Hindu Girls are Forced to Marry Muslims: Pakistani President’s Sister
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 March 2012
• Alleged Iranian bomber explodes during hearing in Kuala Lumpur
• Pakistan: Lashkar-e-Islam threatens locals: Your money or your life,
• Target killing of Shia leaders returned to Karachi
• Minorities in Pakistan demand new laws for protection
• Worries over Iranian Jews if Israel attacks
• US threaten sanctions against India over Iran oil?
• Ban on new domestics from Indonesia, Philippines remains: Saudi Arabia
• US denies sending warning to Iran via Russia
• Taliban break off talks with Washington
• Pull out of rural areas, Karzai tells NATO
• Transfer of prisoners: Pakistan signs agreement with Thailand, UK and Sri Lanka
• Drone attacks against Pakistan's sovereignty: FO
• India: TRS chief thanks Jamaat-E-Islami Hind for its support
• Swiss woman kidnapped by militants in Yemen
• Swiss couple ‘escapes’ from Taliban captivity
• Afghan Driver Dies After Attempted Attack
• Turkish helicopter crash kills 14 in Afghanistan
• Roadside bomb kills 13 civilians in south Afghanistan
• Would rather face jail than death sentence: Gilani
• Research documents on Zardari's immunity stolen
• Security forces seize heavy weapons from secret hideouts of terrorists in Pak
• US soldier who leaked documents aided al Qaeda
• Taliban free son-in-law of former JCSC chief
• Israeli aircraft hit Gaza in response to rockets
• Pakistani judicial commission arrives in India
• Most of Israel security cabinet backs Iran strike
• Terrorists blow up Jamrud college building
• Death toll in Bangladesh ferry crash climbs to 142
• Turkish NATO helicopter crashes in Kabul
• US, UK to shift to support role in Afghanistan by next year
• US soldier upset by comrade's injury before rampage in Afghanistan
• Ted Bundy lawyer to represent Afghanistan massacre suspect
• Afghan massacre US soldier 'reluctant to serve'
• Huge pro-Assad rallies across Syria
• Yemen’s Saleh lists new condition for leaving
• Attacks Threaten Gaza Cease-Fire
• Iran's has to pay the price of his behaviour: US
• India names Iranians for Israel attack
• IMF Predicts U.A.E. Growth to Slow in 2012
Complied by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Lashkar-e-Islam, Pakistan threatens locals
URL:
---------
Hindu Girls are Forced to Marry Muslims: Pakistani President’s Sister
Mar 15, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Acknowledging that Hindus face a lot of challenges in Sindh, sister of Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari said in Pakistan's parliament on Thursday that Hindu girls are being forcibly kept in madrasas in the province and are forced to marry Muslims.
The remarks by Azra Fazal Pechuho, a lawmaker of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, came against the backdrop of the Pakistan supreme court's recent directive to authorities to produce three Hindu women who were allegedly kidnapped in Sindh.
Two of the women - Rinkle Kumari and Lata Kumari - have told magistrates they voluntarily converted.
Speaking in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament on the issue of Rinkle Kumari, Pechuho said Hindus faced a lot of challenges in Sindh.
She stressed the need for laws to protect the rights of minority communities and to end forced conversions.
Nafeesa Shah, another lawmaker from Sindh, endorsed Pechuho's stand and said parliament should introduce legislation on forced conversions.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Hindu-girls-are-forced-to-marry-Muslims-Pakistani-president-Asif-Ali-Zardaris-sister/articleshow/12280383.cms
--------
Alleged Iranian bomber explodes during hearing in Kuala Lumpur
March 16, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: An Iranian implicated in three bomb blasts that rocked Bangkok in February blew his top in a Sessions Court here.
Exploding in his native language, Sedaghatzadeh Masoud asked: “Why am I here? I have nothing to do with this case.”
A translator conveyed this query to Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah.
Masoud's mother shouted at press photographers as she walked out of the court, which heard an application by the public prosecutor yesterday to extradite the Iranian.
Malaysian police had arrested Masoud at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang on Feb 15, a day after the explosions rocked the Thai capital.
Masoud, 31, was named the sole respondent in the application by the public prosecutor.
It stated that a warrant of arrest was issued against Masoud by the South Bangkok criminal court on Feb 14, which is still in effect.
The Iranian is to face a charge of taking part in the making and possession of an explosive device. He is to face a second charge of causing an explosion to cause injury to another person or damage property.
The Feb 14 blasts left five bystanders and an alleged Iranian bomber injured.
DPP Kamal Baharin Omar, who heads the extradition unit, told the judge that the Attorney-General's Chambers needed time to furnish more evidence over the application to extradite Masoud to Thailand.
“We need more particulars, such as photographs and CCTV footage,” he said, adding that an application for extension of time was allowed under the extradition treaty.
Komathy allowed time and set April 16 for mention.
In an affidavit to support the application, Senior Federal Counsel Swandra Kim Chu Ramachandran said she received an official request from the Thai government on Feb 21 to extradite the Iranian.
Swandra said the request was made under an extradition treaty signed between Britain and Siam (the former name of Thailand) on March 4, 1911, which is still enforceable here.
In an affidavit by Thai official Deputy Superintendent (Investigation) Kittiphat Thiangnoi, he stated that he was an inquiry officer in charge of a case involving a blast in front of the Kasem Pittaya School in Bangkok on Feb 14.
Thiangnoi said he was informed that there were two earlier explosions in the city.
Masoud's lawyer Mohd Nashir Hussin said a translator had been employed to assist in the court proceedings as his client could not speak English and his parents were present.
Outside the courtroom, Mohd Nashir said he would wait for another affidavit to be filed by the A-G Chambers and would respond to it.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/16/nation/10930506&sec=nation
--------
Pakistan: Lashkar-e-Islam threatens locals: Your money or your life,
March 16, 2012
PESHAWAR: Activists of the Khyber Agency-based militant outfit, Lashker-e-Islam, have demanded payment from the resident of the Acheni Bala union council in exchange for their safety, local villagers told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
They said that militants of the banned outfit came to their village, a part of Peshawar district, and after a show of muscle in the shape of an armed patrol inside the village they informed the residents that each house-owner must pay Rs5,000, besides a monthly payment of Rs1,000 – if they don’t comply, the militants warned, the residents will have their houses blown up.
“They were well armed and riding bikes. There are at least 500 houses in the locality and the local residents must obey the order to avoid confrontation as we are poor people and cannot afford it,” explained a resident who requested anonymity.
Replying to a question, he said that they had no option but to obey the order as the police too had abandoned them despite the fact that their village, known as Mera Acheni, lies in the settled district of Peshawar.
“Adding further insult to our injuries, after the militants came the activists of the so-called Aman lashkar of the Shalober area of Khyber Agency, who informed us that anyone who pays the amount to the militants will be dealt with harshly,” he added, saying they had been given the option to choose between the two.
People in surrounding villages have been similarly harassed.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/350745/lashkar-e-islam-threatens-locals-your-money-or-your-life-demands-banned-outfit/
--------
Target killing of Shia leaders returned to Karachi
March 16, 2012
KARACHI: Target killing of Shia leaders returned to Karachi when eminent Jafaria Alliance leader Mohsin Rizvi was attacked along with his son by unknown assailants near Patel Para as they were commuted between Golimar and their home near Islamia College, Express News reported on Friday.
Both father and son were critically injured after the attack, however Mohsin Rizvi managed to drive the car to the nearest hospital in Soldier Bazar.
The assailants managed to escape after the attack.
His son, Akmal was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. While Mohsin Rizvi’s condition was described as stable after doctors performed an emergency operation.
As news of the attack spread, a large number of leaders and workers gathered at the hospital. Distrusting official security, they set up their own cordons.
Jafaria Alliance chief Allama Abbas Kumaili, held the Sindh government responsible for the attack and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/350792/shia-killing-hail-of-bullets-leave-jafaria-alliance-leader-injured-son-dead/
--------
Minorities demand new laws for protection
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD, March 16, 2012: Minority legislators on Thursday demanded the government do proper legislation for their protection and urged for stoppage of forced conversion to Islam.
The legislators said that Islam did not allow forced conversion. On a point of order, PPakistan PPeople’s PParty (PPPPPP) legislator Lal Chand told the House that injustices were carried out against members of minority communities. He said four female members of the Hindu community were kidnapped and there were reports that they had changed their religion and accepted Islam. Chand informed the House that a gang of about 500 armed people kidnapped them at gunpoint and later forced to change their religion. He said the teenage girls who did not know about teachings of Islam could not convert on their own.
PPakistan Muslim League- awaz (PPML- ) M A Araish Kumar said that forced conversions of the members of minority communities in the country were on the rise. He regretted that a sitting M A openly confessed that conversion of a minority member to Islam was his work and that he would continue the process. Another minority M A from the ruling party, Ramesh Lal, regretted that local police and administration officials fully supported the minorities’ forced conversions to Islam.
Regretting the forced conversions, Mahesh Kumar of the PPPPPP said that Islam did not allow forced conversions and urged the legislators to move for proper legislation on the issue. He asked for inquiry of such cases across the country. The Hindu community in Sindh felt insecure and a sense of deprivation prevailed there, he added. Like other important amendments to the constitution the government had done, Kumar said, the legislators should do proper legislation for minority communities to ensure proper protection to their families and stop forced conversions to any other religion.
Akram Masih Gill of the PPakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PPML-Q) said that a number of things had been done for welfare and development of minority communities.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C03%5C16%5Cstory_16-3-2012_pg1_5
---------
Worries over Iranian Jews if Israel attacks
Mar 15, 2012
JERUSALEM: All but lost amid the heated talk about a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s suspect nuclear program are the thousands of Jews who live in the Islamic Republic and could be caught in the middle.
Although Iran has a history of treating its Jewish minority fairly well, some Iranian Jews who have emigrated to Israel worry that an Israeli attack could expose family and friends still in Iran to retaliation.
Iran’s government is “unstable and unpredictable. If there is a war, you can’t tell what the response to the community will be,” said Kamal Penhasi, who runs Israel’s only Persian newspaper, Shahyad, and its companion website.
The level of worry among Jews in Iran themselves is harder to measure. At a tomb in southern Iran said to be the grave of the biblical prophet Daniel — a popular pilgrimage site for Iranian Jews — those visiting on a recent day were reluctant to talk about politics or the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, preferring to talk about their visit.
For Full report At:
At the Daniel shrine in Iran, a 10-year-old Jewish boy Daniel Morim — named after the prophet — played in the courtyard. A Muslim visitor to the site, Khalaf Dahani, watched the yarmulke-wearing boy and said, “Our God is the same. Let’s appeal for peace.
For Full report At:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4203531,00.html
---------
US threaten sanctions against India over Iran oil?
Mar 16, 2012
The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on India if it fails to reduce its purchases of Iranian oil, according to a media report citing unnamed Obama administration officials.
A decision to levy penalties under a new US law restricting payments for Iranian oil could come as early as June 28, Bloomberg news agency said citing 'several US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity'.
The US law, which targets oil payments made through Iran's central bank, applies to any country that doesn't make a 'significant' reduction in its Iranian crude oil purchases during the first half of this year.
For Full report At:
http://www.asianage.com/international/us-threatens-sanctions-against-india-over-iran-oil-298
--------
Ban on new domestics from Indonesia, Philippines remains: Saudi Arabia
Mar 14, 2012
RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor on Wednesday said the ban on recruitment of domestic workers from Indonesia and Philippines will remain in place until the two countries change their conditions that demand improved rights for any employees that come to the Kingdom.
The conditions stipulated unilaterally by the two countries included higher wages for workers and many other conditions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
“The ministry suspended the recruitment of domestic laborers from Indonesia and Philippines until solutions guaranteeing the protection of the interests of all parties are found,” said the ministry’s statement on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia imposed the ban last year and said it will import from other labor supplying markets.
For Full report At:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article587637.ece
---------
US denies sending warning to Iran via Russia
16 March 2012
WASHINGTON - The United States denied on Thursday a Russian media report that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had asked Russia to warn Iran that it was facing its “last chance” to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program diplomatically.
“The secretary did not send a warning to the Iranians through (Russian) Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters when asked about a report on Wednesday in the Moscow daily Kommersant.
Asked if Clinton had used the word “last” in talks with Lavrov on Monday, Nuland replied: “She didn’t use that adjective in her meeting.”
The well-connected Russian newspaper quoted a Russian diplomatic source as saying the United States had asked Russia to warn Iran’s leadership that forthcoming talks with six world powers over its nuclear program would be Tehran’s “last chance.”
The United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany accepted an offer last week from Tehran for new talks on Iran’s nuclear energy program, which the West fears is a front to create a nuclear weapon.
For Full report At:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/March/international_March583.xml§ion=international&col=
--------
Taliban break off talks with Washington
March 16, 2012
KABUL: The Taliban broke off contacts over peace talks with Washington on Thursday and the Afghan president demanded US troops leave village outposts, just days after an American soldier massacred 16 villagers.
Hamid Karzai also called for a transition of the nation’s security from Nato control to the Afghan government in 2013 rather than the previous deadline of 2014, after a meeting with visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
That plan was floated by Panetta ahead of a Nato meeting in Brussels last month, but the US-led coalition insists that it will only withdraw its combat troops by the end of 2014. The announcements from the Taliban came hard on the heels of the shooting spree by the US soldier, who has been detained and flown out of the country.
For Full report At:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/350760/afghan-reconciliation-taliban-break-off-talks-with-washington/
---------
Pull out of rural areas, Karzai tells NATO
16 MARCH 2012
Afghanistan’s president, angered by a US soldier’s alleged killings of 16 civilians, demanded Thursday that international troops pull out of villages and rural areas to main bases and let Afghan forces take the lead for countrywide security in 2013, a year ahead of schedule.
In another major blow to the US campaign in Afghanistan, the Taliban militant group said at the same time that it was breaking off talks with the United States, claiming the US kept changing the terms of negotiations.
“Afghan security forces have the ability to keep the security in rural areas and in villages on their own,” Karzai said in a statement after meeting visiting US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta. He said he had conveyed his demand to Panetta during their meeting.
For Full report At:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/50114-pull-out-of-rural-areas-karzai-tells-nato.html
---------
Transfer of prisoners: Pakistan signs agreement with Thailand, UK and Sri Lanka
By Zahid Gishkori
March 16, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday informed the National Assembly that the government of Pakistan has signed an agreement for the transfer of criminal offenders with Thailand, UK and Sri Lanka.
She said the agreement is being negotiated with 32 other countries and so far 38 prisoners had been transferred to Pakistan.
Khar informed the House that 121 Pakistani prisoners were in United States captivity, 41 in Iraq while 867 were in the United Kingdom in different cases.
Answering a question, Khar said that at present there were no Pakistani fishermen imprisoned in Iran. She said four Pakistani fishermen lost their lives, two were injured and fifteen were apprehended when Iranian forces opened fire on them.
AJK development projects
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Affairs Minister Mian Manzoor said that work on 23 mega projects had been initiated in different areas of AJK.
For Full report At:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/350875/transfer-of-prisoners-pakistan-signs-agreement-with-thailand-uk-and-sri-lanka/
---------
Drone attacks against Pakistan's sovereignty: FO
By: NNI, March 16, 2012,
The Foreign office spokesman has said drone attacks amount to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and undermine efforts to combat militancy and terrorism
Pakistan has said that all stakeholders in Afghanistan reconciliation process should demonstrate perseverance‚ patience and sincerity of purpose for durable solution of Afghan issue.
Responding to the queries of media persons at the weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Friday over the suspension of Taliban-US talks‚ Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit said the Afghan reconciliation process is intricate and ups and downs in it are inevitable. However it is important that all the parties demonstrate patience and perseverance to achieve the objective of a sovereign‚ independent and stable Afghanistan, he said.
He said Pakistan on its part will continue to encourage all the parties towards intra Afghan consensus as was underlined by the prime minister in a statement on February 24.
For Full report At:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/islamabad/16-Mar-2012/drone-attacks-against-pakistans-sovereignty-fo
-----------
India: TRS chief thanks Jamaat-E-Islami Hind for its support
Hyderabad, March 11:
The TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao has thanked the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind for extending its full support to the candidates who have resigned for the posts for the cause of Telangana and now contesting the by-elections.
The TRS chief has met representatives of the Jamaat-e- Islamic Hind and requested them to support his party’s candidates in the on-going by elections to six Assembly seats in Telangana.
Speaking after discussions with KCR, Jamaat-e- Islamic Hind AP and Odisha President Arifuddin has said that his party was supporting five TRS candidates in Telangana and Nagam Janardhana Reddy, independent in Nagar Kurnool.
KCR told the media that the Telangana political JAC has not extended support to any party in Mahabubnagar, where apart from his party’s candidate, BJP candidate was also in the fray. However, BJP has claimed that the local JAC has resolved to extend support to its candidate in Mahabubnagar.
For Full report At:
http://www.siasat.com/english/news/kcr-thanks-jamaat-e-islami-hind-its-support
---------
Swiss woman kidnapped by militants in Yemen
Mar 16, 2012
A Swiss woman has been kidnapped by militants in Yemen, reports say.
The AFP news agency quotes a Yemeni official as saying "al-Qaeda militants are behind the kidnapping".
According to the official, militants are demanding the release of two detained al-Qaeda militants.
The kidnap took place on Wednesday in Hodeida on Yemen's west coast, but the woman, a teacher, is being held in Shabwa province of southern Yemen.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is known to have bases in south and south-eastern Yemen. The organisation has been battling government forces and been targeted in air strikes by unmanned US drones.
For Full report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17399703
--------
Swiss couple ‘escapes’ from Taliban captivity
March 16, 2012
MIRAMSHAH/RAWALPINDI: A Swiss couple kidnapped from Balochistan in July last year escaped from Taliban captivity in North Waziristan, officials said on Thursday.
Olivier David Och and Daniela Widmer were brought to Peshawar by a military helicopter. They were taken to the Corps Headquarters for questioning. They stayed there for some time before leaving for Islamabad.
Officials said that the couple had reported to security forces at the Thall checkpost on Esha-Razmak Road early in the morning. Sources said they had been left at a place some 100 metres from the checkpost.
The sources were not in a position to state with certainty if the couple had really escaped or they had been ‘released’. And if released then on what ground.
The banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which had claimed responsibility for their kidnapping from Loralai, were quiet.
For Full report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/16/swiss-couple-escape-from-taliban-captivity.html
---------
Afghan Driver Dies After Attempted Attack
March 16, 2012,
By JULIAN E. BARNES
KABUL—The attack at the military runway in Afghanistan where Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was landing Wednesday was more serious than the Pentagon first acknowledged, based on new disclosures from military officials Thursday.
An Afghan man driving a stolen vehicle attempted to crash it into a group of Marines, including their senior commander, who were awaiting the arrival of Mr. Panetta on Wednesday, officials said. Maj Gen Mark Gurganus, the commander of international forces in Helmand province, was forced to scramble as the vehicle careened toward the Marines, according to a defense official. The presence of Gen. Gurganus means the attack at Camp Bastion threatened the life of one a senior American commander.
The Marines weren't hurt. The Afghan man was subdued by a military working dog after fleeing the vehicle, his clothing ablaze. He suffered burns over 70% of his body and died Thursday morning, according to military officials.
In news conference a few hours after the attack, Gen. Gurganus made no mention of the incident. He instead said there had been no incidents of violence near the base in recent weeks.
For Full report At:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577282800365846434.html
---------
Turkish helicopter crash kills 14 in Afghanistan
16 March 2012
KABUL — Police say a helicopter belonging to a Turkish company has crashed into houses near the Afghan capital Kabul and that 14 people were killed in the crash.
Mohammad Zahir, head of the Kabul criminal investigation department, says eight of the dead were on board the aircraft and two were on the ground.
He says authorities are trying to determine the nationality of the people who were on the helicopter.
Police officer Pashtun says the helicopter crashed Friday in Bagrami district of Kabul province. Pashtun only uses one name, like many Afghans.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/March/international_March592.xml§ion=international&col=
--------
Roadside bomb kills 13 civilians in south Afghanistan
Mar 15, 2012
KABUL: A roadside bomb killed at least 13 Afghan civilians, including women and children, and wounded two on Thursday in the south of the country, provincial officials said.
Security is a major concern as Afghan forces increasingly take over responsibility from NATO-led soldiers in the lead up to the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.
“The mine was newly planted by the Taleban and went off when a civilian car went over it,” said Farid Hayel, a spokesman for Uruzgan province police chief.
Four women and nine children were killed, he said.
For Full report At:
http://arabnews.com/world/article587781.ece
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article587763.ece
---------
Would rather face jail than death sentence: Gilani
16 MARCH 2012
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said he would rather go to jail for committing contempt of court than violate the Constitution by acting on the Supreme Court’s ultimatum to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Gilani’s remarks at two public events in Bahawalpur region of Punjab province marked an escalation in the standoff between the PPP-led government and the Supreme Court, which has been pushing the premier to revive cases of alleged money laundering against the President in Switzerland.
“If I write (to the Swiss authorities), then I violate the Constitution because parliament has given the President immunity in Pakistan and abroad.
For Full report At:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/50110-would-rather-face-jail-than-death-sentence-gilani.html
---------
Research documents on Zardari's immunity stolen
Mar 16, 2012 |
Research papers dealing with immunity for heads of states were the only things stolen from the home of a Supreme Court official, a media report said Friday.
The apex court is hearing a contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for not acting against President Asif Ali Zardari for corruption. Gilani has refused to act, citing immunity for Zardari as he is the president.
Dawn reported that senior judicial assistant Yousuf Jan Marwat was working, among several assignments, on the president's immunity.
Thieves broke into his home when none of his family members were present. The only thing missing was the documents he was working on as a researcher for Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, sources were quoted as saying.
Gilani had appeared before the Supreme Court Jan 19 in the contempt case for not acting against Zardari and defended his move, saying that the constitution provided immunity to the president.
For Full report At:
http://www.asianage.com/international/research-documents-zardaris-immunity-stolen-328
--------
Security forces seize heavy weapons from secret hideouts of terrorists in Pak
March 16, 2012
BAJAUR AGENCY: Security forces seized heavy weapons worth millions of rupees from secret hideouts of terrorists during a search operation on Thursday. During a briefing, Bajaur Agency Scouts Commandant Colonel Muhammad Shakeel Janjua told reporters that the security forces launched a search operation in Mahmond tehsil and seized heavy weapons. The weapons were recovered from secret hideouts, he added. Colonel Janjua said that the security forces had cleared the area of terrorists and three terrorists were arrested during the operation. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\16\story_16-3-2012_pg7_10
--------
US soldier who leaked documents aided al Qaeda
March 16, 2012
FORT MEADE: A US Army private aided al Qaeda by leaking hundreds of thousands of military and other government documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, the military said on Thursday. PFC Bradley Manning had previously been charged with aiding the enemy among a total of 22 counts, but on Thursday the military identified the enemy Manning’s actions aided. Manning and his attorneys are appearing at a hearing at a military courtroom for two days of hearings in the case. During Thursday morning’s hearing, the military judge in the case announced military prosecutors’ answers to a series of questions about the accusations against Manning. The judge, Colonel Denise Lind, said the government contends Manning indirectly aided al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula by giving information to the WikiLeaks site. Military prosecutors say Manning, 24, downloaded and sent to WikiLeaks nearly half a million sensitive battlefield reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables, and a video of a deadly 2007 army helicopter attack that WikiLeaks shared with the world and dubbed “Collateral Murder”. ap
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\16\story_16-3-2012_pg7_8
--------
Taliban free son-in-law of former JCSC chief
March 16, 2012
LAHORE: Aamir Malik, son-in-law of former chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee, Gen Tariq Majeed, who was kidnapped from outside his Model Town residence in August 2010, reached home after being released by the Taliban captors.
A police source told Dawn they had solid information that Mr Aamir reached home safely on Thursday morning while his family said he was recovered safely but had yet to reach home.
According to sources, intelligence agencies played a role in the release of Mr Aamir and some reports said millions of rupees were paid as ransom.
Aftab Malik, a resident of Model Town Extension, told Dawn that his son was safe and would reach home in a day or two.
For Full report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/16/taliban-free-son-in-law-of-former-jcsc-chief.html
--------
Israeli aircraft hit Gaza in response to rockets
March 15, 2012
JERUSALEM: Israeli aircraft and Gaza rocket squads traded strikes across the border on Thursday as the Israeli prime minister blamed Iran for the violence from the Palestinian territory.
Benjamin Netanyahu, going a step further in his warnings to Iran, hinted that Israel didn’t need Washington’s blessing to go ahead and attack Iran’s suspect nuclear program.
Thursday’s cross-border violence tested a shaky truce Israel and Gaza militants reached earlier this week to halt a four-day flare in fighting. Since then, sporadic rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes have persisted.
Israeli aircraft struck two militant sites in Gaza before dawn Thursday in response to rocket fire a day earlier. Gaza gunmen retaliated by launching two rockets at Israel by midday, police said. No injuries were reported on either side.
In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, Netanyahu accused Iran of arming, financing and training Gaza militants, and giving them their marching orders.
”Gaza is Iran,” Netanyahu declared.
For Full report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/15/israeli-aircraft-hit-gaza-in-response-to-rockets.html
--------
Pakistani judicial commission arrives in India
March 16, 2012
The Pakistani commission of defence lawyers, prosecutors and a court official has arrived in India on a four day tour to gather evidence for the prosecution of suspects linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, reported Express News on Friday.
The commission will meet police officials who were involved in the investigation in Mumbai and doctors who conducted the autopsies of the terrorists and victims.
The commission is visiting India in pursuance of an order of the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court to record the statements of four key witnesses. However, India has not granted permission to cross-examine the witnesses.
For Full report At:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/350855/2008-mumbai-attacks-pakistani-judicial-commission-arrives-in-india/
--------
Most of Israel security cabinet backs Iran strike
March 16, 2012
* Security cabinet yet to hold decisive meeting on issue; assessments based on secret talks between PM and ministers
JERUSALEM: A majority of Israel’s security cabinet now supports an attack on Iran in a bid to end its nuclear programme, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday, citing political sources it did not identify.
Writing in the Maariv daily, influential columnist Ben Caspit said most of the 14-member security cabinet was now leaning in favour of a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a move which he said was supported by both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.
“According to the most recent assessments, at this point eight ministers tend to support Netanyahu and Barak’s position, while six object to it,” Caspit wrote.
For Full report At:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\16\story_16-3-2012_pg7_11
---------
Death toll in Bangladesh ferry crash climbs to 142
Mar 16 2012,
Authorities say the death toll in this week's ferry accident in Bangladesh has climbed to 142 after police found three more bodies.
Local police chief Mohammad Shahabuddin Khan says three decomposing bodies surfaced on Friday, three days after the double-deck ferry collided with a cargo boat and sank in the Meghna River just south of Dhaka.
Local media quoted relatives as saying about a dozen people were still unaccounted for.
For Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/death-toll-in-bangladesh-ferry-crash-climbs-to-142/924579/
---------
Turkish NATO helicopter crashes in Kabul
Mar 16, 2012
A Turkish military helicopter crashed onto a house on the outskirts of the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, killing at least 10 people, local police said.
"So far we have recovered 10 bodies, eight of them are foreigners, possibly Turkish nationals -- it is a Turkish helicopter," Kabul criminal investigations chief Mohammad Zaher said.
http://www.asianage.com/international/turkish-nato-helicopter-crashes-kabul-349
---------
US, UK to shift to support role in Afghanistan by next year
16 MARCH 2012 00:42
S RAJAGOPALAN | WASHINGTON
The United States and Britain will stick to their plan to withdraw all their combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but their forces will begin shifting to a support role from next year itself, entrusting the lead role to Afghan forces.
Making this announcement after their meeting here on Wednesday, President Barack Obama said the next phase of transition in Afghanistan will be determined at the NATO summit to be held in Chicago in May.
“This includes shifting to a support role next year, in 2013, in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014,” Obama told reporters, adding: “We’re going to complete this mission, and we’re going to do it responsibly. NATO will maintain an enduring commitment so that Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for Al Qaeda to attack our countries.”
Concurring with Obama on the overall plan and the proposed shift to a support role from 2013 as Afghans take the lead, Cameron said: “This is an advance of Afghan forces taking full responsibility for security in 2014. And as we’ve always said, we won’t be in a combat role after 2014. At the same time, we will also back President Karzai in working towards an Afghan-led political settlement.”
While acknowledging that great progress has been made in recent years, Cameron said Afghanistan would still be a deeply troubled country when NATO forces leave, adding: “We will not give up on this mission because Afghanistan must never again be a safe haven for Al Qaeda to launch attacks against us.”
Noting that the US and Britain have the largest deployment of troops in Afghanistan, Obama said transition is already underway, with about half of all Afghans now living in areas where Afghan security forces are taking responsibility.
“Our forces are making very real progress: dismantling Al Qaeda; breaking the Taliban’s momentum; and training Afghan forces so that they can take the lead and our troops can come home,” said Obama, who has pledged to withdraw 23,000 troops by September.
For Full report At:
ttp://www.dailypioneer.com/world/50113-us-uk-to-shift-to-support-role-in-afghanistan-by-next-year.html
---------
US soldier upset by comrade's injury before rampage in Afghanistan
Mar 16, 2012,
SEATTLE: The US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers was upset by a serious injury sustained by an army comrade the day before the massacre, his civilian lawyer said Thursday.
The 38-year-old army sergeant, being held in Kuwait, was also unhappy about being sent to Afghanistan, having earlier been told he would not be redeployed after three tours in Iraq, said the attorney.
The married father-of-two is not being named, and his family has moved on to a military base south of Seattle because of security fears and concerns about retaliation for the attack.
For Full report At:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-soldier-upset-by-comrades-injury-before-rampage-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/12292210.cms
---------
Ted Bundy lawyer to represent Afghanistan massacre suspect
15 March 2012
A prominent Seattle defence attorney is to represent the US soldier suspected of the massacre in which 16 Afghans, mostly women and children, were killed at the weekend.
John Henry Browne, who represented notorious 1970s serial killer Ted Bundy and Colton Harris-Moore, know as the "barefoot bandit", said he would represent the soldier, whose name has not been released. It is not known where he will be tried.
Little is known about the soldier, a staff sergeant in the 2-3 Infantry, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which is housed at Lewis-McChord joint base in Washington state, just south of Seattle.
Lieutenant Colonel Gary Dangerfield, a spokesman at the Lewis-McChord base, said the Pentagon would not release the name of the soldier until he was formally charged.
For Full report At:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/15/ted-bundy-lawyer-afghan-massacre-suspect
---------
Afghan massacre US soldier 'reluctant to serve'
Mar 16, 2012
The US soldier accused of shooting dead 16 Afghans had received body and brain injuries while serving in Iraq and was unhappy about going for another tour of duty, a lawyer has said.
John Henry Browne said the soldier - who has not been named - had already completed three tours in Iraq.
He also said the accused had witnessed his friend's leg blown off the day before the killings.
Sunday's shootings have placed new strains on the US in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a Nato helicopter carrying Turkish troops has crashed into a house on the outskirts of the capital Kabul killing at least 12 soldiers and two children on the ground.
For Full report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17395066?print=true
---------
Huge pro-Assad rallies across Syria
15 MARCH 2012
Thousands poured into the streets of the Syrian capital Thursday in a show of support for the regime as soldiers tightened their siege in opposition areas on the one-year anniversary of the country’s uprising.
Rallies to commemorate the start of the revolt have been planned in cities across Syria and abroad, but local activists report increased army presence near opposition strongholds in an apparent attempt to quash dissent.
“It is clear that they have tightened the siege because they are worried about what people will do for the anniversary,” said activist Adel al-Omari in the southern province of Daraa. “There are more troops at the checkpoints and they are arresting lots of people.”
Other activists accused the government of forcing people to attend pro-regime demonstrations. In Damascus, thousands of supporters of President Bashar Assad poured into the streets. The government-orchestrated gatherings were apparently an attempt to overshadow the anniversary.
For Full report At:
ttp://www.dailypioneer.com/world/50049-huge-pro-assad-rallies-across-syria.html
---------
Yemen’s Saleh lists new condition for leaving
15 MARCH 2012
Ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said that 10 of his rivals among the country’s top military commanders, politicians and tribal leaders must leave the country with him for the sake of stability.
The new condition appears to be a way for Saleh to remain longer in Yemen. His presence is blamed for much of the country’s turmoil.
Though Saleh transferred power to his vice president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi last month after a yearlong uprising, he has lingered on in Yemen.
In a statement on Wednesday, Saleh said “elements of the Yemen crisis” must leave the country, based on a deal he struck last year.
“It was agreed upon that all of them would give up power for the sake of stability and security of Yemen,” the statement said.
For Full report At:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/50045-yemens-saleh-lists-new-condition-for-leaving.html
---------
Attacks Threaten Gaza Cease-Fire
March 15, 2012,
By JOSHUA MITNICK
TEL AVIV—A two-day-old cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militants faltered, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of guiding recent hostilities through Palestinian proxy groups.
Palestinians fired five rockets at southern Israeli cities beginning Wednesday night, with reports of attacks continuing late Thursday. Israeli aircraft targeted a rocket launcher and a smuggling tunnel. No one was injured in the attacks, which followed four days of fierce back-and-forth volleys. But many Israeli municipalities within rocket range cancelled school for Friday.
For Full report At:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303863404577283343913552490.html
---------
Iran's has to pay the price of his behaviour: US
Mar 16, 2012
WASHINGTON: Welcoming the decision of Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) to terminate services for designated Iranian banks, the US today said this shows that Iran has to pay the price for its behaviour.
"It is part of a process of tightening sanctions. It is part of the process of isolating Iran and making clear to the Iranian leadership that there is a price to pay for their intransigence, their refusal to abide by their international obligations, their refusal to adequately reassure the international community that its nuclear intentions are peaceful and non-weapon-related," the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, told reporters.
For Full report At:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Irans-has-to-pay-the-price-of-his-behaviour-US/articleshow/12285871.cms
--------
India names Iranians for Israel attack
March 16, 2012
* Indian papers say Iranians entered on tourist visas, left after assassination attempt
NEW DELHI: Three Iranians have been named by Indian police as suspects in an attack on an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi, the first time Iran has been firmly linked to the bombing, reports said Thursday.
The men entered the country on tourist visas and left after the assassination attempt in the centre of the Indian capital on February 13 that badly wounded a female embassy worker, The Times of India and The Indian Express reported. “They had entered the country during different times and did not leave together,” an unnamed security source told The Indian Express. “We have their travel details.”
The reports, based on anonymous police and intelligence agency sources, said police had asked a local court for warrants for the men and their names would be given to the Iranian government.
For Full report At:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\16\story_16-3-2012_pg14_4
---------
IMF Predicts U.A.E. Growth to Slow in 2012
March 15, 2012,
By LEILA HATOUM
DUBAI—The United Arab Emirates' economic growth is expected to slow to 2.3% this year, from an estimated 4.9% in 2011, due to limited potential for further increasing oil production amid an uncertain global economic environment, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The economic recovery looks set to continue, but the current uncertain global economic and financial environment poses a number of risks to this outlook, the IMF said in a statement after concluding its Article IV consultations with the U.A.E., according to Zawya Dow Jones.
Real nonoil GDP growth is projected to further strengthen to 3.5% in 2012, compared with 2.7% last year, the IMF said, but added that overall GDP growth is expected to moderate due to limited near-term potential for increases in oil production.
For Full report At:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304459804577283323824230462.html
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-girls-forced-marry-muslims/d/6857