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Showing posts from March 18, 2012

EU authorises warships to hit Somali pirate lairs

Atlanta: The European Union authorised its navies to strike Somali pirate equipment on land as foreign ministers on Friday beefed up the anti-piracy mission and extended it until December 2014. The EU's Operation Atalanta has deployed between five and 10 warships off the Somali coast since 2008 to escort humanitarian aid shipments and thwart pirate raids on commercial vessels using vital shipping lanes. Foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to extend "the force's area of operations to include Somali coastal territory as well as its territorial and internal waters," said an EU statement. The new mandate will allow warships or helicopters to fire at fuel barrels, boats, trucks or other equipment stowed away on beaches, an EU official said on condition of anonymity. "Piracy has caused so much misery to the Somali people and to the crews of ships transiting the area and it is right that we continue to move forward in our efforts,"

Censors block online rumors about coup as China battles infighting within ruling party

BEIJING: Chinese censors have blocked internet content speculating a military coup amid reports of serious power struggle within the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that threatens to disrupt a smooth transition of power when its general secretary and President Hu Jintao completes his term later this year. The struggle has come to the fore after the party's Chongqing city head Bo Xilai was removed from his post as his deputy had reportedly sought asylum in the US. Bo, who is a CCP founding member's son, was a contender for the party's top post. Insiders describe the struggle as one between the group representing princelings -- the offspring of old revolutionaries -- and those opposing them. Vice president Xi Jinping , a princeling, is seen as Hu's successor. "Some people at the top are childhood friends and children of national heroes. There is a group supporting these princelings and another one opposing it," a university teacher,

New book warns of looming Pakistan anarchy

NEW YORK: A Pakistani journalist and best-selling author cautions that Pakistan is heading towards anarchy in his new book that offers solutions for his country's frayed ties with the United States and how US peace talks with the Taliban is crucial in its exit strategy from Afghanistan. The writer, Ahmed Rashid , who frequents the dinner tables of the world's top leaders offering advice, gives a dire assessment of the region he has reported on for more than 30 years in "Pakistan On The Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan" released in the United States this week. In his fifth book the Lahore-based prize-winning journalist says he fears Pakistan is on the verge of a meltdown and blames both Pakistan and the Obama administration for the deterioration in their ties due to a series of destabilizing incidents, including the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden . Pakistan's escalating problems are rooted in its reliance on US ai

Tibetans end hunger strike after 'assurances' from UN

Three Tibetans, who have been sitting on a hunger strike outside the UN headquarters for the past one month, ended their protest after assurances from the world body that it will probe the situation in Tibet, a leader of the exiled community said in New York on Friday. Shingza Rinpoche, 32, Dorjee Gyalpo, 59, and Yeshi Tenzing, 39, had been on a hunger strike since February 22 to draw the attention of the UN towards the suffering of the Tibetan people under Chinese occupation. Gyalpo was taken to a hospital a few days ago due to his ill health but he has continued his protest from the hospital where he refused to eat anything, Tibetan Youth Congress president Tsewang Rigzin told PTI. He said the Tibetans called off their protests indefinitely yesterday after advisor to an assistant secretary general for human rights, Richard Bennett, and an official from UN Chief Ban Ki-moon's office, Parfait Onanga, handed over a letter to the Tibetan protesters. Amid cheers an

Suicide attack on Pak mosque kills 13

A suicide bomber targeted a mosque inside a base of a terror group in the Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistan today, killing 13 people, a majority of them militants, and injuring several others. The attacker struck at the time of Friday prayers at the base the banned Lashkar-e-Islam in the remote Tirah Valley, which borders Afghanistan. The blast ripped through the mosque-cum-madrassa, killing 13 people instantly, officials of the political administration told the media. The bomber detonated his explosive vest when some Lashkar-e-Islam militants intercepted him and opened fire. Eight members of Lashkar-e-Islam were among the dead. According to one report, the attacker was trying to plant a bomb, which went off when the Lashkar-e-Islam men opened fire. The Lashkar-e-Islam base is run by Yar Walil Khan, the nephew of the group's chief, Mangal Bagh Afridi. The fate of Yar Wali Khan could not immediately be ascertained. A spokesperson for the banned Tehrik-e-Ta

Pope says communism does not work in Cuba

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE: Pope Benedict said on Friday communism no longer works in Cuba and that the Roman Catholic was ready to help the island find new ways of moving forward without "trauma". Speaking on the plane taking him from Rome for a trip to Mexico and Cuba, the pope told reporters: "Today it is evident that Marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer corresponds to reality." Responding to a question about his visit to the island, a communist bastion 90 miles (145 km) off the coast of the United States for more than 50 years, Benedict added: "In this way we can no longer respond and build a society. New models must be found with patience and in a constructive way." Benedict offered the help of the Church in achieving a peaceful transition on the island saying the process required patience but also "much decisiveness." "We want to help in a spirit of dialogue to avoid traumas and to help mov

Sri Lanka rejects UN war resolution amid anger

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka Friday rejected a UN resolution urging it to seek external help in probing alleged war crimes committed during an onslaught against the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels nearly three years ago. Acting Foreign Minister Dew Gunasekera told parliament that Sri Lanka will resist outside help to investigate violations of humanitarian law, a key demand in the US-initiated Human Rights Council resolution in Geneva Thursday. "We will not, under any circumstances, allow others to impose on us their advice or solution," Gunasekera said, referring to the resolution. The minister said the Indian Ocean island did not need any foreign help to ensure accountability. Rights groups have said that up to 40,000 civilians were killed by troops in the final stages of fighting which ended in May 2009. "It is the government of Sri Lanka which is best placed in evolving a home-grown solution acceptable to all the citizens of the country," he said. "W

Radical Sikhs unhappy with Jathedar Akal Takht

Radical Sikh group Dal Khalsa today alleged the decision of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, to ask the Punjab government to approach the President for commuting death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, conviced in former Chief Minister Beant Singh killing case, is "indirect surrender before the Indian state". Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the Jathedar "has not honoured the sentiments of Rajoana who has clearly stated that no one should bow before the Indian state for his clemency". Earlier, the Dal Khalsa has also submitted a letter to the Akal Takht jathedar asking him to go into the sensitivities of this issue before taking any decision. Rajoana , a convict in the former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, is scheduled to be hanged in Patiala central jail on March 31. Beant Singh was assassinated on 31 August, 1995, at Chandigarh by militant outfit Babbar Khalsa group. The mastermind of the at

'Killing of fishermen by Italians a terrorist act'

Kochi: Kerala High Court Friday observed that killing of two Indian fishermen by the Italian naval guards onboard a merchant ship was a "terrorist act" as they had fired at unarmed men. The oral observation was made by Justice CS Gopinath while hearing arguments on a petition by the owners of the Italian vessel Enrica Lexie seeking her release. The ship has been detained here since the two fishermen Jelestine and Ajesh Binki were shot dead by two Italian naval guards off Kerala coast on February 15. "As far as the victims are concerned, it is a terrorist act. Without any warning, the two were shot dead, they were unarmed," the court said. The director general of shipping informed the court that the vessel need not be held back. All evidence have been taken from the ship during the inquiry. In a statement filed by mercantile marine department under the shipping ministry, it was stated that DG shipping had no objection to the ship being

Mali soldiers loot presidential palace after coup

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The mutineers said the government had failed in its leadership by not giving them enough arms to tackle a rebellion by ethnic Tuareg     Renegade soldiers in Mali have looted the presidential palace in the capital, Bamako, after a coup. The coup leaders have called for calm and said all borders are closed after announcing that they have seized control of the country on state TV. A government official told the BBC that President Amadou Toumani Toure is safe and not in the custody of mutineers. The African Union said the "act of rebellion" was a "significant setback for Mali". Continue reading the main story Analysis from BBC Network Africa David Zounmenou Institute for Security Studies The mutiny comes as no surprise. Last Friday, Ecowas made an announcement that it is going to support, militarily, the national army to defeat the Tuareg. Discussions are still under way but they need to go beyond discus

Al-Qaida says it killed American teacher in Yemen for 'spreading Christianity'

SANAA (YEMEN): Al-Qaida's Yemen branch said today that it killed an American teacher because he was trying to spread Christianity in the mainly Muslim Arab nation. Joel Shrum, a 29-year-old native of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, was gunned down on Sunday in the central city of Taiz, where he had been living with his wife and two sons. He was studying Arabic and teaching English at a language institute. The claim of responsibility, which was posted on a militant website, comes as the terror network increasingly has sought to exploit the political turmoil in the Arab world's most impoverished nation. "It was God's gift for the mujahedeen to kill the American Joel Shrum who was actively proselytizing under the cover of teaching in Taiz," said the statement by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the terror network's Yemen branch is formally known. The slain teacher had worked at the International Training and Development Center , which was establ

Al-Qaeda in Maghreb 'threatens Germany over hostage'

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    Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, led by Abdel Moussab Abdelwadoud, has kidnapped Europeans in the past A video purported to be from al-Qaeda's North African affiliate has demanded that Germany free a woman jailed on terror charges in return for a German hostage it says it is holding. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's video was obtained by a Mauritanian news agency. In the video, the hostage says his life is at risk if the woman is not freed. Edgar Fritz Raupach, an engineer, was kidnapped by gunmen near the northern Nigerian city of Kano two months ago. "We inform you that that your compatriot Edgar Fritz Raupach is a prisoner of the fighters of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb," the video said. The group said it is seeking the release of Umm Seifullah al-Ansari, or Filiz Gelowicz, a Turkish-born woman jailed a year ago in Germany for aiding terrorism. Her husband, German national Fritz Gelo

London 2012 Olympics – MI5 tells Cabinet terror threat remains ‘substantial’

MI5 director-general Jonathan Evans briefed the Cabinet on the terrorist threats facing the UK in the run-up to the London Olympics. It is thought to be the first time that Mr Evans has addressed a full meeting of Prime Minister David Cameron's top team this Parliament. But Downing Street officials said it was a "routine" update, and not prompted by any new intelligence or change in the assessment of the terrorism threat level, which remains "substantial". Home Secretary Theresa May also addressed colleagues on legislative efforts to confront the terrorist threat, including measures in the recent justice and security Green Paper. The 40-minute discussion in Cabinet began with a 15-minute briefing from the Security Service chief, which Mr Cameron's official spokesman characterised as "an overall assessment of the current terrorist threat to the UK". The spokesman added: "There was some discussion of the  Olympics and pr

Al Qaeda claims bombs targeting summit security

Iraq -  Al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings that killed at least 52 people across the country on Tuesday in attacks aimed at undermining tighter security measures ahead of week's Arab League summit in Baghdad. Iraq is due to host the meeting for the first time in over 20 years and the government is anxious to show it can maintain security following the withdrawal of U.S. forces in December. Iraq is due to host the meeting for the first time in over 20 years and the government is anxious to show it can maintain security following the withdrawal of U.S. forces in December. Tuesday's wide-scale explosions were the bloodiest in almost a month and were the latest attacks mainly targeting Iraqi police forces that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) has claimed responsibility for this year. In a statement posted on an Islamist website, the group said Tuesday's attacks - in which 30 bombs struck citie

What are the real lessons to be learned from the Toulouse killings?

 People were quick to blame the far Right for the shootings in Toulouse; now the finger points at Islam. But the killer and the killer alone is responsible, writes George Grant.  Even before French police stormed the building containing the Toulouse terror-suspect Mohammed Merah , questions were being asked as to what lessons France could learn from this gruesome episode. Revealingly, however, as the killer’s suspected identity metamorphosed, so both the ‘lessons’ to be learned, and the identity of those stepping forward to teach them, changed just as fast. This should tell us something important. Initial reports had suggested that the killer was a Neo Nazi with links to groups on the far Right. Certainly, given the racial profile of those he killed, this was plausible. The three French soldiers he murdered last week were of North African or Caribbean origin, and a neo-Nazi attack on a Jewish school would also not be difficult t

Racism in Europe reaches alarming proportions, says Davutoğlu

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu complained on Thursday that racism is on the rise across the European continent, offering neo-Nazi murders in Germany and xenophobic political developments in France and other countries as examples. During a joint press appearance with his Austrian counterpart, Michael Spindelegger, in Vienna, Davutoğlu told reporters that they discussed how to prevent these kinds of developments from happening. Davutoğlu and Spindelegger also discussed Turkish-Austrian economic relations, visa liberalization for Turkish business people in Austria and integration of Turkish immigrants in Austrian society, as well as the political situation in the Balkans and the Middle East. Davutoğlu said Spindelegger promised him his government will support Turkey’s efforts for the removal of visa requirements for Turkish business people in Europe, adding that such visa liberalization will boost trade relations between Turkey and the EU. With $

Extremism in Europe: where are the numbers?

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Demonstrations against neo-Nazis in Germany are important but quantifying the problem of extremism - in all its manifestations - is even more important. (ROBERT MICHAEL/AFP/Getty Images)   Mohammed Merah is dead. In France, in the press and in private, there will be much discussion about how many French Muslims share his extremist world view. But think back to Monday, when the police said they were investigating the Toulouse murders on a twin track, looking for either a neo-Nazi or jihadi. Suppose the murderer had been inspired by Anders Breivik, the same question would be asked: how many Frenchmen share this extremist world view. Either way it would all be speculation. There is very little hard data on how many Europeans have extremist views - other than votes for political parties that are considered extremist - and let's face it, once a group is involved in electoral politics it is a little less extreme than those who cont

Somalia: Islamist fighters flee town as Somali, Ethiopian troops move in

 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ethiopian and Somali troops seized a town in Somalia controlled by al-Shabab militants who fled after battles with troops, residents said Thursday. Hundreds of residents and rebel fighters fled Hudur, 420 kilometers (260 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, as troops moved into town. A resident said the fighting was over but sporadic gunfire could be heard.  “The Ethiopian troops have arrived in the town now, and al-Shabab left last night,” Mohamed Mudey, a resident in Hudur, said by phone. Hudur is the administrative headquarters of Bakool region. The town has served as a training base for the militant group al-Shabab. The fall of Hudur is a big blow to the al-Qaida-linked group’s control of southern Somalia. Al-Shabab confirmed the withdrawal, saying its forces made a tactical retreat. “Our mujahedeen forces have made a tactical retreat from Hudur as part of the plan to disable the enemy in guerrilla warfare,” the group said

Seven tips for keeping hactivists out of your network

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Cyber hacking to advance political or social causes has seen a dramatic rise, but the ” Verizon 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report “ found that 97 percent of the attacks were avoidable, without the need for organizations to resort to difficult or expensive countermeasures. For our story on the report, see: Hactivism sees dramatic rise Here’s Verizon’s recommendation for keeping hactivists and cyber criminals out of your network . Recommendations for Enterprises Eliminate unnecessary data.  Unless there is a compelling reason to store or transmit data, destroy it.  Monitor all important data that must be kept. Establish essential security controls.  To effectively defend against a majority of data breaches, organizations must ensure fundamental and common sense security countermeasures are in place and that they are functioning correctly. Monitor security controls regularly. Place importance on event logs.  Monitor and mine event logs for suspicious activity – bre

Terror tagging of an Iranian dissident organization

The author says facts and the law are against keeping People's Mujahedin of Iran on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist groups. WASHINGTON, March 22 (UPI) -- Fact and law have been moving in the direction of removal of an Iranian dissident group -- the Mujahedin-e-Khalq also known as the People's Mujahedin of Iran -- from the U.S. Department of State Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. But as fact and law run against retaining the terrorist designation, opponents of the PMOI dance with unnamed diplomats to thwart delisting. If the facts were on the side of the opponents, they could argue the facts; if laws were on their side, they might argue the laws. But because neither fact nor law is on the side of adversaries of delisting, they dance in circles from argument to argument in search of anything that will prevent removal of the terrorist designation. -- The facts Short on both fact and law, antagonists of the PMOI cite unnamed diplomat

Weekly Piracy Report – Pirates Go 0 for 3 Off Somali Coast as Security Teams Prove Successful

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HOA Pirate Activity, MAR 15 – 21 Weekly Incidents by Region – March 15-21 WEST AFRICA IVORY COAST: LPG Tanker boarded on 17 March while anchored at position 05:13 N – 004:02 W, Abidjan Anchorage. The robbers reportedly boarded the ship during a heavy rain and between rounds by duty personnel. The robbers managed to steal ship’s stores and escaped unnoticed. Theft of stores noticed during the subsequent security rounds by duty personnel. Port authorities and other ships in vicinity were notified. (IMB) INDIAN OCEAN–EAST AFRICA INDIAN OCEAN: Container ship fired upon 19 March while underway at position 05:40 N – 053:23 E, approximately 520 nm northeast of Mogadishu. Six pirates in one skiff, armed with assault rifles and at least one rocket propelled grenade, chased the ship and then fired upon the ship. Ship’s Master raised the alarm, increased speed and mustered the crew in a safe location on the ship. The onboard armed security team returned fire, causing

When Hackers Want Much More Than Money

Insider attack data breaches are down in 2011, but hacktivist attacks, with motives beyond money, are up, reports Verizon 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report. Call 2011 the year that hacktivism became the leading cause of data breaches. Notably, 58% of all data stolen in 2011 didn't go missing for monetary-gain purposes, as has traditionally been the case. Instead, it was obtained and leaked by hacktivist groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec .  That's according to the 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon, released Thursday. As in previous years , both the U.S. Secret Service and the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit contributed data to the report. For the first time, however, the Australian Federal Police, the Irish Reporting & Information Security Service , and the Police Central e-Crime Unit of the London Metropolitan Police also contributed data from their investigations. All told, the report analyzed data from 855 incidents,

Up to 12 killed in massive operation on Kurdish rebels

DIYARBAKIR (Turkey) - Six Kurdish rebels and six policemen have been killed during a massive operation targeting PKK militants in southeastern Turkey, security sources said on Thursday. Backed by helicopters and fighter jets, thousands of security forces, including police and the army, were participating in the largest anti-rebel operation so far this year which began on Tuesday, they said. The clashes were still continuing Thursday on the outskirts of Mount Cudi in Sirnak province, near the Syrian and Iraqi border. Special police forces have lately played a much bigger role in the fight against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a task mostly handled by soldiers in the past. The operation is the biggest since Turkish air strikes killed 34 Kurdish smugglers near the Iraqi border in December when commanders mistook them for PKK fighters. Most of the victims were less than 20 years old. Turkey in October launched a major air and land offensive again

Kidnapped British woman freed by Somali pirates

A BRITISH TOURIST freed yesterday by Somali pirates after six months in captivity said she did not know for weeks that her husband was killed in the raid on a luxury beach resort on the Kenyan coast. “I just assumed he was alive,” Judith Tebbutt said, speaking haltingly in a video broadcast by the BBC, adding that her son, Oliver, told her of the killing. “That was difficult,” she said, her head and body cloaked in long gray headscarf with a pink floral print and her face marked by grief. The 56-year-old Tebbutt was freed Wednesday after pirates were reportedly paid a ransom. David Tebbutt, 58, was killed during the September attack, one of a string of kidnappings by Somali gunmen near the resort town of Lamu, not far from the Somali border. Kenya’s military cited those attacks as the reason it sent troops into Somalia to attack al-Shabab militants in October. Tebbutt praised her son’s efforts in winning her freedom, telling ITV News: “I don’t know how he did it, bu

PKK, soldiers killed in major anti-militant operation

Twelve people have been killed after the Turkish army launched a massive operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in southeastern Turkey. Security sources said on Thursday that six Kurdish rebels and six policemen were killed in the anti-PKK operation that started on Tuesday. Thousands of police and army forces, backed by helicopters and fighter jets, have the offensive, Turkey’s largest such operation so far in 2012. Clashes between the Kurdish militants and government troops were still continuing on Thursday on the outskirts of Mount Cudi in Sirnak Province, near the Syrian and Iraqi border. Turkey launched a large-scale air and land offensive against the armed separatists in October in the southeast of the country and in northern Iraq after 24 of its troops were killed in an overnight terrorist attack. In December, Turkish air strikes killed 34 Kurdish smugglers, mostly teenagers, near the Iraqi border when commanders mistook them for PKK mil