[Iran Press TV] Desperate Nigerian villagers from the northeast have pleaded for UN protection against the Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... Takfiri ...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... Death Eaters.
The villagers, who are from the town of Chibok in the restive state of Borno, requested UN help on Friday to soothe their sufferings.
Following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in April, the forces of Evil have further terrorized Chibok by carrying out 15 attacks on 19 villages and killing over 200 people, local elder Pogu Bitrus told a presser in the capital Abuja.
"The Chibok nation wishes to categorically state that the inability or unwillingness of the federal government to provide adequate security… following the abduction of the girls leaves us with no option than to call on the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... to use its apparatus to come to our aid and protect us from imminent annihilation as a people," Bitrus said.
Chibok's residents have also called on the government to "go into immediate negotiation with the Boko Haram … with a view to securing the safe release of the girls," he added.
Experts say the military has failed to counter the surge of violence plaguing the region, due to a lack of funds from the government.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[THENEWSNIGERIA.NG] An organization focused on fact-checking in Africa today warned media organizations on the danger of exaggerating the harm done by forces of Evil in Nigeria's northern region.
The concern follows the circulation of a "faked photo of a Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... massacre" of 375 people in a Nigerian Christian community, circulating on twitter and Facebook platforms.
Peter Cunliffe-Jones director of Africa Check' said the photograph has been found to be fake.
"We quickly discovered that the picture was all too horribly genuine. But while it does depict a real event, it is not evidence of a massacre or, for that matter, the massacre of 375 Christians. Rather it shows the aftermath of a fuel tanker kaboom nearly 2000 kilometres from Nigeria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material...
"The tragedy, which occurred exactly four years ago today, killed at least 230 people and injured 190. The fuel tanker apparently overturned while trying to overtake a bus. By-standers were attempting to collect leaking fuel from the truck when the fuel ignited, possibly as the result of a lit cigarette. Many of the dead had gathered nearby to watch a World Cup soccer match."
The fact-checking was done by Kate Wilkinson and Julian Rademeyer. The duo were able to accomplish this using Google tools.
"So how do you tell fact from fiction? Fortunately a number of online tools exist to help you spot fakes and hoaxes online. By uploading the image to Google's image search function and sifting through the results we managed to narrow the hunt down", they reported.
Promote those two and give 'em a byline and a raise. They're doing what journalists are supposed to do, but too few actually bother. Well done, guys!
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[SUNNEWSONLINE] Osun State Security Council has debunked the wide spread rumour of Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... operations in the state. Rising from its meeting, which lasted for several hours on Wednesday, the council denied any terrorist operation that could be linked to Boko Haram in any part of the state.
The state Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Maishanu, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, said: "What happened in Ile-Ife recently was a minor kaboom and not a major one as reported by a section of the media."
Other security chiefs at the briefing included the Director of State Security Services, Mr. Andrew, Commandant, Nigerian Army Engineering Construction Regiment, Ede, Brig General Gbenga Adeyemo and Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Muhammed Hussein.
Maishanu said the detachment of police that went to the spot of the kaboom only found a banger and not a deadly explosive or bomb as was reported.
He said there was no threat to lives and property as Osun still remained one of the most peaceful states in the country.
He enjoined people in the state to go about their lawful activities without any hinderance.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] A leader of Shia Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is "God is Great, Death to America", Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews" ... fighters in Yemen has censured the United States for being the major supporter of Takfiri ...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... snuffies in the region.
On Friday, Sheikh Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi accused Washington of being behind terrorism particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Terrorists of the al-Qaeda offshoot 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) tarnish the image of Islam, Abdul-Malik said.
The Houthi leader said that the chaos in the region meant to divert attention from the Israeli aggression against Paleostine.
He also called on Middle Eastern states, including the Saudi government, to be wary of a plot by the US.
Last week, Houthi front man Mohammed Abdulsalam denounced Riyadh's "destructive" role in the country, condemning how the kingdom "deals with Yemen as personal property."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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h/t Gates of Vienna
Al-Qaeda's master bombmaker has trained European jihadists to become suicide bombers targeting their home countries, intelligence agencies have discovered.
Ibrahim Hassan Tali al-Asiri's alleged plans to develop "stealth" bombs triggered a worldwide airport security alert that is expected to spell misery for British holidaymakers and commuters flying to America.
#3
Yet another example of how you can't win a war by playing defense. Did I say 'war'? Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I know you are not interested in war, but...
[DAWN] KARACHI: Senior journalist, analyst and anchorperson Hamid Mir has left for London, DawnNews reported on Friday.
Mir, who was targeted by armed gunnies on April 19, 2014 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 received six bullets, is expected to consult doctors for medical treatment in London.
Mir left for London along with his wife and daughter through flight PK613, where his son Yasir Aarafat has already been residing for educational purposes, DawnNews quoted sources as saying.
According to the sources, Mir's stay in London could be prolonged.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] BANNU: Christians and Hindus who fled from a military offensive against holy warriors in North Wazoo say the Taliban treated them with relative tolerance, contrary to the Death Eaters' brutal reputation.
Some 2,000 people from the country's often-embattled religious minorities have fled an army operation that began in mid-June in the North Waziristan tribal district for the nearby town of Bannu, where many have taken refuge in Christian schools.
Like nearly half a million other residents who have escaped the fighting, they spoke of the hardship of living in a zone that has been caught in conflict for more than a decade.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Believable.
They are ALIVE to tell the tale.
This must qualify as "relative" tolerance, Taliban style
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/05/2014 15:53 Comments ||
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[DAWN] The government is mulling invoking Article 245 of the Constitution to summon the army in all major cities of the country, DawnNews reported late on Friday night.
If the said article is invoked, the army can be called to guard all important public installations including airports and sensitive areas in major urban centres.
According to sources, the government is considering the move to help the civil administration deal with law and order situation and combat terrorism.
Feedback from the law and interior ministries as well as the attorney general has been sought in this regard.
The sources said the army will be called in the next few days by the civil administration.
The sources added that the army operation in Fata is being carried out under Article 245.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[NY Times] Despite sharp criticism from almost every political party in Iraq and pressure from friendly foreign powers to step down, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki announced Friday that he would run for a third term as prime minister.
He never suggested he would step down. But the chorus of criticism over his sectarian policies, which helped create the conditions that led to a large swath of the country falling to Islamic bad boys, had left many believing that lacking supporters, he might relinquish power.
They appear to have underestimated his desire to hold on to it.
"I will not give up my candidacy for a third term," Mr. Maliki announced in a statement read on Iraqiya, the state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
channel.
He noted that the bloc of politicians that supported his nomination was the largest in the Parliament and that they should not be asked to meet any conditions imposed by other legislative groups, such as supporting another different candidate.
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07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki refused on Friday to give up his quest for a third term in power, defying a chorus of critics demanding his replacement as the country faces an existential threat from Islamist insurgents, Reuters reported.
Maliki has come under mounting pressure since militants of the group now calling itself the Islamic State rampaged through swathes of the country last month and declared a mediaeval-style caliphate on land they have captured in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
"I will never give up my candidacy for the post of prime minister," Maliki said in a statement read out on state television by an announcer.
"I will remain a soldier, defending the interests of Iraq and its people," he added, in the face of what he called terrorists and their allies.
Maliki's statement will complicate the struggle to form a new government to unite the ethnically and religiously divided country, something parliament failed to achieve this week. It extends a political deadlock made all the more dangerous by the pressing threat to Iraq's territorial integrity.
Accused by his critics of exacerbating the country's sectarian split, Maliki has come under immense pressure to step down from his Sunni and Kurdish political foes, and even from some in his own Shi'ite camp. In pointed comments in a Friday sermon read by an aide, the country's leading Shi'ite cleric said parliament's inability to form a new government at its first session was a "regrettable failure".
The span of governance for a prime minister in a democratic / semi-democratic state rarely exceeds ten years. Your positives plateau, your negatives accumulate. At some point you either lose an election, step down or get shoved to one side. It's about time for Maliki to get a shove.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reiterated his call for the government to have "broad national acceptance", a formulation that many officials interpret as a call for Maliki - accused by Sunnis of marginalizing them and worsening ethnic tensions - to go.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] The leader of Iraq's Kurds set the ball rolling Thursday for a referendum on their long-held dream of independence, another setback for international efforts to unite the country's politicians against a krazed killer offensive.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Nunzio wondered: Where the hell was Chumbaloni? And where was his $600?... Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki broadened an amnesty offer aimed at undercutting support for jihadists, whose onslaught has have overrun areas of the country and who proclaimed a caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria.
Continued on Page 49
#2
Corruption is far larger a problem in the Shia areas. Not nearly such a problem in the peshmerga. That's why the Kurdish units have held, and pushed back.
[ARABNEWS] Egypt was on Friday mediating a potential cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, which controls the Gazoo Strip, after a flare-up of violence across the border.
"There are continuing Egyptian efforts to return calm to the Gazoo Strip, but no agreement has been reached yet," a Hamas official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
Hamas "told the Egyptian side they do not want an escalation," the official added, but gave no further details.
Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gazoo, earlier told AFP: "Hamas is not interested in an escalation or war in Gazoo, but at the same time it is not possible for it to remain silent on the continued aggression against Gazoo and the West Bank."
Tensions have risen around the Paleostinian territory in the past few weeks, with Lion of Islam rocket fire repeatedly hitting southern Israel, and dozens of retaliatory air strikes against Gazoo.
Israel deployed troop reinforcements towards the Gazoo border on Thursday, the army said, stressing that it did not want an "escalation" either.
The Hamas-Israel face-off follows a vast arrest operation against the movement's West Bank network, after the Jewish state blamed it for the kidnap and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the occupied territory.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Hamas ought not rejoice too soon. Recall, al-Sissi's Egypt has been teaming up with Israel to keep Gaza blockaded, blaming Hamas for smuggling Iranian arms to various Al Qaeda in the Sinai groups.
[ARABNEWS] Malaysian police on Friday said they have locked away Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! four more suspected Tamil Tiger separatists, including a man allegedly involved in the attempted liquidation of a former Sri Lankan president.
The four are believed to be senior members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as the Tamil Tigers, crushed in 2009 after a 26-year civil war over their bid to carve out a independent state in the north of the Indian Ocean island.
The arrests come after three Sri Lankans, including two refugees, were deported in May amid a crackdown on suspected bad boys, prompting criticism from the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... refugee agency.
Federal police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the latest arrests happened in raids around the capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The suspects "were planning to reactivate the group by making Malaysia as their base of operations." Some activists, he said, had exploited their status as refugees to pursue illegal activities.
One of them is believed to have been involved in the attempted liquidation of former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1999, while another is a suspected bomb expert, Khalid said.
A large number of passports of various countries and fake Malaysian immigration rubber stamps were also recovered in the raids.
Khalid said half of the 14 suspected Tamil Tiger separatists arrested since 2009 had held refugee cards.
A spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia said Friday she had "no further information" on the latest arrests.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2014 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.
[Iran Press TV] Desperate Nigerian villagers from the northeast have pleaded for UN protection against the 
[SUNNEWSONLINE] Osun State Security Council has debunked the wide spread rumour of 
Wazoo
[NY Times] Despite sharp criticism from almost every political party in Iraq and pressure from friendly foreign powers to step down, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki announced Friday that he would run for a third term as prime minister.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki refused on Friday to give up his quest for a third term in power, defying a chorus of critics demanding his replacement as the country faces an existential threat from Islamist insurgents, Reuters reported.
