At least 49 people have been killed in a bombing in a crowded area of the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say. More than 100 people have also been injured in the suspected suicide bombing, a regional minister said. Officials said a vehicle laden with explosives had been detonated near the city's Khyber Bazaar. Friday's explosion was the latest in a series of recent bombings across north-western Pakistan.
ANALYSIS
M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad
The renewed Taliban campaign coincides with increased speculation about the start of a major ground offensive in South Waziristan - the epicentre of militancy in Pakistan. This shows a change of tactics. Instead of spectacular attacks against military, police, sectarian or Western targets, militants are focusing on low-intensity bombings to cause general terror. The bomber used less than 50kg of explosives, laced with bearings and shells to cause maximum damage in a crowded civilian location. It could also indicate a decline in the ability of the militants to penetrate high-value targets with large bombs.
It comes as the Pakistani army prepares an operation against the Taliban in the tribal region of South Waziristan.
TV footage showed what appeared to be the charred frame of a bus destroyed by the explosion. Many of the victims of the blast were thought to be passengers and police said this included a number of children. The remains of other vehicles were strewn in the road.
Officials said they thought a suicide bomber travelling in a car had carried out the attack. "He blew himself up as the car was next to a passenger bus passing through the market," senior police officer, Shafqat Malik, told the BBC.
It is the deadliest attack in Pakistan since March when a suicide bomber destroyed a crowded mosque in Jamrud, killing at least 50 people. But doctors at the Lady Reading hospital, close to the blast site, warned that the toll could rise as many of the injured were in a critical condition.
Correspondents say there have been increasingly frequent militant attacks after a lull following the death in a missile strike of top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud.
The blast comes days after a deadly bombing at a UN office in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and less than two weeks after a double suicide car bombing in Peshawar. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad that the Taliban has been threatening to carry out attacks unless operations against the militant group were stopped.
The pilot of an Apache gunship, who flew to the rescue of U.S. soldiers nearly overrun at a remote outpost in Afghanistan last weekend, told ABC News today that he had "never seen that large of a force" attacking coalition troops in Afghanistan.
By the time Warrant Officer Ross Lewellen and Warrant Officer Chad Bardwell arrived over the embattled outpost, dubbed Camp Keating, it was in flames and dozens of insurgents could be seen on the camp's perimeter.
When the battle was over and the fire extinguished, many who survived had nothing left "except the clothes off their backs and the weapons in their hands," one soldier told ABC News.
#1
Surprised? There is nothing easier than to infiltrate territory with irregular troops, disguised as civilians. I condone any and all hair-trigger conduct by the allies. Hearts and minds are for bullets.
Posted by: Ulineper Scourge of the Veal Cutlets9295 ||
10/09/2009 10:03 Comments ||
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#2
The failure of the United States to protect its people with all weapons available is a war crime. Those in charge should be held accountable. The people in Brussels, the ICC, and the World Court should be captured and forced to defend themselves against the Taliban in a place like Camp Keating. Any survivors will have a completely different outlook on war afterwards. Anyone who's ever been in combat knows what I'm talking about.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/09/2009 20:01 Comments ||
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[Quqnoos] International and Afghan troops detained several militants and destroyed weapons caches in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the US military says.
The joint forces also gunned down a small number of militants as the troops searched a compound known to be used by a Taliban group in the central Wardak Province, neighboring the capital Kabul, according to a Pentagon statement.
In a separate operation in the same province, several AK-47 rifles and ammunition were discovered and destroyed, the statement noted.
Taliban have not made any comments on the claims.
Moreover, Afghan and NATO-led forces claim to have detained several militants in the southern Helmand province, the heartland of the Taliban-led insurgency.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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[Maghrebia] Some 1100 armed Touareg rebels from Niger and Mali surrendered their weapons at a ceremony in the southern Libya city of Sebha , international press reported on Wednesday (October 7th). Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi presided over the Tuesday event, which was also attended by Touareg leader Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, Algerian daily Echorouk reported. Ag Bahanga, said to be the most "radical" of the rebel chiefs, reportedly travelled to Algeria from Libya last month to rejoin ongoing peace talks with the Malian government.
"In this historic day, the Touareg rebels in Mali and Niger have decided to bury the hatchet of war and conclude a peace agreement, which might be described as a 'peace of the brave', in the truest sense of the term, since they have taken this decision of their own free will. They chose the peace camp," Kadhafi said in his speech.
He did not mention Algeria's long history of Touareg mediation efforts, such as the Algiers Accord, El Khabar noted.
Meanwhile, Touareg rebel group Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) characterised the Libyan event as a "masquerade organized by Kadhafi", and asked Algeria to intervene to end the crisis of Touaregs in Niger.
"We call on Algeria...to get involved in a situation that only delays a general explosion difficult to control if nothing is done", the MNJ warned in a statement posted on its website after the ceremony.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
After which, they all received a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle.
#5
If I'm not mistaken, I believe the Emperor Constantine had trouble with Tuareg rebels -- they didn't like him messing with their interpretation of Christianity.
[Iran Press TV Latest] The Shia Houthi combatants have taken control over a district bordering Saudi Arabia, as the military confrontation between Yemeni government and the northern fighters rages on.
"People have now full control of the government compounds in the administrative district of Munabbih following raids on the buildings early on Thursday," a statement released by Houthis said. It added people had turned against the local authorities because of constant harassment and deliberate killing of civilians.
Surrounded by fighters and regularly bombarded by military warplanes and helicopters, Saada remains cut from the rest of the country and is faced with a pressing shortage of food and other basic supplies.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Seige has always been one of the nastier tactics in warfighting, and one of the most effective.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/09/2009 20:05 Comments ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Three outlaws were killed and four policemen were hurt in "gunfights" between criminals and law enforcers in Kushtia, Khulna and Bagerhat early yesterday. "gunfight" being a relative term in dear Ol' Bangladesh
The deceased were identified as Sakmol, 40, a top cadre of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF), Delwar Hossain Delu alias Apu, 30, a cadre of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Lal Pataka) and Aslam Khan, 40, an activist of PBCP-Janajuddho faction.
Acting on a tip off, a joint team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-12) and police raided a place near ansar camp at Baria under sadar upazila in Kushtia around 3:30am. At least 20 GMF members were found holding a meeting there.
Perhaps a regional meeting?
Nah, there aren't twenty Purbo Banglar commies in all B-desh ...
The law enforcers surrounded the area and asked the cadres to surrender. Refusing to surrender the cadres opened fire at the lawmen forcing them to retaliate. At one stage the outlaws fled and Sakmol was found dead.
Amazing: out of 20 bad guys the RAB manages to kill the leader. Great night fighters the RAB, they are. They even got a count of the bad guys. Simply amazing.
Police said Sakmol was accused in twelve systems 16 cases including six murders.
Bet his mother didn't love him ...
The law enforcers recovered a light gun (LG) and six bullets from the scene.
Just don't tell them it was a flashlight.
Hey! I keep a flashlight in the nightstand in case I should want to see who I just hit over the head in the middle of the night. In extremis I could throw batteries at the once again unseen miscreant.
In Khulna, police confronted a gang of criminals while conducting a drive on the bank of river Atharobeki at Rajapur village. The gang was preparing for committing a crime.
The RAB hard at work. Working through the night to prevent crimes. Do they ever sleep, the RAB?
They sleep during the day, like wolves... and quite unlike lions.
As soon as police reached the spot around 2:55am, criminals opened fire at the law enforcers prompting a gunfight.
Apu was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot. "BANG.....urp...rosebud..gasp..thud."
His accomplices, however, managed to escape injuring two constables--Nasirul Islam and Bakul--in the shootout that lasted for about 20 minutes, said Khulna police superintendent.
Nasirul and Bakul slipped and fell.
Had Apu not bled out from that statistically improbable double tap behind the right ear, the ground would not have been wet and therefore slippery. A badman through and through, that miscreant Apu.
Apu, son of late Aiyub Ali Sarkar of Rajapur village in Rupsha upazila, was accused in a number of cases, including three of murder, said police. IOW, a bad man...
Police recovered a locally made gun and four bullets from the scene.
To be cleaned and returned to their little velvet bags in the police evidence locker for future use. Police budgets do not support the padded and silk-lined jewel boxes that the Rab find necessary.
In Bagerhat, a shootout took place between the cadres of PBCP-Janajuddho faction and police at Daibaggakati in Morelganj upazila around 4:30am. Police said on information they raided a betel leaf enclosure where the cadres were holding a meeting. Sensing the presence of the lawmen, the cadres opened fire, which led to a shootout.
[Bang, bang, bangety bang!] But somehow the neighborhood slept through the excitement.
Aslam, son of Solaiman Khan of Teligati in Morelganj, was killed and two police constables--Altaf and Anisuzzaman--received bullet wounds in the encounter. The constables are undergoing treatment at Morelganj upazila health complex.
Altaf and and Anisuzzman musta flunked flank.
Police recovered a local-made firearm and 19 bullets from the spot.
Barely having time to open one box of bullets, they decided to leave rather than take the ammo. Incompetent rubes, the bad guys are. And an amazing testament to the brave RAB and their nocturnal combat skills!
*sigh* Our heroes!
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
But somehow the neighborhood slept through the excitement.
I have slept through a tornado, a rocket attack, and several gunshots in my local area over the years, TW. Besides, what you don't hear, you can't be held responsible for. Ask people in places like Chicago and Harlem.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/09/2009 20:10 Comments ||
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Asian central banks intervened heavily in the currency markets on Thursday to stem the appreciation of their currencies against the US dollar amid fears that their exports could be losing ground against China. The mainly south-east Asian countries have been spurred to defend the competitiveness of their currencies by Chinas decision to in effect re-peg the renminbi to the dollar since July last year.
Simon Derrick, at Bank of New York Mellon in London, said: Other Asian central banks outside China are naturally looking to aggressively defend their competitive edge against undesirable currency strength as the dollar weakens.
After allowing the renminbi to appreciate by about 20 per against the US dollar from mid-2005, Beijing re-pegged its currency to the greenback when export growth contracted.
The greenback hit one-year lows against a raft of regional currencies. The dollar index, which tracks its value against a basket of six main currencies, hit a 14-month low in afternoon trading in New York.
Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president, issued a warning about the euros strength on Thursday and said that authorities on both sides of the Atlantic would co-operate as appropriate.
Marco Annunziata, chief economist at Unicredit, said: He clearly tried to signal as convincingly as possible that the eurozone and the US are united in the desire to limit the rise in the euro versus the dollar but the market is calling his bluff.
Gold prices hit an all-time high for the third day in a row, on the dollars weakness. Base metals such as aluminium and copper jumped 4 per cent, while crude oil surged almost $3 to more than $70 a barrel.
The central banks identified by traders as substantial buyers of US dollars included Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan. Hong Kong and Singapore, which both have managed currency regimes, were also buyers.
The moves to limit Asian currency appreciation is ammunition for those who warn that the new Group of 20 framework for strong and balanced growth is toothless. Less than a week after the worlds finance ministers and central bankers agreed to foster more balanced world economic growth in Istanbul, Asian officials have intervened to prevent exchange rates playing their part in the process.
However, traders said that the central bank interventions appeared to be aimed at controlling the pace at which the US dollar declines rather than solely to stop Asian currencies appreciating.
The Obama administration has not altered its refrain that it believes in a strong dollar but is seen as unlikely to intervene in currency markets, particularly as the US Treasury recognises the trade-weighted value is similar to where it was two years ago.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > SAUDIS WANT INTERNATIONAL AID IFF WORLD STOPS DEPENDENCY ON OIL.
#3
I understand most of these nations peg their own currency values to the US dollar. If the dollar tanks, no one benefits -- not even the Chinese (Hence the Chicom desperation to quickly find an alternative to the US$).
#5
I think they're aiming for a Euro-Renminbi split, but the Jordanian Dinar would probably be just as effective. The Ruble might be another good option. :-P
#6
I understand most of these nations peg their own currency values to the US dollar. If the dollar tanks, no one benefits --
The oil ticks. The price of oil will adjust upward relative to the dollar decline. Those nations usually don't have the option other than to import their energy sources. On the other hand America has lacked the will to develop its own, which in this scenario means the cost of production and transportation will be subject to the rise in the price of oil. Had the quaint Gaia worshipers and Luddites been tolerated rather than empowered, the economic outlook for recovery would not be subject to this manipulation.
[Dawn] A number of foreign missions in Islamabad have advised their citizens to restrict their movement after a fresh threat of terrorist attacks in the capital, sources in the interior ministry and diplomatic circles told Dawn on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has warned of new threats of terrorist attacks in Islamabad and other parts of the country in the near future.
'The federal government issued a security advisory to the provinces and all authorities concerned two weeks ago on the basis of an intelligence report,' he said during a recent visit to the office of World Food Programme where a suicide attack claimed the lives of five UN officials.
'A security alert has been issued about possible attacks by terrorists in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad and Balochistan,' he said, adding that steps had been taken to foil their nefarious designs.
According to the sources, the foreign missions have alerted their citizens in view of a possible military operation in Waziristan and reaction from the Taliban.
Malaysia has advised its nationals to be more vigilant. 'According to the Pakistani authorities, another large-scale suicide bombing may take place and, therefore, Malaysians are advised to be more vigilant and avoid going to potential target areas,' said an advisory issued by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.
It said the Malaysian Foreign Ministry and Malaysian High Commissioner in Islamabad would continue to monitor the situation and issue reports accordingly.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has said terrorist attacks will not shake Pakistan's determination to take the fight against extremists and militants to the end.
During a meeting with Executive Director of the World Food Programme Ms Josette Sheeran at the President House, he said: 'The people of Pakistan are shedding the blood to make the country, the region and the world safe and free from extremist elements.'
The president offered condolences over the loss of innocent lives in the suicide bombing at the WFP office and said that heinous attacks, especially on people who were working for eliminating poverty and hunger, were condemnable.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Damn! off my holiday list alongside Somalia,Saudi and Iran!
[Dawn] 17 militants have been killed and 13 arrested during search and clearance operations in Swat and Malakand.
According to ISPR, security forces conducted search operations in Tilligram, Benjot, Seer, Mangaltan and killed 12 militants. Five other militants were killed while security forces conducted a search operation at Kasona.
Security forces conducted search operations at Goratai Kandar, Banjot and Garai Killa and apprehended five suspects from these areas. On the other hand, search and clearance operations conducted by security forces in Baz Darra Bala and Palai led to the arrest of eight terrorists.
Seven militants also surrendered themselves to security forces at Derai.
Militants fired eight rockets at Razmak Camp and injured four soldiers.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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In their latest wave of attacks, Maoist rebels in India have killed 17 security personnel in the troubled west of the country. Police sources said at least 150 Maoists attacked the security forces in forests in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra State on Thursday.
"One senior officer and 16 constables have died," police inspector S.D. Mundhe was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
The Maoist insurgency has spread to twenty states and claimed more than 600 lives since the beginning of the year.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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[Geo News] Foreign Ministry Thursday told the senate Nigerian nationals have been found in drug smuggling into Pakistan; at least 441 people have been arrested from 2005 to date, of them, only 50 visited Pakistan on visa and the remaining had fake documents.
The senate was told in written form from Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi that there are at least 2533 Pakistanis jailed in Saudi Arab, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE), of them, the maximum number of 1152 Pakistanis are in Saudi Arab, adding they are being provided consulate access.
Minister for Special Initiative Lal Muhammad Khan informed the Upper House in Parliament that 5843 water filtration plants are proposed to be installed in 2009-10 across the country and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
He said the government has allocated Rs 15,108.139 million and the amount was released to the provinces for this purpose.
The minister said that 3494 plants would be installed in Punjab, 942 in Sindh, 739 in NWFP, 264 in Balochistan, 13 in Islamabad, 67 in FATA, 92 in NAs and 232 in AJK.
He said that Rs 3,746.798 million were released to Punjab, Rs 963.710million to Sindh, Rs 881.241 million to NWFP, Rs 803.895 million to Balochistan, Rs. 5.130 million to ICT, Rs 89.313 million to FATA, Rs 96.205million to NAs and Rs 110.550 million to AJK.
Lal Khan said the Clean Drinking Water Programme (CDWI) was started by the central government in 2005/06 and 4306 plants were installed across the country in its first phase.
The minister said 783 water filtration plants were set up in second phase.
He said a contract has been signed with Punjab government to install3494 plants in the province and expressed hope that work on the project would start on Oct 14.
Minister for Textile Industry Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan informed the Upper House in Parliament that government is mulling to provide subsidy on furnace oil and electricity for textile industry adding that it is a backbone of the country.
Replying to various questions during Question hour session, he said that government for the first time in the country's history introduced a textile policy adding that implementation has been started on it from August30.
He said that 471 Spinning and 50 Weaving (521 textile units) were set up in the country. A total of 102 units are closed out of which 15 units closed during the period of 2008-09 as per record, he added.
The minister said these units were closed due to depressed global market, non-supply of electricity/electricity breakdown and increased rate of diesel and furnace oil resulting in high cost of electricity generation.
Replying to a question, he said the government would provide all facilities if textile industry is set up in FATA.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The bullet-riddled bodies of 15 suspected Taliban militants were found on Thursday in the northwestern Swat valley, officials said, amid concerns of extra-judicial killings in the area.
Officials have previously said 251 corpses have been dumped next to roads, beheaded or strung up in Swat since July, when the government declared a massive military operation had almost defeated Taliban fighters.
'I can confirm that 15 bodies were found today and our information is that they are militants,' army spokesman Major Mushtaq Khan told AFP.
'They might have been the victims of infighting among militant groups or killed by local people.'
Residents in the rural Swat town of Mangalore on Thursday alerted authorities to the bodies dumped in three different areas.
Doctor Naeemullah Khan said that 15 bodies were brought to the rural health centre with all the victims apparently shot dead during the past 12 hours.
Security forces are already facing questions about the mysterious appearance of bodies of suspected militants that have been turning up in Swat, some showing signs of torture.
The military claims to have almost cleared the scenic valley of militants and says the dead insurgents were killed by avenging local residents, but human rights groups have accused the army of extra-judicial killings.
The military denies any responsibility and says no orders have been issued to execute suspected militants.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
The only reason people would do this is if they believe that they can rid themselves of the Taliban entirely. Very good news.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
10/09/2009 13:42 Comments ||
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[Dawn] A roadside bomb struck a police patrol northeast of the Iraqi capital, killing three officers, a police official said Thursday.
US and Iraqi forces continued to be targeted by insurgents with regularity, raising concerns about the ability of Iraqis to keep the lid on violence once US combat troops leave by Aug. 31, 2010.
The bomb targeted the patrol late Wednesday on the outskirts of the town of Jalula in the Diyala province, according to Maj. Ghalib al-Kharki, a police spokesman. Among the dead was a police colonel, he said.
Four officers were wounded in the blast.
The attack came the same day Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told a group of business leaders gathered in Baghdad that Iraq's budget was strained by the number of police and soldiers needed to protect the country.
Al-Maliki ordered security tightened in Iraq in August after nearly 100 people died in twin suicide truck bombings that targeted the finance and foreign ministries in central Baghdad.
He ordered the number of checkpoints increased and concrete blasts walls erected in areas where he had previously ordered them removed.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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JAKARTA -- Indonesian anti-terror forces killed two brothers wanted over the July 17 hotel bombings during a raid Friday on a militant hideout in the city, a police source said. Asked to confirm local media reports that Syaifudin Zuhri bin Jaelani and Mohammed Syahrir were the two men killed in the raid, the source from the elite counter-terror squad said only: "Yes". "I can say no more."
A police spokesman told a press conference later Friday that the brothers were the targets of the raid and confirmed that two men had been killed. But he refused to identify the dead men, saying the results of forensic examinations on the bodies would be announced on Monday.
Jaelani is a Yemen-educated Islamic extremist and "healer" who is accused of recruiting the two suicide bombers who detonated themselves at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta in July, killing seven people. His brother, Mohammed Syahrir, once worked as a technician for national airline Garuda Indonesia and is known to police from their investigations into the 2004 truck bombing of the Australian embassy, according to analysts.
The brothers were accomplices of slain Malaysian terror leader Noordin Mohammed Top, the alleged mastermind of the hotel attacks who was killed by police in Central Java on September 17. Rolling up his network. Sweet
Gunfire and an explosion were heard as police raided the house in Ciputat on the capital's southern outskirts, witnesses said. Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said the suspects threw "firebombs" at the raiding party before they were killed. "You'll never take us alive, coppers!"
"Hokay."
Ikbal Tanjung, who rented another room in the two-storey house, said three people had recently moved into the room targeted by police. They kept to themselves and did not mix with their neighbours, who were mostly university students, he added.
According to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank, the brothers were "pivotal" members of the terror cell that carried out the hotel attacks. Two of their sisters were married to other key figures in the cell, the ICG said in an August report. That fits the standard islamic terror cell profile.
Jaelani "almost certainly had direct contact with Al-Qaeda" but was not known to police before the hotel attacks, the report said.
Noordin led a splinter faction of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror group, which he once dubbed "Al-Qaeda in the Malay Archipelago". In addition to the July hotel blasts, he was blamed for a 2003 attack on the Marriott, the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta and 2005 attacks on tourist restaurants on Bali, killing almost 50 people in total.
Another of his disciples who is believed to have helped him hide from police handed himself in to authorities a week ago. A week in the tender custody of the Indo cops, possibly he gave up the brothers Bet it only took a day, the remaining six were on the house ...
Noordin and his followers dreamt of creating an Islamic caliphate spanning much of Southeast Asia and advocated the use of indiscriminate violence to protect Muslims from perceived oppression around the world. He was inspired by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's call for global jihad against the West and allegedly received funding from Al-Qaeda for the first Marriott bombing.
[Al Arabiya Latest] An Iranian court has handed down the death penalty against a man who took part in opposition protests over a disputed election in June, a reformist website reported on Thursday.
Mowjcamp.com, which gave no source for the report, said a judge informed Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani about the verdict on Monday. It said Ali-Zamani is a member of a pro-monarchist group, but did not give details about the charges against him.
There was no immediate comment from the authorities on the case. There have been no other reports of death sentences issued against people involved in huge opposition protests that erupted after the presidential poll on June 12. Under Iranian law, such sentences can be appealed to a higher court.
There have been no other reports of death sentences issued against people involved in huge demonstrations that erupted after the poll, which the opposition says was rigged to secure the re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ali-Zamani was among more than 100 opposition supporters, including senior reformist figures, who were accused of fomenting post-election street unrest in a series of mass trials that got under way in August.
Mowjcamp said he had made "extensive confessions" during his trial. Reformist politicians have condemned the court sessions as "show trials".
Reformist former President Mohammad Khatami, who backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi in the election, has said confessions made at the trials were obtained under "extraordinary conditions" and were invalid.
Analysts see the mass trials as an attempt by the authorities to uproot the moderate opposition.
Execution verdict
Under Iranian law, death sentences can be appealed to a higher court. "He was transferred on Monday from Evin prison ward 209 to Revolutionary Court number 15, presided over by judge Salabati, and the execution verdict was communicated to him," Mowjcamp said in its report about Ali-Zamani.
In its August report, Mehr said he was also accused of propaganda activities against the Islamic establishment and taking part in rallies with the aim of undermining national security. It said he is 37 years old.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Remember,this guy is an Iranian Freedom Fighter, just 3 years old when this regime took over. Jimmy Carter was President, America was in a deep recession, American diplomats were taken hostage and held until the next president took office. They chanted "Death to America".
This guy wants freedom for his people, how about you, do you want freedom for Iran ?
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 0:20 Comments ||
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A physicist at the lab that houses the Swiss Large Hadron Collider, built to replicate the conditions of the 'Big Bang', has been arrested on suspicion of terror links. The European Nuclear Physics Organization (Cern) says the man, whom it did not identify, was arrested yesterday by French police. The arrested man had been working on an experiment in particle physics as a contractor since 2003, Cern said. It described the experiment as exploring what happened after the Big Bang that allowed matter to survive.
The 32-year-old man was the elder of two brothers arrested in the French town of Vienne yesterday. Le Figaro newspaper reported earlier that the man had been in contact with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and had suggested several French targets for militant attacks. A judicial source confirmed that one of the brothers had been in contact with people close to the organisation but said there was no indication of a clearly established plot at this stage.
The prosecutor's office in the Isere region said the case has been transferred to the anti-terrorist section of the Paris prosecutor's office.
A source said French intelligence officers had intercepted messages in which the man had suggested targets in France. ''He had expressed a wish or a desire to commit terrorist actions, but had not materially prepared them,'' said the source.
The suspect had been under surveillance for about 18 months after he was identified during an investigation into a French network which sent Islamic radicals to Afghanistan. Judge Christophe Teissier, an investigating magistrate specialising in the fight against terrorism, opened a formal inquiry last month into his activities.
The man was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a criminal association linked to a terrorist undertaking by the Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence (DCRI) at his home in Vienne, eastern France. His 25-year-old brother was also arrested as police seized two computers, three hard discs and two USB keys at their home. Both men were taken for questioning at the DCRI headquarters in Levallois-Perret outside Paris.
Cern said the suspect had "never been in contact with any elements which could be used for terrorist purposes."
#1
The DCRI is generally thought to use "enhanced interrogation" so maybe we'll find out a few things here.
Posted by: lord garth ||
10/09/2009 15:42 Comments ||
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#2
The BBC add that the arrested gentlemen are of Algerian descent, and
Judicial sources told the AFP news agency on Friday that agents had come across the men during a separate inquiry into the recruitment of would-be Islamist militants who wanted to fight in Afghanistan.
#3
If he was working on B-physics I doubt he'd be allowed anywhere near the magnets (all sorts of safety hoops to jump through), so I don't think we'd be looking at new explosions in the ring. I wonder if he was interested in killing a lot of people or doing a lot of expensive damage. The first is unpleasantly easy, the second not hard if you work with one of the detectors.
Posted by: James ||
10/09/2009 22:17 Comments ||
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#2
Another great plan by the AQ-Team.. hannibal Smith would be proud
In 1972 , a crap bunch of zealots were .....
Posted by: Oscar ||
10/09/2009 5:05 Comments ||
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#3
The Cold War is over. America, Russia and China need to unite in the battle against the muslim enemy. Limited war is surrender. The problem is: their lives.
Posted by: Ulineper Scourge of the Veal Cutlets9295 ||
10/09/2009 10:01 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Uighurs might figure they're damned if they do and damned if they don't if they've been paying attention to Tibet.
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.
The pilot of an Apache gunship, who flew to the rescue of U.S. soldiers nearly overrun at a remote outpost in Afghanistan last weekend, told ABC News today that he had "never seen that large of a force" attacking coalition troops in Afghanistan.
[Bangla Daily Star] Three outlaws were killed and four policemen were hurt in "gunfights" between criminals and law enforcers in Kushtia, Khulna and Bagerhat early yesterday.
Asian central banks intervened heavily in the currency markets on Thursday to stem the appreciation of their currencies against the US dollar amid fears that their exports could be losing ground against China. The mainly south-east Asian countries have been spurred to defend the competitiveness of their currencies by Chinas decision to in effect re-peg the renminbi to the dollar since July last year.
[Dawn] The bullet-riddled bodies of 15 suspected Taliban militants were found on Thursday in the northwestern Swat valley, officials said, amid concerns of extra-judicial killings in the area.
JAKARTA -- Indonesian anti-terror forces killed two brothers wanted over the July 17 hotel bombings during a raid Friday on a militant hideout in the city, a police source said. Asked to confirm local media reports that 
[Al Arabiya Latest] An Iranian court has handed down the death penalty against a man who took part in opposition protests over a disputed election in June, a reformist website reported on Thursday. 
