Libyan intelligence tortured Islamist suspects for CIA, MI 6
Yemen: 30 al-Qaida suspects killed in US airstrikes in the south
Navy official among seven killed in Karachi
Bahrain’s opposition leader sees future without U.S. fleet
Fighting in Somalia Kills at Least 27
Mirza urges army to curb terrorists in Karachi
Pakistani Taliban claim kidnapping up to 25 boys
Turkey to Install U.S.-Designed Radar, for Blunting Iran’s Missiles
''Turkey Regards the Assad Regime as Finished''
New leaders vow democracy as Qaddafi’s billions unfrozen
Armed wings in parties won't be tolerated: Pak PM
3 Boston Islamic charity leaders convicted again
NATO kills Afghan militant linked to al-Qaeda
Woman killed as Tunisia troops fire to halt fight
Four people killed in Balochistan attacks
Journalist killed in shooting attack in Somali capital
Suicide Bombs in Iraq Have Killed 12,000 Civilians, Study Says
Final recommendations not ready: Kashmir interlocutors
Algeria moves Muammar Gaddafi's family to capital: Reports
Haren Pandya killing: Sister puts CM in dock, wants fresh probe
Jewish solution: Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians
Government, Muslim rebels say Philippine peace talks still on despite differences
Libya’s new leaders move to return capital to normal
Libya National Transitional Council set for Tripoli move
Libyan schools set to reopen despite war, ruin
UN chief urges global response to Libya
Pakistani man held in US for supporting LeT
Norway Slow to Convict Terror Suspects
Russia condemns EU oil sanctions on Syria
UN 'growing concern' over Iran nuclear weapons plan
Protesters in Yemen Vow to Stay on Streets
Famine likely to spread in southern Somalia: UN
Protest disrupts Israel Proms Festival show
Hamburg militants disperse, police keep watch
WikiLeaks: Leaked UN letter may be trouble for US, Iraq talks
What justice looks like for Gaddafi?
Bangladesh: Ex-president Iajuddin on life support
The Vendor of Amulets
Dhaka: 'Tortured' Female domestic help fighting for life
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/libyan-intelligence-tortured-islamist-suspects/d/5390
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Libyan intelligence tortured Islamist suspects for CIA, MI 6
3 Sep, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya — Documents found at the abandoned office of Libya’s former spymaster appear to provide new details of the close relations the Central Intelligence Agency shared with the Libyan intelligence service — most notably suggesting that the Americans sent terrorism suspects at least eight times for questioning in Libya despite that country’s reputation for torture.
A faxed memo sent from the C.I.A. to a Libyan intelligence agency about the transfer of an arrested Libyan citizen and his wife.
Although it has been known that Western intelligence services began cooperating with Libya after it abandoned its program to build unconventional weapons in 2004, the files left behind as Tripoli fell to rebels show that the cooperation was much more extensive than generally known with both the C.I.A. and its British equivalent, MI-6.
Some documents indicate that the British agency was even willing to trace phone numbers for the Libyans, and another appears to be a proposed speech written by the Americans for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi about renouncing unconventional weapons.
The documents were discovered Friday by journalists and Human Rights Watch. There were at least three binders of English-language documents, one marked C.I.A. and the other two marked MI-6, among a larger stash of documents in Arabic.
It was impossible to verify their authenticity, and none of them were written on letterhead. But the binders included some documents that made specific reference to the C.I.A., and their details seem consistent with what is known about the transfer of terrorism suspects abroad for interrogation and with other agency practices.
And although the scope of prisoner transfers to Libya has not been made public, news media reports have sometimes mentioned it as one country that the United States used as part of its much criticized rendition program for terrorism suspects.
A C.I.A. spokeswoman, Jennifer Youngblood, declined to comment on Friday on the documents. But she added: “It can’t come as a surprise that the Central Intelligence Agency works with foreign governments to help protect our country from terrorism and other deadly threats.”
The British Foreign Office said, “It is the longstanding policy of the government not to comment on intelligence matters.”
While most of the renditions referred to in the documents appear to have been C.I.A. operations, at least one was claimed to have been carried out by MI-6.
“The rendition program was all about handing over these significant figures related to Al Qaeda so they could torture them and get the information they wanted,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, who studied the documents in the intelligence headquarters in downtown Tripoli.
The documents cover 2002 to 2007, with many of them concentrated in late 2003 and 2004, when Moussa Koussa was head of the External Security Organization. (Mr. Koussa was most recently Libya’s foreign minister.)
The speech that appears to have been drafted for Colonel Qaddafi was found in the C.I.A. folder and appears to have been sent just before Christmas in 2003. The one-page speech seems intended to depict the Libyan dictator in a positive light. It concluded, using the revolutionary name for the Libyan government: “At a time when the world is celebrating the birth of Jesus, and as a token of our contributions towards a world full of peace, security, stability and compassion, the Great Jamhariya presents its honest call for a W.M.D.-free zone in the Middle East,” referring to weapons of mass destruction.
The flurry of communications about renditions are dated after Libya’s renouncement of its weapons program. In several of the cases, the documents explicitly talked about having a friendly country arrest a suspect, and then suggested aircraft would be sent to pick the suspect up and deliver him to the Libyans for questioning. One document included a list of 89 questions for the Libyans to ask a suspect.
While some of the documents warned Libyan authorities to respect such detainees’ human rights, the C.I.A. nonetheless turned them over for interrogation to a Libyan service with a well-known history of brutality.
One document in the C.I.A. binder said operatives were “in a position to deliver Shaykh Musa to your physical custody, similar to what we have done with other senior L.I.F.G. members in the recent past.” The reference was to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which was dedicated to the overthrow of Colonel Qaddafi, and which American officials believed had ties to Al Qaeda.
When Libyans asked to be sent Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq, another member of the group, a case officer wrote back on March 4, 2004, that “we are committed to developing this relationship for the benefit of both our services,” and promised to do their best to locate him, according to a document in the C.I.A. binder.
Scott Shane contributed reporting from Washington.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/africa/03libya.html
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Yemen: 30 al-Qaida suspects killed in US airstrikes in the south
Sep 3, 2011
SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni military and medical officials say 30 al-Qaida suspects have been killed in U.S. airstrikes and clashes with Yemeni soldiers in al-Qaida-held cities in the south.
A military official said that the United States bombed al-Qaida positions Wednesday and Thursday, which militants had seized taking advantage of the political turmoil in the country. Yemen has seen mass protests against longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The airstrikes reportedly freed a Yemeni military unit besieged in southeast Abyan for several weeks by al-Qaida militants.
Western officials said the airstrikes were not conducted by U.S.
A medical official says four Yemeni military officers were also killed in the clashes Wednesday and Thursday. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/yemen-30-al-qaida-suspects-killed-in-us-airstrikes-in-the-south/2011/09/02/gIQAYqhgxJ_story.html
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Navy official among seven killed in Karachi
Sep 3, 2011
KARACHI: At least seven were killed, including a Navy officer and an activist of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), in separate acts of target killing and violence in different parts of metropolis over three days of Eidul Fitr.
A lieutenant commander and his friend were shot dead in North Karachi within the limits of Sir Syed police station. The incident took place at North Karachi sector 11-B where Lieutenant Commander Nasir, 35 and a friend, 40-year-old Iqbal, were going home from Noor Islam Mosque when two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on them. Nasir died on the spot, while his friend received critical injuries. The culprits managed to flee the scene. Police shifted them to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) where Iqbal succumbed to his injuries. The SHO said that police recovered empty shells of a 9mm pistol from the spot. Police have registered a case against the unidientified assailants. District Central SSP Asim Qaimkhani announced a Rs 1 million reward for anyone with knowledge of the murderers.
An activist of PPP was shot dead in his shop in Orangi Town sector 9-A in the limits of Orangi Town police station. The victim, 36-year-old Rashid, son of Basheer, was sitting in his shop when two armed men on motorcycle arrived and, after a heated argument with him, opened fire, killing him instantly. The body was shifted to ASH for legal formalities and handed over his family.
A man was shot dead, while his brother was injured near Rado Apartment in the jurisdiction of Gulistan Jauhar police station. The victim, 30-year-old Arbab Mirza, son of Tahir Mirza, was the resident of Rado Apartments block 14 Gulistan Jauhar. While standing in front of his apartment’s gate with his younger brother, Rizwan, unidentified armed men opened fire on them, injuring them seriously. Police shifted them to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medical treatment, where Arbab succumbed to his injuries. Police officials said that the victim had no affiliation with any political party and that a personal enmity might be the motive behind the incident.
Police discovered the body of a young man, bearing torture marks, from Maripur Road near Railway Crossing in the precincts of Docks police station. The identity of the victim is yet to be ascertained and he appears to be Baloch. Police shifted his body to CHK for postmortem and later moved him to Edhi morgue.
A man was shot dead near Mira Naka in the remit of Sher Shah police station. Police said that the victim appeared to be Memon.
A teenager girl, Areesha, aged 17, daughter of Abdul Rasheed, who received bullet injuries in Chakiwara on Chand Raat, succumbed to her injuries in CHK on the first day on Eid.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\03\story_3-9-2011_pg7_1
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Bahrain’s opposition leader sees future without U.S. fleet
Sep 3, 2011
BILAD AL QADEEM, BAHRAIN — The leader of this island kingdom's largest opposition party says that a future, democratic Middle East would eliminate the need for the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf.
"I believe that a democratic system inherently guarantees long-term stability and allows achieving cooperation between democracies," said Ali Salman, secretary-general of the Wefaq National Islamic Society.
"If this region sees the emergence of a democratic order, I think there will be real stability in the medium- and long-term. There would be no need for any [foreign] forces to be present to guarantee the flow of oil."
But in the short term, a U.S. Navy presence is important "to be sure that stability in this area is maintained," Mr. Salman said.
Bahrain, which has hosted the Navy's 5th Fleet since the mid-1990s, has frustrated the Obama administration, which has sought to preserve its alliance with the Sunni royal family while supporting the democratic hopes of the mostly Shiite opposition that has taken to the streets since February.
On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators made their boldest attempt in months to reclaim control of a central square in the capital, Manama, which was the symbolic hub of the protest movement after it began, the Associated Press reported.
Riot police used buses to block roads and flooded streets with tear gas to drive back the marchers before dawn Thursday.
Bahrain's Sunni rulers have clung to power, with some military help from Saudi Arabia, by cracking down on Shiites -- drawing only mild rebukes from the U.S.
Some Middle East analysts say that due to its Shiite majority, a fully democratic Bahrain might align itself with Iran's Shiite-dominated government.
Bahraini officials have claimed that Mr. Salman and other Shiite opposition leaders have ties to the Iranian regime. Sunni politicians say that during a meeting in March, as a Saudi-led force prepared to enter Bahrain, Mr. Salman threatened to ask Iran to help the opposition. Wefaq leaders say the remark was taken out of context.
In the interview, Mr. Salman said "the opposition in Iran must have the right to express themselves" and the regime "has to give the world guarantees that its [nuclear] program is peaceful."
But he refrained from criticizing Iran directly or comparing its violent suppression of the protests that followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 2009 re-election to the Bahraini government's crackdown.
"I think the majority of Iranians accepted Ahmadinejad," Mr. Salman said, adding that he prefers the "more open" policies of the Iranian president's predecessor, Mohammad Khatami.
"The people of Iran, I think they choose an Islamic republic ... I must respect the Iranian people's [choice]," he said. "Any nation has the right to choose their system of government. ...What we are seeking is a civil state that respects the norms of human rights.
"We believe it must be a democratic system where the people have the choice to refuse Al-Wefaq if Al-Wefaq is not successful enough," Mr. Salman said. "If the people [choose] the communist party, I have to accept it."
Wefaq, which has long held a plurality in Bahrain's parliament, withdrew in March to protest the killing of demonstrators and the government's refusal to meet its demands on democratic reform.
Mr. Salman denied that Bahrain, where thousands of Saudis flock daily to drink alcohol, would become more religiously restrictive if Wefaq gained power, saying "you cannot force the people to do anything."
"This is not a problem for our thinking," he said of Bahrainis' freedom to drink. "We believe in Islam that the Muslim people must not drink. But if [someone] has not accepted this belief and he wants to drink, he will drink."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/1/bahraini-opposition-leader-sees-future-without-us/print/
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Fighting in Somalia Kills at Least 27
Sep 3, 2011
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 27 people have been killed in heavy fighting near the border of two semi-autonomous regions of Somalia, witnesses said on the eve of a political conference to hammer out a road map towards elections in the chaotic country.
Puntland's security ministry said its forces had repelled a two-day attack by al Shabaab militants in the north of Galkayo town, which its troops control, and accused the authorities of the Galmudug region, who control the south of Galkayo, of harbouring the militants.
The latest clashes and escalation in rhetoric risk spilling over into the three-day political talks starting on Sunday, the first major nationwide conference to be held in war-battered Mogadishu in four years.
"The fighting erupted (on Thursday) after al Shabaab terrorists opened fire on Puntland security forces intending to arrest members of a terrorist cell who organise assassinations and bombings," the security ministry said in a statement late on Friday.
Witnesses said the fighting had subsided early on Saturday but that bodies still lay strewn in the town's streets and tensions remained high.
"I myself counted 17 corpses," resident Abdikadir Ahmed told Reuters from Galkayo's Garsoor neighbourhood, where the fighting started.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/09/03/world/africa/international-us-somalia-conflict.html?ref=world
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Mirza urges army to curb terrorists in Karachi
By Habib Khan Ghori
Sep 3, 2011
KARACHI: Sindh`s former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza has ruled out any possibility of reconciliation with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
“The MQM is a party of blackmailers and operates through Interior Minister Rehman Malik, a born liar and an associate of those who want to dismember Pakistan,” he said, suggesting that the army should take action against the MQM without removing the government.
Addressing a massive rally at Gakhar Phatak after travelling by road from Badin on Friday, he spoke about “the extortionist partisans of Altaf Hussain, enemies of Pakistan and those seeking to dismantle Pakistan”.
He asked the people attending the rally to pledge to support him and the armed forces in his struggle for the rights of Sindh and to protect Pakistan. He appealed to the people to strengthen the hands of President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
He demanded immediate removal of Governor Ishratul Ibad and said that he and Farooq Sattar were exploiting innocent people of Karachi to send money to London for the `luxuries` of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/mirza-urges-army-to-curb-terrorists-in-karachi.html
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Pakistani Taliban claim kidnapping up to 25 boys
Sep 3, 2011
PESHAWAR: Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for holding up to 25 boys hostage as punishment for tribesmen who supported the military in the country’s troubled northwest.
Pakistani officials said on Friday militants in Afghanistan kidnapped the boys after they mistakenly crossed the border while on an outing in the border tribal region of Bajaur on Wednesday.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said they held the boys, and their fate would be decided by the militants from Bajaur.
“We have kidnapped them as their parents and tribal elders are helping the government and are fighting against us,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters from an undisclosed location.
He said they held between 20 to 25 boys, but did not say where they have been kept. Bajaur’s top government administrator, Islam Zeb, said 25 boys were missing.
A group of around 60 boys took part in the outing but about 20 below ten years old were allowed to return to Pakistan, while up to 40 others between 12 to 14 years old were held, officials said earlier.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/pakistani-taliban-claim-kidnapping-up-to-25-boys.html
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Turkey to Install U.S.-Designed Radar, in a Move Seen as Blunting Iran’s Missiles
By RICK GLADSTONE
Sep 3, 2011
Turkey announced Friday that it would install a radar system designed by the United States as part of a new NATO shield against a missile attack in Europe, a decision that pleased American military officials but was greeted with conspicuous silence by Iran, one of the perceived threats.
The decision by Turkey, a NATO member and an increasingly influential force in Middle Eastern politics, came against a backdrop of new Turkish frictions with Iran. The decision also suggested that Turkey may be shifting closer to the American view that Iran’s military assertiveness, most notably its frequent boasts about its growing missile abilities, is a cause for concern.
“Turkey’s hosting of this element will constitute our country’s contribution to the defense system being developed in the framework of NATO’s new strategic concept,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by Turkish news agencies. “It will strengthen NATO’s defense capacity and our national defense system.”
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/europe/03missile.html?ref=world
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''Turkey Regards the Assad Regime as Finished''
Sep 3, 2011
The visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Syria has shown that Turkey is attempting to increase pressure on the Assad regime. Abduljamil Mikhlafi spoke with Mustafa el-Labbad, an expert on Turkish-Arab relations, on the thinking behind the Turkish position with respect to the current uprising in Syria
The visit by the Turkish Foreign Minister to Syria was preceded by verbal confrontation and a "war of declarations" between both sides. How do you interpret these declarations?
Mustafa el-Labbad: They reflect deep tensions in Syrian-Turkish relations. Each side has a different viewpoint on the events in Syria. The regime there refuses to yield and instead suppresses the uprising, while Turkey regards the current upheaval as an expression of popular discontent and the start of a revolution. The mood in Turkey has since moved from mere sympathy to open support of the rebellion. This shows that the formerly excellent relationship between Syria and Turkey, which could even have been characterized as a sort of alliance, has now become clouded by a certain degree of disaffection. The Turkish side is increasingly turning away from Damascus and also applying pressure.
At the same time, Turkey does not wish to break its ties with Damascus. It wants to maintain sufficient leeway in order to influence Syrian decision makers with respect to the country's domestic affairs as well as Syria's relationships with other countries in the region. And it wants to maintain Syrian-Turkish relations.
Full report at:
http://en.qantara.de/wcsite.php?wc_c=17044&wc_id=17535
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New leaders vow democracy as Qaddafi’s billions unfrozen
3 September 2011
Libya’s new leadership reaffirmed its commitment to democracy and worked on its priorities for spending billions of dollars released from the frozen assets of Gaddafi.
A day after international powers met in Paris and agreed to hand over more than $15 billion to the rebels who overthrew Gaddafi the European Union rescinded a range of sanctions and officials from the National Transitional Council explained their rebuilding plans.
The NTC representative in London said that work on putting right the damage of 42 years of eccentric one-man rule and of six months of civil war should not wait until Gaddafi is found and the last bastions of armed support for him are defeated.
“As long as Tripoli, the capital, is stabilised and secure and safe, which it almost is now, and the overwhelming majority of other cities and towns, then Libyans can get on with the process of transition and stabilisation and the new political process,” Guma El amaty told the BBC.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/
2011/September/international_September117.xml§ion=international
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Armed wings in parties won't be tolerated: PM Gilani
03 September, 2011
MULTAN: Pledging across-the-board action against anti-state elements in Karachi, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday warned that militant wings in any political party would not be tolerated at all.
He said action would be taken without any discrimination for restoring peace in Karachi.
He addressed various functions in Multan, Lahore and Islamabad during the Eid holidays, called upon the provincial governments to hold local government elections on the basis of computerised electoral rolls, ordered feasibility for different development projects, gave away cheques to media representatives in Multan as financial help, and distributed gifts among those sitting in Aitkaf in the federal capital mosques.
Addressing a gathering at the Multan Circuit House, the PM said all criminals, terrorists and militants in Karachi would be dealt with sternly. The PM strongly criticised land grabbers and extortionists. He said the land grabbers should vacate the state lands within one month, otherwise the government would have to take action to get its property vacated. Gilani said: "We will not tolerate militant wings in any party."
Full report at:
http://paktribune.com/news/Armed-wings-in-parties-wont-be-tolerated-PM-Gilani-243274.html
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3 Boston Islamic charity leaders convicted again
Sep 3, 2011
A federal appeals court on Thursday overturned the acquittal of a Libyan man and two associates who were accused of conspiring to dupe the U.S. government into granting tax-exempt status to a defunct Muslim charity by hiding its pro-jihad activities.
The appeals court reinstated the jury’s guilty verdict against Libya’s Emadeddin Muntasser together with Samir Al-Monla and Muhammed Mubayyid. The three founded and led the defunct Boston-based Care International Inc.
The organization described its mission as helping war orphans, widows and refugees in Muslim nations. But prosecutors argued that it was a successor to a U.S. branch of a group founded by Osama bin Laden to recruit, fund and transport Muslim militants involved in armed conflicts around the world. The group also distributed a newsletter and published a website promoting jihad and supported extremists.
A jury found the three men guilty in January 2008 of conspiring to trick the government into awarding their organization tax-exempt status by hiding its pro-jihad activities. Jurors also convicted Muntasser of lying to federal officials and Mubayyid of making false statements to federal officials and filing false tax returns.
Full report at:
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/201109013_
boston_islamic_charity_leaders_convicted_again/srvc=home&position=recent
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NATO kills Afghan militant linked to al-Qaeda
Sep 3, 2011
KABUL: Nato forces say they have killed a former Guantanamo detainee who was a ”key affiliate of the al-Qaeda network” in an overnight raid in eastern Afghanistan.
Nato says Sabar Lal Melma organised attacks in eastern Kunar province and helped fund insurgent operations.
The military alliance says he was in contact with senior al-Qaeda members in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Troops surrounded Melma’s house in Jalalabad city on Friday night.
Nato spokesman Capt. Justin Brockhoff says Melma came out of the building holding an AK-47 assault rifle and was killed. Several other people were detained.
A guard at Melma’s house named Mohammad Gul says Melma was released from Guantanamo about four years ago.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/nato-kills-afghan-militant-linked-to-al-qaeda.html
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Woman killed as Tunisia troops fire to halt fight
Sep 3, 2011
TUNIS: A young woman was killed and several people were wounded in Tunisia overnight when soldiers opened fire to break up street fighting that involved hundreds of people in a provincial town, residents and officials said.
Crowds angered by the bloodshed then set fire to a police station, buses and a hospital in Sbeitla, 200 km (130 miles) southwest of Tunis, local people said.
The reasons for the initial clashes were unclear, though some residents blamed supporters of deposed president Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali for trying to destabilize the country ahead of elections to a constitutional assembly in late October.
The accusation has been a common one to explain a rise in violent incidents in the once heavily policed country since Ben Ali fled in January. He was overthrown by an uprising that began in Sidi Bouzid, a city 40 km (25 miles) from Sbeitla.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article496722.ece
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Four people killed in Balochistan attacks
Sep 3, 2011
QUETTA: Four people have been killed and others injured after an explosion incidents of firing in Balochistan.
Sources said that a land mine exploded in an area of Dera Bugti which killed two pedestrians and injured one other person. Sources also said that the land mine was placed near a road side by unknown insurgents.
In another incident unknown persons opened fire on a car in Mustang in which two people were killed. Three other people were injured by an rocket prepelled grenade in Zila Harnai.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/02/four-people-killed-in-balochistan-attacks.html
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Journalist killed in shooting attack in Somali capital
Sep 3, 2011
A Malaysian journalist has been killed in a shooting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, security officials said.
Initial reports say African Union peacekeepers opened fire on his vehicle. A security official told the BBC the attack was being investigated.
Noramfaizul Mohd Nor had been on a trip with the aid agency Putera 1Malaysia Club, his employer said. Another reporter was wounded in the incident.
Aid staff have been flooding into the country to help famine victims.
'Long list'
The shooting took place near a busy junction known as Kilometer Four and AU troops were involved, security sources and the aid agency said.
Thirty-nine-year-old Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, a cameraman with Malaysia's national Bernama TV, was accompanying Putera 1Malaysia Club, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, his employer said in a statement.
The wounded journalist was Aji Saregar Mazlan, Bernama added. The team had been due to travel home on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14771821
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Suicide Bombs in Iraq Have Killed 12,000 Civilians, Study Says
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
Sep 3, 2011
BAGHDAD — While sophisticated roadside bombs have taken a heavy toll on American troops over the course of the war here, suicide bombings have largely been a hallmark of sectarian warfare. Independent researchers have now tried to quantify their damage, poring through data compiled from death reports to conclude that more than 12,000 Iraqis have been killed in at least 1,000 suicide attacks since the American-led invasion.
The paper is part of a series by the London-based medical journal The Lancet on the health consequences of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which set off wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in which suicide bombings have become common, as they have in Pakistan.
The Lancet published studies in 2004 and 2006 that used samplings of casualties and statistical modeling to arrive at tolls of “excess” deaths (those that would not have happened without the war), which critics said were far too high. The paper released on Friday, however, relied on direct counts of deaths using information compiled by Iraq Body Count, an independent group that culls news reports and hospital and morgue records to try to keep track of civilian deaths.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html?ref=global-home
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Final recommendations not ready: Kashmir interlocutors
Sep 3, 2011
The group of interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday said its final recommendations do not exist “even in their embryonic form”, contradicting media reports that pre-1953 status will be the way forward in resolving the sensitive problem.
“The report is purely speculative in nature. The group of interlocutors is presently engaged in preparing a draft of its final report which is expected to be submitted to the government of India before its term ends on October 12, 2011.
“The three members of the group are yet to enumerate, let alone discuss and finalise the recommendations. They will do so after they return from their last visit to Jammu and Kashmir in the later half of this month,” the interlocutors - Dilip Padgaonkar, Radha Kumar and M M Ansari — said in a statement.
They were reacting to a media report that said that the interlocutors are likely to recommend that the Jammu and Kashmir government be given exclusive jurisdiction of all departments except defence, foreign affairs and communications, which is very close to the position prevailing in the state prior to 1953.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2420678.ece
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Algeria moves Muammar Gaddafi's family to capital: Reports
Sep 3, 2011
CAIRO: Algerian authorities have decided to move the family members of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to the capital Algiers over safety concerns, Egyptian website Al-Ahram reported.
Gaddafi's wife Safia, daughter Aisha, and two sons - Muhammad and Hannibal arrived in the Algerian southeastern border zone Aug 29.
Gaddafi's family members will be under house arrest in Algiers, reports said.
They were taken to Algeria by a team of 35 former South African Special Forces operatives, who were paid $15,000 each for the operation, Johannesburg's New Age newspaper reported.
The paper cited an unidentified person who was asked to take part in the mission, but he declined.
The rebel-led National Transitional Council (NTC) is demanding the extradition of Gaddafi's family from Algeria.
Gaddafi's daughter Aisha has given birth to a girl since arriving in Algeria. Media reports suggested her pregnancy was a major factor in the decision by the Algerian authorities to grant the group refuge.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Algeria-moves-Muammar-Gaddafis-family-to-capital-Reports/articleshow/9843515.cms
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Haren Pandya killing: Sister puts CM in dock, wants fresh probe
Sep 03 2011
Ahmedabad : In a new twist to the Haren Pandya murder case, the former minister’s elder sister Chhaya claimed on Friday that her brother was killed because of political rivalry and pointed an accusing finger at Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Chhaya, accompanied by her sister Bharti, said at a press conference today that she would make a representation before the Prime Minister and the CBI for a fresh probe into the 2003 killing.
Chhaya’s claims came two days after Haren’s widow Jagruti made a public appeal to Modi to help nab her husband’s real killers.
Haren’s late father Vitthal Pandya too had maintained that his son’s murder was a political one and had sought to put Modi in the dock.
Advocate Magan Barot, who represented Vithhal Pandya, also accompanied Chhaya at the Friday’s press conference.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/haren-pandya-killing-sister-puts-cm-in-dock-wants-fresh-probe/840991/
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Jewish solution: Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians
Sep 03 2011
Shilo (West Bank) : Rabbi Arele Harel offers an unconventional solution for Orthodox Jewish gay men who want to raise a conventional family: He fixes them up with Orthodox lesbians.
His matchmaking service, which has just gone online, has met criticism on opposing fronts. Orthodox Jewish rabbis say Harel should be doing more to encourage gays and lesbians to try to change their sexual orientation. Liberal religious gay groups see Harel's approach as a ploy to suppress homosexuality.
The matchmaking presents an array of challenges. The relationship may be loveless. The partners may be tempted to seek sexual satisfaction outside the marriage. And the couple may need assistance to get pregnant. But Harel insists he just wants to help people have children, an important commandment of Jewish law.
"The main aspiration here is parenthood,'' said Harel, 36, from his home in the Jewish West Bank settlement of Shilo. "It allows them to become parents in a way that is permitted by religious Jewish law and prevents a conflict between their religious world and their sexual world.''
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jewish-solution-israeli-rabbi-pairs-gays-to-lesbians/841088/
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Government, Muslim rebels say Philippine peace talks still on despite differences
Sep 3, 2011
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government and Muslim rebels said Friday peace talks have not broken down even though rebel negotiators oppose a government plan for autonomy in the country’s south.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Murad Ebrahim said “the negotiation is still on.”
He said the group’s central committee has not yet decided on the negotiators’ recommendation to reject the proposal for autonomy. The rebels want a substate.
Chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen said the proposal was a starting point and “we are ready, willing and able to negotiate.”
The government is waiting for the rebels to respond to its call to meet again this month, he added.
Murad said the rebels’ peace panel found the proposal disconnected to previous agreements and it would bring 14 years of talks back to zero.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/philippine-government-muslim-rebels-say-peace-talks-still-on-despite-differences/2011/09/02/gIQAr126vJ_story.html
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Libya’s new leaders move to return capital to normal
Sep 3, 2011
TRIPOLI: Libya’s new leaders moved to restore order to Tripoli on Saturday, instructing fighters from the provinces to go home as they prepared to transfer to the capital from their wartime base in Benghazi.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the world body stood ready to assist in re-establishing security after the nearly seven-month uprising that ousted Moamer Qadhafi as Western governments that backed the rebels faced embarrassing questions about their previous complicity with his regime.
There was still no firm word on the whereabouts of the toppled strongman after he defiantly threatened to lead a protracted insurgency in audio tapes aired by Arab media on Thursday.
The victorious rebels extended until next weekend an ultimatum for the surrender of his remaining loyalists.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/libyas-new-leaders-move-to-return-capital-to-
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Libya National Transitional Council set for Tripoli move
Sep 3, 2011
Libya's interim authorities are set to move to Tripoli from their stronghold of Benghazi, officials say.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil, leader of the National Transitional Council (NTC), told his supporters they would move within the next week.
The authorities have urged groups of anti-Gaddafi gunmen patrolling Tripoli to go home, as they try to restore normality in the capital.
In other parts of the country Gaddafi loyalists are continuing to fight.
They are still in control of Col Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, and the smaller towns of Bani Walid and Sabha.
Anti-Gaddafi forces are slowly advancing on Sirte, after they gave loyalists there until 10 September to surrender.
Security worries
Troops loyal to the former regime were forced out of the capital last week in an assault co-ordinated with Nato airstrikes.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14773472
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Libyan schools set to reopen despite war, ruin
Sep 3, 2011
BENGHAZI: Libyan schools will reopen in mid-September despite bombed-out facilities, scarce transport and a curriculum until recently laden with Muammar Gaddafi’s eccentric philosophies, a rebel official said.
Libya’s de facto rulers have been under increasing pressure to impose order and restore basic state services like education across the war-battered North African country after ousting forces loyal to Gaddafi from the capital Tripoli last month. “We’ve finished erasing all Gaddafi’s items from the curriculum - the Green Book, al-Mujtama al-Jamahiri,” rebel education chief Soliman el-Sahli said in an interview, listing some of the ousted leader’s works. “Many items were compulsory for students and were used to sanctify Gaddafi,” he said, adding that schools were set to resume classes on Sept 17.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\03\story_3-9-2011_pg4_6
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UN chief urges global response to Libya
Sep 3, 2011
CANBERRA: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday urged all nations to help stabilise Libya but said the future of the country should be decided by its own people.
“I continue to urge all countries to come together to help the Libyan people,” he told a press conference in Canberra.
“The future of Libya should be decided by Libyan people.”
Ban, who arrived in Australia after attending an international summit on Libya in Paris, has said he is working to bring a UN mission to the country to deal with a possible humanitarian crisis as soon as possible.
“We are working to make sure that the United Nations can respond quickly to requests by the Libyan authorities,” he said Saturday.
“This includes restoring public security and order and promoting rule of law, promoting inclusive political dialogue…and protecting human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups.”
“We are working closely with the country’s leadership to ensure that confusion and duplication of effort are kept to a minimum,” Ban said from the Australian capital where he met with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/un-chief-urges-global-response-to-libya.html
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Pakistani man held in US for supporting LeT
Sep 3, 2011
WASHINGTON: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Pakistani national having permanent legal residency in the US, on charges of supporting the banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Jubair Ahmad, 24, according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, received "indoctrination and training from LeT while he lived in Pakistan" as a teenager.
If convicted, he faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison on the material support charge and eight years in prison on the charge of making false statements in a terrorism-related investigation.
Ahmad came to the US in 2007 along with other family members, and in 2009, the FBI launched an investigation after receiving information on his association with LeT, the US Department of Justice said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Pakistani-man-held-in-US-for-supporting-LeT/articleshow/9845821.cms
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Norway Slow to Convict Terror Suspects
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sep 3, 2011
OSLO, Norway (AP) — Eleven people have been arrested under Norway's anti-terror laws since 2000, including the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people two months ago. Not one has been convicted.
The July 22 bomb attack and shooting rampage rocked the foundations of Norway's democratic society, which places high value on openness and civil rights. Officials conceded shortcomings in terror legislation in the Scandinavian country, and Norway's chief prosecutor predicted a range of changes, including tightened security.
"We cannot have a situation where it's possible to drive a van carrying a bomb to the prime minister's office and ... be parked there for several minutes before it explodes," Tor-Aksel Busch said.
Busch said the case of Anders Behring Breivik will force scrutiny of Norwegian sentencing practices.
"We have (maximum) verdicts of 21 years for defendants that have killed two, maybe three people," Busch told The Associated Press. "In this case, we have an inconceivable number beyond that."
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/03/world/europe/AP-EU-Sept-11-Norway.html?ref=world
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Russia condemns EU oil sanctions on Syria
Sep 3, 2011
Russia has condemned the EU's move to step up sanctions on Syria by banning imports of its oil, amid ongoing protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions would "lead to nothing good".
Oil accounts for about 25% of Syria's income and EU member states take about 95% of its oil exports.
At least 14 people were reportedly killed on Friday as protesters again came out in force across the country.
Activists said seven had died in suburbs of the capital Damascus, four in the central city of Homs, and another three in Deir al-Zour in the east.
The United Nations says more than 2,200 people have been killed since pro-democracy demonstrations began in mid-March.
'Appalling'
Russia, which has a veto on the Security Council, refuses to back a resolution imposing an arms embargo or asset freeze.
"We are against unilateral sanctions," Reuters quoted Mr Lavrov as saying, on the sidelines of a summit of ex-Soviet states in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. "This ruins the partnership approach to any crisis."
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14773800
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UN 'growing concern' over Iran nuclear weapons plan
Sep 3, 2011
The UN nuclear watchdog says it is "increasingly concerned" that Iran is secretly working on components for a nuclear weapons programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) describes its information as "extensive and comprehensive".
In a report seen by news agencies, it also says Tehran is preparing to enrich uranium at a new location - an underground bunker near Qom.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Iran is subject to UN Security Council sanctions for refusing to freeze its enrichment programme.
Uranium enrichment can produce fuel for a nuclear reactor but can also be used to make a nuclear warhead.
'Undisclosed' activities?
The IAEA says "many member states" had provided evidence for its latest assessment on Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14770123
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Protesters in Yemen Vow to Stay on Streets
By LAURA KASINOF
Sep 3, 2011
SANA, Yemen — Seven months after Yemen’s political uprising began, with the threat of civil war still looming, defiant protesters continue to take to the streets in the tens of thousands every Friday to call for the government to step down. They vow not to stop until their demand is met.
“We are going to stay here even if there is a civil war,” said Abdul Rahaman Abdullah, a military officer, after participating in prayers with thousands of protesters on Friday afternoon on 60th Street, a major thoroughfare in Sana, the capital.
On Friday, Mr. Abdullah was part of a large group of men underneath a bridge from which, months ago, supporters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh shot at protesters below. Now anti-Saleh graffiti decorates the bridge’s concrete columns.
“It’s been seven months and we are going to stay here even if the rest of the world doesn’t stand with us,” Mr. Abdullah yelled, followed by shouts of “God willing” from those around him.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/middleeast/03yemen.html?ref=global-home
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Famine likely to spread in southern Somalia: UN
Sep 3, 2011
NAIROBI: Famine hit areas of southern Somalia will likely spread in coming days, with the situation continuing to worsen despite massive international aid efforts, the United Nations has warned.
“The situation in Somalia is deteriorating,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report released late Friday, noting that updated malnutrition figures will be “available shortly.”
The Somalia Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) warns…that almost all regions of the south could face famine,” the report read.
“Although internal displacement is decreasing, rates of malnutrition and mortality are increasing and communicable diseases continue to spread,” OCHA added.
The UN has described Somalia, where a civil war has been going on since 1991, as facing the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world.
Famine was declared in the southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of southern Somalia in July.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/famine-likely-to-spread-in-southern-somalia-un.html
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Protest disrupts Israel Proms Festival show
Sep 3, 2011
LONDON: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators repeatedly interrupted a performance by Israel’s Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s famed Proms festival Thursday in a protest against its links with the Israeli army.
Security was tightened before the show at London’s famous Royal Albert Hall after protesters set up camp outside and urged concert-goers to “rip up their tickets”.
However, the measures could not prevent a group of around 30 demonstrators from loudly booing and shouting as soloist Gil Shaham prepared to play Max Bruch’s violin concerto.
BBC Radio 3, which was broadcasting the event, temporarily took the performance off air.
“We regret that as a result of sustained audience disruption within the concert hall which affected the ability to hear the music, tonight’s Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Prom was taken off air,” a BBC statement said.
Palestine campaign director Sarah Colborne earlier called on “those who support peace and human rights” not to attend.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/02/protest-disrupts-israel-philharmonics-proms-show.html
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Hamburg militants disperse, police keep watch
Sep 3, 2011
HAMBURG: Militants who once attended a Hamburg mosque linked to the September 11, 2001 attacks have moved on to other mosques since last year when German police closed it due to renewed security concerns, a German intelligence official said.
About 20 former worshippers at the Taiba mosque, where the 9/11 leader Mohammad Atta once prayed, have now regrouped at the al-Taqwa mosque in the southern district of Harburg, said Manfred Murck, head of the Hamburg branch of Germany’s domestic intelligence service.
About 20 to 30 others use other centres in more central districts, Murck, Head of the Hamburg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told Reuters, adding that the 40 or 50 were an ethnically varied group of north and west Africans, Arabs and Asians, among others.
Taiba drew fresh concern in mid-2010 when US intelligence picked up signs of a plot to stage attacks in Europe involving members of a group of 11 former worshippers at the mosque. They had left Hamburg in 2009 to fight against the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/02/hamburg-militants-disperse-police-keep-watch.html
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WikiLeaks: Leaked UN letter may be trouble for US, Iraq talks
Sep 03 2011
Baghdad : Negotiations to keep US troops in Iraq came under new strain in the wake of WikiLeaks' release of a UN letter alleging that an Iraqi family was handcuffed and shot in the head in a 2006 raid by American forces, not accidentally killed in an airstrike.
Iraq's government said today it will investigate the new allegations. And some officials said that the document was reason enough for Iraq to force the American military to leave instead of signing a deal allowing troops to stay beyond a year-end departure deadline.
On March 15, 2006, US troops searching for an al-Qaeda cell converged on a house in Ishaqi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Baghdad. The US military said the troops were hit by gunfire from inside the house, and called in an airstrike after a gun battle, destroying the house.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wikileaks-leaked-un-letter-may-be-trouble-for-us-iraq-talks/841072/
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What justice looks like for Gaddafi?
Sep 03 2011
Tripoli: As rebels shore up control of Libya and hunt for the man who ruled the country for 42 years, the legal prospects for Muammar Gaddafi are as murky as the political vacuum he leaves behind.
US and other officials believe that Gaddafi remains in Libya and may be hiding in one of the desert or coastal patches still under control of his remaining loyal forces. But wherever Gaddafi is found, there is no shortage of jurisdictions that are laying claim to him.
In the days since rebel forces moved into Tripoli and found that Gaddafi had bolted, several senior members of the umbrella National Transitional Council (NTC) have insisted the next government can and will try him for crimes committed against the Libyan people.
At the same time, Gaddafi, one of his sons and his former military intelligence chief are wanted for alleged crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Hague-based institution was created a decade ago by the Rome Statute, a treaty now ratified by 117 countries, as a successor to war-crime tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/what-should-justice-for-gaddafi-look-like/841064/
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Bangladesh: Ex-president Iajuddin on life support
Sep 3, 2011
Former president Dr Iajuddin Ahmed has been put on life support at Apollo Hospital in the city.
“He is now undergoing treatment under Dr Shahabuddin Talukder at the ICCU (intensive coronary care unit) of the hospital,” said a source at the hospital on Saturday.
The former president was admitted to the hospital at about 3:30pm Thursday following complaints of chest pain.
Eminent soil scientist and educationist Iajuddin took oath of the office of president of the Republic of Bangladesh in September 2002 and served until February 2009.
In May 2006, Iajuddin underwent a successful heart bypass surgery at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=32011
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The Vendor of Amulets
Sep 3, 2011
It was in Rampura that the man with brilliant henna-dyed hair and beard caught my eye. He had walked down the road holding a seven-foot pole when an old woman stopped him and started talking. The pole was covered with merchandise trinkets and costume jewelers, it appeared. I stopped for a closer look.
“Have you been selling these all your life?” I asked.
“Only five years,” he replied tersely.
His name was Md. Anwar Hossain. He was seventy-six. In another life, he said, he had been a soldier, first serving in East Pakistan Rifles, then Bangladesh Rifles. He started in infantry and rose to Subehdar rank. “There are 850 miles of border in this country. I have seen it all, north to south, east to west,” he barked, military style.
But tragedy struck soon after he retired: his entire life saving was robbed from his village home in Jamalpur.
He was going to start a small business with the capital, but now found himself in dire straits. “I came to Dhaka and went without food for seven days until a kind Bede showed me this business. That's how I got started,” he said, his voice surprisingly free of regret or self-pity. [Bedes are nomads who live on boats and wander around the country.]
I looked over his offerings on the pole and realised my mistake. Those were amulets and talismans he was selling, not trinkets.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=200902
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Dhaka: 'Tortured' Female domestic help fighting for life
Sep 3, 2011
A female domestic help is fighting for life in Gaibandha Modernised Hospital after allegedly being tortured by her employers at Uttara in Dhaka.
Police admitted the girl Lili Akhter, 15, daughter of day labourer Abdul Gafur of Dakkin Harinsinga village in Gaibandha sadar upazila, to the hospital on Thursday with injuries from being burnt and beaten.
Lili said former chairman of Boali union Abdullah Khan sent her to his sister Shima Akhter's house at Uttara to work as a domestic help four years ago.
Shima used to torture her for minor offences. On August 24, she beat Lili mercilessly and poured hot water on her as she was late in her work. Lili fell seriously ill and was sent back home unattended on August 29, said Lili.
Her physical condition is not so good but she is being provided with the best treatment available here, said Dr Malloy Kumar Sarker of the hospital's emergency department.
Legal steps will be taken against the offender after a formal allegation is filed, said Basu Dev Banik, police super of Gaibandha.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=200910
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/libyan-intelligence-tortured-islamist-suspects/d/5390