Posts

Showing posts from February 27, 2011

Arab world wants democracy, may upset Qaeda agenda

Source: Indian express For nearly two decades, the leaders of al-Qaeda have denounced the Arab world's dictators as heretics and puppets of the West and called for their downfall. Now, people in country after country have risen to topple their leaders — and al-Qaeda has played absolutely no role. In fact, the motley opposition movements that have proved so powerful have shunned the two central tenets of the Qaeda credo: murderous violence and religious fanaticism. The demonstrators have used force defensively, treated Islam as an afterthought and embraced democracy, which is anathema to Osama bin Laden and his followers. So for al-Qaeda — and perhaps no less for the US policies that have been built around its threat — the democratic revolutions that have gripped the world's attention present a crossroads. Will the terrorist network shrivel slowly to irrelevance? Or will it find a way to exploit the chaos produced by upheaval? For many specialists on terrorism an

Sherry Rehman next on terror hit list?

Image
Source: IANS London: With two of three Pakistani politicians who opposed the blasphemy law assassinated, friends of the third, the glamorous Sherry Rehman, now fear for her life. Gunmen have shot dead Punjab governor Salman Taseer and minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the Pakistani government. Rehman, known for her outspoken views, led the efforts to reform the blasphemy law after Aasia Bibi, a Christian mother of four, was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad. Rehman was joined by Taseer and Bhatti. Both men are now dead, and friends feel that Rehman could be the next, The Guardian reported. "Make no mistake: she is in grave danger, like nobody else," the paper quoted a friend as saying. It said Rehman lived in near hiding and had spent most of January at her Karachi home, surrounded by police. She has been advised by government ministers to leave Pakistan. "I get two types of advice about leaving. One f

India condemns killing of Pakistan minister

Source: IANS New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) India Wednesday condemned the 'tragic assassination' of Pakistan's minister for minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti and offered condolences to the bereaved family. 'We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, the people and the government of Pakistan on the tragic assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, federal minister of minority affairs of Pakistan,' the external affairs ministery said in a statement. 'We condemn this dastardly crime. In this difficult hour, our prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved family and the people of Pakistan,' the ministry said. Christians across India have condemned the murder of Bhatti, 42, a Christian, who was gunned down in Islamabad Wednesday by unidentified men allegedly for his views on the country's controversial blasphemy law. Bhatti was the only Christian minister in the Muslim majority country and met the same fate as Punjab governor Salman Taseer,

Maoist lynch MG-NREGA activist

Source: PTI Ranchi/Latehar (Jharkhand), Mar 3 (PTI) An activist who had raised his voice against alleged improper implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was lynched by Maoists at Jerua village in Latehar district, police said today. Niyamat Ansari died last night after about 12 Maoist ultras beat him up with lathis, Latehar Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said at Latehar. The rebels dragged him out of his residence at 7 PM and started beating him up. He was admitted to a local hospital where he died at 10 PM, he said. The Maoists had also searched for another MG-NREGA activist, Bhukhan Singh, but could not find him. The SP said Ansari had raised objections against improper implementation of the schemes and the police were investigating whether middlemen had him killed by the Maoists. Ansari was working with noted economist Jean Dreze on proper implementation of MG-NREGA as an active member in Gram Swaraj A

495 Indian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates in 4yrs: Govt

Source: IANS New Delhi: The government today said 495 Indian sailors were held hostages by the Somali pirates in last four years, and barring 64, all of them have been released safely. These 64 sailors, who are still to be rescued, were crew members of 6 ships -- MV Iceberg-I, MV Rak Afrikana, MV Suez, MV Asphalt Venture, MV Savina Caylyn, and MV Sinin -- that were high jacked by the pirates in last one year, the Shipping Ministry said in a statement. It added that all of them have been reported safe. The statement further said that two foreign flag ships -- MV Savina Caylyn, and MV Sinin--, having 26 Indians as crew members, were high jacked this year, in January and February respectively. Talking about the increasing attacks by the pirates, the statement said none of the Indian ships have got high jacked in last four years, although seven had come under attack by the pirates of the Somalia coast between 2007 to 2011. It added that 200 Indian seafarers were held hos

Global war crimes court to investigate Gaddafi Reuters

Source: Reuters THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The international war crimes tribunal said on Thursday it would investigate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his sons and members of their inner circle for crimes committed by their security forces. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo of the Hague-based International Criminal Court, pointing to a bloody crackdown on demonstrators against Gaddafi's rule in which thousands may have died, said that no one had the authority to massacre civilians. He said the court would investigate "serious crimes" and had identified several people at the top of the command chain who could be investigated. "They are Muammar Gaddafi, his inner circle including some of his sons, who had de facto authority," Moreno-Ocampo said. If opposition groups also have weapons and commit crimes, their leaders will also be investigated. "We will act with impartiality," he said. The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Gaddafi

Relatives of jailed Islamists protest in Jordan IANS India Private Limited

source: IANS Amman , March 1 (DPA) Hundreds of relatives protested in Amman Tuesday to press for the release of dozens of Islamists, 27 of whom are currently on hunger strike in prison. The protesters chanted slogans and held posters in front of the Grand Husseini Mosque in central Amman to urge King Abdullah to release their jailed relatives held at Swaqa prison, 50 km south of the capital. 'The place of those who fight the Zionists should not be jail,' read one slogan on a poster, in reference to those who are jailed for plotting attacks against Israeli targets. Jordan was the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel after Egypt , and shares a border with both Israel and the occupied West Bank . Scores of Islamists were also found guilty by Jordan's State Security Court for plotting to fight US troops in Afghanistan and in neighbouring Iraq , judicial sources said.

Armed guards open fire as ship attacked off Yemen The Associated Press

source : AP on yahoo A maritime news portal says armed guards stopped an attack on a Danish-owned vessel when they exchanged fire with suspected pirates. Maritimedanmark.dk says no one was injured on the Singapore-registered Brattingborg that has a Thai crew in Thursday's attack. Shipowner Lars Steen Rasmussen was quoted as saying it was the first time the company had armed guards on one of its ships. He could not be reached for comments. The attack comes days after suspected Somali pirates captured a Danish yacht in the Indian Ocean. Earlier Thursday, the head of a private security company said his guards retook a yacht from Somali pirates after the Dutch couple on board locked themselves in a safe room. Thomas Jakobsson of Naval Guards said Thursday that six of his guards were accompanying the Capricorn yacht on a separate motorboat. Six armed pirates were able to get aboard the Capricorn but the Dutch couple barricaded themselves in the boat. Jakobsson says hi

Attack on US troopers may be a terror strike: Germany

Image
Source: Rediff A shooting incident on a military bus at the Frankfurt airport, in which two American soldiers were killed and two others wounded, may have been a terrorist attack, German security authorities have said. Investigators of the German Federal Criminal Office have received information that the gunman, a 21-year-old man from Kosovo who has been living in Frankfurt for many years, had contacts with people associated with radical Muslim groups, media reports have said. Two members of the United States Air Force were killed and two others injured in the incident. According to one report, the gunman had linked up his Facebook profile with websites propagating radical views. There are also growing indications that the attacker was well informed about the travel plans of the US soldiers, the reports said. It was possible that he had planned the attacker for a long time and he may have accomplices, said authorities. Boris Rhein, interior minister of the state o

Suicide car bomber kills six in northwest Pak

Source: Rediff A suicide car bomber targeted a security vehicle in Pakistan's northwestern Hangu city on Thursday, killing at least six persons, including four policemen, and injuring 30 others. The attacker, who was in an explosives-laden pick-up truck, blew himself up as a police van passed by, officials said. Four policemen, who were in the van, were killed, district administration chief Adil Siddiq told the media. Other officials said two civilians were also killed. Several women and children were among the injured. Siddiq described the condition of three of the injured as serious. All the injured had been rushed to a nearby state-run hospital after the blast. The blast, in which police officials said 600 kg of explosives were used, also hit several nearby vehicles and 15 houses. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast came a day after a woman was killed and three others injured near Doaba town in Hangu district when an explosive device planted

Bombs kill 10 Afghans at dog fight

Source: Hindustantimes Two bomb explosions tore through a crowd of villagers watching a dog fight in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar on Sunday, killing 10 people, officials said. The double bombing in Arghandab district targeted villagers and a police vehicle, killing eight civilians and two police, Afghan interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP. The violence follows a deadly Taliban-led campaign of blasts and suicide attacks that have rocked Afghanistan this month and killed more than 100 people, mostly civilians. "There have been two bomb blasts, one at the middle of a gathering and the other on the side of the road nearby. Eight civilians have been killed, two cops have been killed," the spokesman said. He said a dozen civilians and five police were wounded. Shah Mohammad, the district chief of Arghandab, said the attack was aimed at villagers watching a dog fight. "People had gathered to watch dog fighting. Two explosions, from planted

India’s progress on Anti Money Laundering and combating Financing of Terrorism

Source: indiainfoline India Infoline News Service / 12:52 , Feb 28, 2011

Three policemen killed in Maoist attack

Source: hindustan times Maoists attacked a police patrol party and opened indiscriminate fire, leaving three policemen, including an officer, dead in Jharkhand's Chatra district. The Naxalite fired at the policemen when they were returning from a patrol in a jeep at Lajrai More late last night, police said today. Two home guards and the civilian driver were injured in the attack. Those killed included Assistant Sub-inspector Narayan Mandal, hawaldar Akhilesh Paswan and home guard Gandru, police said, adding it was not a landmine blast as initially reported. R K Mallick, Spokesperson of Jharkhand Police said, "The patrolling party had gone to inspect a road construction site and the Maoists were laying ambush in that particular area and the party came under fire. We have lost three persons". The rebels also looted two guns and torched the jeep. Sources at the Tandua police station, under which the incident took place, earlier said it was a landmine blast. The i