Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

23 May 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

'Indian Al Qaeda activist arrested in France was SIMI man'
	PNS Mehran attack: Death toll rises to 10, 15 injured Pakistan a troubled state, sorry about Karachi attack: Chidambaram Baghdad hit by series of bombs, 18 killed SAUDI ARABIA: Security forces clamp down on those allegedly behind campaign to defy ban on women drivers Jordanian officer killed, four injured in Afghanistan Taleban storm govt building, six killed Taliban claims responsibility Mullah Omar Killed in Pakistan – Taliban Denies Reports 6 attackers killed in Karachi, 4 arrested: unconfirmed sources Thousands protest against US drone attacks in Karachi Pakistan a troubled state, sorry about Karachi attack: Chidambaram Islam’s real objective is to serve others: Maulana Saifuuddin Indian Mullahs trying to make blasphemy as big an issue as in Pakistan: Now govt. warned of demonstration at Parliament India’s Jamiat launches Wakf agitation Thanks to scholarships, more Muslims in schools CBI to probe cash flow during Babri demolition In quiet revolution, Turkey eases headscarf ban Osama’s Yemeni wife led US to Abbottabad? Worried Dawood Ibrahim puts off son's wedding reception Dozens wounded as Moroccan police beat protesters? Saudi Arabia, UAE funded jihadi networks in Pakistan: WikiLeaks EU's Ashton vows backing to Libya rebels Libyan rebel chief to hold talks in Turkey ISI warns US: Stop drone strikes or else... Nato strikes near Gaddafi's compound Nato widens Libya pressure amid questions on goal Obama vows unilateral raids inside Pakistan Germany helps mediate US talks with Taliban: report Will repeat action in Pakistan if needed: Obama India had insufficient evidence against Pakistan: Cable Benazir sought US security but was denied reveals WikiLeaks Obama sticks to Mideast vision, seeks to calm Israel Netanyahu says differences with Obama exaggerated Pak’s India obsession a mistake, says Obama Saleh ready to leave, sounds Al Qaeda warning 26/11 attacks: Woman-dominated jury all set for Chicago trial Republicans’ best bet to take on Obama opts out of race Iran’s real spiritual leader GCC suspends mediation in Yemen after Saleh refuses to sign deal Egypt sentences policeman to die for protest deaths Pakistan army denies US troop intelligence support West Bank businessmen to rebuild Gaza Strip Iran’s military gets new missile system Palestinian factions to boycott unity government Govt envisions Jeddah as tourist-economic hub Awan invites Nawaz to contest by-polls Obama says his Palestinian state remarks misunderstood The exploding revolution in Syria Saleh resists deal; loyalists trap envoys, airlifted later Pakistan asks Beijing to help build naval base Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4684 -------- 'Indian Al Qaeda activist arrested in France was SIMI man' 2011-05-23 New Delhi: An Indian engineer arrested in France for his suspected terror links with Al Qaeda was being watched in this country as he has been an activist of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a banned outfit allegedly affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday. Mohammed Niaz, originally from Madurai, was arrested at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris May 10 on his arrival from Algeria, where he had developed links with an Al Qaeda franchise. 'It is reported that Niaz has been arrested in France for his links with the terror group that is recruiting people for jihad in the Pakistan and Afghanistan region,' Chidambaram told reporters here. Chidambaram said the inputs that the government has on him indicated that he were a trained activist 'with a militant bent of mind'. 'At the age of 21, he joined the SIMI based in Tamil Nadu. He has been on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies before being arrested (in France),' the home minister said. Niaz was among seven suspected terrorists held by French authorities earlier this month. But the French government has not linked them with any specific plan to carry out attacks in that country. After his arrest, French Interior Minister Claude Gueant had described Niaz as a man with a high level of technical training. Niaz's mother is said to be living in south India but his father has shifted to the Gulf many years ago. Chidambaram said Niaz first arrived in France in 2008 to find a job. 'In a short period of time, he was able to build a nucleus of like-minded jihadis in France that consists of four French nationals of Moroccan origin, one French national of Turkish origin, one French national of Pakistani origin and two others.' He said Niaz used to held monthly jihadi meetings which later became weekly meetings. 'Further investigation is underway and we are in a close touch with French,' the home minister said. French authorities have so far not said what charges were being pressed against Niaz. According to reports, he was under the scanner of France's domestic intelligence agency, DCRI, because of his close association with highly radicalized Muslims there and his frequent trips to Pakistan from Algeria. He is said to be associated with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, one of the Al Qaida's franchises, in Algeria. The group has vowed to carry out attacks against France and other western nations. http://www.samachar.com/Indian-Al-Qaeda-activist-arrested-in-France-was-SIMI-man-lfxtLehdibe.html -------- PNS Mehran attack: Death toll rises to 10, 15 injured May 23, 2011 Karachi, May 23: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday said that a joint investigation team led by a high-ranking Pakistan Navy official would probe the PNS Mehran attack. Officials from Rangers, FIA, Police and other law enforcement agencies would be the members of the investigation team, he added. The minister told media that there were 17 foreigners inside the base, adding all were safe. He said that three terrorists were killed during the operation. The body of one was under debris while two had escaped. The minister said ten security personnel had died and 15 were hurt. Earlier, a Pakistan Navy spokesman and various local media outlets said that the over 16-hour-long siege of the naval base Mehran has ended after an intermittent battle between security forces and a group of terrorists. The spokesman said a final search is being carried out on the premises before giving the all clear. He said that one suspect has been arrested and taken to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. According to a private television channel, the suspect is a resident of Karachi’s Delhi colony and added that a binocular has been recovered from his possession. He has been identified as Majid Hussain. Earlier, about 15 terrorists, armed with rocket-launchers and hand-grenades, attacked the PNS Mehran, located on Sharea Faisal, late on Sunday night, killing at least two naval officials and injuring as many besides destroying a US made maritime partrol Orion aircraft on the premises. Later reports claimed that a second Orion aircraft was also damaged. Numerous explosions and gunshots were heard as the attackers continued to fight with the troops at the PNS Mehran. The Pakistan Tribune and The Nation reported that the terrorists might have been Al-Qaeda, and entered the air base from the Malir River side. The PNS Mehran is adjacent to the Pakistan Air Force base Faisal. The PNS Mehran is the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy’s air arm. It was commissioned on September 26, 1975, and now houses over 25 aircraft and helicopters. The Pakistani Rangers and Army Commandos from the Army and Navy launched the security operation against the terrorists. Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com http://www.dailyindia.com/show/441231.php -------- Baghdad hit by series of bombs, 18 killed May 22, 2011 BAGHDAD: More than a dozen bomb attacks in and around Baghdad on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, including 12 people killed in a suicide attack, and 80 wounded. The series of attacks comes just days after blasts against police in a tense northern city killed 29 people, with just months to go before all US forces must withdraw from Iraq amid questions over whether local security forces are up to the task of maintaining stability in the war-wracked country. A total of 12 roadside bombs, three vehicles packed with explosives and one suicide attacker struck in the spate of morning blasts on Sunday, although it was not immediately clear to what extent, if any, the violence was coordinated. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-22/middle-east/29571207_1_roadside-bombs-car-bomb-suicide-bombing ------ SAUDI ARABIA: Security forces clamp down on those allegedly behind campaign to defy ban on women drivers May 23, 2011 Saudi Arabian authorities have clamped down on women's rights activists after a bold call by a group of women in the ultra-conservative kingdom on social media sites on the Internet to break a ban on women driving. Saudi police arrested at least two people linked to the campaign and shut down a Facebook page meant to promote civil disobedience, according to the Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper the National. Saudi security forces loyal to King Abdullah, whose family has ruled the kingdom for 80 years, arrested Manal Sharif, a 32-year-old computer security consultant, and her brother, the National reported. On Facebook and Twitter, activists had launched a campaign calling on women in Saudi Arabia who hold international drivers' licenses to get behind the wheel on Friday, June 17, and drive their cars to protest the country's ban on women driving. Their call is a daring initiative. Women who have defied the ban in the past have lost their jobs, been banned from travel and denounced by members of the country's powerful extremist religious establishment. The women say their planned move is not a protest nor an attempt to break the law, but rather a bid to claim basic rights as human beings. "We women in Saudi Arabia, from all nationalities, will start driving our cars by ourselves," read a statement posted on the group's Facebook site, I will Drive Starting June 17, before Saudi censors took it down. "We are not here to break the law or demonstrate or challenge the authorities. We are here to claim one of our simplest rights. We have driver's licenses and we will abide by traffic laws." Their Facebook group had garnered more than 11,000 supporters and around 3,000 people follow the group's account on Twitter. Critics say Saudi, a staunch U.S. ally and largest exporter of oil in the world, has a horrific record on human rights and women's liberties. In addition, it's said to be pumping cash into global Islamic organizations that promote extremist Islamic thinking across the Islamic world, including the nascent democracies in Egypt and Tunisia. But some Saudis themselves are trying to challenge the conservativism of their own country. On recent incident suggests things are already heating up on the women's ban driving issue. A few days ago, 30-year-old Saudi housewife and mother Najla Hairiri told Agence-France Presse how she drove her car in the streets of the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah for four days before getting stopped. She took the decision "to defend her belief that Saudi women should be allowed to drive" and said she wasn't afraid of being hauled into detention for flouting the driving ban because she felt she was setting a good example for her daughter and other young Saudi women. "I don't fear being arrested because I am setting an example that my daughter and her friends are proud of,'' she said, adding that she also offers driving lessons for women. Below is a video clip showing Saudi women's right activist Wajeha Huwaidar driving her car in a rural part of the kingdom on International Women's Day in 2008 and talking about the problems that come with not letting women drive in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia adheres to a strict interpretation of the ultra-conservative Wahabi version of Sunni Islam. Aside from being banned from driving, Saudi women face a myriad of other restrictions. They cannot travel on their own without getting authorization from a male guardian, cannot receive an education without male approval, and are not allowed to cast ballots in municipal elections -- the only kind of elections that currently exist in the absolute monarchy. If the call for defying the driving ban on women materializes on June 17, it will not be the first time women in Saudi Arabia will have gotten behind the wheel and taken to the streets in protest. On Nov. 6, 1990, a group of women drove through the streets of the Saudi capital Riyadh before getting pulled over and stopped. everal of the women reportedly lost their jobs and were denounced as by powerful religious figures. Recent comments by Saudi religious clerics about the June 17 campaign suggest the sight of women driving in the streets will go down with the religious clergymen as badly as it did in 1990. Saudi cleric Mohammed Nujaimi told Bloomberg News that the women's plan was “against the law" and that driving does “more harm than good” to women, because they might intermingle with males who are not their relatives, such as mechanics and gas-station attendants. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/05/saudi-arabia-women-driving-cars-wahabi-salafi-islam-king-.html -------- Jordanian officer killed, four injured in Afghanistan By ABDUL JALIL MUSTAFA May 22, 2011 AMMAN: A Jordanian Army officer was killed and four soldiers injured Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded as a humanitarian convoy passed by in the Afghan Lugar province, a spokesman for the Jordanian armed forces said in a statement. The statement, carried by the official Petra news agency, identified the officer killed as First Lt. Majed Abu Qudairi. ”The four wounded are in good health,” the army spokesman said. “The General Command of the Armed Forces is making the necessary arrangements with the Jordanian contingent in Afghanistan to bring home the martyr and the wounded, so that they can receive treatment at Jordanian hospitals,” he added. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422403.ece -------- Taleban Storm govt building, six killed Taliban claims responsibility May 23, 2011 KABUL: Taleban fighters wearing suicide bomb vests hidden under police uniforms attacked a government building Sunday in eastern Afghanistan, triggering an hours-long gun battle and killing six people, officials said. Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in Khost province in a text message to The Associated Press. The attack came a day after a Taleban suicide bomber slipped inside the capital’s main military hospital and killed at least six Afghan medical students — worrying reminders of militants’ ability to infiltrate locations thought to be secure. In Sunday’s attack, four men armed with assault rifles and wearing explosives drove shortly before dawn into a compound that houses the provincial traffic department on the edge of Khost city, provincial Police Chief Gen. Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai said. Security forces stopped the men, who were wearing uniforms of the Afghan border police, only after becoming suspicious of the civilian station wagon they drove, he said. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article422243.ece -------- Mullah Omar Killed in Pakistan – Taliban Denies Reports 23 MAY 2011 Taliban Leader Mullah Mohmmad Omar has been found and killed in Pakistan, a source in the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) told TOLOnews on the condition of anonymity. Full report at: http://www.ironmill.com/2011/05/23/taliban-leader-mullah-omar-killed-in-pakistan/ -------- 6 attackers killed in Karachi, 4 arrested: unconfirmed sources 23 MAY 2011 KARACHI: Security forces killed six attackers, who assaulted PNS Mehran, and detained four other attackers, unconfirmed sources said. According to the sources, two P-C3 Orion aircrafts have completely destroyed while seven bomb explosions have been reported. According to spokesman of Pakistan Navy one aircraft was attacked. Two officials were martyred while two others received injuries. http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15946 -------- Thousands protest against US drone attacks in Karachi May 23, 2011 KARACHI: Thousands demonstrated in Karachi on Sunday to demand an immediate end to US missile strikes in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas and urge the blocking of NATO supplies passing through the country. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/22/thousands-protest-against-us-drone-attacks-in-karachi.html ------ Pakistan a troubled state, sorry about Karachi attack: Chidambaram May 23, 2011 NEW DELHI: Expressing his sympathy for the lives lost in the terror attack at a naval base in Pakistan's port city Karachi, home minister P Chidambaram on Monday said India had to remain constantly on the vigil due to the happenings in its troubled neighbourhood. "I have described our neighbourhood as a troubled neighbourhood. So we have to remain constantly on vigil. We are not happy about the incidents happening in Pakistan. We are sorry that lives are lost. But, that is today a troubled state," home minister told reporters here. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-a-troubled-state-sorry-about-Karachi-attack-Chidambaram/articleshow/8534382.cms -------- Islam’s real objective is to serve others: Maulana Saifuuddin NewAgeIslam.com News Bureau New Delhi: 23 May 2011; Under the patronship of Hazrat Maulana Syed Shah Saifudding, Tahreek e Paigham e Islam is working in others states of India other than Bihar and Jharkhand as a reformist and defensive movement. It is getting very good response specially from the younger generations. The youth are joining it in groups and are not only joining Tablighi Jama’t themselves but are inviting others for the same. Mohammad Samiullah Khan Asdaq told this in an special interview to the Rashtriya Sahara at Jehanabad. Speaking on the objectives of the organization he said: To let the Ummah know the glory of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) To take the right education of Islam to every religion without , discrimination. To create respect and regards for the Sahaba e Keram and Bait ul Atha in the hearts of the people. To create religious attraction in the hearts of the Muslims. To provide right guidance to the young for accuracy in their righteous actions. To start practical effort for the reformation of innovation and myth in Islam. To make the service of the mankind a nature to the best of the possibility. To make the guidance of Salf Saleheen and Buzargaan e Deen ones way of life. To respect the Khanquah and Madarasas of all the sects of Muslims etc are followed by the Tehreek. Besides the above mentioned objectives Tehreek is busy in spreading Quranic lessons and teachings among the non-Muslims and is making its best effort to provide education to the Muslim girls by conduction their Coaching classes. It is also whole heartedly making efforts for the work of Tableegh and spreading Islamic rules and regulations under the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Mr Asdaqu invited all the likeminded people and the people connected with the mosques and madrasas to come and join the movement. -------- Indian Mullahs trying to make blasphemy as big an issue as in Pakistan: Now govt. warned of demonstration at Parliament NewAgeIslam.com News Bureau New Delhi: 23 May 2011; National President of jamialt Dasa’at ul Muslemeen warned the government that Muslims would gharao Parliament if Gulshan Rai is not arrested. He was talking to reporters in Deoband at Mohalla Bar Ziaul Haq, in Meraj Restaurant. According to reports in Urdu Press, National President Quari Ishaq Gora exhorted the Muslims to continue their agitation till the publisher of Diamond comics, Gulshan Rai is not arrested. He said there are some people who disrespect and disregard the religious heads of different religions just to seek immoral and cheap popularity. He further added, the people who are campaigning against us that we have forbidden to agitate against Diamond Comics are busy in divide and rule policy among the Muslims like the British. He said we have filed an FIR in Saharanpur, UP and Mr. Amanullah has done this in Delhi. Even then Police has been unsuccessful in arresting the publisher. We have been saying and are saying it today again that we will continue our struggle against the blasphemer of Prophet (pbuh) until and unless the culprit is brought to book. “By not arresting the publisher, the police is proving that the government is also involved in it. If it did not happen at the earliest, we will gherao the Parliament in large numbers. He said followers of different religions live here in India like brothers and sisters as an example to the rest of the world. But certain anti social people do not like this and are trying to break the accord between various religions. He said the Prophet (pbuh) always spread the message of peace and harmony among every sect and religion and any kind of blasphemous act against him will not be tolerated, at any cost. We, the followers of different religions, live in India with peace and brotherhood and we will not allow anyone to break this accord. -------- India’s Jamiat launches Wakf agitation May 23, 2011 The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind on Sunday decided to kick off countrywide demonstrations at a meeting of over 1,000 clerics here to oppose amendments to the Wakf Act — particularly a proposal to put Islamic assets called Wakf to profitable use. Full report at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/700747.aspx -------- Thanks to scholarships, more Muslims in schools May 23, 2011 A government scholarship programme for minorities has been a sell-out, putting over 5 million students in schools and colleges in the last year alone, a record, official figures show. Disadvantaged Muslims often flock to traditional madrassas because they are free. Officials of the minority affairs ministry say they had to stretch their scholarship targets for 2010-11 because of surging demand — an indication that poor Muslims are not averse to modern education if the means are available. In 2010-11, over 500,000 students secured post-matric scholarships designed for higher education, exceeding the target by 100,000. More girls than boys qualified (51%). Full report at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Thanks-to-scholarships-more-Muslims-in-schools/Article1-700754.aspx -------- CBI to probe cash flow during Babri demolition Neeraj Chauhan NEW DELHI: The CBI will probe the 'cash flow' that went into the conspiracy to demolish Babri masjid in December 1992 and also look into roles of at least 10 more people in the planning and execution, even as the agency has in-principle decided not to file any fresh case on the basis of the Liberhan Commission's findings. The decision was taken during a meeting between officials of the CBI and home ministry last week when the agency expressed its inability to file any fresh case in absence of 'evidence'. It, however, agreed to look into details of some incidents as pointed out by the commission, admitting that the effort may lead it to those who had financed the conspiracy. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CBI-to-probe-cash-flow-during-Babri-demolition/articleshow/8520212.cms -------- In quiet revolution, Turkey eases headscarf ban May 23, 2011 ISTANBUL: Freshman Busra Gungor won’t have to wear a wig to cover her Islamic headscarf, as many pious relatives and friends did to avoid getting kicked off campus. Full report at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/17/us-turkey-headscarf-idUSTRE69G0DX20101017 -------- Osama’s Yemeni wife led US to Abbottabad? May 23, 2011 LONDON: Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik believes US had a mole right inside Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout and this was how the al-Qaida chief was tracked down, a media report said on Sunday. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Osamas-Yemeni-wife-led-US-to-Abbottabad/articleshow/8518908.cms -------- Worried Dawood Ibrahim puts off son's wedding reception Mateen Hafeez, MUMBAI: Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim has postponed the wedding reception of his son, Moin, next week. Dawood is busy trying to protect himself in Pakistan and trace the person who fired outside his brother's house in Mumbai last week. Full report at: wedding-reception/articleshow/8519582.cms -------- Dozens wounded as Moroccan police beat protesters? By ADAM TANNER AND SOUHAIL KARAM May 22, 2011 RABAT/CASABLANCA: Moroccan police beat dozens of protesters who defied a ban on demonstrations on Sunday, leading to several injuries and arrests, witnesses said. The police violence appears to signal a tougher government line against the protest movement, which has become more defiant after festive demonstrations starting in February. Some are also becoming more outspoken about criticizing the king, but the protests have failed to match the scale of those in several other Arab countries. “Protest is a legal right, why is the Makhzen afraid?” crowds in Casablanca chanted, referring to the royal court. “Makhzen get out. Down with despotism.” A Reuters correspondent saw seven riot police attacking one bearded man in his 30s, repeatedly hitting his head and body, causing severe bleeding. “We have been called here to preserve order because of this unauthorized protest,” said a senior police officer on the scene who declined to give his name. Protesters wanted to camp in front of the parliament in Rabat, but authorities were anxious to avoid a repeat of the events in Cairo earlier this year when protesters occupying Tahrir Square eventually helped topple the government. In both the capital Rabat and Casablanca, police armed with batons and shields moved people off the streets wherever they gathered. Protesters broke off into smaller groups, often with police chasing behind. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422594.ece -------- Saudi Arabia, UAE funded jihadi networks in Pakistan: WikiLeaks May 23, 2011 Islamic charities from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates financed a network in US ally Pakistan that recruited children as young as eight to wage holy war, a local newspaper reported on Sunday, citing Wikileaks. Full report at: http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/19675.html -------- EU's Ashton vows backing to Libya rebels May 23, 2011 BENGHAZI: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Sunday opened a mission office in the rebel capital of Benghazi, hours after NATO bombed Tripoli port and Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's compound. "We are here for the long term," Ashton told a news conference at the Tibesti hotel where the European Union mission was opened and where she met Mustafa Abdul Jalil, head of the rebels' National Transitional Council. The opening of an EU office to represent the 27-member bloc coupled with the vow of long-term support came as a boost for the rebels lobbying world powers to formally recognise the NTC. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15947 -------- Libyan rebel chief to hold talks in Turkey May 23, 2011 ANKARA: The head of Libya's rebel council is to hold talks in NATO member country Turkey during a two-day visit starting Monday, the Turkish foreign ministry said. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chief of the Transitional National Council based in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, is to meet President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a ministry statement said Sunday. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15939 -------- ISI warns US: Stop drone strikes or else... May 23, 2011 ISLAMABAD: The powerful ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha has warned the US that Pakistan will be "forced to respond" if it does not stop drone strikes in the country's tribal belt, according to a media report on Sunday. Full report at: strikes-or-else/articleshow/8519062.cms -------- Nato strikes near Gaddafi's compound May 23, 2011 Nato staged an airstrike near Muammar Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli late on Saturday, and an opposition website said the Libyan government forces shelled residential areas outside the rebel-held city of Misrata. Libyan officials said the alliance had attacked close to Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah comp lex, and Reuters Television pictures showed a column of smoke rising over the capital. Full report at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Nato-strikes-near-Gaddafi-s-compound/Article1-700775.aspx -------- Nato widens Libya pressure amid questions on goal May 23, 2011 TRIPOLI: Nato widened its campaign to weaken Moammar Qadhafi’s regime with air strikes on desert command centers and sea patrols to intercept ships, the military alliance said Saturday, amid signs of growing public anger over fuel shortages in government-held territory. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/22/nato-widens-libya-pressure-amid-questions-on-goal.html -------- Obama vows unilateral raids inside Pakistan May 23, 2011 LONDON/ISLAMABAD: US President Barack Obama stands ready to order a similar mission to that which killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, he said in a BBC interview broadcast on Sunday. Asked whether he would do the same again if another high-value target was discovered in Pakistan, or any other sovereign territory, Obama replied: the US would take unilateral action if required. “I’ve always been clear to the Pakistanis – and I’m not the first administration to say this- that our job is to secure the United States. Asked what he would do if one of al Qaeda’s top leaders, or the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was tracked down to a location in Pakistan or another sovereign territory, he said, “We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan, but we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies’ people, we can’t allow those kinds of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action.” Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\05\23\story_23-5-2011_pg1_2 -------- Germany helps mediate US talks with Taliban: report May 23, 2011 BERLIN: Germany is helping mediate secret, direct talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban, with meetings taking place on German soil, Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday. Germany’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Michael Steiner is moderating the talks, the latest round of which took place on May 7 and 8 in Germany, the magazine said. Steiner, a trained judge and long-term diplomat, once headed the UN mission to Kosovo. US President Barack Obama’s administration has been engaged in direct talks with senior Afghan Taliban officials, responsible for leading the fight against the western-backed Kabul government, since the autumn of 2010, Spiegel said. Three direct meetings have so far taken place. The first was held in Qatar and the second at the turn of the year in Germany. The US side is represented by officials from the State Department and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), while the Afghan side is led by a relative of Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar, the magazine added. According to the Washington Post, Obama is hoping to report progress toward a settlement of the Afghanistan war when he announces troop withdrawals in July. afp http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\05\23\story_23-5-2011_pg1_3 -------- Will repeat action in Pakistan if needed: Obama Hasan Suroor May 23, 2011 LONDON: U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday risked fuelling anger in Pakistan after he said America would not hesitate to launch another unilateral military operation on Pakistani soil to flush out other al-Qaeda figures if it had information that they were hiding there. Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/23/stories/2011052355281800.htm -------- India had insufficient evidence against Pakistan: Cable May 23, 2011 KARACHI: US ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson, as a result of no progress on Mumbai attacks investigation, had made it clear to the Washington in 2009 that India had presented insufficient evidence against the senior leaders of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, according to a cable released by WikiLeaks on Friday. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15814 -------- Benazir sought US security but was denied reveals WikiLeaks May 23, 2011 WIKILEAKS has revealed that the US embassy in Islamabad had refused to provide security to former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto months before her assassination in December 2008 despite her personal requests to US Congressmen. Full report at: http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=2352011 -------- Obama sticks to Mideast vision, seeks to calm Israel May 23, 2011 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Sunday refused to back away from his new Middle East peacemaking vision that has angered Israel, as he addressed the Jewish state’s staunchest American supporters amid a deep rift in US-Israeli ties. But Obama, seeking to soothe Israeli fury over his stance that peace talks should start on the basis of Israel’s 1967 borders, made clear he expected Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate land swaps that would allow Israel to keep some Jewish settlements. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422315.ece -------- Netanyahu says differences with Obama exaggerated May 23, 2011 WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied, before a speech on Sunday by President Barack Obama to a pro-Israel group, they were locked in crisis after their public dispute on Middle East peace. “The reports of a disagreement have been blown way out of proportion,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying on Saturday by a spokesman. At the White House on Friday, Netanyahu bluntly rejected Obama’s vision for the boundaries of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, in what appeared to be the opening of a deep divide between Israel and the United States. In a sharp rebuke to Israel’s closest ally, Netanyahu told Obama his endorsement in an address on Thursday of the Palestinian demand to go back to Israel’s 1967 frontiers — meaning big land concessions — would leave Israel indefensible. Netanyahu’s latest comments did not contain any change to that position. But as Obama prepared to address the annual assembly in Washington of the pro-Israel lobby organization AIPAC, where he could face a cool reception from some delegates, Netanyahu appeared to be trying to calm any anger toward the president. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/22/netanyahu-says-differences-with-obama-exaggerated.html -------- Pak’s India obsession a mistake, says Obama May 23, 2011 London : Pakistan's obsession with India that makes it look at its neighbour as an “existential threat” is a mistake and it would do well to shed this contest mentality, US President Barack Obama has said. Speaking to BBC on the eve of his visit to Britain, Obama said both he and British Prime Minister David Cameron understood that Pakistan had been “very obsessed” with India. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/794425/ -------- Saleh ready to leave, sounds Al Qaeda warning May 23, 2011 Under pressure from protesters and regional allies, Yemen’s president has said he will sign a deal on Sunday to step down after 32 years in power. Still, he condemned the proposal as “a coup” and warned the US and Europe that his departure will open the door for Al Qaeda to seize control of the fragile nation on the edge of Arabia. Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/340435/Saleh-ready-to-leave-sounds-Al-Qaeda-warning.html -------- 26/11 attacks: Woman-dominated jury all set for Chicago trial May 23, 2011 S Rajagopalan The stage is set for the much-awaited 26/11 trial with a Chicago court having chosen a women-dominated jury to hear the case against Pakistani expatriate Tahawwur Hussain Rana, charged with aiding his associate David Headley in plotting the Mumbai attacks. Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/340446/26/11-attacks-Woman-dominated-jury-all-set-for-Chicago-trial.html -------- Republicans’ best bet to take on Obama opts out of race May 23, 2011 WASHINGTON: Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, tipped as Republicans' best hope to oust president Barack Obama in next year's White House election, announced early on Sunday he has decided not to run. "Over the last year and a half, a large and diverse group of people have suggested to me an idea that I never otherwise would have considered, that I run for president," Daniels said in an email sent to supporters and published by The Indianapolis star newspaper. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Republicans-best-bet-to-take-on-Obama-opts-out-of-race/articleshow/8519378.cms -------- Iran’s real spiritual leader Melody Moezzi May 23, 2011 Iran’s officially recognised “spiritual leader” today may be Ayatollah Khomeini, but for hundreds of years before the current establishment of mullahs and ayatollahs, Iranians of all creeds have looked to another spiritual leader: Jalal ad-Din Rumi. While this 13th century Persian Sufi poet is known Full report at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Iran-s-real-spiritual-leader/Article1-700715.aspx -------- GCC suspends mediation in Yemen after Saleh refuses to sign deal May 23, 2011 SANAA: Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to sign a GCC-brokered power transition deal for the third time Sunday, prompting the Gulf political bloc to suspend mediation in Yemen. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422177.ece -------- Egypt sentences policeman to die for protest deaths May 22, 2011 CAIRO: An Egyptian criminal court sentenced a police officer to death in absentia on Sunday for killing protesters during demonstrations that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, a judicial source said on Sunday. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article421871.ece -------- Pakistan army denies US troop intelligence support May 22, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army has denied a report that US troops were embedded with its forces to provide intelligence and reconnaissance support in the country’s tribal region near Afghanistan. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article421318.ece -------- West Bank businessmen to rebuild Gaza Strip By MOHAMMED MAR’I May 22, 2011 RAMALLAH: Some 100 businessmen from the West Bank will visit Gaza on Tuesday to push forward plans to reconstruct the coastal enclave which was damaged during the 2008-2009 Israeli military operation. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422307.ece -------- Iran’s military gets new missile system May 22, 2011 TEHRAN: Iran’s military received a new ballistic missile system on Sunday, which it said demonstrated the country’s self-sufficiency in mass producing weaponry. “The new surface-to-surface missiles, Qiyam (Resurrection) 1, were successfully tested and delivered to the armed forces today,” Iran’s Arabic-language state television channel Al Alam said. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422305.ece -------- Palestinian factions to boycott unity government By HISHAM ABU TAHA May 22, 2011 GAZA CITY: Eight Palestinian political factions affiliated with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) will not nominate candidates for the government of technocrats proposed in the unity deal that was reached early this month in Cairo. The local independent news agency “Maan” reported on Sunday that the factions are protesting the “bilateral monopoly” by Fatah and Hamas movements over the unity government intended to end years of fractured politics in the occupied Palestinian territories. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article422318.ece -------- Govt envisions Jeddah as tourist-economic hub By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI May 23, 2011 JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on Sunday welcomed any complaints from citizens and said they could send them to him either through the governorate or by phone. “Jeddah will witness the implementation of a number of giant projects in all sectors," he said at a meeting with students at King Abdulaziz University. "Despite criticisms of people and the media, Jeddah will remain prosperous and a major center for tourists.” Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article422597.ece -------- Awan invites Nawaz to contest by-polls May 23, 2011 LAHORE: The leader of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Senator Babar Awan has asked Nawaz Sharif to withdraw boycott of parliament and invited the latter to contest in by-polls of National Assembly (NA), Geo News reported Sunday. “For this, PPP is ready to do whatever it takes,” Awan vowed. To a press conference at the residence of Raja Riaz, a senior PPP leader, Babar said Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has been boycotting Punjab Assembly for last six months. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15935 -------- Obama says his Palestinian state remarks misunderstood May 23, 2011 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Sunday that Israelis and Palestinians would negotiate the border of a future Palestinian state, which would be different from the 1967 boundaries. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/obama-says-his-palestinian-state-remarks-misunderstood.html -------- Militants storm Afghan govt building; three dead May 23, 2011 KABUL: Gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a government building in eastern Afghanistan early Sunday and engaged in a shootout with Afghan security forces that surrounded the compound, officials said. At least three police officers were killed in ongoing fighting. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/22/militants-storm-afghan-govt-building-three-dead.html -------- The exploding revolution in Syria New York Times May 23, 2011 Syria really doesn’t know what’s hit it — how the tightest police state in the region could lose control over its population, armed only with cellphone cameras and, yes, access to Facebook and YouTube. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/794465/ -------- Saleh resists deal; loyalists trap envoys, airlifted later May 23, 2011 Sanaa : Yemen's embattled president on Sunday stalled at signing a deal calling for him to step down in 30 days, as his regime brought armed supporters into the streets demanding he stay. Hundreds of militiamen trapped the US and other ambassadors inside a diplomatic mission for hours. The militiamen, armed with knives and swords, blocked the entrances to the United Arab Emirates Embassy, where at least five US, European and Arab ambassadors had gathered, expecting President Ali Abdullah Saleh to arrive to sign the agreement. Full report at: http://www.anhourago.in/show.aspx?l=8568907&d=502 URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4684