[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The electricity of capital Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... was restored late on Monday evening after weeks of blackout following the destruction of electricity pylons in northern Baghlan province.
The officials in Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, Afghanistan's national power utility, said the technicians managed to repair the damaged pylons in Dand-e-Shahabuddin district of Baghlan after the area was cleared by the security forces.
The damaged lines were supplying almost half of power needed in capital Kabul from the neighboring Uzbekistan and were apparently damaged by the snuffies after the Afghan cops launched an operation in Dand-e-Ghori district of Baghlan late last month.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... advisers want Afghan soldiers to spend less time manning checkpoints and more taking the fight to Talibs, a key tactical shift the coalition hopes will enable local forces to quell a rising insurgency, Rooters reports.
With NATO's combat mission officially over, and only a few thousand foreign troops left, the onus has fallen on the Afghan army and police to impose stability, and the military alliance is looking for ways to use those resources more effectively.
Reducing reliance on thousands of poorly defended checkpoints that dot towns and roads across the country is a priority for NATO heading into summer, when fighting is expected to intensify as the Taliban renews its push to seize back power.
"They've got way too many soldiers on checkpoints," said Brigadier-General Wilson Shoffner, front man for the NATO-led training mission known as Resolute Support.
"There's an old military saying that if you defend everywhere you defend nowhere, and it's very much true for them (Afghan cops)."
There are early signs the idea is catching on.
Over the past week, army units in the embattled province of Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... abandoned their outposts in several of the most disputed areas, a move officials said would allow them to consolidate forces for renewed attacks on hard boy strongholds.
"We have decided to pull out our troops from their defensive role and prepare them for an aggressive role in the coming year," said General Murad Ali Murad, commander of the Afghan army's ground forces.
"We are providing them with serious training and better equipment in order to prepare for a spring offensive."
But countrywide, obstacles remain to changing tactics long favored by security forces.
Despite providing the enemy with an obvious target, checkpoints are still simpler to defend than launching mobile operations, which require logistics and air support often beyond the reach of limited Afghan resources.
Politics can also complicate efforts to change strategy, Shoffner said.
"If you're a local chief of police or village elder, you want as many checkpoints as you can get around your village. So we often have conflict between the Afghan army that is trying to reduce checkpoints and the (local) leaders ...
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
The best defense is a good offensive. Words to live by.
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02/24/2016 15:05 Comments ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) will receive 10,000 Ak-47 assault rifles from Russia on Wednesday as part of Moscow's efforts to equip and bolster the capabilities of the Afghan troops.
The delivery of the rifles will be done in a ceremony to be organized in military section of the Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani 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... International Airport in Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... The Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar and officials from the Embassy of the Russian Federation are also expected to attend the ceremony.
The delivery of the assault rifles is part of Russia's support to bolster the capabilities of the Afghan cops to fight the menace of terrorism.
Russian President's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov said late in December last year "Russia has been consistently pursuing the policy of providing comprehensive assistance to Afghanistan in the establishment of a peaceful, independent, stable and self-sufficient state, free from terrorism and drugs."
The Afghan government has stepped up efforts to attract the regional as well as global support to equip the Afghan national security forces.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The first round of direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban groups is expected to be held in the first week of March.
The participants of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting issued a joint statement following the conclusion of the fourth round of the meeting in Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... today.
"The QCG member states invite all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorized representatives in the first round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government expected to take place by the first week of March 2016," the statement said.
Pakistain has graciously offered to host the first round of direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban groups, the statement said, adding that the fifth round of the QCG meeting will take place in Islamabad immediately after the first round of direct peace talks.
The delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistain's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing and U.S. Charge d'Affaires, David Lindwall.
The statement also added that the "QCG members welcomed the strong statement by H.E. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. , President of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Afghanistan, on 15 February in which he once again underlined the strong commitment of the Government of Afghanistan for peace and reconciliation with Taliban groups and Hezbi Islami Hekmatyar, the support of the Afghan nation for this national priority and his call on the Taliban and other groups to join early direct talks with the Government of Afghanistan."
The QCG also welcomed the decision by Afghanistan and Pakistain to constitute a bilateral joint working group to work with the honorable Ulema of Afghanistan and Pakistain for their support to the Afghan led and Afghan owned peace and reconciliation process, including through Fatwas against the ongoing senseless violence, the statement said.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[ALMANAR.LB] Italia has agreed that US forces can use an airbase in Sicily to launch drone strikes against 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... group ISIL targets in Libya on a case-by-case basis, defense minister Roberta Pinotti said in an interview published Tuesday.Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti
Pinotti told the daily Il Messaggero that any strikes launched from the Sigonella base would be limited to operations required to protect US and allied personnel and assets involved in combating the ISIL group in Libya and elsewhere.
She said every strike would be subject to an individual authorization request to the Italian government and that they would only be used as a "last resort".
She added: "To date the drones have not been used in armed operations and there have been no requests for them to be."
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AFP, AdenTuesday, 23 February 2016
Yemen’s president has appointed a veteran general as armed forces deputy commander in a bid to rally support from tribes and troops in the rebel-held Sanaa region, military sources said.
President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi’s decision to appoint Saudi-based General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a northerner known for his close ties to Sunni Islamists, was published on the government’s official sabanew.net website late Monday.
Hadi himself is supreme commander of the armed forces.
Ahmar’s troops played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising that ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose loyalists are now allied with Iran-backed Shiite militias who control the capital.
In 2013, Hadi named the influential general his military and security affairs adviser after dramatically restructuring the military to curb the influence of those linked to Saleh.
Military sources explained Hadi’s decision as an attempt to gain the confidence of tribal dignitaries and senior army commanders in the Sanaa region, where Ahmar wields much influence.
His Al-Ahmar clan has historically led the influential Hashid confederation in northern Yemen.
Hadi’s move comes as loyalist forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, try to advance on Sanaa which Houthi militias captured in 2014.
Earlier this month, pro-government forces took the town of Nihm, within 40 km of Sanaa, after overrunning the headquarters of a renegade pro-rebel army brigade, loyalist military sources said.
Coalition forces have meanwhile intensified their air strikes against militia positions around Sanaa over the past week, military sources added.
Since the coalition intervened in support of Hadi last March, his loyalists have ousted the militias from five southern provinces.
In the north the insurgents have been largely confined to Marib, east of Sanaa, and Jawf on the border with Saudi Arabia.
Last Update: Tuesday, 23 February 2016 KSA 13:52 - GMT 10:52
[Dhaka Tribune] The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday heard the prosecution arguments in the appeals case of condemned Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali ...Jamaat-e-Islamic Central Committee member and Saudi money man in Bangla. Currently waiting to be hanged.... A five-member panel headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha adjourned the hearing until today after Attorney General Mahbubey Alam placed his arguments against Quasem, who had been a commander of notorious al-Badr force in the Chittagong during the Liberation War.
At one stage of the hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction over the prosecution and the Sherlocks of the International Crimes Tribunal for their "incompetence" as they had failed to bring witnesses against some charges brought against the war criminal.
The court said that they were shocked at the performance of the tribunal's prosecution team and the Sherlocks. "Huge amount of money is being spent, but their responsibilities are not reflected in their performance," it said.
The court also asked the prosecution to end their arguments by today.
The defence earlier claimed that his client had not been directly involved in any of the incidents and that the witnesses produced unreal depositions.
Top Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... financier Quasem, now 64, was awarded capital punishment by the tribunal on November 3, 2014. As many as 24 prosecution witnesses testified against Quasem.
The tribunal handed down the death penalty on two charges -- for killing seven people, including teenage freedom fighter Jasimuddin, after abduction. He was also awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on the eight other proven charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning.
The Appellate Division started hearing on his appeal on February 9. It is the seventh appeals case heard by the top court.
Quasem joined Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, in 1967 while studying at Chittagong Collegiate School. He later became its Chittagong city unit general secretary. He played an important role in forming al-Badr Bahini.
He had set up makeshift torture camps at different places in the port city. According to the government, Quasem has also spent a large amount of money abroad to make the war crimes trials controversial.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] Banned myrmidon outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh The JMB is said to be the youth front of Al Mujahideen, the parent organization that began working toward establishing Bangladesh as an Islamic state in the mid 1990s which remains obscure even today. Other organizations, such as Jama'atul Jihad, JMB, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Hizbut Tawhid, Tawhidi Janata, Islami Jubo Shangha, Islami Shangha, Al Falah A'am Unnayan Shanstha and Shahadat-e al Hiqma are believed to be part of the Al Mujahideen network. The JMB at its peak was reported to contain at least 100,000 members, and an alleged 2,000-man suicide brigade, few of whom actually exploded. JMB allegedly received financial assistance from individual donors in Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Libya. Reports have claimed that funding of JMB by international NGOs like Kuwait based Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage (RIHS) and Doulatul Kuwait, Saudi Arabia based Al Haramaine Islamic Institute and Rabita Al Alam Al Islami, Qatar Charitable Society and UAE-based Al Fuzaira and Khairul Ansar Al Khairia. The top leadership of JMB was captured in 2005 and hung in 2007, which pretty much shot their bolt. (JMB) has been using the Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... to recruit members in Bangladesh's north, Sherlocks claim.
Continued on Page 49
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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Who knew that Christian extremism was such a threat to Uzbekistan? Wish the article had some information about the others sentenced.
[RFE/RL] A court in Uzbekistan's eastern region of Jizzax handed five men prison terms of between 5 and 12 years for religious extremism, separatism, and sabotage. One of the men sentenced, Aramais Avakian, a 33-year-old ethnic Armenian and a Christian, was sentenced to seven years, his wife said.
Avakian was the only defendant who pleaded not guilty. He was arrested in September. Avakian's relatives say that local officials in Paxtakor district trumped up the charges in order to take over his successful fish farm.
Armenian officials had earlier said that they officially expressed concern over the case and asked Uzbek authorities to properly investigate it.
The US Office of the Secretary of the Defense has released its annual report to Congress on North Korea's military, and the findings are chilling. Included in the report are the following three maps, which outline North Korea's military might.
North Korea's ground forces make up the primary thrust of the rogue nation's military. Nearly 70% of its ground forces are forward deployed to within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the South Korean border.
The ground forces are a mix of infantry corps, which are predominantly comprised of regular and light-infantry units. In general, these forces are housed in fortified underground facilities facing toward South Korea.
In addition to infantry, the ground corps also has large armor and artillery corps. Although corps make use of old technology, their forward-deployed nature remains a threat to South Korea. North Korea's artillery, in particular, is worrisome as the long-range cannons and rockets are capable of hitting South Korea's capital, Seoul, from over the border in the event of a war.
But aside from North Korea's special forces, its ground forces are generally underfed, ill-equipped, and poorly trained.
North Korea's second-largest military branch is its air force. Like Pyongyang's ground forces, these airframes are largely based against the South -- 50% of North Korea's air force is within 62 miles of the South Korean border.
Although North Korea maintains a large air force, its fleet is estimated at having 1,300 aircraft, consisting almost entirely of legacy Soviet airframes. Pyongyang's most capable aircraft are MiG-29s that were likely procured in the late 1980s from the Soviet Union.
The hermit kingdom also has a few US-made MD-500 helicopters that were obtained in the 1980s by circumventing export controls that are capable of ground-attack missions. But the majority of North Korea's air assets are aging and the country has taken the route of improving its ground forces and hardening the country against air strikes than trying to modernize its air force.
The smallest of the military branches, Pyongyang's navy is also largely based against South Korea, with 50% of the navy's assets within 62 miles of the border. The navy is largely comprised of aging patrol boats, submarines, and air-cushioned hovercraft and amphibious vessels.
Of these assets, North Korea's submarine fleet is the most potentially dangerous. Although extremely old, the fleet of an estimated 70 submarines are capable of hiding around the Korean coast and harassing or possibly sinking South Korean vessels.
Additionally, in 2015 North Korea debuted a new submarine that it said was domestically built and capable of firing a ballistic missile.
But the three maps do not show North Korea's continued drive to create a nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile program. The following chart highlights the known number of missiles in North Korea's missile forces.
The largest confirmed threat that North Korea is known to possess is the KN-08 missile.
It would be able to target portions of the West Coast of the continental US. Additionally, the missile is believed to be able to carry miniaturized nuclear warheads, should Pyongyang develop such a capability, and it's road mobile, making it difficult for the US to track.
#2
Brer - The last No Dung launch put a sat in a polar orbit and had it crossing Washington DC from the SSE on it's first orbit. It was stated that we had no anti-missile defenses for that path. I realize that a nuke couldn't take the same path on the No Dung as it weighs more but that implies with some boosters or a better second stage on the No Dung it would be possible.
[ALMANAR.LB] Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defense system opposed by Beijing, South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday.
The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) against North Korea's growing missile threat.
"The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations," ministry front man Moon Sang-Gyun said.
The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.US and South Korea flags
The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.
More than two weeks ago, the allies announced their intention to begin talks on its deployment following Pyongyang's long-range ballistic missile launch on February 7 but negotiations to launch the Joint Working Group were protracted.
The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart 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... for possible talks over the controversial defense system and North Korea.
China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning Monday that it should not be used as a front to "undermine China's own legitimate (security) interests".
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
See also THE DIPLOMAT > CHINA WARNS THAAD DEPLOYMENT COULD DESTROY [Bilateral]SOUTH KOREA TIES "IN AN INSTANT".
PRC Ambassador Qiu Guohong to ROK/SOKOR MPK Party Spox Kim Sung-Soo.
* RELATED WORLD NEWS > [Business Insider] CHINA WARNS SOUTH KOREA THAT DEPLOYING [US] THAAD MISSLE SYSTEM [Shield]COULD TRIGGER COLD WAR-LIKE ARMS RACE.
Yes + No - IMO such a Cold War between China + SOKOR [US-Allies] could only be TEMPORARY given OWG Co-Superpower China's latent desire to unilaterally or "asymmetrically" expand its sphere throughout East Asia + "First Island Chain", as per Anti-US US OWG-NWO Globalist POTUS OBama + Anti-US Globalist agenda where the Superpower-US-N-Only-The-Superpower-US must fall back or retreat around the World so that its OWG Co-Superpower Siblings China, Russia, + Iran, Other? can rise to lead their Region-specific OWG Global Fed Union(s).
* YONHAP > KERRY: THAAD [Deployment to SOKOR] NOT NECESSARY IFF NORTH KOREA IS DE-NUCLEARIZED.
US SecState Jaaawhn to China FM Wang Yi at US-China talks over NOKOR's recent Rocket Launch, NucBomb tests.
IFF THE POST-1950/KOREAN WAR 1/COLD WAR/9-11, ANTI-KOREAN UNIFICATION "STATUS QUO" IN NE ASIA + ON THE KOREAN PENINSULAS IS TO CHANGE, THEN IRONICALLY THE US-ALLIES SSSHHHHH ... CCCCCCC NEED BOTH NOKOR + SOKOR TO HAVE NUKES.
ESPEC IFF DE FACTO FORMAL PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION BETWEEN MAINLAND CHINA + TAIWAN CONTINUES TO STALL.
* IIRC BIGNEWSNETWORK > [USFK Chief] US GENERAL: KIM JONG-UN MAY USE WMDS TO "SAVE HIS COUNTRY".
Yeeeuuup - AS I'VE SAID OR ARGUED TIMES BEFORE, TO DETER OR PREVENT ANY DE FACTO CHINESE TAKEOVER OR ANNEXATION OF THE DPRK/NOKOR FOR ANY REASON, LOOK TO PUDGY = KJU TO FIND A WAY TO START A US-CHINA WAR ON THE PENINSULA ANDOR NE ASIA TO SAVE HIS COUNTRY.
And IMO, I would NOT be surprised iff SOKOR covertly or PCorrectly-Deniably supported him.
#3
Another roughly ONE MILYUHN YEMENI REFUGEES displaced by the Saudis-vs-Iran proxy war in Yemen will repor be coming to an EU State(s) near you very soon.
[GLOBALPOST] The notorious refugee camp in Calais, northern La Belle France, known as the "Jungle" is a key staging post for desperate migrants trying to cross the Channel to reach Britannia.
French authorities want to demolish half of the camp, but on Tuesday a court delayed its ruling on the eviction of residents just hours before they were to be forced to leave.
Following are some key developments from recent years:
- November, 2002: Closure of the Red Thingy Sangatte refugee camp in Calais, which housed 700 to 800 mainly Afghan migrants. The migrants then gather in an area to the northeast of Calais, in a makeshift tent camp which soon becomes known as the Jungle.
The camp is near to the point where thousands of lorries board ferries -- and migrants, without official documents, try to climb on to the vehicles to cross the Channel.
- September 22, 2009: The Jungle is demolished for the first time by 500 coppers, despite protests by anti-globalisation activists and criticism from the Left.
- April, 2015: A new makeshift tent camp named the New Jungle emerges near a state-run day centre for migrants outside Calais. It later becomes known as the Jungle.
- June 1, 2015: 21 people are injured when a brawl breaks out overnight between up to 300 migrants in the camp.
- November 9-11, 2015: Clashes break out between police and migrants around the Jungle. Police presence is stepped up.
- November 23, 2015: La Belle France's top administrative court, responding to an procedure initiated by non-governmental organizations, gives the government one week to start cleaning up the Jungle, where it says thousands are living in "inhuman" conditions.
- January 23, 2016: The port of Calais is shut down for more than three hours after dozens of migrants board a moored Britannia-bound ferry. The incident comes after some 2,000 people protested nearby over living conditions in the Jungle.
- February 6, 2016: Around 20 people are jugged Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! in Calais at a rally in support of Germany's anti-Islamic organization Pegida. The rally, which had been banned by the authorities, descends into festivities.
- February 19, 2016: The Calais authorities set a deadline of 1900 GMT Tuesday, February 23, for people in the southern half of the Jungle camp to leave. Local authorities say a total of 3,700 people are living in the Jungle, and that between 800 and 1,000 will be affected by the eviction order.
- February 23, 2016: The ultimatum is pushed back, with a French court delaying its ruling on the demolition.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] The Pentagon is expected to submit a plan to Congress to close the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, setting up a battle with politicians who oppose President Barack Obama's Because I won... efforts to close down the facility.
Obama, whose pledge to shut the prison on a naval base in Cuba dates back to the start of his presidency, is seeking to make good on his promise before he leaves office next January.
Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon front man, said that the administration intended to meet Tuesday's deadline to present a detailed proposal for closing the facility. There are still 91 prisoners held there.
"We understand the deadline is tomorrow and it's our intent to meet it" Davis said on Monday.
US officials have said the plan will include sending 35 detainees who are cleared for transfer to either their home country or to a third country.
The remaining prisoners would be brought back to US soil and held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the US mainland since 2011.
Another option will be the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, one US official said according to the Rooters news agency.
The plan could also serve as a template for how to deal with future combatants captured in the fight against the Islamic 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.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.
The document will not name the alternative US prisons under consideration for housing detainees, US officials said.
The administration wants to avoid fuelling any political outcry over specific sites during a US presidential election year.
However, you can observe a lot just by watching... Pentagon officials have already surveyed a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Navy brig at Charleston, South Carolina.
An effort will also be made to speed up parole-style reviews to determine whether more prisoners can be added to the group cleared for release, officials said.
The plan will include costs for upgrading US facilities and housing the inmates there, according to a source familiar with the matter. The White House last year rejected one Pentagon proposal as too expensive, sending it back for revisions.
Republicans and some Democrats in Congress largely oppose proposals to move any of the prisoners to the United States.
Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said on Monday that the B.O. regime refused to "level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo".
White House front man Josh Earnest reiterated Obama's view of Guantanamo as a "recruiting tool" for enemies of the US, and urged politicians to look at the plan "with an open mind", although he expressed doubt about whether they would do so.
The White House has left open the possibility that Obama might resort to executive powers to close the facility.
The prison was opened in 2002 by former Republican President George W Bush to house foreign suspects rounded up after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
The US quickly drew criticism from human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... activists and foreign governments over Guantanamo, where most prisoners have been held for more than a decade without trial.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
putting his hubris and "legacy" above American national security... unexpectedly!
Just because you made a stupid campaign promise doesn't mean we have to live down to it. House them at his "compound" after he's out of office
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/24/2016 8:45 Comments ||
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#2
btw - you know he wants to give Gitmo base back to the Castros. Executive Actions and all
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/24/2016 8:46 Comments ||
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[NATION.PK] Non-bail able arrest warrants were issued today against 27 accused, including Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight... and Pakistain Awami Tehrik (PAT) Tahirul-Qadri.
Police submitted a report which mentioned that arrest warrants against Imran, Qadri and others could not be complied, therefore, non-bail able arrest warrants be issued. If the accused don t appear on next hearing or are not tossed in the slammer Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! then the court will be requested to declare them proclaimed offenders and their properties be confiscated.
Assistant Commissioner Captain ® Waqas Rasheed heard a case filed in Secretariat Police Station against the accused, who allegedly violated Section-144 and Amplifier Act by virtue of entering in Red Zone in the form of procession during sit-in days. During the hearing only one accused; Asif Nazar a.k.a DJ Butt appeared in the court.
During the hearing, accused DJ Butt was indicted on violating Section-144. Prior to that, accused was indicted on violating Amplifier Act. The accused denied charges put on him. Court told the prosecution to bring witnesses at the next hearing and adjourned the court till March 24.
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02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that registration of a First Information Report (FIR) in the Pathankot attack by Pakistain is not enough.
."Registration of a case is merely a step ahead, but it won't do. There should be serious investigation. Our effort is that they should take legal action to our satisfaction," Parrikar said in an interview with NDTV.
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of 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.... police in Gujranwala (Pakistain) on Friday registered a FIR against the alleged attackers of the Pathankot airbase in India and their abettors, kicking off a formal investigation into the attack which had claimed the lives of at least seven Indian troops and four faceless myrmidons in January this year.
Following the attack India had accused Death Eater group Jaish-e-Mohammad ...literally Army of Mohammad, a Pak-based Deobandi terror group founded by Maulana Masood Azhar in 2000, after he split with the Harkat-ul-Mujaheddin. In 2002 the government of Pervez Musharraf banned the group, which changed its name to Khaddam ul-Islam and continued doing what it had been doing before without missing a beat... of being responsible for the attack. Pak authorities cracked down on the group, sealing a Jaish-run seminary in Sialkot and taking group leader Masood Azhar into protective custody.
Later Pakistain said it was "considering to send a special investigation team to Pathankot, in consultation with the government of India."
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said on Sunday that India had agreed to receive Pak Sherlocks for probing its allegations about the involvement of some groups or people from Pakistain in
Talking about the mutual demilitarisation of Siachen glacier, Parrikar said no such question arises, noting that India occupies the higher peaks.
Parrikar, who was banned from speaking to the media for six months for issuing controversial statements last year, reasserted that "India will hit back at terror groups in their own language." adding that "those who inflicted pain on India will have to pay," he said.
"When, what and how it will be done will depend on our convenience," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Army chief 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.... yesterday met the Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... i leadership in Doha to discuss facilitation in the Afghan reconciliation process, ISPR said. Good idea. Go directly to the puppeteers...
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif who is on an official visit to Qatar separately called on Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa al-Thani in Doha on Monday.
Matters related to regional security and enhanced bilateral defence cooperation came under discussion during the meetings.
Facilitation of reconciliation process in Afghanistan through Qatar office was discussed in detail.
Qatari leadership reiterated that Pakistain and Qatar share brotherly relations which over a period of time are transforming into strategic and mutually beneficial ties.
Both the sides expressed satisfaction at the level of defence relations between armed forces of two countries and underscored the importance of further enhancing the cooperation.
The leadership of Qatar acknowledged Pakistain's role in bringing about regional stability and appreciated Pakistain Army's efforts in countering terrorism and bringing peace in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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Posted by: Sven the pelter ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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All this Islamic terrorist support is quite open in Pakistan and most Pakistanis believe that this provides Pakistan with protection from attacks by true Islamic terrorists. Thus any "Islamic terrorist" violence against Pakistan must be instigated by India, Israel and/or the West. This includes the creation and support for groups like ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and al Qaeda. No real Muslim would commit the atrocities against Muslims that those two groups are accused of. But because ISIL and al Qaeda have been declared outlaws by most of the world (including the UN) public statements in Muslim nations must go along. On the street, however, there is no such pretense. Any time an Islamic terrorist attack kills non-Muslims it is a victory for Islam. Whenever the victims are Muslims, it's another example of non-Muslims attacking Islam. Of course many educated Pakistanis know better, but in many Muslim countries the Islamic conservatives can get away with murder if the victim is someone who has openly questioned these myths. This has long been true in Pakistan and is even occasionally true in Bangladesh, which at least goes after the killers and makes a real effort to shut down all Islamic terror groups.
You would think that they were all listening to MSNBC.
Posted by: Sven the pelter ||
02/24/2016 15:33 Comments ||
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[ALMANAR.LB] Wikileaks published a new trove of top secret documents revealing that the NSA spied on the private meetings of major world leaders, including UN chief Ban Ki-Moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel ...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom... , as well as the prime ministers of Italia and the Zionist entity, Russia Today reported.
The National Security Agency (NSA) listened in on high-level meetings on climate change, global economics, and even "how to deal with [US President Barack] Obama," according to the new documents released by WikiLeaks.
"Today we showed that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's private meetings over how to save the planet from climate change were bugged by a country intent on protecting its largest oil companies," said WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange about NSA activities.
Assange added that the UN will most likely react to these leaks.
"We previously published Hillary Clinton ... sometimes described as The Heroine of Tuzla and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another Daniel Webster ... 's orders that US diplomats were to steal the secretary general's DNA.
Why on earth would such a thing be wanted?
The US government has signed agreements with the UN that it will not engage in such conduct against the UN -- let alone its secretary general.
"It will be interesting to see the UN's reaction, because if the secretary general can be targeted without consequence, then everyone from world leader to street sweeper is at risk."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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NSA Spied on UN's Ban Ki-Moon & Other World Leaders
U.N. aid convoys headed to two Syrian towns besieged by government forces on Tuesday to deliver life-saving food and medicine to some 30,000 people, a U.N. spokesman said.
The deliveries to the towns of Moadamiyeh and Kafr Batna, near Damascus, came after aid reached five besieged towns last week, part of a major push to reach civilians facing starvation.
“These are the first of what we hope to be a series of deliveries to meet the needs of people that humanitarian workers have not been able to reach for a long time,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The convoys carried enough food and medical supplies to help some 20,000 people in Moadamiyeh and 10,000 in Kafr Batna, he said.
The humanitarian aid came a day after the United States and Russia agreed on a cessation of hostilities as of Saturday that could pave the way to more deliveries.
The United Nations is calling on all sides to lift starvation sieges across Syria, where it estimates that 487,000 people live, although some non-governmental organizations say the figure is much higher.
Last week, 114 trucks loaded with food and other basic goods reached 80,000 people in five besieged areas.
The United Nations is calling for “unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access” to all hard-to-reach areas, said Dujarric.
More than 260,000 people have died in Syria’s conflict, which began in March 2011 with anti-government protests but has since imploded into a multi-sided proxy war.
[IsraelTimes] Move follows Riyadh’s $4 billion cut to Lebanese army; Emirates to pull diplomats out
"You want to reboot the Sunni-Shiite war? We can do that. To the mattresses, boys -- spend your vacations somewhere else!" Update from Ynet at 5:45 pm ET adding Bahrain to that list.
[WASHINGTONEXAMINER] The Federal Bureau of Investigation should stop trying to compel Apple to break into one of the company's own devices, a Democratic politician suggested on Tuesday.
"We should all take a deep breath and talk to each other, rather than use a lawsuit to circumvent the critical and necessary policy discussions," Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote in a letter addressed to FBI Director James Comey.
"The precedent set in this case would essentially enact a policy proposal to weaken encryption that has not yet gained traction in Congress and was previously rejected by the White House," he said, echoing language used last week by several Tammany hangers-on on the House Judiciary Committee.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2016 00:00 ||
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When I find myself agreeing with liberals or democrats about anything, I make a point of stepping back and re-assessing my basic assumptions to see where and how I have gone wrong.
OTOH, even broken clocks tell the right time occasionally.
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.
North Korea
[NATION.PK] The Pentagon is expected to submit a plan to Congress to close the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, setting up a battle with politicians who oppose President 
Hillary Clinton
