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Nuclear deal reached with Mad Mullahs™
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Afghanistan
Delay Signing BSA, Afghanistan Loses: Mujadadi
[Tolo News] The Chairman of the Loya Jirga being convened in Kabul this week in order to discuss the Kabul-Washington security pact, Sebghatullah Mujadadi, has criticized the recent statements of 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...
about delaying the signing of the pact until after the April elections.

Mujadadi has maintained that officials in Washington have accepted all the demands of Kabul and Karzai doesn't have the right to delay the signing of the pact.

Just two days ago, Karzai caught U.S. negotiators off-guard by telling the Loya Jirga that the BSA, even if approved by the gathering, would not be signed until after the spring Presidential and Provincial Council elections.

U.S. officials have said the agreement must be signed before the end of the year.

According to Mujadadi, delaying the finalization of the agreement would only hurt Afghanistan.

"Karzai doesn't have the right the say this," Mujadadi said. "I say he is making a mistake because they have accepted all the wishes that Mr. Karzai had and we had. If they [Karzai] delays it, it would hurt Afghanistan and we won't accept that."

The Loya Jirga has brought together some 2,500 leaders from around the country to deliberate the BSA over the course of four days. Although the recommendation gathering concludes with must ultimately be voted on by the two chambers of Parliament before being signed, the thought is that how the Jirga decides is likely how the government will proceed.

A number of Loya Jirga members on Saturday spoke out in favor of the BSA and emphasized the need to sign it soon.

"The next President that will come after elections has his own programs to address," a Jirga participants from Daykundi province named Bostan Ali Ferozian said. "The other thing is that this Advisory Loya Jirga was held during the period of President Karzai and could be signed in the next month."

U.S. officials have said the importance of signing the agreement sooner rather than later is that they must coordinate with other 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...
allies the logistics of residual troop forces as the December 2014 deadline for the current mandate draws ever nearer.

"What has been said in regards to the delay in signing of this agreement is dangerous, this agreement must be signed soon between the two countries," another Jirga participant from Kabul province named Amruddin Haq Panah said.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Muzhda Confirms Talks With Taliban
[Tolo News] A day after TOLOnews reported about a recording of a phone conversation between Jabhe Wahdat Millie front man Wahid Muzhda and a leader of the Afghan Taliban, Muzhda Saturday confirmed that the conversation took place, but maintained his dialogue with the Death Eaters began in coordination with the United Nations
...the Oyster Bay money pit...

On Friday, Muzhda denied involvement in any talks with Taliban leadership, despite a recording having been delivered to media by an Afghan security officials who asked not to be named. Based on the recording, it would appear Muzhda was plotting to rile-up support against the Kabul-Washington security pact in coordination with the Taliban, who have condemned the accord.

This all comes as the Loya Jirga is convened in Kabul in which 2,500 leaders form around the country discuss the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) in preparation to making a recommendation to the National Assembly and 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...
on how to proceed.

The phone conversation between Muzhda and an unidentified Taliban leader included talk about fraudulently writing denunciations of the BSA in the name of the Afghan Ambassador to the U.S., organizing rallies against the BSA in public areas and coordinating the Taliban's public statement in opposition to the accord.

"I confirm the phone call and it is my own voice," Muzhda told TOLOnews on Saturday. "These calls with the Taliban in Qatar and here were in some instances in coordination with the United Nations. I have said this, especially addressing concerns of the United Nations in regards to civilian casualties and things like that."

TOLOnews was unable to get a statement to corroborate those claims from the UN office in Kabul.

The revelations of Muzhda's phone call conversation with the Taliban, and apparent collaboration with them, received harsh criticisms from Afghan officials and the public.

Before the recording was delivered to media, last Saturday, National Security Advisor Dr. Rangin Dadfur Spanta had spoke to the Lower House and reported that the National Directorate of Security (NDS) had tapped a phone call and overheard such a conversation, though he did not give Muzhda's name. At the time, Spanta said he wish had been able to arrest the person on the call and put them on trial as a traitor.

Muzhda clearly falls on the anti-BSA side of the contentious debate that has consumed Afghanistan in recent weeks. Many say the BSA is essential to Afghanistan's future stability and progress, while others, like the Taliban, have suggested it would perpetuate the myrmidon conflict and make Kabul kowtow to Washington.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Signing Timeline Still Unresolved, Karzai Firm on Preconditions
[Tolo News] After 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...
caught U.S. officials off-guard on Thursday when he said the Kabul-Washington security pact would not be signed until after the April elections, there remains no resolution to the timeline debate. While U.S. officials have said the agreement needs to be finalized before the end of the year, Karzai has refuted those assertions and reemphasized his preconditions for the pact to be sealed.

According to officials in Karzai's office, in a telephone conversation with 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...
, Karzai maintained that there was no timeline for signing the agreement. He was reported to have repeated once again that if the Loya Jirga approves the BSA, it would not be signed until after the April elections.

"There are no timelines from the government of Afghanistan's side," Deputy Spokesperson for President Karzai Adela Raz said.

According to procedure, whatever whatever decision the Loya Jirga makes, which it is expected to share on Sunday, both house of the Afghan National Assembly would have to approve the accord before it could be signed by Karzai.

U.S. officials were caught off-guard when Karzai said the agreement wouldn't be signed until after the elections earlier this week. They have urged Afghan officials to reconsider that stance as they argue plans for residual troop forces and other logistics must be worked out before the spring, as the NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis....
combat mission draws to an end in December of 2014.

The U.S. would be expected to keep some 10,000-15,000 troops in Afghanistan post-2014 for training, advising and assisting the Afghan forces as well as maintaining a counterterrorism initiative against groups like al-Qaeda, if the BSA is signed

According to Raz, Karzai also spoke to Secretary Kerry about his continued preconditions for the agreement to be finalized between the two nations.

"There are preconditions that the United States should consider; support of the grinding of the peace processor, end to operations in the houses of Afghans, transparent elections and peace and stability in Afghanistan," she said.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We need their approval, to LEAVE?
Posted by: Skidmark || 11/24/2013 11:48 Comments || Top||


Afghan jirga members urge Karzai to sign US security pact
[Dawn] Members of an Afghan grand assembly debating a crucial security pact with the United States voiced concern Saturday at 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...
's insistence it will not be signed until after April's election to choose his successor.

Kabul and Washington have agreed a joint draft of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), governing the presence of US troops in Afghanistan after 2014, which is being debated by the "loya jirga", a gathering of about 2,500 chieftains, tribal elders and politicians.

But in his opening statement on Thursday, Karzai told the meeting that the painstakingly negotiated deal would not be signed until after next year's presidential election, sparking a strong response from Washington, which wants it signed by the end of this year.

US officials warned that failure to sign the pact, which governs the conditions of any post-war American counter-terrorism and training mission in Afghanistan, could jeopardise crucial aid to the war-torn country.

The White House has said it needs a swift decision to start planning the movement of any US troops, and warned that President Barack Obama
I am the change that you seek...
had not yet decided whether or not to keep American forces in Afghanistan.

"Karzai doesn't have the right to say this, he is making a mistake," said Sebghatullah Mujadidi, the head of the jirga.

"They (the Americans) have accepted all the conditions set out by him and us. It would hurt Afghanistan if he does not accept it," he added.

Amir Mohammad Akhnudzada, a delegate from the volatile southern Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
province, said: "I think President Karzai should respect the decision of the Afghan elders, and all the delegates want this Bilateral Security Agreement signed as soon as possible."

Earlier, Karzai's front man Aimal Faizy told AFP that the president would explain the reasons for his stance in his closing speech to the jirga planned for Sunday.

On the penultimate day of the four-day jirga on Saturday, delegates debated the legal jurisdiction for US troops who remain in Afghanistan after 2014.

A draft text released by Kabul Wednesday appeared to show Karzai had bowed to a US demand that American troops would not be tried in local courts if they are accused of crimes.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
Islamists reject preamble of Egypt's new constitution as reflecting 'Western' values
[Al Ahram] The 50-Member Committee tasked with finalising Egypt's new constitution is in the final days of its work. The committee is expected to put the new constitution to a final vote among its members at the end of this week, or early next week.

According to Mohammed Salmawy, the official media spokesperson of the committee, the committee is expected to finish its task by 3 December -- or few days ahead of this deadline.

Salmawy told Ahram Online that the committee has drafted most of the constitution's articles. "The number of the new constitution's articles is expected to stand at 242 articles, with six articles more than the constitution drafted by an Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly last year and 31 articles more than the 1971 Constitution (whose total articles stood at 211)," said Salmawy.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Brotherhood behind 'terrorist' attacks: Egypt interior minister
[Al Ahram] Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim claimed Saturday that Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund was behind past major attacks targeting police personnel in the country. Ibrahim gave names of several alleged perpetrators identified and enjugged
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
by security forces following the attacks, amid increased pressure on speeding up investigations into ongoing security breaches.

"The Moslem Brüderbund, with the support and funding from the international Moslem Brüderbund organization, has mobilised krazed killer terrorist elements, including ones from Al-Qaeda organization and the Gazoo Strip, to carry out a series of terrorist attacks following the 30 June revolution," Ibrahim said at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Ibrahim went on to add that among the apprehended "terrorist cells" was an Al-Qaeda affiliated group, adding that some of its members allegedly took part in the two sit-ins supporting deposed 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...
, which security forces forcibly dispersed in August.

He also announced that another 33-member "terrorist cell" was responsible for the liquidation of Mohammed Mabrouk, a senior officer in the National Security apparatus who was in charge of investigating espionage charges against Morsi. Mabrouk was rubbed out near his home this week.

Ibrahim also declared that the interior ministry had captured those responsible for the killing of 25 conscripts in the Sinai Peninsula 20 August, the highest rate of casualties in one incident across the uptake in bad turban attacks in the restive region.

Ibrahim also announced that the ministry arrested a three-member "terrorist cell" allegedly responsible for the failed attempt
Curses! Foiled again!
on his own life in September.

Back in mid-August, Ibrahim gave the green light to the raids by police to clear Islamist-led protest sites in Cairo and Giza that left hundreds dead and thousands injured.

Numerous cop shoppes were attacked across the country in the immediate aftermath of the bloody crackdown on pro-Morsi sit-ins. More than 100 members of the security forces were killed in ensuing violence.

The restive Sinai Peninsula, bordering Israel and the Paleostinian Gazoo Strip, has witnessed a pronounced spike in bad turban attacks on police personnel and property following the crackdown on Morsi supporters.

The most recent attack targeted an army convoy carrying off-duty soldiers on the road between Al-Arish and Rafah on Wednesday, killing 11 and injuring 37.

Egypt's army previously announced it had killed around 100 bad turbans, including imported muscle, in operations against increased militancy in the region.

Egypt's elected Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, himself a leader in the Moslem Brüderbund, was ousted by the military 3 July following mass protests against his rule.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Egypt imposes gag order on Morsi's espionage case, officer's assassination
[Al Ahram] Egypt's public prosecutor imposed a media ban Saturday on coverage of certain cases, including those involving espionage charges against 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...
and the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Mabrouk.

The ban also includes the sectarian attack in Al-Warraq that killed four in October and the death of Police General Nabil Farag during festivities with gangs in Giza on 7 October.

Morsi, who faces a separate trial for inciting violence against protesters, is accused of collaborating with Paleostinian Islamist group Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, to orchestrate his escape from Wadi Al-Natroun prison during the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
in 2011, destroying police records and killing security personnel.

Colonel Mabrouk was responsible for investigating espionage charges against the ousted president as well as a number of jihadist cells. He was rubbed out near his home on 17 November. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, a jihadist group inspired by Al-Qaeda, grabbed credit for the attack.

On Friday, a high-ranking government source told Al-Ahram's Arabic website that following Mabrouk's death, the government has increased pressure on the Minister of Interior Mohammed Ibrahim to speed up investigations into security breaches. The source claims Ibrahim was given a deadline of January.

Police and military personnel have been targeted by gangs following the ouster of Morsi in July and the deadly dispersal of a large pro-Morsi camp in August, during which hundreds of protesters were killed.

A failed liquidation attempt on Ibrahim was carried out in September when a boom-mobile went kaboom! near his convoy. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis also grabbed credit for this attack.

On 31 October, Egypt's 50-member committee, which is currently amending the suspended 2012 constitution, initially approved an article prohibiting the censorship of official media - including state-owned newspapers, TV, and radio, except in conditions of war or public mobilisation.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Muslim Brotherhood Financing Attacks, Says Egypt's Interior Minister
[An Nahar] Egypt's interior minister on Saturday announced the arrest of dozens of "extremists" and accused the Moslem Brüderbund 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...
of financing radical Islamists linked to al-Qaeda.

Mohammed Ibrahim told news hounds security forces had locked away
Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try!
more than 50 members of "extremist groups" with ties to the network founded by the late Osama bin Laden
... who used to be alive but now he's not...
and now led by his Egyptian successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri
... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is...

The minister said the suspects were connected with attacks on police and soldiers that have multiplied and killed more than 100 people since the army deposed Morsi on July 3.

The Brotherhood "supports and massively finances from abroad numerous radical gunnies in several groups" that have since the summer "launched a series of terrorist acts seeking to sow terror", Ibrahim said.

He said some of those held had been pardoned of offences during Morsi's year-long rule, and that others were linked to jihadist groups Ansar Beit al-Maqdis in the Sinai and the Libya-based Ansar al-Sharia
...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Tunisia and Yemen, with the Tunisian version currently most active...

Ibrahim said that among them was Mohammed al-Zawahiri, brother of the al-Qaeda chief, who was placed in durance vile
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
in August after being freed in the 2011 revolt that ousted Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...

Ibrahim said some of the arrests came after a failed attempt
Curses! Foiled again!
on his own life on September 5 when a jacket wallah attacked his convoy in Cairo.

He said others were detained after an August 19 attack killed 25 police in the Sinai -- the deadliest in years in the arid desert peninsula.

Yet more included men accused of the murders of several coppers, among them the November 17 killing of Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Mabruk.

Mabruk, an officer involved in the crackdown against Islamists and the Brotherhood, was rubbed out in Cairo.

Ibrahim also fired off a new warning to pro-Morsi demonstrators, who have called for a week of anti-military protests under the banner "The Massacre of the Century".

The slogan refers to the August 14 crackdown by security forces on Morsi supporters in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square where at least 627 people died.

"As of now, any demonstration that is not peaceful or that blocks roads will be met with force, whatever losses are incurred by either side," he warned.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Gharghour anti-brigades demo morphs into anti-Zeidan protest
[Libya Herald] More than two thousand gathered in the Abu Harida square to remember the dead of Gharghour massacre and celebrate the thus-far limited pullouts from 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...
by armed formations.

There was much chanting in support of the police and national army and against the continued presence of the brigades.

The head of Tripoli Local Council, Sadat Elbadri, who has emerged as a central figure in the drive to clear Tripoli of all militias, gave a speech in which he called for the strike and civil disobedience to continue until the last armed formation leaves the capital.

Elbadri had said that the protest 'was more of a celebration'. However it actually turned into an anti-Zeidan demo, as the organisers and most of the crowd chanted against the prime minister.

Sadat Elbadri came to the podium to amidst shouts of "Zeidan the coward, Sadat is in the square". He had to stop his speech several times because of more chanting by the crowd.

"This is the square that will write the history of Libya" he said, "We are fighting not for the security of Tripoli but for all Libya. This is a message for all the armed formations to leave now. It is the time to build a state and its institutions. The civil disobedience will continue until each and every armed formation is out of the capital".

Elbadri's call to continue the strike bring him into direct confrontation with Zeidan, who just yesterday announced that people should return to work on Sunday and that no local entity had the right to announce the closure of work.

Elbadri also said that the TLC was closely monitoring the movements and withdrawal of brigades, to confirm if the evacuations were real or just for public show. He also thanked the countries that offered to treat the injured of Gharghour tragedy. Elbadri said, "Italia, Britannia, Turkey, Tunis, Greece and Egypt have all offered to treat our injured."
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Libya "not one big mess, but a bunch of little messes that are not very related" US Congress Committee told
[Libya Herald] Stability in Libya and continued US engagement in Libya is "absolutely essential" to the US, a senior US government official has said.

"It is in our national security interest to ensure Libya becomes a stable and democratic partner capable of addressing regional security challenges and advancing our shared interests," said US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Richard Schmierer, told a US Senate committee on Thursday.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs which was discussing the political, economic and security situation in Africa.

"We sometimes pay a little less attention to [North Africa] than I think we should," commented Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs.

US politicians' emphasis on security was evident in the panels' composition and discussion, with Libya a key area of focus.

A major concern was how best to address the growing power of the militias over official security institutions, allowing what panellists agreed was a climate of instability that fostered increased terrorist activity in Libya and the region. Thomas Joscelyn, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that it was, "clear that it's part of Al Qaeda's plan in Libya to co-opt and work with certain of these militias".

Responding to rumours after the 6 October raid by US special forces on Libyan soil that tossed in the slammer
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
alleged Al-Qaeda member Nazih Abdul-Hamid Al-Ruqai (also known as Abu Anas Al-Libi), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for African Affairs Amanda Dory reaffirmed that an international peacekeeping force in Libya was "not the approach that we are supporting". The US instead looked to fulfil Libyan requests to train a general purpose force as the core of a new Libyan Army.

The US is committed to training from 5,000 to 8,000 soldiers and the UK and Italia an additional 2,000 each.

Frederic Wehrey, Senior Associate in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, cautioned that a general-purpose force would only be effective if it had a clearly defined mission, effective civilian oversight, non-partisan, inclusive, and professional composition with members free of a criminal background and past human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
abuses, and was combined with concurrent programs to reintegrate former revolutionary fighters into civilian life.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  I think the correct term for this is "can of worms."

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 11/24/2013 11:45 Comments || Top||

#2  My connections in Libya believe it is a can of worms because the central government has been too soft and too indecisive on major issues, i.e., militias. Most of the "men on the street" in Libya do not want the Moslem Brotherhood or any of the fanatics desirous of an Islamic paradise in Libya. Most of the crap being thrown about is not true Sharia but the uninformed ill-educated babbling of the deluded. Libyans are afraid of that.

Since most Libyans practice a rather mild and pure form of Islam, relying mostly on the Quran and not so much on the Haditha, Libya could be the voice of reason in the ME. If something doesn't happen to solve the near anarchy in the country, it is ripe for some big ego with an armed following to reinstitute a dictatorship.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 11/24/2013 11:52 Comments || Top||

#3  it is ripe for some big ego with an armed following to reinstitute a dictatorship

As long as whatever little book he waves around is red rather than green, the White House will be satisfied.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/24/2013 13:37 Comments || Top||

#4  As long as whatever little book he waves around is red rather than green, the White House will be satisfied.

What past events led you to this conclusion, Pappy?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/24/2013 14:51 Comments || Top||

#5  Mao and Arafat's dreaded red binder
Posted by: Frank G || 11/24/2013 17:02 Comments || Top||

#6  Morsi?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/24/2013 18:00 Comments || Top||

#7  Yes, and Morsi.

Especially Morsi.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/24/2013 18:48 Comments || Top||


ICC says trial of Abdullah Senussi to continue in Libya
[Libya Herald] The International Criminal Court
... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
has rejected an appeal by Abdullah Senussi to have proceedings against him in Libya suspended. While the case against Qadaffy's spy chief, who faces charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
crimes, is set to continue in 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...
, the ICC is still considering an appeal to have his case brought before them at the Hague.

The decision ends the request to the ICC by Senussi's lawyers in October asking it to order a halt to Tripoli court proceedings while the the international court considered its main case against him. They claimed there was a danger he could be convicted and executed in Libya before the ICC ruled on the appeal.

The ICC explained yesterday, however, that the appeal for suspension of the trial in Libya would not be necessary. They explained that the domestic case would not obstruct the international court or interfere with the situation which existed prior to the case being brought in Libya. The court also ruled that evidence of the conditions of Senussi's treatment while in jail in Tripoli was not relevant.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Draft constitution 'favours rich, ignores women and minorities': Tagammu
[Al Ahram] Leftist party urges parliamentary quotas for women, Coptic Christians and Nubians, limits on election expenditure
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Turkey fires back, expels Egyptian ambassador
[Al Ahram] Turkey asks the Egyptian ambassador to leave Saturday following Egypt's prior expulsion of the Turkish ambassador
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Egypt Expels Turkish Ambassador
CAIRO — Egypt downgraded diplomatic relations Saturday with Turkey and expelled its ambassador from Cairo, a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries that mounted after a military coup ousted the country's Islamist president this summer.
By George this is getting serious. The Turks have been trying to be the "third way" of Islam -- not Salafist and not Shi'a. Erdogan has been buffing his anti-Jooo credentials, and has been playing nice with both Morsi and Iran while playing tough with Syria, and now getting frosty with the Egyptian generals.
In a quick reaction, Turkey reciprocated by declaring the Egyptian ambassador "persona non grata" and downgrading relations with Egypt to the same level. Egypt's ambassador hadn't been in the country since August over the turmoil.

Saturday's decisions, which fall short of closing diplomatic missions in the two countries, are a dramatic reversal of the warming relations between the two countries over the past year.

Egypt's interim government vehemently has protested remarks by Turkish leaders criticizing the popularly backed military coup that toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The decision Saturday followed another critical comment by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
Perhaps Erdogan is just worried about the precedent...
Speaking to reporters in the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon, Erdogan appeared unfazed by the diplomatic snub. He said there would be no shift in his position toward Egypt's new rulers.

"I will never have respect for those who come to power through coups," Erdogan said Saturday.
"Did you generals at home HEAR that?"
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said it considered the Turkish envoy "persona non grata" and asked him to leave the country. The ministry said it will scale back its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the level of charge d'affaires.

"This (Turkish) leadership has persisted in its unacceptable and unjustified positions by trying to turn the international community against Egyptian interests and ... by making statements that can only be described as an offense to the popular will," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

A Turkish ministry statement said Egypt's interim government, "which came to power in exceptional circumstances," was responsible for the deteriorating relations.

"The deep-rooted ties and bonds of brotherhood between the people of Turkey and Egypt will remain," the statement said. "We hope that stability and democracy in Egypt is restored as soon as possible and that relations between the two countries are normalized."

Turkish President Abdullah Gul told reporters that he hoped the two country's relations "will be restored soon." Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he believed ties would be restored "once a government elected by the will of the people" comes to power in Egypt.

Since Egypt's 2011 uprising against Morsi's predecessor, autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Turkey sought to strengthen ties with the country's new political order. The Turkish president was the first to visit Egypt after the fall of Mubarak in February 2011. Trade between the two countries increased by about 27 percent in the following year to $3.8 billion in the first nine months of 2012. Turkey also increased its investment in Egypt and currently has some 26 development projects in Egypt.

Turkey's Islamic-rooted ruling party strongly backed toppled Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi — a leading figure in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood — as an example for the Arab world of a democratically elected Islamist leader. Turkey criticized his popularly backed July 3 overthrow by Egypt's military, while also criticizing the West for what it deemed as a weak response to the coup.

Turkey and Egypt previously recalled their ambassadors in August after Turkey condemned the ouster and a subsequent bloody crackdown on pro-Morsi protests. Turkey's ambassador returned weeks later, but Egypt declined to return its envoy to Ankara.

Saturday's decision comes after Erdogan renewed his criticism of Egypt's new leaders, dismissing the trial of Morsi on charges of inciting murder of his opponents while in office and describing the situation in Egypt as a "humanitarian drama." He had previously called for the trial of Egypt's new leaders for the crackdown.

At a speech Saturday, Erdogan made the four-finger gesture that refers to a sit-in near a mosque in Cairo where a bloody security crackdown killed hundreds of Morsi supporters in a show of solidarity with Islamists.

Egypt's interim President Adly Mansour has said that Turkey should have relations with "Egypt and its people — and not with leaders of a certain group."
We could have relations with the Turkish people and not with Erdogan...
Egyptian officials and media have repeatedly accused Muslim Brotherhood leaders of meeting in Turkey to plan protests and other ways to undermine the new government in Cairo.

On Saturday, the independent Egyptian daily newspaper al-Watan reported on its front page that the international members of the Muslim Brotherhood continued "their plotting" against Egypt in a meeting in Istanbul. The paper was referring to a human rights conference in which participants said they will take legal actions against Egypt's new leaders for what it said were "massacres" against supporters of Morsi.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hit the road Jack.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/24/2013 5:20 Comments || Top||

#2  You're right - it's beginning to look like a remake of the Algerian civil war, with a Turkish musical soundtrack.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/24/2013 19:00 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Al-Qaeda stands defeated in Yemen, says President Hadi
[Yemen Post] Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi hailed Yemen's progress against al-Qaeda, explaining that following months of a relentless nationwide anti-terror campaign, terror bully boyz had started to emigrate toward greener pasture: Syria and Egypt, where insecurity is on the rise.

He noted, ""It's worth mentioning that al-Qaeda is becoming less active in Yemen thanks to the efforts of 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...
and other Persian Gulf countries in comparison with 2011 and 2012 when al Qaeda members managed to occupy Abyan
...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues...
province and even create their own government there."

According to President Hadi, Yemen armed forces would have managed since 2011 to considerably reduced al-Qaeda's traction in the impoverished nation and thus limits its ability to do harm. He noted that the southern province of Abyan, which until 2012 was plagued by terror-related violence, had now been cleared from all al-Qaeda operatives, thanks to a clever alliance of government forces and local tribes.

"As a result of the operation against al-Qaeda, terrorist group members have begun leaving Yemen for other unstable countries such as Syria, Egypt, Maghreb countries and other regions," he emphasized.

Making a point to underscore Yemen' success, President Hadi warned that keeping terror bully boyz at bay will require a global effort. He called on the international community to cooperate more actively on the ground and not simply assume that Yemen will act a barrier for the region.

Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia


China-Japan-Koreas
N.Korea Extends Range of Anti-Ship Missiles
North Korea has developed an improved missile with a range of 180-300 km based on the Chinese Silkworm ground-to-ship missile.

"Since 2003, the North has kept testing the new KN-01 ground-to-ship missile," a government source here said Thursday. "It has now completed an improved version and deployed such missiles in South Hwanghae Province."

Until recently the KN-01 was believed to have a range of 160 km, meaning the North has managed to nearly double the range, making it easier to target South Korean ships in the West Sea.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Of course the design engineering has been fed back to the Chinese, if it didn't come from them in the first place.
Posted by: Skidmark || 11/24/2013 12:01 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
No respect for coup-installed rulers, says Turkey in Egypt row
[Al Ahram] Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday his government would never respect military-installed rulers, in remarks made after Egypt's expulsion of Ankara's ambassador.

"I will never respect those who come to power after coups," Erdogan told reporters.

Egypt announced earlier that it was downgrading its diplomatic relations with Ankara, and expelled the Turkish ambassador over Erdogan's "provocative" criticism of Cairo, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.

In return, Ankara declared the Egyptian ambassador "persona non grata" and downgraded diplomatic relations to the level of charge d'affaires.

Both Turkey and Egypt had recalled their respective envoys in August for consultations, but while the Turkish ambassador eventually returned to Cairo in September, Egyptian Abderahman Salah El-Din stayed home.

The August 14 police and military crackdown on supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi sparked a storm of international condemnation and strained relations between Turkey and Egypt.

Erdogan, a supporter of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood, angered Egypt's new rulers after calling the July ouster of Morsi an "unacceptable coup."

The Turkish premier said Saturday his government backed democracy movements in the world, adding: "We never respect those who do not respect the people's sovereign rights."

After the spat with Cairo, Erdogan flashed the "Rabaa" salute during a rally in the northern Turkish city of Trabzon early on Saturday.

He has often used the gesture during his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) rallies to show solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Home Front: WoT
Kerry to Leave Geneva for London Sunday
[An Nahar] 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...
will Sunday head to London from Geneva where he is currently involved in talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, a front man said.

Kerry will "travel to London on November 24" for talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, Jen Psaki said Saturday.

With the Libyan premier, Kerry will discuss the security situation and political reforms in the country, which has been roiled by strife since Muammar Qadaffy
...a reminder that a single man with an idea can change an entire nation, usually for the worse...
was tossed in 2011.

Kerry arrived in Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
on Saturday morning along with other foreign ministers amid growing hopes for a landmark nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran.

The ministers had made the trip after negotiators from both sides reported following three days of meetings that progress had been made towards reaching an accord.

Since their arrival however, officials have indicated that there are still differences preventing the signing of a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Hague is also currently in Geneva along with foreign ministers from China, Russia, La Belle France and Germany.

News about Kerry's departure coincided with comments from Tehran's lead negotiator Abbas Araqchi that the talks were "difficult" and that Iran was not sure that a deal would be reached on Saturday.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  For some reason, I'm reminded of the Henny Youngman joke: Take our Secretary of State, PLEASE.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/24/2013 10:27 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Thousands protest against drone strikes in Peshawar
[Dawn] Thousands of demonstrators staged a protest against US drone strikes blocking a main road 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.
on Saturday and threatened to continue their demonstration until the attacks ended, whereas the provincial secretary information of the PTI announced the party would block NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
supply routes.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


People to declare jihad if terrorism not stopped, says MQM chief
[Dawn] Chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
(MQM) Altaf Hussain said on Saturday that if the government and armed forces of Pakistain failed to stop terrorism then citizens would be justified to declare jihad in order to defend themselves, DawnNews reported.

During a telephonic address to party's workers, Rabita Committee members, and other leaders at the Nine Zero headquarters of the MQM, Altaf said that the government could neither stop drone attacks nor could it instruct for it.

Talking about the blasts in 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...
's Ancholi area a day earlier, he said that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) had claimed the credit for the attack and yet no Taliban sympathiser protested against the kabooms.

He further appealed to the government and all political and religious parties to declare the proscribed TTP, its direct and indirect supporters, and sympathisers as enemies of humanity worse than beasts.

Altaf Hussain also appealed to the prime minister, federal ministers, political and religious parties to shun the politics of deceit and to inform the people of facts.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Maulana Ludhianvi's help sought to maintain peace
[Dawn] Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) chief Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi has been in Islamabad for the last a couple of days on the request of the government to handle the security situation after the Ashura violence in Rawalpindi.

The government has also sought his help in holding peace talks with Taliban, it has been learnt.

Sources in the police and the capital administration told Dawn that the ASWJ chief had been staying in Sector I-8/3 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...
Company for the last one week.

The I-8/3 sector is one of the most vigilance-mounted areas of the city as some of the houses are being used for the accommodation of intelligence and security personnel.

According to the sources, police commandos were deployed at the house where Maulana Ludhianvi was staying.

Besides, the ASWJ activists were also keeping a watch on passersby and the neighbours.

Officials from different cop shoppes, including Ramna and Aabpara, were guarding the house and patrolling the area, the sources added.

A senior police officer, when contacted, told Dawn that there was no restriction on the movement of Ludhianvi in Islamabad.

He denied that police security was being provided to him.

However,
the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits...
the sources said Maulana Ludhianvi had been brought to the city and was being facilitated by the government departments, including the police and the capital territory administration, to get his support in maintaining peace.

"He has good links with the local Learned Elders of Islam, religious personalities and the administrations of seminaries," officials in the police and capital administration told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

They said the maulana was requested to help the government in making Friday's protest peaceful.

There are 305 seminaries in the capital city in which over 29,000 students are studying.

The officials said Maulana Ludhianvi used his influence and links in the local seminaries and got assurances from their administrations that they would remain peaceful during the protest. They said some officials also met the ASWJ chief in the I-8 house on a number of occasions to discuss the issue regarding negotiations with Taliban.

When contacted, Maulana Ludhianvi confirmed that he had arrived in Islamabad on the request of the government officials to maintain peace in the twin cities.

"The officials sought my cooperation to maintain peace in the country," he added.

About the help sought by the government in the negotiation with the Taliban, he said: "If the government seeks our help and give us the responsibility we will try to fulfil it."

However,
we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by...
he said after the killing of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in a drone attack, it had become difficult to negotiate with the Taliban.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan


Strong defence ties with US to continue after '14
[Dawn] The United States and Pakistain agreed on Friday to continue a strong defence partnership and bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation even after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan next year.

In a joint statement issued after the 22nd meeting of the US-Pakistain Defence Consultative Group, the United States also recognised Pakistain's support for "promoting reconciliation", a reference to Islamabad's efforts for encouraging talks between Taliban leaders and Afghan officials.

Both agreed that Pakistain-US defence partnership was vital to regional and international security and that it should continue to endure and grow in the years ahead. "Both delegations welcomed continued efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation based on mutual interests and trust. Both delegations acknowledged that bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation has been critical to weakening violent bully boyz and agreed that it will continue after 2014," the statement said.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  IOW, the US will continue to give the the Pak military money, and the Pak military will continue to use it to fund groups that attack US interests.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/24/2013 13:42 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran to build 2 new nuclear power plants
Iran is planning to construct two new nuclear power plants in the near future, the Fars News Agency quoted a senior Iranian nuclear official as saying Saturday.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has put construction of the second and third (nuclear) power stations on its agenda due to the government’s programs and the emphasis laid by the President (Hassan Rouhani),” Fars quoted AEOI Deputy Chief Hossein Khalfi as saying. Iran currently has one such operational nuclear power plant at Bushehr.

The announcement came as Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers were negotiating a deal in Geneva that would see Tehran curb its controversial nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iranian officials said in April that they planned to build more nuclear reactors at the Bushehr site, which is located in a highly seismic area on Iran's Gulf coast and began operations in 2011 after decades of delays.
Seismic zone and Russian design and Iranian construction. What could go wrong?
The Bushehr site is capable of holding six power reactors and Tehran has identified 16 sites elsewhere in the country suitable for other atomic plants.

The Bushehr reactor is not suspected of serving a military function, however Iran's Gulf neighbors have expressed safety concerns over the plant's location in an area prone to earthquakes.
No military function except for the plutonium that's diverted...
Posted by: Steve White || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:


DNA Samples Confirm Moein Abu Dahr, Adnan Mohammed as Iranian Embassy Suicide Bombers
[An Nahar] DNA samples from the father of Moein Abu Dahr and the relatives of Adnan Mohammed confirmed that they are the jacket wallahs who targeted the Iranian Embassy
...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!...
in Beirut in an attack that killed at least 23 people.

The army command issued a communique confirming that the test on Adnan Abu Dahr showed that human remains at the scene of the attacks belonged to his son, Mouein.

"The DNA testing was carried out from samples taken from the father of Moein and proved that he is involved in the suicide kaboom," General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud told Voice of Leb radio (93.3).

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr also confirmed the reports in comments to the state-run National News Agency.

Later during the day, the NNA reported that the second suspect in the attack was identified as Adnan Moussa Mohammed and his father is in army custody to carry out DNA tests.

Adnan Mohammed is a Paleostinian from the Ein el-Hellhole Paleostinian refugee camp and a staunch supporter of Salafist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir
...Leb Salafist holy man with the usual grouch against Shiites. Currently on the run, he seems intent on reigniting the Leb civil war...

After the photograph of Adnan was distributed the army intelligence directorate received several calls identifying him and his father, Moussa, claimed the picture showed his son. The army did not specify what crimes Mohammed was wanted for.

But on Saturday evening, the army issued a communique confirming that human remains found at the scene of the kabooms in Bir Hassan belonged to Adnan Moussa Mohammed.

Mohammed's uncle said in comments to LBCI the family is in a state of "shock," denouncing the attack.

"We repudiate him," the uncle said.
"Please don't kill us too!"
LBCI also reported that security forces are pursuing other al-Asir supporters to question them over the involvement in the blasts and other future attacks.

Moein Abu Dahr hails from the southern port city of Sidon and is close to al-Asir, and had warned of "Dire Revenge™" three days before the Bir Hassan blasts.

Al-Asir's hard-line supporters battled Lebanese soldiers in June.

On Thursday, after the photograph of one of the dangerous desperados was distributed, Adnan Abu Dahr came to the intelligence directorate and claimed the picture showed his son.

Moein Abu Dahr had promised al-Asir on his page on the social networking website Facebook that he will take Dire Revenge™.

"They let you down Sheikh, but we will retaliate," he wrote.

And a day before the Bir Hassan bombings, Abu Dahr took to Facebook to say that heaven "has opened its doors to receive him."

In a related matter, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posted a picture of Abu Dahr on Twitter, commenting that he's "the suicide bomber that attacked the Iranian embassy," without mentioning Beirut in the caption.

Later on Friday evening, the Abu Dahr family "strongly" condemned in a released statement the deadly kabooms.

"We are deeply saddened that one of our relatives is accused of being behind the Bir Hassan kabooms," the statement posted on several Sidon-based websites said.

"We condemn this awful crime and we do not have enough words to describe it, offering our condolences to the families of the victims," the statement added.

Fake identity cards used by the suicide attackers behind the blasts in Beirut's Bir Hassan neighborhood were made public on Thursday.

At least 23 people were killed and more than 145 others were maimed in a twin suicide kaboom that took place on Tuesday morning near the Iranian Embassy in the neighborhood of Bir Hassan in Beirut's southern suburbs.

A security official said the first suicide attacker was on a cycle of violence that carried two kilograms of explosives. He went kaboom! at the large black main gate of the Iranian mission, damaging the three-story facility.

Less than two minutes later, the second suicide attacker driving a car rigged with 50 kilograms of explosives struck about 10 meters away, the official said.

An al-Qaeda-linked group, the Lebanese Abdullah Azzam Brigades, grabbed credit for the attack Tuesday. They said it was payback for the military support that Iran and Hizbullah provide against the mainly Sunni rebels fighting the government of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...

The Syrian conflict, in its third year, also has become a confrontation between regional powers. It has exacerbated tensions between Leb's Sunnis and Shiites as well. The embassy bombing was one of the deadliest in a series of attacks targeting Hizbullah its strongholds in Leb in recent months.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in the Levant


Qaouq: Syrian Gunmen Must Withdraw from Lebanon before Hizbullah Pulls out from Syria
[An Nahar] Hizbullah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq urged on Saturday the March 14 camp to realize the dangerousness of "Israeli takfir
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...
i terrorism" and lift their protection off Syrian gunnies in Leb.

He remarked: "The other camp should demand the withdrawal of Syrian gunnies from Leb before demanding the pull out of Hizbullah from Syria."

The withdrawal is a positive step towards saving Leb, he added.

He also criticized the political pressure and meddling whenever the army arrests a Syrian gunman or members of al-Qaeda.

"These demands are a real violation of Leb's illusory sovereignty and security and contradict the other camp's calls for keeping the country away from regional disputes," Qaouq said.

Addressing Tuesday's bombing near the Iranian embassy in Beirut's Bir Hassan neighborhood, he remarked: "Some Lebanese sides' justification of this crime at a time when it was internationally condemned places them in the same camp as the takfiris and terrorists."

"Leb has entered a new phase in light of the Bir Hassan bombing," he warned.

"The terrorist takfiris and Israelis have grown desperate after their failure in Syria and they now seek to cause chaos in Leb," explained the Hizbullah official.

He warned Lebanese powers of exploiting the Bir Hassan bombing "because this phase cannot support statements of incitement, but it requires a united national stance aimed at confronting the takfiri terrorist threat that is targeting the whole of Leb."

Twenty-five people were killed and over 145 maimed in twin bombings near the Iranian embassy in the Hizbullah stronghold of Bir Hassan.

An al-Qaeda-affiliated group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, grabbed credit for the attack, saying it is aimed at pressuring Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria.
Posted by: Fred || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah


Iran Is Playing Obama, Says Savvy Saudi Prince
Posted by: newc || 11/24/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “There’s no confidence in the Obama administration doing the right thing with Iran,” he told me

With Iran, or with anything else for that matter.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/24/2013 3:06 Comments || Top||

#2  Obama is very good at bending over. Lots of pictures of him bowing ( deeply ). What a guy, he's almost ( dare I say it ) Messianic ?
Grovel and wag your tail if you agree.
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/24/2013 8:18 Comments || Top||

#3  Iran Is Playing Obama, Says Savvy Saudi Prince

No shiat, Your Majesty.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 11/24/2013 10:04 Comments || Top||

#4  The only out playing Obama does is against republicans.
Posted by: OCCD || 11/24/2013 10:16 Comments || Top||

#5  Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal offers up the view – “the view of an experienced negotiator from the Middle East -- that U.S. President Barack Obama is outmatched by the Islamic Republic of Iran…“There’s no confidence in the Obama administration doing the right thing with Iran”

I'd tend to agree with the Prince. But then again, Obama did say to Putin he would have more flexibility after the 2012 elections. Horse face Kerry is selling the deal to the U.S. on "Disgrace the Nation" now.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/24/2013 10:24 Comments || Top||

#6  Just saw that , whats scary is i think he really believes it
Posted by: Shusose Grugum7107 || 11/24/2013 10:56 Comments || Top||

#7  Alwaleed suggested that it may ultimately be the Iranian leadership itself that saves the day, by rejecting a compromise offer it sees as unacceptably tough -- but one that Iran’s Israeli and Arab adversaries see as unacceptably accommodating.

Narcissism breeds predictability. In terms of negotiation, President Obama’s definition of success has always been and will always be 'everyone gets something but no one gets everything they want'. At first glance that may seem reasonable until one recognizes his true objective. And that is to appear to be doing something while avoiding any difficult decisions that could possibly damage him personally in the future. And everyone knows it.
Posted by: DepotGuy || 11/24/2013 11:25 Comments || Top||

#8  Someone (magician guy The Amazing Randi?) once said smart people were easier to fool since they think they can't be tricked. And of course, con men have long known that one ingredient for a successful con is a mark who wants to believe.
Posted by: SteveS || 11/24/2013 12:57 Comments || Top||


Government
Rep Trey Gowdy (R-SC) asks the MSM some questions about Benghazi.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/24/2013 13:30 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Nice, calls them out very nicely...
Posted by: 49 Pan || 11/24/2013 16:25 Comments || Top||

#2  More guys like this on the tube, please!
Posted by: Bobby || 11/24/2013 18:42 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
27[untagged]
15Arab Spring
6Govt of Pakistan
3Govt of Syria
2TTP
2al-Qaeda in Arabia
2al-Qaeda in the Levant
2Jamaat-e-Islami
2Taliban
1Boko Haram
1Jamaat-e-Ulema Islami
1Lashkar-e-Islami
1Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
1Hezbollah
1Islamic State of Iraq

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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
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Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2013-11-24
  Nuclear deal reached with Mad Mullahs™
Sat 2013-11-23
  Belmokhtar deputy killed in Mali
Fri 2013-11-22
  Militias pull out of Libya's capital, Tripoli
Thu 2013-11-21
  20 killed in assault on Police Station by Shaboobs
Wed 2013-11-20
  Yemen Drone Strike Kills Three 'Qaida' Suspects
Tue 2013-11-19
  At least 18 killed in explosions targeting Iranian embassy in Beirut
Mon 2013-11-18
  Syria Rebels Bomb Government Building, Kill 31
Sun 2013-11-17
  Hezbollah commander killed in Syria
Sat 2013-11-16
  Militias attack Libyan protesters, killing 31
Fri 2013-11-15
  Iraq Bombers Kill 43 as Millions Mark Shiite Holiday
Thu 2013-11-14
  Bomb blasts outside Karachi imambargahs wound 14
Wed 2013-11-13
  Syria Kurds Announce Transitional Autonomous Government
Tue 2013-11-12
  Gunmen gun down 'chief financier' of Haqqani network in Islamabad
Mon 2013-11-11
  Syria army retakes key base near Aleppo: State TV
Sun 2013-11-10
  Imambargah attacks leave three dead, spark outrage


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