[Tolo News] The Kabul mayor has embezzled millions of dollars by misusing his official position and misallocating the Kabul road construction finances, the head of Parliamentary Commission for Telecommunication and Transportation said on Monday.
In an official letter, 80 politicians have called on the president to hinder Kabul mayor, Mohammad Younsas Nawandesh's activities. The letter, addressed to president Karzai, demands the dismissal of Kabul mayor because of his involvement in corruption.
A huge sum of money has been embezzled from the Kabul road construction project and allotment of lands, according to the head of the Parliamentary Commission for Telecommunication and Transportation.
"There are similar road projects in our neighboring countries that are completed with no more than $400,000. Unfortunately, in Afghanistan, a 1 km road seemingly costs $1.5 million dollars," Qais Hassan, the parliament's Telecommunication and Transportation Commission chairman, said.
"We have decided to act upon the decision taken by the house in regard to the dismissal of Kabul Mayor. Up to 80 MPs have singed the letter so we are obliged to act accordingly and send the letter to the president," Irfanullah Irfan, parliament speaker second deputy, asserted.
The mayor, Mohammad Younsas Nawandesh, has rejected the allegations, claiming that most signatures are fake and that some parliamentarians reject having signed such letter.
Nawandesh has said that the allegations were made because he did not respond to illegal demands from politicians.
"Because the demands of those who want to illegally process their documents to build tall buildings and those who intend to establish illegal townships were not met, they are unsatisfied," Nawandesh proclaimed.
The Mayor says that he is ready for trial if the allegations against him prove accurate. He calls upon the judicial organizations to seriously investigate the issue and ensure an enquiry against the politicians if the allegations were found baseless.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] In reaction to the release of Bagram Prisoners by President Karzai, U.S. senator, Lindsey Graham ... the endangered South Carolina RINO... , has asked that the developmental aide to Afghanistan stop until after the elections.
While speaking at the Armed Forces Committee, Mr. Graham, a long-term supporter of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, strongly condemned the release of Bagram prisoners and called it a major step back in Kabul-Washington relations.
"88 detainees are the subject of this dispute; our forces have evaluated these forces as very dangerous, the afghan people and the coalition forces. We have only requested that they go through the Afghan legal system. President Karzai has basically side stepped his own rule of law, he has ordered the Attorney General to take over these files and immediate release of 65 detainees without ever going through the Afghan legal system, which has about 70% conviction rate. I will be introducing a resolution condemning this action of President Karzai, I will be urging my colleagues, to cut all developmental aide off the Afghanistan as a response until after the next election" said Graham.
"President Karzai in my view is single handedly destroying this relationship that is erratic behavior that his outrageous statement as Mr. Chairman mentioned, are doing great damage. And I want the people of Afghanistan to know that we are in for a supportive relationship, political, militarily and economically but actions like this make it really hard for an American Politician to do business as usual in Afghanistan" Graham added.
This is while tensions over signing the Bilateral Security Agreement continue between Kabul and Washington, with President Karzai emphasizing on his preconditions.
James R. Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence who also spoke at the Armed Forces Committee said that he does not think President Karzai will sign the agreement.
"It's my own view, not necessarily company policies; I don't believe President Karzai is going to sign it," said Clapper.
The delay in signing the Kabul-washington Bilateral Security Agreement as well as the release of Bagram prisoners without any court order have worsened Kabul-Washington relations.
This is while the Afghan Attorney General's office is planning on the immediate release of 65 of the 88 prisoners. Attorney General's Office has said that these prisoners will be released after their files are reviewed.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
As per BHARAT RAKSHAK + MEMRI, Columnist argues that any Taliban-Islamabad peace settlement will mean the end of the DURAND LINE.
* Also, BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Daily Times.PK] BY GOD, WE/TTP WILL RULE PAKISTAN OR DIVIDE PAKISTAN OR WE WILL DESTROY IT.
The Word???
You can just feel the peace in AFPAK in 2014, can't ya???
#2
Gaining ISAF approval to have a AFG Taliban detainee sent to the big lock-up at Bagram was a huge, huge undertaking in the 2010-2012 timeframe. The case and evidence against them had to be voluminous and nearly ironclad.
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] The High Court yesterday stopped the release of four men linked to a terror attack on Jomo Kenyatta airport soon after a magistrate granted them bond.
Mr Justice Mbogholi Msagha issued the orders following an urgent application by Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko.
Mr Tobiko is seeking revision of the decision by Senior Principal Magistrate Doreen Mulyeko to grant the accused Sh20 million bond each.
Justice Msagha said the orders would be in force until Mr Tobiko's application is determined.
Ms Mulyeko had asked Mr Mohammed Osman, Mr Garad Hussain, Mr Abdi Mohammed and Mr Ali Warsame to deposit the bonds and provide two Kenyan sureties to secure their release.
The four have denied planting an explosive that went off at Java Coffee Cafe at the airport on January 16.
The blast did not cause any casualties or injuries and police initially mistook it for a bulb that had fallen off a loose fitting.
The prosecution had opposed the suspects' bond application, insisting that they posed a threat to national security.
However, there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... Ms Mulekyo dismissed the prosecution's argument, saying no compelling reasons had been given to deny "the accused their constitutional rights."
"This court is alive to the numerous terror attacks that have been committed in and around the country but the prosecution must present hard and cold facts to support their claims," she ruled.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Not to slam the USAF officer who requested the information, but from a professional viewpoint, there was only one vessel that might have made it in less than a day, and that was the one in Crete.
Crete is a little over 300 nautical miles from Benghazi, so the ship might have made it by noon the next day at the earliest, had it been able to recall its crew and sailed at 30 knots after it got underway upon word of the attack. What it could have done then in the way of support is unclear.
The Mount Whitney is a command ship, the next closest naval asset, is also mainly crewed by the Military Sealift Command. She has little combat capability. She too was in port.
The third closest was the one in Rota. Same conditions as the one in Crete, but it'd have been at least a day's sail.
There was a news report on 24 October 2012, that the USN had "moved two ships off the coast of Libya," but this map does not show that, unless it's the two previously mentioned that were moved later.
#3
I saw this yesterday and, in my ignorance of all things military, it seems that the only thing that could have been there quickly would have been something from the Eisenhower to provide close air support.
Of course I don't know if:
a) that's even possible;
b) that, given a), it would be helpful;
c) would have caused hostilities with someone between the carrier and the target.
#4
I know very, very little of maritime operations and capabilities, but the map below depicts US Embassies and Consulates in the region experiencing some level of difficulty in the lead-up to 9/11 - 9/12. If planners intended to predict areas of potential difficulty requiring NEO or other contingency operation, it would appear a study of facility clusters and proximity to available US forces would have been an obvious 'before the boom' first step. This map is not interactive and provides no scale, but an obvious cluster is found in the western med. While they may have been ignored, I cannot accept the notion that no thought was given to predictive analysis inputs.
#6
Navy ships? I don't like what happened, but to suggest that aircraft flown from the Gulf of Rumsfield across multiple airspaces for a situation which could have been over quicker than you can say Vegas fundraiser is not a serious point. Not when there is an air base in Sicily which actively struck Daffy military targets enforced a UN no-fly zone.
I would have wanted to kamikaze the drone into the lead attackers or mortar group, but hey popcorn and a movie, then Vegas baby, Vegas.
#7
Navy/marine recon was able to provide follow on, as was the army (via air) rangers.
Perhaps, but that was not covered in the article.
Per the article, the USAF Lieutenant Colonel's argument was that there were "destroyers" that could have made it to Benghazi. My considered professional opinion is that yes, there were. But not in time to have made a difference, or contributed much had they flown there as if they were F-16s.
#10
AlanC if it read like I'm sounding at you, I'm not, I just do not really get the point. Only thing I could think of is to load the sub copter up with on-board Marines and badasses and take off at the earliest possible moment depending upon fuel considerations and potential safe landing zones. It would have to star Bruce Willis and no guarantee of a happy ending and hopefully not co-starring the AA missiles being traded at the Benghazi Arms Market, LLC.
All I was trying to do was ask if there were any units that really could have given any significant support with that deployment.
I know less than 0 about these things other than what I've read in R'burg and equivalents. It seems to me that a ship not loaded with troops and capable of amphibious landing would be no help at all. I thought maybe if carriers carry something that can do close air support like in the Gulf Wars they might have blown some holes in the attacking mob but it seemed unlikely.
IF you send aircraft, FA-18s?, from the Persian Gulf they have to cross a number of unfriendly places that didn't sound so good and would they have to be refueled in that distance?
Short of someone saying Alan, you're an a$$hole, I never take anything in the 'burg personally. I've learned alot here and am thrilled to be among people who have similar views. Cheers.
#13
Whether a rescue effort would have had time enough to effect a rescue of the AMBO, Smith, and SEALS can be debated. What CANNOT be debated is the total abandonment of the American facility, property, and flag. A decision was obviously made to write off the entire effort. I believe the decision was made early on, and sadly included Stevens and the others.
#14
No. There were ample assets, just a lack of will to use them. Here is a course of action that would have been aggressive, but possible.
There were multiple naval assets that could have brought in cruise missiles in an hour. Plenty of time to tell the good guys to cover up before hosing down the neighborhood. That would have quickly dispersed the attackers.
Further, there were combat aircraft in Italy ready to go and could have been overhead in a couple hours to ensure no further enemy action on the ground.
Until the ships began to arrive in 12-24 hours to evacuate the survivors.
And don't forget that all the submarines' positions are not on that map. There was probably one right off the coast.
#16
Great attitude, No I was mad at the article and re-read, read like I might have been after you. I don't understand the purpose of the article or why that site posted it. Throwing around military creds like that and the unthinkers will go around Oh, but we had a destroyer over there and a carrier groups! That kind of talk would make the whole group of questioners look silly.
US MilPersonnel are trained to defend their ship or base iff necessary from ground or other conventional assault - even iff there were no dedicated Mil Rescue or SPECOPS, etc. assets available, a bunch of heavily-armed professional USN Sailors or Other would had been more than a match for the untrained or paramilitary, non-professional soldier Hard Boyz, + COULD HAD ARRIVED IN TIME [unilaterally or jointly] TO SAVE MOST OR ALL OF THEM.
US, WORLD MILITARY HISTORY IS FILLED WID EXAMPLES AS ABOVE.
US MilPersonnel are trained to defend their ship or base iff necessary from ground or other conventional assault - even iff there were no dedicated Mil Rescue or SPECOPS, etc. assets available, a bunch of heavily-armed professional USN Sailors or Other would had been more than a match for the untrained or paramilitary, non-professional soldier Hard Boyz, + COULD HAD ARRIVED IN TIME [unilaterally or jointly] TO SAVE MOST OR ALL OF THEM.
US, WORLD MILITARY HISTORY IS FILLED WID EXAMPLES AS ABOVE.
#19
And why is this Air Force guy talking Navy; if he wanted to shed some light why not go for Air Squadron locations?
We shall fight in the shade! to We are shadey about the fight. Its September 10, binney is dead, reports of riots, I find it hard to believe that there were no QRFs and air patrols (investigate hijackings) ready, and that nobody was keyed to at least start heading that direction, just in case.
[MAGHAREBIA] A Casablanca court will render a verdict in the case of salafist imam Abdelhamid Abounaim on Wednesday (February 19th).
An investigation into Abounaïm was opened in January after he posted a YouTube fatwa against a politician and his party.
In the December 27th video, Abounaim said that the "infidel" Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) had promoted kufr in all of its activities since the 1950s. He named current party chief Driss Lachgar and former USFP figures, such as Mehdi Ben Berka.
Abounaim accused Lachgar of "apostasy" for calling on Morocco to ban polygamy and allow equal shares for men and women in inheritance.
The salafist cheikh also assailed the minister of religious endowments, the High Council of Ulema and the League of Moroccan Ulema for not taking a stand against the politician.
"Whoever says that Lachgar is not infidel is himself apostate and infidel," the radical imam said.
At the arraignment, his defence attorney Rachid Idrissi claimed that Lachgar and Amazigh activist Ahmed Assid had "violated confirmed texts".
But the prosecutor rejected the argument and retained the charges against Abounaim, saying that "all things that would lead to strife and conflicts must be avoided".
Abounaim is also short of support from fellow salafists.
Cheikh Mohammed Fizazi told Magharebia, "Provocative statements by seculars lead to statements from religious adherents."
"Extremism exists everywhere, whether Islamic or otherwise. I hope that the cheikh apologises in an express statement; return to right is a virtue," Fizazi said.
Salafist holy man Mohammed Abdelouahab Rafiki (aka Abu Hafs) said he did not "agree with opening the door for anyone to accuse people of apostasy".
"There's no doubt that 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... is a grave issue. This is a purely judicial thing, and therefore, I think this should be confined to courts," Abu Hafs said.
Abounaim's path to radicalisation was long.
In his early days, he studied at the hands of Cheikh Taqi-u-dine al-Hilali, who introduced salafism to Morocco after discovering it on the Arabian Peninsula.
Later, he taught and preached in Casablanca's Derb Soltane al-Fida neighbourhood.
But the turning point in Abounaim's life came in the early '90s when he gradually started embracing traditional salafism.
He grew a heavy beard and coloured it with henna, wore Afghan-style clothes and used siwaak, and distributed takfirist fatwas online.
But the fatwa that landed him in court may also lead to legislative changes in the kingdom.
In response to the cheikh's inflammatory fatwa, the Moroccan parliament has been considering a bill to criminalise takfir and incitement to violence.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Defence Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni said yesterday that the names of a number of officers who had discussed proposals for military rule had been passed on to the military prosecutor.
Speaking in a live television interview on Libya Al-Ahrar, Thinni said military intelligence had been alerted to a secret meeting in the former Qadaffy Hall of the People 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... where military officials discussed the creation of a Egyptian-style military council to replace Congress and the government. The Military Police had been sent, he said, and although none of the individuals were tossed into the calaboose, their identities were known and they would be charged.
However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... a source linked to the Military Police told the Libya Herald that it had refused orders yesterday by Nuri Abu Sahmain, the President of the General National Congress, to break up the meeting. According to the source, a top Military Police official had done so saying he no longer accepted the legitimacy of Congress because it had expired on 7 February.
Abu Sahmain was given powers three weeks ago by Congress as Commander-in-Chief for a month.
An awareness that some members of the armed forces were wanting action similar to what happened in Egypt have been circulating for some days. On Sunday, Congress itself instructed the Chief of Staff to take necessary action against military figures who were becoming involved in political activities contrary to military regulations.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Senate, Odius Sepulcher called for war against the Visigoths... front man for the Chief of Staff, Ali Sheikhi, said that the Military Prosecutor would be investigating military personnel who had given unsanctioned interviews to the press. He said that such interviews directly contravened orders and that prosecutions would begin shortly.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Egypt Independent] Presidential Media Adviser Ahmed al-Meslimany claimed that Western powers are trying to use terrorism as a pretext for invading Arab and Islamic countries, inferring they will also invade Egypt if the country does not control terrorism within its borders.
During the second meeting with people of Shalateen and the Interim President Adly Mansour on Wednesday, Meslimany said fighting terrorism was a battle for the national independence, otherwise colonial powers would return to Egypt and rule.
As evidence, he pointed to remarks made by the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius over the possibility of military intervention in southern Libya to fight terrorism, saying that gunnies represent the beginning of colonial military intervention under the pretext of fighting against terrorism.
Meslimany also claimed the situation in Syria was part of an international plot to misuse honorable revolutions and fragment Arab and Islamic countries, which has led to the displacement of one third of Syrian people.
Meslimany also claimed there have been plots to revive conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, destroying Somalia and removing Afghanistan from history.
For Halayeb and Shalateen, Meslimany said he listened to many problems and that the country is keen on developing this area.
Meanwhile, ...back at the abandoned silver mine, the water was up to Jack's neck and still rising. And then he smelled the smoke... Meslimany said Egypt is resuming its progress towards the democratic roadmap as the constitution has been approved and presidential then parliamentary elections will take place within this year.
He expressed hope to achieve real progress and recognize presence of economic problems, however, he said we still have hope to exceed them.
The first meeting for an Egyptian official was on Tuesday between Mansour and people of Halayeb.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] Bangladesh will be prevented, by any means, from becoming a playground for gunnies and snuffies once again.
Saying that Bangladesh had been a country of militancy, terrorism and corruption under BNP-Jamaat rule, Prime Minister the loathesome Sheikh Hasina ...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as the Battling Begums.. yesterday addressed the 34th National Rally of Ansar and VDP at the Ansar Academy at Shafipur, Gazipur.
Continued on Page 49
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SEOUL -- South and North Korea ended their first high-level talks in seven years without any progress, an official said Thursday, due mainly to upcoming military exercises between Seoul and Washington.
North Korea called on South Korea to delay the military exercises until after staging the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the official of the unification ministry said.
The Koreas have agreed to hold the reunions at Mount Kumgang, a scenic resort on the North's east coast, from Feb. 20 to 25.
The North had previously pressed South Korea to scrap the military exercises, which are set to run from Feb. 24 through April, condemning them as a rehearsal for a nuclear war against it. Seoul and Washington have repeatedly vowed to go ahead with the exercises, calling them defensive in nature.
South Korea rejected the North's request at their border talks, noting that family reunions should not be linked to the military exercises. South Korea reiterated that family reunions are a first step toward improving inter-Korean relations.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz has welcomed the latest peace negotiations between Turkish and Greek Cyprus leaders as a step that could pave the way for energy projects, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
"The softening between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration is, of course, significant," Yildiz said yesterday, answering reporters' questions ahead of the Atlas for Biomass Energy Potential publicity meeting in Ankara.
"I hope for the dispersal of the negative political environment in the Mediterranean and the opening of the way for energy-related projects," he added.
"I believe a pipeline that would carry Cypriot gas to Europe via Turkey could be built, just like the way we carry water to Cyprus with pipelines," Yildiz said, noting that "political feasibility" was the main pre-requisite for such projects. "I think the energy sector is eligible to handle these projects, both in terms of financing and technicals," he said.
Yildiz also praised the joint statement recently released by the negotiating parties, describing it as "a study that consolidates Turkey's argument." Turkey has long argued that the southern Cypriot authority should share the income from the sale of recently discovered off-shore energy resources with both sides of the divided island. Turkey is opposed to Greek Cyprus exporting oil and gas, saying the energy wealth also belongs to Turkish Cypriots. This stance has led to accusations of "gunship diplomacy" from the Greek Cypriots.
However, the recently agreed upon statement recommends recognizing the equal statuses of the two states, while aiming to bring the divided communities closer under a federal government.
The island's untapped offshore gas and oil riches and huge natural gas find in waters off neighboring Israel have changed the dynamics in the region. Hopes are high that these factors can transform the current frosty climate into one of reconciliation and trust that would make an elusive peace deal achievable.
"Turkey and Israel's energy cooperation has triggered an American intervention and forced both sides to agree on a joint statement leading to a resumption of talks," Hubert Faustmann, associate professor of history and political science at Nicosia University, told Agence France-Presse.
"Washington has put so much weight behind this latest peace effort because oil and gas is a game changer in the wider context ... It's a win-win situation for all," he added. Faustmann also said the lack of a Cyprus settlement after 40 years of division was hindering Israel's cooperation with Nicosia to export gas.
"Israel is looking to diversify through its gas pipeline through the sea of Cyprus to Turkey and invest in an LNG plant on the island, but Israel won't give its gas to Cyprus unless there is a solution," he said.
There's the WoT angle: peace in Cyprus allows Israel to export excess NG to Europe via Turkey. That has to make Erdogan settle down some and make Europe less willing to cooperate with the BDS clowns. It's the only way Europe can diversify its energy imports away from Russia. This is going to make the Paleostinians even more disposable...
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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We don't like terrorists, and we also don't like government anti-terrorist officials who lie. We know how to deal with the former; the latter also needs punishment. Long piece at Wired, just the first bits here.
After seven years of litigation, two trips to a federal appeals court and $3.8 million worth of lawyer time, the public has finally learned why a wheelchair-bound Stanford University scholar was cuffed, detained and denied a flight from San Francisco to Hawaii: FBI human error.
FBI agent Kevin Kelley was investigating Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004 when he checked the wrong box on a terrorism form, erroneously placing Rahinah Ibrahim on the no-fly list.
What happened next was the real shame. Instead of admitting to the error, high-ranking President Barack Obama administration officials spent years covering it up. Attorney General Eric Holder, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and a litany of other government officials claimed repeatedly that disclosing the reason Ibrahim was detained, or even acknowledging that shed been placed on a watch list, would cause serious damage to the U.S. national security. Again and again they asserted the so-called state secrets privilege to block the 48-year-old womans lawsuit, which sought only to clear her name.
Holder went so far as to tell the judge presiding over the case that this assertion of the state secrets privilege was fully in keeping with Obamas much-ballyhooed 2009 executive branch reforms of the privilege, which stated the administration would invoke state secrets sparingly.
And now you have yet another reason why you can't ever, ever trust Eric Holder.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Elizabeth Pipkin, the San Jose attorney who represented Ibrahim in her legal odyssey pro bono, said the Obama administration should be embarrassed.
Come now Ms. Pipkin, do you really think that is at all possible ?
#2
Who would embarrass them, Ms. Pipkin? Who, out of the 396 people who read this article, are going to make a stink? If it's not in the WaPo, it didn't happen.
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[DAWN] The upper house of the Parliament Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution calling upon the government to not compromise on the rights of women and minorities in the negotiations with Taliban.
There, that's fixed. Who's for tea?
The resolution was moved by 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) Senator Nasreen Jalil. She urged the government to constitute a commission for protection of women to resist illegal orders of jirgas.
Ancient traditions like Sawara, Wani and marrying girls with Koran through tribal jirgas are common in Pakistain as government data shows that these are on the rise.
Nine cases of Sawara were registered in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... alone in 2013, up from just one in 2012. Rights groups say the true number is much higher.
DNA test report as an evidence in rape cases was also recommended in the resolution. However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... it was excluded upon consultation in the house.
Pakistain ranks as the world's second-worst country in terms of the division of resources and opportunities between male and female populations according to The Global Gender Gap Report 2013, published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with faculty at Harvard University ...home of the Best and the Brightest, contributed $878,164 to the 2008 Obama campaign. Is there a reason universities are among the top financiers of political campaigns? and the University of Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,, Berkeley.
The study assessed 136 countries, representing more than 93 per cent of the world's population.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Negotiators representing the government and the Taliban held an informal sitting here on Tuesday to prepare ground for what the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui termed the second and more concrete phase of peace talks.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Siddiqui, who is coordinator of the government committee, said: "The two sides have expressed satisfaction over the progress so far made towards bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table and in the next round of talks more concrete steps will be discussed."
A formal meeting between the two committees will be held in a couple of days.
Another member of the government committee, requesting anonymity, said the leaders of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) had agreed to hold talks within the parameters of the constitution and within a limited timeframe -- two important conditions the government had set for dialogue with the hard boys.
However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... he said continuous kabooms, particularly 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. 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... , weren't taken well and were considered to have the potential to spoil the grinding of the peace processor.
"This was conveyed to the Taliban negotiating team during the meeting on Tuesday and they agreed that such negative events could disrupt the talks."
The two committees met at the residence of retired Maj Amir Khan, a government committee member. Initially, the meeting was kept secret but somehow the media got the wind of it and, as a result, a statement was issued by the press information department.
"The TTP high-ups have given a positive response to the talks offer made by the government," it said.
"The government committee has termed the report given by the Taliban team after their meeting with the TTP Shura in North Wazoo satisfactory and decided to hold a second, more comprehensive formal meeting in which all issues concerning dialogue will be discussed."
When asked if the Taliban had come up with some concrete proposal to take the talks to the next level, Mr Siddiqui said a good sign was that they had agreed to hold further negotiations with the government with an open mind in accordance with the conditions laid down by the government peace team.
After the meeting, the government committee straightaway drove to the Prime Minister Office where Mr Siddiqui, Maj Amir and Rustam Shah briefed him on their talks with the Taliban negotiators.
Rahimullah Yousufzai, the fourth member of the committee, didn't attend the meeting because he was abroad.
This was the second meeting of the government team with the prime minister in as many days.
Mr Siddiqui said the prime minister was informed about the TTP's response to the conditions which the government had presented.
"The meeting was important because the next phase of talks will be important in terms of concrete proposals to be taken up by the two committees."
An official said that although the TTP had agreed to go ahead with the talks within the scope of the constitution, they wanted confidence-building measures in the form of release of their prisoners, withdrawal of army from certain positions in North Waziristan and a complete ceasefire, which weren't small demands to begin with.
He said the prime minister had underlined that it would be difficult for the government to offer them something concrete until the TTP and its affiliates stopped killing innocent people.
Mr Siddiqui agreed that even if the TTP had distanced itself from the recent bombings in Peshawar, such incidents couldn't be ignored when the basic purpose of the whole exercise was to bring peace. "We have conveyed our concern in this regard."
Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , chief of the TTP committee, told news hounds that the first tangible goal for the two committees was a formal ceasefire to create an atmosphere of peace for the success of talks.
He predicted 'good news' from North Waziristan in coming days.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The Pak Taliban have announced an "armed struggle" against an indigenous tribe and Ismaili Mohammedans in the picturesque northern Chitral Valley, calling on Sunnis to support their cause in a video.
The valley was once dominated by moderate Ismailis and is also home to the Kalash, a polytheistic people who claim descent from Alexander the Great and who have maintained separate cultural traditions to the predominantly Mohammedan country.
But migration in recent decades has meant that Sunni Mohammedans are now the majority in the area, while the Kalash way of life has come under threat by the Taliban, who have also carried out a number of attacks against security forces in the area.
The Taliban's 50-minute long video released on February 2 on their media wing's website opens with a scenic view of the mountainous valley that is popular among domestic tourists and famed for its annual polo festival.
The narrator warns the Kalash, who are thought to number only 3,500, to convert to Islam or face death.
"By the grace of Allah, an increasing number of people from the Kalash tribe are embracing Islam and we want to make it clear to the Kalash tribe that they will be eliminated along with their protectors, the Western agents if they don't embrace Islam," he says.
The video also accuses international NGOs of creating an "Israel" like state in Chitral by attempting to protect the Kalash culture and take people away from Islam, and vows to foil their plans.
A charitable organization headed by the Aga Khan, the Ismailis' spiritual leader and a globally renowned philanthropist, is singled out for condemnation.
"The Aga Khan Foundation is running 16 schools and 16 colleges and hostels where young men and women are given free education and brainwashed to keep them away from Islam," the narrator says.
He adds that the foundation's schools and hospitals, which are free for members of the public, are espionage tools in the hands of foreign powers.
The Kalash are also warned to stop producing wine, which they make from apples, mulberries and grapes.
"Western NGOs are promoting Kalash wine and we warn all those individuals and hotels selling it, they should stop production and selling of wine otherwise they will be sent to hell by the will of God."
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Punjab police investigating the whereabouts of Khawar Mehmood have pointed finger at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the enforced disappearance.
A report submitted to the Supreme Court by District Police Officer of Bahawalnagar, Athar Ismail, said Khawar's uncle Abdul Hayee, who was detained by the ISI for five days, had also accused it of picking up his nephew.
The Additional Advocate General of Punjab, Mustafa Ramday, who read out the report before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, said a thorough investigation and evidence collected suggested that Khawar was perhaps in the custody of intelligence agencies.
The bench had taken up an application of Khalid Mehmood, father of 21-yeay-old Khawar who was taken away by intelligence agencies on June 26 last year from a distribution company in Fortabbas area of Bahawalnagar district.
Saadia Parveen, who married Khawar only six months ago, has approached Amna Masood Janjua of the Defence of Human Rights for help.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar requested the defence ministry and intelligence agencies to investigate the matter afresh in the light of the report submitted by the Punjab police.
The report said officials of the ISI and the Military Intelligence (MI) had denied that Khawar was in their custody.
Mustafa Ramday informed the court that the inspector general of police had also been requested to approach the ministries of defence and interior for taking up the matter with the MI and ISI high-ups.
Khawar's father admitted that his elder son, Amir Mehmood, was an activist of Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... . He was tossed in the slammer Please don't kill me! by intelligence agencies, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Later the 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. High Court acquitted him and since then he, along with his wife, has been missing.
A year after Amir's release, the intelligence agencies started chasing Khawar to trace his elder brother Amir.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The United States has made it clear that it does not support the idea of an independent Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... and respects Pakistain's territorial integrity.
The question of the alleged US involvement was raised at the State Department briefing on Tuesday afternoon where spokesperson Jen Psaki said she had seen media reports suggesting that "we had been engaged with Balochistan" and promised to release an official statement on the issue.
On Wednesday, the State Department issued a statement, making it clear that "the United States respects the territorial integrity of Pakistain. It is not the policy of the administration to support independence for Balochistan."
The question raised at the briefing also referred to a recent statement by a Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert, suggesting that the United States should help Balochistan become a separate state.
"We are aware of Representative Gohmert's comments. Members of Congress express a wide range of views. Such comments do not in any way imply US government endorsement," said the State Department while distancing itself from Mr Gohmert's position on the issue.
In a recent interview, Mr Gohmert suggested that to resolve the Afghanistan crisis, it's better to have a separate Balochistan carved out of Pakistain.
Mr Gohmert's statement followed President Barack Obama If you have a small business, you didn't build that... 's State of the Union address last month, emphasising the need for US disengagement from Afghanistan.
The Republican Congressman interpreted the speech as an admission of defeat in Afghanistan and proposed a two-point formula for turning this possible defeat into victory: supply more arms to the Northern Alliance and a new state within the borders of Pakistain.
"Let's talk about creating a Balochistan in the southern part of Pakistain," Mr Gohmert told The Huffington Post. "They love us. They'll stop the IEDs [improvised bombs] and all the weaponry coming into Afghanistan, and we got a shot to win over there."
The White House did not respond to requests for comments on Mr Gohmert's statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
And a loud "yeah-h-h right" is over WESTPAC + Pacific, from Guam.
As things stand, the most proficient way for the US-Allies to both defeat Islamist-led militancy + dev Afghanistan is via open-water ports thru Pak + Iranian Balochistan, or at least Pakistan.
The alternative is via land routes thru Central Asia + IndoPak, wid the ones thru Central Asia = ex-Soviet -Stans being the most problematic + very costly. IFF AFGHANISTAN IS DEV PROPERLY, IT NEEDS ACCESS TO THE SEA.
#4
If I were running the show in India I'd suggest an independent/Neutral Kashmir and hint if that goes well an indepenent/Neutral Punjab is next. If Pakistan aggrees they demilitirze an ongoing sore and watch as Pakistan disintegrates. If Pakistan disagrees India wins the arguement and hopefully world-wide support.
If Kashmir and Punjab go independent you'd have a nice solid bulwark against the Islamists which would be a natural market for Indian military equipment.
[DAWN] The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain has as many as 500 female jacket wallahs ready to act, Maulana Abdul Aziz, one of three negotiators representing the TTP, said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
So they have been saying. What odds they have considerably more than five?
The TTP sees no urgency to reach an agreement with the government, the Maulana said at his Islamabad seminary.
"You should know that at the moment they have at least 400 to 500 female suicide bombers in Wazoo and other tribal areas," said Maulana Aziz, referring to the TTP.
"The government should realise the situation and their demands."
Maulana Aziz said the Taliban were most interested in implementing Sharia. The US military presence in Afghanistan is "a very small factor" in the fight, he added, disputing statements by Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... chief Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... and others.
"They (Taliban) are fighting for the implementation of Sharia," Aziz said at the seminary where some 1,300 female students are studying. "It's the law of nature that when people don't get their rights, they pick up arms."
The number of female suicide bombers mentioned by Maulana Abdul Aziz "is a very exaggerated figure", said Muhammad Amir Rana, director of the Islamabad-based Pakistain Institute for Peace Studies.
"The Taliban are way ahead in the propaganda war, and they have given a tough time to the state," he said. "Female suicide bombers have been used, but not too many."
Maulana Aziz, who was placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! for two years after the raid on Lal Masjid, last week temporarily withdrew himself from the talks with TTP because the government insisted the negotiations be held under the Constitution. He will remain on the TTP's committee, he added.
"The Taliban are in no hurry," the Maulana said, when asked whether the group wanted a deal soon to avoid a military strike. "They say they are not worried about it. They have been in a state of war for the past 10 years."
"If the military has weapons and air power, they (Taliban) have suicide bombers," Maulana Aziz said of the Taliban. "You cannot match them. Suicide bombers even destroyed the power of America in Afghanistan."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Oh, yeah? 500 you say? Line 'em all up!
Wow, that is quite a number. {bang, bang. bang-bang-bang]
Negotiations concluded!
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/13/2014 12:26 Comments ||
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[DAWN] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over progress of the government committee holding talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) to bring an end to the acts of terrorism in the country.
According to media reports, he told news hounds that the armed forces of Pakistain were supportive of the government's peace initiative.
The premier said the Taliban have assured of action against those who had committed acts of terrorism in the recent days. He hoped positive outcome of the talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] Only reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the PA can pave way for progress towards peace, Robert Sherry says. That certainly is the UN and PA view.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is eroding, UN Middle East Peace Coordinator Robert Serry said in a press statement on Wednesday. Mind like a steel trap that Robert Serry.
"I am worried we are seeing more and more signs that the understanding on a ceasefire reached in November 2012 is eroding in both of its main requirements the end of all hostilities and the opening of the crossings for people and goods," Serry said.
The Egyptian-mediated agreement came on the heels of the eight-day 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense in which more than a 100 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed.
"During the past two months, we have seen more rockets being fired at Israel, border incidents, and Israeli retaliatory operations causing death or injury to civilians. The United Nations condemns the rise in violence, and all parties must act in accordance with international law," Serry noted. Eroding? Rockets impacting Israel would indicate the total absence of a ceasefire.
Serry asserted that "only the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the legitimate Palestinian Authority, based on the PLO commitments, can pave the way to a durable solution for Gaza, as part of political progress towards peace."
[Jihad Watch] Terror group Hamas has received more than $2 billion from Iran, while rival Islamic Jihad receives between $100-$150 million annually, according to Ali Nourizadeh, Director of the Center for Iranian Studies, in London, Persian-language Raya News reported. The easing of international sanctions against Iran will likely assist the Hamas funding effort.
Nourizadeh said Hamas receives the aid through various channels, either in cash, when Hamas leaders visit Tehran, or through Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the $2 billion figure is the total received since Hamas's inception. Islamic Jihad receives its money via Hezbollah or through banks in Beirut or Malta. An "all of the above" approach to terror funding.
However, Nourizadeh said, Hamas's loyalties lie elsewhere. I sometimes shop at Target, will this help or hurt ?
"Iran has paid a lot to strengthen its relationship with Hamas to be used as a card but it did not succeed because [Hamas] has good relations with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Arab states and Iran is no longer the main source of funding Hamas, so Iran considers its investment in Hamas to be unsuccessful," Nourizadeh said. "Investment in Hamas".....strange statement that.
Nourizadeh said Islamic Jihad fighters are trained in Iran and the group's weapons all come from Iran, with Hezbollah playing an important role in the supply line. On the other hand, no more than 500 Hamas fighters were trained by Iran. 500 per week, per month, per year, since the great flood ?
Additionally, according to Nourizadeh, a new rapprochement effort is now underway between the PLO and Iran. Fatah official Jibril Rajoub recently visited the Islamic Republic following a New York meeting between PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Any mention of Jooos drinking all the water, or Paleo food shortages ? His lips were moving but He said the Palestinian Authority, and, earlier, the PLO, has not received any aid from the Islamic Republic since the regime's rise to power in the 1979 revolution.
[Jerusalem Post] With the six world powers and Iran set to begin talks in a week on a long-term deal to curb Teheran's nuclear program, Israel has launched a campaign aimed at showing how the easing of sanctions on Iran has not changed that country's aggressive behavior. We now live in a time when arriving at a common sense solution requires campaigning.
"The international easing of the sanctions against Iran has not led Iran to moderate its international aggression, the complete opposite has occurred," Prime Minister Netanyahu said. "The Iranian Foreign Minister recently met with the head of Islamic Jihad, Iran continues to provide lethal weapons to terrorist, continues to be complicit in massacres in Syria, and now has added the following: the crude and sharp attack by the Iranian leader on the US, along with sending warships to the Atlantic Ocean" Netanyahu was referring to a speech Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave Saturday, in which he slammed US policy toward Iran as "controlling and meddlesome" and said that the US was lying when it said it did not seek regime change in Iran, as well as to reports Iran sent warships to approach US maritime borders.
"What is happening here is that the international community has reduced the sanctions on Iran and Iran is stepping up its international aggression." he said. Who could have possibly predicted such an outcome ?
Netanyahu's comments at the cabinet, as well as the campaign arguing that easing the sanctions has not altered Iranian behavior, reflects a growing concern in Jerusalem about increasing European interest in exploring the possibility of renewing business with Iran. Operative word above, business vs. sanctions.
"If there is erosion of economic pressure, what leverage will there be left against the Iranians?" one official asked. Seen as a rhetorical question by some.
#1
Netanyahu was referring to a speech Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave Saturday, in which he slammed US policy toward Iran as "controlling and meddlesome" and said that the US was lying when it said it did not seek regime change in Iran, as well as to reports Iran sent warships to approach US maritime borders.
Again, the question is about how much of the mullahcracy's rhetoric is for domestic consumption.
Russia's second largest oil producer, Lukoil, says it is willing to return to Iran's Anaran oil project after the US-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic's energy sector are lifted, PressTV reported.
So much for the sanctions...
"We are ready to implement the project (Anaran) on our own once the sanctions are lifted," Russian media quoted Lukoil Chief Executive Vagit Alekperov as saying in the southern city of Budyonnovsk on Wednesday.
Along with Norway's Statoil, Lukoil was prospecting for oil in Iran's Anaran block before it pulled out of the project due to the imposition of illegal sanctions on Iran's energy sector by the United States and the European Union. Lukoil reportedly suffered a USD 63-million loss after the withdrawal.
On January 20, the Council of the European Union suspended part of the sanctions it had imposed against Iran following the nuclear deal between Tehran and the six powers - Russia, China, Germany, France, Britain and the US - in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 2013. The new measure incorporates the suspension of a 2012 ban on insuring and transporting Iran's crude oil and the sanctions on trade in gold, precious metals and petrochemical products.
On January 25, Iran Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said major world oil companies have voiced readiness to start business in the country. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with chief executives of oil giants on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos earlier last month.
France's Total and Italy's Eni have also expressed their willingness to resume work in Iran.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Syria's opposition laid out a transition plan for the war-ravaged nation at Geneva peace talks Wednesday, including chasing out imported muscle and a path to elections, but the regime refused to discuss it.
The U.N.-brokered talks between the Syrian foes have been deadlocked amid repeated arguments about what should be discussed first, leading both sides to warn they could collapse.
The opposition plan, seen by Agence La Belle France Presse, sketches out the role of the so-called Transitional Governing Body (TGB), which the international community says is key to regime change in Syria.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi had planned to focus in Wednesday's talks on the issue of a transitional government after urging the parties to discuss halting the violence on Tuesday.
The goal is to create a transitional government to steer Syria out of the war that began after Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... 's crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests in March 2011.
Nearly three years on, more than 136,000 people have been killed and millions driven from their homes.
But Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Muqdad, insisted the political question was meant to come much later and that switching issues around was a "recipe for disaster and failure."
Muqdad said the priority was "terrorism" -- the regime's term for a revolt it says is fueled by foreign jihadists and Gulf money.
The opposition counters that Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... rebels are themselves fighting the jihadists as well as Assad's force.
Monzer Aqbiq, a senior adviser to Syrian opposition leader Ahmad Jarba, also contrasted the manner in which jihadists have slipped into Syria with the "organized way" the regime has brought in "mercenaries" from the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
The transition government is meant to be created "by mutual consent", under the terms of a string of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Aqbiq blasted the regime for failing to even respond to the proposal laid out at Wednesday's session of peace talks, which resumed Monday but have seen no progress, like January's first round.
"The root of this problem is the existence of a totalitarian, brutal, fascist regime, a corrupt one, that the Syrian people don't want any more. This is what will save lives: the transition," Aqbiq told AFP.
A key tenet of the opposition plan is to "ensure the withdrawal of all external military groups and imported muscle" from Syria, and Aqbiq stressed that applied to both sides.
It also states that the transition government's chief objective is to halt violence and create a "neutral environment for a political transition".
The opposition plan makes no mention of Assad, who the opposition says must quit right away and should be tried for war crimes, but whose status is not up for discussion according to the regime.
Opposition front man Louay Safi told news hounds the body would be responsible for "establishing a ceasefire, releasing prisoners of conscience, maintaining law and order, starting a process of transitional justice for all".
"We consider that it goes without saying that Assad and his acolytes are not part of the TGB," Aqbiq said.
Paving the way for elections, the plan foresees a "national reconciliation conference" to craft the basis of a new constitution.
Elections to a constituent assembly would follow, before a referendum on the constitution it would create, with multi-party elections and the dissolution of the TGB capping the process.
The so-called Geneva II negotiations were initiated by the United States, which backs the opposition, and Russia, a key ally of Syria. They pushed for eight months to get the parties to the negotiating table.
Washington and Moscow have largely remained on the sidelines, allowing veteran peacemaker Brahimi to run the show.
But with the talks at an apparent standstill, Russia has proposed a collective meeting with the U.N., Washington, Moscow and the Syrian foes to try to break the deadlock.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov was scheduled to meet with Brahimi and U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva on Thursday.
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02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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[Jerusalem Post] Iran's military chief on Wednesday warned that the Islamic Republic was ready for war with Israel and the United States.
"We are ready for the decisive battle with America and the evil dogs and pigs of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Iranian Armed forces chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi said, according to an AFP report citing Iranian media.
Firouzabadi also warned Iran's neighbors in the Gulf not to allow a US attack on Iran from their territory. "We do not have any hostility towards regional states, but if we are ever attacked from the American bases in the region we will strike that area back," he said.
The Iranian military commander said that US assertions that the military option "is on the table," constituted mere "political bluffing."
"Over the past decade, they brought their forces but came to the conclusion that they can't attack us and left."
"I say explicitly, if some have delusions of having any threats against Iran on their tables, they need to wear new glasses. There is no military option against Iran on any table in the world," he said.
Earlier this week, the commander of Iran's navy ratcheted up the Islamic Republic's recent rhetoric against the United States, threatening the Americans with major losses at sea should they chose to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
"The Americans can fully expect that their warships [and] aircraft carrier will be sunk with all 5,000 crew aboard, in combat against Iran, and they could find its hulk in the depths of the sea," Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying by semi-official Iranian Fars News on Sunday. Undeserving of comment.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
02/13/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Whats with all this recent talk of war?
Posted by: Paul D ||
02/13/2014 6:23 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Whats with all this recent talk of war?
They're trying to take advantage of Obama's proclivity for pre-emptive surrender.
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.
Lindsey Graham
[MAGHAREBIA] A Casablanca court will render a verdict in the case of salafist imam Abdelhamid Abounaim on Wednesday (February 19th).
[Egypt Independent] Presidential Media Adviser Ahmed al-Meslimany claimed that Western powers are trying to use terrorism as a pretext for invading Arab and Islamic countries, inferring they will also invade Egypt if the country does not control terrorism within its borders.
...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as 
Wazoo
[DAWN] Punjab police investigating the whereabouts of Khawar Mehmood have pointed finger at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the enforced disappearance.
[DAWN] Prime Minister 
Nawaz Sharif
Russia's second largest oil producer, Lukoil, says it is willing to return to Iran's Anaran oil project after the US-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic's energy sector are lifted, PressTV reported.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
