Terrorism Watch

A group calling itself the Arab Electronic Army was recently formed to launch cyber attacks in retaliation for the posting of an offensive video on YouTube. "The group is part of the widespread anger over an online video called 'Innocence of Muslims' that has brought protests across as many as 20 countries," writes CSO Online's Antone Gonsalves. "The outrage stems from the film's denigration of the Prophet Muhammad, which is punishable by death in some Arab countries." "One of the hackers, who identified himself as Ridouan (hacker alias RéD-Zàr) from Morocco, wrote in an email sent to Al Arabiya English that the hacking operations were part of a 'campaign to defend Allah’s prophet.' ... Ridouan ... explained that after he proposed the idea of forming an 'electronic army' he received wide support from young Muslim hackers to 'repel all offenses against our religion,'" write Al Arabiya's Mustapha Ajbaili. &q

Members of Anonymous recently took down the Web site for the New York office of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party, and urged followers to flood the organization's phone lines. "The Twitter account, @YourAnonNews, often used to make announcements for the hacker collective, first publicly posted the phone number connected to the fascist group’s Queens-based office and invited followers to 'give them a warm welcome to the neighborhood,'" writes Salon.com's Natasha Lennard. "A follow up tweet asserted, in characteristically playful parlance, that the hackers had disabled Golden Dawn’s New York chapter website." "GOLDEN DAWN NOT ONLY IS YOUR PHONE LINES TANGO DOWN, BUT UR WEBHOST R BELONG TO US," the second tweet stated. "The members of the Golden Dawn political party have been linked on numerous occasions to crimes against ethnic minorities and immigrants, this most likely being one of the reasons for which Anonymous didn’t we

EastWest Distribution An angry and confused young neo-Nazi on a personal journey that will change their life doesn’t sound like anything we haven’t seen before, except in this case the angry and confused young neo-Nazi is a woman. ‘Combat Girls’ is a unique coming of age story that subverts expectations and transcends beyond the crude lifestyle of its lead to find a beating, raging heart. Marisa is a young, tattooed neo-Nazi whose boyfriend has just been sent to prison and her WWII vet grandfather (and Nazi) is lying on his death bed. Struggling to cope with the sadness, Marisa internalizes her feelings and manufactures them into rage, but when she encounters a poor Pakistani boy in need of help, she can’t ignore her own humanity. With the oppressive presence of her male counterpart locked away and her grandfather slipping out of her life, Marisa begins to slowly emerge from the cocoon of hate that’s been built around her and reaches out to Rasul. The scenes between them where the

Far-right Golden Dawn party filling vacuum for those neglected by state after MPs elected to fight 'immigrant scum' Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party is increasingly assuming the role of law enforcement officers on the streets of the bankrupt country, with mounting evidence that Athenians are being openly directed by police to seek help from the neo-Nazi group, analysts, activists and lawyers say. In return, a growing number of Greek crime victims have come to see the party, whose symbol bears an uncanny resemblance to the swastika, as a "protector". One victim of crime, an eloquent US-trained civil servant, told the UK Daily "The Guardian" of her family's shock at being referred to the party when her mother recently called the police following an incident involving Albanian immigrants in their downtown apartment block. "They immediately said if it's an issue with immigrants go to Golden Dawn," said the 38-year-old, who fear

A BROTHER of two convicted hitmen has been gunned down in his home minutes after collecting his eight-year-old daughter from school. He became the third gangland murder victim in five days as violence returned to the streets with a vengeance. John Wilson, who was the prime suspect for a triple shooting in Dublin two years ago, was shot dead in the hallway of his home yesterday by an attacker who had followed him inside. Last night gardai arrested a man in his thirties and took him to Ballyfermot station for questioning. He was held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, which means he can be held for seven days without charge. The murder, the sixth in little over a week, will heap further pressure on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to take decisive action against gangs. Gardai believe Wilson (35) was probably killed as part of a feud with a local westside gang involved in drug trafficking. They are also examining other options, including Wilson's involvement in a r

irishtimes.com - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 08:52 The scene where John Wilson (35) was shot and later died at Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, yesterday.Photograph: Aidan Crawley Gardaí have arrested a man in relation to a fatal attack in the Ballyfermot area of suburban Dublin yesterday afternoon. The man, aged in his 30s, was detained last night and is being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007, at Ballyfermot Garda station. Gardaí believe the shooting dead of a criminal at his home in the Ballyfermot area of suburban Dublin yesterday is part of an escalating feud in the city between the Real IRA and gangland criminals. The murder was the third gangland killing of the week. While the investigation into the murder of John Wilson (35) is still in its infancy, the main line of inquiry is that it is a revenge murder for the shooting dead of key Real IRA member Alan Ryan four weeks ago. Wilson had collected children from school yesterday and left them

irishtimes.com - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 08:52 The scene where John Wilson (35) was shot and later died at Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, yesterday.Photograph: Aidan Crawley Gardaí have arrested a man in relation to a fatal attack in the Ballyfermot area of suburban Dublin yesterday afternoon. The man, aged in his 30s, was detained last night and is being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007, at Ballyfermot Garda station. Gardaí believe the shooting dead of a criminal at his home in the Ballyfermot area of suburban Dublin yesterday is part of an escalating feud in the city between the Real IRA and gangland criminals. The murder was the third gangland killing of the week. While the investigation into the murder of John Wilson (35) is still in its infancy, the main line of inquiry is that it is a revenge murder for the shooting dead of key Real IRA member Alan Ryan four weeks ago. Wilson had collected children from school yesterday and left them

IN A STATEMENT issued on Thursday, following the annual Day of the Basque Soldier, the armed Basque separatist group, Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA), renewed its calls for a just and lasting peace settlement in the Basque Country. ETA, which has been on ceasefire since 20 October 2011, said it wants to “reaffirm its commitment to overcoming the conflict” and called for more Basque people to become actively involved in left-wing Basque nationalist parties to help push forward towards independence and socialism. The statement hit out at both the Spanish and French governments, saying neither have taken positive steps towards ending the 40-year-old conflict. ETA also condemned what it described as “violence and extreme cruelty” towards imprisoned Basque fighters. ETA says: “The request for Spain and France to give constructive steps and to avoid behaviour that fuels conflict are increasingly louder . . . Peace has to be also the result of the process built in the Basque Country. It

A South Ossetian border checkpoint was fired upon Saturday, after which local security forces arrested a Georgian Interior Ministry official, according to local media reports, citing the South Ossetian KGB. The incident occurred around 3:40 a.m. in the Dzausky region of South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed independent breakaway Georgian republic on the Russian border. “As a result of the actions taken on the territory of South Ossetia, not far from the state border, Georgian Interior Ministry official Mogol Tomiashvili, a resident of the Ksuis village, was arrested,” the South Ossetian news agency RES quoted the KGB as saying. South Ossetian forces did not return fire. A rifle and a grenade launcher was reportedly seized from Tomiasvhili. Russia fought a war with Georgia in 2008 over South Ossetia, and the territory remains at the heart of tensions in the Russian-Georgian relationship. Six United Nations member states recognize Abkhazia and five recognize South Ossetia. The Un

A South Ossetian border checkpoint was fired upon Saturday, after which local security forces arrested a Georgian Interior Ministry official, according to local media reports, citing the South Ossetian KGB. The incident occurred around 3:40 a.m. in the Dzausky region of South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed independent breakaway Georgian republic on the Russian border. “As a result of the actions taken on the territory of South Ossetia, not far from the state border, Georgian Interior Ministry official Mogol Tomiashvili, a resident of the Ksuis village, was arrested,” the South Ossetian news agency RES quoted the KGB as saying. South Ossetian forces did not return fire. A rifle and a grenade launcher was reportedly seized from Tomiasvhili. Russia fought a war with Georgia in 2008 over South Ossetia, and the territory remains at the heart of tensions in the Russian-Georgian relationship. Six United Nations member states recognize Abkhazia and five recognize South Ossetia. The Un

Makhachkala, September 29, 2012. The administrative center of Kabardino-Balkaria - Nalchik hosts the interregional festival "Caucasian Games 2012." The opening ceremony has been attended by the deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District Alexander Khloponin and the regional governors. Dagestan delegation is led by the Head of the republic Magomedsalam Magomedov. The ceremony, which started at the stadium "Spartak" began with a performance of masters of arts from Kabardino-Balkaria and North Caucasian republics. In this part, Dagestan has been represented by the State Academic Ensemble "Lezginka". After the brilliant and spectacular musical performance, the President of KBR Arsen Kanokov and the deputy Sports Minister Yuri Gorny addressed the participants and guests of the festival with a greeting speech. Both speakers noted the role and importance of the festival in strengthening friendship and good-neighborly

Religion Alma-Ata, September 28, Interfax - U.S. experts have concluded that the Soldiers of the Caliphate radical group, which claimed responsibility for last year's terrorist attack in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, and a shootout in Boralday, is not based in Afghanistan, Kazakh political scientist Yerlan Karin said. "Just a few days ago I received a report from my American colleagues, who scrupulously analyzed the text of leaflets and messages from Soldiers of the Caliphate. Theologians, religious scholars and analysts worked with them. They came to the conclusion that the people acting on behalf of this group are highly unlikely to have their base in Afghanistan. The slogans they use are close to those of radical groups from the North Caucasus. The Soldiers is evidently a small branch of the so-called North Caucasus Emirate," Karin said in an interview with the Central Asian Monitor newspaper published on Friday. "It is obviously true, especially as the Soldiers'

28 Sep 12 A veteran soldier who served briefly in the Bosnian Serb Army testified this week that his superiors knew 800 Bosniaks had been killed during the capture of the northeastern town of Kozarac, yet they greatly understated the number in a report to army headquarters. Osman Selak, a prosecution witness in the trial of Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, is a Bosniak who joined the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA, in 1955 and was still serving when the force was disbanded in May 1992, shortly after war broke out in Bosnia. In Bosnia, JNA personnel and equipment went to form the Bosnian Serb Army or VRS, and units were simply renamed to reflect the change, Selak said. The witness said he asked to retire because he knew that “some negative activities would ensue”, and was aware of media pressure for non-Serbs to leave the new army. However, his request was not approved until July 1992, and in the meantime he remained a commander for logistics in the Banja Luka area of comm

The average age of newly recruited Islamic militants in the North Caucasus in on a constant decrease, with more and more teens joining terrorists’ ranks, a presidential envoy said on Saturday. “These days, the insurgency is already drawing on 17- to 18-year-old boys, fresh out of school,” said Alexander Khloponin, the Kremlin’s envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District. In 2008, the average age of militants killed in the North Caucasus stood between 19 and 23 years, according to official data. Though the law enforcements have eliminated many terrorist leaders in recent years, the insurgency’s recruiting system is still functioning, thriving on the youth who have “not yet sorted out their feelings,” Khloponin said, speaking at a youth festival in Kabardino-Balkaria’s capital Nalchik. Source http://en.ria.ru/russia/20120929/176306017.html

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, Sept 29 (PIA) -- The new commander of the 403rd Infantry “Peacemaker” Brigade has appealed for vigilance and public cooperation against threats and extortion activities of rebels in Bukidnon. Col. James V. Jacob reported in a Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting that some 50 armed men of the New People’s Army (NPA) under Guerilla Front 53 flagged down and burned five prime mover trucks loaded with bananas at the national road in Barangay Puntian, Quezon in Bukidnon last June. Two of the trucks were from the Red Bull Trucking Company while three were from the Sumifro Trucking. Early this September, a Boom Spray Truck and Water Tanker Truck owned by Davao Agri Venture Corporation (Davco) were also burned by unidentified group at Barangay Mirangiran, Quezon, Bukidnon. Jacob said these groups’ extortion activity is a big threat to the province where vast fruit and dairy farms flourish. He said that the recent series of burning incidents in Quezon

Saturday, September 29, 2012 KIDAPAWAN CITY - A chance encounter with a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels on Wednesday in a remote village in Makilala town in North Cotabato led to the discovery of a rebel camp. Lieutenant Nasrullah Sema, chief of the civil-military operations of the Army's 57th Infantry Battalion, said their men were conducting patrol operations when they encountered a group NPA rebels along the boundary of Barangays Rodero and Santo Nino, both in Makilala, around 6 p.m. on Wednesday. In the encounter with the rebels, Army troopers also chanced a rebel enclave that could accommodate at least 30 rebels. The encampment was proof that the rebels had stayed in the area for two days. "This enclave has confirmed the reports or information we gathered from our sources in the area that, indeed, the rebels had been massing in troops in Barangay Rodero," Sema said. A certain Galna, spokesperson for the NPA Front 72, said their men also conducte

Abuja: Nigeria and Saudi Arabia held high level talks on Saturday to resolve diplomatic tensions generated by Riyadh's decision to deport 1,000 Nigerian women hajj pilgrims who were not accompanied by male guardians. Nigeria retaliated yesterday to the move by stopping all hajj flights to Saudi Arabia. Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru and Saudi Arabia's acting minister of foreign affairs, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz met in Washington and the former registered his protest to the Saudi move. Ashiru told PTI on phone from New York that he used the meeting to register Nigeria's strong objection to the treatment meted out to many Nigerian female pilgrims, who after fulfilling the visa requirements were denied entry into Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. The meeting came after the dispute escalated following Nigeria's move to stop all hajj flights in what was seen as a retaliatory step that could affect Saudi Arabia's tour

Damascus: A total of 22 gunmen were killed on Saturday in clashes with government troops in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency said. The clashes took place at Tal Zarazir in Aleppo, SANA reported, adding that the troops also dealt deadly blows to armed insurgents at Wadihi and Kafr Dael in Aleppo, once a bastion of support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Aleppo, a city of three million, has emerged as a key battleground in Syria's civil war. The clashes there hit a new high after rebels announced Thursday the start of "decisive battle." SANA said the Army has been dealing deadly blows to the armed militias in Aleppo, adding that scores are being killed on daily basis. Source http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/syria-troops-kill-22-armed-men-in-aleppo_802716.html

Milan: The Italian Foreign Ministry says four journalists have been detained in Cuba. The journalists work for the Mediaset TV network, the Messaggero Veneto daily and two for the Milan daily Corriere della Sera. The Messagero Veneto said the journalists had traveled to Cuba to follow up on a double murder, seeking interviews with a Cuban who had been living in Italy and whose sister has been detained in the case. He denied in an interview with the daily any involvement by himself or his sister. The Messaggero Veneto said on its website today that its correspondent faced a hearing later today. The newspaper said that the four had entered the country with tourist visas and were stopped when because they were working as journalists. PTI Source http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/italy-4-journalists-detained-in-cuba_802726.html

Kiev: Ukraine's jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko urged her country on Saturday to defeat President Viktor Yanukovych's party in next month's parliamentary election. In an emotional video appeal, Tymoshenko accused Yanukovych of turning Ukraine into a "police state." Her lawyer says the video, filmed yesterday, was recorded by him on a cellphone in a hospital where she is receiving treatment for back pain. It was the first such video since the former prime minister was jailed over a year ago on charges of abusing her office during natural gas import negotiations with Russia in 2009. The West has condemned her imprisonment as politically motivated and the European Union has put on hold a key cooperation deal with Kiev over Tymoshenko's jailing. Tymoshenko, 51, the country's top opposition leader, denies all the charges against her, and accuses Yanukovych of throwing her in jail to bar her from the contesting the Oct. 28 election. In t

Moscow: A top Russian general said on Saturday that Moscow expects to secure a deal to extend Russian military presence in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan by the first half of 2013. Russia's ground forces commander Vladimir Chirkin said in an interview on Ekho Mosky radio station that outstanding issues on the terms of the deal will continue to be discussed with Tajikistan until the end of March. Some 7,000 Russian soldiers are posted across three garrisons in Tajikistan, which is a major transit point on the northbound trafficking route for Afghan heroin. Tajikistan and other ex-Soviet neighbours of Afghanistan fear a spillover of violence in the event of a renewed outbreak of civil conflict after the NATO coalition's withdrawal in 2014. An agreement to extend the current lease, which expires in 2014, has been delayed amid reported disagreements about the financial terms. Chirkin said the Russian troops would work in a coalition with local forces, something tha

Nabarangpur/Berhampur: Security personnel arrested six ultras belonging to different Maoist outfits in Odisha's Nabarangpur and Ganjam districts, police said on Saturday. While the police in Nabarangpur district arrested Prafulla Kumar Chetti (32) of Hatbharandi, K Suresh Patnaik (26) and Manoj Dakua (26), both belong to Raighar area last night, Ganjam police nabbed Sanjiv Nayak, Debendra Nayak and his younger brother Madan of Balinala village under Badagada police station limits. The police also seized explosive materials from the three arrested Maoists in Nabarangpur. "Police have seized 6.3 kg of explosive, cash of Rs 63,000, five mobile phones, Maoist literatures and banners from the arrested trio," said Nabarangpur SP, Brajesh Ray adding that the three Maoists were caught by police while they were at the bus stand in morning here yesterday. DSP Udhav Naik said the police had prior information about the three Maoists. They were part of the Maoist outfit activ

Maoists opened fire on Saturday at a police base camp in an interior area in Chhattisgarh's violence-hit Sukma district injuring two policemen, officials said. The heavily-armed guerrillas, estimated to be in dozens, sprayed bullets on the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) camp which is located at Timmalwada village under Chintagufa police station, some 500 km south of state capital Raipur. "The policemen were stunned by the attack. Two cops were hit by bullets," Lakhan Patle, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), told IANS over phone. He stated that the stunned policemen, who belong to CAF's 9th battalion, retaliated strongly to the rebels' attack in which a few guerrillas were reportedly injured. Officials said that the two injured policemen were airlifted from base camp to Jagdalpur, headquarters of the Bastar region, for urgent medical attention. The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Chha

Maoists opened fire on Saturday at a police base camp in an interior area in Chhattisgarh's violence-hit Sukma district injuring two policemen, officials said. The heavily-armed guerrillas, estimated to be in dozens, sprayed bullets on the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) camp which is located at Timmalwada village under Chintagufa police station, some 500 km south of state capital Raipur. "The policemen were stunned by the attack. Two cops were hit by bullets," Lakhan Patle, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), told IANS over phone. He stated that the stunned policemen, who belong to CAF's 9th battalion, retaliated strongly to the rebels' attack in which a few guerrillas were reportedly injured. Officials said that the two injured policemen were airlifted from base camp to Jagdalpur, headquarters of the Bastar region, for urgent medical attention. The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Chha

Hajipur, Sep 29 (ANI): Continuing with their atrocities, Maoists in Hajipur, Bihar have killed two persons a village body head named Umesh Singh and his son Kunal Singh. According to the villagers, Maoists took Singh as a police informant and shot him dead. Senior police officials inspected the area and an enquiry is being conducted in the matter. Inspector General of Police, Gupteshwar Pandey said that Maoists are intensifying their activities in the area. Maoists have left a pamphlet, warning locals against informing police. Since few years, the rebels have stepped up their efforts against the government, targeting and damaging democratic and civil institutions of the nation, such as schools, medical centres and government property. Source http://www.indiablooms.com/VideoDetails/2012/videoDetails290912x1.php

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has been criticized by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of not being able to protect civilians. But the Kurds are lucky that President Bashar al-Assad has refrained from deploying the same tactics against them that he used in Aleppo, Hama or Homs. Nobody knows if this was part of a deal, or if Assad is too occupied with the rest of Syria. PKK supporters in Syria are mostly critical of the FSA and the help they receive from Turkey; they fear that Turkey could use the FSA against them in the future. Furthermore, they do not like the Islamist background of most of the Syrian rebels. Therefore, they criticize the FSA for not being able to protect civilians, despite the fact that the PKK rebels also could not do much when the Turkish army forcefully displaced Kurdish villagers in the 1980s and 1990s, or when the Turkish state imprisons hundreds of PKK supporters. According to Chinese Marxist leader Mao Zedong, guerrillas must “move amongst

29 September 2012 Saturday 9:45 A row over an alleged WikiLeaks cable from 2003 has heated up between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as the premier filed a lawsuit against his rival on charges of libel Sept. 28. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kılıçdaroğlu accused Erdoğan of treason on Sept. 27 over an alleged WikiLeaks cable dating back to June 6, 2003. Referring to a book titled “Leakage: Prominent Turks in the WikiLeaks cables” by journalists Barış Terkoğlu and Barış Pehlivan, Kılıçdaroğlu said Erdoğan had promised to open Turkish air space and two seaports to the U.S. in 2003, but that this had been opposed by a number of high-ranking generals, most of whom were tried in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot case. “A prime minister who protects a foreign country’s benefits instead of his own country’s [interests] cannot be the prime minister of Turkey. A man who does not protect his own country and its

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 29 / Trend R. Hafizoglu / Turkish air force made missile and bomb strikes on the bases and fortification of militants of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported today. According to the newspaper, the military operation in northern Iraq lasted about an hour. As a result, several camps of militants were neautralized. Earlier, head of the Iraqi parliamentary security committee Iskander Witwit said that any Turkish military aircraft that penetrates into Iraq under the operation will be shot down. A military operation, to be conducted by Turkey in northern Iraq against militants of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party is fully consistent with international law, a source in the Turkish government told Trend. The period of the previous mandate expires on October 17. The new mandate is expected to be granted for one year. The mandate for cross-border operations covers the territory of northern Ir

Saturday, 29 September 2012 Around 13,000 militants of the terrorist organization PKK are in Germany, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today, Haber7 TV channel reported. Prime Minister added that the PKK forcibly take money from some Kurdish businessmen for their own selfish purposes. He added that the terrorist organization has recently intensified lobbying of its interests in some European countries. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has lasted for over 25 years. The PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation by both the UN and the EU. Source http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/142781/turkish-pm-some-13-000-pkk-militants-are-in-germany.html

29 September 2012 Saturday by Sevil Küçükkoşum Germany has rejected claims from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that it does not want Turkey to solve its Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorism problem. “The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Germany. The organization is banned in Germany. Germany shows zero tolerance towards terrorists,” Peter Kettner, a spokesperson for the German Embassy in Ankara told Hürriyet Daily News yesterday. In addition to Germany, Erdoğan also accused France and the Scandinavian countries of obstructing Ankara’s fight against the PKK. French Embassy officials declined to comment on the issue. There are countries that do not want to see an end to PKK terrorism, Erdoğan said in a televised interview late on Sept. 27. “Germany does not want a solution. France does not want a solution. These countries do not help us. Instead, they let terrorist heads live in their territory,” the prime minister said. The most-developed countries in

Landmines are concentrated around Burma’s borders with Bangladesh and Thailand, but are a particular threat in Kachine State and the eastern parts of the country, after decades of wars with ethnic minorities. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor website issued an updated report on its website this week saying some 47 townships in Kachin, Karen (Kayin), Karenni (Kayah), Mon, Rakhine, and Shan states, as well as in Pegu (Bago) and Tenasserim (Tanintharyi) divisions[1] suffer from some degree of mine contamination, primarily from antipersonnel mines. Karen (Kayin) State and Pegu (Bago) division are believed to contain the heaviest mine contamination and have the highest number of recorded victims. The monitor said it has also received reports of previously unknown suspect hazardous areas in townships on the Indian border of Chin state. No estimate exists of the extent of contamination, but the monitor group identified the following divisions and townships as contaminated wit

Police said Friday they have arrested one of the alleged regional commanders of neo-paramilitary group "Los Urabeños" in the northern Colombian city of Santa Marta. "Belisario" for years has been alleged to be the commander of the Urabeños in the Caribbean tourism hotspot and the nearby Sierra Nevada. The demobilized member of paramilitary organization AUC has been accused of coordinating a complete shut down of Santa Marta in January when the Urabeños banned all commercial activity and public transport in the north of Colombia to protest the killing of their top commander. According to the police, the alleged Urabeños ringleader has also actively obstructed government attempts to return stolen land to its rightful owners by impeding local indigenous groups to return to their lands in the Sierra Nevada. The Urabeños have come under increasing pressure in Santa Marta and the surrounding area as authorities and a local neo-paramilitary group called the "O

FRIDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2012 17:51 ADRIAAN ALSEMA Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos claimed Friday that in the almost 50 years of his country's conflict nobody has hit guerrilla group FARC as hard as he has. Santos made the statement in an interview on CNN explaining how he had gone from trying to defeat the FARC militarily when leading the Defense Ministry under former President Alvaro Uribe to becoming an advocate for a ngotiated end to the conflict. "I wanted to kill them because I wanted peace. I knew that if you don't strike them hard you'd never take them to a negotiating table," Santos said, adding that "modesty apart, in 50 years, nobody has hit them as hard as I have." However, "making war is easier than making peace," the president added. Source http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/26256-nobody-has-hit-farc-as-hard-as-i-have-santos.html

"The gift that keeps on giving" is one of those catchphrases which seems to have been around forever, but which actually dates back to 1924 when it was used to sell the new-fangled gramophone. It lends itself to a wide variety of situations and even became the title of a pop song first made public on Christmas Day five years ago. You can add one more meaning - far from benign and which describes one of the most diabolical devices ever invented. According to news agency reports, just last week a five-year-old girl died in a village in south-eastern Colombia and five of her young playmates were injured as they played with what they thought was a ball they had found. It was no ball, but rather, a hand grenade. She was one of 54 Colombians killed so far this year from landmines and unexploded ordnance. Colombia has the dubious distinction of having the second highest rate of casualties from landmines in the world. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines says only Afghanist

TUESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2012 Colombia has reached the "dishonorable figure" of 10,001 landmine victims, said the vice presidency of the country Tuesday. Colombia's Vice President Angelino Garzon lamented the number of victims due to anti-personnel mines, a form of land mine designated for use against humans, as well as unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices. According to the figures given by the Vice Presidency, since 1990 the victims of landmines have included 6,222 military members and 3,779 civilians, among which 968 were minors. "Girls, boys, teens, women, indigenous, farmers, workers, soldiers, police and heroes of the country have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and security of the Colombians. We want a Colombia without more victims of anti-personnel mines and free of these artifacts," said Garzon as reported by Caracol Radio. According to the official, these 10 thousand victims "are examples of life, of overcoming, of st

TUESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2012 Colombia has reached the "dishonorable figure" of 10,001 landmine victims, said the vice presidency of the country Tuesday. Colombia's Vice President Angelino Garzon lamented the number of victims due to anti-personnel mines, a form of land mine designated for use against humans, as well as unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices. According to the figures given by the Vice Presidency, since 1990 the victims of landmines have included 6,222 military members and 3,779 civilians, among which 968 were minors. "Girls, boys, teens, women, indigenous, farmers, workers, soldiers, police and heroes of the country have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and security of the Colombians. We want a Colombia without more victims of anti-personnel mines and free of these artifacts," said Garzon as reported by Caracol Radio. According to the official, these 10 thousand victims "are examples of life, of overcoming, of st

September 26, 2012 Fox News Latino 403962 01: A Colombian soldier searches for possible land mines left by the FARC, The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, after the group dynamited an energy tower owned by the state operated national energy distribution network, ISA, April 15, 2002 in Saravena, Colombia. The companys energy towers have been attacked repeatedly this year by the guerrilla group in a war against state-owned infrastructure leaving entire states without energy, sometimes for weeks. (Photo by Carlos Villalon/Getty Images) Six children are the latest victims of Colombia’s ongoing land mine crisis, as a 3-year old was killed and five others wounded following an explosion in the central-western department of Tolima. This recent incident has helped the Andean nation reach what Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzón called the "dishonorable figure" of 10,001 landmine victims, making it the second most affected country in the world in terms of land mine inci

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC September 27, 2012 Share on facebookShare on google_plusone The Department of State has released the 11th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, a report showcasing the accomplishments of the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program. The report outlines the world’s largest effort to help countries save lives, as well as support post-conflict recovery and development by safely clearing landmines and unexploded munitions, and reducing excess inventories of arms and munitions. In fiscal year 2011, the Department of State invested $142 million in 42 countries for Conventional Weapons Destruction. This included funding for clearance operations, assistance to conflict survivors, education for communities to prevent injuries from unexploded ordnance, and weapons destruction. The report highlights our ongoing support to dozens of public and private implementing partners who continue to apply new energy, ideas, and resources to

Luanda - Sábado, 29 de Setembro de 2012 Kuito – The Angolan Red Cross Angola (CVA) in Bié needs various support to continue with prevention programme against landmine accidents and other explosive devices in the province. This was said to Angop on Saturday by the secretary of CVA, Ângelo Sassango. With the achievement of peace, the international donors stopped receiving fund aimed for the prevention programmes against landmines and other explosive devices. Ângelo Sassango stressed that due to the lack of financing, the organisation has only small tasks such as awareness campaign on landmines and other explosive devices. Source http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/sociedade/2012/8/39/Landmine-prevention-programme-needs-fund,a0325c00-4c4e-40c0-9076-47aa6ab770f5.html

| DAWN.COM Officers with the Minnesota State Patrol man the Penn Avenue bridge over Bassett’s Creek near the scene of a shooting at a business in the 2300 block of Chestnut Avenue West in Minneapolis. -AP Photo CHICAGO: A gunman opened fire at a small business in the northern US state of Minnesota, killing four people before turning the gun on himself and dying of a self-inflicted gunshot, police said Friday. Four other people were taken to hospital, three of whom were in critical condition. The shooting took place just after 4:30 pm Thursday inside Accent Signage Systems, a company employing about 25 people which makes signs for companies. “When officers arrived and entered the business to assist with the evacuation of employees, give aid to the victims and to search for the suspect, they found four victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds,” police said in a statement. Also found dead “was an individual identified as the suspect, it appeared that he died from a self-infli

A deeply divided nation, not yet 70 years old, is convulsed by religious violence. In one major city, members of a persecuted minority request that their children be permitted to read their Holy Book in school. Militant members of the religious majority are enraged. Their ensuing fulminations whip up hysteria, spawning riots and mob violence. The minority’s worship centers and homes are torched, and when the smoke has cleared, 20 people are dead. This is not a depiction of present-day Quetta, Karachi, or Lahore. It is a portrait of Philadelphia in 1844, and evokes the antagonism then prevailing between America’s Protestants and Catholics. In the aftermath of violent protests in Pakistan staged in reaction to an anti-Islam video, and in light of the seemingly weekly — if not daily — sectarian attacks that ravage Pakistan, there is a tendency (especially here in Washington) to assume that religion and violence go hand-in-hand in Pakistan, and on a level seen in few other countries (t

| DAWN.COM KARACHI, Sept 28: A decent variety of films were screened on the inaugural day of the two-day Gandhara Film Festival at the PACC auditorium on Friday. The event opened with a short film ‘Heal’ by Mian Adnan Ahmed. The film has been shown at more than a dozen film festivals around the world. It tells the story of a child Azeem (Ameer Zhowandai) who lives in a conflict-ridden region somewhere between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is a quaint little setting in a mountainous zone. In the beginning of the short movie, it is established that Azeem has a gift of ‘healing’ living beings. He runs into an injured goat and as he touches the animal to comfort it, it gets up as if nothing had happened to it. The film progresses and Azeem’s family is shown. All of them appear to be peace-loving people with traditional values and a yearning for acquiring education. The school location has been used quite effectively in the film. Then catastrophe strikes and most of his family members