then the balance of power will change," he said. "But I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] A Lebanese security source revealed that Syrian Ambassador to Leb Ali Abdul Karim Ali's statements on the abduction of Syrian opposition members in Leb does not mean that he and his embassy may not be directly responsible for the kidnapping of the Jassem brothers and Shebli al-Aisamy.
The source told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper in remarks published on Sunday that Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi's statements on the matter "are accurate and they are based on damning facts and evidence."
"The security apparatuses have handed the military judiciary a complete file on the issue," it added.
Aisamy, 86, is a co-founder of Syria's ruling Baath party who decamped his native country in 1966 over political differences. He was last seen in May in the eastern Lebanese region of Aley.
The Jassem brothers were kidnapped near the Baabda prison where one of them was accused of distributing pamphlets against the Syrian regime.
On Friday, Ali denied reports that his embassy was behind the disappearance of Syrian opposition members who have gone missing in Leb, calling such accusations "unfounded."
"I am puzzled by these unfounded claims that have been attributed to the police chief," Ali told news hounds after meeting Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.
"Such accusations affect coordination between the two countries as concerns security issues," he added.
He accused some Lebanese officials and MPs of seeking to undermine his country, where the regime of President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Sonny, disguised as Fredo, trying to be Mike... is in the throes of a brutal crackdown aimed at crushing an eight-month-long revolt.
Ali was referring to Rifi who said on Monday that the ISF collected "dangerous information" linking the Syrian Embassy to the disappearance of Shebli al- Aisamy.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Hizbullah and its allies have left Prime Minister Najib Miqati with very little room to maneuver regarding the funding of the Special Tribunal for Leb, reported the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper on Sunday.
The parliamentary majority believes that the decision to fund the tribunal lies in its hands and not the premier.
March 8 sources told the newspaper that the camp is starting to study possible alternatives to Miqati should he insist on funding the STL, regardless of President Michel Suleiman and Nation Struggle Front leader MP Walid Wally Jumblat's ... Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling... positions on the international court.
The sources revealed that several alternatives are being examined, included former ministers Abdul Rahim Mrad and Adnan Addoum.
Hizbullah circles asserted that the decision is final and that Leb will announce its disassociation with the tribunal at the right time, added al-Seyassah.
Meanwhile, ...back at the desert island, Bert was realizing to his horror that he'd had only one bottle for one message, and he'd forgotten to include a return address... National Struggle Front sources told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday that there can be no escaping the funding, adding that it is "out of the question" for Miqati to retract the commitment he made to the international community over the funding.
Ministerial sources from the majority stated that direct contacts between the government factions over the funding have not started.
They revealed that Tuesday's cabinet session will not address this issue, but it will be limited to tackling Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi's proposals over the state budget law.
They said that a suggestion will be made to postpone tackling the STL funding until December.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The Arab Foreign ministers on Sunday called on the Syrian regime and the opposition to hold a national dialogue at the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... 's Headquarters in fifteen days.
At the end of the emergency meeting in Cairo on the crisis in Syria the Arab league urged the "immediate cease of violence and the removal of security troops from the streets in order to maintain peace."
The Arab Foreign Ministers also decided to form an Arab committee, headed by Qatar, and with Oman, Egypt, Sudan, and the vaporous Arab League's Secretary general Nabil al-Arabi as members, which would seek to hold a "comprehensive National dialog between the Syrian regime and the opposition," Qatar's foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin JassimAl Thani said while reading the final statement.
" The committee will make a report as soon as possible and the Arab League will be in permanent session in order to follow-up on the situation in Syria," he added.
Arab foreign ministers on opened an emergency meeting in Cairo on the crisis in Syria where the U.N. says more than 3,000 people have been killed in a crackdown on anti-government protests.
Gulf states requested the meeting to discuss "the situation in Syria, which has tanked sharply, particularly in its humanitarian dimensions, and steps that could help end the bloodshed and halt the machine of violence."
Before the opening of the talks at the Cairo-based League, several ministers met informally at a hotel with the organization's secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi.
One diplomat who took part said the participants were divided on the means to halt the bloodshed since anti-regime protests broke out in mid-March.
Syria's possible suspension and the recognition of an opposition Syrian National Council were raised "but the majority believed it necessary to give a chance" for Arabi to encourage the implementation of rapid reforms, he said.
They also rejected any foreign intervention.
Arab foreign ministers already met in Cairo on September 13 and called on the Syrian authorities to "immediately stop the bloodshed," drawing a testy response from Damascus ...The City of Jasmin is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. It has not always been inhabited by the same set of fascisti...
Arabi earlier met Syrian President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Owner of Expensive Suits... and presented him with a 13-point document outlining Arab proposals for reform.
A coalition of 121 Arab and international rights groups, in a joint statement, on Sunday urged the League to take action to prevent Syria from sliding into civil war.
They called on the organization to suspend Syria's membership, downgrade Arab diplomatic missions in Damascus and to back action against Damascus at the UN Security Council.
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10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stated on Sunday that Leb will not take a position that would harm Syria's security and stability during the Arab foreign ministers' meetings scheduled to take place in Cairo later on Sunday.
He added: "Leb will take a stand that supports Syria and its efforts to implement reform."
The minister made his statements from the airport ahead of traveling to Egypt to take part in the conference.
"We hope Arab consensus would be reached over Syria and the region's higher interests," Mansour stressed.
In August, Leb disavowed itself from a U.N. Security Council statement condemning Syria's crackdown on opposition protests and calling for those responsible to be held "accountable."
Mansour had stated that Leb can't support any resolution that condemns the Syrian regime at the Security Council.
The Arab foreign ministers will meet in Cairo to discuss Syrian President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Homs... 's crackdown on protests at the request of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The oil-rich Gulf states in the council had called for the emergency Arab meeting to address the mounting bloodshed in Syria as Damascus ...The City of Jasmin is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. It has not always been inhabited by the same set of fascisti... shows no let-up in its deadly crackdown on protests.
Arab foreign ministers already met in Cairo on September 13 and called on the Syrian authorities to "immediately stop the bloodshed," drawing a testy response from Damascus.
Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... chief Nabil al-Arabi had met Assad three days earlier and presented him with a 13-point document outlining Arab proposals for reform.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Sunday of a "decisive response" to any "inappropriate action" over US claims of a Tehran-directed liquidation plot.
"If American officials are entertaining any illusions, they should know that any inappropriate action, whether political or security-related, will meet with the Iranian people's decisive response," he said in a speech in western Iran, according to his official website.
Khamenei, who has already labelled the plot claims "absurd," warned: "The Islamic republic of Iran will face off any plot, or destructive or obstructive measures, with all its might."
The remarks came as US officials consult with allies and other countries on ratcheting up pressure on Iran, which is already subject to UN and US sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.
Iran has fiercely denied No, no! Certainly not! any involvement in the thwarted plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
But US President Barack B.O. Obama has vowed Iran will "pay a price" for what he says is incontrovertible proof it had a hand in trying to contract a Mexican narco mob to carry out the hit.
Soddy Arabia has also said it will make "a suitable response" over the alleged plot, which it has requested be brought to the attention of the UN Security Council.
Britannia and La Belle France have said they will back any measure to punish Iran on the issue.
The US Justice Department and FBI say the alleged plot leads back to officials inside the Quds Force, a special operations outfit within Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
Quds Force personnel are said to have transferred nearly $100,000 to the bank account used by a member of the Mexican narco mob who was really a paid US informant.
The money was allegedly a down payment for a $1.5-million-dollar hit on the Saudi ambassador, Adel al-Jubeir, possibly through the bombing of a Washington restaurant.
An Iranian used-car salesman who is a naturalised US citizen living in Texas, Manssor Arbabsiar, is said to have confessed to acting as the go-between for his cousin, whom he described as a high-ranking official in the Quds Force, and the Mexican cartel.
Arbabsiar is in US custody, charged with the plot. The US Justice Department has also charged another Iranian identified as Gholam Shakuri, who is said to be an Iran-based Quds Force operative who flew to the United States to speak with Ababsiar. Shakuri is now believed to be in Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
See nalso TOPIX > FEINSTEIN: US, IRAN ON "COLLISION COURSE", oer Saudi murder plot.
[SONGS OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR > 1960's = 1980's MTV HEADBANGERS BALL > Jefferson Airplane's "WHITE RABBIT" - THE THEME FROM OLIVER STONE'S "PLATOON" here].
"... Until the SEVEN/SEVENTH holds the line".
A Veteran Scout named Mitch Bouyer.
A young Scout named Curly.
A Regiment called the US Seventh Cavalry.
A Babe named ANGELINA JOLIE.
#5
I remember when Iraq's dictator sent a kill team to the U.S. to kill George Bush 41. The next time I saw the dictator, he was standing on a gallows with a rope around his neck. Ayatollah, you may think your sh_t don't stink, but it do.
TEHRAN: Iran could do away with the post of a directly elected president, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, in what might be a warning to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and possible successors not to overstep the executive's limited powers.
Not just a warning but a recognition that the office is just window-dressing and all but irrelevant. The only people who think that Iran is a 'democracy' are the same people who are 'stunned' by the behavior of the Egyptian military.
Khamenei's comment came with Ahmadinejad battling constant criticism from hard-line conservatives accusing him of being in the thrall of "deviant" advisers who want to undermine the role of the Islamic clergy, including the office of supreme leader.
Khamenei dropped the suggestion -- of what would be the biggest change in Iran's constitution for two decades -- into a wide-ranging speech, saying there was "no problem" in eliminating the directly elected presidency if deemed desirable.
"Presently, the country's ruling political system is a presidential one in which the president is directly elected by the people, making this a good and effective method," he told an audience of academics in the western province of Kermanshah.
"However, if one day, probably in the distant future, it is deemed that the parliamentary system is more appropriate for the election of officials (holding) executive power, there would be no problem in altering the current structure," Khamenei said in the speech broadcast by state television.
While Ahmadinejad enjoyed Khamenei's full support when elected to a second four-year term in June 2009, analysts said a rift between the country's two highest officials emerged last April when the president's attempt to sack his intelligence minister was vetoed by the supreme leader.
Members of the conservative-dominated Parliament have since threatened to impeach Ahmadinejad and the judiciary has pursued some of his allies over corruption allegations -- denting his standing in the runup to parliamentary elections in March.
Khamenei's comments could be seen as a reassertion of his own paramount status in Iranian affairs over the presidency.
The position of president has a high international profile, but his powers are limited by other branches of state and particularly by the supreme leader who has the last say on key matters including the military and Iran's nuclear program.
While the supreme leader should not normally interfere in day-to-day political matters, Khamenei said, he had the responsibility to step in "under circumstances in which the adoption of a policy would lead to the diversion of the revolution's path."
Eliminating direct elections and having Parliament choose the president would make the head of government more responsive to the legislature and might limit his scope to exert authority in sensitive areas such as foreign policy.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Did they not just try to send Ahmadinejad to space?
#4
The rocket crashed into the fermament, thus proving outer space and the moon landings are zionist joo lies. The pattern of the wreckage spells, "move greenich mean time through tehran", further proof allan loves the persians most best and the 12th iman is neigh. Achmadinnijad is a liberal wimp.
BEIRUT: Arab foreign ministers have called an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss whether to suspend Syria from the Arab League, officials said, ramping up the pressure on Damascus to end its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.
I'm sure Pencilneck worries about the Arab League about as much as he worries about the International Court of Justice...
Despite the growing international chorus for an end to the crisis, Syrian President Bashar Assad has shown no sign of backing down or easing his campaign to crush the seven-month-old uprising against his regime. On Sunday, security forces opened fire on a funeral for a slain activist in the east, while security forces arrested at least 44 people in the capital's suburbs in house-to-house raids.
Arab League officials said the meeting Sunday in Cairo was called at the behest of several Gulf countries and aims to pressure Assad to halt the crackdown, which the UN says has killed more than 3,000 people since the uprising began in mid-March.
Many Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, already have withdrawn their ambassadors from Syria to protest the regime's bloody response to the protests.
One official said the Arab League will consider other measures if suspension fails to compel the Syrian regime to stop the bloodshed. He declined to elaborate.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/17/2011 00:00 ||
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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.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[An Nahar] Potential presidential candidate 
The Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on Sunday said that Syrian and Lebanese fates are one stressing that what the West and Israel are planning for Syria will affect 
President-for-Life Bashir 
Hizbullah and its allies have left Prime Minister 
[An Nahar] The Arab Foreign ministers on Sunday called on the Syrian regime and the opposition to hold a national dialogue at the 
President-for-Life Bashir 
President-for-Life Bashir 
[Dawn] Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Sunday of a "decisive response" to any "inappropriate action" over US claims of a Tehran-directed 
TEHRAN: Iran could do away with the post of a directly elected president, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, in what might be a warning to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and possible successors not to overstep the executive's limited powers.
