Pakistan fighting kills ‘50 militants’, 4 soldiers
20 Taliban killed in Jawzjan, Parwan
22 Syrian protesters killed
Rebels repel assault on Misrata, 5 dead
Taliban say six police killed in Khost blast
Afghanistan: 5 civilians killed in blast
French burqa ban goes into force on Monday
Sarkozy’s France-Islam debate increasingly poisonous
400 suicide bombers being trained in Pak: Teen jihadi
Police beat protesters at Damascus mosque
Deadly clashes at Iran opposition camp in Iraq
‘Biased’ emphasis on Malays, Islam in history syllabus, says historian
Three civilians killed Friday in Israel's strike on Gaza
Israeli strike kills 2 Hamas militants in Gaza
Turkish Islamic aid group mobilizes for Libya, Gaza
Turkey 'world leader' in imprisoned journalists, IPI report says
Turkey seeks international support for its road map on Libya
Turkish, Azeri defense ministers meet in Ankara
Russia says nuclear fuel being reloaded at Iran plant
Abusing women is un-Islamic: Saudi mufti
Violence erupts across Syria
Saleh rejects Qatar’s call for him to quit
Arab expat killed, two others wounded in Riyadh shooting
German soldiers may be sent to Libya after all
Obama, Congress in deal to avert gov’t shutdown
Prospects fade for military overthrow of Gaddafi
US troops could remain in Iraq after 2011: Gates
US welcomes GCC effort to addres Yemen crisis
Raqi forces clash with Iran exiles in camp
Egyptian protesters call for Mubarak trial
The West calls for President Saleh to leave
Saudis ask US for price quotes for warships
Bahrain touted ties with Israel
Yemen's leader rejects Gulf exit plan
Protesters call for Mubarak's trial in Egypt
US, Pakistan seek new era in relations
Siraj Durrani to replace Mirza
Zardari urges envoys to pursue country’s interests
Gillani meets Nawaz in London
Nato denies apology for hitting rebels in tanks
Separatists, terrorists involved in human rights abuses in India: US
Officer killed in shooting on British nuclear submarine
Obama condemns Syria violence
Gaddafi hunkers down for a long siege
Iran-Pakistan fallout over Bahrain
LeT seeks to pin cleric's murder on Hindutva groups
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Pakistan fighting kills ‘50 militants’, 4 soldiers
APR 09 2011
Pakistani officials said Friday that 50 militants and four soldiers had been killed in a district where the United States this week criticised the army’s efforts to defeat Islamist insurgents.
The deaths, which could not be verified independently, were reported in Mohmand, part of Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border singled out for criticism in a White House report flatly rejected by Islamabad.
Local administration official Maqsood Hassan said that militants attacked a security force patrol in the Baizai area of Mohmand, triggering an exchange of fire on Thursday.
‘Four soldiers and 10 militants were killed in the attack, which was repulsed,’ Hassan said.
A separate air offensive targeting militant hideouts in different areas of Mohmand killed 40 rebels on Thursday, Hassan said.
Troops used fighter jets and helicopters to pound rebel positions, he said.
Local official Zabit Khan confirmed the incidents and casualties.
Journalists and aid workers do not have independent access to the battlefield, so the deaths could not be confirmed independently.
The United States has branded the north-western tribal area, which lies outside Pakistani government control, a global headquarters of al-Qaeda and one of the most dangerous places on Earth.
A White House report on Tuesday noted a deterioration in area this year and said Pakistan still had no clear path to triumph over insurgents.
It drew attention to Mohmand, where for a third time in two years troops are attempting to clear insurgent strongholds, saying operations had been hampered by resistance, poor weather, refugees and bomb caches.
Pakistan on Thursday rejected the report as ‘unwarranted’ and said it would not be held accountable for US-led failures in Afghanistan, where American troops are leading a 10-year war against the Taliban.
Pakistan argues that its troops are already dangerously overstretched. With an estimated 1,47,000 forces in the northwest — more than the number of US led foreign troops in Afghanistan — the army has also endured heavy losses.
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/14681.html
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20 Taliban killed in Jawzjan, Parwan
APR 09 2011
SHEBERGHAN (AIP): As many as 18 Taliban were killed as a result military operation by the joint Afghan-foreign forces in Jawzjan province for the last three days, an official said Friday. The Jawzjan Police Chief Abdul Aziz Ghairat told media that military operation was launched from Qoshtipa district towards Daraz Aab district three days back. He maintained 18 Taliban fighters were killed in the operation. He said the operation was in progress in Daraz Aab district. The joint forces did not suffer casualties in the operation. The Taliban have not said anything in this regard till the filling of this report. Jawzjan is considered the stronghold of the former communist general and strong follower of the incumbent government, General Abdul Rasheed Dostam. The Taliban have spread their activities to the province in the recent past. Meanwhile, two Taliban fighters were killed in clash with foreign forces in Koh-i-Safi district of Parwan province on Thursday. The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid Friday told mediatheir fighters attacked foreign forces in the limits of Koh-i-Safi district in Parwan province yesterday. He maintained two foreign soldiers were killed and several more injured in the gunfight. He said after the clash the foreign forces conducted bombardment in the area, leaving two Taliban dead. Mujahid maintained the Taliban killed four foreign soldiers with a landmine blast in Bach-i-Khak area of Koh-i-Safi district at about 2:00 PM yesterday. He said the Taliban fired two missiles at the Koh-i-Safi district headquarters yesterday. Meanwhile, the International Security Assistance Force media centre in a press release said armed opponents attacked ISAF troops in Koh-i-Safi district yesterday, adding two attackers were killed in the gunfight. The ISAF and the Koh-i-Safi authorities have not said anything about other claims of Taliban till filling of this report.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=800
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22 Syrian protesters killed
APR 09 2011
At least 22 protesters were killed yesterday as anti-regime demonstrations and clashes with security forces raged around Syria, the head of the National Organisation for Human Rights said.
"We have the names of 17 demonstrators killed in Daraa, and we have been told of the deaths of two protesters in Homs and three in Harasta," Qurabi told AFP by telephone from Cairo, where he lives in exile.
"We are aware that live bullets, tear gas and another gas that causes fainting were used," he added.
Qurabi's report was more or less in line with other activists, who earlier said 13 protesters had been killed in the flashpoint southern town of Daraa, a number of people wounded in the central industrial city of Homs and also spoke of fighting in Harasta.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181077
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Rebels repel assault on Misrata, 5 dead
APR 09 2011
Libyan rebels said on Friday they had repulsed a government assault on the besieged western port city of Misrata and a resident said five people were killed in the fighting.
Prospects faded that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would be ousted by the armed revolt and Nato leaders acknowledged the limits of their air power, which has caused rather than broken a military stalemate.
Alliance officials expressed frustration that Gaddafi's tactics of sheltering his armor in civilian areas had reduced the effects of air supremacy and apologized for a "friendly fire" incident on Thursday in which rebels said five fighters were killed.
Misrata, a lone major rebel outpost in the west of the country, has been under siege by Gaddafi's forces for weeks. On Friday, insurgents said they had pushed back an assault on the eastern flank of the coastal city after fierce street battles.
A rebel spokesman said government troops had advanced on the heavily populated Esqeer district in an effort to loosen the rebels' grip on Misrata, where families are crammed together in the few remaining safe districts.
"The attack from the east has been repelled now and the (pro-Gaddafi) forces have been pushed back," rebel spokesman Hassan al-Misrati told Reuters by telephone.
A Misrata resident called Ghassan told Reuters: "Medics at the hospital told us that five people were killed today and 10 others were wounded. We were at the hospital and we talked to medics."
Also speaking by phone, he said he could still hear clashes in the town. "We can still hear mortar fire in the distance."
Nato air strikes hit weapons depots belonging to Gaddafi's forces near the town of Zintan on Friday, a resident said.
"The depots are situated 15 km southeast of Zintan. We could see buildings on fire in the distance," the resident, called Abdulrahman, said by phone.
DESULTORY STALEMATE
The only active front in the war, along the Mediterranean coast around the eastern towns of Brega and Ajdabiyah, has descended into a desultory stalemate with both sides making advances and then retreating behind secure lines.
On Friday, rebels at the western boundary of Ajdabiyah, still jittery after the friendly fire accident, fled from an artillery bombardment but there was no sign of a government advance.
Ahmed Ignashy, a doctor at Ajdabiyah hospital, said about six rebels were wounded in skirmishes 20 km (12 miles) west.
The head of US Africa Command, General Carter Ham, said the conflict was entering stalemate and it was unlikely the rebels would be able to fight their way into Tripoli.
Early hopes that air attacks on Gaddafi forces would tip the balance in favor of the rebels had evaporated and Western leaders were emphasizing a political solution.
Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen took a similar line to Ham on Friday. "There is no military solution only. We need a political solution," he told Al Jazeera television.
Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu spoke of the difficulties facing alliance pilots because of Gaddafi's tactics. "The fact is they are using human shields and parking tanks next to mosques and schools so it is very hard to pinpoint any military hardware without causing civilian casualties," she said.
POSSIBLE DIVISION
Political analysts predicted an extended conflict leading toward possible division of the country between east and west.
"The opposition forces are insufficient to break this deadlock and so as things stand the march on Tripoli is not going to happen," said John Marks, chairman of Britain's Cross Border Information consultancy.
"This standoff looks like it could go on pretty much forever ... for now we have a stalemate so we are looking rather more at a de facto partition."
Geoff Porter of North Africa Risk Consulting agreed. "It is increasingly unlikely that the rebels will get anywhere close to Tripoli," he said.
The confusion on the desert battlefield has caused friendly fire incidents, increasing anger among the rebels, who said they lost five men on Thursday when Nato planes bombed a column of 20 tanks brought out of storage to bolster the eastern front.
It was the second time in less than a week that rebels had blamed Nato for bombing their comrades by mistake after 13 were killed in an air strike not far from the same spot on Saturday.
Misrata, Libya's third city, rose up with other towns against Gaddafi in mid-February and has been under siege for weeks after a crackdown put an end to most protests in the west.
Rebels say people in Misrata are crammed five families to a house in the few safe districts, to escape weeks of sniper, mortar and rocket fire. There are severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies and hospitals are overflowing.
The insurgents have used containers filled with sand and stone to block roads and break supply lines to Gaddafi forces including snipers in Misrata, the rebel spokesman said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=29272
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Taliban say six police killed in Khost blast
APR 09 2011
KHOST (AIP): The Taliban on Friday claimed to have killed six policemen by conducting a vehicle borne improvised explosive device blast inside a police training centre in the provincial metropolis of Khost. The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told media their fighters blasted a vehicle borne improvised explosive device inside a police training centre in Khost’s capital on Thursday, leaving six police personnel dead and five vehicles destroyed. The Khost Police Chief Abdul Hakim Ashaqzai, when contacted, said the explosive device went off on a roads construction company, Hasim Garbaz, away from a police checkpost in the area, not inside the police training centre. He maintained only two vehicles of the construction company were damaged in the blast, adding it did not cause casualties to anyone.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=802
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Afghanistan: 5 civilians killed in blast
APR 09 2011
KABUL (NNI): At least five civilians were killed in a mine blast in southern Ghazni province, local officials said. Yesterday a civilian car was struck by a roadside mine in Zargar area of Ghazni city, Zorawar Zahid, police chief of Ghazni said. No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incident. Insurgents often plant roadside mines to target forces in the country. Also two Taliban militants were killed and one other was hurt in a clash with Afghan forces in Ander district of Ghazni, Mr Zahid added.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=812
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French burqa ban goes into force on Monday
APR 09 2011
PARIS: French police will from Monday become the first officers in Europe empowered to intercept Muslim women wearing full-face veils and to threaten them with fines if they refuse to expose their faces.
While some other countries and territories have drawn up bans on the burqa and the niqab, France — home to Europe’s largest Muslim population — will be the first to risk stirring social tensions by putting one into practice.
The law comes into effect at an already fraught moment in relations between the state and France’s Muslim minority, with President Nicolas Sarkozy accused of stigmatising Islam to win back votes from a resurgent far right.
French officials estimate that only around 2,000 women, from a total Muslim population estimated at between four and six million, wear a niqab or a burqa, full-face veils that are traditional in parts of Arabia and South Asia.
But many Muslims and rights watchdogs accuse Sarkozy of targeting one of France’s most vulnerable and isolated groups to signal to anti-immigration voters that he shares their fear that Islam is a threat to French culture.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/09/french-burqa-ban-goes-into-force-on-monday.html
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Sarkozy’s France-Islam debate increasingly poisonous
APR 09 2011
PARIS: A divisive debate about the place of Islam in French society on Tuesday became increasingly poisonous after Interior Minister Claude Gueant said the number of Muslims in the country was “a problem.”
President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party, which has called the debate for Tuesday, has been accused of trying to poach votes from the far-right National Front (FN) party which made strides in last month’s local elections.
“It’s true that an increase in the number of faithful in this religion (Islam), a certain number of behaviours, poses a problem,” Gueant said on Monday.
Sarkozy’s closest advisor before becoming minister in January, Gueant said that France’s secular law dates from 1905 when there were “very few Muslims,” while their number today is between five and six million.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/05/sarkozys-france-islam-debate-increasingly-poisonous.html
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400 suicide bombers being trained in Pak: Teen jihadi
APR 09 2011
ISLAMABAD: A teenager arrested as an accomplice to Pakistan's deadliest suicide bombing of the year has said that up to 400 suicide bombers are being groomed to wage carnage in the nuclear-armed nation.
Umar Fidayee, 14, said the would-be bombers were being trained in North Waziristan, the premier al-Qaida and Taliban fortress in Pakistan's tribal belt where US officials want Pakistan to flush out militant strongholds.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/400-suicide-bombers-being-trained-in-Pak-Teen-jihadi/articleshow/7923437.cms
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Police beat protesters at Damascus mosque
APR 09 2011
Syrian security police attacked Sunni Muslim protesters with batons as they exited a Damascus mosque on Friday, a witness said.
Syria's minority Alawite-led government appeared to stepping up efforts to prevent pro-democracy demonstrations against their rule from spreading.
"It was hard to know who was who because those 'Amn' (security) forces do not wear uniforms," the witness, a Westerner living near the Rifai mosque in the Kfar Souseh district of the Syrian capital, told Reuters.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9584/World/Region/Police-beat-protesters-at-Damascus-mosque-.aspx
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Deadly clashes at Iran opposition camp in Iraq
APR 09 2011
At least three persons were killed on Friday when Iraqi forces clashed with an Iranian Opposition group, a security official said, but the rebels claimed 25 of its members died in a full military assault. Major Hassan al-Tamimi of the Iraqi Army in Baquba, capital of central Diyala province, said the armed forces clashed with stone-hurling crowds at the Camp Ashraf base of the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, or PMOI.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/330234/Deadly-clashes-at-Iran-opposition-camp-in-Iraq.html
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‘Biased’ emphasis on Malays, Islam in history syllabus, says historian
APR 09 2011
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
PETALING JAYA, April 9 — Secondary school history textbooks are too Islamic and Malay-centric and have downplayed the contribution of non-Malays and other religions in the country’s history, a historian said today.
Historian Dr Ranjit Malhi Singh also believed that “scant attention” has been given to the efforts of the Chinese and Indians in the development of the nation.
The author of history textbooks up until 1996 also charged that there were too many “half-truths and factual errors” in the current syllabus, and that it was laden with “value judgments.”
“There should be no value judgment in our textbooks. It is the greatest sin in any history book.
“There is a lopsided emphasis on Islamic civilisation... five out of 10 chapters of the current Form Four history textbook deal with Islamic history whereby earlier the Form 4 history textbook only had one chapter on Islamic history,” Ranjit said at a discussion organised by Catholic Teachers’ Association at the Assumption Catholic church here.
According to Ranjit, “half-truths” and inaccuracies were evident in the existing syllabus. As an example, he said the history books have omitted the fact that Parameswara (founder of Malacca) was a Hindu prince from Palembang who died a Hindu.
He also said the current syllabus gave the wrong impression that the other races did not fight courageously in defending Malaya during the Japanese Occupation, and that only the Malay Regiment did so.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/biased-emphasis-on-malays-islam-in-history-syllabus-says-historian/
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Three civilians killed Friday in Israel's strike on Gaza
APR 09 2011
Three Palestinian civilians were killed and four more people hurt on Friday in an air raid on south Gaza, medical sources said, in the second deadly strike of the morning.
The latest raid hit a target in Qarara, northeast of Khan Yunis, emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya told AFP, identifying the victims as Talal Taha, 55, a woman called Najah Qudeih, 45, and her 21-year-old daughter Nidal.
Four others were wounded in the strike, including an 18-year-old girl who was in serious condition, Abu Selmiya said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9570/World/Region/Three-civilians-killed-Friday-in-Israels-strike-on.aspx
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Israeli strike kills 2 Hamas militants in Gaza
APR 09 2011
Two Hamas militants were killed on Friday in a new Israeli air strike near the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, medical and militant sources told AFP.
The strike hit Khuza'a, an area near the border which lies east of Khan Yunis, and killed two militants from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, the group said in a statement.
It named the victims as Abdallah al-Qarra and Muataz Abu Jamea.
The Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, confirmed the strike in southern Gaza as well as an earlier incident near Rafah airport which injured four, saying both attacks had targeted Hamas militants.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=israeli-strike-kills-2-hamas-militants-in-gaza-2011-04-08
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Turkish Islamic aid group mobilizes for Libya, Gaza
APR 09 2011
An Islamic aid group whose Gaza-bound ship was stormed by Israeli security forces in a deadly raid last year has taken a prominent role in Turkey's humanitarian efforts in Libya, assisting the injured and preparing to send an aid ship next week.
The activities of the Turkish the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or IHH, highlight its self-declared mission to assist Muslims in the region and support Turkey's goal of becoming a model and mediator in a turbulent part of the world. But, its increasing prominence is riling critics in Israel, who allege the aid group has terrorist links, although it is not on a U.S. list of terrorist groups.
The group has emerged as an informal arm of Turkey's foreign policy, even though the government and group say they have no direct ties. Preparing for another possible showdown with Israel, the group again plans to dispatch a flotilla, which would leave for Gaza after Turkish elections in June.
In May, nine pro-Palestinian activists – eight Turkish citizens and a Turkish American – were killed when Israeli commandos boarded a ship in the group's flotilla, the Mavi Marmara. Israel has not met Turkish demands for an apology and compensation, and relations between the two countries, which once shared a close alliance, remain poor.
The group, whose Turkish acronym means Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief, says the flagship in its planned Gaza flotilla will again be the Mavi Marmara.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-islamic-aid-group-mobilizes-for-libya-gaza-2011-04-08
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Turkey 'world leader' in imprisoned journalists, IPI report says
APR 09 2011
Turkey has more journalists in prison than any other country in the world, including China and Iran, according to a press release issued Monday by the International Press Institute.
The group based its release on a report published by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, that said 57 journalists are currently in prison in Turkey. As of December, Iran and China each had 34 journalists behind bars.
“While Iran and China topped lists in December by reportedly jailing some 34 journalists each, Turkey, a candidate for membership in the European Union, has nearly doubled that number five months later, raising questions about the country’s commitment to freedom of the press and the legitimacy of its democratic image,” IPI Press Freedom Adviser Steven M. Ellis wrote in an article featured on the institute’s website.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=ipi-report-declares-turkey-world-leader-of-imprisoned-journalists-2011-04-08
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Turkey seeks international support for its road map on Libya
APR 09 2011
Turkish officials are working intensively to win international support for the country’s road map for peace in Libya, a plan proposed Thursday by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke by phone with the U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy to Libya, Abdelilah Al Khatib, and the United Nations will contact NATO to coordinate humanitarian aid in the conflict-hit country, an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Friday.
Turkey is also continuing to hold talks with the Libyan administration and representatives of the rebel leaders, the official said, adding that Davutoglu will visit Egypt and discuss the road-map proposal with the head of the Arab League. Ankara will also contact high-level U.S. officials on the issue.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-to-discuss-its-road-map-on-libya-with-international-community-2011-04-08
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Turkish, Azeri defense ministers meet in Ankara
APR 09 2011
Turkey’s Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül met Azerbaijan's Defense Minister Safar Abiyev to discuss regional and bilateral ties in Ankara on Friday.
Speaking prior to the meeting, Gönül referred to the statement of former Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev on Turkey and Azerbaijan in which he had described the two countries as, "one nation, two states."
Gönül said Azerbaijan was a rapidly developing country and a center of its region in an economic, political and military sense. "We will assess bilateral issues, Nagorno-Karabakh and relations with other neighbors. We will also discuss military issues that interest the defense industry and related matters," Gönül said.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-azeri-defense-ministers-meet-in-ankara-2011-04-08
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Russia says nuclear fuel being reloaded at Iran plant
APR 09 2011
Nuclear fuel is once again being loaded into the reactor of Iran's Bushehr power plant, RIA news agency quoted a Rosatom unit as saying on Friday.
Iran earlier removed the fuel, signalling problems in the Russia-built Bushehr plant after decades of delays.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9571/World/Region/Russia-says-nuclear-fuel-being-reloaded-at-Iran-pl.aspx
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Abusing women is un-Islamic: Saudi mufti
APR 09 2011
JEDDAH: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has strongly warned against maltreating women in any form and said this is totally against Islam.
In his Friday sermon at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, the mufti said only bad people treat women badly.
"The psychological or physical abuse of wives, daughters and sisters is against the Islamic Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)," he said.
Al-Asheikh warned husbands and fathers who take the salaries of their wives and daughters that they are committing anti-Islamic acts.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article349820.ece
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Violence erupts across Syria
APR 09 2011
DAMASCUS: A mass protest calling for sweeping changes in Syria's regime turned bloody Friday, with the government and protesters both claiming to have sustained heavy casualties in a restive southern city as the country's three-week uprising entered a dangerous new phase.
Human rights activists and witnesses said Syrian security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters in Deraa, killing 25 and wounding hundreds.
But state TV said 19 policemen and members of the security forces were killed when gunmen opened fire on them. It was the first significant claim of casualties by the government, which has contended that armed gangs rather than true reform-seekers are behind the unrest — and it could signal plans for a stepped-up retaliation.
In protests elsewhere at least seven people were killed. Protest organizers have called on Syrians to take to the streets every Friday for the past three weeks, demanding change. The protests have shaken the regime of President Bashar Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for nearly 40 years.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article350061.ece
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Saleh rejects Qatar’s call for him to quit
APR 09 2011
SANAA: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh denounced on Friday a Qatari call for him to step down as “blatant interference” in Yemen’s domestic affairs.
"We take our legitimacy and power from our great nation, not from anyone else ... the Qatari initiative is rejected, rejected and rejected. We reject what comes from Qatar or Al Jazeera," Saleh told a crowd of his supporters in the Yemeni capital.
He also dropped a hint that he could reject the latest initiative from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and urged it to respect the choice of Yemenis. "We call on them to respect the choice of millions of Yemenis who have taken to the streets to express their adherence to their democratic and constitutional rights. We reject plotting against democracy and political approach," the president said.
To avoid misinterpretation of his words, a source at the presidential office who did not want to be identified, later said that Saleh welcomes ongoing GCC mediation efforts, especially by Saudi Arabia, but rejects the statement of the Qatari prime minister which urged him to resign.
On the " Friday of Harmony,” a large number of Saleh supporters paraded through the capital, waving flags and holding placards showing support for the president. The government also mobilized its own supporters with thousands of protesters turning out at Sabeen Zone, shouting their loyalty to Saleh and chanting “People want Ali Abdullah Saleh.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article349861.ece
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Arab expat killed, two others wounded in Riyadh shooting
APR 09 2011
RIYADH: One man was killed and two others injured when an armed man opened fire near a mosque in an industrial zone of Riyadh.
The dead man was identified as a foreign resident of Arab origin. He died during surgery to treat his gunshot wounds. The shooter was an Asian. It is unknown when the incident took place; the police made the announcement of the crime Friday.
The two injured men, who were treated successfully after being taken to hospital, were identified as an Asian and an Arab.
The suspected gunman was caught inside a mosque where he fled after the shooting in an attempt to escape. Police were able to arrest the man and found him in possession of a gun and a knife. The motive for the attack was unknown.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article350113.ece
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German soldiers may be sent to Libya after all
APR 09 2011
BERLIN: German soldiers could be used to protect humanitarian efforts in Libya, a government spokesman said on Friday, even though the Berlin government abstained in a UN vote on military action last month.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference German forces would be available for a European Union humanitarian mission. The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) accused the government of making a U-turn on Libya.
“Germany has said it would not take part in combat operations in Libya,” Seibert said, rejecting the criticism. “What we’re talking about now is something that is completely different.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article349916.ece
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Obama, Congress in deal to avert gov’t shutdown
APR 09 2011
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reached a last-minute budget deal on Friday, averting a government shutdown that would have idled hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
With a midnight deadline looming for a government closure, the hard-fought compromise between Obama’s Democrats and opposition Republicans requires lawmakers to approve stopgap funding to keep federal agencies running into next week until the budget agreement can be formally enacted.
A shutdown — the first in more than 15 years — would have meant furloughs for much of the federal work force, suspension of some key government services and the closing of many national monuments and parks, while potentially undermining the U.S. economic recovery.
But the biggest incentive for a deal may have been the risks that failure would have posed for Obama, his fellow Democrats and the Republicans amid signs of public frustration with the rancorous budget fight as the 2012 presidential election campaign gathers steam.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April419.xml§ion=international&col=
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Prospects fade for military overthrow of Gaddafi
APR 09 2011
TRIPOLI - Libyan rebels said on Friday they had repulsed a government assault on the besieged western city of Misrata but prospects faded that Muammar Gaddafi would be ousted by the armed revolt.
NATO leaders acknowledged the limits of their air power, which has caused rather than broken a military stalemate, and analysts predicted a long-drawn out conflict that could end in the partition of the North African oil producer.
Alliance officials expressed frustration that Gaddafi’s tactics of sheltering his armour in civilian areas had reduced the impact of air supremacy and apologised for a “friendly fire” incident on Thursday that rebels said killed five fighters. Misrata, a lone major rebel outpost in the west of the country, has been under siege by Gaddafi’s forces for weeks. On Friday insurgents said they had pushed back an assault on the eastern flank of the coastal city after fierce street battles.
“The attack from the east has been repelled now and the (pro-Gaddafi) forces have been pushed back,” rebel spokesman Hassan al-Misrati told Reuters by telephone.
The only active front in the war, along the Mediterranean coast around the eastern towns of Brega and Ajdabiyah, has descended into a desultory stalemate with both sides making advances and then retreating behind secure lines.
On Friday rebels at the western boundary of Ajdabiyah, still jittery after the friendly fire accident, fled from an artillery bombardment but there was no sign of a government advance.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April409.xml§ion=international&col=
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US troops could remain in Iraq after 2011: Gates
APR 09 2011
MOSUL, Iraq — US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, visiting Iraq on the eve of the eighth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, said Friday the United States would entertain a wide range of requests from Iraq to extend the US troop presence.
After meeting with Massoud Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Gates told reporters that the Kurds are interested in an extended US military presence, although the central government in Baghdad has publicly indicated it believes Iraqi security forces can stand on their own after the scheduled US departure Dec. 31.
“I have the impression that there is interest, so I’m hopeful that Iraqi leaders will consult and let us know one way or the other,” Gates said. Gates said he told the Kurds as well as senior Sunni and Shiite leaders in Baghdad, “time is running out.”
Shortly before Gates spoke, Iraqi forces stormed an Iranian exile camp that Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government has tried for years to close, and both sides reported casualties in the raid. Gates said he was not immediately sure of the number of casualties.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April162.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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US welcomes GCC effort to addres Yemen crisis
APR 09 2011
WASHINGTON - The US State Department said on Friday it welcomed efforts by the Gulf Coordination Council to address Yemen’s political crisis and said all parties must take part in the effort for it to succeed.
The GCC, a grouping of six Gulf Arab states, has launched an effort to bring Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh into talks with opposition forces that want to end his 32 years in power in the Gulf nation, which neighbors Saudi Arabia.
Dozens of anti-government protesters in Yemen were shot and wounded in fresh clashes with police on Friday as Saleh, having at first accepted an offer by the GCC to hold talks with the opposition, appeared to back away from the idea.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April160.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Raqi forces clash with Iran exiles in camp
APR 09 2011
BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces clashed with residents of an Iranian dissident camp north of Baghdad overnight, the Iraqi government said on Friday, and an Iranian opposition group said residents were attacked and killed.
The government spokesman said five members of the Iraqi security forces were wounded in the incident at Camp Ashraf. Representatives of the camp called the incident a “criminal attack” and said 25 residents were killed and 320 wounded.
An Iraqi medical source at nearby Baquba hospital said they had received the bodies of three Iranians, while 16 Iranians, five Iraqi soldiers and one Iraqi policemen were brought to the hospital with injuries. The source requested anonymity since he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The 25-year-old camp, home to some 3,500 people, is the base of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), a guerrilla group that opposes Iran’s Shia cleric leaders.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April154.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Egyptian protesters call for Mubarak trial
APR 09 2011
CAIRO — Tens of thousands of Egyptian activists massed in Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square on Friday to demand that former regime officials be purged and put on trial, including ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Draped in Egyptian flags, Muslims were joined by Christians as they gathered for weekly prayers in a protest dubbed the “Day of Trial and Cleansing” to press the ruling military council on promised reforms and justice.
Muslim cleric Safwat al-Higazi, who led the prayer, called for Mubarak to face criminal charges.
“We don’t only want to try him for the millions (of dollars) but also for the blood,” he told the crowd.
“We want to try him just as he tried the people in state security courts, but we want a popular trial.”
Mubarak, his wife Suzanne and their two sons Alaa and Gamal and their wives have already been banned from travel and had their assets ordered frozen.
Protests have been held regularly since Mubarak was toppled on February 11 but the numbers were significantly higher this week due to the participation of the Muslim Brotherhood — the largest and most organised opposition movement.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April152.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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The West calls for President Saleh to leave
APR 09 2011
SANA’A, Apr. 6 — After more than two months of non-stop nationwide protests demanding an end to President Saleh’s 33-year rule in Yemen, the US government along with the EU, have finally started addressing the issue and called this week for an immediate transition of power.
The call from Western administrations comes after violence against protesters intensified this week in several parts of the country including Taiz, Hodeida and the capital Sana’a. This week across the nation, dozens of people have been reported killed in clashes with government supporters and security forces, with hundreds injured and exposed to tear gas.
The escalation follows the mass killing of 52 people on Friday March 18th in ‘Change Square’ in Sana’a, where thousands of Yemenis are camped out in a protest demanding the end of Saleh’s regime.
“I reiterate my call for an orderly political transition to begin without delay in order to resolve the current crisis and pave the way to reforms,” said Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy in a statement released on Tuesday. “This is the message I personally conveyed to the President last week. Transition must begin now.”
Full report at:
http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=35874
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Saudis ask US for price quotes for warships
APR 09 2011
WASHINGTON, April 9 — Saudi Arabia has asked the United States for prices for surface warships with integrated air and missile defences, helicopters, patrol craft and shore infrastructure, the US Navy said today.
The Navy is preparing a rough cost estimate that would be delivered possibly as soon as May, Navy spokeswoman Captain Cate Mueller told Reuters.
Saudi Arabia is the biggest US arms buyer and is expected to remain so despite political upheaval in the Middle East.
The request for medium surface combat ships and the rest of the hardware was received by the Navy in July through the Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation, Mueller said.
Earlier on Friday, Lockheed Martin Corp executives said the first phase of the so-called Saudi Naval Expansion Program-II could be worth US$20 billion (RM68 billion), attributing the estimate to US Navy officials. The company would likely vie for any such orders.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/saudis-ask-us-for-price-quotes-for-warships/
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Bahrain touted ties with Israel
APR 09 2011
Bahrain's King Hamad boasted of his ties with Israel's intelligence services and told his government to stop referring to the Jewish state as the "Zionist enemy," a leaked US cable from 2005 showed.
The cable, which was given exclusively to Israel's Haaretz newspaper by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, was written after talks between the king and Washington's ambassador to Bahrain, William Monroe, in February of that year.
"He revealed that Bahrain already has contacts with Israel at the intelligence/security level (i.e. with Mossad) and indicated that Bahrain will be willing to move forward in other areas," Monroe wrote, referring to Israel's spy agency.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181074
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Yemen's leader rejects Gulf exit plan
APR 09 2011
Embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh rejected an exit plan by Gulf states trying to broker an end to bloody unrest, as tens of thousands of Yemenis turned out yesterday for pro- and anti-regime protests.
"Our power comes from the power of our great people, not from Qatar, not from anyone else. This is blatant interference in Yemeni affairs," Saleh told a massive crowd of regime supporters in Sanaa.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181093
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Protesters call for Mubarak's trial in Egypt
APR 09 2011
Tens of thousands of Egyptians massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square yesterday two months after president Hosni Mubarak was ousted to demand the trial of former regime elements, slamming the military rulers for stalling on reforms.
Waving flags and holding banners in a protest dubbed the "Day of Trial and Cleansing," protesters vowed to press the ruling military council to deliver on promises of reform and justice.
Seven army officers defied a warning from the ruling military council when they joined the protesters.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces warned that anyone protesting in military uniform yesterday would face trial in a military court.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181102
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US, Pakistan seek new era in relations
APR 09 2011
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON: Efforts to improve US-Pakistan relations begin in earnest later this month with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir’s visit to Washington which hopefully will lead to the strategic dialogue and a presidential visit to the US.
Mr Bashir and his delegation would meet officials at the State Department on April 20-21, US diplomatic sources told Dawn.
Both sides are expected to prepare the agenda for the next round of strategic dialogue likely to be held in Islamabad in May.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to lead the US team to the dialogue and Pakistani officials are hoping that the dialogue will pave the way for President Asif Ali Zardari’s first official visit to Washington in June.
“We obviously remain engaged with Pakistan in the struggle against terrorism and extremism. And our counter-terrorism efforts are critical to that progress,” said the State Department’s deputy spokesman, Mark Toner. “We’re also trying to work with Pakistan to build their institutions and strengthen their democracy in order to create a better, more prosperous future for the Pakistani people.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/09/us-pakistan-seek-new-era-in-relations.html
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Siraj Durrani to replace Mirza
APR 09 2011
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party's core committee on Friday approved the decision to appoint PPP minister Agha Siraj Durrani as the new Home Minister Sindh.
The decision was announced after discussions with coalition partners took place, a private TV channel reported. - Agencies
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/more.htm
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Zardari urges envoys to pursue country’s interests
APR 09 2011
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday stressed for pursuing economic diplomacy by all diplomats for promoting economic interests of the country.
Talking to Pakistan's ambassador-designate to Algeria Mohammad Aslam, President Zardari called for encouraging the business community in countries of their posting to avail Pakistan's liberal incentives package and investment friendly policies.
The President while felicitating the newly-appointed envoy asked him to concentrate efforts on promoting economic, trade and commercial ties between the two countries
He advised the ambassador-designate to also concentrate on exploring markets for export of Pakistani products into Algeria.
The ambassador thanked the President for the confidence reposed in him and assured that he would work with full dedication to augment Pakistan's bilateral relations with Algeria particularly in trade and investment. - APP
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/more.htm
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Gillani meets Nawaz in London
APR 09 2011
LONDON: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani called on the PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif at his Park Lane apartment on Friday to inquire about his health and welfare following a heart surgery.
The PML-N leader has been convalescing following a minor heart operation last month when a stent was inserted in his cardiac region. The prime minister himself is in the British capital on a private visit in connection with the hospitalisation of his son Haider Gillani.
Hasan Nawaz, son of the PML-N leader, received the Prime Minister when he arrived at the apartment building overlooking Hyde Park.
In brief chat with the media persons, the prime minister said he had been in contact with Nawaz Sharif and wished to visit him personally to inquire about his health since he is himself in London.
The two leaders met for nearly half an hour and discussed political and economic situation in the country.
Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan accompanied Prime Minister Gillani.
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/topnews133.htm
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Nato denies apology for hitting rebels in tanks
APR 09 2011
BRUSSELS: Nato acknowledged on Friday that its air strikes had hit rebels using tanks to fight government forces in eastern Libya, but said it would not apologize for the deaths because no one told them the rebels had tanks.
British Rear Adm. Russell Harding, the deputy commander of the Nato operation, said in the past, only forces loyal to Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi had used heavy armored vehicles.
Harding says the military situation between Libya's eastern coastal towns of Brega and Ajdabiya remains fluid, with the two sides engaged in a series of advances and retreats, making it difficult for pilots to distinguish between them.
Nato jets attacked a rebel convoy between these two towns Thursday, killing at least five fighters and destroying or damaging a number of armored vehicles.
The strikes, including an attack earlier this week, provoked angry denunciations of Nato by the rebels. At the same time, Nato officials have expressed frustration with the Libyan insurgents, who now view the alliance, whose mandate is limited to protecting civilians in Libya, as their proxy air force.
Previous week Nato took control over the international airstrikes that began March 19 as a U.S.-led mission. The airstrikes thwarted Gaddafi's efforts to crush the rebellion in the North African nation he has ruled for more than four decades, but the rebels remain outnumbered and outgunned and have had difficulty pushing into government-held territory even with air support.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Nato-denies-apology-for-hitting-rebels-in-tanks/articleshow/7915838.cms
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Separatists, terrorists involved in human rights abuses in India: US
APR 09 2011
WASHINGTON: Separatists and terrorists in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and northeast along with the Maoists committed serious human rights abuses, an official US report said, even as it slammed the government for extra-judicial killings.
"Separatist insurgents and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states and the Naxalite belt committed numerous serious abuses, including killing armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians," said the US state department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2010.
"Insurgents engaged in widespread torture, rape, beheadings, kidnapping, and extortion. The number of incidents, however, declined compared with the previous year," said the Congressional-mandated annual report released by secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
According to the India section of the report, there were numerous reports that the government and its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extra-judicial killings of suspected criminals and insurgents, especially in areas of conflict such as Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states, and the Naxalite belt.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Separatists-terrorists-involved-in-human-rights-abuses-in-India-US/articleshow/7918652.cms
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Officer killed in shooting on British nuclear submarine
APR 09 2011
LONDON: A Royal Navy officer was killed on Friday and another was seriously injured after a shooting aboard a British nuclear-powered submarine docked in port, police said.
A third member of the navy was arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident in the southern English port of Southampton, officials said, stressing that the shooting was not "terrorist-related".
The shooting took place aboard HMS Astute, the British navy's newest and most advanced submarine, which was in Southampton on a five-day visit after reportedly spending seven weeks at sea.
"On board the submarine a firearm had been discharged which resulted in two crew members being injured. One of these injuries proved fatal," chief superintendent David Thomas of Hampshire Police told reporters.
"The other crew member was taken to hospital in Southampton with significant injuries. His condition is now described as stable."
He added: "A man, also a member of the Royal Navy, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Officer-killed-in-shooting-on-British-nuclear-submarine/articleshow/7921775.cms
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Obama condemns Syria violence
APR 09 2011
US President Barack Obama has condemned an "abhorrent" crackdown in Syria which killed 24 demonstrators and any violence by protesters following reports of deaths among security forces. "I strongly condemn the abhorrent violence committed against peaceful protesters by the Syrian government today an
d over the past few weeks," Obama said in a written statement, the latest in a flurry of US rebukes of Damascus.
"I also condemn any use of violence by protesters.
"I call upon the Syrian authorities to refrain from any further violence against peaceful protesters."
Obama also called for an end to arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of prisoners and said the Syrian authorities should allow independent verification of recent political unrest in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Obama-condemns-Syria-violence/H1-Article1-683002.aspx
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Gaddafi hunkers down for a long siege
APR 09 2011
He has survived a revolt, Western air strikes and the defection of some of his closest aides, and now Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is hunkering down for a long siege. In the past few days Gaddafi's administration has emerged from a period of paralysis and started drawing up a blueprint for how to
run the country — at least the parts he still controls — while isolated by the outside world.
It is not clear how long Gaddafi can last, but the fact he seems to be digging in for a prolonged stay will be disheartening to Western governments under pressure from war-weary publics to deliver a swift conclusion in Libya.
"The conflict is going to be long and drawn out," said Geoff Porter of North Africa Risk Consulting.
"Over the long term, Libya clearly won't be united again under ... (Gaddafi's) leadership, but it's also increasingly unlikely that the rebels will get anywhere close to Tripoli and without Tripoli there is no rebel victory." There are signs now the internal crisis brought on by foreign minister Moussa Koussa's defection has passed. Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam has given interviews to the media, officials are back at work and the state media has reported a flurry of instructions from government ministries.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Gaddafi-hunkers-down-for-a-long-siege/H1-Article1-682913.aspx
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Iran-Pakistan fallout over Bahrain
APR 09 2011
Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Iran are under a cloud after the Iranian government protested recruitment of Pakistani military officials into the Bahraini police forces. Pakistan's charge d'affairs in Tehran was summoned to Iran's foreign ministry earlier this month where deputy foreign
minister Behrouz Kamalvandi conveyed his country's reservations over the 'recruitment for Bahrain's armed forces and police' in Pakistan. He warned that if the recruitment was not stopped, it would have serious ramifications for diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Iran.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Iran-Pakistan-fallout-over-Bahrain/H1-Article1-682919.aspx
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LeT seeks to pin cleric's murder on Hindutva groups
Intelligence agencies have intercepted a telephonic conversation of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) spokesperson in Pakistan asking a Kashmiri journalist to put the blame of Friday's Srinagar blast that killed a top religious leader on Hindutva groups, including the Shiv Sena.
"Message (was) intercepted between Abdullah Ghaznavi, LeT spokesperson in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and a reporter in Kashmir," said a source privy to the interception.
He said that LeT leader during the telephonic conversation "directed (the reporter) to spread the message to misdirect people that the blast in Srinagar was done by the Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal and that more such actions (are) likely by these organisations".
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/330173/LeT-seeks-to-pin-clerics-murder-on-Hindutva-groups.html