[Al Jazeera] The UN Security Council has called on the north Sudanese army to withdraw from positions it has taken in the disputed region of Abyei.
In a statement read to news hounds in Khartoum by the French council ambassador on Sunday, the council also condemned south Sudanese forces for attacking a UN convoy in Abyei on Thursday.
Susan Rice, the United States ambassador to the United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... , called the escalation of the situation in Abyei "quite dangerous" as she visited the country with UN and British envoys.
The call for the withdrawal came after the army from the north seized control of the disputed, oil-producing Abyei region, officials said on Sunday.
Thousands have been fleeing the region amid fears that north and south, which fought a decades-long civil war before signing an agreement in 2005 to end the conflict, could go to war over Abyei.
Sudanese forces remain in control of Abyei and say they moved in after the south's Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) moved unauthorised forces into the disputed region, in repeated violations of a 2005 peace agreement.
"The Sudanese armed forces control Abyei and are cleansing it of illegal forces," Amin Hassan Omar, a minister of state for presidential affairs, told news hounds after meeting a delegation of the UN Security Council in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
"The government is committed to the peace agreement but the southern army wanted to enforce an unilateral solution."
'No war intention'
The comments were echoed by Didiry Mohammad Ahmed, of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan, who said Abyei had been seized by the SPLA "over the last six months".
"As we all know, since December last year, the SPLA has deployed 2,500 troops to Abyei and those troops were deployed in violation of the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement]," he told Al Jizz.
Ahmed said "there's no intention to reignite any war".
"We have just had a very limited operation for a very limited military purpose which was accomplished 100 per cent," he said.
"As soon as we are quite sure that there's no vacuum left behind that will enable the SPLA to once again deploy in Abyei, we'll withdraw."
Barnaba Benjamin, the information minister of South Sudan, told Al Jizz that the Sudanese government needed to withdraw its troops, calling the situation in Abyei "deplorable".
UN officials saw 15 tanks of the Sudanese Armed Forces, the northern army, on Saturday in parts of the town of Abyei, where earlier mortars slammed against a UN base, Hua Jiang, the UN spokeswoman, said.
Control of oil-rich and fertile Abyei has been the main point of dispute between Sudan and South Sudan ahead of plans for the south to become a separate state on July 9, following a January referendum on independence.
Attack denied
Tensions escalated after the north accused the SPLA of attacking a convoy of Sudanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers in Dokura north of Abyei town late on Thursday.
The SPLA denied responsibility for the attack, which the United Nations said had taken place on a convoy of northern troops escorted by UN peacekeepers under a deal for both sides to withdraw forces from the disputed territory.
The US, one of the main backers of Sudan's landmark 2005 peace deal, has deplored the southern forces' May 19 attack on a UN convoy that was lawfully transporting a SAF company.
But Ahmed of the NCP said the US did not condemn the southern army for deploying troops into Abyei.
"We didn't hear any condemnation from the US when the SPLA deployed 2,500 troops last December and when those troops refused several pleas from the UN and dishonoured so many agreements ... to withdraw," he said.
"Why on earth, right now, is the United States denouncing us?"
The North and South were supposed to have withdrawn all of their forces from Abyei by this week except for a special joint force made up of units from both sides.
The north supports the Arab Misseriya tribe that grazes its cattle in Abyei, and the south backs the Dinka Ngok tribe that lives there year round.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Looks like this won't end well, espec for POTUS BAMMER'S US agenda in the Horn + East Africa as the issue threatens to split the AU.
Read, OIL $$$.
* WORLD NEWS > SOUTH SUDAN: NORTH SUDAN'S
SEIZURE OF ABYEI IS "WAR".
France is deploying attack helicopters in Libya, the first to be used in the allied offensive against forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, French media reported on Monday. They'll need ground crews and additional support teams for the fuel, logistics, and so on. That means a protection package. That means more logistical support. At some point they'll install a Burger King café at the base.
Twelve helicopters were shipped out to Libya on French battleship Tonnerre on May 17, Le Figaro newspaper reported, in a bid to step up strikes against pro-Gaddafi forces and end a stalemate in the fighting.
"Using helicopters from the Tonnerre is a way of getting closer to the ground," the newspaper cited a source close to the matter as saying.
#3
it's just kinetic limited action. Nobody's getting hurt, which would invoke the (unconstitutional) War Powers Act against a Democrat (inconceivable!). Nothing to see here, kinda like an international game of "capture the flag".
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/23/2011 19:59 Comments ||
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Wheat prices jumped on Wednesday, taking the week's gains to 17%, an ascent that threatens to put fresh pressure on fragile Middle East governments that import the grain to feed their people.
Wet weather in the U.S. and dryness in Western Europe are driving the recent rise. Wheat futures jumped 53 cents, or 7%, to $8.17 per bushel Wednesday, the biggest single-day dollar gain in more than seven months, and are now up 91% in less than a year.
Rising wheat prices jarred global markets last summer, amid a harsh Russian drought, and have stayed high for months. Some analysts worry the bad weather that pushed prices up this week could further curtail supplies and send prices even higher.
#2
This wheat issue is serious. Allot of food has wheat as a filler. Dog food has wheat, feeds, and of course most breads and deserts. Egypt is now in a desperate slide. They import most of their foods. The money is running out. The pressure cooker is maxed out. Soon something is going to blow. They will do the Obama thing and attack those they think have anything. Who has money to bail them out. Unfortunately another black hole.
#4
We have been one bad harvest year away from upheaval for a few years. Combine the bad harvest around the globe and the additional energy costs and you have a recipe for global food riots.
2011-2012 are going to be really interesting to say the least.
#5
The Three Gorges Dams new normal: failure
Chinas drought has caused the Three Gorges reservoir level to drop precipitously, crippling the mighty Three Gorges Dam. Shipping on the Yangtze River has now halted, power generation has been compromised, and geological hazards are heightened.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
05/23/2011 16:41 Comments ||
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#6
I forgot to mention meats are expected to jump sharply as a result of the poor harvest of grains.
Farmers went to corn for the finical gains to be had. Now oats are in short supply and I'm sure other crops as well. Late start in the east planting due to the wet conditions. Some talk of replanting and now issues with potatoes rotting in the ground.
#7
why they worried? we will just give it too them for free while our own citzens are hungry. Tough shit they have all that oil money they can buy it with.
Posted by: chris ||
05/23/2011 18:37 Comments ||
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#8
Its not just bad weather conditions. A new variety of wheat rust disease is moving thru Africa and the mideast.
[Al Jazeera] Police in Morocco have violently dispersed protesters who defied a ban on demonstrations, beating them up with batons and taking several into custody.
Sunday's police action in the capital, Rabat, and Casablanca seemed to suggest a tougher government response to the increasingly defiant protests that first erupted in February.
"Protest is a legal right, why is the Makhzen afraid?" crowds in Casablanca chanted, referring to the royal court. "Makhzen get out. Down with despotism."
A Rooters correspondent saw seven riot police attacking one bearded man in his 30s, repeatedly hitting his head and body, causing severe bleeding.
"We have been called here to preserve order because of this unauthorised protest," said a police brass hat on the scene who declined to give his name.
Protesters wanted to camp in front of the parliament in Rabat, but authorities were anxious to avoid a repeat of the events in Cairo earlier this year when protesters occupying the Egyptian capital's Tahrir Square eventually helped topple the government.
'Together for dignity'
In both the Rabat and Casablanca, police armed with batons and shields moved people off the streets wherever they gathered. Protesters broke off into smaller groups, often with police chasing behind.
Demonstrators said police beat dozens in Casablanca.
"We are standing together for dignity," one protest leaflet said. "We are against despotism, against corruption. We are for dignity, freedom, democracy and social justice."
Long seen as a relatively moderate and stable state, Morocco has experienced increasing unrest this year inspired by successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
In recent months, protesters seeking more democratic rights and economic benefits have held several nationwide protests in the country of 32 million, resulting in at least six deaths.
The royal family has ruled Morocco since the 17th century and survived both French colonial rule and independence.
Morocco has the lowest per capita GDP in the Maghreb region that also includes Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. Many live in poverty and nearly half of the population is illiterate.
In response to the public protests, the king announced in March that he would amend the constitution to allow more democratic rights. A commission is due to announce its draft constitution next month.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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Since May 17th Mexican security forces seized 154 kilograms of cocaine, 775 kilograms of marijuana, 1,255 kilograms of methamphetimine and 227 liters of methamphetamine in liquid form.
Mexican Policia Federal agents assigned to monitor package traffic at Mexico City's airport seized one kilogram of cocaine in a box bound for Chicago last Thursday. Agents detected the package because its declared contents did not match the weight, and when the package was opened, agents found a hidden compartment with the drugs.
Policia Federal agents in Distrito Federal arrested two individuals in separate extortion cases. Mario Aguilar Yslas, 35, was arrested following complaints from businesses in the Juan Escutia colony that a man was calling them by phone and demanding money for protection.
Units from the Mexican 15th Military zone seized drugs and weapons in two operations in Michoacan and Jalisco May 18th.
A detachment on patrol in the village of El Zapote in Tequila, Jalisco seized 390 kilograms of marijuana.
In Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, an army unit seized one rifle, a 66mm rocket launcher (probably a US LAWS rocket), one fragmentary grenade, three weapons magazines, 70 rounds of ammunition, four bulletproof vests and one armored vehicle.
Detachments from the Mexican 2nd Military Zone raided three locations in Baja California and seized a quantity of drugs, weapons and other contraband.
An army units raided a location May 18th on calle Josefa Ortiz de DomÃnguez in the Mariano Matamoros colony in the La Presa delegation in Tijuana, Baja California Wednesday following a citizen's complaint and seized six kilograms of methamphetamine, USD $640.00, MP $370.00 (USD $31.83) and a vehicle.
Also acting on a citizen's complaint, an army unit raided a location May 18th on calle Bahia Concepcion in the Buenos Aires Sur colony in the Cerro Colorado delegation and seized four kilograms of methamphetamine, USD $260.00 and MP $400 pesos (USD $34.41), and a one vehicle.
On May 17th an army unit raided a location on calzadas Independencia and Carranza in the La Rivera Oriente colony in Mexicali. Five individuals were arrested. A total of 175 kilograms of marijuana , two handguns, two magazines, 46 rounds of ammunition, USD $18,000.00 and 8 vehicles were seized.
A unit of the Mexican 4th Military Zone located and dismantled a drug laboratory in the state of Sonra May 18th. The laboratory was in the Soto, municipio de Etchojoa municipality where soldiers seized five kilograms of methamphetamine, 25 liters of methamphetamine in the processing stage, 32 each 19 liter plastic buckets with precursor chemicals, 2,450 kilograms of caustic soda in 98 bags, 3,000 kilograms of tartaric acid in 120 bags, 101 each 200 liter dairy containers, lab equipment and a vehicle.
A detachment of the Mexican 9th Military Zone discovered a clandestine drug laboratory in Sinaloa May 18th. The lab was located in the village of Carricitos de Los Astorga in the Culiacän municipality, where soldiers found two liters of methamphetamine, 700 liters of hydrochloric acid, 400 liters of acetone, 400 liters of ethyl alcohol, 1,680 Liters of liquid toluene, 575 kilograms of caustic soda, lab equipment and four weapons magazines for AK-47 assault rifles.
A detachment of the Mexican 26th Military Zone found a hidden drug lab in Veracruz last May 12th. The lab was on El Rancho Nueva Lucha in Ursula Galvan municipality. One man was arrested. Soldiers also found 1.240 kilograms of methamphetamine, 200 liters of methamphetamine in solution, 5,600 liters of ethanol, 4,000 liters of methylamine, 1,625 kilograms of tartaric acid, 1,600 liters of hydrochloric acid, 1,410 liters of acetone, 1,200 liters of acetic anhydride, 825 kilograms of sodium hydroxide, 248 kilograms of aluminum, 132 kilograms of sodium acetate, 100 kilograms of lead acetate and one vehicle.
Elements of the Mexican 20th Military Zone seized a quantity of drugs and weapon in two separate raids in Jalisco May 19th.
An army detachment seized drugs and weapons on Calle Hidalgo in the Tuxpan, Jalisco municipality, seizing one 5.56mm assault rifle, one 5,56mm M-16A2 rifle, one 12 gauge shotgun, two .22 caliber rifles, one .25 caliber pistol, one .22 caliber pistol, seven 40mm grenades, one 40mm grenade launcher attachment, 13 weapons magazines, 460 rounds of ammunition and 40 kilograms of marijuana.
In the village of in the Pihuamo municipality, a Mexican army unit seized one 12 gauge shotgun, one .223 caliber AR-15 assault rifle, two weapons magazines, eight rounds of ammunition, 120 kilograms of marijuana, and 20 kilograms of marijuana seed.
A unit of the Mexican Military Zone arrested eight individuals and seized a quantity of drugs and weapons May 21st in Valle de Mexicali, Baja California. The take included 153 kilograms of cocaine, 50 kilograms of marihuana, a small amount of methamphetamine, four rifles, four handguns, USD $155.00 and 16 vehicles.
[Iran Press TV] Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the US President is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel. How much you wanta bet they vote Democrat next year?
Sure, but how many will just skip voting for a presidential candidate? President Obama's approval rating among Jewish voters dropped to around 60% before the latest declamations on the Middle East, a significant change.
The complaints began early in President Barack B.O. Obama's term, centered on a perception that Obama has been too tough on Israel.
Some Jewish donors say Obama has pushed Israeli leaders too hard to halt construction of housing settlements in disputed territory, a longstanding element of U.S. policy. Some also worry that Obama is putting more pressure on the Israelis than the Paleostinians to enter negotiations, and say they are disappointed Obama has not visited Israel yet.
One top Democratic fund-raiser, Miami developer Michael Adler, said he urged Obama campaign manager Jim Messina to be "extremely proactive" in countering the perception in the Jewish community that Obama is too critical of Israel. Betcha Mikey kicks in next time the White House calls for a contribution...
If everyone gives less, and doesn't try as hard to get others to give, it adds up. Especially when the unions are considering getting out of the fundraising biz altogether.
Among those reconsidering their support is New York's former Mayor Ed Koch.
"I believed that then-Senator Obama would be as good as John Maverick McCain ... the Senator-for-Life from Arizona, former presidential candidate and even more former foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution... (in the 2008 election) based on his statements at the time, and based on his support of Israel," Koch told Rooters in an interview following Obama's Middle East policy speech Thursday. "It turns out I was wrong." That's alright, Ed. There'll be another election next year. He'll say what he said last time and you'll buy it again this time.
The billionaire real estate developer and publisher said bluntly that Obama will get "less political support, fewer activists for his campaign, and I am sure that will extend to financial support as well." "Fewer" isn't the same thing as "none." It doesn't even exclude "lots."
The Obama campaign has asked Penny Pritzker, Obama's 2008 national finance chairwoman, to talk with Jewish leaders about their concerns, Ms. Pritzker said. "Yeah, Penny. Get 'em back on board the old Ironclad."
Obama ignited a firestorm on Thursday when he called on Israel to use its 1967 boundaries as the launching point for peace negotiations with Paleostinian leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had bluntly criticized Obama's call earlier this week to base future negotiations on Paleostinian statehood on Israel's boundaries before it captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gazoo Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
However, The didactic However... in his Sunday address to the influential pro-Israeli lobby in the U.S., AIPAC, President Barack Obama backtracked from earlier remarks regarding an Israeli-Paleostinian agreement based on their pre-1967 borders, suggesting Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu had misrepresented him.
"Even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad," Obama said to loud applause.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
How much you wanta bet they vote Democrat next year?
#3
"Nearly two weeks ago, Fatah, the U.S.-backed Palestinian National Liberation Movement, signed an agreement to form a unity government with Hamas, a U.S.-listed foreign terror organization. ... Hamas's own foreign minister has stated that Hamas 'believe[s] that negotiations with the Israeli enemy are in vain.' The Hamas Charter calls for Islam to 'abolish' Israel and for Muslims to 'fight the Jews and kill them.' It further proclaims, 'There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except jihad.' ... Where would U.S. dollars go in this new unity government? Hamas isn't hiding their intentions for these funds. In touting the new unity government, Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud al-Zahhar announced, 'We believe in armed struggle, in addition to responsible governing, as well as making the government's resources available to the resistance,' i.e. terrorism. ... Israel has already cut off tax funds that it routinely collects for the Palestinian Authority. The United States should follow this example, suspend all funds to the Palestinians until Fatah withdraws from the agreement, and make it clear that if the agreement is honored, there will be no more U.S. dollars for the Palestinian Authority. The fact that we even have to debate this question is absurd." --Jordan Sekulow, Director of policy and international operation for American Center for Law and Justice
Attorneys for the five Muslim immigrants convicted in the Fort Dix plot will challenge the Patriot Act as they appeal the convictions. The lawyers will argue that their clients were entrapped by FBI informants. They claim the discussions were little more than a debate about jihad.
They will challenge the constitutionality of a Patriot Act provision used to seize video that their clients left at a store for processing. This included footage of the defendants firing assault weapons and bellowing about jihad.
Hearings are set for today in US appeals court in Philadelphia.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Nawa-e-Waqt (18 April 2011) that even if Pakistans F-16 warplanes were made to fly 24 hours they could not bring down the US drones targeting people inside Pakistans frontier. But air force chief Rao Qamar contradicted him saying the Pak Air Force had the capability of bringing down the drones. Punjab law minister added that according to General Kayani the army could bring down the drones.
Bhutto and Mujib both killed by America!
Famous columnist Hamid Mir wrote in Jang (18 April 2011) that America killed Bhutto because he was going against Americas policy. When he mentioned the killing of Bhutto by America to American ambassador and scholar Ms Shaffer she asked for proof, on which Mir said Kissinger had threatened Bhutto publicly after Bhuttos nuclear programme was discovered. About Mujib too he said that although the Bangladeshi army shot him, it was mastermind America who killed him.
Zardaris father and Babar were Bhuttos enemies
Veteran politician Mumtaz Bhutto told Jang (19 April 2011) that Hakim Ali Zardari President Zardaris father and PPPs Law Minister Babar Awan were both enemies of Bhutto once but opportunism attracted them to the party.
Get China to stop American drones!
Disgusted by loss of sovereignty of Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was quoted by Jinnah (18 April 2011) as saying as he left for a tour of China that all links with the US should be broken in favour of China who should help stop the drones.
Hizbut Tahrir wants khilafat instead of democracy
Banned organisation Hizbut Tahrir was reported by Jinnah (18 April 2011) holding a rally at Regal Chowk in Lahore where it called for the establishment of khilafat as against democracy which was against Islam. The rally was lathi-charged and water-cannoned by the police. Banned Hizb also held a similar rally in Peshawar.
Eunuchs become maulvi!
Reported in daily Express (19 April 2011) several eunuchs (khusra) of Lahore and Karachi expressed dissatisfaction with their careers as dancing transvestites and decided to become clerics instead. They stopped shaving hard and let their beards grow long after which they were greatly respected in society. In their photographs they looked like some famous religious politicians of Pakistan. They said they felt spiritually elated too.
Pakistan too important for America!
World famous strategist ex-ISI boss Hameed Gil told Express (17 April 2011) that after the drones crisis Pakistan had become even more important for America and therefore it should not be scared of Washington. PPP spokesperson Sharmila Farooqi said no one should stage a Long March against drones.
Amjad Islam Amjad defrauded
Daily Jinnah (20 April 2011) reported that some fraudsters in Karachi were informing people how they had come into possessing a car by lots only if they would remit money in an account before getting it. The fraudsters sent in pretty girls to the houses of the lucky winners with flowers and sweets. After the money was remitted however the company giving out cars simply disappeared. The paper informed that famous Urdu poet and writer Amjad Islam Amjad was trapped like this and had lost his lifes savings.
Pak-Afghan talks useless!
Veteran politician Naseem Ahir told Jinnah (17 April 2011) that recent Pak-Afghan talks would be useless because they were mere American drama because both were taking orders from America. He said America was strong in Pakistan but back home it was very weak.
General Akhtar for blocking NATO supplies
General (Retd) Naseer Akhtar told Jinnah (17 April 2011) that if Pakistan wanted the drone attacks stopped it should block the NATO supply trucks going across Pakistan to Afghanistan. He said Pakistan should actually tell the Americans that it was going to block the supplies.
Americans turned terrorists
Daily Jinnah (20 April 2011) reported that there was a growing trend among Muslim immigrants in the US to turn extremist in their thinking and also to go to regions of crisis and take part in what they considered jihad against America. Young Umar went from the US to Somalia where he grew into a hardline Islamist. He was a Christian with a Muslim father and turned to Islam after leaving his mothers religion. Adam Ghadan in California also converted to Islam and is now inside Al Qaeda. Pakistani Faisal Shahzad was an American who turned extremist and came to Pakistan to take training as a terrorist under Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. Major Hasan Nidal an American army doctor is facing trial for murdering Americans in revenge.
Pakistan trying to control Afghanistan
PMLQ leader Gohar Ayub told Jinnah (17 April 2011) that Pakistan was trying to control events in Afghanistan after America decided to get out of there after NATO was unsuccessful to achieve its objectives. He said if Americans sent a sweeper to Pakistan the Pakistani rulers will start saluting him.
Judiciary should not destroy democracy
President of the Supreme Court Bar Council Asma Jahangir was quoted by Jinnah (14 April 2011) as saying that she was going to tell the judiciary that it should not sink democracy (baira na daboa jai). She said one judge was going to retire in two and a half weeks when he was confirmed which put a load on the treasury. She was addressing the Multan bar.
The smiling columnist
Famous columnist, who according to him smiles every time he rebuts the Americans, Hamid Mir wrote in Jang (14 April 2011) that once American officer Deputy Secretary of State Richard Boucher complained to him that he was unfairly accusing America of killing Bhutto. The columnist smiled attractively and replied that it was not an accusation but a fact. America had used military generals, religious parties and secular leaders like Asghar Khan. He gave reference of Irshad Tirmizi the ISI brigadier who had mentioned it in his book.
Use Mithaq-e-Madina type of order
Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif was quoted in Jang (14 April 2011) as saying that to end terrorism some social order based on Mithaq-e-Madina should be brought about. He said Musharraf had brought the current terrorism on Pakistan. He was addressing the Rangers Headquarters.
Awan ate sweets after Bhuttos death!
Son of General Zia, Ijazul Haq told Jang (14 April 2011) that PPP law minister Babar Awan was once linked to Jamaat Islami and General Zia and had demanded death to Bhutto when the latter was in jail. After Bhutto was killed Awan publicly ate sweets to celebrate his hanging. In daily Jinnah, Ijaz said that Awan used to raise slogans in his fathers name. When Babar was not given ticket by the PMLN he joined the PPP 15 years ago.
Gaddafi loved pretty nurses
Daily Nawa-e-Waqt (15 April 2011) reported that the beautiful Ukrainian nurse who was close to Gaddafi stated that the dictator was very fond of having pretty girls around him but he did not do anything improper with them.
Universities without vice chancellors
Reported in Nawa-e-Waqt (14 April 2011) 6 of the universities in the province of Punjab were functioning without vice-chancellors. This situation prevailed since two years. The education university has invited candidates for the post twice but because of torrents of sifarish from powerful people no appointment was made, rendering the universities dysfunctional.
THE three widows of Osama bin Laden are turning on each other in custody, with two older Saudi women blaming a much younger Yemeni wife for leading American intelligence to their hideout.
"It's vicious," said a Pakistani official briefed on the interrogation of the widows. "The older wives think the younger one tipped off the Americans or was tracked when she came to join him."
The al-Qa'ida leader was living with three wives when he was killed in Abbottabad three weeks ago. Until US investigators discovered his hiding place, it was not known whether bin Laden and his family were alive. Some reports suggested that they had been killed in the US bombing of Afghanistan.
Although the compound where bin Laden hid for five years was large, the three wives were all cooped up in the same house. The older two lived on the second floor and the youngest one on the top. Their husband alternated between them. Pakistani officials who have been debriefing the women portray life in the compound as an Islamic version of Desperate Housewives.
"It's a well-known fact that when you have two older wives and then this young one comes along half their age, they don't like it," said one.
The wives even dispute who tried to protect their husband in the raid. The youngest was reported to have attempted to save him, sustaining a bullet wound to her calf. But the older wives say they were the ones who rushed to shield him.
Their version appears to be corroborated by an account of the raid, given by US officials last week. They said that when the Navy Seals reached the top floor, two women were in front of bin Laden, trying to protect him. One Seal shoved them away, fearing they might be wearing suicide bomb vests.
#3
By most accounts HAMZA was loyal to Osama + cause.
WORLD NEWS > AL-QAEDA INCORORATED: TERRORIST FUNCTIONS STRONGER THAN EVER. AQ decentralized + autonomous, etc. enough to survive + effec succeed despite the death of OBL, or even for that any of its other high-profile Leaders.
* ION SAME > WIKILEAKS PROVES THERE REALLY WERE WMDS IN [Saddamist]IRAQ.
#10
Time for a durka durka Team America version of the hit, then a celeb death match! Finally, the young one poses in P&nthouse.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/23/2011 11:59 Comments ||
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#11
Thank you JM #3. WIKILEAKS proves what our lefties and media tried to bury. I knew they had them because of the reports on first entry. It was word of mouth but it was people there on the ground. Now about ten years later it bubbles up. WIKILEAKS is not how I wished it could have been exposed. So we have many to thank. Then the Osama business. The thanks must be given to Bush and his administration for staying the course.
[Al Jazeera] Donors in Soddy Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are estimated to have been sending up to $100 million annually to radical Islamic schools in Pakistain that back Death Eater groups, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable.
The cable alleged that financial aid for a "sophisticated jihadi recruitment network" was coming from "missionary" and "Islamic charitable" organisations in the Gulf, ostensibly with the direct support of the Saudi and UAE governments.
The 2008 cable, purportedly sent by an officer at the US consulate in Lahore, was obtained by WikiLeaks and published by Pakistain's Dawn newspaper on Sunday.
Asked to respond to the report, a Saudi foreign ministry front man, Osama Nugali, said: "Soddy Arabia issued a statement from day one that we are not going to comment on any WikiLeaks reports because Soddy Arabia is not responsible for these reports and we are not sure about their authenticity."
Soddy Arabia, the US and Pakistain heavily supported the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s.
Armed groups subsequently mushroomed in the region, and beturbanned goons moved to Pakistain's northwest tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.
Since then there has been a growing link between groups there and in Punjab, Pakistain's most populous province, where the recruitment network is alleged to have existed.
In recent years, Death Eater groups have been carrying out suicide kabooms seemingly at will in Pakistain, despite military offensives against their strongholds.
The cable described how "families with multiple children" and "severe financial difficulties" were being exploited for recruitment purposes, Dawn reported.
Families would be approached by "supposedly charitable" groups, and holy mans would then offer to educate thier children and "find them employment in the service of Islam".
Martyrdom was later discussed, the cable alleged, with parents offered a final cash payment estimated at $6,500 by local sources. Recruits "chosen for jihad" would then be taken to "indoctrination camps".
The discovery that the late Osama bin Laden ... who is now neither a strong horse nor a weak horse, but a dead horse... was living in a Pak town not far from Islamabad until he was killed in a raid by US forces earlier this month has severely damaged ties between Washington and Islamabad.
US politicians and senior American officials have said before that Saudi donors and charities were still directing financial support to beturbanned goons in the region, including in Afghanistan.
But the cable was notable because it indicated that financial support was now reaching a once moderate area of southern Pakistain that observers had been warning was becoming more radical.
Dawn published other US cables on Saturday indicating that Pakistain's government had called for the US to step up drone strikes, and asked for US special forces troops to be embedded at Pak military bases in the country's tribal region.
The Mighty Pak Army denied those reports.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said on Saturday that China had "acceded to Pakistain's request to take over operations" of the Gwadar port as soon as the agreement with the Singapore Port Authority expired.
The minister, who had accompanied the prime minister during his visit to China, issued a statement to press about the development.
But the statement was silent on an important point: whether China will wait till 2047 for taking over the port. According to the concession agreement between Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and PSAI-AKD group, signed on Feb 6, 2007, the arrangement will be valid for 40 years.
Under the agreement, the Gwadar Port Authority receives revenues from consortium of PSAI-AKD.
Mr Mukhtar said Pakistain was grateful to the Chinese government for building the Gwadar port. "However, The flatulent However... we shall be more grateful to the Chinese if they agree to build naval base at Gwadar."
Gwadar, the country's third port after Bloody Karachi and Port Qasim, lies on the Arabian Sea. It is 533kms from Bloody Karachi and 120kms from the maritime frontier with Iran.
FRIGATES: Ahmad Mukhtar said that during meetings with Chinese officials, he had discussed important strategic and economic matters. "Pakistain requested for frigates of 4,400 tons on credit basis. We also requested the Chinese to train our personnel in running submarines."
According to Mr Mukhtar, the prime minister also asked his counterpart, Wen Jiabao, ...Wen has a professional background in geology and engineering. Unlike most American politicians, he actually knows things. ... to consider inducting the JF-17 Thunder aircraft into the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) fleet as it would enable Pakistain to sell a large number of the planes to other countries.
The Chinese government had agreed to "our request to equip our air force with FC-20 aircraft", the minister added.
He also said Islamabad had asked Beijing to convey a message to Washington that "our illusory sovereignty be respected".
The Chinese government "assured us of help in removing hurdles in the way of Pakistain's progress", the defence minister said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Illusory sovereignty" - whoa, haven't heard those terms in a while.
I strongly doubt Beijing will wait until 2047 - the spectre of forecasted widespread Energy, Water, Food? shortages alone occurring + spreading throughout China should preclude that.
* ION TOPIX/MIL FORUMS > TAIWAN: CHINA [now]HAS 1800 BALLISTIC MISSLES AIMED AT US, as up from 1600 BMS a short time back. The number of BMS aimed by Beijing at Taiwan is anticipated to keep rising as China modernizes its PLA.
ARTIC > PERTS = CONTROL OR POSSESSION OF TAIWAN IS KEY TO CHINA'S BREAKOUT INTO WESTPAC + OTHER FAR PACOAS, Taiwan proper is part of the "FIRST ISLAND CHAIN" OF CHINA'S STRATEGIC POWER PROJECTION = that is also CHINA'S ARC OF NATIONAL, GEOPOL ISOLATION/CONTAINMENT extending from Japan all the way down to the Philippines [+ Malaccas Straits, SCS].
IOW, BEIJING = THERE WILL BE NO CHINESE SUPERPOWER IN THE PACIFIC WIDOUT TAIWAN, NO TAIWAN = PLA MUST PEPARE WAR OPTIONS/MILPLANS AGZ JAPAN, ROK, + ASEAN, NAM NATIONS.
* PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > RISE OF CHINESE DRAGON COULD SPLIT NEW ZEALAND.
Ditto AISTRaLIA as per Beijing's alleged desireto set up PLA bases in EAST TIMOR.
[Dawn] Pakistain's military has denied a report No, no! Certainly not! that US Special Forces were embedded with Pak troops for intelligence- gathering missions in the northwest of the country.
The local Dawn newspaper said on Saturday it obtained secret dispatches from WikiLeaks that revealed that US Special Forces were deployed with Pak troops in joint operations in Pakistain by September of 2009.
A front man from the Pak military's media relations department categorically denied the presence of American troops in North and South Wazoo.
Waziristan, part of Pakistain's unruly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), is seen as a global hub for bully boys, including al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban factions which cross the border to attack US troops in Afghanistan.
"No US troops are involved in any military operations in FATA," said the front man. The WikiLeaks cables could hurt the powerful Pak military's image.
It faced rare criticism after a secret US special forces raid that killed al Qaeda leader the late Osama bin Laden ... who no longer has to waste time and energy breathing... not far from the capital Islamabad this month.
The army condemned the assault, which has severely strained ties between the two countries, as a violation of Pakistain's illusory sovereignty. But Paks lashed out at the country's generals because they did not know about the raid.
Anti-American sentiment runs high in Pakistain, partly because of US drone aircraft strikes on bully boys, which are regarded as a violation of the US ally's illusory sovereignty and have killed civilians.
The disclosure of the alleged US troop deployments came a day after another set of cables showed that Pakistain's powerful army chief not only tacitly agreed to the covert US drone campaign against bully boys, but asked for "continuous Predator coverage" of the tribal areas by these aircraft. The army denied the contents.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Thousands demonstrated in Bloody Karachi on Sunday to demand an immediate end to US missile strikes in Pakistain's lawless tribal areas and urge the blocking of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants... supplies passing through the country. I've got a Google alert in for when they protest Qaeda-controlled turbans attacking their military installations. So far nothing.
Activists from the Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) continued a two-day sit-in outside the city's Arabian Sea port, urging the government to end its cooperation with Washington's "war on terror".
"It is not Pakistain's war, this is America's war. This war has killed thousands of innocent Paks, women and kiddies," the group's leader and former cricketer Imran Khan ... who isn't your heaviest-duty thinker, maybe not even among the top five... told the gathering of around 7,000 supporters.
Bloody Karachi is Pakistain's economic hub, home to its stock exchange and a lifeline for a depressed economy wilting under inflation and stagnating foreign investment.
The city, the country's largest, is important to logistical support for NATO forces fighting against Talibs in Afghanistan.
"There was not a single Taliban bad turban in Pakistain before 9/11 but since we joined this war, we are facing acts of terrorism, bombing and drone strikes," Khan said.
The demonstrators chanted anti-US slogans and carried banners and placards reading "Death for America" and "Stop drone strikes in Pakistain".
Khan said the US drone strikes were creating "suicide kaboom factories"and urged the government to stop taking foreign aid.
"These attacks are against Pakistain's interests. I ask the government to stop NATO supplies via Pakistain, but I am sure they can't, because these shame-proof rulers are getting dollars," he said.
NATO supply trucks, oil tankers and equipment required by coalition troops in Afghanistan are shipped through Pakistain, although US troops increasingly use alternative routes through central Asia.
The US drone strikes are deeply unpopular among the Pak public, who see foreign military action on Pak soil as a violation of national illusory sovereignty.
Pakistain has officially protested to the United States that the strikes violate its illusory sovereignty, although some officials have said there is a tacit understanding between the two militaries allowing such action.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
The Pak Talibunnies blow up a naval airbase in your own city. Flames visible far and wide. Shell blowing up. Fleets of ambulances screaming...
and you idiots protest the US actions hundreds of miles away.....
You deserve whatever is happening to you.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
05/23/2011 16:45 Comments ||
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Barack B.O. Obama, the US president, has rejected Paleostinian plans to seek statehood at the United Nations, ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... and said Washington's commitment to Israel's security is "ironclad". The USS Monitor was the first ironclad ship. Coincidentally, she sank in a storm.
Obama was speaking at the annual policy meeting of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the main pro-Israel lobby in the US, on Sunday amid unprecedented tumult in the Middle East and new strains in US-Israeli relations.
"No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Paleostinian state," Obama said.
"And the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the UN or in any international forum. Because Israel's legitimacy is not a matter for debate."
On Thursday, the US president for the first time publicly called on Israel to accept a return to territorial lines in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, with mutual land swaps with Paleostinians, to frame a secure peace.
The formula was rejected by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who told Obama at a White House summit on Friday that the 1967 borders were "indefensible".
That prompted Paleostinian officials to say that they would seek recognition for Paleostinian statehood in the UN General Assembly in September.
European Union states, UN diplomats say, are looking increasingly favourably on the idea of recognising a Paleostinian state.
However, The over-used However... any statehood vote would have first to be approved in the UN Security Council, where the US - which insists on a negotiated peace accord - has a veto.
On Sunday, Obama reiterated the US's commitment to defending the existence of Israel.
"You also see our commitment to Israel's security in our steadfast opposition to any attempt to de-legitimise the State of Israel," he said.
"As I said at the United Nation's last year, Israel's existence must not be a subject for debate, and efforts to chip away at Israel's legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States."
However, The over-used However... Obama said the current situation in the Middle East was "unsustainable".
'Unbreakable bonds'
Obama said: "Even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad.
He also called the recent unity deal between Fatah and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, "an enormous obstacle to peace", and called on Hamas to release Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured five years ago.
"No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organisation sworn to its destruction," Obama said.
"We will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace: recognising Israel's right to exist, rejecting violence, and adhering to all existing agreements."
But he added: "No matter how hard it may be to start meaningful negotiations under the current circumstances, we must acknowledge that a failure to try is not an option. The status quo is unsustainable."
Rosiland Jordan, Al Jizz's correspondent in Washington, said Obama had received a polite welcome and been applauded when he talked about the US's commitment to defending Israel's sovereignty.
But some in the 10,000 audience had booed when Obama mentioned the 1967 borders, she said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state" - JEWISH LOBBY YESTERDAY, ARAB-MUSLIM LOBBY TODAY???
And NOT counting Al-Qaeda wanting revenge for Osama.
#8
Israel? where is that? Top priority right now should be the U.S. Our whole economy is about to go belly up, thanks to several Jewish men in power and their man Obama. And Israel will always put itself first, its time we started doing the same. Whether we help or hinder Isreal will come out just fine. America, Im not so sure.
#13
"Lilibeth," you're just as pathetic as all our other trolls. Blame the Joooooos for everything.
Damn, I miss the glory days of amusing trolls. We haven't had a good chew-toy in forever. :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/23/2011 19:13 Comments ||
Top||
#14
You know what is so predictable about your response, the typical knee jerk reaction. If its Israel= GOOD. OBAMA NOT LIKEY ISRAEL.. SO FUCKING WHAT. OBAMA is so far indebted to TIM GEITHNER AND THE BERNANKE, he knows where his bread is buttered. And he resents it. Honestly, the death of this country's economy might come on the coattails of THE BERNANKE and GEITHNER,and you'd still be slurp slurp tug tug on The POWERFUL JEWISH MONEY LOBBY'S DICK. Hope he washed his winky for you first.
#17
Is that crying about Israel I hear? Or a bell tolling? Well, my perilously stupid friends, The bell tolls for the U.S. Economy. Geithner and Bernanke and the Fed are readying to do another panty raid and then rape your wallets, everyone's wallets, and pensions. Because if theres one reason why people.... OUR TWO TOP TIER FINANCE WIZARD GENIES OF THE MONEY TOTEM POLE MONEY LENDERS ARE BOTH SHYLOCKING MOTHERFUCKERS. The merchant of Venice, Bernankes cousin, just called and he'd like to charge you interest on the bag he put your bagel in last week.
[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack B.O. Obama on Sunday accused Hizbullah of exercising "political liquidation," as he condemned Iran's support for "extremists" in the region.
Speaking at the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama pointed to Iranian "hypocrisy" in "claiming to support the rights of protesters" in the region "while treating its own people with brutality."
"Moreover, Iran continues to support terrorism across the region, including providing weapons and funds to terrorist organizations. So we will continue to work to prevent these actions, and we will stand up to groups like Hizbullah, who exercise political liquidation and seek to impose their will through rockets and car booms," Obama added.
Iranian-backed Hizbullah is blacklisted as a "terrorist" group by Washington.
Obama stressed that "the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad."
He also said Washington was going "beyond" regular military assistance to the Jewish state in order to help "maintain Israel's qualitative military edge."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/23/2011 00:00 ||
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[7 views]
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#1
When we do Osama, it's OK.
As they say down Texas way, "He needed killin'."
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/23/2011 13:55 Comments ||
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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.
John 
THE three widows of Osama bin Laden are turning on each other in custody, with two older Saudi women blaming a much younger Yemeni wife for leading American intelligence to their hideout.
Punjab
Wazoo
[An Nahar] U.S. President 
