[The Nation (Nairobi)] Southern Sudan will retain its name until its citizens choose a new one.
I'm looking forward to hearing about the countries of "Darfur" and "Rump Sudan" in the not-to-distant future.
Head of Mission to Kenya Michael Majok said citizens will decide whether to retain the old name or come up with a new one.
He said the legislative organs selected by the people would choose a new name if it was decided to rename.
"We still have six months before we become independent. We will remain Southern Sudan until July 9 as we are still part of Sudan," he said.
He, however, said Juba could cease being the country's capital due to complaints from other states that it was remote.
There is a precedent for simply building a new capitol...
"The technical committee is studying the viability of Juba remaining the capital," Mr Majok said in Nairobi.
Mr Majok also announced that a government of all political parties will be formed in July and after 18 months, the country will go to the polls to elect the ruling party.
"We have been fighting for over 30 years. We have no infrastructure and we need investors to develop," he said.
Mr Majok said secession will minimise the differences and increase harmony between the north and south.
A total of 98.83 per cent of voters in Sudan's oil-producing south chose to secede from the north in last month's referendum.
The South Sudan Referendum Commission announced the results on Monday.
The two regions have been fighting for decades, with the first war in 1955 lasting 17 years. The second broke out in 1983 and lasted 21 years.
So it should be a few years yet before the next round of fighting.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] Paleostinian ambassador to Cairo Barakat Al-Farra said Wednesday that Egyptian media reports had accused Fatah-affiliates of being behind a blast that targeted the Israel-Egypt-Jordan gas pipeline in the Sinai last week.
The blast hit a line of the Israeli-Egyptian gas company, East Mediterranean Gas, on Saturday and destroyed a measuring station at the Jordanian sub-line. The attack on the line came as Egyptian cities were rocked with mass protests against the 30-year rule of geriatric President Hosni Mubarak.
Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, had initially come under suspicion for the attack, but officials said their fighters had nothing to do with the incident.
What about their not-fighters, or friends and relations, or even just someone they met down th'pub last Saturday?
According to Al-Farra, Fatah next came under suspicion.
"Loose the hounds! We've Fatah men to hunt, lads!"
'Fatah leaders and members appreciate the noble role Egypt has been playing, and thus no Fatah member could play any role in breaching security and stability in this brother country," the official said in a Wednesday statement.
"Please don't hurt us!"
He said the reports that Fatah was involved came from members of the local activist committee in the Egyptian Rafah, who he said told local TV stations that Fatah members from the Gazoo Strip were behind the gas terminal blast.
"They wuz wearing the uniform and everything! It was purple with gold and pink stripes. And Miss Kitty."
He added that there had been no official complaint to the embassy over the issue.
"We definitely care about stability and security in Egypt which we consider the major guarantor to our cause. It is a country we love and respect and we wish Egypt peace, stability and prosperity," Al-Farra said.
He added, "No Fatah member can cross to Egypt through tunnels because Hamas keeps a firm grip on Fatah members," he continued, saying he was sure that no member was involved.
Perhaps they were catapulted over the wall, instead.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Maghrebia] The Tunisian Parliament on Monday (February 7th) passed a bill to grant the provisional government emergency powers, while hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the building to protest the vote. The bill is now slated for debate in the upper house on Tuesday.
"Time is precious. Tunisia has real need of rule by decree to remove dangers," said Mohamed Ghannouchi at the parliamentary session. The interim prime minister met on Tuesday with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, who launched a three-day Middle East and North Africa trip.
"We are witnessing a moment of opportunity here in Tunisia and in many other countries, an opportunity that should be seized rather than feared," the UK official said at a news conference after the meeting.
In another development, the defence ministry on Monday released a communiqué, calling up soldiers who retired in the past five years and conscripts who recently left the ranks, TAP reported. They were told to report to their military posts on February 16th.
The move is aimed at curbing violence, according to the ministry. Last week-end, at least two non-combatants were killed in El Kef, as nearly 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside the local cop shoppe to demand the resignation of police chief Khaled Ghazouani. Also last week-end, a large public protest forced the new governor of the southern mining region of Gafsa to resign his post.
As the country tries to restore public order in the wake of the Tunisian revolution, the caretaker government seeks to do away with the remnants of the deposed regime.
On Sunday, the interior ministry suspended the activities of Ben Ali's Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD). According to its statement, the RCD ban is aimed at "preserving the supreme interest of the nation". The ministry barred the party from holding meetings and shut down its offices.
The party ruled Tunisia's political life for over half a century, controlling the country's social aspects as well. Senior managers in administration were selected from holders of RCD membership cards.
Las month, the interim cabinet ordered the seizure of all RCD assets and legalised banned political parties.
The decision to suspend the party was welcomed by protesters and activists, who were calling for dissolving the RCD since Ben Ali's January 14th departure.
"I think it's a good decision although it was somewhat late, especially as we all know that the ruling party militias are responsible for the chaos and acts of violence that the country has been witnessing for two weeks," said Tariq al-Mahmoudi. "However, The infamous However... we should be cautious about the reactions of its sleeper militias."
In her turn, Serin Ben Mustafa called for "trying all RCD members who were involved in intimidating and terrorising the people in order to maintain their gains and drag people backwards."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Asharq al-Aswat] Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadaffy ... dictator of Libya since 1969. From 1972, when he relinquished the title of prime minister, he has been accorded the honorifics Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya or Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution. With the death of Omar Bongo of Gabon on 8 June 2009, he became the longest serving of all current non-royal national leaders. He is also the longest-serving ruler of Libya since Tripoli became an Ottoman province in 1551. When Chairman Mao was all the rage and millions of people were flashing his Little Red Book, Qadaffy came out with his own Little Green Book, which didn't do as well. Qadaffy's instability has been an inspiration to the Arab world and to Africa, which he would like to rule... has dealt with the calls being issued by the National Conference for the Libyan Opposition [NCLO] and Libyan [political] activists for a Libyan "Day of Rage" to take place on 17 February, modeled on similar events in Tunisia and Egypt, by issuing an unprecedented warnings against any attempts to create chaos and instability in Libya.
In the last few days, Qadaffy privately met with Libyan political activists, journalists, and media figures and he issued severe warnings that these professions would be held responsible should they participate in any way in disturbing the peace or creating chaos in Libya. This was a source of frustration to those who attended these meetings and who had expected Qadaffy to inform them of his intention to carry out important political and economic reforms.
Why on earth would they expect even an "intention"?
The opposition "Libya Al-Youm" website that is based in London quoted eye-witnesses who attended these meetings with Qadaffy, reporting that Qadaffy addressed the audience -- the majority of whom were from cities in eastern Libya -- in a tone of warning against the consequences of participating in any potential disturbances.
This represents the first official Libyan response to concerns about the opposition's calls for a "Day of Rage" on 17 February 2011, the anniversary of previous anti-Qadaffy protests in 2006. In these meetings which took place amidst a media blackout, Qadaffy -- who has been in power since 1969 -- also spoke about the problems that the cities of Benghazi, Al Bayda, Darna, and Tobruk, are suffering from, particularly those of neglect, the collapse of infrastructure, unemployment, and corruption.
And whose fault is that, pray tell?
Sources who attended these secret meetings revealed that Qadaffy expressed his concern and anger about what is happening in Egypt, and said that the Libyan leader particularly stressed his anger towards the Al Jizz channel and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, for inciting the Egyptians to turn against Mubarak. Qadaffy reportedly asked "why doesn't Qaradawi incite [people] against the US military bases in the Gulf?"
A very good question. Perhaps because the US military bases aren't oppressing them?
Commenting on the popular uprising that is calling for Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's resignation and the toppling of his regime, sources who attended these meetings say that Qadaffy described Mubarak as being "poor" and not even owning the price of the clothes he was wearing. Qadaffy also claimed that Libya is providing Mubarak with [financial] support, and accused the Israeli Mossad of being behind the current unrest in Egypt.
Qadaffy also reportedly defended his friend and ally former Tunisian President Zing El Abidine Ben Ali, saying "the Tunisians hate him because his wife is a Trabelsi [maiden name; meaning from Tripoli]." Qadaffy criticized the revolution that was carried out by the people of Tunisia and the toppling of Ben Ali's regime, before moving away form this and stressing his concern at the return of security and stability to Tunisia.
Libyan activists have claimed that the Libyan intelligence service has been carrying out a large-scale campaign to shut down Libyan websites based outside of the country due to their ongoing coverage of the situation in Libya.
The NCLO has called for mass protests to take place inside and outside of Libya on the anniversary of the 17 February 2006 uprisings in the city of Benghazi where protests against the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad were transformed into mass demonstrations against Qadaffy and his regime, resulting in the death of dozens of protestors and the injury of many more.
What a charmingly passive voice sentence. Nobody actually did the killing or injuring, it just -- somehow -- happened.
In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, the NCLO said that all Libyan internal and external oppositional forces intend to carry out protests and demonstrations at various levels against Qadaffy and his regime on the anniversary of the 17 February 2006 protests. The NCLO official also told Asharq Al-Awsat that he hoped that the people of Libya had learned from the victory of the Tunisian popular uprising.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Gaddafi ready for Libya's Day of Rage"
Oh, I just BET he is.
James,
It will get ugly if they as much as unfurl and single banner..
Karl,
My bet is that this will make the Egyptian thug vs. protesters dust up look like a pillow fight.
This unfortunately will be a blood bath if there are any protests.
James,
When was the last time there was a rational protest in the Middle East?
Karl,
That might be the famous Aleppo Food Riots of 678 A.D.
#2
Gaddafi knows that he won't be criticized no matter what he does to the Libyan people.
He has a history of state sponsored terrorist attacks on the west, directly took western hostages, violently and lethally abused the territorial sovereignty of western nations, amassed WMDs, openly threatened genocidal WMD strikes against a western nation, threatened the sanctity of western embassies' territory.
The result: Western weakness, craven obsequious submission, in the face of an enemy that is pathetically weak. The west has let him know that he is absolutely free.
Unleashing Gaddafi might in the end be judged as one of Bush's bigger blunders. Unfortunately he was largely immune from criticism as he acted like a weak dovish leftist and formally enjoyed the hawkish credentials of a Republican POTUS.
This just hit the internet, and we don't know if it's true.
It's on IslamTimes, and frankly it doesn't read credibly because it ties his death to discussions about Egypt.
Needless to say, were it true, it would only further concerns about Mideast stability at an already fragile time.
Oil prices originally jumped on the news, but then that faded, perhaps indicating the market's disbelief in the rumor.
The full report:
Saudi Arabia's 86-year-old King Abdullah was discharged from a New York City hospital in good health after going through two back operations in December 2010. The king delegated the management of the affairs of the worlds largest oil supplier to his half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, during his absence.
King Abdullah talked with Obama about the situation in Egypt over the phone yesterday. Obama and the King got into a heated debate about their opinions of what Hosni Mubarak should do. After the phone call sources stated that King Abdullah was furious and then suffered a sudden heart attack.
Doctors ran to his resuce but were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead, but his death was not reported due to the sensative conditions that exist in the region. The Saudi Arabian government will reject this claim; but the ball is in their court to prove that he is alive.
"King Abdullah talked with Obama about the situation in Egypt over the phone yesterday. Obama and the King got into a heated debate about their opinions of what Hosni Mubarak should do. After the phone call sources stated that King Abdullah was furious and then suffered a sudden heart attack. Doctors ran to his rescue but were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead,..."
#5
The Lame Stream Media told America the world would like us if Obama was elected. It will take a full generation to get this Hussien mess straightened out.
Hat tip Gates of Vienna
Driven up by an increase in the cost of fuel, rent and water, the general index for the cost of living in Saudi Arabia rose by 5.3% in January compared with the same month of last year. This was reported on the Al Arabiya site, which noted that six of the main product groups making up the index saw substantial rises. The renovations, rent, fuel and water group rose by 8.3%, beverages and food by 6.8%, transport and telecommunications by 1.8%, healthcare by 1.3%, education by 0.6% and other products and services by 8.1%. One wonders by how much their costs of financing worldwide Jihad went up?
During a House Intelligence Committee hearing Thursday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called Egypt's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood movement "largely secular."
"The term 'Muslim Brotherhood'...is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam," Clapper said. "They have pursued social ends, a betterment of the political order in Egypt, et cetera.....In other countries, there are also chapters or franchises of the Muslim Brotherhood, but there is no overarching agenda, particularly in pursuit of violence, at least internationally."
#6
Mr. Clapper is an idiot if he really believes that. He can't possibly be qualified to be the DNI.
If he really believes this then he must resign or be fired. Fat chance of either happening.
The Muslim Brotherhood has made its beliefs and positions crystal-clear. You could read all about it.
This happened in Iran when the Shah was deposed. The Mad Mullahs told gullible Western reporters and intel analysts how 'moderate' they were, and how 'complex' their beliefs were. We saw how that worked out.
Idiots. Rubes. Simple-minded rustics. Our present administration is full of them.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/10/2011 16:18 Comments ||
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#7
Mr. Clapper is an Obama stooge. The idiots are the members of the committee who failed to call for his resignation during the hearing's Q&A
#8
I imagine they're going to have swell relations with the MB until there's a change of administration, and then any deterioration that happens will be the next administration's fault.
#9
The The Brotherhood has as its slogan "Islam is the solution." So how can Mr. Clapper claim they are largely secular. For a guy who is a Mideast expert and speaks Arabic, he seems to be out to lunch.
#14
Jamie Smith, director of the office of public affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence later said in a statement to ABC News: To clarify Director Clappers point - in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood makes efforts to work through a political system that has been, under Mubaraks rule, one that is largely secular in its orientation he is well aware that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a secular organization.
#15
Some reading for DNI Clapper:
Jihad is the way by Mustafa Mashhur
Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, 1996-2002
http://www.palwatch.org/site/modules/print/preview.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=4603§ion=all
PMW has selected the following quotes from Jihad is the way to illustrate central ideas of
Muslim Brotherhood ideology. PMWs translation of the book follows below.
National goal: Islamic world domination
- the Islamic Ummah [nation]2 can regain its power and be liberated and assume its rightful position which was intended by Allah, as the most exalted nation among men, as the leaders of humanity...
- know your status, and believe firmly that you are the masters of the world, even if your enemies desire your degradation"
- It should be known that Jihad and preparation towards Jihad are not only for the purpose of fending-off assaults and attacks of Allah's enemies from Muslims, but are also for the purpose of realizing the great task of establishing an Islamic state and strengthening the religion and spreading it around the world
- Jihad for Allah is not limited to the specific region of the Islamic countries, since the Muslim homeland is one and is not divided, and the banner of Jihad has already been raised in some of its parts, and it shall continue to be raised, with the help of Allah, until every inch of the land of Islam will be liberated, the State of
Islam will be established,
Posted by: George Thetch6690 ||
02/10/2011 18:44 Comments ||
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#16
Idiots. Rubes. Simple minded rustics.
Or the result of a determined and successful disinformation campaign that is undermining the West from within at the highest levels. That's the assertion of Steve Coughlin, Raymond Ibrahim and an increasing number of other voices.
#19
What is taqiyyah but a disinformation campaign? The Muslim Brotherhood long ago planned how to manage kufr governments and opinion makers while waging the soft jihad of the law.
"Many kinds of violent motivations threaten our security," said Janet Napolitano, defending her department's actions to Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing Wednesday.
Ms. Napolitano said the use of the term "violent extremism" rather than "jihadi" or "Islamist" to describe the terror threat was driven by concern that officials "not overlook other types of extremism that can be homegrown and that we, indeed, have experiences with."
"Some of those [attacks] are inspired by Islamist groups. Others can be inspired by, like, anti-government groups -- flying a plane into the [Internal Revenue Service] building, for example," she said, referring to an incident in February 2010 when software engineer Joseph Stack crashed a small plane into a federal building, killing himself and an IRS employee. So a crazy with a pilot's license becomes an anti-government group on a par with Islamic Crusaders?
We have to pat down Grammas because, "when we add random screening to whatever we are doing, it has to be truly random. Otherwise, you lose the value of unpredictability. And secondly when we set firm rules about we won't screen this kind of person or that kind of person, our adversaries, they know those rules and they attempt to train and get around them. So one Gramma for each Achmed is random? What about one gramma for every eight to ten Achmeds? Isn't that random, too?
"We cannot categorize by ethnicity or religion or any of those sorts of things," she said. "We have to make decisions based on intelligence about particular individuals. That's what is required under the United States Constitution." I't in there, somewhere, I'm sure. Somebody told me so.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/10/2011 06:31 ||
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#1
Must be why she is appealing to ... Walmart shoppers ... to be ever vigilant.
#2
When you cannot do your job because of incompetence, then pick on the law abiding folks and hassle them.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/10/2011 11:08 Comments ||
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#3
when we add random screening to whatever we are doing, it has to be truly random. Otherwise, you lose the value of unpredictability.
Random sampling is an important part of modern statistical quality control (all praise to the Mighty Demming!), but it assumes that all that parts have an equal probability of being bad. If you know that Machine #1SL4M has a history of producing wildly out of spec parts, it only makes sense to look at those more closely.
#4
Exactly, Steve, you adjust your quality control plan to suit whatever is happening now. Identify the trends and adapt to control them.
Quality Manager Bobby
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/10/2011 12:28 Comments ||
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#5
Yeah, we need to watch out for the Quakers and Mormons??? Oh, and the little old ladies in wheel chairs at the airport. Is she including the Tea Party in her list? Or is she warning about all those people who disagree with Obama policies?
#6
Janet Incompetano is said to be the leading Donk for Jon Kyl's (retiring at end of term) seat. I'd love for her to try for it. The massive repudiation of her, Holder, and the Obama regime would be sweet.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/10/2011 16:17 Comments ||
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The movie, "The Third Jihad" details the formation of CAIR after a secret meeting in Philadelphia involving members of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee.
[Geo News] Four students of Punjab University attempted self-immolation outside the Vice Chancellor's office here Wednesday in protest against non-recognition of their degrees and non-acceptance of their demands by the administration.
Scores of male and female students of BSc Honour and MSc Honour from Institute of Plant Pathology (IPP) department had gathered in front of VC's office to press their demands. They also rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud against the VC for not accepting their demands.
Four students of IPP department including Muhammad Atif,Muhammad Umer, Adnan Saeed and Muhammad Wajid attempted self-immolation by sprinkling petrol on their bodies.
The students were intercepted by the police and provided first aid by Rescue-1122 staff.
The students of IPP have been protesting for the last nine months as their degrees were not recognised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and rejected by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).
The students had been demanding the change in the nomenclature of the institute from IPP to Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS) as for the requirement of HEC and PPSC and other public and private agricultural organisations.
The students were also demanding appointment of a permanent director in the institute with a degree in agriculture, transfer of Dr Ghazala Nasim, ex incharge IPP from the institute and the appointment of 10 permanent agriculturists.
The students alleged that Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Mujahid Kamran was biased and did not accept their lawful demands despite being the competent authority to do so.
The VC denied any meeting with the protesting students and did not come to office.
The students were still protesting and staged a sit-in outside the VC office till the filing of this report.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Geo News] Federal Interior Minister Wednesday rang Jamat e Islami (JI) General Secretary Liaquat Baloch and invited him to attend round-table conference convened by President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari ... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ... Geo News reported.
During their conversation, Malik also expressed willingness to meet JI Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan
.... The funny-looking Amir of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He joined the National Students Federation (NSF), a lefty student body, and was elected its President in 1959. He came into contact with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, The Great Apostasizer. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and soon he was elected as President of its University of Bloody Karachi Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He was Assistant Secretary General of Jama'at-e-Islami Pakistan in 1992-93, and became Secretary General in 1993. After years of holding Qazi's camel he was named Amir when the old man stepped down in 2009...
Sources from JI told that Rehman Malik telephoned Liaquat Baloch to invite him for round-table conference and to inform that President wanted to meet JI Ameer.
Baloch sought the agenda for round-table conference from Malik and told him that the decision in this regard will be taken by the party after knowing the agenda.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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The State Department, assigned to assume responsibility from the U.S. military later this year, has sought to recruit police officers for its security training mission in Iraq.
The department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has begun meeting with municipal and state law enforcement to encourage officers to sign up for a program to development Iraqi security forces. The program was scheduled to begin when the department takes over for the U.S. military in Iraq in October.
"The bureau is seeking to recruit both active and retired U.S. law enforcement officers as the U.S. Department of State builds a team of senior level and expert advisors to serve one-year missions in Iraq," the department said.
In a statement on Feb. 3, the department did not say how many officers would be required for the forthcoming security mission in Iraq. But officials said the assessment was that State would need at least 17,000 assigned to 15 locations.
Officials said the State Department, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, would assume full responsibility for the development of police and border forces under the Iraqi Interior Ministry. They said State would also support development in Iraq's corrections and justice sectors.
"Under Department of State leadership, the Police Development Program will partner with the government of Iraq in developing management, leadership and technical skills to support the rule of law and maintain Iraqs internal security," the statement said.
The statement said the department was seeking "experienced U.S. police officers who would partner with Iraqi ministers, commanders and police chiefs." Officials said the State program could last years.
#2
This will be interesting. The vast majority of retired police retire on disability retirements. Disability retirements bring a tax-free pension. If these guys take these jobs, they are going to risk losing their "disabled" status.
Practically every officer retiring in California retires on disability retirement. But that isn't limited to just police, other government employees do it, too. Mark Steyn said the other day on the radio that 97% of the conductors and porters on the Long Island Railroad (govt. owned) retire on disability retirements (tax free).
#3
Sorry gotta defend retired cops - the disability retirement in Cali is not 100% it is 50% tax exempt and your can only work part time after and not LE work. Still a very good benifit for 30 years of wrecking your body. The street guys are wearing 25 pounds of equinpment and in/out of a patrol car 10 to 12 hours a day. The vest holds you up like a manniquin so your spine cant move. And it is not like tennis, you dont get to warm up before your running for your life to keep from getting run over, or jumping some asshole that pulls a gun on your partner. Yes I took a disability after 27 years, Ive had both knees replaced and have a bad disk in my lower back. I'd have stayed but there are no where near enough inside jobs to keep people on until they are older. Cops and fireman are much more military than corperation. Yes there are slugs, crooks and losers but the vast vast majority of cops are dediicated people. And yes some high level people and chiefs spike thier pensions, the street grunts get 50 to 80% depending on time of service. Well thts my 2 cents.
Posted by: retired LEO ||
02/10/2011 22:23 Comments ||
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#4
It varies from state to state. Many states (New York for example) a government disability pension is 100% tax exempt. Same with many other states.
This isn't about just cops, this is all government employees. Disability retirement is becoming the norm for government employees (maybe not federal but it is for state and local workers).
The point is that the vast majority of retired cops are on disability retirements. State isn't likely to get a lot of them signing up because if they do, they stand to lose that status.
#6
Point taken. With all the government layoffs and hiring freezes the State Dept should be able to recruit a good number of younger trained officers that are looking for work. Plus it will be a good resume builder for somebody that want to move up in an organization.
Posted by: retired LEO ||
02/10/2011 22:51 Comments ||
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#7
...and in a related development, the US Department of state has issued a tender for 1,700 donut trucks.
That's enough for the trainers, but what about the trainees if they pick up the habit? ;-)
[Asharq al-Aswat] Instead of fighting graft Iraq's ministers prefer to hide departmental corruption, contributing to a major source of cut-thoat financing, the country's top anti-fraud official said on Wednesday.
Iraq is rated by watchdog Transparency International as the fourth most corrupt country in the world, with diplomats and local officials persistently citing widespread graft as a major impediment to the country's development.
"Once they step into their positions, they see their ministry as a family concern and prevent others from coming in or fighting against corruption," said Rahim Hassan al-Uqailee, head of Iraq's Commission on Integrity (COI).
"They seek to protect their team," he told AFP in an interview.
Uqailee said 4,082 arrest warrants were issued in 2010 against officials suspected of corruption, compared to 3,791 the year before. He said 197 were for top mandarins or ministerial-level officials, compared to 152 the previous year.
Last year, 2,844 suspects were referred to court for 2,322 cases of corruption, amounting to a total $1.3 billion in diverted public funds, he added.
Warrants against defence ministry officials accounted for the biggest chunk of the total, with 13.4 percent of the overall figure, followed by the interior ministry in second place at 7.3 percent. Municipality and public works was third with 6.2 percent.
In the most high-profile such arrest warrant issued in recent years, Iraq's ex-trade minister Abdel Falah al-Sudani was dramatically jugged in May 2009 after his plane was ordered back to Storied Baghdad as he tried to flee the country.
"We are in constant conflict with them (ministers) but we manage to impose the law. The COI is feared by all, including bigwigs and even ministers," said Uqailee, who has headed the commission since January 2008.
"Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to fight corruption and has made efforts in this direction, but he cannot do everything by himself," the 44-year-old former judge added.
"I believe the ministers do not fight against corruption seriously, and sometimes even think it is better to cover it."
The number of civil servants imprisoned for corruption grew from 94 in 2006 to 148 and 417 the next two years, and 1,719 in 2009. Last year's number was was 1,619.
"The increase in the number of arrest warrants, indictments and convictions doesn't mean there is more corruption, it means we are more efficient," said Uqailee, adding he regularly receives death threats, like many of the 1,650 employees working under him.
According to monthly surveys conducted by the COI, the government ministry seen by Iraqis as the most corrupt for nine out of the past 12 months is the justice ministry, while residents of the holy Shiite province of Najaf saw their province as the most corrupt for eight months in 2010.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] Jordanian tribal figures have issued a petition urging King Abdullah to end his Paleostinian wife's role in politics, in a new challenge to the monarch grappling with fallout from uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Evoking comparisons with the wives of Tunisia's former strongman Zine al Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt's geriatric President Hosni Mubarak, the signatories attacked Queen Rania's Paleostinian origin and accused her of using state funds to promote her image abroad without concern for the hardship of ordinary Jordanians.
The 36 figures are drawn from conservative East Bank tribes who form the backbone of the Hashemite monarchy's support -- as opposed to Jordanians of Paleostinian, or West Bank, origin who are the majority of the country's 7 million population.
"She is building power centers for her interest that go against what Jordanians and Hashemites have agreed on in governing and is a danger to the nation and the structure of the state and the political structure and the institution of the throne," the petition said.
"Disregard for the content of the statement will throw us into what happened in Tunis and Egypt and what will happen in other Arab countries," it added.
The unusually blunt statement reflects the deep rift between nationalist East Bank Jordanians and the majority Paleostinian population, rather than a direct challenge to Abdullah's rule.
But it keeps up pressure on the monarch who responded to anti-government protests last week by dismissing the cabinet and appointing former army officer Marouf Bakhit as prime minister.
The move, which followed a $500 million package of state aid to raise civil service salaries and curb price rises, aimed to address East Bankers' alarm over economic liberalization by the previous government which threatened their state benefits.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
This Bedouin tribesmen have been mad at Raina since 2007. Raina has been active in efforts to modernize Jordan's primary and secondary eduction (especially math and science), as well as women's issues (like avoiding honor killings).
This is Haram to conservative Muslims.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
02/10/2011 11:41 Comments ||
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[Arab News] The Paleostinian government on Tuesday set July 9 as the date for local elections in both the West Bank and Gazoo Strip, acting as upheaval rocks Egypt. The rival Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, government that rules Gazoo promptly rejected the move.
Ghassan Al-Khatib, front man of the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said, "The government has instructed the Paleostinian Central Elections Committee (CEC) to undertake needed preparations."
Al-Khatib added that the elections would be held only in the West Bank if Hamas refuses to hold them in the Gazoo Strip. The last round of local elections took place in 2005.
The elections have been postponed so far because of Hamas' refusal to hold them as long as the reconciliation talks continue with President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. Hamas wants the elections to be the result of a power-sharing agreement with Fatah as part of a broader reconciliation pact.
The polls were supposed to be held last July, but disagreement within the Fatah faction over who would contest led to a postponement a month before the election day, according to Rooters.
In December, a court ruled that the Paleostinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, must allow the elections to go ahead.
On Oct. 24, 2009 Abbas issued a decree calling on the Paleostinians to head to the polling booths on Jan. 25, 2010. However, The infamous However... the CEC informed Abbas that it was impossible to hold elections on time as Hamas refused to let its teams work freely.
The Fatah and Hamas movements held talks in September 2010 in Damascus in which they announced to launch practical steps to end rifts.
A series of attempts for reconciliation, mainly mediated by Egypt, have failed with both groups accusing each other of undermining trust by persecuting political rivals in the territories under their control.
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02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Paleostine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned on Wednesday that unemployment levels in Gazoo have reached over 45.4 percent of the workforce, showing a dangerous sign of the deteriorating situation in the besieged territory.
These numbers reflect signs of a sharply deteriorating economy, which will increase the state of instability and despair felt by inhabitants of the thus far three-and-a-half-year besieged territory, UNRWA spokesperson Chris Guiness told a presser in Gazoo.
He urged the lifting of the siege, and to not let other Middle East issues shift focus away from this issue.
The numbers recorded in the third quarter of 2010, were a rise from the previous quarter which recorded 44.3 pct, adding that a society that reaches an unemployment rate of 50 pct stands on the brink of collapse.
Israel has allowed UNRWA to carry out 43 projects in the territory worth USD 43 million, representing a mere 11.4 pct of the size of projects the agency intends to pursue over the next three years.
The territory's need for development is immense and unprecedented, he said, citing the need for 100 schools, the repair of tens of thousands of homes and six hospitals, not including government projects.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Assuming that Israel had no say in it, what projects could UNRWA do that would make much of a difference?
#3
And we should care because of? They have had sixty two years, sixty two fricking years to buiold an economy not to mention how they burnt the greenhoses who were supoposed to bring them jobs and make them earn their money instead of siphonning ours. Dissolve the UNRWA and make Palestinians take care of themselves (or the Saudis fund them). And BTW I want back that money the Palestinins have squandered or used in funding terrorism.
Doesn't digging tunnels and launching Katushka rockets into Israel count as employment?
James,
It appears to me that the UN forgot that most of the able bodied types are running around all night shooting up each other's hookah hangouts and they're too tired to have an 8 to 5 job...maybe its all of the hashish and bad coffee taking its toll.
#7
I suspect there are pockets of unemployment about that high in the U.S. I wonder what the unemployment rate is say in parts of Detroit? Or among young people?
#8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_aid_to_Palestinians#2007-2009 In December 2007, during the Paris Donor Conference, which followed the Annapolis Conference, the international community pledged over $7.7 billion for 20082010 in support of the Palestinian Reform and Development Program (PRDP).
Following the 20082009 IsraelGaza conflict, an international conference took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where donors pledged almost $4.5 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza.
That's $12.2 billion over 3 years.
Posted by: George Thetch6690 ||
02/10/2011 19:15 Comments ||
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#9
That's $12.2 billion over 3 years.
Most of the promised checks were never written, George Thetch6690.
[Straits Times] INDONESIA'S president says violent, hard-line groups should be disbanded after mobs set churches on fire and killed three members of a minority Islamic sect.
The attacks raised concerns about escalating religious intolerance in the secular nation that has more than 220 million Mohammedans, most of whom are moderate.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament and rarely criticises hard-liners - did not identify any group by name on Wednesday.
But he said such violence 'was against the law' and groups involved 'should be disbanded.' On Sunday, 1,500 hard-liners attacked Ahmadiyah sect members with sticks and machetes, killing three men.
On Tuesday, a mob set two churches ablaze to protest a Christian's blasphemy sentence as too lenient.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- The United States expressed on Wednesday its concerns about religious violence in Indonesia.
"The United States is deeply concerned about the mob violence in Indonesia directed at members of the Ahmadiyah community that resulted in the deaths of three people and the wounding of several others this past weekend," said Assistant Secretary of State for public affairs Philip Crowley in a statement. "We also note with concern the recent church burnings in Central Java. We join the vast majority of Indonesians in deploring these acts of violence", he added.
Crowley affirmed that President Yudhoyono's statement "that the Government of Indonesia will take firm action against the perpetrators of the violence, underscores Indonesia's commitment to rule of law and to the protection of the rights of all communities."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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[Ennahar] An aide to the Secretary of State on Wednesday welcomed the fact that the Syrians have again access to Internet websites Facebook and YouTube for the first time since 2007 without the need for programs to bypass censorship.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[An Nahar] Caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb stated on Wednesday that the March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... camp will become the opposition in Leb should President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati approve the formation of a one-sided government.
He told Tele Liban: "Should they choose against such a decision, then they should find a way to establish a national unity government."
He said that the March 14 forces will cooperate with a moderate government, "but if a government with provocative figures is formed ... then we have a weapon, which is the people."
"President Suleiman knows what he should do and he has privileges and responsibilities," Harb added.
Furthermore, the minister said: "The March 14 forces are still ready to present blood for Leb's illusory sovereignty and freedom ... our battle was against the arms possession and we want all arms in Leb to be controlled by one authority."
"When the majority shifted to the other camp, we were ready and are still prepared to deal with the government based on what is suitable to us and today the premier-designate is being subject to pressure by the sides that appointed him and the March 14 camp is committed to the democratic game," he continued.
"We thought that it was necessary to give Miqati a chance and he was receptive, but he officially announced that he will only commit to protecting the Resistance," That'd be the Hezbullies, natch... Harb revealed.
Protecting the resistance could be from Israel or from the Special Tribunal for Leb, he added.
"There can be no sound rule in Leb in light of illegitimate weapons and we are counting on the national dialogue to resolve this issue," the minister noted.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Throwing so much weight around about subjecting people to your rule of "Gods Law". So, this is like the Egypt on the freeway getting rammed by a red mustang on a bridge?
[An Nahar] Future Movement Secretary-General Ahmed Hariri said business tycoon Najib Miqati had "already" gave the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance guarantees that he would abolish the agreement with the Special Tribunal for Leb. "He already made commitments to the other team that nominated him for the premiership that he would torpedo the cooperation protocol between Leb and the tribunal," Hariri said in remarks published Wednesday by al-Sayyad magazine. "This pledge was the key to becoming a prime minister," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[Asharq al-Aswat] The Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday warned opposition leaders not to stage a rally after the anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution, as a top official said the planned event aimed to sow division.
Iran's judiciary chief said opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi were walking free only because their arrest after the disputed June 2009 presidential poll would have made them appear to be "saints."
Their plan to stage a rally next Monday was a ploy by Iran's "enemy," as happens each at around the time of the revolution's anniversary, which falls on February 11, said Guards commander Hossein Hamedani.
"The seditionists (opposition leaders) are nothing but a dead corpse and we will strongly confront any of their movements," Hamedani told the state news agency IRNA.
"We definitely consider them as anti-revolutionary and spies, and we will strongly confront them," he said of protesters against the election results.
The warning from Hamedani, whose division was in charge of Tehran's security during the unrest after the election, comes after Mousavi and Karroubi sought permission to hold a rally in support of Arab uprisings.
But critics have termed the rally a ploy to stage fresh protests against President Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad's government, of the kind unseen on Tehran streets since last year's Islamic revolution anniversary.
Apart from planning the rally, Mousavi and Karroubi, once seen as pillars of Iran's Islamic regime, also launched a scathing attack on the regime, saying the nation was being ruled by "hooligans".
In a joint statement posted on their respective websites on Tuesday, they said the Islamic republic has been "most hurt" by the "anti-religion and oppressive behaviour of the regime itself."
They called for "an end to the rule of hooligans and to instil meritocracy."
But the country's prosecutor general, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, said the aim of the two leaders in trying to organise such a rally was to divide the Iranian people.
"This is a political act. These people have separated their path from that of the people and they want to divide the people of Iran," Mohseni Ejeie said, quoted by ILNA news agency.
Mohseni Ejeie said if the two leaders want to support the Arab uprisings they should join a government-endorsed rally on Friday marking the anniversary of Iran's 1979 revolution.
"If anybody wants to side with the wishes of the peoples of Egypt and Tunisia, they should come along with the establishment and people on 22 Bahman (February 11) and take part in the rally," Mohseni Ejeie said.
Iranian officials have expressed support for Egyptian protesters, with the nation's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for the establishment of an Islamic regime in the Arab world's most populous nation.
Iran's judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, meanwhile, said the fate of the two opposition leaders was in the hands of Khamenei.
"In the case of sedition leaders ... taking a decision is not only up to me, but ... on the vali e-faqhi (supreme leader) and it is beyond the judiciary's decisions," he said.
"If we had confronted the heads of sedition, they would have become saints. The arrest of sedition leaders is not a special case but we follow the expediency of the system and we will take action at the right time."
Khamenei, who has the final say on all national issues, has regularly attacked Mousavi and Karroubi and even accused them of being supported by Iran's Western foes.
Most of the top aides of Mousavi and Karroubi have been nabbed in the aftermath of the election, with many sentenced to harsh jail terms. The two themselves have reportedly been intimidated by hardliners on several occasions.
The election unrest which erupted in 2009 sparked one of the worst crises in the Islamic republic's history, with dozens killed in festivities between protesters and security forces, hundreds maimed and thousands jugged.
Mousavi and Karroubi, who contested the poll against Ahmadinejad, maintain the hardliner was re-elected by massive fraud.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2011 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Maghrebia] The Tunisian Parliament on Monday (February 7th) passed a bill to grant the provisional government emergency powers, while hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the building to protest the vote. The bill is now slated for debate in the upper house on Tuesday.
Colonel Muammar Qadaffy
By Steve Emerson
[Geo News] Federal Interior Minister Wednesday rang Jamat e Islami (JI) General Secretary Liaquat Baloch and invited him to attend round-table conference convened by President 
[Asharq al-Aswat] Instead of fighting graft Iraq's ministers prefer to hide departmental corruption, contributing to a major source of
[Arab News] The 
[Ennahar] An aide to the Secretary of State on Wednesday welcomed the fact that the Syrians have again access to Internet websites Facebook and YouTube for the first time since 2007 without the need for programs to bypass censorship.
Mahmoud 
