Posts

Showing posts from April 12, 2009

Geert Wilders plans sequel to his film about 'fascist' Qur'an

Image
Far-right figure ... Geert Wilders. Photograph: Jerry Lampen/Reuters Geert Wilders, the far-right Dutch MP, has announced that he will make a sequel to his 17-minute anti-Qur'an film Fitna, which sparked protests from Muslims around the world last year and saw him banned from entering the UK . "This is the next phase," the Freedom party leader told De Telegraaf yesterday, adding that his followup to the controversial short was intended to warn against the threat that Islam, in his view, posed to free speech. He said that the film would probably be finished next year. Fitna – the title is an Arabic word that denotes a "test of faith" – criticised the Qur'an as a "fascist book" and interspersed images of the September 11 terrorist attacks with verses from the holy book. It was released on the internet in English and Dutch versions in March last year and screened to politicians and public figures around the globe a

Chechen rebellion has been crushed, says Kremlin

Image
Tony Halpin in Moscow Russia declared victory yesterday in its war to crush separatists in the rebel republic of Chechnya; a conflict that has cost the lives of an estimated 100,000 people since the region claimed independence in 1991. A decade after Vladimir Putin rose to power pledging to restore Kremlin rule Russia said it was ending “counter-terror operations”. The decision cements the rule of Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s feared President, who has been accused repeatedly of involvement in torture and murder. Mr Kadyrov, 32, has sworn loyalty to Mr Putin, who has allowed him almost complete autonomy in running the republic in the North Caucasus. The former rebel said: “We have defeated the bandits. We can calmly announce our victory.” Counter-terror operations were introduced in 1999 after the little-known Mr Putin was appointed Prime Minister by an ailing President Yeltsin. Patriotic fervour swept him into the Kremlin as President in 2000 after he launched the Second Chechen Wa

* APRIL 15, 2009, 10:58 A.M. ET Car-Bomb Blast In Northwest Pakistan Injures Police

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP)--A car bomb exploded at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, injuring an unspecified number of police officers, police said. The blast occurred in the Charsadda district, about 21 miles north of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, which borders Afghanistan. "An explosive-filled car has exploded near a checkpost. I have received reports that some policemen are injured and rushing to the site," district police chief Riaz Khan told AFP.

14 militants including ringleader charged for bomb blast in Bangladesh www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-16 19:21:16

   DHAKA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A court in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka Thursday framed charges against 14 militants of a banned Islamist outfit including its ringleader for their involvement in a bomb blast case in Dhaka in 2001.     Public Prosecutor of the case Abdullah Abu told Xinhua on Thursday, judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge in Dhaka framed charges including murder against all the 14 people of the banned Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HUJI).     He said the judge also rejected the discharge petition submitted by the chief of the Islamist outfits Mufti Abdul Hannan and others.     Abu said the charge sheets noted that the HUJI members led by Hannan planned, carried and exploded bombs in Ramna Park in Dhaka where thousands of people gathered to celebrate Bengali New Year on April 14, 2001.     The bomb blast left at least eight people killed and many more others injured at the main Bengli new year celebration program.     The cou

107 killed in blasts in Assam in 6 months

6 Apr 2009, 2141 hrs IST, PTI   GUWAHATI: Altogether 107 people have been killed and 449 others injured in bomb blasts that have rocked Assam in the last six months. Following is the chronology of bomb blasts in Assam since October 30, 2009: October 30, 2008: 91 killed, 320 injured in a series of blasts that rocked Guwahati, Kokrajhar and Barpeta. Jan 1, 2009: Five killed and more than 50 injured in three serial blasts in Guwahati hours before the arrival of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's arrival enroute to Shillong on January two. Jan 9, 2009: Three killed, 20 injured in a bomb blast at Maligaon shuttle gate in Guwahati. March 31, 2009 : One killed, 16 injured in a bomb blast at Jyotikuchi in Guwahati during External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's election campaign in the city. April 6, 2009: Seven killed, 63 injured in four bomb blasts at Guwahati, Dhekiajuli, Karbi Anglong and Mankachar on the eve of Pri

Secret fund package helped cops crack blast case

17 Apr 2009, 0000 hrs IST, Prashant Dayal, TNN   AHMEDABAD: Guess how much the city police spent to gather information for the serial bomb blasts of July, 2008? A staggering Rs 9 lakh. This was the price of intelligence inputs that helped cops crack the terror attack case. Thanks to a timely hike in the secret fund of Ahmedabad police commissionerate. On July 26, 2008, serial bomb blasts rocked Ahmedabad killing 59. Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra also witnessed similar blasts. These incidents triggered many co-ordination meetings between various police agencies and units of various states. During most of these meets, all Gujarat senior police officials had one suggestion hike in fund for information collection. "Information network had to be injected with money to reactivate it and get to the accused," said a senior police official. At the time of the serial blasts, Ahmedabad police commissionerate got a sum of Rs 5 lakh as secret fund. After this issue was raised

Pak rocked by 1842 terrorism incidents in last 14 months: Interior Ministry

Islamabad, Apr.17 (ANI): Pakistan was rocked by 1,842 incidents of terrorism during a fourteen month period from January 2008 to March 2009, an Interior Ministry report has revealed. These shocking figures were presented to the National Assembly during Question Hour, reports the Dawn. According to the figures, an average of five terrorist incidents took place in the country every day during the last fourteen months. The highest number of 1,122 terrorist incidents took place in Balochistan. The NWFP was rocked by 692 terrorist incidents, followed by 12 in Punjab, nine in Sindh and seven in Islamabad. The National Assembly was also informed that the government did not present a single inquiry report about terrorist incidents to parliament. In response to another question, the interior ministry informed the National Assembly that at least 6,169 foreigners, including 162 women, were imprisoned in Pakistani jails during 2008-2009. It was told that 5,087 illegal foreigners are imprisone

Terror-ridden Pakistan loses World Cup hosting rights NDTV Correspondent 22:16 IST, Friday, April 17, 2009 (Dubai)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday it had decided to move 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan due to security concerns. The decision came at an ICC executive board meeting in Dubai with the international body saying it had acted after noting the "uncertain political situation" in Pakistan. Expressing regret, Pakistan Cricket Board chairperson Ijaz Butt said, "It's a disappointing decision but it can't be helped." "Nobody wants to play in Pakistan following the attacks in Lahore." Butt added, referring to the March 3 attack on the Sri Lankan squad in the city which killed eight Pakistanis and wounded seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach. Pakistan were due to host 14 matches of the event, along with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The country stands to lose 8 to 10 million dollars due to the cancellation. Terror effect: A timeline September 2001- New Zealand decide not to tour Pakistan following th

The Tamil Tiger's top man in the UK has been convicted of two terrorism charges.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, 52, from Norbury, was the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam group in the UK - a banned organisation since 2000. The jury was dismissed after failing to reach verdicts on three other terror charges but found him guilty of separate bomb and of receiving documents for the purpose of terrorism. Co-defendant, Jagatheeswaran Muraleetharan was acquitted on one terror charge. Prominent figure was "warned" - re trial? The prominent property value was described as a "prominent figure" and was warned to stop supplying the LTTE with equipment that was of an "obvious" terrorist purpose. The Crown Prosecution Service is considering whether to go for a re trial after the Kingston Crown Court verdicts. Civil war nearing end The upheaval comes during the death throws of the Tamil Tiger uprising and a 25 year old civil war in Sri Lanka draws to an end. The United Nations says 150,000 people are trapped in the northern war

Bid to try gunman for 166 murders

AFTER numerous delays and an embarrassing false start, the trial of the one surviving gunman from the Mumbai terror attacks began yesterday with the prosecution pushing for him to face 166 counts of murder and the defence claiming he should be tried in a juvenile court. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court in opening arguments that Mohammed Ajmal Kasab was part of a "criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan to wage a war to annexe Kashmir" when he and nine other gunmen launched a series of co-ordinated attacks on India's financial capital on November 26 last year. "They had conspired to topple the administration -- the whole of India was targeted, not just Mumbai," Mr Nikam told the court, adding that at least one Pakistani military officer was involved in the attack and its sophistication suggested the involvement of the country's Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Pakistani officials have acknowledged the November attacks were partly

Britain and France Criticize Sri Lanka Rebels

PARIS — Britain and France issued on Thursday a strongly worded criticism of the Tamil Tiger rebels for preventing civilians from leaving the small conflict zone in the north east of Sri Lanka . “It is clear that the L.T.T.E. have been forcefully preventing civilians from leaving the conflict area and we deplore their determination to use civilians as a human shield,” the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, and his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner , said in a joint statement. Sri Lanka imposed a two-day cease-fire Monday after President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the military to restrict operations to a defensive nature for the Sri Lankan New Year. The cease-fire was lifted late Tuesday amid counter claims about confrontations between the Army and the Tamil Tigers, also known as the L.T.T.E., for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Britain and France said they were “deeply concerned that there was no large scale movement of civilians away from the conflict area to sa

17 killed, Maoists leave mark on first phase polls IANS

New Delhi: The world's largest democratic exercise to vote in a new government began in India on Thursday with voters queuing up in 17 states and union territories in the first phase of staggered elections marred by Maoist violence that left at least 17 people dead. Election 2009 started at 0700 hrs IST as people voted in 124 constituencies to pick a new 545-seat Lok Sabha in an exercise widely expected to throw up a split verdict. About 143 million of 714 million voters in the country are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first of five rounds in 185,552 polling centres. A total of 1,715 candidates are in the fray, and over 300,000 electronic voting machines are being used. Tens of thousands of election staff and security personnel kept vigil to ensure a smooth poll in Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar Island and Lakshwadeep that saw voting in all constituencies. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Ja

Pakistani Taliban in Swat say won't give up guns

By Kamran Haider Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:30am EDT ISLAMABAD, April 15 (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban will not lay down their arms in a northwestern valley as part of a deal that included the introduction of sharia law but will take their "struggle" to new areas, a militant spokesman said on Wednesday. President Asif Ali Zardari, under pressure from conservatives, signed a regulation on Monday imposing Islamic sharia law in the Swat valley to end Taliban violence. The strategy of appeasement has alarmed U.S. officials, while critics say the government has demonstrated a lack of capacity and will to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda. Details of the deal have not been made public but government officials backing the pact have said part of it was that militants would give up their arms. But a Pakistani Taliban spokesman in the scenic valley, a one-time tourist destination 125 km (80 miles) northwest of Islamabad, said they would be keeping their guns. "Sharia doesn't

Pakistan set to enforce Islamic law in NW areas

www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-15 20:40:22           ISLAMABAD, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Northwestern Pakistan's provincial government on Wednesday issued a formal notification on enforcing Sharia, or Islamic law, in Malakand and Kohistan divisions including the restive Swat valley.     A pact-signing ceremony was held in Peshawar, capital of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), at which Governor Owais Ahmed Ghaniand Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti signed the Sharia bill called Nizam-e-Adl regulation-2009.     Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the regulation introducing Sharia into the northwestern areas, including Swat valley, on Monday night after passage of a resolution by the parliament.     Swat has been one of Pakistan's main tourist destinations since2007, when the security forces began to fight against local Taliban in the region.     Sufi Muhammad, founding chief of the banned group Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), and the NWFP government

Death toll rises to 15 in Pakistan suicide attack

www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-15 23:28:37               ISLAMABAD, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle to a security checkpost in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, leaving at least 15 people dead and several others injured.     The blast occurred near a check-post in Charsadda district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), killing 15 people including nine policemen, private Geo TV channel quoted police sources as saying.     The emergency has been declared in the Charsadda hospital immediately after the blast.     No group claimed responsibility for the attack.     The attack came the same day when the NWFP government issued a formal notification on enforcing Sharia, or Islamic law, in Malakand division of NWFP including the restive Swat valley.     Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari signed the regulation introducing Sharia into the northwestern area on Monday night after passage of a resolution by the parliament.     The NWFP govern

Q+A: What can ships do if attacked by pirates?

 Source: Reuters Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:41pm BST By Jonathan Saul LONDON (Reuters) - A fresh spate of attacks by Somali pirates on vessels off the Horn of Africa has heightened fears for shipping routes in the region. Despite the presence of foreign navies in the Gulf of Aden, audacious Somali pirates have continued to strike at vessels traveling through remote Indian Ocean waters as naval forces remain stretched. Maritime organizations have issued recommendations to captains and their crews when coming under attack by pirates. HOW DO PIRATES OPERATE? While piracy off Somalia's coast has been a problem for years, the lure of multi-million dollar ransoms for crews and vessels has increased the number of pirates willing to launch attacks. Ransom money has allowed pirates to become better equipped, using satellite navigation systems, speedboats and operating from mother ships to prey on merchant vessels. Recent good weather has also bolstered the gangs' ability to ope

Plot hatched abroad to kill Kasab: Maharashtra home minister

15 Apr 2009, 1817 hrs IST, IANS   LONDON: Maharashtra home minister Jayant Patil says intelligence information indicates a plot was hatched "from abroad" to kill 26/11 terror suspect Ajmal Amir Kasab. He told The Times in comments quoted on Wednesday that the alleged plot was the reason additional security measures, such as a bomb-proof corridor, were built in the special courtroom where Kasab is being tried. The paper also quoted Rakesh Maria, the police officer in charge of the 26/11 probe, as saying police had uncovered a plan, originating in Pakistan, to silence Kasab. But Maria said Kasab, an alleged member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group, knows a limited amount. "We have a limb, not the brain of the organisation behind the attack," he told The Times. The paper said Kasab's trial was nevertheless set to attract global attention. Christine Fair, a senior political scientist at the US thinktank RAND Corporation, said: "He is the

Maoists target security forces ahead of first phase of polling

Image
Latehar/Sasaram, Apr 15 (PTI) Maoists today attacked parmilitary forces a day ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand and Bihar, killing three persons including two CRPF personnel even as police claimed that 17 of the ultras were gunned down. About 200 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) attacked a BSF camp, set up for poll security in Dhansa Valley in Bihar's Rohtas district, early today with rockets and other weapons, Rohtas Police Superintendent Vikas Vaibhav said. Vaibhav, who is leading a team of central para-military forces, state police and a special task force in the forests around the scene of encounter, said the guerrillas surrounded the camp near Rohtasgarh fort, around 200 kms from Ranchi, and fired rockets at it. The BSF personnel retaliated and the encounter that followed lasted for over three-and-a-half hours, he said, adding that the bodies of the 12 ultras were taken away by their colleagues into the forest. One BSF man was injured

Blake and Boucher and All those who ask for a Ceasefire now want terrorism to continue in Sri Lanka. Why ?

By Charles.S.Perera   In the Parliament Square in London two Tamils from the diaspora, one of who had come to London as recently as three weeks ago, are lying under the shade of umbrellas  showing the terrorist Prabhakaran’s dreamed Eelam.  They are surrounded by terrorist sympathisers, with the Officers of the UK Police Force standing apart  hopelessly incapable of handling demonstrators  hoisting  the flag which has a symbol of  terrorism of a group of terrorists banned in the United Kingdom.  The two young men are  fasting unto their death demanding the intervention of the International Community to call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.   Between the two fasting men is a portrait of  Prabhakaran the terrorist leader.  This is a clear indication that the Tamil Diaspora in London, and the  fast unto death sponsored by them is a last minute attempt to save their terrorist leaders ,  rather than  defend  the Tamil Civilians who are being held by the terrorists as a human shield.

Somali pirates on hijack spree since weekend

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY – 1 hour ago MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Somali pirates were back to business as usual Tuesday, defiantly seizing four more ships with 60 hostages after U.S. sharpshooters rescued an American freighter captain. "No one can deter us," one bandit boasted. The freed skipper, Richard Phillips, will return home to the United States on Wednesday, after reuniting with his 19-man crew in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, according to the shipping company Maersk Line Ltd. The brigands grabbed more ships and hostages to show they would not be intimidated by President Barack Obama's pledge to confront the high-seas bandits, according to a pirate based in the Somali coastal town of Harardhere. "Our latest hijackings are meant to show that no one can deter us from protecting our waters from the enemy because we believe in dying for our land," Omar Dahir Idle told The Associated Press by telephone. "Our guns do not fire water. I am sure we will avenge.

India, Pak clash over terror at NAM meet

14 Apr 2009, 0349 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: Pakistan's desire to portray itself as a victim of terrorism like India saw diplomats of both countries clashing at a recent meeting of NAM officials — in the run-up to a ministerial meeting in Havana scheduled for April 27. While the draft ministerial document put out a condemnation of the Mumbai attacks in November, Pakistan was keen to put in the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the same mention. India was unwilling for that because it could lead to Pakistan then claiming that India and Pakistan were both similar victims of terrorism. A compromise was tried whereby both Indian and Pakistani references would be kept in the document but separately. Pakistan refused to allow that and as a result of the impasse, there is currently no reference to these terror attacks. Indian officials said this would now be "sorted out" in Havana. The NAM presidency will pass from Cuba to Egypt this year and the summit is sche

Eight suspected militants held in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's security forces on Sunday captured eight members of a banned Islamist outfit, three of whom are believed to be members of its suicide squad, from Dhaka's Khilkhet area, officials said. The members of the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion also seized a large quantity of bomb-making materials, leaflets, books on jihad, religious CDs, audio cassettes from their possessions. The capture and seizures came barely two days ahead of the celebration of Bangli New Year on Tuesday. The lawmen suspect that the militants might have plans to obstruct the celebration. All the members of the suspected militants belonged to the outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, top leaders of which were executed in 2007 for major terrorist attacks in Bangladesh. "The militants are apparently trying to regrouping following their networks were dismantled after execution of their kingpins," said Kamruzzaman, an assistant superintendent of police deputed to the battalion. E

Major Terror attacks as for te Western World

November 4, 1979 Teran, Iran            U.S. Embassy Taken Over A group of Iranian students who were angry at the United States attacked and seized its embassy in Tehran, Iran. They were supported by the countries leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. 1982 - 1991 Lebanon           18 Americans Kidnapped David Dodge was the president of the American University in Beirut. He was kidnapped the first time while he was on his way home from work. He was released, but he was kidnapped again. This time he was killed. His murder was called the most gruesome abduction, torture, and killing of a United States citizen. The terrorists videotaped his torture and murder. A group called the Organization of the Oppressed on Earth claimed responsibility, but the real suspects are the Hezbollah guerillas. April 18, 1983 Beirut, Lebanon           Truck Bombing of U.S. Embassy A large vehicle packed with explosives is driven quickly into the U.S. Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes it kills

Are we doing enough for the Terrorm Victims

Are we doing enough for the Terrorm Victims A Grave reality A special bench of the railway claims tribunal may have been set up just for the 7/11 blasts, but work has progressed at a snail's pace. Out of the 1077 cases, only 499 victims have filed claims of which only 174 have been settled. And of the 235 identified for employment, less than 15 have got jobs with the railways. “The tribunal has had only four sittings in the last one year. They should work for all 22 days in a month. If they continue, they can settle 600 cases and it can be solved,” says former MP, BJP, Kirit Somaiya.

Are we doing enough for the terror victims

Are we doing enough for the terror victims

Are we doing Enough : 7/11 Mumbai victims wait forever

Are we doing Enough : 7/11 Mumbai victims wait forever Click Mumbai 7/11 Victims wait for ever if you cannot see the video below

“Islamic Terrorism”: There is nothing called the 'moderate Taliban' By M J Akbar

12 Apr 2009 Source: The Times of India.   If necessity is the mother of invention then politics is often the father. Barack Obama has invented a phrase that did not exist on January 20, the day he became president. Anxious to win a war through the treasury rather than the Pentagon, he has discovered something called the "moderate Taliban" in Afghanistan. Joe Biden, his vice president, has found the mathematical coordinates of this oxymoron: only 5% of the Taliban are "extremists". Welcome to Obama's first big mistake. The war in Afghanistan and Pakistan is not simply against some bearded men and beardless boys who have been turned into suicide missionaries. The critical conflict is against the ideology of a chauvinistic theocracy that seeks to remould the Muslim world into a regressive region from which it can assault every aspect of modernity, whether that be in political space or the social sphere. Washington has a single dimension definition of "modera

Islamic Fundamentalism: The virulent Wahhabi virus Murad Ali Baig

  April 10, 2009   Source: Hindustan Times Mumbai. Afghanistan. Pakistan. The 'Islamist' terror attacks in South Asia all had the hallmarks of Wahabi ideology. Its followers are blinded by faith to believe that they have the mandate of Allah to rid the world of ‘infidels’ and ‘heretics’. Combating terrorism may thus be impossible until this Wahabi cult is thoroughly discredited.   Mohammed Abd Al Wahab, (1703-1794), redefined Islam in a narrow and intolerant way and injected into it such a virulent cult of hatred that, though repeatedly put down, it has risen to become the single greatest threat to world peace today. A single rough Bedouin could so radically reinterpret Islam that his followers got away with destroying the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Madina in 1803 and later stripped the sacred Kaaba at Makkah of the treasures that pilgrims had adorned it with. Wahab disallowed ceremonies for marriage or death, worship of saints, adorning of graves, tombs or other sacred object