[TRIBUNE.PK] Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada ...Deputy to Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour... has asked his followers to "enforce Sharia and good governance" in areas under their control.
"During the initial years of occupation, our obligation was to combat against the enemy but now as we have control over many areas of the country, it is time we should reap the fruit of the 15 year-long jihad and implement objectives of jihad," the Taliban leader said in his Eidul Azha message.
The Eid festival will be celebrated across Afghanistan today (Monday).
Explaining the group’s objectives, the Taliban chief listed implementation of the "Divine Sharia on the land of Allah; to establish justice; maintain stability and security; to protect frontiers and defend life, property, honour and all other God-given rights of the countrymen."
He urged Taliban officials of the military commission, governors, courts and commanders of the armed units to maintain security and justice, implementation of Sharia and efficient governance.
The Taliban chief talked about diplomatic efforts for a political process but at the same time pushed his fighters to continue what he called ’Jihad’.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been continuing to make diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the issue of Afghanistan apart from its military approach; We have nominated the Political Office for this purpose as well as for maintenance of relations with the world and pertinent entities (for peaceful and diplomatic efforts)," he said.
Despite claims by the Taliban leaders’ to push for political process, the group has not yet shown willingness to join peace negotiations.
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09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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[REUTERS] Taliban advances and a shootout between gunnies from rival ethnic groups 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.... that carried echoes of Afghanistan's 1990s civil war have underlined the threats facing President 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. .. two years after he came to power.
The skirmish earlier this month in the capital, sparked by a row over plans to re-bury a former Tajik king, was relatively minor by Afghan standards, but also a rare open display of hostility between ethnic groups that often simmers under the surface yet defines decades of conflict.
At the same time, the Taliban have stepped up operations only weeks before a major conference of international donors to Afghanistan in Brussels.
Last Thursday, the bully boy movement's fighters appeared to walk right into the center of Tarin Kot, capital of the central province of Uruzgan, and though the faceless myrmidons were pushed back, residents say it is now a ghost town of empty roads and shuttered shops.
The fighting in Uruzgan and other provinces including Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... in the south and Kunduz in the north, plus a string of attacks in Kabul in the last few months, provide stark evidence of the Western-backed government's inability to guarantee security, 15 years after the fall of the Taliban.
NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... and Afghan security officials are on alert for more attacks after the Eid holiday this week.
So far, opposition groups have avoided calling openly for Ghani to go, wary of creating a power vacuum at a time when the Taliban insurgency is gaining in intensity.
But this month is the deadline by which the government was to have introduced a new structure following the disputed election of 2014, which forced Ghani to divide power with his rival, Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... , in an awkward "unity" administration.
The deadline is set to expire with none of those changes in place, which experts say undermines Ghani's legitimacy at a time when the Afghan public is far from happy with his performance.
"It's a manageable situation, but the risk of it getting out of hand becomes acute around September," said Scott Worden, director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.
Ghani has the support of the United States, Afghanistan's key ally; 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... said in April that Washington does not consider the deadline binding and expects the government to serve a full five-year term.
Whether it lasts that long may depend on how Ghani gets on with his chief executive Abdullah, who recently accused the president of being unwilling to listen to his ministers and unfit to hold office.
Senior aides say they have ironed out their differences after a series of meetings, and government unity is undamaged.
"There's an environment of better understanding and agreement," said government spoEthnic tensions, Taliban attacks pose traps for Afghan leaderkesman Shahhussain Murtazawi. "What you see in the media doesn't reflect reality."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
At least he's not a smack addict like Karzai
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/13/2016 20:50 Comments ||
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[TRIBUNE.PK] A much-talked-about peace deal between the Afghan administration and the Gulbuddin Hekmatyar ... who used to be known in intelligence circles as The Most Evil Man in the World but who now seems merely run-of-the-mill evil... -led Hizb-e-Islami krazed killer group is likely to be announced on the eve of Eidul Azha.
Hizb leaders earlier hoped the announcement would be made on Saturday evening, but it couldn’t materialise owing to differences between PresidAfghan govt, Hizb-e-Islami peace deal nearsent 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. .. and Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... Hekmatyar, a veteran of the Afghan jihad against the Soviet military, has been accused by rights campaigners of widespread abuses, particularly during the civil war of the early 1990s, when he briefly served as prime minister.
"On our part, we have already finalised work," a Hizb spokesperson told The Express Tribune on Sunday. "We were expecting an announcement regarding the reconciliation agreement on Saturday evening."
Some reports suggest that opposition from Dr Abdullah is causing the delay, the front man added. "Talks between President Ghani and Dr Abdullah are in progress. And we hope the differences will be sorted out."
There are reports that President Ghani would declare truce with Hizb-e-Islami on the eve of Eidul Azha. The Hizb spokesperson, however, denied rumours that Hekmatyar was present 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.... for the announcement of the peace deal.
Under the draft, members of Hizb-e-Islami would be offered a general amnesty, similar to the one offered in 2007 to warlords accused of war crimes. The government would also work to have the group removed from a UN blacklist. The group would not join the government but would be recognised as a political party and be involved in major political decisions.
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09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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[Aawsat] Cairo- Forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the general commander of Libya’s pro-parliament National Army, achieved a key military victory on Sunday, as they gained control over the country’s “oil crescent” that was under the authority of militias supporting the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
“Oil crescent” is home to two major Mediterranean ports and is seen as a vital source of income for the GNA which is struggling to assert its authority.
Previously controlled by guards allied to the GNA, the ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf were seized by forces loyal to Haftar, who is one of the most powerful military figures in Libya.
Colonel Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for Haftar’s forces, told a press conference that another oil terminal at Zueitina was not yet under their control.
“Clashes are now ongoing near the Zueitina port,” Mismari said.
He also confirmed that Haftar’s fighters were in control of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf.
Hatem El-Ouraybi, a spokesman for the eastern authority, told AFP the attack was aimed at “regaining full control of the oil crescent.”
“The government calls on all the people of the oil crescent area — including those who were in the oil installations guards — to join the army or return to their homes,” he said.
U.N. special envoy to Libya Martin Kobler said on Twitter he was worried about the fighting.
“Oil belongs to all Libyans,” he tweeted. “Conflicts can only be solved through dialogue, not violence,” he added, urging all parties to sit together.
Ras Lanuf and Es Sider are together capable of handling 700,000 barrels of oil per day but had been closed for months after jihadist attacks.
The Libyan oil sector has been controlled by armed groups since 2013, which led to a sharp decrease in production levels that reached only 250,000 barrels per day, compared to one and a half million barrels per day before that year.
From Sunday: More from Asharq Al-Awsat
The attacks on Libya’s major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), pushes the North African state towards a broader battle over its oil resources and disrupts attempts to restart production.
Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya’s oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Gaddafi was toppled, has resisted attempts to integrate him into unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions.
Many in western Libya and Tripoli criticize Haftar as a former Gaddafi ally bent on establishing a military dictatorship, but he has become a political figurehead for many in the east who feel abandoned by the capital.
The state-run National Oil Corporation confirmed Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were under full control of Haftar forces while Zueitina was still contested.
The attacks complicate Western attempts to bring together Libya’s rival armed factions under the GNA and stabilise a country where chaos allowed extremist militants and migrant smugglers to operate across swathes of territory.
The ports targeted by the LNA were previously under the control of the Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG), whose leader, Ibrahim Jathran, struck a deal with the GNA in July to end its blockade of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina.
But there had been little sign of any rapid resumption of exports in recent weeks, and control by Haftar’s brigades could make the deal irrelevant.
A government and parliament based in the east still resist the GNA’s authority in Tripoli and they have in the past threatened to try to sell crude themselves.
Mismari said the LNA had been able to seize Ras Lanuf and Es Sider quickly because it had won over local tribes before staging a rapid advance. “This force was being prepared for a long time, and it entered without any resistance from Jathran’s forces,” he told Reuters.
One eyewitness said there had been a heavy deployment of LNA armoured vehicles around Ras Lanuf and Es Sider.
Akram Buhaliqa, a second LNA spokesman, said there had been no casualties among LNA forces in the early morning operation, though Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said a small fuel tank for power generation had been set ablaze in Es Sider.
On Sunday afternoon, the LNA and residents said clashes were continuing in a residential district of Ajdabiya that is home to Jathran’s family.
Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were badly damaged earlier this year in attacks by ISIS militants based in Sirte, where they are currently on the verge of defeat by forces aligned with the GNA backed by U.S. air strikes.
[AlAhram] A rival force seized the Libyan oil port of Zuwaytina from guards loyal to the UN-backed unity government early on Monday in a new blow to its authority, a spokesman for the force said.
"Our armed forces were able to take control of Zuwaytina port and secure it completely," Mohammad al-Azumi said, after the force loyal to a rival administration based in east seized two other oil ports on Sunday.
Gulf Cooperation Council countries expressed "deep concern" on Monday over a bill passed by the US Congress that would allow families of September 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia over the attacks.
Okay, you expressed your concerns. Now shaddup or we'll turn you over to the Iranians...
The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif Al Zayani, said in a statement that the legislation runs against the principles of international law and sets a dangerous precedent for foreign relations.
The US House of Representatives approved the legislation last Friday, following earlier passage by the Senate. The White House has signaled President Barack Obama would veto the proposed law over concerns that it could open the US up to similar lawsuits from other countries.
The United Arab Emirates issued its own statement echoing the Gulf bloc's concerns on Monday.
"This law is not equal with the foundations and principles of relations among states, and represents a clear violation given its negative repercussions and dangerous precedents," said Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
In its own statement, Qatar said the 9/11 legislation "violates international law, particularly the principle of sovereign equality between states."
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
It does seem to be short thinking. If we open up the world to lawsuits against governments the West will be deluged with real and harassment lawsuits.
#4
If these lawsuits do go forward, who knows what might be turned up in discovery. Might be interesting to see some of the interlocking relationships.
#5
It would solve a lot of problems if the 9/11 funders, activists, field supervisors, and Princelings all took a verifiable deadly desert picnic
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/13/2016 20:53 Comments ||
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#6
g(r)omgoru, assuming you mean the international criminal court (came up on the second page of the Google search which is odd).
The ICC is ineffective, this lawsuit against SA would also be ineffective, and the shitstorm it would begin of other potential grudge lawsuits would also be ineffective as the leaders of various countries are unlikely to turn their own people over lest they be next. And it'll cost us all money and time.
I hate the Saudi's as much as the next guy but reminding the executive order against assassinations seems a better plan.
[Daily Caller] French President Francois Hollande commemorated 9/11 by blaming the U.S. for France's terrorism problem on Facebook.
Hollande prefaced his admonishment by parroting the now famous, "We Are All Americans Today," headline from French newspaper Le Monde, dated September 12, 2001. Hollande then blamed the U.S. response to 9/11, particularly the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for fanning the flames of terrorism.
"Even though France, through (ex-President) Jacques Chirac, rightly refused to join the intervention which it even condemned, it has still been a victim of the consequences of the chaos it caused," Hollande continued.
France may have opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq but it also aggressively supported the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya. France and Britain pursued a United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolution supporting a no-fly zone in Libya, and heavily pressured President Obama to sign on to the plan.
#3
[Imitating a Frenchman] F*** you, Americans! Uncultured, crass Americans! We hate all of you! Fu—the Germans are here! Hello, Americans! We love you!
#5
" . . . you know frankly, going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. You just leave a lot of useless noisy baggage behind." - Jed Babbin
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/13/2016 11:10 Comments ||
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#6
We blow our noses in your general direction, Hollande.
#10
Well, the Obama/Hillary administration did fan the flames of the Arab Spring which resulted in a huge outflow of refugees to Europe--another failed policy with a great deal of fallout.
#11
"Even though France, through (ex-President) Jacques Chirac, rightly refused to join the intervention which it even condemned, it has still been a victim of the consequences of the chaos it caused," Hollande continued.
The war killed the kickbacks Saddam was funneling through French bank Societe General through the UN Oil-for-Food program set up to get around sanctions. Accountability bites.
[LI] By most accounts, Danny Lewin was the first victim of 9/11. Seated in seat 9B aboard American Airlines flight 11, he saw Mohamed Atta and Abdulaziz al-Omari, sitting just in front of him, rise and make their way to the cockpit. According to calls from flight attendants to air traffic officials, later documented in the 9/11 Commission’s report, Lewin wasted no time in acting. Having served as an officer in Sayeret Matkal, the Israel Defense Forces’ top unit, he moved to tackle the terrorists. The man in 10B, Satam al-Suqami, moved, too, producing a knife and slitting Lewin’s throat. Less than 30 minutes later, at 8:46 a.m., the plane crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
Elsewhere, in America and all over the world, people desperate for accurate information turned to the Internet for news. Straining under the overwhelming demand of tens of millions of simultaneous requests, the web’s biggest news sites threatened to collapse. Very few did, thanks in large part to the technology that Lewin himself had developed years earlier: Although only 31 at the time of his murder, he was the co-founder of Akamai, a pioneering technology company whose content routing solutions enable the seamless flow of nearly 20 percent of the web’s traffic.
[INDIATIMES] Terror outfit 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... (JeM) has released a video issuing threats against mainstream politicians and Kashmiri "informers" working for the security forces in the valley.
This came even as separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani praised Pakistain for extending support to the ongoing violent "movement" in the valley.
In a seven-minute video, a masked man, standing against a wall banner inscribed with Koranic verses in Arabic and an AK-47 hanging by his side, described Hizbul commander Burhan Wani - whose killing by the security forces two months ago triggered massive violence in the valley - as 'shaheed-e-millat' (martyr of the community).
The masked man threatened that the Death Eaters would take the violent "movement" to its logical conclusion.
"This is the last warning for pro-India politicians and youth who work for the police and Army. Don't think we don't know your names. We have your addresses as well," the bad boy threatened while reading out the names and addresses of the targeted people. He asked the identified people to seek forgiveness from Allah and join the bad boys' cause.
SSP Baramulla Imtiyaz Hussain Mir said the video was uploaded on a Facebook page and eventually shared through WhatsApp groups.
He said the J&K police had specific intelligence about the presence of Pak terrorists, including the one who had issued threats in the video. Mir identified the masked man as a Pak JeM terrorist.
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09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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[TRIBUNE.PK] Moslems must put an end to their internal differences and be united against their enemies, Senator Sirajul Haq ...current head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Siraj was born in 1962 and entered politics shortly after that... , head of 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... , said in an Eid greetings message on Monday.
Imperialist powers have thrust Moslems into a war to grab and control their resources, he said. "Our rulers are incompetent and all too willing to be enslaved by these imperial powers." He said these leaders were the agents of the enemy rather than leaders of the Ummah. "They are responsible for the problems the Moslem Ummah face today."
Haq said enemy forces amassing under the banner of the USA had massacred millions of Moslems in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Now they have daggers pointing at Syria and Yemen." He said Moslems in Paleostine and Kashmire had sacrificed a lot in the last seven decades but the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... and other so-called human rights ...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... champions had turned a blind eye towards their plight.
The JI chief said India had enjoyed the full support of the US, which is why it had become a serious threat to world peace. He said that the US has been interfering in South Asia with the intent to make India a regional hegemon. The US-India collusion against the CPEC in Pakistain has already risen to the surface, he said.
"Modi’s statement on Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... is irrefutable proof of New Delhi’s nefarious designs against our country." Haq said that security agencies had solid evidence of India’s involvement in terrorist activities in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. , Quetta, and Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... Pakistain's rulers were aware of New Delhi’s designs yet they were keen to forge a friendship with India against the nation’s sentiments, he said.
Haq said corruption and plunder by the country’s rulers had badly shaken people’s confidence in them. "They have been blocking an investigation into Panama Leaks...their bank accounts abroad are fit to burst with trillions of rupees and foreign currency...yet they burden the masses with price hikes and heavy taxes and secure huge loans from the IMF and the World Bank."
The JI chief said the situation called for a strong and sustained movement, "like the Pakistain Movement", to pull the country out of the mess it was in and to bring confidence to the masses.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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Rights group Amnesty International called on Monday for the release of a Yazidi woman detained by Iraqi Kurdish authorities for nearly two years following her escape from ISIS enslavement.
Bassema Darwish, a 34-year-old mother, has been held without trial since October 2014 on charges of cooperating with ISIS in the killing of three Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who stormed a house in northern Iraq where she was being held captive, Amnesty said in a report.
Kurdish forces backed by US air strikes seized the nearby town of Sinjar, home to the Yazidi minority, from ISIS about a year later. They have rolled back the ultra-hardline insurgents across the north, effectively annexing territory claimed by Baghdad to their autonomous region.
The Kurds have advocated on behalf of Yazidis, a religious sect that has faced killings, sexual slavery and other crimes at the hands of the extremist group since 2014.
UN investigators said in June those actions amounted to acts of genocide against the Kurdish-speaking Yazidis, whose beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions. The Sunni Arab militants of ISIS view them as infidels.
“It is shocking that the Kurdistan Regional Government, which has consistently condemned ISIS atrocities against the Yazidi community, is holding a survivor of these abuses on terrorism charges and denying her basic legal rights,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director.
Darwish, who is being detained at the Erbil Women and Juvenile Prison, gave birth to her daughter while in custody.
[SOUTHFRONT.ORG] The Iraqi Armed Forces and the Peshmerga Forces have agreed a plan of the liberation of the city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , located in the north of the country, from 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.... terrorist group, the La Belle France24 TV-channel reported, citing head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani.
"Commanders of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army have conducted a series of meetings. They agreed on a military plan and the role of each of the side," the TV-channel quoted the words of Barzani. According to the politician, the city can be liberated by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, the gondola was dangling by a single thread of rope.
Jack! Cynthia cried. I just realized I'm afraid of heights! I don't even like high heels!... an understanding between Shiite and Sunni military units, the al-Hashd al-Shaabi and the al-Hashd al-Watani, which also participate in battles against IS terrorists, still has not been reached. Barzani stressed that this understanding is necessary.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
"Commanders of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army have conducted a series of meetings. They agreed on a military plan and the role of each of the side"
Hopefully it involves the Shiite militias taking point and mine-clearance.
[ALMASDARNEWS] The secretary General of Iraq’s al-Nujaba Movement, a major Shiite resistance group, slammed 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 its hostile policies against some Moslem nations, saying that the Riyadh and Tel Aviv regimes are "two sides of the same of coin".
"Unfortunately, Kaaba (most sacred Moslem site in the world) is now occupied by the Wahhabi and ignorant Saudi regime, as the holy Quds (Jerusalem) is under the occupation of the Zionist regime of Israel," Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi said, addressing worshippers at the Eid al-Adha prayers in Tehran on Monday.
"These two regimes are two sides of the same coin", the holy man said, adding, "The Saudi Wahhabi regime was founded with the direct support of British occupiers and built its principles on the foundations of killing, oppression and desecration of Islamic sanctities, especially (holy sites of) al-Baqi’ and Karbala."
He further denounced a move by Riyadh to prevent Iranians from participating Hajj rituals this year, saying that now the Saudi regime has made such a move, it is upon Moslem nations to liberate the Kaaba from the Wahhabi regime and let all Islamic countries manage Hajj rituals as it is a duty for Moslems’ to liberate Paleostine from Israel.
He made the remarks on the occasion of the first anniversary of the deadly crush of people during the last year’s Hajj rituals in Mina, near the Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, which claimed the lives of over 7,000 pilgrims, including 465 Iranians.
The incident marked the worst ever tragedy during Hajj.
In a message on the occasion earlier last week, Fearless Leader of the Islamic Revolution ...Iran's doddering head theocrat... Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei strongly slammed "murderous" Saudi rulers for refusing to allow an international probe into last year’s deadly Mina crush, urging Moslems to "correctly understand their (Saudis’) blasphemous, faithless, dependent and materialistic nature".
"Several thousand families from different countries lost their loved ones and their nations were bereaved. From the Islamic Theocratic Republic, close to five hundred people were among the deaders. The hearts of their families are still broken and bereaved and our people remain grief-stricken and angry," the Leader said.
"Instead of apology and remorse and judicial prosecution of those who were directly at fault in that horrifying event, Saudi rulers- with utmost shamelessness and insolence- refused to allow the formation of an international Islamic fact-finding committee."
Ayatollah Khamenei further stressed, "The world of Islam, including Moslem governments and peoples, must familiarize themselves with the Saudi rulers and correctly understand their blasphemous, faithless, dependent and materialistic nature. They must not let those rulers escape responsibility for the crimes they have caused throughout the world of Islam."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Need JooooS from 47th St with the black hats, to cut up the black rock so every muzz entity gets a chunk of the haj.
This is the fourth or fifth try -- does anyone beyond the participants even notice anymore?
[Jpost] The small fleet of 2 vessels is slated to carry thirty women from various nations, including Israel, with the aim of breaching Israel's naval blockade of the Strip.
Despite the recent reconciliation of ties between Israel and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , it appears that the controversial Gazoo-bound flotilla movement has yet to subside.
An activist flotilla sailing under the banner "Mujeres Rumbo a Gazoo" (Women's Boat to Gazoo) was set to anchor off from Barcelona on Wednesday evening toward the Gazoo Strip.
The small fleet of two vessels was slated to carry thirty women from various nations, including Israel, with the aim of breaching and boycotting Israel's naval blockade of the coastal Paleostinian enclave.
Meanwhile, ...back at the shouting match, a new, even louder, voice was to be heard... Israel was prepared to thwart the flotilla from illegally infringing on the maritime blockade of Gazoo, which was established in 2007 following the terrorist group Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,'s takeover of the Strip.
A diplomatic source on Sunday told The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew sister publication Ma'ariv that the Foreign Ministry was doing its utmost to deal with the matter. The source added that the ministry's efforts sought to minimize possible diplomatic and media harm caused by the flotilla.
Israel and Egypt have also implemented a ground and aerial blockade of Gazoo to thwart weapons and rocket materials from reaching the hands of terrorist entities.
With the capacity to haul 15 passengers each, the Amal (Hope) and the Zaytouna (Olive) sail boats were expected to dock at various ports on their journey across the Mediterranean. After setting sail from Barcelona following two days of anti-Israel events and lectures, the boats were slated to first stop in Corsica.
Among the pro-Paleostinian activists due to board the vessels were European Parliament member Malin Bjork from Sweden, retired US army colonel Ann Wright and doctor Fouzia Hassan from Malaysia.
Among the Israeli nationals expected to take part in the flotilla was the media spokeswoman for controversial Arab-Israeli MK Haneen Zoabi (Joint List), who was on the 2010 Turkish Mavi Marmara flotilla.
In June, Israel and Turkey mended a six-year rift sparked by the Mavi Marmara incident, in which 10 Turkish citizens were killed attacking Israeli commandos.
Israel fears such flotillas could be used to transport materials to Gazoo that could be used by forces of Evil to manufacture weapons and murderous Moslem infrastructure.
Last June, the Israeli Navy intercepted a Swedish flotilla boat off the coast of Gazoo without incident and towed the vessel into the Ashdod Port.
#5
Historically, as Gaza Flotilla ships have stopped at various ports, things have happened to prevent them continuing the journey. And this time they're starting with only two, each with only fifteen passengers -- what odds they're in tip-top condition?
#3
A teeny bit off topic; I like the way the DD-1000 came out. Not sure the Navy likes it, but I've been watching it build up for a while now.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
09/13/2016 15:20 Comments ||
Top||
#4
USS Vesuvius (1888), the dynamite cruiser
Another bold, innovative breakthrough. The whole modular package concept is questionable --- the implementation so far is pathetic.
[Inquirer] The communist National Democratic Front (NDF) praised President Duterte’s anti-US statement. A statement signed by NDF spokesperson Rubi del Mundo said, "The National Democratic Front in Southern Mindanao commends President Duterte for his unprecedented statement. No other Philippine president has ever publicly censured and taken US imperialism to task for its atrocious crimes against sovereign nations and peoples of the world."
"Now at this critical time of its decisive hegemonic pivot to Asia and China's challenge to its regional dominance, US imperialism's sham concern for human rights is being challenged with open hostility by a government it considers its reliable lackey," the statement said.
The statement said the US is worried about present developments in the Philippines, and the prospect of peace based on social justice.
The statement said, "It can lose its control of the country if the peace negotiations with the NDF, and its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA) should translate to the socio-economic and sovereign interest of the Filipino people. Hence, it is in its best interest to exploit anti-Duterte forces to sabotage the peace negotiations with the NDFP and preempt any substantial talks with Moro revolutionary groups by fomenting anti-Moro sentiments with US-backed bombings and other terrorist attacks."
The NDF said calling US imperialism a "two-faced terrorist" is a "fundamental step," but not enough.
“It must also translate to junking colonial agreements for the benefit of the Filipino people. President Duterte and his government must abrogate the Mutual Defense Treaty and junk the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement," explaining that these policies only continue to "position the Philippines as a willing pawn for US imperialism's wars of aggression."
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad vowed on Monday that his government would take back land from "terrorists" and rebuild the country in remarks made just hours before the start of a cease-fire brokered by the US and Russia.
Assad spoke during a rare public appearance that included attending prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, which had surrendered last month and reverted to government control after a four-year siege.
But in the build-up to the start of the truce at sunset, government forces and their allies bombed opposition areas in the country's north, while Al Qaeda-linked militants pushed on with an offensive in southern Syria.
In Geneva, the UN envoy for Syria said his office would monitor the start of the cease-fire "carefully, before making any hurried comments." Staffan de Mistura said in a text message to The Associated Press on Monday that no statement from his office about the truce was expected before the following afternoon.
The cease-fire deal, hammered out between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Saturday, was backed by Assad's government. But it has received mixed messages of commitment from various rebel factions.
It allows the Syrian government to continue to strike at Daesh and Al Qaeda-linked militants with the Jabhat Fatah Al Sham group, earlier known as the Nusra Front, until the US and Russia take over the task in one week's time.
Under the terms of the agreement, the rebels and the Syrian government are expected to stop attacking one another. Assad's key allies have also endorsed the deal.
But that scenario is complicated by the fact that Jabhat Fatah Al Sham remains intertwined with several other groups fighting on the ground.
One of the more immediate goals of the Kerry-Lavrov agreement is to allow the UN to establish aid corridors into Aleppo, the contested northern Syrian city. Over 2,000 people have been killed in fighting over the past 40 days in the city, including 700 civilians and 160 children, according to a Syrian human rights group.
On Saturday, presumed Russian or government airstrikes on rebel-held Idlib and Aleppo provinces killed over 90 civilians, including 13 children in an attack on a marketplace in Idlib, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In the aftermath, rebels and opposition activists were asking on Sunday whether the government's side could be trusted.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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REYHANLI – Turkey’s military forces have captured 845 km² of territory in northern Syria after starting military operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Kurdish forces in Syria’s Aleppo province, officials said.
On August 24, 2016, the Turkish army and allied Syrian rebels launched a military campaign in northern Syria under the banner of “Euphrates Shield”.
Turkey and allies first captured the city of Jarablus from ISIS without a fight, according to local sources. Then the Turkish army and allied rebels headed to other areas of Aleppo’s northern countryside and took over the town of al-Rae and a number of nearby villages. Backed by the US coalition, Turkey has also forced the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to withdraw to the eastern bank of the Euphrates river, after the SDF expelled ISIS militants from the jihadi border pocket of Manbij.
The Turkish central command said on Monday that their forces have captured 845 square kilometres of territory in northern Syria.
“The progress comes within the framework of our anti-terrorism campaign to secure Turkey’s southern border,” it said, adding that the Turkish army and Turkey-backed rebels have destroyed 516 ISIS positions within 20 days.
However, activists said that the Turkish forces have captured areas from ISIS without a fight.
“Turkey took over Jarablus city within hours, and we’ve seen no resistance from ISIS fighters there,” local media activist Sadoun Hamdan told ARA News.
“When the Turkish forces advanced towards al-Rae town north of Aleppo, sporadic clashes took place for a couple of hours and then Turkey announced the liberation of the area from ‘terrorists’,” Hamdan said. “Whereas the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by coalition airstrikes, needed more than two months to liberate Manbij from ISIS. This has raised suspicions over what exactly Turkey means by ‘terrorists’.”
In the meantime, the Kurdish military leadership in northern Syria accused Turkey of bombing SDF positions instead of fighting ISIS.
Posted by: badanov ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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ERBIL – The UK Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon on Monday said in the House of Commons that the United Kingdom backs the Kurdish Peshmerga forces with heavy weapons to fight militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Iraq.
UK MP Jack Lopresti asked the Secretary of State why it took a year for the UK to supply ammunition and heavy weapons to the Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan.
“Can he assure the House that such delays will never happen again, and that we are doing everything that we possibly can to help the Peshmerga in their fight against Daesh?” he asked, using another acronym for ISIS.
“We have supplied… not only heavy machine guns to the Peshmerga but ammunition for those heavy machine guns,” UK Defence Minister Fallon said.
“I announced earlier in the summer a fresh gift from us of ammunition for those heavy machine guns, and that ammunition has now arrived and is being used,” he added.
Moreover, the UK Defence Secretary said the fight against ISIS is making progress in both Syria and Iraq.
“With coalition support, Iraqi forces have freed Fallujah and, as part of preparatory operations for retaking Mosul, have liberated Qayyarah town,” he said.
“The Syrian Democratic Forces have taken Manbij and Turkish-backed opposition forces have taken Jarabulus and al-Rai, effectively denying Daesh its last border crossings into Turkey,” Fallon added.
The UK minister further said that Russia is “not a partner” in the fight against ISIS.
“The Russian military activity in Syria has supported the Assad regime, a regime that bombs, tortures and starves its own people,” Fallon said.
“While we welcome the latest ceasefire from tonight, it is Russia that must make it work by stopping Assad attacking Syrian civilians and moderate opposition groups, and by helping to get humanitarian aid into Aleppo and other cities that have been starved of food,” he concluded.
Posted by: badanov ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A top Iranian diplomat based 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.... has rejected the detained migrants colonists exhibited in cages by Shiraz city police were Afghan nationals.
The Iranian Chargé d’affaires Ali Reza Hajizada clarified the issue during a meeting with the second deputy foreign minister for political affairs of Afghanistan Syed Javid Hashemi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (MoFA) in a statement said Mr. Hashemi met with Hajizada today to sought clarification regarding the viral photos which purportedly shows some migrants colonists put on display inside the cages.
Hailing Iran for hosting millions of Afghan refugees in the past three and half decades, Hashemi said the publication of such photographs would have a negative impact on the minds of the citizens of the two countries.
However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... the Iranian Chargé d’affaires said the selective publication of images have had a false impression among the Afghan people despite the photographs did not belong to the Afghan citizens.
Defending the steps taken by Shiraz police to detain the individuals in a bid to ensure stability of Shiraz city, Hajizada said the behaviors of the government and people of Iran have always been based on respect to human dignity.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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[YNETNEWS] After almost two years of Arclight airstrikes and no coordination, the US and Russia have finally agreed to a military partnership which will see the two countries attack ISIS; Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of troops to Syria in support of President Assad, vows to repel any attack on its forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2016 00:00 ||
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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.
...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. ..
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
[LI] By most accounts, Danny Lewin was the first victim of 9/11. Seated in seat 9B aboard American Airlines flight 11, he saw Mohamed Atta and Abdulaziz al-Omari, sitting just in front of him, rise and make their way to the cockpit. According to calls from flight attendants to air traffic officials, later documented in the 9/11 Commission’s report, Lewin wasted no time in acting. Having served as an officer in Sayeret Matkal, the Israel Defense Forces’ top unit, he moved to tackle the terrorists. The man in 10B, Satam al-Suqami, moved, too, producing a knife and slitting Lewin’s throat. Less than 30 minutes later, at 8:46 a.m., the plane crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower..jpg)
[INDIATIMES] Terror outfit 
[Inquirer] The communist National Democratic Front (NDF) praised President Duterte’s anti-US statement. A statement signed by NDF spokesperson Rubi del Mundo said, "The National Democratic Front in Southern Mindanao commends President Duterte for his unprecedented statement. No other Philippine president has ever publicly censured and taken US imperialism to task for its atrocious crimes against sovereign nations and peoples of the world."
