| Islamic World News | |
| 14 Apr 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
Jihadis threaten attacks on France for niqab ban
Turkey attacks France for face veil ban
Eight gunned down in Karachi
US tells Pakistan to bring 26/11 plotters to justice
India plans peace and cricket with Pak, despite Rana's revelations
Widening reach: India enemy no. 1, US high on LeT hit list
World powers rally behind Benghazi as rebels consider Turkey's plan
Nato split wide open over ending stalemate in Libya
Drone attacks follow ISI chief to Pakistan after modest gains in US visit
Pakistan lodges protest against US attack
US, Pakistan negotiate CIA, special forces’ numbers
Babar Awan resigns to plead Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case in SC
UN: Over 800 killed in south Sudan since January
Turkey vows to 'use all capabilities' to help win peace in Afghanistan
Gulf states want to cancel Arab summit in Iraq
Done strikes resume, six Haqqani men killed in South Waziristan
Gilani slams US drone strikes
Liberal groups wary of Obama’s cuts
Libyan rebels urge stronger US military role
NATO strikes two Libyan cities
World powers rally behind Libya rebels
Mubarak, 3 others, detained for graft investigation
Clinton condemns continued Kadhafi forces attacks
BRICS speaks out against use of force in Libya
Western, Arab nations say Gaddafi must go
West, Mideast powers agree on Gadhafi ouster
Amnesty urges Lebanon to trace Civil War missing
Tunisia probe says Ben Ali ordered airstrikes on region in revolt
Palestinians seek clear American position on statehood
Corruption by Egypt's Mubarak 'not a one-man job,' say experts
Hopes dim for a breakthrough between Turkey, Israel at the end of UN inquiry
At least seven dead in Yemen as protesters rally
New push for Israeli-Palestinian peace at US forum
Days of confusion end with the Mubaraks detained
Mubaraks go the way of their henchmen
Israeli-Palestinian status quo unsustainable: US
Laurent Gbagbo under house arrest
Iran stops refueling ‘Western planes’ in tit-for-tat move
Doha meeting reveals divisions on Libya
Syrian troops shot for refusing orders
Parties fight it out for Muslim votes
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: A suicide attack ripped through a gathering of tribal elders in eastern Afghanistan today
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Suicide bomber kills 10 at Afghan elders meet
April 14, 2011
ASADABAD (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide attack ripped through a gathering of tribal elders in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing 10 people, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said.
The bomber struck in Kunar, one of Afghanistan's most restive provinces and an insurgent stronghold on the border with Pakistan, where Taliban-led militants fighting the Afghan government and US-led troops have rear bases.
"A suicide attacker targeted a gathering of tribal elders in the Asmar district of Kunar today," Bashary told AFP. "Ten people have been martyred and seven others have been injured."
He said the dead included a key local pro-government elder.
The district police chief, Mohammad Shoaib, said the bomber blew himself up after approaching an elder, Malik Zarin, to hug him in greeting.
"The suicide attacker approached them, hugged Malik Zarin and then detonated the explosives strapped to his body," Shoaib said.
The Taliban and other insurgents frequently target pro-government figures as part of their near 10-year campaign against government forces and the roughly 130,000 international troops in Afghanistan.
But the Taliban denied responsibility for Wednesday's attack in a text message sent to AFP.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that al-Qaida militants were returning to eastern Afghan provinces such as Kunar and setting up bases for the first time in years, exploiting a pullback of US troops in the area.
In response, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF) denied that al-Qaida was staging a "return in force."
The accidental deaths of civilians in international military operations in Kunar in recent months triggered a wave of protests in Afghanistan and highlighted tensions between President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Suicide-bomber-kills-10-at-Afghan-elders-meet/articleshow/7973291.cms
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Jihadis threaten attacks on France for niqab ban
April 14, 2011
LONDON: France's ban on the Muslim full face veil has triggered calls on militant online forums for armed retaliation against the country, a USbased terrorism monitoring service said on Wednesday. Some contributors to the messages seen on the password-protected , invitation-only militant chatrooms this week called on al-Qaida's North Africa arm to "deter" France by staging armed attacks, the SITE service said.
The anonymous threats, presented by the sites as comments by individuals, carry none of the weight of published audio or video statements by Osama's al-Qaida or similar established armed groups seeking to attack Western targets.
But western security officials are concerned that sermons, discussions and videos published on online forums and social networking sites are increasingly used by militants to encourage sympathizers to attempt attacks.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Jihadis-threaten-attacks-on-France-for-niqab-ban/articleshow/7977802.cms
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Turkey attacks France for face veil ban
April 14, 2011
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused France of violating the freedom of religion yesterday after Paris began enforcing a law barring Muslim women from wearing full face veils in public.
Erdogan told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that Turkey was the only Muslim country that had copied the French law on secularism.
"It's quite ironic to see that secularism is today under debate in Europe and is undermining certain freedoms," he said.
"Today in France, there is no respect for individual religious freedom," he said.
The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe monitors human rights across the continent.
France's conservative government has banned full face veils in public and held a divisive national debate about secularism that Muslims here said portrayed them as a problematic minority rather than a group of mostly law-abiding French citizens.
At five million, the Muslim minority here is Europe's largest and makes up about 8 percent of the French population.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181691
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Eight gunned down in Karachi
April 14, 2011
KARACHI: At least eight people, five political activists among them, were gunned down in different areas of Karachi on Wednesday as target killings remerged in full fury, prompting fresh fears among people that the scourge is beyond the control of political and security administrations in the province.
There was no word from key officials in the provincial set-up about government efforts to put an end to the bloodshed as death toll swelled to 15 in three days of violence. However, police officials claimed that efforts were being made to stop the menace from spreading to so far unaffected parts of the city.
In the deadliest incident on Wednesday, four men on two motorbikes attacked a group of four people in Sector 10 of Orangi Town, killing three of them on the spot and leaving one severely injured.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) claimed that the victims were its activists.
“The armed men fired on them when they were sitting at the corner of a street popularly known as Mohajir Chowk,” said SP Khurram Waris of Orangi Town.
“They fled after the firing, leaving 24-year-old Waqas Tariq, 44-year-old Zaheer Hanif and 38-year-old Habib Rafiq dead.
Another man, Muhammad Irfan, sustained a bullet wound in the abdomen and survived.”
The incident sparked panic in the locality and traders closed of their shops. Transport disappeared from the streets in densely populated neighborhood.
A large number of MQM activists and leaders of the party went to the hospital to offer condolences to the family and fellow workers.
The MQM, which is a coalition partner of the PPP-led provincial government, demanded immediate arrest of the killers and swift measures from the federal and provincial authorities to curb the new cycle of violence.
“Armed terrorists have been given a free hand to target MQM workers and over the past 24 hours some seven party activists have been killed,” an MQM statement said.
The Orangi incident triggered violence in New Karachi where a bus driver was shot dead near Saba Cinema.
“The driver has been identified as 53-year-old Barkatullah. He was a resident of Malir and originally hailed from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa,” said an official at the New Karachi Industrial Area police station.
A few minutes later, more than half a dozen armed men on four motorbikes attacked a restaurant on the University Road near Old Sabzi Mandi, killing a 45-year-old man who was there with friends.
The victim was identified as Chaudhry Saqib Nadim. But some people attacked the assailants and killed one of them and injured another, said an official of the New Town police station. The injured suspect was later handed over to police.
Earlier in the day, tit-for-tat killings claimed the lives of an Awami National Party (ANP) activist and an elderly member of MQM in New Karachi area. The two incidents took place in Ayub Goth, a poor neighbourhood between Super Highway and New Karachi.
“In first incident, 26-year-old Hazrat Ali alias Hero was intercepted by two men on a motorbike near Street No 1 of Sindh Cooperative Housing Society in Ayub Goth area,” DSP Iftikhar Lodhi, the area’s supervisory police officer (SPO), said.
Ten to 15 minutes later, armed men on two motorcycles attacked 60-year-old Shahbaz alias Shabbu. He had a poultry shop in the area and was said to be associated with MQM.
The fresh wave of violence coincided with the presence of Interior Minister Rehman Malik in the city.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/14/eight-gunned-down-in-karachi.html
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US tells Pakistan to bring 26/11 plotters to justice
April 14, 2011
A day after the latest revelations on ISI complicity in the Mumbai terror attacks, the United States has asked Pakistan to “transparently and urgently” bring the perpetrators to justice, reminding Islamabad that it has “a special responsibility to do so”.
“In the aftermath of these attacks in 2008, we made very clear that there’s an international responsibility to cooperate, to bring the perpetrators to justice,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, stressing: “Pakistan has a special responsibility to do so transparently and urgently.”
Noting that Pakistan pledged its cooperation to bring those behind 26/11 attacks to justice, Toner said: “We believe they’re going to be – they’re carrying that pledge out.”
He, however, declined to comment on Pakistani expatriate Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s categorical assertions in a Chicago court that he acted at the behest of the Pakistani Government and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and not the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba.
“This individual is in a trial right now or the trial hasn’t begun, it’s a pretrial period, so I’m not going to talk about his comments. That would be irresponsible and I’m not going to do it,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/331414/US-tells-Pakistan-to-bring-26/11-plotters-to-justice.html
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India plans peace and cricket with Pak, despite Rana's revelations
April 14, 2011
NEW DELHI: In a fresh friendly gesture to Pakistan, India has decided to resume the bilateral cricket series which was put on hold in retaliation against the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.
The decision was announced by foreign minister SM Krishna here on Wednesday, strengthening the growing estimate, including in the country's security establishment, that Pakistan may have been fully reprieved over 26/11.
Notably, the announcement came just after the disclosure that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani expatriate who along with David Coleman Headley did the recce for the mass slaughter in Mumbai, had told a US court that he was acting at the instance of the Pakistani government and ISI.
Questioned about Rana's admission, Krishna said, "Peace talks will go on, cricket matches will go on and simultaneously, our relentless efforts will continue to bring to justice all those responsible for the heinous crime against India in Mumbai."
The foreign minister said India would take up Rana's statements with the Pakistani government. "There are no contradictions in that position," he said when asked whether the revelations made by Rana would have an impact on India-Pakistan peace talks. "I have said that both these things will have to go on... Just look at the Sharm el-Shaikh declaration," he said.
Pakistan has been shunned by cricket nations and has not received any team since March 2009 when the visiting Sri Lankan team was attacked by terrorists. Pakistan's moves for the resumption of ties had so far not been successful. Besides the anger over 26/11 and suspicions about Islamabad's intent to bring the masterminds to book, Team India's concerns for their safety also came in the way.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-plans-peace-and-cricket-with-Pak-despite-Ranas-revelations/articleshow/7976955.cms
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Widening reach: India enemy no. 1, US high on LeT hit list
April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON: Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has declared a 'jihad' on America and is expanding its reach to Europe and other continents, a top US military commander has said, warning that it was no longer solely focussed on India or South Asia.
LeT, considered the bestfunded terror outfit in the region , had carried out the audacious 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed 166 people , including Americans and other foreigners.
Blaming LeT for carrying out attacks on US forces in Afghanistan, Admiral Robert Willard, chief of the US forces in the Pacific, told lawmakers that America had evidence of the group's presence in Europe , the broader Asia Pacific and even in the past in Canada and here, CNN reported.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Widening-reach-India-enemy-no-1-US-high-on-LeT-hit-list/articleshow/7977779.cms
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World powers rally behind Benghazi as rebels consider Turkey's plan
April 14, 2011
World powers rallied behind Libyan rebels as they urged NATO to step up air strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's tanks and missile sites in Qatar talks Wednesday as Turkey’s road map on Libya gained momentum.
At the same time, Italy and Qatar said rebels needed arms to defend themselves while Britain urged regional aid.
The rebels turned down an African Union cease-fire plan this week because it did not require Gadhafi to cede power. An initiative by Turkey, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined last week, to help negotiate an end to the fighting "will only be acceptable on the same condition," a member of the rebel delegation in Doha told Bloomberg.
Erdogan called for “a real cease-fire [in Libya] to be settled immediately and Gadhafi’s military units to end their siege of some cities and withdraw.”
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=world-powers-rally-behind-benghazi-as-rebels-consider-turkeys-plan-2011-04-13
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Nato split wide open over ending stalemate in Libya
April 14, 2011
DOHA/TRIPOLI: A group of Western powers and Middle Eastern states called for the first time on Wednesday for Muammar Gaddafi to step aside, but Nato countries squabbled publicly over stepping up air strikes to help topple him.
In a victory for Britain and France, which are leading the air campaign in Libya and pushed for an unequivocal call for regime change, the "contact group" of some 16 European and Middle Eastern nations, plus the United Nations, the Arab League and the African Union, said Gaddafi must go.
"Gaddafi and his regime has lost all legitimacy and he must leave power allowing the Libyan people to determine their future," a final statement obtained by Reuters said.
The wording was much tougher than at a previous conference two weeks ago and gave stronger backing to insurgents fighting to end Gaddafi's 41-year rule. Participants said they would work to create a financial mechanism to help rebels run the eastern region they control.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Nato-split-wide-open-over-ending-stalemate-in-Libya/articleshow/7977784.cms
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Drone attacks follow ISI chief to Pakistan after modest gains in US visit
April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON: A pair of US drone attacks on Wednesday that killed six suspected militants in Pakistan followed the country's intelligence chief back home after his high-wire engagement in Washington during which he is said to have won modest concessions.
ISI chief Shuja Pasha's 24-hour visit here on Monday for talks with his CIA opposite number saw the US promise greater transparency and accountability of CIA operations in Pakistan without any specific commitments, while rejecting the demand for a halt to drone strikes. Washington followed it up its unremitting stand with two drone strikes hours after Pasha returned to Pakistan.
The strikes -- the first in more than two weeks -- indicated the two sides are still at odds despite Washington's effort to mollify its angry ally with a series of affable public statements. Asked if the strains between the United States and Pakistan's government are inhibiting counterterrorism efforts, White House spokesman Jay Carney skirted the question while saying the "relationship... cooperation between our two countries...has been important, and continues to this day."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Drone-attacks-follow-ISI-chief-to-Pakistan-after-modest-gains-in-US-visit/articleshow/7972880.cms
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Pakistan lodges protest against US attack
April 14, 2011
Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan lodged a protest with the United States on Wednesday over the Angoor Adda drone attack, describing the continued drone raids as a ‘core irritant’ in counter-terrorism cooperation.
An unusual aspect of the remonstration was that it was the first time in a couple of years that a démarche was made on a missile strike targeting militants — an indication that Islamabad may be revisiting its tacit tolerance of hits by pilotless predators on militant sites.
Military sources confirmed to Dawn that those killed and injured in the drone attack on Wednesday were Afghans.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the drone attack at Angoor Adda today. We have repeatedly said that such attacks are counter-productive and only contribute to strengthening the hands of terrorists,” Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told US Ambassador Cameron Munter while lodging the protest with him.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua, however, emphasised that Mr Munter had not been summoned and he was at the Foreign Office to discuss bilateral issues when he was handed over the démarche.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/14/pm-gilani-criticises-us-drone-strikes.html
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US, Pakistan negotiate CIA, special forces’ numbers
April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration says it is negotiating a possible reduction in American intelligence operatives and special operations officers in Pakistan.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the 300-strong contingent is helping train the Pakistani military. He says the US wants to maintain the programme and is talking with Pakistani authorities about requirements and force levels. Toner says the two countries are discussing the type of programmes and troop levels that are acceptable for the Pakistani government.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\14\story_14-4-2011_pg1_7
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Babar Awan resigns to plead Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case in SC
April 14, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted for regular hearing a reference filed by President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 186 of the constitution to revisit the murder trial of the country’s first democratically elected prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
As a three-judge apex court bench started preliminary hearing of the reference on Wednesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that a larger bench would be constituted and 10 amicus curiae would be engaged from the Centre and provinces (to revisit the history). “If there would be a need, the case would be heard day and night,” Justice Chaudhry added.
At the outset of the proceedings, the CJP said to Dr Babar Awan, who was present in the courtroom, to seek its permission for representing the federation in the case, that the apex court knew the importance of the reference filed to invoke its advisory jurisdiction.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\14\story_14-4-2011_pg1_1
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UN: Over 800 killed in south Sudan since January
April 14, 2011
More than 800 people have died in south Sudan violence since January and almost 94,000 people fled their homes, posing a major challenge for the fledgling state, the top UN aid official for the region warned on Wednesday.
The nation in waiting has seen an upsurge in bloody clashes since January's largely peaceful referendum, in which southerners voted almost unanimously to split with the north.
The number of people displaced by violence has doubled in the past month to 93,780 people, according to figures released by Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan.
"In the last month, if you have seen a doubling of the number of the people who are displaced, you have to be worried -- and we are," Grande told reporters in the southern regional capital Juba.
There have been clashes between rebel groups and the southern army, and between rival ethnic groups over resources such as land and cattle, as well as sporadic attacks by rebels of the originally Ugandan-based Lord's Resistance Army, which has moved much of its operations into the south.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9978/World/Region/UN-Over--killed-in-south-Sudan-since-January.aspx
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Turkey vows to 'use all capabilities' to help win peace in Afghanistan
April 14, 2011
The presidents of Turkey and Pakistan said Wednesday they that would support initiatives to achieve peace in Afghanistan, while remaining vague about potential plans for a Taliban office in Turkey.
President Abdullah Gül refrained from directly commenting on the possibility of the Taliban opening an office in his country, but Turkey pledged to help Afghanistan’s High Council for Peace, a body tasked in February with seeking dialogue with the Taliban.
The council has proposed a Taliban office be hosted in Turkey to serve as a contact point for peace discussions.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-will-be-involved-all-activities-for-peace-in-afghanistan-2011-04-13
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Gulf states want to cancel Arab summit in Iraq
April 14, 2011
MANAMA/BAGHDAD: Gulf nations are asking the Arab League to cancel an upcoming summit in Iraq, saying that the “atmosphere is not right” for the leaders of the 22-member group to meet in Baghdad.
The request signals growing tension between Sunni Arab states and Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government that has supported the uprising of Bahrain’s Shiite majority against Sunni rulers.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have asked the Arab League to cancel the meeting. “The atmosphere is not right to hold the meeting in Iraq,” he said on Twitter late Tuesday.
In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Wednesday he has not yet been “officially informed of any GCC demand to postpone the summit.”
The two-day summit is scheduled to take place in the Iraqi capital Baghdad May 10-11. It had already been rescheduled from March because of the unprecedented political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Apr/14/Gulf-states-want-to-cancel-Arab-summit-in-Iraq.ashx#axzz1JTdXVA5R
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Done strikes resume, six Haqqani men killed in South Waziristan
April 14, 2011
PESHAWAR: US drones on Wednesday resumed missile attacks in Pakistan for the first time in a month, killing six fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network on the Afghan border, officials said. The unmanned aircraft fired four missiles into a vehicle travelling through the South Waziristan district. “It was a US drone attack, which fired four missiles on a vehicle, killing six terrorists,” a Pakistani military official said. Another Pakistani security official confirmed the attack near the town of Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, around six kilometres from the border with Afghanistan. Pakistani intelligence officials said the dead belonged to the Haqqani group, an al Qaeda-allied outfit based in the neighbouring North Waziristan tribal district. afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\14\story_14-4-2011_pg1_4
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Gilani slams US drone strikes
April 14, 2011
AZHAR MASOOD
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Wednesday criticized US drone strikes in his country’s tribal belt, saying they undermined anti-terror efforts.
Gilani said his government had convinced other countries of the world through diplomatic channels that “these drone attacks are creating problems for us.”
Efforts to isolate militants from their tribal support base were being undermined by the strikes in the lawless tribal region bordering Afghanistan, he said in a speech at the federal Parliament.
His remarks came just hours after a drone strike killed six fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network on the Afghan border — the first such strike in a month.
“Under a well-thought-out strategy we had separated the tribes from militants, but when drone attacks occur, militants and tribes unite again, which is difficult for us to sustain politically and it also create difficulties for the military operations,” Gilani said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article358260.ece
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Liberal groups wary of Obama’s cuts
April 14, 2011
President Barack Obama faces a growing rebellion on the left as he courts independent voters and Republicans with his vision for reducing the nation’s debt by cutting government spending and restraining the costs of federal health insurance programs. Key liberal groups, which helped elect Obama in 2 008, are raising concerns that he has given up political ground to Republicans, allowing the message of reducing government to trump that of creating jobs and lowering the unemployment rate.
Seizing on Friday’s deal, which would cut $38.5 billion from the fiscal 2011 budget, activists on Tuesday threatened to sit out the 2012 presidential campaign if Obama goes too far with further cuts.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/americas/Liberal-groups-wary-of-Obama-s-cuts/Article1-685010.aspx
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Libyan rebels urge stronger US military role
April 14, 2011
DOHA: A spokesman for Libyan rebels urged the US military on Wednesday to reassert a stronger role in the NATO-led air campaign or risk more civilian casualties in the stalemate fighting between Muammar Gaddafi and forces seeking to end his four-decade rule.
Mubarak, two sons detained
Cairo: In an unprecedented step in the Arab world, Egyptian prosecutors on Wednesday detained the country’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons to face investigations on charges of corruption and abuse of power. “Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal have been detained for 15 days for questioning on corruption and abuse of authority charges,” official news agency MENA reported quoting a statement from the Justice Ministry.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/331412/Inbrief.html
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NATO strikes two Libyan cities
April 14, 2011
NATO warplanes launched airstrikes on the Libyan cities of Al-Aziziyah and Sirte on Wednesday, Libya's state-run Al-Jamahiriya said.
"Several sites in the city of Sirte were bombarded by the crusaders' colonial aggression ... Each missile or bomb the crusaders drop on Libyans is funded by the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates," the channel said in a written newsflash.
It mentioned the assault on Al-Aziziyah in a separate newsflash.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9972/World/Region/NATO-strikes-two-Libyan-cities.aspx
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World powers rally behind Libya rebels
April 14, 2011
World powers rallied behind Libyan rebels as they appeared on a global stage for the first time Wednesday, with Italy and Qatar saying they need weapons to defend themselves and Britain pressing for urgent regional aid.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, warned at the Libya contact group meeting in Doha that as many as 3.6 million people, or more than half of Libya's population, could need humanitarian assistance.
Ban also urged the international community to "speak with one voice" on Libya, as a rift appeared to be opening between EU partners, with Belgium expressing opposition to arming the rebels and Germany insisting there could be "no military solution."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9983/World/Region/World-powers-rally-behind-Libya-rebels.aspx
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Mubarak, 3 others, detained for graft investigation
April 14, 2011
CAIRO: Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak, his two sons and a former speaker of parliament, were placed under detention on Wednesday for investigation on accusations of corruption, abuse of power and killings of protesters in a dramatic step that brought celebrations from the movement that drove him from office.
Mubarak was detained in his hospital room in Sharm el-Sheikh, where he was taken on Tuesday after he complained of heart problems as the investigation began.
Mubarak’s sons, Gamal and Alaa, were taken to Cairo’s Torah prison, where a string of former top regime figures — including the former prime minister, ruling party chief and Mubarak’s chief of staff — are already languishing, facing similar investigations on corruption.
Egyptian authorities also detained former parliament speaker Fathi Surour for 15 days pending investigation over allegations of corruption.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article358075.ece
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Clinton condemns continued Kadhafi forces attacks
April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday condemned what she called continued "brutal attacks" by Moamer Kadhafi's forces on Libyan civilians after reports of "renewed atrocities."
Clinton said she was responding to reports of Kadhafi forces firing mortar and artillery rounds into residential areas of Misrata, cutting off water and power to the city, and having snipers shoot at civilians seeking medical care.
His forces have also "reportedly destroyed crucial food supply warehouses" in an apparent bid to "starve them into submission," the chief US diplomat said in a statement.
"The United States condemns the Kadhafi regime's continued brutal attacks on the Libyan people in violation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973, which calls for a stop to all attacks on civilians," she said.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=14111
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BRICS speaks out against use of force in Libya
April 14, 2011
SANYA: The leaders of the world’s top emerging BRICS powers said Thursday the use of force “should be avoided” in Libya and across the Arab world, according to a draft statement obtained by AFP.
“We share the principle that the use of force should be avoided,” said the statement by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, released as they met in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.
South Africa was the only BRICS nation to approve a UN Security Council resolution establishing a no-fly zone over Libya and authorising “all necessary measures” to protect civilians, opening the door to coalition air strikes.
The other four countries have expressed concern that the Nato-led campaign — which aims to thwart Muammer Qadhafi’s assault on rebels seeking to end his 41-year rule — is causing civilian casualties.
The statement, however, did not specifically single out the Nato campaign.
“We wish to continue our cooperation in the UN Security Council on Libya,” the statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/14/brics-speaks-out-against-use-of-force-in-libya.html
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Western, Arab nations say Gaddafi must go
April 14, 2011
Tripoli Diplomats will make a new effort to forge an end to the Libyan civil war Thursday, after agreeing to call for Muammar Gaddafi to leave power but failing to forge a unified strategy to force him out.
N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Arab League head Amr Moussa and officials from the African Union and Organization of the Islamic Conference will discuss Libya at Arab League headquarters in Cairo.
Foreign ministers from a group of Western powers and Middle Eastern states met Wednesday in Qatar and jointly called for the first time for an end to Gaddafi's 41-year rule.
Britain and France are leading air strikes against Gaddafi's forces, but have grown frustrated with the lack of support from NATO allies. After heading up the campaign in its early days, Washington is taking a back seat, and other NATO states are playing smaller roles.
"Gaddafi and his regime has lost all legitimacy and he must leave power allowing the Libyan people to determine their future," the "contact group" of Western and Middle Eastern states meeting in Qatar said in a final statement Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=29341
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West, Mideast powers agree on Gadhafi ouster
April 14, 2011
DOHA/TRIPOLI: A group of Western powers and Middle Eastern states called for the first time Wednesday for Moammar Gadhafi to step aside but NATO countries squabbled publicly over stepping up airstrikes to help topple the Libyan leader.
In a victory for Britain and France, which are leading the air campaign in Libya and pushed for an unequivocal call for regime change, the “contact group” of some 16 European and Middle Eastern nations, plus the United Nations, the Arab League and the African Union, said Gadhafi must go.
“Gadhafi and his regime has lost all legitimacy and he must leave power allowing the Libyan people to determine their future,” a final statement obtained by Reuters said.
It also said the rebels’ national council, “in contrast with the current regime … is a legitimate interlocutor, representing the aspirations of the Libyan people.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Apr/14/West-Mideast-powers-agree-on-Gadhafi-ouster.ashx#axzz1JTdXVA5R
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Amnesty urges Lebanon to trace Civil War missing
April 14, 2011
BEIRUT: Amnesty International urged Lebanese authorities Thursday to investigate the fate of thousands of people who disappeared during the 1975-1990 Civil War and are believed dead or held in Syria.
The appeal came on the 36th anniversary of the outbreak of the sectarian bloodshed that left more than 150,000 people dead.
“It really is high time that the Lebanese authorities took steps toward bringing this very painful episode to a close,” said Malcolm Smart, Middle East and North Africa director.
“Both the president and the council of ministers pledged action but as yet no concrete steps have been taken,” Smart said.
“What is urgently needed now is an independent commission of inquiry, one that includes among its members representatives of the families of the missing.”
The London-based group also called for the collection of DNA from the families of the missing so that it could be compared with DNA gathered from the remains of those killed in the conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/Apr/14/Amnesty-urges-Lebanon-to-trace-civil-war-missing.ashx#axzz1JTdXVA5R
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Tunisia probe says Ben Ali ordered airstrikes on region in revolt
April 14, 2011
TUNIS: Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali ordered airstrikes on a city involved in an uprising prior to his toppling in January, according to an investigator Wednesday.
Ben Ali ordered strikes on the Ezzouhour area of the western city of Kasserine days before he quit on Jan. 14 after weeks of protests, the head of a commission probing abuses during the revolt said in various reports.
The “intention was to break the region and bring its people to their knees through collective and premeditated murder,” commission head Taoufik Bouderbala was quoted as saying.
The order came days before Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, ending 23 years in power, and was never carried out. The army had reportedly refused some orders from Ben Ali to strike protesters.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Apr/14/Tunisia-probe-says-Ben-Ali-ordered-airstrikes-on-region-in-revolt.ashx#axzz1JTdXVA5R
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Palestinians seek clear American position on statehood
April 14, 2011
RAMALLAH, Occupied West Bank: The Palestinians called Wednesday for a clear U.S. stance on Palestinian statehood after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the status quo was unsustainable.
Speaking at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum Tuesday, Clinton warned that “the status quo between Palestinians and Israelis is no more sustainable than the [Arab] political systems that have crumbled in recent months.”
She pledged the United States would maintain an active role in trying to solve the conflict, but her comments came as diplomats at the United Nations said Washington had blocked a European initiative to relaunch peace talks.
Diplomats said Britain, France and Germany had planned to propose the outlines of a final peace agreement during a session of the diplomatic “Quartet” on the Middle East scheduled for Friday in Berlin, but the meeting was put off at Washington’s behest.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Apr/14/Palestinians-seek-clear-American-position-on-statehood.ashx#axzz1JTdXVA5R
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Corruption by Egypt's Mubarak 'not a one-man job,' say experts
April 14, 2011
Accusations in February of widespread corruption have pushed Egyptian prosecutors investigating Hosni Mubarak’s alleged illicit personal wealth to ratchet up their efforts.
A string of suspicious bank transfers that took place around the time when the former president was forced to step down after weeks of protest were unlikely to have been a “one-man job,” experts have said.
“During the month of February, when Mubarak was being overthrown, several banks and financial observers noted a suspicious flow of capital leaving Egypt, going into a variety of holdings and banks across the West,” said Steven Philippsohn, head of PCB Litigation/Fraud Litigation. The firm has been closely involved with the Egyptian process and has an extensive track-record in other high-profile cases involving asset recovery and fraud.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8220mubarak8217s-corruption-not-a-one-man-job8221-say-experts-2011-04-13
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Hopes dim for a breakthrough between Turkey, Israel at the end of UN inquiry
April 14, 2011
As Turkey and Israel prepare for the final rounds of discussion before a U.N. panel concludes its inquiry into a deadly raid last year, hopes are dim that the panel’s report will provide a diplomatic breakthrough.
The once-close allies have been estranged since Israeli Defense Forces staged a deadly attack May 31, 2010, on an aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, killing eight Turks and one American of Turkish descent.
The U.N. panel, set up by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2010 to investigate the incident, is not expected to force Israel to apologize and pay compensation to the victims’ families, two conditions set by the Turkish government to normalize ties.
Turkey’s conviction that Israel is using every possible means behind the scenes to affect the outcome of the panel was reinforced recently when the head of a separate probe on Israel’s 2008-2009 military offensive in Gaza backed away from a report published last September.
The report, issued by a commission headed by Judge Richard Goldstone, concluded that both Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, sides committed potential war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. It accused Israel of using disproportionate force, deliberately targeting civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, and using people as human shields.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=hopes-dim-for-a-breakthrough-between-turkey-and-israel-at-the-end-of-un-inquiry-2011-04-13
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At least seven dead in Yemen as protesters rally
April 14, 2011
At least seven people were killed, including four policemen who clashed with a dissident army unit, as hundreds of thousands of anti-regime protesters rallied across Yemen on Wednesday.
"Police attacked an army checkpoint in Jawlat Amran," a suburb in northern Sanaa, "killing one officer and wounding two soldiers," a military official told AFP.
The four policemen died as security forces traded fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades in the incident late Tuesday, he said.
The targeted army unit operates under the commander of northwest Yemen's military region, General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, who has sided with the protesters and accused regime supporters of trying to assassinate him, the official said.
In the south of the country, soldiers on Wednesday shot dead two anti-regime protesters and wounded nine others in different sectors of the port city of Aden, medics and witnesses said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9994/World/Region/At-least-seven-dead-in-Yemen-as-protesters-rally.aspx
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New push for Israeli-Palestinian peace at US forum
April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON: The United States plans to promote a new and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday evening, suggesting a stronger US effort in trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while also outlining strategies for addressing the turmoil currently sweeping the Middle East.
President Barack Obama will lay out US policy toward the Middle East and North Africa in the coming weeks, Clinton told Arab and US policy makers in a speech at the US-Islamic World Forum, sponsored by Qatar and the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. Obama's launch of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks last year went nowhere and he is under pressure to instigate a new initiative or face the prospect of the Palestinians seeking the United Nations General Assembly's approval for an independent Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, leaders from 30 Muslim majority countries attending the eighth annual World Forum told reporters they believe the Middle East talks should be the cornerstone of US-Muslim relations and they want Washington to take a more active role in seeking enduring solutions. A new study released at the forum shows the majority of Americans consider US-Muslim world relations as one of the top priorities facing the US in foreign policy, which helps explain the comprehensive speech and presence of the US secretary of state.
“America’s core interests and values have not changed, including our commitment to promote human rights, resolve long-standing conflicts, counter Iran's threats and defeat Al-Qaeda and its extremist allies,” Clinton said. “This includes renewed pursuit of comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article358259.ece
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Days of confusion end with the Mubaraks detained
April 14, 2011
The prosecutor-general has sentenced former president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons to 15 days in jail, pending investigations.
Mubarak is accused of killing protesters in Tahrir Square during the January 25 Revolution. His sons Alaa and Gamal arrived in Tora jail early this morning, in what witnesses say was a state of “disbelief.” The duo are expected to be questioned by the Illicit Gains Authority for profiteering, wasting public funds and illegally accumulating their wealth in the next few days.
In a statement released earlier today, Prosecutor-General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud said that following investigations, he decided that Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamal will be detained for 15 days. The prosecutor added that the trio will be questioned on 14 April in the prosecutor’s office in the Fifth Settlement suburb of Cairo.
Following concerns raised by the interior minister, Mansour El-Essawy, that the ousted president’s poor health would make it hard for him to travel to Cairo from Sinai, where he has been since stepping down on 11 February, the prosecution has decided to have him assessed by a medical committee in Sharm El-Sheikh. A medical examination revealed him to be in poor health and in need of medical attention while being questioned. As a result, Mahmoud decided to question Mubarak in the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital, saying that it does not violate the law.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9948/Egypt/Politics-/Days-of-confusion-end-with-the-Mubaraks-detained.aspx
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Mubaraks go the way of their henchmen
April 14, 2011
Doubts over the transparency of investigations into corruption perpetrated by former regime figures had to be ??reassessed when ousted president Hosni Mubarak and both of his sons were ordered to be ??remanded in police custody for 15 days. This caps similar rulings against the figureheads of Egypt’s former ruling regime.
With the January 25 Revolution in full swing, legal proceedings were undertaken against a number of ??former high-profile governmental officials, including steel magnate Ahmed Ezz and Zuheir ??Garana, the ex-minister of tourism. Both men were detained and had their ?assets ?frozen in an attempt at self-preservation by the Mubarak regime.?
Once a prominent National Democratic Party member and ?chairman of Parliament’s budget committee, Ezz is held responsible for monopolizing the steel market, causing real estate values to constantly ?fluctuate. It’s also understood that the diminutive man played a major role in the flagrant ?rigging of the parliamentary elections in 2010. ?
The trial of Habib El-Adly, interior minister from 1997 till 2011, also got underway in ?the wake of the 18-day revolt that led to Mubarak’s ouster. El-Adly was indicted on money-laundering charges and, more significantly, for ?ordering the killing ?of protesters in the early days of the revolution as well as creating a security vacuum in the country. Under El-Adly, the ministry of interior routinely covered up torture practiced by the police and security forces.
Several other members of the Mubarak clique, however, remained untouched for weeks, ??which brought into question the integrity of the prosecutor general and made the likes of ??Ezz and El-Adly came across as scapegoats in a scheme designed to protect the more ??powerful oligarchs of the former regime. ?
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/1/64/9935/Egypt/Politics-/Mubaraks-go-the-way-of-their-henchmen.aspx
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Israeli-Palestinian status quo unsustainable: US
April 14, 2011
Speaking at the US-Islamic World Forum in Washington on Tuesday, the top US diplomat said President Barack Obama would in coming weeks lay out in detail American policy towards a changing Middle East.
But she said America remained determined to move forward talks between Israel and the Palestinians, warning that regime change in Arab countries was a reminder that the Middle East conflict continued to fester.
"The status quo between Palestinians and Israelis is no more sustainable than the political systems that have crumbled in recent months," Clinton said.
"Neither Israel's future as a Jewish democratic state nor the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians can be secured without a negotiated two-state solution.
"And while it is a truism that only the parties themselves can make the hard choices necessary for peace, there is no substitute for continued active American leadership."
Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since late 2010, shortly after they restarted when an Israeli moratorium on new West Bank settlement building expired.
Israel has refused to renew the ban, and the Palestinians say they will not negotiate while settlers build on land they want for a future state.
Full report at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9916/World/Region/IsraeliPalestinian-status-quo-unsustainable-US.aspx
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Laurent Gbagbo under house arrest
April 14, 2011
The Ivory Coast president, Alassane Ouattara, ordered ousted rival Laurent Gbagbo to be held under house arrest as France said Wednesday its gendarmes would patrol Abidjan’s lawless streets.
Rights group Amnesty International warned that Gbagbo’s supporters were at risk of violent reprisals following his arrest on Monday for having stubbornly refused to admit defeat to Ouattara in a November presidential election.
While both Ouattara and Gbagbo have called for fighters to lay down arms to help the formerly wealthy west African nation get back on its feet, Amnesty warned that supporters of the former regime faced deadly reprisals.
Armed men, some wearing military uniforms, have been conducting house-to-house searches in neighbourhoods, including Yopougon and Koumassi, where supporters of Gbagbo are living, Amnesty said.
Full report at:
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/15295.html
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Iran stops refueling ‘Western planes’ in tit-for-tat move
April 14, 2011
Iran has stopped refuelling ‘western passenger planes’ since Europe-bound Iranian commercial planes were refused fuelling there, the first vice-president was quoted as saying in the governmental Iran newspaper on Wednesday.
‘Recently fuel supply for Iranian passenger planes flying to Europe was stopped,’ Mohammed Reza Rahimi said.
‘Iran decided immediately to strike back and banned supply of fuel to Western passenger planes landing in Iran,’ Rahimi added without specifying when the decision by the Islamic republic was implemented and which companies were targeted.
The decision by European oil companies was apparently taken in support of Western sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, even though sanctions adopted by the European Union do not include such measures.
Unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States, however, target gasoline and jet fuel supplies to Iran.
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/15280.html
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Doha meeting reveals divisions on Libya
April 14, 2011
Britain pressured other Nato members to step up ground attacks in Libya yesterday but cracks appeared in the alliance as foreign ministers met in Qatar to try to break the deadlock in the civil war.
Nato divisions surfaced at the international "contact group" meeting, not only over arming the rebels and increasing air strikes but also on creating a fund from frozen Libyan assets to help the opposition trying to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined the humanitarian disaster caused by the war, telling the meeting that up to 3.6 million people, or more than half the population, could need assistance.
Paris and London are increasingly frustrated that air strikes have neither tipped the balance of the war in favour of rebels trying to end Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule nor even ended devastating shelling of the besieged city of Misrata.
Libyan state television said yesterday that Nato planes had bombed Misrata's main Tripoli street, scene of repeated battles between rebels and government troops. It said people were killed, without giving details.
It said alliance planes also attacked Gaddafi's birthplace of Sirte, east of Misrata, and Aziziyah, south of Tripoli.
British Foreign Minister William Hague told Reuters that other coalition aircraft must join ground attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181684
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Syrian troops shot for refusing orders
April 14, 2011
Syrian soldiers have reportedly been shot by security forces for disobeying orders to fire at protesters in Banias. The Guardian quoted witnesses as saying that some soldiers had refused to shoot after the army moved into Banias as protests intensified on Friday.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syrian-troops-shot-for-refusing-orders/articleshow/7977831.cms
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Parties fight it out for Muslim votes
April 14, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram cent the women, agencies MUSLIMS constitute only about 25 per cent of Kerala’s total population, but they still play a crucial role in the assembly elections in the state.
Both the United Democratic Front ( UDF) and the Left Democratic Front ( LDF), and even the BJP vie for a share in the vote pie of the minority community.
Interestingly, in this assembly election, the Muslim votes are not going to be consolidated for any of the fronts. The presence of pro- Muslim outfits such as the Social Democratic Party of India ( SDPI) and the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) will be a big headache for both the fronts.
However, with the Indian Union Muslim League ( IUML) on their side, the Congressled UDF is sure to get more Muslim votes, especially in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts.
While Muslim political outfits such as the PDP and the SDPI are taking an independent stand, Jamaat- E- Islami Hind has decided to support the CPM- led LDF. The LDF hopes that the split in Muslim votes will help firm their ground in northern Kerala.
“ The LDF government has taken several measures to help the minorities.
Full report at:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=1442011
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4454
11:01 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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