Jabhat al-Nusra Rebels Admit Responsibility for Chemical Weapons Attack
New Age Islam News Bureau
2
Sept 2013
Photo: Children attend classes at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where newly installed provincial authorities have pledged to restore violent jihadist content to textbooks.
Arab World
• Jabhat al-Nusra Rebels Admit Responsibility for Chemical Weapons Attack
• Mohamed Morsi to face trial for inciting murder: state-run TV
• Syria asks UN to stop US strike, 'prevent the absurd use of force'
• Syria hails Obama's hesitation to attack it as 'historic American retreat'
• Arab League urges UN, international community to initiate action against Syrian government
• Saudi King approves $200 million fund for Palestinian cities
• Egypt names 50-member constitution panel with few Islamists
• Egypt destroys homes for possible Gaza buffer zone
• Haj violators face tougher penalties this year
Pakistan
• Jihadist Teachings Drawn Back Into Classroom in Pakistani Province
• Lal Masjid cleric's murder case registered against Musharraf
• Formal dialogue with Taliban yet to be initiated
• Second Amendment: Anti-Ahmadi groups plan for September 7 anniversary
• TTP raids house of sacked Punjabi Taliban chief
• Counterterrorism plan: K-P to have its own spy agency
• Jamaat-e-Islami demands action on statement about NATO containers
• Cannot expect betterment from government: Jamaat-e-Islami
South Asia
• BNP-Jamaat-Hefazat factory of militancy, falsehood: Information Minister
• Bangkok TV Soap Opera Attracts Muslim Anger and Scrutiny
• China says concerned about unilateral military action against Syria
• Transparency Maldives reveals Election Day plans
• Afghan militants attack US base: official
• Karzai makes changes in Afghan security leadership
Mideast
• Turkey finds Sarin Gas in Homes of suspected Syrian Islamists – May Report
• UN gave strength to the Syrian regime: Turkish PM
• Iran tells UN it is ready to solve Syria crisis: report
• Abbas says peace with Israel will be brought to a referendum for Palestinians 'everywhere'
• Turkish consul general's convoy hit by bomb in north Iraq
• Unwed couples against our faith, says Turkish deputy PM
North America
• Al-Qaida tried to infiltrate US intelligence agencies: Report
• US conducted 231 ‘offensive cyber operations’ in 2011
• Obama seeks Syria support from former foe McCain
• US condemns attack at Iraq camp housing Iranian exiles
• ‘US agency spied on French diplomats, Al-Jazeera TV’
• USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible support to limited US strike on Syria
Europe
• Over 540,000 join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat during the past year
• Russia 'absolutely' unconvinced by Syria chemical attack claims
• Russia wants Nawaz to attend SCO summit
• France to give lawmakers proof Syria regime behind chem attack: Source
• Russia sends intelligence ship to Syria coast: report
• UN, Iraq order probe on alleged attack on Iranian refugee camp that killed 52
• Syria crisis: Putin sees chance to turn tables on Obama at G20 summit
India
• Bengal CM’s allowance for Imams, Muezzins unconstitutional: High Court
• Indian election experts in Male ahead of Maldives poll
• Pakistani team to question 26/11 Mumbai attack witnesses
• Ulfa's Chetia shares jail-space with Jamaat, BNP leaders in Dhaka
• 'Mushairas in India have great secular foundations'
• Delhi gives Islamabad list of Pakistani prisoners
Southeast Asia
• Indonesian Churches Hold Palace Service for the Displaced
• Malaysia Seeks to Deport Almost Half Million Undocumented Workers
Africa
• Tunisia’s ‘rebellion’ campaign collects 1.7 million anti-govt votes
• DR Congo army readies for assault on rebel stronghold
• Judge issues warrants for two suspects over Tripoli blasts
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Jabhat al-Nusra Rebels Admit Responsibility for Chemical Weapons Attack
September 02, 2013
Militants tell AP reporter they mishandled Saudi-supplied chemical weapons, causing accident
Syrian rebels in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta have admitted to Associated Press correspondent Dale Gavlak that they were responsible for last week’s chemical weapons incident which western powers have blamed on Bashar Al-Assad’s forces, revealing that the casualties were the result of an accident caused by rebels mishandling chemical weapons provided to them by Saudi Arabia.
“From numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families….many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the (deadly) gas attack,” writes Gavlak. (back up version here).
Rebels told Gavlak that they were not properly trained on how to handle the chemical weapons or even told what they were. It appears as though the weapons were initially supposed to be given to the Al-Qaeda offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra.
“We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions,” one militant named ‘J’ told Gavlak.
His claims are echoed by another female fighter named ‘K’, who told Gavlak, “They didn’t tell us what these arms were or how to use them. We didn’t know they were chemical weapons. We never imagined they were chemical weapons.”
Abu Abdel-Moneim, the father of an opposition rebel, also told Gavlak, “My son came to me two weeks ago asking what I thought the weapons were that he had been asked to carry,” describing them as having a “tube-like structure” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.” The father names the Saudi militant who provided the weapons as Abu Ayesha.
According to Abdel-Moneim, the weapons exploded inside a tunnel, killing 12 rebels.
“More than a dozen rebels interviewed reported that their salaries came from the Saudi government,” writes Gavlak.
If accurate, this story could completely derail the United States’ rush to attack Syria which has been founded on the “undeniable” justification that Assad was behind the chemical weapons attack. Dale Gavlak’s credibility is very impressive. He has been a Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press for two decades and has also worked for National Public Radio (NPR) and written articles for BBC News.
The website on which the story originally appeared - Mint Press (which is currently down as a result of huge traffic it is attracting to the article) is a legitimate media organization based in Minnesota. The Minnesota Post did a profile on them last year.
Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in providing rebels, whom they have vehemently backed at every turn, with chemical weapons, is no surprise given the revelations earlier this week that the Saudis threatened Russia with terror attacks at next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi unless they abandoned support for the Syrian President.
“I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” Prince Bandar allegedly told Vladimir Putin, the Telegraph reports.
The Obama administration is set to present its intelligence findings today in an effort prove that Assad’s forces were behind last week’s attack, despite American officials admitting to the New York Times that there is no “smoking gun” that directly links President Assad to the attack.
US intelligence officials also told the Associated Press that the intelligence proving Assad’s culpability is “no slam dunk.”
As we reported earlier this week, intercepted intelligence revealed that the Syrian Defense Ministry was making “panicked” phone calls to Syria’s chemical weapons department demanding answers in the hours after the attack, suggesting that it was not ordered by Assad’s forces.
UPDATE: Associated Press contacted us to confirm that Dave Gavlak is an AP correspondent, but that her story was not published under the banner of the Associated Press. We didn’t claim this was the case, we merely pointed to Gavlak’s credentials to stress that she is a credible source, being not only an AP correspondent, but also having written for PBS, BBC and Salon.com.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/jabhat-al-nusra-rebels-admit-responsibility-for-chemical-weapons-attack/5347485
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Mohamed Morsi to face trial for inciting murder: state-run TV
Sep 02 2013
Cairo: Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi will face trial in a criminal court for committing and inciting violence, state-run television has reported without giving a date for the hearing.
Public prosecutor Hesham Barakat referred 62-year-old Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood members to a criminal court here on charges "of committing acts of violence, and inciting the killing" in December 2012, it said last night.
In December, deadly clashes broke out between Brotherhood supporters and opponents outside the presidential palace here during a protest against a presidential decree that expanded Morsi's powers and an Islamist-drafted constitution.
Egypt's first democratically elected leader, Morsi was ousted by the army on July 3 after mass protests against him on the anniversary of his election.
Since then Morsi is being held at an undisclosed location on allegations of murder and spying, besides collaborating with Palestinian group Hamas.
A Cairo court last month ordered the renewal of Morsi's detention for 30 days pending investigations into his alleged collaboration with Hamas in prison breaks in early 2011 during the uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.
Many Islamist leaders, including Morsi, escaped during the prison breaks. The co-defendants in the trial include senior Brotherhood figures Mohamed al-Beltagi and leaders such as Essam el-Erian, deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political wing.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mohamed-morsi-to-face-trial-for-inciting-murder-staterun-tv/1163410/
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Syria asks UN to stop US strike, 'prevent the absurd use of force'
Sep 02 2013
BEIRUT - Syria has asked the UN to prevent "any aggression" against Syria following a call over the weekend by US President Barack Obama for punitive strikes against the Syrian military for last month's chemical weapons attack.
Washington says more than 1,400 people, many of them children, were killed in the world's worst use of chemical arms since Iraq's Saddam Hussein gassed thousands of Kurds in 1988.
US military action will be put to a vote in Congress, which ends its summer recess on September 9, giving President Bashar Assad time to prepare the ground for any assault and try to rally international support against the use of force.
In a letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon and President of the Security Council Maria Cristina Perceval, Syrian UN envoy Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari called on "the UN Secretary General to shoulder his responsibilities for preventing any aggression on Syria and pushing forward reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria", state news agency SANA said on Monday.
He called on the Security Council to "maintain its role as a safety valve to prevent the absurd use of force out of the frame of international legitimacy".
Ja'afari said the United States should "play its role, as a peace sponsor and as a partner to Russia in the preparation for the international conference on Syria and not as a state that uses force against whoever opposes its policies".
Syria denies using chemical weapons and accuses rebel groups, who have been fighting for more than two years to topple Assad, of using the banned weapons. At least 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which started in March 2011 with protests against four decades of Assad family rule.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that tests showed sarin nerve gas was fired on rebel-held areas on Aug. 21.
Ja'afari said Kerry had "adopted old stories fabricated by terrorists" based on fake photos from the Internet.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syria-asks-UN-to-stop-US-strike-prevent-the-absurd-use-of-force-325030
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Syria hails Obama's hesitation to attack it as 'historic American retreat'
Sep 02 2013
BEIRUT/PARIS: Syria hailed an "historic American retreat" on Sunday after President Barack Obama delayed an imminent military strike by deciding to consult Congress.
As Obama stepped back from the brink, France said it could not act alone in punishing President Bashar al-Assad over a chemical weapons attack, making it the last remaining top western ally to hesitate about bombing Syria.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-hails-Obamas-hesitation-to-attack-it-as-historic-American-retreat/articleshow/22208742.cms
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Arab League urges UN, international community to initiate action against Syrian government
Reuters | Sep 2, 2013
CAIRO: Arab states urged the international community to take action against the Syrian government over a chemical gas attack that killed hundreds of civilians.
The final resolution passed by an Arab League meeting in Cairo urged the United Nations and international community to "take the deterrent and necessary measures against the culprits of this crime that the Syrian regime bears responsibility for".
The League foreign ministers also said those responsible for the attack should face trial, as other "war criminals" have.
Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal said the condemnation of Syria over the poison gas attack, which US officials say killed 1,429 people, was not enough.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Arab-League-urges-UN-international-community-to-initiate-action-against-Syrian-government/articleshow/22217283.cms
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Saudi King approves $200 million fund for Palestinian cities
Sep 02 2013
MAKKAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has issued directives to allocate $200 million to help Palestinian cities resist infringements on their territories.
The funding will cover all Palestinian cities and municipalities that are members of the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities, said Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mansour Bin Miteb on Sunday.
Prince Mansour, addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Organization of Islamic Cities and Capitals’ 13th general conference, said the funding was to help Palestinian cities resist infringements such as the construction of settlements.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130902178986
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Egypt names 50-member constitution panel with few Islamists
Sep 02 2013
CAIRO: Egypt's interim president appointed a 50-member committee Sunday dominated by secularists to review proposed amendments to the country's Islamist-drafted constitution, moving ahead with a military-backed transition plan as protests over the coup that ousted the country's president wane.
The committee is to begin discussions September 8 on the changes proposed by a 10-member panel of judges, also appointed by interim President Adly Mansour. It is then expected to put the amended charter to a public vote within 60 days, presidential spokesman Ihab Badawi said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-forms-panel-to-review-constitution-changes/articleshow/22214009.cms
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Egypt destroys homes for possible Gaza buffer zone
Sep 02 2013
CAIRO: Egyptian security officials and residents say the military has demolished 13 homes along the Gaza Strip border for the possible creation of a buffer zone they hope will reduce weapons smuggling and illegal crossings by militants.
Northern Sinai government officials said on Sunday the military envisions creating a house-free zone with no trees 500 metres (1640 feet) wide and 10 kilometres (6 miles) long starting at the Rafah border crossing. The officials said the homes with tunnels underneath them were bulldozed over the last 10 days as a test of the idea.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-destroys-homes-for-possible-Gaza-buffer-zone/articleshow/22209623.cms
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Haj violators face tougher penalties this year
Sep 02 2013
MAKKAH: Immediate deportation to imprisonment for at least a year await violators of Haj regulations, the authorities said on Sunday at the launch of a campaign to keep the number of pilgrims to a minimum level in the coming Haj season.
The campaign is meant to avoid congestion in the holy city, where expansion work is still going on, particularly at the mataf (circumambulation) area at the Grand Mosque.
While the number of foreign pilgrims had been reduced by slashing the quota for each country, an influx of unauthorized pilgrims within the Kingdom could lead to chaos, as happened last year.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/463207
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Pakistan
Jihadist Teachings Drawn Back Into Classroom In Pakistani Province
By Frud Bezhan
September 01, 2013
For decades, school textbooks used across Pakistan have preached falsehoods, hatred, and religious intolerance, helping foster the sectarian violence and militancy that plagues the country today.
In the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, a breeding ground for extremist groups like the Taliban, education officials took steps in 2008 to curb the spread of Islamic extremism to the next generation.
Over the next few years, textbooks used from first to 12th grade in the province's public schools -- there is no national curriculum in Pakistan -- underwent drastic changes.
Koranic verses preaching jihad, or holy war, were removed, as were illustrations depicting weapons or violence. Chapters covering Islamist figures and ideology were replaced with pages promoting local poets, philosophers, or the region's Pashtun identity.
Full report at:
http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistan-education-jihad-islam-khyber/25092236.html
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Lal Masjid cleric's murder case registered against Musharraf
2013-09-0
ISLAMABAD: Police on Monday registered a case against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf over the alleged murder of cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his wife during the Lal Masjid military operation.
Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi of the Islamabad High Court heard the case pertaining to a contempt of court plea submitted in the court by Haroon Rasheed, the son of the deceased Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1040040/lal-masjid-clerics-murder-case-registered-against-musharraf
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Formal dialogue with Taliban yet to be initiated
SYED IRFAN RAZA
2013-09-02
ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Sunday that it would consult all parties in parliament before initiating formal talks with the Taliban.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants to take the heads of all parliamentary parties into confidence after returning from Karachi next week,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.
He said the government had not yet initiated ‘formal’ talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, he did not deny reports that backchannel negotiations were already under way.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1039921/formal-dialogue-with-taliban-yet-to-be-initiated
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Second Amendment: Anti-Ahmadi groups plan for September 7 anniversary
September 2, 2013
LAHORE: Anti-Ahmadi groups are planning to hold up to 10 conferences in the first week of September to mark the passage of the Second Amendment to the Constitution on September 7, 1974, when Ahmadis were declared to be non-Muslims in Pakistan.
The day is celebrated every year by anti-Ahmadi groups, but the number of events planned in Lahore this year far surpasses previous years, said members of the Ahmadi community.
Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi, spokesperson for Tahaffuz-i-Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz, said that he was heartened by how many groups were planning to mark the day. “Seeing the number of Khatm-i-Nabuwat conferences this year … it seems that the lovers of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have joined hands against those trying to negate the concept of the finality of the Prophet. Soon, there will be a time when there is no room for apostates.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/598426/second-amendment-anti-ahmadi-groups-plan-for-september-7-anniversary/
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TTP raids house of sacked Punjabi Taliban chief
September 2, 2013
LAHORE: Members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) allegedly raided the house of sacked Punjabi Taliban chief Asmatullah Muavia in the suburbs of Miramshah, North Waziristan Agency, officials told The Express Tribune.
The TTP removed Muavia from his position as ‘punishment’ for accepting the government’s recent offer to hold peace talks and hence, rejecting the decision of the umbrella organisation. Muavia had said that the Punjabi Taliban had its own shura (decision-making council) and the TTP had no authority to remove him.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/598544/ttp-raids-house-of-sacked-punjabi-taliban-chief/
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Counterterrorism plan: K-P to have its own spy agency
Sep 02 2013
PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will have its own intelligence agency to tackle terrorism, said Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference to mark the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) first three months in government, the CM divulged on the province’s counterterrorism plan. Khattak said the provincial government will hire youth from the province to run the intelligence agency. “They will be trained to cope with any incident of terrorism.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/598407/counterterrorism-plan-k-p-to-have-its-own-spy-agency/
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Jamaat-e-Islami demands action on statement about Nato containers
September 02, 2013
KARACHI - The Jamaat-e-Islami’s former lawmakers have demanded the government to take immediate notice of the revelation done by the Rangers Director General in connection with NATO containers.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, JI’s ex-lawmakers including Muzaffar Ahmed Hashmi, Laeeq Khan, Nasrullah Khan Shajih, Hameedullah Khan Advocate and Younas Barai expressed deep concern over the DG Rangers’ statement given in the Supreme Court regarding Nato containers. They said the official had informed the apex court that thousands of containers loaded with latest arms and ammunition were not sent to Afghanistan, but instead of returned from Balochistan and KPK and opened in Karachi under the supervision of the then Minister for Ports and Shipping.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/karachi/02-Sep-2013/ji-demands-action-on-statement-about-nato-containers
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Cannot expect betterment from government: Jamaat-e-IslamiMunawar Hasan
Sep 02 2013
LAHORE: Amir Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Syed Munawar Hasan has said people could not expect any betterment from the government, Geo News reported.
Addressing a seminar on the issue of Egypt here, Munawar Hasan cautioned those who voted for Nawaz Sharif to be prepared for more inflation.
Hasan said Nawaz Sharif was following the US instructions. He said US was the biggest hurdle in the peace talks with Taliban. JI Amir said he was in favor of one-on-one negotiations with Taliban.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-116247-JIs-Munawar-Hasan-sees-more-inflation-ahead
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South Asia
BNP-Jamaat-Hefazat factory of militancy, falsehood: Information Minister
Dr Hasan Mahmud urges Khaleda to abandon Jamaat
01 September 2013
Describin BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam as a factory of producing militancy, falsehood and rumour, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Saturday said this factory must be shut down to safeguard the country's democracy, reports UNB.
He made the remark while talking to reporters after attending a programme marking ambulance giving to Kushtia General Hospital in Kushtia.
Inu urged the foreign friends and civil society members to boycott 'militant' Jamaat-Hefajat alongside criticising the government.
Replying to a query, he said they have no difference or conflict with BNP regarding the interim government. "The matter could be resolved through discussions. But BNP is away from the discussion table to save war criminal (party) Jamaat and catch fish in troubled waters."
Full report at:
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMDlfMDFfMTNfMV8zXzE4MTgzNw==
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Bangkok TV Soap Opera Attracts Muslim Anger and Scrutiny
Richard S. Ehrlich | Bangkok, Thailand
August 29, 2013
A TV station in Buddhist-majority Thailand has agreed to allow government-approved "Islamic experts" to revise a soap opera script after a small but vocal Muslim group complained that the show misrepresents their religion.
The soap opera "Fah Jarod Sai" or "Where the Sky Meets the Sand" stars Thai actors in a superficial melodrama portraying an imaginary Arab-style royal officer who falls in love with a girl who is half-Thai, half-French, in a fantasy kingdom named Hinfara.
Full report at:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1309/S00003/bangkok-tv-soap-opera-attracts-muslim-anger-and-scrutiny.htm
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China says concerned about unilateral military action against Syria
Reuters | Sep 2, 2013
BEIJING: China said on Monday it was seriously concerned about any unilateral military action against Syria after US President Barack Obama delayed a military response to last month's chemical weapons attack near Damascus until after a congressional vote.
The United States has explained to China its evidence on chemical weapons use in Syria, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-says-concerned-about-unilateral-military-action-against-Syria/articleshow/22223978.cms
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Transparency Maldives reveals election day plans
By Daniel Bosley | September 1st, 2013
Transparency Maldives has revealed details of its election observation plans, involving over 400 volunteers working throughout the country on polling day.
At a press conference this morning, the anti-corruption NGO revealed the extent of its operation – the only “non-partisan and independent observation” program being conducted by a domestic organisation on September 7.
“Transparency Maldives will be covering the election more extensively than anyone else,” said Transparency Maldives’ Program Manager Thoriq Hamed.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/transparency-maldives-reveals-election-day-plans-64257
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Afghan militants attack US base: official
2013-09-02
KABUL: An Afghan official says a group of suicide bombers have attacked US base near the border with Pakistan, sparking an ongoing gunbattle.
There was no immediate information on casualties.
Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, says the heavily armed militants attacked the site in the Torkham area Monday morning.
An explosion heard toward the beginning was likely one of the suicide bombers detonating his explosives.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1040025/afghan-militants-attack-us-base-official
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Karzai makes changes in Afghan security leadership
2013-09-02
KABUL: Potential presidential candidate Omar Daudzai was appointed as Afghanistan's acting interior minister on Sunday, putting him in a high-profile public role seven months before the country's first democratic transfer of power.
Daudzai will move back to Kabul from Islamabad, where he has been ambassador to Pakistan since 2011 during a time of fractious ties between the two neighbours.
Last month Daudzai, a former chief of staff to President Hamid Karzai, set up an office in Kabul and announced that he would be a “probable” candidate in the elections due on April 5.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1040004/karzai-makes-changes-in-afghan-security-leadership
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Mideast
Turkey finds Sarin Gas in Homes of suspected Syrian Islamists – May Report
By Global Research News
September 02, 2013
Turkish security forces found a 2kg cylinder with sarin gas after searching the homes of Syrian militants from the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front who were previously detained, Turkish media reports. The gas was reportedly going to be used in a bomb.
The sarin gas was found in the homes of suspected Syrian Islamists detained in the southern provinces of Adana and Mersia following a search by Turkish police on Wednesday, reports say. The gas was allegedly going to be used to carry out an attack in the southern Turkish city of Adana.
Full report at:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/turkey-finds-sarin-gas-in-homes-of-suspected-syrian-islamists-may-report/5347523
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UN gave strength to the Syrian regime: Turkish PM
Sep 02 2013
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan intensified his rhetoric against the United Nations on Sept. 1, saying that the current system had given strength to the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
“The U.N.’s incapacity, far from stopping the deaths, has given strength to the [Syrian] regime and recompensed it for its massacre. As the whole world has shut its eyes to the ongoing human tragedy in Syria, unfortunately the U.N. has kept silent and watched this tragedy,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by private broadcaster NTV during an event in Istanbul.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/un-gave-strength-to-the-syrian-regime-turkish-pm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53655&NewsCatID=338
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Iran tells UN it is ready to solve Syria crisis: report
Sep 02 2013
TEHRAN - Iran has told the UN it is prepared to find a "peaceful resolution" to the crisis in ally Syria, as the threat of a US strike looms, state media said Monday.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif relayed the message to Secretary Ban Ki-moon during a phone conversation late Sunday, state broadcaster IRIB said on its website.
"While rejecting the use of force in resolving the crisis in Syria, (Zarif) asserted that Iran is ready to find a peaceful resolution," it said.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130902179060
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Abbas says peace with Israel will be brought to a referendum for Palestinians 'everywhere'
Sep 02 2013
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday night vowed to put to a referendum any agreement he reaches with Israel.
Abbas, who was speaking at the opening of a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah, said that Palestinians everywhere would be asked to approve an agreement with Israel through the referendum.
"If there is any development and an agreement, it is known that we will go to a referendum," Abbas clarified. "It won't be enough to have the approval of the Fatah Central Committee or the PLO Executive Council for an agreement. Rather, we would go to a referendum everywhere because the agreement represents Palestinians everywhere."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Abbas-says-peace-with-Israel-will-be-brought-to-a-referendum-for-Palestinians-everywhere-325023
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Turkish consul general's convoy hit by bomb in north Iraq
Sep 02 2013
A convoy transporting Turkey's consul general was hit by a bombing between the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Arbil Sept.2 causing no casualties, diplomatic sources said.
The blast, which struck in Mosul, damaged all four vehicles in the convoy as it was en route to the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital Arbil.
It was not immediately clear if the consul was explicitly targeted.
"There were no casualties, no wounded," a Turkish diplomat in Baghdad told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It's not clear whether they aimed at our convoy or if it was an indiscriminate attack." The diplomat said that the convoy's cars were damaged.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-consul-generals-convoy-hit-by-bomb-in-north-iraq.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53664&NewsCatID=352
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Unwed couples against our faith, says Turkish deputy PM
Sep 02 2013
Marriage is a significant and sacred matter, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinç said Sept. 1 at the wedding of a young couple, adding that unions without marriage were against his faith.
“In our faith, marriage is very important. In our traditions, we care greatly about marriages, and we even see them as sacred. That’s why it’s not good to have a relationship without marriage,” Arinç said.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/unwed-couples-against-our-faith-says-turkish-deputy-pm-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53663&NewsCatID=338
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North America
Al-Qaida tried to infiltrate US intelligence agencies: Report
PTI | Sep 2, 2013
WASHINGTON: Al-Qaida, Hamas, Hezbollah and other hostile groups have repeatedly tried to infiltrate American intelligence agencies, forcing US authorities to re-investigate thousands of employees every year to counter the threat, according to a classified budget document.
"The CIA found that among a subset of job seekers whose backgrounds raised questions, roughly one out of every five had significant terrorist and/or hostile intelligence connections," The Washington Post said, citing a classified budget document provided by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Al-Qaida-tried-to-infiltrate-US-intelligence-agencies-Report/articleshow/22224068.cms
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US conducted 231 ‘offensive cyber operations’ in 2011
Sep 02 2013
WASHINGTON: US spy services conducted 231 “offensive cyberoperations” in 2011, mostly targeting Iran, Russia, China and North Korea, the Washington Post reported Saturday.
The revelation is based on a classified intelligence budget provided to the paper by fugitive leaker Edward Snowden, as well as on interviews with former US officials.
The Post also reported that, under a $652 million project code-named “GENIE,” US specialists hack foreign computer networks to secretly put them under American control.
This involves placing “covert implants” in computers, routers and firewalls, it said, adding that by year’s end “GENIE” is projected to control at least 85,000 “malware” plug-ins in machines around the globe.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/463129
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Obama seeks Syria support from former foe McCain
AP | Sep 2, 2013
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is inviting Sen. John McCain to the White House, hoping his foe in the 2008 presidential election will help sell the idea of a US military intervention in Syria to a nation deeply scarred by more than a decade of war.
Having announced over the weekend that he'll seek congressional approval for military strikes against the Assad regime, the Obama administration is now trying to rally support among Americans and their congressman and senators.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-seeks-Syria-support-from-former-foe-McCain/articleshow/22222536.cms
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US condemns attack at Iraq camp housing Iranian exiles
AFP | Sep 2, 2013
The United States on Sunday condemned an attack on a camp in Iraq housing Iranian exiles who claimed the violence cost at least 50 lives.
"The United States strongly condemns the terrible events that took place at Camp Ashraf today, which according to various reports resulted in the deaths of and injuries to numerous camp residents," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
Iranian exiles claimed Iraqi troops killed more than 50 of their members, charges officials steadfastly denied.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-condemns-attack-at-Iraq-camp-housing-Iranian-exiles/articleshow/22217339.cms
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‘US agency spied on French diplomats, Al-Jazeera TV’
Sep 02 2013
FRANKFURT, Hesse — The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on the internal communications of France’s foreign ministry and diplomats and those of Qatar-based television station Al-Jazeera, a German magazine said Sunday.
Der Spiegel reported that in 2010 the NSA monitored the internal computer network of France’s diplomats and that of the ministry itself by accessing so-called virtual private networks (VPN), a tool that generally offers a secure internet connection to users.
The “top secret” NSA document seen by the magazine and dated June 2010 said French diplomatic offices in New York and Washington had bugs installed on the premises and that screenshots were taken from computer monitors in United Nations offices.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130902178993
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USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible support to limited US strike on Syria
Reuters | Sep 2, 2013,
WASHINGTON: The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited US strike on Syria, if needed, defence officials said on Sunday.
The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes four destroyers and a cruiser, has no specific orders to move to the eastern Mediterranean at this point, but is moving west in the Arabian Sea so it can do so if asked. It was not immediately clear when the ships would enter the Red Sea, but they had not arrived by Sunday evening, said one official.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/USS-Nimitz-carrier-group-rerouted-for-possible-support-to-limited-US-strike-on-Syria/articleshow/22218460.cms
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Europe
Over 540,000 join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat during the past year
September 1, 2013
47th Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK Jalsa Salana continues
"During a faith inspiring address at the 47th Jalsa Salana UK, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad announced that more than 540,000 people had joined the Community during the past year. His Holiness announced the figure whilst giving a detailed report of the global activities of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also informed that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat had now been established in 204 countries of the world. During the past year the Jamaat had spread to two new countries – Costa Rica and Montenegro.
It was further announced that during the past year the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat had built or acquired 394 new Mosques. These included new Mosques in Canada, Germany and Spain which had been personally inaugurated by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat had also acquired 121 new Mission Houses or Centres.
Full report at:
http://www.examiner.com/article/over-540-000-join-the-ahmadiyya-muslim-jamaat
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Russia 'absolutely' unconvinced by Syria chemical attack claims
2013-09-02
MOSCOW: Russia is totally unconvinced by evidence presented by the United States and its allies of an alleged chemical attack outside Damascus that the West says was perpetrated by the Syrian regime, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
Moscow vehemently opposes US-led plans for military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in response to the alleged attack, even though the timetable has now been put back by President Barack Obama's decision to put it to Congress.
“What we were shown before and most recently by our American partners as well as the British and the French absolutely does not convince us,” Lavrov said at a university lecture in Moscow.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1040039/russia-absolutely-unconvinced-by-syria-chemical-attack-claims
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Russia wants Nawaz to attend SCO summit
September 2, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Russia has invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) against the backdrop of rapidly changing developments in the Middle East and Afghanistan, according to diplomatic officials.
Pakistan, which has an observer status at the SCO, a key regional security organisation, is sending the Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, to take part in the summit.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/598574/russia-wants-nawaz-to-attend-sco-summit/
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France to give lawmakers proof Syria regime behind chem attack: Source
Sep 02 2013
France will hand over evidence to lawmakers on Monday proving President Bashar al-Assad's regime was behind last month's chemical weapons attack in Syria, a government source told AFP.
"It will be a set of evidence of different kinds that will allow the regime to be clearly identified as responsible for the August 21 chemical attack," the source said.
The evidence will be handed over to top lawmakers during a meeting with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault at 1500 GMT, ahead of what is expected to be a loud parliamentary debate on Syria on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/france-to-give-lawmakers-proof-syria-regime-behind-chem-attack-source.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53665&NewsCatID=351
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Russia sends intelligence ship to Syria coast: report
Sep 02 2013
Russia has sent a reconnaissance vessel from its Black Sea fleet to the coast off Syria, a report said Monday, as Moscow anxiously watches Western plans for military action against the Damascus regime, a report said Monday.
The SSV-201 intelligence ship Priazovye on Sunday evening started its voyage "to the appointed region of military service in the eastern Mediterranean," a military source told the Interfax news agency.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-sends-intelligence-ship-to-syria-coast-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53657&NewsCatID=359
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UN, Iraq order probe on alleged attack on Iranian refugee camp that killed 52
Sep 02 201
Baghdad : A United Nations (UN) team headed to a camp housing Iranian exiles north of Baghdad on Monday after residents alleged soldiers killed dozens of their members, charges Iraqi officials strongly denied.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, meanwhile, set up his own investigation into the unrest to sift through wildly differing accounts of Sunday's events, in which clashes and explosions were reported but the extent and causes of the casualties remained in doubt.
The People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) said on Sunday that Iraqi forces killed 52 of their members at Camp Ashraf, the group's long-time base in Diyala province near the Iranian border, and set fire to their property.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/un-iraq-order-probe-on-alleged-attack-on-iranian-refugee-camp-that-killed-52/1163471/
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Syria crisis: Putin sees chance to turn tables on Obama at G20 summit
Sep 02 2013
MOSCOW: Less than three months after Vladimir Putin was cast as a pariah over Syria at the last big meeting of world leaders, the Russian president has glimpsed a chance to turn the tables on Barack Obama.
The US president's dilemma over a military response to an alleged poison gas attack in Syria means Obama is the one who is under more pressure going into a G20 summit in St Petersburg on Thursday and Friday.
Obama stepped back from the brink on Saturday, delaying any imminent strike to seek approval from the US Congress.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-crisis-Putin-sees-chance-to-turn-tables-on-Obama-at-G20-summit/articleshow/22211916.cms
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India
Bengal CM’s allowance for Imams, Muezzins unconstitutional: High Court
Sep 2, 2013
Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected an allowance announced by West Bengal government for Imams and Muezzins, ruling it to be unconstitutional and against the public interest.
A division bench of Justice P.K. Chattopadhyay and Justice M.P. Shrivastava passed the above order on a writ petition challenging the announcement.
The court said the allowance violated Articles 14 and 15/1 of the Constitution, which provide that the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/mamatas-allowance-for-imams-muezzins-unconstitutional-high-court/article5085896.ece
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Indian election experts in Male ahead of Maldives poll
TNN | Sep 2, 2013
NEW DELHI: Four top Indian election experts landed in Male on Sunday as independent observers as Maldives heads for elections on September 7, one that will be closely watched around the world, particularly in India.
Three former chief election commissioners — JM Lyngdoh, BB Tandon and N Gopalaswami — along with former high commissioner of India to Maldives, S M Gavai will travel through Maldives's numerous islands to assess the elections.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-election-experts-in-Male-ahead-of-Maldives-poll/articleshow/22217435.cms
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Pakistani team to question 26/11 Mumbai attack witnesses
IANS | Sep 2, 2013
ISLAMABAD: An eight-member Pakistani delegation will visit India next week to cross-examine the witnesses in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, a media report said on Sunday.
The delegation will comprise Pakistani prosecution and defence lawyers, Dawn newspaper reported citing a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor.
Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry, FIA's special prosecutor, said the Indian government had issued a schedule for recording statements and cross-examining the four witnesses — RV Sawant Waghule, the person who recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab, chief investigation officer Ramesh Mahale, and Ganesh Dhunraj and Chintaman Mohite, the doctors who carried out the postmortem examination of the terrorists killed during the attack.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistani-team-to-question-26/11-Mumbai-attack-witnesses/articleshow/22208023.cms
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Ulfa's Chetia shares jail-space with Jamaat, BNP leaders in Dhaka
TNN Aug 31, 2013
GUWAHATI: Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia, who is waiting for his extradition in Dhaka Central Jail, is spending his days in hallowed company. He has former ministers, MPs and VIPs of Bangladesh as fellow inmates. Chetia's handover to India is seen to be linked to ratification of the land-swap deal in Parliament. The Centre is trying to extradite Chetia as his presence is considered essential for the progress of the peace dialogue among the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led Ulfa faction, the Centre and the state government.
Full report at:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-31/guwahati/41641596_1_chetia-kashimpur-rajshahi-central-jail
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'Mushairas in India have great secular foundations'
Sep 02 2013
JEDDAH — "Mushairas, as an institution, in India have great secular foundations. Those who connect Urdu with Muslims must attend Mushairas to know the truth," said Iqbal Ashhar, a prominent Urdu poet, who hails from Delhi.
Iqbal was in Jeddah to attend the "Annual Mushaira" organized by the Consulate General of India Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130902178973
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Delhi gives Islamabad list of Pakistani prisoners
IANS | Sep 2, 2013
ISLAMABAD: India has handed over to the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi a list of 386 Pakistanis detained in Indian jails.
However, according to the record of Pakistani prisoners maintained by the Pakistan foreign ministry as well as well as by the high commission in New Delhi, NGOs, and relatives of prisoners, there are 485 Pakistanis in Indian jails, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Monday quoted an official of the foreign ministry as telling the senate standing committee on narcotics control and interior.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Delhi-gives-Islamabad-list-of-Pakistani-prisoners/articleshow/22226832.cms
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Southeast Asia
Indonesian Churches Hold Palace Service for the Displaced
Sep 02 2013
Worshipers from displaced church congregations took their anger to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s door on Sunday, calling for him to take a leaf out of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo’s book and stand up against religious intolerance.
Congregations from the shuttered Yasmin church in Bogor, West Java, and the Filadelfia Church in Bekasi, also in West Java, voiced their concerns after a Sunday service held in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/jakarta/indonesian-churches-hold-palace-service-for-the-displaced/
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Malaysia Seeks to Deport Almost Half Million Undocumented Workers
Bloomberg
Sep 02 2013
Malaysia arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants as the country began a nationwide operation to track down and deport almost half a million illegal workers from countries including Indonesia and Bangladesh.
A total of 2,433 people were arrested during 40 operations that began simultaneously across the country yesterday led by the immigration department, army, police and local councils, Saravana Kumar, a Department of Immigration deputy director, said in a telephone interview today. The crackdown is the largest to date in the country, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/malaysia-seeks-to-deport-almost-half-million-illegal-workers/
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Africa
Tunisia’s ‘rebellion’ campaign collects 1.7 million anti-govt votes
Monday, 2 September 2013
Al Arabiya
Inspired by Egypt’s “Tamarod” (rebellion) campaign, a Tunisian petition has so far collected around 1.7 million signatures in a move to oust the current Islamist government, the group’s founder said in an interview with the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Monday.
The founder Mohamed Bennour said the group is determined to bring down the current government, regardless of any attempts for national dialogue between the opposition and the governing authorities.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/02/Tunisia-s-rebellion-campaign-collects-1-7-million-anti-govt-votes.html
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DR Congo army readies for assault on rebel stronghold
September 02, 2013
KINSHASA: Congolese troops readied Monday to seize a stronghold of M23 fighters in the latest push forward against the rebels in the resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, senior military sources said Monday.
Troops, backed by a special United Nations force, launched a fresh assault against the M23 army mutineers late last month, with the rebels pulling back on Friday from positions around the mining hub city of Goma.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Sep-02/229649-dr-congo-army-readies-for-assault-on-rebel-stronghold.ashx#ixzz2dkKhMeMd
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Judge issues warrants for two suspects over Tripoli blasts
September 02, 2013
BEIRUT: Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda Monday filed arrest warrants for two suspects over the recent deadly car bombs in the northern city of Tripoli, judicial sources told The Daily Star.
The arrest warrants were issued for Sheikh Ahmad Gharib and informant Mustafa Houri, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Ghayda also ordered the release of Sheikh Hashem Minqara on bail, they said. However, Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr challenged the latter decision and requested that Minqara remain in detention.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Sep-02/229632-judge-issues-warrants-for-houri-gharib-over-tripoli-bombings.ashx#ixzz2dkKMU7wC
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