Mohammad Basir-ul Haq Sinha Journalist, Dhaka,Bangla Desh E mail:mohammad_b_haq@yahoo.co.uk --- On Fri, 1/4/11, Bangla Vision <banglavision@maktoob.com> wrote:
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(FinalCall.com | 03-31-2011) - The Minister called the news conference to address U.S. policy in the Middle East and military attacks on Libya. He again condemned U.S. military action against Libya and warned the president about tricks that could lead to his disgrace and ruin.
Source, FCI Broadcasting - March 31, 2011
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US-led airstrikes kill dozens in Libya 31 Mar 2011 Dozens have died from US-led airstrikes in Libya as running battles persist between revolutionary forces and government troops on the outskirts of Brega. Opposition forces have returned fire with rockets and rocket-propelled grenades to shelling by forces loyal to ruler Muammr Gaddafi in the eastern oil city of Brega... The clashes come one day after Gaddafi's forces recaptured the eastern oil town of Ras Lanuf [better Qaddafi than Exxon Mobil and BP] and forced the opposition to flee further east.
40 civilians suspected killed in US-NATO Tripoli strikes 31 Mar 2011 At least 40 civilians have been killed in air-strikes launched by the US and NATO allies in Tripoli according to a top official of the Catholic Church. Reuters has reported a conversation with the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, who has alleged the raids killed many civilian victims in various neighborhoods in Tripoli. Martinelli told the news agency that he had received the information from several witnesses, especially from the Buslim neighbourhood where a building collapsed, causing the death of 40 people.
Libya: CIA 'Cleared By Obama to Help Rebels' --Ex-intelligence officer: Some CIA agents had been based in agency's station in Dubai 30 Mar 2011 An US official has confirmed that CIA agents were sent into Libya undercover earlier this month after the agency's covert office in Tripoli was forced to close. CIA agents have been authorised to carry out covert missions to help rebel forces oust Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, according to reports. US President Barack Obama is said to have signed an order - known as a "finding" [for secret "all kinds of help"] - for the secret operations in the past two or three weeks.
U.S. intelligence source: CIA is operating inside Libya to help U.S. increase "military and political understanding" 30 Mar 2011 The CIA is operating in Libya to help the United States increase its "military and political understanding" of the situation, a U.S. intelligence source said. "But yes, we are gathering intel firsthand and we are in contact with some opposition entities," the source told CNN. The White House refused to comment on a Reuters report Wednesday that President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel troops.
Libyan rebels massacre black Africans By Wolfgang Weber 31 Mar 2011 The opposition forces in Libya attempting to march on Tripoli with the assistance of American, French and British bombs are far removed from the image of innocent civilians fighting for freedom and democracy promoted by the media and political circles. This is made clear in a March 22 article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by Gunnar Heinsohn, the author of Encyclopaedia of Genocide (Rowohlt, 1998). Heinsohn cites a report by the well-known Zimbabwean journalist and documentary filmmaker Farai Sevenzo dealing with barbaric, pogrom-like massacres perpetrated by the so-called "rebels" against black African workers in Libya.
Turkey says arming Libya rebels could spawn terrorism 31 Mar 2011 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected on Thursday the idea of supplying arms to Libya's rebel fighters, saying that doing so could be "conducive to terrorism." Speaking at a joint press conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Erdogan said he had a "negative" view on arming opposition forces battling Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Obama not ruling out Libya arms 29 Mar 2011 US President Barack Obama has said he does not rule out arming the rebels seeking to overthrow Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. He said in an interview that Col Gaddafi had been greatly weakened and would ultimately step down. Asked by US media if he supported arming the rebels, President Obama said: "I'm not ruling it out but I'm also not ruling it in."
Oil climbs to highest since 2008 on Libya conflict [Obomba's illegal invasion] --Oil rises above $106 a barrel as pro-Gadhafi forces push back rebels 31 Mar 2011 The price of oil rose past $106 a barrel on Thursday as fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi pushed back rebels from key areas in eastern Libya. Benchmark west Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.04 at $106.31 in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That's the highest it's been since September, 2008.
Obama Expands Bush Doctrine By Michael Rectenwald, www.legitgov.org 30 Mar 2011 Obama has made clear that the pretext for invasion of sovereign nations will not be limited to protecting Americans from "terrorism" and "weapons of mass destruction" as after 9/11 under Bush. Pre-emptive action will also be taken against threats to "values" and commerce. That is, Obama has expanded the Bush doctrine to include cases wherein U.S. commercial interests are at stake, not only its supposed safety. Of course, this is precisely what the Bush doctrine was meant to include, but Obama has expressed this fact even more nakedly than Bush himself.
Appeals Court Makes It Easier for Govt to Hold Guantanamo Detainees 29 Mar 2011 In a decision that will likely make it more difficult for Guantanamo prisoners to win release, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today reversed a lower court's ruling in the pivotal case of a Yemeni detainee. In a 14-page decision, the appeals court rejected the lower court's ruling to release Uthman Abdul Rahim Mohammed Uthman, who has been held at Guantanamo without charge since 2002... Today's decision further clarifies that standard by declaring that the government doesn't need direct evidence that a detainee fought for or was a member of al-Qaeda in order to justify a detention.
South Korea holds drills in Yellow Sea 30 Mar 2011 Amid tensions between South Korea and the North, Seoul has staged a live-fire artillery exercise near an island where the two Koreas exchanged fire in November 2010. The exercise on Yeonpyeong Island near the tense Yellow Sea border began at 9.30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and was scheduled to last about one hour.
False flag alert: Threats Claim Nuclear Bombs Hidden All Over U.S. 29 Mar 2011 A number of days ago, an envelope, with a Chicago postmark and a hand-written address to her private investigations firm, came in the mail. The letter inside said, "The Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] organization has planted 160 nuclear bombs throughout the U.S. in schools, stadiums, churches, stores, financial institutions and government buildings." The writer, who claims to be Osama Bin Laden, tells the reader the nukes are remotely controlled [from Langley, Va.]. Agencies in Oregon, California, Texas and Florida also got the letter with the Chicago postmark.
MSNBC: Killer Whale Returns to Show: Is it (Not 3 Nuclear Meltdowns) Safe? By Lori Price and MDR, www.legitgov.org 30 Mar 2011 MSNBC has been reporting ad nauseum all day about the killer whale that killed a trainer returning to Sea World. (See: Whale that killed trainer returns to SeaWorld show 30 Mar 2011.) Meanwhile, three nuclear meltdowns, with radiation 3,355 times the normal levels, continue to rage at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Japan. Oh. MSNBC has also devoted numerous segments to promote their 'Will and Kate' interactive royal wedding website. "NBC networks will provide the ultimate wedding day coverage, with reports from more than a dozen reporters in London and a new royal wedding app for the iPad (iPhone and Android available soon)."
Japan nuclear crisis: Fukushima 50 'expect to die' 31 Mar 2011 Workers who have been fighting to bring the reactors under control at Japan's stricken nuclear plant expect to die from radiation sickness, according to the mother of one of the men. The so-called Fukushima 50, the group of around 300 technicians, soldiers and firemen who work in shifts of 50, have been exposed repeatedly to dangerously high radioactive levels as they attempt to avert a nuclear disaster. The mother of one of the men has admitted that the group have discussed their situation and have accepted that death is a strong possibility.
Japanese workers unable to mop up N-plant water 30 Mar 2011 Japanese workers have been unable to remove radiation-contaminated water at Fukushima power plant. The pumping of the contaminated water at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant has been stopped due to reports that the radioactive core in reactor two had melted down. It is believed the core went through the bottom of its containment vessel onto a concrete floor. The contaminated water has been flooding through some parts of the facility.
Fukushima nuclear plant to be entombed in concrete as Japan admits it has lost battle with crippled reactors 31 Mar 2011 Japan has finally conceded it has lost the battle to contain radiation at four of its crippled reactors and they will be closed. Details of what that will entail have yet to be revealed, but officials said it would mean switching off all power and abandoning attempts to keep the nuclear fuel rods cool. The final move would involve pouring tonnes of concrete on the reactors to seal them in tombs and ensure radiation does not leak.
Radiation levels in seawater off Japan plant spike to all-time highs 30 Mar 2011 The level of radiation in ocean waters off Japan's embattled Fukushima Daiichi plant has risen to new highs -- measuring 4,385 times the standard -- an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency said Thursday. The samples, taken Wednesday from a monitoring post 330 meters (361 yards) into the Pacific Ocean, marked a significant increase from the previous day's news that the same I-131 isotope was 3,355 times the regulatory limit. Just last Friday, the radiation levels were 104 times more than a typical level.
High radiation outside Japan exclusion zone: IAEA 30 Mar 2011 Radiation measured at a village 40 km from Japan's crippled nuclear plant exceeded a criterion for evacuation, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday, the latest sign of widening consequences from the crisis. The finding could increase pressure on Japan's government to extend the exclusion zone beyond 20 km (12 miles) around the Fukushima power plant, which has leaked radioactive particles since it was hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
IAEA concerned about radiation in Japan village 30 Mar 2011 The International Atomic Energy Agency has told Japan that radiation levels recorded at a village near a stricken nuclear reactor are over recommended levels, a senior IAEA official said on Wednesday. Iitate village lies 40 km (25 miles) northwest of the nuclear plant.
Tainted seafood fears spread as Japan plant leaks --Concern over seafood spreads as record radiation found in waters near Japan's nuke plant 30 Mar 2011 Fears about contaminated seafood spread Wednesday despite [phony] reassurances that radiation in the waters off Japan's troubled atomic plant pose no health risk, as the country's respected emperor consoled evacuees from the tsunami and nuclear emergency zone. The seafood concerns in the country that gave the world sushi are yet another blemish for Brand Japan.
Radiation Found in U.S. Milk 31 Mar 2011 Tests of milk samples taken last week in Spokane, Wash., indicate the presence of radioactive iodine from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, but at levels far below those at which action would have to be taken, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday. Radioactive materials in liquids are measured in pico-curies per liter, and the sample, taken March 25, showed a reading of 0.8 pico-curies, the agency said.
Japan engineers knew tsunami could overrun plant 30 Mar 2011 Over the past two weeks, Japanese government officials and Tokyo Electric Power executives have repeatedly described the deadly combination of the most powerful quake in Japan's history and the massive tsunami that followed as "soteigai", or beyond expectations. When Tokyo Electric President Masataka Shimizu apologised to the people of Japan for the continuing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant he called the double disaster "marvels of nature that we have never experienced before". But a review of company and regulatory records shows that Japan and its largest utility repeatedly downplayed dangers and ignored warnings - including a 2007 tsunami study from Tokyo Electric Power Company's senior safety engineer.
U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Had 14 'Near-Miss' Problems In 2010: UCS Report 18 Mar 2011 A new report reveals that 14 "near-miss" problems prompting investigation at 13 power plants in 2010 may have been the result of poor oversight. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a report Thursday examining the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) -- the [industry-pwned] government agency tasked with enforcing safety regulations at U.S. nuclear plants -- and 14 investigations it launched in 2010 in response to "troubling events, safety equipment problems, and security shortcomings."
Facebook shuts pro-Palestinian page 30 Mar 2011 US-based social networking website Facebook has obliterated a page that advocated a 'third Intifada (uprising)' in reaction to Israel's measures [against] the Palestinian people. The Tuesday move came after 350,000 people endorsed the campaign by 'liking' the page and many of its entries received thousands of comments, reported Ynetnews, the website for the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The move came after Israel's Minister of Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein addressed Facebook's creator Mark Zuckerberg in a letter, pleading with him to remove the page.
Tea Party Activists Rally to Pressure Republicans on U.S. Budget Talks 31 Mar 2011 Tea Party activists gather in Washington today with a clear message for the Republican majority they swept into power last fall: Hang tough, or else. They're rallying on the National Mall, heightening the pressure on the freshmen they helped elect and other fiscally conservative Republicans to stand firm for $61 billion in budget cuts passed by the House last month.
Wisconsin union-curbing law not in effect - state judge 31 Mar 2011 A Wisconsin state judge on Thursday issued a terse response to Republican Governor Scott Walker's moves to implement a new law reducing the powers rights of most public sector unions, saying it had not taken effect. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi had issued a temporary restraining order enjoining publication of the law by the secretary of state in mid March while she heard an appeal over the way the lawmakers approved the legislation.
Ohio Senate Approves Revised SB 5 in 17-16 Vote 30 Mar 2011 After the Ohio House approved an amended version of Senate Bill 5, the legislation went back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. Late Wednesday evening, the revised version of SB5 passed in the Senate with a 17-16 vote. Both the House and Senate are controlled by the Republican Party, which is predominantly behind the union-busting bill.
Ohio House Approves Bill to Curb Unions for Government Workers 30 Mar 2011 The Republican-led Ohio House approved a bill limiting collective bargaining for about 360,000 state and local government workers and requiring minimum contributions for health care and pensions. The House voted 53-44, returning the measure to the Senate to concur with changes it made. The Senate approved a version of the bill March 2 and Republican Governor [nutjob] John Kasich has said he supports it.
Poll: Obama's approval hits new low 30 Mar 2011 President Barack Obama's approval rating and prospects for reelection have plunged to all-time lows in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Half of the registered voters surveyed for the poll think that the president does not deserve a second term in office, while 41 percent say he does. The decline in support for a second Obama term comes as his approval rating has dropped 4 percentage points since early March, landing at 42 percent - a record low - in the poll released Wednesday.
Food Inflation Kept Hidden in Tinier Bags 29 Mar 2011 Chips are disappearing from bags, candy from boxes and vegetables from cans. As an expected increase in the cost of raw materials looms for late summer, consumers are beginning to encounter shrinking food packages. With unemployment still high, companies in recent months have tried to camouflage price increases by selling their products in tiny and tinier packages. So far, the changes are most visible at the grocery store, where shoppers are paying the same amount, but getting less.
Longer jump for the polar bear --The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice before melting season starts is at its lowest ever measured by satellites. Without ice the polar bear hardly survives. 29 Mar 2011 Scientists at the University of Colorado have followed the extent of the Arctic ice cap with satellites since 1979. Never before has the maximum winter extent of the sea ice been smaller than March 2011, according to the findings published at the portal of the National Snow and Ice Data Centre. Climate scientists believe shrinking sea ice in the Arctic is due to global warming resulting from emission of climate gasses from human activities. Winter temperatures across the Arctic were anomalously warm this winter, reaching 2 to 6 degrees Celsius about normal in January.
Hold tight mum, I'm just drifting off: The otterly adorable dozing otters! 31 Mar 2011 There's nothing like a little snooze after you've had your lunchtime feed, but maybe this wasn't the perfect moment for junior to drop off. His mother - a rare white otter - ended up having to balance her four-month-old babe on her belly after he nodded off during suckling in the water. In the end, she carefully rolled the sleepy boy into the river where he continued to doze afloat on his back.
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| Gillani is using cricket like a political football Posted: 31 Mar 2011 02:15 PM PDT Pakistan requires Islamic political will to overcome India off the Cricket pitch Pakistan woke on Thursday to shattered dreams, broken hearts and lost hopes the night before the cricket team had lost in the World Cup Semi-Final to arch rivals India. In a purely Cricketing sense the team had succumbed under the huge expectation and pressure they must have been under. The game, quite possibly the biggest between the two nations had a lot more than sport riding on it though, with politicians and the media hyping it as the way in which to reach out to India and vice versa. In sport, cricket is the lifeblood of the Pakistani masses, just like football in South America. Relief from adversity is often sought in sporting joy. Following the national team goes beyond simple nationalism, it is one of the very few chances that Pakistani's get to stand as near equals with the rest of the world. Cricket somehow seems to make up for political failure. Major sporting occasions have for decades been used for political propaganda. During the cold war the Soviet Union put massive resources into ensuring its athletes were more than competitive at the Olympics. Therefore it was no surprise to see Yusuf Raza Gilani spend the majority of the match seated next to his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. The game was a much touted opportunity for the two to sit and discuss politics, for the first in years. In truth political matters are not settled over a game of cricket, especially when Gilani was the obvious inferior in the meeting. The India – Pakistan relationship isn't in need of cricket diplomacy, it requires some political backbone from the Pakistani side. For years successive Pakistani governments have put the wishes of others before their own political gain, whether that be America in Kargil or NATO in Afghanistan. The issue of Kashmir is a simple one of Indian hegemony and it should be treated as such, the recent stepping up of the oppression of Kashmri Muslims clearly shows India's policy in the region. While most of the Pakistani cricketers will live to fight another day, the government in Pakistan has more than over stayed its welcome. When you fail to protect your own people from foreign attack it is clear the time has come to move on. Hours after the defeat on the cricket pitch, Pakistan was being bombed by NATO strikes in South Waziristan, injuring 5 people The passion the Pakistani people have for cricket needs to be transferred in to accounting their rulers, just like the people of Egypt and Tunsia. The likes of Gilani and Zadari use cricket to increase their popularity, they care not for the people. Only Islam can give the politics in Pakistan the true direction it needs to move forward and stand with the likes of India on a level footing on and off the cricket pitch. |
| 10 reasons against western intervention in Libya Posted: 31 Mar 2011 01:53 PM PDT As the west begins to openly consider arming those opposing Gaddhafi western intervention in Libya is going deeper and further than initially envisaged by many. However, looking at recent history western intervention is rarely as it is presented: 1. Despite claims Western intervention is never solely humanitarian. The west has a canny knack of intervening is countries of strategic or material interest. In contrast to oil-rich Libya the west has conveniently looked away while greater humanitarian crimes have been committed by the regimes in Burma, Zimbabwe, Congo, to mention a relative few. 2. Western intervention is clearly not principled. While condemning the dictatorship of Gaddhafi the West continues to support dictators like Karimov in Uzbekistan; Kingdoms in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco; and military men in Asia and Africa. 3. Western intervention is hardly ethical. Mubarak in Egypt, Iraq's Saddam; and Ben Ali in Tunisia to quote a recent few were all for decades militarily, economically and politically propped up by the west. 4. The west now talks about arming the rebels yet Gaddhafi is deploying arms and weapons supplied by the west against the people rising against his tyranny. 5. When the west intervenes civilians die. Aerial bombings in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq by the US have killed numerous civilians, women and children. 6. The west's use of no-fly zones and Ariel bombardment is normally a precursor to ground intervention – troop; bases, 'black ops'. Mission creep in Iraq, Yugoslavia and Pakistan amply evidences this. 7. Western intervention is rarely short-lived. The west has occupied Afghanistan for over a decade while interference in Iraq is approaching 10 years – with no end in sight in both countries. 8. Client, corrupt governments are the political legacy of western intervention – of this there could not be a clearer example than US sponsored Hamid Karzi in Afghanistan and the client coalitions, parachuted in western backed dissidents and divisive factions in Iraq. 9. Loans, debt and an economy controlled by the IMFis the economic legacy of western intervention. In spite of the heavy price paid by Pakistan in carrying out US demands, it is the Pakistani economy, which is hugely indebted with the IMF effectively writing Pakistan's annual budget. 10. Effective divisions of unified states and lands is the eventual result of western intervention as shown by the intervention in the Balkans and in Iraq with the north effectively autonomous from the US client leadership in Baghdad. |
| Libyan rebels divided over what would replace Gadhafi; many, but not all, favour democracy Posted: 31 Mar 2011 03:49 AM PDT "We want to get rid of that evil thief," he said, meaning Gadhafi, "then unite the Arabs under the motto, There is no God but Allah" — the Muslim declaration of faith. BENGHAZI, Libya — The hundreds of men who come daily to this town's seized army base for lessons in shooting rifles, loading rocket launchers and firing artillery shells agree on at least two things: Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi must go and arms are the only way to get him out. Beyond that, their visions of Libya should Gadhafi's 42-year reign end differ widely. Some want democracy. Others want a share of Libya's oil wealth. Still others, albeit a minority, see Libya's liberation as the first step toward establishing a regional Islamic state. That's bound to scare the international coalition bombing Gadhafi's forces. The United States has already reached out to the opposition's political leadership. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with members of the Interim National Council on Tuesday in London. The former U.S. Ambassador to Tripoli, Chris Stevens, is due to visit Benghazi soon, and President Barack Obama has not ruled out the possibility of arming rebel forces. The interim council — largely stocked with foreign-educated, Westernized Libyans — insists it seeks a liberal democracy based on a constitution and with regular elections. But interviews with over a dozen men receiving weapons training at a former Benghazi military camp provide a window into the diverse motivations pulling rebel ground troops into battle. A few hundred show up daily at this base on the city's western edge, which rebels seized at the start of the uprising in mid-February and promptly renamed "The Martyrs' Brigade." Training is run by a group of retired army officers, most in their 50s, who seek to provide bakers, bureaucrats, university students and taxi drivers with basic weapons know-how. On a recent day, a toothless soldier showed one group how to aim a Kalashnikov, while another helped a father-son team assemble the barrel of an anti-aircraft gun. All detailed reasons to hate Gadhafi's regime. Ashraf Mohammed, a government bureaucrat, said he'd seen too many people abused by Gadhafi's rule. His brother was detained for seven months for being seen with the wrong people, he said. A neighbour spent seven years in prison, and a colleague did 17 before being released with no explanation, he said. "All the accusations were political," said Mohammed, 31. "Any accusation that you are against the regime and it's over." Next he explained which buttons to push to fire a rocket launcher in what he considers a fight for freedom. "The goal is democracy, a constitution and transfer of power," he said. "Not just one ruling family." University student Abdel-Salam Rigayi, 23, took advantage of a vacation — imposed by the fighting — to pursue a different dream. "We want a society based on the Qur'an," he said, speaking in the formal Arabic tones of a mosque preacher. "Freedom of religion, we don't want it," he said. "We want the freedom to practice our religion, but we don't want freedom for Jews and Christians and to have naked women and alcohol." His friend, Mahdi Abu Bakir, 35, wore a bushy beard and a long white robe. "We want to get rid of that evil thief," he said, meaning Gadhafi, "then unite the Arabs under the motto, There is no God but Allah" — the Muslim declaration of faith. The camp's trainers insisted the program was going well, though they acknowledge the inferiority of their arms — mostly munitions seized from long-neglected army bases or retreating regime forces. "We lack weapons, while Gadhafi's troops have modern, strong weapons," said Fawzi Abdullah Moussa, who retired from the Libyan army in 1998 after a 30-year career. "But we have determination and belief to push us forward." The camp reflects the disorganization among rebel forces. Anyone who enters gets training without any physical, medical or ideological screening. No one checks their identities, and few names are recorded. Trainers said they sent fighters to the front, but all gave different answers on when the last group left and how large it was. No one could explain how they communicate with the front in a facility with no electricity and no radios. They even disagreed on whether an "operations room" exists to co-ordinate the fight. Some worry extremists will exploit the chaos. NATO's top commander, U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, told Congress Tuesday that officials had seen "flickers" of possible al-Qaida and Hezbollah involvement with rebel forces. But he said there was no evidence of significant numbers within the opposition leadership. Spokesman Mustafa Gheriani of the opposition council in Benghazi said that any extremists among the fighters are exceptions and that ensuring democracy is the only way to combat them. "Once you have a democracy and a constitution, there is nothing for the West to fear," he said. "Democracy generally puts down all of these extremist elements. Our best bet is a democracy." But the council has no control over who is picking up guns to join the fight. While some at the training camp talked of the importance of Arab unity or the role of Islam in their society, none mentioned al-Qaida or any other terror or militant group. Most focused merely on hatred of Gadhafi. On an oil-stained blanket, Karim Mahmoud, 48, and his 15-year old son struggled to assemble an anti-aircraft gun. Another son, 11, watched closely. Mahmoud, a baker, said Gadhafi's brutality pushed him — despite diabetes, high blood pressure and heart troubles — to seek arms with his sons. "We lived under oppression for a long time, but we put up with it," he said. "But when the regime killed our friends and brothers, we had to join the defence. The regime forced us to fight against it." A handful of others obviously under 18 were scattered among the hundreds of trainees. One trainer even pointed out his 10-year-old son sitting among a group being taught to use a rifle. Mahmoud dismissed concerns that his sons were too young to fight. "I'm ready to send them tomorrow to defend the nation," he said. "If they die, it will be in the path of God and I'll see them in heaven." His son, Abdel-Rahman, 15, didn't look like a fighter in a black baseball cap and a fake leather jacket, with a downy moustache just emerging on his lip. He claimed otherwise. "I hope to go and die a martyr," he said. "I'm not too young." |
| Challenge to Cameron over torture claims Posted: 31 Mar 2011 03:47 AM PDT Alleged terrorist says he was taken to Uganda and interrogated by MI5 An alleged terrorist says he has been interrogated by the Queen's British intelligence officers after being severely mistreated at a notorious prison in Uganda, in what appears to be the first major challenge to the coalition government's renunciation of the use of torture. Omar Awadh Omar, a Kenyan businessman, has been charged with involvement in the planning of suicide bomb attacks in Kampala last July in which 76 people died and more than 70 were injured. Awadh was abducted in Nairobi two months after the attacks and illegally rendered to Uganda to be interrogated and charged. Since then, according to his lawyers and relatives, he has been repeatedly beaten, threatened with a firearm and with further rendition to Guantánamo by Ugandan officials, before being questioned by American officials. They say that on at least one occasion he was also questioned by men who identified themselves as the Queen's MI5 officers. Awadh's case has been taken up by the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), a human rights body founded by the philanthropist George Soros, which says his mistreatment not only calls into question the Queen and her UK government's commitment to avoid involvement in torture, but points to a loophole in interrogation guidance for the Queen's British intelligence officers, which was rewritten after the coalition was formed. Clara Gutteridge, national security fellow at the OSJI, said: "The facts of this case suggest a worrying new trend in US-UK overseas detention policy, and raise urgent questions as to the legality of the new consolidated guidance for UK security and intelligence personnel operating overseas.The Queen's UK governments condemnations of torture are wearing increasingly thin. "Omar Awadh's case raises very serious concerns that the Queen's British are now involved in what is essentially a sort of decentralised, outsourced Guantánamo Bay." The Queen's Foreign Office declined to comment on Awadh's allegation that he was interrogated by British intelligence officers after being mistreated. "It is an intelligence matter, so I can't comment," a spokesman said. The Queen's Home Office refused to comment on MI5′s alleged involvement. "We don't comment on operational security matters," a spokeswoman said. The Queen's UK intelligence officers are expected to consult ministers in most circumstances in which a detainee they wish to question is at risk of torture. Asked whether Theresa May, the home secretary, or any of her ministers had been consulted about any questioning of Awadh in Uganda, the Home Office said: "The security service operates within legal guidelines, which include the consolidated guidelines. The guidelines would have been followed, if they needed to have been." Supporters of Awadh, 38, a used-car salesman, say he is a human rights activist. The Ugandan government has accused him of involvement with both al-Qaida and al-Shabab, the Islamist group fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia which claimed responsibility for the Kampala bomb attacks. On 17 September he was abducted by a group of men in suits, who dragged him from a shopping centre in Moi Avenue in central Nairobi and bundled him into a waiting car. He later told his lawyers that he was taken before a senior officer of Kenya's anti-terrorism police unit before being driven, hooded and still cuffed, to the Ugandan border. Ugandan officials then drove him to the headquarters of the rapid response unit (RRU), an organisation that has been condemned by human rights activists. According to a report published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, "RRU personnel beat detainees with batons, sticks, bats, metal pipes, padlocks, table legs, and other objects", and committed six extra-judicial killings last year. After the formation of the coalition, the government sought to distance itself from the counterterrorism practices that came to haunt the Labour administration, including within the coalition agreement the one-line pledge: "We will never condone the use of torture." The government also ordered the redrafting of the guidance given to British intelligence officers who question detainees held overseas, or who pass or receive information about prisoners. When making the rewritten guidance public, David Cameron told the Commons that it "makes clear that … our services must never take any action where they know or believe that torture will occur". The new guidance faced an immediate legal challenge from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which said its wording – echoing that of the prime minister – allows the Queen's MI5 and MI6 officers to continue questioning people being tortured because they can claim not to "know or believe" what is happening as long as they are not present during the abuse. That case is yet to be heard by the court. Awadh alleges he was beaten, slapped, threatened with incarceration in Guantánamo, and had a handgun pointed at him. He says that after being abused in this manner he was questioned repeatedly by Americans who identified themselves as from the FBI. According to Awadh, these officials accepted he was not involved in the Kampala bombings, but wanted him to divulge information about Somalia. During meetings with his Ugandan lawyer, John Onyango, and in a series of smuggled letters to his wife, Awadh said he was also interrogated last January by MI5 officers, who showed him a series of photographs and asked questions about British nationals thought to have travelled to Somalia. It is unclear whether he has been subject to any subsequent interrogation by British intelligence. Awadh was charged by the Ugandan authorities with being present at a number of meetings in Nairobi at which the suicide bombings were said to have been discussed. He is also accused of being in possession of incriminating material, including body armour, when detained by Ugandan police, although at the point of his arrest he had been in Kenyan custody for several hours. He is one of 17 people charged over the attacks. Eight are Kenyan, seven of them rendered in operations condemned by the Kenyan ministry of justice and the British high commission in Nairobi. The eighth is a prominent Kenyan human rights activist, Al-Amin Kimathi, who has campaigned against rendition, and whose arrest led Human Rights Watch to question whether the Ugandan authorities were attempting to silence "a well-known critic of government abuses in the fight against terrorism in east Africa". Awadh is being held at Luzira maximum security prison in Kampala. His wife, Raabia, who has three children, says she is deeply worried about her husband. The threat said to be posed by British nationals travelling to Somalia for terrorism training has been of concern to western intelligence agencies for some time. In October 2009 Jonathan Evans, the head of the Queen's MI5, said in a public speech that the UK's domestic security was as dependent on events in Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan as on those in British cities. Soon after that an American diplomat at the US embassy in Nairobi warned in a cable later posted on the internet by WikiLeaks: "There is believed to be a certain amount of so-called 'jihadi tourism' to southern Somalia by UK citizens of Somali ethnicity. The threat from Somalia is compounded by the fact that within east Africa there is a lack of local government recognition of the terrorist threat." Since then, British officials have said they have concerns about some 40 British nationals who have travelled to Somalia. On Tuesday the Queen's Foreign Office published guidance to staff, making clear that they have an obligation to report allegations of torture, even if the victim is not entitled to consular assistance. |
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NEW DELHI: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, laid the foundation stone for the Students' Islamic Center in New Delhi Sunday and urged the student community to work together to change the social order and bring about progress and prosperity.
The imam commended the Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO), which is building the center, for its efforts in spreading the message and culture of Islam among the student community. The SIO has branches in most Indian states as well as in GCC countries.
"I am very happy to learn that the SIO is playing an important role in the Indian society," the imam said. "The student community is a vital source of development and progress for any country," he said. He wished every success for the student center project.
Earlier, SIO President Muhammad Azharuddin welcomed the imam and introduced his organization. "We are greatly honored to have Your Excellency to launch this Islamic center project," he said.
The SIO works for preparing students and youth for the reconstruction of society in the light of divine guidance, Azharuddin said. "The SIO believes that the real function of education should be to impart genuine knowledge about life, existence and future," he added.
The ceremony at the SIO headquarters was attended by President of Indian Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Jalaluddin Umari, the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs' Abdul Aziz Swaleh, Jamaat vice presidents Siddique Hassan and Muhammad Jaafar, SIO's secretary-general P.M. Saleh and other dignitaries.
Al-Sudais, who is on a five-day tour of India, also attended an Islamic conference organized by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind where he called for setting up a television channel to spread the teachings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The imam emphasized the importance of inculcating the values professed by the sahaba (the Prophet's companions) in the daily lives of Muslims. He urged parents to bring up their children on these values. "A special TV channel should be set up to ensure that people get to know about the noble lives of the sahaba and their values and messages," the imam said.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais speaks after laying the foundation stone for the Students' Islamic Center in New Delhi on Sunday. (AN photo)
SheikSheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais waves as he addresses a conference on "The Greatness of Blessed Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)" in New Delhi Saturday. (Reuters)h Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais waves as he addresses a conference on "The Greatness of Blessed Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)" in New Delhi Saturday. (Reuters)
Indian Muslims gather for sunset prayers being led by Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, on Sunday. (AP)
