[Tolo News] The former US Ambassador in Kabul, Zalmai Khalilzad, told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview that a return of the Taliban regime will not be acceptable for Afghans and the international community.
"I don't think anyone could convince the Afghan people and the world about a return of the Taliban-like regime," Mr Khalilzad said.
He emphasised that the Taliban should accept the Afghan constitution, renounce violence and cut all ties with the al-Qaeda as a precondition for peace.
Of course there has to be an end to any war, but the interests of the Afghan government and its allies should be given priority in the talks, Mr Khalilzad added.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
If Taliban get back in Power Pakistan has won the War!
[Tolo News] President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... on Wednesday said if the Taliban want the foreign forces to leave Afghanistan then they should let students to attend their schools.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of some 2,000 teachers President Karzai welcomed the latest statement by Mullah Mohammad Omar backing education in Afghanistan.
In a recent latest statement Mullah Omar the leader of the Taliban denied the group's role in the attacks on common locations and school torching in the country.
Mullah Omar also urged the Taliban to stop preventing students from going to schools.
"I want to hear from the Taliban once more to make sure they have nothing to do with teachers, education and health," said President Karzai.
If the Taliban keep attacking on Afghan schools, it would mean they support a long-term presence of foreign forces in the country, President Karzai said.
"We lack 47,000 teachers, while each year 700,000 new students join the schools," Afghan Education Minister Ghulam Farouq Wardak said.
There are around 8.3 million students in Afghanistan which requires more than 200,000 instructors, but the number of teachers nationwide reaches 190,000, according to the statistics provided by education ministry.
Education officials say efforts are on the ground to reopen the schools closed in areas highly under the Taliban influence.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
they aren't against education, they just define it as: "Islamic Madrassahs, for everyone, except the icky grrrls and wymyns"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/31/2011 12:34 Comments ||
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The new leader of Libya's opposition military spent the past two decades in suburban Virginia but felt compelled -- even in his late-60s -- to return to the battlefield in his homeland, according to people who know him.
Khalifa Hifter was once a top military officer for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but after a disastrous military adventure in Chad in the late 1980s, Hifter switched to the anti-Gadhafi opposition. In the early 1990s, he moved to suburban Virginia, McLean, VA by any chance?
where he established a life but maintained ties to anti-Gadhafi groups.
Late last week, Hifter was appointed to lead the rebel army, which has been in chaos for weeks. He is the third such leader in less than a month, and rebels interviewed in Libya openly voiced distrust for the most recent leader, Abdel Fatah Younes, who had been at Gadhafi's side until just a month ago. Cheez, just because a guy spends three decades at the elbow of a bloodthirsty tyrant doesn't mean he can't be trusted to lead a rebel army...
#1
Late last week, Hifter was appointed to lead the rebel army
That footlocker full of Iridium 9555 Satellite Phones, Docking Stations, GPS's and $5,000,000. in USD sort of answers the question as to what Mr. Hifter brings to the party.
#2
Cheez, just because a guy spends three decades at the elbow of a bloodthirsty tyrant doesn't mean he can't be trusted to lead a rebel army...
Leaders surface from strange backgrounds. Some have even served as.... community organizers. Who can we possibly thank for making these bold decisions?
I'm getting a very uneasy feeling about what's going on in Washington. At some point Obama has to get -- HAS to get -- Congress to go along with him. He needs the intel committees in Congress to sign off on any covert activity in Libya. He needs to abide by the War Powers Act or specifically say that he thinks the WPA is unconstitutional, and then fight that out in court (since that's where it will go). But if he thinks he can defy the Congress and do what he wants with the military, he's in for a big surprise -- or else, we the citizens are in for a bigger one.
Responding to reports President Barack Obama secretly authorized covert action to support the Libyan rebels, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said that actually arming the Libyan rebels would require his approval and he hasn't given it.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) said in a late Wednesday interview that the Obama administration's top national security officials were deeply split on whether arming the rebels was a good idea. In a classified briefing Wednesday with lawmakers, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Rogers said it was clear that there were deep divisions between the cabinet officials regarding the wisdom of arming the rebels.
There usually are. You rarely get complete unanimity in a large room of intelligent, egotistical, back-stabbing pols.
"I've never seen an uneasiness amongst their national security cabinet members as I have seen on this. It's kind of odd," said Rogers. He declined to say which cabinet members were supporting arming the rebels and which were opposed, but he said it was obvious that they disagreed.
"Everything from body language to the way they are addressing members of Congress, it's very clear that there's lots of tension inside that Cabinet right now. This to me is why it's so important for the president to lead on this," said Rogers. "I think [Obama's] reluctant on this, at best. And there are differences of opinion and you can tell that something just isn't right there."
It's because Obama won't be a leader. The people in the White House, DoD, and Foggy Bottom would settle down if they just knew what the boss wanted.
Rogers wouldn't confirm or deny the report that Obama issued what's known as a "presidential finding" authorizing the intelligence community to begin broadly supporting the Libyan rebels, because such findings are sensitive and classified. But he said that if Obama wanted to arm the rebels, the president would need Rogers' support, which he doesn't yet have.
"Any covert action that happens would have to get the sign off of the intelligence chairmen, by statute. You won't get a sign off from me," Rogers said referring to National Security Act 47. "I still think arming the rebels is a horrible idea. We don't know who they are, we only know who they are against but we don't really who they are for. We don't have a good picture of who's really in charge."
Rogers said that the issues of providing covert support and actually arming the rebels are separate issues. "There is a public debate about arming the rebels... that somehow got intertwined and it probably shouldn't have."
But Rogers has no objections to putting CIA operatives on the ground to gather information on who the rebels are. National Journal reported late Wednesday that about a dozen CIA officers are now on the ground in Libya doing just that.
Fine and dandy. Get the CIA involved. That's why we have a CIA. But don't talk about it openly.
"That should be happening anyway, through public means, through intelligence, all of that should be happening," he said. "The agencies are by statute and by law allowed to go overseas to collect information, that means any country."
The intelligence committees do need to be notified about major intelligence operations, either before or immediately after in exigent circumstances, a committee staffer said.
Rogers said he was concerned about al Qaeda's involvement with the Libya opposition. "The number 3 guy in al Qaeda right now is Libyan. They have put a fair number of fighters into Iraq from Libya. So it is a place where al Qaeda is, [but] that doesn't mean this is an al Qaeda effort."
Since he's a number 3, we can kill him, right? We have precedents for that...
He also said that the Libyan regime, led by Col. Muammar al Qaddafi, still possesses stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.
"The administration missed a big opportunity when they didn't talk about chemical weapons stockpiles. I've seen it personally with these eyeballs. Their biological weapons program, we think we got it all but we're not sure," said Rogers. "I worry a lot about who is safeguarding that material. We believe right now it is in the hands of the regime."
Thank goodness Dubya got Qadaffi to give up the nuclear material. Or at least we think we got it all.
"Mustard gas in the hands of bad guy, you don't have to have a large scale event to have that be an incredibly dangerous terrorist weapon. And there are other things that he has as well."
The White House issued a statement late Thursday from Press Secretary Jay Carney that the Obama administration was not arming the rebels as of now.
"No decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any group in Libya. We're not ruling it out or ruling it in. We're assessing and reviewing options for all types of assistance that we could provide to the Libyan people, and have consulted directly with the opposition and our international partners about these matters," the statement read.
Make sure you run it past Congress, champ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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[Maghrebia] Two weeks after establishing the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Morocco reformed another state body.
The Mediator Institution, set up in mid-March to replace the 10-year-old Diwan Al Madhalim, will have greater powers to tackle rights abuses and conduct probes.
"The changes that have been introduced, namely the introduction of the CNDH to replace the CCDH, and the Mediator to replace Diwan Al Madhalim, along with an inter-ministerial human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... department, show that Morocco is hoping to help citizens obtain what they need," academic Abdelhadi L'Mestari told Magharebia.
The new body "will be all about safeguarding the dignity of citizens and protecting and advancing their rights, in perfect harmony with international standards in this area", he added.
Lawyer and charity worker Abdelziz Benzakour, who is also an activist within the Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), was picked to preside over the institution.
Speaking at his appointment ceremony on Thursday (March 24th), Benzakour said that the task ahead of him would be a lengthy one. The important thing, he added, would be to keep heading in the right direction and always act with the law and duty in mind.
The institution will have the power to carry out inquiries and investigations, propose disciplinary action or refer cases to the public prosecutor. Mediators can also make recommendations on the legal aid which should be provided, particularly to the neediest sectors of society. Conciliation and mediation processes will be instituted.
According to February 20 Movement activist Najib Maânaoui, the basic task is to put an end to power abuses and to ensure greater democracy and transparency in government.
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03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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[Maghrebia] The case of lawyer Eman al-Obeidi, who said she was gang-raped by battalions loyal to Moamer Qadaffy ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... , has outraged the Libyan people, with many saying it was a blow to the country's dignity.
"This is a scandal for the regime and for all that they are doing," Ismail, a journalist, said. "It was a shame for them before international journalists who saw the truth with their own eyes, saw how they deal with Libyan journalists and how morals, freedoms of expression and rights are violated. There is no justice or equality."
Eman first came to the attention of the world when she arrived on Saturday (March 27th) at the Tripoli hotel housing international journalists, pleading for help. As she tried to relay her account of being kidnapped and raped by 15 men belonging to a pro-Qadaffy militia, Libyan security officials dragged her away. One hotel worker attempted to silence Eman by throwing a tablecloth over her head. Others scuffled with news hounds.
The case shocked many Libyans. Women erupted into the streets in Benghazi to condemn Qadaffy's regime and to show solidarity with Eman. They rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud such as "O Eman, Eman, here are your sisters in the field!" They also carried a large picture of Eman on which they wrote, "Patience, Eman, we're coming!"
Meanwhile, ...back at the barn, Bossy had come up with a new idea... Libyan state media said Eman was responsible for what happened to her, attributing it to her morals and the "psychological disorders she was suffering from".
During the demonstrations in Benghazi, Eman's mother said that her daughter was raped in Tripoli after she was kidnapped at a checkpoint, together with six of her colleagues, while en route to the capital. Her mother also told news hounds how the regime tried to get Eman to retract her story.
"At three in the morning they called from Qadaffy's compound and asked me to convince my daughter Eman to change what she said, and we will set her free immediately and you can take anything you and your children wanted," Eman's mother told Al Jizz. She added that she was offered large amounts of money and a house if her daughter changed her account.
Eman's father carried her picture on her graduation day from the law school, denying that his daughter was sick or suffering from any psychological disorders.
For his part, Moussa Ibrahim, official spokesperson for the regime, said that she was released. "She should not have gone to the hotel," he said. He added that it was now a criminal case under investigation by the attorney general, and that the four officials accused by Eman would be questioned. Ibrahim told news hounds on Tuesday (March 29th) that Eman was being sued by the men she accused of attacking her.
"I think she was raped because she is from Benghazi that got out of the regime's control. It was out of Dire Revenge™, and I think this is not the first case, and won't be the last," Nahla Basheer said.
Esraa, a university student, said: "We are now afraid to go out. We've heard about the shameful adventures which the regime is doing now while the police and the judiciary are doing nothing. O, God protect us from scandals!"
"God be with you, Eman, and just punishment will be exacted soon," Mrs Fatima said. "Your fellow revolutionaries are on the outskirts of Sirte, and they will exact your and our Dire Revenge™ against these battalions. They are not Mohammedans or Libyans, as these are not our morals. We as Libyans are a Mohammedan, non-extremist people."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Hey, it's okay when it's some Bulgarian nurses, but this is unacceptable!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/31/2011 12:38 Comments ||
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[Tolo News] Libyan Leader Col Muammar Qadaffy has been weakened enough to eventually make him step down, US President Barack B.O. Obama has said in a recent interview.
The rebels were trying to march on President Qadaffy's hometown of Sirte, but their advance was halted. It was believed that if Qadaffy lost control of his hometown, it would be difficult for him to cling to power.
But recent reports showed that the rebels' advance has been halted by Pro-Qadaffy forces.
Libyan government forces have newly pushed rebels back from Bin Jawad. The rebels have also been pushed out of Las Ranuf after retreating there.
The coalition air strikes are believed to have played a major role assisting the rebels to advance rapidly and take control of many key towns and oil installations.
President B.O. had earlier come under pressure from US politicians who accused of not being able to define the US mission in Libya.
In a televised address to the American people, President B.O. said that the coalition has been able to save many civilian lives and they will now work together to hasten the day when President Qadaffy steps down.
President B.O. says the US mission in Libya is clear and justified.
He also said it would be a mistake to take more military action to force a change of regime.
Meanwhile, ...back at the shouting match, a new, even louder, voice was to be heard... as rebels have been pushed back from Bin Jawad, President B.O. has said he will not rule out arming the rebels seeking to overthrow Qadaffy.
But he has said the US will cooperate with the Libyan rebels in the form of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and communications equipment.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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[Mehr News Agency] Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has criticized Sunni holy man Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi ...Egyptian Islamic theologian and teevee preacher, well-known for IslamOnline, a website he helped found in 1997 and for which he now serves as chief religious scholar. Al-Qaradawi has also published more than 80 books, including Islam: The Future Civilization. He is considered one of the most influential Mohammedan Brotherhood scholars living today. Al-Qaradawi is banned from entering the United States, Israel and Great Britain. In 2004, 2,500 Mohammedan academics from Soddy Arabia, Iraq and Paleostine accused him of giving Islam a bad name.... for his discriminatory remarks about the popular uprising in Bahrain.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said it is surprising that Qaradawi who had supported uprising in Egypt has said pro-democracy movement in Bahrain "should b suppressed".
A religious scholar should not make such discriminatory remarks, the ayatollah said.
"How can an open-minded religious scholar make such remarks? The meaning of the statement by Mr. Qaradawi is that we make discrimination between Mohammedans," Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi told theology students on Wednesday.
"Qaradawi supports uprising in Egypt, and war in Libya but when it comes to Bahrain he defends dictatorship."
The ayatollah said both Shias and Sunnis are involved in the protests in Bahrain.
"The uprising by the Bahraini people is not restricted to Shias because all Bahraini people have risen up (against dictatorship) and even Sunni Learned Elders of Islam have issued statement in support of this popular uprising."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Bahrain's largest political party has fiercely denied No, no! Certainly not! Manama's claim that the popular revolution against the ruling regime has any roots other than the Bahraini people.
Al Wefaq issued a statement on Wednesday, calling the nationwide anti-government protests "people's movement," Xinhua reported.
"We have received information indicating media fabrication," it noted, referring to attempts to paint the demonstrations in a bad light.
The revolution started to sweep throughout the Shia-majority Persian Gulf island on February 14, calling for the ouster of the 230-year-old Sunni-led monarchy as well as constitutional reforms.
Backed by Soddy Arabia and the United Arabia Emirates police and military units, the government has launched indiscriminate armed attacks on peaceful protesters.
A Press TV correspondent reported that the forces have imposed a siege on several villages near the capital, adding that government troops have also kidnapped several bloggers, teachers and nurses in separate incidents.
At least 24 people have been killed and about 1,000 others injured during the government-sanctioned violence.
So far, 18 Al Wefaq politicians have asked to resign, protesting the crackdown. The legislature has approved 11 of the resignation notices.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"just because our phone calls are all in Farsi, you jump to conclusions!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/31/2011 13:35 Comments ||
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[Al Jazeera] Mohammedan citizens of the United States face growing discrimination in daily life, manifesting itself in violence, vandalism and arson, a US congressional panel has been told.
Speakers on Tuesday said that evidence of anti-Mohammedan bigotry included inflammatory remarks made by elected public officials.
"We continue to solicit and receive the support of many Mohammedan Americans who love this nation and work with our government to protect it," Democratic senator Dick Durbin, ...Senator-for-Life from Illinois and Democratic Party Whip. In April 2006, Time magazine identified Durbin as one of America's 10 Best Senators, so what's that tell you? He was the first United States Senator to support the presidential candidacy of Barack B.O. Obama, then the junior senator from Illinois.... chair of the Senate judiciary subcommittee chair, said.
"At the same time, many law-abiding Mohammedan Americans face discrimination and charges that they're not real Americans simply because of their religion."
Earlier this month, Republican congressman Peter King held a hearing on "radicalisation in the US Mohammedan community", which Amnesia Amnesty International, alongside a coalition of 50 other organisations, described as akin to senator Joe McCarthy's campaign against those suspected of having communist sympathies in the 1950s.
Efforts are also under way in several US states to ban Islamic legal practice as a perceived threat to the country's legal system.
Muhammed Malik, Mohammedan-American community advocate in Florida, said: "These 'anti-sharia' proposals are wild manifestations of an increasingly rabid Islamophobia which aims to cause division and mobilise the fear vote in 2012.
"That such measures are being introduced speaks volumes about how many of our politicians are more interested in distracting the public's attention away from more important issues, such as improving our economy and ending racial profiling."
Mohammedans 'must do more'
Republican senator Lindsey Graham ... the endangered South Carolina RINO... told the congressional panel he supported "Mohammedan rights" - but called on Mohammedans to do more "to protect the United States from attack".
"Get in this fight," he said. "You're going to have to help your country, probably uniquely compared to anyone else - understand what's going on and fight back. The front lines of this war are in our own back door and our own neighbourhoods."
The number of federal discrimination cases brought by local authorities to prevent mosques from opening in their communities surged in May 2010, the committee was told. More than 800 incidents of violence, vandalism and arson against people believed to be Mohammedan, Arab or South Asian, have been investigated by the justice department in the past 10 years.
Thomas Perez, the assistant US attorney general for civil rights, said there had been a 150 per cent jump in workplace discrimination against Mohammedans since 2001, often over religious dress and worship schedules, while Mohammedan youth are often the victims of bullying in schools.
'Too many mosques'
Tuesday's hearing quickly became split along party lines, after Congressman King told news hounds the proceedings would "perpetuate the myth that there is a serious anti-Islam issue in this country".
Senator Durbin responded by referring to controversial remarks attributed to King and Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker now considering a bid for the White House.
"A leading member of Congress stated bluntly: 'There are too many mosques in this country'. A former speaker of the House falsely claimed: 'America's experiencing an Islamist cultural political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilisation'," Durbin said.
"Such inflammatory speech from prominent public leaders creates a fertile climate for discrimination."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
US Infidels 'face Jihad'
How's that for inflammatory?
#2
Yes, yes, a veritable "living hell" for them, I'll bet.
Yet, while I notice not so many leaving it, I see many noticeably entering it. Why would that be?
Pronounced by the stereotypical Donk desperately seeking another 'victimhood' special interest group to clad to the fracturing alliance of the party's base. Notice the Donks have no problem broad brushing and demonizing Tea Party members, gun clingers, bible thumpers, Right to Work'ers, etc.
#4
US muslims can always move too the middle east. I'm sure they would be alot happier there
Posted by: chris ||
03/31/2011 12:01 Comments ||
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#5
...I'm starting to suspect that the Government's definition of discrimination is 'thinking the word Muslim'.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/31/2011 13:48 Comments ||
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#6
Mooselimbs do not discriminate. Only against Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Persians, Females, Gays, Sunni, Shia, work, pork, dogs, music, and education.
#8
More than 800 incidents of violence, vandalism and arson against people believed to be Mohammedan, Arab or South Asian, have been investigated by the justice department in the past 10 years.
1) this is NATIONAL.
2) This includes non-islamic arabs and south asians (which I suspect includes Indians).
3) this is over 10 years.
4) this is 'investigated reports' not 'proven reports'. Given the Muslim perchance to play the victim card and call wolf...
I would say this amounts to no more that 3-4 against Islamics specifically - Nationwide - per year.
Pretty damn small. Very small in fact. I would suggest that Christians face more discrimination in the United States than Muslims.
What are the figure for Jews in the U.S. over the same period?
What are the figures for Jews, or Christians in, for example, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Iran / Iraq over the same period - per capita?
This report is full of shit - but what did you expect from Turban Durban?
#9
Muslim citizens of the United States face growing discrimination in daily life, manifesting itself in violence, vandalism and arson, a US congressional panel has been told.
Paranoid Muslims in the United States go bugfugnuts manifesting itself in jihad against infidels, shootings by muslim military shrinks, attempted bombings of commercial airliners, and taking down the WTCs and Pentagon.
[I]n 2009 there were 8,336 victims of hate crimes. 48.8 percent of those victims were targeted because of a racial bias, 18.9 percent because of a religious bias, and 17.8 percent because of a bias against a persons sexual orientation.
Of the 1,575 victims of a religious bias, over 70 percent were victims of an anti-Jewish bias. The second highest group, at 8.4 percent, were the victims of an anti-Muslim bias.
#11
Someone should tell Al Jazeera that Mohammedan's is a term that is no longer used in police society as it might be seen as offensive by Muslims. /snark
#12
Why in 2001 there were over 2,977 acts of violence by Muslims against US citizens in one day. Durbin is clearly a representative of his party - a jackass.
[Asharq al-Aswat] The Islamic Supreme Council's Adil Abdul-Mahdi has withdrawn his vice-presidential candidacy, according to his political adviser, Leith Shaber. Shaber revealed that Abdul-Mahdi "has withdrawn his candidacy for the position of Iraqi vice president, because he will be incapable of fulfilling his responsibilities under the present circumstances."
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone from Storied Baghdad on Sunday, Shabir said that "the vice president [Abdul-Mahdi] sent a message to Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, and clarified that he was withdrawing his candidacy for a second vice-presidential term."
Shabir added that "Vice President Abdul-Mahdi would certainly have informed Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Islamic Supreme Council, of his withdrawal from this post, in his position as the National Alliance's [vice-presidential] candidate."
Leith Shaber did not provide further clarification of the reasons behind Abdul-Mahdi withdrawing his candidacy; however a source close to the Iraqi Vice President told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the most prominent reason behind Abdul-Mahdi's withdrawal is the delay in the ratification of his candidacy by the Iraqi Council of Representatives."
The source also indicated that Abdul-Mahdi "felt that he would not be able to play an important role to serve Iraq and the Iraqi people, in light of the delay in the formation of the Iraqi government, with the three major security positions yet to be filled, namely the defense, interior, and national security [ministers]." In addition to this, the source cited "the absence of political consensus between the major Iraqi electoral blocs, and the non-implementation of the Iraqi people's demands with regards to services, security, stability, and unemployment", as reasons for Abdul-Mahdi's withdrawal.
The source close to Adil Abdul-Mahdi also told Asharq Al-Awsat that "Abdul-Mahdi has never demanded a governmental position, and he did not rush to obtain his [electoral] entitlement to be prime minister in 2005, but rather he waived this [electoral] entitlement in order to preserve the political process, and the unity of the National Iraqi Alliance -- which was united at that time -- and [also] because he did not want to delay the formation of the government."
The source added that "the vice president announced his desire to form a government based upon services and citizenship, namely a government that serves its citizens by providing clear political and economic programs, and he is working to serve the people. His candidacy for a second vice presidential term will not allow him, in light of the current situation, to achieve his legitimate aspirations."
As for the constitutional legitimacy of Iraqi vice presidents Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashemi remaining in these positions, Shaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that "this is based upon two unrelated issues. Firstly, the vice presidents are continuing to carry out their duties in accordance with a presidential decree issued by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, on 6 December 2010, in which the president asked his two deputies to continue their duties until the legislative requirements relating to this issue are completed. What is meant by legislative requirements in this case is the nomination of two new vice presidential candidates, and the Iraqi Council of Representatives consenting to this nomination."
He added that "the Iraqi Council of Representatives passed a special law allowing the Iraqi president to nominate one or more of his deputies, with the Iraqi president nominating [Abdul-Mahdi and Hashemi] for this position, in accordance with paragraph (ii) of Article 69 of the Iraqi Constitution, regarding the special powers of the president." Shaber added that "therefore, Vice Presidents Abdul-Mahdi and Hashemi are continuing in their positions in accordance with this presidential mandate."
He also told Asharq Al-Awsat that "this will end when vice presidential candidates are put to, and approved by, the Iraqi Council of Representatives." He noted that "this is the second part of the issue, namely the nomination of new [vice-presidential] candidates, and this issue is outside the presidential mandate."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] Hamas head of the Palestinian legislature Aziz Dweik ...Dweik has been associated with The Mohammedan Brotherhood and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, since as early as 1992.... said Tuesday that the party would respond positively to President Mahmoud Abbas' initiative to visit Gaza and end the national division.
Dweik told Ma'an Radio that Abbas' proposed visit would be a practical step toward resolving the split between the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Dweik headed a delegation of Hamas leaders who held landmark talks with Abbas in Ramallah on Saturday, the president's first meeting with Hamas in over two years.
In the midst of mass youth protests demanding an end to the national division, Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh invited Abbas to Gaza for emergency talks.
The president accepted the invitation on March 16, but said he would go to the coastal enclave to make a unity deal, not to discuss one. He proposed forming a unity government to prepare for presidential, legislative and Palestinian National Council elections within six months.
Fatah officials said a date would be set for Abbas' visit once Hamas accepted the initiative. Dweik said he expected Hamas officials to respond positively within the next week.
In Cairo, Hamas leader Mahmud Zahar said the party would hold another meeting in Gaza "in the coming two days" with Fatah members.
Zahar's comments were made after a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, who said the league was willing to host Palestinian unity meetings.
"There is no justification whatsoever for the continued Palestinian division," Mussa said, stressing the need to "unify Palestinian ranks ahead the current challenges."
Israel slams initiative
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the PA not to reconcile with Hamas, saying it would prohibit peace with Israel.
"We hear in recent days that the Palestinian Authority is thinking of uniting with Hamas," Netanyahu told Jewish fundraisers in a speech distributed on Tuesday by the Israeli Government Press Office.
"It's thinking of effecting peace, not with Israel, but with Hamas," he said. "Well, I say to them something very simple: you can't have peace with Israel and Hamas. It's one or the other, but not both."
Fatah and Hamas split in 2007 when the Islamist movement kicked its secular rivals out of Gaza amid clashes which neared civil war.
Since then, Gaza has been effectively cut off from the West Bank, which is under the control of Fatah, and repeated attempts at reconciliation have led nowhere.
The split has badly damaged Palestinian efforts to end Israel's illegal military occupation.
A growing Palestinian youth movement is demanding national unity, and elections for the Palestinian National Council.
Abbas' proposed visit was immediately welcomed by UN envoy Robert Serry, who noted that unity was "overdue and vital for Palestinian legitimate aspirations."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
[Jerusalem Post] Paleostinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad ...Fayyad's political agenda holds that neither violence nor peaceful negotiations have brought the Paleostinians any closer to an independent state. The alternative to both, violent negotiations, doesn't seem to be working too well, either... said that Paleostinian non-violent popular resistance of the West Bank barrier has been successful in convincing the world to reconsider the Paleostinian cause and advanced the establishment of an independent Paleostinian state, in a radio address commemorating "Land Day" on Wednesday.
"Land remains the core of the Paleostinian cause, and the reason for our existence and future," Fayyad said. "We [have been] here since the very beginning and we are certainly staying until the very end."
The Paleostinian prime minister added that Land Day represents the Paleostinian "long struggle" against land seizure, settlements, home demolitions and displacement.
MK Ahmed Tibi, told demonstrators gathered in the unrecognized Beduin town of Al-Arakib: "The color of our skin is the same as the color of the earth here. Still, there are those whose skin is the color of the snow in Moldova who are looking to expel us and dispossess us from this land," Tibi said, in an apparent reference to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Al-Arakib has been demolished and rebuilt nearly two dozen times in the last year by the Israel Lands Authority and Israel Police.
"This land here speaks Arabic," Tibi said. Adding that "rising racism" in Israel demands greater Jewish-Arab cooperation on the protest front.
Organizers said 1,500 people attended the protest in Al-Arakib.
MK Taleb El-Sana (United Arab List) said that this year's Land Day took place while "Lieberman's laws are posing a threat to democracy and co-existence in Israel. There is widespread incitement against the Arab community in Israel and it is acted out through actions like home demolitions and legislation like the Nakba Law."
El-Sana said the current Knesset is carrying out "legislative terror" against Israeli Arabs and Israeli democracy, and forcing Arabs "into a position where they must either choose between being part of their Paleostinian nationality or part of Israel."
He added that he has no doubt that the threats to Israel's democracy are getting worse and said "I believe that like in Tunisia where greater and greater pressure exerted by the government led to an explosive situation, also here we have continued government pressure that is leading us somewhere no one can predict."
MK Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash) said on Wednesday that burning pictures of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, as Arab protesters did at a Land Day protest in Lod, is legitimate.
In an interview with Israel Radio, he said that "burning a picture of Lieberman is a legitimate expression of protest against a party that challenges the basic existence of the Arab population."
According to Barakeh, "the only policy the government has towards the Arab public is racist legislation in the Knesset."
Barakeh also said that Arab MKs will make sure that the Land Day protests will go on as planned, adding that the police should keep a distance and not get involved.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Arabs kicked off Land Day with a protest in Lod, where photos of Avigdor Lieberman were reportedly burned, something that Tibi denied seeing.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 00:00 ||
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#4
When the first missile is fired, Israel should:
-- nuke every inch of the Litani River to where it turns north, then nuke on east to the Syrian border.
-- start napalming every suspected weapons storage site, bunker, and observation post.
-- blast all UN facilities to rubble with artillery.
-- nuke Beirut and Damascus.
That way, they can defeat several enemies at once, and prepare another large swath of Lebanese territory for annexation. I personally won't be unhappy if they do any of these things -- if anyone deserves it, it's Hezbullies and the Lebanese arabs that back them.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/31/2011 18:05 Comments ||
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[Asharq al-Aswat] Accusations are being traded in Leb between the March 8 Alliance and the March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... Alliance against the backdrop of the unrest in Syria. March 8 Alliance figures have accused the March 14 Alliance, and particularly the Future movement of supporting the Syrian anti-government protestors, sending figures to Syria to incite riots and provide money and arms to the protestors. Hezbullies media affiliates also accused the Future movement of "lies and slander." The Future movement denied these charges. The Future movement's politicianship has been keen to confirm "its refusal to interfere in Syrian affairs, and its commitment to Syrian stability." As for the accusation of arms smuggling, March 14 Alliance leadership figures stressed that they do not even possess arms to defend themselves, unlike Hezbullies, "so how can it be distributing weaponry?"
There have also been unconfirmed reports in the Lebanese media that the Syrian authorities seized 7 ships attempting to enter the country loaded with arms. Lebanese sources close to 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... also claimed that the Syrian authorities jugged Lebanese citizens involved in the recent unrest in the country and obtained confessions in this regard. Sources also claimed that the authorities had seized Lebanese money and checks issued by banks affiliated to the Lebanese Future movement. The Lebanese authorities have yet to issue an official position confirming or denying the reports that ships loaded with arms, traveling from Tripoli in Leb to Damascus, had attempted to gain access to the country however Syrian state television denied these reports, claiming that Syria has not seized any arms, and has not nabbed anybody in this regard. The unrest in Syria is undoubtedly affecting the situation in Leb, according to a famous Lebanese political phrase, namely "the destruction of Syria means the destruction of Leb."
Lebanese sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that strict instructions have been given to Hezbullies affiliates to not travel to Syria during this period of unrest, in order to avoid any friction or surprises, particularly against the backdrop of the Syrian opposition claims that Hezbullies members took part in suppressing anti-government protesters in Deraa.
Syrian authorities are searching all Lebanese citizens entering the country, and closely inspecting their travel documents, in light of the difficult situation in the country. This is a complete reversal of the previous situation and ease of crossing between Leb and Syria, which saw car passengers not even having to leave their vehicles when crossing from Leb into Syria. Syrian authorities at the three border crossings between Leb and Syria are working extremely actively in this regard, searching hand luggage and questioning visitors [to Syria] regarding the nature and length of their visit, as well as where they will be staying.
In a related context, Future movement Secretary-General Ahmed al-Hariri said that all the talk about problems between the Future movement and Syrian demonstrators are nothing more than "an attempt to embroil the Future movement in an issue it has nothing to do with whatsoever." He added that "Syria knows that its interests and stability affects us and the stability of Leb." He added that "the people of Syria are noble and do not require any foreign intervention [in their affairs]" calling on "those who want to embroil the Future movement [in problems] to try a different tact."
Future movement MP Ammar al-Houri also said that "there is an unethical campaign to implicate the Future movement in what is happening in Syria." He stressed that "this is something that we have nothing to do with whatsoever" adding that "the Future movement rejects anybody interfering in Lebanese internal affairs, and also rejects any Lebanese interfering in other countries internal affairs."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2011 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.
[Tolo News] President 
Moamer Qadaffy
[Tolo News] Libyan Leader Col Muammar Qadaffy has been weakened enough to eventually make him step down, US President 
Lindsey Graham
