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Showing posts from August 10, 2014

Terrorism supporters to lose dole payments, says Tony Abbott

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August 16, 2014 - 3:39PM Tony Abbott says extremists living in Australia will lose their benefits. Photo: Ryan Osland Australian terrorism supporters will have their unemployment benefits and other welfare payments cut off. In a significant crackdown on homegrown extremists, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says new legislation would allow the Department of Human Services to cancel benefits to those assessed as a serious threat to national security. "These new measures will ensure Australian taxpayers are not financing people known to be members of, or working with, terrorist organisations," he said in a statement on Saturday. Mr Abbott said under current arrangements, welfare payments can only be suspended or cancelled for those who don't meet social security eligibility rules. That includes failing to fulfil participation, residence or portability qualifications. The government has already cut benefits to those abroad, but not extremists in Australia who continue to meet elig

ISIS Is Paying Attention To What Experts Are Saying About Them

Archive.org The recent inaugural issue of Dabiq, ISIS's English-language propaganda magazine, included a typical assortment of jihadist imagery: black flags fluttering over stolen armored vehicles, graphic photos of dead enemies, and pages reveling in the group's assault on northern and western Iraq. It also demonstrated that one of the world's most brutal terrorist groups isn't indifferent to what the western expert community has to say about them. On page 32, there's a picture of Douglas Ollivant, a former National Security Council official and Army officer and one of the planners of the "surge" strategy in Iraq, under the heading "The Islamic State in the Words of the Enemy." Next to the photo is a stylish block-quote of an  article  that Ollivant wrote with Brian Fishman of the New America Foundation this past May for War on the Rocks, in which he argues that ISIS is " no longer a state in name only" and in fact possesses most of th

Armenia: Wondering About Russia’s Motives in Karabakh Peace Process

Armenia: Wondering About Russia’s Motives in Karabakh Peace Process by  Eurasianet.org Amid the recent escalation of hostilities surrounding the contested Nagorno-Karabakh territory, authorities and experts in both Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaging in the old Soviet practice of identifying the outside power that most benefits from conflict. For many in Armenia, the answer is straightforward enough – Russia. Russia has long exerted a high degree of economic and military influence over Yerevan: that influence is underscored by Armenia’s decision to  join Moscow’s Customs Union , which the Kremlin hopes will evolve into an alternative for ex-Soviet republics to the European Union. Many Armenians believe the Kremlin’s sway has reached such heights that Yerevan is now vulnerable to potential pressure from Moscow to settle the  26-year-old Karabakh conflict  on terms perceived in Yerevan as unfavorable. Seen as a troublemaker in Ukraine via its support for pro-Russian separatists, Putin’s

Burma’s Peace Process Could Take ‘Several Generations’

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BURMA Ashley South is an independent consultant and senior adviser for the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative (MPSI), a Norwegian-led group formed at the request of Burma’s government last year to build confidence in the ceasefire and peace processes. (Photo courtesy of Ashley South) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The peace process undertaken by Burma’s government and the country’s ethnic armed groups could take several generations to complete, according to an analyst watching the negotiations closely. The government of President Thein Sein is looking to sign a nationwide ceasefire with ethnic rebel leaders, which would be followed by political dialogue to address the groups’ decades-old demands for some kind of autonomy. But negotiations have dragged on many months now, and long-time Burma watcher Ashley South said the fate of peace process would be uncertain in the hands of a different president. South recently returned from the Philippines to study peace negotiations between the government an

IS training child soldiers to kill infidels

Disturbing footage from inside the newly founded Islamic State has shown children, as young as nine, being groomed to fight in the name of Islam and rid the world of infidels. The alarming new documentary by US media group Vice News shows how a new generation of radicals is being trained by Islamist terrorists. In one chilling exchange, a young boy known as Abudulla tells filmmaker Medyan Dairieh how he plans to kill the infidels. His father, Abdullah Al-Belgian, an IS leader asks his son: "What do you want to be, a jihadist or to execute a martyrdom operation?" "A jihadist," the baby-faced boy replied. "Why do we kill the infidels?" his father asks. "What have they done?" A sly-smile creeps across the youngster's lips before he replies: "They kill Muslims." Mr Al-Belgian goes on to tell the filmmaker that "many, many people" are responding to his murderous message "especially the young men”. Another member of the IS

Indian PM Modi lauds Nepal peace process

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KATHMANDU, Aug 15:  In a rare reference of Nepal during any Indian Prime Minister´s Independence Day speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only made explicit reference of Nepal, but also openly lauded Nepali people for choosing the path of peace over violence. Addressing a special function organized at the Lal Killa (Red fort) in New Delhi to mark the 68th Independence Day on Friday, Prime Minister Modi said rebels in Indian should learn from Nepal to shun violence and join the mainstream peaceful politics.  “There was a time in Nepal when their youngsters had opted for the path of violence, but today I witness that the same youngsters are waiting for their constitution. The same people associated with them are drafting the constitution," said Modi while recalling his address to Nepali parliament during his two-day visit to Kathmandu on August 3. Modi, who chose not to make direct reference to Nepal´s Maoists, said Nepal could present the best example of moving from the

Kurdish Women and the Peace Process in Turkey

Kurdish women are getting involved in the peace process to promote a free, equal and democratic society. For more than eight decades, the Kurdish people have been pushing for cultural recognition and territorial independence. The Kurds are another contemporary example of a people without a land. After the Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1924, the Middle East was divided into several countries and the territorial region known as Kurdistan was split between Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. As a response, Kurdish political organizations and military factions were created across the region to defend the Kurdish cause. However, they have met fierce resistance from the central governments in all four countries, which has often resulted in armed conflict and violence such as the  Halabja  chemical attack in Iraq in 1988. At present, only Iraq and Iran have recognized the existence of a Kurdish zone on their territory: the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Province

How to reintegrate Colombia’s child soldiers into society

Child soldiers are the most helpless and most voiceless of the vast victim pool created by five decades of war in Colombia. On Saturday in Havana, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ administration will reconvene with the leadership of Colombia’s largest insurgency, known by the acronym FARC. And, for the first time in two years of peace talks, the warring sides will turn the stage over to the conflict’s victims. When these victims take the microphone to air their grievances, they will denounce displacement, maiming by land mines, kidnappings, rapes, and massacres — laying blame to the patchwork of the country’s armed actors. But one of these armed groups straddles the line between victim and victimizer and will not be invited on stage: Colombia’s estimated 7,000 child soldiers. These children have borne the uniforms of all of Colombia’s illegal armies and have engaged in the most brutal types of warfare. In order to create a lasting peace, the government and the rebels must devise

Jihad’s ‘child soldiers’ spark calls for action on extremists

THE grandfather of the young Sydney boy forced to pose with the severed head of an executed soldier in Syria has called on the government to act, saying he is “gutted’’ by the sickening image. As political and religious leaders lined up to condemn the gruesome photo, published by The Australian yesterday, fresh details emerged about how convicted terrorist Khaled Sharrouf spirited his family out of Australia, flying his children into Malaysia and booking return tickets to confuse authorities. Source  http://theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/jihads-child-soldiers-spark-calls-for-action-on-extremists/story-e6frg8yo-1227021107132#

ISIS child recruitment push hints at long-term ambitions

The voice pledging jihad in the video is brash, prideful and chillingly juvenile. "We promise you car bombs and explosives," the boy shouts, his small arms and hands gesturing wildly for emphasis. "We'll destroy the enemies of the religions, all of them — all who fought the Islamic State," he continues. "And the Caliphate?" prompts an adult male voice, coaching the youth off-camera. "And the Caliphate. The Caliphate will remain until the end of the world," the child answers, reiterating his support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The boy, who appears to be not much older than 12 in the Vice News documentary, embodies what human-rights and counter-terrorism researchers describe as a sophisticated and dangerous new phase for the Sunni extremists — the cultivation of child jihadis as part of a long-term strategy to building a caliphate, or Islamic state, in Iraq and Syria. "They want the children

South Sudan rebels accuse government of planting landmines

August 13, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese rebels led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar have accused president Salva Kiir’s government of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement and planting landmines in the Greater Upper Nile region. In press release issued on Wednesday seen by  Sudan Tribune , rebels military spokesperson Brig Lul Ruai Koang claimed that the South Sudanese army continued to violate the ceasefire deal in areas of Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states. “The Government of South Sudan have continued to violate the Cessation of Hostilities agreement on daily basis in Unity State in particular, and this has been manifested by attacks and occupation of relief centres in Nhialdiu in Rupkoni County and Guit County even during the distribution of relief items to the displaced,” Koang said. He said government forces had been carrying out indiscriminate shelling of villages surrounding Bentiu town which resulted in the killing of civilians. “The latest violat

Landmines still injure and kill Colombians despite peace efforts

BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Colombia’s FARC rebels and the government should immediately reach an agreement on landmine clearance as part of ongoing peace talks in an effort to reduce the number of victims, a leading anti-landmine group said. According to the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines (CCCM), rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), during a 50-year war against the government, are responsible for planting most of the landmines and unexploded ordnance devices found across the country, mostly in rural areas. The conflict has made the South American country one of the most mine-scarred in the world, with one of the highest landmine casualty rates. As the Colombian government and FARC commanders hold ongoing peace talks in Havana - without a ceasefire on either side - the country’s landmine victim tally continues to rise. Since peace talks began in November 2012 to end five decades of war, 607 Colombians have been killed or injured by landmines, ac

Militiamen kill one, rape two, surround North Darfur camp

A large number of heavily armed pro-government militiamen surrounded a camp for internally displaced people in Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur, today (Friday). A shepherd was killed by militiamen in the same area yesterday. The militia members surrounding the camp today have raped two displaced women who were fetching firewood outside the camp. A witness reported to Radio Dabanga that about 250 militia elements on camels and horses, heavily armed and wearing military uniforms, still surround Shangil Tobaya camp as we speak. It has sparked panic amongst the displaced people living in the camp. They have reported the surrounding of the camp to the police in Shangil Tobaya, which assured the displaced people that the militias are on a mission to East Jebel Marra, but are waiting for support from other groups. Two women, aged 18 and 25 years old, went outside Shangil Tobaya camp earlier today to fetch firewood. They were raped in the forest by seven militia members upon their return to the ca

Landmines blocking tourists from Kayah State

Published on Friday, 15 August 2014 19:34 More areas of Kayah State will be opened to tourists once the landmines that contaminate swathes of the country’s smallest state, which is located opposite the Thai province of Mae Hong Song, are removed, according to the Tourism Entrepreneurs Association. The association said the government would begin the demining effort in Demawso Township, and allow tourist into the area once it is safe. Kayah State Chief Minister Khin Maung Oo told a recent tourism forum that most tourists to the state were restricted to its major towns. “The government doesn’t allow permission to tour other places in Kayah State because of landmines,” he said. Zaw Htay Aung, a tourism industry executive, said visitors could visit the state capital, Loikaw, by boat or car, but are prohibited from Demawso Township because the government had yet to clear it of landmines. He said the landmines were not being cleared for tourists, but that the government had already agreed to

Final two Sudan rebel groups sign landmine ban

The rebel Sudan Liberation Movements, headed by Abdel Wahid El Nur (SLM-AW) and by Minni Arko Minawi (SLM-MM), both agreed to combat the use of landmines and signed the Geneva Call group’s Deed of Commitment on Thursday. With their signature, all of Sudan’s main armed non-state actors now have pledged to the Geneva Call to ban landmines and destroy stockpiles. Abdel Wahid, Deputy-President of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF, an umbrella organisation of the main rebel movements in Sudan), told Radio Dabanga from Geneva, Switzerland, that this step came in order to combat the AP mines, short for anti-personnel mines, in Darfur. Years of conflict have left Darfur littered with potentially deadly explosives and munitions. He further reported that the meeting was held with officials of the United Nations, who discussed the protection of internally displaced people living in camps in Darfur against continuous attacks. Abdel Wahid demanded international forces to protect the camps, “after