| Islamic World News | |
| 31 May 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
| Pakistan journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad killed for exposing Al-Qaeda-Pak military links | ||
The Story that probably got Syed Saleem Shahzad killed Al-Qaeda had warned of Pakistan strike Shift in Taliban tactics alarms Afghanistan government Two Christian girls kidnapped and converted to Islam in Pakistan Muslim Brotherhood won’t force Islamic law on Egypt Pakistani jets attack Taliban hideouts, kill 11 Bombers target Italian base in Afghanistan, five killed 20 killed as Yemeni troops go berserk at protest camp Officers disown Qadhafi as peace bid stalls Syrian forces enter rebel town, kill 3 Afghan Taliban attacks kill four Pak to launch attacks on Haqqani Musharraf proclaimed offender: Pak court Obama picks Iraq war veteran as military chief Can’t defend Saeed in US lawsuit: Pak govt to court India upset over Russia calling off naval exercise Taliban co-founder tipped off America on Osama hideout Benazir case: Musharraf a proclaimed offender Germany decides to abandon nuclear power by 2022 Gaddafi ready for truce: South African president Zuma in Libya as Nato eyes endgame amid defections Mullah Baradar disclosed Osama's hideout: Report 11 Syrians killed as UN blasts 'shocking' crackdown Set of bomb blasts kill 10 in Nigeria Russia's Tatarstan warns of 'threat' from radical Islam Israel Army arrests 12 'Islamic Jihad militants' Pak offensive to target Waziristan India, Pakistan resume Siachen talks Obama names Dempsey next US military chief ISI urged SA not to fund Nawaz Sharif: WikiLeaks Ex-Naval commando among three arrested Tibetan parliament okays Dalai Lama’s ‘retirement’ Yemeni air force bombs Qaeda-held city Mladic may be sent to war crimes court in days Gaddafi's 'reign of terror' nearing end: Nato chief Gaddafi ready for truce: South African president Afghan president seeks to limit NATO airstrikes Arab spring is to bring more surprises in the region Britain trained Saudi force in Bahrain: report Egyptian Military Court Prosecutes Only Christians in Muslim Church Attacks Abbottabad-like operation in NWA? Syrians in Lebanon wait as unrest continues Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: The car of the missing Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, has been found with an unidentified body inside it. | ||
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Pakistan journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad killed for exposing Al-Qaeda-Pak military links
May 31, 2011
A Pakistani journalist who was feared abducted after he went missing on Sunday has been found dead, his family has confirmed.
Police said Saleem Shahzad's body was found in a canal in Mandi Baha Uddin in Pakistan's northern Gujarat district.
Earlier, Human Rights Watch researcher Ali Dayan Hasan said he had "credible information" that Shahzad was in the custody of Pakistani intelligence.
He recently wrote an article about al-Qaeda infiltration in Pakistan's navy.
He reported that the militant group had launched the deadly assault on the Mehran base in Karachi, the headquarters of the navy's air wing, on 22 May because talks had failed over the release of several naval personnel arrested on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda affiliates.
At least 14 people were killed and two navy warplanes destroyed.
On Monday, a former navy commando and his brother were detained for their alleged role in helping plan the raid, which embarrassed the military.
Shahzad's family said he had disappeared after leaving his home in Islamabad on Sunday evening for an interview at a television station.
They immediately issued statements saying they feared for his safety.
The 40 year old's body was found in a canal in the Sarai Alamgir area of Mandi Baha Uddin, some 150km (93 miles) south-east of the capital. His car was found about 10km (six miles) away.
He told us that if anything happened to him, we should inform the media about the situation and threats”
The head of Margalla police station in Islamabad, Fayaz Tanoli, told the BBC that the local police force took photographs of the body and informed his officers on Monday that it might be Shahzad's.
The photographs were shown to Shahzad's brother-in-law, Hamza Amir, who identified the remains. Police said he had cuts to his face.
Relatives later travelled to Sarai Alamgir to confirm he was dead.
Mr Hasan of Human Rights Watch said Shahzad had recently complained about being threatened by the intelligence arm of the Pakistan military, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI).
"He visited our office and informed us that the ISI had threatened him. He told us that if anything happened to him, we should inform the media about the situation and threats," he told the AFP news agency.
"We can form an opinion after the investigation and a court verdict, but... in the past, the ISI has been involved in similar incidents."
Mr Hasan also said he had been told by some Pakistani government officials that they believed Shahzad was in ISI custody.
The deadly assault on the Mehran naval air base in Karachi embarrassed the military
A senior Pakistani intelligence official told the Associated Press it was "absurd" to say that the ISI had anything to do with Shahzad's death.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said: "We are losing our professional colleagues but the government never unearths who is behind the killing of journalists."
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed his heartfelt condolences to Shahzad's family and ordered an immediate inquiry into his kidnapping and murder.
Shahzad, who had a wife and three children, worked for the Italian news agency Adnkronos and was Pakistan bureau chief for Asia Times Online.
Human rights groups recently called Pakistan the most dangerous place in the world for journalists to operate, saying they were under threat from Islamist militants but also Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13599172
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The Story that probably got Syed Saleem Shahzad killed
May 31, 2011
New Delhi: The car of the missing Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, has been found with an unidentified body inside it.
Saleem Shahzad went missing on Sunday after he wrote about links between the Pakistani navy and the al Qaeda - that led to the attack on the Mehran naval base earlier this month.
Human rights groups suspected that he has been detained by intelligence agencies for his reports over the Mehran base attack.
Pakistani media reported that a former Navy commando and two associates have been arrested in connection with May 22 attack on the naval base in Karachi. The attack on PNS Mehran left 10 security personnel dead.
Mehmal Sarfaraz, the Op-Ed editor of the 'Daily Times' told CNN-IBN that an FIR was filed.
Mehmal Sarfaraz claimed Shahzad had a premonition that he would be abducted by the ISI and left a note beforehand with a human rights group. "The Human Rights Watch has confirmed that the ISI has detained him. It's for a story he did on May 27 which dealt with sensitive info. It was an embarrassment for the government so he might have been picked up for that story. He'd left a letter with the HRW to say that if he went missing, to say that it is the ISI," Sarfaraz said.
Earlier report:
Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad reported missing
By Adnan Adil
2011-05-30
ISLAMABAD – Pakistani journalist, Syed Saleem Shahzad, working for the Asia Times Online, was reported missing May 29, DawnNews reported.
According to the newspaper, Shahzad had written an article several days ago in which he alleged links between Pakistan Navy officials and al-Qaeda.
According to the Lahore-based South Asia Free Media Association (Safma), Shahzad left his house in Islamabad to take part in a television programme but never arrived at the station.
He has not contacted family and friends, his car has not been found, and calls to his cell phone have gone unanswered, according to Safma.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pak-journalist-saleem-shahzads-car-found/155727-56.html
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Al-Qaeda had warned of Pakistan strike
May 31, 2011
Syed Saleem Shahzad
ISLAMABAD - Al-Qaeda carried out the brazen attack on PNS Mehran naval air station in Karachi on May 22 after talks failed between the navy and al-Qaeda over the release of naval officials arrested on suspicion of al-Qaeda links, an Asia Times Online investigation reveals.
Pakistani security forces battled for 15 hours to clear the naval base after it had been stormed by a handful of well-armed militants.
At least 10 people were killed and two United States-made P3-C
Orion surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft worth US$36 million each were destroyed before some of the attackers escaped through a cordon of thousands of armed forces.
An official statement placed the number of militants at six, with four killed and two escaping. Unofficial sources, though, claim there were 10 militants with six getting free. Asia Times Online contacts confirm that the attackers were from Ilyas Kashmiri's 313 Brigade, the operational arm of al-Qaeda.
Three attacks on navy buses in which at least nine people were killed last month were warning shots for navy officials to accept al-Qaeda's demands over the detained suspects.
The May 2 killing in Pakistan of Osama bin Laden spurred al-Qaeda groups into developing a consensus for the attack in Karachi, in part as revenge for the death of their leader and also to deal a blow to Pakistan's surveillance capacity against the Indian navy.
The deeper underlying motive, though, was a reaction to massive internal crackdowns on al-Qaeda affiliates within the navy.
Volcano of militancy
Several weeks ago, naval intelligence traced an al-Qaeda cell operating inside several navy bases in Karachi, the country's largest city and key port.
"Islamic sentiments are common in the armed forces," a senior navy official told Asia Times Online on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
"We never felt threatened by that. All armed forces around the world, whether American, British or Indian, take some inspiration from religion to motivate their cadre against the enemy. Pakistan came into existence on the two-nation theory that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations and therefore no one can separate Islam and Islamic sentiment from the armed forces of Pakistan," the official said.
"Nonetheless, we observed an uneasy grouping on different naval bases in Karachi. While nobody can obstruct armed forces personnel for rendering religious rituals or studying Islam, the grouping [we observed] was against the discipline of the armed forces. That was the beginning of an intelligence operation in the navy to check for unscrupulous activities."
The official explained the grouping was against the leadership of the armed forces and opposed to its nexus with the United States against Islamic militancy. When some messages were intercepted hinting at attacks on visiting American officials, intelligence had good reason to take action and after careful evaluation at least 10 people - mostly from the lower cadre - were arrested in a series of operations.
"That was the beginning of huge trouble," the official said.
Those arrested were held in a naval intelligence office behind the chief minister's residence in Karachi, but before proper interrogation could begin, the in-charge of the investigation received direct threats from militants who made it clear they knew where the men were being detained.
The detainees were promptly moved to a safer location, but the threats continued. Officials involved in the case believe the militants feared interrogation would lead to the arrest of more of their loyalists in the navy. The militants therefore made it clear that if those detained were not released, naval installations would be attacked.
It was clear the militants were receiving good inside information as they always knew where the suspects were being detained, indicating sizeable al-Qaeda infiltration within the navy's ranks. A senior-level naval conference was called at which an intelligence official insisted that the matter be handled with great care, otherwise the consequences could be disastrous. Everybody present agreed, and it was decided to open a line of communication with al-Qaeda.
Abdul Samad Mansoori, a former student union activist and now part of 313 brigade, who originally hailed from Karachi but now lives in the North Waziristan tribal area was approached and talks begun. Al-Qaeda demanded the immediate release of the officials without further interrogation. This was rejected.
The detainees were allowed to speak to their families and were well treated, but officials were desperate to interrogate them fully to get an idea of the strength of al-Qaeda's penetration. The militants were told that once interrogation was completed, the men would be discharged from the service and freed.
Al-Qaeda rejected these terms and expressed its displeasure with the attacks on the navy buses in April.
These incidents pointed to more than the one al-Qaeda cell intelligence had tracked in the navy. The fear now was that if the problem was not addressed, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supply lines could face a new threat. NATO convoys are routinely attacked once they begin the journey from Karachi to Afghanistan; now they could be at risk in Karachi port. Americans who often visit naval facilities in the city would also be in danger.
Therefore, another crackdown was conducted and more people were arrested. Those seized had different ethnic backgrounds. One naval commando came from South Waziristan's Mehsud tribe and was believed to have received direct instructions from Hakeemullah Mehsud, the chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban). Others were from Punjab province and Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.
After Bin Laden was killed by American Navy Seals in Abbottabad, 60 kilometers north of Islamabad, militants decided the time was ripe for major action.
Within a week, insiders at PNS Mehran provided maps, pictures of different exit and entry routes taken in daylight and at night, the location of hangers and details of likely reaction from external security forces.
As a result, the militants were able to enter the heavily guarded facility where one group targeted the aircraft, a second group took on the first strike force and a third finally escaped with the others providing covering fire. Those who stayed behind were killed.
Next: Recruitment and training of militants
Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief and author of Inside al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 published by Pluto Press, UK. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com
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Shift in Taliban tactics alarms Afghanistan government
May 31, 2011
The killing of General Mohammad Daud Daud, the police commander for northern Afghanistan, on Saturday by a suicide bomber who infiltrated security wearing a police uniform, highlights a recent change in Taliban tactics, says the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul.
Attacks by rogue soldiers or police and Taliban infiltrators have increased in frequency and ambition in recent months, say Afghan officials, and have sparked panic among President Hamid Karzai and his government.
A week before his death, Gen Daud said that militants had tried to infiltrate his security. He had had warnings about a threat to his life.
"The Haqqanis [Pakistan-based militant network] and Taliban groups tried to offer money to some of my police, some of my guards," Gen Daud told me in his heavily armoured convoy as he travelled to a meeting with visiting US Senator John Kerry in Mazar-e-Sharif.
"I am very vigilant. I have made a lot of changes in my movements, and keep a close eye on who guards the front and rear of my headquarters, but I have to travel all over northern Afghanistan, to different provinces. It is becoming tiresome."
He said the success of Nato's International Security Assistance Force and their Afghan partners was playing a role in the shift of Taliban tactics.
"They are not able to achieve any big victory in clashes with the security forces, so they have turned to rogue soldiers. Such attacks create mistrust within security agencies and demoralise them."
'Nightmare'
Until earlier this year, such attacks were sporadic and largely ignored by the authorities and the media.
But when a militant dressed as a soldier managed to get past the fortified walls of the defence ministry headquarters in Kabul in April killing several soldiers before being shot dead by Afghan soldiers, the government panicked.
The attacker was after Defence Minister Gen Abdul Rahim Wardak, who was not in the building at the time.
Gen Daud (centre, in uniform) had received warnings of a planned attempt on his life
"The insurgents struck the very heart of the government," an official close to President Karzai told the BBC, requesting anonymity. He said Mr Karzai was very upset and angry over the incident.
Officials say rogue soldiers have tried to carry out at least 25 suicide attacks in the past two months.
Afghan security forces managed to prevent nine of them, Gen Wardak told the country's parliament recently.
A senior general with the country's interior ministry said suicide attacks by rogue soldiers was like a recurring nightmare.
"The only difference is that these nightmares turn into a reality."
One of the most audacious of these attacks was on a team of US special forces, which was teaching Afghan soldiers how to fire mortars in the eastern province of Nagarhar.
During a break from the training, an Afghan named Ezatullah, who had served with the border police for three years and had a spotless record, offered tea to the American trainers.
He was not a Taliban 10 years ago, he was not Taliban five years ago. Of course, he was recruited recently. Why and how did we fail to detect this?”
The trainers relaxed, put their weapons down and removed their flak jackets waiting for the tea to arrive. It was then that Ezatullah opened fire, killing six of the Americans on the spot.
Afghan policemen then killed Ezatullah, the chief of border police in eastern Afghanistan, Gen Aminullah Amarkhel, said.
The general said investigators later found songs promoting Taliban activities on his mobile phone. Gen Amarkhel said the Taliban had recruited Ezatullah some time ago.
An official working for Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), in Jalalabad, said US forces were also responsible for the incident to a certain extent.
"They use the F-word," he said. "We have had complaints that Afghan soldiers are not given meal or prayer breaks when on training with American forces.
"All this hurts their sentiments and develops a breeding ground for anti-American feelings, which the Taliban exploits. We need to train not only the Afghans but also the Americans on how to behave when in the company of Afghans."
Security officials say more background checks are being made on police and army recruits. Flaws in the recruiting process are also being blamed for the attacks.
Aides close to Mr Karzai say the president is upset with his ministers in charge of building up Afghanistan's army and police for failing to carry out effective background checks on recruits.
"After one such incident, the president told some of his ministers: 'You are incompetent and irresponsible'," one official said.
"Seek guarantees from village elders and family members before recruiting anyone," he told the defence and interior ministers.
But a spokesman for the NDS, Lutfullah Mashal, says the Afghan government is now getting a handle on the problem.
"Intelligence officers have been instructed to go to the villages and talk to the friends, neighbours and others about the temperament, attitude, leanings and values of a potential recruit," he said.
"The Afghan National Army and police have been asked to carefully study the dossier prepared by the intelligence officers before offering a job to anyone."
He said background checks could prevent incidents such as the killing of the police chief of Kandahar province, Khan Mohammad Mujahid.
Mr Khan Mohammad was killed in a suicide attack carried out by his own bodyguard. The bodyguard had served Mr Khan for years and was known to enjoy a good rapport with him.
The attack left the establishment perplexed.
"How can we explain this to the people, especially the Americans?" an aide to Mr Karzai asked.
"He was not a Taliban 10 years ago, he was not Taliban five years ago. Of course, he was recruited recently. Why and how did we fail to detect this?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13589764
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Two Christian girls kidnapped and converted to Islam in Pakistan
May 31, 2011
Faisalabad: May 28, 2011. (Fides) - The violence on Christian girls in central Punjab has caused two other victims: as reported by the Masihi Foundation to Fides- which deals with the protection of Christians in Pakistan - two Christian girls were kidnapped by a group of Muslims and forced to convert to Islam and get married. Rebbecca Masih and Saima Masih were kidnapped in Jhung the district of Faisalabad.
As explained by the two sisters` father, Rehmat Masih, a few days ago a wealthy local businessman, Muhammad Waseem, had previously warned that he wanted to marry the two girls, then threatened to kidnap them and convert them by force. Rehmat went to the police to file a complaint, but they did not take action. On Tuesday, May 24 the two girls were stopped while returning from the market, and some men kidnapped and threw them in a car owned by Waseem.
Rehmat rushed back to the police. The officers, after completing the investigation, said that "there are false accusations against Waseem," and that Rehmat, often gets drunk and starts assaulting his daughters, so they might have ran away unable to bear the torture. Other witnesses and neighbors instead swear that Rehmat is a respectable man and has never harmed his daughters.
On May 25, Muhammad Waseem forcefully married Saima Masih, in the presence of the leader Muhammad Zubair Qasim, an active member of the banned extremist group "Sip-e-Sahaba", often known for organizing kidnappings and forced conversions of Christian girls and Hindus. During the final interview, the police said to Rehmat to "forget his daughters."
Haroon Barkat Masih, Director of the Masihi Foundation, who is dealing with the case of Asia Bibi, condemns the incident and says to Fides: "Kidnapping Christian girls, conversion and forced marriages have become common practice in Punjab. The police have been bought, instead of serving the Punjab government they are servants of extremist groups. Punjab is becoming heaven for these groups: Muslim leaders openly call for violence in their sermons, without shame. Hundreds of cases like that of the Masih sisters do not come into existence. We have repeatedly appealed to the Punjab government, without receiving an answer: the government supports these groups. "
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=2835
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Muslim Brotherhood won’t force Islamic law on Egypt
May 31, 2011
The Muslim Brotherhood wants a diverse parliament after elections in September and is not seeking to impose Islamic law on Egypt, the head of the group’s newly formed political party said in an interview.
The Brotherhood, which has emerged as a powerful force after years of repression under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, has said it does not want a parliamentary majority, although rivals see it as well placed for a dominant position.
Full report at:
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/20614.html
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Pakistani jets attack Taliban hideouts, kill 11
May 31, 2011
Pakistani warplanes attacked Taliban positions in the northwestern Orakzai region on Tuesday, killing 11 militants, a senior regional government official said.
Orakzai is one of the tribal regions along the Afghan border where the Pakistani army has tried to root out militants with offensives against their strongholds.
The strike came a day after a local newspaper reported that Pakistan will launch an offensive in North Waziristan, a known sanctuary for al Qaeda and Taliban militants also located in Pakistan's tribal belt.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=30064
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Bombers target Italian base in Afghanistan, five killed
May 31, 2011
A SUICIDE bomber blew up an explosives-packed car at the gates of an Italian military base Monday in one of two attacks on the relatively secure western city of Herat, killing at least five Afghans in a major commercial centre slated to be handed over by NATO to Afghan control in July.
The bombings claimed by the Taliban were the second major attack in three days as insurgents expand their targets outside the southern and eastern theatres that were the focus of American offensives last winter. In other violence around Afghanistan, four NATO service members were killed Monday.
Full report at:
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2011/05/31/ArticleHtmls/31_05_2011_015_003.shtml?Mode=1
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20 killed as Yemeni troops go berserk at protest camp
May 31, 2011
Sanaa: Hundreds of soldiers loyal to Yemens embattled president Ali Abdullah Saleh stormed a protest camp in a southern city on Monday,firing on crowds and bulldozing a field hospital set up in anticipation of such an attack.At least 20 people were killed,according to a medical official and other witnesses.
The city of Taiz has been a hotbed of anti-government protests since crowds began calling for Salehs ouster in early February.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=22&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Officers disown Qadhafi as peace bid stalls
May 31, 2011
TRIPOLI: Under pressure from a new round of defections, Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi renewed a ceasefire call in talks with an African mediator but gave no sign he will heed Western-led demands that he step down.
The mediator, South African President Jacob Zuma, said after a whistlestop visit on Monday that Qadhafi wanted a ceasefire including an end to Nato bombing – terms already rejected last month after an earlier mediation mission by Zuma.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/31/officers-disown-gaddafi-as-peace-bid-stalls.html
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Syrian forces enter rebel town, kill 3
May 31, 2011
Amman: At least three civilians were killed on Monday when security forces entered the town of Talbiseh in Homs province to crush dissent against Baathist rule,the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The killings brought to 14 the number of civilians killed in the area around the city of Homs,the provincial capital,since troops backed by tanks surrounded several towns and illages in the region on Sunday,Observatory director Rami Abdelrahman said.REUTERS
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=22&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Endgame 8 top generals ditch Gaddafi
May 31, 2011
Tripoli: South African president Jacob Zuma arrived on Monday in Libya for talks on ending the conflict as Nato said Muammer Gaddafis reign of terror was nearing its end and rebels reported military defections.
A rebel leader said that eight senior officers of Gaddafis military including four generals have defected and would address the media in Rome.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=22&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Afghan Taliban attacks kill four
May 31, 2011
Twin Taliban attacks killed four people and wounded 24 others, including children, in the Afghan city of Herat and at an Italian-led Nato reconstruction team yesterday, officials said.
The blasts came just weeks before the usually peaceful historic city is to become one of the first places in the war-torn country to transition from Nato to Afghan security control nearly 10 years after the 2001 US-led invasion.
Italian press agency Ansa reported that 15 Italians had been injured, quoting parliamentary sources, but the Italian defence ministry could not confirm this when questioned by AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=188020
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Pak to launch attacks on Haqqani
May 31, 2011
Pakistan will launch a military offensive in North Waziristan, a newspaper reported on Monday, days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated a US demand to tackle sanctuaries for al Qaeda and the Taliban on the Afghan border. An understanding for an offensive in North Waziristan, the
main sanctuary in Pakistan for militants fighting in Afghanistan, was reached when Clinton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen visited Pakistan last week, Pakistan's the News newspaper reported.
The United States has long demanded that Pakistan attack the region to eliminate the Haqqani network, one of the deadliest Afghan militant factions fighting US troops in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pak-to-launch-attacks-on-Haqqani/Article1-703838.aspx
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Musharraf proclaimed offender: Pak court
May 31, 2011
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Monday declared former President Pervez Musharraf a “proclaimed offender” or fugitive for failing to cooperate in the probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, media reports said.
Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based court declared Musharraf a fugitive on the request of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Online news agency reported.
The proceedings were held in the Adiala Jail due to security reasons. Prosecutors said they had been unable to deliver the arrest warrant issued by the court to Musharraf.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/342240/Musharraf-proclaimed-offender-Pak-court.html
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Obama picks Iraq war veteran as military chief
May 31, 2011
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Monday nominated General Martin Dempsey, who commanded troops in the Iraq war, as the top US military officer.
If confirmed by the US Senate, Dempsey would replace Admiral Mike Mullen as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he steps down on October 1.
At a White House ceremony, Obama hailed Dempsey as "one of our nation's respected and combat-tested generals."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-picks-Iraq-war-veteran-as-military-chief/articleshow/8651374.cms
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Can’t defend Saeed in US lawsuit: Pak govt to court
May 31, 2011
LAHORE: The Pakistan government on Monday informed a court that it could not defend Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed in a US lawsuit filed by relatives of two Jewish victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Deputy attorney general Naseem Kashmiri, in a written reply submitted on behalf of foreign ministry to Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore high court, said: "The government is defending the ISI before the US court being an institute of the government while the JuD or its chief are not part of the government."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Cannot-defend-Hafiz-Saeed-in-US-lawsuit-Pak-govt-to-court/articleshow/8651334.cms
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India upset over Russia calling off naval exercise
May 31, 2011
New Delhi: India is likely to lodge a strong protest with Russia for the last-minute cancellation of the latest edition of the bilateral Indra naval combat exercise last month.The five Indian warships that sailed to Russias Vladivostok had to make do with just a port call before returning home.
With the Indian Navy deeply unhappy at the way the Russian Navy pulled out of the exercise planned months in advance,the defence ministry has taken up the matter with the external affairs ministry.What was particularly galling was that Russia cited the nuclear disaster in Japan as the official reason to call off the combat drills but its warships sailed out to hold an exercise of their own,sources said.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=17&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Taliban co-founder tipped off America on Osama hideout
May 31, 2011
London: Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar leaked the whereabouts of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden to American investigators under a deal in which US promised to withdraw its troops from the militant groups strongholds in Afghanistan,a media report has claimed.
The details of the extraordinary deal emerged after a confidential American briefing was found at bin Ladens hide-out in Pakistans garrison town of Abbottabad,the Sunday Mirror reported.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=22&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Benazir case: Musharraf a proclaimed offender
May 31, 2011
Omer Farooq Khan
Islamabad: Pakistans anti-terrorism court on Monday dealt a blow to ex-dictator Pervez Musharrafs plans to return to his homeland and join politics when it declared him a proclaimed offender for failing to cooperate with the probe into Benazir Bhuttos assassination.
Investigators probing Bhutto killing at a political rally had named the general for failing to provide her adequate security on her return to the country from exile in 2007.The court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants thrice for Musharraf.
Full report at:
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=22&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI
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Germany decides to abandon nuclear power by 2022
May 31, 2011
BERLIN: Germany's ruling coalition said on Monday it will shut down all the country's nuclear power plants by 2022. The decision, prompted by Japan's nuclear disaster, will make Germany the first major industrialized nation to go nuclear-free in years.
It also completes a remarkable about-face for Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right government, which only late last year had pushed through a plan to extend the life span of the country's 17 reactors -- with the last scheduled to go offline in 2036.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/worldarticlelist/articleshow/8649335.cms
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Gaddafi ready for truce: South African president
May 31, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya: Muammar Gaddafi is ready for a truce to stop the fighting in his country, visiting South African president said Monday after meeting the Libyan ruler, but he listed familiar Gaddafi conditions that have scuttled previous cease-fire efforts. Rebels quickly rejected the offer.
The South African president. Jacob Zuma, said Gaddafi is ready to accept an African Union initiative for a cease-fire that would stop all hostilities, including Nato airstrikes in support of rebel forces. "He is ready to implement the road map," Zuma said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gaddafi-ready-for-truce-South-African-president/articleshow/8656265.cms
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Gaddafi ready for truce: South African president
May 31, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya - Moammar Gaddafi is ready for a truce to stop the fighting in his country, the visiting South African president said after meeting the Libyan ruler, but he listed familiar Gaddafi conditions that have scuttled previous cease-fire efforts. Rebels quickly rejected the offer.
South African President Jacob Zuma said Monday that Gaddafi is ready to accept an African Union initiative for a cease-fire that would stop all hostilities, including NATO airstrikes in support of rebel forces. “He is ready to implement the road map,” Zuma said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/May/international_May1380.xml§ion=international&col=
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Zuma in Libya as Nato eyes endgame amid defections
May 31, 2011
South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Libya on Monday for talks on ending the conflict as Nato said Muammar Gaddafi's "reign of terror" was nearing its end and rebels reported military defections. A rebel leader told AFP that eight senior officers of Gaddafi's military - including four gener
als - have defected and would address the media in Rome.
Zuma was earlier greeted at the airport by Gaddafi's Prime Minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, shortly after state media said Nato-led air strikes on the town of Zliten, west of the rebel-held city of Misrata, had killed 11 people.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Zuma-in-Libya-as-Nato-eyes-endgame-amid-defections/Article1-703831.aspx
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Zuma in Libya as NATO eyes endgame amid defections
May 31, 2011
South African President Jacob Zuma arrived on Monday in Libya for talks on ending the conflict as NATO said Moammar Gadhafi's "reign of terror" was nearing its end and rebels reported military defections.
A rebel leader told AFP that eight senior officers of Gadhafi's military - including four generals - have defected and would address the media in Rome later on Monday. An AFP correspondent reported that Zuma arrived at Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, a regular target of NATO air strikes, at 1400 GMT, but it was unclear whether the Libyan strongman was inside, although his guards were present.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=zuma-in-libya-as-nato-eyes-endgame-amid-defections-2011-05-30
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Mullah Baradar disclosed Osama's hideout: Report
May 31, 2011
Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, betrayed Osama bin Laden as part of a deal he struck with the US, Daily Mirror reported. P 15 TALIBAN co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar leaked the whereabouts of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to US investigators under a "deal" in which US promised to withdraw its troops from the militant group's strongholds in Afghanistan, the Sunday Mirror reported.
The details of the "deal" emerged after a confidential US briefing was found at Osama's hideout in Pakistan's garrison town of Abbottabad, the Sunday Mirror reported. According to the paper, reports in Pakistan claim that Baradar, co-founder of the Taliban and one of Osama's most trusted allies, is named in the papers. He and other "moles" within Osama's organisation are said to be feeding crucial information to US -intelligence experts, the paper said.
Full report at:
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2011/05/31/ArticleHtmls/31_05_2011_015_071.shtml?Mode=1
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11 Syrians killed as UN blasts 'shocking' crackdown
May 31, 2011
DAMASCUS: Eleven people were killed in a Syrian crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, activists said Monday, as the UN condemned the "shocking" brutality of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
The toll of those shot dead on Sunday rose to 11 from a previously reported seven in Rastan and Talbisa, towns in the flashpoint central region of Homs, the activist told AFP, declining to be identified for security reasons.
Among the latest casualties was a girl identified as Hajar al-Khatib.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16313
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Set of bomb blasts kill 10 in Nigeria
May 31, 2011
At least 10 people were killed and nine injured when three bomb blasts ripped through a market inside a military barracks in northern Nigeria, hours after President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office, police said on Monday.
The blasts hit an eating, drinking and relaxation point for military men called mammy market at Shadawanka Barracks at about 8 pm last night, said Mohammed Abdulkadir Indabawa, police commissioner for northern Bauchi State.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/342236/Set-of-bomb-blasts-kill-10-in-Nigeria.html
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Russia's Tatarstan warns of 'threat' from radical Islam
May 31, 2011
Authorities in Tatarstan, a predominantly Muslim region of central Russia, have sounded the alarm about radical Islam spreading to a region previously praised as a model of religious tolerance.
In November, three Islamists were killed in an armed clash with police that was unprecedented in the region. This prompted fears of the appearance of an armed insurgency similar to one in Russia's North Caucasus, where Islamist rebels are waging a bloody war with the authorities.
"These insurgents from radical religious movements have arms, financing and support from foreign protectors," the region's interior minister Asgat Safarov warned after the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=russias-tatarstan-warns-of-threat-from-radical-islam-2011-05-30
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Israel Army arrests 12 'Islamic Jihad militants'
May 31, 2011
JENIN, Palestinian Territories: Israeli troops arrested 12 suspected members of Islamic Jihad overnight near the northern West Bank town of Jenin, the army said Tuesday.
Palestinian security forces confirmed the arrests, saying two of those detained were women.
In a statement, the military said it had detained 12 “senior activists in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad” in the occupied West Bank.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-31/Israel-Army-arrests-12-Islamic-Jihad-militants.ashx#axzz1Nv5jgBfI
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Pak offensive to target Waziristan
May 31, 2011
Pakistan has decided to launch a "targeted military offensive" in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, where the army has not taken any action so far to flush out Taliban and al-Qaeda elements.
The understanding for launching the offensive was reached during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Islamabad last week, The News daily reported on Monday. AGENCIES
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2011/05/31/ArticleHtmls/31_05_2011_015_076.shtml?Mode=1
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India, Pakistan resume Siachen talks
May 31, 2011
After a gap of three years, defence secretaries of India and Pakistan today met here to discuss the long-pending Siachen issue.
Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is leading the Indian delegation at the two-day talks with his Pakistani counterpart Lt General (Retd) Syed Ather Ali.
India and Pakistan decided to resume the talks last year after Prime Ministers of both the countries met in Thimpu and decided to take forward the dialogue process.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/342196/India-Pakistan-resume-Siachen-talks.html
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Obama names Dempsey next US military chief
May 31, 2011
US President Barack Obama on Monday named Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding Admiral Mike Mullen.
A veteran of the Iraq war, Dempsey, 59, would take charge of the top post in September end, when Mullen retires after serving the US military for 42 years.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/342247/Obama-names-Dempsey-next-US-military-chief.html
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ISI urged SA not to fund Nawaz Sharif: WikiLeaks
May 31, 2011
KARACHI: ISI asked Saudi Arabia not to fund Nawaz Sharif for his election campaign, a secret cable of 2008 revealed.
According to WikiLeaks, National Security Adviser Tariq Aziz told Asif Zardari that after being elected as a prime minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi could challenge his authority, as Zardari was considering Qureshi as a PPP candidate for prime minister.
Aziz told US Ambassador Anne Patterson on February 15 that Saudi Arabia has provided heavy funds to Nawz Sharif for his election campaign in order to defeat Pakistan Peoples’ Party.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16342
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Ex-Naval commando among three arrested
May 31, 2011
Pakistani intelligence agencies have taken into custody a former naval commando, who was court martialled earlier, and two other persons for their alleged involvement in a terrorist attack on a naval airbase in Karachi that killed 10 security personnel.
Kamran Ahmed, a former personnel of the elite Special Service Group-Navy, was picked up with his younger brother and a friend from Gulberg area of Lahore on Friday, sources said.
Ahmed was posted at the Pakistan Navy’s Mehran and Iqbal bases before he was court-martialled about eight years ago for his involvement in a brawl with his superiors.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/342237/Ex-Naval-commando-among-three-arrested.html
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Tibetan parliament okays Dalai Lama’s ‘retirement’
May 31, 2011
IT IS official! The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso ( 75) has finally attained superannuation The Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel laureate who by announcing his plan to retire from active politics and administrative affairs on March 10 this year had stunned exiled Tibetans, has finally been approved by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile on Sunday.
The Dalai Lama on May 25 had rejected the proposal of exiled parliament to be the ceremonial head, but gave his consent to the preamble and inherent rights and responsibilities to be assigned to him in Article 1.
In a letter to the Parliament on 27 May, the Dalai Lama had suggested changes in the Article 1 and had called for immediate amendment to the charter.
Earlier the parliament in exile, exiled Tibetans and his followers had made efforts to pacify him to take his decision back and continue to lead exiled Tibetans as their political and spiritual leader but in vain. Dalai Lama remained firm on his decision.
Full report at:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=3152011
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Yemeni air force bombs Qaeda-held city
May 31, 2011
The Yemeni air force bombed an al Qaeda-held southern city yesterday and residents in another city said soldiers had opened fire on a demonstration and run protesters over with bulldozers, killing at least 15.
In the latest sign Saudi Arabia's neighbour was moving toward civil war, six soldiers were killed in what appeared to be an ambush near Zinjibar, a coastal city taken over a few days ago by Islamist and al Qaeda militants.
Residents said jet fighters later strafed militant positions with bombs.
Global powers are worried the country, already on the verge of financial collapse and home to al Qaeda militants, could turn into a failed state that threatens the oil-rich region and Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter.
A brief calm was shattered on Sunday when forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on protesters in Taiz, killing at least 15 people and wounding hundreds, hospital sources said, adding the death toll was almost certain to rise.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=188007
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Mladic may be sent to war crimes court in days
May 31, 2011
Serbia may send Ratko Mladic to face genocide charges in The Hague within four days, a justice official said on Monday, despite rallies by nationalists angry at the Bosnian Serb general's capture after 16 years on the run.
Security agents tracked the fugitive general to a messy Serbian farmhouse belonging to his cousin on Thursday. In so doing they removed a big obstacle to Serbia' bid to join the European Union.
The arrest angered nationalists in Serbia and the Bosnian Serb half of Bosnia.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=30065
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Gaddafi's 'reign of terror' nearing end: Nato chief
May 31, 2011
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's "reign of terror" is coming to an end, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday.
Nato warplanes have been raising the pace of their air strikes on Tripoli, with Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound in the center of the city being hit repeatedly.
Meanwhile, South African President Jacob Zuma arrived yesterday in Tripoli for talks with Gaddafi on ending a conflict with rebels fighting to oust the Libyan strongman, an AFP correspondent said.
Britain said on Sunday it was to add "bunker-busting" bombs to the arsenal its warplanes are using over Libya, a weapon it said would send a message to Gaddafi that it was time to quit.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=188008
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Afghan president seeks to limit NATO airstrikes
May 31, 2011
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will no longer allow NATO airstrikes on houses because they have caused too many civilian casualties. He says a recent strike that mistakenly killed a group of children and women will be the last.
Karzai told reporters in Kabul on Tuesday that “from this moment, airstrikes on the houses of people are not allowed.” It was the president’s strongest statement against the strikes, which NATO says are a necessary weapon in the war against the Taliban insurgency.
NATO says it never conducts such strikes without Afghan government coordination and approval. NATO officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Karzai’s statement.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/May/international_May1382.xml§ion=international&col=
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Arab spring is to bring more surprises in the region
May 31, 2011
Iraq, Syria and Lebanon Project Director of International Crisis Group Peter Harling said the revolts in the Middle East countries are not over yet and the “Arab spring” picture may become blurred and more complex in the near future.
“We are not at the end of the surprises; some regimes are still showing strength against the Arab spring. We don’t know what will happen in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria yet,” said Harling.
Speaking in a conference at the Bogaziçi University in Istanbul, Harling also said the Arab Spring has changed everything that was known about the Middle East strategies previously. “What we are witnessing now is very much a rebellion against everything we know in the region. All the pillars of previous strategy in the region have collapsed,” said Harling.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=-2011-05-30
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Britain trained Saudi force in Bahrain: report
May 31, 2011
LONDON: Saudi troops sent into Bahrain to help quash protests received training from Britain, a newspaper said Sunday, citing government documents.
The Saudi Arabian National Guard was given weapons and public order training by a British military mission, according to documents obtained by The Observer under the Freedom of Information Act.
A Saudi-led Gulf force, including United Arab Emirates police, entered Bahrain in mid-March to help deal with pro-democracy protesters in the Shia-majority Arab state ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy.
The move freed up Bahraini security forces to take on the protest movement.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16243
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Egyptian Military Court Prosecutes Only Christians in Muslim Church Attacks
May 31, 2011
Cairo: May 28, 2011. (By Mary Abdelmassih AINA) A Military court in Egypt has sentenced three Christian Copts to 5-years imprisonment on charges of possession of firearms and pocket knives. The Court released all other Muslims and Copts arrested following clashes on May 19 over the re-opening of St. Mary and St. Abraham churches in Ain Shams West (AINA 5-24-2011). Copts Emad Ayyad and Ayman Youssef Halim were convicted of carrying firearms. Emad Ayyam's son, Ayad Emad Ayad, was convicted of carrying a pocket knife.
Eight Copts, mostly students, were arrested in Ain Shams West and charged with rioting, violence and causing injury to citizens. Three of the Copts were also charged with possession of firearms and knives. Police arrested three under-age Muslims on charges of throwing stones at the army.
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=2836
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Abbottabad-like operation in NWA?
May 31, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Unconfirmed news from intelligence sources said on Monday that five Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders were arrested Monday morning in the Gorvait area of North Waziristan by NATO forces and later taken away by two NATO helicopters to Afghanistan.
According to the sources who asked to remain anonymous, the action was taken by the NATO forces without informing the Pakistani government. If so, this is another Abbottabad-like operation taken by the foreign forces on the Pakistani soil without the knowledge of the Pakistani side.
Political Agent of North Waziristan also confirmed the news.
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/topnews133.htm
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Syrians in Lebanon wait as unrest continues
May 31, 2011
BEIRUT: A young man from Daraa, Syria was supposed to go home two months ago to get engaged. Instead, he’s staying in Lebanon's Sabra neighborhood for now, where he says there’s less violence and greater opportunity.
“There’s nothing to go back to right now,” says the grocer, declining to give his name out of concern for his family, as he busily weighs fruit and vegetables for his customers in the densely populated and impoverished neighborhood, which is mainly home to Palestinian refugees and foreign workers.
Sabra, where he works 12-hour days seven days a week, still appears to be a better alternative to Daraa, a rural province on the Jordanian border which has suffered a three-year drought and as a result high unemployment. It was there that Syria’s popular uprising was sparked on March 15, when schoolchildren were arrested for writing pro-democracy graffiti on school walls. The children were released on March 20, reportedly showing signs of torture. Since then, human rights groups say that more than 1,000 people have been killed and 10,000 arrested.
“The standard of living in Syria is…” the grocer begins, hesitating to find the right words. “There’s no standard of living in Syria.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-30/Syrians-in-Lebanon-wait-as-unrest-continues.ashx#axzz1Nv5jgBfI
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4742
11:35 PM
Moderate Islamist here
