THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM) REOPENS IN KABUL – The organization has moved into new offices at the Kabul airport after its old offices were destroyed in the wake of the Taliban takeover in 2021. IOM appears to have the support of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, who said the chief role it would play involved the repatriation of Afghans to the IEA. The reopening is seen as a positive step for those interested in immigrating abroad but it is too early to tell how much latitude IOM will be granted to carry out its traditional functions. There are also concerns that the Taliban’s Ministry of the Interior has either direct or indirect access to the office and may be monitoring screening operations.
US POLITICAL CIRCUS DRAGS ON OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL – Both major political parties in the US are engaged in a ‘thrust and parry’ over the Afghanistan situation. Clearly, Republican leaders feel they will gain an advantage in upcoming elections by keeping the issue on voter’s plates while Democrats are eager to ‘put the issue behind them’. The latest salvo launched by the Republican House Foreign Affairs Chairman, Representative Michael McCaul sent a strongly worded note to the Department of State which basically accused the Department of obstructing oversight efforts. Many US political analysts have opined that the Afghanistan issue will play a central role in Republican efforts to oust President Biden. The politicization of the Afghanistan withdrawal is not unique to American politics. It is being used as a political football in other countries around the world as well. The American circus is just the loudest.
TALIBAN CENSORS ACTIVE ON TWITTER – The Zan Times has conducted an impressive investigation into how the Taliban are attempting to silence critics on Twitter. They zeroed in on an anonymous Twitter account (Fake News @Newsf2197Fake) and went back through hundreds of tweets to figure out how the account was being used to cast doubt on legitimate news reports that were critical of the regime. The account often uses a large red X to highlight those stories that are detrimental to the Taliban’s political messaging. Several of the senior Taliban leaders were discovered to have retweeted/amplified @Newsf2197Fake’s tweets. Zan Times went back to check the validity of some of the articles that had received the red X treatment and found them to be factual.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NEW PROPOSED IRANIAN HIJAB LAW BEING TESTED IN SELECT AREAS – The Iranian regime has been scrambling to enforce the newest Hijab laws that levy significantly heavier fines and could result in bans on attending universities or applying for work. The program has been half-heartedly enforced since the news laws were passed. Now, the regime may make it compulsory for businesses to enforce the code by passing a new law that would extend the fines to the businesses that women frequent. Sources in Tehran said that pilot programs are being tested in two unidentified neighborhoods in Tehran as well as two other cities. It was not clear if the trial program would involve fines or, is simply being tested for its functionality. At-risk Afghans residing in Iran should be aware these tests are being carried out. The source said the new law would likely take effect prior to the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death (16 September). The source said that few in the regime believed it would have much of an effect on Iranian women who have chosen to ignore the law.
[IsraelTimes] Flights bring group to Addis Ababa, from where new immigrants colonists will continue to Israel; PM: ’Israel looks after its citizens wherever they are’
Israel extracted some 200 citizens and local Jews from conflict zones in Æthiopia Thursday, the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office announced, amid fighting in the African country’s northern Amhara region.
According to a joint statement, Israel rescued 174 Israelis and Æthiopians eligible to immigrate from the city of Gondar in Amhara, home to thousands of Æthiopians waiting for permission to move to Israel.
Another 30 Israelis were rescued from Amhara’s capital city of Bahir Dar.
Officials did not say how many of those extracted were citizens and how many were not.
Four flights brought the evacuees to Addis Ababa, from where those immigrating to Israel will travel on to the Jewish state. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Israelis will stay in the Æthiopian capital until deciding to return home or remain in the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Israel looks after its citizens wherever they are," while thanking those involved for a "quick, silent and most importantly, successful" operation. He pledged that Israel will "warmly" welcome the new immigrants colonists.
Cohen also hailed the rescue.
"The State of Israel will not stand by and will not leave a single Israeli behind," he said.
"This is the result of successful cooperation and close coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office, the NSA and the Jewish Agency," he added. "I am proud of the people of the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Æthiopia for their swift and high-quality action."
Earlier this week, after a meeting with Cohen and other officials, Netanyahu instructed National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi to prepare the rescue operation.
During the operation, the Foreign Ministry’s situation room was expanded to include representatives from the Jewish Agency and IDF soldiers of Æthiopian descent who speak Amharic.
The operation came several days after a number of Israelis were reportedly rescued from the area. Last week, the Foreign Ministry urged Israelis in Amhara to remain at secure locations and try to maintain contact with the embassy in Addis Ababa, while calling on others to reconsider travel plans to the country.
It also came a day after the Struggle to Save Æthiopian Jewry announced it would hold a protest Sunday outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to call for the government to bring in greater numbers of Æthiopian Jews who are eligible to immigrate to Israel.
[AFRICANEWS] Niger's new military rulers on Wednesday accused La Belle France, the country's traditional ally, of having "unilaterally freed captured terrorists," a term used for jihadists, and of breaching a ban on the country's air space.
They claimed that La Belle France released a number of jihadists, who then gathered to plan an attack on "military positions in the tri-border area," a hotspot region where the frontiers of Niger, Burkina Faso ...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other... and Mali converge.
"Events of an extreme gravity are unfolding in Niger as a result of the behaviour of the French forces and their accomplices," according to the statement issued by the new regime, called the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP).
The statement reported that a unit of the armed forces had come under attack on Wednesday, although it did not directly link this with La Belle France's alleged release of the jihadists.
A position held by the National Guard in a locality called Bourkou Bourkou, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from a gold mine at Samira in western Niger, came under attack at 6:30 am (0530 GMT), it said.
"At present, the toll is not yet known."
The statement called on the security forces to "raise their alert level across the country" and on the public "to remain mobilised and vigilant."
The regime also accused La Belle France of having allowed a "military plane" to take off Wednesday from neighbouring Chad, which then crossed into Niger, defying a ban imposed on Sunday.
The aircraft "deliberately cut off all contact with air traffic control on entering our air space," from 6:39-11:15 am (0539-1015 GMT), it said in a statement read on national TV.
La Belle France has around 1,500 troops in Niger, supporting the country in its fight against jihadists who swept in from Mali in 2015.
But relations broke down after French ally President Mohammed Bazoum was toppled by members of his guard on July 26.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/11/2023 00:00 ||
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Link ||
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[AFRICANEWS] Tunisia and Libya announced Thursday they had agreed to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants colonists stranded at their border, many of them for over a month.
The migrants colonists, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been driven to the desert area of Ras Jedir by Tunisian authorities and left there to fend for themselves, according to witnesses, rights groups and UN agencies.
Aid groups said three groups of about 300 migrants colonists from sub-Saharan African countries in total remain stranded there in life-threatening conditions.
A front man for Tunisia's interior ministry, Faker Bouzghaya, said during a joint meeting with Libyan authorities in Tunis that "we have agreed to share the groups of migrants colonists who are at the border".
"Tunisia will take charge of a group of 76 men, 42 women and eight children," Bouzghaya told AFP.
He said the groups were transferred on Wednesday to reception centres in the cities of Tatouine and Medenine and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Islamic Thingy.
Under the agreement, Libya will take in the remaining 150-200 migrants colonists, humanitarian sources said.
The Libyan interior ministry earlier on Thursday announced the bilateral agreement to "put an end to the crisis of irregular migrants colonists stranded in the border area".
In a later statement, it said there were no more migrants colonists stranded at the border following the agreement, adding that joint patrols were being organised to "secure the border".
Posted by: Fred ||
08/11/2023 00:00 ||
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[13 views]
Top|| File under: Migrants/Illegal Immigrants
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Olesya Orlenko
[REGNUM] The coup d'état in the Republic of the Niger is not a new development in the Sahel region. However, it has become one of the most discussed topics in the world and in France for several reasons. First, it happened at the most inconvenient time, when almost all the major actors in Western politics are involved in almost a direct clash with Russia in Ukraine. Secondly, the importance of this country - the last outpost of the forces involved in the anti-terrorist operation "Barkhan" - can hardly be overestimated. Finally, the events that took place led to a discussion of a number of topics that are unpleasant for the powers that dispute their influence in this territory: how the preparations for the putsch missed the representatives of the US and French intelligence; where did the anti-French sentiment among the inhabitants of Niger come from; what are the reasons for the decline of French influence in her former colonial possessions?
[Regnum] The rebels who seized power in Niger, at a meeting with arrived in Niamey and. O. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland threatened that they would kill the deposed President of the Republic, Mohammed Bazum, if neighboring states invaded the country. This was reported on August 10 by the Associated Press, citing anonymous Western officials.
A U.S. official confirmed this account, also speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Nuland arrived in Niamey and met on 7 August with the rebel-appointed Chief of Staff of the Niger Army, Moussa Salau Barmu . She called the talks frank and complex. According to unconfirmed reports, Nuland wanted to meet with Bazum, but she was refused.
As reported by IA Regnum, a military coup in Niger took place on July 26. The presidential guard blocked Bazum with his wife and son in the residence and announced his overthrow. At the same time, the president, who was removed from power, managed to phone US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and ask for help. The Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) demanded the return of power to the president and threatened to use military methods.
Radio station RFI reported that Nigeria plans to send a military contingent of 25 thousand people to Niger. In addition, according to the publication, Senegal, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire are planning to join the intervention. Later, on August 9, the National Council for the Salvation of the Motherland (NCSR), created by the rebels, stated that the French military attacked the presidential national guard of Niger, and a French plane also illegally arrived on the territory of the republic. According to the NSSR, the French military released the terrorists.
After that, Alexei Zaitsev , Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry , said that Moscow supports the settlement of the situation in Niger and opposes the forceful intervention of ECOWAS. He noted that the invasion, most likely, will not contribute to the normalization of the situation in the republic.
Chairman of the National Council for the Salvation of the Motherland (NCSR) Abdurahman Tchiani signed a decree on the formation of a new transitional government in Niger, according to the ActuNiger news site.
The NSSR was created after a coup d'état, which was organized by a group of military men at the end of July. The new government included 21 ministers. Among them are both military and civilians.
As reported by IA Regnum, on August 7, the rebels who seized power in Niger appointed ex-Finance Minister Ali Mahamana Lamin Zein as the head of the country's government . At the same time, in a new decree of August 10, he regained the post of head of the republic's Ministry of Finance.
On August 8, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu imposed new financial sanctions against those involved in the seizure of power in Niger. On August 9, in Niger, the rebels accused France of intending to provoke destabilization in the country and use the French military contingent.
On August 10, the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) will hold an emergency summit on the situation in Niger.
The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) will hold an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja on August 10 on the situation in Niger, where a coup d'etat took place at the end of July, the press service of this regional organization reported.
The event was chaired by the President of Nigeria, Bolu Tinuba, who is the head of the ECOWAS Council of Heads of State and Government. At the meeting, it is planned to agree on decisions on further response to the processes in Niger.
As IA Regnum reported , on the night of July 27 in Niger, military rebels seized power in the country and removed Mohamed Bazum from the post of president of the republic. The organizers of the coup d'etat were supported by the command of the Armed Forces of the countries.
On July 30, ECOWAS held a summit at which it was announced the imposition of sanctions against the new authorities of Niger. In particular, members of the community closed the borders with this country and banned flights to its territory.
They also suspended all financial transactions with Niger and froze the state assets of the republic in their central banks. In addition, ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the rebels: they had to release the ousted president within a week and restore constitutional order.
In case of refusal, the new authorities of Niger were threatened with the use of force. On August 4, the ECOWAS military leadership announced its refusal to use force against the rebels.
The Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS) supports the proposal to start military intervention in Niger as soon as possible, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP) citing the statement of the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, after his return from the Nigerian capital.
On August 10, an emergency summit of this regional organization was held in Abuja, dedicated to the situation in Niger and further steps of the states of the region.
Ouattara noted that the heads of the headquarters of the countries participating in the meeting would hold several more conferences to finally clarify all the questions on the planned operation.
As reported by IA Regnum, on the night of August 27, a rebellion took place in Niger, organized by a group of military men. Its participants seized power in the country and overthrew the incumbent President Mohamed Bazum.
On July 30, ECOWAS held its first meeting on the situation in Niger and gave the rebels in Niger a week to restore constitutional order in the country. The community threatened to take "all measures", including military ones, if the participants in the coup did not comply with this demand.
On August 4, information appeared that ECOWAS had allegedly renounced the use of military force against Niger. However, the commissioner of the organization, Abdel-Fatau Musaha, who oversees the peace and security of West Africa, announced that the countries of the community had developed a plan in case of military intervention in this republic.
[Yahoo] The Home Office had been aware an Afghan asylum seeker was a possible terror threat a year before he murdered a young man in a row over a rental e-scooter, an inquest heard.
Thomas Roberts, 21, an aspiring Royal Marine, was stabbed to death by Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai as he acted as a “peacemaker” in an argument between the killer and his friend in Bournemouth, Dorset, in March last year.
Abdulrahimzai, who arrived in the UK in December 2019, claimed he was 14 years old when he entered the country but the courts discovered he had been 18. It also emerged that Abdulrahimzai was put in foster care on his arrival in the UK despite being a convicted criminal. He was given a 20-year prison term for murdering two people with a Kalashnikov assault rifle in Serbia.
Abdulrahimzai was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court in January to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 29 years, with immigration minister Robert Jenrick saying he was likely to be deported at the end of his sentence.
So really a maximum of 14 years less time off for good behaviour — and then the Taliban will give him a medal and a pension for advancing jihad in Dar el Harb. Still, New York City and much of the West Coast would have just turned him loose with an apology for interfering with his God-given right to do evil.
A pre-inquest review into the death of Mr Roberts heard the Home Office’s Prevent anti-terrorism programme had been aware of Abdulrahimzai.
Adam Farrer, representing the Home Office, told the hearing: “We were given instruction that there is to be a further review by the Prevent homeland security department within the Home Office.
“As we understand it, in 2021 Mr Abdulrahimzai was referred to Prevent due to concerns that he was susceptible to terrorism.”
He added that the review had been launched into this development.
Mr Farrer said a review of the Home Office’s role in processing Abdulrahimzai’s immigration status had been completed but this would be restricted as it could reveal procedures used when processing applicants.
He told the hearing: “The review is an internal report commissioned by the Home Office’s professional standards unit to review the actions taken by the Home Office in relation to Mr Abdulrahimzai and it was commissioned on the basis it would not be published, it is a private, internal report.
“The report contains day-to-day policies which are public but also operating processes, detailed background security processing which are highly sensitive which could be used by those who wish to abuse the asylum process if they were aware of how the Home Office deals with criminal checks.
“For example, it is well known that if you are a minor or a child there are different rules than if you are an adult as we saw in this particular sad case, Mr Abdulrahimzai claimed to be a minor when he was first encountered by Home Office employed staff.”
Coroner Rachael Griffin criticised the Home Office after the father of Mr Roberts, Philip Roberts, revealed to the hearing that he had not received any contact regarding the reviews into his son’s killer as well as for failings in disclosing information to her office.
She said: “I am astounded that Tommy’s family have not been told about the review and I am sure you will feed that back and I would urge them to get in contact as soon as possible.
“It’s totally unacceptable what has happened over the past six or seven months as we have chased our tails to find out what has happened.”
Ms Griffin also asked Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to provide details of its age assessment checks carried out on Abdulrahimzai as well as for Dorset Police to provide their files on the case and details of any internal review carried out.
Mr Roberts also asked the coroner to check with police about reports that police were aware that Abdulrahimzai had been carrying a knife in the days before his son’s death.
The inquest was adjourned for a further hearing on January 9 2024.
[GBNews] Suliman Gani said he was ’very impressed’ with the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... ’s rule
An NHS Moslem chaplain filmed praising the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan has risked becoming a "propaganda tool", experts have claimed.
Continued on Page 49
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The use of the name of Hadji Murad in the name of cognac offends the feelings of believers, the Muftiate of Dagestan should intervene, Telegram users said. Good.
Hadji Murad was a participant in the liberation struggle of the Caucasian mountaineers, one of the rulers of the Avar Khanate (in 1834-36), Naib Imam Shamil, the leader of the mountaineers of Dagestan and Chechnya in the struggle for independence against the Russian Empire, according to a biographical note prepared by the "Caucasian Knot ".
A photo of cognac called "Gadzhi Murat", which stands among other cognac products, was published today by the Telegram channel "ChP/Kavkaz", which has 114,372 subscribers. "Have other names ended to call cognac by his name? Imam Shamil is just a stone's throw away," the caption for the picture says.
Channel users supported the author of the post, the publication at 20.00 scored 425 comments.
"This is an insult to the feelings of believers and national history," user SHAMIL wrote.
"The DUMD (Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Dagestan, - note of the "Caucasian Knot)" should react to this, at least, " he noted in another comment.
"And how does the Muftiate look at this," Nash asked. "The Mufti hasn't voiced his dissatisfaction about this yet?" asked forever.
A number of users have recommended requiring a response from the manufacturer or connecting the power.
"Find the manufacturer and ask him. It is unlikely that we can help," - said the user Sss .
"Remove urgently and liquidate everything," Narina suggested.
“It is necessary to file complaints against the manufacturer. Open a petition,” Aida wrote.
"Where do you need to apply and where to collect signatures so that such a name is banned?" asked user Grandioznost.
As of 20.00 Moscow time, the website and Telegram channel of the Muftiate of Dagestan did not contain comments about the use of the name Hadji Murad in the name of an alcoholic drink.
As follows from the information on the resources for the sale of alcoholic beverages, the Gadzhi-Murat cognac with a three-year and five-year exposure is produced by the Derbent Wine and Brandy Factory of Dagpotrebsoyuz.
#1
High time for the great Defender of Orthodoxy Koran-Keeper of the Kremlin to precipitate all who take Hadji Murad's name in vain into an appropriately Islamic prison, if you ask me.
Posted by: Bertie Lover of the Veps3067 ||
08/11/2023 20:33 Comments ||
Top||
[NBC] Five Americans imprisoned in Iran have been placed under house arrest in the first step of a planned prisoner exchange between Tehran and Washington that will include the release of roughly $6 billion in Iranian government assets blocked under U.S. sanctions, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. If the proposed agreement goes through, Iran will be allowed to access the funds only to buy food, medicine or other humanitarian purposes, in accordance with existing U.S. sanctions against the country. Under the agreement, which could take weeks to carry out, Qatar’s central bank will oversee the funds, the sources said.
Republican lawmakers harshly criticized then-President Barack Obama when he made a similar agreement in 2015. The new deal has been under negotiation for months, with Qatar and other governments acting as intermediaries.
Several of the detained Americans were taken on Thursday from their cells in Tehran's notorious Evin prison to a location in the capital where they will remain under house arrest until the prisoner exchange occurs. One of the Americans was apparently already under house arrest before Thursday, a lawyer for one of the detainees and the other sources said. In the past, Americans and other foreign inmates due to be freed have been put under house arrest before their transfers abroad. The U.S. government has identified three American citizens held in Iran — Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz. Two additional Americans are being held in Iran, but their families have chosen not to identify them publicly, the White House National Security Council said.
“We have received confirmation that Iran has released from prison five Americans who were unjustly detained and has placed them on house arrest,” said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
“While this is an encouraging step, these U.S. citizens — Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi, and two Americans who at this time wish to remain private — should have never been detained in the first place.”
The U.S. “will not rest until they are all back home in the United States,” she said.
“Until that time, negotiations for their eventual release remain ongoing and are delicate. We will, therefore, have little in the way of details to provide about the state of their house arrest or about our efforts to secure their freedom,” Watson added.
An unknown number of permanent U.S. legal residents, or green card holders, are under detention in Iran, including Shahab Dalili, who has been held since 2016. The prisoner exchange appears to involve only U.S. citizens.
Iranian law does not recognize dual citizenship or legal residence elsewhere, only its own. This is why I was so concerned when my first fosterling and her father went to visit his relatives in Iran some years ago — she was a dual citizen, her father has both Canadian and Iranian passports.
A source familiar with the negotiations told a group of reporters earlier: “It’s the start of a process that eventually will see these Americans leave Iran and come home.”
Jared Genser, pro bono counsel for Namazi, called the move to house arrest “an important development,” adding: “While I hope this will be the first step to their ultimate release, this is at best the beginning of the end and nothing more. But there are simply no guarantees about what happens from here.”
NBC News first reported on the prisoner exchange negotiations in February.
The families of the Americans held in Iran say their loved ones are “hostages” taken captive on false charges and used as bargaining chips by the government.
Yep.
Human rights groups say Iran has been engaged in hostage-taking for decades, wielding foreign prisoners as leverage over other governments.
As is the tradition...
Iran denies the accusation and says the foreign nationals have been treated in accordance with the country’s laws.
This does not contradict the above in light of Koranic injunctions.
Apart from the exchange of prisoners held in both countries, the prisoner swap deal involves the release of roughly $6 billion that has been frozen in South Korean banks by U.S. sanctions.
ValJar, who grew up in Iran, and maintains as sentimental attachment as President Obama does to the sound of the call to prayer, is no doubt pleased.
From 2012 to 2019, Washington allowed South Korea and other countries to buy Iranian oil but blocked Tehran’s access to proceeds from the sales. The funds could only be used by Iran for permitted humanitarian-related purchases. Iran’s government has long demanded access to the money in return for the release of Americans imprisoned in Iran.
The source familiar with the negotiations told reporters that “this was not an account that was ever intended to be frozen for all time for any purpose. It was always meant to be available for non-sanctionable trade.”
President Joe Biden will likely face a torrent of criticism from Republicans if the funds in South Korea are released.
Republicans pounce.
Administration officials are expected to argue that the funds can be used only for humanitarian purposes and that it was the only way to secure the freedom of the detained Americans, several of whom have been held for years with no prospect of an early release.
Obama came under fire from Republicans in 2015 when his administration gave Iran access to cash that had been blocked by sanctions, just as Tehran released a group of imprisoned Americans.
Republicans pounced then, too.
The movement of the Americans out of prison is only the first step in a protracted process that could last weeks. The funds to be unfrozen in South Korea will have to be converted into different currencies as requested by Iran, a lengthy process due to the provisions of U.S. sanctions.
As part of the swap, an unknown number of Iranians detained in the U.S. will be transferred from U.S. custody to Iran. The timing of that step remained unclear.
Apart from Qatar, the governments of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq also played supporting roles as intermediaries in the discussions, the source familiar with the negotiations said. Switzerland, which handles U.S. interests in Iran as Washington has no diplomatic relations with Tehran, will help implement the agreement and the Swiss ambassador is expected to have access to the American detainees during their house arrest.
In addition to the prisoner exchange, the two sides have also discussed a possible informal verbal agreement aimed at averting a crisis over Iran’s nuclear program, NBC News has previously reported.
The proposed arrangement would have Iran possibly freeze its uranium enrichment at current levels of 60 percent purity
...as well enforced as the Obama agreement? Golly...
and fully cooperate with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. In return, the U.S. would not impose new sanctions or possibly not strictly enforce some existing sanctions. The precise outlines of the proposed arrangement remain unclear.
No doubt.
U.S. officials have denied there is any interim nuclear agreement but sources with knowledge of the talks say the two sides have been discussing an informal, verbal understanding designed to freeze the status quo and avoid a confrontation. Under U.S. law, any formal agreement would have to be reviewed by Congress.
Iran has steadily expanded its uranium enrichment work and has enough fissile material for more than one nuclear weapon if it chose to enrich the material to 90% purity, experts say. If it takes that step, U.S. officials fear Israel might opt to take military action to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran has denied it is planning to develop nuclear weapons and says the program is for purely civilian purposes.
Taqqiya.
Biden came into office promising to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers known as the JCPOA that imposed limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in return for lifting U.S. and international sanctions.
Then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018, reimposed sanctions and introduced additional ones. Negotiations on restoring the 2015 nuclear accord collapsed last year.
The three Americans held in Iran that have been publicly identified by the U.S. are Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian American who also holds British citizenship
...three passports? That seems a bit excessive...
and was arrested in January 2018 and convicted of espionage in 2019. Tahbaz was part of a group of environmental activists carrying out research on Iran’s endangered cheetah population.
Emad Shargi, an Iranian-born businessman who moved to the U.S. as a young man, was arrested in April 2018. He was released on bail and cleared of all charges in December 2019, but Iranian authorities refused to return his passport. Shargi was charged again in 2020 and convicted on espionage charges without a trial.
And Siamak Namazi has been held prisoner in Iran for nearly eight years, longer than any of the other current American detainees. A business consultant with degrees from Tufts and Rutgers universities, Namazi was arrested in 2015 and convicted of espionage in a trial that lasted a few hours. His elderly father, Baquer, was arrested in 2016 when he traveled to Iran to visit his son and detained. Baquer Namazi was released in 2022.
Siamak Namazi has criticized the U.S. for not doing more to secure his release and that of other Americans held in Iran and appealed to Biden to meet with the families of those detained. In January, he went on a weeklong hunger strike. Namazi was not included in previous prisoner exchanges with Iran dating to 2016.
The American captive held longest in Iran is believed to have been Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who disappeared during a business trip on Iran’s Kish Island in 2007. U.S. officials later admitted that Levinson was there doing contract work for the CIA. In 2011, his family released photos and a video in which Levinson pleaded for help and said he was in poor health. Iranian officials steadfastly denied knowing anything about him.
In 2020, the family announced that they had concluded that Levinson had died in captivity, citing information provided to them by U.S. officials. “Those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the US government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done,” the family said in a statement.
He chose to spy for the CIA. That merits the death sentence according to international law. One assumes he went in knowing the risks.
#10
Much demand for "dual use" technology. Ask the Chermans...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
08/11/2023 12:13 Comments ||
Top||
#11
“We have received confirmation that Iran has released from prison five Americans who were unjustly detained and has placed them on house arrest,” said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
#12
There has to be kickbacks going on with these deals with Iran. Valjar smiles because there is big money flowing, somehow, some way, to her and her boss Barack. Nothing else makes sense.
#13
I mean, Reagan got with them Iranian boys and said, like, hey, dudes, can you wait until about noon EST on 20 January 1981 before you release those hostages? I'm the new kid in town, and I wanna look good.
#14
WTF sort of legitimate business would take you there ?
Mostly visiting relatives for the first time since they escaped the fall of the Shah in 1980 or thereabouts, Besoeker, or academics doing on-site research. At least that’s what those we’ve read about here seem to have been.
Except for the earnest gentleman who was doing a favour for the CIA.
[GEO.TV] Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again rejected his predecessor, 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) Chairman Imran Khan ...aka The Great Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight... ’s claims about his government’s removal under a "conspiracy" backed by the United States, saying that if the same was true, would Pakistain have bought cheaper oil from Russia.
The statement came in response to a foreign media report about the US cipher which claimed to substantiate former prime minister Imran Khan's allegations that he was removed under American pressure after his Russia visit.
During an interview with WE News, PM Shehbaz was asked whether the publishing of this news story authenticated the PTI chief’s narrative.
Responding to the query, the premier said that he headed two meetings of the National Security Committee (NSC) on the cipher, and in one of them the current foreign secretary Asad Majeed Khan — who was Pakistain’s ambassador to the US in March 2022 — said that he had only narrated his meeting with US official Donald Lu in that cipher.
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08/11/2023 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTo,es] Judge says there’s ’no reasonable suspicion’ against suspects from Burqa, who were detained following incident in which settlers killed a young Paleostinian man
A West Bank military court on Thursday ordered the release of four Paleostinians suspected of involvement in a clash between local residents and settlers in the village of Burqa last week, during which a Paleostinian was killed. A fifth suspect had been released previously.
The judge ruled there was "no reasonable suspicion" against the group and said the investigation could continue while they were free. They were freed under certain restrictions.
Continued on Page 49
[IsraelTimes] PA president gives no explanation for move; committee will reportedly be formed to search for viable replacements
Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase.... on Thursday ordered the removal of 12 out of the 16 regional governors in the West Bank and Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamaswith about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Among those ordered to "retire" are the governors of northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah in the Gaza Strip, according to the official Wafa news agency. These roles are symbolic and lack authority, since the Fatah-controlled PA was violent mostly peacefully booted from the coastal enclave in 2007 by the Hamas, a regional Iranian catspaw, terror group, which has ruled there ever since.
In the West Bank, he ordered the removal of the governors of Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tubas and Jericho.
No reason was given for the political upheaval, but the report said Abbas ordered the creation of a presidential committee to find suitable candidates to take over the positions.
Observers have warned that the PA is close to financial collapse, and with the deeply unpopular government increasingly losing control of security in certain areas.
In July, rival Paleostinian politicians meeting in Egypt decided to form a committee on intra-Paleostinian reconciliation, a move that one analyst doubted would end their 17-year rift.
Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh ...became Prime Minister of Gaza after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas festivities, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continues as the PM of Gazoo while Abbas maintains a separate PM in the West Bank... met for rare face-to-face talks in the coastal city of El Alamein along with representatives of most Paleostinian political factions.
The latest attempt at reconciliation aims to bridge the gap between the parallel governments of Hamas in Gaza and of the PA in the West Bank.
Abbas and Haniyeh were joined by the heads of other factions, except for Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... and two other minor groups.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Senate, Tremulus continued with his speech against Varius and his cohorts, watching as his colleagues dropped off to sleep one by one... Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is said to be refusing to sign off on economic measures to prop up the PA, despite Israeli commitments to the United States.
Channel 12 reported Monday that the Religious Zionism chairman is adamant in his opposition to an Israeli agreement to delay the payment of PA tax debts, which total approximately $500 million. The report added that the finance minister will likely refuse to approve any other move intended to assist the PA.
[IsraelTimes] According to initial investigation, Kamel Abu Bakr, wanted by Israel, slipped in via gap in barrier near hometown, hitched ride to Tel Aviv
The Paleostinian terrorist who carried out a deadly attack in Tel Aviv over the weekend, killing patrolman Chen Amir, is thought to have infiltrated into Israel from the West Bank via a gap in the security barrier.
According to the military and Shin Bet security agency’s initial investigation of the attack, several hours before the shooting on Saturday afternoon, Kamel Abu Bakr, 22, apparently snuck through the barrier near his hometown of Rummanah, near Jenin.
Abu Bakr, who had been wanted by Israel for a previous shooting attack against troops in the West Bank, had been hiding in the Jenin refugee camp for at least the past six months, according to defense officials.
Abu Bakr did not have an entry permit to Israel due to his affiliation with the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... terror group in Jenin, and the previous shooting.
After crossing through a gap in the border barrier, Abu Bakr made his way to Tel Aviv, apparently after hitching a ride, according to the investigation. It was not immediately clear if the driver knew of his intentions.
Abu Bakr spent several hours in Tel Aviv armed with a handgun and carrying a "martyrdom" letter, searching for a target, according to law enforcement and defense officials.
When he reached the corner of Montefiore and Nahalat Binyamin streets, where dozens of restaurants, cafes, and bars are packed on Saturday evenings, Abu Bakr encountered two Tel Aviv municipal security officers who sought to question him.
Abu Bakr initially refused to answer their calls, and as the pair got off their cycle of violences, he pulled out a handgun and opened fire, hitting Amir. The second officer returned fire at the gunman, neutralizing him.
Both Amir and the terrorist were taken to Ichilov Medical Center, where they were declared dead.
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday, hours after the attack, measured Abu Bakr’s home ahead of a potential demolition.
The Shin Bet, meanwhile, was questioning at least four Paleostinians who were detained over their suspected connection to the deadly shooting attack.
Several Paleostinian bully boyz managed to enter Israel from the West Bank through gaps in the fence during a string of attacks in the spring of last year, whereupon the military deployed numerous units to the security barrier area.
The number of Paleostinians identified illegally crossing through the barrier dropped from around 30,000 a day in March 2022 to several hundred a day since April 2022, and down further to several dozen a day in recent months, according to the IDF.
[An Nahar] Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... has slammed The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund... , blaming Ankara for the uptick in violence in his war-torn country and insisting on the withdrawal of Ottoman Turkish forces from Syria.
Assad spoke in an interview with Sky News Arabia, his first interview with a foreign media outlet in months. The interview will be fully aired later Wednesday, but Sky News Arabia released some excerpts before the broadcast.
Turkey is a main backer of armed opposition fighters who have been trying to remove Assad from power and has carried out three major incursions into northern Syria since 2016. Ottoman Turkish forces control parts of northern Syria.
Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran, has managed over the past few years to retake most of the territory with the help of his allies, and turn the tide of war in his favor. Syrian rebels and Turkey-backed opposition forces now only hold a small northwestern corner of Syria, where fighting and violence have persisted.
"Terrorism in Syria is made in Turkey," Assad said.
He also denied rumors of an upcoming meeting between him and Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... , despite meetings between Turkey and Syria's defense and foreign ministers under Russian and Iranian mediation to restore strained ties.
Damascus maintains that Ankara must put forward a timetable for the withdrawal of Ottoman Turkish troops from Syria in order to normalize relations. In May, the ministers agreed to set up a "road map" to improve relations.
"Erdogan's objective in meeting me is to legitimize the Ottoman Turkish occupation in Syria," Assad said in Wednesday's interview. "Why should I and Erdogan meet? To have soft drinks?"
In recent months, Syria has also improved relations with some countries that had backed the opposition since the 2011 outbreak of the country's civil war.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/11/2023 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Kataeb party leader Sami Gemayel said Thursday that the situation is dangerous and unacceptable, after deadly festivities between Hezbollah members and residents of the Christian town of Kahaleh left two dead.
"We are no longer ready to coexist with these arms and this armed militia in Leb ...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... ," Gemayel decried.
A truck belonging to Hezbollah had overturned on the Kahaleh highway Wednesday and was followed by a shooting during which a Hezbollah member and a Kahaleh resident were killed.
"We know that the political power is hijacked and that the army is carrying out orders, but the army must realize that it cannot protect or cover the transfer of arms and snuffies across all of Lebanon," Gemayel charged. "Protecting Lebanon and the Lebanese is the army's responsibility."
"What would have happened if this truck was carrying explosives," he angrily asked. "We cannot continue like this, we've reached the point of no return."[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
Qabalan addresses Christians, says Shiites won't be 'dragged into strife' https://t.co/rozmCy13pp
[An Nahar] Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... chief Jebran Bassil said Thursday that the Shiite unity is not enough and that the resistance needs national unity.
"Kahale represents for all of us a great symbol of struggle," Bassil said.
He added that national unity is needed for the well-being of the country and the resistance, as national unity would give the resistance greater immunity.
Bassil also stressed the importance of developing a national defense strategy that would organize the use of arms.
Earlier on Thursday, the Free Patriotic Movement said that Kahale's victims fell due to "shortcomings from Hezbollah or the security forces" and warned against "exploitation attempts by politicians and journalists."
A truck belonging to Hezbollah had overturned on the Kahaleh highway Wednesday and was followed by festivities during which a Hezbollah member and a Kahaleh resident were killed.
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.
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
[AFRICANEWS] Tunisia and Libya announced Thursday they had agreed to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of 
[Yahoo] The Home Office had been aware an Afghan asylum seeker was a possible terror threat a year before he murdered a young man in a row over a rental e-scooter, an inquest heard.
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
[NBC] Five Americans imprisoned in Iran have been placed under house arrest in the first step of a planned prisoner exchange between Tehran and Washington that will include the release of roughly $6 billion in Iranian government assets blocked under U.S. sanctions, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. If the proposed agreement goes through, Iran will be allowed to access the funds only to buy food, medicine or other humanitarian purposes, in accordance with existing U.S. sanctions against the country. Under the agreement, which could take weeks to carry out, Qatar’s central bank will oversee the funds, the sources said.
...aka 
[IsraelTimes] PA president gives no explanation for move; committee will reportedly be formed to search for viable replacements
[IsraelTimes] According to initial investigation, Kamel Abu Bakr, wanted by Israel, slipped in via gap in barrier near hometown, hitched ride to Tel Aviv
[An Nahar] Syrian 
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
