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Showing posts from July 31, 2011

Gov’t, rebel spokesmen: Islamist militia leaving many bases in Somali capital

Source: washingtonpost MOGADISHU, Somalia — Government and rebel spokesmen say that Islamist forces are pulling out of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said Saturday that al-Shabab was retreating from the city. He called it a “golden victory for the Somali people.” However, Al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamed Rage told a local radio station that the retreat was aimed to enable a counter-attack. He says there will be no pull out from other regions of southern Somalia. The extent of the retreat or what it means was not immediately clear. Residents reported al-Shabab militia leaving their positions overnight. The militia has never abandoned the city entirely. Somalia is in the grip of famine and has had no functioning government for 20 years.

Philippine rebels abduct mayor, 2 others

Source: mindnao examiner Saturday, August 06, 2011 01:01:17 PM DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 6, 2011) – Philippine communist rebels snatched Saturday a southern town mayor in Mindanao Island and security forces mounted a large scale operation to rescue the politician, officials said. Officials said two soldiers who were guarding Mayor Henry Dano, of Lingig town, were also abducted by dozens of New People’s Army rebels who stormed the politician’s house. The rebels, who arrived in several vehicles, disarmed the mayor’s security guards and seized the politicians and the two soldiers and fled towards Davao Oriental province, a known NPA stronghold in Mindanao. “There is an ongoing operation to locate the mayor. Our troops together with the military is conducting pursuit operation in (the town of) Boston in Davao Oriental province where the rebels are heading,” said Senior Superintendent Julito Diray, the provincial police chief. He said the motive of the abduction i

Somali troops open fire amid fight for food; seven dead

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Source: sltrib Somali refugees walk through the eastern Kenyan village of Hagadera near Dadaab, 100 kms (60 miles) from the Somali border, Friday Aug. 5, 2011. The drought and famine in the horn of Africa has killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 in the last 90 days in southern Somalia alone, according to U.S. estimates. The U.N. says 640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished, suggesting the death toll of small children will rise. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)  Mogadishu, Somalia • A World Food Program handout of corn rations to Somalis trying to survive a famine turned deadly Friday after government troops opened fire, killing at least seven, witnesses said. Residents of Mogadishu’s largest famine refugee camp accused government soldiers of starting the chaos by trying to steal some of the 290 tons of dry rations that aid worke

The Military, Borno Elders And Boko Haram

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Source: nigeriantribune Gov Kashim Shettima The Budum Roundabout bomb blast in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, last Saturday, was said to have claimed the lives of 13 people. Four residents were injured in the blast which also destroyed 42 shops and stalls. According to an eyewitness, Badigma Bukar, 45, a woman who carried a plastic bag, planted the bomb at the roundabout, which went off by 4.40 p.m. Residents of the area were said to have accused members of the Joint Taskforce, Operation Restore Order (JTORO), of being the masterminds of the blast as well as a selective burning of shops belonging to the natives. But spokesman of the Joint Taskforce, Lieutenant  Colonel Hassan Mohammed, said reports that the Boko Haram sect had again attacked a military patrol vehicle at one of the roundabouts in Shehuri ward were received at about 4.45p.m. According to him, “Our men were able to repel the armed sect wit

Karachi violence kills 800 in 2011, says HRCP

Source: centralasianewonline KARACHI – Violence in Karachi killed 800 people during the first seven months of 2011, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairwoman Zohra Yusuf said August 5. She called the period the deadliest since the first half of 1995, when more than 900 people were killed, Express Tribune reported. Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) called for a high-level judicial inquiry into the Karachi violence, media reported. Separately, the MQM presented a list of 500 suspects allegedly involved in the violence to the National Assembly, media reported. All 500 people on the list are criminals and terrorists, Farooq Sattar, the MQM leader, told the Assembly.

Naran cleric launches anti-extremism campaign

Source: centralasiaonine NARAN – Tourists are welcoming the anti-terrorism message that local religious leaders, such as Maulvi Said Aalam, are spreading in resort towns. “Spreading terror and hatred is no service to Islam, which teaches brotherhood, humility and tolerance,” Aalam told a Friday-prayer gathering of more than 5,000 worshippers in Naran, which attracts many tourists. “Islam is a religion of nature and ... (says) to murder one man is to murder humanity,” the influential prayer leader said. “If Islam means peace, then how it can allow violence?” Such addresses from influential religious leaders, “are very encouraging where people from different regions and from every walk of life come to relax,” M. Zaki Mazhar, a security department employee at the UN’s Lahore office, told Central Asia Online. “In our society, clerics are very influential and can guide people ... against violence and hatred,” Aftab Afridi, a tourist and student from

Gunman killed near Saudi prince's palace -agency

Source: the newsinternational JEDDAH: Saudi security forces killed a gunman on Saturday morning after he fired at a checkpoint near the Interior Minister's palace in Jeddah, the state news agency said. Police said they were unable to confirm whether the incident was terror related. "At 1 a.m. on Saturday, a person carrying a gun fired at a checkpoint in Abdulrahman Al-Malki Street in Jeddah. He was dealt with swiftly and was killed. The event is still under investigation," the SPA statement said. There were no other deaths or casualties, the statement said.

Schools ‘should denounce’ radicalism

Source: jakarta post The government should encourage schools to denounce radicalism in order to curb its widespread influence among students and youths. Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto, deputy head of the National Police’s crime investigation division, said that presenting a negative image of radicalism was a good way to root out radicalism. “The results of a soft approach is what results in a successful terrorist arrest,” Bekto said in a recent seminar on terrorism. He said that he believed people could change, and that deradicalization was a crucial policy in reducing radicalism. He said deradicalization efforts should alos include censoring books that preached radicalism. Maj. Gen. Agus Surya Bakti, deputy head on prevention, protection and deradicalization at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), said that his agency had already spoken to the National Education Ministry about adding in antiradicalism materials in the curriculum, from primary to high school. The growth

Ties Between Al-Qaida and Iran

Source: VOA The United States Treasury Department has announced sanctions against six members of an al-Qaida network headed by Syrian-born Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil who is based in Iran The United States Treasury Department has announced sanctions against six members of an al-Qaida network headed by Syrian-born Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil who is based in Iran.  In its statement, the Treasury Department said the network is "operating under an agreement between al-Qaida and the Iranian government." According to the Treasury Department, since 2005, Iranian authorities have allowed Kahlil to move money and recruits from across the Middle East into Iran, then on to Pakistan for the benefit of al-Qaida's senior leaders. Five other operatives were designated as part of the network, including Libyan-born Atiyah abd al-Rahman,al-Qaida's overall commander in Pakistan's tribal areas, who was previously appointed by Usama bin Laden as al-Qaida's emissary i

Taming the terrorism devil

Source: china daily Terrorism poses a grave threat to people's lives and properties in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as the socio-economic development of the region and the rest of China. To ensure the safety and security of the people, the fight against terrorists has to be intensified in accordance with law. And there should be no leniency. This strong message was conveyed by Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu in his speech to the national anti-terrorism conference in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, on Thursday. Meng has adopted the right attitude toward the series of terrorist attacks that claimed many an innocent's life in the region recently. As the minister said, the fight against terrorism in China's western autonomous region will be long and hard because the situation there is complicated. A group of extremists and separatists is hell-bent on denying that the autonomous region is part of China and s

Why Mubarak’s Trial Could Mean the End of Egypt’s Youth Revolution

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Source: TNR The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is being hailed as a landmark moment in Arab, if not world, history. And, in a certain sense, it is. The image of the once indomitable dictator wheeled into a courtroom on a gurney, flanked by the sons who might have been his heirs, but are now his co-defendants, affirms the primary achievement of Egypt’s revolt: namely, Mubarak’s ouster. For many Egyptians, the January uprising was always about ending Mubarak’s stifling 30-year rule and preventing him from pharaonically installing his son Gamal as his successor. Now that this has been accomplished, however, most appear willing to move on—even though the military regime that Mubarak fronted is still very much intact. Even as it marks a great achievement, in other words, the dictator’s trial will likely prove a substantial, if not insurmountable, challenge for Egypt’s youth protesters, who catalyzed the anti-Mubarak revolt and are still pushing for a

Al-Qaida branch won’t attack Europe

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Source: sltrib France's Terrorism Judge, Marc Trevidic, reacts to a question during an interview with the Associated Press in Paris, Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)  Paris • France’s top judge in the fight against Islamic terrorism said Friday that al-Qaida’s North African wing has shown no ability to strike in Europe or elsewhere beyond its zone of operations. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, born of a former insurgent group in Algeria, remains motivated largely out of a desire to attack former colonial power France. It currently holds four French hostages, and French officials have called the group the biggest terror threat to France and its interests. In an interview, anti-terrorism judge Marc Trevidic suggested AQIM is being forced to work hard to control parts of its traditional territory in the Sahel region along th

The Book that Changed Europe: Picart & Bernard’s “Religious Ceremonies of the World”

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Source: tnr The Book that Changed Europe: Picart & Bernard’s “Religious Ceremonies of the World” By Lynn Hunt, Margaret C. Jacob, and Wijnand Mijnhardt (Harvard University Press, 383 pp., $32.95) A New Science: The Discovery of Religion in the Age of Reason By Guy G. Stroumsa (Harvard University Press, 223 pp., $35) The scene is  familiar. A family is sitting around a table, in a well-appointed eighteenthcentury dining space. Only if you look closely, and only if you know what to look for, do you realize that this is a Passover seder. The caption below the image, “the Passover meal,” is for everyone else. Around the table sits a family, with their servant, all finely dressed—these are, after all, the wealthy Portuguese Jews of Amsterdam—and with their heads covered, both the men and the women. All except for one, that is: on the far left sits a man who follows along with the reading of the Haggadah, but bare-headed. This is likely the artist, Bernard Pi

Security crackdown imminent in restive Xinjiang

Source: china post BEIJING -- China is ordering a sweeping security clampdown in the western region of Xinjiang following recent deadly attacks blamed on Muslim ethnic Uyghur militants, with Beijing vowing “no mercy” toward anyone pursuing violence or separatism. Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu has ordered officials to mobilize all available resources and manpower to create a “high-pressure environment” in which to contain terrorism, official newspapers reported Friday. “Those criminals who dare test the law with their persons and carry out violent terrorist acts, we will punish harshly, showing no mercy and never being soft,” Meng was quoted as telling participants at an anti-terrorism conference Thursday in the regional capital of Urumqi. Meng urged authorities to work to prevent violence in villages and cities though education and intelligence gathering. He vowed prosecutions for anyone threatening lives or property, pushing for separatism or undermining relat

The Frightening Rise of Lone-Wolf Terrorism

Source: TNR Is the end near for terrorism as we know it? According to a much-discussed Washington Post article that ran on July 26, U.S. counterterrorism officials believe that, after the death of Osama bin Laden and in the face of sustained drone attacks, Al Qaeda’s core leadership in Pakistan is on the “brink of collapse.” However, counterterrorism officials stressed in the article that the threat from “aggressive” affiliates is not diminishing—nor is the threat from “radicalized individuals,” also known as lone wolves. The consequences of this reality, which extends beyond Al Qaeda’s influence to other extremist groups and ideologies, are both complicated and deadly. The question now is what can be done to safeguard the world against them. Both American and British officials have now stated that lone-wolf terrorism, whether inspired by Al Qaeda or by the far right, poses a growing risk to the West. This was made painfully clear by Anders Behring Breivik, who, ar

Legal experts blast performance of lawyers representing victims at Mubarak trial

Source: dailynewsegypt CAIRO: The lawyers representing families of the victims performed horribly during Wednesday’s opening session of the corruption and murder trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, legal experts said. The 85 lawyers in attendance, representing 414 victims killed during the uprising earlier this year, were in attendance to ensure the trial runs smoothly, and the interests of the victims are taken into account by the court, Gamal Eid, director for the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, told Daily News Egypt. However, according to Eid, half of these lawyers weren’t actually official representatives of the victims, while many others were simply “not good lawyers.” Judge Ahmed Mekky, well known for work advocating for judicial independence over the last decade, had harsher words for their performance. “The victims’ lawyers were totally horrible. Really, just worse than horrible,” he told DNE. Despite the trial being a criminal case, the Eg

Activists mourn Abbaseya protester's death

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Source: egyptdailynews Hundreds attended a symbolic funeral for Mohsen at Omar Makram Mosque after Friday prayers. (Daily News Egypt Photo / Hassan Ibrahim) By   Daily News Egypt August 5, 2011, 4:22 pm CAIRO: Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of Omar Makram Mosque in Tahrir Square after Friday prayers to attend a symbolic funeral for Mohamed Mohsen, 24, who passed away Wednesday night from injuries sustained during clashes in Abbaseya between armed men and protesters marching towards the Ministry of Defense on July 23. Military police cordoned off the march as protesters attempted to make their way to the center of Tahrir Square, which has been the sight of heavy security presence after a three-week sit-in was dispersed by security forces on Aug. 1, the first day of Ramadan. A while later, protesters dispersed peacefully, according t

Tantawy likely to testify at Mubarak trial if asked: source

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Source: dailynewsegypt File photo of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawy. By   AFP August 5, 2011, 2:29 pm CAIRO: Field Marshal Hussein Tantawy, Egypt's military ruler, will most likely testify in the trial of former president Hosni Mubarak if summoned after a request by the defense, a security official said Thursday. Fareed El-Deeb, who represented the fallen dictator at his murder trial, asked the judge in its first session on Wednesday to summon Tantawy and military chief of staff Sami Enan along with some 1,600 witnesses. "It is very likely that the field marshal will attend, if the court requests his presence," said the source, who requested anonymity. The request was interpreted by some as an implicit threat by the pugnacious ex-president to embarrass the military, which many believe must have signed off on the decision to t

At least 5 dead in Ramadan protests in Syria

Source: dailynewsegypt DAMASCUS: At least five people were shot dead as thousands of Syrians took to the streets to rally against President Bashar Al-Assad on the first Friday of Ramadan in support of the protest hub of Hama, activists said. Security forces fired at demonstrators in Irbin, near Damascus, killing five people and wounding many others, Syrian League for the Defense of Human Rights head Abdel Karim Rihawi told AFP in Nicosia, updating an earlier toll. Another activist, Rami Abdel Rahman, said 20 people were wounded, seven of them seriously as security forces opened fire in the Ter Maala district of the central city of Homs. Communications were completely cut off as the army stepped up an operation to crush dissent in Hama, north of Damascus, where security forces killed at least 30 civilians and wounded dozens earlier in the week. "Thousands of demonstrators marched in Deir Ezzor, Daraa and Qamishli in support of the city of Hama despite the ext

LulzSec, Anonymous Head State-Side Following Met Police's Warning

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Source: Ibtimes Following the Metropolitan Police's statement warning Anonymous hackers and their supporters of the potential jail sentences they could receive, the hacker collective has turned its attention stateside, promising attacks on a number of U.S. government agencies. View Full Image IBTimes Following the Metropolitan Police's statement warning Anonymous hackers and supporters of the potential jail sentences they could receive, the hacker collective has turned its attention state-side, promising attacks on a number of U.S. government agencies. The Met's Warning Earlier this week after Anonymous and LulzSec spokesman Jake Davis , aka Topiary's, court appearance, the London Metropolitan Police issued an open statement via Twitter warning Anonymous hackers and supporters of the criminal charges they could face if caught. The stateme

Huge rallies in Yemen, both for and against the president

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Source: ibtimes As expected, tens of thousands of Yemenis have gathered in the capital city of Sanaa to express their antipathy to the regime of the President Ali Abdullah Saleh, continuing weeks of a protest campaign. View Full Image Reuters Supporters of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh hold his poster during a rally in Sanaa Guides and Reports According to Al Jazeera , Friday’s rallies appears to be the largest demonstration seen in Yemen during the past seven weeks of unrest. There are also reports of anti-government marches across the small, poverty-stricken nation. However, supporters of the president have also assembled in Sanaa, sparking concerns of potential clashes between the two groups. According to state-controlled television, thousands of Saleh backers demonstrated near the presidential palace waving banners and

Chilean Unrest: 527 Students Arrested Following Clashes

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Source: ibtimes By Anissa Haddadi | August 5, 2011 3:28 PM GMT Waves of protests have hit Chile in the last few weeks and more than 500 people were reportedly arrested with 14 wounded in cities across Chile on Thursday. According to activists, police fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse student protesters calling for education reforms. View Full Image REUTERS Students participate in a massive pillow fight, known as "Pillow fight for a best education", in protest against the government in Valparaiso city, about 121 km (75 miles) northwest of Santiago, July 13, 2011. Students have been staging demonstrations on the streets demanding for changes in the public state education system. Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, beset by mass student protests over education standards and costs seen threatening his legislative agenda, has proposed a $4 billi

NATO planes bomb Tripoli, rebels sabotage key pipeline

Source: Channelnewsasia TRIPOLI: NATO warplanes bombed the Libyan capital early Friday, state television said, as Muammar Gaddafi's regime accused rebels of sabotaging a key pipeline feeding the country's sole functioning refinery. About 10 loud explosions rocked the city around 1:30 am (2330 GMT), an AFP journalist said. Shortly afterwards, Libyan television said "civilian and military sites" at the southeastern suburb of Khellat al-Ferjan had been targeted by "the colonialist aggressor." Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim meanwhile said late Thursday that rebel forces had sabotaged a pipeline in the Jebel Nefussa region, a mountainous area southeast of Tripoli. "The rebels turned off a valve and poured cement over it," he said, adding that this would lead to a shortage of electricity in the capital as oil and gas were used at the Zawiyah refinery to generate power. Kaaim said food and medicine supplies were spoiling in the

Libya rebels say NATO strike kills Gaddafi's son

Source: channelnewsasia BENGHAZI: Libya's rebel forces on Friday said an overnight night NATO strike on an operations centre in the western town of Zliten has killed Muammar Gaddafi's son Khamis, and more than 30 others. Citing spies operating among Gaddafi's ranks, Mohammed Zawawi, a spokesman for revolutionary militia groups, told AFP that Khamis was confirmed to be among the dead. "Overnight there was a aircraft attack by NATO on the Gaddafi operations room in Zliten and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis," said Zawawi, a spokesman for the United Revolutionary Forces. Khamis, who has long led pro-government militia fighters, was said to be commanding the battle for Zliten - a Gaddafi bastion that has halted the rebel advance on Tripoli. The strike appears to have come just hours after Tripoli took journalists on an escorted tour of the centre of Zliten, an effort to rubbish rebel claims the town was under att