Ilyas Kashmiri killed in US drone strike in Pak: Report
Suicide bombing at mosque in Iraq kills 16
60 killed by Syrian Forces in protests
Crackdown intensifies: Forces kill 34 in Syria town
US missile strikes kill eight in South Waziristan
20 injured in grenade attack at Karachi hotel
Yemen president wounded in shelling of palace
PM wounded in shelling of Yemen mosque
No one can dare to Ban Holy Bible in Pakistan. Nazir Bhatti
Nazir S Bhatti to speak on “Torture as Weapon of State Terrorism in Pakistan and Iran” in Washington
Mosque employee flees after killing boy, Ghaziabad, India
Taliban fighters carry out fresh attacks in northwest Pakistan
Taliban vow more attacks against Pak govt, military facilities
There is no Islam in Pak: Geelani Hurriyat leader
Hurriyat heir Jr. Geelani sours about Pakistan
US House presses Obama on Libya conflict
China meets Libya rebels in latest blow to Qaddafi
First Nato strikes in Libya with attack copters
India warns Pakistan over any new terror attacks
Mirwaiz under house arrest in Kashmir
MI6 hacks Qaida site, swaps bomb info with cake recipes
Troops repel militants from border post
Afghan president seeks to limit NATO airstrikes
Saudi aids allies against Iran, Arab revolts
'Pak Army's all is well attitude no longer an option', former Pak Civil Servant
Headley charges: 'No convincing denial from Pak against ISI'
US may provide India renewed access to Headley
Pakistan, US agree to resume joint intel ops
Al Qaeda still threat from Pakistan: US official
Pakistan Taliban claims cross-border raid
Pakistani Christian and vacant seat of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti in National Assembly
US, Pakistan form an anti-terror squad
Sabina Yasmin becomes first Muslim woman minister in West Bengal
Crowds throng Ajmer, India, for Sufi saint's Urs
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ilyas-kashmiri-killed-drone-strike/d/4775
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Ilyas Kashmiri killed in US drone strike in Pak: Report
ISLAMABAD: Al-Qaida-linked terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri, a key suspect in the Mumbai attacks, was among nine militants killed in a US drone strike, BBC Urdu reported on Saturday, quoting residents of South Waziristan tribal region.
The US drones targeted a location 20 km from Wana, one of the main towns in South Waziristan late last night.
A drone fired two missiles at the spot and two more missiles were fired after a short interval, local residents were quoted as saying by BBC Urdu.
The local residents said Kashmiri was among the nine militants killed in the drone strike.
Three others were injured in the attack. A government official in Peshawar confirmed the drone strike to BBC but said there was no confirmation of Kashmiri's death.
Other officials said all the dead militants were Punjabi Taliban.
The report said Kashmiri came to Wana from the Khyber tribal region 10 days ago and moved to the area where the drone strike was carried out last night.
Asked by media persons in Multan about reports of Kashmiri's death in the drone strike, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said, "I do not have any information now."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Ilyas-Kashmiri-killed-in-US-drone-strike-confirms-HuJI/articleshow/8723456.cms
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Suicide bombing at mosque in Iraq kills 16
June 04, 2011
BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber detonated explosives at a mosque during Friday prayers, killing 16 people, including a police commander and a judge in Saddam Hussein’s hometown, officials said.
The bombing at the mosque, located inside a government compound, was the second major attack in as many days in Iraq and highlighted the difficulties Iraqi security forces face in protecting their own people as American forces prepare to leave by the end of the year.
Sixteen bodies were taken to the main hospital in Tikrit, said the province’s top medical official, Dr. Raeid Ibrahim. He said 54 people were wounded, indicating that the death toll could rise. Among the wounded was a provincial leader who escaped an earlier attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Insurgents often target Iraqis who work with the government because they perceive them to be collaborators.
One of the injured was a provincial council member, Mohammed Fadhil, who was in stable condition after an operation to treat a wound to his abdomen, Ibrahim said.
Mohammed Al-Asi, a spokesman from the governor’s office, confirmed that Fadhil was injured.
A police commander, a judge and the husband of a provincial council member were also killed in the blast, said the head of the Salahuddin provincial council Amar Yousef.
Tikrit, 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Baghdad, was Saddam’s hometown and remains home to many of the deposed leader’s relatives.
The city was the site of a vicious, well-coordinated attack earlier this year on the provincial council headquarters. Gunmen wearing military uniforms over explosives belts charged into the building on March 29 and fended off police for five hours before blowing themselves up.
The bloodshed ended with 56 people dead, including 15 hostages who were shot execution-style. Fadhil was in the building when the attack happened but managed to escape with a broken arm, said Ibrahim, who treated him at the time.
Since then, provincial officials have tried to protect themselves by scheduling meetings irregularly, often setting one time and location and then changing it at the last minute.
But for an insurgent intent on killing as many people as possible, Fridays are a favorite day; Muslims are usually at the mosque for midday prayers.
There were initial reports suggesting the blast was a bomb planted in the mosque, but Yousef and other officials later said a suicide bomber walked into the crowd of worshippers and blew himself up.
The mosque is inside a compound of palaces built during Saddam’s era.
The compound is nicknamed “the small Green Zone in Tikrit” after the Green Zone in Baghdad that is home to government buildings and some embassies, Al-Asi said.
He said the compound consists of more than 100 buildings which are mainly occupied by government offices such as houses for high-ranking police, army and provincial officials, and security offices. Visitors generally have to have a special badge to enter the compound, Al-Asi said.
Officials were investigating how the bomber managed to get inside, Yousef.
On Thursday night, series of bombings ripped through the capital of Iraq’s western Anbar province, killing nine people, Iraqi officials said.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article447806.ece
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60 killed by Syrian Forces in protests
June 04, 2011
Syrian forces killed at least 63 civilians in attacks to crush pro-democracy demonstrations on Friday, the Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah said on Saturday.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets after noon prayers on Friday in defiance of security forces determined to crush a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year rule.
Sawasiah said 53 demonstrators were killed in the city of Hama, one in Damascus and two in the northwestern province of Idlib.
Seven people were also killed in the town of Rastan in central Syria, which has been under a military assault and a siege by tanks since Sunday.
It was one of the bloodiest days since the revolt broke out 11 weeks ago.
Security forces and snipers fired at tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the city of Hama, where 29 years ago President Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, crushed an armed Islamist revolt by killing up to 30,000 people and razing parts of the city to the ground.
Activists said at least 34 people were killed and scores wounded.
"The firing began from rooftops on the demonstrators. I saw scores of people falling in Assi square and the streets and alleyways branching out. Blood was everywhere," a witness who gave his name as Omar told Reuters from Hama.
"It looked to me as if hundreds of people have been injured but I was in a panic and wanted to find cover. Funerals for the martyrs have already started," he said.
In the southern city of Deraa, where protests first broke out 11 weeks ago, hundreds defied a military curfew and held protests, chanting "No dialogue with killers," two residents in the city told Reuters. The protest later broke up.
Syrian forces also opened fire on demonstrations in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor and in Damascus' Barzeh district.
"Tens of thousands turned up in Hama and Idlib in the biggest demonstrations since the uprising began. This is a natural reaction to the increased killings and lack of seriousness by the regime for any national reconciliation," said Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
One person was killed in Idlib, he said.
Activists and residents said thousands of people marched in the northwesterm province of Idlib, Kurdish northeast, several Damascus suburbs, the cities of Homs and Hama and the towns of Madaya and Zabadani in the west.
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanded an immediate end to the "violent repression" and human rights abuses by Syrian forces.
Rights groups say security forces have killed more than 1,000 civilians, provoking international outrage at Assad's ruthless handling of the demonstrators.
Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed groups, backed by Islamists and foreign powers, and say the groups have fired on civilians and security forces alike. Authorities have prevented most international media from operating in Syria, making it impossible to verify accounts of the violence.
Activists say there have been some instances of citizens resisting security forces by using personal weapons, and of security police shooting soldiers for refusing to fire at protesters.
The activist who declined to be named said that before the shooting started protesters burned the Baath Party office in Hama and said it was not clear how the shooting broke out.
Assad has responded to protests by sending tanks to crush demonstrations in certain flashpoints and by making some reformist gestures, such as issuing a general amnesty to political prisoners and launching a national dialogue.
But protesters and opposition figures have dismissed these measures. The cities and towns of Deraa, Tel Kelakh, Banias and Rastan have undergone intense crackdowns by the military.
Western powers have condemned Assad as the unrest spreads and the death toll rises.
The United States, the European Union and Australia have imposed sanctions on Syria, but perhaps because of reluctance to get entangled in another confrontation such as Libya, and wary of provoking more instability in a region still in the midst of an "Arab Spring," their reactions have been less vehement.
Opposition figures meeting in Turkey called on Assad to resign immediately and hand power to the vice president until a council was formed to introduce democracy to the country
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=30133
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Crackdown intensifies: Forces kill 34 in Syria town
June 04, 2011
BEIRUT: Syrian security forces shot dead at least 34 demonstrators in Hama on Friday, an activist said, in one of the bloodiest incidents in their crackdown on an 11-week-old revolt against president Bashar al-Assad's rule.
In a pattern seen every Friday since mid-March, protesters have marched out of mosques after noon prayers, to be met by security forces intent on crushing a revolt against Assad, in power in Syria for the last 11 years. Three residents said security forces and snipers fired at tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the city centre in one of the biggest protests seen so far in Hama, and scores of wounded were taken to a nearby hospital. "The firing began from rooftops on the demonstrators. I saw scores of people falling in Assi square and the streets and alleyways branching out. Blood was everywhere," a witness who gave his name as Omar told Reuters from Hama. "It looked to me as if hundreds of people have been injured but I was in a panic and wanted to find cover. Funerals for the martyrs have alrady started," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Crackdown-intensifies-Forces-kill-34-in-Syria-town/articleshow/8715149.cms
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US missile strikes kill eight in South Waziristan
June 04, 2011
MIRAMSHAH: Two US missile strikes, one of which targeted a militant compound, killed eight suspected militants in Pakistan’s South Waziristan tribal region on Friday, security officials said.
One of the strikes took place in Ghwakhwa area, 10 kilometres west of Wana, the main town of South Waziristan.
“A US drone fired three missiles on a militant compound, killing five rebels,” a senior security official in the area told AFP.
Another security official confirmed the strike and casualties but said the “identities of those killed in the attack were not immediately known”.
Friday’s attack was the ninth to be reported in Pakistan’s tribal areas, close to the Afghan border, since US commandos killed Osama bin Laden in a raid in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad on May 2.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/04/us-missile-strike-kills-five-in-south-waziristan-officials.html
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20 injured in grenade attack at Karachi hotel
June 04, 2011
KARACHI: At least 20 people were injured today after unidentified miscreants lobbed hand grenades at a hotel in this southern port city, police said.
At least four men came to the hotel on the busy Napier road and threw grenades causing explosions and damage to the building, leaving around 20 people injured who were rushed to different hospitals for treatment, they said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/20-injured-in-grenade-attack-at-Karachi-hotel/articleshow/8719436.cms
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Yemen president wounded in shelling of palace
June 04, 2011
SANAA: Yemen's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded on Friday along with his premier and other officials as shells struck a mosque in the presidential palace compound, a security official told AFP.
However, four officers of the elite Republican Guard were killed when two shells crashed into the mosque, the official said.
Saleh himself "was lightly wounded in the attack" on the palace mosque in Sanaa, a security official said. The extent of Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar's injuries were not immediately clear.
In an assurance to the Yemeni public, state television later said that the president was "well."
A source close to the presidency told AFP that Yemen's deputy prime minister for defence and security, General Rashad al-Alimi was "critically wounded and hospitalised."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Yemen-president-wounded-in-shelling-of-palace/articleshow/8714293.cms
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PM wounded in shelling of Yemen mosque
June 04, 2011
Yemen's premier and parliament speaker were wounded when shelling hit a mosque in the presidential palace compound on Friday, as loyalists and dissident tribesmen clashed in Sanaa, the ruling party said. "The prime minister, the head of parliament and several other officials who attended Friday pray
ers in the mosque at the presidential palace were wounded in the attack," general people's Congress spokesman Tareq al-Shami said.
"The Ahmar (tribe) have crossed all the red lines," he said, blaming the attack on pro-opposition tribal chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar whose forces are at war with troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/PM-wounded-in-shelling-of-Yemen-mosque/Article1-705508.aspx
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No one can dare to Ban Holy Bible in Pakistan. Nazir Bhatti
June 04, 2011
Karachi: June 3, 2011. (PCP) The Central Council of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC have strongly condemned statement of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq) leader Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi,s call to Supreme Court of Pakistan to ban Holy Bible in Pakistan.
The PCC Central Executive Council Secretariat issued here response of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC Chief Dr. Nazir S Bhatti to JUI (S) leader’s desecrating remarks about Holy Bible.
Dr. Bhatti said that Holy Bible is only True scripture to lead humankind to eternal life and there are no doubts about Health of Holy Bible which an illiterate Muslim cleric have alleged in his press conference in Lahore.
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=2852
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Nazir S Bhatti to speak on “Torture as Weapon of State Terrorism in Pakistan and Iran” in Washington
June 04, 2011
Washington DC: June 3, 2011. (PCP) American Friends of Balochistan AFB Founder Ahmar Mustikhan have announced to hold conference on “Torture as Weapon of Terrorism in Pakistan and Iran” to mark International Day Against Torture on June 24, 2011, at National Press Club, Washington DC.
Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC and Editor of Pakistan Christian Post PCP will highlight how Pakistan Administration is using Torture as weapon to oppress 20 million Pakistani Christian in a way of State Terrorism and radical Islamists committing heinous crimes of abduction and enforced conversion of Christian women are protected under Islamic laws. The killing of Christians in Pakistan by state functionaries and by their Islamists tools never receives justice and those who raise voice are tortured and harassed by administration.
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=2847
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Mosque employee flees after killing boy, Ghaziabad, India
June 04, 2011
Ghaziabad : An employee of a mosque in this Uttar Pradesh city neighbouring Delhi fled after allegedly killing an boy he was trying to sodomise, police said.
Mohammad Minhas, 23, a muezzin of a mosque in Shaheed Nagar area, lured an eight-year-old boy inside the premises, promising to give him toffees. The boy was further lured into his room where Minhas allegedly asked to him to take his clothes off and slashed at his throat when he did not follow his order, police said.
Other stab wounds were also found on the boy's body.
As the news spread, angered residents staged protests outside the mosque and tension prevailed in the area till the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police rushed to the spot and cooled down tempers.
"A case has been registered and Minhas' mobile phone has been put under surveillance. Till now his location is being detected somewhere in Gurgaon. A team of police officers has been constituted to nab Minhas, a resident of Assam and presently residing in Shaheed Nagar mosque," Superintendent of Police J.K. Shahi said.
http://twocircles.net/2011jun03/mosque_employee_flees_after_killing_boy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet
IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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Sabina Yasmin becomes first Muslim woman minister in West Bengal
June 04, 2011
Zaidul Haque,
Kolkata: Young Congress MLA Sabina Yasmin today created history when she took oath as a Minister in West Bengal. She would be first Muslim woman minister in post-Independence West Bengal. Member of Rahul Gandhi brigade, Yasmin was Sabhadhipati (president) of Malda Zilla Parishad when she contested the recent Assembly poll and won.
Along with Yasmin, four other Congress MLAs, including Abu Nasar Khan Chowdhuri took oath as minister. With the inclusion of Yasmin and Khan, the number of Muslim ministers in the team of CM Mamata Banerjee has reached eight. Six were administered oath last month along with Mamata Banjerjee. Among six, one was from Congress and the rest five from Trinamool Congress.
Sabina Yasmin is MLA from Mothabari constituency in Malda while Abu Nasar Khan Chowdhury, brother of Ex Railway Minister late ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury, represents Sujapur constituency in the same district.
Full report at:
http://twocircles.net/2011jun03/sabina_yasmin_becomes_first_muslim_woman_minister_west_bengal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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Crowds throng Ajmer, India, for Sufi saint's Urs June 04, 2011
Firoz Bakht Ahmed,
Ajmer : Courted by emperors and commoners alike to have their wishes granted, Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti still draws pilgrims centuries after his death, with people of all faiths in Ajmer for his 799th Urs, or death ceremony, beginning Friday.The saint's tomb is the site of one of India's largest fairs, drawing more than five lakh devotees belonging to different communities from all parts of the subcontinent for the Urs during the first six days of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic calendar.
Followers of the saint, also known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (benefactor of the poor), have reached Ajmer, set amidst the sylvan surroundings of Anna Sagar Lake adjacent to Pushkar temple. The saint lived from 1141-1230 AD.
Full report at:
http://twocircles.net/2011jun03/crowds_throng_ajmer_sufi_saints_urs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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Pakistani Christian and vacant seat of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti in National Assembly
June 04, 2011
Islamabad: May 30, 2011. (PCP) The Election Commission of Pakistan have fixed June 26, 2011, for next date of hearing on petition filed by Michael Javed for notification of succession on seat vacated in National Assembly of Pakistan after assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian heading Federal Ministry for Minority affairs.
Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities and selected by ruling Pakistan Peoples Party on reserved minorities seats in National Assembly was gunned down by militants in capital city Islamabad on March 2, 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1736
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MI6 hacks Qaida site, swaps bomb info with cake recipes
June 04, 2011
LONDON: As part of its cyber-warfare operations, British spy agency MI6 has hacked into an al-Qaida online magazine and replaced "bomb-making" instructions with a recipe for cupcakes, a media report said.
The operation was launched by MI6 in an attempt to disrupt efforts by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsular to recruit "lone-wolf" terrorists with a new English-language magazine, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/MI6-hacks-Qaida-site-swaps-bomb-info-with-cake-recipes/articleshow/8717865.cms
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Taliban fighters carry out fresh attacks in northwest Pakistan
June 04, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of Taliban fighters today carried out fresh attacks in a remote area in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan though security forces claimed to have regained control of the region after fierce fighting that killed nearly 80 people, including 28 troops.
The militants, who sneaked into Upper Dir district from Afghanistan on Wednesday, destroyed eight schools as skirmishes between the rebels and security forces continued for the third day today.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Taliban-fighters-carry-out-fresh-attacks-in-northwest-Pakistan/articleshow/8718325.cms
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Taliban vow more attacks against Pak govt, military facilities
June 04, 2011
IslamabadThe Taliban have vowed to launch more "high-profile" attacks against government and military installations in Pakistan, saying that the terror group's aim is to force the authorities here to end their alliance with the US.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Maulana Faqir Mohammad said his group, which was earlier focussing on the war in Afghanistan, had changed its strategy and would now launch more large-scale attacks against Pakistani security forces like the one on the PNS Mehran naval airbase in Karachi and assaults that targeted border check posts in Dir region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Full report at:
http://www.financialexpress.com/printer/news/798950/
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There is no Islam in Pak: Geelani Hurriyat leader
June 04, 2011
Srinagar: Dr Naeem Geelani,son of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani,is calm,almost diffident,in sharp contrast to his father.But when he begins to speak,its clear why he,and not his brother Naseem,is the heir apparent.
His 10 years in Pakistan he got his MD in surgery from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences seem to have left their mark.For a man who grew up in a house where Kashmir banega Pakistan was gospel,the time spent there has cooled his ardour for that country.
Endless sectarian strife and a collapsing economy penetrated the bubble in Islamabad where he lived. There is no Islam there.I used to imagine that Pakistan would be more Islamic.Life would be more in accordance with the tenets of Islam,but its not like that.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=14&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=04-06-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Hurriyat heir Jr. Geelani sours about Pakistan
June 04, 2011
Randeep Singh Nandal
Srinagar: For some months now,Srinagar is curious about one man: Dr Naeem Geelani,son of Syed Ali Shah Geelani,the man Hurriyat insiders say is tipped to take over from his father.Naeem spent 10 years in Pakistan,and he now says, My Pakistani friends are brutalized by whats going on there.They are scared for their lives.Theres no justice or accountability.Its a land of big men.If you have power you are insulated from everything.
Naeem left the Valley in 2000,first for a few months to the UK and then to Pakistan. I worked as a doctor in the health department in J&K,but things were tough.I faced constant harassment.There was threat to my safety,so it was decided I should leave, said camera-shy Naeem,who refuses to be photographed.
Along with the timing Naeem returned after last summers unrest,in December 2010 its also the manner of his comeback that was noted.Naeems Indian passport had expired in 2005,but in 2010 the Indian embassy in Islamabad quickly issued him a fresh one.Nor did he face any trouble once back.No arrest or debriefing. Its strange,its as if he spent the last 10 years in Mumbai, says a Srinagar-based journalist.
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?publabel=TOI&city=Delhi
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US House presses Obama on Libya conflict
June 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: The House of Representatives chided President Barack Obama on Friday for failing to obtain congressional approval of US military action in Libya, and demanded answers about his objectives.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner's resolution, approved on a 268-145 vote, stopped short of calling for an end to the mission, but rebuked Obama for maintaining a role in the NATO mission while ignoring Congress.
The measure calls for a report from the White House within 14 days explaining US objectives in Libya, associated costs, the expected duration of US involvement and an explanation about why Obama didn't seek congressional permission.
It warned that Congress "has the constitutional prerogative to withhold funding for any unauthorized use" of the US military.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16529
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China meets Libya rebels in latest blow to Qaddafi
June 04, 2011
TRIPOLI: China made its first confirmed contact with Libyan rebels in the latest diplomatic setback for Muammar Qaddafi, and France said on Friday it was working with those close to the veteran ruler to persuade him to leave power.
The meeting in Qatar between a Chinese diplomat and the leader of the rebel National Transitional Council follows a spate of defections by high profile figures this week including top oil official and former prime minister Shukri Ghanem.
Libyan rebels and NATO have made Qaddafi’s departure a condition for agreeing a cease-fire in a conflict that has killed thousands, but he emphatically told visiting South African President Jacob Zuma this week he would not leave Libya.
A NATO-led military alliance extended its mission to protect civilians in Libya for a further 90 days this week, and France said it was stepping up military pressure as well as working with those close to Qaddafi to try to convince him to quit.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article447792.ece
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First Nato strikes in Libya with attack copters
June 04, 2011
British Apache attack helicopters have been used over Libya for the first time, Nato has confirmed.
They attacked and destroyed two military installations, a radar site and an armed checkpoint near Brega, the Captain of HMS Ocean told the BBC.
French Gazelle helicopters also took part in simultaneous attacks on different targets in Libya for the first time.
On Wednesday, Nato extended its mission in Libya by 90 days.
The BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said: "The Captain of the HMS Ocean reported that those targets had been successfully destroyed and both Apaches returned to their base on HMS Ocean."
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=30134
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India warns Pakistan over any new terror attacks
June 04, 2011
SINGAPORE — A top defense official has warned that India would likely retaliate if another terror attack on its soil is linked to members of Pakistan’s security apparatus.
Defense Minister M M Pallam Raju said at a regional security conference in Singapore on Saturday that self-restraint would be hard to justify to the Indian people if there were another attack similar to the one in Mumbai in 2008 that killed more than 160 people.
India has long suspected that members of Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency were involved in the Mumbai attack. The Pakistani government has denied the allegations.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/June/international_June157.xml§ion=international
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Mirwaiz under house arrest in Kashmir
June 04, 2011
Srinagar : Restrictions have been imposed on Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who was to address a Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Mosque here, with police saying no one would be allowed to disturb the peace in Srinagar.
Mirwaiz told mediapersons on phone that he was about to leave for the Jamia Mosque when a heavy contingent of security forces was posted outside his uptown Nigeen residence in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital.
Full report at:
http://twocircles.net/2011jun03/mirwaiz_under_house_arrest_kashmir.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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Troops repel militants from border post
June 04, 2011
PESHAWAR: Pakistani helicopters and artillery on Friday forced back militants who crossed over from Afghanistan this week and triggered battles that have killed at least 63 people, an official said. The incursion prompted Islamabad to demand that Nato and Afghan troops do more to control insurgents on their side of the long, porous border.
Up to 400 militants are said to have infiltrated into Pakistan's Upper Dir region from Afghanistan's Kunar province on Wednesday. They attacked a security checkpoint, villages and schools, according to the Pakistani government.
Regional administrator Ghulam Mohammad Khan said the militants were retreating Friday, and Pakistani troops were still attacking them in Nustrat Darra district.
As of Thursday night, 25 soldiers, 35 militants and three civilians had died in the clashes, Khan said.
He had no information about casualties from Friday's fighting.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Troops-repel-militants-from-border-post/articleshow/8717957.cms
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Afghan president seeks to limit NATO airstrikes
June 04, 2011
KABUL: Angered by civilian casualties, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday he will no longer allow NATO airstrikes on houses, issuing his strongest statement yet against strikes that the military alliance says are key to its war on Taliban insurgents.
The president's remarks follow a recent strike that mistakenly killed a group of children and women in southern Helmand province. He said it would be the last.
"From this moment, airstrikes on the houses of people are not allowed," Karzai told reporters in Kabul.
NATO says it never conducts such strikes without Afghan government coordination and approval. A spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan said they will review their procedures for airstrikes given Karzai's statement but did not say that it would force any immediate change in tactics.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghan-president-seeks-to-limit-NATO-airstrikes/articleshow/8662353.cms
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Saudi aids allies against Iran, Arab revolts
June 04, 2011
Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is using its political clout and financial power to draw regional allies into a united front against perceived threats from Iran and popular discontent with Arab autocrats. Saudi rulers, alarmed by shifts in US policy in response to the toppling of long-time ally Egypt
ian President Hosni Mubarak and protests roiling Bahrain, Oman and Yemen in the kingdom's own Gulf backyard, are vigorously pushing back.
"Saudi Arabia is using its excess budget wealth to silence the revolutions or shape their outcomes," said London-based Saudi researcher and author Madawi al-Rasheed.
Riyadh has pledged $4 billion in aid to Egypt, throwing a lifeline to new rulers struggling with the economic impact of the anti-Mubarak unrest. It was also instrumental in a $20 billion handout to Bahrain and Oman for job-creating projects. Saudi Arabia shares US fears that Iran wants nuclear arms.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Saudi-aids-allies-against-Iran-Arab-revolts/Article1-704988.aspx
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'Pak Army's all is well attitude no longer an option', former Pak Civil Servant
June 04, 2011
Islamabad : Pakistan military must realise that conducting business as usual with its ‘all is well’ attitude is “no longer an option” following a string of recent incidents that have put the establishment in a poor light.
Normally, Pakistan’s defence establishment is the country’s holiest of sacred cows, but recently, the level of anger towards the military and the intelligence is presently evident in the media and on the Internet, Irfan Husain, a former Pakistan civil servant, wrote in the Dawn.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/799328/
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Headley charges: 'No convincing denial from Pak against ISI'
June 04, 2011
Washington : More than a week after David Headley accused ISI of training him in terrorist operation and espionage system, there has been no "convincing" denial from Pakistan, a top US counter-terrorism expert has said, underscoring the need to hold that country "very accountable".
"We haven't seen any convincing denials from Pakistan. We haven't seen to my knowledge, any investigations as to who this Major Iqbal is and what his role is.
"... this is another area where we need to hold Pakistan very accountable," Bruce Hoffman, Director at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, a Washington-based eminent think-tank, told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/799325/
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US may provide India renewed access to Headley
June 04, 2011
S Rajagopalan
The United States has indicated that it will consider giving India renewed access to Pakistani-American terror operative David Headley after conclusion of the 26/11 trial in Chicago.
"In the past we've given India full access to Headley, and I think that when a case is in litigation it's impossible to do that. But moving forward, I think we would consider further access," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters.
The spokesman's brief comment was seen as a reiteration of what US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano had said during her recent visit to New Delhi.
"I think when the case is over, there will probably be more access given," she had said, after her talks with Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/343240/US-may-provide-India-renewed-access-to-Headley.html
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Pakistan, US agree to resume joint intel ops
June 04, 2011
Pakistan and the United States have agreed to resume joint intelligence operations against Islamist militants, the Pakistani foreign ministry said yesterday, in a first step toward rebuilding trust between the two countries.
The announcement came a week after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Pakistan's civilian and military leaders to take decisive steps against militant groups operating in the country after the discovery of Osama bin Laden in a garrison town.
"There will be joint operations. These could be intelligence sharing," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=188542
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Al Qaeda still threat from Pakistan: US official
June 04, 2011
attacks from Pakistan despite US forces' killing of the extremist network's leader Osama bin Laden, a US official said Friday.
Appearing before Congress, State Department official Shari Villarosa renewed calls on Pakistan to take action against extremists.
"Although the AQ (Al Qaeda) core is clearly weaker, it retains the capability to conduct regional and transnational attacks" from Pakistan, Villarosa said in written testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Villarosa, the deputy counterterrorism coordinator in charge of regional affairs, pointed to the al Qaeda linkages of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Haqqani network.
"We will do our part and we look to the government of Pakistan to take decisive steps in the days ahead," Villarosa said. "Joint action against AQ and its affiliates will make Pakistan, America and the world safer and more secure."
She also called for action against Lashkar-e-Taiba.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16523
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Pakistan Taliban claims cross-border raid
June 04, 2011
SHALTALO: The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility on Friday for a cross-border attack on a security post that appeared to signal the group was adopting a new strategy of large-scale attacks on government and army targets.
In the pre-dawn raid on Wednesday in the village of Shaltalo in Dir region, up to 400 militants crossed from Afghanistan.
More than 24 hours of clashes ensued, the government said.
Twenty-seven Pakistani servicemen were killed and 45 militants died in the clashes in the northwest, security officials said. There were contradictory accounts of casualties and how many militants fought.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/04/pakistan-taliban-claims-cross-border-raid.html
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US, Pakistan form an anti-terror squad
June 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: The US and Pakistan are building a joint intelligence team to go after top terrorist suspects inside Pakistan, US and Pakistani officials said, a fledgling step to restoring trust blown on both sides by the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces during a secret raid last month.
The move comes after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the Pakistanis with the US list of most-wanted terrorism targets, US and Pakistani officials said Wednesday.
The investigative team will be made up mainly of intelligence officers from both nations, according to two US and one Pakistani official. It would draw in part on any intelligence emerging from the CIA's analysis of computer and written files gathered by the Navy SEALs who raided bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, as well as Pakistani intelligence gleaned from interrogations of those who frequented or lived near the bin Laden compound, the officials said.
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/topnews133.htm
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ilyas-kashmiri-killed-drone-strike/d/4775