[Al Ahram] Sudanese Islamist scholars have formed a National Movement for Change that hopes to lead a search for alternatives to the country's "failed" political system, a member said Thursday. ...The solution, naturally, being more Islam...
"We are calling on other people from different political or cultural (groups) or think tanks to join us to try to find a new way for Sudan," Khalid Tigani, one of about 10 members of the group, told AFP.
He said the movement is not a political party and that a convention will later decide what form it will take.
The Movement for Change is the latest sign of public frustration with the 24-year regime of President Omar al-Bashir, who seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.
Critics have become increasingly vocal since the government in September slashed fuel price subsidies, leading to the worst urban unrest of Bashir's rule.
Security forces are believed to have killed more than 200 demonstrators, many of whom were shot in the head or chest, Amnesty International said.
Authorities reported 60 to 70 deaths, saying they had to intervene when crowds turned violent, attacking petrol stations and police.
Hundreds of people were detained, but the government says most have been released.
Analysts said the spontaneous demonstrations pointed to an urgent need for reform by a government grappling with wars, internal dissent, economic crisis and international isolation.
Tigani said the current government is part of the broken system but "not the whole story."
"We are saying that the old Sudanese political system completely failed," he said.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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The war against al-Shabab militants in Somalia has “ground to a halt” and needs a surge of almost 4,400 more African Union troops and massive U.N. assistance to break the stalemate and avoid failure, a top U.N. official said Wednesday.
Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Security Council that the U.N.-endorsed African Union force and the Somali military lack “the capacity to push beyond areas already recovered” from al-Qaida-linked group in the last 18 months during a successful campaign to recapture several cities, including Mogadishu and Kismayo.
Eliasson presented the Security Council with recommendations from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the AU force be boosted by 2,550 combat troops and 1,845 ground-support troops for the next 18 to 24 months.
Ban also called for another 1,000 troops for a U.N. guard force to prevent attacks like the recent suicide bombing at the U.N. compound in Mogadishu, and for another 840 police officers. If the Security Council approves the additional troops, that would boost the force to about 24,000 personnel, up from its current level of just over 17,700 soldiers and police.
“It is hard to ask for additional resources in our present difficult financial environment,” Eliasson said. “But it is my duty to advise this council that, without increased support, our present — and indeed past — investment in peace, and that of millions of Somalis, may be lost.”
The AU mission in Somalia is meant to pave the way for an eventual U.N. peacekeeping force. It is led by Ugandan officers and has large Kenya and Burundi contingents.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The soldier who led a coup that ousted Mali's government and paved the way for a sweeping Islamist offensive has been summoned to appear in court over alleged violence involving men under his command, police and judicial sources said Thursday.
A judicial source said the intention was to question Amadou Sanogo about "the deaths in the last mutiny against him", adding that he would also be questioned "on all violence in recent times" of which his men have been accused.
"The police on Thursday received a summons from the Malian courts for General Amadou Sanogo. According to the procedure, the notice shall be addressed to the Malian Ministry of Defense, which, in turn, will inform General Sanogo of the summons," said a source at a cop shoppe in Bamako.
Sanogo was controversially promoted from captain to lieutenant-general in August, prompting fellow ex-junta members also seeking promotion to mutiny earlier this month at his former headquarters, a barracks near the capital Bamako, and forcing the army to intervene.
The bodies of three missing soldiers were subsequently discovered in and around the Kati barracks, relatives told Agence La Belle France Presse.
Around 20 officers, including Sanogo's former deputy, were locked away Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
Sanogo led a group of fellow mid-level officers to overthrow then-president Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22 last year, upending what had been considered one of west Africa's flagship democracies.
The mutiny precipitated the fall of northern Mali to Islamist gunnies linked to al-Qaeda but a military intervention by French and African troops in January chased the rebels from the region's main cities.
The coup also deepened a schism in the army between the Red Berets, loyal to Toure, and the Green Berets, who were broadly pro-junta, and Sanogo was implicated in the disappearances of Red Berets after a failed counter-coup on April 30 last year.
In the months that followed the March coup, the Kati barracks was the site of numerous atrocities allegedly committed by his men against military considered loyal to the ousted president.
Sanogo has since moved from Kati to the capital and Mali's new president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has vowed that Bamako is "no longer going to live in fear of Kati".
It was not immediately clear when Sanogo was due to appear in court.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] The legal spokesperson of deposed president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... has dubbed the trial of his client and other leading Moslem Brüderbund members as politically motivated cases facing a lack of evidence.
"There is no evidence in Morsi's 4 November trial. Besides the homeland security investigation report and the reports from criminal investigations, no other evidence is available," Mohammed El-Damaty told Al-Ahram's Arabic website on Thursday, adding that these reports were biased and not to be trusted.
The first session of Morsi's trial is to be held on 4 November in Cairo. The ousted president and Moslem Brüderbund members are standing trial for incitement to kill opponents during the December 2012 presidential palace festivities.
"Morsi's trial should be guided by certain conditions, according to the 2012 constitution. The constitution is clear that two-thirds of the People's Assembly must approval a presidential trial, which must be held in a special court under the president of the appeals court," El-Damaty added.
The spokesperson said that the legal defence team did not know whether or not the ousted president will attend the trial, asserting that Morsi does not recognise the court's authority.
"Mohammed Morsi refused a lawyer during the prosecution's investigation, as he still regards himself as the elected legitimate president of Egypt," El-Damaty added.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] There are no political prisoners in Egypt and all suspects are detained in accordance with the criminal law, Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat claimed on Thursday. Speaking at a forum in Vienna on cross-border organised crime, he also asserted that the rights of detainees in Egypt were respected.
Barakat's comments come amid US state department calls for the Egyptian government to stop what it described as politically motivated arrests and detentions.
"We have been continually calling for an end to the politically motivated arrests and detentions and we will continue to do this," the state department said via its Arabic-language Twitter account "USABilAraby" earlier on Thursday. It also said violence was hindering Egypt's political and economic progress.
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[Al Ahram] The South Cairo prosecution announced Thursday it would begin investigations into leading Moslem Brüderbund member Essam El-Erian on Saturday.
El-Erian, who was tossed in the clink Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! Wednesday, faces multiple charges of inciting the murder of protesters on separate occasions: at the Presidential Palace in December 2012, at the Brotherhood headquarters on 30 June and in the Manial neighbourhood against members of a popular committee on the same day.
The leading Brotherhood member was referred to the criminal court for his charges in both the Brotherhood headquarters and the Presidential Palace festivities.
Other defendants on the trial related to the Presidential Palace festivities, scheduled for 4 November in Cairo, include ousted president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... .
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[Al Ahram] Younes Makhioun, head of the ultra-conservative Salafist Nour Party, condemned on Thursday the decision by Egypt's constitutional committee to ban the formation of political parties on a religious basis, Al-Ahram's Arabic website reported.
Earlier on Thursday, the 50-member committee tasked with amending the 2012 Islamist-backed constitution announced on Twitter that article 54 of the charter would ban parties founded on a religious basis.
The decision mainly affects the Islamist parties that emerged after the January 2011 popular uprising that ousted long-time autocrat Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... . Those parties, including the Moslem Brüderbund's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist Nour Party, won sweeping victories in the country's 2011 legislative elections. Former president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... , ousted in July, himself hailed from the Moslem Brüderbund.
Describing the ban as "exclusionary," Makhioun said it was reminiscent of Mubarak's "fascist dictatorial regime" that prevailed before the 2011 uprising.
"Why do we ban the formation of parties on a religious basis, despite the fact that there are parties who have a socialist, secular or Nasserist background?" Makhioun asked. "Could an article in the constitution that bans parties on those grounds be allowed?"
Makhioun underlined the difficulty of differentiating between a religious and a non-religious party, suggesting that the ban was open to various judicial interpretations that could change with the judge's mood.
The article could also be used by the authorities against parties it wanted to dissolve, Makhioun argued.
Makhioun called for a return to the 2012 constitution's text on this matter, which banned parties built on religious, sexual, or racial discrimination.
While the 2012 constitution was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly, the current constitutional committee includes only one Islamist representative, hailing from the Nour Party.
Other Islamist parties, who do not acknowledge the legitimacy of Morsi's ouster, have refused to participate in the committee, calling instead for the former president's reinstatement.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund will begin fresh protests starting Friday in preparation for the first court session in the trial of the ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... on charges of inciting violence. The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL) renewed the call for protests in a statement Thursday in support for Morsi who is due in court 4 November, which the NASL called "President's Perseverance Day."
Supporters of Morsi have been staging near daily demonstrations calling for his reinstatement since he was deposed by the military amid mass protests 3 July. Demonstrations have often resulted in festivities with security forces and residents against the Brotherhood.
This week's protests mark another test for the Moslem Brüderbund -- whether they can keep a presence in the street as a means to pressure interim authorities. They also challenge an already fragile security situation as authorities strive to maintain order nationwide in the run up to Monday's court session.
If Morsi is present in court it would be his first public appearance since July. Since being deposed, Morsi has been kept at some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location, with no access to the media or his supporters.
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[Al Ahram] Egypt's Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi announced on Thursday that police forces will be permitted to guard universities from outside campus grounds, Al-Ahram's Arabic website reported.
The decision comes as universities across Egypt have witnessed mounting tensions since the beginning of the academic year in September.
El-Beblawi said police forces will be dispatched around campuses to assist the universities' private security services in their identity checks and car searches.
University heads are entitled to invite police forces to enter university premises, El-Beblawi added. Police forces will also be allowed to intervene after obtaining authorisation by the prosecution.
Since the start of the academic year, supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... have organised several protests across Egyptian universities. Their demonstrations have often escalated into festivities with students supportive of the military, who announced Morsi's ouster in July following mass protests against his rule.
At Cairo's Al-Azhar University on Wednesday, tens of students participated in a march through the campus, storming and ransacking the main administrative building. Following a request from the university, Egyptian police then entered the prestigious Islamic institution to confront the protesters.
It was the first time police had entered a university since a 2010 court ruling banned interior ministry personnel from operating on university grounds, a police general told AFP.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[WashingtonTimes] Two out of eight in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... sent to rescue, honored for valor
Masked from public view, two of the U.S. military's elite special operations commandos have been awarded medals for bravery for a mission that further undercuts the B.O. regime's original story about the Benghazi tragedy.
But sources directly familiar with the attack tell The Washington Times that a unit of eight special operators -- mostly Delta Force and Green Beret members -- were in Tripoli the night of the attack, on a counterterrorism mission that involved capturing weapons and wanted bully boyz from the streets and helping train Libyan forces.
When word of the Benghazi attack surfaced, two members of that military unit volunteered to be dispatched along with five private security contractors on a hastily arranged flight from Tripoli to rescue Americans in danger, the sources said, speaking only on the condition of anonymity because the special operations forces' existence inside Libya was secret.
The two special operations forces arrived in time to engage in the final, ferocious firefight between the bully boyz and Americans holed up in the CIA annex near the ill-fated diplomatic mission in Benghazi, the sources added.
The two special operators were awarded medals for valor for helping repel a complex attack that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stephens, another American diplomat and two former Navy SEALs, but spared many more potential casualties.
Pressed why the Pentagon and administration officials did not publicly acknowledge the special operations forces' contribution that tragic night, the sources said officials decided that their anti-terror work inside Libya was sensitive and closely guarded. In addition, U.S. officials did not have a Status of Forces Agreement in place that would have authorized the troops' presence, the sources said.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Huddled there was a mix of CIA officers and security personnel, such as former SEAL Tyrone Woods, and employees of BritainÂ’s Blue Mountain personal security team.
Ah yes, the lads from BMS surface once again. That might explain the whereabouts of survivors and those treated at Landstuhl, Germany. No need to highlight the bravery of the son's of ole Albion. Just send them home quietly.
Has anyone ever answered the question of WHY Stevens went to Benghazi in the first place? AND how did the AQ goons know he was coming and when?
Sounds like some kind of strange manipulation by AQ to get Stevens to Benghazi and into a prearranged trap...sort of a sting operation.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
11/01/2013 11:34 Comments ||
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#3
Has anyone ever answered the question of WHY Stevens went to Benghazi in the first place?
From what I can gather it was a scheduled visit. There is some question, however, whether the ambassador's overnight stay was pre-planned or not.
AND how did the AQ goons know he was coming and when?
Seriously? You have to ask that?
Let's run down the situation:
A planned visit by the US ambassador, which means the consulate staff was aware of the visit and the schedule,
Unarmed guards of questionable competence at the front gate,
A Libyan militia providing armed security,
A Benghazi police presence of dubious quality and loyalty.
A scheduled meeting with the Turkish ambassador,
The consulate being located in Benghazi, a known redoubt of Islamic militias, a record of attacking Western interests, and a city with a strong history of Egyptian influence.
#5
I wouldn't go with predictable. But something should have been expected, or security awareness placed at a higher alert, given the date and especially the locale.
"It's a measure of how far off the rails the NSA has gone that it's taking its Cold War–era eavesdropping tactics -- surreptitiously eavesdropping on foreign networks -- and applying them to US corporations. It's skirting US law by targeting the portion of these corporate networks outside the US. It's the same sort of legal argument the NSA used to justify collecting address books and buddy lists worldwide.
"Although the Washington Post article specifically talks about Google and Yahoo, you have to assume that all the other major -- and many of the minor -- cloud services are compromised this same way. That means Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Badoo, Dropbox, and on and on and on.
"It is well worth re-reading all the government denials about bulk collection and direct access after PRISM was exposed. It seems that it's impossible to get the truth out of the NSA. Its carefully worded denials always seem to hide what's really going on.
"In light of this, PRISM is really just insurance: a way for the NSA to get legal cover for information it already has. My guess is that the NSA collects the vast majority of its data surreptitiously, using programs such as these. Then, when it has to share the information with the FBI or other organizations, it gets it again through a more public program like PRISM.
"What this really shows is how robust the surveillance state is, and how hard it will be to craft laws reining in the NSA. All the bills being discussed so far only address portions of the problem: specific programs or specific legal justifications. But the NSA's surveillance infrastructure is much more robust than that. It has many ways into our data, and all sorts of tricks to get around the law."
[Dawn] Pakistain on Thursday urged India to resume the composite dialogue for resolution of all outstanding issues including the lingering Kashmire dispute.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry in his weekly briefing said, "Pakistain wants resolution of Kashmire dispute through dialogue."
"Pakistain believes that third- party mediation can also be productive in this regard," he added referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's plea to the US for playing its role as a mediator.
He said prime minister's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz will visit India on November 10 to attend the Asia-Europe summit in New Delhi.
The front man said Pakistain was focusing on establishing ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) and in this regard, certain steps have been taken including communication between the two Director General Military Operations through hotline and sectoral flag march.
He said Pakistain was committed in implementing decisions taken during the meeting of both prime ministers recently in New York.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The Islamabad police have declared former president Gen (retired) Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... 'innocent' in the murder of Lal Masjid holy man Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, but have left Musharraf's acquittal to the court.
Both Ghazi Rasheed and his mother died during the 2007 operation against the mosque.
The police have prepared an investigation report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, commonly known as a challan.
According to this challan, "the complainant in the said case, Haroon Rasheed, son of Ghazi Rasheed, was neither the eyewitness of the murder nor could he produce tangible evidence against Musharraf."
The Aabpara police submitted the report before additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Wajid Ali on Wednesday during the hearing of a post-arrest bail petition filed by Gen Musharraf.
The police have placed Mr Musharraf in Column 2 of the incomplete challan, and have thus put the former army chief at the mercy of the court.
However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... they maintained that there was no evidence or any eyewitness against the accused.
According to Inspector General (retired) Saleemullah Khan Advocate, the police place an accused in Column 2 if they believe the suspect is innocent but do not want to discharge him on their own.
He said: "The former army chief, being placed in Column 2, is not guilty according to the police. He can not only get a bail but is also entitled to file a petition for his acquittal in the murder case."
Similarly, when Ilyas Siddiqui, Gen Musharraf's counsel, was contacted, he said the Ghazi Rasheed murder case lacked substantial evidence.
"Now, it is up to the judge to decide Mr Musharraf's fate," he added.
The counsel maintained that an accused can apply for acquittal if he is placed in Column 2 and in most cases the court acquits such a person.
It may be mentioned here that during the blasphemy case in which a minor Christian girl was nominated as an accused, the police had initially placed her in Column 3. This column is reserved for a person who the police believe is guilty.
However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... her name was later moved to Column 2 after she was found innocent, and the court subsequently acquitted her in the blasphemy case.
Similarly, in July this year, the Airport police had declared Imtiaz Ahmed alias Taji Khokhar innocent in the murder of a woman and had moved his name from Column 3 to Column 2.
Taji was likely to get acquitted in the case but the anti-corruption establishment of Punjab incarcerated Please don't kill me! SHO Aslam Aziz Niazi for tampering with the record through which the accused had been cleared.
During the hearing of Mr Musharraf's bail plea on Wednesday, Ilyas Siddiqui adopted before the court that the Lal Masjid holy mans and students had been involved in abducting government officials and foreigners prior to the operation.
He said the district administration had requisitioned the army after it failed to resolve the issue through negotiations.
He claimed that his client, Mr Musharraf, had not issued any directive to launch the operation against the mosque.
On the other hand, Tariq Asad, the counsel of the complainant, Ghazi Rasheed, alleged that Gen Musharraf was the 'criminal mastermind' of the said operation.
He praised the role of Lal Masjid holy mans and claimed that they were rendering a great service to the society.
Tariq Asad maintained that the residents of Islamabad were getting speedy justice from the informal courts established by the holy mans who were passing orders in accordance with Islamic injunctions.
He alleged that Musharraf, being responsible for the Lal Masjid operation, was not entitled to the bail and requested the court to dismiss the bail plea.
ADSJ Wajid Ali reserved the judgment on the bail petition after the counsels of the complainant and petitioner concluded their arguments. The court would announce the verdict on Friday.
The challan ... list of charges ... filed against Gen Musharraf also narrated a brief history of the Lal Masjid operation.
It maintained that prior to the operation, Maulana Abdul Aziz (the Khateeb of Lal Masjid) and his brother Ghazi Rasheed were facing 31 cases in the cop shoppes of Aabpara, Kohsar, Margalla and Bhara Kahu.
It said that during the military operation 10 army men, including Lt-Col Haroonul Islam and an official of Rangers, were killed in addition to civilians.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The local chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... has been reorganised as part of preparations for the coming local government elections in the district.
"We have elected amirs of eight zones and 60 union councils in the district through secret ballets for two years term and the newly elected office-bearers would revitalise and mobilise the party at the grass root level to win the local bodies elections," said Younus Khattak, JI district amir, while speaking at a presser here on Wednesday.
Other party leaders, including Dr Tariq Sherazi, Bukhtiar Khan and Dr Mohammad Siddique were also in attendance.
Mr Khattak said his party was likely to forge alliance with Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... for the local bodies election in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... .
He said Mohammad Ismail was elected amir (zonal head) of Mansehra ...a city and an eponymous district in eastern Khyber-Pakthunwa, nestled snug up against Pak Kashmir, with Kohistan and Diamir to the north and Abbottabad to the south... city, Qari Mohammad Fiaz for Gari Habibullah zone, Mukhtiar Rehman for Khawari, Ihtsahamul Haq Qurashi for PK-53, Dr Ali Asghar Shah for PK-55, Syed Yousuf Shah for PK 56, Abdul Latif for Oghi Agror and Qari Ashraf for PK-57.
He said that the party elected Dr Tariq Sherazi and Dr Siddique as deputy general secretaries to strengthen the party in the district.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The Ministry of Defence claimed on Wednesday that US drone attacks over the past five years had resulted in 67 non-combatant deaths, while 2,160 bad boyz were potted by the much-criticised America's weapon of choice against terrorism.
Importantly, the defence ministry said in a written statement in Senate that the collateral damage caused by the drone strikes had reduced to nil since 2012.
It is the first time that the so far jealously guarded date has been officially released by the government. The statement by the defence ministry came in response to a question submitted by PML-N politician Senator Nisar Mohammad in February this year.
The release of the data follows intense criticism of the US drone war by human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... activists.
The Amnesia Amnesty International had in its report said the strikes amounted to war crimes because some of them killed people who posed no threat to the US national security interests.
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson in his annual report submitted to the General Assembly in September had raised the issue of civilian casualties caused by America's lethal extra-territorial counter-terrorism operation and had asked Washington to make public the information on collateral damage.
The critics of drone attacks had relied on the narrative that it killed thousands of civilians and consequently fomented extremism in the country.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... , who last week met President B.O., made the drone attacks a central point of his meeting agenda.
Secret CIA and diplomatic memos leaked to media after the criticism of drone programme suggested that the Pakistain government had been on board with regard to drone attacks at least over the four-year period from 2007-11.
The figures presented in Senate contradicted the numbers shared by the government with UN Rapporteur Emmerson, who had been told by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March this year that of the 2,200 people killed by drones the government could confirm that at least 400 were civilians, and another 200 were likely non-combatants.
The figure of hundreds of civilians having been killed by drones, Emmerson was then told, was an "underestimate".
The defence ministry's statement corroborates US stance that drones are the most effective way of targeting Death Eaters with minimal collateral damage.
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#1
The 67 were probably camp followers and terror enablers as well. Keep droning!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/01/2013 10:15 Comments ||
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[Dawn] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) chief Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... threatened Thursday to cut off NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... supplies moving through Pakistain if the US launches any drone strikes during the talks.
The party of the cricket legend-turned-politician has been an outspoken critic of the US drone policy. His party controls the provincial government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... (KP) province in northern Pakistain, one of two routes supplies move in and out of Afghanistan.
Speaking at a news conference in the eastern city of Lahore, Khan said his party had the capability to stop the NATO supplies and warned that his words must not be taken lightly.
The Pak Taliban has similar viewpoints and loyalties as the Afghan Taliban but a separate structure with separate leadership.
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11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Providing no other details about who was taking part or what would be discussed, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... Thursday said talks have started with the Pak Taliban.
He said peace talks must take place inside the framework of Pakistain's constitution. That could pose difficulties because the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pak (TTP) was demanding a much harsher version of Islamic law (Shariah Law) across the country than allowed in the constitution.
Sharif was elected in part by promising to negotiate with faceless myrmidons in the country's northwest who have killed thousands of civilians and security forces. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the faceless myrmidons have shown little appetite for talks.
Sharif's comments came during a meeting in London with British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and were released in a statement by the Pak High Commission there.
Many in Pakistain are frustrated that years of military operations in the tribal areas, where the faceless myrmidons have their safe havens, have failed to end the violence. They see negotiations as a necessary step.
Representatives of the country's major political parties backed Sharif's plan for negotiations in early September. His government has been under pressure to show progress ever since.
The Talibs have demanded that Pakistain stop supporting the US-led war in Afghanistan, and that the Mighty Pak Army withdraws troops from the tribal areas of northwest Pakistain that border with Afghanistan.
They've also demanded an end to American drone strikes in the tribal areas. Drones are a particular touchy subject for many Paks who view them as an infringement on their illusory sovereignty.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Dozens of Musselmens gathered Thursday outside a Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... church where an Islamist assault killed 44 worshipers and two priests three years ago, appealing for Christians to stay in Iraq.
Clergy led low-key prayers inside Our Lady of Salvation church in the capital's main commercial district of Karrada, on the anniversary of the October 31, 2010 attack.
There was a heavy security presence outside, and people were barred from entering unless they could produce documents showing they were Christian.
At the same time, journalists were not allowed to take photographs or film in the vicinity.
"It is a wound that will never heal, and a crime that I will never forget," said Rafid, a Christian man who was walking to the church.
"On this day, with all this pain, all I can think of is leaving the country, because the country is finished," said the 56-year-old carpenter, two of whose cousins were killed on that day.
The attack, the single bloodiest one against Christians since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, shocked Iraq and the international community and sparked a massive flight of Iraqi Christians from the country.
Another worshiper, a 37-year-old who gave his name as Abu Yaqub, or father of Yaqub, recalled the attack as a "terrifying day."
"Their only sin is that they were praying," the accountant said, referring to the victims.
"What had they done?" he continued. "How can we forget this day? We will never forget it. We will never forget it."
Outside the church, both Sunni and Shiite Iraqi Musselmens lit candles and held up banners appealing for their Christian countrymen to resist emigrating, and said they stood by the religious minority.
Abbas Hassan, a retired civil servant, said "the Christians are the people of Iraq, for thousands of years, and Christianity is one of the oldest religions in Iraq."
"We invite them not to leave Iraq, because all Iraqis share their pain."
Another retiree, 65-year-old Faruq Baban, said: "I ask them not to emigrate, to hold their ground, because they are the people of Iraq, the original citizens."
"It was an ugly crime that made me cry," he said of the attack, which was later claimed by an al-Qaeda front group. "I suffered because they are my brethren, my fellow countrymen."
Estimates of the number of Christians living in Iraq before 2003 vary from more than one million to around 1.5 million. But now they are estimated at fewer than 500,000.
One of the oldest Christian communities in the world is the Chaldean church, which has 700,000 followers worldwide and uses Aramaic, the language that Jesus Christ spoke.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant
#1
Where it's easier to kill you.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/01/2013 2:10 Comments ||
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Maybe in the dimmer recesses of their dim minds they have the sneaking feeling that Christians maybe have that little something extra that they don't have...and it might even be a good thing if they didn't have to think of ol' Mo (PBUH).
#4
Holding candles is the sort of thing the Piskies would do.
What these folks need to do is drop the dime on their friends and neighbors BEFORE--hope I was clear on that--something else happens.
BEFORE, guys.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
11/01/2013 13:02 Comments ||
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[Al Ahram] Iraq's prime minister says Death Eaters "got a second chance" to thrive in Iraq, largely as the result of the rise of al-Qaeda gunnies in neighboring Syria's civil war.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party.... said the world needs to help Iraq deal with its growing insurgency that U.S. officials estimate has killed 6,000 people so far this year.
Al-Maliki spoke at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He said he was in Washington to seek U.S. aid, including weapons, intelligence and other assistance.
He said the U.S. and the rest of the world should help Iraq because terrorism is an international concern.
Al-Maliki warned about the consequences of al-Qaeda rebels gaining political power in Syria should Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... step down.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Buy some weapons with that oil money you cheap punk.
[An Nahar] Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Thursday pleaded for a major global effort to combat the "virus" of al-Qaeda and terror networks, likening the fight to a third world war.
In Washington for a series of meetings hoping to drum up more support for Iraq, Maliki said that with U.S. help his country had defeated al-Qaeda.
But now with the vacuum created by the toppling of long-standing regimes during the Arab Spring, "the hard boyz found a second chance."
His visit to the U.S. comes as Iraq witnesses its worst violence since 2008, a surge in bloodshed that has killed more than 5,400 people this year despite several operations and tightened security measures.
"We want an international war against terrorism," Maliki said in a speech to the United States Institute of Peace, calling al-Qaeda and its ilk "a virus" which was trying to spread "a dirty wind" around the region.
"If we have had two world wars, we want a third world war against those who are killing people, killing populations, who are calling for bloodshed, for ignorance and do not want logic to govern our daily lives."
Maliki also called for the convening of an international conference on counterterrorism to be hosted in Iraq, and his front man Ali Mussawi told Agence La Belle France Presse the idea had been "welcomed" by U.S. officials.
"Maliki has received good responses, and everybody he has met has emphasized they will stand with Iraq, to help Iraq in fighting terrorism in Iraq and in the region," Mussawi said by phone from Washington.
Maliki also did not rule out running for a third term in elections due next year, but said it would be up to the Iraqi people.
His government has been criticized for not doing more to address grievances in the Sunni Arab community over alleged ill-treatment at the hands of the Shiite-led authorities.
But the Iraqi leader denied his country was plagued by sectarian unrest, pitting Sunni and Shiite Moslems as well as Kurds against each other, saying "all are targeted."
He blamed the terror groups for setting back Iraq's struggles to emerge from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and the bloodshed of the U.S. invasion to rebuild its institutions, schools and homes.
"Without terrorism we would have leaped forward in providing services for our people," Maliki insisted.
"All our efforts should aim at preventing the success of al-Qaeda and other terror organizations," he said, adding that while Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... was neutral in the conflict in Syria it was concerned bully boy groups might win control and gain a platform to wreak havoc across the region.
Maliki will meet U.S. President Barack Obama I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go... on Friday at the White House to press for military equipment and greater cooperation in fighting bully boys.
"We expect the results of the visit will be very good and will improve bilateral relations, and it will lead to solutions," Mussawi said.
The United States vowed Wednesday to help Iraq combat terror groups, but said Storied Baghdad needed a broader strategy which was not just based on strengthening its military arsenal.
The top U.S. commander in the Middle East, General Lloyd Austin, gave voice to increasing concern in Washington that al-Qaeda will manage to hunker down in a safe haven stretching from western Iraq into Syria.
"If left unchecked, we could find ourselves in a regional sectarian struggle that could last a decade," Austin told The Wall Street Journal in a rare interview.
"What we are very worried about is a continued downward spiral that takes you to a civil war," Austin said. "It could easily get worse."
The Iraqi leader also met Thursday with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who stressed "the important role that Iraq has in maintaining regional stability," Pentagon front man George Little said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Who funds these AlQ groups in Iraq and Syria?
Gulf nations of Saudi,UAE,Qatar and Kuwait come to mind.
Are we doing anything about this?
I get the impression the Sunni Gulf is alot more intolerant of other religions than Shiite nations.
[Al Ahram] Aly Baraka, a Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, official in Leb, warned that Israel is preparing to launch a new attack on the Gazoo Strip, emphasising the need for united Arab efforts to fight Israeli aggression and support Paleostinian resistance. After a meeting with former Lebanese prime minister Selim Al-Hems, Baraka warned of the consequences of the Gazoo blockade, which has cut off Paleostinian access to basic necessities, Egypt's state-run news agency ...and if you can't believe the state-run news agency who can you believe?... MENA reported on Thursday.
Baraka asserted that the current Paleostinian-Israeli negotiations will not grant Paleostinians their basic rights.
Baraka added that Israel is the only entity that stands to gain from extending its power over additional Paleostinian land, making the possibility of an independent Paleostinian state increasingly unlikely.
Baraka pointed out the dire state of Paleostinian refugee camps in Leb, where more than 50,000 internally displaced Syrian Paleostinians have emigrated.
Baraka urged the Lebanese government to reconstruct the Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp in order to accommodate the influx of new refugees, and to protect the Dabbaya camp currently under threat of demolition by the Lebanese interior ministry.
Baraka concluded that a Paleostinian presence in Leb can only help stabilise the country, and he expressed his continued support for Lebanese illusory sovereignty and security.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Arab Democratic Party official Rifaat Eid condemned the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau's summoning of his father, Ali, over his alleged links to the twin blasts that rocked the northern city of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... in August, reported As Safir newspaper on Thursday.
He told the daily: "The ISF Intelligence Bureau crossed red lines when it summoned my father and he will definitely not comply with the request."
He declared that the accusations against his father are not based on any facts and they are part of a Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... n agenda to settle scores with Syria.
Moreover, he voiced his fear that the summoning will negatively affect the situation in Tripoli, stressing that the Arab Democratic Party was exerting "strenuous efforts to calm the angry residents of Jabal Mohsen," which is a stronghold of the party in Tripoli.
As Safir said that former MP and head of the Arab Democratic Party Ali Eid was summoned over testimonies his driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali had made during the investigation over the Tripoli blasts.
The driver was jugged ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... by the ISF Intelligence Bureau on charges of smuggling to Syria Ahmed Merhi, one of the suspects in the bombings against al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli on August 23.
Meanwhile, ...back at the wreckage, Captain Poindexter awoke groggily, his hand still stuck in the Ming vase... al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday that Ali Eid had refused to comply with the summoning request.
Judicial sources told the daily that suspicions are surrounding Rifaat Eid over his links to the Tripoli attacks because he is the main official in the Arab Democratic Party.
They also voiced their fears that he may be smuggled to Syria "in order to hide the truth and any leads linked to the twin bombings."
MTV reported on Wednesday that Ali Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was incarcerated Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former politician.
"During the interrogation of Ahmed, it turned out that the Alawite leader had provided a hideout for Merhi in the Akkar border town of Heker al-Daheri before he was smuggled into Syria," MTV said.
Ali was eventually handed over to the ISF Intelligence Bureau for further interrogation.
Merhi is reportedly the driver of the second explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque.
On October 14, seven people involved in the August bombings were charged, including three in jug.
Forty-five people were killed and over 800 maimed in the twin bombings.
The Arab Democratic Party has denied any involvement in the attacks and stressed that the suspects are not members of the party while slamming media leaks attributed to the ISF Intelligence Bureau.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Islamic Alawite Council head Sheikh Assad Assi on Thursday stressed that the council will not tolerate the summoning of top Alawite leader Ali Eid for interrogation in the case of the deadly twin bombings that rocked Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... in August.
"The Alawite sect totally disavows the perpetrators of the two massacres that happened outside the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli and it is awaiting a legal and national investigation, not a politicized investigation linked to a foreign scheme," Assi said at a presser.
"Whoever is convicted, we will consider him to be a traitor and we are under the law and the fair investigation," he added.
The holy man stressed that "it is unjust to accuse the entire Alawite sect" of the bombings, noting that "this cannot be accepted by any Mohammedan."
"Tripoli is a city for all its residents and we fear for Tripoli from a possible strife," he added.
Assi urged President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... to "personally come to Tripoli to seek a real reconciliation among all the sons of the city."
He called on Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji "not to await a political cover" to restore stability and security in Tripoli.
"Let the army strike with an iron fist against anyone who goes against the national principles of Tripoli," Assi said.
"The summoning of Arab Democratic Party leader Ali Eid by the (Internal Security Forces) Intelligence Bureau is unacceptable, impermissible and it will not take place whatever that may cost," the council's leader underlined, noting that "we are all demanding the truth."
In remarks published Thursday in As Safir newspaper, Arab Democratic Party top official Rifaat Eid, Ali's son, warned that "the ISF Intelligence Bureau crossed red lines when it summoned my father and he will definitely not comply with the request."
He declared that the accusations against his father are not based on any facts and that they are part of a Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... n agenda to settle scores with Syria.
As Safir said that former MP and head of the Arab Democratic Party Ali Eid was summoned over testimonies his driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali had made during the investigation over the Tripoli blasts.
The driver was placed in durance vile Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! by the ISF Intelligence Bureau on charges of smuggling to Syria Ahmed Merhi, one of the main suspects in the bombings against al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli on August 23.
MTV reported Tuesday that Ali Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was locked away Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former politician.
Merhi is reportedly the driver of the second explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque.
On October 14, seven people involved in the August bombings were charged, including three in jug. The majority are from Jabal Mohsen.
Forty-five people were killed and over 800 maimed in the twin bombings.
The Arab Democratic Party has denied any involvement in the attacks and stressed that the suspects are not members of the party while slamming media leaks attributed to the ISF Intelligence Bureau.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... stressed on Thursday that no international power can force the disposition of Syria's chemical arms in Leb. In a word: "Huh?"
"Sources close to the Hague assured that there are unofficial reports saying Leb will take part in the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons," Berri said in a speech he gave during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Imam Sadr Foundation. Which brings up the question: "Are there Syrian chem weapons in Leb? And who's controlling them?"
We can probably guess the answers to both questions.
He assured, however: "No international power can convince or force us to dispose of Syrian chemical weapons in Leb."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2013 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.
Nawaz Sharif
Pervez 
a city and an eponymous district in eastern Khyber-Pakthunwa, nestled snug up against Pak Kashmir, with Kohistan and Diamir to the north and Abbottabad to the south...
[Dawn] Providing no other details about who was taking part or what would be discussed, Prime Minister 
Nouri al-Maliki
