Despite the ongoing conflict in Yemen, thousands of Ethiopians and Somalis are continuing to make a perilous sea crossing, which has already claimed at least three dozen lives this year, the UN refugee agency warned today.
So Yemen is still a garden spot, if you're from Æthiopia or Somalia...
Once again rather than still -- not so long ago it was the Yemenis fleeing south ahead of rampaging Houthis..
Latest data on sea arrivals shows that 92,446 people arrived in Yemen by boat in 2015, one of the highest annual totals recorded over the past decade. A full two thirds arrived since March 2015 when the conflict began.
With 95 deaths reported,
or 0.1%, a very small number, indeed...
2015 is the second deadliest year recorded to date. In view of this, and the loss of 36 lives in an incident on 8 January this year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today reiterated its warning to people contemplating the crossing over the dangers of this journey.
“The overall figures are disturbing,” UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters at a news briefing in Geneva.
“People continue to arrive despite unprecedented escalated internal conflict in Yemen and tragically, more people continue to lose their lives trying to cross the sea in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats,” he added.
UNHCR began systematic recording of arrivals in Yemen in 2006. To date, only 2011 and 2012 have seen higher arrivals of Ethiopians and Somalis in Yemen than there were in 2015. Almost 90 per cent of last year’s arrivals were from Ethiopia.
UNHCR in Somalia and its partners have reportedly been working with the international community and Somali authorities to improve political, security and socio-economic conditions in Somalia. They have also been actively pursuing durable solutions for refugees, returnees and people who are internally displaced.
According to the agency, these efforts aim at providing an alternative to Somalis to undertaking perilous sea journeys to Yemen. The number of Somalis who made the journey to Yemen last year compares to a high of just over 33,000 in 2008.
Meanwhile, many new arrivals are reportedly misinformed about the severity of the conflict, believe that the situation has become relatively calm in some of the southern governorates, or are following rumours of improved access into neighbouring Gulf countries.
New arrivals have been described as facing movement restrictions in Yemen, and there have been reports of some being caught in the conflict and killed. There are now fewer income opportunities and available services, and organized gangs and smugglers continue to operate along the Red Sea coast.
“UNHCR and partners in the Horn of Africa counsel would-be crossers about the inherent dangers of the journey, the realities of the situation on the ground in Yemen and the asylum and assistance options available to them,” Mr. Edwards said.
Conflict continues to rage in the country and Yemenis are bearing the brunt with the UN estimating that over 2.5 million people are now internally displaced. Despite severely restricted humanitarian access and security constraints, UNHCR reached over 280,000 internally displaced Yemenis with essential household items and shelter material in 2015.
Yemen is also host to over 266,000 refugees, of which some 250,000 are Somali. Meanwhile, over 168,000 people have fled Yemen to neighbouring countries since March.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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On Monday, Minister of Local Administration, Abdul Raqeeb Fateh, confirmed the failure of all UN relief-support-organizations’ attempts in entering Taiz. Nothing had reached Taiz except for aid that was delivered by the Air Drop Box Relief Aid Delivery System carried out by the Arabian coalition forces and “King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aids” in their efforts to lift the blockade.
Fateh warned in a press conference in Riyadh about the Madya town crisis in Syria being repeated in Taiz. A couple of days ago, Madaya shocked the world by revealing the horrific suffering of its citizens, due to the blockade inflicted by the regime, where even food was not allowed to reach in.
In sight of that, a militant organization in Aden has claimed the attack on the security director Colonel Shalal Ali Shayea’s house on Jan 17. The militants calling themselves “Aden’s Islamic Army” had threatened to continue carrying on their terrorist attacks.
On the militants announcing their attacks, Security Spokesman Ali Shayef al-Hariri said “the assassination groups are tracking down former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi leaderships, and are running their operations from the same room”.
“The purpose behind the assassinations is to deliver the idea that Aden is not safe anymore” he added.
On the other hand, Khaled Mahfouz Bahah, Yemeni Vice President and Prime Minister, said that “despite all the military gains that have been accomplished and the operations that have been completed on the case of freeing cities and governorates, they are still working on putting an end to the war and to enter a true and permanent peace stage”
“The international community and the United nations have to work hard on implementing all UN resolutions, and to compel the insurgent party to accept them and execute them to a notch” Mr. Bahah stated at the deliberations meeting held with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Abu Dhabi.
[Iran Press TV] Britannia sold the Saudis over 1.5 billion dollars worth of arms last summer that saw Riyadh escalate its deadly military campaign against Yemen, say human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. groups.
From July to September 2015, the British government authorized the sales under an export category which covers missiles, rockets and bombs via five separate licenses, The Guardian cited Saferworld and Amnesia Amnesty International as saying on Tuesday. And the Soddis might be just the people to put these bombs to use...
The sales were made just one day after British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... claimed he was trying to "encourage a political process in Yemen," and that the crisis in the country would not be solved through military intervention, said a Saferworld spokesperson.
"All of these are for air force end use, with the components for air-to-surface rockets for training purposes," the spokesperson noted.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Brits will sell weapons to anybody---even to you know who.
#2
Exports from the United States to the UK and British SA expanded considerably during the Boer War. The average annual value of these exports of about $577. million during 1899-1902 marked in increase of around $112. million over their average for 1899-1902. The most significant wartime expert were horses and mules. Over 100,000 of the former and over 80,000 of the latter were shipped from the U.S. to South Africa, about half of all the mules used in the British forces originated in America. Very large quantities of cartridges, hay, oats, and preserved meat were also sold. In addition, loans from US bankers underwrote approximately 20 percent of the cost of Britains war.
Keith Wilson, The International Impact of the Boer War, page 112. Published by Acumen 2001.
As an aside; these horses and mules did not come home. Domestic recovery from these exports lagged well into the WW1, placing our own soldiers lacking for horses, mules, and teams at the U.S. entry to the 'War to end all Wars.'
To get a feel for today's US dollar values, simply multiply 1899-1902 dollars by a conservative factor of 10. You'll be hitting the green with only a short putt remaining.
[Iran Press TV] Ahmad al-Arab will be 147 years old after serving his jail term handed down by a Bahraini court.
The High Criminal Court in the capital Manama on Tuesday sentenced the 17-year-old to an additional 10 years in prison on charges of protesting against the ruling Al Khalifah royal family and charges of alleged terror acts, Arabic-language Manama Post online newspaper reported.
The court also ruled that Arab, who was incarcerated Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! on April 13 last year, will no longer be a Bahraini national at the end of his prison term.
The Tuesday ruling is the latest in a series of harsh punishments handed down to dissidents in Bahrain, a tiny Persian Gulf island nation that has seen years of anti-regime protests.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
will no longer be a Bahraini national at the end of his prison term
The U.S. has deployed a state-of-the-art guided-missile destroyer and nuclear-powered attack submarine to the 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan. The 7th Fleet is part of the Pacific Fleet and currently the largest naval grouping the U.S. deploys overseas.
The deployments are believed to be a response to the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threat as well as China's moves to widen its naval reach.
A military source on Tuesday said the USS Barry, an 8,900 ton destroyer,
...or what used to be called a 'light cruiser'...
left the Norfolk naval base on the U.S. east coast on Dec. 12 and is en route to the 7th Fleet. It is armed with SM-3 and SM-6 guided missiles.
The USS Charlotte, a 6,900-ton nuclear-powered submarine, apparently arrived at Sasebo naval base in Japan on Jan. 5 and will be based there for the next six months. The Los Angeles-class fast-attack sub can launch four torpedoes, 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Another nuclear-powered submarine, the 6,100-ton USS City of Corpus Christi, was deployed with the 7th Fleet last week.
The submarines would be capable of surreptitiously approaching the North Korean coast to launch precision strikes against nuclear and missile bases.
A Defense Ministry official here said Seoul and the U.S. are also discussing the deployment of B-52 long-range bombers and other strategic weapons to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's nuclear test earlier this month.
The U.S. Navy also said an aircraft carrier, the USS John C. Stennis, will be deployed to the western Pacific for seven months.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
See SPUTNIK NEWS on the Russian take on the deployment of the USS "STENNIS" CVN.
#2
I would be surprised to learn that a large percentage of the USA's cruise missile carrying attack subs are not already deployed within firing range of norkland. What is one more sub? Pudgy has to know that a world of hurt is posed to rain down on him should he try something stupid.
Posted by: Sven the pelter ||
01/20/2016 12:26 Comments ||
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* WASHINGTON TIMES > CHINA RATTLES ITS SABRES AT JAPAN, CITES WW2.
* WORLD NEWS, TWITTER > CHINA WARNS JAPAN, US TO EXERCISE CAUTION ON TAIWAN, CHINA SEAS ISSUES.
Beijing warns Tokyo + Washington to tread carefully + not to intervene in its "internal" affairs.
* PLA DAILY ONLINE = CHINAMIL > US [Strategic, Nuke-armed/capable] "KILLING MACHINES" FLOOD INTO ASIA-PACIFIC REGION, in aftermath of alleged NOKOR H-Bomb test.
* MANILA TIMES > US TROOPS CAN BE DEPLOYED TO DISPUTED [South China Sea]ISLANDS - BIAZON, e.g. Pagasa under the terms of EDCA.
Ex-PH Armed Forces Chief Rodolfo Biazon.
* RELATED GLOBALNATION.PH > EDCA WILL ACT AGZ CHINA'S "CREEPING AGGRESSION" - BIAZON.
* @WSJ@TWITTER > THE US CAN PLAY "TAIWAN" CARD IFF CHINA [Beijing] WON'T BACK DOWN IN EAST ASIA
| FOR US, TAIWAN VOTE CHANGES CALCULUS ON "ONE CHINA" POLICY.
YEEEUUP.
ARTIC = Bejing should be demanded to give up any + all sovereign rights or claims to TAIWAN in return for being allowed to keep its SCS islands.
SORRY, WSJ + JOHN BOLTON, BUT METHINKS BEIJING IS GONNA DEMAND SOMETHING TIT-FOR-TAT FROM THE US [read, Guam-CNMI-WESTPAC?].
China loses or gives up something(s), so must the US.
VERSUS
* YAHOO NEWS > AMIDST DROP IN OIL PRICES, US NAVY DEPLOYS "GREAT GREEN FLEET", i.e. Bio-fueled Naval vessels.
Reminds of an old childhood dream or vision of mine where, to counter slowly but steadily intensifying Solar-led GWCC = heating up of the Earth, the USN decides to coat its ships wid specially developed Anti-Solar lubes + other Techs.
EEEEWWWWWWWWWWW - D *** NG IT, WTFH KIND OF SHIP PAINT-OILS ARE THESE???
[Iran Press TV] United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. experts have expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... about new counter-terrorism measures adopted in La Belle France against the backdrop of the deadly 2015 Gay Paree attacks, calling on the French government to protect fundamental freedoms in its anti-terror battle.
In a statement released on Tuesday, a group of four UN rights specialists said the current state of emergency in La Belle France and surveillance laws impose "excessive and disproportionate restrictions" on the basic rights of people.
The statement said the main concerns center on "the lack of clarity and precision of several provisions of the ... laws, related to the nature and scope of restrictions to the legitimate exercise of right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the right to privacy."
On November 13, 2015, assailants struck at least six different venues in and around Gay Paree. The terrorist attacks left 130 people dead and over 350 others maimed. La Belle France introduced the state of emergency following the horrendous assaults, which were claimed by the Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... Daesh [Islamic State] terrorist group.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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Relax. Adopting these counter-terrorism measures won't stop France from criticizing Israel for similar things.
#1
MERKEL may broadly desire Germany to be a OWG Co-Superpower like Bundes BFF/BFRNF + strategic partner RUSSIA = PUTIN, but apparently the Bundeswehr needs to first be seriously revamped or modernized.
[Iran Press TV] Canada has not been invited to a ministerial meeting in the French capital this week to discuss the battle against the Daesh [Islamic State]Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... terror group.
The meeting, which is planned to be held in Gay Paree on Wednesday, will host defense ministers from the Netherlands, La Belle France, Australia, Germany, Italia and the UK.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter did not mention Ottawa last week in a speech in Kentucky when he announced plans for holding talks with defense ministers from countries that are playing a significant role in the so-called US-led coalition that is allegedly targeting positions of Daesh [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria.
Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, meanwhile, tried to play down the exclusion on Tuesday as he said the meeting would not be the only gathering over the issue.
The meeting comes as Washington has urged coalition members to contribute more to the anti-Daesh [Islamic State] fight in Iraq and Syria after the deadly terrorist attack in Gay Paree in November claimed by Daesh [Islamic State].
This is while Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to withdraw the country's six fighter jets from the mission but said Ottawa would increase military training.
Canada's opposition Conservative party has said in reaction to the exclusion that Ottawa "is deliberately being excluded because of this Liberal government's decision to withdraw our CF-18s from the mission against ISIS (Daesh [Islamic State])."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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I wonder if the EU is meeting to consider a "Canadian solution" to their migrant problem.~
Posted by: Sven the pelter ||
01/20/2016 10:07 Comments ||
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"Over the last week, Clinton and her allies have faced fire from three different angles of the Benghazi/Email scandal story. Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) explained that the testimony seems to contradict the Obama administration (and State Department) story about what happened on the ground in Benghazi. Journalist Sharyl Attkisson agrees with Gowdy, saying that the evidence is now "overwhelming" and proves that the government has lied to us about what happened. Finally, the families of the Benghazi dead and those who survived are beginning to fight back against Hillary Clinton's attempts to paint them as either liars or simpletons."
If you can't dispute the facts, start calling names.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
01/20/2016 0:08 Comments ||
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#2
And the BAMMER???
Lest we fergit, as POTUS + de facto EL SUPREMO atop the US NatCom Auth, the Bammer is responsible for ordering the Direct Military Response = DMR to any World Crisis [Crises] or Situation(s), OR IN ALTERN THE LACK OF SAME.
Hillary may had been US SecState, but she's NOT the Bammer, VPOTUS Grandpa Biden, andor the SecDef.
#3
I keep getting ads from Hillary! showing a black and white photo of her, statement is something like she is the best choice for defense/security.
The pitch is hilarious! in and of itself, but the photo they used...I understand finding flattering pictures is probably a difficult task, but this has her with what looks to be a lazy half-closed eye.
KENT, Ohio -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating Julio Pino, a Kent State associate history professor, for his alleged involvement with the Islamic State, according to KentWired.
"Kent State is fully cooperating with the FBI," Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield told WKYC Channel 3 News.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment," said Mansfield. "The FBI has assured Kent State that there is no threat to campus.”
An FBI special agent told KentWired a joint terrorism task force has been investigating Pino for the last year and a half.
This is the nice young history professor who shouted "Death to Israel" during a lecture by an Israeli diplomat. You can tell how nice he is by the pic of him...
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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Does the Flint River run through Kent, or is there something else in the water ?
A man accused of setting a fire that heavily damaged a Somali restaurant in Grand Forks has made his first appearance on a federal complaint. Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Gust, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, is facing charges of malicious use of an explosive device and use of a destructive device during a crime of violence.
The Dec. 7 fire at the Juba Coffee House was started by a homemade explosive that was made with a 40-ounce beer bottle. It happened three days after vandals spray-painted what some have described as a Nazi-like symbol on the business, along with the words “go home.”
Gust was not asked to enter a plea at Tuesday’s hearing. A detention hearing is scheduled Friday.
Gust was originally charged in state court with felony arson.
Lock him up for a good 50 years. Arson is an ugly, ugly crime.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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A rare hate crime that seems to actually have been one, rather than a false flag operation.
[DAWN] Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that findings of the Pathankot airbase attack inquiries will be made public in a couple of days. Jaish to be exonerated!
Addressing a presser here on Tuesday, he said military and civil agencies were working on the leads provided by India and a report would be compiled and shared with the media in a couple of days. He refused to speak further on the issue. Masood Azhar to be vindicated!
Rana Sanaullah regretted that facts about the cases -- gang-rape of a teenage girl, cutting of hands of a labourer by a landlord, murder of a pregnant woman in a robbery incident and sewing of lips of a so-called victim of extortionists -- had been grossly overlooked by the electronic media. But shucks, that sort of thing happens everywhere. It ain't just Pakistain. Mostly, maybe, but not all...
The stories were aired without confirming details with the authorities concerned, he said, adding that such reporting presented a negative image of the country to the world and did not serve the cause of justice. "So, really, they shouldn't have been reported..."
Punjab IG Mushtaq Sukhera and investigation officers shared with journalists findings of the four cases. ...and I'm sure the journalists were totally convinced.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] NEW DELHI: An anonymous letter claimed to be from the Death EaterIslamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group has threatened to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar over the government's support for beef ban, Press Trust of India said on Tuesday.
It said Goa Police have circulated the letter to all cop shoppes in the state and handed over the case to the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS).
The postcard threat letter was received at the state secretariat last week following which Goa police swung into action, a senior police official said.
"All the agencies of state police are investigating this letter. We will soon be able to find the source of it," the police official said.
"ISIS was written at the bottom of the postcard," the official confirmed.
The letter expressed anger over ban on cow slaughter in the country, PTI said. The letter regardless of its veracity could give traction to Hindutva campaign in a clutch of state polls due in a next few months.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Pakistain successfully test-fires a locally developed "state-of-the-art" air-launched cruise missile.
"The state of the art Ra'ad ALCM (air-launched cruise missile) is equipped with highly advanced guidance and navigation system that ensures engagement of targets with pinpoint accuracy," the Pak military said in a statement on Tuesday.
The first of such missile was test-fired in August 2007.
The military said the newer version of the Ra'ad missile can reach targets distancing 350 kilometers (218 miles) from it launcher.
The missile is capable of hitting fixed enemy installations, such as radar posts, command nodes and stationary surface-to-air missile launchers, at stand-off range.
The missile can also be armed with a nuclear warhead.
The recent missile test is the latest in a series of tests conducted by Pakistain and its arch-rival India since both demonstrated their nuclear weapons capability in 1998.
On December 30, 2015, India test-fired its Barak-8 missile system. The long-range surface-to-air missile is reportedly capable of countering air attacks from long distances.
The system includes a radar for detection, tracking and missile guidance and was jointly developed by India and the Israeli regime.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] US sources say Washington has no reason to believe Tehran was involved in abduction, while Iraqi intelligence sources say three US citizens were kidnapped because they're American.
Three US citizens who disappeared last week in Baghdad were kidnapped and are being held by an Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia, two Iraqi intelligence and two US government sources said on Tuesday.
The US sources said Washington had no reason to believe Tehran was involved in the kidnapping and does not believe the trio are being held in Iran, which borders Iraq.
"They were kidnapped because they are Americans, not for personal or financial reasons," one of the Iraqi intelligence sources in Baghdad said.
Unknown gunnies seized the Americans on Friday from a private residence in the capital's southeastern Dora district, according to Iraqi officials.
The Iraqi government has struggled to rein in the Shi'ite militias, many of which fought the US military following the 2003 invasion and have previously been accused of killing and abducting American nationals.
No US citizens have been kidnapped in Iraq since US troops withdrew from the country in 2011.
#6
IOC for the AF variant is late this year? The C carrier version 2018? May have that backasswards, wouldn't be the 10,000th time. B version already IOC preparing to deploy to Japan? And evidently doing expeditionary training somewhere near Pappy
[IsraelTimes] Credit cards still don't work in Islamic Theocratic Republic, and likely won't in near future; funds expected to be transferred through Dubai
He did not say how much money was involved in the transfers, though he said the nuclear deal would give Tehran access to $32 billion in overseas assets and lower international currency transactions for the country by 15 percent.
Iran successfully transferred some of the billions of dollars' worth of frozen overseas assets following the implementation of the nuclear deal with world powers, the head of the country's central bank said Tuesday. But ordinary Iranians are still waiting to see how their daily lives will improve and how fast Iranian companies will gain access to financial markets worldwide.
Credit cards still don't work in the Islamic Theocratic Republic and its ATM machines remain separated from the rest of the world. That is not likely to change soon as many of the world's major financial services companies operate in the United States.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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Long article on how Iran is going to try and sell NG into a glutted market. Some of the neighboring countries, such as Kazakhstan, are doing the same. Oil and NG prices just have to go lower for a while yet.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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hopefully, after Jan 20, 2017 there will be a series of unfortunate events in iran's export infrastructure.
#2
It may be better for them to shed their resources for a fraction of what they would otherwise be worth. Make them burn through their 0bean-given wealth and their resources and find themselves penniless at the end of the downturn.
[Iran Press TV] The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, says the military power of Iran and Pakistain has so far deterred many foreign plots and mischief.
In a meeting with Pak Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif ..Pak chief of army staff, meaning he pulls the strings on the Nawaz Sharif puppet to make it dance and sing and not do much at all.... in Tehran on Tuesday, Shamkhani added that Iranian and Pak military might is aimed at safeguarding the interests of the Muslim world in favor of regional unity and stability.
He pointed to the presence of armed bandidos in the border areas of Iran and Pakistain and said, "These insecurities are completely guided and are based on plans [designed] by intelligence services of certain countries."
Shamkhani also warned against threats posed by terrorist groups to the region and urged all regional countries to strengthen cooperation and make use of their potentialities for combating terrorism.
He added that the escalation of tensions and squandering of Muslim countries' assets would only serve the interests of enemies and bolster terrorist group.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called on Muslim countries to form an alliance for progress and development and not for war, in an apparent reference to the coalition formed by Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... for the aggression against Yemen.
"We believe that the conditions in the region and world of Islam call for the creation of a coalition for development, and not war, in the world of Islam," Rouhani said in a meeting with Pakistain's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... in Tehran on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia launched a deadly aggression against Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... last March with the help of some of its allies. More than 7,500 Yemenis have so far been killed in more than nine months of incessant attacks, while millions more are reported to have been stranded across the country.
Responding to the Pak premier's remarks about the recent tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Rouhani said, "We call for the expansion of relations and do not welcome tension provided that the rights of Muslim people are respected."
Nimr's execution was widely censured by Muslims and human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... activists around the globe as well as different governments.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran on January 3 following demonstrations outside the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters. The Saudi diplomatic premises was attacked by some during the demonstrations. Iranian officials strongly denounced the raids and have placed in durance vile Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! over 150 people over the incident.
Besides Pakistain, other countries, including Russia and China, have voiced readiness to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani expressed deep concern over insecurity caused by gunnies in the region and said the Iranian administration's policy is "based on constructive interaction with world countries, particularly neighboring states."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Of course they do but it makes so much sense that even he doesn't believe it.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... has said that the video of American sailors released by Iran made him angry and frustrated. Yeah. Tut tut. And tut. Pass the Heinz ketchup.
Video footage showed the US Navy personnel kneeling with their hands behind their heads as they were apprehended, something Kerry made clear he was deeply unhappy about. "Yep. Just tugged at my heartstrings."
"I was very angry. I was very, very frustrated and angry that that was released," Kerry told John Berman on CNN's "New Day." Yeah, buddy. Betcha he got down there and chewed the carpet, maybe even beat the servants.
"I raised it immediately with the Iranians. It was not put out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the government directly, it was put out I think by the military over there, the (Revolutionary Guard), who is opposed to what we are doing." "So just ignore it."
The 10 sailors were tossed in the calaboose You have the right to remain silent... with two navy boats by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) after illegally entering into Iranian territorial water on January 12 and released within 24 hours. Iran said the sailors were released after the United States apologized for the intrusion and gave assurances it would not happen again. Shucks, I wish I could be a foreign policy expert. Maybe if I'd been in Vietnam...
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
"I was very angry. I was very, very frustrated and angry that that was released," Kerry told John Berman on CNN's "New Day."
According to a local official, 56 armed Shiite factions in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, sow terror among the Sunni population yesterday, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Member of Diyala Provincial Council, Ali al-Daini, said that overlooking the daily crimes committed in the cities of the province, in addition to what has happened lately in Muqdadiyah where ten mosques were bombed, lead the representatives of the Sunni components in Diyala to seek to globally shed the lights on the suffering in order to end the extermination campaigns perpetrated by these armed militias, who, according to al-Daini, belong to a “third-party” against the Sunnis in Diyala.
Al-Daini added that these militias belong to influential political parties providing them with legal coverage in order for them to carry out their criminal acts freely. They do not comply with any orders given by Diyala security authorities, have no deterrent, and they have become very difficult to control. Those armed factions have not only penetrated the army, police, and the province, but also have given themselves the right to name the security leaders in Diyala according to how they see it fits.
On the other hand, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that the concerned bodies have started gathering evidences on the three Americans and their interpreter, who were kidnapped in Baghdad by an armed group wearing military uniform and driving a Sport Utility Vehicle.
An official source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the victims were kidnapped from an apartment in Baghdad’s southeastern Dora neighborhood.
The kidnapping of the Americans came at a time when the fate of more than 20 Qataris remains unknown, after being kidnapped by an armed group for more than a month now, in the desert western Iraq.
Prior to that incident, gunmen kidnapped Turkish workers and held them hostages for more than a week before releasing them.
[Wash Times] The White House dismissed Republican accusations Tuesday that the U.S. paid Iran $1.7 billion as ransom to gain the release of American prisoners, saying the payment settled a long-running claim by Tehran over military equipment.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said it was "not a coincidence" that the financial issue was settled at the same time as the administration swapped prisoners with Tehran and lifted U.S. economic sanctions in a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program. But he said the release of the four Americans was not linked to the payment, and instead resulted from "diplomatic opportunities" that arose during the negotiations. If the same logic follows, would then the raid on Abbottabad be an election opportunity 'vis a vis' a coincidence ?
"This is Exhibit A in the administration pursuing tough, principled diplomacy in a way that actually ends up making the American people safer and advancing the interests of the United States more effectively than military action," Mr. Earnest said.
#1
Worth the time to watch both segments, it makes clear that the suspicions are true, the Administration, Hildabeest, and a number of toady flag officers have lied about there being no assets available, and that some were actually turned back. It also makes the 13 hour movie even more compelling to go see I suspect. The leadership of this administration subordinates everything, every oath-bound duty, to the optics of politics over even the lives of those they lead. Despicable people for whom the word honor is meaningless and duty is merely a small obstacle to power.
#3
and the Select Committee apparently did not have people with enough experience and smarts to follow through on some obvious points, e.g., documentation of where assets where, why was Stevens in Benghazi, why was there a diplomatic asset there in the first place
Posted by: lord garth ||
01/20/2016 22:21 Comments ||
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#4
At the end of part two, the video offers this quote from the State Department: "The notion that [it] did not do everything possible to protect our people that night is as offensive as it is wrong."
That is about as wrong as it can get, and by their own words, that makes it just as offensive. A whole bunch of folks need to go to jail for murder and accessory to murder.
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.
[Iran Press TV] 
The U.S. has deployed a state-of-the-art guided-missile destroyer and nuclear-powered attack submarine to the 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan. The 7th Fleet is part of the Pacific Fleet and currently the largest naval grouping the U.S. deploys overseas. 
Ja, ja das gute leben (the good life). Things were so much simpler back then. 
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] U.S. Secretary of State 
