Lahoucine Amouzay, like many Berbers, wants greater rights and respect for Morocco's Amazigh citizens. His activism puts him at odds with those who want an exclusively Arab and Islamic identity for Morocco.
"We live in the margins," Amouzay told Magharebia. "All we get are promises. If we don't fight, we'll always be seen as a backward people."
The Amazigh, commonly known as Berbers, were Morocco's first inhabitants and still account for about 60 percent of the country's nearly 32 million citizens. But Amazigh activists say they are treated like a minority by members of the dominant Arab culture.
Even in Agadir, where Berbers are comparatively affluent and powerful, every day is a struggle, according to Amouzay. Like much of Morocco, Agadir has a huge gap between the poor and the wealthy. Islamists usually blame this inequality on Western influences and capitalism, while Amazigh activists often blame the Arab community and Islamist sway.
Amouzay studies Amazigh culture at Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, one of only three schools in the country with such a programme. Even the lush university courtyard is starkly divided. Posters about Amazigh political prisoners and protests line one side, while fliers about Islamist prayer groups dot the other. Most Amazigh activists wear T-shirts and Western clothing, in contrast to the Islamists' more traditional dress.
"We fight all the time ... [t]hey tear our posters down", Amouzay said. "They say we should be good Muslims, speak Arabic, and join the Arab world. They say we invent our problems, create our heritage."
One focal point for that heritage is the Royal Institute of the Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) outside of Rabat. The institute was set up in October 2001 by royal decree, as part of a series of reforms intended to meet domestic Amazigh demands. Other changes followed, including adding Amazigh language classes in schools across Morocco and the official adoption of an Amazigh script.
According to IRCAM member Amina Ibnou-Cheikh, the reforms begun by King Mohammed VI, while well-intentioned, are weak in comparison with ongoing injustices. For instance, only Arabic names can be registered for Moroccan children. And although the majority of the people speak Amazigh languages, these tongues do not share Arabic's official standing.
At the government-run Institute of Studies and Research for Arabicisation (IERA) not far from IRCAM, an administrator who requested anonymity said Amazigh identity had become a "minefield" that most officials avoid discussing.
He claimed that the IERA aims only to Arabicise the government, not the people. After Morocco gained independence from the French in 1956, he said, the government was run using a muddled mix of French and Arabic. Therefore, the IERA aims to standardise the terminology of modern science and "civilisation" as used in the Arab world.
However, he was clear about the prospects for Amazigh languages gaining national status. "Arabic signifies who we are. It is the language of the Qur'an. I don't see that changing any time soon."
The rivalry between Arab-Islamic and Amazigh identities also has political currents. Since parties based on ethnicity or religion are banned in Morocco, the Amazigh Moroccan Democratic Party (PDAM) was outlawed in 2008. However, PDAM continues to function in a quasi-political manner.
"One of the best examples of the way things are going is the racist banning of PDAM," said party secretary-general Ahmed Adghirni. "They say we can't have 'Amazigh' in our title, because it's an ethnicity, but the government doesn't treat the names of the Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, the Park of the Arab League [in Casablanca] or countless institutions the same way."
"We are constantly being Arabicised in this country," he added. "You can even see it in the Family Code, which Moroccans are so proud of, because it supposedly gives women more equality, but still not as much as Amazigh tradition gave them."
The Party for Justice and Development (PJD), which many view as Islamist, sees things differently. A political front-runner, the PJD won the second-most seats in Parliament in the 2007 election. Its former leader, Saadeddine Othmani, is Amazigh.
Othmani said his party is still "undecided" about Amazigh languages gaining official status. "We are a Muslim country, and the greatest resource of our government is Islam," he told Magharebia. "To raise Amazigh languages to the status of the language of God [Arabic], that is a difficult idea."
Othmani pushed for Amazigh languages to be written in Arabic script, rather than an Amazigh script adopted in 2003. "For me, it makes sense. There is no difference between Arabs and the Amazigh. To use a different script would imply one."
He added that Berbers who feel battered by Islamists are falling for Western neo-colonialism. "Islam is a great political mobilisation tool in this country. Moroccans are more sensitive to democratic values that come from Islamic history than Montesquieu or Rousseau. Muslim identity and Arab identity unite us. Why is that a bad thing?"
But Ahmed Adghirni said that "religious parties", in which he includes the PJD, try to blindside them. "They talk about religion in order to make us feel un-Islamic if we have a strong Amazigh identity," he says. "What these parties are ignorant about is that religious rhetoric does not resonate much among ordinary Amazigh people."
Mohamed Bataoui, an Amazigh university student in Fez, finds the political situation of the Amazigh appalling, but told Magharebia that both sides often overstate their cases. Originally from Guelmim, he says he has experienced discrimination due to his background, but has developed the ability to educate his detractors.
An Amazigh "in culture and origin, but not in ideology," Bataoui says that the Amazigh political situation remains as it always has, "characterised by unfairness and lack of real desire for a political solution to the Amazigh plight." He says that Morocco is often rewriting its past, ignoring the country's history before Arabs arrived centuries ago.
But despite the rancour, he says, Moroccans must remain a united people, even when such issues divide them. "Arabs and Amazigh are equal and will always remain equal," he said. "Our Islamic religion insists on tolerance and mutual love."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] The United Arab Emirates on Friday denied the claims made in some Iranian media reports that Abdul Malik Rigi the leader of Junallah rebel group, was arrested in Iran after his entry to Dubai, the official WAM reported.
A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said dismissed the reports as "inaccurate and lacking credibility."
"The man, whose name appears in the visa shown by the media, had never entered the country. He made a two-hour stop-over in Dubai as he arrived from Kabul en route to Kyrgyzstan, without using the entry permit," Sultan al-Ali, Director of Media Affairs at the Ministry said, as quoted by WAM.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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WASHINGTON - The United States plans to provide Yemen with helicopters, transport equipment and training to expand its air and ground offensive against al Qaeda, a Pentagon document showed on Thursday. Got a good deal on used Hueys ...
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week authorized $150 million in security assistance for Yemen in fiscal 2010, but Pentagon officials offered few details about the highly sensitive program. The new funding will be used to repair and service 10 Mi-17 helicopters, provide four Huey IIs and train Yemeni crews to operate and maintain them, according to a Pentagon document prepared for Congress.
The funding will enable the Yemeni Air Force to transport small units to participate in day or night operations in high altitudes, according to the document, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
The $150 million package, up from $67 million last year, underscores U.S. concerns about the growing threat of Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The sum does not include covert U.S. assistance for Yemen, which has quietly increased in recent months.
Yemen had asked for more helicopters to enable it to shuttle its forces more quickly into battle.
In recent months, U.S. military and intelligence agencies have shared satellite and surveillance imagery, as well as intercepted communications, with Yemeni security forces to help them carry out air raids against al Qaeda targets, officials said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Dubai police said on Friday they have DNA proof of the identity of at least one of the killers of senior Hamas leader Mahmud al-Mabhouh in the emirate last month.
"We have DNA evidence ... from the crime scene. The DNA of the criminals is there," police chief Dhahi Khalfan told Al Arabiya.
He said police had "categorical DNA proof on one of the assassins" and fingerprint evidence from several other suspects, providing "100 percent" proof of their identities.
The murder of Mabhouh, whose body was found in a Dubai hotel room on Jan. 20, has mounted international pressure on Israel after Dubai said that Israeli agents, most using stolen Western identities, had carried out the hit.
Israel says no proof
But Israel has argued there is no evidence that its spy agency, the Mossad, was behind the hit.
Dubai police have published details of 26 suspects together with passport photographs.
The international police organization, Interpol, has circulated warrants for the arrest of 11 suspects, after Dubai released their names and passport details.
Dubai later said it had 15 other suspects, and Khalfan said warrants for their arrest would be circulated through Interpol next week.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
So all they need now are the DNA profiles of all Mossad agents and they'll close the case.
Wow - are they scientific or what?
OTOH, if that sample was placed there ... somehow ... by/on behalf of one of those guys extradited from Jordan, he's a gonner.
The Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) -- which believes in jihad and sharia law, and wants to turn Britain and Europe into an Islamic state -- has placed sympathisers in elected office and claims, correctly, to be able to achieve "mass mobilisation" of voters.
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister, said the IFE had become, in effect, a secret party within Labour and other political parties.
"They are acting almost as an entryist organisation, placing people within the political parties, recruiting members to those political parties, trying to get individuals selected and elected so they can exercise political influence and power, whether it's at local government level or national level," he said. "They are completely at odds with Labour's programme, with our support for secularism." Just now figuring that out, are you ...
Mr Fitzpatrick, the MP for Poplar and Canning Town, said the IFE had infiltrated and "corrupted" his party in east London in the same way that the far-Left Militant Tendency did in the 1980s. Leaked Labour lists show a 110 per cent rise in party membership in one constituency in two years.
In a six-month investigation by this newspaper and Channel 4's Dispatches, involving weeks of covert filming by the programme's reporters:
IFE activists boasted to the undercover reporters that they had already "consolidated ... a lot of influence and power" over Tower Hamlets, a London borough council with a £1 billion budget.
We have established that the group and its allies were awarded more than £10 million of taxpayers' money, much of it from government funds designed to "prevent violent extremism".
IFE leaders were recorded expressing opposition to democracy, support for sharia law or mocking black people. The IFE organised meetings with extremists, including Taliban allies, a man named by the US government as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and a man under investigation by the FBI for his links to the September 11 attacks.
Moderate Muslims in London told how the IFE and its allies were enforcing their hardline views on the rest of the local community, curbing behaviour they deemed "un-Islamic". The owner of a dating agency received a threatening email from an IFE activist, warning her to close it.
George Galloway, a London MP, admitted in recordings obtained by this newspaper that his surprise victory in the 2005 election owed more to the IFE "than it would be wise -- for them -- for me to say, adding that they played a "decisive role" in his triumph at the polls.
State media reported the death of a jailed, dissident hunger striker on Saturday, acknowledging four days after the fact a story that most Cubans had already heard through word of mouth. Granma: "Tuesday's News Today™"
Writing in the Communist Party daily Granma, a longtime government essayist accused opposition groups and "forces of the counterrevolution" of making a martyr out of Orlando Zapata Tamayo when he was actually a common criminal. "as we define it"
"Cuban mercenaries can be detained and tried according to applicable laws - in no country can you violate the law," Enrique Ubieta Gomez wrote. No progressive outrage over the death and that statement, either ...
Zapata Tamayo died Tuesday after refusing solid food for weeks. Imprisoned in 2003 for disrespecting authority, he was eventually sentenced to 25 years for activism behind bars and was considered a "prisoner of conscience" internationally.
Cuba tolerates no official opposition to its single-party communist system and dismisses dissidents and political activists as paid agents of Washington, out to topple the government.
Zapata Tamayo was originally held in his native eastern Cuba before being transferred to Havana and later hospitalized just before his death. The case sparked international outcry, and President Raul Castro took the unprecedented step of expressing public regret - but denied that Zapata Tamayo was mistreated. So, where are Preznit Oblahblah, Danny Glover, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, The Congressional Black Racist Caucus, Cindy Sheehan...? "Gotta break a few eggs"?
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/27/2010 17:04 ||
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North Korea is still demanding rice and fertilizer in return for an inter-Korean summit, even as it keeps sending increasingly urgent messages to Seoul to bring such a summit about. They do seem desperate ...
A demonstrable lack of social skills, that.
Since a secret meeting between South Korean Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee and Kim Yang-gon, the director of the North Korean Workers' Party's United Front Department, in Singapore in October, "North Korea has kept asking us for a huge amount of economic aid in return for arranging a meeting" between President Lee Myung-bak and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, a South Korean government source said on Thursday.
What's the big deal? Pay-to-play is all the rage in Chicago, I hear.
But the North seems to have no interest in giving in to South Korean demands to put denuclearization and the repatriation of prisoners of war and abduction victims on the summit agenda. "The North basically wants economic gain in return for letting us make political use of an inter-Korean summit for the upcoming local elections" on June 2, the source said. "It seems that the North still feels nostalgic for the Sunshine Policy," which netted it huge benefits over the past decade.
The first inter-Korean summit in 2000 was announced only three days before the general election and was bought through a secret payment of billions of won. The second summit in 2007 was announced two months before the presidential election. Since 2000, the North has received more than 300,000 tons of rice and the same amount of fertilizer almost every year worth more than W1 trillion (US$1=W1,163) a year.
In another secret meeting between South Korea's Unification Ministry and the North Korean Workers' Party's United Front Department in November, the North again insisted on specifying humanitarian aid in an agreement to be signed at an inter-Korean summit.
A "tree planting campaign for North Korea" initiated recently by the Presidential Committee on Social Cohesion also reportedly went awry because the North demanded a huge aid of food in return for letting South Korea plant trees there.
Kim Jong-il is apparently not aware that Seoul is serious about ending this cash-for-summits policy. He's aware, he's just had past success in beating them down ...
A South Korean government official with experience in inter-Korean talks said, "At secret meetings, each side often had its own way of interpreting agendas. Maybe North Korean delegates who are accustomed to the Sunshine Policy are trying to interpret the current government's messages the way they did with past governments."
It seems the North has attempted to earn economic aid worth W1 trillion by prevaricating over the issue of the POWs and abduction victims, offering to handle it like part of reunions of separated families, and discussing the nuclear issue only with the U.S.
Whether the attitude will change remains to be seen. The North is now in a worse economic situation than before in the wake of a recent disastrous currency reform on top of international sanctions and a severe food shortage.
Prof. Cho Young-ki of Korea University said, "The North is in dire need of support from the outside including South Korea to stabilize the regime for a smooth transition of power" to Kim's son Jong-un. "It is possible that the North will reluctantly accept our request depending on progress in the six-party nuclear talks."
The government believes that a dramatic turning point in inter-Korean relations could be reached if the North makes "big decisions" in the nuclear or POW issues, according to Kim Tae-hyo, the presidential secretary for foreign strategies.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Oh the suspense ...
China is looking into whether it may have been involved in aiding a North Korean arms shipment that was bound for central Africa. Sort of like how the Department of Justice investigates itself these days ...
The shipment was intercepted by South Africa and is in violation of United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang. South Africa this week sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council detailing its seizure of a shipment of North Korean tank parts bound for the Republic of Congo. News reports say the letter details the shipment's route, saying it was first loaded onto a ship in China and then transferred to a French-owned ship in Malaysia.
At a regular Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing Thursday, spokesman Qin Gang had little to say on the matter. Qin says China has noted the reports and is "looking into the issue." He said his country will take part in relevant discussions, but he gave no further details. "looking into the issue" is diplo-speak for "dang, we got caught" ...
The shipment was seized in November, after officials at the French shipping company told South African authorities they were suspicious of the cargo their ship was transporting to the Republic of Congo. The shipment violates a United Nations resolution that bans all North Korean arms exports and authorizes UN member states to inspect North Korean cargo on land, sea and air. The ban was imposed last June, in the wake of North Korea's underground nuclear test.
On a separate issue, the Chinese spokesman stressed that a recent agreement between China and North Korea to jointly develop two small border islands as "free-trade areas" does not violate any UN sanctions against North Korea. Qin says China believes the latest project is consistent with the UN sanctions. He says the sanctions should not affect what he describes as "normal exchanges and cooperation" between the two countries.
The project involves developing two small islands in the Yalu River, near the Chinese border city, Dandong, as free trade areas where foreigners can enter and exit without visas. Reports say the plans include the construction of hotels, a golf course, entertainment facilities and agricultural parks. The reports say the aim is to increase foreign investment in North Korea and strengthen the isolated country's international economic ties. All of which violates the sanctions ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
North Korean Post Card to China:
Hi, here with a few of my friends !
Investigation going well.
Nothing to report so far, but will continue to look into the issue.
Posted by: Snavimble Dark Lord of the Huns2650 ||
02/27/2010 13:04 Comments ||
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How about not resuming the talks and just waiting the Norks out ...
Washington's point man on North Korea Stephen Bosworth arrived in Seoul Thursday afternoon for a sit-down with South Korean chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lak. The two representatives exchanged details from a recent series of closely watched talks between China and North Korea based on information China passed to both officials during individual visits made earlier this week.
Wi told reporters the two also discussed ways to restart the six-party talks and the prospects of that actually happening. Bosworth responded by saying the U.S. is prepared to start the nuclear discussions "in the very near future."
Seoul's top nuclear negotiator added that much of what both countries were briefed on by China was similar, such as Beijing calling for further contact with the communist North to persuade it to return to the six-party talks.
Wi said however it is still too early to specify exactly how to get North Korea back to the table, citing its unchanged stance on preconditions, including the removal of UN sanctions and a U.S. agreement to replace the armistice with a permanent peace treaty.
With a series of meetings taking place among officials from the participating nations in the multilateral talks, speculation is high that the stalled discussions may resume soon. However, observers say that positive meetings will not necessarily lead to an immediate resumption as the North has yet to change or withdraw its demands. We can wait ...
Bosworth is expected to meet with Seoul's Unification Minister Hyun In-taek on Friday before heading to Tokyo where he is expected to discuss the current status and efforts to restart the disarmament talks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Why there are the "Six-Party Talks"
Posted by: Snavimble Dark Lord of the Huns2650 ||
02/27/2010 12:35 Comments ||
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[Dawn] UN Commission probing the assassination of Benazir Bhutto says it would submit its findings on 31st March to Pakistan's government, according to DawnNews.
The UN had appointed a three-member inquiry commission to determine the facts and circumstances under which Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007. The United Nations Inquiry Commission arrived to discuss security issues with Pakistani authorities earlier this month.
The UN investigation had hit a road block as the government denied access to the incumbent Army Chief and other top serving military generals for interrogation.
The commission wanted access to the Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, former ISI Chief Lt.Gen Nadeem Taj and former Military Intelligence Chief Lt.Gen Nadeem Ejaz Mian among other top officials of the intelligence agencies.
The UN probe commission's terms of reference said 'the government shall comply with the requests of the commission for assistance in collecting the required information and testimony, and shall provide it with the necessary facilities to enable it to discharge its mandate.'
In January, the government had turned down a request made by the UN panel to record statements of Gen Kayani, who was Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) at the time of Bhutto's assassination, head of Military Intelligence and other military officers.
The terms of reference of the UN Commission clearly say that the commission can interview anyone, including top military and political leaders.
The commission was to submit its report to UN Secretary General in six months, but its mandate was extended by three months. Now the commission is expected to submit its report on March 31st.
The UN spokesman said that the commission would submit its report to the UN secretary general and also share it with the government of Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Let Me guess it was Col. Mustard using the candlestick in the Ballroom!
NEW DELHI - Pakistan warned Thursday that India's huge military modernisation programme posed a serious threat to stability in a "nuclearised" South Asian region.
"New war doctrines, tremendous boost to the defence spending, induction of new sophisticated weapons systems, these are elements that are prejudicial to regional security and stability," Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said.
His comments followed talks in New Delhi with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao -- the first direct discussions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
India, which last month inducted its longest range nuclear-tipped missile into the army, has plans to spend up to 30 billion dollars on its military by 2012.
India is scheduled to unveil its 2010-2011 defence budget on Friday, which was jacked up by 24 percent to 1.42 trillion rupees (28.4 billion dollars) the previous year.
Bashir described as "irresponsible," Indian army chief Deepak Kapoor's comments in December that India must be prepared to fight simultaneous wars on "two fronts" -- a clear reference to Pakistan and China.
India has fought three wars with Pakistan since independence in 1947 and a brief but bitter war with China in 1962 over a border dispute which remains unresolved.
"We have drawn the attention of the international community to the importance of preserving the regional balance between Pakistan and India," Bashir said.
"This is a nuclearised region and it is important that Pakistan and India engage meaningfully on the whole range of issues under regional peace and security," he added.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#2
NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- India pumped in a hefty US$32 billion (RM112 billion) for defence spending under its new 2010-2011 budget.
India, Asia's third largest economy, allocated about 2.4 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for military modernisation, largely to counter the constant security threats within the country and along its borders.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/27/2010 6:30 Comments ||
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#3
Once we pull out of Afghanistan we must fully support India as they represent our ideals/values and not a bigoted nation like Pakistan who hate us more than we hate them!
"This was a decision handed down by the Justice and Accountability committee, headed by Ahmad Chalabi , and we mustn't forget that this decision was widely supported by the two main Shiite coalitions and by the Kurds," Mohandas said.
A delegation from the European Union spent an hour this week quizzing Chalabi at his compound about the efforts to sideline political opponents under the guise of de-Baathification. Once the tough talk was over, however, the Europeans couldn't resist asking for a souvenir photo with Iraq's best-known political phoenix.
As the camera flashed, one of the delegates joked, "I hope we're not on the de-Baathification list now."
"No, only General Petraeus," Chalabi replied.
Posted by: ed ||
02/27/2010 12:01 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] As Iraq's parliamentary elections, due to be held on March 7, draw closer, campaign fever rises pushing candidates to campaign in the most unusual ways.
In the cemeteries of Karbala and Najaf, a group of youngsters distributed posters to mourners as they stand by the graves of their loved ones crying while reading verses from the Quran.
The youngsters hand mourners candy, for the souls of the dead, along with campaign posters.
In Basra, one of the candidates wrote his cell phone number in a huge font on street walls, prompting his competitors to accuse him of trying to get women to call him.
In Karbala, another candidate rented several motorcycles and small cars to roam the streets with posters bearing his name and picture.
Many candidates illegally placed their posters in sites reserved for billboards in main roads in Baghdad. Meanwhile hundreds of other posters were stacked on the sidewalk waiting to be placed in other areas.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] One of Iraq's most senior Shiite clerics sharply criticized several ministers close to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki late on Thursday, less than 10 days before a general election.
Bashir al-Najafi, one of four members of the Marjaia, Iraq's most senior Shiite council, singled out Education Minister Khudair al-Khuzai but also accused several other ministries of corruption and negligence.
"There are people in the executive authority who have betrayed the country, who have stolen public money or create sectarianism in the country like Education Minister Khudair al-Khuzai," the cleric said, according to comments read by an aide to a conference at Kufa University.
Kufa is the twin city of Najaf, 150 kilometers (95 miles) south of Baghdad and one of Shiite Islam's holiest cities.
"He (Khuzai) is insisting on imposing one sect's control on another sect in the country, and he does not listen to advice given to him with love by religious authorities in Najaf," Najafi, who is of Pakistani origin, added.
According to one of Najafi's aides, the cleric was referring to the publication of an official textbook, "Islamic Education", distributed by the education ministry in 2008.
The book, intended for primary school pupils, includes a chapter titled "Ablutions and Prayers" that details the differences in prayer between Sunnis and Shiites.
Najafi also slammed "corruption and negligence in most fields providing services to the population like water, electricity, agriculture, oil and ration cards."
Khuzai, acting Commerce Minister Safaldin al-Safi, who is responsible for the ration card system, and Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani are all standing for election as part of Maliki's State of Law bloc.
Electricity Minister Karim Wahid and Agriculture Minister Ali al-Bahadli are also seen as close to the premier.
Water Minister Latif Rashid is a Kurd.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Would you be prepared to cross-dress? And kill a guest in an adjacent hotel room? If the answer to these questions is a resounding "yes", and you can also act, enjoy luxury international travel with a twist and can carry off a convincing Irish or Australian accent, then the job could be yours.
The Israeli spy agency Mossad may be the target of international reproach since it allegedly killed the Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel this month, but at home emerging details of the operation have generated Mossad mania.
It has never been more popular in Israel, with stores selling out of Mossad memorabilia and its official website reporting a soaring number of visitors interested in applying to become agents. Opticians have reported a rise in sales of the horn-rimmed glasses in the style worn by 14 of the 26 suspects, T-shirts with Mossad logos are selling out at stores and the agency has experienced a flood of applicants. "Mossad has been restored to its glory days," said Ilan Mizrahi, a former deputy director of the agency, which is located in the affluent beach town of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.
Although no new jobs have been posted for half a year, a new statement on the Mossad website reads: "You have an opportunity to create a new reality where you can play the leading role. If you possess intelligence and sophistication, you can make a difference and fulfil a national mission. If you can engage, charm and influence people -- you may have the qualities we are looking for."
The Mossad website says that candidates must hold an academic degree and good command of at least two languages. Preference is given to people with experience abroad and an ability to begin work immediately.
If the reports by Dubai police are correct, the assassination and surveillance team of nearly 30 agents so far exposed would represent a sizeable number of Mossad agents who would no longer be able to engage in covert espionage. They can always do administrative and training work at Mossad HQ ...
An inquiry by Haaretz newspaper announced this week that the photographs were doctored so that the agents could not be identified. Details such as eye colour or contours of the nose and lips were altered slightly to make it difficult for facial recognition software to identify the individuals, Haaretz said. Separately, Israel approves 600 new houses for Jews in East (Old) Jerusalem Thank you, President Obama.
#1
If the reports by Dubai police are correct, the assassination and surveillance team of nearly 30 agents so far exposed would represent a sizeable number of Mossad agents who would no longer be able to engage in covert espionage.....
....in the ME, at least for a while. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2010.
#2
no covert op would have more than a half-dozen people involved - that's why they're covert. The stories of 20-40 with DNA and fingerprints are fantastical. Ima thinkrn the Onion has branched out
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/27/2010 11:26 Comments ||
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#3
photographs were doctored so that the agents could not be identified. Details such as eye colour or contours of the nose and lips were altered slightly to make it difficult for facial recognition software to identify the individuals, Haaretz said
That makes sense since they obviously knew all the cameras would identify them. Movie quality latex masks?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls on regional nations to remain vigilant against oppressive powers, saying that the Israeli regime will collapse if it repeats its previous mistakes.
"The recent threats by the Zionist regime [Israel] show the weakness of its officials. As time goes by, the resistance powers and free and independent nations near victory while the oppressive system is declining," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
The Iranian president stressed the importance of strengthening national unity in Palestine.
Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East, the role of resistance forces in the region and the Israeli threat against both Lebanon and Syria.
Nasrallah said resistance forces are closely monitoring regional developments and are ready to counter all threats by the Zionist regime.
He added that resistance movements would give a crushing response to any possible Israeli attack.
Nasrallah has recently warned that the movement will strike Israeli infrastructure including the Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv in the event of any Israeli attack on Lebanon.
"If you hit Rafiq al-Hariri international airport in Beirut, we will hit Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv," he said. "If you hit our ports, we will bomb your ports, and if you hit our oil refineries, we will bomb your oil refineries."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
In other news, Ahmad had to skip this weekends Dubai bachelor party for his old BFF Rev Guard roommate Achmed because, you know, his wife gets really POed when he "hangovers" with those guys, and he's got an 7am conference call Monday with the Assatollah... Yeah, sorry guys, can't go to Dubai anymore...
Tehran says it is ready to hand over the construction of five nuclear power plants to Toyoko, if Japan is truly determined to shoulder the undertaking.
"Japan's participation and involvement in the construction of Iran's power plants will serve the interests of Japanese state and private companies. Iran's suggests that Japan start its job from a particular point, by building a nuclear power plant inside the country," visiting Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Majlis, Allaeddin Boroujerdi, remarked in Tokyo on Thursday.
The announcement comes after an earlier report by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Daily reported that during a visit by Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in December, Tokyo made an offer to construct five nuclear power plants for Tehran.
"The nuclear power plants are actually set to be built for energy production and have no other usage. They have nothing to do with the faults the United States and the Western states are trying to find with Iran," Boroujerdi added.
"The Iranian nuclear power plants have nothing to do with the differences of opinions between Iran and the United States. Russia has no problems in completing Bushehr power plant; the plant will be operational in the near future," Boroujerdi added.
"Iranian lawmakers believe that it's not logical that Japan pursue its interests through its relations with the United States; rather, it should decide itself," the Iranian official opined.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani announced on Thursday that Tehran will study Tokyo's offer to enrich uranium for Tehran.
"It has the substance to be worth discussing. We want to deepen the discussion on it," Nikkei Business Daily quoted Larijani as saying.
In early February Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered construction of 10 more nuclear facilities in the country. At this point, nearly 20 potential sites for the construction of 10 new enrichment facilities have been identified, the Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, disclosed.
The senior Iranian official reiterated that Japan is viewed favorably by Iranian parliamentarians and the nation. Currently Japan cooperates with Iran on several major projects; the annual trade volume of the two states exceeds $11 billion.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Alternate Headline
"Iran to Screw Japan, Expect no Payment for building Iran Free Nuke Plants"
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/27/2010 12:05 Comments ||
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The Pentagon has denied offering political and financial support to the Jundallah terrorist group as part of efforts to weaken the Tehran government.
After five months of tireless efforts, Iranian security officials managed to track down Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of the Pakistan-based Jundallah terrorist organization, while he was onboard a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.
Iran's Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said Rigi was at a US base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his arrest and was carrying a forged Afghan passport issued by the US at the time of his capture.
In a televised statement broadcasted on Press TV on Thursday, Rigi confirmed that the US administration had promised to provide him with unlimited military aid and funding for his terrorist activities against the Iranian government.
"They said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns. They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran," said the 31-year-old terror leader.
"They [were] prepared to give [us] training and/or any assistance that [we] would require, in terms of telecommunications security and procedures as well as other support, the Americans said they would be willing to provide it at an extensive level," he added.
Despite Rigi's detailed confession and a photo taken by Iranian security officials, which clearly showed the terrorist leader entering a US base in Afghanistan a day before his arrest, the Pentagon has chosen to reject the claims.
"Iranian claims that Abdolmalek Rigi was at a US military installation prior to being apprehended are absolutely false," said Pentagon press secretary, Geoff Morrell.
He added that these accusations are nothing but "fabrications" and "propaganda" emanating from Iranian officials.
This is while an ABC News piece reported in 2007 that the Jundullah terrorist cell 'has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials' to destabilize the government in Iran.
In another report in July, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed that US Congressional leaders secretly agreed to George W. Bush's $400-million funding request last year for a major escalation of covert operations against Iran.
But the latest of the revelations came from Robert Baer, a former Middle East CIA field officer, who disclosed in October 2009 that Washington had formed relations with the Jundallah group, despite having full knowledge of its terrorist nature.
"American intelligence has also had contact with Jundallah. But that contact, as Iran almost certainly knows, was confined to intelligence-gathering on the country," Baer wrote on the Time.com.
Baer said the close relations between the US and the terror group were to such extent that Jundallah had once been considered "as a piece in a covert-action campaign against Iran."
Jundallah terrorists, which are said to be closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization, have claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings, assassination attempts, and terrorist attacks in Iran, one of which killed at least 40 people in the southeastern city of Pishin in October.
The Asia Times reported in May that al-Qaeda militants had sought to establish an alliance with the exiled Jundallah to fulfill longstanding plans of creating a strategic corridor in the region and pave the way for joint regional operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/27/2010 00:00 ||
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WASHINGTON -- When Iran was caught last September building a secret, underground nuclear enrichment plant at a military base near the city of Qum, the country's leaders insisted they had no other choice. With its nuclear facilities under constant threat of attack, they said, only a fool would leave them out in the open.
So imagine the surprise of international inspectors almost two weeks ago when they watched as Iran moved nearly its entire stockpile of low-enriched nuclear fuel to an above-ground plant. It was as if, one official noted, a bull's-eye had been painted on it.
Posted by: Snavimble Dark Lord of the Huns2650 ||
02/27/2010 12:53 Comments ||
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#2
Iran knows the US won't take advantage of this opportunity and they know that the US will never "green light" an attack from Israel.
Long story, short: They know who they're dealing with.
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.
Dubai police said on Friday they have DNA proof of the identity of at least one of the killers of senior Hamas leader Mahmud al-Mabhouh in the emirate last month.
Al Arabiya Latest] As Iraq's parliamentary elections, due to be held on March 7, draw closer, campaign fever rises pushing candidates to campaign in the most unusual ways. 
