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Showing posts from May 20, 2018

On Africa's Terror Landscape, Double Agents Abound

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U.S. efforts to combat terrorists based on the African continent are running into a myriad of problems, perhaps none so vexing, or dangerous, as the constantly shifting alliances and aims of the terrorist fighters themselves. No longer beholden to one group or ideology, or even to the highest bidder, these terror operatives are steadily blurring the lines dividing one group from another. The result, according to Western and African defense and intelligence officials, is new type of higher-level terror operative, willing to work for competing, brand-name terror groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State, sometimes simultaneously. "You need a bit of a decoder ring and you really have to keep up on it to figure out what one group of fighters is currently aligned with what other group," Christopher Maier, director of the Defeat ISIS Core Task Force at the U.S. Defense Department, told VOA. "They do mergers and acquisitions basically on a regular basis," he said. &

“War is not an option,” says former FARC guerrilla leader

As presidential elections in Colombia approach, FRANCE 24 sits down with former FARC Guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londono, better known as Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, in an exclusive interview. He talks about his group’s transformation into a political party and the challenges of changing public perceptions. “The fact that we can spread our message under present circumstances cannot be quantified,” he says. Source:  http://www.france24.com/en/f24-interview/20180526-2018-05-26-0745-interview-rodrigo-londono-timochenko-farc-colombia

US sanctions on Hezbollah will have no effect, Nasrallah says

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The secretary general of the Lebanese resistance movement says the latest round of sanctions by the United States and a number of its Persian Gulf Arab allies against the leadership of the group will have no effect and will not harm its officials at all. Addressing his supporters via a televised speech broadcast live from the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Friday evening, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah described some of the measures as “new,” stressing that Washington’s objective to keep people away from Hezbollah accounts for the imposition of such sanctions against the anti-Israel resistance movement. Nasrallah then warned that a number of Lebanese investors and entrepreneurs, who have close ties with Hezbollah, will be targeted as a result of the bans, calling on the government to develop plans which would protect the businessmen against the sanctions. The Hezbollah chief also strongly dismissed classification of Hezbollah as a terrorist group, emphasizing that it cons

Colombia Arrests One Of Pablo Escobar's Top Hitmen 'Popeye'

Popeye, 56, who was released from prison in 2014 after 23 years, was already under investigation for allegedly making threats on his Twitter account against Gustavo Petro, leftist candidate in Sunday's election. BOGOTA, COLOMBIA:   Police in Colombia said Friday they have recaptured one of late drug lord Pablo Escobar's top hitmen, Jhon Jairo Velasquez -- alias "Popeye" -- who was wanted for extortion. Popeye, 56, who was released from prison in 2014 after 23 years, was already under investigation for allegedly making threats on his Twitter account against Gustavo Petro, leftist candidate in Sunday's election. But he was arrested for "extortion," a source in the office of the special prosecutor in charge of fighting organized crime told AFP. Popeye was one of Escobar's chief "sicarios" -- or hitmen -- during the bloodiest period of the Medellin Cartel's reign in the 1980s. But he parted ways with the Cartel in 1992. Escobar was k

Six Killed in Car Bomb Explosion in Benghazi

BENGHAZI, LIBYA —  At least six people were killed when a car bomb exploded in the center of the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday night, residents told a Reuters reporter at the scene. The bomb exploded near the Tibesti hotel, the city's biggest. Ambulances were rushing to the scene. No more details were immediately available. Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), the dominant force in eastern Libya led by commander Khalifa Haftar. The LNA was battling Islamists, including some linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida, as well as other opponents until late last year in the Mediterranean port city. Security has improved since then, but two mosque bombings earlier this year killed at least 35 people. Source:  https://www.voanews.com/a/six-killed-in-car-bomb-explosion-in-benghazi/4409356.html

UK mosque first in the world to accept bitcoin donations

The mosque is thought to be the first in the world to accept bitcoin donations, one month after an Islamic scholar declared the cryptocurrency permissible under Sharia Law. The Shacklewell Lane Mosque in Hackney announced that it is hoping to raise at least £10,000 in cryptocurrency donations over Ramadan. A London mosque is thought to be the first in the world to accept  bitcoin  donations, one month after an Islamic scholar declared the  cryptocurrency  permissible under Sharia Law. The  Shacklewell Lane Mosque  in Hackney announced that it is hoping to raise at least £10,000 in cryptocurrency donations over  Ramadan , through both bitcoin and ethereum. Muslims are asked to give away 2.5 per cent of their wealth during the 30-day festival as part of zakat. “We are trying to appeal to a wider audience with the new money,” Erkin Guney, the chairman of the board of trustees, told The Hackney Gazette. “It’s big in the Islamic world, and we have set up a platform for wealthier Musli

Senior Taliban Commander Killed in Eastern Afghanistan

NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN —  A senior Afghan Taliban commander — who served as a shadow governor for more than a dozen districts in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province — has been killed by Afghan security forces, provincial officials told VOA. Attaullah Khogyanai, provincial spokesperson for eastern Nangarhar province, told VOA that Gul Mohammad Sangari, was killed Thursday in Nangarhar's Surkhrod district during a night raid by the Afghan security forces. Khogyanai said Sangari was in the Surkhrod district to plan terror attacks in the area. He was with two other militants and wanted to escape when Afghan forces engaged him. The other two militants have been taken into custody and are under investigation. Taliban have not yet reacted to the killing of Sangari. Surkhrod is located close to Nangarhar's capital city, Jalalabad. The district is considered strategic because of its proximity to the capital city. The security situation of the district has deterio

Pakistan Military Summons Former ISI Boss Durrani Over Book Co-Authored With Ex-RAW Chief

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Pakistani army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Friday that Durrani had been summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 28, where he "will be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book Spy Chronicles.” New Delhi:  Two days after the release of his book  The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace , former ISI chief Asad Durrani has been summoned at the Pakistani army headquarters. Durrani, who co-authored the book with former RAW chief AS Dulat, has been accused of “violating the military code of conduct”. Pakistani army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Friday that Durrani had been summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 28, where he "will be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book  Spy Chronicles .” “Lt Gen Asad Durrani, Retired being called in GHQ on 28th May 18. Will be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in book ‘Spy Chronicles’

The Irish anti-abortion side will lose. There’s nothing good about that

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The no side were outnumbered by the established political class and the media together pushing the same illiberal view aoiseach Leo Varadkar – the Irish prime minister – has declared that he won’t be encouraging celebrations if, as seems inevitable, the yes side wins in the abortion referendum. We won’t, then, be treated to the same wild exuberance that met the  gay marriage referendum vote , at least not officially. But he can be forgiven for a modestly self-congratulatory tone to his address to the Irish parliament on Wednesday, its last sitting before the referendum, in which he was joined by the leader of the opposition, Micheál Martin. They – the party leaders and ministers – have won it, along with the broadcasters who followed them faithfully through the campaign. It appears that at least a third of the electorate will oppose repealing the eighth amendment to the constitution, but those voters are not represented by the big political hitters – the sole party against repeal

Is Sweden's zero-tolerance approach to drugs a failing model?

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Sweden is accustomed to being praised for its forward-thinking approach, but there's one area where many feel it lies behind the curve. The country's "zero tolerance" policy towards drugs is an increasingly isolated one compared to its neighbours, and has even been subject to criticism from the UN. The Local's Sweden In Focus series looks at why Sweden takes such a hard-line stance on drugs, what the consequences are, and if it will ever change. Sweden's long-standing zero-tolerance drugs policy is based on the fundamental vision of a "drug-free society", and was shaped by  lobbying group  The Association for a Drug-Free Society (RNS). The group, founded by psychiatrist and " father of Swedish drugs policy " Nils Bejerot in 1969, pushes for the prevention of drug use through penalties rather than treatment of drug addiction. This has led to tough policing with a focus on small crimes of possession. As the Swedish government's web