Looks like a follow up from yesterdays expulsion of two UN and EU functionaries
BRITISH spies held secret talks with senior Taliban figures in Afghanistan earlier this year, a newspaper has reported. Officers from Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, had held peace talks with up to a dozen Taliban officials, according to The Daily Telegraph, which cited an unidentified intelligence source.
"The SIS officers were understood to have sought peace directly with the Taliban, with some of them coming across as some sort of armed militia,'' The Telegraph quoted the source as saying. "The British would provide mentoring for the Taliban.''
Although Britain and its NATO allies are engaged in a fierce campaign to root out resurgent Taliban militants from Afghanistan's south, both British and Afghan officials have voiced increasing interest in trying to talk the Taliban into laying down their arms and persuading them to join the Government. Two weeks ago British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told politicians the Taliban could win a role in the Afghanistan's future if they renounced violence - although he explicitly ruled out direct talks with ex-Taliban fighters.
And yesterday, the Afghan Government expelled two senior European diplomats accused of holding unauthorised meetings with the insurgents.
The Telegraph said the meetings were held up to half a dozen times on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, the southern region that has seen the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan this year. The meetings took place in the presence of Afghan officials in compounds secured by the British military, the paper said.
It quoted its source as saying that the British spies believed the insurgents engaged in the talks to be "important motivating figures inside the Taliban".
#5
good cop bad cop does not work with these brainwashed scum!
Posted by: Paul ||
12/26/2007 8:58 Comments ||
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#6
Planning to abandon Musa Qala again? Or something larger this time?
Posted by: ed ||
12/26/2007 9:00 Comments ||
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#7
Man, these are spies. Theyre SUPPOSED to talk with all kinds of scummy types. They could be trying to turn somebody, get a mole, whatever. They could be using peace talks as cover. I dunno, Id wait to see what this means.
#8
The British Foreign Office - stocked with arabists - has sneered at American naivety in Iraq and Afghanistan for years now. What these jumped up classholes choose to forget is the British role in making Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and especially "Saudi" Arabia the cesspits they are today. This latest move with MI6 can only be described as French.
Happened a few days back but we didn't report on it then. Prodi is still a dangerous fool but plaudits to him for visiting the troops on the holiday.
The Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, has visited Afghanistan, a day after similar trips by French and Australian leaders. Mr Prodi held talks with the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, and the commander of Nato forces fighting Taleban militants, Gen Dan McNeill.
"The Afghans must receive help from the international community," Mr Prodi told Italian news agency Ansa in Kabul upon his arrival.
He also travelled to the western city of Herat, where the bulk of the Italian contingent is based. Italy has more than 2,300 soldiers in Afghanistan. The Italian contingent is involved mainly in training local Afghan forces. Italy has lost 10 soldiers in Afghanistan, prompting a communist faction supporting Mr Prodi's coalition government to call for the withdrawal of Italian troops.
Of course they did.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Defence Minister Peter MacKay says weapons are flowing from Iran into the hands of Afghan insurgents. He says improvised explosive devices from Iran have been a particular concern for Canadians.
Most of Canada's 73 combat deaths have been the result of IEDs.
He says it's been difficult for Canada to address the issue though he has made his concerns known to the Iranian government. He says it's difficult to cut the lines of supply when you have people in other countries giving weapons to be used against Canadian and coalition forces.
MacKay made the comments Tuesday during a stop at Kandahar Airfield where he spent Christmas with the troops.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
OTOH, PAYVAND > US OFFICIAL SAYS IRAN RESTRAINING SHIITE MILITIAS IN IRAQ.
(SomaliNet) Somalias Hawiye opposition clan leader, who is still hiding in somewhere in the capital said on Tuesday the arrival of the Burundian peacekeepers will not change the current violent situation in the country. Speaking to the local media in disclosed location, the leader of the Hawiye Traditional and Unity Council, Mohamed Hassan Haad expressed his view against the Burundian troops deployment. I do believe that the Burundian troops have nothing to do with the violence escalating in Somalia, said Haad.
Not at all, you just can't show your face anywhere ...
He stressed that peace could not be introduced unless the Ethiopian troops withdraw the country. if Ethiopian forces pull out of our country the solution for the violence in Mogadishu will come soon,
Just as soon as Mohamed and his krazed killers are in charge, you betcha ...
Mr. Haad also noted that the Ethiopian troops in Somalia celebrated for their one year old occupation and that is an indication for how the Ethiopians are pleasant with their presence in the country.
Burundi sent nearly 200 soldiers into Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeepers. It is the second African country that its forces in Somalia. The tiny central African country (Burundi) has earlier pledged to deploy a total of 1,700 soldiers to Somalia to join some 1,600 Ugandan soldiers based in the volatile capital Mogadishu.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Prosecutors in Mauritania have alleged that men suspected of murdering four French tourists are linked to a group allied to al-Qaeda. At least two of three suspects now being hunted by authorities were linked to the group by prosecutors.
"Legume! Bring me my cape and my saxophone! The game is afoot!"
Four tourists - apparently members of the same family - were shot by gunmen near the town of Aleg on Monday. A fifth person, said to be the father of the family, survived and has been transferred to Senegal for treatment. Some arrests have been reported, though the number of arrests and the identity of those detained is unclear.
Such an attack is rare in the south of Mauritania, a former French colony which enjoys relative stability. The north of the country is generally regarded as less safe for travellers.
Smooth move by the tourists. Oh honey, let's go to the north of Mauritania for the waters, etc. etc. Less sense than God gives a flea.
Tuesday's attack happened after the five victims stopped on the side of a road for a picnic. The gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons, before speeding off in a car that was later recovered in Aleg, about 250km (160 miles) east of the capital Nouakchott.
The victims were initially reported to have been robbed, though the interior ministry now says they were not, the Associated Press news agency reports.
In their statement, prosecutors in Nouakchott said murder suspects were thought to belong to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - a group formerly known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. However, reports differ on whether prosecutors believe two or all three of the men currently being sought belong to the group.
Splitters!
The three suspects are said to have run away fled south towards the border with Senegal following Tuesday's attack.
Brave, brave Lions of Islam. Pro'ly wearing burqas.
On Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke to his Mauritanian counterpart, who assured him everything was being done to find the killers. Mr Sarkozy later told reporters details of the incident were unclear. "As things stand, I can only confirm this sad news and offer my condolences," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Mauritanian police set up roadblocks near the Senegalese border Tuesday as they hunted the killers of four French tourists, security sources said.
A massive manhunt was underway for three men suspected of shooting dead the tourists, including three male members of the same family, and wounding a fifth in the southern town of Aleg on Monday, they said. The suspected killers were believed to have fled in the direction of the Senegalese border to the south. A taxi driver told police he had taken the suspects to the border town of Bogue, 50 kilometres (36 miles) south of Aleg, on Monday night. Checkpoints had been thrown up along the border and aircraft were reportedly scouring the area after the suspects' car was found abandoned near the scene of the crime.
Local Governor Sidi Mouloud Ould Brahim told Radio France International that a military plane was involved in the manhunt. "We have sent a military aircraft to scour the region. We have stepped up security around all exit points," he said.
Two men arrested late Monday were still being interrogated by police but a female detained with them had been released. It was not clear how they were suspected of being involved in the shooting. The tourists -- four male relatives and a male friend -- were on a driving trek between Paris and Burkina Faso and were on their way to Mali when they were attacked, the French foreign ministry said in Paris.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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AUSTRALIA'S top legal bureaucrat has lodged a formal complaint against Justice Michael Adams, the NSW Supreme Court judge who delivered a scathing judgment that found ASIO agents had kidnapped and falsely imprisoned the Sydney medical student Izhar ul-Haque.
The filing of the complaint by the secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Robert Cornall, is a highly unusual step and follows disquiet among senior ASIO and Australian Federal Police figures about Justice Adams's verdict, which led to the high-profile terrorism case against Mr ul-Haque collapsing.
His deliberations shone a spotlight on some practices of ASIO and the federal police, including a deliberate effort to use illegal tactics to coerce Mr ul-Haque into becoming an informant.
ASIO and the AFP fall under the Attorney-General's Department. According to Canberra sources, the complaint was lodged with the Judicial Commission of NSW and has not been endorsed by the Rudd Government. "That's something that Cornall did on his own," one Labor source said.
Complaints to the Judicial Commission are confidential but it is understood that Mr Cornall's gripes include that Justice Adams stated explicitly and without qualification that two ASIO agents had broken criminal laws.
This month the ASIO director-general, Paul O'Sullivan, complained that the agents had not had a chance to rebut the charges of serious and criminal misconduct. "These officers have never had a chance to defend themselves," he said.
In fact, the ASIO officers put their side of the story to Justice Adams. But he found their testimony unconvincing and, at times, untruthful.
The officers confronted Mr ul-Haque at Blacktown train station in 2003 and took him by car to a park where he was warned he could do things "the easy way or the hard way".
He was taken back to his house, which was being searched by more than 20 officers, and then interrogated until dawn in the presence of an AFP officer. The ASIO agents only had a search warrant.
The AFP officer then turned up the next day at a formal interview where the officers began to question Mr ul-Haque about his connections with Faheem Khalid Lodhi - the Sydney architect found guilty of preparing to carry out an act of terrorism - and his visit to Pakistan.
The record of this interview, and two others, were ruled inadmissible by Justice Adams due to the coercive and illegal tactics employed.
Mr ul-Haque was charged with training with a terrorist group, Lashkar e Taiba - though it was not proscribed as a terrorist group at the time. Documents presented to the court showed that the AFP believed charging him would make him more likely to inform against Lodhi.
A spokesman for Mr Cornall said the public servant was under no obligation to disclose whether he had made a complaint, or the reason behind such action. The Judicial Commission of NSW investigates complaints but does not discipline judicial officers.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
It long past time somebody remainded the Judicial Branch's that there are limits.
Islamabad, Dec 26 The world community should pressurise India to agree to the four-point proposal given by President Pervez Musharraf to resolve the "core issue" of Kashmir, Pakistan's former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said today.
And make Indians give him a pony
Lasting peace in South Asia, a goal desirable for both India and Pakistan, can be achieved only by resolving the Kashmir issue and Musharraf's proposal is the "most viable and effective solution to the long-standing" issue, he said.
And make Perv give him his job back
Musharraf's proposal envisaged the de-militarisation of Kashmir and joint control of the area by India and Pakistan.
and a pony
Kasuri, who is contesting the upcoming general election as a candidate of the ruling PML-Q, told a press conference in his native city of Kasur in Punjab province that it is essential to have friendly relations with neighbouring countries in the current environment of globalisation.
This will promote trade and ensure peace in the region. "During my tenure, I successfully promoted better relations with China and India, negotiated the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and helped to raise the image of Pakistan among the comity of nations," he said.
and ponies... don't forget about the ponies
He also said the governments of India and Pakistan had agreed with his proposal that it would be better to use the Ganda Singh Wala land border rather than Wagah for trade. (Agencies)
Posted by: john frum ||
12/26/2007 13:26 ||
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MMA Secretary-General and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman said the MMA would play a vital role for resolving the Kashmir and Palestine issues after coming into power, said a hand-out issued here on Monday.
Because they've been so successful in Pakistain...
Talking to a delegation of the JUI Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter in Dera Ismail Khan, he said the preservation of the ideology and sovereignty of the country was possible due to Islamic forces. He said there was a possibility of rigging in the elections but its boycott would be harmful for religious parties.
The US wanted the removal of religious parties from the Parliament but the citizens would reject its nefarious designs through their vote.
The US wanted the removal of religious parties from the Parliament but the citizens would reject its nefarious designs through their vote, he said.
I try to keep all my designs nefarious...
During the last six years, he said, the MMA had played a major role for preserving the religious seminaries, human rights and Islamic clauses in the Constitution. He said had the MMA and the JUI been not in the Parliament, the government could ensure the implementation of the plan devised by the US related to the sanction on religious seminaries and the removal of Islamic clauses from the Constitution.
Criticising Benazir Bhutto, Fazl warned that if voted to power she would allow the US forces to hunt terrorists in Pakistan, remove Islamic clauses from the Constitution and meet all the demands related to the nuclear assets. He advised the citizens to reject the elements following the US agenda in the elections. He vowed to work in collaboration with other political parties for the restoration of the judiciary on the pre-Nov 2 position and the 1973 Constitution.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
An interesting article in the Washington Post, that no one will ever see 'cos it was published on page A14 on Christmas Day. Of note is the article's analysis, because it gets Al-Q's motivations nearly 100% wrong. Also of note is the UN's response to getting blown up:
..."The United Nations is nothing but a tool of crime," bin Laden said in a 2001 statement. "We are being massacred every day while the United Nations continues to sit idly by."
U.N. officials say the latest bloodshed underscores the need to shake that perception. "We must do even better in explaining to the public and the media the role of the United Nations, wherever we operate," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told U.N. staff members at a memorial for their lost colleagues in New York, after a trip to Algiers. "We must make clear we are not there to represent the interests of any one group of nations over another. We must make clear that we are there to clear mines, build schools, run clinics, advance the rule of law, help protect the environment and help protect human rights."
Ban has pledged to review U.N. security procedures to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of workers in the field. But some U.N. officials say there is only so much the agency can do. "Do you go to the U.S. fortress model?" asked one senior U.N. official, referring to Washington's effort to reinforce its overseas embassies after al-Qaeda bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998. "I doubt the U.N. could ever do that."
#2
"We must make clear that we are there to clear mines, build schools, run clinics, advance the rule of law, help protect the environment and help protect human rights."
And that is why from the Taliban's point of view, they are enemy #1. Every single one of those things will undermine and destroy the rule of the Taliban.
The Taliban can only exist in a state of chaos and near anarchy. Theirs is a rule of whim, not laws, and they only have power as long as they can tear down any other organization or order. They are barbarians in the truest sense.
#5
Perhaps this is why the UN was negotiating with the Taliban in Afganistan - trying to cut a "don't shoot us and we'll say nice things about you" deal with AQ via an intermediary.
BTW__ MHW, nice snark/pun
Posted by: Nautae cum puella in concubitu sunt 2007 ||
12/26/2007 11:45 Comments ||
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#6
We must do even better in explaining to the public and the media the role of the United Nations...
Perhaps Mr. Ban hasn't noticed yet that it's not the "public" or mostly not even the "media" that continues to bomb his facilities. It's just possible his message is falling on the wrong ears.
#8
maybe not so much 'red on maroon' as red on moron
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
12/26/2007 17:16 Comments ||
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#9
"The U.N. Insignia Emerges as a Global Target for Al-Qaeda Attacks"
Other than endless whining and nattering, what's the downside?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/26/2007 17:44 Comments ||
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#10
OTOH, WAFF.com > ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM MADE IN THE USA + THE NEO-OTTOMAN EMPIRE [CHRONICLES April 2006]. America allegedly is using Radical Islamism-Terrorism as PROXY to encircle, destabilize and destroy its own ally Europe, in the name of Global Empire???
#11
Also from WAFF.com > RUSSIA'S BIG ENERGY SECRET - Despite its international rhetoric/reputation to the contrary, artikle claims that Russ GAZPROM can barely meet Russ domestic demand for natural gas. *Article - Russ gas fields are actually dwindling = in decline, and widout amy new investments andor discoveried, AFTER 2010 RUSS MAY NO LONGER BE ABLE TO MEET EVEN LOCAL DEMAND.
(KUNA) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit mulled with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner here Tuesday the situations in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon as well as bilateral issues.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa joined the meeting, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters. The talks of the two sides focused on Israel's persistence in settlement expansion and its impact on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the spokesman pointed out. They also dealt with the latest developments of the situation in Lebanon and the efforts of the international community to prevent the Arab country from plunging into chaos, he added. Earlier Tuesday French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at Luxor International Airport for a private visit to Egypt's southern city where he will spend the Christmas holidays. On December 30 Sarkozy will start a state visit to Egypt and meet President Hosni Mubarak to probe the Middle East peace process following the Annapolis and Paris conferences.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
HOTAIR > CSIS STudy - A nuclear war between ISRAEL + IRAN couold kill up to 20Milyuhn people [mostly Iranian]; + FREEREPUBLIC > Israel can weather a nuclear war with Iran.
Lest we fergit, was it WORLDTRIBUNE [2005]??? > CHINA may offer IRAN LR missles???
#3
KOMMERSANT > IRAN SHIELDS ITS NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES BY RUSSIAN MISSLES. The Net news is already out that Russ has sold S-300 AD missle systems to Iran, in addition to TOR M-1's. ARTICLE - Russ head of the GLOBAL SECURITY INSTITUTE [globalsecurity.org]in Moscow makes it clear that Russ intended this sale to de facto COUNTER ANY US PLANS FOR US MIL ACTIONS IN THE ME, AGZ IRAN OR OTHER.
See also JPOST/TOPIX > REPORT: EGYPT GAVE ISRAEL A MESSAGE FROM DAMASCUS [Assad/Syria]???
That's the interesting speculation in a longer article about Iraq's evolving politix. Excerpted, but go read it all anyway:
Even the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has had to pay attention to popular dissatisfaction with the shakedowns and murders carried out by thugs in his Mahdi Army militia. He has dispersed hit men to try to eliminate some of the more egregious violators in Baghdad neighborhoods. I spoke to one, a hard-faced, middle-aged tough named Abu Ali, who was limping from a gunshot wound to the leg; he told me his men had killed 17 "criminals" in Baghdad's Hurriyah district on Mr. al-Sadr's orders. The Shiite mafiosi are cleaning house.
Yup. We've had this story here before on the Burg. Real question is how much of this Mookie is controlling. A fair number of the hit squads are operating independently, whacking 'egregious' violators and business competitors alike.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
12/26/2007 03:17 ||
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The top U.S. commander in the area south of Baghdad warned that armed groups of Sunni fighters must be recognized as legitimate members of Iraqi society and be rewarded for their efforts at fighting al-Qaida in Iraq _ or the hard-fought security gains of the past six months could be lost.
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who leads the 3rd Infantry Division, has credited the tribal groups known as Awakening Councils, Concerned Citizens and other names, for much of the security that has been brought to the region he commands, which stretches from Iran to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south.
Lynch said that he had 26,000 members of the groups the area he controls and that they given U.S. and Iraqi forces a key advantage in seeking to clear extremist-held pockets. They number about 70,000men countrywide, and are expected to grow by another 45,000 incoming months.
The groups, along with a surge of U.S. troops into Iraq and a decision by firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to stand down his Mahdi Army militia for six months, have contributed to a 60percent drop in violence around Iraq since June.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Israeli Arabs prefer remaining Israeli citizens over PA citizenship by a proportion of 62% to 14%.
Poll Methodology:
Representative sample 514 Israeli Arabs Over 18 years old
Phone calls: 3-5 Dec. 2007
+ - 4.5% margin of error.
Questions:
1. "There has been a lot of talk lately about the formation of a new Palestinian State. It has been suggested by some that Israeli Arabs could continue to live in Israel, but change their citizenship to the new Palestinian State. Given the choice, and continuing to live where you presently live today, would you prefer to be a citizen of Israel or of a new Palestinian State?"
Remain Israeli citizens 62%
Join a future Palestinian State 14%
No opinion or refused to answer 24%
The strongest support for remaining citizens of Israel was exhibited by members of the Druse community, 84% of whom would choose Israel. Lower income households also showed strong support with 71% of them choosing Israel. Men were more likely than women to choose to remain Israeli citizens (67% vs. 56%). The strongest support for becoming citizens of a
future Palestinian State was among students with 21% as opposed to the average of 14%. The largest percentage of undecided citizens was among Christian Arab Israelis with 43% compared to the average of 24%.
2. Among Olmert, Barak or Netanyahu, who is more likely to make peace with the Palestinian Authority and Israel's neighbors.
Barak 18%
Olmert 8%
Netanyahu 7%
None of them 36%
no opinion or refused to answer 28%
Barak's greatest support is among the Druse with 29%. Netanyahu's greatest support is among residents of the Negev (22%) and 45-55 year olds (19%). 47% of Christian Arabs and students didn't know or refused to answer this question.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/26/2007 15:40 ||
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#1
LOL! Duh. Who really wants to live in a theocratic kleptomaniac country?
A Catholic weekly newspaper in Malaysia has been told to drop the use of the word Allah in its Malay language section if it wants to renew its publishing permit, a senior government official said Friday.
The Herald, the organ of Malaysias Catholic Church, has translated the word God as Allah but it is erroneous because Allah refers to the Muslim God, said Che Din Yusoff, a senior official at the Internal Security Ministrys publications control unit.
Christians cannot use the word Allah. It is only applicable to Muslims. Allah is only for the Muslim god. This is a design to confuse the Muslim people, Che Din told The Associated Press.
The weekly should instead, use the word Tuhan which is the general term for God, he said.
Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where about 60 percent of the 27 million people are Malay Muslims. Ethnic Chinese, who follow Christianity and Buddhism, account for 25 percent of the population. Indians, who are mostly Hindus with a sprinkling of Christians and Muslims, are around 10 percent.
The minorities have often complained that they dont have full freedom of religion even though the constitution guarantees everybody the right to worship. The minorities cite the difficulty in obtaining permission to build their places of worship, and the Hindus have been particularly angered by the demolition of temples by government authorities in recent months.
The Herald, which has a circulation of 12,000 copies for its members, publishes reports in four languages English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, said the weeklys use of the word Allah was not intended to offend Muslims.
We follow the Bible. The Malay-language Bible uses Allah for God and Tuhan for Lord. In our prayers and in church during Malay mass, we use the word Allah, he told the AP.
This is not something new. The word Allah has been used in Malaysia for a long time. There is no confusion, he said.
The 13-year-old weekly is still in talks with the authorities to renew its permit, which expires Dec. 31, he said, adding that they would appeal if the government refuses to budge on the issue.
Publishers in Malaysia are required to obtain annual permits from authorities under a printing law that has long been criticized by rights groups as infringing press freedoms.
There are more than 800,000 Catholics in Malaysia, Andrew said.
Che Din said Christians dont use the word Allah when they worship in English, so they shouldnt use it in the Malay language too.
There are four Malay words that must not be used by other religions, he said: Allah for God, solat for prayers, kaabah for the place of Muslim worship in Mecca and baitula the house of Allah.
The Heralds permit will only be renewed if they stop using Allah in their publication, he stressed.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/26/2007 14:51 ||
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#1
Agreed. They should use Eli or Elohim. Calling YWHW "Allah" is misguided.
(KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called Tuesday the world's major states to refer Iran's nuclear file back to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). During his reception of Turkish Parliament's Foreign Relations Commission Murat Mercan, Mottkai said that these states must take a brave choice by sending the file back to IAEA. Meanwhile, he affirmed the strong bilateral relations with Turkey, saying that cooperation on the natural gas petroleum level must lead to other understandings on the cooperative domains. Regarding the stability of Iraq, Mottaki stressed that Turkey and Iran could play a vital role in preserving peace in the region. The Turkish official on his part lauded the relations with Iran, agreeing with Mottaki on the issue of helping Iraq and the Mideast to reach peace.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
RIAN > JAPANESE FIRMS, KAZAKHISTAN TO BEGIN/PLAN URANIUM PRODUCTION FROM [Year]2010.
#2
WAFF > ADHMADINEJAD WARNS AMERICA; + BIGNEWSNETWORK > RUSSIA WARNS IT WILL NOT STAND/ACCEPT US CHANGING IRAN REGIME. Russ FM Lavrov - Iran nucprogs [energy]not an excuse or reason for USA to engage in Iranian regime change [Post-NIE].
Also from BIGNEWSNETWORK > KCNA [North Korea] - US BELLICOSE FORCE SCENARIO FOR PREEMPTIVE STRIKE FLAYED + NORTH KOREA WARNS MAY SLOW NUCLEAR DISABLEMENT, due to late fuel/energy delivery to NK.
A reliable March 14 source has revealed that the parliament will very soon present to Lebanons speaker Nabih Berri a draft to amend the constitution in order to elect General Michel Suleiman as president.
The source asserted that the majority is very serious about moving ahead on the amendment regardless of the objections it may face. The source confirmed that the special emergency session of the parliament will not only be responsible for amending the constitution but also to approve the budget and other vital issues . The source also asserted that it is unconstitutional to elect a government employee without amending the constitution . Speaker Berri has announced few days back that there will be no need to amend the constitution in order to elect General Suleiman.
The source revealed that the majority has refused to negotiate with Aoun , because he is dictating his conditions as if they are not subject to any negotiations . He added first things first lets elect first a president and then all the conditions of the opposition are negotiable with the new president .
The source revealed that Paris has already told Damascus Either the president of Lebanon is elected based on a quorum of half plus one or General Suleiman should be elected without any preconditions.
Another reliable march 14 source has revealed that the government has been discussing the idea of replacing the Shiite ministers that have resigned over a year ago . The candidates are : Ibrahim Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine, former Minister Mohammed Abdel-Hamid Beydoun, Deputy Ghazi Youssef, Ali Sabri Hamadeh or businessman Fadi Younis. Other candidates are being discussed with the prominent Al-Assaad family. Bassem el Sabaa was also considered as a candidate but he turned this down.
As with regards to replacing the assassinated minister Pierre Gemayel, both his father Amine Gemayel and his brother Sami have turned down the offer to replace him. The other candidates that are being discussed are: Michel Khoury, former adviser to the former minister Pierre Gemayel , or former Minister Edmond Rizk and possibly others. The Phalange party , which is headed by former president Amine Gemayel may be meeting soon to discuss the issue.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt on Monday launched a veiled attack on France for seeking a settlement with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime over Lebanon's political crisis. "To some silly propagandists in the international community who ask for a settlement with the Syrian regime we say: The free Lebanese people would not have mercy on those who come in the name of democracy to prostrate to the Damascus tyrant. Regardless of changes in regional and international circumstances, Lebanon will not rest assured as long as this junta continues to rule Damascus."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
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.
Mauritanian police set up roadblocks near the Senegalese border Tuesday as they hunted the killers of four French tourists, security sources said. 
MMA Secretary-General and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman said the MMA would play a vital role for resolving the Kashmir and Palestine issues after coming into power, said a hand-out issued here on Monday. 
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt on Monday launched a veiled attack on France for seeking a settlement with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime over Lebanon's political crisis. "To some silly propagandists in the international community who ask for a settlement with the Syrian regime we say: The free Lebanese people would not have mercy on those who come in the name of democracy to prostrate to the Damascus tyrant. Regardless of changes in regional and international circumstances, Lebanon will not rest assured as long as this junta continues to rule Damascus." 
