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(2) Beyond mendacity, there is liberal paternalism, of which these forced cancellations are a classic case. We canceled your plan, explained Jay Carney, because it was substandard. We have a better idea.
Translation: Sure, you freely chose the policy, paid for the policy, renewed the policy, liked the policy. But you're too primitive to know what you need. We do. Your policy is canceled.
Because what you really need is what our experts have determined must be in every plan. So a couple in their 60s must buy maternity care. A teetotaler must buy substance abuse treatment. And a healthy 28-year-old with perfectly appropriate catastrophic insurance must pay for bells and whistles for which he has no use.
It's Halloween. There is a knock at your door. You hear: "We're the government and we're here to help."
You hide.
As for subterfuge, these required bells and whistles aren't just there to festoon the health care Christmas tree with voter-pleasing freebies. The planners knew all along that if you force insurance buyers to overpay for stuff they don't need, that money can subsidize other people.
ObamaCare is the largest transfer of wealth in recent American history. But you can't say that openly lest you lose elections. So you do it by subterfuge: hidden taxes, penalties, mandates and coverage requirements that yield a surplus of overpayments.
So that your president can promise to cover 30 million uninsured without costing the government a dime. Which from the beginning was the biggest falsehood of them all. And yet the free lunch is the essence of modern liberalism. Free mammograms, free preventative care, free contraceptives for Sandra Fluke. Come and get it.
And then when you find your policy canceled, your premium raised and your deductible outrageously increased, you've learned the real meaning of "free" in the liberal lexicon: something paid for by your neighbor -- best, by subterfuge.
(CBS News) WASHINGTON - For 31 days now, the Obama administration has been telling us that Americans by the millions are visiting the new health insurance website, despite all its problems.
But no one in the administration has been willing to tell us how many policies have been purchased, and this may be the reason: CBS News has learned enrollments got off to an incredibly slow start.
Early enrollment figures are contained in notes from twice-a-day "war room" meetings convened within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after the website failed on Oct. 1. They were turned over in response to a document request from the House Oversight Committee.
The website launched on a Tuesday. Publicly, the government said there were 4.7 million unique visits in the first 24 hours. But at a meeting Wednesday morning, the war room notes say "six enrollments have occurred so far."
They were with BlueCross BlueShield North Carolina and Kansas City, CareSource and Healthcare Service Corporation.
By Wednesday afternoon, enrollments were up to "approximately 100." By the end of Wednesday, the notes reflect "248 enrollments" nationwide.
The health care exchanges need to average 39,000 enrollees a day to meet the goal of seven million by March 1. The war room notes give a glimpse into some of the reasons customers had problems:
The notes leave no doubt that some enrollment figures, which the administration has chosen to keep secret, are available.
"Statistics coming in," said notes from the very first meeting the morning of Oct. 2. Contractor "QSSI has a daily dashboard created every night."
But head of CMS Marilyn Tavenner would not disclose any figures when Rep. Dave Camp, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked earlier this week.
"Chairman Camp, we will have those numbers available in mid-November," she said.
Health and Human Services told CBS News Thursday it's in no position to confirm or discuss enrollment figures because it doesn't have any. A spokesman suggested the numbers obtained by CBS News may not include all the different ways to enroll, such as paper applications. The spokesman also said that enrollment figures in Massachusetts' health care plan started off negligible but then skyrocketed as a deadline neared.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/31/2013 20:52
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#2
Masked from public view, two of the U.S. militaryÂ’s elite special operations commandos have been awarded medals for bravery
"For his heroism, Captain McGonagle a year later received the nation's highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The citation that accompanied the medal gave him a well deserved salute: '[McGonagle] with full knowledge of the seriousness of his wounds, subordinated his own welfare to the safety and survival of his command.... Despite continuous exposure to fire, he maneuvered his ship, directed its defense, supervised the control of flooding and fire, and saw to the care of the casualties....He [later] refused much-needed medical attention until convinced that the seriously wounded among his crew had been treated....'
Breaking with time-honored tradition, the President of the United States took no personal part in the presentation ceremony... the medal was given to McGonagle by the Navy secretary in an unpublicized ceremony at the obscure Washington Navy Yard." - Ibid.
When journalists asked previous failed Arab regimes about their reason for not implementing democracy or allowing freedom of speech, their response was always that the Arabs were not ready yet for full democracy. ThatÂ’s their story and theyÂ’re sticking to it.
...Many now believe that the previous regimes were right to say that the Arabs are not ready for democracy and freedom, with many believing that their old forms of government were much better, despite their corruption because they provided security and control from the Islamists, militants and gangs that trade in all vices. Despite the corruption production rates were better, foreign investments flowed, tourism was stable, and that yesterday was much better than today.
There is a total fear of tomorrow and wishes to turn back the clock. As it turn out, the worst thing about the Arab Spring, is the Arabs themselves.
#1
The worst thing is, Nobody's paying attention to this backward, repressed clique, and won't.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/31/2013 18:40
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#2
Democracy and freedom are NOT a way of government that can be imposed from above.
Western success is based on a belief in individualism, rights and responsibilities imbued with the values of Judeo-Christian religion. Until individuals are free to decide their own pursuit of happiness with their own life and liberty anything is just tyranny in a pretty dress.
Islam is totally inconsistent with individualism and liberty, so, no Muslim country can support democracy and freedom.
...Another security official said that the attack occurred in the Syrian port city of Latakia and that the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the attack.
No real info there...
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain ||
10/31/2013
16:25 ||
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#1
No soup SA-125s for you!
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/31/2013 21:00
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JPost says they were SA-8s intended to be transferred to Hezb'allah
"Obama administration official confirms to CNN that Israel attacked missiles and equipment it felt might be transferred to Hezbollah; Al-Arabiya reports Israel destroyed SA-8 missiles in Damascus and Latakia."
sooooo helpful the WH jumped in to confirm it?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/31/2013 21:14
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h/t Instapundit
The criticism of Forbes dropping Barack Obama to the number two spot behind Vladimir Putin as the most powerful man in the world misses two big points.
One is confusing the power of the U.S. with the power of our President. The U.S. is many times larger economically and militarily than Russia. ThereÂ’s no disputing that. Our survey was a ranking of people, not countries or companies.
The second and far bigger point is that Barack Obama is weak internationally by choice. At home heÂ’s amassing immense, unprecedented powers over the economy. If Congress wonÂ’t pass one of his desired pieces of legislation, heÂ’ll try to achieve his ends through decrees, a.k.a. executive orders, or unprecedented and sweeping regulatory rulings. The niceties of the law have never stopped this White House from doing what it desires. The Obama Administration routinely ignores adverse court rulings.
#7
Nope, Obumble rides that girls eunuch bike. The one that's not really a mountain bike and certainly not a road bike, eunuch riding and eunuch bike.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/31/2013 17:44
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#8
Obama is an abject failure with respect to foreign policy. He has no respect and is a laughingstock of our adversaries and our (I think) allies.
So he is putting all his energy into total control domestically. He has a water bucket carrying Senate of Democrats and a bunch of wuss repubs, except for a select few. Nature abhors a vacuum, so O fills the suck.
And there is my anal-y-sis.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/31/2013 18:29
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Unclear who is behind the attack on base located in stronghold of Assad's Alawites, but Syrian, Lebanese media accuse Israel; Lebanese media reports IAF planes flew over southern Lebanon on Wednesday night.
#1
Air base or air defense base? Why would either one have a bunch of anti-tank missiles?
If it were AT missiles as targets, who's got tanks to worry about? IDF. OTOH, in 2006, the paleos had enough AT missiles to use them as anti-personnel weapons, at least at strong points or groups of IDF soldiers.
Rebels don't have tanks.
IOW, not much beef to this report.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
10/31/2013 7:06
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#2
If the IDF made this strike I suspect that there were more than just rpg's on site. Or perhaps it was defending a "target of interest" to the IDF.
If I read the article correctly--if it's written correctly--the AT weapons involved seem to be the guided type. Like a TOW, possibly even a Javelin.
A pile of those would be more interesting than a pile of RPGs.
'course, the question is whether the article got the details right.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
10/31/2013 11:31
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#4
"Channel 2 reports attack's target were S-125 surface-to-air missiles. ... Satellite images of the area obtained by Channel 2 show the Russian-made Neva missiles, as well as a SA-3 missile battery, that also includes a command center with a radar to track the missiles' targets and broadcasting anthenas to track the missiles as they are launched. The missiles have a range of 35km. and a 70k. warhead."
#7
These things happen. No big deal. Best to worry about the coming reduction to FOOD stamps. 16 meals a month lost... o' heartless, o' me, o' myo, gonna have great fun on the buyYo.... wait, wrong blog, sorry.
Probably not terrorism related. More likely gang/crime related. But illustrates how terrorist expertise spreads into run-of the-mill crime. BTW every Australian state has an area like Australind where bogan dole bludgers live. Cheap, fairly nice and distant from employment opportunities.
A large haul of highly volatile TATP - the substance used in the London terrorist bombings in 2005 - was found by a member of the public at the Leschenault Estuary near Australind on Tuesday. It had to be destroyed by bomb squad officers in the Perth CBD on Wednesday.
On Thursday, as divers scoured the estuary for further explosives or signs of how they got there, West Australian police revealed they had found a second item of interest.
"WA Police have located and are examining a second object in the Leschenault Estuary. No further details available at this time," they tweeted.
According to reports from the scene, the exclusion zone at the estuary has been widened to one kilometre. Senior police said on Wednesday that nothing was being ruled out in determining what the explosives could have been intended for, including a terrorist attack.
After initially believing the chemicals were drug-making ingredients, police transported them from the estuary to Perth. But after realising their error, a major operation was launched. The explosives were delicately transported in an armoured vehicle from police headquarters to the Gloucester Park racetrack, where they were buried and detonated. Quite close to where I live, but I didn't hear the boom.
It was done over five trips to reduce the volume of the highly volatile powdery substance being moved in one hit. Or disposed of in one big bang.
State security officers, Jeez, I didn't know we had State security officers. Sounds Orwellian or Stalinesque to me. Probably just cops and the media jazzed it up to earn their bucks.
chemical experts and major crime squad personnel are probing the case at state command centre premises last used during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2011.
Police are expected to hold a media briefing later on Thursday.
TATP is a crystalline explosive that can be manufactured from household ingredients and is known as "Mother of Satan".
It's believed several kilograms of the chemical was found at Australind - a substantial amount given each of the explosives in the London bombings weighed at least 2.5kg.
Of no interest to Americans, but it irritates the sh1t out of us that people in the East can't get the name of our state correct, in a country that only has 6 states.
The state is called Western Australia, and the police force is called the Western Australian police.
#2
SO why doesn't the police think it is more gang related than terror related. After all, Australia has been pretty vocal in their opposition to terrorism.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
10/31/2013 11:57
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#3
Seems like an awful lot of boom for generic criminality. And rather volatile stuff for your run-of-the-mill idiot minions to be handling. Easier to steal some dynamite if you want to blow up a rival's restaurant or taxi stand.
#4
A very unstable substance susceptible to heat, friction and shock. Maybe the problem will take care of itself. If not, the Aussies can feed the culprits, when caught, to the saltwater crocs.
[An Nahar] A military examining magistrate issued on Wednesday arrest warrants against a Lebanese and a Turkish national for preparing cars rigged with explosives to detonate them in different areas of Leb, including Beirut's southern suburbs.
Mohammed al-Atrash, who is a minor, and Turkish citizen Mohammed Sabaheddine Ozdelmir have been in jug for preparing the booby-trapped cars and parking them in different residential areas for the purpose of blowing them up.
One of the explosives-rigged vehicles has been found this month in al-Maamoura district of Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah stronghold.
The explosives were defused before the suspects were able to blow up the car.
Judge Fadi Sawan issued the warrants against them in addition to four other runaways from al-Atrash family.
The identities of the rest of the 14-member network are not known but they include an Iraqi explosives expert known as Abu Abdullah. The remaining members are Syrians.
Al-Atrash and Ozdelmir, whose mother is Lebanese, have admitted during their questioning that Omar al-Atrash was part of the terrorist cell.
Al-Atrash, a resident of the northeastern border town of Arsal, was killed when his car went kaboom! earlier this month.
Arsal residents were quick to bury him after claiming that he was killed in a rocket attack on his vehicle in an area that separates Arsal and the Syrian border.
Security forces had raised doubt about the claim. Sources had said that the residents prevented police from examining al-Atrash's body or open a probe into his murder.
They said al-Atrash likely died when the booby-trapped vehicle that he was driving accidentally went kaboom!.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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[Dawn] Three suspected snuffies have been killed in a US drone strike in 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... Bazaar in North Wazoo Agency late Wednesday night.
Sources said that three people were also injured and that the number of casualties is likely to increase.
This is the first drone strike following Pak Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's visit to the United States and his meeting with President Barack Obama Because I won... .
Official intelligence sources said that the drone fired two missiles on a compound in Zafar Town area near Miranshah Bazaar, the agency headquarters of the the North Waziristan Agency.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
SO, whose grandmother did we kill this time?
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
10/31/2013 11:25
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[An Nahar] Islamists fired shells on Wednesday towards airport in Gao, Mali's second-largest city, but did not cause any casualties, a source from the Malian army headquarters said.
"The Islamists fired shells towards the airport in Gao" where French and Malian soldiers are stationed, the source said.
There were no victims and the situation had been brought under control, the source added, as French army helicopters were dispatched to chase the myrmidons.
The attack is just the latest to hit Mali's north in recent weeks in the aftermath of a French military intervention in January to oust gangs linked to al-Qaeda that had occupied the vast desert north for the previous nine months.
Under heavy attack in the cities of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, the Islamists retreated into the desert and the cover of the Ifoghas mountains.
But the fragile peace did not last, and on September 28 the Death Eaters resumed their deadly insurgency, killing a dozen civilians and U.N. peacekeepers across the north in three weeks.
Jihadists maimed two civilians and killed a Malian soldier when they blew up a bridge and fired rockets on Gao in October.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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[An Nahar] The U.N. Security Council will soon agree to authorize 4,000 more troops to boost the African force battling resurgent Shabaab rebels in Somalia, diplomats said Wednesday.
The council is likely to allow a new upper limit of about 22,000 troops for the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... force amid mounting warnings over the Shabaab krazed killer threat after the Nairobi shopping mall attack last month.
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the council that advances made by the African force with the Somali army had "ground to a halt" because it lacked a sufficient number of troops.
The AU force, officially known as AMISOM, and the Somali army have pushed the fighters out of the capital Mogadishu and other major cities over the past 18 months.
But the Shabaab have regrouped and staged spectacular attacks, such as the Westgate Mall strike in Nairobi on September 17 in which 67 people died.
Suicide bombers have also inflicted major casualties in Mogadishu.
Shabaab "is mobile and is training and recruiting substantial numbers of frustrated, unemployed young men," Eliasson told a Security Council meeting on Somalia and efforts to support the country's interim government.
Eliasson reaffirmed a call by U.N. leader the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... and the African Union for "a significant temporary boost" to AMISOM's numbers.
The African Union has said it needs an extra 2,550 infantry troops and 1,800 support forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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The exiled leader of China's Uighur community has called for an international investigation into an incident in which a car plowed into pedestrians in Beijing, after Chinese authorities arrested five suspected Uighurs for the attack.
The SUV vehicle burst into flames after being driven into a crowd on Tiananmen Square on Monday. The three occupants and two bystanders were killed, and dozens were wounded. Police called it a terrorist attack.
Rebiya Kadeer, president of the Munich-based World Uighur Congress, said the attack was tragic but was equivocal on whether Uighurs had carried it out.
Kadeer warned against accepting at face value China's account of the incident. She said, "Chinese claims simply cannot be accepted as facts without an independent and international investigation of what took place in Beijing on Monday."
Asked whether she believed Uighurs were responsible, Kadeer replied, "Maybe and maybe not. It is difficult to tell at the moment, given the strict control of information by the Chinese government on this tragic incident.
"If the Uighurs did it, I believe they did it out of desperation because there is no channel for the Uighur people to seek redress for any kind of injustice they had suffered under Chinese rule."
Kadeer added, "I don't believe there is any kind of organized extremist Islamic movement operating in East Turkestan. It is almost impossible for Uighurs to organize because of China's stringent controls and attacks."
Communist militants have turned their fury on hundreds of pigs at a farm in the southern Philippines. About 50 fighters of the New People's Army (NPA) attacked the pig farm in the town of Libona on Mindanao, said local military spokesman Captain Christian Uy.
Uy said they set fire to a feed storehouse then attacked the area where about 560 pigs were kept. He said, "They burned some pigs and hacked others to death. About 50 pigs were killed while the rest were injured and are now being treated by veterinarians."
The spokesman said the attack may have been prompted by the farm's failure to meet extortion demands by the militants. He said, "They saw that the assets of the company are the live pigs so that is what they tried to destroy."
[Al Ahram] Plans to build 1,500 settler homes in east Jerusalem followed Israel's newest concession to free 21 prisoners to the West Bank and another five to the Gaza Strip; Palestinians threaten to break up talks
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
You know if you build enough "settlements" eventually the Palestinians will be surrounded and crowded out and maybe they will see the wonderful opportunity of life in Brazil.
Settlements solve the problem by encouraging the problem to go live on the Orinoco.
[An Nahar] Tunisian security forces nabbed ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... five Salafist "terrorists" implicated in two failed attacks on Wednesday in resort towns on Tunisia's eastern coast, the interior ministry announced.
"The interior ministry's special forces have arrested five gunnies with direct links to the assailants who tried to carry out simultaneous terrorist attacks in Sousse and Monastir," a statement said.
Ministry front man Mohammed Ali Laroui said those behind the attacks belonged to Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Tunisia and Yemen, with the Tunisian version currently most active... , Tunisia's main Salafist movement, which the authorities have designated a "terrorist organization" with ties to al-Qaeda.
He did not specify whether the 18-year-old man enjugged Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! on Wednesday morning as he was trying to carry out a suicide kaboom at the tomb of former president Habib Bourguiba in Monastir was among the five arrested.
Police also seized "a large quantity of explosives" in a clifftop house near the marina in the resort town, according to local radio station Shems FM.
And police were sweeping the area looking for an accomplice to the would-be bomber.
In addition to the thwarted attack in Monastir, a suspected jihadist went kaboom! on a beach in Sousse after guards chased him from a hotel when he tried to enter through a back door.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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William Schulte, Research Associate, and Michael A. Weinstein, Professor, Department of Political Science, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN
What a difference a year makes for the Federal Government of Somalia (F.G.S.) when it comes to its political status as a would-be “permanent” government presiding over the territories of post-independence Somalia.
Back in the autumn of 2012, newly birthed prematurely through a Caesarian section performed by the “donor”-powers/U.N., the fledgling F.G.S. had the highest of hopes for shaping and controlling the process of forming interim regional governments in south-central Somalia that would prepare for the institution of the regional states envisioned in the incomplete federal constitution. The F.G.S. would, according to its ambitious plan, appoint regional governors and superintend a process in which the clan-based factions within regions would reconcile and determine their boundaries through consultation and federal parliamentary action.
A year later, the F.G.S.Â’s plans lie dashed on the harsh ground strewn with factional fragments, each with its own plans for autonomy from the F.G.S. in its corner of south-central. The F.G.S. has failed to gain control over the process of forming regional states. Initiatives of state-formation have emerged in key south-central regions independently of F.G.S. inspiration. The F.G.S. faces a situation in which regional state-formation has been stalemated. The familiar phenomenon of Somali political stasis has set in with no end in sight.
Much more at the link with an accounting of the failures of the Somali federal government in the southern regions. Worth the read if you just gotta know all about that part of the world.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/31/2013
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[Al Ahram] Mozambique's president insisted Wednesday that violent festivities with armed rebels did not spell a slide back to brutal civil war, insisting the energy-rich nation remains a safe bet for investors.
"I do not think, and that is a strong 'no'... that we are going back to war," Armando Guebuza told AFP in an exclusive interview, amid the worst political violence the country has seen since its brutal 16-year civil war ended in 1992.
That conflict -- which pitted Guebuza's Frelimo liberation movement against anti-Communist Renamo rebels -- led to the deaths of an estimated one million people and made Mozambique a byword for internecine bloodshed.
Since then the country has boomed, amid a coal and gas bonanza and as the warring factions shifted their battle to the ballot box.
But as Renamo's power has waned its leader Afonso Dhlakama retreated to the bush, vowing reprisals if the country's economic windfall is not shared.
A series of tit-for-tat attacks between his supporters and the government led the military to launch a sustained assault on his bases beginning on 21 October.
Since then Renamo has declared a two-decade peace deal null and void and gunnies have launched attacks on the country's main highway.
But Guebuza, 70, said the festivities were restricted to a certain area and were short-term.
"I don't think there is a problem in the medium and long term and we are doing our best to stop it as soon as possible," he said, speaking in the central-western town Chimoio.
"Things that are happening are localised, and we know where it is happening."
Guebuza personally blamed his old civil war rival Dhlakama for the simmering conflict that has rocked the centre of the country where most coal and gas companies are based.
"Apparently he sees himself as a loser and uses whatever remains of his forces to try to prove that he can impose on the government his own decisions," Guebuza said.
Dhlakama fled when his base in the central Gorongosa mountains fell to the Frelimo government's forces. His location is unknown.
Guebuza insisted the renewed violence would not harm investment.
"There are many people that are investing even today as the situation continues."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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[Al Ahram] The United States is aiming to help the Iraqi government battle an increasing threat from Al-Qaeda linked terror groups with military sales and intelligence sharing, a US official said Wednesday. "We do want to help the Iraqis develop the capability to target these networks effectively and precisely," the bigwig said, after a two-hour meeting between US 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... and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
Biden plans to order NASA to put giant lasers on the space station to project target patterns all over Iraq!
#3
Not much insurance in my book. Joe understands that a Congress that can take out his boss can take him out too. Joe would be more likely to 'compromise' and 'negotiate' usually with Sen Reid doing the proctology examination on his sock puppet.
#4
Of course, if the Obama Administration had been competent enough to develop a status of forces agreement, this would probably not be necessary; and there might not be any Iranian flights over Iraq!
#5
I know that as the owner and client of the tee party, Barry is a bit busy right now, but does Kerry the Longjowls have a promissary not in place preventing the distribution of arms as a promise to the UN? Including Syria, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand, Phillipines, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Morrocco, shit out of typing fluid.
The point, if there is not guarantee of weapons falling into the hands of the mentally ill..such as Denver Boy Blunder...then the wholesale export of arms to known islamists should also be denied. You know, Constitutional Lawyer type thoughtpatternamamathings.
Mr. Maliki, I have not always agreed with you. Not going to the mat to keep US trainers upping your forces now has chickens in the roost. That Biden is on your assignment should tell you what you need to know, and good luck to ya.
[Al Ahram] Education authority in Siberia issues warning against celebrating Halloween in an extreme manner because of its 'mystical content and propaganda of the cult of death'
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#2
Siberian officials ban 'extremist' Halloween parties
...soon to followed by American school principals when they get wind some of the little darlings plan to show up dressed as Paul Revere and the Raiders. /sarc off
[Dawn] A syndicate of the mainstream political parties on Tuesday called upon the government and the Taliban to declare ceasefire without delay to pave the way for peace talks.
At the same time, the 22-member All Parties Joint Action Committee for Peace demanded that the government quit the US-led war on terrorism and check the US drone attacks in the country's tribal areas.
The demands were made during a meeting of the committee here on Tuesday at Al-Markaz-e-Islami, provincial secretariat of Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , to discuss implementation of the decisions of the recent all parties conference organised by JI in 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. , according to a news release issued here.
Two factions of Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... , Pakistain Mohammedan League-Quaid, Awami National Party, Pakistain People's Party and other political groups are members of the committee. However, corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... PML-N declined to be part of the committee.
The participants made JI provincial deputy chief Dr Iqbal Khalil the committee's convener and agreed to hold a 'peace march' in Peshawar after Muharram 10.
Representatives of political parties and civil society will participate in the march.
The committee adopted a resolution to demand expulsion of foreign forces of Evil from Fata if any and hold an inquiry into the secret drone strike deal.
It also demanded that the federal government begin negotiations with the Taliban forthwith and that the situation might go out of control in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... and tribal areas in case talks were delayed.
The committee decided that members of the action committee would meet Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and provincial PML-N chief Pir Sabir Shah to discuss the APC decisions.
It also expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Peshawar, especially the growing cases of extortion and kidnapping for ransom, and asked the provincial government to make a security plan for the picturesque provincial capital.The committee's next meeting will take place at the Central Secretariat of ANP on November 20.
The Jamaat-e-Islami had convened an all parties conference in Peshawar early this month, asking the federal government to announce names of the negotiating team to hold peace talks with the Taliban without further delay.
A joint declaration issued after the conference had also called upon central government to distance itself from the US-led war against terrorism in the region.
However, corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... 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), coalition partner of JI in the provincial government, and Pakistain Mohammedan League-N hadn't sent their representatives to the conference while Pakistain People's Party, Awami National Party, two factions of Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistain Mohammedan League-Q and representatives of traders associations had attended the APC.
The APC was convened to discuss the prevailing security situation in the province in the wake of a series of suicide and kabooms in Peshawar and other parts of the province.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Ask mainstream Amerika the same question again after the US gives up East Asia + roughly one-half or more of the Pacific to China + PLA in the name of Debt-luuuving Debt - you know, "GLOBALISM" + OWG "CO-SUPERPOWERS" AGENDUMS.
#3
Farmers are producing huge harvests and receiving historically high prices.
"High prices" for a while anyway. Subsidized by corn ethanol and high gasoline taxes. No discussion of fly-over country woodland clearing in order to plant more gov't corn gas. No discussion of sky-high land prices brought about by corn production..... until they planted too damn much and prices SLUMPED!
#5
Ouch! Hanson nails it again. Is there some category or designation less than a "virtual President?" I'd vote for that description of this presidency. By all measures this president is an abject failure; an affirmative action president that 1/2 the electorate elected. They did it for several reasons: 1. to salve their liberal consciences, 2. a young uninformed idealistic and zealous voter who bought into the snake-oil this president was selling, 3. by an electorate that wanted stuff that someone else was going to pay for, or 4. a part of the population that wanted payback for perceived wrongs. Social justice was the standard. Reparations and re-distribution of wealth was and is the means of satisfying social justice standards. In any most other third world countries he would have been ousted in some manner that would not be gentle. In our country, he has not been impeached for many of the reasons Hanson cites. So, people here are hanging on just hoping that three years will go very fast and that damage will be limited because Obama's lame duck status.
#7
One definition of a bureaucracy is that if you cut off its' head, it keeps functioning.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/31/2013 13:03
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#8
"Present!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/31/2013 13:45
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#9
I was reading some of John Adams (our second President) quotes.
The consequences arising from the continual accumulation of public debts in other countries ought to admonish us to be careful to prevent their growth in our own.
Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.
I wonder how many of the quotes of our current President will be long-remembered? I don't think one can trust any of them to contain any truth?
#12
"Similar to Bush the 1st's "Read my lips, no new taxes!"
EGADS!!! How dare you talk about a Bush like that!! Don't you know that a Teabagger wannabe shall NEVER use the holy Bushs' name in vain. FOR SHAME....BAN THIS CHARLATAN!!!
#13
FWIW - a lot of conservatives stayed home on the Bush/Clinton election for just that reason. He paid for that line in lost votes and being stupid enough to buy the negotiated Donk promises of future spending cuts for taxes now for which the cuts never appeared.
#14
Was he ever? He was elected, but he has never stood up to the responsibility, accountability, and he has never respected the constitution. The next elections will be interesting as we wait and see if he relinquishes the position he holds.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/31/2013 17:47
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#12 CHARLATAN!!!
You know, I heard they got a great big book in the library all full of words and stuff, where you can look things up and see what they mean. And librarians. Wrrrrowww. Or so I've heard.
#16
Jerkface - IMHO, you will find that the generally well-educated and seasoned participants of this blog, save, in a generic sense, yourself, are quite aware of the downside of Conservatives saying stupid stuff. We acknowledge it and, mostly, vow to improve and move along, hoping to improve the bench and, thereby, our country.
Your ilk, conversely, is happy to just continue mouthing debunked platitudes and engage in ad-homonym attacks in place of reasoned discourse. Good luck with that.
We, like many in your life I am sure, are laughing at you, not with you...
Two people were killed and at least 15 wounded when two bombs exploded in the capital of Russian republic of Dagestan. The attack apparently targeted a liquor store in Makhachkala.
[An Nahar] President Barack Obama My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it... 's health secretary publicly apologized Wednesday for the rocky rollout of the U.S. health care law's new website, stressing that citizens "deserve better" from the system.
But while Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius regretted that navigating HealthCare.gov has been a "miserably frustrating experience" for many, she insisted that so-called "Obamacare" has been working well for millions of Americans.
The pointwoman for the new health care law sounded chastened about the trouble-plagued online portal through which millions are expected to register for health insurance.
"Let me say directly to these Americans: You deserve better. I apologize. I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems," Sebelius, the seniormost administration official to testify before Congress on the health care law, told a closely-watched House panel.
And when Republican congresswoman Marsha Blackburn grilled her and suggested the secretary was seeking to pawn off responsibility on contractors like Verizon, where a breakdown took the site offline last weekend, Sebelius interrupted to say she herself would take the heat.
"Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible," she said.
HealthCare.gov, which allows access to exchange marketplaces where Americans can purchase private insurance, debuted on October 1.
Committee chairman Fred Upton said he has seen little improvement in the website's performance since then, noting that his staff was "hit with an error message" even as they tried to go on the page early Wednesday.
"Sadly here we are now five weeks into enrollment and the news seems to get worse by the day," Upton said.
"After more than three years to prepare, malfunctions have become the norm."
Sebelius's appearance marked the third congressional hearing in a week addressing the faulty start to Obamacare.
Critics like Blackburn have focused on how the health care law is booting millions of people off their plans, but Sebelius countered that insurance companies routinely alter coverage in the individual market, and that people on these plans often hold them for less than a year.
And skeleton policies that do not measure up to Obamacare's rules, including not providing free mammograms or charging women 50 percent more than men, will need to be changed to conform to the law.
"If someone is buying a brand new policy... they will have consumer protections for the first time," Sebelius said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
Needs a whole lot more than a cheap apology.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/31/2013 0:36
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#2
So as a good party apparatchik (and sorry I don't know if Obama is Mao or Stalin or Castro oriented) shouldn't she be sent to a Siberian Gulag or a remote rice paddy?
#4
I do hope 'The Hammer' is right and this entire Obamacare klusterphuech takes these communist dems down the trail to long-term political destruction.
#11
Personally loving the roll out - a perfect metaphor for the entire law. If I were in charge of Obamacare and trying to destroy it from inside I could not have done a better job.
#13
If she's accountable why is she blaming everyone else?
SOP for Sebelius. During her last year at second term, she left the Kansas budgetary procedure next to the iron and went campaigning Barry Os'. She blew it off so badly that an entire week after the morning news was sounding the alarm that funding for...wait for it...teachers, police, and firefighters was literally down to the lint. She finally hopped a flight back to Topeka and attempted to raid a separate fund without Congressional approval then blamed Republicans for the illegal attempt at account raiding. They never said which account she planned to plunder, but the fallout was so rank not even the die hard Democrats had anything to do with her. After she was, uhem, promoted, the interim governor busted chops to put out the fires and to his credit did, but did not have a chance after the brand damage and against Sam Brownback.
#14
This was all on the heels of the Greensburg tornado, where she spent a few days rehearsing the progressive tale then came out and blamed BOOOOOSHH!!11 for the casualties on account of some Kansas Guards being in Iraq.
#15
They wouldn't fire her when she's only starting to get the name recognition required to deflect blame from the President. She will take heat for some time and then will resign stating partisan attacks or whatever the new strategy says. Anything but incompetance because otherwise she would never have been appointed.
#16
Great story about some people I know who traveled from Oklahoma to help dig their buddy's house out of his basement, turned around and there was the President of the United States watching, cracking jokes, especially when GW learned they were from Oklahoma :)
[Al Ahram] An Ismailiya misdemeanour court has ordered the detention of a Suez Canal University student for 15 days, pending investigations on accusations that he insulted religion, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) said.
Sherif Gaber was jugged Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! on Sunday after his university administration filed a report against him saying he formed a Facebook group for atheists.
Gaber's arrest sparked attention on social media websites. Activists created a Facebook page titled "Freedom for Sherif Gaber." A hash-tag with the same name is also active on Twitter.
Charges of insulting religion were used to target political activists during ousted president Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's era.
In December 2012, under former president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... 's rule, an Egyptian court sentenced activist Alber Saber to three years in jail for posting the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Mohammedans on his Facebook page. He was released later after paying bail.
Article 98 of Egypt's penal code says anyone convicted of offending religion in any form can face up to six years in prison.
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A new video of two young Czech women who were kidnapped in southern Pakistan seven months ago has been made public by their families. The video, released on October 30, shows Antonie Chrastecka and Hana Humpalova who were nabbed while traveling by bus through Balochistan on their way to India.
Recorded on August 23, the clip indicated the two were being held separately.
Humpalova says she is in poor health because of the food and water. The video shows her saying, "In case of my death. I would like to be buried and put down in the grave of my father's family."
Chrastecka urges the Czech government to pressure Pakistan into meeting their kidnappers' demands.
In a previous video the two Czech women said the kidnappers were demanding the release of a Pakistani national imprisoned in the United States.
[An Nahar] Three people were tossed in the calaboose Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! on Wednesday for transporting weapons from Syria into Leb, reported the National News Agency.
The Army Intelligence arrested the Lebanese suspects after discovering weapons in their van as it arrived from Syria to the Bekaa's al-Hermel region.
NNA said that the army monitored the activity of the van as it entered Leb from Syria at noon.
It soon halted the vehicle and discovered a number of grenades and light and medium weapons on board.
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[Osun Defender] A former professional footballer's head was severed and left on the doorstep of his home for his horrified wife to discover.
Brazilian footballer Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos' wife found her husband's head in a rucksack as she left their Rio de Janeiro home on Tuesday morning.
The 35-year-old's tongue and eyes had also been cut out according to police.
Mr Santos retired from the game two years ago after a career which saw him appear for several Rio teams as well as clubs in Honduras and Sweden.
Since quitting football he had started his own business selling health foods and various dietary aids.
Police believe the former footballer was attacked as he left his shop on Monday night after witnesses confirmed seeing several men forcing him into a car.
Investigators are looking into whether Mr Santos was murdered by a drugs ring due to his wife's work at a nearby military police base.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Counter-message to "If you see something say something" - "Don't see anything and don't say anything," hence the removal of eyes and tongue.
[Al Ahram] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday blasted critics of a US-Russia initiative for a peace conference on Syria, warning that toppling the Assad regime militarily posed a "huge threat" to the area.
"Open objections have surfaced against holding this Russia-US meeting (dubbed Geneva II), not only among Syrian sides but also among capitals, both in neighbouring and non-neighbouring states," Lavrov said during a visit to Athens, according to the official translation.
"We must not allow this initiative to fizzle out," he added, arguing that the overthrowing of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... 's regime through military means would create an "extremist" state and pose a "huge threat to those living in Syria and the area".
Since the start of the conflict in March 2011, Damascus has systematically branded the uprising-turned-rebellion as a foreign-backed plot.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Of course Obama backing down in the face of Russia's stance on Syria has resulted in
"Putin Topples Obama in Forbes Power Ranking".
Not unexpected, just took longer than expected.
[An Nahar] A boom-mobile intended for Egyptian troops in the Sinai went kaboom! on Wednesday without causing any injuries, security officials said.
The bomb near the north Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwayid was discovered before the planned attack.
It blew up as a bomb squad team approached the car, but did not cause any injuries, the sources said.
The sources said the military was tipped off to the bomb by a bad boylocked away Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! after trading gunfire with soldiers earlier in the day.
The military has sent armor and helicopters in the desert and mountains north of the peninsula to crush a bad boy insurgency since the army overthrew president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... in July.
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[Bangla Daily Star] An Awami League leader, who was critically injured in a kaboom by his rivals on Tuesday night in Jessore town, departed this vale of tears at a hospital yesterday morning.
The dead, Nazrul Islam, 46, was general secretary of ward-1 of AL Jessore town unit and also president of Tyre-Tube Traders Association of Jessore unit. He used to reside at City College Para in the town.
Locals said a group of criminals, led by Ripon, brother of infamous Liton alias Fingye Liton, leading a gang under his name, attacked the business establishment of Nazrul in Monihar Bus Stand area around 8:30pm and hurled three hand bombs at the AL leader, leaving him seriously injured.
Locals rushed him to Jessore Medical College Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital where Nazrul departed this vale of tears around 6:00am.
Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said members of Fingye Liton group launched the attack following a previous enmity.
Police placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! seven people in this connection, he added.
The same gang shot Nazrul last month as he protested at its extortion of money from traders.
After recovery, the AL leader at a presser disclosed the gang's illegal activities before journalists on October 3.
Fingye Liton, who has fled to Nepal, is operating his criminal activities in Jessore over the phone, locals alleged.
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[Al Ahram] Protesters stormed an administration at Al-Azhar University building after they demonstrated in support of Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... on Wednesday.
Twenty-five were tossed in the clink Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! amid festivities with security, judicial officials told Ahram Arabic news website.
According to the lawyer representing those arrested, only eight of them are Azhar students. This was confirmed by a security source, who added that many protesters had entered the campus illegally.
Security forces were allowed onto campus upon the request of the university's President, after festivities escalated in the second week of protests at the university.
Morsi supporters calling for his reinstatement stormed the administration building Wednesday and threw documents out of the windows. According to a security official quoted by state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
, protesters held the university president and some of the staff inside the building against their will.
Eye-witnesses told Ahram Online news hound at the scene that university security forces had initially used water cannons in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the protesters.
Ahram Online news hound also heard gunshots during the melee.
Both parties claimed the other side had started the festivities. Student protesters told Ahram Online they were demonstrating peacefully when security opened water cannons against them. University security denied the allegations. No, no! Certainly not! and said they had reacted to protesters hurling stones.
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[Bangla Daily Star] Terming Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... as an anti liberation force Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) today urged BNP to leave the alliance of Jamaat.
During a meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... at her Gulshan office, CPB president Mujahidul Islam Selim and BSD general secretary Khalequzzaman made the appeal to the opposition chief.
The two left leaning organizations also urged both BNP and Awami League to make compromises from their respective positions and make a fruitful dialogue for the sake of democracy.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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[Dawn] A mansion on a super-expensive street nicknamed 'Billionaire's row' has become the UK's most valuable repossession after going on the market for ÂŁ30 million.
The house, named Dryades, is located in the centre of The Bishops Avenue, a leafy street in northern London.
But the property, owned by a Pakistani political dynasty, has been seized by Deutsche Bank after a lengthy High Court battle, a report in Daily Mail's online edition said. The 8,000 square-foot home has now been put on the market by the bank for a staggering ÂŁ30m, but plans are already in motion to knock the existing house down and replace it with a giant new home.
Planning permission has been granted by Barnet Council for a 46,000square-foot replacement, which could more than triple the present value of the property.
The proposed home would boast 21 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and 12 reception rooms when completed.
It will also have an acre and a half of gardens, despite being minutes from the busiest parts of London.
The replacement for Dryades will have a staggering 63-metre frontage, and plans are in place for staff quarters, an orangery and a huge centrally-positioned staircase which is reached by walking through a grand vestibule.
Other facilities will include an underground level containing a car park, swimming pool, sauna, gym, steam room, billiards room, cinema, bar and bowling alley.
Its value could approach ÂŁ100m mark when completed - making it one of Britain's most valuable new residences.
The property was bought for around ÂŁ12m in 2005 by the family of Pakistan's former privatisation minister Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan as they looked to invest in the London property market.
In 2007 it was used to secure a ÂŁ50m loan with Deutsche Bank, but a lengthy 'debt and possession' dispute between both parties resulted in the family losing the home earlier this year.
The receivers, Eddisons, has appointed the Knight Frank estate agency to sell Dryades, with the property advertised for ÂŁ29.5m. It is currently boarded up and its gardens are unkempt.
Grant Alexson, head of Knight Frank's Hampstead office, called Dryades 'an exceptional opportunity'.
He said: "The house, which is currently quite modest, is set in 1.5acres of prime land on The Bishops Avenue.
"The value is in the planning permission. A piece of land like this is worth a lot more if you can build on it.
"It would be the largest home on The Bishops Avenue and one of the largest new homes in the UK."It is an exceptional opportunity to buy one of the finest pieces of land on The Bishops Avenue and it is likely to appeal to an international client.
"It has just come onto the market and there is already a lot of interest."
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[Al Ahram] 'I have never stolen. I am not a thief. I am the one who goes after thieves,' says Philippine President Benigno Aquino, further stating that the opposition is trying to frame him
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Police have nabbed four suspects thought to have been involved in a bomb explosion that killed three members of an explosive ordnance disposal team in Narathiwat province on Monday.
Pol Maj Gen Pattanawut Angkhanawin said Tuesday an initial investigation found the suspects were near the scene shortly after the blast. All were local residents and were still being questioned. He said, "We will free them immediately if we find they are not guilty."
Pol Col Sathan Wamasing said the Runda Kumpulan Kecil group, led by Marommueree Kajaekasor, is believed to be partially responsible for the bomb squad deaths. The group is active in Bacho district. A suspect identified as Abdulloh Ulae, who is believed to have made the bomb, is being sought by police. Mr Abdulloh had been the subject of four arrest warrants in connection with violence in the far South.
On Monday morning, deputy squad leader Pol Sub Lt Chaen Warongpaisith and squad members Pol Sub Lt Jaroon Mekruang and Pol Sgt Nimit Deewong were killed in the blast while examining a decoy device. The bomb squad had rushed to the scene following a report about a bomb planted next to Phetkasem road. After confirming the presence of a bomb, another device inside a gas cylinder buried nearby exploded, killing the three officers.
[GLOBAL.CHRISTIANPOST] A large-scale battle between Nigerian forces and Islamic hard boyz lasting over 5 hours in the state of Yobe has left 128 people dead, local sources have reported, raising questions about how much control the government has over the troubled region.
Details are still scarce about the violence that occurred late last week, but figures quoted by Nigerian military and hospitals state that 95 of the dead are bad boys, 23 are soldiers and eight others are coppers.
Other reports claim that the military suffered 35 casualties, with a hospital source sharing with AFP on Monday that the bodies were brought to a local morgue.
Islamic terrorists, largely connected to bad boy group Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... , have been waging a war on Nigeria and the country's Christians for over four years now, targeting churches, congregations, schools and government buildings. Boko Haram has openly declared that its mission is to drive out Christians from the country, and has focused many of its attacks against followers of Christ in the northern region of Nigeria, where the population is mostly Moslem.
Police and resident accounts of the Islamist raids in Yobe on Thursday and Friday noted that Boko Haram fighters stormed Nigerian security forces by foot and on vehicles, launching the attack after dark. They targeted four police buildings with guns and explosives, sparking the hours-long shootout with the military. Witnesses said that at least two civilians bit the dust in the attack.
The high death-toll in the latest incident comes nearly six months after the Nigerian government imposed a state of emergency.
"We have received lots of bodies in the last three days from the attacks. I counted 35 bodies in military uniform," said a bigwig at the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, speaking under the condition of anonymity.
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[Libya Herald] One suspected Egyptian illegal migrant was rescued and two more were found dead, as the search continued for up to 100 more individuals who were apparently abandoned in the desert by their people-smuggler escorts.
The saved Egyptian was in the desert to the south of the B11 highway between Ajdabia and Tobruk. The Egyptian foreign ministry confirmed to the Cairo-based Al-Ahram that the bodies of the two other men were found not far away.
It remains unclear if the location was near the checkpoint at Wadi Sahl, where on Sunday night, security forces spotted vehicles trying to bypass their position by moving through the desert. In the ensuing chase, one undocumented Democrat was rubbed out and 14 others were maimed when one vehicle crashed and overturned.
The search for the missing men is being coordinated through the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi and the embassy in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... . It involves many of the same team of diplomats who worked to find the kidnapped Egyptian truckers last week.
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[Bangla Daily Star] Six people were killed Tuesday in festivities between military police and a group of separatist attackers at a munitions depot in the southwestern DR Congo city of Lubumbashi, officials said.
"There were six deaths, three attackers and three soldiers," said the mayor of DR Congo's second largest city, Jean-Oscar Sanguza.
The attack was led by "separatists from the Bakata-Katanga", a group fighting for the independence of Katanga province, according to an intelligence source.
Five members of the rebel group had been locked away Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! by late afternoon on Tuesday, Sanguza said, with parts of the city shut off in an attempt to catch runaways.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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[Al Ahram] Hassan Eisa, head of Ain Shams University, announced Wednesday that a protocol is expected to be signed Thursday between the Ministry of Interior and the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) to tighten campus security nationwide.
According to Eissa, the SCU has authorised the secretary general of the council and the minister of higher education to sign the security protocol between the interior ministry, universities and the SCU.
The protocol is expected to resemble the one existing on university hospitals, which allows security forces to secure such premises, said Eissa in a press statement Wednesday.
It remains unknown whether security forces will be deployed on campuses or not.
Since the begining of the academic year in Egypt, universities have been witnessing fierce festivities between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... . As a result, tens of Islamist students have been jugged Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! .
On Wednesday, security forces were allowed into Al-Azhar University campus upon the request of the university's president, after festivities escalated in the second week of protests at the university.
According to the lawyer representing those arrested, only eight of the arrested are Azhar students.
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[An Nahar] Sporadic sniper gunshots returned to 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... on Wednesday evening and tensions surged after gunnies shot and maimed four Jabal Mohsen residents in the city despite an army security plan that had managed to end seven days of festivities on Monday.
"Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Abdullah, Nasser Mahfouz and Bilal Ali Mohsen were shot and maimed in the legs at the al-Mallouleh roundabout as they were returning from their workplaces," state-run National News Agency said. LBCI television said the three were on their way back from Beirut.
"They were rushed to hospital for treatment and the relevant authorities have launched a probe into the incident," NNA added.
A fourth Jabal Mohsen resident was shot and maimed in al-Zahriyeh area later on Wednesday, Voice of Leb radio (100.5) reported, identifying the man as Ali Hamad.
"The army closed al-Shamal road that leads to Jabal Mohsen after some residents tried to attack some passing cars in retaliation to the attack on the three young men and tensions are high in the area," the radio station reported.
For its part, Voice of Leb radio (93.3) said "sporadic sniper gunfire has returned to Tripoli's Syria Street," which separates the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. It later said that a hand grenade went kaboom! on Syria Street.
And according to VDL (100.5), the army intensified its patrols after sniper gunshots targeted Syria Street and al-Hamwi Street.
On Sunday, the army deployed in Jabal Mohsen as part of a security plan to put an end to seven days of deadly festivities in the northern city. Three soldiers were maimed on Monday as army troops deployed in Bab al-Tabbaneh.
At least 14 people were killed and more than 80 maimed in a week of festivities between the two rival neighborhoods. The fighting broke out on October 21 as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... 's appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.
The neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen have been for years witnessing deadly gunbattles, but skirmishes began to flare with increasing intensity after the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#5
Support Obama and free or low cost stuff will come your way compliments of the most radical left wing administration in the history of this country.
#7
Depending on where you live, 400k is a 2 bedroom walk up condo with street parking. Yeah the guy is a shill, but his housing arrangement is a not exceptional.
[Al Ahram] A Syrian army shelling of Damascus killed six people Wednesday and 11 others died in a rebel attack on a Alawite village in central Syria, a monitoring group said. The army targeted the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, killing "a woman, three children and two men", said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In central Damascus, several people were maimed when mortar rounds launched by rebels landed near Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... Street and in the Kassaa neighbourhood, said the Britannia-based group.
Another 11 people, including women, were killed when rebels attacked a majority Alawite village in the central province of Homs, said the Observatory.
The rebels had entered the village of Shalluh but later withdrew, said the Observatory which relies on medics and activists on the ground for its reports.
Embattled Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... belongs to the minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, while most rebels fighting to oust him are Sunni Mohammedans.
Earlier on Wednesday four people, among them two children, were killed "in an air strike" on the village of Latamneh, the group added.
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[An Nahar] Arab Democratic Party leader ex-MP Ali Eid was summoned Wednesday by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau for interrogation in the case of the deadly twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... in August, according to media reports.
"The interrogation will tackle the incident of plotting and facilitating the escape of Ahmed Merhi, one of the main suspects in the case of the Tripoli blasts," LBCI television said.
It noted that the investigation is taking place under the supervision of State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr.
Meanwhile, ...back at the argument, Livia had made her point with her knee to Jane's stomach... al-Mayadeen television said the Arab Democratic Party "denied receiving any request from the Intelligence Bureau for the interrogation of its leader in the case of the Tripoli blasts."
According to MTV, Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was tossed in the clink Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former politician.
"During the interrogation of Ahmed, it turned out that the Alawite leader had provided a hideout for Merhi in the Akkar border town of Heker al-Daheri before he was smuggled into Syria," MTV said.
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[An Nahar] The bodies of 87 migrants were found Wednesday in Niger's desert north after they died of thirst, a security sources said. The corpses of the seven men, 32 women and 48 children were in addition to five bodies of women and girls found earlier, the sources said, adding that they had been trying to emigrate to Algeria.
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MOGADISHU -- Federal Government of SomaliaÂ’s security forces have arrested fugitive former Custodial Corps Chief in Mogadishu on Wednesday according to government officials, Garowe Online reports.
Abdi Mohamed Ismael- who served as the Somali Federal Government Chief of custodial corps was previously sentenced to life in prison by the national military court after he was charged with releasing Al Shabaab fighters from Mogadishu central prison last year.
Speaking to the media in Mogadishu, head of the Somali Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Saed Ahmed Kadiye said that security agencies have been tracking Ismael and finally it was succeeded to capture him as a fugitive from MogadishuÂ’s Madina district.
“Abdi got life sentence after he began to closely work with Al Shabaab and he escaped from the country,” Kadiye said.
Ismael fled to Borame town in SomaliaÂ’s separatist region of Somaliland and Somalia Federal Government revoked his General status as he was branded as a traitor, sources said.
Despite overhauls, Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab group is said to have secret agents in Somali security agencies.
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10/31/2013
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[Bangla Daily Star] Two robbers, including the kingpin of a gang, were killed in a "shootout" with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Chandpai range of Sundarbans in Bagerhat yesterday. We haven't had any news from Bagerhat lately. I was worried. I had a Badger hat once. Went with my raccoon coat...
The dear departed are Mortuza Hossain Rana, 32, of Joymoni village and his associate Mosaref Sheikh, 30, of Ghol village under Mongla upazila. They will be missed. Actually, they weren't missed, were they?
Maj Anwarul Kabir, deputy commander of Rab-8, said a patrol team of Rab went to the east side of the Shela river on information that the robbers had kidnapped at least five fishermen for ransom. How much ransom do you get for a fisherman?
Sensing Rab presence around 7:50am, "Hark! My spider sense! It tingles!"
"Mine's been tingling ever since we got to Bagerhat!"
Mortuza, the linchpin of Mortuza Bahini (gang), and his cohorts opened fire prompting the law enforcers to return fire. "Return fire, men!"
[BANG! BANG! BANGETY BANG!]
During the shootout that continued for over half an hour Rab shot at least 300 bullets, the Major said. "We need more ammo, Sergeant Shafiq!"
"Have we hit anything yet, sir?"
"Not yet! But we will!"
Rab members recovered 15 firearms, including seven light guns, two rifles, two double-barreled rifles, one shutter gun, 27 bullets, 25 cartridges, one binoculars and Tk 19,672 from the spot. It was a pretty big spot. Well-armed, too. And they found the shutter gun...
Maj Anwarul said the Mortuza Bahini, since its formation, had been abducting fishermen, Bawali (reeds collectors) and honey collectors for ransom. I guess you need to kidnap them wholesale if you're gonna make a profit. I don't imagine bawalis and honey collectors make lakhs of taka.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
And they found the shutter gun...
So that's where I left it. I was wondering where it was.
Posted by: Green Steve ||
10/31/2013 8:28
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#2
I thought badger hats were only found in Wisconsin.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
10/31/2013 12:04
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#3
How much ransom do you get for a fisherman?
One ton of fish.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/31/2013 19:08
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[Libya Herald] The body of a bank manager, who had been held for 45 days by kidnappers demanding a LD 10 million ransom, has been found in Benghazi.
Abdallatif Zuai had been shot multiple times and his body dumped in the Guarsha district of the city.
Zuai's family said kidnappers had demanded LD 10 million for his safe release, according to the Spokesman for Benghazi Joint Security Room, Abdullah Zaidi. The ransom demand was later lowered to LD 6 million but the family were still unable to pay.
"Maybe the kidnappers thought this man had a lot of money because he was a bank manager," Zaidi told the Libya Herald.
Local security forces were apparently surprised to hear that Zuai had been snatched back in mid-September, because his family did not report the kidnapping, Zaidi said, perhaps because they were afraid.
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[Libya Herald] The management at Sharara oil field closed it yesterday evening because of security concerns after a number of locals from the nearby town of Obari staged a protest inside the field. The shutdown was advised by Petroleum Facilities Guards. However, a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... this evening, its reopening with 24 hours was predicted by the oil minister Abdulbari Al-Arusi who flew to the field to discussion the issue with supervisors.
The field is run by Akakus Oil, the joint venture between Spain's Repsol and the National Oil Corporation.
He has been reported by the Libyan news agency LANA saying that he had discussed plans to secure the field with the Defence and Interior Ministry as well as with the Petroleum Facilities Guard. Arousi used the occasion to warn of the consequences of interfering with Libya's main source of income.
Earlier a local Tebu man from Obari, Youssef Ali, told the Libya Herald that the protesters were mostly Tuaregs from the nearby area of Wadi Al-Hayat. They were demanding that they be given National ID numbers as well as that their language of be given official status in the new constitution.
"They are protesting against the marginalisation of Obari," he added. "They used force to close the oilfield," he claimed, adding that they had gone to the oil field with heavy weapons.
"The head of security gave them a deadline of 24 hours to leave", he stated.
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[An Nahar] Ahmed Qiblawi, one of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's fugitive supporters, was arrested Wednesday as he tried to cross Sidon's al-Awali checkpoint while disguised as a niqab-wearing woman.
"An Internal Security Forces patrol chased Ahmed Qiblawi, one of Ahmed al-Asir's loyalists, while he was disguised as a woman and managed to capture him at al-Awali checkpoint at the northern entrance of the city of Sidon," state-run National News Agency said.
"Army intelligence agents then took him to the Mohammed Zgheib Barracks in Sidon," NNA added.
According to several media reports, Qiblawi was sporting an Islamic full-face veil, or niqab.
The whereabouts of Asir, his close aide Fadel Shaker and many of their group remain unknown after the army stormed the Islamist cleric's headquarters on June 24.
Eighteen soldiers were killed and 20 others were wounded in fierce clashes sparked by an attack by Asir loyalists on an army checkpoint in the Sidon suburb of Abra. Twenty of Asir's gunmen were also killed in the fighting.
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#4
Typical of the phony religious aspects of fanatics.
The Quran has prohibitions against men wearing women's clothing.
So it is okay to quote an obscure surah, take it completely out of context, twist its meaning beyond all recognition to justify killing Christians and yet the result is killing innocents and you violated the Quran by wearing a woman's dress?
These guys are not Muslim, they are simply fanatics looking for an excuse to kill someone.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
10/31/2013 11:24
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[Osun Defender] The tragedy of the invasion of Damaturu came to the fore yesterday. It emerged that no fewer than 35 bodies in military uniform were deposited at the morgue.
Twenty soldiers are hospitalised in Jos, the Plateau State capital, it was also gathered. Many bully boyz were killed by the troops.
Thursday's attack in Damaturu was the first raid in a major urban centre in several weeks by the bully boy group waging a four-year Islamist uprising.
Police and residents said large numbers of Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... fighters, some in vehicles and others on foot, stormed Damaturu after dark.
Armed with guns and explosives, they attacked and torched four police buildings, sparking a fierce, hours-long shootout with the security forces.
"We have received lots of bodies in the last three days from the attacks. I counted 35 bodies in military uniform," said a bigwig at the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, who requested for anonymity.
An army officer based in Jos, the Plateau State capital, said 20 soldiers had been admitted at a hospital there, suffering from "gunshot wounds sustained in the battle against Boko Haram in Damaturu".
"They were brought here for security reasons and better medical facilities," said the officer, who also asked his name to be withheld.
The military rarely discusses troop fatalities following Islamist attacks
Contacted by the AFP, Yobe State military front man Capt. Lazarus Eli did not deny reports that dozens of soldiers were killed during the clash.
"We do not have any data on the corpse count," Capt. Lazarus said.
Boko Haram has repeatedly worn military uniforms as a disguise during attacks and it was not yet clear if the bodies were those of bully boyz or troops.
The day after the attack, witnesses and local officials did not say the bully boyz who staged it were disguised in uniforms.
Nigeria's sweeping offensive against Boko Haram has entered its fifth month and the military has described the group as being in disarray and no longer capable of attacking major population centres.
But the success of the operation remains unclear and the attack in Damaturu, apparently carried out by a significant number of bully boyz in a heavily fortified city, has cast further doubt on the effectiveness of the military offensive.
There are, however, signs that Boko Haram has been pushed back into the Northeast, its historic stronghold, after carrying out attacks across the wider North through much of 2011 and 2012.
Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac?
Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam seems to believe that Boko Haram fighters are better equipped than soldiers going by his call for better guns for troops battling the insurgency in his state.
Gaidam also cited "poor intelligence" and inadequate support of the military action as part of the reasons why the insurgency thrives.
He said if the war must be won, soldiers must be given superior arms and ammunition as well as better intelligence gathering.
Damaturu, the capital of Yobe, was the scene of last Thursday's deadly attack by the Boko Haram in which many soldiers and bully boyz died.
Gaidam donated N1million to each of the widows of the dead.
The governor, inspected the areas destroyed by the bully boys. He was accompanied by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commandant in the state, Col. Aliyu Abdullahi and Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai.
He said: "It appears to me that the security operatives, the police and the army and every other security personnel, were taken unawares. I have been taken round and based on what I have observed, we don't have enough intelligence all over the state to give information. If our security operatives were on 24 hours alert, some of these things would have been averted and these boys would not just come to the town and start shooting.
"I have also observed that some of the weapons used by the bully boyz are superior weapons in capacity, which are much higher than the ones obtained by the military or the police in Yobe State.
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[Al Ahram] Three suicide kabooms killed 14 Iraqi security force members overnight, officials said Wednesday, the deadliest in a series of attacks that left 35 people dead in two days.
The attacks come as Iraq witnesses its worst violence since 2008, a surge in unrest that has killed more than 5,400 people this year that has persisted despite authorities having carried out a swathe of operations and implemented tightened security measures.
Since the beginning of 2013, AFP has recorded just 16 days in which there were no deaths from violence in Iraq, the most recent of which was May 24.
The months-long surge in unrest drew condemnation from the Pope on Wednesday in his regular address to tens of thousands of worshippers massed in Vatican City.
On Wednesday, attacks in Sunni-majority areas of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... and outside the capital left nine people dead and more than 20 others maimed, according to security and medical officials.
The deadliest of the attacks was in Abu Ghraib, just west of Storied Baghdad, where two people were killed in a roadside kaboom, while a magnetic "sticky bomb" attached to a car in the Storied Baghdad neighbourhood of Adhamiyah killed a policeman.
Attacks also struck the restive central city of Baquba and nearby towns, the former bully boy bastion of Fallujah to the west of Storied Baghdad, and the cities of djinn-infested Mosul, Kirkuk and Tikrit, all to the north of the capital.
The violence followed suicide kabooms the previous night that killed 19 people, among them 14 security forces members.
In Tarmiyah, north of Storied Baghdad, two jacket wallahs attacked a house where a security meeting was taking place at about 11:30 pm (2030 GMT) on Tuesday, killing 11 people and wounding at least 20.
One bomber detonated explosives at a gate leading to the house, while the second managed to enter the building itself.
The dead were four soldiers, including a brigadier general, three police, among them a lieutenant colonel, and four Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda gunnies.
And near the northern city of djinn-infested Mosul, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle rigged with explosives near a police checkpoint, killing eight people, among them three police, and wounding 25.
Militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target Iraqi security forces and other government employees.
Some 30 suicide bombers have managed to detonate explosives in attacks this month, while others were killed before they could do so.
Other attacks in Iraq killed seven more people on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki left for a visit to Washington, during which he will push for increased US support for the country's fight against bully boys.
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[Dawn] Six people, including an activist of the Awami National Party, were bumped off in the city on Tuesday, police said.
They said that the ANP activist was killed in a targeted attack in a Mehmoodabad locality.
Baloch Colony police said that two armed motorcyclists targeted Qamar Shah, 36, outside his house in Mehmoodabad No 5 and rode away.
He sustained a single bullet wound in the head and was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where doctors declared him dead. He's dead, Jim!
A spokesperson for the ANP said that the victim was a former office-bearer of the party in the area.
He said that the victim was trying to pacify two cycle of violence riders after an accident and, in the meantime, the assailants emerged there and killed him.
Two rubbed out in Orangi
Two men were bumped off in Orangi Town on Tuesday. The Pakistain Bazaar police said that Ayaz Ahmed, 50, and Shahid Illahi, 30, were riding a cycle of violence when two gunnies, also on a cycle of violence, opened fire on them near Chandni Chowk in Orangi Town No11 ½ and escaped.
The maimed died before any medical aid could be provided to them. The bodies were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where additional Police Surgeon Dr Abdul Haq said that Mr Ahmed sustained 12 bullet wounds while 11 bullets hit Mr Illahi.
"The double murder might be an outcome of some personal enmity," opined SSP-West Irfan Baloch.
He said Mr Ahmed was involved in some import and export activities while Mr Illahi owned a flower shop in Orangi Town.
Youth killed in Quaidabad
A young man was rubbed out in Quaidabad on Tuesday evening, according to police.They said that gunnies targeted Allah Dad Magsi, 25, near Gul Ahmed industrial unit and fled. He sustained multiple bullet wounds and was taken to the JPMC where doctors declared him dead. He's dead, Jim!
on arrival. The police said the victim originally hailed from Gambat. The motive for the killing could not be ascertained immediately.
Killing in Malir
An elderly man was bumped off in the Malir City area on Tuesday, police said.
They said that Yasin Maqbool, 60, was on his way to a mosque to offer Fajr prayers in Ghazi Town when assailants targeted him. He was taken to the JPMC where he died.
Malir City SHO Ali Hasan Sheikh said that the victim had rented out his home to a friend who had converted the place into an Imambargah.
The victim had field a lawsuit in court and a decision was expected soon.
'Police informer' killed
A young man was rubbed out in Orangi Town on Tuesday, the Pirabad police said.
They added that Kashif Khan, 28, was riding a cycle of violence when armed motorcyclists attacked him near Qasba Mor. He was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He's dead, Jim!
"The victim, an Afghan national, was a police informer, which could be a possible motive for the murder," said Pirabad SHO Abdul Moid.
He said the dear departed was a resident of MPR Colony.
'Robber' killed in encounter
A suspected robber was rubbed out in a police encounter in PECHS, Block-2, according to the Ferozabad police.
They said that a man, Yasin, returned home after dropping his children to their school. As he entered home, five suspects, including a woman, who came on three cycle of violences, also stormed into the house, held the inmates at gunpoint, snatched cash, jewellery and a laptop.
The police said that in the meantime, one of the family members called the police and a police patrol reached scene. In an ensuing encounter, one suspect, identified as Rehan alias Janu, was rubbed out.
Four suspects -- Asad Ali, Rahat Ali, Saif Rehman and Shahnaz -- were tossed in the slammer Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
The police claimed to have recovered five pistols, one repeater gun, three bikes and looted goods from them.
Ferozabad SHO Aurangzeb Khattak said that the suspects, including the woman, were previously arrested several times in robbery cases, but were enlarged on bail.
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[Dawn] 'Who are the Taliban,' asked a politician during his very first briefing on militancy.
The politician, who had been vehemently propagating peace talks with the Taliban, was confused when informed that there was not one but many groups of the Taliban.
Before embarking on peace negotiations, the tough task for the PML-N government is to define first the adversary they want to engage, political analysts say.
It has been more than a month since the All Parties Conference was held.
The political parties gave the government the mandate to hold negotiations. Until now, there are reports of 'initial contacts' with the Taliban, the main factors of talks vis-Ă -vis with whom (group), by whom and where is still not known.The use of different nomenclatures through years is a manifestation of this confusion.
The question is whether the adversary is just religious students wanting reforms in the government (Taliban), freedom fighters waging a struggle against foreign forces (Afghan Taliban), a group wanting to end American domination of the world by all means (Al-Qaeda), or terrorists, bully boys, fascists, criminals, gangsters, misguided folks or stakeholders, a unique term used in the APC document.
A clear definition of an adversary helps identify one's own goals in any negotiations, political analysts say, who insist the government seems to be lacking clarity on the issue.
"There is a lot of confusion. In fact how the discourse is structured is wrong," says Senator Afrasiab Khattak, who as a big shot of Awami National Party held peace talks on the behalf of government with the Taliban in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... valley in 2008. In Senator Khattak's opinion, the government should be clear and show whether it has strong resolve to eliminate militancy or just wanted to appease. He warns the government should be careful as talks should not mean stooping low to the level of terrorists.
There is also no clarity when it comes to defining who would be on the other side of the table during peace talks.
JUI-F leader 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 ... was also quoted by media as saying the government must confirm first which Taliban group it needs to talk to and at what forum.
Since there are so many groups within the Taliban, it, analysts say, will be a difficult task for the government to engage one powerful group for talks who could influence all bully boy outfits to agree to a solution.
The Taliban are divided in different groups as they are spread all across seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions of Fata and even major cities of the country. However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... the political parties, who may have agreed in All Parties Conference to hold talks to resolve the lingering issue of peace, also are divided on how to move forward.
How would the centre and government of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... , and the ruling coalition consisting of four political parties and opposition come to one decision when it would come to launching a military operation if talks fail. This is another point to ponder. The PTI has been shifting all responsibility on the federal government since it came to power and has already started nagging the federal government for showing laziness in holding peace talks.
The only political government, which held peace talks was previous coalition government of the Pakistain People's Party and Awami National Party, which were allies and on the same page because they were ruling the federal as well as the provincial governments when the peace deal was brokered with the Taliban of Swat. Even that deal didn't work and it was a military operation, which dispersed Death Eaters helping the government reclaim its writ in Malakand division.
"We had our traditions, which helped us hold talks. We held talks according to that way and proved Death Eaters wrong. They became social outcasts," feels Senator Khattak, who emphasises holding talks should not mean losing space and authority to terrorists.
How many of the political parties have effective representation in the tribal areas is also a big question mark. The ruling PML-N is a political party, which has a strong base in Punjab but for it, tribal areas are just a periphery, which is dispensable, political analysts say.
"PML-N has not shown any keenness to resolve the issues of Fata since they came to power," said Senator Khattak.
Shahabuddin, PML-N MNA from Bajaur Agency, aka Turban Central ...Smallest of the agencies in FATA. The Agency administration is located in Khar. Bajaur is inhabited almost exclusively by Tarkani Pashtuns, which are divided into multiple bickering subtribes. Its 52 km border border with Afghanistan's Kunar Province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistain's strategic depth... , did not take calls and so did other MNAs from the area, including Ghalib Khan Wazir and Syed Wali Shah.
While the government has yet to specify which Taliban, the good or the bad, they want to engage for peace talks, Death Eaters have been growing not only in their size and influence but have franchised militancy to grassroots levels. Extortionists, kidnappers and rogues have joined them or linked their groups to Death Eaters for power and money. Their presence can be felt very much in 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. . In the capital city's posh Hayatabad Township, where mostly retired government officials live and there is presence of Frontier Corps, Death Eaters had been raising funds in mosques. No one from among the faithful can dare stand up and differ with them.
Brig (r) Mehmood Shah, who had been home secretary, is not very optimistic about the desired outcome of the proposed peace talks.
"If the government fails to establish its writ through peace talks, any other option to resolve the issue would have public support," he insists.
Like termite, as it was mentioned in an official document, Death Eaters had been making the system hollow from within continuously.
Whether military operation or peace talks, the Death Eaters have an edge over the government. The Death Eaters have nothing to lose in this win-win situation, where their adversary is more divided, lacks clarity and a narrative/strategy to counter them.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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Posted by: Fred ||
10/31/2013
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#1
I remember George Burns and Gracie Allen, a married couple comedy team. At one time they were very popular on early television.
After Gracie died and George was up in his 90s someone asked about what he thought of all the sex and violence on TV. He responded: "At my age they are both the same.!" I'm beginning to get that joke.
#2
JQC, back when the Burns & Allen show was on she was the comedian and he was the straight man. When she passed he came out as a true comic genius. That was a looooong time ago, and yes, I get the joke too. 8^(
#3
Hey you guys are really making me scratch my gray matter. Vaudeville was in their time as with Abbot and Costello. I had the pleasure of meeting a couple performers of that time. They never stopped. It was their life to entertain. Gracie had such a voice in her routine. "Who's on First" was a husband wife act before the Costello's. Good old days were hard times.
[Dawn] A cycle blast killed four people and injured another 20 in Quetta, the capital of militancy-hit 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... province on Wednesday, police said.
Syed Ahmed Mobeen, the Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Quetta said unknown hard boyz had planted around seven kilogram kabooms in a cycle parked on Double Road area of Quetta.
"The kabooms went off when there was crowd of people," he said. Double Road is considered to be one of the busiest areas of Quetta.
The Deputy Police Chief of Quetta said the strength of blast smashed glasses of nearby shops and houses in the area.
The shopkeepers pulled down the shutters of their shops soon after the blast which was heard far and wide in the city that has been plagued by sectarian violence and attacks by Baloch separatist groups.
"I was sitting in a mosque when the bomb struck," Bashir Ahmed an eyewitness told Dawn.com.
"The strenght of the blast smashed the windows of the mosque and there was dust everywhere," Ahmed said.
Rescue workers and police were quick at the scene and all injured were rushed to civil hospital Quetta for medical treatment.
Emergency was imposed in civil hospital Quetta to ensure treatment for the injured. Senior doctors and paramedics were called on emergency basis to treat the injured.
Dr. Nawaz Kibzai, the Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Quetta told Dawn.com that the condition of four of the injured was critical.
"Some of the injured are being operated," Kibzai said. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Bodies found
In another incident, a levies official who requested not to be named told Dawn.com that two bullet-riddled bodies were found in Zain Koh area of Dera Bugti on Wednesday.
The dead bodies were shifted to civil hospital Dera Bugti for postmortem. "The dead bodies are yet to be identified," he said.
The recovery of dead bodies has come one day after hard boyz killed nine members of a family in Loti Zain area of Dera Bugti. There was no claim for responsibility of the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
China also repor desires to dev a huge Catamaran = Doubled-hulled Multi-purpose Aircraft Carrier, + its own heavy-strike Helo, which allegedly may or may not weirdly-n-mysteriously resemble the US' AH-64 APACHE???
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Business Insider] CHINA THINKS THE US MILITARY IS BUILDING HALO MASTER CHIEF [CyberArmor] BATTLE SUITS.
* FYI WORLD MILITARY FORUM > "SPACE RAGE": US MAY BUILD A FUNCTIONAL OR WORKING "SPACE CARRIER" FLEET BY 2050, COMPRISED OF UP TO THREE NT DIRIGIBLE/BALLOON-BASED "MOTHERSHIP" [Flat-Deck?] CARRIERS, + WITH SPACE SHUTTLES, GROUND-BASED ROCKET SYSTEMS, + OTHER CRAFTS IN SUPPORT OR ARMED ESCORT.
#2
* ION CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > POSTER THREAD: FIVE NO-NONSENSE/SIMPLE REASONS WHY CHINA MUST GO TO WAR WID JAPAN.
* RENSE > [Epoch Times] CHINA VOWS WAR IFF JAPAN SHOOTS DOWN DRONES.
* JAPAN TODAY > CHINA BEHAVIOR JEOPARDIZING PEACE, ONODERA SAYS.
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > [Xinhua] US PLANS A "GLOBAL NATO" TO CONTAIN CHINA.
* TIMES OF INDIA > [Milstrikes = India?] STRIKES AGZ [China BFF] PAKISTAN CAN CREATE NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST: FEROZ KHAN.
* WORLD NEWS > [Chosun Ilbo] IS JAPAN EYEING NUCLEAR ARMAMENTS?
* TOPIX > [Stars-n-Stripes] PACIFIC COMMANDERS WARN CUTS WILL HARM READINESS AGZ NORTH KOREA.
POTUS Bammer "doing a Syria doing an Iran" on KJU + DPRK, I.E. NORTH KOREA = IRAN = WILL GET ITS NUKES???
* SAME > MORE [USDOD] SERVICE PERSONNEL CUTS COMING, as due to you-know-what.
And lastly ...
* PRAVDA > US TO DESTROY PARADISE ISLAND?
* DEWFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PHILIPPINES SHOULD APOLOGIZE [to China] FOR FALSE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL CLAIMS.
Pagan in the CNMI, which the USDOD plans to reserve in whole as a live-fire training site.
Iff by chance things go very badly for the US-JAPAN or US-PHIL, etal. vee CHINA + PLA in any NE Asian, SCS, or East Asian mil conflict, the former(s) could presumably have to fall back to the Marianas + Micronesia, hopefully widout encountering the PLA also.
[Al Ahram] Shia Mohammedan rebels killed 10 Sunni Islamists in Yemen Wednesday and maimed several others, in an attack in the northern province of Saada, an Islamist chief said. The Zaidi rebels fired mortars and rockets at the Mazraa mosque and the surrounding area in Dammaj during noon prayers, said Muheeb al-Dhali, front man of the tribal Al-Nusra Alliance in the region.
Dhali said the rebels were attempting to storm the village, home to Sunni Salafists ...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them...
He said the rebels have besieged Dammaj, scene to frequent festivities in recent years, as tensions between Sunni Islamists and the rebels escalate.
At least 42 people were killed in 10 days of festivities last month between Sunni Islamists and sock puppets of the Medes and the Persians in the northern Amran province, and the central Ibb region.
The Zaidis, also known as Huthis after their late leader Abdel Malek al-Huthi, rose up in 2004 against the government of ex-president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... , accusing it of marginalising them politically and economically.
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[Libya Herald] Two people were killed and a further five critically-maimed last night when gunnies opened fire on a group of protestors outside Benghazi's Tibesti Hotel.
The protestors were in a tent erected outside the hotel when two masked gunniesshot up around 9.30 pm, Spokesman for Benghazi Joint Security Room (BJSR), Abdullah Zaidi, told the Libya Herald. The gunnies immediately beat feet from the scene of crime, he said.
Seven maimed people were brought to the hospital at 10 pm last night, according to the head of Jalaa Hospital media office, Fadia Barghathi. Two of them died shortly after they arrived, she said, and the others remain at death's doors in the hospital's intensive care unit.
Zaidi said the protestors were a group from the Ubaidi tribe, who were staging a peaceful protest demanding investigations into the killing of Major-General Abdel-Fattah Younis. The former Chief of Staff and two colleagues were murdered on 28 July 2011.
The BJSR was investigating the attack on the protestors, Zaidi said, and had found a number of vehicles believed to be associated with the incident.
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[Tolo News] Mutasem Agha Jan, the head of the Taliban Political Committee, said on Tuesday that peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban would recommence soon, signaling the first major sign of hope for a process that has been stalled since June.
With President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... away in London to participate in trilateral talks with Britannia and Pakistain launched for the purpose of getting peace negotiations with the Taliban back on track, Agha Jan's statement on Tuesday came as a welcomed surprise.
Many experts have grown doubtful of any reconciliation deal being struck between the faceless myrmidons and Kabul before the spring elections or the withdraw of foreign troops in 2014. However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... Agha Jan leant credence to his claims by asserting that his authority to move the peace talks forward came on behalf of the Taliban's supreme leader, the reclusive Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... .
The High Peace Council (HPC) was highly positive about the announcement, suggesting it was a reliable signal that tangible gains in the grinding of the peace processor were soon to come.
"He doesn't only speak for himself, he talks on behalf of the Taliban's top commander Mullah Omar, and Omar is the leader of the Taliban group, so it's really positive and we support it," said HPC front man Maulavi Shahzada Shahid.
Agha Jan said the Taliban's renewed willingness to come to the negotiating table was based on their desire to bring the country out of crisis and establish longstanding peace in Afghanistan.
"Taliban are ready for a ceasefire, we don't support war," he said. "All, including the Taliban, have paid a major price in the war."
The Taliban political leader's comments fly in the face of the fears of many Afghan and foreign officials who have suggested the bad turban group is looking to derail the upcoming elections. Nevertheless, those fears are based on the observation of action, like the recent liquidation of the Kunduz IEC Chief and abduction of five IEC officials in Faryab province. For now, the Taliban's commitment to peace remains rhetorical.
That does not mean Agha Jan's announcement on Tuesday wasn't a major break for the process that has been stagnant since an attempt at talks floundered in Qatar nearly five months ago. As the HPC's remarks indicate, a statement of willingness and expectation that talks will begin soon is a major step in and of itself.
Over the past months, the Afghan government has been focusing on making inroads with Pakistain in hopes of getting it to help get the grinding of the peace processor rolling. Those efforts have not seen much success, as Karzai's request to have Taliban leader Mullah Baradar released from prison was agreed to by Islamabad, but then never carried through.
That issue was expected to be an item of discussion this week between Karzai and Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... in London.
Members of the Afghan government and their unofficial delegates have reportedly been engaged in backroom communication with the Taliban in hopes of kick-starting the grinding of the peace processor. Whether or not that behind-the-scenes dialogue played a part in Agha Jan speaking up on Tuesday is uncertain.
One of the major reasons Karzai government officials have been so eager to make progress on the grinding of the peace processor, other than the fact that Karzai will not be in a position to do so after the election in April, is that the NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... combat mission ends in December of 2014. The departure of coalition troops from Afghanistan has led to a significant amount of hand-wringing about a potential security vacuum that could mean a death blow to the still fledgling Kabul regime that has been in place since 2003.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
A Far Horizon. Like a mirage in the desert.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
10/31/2013 12:08
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[Al Ahram] Saudi authorities have incarcerated Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! a columnist who supported ending his country's ban on women driving, activists said Wednesday.
The activists, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said Tariq Al-Mubarak was called by Sherlocks in the capital Riyadh concerning a stolen car over the weekend. When he arrived at the Interior Ministry's Criminal Investigation Department on Sunday, he was interrogated instead about his role in a campaign launched by reformers seeking the right of women to drive in the kingdom.
When his friends were informed they could pick him up at the investigator's office, they too were detained for several hours and questioned over the campaign's activities, activists said.
Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... and activists who know Al-Mubarak say he remains in detention with no access to a lawyer. The New York-based organization called for Al-Mubarak's immediate release and on authorities "to stop harassing and trying to intimidate activists and women who defied the driving ban."
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[An Nahar] A court in Madrid on Wednesday convicted six Somalis for piracy and sentenced them to between eight and 12 and a half years in jail for attacking a Spanish warship in 2012 off the coast of Somalia.
Spain's National Court, the country's top criminal court, convicted five men of piracy and arms possession and sentenced them to eight years each.
A sixth man, convicted of the same crimes as well as membership of an gang, received a jail term of 12 and a half years.
The six, aged 24 to 35, were jugged You have the right to remain silent... in January 2012 following a shootout when they tried to board the Patino, a Spanish navy supply ship that was taking part in the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... 's Atalante operation against piracy in the seas off largely lawless Somalia.
During their trial all six men denied being pirates, claiming they were fishermen who had approached the ship for help.
Spain's interior ministry said the six men, who were armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, were seized after having attempted an attack "by boarding the ship as pirates".
The group shot at the Spanish sailors, triggering retaliatory fire, and then fled, according to the ministry.
A helicopter followed the suspects and the six men finally surrendered and were taken to Spain to stand trial.
In 2011, two Somalis were sentenced in Spain to 439 years in jail each for seizing a Spanish tuna-fishing boat in 2009 and holding its 36 crew members for 47 days.
Under Spanish law, they will serve only a maximum of 30 years in jail, regardless of the sentence.
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#1
Let's see; 1st of all, how smart is it to attack a Spanish Navy ship involved in anti-piracy drills; 2nd, could be a way to get out of Somalia into a life of nothing to do but have 3 meals a day in air conditioning (not too sure about Spanish jails however). Could be really bright or really stupid.
[Al Ahram] Prosecutors have ordered the detention of Essam El-Erian for 30 days pending investigations into charges of instigating street festivities.
The vice president of the Moslem Brüderbund's Freedom and Justice Party will be held for 15 days over festivities between local residents and supporters of Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... in Giza's Bayn Al-Sarayat district in July, and for a further 15 days over festivities near Giza's Al-Istiqama Mosque in August.
He denies the charges.
In September, El-Erian was charged in absentia for his alleged involvement in festivities in Giza's Al-Bahr Al-Azam district in July.
He also faces separate charges of inciting the murder of protesters on several other occasions, including at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in December 2012 and at the Brotherhood headquarters in June 2013. A number of other Brotherhood leaders are being investigated on the same charges.
Security forces locked away Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! El-Erian at a flat in Cairo's Fifth Settlement suburb in the early hours of Wednesday.
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Wazoo
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
[Al Ahram] The United States is aiming to help the Iraqi government battle an increasing threat from Al-Qaeda linked terror groups with military sales and intelligence sharing, a US official said Wednesday. "We do want to help the Iraqis develop the capability to target these networks effectively and precisely," the 
[Al Ahram] Education authority in Siberia issues warning against celebrating Halloween in an extreme manner because of its 'mystical content and propaganda of the cult of death'
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[Bangla Daily Star] An Awami League leader, who was critically injured in a 
Khaleda Zia
Police have nabbed four suspects thought to have been involved in a bomb explosion that killed three members of an explosive ordnance disposal team in Narathiwat province on Monday. 
[An Nahar] Sporadic sniper gunshots returned to 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[Dawn] Six people, including an activist of the Awami National Party, were 
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
...Smallest of the agencies in FATA. The Agency administration is located in Khar. Bajaur is inhabited almost exclusively by Tarkani Pashtuns, which are divided into multiple bickering subtribes. Its 52 km border border with Afghanistan's Kunar Province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistain's strategic depth...
Nawaz Sharif
[Al Ahram] Saudi authorities have 
