KABUL - The UNs top envoy in Afghanistan on Sunday called on the Kabul government to release a local employee jailed for talking with Taleban representatives in a diplomatic row that caused the expulsion of two European diplomats.
"You two can go. But the pretty boy stays in jug!"
The Afghan government on Tuesday ordered two European diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours after accusing them of posing threats to countrys national security. Michael Semple, a senior official working for the EU mission in Afghanistan and Mervyn Patterson, a senior UN official, left the country on Thursday but their Afghan colleague who was arrested in connection with the same charges remains in prison.
Were certainly concerned that one consultant working for us is still in jail and well do everything to get him out, Tom Koenigs, the outgoing Special Representative of UN Secretary General told a press conference. Koenigs called the case as a misunderstanding and asked the Afghan government to release the jailed UN employee, about whom he gave no details.
The officials were alleged to have held talks with some Taleban militants in the Musa Qala district of southern Helmand province, which was retaken from Taleban militants earlier this month.
Aleem Siddique, a UN spokesman on Thursday admitted that the officials were talking to some local residence in the province about their needs and concerns. Siddique rejected any talks with Taleban, but said that the officials were there to talk to people who are favourable towards the government of Afghanistan and also talking to people who are less favourable towards the government of Afghanistan.
How less favorable?
However, Waheed Muzhda, a former official, who worked in foreign ministry during the Taleban time, said that the western officials had held meetings with several Taleban commanders including Mullah Mansoor Dadullah. According to my information, the two western diplomats had a meeting with some Taleban officials including Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, Muzhda said. Muzhdas assertions could not be independently verified.
However, Taleban fugitive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar has ordered the dismissal of Mullah Mansoor Dadullah in a statement posted on the rebel website. He was sacked on charges of disobeying the leaderships orders.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Perhaps Omar sacked Dadullah the Younger because he was consorting with the enemy. That would give the story a nice symmetry.
KHARTOUM - Sudan has arrested six members of the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) serving as observers with the African Union (AU) from an AU peacekeeping base, rebels said on Sunday. The move follows an attack by JEM on Suleia town in West Darfur on Saturday.
The six were monitors assigned to maintain contacts with the African Union, as part of a stalled ceasefire commission which also included Sudans army as well as other rebel groups to investigate truce violations. They were taken by the government in el-Fasher from inside the headquarters of the African Union base in front of their eyes, JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim told Reuters from Darfur. They (the AU) failed to protect them, he said.
AU is a real potent force, isn't it. Might as well bring in the mighty Uruguayans for all the good it will do.
A senior AU official confirmed the detentions and said discussions were under way with the Sudanese government on the situation.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Lawmakers from the Algerian Islamic political party of al-Nahda have asked the government to intervene to slow down "the activities of Christian missionaries in the country".
Algerian MP Muhammad Hudeibi was quoted as saying this in the local el-Khabar newspaper.
"We want the government to cut down this type of activity because the expansion of evangelisation in Algeria has become an important problem and is not marginal as some think it is," said Hudeibi.
For some years, the local media in Algeria have reported on the activities of a number of missionaries, particularly those from evangelical and Protestant churches, who have succeeded in converting entire Algerian families to Christianity, particularly those who come from the eastern area of Kabilia.
"We condemn the government's silence with regard to this phenomenon," said the Algerian MP. "We are collecting the signatures of other lawmakers in order to begin a discussion in parliament on this problem," he said.
"All 11 parliamentarians of al-Nahda have been mobilised, but we are convinced that others will also help us."
The Islamic party also asked the Algerian ulema or Islamic scholars and imams to give their opinion on the issue of Christian evangelism.
Looking for fatwas against the missionaries, are we?
#1
Concern that the missionaries are so successful against the Master Religion? Perhaps that's what's quieted the voice of moderate Muslims in that part of the world.
TUNIS - Two of the 30 Tunisians on trial for terrorism and plotting to overthrow their government have been sentenced to death and another eight to life imprisonment, a judicial source said Sunday. Seven other defendants on trial since November 20 were jailed for 30 years, while all the others received sentences of five to 20 years, the source said.
They had been accused of being members of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, now known as Al Qaeda in the Maghreb. Most of them were arrested after clashes with security forces in December 2006 and January 2007 which claimed 14 lives, including that of a policeman and a member of the security forces.
They were accused of planning to attack Tunisias central bank and a security zone. They were also charged with plotting against the security of the state, attempted attacks to subvert the regime, assassinations, possession of illegal weapons and membership of a terrorist group.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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The Kingdoms Cassation Court (appeals court) will hear the case of a Saudi imam who was jailed by a court in Hail. The imam allegedly threatened to kill the head of the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Hail. The head had suspended the imam from his duties for using anti-Western slogans in his sermons.
The ministry asked the imam several times to refrain from using political slogans but the imam was adamant and refused to obey. He was then summoned to the ministry and removed from his position.
After a quarrel with a ministry official and the failure by others to mediate and have the imam reinstated in his job, the imam sent death threats to the official on his cell phone. The official then filed a lawsuit against the imam at the religious court in Hail.
A reliable source reported that the imam kept arguing with the judge that it was legitimate in Islam to pray against the governments of certain Western countries. The source continued: When the judge asked him whether he was the sender of the death threats, he confessed and did not deny it. The judge then sentenced the imam to seven months in prison and 150 lashes.
The Cassation Court will either uphold the Hail courts ruling or ask for a retrial.
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Hammad, head of the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Hail, the receiver of the death threats, said the ministry was firm on monitoring the performance of imams. Among the large numbers of imams here, you will find some who do not follow guidelines, he told Arab News.
He said the ministry monitored the performance of imams through committees which submit reports. If and when an imam is seen to have indulged in any wrongdoing, he is summoned by the ministry. If the mistake is unintentional, he is warned and resumes his job. But if the wrongdoing is intentional, he is punished according to the level of the violation, Al-Hammad said.
He said punishment was gradual and could lead to the imams being removed from his job if he continued to disregard ministry guidelines.
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Prince Naif said that some mosques in the Kingdom were being used to send messages which violated their main purpose. The prince also said that some imams and khateebs (preachers) were not doing enough to discourage militancy among Saudi youth, including discouraging young Saudis from going to Iraq to fight alongside insurgents.
In June, Prince Naif held a meeting with imams and khateebs from all over the country and sought their support in fighting the ideology that had been used to recruit Saudi youth to Al-Qaeda. Asked if he felt there had been any progress since that meeting, the minister said: No, not at the level I would have hoped for.
Last year the Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced that 270 officials had been hired to monitor the performance of imams and khateebs. In addition, the ministry said some 203 technical teams regularly check architectural aspects of mosques. The report said there were 58,110 mosques in the Kingdom including 11,806 where Friday prayers are held.
Posted by: tipper ||
12/31/2007 08:50 ||
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#1
cut off his head and you might see that progress level improve
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2007 9:08 Comments ||
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#2
Insanity is NOT curable.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/31/2007 13:29 Comments ||
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#3
Miracles happen, RJ, but that's what they are--miracles.
Because, you know, Catholics are JUST LIKE Muslim terror-spewing imams.
Britain is lost.
Roman Catholic bishops are to appear in front of a powerful committee of MPs amid fears that they are pushing a fundamentalist brand of their religion in schools. Bishops have called on parents, teachers and priests to strengthen the role of religion in education. In one case the Bishop of Lancaster, Patrick O'Donoghue, instructed Catholic (note - CATHOLIC) schools across much of north-west England to stop 'safe-sex' education and place crucifixes in all classrooms.
He also wrote: 'Schools and colleges must not support charities or groups that promote or fund anti-life policies, such as Red Nose Day and Amnesty International, which now advocates abortion.'
In a 66-page document, O'Donoghue called on teachers to use science to teach about the 'truths of the faith', only mention sex within the 'sacrament of marriage', insist that contraception was wrong and emphasise natural family planning.
The Bishop of Leeds, Arthur Roche, sent a letter to parishes warning them that Catholic education was under threat following attempts by the local council to set up an inter-faith academy.
Barry Sheerman, chairman of the parliamentary cross-party committee on children, schools and families, said he had heard of other cases and felt that behind the scenes there was 'intense turmoil' about the future of Catholic education. 'A group of bishops appear to be taking a much firmer line and I think it would be useful to call representatives of the Catholic church in front of the committee to find out what is going on,' he said. 'It seems to me that faith education works all right as long as people are not that serious about their faith. But as soon as there is a more doctrinaire attitude questions have to be asked. It does become worrying when you get a new push from more fundamentalist bishops. This is taxpayers' money after all.'
Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield, asked to meet Roche about the possibility of setting up an inter-faith school in the area. 'The bishop took a long time to agree to meet and eventually we set a date in May,' said Sheerman. 'But just before we were due to meet - during the May elections - he had a letter read out in every parish church in Kirklees and Calderdale, a really big area, accusing politicians of trying to dilute Catholic education. He said Roman Catholic education was under threat.'
In Fit for Mission, the document written for schools in the Lancaster diocese, O'Donoghue wrote: 'The secular view on sex outside of marriage, artificial contraception, sexually transmitted disease, including HIV and Aids, and abortion, may not be presented as neutral information ... parents, schools and colleges must also reject the promotion of so-called "safe sex" or "safer sex", a dangerous and immoral policy based on the deluded theory that the condom can provide adequate protection against Aids.'
The bishop also called for any books containing polemics against the Catholic faith to be removed from school libraries. 'Under no circumstances should any outside authority or agency that is not fully qualified to speak on behalf of the Catholic church ever be allowed to speak to pupils or individuals on sexual or any other matter involving faith and morals,' he said.
The report has outraged non-religious groups, who accused the bishop of trying to 'indoctrinate' pupils. In a letter to Secretary of State Ed Balls, the National Secular Society wrote: 'What happened to a well-rounded education - which is what British state schools are supposed to provide?' Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the society, said: 'I do not think the state should be funding Catholic indoctrination.' He highlighted a poll released by the US group Catholics for a Free Choice showing that most Catholics across the world believed using condoms was pro-life because it prevented the spread of HIV and Aids.
Teachers expressed concern that the bishop's instructions could damage the health of teenagers who chose to become sexually active despite the church's teaching. 'Irrespective of the strongly held views of those in the Catholic faith, it is absolutely vital for the future of children's wellbeing, health and safety that they receive proper sex education,' said Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers. O'Donoghue said it was 'absolute rubbish' that what he was advocating was indoctrination.
#3
Of course these standards won't be applied to muslim mosques and imams who openly call for the overthrow of the government and imposition of sharia law.
#4
WHy are these press idiots qouting these people?
"US group Catholics for a Free Choice "
This is BS - these are all EX-Catholics who advocate homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, abortion, divorce, women priests, getting rid of the Pope, reducing the authority of Bishops, and all kinds of other things that are completely against nearly 20 centuries of Catholic Catechism.
The are as Catholic an organization as the Al Qaida is an organzation that promotes Judaism.
North Korea appeared set Monday to miss a year-end deadline to disable a key nuclear reactor and declare all its nuclear programs, key elements of its disarmament as agreed to in an international accord.
Boy, there's a surprise.
The U.S., Japan and South Korea expressed disappointment. But there was no indication that North Korea would immediately face any sanction suggesting countries involved in negotiating the agreement were reluctant to raise tensions after a year of progress in the long-standing dispute.
... diplomats have said the North is likely to miss the year-end deadline for disablement because a key step removing fuel rods from the reactor could take several months.
The communist country promised in October to disable its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, and give a full accounting of its nuclear programs by Dec. 31 in return for energy aid and political concessions. The North shut down the plutonium-producing facility in July and disablement work is under way in cooperation with U.S. experts.
But diplomats have said the North is likely to miss the year-end deadline for disablement because a key step removing fuel rods from the reactor could take several months. South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon has said there would also be problems in meeting the deadline for disclosure.
No one figured this out before now? C'mon, pull my other finger.
There was no immediate comment from North Korea on Monday. Last week, a North Korean official complained of delays in the delivery of economic aid and said the country would have no choice but to slow disablement.
And if that excuse wasn't handy, they'd come up with another one.
Song, however, downplayed the remarks and said the disablement work was going well.
The United States, which has said it was not aware of delays in delivering aid to the North, criticized the country's failure to disclose its nuclear programs. "It is unfortunate that North Korea never meets has not yet met its commitments by providing a complete and correct declaration of its nuclear programs and slowing down the process of disablement," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Sunday. "We urge North Korea to deliver a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear weapons programs and proliferation activities and complete the agreed disablement," he said.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry pressed the North as well. "Our government urges North Korea to faithfully declare all nuclear programs at an early date and complete disablement steps without delay," the ministry said in a statement.
Oh yaaaasssss, 'urge' and 'press' them! That's worked so well in the past.
Japan also expressed regret that the North appeared set to miss the deadline, and urged the regime to declare its nuclear programs immediately. "North Korea must provide a complete and accurate declaration of all its nuclear programs at the earliest possible date, and make swift and solid progress in disabling its three nuclear facilities at Yongbyon," Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Monday.
Reasons for the delay in declaring the nuclear programs appear related in part to the country's suspected uranium enrichment program. Song has said that more consultation was required on the alleged program. I'll bet the threat of a 2000# JDAM being dropped on Kimmie's head would pop that fuel right out of that reactor and a copy of NorK's "complete and correct" declaration sitting on ElBadaguy's desk in the morning.
#3
I get the feling we need to fire ALL "negotiators" (Our side) and send someone who says "By thursday, or vapor cloud" AND THEN DO IT, once should be enough to put this crap to a permanent stop.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/31/2007 14:00 Comments ||
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#4
I wonder what the conversation will look like after the newly elected, conservative Prime Minister takes office.
A pair of U.S. lawmakers visited the Syrian capital on Sunday in an attempt to persuade the Arab state to make peace with Israel and woo it from the Iranian sphere of influence. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) visited Syria after a trip to neighboring Israel, which gave its blessing to the lawmakers' mediation effort.
Israel hopes to draw the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad out of its alliances with Iran, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, all of which oppose the Jewish state.
Specter said he hoped U.S. intervention would revive a dormant dialogue between Syria and Israel. "The time is right now, and prospects are very good," Specter told reporters Sunday on his 16th visit to Syria since 1984. "The parties will continue talks through intermediaries, and it's my hope and expectation at some point, if preliminary progress has been made, the U.S. government would be ready too."
Still, Syrian officials voiced doubt that much would come out of the mediation effort as long as there is no movement on the issue of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War. "Syria will appreciate any positive act to push for resumption of the peace process, but going into the details of the negotiations will need a different process," said a Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is no point of a peace process on the Israeli-Syrian track if the occupied Golan Heights are not guaranteed back."
Another possible irritant in the relations is an Israeli airstrike against an unspecified military target deep inside Syria in September.
Specter told reporters that he came in part to convey messages, gleaned from conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other officials, to Assad and his deputies, including Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. He told reporters that he would convey Syrian responses to Washington and Israeli officials along with his "sense of what should happen next."
He said that Israel understands that any peace treaty with Syria must include a return of the Golan Heights. "I am confident that Olmert wants to have a peace treaty with Syria and he is ready to do what is necessary in a reciprocal arrangement to get it done," the senator told reporters.
Posted by: ryuge ||
12/31/2007 07:12 ||
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#1
Did they wear their hijabs?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2007 7:19 Comments ||
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#2
Arlen Specter and Patrick Kennedy?
Dumb abd Dumber
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2007 7:37 Comments ||
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#3
Will Patches be driving? Full bottle of Ambien just in case?
#8
We can always hope they won't come back to the USA again.(In one piece)
Stupidity should bear a heavy price, that it doesn't is the source of many, many, problems here.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/31/2007 14:09 Comments ||
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#9
Israel, which gave its blessing to the lawmakers' mediation effort.
#2
No matter how much you despise CAIR at least some of this lawsuit seems to me like a steamy pile of horseshit.
Yes, he may have a point about unauthorized use of clips and a few other points and, perhaps, he hopes to get something on CAIR during discovery but a lot of this is 'over the top'.
#5
mhw: please cite what you think is over the top about Savage v. CAIR. I read the original complaint and the amended complaint alleging violations of RICO (available at the Savage website). It struck me as straight forward.
You say "perhaps" Savage "hopes" to get somethiong on CAIR during discovery. I say damn right he does. That's the beauty of his lawsuit.
CAIR has a track record of suing the little guy and then bailing out by dismissing the lawsuit if CAIR starts to get asked questions they don't want to answer under oath through the discovery process (deposition/interrogatories etc). See for example CAIR v. Anti-CAIR. CAIR had the power to dismiss or settle since they were the Plaintiff.
The beauty of Savage's lawsuit is that SAVAGE is Plaintiff and will decide when or if to dismiss (unless pitched out by the trial judge which decision would go up on appeal real quick). Do not bank on Savage dismissing the lawsuit short of trial unless he is satisfied he gets if not all of what he wants. He wants to burn CAIR - a front organization for islamic jihad.
What is especially interesting about the lawsuit is that it has been amended to include the allegations of CAIR violating RICO. RICO can be used in the civil realm. Do you hear the sound of a squealling pig in the background? That's CAIR reaction to the RICO amendments.
This is the first time I am aware of a civil lawsuit being lodged against CAIR. CAIR has to play defense instead of playing offense. This case will take years to play out but it will play out. Meanwhile it will be fascinating to watch.
Savage is performing a civic servise to the American people. He deserves your unqualified support.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
12/31/2007 11:17 Comments ||
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#6
One of basis of the Savage RICO statement is that CAIR uses the funds raised in racketeering to support hidden activities. But what is the racketeering activity that raises funds? The funds CAIR gets from membership are close to zero. The funds they get from corporate sponsorship are close to zero. They get some funds from willing terrorist supporters (e.g., Saudi nationals living in the US) but these people knowingly are providing the funds - in fact these Saudi nationals are probably dictating to CAIR what stuff to fund.
If CAIR is guilty of racketeering on the basis that their funds are for an ideological purpose, then two thirds of the .org groups in this country are similarly guilty.
#7
Gotta love Michael Savage. I hope he cleans them out. He's been saying for years that RICO should be used against the ACLU. Maybe in his next suit he'll go after them. Fun stuff.
#8
More on CAIR from Steve Emerson. Also, CAIR was the (anemic) Elephant in the Room of the Holyland Foundation Trial, readying for Part Deux in 2008. I'd say RICO would not be out of bounds here. Of course, just my opinion. I could be wrong.
#9
mhw: You say that "2/3rds" of all .org groups in this country could be similarily situated as is CAIR. You say that as though it's a bad thiong. I for one think that those groups that advocate the violent or peaceful overthrow of the USA Constitution should be exposed. I don't give a damn if the group "advocates" the peaceful overthrown of the US Constitution. I want those groups exposed.
You don't? You think they should get a pass? Explain.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
12/31/2007 13:59 Comments ||
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#10
I'm no Lawyer but i do remember CAIR bailing on cases when discovery was pressed against them before.. let's hope Michael has some good legal uderpinning and some extra support for his case.
CAIR too may have cleaned up their tracks enough by now that discovery may reveal little of use.
Even as more and more militants are imprisoned around the world often by governments with records of conducting extreme interrogations the prisoners are managing to gain a kind of crude leverage over security officials who are struggling to figure out how to handle them.
Draconian, or even strict, treatment of radical inmates can lead to prison unrest and public condemnation, particularly in countries with sizable Muslim populations. At the same time, officials fear that militants given free rein are more likely to turn prisons into prime grounds for radicalization and recruiting.
More than any time in the modern history of terrorism, the prisons have become a key front in the war on terror, Dennis Pluchinsky, a former senior intelligence analyst at the State Department, wrote in a report for the United States government earlier this year.
He estimated that there were 5,000 jihadi inmates and detainees worldwide, not counting those held in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that only 15 percent had received life sentences or the death penalty, meaning the rest would eventually be set free.
Here in Morocco, across the Arab world and in European countries like Spain and France, there is a growing realization that catching and convicting militants is hardly the end of the problem. Many are getting sentences of only a few years, and Arab governments continue to release hundreds every year through mass pardons aimed at quelling fundamentalist Islamic movements.
Last April, a meeting in Morocco on radicalization of Islamic prisoners drew representatives of 21 countries. There is some confusion as to how, in overcrowded and underfinanced prison systems, you deal with these special case prisoners, said a British official who helped run the meeting, who spoke anonymously, citing normal diplomatic strictures. British officials acknowledge that they erred in the early 1980s when they gave Irish Republican Army prisoners their own cellblock, only to see them carry out fatal hunger strikes that won public support. But the authorities say militant Islamic inmates are even more sophisticated.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
12/31/2007 02:45 ||
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#1
They could opt to treat them as illegal armed combatants under the Geneva Conventions... and either send them to Guantanamo Bay or shoot them.
Pakistan police has been alerted that Al Qaeda might target close aides of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto. District police chiefs in Punjab province were directed to take steps to counter Al Qaeda's plans to target Bhutto's top aides, including her security advisor Rehman Malik, police sources were quoted as saying by Geo news channel.
The sources also said Al Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban groups had been directed to target retired judge Syed Ibn Ali, a PPP candidate for next month's general election, and his son.
Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide attacker after an election rally in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The Pakistan government blamed Al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud for carrying out the attack but Mehsud has denied involvement in her assassination.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed on Sunday to "consider" international help for a probe into the death of Benazir Bhutto in a conversation with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Downing Street said.
Brown spoke to Musharraf on Sunday, after a previous call on Friday, and stressed the need to hold the January 8 election on time, Brown's office said. "The Prime Minister underlined the need to push ahead with the democratic process and to avoid any significant delays to the electoral timetable," a Downing Street spokesman said. "The Prime Minister also reinforced the UK's offer of an extension to our already significant counter-terrorism cooperation.
"Potential international support to the Pakistani investigation into the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto was also raised, with both sides agreeing to consider this suggestion further."
Pakistan's interior ministry has ruled out international help, saying that the world community "does not understand the environment" in the country.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband pledged on Saturday that the British government would make "full resources" available to Pakistan to help with the investigation into Bhutto's death.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
My money's on the fine investigators from Haiti, Zim and mebbe South Africa. Yeh, dat's da ticket...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2007 7:21 Comments ||
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AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on Monday said that the security situation in Tamil Nadu was turning out to be 'alarming' as "the LTTE is now attempting to establish a base" for its operations in the state due to its military setback in Sri Lanka.
There was an 'alarming situation' in the state, where all political parties except the AIADMK were "prepared to roll out a red carpet" for the banned organisation, she told reporters here at the party headquarters. "Given the Centre's support for the state government here, only God can save Tamil Nadu," she said.
The banned outfit was looking for a base in the state as it was becoming weak in Sri Lanka following attacks by the military and also since the Tamil Nadu Government was "weak and there is no maintenance of law and order," she said. "Only I, a popular strong political leader, fully oppose the LTTE, while every party of any consequence is ready to welcome it to Tamil Nadu," she claimed.
While the police and the state government had warned of strict action against those supporting the LTTE, on the other pro-LTTE rallies and meetings were being allowed, she said.
She also alleged that smuggling of goods and materials for the LTTE had become a routine affair. When pointed out that National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Army's Lt Gen Nobel Thamburaj had denied the presence of LTTE in the state, she said: "This is the sorry state of affairs. People holding responsible positions are hiding the truth for transient political benefits and are showing scant regard for law and order," she alleged.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Newly appointed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and husband of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that the PPP wants to contest the general elections on January 8.
In a press conference in Naudero, he called on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif not to boycott the polls. We are thankful to the PML-N for announcing to boycott the elections but we ask them to end the boycott and contest the elections, so as not to leave the field open for the PML-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), Zardari said.
The decision to participate in the polls was made earlier in a closed-door meeting of the partys central executive committee (CEC). Party officials told reporters that Benazirs 19-year-old son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, had been appointed the new PPP chairman. It has been decided that Bilawal will be the chairman and Mr Zardari will be co-chairman, a party official said.
Successor in will: PPP Vice Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said Benazir had named Zardari as her successor in her will, adding that since Zardari had excused himself, Bilawal was named chairman following the partys CEC meeting.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The actual press photo of him was even more embarassing...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2007 7:22 Comments ||
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The PML-N will take part in the elections scheduled for January 8, after earlier saying it would boycott, two party spokesmen told AFP on Sunday. A PML-N spokesman said the decision was taken after PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari asked party chief Nawaz Sharif to participate. Separately, Nawaz told the Voice of America that his party had announced the boycott as a gesture of solidarity with the PPP. Since the latter had decided to participate, he said, the PML-N Central Executive Committee would meet on Monday (today) to decide if it should follow suit.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Security agencies have prepared a plan to eliminate local Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, ARY channel reported on Sunday. The government blamed the December 27 suicide attack on former premier Benazir Bhutto on Baitullah Mehsud, head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a newly formed coalition of Islamic militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border believed to be linked to Al Qaeda.
TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud has denied any role in this regard, saying it is against tribal traditions to kill a woman. To this, Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (r) Javed Cheema said, Baitullah may deny his involvement in the murder, but we have solid evidences that he was behind the killing.
According to the channel, the plan will be implemented after the government gives a go-ahead in this regard. The channel quoted Interior Ministry sources as saying that the security agencies had prepared a plan to kill Baitullah after getting evidence about his involvement in the assassination. The operation would be carried out in South Waziristan, North Waziristan and certain other tribal areas, the channel said. Earlier, the government had also blamed Baitullah for the suicide attack on Benazirs reception rally in Karachi on October 18 in which around 160 people were killed. Baitullah also denied that charge. Baitullah formed the TTP to enforce Sharia and do defensive jihad against the Pakistan Army.
This article starring:
BAITULLAH MEHSUD
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
Javed Cheema
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Front page announcement "Gov't Gives Go to Splatter Meshud" Curly toed slippers smokin' on the run for the Afghan border...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2007 7:24 Comments ||
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#2
...it is against tribal traditions to kill a woman.
Western diplomats told Los Angeles Times, according to a report published on Sunday, that they found the Pakistani government statements on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto worrying in their wider implications. Its not only that this is not a credible account of what happened thats obvious on the face of it, said a diplomat familiar with security matters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"In fact, it don't make no sense at all! Those people are crazy!"
He was commenting on the governments changing version of the assassination, which, in its third take attributed Benazirs death to a head injury suffered as she fell through the opening of the vehicle she was in.
In the fourth take they'll blame it on a fall in the tub.
An eager govt: A Western diplomat told the newspaper, Its that it raises questions about why the government is so extraordinarily eager to avoid acknowledging the role of a gunman, whether or not the wounds were fatal. At the very least, its puzzling.
That's a polite way of saying their statements amount to nonsense.
Several analysts said the use of a handgun in addition to explosives is a departure for militant groups in Pakistan.
The use of a Walther P99 pistol is a departure as well
This is not by any means a signature killing by Al Qaeda, security analyst Nasim Zehra told the Los Angeles Times, A targeted shooting, even in combination with a familiar suicide bombing, makes it look more like a political killing than one by some militant group.
Columnist Ikram Sehgal said, Obviously, they were studying her movements in the course of the political campaign. Inside the rally, it was relatively secure; her problem was entering and leaving. She was highly vulnerable at that time. It was done very professionally. It was a hit. That degree of professionalism suggests to some experts the hand of Pakistans security apparatus, which has previously aided and abetted militant groups, including the Taliban, according to the newspapers correspondent who filed the report from Pakistan.
Also quoted was security analyst Ayesha Siddiqa, The agencies have ongoing connections with the militants. Its very simplistic to talk about the militants doing this and doing that, all the while acting alone.
This article starring:
Ayesha Siddiqa
Ikram Sehgal
Nasim Zehra
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Sunday that Asif Ali Zardaris press conference was against the expectations of the nation. He told reporters at his residence that Zardari should have learnt a lesson from the past, adding that Zardari had dishonoured the founder of the nation after calling the title of the PML-Q murderer. He said the PML-Q had always promoted political tolerance. Zardari should have recalled the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s past of murdering political opponents before levelling baseless allegations, he said.
This article starring:
Asif Ali Zardari
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
More empathy needed here, Chaudhry! The Man's beloved wife has just been blown out of existence, he's understandably hot!! Give him some time to absorb the shock before throwing barbs; It's like asking a family member of one of the near 3,000 to reach out to Muslims 48 hours after 9/11; 'won't happin capt'n'!
The hunt for the killers of Benazir Bhutto became mired in bitter controversy yesterday over a dispute between her supporters and political opponents about how she met her death. The two sides cannot agree whether she was shot or suffered fatal blast injuries. The dispute could influence the future direction of two inquiries announced yesterday by the Pakistani government.
Any evidence that a lone suicide bomber carried out the attack would support the government's assertion that al-Qaeda was responsible; proof that shots were fired would fuel the suspicion of many within Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) that elements within the Pakistani state were to blame.
Meanwhile, with outbreaks of disorder continuing in several cities, and large parts of the country paralysed because transport workers, storekeepers and bank staff are too terrified to leave their homes, there was no sign last night that investigators were any closer to bringing the killers to justice.
Posted by: lotp ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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IRAQI Sunni tribal and political leaders singled out as "traitors" by Osama bin Laden have hit back, accusing the Al-Qaeda chief of being un-Islamic and mocking him as being weak.
"Bin Laden's statement doesn't affect us - he is making these threats from a position of weakness," said Sheikh Khalid Shahudh, a senior member of the Awakening Council in western Anbar province which came in for particular censure from the Western world's most wanted man.
Bin Laden, in a 56-minute tape released late Saturday, warned Sunni Muslims in Iraq not to take up arms against the terror network, saying those who did were "traitors". Those fighting Al-Qaeda, known as "Awakening" councils, have "betrayed the nation and brought shame and scandal, that will be followed by damnation forever unless they repent," he said.
Along with Awakening members, especially those in Anbar where the movement first began, bin Laden also rejected supporters of the Islamic Party of Iraq, a Sunni faction led by Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, as "traitors to Islam".
Sheikh Shahudh said bin Laden's threats carried no weight. "Al-Qaeda has no more power in Anbar province," he said. "The Awakening is now operating all across Iraq and involving all sects. We will continue chasing Al-Qaeda. We have no enemies except Al-Qaeda. The Americans are not our enemy anymore. Our forces will deal exclusively with Al-Qaeda. We will hunt them until we get rid of the last element."
The Awakening Council in central Salaheddin province, in a statement, accused bin Laden and his followers of being un-Islamic. "What the loyalists of bin Laden do contradicts Islamic principles and its moral standards," the council said. "Bin Laden should order his followers to stop targeting Iraqis ... he must apologise to Iraqis that have been harmed by Al-Qaeda's heinous crimes."
Abdul Karim al-Samarraie, a member of parliament for the Islamic Party, said the party did not wish to respond to bin Laden's comments as it would "give him legitimacy". "The message of Al-Qaeda has collapsed in Iraq because of their terrorist actions. All Iraqi people are turning against them and kicking them out. Iraqis have tasted the pain of their actions," Mr Samarraie said.
#1
It is probably time for AQ to martyr Binny - have him be killed in some 'glorious' attack. Of course it will have to be one that leaves no recognizable remains, and it assumes they still have some DNA bits and a tall sap to strap them to.
#2
Bin Laden is a joke in the Islamic world now. They still think he was a good guy at attempting to spread Jihad, but think he is way past his prime and should retire martyr himself and pass the torch.
Many (maybe most) of the people in the Islamic world only believe what their tribal leaders or religious leaders tell them. Many of those folk tell them that OBL is either winning in Iraq or, at least, defending the innocent Moslems from infidels.
When Al Jazeera has panel discussions on Iraq, the line up is typically, 1 Iraqi who is ambivalent and 4 Arabists who spend their time talking about non existant atrocities (in some sense this is kind of like The View).
#5
I'd be suprised if Darth's point were true. B'Laden did pull off their biggest ever "success" and has eluded the West since. Even if AQ has been too heavy handed -- look at how many in the west have warm feelings towards mafia dons (or characters like in Puzo's Sicilian). Note how Che is glorified. I think B'Ladens legend will only grow over time in that twisted world.
Posted by: Captain Lewis ||
12/31/2007 8:58 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Outstanding! Demostrates that for once a people when confronted by two alternatives, can choose wisely.
There is a moral high ground and binny is left looking up.
#9
I recall reading some time ago that a big problem the Iraqis have with the rest of the ummah is that not one country so much as spoke out against the Ba'athist atrocities, and not one has since been supportive of post-invasion Iraq's struggles against Al Qaeda. I would think much of the Muslim world still makes Osama bin Laden a hero -- witness the amusing little trolls who post here occasionally -- which is why the the Saudi prince Naif still has to have vocally pro-jihadi imams whipped.
News so good even the Los Angeles Times can't ignore it.
AGHDAD -- Capt. Amy Cronin never had a pet. Before deploying to Iraq, she didn't even really know much about animals.
But in 15 months, Cronin and her unit, the 15th Brigade Support Battalion, have gone from providing logistics and supplies to U.S. troops to helping refurbish an animal clinic, building horse stables and constructing new habitats for bears and porcupines at the Baghdad Zoo. "It's really satisfying," said Cronin, 28, from Boiling Springs, Pa. "Typically support soldiers don't get to interact with Iraqis as much as infantry would. And this gives me the satisfaction of seeing the direct results of my work."
That has included projects to resuscitate the zoo, in a lush 3-square-mile park in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which also includes the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition forces, the Iraqi parliament and other key administrative buildings. It used be among the largest animal sanctuaries in the Middle East.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I recall stories of troops finding emaciated tigers and other animals when they first entered the zoo.
And the NYSlimes really can't confirm why they call that Black Lab the "American Dog"? Hopefully the thinking has evolved from an insult to a joke.
#2
If you are interested there is history on this, the original zoo rescue was done by my father Lawrence Anthony a South African with the help of individual US soldiers during the coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003. He received the United Nations Earth Day medal for what he did and wrote a popular book Babylon's Ark. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon's_Ark
Thanks
(KUNA) -- The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, refuted statements by Interior Minister Abdul Razzaq Al-Yahya that the brigades are dissolved. The brigades said they are still determined not to step back an inch as they counter the Israeli forces' violations against the rights of defenseless Palestinians. The concerned statement also cautioned of grave consequences should group operatives or elements be attacked, and condemned meaningless and futile meetings with the Israelis.
Minister Al-Yahya had told Voice of Palestine his government was working to dissolve militant groups, including Al-Aqsa brigades. He also said the Salam Fayyadh government is working to restore law and order in Palestinian territories and to curb unlicensed possession of arms. The government started to execute the plan in the city of Nablus, which is facing great security challenge. Fayyadh visits the city frequently to monitor progress of security operations.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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Over a thousand Palestinian pilgrims trapped in Egypt boarded buses on Sunday taking them to temporary camps in the northern Sinai Peninsula until authorities decide where they will cross into the Gaza Strip, a security official said.
They want to cross into Gaza through Rafah, which is outside Israeli control. The Palestinians arrived in the Egyptian port city of Nuweiba in southern Sinai on Saturday after completing their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia but have resisted Egypt's attempts to have them return to Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Aouja border crossing. Some of the pilgrims are members of the radical Islamic group Hamas, which seized Gaza in June, and they fear Israel will arrest them if they return through Aouja.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
... taking them to temporary camps in the northern Sinai Peninsula...
Closely followed by ambulance chasers officials from the UNRWA looking for their next junket.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/31/2007 7:51 Comments ||
Top||
#2
They are the ones Debka sez have suitcases full of cash compliments of Uncle Short Round.
Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Sunday called for the murder of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad for "collaboration" with Israel and the US. This was the first time the group has openly called for Fayad's assassination. In the past, the group distributed leaflets strongly condemning Fayad and calling for his dismissal.
Fayad has been under heavy criticism from some Fatah leaders and activists, who accuse him of denying them public funds and plotting to undermine Fatah's grip on power. Other Fatah leaders have also accused Fayad of seeking to consolidate his power with the hope of replacing Mahmoud Abbas as PA president.
The threat was made in a leaflet distributed by the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip. Some Fatah officials in Ramallah sought to distance themselves from the threat, claiming that the leaflet had been forged. They even went as far as accusing Hamas of being behind it.
"The command of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip calls on all its elements and striking forces in the West Bank to immediately eliminate the so-called Salaam Fayad," the leaflet said. It claimed that Fayad's Ramallah-based government was working for Israel and the US.
Calling on Abbas to fire the Fayad government, the leaflet criticized Fayad for cutting off the salaries of many Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip. It also attacked him for allowing the PA security forces in Bethlehem to hand over to Israel three Israelis who had entered the city on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the PA claimed that Friday's attack near Hebron, in which two Israelis were killed, was "criminally motivated." PA Information Minister Riad al-Malki told reporters in Ramallah that he was not ruling out the possibility that the attack was the result of a "dispute" between arms dealers, hinting that the victims had come to sell weapons to their assailants.
PA security officials in Hebron repeated the claim, arguing that there was no evidence that the attack had been carried out for other reasons. At least three groups have claimed responsibility for the attack - Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Over the weekend, the IDF arrested a number of Fatah members in Hebron on suspicion of involvement in the attack.
#2
Unless Fayad hangs out near Day Care Centers, Elementry Schools, or a Jewish grocery store he has nothing to fear from the "Aksa Martyrs Brigades" (sic).
Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has hinted that Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran might have been killed in the air raid on his bunker on Nov 26. "Our intelligence sources believe that he (Prabhakaran) was seriously injured or killed. It is obvious that the LTTE will not divulge this for a long period," Rajapaksa told government-run Sunday Observer.
He discounted the validity of the pictures put out by the LTTE of Prabhakaran delivering his annual Heroes Day address over TV and radio on November 27, a day after he was supposedly injured or killed in an air raid. "The LTTE can also publish pictures but (the pictures) do not give any indication that he is alive, until he comes for a public meeting," Rajapaksa said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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In the past few weeks UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) forces in South Lebanon have heightened supervision of bridges and passages over the Litani River to deter Hezbollah from moving weapons from the North to the South, particularly in areas bordering Israel.
Whoa. And it's only been a year and a half. It's the modern day version of "Caesar speed."
UN forces say UNIFIL commander Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano of Italy believes the forces under his control are preventing the entry of heavy weapons into South Lebanon. Israeli officials fear that Lebanon's political instability- the country has not had a president since November 23- will contribute to a renewal of Hezbollah's power.
For several months Hezbollah has been rebuilding itself, especially in the area north of the Litani. New medium- and long-range rocket units have been digging into positions and bases created in this area. The organization makes no secret of the fact that it wants to be able to move freely south of the river as well, as reflected in the major exercise it held a few months ago. Despite Hezbollah's boasts to the effect that the exercise proved that its military might was restored, Israeli sources stress that it was a command exercise only, without the participation of field units.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Pull the other one, boys - that leg's gettin' tired.
Iran is willing to assist Egypt in developing the technology to produce nuclear energy, Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's National Security Council, said on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Larijani said that such assistance would be given under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Referring to Iran's nuclear program, Larijani said the UN Security Council was wrong in its continued discussion of the issue, and added that the US had no excuse to continue to pursue the subject.
America and the West must accept the fact that Iran has achieved nuclear technology, and take a reasonable stance on the issue, he said, stating that Iran and the IAEA had signed binding agreements on nuclear development and Iran remained committed to these agreements.
Larijani said that Egypt and Iran had an important role to play in bringing peace and security to the region, calling the two countries' relations warm and strong. He further said that his country was interested in good relations with Arab countries, adding that Teheran was adamant on cooperation with these nations in order to confront the common challenges and dangers faced "by all Muslims."
Larijani's statements joined those of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who on Saturday said his country too would be prepared to help Egypt develop nuclear technology for its energy requirements. The French president told the Egyptian al-Ahram newspaper that it was "natural" for Egypt to draw up plans for building nuclear power plants due to the country's large energy needs. Sarkozy said that France was ready to work together with Egypt on such a program, saying that France had "all the necessary experience and expertise" required.
Posted by: lotp ||
12/31/2007 00:00 ||
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#3
well, that, and their political/economic/social/cultural/religious/educational backwardness. But if they had nuke power, that would be sweeeeet, and they'd have that going for them, which is nice
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2007 21:36 Comments ||
Top||
#4
And don't forget respect, Commodore Frank. Without nuclear power, they can't get no respect.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/31/2007 21:46 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Respect, yep, can't forget that....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2007 21:51 Comments ||
Top||
It has been accused of playing a role in arming Shia militia in Iraq and threatened with being labelled a terrorist organisation by the US, but Irans Revolutionary Guard the countrys elite military force believes that domestic security threats represent a much greater danger to the country than the international crisis surrounding its nuclear programme. Mohammad-Ali Jafari, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, said shortly after he took his new job in September: The main mission of the guards is currently fighting domestic threats and in case there is a foreign threat we will join the [conventional] army.
To that end he has embarked on a so-called structural reform in the guards, part of which is to integrate the Basij Resistance Force the 12.5m-strong volunteer force which had operated as a separate arm of the Guards more closely into its operations. Located in 70,000 bases in government organisations, mosques and universities, Basij members, the eyes and ears of the Islamic republic, act as pitbulls custodians of the 1979 revolution. Their influence in the recruitment into the organisations where they are based means they are viewed by some as intimidating forces.
Whatever could give 'some' that impression?
Every dictatorship needs its SA ...
Mr Jafari has taken overall responsibility for the Basij, having removed the former head of the force. He hopes it will almost double in strength to 20m members in the next decade although analysts say that at the moment just 3m are military-trained.
The 125,000-strong IRGC consist of land, naval and air forces and two separate arms the Basij unit and Quds Brigade. The latter is comprised of a few thousand well-trained forces involved in overseas operations. But the backbone of the IRGC is its land force.
In democratic countries this is all done by a professional military ...
Supporting a stronger role for the Basij, Kayhan newspaper, a mouthpiece for fundamentalists, last month said: The biggest threats against the future of the regime from now on have a soft nature in which domestic players have a key role. Hosein Taeb, a deputy head of Basij, lists the threats as a velvet revolution, political invasion and penetration into the ruling system [a clear reference to reformists].
This year, the regime has arrested hundreds of students, feminists, NGO activists, academics, teachers and labourers for taking part in rallies or for allegedly having links with opponents of the regime outside the country. Many have been released but the arrests have created an intimidating atmosphere.
A greater role for the Revolutionary Guard in the Basij has led some to fear a fresh clampdown on internal dissent. Going under the direct command of Mr Jafari will probably include more training on how to monitor and curb domestic unrest.
Iran also faces separatist moves by Kurds, Arabs, Baluchis and to a lesser extent Azeris in border provinces. Iran has accused the US of being behind some ethnic unrest.
Yup, we done it. Keep checking the New York Times for progress ...
Warning that threats against the Islamic regime have become more complicated and extensive than before, Mr Jafari has said that the change in the Basij is backed by Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is chief commander of armed forces and has the last say in state affairs.
There are threats everywhere, even where there are no threats. Have to stay vigilant. Of course this means that the final promises of the glorious revolution to the masses has to be postponed, but that can't be helped ...
[The] supreme leader has concerns for the future of this country, while he doesnt trust urban forces [groups seeking social change], intellectuals and technocrats, said one analyst. He has pinned his hopes on two forces: the masses for who he has prescribed social justice and the revolutionary guards who are his means to carry out his policies and foil threats.
Fundamentalists believe some reformists behave as the fifth column for the enemy inside the country and have to be banned from any political activity, including forthcoming parliamentary elections in March.
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.
KHARTOUM - Sudan has arrested six members of the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) serving as observers with the African Union (AU) from an AU peacekeeping base, rebels said on Sunday. The move follows an attack by JEM on Suleia town in West Darfur on Saturday.
TUNIS - Two of the 30 Tunisians on trial for terrorism and plotting to overthrow their government have been sentenced to death and another eight to life imprisonment, a judicial source said Sunday. Seven other defendants on trial since November 20 were jailed for 30 years, while all the others received sentences of five to 20 years, the source said.
North Korea appeared set Monday to miss a year-end deadline to disable a key nuclear reactor and declare all its nuclear programs, key elements of its disarmament as agreed to in an international accord. 
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed on Sunday to "consider" international help for a probe into the death of Benazir Bhutto in a conversation with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Downing Street said. 
Newly appointed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and husband of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that the PPP wants to contest the general elections on January 8.
Security agencies have prepared a plan to eliminate local Taliban leader 
Its not only that this is not a credible account of what happened thats obvious on the face of it, said a diplomat familiar with security matters, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President 
(KUNA) -- The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, refuted statements by Interior Minister Abdul Razzaq Al-Yahya that the brigades are dissolved. The brigades said they are still determined not to step back an inch as they counter the Israeli forces' violations against the rights of defenseless Palestinians. The concerned statement also cautioned of grave consequences should group operatives or elements be attacked, and condemned meaningless and futile meetings with the Israelis.
Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has hinted that Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran might have been killed in the air raid on his bunker on Nov 26. "Our intelligence sources believe that he (Prabhakaran) was seriously injured or killed. It is obvious that the LTTE will not divulge this for a long period," Rajapaksa told government-run Sunday Observer. 
It has been accused of playing a role in arming Shia militia in Iraq and threatened with being labelled a terrorist organisation by the US, but Irans Revolutionary Guard the countrys elite military force believes that domestic security threats represent a much greater danger to the country than the international crisis surrounding its nuclear programme. 
