Gust Avrakotos: There's a little boy and on his 14th birthday he gets a horse... and everybody in the village says, "how wonderful. The boy got a horse" And the Zen master says, "we'll see." Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg, and everyone in the village says, "How terrible." And the Zen master says, "We'll see." Then, a war breaks out and all the young men have to go off and fight... except the boy can't cause his legs all messed up. and everybody in the village says, "How wonderful."
Charlie Wilson: Now the Zen master says, "We'll see."
[Tolo News] Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid 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... has asked the United States to respect Afghanistan's illusory sovereignty, asserting that decisions made by Afghan legal authorities regarding prisoners are none of the U.S.' business.
"Afghanistan is an independent country, if the legal and judicial organs decide to release a detainee, it should not be of concern to the U.S.," Karzai said at a presser in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday. "We hope that the U.S. stops harassing Afghanistan's legal and judicial organs and respects our illusory sovereignty."
Karzai declared his support for the decision of the Afghan legal organs and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) earlier this week to release 65 out of 88 detainees at Bagram that the U.S. has labeled "dangerous" and urged the Afghan government not to release.
U.S. Senator Lyndsey Graham claimed this week that Karzai had "sidestepped" the Afghan legal system, and encouraged the U.S. Congress to halt all aid to Afghanistan until after the elections in April when a new President will come into office.
On the contrary, Karzai defended the process that was conducted to determine whether or not the prisoners should be freed.
"We held several meetings with the legal and judicial organs and the NDS and assessed each of the 88 cases thoroughly," Karzai said. "The legal and judicial organs did not find solid evidences that could prove the alleged crimes, so they ordered the release."
U.S. officials have said they provided ample evidence to the Afghan Attorney General's office and the NDS proving that a number of the detainees were heavily involved in Death Eater activities. After the release on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy said the freed prisoners were a threat to the lives of Afghan and foreign forces.
Karzai also touched on the issue of the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which remains unsigned despite U.S. pressure. He maintained that unless it restored peace and stability, signing the agreement would not have any benefits for Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan's Caped President emphasized the importance of holding the elections on time on April 5. The vote will mark the first democratic transition of Presidential power in Afghan history.
Karzai criticized the methods of the 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 cut of the American pants... and U.S. war on terrorism, stating that the focus should be on terrorist cells and financial sources, not Afghan villages and houses. He suggested that the U.S. is in Afghanistan for its own interests.
Addressing the Turkish government, Karzai said that he is in favor of peace talks with the Taliban, but would not let a foreign power take advantage of Afghanistan's political condition through them. Karzai's fear of peace talks being manipulated by a foreign power could explain why he has sought out contact with the Taliban in secret.
Karzai said believes the Taliban want peace, and as Afghans, they deserve certain rights. He said he hoped they would enter negotiations with the High Peace Council soon.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] Addressing his supporters from Kunar and Nuristan provinces on Friday, Presidential candidate Zalmai Rasoul reviewed his platform and pledged to work on reform, longstanding peace, security and social justice.
In addition, First Deputy of Parliament Mirwais Yasini has endorsed Rasoul's candidacy for President.
Yasini, in attendance for Rasoul's rally, spoke about the legacy of the Afghan civil war.
"This ancient and holy city has lost 70,000 deaders, and it was completely destroyed following the withdraw of Soviet occupation forces, homes were ruined," Yasini said. "The wounds from those times are still fresh."
Speaking to his supporters, Rasoul promised to work on a number of important topics including equality and harmony between the country's various ethnic, linguistic and regional groups.
"Defending the motherland, people and the credibility of the system is our obligation," Rasoul said. "I will open the doors of peace and welcome those who endorse the constitution and achievements of the past thirteen years, but we will fight against those who kill people, kill children, teachers, religious scholars and security personnel - it is our responsibility to fight them with all our power."
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[Shabelle] General Yusuf Mohammed Siyad, who is a member of the brass hats of the federal Gov't told the media that he will kill any Alshabab members if he comes across them.
If they're shooting at you, getting ready to shoot at you, or prepping a bomb, sure. If you get the drop on 'em it's more sporting to give them a brief chance to surrender.
Mr. Inda Adde addressed the media in Yaqshid district where his House was demolished by Alshabab members as he claims added that Alshabab members are released on corruption deals after they are tossed in the clink Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! and taken back to their stronghold towns such as Barawe.
Mr. Inda Adde revealed that he knows residential houses of top Alshabab fighters who he disclosed them by their names.
"I swear by the name of the Almihghty Allah, I will not take any Alshabab official if I arrest them, I will not abandon my house. I know the residential houses of Ali Dhere, Khalif Adale and Abdulle Halane who is my nephew" said the angry general.
The General finally stated that he will conquer Heliwa district where he allegedly revealed as the residential district of top Alshabab fighters.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
*Bang* thud
"STOP! or I'll shoot again!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/15/2014 9:49 Comments ||
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#2
The civility of war extends as far as the civility of your enemy.
[MAGHAREBIA] Tunisia's new non-partisan government wants mosques to take a neutral stance with regard to political activities.
"Political leaders are going to be prevented from making political speeches in mosques," Religious Affairs Minister Mounir Tlili said Monday (February 10th).
The ministry's press officer, Najet Hammami, told Magharebia that authorities were "going to address the issue of mosques and see how to implement the guidelines of the roadmap, especially through reviewing the appointment of some imams".
The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) and the Tunisian Bar Association have joined the call for Acting Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa to rid places of worship of the influence of hardline salafist movements.
The religious affairs ministry estimates that 20 mosques are still under the control of such salafists.
After the revolution, Tunisian mosques witnessed chaos, from the spread of now-outlawed bad boy group Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... to takfir ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... ist speeches against political opponents.
Some political figures, including Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi, used mosques to deliver Friday sermons.
In the latest developments, terror suspect Ahmad al-Maliki confessed during interrogation that he killed opposition political figure Mohammed Brahmi after the issuance of a fatwa in an Ariana mosque, Akher Khabar reported on February 11th.
Charges of apostasy had also been levelled in some mosques against slain leftist politician Chokri Belaid.
The imam of Lakhmi Mosque in Sfax is also known to be a turban with speeches inciting against the UGTT.
Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac?
Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... security forces on Tuesday forced members of radical religious groups, who sell perfume, jihad books and Afghani shirts near al-Fath Mosque in the capital, to vacate the site.
The same day, the director general of the religious affairs ministry, Abdesattar Badr, said that some 289 imams and mosque curators had been sacked "during the last quarter of 2013."
"We are periodically ending the assignments of imams, especially because of their failure to respect the terms of the mosques and because of partisan or personal sermons," he said.
The presence of radical imams has led some citizens to avoid or change mosques.
Murad Korbi, a 54-year-old public employee, said he stood clear of mosques because of imams who advocated for Islamist parties.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Protesters continuing to demonstrate against the extension of the General National Congress (GNC) were today joined by those supporting the idea of a military coup d'etat.
In Benghazi, hundreds flocked onto the streets and headed for the Tibesti Hotel. Placards denouncing the GNC mingled with those declaring support for a military coup, which was promoted by General Khalifa Hafter on Al-Arabiya channel this morning.
When claims of troops in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... and cut communications were proven to be false, the idea was widely described, including by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan ... served as a diplomat for Libya during the 1970s, serving in India under Ambassador Mohammed Magariaf. Both men defected in 1980 and went on to form the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. Zeidan spent nearly three decades in exile in Geneva after the defection. During the revolution Zeidan served as the National Transitional Council's Europe envoy, and is credited as having played a key role in persuading French President Nicolas Sarkozy to support the anti-Qadaffy forces... , as laughable.
Some, however, especially in the East, have viewed it as a welcome alternative to what they see as the ineffective and failing institutions of the government and the GNC. "We support the initiative of Khalifa Hafter," one banner outside the Tibesti read.
"Nothing could be worse that what we have already," a Benghazi protester told the Libya Herald. "There are killings every day and the Libyan people are afraid." He added that everyone in Benghazi who tried to do something good became a target. Some protesters carried posters of young anti-GNC activist Abdulla Mohammed Al-Senussi Al-Gharyiani, who survived an attempt on his life last week.
"When will this end?" the protester asked. "Today, a soldier is killed, tomorrow a girl and one day people will be too scared to leave their homes."
Other protesters continued to denounce the extension of the GNC, with banners reading: "Democracy is just a word -- we do not have democracy."
In Tripoli, Martyrs' Square was the scene of a modest anti-GNC protest. Some 200 people this afternoon gathered to listen to speeches railing against the GNC which, speakers said, had no legitimacy after its original mandate expired, they claimed, on 7 February. Today's protest was noticeably smaller than that held last week in Martyrs' Square although, as dusk fell, many more cars were seen heading towards the square.
Further protests were reported elsewhere in Libya, including in Beida, Zawia, Ajdabiya and Wershafana. Demonstrations were also staged in the southern towns of Obari and Murzuk, although none were held in Sebha, where the security situation remains unstable.
Since protests began last Friday, six members of Congress have resigned.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[Egypt Independent] Libyan army spokesperson Ali al-Sheikhy said that Major General Khalifa Haftar, the former commander of the Libyan ground forces, does not control any military locations in the country. "All military sites are under the control of the defense and interior ministries," he said.
Haftar had announced in a televised statement on Friday the freezing of the General National Conference (parliament) and its interim government, and launched a road map of five items, namely an interim governing body chaired by the president of the Supreme Judicial Council to be entrusted with sovereign and legislative powers, a national figure to be tasked with forming a limited interim government and a national defense council that reports to the presidency and assumes all military and security tasks, an immediate activation of the judicial institutions to achieve social and transitional justice, and the return of all immigrants.
He also said the Libyan National Army was obliged to do so in order to save the nation and allow the people to rule themselves through elections and build their modern state.
He added that this move is not a military coup in the traditional sense or the beginning of a military rule, as these methods have long been outdated.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Libya's government and armed forces on Friday moved to quash rumors of an impending coup after a retired general called for parliament and the government to be suspended.
In a video posted on the Internet, Khalifa Haftar announced an "initiative" under which the interim authorities would be suspended.
Both the prime minister and the head of the armed forces responded by pouring scorn on the idea of a coup d'etat.
Haftar commanded ground forces during the 2011 uprising that overthrew the 42-year dictatorship of Muammar Qadaffy ...whose instability was an inspiration to dictators everywhere, but whose end couldn't possibly happen to them...
"The command of the Libyan national army announces its initiative for a roadmap, that will be made public in the coming days" in consultation with different parties, Haftar said in the video.
The initiative foresees the suspension of the General National Congress (GNC), Libya's highest political authority, and the transitional government.
It also looks to the formation of a presidential commission headed by the president of the Higher Judicial Council.
"The Libyan national army has decided to act... not in order to govern but to prepare the proper conditions" for elections, Haftar said.
After Haftar's video was released, rumors quickly spread on social networks that a coup may be in the offing.
"It's a lie. The situation is under control and there is no suspect movement," the army chief of staff's front man Colonel Ali al-Shikhi told AFP.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan ... served as a diplomat for Libya during the 1970s, serving in India under Ambassador Mohammed Magariaf. Both men defected in 1980 and went on to form the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. Zeidan spent nearly three decades in exile in Geneva after the defection. During the revolution Zeidan served as the National Transitional Council's Europe envoy, and is credited as having played a key role in persuading French President Nicolas Sarkozy to support the anti-Qadaffy forces... called the rumors "ridiculous", saying that Haftar "is not a member of the military".
"He was retired," Zeidan said, adding that state institutions were functioning normally.
It is not known if the former general has any support among the ranks of the army or from powerful groups of former rebels.
Analysts also said that Haftar's initiative did not amount to an attempted coup by the military.
"The army is trying to break Libya's current political deadlock but is too small and weak to be able to take over government in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... and enforce its writ," said Anna Boyd, senior Middle East analyst with IHS Country Risk.
"There is no indication that the army has made any move to seize power, for instance by surrounding government buildings," she said.
"Haftar does have support from officers in eastern Libya concerned about Islamist influence inside Libya's GNC, but it is very unlikely that he speaks for the whole army."
Haftar, originally from eastern Libya where the revolt against Qadaffy erupted in February 2011, served under the strongman before defecting in the late 1980s.
He returned to join the rebels after spending more than two decades in the United States.
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[An Nahar] The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... plans to send around 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic to help restore order, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Friday.
Earlier estimates had the bloc sending about 500 troops. "We have more than 500 troops," Ashton told news hounds after a U.N. Security Council meeting, adding that the European Union was "looking at double that number."
"I trust that the force will be on the ground very, very soon," she said.
European diplomats said the force could be deployed to Bangui as early as next month. EU foreign ministers cleared the nine-month mission earlier this week.
Few European countries have so far publicly committed to sending troops to the Central African Republic.
The CAR has been descending into chaos since a coup by the Seleka rebel coalition a year ago installed the first Moslem president in the majority Christian nation. He has since stepped down.
Killings and pillaging by former Seleka rebels led to the formation of mostly Christian "anti-balaka" militias, whose attacks have fueled an exodus of Moslems over the past several weeks.
International troops have so far failed to quell the violence in the resource-rich but poor country.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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If Saudi Arabia pursue nuclear enrichment even if there is an Iran deal, then the victory to curb atomic weapons that Obama has tried to achieve will be at least partially undone by his own diplomacy.
(emphasis added)
HT: Drudge
There is more than one kind of nuclear fallout. Disturbing reporting from The Daily Beast's Eli Lake.
#1
Has anyone seen Obama's deal with the Iranians? Congress members were trying to get a copy of the deal but were having some difficulty the last I read. So much for transparency.
Leaders in the Russian republic of Dagestan has launched a new initiative to weaken the Islamic insurgency by providing material benefits to residents of those rural districts where terrorists militants are most active in return for the end of popular support for the terrorists insurgents.
Prime Minister Abdusamad Gamidov signed an agreement to that effect last week with the local government of the central district of Untsukul; and the municipal council and local community of the village of Gimri, which for years has been a key base and recruiting ground for the insurgency.
Whether that approach will prove more effective than previous efforts is doubtful, however, especially in light of the repeated reprisals in recent years by security forces against Gimri's population of 5,000.
Gimri is the historic center of Islamic resistance to the Russian expansion into the Caucasus. It was the home of the legendary Imam Shamil, the Avar who spearheaded that resistance from 1834 until his capture by Czarist Russian forces in 1859. More recently, Gimri was the base for one of the most feared and ruthless insurgency groups, headed by Ibragim Gadzhidadayev, who was born there.
[WashingtonPost] Armored car sales have soared, and some new luxury apartments feature bulletproof glass. Local police officers, slain this year at an average rate of one per day, are demoralized. And now even the journalists are trying to arm themselves. Detroit? L.A.?
Pakistan's biggest city has been plagued by crime and political violence for decades, with Urdu- and Pashto-speaking groups battling for influence. But the bloodshed is worsening as the domestic Taliban insurgency expands. The monster is going to devour its' creator.
The militant group was largely responsible for a 90 percent spike in terrorist attacks in Karachi last year, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, which monitors violence. In the latest such attack, an explosion tore through a bus carrying police Thursday morning, killing a dozen officers. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.
"Everyone is just waiting their turn to be killed," said Zamin Ali, son of a prominent Shiite attorney who was fatally shot outside a Karachi courthouse in July.
The bloodshed in this city reflects the Pakistani Taliban's growing national offensive against the government and religious minorities. But the insurgents are also using violence to take control of some city neighborhoods, where ordinary residents are forced to contribute to their cause, analysts said.
The mayhem is raising concerns that one of the world's most populous cities is teetering on the brink of lawlessness. Concerns? Who's concerned? The U.N., perhaps?
"Something must be done soon, if Pakistan is to be saved," said Nasir Jamal, a deputy director of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a major political party. Hmmmmm.... saved.... maybe not....
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif insists that Karachi can be tamed through targeted security operations and peace talks launched last month with the Pak Taliban. But residents are deeply worried.
For all the unrest, Karachi hardly resembles Baghdad or Mogadishu. It is home to dozens of international corporations, the Pakistan stock exchange and two major ports. Streets remain busy well into the night as residents flock to upscale shopping malls and events such as a new dolphin show at the aquarium and Pakistan's first performance of the Broadway musical "Grease."
Yet, that semblance of normality is increasingly being tested by Islamist militants surging into the city from northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan, part of a larger migration that has caused the city's population to nearly double in just over a decade, to about 22 million.
The city has long suffered from violence linked to gangs, drug traffickers and political mobsters. But now, some areas of the city look increasingly militarized. In the Kati Pahari neighborhood, heavily armed officers man checkpoints, stopping cars in search of militants traveling from police no-go zones in the vast slums on the outskirts of town.
The influx began after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 caused al-Qaeda fighters and Afghan Taliban to flee that country. More recently, Karachi has become a haven for militants escaping U.S. drone strikes and Pakistani military operations in northwest Pakistan. No wonder the locals don't like the drones.
The Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), formed when various Pakistani militant groups coalesced in 2007 and early 2008. It claims to be independent of the Afghan Taliban. But the groups are believed to coordinate activities. Both are dominated by Pashtuns, the biggest ethnic group in southern and eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan.
For years, Karachi had been plagued by clashes between Mohajirs, Urdu speakers who long dominated this economic hub, and Pashtuns, who were newer arrivals. But now, even Pashtuns say they feel threatened. Somebody bring me my Femtoviolin.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/15/2014 11:56 ||
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#1
One of Fred's auto-inlines explains the facts of life in Karachi perfectly well. I am surprised it didn't show up in the article.
[DAWN] Leader of the House in Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq Friday said that the prime minister and former army chief were misquoted in a statement by PTI chief Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... , regarding success chances of a possible military operation against Taliban.
The upper house of Parliament witnessed a heated debate on a recent TV interview of Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... chief Imran Khan in which he had allegedly questioned the capability of the armed forces to take on Death Eaters.
Khan in a TV interview on Tuesday night had stated that during a meeting the prime minister had quoted former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI... as saying that there was a 40 per cent chance of success of a military operation against Death Eaters in the country's tribal areas.
"(Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf) PTI chairman Imran Khan misquoted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... and the former army chief while stating that there were 40 per cent chances of success if an operation is started against Death Eaters," Raja Zafarul Haq informed the Senate in response to a point of order, raised by Senator Raza Rabbani.
He said: "I have obtained required information which suggests that the statement of Imran Khan has no reality and is totally baseless. The PTI chief could not understand what the former army chief had said."
Raja Zafarul Haq said that on the demand of Imran Khan before the All Parties Conference (APC), his meeting was arranged with PM Sharif, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the then COAS.
In the meeting, he said, the former army chief had told the PTI chief that if an operation was launched by the government against Death Eaters, then 40 per cent terrorism related activities could be controlled without delay.
Haq recalled, at that time Kayani had also stated that the government should fully utilize the option of dialogue with Death Eater groups.
"We have full confidence in Pakistain Army which is capable to fight extremism and aggression against the country. Their determination cannot be questioned," he added.
The leader of the house acknowledged that besides soldiers, the officers of armed forces have also rendered valuable sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan welcomed the statement of the leader of the house, saying the whole nation stands alongside Pakistain Army in the fight against terrorism.
Earlier speaking on a point of order, Senators Raza Rabbani, Afrasiab Khattak, Farhatullah Babar and Rehman Malik Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani government. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship. had demanded of the government to come out with a clear stance on the statement of Imran Khan.
They mentioned the recent terrorist activities in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... and questioned, were the citizens left on Taliban's mercy.
The senators of Pakistain People's Party and Awami National Party also criticized the PTI government in KP for its failure to ensure security of lives and properties of common people.
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[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) chief Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... on Friday said forcibly converting people to Islam was a violation of Koran and Sunnah, DawnNews reported. E pur se muove.
He was speaking in relation to the recent pronouncement of the Pak Taliban against Ismailis and the Kalash, a polytheistic people living in the picturesque Chitral Valley in northern Pakistain.
In a 50-minute long video released on Feb 2 on the TTP media wing's website, the Pak Taliban announced an "armed struggle" against the Kalash and Ismaili Mohammedans. The narrator warned the Kalash, who are thought to number only 3,500, to convert to Islam or face death.
Speaking on the subject today, Khan said harassing and threatening ordinary people and forcing them to convert was in violation of Islamic principles, adding that PTI had the utmost respect for all sections of the public and acknowledged their contributions in the country's progress.
The PTI chief further said that the violence prevailing in the country should come to an end, adding that the state should fulfill its responsibility of safeguarding the life and property of members from all sections of society.
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02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Yes, of course we condemn killing innocent people, just not the infidels.
Verse 8, 12:
When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.
[DAWN] A member of the government's team holding peace talks with representatives of Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) is of the opinion that Thursday's kaboom on police in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... has dealt a serious blow to the dialogue process and that it will take lots of efforts to put the process back on track. Give it a week. It'll be forgotten. Quick now, what was the highest corpse count even of last week?... See what I mean?
The member who didn't want to speak on record said: "Despite recent kabooms in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. ... we were going ahead with the grinding of the peace processor because the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) distanced itself from these acts. Since the TTP has claimed the credit for the attack on coppers in Karachi, the government side expects lots of clarifications."
On his part, coordinator of the government team Irfan Siddiqui described the killing of over a dozen coppers in the attack as a "serious setback to the talks" which has put everyone involved in the process, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... , on the back foot.
The Thursday's bombing in Karachi, according to the member, had pushed three members of the government's committee into a tight spot because "we can't remain part of a process that doesn't lead to peace, but to death and destruction".
Journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai, former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand and retired army officer Major Amir are members of the government's four-man committee in which only Irfan Siddiqui holds a formal government position, special assistant to prime minister on national affairs
Talking to Dawn, Rustam Shah said that Thursday's bombing in Karachi had dealt a "severe and serious setback" to the talks after which the government would have to decide whether it still wanted dialogue with krazed killers.
He referred to Jan 29's speech of the prime minister in the National Assembly in which he had categorically clarified that talks and acts of terror could not go together.
The prime minister's stance was reiterated by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who was in Karachi on Thursday to oversee the ongoing targeted operation in the metropolis.
"However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... I personally believe, the grinding of the peace processor should be given time because both sides have suffered heavy losses over past 10 to 12 years and will take time to find common ground," said Rustam Shah in reply to a question.
On the chances of success of talks after the Karachi incident, the former ambassador said the only way forward at the moment was formal declaration of ceasefire by both sides which could provide a breathing space to thrash out contentious issues. "Otherwise, things will become more difficult."
If the talks fail, Rustam Shah said, the only workable option for the government would be to launch a targeted operation. A full-fledged military assault in North Wazoo Agency will only result in deaths of poor villagers because the war-hardened Taliban will run away.
Without revealing the contents of the letter which the government committee wrote to Taliban negotiators on Thursday, he said it was part of the effort to create a situation which could lead to declaration of a ceasefire.
When asked, Irfan Siddiqui also refused to share the contents of the letter. "It is part of the deal any detail related to the grinding of the peace processor will be made public with the consent of the two committees which stops me from speaking on the letter," he said.
However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... Mr Siddiqui was appeared to have been disturbed by the Karachi bombing.He said despite all odds the prime minister initiated the dialogue process and the government still hoped it would help to restore peace in the country.
No member of the Taliban committee was available for comment on the effects of Thursday's bombing in Karachi.
Probably they weren't prepared to answer questions after the TTP accepted the responsibility for the attack, commented a member of the government team.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Hmmm.
Horns of a dilemma and all that?
Posted by: ed in texas ||
02/15/2014 7:01 Comments ||
Top||
Round up the dancing boys, lads, and tell the wimmin to commence a-cookin'! We got ourselves a hudna!
[An Nahar] Pak government and Taliban negotiators Friday expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... over a wave of deadly attacks in the country, agreeing that both bully boyz and security forces should refrain from actions which undermine ongoing peace efforts.
The Pak Taliban claimed credit for a kaboom that killed 12 coppers on a bus in the port city of Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... on Thursday, the latest in a series of near-daily attacks since the government called for peace talks with bully boyz to end their seven-year insurgency.
"Both the committees expressed deep grief and regret over anti-peace activities and declared that such incidents would have a negative impact on the peace efforts," a joint statement said after government and Taliban committees met on Friday.
"Referring to the recent incident in Karachi, the government committee adopted the stance that it would become difficult to continue the peace talks when anti-peace activities continue," it said.
"Therefore the Taliban must be asked to make an announcement that they are stopping all kinds of anti-peace activities and implementation of this announcement should be ensured," the statement quoted the government side as saying.
It said that the Taliban committee "agreed" to the demand and asked the government to also make an announcement that it will not take any action which would create unrest.
"For lasting peace no side should use force," the statement quoted the Taliban side as saying.
The chief of the Taliban committee, Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , has called for a session of religious leaders on Saturday to "take the holy mans into confidence" regarding the peace negotiations.
Pak troops have been fighting for years against homegrown forces of Evil in the tribal belt, which Washington considers the main hub of Taliban and al-Qaeda bully boyz plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.
Nearly 7,000 people have been killed in the TTP insurgency since it began in 2007, according to an Agence La Belle France Presse tally.
The start of 2014 has seen a surge in turban violence with more than 130 people killed.
An air force bombardment of TTP hideouts in North Wazoo led many to believe a major military offensive was imminent until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... announced the peace talks.
Stability in nuclear-armed Pakistain is seen as important to neighboring Afghanistan, where U.S.-led NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... troops are pulling out after more than a decade of war.
Washington has said it is watching the talks with the Taliban closely. It has long been pushing Pakistain to take action against bully boyz using Pakistain's tribal areas as a base to attack NATO forces across the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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[Jerusalem Post] The rival factions that have split Palestinian politics sparred with one another on Saturday over the prospect of a third-party military force being stationed in a future Palestinian state if and when a peace agreement is signed with Israel.
A Hamas spokesperson is quoted by Israel Radio as saying on Saturday that any foreign military force that will be deployed to safeguard an Israeli-Palestinian peace "would receive the same treatment as the [Israeli] occupation forces." Proving once again that the Jooos cannot be blamed, as no matter who assists with enforcement,"Peace" is not the desired outcome of Hamas.
(Huffpoo, Religious News Service article) Major Jewish civil rights groups are denouncing a new publication distributed by the Presbyterian Church (USA) that rejects the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.
Zionism Unsettled, a study guide published last month by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network, a group chartered by the church, writes of the pathology of Zionism, the movement undergirding the founding of Israel as a Jewish homeland.
The booklet describes Zionism as inherently discriminatory toward non-Jews. It calls on Christians to see the conflict through the lens of Palestinian Christians who have declared Zionism heretical and a doctrine that promotes death rather than life. Can't begin to fathom why, but I fear the IS/Palestine Mission Network may have taken liberties with actual Presbyterian beliefs and doctrine.
#1
It calls on Christians to see the conflict through the lens of Palestinian Christians who have declared Zionism "heretical" and "a doctrine that promotes death rather than life."
The Paleo Christians might turn their lens on the Cult of Death very close at hand instead of the Zionists if they want to understand a pathology of death.
#2
PC (USA) is the historical branch of American Presbyterianism, and the most liberal branch, but it is also the branch that is down 50% from peak. The various more conservative and evangelical branches have been growing for the last half century at its expense. This kind of thing is typical of the braying antisemitic asses.
Arabs/Muslims have Israeli citizenship. Meanwhile the Palestinian Authority pledges to remove all Jews once a final peace deal is achieved, and you can't be an open Jew and live in Saudi Arabia. Yet it's the Zionists who are racist.
The Ineffectual Palestinian Authority has informed US Secretary of State John Kerry that it will not accept his framework peace proposal as it currently stands, PA officials told The Times of Israel.
The officials claimed that the Obama administration's current proposal, which is intended to serve as the basis for continued talks on a two-state solution, includes pretty much everything Israel demanded -- almost down to the last detail -- but does not address vital requirements from the Palestinian side. (Israeli officials have voiced numerous objections of their own to the reported terms, with Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon quoted as describing the security aspect of the document, for instance, as "not worth the paper it's printed on.")
The Palestinian officials detailed to The Times of Israel what they said were the main clauses of the framework proposal.
Israeli officials have indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is inclined to accept the framework terms, on the basis that they are non-binding and that he can express objections to them, though this has not been confirmed. Netanyahu is to meet with President Barack Obama in Washington on March 3.
Central clauses of the framework deal as presented by Kerry, and rejected by the PA, the Palestinian officials said, are as follows:
Borders: The peace agreement is to be based on pre-1967 lines, but will take into consideration changes on the ground in the decades since.
Settlements: There will be no massive evacuation of "residents."
Refugees: Palestinian refugees will be able to return to Palestine or remain where they currently live. In addition, it is possible that a limited number of refugees could be allowed into pre-1967 Israel as a humanitarian gesture, and only with Israeli acquiescence. Nowhere is it written that Israel bears responsibility for suffering caused to the refugees.
Capital: The Palestinian capital will be in Jerusalem.
Security: Israel has the right to defend itself, by itself.
The Jordan Valley: The IDF will retain a presence in the Jordan Valley. The length of time the IDF will remain will depend on the abilities of the Palestinian security forces.
Border crossings: Israel will continue to control border crossings into Jordan.
Definition of the countries: Two states will result, "a national state of the Jewish people and a national state of the Palestinian people."
Senior Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel that many of the above clauses are unacceptable to the PA for several reasons.
The biggest reason being that the framework allows Israel to survive...
For a start, the references to the borders and settlements leave too much room for Israeli interpretation. "What does 'There will be no widespread evacuation of residents' mean?" asked one official. "This means that Israel will want to keep a bigger percentage of the West Bank and this point is not acceptable to us. What does 'Taking into consideration changes on the ground since then' mean? I mean, Israel continues to build settlements."
The official continued: "The same with the refugee issue; there is no recognition of Palestinian suffering. We want an expression of regret, an Israeli admission of the suffering caused to us. Where did it disappear to? And the humanitarian gesture [for a limited entry of Palestinian refugees into Israel] that depends on Israel's consent doesn't leave much to the imagination," the official said, indicating that Israel would not likely be generous on this issue.
Since they know the trouble the returning refugees will certainly cause, no, the Israelis won't be generous...
The official added that a still more problematic issue for the PA is Jerusalem.
"When the Palestinian capital is defined as 'in Jerusalem,' what does it mean? In Shuafat? In Issawiya? We demanded that the Palestinian capital would be al-Quds a-Sharqiya (East Jerusalem). But Netanyahu refused firmly, and the US administration accepted his position.
Israel has claimed the entirety of Jerusalem since the end of the Six Day War. If you want it back you'll have to fight for it.
"What about security and the Jordan Valley? What does it mean that Israel has the right to defend itself, by itself? We will not agree to the entry of Israeli troops into the PA territory. And as for the ongoing presence of the army in the Jordan Valley, it's ridiculous to set the timeline [for the IDF's exit] according to 'the abilities of the PA security forces.' Who will determine that ability? And who will say, 'That's it, the PA is ready to assume responsibility for the Valley'?"
For its part, Israel would likely have significant objections to the Kerry framework terms if they are drafted as claimed by the Palestinians. Israel has indicated that the relatively minor alterations to the pre-1967 lines envisaged by the PA are inadequate, and that there will have to be larger land swaps to accommodate most of the settlers. Netanyahu further wants any Jews whose settlements are on the Palestinian side of an agreed border to be given the option of staying on under Palestinian rule, an official in his office told The Times of Israel last month -- a stance rejected by Abbas. Israel is adamantly opposed to any "return" for any Palestinian refugees to today's Israel. Netanyahu has reportedly insisted that there be no suggestion of legitimate Palestinian claims to Jerusalem in the framework document. And he has insisted that the IDF secure the West Bank-Jordan border even after Palestinian statehood.
On Tuesday, when Nabil Abu Rudeineh, PA President Mahmoud Abbas's official spokesman, referred to Kerry's framework agreement, he surprised observers by saying that if both sides get to raise objections to its content, as Kerry has said they will be permitted to, it would empty the agreement of all its content.
That's a correct statement...
Rudeineh's statement was hard to fathom, given the significant reservations the Palestinians have with the current version. Almost all senior Palestinian officials with whom The Times of Israel has spoken in recent days made clear that the PA does not have the legitimacy, in the eyes of the public, to accept the Kerry proposals.
"We said 'No' to him in the past, and we will say it again in the future," a senior PA administrator said. According to this official, accepting the current version of the framework accord is unthinkable for the PA. The official did not hide his anger toward the US administration, and of course, toward Israel.
Well of course...
"We have reached many achievements in recent years.
Name one.
We have attained stability and quiet [in the West Bank]," he said this week in Ramallah.
No, that's not one. Israel did that.
"But you [the Israelis] are now allowing the situation deteriorate. Your security echelon understands the problems and the difficulties. But the political leadership does not care at all. Everyone is acting on the basis of his or her own political interests. [Foreign Minister Avigdor] Liberman is winking at the center; Netanyahu is afraid of the right; the Jewish Home party is hardening its position; and [Justice Minister and chief negotiator Tzipi] Livni is too weak. So you ask me if there is a partner for peace? The answer is 'No.'"
Likewise, Mahmoud Abbas is ineffectual, Hamas is in a box of their own making, the smaller Paleo terrorist groups are too weak, and the Paleo 'moderates' are trying not to get killed. There's no Palestinian partner for peace.
Asked how events would play out if the PA rejects the framework proposal when Kerry presents it, the official said, "All options are open to us, whether contacting international institutions [to seek to advance Palestinian statehood unilaterally] or in other ways.
But, he warned, "I have no doubt that the situation on the ground will get worse. For both sides. The stability we have grown used to will start to crack."
That might be what has to happen. The Paleos continue to delude themselves into thinking they haven't been beaten yet. The Israelis are going to have to thump them hard, perhaps to the point of what happened to Germany in 1945. Then perhaps we can talk about 'peace'...
There are a number of reasons for this, he went on, and listed a litany of grievances. "One, the steps of the Israeli occupation and the settlers. The arrest, land confiscations, house demolitions, and of course violence against settlers. Two, the high youth unemployment rate. There are no economic opportunities for young Palestinians and one of the central reasons for this is lack of land for development. Area C -- 60% of the West Bank -- is under full Israeli control, and we are not allowed to build there or invest in various projects. Three, the stopping of international aid programs. I include here UNRWA budget cuts. This leads to a sharp increase in poverty and unemployment, specifically in the poorest places like the refugee camps.
Three point five, no industrious Paleo wants to invest in Areas A and B because he'll lose everything he invests to the crooks, thugs and clowns in the PA. Three point eight, there's no such thing as an industrious people who sit around waiting for the UNRWA to line their pockets.
"Four," he continued, "Hamas and the extremist factions don't want the situation to stabilize, and are doing a lot in order to undermine it. I'm talking about dozens of cells that have been detained in the past year by Palestinian security forces, which planned attacks against Israelis and against the PA. They are also initiating demonstrations and popular protests, and are using the settlers' crimes in order to attack the PA. Five, Jerusalem and al-Aqsa. Your actions there, such as the visits of right-wing politicians to the mount, hurt the feelings of every Arab and Palestinian."
Oh, the poor bruised feelings of Arabs and Paleos. You might wish to consider the feelings of Americans on September 12th: we weren't "bruised", we were mad as hell, and we did something about it.
The PA is also having trouble digesting the Israeli insistence on the Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, he noted.
Why: you want everyone to recognize 'Palestine' as an Islamic state. But you could prove otherwise by allowing churches, synagogues and Buddhist temples to be built on the West Bank...
"We have no intention of dragging this conflict in a religious direction. Every sensible person in the Middle East is trying to keep religion away from the various conflicts, except for you. What's in it for you? The conflict between us is not religious.
It most certainly is...
So why do you need our recognition that your state is Jewish? In your ID cards, your nationality is listed as 'Israeli' and not as 'Jewish.' You never asked such a thing of Egypt or Jordan. What is your concern? We are telling you outright: the peace agreement will bring about the end of the conflict and the end of all claims. So what is all this nonsense you are saying that this proves we won't accept the state of Israel? The whole world recognizes you.
No, the Arab states do not...
These are not the days of the founding, when the world didn't accept you. But you're still stuck in that mindset."
Netanyahu has called Palestinian recognition of Israel as the "Jewish state" his "first and most unshakable demand." "Recognizing Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people means completely abandoning the 'right of return' and ending any other national demands over the land and sovereignty of the State of Israel," he said last October. "This is a crucial component for a genuine reconciliation and stable and durable peace."
And that's why there won't be a peace agreement: the Paleos want to use the 'right of return' to destroy Israel, and the Israelis know it. Anyone who understands the conflict knows that the 'right of return' is the most key, most essential issue on which neither side will ever concede. If Israel accepts it then it's the end of Israel, if the Paleos give it away the leadership will be assassinated.
The disaffection with Israel, as expressed by the Palestinian Authority leadership, is not confined to the dispute over the framework document and the terms of a final-status agreement. Abbas's associates have a growing sense that the Israeli government is working behind the Palestinian scenes to corner him politically and force him to compromise. They claim to have proof of a direct link between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as with out-of-favor former Abbas confidant Mohammad Dahlan, despite Israeli officials' denials.
Dahlan: snicker...
According to Abbas's affiliates, secretive talks between Hamas and Israel are being mediated by Qatar, and not Egypt, which views Hamas as a serious threat to regional stability.
"We see what Israel is trying to do here -- to undermine our internal affairs and to force Abbas to compromise," said a PA official. "But this leads us to harden our positions rather than show any will to concede. You need to understand, the overthrow Hamas carried out in Gaza will not repeat itself in the West Bank. Instead of strengthening moderates, Israel is trying to weaken us. The entire region currently suffers from a rise of extremism and terror activities. You must give us everything we want cooperate with us in order to achieve peace, not fight with us."
It may be that the warnings about a likely deteriorating security situation, and even the pledge to say no to the Americans, some Palestinians analysts said this week, are empty threats by the PA. These analysts estimate that Abbas would prefer not to get into a direct confrontation with the US administration, and that, therefore, he is more likely to give Kerry a "Yes, but," rather than an outright "No."
Yet the sensitivity of Abbas's political situation, and the deteriorating reality on the ground, cannot be ignored. Criticism of the PA's governance is widely heard in the Palestinian street. More and more allegations of corruption are emerging, after years in which it seemed that the level of such abuse was receding.
'Seemed' being the operative word. 'Seemed' as in 'not reported by the MSM'...
Law and order in the West Bank is also said to be weakening. Residents of Ramallah-area refugee camps like Jalazun and Qalandiya, and those near Nablus and Jenin, increasingly speak of armed men moving around at night, worsening violence, and even a rise in drug use. PA policemen are involved in selling weapons in some cases, PA officials have acknowledged.
Some of the reasons for the decline in the PA's functioning are likely related to the departure of prime minister Salam Fayyad, and his replacement by Rami Hamdallah. Hamdallah is more focused on political confrontation with Israel and less on building a state, according to some Palestinian commentators. This is also seen in the significant weakening of the Palestinian court system, they said, and in the dwindling funds in the state treasury.
Of late monthly salaries to PA officials were paid without a reliance on foreign donations, PA Finance Minister Shukri Bishara recently announced. But Palestinian officials predicted that by next month, funds in the PA coffers will have dwindled again to the point where it would once again struggle to pay its employees.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Dither and demand unacceptable concessions and Da Juice will keep building facts on the ground. F*cking Paleos never miss a chance to miss a chance
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/15/2014 10:02 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Well the juices got that Occam's mallet deal working you know. I suspect they may have access to Occam's Poulan as well.
Come to think of it Occam's ChainSaw would be a damn fine name for a band.
[An Nahar] Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too. stressed Friday his rejection of any president who might be in the service of any foreign "tutelage" and urged Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... to convince Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria and start implementing the Baabda Declaration.
"As the Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... Movement refuses to be at the image of Hizbullah, we refuse to be at the image of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL) or al-Nusra Front, and refuse any call to involve the movement and Sunnis in Leb in the war between Hizbullah and al-Qaeda," Hariri said in a speech via video link that was broadcast during a rally organized by the March 14 forces to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the liquidation of ex-PM Rafik Hariri.
"They all represent destructive concepts and tools to drain the state, and projects for endless wars among Mohammedans. We, with the vast majority of the Sunnis in Leb, will face these projects and anything that harms the stability of the country and the rules of national consensus. These are our constant principles, and any step out of these principles is a second liquidation of Rafik Hariri," the former premier added.
He emphasized that the Mustaqbal Movement "will either be at the image of Rafik Hariri, or will cease to be."
"Either it will be up to the level of his dreams, path, struggle, or national history, or it will not be," Hariri added.
"In this sense, the time of justice is the time of moderation and the people of justice are the people of moderation. We are the people of moderation, who stood and are standing against all forms of extremism," he said.
Addressing Mustaqbal's supporters, Hariri added: "And you saw that, after everything, the trial was launched and the logic of justice has triumphed. I have no doubt that the logic of moderation, the logic of the state, the logic of dignity, the logic of life will triumph."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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It's no fun being on the other side of that kind of thing. One would feel for Hizb'allah, if only... no, come to think of it, such discomfort is well deserved.
[An Nahar] Investigations with the prominent member of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades ... Leb's current al-Qaeda affiliate, named after a guy whose car the current head of al-Qaeda had boomed... , Naim Abbas, have led to unveiling a terrorist attack planned to happen on Sunday, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported.
According to a report published by the daily on Friday, the krazed killer group was planning to detonate an explosive-laden vehicle near Hizbullah's al-Manar television in Jnah neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The report continues that at the same time another huge kaboom was set to occur in the area between Ghoubairi and Shiyyah neighborhoods, Hizbullah's strongholds, which would lead to the collapse of several buildings.
The Dahiyeh will at the same time be targeted with four rockets, simultaneously, jacket wallahs would detonate while people are trying to save the casualties, thus inflicting more damage and loss in lives.
The army succeeded on Wednesday in tossed in the calaboose Book 'im, Mahmoud! Abbas and seizing two booby-trapped cars in Beirut and the Bekaa.
Informed sources told al-Joumhouria that Abbas has cooperated with the army immediately after his arrest.
Hizbullah was set to hold a rally on Sunday to mark the death of three of the group leaders including its top military commander Imad Mughniyeh.
Nasrallah is expected to give an annual speech, however, the rally was canceled to safeguard hundreds of supporters who usually attended it in the party's stronghold south of Beirut.
The cancellation appears to be related to a wave of bombings in Hizbullah's strongholds around Leb that left scores of people dead over the past months.
A security source described Abbas in comments published in As Safir newspaper as "a technical-operational mind and a cautious personality."
The source said that the testimonies of Abbas compel security forces to follow up the matter thoroughly.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/15/2014 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[An Nahar] Libya's government and armed forces on Friday moved to quash rumors of an impending coup after a retired general called for parliament and the government to be suspended.
[An Nahar] The 
The city has long suffered from violence linked to gangs, drug traffickers and political mobsters. But now, some areas of the city look increasingly militarized. In the Kati Pahari neighborhood, heavily armed officers man checkpoints, stopping cars in search of militants traveling from police no-go zones in the vast slums on the outskirts of town.
Nawaz Sharif
Wazoo
The 
Central clauses of the framework deal as presented by Kerry, and rejected by the PA, the Palestinian officials said, are as follows:
Senior Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel that many of the above clauses are unacceptable to the PA for several reasons.
