MOGADISHU -- The anticipated general elections of breakaway Somaliland region in northwestern Somalia have been postponed on Monday, Garowe Online reports.
Somaliland Electoral Commission spokesman Saed Ali Musse told a news conference in the capital, Hargeisa that election deadline has been extended by nine months-a move that drew quick support from the two opposition parties and ruling Kulmiye party. He said the decision was made on account of the remaining time inadequacy and the untimely registration of voters.
Musse said, the registration process will be commenced in late July while speaking next to officials representing Wadani, Justice and social welfare and ruling Kulmiye parties.
On March 4, the two main opposition parties united against the ruling party, calling on the government to hold parliamentary and presidential elections at the due-date.
In mid-2014, opposition figures strongly contested the theme of election delay, threatening that interim government would come into being by year end.
Despite premature resignation by four minister-designates, President Siilaanyo reshuffled his cabinet last week.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia declared its independence from the rest of the country as de facto sovereign state but it has not been recognized internationally yet.
And won't be given these shenanigans...
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
[Iran Press TV] The Ansarullah movement in Yemen has rejected the idea of transferring to Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... the venue of talks on the country's ongoing situation.
Of course not. They're Shiite and Iranian catspaws, the Saudis are Sunni. Why would they venture, unprotected, into enemy territory?
Mohammed Bukhaiti, a member of the movement's political council, made the announcement on Monday, underscoring that such a decision is in breach of previous agreements.
The rebuttal came after Saudi Arabia announced its readiness to host negotiations among the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ... the Medes and the Persians are very sensitive on the subject of the Persian Gulf, which the Arabs refer to as the Arabian Gulf... member states over the ongoing political turmoil in Yemen.
The six-nation council had agreed to hold talks over Yemen in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA reported on Monday, citing a statement by the Saudi King's office.
Saudi Arabia had said the proposal for organizing the talks in Riyadh was made in response to a request by Yemen's runaway former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
[Iran Press TV] A senior Iranian diplomat has accused Yemen's runaway former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi of plunging the country into chaos by declaring a separate government in the southern part of the country.
"Sana'a is Yemen's official and historical capital," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said on Monday, adding, "Yemen's resigned president should have stayed in Sana'a and shouldn't have plunged the country into the crisis with his resignation letter."
The embattled Yemeni president fled Sana'a on February 21 after weeks under effective house arrest and went to Aden, where he highlighted his determination to resume duties.
Hadi (pictured below) stepped down in January, but the Yemeni parliament didn't approve the resignation which he later withdrew after leaving the capital. The 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 ... Ansarullah movement, however, said that Hadi had lost his legitimacy after escaping Sana'a.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
[Iran Press TV] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... has blocked the speech of the Swedish foreign minister at an 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... meeting due to the criticism she has leveled at Riyadh over its human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... violations.
Margot Wallstroem told Swedish media on Monday that the cancellation was explained to be the result of Sweden highlighting "the situation for democracy and human rights" in the region.
"It's a shame that a country has blocked my participation," she added.
The Arab League invited the minister as an honorary guest to the meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to appreciate Sweden's decision to recognize the Paleostine state in October 2014.
In her opening speech, which was published by the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Wallstroem defended freedom of association, assembly, religion and expression as "fundamental rights and important tools in the creation of vibrant societies."
The speech also noted that "women's rights do not only benefit women, but society as a whole."
Back in January, Wallstroem decried the Saudi regime's treatment of 31-year-old activist Raif Badawi sentenced to 1,000 lashes of the whip and 10 years in jail for insulting Wahhabism, which is an extremely intolerant interpretation of Islam practiced in the oil-rich kingdom.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Salafists
#1
The Arab League invited the minister as an honorary guest to the meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to appreciate Sweden's decision to recognize the Paleostine state in October 2014.
[RUDAW.NET] Hungary's prime minister says his government will ask parliament to authorize sending Hungarian troops to join its western allies in the fight against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... murderous Moslem group in Iraq.
Viktor Orban told a meeting of Hungarian diplomats on Monday that taking part in military activities organized by Hungary's Western coalition partners would bring prestige and recognition to the country's foreign policy.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said earlier that, based on a request from the United States, Hungary could send 100-150 soldiers to work with German and Italian forces in northern Iraq guarding training centers for Iraqi troops.
While Orban's Fidesz party no longer has the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to authorize the military mission, some opposition politicians said they would be willing to back the proposal.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[AnNahar] The FBI is investigating a string of hacks that defaced U.S. websites with imagery from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... jihadist group, NBC News reported on Monday.
Websites including a racecar speedway in the state of Ohio, a Goodwill center in Missouri and a church in Canada were defaced with the radical group's black flag, the news organization reported.
Attacks against similar low-profile websites were also recorded in Montana, New York, Massachusetts and Minnesota.
The FBI said it was aware of the incidents and "is contacting the impacted parties." A security analyst told NBC it was unlikely the hacks had any "real connection" to the Islamic State group.
The IS-themed hacks were on Sunday reported in Ireland, where the Dublin Rape Crisis Center in Ireland's website was defaced.
"Hacked by Islamic State (ISIS) We Are Everywhere," the hacked website said while playing music associated with the group.
IS has relied on an aggressive propaganda campaign online to appeal to possible recruits to join and support the violent Islamists in Iraq and Syria.
Websites for the Moerlein Lager House and the Montgomery Inn were two of several sites that were allegedly breached by a group claiming to be the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... Saturday.
The website for Eldora Speedway in Darke County and two business sites in St. Louis were also compromised, according the the Darke County Sheriff's Office.
By 4:25 p.m., Eldora Speedway had restored their website with the help of the FBI, the Darke County Sheriff's Office and GoDaddy, according to their site.
"We received a call from the track manager this afternoon and he said that some kind of ISIS logo was on their home website," said Sgt. Tony Royer of the Darke County Sheriff's Office. "So they went ahead and contacted their IT personnel and had GoDaddy look into the incident.
"Based on their findings, the speedway was not a specific target of the attack. It sounds like this was done by accident."
A certain type of plugin was used on the site and once this was utilized it opened up the message and musical recording that allegedly came from the Islamic State, IT officials from the Eldora Speedway told the Darke County Sheriff's Office.
"The virus appeared to be dormant until this plugin was unzipped," Royer said.
The websites for the Cincinnati restaurants had a black banner on the top of the pages around 2 p.m. Saturday that read "Hacked by Islamic State."
The bottom of the banner read, "We are everywhere" with a winky-face emoticon.
The logo, written in Arabic, read "There is no God, but God."
A song in Arabic played in the background, although it was not clear what it said.
"The FBI is aware of these reported incidents and is contacting the impacted parties," a spokesperson from the FBI said Saturday afternoon.
The Montgomery Inn's website was taken down around 2:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon, but was restored around 4:40 p.m. When asked why the page was down, a general manager told The Enquirer there was a problem with the website. He did not have a further comment.
A spokesperson for the Moerlein Lager House said they were aware of the situation around 3 p.m. and were taking the website down. She said the restaurant had been in contact with the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Cincinnati Police Department.
Two companies in St. Louis - MERS Goodwill and a digital agency named Elasticity also had their websites hacked Friday morning by a group claiming to be the Islamic State. Their websites were up and running late Friday evening.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/10/2015 07:51 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[10 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Mess with Eldora Speedway, you mess with Smoke. And you know what he is capable of..... ( don't stand next to him when he is behind the wheel....)
[DAWN] Pakistain High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit met Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday, according to NDTV.
The 30-minute meeting at Mr. Geelani's Delhi residence comes after Indian Foreign Secretary M. Jaishankar's recent visit to Pakistain, where he met premier 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... in addition to his Pak counterpart.
Mr. Jaishankar's visit to Pakistain earlier this month was seen as a positive step in India's policy towards Pakistain, after it had abandoned talks in August last year. Ironically, India had called off foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistain after a meeting between Mr. Basit and Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah.
At that time, Pakistain foreign office front man Tasneem Aslam had said, "Our High Commissioner in India has been informed by the Ministry of External Affairs that the Government of India -- taking exception to the High Commissioner's meetings with Kashmiri leaders -- has decided to call off the foreign secretary level talks scheduled for August 25, 2014 in Islamabad."
In the meeting, Mr. Basit and Mr. Geelani discussed the recent foreign-secretary level talks between Pakistain and India in addition to the situation in Jammu and Kashmire, where separatist leader Masarat Alam was released from custody Saturday, causing uproar from several quarters.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:03 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[DAWN] After a wait of 19 months, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) got its lone woman member, and its minimum mandated strength of nine, on Monday when the government nominated Dr Samia Raheel Qazi to the seat for three years.
Dr Qazi fills the seat that fell vacant with the death of her predecessor Dr Farida Ahmed Siddiqui in August 2013. Her late father Qazi Hussain Ahmed ...the absolutely humorless, xenophobic former head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He was also head of the MMA, a coalition of religious parties formed after 2001 that eventually collapsed under the weight of the holy egos involved. Qazi was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar during the Afghan mujaheddin's war against the Soviets. His sermons are described as fiery, which means they rely heavily on gospel and not at all on logic. Qazi once recommended drinking camel pee for good health, but that was before his kidneys went... was amir of Jamaat and she herself was a member of the National Assembly elected in 2007.
Her predecessor was the sister of late Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, leader of Jamaat Ulema Pakistain.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami
[DAWN] Within minutes of the verdict, a celebratory sense enveloped the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises where Mumtaz Qadri's supporters distributed sweetmeats to anyone who was willing to share their joy.
Their happiness was shared by those who defended Mumtaz Qadri in the court.
While the IHC upheld the murder case against Qadri for killing former governor Salman Taseer, his lawyers were happy the terrorism charges against Qadri had been dropped, thanks to their efforts.
Mumtaz Qadri, who was employed to provide security to Taseer, killed the latter in January 2011 in Islamabad. He was convicted by the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) in October the same year, under both section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) and under section 302 of Pakistain Penal Code (PPC) respectively.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
A serious culling of Pak lawyers would do a lot of good it seems
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/10/2015 8:55 Comments ||
Top||
[DAWN] Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... emir and Senator-elect Sirajul Haq ...current head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Siraj was born in 1962 and entered politics shortly after that... has appealed to the leadership of both the PML-N and the PPP to put forth unanimous candidates to the offices of Senate chairman and deputy chairman so as to create an atmosphere of reconciliation and to end the political crisis in the country.
A consultative meeting of the JI chaired by Mr Haq here on Monday was of the view that the election to the Senate chairman and deputy chairman should facilitate the resolution of the political crisis lingering on in the country.
The JI chief also stressed upon the leadership of major parliamentary parties to evolve consensus on the Judicial Commission so that the 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.... could return to the parliament.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami
[AnNahar] The U.N. Security Council is to meet on March 27 to oppose the growing persecution of Christians in the Middle East, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday.
A stiff note will eventually be penned, addressed to "The Big Cahuna Himself, Caliph's Palace, Mosel or Raqqa" This is not, of course, an overwhelming presentation.
"We are on the side of the persecuted minorities," Fabius, whose country currently presides over the Security Council, told a presser in the Moroccan capital.
He said the March 27 meeting, which he would himself chair, would demonstrate an international will not to accept atrocities committed by jihadists who "deny that minorities have the right to exist."
In an interview with BFM TV, Fabius said it was "completely unacceptable what has been done to these minorities."
Referring to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group by an acronym in Arabic, he said: "Daesh and gunnies who are with them simply want to eradicate, physically remove, guillotine anyone who doesn't think like them."
In Syria, IS kidnapped some 220 Assyrian Christians last month, prompting 5,000 people to flee the countryside in fear of the jihadist advance.
IS Lions of Islam have also attacked Christians in neighboring Iraq, where it seized swathes of territory in a lightning June offensive last year.
[RUDAW.NET] djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... resident Mohammed Younis says he had nothing to do with the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group's capture of his city or its mass killings, beheadings and other atrocities -- but that may not be enough to spare him if the hard boyz are driven out.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
shiite reprisels are usually done simply by gunning down people so there won't be many of the live burnings or beheadings beloved by the islamic state
the victims will be dead anyway though
Posted by: lord garth ||
03/10/2015 2:49 Comments ||
Top||
#2
It is brutal and tragic, but the reality is: no one can afford to stand by as a "neutral observer" when ISIS comes to town. You either join them, or you fight them - because if you just try to endure and hunker down, then if your burg is ever "liberated" from ISIS - the liberators are going to whack you for collusion/toleration anyway.
This sort of "rock meets hard place" situation is the price anyone pays, who embraces Islam in any of its flavors.
#3
There was some stability as long as the U.S. was in Iraq. The pull-out resulted in a free-for-all with many dying. I suppose if one were really jaded, they might say "Pass the popcorn."
#4
Of course we only have his word that he did not participate in what was happening. I wonder if his neighbors might have a different opinion.
There are always those who would sell out their neighbors, friends, even family for personal gain - even small personal gain.
For all we know his 'nothing to do' may be more of a 'nothing to do [but point people out who really, really needed to be pointed out]...'
[RUDAW.NET] The Kurdistan Regional Government has urged Baghdad to provide more air support in future missions against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... , a Peshmerga front man said.
The call came during a high-ranking Peshmerga delegation's visit to Baghdad on Sunday to discuss the war against ISIS in Iraq and recent developments in the Kurdistan regions, Shaho Abdulkarim, media officer to the chief of staff of the Ministry of Peshmerga, told Rudaw on Monday.
"Peshmerga forces informed Baghdad during Sunday's meeting that they need more help from Iraqi air forces to clear the region from ISIS holy warriors. The two sides discussed the djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... operation and other future plans to attack ISIS in different parts of Iraq," Abdulkarim said.
The delegation was led by Jabar Yawar, chief of staff of the Ministry of Peshmerga. Abdulkarim told Rudaw on Monday that the meeting ended with positive achievements for both sides.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
We should have been training Kurds to pilot and maintain attack helicopters for some time, and when they were qualified, arranging for them to have the appropriate equipment and arms. I'd probably lean to Russian designs for now, though I think we should be designing something as simple and reliable as possible for such applications.
#3
We have been training their pilots and gunners. They just don't have anything to fly. Iraqi (shia) armed forces either trashed what they had via lack of maintenance, or else flew off with what was working when they ran away from ISIS back to protect the Shia areas in Baghdad and south.
You see, the Iraqi Shia, Iranians, and Turks don't want the Kurds heavily armed, they are scared shitless of them.
[Iran Press TV] Iran says its natural gas production has increased by nearly 20% in the current calendar year (starting March 20, 2014) compared to the same period last year.
"Following the activation of several phases of South Pars gas field, a volume of 100 million cubic meters of natural gas was added to the country's daily natural gas output," IRNA quoted National Iranian Gas Company Dispatching Director Manouchehr Taheri as saying.
The NIGC official also announced that at least 60 million cubic meters of natural gas will be added to the country's daily output in the next calendar year. (starting March 21, 2015).
"Production plans indicate that at least 60 million cubic meters of gas will be added to the daily production and this amount can even reach 90 million cubic meters," said Manouchehr Taheri.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
What are they doing with it? Displacing liquids in the domestic consumption stream? Export (how)? Expanded industrial feedstock (fertilizer, bombs?)
[AnNahar] Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra ...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant... Front on Monday reaffirmed its allegiance to the global turban network and denied any plan to break away and become a more internationally acceptable rebel force.
The angry statement followed weeks of speculation on Internet social networks of a split between the jihadist allies.
Al-Nusra "completely denies reports of a break-up with al-Qaeda," the group said in a statement released on Twitter.
It said al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... "remains the backbone of jihadists" in Syria, "the first into battle, dedicated to unifying the ranks around sharia (Islamic law)... righting injustice and defending the disadvantaged."
It denied "completely all reports of a meeting with Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... i or other intelligence services or seeking Qatari or Gulf funding, as this is contrary to the principles on which al-Nusra has been based from the start."
An official branch of al-Qaeda since April 2013, the group dominates a swathe of northwest Syria despite months of U.S.-led coalition Arclight airstrikes.
As well as fighting Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... 's regime, it has clashed with Western-backed rebels and its jihadist rival the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group.
The idea of a split with al-Qaeda emerged in early 2014 when al-Nusra snuffies in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor allied with anti-regime rebels supported by the West and oil-rich Gulf monarchies in the face of gains by IS.
"But it fizzled out," said Thomas Pierret, an expert at the University of Edinburgh.
"Al-Nusra's internal dynamics since the summer of 2014 do not point at all to a moderate tendency and a break with al-Qaeda," he added.
- 'Forcing their hand' -
"The 'leak' probably came from Qatar which seems to want to force the hand of al-Nusra," Pierret said.
Al-Nusra was formed in January 2012 by jihadists who had previously fought in Iraq, including its chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
The group's military chief Abu Hammam al-Shami and several top commanders were last week reported to have been killed in Syria, although there was contradictory information on the circumstances.
Syria's conflict began in March 2011 as a popular revolt seeking democratic change, but later evolved into a full-blown civil war drawing foreign jihadists.
According to experts, there are signs that Qatar wants to bring together al-Nusra with rebels who are considered more "moderate", provided that the jihadist group renounces its links with al-Qaeda.
But "the overwhelming majority of al-Nusra members want to stay in al-Qaeda, particularly imported muscle who represent at least one-third of the organization," said Romain Caillet, a French expert on jihadists.
"Nusra has suffered heavy blows but that does not prevent it growing and taking root," he added.
"When it is too weak, it allies with other rebel groups such as in (Syria's second city of) Aleppo or in the south. But when it is the strongest, it discards rivals, like in the northwestern province of Idlib where it wants to create an emirate," mirroring IS' declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" in areas under its control.
According to a Lebanese security source, there was a debate within al-Nusra about a possible break away a few months ago.
But Jolani and other key figures "refused for fear of losing their popularity."
They were also concerned that "if the group is funded by Qatar, it will be required by Doha to be on the front line in the fight against IS, which al-Nusra does not want," the source added.
[The Right Scoop] James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, was interviewed by Council on Foreign Relations last week on Global Intelligence Challenges. During a Q&A session, Clapper suggested that when it comes to training and equipping moderate rebels in Syria, the definition of 'moderate' has evolved so that nowadays it really means "anyone who is not affiliated with ISIL".
If you watch the video instead of just reading the transcript, you'll notice Clapper using air quotes several times when he says the word 'moderate'. He even says at one point "whatever that means", referring to the term 'moderate'.
So there are some portion of our oppositions who are regarded as moderate. Moderate these days is increasingly becoming anyone who's not affiliated with ISIL. And so, you know, we are attempting to engage with them, and that's the whole point of the train and equip proposal--project that the Department of Defense is gearing up for, is to vet, recruit and train and equip oppositions in sufficient size and capability to actually make a military difference.
And so one of our challenges is, again, the recruiting and vetting part. So we picked people that not only are moderate, whatever that is, but also we have to be sensitive to complying with the international rules of law, which in this environment is a pretty tough order.
So this is a very, very complex situation in Syria, compounded by the fact that we are actually not there, which is very different than the situation we have in Iraq, where we are there. And so from an intelligence perspective and for our ability to exert leverage and influence, it's much, much easier in Iraq than it is in Syria. That's a long-winded answer to your question but it's a tough one.
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.
[RUDAW.NET] 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
