| Islamic World News | |
| 25 May 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
| Dawood Ibrahim now a top global terrorist | ||
Tripoli rocked by heaviest NATO air strikes, 19 Killed Four dead, 28 injured in Peshawar suicide blast Roadside bomb kills 10, wounds 28 in Afghanistan 12 killed in Yemen fighting 4 killed by parked car bomb in Baghdad Thousands flee violence in Sudan’s Abyei: U.N. China rejects Pakistan's naval base request Pakistan rejects India's list of 50 most wanted Pakistani Taliban claim Peshawar attack 12 terrorists attacked naval airbase Headley diary exposes ISI role in 26/11 LeT terrorist killed in Kashmir, commander escapes Paris Qaida suspect's mother lives in Tamil Nadu town Syrian rights group says death toll exceeds 1,000 Headley planned to infiltrate, attack Shiv Sena How to keep Pakistan nuclear arsenal safe Chicago case puts US aid to Pak on trial Maj Iqbal wanted attackers to fight till end National Defence College is a target in near future: Headley Mubarak, sons to be tried for killings, corruption Fingerprint links Qaida bomb maker to US plots Israel barrier has 'devastating' impact on locals: UN Suicide bombing in Kazakhstan, casualties reported Obama, Cameron warn Arab regimes Mubarak to face trial for deaths of protesters Mumbai terror attacks: Headley blows the lid off ISI-LeT nexus Karachi attack revives fears of infiltration in Pak army US senators see Afghan hope, Pakistan fears Iraqi forces eye readiness ahead of US pullout Obama, Cameron to stress united effort on Libya Militants’ activities in Pakistan a challenge: NATO Kabul seeks Pak, US support for peace bid Journalists showed true face of terrorism: Iftikhar Says Karzai calls on Taliban to give up militancy Russia backs UN debate on Palestine state Accused links Pakistan with plotting Pak nuke security a concern: NATO BNP wants good relations with India: Khaleda Pakistan returns US helicopter from Laden raid Blast hits Iran refinery as Ahmadinejad visits Libyan oil official may be on secret mission for Qaddafi US terrorist links Pakistani ISI to Mumbai attacks Mikati-Aoun war of words adds to Cabinet woes Israeli troops on alert ahead of Liberation Day celebrations Activists hold rally in support of Syrian protests Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Dawood Ibrahim has evolved from a Mumbai bomber to a full-blown global terrorist. | ||
Israel will not return to 1967 borders: Benjamin Netanyahu-------- Dawood Ibrahim now a top global terrorist May 25, 2011 NEW DELHI: Dawood Ibrahim has evolved from a Mumbai bomber to a full-blown global terrorist. Intelligence agencies in New Delhi believe in the complete radicalization of the D-company boss, as he finds ways to further his terror network, aided by the ISI, and emerge truly as a global threat. Dawood's relations with ISI date back to 1993 when he executed the blasts in Mumbai but until a few years ago he was viewed as a logistics man for ISI by Indian agencies. LeT, the other arm of ISI, played the role of the main aggressor. The first Mumbai attack appeared to be one-off terrorist crime by a man focused on his smuggling and extortion operations. "In the past he was looked upon mainly as a mercenary. LeT was more ideology driven but Dawood and his gang now seem to have merged into LeT," said an official, adding that Dawood now presents as much a danger to India as to the US or any other target country of the jihadis. The transformation has happened because of his dependence on ISI for his own security as well as his desire for respectability as a jehadi as a protection mechanism. Initially ISI is said to have used him for pumping fake currency into India but as his links with LeT grew, he helped LeT find new recruits in India, mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra. His well-documented links with LeT have taken on a menacing proportion because of the growing collaboration between LeT and al-Qaida. LeT, so far focused on J&K and India, has grown in ambition and reach, with evidence piling of its attempts to attack targets in the West. It was his growing link with al-Qaida which led finally, in 2003, to the US Treasury Department declaring him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGP). As late as January 2010, a US Congressional report warned that Dawood and his gang posed a direct threat to US interests in South Asia. Post-Osama bin Laden's killing, al-Qaida's dependence on LeT may increase, leading Dawood to use his vast network stretching from South Asia to Middle East to Africa for terror activities. "That is something the Americans need to factor in," said an intel officer. While calling him a global terrorist, the US said in a press release that Dawood's smuggling routes from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa are shared with bin Laden and his terrorist network. "Successful routes established over recent years by (Dawood) Ibrahim's syndicate have been subsequently utilised by bin Laden. A financial arrangement was brokered to facilitate the latter's usage of these routes. In the late 1990s, Ibrahim travelled in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban," it said. Dawood's international infamy grew further in 2010 when it was reported by Germany's 'Der Spiegel' magazine that he had helped efforts to smuggle a group of terrorists linked to al-Qaida into Europe for Mumbai-sytle attacks in Germany. The report said al-Qaida and associated groups were planning to attack Germany's Parliament, Reichstag. An intelligence source recalls a report from a UN official a few years ago sent to Indian agencies saying that it was Dawood who helped al-Qaida make a huge amount of money through diamond trade. Dawood as a key player in narcotitcs smuggling can also be an asset for the terrorist groups like Taliban who have used the proceeds of opium cultivation to finance their operations. It is well known that after the US froze al-Qaida related bank accounts in 1999, the terror group bought up diamonds in Africa and used them to launder terror funds. The UN official informed Indian agencies that many of these diamonds were sent to Dawood who got them polished before sending them back to al-Qaida operatives. Experts don't deny that some of the money generated through this trade could have been used to finance 9/11. Dawood's gang was caught taking arms to Mombasa at the behest of ISI. In India, apart from LeT, Dawood is also said to have financed terror group SIMI. In 2008, it was revealed by government agencies that Dawood had been routing funds to SIMI through an aeronautical engineer, CAM Basheer, from Kerala. While Dawood is not a named accused in 26/11, the fact that the explosives used during the Mumbai attacks were similar to that of 1993 blasts did not go unnoticed among investigating agencies. Some of the SIM cards seized from the perpetrators were also said to have been traced to the posh Karachi locality where he is said to have lived for many years. Dawood has shown unflinching loyalty for Pakistan since he escaped to that country in 1993. So much so that many believe he helped finance Pakistan's nuclear programme by working closely with scientist A Q Khan. It is believed by Indian agencies that he helped Pakistan in the procurement of military nuclear material abroad and its passage to Pakistan. He is also said to have set up a factory in Malaysia for manufacturing centrifuges needed for uranium enrichment. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dawood-Ibrahim-now-a-top-global-terrorist/articleshow/8562766.cms -------- Israel will not return to 1967 borders: Benjamin Netanyahu May 25, 2011 WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israel would be generous with the size of a Palestinian state, but would not return to the 1967 borders or divide the city of Jerusalem. "Israel will be generous on the size of the Palestinian state, but will be very firm on where we put the border with it. This is an important principle," he said in a landmark address to the US Congress. "We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, to be independent, to be prosperous." But he warned that Israel could not return to the "indefensible" borders which existed in 1967, as US President Barack Obama has insisted should be the basis for negotiations. "Any peace deal must take into account the dramatic demographic changes that have occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv." And he further warned: "Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-will-not-return-to-1967-borders-Benjamin-Netanyahu/articleshow/8559323.cms -------- Tripoli rocked by heaviest NATO air strikes, 19 Killed May 25, 2011 Nato has carried out its heaviest air strikes against Libya's capital in more than two months of bombing, amid upbeat comments from France and the United States on progress towards ending Muammar Gaddafi's rule. Six loud explosions rocked Tripoli late on Tuesday within 10 minutes, following powerfu l strikes 24 hours earlier, including one on Gaddafi's compound, that Libyan officials said killed 19 people and state television blamed on "colonialist crusaders". French foreign minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday that the Nato bombing campaign was making progress and should achieve its objectives within months. An alliance official said Tuesday's early strike was "the most concentrated to date". France, Britain and the United States are leading the air strikes, which started on March 19 after the United Nations Security Council authorised "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Gaddafi's forces as he sought to crush an uprising against his 41-year rule. The three countries have declared they will keep up the campaign until Gaddafi leaves power. Juppe's upbeat assessment came after the United States said the Libyan leader's departure was inevitable. "There are more and more centres of resistance (to Gaddafi), especially in the west," Juppe said during a question and answer session in the French parliament. "Defections are speeding up." "I can assure you that our will is to ensure that the mission in Libya does not last longer than a few months." France said this week that it would deploy attack helicopters to ensure more precise attacks against Gaddafi forces embedded among the civilian population of Libyan cities. Britain said on Tuesday it was considering doing the same. Military analysts said these plans and the intensified bombing of Tripoli reflected growing Western worries that Libya's civil war was dragging on indecisively. But they said the new moves may not be enough to tip the balance quickly. Boost for rebels While critics argue that Nato has overstepped its mandate, rebels have complained Western forces are not doing enough to break Gaddafi's army. Gaddafi denies his forces target civilians and says rebels, who control the east of the oil-producing country, are criminals, religious extremists and members of al Qaeda. The United States bolstered the credentials of the Benghazi-based rebel National Transitional Council as a potential government-in-waiting on Tuesday when a US envoy invited it to set up a representative office in Washington. Unlike France, Italy and Qatar, the United States has not established formal diplomatic ties with the rebels. Jordan said on Tuesday it recognised the rebel council as a legitimate representative of Libya's people and planned to open an office in Benghazi. Libyan news agency Jana said targets hit by Nato on Tuesday included a Tripoli mosque called Nuri Bani, though this could not be independently verified. A French newspaper reported that Gaddafi was tired of fighting a civil war under constant pressure from Nato bombs, and would step down if allowed to remain in his country. France Soir, citing "reliable sources, close to Libyan power", said people in Gaddafi's entourage had been holding secret meetings with representatives from Western countries, including France, for weeks. It said Gaddafi, traumatised by the death of a son and three grandchildren in a Nato raid, was tired of living as a hunted man and spent several hours a day watching Arabic news channels and surfing news on Arab, English and Italian web sites. In his public pronouncements, Gaddafi has vowed to fight to the death. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Nato-air-strikes-kill-19/H1-Article1-701741.aspx -------- Four dead, 28 injured in Peshawar suicide blast May 25, 2011 PESHAWAR: Four policemen were killed and 28 others including eight police officials were injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive laden vehicle into CID police station at University Road in the wee hours of Wednesday, Geo News reported. Relief and rescue teams have rushed to the site and initiated their work. The injured are being shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital. It is said that the blast was heard across Peshawar city. Windowpanes of the nearby buildings were smashed into pieces in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area. http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16044 -------- Roadside bomb kills 10, wounds 28 in Afghanistan May 25, 2011 KABUL: A roadside bomb killed 10 workers in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, which has seen a rise in incidents in recent days as Taliban fighters try to retake territory lost in the past year. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack aimed at workers in Kandahar. The workers on the truck were employed by the local government in the region to clean up rivers and streams, according to Dr. Qayoum Pakhla, the director of Kandahar Hospital. Twenty-eight were injured in the attack. “I saw some of my friends’ dead bodies. I was helpless at that moment,” said one of the survivors, who gave his name as Sabdullah. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2011/May-25/Roadside-bomb-kills-10-wounds-28-in-Afghanistan.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- 12 killed in Yemen fighting May 25, 2011 Two days of clashes in Sanaa between backers of a powerful opposition chieftain and security forces left 12 dead by yesterday, after a defiant President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned of civil war in tribal Yemen. Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=187161 -------- 4 killed by parked car bomb in Baghdad May 25, 2011 BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials say four people have been killed in the explosion of a bomb in a parked car in southwestern Baghdad. The blast Tuesday in a Sunni neighborhood, which no one claimed responsibility for, also injured 14 people. The information came from police and medics who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-25/4-killed-by-parked-car-bomb-in-Baghdad.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- Thousands flee violence in Sudan’s Abyei: U.N. May 25, 2011 KHARTOUM: More than 15,000 people have fled Sudan’s Abyei region to the South after the Northern army seized the disputed area and parts of the main town were burned and looted, U.N. officials said Tuesday. A senior Southern minister in the Khartoum government resigned, protesting against what he called war crimes committed by the Northern army which had moved tanks into the main regional town over the weekend after weeks of tensions. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-25/Thousands-flee-violence-in-Sudans-Abyei-UN.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- China rejects Pakistan's naval base request May 25, 2011 Saibal Dasgupta, BEIJING: Apparently jolted by the Taliban attack on Pakistan's naval base, China on Tuesday indicated it would not invest funds on creating another naval base in that country. Chinese foreign ministry said it had not seen any proposal to build a naval base in Pakistan. The statement amounts to a rejection of Pakistani defense minister Ahmad Mukhtar's claim that his government was pushing Beijing to build a naval base near the Gawdar port. "China and Pakistan are friendly neighbors. Regarding the specific China-Pakistan cooperative project that you raised, I have not heard of it," Jiang Yu, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Beijing. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-rejects-Pakistans-naval-base-request/articleshow/8558817.cms -------- Pakistan rejects India's list of 50 most wanted May 25, 2011 ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani interior ministry has rejected the list of 50 Most Wanted men forwarded by India to Islamabad, saying it should first probe if those named in the list were living in that country, a media report said Tuesday. India had handed over the list to Islamabad during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries in March. Two men on the list were found to be in India – one out on bail in Thane and the other in a Mumbai jail. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-rejects-Indias-list-of-50-most-wanted/articleshow/8560151.cms -------- Pakistani Taliban claim Peshawar attack May 25, 2011 MIRANSHAH: The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a police station in Peshawar that killed two people, saying it was to avenge Osama bin Laden's death. http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16046 -------- 12 terrorists attacked naval airbase May 25, 2011 KARACHI: The Sharea Faisal police station has lodged an FIR for the PNS Mehran attack and nominated 12 terrorists as accused. This is in contrast to statement of Interior Minister Rehman Malik who at claimed that four persons were involved in the attack. The police said the FIR was lodged by complainant Arif, an official at PNS Mehran, who stated that he worked at the base and was on duty on Sunday night when an official informed him that some 10 to 12 terrorists had entered the base by jumping the boundary wall at its rear end. He was informed that the attackers were using rocket launchers and hand grenades and were targeting airplane hangars. He instantly conveyed the message to the base and naval commandos immediately reached the scene where an encounter took place. Full report at: http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?239666 -------- Headley diary exposes ISI role in 26/11 May 25, 2011 AS PAKISTAN-BORN Chicago businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s trial got underway in the district court here, assistant US attorney Sarah Streicker, defence counsel Charles Swift and the US government’s star witness and terroristturned- approver David Coleman Headley spelt out the role of Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, the ISI, in plotting the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. The most damning statement for the ISI came from Headley when he told the court that it not only armed, trained and funded terror organisations but also coordinated among the LeT, JeM and the Hizbul Mujahideen. Full report at: http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=2552011 -------- LeT terrorist killed in Kashmir, commander escapes May 25, 2011 JAMMU: A terrorist of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group was killed by security forces in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning, but a top commander managed to escape, police said. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/LeT-terrorist-killed-in-Kashmir-commander-escapes/articleshow/8565943.cms -------- Paris Qaida suspect's mother lives in Tamil Nadu town May 25, 2011 Padmini Sivarajah, MADURAI: If neighbours are to be believed, then a bungalow in Sandhaipettai in Melur, about 30km from Madurai, could well be the residence of Fathima, mother of al-Qaida operative Mohamed Niaz, an Indian national arrested in France. Eight months ago, Fathima, said to be Niaz's mother, had shifted to the bungalow from a humbler residence in the Muslim locality. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Paris-Qaida-suspects-mother-lives-in-Tamil-Nadu-town/articleshow/8562601.cms -------- Syrian rights group says death toll exceeds 1,000 May 25, 2011 BEIRUT: The death toll from Syria’s crackdown on a nine-week uprising has exceeded 1,000, a prominent human rights group said Tuesday, as the country’s opposition called for fresh protests and clearer goals. Amar Qurabi, head of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, told the Associated Press that the opposition was planning a conference in Turkey to find a common voice for its anti-government movement. Qurabi said his group has documented the names of 1,062 people who have died since the uprising erupted in mid-March. He added that preparations were under way for the opposition conference, which will include opposition figures, writers, journalists and activists. Some 250 participants are so far set to attend the meeting, planned for the end of May or early June, he said. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-25/Syrian-rights-group-says-death-toll-exceeds-1000.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- Headley planned to infiltrate, attack Shiv Sena May 25, 2011 CHICAGO: They showed him a styrofoam mock-up of the Taj Mahal Hotel at the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters. He wowed them with video footage from inside the Shiv Sena headquarters. They gave him a GPS device to capture coordinates of targets. He warned them against landing the terrorists at the Gateway of India pier. In a story that reads like a thriller, a trial in Chicago relating to 26/11 is revealing more details about the prosecution's chief witness David Headley and his role in the Mumbai terror attack. Pakistan's spy agency ISI is being implicated in Headley's testimony at every level, whether at the inception, planning, or execution stages of the Mumbai attacks. In a calm, even, voice, Headley, dressed in a dull gray jacket and T-shirt, testified in a chronological manner, about each one of his 5 visits to Mumbai. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Headley-planned-to-infiltrate-attack-Shiv-Sena/articleshow/8562872.cms -------- How to keep Pakistan nuclear arsenal safe May 25, 2011 The daring commando-style raid into a Pakistani naval base at Karachi on May 22 by the Pakistani Taliban has highlighted once again the poor state of physical security at sensitive infrastructure in Pakistan and the undetected infiltration by extremists into the Pakistani Armed Forces. The fact that such raids continue to take place and that the security forces and the intelligence agencies continue to be taken by surprise would add to the concerns of the international community. Apart from the state of security in Pakistan`s nuclear establishments, it would also be worried over the dangers of the presence inside them of sympathisers who might collaborate with organizations such as al-Qaida and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) in facilitating an act of terrorism involving the use of nuclear material seized from such establishments. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/How-to-keep-Pakistan-nuclear-arsenal-safe/articleshow/8562322.cms -------- Chicago case puts US aid to Pak on trial May 25, 2011 Washington: Far away from the courtroom drama in Chicago,in Washington DCs policymaking circles,the Obama administration is also on trial for continued support to Pakistan despite copious information spilling out on the witness stand about the countrys sponsorship of terrorism and the role of its spy agency ISI in the Mumbai attack. What puts the US administration in a fix and spotlight is that the information is coming from the governments own witness.Testimony by the Department of Justices star prosecution witness David Headley in the trial of his friend Tahawwar Hussain Rana has left no doubt about ISIs complicity in overseeing the Mumbai attack in 2008 which killed 170 people,including six Americans. Full report at: http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=11&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=25-05-2011&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar01100&format=&publabel=TOI -------- Maj Iqbal wanted attackers to fight till end May 25, 2011 At the Siddhi Vinayak Temple,Headley bought wristbands worn by Hindus so that the attackers could leave undetected.He also had a GPS device to mark all these locations in south Bombay. In several exhibits displayed in court,Headley was asked to identify many of these locations in Mumbai.In a calm voice,he described the slew of locations where he conducted surveillance,some while he was in the area,and had an hour before he would watch a movie. On his return to Pakistan,he was asked to join the attackers.Major Iqbal told him that he did not like the egress option,where the attackers would leave once the mission was accomplished.He preferred the stronghold option,where the attackers would fight till the end.The idea of giving phones to each of the attackers was also discussed. Full report at: http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=11&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=25-5-2011&pubname=Times%20of%20India%20-%20Delhi%20-%20Front%20Page&edname=&articleid=Ar01102&publabel=TOI -------- National Defence College is a target in near future: Headley May 25, 2011 WASHINGTON: Mumbai attacks co-accused David Headley on Wednesday testified that New Delhi-based National Defence College is on the hit-list of terrorists as 26/11 mastermind Illiyas Kashmiri believes in this way he can kill more Indian brigadiers than what the Pakistan Army could not do in four wars with India. Within a few months of the Mumbai terror attacks, Kashmiri, who has now emerged as mastermind of 26/11, met Headley, and asked him to go to India again to do surveillance of the National Defence College in New Delhi and a number of Chhabad Houses in various cities of India. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/National-Defense-College-is-a-target-in-near-future-Headley/articleshow/8566057.cms -------- Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility of suicide attack in Peshawar May 25, 2011 MIRANSHAH:, PAKISTAN: The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a police station in Peshawar that killed two people, saying it was to avenge Osama bin Laden's death. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistani-Taliban-claim-responsibility-of-suicide-attack-in-Peshawar/articleshow/8565278.cms -------- Mubarak, sons to be tried for killings, corruption May 25, 2011 CAIRO: Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak and his two sons were on Tuesday referred to a criminal court on suspicion of graft and ordering deadly fire against anti-government protesters, state media reported. The official MENA news agency said the 83-year-old former strongman and his two sons Alaa and Gamal have been charged with "premeditated murder of some participants in the peaceful protests of the January 25 revolution". "The public prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmud has decided today to refer former president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal and businessman Hussein Salem to a criminal court," the news agency reported. They have also been charged with profiteering and using their positions for illicit gains and squandering public funds, it added. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Mubarak-sons-to-be-tried-for-killings-corruption/articleshow/8558154.cms -------- Fingerprint links Qaida bomb maker to US plots May 25, 2011 WASHINGTON: The FBI has a fingerprint and forensic evidence linking al-Qaida's top bomb maker in Yemen to a trio of explosive devices used in recent attacks on the US, tangible reminders that Osama bin Laden's death has not eliminated the threat from the group's most active and dangerous franchise. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Fingerprint-links-Qaida-bomb-maker-to-US-plots/articleshow/8563317.cms -------- Israel barrier has 'devastating' impact on locals: UN May 25, 2011 UNITED NATIONS: The controversial Israeli security barrier that snakes through the West Bank has a "devastating" impact on the daily lives of Palestinians, a senior UN official just back from the region has said. "I witnessed first hand the impact of the barrier on Palestinian communities. I was deeply disturbed by what I saw," under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos said yesterday. The barrier -- a network of walls, fences and closed military roads -- meanders through the West Bank, territory occupied by Israel in 1967 on which the Palestinians hope to build a state. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-barrier-has-devastating-impact-on-locals-UN/articleshow/8563169.cms -------- Suicide bombing in Kazakhstan, casualties reported May 25, 2011 ALMATY, Kazakhstan: A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the headquarters of the security services in the Kazakh capital Astana early Tuesday, causing casualties, the Interfax news agency said. A car with one or two people inside exploded outside the entrance to the headquarters at around 3:30 am (0130 GMT) and body parts of the passengers were blown out by the force of the blast, witnesses told the agency. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Suicide-bombing-in-Kazakhstan-casualties-reported/articleshow/8550787.cms -------- Obama, Cameron warn Arab regimes May 25, 2011 Hasan Suroor LONDON: U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday warned Arab leaders they would not hesitate “to use force” if pro-democracy movements in the region were sought to be “crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire”. The warning came as Mr. Obama started a three-day state visit to Britain amid reports of violent repression of pro-democracy campaigners in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. “We will not stand by...We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act...We will stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy,” they said in a joint article in The Times. Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle were given a ceremonial welcome and received by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace, where the couple will stay. The President had a brief meeting with Mr. Cameron ahead of substantive talks scheduled for Wednesday when he will also address a joint session of Parliament. Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/25/stories/2011052558181900.htm -------- Mubarak to face trial for deaths of protesters May 25, 2011 J DAVID GOODMAN The former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, and his two sons will be tried for murder in the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt that lead to his ouster three months ago, as well as for corruption during his time in office, Egypt’s top prosecutor said Tuesday. Mubarak and his sons, if convicted of the most serious charges against them, could face the death penalty. Such a sentence would then have to be approved on religious grounds by Ali Gomaa, the grand mufti of Egypt, who was appointed by Mubarak. The announcement fulfilled an important demand of protesters who had called for large-scale demonstrations in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square later this week in favour of a trial and against the country’s emergency law, which remains in effect despite widespread opposition. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/795113/ -------- Mumbai terror attacks: Headley blows the lid off ISI-LeT nexus May 25, 2011 S Rajagopalan What India has been saying for years about Pakistan using terrorism as an instrument of state policy has now been fully vindicated in a Chicago court with terror operative David Headley blowing the lid off the Inter-Services Intelligence’s nexus with Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in carrying out the Mumbai massacre. “Terror trial witness ties Pakistan to 2008 attacks”, “Key witness ties Pakistan’s spy agency to terror group”, “Witness ties Pakistan to Mumbai massacre” -- these were the headlines on Tuesday morning in three of the most influential American dailies: The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/340895/Mumbai-terror-attacks-Headley-blows-the-lid-off-ISI-LeT-nexus.html -------- Karachi attack revives fears of infiltration in Pak army May 25, 2011 The 18-hour standoff between Pakistani security forces and handful of militants at the Karachi naval air base has revived fears about militant infiltration in the country’s military and the safety of its nuclear warheads. The precision with which the small band of terrorists targeted the key base and destroyed two surveillance aircraft worth millions of dollars has also raised questions about whether insiders were involved in the attack. Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/340890/Karachi-attack-revives-fears-of-infiltration-in-Pak-army.html -------- US senators see Afghan hope, Pakistan fears May 25, 2011 WASHINGTON: US lawmakers on saw momentum for political reconciliation in Afghanistan in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, but voiced fear that the fight against extremism was floundering in Pakistan. Senator John Kerry, who recently visited the region, said US forces' killing of bin Laden in Pakistan along with "security gains" in the Taliban's historic stronghold of southern Afghanistan "have created some political space." "This is a critical moment in the war in Afghanistan," Kerry said at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he chairs. "It's important that we seize that opportunity." Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16050 -------- Iraqi forces eye readiness ahead of US pullout May 25, 2011 WASHINGTON: Iraq’s military is preparing an assessment that may acknowledge gaps in the country’s security forces, according to two sources familiar with the matter, a move that could bolster arguments to extend the US military presence in Iraq. he review of Iraqi military capabilities, which comes ahead of a planned US withdrawal by the end of 2011, is expected to be presented to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other top political leaders, a US congressional aide told Reuters. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/25/iraqi-forces-eye-readiness-ahead-of-us-pullout.html -------- Obama, Cameron to stress united effort on Libya May 25, 2011 LONDON: US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday will stress a united effort to pressure Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down, while glossing over differences between their two governments. Obama and Cameron are to hold joint talks and a midday news conference before Obama delivers a speech at Westminster Hall laying out the main theme of his trip – that the United States and Europe must play a lead role together in global security. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/25/obama-cameron-to-stress-united -------- Militants’ activities in Pakistan a challenge: NATO May 25, 2011 Rasmussen says NATO will protect its troops and Afghans from Pak militants Pak nukes safe and well protected KABUL: NATO will protect its troops and Afghans from terrorists based across the border in Pakistan, the NATO chief said on Tuesday, reiterating pledges by the United States to target terrorists there who have escalated attacks since Osama bin Laden’s death. “It is well known that there is cross-border activity and it... is a problem and a security challenge,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Kabul after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “We will take all necessary measures to protect Afghan people and our own troops,” he said of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), whose war against the Taliban in Afghanistan has dragged on for 10 years. Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\05\25\story_25-5-2011_pg1_4 -------- Kabul seeks Pak, US support for peace bid May 25, 2011 John Nelson KABUL – Greater support is needed from the United States and Pakistan for consolidating peace in Afghanistan, the Afghan deputy minister of foreign affairs said on Tuesday. Stability in the war-torn country is in Islamabad's interest, Javed Ludin told reporters in Kabul at the end of trilateral talks with Pakistani and American representatives. The success of the ongoing reconciliation drive was important to the Afghan government, which needed cooperation from Islamabad and Washington in bringing the effort to fruition, he said. At the meeting, Ludin said, Pakistan was urged to help Afghans bring armed militants to the negotiating table. "We hope Islamabad would take more meaningful steps in this regard, measures it hasn't adopted so far." Full report at: http://dailymailnews.com/0511/25/FrontPage/index.php?id=2 -------- Journalists showed true face of terrorism: Iftikhar Says May 25, 2011 PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said he acknowledges the effective role and sacrifices of media men in isolating the militants and terrorists from the society and showing the real face of terrorism to the people. It was the great success of the government that the people were now hating the militants and terrorists. Before that the people were misinformed and loved them as fighters for Islam. He said the people of Swat and local media men offered great sacrifices in the war against terror side by side the Pak Army, police and other security agencies adding that restoration of peace in Malakand was the result of these sacrifices. He said this while talking to a joint delegation of Swat Press Club and Swat Union of Journalists at Peshawar on Tuesday. MPA Sher Shah Khan, Secretary Information Azmat Haneef Orakzai, Director Information, Shuaibuddin, and Assistant Director Journalists Affairs Zar Wali were also present on this occasion. Members of the delegation informed the minister of the problems of local journalist’s community in detail.Mian Iftikhar continued that Swat was the most beautiful and scenic district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but unfortunately its tourism and related business community was badly affected due to militancy and terrorism there. Full report at: http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=18302 -------- Karzai calls on Taliban to give up militancy May 25, 2011 KABUL (NNI): President Hamid Karzai once again called on Taliban militants on Tuesday to give up militancy and join peace process.”Once again I call on all of our countryman who are away from their own country, who have taken up arms and who are waging a militant activity against their own people, the opportunity is there that the Afghan people to give them a chance to return to their homes,” Karzai told reporters in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen here in his fortified palace.In efforts to end the nearly 10-year war and Taliban-led insurgency, President Karzai set up a 70-member High Council for Peace on September 2010 to accelerate the government-backed national reconciliation with Taliban and associated militants.However, Taliban militants have repeatedly rejected the offer for talks in the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan.”My message for enemies of Afghanistan is clear, if you continue on the route of violence you will find no victory, only defeat,” Rasmussen said in the same press conference adding ” Follow the road of peace. Full report at: http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=18507 -------- Russia backs UN debate on Palestine state May 25, 2011 Russia supports a United Nations discussion of Palestinian independence, a top Fatah member said yesterday while dismissing the idea of a unilateral declaration. Fatah member Azzam al-Ahmed added that Palestinian leaders would meet in Ramallah on Wednesday to form a joint response to US President Barack Obama's proposal for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the borders of which would be based on the status quo before the 1967 Six-Day War. "We do not intend to unilaterally declare independence," Ahmed said one day after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He said Russia supported the idea of the Palestinians submitting the independent state idea for a vote at the United Nations, although he failed to specify whether Moscow had also promised to vote yes. Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=187156 -------- Accused links Pakistan with plotting May 25, 2011 A man who scouted sites for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks has testified in a Chicago trial that the Pakistani intelligence service had links to the group that carried out the attacks. David Headley was testifying against Tahawwur Rana, a Chicago businessman accused of Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=187165 -------- Pak nuke security a concern: NATO May 25, 2011 The head of Nato said yesterday he was confident Pakistan's nuclear weapons were safe, but admitted it was a matter of concern, the day after the worst assault on a Pakistani military base in two years. Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=187167 -------- BNP wants good relations with India: Khaleda May 25, 2011 BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, now in USA, on Tuesday said India should discuss with all the political parties of Bangladesh if it wants durable solutions to the long running problems between the two countries. Her party wants good relations with India on the basis of mutual benefits, Khaleda said. She made the remarks replying to a question how BNP considers Bangladesh’s relation with neighbouring India at the Atlantic Council of USA in Pennsylvania Tuesday afternoon. Her entourage member BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told UNB over phone that Khaleda delivered a statement on democracy, governance and economic development of Bangladesh at the Atlantic Council, a think tank outfit. Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=29960 -------- Pakistan returns US helicopter from Laden raid May 25, 2011 Pakistan has returned to the United States wreckage of a US helicopter destroyed during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a Pentagon official told Reuters on Tuesday, but the gesture was expected to do little to improve strained ties. The US Navy SEAL team that stormed bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2 blew up the Black Hawk helicopter after it was damaged during a hard landing. It had stealth features and they wanted to keep sensitive US technology out of enemy hands, US officials have said. Full report at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=29959 -------- Blast hits Iran refinery as Ahmadinejad visits May 25, 2011 TEHRAN: An explosion blamed on a gas leak rocked Iran’s largest refinery on Tuesday around the time of a visit to the plant by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iranian media reported that up to two people were killed. The blast occurred just before Ahmadinejad was to inaugurate and expansion project at the 400,000 barrel per day refinery in the southwestern city of Abadan, and injured 20 people, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The explosion was blamed on a “gas leakage,” but no other details were provided. Ahmadinejad himself was not injured. Conflicting reports over the toll and timing of the blast surfaced but officials at the plant were not reachable for comment. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article426501.ece -------- Libyan oil official may be on secret mission for Qaddafi May 25, 2011 Shokri Ghanem LONDON: Top Libyan oil official Shokri Ghanem has not defected, contrary to widespread reports, and is secretly working for Muammar Qaddafi to maintain ties with big oil companies, sources at Western firms said. A Libyan opposition source and a source at a major international oil company said Ghanem, one of the most senior figures in Qaddafi’s government, had invited representatives of oil companies to meet him last week in Tunisia, to discuss oil contracts. “There were some invitations or advances but we did not accept,” said the source at a Western oil company. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article427060.ece -------- US terrorist links Pakistani ISI to Mumbai attacks May 25, 2011 CHICAGO: An admitted American terrorist who scouted sites where militants went on a deadly three-day rampage in Mumbai in 2008 revealed more potentially damaging details while on trial on Tuesday, alleging close cooperation between a Pakistani militant group and the country’s top intelligence agency and telling jurors that he frequently exchanged e-mails and met with members of both groups a month before the attacks. David Coleman Headley is the US government’s star witnesses in a terrorism trial at a pivotal moment in US-Pakistan relations and the global fight against terror. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article427910.ece -------- Mikati-Aoun war of words adds to Cabinet woes May 25, 2011 BEIRUT: Efforts to form a new Lebanese government plunged into further disarray after a war of words flared Tuesday between Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, suggesting deepening divisions between the two officials. Sources close to Mikati were quick to respond to accusations by Aoun that the prime minister-designate was intentionally delaying the formation of a Cabinet, describing the allegations as unfounded and reiterating Mikati’s commitment to the Constitution. A source close to Mikati told The Daily Star that the prime minister-designate was still waiting for parliamentary groups to come forward with the names of their candidates to join the new government. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/May-25/Mikati-Aoun-war-of-words-adds-to-Cabinet-woes.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- Israeli troops on alert ahead of Liberation Day celebrations May 25, 2011 SIDON: Israel put its troops on alert Wednesday over fears that Resistance and Liberation Day celebrations might turn into massive gatherings along the border or a repeat of a border incident that led to the deaths of 11 Palestinian protesters mid May. Witnesses said Israeli troops were since Tuesday evening stepping up patrols both on foot and in gun-mounted jeeps along the barbed wire that separates Lebanon and Israel, both countries technically in a state of war. Israeli helicopter gunships also flew at low altitudes overnight over the occupied Shebaa Farms. Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/May-25/Israeli-troops-on-alert-ahead-of-Liberation-Day-celebrations.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V -------- Activists hold rally in support of Syrian protests May 25, 2011 BEIRUT: A week after the administration of the Bristol Hotel refused to host a gathering in solidarity with protesters in Syria, Lebanese activists were able to hold their meeting at another venue, where they called on regional and international organizations to protect Syrians. In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Beirut Tuesday, the activists said that the Arab League and the U.N. should assume their responsibilities in protecting the Syrian people from the regime’s ongoing violent crackdown on the popular protests. In a statement released following the meeting, the activists also called “on the Lebanese government to embrace and protect all refugees from Syria.” Full report at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/May-25/Activists-hold-rally-in-support-of-Syrian-protests.ashx#axzz1NMHLa58V URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4698 | |
11:30 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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