[VOA] The Taliban ...Arabic for students... have allegedly barred a group of maiden of tender yearss from leaving Afghanistan for the United Arab Emirates, where they were expected to complete university studies.
Khalaf Al Habtoor, a prominent Emirati businessman, said in a video message on X, formerly Twitter, that he had sponsored about 100 Afghan female students to enable them to pursue their education in collaboration with the University of Dubai.
But he said that his office received "the uncomfortable news" Wednesday morning that Taliban authorities prevented the girls from boarding a plane waiting for them at Kabul airport.
"This has left me lost for words to describe the disappointment I currently feel," said Al Habtoor, the founder and chairman of Al Habtoor Group, described as one the UAE's most respected and successful businesses.
He said that he was "sad today" because the students could not reach Dubai, where his organization had already arranged university admissions, accommodation, transport, and security for the group after months of efforts.
"The authorities in Afghanistan, without justification, prevented their departure, unjustly curtailing their freedom. This stands as a profound tragedy, a blow against the principles of humanity, education, equality, and justice," Al Habtoor added.
"I request all involved parties to quickly step in and help rescue and assist these struggling students," the Emirati businessman said.
Taliban authorities did not immediately comment on the allegations.
The fundamentalist Taliban have banned girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade since reclaiming control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Late last year, the hardline de facto authorities stopped female students from attending university classes nationwide.
The move prompted Al Habtoor in December to offer scholarships to 100 female Afghan university students to help them continue their education in Dubai.
He also posted a voice message from a student who was prohibited from traveling to Dubai but did not disclose her identity.
"We are right now in the airport, but unfortunately, the government [won’t] allow us to fly to Dubai. Even they don't allow those traveling with a mahram [male guardian]," the student said.
"They don't allow us when they see the student visa and ticket. I don't know what to do. Please help us. We are so concerned about this matter," the student added.
The Taliban have banned Afghan women from undertaking foreign travel unless accompanied by a male family member. They have also barred many women, including female Afghan staff of international aid groups, from workplaces.
It is worth noting that last year, the Taliban disseminated official documents through the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to airports and land borders, outlining restrictions on the travel of unaccompanied women.
According to these documents, women were forbidden from traveling distances exceeding 72 kilometers without a legal male guardian.
Similarly, last year, 19 female students in their third year of studies, who held scholarships at a university in Uzbekistan, were turned back by the Taliban when attempting to cross the border at Hairatan.
The recent actions by the Taliban have raised concerns regarding the prospects of female students pursuing higher education abroad under their rule. The international community continues to observe the unfolding situation closely.
[Garowe] The Somali National Army [SNA] has paraded captured al-Shabaab ...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa... bully boys, even as the country continues to ask members of the terror group to surrender to the army, amid an ongoing crackdown against the al-Qaeda-linked group, which the country plans to eliminate completely by next year.
According to the state media, the military paraded the turbans to showcase milestones made in the fight against the group which still controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia. The group has been in operation for the last two decades, necessitating military operations.
Those paraded were Abdirahman Fodey Kulmiye, Abdullahi Ibrahim Hassan, and Adan Ibrahim Abshi, with the military accusing them of terrorizing innocent civilians and security officers within Owswayn town which was recently seized from the turbans during the operation.
"The Somali National Army which recently seized control of the Owswayn, has presented the capture of al-Shabaab leaders to the public. Abdirahman Fodey Kulmiye, Abdullahi Ibrahim Hassan, and Adan Ibrahim Abshir have been accused of terrorizing the local population for an extended period," state media confirmed.
[Garowe] In a chilling development, Bosaso, the thriving business center of Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... , has now succumbed to the control of the notorious terrorist groups, ISIS and al-Shabaab ...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them... . With a strong foothold in one of the mountainous areas of the Bari region, these krazed killer factions are relentlessly extorting money from the local businessmen, paralyzing the economic heartbeat of the city.
Several construction equipment companies, including Omaar, Horseed, and Tawfiq, have been forced to close doors in recent days following failed negotiations with ISIS. Meanwhile, ...back at the pond, the radioactive tadpoles grown into frogs. Really big frogs, in fact... Garowe Online has obtained information that reveals that businesses complying with the extortion demands continue to operate as usual, but under a shadow of constant fear.
In a desperate cry for help, the city's businessmen convened a meeting with the administration of the Bari region yesterday. They expressed their deep frustrations over tripled tax payments, despite receiving no corresponding services from the government. Furthermore, they articulated the alarming challenges they face at the hands of ISIS, such as the substantial extortion money being demanded, all while feeling abandoned by a government failing to ensure their protection.
ISIS's ruthlessness knows no bounds, as they have commanded companies that have been closed for a week to pay sums between $300,000 and $500,000. The terror that grips these businesses is palpable, with the ever-present fear of a violent mostly peaceful attack if they fail to comply with these outrageous demands.
Meanwhile, ...back at the pond, the radioactive tadpoles grown into frogs. Really big frogs, in fact... the outgoing president of Puntland, Saeed Deni, has drawn sharp criticism for his perceived abandonment of the security crisis, as he travels to the United Arab Emirates without government officials' accompaniment. Security experts express growing concern that Deni appears to have given up on managing the deteriorating security situation, focusing instead on preparing for a potentially one-sided election.
In June this year, Multiple businesses have been forced to close due to threats from the terrorist group ISIS while political intrigue unfolds at the state level. [Read here].
The situation in Bosaso has reached a critical and precarious juncture, leaving the local community in a state of despair and the broader region on edge. The dire circumstances call for urgent intervention, solid leadership, and a unified front against the forces that threaten to unravel the social and economic fabric of the city.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/25/2023 02:39 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA] The rebels who came to power in Niger, in the event of a foreign invasion, will be allowed to operate on their territory by the military from Mali and Burkina Faso, Agence France-Presse reports.
Earlier, the new head of Niger, General Abdurahman Tchiani, met with the foreign ministers of Mali and Burkina Faso who arrived in the country.
The foreign ministers "welcomed" the signing of the decree "allowing the defense and security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to operate on the territory of Niger in the event of aggression," according to a statement issued by a representative of the Niger Foreign Ministry following the visit.
In late July, a Nigerian military group announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazum and the closure of the borders. Before that, the military of the presidential guard blocked the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey.
The commander of the presidential guard, General Abdurahman Tchiani, appeared on state television in Niger on July 28 as head of the "National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland" formed by the coup participants.
The leaders of most Western countries and the regional organization ECOWAS condemned the coup. In early August, the participants in the emergency meeting of the Chiefs of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the ECOWAS countries, held in Abuja (Nigeria), adopted a plan in case of military intervention in Niger.
Posted by: badanov ||
08/25/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
#1
RUMINT that Niger has declared both the German & French ambassadors persona non grata and given them 48 hours to leave the country
[IsraelTimes] A German federal court says it has rejected an appeal by a military officer who posed as a Syrian asylum-seeker and was convicted last of year of plotting to attack prominent politicians.
The officer, 1st Lt. Franco Albrecht, was convicted by the Frankfurt state court in July 2022 of preparing a serious crime meant to endanger the state, fraud and violations of weapons laws. The court, which found that he had right-wing holy warrior views, sentenced him to 5 1/2 years in prison.
The Federal Court of Justice says in a statement that judges rejected his appeal in an Aug. 8 decision, finding that it was "clearly unfounded" and no legal errors had been made to his detriment.
Albrecht was accused of plotting to kill prominent politicians and blame the attack on refugees. Prosecutors alleged that his targets included then-Justice Minister Heiko Maas and the Jewish head of an anti-racism organization.
[STLPUBLICRADIO] The International Institute of St. Louis’ Afghan Community Support Program is traveling across the country to tell Afghans that St. Louis is a good place to start businesses, find new jobs and raise families.
Program directors are speaking with newly arrived Afghans in Texas, Washington, Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,, New York, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois and Washington, D.C. They are visiting mosques, community centers and events to help Afghan refugee families learn about the possibilities in St. Louis.
Since August 2021, more than 1,000 Afghan refugees have resettled in St. Louis, and civic leaders want more to move to St. Louis to help boost its economy and find jobs.
"We want to create a thriving region for refugees and immigrants colonists who endured trauma from their homelands," said Moji Sidiqi, director of the Afghan Community Support Program.
"We don't want our new family members or new neighbors to continue to survive, we want them to thrive," she said. "We really, truly believe that St. Louis is that place where with a little bit of a push — setting them up with successes — they can catapult and they can take that next step."
Sidiqi and Hamdullah Hamdard, a local Afghan business owner, will give talks on business opportunities, grant programs, continuing education and skill development training to ease refugees’ fears of moving across the country. The tour started last week and will go through the end of the year.
They are visiting cities that have a big population of Afghan refugees and most of which, Sidiqi said, lack the resources needed to help them prosper in their new homes.
"Our job is to position St. Louis as a space where there are resources and a place where they can succeed, but it is incumbent on the individual to have the mindset of working hard enough so that they could cultivate and create a pathway for success for themselves," Sidiqi said.
Within the past year, the Afghan Community Support Program has helped hundreds of refugees start new lives in the St. Louis region. It offers Afghans help with rent, finding employment and assistance with basic needs.
In May, Hamdard was awarded $15,000 from the Institute's Afghan Entrepreneurship Grant Fund to start his digital media company. Hamdard moved to St. Louis from Afghanistan in December 2021 after the fall of his homeland’s government.
Hamdard wants St. Louis to become home for many of the Afghan refugees who have resettled in the area and to bring more to the region to build a stronger business community.
Many Afghans owned businesses at home before they fled to the U.S., so they arrive in St. Louis or other cities equipped with business acumen, said Hamdard.
"Afghans will definitely have a positive impact in St. Louis," he said. "It will not only boost the economy, but it will also create a stronger community here."
He hopes his success story and other opportunities available to refugees will encourage them to move to the region and eventually share their stories to help others make a new life for themselves in St. Louis.
"I can proudly say that St. Louis helped me stand on my feet once again, build my life and also work on my visions and my goals that I dream about," Hamdard said.
#4
"Folks, ululate, please, for, um, Erica,
Decked out in immaculate burka
And new Nike shoes
As Mohammedan Blues
Take the field in Kabul of Amurrica!"
[Dawn] A judicial magistrate in Jaranwala issued physical remand until Aug 30 for 118 arrested suspects named in 21 FIRs registered for the burning of churches and houses belonging to Christians on Aug 16.
The riots occurred following the alleged desecration of the Holy Koran.
The suspects were presented before the court after their initial five-day remand, which had been issued earlier, ended on Thursday. The police had requested a seven-day extension for their remand.
Sources say other suspects, who were also arrested, are already in police custody on physical remand.
The registration of these 16 new FIRs was initiated at the request of Christian community leaders, who pointed out that although 21 churches were reportedly burned, cases had only been registered for five of them.
The registration of these 16 new FIRs was initiated at the request of Christian community leaders, who pointed out that although 21 churches were reportedly burned, cases had only been registered for five of them.
After the registration of 16 more first information reports, including 11 by Jaranwala City and five by Saddar police, the number of FIRs has reached 21, all of which are related to the Aug 16 riots that occurred after the alleged incident of desecration of the Holy Koran.
The registration of these 16 new FIRs was initiated at the request of Christian community leaders, who pointed out that although 21 churches were reportedly burned, cases had only been registered for five of them.
These new FIRs contain identical charges of attacking and setting fire to churches, pages of holy books, furniture, and other valuables. All of them feature similar sections, including 295 and 295A, 427, 436, 148, and 149 of the PPC, as well as Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. In all these cases, 100 to 150 unidentified miscreants have been booked.
Sources indicate 16 complainants include Shahbaz Masih, the administrator of New Apostolic Church of Chak 61 GB, Asher Masih of Satsangat Church in the same village, Javed Barkat Masih of Salvation Army Church in the same village, Hashir Ashraf, the administrator of Pak Khushkhabri Church in the same village, Naveed Mukhtar, the administrator of Peace Mission International Church of Chak 120 GB, Gulzar Masih, the administrator of House of God Church Chak 238 GB Makkoana, Muneeb Masih, the administrator of the Catholic Church in the same village, Adnan Michael, the administrator of KGM Church of Chak 126 GB, Fr Israel Peter, the administrator of Presbyterian Church in the same village; Shahzad Masih, the administrator of Hope for Life Church in the same village, Shafqat Bhatti, the administrator of Mission Compound Church in Muhallah Camp, Afzaal Masih, the administrator of Yahuwaeri Church of Chak 240 GB, Siddiq Masih, the administrator of Salvation Army Church in the same village; Adnan Masih, the administrator of UP Church in Muhallah Farooq Park; and Habib Masih, the administrator of Salvation Army Church in Asad Park.
Sources add that the total number of suspects across all 21 FIRs exceeds 3,000. So far, 160 identified suspects have been arrested. The process of identifying the remaining suspects is under way.
[GEO.TV] The Pak rupee breached the 300 mark against the US dollar in the interbank market during the intraday trade Thursday, data from the State Bank of Pakistain showed at the close of the day.
The pressure has increased on the local unit — which closed at the historic low of 300.22 today — as demand grew for the greenback following the relaxation of import restrictions and rising risks associated with financing the country’s current account deficit.
According to Exchange Companies Association of Pakistain (ECAP), the USD is trading at Rs316 against the local currency in the open market taking the difference between the interbank and kerb rates to Rs15.75 — 5.25%.
On Wednesday, the currency fell to 299.64 against the USD, 0.21% lower from Tuesday’s close of 299.01.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
The Pak rupee has already lost 33% of its value this year.
[GEO.TV] Police on Thursday included incitement to mutiny and an attempt to wage war among other provisions to six cases filed against 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) Chairman Imran Khan ...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... — who is currently serving a three-year sentence in Attock jail after being convicted in the Toshakhana case — in connection with the May 9 riots.
The riots were triggered almost across the country after the deposed prime minister's arrest in the £190 million al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 which led to the deaths of at least eight people and injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI workers.
During the protests, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military called May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
The other offences include 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups, etc), 153-B (Inducing students, etc, take part in political activity), 146 (Rioting), 131 (Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 121 (Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against Pakistain), 121-A (Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), 120-A (Definition of criminal conspiracy), 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 107 (Abetment of a thing).
Abetting mutiny, waging war among other provisions added to Imran Khan’s May 9 cases
According to the police report, the provisions were included on August 18 as per the case diary.
Following the inclusion of the provisions, the police contacted an anti-terrorism court (ATC) which granted permission to the law enforcement agency to investigate the PTI chief — who was removed from the office last year in April via a no-confidence motion.
ATC Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar also issued an order at the request of the police.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[IsraelTimes] Overnight the Israeli military measured the home of a Paleostinian accused of carrying out a deadly terror attack in the West Bank town of Huwara over the weekend, in preparation for its demolition.
The alleged terrorist, reported by Paleostinian media to be a member of the Bani Fadl family from the town of Aqraba, near Nablus, has not yet been arrested.
The Israeli defense establishment is aware of the terrorist’s identity, and therefore took the unusual step of preparing his home for demolition despite not having arrested him yet.
Paleostinian media outlets publish footage showing markings on the interior walls of the home, left there by combat engineering troops.
As a matter of policy, Israel regularly demolishes the homes of Paleostinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.
In the terror attack in Huwara on Saturday, Shay Silas Nigreker, 60, and his 28-year-old son Aviad Nir were shot to death by the Paleostinian terrorist while they were at a carwash in the Paleostinian town.
[NPASyria] US Army Maj. Gen. Joel Vowell was assigned on Thursday as new commander of the Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) succeeding Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane.
The transfer of authority ceremony was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, on aug. 22, 2024, the CJTF-OIR said in a statement.
The colors were passed by the presiding officer, US Army Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commanding general, US Central Command (CENTCOM), the statement read.
"We live on the knife’s edge of freedom. Our mission here is to continue the defeat of ISIS, help our partner forces get better, and become independent. That will be my focus," Joel Vowell said.
The statement added that the CJTF-OIR continues to support the Syrian Democratic Forces. "CJTF-OIR remains steadfast in its commitment to advise, assist, and enable partners in Iraq and Syria in the enduring defeat of ISIS."
"As the capabilities of the coalition’s partner forces continue to mature, CJTF-OIR will focus on advising, assisting and enabling them in ensuring the defeat of ISIS and building foundations to maintain stability in the region," the statement stressed.
CJTF-OIR is the military component of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which started in both Iraq and Syria in October 2014.
[NPASyria] Ottoman Turkish media outlets reported on Tuesday that the Ottoman Turkish government is planning to designate a governor in the areas under its occupation in northern Syria.
Turkiye newspaper reported that The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... had previously appointed seven governors in the areas it controls in northern Syria. However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... it adopts a new approach that involves appointing only one governor.
The newspaper outlined the establishment of a new system to coordinate between Ankara and local councils it had founded in 13 towns and cities in northern Syria including Afrin, Azaz, Jarablus, al-Bab, Tel Abyad, and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain).
Turkey launched three military operations against northern and northeastern areas in Syria. The first was "Euphrates Shield" operation in 2016 where it occupied Jarablus and al-Bab, the second was "Olive Branch" operation in 2018 where it occupied Afrin, and the third was "Peace Spring" in 2019 which resulted in the occupation of the two cities of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad with their countryside.
Those operations led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of the original people and settling instead of them the families of the bandidossnuffies of Ottoman Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), that assisted Turkey in its three operations. This step resulted in the change of the demography of northern Syria.
"Undoubtedly, Turkey aims to consolidate its occupation of those areas and, may be, to hold a referendum to announce it a Ottoman Turkish province as it did in Cyprus," said Hussein Naaso, a Germany-based lawyer and human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... activist.
In an exclusive statement to North Press, Naaso described the step as a crime and a violation of the international law. "As an occupation state, Turkey must preserve the civil and judicial administrations in the occupied areas according to the Geneva Conventions and their protocols in addition to the Hague Conventions."
"However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... as Turkey is an influential member of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... and occupies an important geopolitical position that allows it to make benefit from the American-Russian contradictions, it disregards all the international conventions and keeps imposing its will on the neighboring countries like Syria and Iraq through military interventions," Hussein Naaso noted.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/25/2023 01:14 ||
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[NPASyria] Recent resolutions to increase fuel prices by the Syrian government hit the Syrian people, already battered by the consequences of a 12 year-long war, hard, sparking anti-government protests in Daraa and Suwayda governorates in southern Syria. The Syrian government has handled opposition with oppression, will this time be any different?
On August 17, people in Daraa erupted into the streets in protests due to bad living and economic conditions and demand the Syrian government to leave and to release prisoners. Soon protests expanded to Suwayda and people demanded the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and a decentralized rule as a solution for the conflict in Syria.
Since the Syrian government took control of Daraa in July 2018, the governorate has witnessed increasing security chaos and instability as the government forces did not abide by the settlement agreement.
In July 2018, the armed opposition factions and government forces reached a ceasefire agreement — later known as the settlement agreement — mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the faceless myrmidons of the factions agreed to hand over their heavy weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa, while those who opposed the agreement would be sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State... (HTS, formerly al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front).
The government forces began to expand their military posts and violate the settlement’s terms by arresting people who were subject to the settlement, confiscating civilian homes, and killing opponents amid inaction from Russia, the mediator of the agreement.
Since 2018, the Syrian government imposed five unsuccessful settlements on the people of Daraa, causing more disorder and chaos.
All these factors in addition to the devaluation of the Syrian currency and the deteriorating economic conditions exacerbated the situation and sparked protests in both Daraa and Suwayda.
The Druze religious group "Sheikh al-Aql" and local factions in Suwayda also came forth and declared their solidarity with the protestors’ demands.
The governorate of Suwayda is home to the country’s Druze minority, an ethnoreligious group which practices a monotheistic Abrahamic religion and speaks the Arabic language. Many refused to side with either the government or opposition during the country’s civil war, forming independent groups.
An activist told North Press that the Druze leader Sheikh Kikmat al-Hajiri stated his solidarity with the people and stressed to "continue to protest until people’s demands are met, and not to resort to violence."
The protests are nothing new to the people of Suwayda. In early 2022, they went out in demonstration to enhance dire living conditions. Later, they demanded to form an autonomous administration in the south, which were met with indifference from the government.
Autonomous administration is a form of rule that has been implemented in northeast Syria since 2014 under the name of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). It was first formed in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS militarily there. However, you can observe a lot just by watching... the AANES is not officially recognized by the Syrian government.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) also publicly expressed their solidarity with the protestors in Daraa and Suwayda.
The SDC is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the AANES. It was founded in 2015 and includes all the communities of north and east Syria.
Riyad Dirar, co-chair of the SDC, said they support the people’s demands of peaceful political transition. He also stressed the necessity of ending the authoritarian rule.
"We support and encourage building an administrative project by forming committees consisting of the locals who can manage the region to avoid chaos and not affect the interests of the people in a negative way," Dirar stated to North Press.
On the other hand, Samira Moubayed, member of the Syrian Constitutional Committee (SCC) for the civil society, told North Press the people of this region know that the government cannot maintain their security or provide their needs.
"The protests will continue until the security of Syria’s south is achieved which is a part of the necessary political change across Syria," she said.
Few days before the protests erupted, locals in Daraa reported that Syrian government forces have given former leaders of the Syrian opposition powerful position within their ranks to help persecute civilians.
Anwar al-Zubi, a pseudonym for a local group leader affiliated with the government forces, told North Press that former big shots of the Syrian opposition were recruited by the government even though they have fought against it before. They use these leaders because they are familiar with those who oppose the government, he added.
Brigadier General Mounir Hariri, a defector of the government forces who lives in Jordan, told North Press that the government forces would not cease their violations in Daraa and would continue pursuing opponents.
"The government forces have no control over Daraa. Therefore, they use sedition and conflicts, fuel tribal feuds, and recruit secret cells to assassinate the opponents then eliminates these cells," he said.
So far, the Syrian government has not shown a major response towards the protests in southern Syria. However, you can observe a lot just by watching... their reaction to previous protests in Suwyada in December 2022, and the indiscriminate shelling that occurred on August 22 on areas in Daraa in tandem with anti-government protests, indicate that the Syrian government’s approach might not be different from the 2011 harsh crackdown that led to significant destruction, displacement, and loss of lives across Syria.
[AlAhram] Angry protesters raided the local offices of the ruling Baath party in a southern Syrian province Wednesday, as protests intensified against the country's government during a severe economic and financial crisis battering the war-torn country.
Opposition activists said protesters also partially blocked a highway that links the Druze-majority Sweida province to the capital Damascus in anti-government rallies that broke out Tuesday night.
The demonstrations were sparked by worsening living conditions and inflation that surged after Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... ’s decision last week to double public sector wages and pensions.
Protests have so far not spread to government strongholds along the Mediterranean coast, the capital Damascus and the largest cities, including Aleppo and Homs.
However, nothing needs reforming like other people's bad habits... they have also taken place in the nearby Daraa province that borders Jordan. The region's economy has tanked and crime has risen since government forces reclaimed it in 2018.
The Syrian government has not responded to the protests.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/25/2023 01:14 ||
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Top|| File under: Arab Spring
There’s a long tradition within Islam — both the Mamluks and the Janissaries were acquired as children to be slave soldiers, meant to be completely loyal only to the government.
[NPASyria] The city of Aleppo in northwest Syria is the most important and strategic city for Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... to carry out its plans in controlling the traditions of its population to turn it later to a Persian colony.
Wissam Khayyata, 24, a pseudonym for a teacher in the educational department of Husayn shrine in Jebb al-Jalabi neighborhood of Aleppo, describes the work in the department as "comfortable, and the officials in charge of it provide all the assistance for the students at very low prices."
"There is a high turnout by students in the department, at a stage where the registration fees and taking courses in other institutes became at very high costs comparing with the low fees received by the institute", Khayyata tells North Press.
These centers provide job opportunities for new graduates, a chance they cannot get at the government departments.
Teachers in those centers receive salaries exceeding 800,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) — equals to about $60.
The educational department includes halls for teaching languages such as Persian, Arabic, German, French, and English as well as computer halls and scientific laboratories for training.
The Iranian cultural control is organized by adopting orphaned children and giving them sponsorship and care "in order to use them to form a sectarian army that is subject to the Iranian army, like the army that was formed in Pakistain and Afghanistan. In the future, it will occupy the thoughts of the Syrians," according to observers.
Iran intensifies its efforts and spends millions on children who are in need of care in poor areas, and thus the army, founded by the children and youth of this city, will be a first step in a project to set fast-moving armies in most areas of Syria, with the aim of achieving goals and implementing the Iranian military and political plan through prevailing Shiism in the region.
In Jebb al-Jalabi neighborhood, there is a Shiite shrine with a mosque that Iran named "al-Nuqta", where the call to prayer is held for all Islamic prayers 15 minutes apart from each prayer in the city and in the Shiite method.
Raouf al-Ali, a pseudonym for a lawyer specializing in international political affairs, tells North Press that the presence of youth groups in Iranian centers within the shrine is "an encouraging movement to make children and adolescents listen to the call for the prayer without anyone else in this age period.
"The Iranians are working to make these cities under their grip, which allows them to cut the road between The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund... and the Arab countries easily, and facilitates their Persian project, which aims to reach the Mediterranean Sea", al-Ali added.
"Iranian forces are working to change the archaeological landmarks in Aleppo and destroy them for the interest of their future presence", Alaa Lamea, researcher in history and interested in Aleppo antiquities, said.
"Iran exploited its religious rooting to achieve its goals, whether in the short or long term, and to achieve that, Iranians work on holding religious seminars and plays that have a sectarian feature about al-Hussein’s suffering and his killing process under the name of "The Sun Rises from Aleppo", Lamea added.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/25/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[An Nahar] Members of the hardline Christian group Soldiers of God overnight attacked a pub in Beirut’s bustling Mar Mikhail area over the "presence of homosexuals" in it.
Videos posted online showed the pub’s ransacked terrace and people locking themselves inside as a Soldier of God bad boy shouted threats and warnings.
"This is the place of Satan. It is promoting homosexuality. This is forbidden in the land of the Lord ... We are still using words with you and this is only the beginning ... We had warned you a hundred times," the bad boy says.
An Internal Security Forces patrol later arrived on the scene as the pub-goers were evacuated.
The incident sparked a heated debate among social media users in Leb ...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... Sheikh Hassan Merheb, a Sunni Moslemholy man who is a senior member of the Dar al-Fatwa religious authority, voiced support for the hardline Christian group on his X platform (formerly known as Twitter) account.
"A salutation from the heart to the men of Soldiers of God over what they did a while ago by prohibiting a sexual deviation party on one of Beirut’s streets," Merheb said.
"I said it before and I repeat it now: I stand by anyone who confronts this deviation and unnatural backwardness and I put my hand in their hands to defend our families and society against this degenerate and destructive thinking," the holy man added.
The journalist Mariam Seif meanwhile warned that "the areas that had been previously considered safe for nightlife are turning, thanks to Soldiers of God, into unsafe areas."
"It is in the interest of the residents of these areas, before anyone else, to confront this group before it gets stronger and controls all the details of their lives," Seif added.
The journalist Elsy Moufarrej for her part described Soldiers of God as "the Christian version of Hezbollah."
"They are acting as virtue police in Ashrafieh. Who tasked them with deciding what’s allowed and what’s not? Why are security forces not protecting citizens and their rights? If anyone gets harmed, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the interior minister, security forces, the instigators and the ’virtue police’," Moufarrej added.
The group, which reportedly comprises around 100 members, had attacked alleged homosexual symbols and events in the past.
Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been recently soaring in Lebanon, one of the Middle East's more liberal countries.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... has called for a boycott of rainbow products and said last month that gay people, "even if they do it once... are to be killed."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
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.
...Arabic for 
...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them...
[STLPUBLICRADIO] The International Institute of St. Louis’ Afghan Community Support Program is traveling across the country to tell Afghans that St. Louis is a good place to start businesses, find new jobs and raise families.
[Dawn] A judicial magistrate in 
[GEO.TV] The Pak rupee breached the 300 mark against the US dollar in the interbank market during the intraday trade Thursday, data from the State Bank of Pakistain showed at the close of the day.
...aka 
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
