[Shabelle] Tripoli, Libya–Islamic State (IS) fighters are being smuggled into Europe by gangs in the Mediterranean, an adviser to the Libyan government has told the BBC.
Abdul Basit Haroun said smugglers were hiding IS bandidosfaceless myrmidons on boats filled with migrants.
Officials in Italia and Egypt have previously warned that IS bandidosfaceless myrmidons could reach Europe by migrant boat.
However, ars longa, vita brevis... experts have cautioned that it is very difficult to verify or assess such claims.
Mr Haroun based his claim on conversations with smugglers in parts of North Africa controlled by the murderous Moslems.
He alleged that IS was allowing the boat owners to continue their operations in exchange for half of their income.
About 60,000 people are estimated to have tried to cross the Mediterranean this year, fleeing conflict and poverty. Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has been without a stable government, and the chaos has allowed trafficking networks there to thrive.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/17/2015 00:00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Jpost] The United States is "deeply concerned" about an Egyptian court decision to seek the death penalty for former President Mohamed Morsi, a State Department official said on Sunday.
"We are deeply concerned by yet another mass death sentence handed down by an Egyptian court to more than 100 defendants, including former President Morsi," the official said after the court's ruling was announced on Saturday, drawing condemnation from rights group Amnesty International.
"We have consistently spoken out against the practice of mass trials and sentences, which are conducted in a manner that is inconsistent with Egypt's international obligations and the rule of law," the official said. A final decision is expected on June 2.
#2
...Am I the only one hoping that Morsi knows something that he's willing to spill in order to save his life...something potentially embarrassing to the Administration?
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/17/2015 7:05 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Am I the only one hoping that Morsi knows something that he's willing to spill in order to save his life...something potentially embarrassing to the Administration?
(a) IMO, they're not really going to execute him.
(b) Nothing can embarrass this administration.
[AnNahar] Egyptian bomb disposal expert Diaa Fathy had long predicted he would die in a flash, before that fateful day in January when a bomb went kaboom! on a busy road leading to the pyramids.
Fathy's death, captured in graphic video footage that went viral on the Internet, was not the first among the country's bomb disposal squad, which has defended its training program in the face of questions over its professionalism.
On January 6, the 30-year-old police captain was blown up as he tried to defuse a bomb hidden in a flower pot outside a petrol station in Cairo's Al-Haram street.
The small rudimentary bombs that regularly go off in Cairo bear no comparison to those used in strife-torn countries like Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistain that cause massive civilian casualties.
But they still pose a challenge for bomb squads.
"A bomb is a double-edged weapon. The one who dismantles it has to be better trained than the bomb-maker," an explosives expert who works in the Middle East told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"I don't think Egypt has well-trained bomb disposal experts... Even standard operating practices have not percolated down the cadre," causing casualties, he said.
Jihadist group Ajnad Misr claims it has killed four bomb disposal experts so far in Cairo, including Fathy.
It says its attacks are in retaliation for a government crackdown targeting supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013.
The deadliest bombs in Cairo have targeted police, including outside a presidential palace, the foreign ministry and a university.
At least three coppers have been killed and several maimed in the capital in kabooms so far this year.
Fathy was not the first victim from the bomb disposal squad. In June 2014, two officers were blown up while dismantling two bombs near a presidential palace.
A video of one of the attacks shows an officer on the ground trying to defuse the bomb, while another, a general, bends over to watch when the device explodes. The general survived.
Ajnad Misr had warned two days earlier that it had planted bombs near the palace.
The incident showed the "need for a complete overhaul in the mentality of the squad, the way it thinks, the way it functions," a security adviser for a foreign embassy in Cairo said.
Defending his team, bomb squad chief General Mohammed Gamal insists his men are well-trained, including in the use of robots to defuse explosives.
"The rule is that the officer is not supposed to touch the bomb," said Gamal.
"He should be at a distance of a meter-and-a-half (five feet) from the explosive. Anything other than that is a personal choice."
Fathy's mother, Nagat al-Gafi, said her son would say a prayer before starting work and always used his hands to defuse bombs.
"He always said he would die at the snap of a finger," Gafi told AFP at the family home, where the entire top floor has been converted into a museum in his memory, displaying his uniforms, childhood photographs and posters of him with the words: "Groom of Heaven".
Gamal acknowledged his men might sometimes take potential threats lightly as they respond to a dozen calls a day from the public reporting "suspicious objects," many of them false alarms.
Captain Mohammed, a disposal expert, said he faces death every day in North Sinai, an krazed killer stronghold where he has been based for 11 years.
"On a daily basis, we get at least 10 calls and some are negative. I try to deal with the negative calls as if they were positive," said Mohammed, who gave only his first name for security reasons.
An Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... jihadist group is spearheading an insurgency in North Sinai that has killed scores of security personnel.
"From the number of calls I've dealt with, I can predict what will happen," said Mohammed, who was in Cairo for training on the use of protective wear.
[AlAhram] Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason members among those sentenced to death, along ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, by a Cairo court on charges of murder and attempted murder during a 2011 jail break
Paleostinian movement Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, has condemned the death sentences meted out by an Egyptian court on Saturday to a number of its members in two criminal cases on Saturday as "unfortunate and shocking."
Cairo Criminal Court handed ousted president Mohammed Morsi and 105 others, including a number of Hamas members, provisional death sentences for charges of committing murder, attempted murder, looting prison weapons, releasing prisoners, and damaging buildings during their escape from an Egyptian prison during the early days of the 2011 revolution.
Prosecutors had argued that over 800 fighters from Gazoo had infiltrated Egypt, using RPGs and heavy weapons to storm three prisons, abducting four coppers and killing several others, along with inmates.
Hamas front man Sami Abu-Zuhri said in a statement on Saturday that the verdict was based on "false information", saying that some of those Hamas members who were convicted in absentia, including "deaders Tayseer Abu-Senema and Hossam El-Sanea," were dead at the time the offences were carried out.
Abu-Zuhri said that others convicted have been in the "prisons of the occupation (Israel) for years, such as Hassan Salama, who has been imprisoned for 19 years."
The death sentences have been sent to the country's grand mufti, as per Egyptian law, for review. The mufti's advice regarding the penalty is non-binding. The court will issue its final verdict on 2 June, although the verdict can be appealed.
Also on Saturday, the same court handed out 16 death sentences to Egyptians in a separate case dubbed the "Hamas Espionage Case."
In the case, prosecutors had charged Morsi and 35 others with conspiring with foreign powers -- including Hamas, Leb's Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guard -- to destabilise Egypt.
Hamas is a sister organization of the now-banned Moslem Brüderbund, from which Mohammed Morsi hails.
Following the ouster of Morsi in July 2013, the relationship between Egypt and Hamas soured.
Two Cairo court verdicts in January and February declared the group's military wing Al-Qassam Brigades as well as Hamas itself to be terrorist organizations.
Shortly after, Egypt's government challenged the verdict against Hamas, and the lawyer who filed the case withdrew it.
However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... the verdict against Al-Qassam remains in place.
The court reasoning in both verdicts stated that Hamas and Al-Qassam Brigades "support and finance terrorist attacks in Egypt."
Cairo has also accused Hamas of meddling in its internal affairs and supporting Islamist gunnies in Sinai, accusations that Hamas strongly denies.
#1
In a May 14, 2015 article it appears Syria may not have declared all of their chemical weapons, there are anomalies in their arsenal. Chemical weapons; traces of sarin and VX have been found. Then of course, by proclamation Obama has declared that chlorine gas is not a traditional chemical weapon. He has not yet declared Sarin and VX in a likewise manner. Jimmy Carter is still a couple or three laps ahead of Obama; Obama is way south of Jimmahy; no sign of catching up.
If you’re asking why not provide a formal treaty [with the GCC], the truth of the matter is, is that the treaty process is very cumbersome, requires congressional approval, and it’s not necessary in this situation in order for us to be able to accomplish the goals that we wanted to meet.
and
When I came in, I was a relatively young man, as President. I’m not as young now. I’ve got some gray hair. But the world moves so quickly now and is so sophisticated, and there’s so much information that is having to be processed, that for us to be able to see that next generation move in, in an effective and decisive way I think will ultimately be very good for a region of the world that is young.
The truth is, is that the Gulf countries, and the Middle East and North Africa generally, those populations are all extraordinarily young. And we have to be able to speak and reach to those young people, and to adapt to the new circumstances of today’s world.
and lastly:
Q So forgive me, Mr. President, when people rise and they demand their rights, they look up to the United States.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q They don't look to any other country. And especially after President Assad used chemical weapons, people felt they’ve been let down. The civil war did not start from day one. They felt that you could have done something in the beginning and you didn't.
THE PRESIDENT: But if you look at the history of the process, essentially what they're arguing is that we should have invaded Syria and overthrown the Syrian regime -- which, by the way, would be a violation of international law, and undoubtedly we would then be criticized for that, as well.
#5
and undoubtedly we would then be criticized for that, as well
So the litmus test for action by the US is whether we might be criticized for taking that action? What shall we call that, "The Hurtfeelings Doctrine"?
Posted by: Matt ||
05/17/2015 18:27 Comments ||
Top||
#6
See also TOPIX > [TruthDig] OBAMA: THERE WILL BE NO MIDDLE EAST NATO, BUT THE US IS COMMITTED TO THE SECURITY OF GULF ARAB STATES.
God, Madonna, Nostradamus, + 1960's-1970's Guam Taotamonas still on a roll + going strong.
* RELATED SAME > OBAMA COMMITS THE US TO THE TERRITORIAL/SOVEREIGN DEFENSE OF GULF STATES.
Albeit likely as widin the scope of his normal, so-called "Minimalist" approach to all things US FP.
US DEFENSE OF KSA + GCC = DITTO AS PER PHILIPPINES + ASEAN = JAPAN, TAIWAN, = NE ASIA???
VERSUS
* TOPIX > [Harry's Place] RAIDS [Drone? SPECOPS?] IN SYRIA CAN'T [won't?] DEFEAT THE ISLAMIC STATE AS LONG AS OBAMA CONTINUES ALIGNMENT WID IRAN.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > REPORT - AMERICAN DEFENSE OFFICIAL: SAUDIS TO BUY NUKES FROM PAKISTAN IN RESPONSE TO IRAN DEAL.
"No ME NATO" sezzes the Bammer, but can the KSA + GCC have NucBombs? Nuke LRBMS???
* RUSSIA TODAY [Repost] GULF RULERS SNUB CAMP DAVID SUMMIT: TOTAL DISARRAY OF US POLICY IN MIDDLE EAST.
VERSUS
* BIGNEWSNETWORK > TEHRAN'S FRIDAY PRAYER LEADER [Ayatollah M. Kermani] CALLS ON SAUDIS TO RISE UP.
#7
OOOPPPSSSIES, forgot LUCIANNE > [Pajama Media] DID THE US [Obama] JUST AGREE TO [militarily, logistics] SUPPORT GULF ARAB STATES IN CASE OF WAR WID ISRAEL?
[LORD CORNWALLIS = BRITISH ARMY SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN = "THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN" here].
[AnNahar] United States is sending "continued and expedited" weapons to Iraq, Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... told Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday, amid a major Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group advance.
The phone call took place after Islamic State turbans seized a government compound in the city of Ramadi earlier in the day, edging closer to what would be their biggest victory in Iraq this year.
Biden thanked Abadi "for his steadfast leadership in Iraq and for promoting national unity at a time of significant security challenges, including today's ISIL attack on Ramadi," a White House statement said.
Using an alternative acronym for the IS group, the White House said that Biden reaffirmed "continued US support for the Iraqi government's ongoing efforts to defeat ISIL."
"The vice president assured the prime minister of continued and expedited US security assistance to confront ISIL," the White House added, including heavy weaponry, ammunition and supplies for Iraqi forces.
IS has threatened to take control of Ramadi for months.
The loss of the city, which Abadi has said would be the next target of government forces after wresting back Tikrit last month, would be a major setback.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/17/2015 10:16 ||
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Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
#1
Iran will take some, and the rest will be captured by ISIS when Iraqi army runs?
#4
FYI CNN AM > repors that the Battle for Ramadi [Anbar province] has cost the Iraqi Army-Govt THREE of its best-trained or most elite Regiments.
Pragmatically, I have to say that this should make it easier for RISING IRAN, aka OWG Globalist Amerika's future Co-Superpower sibling, to expand + assert dominance.
I hate to get into a public disagreement with a colleague here, but the outrage du jour seems to be based on a translation that may or may not be deliberately wrong. As the BBC and the Associated Press are at the root of it, Iâm leaning towards the former.
The Vatican reporter for the Italian newspaper La Stampa has it differently:
As is tradition with heads of State or of government, Francis presented presented a gift to the Palestinian leader, commenting: âMay the angel of peace destroy the evil spirit of war. I thought of you: may you be an angel of peace.â
[AnNahar] The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Lloyd J. Austin III visited Beirut on Saturday to renew Washington's commitment to provide military aid to Leb, the U.S. Embassy announced.
The General met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, the U.S. mission said in a blurb.
"Austin reiterated the confidence of the United States in the capabilities" of the Lebanese army, it stated.
"The United States will continue to support the army in its role as the sole legitimate defender of Leb," the embassy quoted him as saying.
The visiting general renewed Washington's commitment to provide Leb with "top-quality weapons, equipment, and training so that the Lebanese state can exercise its sovereign authority on the border and throughout the country, in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701," the statement added.
How much of that will make its way into Hizb'allah hands?
[AnNahar] S. President Barack Obama I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money... said Friday that the war in Syria would not likely end before he leaves office in early 2017 and reaffirmed his belief that there is no "military solution" to the conflict.
"The situation in Syria is heartbreaking but it's extremely complex" Obama said in an interview with the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television network.
Asked if the conflict, which has left more than 220,000 people dead, might be resolved before he ends his second term, Obama responded "probably not."
"You have a civil war in a country that arises out of longstanding grievances" he said.
"It was not something that was triggered by the United States and it was not something that could have been stopped by the United States," he said, adding that "all too often in the Middle East region, people attribute everything to the United States."
Obama emphasized that settling the conflict would require the cooperation of Gulf allies and other regional nations such as The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , but that "a military solution is not going to be the solution."
He reiterated that it makes more sense to work with those countries, instead of engaging them "unilaterally."
At the beginning of May, officials announced that the U.S. military had begun training a small unit of "moderate" Syrian rebels in Jordan to return home and take on the might of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... .
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.
Joe 
