[REUTERS] U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... and Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid 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... have reached preliminary agreement on a bilateral security pact that now depends on the approval of Afghanistan's tribal leaders.
The pact, announced jointly by Kerry and Karzai late on Saturday after two days of talks in the capital, Kabul, would keep some U.S. forces in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of most foreign troops by the end of next year.
The draft includes a U.S. demand to retain legal jurisdiction over its troops who stay on in Afghanistan, which would give them immunity from Afghan law.
Karzai opposes that and said the question could not be decided by his government. Instead, a Loya Jirga, or an assembly of elders, leaders and other influential people, will consider the demand and decide whether to accept it.
The United States is insisting it cannot agree to a deal unless it is granted the right to try in the United States its citizens who break the law in Afghanistan.
"We need to say that if the issue of jurisdiction cannot be resolved, then unfortunately there cannot be a bilateral security agreement," Kerry told a news conference.
U.S. officials said they wanted the pact finalized by the end of October and Kerry's visit was seen as a last-ditch effort to push it through before the deadline.
A senior U.S. administration official said the sides had agreed on language in the draft deal that covers the issue of immunity and "that can be put to his Loya Jirga for their consideration".
Hundreds of people, and at times even more than 1,000, attend a Loya Jirga, which makes it difficult to predict how deliberations will unfold.
However, some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them... in the past, they have voted in favor of keeping a U.S. presence in Afghanistan and Western diplomats are optimistic the assembly will pass the deal - as long Karzai remains in favor of it.
"The Loya Jirga here basically follows the advice of the president, and I think he will (agree to the pact)," said one senior diplomat.
Karzai said the assembly would be held within a month.
Karzai said the talks had focused on protecting Afghan illusory sovereignty and that major differences had been resolved, including a U.S. request to run independent counter-terrorism missions on Afghan territory.
Such operations carried out by the United States have long infuriated the Afghan president, who had been demanding that the United States agrees to share intelligence instead.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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Great. so any SOFA now depends on the senior most goat humpers.....
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[TOLONEWS] While much of the focus of Saturday night's joint presser between President 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... and U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... was on the progress made in negotiating the terms of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), the Afghanistan's Caped President also used the opportunity to speak out against U.S. unilateral operations in Afghanistan, which he called a "violation of illusory sovereignty."
Last week, U.S. officials announced that American forces based in Afghanistan had placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! Latifullah Mehsud, a close aide of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pak Taliban, in Pashtun-infested Logar province.
"Regarding the arrest of the Pak Taliban leader by U.S. forces, I should mention that it was a subject that we have discussed with the U.S. and with Mr. John Kerry," President Karzai told the press gathered at the Presidential Palace on Saturday night. "With this, Afghan law was ignored and the operation was a violation of illusory sovereignty. Today's talks touched on this and we received confidence that it will not happen again and the security agreement will prevent these issues."
Secretary Kerry took the opportunity to respond to President Karzai's remarks and defended the U.S.' actions.
"With respect to counterterrorism activities and the apprehension of an individual, we followed the normal procedures that the United States follows in our agreement," he said. Given President Karzai's comments, however, it would seem the terms governing U.S. unilateral operations in Afghanistan are likely to change in the new security pact being formed to govern relations post-2014.
Meanwhile, ...back at the the conspirators' cleverly concealed hideout the long-awaited message arrived. They quickly got to work with their decoder rings... the governor of eastern Pashtun-infested Logar province, Arsala Jalal, has confirmed that Latifullah Mehsud was arrested by U.S. forces in the Mohammad Agha district of the province while he was travelling to his house nearby.
"This senior Taliban leader last week was arrested by U.S. forces around 3:00am in Mohammad Agha district," he said.
Reports have circulated indicating that Latifullah Mehsud was in contact with the Afghan government prior to his arrest, but this remains unconfirmed.
An official of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, saying that the Afghan forces were not involved in the operation and the Taliban leader was still in U.S. custody.
In his comments to the press on Saturday, Secretary Kerry assured that the U.S. would move forward in cooperation with the Afghan government when dealing with Latifullah, but again asserted that the U.S. had followed proper procedure in its operation.
"We will absolutely work with the Government of Afghanistan to cooperate so that the appropriate process flows out of this, to respect their interests and respect their illusory sovereignty," Kerry said. "But this was a normal counterterrorism procedure, according to the standards that we have been operating by for a long period of time."
Mehsud joins a growing list of Pak nationals that have been apprehended in connection to insurgency and terrorist operations in Afghanistan. The close ties between Pak Death Eater networks and violent conflict in Afghanistan has long been a point of considerable tension between Kabul and Islamabad.
Mehsud was accused of involvement in a number of terrorist attacks, including the bombing plot targeting Times Square in New York City in 2010. But according to U.S. officials, he and his group have been responsible for a number of attacks inside Pakistain and Afghanistan as well.
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[TOLONEWS] ATR-Consulting and TOLOnews surveyed the residents of Afghanistan's 34 provinces about nominees registered for the spring Presidential election. The survey, after the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) official registration process concluded, revealed that the majority of respondents who had a preference listed 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... as their top choice.
More than 1,300 Afghan citizens responded to the random phone survey of the 34 provinces over the four day period of October 8 to October 12. Seventy-five percent of the participants were from urban areas and women formed 41 percent of the respondents.
All those who participated in the survey answered one simple question: "Who do you think is the best candidate, among all the candidates for the Presidency?"
Half of those interviewed claimed that there is no "best" candidate, or they did not know who it was if there was one. This half of the sample broke down as 38 percent not knowing, and 12 percent claiming there is no top candidate.
Of those who did provide a preference, 21 percent said Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is the "best" candidate. The survey results indicate that most of Abdullah's supporters are women and youth, especially those from urban areas.
Dr. Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002, Ahmadzai 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. .. Ahmadzai came in second with support from 13.6 percent of preference respondents and Qayoom Karzai ...older brother of Afghan president Hamid Karzai. He makes his living as a 'businessman' and presidential advisor... came in third with 5.7 percent. I'm guessing he'll be the eventual winner.
Dr. Ghani saw most of his favor coming from men from urban areas, and a regional breakdown of the results suggests his alliance with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum ...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier... , who is ethnically Uzbek, has served him well in the north and northeastern parts of Afghanistan. Twenty percent of Dr. Ghani's supporters were from north and north eastern provinces.
These results represent a shift from the last election in 2009 in which a survey pegged Dr. Ghani at fourth place with less than one percent of his supporters coming from northern parts of Afghanistan.
Qayoom Karzai, placed third, received most of his support from village youth, and predominantly men.
Meanwhile, ...back at the alley, Slats grabbed his rosco... Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf ...Afghan Salafist warlord, owned by Saudi Arabia. He was the guy who invited al-Qaeda to come into Afghanistan and make themselves at home... fell the forth position with 3.4 percent of respondents naming him as the "best" candidate. Sayyaf's supporters were largely from villages and he received the lowest amount of support from women amongst the top four candidates.
Gul Agha Sherzai ...former governor of Kandahar province. the Taliban got their start protecting people against him... was in fifth position, receiving 1.1 percent of respondent's preference. His supporters were mostly men.
Zalmai Rasool was next with 0.9 percent. His supporter came largely from urban areas with a large portion being women. He is the only popular nominee who has a female Vice Presidential nominee on his ticket.
Gen Abdul Rahim Wardak landed in seventh place in the survey with 0.8 percent of respondents' support. Those who preferred him were mostly men from both cities and villages.
Of Kabul respondents alone, 24 percent selected Dr. Abdullah, 16 percent Dr. Ghani, three percent Karzai, three percent Sayyaf, one percent Rasool and one percent Wardak. But 36 percent of Kabul residents who participated in the survey did not know and 16 percent said there is no good candidate.
In the central provinces, 30 percent selected Dr. Abdullah, nine percent Dr. Ghani, five percent Sayyaf, one percent Karzai, one percent Rasool, one percent Wardak and one percent Sherzai. Thirty-nine percent said they don't know and 13 percent said there is no good candidate.
In northern Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah received 26 percent of respondents' support, Dr. Ghani 23 percent, Karzai five percent, Sayyaf two percent, Sherzai two percent and Rasool and Wardak each one percent. Eight percent said there is no good candidate and thirty-two percent said they don't know.
In western Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah received 27 percent, Dr. Ghani eight percent, Karzai two percent, Sayyaf seven percent and then Sherzai, Wardak and Rasool with one percent each. Fourteen percent of respondents in the West said there was no good candidate and 39 percent said they don't know.
In southern Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah received 21 percent of supporters, Dr. Ghani five percent, Karzai 15 percent, Sayyaf one percent, Sherzai six percent, Rasool two percent and Wardak two percent. Thirty-five percent said they don't know and 13 percent said there was no good candidate.
In eastern Afghanistan, Dr. Ghani saw 29 percent, Karzai 22 percent, Dr. Abdullah seven percent, Wardak and Sayyaf with two percent each and Sherzai one percent. Twenty-eight percent said they don't know and nine percent no good candidate.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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It'll all come down to GOTGuns and the make 'em Swing Upazillas I predicts.
MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Speaking at a security meeting that has been held in Mogadishu on Saturday night, the Somali Federal Government (SFG) Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon vowed that his government would eliminate terror attacks in Mogadishu as Al Shabaab militiamen reportedly killed three tailors in Mogadishu, Garowe Online reports.
Working well...
The meeting which mainly focused on the security developments and improvements made by the (SFG) security agencies was attended by police and intelligence officials with Prime Minister Shirdon present as the chair.
Somali Police Chief, Gen. Abdihakin Dahir told the reporters in Mogadishu that the discussions covered wide ranging issues regarding the disarmament of civilians in Mogadishu and to speed up the fight against Al Shabaab militants who posed growing threats to Mogadishu security.
"The meeting underlined the need to disarm the people and that is the only measure to prevent those who are willing to stir insecurity," said Dahir.
On his side, Prime Minister Shirdon says Mogadishu should be safe from terror attacks and called on the residents to closely cooperate with the security forces. "We are committed to reduce terror threats," said Shirdon adding that the federal government spends huge amount of money on security apparatus.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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HARGEISA, Somalia -- Somalia's separatist administration of Somaliland
...formerly a semi-sane region in the Horn of Africa, but that's now questionable...
has accused the Somali Federal Government (SFG) of flouting airspace control agreement which was signed in the Turkish city of Istanbul on July 9, Garowe Online reports.
In response to remarks made by Federal Government of Somalia's Minister of Information Abdullahi El Moge Hirsi, Somaliland Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Abdi Hashi said that Mogadishu-based Federal Government won't manage Somalia national airspace.
"I would like to make clear that Somaliland would not accept, Mogadishu to control our air traffic. Also we will never accept any violations and to manage the national airspace of former Somalia beyond the points of agreement," stated Hashi.
Hashi who held a press conference in Somaliland capital of Hargeisa Saturday delivered what appeared as 'stern warning' and noted that such moves could further threaten the security of the already turbulent horn of Africa region.
"We will tell the UN that Somalia Federal Government abandoned SFG-Somaliland agreement, if this issue becomes obvious, we will evidently take strict steps," added Hashi.
The Somali Federal Government and Somaliland administration agreed to establish a bilateral control body based in Hargeisa to co-manage national airspace at Istanbul talks under the auspices of Turkey government in July.
Minister El Moge recently remarked that the airspace control matters are charged with the Somali Federal Government, an administration which is seeking to re-assert full control over the war-ravaged nation.
And which currently controls Mogadishu. Sort of. Some of it anyways...
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[Al Ahram] The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL), an Islamist coalition supporting Morsi, has called for mass demonstrations under the slogan "pray for Egypt" on Monday.
Monday is the day of Arafat on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Festival of the Sacrifice, which is one of the most important religious occasions in the Moslem calendar.
"The alliance calls on all the loyal and honorable sons of Egypt to participate in the 'Pray For Egypt' million-man march from noon until sunset on Arafat day," read a statement published by the group. They did not specify however where the protests will take place.
The statement went on to call on loyalists to take part in Eid Al-Adha prayers across the country on Tuesday, when millions of Egyptians are expected to gather for early morning prayers.
Eid Al-Adha is especially significant because it marks the annual Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage) to the holy city of Mecca in 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... . Around two million pilgrims have already arrived at the site for this year's Hajj.
Fears of violence during the festival are on the rise, as Egypt continues to witness deadly festivities between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... On Sunday 6 October, the 40th anniversary of the Arab-Israeli war, 57 protesters were killed during festivities between Morsi supporters, opponents and security forces.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Egypt's ultraconservative Islamist group Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya called for a political solution that is not "security related" to Egypt's ongoing deadlock following the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... in July.
"Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya and its [political arm] Building and Development Party calls on all groups within the current crisis to reach a political solution away from oppressive security measures, which have caused further division during a time in which Egyptians long for a more developed safe and independent country to live in," said the group in a statement released Sunday.
The group called on Egyptians, on the eve of the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha and the start of the pilgrimage season, to "pray that the country's sons, whether politicians, military men, media figures or ordinary citizens, would find a way to resolve their differences and uphold the values of freedom and participation away from exclusion and hate."
The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL), an Islamist coalition supporting Morsi, of which Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya is a leading member, has called for mass demonstrations under the slogan "pray for Egypt" on Monday, which marks the Islamic Arafat day, to continue to denounce Morsi's overthrow and the continuing crackdown on pro-Morsi protests.
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya has been the primary ally of the Moslem Brüderbund - from which Morsi hails - through the 30 June mass protests leading to his ouster by the military, which the NASL considers a military 'coup' against the former elected president.
On Sunday 6 October, 57 protesters were killed during a crackdown on pro-Morsi rallies in Cairo and several other governorates, with further festivities expected over the upcoming Eid Al-Adha holidays.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The federal interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, on Saturday, said some officials of the capital police had links with forces of Evil and car-lifters.
Addressing a presser at the interior ministry, Chaudhry Nisar disclosed the links and asked the inspector general of police (IGP) and the chief commissioner to rid the force of these corrupt elements.
"I have tasked the IGP and the chief commissioner to cleanse the police department of such officials within two weeks," he said.
Furthermore, the minister said he had directed the police to seek assistance from the intelligence agencies in identifying the corrupt elements within police ranks.
When contacted, IGP Sikandar Hayat said the interior minister had issued these directions in a meeting which was held after receiving information that a few police officials had links with criminal gangs.
He said the association between some police officials and car-lifters or criminal gangs had already been established.
"However, some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them... links of coppers with forces of Evil are yet to be established," he added.
The IGP said over 90 corrupt officials, including deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), inspectors and sub-inspectors had already been sidelined and action had been initiated against them.
According to Mr Hayat, coppers who had links with auto-thieves and criminals gangs had been identified and criminal cases would be registered against them.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Iraqi Kurdistan is prepared to strike bully boyz anywhere, including in neighbouring Syria, but must avoid being drawn into its civil war, the autonomous region's president Massud Barzani told AFP.
Barzani's remarks came after bully boyz carried out a late-September attack on a security service headquarters in the Kurdish region's capital Arbil, killing seven people -- a rare occurrence in an area usually spared the violence plaguing other parts of Iraq.
"We will not hesitate in directing strikes (against) the terrorist criminals in any place," Barzani said in an exclusive interview with AFP, when asked about the possibility of Kurdish action against bully boyz in Iraq or Syria.
"Our duty is to protect the Kurds if we are able," he said.
But the long-time Kurdish leader made a distinction between that and being drawn into Syria's bloody civil war, which he said the Kurds must try to avoid.
"Our opinion is that the Kurds must stand at the same distance" from all parties in the conflict, so "the Kurdish people are not forced into a war" from which they will gain nothing, Barzani said.
But Syrian Kurdish forces have already been drawn into the fighting, clashing with jihadist groups fighting Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... 's troops who want to secure a land corridor connecting them to Iraq.
The violence has pushed tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds across the border, seeking refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan.
And Barzani has previously threatened to intervene in the Syrian conflict to protect Kurdish civilians, although officials have since backtracked on his remarks.
Barzani also said in the interview that Iraqi Kurdistan had provided military training to Syrian Kurds so they could defend their communities.
"A number of young (men) were trained, but truly not with the aim of entering the war," Barzani said.
In claiming the September 29 attack in Arbil, which killed seven security force personnel and maimed more than 60 people, Al-Qaeda front group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also pointed to Syria.
The group said the attack on the Kurdish asayesh security service headquarters with jacket wallahs, gunfire and boom-mobiles was in response to Barzani's alleged willingness to provide support to the government in Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... and to Kurdish forces battling jihadists in Syria.
The attack was the first of its kind to hit Arbil since May 2007, when a truck bomb went kaboom! near the same headquarters, killing 14 people and wounding more than 80.
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10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
I still believe an independent Kurdistan would be a good thing. Careve out part of Iraq and Syria, and give the ones in Turkey and Iran arms.
[An Nahar] The Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... -based Islamic National Gathering on Sunday held a meeting at the residence of Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... bloc MP Mohammed Kabbara in the city to discuss the developments "at the political, judicial, security and popular levels," after at least one resident of the mainly Alawite Jabal Mohsen neighborhood was tossed in the calaboose Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! on charges of involvement in deadly bombings that targeted two Sunni mosques in the city.
The conferees discussed "the security achievement made by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau, which has arrested a suspect from 'the Assad barracks' in Jabal Mohsen and busted the terrorist cell that staged the terrorist bombings in Tripoli," according to a statement issued after the meeting.
They called on President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... to "summon the ambassador of the Assad regime and hand him a sharp-toned protest letter, ahead of expelling him when the judiciary convicts the culprits who are linked to the Syrian regime."
In the statement, which was recited by Kabbara, the conferees also urged caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati and "Tripoli's ministers" to refer the case to the Judicial Council and launch an immediate probe into "the setting up of artillery in Jabal Mohsen with the aim of targeting Tripoli."
They called for "eradicating this armed gang and pursuing its officials, especially after elements belonging to it played a role in the Tripoli bombings," urging the "disbanding of the Arab Democratic Party, which is distorting the image of our peaceful people in Jabal Mohsen."
The conferees stressed that they "will not stand idly by regarding any pressures that might be exerted on the judiciary," calling on the judicial authorities to "unveil all the perpetrators, conspirators, instigators and culprits and bring them to justice, in order to preserve the rights of the victims and the security and stability of Tripoli."
The also urged Tripoli's residents to "hold onto their civilized stance by rejecting and confronting sedition and leaving things to the security forces."
Al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported Sunday that several members of the Arab Democratic Party -- the main political and armed force in Jabal Mohsen -- were behind the August bombings in Tripoli that left at least 45 people dead and more than 500 injured.
Informed sources told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that seven members of the Arab Democratic Party carried out the attack that targeted al-Salam and Taqwa Mosques on August 23.
Youssef Diab was behind the bombing at al-Salam Mosque, while Ahmed Merhi was behind the attack at the other one, they said.
On Friday, armed festivities broke out in Tripoli's areas of Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen and Syria Street over Diab's arrest, wounding an army soldier and a young man identified as S.M.
On Saturday, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr ordered the arrest of several suspects over their alleged involvement in the bombings.
Saqr charged on August 30 three suspects in the twin bombings of Tripoli in addition to a Syrian army Captain and another Syrian man over the booby-trapped cars.
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[An Nahar] A key group within the Syrian opposition National Coalition said Sunday it would not attend proposed peace talks in Geneva and would quit the Coalition if it participated.
"The Syrian National Council, which is the biggest bloc in the Coalition, has taken the firm decision... not to go to Geneva, under the present circumstances (on the ground)," Council president George Sabra told AFP.
"This means that we will not stay in the Coalition if it goes" to the peace talks in Geneva, he added.
He invoked the ongoing suffering of Syrians on the ground and said his group would not negotiate before the fall of the regime.
"The residents of Moadamiyet al-Sham are dying of hunger," he said, referring to a Damascus rebel suburb under regime fire where the Syrian Red Islamic Thingy evacuated 1,500 people on Sunday.
"Ghouta (outside Damascus) is under siege and it is forbidden to even bring in bread. Are these the conditions that will allow us to achieve... a democratic transition in Syria?" Sabra added.
The international community, led by Russia and the United States, has been pushing for the Syrian regime and rebels to attend a peace conference dubbed Geneva 2 to find a political solution to the conflict.
The proposed meeting has been delayed for months, but Washington and Moscow are now talking about a potential mid-November date for the conference.
The Syrian National Council, which is one of the most important members of the Syrian opposition, has long said it will not negotiate until Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... 's regime is toppled.
But Sabra's announcement, which comes after two days of meetings of the Council's top leadership, could deal a major blow to the planned talks.
It comes a day before U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... is due in London to meet Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... envoy for Syria, to discuss preparations for the Geneva 2 meeting.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/14/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Wow, they must be doing really well on the battlefield.
BEIRUT A key group within the Syrian opposition National Coalition said on Sunday it would not attend proposed peace talks in Geneva and would quit the Coalition if it participated.
The Syrian National Council, which is the biggest bloc in the Coalition, has taken the firm decision... not to go to Geneva, under the present circumstances (on the ground), Council president George Sabra, said.
This means that we will not stay in the Coalition if it goes to the peace talks in Geneva, he added.
He invoked the ongoing suffering of Syrians on the ground and said his group would not negotiate before the fall of the regime.
The international community, led by Russia and the United States, has been pushing for the Syrian regime and rebels to attend a peace conference dubbed Geneva 2 to find a political solution to the conflict. The proposed meeting has been delayed for months, but Washington and Moscow are now talking about a potential mid-November date for the talks.
The Syrian National Council has long said it will not negotiate until President Bashar Al Assads regime is toppled.
After that there's not much to talk about...
Posted by: Steve White ||
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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.
[TOLONEWS] While much of the focus of Saturday night's joint 
[TOLONEWS] ATR-Consulting and TOLOnews surveyed the residents of Afghanistan's 34 provinces about nominees registered for the spring Presidential election. The survey, after the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) official registration process concluded, revealed that the majority of respondents who had a preference listed Dr. 
HARGEISA, Somalia -- Somalia's separatist administration of Somaliland 
[Dawn] The federal interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, on Saturday, said some officials of the capital police had links with 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Najib Miqati
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
