Egyptian Protesters Attack Israel Embassy
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Chidambaram Libya conflict: Gaddafi forces resist Bani Walid attack Party Leaders Appeal to Yemen’s President to Help End Stalemate Israel wary at ‘harsh’ Turkish naval challenge Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-protesters-attack-israel-embassy/d/5449 --------- Egyptian protesters attack Israel embassy 10 September 2011 Israel flew its ambassador home after Egyptians stormed the building housing the Israeli mission in Cairo, plunging Egypt’s ruling army deeper into its diplomatic crisis. The United States, which has poured billions of dollars of military aid into Egypt since it made peace with Israel in 1979, voiced concern about the violence after protesters hurled embassy documents and the Israeli flag from windows. Police fired shots in the air and teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters lit tyres in the street and at least two vehicles were set alight near the embassy, located on the upper floors of a residential apartment block overlooking the Nile. As dawn broke, about 500 demonstrators remained and a few threw stones at police and army vehicles and personnel. But police gradually pushed them further away and secured the area. It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month during an Israeli operation against gunmen. That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy. Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, staff and family members arrived home on Saturday but one diplomat stayed in Egypt to maintain the embassy, an Israeli official said. Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called a cabinet crisis meeting for early on Saturday. Israel is already embroiled in a feud with Turkey, formerly the closest of its few Muslim allies, over treatment of Palestinians. “This action shows the state of anger and frustration the young Egyptian revolutionaries feel against Israel especially after the recent Israeli attacks on the Egyptian borders that led to the killing of Egyptian soldiers,” Egyptian political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah told Reuters. Some politicians and activists criticised the violence, even if they backed the anti-Israel demonstration. Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy called for the army to take a “serious stance matching the public anger” towards Israel but said violence sullied the image of Egypt’s uprising. Last month, a man climbed up a flagpole on the building, took down Israel’s flag and replaced it with Egypt’s. Protests without such violence followed till the latest flare-up. In response to daily protests, the authorities erected a wall around the building which was quickly defaced with anti-Israel slogans and then painted in Egypt’s national colours. Hostility to Israel On Friday, the wall was torn down after a demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square calling for speedier reforms and a deeper purge of officials who worked for Mubarak, the former president on trial on charges including conspiring to kill protesters. The Interior Ministry said at least 450 protesters were injured. State television said 46 police were hurt. During Mubarak’s rule, Egyptians could never show such hostility to Israel without facing a crushing security response. Egypt’s ties with Israel were a pillar of his foreign policy and buttressed his claim to be a regional mediator. The treaty has sat uneasily with many Egyptians angered at what they see as Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians but it secures billions of dollars in U.S. military aid and access to top-notch warplanes, tanks and other equipment. The army now in charge faces the dilemma between pursuing a more assertive policy towards Israel and protecting the treaty. U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egypt to “honour its international obligations” and protect the Israeli mission. He told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington was taking steps to resolve the situation. An Israeli official said the ambassador, staff and family members left in one plane and a second one brought home six Israeli security personnel who had been left guarding the embassy, protected by a reinforced door as protesters massed outside. Egyptian troops were sent in to extract them. “The fact that Egyptian authorities ultimately acted with determination is laudable. With that said, Egypt cannot let slide this harsh blow to the fabric of relations with Israel and the gross violation of international norms,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He also thanked Washington for its role. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr to urge Egypt to meet its Vienna Convention obligations to protect diplomatic property, a senior State Department official said. Demonstrators had used hammers, large iron bars and police barricades to tear down the wall outside the embassy building, erected this month by Egyptian authorities after protests over the killing of the five Egyptian border guards in Sinai. The five died during an Israeli operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis. Egypt threatened to withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv. Israel has stopped short of apologising, saying it is still investigating the deaths. Before moving on the embassy, demonstrators tried to storm a local police compound, hurled stones at the police and torched at least four vehicles. They also set alight a nearby public building. Security sources said 28 people were arrested. The April 6 movement, which helped lead the anti-Mubarak uprising, said violence against the police vehicles and other property was perpetrated by those trying to “distort the image of the revolution”. It blamed supporters of Mubarak. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/September/ --------- China’s war on terror widens Xinjiang’s ethnic divide Sep 10, 2011 URUMQI, China: The filthy back alleys and packed mosques of the remote far western Chinese city of Urumqi are one of the more obscure front lines in the US-backed war on terror, launched after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Streets crawl with baton-wielding riot police and heavily armed SWAT teams brought in for a trade fair in a tense reminder that China considers the region fertile ground for terrorism and Islamic radicalism, a claim many scoff at. Ten years ago, China used the 9/11 attacks to justify getting tough with what it said were al Qaeda-backed extremists who wanted to bring similar carnage to Xinjiang, a heavily Muslim region with close cultural links to Central Asia. A sweeping crackdown on Uighurs, the Turkic-speaking people who call Xinjiang home, followed. China has used a carrot and stick approach, going after Uighurs it suspects of harbouring separatist views, but also pumping in billions of dollars to boost development and lessen the appeal of the militants. But a decade later, residents of Xinjiang’s bustling regional capital Urumqi and rights groups say the effect has only been to widen the divide between Uighurs and the Han Chinese majority, and fan the deeper causes of unrest. China’s often ruthless methods of control in Xinjiang, and in neighbouring Tibet, underscore its strategic location for the ruling Communist Party, on the borders of Central Asia, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Beijing sees Xinjiang as bulwark facing the Muslim nations of central Asia, and, with a sixth of the country’s land mass, as an important and largely empty space to offer some relief to the teeming provinces to the east. The land also is rich in natural resources, including oil, coal and gas. Any disintegration of control could wreak havoc for the world’s second largest economy, whose growth Beijing sees as key to maintaining social stability and the Party’s grip on power. Many Uighurs say the past decade has seen them tarred with the same brush — a fifth column bent on China’s disintegration. Riots between Uighurs and Han in Urumqi two years ago killed almost 200 people, only deepening the mutual suspicion. “We used to mix with the Chinese but no longer. That restaurant there once had many Chinese customers. None dare to come here now,” said trader Anwar, pointing across the street to a kebab shop in Urumqi’s heavily Uighur old quarter. He was once able to travel outside of China fairly easily on business for a food import company he set up in the late 1990s. In recent years, his trips abroad have tailed off to zero. “The Chinese are bad people. They are Communists and have no god. We are Muslims, and God is in every one of our hearts. There are no areas in life where we can intersect now.” The Han who dominate Urumqi, rarely venturing far into the old quarter, say they in turn have little time for the Uighurs. If anything, the Uighurs are treated too well, Han Chinese say, spoiled by preferential places at university and no restrictions on the number of children they can have. “We have to help them” “They’re a very backward people. Look at how many children they produce. We get fined if we have more than one, but they can have as many as they want,” said Yan Haisen, born in Urumqi but whose family is from the poor inland province of Henan. “We have to be here to help them develop and to bring them some culture,” added Yan as his uncle nodded in agreement. The rather benign Han view of Uighurs which existed pre-September 11, 2001 — as wild, slightly lawless but generally affable and colourful people who love dancing and singing — has been replaced with something much more sinister. “The Chinese government has always applied labels to Uighurs who chafe at its rule in Xinjiang. They were feudal landlords first, then they were Soviet stooges, then they were counter-revolutionaries, then they were separatists and after 9/11 they became terrorists,” said Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher on China for Human Rights Watch. “Unfortunately, contrary to their previous labels this one stuck because of the massive hijacking of security agencies around the world of power and resources in the name of the war on terror,” he added. China has exerted considerable diplomatic pressure on Asian countries, notably Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, where Uighurs have claimed asylum. It has urged deportation, saying they are wanted to face terrorism and other charges. A small number of Uighurs were indeed swept up by the US government during the Afghanistan war launched after the 9/11 attacks, though rights groups said they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, having fled persecution at home. Despite Chinese protests, the US ended up ruling they were not “enemy combatants,” and sent them to a range of countries, including the balmy Pacific island state of Palau. The irony of all the security in Urumqi and elsewhere in Xinjiang is that many experts do not consider al Qaeda or its supposed ally, the “East Turkestan Islamic Movement,” to have anywhere near the influence China portrays. China invariably blames attacks on the group, which the United States and United Nations regard as a terrorist organisation. Still there are doubts about its strength, or even existence. Al Qaeda leaders have in the past issued statements in support of Xinjiang, for example calling in 2009 for Uighurs to make preparations for a holy war against “oppressive” China. Experts, however, say those links seem tenuous. “We don’t see organised, sophisticated weaponry, we haven’t even seen any real documented suicide bombers, which is the hallmark of these kinds of groups,” said Dru Gladney, an expert on Xinjiang at Pomona College in California. “My sense is that in general Uighurs continue to be very resistant to violent terrorism. They think it’ll only hurt their cause.” The Uighurs who spoke to Reuters in Urumqi, who all asked not to be identified by their last names due to the sensitive nature of the subject, said violence was an unfortunate but natural result of government policies. “We’re being invaded by the Han. It’s a deliberate policy against us, to flood us with migrants,” complained shoe seller Mehmeti, struggling to string a sentence together in his poor and heavily accented Mandarin. “People are starting to lose hope that things will ever get better for us, so what do you expect? We are not terrorists.” Some Han are equally unconvinced, even if they view the causes of unrest differently. “I get angry when I read that Xinjiang is this centre for terrorism and violence. It’s not true. A few problems every now and again should not blacken Xinjiang’s name,” said Urumqi resident Lin Sen, 23, among new tower blocks of one of the city’s heavily Han suburbs. “Some Uighurs want to live apart from the rest of society because of differences in their lifestyle. We have to show them the benefits of being a part of modern China,” he added. The idea of better Uighur integration is one of the driving forces behind China’s ambitious plans for Xinjiang. Fruits of development Annual incomes in rural areas, where most Uighurs live, averaged just 4,600 yuan ($720) last year, more than 1,000 yuan below the national average and more than 5,000 yuan below the top province, Zhejiang, in eastern China. Beijing has pumped billions of dollars into Xinjiang over the years, giving it hospitals, schools, roads, railways and airports, hoping to win over its people with the bounty of economic growth and fruits of development. China’s main state-owned companies will double their investments in Xinjiang over the next five years to an eye-popping 991.6 billion yuan ($155 billion), state media said. “If the economy develops then the standard of living will rise hugely and that will naturally benefit stability,” said Jia Tingyi, deputy head of Yarkand county, close to the old Silk Road city of Kasghar, a hotbed of unrest. “All peoples of Xinjiang will benefit from development, not just one ethnicity,” he said at the trade fair, which boasts it aims to turn Urumqi into a global trading hub “There are only a small number of bad people in Xinjiang in any case,” added Jia, an ethnic Han. The fair, whose guest of honour was President Asif Ali Zardari, also underscored the challenge facing China in trying to bridge Xinjiang’s yawning ethnic divide. Almost all the Chinese companies present were Han owned, with those few Uighurs who made it through the security cordon mostly made up of officials, reporters for state media and heavily made-up young women ushers. “All this trade fair has meant to me is a drop in business because the government has banned people from the rest of Xinjiang coming here for security reasons,” grumbled clothes seller Abdul. Another clumsily handled recent policy meant to help Uighurs has been bilingual education. This is not aimed at teaching the Han to speak Uighur, something few of them try. Instead, Mandarin is replacing Uighur as the main language of instruction at Uighur schools, the aim being that fluent Mandarin will give greater job opportunities for Uighurs. That hasn’t helped Akhbar, who graduated from a top Xinjiang university with a science degree and speaks perfect Mandarin. He says he has been unable to find any work better than selling imported Pakistani nick-nacks to tourists. “Now they are trying to wipe out our language too, forcing our children to do almost all of their schooling in Mandarin. I would say 99 per cent of Uighur people oppose this,” he said. More than a few Uighurs say their only alternative may be to draw closer to Islam, and by doing so, further the distance between themselves and the officially atheist Communist Party, as well as the Han Chinese. While many Uighur women in Urumqi dress in much the same casual fashions as their Han counterparts, others have begun to wear full veils. Some swathe themselves head-to-toe in black. “I think it’s a very special thing to do, to keep yourself for your man’s eyes only,” said student Golbari, 18, wearing a t-shirt and tight jeans. “I might like to try it one day. It’s the international trend in the Muslim world,” she added. “But I’m not sure my parents would approve. They’re very liberal.” http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/09/chinas-war-on-terror-widens-xinjiangs-ethnic- --------- Delhi HC blast: Police detain suspects in Mumbai, Alwar Sep 10 2011 Alwar : Two persons were detained in Mumbai and questioned in connection with the Delhi High Court bomb blast but were later allowed to go, police said today. "Yes, they were questioned. However, they do not seem to be connected (with the Delhi blast) and were allowed to go," Maharashtra ATS chief Rakesh Maria said. The detention was on the basis of the sketches of two suspected bomb planters released by Delhi Police, he said. Meanwhile, two men hailing from Kashmir were detained in Alwar as they apparently resembled the sketches of the suspects in the Delhi High Court blast case. Abdul Gani (45) and Miyan Ahemad (35), hailing from a village in Anantnag, were detained Friday evening from Kishangarh Bas area after some people reported that their faces resembled the sketches of the blast suspects released by Delhi Police, Additional Superintendent of Police Mahendra said. Primary investigations, however, suggest that they were not involved in any suspicious activity, he said. The two men were interrogate http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi-hc-blast-police-detain-suspects-in-mumbai --------- Israeli envoy leaves Cairo after embassy attack Sep 10 2011 Cairo : Israel flew its ambassador home on Saturday after protesters stormed the building housing its embassy in Cairo, plunging Egypt's ruling army deeper into its worst diplomatic crisis since it took over from Hosni Mubarak. The United States, which has poured billions of dollars of military aid into Egypt since Cairo made peace with Israel in 1979, urged Egypt to protect the embassy after protesters hurled embassy documents and the Israeli flag from windows. Our dignity had been restored, said Mohi Alaa, 24, who protested overnight and was speaking near the site of the clashes, where bits of concrete and bullet casings were strewn over the street. We don't want the Americans' money, he said, reflecting a growing readiness among many Egyptians to express anger and frustration with Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians after decades of pragmatic official relations. Police had fired shots in the air and teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters had lit tyres in the street and at least two vehicles were set alight near the embassy, located on the upper floors of a residential block overlooking the Nile. Medical sources said two protesters had been killed. A Reuters reporter saw a corpse in a hospital and a medical report saying his chest had been punctured. The Health Ministry said 837 had been injured in protests at the embassy and security building in the area, with more than 200 transferred to hospital, the state news agency said. It said one had died from a heart attack. As dawn broke, about 500 demonstrators remained and a few threw stones at police and army vehicles and personnel. But police gradually pushed them further away and secured the area. It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month during an Israeli operation against cross-border raiders who Israel said were Palestinians. That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy. Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, staff and family members arrived home on Saturday but one diplomat stayed in Egypt to maintain the embassy, an Israeli official said. Israel is finding itself increasingly at odds with formerly sympathetic states in the region. It is already embroiled in a feud with Turkey, formerly the closest of its few Muslim allies, over its treatment of the Palestinians. Meanwhile Egypt's generals, already under pressure to hand power to civilians more swiftly, must balance public calls for a more assertive foreign policy towards Israel with maintaining ties that bring cash and top-notch US military equipment. Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called a cabinet crisis meeting for early on Saturday. 'SERIOUS STANCE' This action shows the state of anger and frustration the young Egyptian revolutionaries feel against Israel, especially after the recent Israeli attacks on the Egyptian borders that led to the killing of Egyptian soldiers, Egyptian political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah said. Some politicians and activists criticised the violence, even if they backed the anti-Israel demonstration. Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy called for the army to take a serious stance matching the public anger towards Israel, but said violence sullied the image of Egypt's uprising. Last month, a man climbed up a flagpole on the building, took down Israel's flag and replaced it with Egypt's. Protests continued daily but did not turn violent until the latest flare-up. In response to the protests, the authorities erected a wall around the building, which was quickly defaced with anti-Israel slogans and then painted in Egypt's national colours. On Friday, the wall was torn down after a demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square calling for speedier reforms and a deeper purge of officials who worked for Mubarak, the former president on trial on charges, including conspiring to kill protesters. Under Mubarak, Egyptians could never show such hostility to Israel without facing a crushing security response. Egypt's ties with Israel, though never very warm, remained a pillar of Mubarak's foreign policy and buttressed his claim to be a regional mediator. Mubarak regularly met Israeli officials. Although the treaty has sat uneasily with many Egyptians, it has ensured close ties with the United States, and a steady flow of financial and military aid. 'HONOUR OBLIGATIONS' US President Barack Obama called on Egypt to honour its international obligations and protect the Israeli mission. He told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington was taking steps to resolve the situation. An Israeli official said the ambassador, staff and family members had left in one plane and a second one had brought home six Israeli security personnel, who had been left guarding the embassy, protected by a reinforced door as protesters massed outside. Egyptian troops were sent in to extract them. The fact that Egyptian authorities ultimately acted with determination is laudable. With that said, Egypt cannot let slide this harsh blow to the fabric of relations with Israel and the gross violation of international norms, Netanyahu said in a statement. He also thanked Washington for its role. Demonstrators had last staged a major march on the embassy after protests over the killing of the five Egyptian border guards in Sinai. Smaller protests had persisted until the latest eruption of violence. The five died during an Israeli operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis. Egypt threatened to withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv. Israel has stopped short of apologising, saying it is still investigating the deaths. Before moving on the embassy, demonstrators tried to storm a local police compound, hurled stones at the police and torched at least four vehicles. They also set alight a nearby public building. The April 6 movement, which helped to lead the anti-Mubarak uprising, said violence against the police vehicles and other property was perpetrated by those trying to distort the image of the revolution. It blamed supporters of Mubarak. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/israeli-envoy-leaves-cairo-after-embassy- --------- Lawyer: Norway killer sticks to Knights Templar claim Sep 10 2011 Oslo : Confessed Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is sticking to his claim of belonging to a militant order of Knights Templar, even though police have found no evidence it exists, his lawyer said. The 32-year-old, arrested after a car bombing and shooting massacre that killed 77 people on July 22, claims he was the youngest member of the anti-Muslim militia at its supposed creation in London in 2002, defense lawyer Geir Lippestad said in an interview on Friday. Breivik has told police that many of the other members are war-hardened former fighters from Serbia, the lawyer said. “Both the police and I are using a lot of resources” to investigate those claims, he said. Police say they believe Breivik acted alone when he set off the car bomb that killed eight people in Oslo's government district and then opened fire at a Labor Party youth camp on Utoya island, killing 69. His claim, however, of a mysterious crusader network puzzles investigators because Breivik appears to have been truthful when explaining other aspects of the attacks. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lawyer-norway-killer-sticks-to-knights-templar- --------- Pak’s Mumbai trial adjourned again over Lakhvi’s petition Sep 10 2011 Islamabad : The trial of seven Pakistanis charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks was adjourned for a week after one of the key accused, Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, filed a petition against the judge of the anti-terrorism court. During a hearing held behind closed doors in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, due to security reasons, Lakhvi’s lawyers submitted the petition in which he expressed dissatisfaction with Judge Shahid Rafique. Lakhvi alleged the judge was working under the influence of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, the prosecution and the Indian government. Lakhvi asked for the judge to be changed, claiming he could not expect justice from him. There were no proceedings after the petition was filed and the judge adjourned the case till September 17, sources said. Three prosecution witnesses were expected to testify today. The proceedings have already been marred by controversies and technical delays and the judge has been changed four times. Chief prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar told PTI that the defence lawyers became annoyed with Judge Rafique after he allowed the formation of a commission to go to India to interview key officials linked to the investigation of the Mumbai attacks. The defence lawyers were now resorting to “delaying tactics”, he said. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/paks-mumbai-trial-adjourned-again-over-lakhvis- --------- Officials: Gunmen Kill 3 Iraqi Soldiers Sep 10 2011 BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say gunmen using silenced weapons have killed three Iraqi soldiers in central Baghdad. Two police officers say the gunmen attacked an army patrol on Saturday afternoon, opening fire from speeding cars in the Bab al-Muadham area. They say four people, including one soldier, were wounded in the attack. A medic at the nearby Medical City hospital confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Attacks on Iraqi forces have stepped up in recent months as the U.S. military prepares to withdraw from the country. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/10/world/middleeast/AP-ML- --------- 14 militants killed in Afghanistan September 10, 2011 At least 14 suspected Taliban militants have been killed and 21 arrested in police operations across Afghanistan, the interior ministry said on Saturday. The Afghan National Police with assistance from the Afghan Army and coalition forces launched operations in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunduz, Kandahar, Helmand, Kunar, Baghlan and Khost provinces, Xinhua cited a ministry statement as saying. During the operations, 51 AK-47 rifles, one rocket launcher, two machine guns, two radio handsets, six rounds of anti-vehicle mines, 50 kg improvised explosive devices and 13 different types of heavy weapons were seized, it said. The Taliban is yet to make any comment. http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/14-militants-killed-in- --------- Three killed amid attack on Israeli embassy 10 September 2011 CAIRO — A senior Egyptian official says at least three people died and more than 1,000 were hurt during street clashes with police and army troops after an angry mob attacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo. Deputy Health Minister Hamid Abaza say one of the three fatalities in the violence late Friday was a man who died of a heart attack. Abaza told The Associated Press on Saturday he doesn’t know the cause of the other two deaths. He says at least 1,093 people were injured in the clashes. The protesters pelted the police and the military with rocks, prompting the troops to fire tear gas and shoot into the air. Only 38 of the injured remained in hospital. Earlier, the protesters tore down a security wall outside the Israeli mission and stormed the embassy’s offices. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/September/ --------- New central Nigeria overnight attacks kill 15 Sep 10 2011 Jos (Nigeria) : Fresh overnight attacks killed at least 15 people in central Nigeria, the latest in a wave of recent killings in an area beset by sectarian violence, a local government official said on Saturday. “15 people were killed ... in Vwang district of Jos south local government area of Plateau state in a midnight attack,” a government spokesman Pam Ayuba said. The attack in a district on the outskirts of the city of Jos, targeted predominately Christian ethnic farming villagers known as Beroms. More villagers were missing in what appeared to be a wave of spiralling attacks suspected to be staged by Fulani herdsmen from adjoining villages. “This is the third time such attacks are taking place suggesting a premeditated murder,” he said. Jos has been hit by waves of violence between Christian and Muslim groups that have left hundreds dead in recent years. The area lies between the predominantly Christian south and mainly Muslim north of Africa's most populous nation. The Geneva-based office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) on Friday expressed concern at the resurgence of violence in central Nigeria since the beginning of August. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-central-nigeria-overnight-attacks-kill-15/844642/ --------- 8 of a family among 12 killed in sectarian violence in nigeria Sep 10 2011 JOS: Renewed overnight attacks on villages in central Nigeria killed 12 people including seven young siblings in an area beset by sectarian violence, local government officials said. “Nine people died in the first attack, eight are of the same family, a father and seven of his children. A neighbour was also affected in the attack,” Pam Ayuba, spokesmam to the Plateau state governor told AFP. Five of those killed are under 10 years of age, he said. “They came around 1:20 am (1220 GMT), all dressed in black, and they started shooting at the house,” a witness, Ezekiel Mwanta said. A community leader, Emmanuel Loman, told reporters that it was later discovered that a second attack had been staged at a nearby village, killing three people. The attacks occurred in Barkin Ladi, an area dominated by a mainly Christian ethnic group on the outskirts of Jos city. The office of the United Nation rights chief on Friday expressed concern at the resurgence of violence in central Nigeria, which it said had reportedly killed up to 70 people in separate attacks since the beginning of August. “We are concerned about the renewed violence which has flared up in Nigeria’s ‘Middle Belt’ in recent weeks causing death, injury and destruction,” Rupert Colville, spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva. Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\10\story_10-9-2011_pg4_2 --------- Five NATO troops killed in Afghanistan: Coalition Sep 10, 2011 KABUL: Five soldiers from the international military force in Afghanistan were killed in the country's east, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. The deaths came two days before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, which prompted the invasion of Afghanistan a month later. "Three International Security Assistance Force service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today," the coalition said, without giving any further details in line with policy. There are around 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan battling a Taliban-led insurgency, around 100,000 of them from the United States. All foreign combat forces are due to leave by the end of 2014. The latest deaths take to at least 428 the number of coalition military personnel who have died this year, according to a tally based on that kept by the independent website iCasualties.org. A total of 711 died last year. Eastern Afghanistan is a highly volatile part of the troubled country, particularly areas which border Pakistan where insurgents have hideouts. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Three-NATO-troops-killed-in- --------- New Delhi: Five get death penalty for 2008 honour killing Sep 10 2011 New Delhi: A Delhi court sentenced to death five of a family for the murder of the brother-in-law of a girl of the family who had married for love. The girl’s brothers Sajid Wasim and Shabbir Kasim, her uncles Mohammed Saleem, Shaheen Zargam Ali and cousin Shaheen Abbas were convicted for the murder of Tariq, the brother of her husband Sadiq. “The prosecution has successfully proved the motive behind the murder of Tariq — the love marriage between the girl and Sadiq. Thus the case falls under the category of honour killing. Since honour killing comes in the category of rarest of rare cases as held by the Supreme Court, I have no option but to award death sentence,” judge Bimla Kumari said. The girl, a Shia Muslim, had married Sadiq, a Sunni “against the wishes of her family”, the court noted, leading to enmity between the two families. On July 7, 2008, Ali forcibly took Sadiq from his family’s home in old Delhi to a mosque, where the other four accused were waiting. An altercation took place and Sadiq’s brothers Tariq and Tayyab, who had followed Ali, joined in. The accused shot them both. While Tariq died, Tayyab, though critically injured, survived. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/five-get-death-penalty-for-2008-honour-killing/843733/ --------- Sindh rain calamity left 182 people dead: report Sep 10 2011 KARACHI: Recent heavy monsoon rains and flash floods in Sindh left more than 182 people dead and over five million displaced, said a news report on Friday. According to statistics issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 31 children and 79 women were among the dead. The BBC Urdu service reported that the initial survey conducted by the PDMA said that only two lakh rain-hit people were residing in official relief camps. Rain victims held demonstrations in many rain-affected areas of the province in protest against non-provision of relief goods and lack of facilities at relief camps. President Asif Ali Zardari had on Thursday appealed to the international community for humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance for the affected people. http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/10/sindh-rain-calamity-left-182-people-dead-report.html --------- Pak businessman pleads guilty for illegally exporting nuclear material Sep 10 2011 A Maryland-based Pakistani businessman has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting nuclear-related materials to restricted entities back home and faces a maximum sentence of five years and a USD 250,000 fine. 46-year-old Nadeem Akhtar’s conviction before a U.S. court on Friday is the product of a “vigorous, cooperative joint-agency investigation focused on denying and disrupting the illegal export of controlled nuclear technology destined for Pakistan,” Eric L Hirschhorn, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, said. According to his plea agreement, Akhtar, a lawful permanent resident of the US, from October 205 to March 2010 used his company Computer Communication USA (CC-USA) to obtain or attempt to obtain radiation detection devices; resins for coolant water purification; calibration and switching equipment; attenuators; and surface refinishing abrasives for export to restricted entities in Pakistan. Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2441640.ece --------- Albanian spy chief, wanted for torture, living in UK with govt benefits Sep 10 2011 London : A former Eastern European spy chief wanted for torture and kidnapping has been reportedly living in a council flat on benefits in Britain for 15 years. During an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that repeated attempts have been made to extradite Kumbaro to his native Albania for over two years, but have been constantly delayed by legal hitches and technicalities, the Daily Mail reports. He court was told that a second warrant for his arrest had not been granted by the Albanian Supreme Court earlier this year because of a ‘lack of judges’. Lawyers said the same Albanian court could decide on November or December about when the new warrant could be granted, allowing extradition proceedings to be finalised in Britain. Fifty-six-year-old Balding Kumbaro had earlier claimed asylum by posing as a Kosovan refugee after arriving in the UK in August 1996. He has never worked during his 15-year stay in a council flat off Fulham Road in West London. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/albanian-spy-chief-wanted-for-torture-living-in-uk- --------- Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Cautions Public against Dream interpreters on TV Sep 9, 2011 JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has strongly warned against listening to people who claim to explain dreams on radio and TV programs. His warning came following a growing trend among the people of getting their dreams interpreted by “experts” on radio or television. “Most of these interpreters (of the dreams) do not have sufficient and correct knowledge of Islam,” he said in his Friday sermon at Riyadh's Imam Tuki bin Abdullah Mosque. The mufti noted that a growing number of people were following these programs and cautioned them against doing so. “People listen so intently to the dream explainers, with some believing these explanations wholeheartedly, as if what they are saying is heavenly revelation,” he said. Al-Asheikh asked people to adhere strongly to the Prophet's Sunnah in this respect, which is to refrain from telling their bad or fearful dreams to others. “If people want good explanation for what they see during their sleep, they should go to scholars with deep knowledge of the religion,” he said. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article499585.ece --------- 163 dead in Zanzibar ferry capsize, 100 missing 10 September 2011 At least 163 people died when a ferry capsized off the popular tourist archipelago of Zanzibar, but over 100 people are still missing, a minister said Saturday. ‘We have recovered 163 people who have died and we have rescued 325 survivors,’ said Mohammed Aboud, Zanzibar’s state minister for emergencies, dramatically updating an earlier death toll of 53. At least 40 of those rescued were seriously injured, including some hit by falling debris as the boat rolled onto one side, he said, adding that the death toll could still rise higher. Officials said that around 600 people were believed to have been on the stricken ferry, including families returning home after the holidays to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Survivors have begun arriving back in Stone Town, the main port and capital of the archipelago, with an emergency first aid centre set up in the port to treat those arriving by rescue speed boat from the capsized ferry. ‘It was terrifying, people were screaming and shouting in the dark,’ said Aisha Mohammed, aged seven. Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/ --------- 9/11: F-16 pilot was ready to ram hijacked plane September 10, 2011 A F-16 pilot scrambled on 9/11 to prevent another attack on the US capital says she was prepared to ram her plane into a hijacked aircraft -- as there was no time to arm her plane with missiles. Amid fears another hijacked airliner was barreling towards Washington, Heather Penney, then a lieutenant in the Washington DC National Guard, was one of two pilots ordered to take off without delay, she said in a recent interview. The threat of an attack on US soil was seen as such a remote possibility at the time that the 121st fighter squadron at Andrews Air Force base outside Washington had no fully-armed fighter jets on standby. With only 105 lead-nosed bullets on board, Penney and Colonel Marc Sasseville took to the skies, while two other F-16s waited to be armed with heat-seeking AIM-9 missiles, Penney told C-SPAN television this week. The pilots had orders from the White House to take out any plane that refused to heed warnings and land, so the two pilots agreed on their plan. Full report at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/9-11-F-16-pilot-was-ready-to-ram-hijacked-plane/H1- --------- Pope Marks 9/11, Says No Violence in God's Name Sep 10 2011 VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI insisted Saturday that violence must never be carried out in God's name as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a message to the United States. In a letter to New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, head of the U.S. bishops' conference, Benedict said he was praying for the thousands of innocent victims of the "brutal assault" and said he hoped their families find some consolation. He said the tragedy of 9/11 was compounded by the attackers' claim to be acting in God's name. "Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism," Benedict wrote. He called for a greater commitment to justice and a "global culture of solidarity" to rid the world of the types of grievances that spark such acts of violence. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/10/world/europe/AP-EU-Vatican-Sept- --------- Obama: US stronger 10 years after Sept 11 attacks Sep 10 2011 Washington : President Barack Obama said on Saturday the United States was stronger 10 years after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks and Americans would carry on despite continued threats against their safety. Marking Sunday's 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, Obama noted that al Qaeda's strength had been sapped by relentless US efforts in the decade since the tragedy killed nearly 3,000 people. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our military personnel and our intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security professionals, there should be no doubt: today, America is stronger and al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. New York police amassed a display of force on Friday, including checkpoints that snarled traffic in response to intelligence about a car or truck bomb plot linked to the anniversary. Obama noted that terror groups would continue to target the United States. Yes we face a determined foe, and make no mistake -- they will keep trying to hit us again. But as we are showing again this weekend, we remain vigilant, he said. We're doing everything in our power to protect our people, and no matter what comes our way, as a resilient nation, we will carry on. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama-us-stronger-10-years-after-sept-11- --------- 'With 290 suicide attacks, Pakistan suffered most since 9/11' Sep 10 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan suffered the most in the US-declared "war on terror" after the 9/11 attacks, facing almost 300 deadly suicide bombings and the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a media report said. "It's close to ten years now since 9/11. In the decade of the USA's 'War on Terror', Pakistan has suffered the most, facing at least 290 suicide bombings which have led to the death of 4,700 people, left thousands more injured and caused immense losses," said an Urdu daily. Citing a report by the interior ministry on the 9/11 attacks and its aftermath, it said the sole suicide bombing in Pakistan prior to 9/11 was the attack on the Egyptian embassy here in 1995, which had resulted in the death of 15 people, mostly Pakistanis engaged as security guards there. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/worldarticlelist/articleshow/9926153.cms --------- Obama thanks Canadians for help after 9/11 Sep 10 2011 MONTREAL: US President Barack Obama has thanked the Canadian people for their support in the days following the 9/11 attacks, in a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made public Friday. “In one of the darkest moments in our history, Canada stood by our side and showed itself to be a true friend,” Obama wrote. “On the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, we remember with gratitude and affection how the people of Canada offered us the comfort and friendship and extraordinary assistance that day and in the following days, by opening their airports, homes and hearts to us.” In the letter, dated Thursday, the US president pays special tribute to the city of Gander in Newfoundland, which only has a population of 9,600 – but took in about 6,600 air passengers diverted when US airspace was shut down. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/10/obama-thanks-canadians-for-help-after-911.html --------- Britain, US lost some ‘moral authority’ after 9/11: Cameron Sep 10 2011 LONDON: Britain and the United States lost some of their moral authority through some of the measures they put in place after the September 11th attacks, Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday. Some measures, such as the establishment of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, had been a mistake, Cameron told Al Jazeera television in an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of the al Qaeda attacks on the United States. “We can certainly see with hindsight and in some ways at the time, mistakes were made in that we lost some of our moral authority, which is vital to keep when you’re trying to make your case in the world,” Cameron said. As he spoke, fresh allegations were emerging about the complicity of British intelligence agents in the illegal transfer of terror suspects following 9/11 to countries where they faced torture. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/10/britain-us-lost-some-moral-authority-after-911- --------- US safe because of cooperation from Pakistan: White House Official Sep 10 2011 Washington : US is safer today because of the cooperation it has received from Pakistan, a top White House official said, maintaining that Washington's relationship with Islamabad is important but complicated. "It (US-Pakistan) is an important important relationship and it is complicated as I have said numerous times from the podium, but America and Americans are safer because of the cooperation we have been able to achieve with Pakistan," White House press secretary Jay Carney told a group of foreign correspondent. "It is important to remember that Pakistanis and Pakistan have been victims of al-Qaeda, victims of all kinds of extremist terrorism, and we continue to pursue a relationship of cooperation and persistent as we continue to go after al- Qaeda," Carney said in response to a question. Speaking ahead of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the White House spokesman said the administration has been very frank about the fact that affiliates of al-Qaeda are an issue. Al-Qaeda central is not the only threat, certainly some of the very active branches of al-Qaeda are outside the al-Qaeda core in Afghanistan and Pakistan, so it is a multi-headed enemy, Carney said, adding the lone wolf issue is always of concern and that is something the US Government is dealing with. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-safe-because-of-cooperation-from-pakistan- --------- 9/11 mother says US must go after Islamic militants Sep 10 2011 New York : Rosemary Cain, whose New York City firefighter son died in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center inferno trying to save others, said the United States must continue to go after Islamic militants in other countries. Anybody who thinks there is no evil around us, and these people are going back to their caves ... they are living in a fairy tale world, Cain said from her home in Massapequa on New York's Long Island. George Cain, her son, was 35 years old and a member of New York City Fire Department Ladder 7 in Manhattan when he perished after al Qaeda Islamic militants crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center twin towers in 2001. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq launched in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and operations to ferret out of Islamic militants in other countries are necessary to safeguard America, she said. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/9-11-mother-says-us-must-go-after-islamic- --------- On eve of 9/11 anniversary, Flight 93 gets national memorial Sep 10, 2011 PENNSYLVANIA: The 40 passengers and crew of the fourth, often forgotten 9/11 airliner are to be honored Saturday, the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attacks, on the daisy-dotted field where they died. Thousands are expected outside this village in southwestern Pennsylvania for the dedication of phase one of a national memorial to those on United Airlines Flight 93 who foiled an apparent bid by al-Qaida hijackers to strike Washington. The then president George W. Bush, on his third visit to Shanksville since September 11, 2011, is scheduled to attend, along with Vice President Joe Biden and former president Bill Clinton. Nightfall will see the solemn lighting of more than 2,900 luminarias in memory of all 9/11 victims. On Sunday, President Barack Obama is to join a two-hour commemorative service at the spot where Flight 93 went down -- lifting the profile of a virtually forgotten episode of the 9/11 attacks. Security will be tight, after the Federal Aviation Administration declared a no-fly zone up to 18,000 feet over Shanksville, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Washington, for much of Sunday. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/On-eve-of-9/11-anniversary-Flight-93-gets- --------- Post-9/11 battle not over: Blair Sep 10 2011 Tony Blair, the international statesman most closely tied to the response to the Sept. 11 attacks, believes the decade-long struggle to contain the threat from Islamic extremism is far from over, despite the killing of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. The former British prime minister, who famously vowed to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the United States and took a leading role in the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the face of domestic unease, told The Associated Press that potent threats still persist — including in nations swept by the revolutions of the Arab Spring. “It’s completely wrong,” to think the struggle to defeat extremist ideology is won, Mr. Blair said in an interview. “We shouldn’t be under any doubt about this at all. Unfortunately, as I say, this ideology is far broader than the methods of al-Qaeda.” “You look at Lebanon, for example and how Hezbollah have taken control there, you look at the activities of Hamas. Yemen I’m afraid, it’s a long way off being resolved,” Mr. Blair said. “Even in a country like Pakistan, with some strong institutions by the way, that it’s still an issue, so the struggle is by no means over, but it’s the right struggle to be engaged in.” Arab Spring Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2441724.ece --------- The state of Sept 11 litigation Sep 10 2011 New York : A decade after the Sept. 11 attacks a growing number of rescue workers and first responders are suffering from various illnesses that they ascribe to their exposure to toxins near the disaster sites. The volume of litigation generated by the attacks has been extraordinary, due to the international impact, the number of victims and defendants, and the complexities in assessing damages and assigning liability. The numbers are striking: Sept. 11-related lawsuits include more than 12,000 plaintiffs, 1,000 defendants, 600 lawyers and millions of documents. Because of a federal law that took effect shortly after the attacks, all litigation related to Sept. 11 damages must be filed in federal court in Manhattan. The judge who was randomly selected to preside over the first filed case, District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, has since absorbed virtually all Sept. 11 litigation. He has consolidated the cases into four master cases. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-state-of-sept-11-litigation/844602/ --------- Bin Laden ‘wanted to use French hostages against Sarkozy’ Sep 10 2011 PARIS: Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden wanted al Qaeda hostage takers to use their French captives to discredit President Nicolas Sarkozy and his security policy ahead of a presidential election next year, possibly by killing them, France Info radio said on its website on Friday. The news radio channel, said bin Laden had issued written instructions to members of al Qaeda’s north African offshoot, known as AQIM, on how to handle a group of hostages, including five French nationals, captured in Niger last year. Four of the five French hostages captured last September are still being held by AQIM, after France refused to pay a 90 million euro ($123 million) ransom for their liberation. In one of his last audio messages broadcast to the world, bin Laden had taken aim at France, saying that taking French people hostage was justified given what he said was the country’s mistreatment of its Muslim population. Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\10\story_10-9-2011_pg7_31 --------- Pakistan warns of plot to free bin Laden’s wives Sep 10 2011 KARACHI: Pakistan is warning that the Taliban are plotting to get Osama bin Laden’s wives and children freed by kidnapping a government official and then offering to exchange him for the slain al Qaeda chief’s family. US Navy seals killed bin Laden in a May raid on his house in northwestern Pakistan. At least two of his wives and several children who were living with him have since been detained by Pakistani authorities. Pakistan’s interior ministry warned of the purported plot in a letter marked “secret” that was sent to top security officials around the country. The Associated Press obtained a copy on Friday. The ministry says the information that led to the warning was reliable. It doesn’t say which Pakistani official the Taliban plan to kidnap. http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/09/pakistan-warns-of-plot-to-free-bin-ladens-wives.html --------- Pakistan Could Be Vital To 'Afghan-Led' Peace Process JULIE MCCARTHY An end to the war in Afghanistan is slowly beginning to come into view, 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks. Few countries have been as deeply affected by the decade of fighting as Pakistan. Since 2001 Islamist extremism fueled by the Afghan conflict has claimed the lives of 35,000 Pakistanis — 30,000 of them civilians. For all of their mutual suspicions, the Americans and Pakistanis seem to agree on one thing: Both need a durable peace in Afghanistan. The U.S. needs to staunch a hemorrhage of blood and treasure, and Pakistan to stop extremism from spilling across the border and further radicalizing the country. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua says without peace and stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan's tumultuous decade could go on indefinitely. "Pakistan wishes to see in the endgame in Afghanistan a peaceful, prosperous, unified, sovereign and independent Afghanistan," she says, "where the people of Afghanistan can determine their destiny according to their wishes. We stand by Afghanistan in an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process." Full report at: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/10/140356133/pakistan-not-irrelevant-to-drawdown-in- --------- Indo-Pak Border farmers demand simplification in process of issuing of identity cards Yudhvir Rana Sep 10, 2011 AMRITSAR: Farmers living close to the Indo-Pak international border have demanded simplification in the process of issuing identity cards required for entry to their cultivable fields situated beyond the border fence. The farmers have also sought computerization of their records by Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent delay in checking of their antecedents before crossing over the border gates. "It takes about 2 to 3 months to get the identity card which severely affects farming and often causes losses to farmers," said vice president of Border Area Sangarash Committee Rattan Singh Randhawa on Friday. After applying for the identity card at the BSF`s post, the papers are sent to the police station concerned for police verification and then land record is sought from the patwari concerned before sending them to BSF headquarters for issuing of the identity cards. Identity cards are issued to land owners, their siblings and permanent farm help for allowing them to till their fields situated close to the international border with Pakistan. "We receive numerous complaints from farmers who are harassed by police and patwaris," said Randhawa. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Border-farmers-demand-simplification-in-process- --------- With or against US? A decade on, Pakistan is wavering Sep 10 2011 Washington : While the ruins of New York's World Trade Center were still smouldering in late September 2001, President George W. Bush put nations around the globe on notice: Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. It was an ultimatum that Pakistan's then-president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, felt acutely as Washington readied for war against the Taliban regime next door in Afghanistan. In his memoirs, he recalls being told by the Americans that if we chose the terrorists, then we should be prepared to be bombed back to the Stone Age. Musharraf ditched the Taliban and threw Pakistan's lot in with the United States, making it a strategic ally in the global war on terror, despite quiet misgivings among his top brass in the powerful military establishment. Over the decade since then, however, Pakistan has been an erratic and reluctant ally. Trust has crumbled on both sides and, with tensions now running high, it is clear that Islamabad increasingly sees Washington as more of a foe than a friend. I'm very pessimistic, said Bruce Reidel, who advised US President Barack Obama on policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. We're on a downward slide towards a more hostile relationship. Obama wants to save it, but our interests don't coincide. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/with-or-against-us-a-decade-on-pakistan-is- --------- Illegal kidney trade worries Bangladesh Sep 10 2011 DHAKA: Two years ago, Ainul Haque, a poor van driver in a remote Bangladeshi village, was frantically looking for some money to pay off loans he took out from ordinary people as well as microlenders. No one came to his assistance. But all of a sudden, a man contacted Ainul and approached him with a proposal that sounded like a way out of his immediate financial woes and also out of the long-term, grinding poverty that is the situation of many others across Bangladesh. The man asked him to sell a kidney for a price so high that it would give him the chance of paying off all his debts and even set up a small business to support his five-member family. After hesitating at first, Ainul, 36, took the bait and traveled to Dhaka, the capital — where he had never been — with the broker, who took him in turn to another man who claimed to be a physician. “I chose to sell my kidney as I needed money to pay back the accumulated loan installments, for which the lenders were pressing me hard. I had no other alternative,” Ainul told Reuters. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article499681.ece --------- Tel Aviv relaxes conditions for prisoner swap deal By MOHAMMED MAR’I Sep 10 2011 RAMALLAH: Israel has agreed to relax the criteria for freeing Palestinian prisoners with “blood on their hands” in exchange with abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The independent Ma’an news agency quoted Hamas sources as saying that the Israeli delegation agreed during a Tuesday’s indirect meeting in Cairo to cut the number of Palestinian prisoners of Palestinians it refuses to release from 120 to 40. Israel refuses to release the 120 prisoners since they were involved in deadly attacks against Israeli targets. Ahmed Al-Ja’bari, head of Hamas’ military wing, is representing the Hamas side in the negotiations, while David Meidan, the new Israeli negotiator in Shalit swap talks, represents the Israeli negotiating team. Shalit has been in Hamas captivity since he was abducted in a 2006 cross-border raid. The report said that the Israeli team agreed to reduce the number of prisoners it wants to expel from West Bank after their release. Israel wished to expel 140-150 prisoners. Hamas has rejected the Israeli condition. The sources added that Israeli team also agreed to release all jailed Palestinian women as well as Arab and East Jerusalem prisoners, something which Israeli strongly opposed to in the past. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article499649.ece --------- Yemeni Army Frees Besieged Brigade in South Sep 10 2011 ADEN (Reuters) - Yemen's army has managed to relieve a brigade that had been trapped on its base for four months by militants thought to belong to al Qaeda's Arabian Peninsula wing, a military official said Saturday. The 25th brigade was besieged in May, when Islamist fighters emboldened by months of upheaval in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state took over the coastal city of Zinjibar, just a few kilometres away from the barracks. The official said provisions were delivered to the brigade and the army had entered Zinjibar to reinforce efforts to drive out militants, many of whom had already fled towards Jaar, another town they have taken over in the southern province of Abyan. "We are pursuing limited pockets of militants, but the real battle will be to purify the town of Jaar," said General Mohammad al-Somali. The army mounted an offensive against militants in Abyan two months ago but has so far failed to deal a decisive blow, despite regular reports of militant deaths. Three militants were killed in clashes in and around Zinjibar and four soldiers were injured Saturday, the official said. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/09/10/world/middleeast/international-us-yemen- --------- Iraqis mourn slain journalist, call for reforms Sep 10 2011 BAGHDAD: Iraqis mourned a journalist who was gunned down in Baghdad, expressing anger over his death and protesting for reforms a day after the country’s anti-corruption chief resigned. An interior ministry official said on Thursday that journalist Hadi al-Mehdi was shot dead at about 6:30 pm in an apartment on Abu Nawas Street, with a silenced weapon. A medical source at Ibn al-Nafis hospital confirmed his death. Dozens of Iraqis turned out on Friday to mourn Mehdi, marching from his home in Karrada in central Baghdad with a symbolic coffin covered in an Iraqi flag, towards Tahrir Square. Protests calling for improved public services, which Mehdi supported, were being held at the square on Friday. “The martyr was one of the activists in the movement against corruption and the curbing of rights and freedoms, through Facebook and through demonstrations in Tahrir Square,” activist Zahir al-Jamaa said. “He was always stressing the need to reject any violation of the constitution and the law.” The silenced weapon assassinates everything in my country,” the mourners chanted as they marched. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/09/iraqis-mourn-slain-journalist-call-for-reforms.html --------- American charged in plot to join Pakistani jihadist group Sep 10 2011 New York : 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 the indictment, Hasbajrami plotted to travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan to join a radical jihadist fighting group in the country. He exchanged e-mail messages with a contact in Pakistan, who told him that his fighting group was engaged in violent military operations and had killed American troops. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/american-charged-in-plot-to-join-pakistani-jihadist- --------- Arab League Chief in Syria for Talks with Assad Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby is in Syria for talks with the country's embattled President Bashar al-Assad, a day after activists said government forces killed several protesters. Originally, Elaraby was expected to visit Syria Wednesday, but the visit was delayed at Syria's request. The leader of the 22-member pan-Arab body is expected to convey concerns over the Syrian government's crackdown on protests, which have killed an estimated 2,200 people since March. The Syrian government blamed "armed gangs" and "terrorists" for much of the violence that has erupted since protesters began calling for President Assad's resignation. Meanwhile, international pressure has continued to mount against Assad for his deadly crackdown on dissent. On Friday, European Union (EU) diplomats said the group had neared an agreement on sanctions banning new investments in Damascus' energy sector. A week ago, the EU announced economic sanctions that include an oil embargo. Full report at: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Arab-League-Chief-in-Syria-for-Talks-with-Assad- --------- Terror alert ahead of 9/11 anniversary, 2 suspects may be US citizens Sep 10, 2011 WASHINGTON: At least two of the three men involved in a possible al-Qaida plot to pull off an attack coinciding with the 10th anniversary of 9/11 are believed to be US citizens or have US traveling documents, government officials said. Their primary mission is to explode a car bomb in either New York or Washington, but if that proves impossible, they have been ordered to simply cause as much destruction as they can, one US official said on Friday. Word that al-Qaida had dispatched would-be attackers reached US officials in midweek. A CIA informant who has proven reliable in the past approached intelligence officials overseas to say that the men had been ordered by newly minted al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Sunday by doing harm on US soil. The tipster says the would-be attackers are of Arab descent and may speak Arabic as well as English. Counterterrorism officials were looking for certain names associated with the threat, but it was unclear whether the names were real or fake. Counterterrorism officials have been working around the clock to determine whether the threat is accurate, but so far, have been unable to corroborate it, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Terror-alert-ahead-of-9/11-anniversary-2- --------- Growing extremism not prerogative of one community: Omar Abdullah Sep 10 2011 New Delhi : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday cautioned against increasing radicalisation of youth, saying this “growing extremism is not the prerogative of one community alone”. “Democratisation of traditional societies, unleashing the forces of political mobilisation also hold a potential for increasing radicalisation of the youth in the name of religion and caste,” he said speaking at the 15th National Integration Council (NIC) meet. He said efforts are being made to “manufacture” exclusive community and religion based identities which are different from the rest of the society. “These radicalised elements regrettably, make it appear that either you are with them or with the enemy. This growing extremism, however, is not the prerogative of one community alone,” Omar cautioned. He said the solution to all such problems lies in launching a sustained campaign for the inclusive development of all the communities in the country. He said it needs to be understood that the root cause of communalism is not the presence of many religions in the country. “It is only when the religious sentiments are exploited with an economic or political motive, that the resultant effects give rise to communalism.” The chief minister said internal security problems are rooted in politics and armed insurgencies are basically struggles for political space. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/growing-extremism-not-prerogative-of-one- --------- Violent protests a big challenge: Chidambaram Sep 10 2011 Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday said the use of violence as an instrument of protest was the biggest challenge before the country. While the old evils such as communalism, casteism and parochialism remain, there are new challenges as well, he said in his address at the National Integration Council meeting here. “The biggest challenge is the use of violence as an instrument of protest or an instrument of change. Insurgency, militancy and terrorism threaten to unravel the idea of India,” he said. The Home Minister said it was natural to focus on violent attacks of terrorist groups but attention must be given to the violence unleashed by ideologically-driven Left wing extremists and recalcitrant separatist groups in Northeastern states. While referring to the agenda being discussed at the meeting, Mr. Chidambaram said each one of the four agenda items has the same underlying theme — violence which threatens to destroy the foundation of our national life. Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2441611.ece --------- Libya conflict: Gaddafi forces resist Bani Walid attack Sep 10 2011 Pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya have been putting up fierce resistance in Bani Walid, one of four towns still controlled by loyalist fighters. Anti-Gaddafi forces, who had expected to take the town earlier, are still trying to get into the centre. There was fighting overnight, with exchanges of fire and rockets launched, says the BBC's Richard Galpin, who is outside the town. Bani Walid is one of four towns still under the control of loyalist fighters. Rebel casualties have been brought to the hospital outside town, our correspondent adds. There were more Gaddafi loyalists in the town than the rebels had expected, he says. A convoy of new recruits was seen heading for the front line earlier on Saturday. Rebel commanders said on Friday that they had no choice but to go in after coming under attack from pro-Gaddafi forces. Bani Walid and the other loyalist-held towns had been given until Saturday to surrender to the interim government. Full report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14864397 --------- Party Leaders Appeal to Yemen’s President to Help End Stalemate By LAURA KASINOF Sep 10 2011 SANA, Yemen — Having failed so far to bring an end to the nation’s political crisis, a delegation of governing party officials traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, hoping to persuade the absentee president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to help break a stalemate that has paralyzed the country for months. Mr. Saleh’s governing party wants the president to jump-start the transition of power and take steps toward carrying out a proposal advanced in the spring by the Gulf Cooperation Council, or G.C.C., a regional interest group dominated by Saudi Arabia. “The delegation will meet with President Saleh in order to discuss a proposed implementation for the G.C.C. initiative,” said the Yemeni government spokesman, Mohammed Albasha. Although it faces great odds, the delegation represents one step in an attempt to get Mr. Saleh to agree to what he has repeatedly said he would accept — leaving power — only to repeatedly back off his word. He is recuperating in Saudi Arabia after sustaining severe injuries received in a bombing during the political crisis. The delegation’s visit comes after leaders in Yemen’s governing party split between those who want to see a full transfer of presidential powers to Mr. Saleh’s deputy and a cadre of hard-liners who are stalling the process. Those sides met this past week in an effort to find practical steps to carry out the initiative. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/10/world/middleeast/ --------- Israel wary at ‘harsh’ Turkish naval challenge Sep 10 2011 JERUSALEM: Israel will keep blockading Gaza in the face of Turkey’s unprecedented naval challenge and is prepared for escalation though it seeks to calm the waters with its ex-ally, officials said on Friday. Deepening a crisis over Israel’s killing last year of nine of their citizens aboard an aid flotilla that tried to reach the Palestinian enclave, the Turks vowed on Thursday to assign warships to escort such convoys in the future. The prospect of a showdown at sea with Turkey, a NATO power and fellow US strategic partner in the region, rattled Israelis already long on edge given Arab political upheaval and Iran’s nuclear program. Breaking an almost 24-hour-long silence on the warships announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israeli policy “was and remains the prevention of deterioration in our ties with Turkey and easing the tensions between the countries.” “The prime minister and cabinet discussed the various theoretical possibilities should escalation occur. But a decision on such will be made only if and when required.” Confrontation did not appear imminent after the IHH, a Turkish Islamist charity that owned the Mavi Marmara cruise ship stormed by Israeli marines on May 31, 2010, said in Istanbul it had no plan “for now” to mount another Gaza mission. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article499646.ece URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-protesters-attack-israel-embassy/d/5449 |