[Khaama (Afghanistan)] President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. has ordered an immediate probe into alleged fraud for the purchase of fuel for the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan.
Nazifullah Salari front man for President Ghani told news hounds that a delegation led by Hamidullah Farooqi was given the task to find out regarding fraud allegations by losing bidders who have claimed that there is a difference of $215 million in fuel supply contract.
Salarzai further added that the difference in contract price was also confirmed by coalition forces and office of US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
He said the delegation was instructed to launch an investigation after hearing the remarks of all parties involved in the contract.
According to Salarzai the meeting was organized in the presence of Ministry of Defense officials, bidding companies representatives and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... Salarzai also added that seven other contracts which had technical and legal issues were also reviewed during the meeting.
President Ghani also instructed to cancel the current contract and re-announce the bid once the investigations into alleged fraud have been completed.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
As we all know, the Afghan is of the highest moral caliber. Matter of fact, it is said that an Afghan cannot be bought. It looks like renting one is clearly the way to go.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
02/02/2015 7:07 Comments ||
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215m? What's that but a single crony green contract from OMB to funnel reelection money back to you know whose campaigns.
BERBERA, Somalia -- Despite growing concerns by Puntland, Somaliland's separatist administration has put seized weapons shipment on public display, Garowe Online reports. During a parade-like event that attracted dozens of journalists, Somaliland said the arms seized on MV Shakir, a Sudanese-registered ship included heavy weapons such as tanks, artillery pieces and modern combat vehicles.
I'm just going to guess that Iran was an earlier port of call for the good ship MV Shakir...
On Thursday, authorities denied experts from United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea entry into Berbera seaport where offloading was underway. The following day, Somaliland's neighbor to the east, Puntland expressed graft concern over the fate of the seized weapons shipment, saying it could fall into the hands of terrorists operating in the rugged terrain of Galgala.
Somaliland's Minister for Security called allegations leveled against the breakaway region 'unfounded and fabricated'.
Puntland lambasted Somaliland for importing the weapons in violation of the UN's arms embargo at the height of civil war in 1992.
So did Somaliland seize a ship that was headed to Eritrea or Sudan, or was this a delivery to their own armed forces that they now have to 'cover up'?
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] Algerian lawmakers on Thursday (January 29th) passed a bill against money laundering and terrorism financing, APS reported. The legislation introduces a definition of terrorism financing in line with international standards, and includes measures to strengthen current mechanisms on freezing and confiscating terrorists' money.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Egypt's foreign ministry is seeking to shut down satellite channels it says are linked to the Moslem Brüderbund, and urged countries not to deal with Brotherhood-linked groups, the ministry said in statements issued on Sunday.
The ministry is conducting extensive talks with La Belle France where it says the Brotherhood-linked television channels are being aired from, and is seeking "firm action" against them.
Egypt says that the channels, which it did not name in the statement, are aired on La Belle France's Eutelsat and accused them of terrorism, inciting murder and calling for the destruction of legitimate state institutions. Egypt mentioned "precedents wherein Eutelsat has closed down similar channels due to inciting hate speech."
Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... i satellite station Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, a major sympathizer of the Brotherhood, was taken off the airwaves in December in a move many thought reflected pressure on the Qatari government by Egypt and some Gulf States. Most Gulf States back Egypt's current government which is headed by former army chief, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
Al Jazeera is trying to get an official license from authorities in Egypt to operate. Channels backing the Brotherhood on Eutelsat include Mekamileen and Masr Al-An, which are also accessible through Egypt's Nilesat.
In another statement, the ministry warned of two Brotherhood-linked groups it said were called the Revolution's Parliament and the Egyptian Revolutionary Council. The ministry accused them of claiming to represent the Egyptian people and inciting violence.
"Some members of these entities are wanted for trial and are visiting many states to promote wrongful and murderous Moslem ideas ..... as well as making efforts to shore up support for malicious goals to destroy the Egyptian state," the ministry stated.
The statement refrained from specifying which countries it accused these groups of meeting with.
Wouldn't one of those be the U.S.?
The Moslem Brüderbund was declared a terrorist organization by the Egyptian government in 2013, months after the ouster of Mohammed Morsi-who hails from the group- as Egypt's president.
The group has since faced a relentless crackdown by authorities and its top leadership are on trial for several charges including inciting murder and espionage.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Iran's hardline former president Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad on Sunday launched his official website, in a possible return to the political scene a year before legislative elections.
The site Ahmadinejad.ir, showing Ahmadinejad with a big smile, was launched at the same time as a Google+ page for the two-time former president and an account on Instagram.
The hardline conservative has stayed out of the public eye since his mandate ended in June 2013 and the election of Hassan Rouhani, his moderate successor as president of the Islamic republic.
Last month, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iran's first vice president under Ahmadinejad, was sentenced to five years in prison, state media said.
The supreme court's verdict came after a long-running trial on what Iranian media said were corruption charges.
Ahmadinejad has said the charges against Rahimi stemmed from before the time he was named vice president.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Tunisia's moderate Islamist party Ennahda has agreed to join its main rival secular party Nidaa Tounes in a coalition government, party leaders said on Sunday.
The agreement could bolster stability in Tunisia, which is just emerging from its transition to full democracy four years after the uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
The deal came after Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Habib Essid's new cabinet faced a threat of rejection in parliament last week from key parties, including Ennahda, because they opposed his choice of ministers.
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[YEMENONLINE.INFO] Rebels who control Yemen's capital have given a three-day ultimatum for political forces to fill a power vacuum, otherwise they will take over themselves, they said Sunday.
The rebels, known as Houthis, announced the decision on their al-Masirah television station, as the final statement from a political summit they have been holding in a sports stadium since Friday to organize "a peaceful transfer of power."
Impoverished Yemen, home to a formidable al-Qaeda affiliate, has been leaderless since Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi resigned the presidency last month after the Houthis pressured him for a greater share of power and besieged his home.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
"somebody has to lead this shit hole"
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/02/2015 12:13 Comments ||
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North Korean leader Fat Boy Kim Jong-un is expected to make his debut on the international stage at the Asian-African Conference in Indonesia on April 24, the Kompas news agency reported Tuesday.
Mochamad Ridwan Kamil, the mayor of Bandung, where the conference is held, told Kompas on Monday that world leaders, "including Kim Jong-un, plan to attend the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Bandung Conference."
Kamil added, "If Bandung becomes the destination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's first overseas visit, Bandung will once again go down in history."
With all the assassinations of South Korean officials over the years, I wouldn't be too upset if the ROK returned the favor just this once...
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Guess Mr. Netanyahu can now re-write his speech to cut down on the required monosyllables. Bring the matter up next election, when the pols are claiming that "Israel has no better friend." Or maybe just rub their fundraising targets' noses in it.
#6
They will go, the Jewish vote is more important to them than Obama. Or is Obama going to push the Jews into the republican party like he did with the blue dogs?
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
02/02/2015 1:49 Comments ||
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#9
As I understand it, the 'Jewish vote' is no longer very concerned about Israel, and certainly not with an Israel that will aggressively defend itself.
#10
Glenmore that was evident to me back in the early '70's when during the 1973 Yom Kippur war the Jewish students I knew were completely un-interested in the outcome.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/02/2015 10:02 Comments ||
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Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/02/2015 17:22 Comments ||
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..well, they call themselves such but are really socialists with a very autocrats bent that has little or nothing to do with 'democracy' anymore than the old Soviet 'People's Democratic Republics' had anything to do with classical democratic or republican principles of government.
[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.... leaders from Manki Sharif here, the native village of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, on Saturday announced to quit the party and joined the Awami National Party founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986. Part of the PPP-led cabinet 2008-13. The ANP is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism.... The PTI leaders included Zainullah Khan, Ameenullah Khan, Kashif Khan, Saqib Khan, Umair Khan, Faisal Khan and others.
Speaking at the function held in this regard, ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said that 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... , whose party came to power on the slogan of purging the society of corruption, was now doubtful of the credentials of his own party leaders. "Imran Khan is saying that if any politician of his party took money for vote during the forthcoming Senate elections, he will be proceeded against," said Mr Hoti, asking Imran to ensure corruption free process of election to the Senate.
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02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Tears rolled down the cheeks of Sajjad Khan when he saw destroyed houses, markets and government buildings and chopped trees along the road during a visit to his native village in Malakdin Khel area of Bara a week ago.
This 26-year-old member of the Khyber Khasadar Force was part of the security team of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... governor, who visited Bara on January 26.
He told Dawn that his family's sprawling compound was hit thrice by mortar shells, which damaged most of the living quarters.
"I've yet to muster some courage to see the destruction," he said.
Sajjad Khan said he heaved a sigh of relief after knowing that no member of the family was present at the compound when mortar shells hit it but at the same time, he was upset over the damage done to the building.
The government school in Kohi Sher Haider, where he had early education, was also destroyed in the attack.
The destruction was so much that he hardly recognised his classrooms.
Militants took along all remains of the building after blowing it up with dynamites some years ago leaving behind only a small mound of rubble.
Looking out from the window of our vehicle while traveling to Fort Salop in Malakdinkhel area via Kohi Bazaar, the Khasadar Force soldier said with a big awe, "Oh my God, they (militants) destroyed this house too, where one of my class fellows lives."
He repeated the sentence at least a dozen times.
The attack also turned some houses of his relatives and family friends into ruins.
"We saw at different places a number of buildings, including mosques and seminaries, in Dogra, Mandai Kas, Nala, Kohi Chowk, Speen Qabar and Alamgudar localities with bullet marks and big holes created by mortar shells," Sajjad Khan said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Armed Lions of Islam are now targeting civilians after security forces killed hundreds of their comrades and ended their control in parts of the country's tribal regions.
After the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. incident on December 16, a kaboom killed nearly 60 Moslems inside a mosque in Sindh. The banned groups have now adopted this new technique, its major example in Shikarpur.
The myrmidon groups are now involved in Dire Revenge attacks for their defeat in the tribal regions. With army claiming hold over 90 percent of the area, including towns of Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... and Mir Ali, there seems to be a shift in strategy by the myrmidons. The military offensives have badly damaged the capability of the gangs to challenge the government's security forces and now they have resorted to hit unarmed civilians in peaceful areas.
The Jundullah group is active in targeting Shiite Moslems. Some believe it as the same group that operated in Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... and launched attacks in Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Chairman 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) Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... on Wednesday criticised Moslem leaders, West and religious scholars for failing to take action or stand against the blasphemous publication in a French magazine.
Addressing a gathering of religious holy mans 'Ulema Mashaikh Conference' here at a local hotel, Khan started his criticism by pointing finger at his rival Mualana Fazlur Rehman, Ameer JUI-F, and then lashed out at Moslem leaders, besides flaying Western democracies.
The PTI chief even blamed rulers of the Moslem world for the publication of blasphemous caricatures in French magazine, arguing that they (Moslem leaders) should have played a role and should have stood against the sacrilegious act.
He said a small section of society was looting the whole country, adding that he had witnessed religious holy mans being "sold off" against a price.
"There is a Maulana (holy man) who conveniently fits right in with those who are looting the country," Khan said in an apparent gesture to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... .
After blaming his political rivals, Khan went on to lambaste the role of generals, lawyers, holy mans and everyone, adding that the religious scholars were not playing their effective role in uniting the nation.
He added that the holy mans should have taken a stand against oppression long ago.
The PTI chief said that Islam is spreading rapidly in Europe and that the publication of blasphemous caricatures was done to provoke Moslems and alienate them from Western society.
Khan also called for reforms in religious seminaries but he again resorted to scathing criticism of the ongoing multi-billion Metro Bus Project of PML-N government, adding that money was wasted in unnecessary projects.
"Why money is not spent to reform syllabus of seminaries and why billions are wasted in bus projects?" asked Khan.
The PTI leader ended his speech by once again trumpeting allegations of polls rigging, adding that 2013 elections were rigged and the people were deprived of their right to vote.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Terrorism-related incidents have killed nearly 100 people and injured almost same number of people, in 16 kabooms across Pakistain in the first month of the New Year.
The number of kabooms dropped, due to the on-going military operation against the bandidosbully boyz in northwest restive tribal region of the country, according to official figures and media reports.
Out of the total 16 kabooms, two were of suicide nature that killed at least 61 people and injured 53 others, at two different areas of the country. According to the figures, the number of killings in kabooms in January 2015 was almost nine times higher than the causalities occurred in December in 2014.
The month-on-month basis comparison showed that the number of killings in bomb kabooms in January 2015, dropped by almost 42 percent, when compared to the number of killings in the same month last year.
The worst attack of the month came on January 30, when a jacket wallahwent kaboom! his jacket amid Shia worshipers, when they were offering their Friday prayer at a mosque in Shikarpur. The attack killed at least 61 people and left 50 others injured.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid today said peace in South Asia will only arise after the resolution of Kashmire dispute.
He made his remarks on the occasion of Kashmire Solidarity Day, which was attended by leaders from various political parties. Rashid said that India should fulfill its obligations regarding Kashmire if India desires a seat at the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... Security Council.
He said that solving this major issue would bring prosperity, adding that it would also help in fighting poverty and illiteracy.
Pakistain will continue to extend diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Kashmire in their struggle, he added. Tens of thousands of people have died in the disputed area for Kashmire's independence.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
You know what Kashmir needs? Paleostinians, to make the situation a TOTAL clusterf*ck
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/02/2015 13:10 Comments ||
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Baghdad -- Iraq has taken delivery of a new batch of Mil Mi-28NE ‘Havoc’ (Night Hunter) attack helicopters, as well as additional Mil Mi-35M ‘Hind’ assault helicopters, as stated by the Ministry of Defense.
The helicopters arrived in-country aboard Antonov An-124 ‘Condor’ transport aircraft.
Iraq has some money to spend. Wonder why they can't buy American helicopters?
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
An existing Russian contract, perhaps not too unlike the NASA's Russian booster rocket or existing nuclear R&D and construction contracts with Iran. Washington putting people to work in the other Red States.
#3
I would agree that in the hands of the Iraqis, Russian equipment makes more sense.
The Russian stuff is designed for harsh conditions and lousy maintenance, dirt, rocks, mud, and indifference. The US made stuff actually needs a real mechanic while the Russian stuff could be maintained by a 5-year old with a can opener and a good supply of duct tape.
Baghdad - Iraq’s prime minister blamed “criminals” on Saturday for alleged mass executions, following reports that dozens of civilians were killed by Shia militias in Diyala province.
“It’s not permitted for people to take the law into their own hands and punish others whenever they want to settle scores,” Haider Al Abadi told a gathering of Sunni and Shia religious and political leaders in Baghdad.
This is the acid test for Abadi: if he isn't even-handed about this the various Sunni tribes simply won't cooperate with the government to drive out ISIS, and the war will be lost.
Abadi, a moderate Shia who has sought reconciliation between Sunnis and Shias, had called on Wednesday for an investigation into accusations that Shia militias systematically executed at least 72 people in the village of Barwanah.
Accusations of such mass atrocities by Shia militias threaten to undermine Abadi’s efforts to win Sunni support to battle Daesh militants, which grabbed large parts of northern and western Iraq last year.
“Those who commit killings and aggressions on sanctities, set fire to people’s homes and assault their souls and properties in areas liberated from Daesh - those (acts) are no less dangerous than terrorism,” Abadi said.
Shia militias took the lead in battling the militants and keeping it from overrunning Baghdad after the Iraqi army nearly collapsed last summer. But their role has been controversial, with Sunni civilians complaining militia elements have been killing and displacing them in what they claim is a policy of collective punishment.
Abadi said those responsible for the Barwanah killings were driving some Sunni Iraqis into the arms of Daesh. “These are outlaw criminals implementing their own agendas to divide Iraqis,” he said.
Other political and religious leaders, including Iraq’s most powerful Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, have echoed Abadi’s call for an investigation, and the United Nations has also supported a probe.
“The government must investigate the alleged attacks on civilians in the areas where operations took place,” Sistani’s aide Ahmed Al Safi said in a sermon.
However, some were sceptical an investigation would be meaningful. “What happened in Barwanah has happened in many areas and it will happen again. Daesh will do it, militias will do it,” said independent Sunni lawmaker Mithal Al Alusi.
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02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has become a necessity for Iran to enhance its powerbase in the West Bank.
Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi said Saturday that Iran must try to increase its military power in the West Bank as well as the Gazoo Strip in order to contain Israel inside the occupied territories.
"We must contain Israel ... so that it never dares to speak about a missile attack on Iran, we must reinforce our power in the West Bank and Gazoo," said Masjedi, who serves as top advisor to commander of IRGC Quds Force.
The high-ranking commander urged the Paleostinian movements inside the West Bank to stop negotiating with Israelis and instead, engage in armed resistance against the Tel Aviv regime.
"The Paleostine Liberation Organization must know that what brings them victory is not political negotiation but only resistance and (military) power, and this is what Hezbollah and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, have been doing," Masjedi said while addressing a conference in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
Hezbollah attack just the beginning
The Iranian commander also elaborated on the recent retaliatory attack by Hezbollah fighters in south Leb which killed two Israeli soldiers and left nine more injured. The attack was in response to Israel's killing of six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian commander on January 18 in the Syrian Golan Heights.
Masjedi described Hezbollah as a "powerful" and "wise" organization which never makes any uncalculated, hasty decision.
He said Israelis call Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah as the "honest man," meaning that they trust his words when he warns about retaliation.
"Hezbollah's recent action was not the ultimate response to the Zionist regime," he warned the Israelis.
Commenting on Iran's assistance to Hezbollah, the commander said Iran's support has enabled the resistance group defend itself against the Israelis.
"Hezbollah ... has gained the power to deter the threats and make the enemy regret its acts of aggression in all forms of confrontation," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Again, in the mind of Iran + many Muslims, it is illogical for Jewish Israel to be a OWG Global Federal Union by + for itself in the ME, in Parity [let alone Superiority or Dominance] to any + all Muslim-majority "Union(s)".
Amman - Jordan remains “as committed as ever” to a US-led military coalition against the Daesh group, the kingdom’s foreign minister said on Sunday, amid heightened fears for the life of a Jordanian fighter pilot held by the militants.
Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh spoke a day after another Daesh hostage, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, was purportedly beheaded by the militants. The fate of the two captives had been linked but a video of Goto’s purported slaying made no mention of the pilot.
The killing of 47-year-old Goto shocked Japan which until now had not been directly embroiled in the battle against extremists.
“I feel indignation over this immoral and heinous act of terrorism,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In a phone call with Abe, Jordan’s King Abdullah II condemned the killing as a “criminal act.”
Japan responded to new threats from the militants by ordering tighter security at airports and at Japanese facilities overseas, including embassies and schools. Japan said it would not budge from its non-military support for fighting terrorism.
How about sending some Japanese special force troops to Iraq to do some 'hunting'? 'Elk season' is upon us...
The failure to save Goto raised new concerns about the fate of the pilot, Lt. Muath Al Kaseasbeh. Jordan’s government renewed an offer Sunday to trade Sajida Al Rishawi, an Al Qaeda prisoner, for the pilot. Al Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber, faces death by hanging in Jordan for her role in a 2005 hotel attack that killed 60 people.
The Daesh group demanded her release last week, and in response Jordan offered to swap her for the pilot. But the militants didn’t say at the time if they were considering such a deal.
An audio message last week, purportedly from the militant group, only said the pilot would be killed if Al Rishawi was not released on Thursday. That deadline passed, with Al Rishawi remaining in custody, after Jordan said it cannot free her without proof that the pilot is alive.
Government spokesman Mohammed Al Momani said on Sunday that “we are still ready to hand over” Al Rishawi in return for the pilot. However, Judeh, the foreign minister, said that “so far, we have seen no proof of life, which we have been asking for.”
Al Kaseasbeh, 26, fell into the hands of the militants in December when his F-16 crashed near Raqqa, Syria. His capture has left Jordan with tough choices.
Jordan’s king has portrayed the campaign against the extremists as a battle over values. In a statement carried by the official news agency Petra on Sunday, he called for “concerted international efforts against terrorism and extremism.”
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
That deadline passed, with Al Rishawi remaining in custody, after Jordan said it cannot free her without proof that the pilot is alive.
Open source also sez that Jordan sent a message that they would execute Al Rishawi and other prisoners if the pilot was killed.
[MAGHAREBIA] The leader 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.... (ISIS) is turning his attention to Maghreb youth. He has a secret agenda for their role in the self-proclaimed caliphate.
In the latest message to the region, His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ...formerly merely the head of ISIL and a veteran of the Bagram jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us... on January 20th called on "brothers everywhere, be they in Libya, Mali, or Algeria, to pledge allegiance to the state of the caliphate and to travel and become part of its society." Only three days earlier, the Daesh leader addressed African youth, especially those in Tunisia and Morocco, to immigrate to the Islamic State in Libya.
But if these recruits knew what ISIS really planned to do with them, they would never leave home. Rights groups confirm that Daesh treats young African men as slaves, using them for suicide operations and killing those who dare to disobey or leave.
Those who make it out recount a series of disappointments. Those who don't end up dead.
One of them was a youth identified on jihadist websites only as Abu Ibrahim al-Tounsi. He was sent by ISIS on one-way mission, with no way out other than death. He was killed Tuesday (January 28th) while attacking 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... 's Corinthia Hotel.
Young recruits are seen as disposable by the Islamic State, whether in the Libyan capital or the Syrian border town of Kobani, known as Ain al-Arab.
ISIS is ready to let them die, even when the deaths achieve nothing. For example, the Tunisian youth and the four others who attacked the Tripoli hotel ended up killing as many Libyans as foreigners. And the Islamic State kept sending young recruits into Kobani to die, even when it was clear that the citizens would soon reclaim their town.
So what leads prompts youths as young as 15 to leave home and die for these groups?
Desperation, says Said Charki, a teacher in Beni Mellal.
"It's either a way out of poverty for the poor, who are attracted by terrorist propaganda claiming high salaries, spoils and financial gains, or else it's for engagement in jihad, or a way out of monotony and boredom," he says.
"ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups focus on certain categories of youths whose social and psychological conditions make them more willing," he adds. "They focus on marginalised neighbourhoods, poor families and sons of immigrants in European countries who face identity and integration problems."
Shock sets in from the very first moment the youths start their journey. Nothing is like what they were promised by local recruiters, or what they saw online through social media sites.
"Under bombardment and bullets, there is no room for anything but discipline and obedience to strict orders from warlords," Charki adds.
Chilling policy on newcomers
The journey to ISIS starts with disobedience of parents, although Islam speaks highly of filial duty. In many cases, young people find themselves forced to rob their own parents to afford their travel expenses.
An internal report prepared by the Islamic State Shura Council in Iraq talks about what happens to the money once the young recruit arrives.
"As soon as the brother reaches the border group, he is asked about the money and items he has in his possession," the report leaked last September says. "They take much of that money and items under the pretext of holding them as deposits for him, that brothers will meet all his needs, and that there is no need to carry money. He is forced to hand over all that he has."
"When the brother mujahid enters the land of jihad, a series of shocks starts," the report continues. "The new brothers are moved from one resting house to another, from a tent to another in the desert, and are handed from one brother to another. They spend at least a week in this condition under the pretext that there is no one to take responsibility for their hand-over."
Even for those who try to get out, it may prove impossible. Hundreds of cases have been documented in recent weeks showing that ISIS killed its own fighters, from different nationalities, just because they wanted to quit.
According to Abdelmajid Hachadi, a journalist who specialises in terrorism cases, a number of families in the Moroccan towns of Al-Hoceima and Beni Mellal received calls from their sons trying to get out of Syria and return home.
So it came as a surprise when they suddenly heard that the youths had been killed in suicide operations or in battle. "ISIS is behaving like any other criminal outlawed gang," Hachadi tells Magharebia. "It can't allow any of its elements to simply withdraw because they will carry the group's secrets. ISIS prefers to liquidate its men rather than allow them to leave."
ISIS devalues Maghreb youth
For the young people who enter Syria to fight with ISIS, Suqoor al-Ezz, Jabhat al-Nusra ...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant... , Ahrar al-Sham ...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014... , or Sham al-Islam, the journey to foreign jihad is the easy part.
As soon as they arrive, however, they discover that they're just cannon fodder in a war that has nothing to do with them.
To the Islamic State warlords, Moroccans, Tunisians and Libyans have no use except as jacket wallahs: "animals that carry explosives on their backs", Mohannad al-Saudi told Ozak daily.
Al-Saudi managed to escape after he discovered the reality.
Young recruits are sent to camps, but receive no weapons or military training. They have a different task.
ISIS differentiates between two types of men: fighters, who are mostly Iraqis from local tribes, and suicide bombers, who are mostly Maghreb and European citizens.
The Shura Council report even talks about blowing up suicide bombers in empty spaces, with no purpose other than to get rid of them when they become a nuisance, or to show the central leadership how the brigade is keeping busy.
Nowhere to turn
"Most of the deceived youths in Syria want to return, and some have even started negotiations with the Moroccan authorities to arrange for their return home," notes Moroccan researcher Mountacir Zian, director-general of the Mediterranean Company for Analysis and Strategic Intelligence (CMAIS).
"However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... we in Morocco can't simply allow them to return without first putting them on trial," he says. "Many of them participated in murders, and have to be held accountable for their acts, even though they were committed outside Morocco."
"We also don't know whether their repentance is real or not," the analyst tells Magharebia. "We just saw in La Belle France how two young men who received training at al-Qaeda camps returned to normal life in their country, only to carry out a massacre."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/02/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
ISIS Hell? Red Burkas down below?
Steal from parents... You can check in but can't leave? Usually end up dead? (Shaking head)
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