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Showing posts from September 4, 2011

Trafficking and the U.S.

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Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year, according to a 2005 report from the U.S. State Department.

A profitable enterprise?! : Crime Industries

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CNN Ranking behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking, human trafficking is estimated to be the third largest international crime industry, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime . It is believed to generate profits of an estimated $32 billion, according to a 2005 report from the International Labour Organization . Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries.

Warning: Syria is much stronger than Libya

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Syrian army special forces prepare for tomorrow's farewell ceremony at the Rayaq Lebanese military airport near the Syrian border 25 April 2005. (Getty Images) Editor’s Note:  Shashank Joshi  is a doctoral student at Harvard University and an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. By  Shashank Joshi  – Special to CNN In Syria, the Assad dynasty is teetering. Protests have breached the two largest cities, around 2,200 citizens have been killed, and oil and gas sanctions will soon cripple the public purse. Civil war isn’t guaranteed – there’s a slim chance that loyalists dump President Assad and cede a little power to widen their base – but, as Hussein Ibish writes in The Atlantic , ‘with the Libya model presenting itself … as an alternative stratagem, the drift towards conflict is starting to feel palpable’. So palpable, in fact, that some – like Michael O’Hanlon on this site – have begun surveying the West’s military options. That i

Mourners gather for funeral of London man whose death sparked riots

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London ( CNN ) -- A funeral took place in London Friday for Mark Duggan, the father of four whose death after his cab was stopped by armed police led to protests that expanded into four days of rioting. A horse-drawn cortege processed through the streets from his parents' home in the north London neighborhood of Tottenham to the church in nearby Wood Green where the ceremony was held, with many mourners on hand. Duggan, 29, died on August 4 from a gunshot to the chest after a police unit that deals with gun crime stopped the cab that was carrying him. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is still investigating the circumstances around his death and said Thursday that it "is far from reaching any conclusions." A peaceful protest in Tottenham two days after his death turned violent and rioting spread to other parts of London and other English cities over the following days. Michael Jarrett, 47, from Tottenham was

More protests demand ouster of Yemen's leader

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Sanaa, Yemen ( CNN ) -- More than a million anti-government youth gathered for protests in virtually all of Yemen's provinces, witnesses said Friday, a day the protesters dubbed "Friday of victory from God." The largest protest was in Taiz, where more than 500,000 went into Freedom Square, numerous eyewitnesses estimated. "We will not stop marching and protesting. We feel that victory for the Yemeni revolution is near, and our patience will pay off very soon," said Mansoor al-Mukbili, a youth protester in Sanaa, the nation's capital. He said the regime is gasping its last breath and the protesters will continue seeking peaceful change and denounce any sort of violence. Fuad Himyari, the head of prayers in Sanaa's Change Square, called on youth protesters to stand firm, saying the battle against the oppressive regime is coming to an end. Pro-government protests were also witnessed in the capital as President Ali

Violence settles down in Egypt after attack on Israeli Embassy

From Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, For CNN Cairo ( CNN ) -- Clashes in Cairo largely pacified Saturday, a day after an attack on the Israeli Embassy heightened tensions in Egypt and Israel. Earlier Saturday, streets in Cairo looked like a war zone as violence intensified between security forces and protesters. Gunfire pierced the air as rocks, burning tires and fires from Molotov cocktails littered the streets. The Ministry of Health reported 520 injuries after the clashes. "A very difficult event is over," said a senior Israeli government official who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The official said while Israelis are thankful to the Egyptians for their efforts to resolve the situation, "it cannot be brushed under the carpet. This was a serious violation of the conventions of diplomatic behavior." The official added that American involvement in speaking with Egyptians about the situation was crucial. Egyptian

What's wrong with Stockholm

Brendan Francis Newnam hosts a national public radio show called "The Dinner Party Download" produced by American Public Media. He's the author of the CNN.com travel column "The State I'm In." Follow him on Twitter @bnewnam. ( CNN) -- A $22 martini. And this wasn't a martini served with gold flakes and unicorn eyelashes, either. In fact, it was barely a martini. It was two oily Kalamata olives covered in an ounce of gin and an ounce of something that wasn't vermouth. It was the worst thing-called-a-martini I've ever had. And the most expensive thing-called-a-martini I've ever paid for. And I won't let myself forget it, because it's the only thing I found wrong with the entire city of Stockholm. I know what you're thinking: Surprise! A travel writer likes a place that he visited. And it's true, travel stories tend to be as hard-hitting as a Dick Cheney interview on Fox. But believe me whe

Study reveals the many faces of terrorism

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  Source: CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTS Recent terror alert renews concern about al Qaeda, authors say Their study shows domestic terrorism often comes from non-Islamist sources Non-Islamist terrorists have been more likely to seek unconventional weapons, they say Authors: In U.S., Islamist terrorism no more deadly than other forms since 9/11 Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst and a director at the New America Foundation, where Andrew Lebovich is a policy analyst. (CNN) -- The credible but as yet unconfirmed reports that three men directed by al Qaeda have plans for an attack on the United States to coincide with the 10th anniversary of September 11 reminds us of the persistence of the threat from Islamist terrorists. Yet our research indicates that al Qaeda and those motivated by its ideology are not the only sources of terrorism that the country faces and that terrorists across the ideological spectrum from those motivated by Osama bin Laden&#

Security forces confirm Myanmar ops against NE militants

Source: TOI GUWAHATI: Security forces on Thursday confirmed the claim made by Ulfa's faction headed by commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah that the Myanmarese army has launched an offensive against Indian militants holed up in the neighbouring country. "There are reports of Myanmar launching an offensive against Indian rebels at their unified camp in the Taga area of Kachin region, which is close to Indian territory. This place houses Ulfa's mobile military headquarters and also serves as the base of eight other outfits of Manipur, including the NSCN (K)," a key security official said. He added, "We have intercepted Ulfa's radio messages from Myanmar meant for its men in Assam where they have described the situation as 'ghoror phale bhal abastha nohoi' (the situation here at home is not good)." He said, "Ulfa has about 80 to 90 members in the unified camp. Top leaders of Baruah's group like Jibon Moran, Michael Deka Phukan, B

'Indian militants still based in B'desh'

Agartala, Sep 9 ( bdnews24.com )—The chief minister of Tripura claims that insurgents of the northeastern Indian region still have bases in Bangladesh and that prime minister Sheikh Hasina has promised actions against the militants if information and evidence can be made available. Manik Sarkar was responding to a query on the issue of insurgents of the northeastern region using Bangladeshi soil at a press conference on Friday. According to him, at a discussion in Dhaka recently on the existence of camps of militants in Bangladesh territory, Sheikh Hasina promptly sought papers and information about the locations of insurgents' bases in that country. Sarkar formed part of the team that accompanied Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh during his two-day visit to Dhaka on Sept 6-7. The chief minister informed that the number of camps of Tripura-focussed militant in Bangladesh has come down, and at present there are around 20 camps. Sarkar added that Bangladesh has showed pos

Hunger Strike In India That Needs World`s Attention

Source: kanglaonline by Nehginpao Kipgen It is uncommon here in the United States to see a peaceful demonstration, in the form of hunger strike that is spearheaded by women activists for a genuine cause they firmly believe in. The news may sound somewhat unconvincing, but it is happening in the state of Manipur in Northeast India. It may be difficult to find someone who does not know India, even if he or she is unsure of its precise geographical location in the world map. India boasts for its diversity and being the world’s largest democracy, with a population of over 1.21 billion people. India is a nation originally formed by princely states and territories. It is also a country which fought several decades to gain independence from the British in 1947. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi) was a pioneering leader who stood up against the British forces with an effective political weapon called ahimsa (meaning non-violence). It was Gandhi’s use of

American charged in plot to join Pakistani jihadist group

Source: IE A US citizen, who planned to travel to Pakistan to join a radical jihadist group, has been charged with providing material support to terrorists. An indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn on Saturday against Agron Hasbajrami, a legal US resident and Albanian citizen residing in New York city. Hasbajrami is scheduled to be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. He was arrested at John F Kennedy International Airport when he arrived to board his flight to Turkey en route to Pakistan, carrying a tent, boots and cold-weather gear. If convicted of providing material support to terrorists, Hasbajrami faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. “The vigilance of law enforcement has resulted in the capture of another alleged aspiring terrorist bent on travelling overseas for violent jihad,” United States Attorney Loretta Lynch said. “We will spare no effort in stopping terrorists before they strike.” According to t

Focus on big dams, AFSPA as Anna Hazare plans NE trip

Source: morungexpress Guwahati | August 29 : After having led the ‘people’s victory’ on the Jan Lokpal issue in the national capital, noted crusader Anna Hazare has put his focus now in the North East India region, thanks to Irom Sharmila of Manipur and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi of Assam. Thanks to Sharmila & Akhil Gogoi, Team Anna set to focus on North East now Anna Hazare, the 74-year-old crusader has decided to take up two seemingly regional issues that “will come to impact all Indians in the long run”. The demand for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1958 and the campaign against the construction of mega dams are the concerns of Anna Hazare now. “Hazare has made up his mind to visit northeast soon after recuperating and getting back to work,” said Assam-based RTI activist and Team Anna member Akhil Gogoi here on Monday. “His mission includes rallies against big hydropower projects threatening the existence of people in the Northeast and a trip to

Northeast India rediscovers Tricolour

Sourcew: lankaweb Nava Thakuria   When Gandhian Anna Hazare ended his hunger strike (after fasting for   12 full days) following Indian Parliament’s resolution for a stronger anti-graft law, he himself said it was half-victory. But nobody denied that millions of common Indians rallied behind him for a Jan Lokpal and finally the law makers had to bow down to public furies.   Under the leadership of Anna Hazare, 74, the up-charge for a public ombudsman that would have the authority to investigate and punish the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats including that of Prime Minister’s Office, took the shape of another Freedom Movement.   The UPA government led by Indian National Congress initially overlooked the public sentiment and submitted a seemingly week anti-graft bill in the Parliament. Some of Congress leaders even made ridiculous statement that Anna Hazare himself was a corrupt person and so he does not have right to speak against corruption. The anti-corruption c

Delhi blast: Third email threatens Ahmedabad, say reports

Source: TOI NEW DELHI: Even as investigators struggled to find a breakthrough in the Delhi high court blast case, another terror email , warning of an impending attack, has reportedly surfaced. The third email has been sent from the ID kill.india@yahoo.com to Delhi Police. The email sender identified himself as Ali Saed El-Hoorie. The name of Ahmedabad figures in the email which was sent under a numerical code. Gujarat, specifically Ahmedabad has now been put on a high alert. According to sources, the third email, which was received by media organizations, was sent from a Yahoo account. Sources added that the government of India has asked Yahoo for more details. On Wednesday after the blast outside Delhi HC, an email was sent by Harkat-ul-Jihadi (HuJI) putting onus of the blast on the terror outfit. Yesterday another email - purportedly written by one "Chotoo" - stated that the blast was actually carried out by Indian Mujahideen. The second mail

Blast e-mail suspect detained in Indian Kashmir

Source: AFP SRINAGAR, India — Police in Indian Kashmir on Friday detained a man suspected of sending an e-mail claiming responsibility for a bomb at New Delhi's High Court that left 13 dead. The unverified e-mail, which said the Pakistan-based militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) carried out Wednesday's attack, had been traced to a cybercafe in Kishtwar, near the Kashmiri city of Jammu. "The person we were looking for -- the suspect who sent the e-mail -- has been located and taken into custody for questioning," Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi. Chidambaram said the suspect had been tracked down after questioning two brothers who owned the cybercafe and other people who had been using the facility around the time the e-mail was sent. Federal investigators have yet to confirm whether the email was indeed from HuJI. Another claim of responsibility, apparently from a home-grown militant outfit called Indian Muj

China blasts West's anti-terrorism 'double standards'

Source: ahram China accuses the US of having 'double standards' in combating terrorism, using counter-terrorism as a 'cheap excuse' for interventions China's state media on Friday accused Western countries of "double standards" in their fight against terrorism, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The comment piece by the official Xinhua news agency blamed Washington in particular for turning a "blind eye" to the damage caused by extremists in Russia's Chechnya and in China's own far-western region of Xinjiang. Nearly 10 years after 9/11, Xinhua said the fight against terror was "far from over", with terrorists changing tactics and increasing "collaboration with separatists and religious extremists". "A bigger challenge to the world's anti-terror effort, though, is a lack of a common standard," the comment said. "In particular, the United S

Real IRA ‘expel’ four men from Curryneirin

Source: derryjournal The Real IRA has said it has “expelled” four people from the Curryneirin area of Derry this week. The dissident republican paramilitary group said it ordered the four people - all men - from the estate on Tuesday. In a call to the ‘Journal,’ using a recognised code word, a caller claiming to represent the Real IRA said the men had been expelled and made specific accusations against them. The spokesperson also said the Real IRA would be “monitoring the situation” and added the group have a “list of further” people who will be monitored. It is understood the four men - three of whom are believed to be aged in their 20s and one in his 50s - have now left the area. The threat has been condemned by a spokesperson for the Curryneirin Development Organisation who said that violence or threats will not solve problems in the area. “Our association’s position on this is straightforward. We

In Basque Country, ETA’s silence is democracy’s gain

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Source: iberosphere A year on from the separatist group's ceasefire announcement, ETA is weaker than ever and a peace process looks highly unlikely. But with the emergence of a new nationalist coalition, the Basque region is politically healthier. Over a year without murders or attacks, a drop in street violence and an end to the extortion of Basque businesses. Looking at those bald facts, ETA would seem to have come a long way since making its ceasefire announcement in September 2010 – an announcement that the organisation hoped would lead to a new peace process with the Spanish government. ETA: Whistling into the wind of public suspicion. But ETA’s ambition of returning to the negotiating table currently looks as difficult to achieve as ever. The last year has seen some extraordinary developments in the Basque Country, yet the terrorist group appears to have been marginalised from the most momentous events. That ceasefire declaration itself was s