World Court Issues New Arrest Warrant for Sudan President
Top RSS Man Gave Sim For Terror strikesIran scientist flees to Pakistan embassy in US: Reports
Karachi: Seminar held to highlight rights of minorities in Islam
India-born sentenced to 8 years in prison in US terrorism case
FBI agent blames 26/11 mayhem on ‘unprepared’ Mumbai police
Iran’s nuke capability not violation of NPT: Russian President
Iran close to nuclear weapons: Russia
Somalia's al Shabaab claims deadly Uganda attacks, threatens more
Prof. Akhtarul Wasey off to Singapore to attend international seminar
3 UK Muslims Get Lifer After Third Trial
British county guidelines No swimming, sex education during Ramzan
US: Turkey agrees to stay out of Iran nuclear issue
Qaida mag is out, offers tips on how to make a bomb
Karzai wants 50 Taliban off blacklist
Explosives, weapons seized near Kerala mosque
VHP call for fatwa irks Muslim clerics
Lahore : interfaith solidarity towards Sufis targeted by terrorism
Kingdom top terror finance fighter
Draft Border Guard Bangladesh Bill, 2010 approved
BMA demands speedy trial of war criminals
Bihar panchayat strips woman
Prophet cartoonist on cleric's hit list
Bangladesh charges 824 in deadly 2009 mutiny
20 kilos of 20pc enriched uranium ready: Iran
Morocco theater school wages battle for youth
SIMI activists arrested
Parties seek independent probe into J&K civilian deaths
J&K: Soon, pepper guns to quell slingshots
After curfew, bandh brings life in Valley to a standstill
Madani moves HC for advance bail
US: Turkey agrees to stay out of Iran nuclear issue
Sufi shrine attack makes Pakistan go after Jaish, others
Three terror “foot-soldiers” jailed for life
Oldest text found in Jerusalem
Muslim community split on RTE Act
Pak spy had licence, voter ID card: Police
Omar for Central role in ending stalemate
Army not to change Kargil war history
Four Indians sentenced to death in two Sharjah cases
Chargesheet against Qasab in the next two days
Iraq house of horror reopens after fix-up
Taliban to review Swat ceasefire deal on expiry
Shoura puts curbs on vehicles entering Makkah during Haj
Inquest starts into death of Egyptian spy suspect
Canadian captive rejects Guantanamo plea deal
Civilian deaths rise in Afghanistan: Report
Afghanistan frees more suspected Taleban
BJP: Worst phase in history of J&K
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Sudan President Omar al-Bashir
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World court issues new arrest warrant for Sudan president
Jul 13, 2010
AMSTERDAM: The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on Monday for Sudan's President Omar Bashir for orchestrating genocide in the Darfur region, where as many as 300,000 people have died since 2003.
The genocide charge follows an ICC arrest warrant issued against Bashir in March 2009 for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has dismissed the court's claims.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe him responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, that include: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction," ICC appeals judges said in a statement.
Bashir says the allegations made by the ICC, the world's first permanent court for prosecuting war crimes, are part of a Western conspiracy. The ICC warrant was the first issued against a sitting head of state by the court.
Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem, Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, called the new arrest warrant a "malignant and desperate attempt" to destabilize the country.
"We condemn this move in the strongest terms and we are confident that the Sudanese people and all peace-loving nations will ensure the demise of this criminal institution," Abdalhaleem said in a statement, referring to the ICC.
Bashir remains at large as the ICC has no police force and depends on national authorities and states that have signed up to the court to make arrests.
He has visited several countries not bound by the court's rules since the warrant was issued but the genocide charges could further restrict his movements and support from other countries, given their gravity.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article83157.ece
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TOP RSS MAN GAVE SIM FOR TERRORSTRIKES
By Dalip Singh in New Delhi
RSS man Varshney allegedly got SIMs for Ajmer &Mecca Masjid blasts
Other top office- bearers of Hindutva outfit under scanner
INVESTIGATORS probing the Hindutva terror blasts that rocked Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan and Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid are untangling a complex web of SIM card transfers, pointing the finger of suspicion to a senior RSS functionary.
Ashok Varshney, former prant pracharak of the RSS in Jharkhand, allegedly sourced and handed over two SIM cards to Devender Gupta, key accused in the October 11, 2007, Ajmer Sharif blast, investigators said. These SIM cards were also allegedly used to stage the May 18, 2007, Mecca Masjid explosion. As many as 17 people died in the two terror strikes.
Investigators said they were still in the process of gathering evidence on the exact usage of the SIM cards in the two strikes, and added these might have been used to trigger the low- intensity explosions at both places.
These SIMs were procured from Hyderabad and Ajmer and passed on to Gupta, also an RSS worker.
Rajasthan Police arrested Gupta with two others on April 30 this year in connection with the terror strike at the Ajmer Sharif dargah , allegedly masterminded by Hindutva activists.
Acting on specific leads, the anti- terrorism squads ( ATS) of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI), have questioned Varshney as well as RSS central committee member Ashok Berry several times since June 21 both at Lucknow and Delhi.
Investigators said they had confronted Varshney and Berry on the SIM card purchases, but both stoutly denied the charges and insisted that Gupta had acted on his own. Varshney’s defence has all along been that he was never present at either of the blast sites — Ajmer and Hyderabad — and, therefore, could not have sourced the cards.
ATS officials had said Gupta had procured at least one SIM card from Dumka near Jamtara in Jharkhand. In all, nine SIM cards were procured from various locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand, in addition to Hyderabad and Ajmer. However, it is not known which of these were utilised to trigger the blasts.
Despite Varshney’s dogged denials, the CBI insists that it sees similarities between the mobile phone- detonated explosives used in Ajmer and Hyderabad, and that it was more than likely that the same module was working on putting the bombs together. In fact, CBI director Ashwani Kumar has confirmed this on record.
“ There is a definite link between the Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts,” he said recently.
He had specifically named Sunil Joshi, another RSS activist. “ He played a key role in orchestrating the Ajmer blast… and a set of mobile SIM cards were used to activate the bombs, first in Ajmer and then again in Hyderabad,” Kumar said.
Though Varshney denied any involvement in sourcing the SIM cards, both he and Berry acknowledged their association with Gupta. In fact, before his arrest on April 30, Gupta had stayed at Varshney’s Kanpur home. From there, he went to Sitapur where Hindutva leaders had arranged a safe house for him.
A CBI team traced these links and arrived at Sitapur recently looking for more evidence against Varshney and Berry. Following these leads, CBI summoned the RSS leaders last week to Delhi and questioned them further, looking to piece together strands of the conspiracy that led to the terror strikes at Ajmer, Hyderabad and Malegaon in Maharashtra.
Investigators now concede that as they dig further, more rightwing Hindutva leaders are likely to come under the scanner. The RSS would find it difficult to deny their association with Varshney and Berry. Berry was, till now, the kshetra pracharak (regional in-charge) of Uttar Pradesh. He is also a member of the RSS national executive, which has between 15 and 20 members. Varshney was the prant pracharak (state incharge) of Jharkhand.
Therefore, in a meeting between top RSS functionary Madan Das Debi with the BJP brass — Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and organisation secretary Ram Lal — on July 7, the discussion reportedly centred around future strategy depending on how deep the Congress- led government would dig in probing the RSS for terror links.
Subsequent to this meeting, Varshney reportedly met with Jaitley, but the BJP chose to not comment on the meeting saying nothing of this sort had happened.
The “ political and legal” ramifications of the investigating agencies probing Sangh links with terror strikes, especially regarding Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts were discussed.
The RSS, however, has completely denied all association with any terror outfit. “ The position of the Sangh was articulated by our sarkaryavah Bhaiyyaji Joshi some time back,” RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya said. “ We maintain that terrorism should be dealt with strongly. The Sangh is a cultural organisation and we have nothing to do with any of these activities. The RSS denounces violence of any kind.” On the other hand, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad was ambivalent whether the party will provide legal assistance to the RSS functionaries accused of terror links. “ It is the right of every accused to have legal assistance. But where does the question of the RSS needing legal help arise? As far as the BJP is concerned, our position on terrorism remains the same, that it should be dealt with strongly and that the government should not play vote bank politics,” Prasad said.
Mail Today
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Iran scientist flees to Pakistan embassy in US: Reports
Jul 13, 2010
TEHRAN: An Iranian nuclear scientist whom Tehran claims was abducted by US spies last year has taken refuge at Pakistan's embassy in Washington, state media reported on Tuesday.
"Shahram Amiri, the abducted Iranian expert, took refuge in Iran's interest section in Washington hours ago," state television's website said.
Mehr news agency said Amiri who was "abducted by Americans went to Iran's interest section... and asked for a quick return to Tehran."
State news agency IRNA, meanwhile, quoted an "informed source" from the Iranian foreign ministry as saying that its officials had "contacted the Iranian interest section in Washington which confirmed the report that Shahram Amiri had taken refuge there."
Iran's interests in the United States are managed by the Pakistan embassy as Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties for more than three decades.
Neither Pakistan embassy nor US state department officials were immediately available for comment.
Iranian officials have long maintained that Amiri was kidnapped by US agents from Saudi Arabia last year after he arrived for a Muslim pilgrimage.
Iran last week said it had submitted "evidence" to the Swiss embassy that Amiri was abducted by US intelligence agents. The Swiss embassy manages Washington's interests in Iran.
"We expect that based on the US administration's obligations... the US authorities will announce the results of their investigation regarding this Iranian national," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanaparast had said.
On June 29, Iranian television screened a video of a man claiming to be Amiri and saying that he had managed to escape from the hands of US intelligence agents in Virginia.
"I could be re-arrested at any time by US agents... I am not free and I'm not allowed to contact my family. If something happens and I do not return home alive, the US government will be responsible," he said.
"I ask Iranian officials and organizations that defend human rights to raise pressure on the US government for my release and return to my country," the man said, adding he has not "betrayed" Iran.
US officials have dismissed the allegations in the Iranian broadcast.
Amiri disappeared in June 2009 after arriving in Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage. Iran accused US agents of abducting him with the help of Saudi intelligence services.
US television network ABC reported in March that Amiri, in his early 30s, had defected and was working with the Central Intelligence Agency.
The ABC report said that US agents described the defection as "an intelligence coup" in efforts to undermine Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
Amiri's disappearance "was part of a long-planned CIA operation to get him to defect," ABC reported. US officials have rejected these allegations.
Iran has summoned at least twice the Swiss ambassador in Tehran over the matter and demanded the release and repatriation of Amiri along with 10 other Iranian nationals who it says have been "illegally detained" in the United States.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/Iran-scientist-flees-to-Pakistan-embassy-in-US-Reports/articleshow/6162582.cms
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Karachi: Seminar held to highlight rights of minorities in Islam
July 13, 2010
Islam is a religion of brotherhood and impartiality, which calls for equal rights amongst all the minority communities, speakers said at a seminar on “Islam and minority rights” organised by the Upgrade Minorities for Integrated Development (UMID) at the PMA house on Monday.
The seminar revolved around the rights of non-Muslims in Islam. Speaking on the occasion, MPA Pitamber Sewani said that Islam is a universal religion which promotes the rights of the minority communities. He said that other religions and their holy books such as Gita and Guru Giranth Sahib also highlight the importance of unity amongst the humanity. He said that with the current budget, which has been allocated for the minority department, jobs and better facilities are being provided to the minority communities.
A professor at the University of Karachi, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Samo said that the Holy Quran terms all human beings, be it Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian or from any other religion as ‘Hazrat Adam’s Aulad. “Unfortunately, the humanity is being killed in the name of religion. Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always called for equality between all communities and said that when Muslims would commit crimes against the non-Muslims they would be punished.” He then cited examples of Hazrat Umar’s regime, where the non-Muslims were justly treated, and said that once impoverished non-Muslims were given aid from Bait-ul-Maal.
Professor Ziauddin, Khateeb of a Jamia Majid, said in Islam, killing a human is equal to killing whole humanity. He said that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) readily forgave his enemies and treated the non-Muslims with kindness and patience. He added that terrorists have sprouted across country and they are not only attacking the Muslims but also the Non-Muslims.
Zulfiqar Shah, joint director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) concurred and said that due to the increasing threat of the extremists in the country, the houses of worship of Muslims as well as of the minorities are being attacked. He then highlighted the plight of the scheduled caste Hindu, the low caste that is deprived of basic facilities such as housing, healthcare and education. He demanded that the government must pay attention towards them and said that out of the several projects launched by the government, not a single one is for the impoverished caste of the minorities.
President of UMID, Avinash Hari said that there should be no concept of majority or minority in the country. “Everyone is citizen of the country so why draw a line between the people on the basis of religion.” He then discussed the objectives and structure of the organisation by showing a presentation to the audience, saying that the aim is to develop a prosperous society without poverty and inequality. He said that his organisation working to raise awareness amongst the impoverished minority community to mobilise and improve their overall living conditions.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=250424
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India-born sentenced to 8 years in prison in US terrorism case
Jul 13, 2010
WASHINGTON: An Ohio court has sentenced two American cousins, one born in India and the other in Chicago, to prison terms for supporting terrorists in a plot to attack American soldiers overseas.
While India-born Khaleel Ahmed, 29, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, his cousin Zubair Ahmed, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday by US District Judge James Carr in Toledo, Ohio.
"These sentences send a strong message that we will aggressively go after those who would do harm to our servicemen and servicewomen," US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven M. Dettelbach said.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Indians-Abroad/India-born-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison-in-US-terrorism-case/articleshow/6161450.cms
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FBI agent blames 26/11 mayhem on ‘unprepared’ Mumbai police
S Rajagopalan | Washington
An FBI agent, who helped investigate the Mumbai massacre, has blamed the high casualties in the brazen attacks on the city police’s unpreparedness, with many officers unarmed and lacking anti-terrorism training.
The “crippling flaw” in the Mumbai police’s defence against the initial assault was that its officers didn’t even carry weapons — leading to dozens of people being mowed down during the attacks, the Miami Herald quoted Special Agent Anthony Tindall as saying.
“In the United States, we would bring guns and bullets much quicker than the Indians could have,” Tindall told members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and others gathered for a presentation at Coral Gables, a Miami suburb, last week.
“Half of these guys (Mumbai police personnel) weren’t armed. That’s half the battle,” noted Sgt Alan Maltas of Coral Gables. “If something like this happened here (in the US), we would respond with a more organised attack,” added Detective Ivan Carbera.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/268780/FBI-agent-blames-26/11-mayhem-on-%E2%80%98unprepared%E2%80%99-Mumbai-police.html
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Iran’s nuke capability not violation of NPT: Russian President
Vinay Shukla
Iran is quite close to acquiring nuclear weapons potential, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday but insisted that the capability per se does not amount to a violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Medvedev called for continuation of dialogue with Tehran on the issue of its controversial nuclear programme and suggested that sanctions might not yield desired results.
“Sanctions, as a rule, do not produce desired results, what we need is patience and earliest resumption of a productive dialogue with Tehran,” Medvedev told a conference of Russian ambassadors in world capitals.
“If the diplomacy misses this chance, it would be our collective failure,” Medvedev cautioned.
He conceded that Iran is nearing potentials, which may be used in principle to create nuclear weapons, but pointed out that this potential by itself is not a violation of NPT, ITAR TASS said.
“But this capability in itself is not a violation of NPT,” Medvedev declared.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/268795/Iran%E2%80%99s-nuke-capability-not-violation-of-NPT-Russian-President.html
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Iran close to nuclear weapons: Russia
By DENIS DYOMKIN
Jul 13, 2010
MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave the strongest sign yet on Monday that Moscow is moving closer to the West's stance on Iran, saying it was clear Tehran was gaining the ability to build a nuclear bomb.
Medvedev's comments were the starkest criticism of Iran's nuclear program to emerge from the Kremlin under Medvedev or his predecessor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and signal Moscow may be losing patience after years of a soft line toward Tehran.
"It is obvious that Iran is moving closer to possessing the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of nuclear weapons," Medvedev told a biannual meeting of Russia's ambassadors in Moscow.
"Iran is not acting in the best way," Medvedev said. He called on Tehran to "show openness and cooperate" with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The United States, major European Union powers and Israel say they suspect that Iran is trying to build atomic weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear program. Iran denies that and says it has a right to nuclear power.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article83058.ece
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Somalia's al Shabaab claims deadly Uganda attacks, threatens more
Jul 12, 2010
KAMPALA: Somali Islamists said on Monday they had carried out two bomb attacks in Uganda that killed 74 soccer fans watching the World Cup final on television.
The explosions in the closing moments of Sunday's match ripped through a crowded restaurant and a rugby club in the capital Kampala.
Al Shabaab militants in anarchic Somalia had already threatened to attack Uganda for sending peacekeeping troops to prop up its fragile, Western-backed government.
In Mogadishu, the group threatened more attacks unless Uganda and Burundi withdrew their peacekeepers. "Al Shabaab was behind the two bomb blasts in Uganda," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told reporters.
"We are sending a message to Uganda and Burundi: If they do not take out their AMISOM troops from Somalia, blasts will continue, and it will happen in Bujumbura too."
Al Shabaab is fighting the Somali government and claims links with Al-Qaeda.
"At one of the scenes, investigators identified a severed head of a Somali national, which we suspect could have been a suicide bomber," said army spokesman Felix Kulayigye. "We suspect it's al Shabaab because they've been promising this."
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article83156.ece
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Prof. Akhtarul Wasey off to Singapore to attend international seminar
July 13, 2010
New Age Islam News Bureau
New Delhi: The Vice Chairman of Delhi Urdu Academy and renowned Islamic Scholar Prof. Akhtarul Wasey has left for Singapore to attend an international seminar which is being organised jointly by Islamic Religious Council, Singapore, Faculty or Oriental Studies, Oxford University, National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia and the Department of Malai Studies, National University of Singapore. The central theme of the seminar is “ Muslims in multicultural societies”. From India, Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, head of the Department of Islamic Studies in Jamia Millia Islami, New Delhi has been invited to speak on the topic. The other dignitaries to attend to attend the seminar are Tariq Ramadhan, Oxford, Abdullah Saeed, Melbourne, Dr Faisal Abdur Rauf, the US, Imam Sanaed, Norway, Dr Khalid Masood, Pakistan, Al Bakri Ahmad, Singapore, Mohammad Allami Moosa, Singapore, Prof. Amir Alyawi, Indonesia. He will read his paper on the multicultural society in India especially in the light of the 1000 year old history of Muslims in India. He will also speak on the approach to multiculturalism adopted by Sir Syed in the 19th century and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the 20th century.
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3 UK Muslims Get Lifer After Third Trial
Jul 13th, 2010
London, July 12: Three British Muslims on Monday were sentenced to life terms in prison for plotting to blow up planes mid-flight between the UK and the United States and Canada by using liquid explosives. The verdict came after they faced their third trial in the case.
The Woolwich Crown court on Monday sentenced the trio — Ibrahim Savant, 29, Arafat Waheed Khan, 29, and Waheed Zaman,
26, — for life, to serve a minimum punishment of 20 years each, after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
The London-based men were part of a group of seven suspects who were arrested for the liquid bomb plot in the UK in August 2006. The arrests in 2006 had led to a ban on airline passengers travelling to and from airports in Britain from carrying liquids in the hand baggage.
http://www.asianage.com/international/3-uk-muslims-get-lifer-after-third-trial-752
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British county guidelines No swimming, sex education during Ramzan
VENKATA VEMURI
The guidelines want cancellation of sex education classes because Muslims are expected to avoid sexual thoughts while fasting
A British county council has issued guidelines for its schools for the month of Ramzan. These range from deferring swimming lessons to stopping sex education to respect the sentiments of Muslim students during the month.
Ramzan is expected to begin mid-August when all
schools are closed for summer holidays.
But it will continue till the first week of September when the new term starts.
All primary schools and secondary schools in Stoke-onTrent have been issued with the guidance aimed at Muslim pupils who may still be fasting when the new term begins. The guidelines advise schools not to hold exams or parents’ meetings
and social events after school. They are also directed to avoid swimming lessons to avoid the risk of students swallowing water.
Full report at: The Asian Age
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US: Turkey agrees to stay out of Iran nuclear issue
13 Jul. 10
WASHINGTON: A senior US official says that Turkey has agreed to stay out of international efforts to pressure Iran on its nuclear program.
The official told reporters that US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton had asked Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu in a 45 minute conversation Monday to leave the issue to US Security council powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation, said Davutoglu agreed.
US-Turkish relations have suffered since Turkey voted against US-backed sanctions that ultimately passed in the UN Security Council last month.
The vote came shortly after Turkey tried to broker a nuclear fuel-swap deal with Iran as an alternative to sanctions.
The Turkish embassy had no immediate comment on the Clinton-Davutoglu talks.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-Turkey-agrees-to-stay-out-of-Iran-nuclear-issue/articleshow/6161049.cms
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Qaida mag is out, offers tips on how to make a bomb
Jul 13, 2010
DUBAI: If you have ever wondered how to make a bomb at home, what to pack for jihad, or how to communicate in encrypted messages, a new English-language al-Qaida magazine has the answers.
The first edition of Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) Inspire magazine was released on Sunday, according to SITE Intelligence, a US service that monitors Islamist websites. Its cover features an image of a silhouetted man with a rifle under the headline "May Our Souls Be Sacrificed For You!," an article attributed to radical US-Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
With article titles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom" by the "The AQ Chef," or a packing list included in "What to Expect in Jihad," parts of the magazine have a friendly, if extremist, scouting manual feel.
The magazine also contains what it says is an interview with AQAP leader Nasser al-Wahaishi, and the article attributed to Awlaki.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/Qaida-mag-is-out-offers-tips-on-how-to-make-a-bomb/articleshow/6160812.cms
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Karzai wants 50 Taliban off blacklist
Jul 13, 2010
WASHINGTON: Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to ask the United Nations to remove as many as 50 former Taliban members from a UN blacklist, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
The request to remove about a quarter of the 137 names on the list is aimed at advancing reconciliation talks with insurgents, the report said, citing a senior Afghan official.
At least five of those named on the sanction list are former Taliban officials who now serve in parliament or privately mediate between the Afghan government and the insurgents battling NATO-led forces and their Afghan partners. The senior Afghan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Karzai would request that 30 to 50 names be delisted to "remove all those Taliban who are not part of al-Qaeda and are not terrorists," the Post reported.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/UK/Karzai-wants-50-Taliban-off-blacklist-/articleshow/6160801.cms
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Explosives, weapons seized near Kerala mosque
Jul 13, 2010
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In continuing crackdown on Muslim fanatic groups following the recent barbaric attack by alleged Popular Front of India activists on a Kerala lecturer, police on Monday recovered a sizeable quantity of explosives and other crude weapons from a vacant building in the premises of Manappuram mosque at Edakkad in Kannur district.
"Ten country-made bombs, swords, knives, cycle chains and rods were found in the building,'' Edappad SI KP Sunil Kumar told TOI. PFI flags and objectionable materials were recovered, he added.
Bomb disposal experts said the explosives were of high-intensity and could cause largescale damage. Only last week, police had seized 300 detonators and fuse wires from a private bus in Edakkad.
Raids on some PFI activists last week revealed that the outfit tried to infiltrate its men into an exhibition organised by Navy in Kochi. It was also found that PFI took undue interest in a mock anti-terror drill jointly conducted by Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Kerala Police in October 2009. Maps of at least three temples and CDs of Al-Qaida and Taliban training were also seized.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Explosives-weapons-seized-near-Kerala-mosque/articleshow/6160395.cms
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VHP call for fatwa irks Muslim clerics
Jul 13, 2010
THE VISHWA Hindu Parishad ( VHP) — pulling out one of its familiar poll cards — shot off letters to 13 Muslim organisations in the country, asking them to issue a fatwa declaring “ India to be a land of peace”. With the BJP yet to judge the full potential of its core Hindutva agenda, the VHP came to its rescue on Sunday, attempting a reverse algebra of sorts before the poll schedule is announced.
The letter — sent by VHP’s ‘ Dharma Raksha Parishad’ — seeks that Muslim groups declare India as ‘ Dar- ul Aman’ ( land of peace) as opposed to ‘ Dar- ul Harb’ ( land where a jihad is legitimate).
VHP’s international president Ashok Singhal said: “ We expect the ( Muslim) organisations will respond to this appeal in a positive manner.
We believe that till the Muslims do not condemn religion inspired violence, terrorism will not come to an end. If Islam is a religion of peace, then we expect them to issue a fatwa clearing these views.” In a swift reaction to the VHP’s demand, Mufti Mohammad Khalid Qasmi, a senior member of Darul Uloom Deoband, said Islam preaches love for one’s nation. “ We all love our country and don’t see any space for terrorism. We have issued more fatwas against terrorists than any other organisation.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Lahore: interfaith solidarity towards Sufis targeted by terrorism
By Inayat Bernard*
A delegation of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus visited the Data Dabar mosque. Religious leaders have condemned the July 1 attack, which caused over 40 deaths and 170 injuries. Yesterday, street demonstrations in the city, present the International Sufi Conference and other Muslim organizations.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Protests are ongoing against the 1 July double suicide attack on the Data Darbar mosque in Lahore, which caused over 40 deaths and 170 wounded . Yesterday the International Sufi Conference and other Muslim organizations have demonstrated along the streets. Solidarity with the Pakistani Sufi community has also been expressed by Christian, Sikh, Muslim and Hindu religious leaders who visited the mosque in recent days.
Yesterday in Lahore Muslim groups protested against the attack, stressing that "terrorists have no religion" and that the faithful have been "vilified in the name of terrorist acts." The demonstrators marched through the city, stopping at local administrative offices and Press Club.
Full report at: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Lahore-:-interfaith-solidarity-towards-Sufis-targeted-by-terrorism-18913.html
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Kingdom top terror finance fighter
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Jul 13, 2010
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has won the first position among Arab countries and 10th among G20 countries in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report on its compliance with international resolutions on combating money laundering and terror financing.
"We are happy over the international recognition of the Kingdom's efforts in fighting money laundering and terror financing," said a statement issued by the Council of Ministers following its weekly meeting here.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, emphasized the danger posed by the two types of crimes to national and international financial systems.
The FATF and Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force have endorsed the report citing a high degree of Saudi Arabia's compliance to 40 anti-money laundering (AML) resolutions and nine anti-terror funding resolutions.
"The legal AML framework in Saudi Arabia is composed of Shariah law and the Anti Money Laundering Statute. This framework effectively criminalizes money laundering as required by the FATF recommendations and international conventions," the report said.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article83158.ece
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Draft Border Guard Bangladesh Bill, 2010 approved
Mustafizur Rahman
The cabinet on Monday finally approved the draft of the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill, 2010, changing the name of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles and raising the maximum punishment of the force personnel on mutiny charges to death, said officials.
The home affairs ministry placed the draft bill at the weekly cabinet meeting at the secretariat with the prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, proposing to scrap the Bangladesh Rifles Order 1972, which stipulates seven years of imprisonment as the maximum punishment for mutiny, and the Bangladesh Rifles (Special Provision) Ordinance 1976.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jul/13/front.html
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BMA demands speedy trial of war criminals
13 July 2010
Leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association have demanded speedy trial of those involved in crimes against humanity during the war of liberation in 1971.
They made the demand at a rally organised by BMA in the conference room of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka on Monday.
With BMA president Professor Mahmud Hasan in the chair, the rally was addressed, among others, by secretary general of Sadhinata Chikitshak Parishad Iqbal Arsalan, secretary general of BMA Sarfuddin Ahmed, secretary general of Peshajibi Samannaya Parishad Professor Kamrul Hasan and BMA vice-president Nazrul Islam.
Vice-chancellor of BSMMU Professor Pran Gopal Datta and director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Abul Hossain were also present on the occasion.
The BMA leaders said public opinion should be mobilised for speedy trial of war criminals.
The physicians’ community has to work unitedly to thwart conspiracy of war criminals and their international collaborators against those who were involved in heinous crimes against humanity in 1971, they said.
Full report at: www.newagebd.com
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Bihar panchayat strips woman
Jul 13, 2010
KATIHAR: Acting on the directive of a Bihar panchayat, a woman was recently stripped and thrashed by villagers after she refused to remarry her second but divorced husband. Two people have been arrested in this connection.
Katihar SP P Kannan said on Monday the two Akalu and Samsuddin are brothers of the woman's first husband late Maqisuddin of Gwaltoli-Kalyannagar village in Katihar district. "The victim lodged an FIR on Sunday against her deceased husband's brothers and a former mukhiya, Ataul, who allegedly summoned the panchayat and delivered the punishment,'' the SP said.
The woman had two sons and a daughter from her first marriage. Maqisuddin died four years after their marriage. After some time, she married Mohammad Islam of the same village. The couple had a son. The marriage didn't work and the couple parted ways after a divorce.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bihar-panchayat-strips-woman/articleshow/6160385.cms
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Prophet cartoonist on cleric's hit list
13 Jul. 10
NEW YORK: Yemeni anti-US firebrand cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, has placed Seattle-based cartoonist Molly Norris, who declared May 20 as "Everybody draw Mohammed Day" on an execution hit list.
Norris published a "blasphemous cartoon" on her website in April in protest to Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of a popular show, ‘South Park' that depicted Islam's Prophet objectionably.
Awlaki has picked on Molly Norris as "prime target" whose "proper abode is hellfire," according to the NY Daily News. FBI officials have warned her they consider it a "very serious threat."
A Facebook group supporting Norris and the freedom of expression led to Pakistan banning the social networking site temporarily.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Prophet-cartoonist-on-clerics-hit-list-/articleshow/6160804.cms
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Bangladesh charges 824 in deadly 2009 mutiny
By JULHAS ALAM
Jul 13, 2010
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladeshi police charged 824 people — most of them border guards — with murder, arson and other criminal acts in last year's deadly mutiny among security forces, officials said Monday.
The guards revolted over alleged discrimination and demands for higher pay and other perks enjoyed by army officers, who control troops along the frontier.
Of the 74 people killed, 57 were military commanders.
Several civilians including two politicians were among those charged Monday, said chief investigator Abdul Kahar Akhanda, calling the February 2009 mutiny a pre-planned and cold-blooded massacre.
State prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal said the accused face the death penalty.
The border guard revolt rattled a new government, taking place just two months after the influential military — which has backed 21 coups in the country's 38-year history — relinquished power to civilian rule.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article83019.ece
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20 kilos of 20pc enriched uranium ready: Iran
13 Jul. 10
Iran said on Sunday it has produced around 20 kilogrammes of 20 per cent enriched uranium, in defiance of the world powers who want Tehran to suspend the controversial nuclear work.
‘We have produced around 20 kilogrammes of 20 per cent enriched uranium and we are working to produce the fuel plates,’ Iran’s atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi told ISNA news agency.
World powers led by Washington want Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment activity which they suspect masks a nuclear weapons drive, and on June 9 backed a UN Security Council resolution for a fourth set of sanctions on Iran.
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jul/13/inat.html
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Morocco theater school wages battle for youth
July 13, 2010
SALE, Morocco: It seems hard to object to Mohammad al-Assouni’s street theater school, set up on a patch of scrubland between a rail line and a huddle of slums on the outskirts of Morocco’s capital Rabat.
According to Assouni, though, the idea of young boys and girls gathering to learn somersaults, dancing and tightrope-walking was too much to bear for the radical Islamists living nearby.
“The bearded ones ripped out the pipe and cable [to bring water and power to the school’s tent] in the night,” he said. “Yes sir, we are in conflict with those people. We don’t deliberately disturb them, but they say we corrupt the local children.”
Learning the trampoline and puppet-making, and having a chance to take part in street parades, is a big draw for the children. Many of them work to supplement their parents’ meager income, leaving little time for play. More than 260 have enrolled but not all turn up.
Pupils who rebel against the workshop’s quiet discipline are sent away and frustrations can boil over. Boys have thrown stones at the tent and one slashed it with a knife.
Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=4&Article_id=116960#ixzz0tXWWCKeZ
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SIMI activists arrested
Manas Dasgupta
AHMEDABAD: Two activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was allegedly involved in several bomb blasts and other terror attacks in Gujarat and other parts of the country, were arrested by the Crime Branch in Ahmedabad on Monday.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Himanshu Shukla, said the police acted on a tip-off and arrested the two SIMI activists from the Prem Darwaja locality adjacent to the minority-dominated Dariapur area.
He said the police have recovered an air gun, a pistol, and 20 live cartridges.
The two activists were identified as 43-year-old Hasib Raza alias Shamim Saiyed, who hails from Patna, and 34-year-old Abu Fakir Siddiqui, from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. They had been living in the city with their families for some time now.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/13/stories/2010071361570900.htm
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Parties seek independent probe into J&K civilian deaths
13 Jul. 10
Srinagar: In a two-pronged strategy to defuse the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, an all-party meeting on Monday called for an independent inquiry into the death of civilians, and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give a fillip to “internal and external dialogue.”
The meeting, convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, appealed to all political parties to help in restoration of peace and normality in the State, which has been rocked by disturbances in the past one month. In the period, 15 persons have died, mostly in firing by security personnel.
The main Opposition, the People's Democratic Party, and another regional outfit, the Panthers Party, stayed away from the meeting that lasted over four hours. Besides the ruling National Conference and the Congress, the meeting was attended by the BJP and the CPI(M).
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/13/stories/2010071359020100.htm
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J&K: Soon, pepper guns to quell slingshots
Josy Joseph & M Saleem Pandit
Jul 13, 2010
SRINAGAR: CRPF is finally going to have pepper guns, in a development which can have a bearing on moves to tackle trouble-makers in J&K who used mobs to provoke the security forces and then exploited their response to stoke anti-India feelings.
Billed as a cutting-edge non-lethal solution for crowd control, the pepper gun produces the same psychological impact as being shot. The balls fired from these guns emit a super-irritant.
Wiser from the experience where separatists unleashed mobs on paramilitary troops to provoke them to open fire, CRPF, spearhead of the law-enforcement effort, plans to induct an automatic and a semi-automatic version of pepper guns.
The gameplan of the separatists worked well. The troops, provoked and panicky in the face of angry mobs marching towards them, often rose to the bait, and ended up using disproportionate and excessive force.
The resultant deaths proved to be the perfect fodder for the masterminds who used "martyrdoms" to incite fresh waves of violence.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/JK-Soon-pepper-guns-to-quell-slingshots/articleshow/6160399.cms
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After curfew, bandh brings life in Valley to a standstill
Jul 13, 2010
SRINAGAR: Hundreds of troops, carrying automatic rifles, patrolled deserted streets and restricted people's movement, as normal life continued to remain paralysed across the Valley on Monday.
Businesses remained shuttered and schools and colleges were closed in response to a bandh call, a day after curfew was lifted from most parts of the Valley. The Curfew was imposed last week after the situation seemed to spinning out of control following angry street protests over the killing of 15 people, including a 9-year-old boy and 25-year-old woman, in security forces' firing. The Valley has been on the boil since a 17-year-old boy was killed after he was caught in a clash between police and stone-pelters protesting the killing of three north Kashmir youth in an alleged fake encounter on June 11.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/After-curfew-bandh-brings-life-in-Valley-to-a-standstill/articleshow/6160392.cms
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Madani moves HC for advance bail
Jul 13, 2010
BANGALORE: Kerala PDP leader Abdul Nassar Madani, one of the accused in the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts case, has filed an anticipatory bail application before the high court on Monday.
The petition is likely come up for hearing on Wednesday, P Usman, counsel for Madani, told TOI. Madani has moved high court after the fifth fast track court had dismissed his anticipatory bail application on July 9.
City Crime Branch police named Madani as the 31st accused in the blast case.
"The police have falsely implicated my name, there was no prime-face case made out against me," Madani has claimed in his bail petition.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Madani-moves-HC-for-advance-bail/articleshow/6160386.cms
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US: Turkey agrees to stay out of Iran nuclear issue
Jul 13, 2010
WASHINGTON: A senior US official says that Turkey has agreed to stay out of international efforts to pressure Iran on its nuclear program.
The official told reporters that US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton had asked Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu in a 45 minute conversation Monday to leave the issue to US Security council powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation, said Davutoglu agreed.
US-Turkish relations have suffered since Turkey voted against US-backed sanctions that ultimately passed in the UN Security Council last month.
The vote came shortly after Turkey tried to broker a nuclear fuel-swap deal with Iran as an alternative to sanctions.
The Turkish embassy had no immediate comment on the Clinton-Davutoglu talks.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/US/US-Turkey-agrees-to-stay-out-of-Iran-nuclear-issue/articleshow/6161049.cms
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Sufi shrine attack makes Pakistan go after Jaish, others
Jul 13, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Rattled by the horrific attack on a revered Sufi shrine, Pakistani police have launched a major crackdown on outlawed groups in southern Punjab, considered a base for the Punjabi Taliban, and arrested about 170 activists, including Jaish-e-Mohammad men.
The "unannounced police operation" against proscribed organisations began on Sunday, The News daily reported. Police conducted raids in Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Layyah districts and arrested some 170 activists of Sunni sectarian groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Sufi-shrine-attack-makes-Pakistan-go-after-Jaish-others-/articleshow/6160807.cms
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Three terror “foot-soldiers” jailed for life
Hasan Suroor
LONDON: Three men, including one of Pakistani origin, were on Monday jailed for life and ordered to spend at least 20 years behind bars for their role in an alleged Al-Qaeda plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using home-made liquid bombs four years ago.
The discovery of the plot in the summer of 2006, allegedly designed to target flights taking off from Heathrow airport, prompted sweeping changes in aviation security across Europe with passengers being banned from carrying liquids into planes resulting in chaos at airports.
The three — Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan and Waheed Zaman, all from East London — were among the eight arrested following a nationwide swoop but were acquitted by two successive juries for want of sufficient evidence.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/13/stories/2010071362041400.htm
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Oldest text found in Jerusalem
13 Jul. 10
JERUSALEM: Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered an ancient clay fragment dating back some 3,400 years, the oldest-ever sample of writing found in the Holy City, said Israeli researchers on Monday.
The tiny fragment measures two centimetres by 2.8 cm and is covered with cuneiform script, the earliest known form of writing in the world.
The clay chip is a key find which indicates the importance of the city in the Bronze Age, around 1,400 BC, said researchers at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. It was discovered during an excavation in an area just south of the walls of the Old City in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
The miniscule chip is believed to have been part of the royal archives and indicates the importance of Jerusalem as a major city in the late Bronze Age, said the Hebrew University in a statement.
The clay fragment was found by researchers sifting through debris removed from beneath a tower from the 10th century BC.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/13/stories/2010071362101400.htm
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Muslim community split on RTE Act
Vidya Subrahmaniam
New Delhi: The exclusion of madrasa education from the ambit of the Right to Education Act, 2009, has split the Muslim community — between those who see the law as “draconian” and “anti-Muslim” and those who want the controversy settled sensibly, without recourse to anger and agitation.
The issue came into focus recently with Mahmood Madani of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hindi describing the Act as a threat to Muslim religious schools. So far, madrasas have enjoyed a fair amount of freedom with no specific obligation to seek recognition from the government. This leeway was granted by Article 30 of the Constitution, which allows minorities “the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.”
The problem arises from the fact that the RTE Act defines “school” — whether government, aided or private — as any “recognised school” imparting elementary education. This definition does not include madrasas. Section 18 makes “a certificate of recognition” mandatory for all schools. And Section 19 prescribes stringent conditions — such as building and classroom specifications, teacher-student ratio, study hours, library and playground facilities — for obtaining recognition.
This raises questions: Does the RTE Act run afoul of Article 30 where the emphasis is on “choice”? If so, what is the remedy?
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/13/stories/2010071361861200.htm
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Pak spy had licence, voter ID card: Police
13 Jul. 10
Kashif Ali, a suspected Pakistani spy arrested two days ago, had duped government departments and banks during his over two-year stay here. He had a driving licence, voter ID card and even a PAN card - all procured on the basis of fake documents, police said Monday.
Ali's rented accommodation in Sector 44, from where he was arrested Saturday, was raided and police seized various documents and a digital camera. Ali, 24, a resident of Faisalabad in Pakistan's Punjab province, is suspected to have sent vital defence information from India to his country. "We have recovered a driving licence that was issued by a New Delhi transport authority, a voter identity card with a Chandigarh address, PAN (permanent account number) card and a high school certificate issued by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB)," a police official said. "We have also recovered a receipt of the Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh. Ali admitted he had entered India through Nepal.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/268850/Pak-spy-had-licence-voter-ID-card-Police.html
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Omar for Central role in ending stalemate
Mohit Kandhari
Kashmir is looking up to Delhi to bring back its normalcy. An all-party meeting, boycotted by PDP and Panthers Party, on Monday decided to send a delegation to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and request him to resume the stalled political process and dialogue as a way forward to diffuse the situation.
During the meeting the political parties decided to ask the Centre to strengthen the peace process through “internal” and “external” dialogue besides demanding an independent inquiry into the recent killings of civilians in clashes with security forces. Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Tara Chand was not present during the meeting.
However, the BJP did not agree with the resolution with regard to conducting inquiry to ascertain the circumstances leading to the death of the civilians.
The four-hour-long meeting, which was attended by National Conference chief and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah and PCC chief Saif-ud-din Soz, ended on a positive note with representatives of all political parties, agreeing to meet the Prime Minister.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/268878/Omar-for-Central-role-in-ending-stalemate.html
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Army not to change Kargil war history
13 Jul. 10
The Army has found “no reason” to correct certain portions of the 1999 Kargil battle accounts, alleged to be doctored by a Brigadier and ordered to be corrected by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). Hence, it has decided to file a review petition on Tuesday in the AFT against its order.
Elaborating upon the issue, sources said here on Monday that the Army has decided to file an appeal in the AFT as the Army’s records showed there was no reason to correct them since they were based on battle performance reports filed by other senior officers.
The AFT’s orders had come following a plea from Davinder Singh, the then 70 Infantry Brigade Commander in the Army, that his role during the conflict was underplayed, which cost him a medal and affected his promotion to the next rank of Major General.
The Tribunal had also asked the Army to expunge his ACR, written by his superior Lt Gen Kishan Pal, and also directed it to correct certain records of the Kargil conflict. The order also agreed with Davinder Singh’s contention that Lt Gen Pal had made an incorrect representation of his contribution.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/268757/Army-not-to-change-Kargil-war-history.html
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Four Indians sentenced to death in two Sharjah cases
13 Jul. 10
Four Indian men have been sentenced to death in Sharjah after being convicted of murder in two separate cases, including one which involved contract killers hired by a businessman to kill his rival.
The Sharjah Sharia Court sentenced three Indian men, who acted as contract killers, for the brutal murder of a compatriot and for attempting to kill another.
The three men identified as Zakaria, Basheer and Anwar were hired by a businessman named Kumar for killing his former employee-turned-business rival Kumil who according to the mastermind was poaching on his customers.
The three men were also awarded a separate 10-year jail sentence for attempting to murder another man named Kuzantil.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/268788/Four-Indians-sentenced-to-death-in-two-Sharjah-cases.html
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Charge sheet against Qasab in the next two days
July 13, 2010
THE CHARGESHEET in the 26/ 11 Mumbai terror strike is likely to be filed in two to three days, special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam said.
The chargesheet will be filed before a metropolitan magistrate, who will then transfer the case to the special court constituted inside Mumbai’s high- security Arthur Road Jail.
The special court, presided over by judge M. L. Tahilyani, has been constituted to try Mohammad Amir Ajmal Iman aka Qasab, the lone surviving terrorist, Nikam said. Qasab will face charges ranging from murder, attempt to murder and theft to waging war against the country, official sources said.
Apart from the nine terrorists killed in the three- day stand- off with security forces, the chargesheet may also name Yosuf Muzammil and Zaki- ur- Rehman Lakhvi, both top Lashkar- e- Tayyeba ( LeT) commanders who allegedly handled the operation from Pakistan.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Iraq house of horror reopens after fix-up
13 Jul. 10
IRAQ’S ministry of justice, on Saturday, allowed reporters rare access to the Abu Ghraib prison, which has been partly renovated by the Iraqis and now holds about 400 prisoners after a new influx on Friday.
The Iraqi government has forged ahead in reopening the prison despite the stigma from years of torture and abuse there, both under American control and during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Mohammed al- Zeidi, the assistant director of Iraqi rehabilitation department, insisted the new prison would be operated in accordance with international standards.
“ All kinds of human rights violations took place in this prison.
So we felt that it was our duty to rehabilitate the prison,” he said during a press tour of the grounds. “ We turned it into something like a resort, not prison. The first step was to change the name.” Large billboards identified the prison compound by its new name, the Baghdad Central Prison. The prison’s outer walls were painted a bright cream colour, and Iraqi flags fluttered at the entrance. The driveway to the main gate was spruced up and lined with colourful lampposts, flowers and other plants.
Jailers were dressed in their finest navy uniforms and hats and made to stand frozen in formation along a red carpet laid down for the occasion. It led into the cellblocks that make up the prison’s so- called hard site.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Taliban to review Swat ceasefire deal on expiry
13 Jul. 10
AMID talks of Taliban reviewing their 10- day truce after its expiry, militants of the outfit abducted a top government administrator and six of his guards in Pakistan’s Northwestern Swat valley on Sunday.
The group, with the abduction, dealt a blow to the efforts of restoring peace, and disputed the Pakistani government’s claims of brokering a “ permanent ceasefire” in the Taliban- controlled valley.
The government on Saturday announced that it has reached a “ permanent ceasefire” with the Taliban in Swat as part of an agreement brokered by the head of the defunct Tehrik Nifaz- i- Shariat Muhammadi, Maulana Sufi Mohammad.
Under the agreement with Mohammad, the government allowed sharia, the Islamic system of justice, in Malakand division, of which Swat is a part, soon after peace was restored in the valley.
The Taliban, last weekend, announced a unilateral ceasefire, which will expire on Wednesday. The Tehrik- i- Taliban commander in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah said on Saturday, a Taliban Shoora ( decision making council) would review the unilateral 10- day ceasefire after its expiry next week, Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday.
Full report at: www.newagebd.com
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Shoura puts curbs on vehicles entering Makkah during Haj
By MD RASOOLDEEN
Jul 13, 2010
RIYADH: Vehicles carrying less than 25 people will not be allowed to enter the holy city of Makkah during the Haj season, according to a recommendation made by the Shoura Council on Monday.
The recommendation was made during the council’s 42nd regular session presided over by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Barrak, the Shoura Council’s deputy chairman.
Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general of the council, said that these logistic arrangements should be made in the interest of both pilgrims and residents. A reduction in the number of vehicles entering the holy city will help facilitate the smooth operations of ongoing expansion programs.
The house recommended severe penalties for motorists who commit violations within the holy city.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article83144.ece
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Inquest starts into death of Egyptian spy suspect
By ANDREW KHOURI
Jul 12, 2010
LONDON: The widow of a wealthy Egyptian businessman suspected of involvement in Middle East espionage told an inquest into his unexplained death on Monday that her husband had expressed fears that his life was in danger.
Ashraf Marwan, 62, fell to his death from the balcony of his apartment in an exclusive London street in June 2007.
An inquest was opened to determine whether he died by suicide, accident or foul play.
Marwan was the son-in-law of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and a trusted aide to Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat.
Historians and intelligence agents have accused him of being an Israeli spy who passed on vital information before the 1973 Yom Kippur War — or of being a double agent loyal to Egypt.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article83049.ece
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Canadian captive rejects Guantanamo plea deal
By JANE SUTTON | REUTERS
Jul 12, 2010
GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE, Cuba: A Canadian captive at the Guantanamo prison said on Monday he rejected a plea deal that would have freed him in five years if he admitted to killing a US soldier in battle.
Omar Khadr, now 23, was captured in a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002 and has spent more than a third of his life at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo in eastern Cuba. He is to go on trial on Aug. 10 on charges of murdering a soldier with a grenade.
In a pre-trial hearing at the US war crimes court at the base, he told a military judge that the deal would have seem him sentenced to 30 years in prison, with all but five years suspended, in return for an admission of guilt.
Khadr said it was designed "to make the US government look good in the public's eye and other political reasons."
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article83041.ece
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Civilian deaths rise in Afghanistan: Report
By KAY JOHNSON
Jul 12, 2010
KABUL: Escalating violence in Afghanistan is now the worst since the early months of the nearly 9-year-old war, killing 1,074 civilians so far this year as international forces struggle to establish security, an Afghan rights group said Monday.
However, the share of civilians killed by international forces is dropping — and the number dying in NATO air strikes has halved — thanks to restrictive rules of engagement issued last year, the Afghanistan Rights Monitor said.
Despite speculation that newly arrived coalition commander Gen. David Petraeus would change the policy, which critics say increases danger to American and other foreign troops, a NATO spokesman reiterated over the weekend that would not happen.
Violence has soared across Afghanistan in recent months, as 30,000 more American troops arrived to bolster the international force. The reinforcements are moving into Taleban strongholds in the south and east of the country to try to strengthen Afghan government control, and insurgents have responded with a wave of ambushes, suicide attacks, roadside bombs and assassinations.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article83023.ece
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Afghanistan frees more suspected Taleban
By REUTERS
Jul 12, 2010
KABUL: Afghanistan has freed a second group of suspected Taleban prisoners in a peace offering to the insurgency after a review of their cases, President Hamid Karzai's office said on Monday.
The release of 28 prisoners from various detention centers came a month after an initial 14 others were let go from US and Afghan jails in the wake of a "Peace Jirga," or summit, in June that recommended talks between the government and the Taleban.
The jirga of tribal leaders and other senior figures approved a Karzai plan to reach a peace deal with Taleban moderates, who have helped stage an increasingly violent insurgency since being overthrown in 2001.
Karzai's office, quoting the Afghan justice minister, pledged to soon free 45 more inmates after case reviews.
The jirga also called for the removal of names of militant leaders from United Nations blacklists, as well as peace talks with those who renounced violence.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article83052.ece
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BJP: Worst phase in history of J&K
13 Jul. 10
NEW DELHI: Expressing grave concern about the political situation in Kashmir, the BJP on Monday warned that it resembled the worst phase in the history of the state's politics between 1990 and 2002 (the years that saw militancy grow in the border state), alleging the lack of policy and vision on part of the ruling National Conference and the Congress was responsible for the ongoing crisis.
Taking a dig at chief minister Omar Abdullah, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, stern action against the separatists and stone-pelters, and not "flamboyance", were needed to deal with the problem. "The way he has governed has shown that his father (former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah) was a better administrator," Prasad claimed.
Arguing that certain elements were trying to throw back Kashmir to the earlier days of anarchy, the BJP claimed that when the NDA was in power at the Centre and PDP ruled in the state, "India-baiters and mischievous elements" were not allowed to have an upper hand.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/BJP-Worst-phase-in-history-of-JK-/articleshow/6159951.cms
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