[ToloNews] Local officials in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province, in southern Afghanistan, have said that Al Qaeda has a strong presence in the province's districts alongside the Durand Line and in border areas between Afghanistan and Iran.
Helmand's governor said that their information indicates that Al Qaeda and other imported muscle have established camps and are training the Taliban ...Arabic for students... fighters in those districts in Helmand which have border with Pakistain and Iran.
The Helmand governor said that it was worrying that the Taliban would not cut ties with al-Qaeda and other imported muscle.
In the past, there was a strong Taliban presence in Helmand.
According to local officials, there is a presence of Al Qaeda and other imported muscle ranging from Disho district of Helmand towards some districts in Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... --across an area spanning hundreds of kilometers.
According to Helmand governor Yasin Khan, the Al Qaeda network is providing military and financial support to the Taliban.
"Currently Al Qaeda has a presence in Bahramcha region of Disho district of Helmand towards Herat province, and they are providing training and support to the Taliban. They cooperate with the Taliban and supply them with materials. In all wars, there are contributions from Al Qaeda, other foreign snuffies such as 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... (Pakistain based murderous Moslem group) and Punjabis," said Yasin Khan, the governor of Helmand.
In the meantime, general Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, the commander of 215 Maiwand Army Corps, has said that in recent weeks the Taliban has changed its tactics, such as bringing in the material from outside the country, as well as the making of mines and projectiles.
Good to know.
"The Taliban, in defiance of their commitments to the Doha agreement, have kept their ties with other groups," said General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, the commander of 215 Maiwand Army Corps.
Shocking, truly shocking.
"In the grinding of the peace processor, we are only talking with the Taliban, we are not talking to the foreign nationals who are fighting here, we also call on the Taliban to put them aside," said Attaullah Afghan, the head of Helmand's provincial council.
The Taliban have denied having ties with Al Qaeda.
Based on the US-Taliban agreement, which was signed in Doha on February 29, the Taliban as part of the agreement pledged to cut all ties with Al Qaeda and other foreign terror groups.
UN REPORT ON AL QAEDA PRESENCE:
A recent report submitted to the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... Security Council indicates that the total number of "Pak foreign terrorist fighters" in Afghanistan is estimated at "between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP)."
The report says the TTP fighters in Afghanistan are led by Amir Noor Wali Mehsud, supported by his deputy Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani.
The report says that according to UN member states, "Al Qaeda is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces and Aiman 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 assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra... remains based in the country."
The report says that the UN Monitoring Team estimates the total number of Al Qaeda gunnies in Afghanistan at "between 400 and 600 and that the leadership maintains close contact with the Haqqani network ...a branch of the Afghan Taliban, based in Pakistain. The network is a family business founded by the later Jalaluddin Haqqani... ."
[ToloNews] A Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... front man Suhail Shaheen in a statement on Thursday said the Taliban has fulfilled its part of the US-Taliban deal, which called for the group to release 1,000 Afghan government prisoners.
He stated that the Taliban had freed another 82 prisoners on Thursday, bringing the total released by the Taliban to 1,005.
According to Shaheen, based on the Doha agreement, the Taliban has fulfilled its commitment of releasing 1,000 Afghan government forces in exchange for the 5,000 Taliban inmates to be released by the Afghan government, according to the agreement.
The Afghan government has so far released around 4,400.
[AnNahar] Nearly 100 vulnerable asylum seekers including minors have been relocated from Greece and Cyprus to Germany and Finland, the EU's asylum coordination agency said Wednesday.
The first relocation -- of 83 people from families with seriously ill children from Greece to Germany -- took place on July 24, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said.
This was part of an ongoing EU scheme to relocate 1,600 minors to various European countries.
In a separate move not part of the EU initiative, 16 Somalis and Congolese from single-parent families were relocated from Cyprus to Finland on July 27.
All were tested for COVID-19 before leaving Cyprus and Greece, EASO said.
The programme is supported by the European Commission, the UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration.
Greece has some 5,000 migrant minors, most of them living in unsanitary conditions in refugee camps, or in housing not suitable for them.
Greek islands lying close to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... have in particular been swamped by asylum seekers, and squalid camps have sprung up, fuelling tension with local populations.
Greek authorities have kept island camps under coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague) ...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men... lockdown since March, prompting criticism from rights groups.
Tens of thousands of asylum seekers have been blocked in Greece since 2016 when many European states shut their borders in response to a surge in migration and refugees, mainly from war-torn Syria.
Around a dozen European countries have agreed to make an exception for minors.
A small number have already relocated to Portugal, Luxembourg and Germany.
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, La Belle France, Ireland, Lithuania, Serbia and Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... have agreed to welcome some as well.
[AnNahar] Italia's coasties said on Wednesday it had rescued nearly 100 migrants colonists on a "half deflated" dinghy off the coast of Libya after authorities in other countries failed to intervene.
The coasties said the inflatable boat was spotted by aircraft on Tuesday afternoon in the Libyan Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, "without an engine and half deflated."
"The Libyan authority responsible for search and rescue activities at sea did not take over the coordination of the rescue operations due to the lack of naval resources," the coasties said in a statement.
The coasties then informed Maltese authorities, whose search and rescue zone is close to that of Libya.
It said it also alerted Gibraltar, as a supply vessel flying the Gibraltar flag was nine nautical miles from the dinghy, as well as French authorities due to a Total oil platform in the area.
La Belle France replied there were no French-flagged vessels in the Libyan area of responsibility, it said.
"The Italian coasties, amid the persistent silence of the Maltese and Gibraltar authorities, then took over the coordination of the rescue," the coasties said, sending a vessel to rescue the people.
The 84 migrants colonists, who included six women and two children, were transferred at dawn on Wednesday from their "almost sunk" dinghy to the Italian ship, which on Wednesday was headed for the island of Lampedusa.
The reception center on the island is already overcrowded with migrants colonists who have been arriving daily by the hundreds in recent weeks.
More than 300 people, mainly Tunisians, arrived in Lampedusa during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday on board 13 boats.
On Monday night, Malta's coasties rescued a group of 94 migrants colonists in the Mediterranean, most of whom later tested positive for coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague) ...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men... , Malta health authorities said.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said Pakistan had carried out the legislation to move itself from the grey to white list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).https://t.co/dxeYqbw8GD
Posted by: Fred ||
07/31/2020 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Giving the number of Pakistani hawaldars that deal in black money and money laundering without fear of arrest, Pakistan should never escape the grey list.
[Iraq Sun] Head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU) - also known as Hashd al-Sha'abi - Falih Alfayyadh said relations between Tehran and Baghdad are at their best level.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's first trip since taking office to Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and his meetings with Fearless Leader of the Islamic Revolution ...Iran's doddering head theocrat... Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini... and President Hassan Rouhani ...Iran's moderate president, which he is, relative to his predecessor, which doesn't mean he's anything but a puppet of the nearest holy man... showed the "depth of ties and common interests" between the two nations, Alfayyadh told al-Mayadeen TV channel on Wednesday.
He added that the ties between the two neighboring countries are at "its best level".
Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Kadhimi traveled to Tehran last week for a two-day visit. He also sat down with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/31/2020 00:00 ||
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[11128 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
Significant day in Iraq: Kadhimi's gov states officially that some 560 people killed during anti-gov protests last year will be registered as martyrs. Separately, interior ministry says 3 members of security forces responsible for killing 2 protesters last week will face trial.
Looks like more kabooms are in order
[Jpost] The tensions between Israel and Iran was dragged into the open once more following an alleged cyberattack on Israel's railway infrastructure, according to the Andoulu Agency.
The purported attack, comes only months after previous attempts, allegedly by Iran, to decommission Israeli water treatment plants across the country, in last April.
This time, some 150 industrial servers that are used by the Israeli railways were targeted by a group of hackers linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Anadolu Agency reported.
As a proof of their supposed success, the group, called Cyber Avengers, released a map detailing Israel's train network, including some 28 stations that fell prey to the attack, on several Telegram channels.
According to the group's statement, as cited by Andoulu Agency, the operation was meant to serve a warning: "[to] show that we can plan the collision of tens of trains if we so wish."
The operation began on the same date and time of former IRGC head Qasem Soleimani's assassination by US forces in Iraq, some six months ago, and lasted for ten days.
The group additionally warned that "the worst has yet to come," sending a clear message that the covert war that has been allegedly raging between the two countries is far from over.
The article was updated at Israeli time as follows:
A report that Iran had successfully hacked Israel's railway infrastructure is not true, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The false report came out on Friday and was published on the Turkish Andoulu News Agency.
The Turkish claim - likely Iranian propoganda - came only months after previous attempts, allegedly by Iran, to decommission Israeli water treatment plants across the country.
According to the claims, 150 industrial servers that are used by the Israeli railways were targeted by a group of hackers linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Anadolu Agency reported.
As a proof of their supposed success, the group, called Cyber Avengers, released a map detailing Israel's train network, including some 28 stations that fell prey to the attack, on several Telegram channels.
Despite the report, the Post learned that the claim was false and that the Israeli railway system had not been hacked.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/31/2020 10:13 ||
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Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
So what did the hackers do? Make the trains run two minutes late?
#2
They could play havoc with the track switching, crossing gate operations, 'asset location' (like 'where's the train') and automatic braking signals (or ATS - Auto Train Stop).
All would be dangerous.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
07/31/2020 13:15 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Good find, Frank G. Interesting that the article now says it was a fake — how embarrassing for Iran to be outed, and in only a few hours.
[BenarNews] Cash-strapped and under pressure from security forces, Abu Sayyaf ...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder... is likely to pick up its piracy and kidnapping in coming months, security experts told a recent online forum.
Five Indonesians, including a minor, are being held by Abu Sayyaf, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said, but there have been no new kidnappings since January, according to authorities.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/31/2020 00:01 ||
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Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf (ISIS)
Posted by: Fred ||
07/31/2020 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11128 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Iran acknowledged Fordo's existence in 2009 amid a major pressure campaign by Western powers over Tehran's nuclear program. The West feared Iran could use its program to build a nuclear weapon.
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.
...Arabic for 
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
