[Tripoli Post] Libyan leader Muammar Al Qadaffy's ...whose instability has been an inspiration to dictators everywhere... second son, Seif al-Islam is being accused by a former minister in the Al Qadaffy regime of mismanagement of Libyan funds and that in the last few years, billions of dollars accrued from oil production have been embezzled. Seif was the one in charge of transferring money and channelling funds abroad.
In an interview on Euronews Dr. Fathi Ben Shatwan, who for years formed part of the Al Qadaffy regime as secretary (minister) for industry, and then, for two years, until 2006 also served as Libya's energy minister, said that Libya has known corruption these past 10 years "when Seif Al Islam was in charge of all economic affairs."
Ben Shatwan was answering a question about money matters, something, the interviewer said, is of especial interest for the Libyans. He was asked: "We know that Libya is an oil exporting country, it's a rich country. We also know that you were the energy minister. Where is Al Qadaffy's money?"
In his reply, the former minister said: "The Libyan economy was in his (Seif's) hands. Those who worked on the Popular General Committee took their orders directly from him." adding: "through my responsibilities there, my experience is that it is Seif Al-Islam who was in charge of transferring money and channelling funds abroad. That's what I know."
Asked if he could give a figure of how much money was embezzled, Ben Shatwan said: "Frankly, people talk about it, they don't give precise figures, but looking at oil production these last few years we reckon the sum of money embezzled varies between 200 and 250 billion dollars."
He added that the money has been transferred, ostensibly, as investments or in other forms, out of Libya.
For years, Dr. Ben Shatwan was one of very close to Muammar Al Qadaffy and one of the regime's leading front man. He had not been involved in government since 2006 but lived quietly in his hometown of Misrata. He decamped the country in spectacular manner, on a small boat to Malta and from there to La Belle France.
Ben Shatwan explained that when the revolution began on he went to his home town, Misrata, with my family. He said that Misrata joined the revolt and freed itself.
"But," he went on to say, "after 45 days there I and several others thought it would be better if I returned to Malta and served the revolution from the exterior. So you see, I didn't flee, but some in the media claimed this and I didn't want to contradict them..."
He, as well as Mustafa Abdul Jalil the justice minister, and interior minister Abdul Fatah Younis became dissidents after the revolution. Why not before? He was asked. Why wait until the beast has rolled over before reaching for your knives?"
"In reality the Libyan regime was so tightly-controlled and security was so solid that no-one could do anything, even the opposition which tried for 30 or 40 years to change things in vain. So we were left with a choice, leave Libya and become refugees or try to work for our country within the regime," Ben Shatwan said.
At the beginning of the current revolution the people erupted into the streets calling freedom, and surprised the political class by taking the initiative from those who could have changed things.
Asked if he could explain why the opposition ran to NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... when the revolution was up and running and the people had decided to free themselves, he said: "In fact the revolution began peacefully, as you know. But the regime quickly embarked on an unprecedentedly violent route, which surprised the whole world.
"This is why NATO and three nations, Britannia, La Belle France and the United States intervened to save the Libyan people. Remember when the bombardment of Benghazi began. If that had continued 250,000 or 500,000 people would have died," Ben Shatwan said.
Turning to the Libyan leader, the former minister believed "the vice around him is tightening and he's now encircled in a 50 kilometre circle around Tripoli."
Ben Shatwan sees two options open or Al Qadaffy: "Either he continues to fight with resulting high casualties in people and property, or he agrees to leave Libya and Tripoli will be saved."
Speaking about his vision for the Libya of tomorrow, Ben Shatwan feels there's need for a road map. "The Council needs a plan for the different stages of the revolution, from the liberation stage on the ground to the transition and beyond to the period of construction," he said.
When it comes to NATO, he said that the military alliance entered Libya with a UN mandate and resolution backing it. He added that it has helped the Libyan people a lot, and without its help the number of deaders would have been very high.
He said: "I think in Libya's road map to the future we must turn towards the Arab and NATO nations which have helped the Libyan people and saved hundreds of thousands of Libyan lives."
The way he talked about the future of Libya could have given some the impression that Dr Shatwan was expecting to have some sort of job in the future government. Not so. "I have decided to retire from politics and write, learn, and help others."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"...we reckon the sum of money embezzled varies between 200 and 250 billion dollars."
Not a bad bit of boodle. Swiss bankers everywhere are smiling...
#2
Wasn't it estimated that Yasser Arafat -- formerly of the PLO, now domiciled in Hell -- left his dear Suha over a billion dollars in ill-gotten gains? Surely the Qadaffy crew, with access to actual oil income, could do better...on the other hand, they had expenses dear Yasser did not: all those fembots, Seif al Islam's education, his sister's designer wardrobe, cool weapons for the army, the expenses of running an actual country, no matter how poorly done. .
#4
What's the point of being dictator of an oil rich country if you can't lay aside a little for your own self? It's not like he was chairman of the US Federal Reserve.
[Bangla Daily Star] HuJI Founded in 1984 by Fazlur Rehman Khalil and Qari Saifullah Aktar. The Bangla branch was established in 1992 with assistance from Osama bin Laden. Recruits come mostly from Deobandi madrassahs. HuJI and Fazlur Rehman Khalil are signators of bin Laden's declaration of war on the west. leaders met Tarique Rahman a few days before the August 21 grenade attack in 2004 and got the go-ahead to stage the blasts.
Lutfozzaman Babar, then state minister for home, Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to then prime minister Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... , Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, then NSI director general Brig Gen Abdur Rahim and DGFI director Brig Gen Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury were present at that meeting, held at Hawa Bhaban in the capital's Banani.
The attack was the outcome of collaboration between HuJI, influential leaders of BNP and Jamaat, and some officials of the home ministry, police, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
This is what Sherlocks have found in further probe and described in the supplementary charge sheet in the August 21 murder case. The Daily Star has lately obtained a copy of the charge sheet submitted in July.
The August 21 blasts at an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue killed 24 leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman, wife of now President Zillur Rahman, and injured 300 others including Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister.
According to the charges, leaders of banned Death Eater group Harkatul Jihad al Islami (HuJI) had two meetings with Tarique, elder son of Khaleda and the then senior joint secretary general of BNP.
Both were held at Hawa Bhaban, widely considered the alternative centre of power during the last BNP-Jamaat coalition rule.
At the first meeting, in early 2004, HuJI leaders sought support in executing their plans to assassinate Sheikh Hasina and other top AL leaders. BNP politician Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad had helped arrange the meeting.
Tarique assured the HuJI men of all-out support.
At the second meeting, which took place in mid-August, he reiterated his assurance to HuJI boss Mufti Hannan and his associates.
For the second meeting, HuJI leaders Mufti Hannan, Moulana Abu Taher, Moulana Sheikh Farid and Moulana Tajuddin went to Hawa Bhaban on a microbus of Al Markazul Islam, a non-government organization.
Moulana Abdur Rashid of Al Markazul was with them, but he was left waiting on the ground floor when they went upstairs to meet Tarique.
On August 18, three days before the attack, the HuJI leaders met Babar at the residence of former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu.
Owner of Hanif transport Mohammad Hanif and BNP ward commissioner Ariful Islam Arif were present at the meeting.
Babar and Pintu assured the Death Eater leaders that Hanif and Arif would help them in every way and that "they would receive all administrative assistance."
The Arges grenades used in the attack were smuggled in from Pakistain. Tajuddin, Salam Pintu's brother, had supplied the grenades, which were taken to Mufti Hannan's Badda office from Pintu's Dhanmondi residence on August 20.
The first charge sheet in the August 21 case was placed in 2008 against 22 people including Salam Pintu and 21 HuJI leaders and workers.
The supplementary charge sheet was submitted on July 3, accusing 30 more people including Tarique, Babar, Harris and Mojaheed.
It says some police officials deliberately did not take necessary security measures so that the perpetrators had no difficulty staging the blasts and fleeing the scene.
The then Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Ashraful Huda, who later went on to become the Inspector General of Police, went abroad on the day of the attack without ordering adequate security arrangements for the AL rally.
On his return, he did not take any punitive steps against the law enforcers who were negligent in their duties on the rally venue.
The then IGP Shahudul Haque purposely did not update himself with the security measures taken on the rally venue.
He did not even visit the scene after the attack, though it was only around 500 yards from his office. He also did not issue any directives to identify or arrest the perpetrators.
Tajuddin, supplier of the grenades, left the country for Pakistain on instructions from Babar. Khaleda Zia was aware of this, continues the charge sheet.
Tajuddin was given a fake passport with the name "Badal".
Saiful Islam Duke, Khaleda's nephew and also private secretary, Duke's brother-in-law and DGFI official Lt Col Saiful Islam Joarder, and another top DGFI official Major Gen (rtd) ATM Amin had helped him flee the country on October 10, 2006.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) have agreed to adopt zero-tolerance policy so as to take indiscriminate action against criminal elements for establishment of peace in Bloody Karachi.
This was observed in a meeting held at Sindh Governor House here Sunday, said a statement issued by the Governor House.
Separately, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ... has said that Army can be deployed in Bloody Karachi on request of Sindh Government.
However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... Gilani emphasised that army action is not the solution to the problem.
The meeting between PPP and MQM also discussed problems of the business community and decided to take effective measures for providing protection to the community.
The statement said that a delegation of the MQM comprising Raza Haroon, Baber Ghauri, Adil Siddiqi and Dr. Sagheer Ahmed met with Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the Governor House.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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from Haaretz (similar articles at other sites)
One diplomat, who asked not to be identified, said intelligence reports showed that Iran had reduced funding for Hamas.
Other diplomatic sources, also relying on intelligence assessments, said the payments had stopped over the past two months.
The diplomats cited Iran's displeasure over Hamas' refusal to hold rallies in support of Tehran's ally, Assad, in Palestinian refugee camps in Syria after an uprising against his rule or the fact that Iran's own finances have become dicy.
Hamas' leadership outside the Gaza Strip is headquartered in Damascus.
Hamas is also widely believed to receive money from the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most popular and organized Islamist political force. Diplomats said those payments also may have been reduced because the Brotherhood has diverted funds to support the so-called Arab Spring revolts or they may be ticked that Hamas hasn't supported the anti Assad side.
In a sign of a cash crunch, the Hamas government in Gaza has failed to pay the July salaries of its 40,000 employees in the civil service and security forces. Hamas leaders promised full payments in August, but not all employees received their wages as scheduled on Sunday.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Obama will pick up the difference
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/22/2011 0:23 Comments ||
Top||
#2
the payments had stopped over the past two months.
Hmmm, checks stopped due to political differences or because Iran's economy is in the dumpster and they simply don't have the cash? Watch for gas centrifuges on eBay. Used but in good condition.
#5
What's the matter? If you're bought, you're suppose to stay bought! We have congresscritters with more integrity who do know how to stay bought and obedient. /sarc off
[Dawn] The Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... on Sunday condemned the Israeli raids on Paleostinians in the Gazoo Strip and called on the international community to put pressure on the Jewish state to halt the strikes.
The pan-Arab organization "calls on the international community to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to put an immediate end to this assault," a statement from the League said.
It said it "calls on the (UN) Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take quick steps to halt this brutal assault."
The statement was issued after an emergency meeting of the Cairo-based pan-Arab body on the situation in Gazoo where 15 Paleostinians have been killed and 50 injured in air strikes by Israel in retaliation to series of attacks Thursday in southern Israel which killed eight people.
The Arab League also condemned "Israeli aggression against the Egyptian forces", referring to the deaths of Egyptian coppers killed Thursday as Israeli troops chased beturbanned goons along the border.
The Arab League has confirmed its support to the Paleostinians who aim to seek membership of the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... next month.
The Paleostinians have said they will formally submit their request for UN membership to Secretary General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... on September 20 when world leaders begin gathering in New York for the 66th session of the General Assembly.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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HAHAhahahaha...
They actually think anyone cares about their "opinion"...
Jordan on Sunday urged an "immediate" halt to Israel's "military escalation" in the Gazoo Strip, warning that it threatens regional stability.
"Jordan rejects and condemns Israel's military escalation and operations in Gazoo that have killed civilians as well as Egyptian officers," information minister Abdullah Abu Rumman said in a statement carried by the state-run Petra news agency.
Jordan, which signed with Israel a 1994 peace treaty, "rejects any acts that target civilians," said Abu Rumman, who also acts as government front man.
"The kingdom calls for an immediate halt to this dangerous military escalation in order to avoid repercussions that could threaten the security and stability of the region," he said.
Tensions in and around the Gazoo Strip have soared since Thursday when Islamic fascististaged a series of deadly shooting attacks in the Negev desert, killing eight Israelis and prompting a wave of bloody tit-for-tat exchanges.
It also sparked a diplomatic crisis with Egypt after Cairo said five coppers were killed by Israeli fire as soldiers hunted down the remaining gunnies involved in the Negev ambushes.
Since Thursday, 15 Paleostinians have been killed and 47 injured in Israeli strikes on Gazoo, while one Israeli has been killed and dozens injured in a barrage of more than 100 rockets and mortars fired on cities and towns in the south.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
One of the biggest mistakes in Israeli history---not giving Paleos a hand in 1970.
[An Nahar] Syrian President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... may seek to create unrest in Leb after the West called on the president to step down, western diplomatic sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper in remarks published on Sunday.
They explained that Assad has now lost his "most important strategic card", which is the regional, Arab, and international support.
This will therefore force him to launch a confrontation with the international community, they continued.
Syria is now facing several crises, starting with the "legitimacy of the regime given the protests against it", they added.
"Assad will therefore attempt to avoid the crises through creating unrest in Leb, which remains Syria's only open ground to confront the international community," said the sources.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
EL PRESIDENTE' BASHAR/BASHIR ASSAD [Net = "Baby Assad"] is warning that there will be "serious repercussions" for any Country or Countries that choose to interfere in Syria's affairs - HE IS ESSENS SAYING THAT HE IS NOT LIBYA'S GADDAFI, NOR IS THE SYRIAN ARMY THE LIBYAN ARMY.
[An Nahar] Syrian President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... on Sunday brushed aside Western calls for his ouster as "worthless," saying they come from "countries that are committing massacres," in an interview with state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
"While withholding comment, we tell them that their words are worthless," Assad said.
"Such remarks should not be made about a president who was chosen by the Syrian people and who was not put in office by the West, a president who was not made in the United States, "he added.
The Syrian leader warned that "any military action against Syria will have repercussions that will be much bigger" than the West's "ability to endure."
"They expected that Syria would fall within weeks, but the Syrian people safeguarded Syria. Gunmen have intensified their operations, especially throughout last week, but I'm not worried about the security situation," Assad said.
"Security authorities must confront any security problems in the country and this is the state's duty," he stressed.
Assad's television appearance is the first since June 20, and only his fourth since the start of pro-democracy demonstrations in mid-March.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown against protesters, activists and U.N. figures show.
The Syrian regime insists the violence is the work of "armed terrorist gangs" backed by Islamists and foreign agitators.
"We have started to register some success on the security front and can say that the situation is now more reassuring," he said. "A political solution cannot be put in place if security is not preserved."
He said local elections would be held in December, to be followed by parliamentary polls in February after a new law on political parties comes into effect this week.
He also ruled out bowing to Western demands.
"When they speak of reforms, Western colonialist countries mean that we must give them everything they want, that we abandon resistance, that we abandon our rights ... They shouldn't even dream of it ... We will not bow."
U.S. President Barack B.O. Obama called on Thursday for Assad to stand down, a demand quickly echoed by the leaders of Britannia, La Belle France and Germany and Spain.
"We have made use of dialogue in order to understand what the Syrian street wants and we will then move to the phase of discussing the constitution," said Assad.
"Article 8 (of the constitution) is the core of the political system, and it wouldn't be rational to amend only a certain article as tackling any article would require the tackling of the other articles, that's why we must revise the constitution as a whole," said Assad of Article 8, which stipulates that the Baath party is the sole "leader of state and society," giving it a monopoly on power.
"They tried to undermine Syria's illusory sovereignty following the (2005) liquidation of (Leb's former premier Rafik) Hariri, but they failed," Assad noted.
"We enjoy self-sufficiency and the economic situation has improved and any embargo on Syria will be an embargo on all the countries of the region due to its geographic location, that's why we will not be hit by hunger and we won't worry because the alternatives are available and the international arena is not locked," he added.
Addressing the relation with neighboring Turkey, Assad said: "We won't allow any nearby or distant country to interfere in Syria's domestic affairs, even if it was Turkey. We don't know the intentions of Turkey, so we can't have a stance."
"I won't tell the Syrian people that they will emerge stronger because they already know that. We are talking about 5,000 years of civilization. I am reassured and not worried ... and I reassure all of those who are worried," the Syrian leader said at the end of the interview.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#3
"Such remarks should not be made about a president who was chosen by the Syrian people and who was not put in office by the West, a president who was not made in the United States, "
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.
Libyan leader Muammar Al 
Khaleda Zia
[Dawn] Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) and 
The 
President-for-Life Bashir 
President-for-Life Bashir 
