5000 ISIS "European" Jihadi preparing to return to Tunisia and Algeria to carry out attacks according to Algerian intell.

5000 ISIS "European" terrorists preparing to return to Tunisia and Algeria to carry out attacks according to Algerian Intell. (Tunisienumerique).

According to the site Assabah News, and according to an informed source, the Algerian intelligence learned that Daech terrorist organization has no less than 5000 terrorists currently "inactive" on European soil, waiting for the green light to move towards the Maghreb countries, notably Tunisia and Algeria, to carry out attacks.

This would involve European citizens of North African origin, many of whom left for some time, to join the fighting in Syria, and would be back in Europe, pending instructions from their terrorist leaders.

The Algerian intelligence think these people will return to their home countries in North Africa, on the occasion of Ramadan, and would be ordered with terrorist missions once arrived.

Intelligence reports show that the first target of ISIS, right now, is Algeria and Tunisia since times have become too tough in Libya after installing the new internationally recognized government.

The Algerian intelligence fears the arrival of unrecorded young people, not filed as terrorists, especially since it is accepted that there were 5000 Europeans who fought with ISIS in the Middle East, while the records of European countries only report 2786 terrorists. So, more than two thousand international terrorists remain unknown to intelligence groups. Which makes the detection of them and screening upon arrival in their country of origin more difficult.

Video - Algerian Army Marching Drill: Kill, Slaughter, and Skin the Jews

In a marching drill of the Algerian National Gendarmerie, the soldiers chant: "Turn your guns towards the Jews... in order to kill them... slaughter them... and skin them." The video was posted on the Internet on November 1 to mark Algeria's Revolution Day, but the post did not state when the video was filmed.

Video - Former Minister Belayat: Algeria Should Obtain Nuclear Weapons to Drive the Jews out of Palestine

Former Algerian Minister of Urban Development and former head of the FLN party Abderrahmane Belayat stated that Algeria should obtain nuclear weapons. Speaking on September 20 at an event organized by Al-Hiwar newspaper under the title "Zionist Violation of Al-Aqsa," Belayat said that Algeria should place its nuclear weapons on a mountain and tell the Jews to leave Palestine.

A former colonel of the DRS (Algerian intelligence agency) is sounding the alarm; "In 24 hours, Algeria can become Syria" .

A former colonel of the DRS (Algerian intelligence agency) is sounding the alarm; "In 24 hours, Algeria can become Syria" . (AF). [GoogleTranslated).

The recent changes in the Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS) and the Algerian military institution can dangerously weaken Algeria.

This is at least the assertions Khalfaoui Mohamed, a DRS retired colonel.

The latter even issued a stern warning to the Algerian authorities: "In 24 hours, Algeria can become Syria," he said live on TV Ennahar.

"Yes, there is a clan struggle within the intelligence services," yet indicated no false fleeing Mohamed Khalfaou, which deplores a "manner" in which recent changes have been made ​​within the DRS and other military institutions in the image of the Republican Guard.

These changes, Mohamed Khalfaoui considers them a threat against "the effectiveness of the security services." "Services, you must strengthen and not weaken " this retired Colonel claims, that the dissolution of the Group 'Special Intervention (GIS), an affiliate elite unit DRS, is a very bad decision. 

"All the intelligence services in the world have intervention units," said the officer, who entrusted on the plateau of Ennahar TV, doubts about the reliability of the recent measures adopted by the military Measures that suggest struggles steeples between the different components of the Algerian regime.

Any observer can not hide the problem of people but we do not jeopardize the country's security because of  personal disputes," admits Mohamed Khalfaoui about it.

"The current terrorism is far more dangerous than the terrorists of GIA 90s we could curb.

The of Terrorism today is financially supported by Qatar and Saudi Arabia and is indirectly supported by the United States.

This terrorism can transform the whole country into a battlefield ", finally prevents this former official of the DRS who fears now," a real dysfunction between different security apparatuses. "

Video - Algiers Friday Sermon by Sheik Kamel Nour: We Have No Need for Women's Rights

Algeria, Female ‘imams’ a.k.a. “mourshidates” battle Islamist radicalization.

Algeria, Female ‘imams’ a.k.a. “mourshidates” battle Islamist radicalization. (AlArabia).

Hundreds of female religious guides have been at the forefront of Algeria’s battle against Islamic radicalisation since the civil war that devastated the North African country in the 1990s.

Their aim is to steer women away from false preachers promoting radical forms of Islam.

The surge of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, and even in Libya next door, as well as the growing influence of Al-Qaeda-linked militants and Salafists, has them working around the clock.

Known as “mourshidates,” their goal is to spread the good word of Islam and a message of tolerance, helping those who have strayed from it.

“Killing is a capital sin, so how is it that people can kill innocent ones in the name of Islam,” asks Fatma Zohra, who is in her mid-40s, her hair and neck concealed under a matching purple veil and a hijab.

Like the other 300 mourshidates appointed by the religious affairs ministry, Zohra holds a degree in Islam and has learned the Koran by heart.

She said she was “motivated to know Islam better in order to teach the religion” following the traditionally moderate Muslim country’s civil war in the 1990s, which killed at least 200,000 people.

“Pseudo-imams, who know nothing about the teachings of the Koran,” are trying to indoctrinate people through television programs and the Internet, she said.

“Adolescents in particular must be monitored because they are impressionable and can easily be swayed.”

Like Samia, many mourshidates say they are proud to have contributed to help youths from falling into the grips of radical Islamists. Hmmm.....As praiseworthy their actions and effort is, something tells me the Islamic state leadership would have no problem to dispose of them...permanently. Read the full story here.

Video - Islamist Politician Demands Execution of Algerian Author Kamel Daoud for Blasphemy in His Book

In December, several Algerian TV channels interviewed Islamist politician Abdelfattah Hamadache and author Kamel Daoud, after Hamadache called Daoud to be put to death for blasphemy following the publication of his novel.

In a program aired on El-Bilad TV, Hamadache called Daoud a "deviant creature" and a "collaborator," and said: "I have the right to demand that he be executed." On programs aired on Khabar TV and Echorouk TV, Daoud defended his writing and said that while discussion and debate are welcome, violence and the sanctioning of killing are not.

"Arab Spring " - ‘Project Chastity:’ Algeria launches ‘hijab’ campaign for minor girls.

"Arab Spring " - ‘Project Chastity:’ Algeria launches ‘hijab’ campaign for minor girls.(AA).An Islamic group in Algeria has mobilized an army of sociologists, psychologists and religious preachers from inside and outside the country in a campaign urging girls as young as 10-years old to wear the religious headscarf, a moved decried by rights activists as irresponsible and counterproductive.
Hisham Ben Khouda, secretary general of ‘al-Daawa’ group behind the “chastity” campaign, told Algeria’s Echorouk newspaper that his group has managed to convince 300 girls between the ages of 10 and 15 to wear the veil.
He said the campaign has been going on for five years and that this year it has taken a national dimension with the participation of many preachers from inside and outside Algeria.
Radical Kuwaiti preacher Nabil al-Awadhi is scheduled to attend the ‘chastity’ ceremony on April 12 in Algeria’s el-Boulaida where the Islamic headscarf will be introduced to little girls who are “convinced” by preachers, sociologists and psychologists to wear it.
The Kuwaiti preacher, in a recent visit to Tunisia, called on young girls to wear the hijab, raising anger among human rights activists in the once secular North African state.
Awadhi said he was in Tunisia to deliver “educational lessons,” but activists and even lawmakers in the constituent assembly urged the government to expel him.
Organizers of the ‘chastity’ campaign in Algeria say girls are asked to fill out an application answering questions regarding their understanding of Hijab. They also changed the targeted age group from 8-12 to 10-15 based “specialists’ advice.”
Yousif Hantablawi, a sociologist at Boulaida University, criticized the campaign saying it will have negative effects on little girls. He said minors cannot make such life-changing decisions and the campaigners cannot claim to have “convinced” any girl. Djaâfri Djadi Chayaa, the president of the Algerian Observatory of Women, told Echorouk that the project will hurt the girls more than it will benefit them, adding that campaign should’ve tried to educate the girls and teach them social values and proper behavior instead of encouraging them to change their looks by wearing the hijab.Hmmmm.....What's your Jihad?Read the full story here.

Video - Canadians among the Islamic extremist hostage-takers in Algeria.

Algeria says 37 foreigners die in siege led by Canadian Muslim extremist.

How many more 'Islamic extremists' are laying low in Canada?

Algeria says 37 foreigners die in siege led by Canadian Muslim extremist.(Reuters). A total of 37 foreign workers died at an Algerian desert gas plant and seven are still missing after a hostage crisis coordinated by a Canadian, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said on Monday.
Sellal also said that 29 Islamists had been killed in the siege, which Algerian forces ended by storming the plant, and three had been captured alive.
Earlier an Algerian security source told Reuters that documents found on the bodies of two militants had identified them as Canadians, as special forces scoured the plant following Saturday's bloody end to the siege.
"A Canadian was among the militants. He was coordinating the attack," Sellal told a news conference, adding that the raiders had threatened to blow up the gas installation.
The Canadian's name was given only as Chedad.
In Ottawa, Canada's foreign affairs department said it was seeking information, but referred to the possible involvement of only one Canadian.
American, British, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Filipino and Romanian workers are dead or missing after the attack, for which veteran Islamist fighter Mokhtar Belmokhtar has claimed responsibility on behalf of al Qaeda. Sellal said the jihadists who staged the attack last Wednesday had crossed into the country from neighboring Libya.
An Algerian newspaper said they had arrived in cars painted in the colors of state energy company Sonatrach but registered in Libya, a country awash with arms since Muammar Gaddafi's fall in 2011.
The raid has exposed the vulnerability of multinational-run oil and gas installations in an important producing region and pushed the growing threat from Islamist militant groups in the Sahara to a prominent position in the West's security agenda. Algerian Tahar Ben Cheneb - leader of a group called the Movement of Islamic Youth in the South who was killed on the first day of the assault - had been based in Libya where he married a local woman two months ago, it said.
Belmokhtar - a one-eyed jihadist who fought in Afghanistan and Algeria's civil war of the 1990s when the secular government fought Islamists - tied the desert attack to France's intervention across the Sahara against Islamist rebels in Mali.
"We in al Qaeda announce this blessed operation," he said in a video, according to Sahara Media, a regional website. About 40 attackers participated in the raid, he said, roughly matching the government's figures for fighters killed and captured.Hmmmm......How many more 'Islamic extremists' are laying low in Canada?Read the full story here.

Related:  JihadStock 2010– Torontistan

Canada: Jihadists "radicalizing" peaceful Muslims at mosques and "large number of venues"

JEWISH DEFENCE LEAGUE OF CANADA OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Breaking News - 7 hostages dead as Algerian forces storm desert complex: security source.

Algerian hostage crisis - live updates

Breaking News - 7 hostages dead as Algerian forces storm desert complex: security source.(AA).
At least seven captives are reported to have been kiled and 16 foreign hostages freed after the Algerian military stormed a gas installation in the desert where they were being held by al-Qaeda-linked fighters.
Eleven of the fighters were also killed in Saturday's raid, according to the Algerian state news agency.
Those freed included two Americans, two Germans and one Portuguese, sources told Reuters news agency.
The nationalities of the others were not immediately clear.
The fighters had said they were still holding seven foreign hostages at the gas plant, and that their demands of an end to the French military intervention in Mali the release of prisoners remain unchanged
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Saturday, a spokesman for the abductors said that two of those still being held were Japanese, and that the other five people included US, British and Norwegian citizens. He said that the seven were still alive, but would not confirm if they were being held at the gas field in In Amenas or elsewhere.
The spokesman for the group, known as "Signatories in Blood", said that they were still open to negotiations regarding a prisoner swap with the Algerian military, after earlier negotiations broke down and led to an Algerian security services assault on the facility.
The burned bodies of 15 people were found at the site of the gas field on Saturday, but their identities were not clear.
A US citizen was confirmed dead early on Saturday, but uncertainty remains over the fate of other foreigners held at the plant.
"This is an extremely difficult and dangerous situation," Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said in Washington at a joint news conference with Fumio Kishida, Japan's foreign minister.
The US State Department identified the dead US citizen as Frederick Buttaccio.
Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said on Saturday that the United States would "take all necessary steps to protect our people" from the threat posed by al-Qaeda linked fighters in North Africa.
Officials say at least 30 more people remain unaccounted for, and the fate of at least 10 Japanese nationals and six Norwegian hostages is still unknown.
France on Saturday said no more of its nationals were beind held. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that one Frenchman had been killed in the attack and that other French nationals taken hostage had been freed.
Vienna said one Austrian had been released. Romania confirmed that three of its nationals who were being held were now free. At least two Filipino workers were also able to escape. Two Norwegians have also been found alive, said the Norwegian oil company Statoil, which manages the plant.Read the full story here, more here.

Video - Algerian State TV footage of freed hostages, including interviews with Algerian staff in Arabic and with British, Turkish, and Filipino employees in English.

Hat-tip to EA Worldview and (The Guardian)

Thirty-five hostages and 15 hostage-takers in Algeria killed while being moving location.

Al Jazeera - Thirty-five hostages and 15 hostage-takers in Algeria killed while being moving location.

Update:  Thirty-five hostages and 15 kidnappers have been killed in southern Algeria as they were being moved to another location. Thursday's incident happened a day after dozens of foreigners and Algerians were taken hostage by heavily armed fighters near the In Amenas gas field. The kidnapping began with the ambush of a bus carrying employees from the gas plant to the nearby airport but the attackers were driven off, according to the Algerian government, which said three vehicles of heavily armed men were involved.
The spokesman for the Masked Brigade, which had claimed responsibility for the abductions on Wednesday, told a Mauritanian news agency that the deaths were a result of an Algerian government helicopter attack on a convoy holding kidnappers and hostages.
The spokesman said that Abou el-Baraa, the leader of the kidnappers, was also killed in the helicopter attack.
The fighters said they seized the hostages in retaliation for Algeria letting France use its airspace to launch operations against rebels in northern Mali.Source Al Jazeera.

More here from RT:

Algerian helicopters have attacked a group of Mali Islamists militants held up in a Saharan gas facility, reportedly killing 34 hostages and 15 of their captors. The army moved in after over 50 captives, including dozens of foreigners, escaped.
One of the kidnappers at the Algerian gas installation told Mauritania's ANI news agency about the government airstrikes and resulting causalities, though the information has not been independently confirmed.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that a military operation is currently underway at the site, though no other information was forthcoming.
Locals told Reuters that the vehicles of the hostage takers had been destroyed in the assault, and “many” dead bodies were at the scene.
Two Japanese nationals had previously been reported injured in the airstrikes.

More here from France 24 :  LIVE: Dozens escape besieged Algerian BP site

• Dozens of hostages escape from BP gas facility in the country’s southeast, where Islamist militants hold scores captive, including 41 foreigners. 
• French national held hostage tells FRANCE 24 by telephone that hostage takers are were well-armed and have forced some hostages to wear belts strapped with explosives. 
• Hostages include French, British, American, Norwegian, and Japense nationals, according to reports.

Islamist terrorists hostage-takers release Algerian nationals and detain Westerners.

Islamist terrorists hostage-takers release Algerian nationals and detain Westerners.(AA).Local security sources in Algeria revealed that the Algerian hostages kidnapped by gunmen linked to al-Qaeda this week were released, while hostages from western countries were still detained.
The group called "Signatories for Blood,” angry at France’s assault against Islamist fighters in Mali, seized 41 hostages on Wednesday in a raid on a gas field.
Algerian troops have surrounded the Islamist gunmen as Britain's foreign minister Thursday condemned the "cold-blooded murder" of a Briton in the attack, Al Arabiya on Thursday.
The Islamists told Mauritanian media they were holding 41 Westerners including French, British and Japanese citizens, as well as seven Americans in reprisal, they said, for the French assault against Islamists in neighboring Mali and Algeria's cooperation.
One Briton and an Algerian were killed in the attack, Algeria's Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia said. Six people were wounded: another Briton, a Norwegian and a Scot, as well as an Algerian security agent and two policemen.
Condemning the attack, British Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed scepticism about claims the raid was retaliation for France's offensive in Mali.
"That is a convenient excuse, but usually operations like this take longer to plan.
"Whatever excuse is being used by terrorists and murderers, there is no excuse. This is the cold-blooded murder of people going about their business," he said during a visit to Australia.
While Washington and Tokyo said their nationals were among the hostage, French President Francois Hollande said it was not certain that French citizens were being held.
French news channel France 24 reported that Malaysian and Filipino nationals were also among the hostages.
Algerian Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia, speaking on national television, insisted Algiers would not negotiate with the "terrorists", who he said were surrounded by the army and security services.
The group appeared to want to leave the country with the hostages, which Algiers had rejected, he said. They were "around 20 men from the region", he added, denying that they had come from either Mali or Libya.
The In Amenas gas field near the Libyan border is jointly operated by British oil giant BP, Norway's Statoil and state-run Algerian energy firm Sonatrach.
A worker at the scene told AFP by phone that the armed group was demanding freedom for 100 Islamists held in Algeria in exchange for the Western hostages.
"The assailants have demanded that these Islamists be taken to northern Mali," he said. A group calling itself "Signatories for Blood" claimed responsibility in a post to the Mauritanian website Alakhbar saying it was in retaliation for the French intervention in Mali and Algeria's cooperation.
"Algeria was chosen for this operation to teach (President Abdelaziz) Bouteflika that we will never accept the humiliation of the Algerian people's honour... by opening Algerian airspace to French planes," it said.
A Statoil official said 12 employees, including nine Norwegians, had been "implicated" in the hostage-taking, without elaborating. The company said it had just under 20 staff members at the facility.
A French catering company said 150 of its Algerian employees were being held at the complex.
"The information I have is that a group of around 60 terrorists from neighbouring countries attacked the base overnight," said CIS Catering's executive director Regis Arnoux.
"They took all the expatriates hostage, regardless of nationality, and tied them up. The Algerian staff are being held inside the site," he told French newspaper the Journal du Dimanche.
The attackers were well armed and well equipped, he said, adding: "We fear the worst, there are many lives at stake."
Algerian news agency APS said some Algerian hostages were later freed, but did not say how many.
Hague said Britain was working closely with Algeria over the crisis.
Japanese engineering firm JGC said five Japanese workers were believed to have been seized.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that American citizens were being held and the White House said it was "closely monitoring" the situation.Read the full story here.

Algeria seizes large cache of shoulder-fired missiles smuggled from Libya

Algeria seizes large cache of shoulder-fired missiles smuggled from Libya.(AlArabiya).By Lamine Chikhi.Algerian security forces have found a large cache of weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles, which they believe were smuggled in from neighboring Libya, a security source briefed on the discovery told Reuters on Saturday.The find follows warnings from governments in the region that instability in Libya after the end of Muammar Qaddafi’s rule is allowing weapons taken from Qaddafi’s arsenal to fall into the hands of al-Qaeda’s north African branch and other insurgent groups across the Sahara desert.
The weapons cache was discovered in the desert about 60 km (40 miles) south of In Amenas, an energy-producing Algerian region near the border with Libya, said the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.The source said the cache was located following a tip-off from a smuggler who had been arrested. He said it contained a “large quantity” of arms including the shoulder-launched missiles - a weapon which, in some variations, could be used to bring down an aircraft.
“This weapons seizure shows that the chaos in Libya is dangerous for the whole region,” the source said.There was no official confirmation of the discovery from the Algerian government and there was no way of independently verifying the source’s account.Western security experts tracking arms which have disappeared from Qaddafi’s looted arms depots say the shoulder-fired missiles - also known as man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS - are one of their biggest concerns because they could be used with relative ease by insurgent groups.Hmmmm.......Israel has already taken action to protect his fleet of commercial aircrafts from such weapons......How about America?Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                       Afternoon  Posting.

• Syria Live Blog - May 25. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Libya Live Blog - May 23. Here (Al-Jazeera). 

• Yemen Live Blog - May 27 . Here. (Al-Jazeera).

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in Japan  today 4.7  ! Lots of activity in Turkey.More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 120.Source : Here .

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• Obama Campaign’s Bin Laden Strategy is Clear.(WhiteHouseDossier).It’s becoming increasingly obvious that President Obama will have Osama Bin Laden on the campaign trail with him as he seeks to buff up his weak credentials as a foreign policy tough guy.The president, whose original strategy of coddling dictators has failed to gain results and who was seen early in his presidency bowing to every satrap in sight, will brandish his killing of Bin Laden as proof that he is strong on national security and foreign policy.As if this single act could erase the rest of it. It’s like complimenting someone on their sweater before you punch them in the face.He’s cutting the defense budget during time of war, has been inconsistent and indecisive on the Arab uprisings, can’t defeat Qaddafi and his band of camels and Amazon warriors, is undermining Israel – our key military ally in the region, has signalled to the Taliban that we’re desperate to get out of Afghanistan, and is trying to hand of U.S. world leadership to Europe, which effectively disarmed itself years ago.But he killed Bin Laden.The best evidence of the importance the Obama camp places on the Bin Laden killing comes from comments this week by Vice President Biden at a Democratic fundraiser in New Hampshire. From a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Biden laid out three reasons why he was optimistic about the 2012 campaign: the flawed Republican vision, the return of 2008 “surge” voters who stayed home in the 2010 midterm election, and the growing confidence he said Americans feel in President Obama’s leadership.

On the latter point, the vice president said the decision to order the raid that killed Bin Laden was a major turning point, calling it “the boldest undertaking any president has undertaken on a single event in modern history.”“The American people no longer confuse being contemplative with having courage,” he said. “The American people watched him execute the decision — not only putting the lives of those special operators on the line, but his entire future on the line as president of the United States of America. And he didn’t hesitate.”It was that decision, Biden said, which pre-empted the emerging campaign from Republicans to portray Obama as weak and indecisive. And it has led Americans to change how they’ve viewed other decisions he’s made, like the auto industry bailout and stimulus program.

“The American people now … have a crystal clear picture of how strong and decisive this president is. And that’s the last piece of the puzzle that had to be put in place for this great man,” Biden said.

Last week at a fundraising rally in Boston, Obama took credit for the operation while pretending he was only commending the troops.We’re taking the fight directly to al Qaeda. And because of the bravery of our men and women in uniform, Osama bin Laden will never again threaten the United States of America.

If you mention this at a POLITICAL rally, then you are POLITICIZING it. Please don’t hide your politicking behind the Navy Seal Team 6, Mr. President.Hmmmm....What's the chances of him releasing the Osama pics when ratings go down for him?Read the full story here.

• Poll: 12% of Israeli Jews consider Obama to be pro-Israel.(JPost).US President Barack Obama’s attempt to portray himself as pro-Israel in a high-profile speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday did not succeed, according to a Smith Research poll sponsored by The Jerusalem Post.The speech was intended to correct impressions that he was hostile toward Israel, which may have been reinforced by a landmark address about the Middle East that he delivered at the State Department last Thursday, and by a tense press conference at the White House on Friday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.In the AIPAC speech, Obama chose not to specifically rule out the “return” to Israel of millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees, and did not announce his first visit to Israel as president, as many hoped he would. But he did insist that Israel must remain the Jewish “homeland,” indicating opposition to the Palestinian demand for refugees’ “return, spoke about Jews’ yearning for Israel through the centuries, listed many ways in which his administration was helping Israel and clarified his position on creating a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines with mutually agreed land swaps.When asked in the poll whether they saw Obama’s administration as more pro-Israel, more pro-Palestinian or neutral, just 12 percent of Israeli Jews surveyed said more pro-Israel, while 40% said more pro-Palestinian, 34% said neutral and 13% did not express an opinion.Hmmmm....I'm surprised there are still that many who believe in him,haven't learned anything from WWII.Read the full story here.

• "Spreading the wealth"?Obama sends money for Libyan refugees, invites rebels to set up DC office.(RefugeeResettlementwatch).From Xinhuanet:

BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhuanet) — A senior U.S. diplomat says President Barack Obama has invited the Libyan rebels’ National Transitional Council to open an office in Washington DC.Speaking in the de-facto rebel capital of Benghazi, “U.S. Assistant Secretary-of-State for Near Eastern Affairs”, Jeffrey Feltman, says the invitation marked an “important milestone” in the relationship with the NTC, and that he was pleased they had accepted the offer. Several countries, including France and Italy, have recognized the NTC, while the U.S., the European Union and others have established a diplomatic presence in Benghazi. In addition, Feltman announced that the US has given more than 50-million U.S. dollars to aid the Libyan people.He said, “We’ve given today 53.5 (m) million (U.S.) dollars to address the humanitarian crisis that stems from Gadhafi’s attack on his people. This is to international partners who are working in part inside Libya and in part with the refugees who are in Tunisia and Egypt. So, it’s addressing refugee needs outside Libya’s borders, it’s addressing the needs of the people of Misrata and others, it’s through international partners.”I see that Obama already dipped into the ERMA funds* he has at his discretion back in March for $15 million to Libya, so there must be some new redistribution of taxpayer dollars to “partners” in North Africa in recent days. Also, Libyan rebels traveled to Washington and London earlier this month looking for money, here, guess they hit the US taxpayer-supported lottery!We should be happy in one regard, we aren’t airlifting the “refugees” to the US (yet!).*Readers the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance fund is at about $100 million each year, but I cannot find anything at the moment to tell us how much Obama has already spent.Hmmmm.....Any mention of congressional approval anywhere?Read the full story here.

• A Coming Arab Winter?The Fatah-Hamas deal may presage a new Iranian approach to the Middle East.(WeeklyStandard).It can’t give many Americans much lasting pleasure that the Israeli prime minister humbled our commander in chief this week on his home turf. To be sure, a president who seems to relish provoking public confrontations with an ally may have had it coming, but in the end Netanyahu’s speech before Congress won’t satisfy too many Israelis either—or for that matter many other Middle Easterners who have come to depend on American stewardship. The fact that an Israeli leader makes the case for American exceptionalism and U.S. power better than Barack Obama is a signal that Washington has forsaken its traditional role in the Middle East at a dangerous time.Netanyahu was only the first to state the obvious in public, but other U.S. allies, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, convinced that the Americans are living in a fantasy world, are also starting to strike out on their own. If no one knows yet what new architectures and anatomies the Arab Spring will engender, putative U.S. allies and genuine adversaries, states, and even non-state actors like the Muslim Brotherhood are scrambling for position.Iranian aggression, and not the peace process, as Netanyahu was careful to remind his American audiences this past week, is still the key regional issue. With the administration turning on traditional American allies, some observers are starting to see similarities between Washington and Tehran, in one important respect. “If Obama says the status quo is unsustainable,” says Martin Kramer of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, “and won’t do anything to sustain it, then Washington, like Iran, is an anti-status quo power. Others have to take it upon themselves to defend the status quo.”Netanyahu was only the first to state the obvious in public, but other U.S. allies, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, convinced that the Americans are living in a fantasy world, are also starting to strike out on their own. If no one knows yet what new architectures and anatomies the Arab Spring will engender, putative U.S. allies and genuine adversaries, states, and even non-state actors like the Muslim Brotherhood are scrambling for position.Iranian aggression, and not the peace process, as Netanyahu was careful to remind his American audiences this past week, is still the key regional issue. With the administration turning on traditional American allies, some observers are starting to see similarities between Washington and Tehran, in one important respect. “If Obama says the status quo is unsustainable,” says Martin Kramer of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, “and won’t do anything to sustain it, then Washington, like Iran, is an anti-status quo power. Others have to take it upon themselves to defend the status quo.”Because Riyadh no longer trusts the Americans to take on Iran, a Saudi initiative led by Prince Bandar, the Wall Street Journal reports, is putting together a large alliance, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Central Asian states, to stand against the Islamic Republic.In the Arabic-speaking states, there’s also a proposed expansion of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council to include one North African nation, Morocco, and another from the Levant, Jordan (which would gather all of the region’s hereditary rulers—sheikhs and kings and sultans and emirs—under one umbrella). The Arab press is awash with rumors that the GCC’s leading member, Saudi Arabia, has promised Rabat and Amman large influxes of cash so long as they resist Washington’s entreaties to reform—reform that, in the Saudi view, would pave the way for their own demise and eventually the fall of the House of Saud. In any case, this onetime regional organization has now become a de facto alliance of pro-U.S. states that no longer believes it can count on the Americans to advance their interests. The major Sunni Arab players outside the enlarged GCC would be Fatah, now reconciled with Hamas, and Egypt, formerly the central pillar of Washington’s Middle East policy, and now after thirty years once again up for grabs.Iran can profit from the upheavals, according to Kramer, “by building linkage with the Muslim Brotherhood.” In other words, with Syria’s problems and the possible fallout for Hezbollah, Tehran would supplement or substitute its Shia crescent with a Muslim Brotherhood crescent—a coalition stretching from Turkey’s AKP to Hamas and Egypt’s newly empowered Islamists.“The fewer Shia there are in the immediate surroundings, and there are virtually none in Egypt and the Palestinian territories, the easier that is to do,” says Kramer. “The Muslim Brotherhood has their usual reservations about Shia, but they’re not anti-Shia like al Qaeda. The landscape of the Middle East is too broken for coalitions to have only the like-minded. If Saudi Arabia and Israel could be in the American circle, the Brotherhood could be in the Iranian crescent. The Iranians and the Muslim Brotherhood both have an interest in reconstituting an arc of resistance.”Given the Obama administration’s ambiguous statements regarding the Muslim Brotherhood and other regional Islamist movements, it seems Washington is preparing for the likelihood of a region entirely remade in the image of political Islam, its Shia as well as its Sunni versions. Whether the White House is prepared to do anything to protect American interests and allies against a political current that is anti-American at its core is another question. Netanyahu’s speeches, Saudi diplomacy, and Egyptian brinksmanship are evidence that traditional U.S. allies do not believe Obama is up to the task.Hmmmm......Understatement of the Century.Read the full story here.

• Arab League to seek UN membership for Palestine.(Ynet). Addressing Arab League meeting, Palestinian president expresses fear UN bid for recognition would result in financial sanctions, urges Arab leaders to serve as 'safety net.'An Arab League committee decided on Saturday to seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with east Jerusalem as its capital, it said in a statement.The Arab League's peace process follow-up committee said it would request membership for the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly's meeting in New York in September.Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said there were "no shared foundations" for peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seeking UN recognition of Palestinian statehood was his only option. Addressing an Arab League meeting in Doha Abbas expressed concern that taking the diplomatic step opposed by the United States and Israel could result in financial sanctions and urged Arab states to fill any gap. While he left room for a compromise, saying a resumption of peace talks on terms acceptable to the Palestinians would avoid the UN move, the remarks were some of Abbas's bleakest yet on the likelihood of more negotiations. Abbas was speaking at a meeting of the Arab League's peace process committee convened in the wake of major Middle East policy speeches in Washington by US President Barack Obama and PM Netanyahu. The Palestinian leadership has said Netanyahu's ideas for peace with the Palestinians, outlined in a speech to the US Congress on Tuesday, put more obstacles in the path of an already moribund peace process. "We see from the conditions that Netanyahu laid out that there are no shared foundations ... for negotiations. Our fundamental option is to go to the United Nations," Abbas said in his opening remarks. "This is no secret, we have said it to the Americans and the Europeans and the Israelis, our only option is to go to the United Nations," he said. He expressed fear that the step would lead some states to "try to impose a siege upon us", though he did not say to which governments he was referring. "We hope that there will be a safety net from the Arab states," he said."The sound path is going to the United Nations and political struggle," Moussa said. "I believe that negotiations have become futile in light of all of these nos. What will you negotiate on?" Hmmmmm.......Psalm 83 and the "Samson" option.Read the full story here.

• Afghan police commander killed in blast.  Daood Daood among the dead after Taliban suicide attack on compound of a northern provincial governor.(Al-Arabia).A large blast has hit the compound of the governor of Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, killing at least six people, including General Daood Daood, the regional police commander, and several German soldiers, officials say.A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vest in a room in the office complex within the compound where high-ranking Afghan officials were meeting members of the international coalition forces on Saturday, Faiz Mohammad Tawhedi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, told the Associated Press news agency."What we know is the guy who carried out the attack had a police uniform on," Tawhedi said. "How he entered the meeting room and why he was not searched, we don't know."Dr Hassain Basech, the health director of Takhar, confirmed the deaths of Daood; General Shah Jahan Noori, a provincial police chief; a secretary to Taqwa, the Takhar governor; and one of Daood's bodyguards.Basech said 10 other Afghans were wounded, including Taqwa who suffered burns to his head, hands and back.Daood, the most prominent casualty of Saturday's bombing, was a former deputy interior minister for counternarcotics.Before that, he was a close associate of Ahmad Shah Masood, the influential leader who commanded the Northern Alliance and died in an al-Qaeda suicide bombing two days before the September 11, 2001, attacks that provoked the US invasion.Al Jazeera's Qais Azimy, reporting from Kabul, said Daood is "the highest Afghan security official to have been killed since 2001"."This attack is a big shock for the officials here in Afghanistan. One top official described the incident to me as a 'nuclear attack' against Afghan security forces."The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement released later on Saturday that two ISAF service members had died, adding that it is their policy to "defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities".The German military told the online magazine Der Spiegel that two German troops were killed and that General Markus Kneip, ISAF's commander for northern Afghanistan, was wounded along with three of his soldiers.Major Tim James, an ISAF spokesman, confirmed that Kneip was in the compound's office complex at time of attack but had survived.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Takhar attack, saying that it had been planning for months as part of its spring offensive called Badr - a reference to a famous battle in Islamic history.A separate violent incident was reported on Saturday in the ongoing battle between the Taliban and Afghan security forces in the northeastern province of Nuristan.A Taliban spokesman told Al Jazeera that 18 of their fighters have been killed in the past three days of initense fighting, and that the group has also captured a number of Afghan policemen.Hmmmmm....Ex deputy interior minister for counternarcotics,Karzai's brother will be happy.Read the full story here.

• Iranian advisors helping Assad "The Reformer" to crush Syrian protests: Report.(AlArabia).Iran is sending trainers and advisers to Syria to help crush anti-government demonstrations threatening to topple Iran’s most important ally in the region, The Washington Post reported late Friday.The influx of Iranian manpower was adding to a steady stream of aid from Tehran, the newspaper said, citing unnamed US officials.That aid includes not only weapons and riot gear but also sophisticated surveillance equipment that is helping Syrian authorities track down opponents through their Facebook and Twitter accounts, the sources said.Iranian-assisted computer surveillance is believed to have led to the arrests of hundreds of Syrians seized from their homes in recent weeks, the paper said.According to one diplomat and US officials, the Iranian military trainers are being brought to Damascus to instruct Syrians in techniques Iran used against the nation’s "Green Movement"’ in 2009, the Post reported.Officers from Iran’s notorious Quds Force have played a key role in Syria’s crackdown since at least mid-April, it said.US sanctions imposed against the Quds Force in April had been intended as a warning to Iran to halt the practice, said the Post.Damascus has ignored growing Western condemnation and sanctions and looks determined to crush the pro-democracy revolt by sending out security forces and tanks to subdue unrest it blames on armed groups backed by foreign powers.Hmmmm....Reaction of the 'defender of the oppressed"......Silence?Read the full story here.

• The Arab Spring from a Counter-Terrorism Perspective.(IsraelSeen).By Dr. Boaz Ganor World War III is occurring right now. It is not only a war of ideas, it is a religious war – not between Islam and the rest of the world, but first and foremost a war within the religion of Islam. It is a war of the culture of Islamic radicalism against the rest of the world, which includes the majority of Muslims worldwide.

■A few months ago, White House Counter-Terrorism Advisor John Brennan said, “Islamists and Jihadists are not our enemy.” In response, I wrote an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post which explains that moderate Arab leaders know that Jihadists and Islamists are the enemy. By saying that Islamists and Jihadists are not the enemy, the United States – the spearhead of Western society and the protector of liberal values in the world – is sending a confusing message to its allies worldwide.

■In the competition between the Iranian axis and the pragmatic axis, the Iranian axis is winning. Hizbullah is growing stronger in Lebanon and Hamas is gaining power and scoring points in Gaza for the Iranian axis. Also, the decision of Turkey to choose the Iranian axis is becoming quite clear.

■Dr. Condoleezza Rice has said that her next book is going to refer to a pillar of American foreign policy: the introduction of democracy in the Muslim world. My upcoming book will address exactly the opposite. It will be about how terrorists and fundamentalists are misusing the democratic apparatus of the state in order to promote their goals. When fundamentalists win in democratic elections, it is one man, one vote, one time.

■Is there anything we can do in order to change this negative outcome? I would call to immediately establish a second Marshall Plan, similarly to what happened after World War II, for those new regimes being established in the Muslim world and to support other pragmatic regimes that have not yet faced internal revolutions. Since imposing democracy on these societies might be counterproductive and dangerous, it should be an incremental process. At the end of the day, only Muslims can and should educate Muslims.Now read the rest of this must read posting!Read the full story here.

• Hundreds of women report rapes by Qaddafi forces.(Al-Arabia).At first, the responses to the questionnaire about the trauma of the war in Libya were predictable, if tragic: 10,000 people suffering post-traumatic stress, 4,000 children with psychological problems. Then came the unexpected: 259 women said they had been raped by militiamen loyal to Muammar Qaddafi. Dr. Seham Sergewa had been working with children traumatized by the fighting in Libya but soon found herself being approached by troubled mothers who felt they could trust her with their dark secret.The first victim came forward two months ago, followed by two more. All were mothers of children the London-trained child psychologist was treating, and all described how they were raped by militiamen fighting to keep Qaddafi in power.Dr. Sergewa decided to add a question about rape to the survey she was distributing to Libyans living in refugee camps after being driven from their homes. The main purpose was to try to determine how children were faring in the war; she suspected many were suffering from PTSD.To her surprise, 259 women came forward with accounts of rape. They all said the same thing."I was really surprised when I started visiting these areas, first by the number of people suffering from PTSD, including the large number of children among them, and then by the number of women who had been raped from both the east and west of the country," Dr. Sergewa said in an interview with The Associated Press.Rape has been a common weapon of war throughout the ages, most recently in conflicts from the Balkans in Europe to Sri Lanka in Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa, where Congo has been described as the epicenter of sexual crimes.Across the world, rape carries a stigma. But it can be a deadly one in conservative Muslim societies like Libya, where rape is considered a stain on the honor of the entire family. Victims can be abandoned by their families and, in some cases, left in the desert to die. Speaking to a journalist is out of the question.Dr. Sergewa's questionnaire was distributed to 70,000 families and drew 59,000 responses."We found 10,000 people with PTSD, 4,000 children suffering psychological problems and 259 raped women," she said, adding that she believes the number of rape victims is many times higher but that woman are afraid to report the attacks.The women said they had been raped by Qaddafi's militias in numerous cities and towns: Benghazi, Tobruk, Brega, Bayda and Ajdabiya (where the initial three mothers hail from) and Saloum in the east; and Misrata in the west.Some just said they had been raped. Some did not sign their names; some just used their initials. But some felt compelled to share the horrific details of their ordeals on the back of the questionnaire.Earlier this month, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Luis Moreno-Campo, said he has "strong evidence" of crimes against humanity committed by Qaddafi's regime, including serious allegations of "women arrested and gang raped."One of Libya's leading psychiatrists, Dr. Ali M. Elroey, told the AP that he has set up three mobile teams to treat trauma victims of the war in their homes or in temporary shelters: one for PTSD, one for other psychological problems and one for rape survivors.Dr. Elroey said they need to reach out to people in their homes because the stigma associated with psychiatric care is leaving large numbers of patients untreated.His outpatient clinic at Benghazi's psychiatric hospital has treated more than 600 patients in two months, many responding to radio and newspaper advertisements offering psychiatric help for war trauma. He said most were women, though none had acknowledged being raped.Dr. Sergewa said she has interviewed 140 of the rape survivors in various states of mental anguish, and has been unable to persuade a single victim to prosecute. None would speak to the AP about her ordeal, even with a promise to hide her identity."Some I diagnosed with acute psychosis; they are hallucinating," Dr. Sergewa said. "Some are very depressed; some want to commit suicide. Some want their parents to kill them because they don't want their families to bear the shame."Some already have been abandoned by their husbands and fear seeking treatment could get them ostracized or cast out of their communities. Others have kept the rapes a secret for fear of retribution from spouses. "They fear their husbands will take them out to the desert and leave them there to die," Dr. Sergewa said.It is likely more rapes could occur as the conflict drags on, Dr. Sergewa said."They are using rape not just to hurt women but to terrorize entire families and communities," Dr. Sergewa said. "The women I spoke to say they believed they were raped because their husbands and brothers were fighting Qaddafi."I think it is also to put shame on the tribes or the villages, to scare people into fleeing, and to say: 'We have raped your women,'" she said.Dr. Sergewa says women will continue to be targets of the militiamen, and this makes it all the more urgent to finish her study and get it published."We must throw light on what is really happening in Libya and fight to bring justice for these women, to help heal them psychologically," she said.Hmmmm......"The Arab winds of Change"?Chapter 33 verse 50 of the Koran:

"O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncles on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage a privilege for thee only, not for the [rest of] believers. We are aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hand possess that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." Read the full story here.

• "Turks in Berlin"Forces German University to Cancel Speech on Armenian Genocide.(StopTurkey).Stuttgart university was scheduled to host a speech and discussion event today on the theme of "Persecution, Expulsion and Annihilation of Christians in the Ottoman Empire 1912-1922". At the last minute, however, the university cancelled the event booking. When asked why, the rector of the university, Prof.-Dr. Ing. Wolfram Ressel, said that they had come under pressure from "Turks in Berlin" and that the university wished to "remain neutral". Remain neutral on the Armenian genocide?The event had been organised by a coalition of non-profit organisations, including the Association of Greeks from Pontos in Europe, the Assyrian Democratic Organisation - Central Europe Section and the Working Group on the Recognition of Genocide for Understanding Between Peoples. They issued a statement on what had occurred.The associations concerned consider it regrettable in the extreme that almost one hundreds years after the genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians/Arameans and Greeks in the then Ottoman empire that a German university does not have the courage to rent a room for a commemoration and information event intended to come to terms with this crime and thus serve the purpose of preventing future genocides. "For crimes, there can in principle be no possibility of retreating to supposedly neutral positions. The circumstances that Turkey, to this day, officially disputes the genocide of more than three million Ottoman citizens of the Christian faith and strikes to prevent public consideration of it even abroad can also not be allowed to govern the actions of a German university."Hmmmm.......Erdogan "Muslims don't commit Genocide".Read the full story here.

• "The War on Christianity ".Turkey's Christians under Siege.By .John Eibner, chief executive officer of Christian Solidarity International-USA, focuses on religious and ethnic conflict, mainly in the Middle East, North-East Africa and Eastern Europe. He has visited these regions on numerous human rights fact-finding and humanitarian aid missions.A Must Read.Read the full story here.

• "The War on Christianity".Algerian Christian Given Five Year Prison Sentence for Blasphemy.(Aina).Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that an Algerian Christian was sentenced to five years imprisonment for blasphemy in Oran on Wednesday after sharing his Christian faith with a neighbor. The verdict came days after authorities forced the permanent closure of seven Protestant churches in Algeria's Béjaia province.Siagh Krimo was charged by the Criminal Court of the Djamel District in Oran, who based their decision on Article 144 bis 2 of the Penal Code which criminalizes acts that "insult the prophet and any of the messengers of God, or denigrate the creed and precepts of Islam, whether by writing, drawing, declaration, or any other means." Krimo has ten days to appeal the sentence.Krimo, who is married with a nine month old child, was arrested on April 14, along with another Christian, Sofiane, after sharing his Christian faith with a neighbor. Sofiane was released soon after the arrest, while Krimo was detained for three days. Krimo was known to hold weekly prayer services at his home, which Algerian Christians suspect were being closely monitored by the police.The prosecutor at Krimo's trial, held on May 4, failed to present as a witness the neighbor who accused Krimo of proselytizing and making defamatory statements against the Muslim prophet Mohammad. Algerian Christians were hopeful that Krimo would be acquitted of all charges. "Good news, the judge, after having invited Krimo to use wisdom and return to Islam, has ended the affair," an Algerian church leader in Tizi Ouzou told ICC on May 4. "We hope this will end well."The prosecutor, doubtful he would win the case on so little evidence, reportedly asked the judge to have Krimo's sentence reduced to a two year imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 Algerian dinar. However, some believe that higher authorities in the Algerian government were involved in reaching the final decision. "The judge would have normally acquitted Krimo of all charges, but I think he received an order from his superiors to strike hard," said an Algerian representative of the Association of Protestant Churches (EPA).Krimo's sentence follows an order received by the EPA on May 22 to close seven Protestant churches in the province of Béjaia. The notice stated the churches are to be closed in accordance with Ordinance 06-03, which requires churches to obtain government permission to hold services. Though the EPA has made efforts to comply with the ordinance, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Religious Affairs have refused to register churches or to approve permits quickly.Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, "Algerian Christians have been under attack in recent weeks as laws have been increasingly enforced to discriminate against them. Earlier this week, seven churches in Béjaia were ordered to close. Now, an Algerian Christian is on the verge of being unjustly imprisoned for accusations of criticizing Islam. While Algeria professes that it upholds religious freedom, it also embraces a blasphemy law that, by its very nature, can be used to prosecute anyone who does not adhere to the religion of Islam. We urge Algeria to acquit Siagh of all charges and repeal Article 144 bis 2 of the Penal Code."Hmmmm.......Religious freedom?Yeah whatevah!Read the full story here.

• Saudi Arabia - Handcuffed teenager manages to kill policeman that alledgly tried to rape him.(Emirates247).A handcuffed Kuwaiti teenager killed a policeman by hitting him on the head with a rock, claiming the uniformed man tried to rape him, a newspaper in the oil-rich Gulf emirate reported on Saturday.The 16-year-old boy said he was returning home in the capital Kuwait City when the police man stopped him and asked for his identity card.When he replied that his ID was at home, the police man handcuffed his hand to the boy’s left hand and wanted to take him to the police centre.“The boy said the police man then tried to rape him…he picked a rock and hit the police man on his head until he was dead,” Alanba Arabic language daily said.“The boy then phoned his mother, who phoned the police centre…they found the boy sitting near the dead police man with their hands still cuffed.Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                       Morning  Posting.

• Syria Live Blog - May 25. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Libya Live Blog - May 23. Here (Al-Jazeera).

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in Japan  today 4.7  ! More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 119.On 26.05.2011 at 08:24 GMT+2
  
  Radioactive water appears to be leaking from a waste disposal building at Japan's Fukushima nuclear complex, operator Tokyo Electric Power said on Thursday, in a new setback to the battle to contain radiation from the crippled power plant. The disclosure by Tepco raises the stakes in a race to complete by next month a system to decontaminate a massive pool of radioactive water at the site that critics see as a growing risk to both the nearby Pacific and groundwater.Source : Here .

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• There's a new "Player" in the Air,meet the Grimsvotn Volcano.By John Seach.(VolcanoLive)

64.42 N, 17.33 W - summit elevation 1725 m  - caldera

Read the full story here.Live webcam here and here.Google map location here.More info here.

• RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Grimsvotn Volcano Info Situation Update No. 8  - On 25.05.2011 at 12:49 GMT+2
  
  Iceland's volcanic eruption has died down and is no longer spewing out ash, officials said on Wednesday and airlines began to get back to normal after cancelling about 1,000 flights in northern Europe. The explosion on Saturday of the Grimsvotn volcano caused much less chaos than an eruption last year at another Icelandic volcano thanks to new rules for airlines, but the incident showed problems remain with the regulations. Budget airline Ryanair was vocal in its criticism. "There are indications that it's ceasing really," said Hrafn Gudmundsson, a meteorologist at the Icelandic met office. He told Reuters that mainly steam was coming from the crater, with no ash plume detected since 0300 GMT. "I am cautiously optimistic the main ash-producing phase of this eruption has now ceased," Dr David Rothery of Britain's Open University Volcano Dynamics Group said in emailed comments. After the eruption, the most powerful by Grimsvotn since 1873 and stronger than Eyjafjallajokull that caused air traffic chaos last year, a massive plume of ash spread across northern Europe. Flights in Scotland and northern England were cancelled on Tuesday, while three German airports -- Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin -- closed on Wednesday. However, they were set gradually to reopen during the day.
  
  Dutch airline KLM resumed flights to affected destinations after a brief break. European air traffic agency Eurocontrol said 500 flights had been affected on Tuesday and a spokeswoman said Eurocontrol expected 700 flights to be cancelled over Germany. Eurocontrol said the ash could would drift to Poland, but a Polish air traffic control official said no traffic limitations were due. U.S. President Obama, who left Ireland early on Monday to travel to Britain to avoid being caught by the ash, is due to arrive in Poland later this week. The ash cloud from Grimsvotn belched as high as 20 km (12 miles) into the sky after the eruption, but it did not trigger the kind of travel chaos caused by Eyjafjallajokull when more than 10 million people were hit by a six-day European airspace shutdown. That cost airlines $1.7 billion. However, Grimsvotn's eruption did expose disarray among the authorities who decide on aviation safety as they try to apply new rules to avoid another mass closure of European airspace.
  
  New procedures put the onus on airlines to make judgments on whether it is safe to fly through ash, in coordination with the forecasting authorities, particularly the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre at the British Met Office, and civil aviation bodies. Highlighting problems, sources told Reuters that a British research plane designed to sample ash remained grounded for a second day in a wrangle over its deployment. Ryanair on Tuesday said it had safely sent two planes into what authorities had deemed high ash zones over Scotland, and criticised "bureaucratic incompetence". International Airlines Group Willie Walsh also said his company had flown a plane into an ash zone. "The simple answer is we found nothing," he told BBC radio. He called for the British authorities to use multiple sources of data when deciding on how to react to ash problems. "The potential for a patchwork of inconsistent state decisions on airspace management still exists," IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said in a statement, calling on Tuesday for more coordination. Grimsvotn is Iceland's most active volcano. Though the Open University's Rothery expressed optimism this eruption was over, he added: "However, it will be back - next week, next year, or more likely next decade."Source :Here .

• Man believed to be Ratko Mladic arrested.(Al-Jazeera).  A man believed to be fugitive Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic has been arrested, reports say.A man believed to be fugitive war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic has been arrested, an official from the Serbian interior ministry has said."He has some physical features of Mladic. We are analysing his DNA now," an unnamed official told the Reuters news agency.Local media said police are carrying out DNA tests on a man who identified himself as Milorad Komadic, who was arrested on Thursday.Serbia's war crimes prosecutor refused to confirm or deny the reports, but Boris Tadic, Serbia's president, will hold a press conference later on Thursday.However the European Union said it had every reason to believe that the man arrested could be Mladic.A family friend told Reuters the Bosnian Serb wartime general was being held by the Serbian intelligence agency (BIA).Mladic is wanted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for genocide during the 1992-95 Bosnian conflict.He was indicted in 1995 on genocide in the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys, and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, in which around 10,000 people died.His arrest is seen a precondition of Serbia joining the European Union.Read the full story here.

• Update : Top Serbian War Crimes Suspect Caught.(NYTimes).PARIS — The president of Serbia announced at a news conference in Belgrade on Thursday that Ratko Mladic, the fugitive accused of masterminding the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995, had been captured. Read the full story here.

• US withdraws diplomats from Yemen amid clashes.(BBC).The US has ordered all its non-essential diplomats and family members of embassy staff to leave Yemen as fighting there escalates.Medical sources say 72 people have died in three days of clashes between tribal fighters and government troops.President Ali Abdullah Saleh has again said he will not step down, despite mounting protests.He has so far refused to sign a transition deal that would see him resign in favour of a unity government.The US has repeated its call for Mr Saleh to step down, urging all sides to accept a ceasefire."We continue to support the departure of President Saleh who has consistently agreed that he would be stepping down from power and then consistently reneged on those agreements," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in Paris.Read the full story here.

• Tribal chief tells Saleh to go, as overnight blast leaves 28 dead.(Al-Arabia).Yemen’s opposition tribal chief Sadeq al-Ahmar blamed the country’s violence on President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces, saying they should stop the fight first, Al Arabiya TV reported on Thursday. Sheikh al-Ahmar said that he is open to negotiating on the Gulf Cooperation Council plan-brokered deal again but only on the condition that Mr. Saleh’s forces halt the fighting. A defiant Mr. Al-Ahmar disparaged both reports that his home in Sanaa was destroyed or the arrest warrants against him issued by the embattled president. He said that he was conducting the phone interview with Al Arabiya TV from his home and that no one can arrest him.The Yemeni president has ordered the arrest of the dissident tribal chief and his nine brothers, the defense ministry said on Thursday as deadly clashes raged between rebels and security forces."The president has ordered the arrest of Mr. Ahmar’s sons to bring them to justice for armed rebellion," Agence-France Presse reported the ministry's 26sep.net news website as saying in a text message.The tribal chieftain said that for peace to prevail in the embattled country, Mr. Saleh must go and “should leave the country barefoot” reported Al Arabiya. President Barack Obama earlier on Wednesday repeated his call for Mr. Saleh to step aside as pitched battles were fought between tribal groups and security forces in Sanaa.Tribesmen loyal to a powerful opposition chief have seized public buildings in Sanaa including state news agency Saba, sources said Wednesday, amid raging gun battles with security forces that have killed 44 people.The tribesmen have also occupied the national airline Yemenia building and have tried to storm the interior ministry headquarters, according to the witnesses and a high-ranking Yemen official.The latest fighting came despite an appeal late Tuesday by Mr. Saleh for supporters of Mr. Ahmar, who heads the powerful Hashid tribal federation, to “cease their aggression on security forces.”Read the full story here.

• Obama Is the Most Hostile Sitting U.S. President In the History of Israel.(Fox).By Anne Bayefsky.There is some logic in the fact that President Obama has fled the country while Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses Congress. With Obama’s comments this past week on Israel, the president now appears to many as the most hostile sitting president in the history of the Jewish state.A key casualty of the assault Obama launched this past week on Israel and its Prime Minister, is the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. When Palestinians move to declare statehood unilaterally in the fall with U.N. support, it will be President Obama himself who will have laid the groundwork.Two years ago President Obama prompted Palestinians to withdraw from negotiations after he attempted to dictate to Israel the terms of a deal on the settlements issue. Now that the president has similarly projected what the territorial outcome “should be,” Palestinians will abjure negotiations into the foreseeable future.The mere lip service that the president paid to negotiations was heard around the world, especially in Palestinian circles. “While the core issues of the conflict must be negotiated…” Obama began, followed by a series of “should be” pronouncements.President Obama's 1967 baseline comment was no accident; it was a deliberate provocation. As he unabashedly told the AIPAC audience: “I know that stating these principles -- on the issues of territory and security -- generated some controversy…I wasn’t surprised.”Mr. Obama has also sabotaged negotiations by refusing to assign responsibility for the current absence of negotiations where it belongs. As far as Obama is concerned, the fact that Hamas“is unwilling to recognize Israel’s right to exist” simply “raises questions.” The President even professed ignorance about the path of Hamas, despite the group’s Charter which calls for “Jihad” until Israel is “obliterated.” In the president’s words: “Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection.” If!Those pushing a U.N.-backed unilateral declaration of statehood or independence (UDI), in lieu of negotiations, will also have taken sustenance from the President’s remarks. He suggested such sentiments are eminently understandable: "There’s a reason why the Palestinians are pursuing their interests at the United Nations. They recognize that there is an impatience with the peace process, or the absence of one…And that impatience is growing.” President Obama neglected to mention that statehood would come a lot faster if Palestinians didn’t support leaders who are bent on genocide or refuse to talk.President Obama’s fawning remarks about Arab self-determination contrasted sharply with his treatment of Jewish self-determination. He taunted Israelis about not being able to protect themselves: “Technology will make it harder for Israel to defend itself.” “Delay will undermine Israel’s security…” He threatened Israelis with the specter of isolation and demanded they answer to every busybody in sight: “The international community is tired of an endless process…” “Going forward, millions of Arab citizens have to see that peace is possible for that peace to be sustained…[T]he march to isolate Israel internationally…will continue to gain momentum…and it’s already manifesting itself in capitals around the world.”Negotiations require mutual recognition of legitimacy and therefore offer the only path to ensuring a Palestinian commitment to coexistence with a Jewish state. By bullying Israel, a negotiated peace agreement between Arabs and Israelis is now all but impossible during Obama’s tenure. 2012 cannot come soon enough.Hmmmmm....Israel has nothing to fear...but Obama?Read the full story here.

• Walker signs photo ID measure, legal challenge possible.(JSOnline).Madison - Ending a decade-long quest by GOP officials, Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill Wednesday requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. But the law costing more than $7 million in new spending and lost revenue could still face a legal challenge as opponents consider suing to overturn it. The law will require poll workers to start asking voters for photo IDs for the July 12 state Senate recall elections, but the voters will not be required to present them until next year's presidential primary."To me, something as important as a vote is important whether it's one case, one hundred cases or one hundred thousand cases. Making sure we have legislation that protects the integrity for an open, fair and honest election in every single case is important," said Walker. About 50 protesters shouted "Recall Walker!" outside his conference room during the signing. Wisconsin is now the 11th state to have approved requiring some form of photo ID at the polls. Democrats say the measure is costly and unnecessary and will do little to prevent voter fraud while disenfranchising thousands of minority, elderly and rural voters."We continue to confer with legal counsel about what potential legal challenges can be made against Gov. Walker's voter suppression bill," Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, said in a statement Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Indiana's photo ID law in 2008, but opponents say Wisconsin's law could be vulnerable to a legal challenge because of differences between the states such as less access to state offices providing driver's licenses. Unlike voters in Indiana, people in Wisconsin casting absentee ballots would have to include a photocopy of their ID when they mail their ballots. Getting copies made will be an additional burden on elderly voters and others with limited mobility, critics said.Ross said one difference between Wisconsin and Indiana is the greater flexibility offered by Division of Motor Vehicles offices in Indiana, such as widely available weekend hours and full-time offices in every county. Wisconsin offices have largely no weekend hours and fewer full-time offices, making it more difficult for some to get to the existing offices to obtain a photo ID. Under the new law, people would be allowed to vote only after showing Wisconsin driver's licenses, state-issued ID cards, certain very limited student IDs, military IDs, passports, naturalization certificates or IDs issued by a tribe based in Wisconsin.Those living in retirement homes, nursing homes and institutions would be exempt from the law, as would victims of stalking and those who opposed having their photos taken for religious reasons. A voter who did not show a photo ID would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot that would be counted if the voter showed photo ID to an election clerk by the Friday after the election.Implementing the law will cost the state's coffers more than $7 million over the next two years, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.Voters also would be required to sign poll books when they vote, which supporters say would make it easier to prove cases of voter fraud. The law also ends straight-party voting for everyone but military and overseas voters.In another change, people could vote from their polling place only if they had lived in that voting ward for at least 28 days before an election. Now, voters have to live in their wards for 10 days before an election.People would be able to vote by absentee ballot in clerks' offices for the two weeks before an election, down from the current 30 days before an election.Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, which administers state elections, said that voters will have to sign poll books and will be asked to show photo ID in the July 12 Senate recall elections. Voters who do not have an ID will be given a piece of paper explaining the new requirement.Voters will be required to have the IDs to vote in the 2012 Wisconsin presidential primaries.Hmmm... A baby step in the right direction.Read the full story here.

• TSA - No Profiling only Non -Muslims to be pat down?GOP lawmaker: I saw TSA pat down 'little old lady,' child, but not Arab man.(TheHill).The Transportation Security Administration is too worried about "political correctness," according to a Republican lawmaker.Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said TSA is too politically correct when it chooses which passengers to search at airport security checkpoints. During a recent trip, Broun said he saw TSA pat down an elderly person and a child, but not a man he himself deemed suspicious. "I walked through … right behind me there was a grandmother — little old lady, and she was was patted down," Broun said on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal.""Right behind her was a little kid who was patted down. And then right behind him was a guy in Arabian dress who just walked right through. Why are we patting down grandma and kids?" Broun did not specify any other reasons the man looked suspicious other than his dress. Broun said in the interview that the TSA needs to focus "on those people who want to harm us."We have to identify those people — we do that through human intelligence, we do that by trying to get into the inner circle," he said. "Focus upon those individuals, not on the general public. Unfortunately, I think the Department of Homeland Security has been focusing on the general public and have been afraid of political correctness. "We've got to forget political correctness," Broun continued. "We've got to start focusing on those people who want to harm us as a nation." Hmmmm......No Profiling only non -Muslims to be padded down?Read the full story here.

• You Will Respect My Authoritah!(Noisyroom).So demandeth the DOJ and TSA in regards to Texas’ efforts to pass HB 1937, a bill that would have made invasive pat downs by TSA agents a felony. But never fear, Texas was forced to kill the bill because they did not have enough votes to pass it. And the Chicago-style thuggery and extortion goes on and on…But it wasn’t just the lack of votes at play here. Oh no… The DOJ threatened to stop all flights in and out of Texas if the bill proceeded apace. That is the real reason there weren’t enough votes. When you threaten to basically exile an entire state and stop their citizens from traveling, you gut the economics in that state. Most politicians at that point see money literally flying out the window along with votes that would reelect them. That’s the problem with the Texas legislature. There aren’t enough real Texans residing there. However, the ones handling this bill… well they are feisty true patriots who don’t give up in a political tussle. Barack Obama, Eric Holder and the DOJ goons should know that you don’t mess with Texas.So let’s see if we understand the constitutional atrocity that was just foisted on probably the bravest state in the union shall we? The DOJ just stomped all over Texas’ Tenth Amendment rights to quash their Fourth Amendment rights. If the government can do this (and they just did), what makes you think they haven’t just skirted the entire Constitution? Making it a founding document in name only while denying what they are doing all the while. This comes at a time when a whole slew of Fourth amendment violations are happening around the country from Indiana to Kentucky and in various other states. I don’t believe in coincidence – this is planned pure and simple. We see the government now violating all our rights on a daily basis and they are getting more and more heavy handed and brazen.Hmmmmm....Dictatorship or democracy.Read the full story here.

• By Peace They Will Deceive The World.(BigPeace).While the lovers and supporters of Israel both on the right and the left celebrate the diplomatic victory of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu over President Barack Obama, the prospects for Israel in regards to its security and standing in the world is very daunting with many threats that are obvious still remain evident, however there are even more serious threats that are not so obvious and are quickly coming to the surface.In order to understand the not so obvious we must know and understand the mindset and character of the Middle East. Our organization being made up of former Muslims from that very part of the world who understand far better the mindset, strategies, and tactics used by the Islamic world as well as the culture and religion of Arabs both Christian and Muslim.The Arab world has just witnessed a reinvigoration of the alliance of Israel and the people of the United States despite the hostility of the executive office in the White House. The key factor for peace in the Middle East from the Western perspective, especially the US, is the recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state living side by side in peace with Palestine.” The smart Muslim leaders who understand this, will play right into this ideal and will provide the “Hudna” which will recognize Israel as Jewish state. The evidence for such a policy is in full view if you know where to look and you understand the Islamic mindset.It is Turkey that is recognized by the Muslim Brotherhood and all fundamentalist Sunni Muslims as the head the Caliphate. It is prophesized in the Muslim holy books that the Ottoman Empire will come again and prior to the coming of the Mahdi. According to the Hadith, on the day of Judgement the Mahdi will lead all the Muslims to march on Jerusalem and destroy all the Jews. As the Muslim Brotherhood will dominate the Middle East over the next two years, they will look to Turkey to lead the Muslim world. If you study the Muslim Brotherhood ideals and its interpretation of Islam, they state this very clearly and repeat it over and over again in their rhetoric. The standard text for the day of Judgement: come o slave of Allah, the trees will cry out that there are Jews hiding behind them, so Muslims should come and kill them (the Jews).In 2002 The AKP party was the first Islamist political party to gain power since Turkey became a secular country in 1920, and they have held power continuously up to the present. This is significant in the rejuvenation of the Ottoman Empire and if one is paying attention, Turkey is increasing its influence and forming alliances both in the Sunni and Shia countries in the Middle East. The Islamist revolution in Turkey is not quite complete as the Islamist needs to wrestle control of the military, which is still secular, but once the Islamists complete the military take over, Israel as well as the West will be in mortal peril. Turkey poses a much larger potential threat than Iran with its massive army with only the USA and Russia being larger. Turkey has already changed its stance on Israel from friend to a cold peace with a strong political animus against Israel. We just need to look at the flotilla incident last year to understand this change.The USA government is well aware of this threat as was pointed out by the Wiki Leaks revelations of late last year. Wiki Leaks showed that the state department was frustrated over Turkey being Islamist, but publicly makes no issue of this problem.On May 21st the president of Turkey Abdullah Gul (name means slave of Allah the beast) was reported by Reuters to have urged Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to exist. As Turkey’s influence grows they will be in position to finalize and arrange a peace treaty between the Palestinians and Israel with Hamas recognizing Israel. However in order to understand the reality this will not bring peace but will be the famous Islamic “Hudna” which according to the Bible is the “covenant of death” mentioned in Isaiah 28 that will cause the war in order to attempt to destroy Israel in the end.The objective of the Muslim world will be to use peace in order to deceive Israel and the West. We have always seen in the past our desire for peace especially from the Jewish people. This treaty will be based on a full recognition of Israel and fool them into signing and agreeing to this false peace, which at best will last less than four years. The world will celebrate peace in our time once again, but in the end will bring about the greatest war this world will ever witness.Hmmmm......For the last 14 months i've been warning about Turkey and Obama's 'friendship' with them.Read the full story here.

• Turkish mayor advises women “Do not walk around, sit in your homes,” to avoid harassment.(HurriyetDaily).Women complaining about sexual harassment on the streets of the eastern province of Muş should deal with the problem by simply staying at home, the province’s mayor has said.“Do not walk around, sit in your homes,” 71-year-old Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Mayor Necmittin Dede recently told Muş representatives of the Women’s Center, or KAMER, when they told authorities that high employment in the city had resulted in men spilling out of the overcrowded teahouses in the area to verbally harass female passersby.KAMER representatives said they had enjoyed success in cooperating with local police on women’s issues, but added that public institutions, such as the one led by the mayor, remained indifferent to their cause.  “We have appealed to the authorities time and time again, yet they do not allow us into the schools to conduct training sessions about women. So we visit households instead. We conducted surveys in 700 households until now that show the rate of domestic violence stands around 70 percent,” said Necmiye Boz of KAMER.Muş municipality does maintain a women’s shelter in the area – although the building is prominently identified by a large sign, allowing potential attackers to find women seeking refuge in the building.A total of six Dishonor killings have been committed in the province over the past two months although some of the deaths have been passed off as suicides, according to Boz and another KAMER representative, Ayşegül Söylemez.In previous comments, Dede said, “If women were man enough, they would have become prophets.” Among state authorities, local police have led the way in trying to combat domestic violence, releasing preparing a report titled “Survey Report on Cases of Domestic Violence.” Law enforcement officers have also rented billboards to create awareness about the problems facing women. One such billboard features the portrait of a happy family, with text underneath saying, “Not everything is what it seems.”KAMER was officially founded in 1997 and continued to grow and strengthen itself in the following years. At the moment, the group is trying to expand its activities in 23 provinces of eastern and southeastern Anatolia to more districts, villages and remote areas.Hmmmm......Keep Turkey out of the European Union.Read the full story here.

• Israel links EU support for Palestinians to anti-Semitism.(EuObserver).- Israeli finance minister Yuval Steinitz has said that select EU countries' support for Palestine's plan to seek full UN membership is linked to ancient anti-Semitism.Speaking to EUobserver in Brussels on Tuesday (23 May) at an event to mark the 63rd anniversary of the creation of Israel, the minister said there is a tendency in Europe to blame the failure of the peace process on the Jewish side only."It's very easy to put all the blame in the world on the Jewish state. As Joschka Fischer, the former German foreign minister once put it in Israel, he said 'I cannot ignore the fact there is an old European tradition of 2,000 years to blame the Jews.' So maybe some of the animosity toward the state of Israel is a disguised [form of this], is coming from this tradition."Palestinian diplomats say around 10 European countries, including Greece, Ireland, France, Spain and Sweden, as well as non-EU member Norway, will back the UN bid, which is planned to take place in September. The initiative to create an independent Palestine outside the framework of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks comes amid a long-standing deadlock in the negotiations.The minister described the UN plan as a "challenge to Israel's very existance" because it would bypass deal-making on questions such as the right of return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees driven out by Israeli soldiers in the 1940s.The finance chief threatened to permanently block transfers of Palestinian tax income to the Palestinian authorities if they stick with the Hamas pact. He said Israel's confiscation of tax income this month is "temporary, a warning sign." He added: "If they will co-operate with this terrorist organisation ... we will have to reconsider whether we can co-operate with them, whether we can deliver money they might misuse to fund terrorist organisations or terrorist acts."The strong turnout for Steinitz on Tuesday masks the fact that EU-Israel relations are at a low point. Several EU countries are continuing to block a planned 'upgrade' in diplomatic contacts with Israel and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has refused to join the US in condemning the Fatah-Hamas pact. Hmmmm....And this of course is music to Obama's ears.Read the full story here.

• Confirmed: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Was Jewish.(Ynet).For the first time ever, ordinary Russians can now see documents that appear to confirm long-standing rumors that Vladimir Lenin had Jewish heritage.In a country long plagued by anti-Semitism, such heritage can be a significant taint, especially for the founder of the Soviet Union who is still revered by many elderly Russians.Among dozens of newly released documents on display at the State History Museum is a letter written by Lenin’s eldest sister, Anna Ulyanova, saying that their maternal grandfather was a Ukrainian Jew who converted to Christianity to escape the Pale of Settlement and gain access to higher education.“He came from a poor Jewish family and was, according to his baptismal certificate, the son of Moses Blank, a native of (the western Ukrainian city of) Zhitomir,” Ulyanova wrote in a 1932 letter to Josef Stalin, who succeeded Lenin after his death in 1924.“Vladimir Ilych had always thought of Jews highly,” she wrote. “I am very sorry that the fact of our origin – which I had suspected before – was not known during his lifetime.”Hmmmm.....On the other side many Jewish politicians have Russian roots ,it can only mean they are better statesmen?Read the full story here.

• How do you great a returning Israeli PM?You install a new Jewish neighborhood in east J'lem.(Ynet).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed at Ben Gurion Airport Wednesday, after concluding his visit to the United States, during which he spoke before Congress. "There is strong American support for our principles and what we want," he told reporters at the airport.Meanwhile, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat attended an inauguration ceremony for a new 100-family neighborhood located in east Jerusalem's Ras al-Amud neighborhood. "We must support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today in his position as was presented during his US visit, and forever we should say – that's enough, Jerusalem should stay untouched," Erdan said in a speech. "Israel without Jerusalem or Zionism without Zion are like a body without a soul. We, as the government of Israel, are committed to strengthening Jerusalem and keeping it whole and united, and continuing to build in all parts of the city."Dozens of Palestinian and left-wing activists held a protest against the ceremony, chanting "There's no holiness in an occupied city" and "Settler, soldier, officer – disengage from Palestine." Two of the protesters were arrested for attempting to block one of the ministers' cars from entering the neighborhood. One of the activists, Tzila Goldberg, managed to storm the event, calling the ministers in attendance "war criminals": "Everyone who takes part in the ceremony commits a war crime and violates international law," she yelled. "This is Palestinian territory."Orly Noy, spokeswoman for Ir Amim – a group which focuses on Jerusalem within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – told Ynet that "Jerusalem is the litmus test for Israel's intentions regarding the peace process. Tonight's dangerous provocation in Ras al-Amud sends a problematic message, hurts Israel and destabilizes the city."Mati Cohen, head of the Ateret Cohanim organization, which founded the neighborhood, told Ynet: "Jews bought land here 120 years ago and the Turks and English prevented them form building here. Thank God that we have been able to settle Jews here."Jerusalem Mayor Barkat said: "We are committed to developing Jerusalem for the good of all of its residents, Jews and Arabs alike… A month ago we inaugurated an Arab neighborhood and the media said nothing. To the world we say – we will continue to build and advance Jerusalem according to the law."A source in the Jewish settlement movement in east Jerusalem told Ynet on Wednesday evening that the new neighborhood was just the tip of the iceberg."East of the city there are Jewish-owned territories and properties in neighborhoods like Silwan, Shimon Hatzadik, Abu Dis, and in the Old City. Jewish settlement is an existing fact. Some projects are materializing now and some of them are delayed because of bureaucracy and legal matters, but the truth is that all of Jerusalem's neighborhoods are involved. You cannot divide Jerusalem. That's the reality."In light of Netanyahu's US trip, the source said he is not worried about the future of Jerusalem. "There is public and politic consensus about Jerusalem," he said. "I believe in Netanyahu's good intentions, but even if they try to force him to divide Jerusalem, he will not be able to do it because of the politic pressure." Earlier in the day Vice Premier Silvan Shalom toured Hebron, and said that he does not support retreating from the settlements, and neither does Likud."Hmmmm......Remember, there was no 'Palestine' in the days of Jesus ... the Romans still called it 'Judea' (Judah) ... just look at their maps and their coins ... The Roman rulers re-named it after Israel's ancient enemy the Philistines in order to try to break the Jews away from their relationship and bond to their Land of Israel.Read the full story here.

• The Grey Wolves a Turkish Nationalist Organisation Has Growing Influence in Germany.(StopTurkey).Translated by Cheradenine Zakalwe.This is my own translation of a German newspaper article that was published a few months ago.How the Far Right Grey Wolves Attract Young Turks. Essen.

The “Grey Wolves” are gaining ever more influence over Turkish youths in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), warn experts. Above all they attract frustrated young men. They disseminate their racist propaganda over the internet – and jeopardise integration. The Turkish nationalistic organisation, the Grey Wolves, has new premises in Bochum.The Dahlhausen district of Bochum is well-known as a social flashpoint. Many immigrants live here. Exactly the right terrain for the “Grey Wolves”. A few weeks ago the Turkish right-wing extremists moved their headquarters into a former pub. They visit families, make contacts in mosques and associations. In their recruitment, above all they target young men who are disenchanted with German society. The citizens of Bochum are worried. Some have turned to the city looking for help, but nothing can be done. Although the unwelcome neighbours are monitored by the Agency for the Protection of the Constitution, they have not been banned.

Employees of the Agency for the Protection of the Constitution count around 70 associations of the nationalist movement with more than 2000 members in NRW. There are Grey Wolf association centres in almost every large town. “Their influence on Turkish youth has significantly increased,” says the Bochum educationalist Kemal Bozay, who is familiar with the scene. Particularly in the third generation, the sense of having no prospects is something that is increasingly widespread. “The young people feel excluded from mainstream German society. They are looking for an identity, for a place where they will be acknowledged,” explains Bozay. “The organisation uses that.” Danger for Integration

The movement’s greeting symbolises a wolf’s head.The Grey Wolves, also called the Ülkücü movement, lure young people with a generous offering of leisure activities and a sense of community. And then, completely by the way, they will be indoctrinated in courses into the organisation’s racist Turkish cult. The whole thing works according to the principle: we are in here and they are out there. With fatal consequences: “The strengthening of an overblown sense of Turkish national consciousness gives grounds for concern, as this hampers integration of the young people into the living and social circumstances of Germany,” warn NRW’s agents for the protection of the constitution in their most recent report.

The SPD’s regional parliament member, Serdar Yüksel, also speaks of a danger for integration. “This is a huge problem that’s coming towards us. If we don’t counter it, we’ll drive young people in droves into the arms of the Turkish far-right.” The academic Bozay and the politician Yüksel are in agreement: the attack on immigrants by Thilo Sarrazin and the subsequent debate had given the Grey Wolves an additional boost.

Thought comparable to German Neo-Nazis

Even from the families there is mostly very little resistance. “The Turkish associations take children off the streets”, says Cem Sentürk from the Centre for Turkish Studies in Essen. Therefore the parents are completely happy when the young people spend their time in the association centre rather than somewhere else. Particularly as the Turkish right-wingers mostly seem polite and moderate. Major political events have become more rare, says Sentürk. Instead, they have taken up social engagement. That makes it more difficult for the authorities to keep tabs on them. The Grey Wolves have even officially renounced violence.

But the Mr Clean facade is a sham. Behind it hides an ideology that can be loosely compared with German neo-nazi thought: exaggerated nationalism, a leadership cult and the conviction that their own race is superior. There are similarities even in their perceived enemies: the German and Turkish far-right is united in its hatred of Jews and homosexuals. Even the dream of a great empire (reich) exists among the Grey Wolves: it is to be called “Turan” and stretch from Central Asia to the Balkans.

Hate-filled propaganda on the internet

On the internet the Turkish far-right shows its true face. In Videos, chats and blogs Kurds, Jews and other “enemies” are the targets of hate-filled and sometimes highly aggressive propaganda, as a study by the NRW Agency for the Protection of the Constitution shows. In particular, portals like Youtube and Facebook are used in a targeted way. On Facebook there are various group pages, which, however, can only be accessed on a member’s recommendation.

Symbols of the movement are the wolf figure and three white half-moons. The “Grey Wolf” is a figure from the pre-islamic origin myths of the Turkish tribe. The young people also place many of their own videos on the net. In these they present themselves “as ‘hard men’, who will defend Turkey, if necessary with their lives,” write the agents for the Protection of the Constitution. “The voice of the underground, I’m also called the Grey Wolf. (...) We are as strong as 1000 volts. You want to fight me? You have made a mistake! And for the six in maths I gave my teacher a slap. (...) If you insult my country I will give you a deathblow,” raps a rather fierce voice, while in the background images of Turkish soldiers, flags and other national symbols pass by.

“Problem underestimated”

The verdict of the NRW Agency for Protection of the Constitution: “From this it is clear that, not least through the internet, an Ülkücü youth culture has been created. This youth scene appears to be radicalising further.” Many young people also first come into contact with the ideology of the Grey Wolves via the internet, says Bozay. They then carry this body of thought into clubs and schools. In recent years, teachers had complained recurrently of serious confrontations with ideologically-indoctrinated young people.

But even the adult world is not immune from the Grey Wolves. Warnings are constantly being issued about radical Turks slipping into established German parties. In NRW the German-Turkish forum of the CDU [the mainstream right-wing party in Germany] and, in places, also the SPD [mainstream left-wing party in Germany] have been infiltrated by members of the Grey Wolves, says Yüksel. “They have also succeeded, to a significant extent, in infiltrating the integration councils.”Due to lack of knowledge, in many parts of German society, the problem is entirely underestimated, says Yüksel. Even in youth work and schools there are no plans to effectively counter the influence of the Grey Wolves, confirms Bozay. “If thousands of Turkish right-wing extremists meet up in the Essen Grugahalle, we’re not worried about it,” says Yüksel. “But if 100 NPD [German far-right party] members stage a march, we immediately organise a counter-demo.”Hmmmm......And you think radical Islam is a threat in Turkey?Think again! Read the full story here.

• Mugabe torturer who pulled out man's teeth with pliers is granted asylum in UK (and we'll also have to pick up the tab for him and his wife's HIV treatment)(DailyMail).A murdering asylum seeker who worked as a torturer for the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe will not be deported - because of concerns for his safety if he returns home.Phillip Machemedze smashed a man's jaw with pliers before extracting his teeth, one of his many victims while working for Zimbabwe's notorious Central Intelligence organisation.The 47-year-old also gave electric shocks to a white farmer, whipped a woman before pouring salt in her wounds and took part in the 'slow' killing of one of Mugabe's political opponents, the Sun reported today.However, Machemedze 'grew tired' of his work as a torturer and apparently fearing Mugabe would turn against him, he fled to Britain 11 years ago.Despite only having a temporary visa, Machemedze has remained in the country ever since, receiving taxpayer-funded treatment for HIV.Thanks to the Human Rights Act, Machemedze and his wife Febbie, 40, who also has the disease, will continue to live and be treated in Britain at the taxpayers' expense.At an asylum appeal hearing in Newport, South Wales, Mr Justice David Archer said Machemedze was 'deeply involved in savage acts of extreme violence'.The tribunal also heard that some of the tortures 'were too gruesome to recount'.He added: 'Whatever crimes he has committed he cannot be returned to face the highly likely prospect of torture and execution without trial, the Sun reported.The appeal hearing was brought by the Home Office and followed a judgment earlier this month which allowed the pair to stay in Britain indefinitely but did not grant asylum.At the earlier hearing, Senior Immigration Judge Robert Martin said: 'It is true that Phillip Machemedze committed abhorrent acts and deserves no sympathy or favours. 'However, it is also true that we are bound by the European Convention on Human Rights and Articles 2 and 3 are absolute,' New Zimbabwe reported.Sir Andrew Green, of think tank Migrationwatch UK, said: 'This is an obscene distortion of the whole purpose of Human Rights legislation.  'Asylum claims of this kind can be rejected but not human rights claims. This has to be changed or we will become a honey pot for torturers from around the world.'Hmmmm.....Society gone nuts.Read the full story here.

• Islamic North Sudan busy with ethnic 'cleaning' in Abyei region.(Al-Arabia).South Sudan says no war but accuses north of moving allied tribe to populate Abyei.South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Thursday ruled out a return to war with former enemies in the north over the contested Abyei district, reported Agence-France Presse. "We will not go back to war, it will not happen," said Mr. Kiir, in his first public statement since the fighting began last week. "We are committed to peace."South Sudan on Thursday also accused the northern army of moving thousands of people from the allied Misseriya tribe into the disputed Abyei region, Reuters reported. On May 21, North Sudan took control of Abyei, forcing tens of thousands to flee over the border to South Sudan, sparking an international outcry.The northern army was moving "thousands" of members of the Arab Misseriya tribe, which is supported by Khartoum, into villages of the southern Dinka Ngok tribe in Abyei, southern Information Minister Barnaba Benjamin told reporters.Abyei's capture in the run-up to international recognition of southern independence in July has been condemned by the world powers as a threat to peace between north and south.Analysts have feared the conflict could tip the two sides back to civil war, which ended in 2005 after more than two decades of bloodshed.Abyei, a fertile border district claimed by both sides, was due to vote on its future in January alongside a referendum on independence for the south, which delivered a landslide for secession.But Abyei's plebiscite did not happen amid arguments on who was eligible to vote. On Saturday northern troops and tanks overran the contested area.Meanwhile, north Sudanese soldiers helped in the "organized looting" of the flashpoint border town of Abyei after they captured it last week, new photographs released on Thursday appeared to show, AFP reported. The US-based Enough Project, which obtained the photographs, said they "appear to show northern soldiers standing by as militia members load trucks full of looted food and other goods."The images, which were taken on Monday, two days after northern troops and tanks overran the contested district, "provide evidence of organized ransacking and razing in Abyei," the group said.Other photographs show thatch huts on fire, and gunmen in civilian clothes roaming the town, alongside what appears to be armed police officers.Another shows a gunman smiling and giving a thumbs-up to the camera, from a camouflaged pickup truck loaded with goods.Hmmmm....Islam the religion of peace.Read the full story here.

• "The War on Christianity".Provincial Official in Algeria Orders Churches to Close.Christians plan to attend services this weekend despite intimidation tactics.ISTANBUL, May 25 (CDN) — Seven Algerian churches face closure this week after the governor of their province sent them written notice that they were operating “illegally.” The notice on Sunday (May 22) from Police Chief Ben Salma, citing a May 8 decree from the Bejaia Province governor, also states that all churches “in all parts of the country” will be closed for lack of compliance with registration regulations, but Christian leaders dismissed this assertion as the provincial official does not have nationwide authority. “All buildings permanently designated for or in the process of being designated for the practice of religious worship other than Muslim will be permanently closed down in all parts of the country, as well as those not having received the conformity authorization from the National Commission,” Salma stated in the notice. On Sunday (May 22) the governor of Bejaia sent a statement to the president of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) informing him that all churches in the province were illegal because they were unregistered. Registration is required under controversial Ordinance 06-03, but Christians report the government refuses to respond to or grant their applications for registration. The controversial law was introduced in 2006 to regulate non-Muslim worship. In 2008 the government applied measures in accordance with Ordinance 06-03 to limit the activities of non-Muslim groups, ordering the closure of 26 churches in the Kabylie region because they were not registered. No churches had been closed down since then. EPA members argue, however, that the law is impossible to implement as officials refuse to register their churches despite efforts to comply. They said the authorities apply the law when they want to harass churches. “It’s always the same thing,” Mustapha Krim, president of the EPA, told Compass. “They use this law when they want to pester us.” According to the governor’s statement, if the churches do not comply, authorities may use force. The leaders of the churches in Bejaia have decided to conduct church services this weekend as scheduled and “see what happens,” said Krim, who also expects police to show up. “For now, on Friday and Sunday there will be church meetings like always, but we expect that we may encounter the police,” he said. “They have the authority to intervene.”He and the leaders of the other Protestant churches of Bejaia will meet on Thursday (May 26) to discuss a plan in the event of a police presence and force. He said some of the Christians have expressed fear and have many questions. Asked if he thought this could mean the beginning of more closures of churches across Algeria, Krim said, “It is possible they are capable of doing things like this. We have no intention to close, and we have mobilized people to pray so that God can intervene.” Despite efforts to comply with the ordinance, no churches or Christian groups have received governmental approval to operate, and the government has not established administrative means to implement the ordinance, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom. Though no churches have closed since 2008, their status remains questionable and only valid through registration with the EPA. There are more than 99,000 Christians in Algeria, less than 0.3 percent of the total population of 35.4 million people, according to Operation World. Muslims make up more than 97 percent of the population.Hmmmm......."There can be only one"?Read the full story here.

• Obama regime 'peace partners' Honors Families of Arch-Terrorists Serving Life Sentences for the Murder of Hundreds.Read and see the full story here.