[Tolo News] President Karzai's ambiguous comments will face Afghanistan with a lot of challenges, Opposition Leader Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... said on Thursday.
Leader of the Change and Hope Coalitin Dr Abdullah Abdullah criticises President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabanni in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... of hesitating to condemn the Taliban and says President Karzai's ambiguous comments do not suit a modern leadership.
Pointing to the experiences of the Middle East leaders, Abdullah said leaders who do not address demands of their nations and are totalitarian will face similar fates.
Calling for political change in Afghanistan, Mr Abdullah urges the government to involve Afghans in major political decisions.
Afghanistan's Caped President Karzai has recently said that the Taliban leadership should speak up and make it clear if the one (Zabihullah Mujahid) who introduces himself as its front man is really representing them.
"If Zabihullah Mujahid is not representing the Taliban, then the Taliban leadership should speak out and say he doesn't represent them," said Mr Karzai at a recent presser in Kabul.
Zabihullah Mujahid is the one regularly claiming responsibility for bombings and other bully boy attacks on behalf of the Taliban.
"It means if someone else appears as Taliban's front man and the Taliban leadership suddenly claim that Zabihullah Mujahid is not representing the group, then President Karzai would think that the Taliban have committed no crimes," Dr Abdullah told a news conference on Thursday.
The Afghan people have faced more challenges during the recent years, which Dr Abdullah believes are caused by people's marginalisation and lack of respect to the country's laws.
But an Afghan writer and researcher, Akram Arefi, is of the opinion that Afghanistan has never experience freedom and democracy.
"If we look back at history, Afghans have never witnessed a system based on freedom and democracy," said Mr Arefi.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] Neighbouring countries have brought Afghanistan under economic siege, Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) said on Thursday.
Pakistain is creating more transit hurdles fro Afghan traders, and Afghanistan's neigbours do not allow Afghan traders to import cost-effective goods to the country, ACCI says.
ACCI expressed concern over transit challenges from Pakistain, Iran and Uzbekistan.
While around 6,000 containers of Afghan merchandise are still stranded in Bloody Karachi port city, ACCI believes Afghanistan should stop using this port and also block transit of Pakistain merchandise through Afghan soil.
ACCI calls transit restrictions by Iran and Uzbekistan unacceptable and urges the Afghan government to find a solution.
"We call on the Afghan government to be serious and treat Pak traders the way Afghan traders are treated by Pakistain," Head of ACCI, Khanjan Alokozai, told TOLOnews.
ACCI believes that Iran and Pakistain are imposing transit limitations on Afghans to prevent import of cost-effective goods from other countries in an attempt to increase their own exports to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan still has a long way to reach self-sustainability as it imports even basic materials from its neighbours in particular Iran and Pakistain.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabanni in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... has rejected a proposal by Afghan politicians to terminate the Special Electoral Tribunal that was established at his order to put an end to Afghan parliamentary poll disputes.
A number of politicians and the parliament speaker reportedly held a meeting with President Karzai asking him to dissolve the special tribunal, but President Karzai rejected their call.
President Karzai said he was urged by Head of Supreme Court to stop meddling in the work of judicial organisations, the politicians said.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, an Afghan MP, who was leading the talks with President Karzai said Head of the Supreme Court suggested three options to the parliamentarians, but did not elaborare further.
Mr Mohaqiq sees any review by justice organisations into September votes unconstitutional.
The comments come as the special tribunal has started a vote re-count process in most provinces.
Afghan politicians had previously decided that if the president refuses to dissolve the tribunal, six members of the Supreme Court will be summoned to the house.
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03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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MUAMMAR Gaddafi has threatened Europe with the withdrawal of Libyan support for the international war on terror and to prevent illegal migration. I have an idea: why don't we help the Libyan freedom fighters kill him?
If "Europe does not support, and ignores, the active role of Libya in the fight against migration and as guarantor of stability in North Africa and all of Africa, Libya will be obliged ... to withdraw its efforts in the battle against terrorism and completely change its stance toward al-Qaeda," said a message Jana reported was signed by Gaddafi.
Gaddafi, who is battling a nearly four-week-old rebellion to unseat him, has repeatedly accused al-Qaeda of being behind it, and has said Libya is capable of beating the terrorists who "want to transform it into Somalia."
Tripoli will also cease its "support against clandestine migration in which millions of blacks flow into Europe."
Libya has increasingly become a key transit country for illegal migrants headed for Europe from North and sub-Saharan Africa.
The message was addressed to leaders of European Union countries who are meeting in Brussels on Friday to consider what measures to take to up the pressure on Gaddafi to step down.
#2
First thingys come first -IMO he is indeed anticipating a future, but not necessarily guaranteed or certain, formal breakup of Libyuh into two or more sovereign polities. HIS PRIORITY FOR THE TIME BEING IS TO SURVIVE + HOLD ON TO POLITICAL POWER AMAP , AS WELL AS TO CAPTURE LIBYA'S MAIN PORTS + OIL-GAS FIELDS, ROADS, ETC. ASAP AMAP.
Good for paying his Battle Boyz + rallying Supporters, + for dominating any post-Jasmine/Breakup new Libyuhn States.
BATTLE FOR EGYPT ALLIANCE + SUEZ CANAL TRADE.
* USA = is refraining from calling the fighting in Libyuh between Muammar + Rebels as a de facto "CIVIL WAR".
* PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > GADDAFI'S SON: THE TIME FOR NEGOTIATIONS IS OVER.
#5
Clapper's view that Gadhafi's forces had the upper hand and looked set to prevail led to renewed calls for Obama to take swift action to help the rebels.
#7
With luck, bot Gadhafi and Clapper will be gone in a few months.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
03/11/2011 14:06 Comments ||
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#8
He is correct unless the eu or nato get off there ass. Momo has all the tanks, planes, and heavy weapons. It's only a matter of time before he kicks the crap out of them.
#9
Another factor in Gaddafi's favor is that there are many regimes in the world who are scared of the Arab upheaval and would like nothing more than the precedent of an anti-western totalitarian government defending and reasserting itself in the face of armed rebellion.
The Russians, Chinese, Syrians, Iranians, etc might or might not like Gaddafi personally. But they have a very selfish reason to wish for his survival. Hence they will assist him, and the 'Arab Spring' will turn into an anti-western rout.
After the next 2 or 3 Lockerbies the West might have no choice but to destroy the Gaddafi regime, but for the time being Gaddafi is very very safe and many many people in Cyrenica will be very very dead soon. Europeans and Americans will be targets a bit later.
Posted by: Big Spusoter2654 ||
03/11/2011 15:39 Comments ||
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#10
Project weakness and reap the whirlwind.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/11/2011 16:22 Comments ||
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President Barack Obama declared Friday that a no-fly zone over Libya to keep Col. Moammar Gadhafi from attacking rebels in his country remains a possibility as "we are slowly tightening the noose" around the Libyan leader. But Obama stopped short of moving toward military action.
"The bottom line is that I have not taken any options off the table at this point," Obama told a White House news conference. "I think it is important to understand that we have moved about as swiftly as an international coalition has ever moved to impose sanctions on Gadhafi."
He cited actions already taken, including getting American citizens and embassy workers out of the country, slapping tough United Nations sanctions on Libya and seizing $30 billion in Gadhafi's assets.
"I am absolutely clear that it is in the interests of the United States, and more importantly in the interests of the Libyan people, for Mr. Gadhafi to leave," Obama said. "And we're going to take a wide range of actions to try to bring about that outcome." He said he wanted to make it clear to the longtime Libyan leader "that the world is watching" his brutal response to the rebellions in his country.
The president brushed off a comment on Thursday in congressional testimony by U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that Gadhafi's military was stronger than has been described and that "in the longer term ... the regime will prevail."
"He was making a hard-headed assessment about military capability," Obama said. "I don't think anybody disputes that Gadhafi has more firepower than the opposition. He wasn't making a statement of policy."
Obama added: "I believe Gadhafi is on the wrong side of history. I believe the Libyan people are anxious for freedom. We are going to be in contact with the opposition as well as in consultation with the international community" in an effort to pressure Gadhafi to leave.
#12
Why is this headline remotely surprising? Rebellions without foreign support (i.e. training, weaponry, food, water, etc) need to win quickly, before the government gets organized. Most successful rebellions owe their victory to a rotted state apparatus that is incapable of responding to internal challenges or is unwilling to escalate to the level of force necessary to quell the rebellion. Gaddafi is many things, but he is neither a time-server nor a soft touch. He is similar to Saddam in one way - unlike Mubarak - Gaddafi was appointed to nothing. He organized a band of followers that helped him kill his way to the top. Gaddafi has one further advantage - unity of command. The rebels don't have a single leader and are undoubtedly engaging in duplicated efforts and not backing each other up when necessary.
#13
"The Resistance" are clowns. On the other hand, Egyptians wanted Libyan oil fields for a long time. Also no regime/constitution/etc... changes can address their basic problem---not enough money to buy food. So a war could be a G*d-sent. Of course, I'm assuming the Junta are smart enough to realize that this time around, a war with Israel would be their last war ever.
#16
Obama, what the F is next, Double Secret Probation? What an asswipe we have as a commander in chief. Drop dead you useless socialist slug.
Posted by: No I am The Other Beldar ||
03/11/2011 18:47 Comments ||
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#17
The news from the front is encouraging. It looks like Gaddafi will prevail over rebels whose every other utterance is "Allah Akbar". I'm surprised he let it get this out of hand. Decades ago, Hafez Assad of Syria showed the way with his partial leveling of the city of Hama, the city that Syria's Ikhwan chose for its redoubt. Thanks to Assad's decisive actions, Christianity continues to thrive in Syria (and in Hama itself), where it comprises a bigger percentage of the population than in our Iraqi protectorate.
#20
DNI Clapper is my kinda guy. He has the unfortunate (to his career) habit of saying politically-incorrect truths. For instance, he said that Russia and China, not Iran and North Korea, are mortal threats to the US*. For this truism, he was criticized by Carl Levin, Lindsay Graham and Joe Manchin. Graham even demanded his resignation.
* China and Russia are why we need F-22's, the next generation stealth bomber, a dozen carriers and the nuclear triad, not North Korea and Iran.
[Emirates 24/7] Reformist Mohamed ElBaradei announced on Wednesday he would run in Egypt's presidential election this year and called for a completely new constitution instead of temporary amendments.
It was the first time that ElBaradei, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, had explicitly announced he would be a candidate for president after geriatric President Hosni Mubarak was tossed by a popular uprising last month.
Post-Mubarak presidential and parliamentary elections are being watched for signs of how democratic the country's political life will be after three decades of state oppression which created a toothless opposition and stifled political activity, political analysts say.
"When the door of presidential nominations opens, I intend to nominate myself," ElBaradei said on his first live talk show on the privately-owned ONTV channel.
He also said he would oppose constitutional amendments being put to a referendum on March 19, calling for a new constitution instead.
"I will not vote for these constitutional amendments. I will vote against these amendments."
A leading figure in the reform movement who has been backed by youth groups since his return to Egypt in 2010, ElBaradei was preceded by veteran diplomat and long-time friend Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa ... who has been head of the Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ... who was the first prominent figure to declare he would run for president.
ElBaradei, 68, the former head of the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, said a brief but moving encounter with a man from a slum area years ago who had to walk some distance to fetch clean water inspired him to pursue ways to serve his country.
"If I am elected, and God allows me to be elected, my first presser will be in a slum area," ElBaradei said.
"I will apologise on behalf of all Egyptians to the 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line for the neglect they have seen, and for not having the homes and the lives they deserve."
The interview was ElBaradei's first live broadcast since a popular uprising began in Egypt on Jan. 25 and was the first salvo in his presidential campaign.
"I am Egyptian, I grew up in Egypt, I began work at the Foreign Ministry and have worked abroad and have experience in many issues. I try to transfer this experience to my country which I would loathe to see lagging behind," he said.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took power after Mubarak was ousted and said it would hold a parliamentary election in June followed by a presidential ballot six weeks later.
ElBaradei said the path to change in Egypt must begin with a new constitution, calling on the military to delay this month's referendum or cancel it.
"The current constitution fell. It would be an insult to the revolution if we decided to retrieve this constitution," he said, calling instead for "a new constitution, a presidential vote and then a parliamentary vote".
"We are going in the opposite direction," he added, saying the army's plan to hold the parliamentary vote in two months' time, before a new constitution was drawn up, would exclude most Egyptians from the voting process.
Critics have said the army's timetable is too soon for parties to organise and gives an advantage to remnants of Mubarak's National Democratic Party and the Moslem Brüderbund.
"If we go ahead with these amendments this means we would have a parliamentary election within two months where 80 percent of Egyptians, the silent majority, would not have a chance to participate in a real parliamentary process," ElBaradei said.
"It would only be a parliament of the remnants of the National Democratic Party and the Moslem Brüderbund".
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[Asharq al-Aswat] The United States is calling on the military authorities running Egypt to prosecute those behind sectarian festivities that killed at least 13 people on Wednesday.
"We have urged the Egyptian transitional government to act swiftly to bring the perpetrators of that violence to justice," Mark Toner, a State Department front man, said when asked whether Washington had raised the issue with Cairo.
Toner told news hounds that US officials were concerned about attacks on Coptic Christians and "obviously condemn the violence."
Bloody fighting broke out late Tuesday in the working class Cairo district of Moqattam when Mohammedans confronted 1,000 Christians who had been blocking a main road in protest at the burning of a church last week.
The health ministry said 13 people were killed in the festivities and Father Boutros Roshdy of the Moqattam church said at least seven Coptic Christians were among the dead.
Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of anti-regime protests that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak, attackers armed with knives and machetes waded into hundreds of pro-democracy activists, witnesses said.
Toner called on Egyptians to "remember the sense of unity" they had when they called for Mubarak's ouster in Cairo's Tahrir Square a few weeks ago.
He urged them to "refrain from any kind of violence and to go back to that sense of peaceful demonstration and expression that was the hallmark of the protests that brought Mubarak out of power."
Asked whether there were any signs the military condones the violence or might be behind it, Toner replied: "We don't have any indications of that."
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[Asharq al-Aswat] Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal confirmed Soddy Arabia's complete rejection of any foreign interference in its internal affairs, regardless of its source. He said that Soddy Arabia will "cut off any finger" raised against it, warning that "as for [foreign] interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Soddy Arabia, we completely reject this, as we do not interfere in the internal affairs of others. We are a state based on Islamic Sharia law, and we will not accept any reproach from those who believe that there is something that they do not accept in this regime."
In a presser held by the Saudi Foreign Minister on Wednesday at a branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Mecca Region, Prince Saud al-Faisal stressed that "reform does not come via protests and [the holy mans] have forbidden such protests since they violate the Koran and the Sunnah of the Prophet."
He added "change comes via the citizens of this country, not in accordance with the dictates of foreign parties" stressing that "our people have been living in this country since the time of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and they know their interests and requirements and how to reach their objectives. We aim to protect their independence and interests."
Answering a question put to him by Asharq Al-Awsat as to whether Iran was responsible for stirring up civil unrest in Soddy Arabia, the Saudi Foreign Minister said "As for Iran, we hope that it deals with the demonstrations that are taking place in its own country." He added "In Soddy Arabia we don't have any demonstrations such as those in Iran, and I reiterate what I said before, we will not tolerate any interference in our internal affairs by any foreign party...and if we find any foreign interference, we will deal with this decisively."
Prince Saud al-Faisal also called attention to previous statements issued by Soddy Arabia's Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, stressing the importance of protecting the interests of the country. He said "these statements have stressed the necessity of supporting the interests of society, and emphasized that reform cannot take place through demonstrations and means that cause unrest and disunity. These statements forbade demonstrations as violating the applicable Islamic Sharia rulings which are based upon the Holy Koran and the teachings of the Prophet."
As for the political changes that a number of Arab countries have witnessed recently, the Saudi Foreign Minister said "I think each country has its own characteristics, and each country is different, therefore we cannot treat the situation in each different country as a common phenomenon." He added "these events share similarities, but each one is different from the other."
Prince Saud al-Faisal also stressed that Soddy Arabia is an open country, saying "King Abdullah has instructed all officials that their doors should be open to all citizens to present proposals and grievances." He also stressed the government's efforts to protect human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... and establish justice and equality, saying "the best way to achieve all of these objectives is through dialogue."
In a reference to a recent demonstration which took place in Soddy Arabia's Eastern Province, Prince Saud al-Faisal said that "when a group of our brothers came out [to protest], a police officer asked them what was stopping them from presenting their demands directly to the Saudi authorities, as their offices are open to everybody."
He added "the officer told them to issue their demands in writing, and they presented this [to the authorities] and then returned to their homes."
The Saudi Foreign Minister also said that "we have [also] witnessed the King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz receiving groups of citizens from the Eastern Province and other parts of the Kingdom on Tuesday."
As for the recent political changes in Egypt, the Saudi Foreign Minister stressed that Soddy Arabia's strategic relations with Egypt would not change following the ouster of former geriatric President Hosni Mubarak. He said "the relationship between the Kingdom of Soddy Arabia and Egypt is a close and strategic one, [it is] a fraternal relationship, and therefore the internal [political] developments in Egypt will not affect our relations. We will stand by and engage with any leadership selected by the Egyptian people, and we will continue our strong relationship with Egypt which is in the interests of both of our countries and peoples, as well as in the best interests of the region and the Arab and Islamic world."
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also highlighted the importance of the last Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] meeting in Abu Dhabi, saying that "the solidarity and unity expressed by member-states during this meeting was greater than at any time before" adding that "I think you will note a fundamental shift with regards to the solidarity and unity of the GCC from now on."
As for the unrest in Libya and the calls for an international no-fly zone to be imposed on the country, the Saudi Foreign Minister said that this issue will be decided by the vaporous Arab League. He added that the most important thing is "to stem the bloodshed" in Libya and protect the country's unity.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Obviously, King Abdullah must step down immediately!
#5
TOPIX/PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > SAUDI ARABIA: PROTESTS NOT FOR ISLAMIC STATE.
ARTIC > SAUDI GOVT. = argues that the KSA is a dedic or de facto ISLAMIC-SHARIA STATE as intended + organized per Islam, hence is an "ISLAMIC UTOPIA", hence again the ONGOING "JASMINE" MASS PROTESTS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE ME = ARAB WORLD CAN ONLY BE INTERPRETED AS CONTRARY TO ALLAH, HIS DIVINE/PERFECT RELIGION ISLAM, + ISLAM-BASED SHARIA LAW, hence hence again THE SAUDI GOVT. CANNOT ALLOW NOR TOLERATE ANY PRO-JASMINE PROTESTS.
ARTIC also read, SUNNI KSA NOT GIVING LOCAL PRO-SHIA IRAN ELEMENTS ANY OPPORTUNITY TO PROTEST OR ENGAGE IN ARMED REBELLION.
[Iran Press TV] A Yemeni opposition leader says Soddy Arabia collaborates with intensifying efforts by Sana'a to suppress outraged masses across the country that have been calling for ouster of Yemen's unpopular ruler.
Riadh Hussein al-Qadhi said, "We blow the cover off the Saudi intelligence apparatus, which interferes in Yemen and cracks down on the people."
"Yemen's [ruling] system has lost all its support and aces in the hole, whether tribal, racial and sectarian," he added, apparently outlining the reason for Sana'a's dependence on Riyadh for crushing protesters.
Masses in the revolution in Yemen have been demanding the removal of 33-year-long rule of President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, after serving as a lieutenant colonel in the army. He had been part of the conspiracy that bumped off his predecessor, Ibrahim al-Hamdi, in the usual tiresome military coup, and he has maintained power by keeping Yemen's many tribes fighting with each other, rather than uniting to string him up. ... 's regime since January. The head of state has, however, said he would stay in power until the end of his term in 2013.
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured in government-ordered armed attacks on anti-regime protests.
The demonstrations have been joined by the Houthis, the Shia minority in the north, who have long complained about efforts by the Yemeni and Saudi authorities to socially, economically, and religiously marginalize the community.
The Saudi military has been reported to have joined the Yemeni forces on numerous occasions to launch deadly attacks on the province of Sa'ada, where the faith group is concentrated.
"The system has, like the Libyan system, gone insane and if it takes up arms, a bloodbath would for sure run throughout the country and lead to the deposition of the domineering regime," al-Qadhi added.
He said, "But the people and the youths should now be on alert to assume power as soon as the system collapses."
"Currently, all opposition elements agree on one matter, and that is the need for the ouster of the current fascist and terrorist system, and all circles, whether at home or abroad, are trying to overthrow Yemen's system with as little cost as possible."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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COLUMBUS, N.M. (KRQE) - Several federal agencies swept through the New Mexico border town of Columbus Thursday morning arresting nearly a dozen people including the mayor, a village councilor and the chief of police who are suspected of smuggling guns into Mexico.
Later on Thursday Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos announced he would stop communication with the Columbus Police Department saying he wanted "to protect the integrity" of his department. The sheriff asked remaining village officials to 'shut down' the police department temporarily.
#1
Columbus, New Mexico, why does that sound familiar?...Anyway, excrement rolls down hill, guys. ATF needed a distraction. Apparently an 8.9 in Japan wasn't enough. Sux 2 b u.
#1
We, the public, have the authority to rise up against a tyrant and have them overthrown. We get that authority from the Declaration of Independence.
#2
How about they allow an airline to be established that sets its own rules - like profiling, or allowing properly permitted passengers to carry weapons, for instance, and cut TSA out except for providing database access for people to watch out for.
The US treatment of the man accused of leaking secret cables to Wikileaks is "ridiculous and counter-productive and stupid", US state department spokesman PJ Crowley has said.
Mr Crowley made the remarks about Bradley Manning to an audience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I thought Mr. Crowley worked for the US government.
"Nonetheless Bradley Manning is in the right place," Mr Crowley said.
Private Manning is being held in solitary confinement at a maximum security US military jail. He is shackled at all times and has been on suicide watch at the Quantico marine base in Virginia.
Mr Crowley was asked whether his comments were on the record and replied, "sure".
President Barack Obama was questioned about whether he agreed with Mr Crowley's comments at a news conference on Friday. He responded by saying he had asked the Pentagon directly if the terms of Pte Manning's confinement were "appropriate" and received assurances that they were.
Mr Obama added that some aspects of Pte Manning's treatment "has to do with his safety as well".
Mr Crowley could not immediately be reached by the BBC on Friday, but one US report carried a quote from him saying he was speaking in a purely personal capacity, not representing the views of the US government. Which is why he's an official government spokesman, you know...
#1
Why is somebody from the State Department - which, IIRC, is supposed to deal with foreign affairs - speaking about a domestic case controlled by the DOD?
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/11/2011 18:04 Comments ||
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#2
Looks like the Aspen Institute just found a guy for that open slot...
[Dawn] Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani ... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI... On Thursday said Pakistain is at war with terrorists, who had disrupted peace and stability in the region.
Speaking at the re-equipment ceremony of one of the oldest squadrons of Pakistain Air Force (PAF) at Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad, Kayani said the Armed Forces have been battling these elements since 2004.
According to a blurb issued by the PAF media directorate here, the army chief said these operations have been conducted through unprecedented close cooperation and support of PAF.
"The role of PAF has been critical. Pakistain Army fully appreciates the high level of professionalism displayed by PAF in all counter terrorist operations," he remarked.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
There are good terrorist and bad terrorist according to the mighty Pak Army!
Posted by: Paul ||
03/11/2011 9:19 Comments ||
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[Geo News] Pakistain ranks third in negative influence in the world, according to a survey conducted by a British media outlet.
According to the survey, Iran is the country seen as having the most negative influence in the world, according to an annual survey of the broadcaster.
The Islamic Theocratic Republic was followed by North Korea and Pakistain in the survey of negative and positive views of people in 27 countries based on events in 2010.
Germany was the most positively viewed nation, but Brazil was the big winner as its status as an emerging power was confirmed with a positive rating which rose from 40 percent to 49 percent, leaving it ranked seventh in the positive stakes.
In the year when it hosted the football World Cup, the proportion who rated South Africa positively rose to 42 percent from 35 percent last time.
Israel was ranked as the fourth most unpopular country.
The pollsters said that while views of Israel overall have not changed substantially over the past year, there had been "significant increases" in negative views of the country among Americans and Britons.
A total of 28,619 people were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone in December last year and on February 4 this year, meaning the survey was done before the overthrow of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Israel was ranked as the fourth most unpopular country.
[Ma'an] Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, officials in Gazoo announced Thursday the formation of a new government headed by the party's leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The new government is an expanded form of the last, made up entirely of Hamas members, six of them newly appointed, in addition to a new cabinet secretary-general. Many of the newly appointed members also hold positions at the Islamic University in Gazoo.
Haniyeh said in a statement following the shuffle that "the reshuffle is an administrative step and is not against reconciliation." He said the new government would resign when a national unity agreement was signed ending division with Fatah.
While under the last Gazoo government officials held more than one ministerial post, the current scheme has only the Minister of Education post left vacant, which Haniyeh himself said he would head, along with the foreign affairs post.
Shuffled and new ministers were identified as follows:
Saleh Ar-Raqb -- Ministry of Awqaf (Hamas)
Is a professor of Islamic Theology at Gazoo's Islamic University. Was formerly the Undersecretary of the ministry of Awqaf. He follows Taleb Abu Shaer.
Ala Ar-Rafati -- Ministry of National Economy (Hamas)
Head of the National Islamic Bank, opened in April 2009, which oversees the payment of some 6,000 Gazoo government employees. The bank was said to have $20 million in start-up capital. Ar-Rafati insisted that the bank was not affiliated with Hamas, but run by an independent board of governors.
The official is a Hamas member and dean of the commerce department at the Islamic University in Gazoo. In 2007, Hamas accused Fatah forces of executing Ar-Rafati's brother, Sheikh Mohammed Ar-Rafati, who was the imam of the central mosque in Gazoo City.
Jamila Ash-Shanti -- Ministry of Women's Affairs (Hamas)
Elected to the Paleostinian Legislative Assembly in 2006 under the Change and Reform Bloc, she is a lecturer at the Islamic University in Gazoo and a popular leader among the female members of the Islamist party.
She is the widow of Hamas leader and co-founder Abdul Aziz Ar-Rantissi, who was assassinated in 2004 by Israel. Three months before his death, Ash-Shanti's husband had proposed a ten-year truce with Israel in exchange for the creation of a Paleostinian state. He was killed along with his son and a bodyguard.
This is the first time that a woman has been appointed in the Gazoo government since Hamas split from Fatah. She was one of five women elected under the Change and Reform Bloc in 2006.
Attallah Abu As-Sabeh -- Ministry of Prisoners (Hamas)
Holds a PhD from Um Durman University in Sudan. After studying he worked as a holy man in Gazoo and was later appointed as head of Student Affairs at the Islamic University in Gazoo. He has previously held the post of Minister of Culture, and writes for the Gazoo-based Ar-Risala newspaper.
Has been involved in reconciliation talks with Fatah officials. He said in February that "Hamas is ready to meet with Fatah central committee member Nabil Shaath in Gazoo to discuss Paleostinian reconciliation."
The last minister of prisoners affaris was Muhammad Farraj Al-Ghoul, who was made Minister of Justice in the new government.
Muhammad Al-Madhun -- Ministry of Youth and Sports (Hamas)
Is the Deputy to the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, and Head of the Strategic Planning Committee at the Islamic University of Gazoo. Was the president of the staff bureau in the last Gazoo government, he follows Basim Na'im as minister. Na'im was appointed Minister of Health in the current government.
Muhammad Awad -- Minister of Planning (Hamas)
Held the same post in the last Gazoo government. He was General Secretary of the Council of Ministers and is a professor of Civil Engineering at the Islamic University of Gazoo.
Muhammad Asqoul -- Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers (Hamas)
Was appointed as Minister of Education after being elected in 2006.
The announcement of the new government was made ahead of a meeting of Hamas PLC members, which issued a statement saying the "Change and Reform Bloc in the Legislative council expresses its confidence in the shuffle of the government which is headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh."
Haniyeh had announced that a government shuffle would be made in December of 2010, but postponed the announcement several times saying the time was not apt for the change.
Commenting on the appointments Hamas leader and PLC member Salah Al-Bardawil said the cabinet shuffle "has no political goals," but rather aimed at improving the performance of the Gazoo government.
"The shuffle will ease the burden of those ministers who held more than one portfolio," he explained.
The official echoed Haniyeh's statements, saying should not be perceived as an obstacle to unity. The official then accused Israel of imposing division on the Paleostinian people, adding the "PA were the ones who supported it."
The Gazoo cabinet shuffle comes as appointed Prime Minister under the Paleostinian Authority in the West Bank Salam Fayyad continues consultations to form his own new government. The West Bank government resigned on 14 February. According to his request, Fayyad has one week left to appoint a new cabinet, following the granting of a two-week extension by President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas on 7 March.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
meet the new boss, same as the old boss...
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/11/2011 14:58 Comments ||
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#2
Ala Ar-Rafati -- Ministry of National Economy (Hamas)
[Ma'an] An official from the leftist faction the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Paleostine ... a breakaway faction of the Pöpular Frönt för the Liberation of Paleostine. The are regarded as the most intellectual of Paleostinian fedayeen groups, smoking cheap cigarettes and drawing heavily on Marxist-Leninist theory to explain their crappy lives. They can occasionally be seen strutting through the streets of Paleostine, dressed up like soldiers and lugging firearms, though they seldom manage to hit anything and then usually by accident. This may be because of their habit of wearing black masks that cut off most of their vision. That would also explain their habit of occasionally walking into walls, which is a well-known attribute of those immersed in true understanding of the dialectic... told Ma'an on Wednesdaythat a meeting hosted by Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, in Gazoo "presented nothing new," despite promises of a new unity effort.
The leading party of the coastal enclave had called an all-factions meeting, where it said it would present several points of focus for the coming months, in what officials said would be a move that strengthened the political scene in Gazoo.
Member of the DFLP Central Committee Muhammad Khalaf said the points outlined in the meeting were:
1) The need to form a national unity government to oversee the elections
2) To consider repairs to the PLO so it represented all Paleostinians
3) The importance of national unity and an end of division
Khalaf said there was nothing in the meeting "that had not already been set out in the national dialogue committees in 2009 in Cairo," and added that what was needed was implementation of the points, not discussion.
Factions did, however, agree to support youth movement calling for unity as long as they were non-violent.
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03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN court has ruled to proceed with the trial of a radical Islamic holy man on charges of terrorism.
South Jakarta District Court Presiding Judge Herri Swantoro said on Thursday that the panel could not accept arguments of defendant Abu Bakar Bashir ... Leader of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council and proprietor of the al-Mukmin madrassah in Ngruki. The spriritual head of Jemaah Islamiya, which he denies exists. Bashir was jugged and then released in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, which he blamed on a conspiracy among the U.S., Israel, and Australia ... and his lawyers that the court has no authority to try him.
Bashir has twice beat feet terrorism-related convictions in the past. He has denied the latest charges of leading a terrorist cell that was allegedly preparing high-profile liquidations and attacks on Western hotels and embassies.
Mr Swantoro said the panel found no political motive behind the indictment filed by state prosecutors.
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03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Emirates 24/7] India denied on Thursday the presence of Tamil Tiger camps in its south, a day after Sri Lanka said the separatist rebels were training members in Tamil Nadu to carry out liquidations.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M. Jayarathne told parliament on Wednesday intelligence reports showed that remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had established three training camps in the southern Indian state.
The allegations of Indian involvement struck an unpleasant chord in Sri Lanka, because India in the 1970s and 1980s trained the LTTE and other Tamil separatist groups in Tamil Nadu as part of a strategy to counter US influence in its tiny neighbour.
"There are no camps of the LTTE in India as far as we are aware. The LTTE is still a banned organisation and wherever we find their cadres we will arrest them," India's Home Secretary Gopal Pillai told Rooters.
"If they have any information, the Sri Lankan government can pass it on to us and we will follow it up."
The Sri Lankan government crushed the LTTE in May 2009 after a quarter-century war during which the Tigers fought to create a separate state for the Tamil minority, who represent about 15 percent of the island nation's 21 million people.
Tamil Nadu is 40 km across the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka and is home to roughly 65 million Tamils. Many supported the LTTE, and state politicians have used the ethnic bloc to influence New Delhi's policy toward Sri Lanka for decades.
Sri Lanka's Jayarathne told parliament on Wednesday that information showed at least one of the secret camps was set up to train fighters in VIP liquidations, an LTTE specialty. During the war, they killed two Sri Lankan heads of state and former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"Intelligence has gathered information that in the hope of assassinating Indian state leaders and re-establishing themselves in Sri Lanka, the Tigers are training in three secret locations in Tamil Nadu," Jayarathne said.
Sri Lanka's $50 billion economy has been on a revival course since the end of the war in 2009, but the country still remains under some wartime emergency laws that give the government powers of arrest and detention without cause.
Although Western governments have pressed the government to relax them further, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has used his large parliamentary majority to keep them in place, arguing that to relax them would mean some LTTE operatives would go free.
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03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Hezbullies has warned that the US-backed UN court, alleging to investigate former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri's murder, serves to mount an assault on the Lebanese nation.
On Thursday, the Lebanese resistance movement's Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... said, "The (Special Tribunal for Leb) STL is an American assault on Leb's strength and resistance," Lebanese website Naharnet reported.
Hariri was killed along with more than 20 others in a massive car booming in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on February 14, 2005.
Washington-sponsored tribunal was established about two years later to investigate the incident.
In an August public address, Hezbullies's Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah presented evidence proving that Israel had criminal masterminded Hariri's liquidation. The televised address featured a video footage taken by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as recorded confessions by Israeli fifth columnists, substantiating that Tel Aviv had criminal masterminded the killing.
The court, however, reportedly plans to indict some Hezbullies members in the incident -- an allegation the resistance movement has fiercely rejected -- and the United States has been applying pressure to block any challenge to the planned ruling.
Qassem said that US efforts are aimed at rendering Leb "unable to confront the Israeli project."
In January, 10 Hezbullies-affiliated cabinet ministers quit the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, protesting his March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... alliance's "inability to overcome US pressure."
Hezbullies's second-in-command added that the March 14 movement was taking advantage of the tribunal as means of altering the balance of power in the country.
He emphasized that the camp is making efforts to regain the popularity it has lost and "seeking to create chaos."
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03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Meanwhile, somewhere in the background, Iran and Syria stir Hezbollah's witches brew of unrest, terror, and violence.
[Asharq al-Aswat] Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Knobby Berri ... the Hizbullah sock puppet ... said that the campaign being fought by the March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... Alliance against illegal weapons in Leb represents "weeping for [the loss] of power" and was not part of a struggle for justice. He added that this campaign which aims to disarm the Hezbullies movement contradict with national principles. This comes after the March 14 Alliance have stepped up their rhetoric against Hezbullies's arms, saying that they reject the "domination" of the party's arms.
Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri previously accused Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri of abandoning the "army-people-resistance equation." However Hariri later denied this, saying "we have not abandoned this equation....the truth is that there are some who want this equation to prevail over the will of the State" adding that "we're with the army-people-resistance equation if it remains under the State's authority, but we will reject it when some assume that the army, the people, and the State, are tools in their hands."
During a speech on Tuesday in Beirut, the outgoing prime minister also stressed that "there is no alternative to the State and its institutions" and that "we shall struggle with all our strength for the success of the State project, whatever the challenges and difficulties....and we will spare no effort in this regard."
Hariri also posed a question to those who have accused the March 14 Alliance of contradicting national principles with regards to their campaign against illegal arms, asking "Isn't the campaign against the Special Tribunal for Leb and the insistence on disrupting international justice regarding the murder of martyr Rafiq Hariri a direct call for provocation and a violation of the rules of national consensus?"
He also stressed that any retreat from the "national consensus" regarding the international tribunal "will not annul it and will not manage to disrupt the course of justice." He added "our right to defend this cause is legitimate and will not be subject to intimidation."
Hariri also said that the March 14 Alliance campaign against the "supremacy of arms" is not aimed at targeting any particular community or group.
He said "we have [previously] said, and we confirm today, that our stance regarding the supremacy of arms stems from a national viewpoint, and does not target any particular community. To those who want to distort the truth and portray it as a campaign aimed at the Shiite community, I would say in all sincerity and frankness, this is a political lie par excellence. Our campaign does not specifically target the Shiite community, its role, or status...it targets all the Lebanese and non-Lebanese parties and organizations which are using weapons as a means of internal blackmail, and pressure on national and political life."
He added "the Shiite community is the primary victim of the supremacy of weapons."
The March 14 Alliance campaign against the "supremacy of arms" is expected to have a significant impact on the coming stage in Leb, whether in terms of the formation of the Lebanese government or in terms of the potential implication of the slogan "the people want the end of arms" a reference to the chant "the people want the fall of the regime" made famous by the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.
As for the origin behind this slogan, which is expected to provoke the Hezbullies movement, Future Movement media coordinator Rashed Fayed told Asharq Al-Awsat that "it is no longer acceptable to remain silent about Hezbullies's illegal arms, after it abandoned its confrontation with the enemy, and is not pointing these [weapons] at the Lebanese people." He added that "these weapons have become a tool that Hezbullies are using in Lebanese political life."
Fayed also pointed out that "these weapons would not be the subject of public debate if they did not affect Lebanese domestic life, and if they had not become a tool that could change the political balance."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2011 00:00 ||
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H/T Istapundit, HotAir
New video released Thursday afternoon indicates National Public Radio intended to accept a $5 million donation from fictitious Muslim Brotherhood front group Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC) Trust -- and that the publicly funded radio network might have helped MEAC make the donation anonymously to protect it from a federal government audit.
H/T Instapundit
A Texas man who helped the FBI defuse a plot to firebomb the 2008 Republican National Convention is suing the New York Times for libel for claiming he was part of the violent conspiracy.
The man with the bull's eye on his back is Brandon Darby, formerly a far-left community organizer. This defector from the left stands accused by the New York Times and by angry radical groups of being an agent provocateur. It's just about the worst thing one can be accused of in radical circles. Next to be accused of being soft on global warming...
Unhinged anarchists across the country would love to get their hands on Darby, as The Daily Caller reported a year ago.
As he filed his lawsuit today, Darby said he was "proud of having participated in the FBI's successful efforts to keep Americans safe" at the convention that nominated the John McCain-Sarah Palin presidential ticket. He said he was "deeply saddened" that the New York Times claimed he "'encouraged' the very bomb plot at the 2008 convention I put myself at risk to prevent." I blame Ariel Sharon
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.
Hamid 
Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa
President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
Kayani
[Geo News] Pakistain ranks third in negative influence in the world, according to a survey conducted by a British media outlet.
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Paleostine
Abu Bakar Bashir
