Shia and Sunni Muslim Clerics Demand Ban on Talibani Elements in the Community
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 Oct 2012
India
• Shia and Sunni Muslim Clerics Demand Ban on Talibani Elements in the Community
• US 'not satisfied' with Pakistan's approach to Mumbai terror attack
• Centre on watch mode before revoking AFSPA in J&K
• Two Pakistanis behind Mumbai, Pune blasts?
• Pakistan's ceasefire violations could lead to unending exchange of fire: Omar Abdullah
• Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to inspect 2002-riot related documents
• Abu Jundal named key conspirator in fresh chargesheet
• Arrested ‘ISI agents’ were setting up ‘sleeper cells’ in Gujarat, say cops
Africa
• 'Evidence of mass murder after Gaddafi's death'
• Tunisia: Attackers set fire to Muslim saint shrine
• Kenyan Police Kill Three Suspects in Al Shabaab Raid
• Rights group accuses Libya militias of executions
• Military intervention in Mali: a dangerous idea with too much support
• Video shows Sudanese forces repeating Darfur genocide
• More than 600 killed in Sudan warzone: minister
• Although the Arab spring is over, the battle still rages on campus
Pakistan
• We targeted Malala for opposing Mujahideen and their war: Taliban
• Militant mindset Pakistan’s biggest enemy: Zardari
• Belgian al Qaeda recruiter killed in Pakistan: report
• Child protection and Welfare Bureau: None of the children said they were raped
• Rimsha’s petition: IHC extends restraining order
• Fake degree case: Court issues arrest warrant against KP minister
• Shelling from Afghanistan injures three in North Waziristan: officials
• Malala attack: PML-N thwarts govt bid to move resolution in Parliament
• Two guards at Malala's school released after interrogation
• SC withdraws notices in Sharif’s dual-nationality case
• Pakistan polio worker shot dead in Quetta
• Pakistan floods kill 455, affect five million
Arab World
• Saudi Kingdom reiterates support for independent Palestinian state
• Egyptian Salafists demand increased role for Sharia in constitution
• Qatar announces £157m plan to rebuild Gaza
• Iraqi Shia militants fight for Syria's Assad
• Egypt's non-Islamist forces take aim at draft constitutional articles
• Egypt must free Christian held for blasphemy over film: Amnesty
• Morocco jails activist for 12 years: rights group
• Religious freedom could lead to devil worship: Salafist leader
• Officials: Attacks across Baghdad Kill 5 People
• Syria conflict: UN's Lead investigator gives jihadist warning
• Man, 26, charged over Syria kidnapping of UK photographer
• Syria dismisses truce talk
North America
• '9/11 mastermind' Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to wear fatigues at Guantanamo trial
• Obama assumes responsibility for Libya consulate attack
• CAIR Offers Free 'Muslim Voter Power' Posters, Lawn Signs to Mosques
• Appeals Court Overturns Terrorism Conviction of Bin Laden’s Driver
South Asia
• Maldives: Bill of amendments to Religious Unity Act returned to committee
• Afghan troops hurt in car bomb at NATO-Afghan Paktia base
• NATO in Afghanistan expresses regret over civilian deaths
• Chinese leader to visit Pakistan amid preparations for leadership change at home
• 97% lawmakers in Bangladesh tainted: study
• Karzai writes letter to ANP Chief condemning attack on Malala
Europe
• UK-Saudi relations strained by 'support' of Arab spring changes
• UN: Islamists threaten to radicalize Syrian war
• Rwandan minister commands Congo rebels, says UN report
• Vatican tries to create distance from row over Muslim Demographics video
• Former Bosnian Leader Begins His Defence at Genocide Trial
Mideast Asia
• Lawyers investigating Yasser Arafat's death question widow
• Israel forced to release study on Gaza blockade
• Palestinians to vote again after 7 year hiatus
• Iran Sanctions May Cut Supply of Currency
• Three Turkish Soldiers Killed in PKK Attacks on Outposts
• Yemeni Debate over Drones Emerges After Saleh's Fall
• Ours is a peaceful N-programme: Iran
• Iran says “tangible” progress in India-Afghanistan link
• Iranian and Israeli activists should form a new alliance for peace
Southeast Asia
• TNI chief apologizes for assaults of journalists
• Journos across Indonesia stage protests against military brutality
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Shia and Sunni Muslim Clerics Demand Ban on Talibani Elements in the Community
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shia-sunni-muslim-clerics-demand/d/9020
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India
Shia and Sunni Muslim clerics demand ban on Talibani elements in the community
Ashish Tripathi
Oct 16, 2012
LUCKNOW: In order to oppose fundamentalist in their own community, Shia and Sunni Muslim clerics have come together under the banner of World Waeela Front. Formed by Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, the front has demanded ban on Talibani ideology as they perceive is to be the one of the biggest threat for the country. The front is organising two day conference at Shahnajaf Imambara in Lucknow in which the clerics will appeal to the Muslim community to shun fundamentalism and fundamentalist leaders.
The clerics said that some elements were trying to create Afghanistan and Libya-like unrest in the country at the behest of the USA and Israel. They said that there are some elements who follow Talibani ideology and are brainwashing the youth. Referring to murderous attack by Taliban on Malala Yousufzai, 14-year-old, school girl in Pakistan, they said that the Islam does not advocate violence, particularly against innocent people.
Addressing media persons, Maulana Jawwad and Maulana Babar Ashraf stated that such elements are harming the peace of the country. The clerics also claimed that their community's Shias and Sunni Sufi sect is poorly represented and should be given more representation in government by political parties. On the first day of the conference Shia clerics will assemble under the banner of Majlis-e-Ulame-e-Hind from across the country and on the second day there will be a joint conference of both AIUMB and of Majlis-e-Ulame-e-Hind. AIUMB (All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board) is the apex body of custodians of Sufi shrines in the country.
The event is expected to see participation of 600 Shia and 200 Sunni clerics from across the country. "We will demand government to ban people like Zakir Naik who are agents of USA and Israel and propagating Talibani ideology," Maulana Jawad alleged.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-clerics-demand-ban-on-Talibani-elements-in-the-community/articleshow/16839629.cms
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US 'not satisfied' with Pakistan's approach to Mumbai terror attack
By KIRAN TARE
16 October 2012
The US has expressed its displeasure over the Pakistan government's handling of the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.
"The Pakistan government has not taken enough action," Geoffrey Pyatt, US principal deputy assistant secretary for south and central Asian affairs, said.
"We are working in a way that LeT (Lashkar-e-Tayyeba) could not use the US financial systems. The work has not yet finished but the Pakistan government has not taken enough action as per our expectations," Pyatt said.
However, he added that he found the approach of Pakistani officials favourable. He described the conversation between Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik at Male during SAARC Interior Ministers' meeting as important.
"US relations with India and Pakistan are independent of each other. There are evolutions in India and Pakistan in economic ways. It was impressive to see Pakistan's commitment for the status of Most Favoured Nation to India. Another attack would be a setback to this process," he said.
Pyatt stated categorically that the US would not hand over David Coleman Headley, a US citizen and one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 attack, to India.
"There is president-level cooperation between the US and India on this issue. We are working out everything possible to prevent another attack. We allow the Indian authorities to question Headley. Nothing more can be done," he said.
Pyatt described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a champion of India's nuclear deal with the US.
"He is a great figure in India's history. India is changing fast. The change is quite remarkable. The investment has grown by 10 times. India's dynamism is good for us. There is a strong commitment to the relationships in both directions," he said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/article-2218759/US-government-satisfied-Pakistans-approach-Mumbai-terror-attack.html#ixzz29Yg5QEj8
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Centre on watch mode before revoking AFSPA in J&K
Oct 17, 2012
NEW DELHI: The government is not in favour of continued presence of Army or paramilitary forces in Jammu & Kashmir, but will wait for some more time before revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state.
Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday said that peace had returned to Kashmir and that there were no visible secessionist sentiments among the people, however, it needed to be certain before calling off forces from there.
The Omar Abdullah government has been pressing for partial removal of AFSPA, and has earmarked Srinagar and Budgam district for pullout of Army personnel.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 28th NSG Raising Day Parade, Shinde said, "Continued presence of the armed forces in the Valley is not a good thing. However, we have seen continued peace in the Valley only for a year. We would wait for some more time before taking any decision on the issue (revocation of AFSPA)."
Shinde, who recently visited Kashmir, stressed on how peaceful the Valley had become. He said, "I went to Kashmir recently and roamed without a security convoy. I made a surprise visit to Lal Chowk (in Srinagar) roamed as freely as I would in a Delhi market. The Valley has been extremely peaceful in the past one year and I was happy to see gleaming faces everywhere. I also sensed that people no more have secessionist sentiments."
The home minister also used the opportunity to make his difference of opinion with former National Security Advisor ( NSA) and West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan on NSG hubs clear. He said, "It is important to have NSG hubs. It cuts delay in reaching the forces to cities of operation in emergencies. During 26/11, NSG had been delayed by 11-12 hours due to non-availability of aircraft. Had there been an NSG hub in Mumbai at that time, they would have reached in an hour."
Speaking at a lecture organized by NSG on Friday, Narayanan had dubbed the formation of four NSG hubs in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai as "a major mistake". Narayanan had argued that it would dilute the capability of the force, as a special force is judged by the quality of its men and not by its numbers. He had also said that for faster mobility, NSG should have its own aircraft.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Centre-on-watch-mode-before-revoking-AFSPA-in-JK/articleshow/16843868.cms
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Two Pakistanis behind Mumbai, Pune blasts?
Neeraj Chauhan
Oct 17, 2012
NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies have established that the bombs used in both Zaveri Bazaar blasts in Mumbai (July 13, 2011) and Pune serial blasts (August 1, 2012) were made by two Pakistani nationals, who owed their allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), in what marks a new turn in the investigations into terrorist acts across the country.
Sources said that the two Lashkar operatives are close to Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, commanders of LeT's proxy, Indian Mujahideen (IM), who deployed the Pakistani duo with various aliases for different missions. "For Zaveri Bazaar blasts, their names were 'Waqas and Tabrez', while for Pune blasts their names were 'Shaqir and Ahmed'," said an investigator. He also said that the duo is expert bomb makers and planted the devices both in Zaveri Bazaar and Pune.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-Pakistanis-behind-Mumbai-Pune-blasts/articleshow/16843342.cms
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Pakistan's ceasefire violations could lead to unending exchange of fire: Omar Abdullah
Oct 17, 2012
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said Pakistan should stop ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) as retaliation from the Indian side could lead to an unending exchange of fire between the sides.
"I request them (Pakistan) to respect the ceasefire. We also have guns and mortars. If we also start firing, where will this stop?" Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Kashmir University here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistans-ceasefire-violations-could-lead-to-unending-exchange-of-fire-Omar-Abdullah/articleshow/16850642.cms
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Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to inspect 2002-riot related documents
Oct 17 2012
Ahmedabad : Justice Nanavati Commission will allow suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt to inspect documents pertaining to 2002 post-Godhra riots as per the Gujarat High Court order.
“We have neither been intimated by Sanjiv Bhatt nor we have issued any summons to him in this regard. He can come anytime and as per the court order and we will let him inspect the documents which are in our custody,” said an official of Nanavati Commission.
Gujarat High Court had recently declined to direct Nanavati Commission, which is probing the post-Godhra riots, to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi while disposing off the PIL filed by Bhatt. But it had directed the state government to submit documents concerning the 2002 riots, as sought by Bhatt, to the commission within a week and then also asked the Commission to let those documents be inspected by Bhatt.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/suspended-ips-officer-sanjiv-bhatt-to-inspect-2002riot-related-documents/1017927/
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Abu Jundal named key conspirator in fresh chargesheet
Oct 17 2012
Mumbai: The Mumbai police on Tuesday filed a supplementary chargesheet in the 26/11 terror attacks case naming LeT operative Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal as one of the key conspirators.
The Crime Branch filed a voluminous 14,676-page chargesheet in the court of Additional Metropolitan Magistrate P S Rathod, according to Joint Commissioner Himanshu Roy.
Ansari, a native of Maharashtra’s Beed district, had taught Hindi to the lone surviving 26/11 gunman Ajmal Kasab and his nine accomplices — all of whom had been killed in the counter-offensive launched by the Indian security forces during the attacks — in order to hide their Pakistani identity.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ansari-named-key-conspirator-in-fresh-chargesheet/1017761/
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Arrested ‘ISI agents’ were setting up ‘sleeper cells’ in Gujarat, say cops
Ujjwala Nayudu
Oct 17 2012
Ahmedabad : The alleged ISI agents, arrested from Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad, are suspected to have been used to set up “sleeper cells” in Gujarat by serving as moles to collect information from the three cantonments — Ahmedabad, Bhuj and Gandhinagar — in the state. The Detection of Crime Branch, which got eight-day remand of the duo, has claimed to have found that the agents were collecting information on details of purchases of Indian Army that could be used for a possible attack on the cantonments.
After this disclosure by the DCB, military intelligence officers have also joined the probe to find out who from their premises may have been in cahoots with the suspected ISI spies, Sirajuddin Fakir (21) and his aide Mohammad Ayub Sheikh (23).
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arrested--isi-agents--were-setting-up--sleeper-cells--in-gujarat-say-cops/1017856/
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Africa
'Evidence of mass murder after Gaddafi's death'
October 17, 2012
New evidence implicating militias in executions after ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed in Sirte last October 20 raises fresh questions over his death, a watchdog said on Wednesday. "The evidence suggests that opposition militias summarily executed at least 66
captured members of Gaddafi's convoy in Sirte," his home town, said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
"It also looks as if they took Mutassim Gaddafi, who had been wounded, to (the port city of) Misrata and killed him there," he said of Gaddafi's son.
"Our findings call into question the assertion by Libyan authorities that Muammar Gaddafi was killed in crossfire, and not after his capture," Bouckaert said of a Human Rights Watch report documenting the executions.
The 50-page report, "Death of a Dictator: Bloody Vengeance in Sirte," also details the final hours of Gaddafi's life and the circumstances under which he was killed on the basis of witness testimony and mobile phone footage.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Evidence-of-mass-murder-after-Gaddafi-s-death/Article1-945885.aspx
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Tunisia: Attackers set fire to Muslim saint shrine
By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA
October 17, 2012
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Five masked men on Tuesday stormed into a 500-year-old shrine to a female Muslim saint near the capital Tunis that had previously been threatened by religious conservatives and set it on fire, the Interior Ministry said.
Hardline Islamists are suspected in the attack on the shrine of Sayyeda Aicha Manoubia, a 13th century holy woman. It was one of several recent assaults on mausoleums for local saints.
Full report at:
http://news.yahoo.com/tunisia-attackers-set-fire-muslim-saint-shrine-174125155.html
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Kenyan Police Kill Three Suspects in Al Shabaab Raid
October 17, 2012
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Crack Kenyan police shot dead three suspected supporters of the Somali militant group al Shabaab on Wednesday during a raid in Kenya's turbulent coastal region in which a police officer also died.
Police arrested a number of suspects and confiscated grenades, AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition at a house in the Likoni area, Coast province police chief Aggrey Adoli said.
Kenya has suffered a series of grenade and gun attacks since it sent troops into Somalia a year ago in pursuit of the insurgents it blames for kidnapping security personnel and Western tourists from its territory.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/17/world/africa/17reuters-kenya-
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Rights group accuses Libya militias of executions
October 17, 2012
Libyan rebels appear to have executed scores of fighters loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, and probably the dictator himself, when they overran his hometown a year ago, a human rights group said on Wednesday.
The report by Human Rights Watch on alleged rebel abuses that followed the October 2011 capture of the city of Sirte in the final major battle of the eight-month civil war is one of the most detailed descriptions of war crimes committed by the militias that toppled Gaddafi, and which still play a major role in Libyan politics today.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/rights-group-accuses-libya-militias-of-executions/article4005352.ece
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Military intervention in Mali: a dangerous idea with too much support
Simon Allison for Daily Maverick
17 October 2012
International support for a military intervention in Mali is gathering momentum quicker than the Harmattan wind blows across the Sahel. In a matter of days, the powers that be (the ones that have the authority and resources to turn intervention talk into boots on the ground) have all come out in favour of getting involved sooner rather than later. Bullish talk from the United States, France, the European Union and, crucially, the United Nations Security Council suggests Mali should get ready for an influx of foreign soldiers.
"It's a matter of weeks, not months, weeks," French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday. This is significant because France is expected to provide the bulk of the logistical support for the mission. The Security Council, meanwhile, has officially indicated that it is willing to give the green light to any intervention plan.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/17/military-intervention-mali-dangerous-idea?newsfeed=true
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Video shows Sudanese forces repeating Darfur genocide, activists claim
16 October 2012
Dramatic video footage and satellite images have revealed Sudanese security forces are waging a violent campaign in the Nuba mountains comparable to war crimes in Darfur, activists have claimed.
The Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP), whose founders include Hollywood actor George Clooney, posted a video online that they say shows the terrifying ordeal of a teenager being tied up and interrogated at gunpoint as a village goes up in flames.
The SSP said a joint unit of Sudanese army, militia and police forces burned and looted Gardud al Badry – a border village so remote it does not appear on maps – in war-torn South Kordofan state on 18 May, then bombarded it with artillery on 29 July.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/16/sudan-genocide-repeat-activists-claim
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More than 600 killed in Sudan warzone: minister
16 Oct 2012
More than 600 people have been killed since rebels began an uprising in two Sudanese states last year, the interior minister said on Tuesday, but an analyst called the figure meaningless.
Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamed, giving a rare casualty count, said in a report to parliament that 296 people were killed in South Kordofan last year after fighting with rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) began in June.
Another 147 have died this year.
"Most of them are civilians," Hamed said, but he did not specify who killed them.
In Blue Nile state, where the ethnic and religious-minority SPLM-N has been fighting since September 2011, there were 159 fatalities last year and 41 so far in 2012, the minister said.
"There's no way of knowing how many people were killed," Magdi El Gizouli, a fellow at the Rift Valley Institute, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55774/World/Region/More-than--killed-in-Sudan-warzone-minister.aspx
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Although the Arab spring is over, the battle still rages on campus
Karin Brulliard
16 October 2012
The serene university in a Tunis suburb hardly looked like a tinderbox of religious strife on a recent sunny morning. Young women in snug T-shirts lounged next to young men on benches. Veiled women strolled with male classmates.
But inside his second-floor office, dean Habib Kazdaghli only half-joked about the University of Manouba evolving into "Manoubistan". He paged through his binder of evidence – news clippings chronicling a nearly year-long campus battle that he says pits "modernist" academics like himself against fundamentalists who want to take Tunisia back centuries.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/16/tunisia-university-kazdaghli-arab-spring
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Pakistan
We targeted Pak girl Malala for opposing Mujahideen and their war: Taliban
Oct 16, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Taliban insurgents said on Tuesday that the Pakistani schoolgirl its gunmen shot in the head deserved to die because she had spoken out against the group and praised US President Barack Obama.
Malala Yousufzai, 14, was flown to Britain on Monday, where doctors said she has every chance of making a "good recovery".
The attack on Yousufzai, who had been advocating education for girls, drew widespread condemnation.
Pakistani surgeons removed a bullet from near her spinal cord during a three-hour operation the day after the attack last week, but she now needs intensive specialist follow-up care.
Authorities have said they have made several arrests in connection with the case but have given no details.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/We-targeted-Pak-girl-Malala-for-opposing-mujahideen-and-their-war-Taliban/articleshow/16839556.cms
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Militant mindset Pakistan’s biggest enemy: Zardari
ANITA JOSHUA
October 17, 2012
President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday described the “militant mindset” that allows a human being to shoot a little girl as the biggest enemy of Pakistan. He made this assertion while addressing the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) in Baku.
Describing Malala Yousafzai as “the daughter of Pakistan — my daughter”, Mr. Zardari said she was a “symbol of all that is good about us and represents the resilience of our girls and women”. By trying to kill her, the terrorists were trying to kill Pakistan, he lamented.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/militant-mindset-pakistans-biggest-enemy-zardari/article4003149.ece
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Belgian al Qaeda recruiter killed in Pakistan: report
October 17, 2012
ISLAMABAD: A Belgian-Tunisian al Qaeda recruiter who allegedly mentored an extremist who shot dead seven people in France this year has been killed in Pakistan, according to the US monitoring service SITE.
SITE said a post on an extremist web forum on Monday announced the death of Moez Garsalloui, who had claimed responsibility for one of the attacks carried out by Mohamed Merah in the southern French city of Toulouse in March.
Garsalloui was a jihadist recruiter and propagandist formerly based in Belgium and Switzerland, SITE said, who remained focused on signing up militants to attack targets in Europe even after moving to the battlefields and training camps of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/17/belgian-al-qaeda-recruiter-killed-in-pakistan-report/
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Child protection and Welfare Bureau: None of the children said they were raped
By Hashim Bin Rashid
October 17, 2012
LAHORE: The allegations that children were sexually abused and exposed to pornography by Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Faisalabad employees could not be sustained, an investigation team constituted by the Faisalabad commissioner says.
However, the report says the children have reported physical abuse, poor food and being forced to work.
The report calls for an inquiry against CPWB DO Umar Daraz Bhatti, the whistle blower, for a “failure of supervision” and has labelled the abuse charges as “politically motivated.” The report also calls for the transfer of four CPWB employees (attendants Shahbaz, Amin and Ashraf and barber Haq Nawaz).
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/452462/child-protection-none-of-the-children-said-they-were-raped-says-investigation-report/
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Rimsha’s petition: IHC extends restraining order
October 17, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday extended the restraining order against the trial of Rimsha Masih, a minor Christian girl who had been accused of committing blasphemy, until Nov 14, DawnNews reported.
The IHC extended the stay during the hearing of a petition filed by the accused girl for quashing the FIR registered against her which she had pleaded was baseless and had been based on false information.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/17/rimshas-petition-ihc-extends-restraining-order/
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Fake degree case: Court issues arrest warrant against KP minister
October 17, 2012
PESHAWAR: A court in Peshawar on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports and Tourism Syed Aqil Shah for submitting a fake graduation degree during the general elections of 2008, DawnNews reported.
The warrant was issued by the court of district and sessions judge during the hearing of a complaint filed against the minister, elected on the ticket of the Awami National Party (ANP), by the regional election commissioner (REC).
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/17/fake-degree-case-court-issues-arrest-warrant-against-kp-minister/
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Shelling from Afghanistan injures three in North Waziristan: officials
Zahir Shah Sherazi
October 17, 2012
PESHAWAR: At least four mortar shells were fired across the border from Afghanistan on Wednesday, injuring three people in Pakistan’s troubled tribal region of North Waziristan, security officials said.
According the officials, the shells hit a residential compound located in Hasan Khel village, around 30 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal region.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/17/shelling-from-afghanistan-injures-three-in-north-waziristan-officials/
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Malala attack: PML-N thwarts govt bid to move resolution in Parliament
Oct 17 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan government was forced to drop a move to seek Parliament's support for action against militants in the wake of the Taliban attack on teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai, due to stiff opposition from PML-N of former Premier Nawaz Sharif.
The PPP-led ruling coalition dropped its plans to introduce a resolution in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament yesterday after opposition from the PML-N.
Though the text of the resolution was not made public, sources said it called for "practical measures" against militants in reaction to the shooting of 14-year-old Malala by the Pakistani Taliban.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/malala-attack-pmln-thwarts-govt-bid-to-move-resolution-in-parliament/1018002/
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Two guards at Malala's school released after interrogation
October 17, 2012
PESHAWAR: Two guards stationed at 14-year-old child activist Malala Yousufzai’s school were released after being taken into custody for interrogation, Express News reported on Wednesday.
Malala, who was shot by the Taliban is currently under treatment at a hospital in Birmingham where she faces a slow but sure road to recovery.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/452770/two-guards-at-malalas-school-released-after-interrogation/
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SC withdraws notices in Sharif’s dual-nationality case
October 17, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday withdrew its notices over dual-nationality case of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif after Punjab opposition leader Raja Riaz said that his statement was misinterpreted, DawnNews reported.
Riaz had allegedly said in a statement that Mr Sharif held dual nationality. Consequently, the apex court summoned the chief minister to state if the claim made by the opposition leader was correct.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/17/sc-withdraws-notices-in-sharifs-dual-nationality-case/
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Pakistan polio worker shot dead in Quetta
October 17, 2012
Gunmen have killed a member of a polio vaccination team in the western Pakistani city of Quetta.
The team were administering polio drops to under-fives on the city outskirts when attackers on a motorcycle opened fire.
One worker was fatally injured and died on the way to hospital. It is not clear who the gunmen were.
The Taliban have issued threats against the polio drive in Pakistan, where polio is still endemic.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19977508
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Pakistan floods kill 455, affect five million
17 Oct 2012
Monsoon floods in Pakistan have killed 455 people over the past five weeks and affected more than five million, according to the latest figures from the government's disaster relief agency.
Pakistan suffered devastating floods in the past two years, including the worst in its history in 2010 when catastrophic inundations across the country killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/55811/World/International/Pakistan-floods-kill-,-affect-five-million.aspx
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Arab World
Saudi Kingdom reiterates support for independent Palestinian state
16 October 2012
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia yesterday reiterated its support for the Palestinian demand to establish an independent state within the borders of June 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital. It also called for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the occupied Arab territories and to stop its attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This came in a speech delivered by Abdullah Almoalimi, Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the United Nations last night before the Security Council in an open debate on the Middle East situation. He criticized the United Nations for ignoring Israel’s continuous occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories, its aggression on religious sanctities and violations of international law.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/kingdom-confirms-right-palestinians-independent-state
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Egyptian Salafists demand increased role for Sharia in constitution
16 Oct 2012
The role Islamic Sharia law in Egypt's new constitution continues to stir controversy almost a week after the Constituent Assembly released its first official draft of the national charter.
Essam Derbala of the Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya's Building and Development Party told Al-Ahram daily newspaper on Tuesday that his party wanted Article 2 of the draft constitution, which specifies the role of Islamic Sharia law, to be changed.
Article 2 currently states that the "principles" of Islamic Sharia law are the main source of legislation. Derbala said he wanted the wording altered so "Islamic Sharia" is the source of all legislation in the country.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55755/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-Salafists-demand-increased-role-for-Shari.aspx
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Qatar announces £157m plan to rebuild Gaza
17 October 2012
Qatar is to spend $254m (£157m) rebuilding Gaza, the biggest injection of reconstruction aid for the Palestinian enclave since it was devastated in an Israeli military offensive nearly four years ago.
The Qatari ambassador Mohammed al-Amadi said cooperation had been arranged with Israel and Egypt to admit building materials and heavy machinery to Gaza, which is under a partial blockade, and work would begin within three months.
The first project will be construction of a highway that will run the length of the Mediterranean coastal strip.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/17/qatar-plan-rebuild-gaza
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Iraqi Shia militants fight for Syria's Assad
Oct 16, 2012
BAGHDAD: Scores of Iraqi Shia militants are fighting in Syria, often alongside President Bashar al-Assad's troops, and pledging loyalty to Iran's supreme Shia religious leader, according to militia fighters and politicians in Iraq.
Iraqi Shia militia involvement in Syria's conflict exposes how rapidly the crisis has spiraled into a proxy war between Assad's main ally Shia Iran and the Sunni Arab Gulf states supporting mostly Sunni rebels fighting the president.
The conflict has already drawn in a stream of Sunni Islamist fighters from across the region attracted to the rebel cause, while on the other side Syrian rebels accuse Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah of supporting Assad's troops on the ground.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iraqi-Shia-militants-fight-for-Syrias-Assad/articleshow/16840908.cms
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Egypt's non-Islamist forces take aim at draft constitutional articles
Gamal Essam El-Din
Tuesday 16 Oct 2012
Egypt's secular forces have criticised two different drafts of Egypt’s long-awaited constitution, both of which were unveiled within the last week.
At a Tuesday meeting of the Constituent Assembly – the body tasked with drawing up a new national charter – Ayman Nour, chairman of the liberal Ghad Al-Thawra Party, said: "It was by no means a good time to unveil the drafts because political forces are still negotiating their differences over a number of key articles." Nour added that the move would "make it quite difficult for Islamist and secular forces to reach a consensus."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55781/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-nonIslamist-forces-take-aim-at-draft-consti.aspx
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Egypt must free Christian held for blasphemy over film: Amnesty
17 Oct 2012
An Egyptian Coptic Christian arrested on suspicion of posting online an anti-Islam film that ignited Muslim protests around the world should be freed immediately, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
Computer science graduate Albert Saber was detained by police in Cairo last month after his neighbours accused him of uploading sections of the film "Innocence of Muslims" and of making another movie that mocks all religions.
The case has raised concerns over freedom of expression under Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who came to power in free elections earlier this year after the 2011 popular uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55808/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-must-free-Christian-held-for-blasphemy-over-.aspx
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Morocco jails activist for 12 years: rights group
16 Oct 2012
A Moroccan court has jailed an activist with the February 20 protest movement for 12 years for taking part in an unauthorised demonstration, a human rights group said on Tuesday, slamming the ruling as an act of vengeance.
The charges against Bashir Benshaib, 32, who was sentenced by an appeals court in Al-Hoceima on Monday, included blocking a road, theft, aggression and drug dealing, Faisal Ousser of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) told AFP.
Benshaib had initially been tried in March this year, the month he was arrested, and handed a five year jail term, with another five year suspended sentence, for organising the unauthorised protest near Al-Hoceima in northern Morocco.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55798/World/Region/Morocco-jails-activist-for--years-rights-group.aspx
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Religious freedom could lead to devil worship: Salafist leader
16 Oct 2012
The latest draft of the constitution does not reflect what was agreed by the Constituent Assembly, Salafist assembly member Yasser Borhamy said Tuesday.
Several articles that had been agreed upon by the assembly, and others that had been suggested for inclusion, had been removed from the latest draft, Borhamy said via a statement on the Salafist Nour Party's Facebook page.
"We will not compromise on several of the removed articles," Borhamy said, especially those relating to rights and freedoms.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55732/Egypt/Politics-/Religious-freedom-could-lead-to-devil-worship-Sala.aspx
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Officials: Attacks Across Baghdad Kill 5 People
October 17, 2012
BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say five people have been killed and 15 have been wounded in bomb attacks across Baghdad.
A police officer says a roadside bomb hit a police patrol early Wednesday morning in western Baghdad, killing two policemen and wounding two others. He says another bomb went off in a grocery market in southern Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding seven.
Another police officer says a third bomb exploded in a market in the city's east. That explosion killed one and wounded six people.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/17/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iraq.html?ref=middleeast
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Syria conflict: UN's Lead investigator gives jihadist warning
October 17, 2012
A UN commission on human rights abuses in Syria has warned of the increasing risk of foreign Islamist militants radicalising the conflict.
Lead investigator Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said the presence of hundreds of "radical Islamists or jihadists" was particularly dangerous.
There have been increasing reports of foreign fighters entering Syria.
A man is due in court in London on Wednesday accused of kidnapping a British photographer in Syria in July.
Shajul Islam, 26, faces charges of imprisoning John Cantlie and Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans against their will for nine days.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19972456
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Man, 26, charged over Syria kidnapping of UK photographer
October 17, 2012
A 26-year-old man has been charged with the kidnap of a British photographer in Syria, the Metropolitan Police says.
Shajul Islam is accused of imprisoning John Cantlie and Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans against their will.
Mr Islam was arrested at Heathrow airport on 9 October and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19965670
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Syria dismisses truce talk
October 17, 2012
The Syrian government on Wednesday said the international envoy’s call for a holiday ceasefire would likely fail because the rebels fighting to topple Bashar Assad’s regime have no unified leadership to agree to it.
The envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, had asked Iranian officials to help broker a truce during the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which falls later this month.
But Syria’s state-run Al-Thawra newspaper, a government mouthpiece, said on Wednesday that the biggest obstacle to the truce was the lack of an authority to sign for the rebels.
“There is the state, represented by the government and the Army on one front, but who is on the other front,” the paper asked in an editorial.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/syria-dismisses-truce-talk/article4005625.ece
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North America
'9/11 mastermind' Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to wear fatigues at Guantanamo trial
Oct 17, 2012
US NAVAL BASE AT GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA: Self-declared 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be allowed to wear military-style camouflage at his Guantanamo Bay trial, a military judge ruled on Tuesday.
What KSM and four alleged co-conspirators will wear when they eventually appear before a military tribunal has been disputed in pre-trial hearings, but his defense argued that he had the right to choose military garb.
"Mr. Mohammed is a detained enemy prisoner of war. He wanted to wear the same type of uniform he wore while fighting for the US-supported Mujahedeen in Afghanistan and in Bosnia," argued military lawyer Captain Jason Wright.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/9/11-mastermind-Khalid-Sheikh-Mohammed-to-wear-fatigues-at-Guantanamo-trial/articleshow/16845283.cms
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Obama assumes responsibility for Libya consulate attack
Oct 17 201
Washington : Obama assumes responsibility for Libya consulate attack
President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he was ultimately responsible for the safety and security of the four Americans killed in last month's attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
I'm the president and I'm always responsible, Obama said during a high-stakes debate with Republican rival Mitt Romney at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, just three weeks before Election Day.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama-assumes-responsibility-for-libya-consulate-attack/1017932/
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CAIR Offers Free 'Muslim Voter Power' Posters, Lawn Signs to Mosques
10/16/2012
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/16/2012) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced that it is offering free "MVP - Muslim Voter Power" get-out-the-vote posters and lawn signs designed to encourage Muslims to vote in next month's presidential election to mosques and other Islamic institutions nationwide. (NOTE: Quantities are limited.)
CAIR's election materials include the text "All-American MVP, Muslim Voter Power, Make a difference."
Full report at:
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Appeals Court Overturns Terrorism Conviction of Bin Laden’s Driver
By JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr.
October 17, 2012
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Friday overturned the terrorism conviction of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden whose case has been one of the most tangled to emerge from the war crimes trials of detainees held by the military at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The court found that Mr. Hamdan’s conviction by a military commission for providing material support for terrorism could not stand because, under the international law of war in effect at the time of his actions, there was no such defined war crime.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/us/politics/appeals-court-overturns-terrorism-
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South Asia
Maldives: Bill of amendments to Religious Unity Act returned to committee
By Mariyath Mohamed | October 16th, 2012
The bill of amendments to the Religious Unity Act has been sent back to the Social Affairs Committee on Monday for further revision after a mere 16 out of 66 MPs in attendance voted for it to be passed.
Late MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, who was brutally murdered at the beginning of this month, had submitted the bill proposing a total of 11 amendments to the Religious Unity Act on June 7, 2010. The Social Affairs committee had completed its research into the bill on June 20, 2012.
The bill had been presented to the parliament floor for discussion on October 9, 2012. Members had submitted an additional 11 recommended amendments to the bill then, of which some were passed during Monday’s voting session.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/bill-of-amendments-to-religious-unity-act-returned-to-committee-45523
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Afghan troops hurt in car bomb at NATO-Afghan Paktia base
October 17, 2012
At least 45 Afghan troops have been injured by a suicide car bomb attack at an Afghan-NATO military outpost in eastern Paktia province, say officials.
The attacker reportedly detonated a vehicle packed with exlposives close to gates at the Zurmat base.
Deputy provincial governor Abdul Rahman Mangal said most of the injured soldiers had been hit by broken glass.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-19974400
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NATO in Afghanistan expresses regret over civilian deaths
October 17, 2012
NATO forces in Afghanistan have expressed regret over the deaths of "three innocent Afghan civilians" during an operation against insurgents in the south of the country on Sunday.
NATO says the three died during an operation in Helmand province against suspected insurgents laying improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The statement said that NATO troops may have "accidentally killed" them.
There has been no response to the statement from the Afghan government.
But it and President Hamid Karzai have in recent years been strongly critical of civilian casualties caused by NATO.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19961641
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Chinese leader to visit Pakistan amid preparations for leadership change at home
Oct 17, 2012
BEIJING: Chinese president Hu Jintao sent senior leader, Li Changchun, to Islamabad and Dhaka for "official goodwill visits" starting Wednesday. The move is surprising since the Communist Party's leadership change is due on November 8.
Li is among leaders who will vacate his seat in the party's political standing committee, which effectively rules the country. Seven of the nine members in this committee will be replaced during the leadership shuffle.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Chinese-leader-to-visit-Pakistan-amid-preparations-for-leadership-change-at-home/articleshow/16844561.cms
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97% lawmakers in Bangladesh tainted: study
October 17, 2012
Almost 97% of lawmakers in Bangladesh were found involved in “negative activities” and 70% in virtual “criminal acts”, a watchdog has revealed.
A study conducted by the Berlin-based Transparency International (TIB) said that most of the lawmakers are influencing administrative
decisions in an undue manner, controlling educational institutions, misusing development allocations, supporting or getting involved with criminal activities and influencing public procurement.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Bangladesh/97-lawmakers-in-Bangladesh-tainted-study/Article1-945825.aspx
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Karzai writes letter to ANP Chief condemning attack on Malala
October 17, 2012
In a letter written to Awami National Party’s (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali, condemning the attack on 14-year-old child activist Malala Yousufzai, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that it was also an attack on Afghan girls, Express News reported Wednesday.
In the letter, Karzai stated that Afghanistan feels the grief the incident has brought to Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/452774/karzai-writes-letter-to-asfandyar-wali-condemning-attack-on-malala/
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Europe
UK-Saudi relations strained by 'support' of Arab spring changes
Ian Black
17 October 2012
Britain's relations with Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf states are coming under strain because of mounting nervousness over the changes the Arab spring has brought to the Middle East.
Billions of pounds worth of exports and thousands of jobs could be at risk in rows with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over a British parliamentary investigation and the role of Islamists in a changing political landscape.
Prime minister David Cameron is expected to tackle the issues at a gala dinner of the Conservative Middle East Council on Wednesday.
In a report on human rights by the Commons foreign affairs committee (FAC) published on Wednesday, MPs criticise the government for failing to boycott the Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain earlier this year because of concerns over abuses in the island state. The MPs express concern that "political and strategic factors" coloured the decision not to list the kingdom alongside other states held responsible for abuses.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/17/uk-saudi-relations-arab-spring
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UN: Islamists threaten to radicalize Syrian war
17 October 2012
UNITED NATIONS: The head of a UN-appointed panel probing alleged war crimes in Syria warned Tuesday that the presence of hundreds of radical Islamists threatens to radicalize the 19-month conflict which is already witnessing a dramatic rise in ethnic tensions.
Brazilian professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said at a news conference that the panel is afraid these foreign militants and radical Jihadists are not fighting for democracy and freedom but have their own radical agendas.
“I think this is a presence that worries us very much,” he said. “Their presence can contribute to the radicalization in this conflict ... (and) is particularly dangerous in an already very volatile conflict.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/un-islamists-threaten-radicalize-syrian-war
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Rwandan minister commands Congo rebels, says UN report
17 October 2012
Rwanda's defence minister is commanding rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo who are being armed by Rwanda and Uganda, both of which sent troops to help insurgents in a deadly attack on UN peacekeepers, according to a UN report.
The UN Security Council’s group of experts say in a confidential report that Rwanda and Uganda – despite their strong denials – continue to support M23 rebels in their six-month fight against Congolese government troops in North Kivu province.
"Both Rwanda and Uganda have been supporting M23," says the 44-page report, which Reuters saw on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/17/rwanda-minister-commanding-congo-rebels
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Vatican tries to create distance from row over Muslim Demographics video
Tom Kington Rome
16 October 2012
The Vatican has distanced itself from a row over Muslim immigrants in Europe triggered by the showing at a synod of a video that claims "Europe as we know it will cease to exist."
Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Vatican's council for justice and peace – and seen as a possible future pope – played the disputed video in a discussion period on Saturday during a synod attended by 262 bishops from across the world.
Entitled Muslim Demographics, and viewed more than 13m times on YouTube since its release in 2009, the seven-minute long video claims Muslim immigration and higher birth rates means France will become "an Islamic republic" within 39 years.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/16/vatican-distance-muslim-demographics-video
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Former Bosnian Leader Begins His Defense at Genocide Trial
By MARLISE SIMONS
October 17, 2012
PARIS — He was once known for his virulent speeches throughout Bosnia, but on Tuesday as Radovan Karadzic began his defense in a new phase of his genocide trial, he told international judges that he was a “mild and tolerant man” and that instead of standing accused, he should be “rewarded for all the good things I have done.”
It was Mr. Karadzic’s turn to have his say, after prosecutors had presented him as the architect of a brutal three-year war.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/world/europe/radovan-karadzic-former-bosnian-
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Mideast Asia
Lawyers investigating Yasser Arafat's death question widow
17 Oct, 2012
French lawyers investigating the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have questioned his widow as a witness.
A source told the AFP news agency that investigators spoke to Suha Arafat, who believes her husband may have been poisoned, in France last month.
Recently, privately-hired Swiss scientists found high levels of the radioactive material, polonium-210, on Arafat's personal effects.
They will accompany French prosecutors to the West Bank next month.
The former leader died in France in 2004, reportedly following a stroke resulting from a blood disorder.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19977953
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Israel forced to release study on Gaza blockade
By Jon Donnison
BBC News, Gaza City
An Israeli court has forced the release of government research detailing the number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume to avoid malnutrition.
The study was commissioned after Israel tightened its blockade of the territory after Hamas came to power in June 2007.
Human rights groups say the research shows Israel's blockade amounted to collective punishment.
The Israeli government says the study was only ever a draft and was never used to determine policy.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19975211
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Palestinians to vote again after 7 year hiatus
Dalia Hatuqaspecial
October 17, 2012
Ramallah:Just ahead of the much-vaunted local Palestinian elections, tensions flared amidst rivalling campaigners and billboards and brochures peppered the West Bank cities and villages. For the first time since 2005,municipal elections were set to take place in the West Bank on October 20, and with campaigning lasting about two weeks, election fever reached a level high.
The elections, however, are being confined to Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) factions and independents, as Hamas announced a boycott in the West Bank. Palestinian residents of Occupied Jerusalem are not allowed to participate. The Gaza Strip, controlled by the Islamic Resistance Movement, is not partaking in these elections. Some Islamist candidates, however, are participating as independents.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/palestinians-to-vote-again-after-7-year-hiatus-1.1090454
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Iran Sanctions May Cut Supply of Currency
By RICK GLADSTONE
October 17, 2012
Western economic sanctions imposed on Iran over its disputed nuclear program have severely depressed the value of its national currency, the rial, causing higher inflation and forcing Iranians to carry ever-fatter wads of bank notes to buy everyday items. But the sanctions have also presented a new complication to Iran’s banking authorities: they may not be able to print enough money.
At least three European companies that have been providing currency production services to Iran say they have stopped doing business there. One of the companies, Koenig & Bauer AG of Würzburg, Germany, also says it has not responded to an Iranian request for bids to make presses to print new rials.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/world/middleeast/irans-supply-of-currency-may-be-
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Three Turkish Soldiers Killed in PKK Attacks on Outposts
October 17, 2012
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Kurdish militants attacked military outposts in southeast Turkey overnight, killing three Turkish soldiers, security sources said on Wednesday.
Armed with mortars and rifles, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas launched the raids at Cukurca in Hakkari province, a mountainous area bordering Iraq and Iran, the sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/17/world/middleeast/17reuters-turkey-kurds.html?ref=middleeast
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Yemeni Debate Over Drones Emerges After Saleh's Fall
October 17, 2012
SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's interim president has won U.S. praise for cooperating in a war on al Qaeda, but his recent public support for drone strikes that sometimes kill civilians could undermine his domestic popularity and stir sympathy for militants.
Yemen, an Arabian Peninsula country where al Qaeda militants exploited a security vacuum during last year's rising against Ali Abdullah Saleh, has witnessed an escalated campaign of U.S. missile strikes in recent months, often using the pilotless aircraft known as drones.
In a departure from Saleh's policies, Hadi spoke openly in favour of the drone strikes during a trip to the United States last month. Praised by the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa as being more effective against al Qaeda than his predecessor, Hadi was quoted as saying that he personally approved every attack.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/17/world/17reuters-yemen-
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Ours is a peaceful N-programme: Iran
Indrani Bagchi
Oct 17, 2012
NEW DELHI: As the European Union (EU) slapped further sanctions on Iran's gas, oil and maritime sectors for its nuclear programme, Tehran declared there was an "easy solution" to the nuclear dispute.
Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, said all Iran wants is a Western "recognition". "We want them (the West) to recognize our right to a peaceful nuclear programme under the NPT. If they just say this, we would agree to a settlement," the Iranian functionary said. The longer "they" delay a settlement, he added, the closer Iran would get to acquiring a complete nuclear programme. Araghchi is in India for the 10th round of strategic dialogue with foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Ours-is-a-peaceful-N-programme-Iran/articleshow/16843659.cms
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Iran says “tangible” progress in India-Afghanistan link
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
October 17, 2012
Iran on Tuesday said there had been “tangible” progress in the development of the Chah-bahar port which would serve as the shortest route for ingress into Afghanistan for India.
Asked about the status of the port, about which India and Iran had claimed breakthroughs on several occasions, senior diplomat Seyyed Abbas Araghchi admitted that the “idea was there” but “we have just started in a tangible way.”
The issue is likely to come up for discussions during the Iranian Foreign Minister’s upcoming trip to India which will be followed by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to Tehran next month.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iran-says-tangible-progress-in-indiaafghanistan-link/article4003285.ece
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Iranian and Israeli activists should form a new alliance for peace
Shirin Barghi, Keith Kahn-Harris and Joel Schalit
17 October 2012 0
When it comes to political protest, the conflict between Israel and its neighbours inspires wearily predictable responses. Following every flare-up, pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protesters mass in front of the Israeli embassy in Kensington. Pro-Israeli demonstrators rally in Trafalgar Square. So ritualistic have such practices become, it's practically impossible to imagine how these two sides might reconcile.
The situation is compounded by the tendency of activists to swallow feelings of ambivalence in the pursuit of polarised forms of "solidarity" that eschew doubt. Many of those who demonstrate for Israel are privately horrified by Israeli actions, but hide their doubts because of fear of undermining Israel's security. Many of those who demonstrate against Israel are similarly concerned about the rise of fundamentalism in Islamic countries and among Palestinians.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/oct/17/iranian-israeli-activists-alliance-peace
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Southeast Asia
TNI chief apologizes for assaults of journalists
Bagus BT Saragih
October 17 2012
Adm. Agus Suhartono: Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Admiral. (Antaranews.com)
Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Agus Suhartono apologized on Wednesday for assaults on journalists by Air Force personnel in Riau.
“I am concerned over the unexpected incident. I, as the leader of the TNI, hereby apologize to the mass media, especially to the journalists involved in the incident,” Agus told reporters at the State Palace, who had pursued him for comment on the incident.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/17/tni-chief-apologizes-assaults-journalists.html
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Journos across Indonesia stage protests against military brutality
Ansyor Idrus and Ruslan Sangadji
October 17 2012
Groups of journalists across the country staged protests against military brutality against the press on Wednesday. The incidents of brutality occurred after an Indonesian Air Force Hawk 200 jet crashed in Kampar, Pekanbaru, Riau, on Tuesday.
Five reporters who were covering the crash—Didik Herwanto (Riau Pos daily), Andika Pratama (Vokal daily), F.B. Rian Anggoro (Antara news agency), Robi Fahrianto (Riau TV) and M. Arifin (TV One)—were beaten and kicked by members of the military. Their cameras were seized by Air Force officers during the commotion. Air Force spokesman Air Commodore Azman Yunus was quick to respond to the ensuing public outcry saying that the events were inexcusable.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/17/journos-across-indonesia-stage-protests-against-military-brutality.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shia-sunni-muslim-clerics-demand/d/9020