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News Headlines & Trends7.03.09 EU angered over Iran trial threat July 3 - European Union nations are considering recalling their ambassadors to Iran after it was suggested that local British embassy staff would face trial over their alleged role in protests over the disputed presidential election. Foreign ministries from across the 27-nation bloc reportedly summoned Iran's ambassadors on Friday to protest over the comments by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the head of Iran's powerful Guardian Council. "In these incidents, their embassy had a presence, some people were arrested. Naturally they will be put on trial, they have made confessions," Jannati said during Friday prayers in Tehran. At least nine Iranians working for the British embassy in Tehran have been detained since mass protests broke out after defeated presidential candidates complained that the results of the June 12 poll was rigged. [More>>aljazeera.net] 7.03.09 US drone strike kills fifteen in Pakistan ISLAMABAD (AP) July 3 - US missiles struck a training facility operated by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and a militant hide-out Friday, killing 15 people and wounding 27 others, intelligence officials said. The two attacks by drone aircraft took place in South Waziristan, a Mehsud stronghold close to the Afghan border where Pakistani troops are gearing up for a military offensive, two officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. They took place as US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met government officials in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. She discussed topics of "mutual interest" with them, a US Embassy spokesman said. [More>>khaleejtimes.com; See related story, 7.03.09 Marines push deeper into S. Afghan towns (AP) July 3 - One Marine Killed, Several Injured in Helmand Province Operation; Little Resistance from Taliban Reported. US Marines moved into villages in Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan on Friday, meeting little resistance as they tried to win over local chiefs on the second day of the biggest military operation here since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001. One Marine was killed and several others injured or wounded on Thursday, when some 4,000 Marines launched the operation Helmand province — a remote area that is the center of the country's illegal opium cultivation, which helps finance the insurgency. So far, however, there has been little resistance from the Taliban, according to a military spokesman Capt. Bill Pelletier. [More>>cbsnews.com] 7.03.09 Russia opens route for US to fly arms to Afghanistan MOSCOW, July 3 - The Russian government has agreed to allow American troops and weapons bound for Afghanistan to fly over Russian territory, providing an important new corridor for the United States military as it escalates efforts to win the eight-year-old war, officials from both sides said Friday. The agreement, to be formally announced when President Obama visits here on Monday and Tuesday, represents one of the most concrete achievements of the effort to rebuild a relationship severely strained by last year's war between Russia and Georgia. The new transit route will give American forces more alternatives as they encounter increasing trouble elsewhere. "Afghanistan is one of the areas where we must cooperate," Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in Russia's upper house of Parliament, said in an interview. Russia understands, he said, that the United States and NATO forces in Afghanistan are effectively defending Russia's southern flank. Until now, Russia has allowed only restricted use of its territory for the Afghan war, permitting shipments of nonlethal supplies by train. Under the new agreement, American officials said, military planes carrying lethal equipment as well as troops will be allowed to make thousands of flights a year through Russian airspace. [More>>nytimes.com] 7.03.09 Israeli navy performs 'unusual' drill in Suez JERUSALEM, July 3 - An Israeli submarine sailed the Suez Canal to the Red Sea as part of a naval drill last month, defense sources said on Friday, as an Israeli minister warned against the expanding population of Arab Israelis that do not "love" Israel. A defense source said the Israeli navy held an exercise off Eilat last month and that one of Israel's Dolphin-class submarines took part, having travelled to the Red Sea port though Suez, in the unusual maneuver that was described as a show of strategic reach in the face of Iran. [More>>alarabiya.net] 7.03.09 'Fighter influx' for Somali group July 3 - An Islamist commander in Somalia has told the BBC there has been an influx of fighters from overseas joining their battle against the interim government. The al-Shabab militant leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several hundred foreigners had joined their militia, many from Pakistan. [More>>bbc.co.uk] 7.02.09 Pakistan's Taliban chief Fazlullah may be dead: Reports ISLAMABAD, July 2 - Pakistan's Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah may have been killed during an operation in the restive Swat Valley, a media report said on Thursday. The The security forces had traced a phone call of Fazlullah, who was giving directions to his commanders for conducting more attacks, the News International quoted sources as saying. 7.02.09 US soldier sold to Afghan militant clan, official says KABUL, Afghanistan, July 2 - The American soldier abducted in southeastern Afghanistan is now being held by a notorious militant clan, a senior US military official said. This soldier and three Afghan soldiers were captured by low-level militants and then quickly "sold" to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani — believed to be deeply involved in the action. The Haqqanis — who operate on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and are well known to the US military — are assembling shuras, or local councils of leaders, to talk and try to "legitimize" what they have done, the official said. US, Afghan and Pakistani troops are sealing off the area and also are talking to tribal chiefs, village elders and leaders. They are telling them to "do the right thing and solve this," the official said. [More>>cnn.com; See related story, 7.02.09 Deadly blast targets Iraqi troops July 2 - At least three people have been killed in two bomb blasts in Baghdad — the first such attacks in the capital since the US military's withdrawal from urban areas. Two civilians were killed and 15 others injured when a car bomb exploded at a market in the Doura district in southern Baghdad on Thursday, police sources told Al Jazeera. Earlier, an Iraqi soldier was killed and 10 others injured in a roadside bomb blast directed at an army patrol in the Abu Nawas area of the city, an interior ministry official said. The blasts came a day after police reported a day of calm in Baghdad, saying there had not been a single bombing in the capital on Wednesday. [More>>aljazeera.net] 7.02.09 Hamas, Israel reject Amnesty claims July 2 - Hamas joined Israel on Thursday afternoon in rejecting a 105-page Amnesty International report that accused Israel of the reckless use of weapons and wanton destruction during Operation Cast Lead, and Gaza terror groups of committing war crimes by firing rockets at the Israeli civilian population. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the report "unbalanced, unfair and unprofessional," blasting what he said was a comparison of the aggressors to the victims. Zuhri called the firing of rockets "self defense," saying it was a legitimate response to Israel's actions. On Wednesday night, the IDF said it was surprised that "a respectable organization" like Amnesty did not appropriately portray the unbearable reality of constant rocket attacks that Israeli citizens suffered from for the past eight years. [More>>jpost.com; See also 7.02.09 Meat-free diet 'could reduce cancer risk' July 1 - A meat-free diet could reduce the risk of developing cancer, according to a new study. More than 61,000 people were monitored over 12 years by Cancer Research UK scientists from Oxford, who found that vegetarians were 12% less likely to develop cancer than people who ate meat. The risk was almost halved for cancers of the blood including leukaemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma where vegetarians' risk was 45% lower than meat eaters. People who ate fish but no meat also had a "significantly lower" chance of developing many cancers, according to the research which was published in the British Journal of Cancer today. 7.02.09 Vegetarian diet found to weaken bones (AFP) July 2 - People who live on vegetarian diets have slightly weaker bones than their meat-eating counterparts, Australian researchers said. A joint Australian-Vietnamese study of links between the bones and diet of more than 2700 people found that vegetarians had bones 5 percent less dense than meat-eaters, said lead researcher Tuan Nguyen. The issue was most pronounced in vegans, who excluded all animal products from their diet and whose bones were six percent weaker, Mr. Nguyen said. There was "practically no difference" between the bones of meat-eaters and ovolactovegetarians, who excluded meat and seafood but ate eggs and dairy products, he said. 7.02.09 Jobless rate at 9.5 percent; 26-year high July 2 - Employers cut 467,000 jobs in June; Data suggests road to economic recovery may be bumpy. US employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy. The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on solid ground. June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected and average weekly earnings dropped to the lowest level in nearly a year. However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn't as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. [More>>cbsnews.com; See related story, 6.30.09 UK economy shrinks at fastest rate for 50 years June 30 - The UK economy shrank by 2.4 per cent in the first quarter at the fastest rate in more than 50 years and far worse than expected, according to official figures today. Revised figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that, between January and March, the economy contracted by its fastest pace since 1958. The ONS revised down its initial estimate, showing a contraction of 1.9 percent. Analysts had predicted that the revised numbers would show a 2.1 percent fall in GDP. 6.30.09 Ruth Madoff faces fresh fight for her fortune June 30 - Wife of the Wall Street swindler has given up $80m but could face a battle for the remainder of her fortune. Ruth Madoff, the 68-year-old wife of the jailed Wall Street swindler, broke her long silence yesterday to claim she had been "betrayed and confused" by her husband's scam. Mrs. Madoff had not been charged with any crimes but has been vilified by her husband's victims and left ostracized within New York high society. Court documents released on Friday revealed that she gave up her potential claim to more than $80 million worth of assets though she has held onto $2.5 million that prosecutors could not directly link to the fraud.
[Full story>>timesonline.co.uk] 6.30.09 Bomb kills 25 in Kirkuk as US troops withdraw from Iraq cities (Reuters) June 30 - A car bomb in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk killed at least 25 people on Tuesday, just after US troops handed over full control of Iraq's cities to the domestic security forces six years after the invasion. The bomb, which wounded at least 40 people, struck a busy market in a largely Kurdish part of Kirkuk, a city viewed as a potential flashpoint between the Shi'ite Arab-led central government and Kurds. Police said the death toll could rise. Many Iraqis fear the US pullback from towns and cities and into rural bases, the first step toward a full US withdrawal by the end of 2011, leaves them open to attack. But the government declared Tuesday a holiday, "National Sovereignty Day," and held a parade to show off the military muscle it will use against a stubborn insurgency. [More>>haaretz.com; See related story, 6.30.09 Taliban scrap peace deal in Pakistan (AP) June 30 - Taliban militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan say they have pulled out of a peace deal with the government, raising the prospect of wider unrest as the Pakistani army extends its efforts to eliminate insurgents. The militants in North Waziristan blamed continuing US missile strikes and army offensives against the Taliban for their decision, which was announced in the wake of a Taliban ambush that killed 16 soldiers. Separately, a car bombing in Pakistan's southwest killed four people Tuesday, police said — a reminder of how insecurity in the country stretches far beyond the northwest regions near Afghanistan. Government leaders and Taliban representatives reached the North Waziristan deal in February 2008, but few details have been released about it. US officials have criticized peace deals with militants or tribes representing them in the border region, saying they allow the insurgents to gain strength. [More>>indianexpress.com] 6.30.09 Muslims offer 100,000 Qurans to US leaders DUBAI, June 30 - "Share the Quran" inspired by Obama's Muslim outreach. America's top Muslim civil liberties advocacy group launched its "Share the Quran" campaign on Tuesday in which it will hand out 100,000 free copies of Islam's holy book in an effort to reach out to the country's elected officials and influential opinion shapers. The initiative, which has been labeled an educational campaign, was announced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at a press conference in Washington and was said to be prompted by President Barack Obama's recent speech in the Egyptian capital of Cairo in which he repeatedly quoted from the Quran to reach out to Muslims. Editorial note (Mel Copeland) "Confusion on the Koran" : The Quran (Koran) is a curious document. In many places it claims that it was recited (Koran means 'recital') to confirm that the Jewish Scriptures and Gospel of Christ are true. It also recognizes Jesus as the "Messiah" (Greek: "Christ"). At the same time, as it should be an advocate of peace, fulfilling the Gospel of Christ, it advocates killing unbelievers. See Maravot News 4.09.09 article 4.07.09 US Muslims urge Obama to focus on civil rights with editiorial note "Confusion over the teachings of the Koran." (reprinted from Maravot News 12.04.08) Koran's Confirmation of the Bible
Koran advocates violence against unbelievers (kuffar) / enemies:
Islamic scholars teachings against unbelievers - "kuffars": In an editorial note of Maravot News 8.08.05, article 8.07.05 Inside the sect that loves terror (a short article on the London Tube bombing worth reading) we referred to an Islamic scholar's website, as follows:
6.30.09 Spain closes Gaza bombing case against Israeli officials June 30 - Spanish Judge Fernando Andreu cannot investigate the IAF bombing in Gaza on July 22, 2002 that killed Hamas terrorist Sheikh Salah Shehadeh and 14 others, Spain's National Court ruled Tuesday. Earlier this month, the Jerusalem Post reported exclusively that the Spanish Appellate Court was due to make a decision on the matter. The Penal Hall of the court decided, in a vote of 14 against 4, not to proceed with the war crimes allegations against seven senior Israeli officials, including former IDF chiefs of staff Dan Halutz and Moshe Ya'alon, and former defense minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. The panel supported prosecutors who opposed the probe on the ground that Israel was already investigating the attack, the court said in a statement. The judges announced only their decision, not the specific legal reasoning behind it. The court said that the reasoning would be published in a matter of days. [More>>jpost.com] 6.30.09 North Korean ship turning around June 30 - Report: Kang Nam, Under Threat Of UN Resolution, Changes Course. The North Korean ship Kang Nam has turned around and is heading back toward the south coast of China, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. The ship, which left a North Korean port on June 17, is the first vessel monitored under UN sanctions that ban the regime from selling arms and weapons-related material. It is currently in the vicinity of the Parcel Islands 100 miles off Vietnam, Martin reports, adding that there is no specified reason as of now for why it has changed course. "With still no long range missiles on the launch pads and no time to get them ready for a July 4 launch, it would appear the temperature is being lowered," Martin said of North Korea's threats to launch missiles at Hawaii on the US's Independence Day. [More>>cbsnews.com] 6.29.09 Madoff sentenced to 150 years for Ponzi scheme June 29 - For one brief moment on Monday morning, Bernard L. Madoff stood up in a Manhattan courtroom and turned to face the people who lost their life savings to his huge Ponzi scheme. "I’m sorry," he told them. "I know that doesn't help you." What did help some of the victims — if anything could — was the sentence Mr. Madoff received minutes later: 150 years in prison for operating one of the largest frauds in Wall Street history, an operation that ensnared millionaires, private foundations, a Nobel Prize laureate and hundreds of small investors who lost their life savings to an investment guru they had trusted completely. In pronouncing the sentence — the maximum he could have handed down — Judge Denny Chin turned aside Mr. Madoff's own assertions of remorse and rejected the suggestion from Mr. Madoff's lawyers that there was a sense of "mob vengeance" surrounding calls for a long prison term. Mr. Madoff's crimes, the judge said, were "extraordinarily evil." [More>>nytimes.com; See related story, haaretz.com, June 29, "In pictures / The victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud scam."] 6.29.09 Aerial strikes, ground clashes kill 21 in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, June 29 - At least 21 people, most of them militants, were killed as Pakistani jets bombarded terrorist hideouts in Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud's stronghold of South Waziristan, where the Army is readying for a full-scale ground offensive. Fifteen militants were killed when fighter jets pounded three hideouts, including one established in a school in Ladha and Sam areas of South Waziristan. Air strikes and artillery have targeted areas dominated by Mehsud tribesmen ahead of a planned offensive by ground forces codenamed "Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path of Salvation)". 6.29.09 Bombing kills four foreign troops in central Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan (DPA) June 29 - Four international soldiers were killed Monday in a roadside bombing outside Kabul, said a spokesman for the government of Maidan Wardak province. Shahidullah Shahid said the troops died when their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb in the Jalrez district, about 40 kilometers west of Kabul. [More>>khaleejtimes.com] 6.29.09 World tells Honduras to reinstate ousted president TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) June 29 - Western Hemisphere leaders turn up pressure on Honduras to reinstate ousted president. Honduras' newly appointed leader vowed Monday to resist pressure from across the Americas to reinstate the president ousted in a military coup, as protesters burned tires outside the occupied presidential palace. Leaders from Hugo Chavez to Barack Obama called for the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya, who was arrested in his pajamas Sunday morning by soldiers who stormed his residence and flew him into exile. Roberto Micheletti, appointed president by congress, insisted that Zelaya was legally removed by the courts and Congress for violating Honduras' constitution — allegedly to extend his rule. Zelaya's ouster was Central America's first coup in at least 16 years, a blow from the barracks that reminded many of the military dictatorships the region has tried to bury in its past. [More>>abcnews.go.com] 6.29.09 Historic moment in Iraq marked by little fanfare, mixed feelings BAGHDAD, June 29 - Tuesday marks the long-anticipated deadline for American troops to pull out of Iraqi towns and cities, but on Monday, there will be no long lines of tanks rolling out of Baghdad or thousands of troops marching out of other cities. The US military has been gradually pulling its combat troops out of Iraq's population centers for months to meet the deadline agreed to by Washington and Baghdad. 6.29.09 President Ahmadinejad orders inquiry into 'suspicious' death of Neda June 29 - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has ordered an inquiry in to the "suspicious" death of Neda Soltan, the woman shot by government militiamen during a protest in Tehran. The President sent a letter to the chief of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, requesting a serious investigation to help to identify and prosecute "the elements" behind the killing earlier this month. "Given the many fabricated reports around this heartbreaking incident and the widespread propaganda by the foreign media... it seems there is clear interference by the enemies of Iran who want to misuse the situation politically and tarnish the clean image of the Islamic republic," the president wrote. [More>>timesonline.co.uk; See related stories: 6.29.09 1 killed, 15 injured in S. Philippine market blast: military COTABATO, Philippines, June 29 - One civilian was killed while 15 others were wounded as a homemade bomb exploded in a public market in southern Philippines Monday morning, the military said. Major Randolph Cabangbang, a regional military spokesman, said the blast occurred at 06:00 a.m. local time at Kitango village of Datu Saudi Amputuan town in Maguindanao province. A local witness earlier told Xinhua that at least three people were killed and seven others were injured when the improvised explosive device, hidden in front of a cafeteria, went off. Military bomb experts were sent to secure the scene and investigate the incident. Roads to the Kitango market were closed, witnesses said. [>xinhuanet.com]
EDITORIALS 09.11.05 When a nation lacks a competent leader it invites disaster – the legacy of Bush
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