Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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Due to technical difficulties the transmission of the Happy Birthday/Daily Gam Shot has been temporarily interrupted. Fred and his crack staff are working on a solution and the program will be restored as soon as possible.
members of the Quetta Shura and Binny's buddies. Wonder if they got that intel from Binny's house?
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/29/2011 10:32 ||
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Meanwhile, in a move likely to stoke tensions between Kabul and the West, Afghan president Hamid Karzai has ordered his defence ministry to take control of night raids.
He said Afghan troops should carry out the operations as raids by foreigners were often unco-ordinated and arbitrary and led to civilian casualties.
What is Karzai's game? How long would he last if the US and NATO pulled up stakes and left? Anyways, his defense ministry cannot take control of what they are not informed about. So good luck with that.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
05/29/2011 13:21 Comments ||
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" What is Karzai's game?" Like any good politician he wants to look like he is doing something. You know, save his bacon(oopsie !).
#3
But this is being quoted in an English language paper. If it was for domestic consumption it would be in the Pashto language papers. This appears aimed at us, unless you think the US and UK journalist are actually trying to do a conscientious job as opposed to taking what is being spoon-fed to them.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
05/29/2011 14:35 Comments ||
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Thank you Mike Ramsey #3. That was a good observation. I missed it.
#5
looks like they were a little more Talibunny than AQ, but very nice snags, nonetheless. Notice too, they didn't die as martyrs, in fact, they never got off a shot. Too important for that Jihadi thing
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/29/2011 19:09 Comments ||
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An investigation is underway into reports that a coalition airstrike in southern Afghanistan killed a dozen children and two women. The civilians were killed Saturday in an airstrike against insurgents who were attacking NATO-led troops in the Nawzad district of the Helmand province.
The death toll, if confirmed, would make it the largest loss of civilian life this year as a result of an ISAF airstrike.
But since it happened on Obama's watch, it won't become big news - in the US, at least.
ISAF confirmed there was an attack, though it did not know whether civilians were killed. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ronald Flesvig said, "We do know about the allegations."
Both ISAF and Afghan investigators were looking into the claims, which came from residents as well as the district governor, said Daud Ahamadi, the .
Residents said an that an ISAF helicopter conducted the airstrike, which hit two houses where women and children were staying.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/29/2011 17:43 Comments ||
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Karzai, as usual, has his panties in a wad over this. According to ABC News he wants coalition forces to "clear the operations with his forces". He says "uncoordinated operations will result in the killing of innocent civilians." Hmmmmm. But is he really worried about "innocent civilians" or does he want to warn the Talibunnies when an attack is coming?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/29/2011 21:18 Comments ||
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#9
collateral...zzzz.....
Posted by: Shusoque Spawn of the Algonquins3644 ||
05/29/2011 22:20 Comments ||
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"is he really worried about "innocent civilians" or does he want to warn the Talibunnies when an attack is coming?"
I'll take Door #2, Abu. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/29/2011 22:30 Comments ||
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The Taliban launched a deadly suicide attack at the governor's compound in the northern province of Takhar today, killing the police chief for northern Afghanistan and the provincial chief of police, and wounding the governor of the province and ISAF's northern commander.
The attack took place as top Afghan and Coalition leaders in the north were meeting at the governor's compound in the city of Taloqan, the provincial capital of Takhar.
The suicide bomber killed General Dawood Dawood, the top commander for the Afghan National Police in the north; Mawlawi Shah Jahan, the chief of police for Takhar province; the governor's secretary; and a security guard, according to TOLONews. Two German soldiers were also killed, and Major General Markus Kneip, Regional Commander North for the International Security Assistance Force, was wounded in the attack, The Associated Press reported. The governor of Takhar was also wounded.
Ten Afghans and an unknown number of Coalition soldiers were also reported to have been wounded in the attack. Many of those wounded are said to have suffered serious burns. The extent of General Kneip's injuries have not been disclosed. ISAF has only confirmed that Kneip "was not killed in the blast," an official told Reuters.
The Taliban claimed the attack in Takhar and said the purpose of the strike was to assassinate Afghan leaders who commanded operations in the north. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid made the claim to The Associated Press. In s statement release on its propaganda website, Voice of Jihad, the Taliban claimed the attack was carried out by a "resident of Takhar" named Mujahid Amad-ud-Din.
[Tolo News] Taliban Badr operation, part of the Taliban spring offensives, is launched under direct support from Pakistain's spy organisation, bigwigs said on Saturday.
Leader of Pak and Afghan Taliban , al-Qaeda network and Jaish-e-Mohammed have had a meeting outside Afghan borders and agreed on Badr Operation.
The Taliban had previously announced the beginning of their spring offensives and said they will launch Badr operation and that targeting high-profile Afghan officials will be part of it.
Top security officials, including Defence Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, Interior Minister Gen. Besmellah Mohammadi and Acting Afghan Spy Chief Rahmatullah Nabil were summoned to the parliament to brief representatives about the security situation.
Speaking at the house Interior Minister said Pakistain should feel ashamed after al-Qaeda leader was found on its soil.
After a suicide kaboom in the biggest military hospital in Kabul, Defence Minister told parliamentarians that all staff in the hospital have been jugged.
"All staff in the 400-bed hospital have been jugged and they will face due punishment," Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak said.
But Commander of the military hospital Gen. Qasim Ahmadi dismissed the comments.
Gen. Ahmadi said: "The comments are all inaccurate and unreal. Why should the staff be tossed in the calaboose?"
Acting Chief of Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) warned of a surge in Islamic exemplar activities in the months ahead.
"This year's attacks are carried out in cooperation between al-Qaeda and the neighbouring country's spy agency," Acting Spy Chief Rahmatullah Nabil said.
Afghan Interior Minister said: "The root of terrorism is based on the other side of borders. The death of the late Osama bin Laden ... who has made the transition back to dust... shows the truthfulness of our government and Pakistain's collaboration with Islamic exemplars."
At the same time, a number of parliamentarians blamed the government for not being able to do enough to prevent civilian deaths.
"Who is enemy? Who is brother? Until a brave Afghan soldier has no definition of who the enemy is, who should he fight against?" Yonus Qanooni, Afghan MP, said.
The comments come as governor's compound in northern Takhar province came under a suicide attack in which a number of top Afghan security officials were killed and some others were maimed.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Who is enemy? Who is brother? Until a brave Afghan soldier has no definition of who the enemy is, who should he fight against?" Yonus Qanooni, Afghan MP, said.
The skipper of a Taiwanese fishing vessel hijacked by Somalian pirates over a year ago was accidently killed recently during a conflict between a U.S. warship and his captors.
Wu Lai-yu, captain of the Zechuntsai No. 68, died on May 21 during an exchange of fire between the fishing boat, used by the pirates as a mother ship, and the USS Stephen W. Groves in the Indian Ocean. Three pirates were also killed in the battle.
Wu's body is reported to have sank along with the fishing ship. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have informed Taiwan that crew members aboard their warship had held a funeral for Wu.
The Zechuntsai was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in late March 2010. After over a year of negotiations, Wu's family finally struck a ransom deal late last month.
The Royal Air Force is to get 2,000lb "bunker busting" bombs to boost its mission in Libya.
The Ministry of Defence said the Enhanced Paveway III bombs were capable of penetrating the roofs of reinforced buildings. The MoD said this would enable the RAF to attack command centres and communications nodes in Libya.
Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: "We are not trying to physically target individuals in Gaddafi's inner circle."
The MoD said the bombs had been prepared and could be used in Libya in a matter of hours and would help to protect civilians from being targeted by Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
Dr Fox said: "The introduction of Enhanced Paveway III bombs is another way in which we are developing our tactics to protect civilians and achieve the intent of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973.
"We are not trying to physically target individuals in Gaddafi's inner circle on whom he relies but we are certainly sending them increasingly loud messages.
"Gaddafi may not be capable of listening but those around him would be wise to do so," Dr Fox added.
The RAF's arsenal already includes Enhanced Paveway II, Paveway IV, and Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone bombs.
#2
I don't like telegraphing, but in this case, it has it's uses. Gaddafi knows full well that these are the weapons that erased the Iraqi AF in its supposedly impregnable hard shelters. He won't run yet, but after the first few C3 bunkers (built by the same people who built Saddam's 'nuclear-proof' bunkers) are gutted, he will be faced with his choice.
Myself, I'm hoping he makes the wrong one and we get to take him out. He has a great deal to answer for, and if it comes at the hands of an Allied pilot, I for one shall not be unhappy.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/29/2011 22:56 Comments ||
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[Emirates 24/7] Fresh NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants... -led air strikes on Saturday targeted the district of Tripoli where Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... has his residence, after G8 world powers intensified the pressure on the strongman to step down.
For the fourth successive night, powerful blasts rocked Bab Al-Aziziya near the city centre, an AFP correspondent said as Libyan state media reported air raids on the Al-Qariet region south of the capital.
The strikes came after US President Barack B.O. Obama told a summit of G8 world powers that the United States and La Belle France were committed to finishing the job in Libya, as Russia finally joined explicit calls for Qadaffy to go.
Russia's dramatic shift - and an offer to mediate - came as British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... said the NATO mission against Qadaffy was entering a new phase with the deployment of helicopter gunships to the conflict.
"We are joined in our resolve to finish the job," Obama said after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... at the G8 summit of industrialised democracies in the French resort of Deauville. But the US leader warned the "UN mandate of civilian protection cannot be accomplished when Qadaffy remains in Libya directing his forces in acts of aggression against the Libyan people."
G8 leaders from Perfidious Albion, Canada, La Belle France, Germany, Italia, Japan, Russia and the US called in their final statement for Qadaffy to step down after more than 40 years, in the face of pro-democracy protests turned full-fledged armed revolt.
"Qadaffy and the Libyan government have failed to fulfil their responsibility to protect the Libyan population and have lost all legitimacy. He has no future in a free, democratic Libya. He must go," it said.
But the Libyan regime rejected the call and said any initiative to resolve the crisis would have to go through the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... . "The G8 is an economic summit. We are not concerned by its decisions," said Libya's deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaaim.
Tripoli also rejected Russian mediation and will "not accept any mediation which marginalises the peace plan of the African Union," he said. "We are an African country. Any initiative outside the AU framework will be rejected."
Kaaim said it had no confirmation of a change in Moscow's position after President Dmitry Medvedev toughened Russia's stance at the G8 meeting by declaring: "The world community does not see him as the Libyan leader."
African leaders at a summit in Addis Ababa on Thursday called for an end to NATO air strikes on Libya to pave the way for a political solution to the conflict.
The pan-African bloc also sought a stronger say in resolving the conflict.
Kaaim meanwhile confirmed the visit on Monday of South African President Jacob Zuma, without indicating whether the exit of Qadaffy from power would be discussed as the South Africans have claimed. On Thursday, the Libyan regime said Tripoli wanted a monitored ceasefire.
But NATO insisted it would keep up its air raids in Libya until Qadaffy's forces stop attacking civilians and until the regime's proposed ceasefire is matched by its actions on the ground. Meanwhile Gadafi's wife Sofia on Friday slammed strikes against the Libyan leader and his family, and accused NATO forces of "committing war crimes" with its action against the regime. 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 Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa ... who has been head of the Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ... said there was a yawning gap between Tripoli and the rebel National Transitional Council on Qadaffy's fate, with the rebels demanding he go immediately and the regime saving his exit for "later."
"I was not there. But I wished that I was so I may die with him," she told CNN in a telephone interview, describing the reported death of her son Seif al-Arab from a NATO air strike.
"My son never missed an evening prayer. We had strikes every day, and the strikes would start at evening prayer. Four rockets on one house!" she said in the rare interview.
International forces, which have been attacking Qadaffy forces under the terms of a UN resolution to protect civilians, "are looking for excuses to target Moamer. What has he done to deserve this?" asked Sofia.
NATO, she said, is "committing war crimes" in the North Africa country. "They killed my son and the Libyan people. They are defaming our reputation, she said. "Forty countries are against us. Life has no value anymore," she lamented, in the wake of her son's death. Doubts have been raised in recent days of the veracity of reports on Seif al-Arab, Qadaffy's youngest son, being dead. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pointed out Wednesday that the international coalition had no information on his demise, and said the report from a Libyan government front man was "propaganda."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] An Egyptian court has fined ousted president Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... and former officials more than $90m for cutting off access to internet and mobile phone services during the country's massive protests in January.
A court source told the Rooters news agency on Saturday that Mubarak's fine is $34m, former interior minister Habib al-Adly will owe $53m, and former prime minister Ahmed Nazif has a fine of $7m.
The amounts relate to compensation for lost revenue as a result of the decision to cut off access for five days starting on January 28, said the source.
The fine is to be paid from personal assets, and the state has the right to increase the amount over the year if damages continue to rise.
This was the first court ruling against Mubarak since he was ousted on February 11.
Mubarak faces far more serious charges, including ordering the killing of protesters, a charge which could carry the death penalty.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
More than $90 mill for just trying to defend his regime? I guess phone and internet access is now a "Human Right(tm)." Smells like a kangaroo court to me.
#3
Big mistake he made, cutting off the internet. As was pointed out by the guy at Shire Network News, if you want people to stay home and not do anything, you leave the internet ON.
[Al Jazeera] Secret channels are being opened between the Libyan government of Muammar Qadaffy and British citizens with a view to ending the conflict, sources have told Al Jizz. But don't tell anyone because it's a secret...
Abdelati al-Obeidi, the Libyan deputy foreign minister, who has been leading the government's diplomacy after Musa Kousa, the foreign minister, defected, gave hints on Saturday to Al Jizz's James Bays about the secret talks to end the war.
The Al Jizz correspondent, who spoke to al-Obeidi on a flight to the southern Tunisian town of Djerba, said the Libyan official was quite guarded in his approach and said that "he really was not authorised to tell me what had taken place at this meeting". He wasn't even authorized to tell you that he existed...
"The deputy foreign minister did admit that he had come for talks which have been taking place with British citizens. He could not say what the talks were about but did say it was an exchange of views and a channel of communication being opened by them," he said.
Though he denied that there was any talk of an exit strategy for Qadaffy, he said the government was willing to talk to the opposition in Benghazi, our correspondent said.
He quoted al-Obeidi as saying: "We want to end this war and we want to end soon." With themselves still on top, of course...
"It is an indication of British agenda playing quite a leading role here, and in this behind-the-scene process, probably British diplomats or members of MI6 may have been involved. Remember they [MI6] were also involved in Kousa's defection about two months ago," our correspondent said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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Looking for a face saving (for French & Brits) formula?
[Ennahar] According to the Internet site of Egyptian newspaper "Al Wafd" (opposition), the ousted President Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... reportedly managed to escape from the hospital in Sharm al-Sheikh to an unknown destination.
Mubarak reportedly decamped by helicopter, while the military council that rules Egypt has not denied the information on his "Facebook" page, the information has had a great impact in Egypt where all Egyptians are waiting for the trial of the Rais.
The escape of Mubarak from the Hospital of Char-al-Sheikh occurred with the help of strangers who have taken him in an ambulance, said al-Wafd. The ambulance would have transported him to a landing area in Sharm al-Sheikh, near the hospital where he was.
The source said, citing witnesses, that Mubarak would have taken the helicopter to an unknown destination on Friday night around 11 pm. Surveillance cameras have also disappeared as well as the agents responsible for the custody of the ousted president, who oversee the second and third floors of the hospital.
Moreover, the newspaper "Al Bashair" reported that one of the symbols of Mubarak's regime was behind the escape of the ousted president, adding that the businessman Hussein Salem, known to have been responsible for the majority of corruption contracts that involved Mubarak and his sons, in addition to his responsibility in the exporting of Egyptian gas to Israel.
Although the hospital has not officially confirmed nor denied the information, it was amplified in Egypt, including flaws in the security measures undertaken by the Egyptian army to prevent Mubarak to be in contact with the outside world, especially after the leak of the audio tape aired by Al Arabia, in which Mubarak denied being related to the bribery and possession of bank accounts abroad.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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Better to announce 'he fled' than 'he dead' I think.
[Iran Press TV] The leader of Bahrain's main opposition group has called on the regime to stop its brutal crackdown on civilians, saying political reform is the only way to move forward.
"Security (forces) will not bring the solution ... without political reform, this bad situation will continue and there will not be real stability," Sheikh Ali Salman, who heads the country's largest Shia political group, al-Wefaq, said.
Al-Wefaq leader added that according to a survey, the majority of the protesters seek political reform and a constitutional monarchy, AFP reported on Saturday.
Addressing the security forces, Salman said, "You have frightened the people with tanks, so you have to keep tanks around. This would be far from normal."
He expressed his distrust of the electoral process and announced that his group is not planning to take part in the upcoming by-elections.
The opposition has already pulled all of its 18 politicians out of the parliament in protest at the violence against demonstrators.
Two politicians were tossed in the clink shortly after announcing their resignations and were taken to an unknown location.
On Friday the Saudi-backed Bahraini forces attacked anti-government protesters in several villages across Bahrain.
Since the beginning of anti-regime protests in mid-February, Manama has launched a harsh crackdown on anti-government protesters, rounding up senior opposition figures and activists in dawn raids and arresting doctors, nurses, lawyers and journalists who have voiced support for the protest movement.
Protesters have been charged with several counts such as attempting to overthrow the monarchy, and they are being tried in a special security court set up under martial law.
Amnesia Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... have criticized the Bahraini government for its brutal crackdown on civilians.
The International Committee of the Red Thingy, which visits detainees in conflict situations, has been trying to see and contact Bahraini jugged activists since mid-March. But so far Manama has refused to grant it permission.
Meanwhile, ...back at the wrecked scow, a single surviver held tightly to the smashed prow... Bahrain's state news agency says that military prosecutors have asked the country's highest court to review death penalties issued against two anti-regime protesters.
Human Rights Watch as also called on the country to stop trying civilians in military courts.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The deadly fighting that rocked the Yemeni capital this week spread beyond Sanaa on Friday as armed rustics seeking to oust President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower... seized two military camps in battles that killed at least 18 and prompted Arclight airstrikes by government warplanes, a tribal leader said.
The fighting brought to at least 124 the number killed in the past five days of bloodshed, which has hiked fears that the Arab world's poorest country could be thrown into civil war as Saleh clings to power in the face of peaceful protests demanding his ouster.
There were new signs that the fighting in and around Sanaa could cause a wider breakdown in a country where numerous gangs operate. On Friday, Islamic snuffies went on a rampage in a southern city, taking control of a cop shoppe, banks and government buildings, security officials and witnesses said.
This week's street battles in Sanaa have pitted Saleh's security forces and fighters from Yemen's most powerful tribal confederation, the Hashid, which has joined the popular uprising against the long-time ruler.
Friday's assault on the Republican Guard base in the Fardha Nehem region was the most significant escalation yet outside the capital. Tribal fighters allied to the Hashid stormed the camp, 50 miles northeast of Sanaa, and killed tens of troops -- including the base commander -- in the fighting, said local tribal leader Sheik Ali Saif.
After the fighters captured the camp, government airplanes bombed them and other forces clashed with them on the ground, he said. At least 18 rustics were killed, Saif said.
Tribal fighters then assaulted two helicopters that landed nearby, capturing them and a number of soldiers and shooting down a third helicopter, Saif said. Yemen's Interior Ministry denied the base's capture in a statement.
Saif said the tribe attacked the base to prevent its soldiers from heading to Sanaa to reinforce government troops there. The Republican Guard is one of Yemen's best trained and equipped forces. It is commanded by one of Saleh's sons and has remained loyal to the president even as other military units have defected.
Late Friday, tribal fighters seized another army base nearby after striking a deal with the soldiers inside that allowed them to leave with their personal weapons, local tribal leader Abdul-Moin al-Sharif said. No one was injured.
The week's fighting has terrified residents of the capital Sanaa, and many have packed up their cars and decamped the city. Tens of thousand massed in the central square that has been the focus of the anti-Saleh protests for a march they said sought to "confirm the peacefulness of the revolution."
Addressing the crowd, Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar, head of the Hashid, blamed Saleh for the week's violence.
"The war came down on our heads, but are holding strong and victorious," the 55-year-old leader said. "We want to remain peaceful, but if Ali Abdullah Saleh wants war, we are ready to face him and those around him."
For the first Friday since the uprising began, Saleh did not hold a boisterous rally for his supporters, apparently due to security concerns.
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said she was "deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in Yemen" and called on all parties to protect civilians "and to spare them from the effect of further hostilities."
She cited reports of many families leaving Sanaa and expressed concern that "continued confrontations could force large numbers of people to flee their homes, with serious humanitarian consequences."
"Many Yemenis already face shortages of food, fuel and other basic necessities," Amos said in a statement. "The UN is monitoring the situation, and stands ready to offer assistance if needed."
The battles broke out Monday after an attempt by government forces to storm al-Ahmar's compound in the heart of Sanaa. By Thursday, the festivities had widened to include areas around Sanaa's airport, and other tribes had joined in alongside al-Ahmar's Hashid. On Friday, however, there were no reports of fighting in Sanaa, and Hashid gunnies solidified control over government buildings they'd seized, setting up checkpoints and searching those seeking to pass.
The fighting could open a new chapter in Yemen's turmoil. Until now, Saleh's opponents have stuck to peaceful protests massing hundreds of thousands around the country. Several military units, along with tribal powerhouses like the Hashid, have joined the opposition, but they have avoided violent confrontations with Saleh's loyalists.
But Saleh has managed to cling to power despite defections, protests and pressure from Arab neighbors and Western powers to leave office. Efforts to mediate his exit collapsed last week when the president refused to sign a deal for him to step down in 30 days.
Saleh has retained the loyalty of the regime's most elite military units -- all commanded by close relatives.
The escalation with the tribes could strain that hold. Under Yemen's ancient codes, tribal leaders can declare that members follow their orders above all others -- potentially forcing soldiers in pro-Saleh units to choose between their clan and military loyalties. So far, there have been no apparent signals of mass defections from the pro-Saleh units since the fighting with the Hashid began.
Most of Yemen's tribes boast heavily armed militias loyal to their chiefs. The northern-based tribes that make up the Hashid confederation hold powerful business and government interests. Yemen's other main tribal confederation, the southern-based Bakeel, is larger but has less political and economic power and, with many more tribes, is less cohesive. Most Bakeel tribes have turned against Saleh.
Also Friday, hundreds of Islamic snuffies seized control in Zinjibar, the capital of the southern province of Abyan, killing eight coppers and two civilians in shootouts with guards, security officials said. The fighters took over two banks, the city's tax bureau and two security offices. After the fight, the men could be seen driving freely around the city. A local army division made no effort to confront the thugs, witnesses said.
Many fear snuffies will exploit Yemen's turmoil to take power. Officials said Friday's attackers were likely local Islamic snuffies who could be associated with al-Qaeda. They spoke on condition of anonymity under government rules.
But Yemen has numerous Islamic snuffies who are not members of al-Qaeda's branch in the country. Veterans of "jihad" in other countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, they have often been used by Saleh's regime to fight its opponents.
Ali Dahmis, a political analyst in Zinjibar, accused the regime of collusion in the assault on the city Friday.
"This is a theater produced by the regime to distract from the events in Sanaa and show that al-Qaeda is a threat," he said.
The escalating violence has prompted the State Department to order nonessential U.S. diplomats and their families to leave the country. Perfidious Albion said it would scale back its embassy staff, while Germany and other countries issued travel warnings.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] A military source denied on Saturday military equipment including tanks had been taken during the battles with rustics on suburbs of Yemen's capital Sana'a over the last few days.
"No jet fighters were brought down by and no military camp surrendered to the rustics. Also, the rustics in Nehm did not seize tanks or other military equipment," the source said.
"The Joint Meeting Parties, the opposition bloc, has been involved in the battles against the army and elements from the Mohammedan brotherhood attacked a checkpoint in Al-Fardha area," the source added.
The personnel at the checkpoint fought back the destructive elements from the opposition and the brotherhood and some of them were killed including the chief officer, the source said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] At least three French aid workers were kidnapped by an gang in Yemen's southern province of Hadramout. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask what in the world are 'aid workers' doing in Yemen right now...
Sources said that two women and a man who working at an aid organization went missing on Saturday afternoon in the middle of province of Hadramout.
The French Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the three are missing but has said it is unclear whether they have been kidnapped.
The local official said the three work for an organization called Triangle Generation Humanitarian which has operations in Yemen including aiding Somali refugees and helping provide clean water in the southern port of Aden.
Kidnappings of Western tourists or workers by tribes seeking ransom or concessions from the government have been frequent in Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries. Most of the hostages have been freed unharmed.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] Eyewitnesses in Zinjibar, Abyan, said that gunnies have taken over the city of Zinjibar after a complete withdrawal of government security forces last night. "Three buildings were burnt yesterday by the gunnies and they are in control now of the town," said Ali Sulaiman, a resident in Zinjibar.
The opposition Joint Meeting Parties JMP yesterday in a statement that Saleh handed over the city to the gunnies to put more pressure on the international community to accept him staying longer in power.
Government officials denied the JMP accusations.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Zinjibar is a city along the Southern coast (near Aden)
[Emirates 24/7] A mediator between Yemeni government troops and armed rustics seeking President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh's ouster says a temporary cease-fire is in place to allow for negotiations after five days of fierce festivities that killed at least 124 people.
The mediator says the sides are discussing terms that will see fighters loyal to Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar pull out from at least nine government ministries they occupied during this week's fighting.
The mediator says the truce is to expire on Saturday evening. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to talk to the media.
Al-Ahmar heads the Hashid, Yemen's most powerful tribal confederation. The rustics attacked after Saleh's forces tried to storm al-Ahmar's compound in central Sanaa on Monday.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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Law enforcement agencies have killed an Islam[ic] convert believed responsible for the twin bombings of police buildings in Volgograd last month, and detained four alleged accomplices, the Investigative Committee said Monday.
The Volgograd blasts, which injured no one on April 26, were practice runs for attacks planned for the Victory Day holiday, May 9, in Astrakhan, 380 kilometers away, investigators said.
Few details of the killing and arrests were released. Did they use a stutter gun?
[Al Jazeera] At least eight people have been killed and 10 others maimed in an kaboom at a marketplace in a tribal region near the Afghan border, Pak officials say.
The blast on Saturday was reportedly caused by a remote-controlled bomb detonation at Pasht bazaar in Salarzai, 35km northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur agency.
Saad Mohammad, a regional government administrator, said four people were killed among the market stalls.
"The explosive was planted somewhere in a restaurant. Many people were there when it went kaboom!," he said.
A further four people died in hospital, medical officials said.
Two tribal elders, Malik Tehsil Khan and Malik Mayn Jan, were among those reported dead.
"We think that they were the main targets because they were the senior members of [the] local peace committee which has formed a lashkar [tribal force] against Taliban," Mohammad said.
Saturday's deadly attack in Bajaur occurred as Hillary Clinton ... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another Philander C. Knox ... was wrapping up her visit to Pakistain
A Pak Taliban front man said his group was responsible for the attack.
"We carried out the bombing against the peace committee because they had joined the government and were maligning Taliban," Ehsanullah Ehsan, speaking on behalf of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, told the AFP news agency.
"We had warned them before and warn them again that they should disband this anti-Taliban peace committee otherwise we will continue to attack them till they are totally eliminated."
Saturday's kaboom came as Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, was wrapping up her visit to Pakistain with words of conciliation but also some stern demands for the country.
Al Jizz Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from Islamabad, the Pak capital, said Clinton asked for very decisive steps to be taken by the government to combat a rise in extremism and Islamic exemplar groups operating in the country.
"Clinton did not make reference to what these steps are but did provide Pakistain with a list of names,
including members of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, ... Second in command of al-Qaeda, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is... Mullah Omar and Sirajuddin Haqqani - the head of the
Haqqani network based in North Wazoo," our correspondent said.
The previous day, Clinton pledged further support to Pakistain, which reportedly has 140,000 troops committed to its northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan.
The same day a suicide car boomer killed 27 people in the town of Hangu, in the country's northwest.
The Pak Taliban attacked a heavily guarded naval base in the southern city of Bloody Karachi on Sunday, during which 10 military officiers were killed and two aircraft destroyed.
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05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Pak Daily Times] Matta tehsil Awami National Party (ANP) President Muzaffar Ali Khan along with a policeman and a guest were killed when faceless myrmidons attacked his hujra with hand grenades and automatic weapons on Saturday.
According to police, the men first attacked the hujra of Muzaffar Ali Khan with hand grenades and then opened fire on people present in the hujra.
As a result, Khan, a police constable, Abdullah and a guest Sher Rehman, a resident of Shah Dheri, were killed on the spot while another policeman Zamin Zada sustained injuries. The bodies and the injured were shifted to the Matta Civil Hospital.
Security forces cordoned off the area and started a search operation
This was the first fatal incident in a year since peace had been restored in the area.
Matta police has started the paperwork but haven't done much else against the unidentified attackers.
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05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces have arrested a Sunni insurgent who confessed to involvement in attacks that killed 70 people, including nearly two dozen at a wedding in 2006, a senior Iraqi intelligence officer said Saturday.
The suspect is accused of heading a terrorist cell in northern Baghdad and was picked up earlier this month with four other men during a security raid.
In the wedding attack, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-rigged car into a crowd outside the brides home, killing 23 people.
The intelligence official did not immediately know if the Baghdad cell was linked to al-Qaida. But they'll find out...
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: An eye witness said that a military force raided an NGO, known as Where is My Right, and arrested 11 persons, including its secretary general, in suspicion for their relationship with the organizers of Tahreer Square demonstrations.
"Four Hummer military vehicles and two 4-wheel drive cars surrounded the organization premises in Maidan Square, in the center of Baghdad, where they searched it and destroyed its computers," the source told Aswat al-Iraq.
On the other hand, an activist said on the Facebook page for the Tahreer Square demonstrations, that the organization is an NGO that participated in organizing the demonstrations. The arrested persons were meeting to discuss how to release the four activists who were arrested last Friday.
One of the activists in (Iraqi Streets for Change) told Aswat al-Iraq yesterday that the arrested four were among 250 demonstrators gathered in Tahreer Square, who were criticizing the failure of the government in rendering better services, despite the 100-day time table set by Premier Nouri Al-Maliki to improve the work of the ministries and provinces.
Premier Maliki set on 28 February 2011 a period of 100 days that ends on 7 June next to evaluate the work of the government and provinces, following massive demonstrations held in Baghdad and a number of provinces on 25 February last, that called for eradicating corruption, improvement of services , better social standards of living and combating unemployment.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Arrested on what charges? Organizing a demonstration? There has to be something more to this...
Posted by: American Delight ||
05/29/2011 20:41 Comments ||
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RAFAH, Gaza Strip - After a four-year blockade, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza Strips main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territorys Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the areas ruling Hamas militant group.
The reopening of the Rafah border crossing eases an Egyptian blockade that has prevented the vast majority of Gazas 1.5 million people from being able to travel abroad. The closure, along with an Israeli blockade of its borders with Gaza, has fueled an economic crisis in the densely populated territory. But Saturdays move also raises Israeli fears that militants will be able to move freely in and out of Gaza.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007. The closure, which also included tight Israeli restrictions at its cargo crossings with Gaza and a naval blockade, was meant to weaken Hamas, an Islamic militant group that opposes peace with Israel.
Since the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, Egypts new leadership has vowed to ease the blockade and improve relations with Hamas.
The Rafah border terminal has functioned at limited capacity for months. Travel has been restricted to certain classes of people, such as students, businessmen or medical patients, and the crossing was often subject to closures. Travel through Israels passenger crossing with Gaza is extremely rare.
Under the new system, most restrictions are being lifted, and a much larger number of Palestinians are expected to be able to cross each day, easing a backlog that can force people to wait for months.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Does this mean that Israel can now shut down there borders incl food, fuel, ect?
#2
By how much will the population have fallen in a month or six, now that Gaza's residents are free to escape? As I recall most of the young people wanted to emigrate...
#4
I hear the weather in Brazil is wonderful, this time of year.
The smart ones will get out and keep going. If you were living in Gaza, would you stay? Why?
For the beautiful future?
Posted by: de Medici3489 ||
05/29/2011 9:42 Comments ||
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#5
...from being able to travel abroad
This makes it sound like the majority of Gazooks will quickly head to Cairo airport to board first-class flights to gay Paree', the Riviera, Rio and all the other great tourist parts of the world.
Somehow I don't think it will work out quite that way.
One person was killed and two others were seriously wounded in a Friday night attack in southern Narathiwat province.
Police said that gunmen on motorcycles opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles on a six-wheel truck on the Pattani-Narathiwat road. The assailants then set fire to the truck instantly killing the driver at the scene and leaving two others seriously injured. The suspects fled the scene immediately.
Police blamed terrorists insurgents for the incident.
[Emirates 24/7] Pro-democracy activists in Syria called for fresh protests on Saturday after the alleged torture and killing of a 13-year-old boy by security forces in the flashpoint region of Daraa.
The body of Hamza al-Khatib was returned to his family on Wednesday, following his disappearance after a demonstration on April 29, activists said on their Facebook site, Syrian Revolution 2011.
"We will go out from every home, from every district to express our anger" over the killing, they wrote on the page which carries a picture of the boy.
"A month had passed by with his family not knowing where he is, or if or when will he be released. He was released to his family as a dead body. Upon examining his body, the signs of torture are very clear," they said.
"There were a few bullets in his body used as a way of torture rather than to kill him with. Clear signs of severe physical abuse appeared on the body such as marks done with hands, sticks, and shoes. Hamza's penis was also cut off."
Other activists said Hamza al-Khatib decided after police had killed his cousin to take part in the anti-regime protests sweeping the country since mid-March, with their epicentre in the Daraa region of southern Syria.
His father, Ali al-Khatib, has also been jugged, they said.
On Friday, at least 12 people were rubbed out as security forces dispersed protests across Syria, activists said, updating an earlier toll of eight dead.
Four protesters were killed in Daraa, another four in 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... suburb, three in Homs, central Syria, and one in Latakia on the coast, said the London-based National Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights.
Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, urged the country's authorities to investigate the torture to death of the 13-year-old boy and other similar cases.
Seven bodies with torture marks, some with broken necks, were taken to Daraa hospital, he told AFP by telephone in Nicosia, adding that hundreds of cases of torture were being documented.
Since the revolt in Syria erupted, Friday protests following weekly Mohammedan prayers are widely seen as a barometer of whether activists are able to maintain momentum despite a heavy handed repression.
More than 1,000 people have been killed and 10,000 others jugged since the revolt began, according to rights groups. Syrian authorities say 143 soldiers, security forces and police have been killed.
Foreign journalists are barred from travelling inside Syria, making it difficult to report on the unrest and verify witness accounts.
The government insists the unrest is the work of "armed terrorist gangs" backed by Islamists and foreign agitators.
It initially responded to the revolt by offering some concessions, including lifting the state of emergency in place for nearly five decades, but coupled this with a fierce crackdown.
The opposition has dismissed calls for dialogue, saying that could only take place once the violence ends, political prisoners are freed and reforms adopted.
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05/29/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] Turkey has urged Syria to introduce more reforms following months of anti-government protests across the country.
Bashir al-Assad, the Syrian president, should deliver "shock-therapy" reforms to end the protests, Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, was quoted as saying on Friday.
Davutoglu's words are among the most forceful by a Turkish official, highlighting the country's growing concern over a crisis, and come amid rising toll of protesters.
In comments carried by state-run Anatolian news agency, Davutoglu said he believed it was possible for Syria to end the unrest but that the "treatment" should feature "shock therapy", including reforms on the economy, security, politics and the judiciary.
Meanwhile, ...back at the secret hideout, Scarface Al sneeringly put his proposition to little Nell... freedom fighters in Syria called for renewed protests on Saturday after the alleged torture and killing of a 13-year-old boy by security forces in the flashpoint region of Daraa.
The body of Hamza al-Khatib was returned to his family on Wednesday, following his disappearance in an earlier demonstration, activists said on their Facebook site, Syrian Revolution 2011.
"We will go out from every home, from every district to express our anger" over the killing, they wrote on the page which carries a picture of the boy.
His father, Ali al-Khatib, has also been reportedly jugged.
Inquiry urged
Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based independent rights group, urged the country's authorities to investigate death of Hamza al-Khatib and other similar cases.
At least seven people were killed on Friday as security forces use force to disperse protests across Syria, activists said.
More than 1,000 people have been killed and 10,000 others jugged since the revolt began, according to rights groups. Syrian authorities say 143 soldiers, security forces and police have been killed.
Foreign journalists are barred from travelling inside Syria, making it difficult to report on the unrest and verify witness accounts.
The government insists the unrest is the work of "armed terrorist gangs" backed by Islamists and foreign agitators.
It initially responded to the revolt by offering some concessions, including lifting the state of emergency in place for nearly five decades, but coupled this with a fierce crackdown.
The 10-week-old protests in Syria have evolved from a disparate movement demanding reforms to a resilient uprising that is now seeking Assad's overthrow.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/29/2011 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.
David Cameron
Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa
[Al Jazeera] Secret channels are being opened between the Libyan government of Muammar Qadaffy and British citizens with a view to ending the conflict, sources have told 
Hillary Clinton
Zawahiri,
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: An eye witness said that a military force raided an NGO, known as 
al-Assad, the Syrian president, should deliver "shock-therapy" reforms to end the protests, Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, was quoted as saying on Friday.
