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Maravot News of the World 01:13 PM - San Francisco Wednesday, January 06, 2010 (last post)

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News Headlines & Trends

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01.05.10 Pakistan: Taliban brainwashes kids with visions of virgins

NAWAZ KOT, Pakistan, January 5 - "When we got to this compound it was shocking for us," Lt. Col. Yusuf tells us, standing in the middle of what the Pakistani military says was a brainwashing center — for children. It was here, according to the Pakistani military, that children aged 12 to 18 were turned from innocent youngsters into cold-blooded killers, willing to blow themselves to bits as suicide bombers. The discovery of the compound was first reported in Pakistani media last month. Yusuf says his unit took it over after a three day battle with militants. Part of the compound consists of four rooms — each wall adorned with brightly colored paintings in clear contrast to the barren and harsh landscape surrounding it. The children were told that this was what awaited them in heaven. Each of the images has a river flowing through it. Some have people playing in the water. Others have women lining the banks.

The military says that the children are told that these are rivers of milk and honey, that the women are the virgins that await them in heaven. That the children were told that they will live in the company of the holy prophet and be served feasts. One has a home similar to the mud homes in the area which the military says is meant to invoke memories of where the children are from but with a beautiful mountainous green backdrop. Written across it are the words "Long live the Taliban of the mountains." ...the children end up believing that their life in this world is worthless, that life only starts in the hereafter. The Taliban is offering them a fast track option to paradise, a longed for escape from their daily reality surrounded by violence. [More with images of murals used to convert people to suicide missions>>cnn.com]

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Editorial note: Marco Polo (1254-1324 AD) went on a journey from Venice to China that lasted 25 years. In his "Travels of Marco Polo" he records the danger of "assasins" who would attack Westerners in suicide missions. The suicide assasins were organized by a chief known as "the old man of the mountains" who maintained a fortress that was painted with the imagery of Paradise. He would teach his followers that the quickest way to Paradise — where you would be served by seven virgins — was through suicide, committed while killing infidels. The separate account of Joinville & Villechardouin also records the assasins. Marco Polo notes that the fortress of the "old man of the mountain" was discovered by Crusaders and his bloody reign of terror came to an end. The modern version of the "old man of the mountain" and his assasins, namely Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda murderers, maintains the same teachings, promising suicide assasins Paradise for killing infidels. Al-Qaeda's definition of an infidel seems to include everyone that does not subscribe to al-Qaeda teachings.

Mel Copeland

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01.05.10 $2.3 trillion spent on health care in 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) January 5 -Federal study shows spending actually slowed due to recession, but that's still an average of $7,681 per person. The US spent an average of $7,681 per person on health care in 2008, for an eye-popping total of $2.3 trillion — even though spending actually slowed dramatically that year because of the recession, a new federal study says. Health spending didn't slow down as much as the nation's overall economic output, the study said, in keeping with a decades-old trend that has now pushed health care costs to account for over 16 percent of the nation's economy. The figures underscore the challenges confronting President Barack Obama and lawmakers seeking to overhaul the system. Obama has repeatedly cited spiraling health costs as one of the main reasons Congress needs to pass his health plan, and administration officials said the findings highlighted the need for quick action. [More>>cbsnews.com]

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01.05.10 Credit Suisse sued for $24bn over failed resorts

January 5 - Credit Suisse is being sued by property owners in four luxury ski and golf resorts, in the US and the Bahamas, who say that the Swiss bank concocted a loan scheme to defraud them and ultimately take over the properties. The lawsuit, filed on Sunday in a federal court in Boise, Idaho, seeks $24 billion of damages against Credit Suisse and Cushman & Wakefield, the commercial real estate firm. It also seeks class-action status for more than 3,000 investors who bought land or homes. The alleged losses relate to Yellowstone Club, a Montana ski resort, whose members have included Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft. They also relate to the Lake Las Vegas resort in southern Nevada, the Tamarack resort in central Idaho and Ginn sur Mer on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. Lake Las Vegas and Tamarack have also been the subject of bankruptcy proceedings. The four resorts are among many high-end properties that have struggled with falling real estate values and the credit crisis. Credit Suisse and Cushman & Wakefield each said that the lawsuit lacks merit and that they will defend themselves vigorously.

According to the complaint, Credit Suisse violated federal racketeering laws by concocting a “loan to own” scheme that inflated the value of resorts and burdened the resorts and purchasers of homes there with too much debt. Using appraisal methods provided by Cushman & Wakefield, this scheme allowed Credit Suisse to win "enormous fees" and ultimately foreclose on or take control of the resorts at well below market value, the complaint said. "The scheme has been a financial heist for Credit Suisse with no risk," the complaint said. "Credit Suisse knew at the time the lending advice and authorizations were given that its scheme and tactics would cause the developers and the resorts financial ruin, resulting in the ultimate takeover by Credit Suisse," it added. [More>>timesonline.co.uk]

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01.05.10 Deputy FM: Arrest warrants harming Britian-Israel ties

January 5 - Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday met Tuesday with British Attorney General Baroness Patricia Janet Scotland to protest the slew of arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli officials in the United Kingdom. A delegation of senior Israel Defense Forces officers recently canceled a planned visit to the UK for fear they would be arrested upon landing. The four unidentified officers, holding ranks from major to colonel, are the latest in a string of Israeli politicians and military officials forced to call off travel to Britain over fears of legal prosecution relating to last year's offensive on the Gaza Strip. Britain is one of the European pioneers of universal jurisdiction, a broad legal concept that empowers judges to issue arrest warrants for nearly any visitor accused of committing war crimes anywhere in the world.

Pro-Palestinian activists have sought to use this concept to press charges against Israelis involved in military operations in Palestinian territories, particularly since last year's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. British officials have vowed to change the law. Ayalon said the warrants issued against senior Israeli officials "make it difficult for the two countries to maintain a normal relationship," He also stressed that the majority of Israeli citizens have served in the IDF, and as such would be unable to visit the UK, which Ayalon said would damage British interests as well. [More>>haaretz.com]

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01.05.10 Seoul buried in heaviest snowfall in 70 years

SEOUL, January 5 - Seoul residents slogged through the heaviest snowfall in modern Korean history after a winter storm dumped more than 28 centimeters Monday, forcing airports to cancel flights and paralyzing traffic in South Korea's bustling capital. The snow and icy roads snarled traffic in and out of Seoul, and at least three people died in traffic accidents. Many commuters squeezed into packed subways to get to work, and a Cabinet meeting was delayed because ministers were stuck in traffic. The snowfall, which continued through Monday afternoon, was the heaviest in a single day since Korea began conducting meteorological surveys in 1937, the state weather agency said. [More>>japantoday.com]

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01.04.10 Extremists online discussed blowing up planes weeks before Northwest Flight 253 attempt

JERUSALEM, January 4 - Online extremists recommended methods exactly like those used by Abdulmutallab. Extremist Internet forums discussed blowing up planes three weeks before the Detroit attempt — and have also discussed ways of using deadly biological agents onboard planes. A private Israeli intelligence company told ABC News Monday there was a surge of online discussions in extremist Islamic forums about blowing up planes three weeks before Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's attempt to bring down Northwest Flight 253. The discussions recommended using "improvised detonation chain" devices, exactly like the one used onboard the Detroit-bound flight.

The company has also tracked specific — and in its view — credible plans to attack planes using deadly biological agents. The company, Terrogence, is run by former intelligence agents who for the last four years have monitored and occasionally participated anonymously in extremist Internet sites. Three weeks ago company founder Gadi Aviran and colleagues noticed a surge in Internet traffic from well-known extremists talking about how to bring down planes using combinations of chemicals including PETN, the chemical used by Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day. [More>>abcnews.go.com]

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01.04.10 Yemen: 2 al-Qaeda militants killed in clash

SAN'A (AP) January 4 - Security forces killed two suspected al-Qaeda militants in clashes outside the Yemeni capital on Monday, officials said, as the US and British embassies extended their closure for a second day because of threats of attack by the terror group's offshoot here. The clashes took place in a region northeast of the capital where last month the government carried out intensified raids against an al-Qaeda cell it said was plotting attacks against foreign interests, possibly including embassies. In that Dec. 17 raid, officials said four would-be suicide bombers were killed. The US and British embassies closed on Sunday after what US officials said were signs of al-Qaeda was planning an attack in San'a, possibly against the diplomatic missions. [More>>thejakartapost.com]

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01.04.10 US says Qaeda funded by Colombian cocaine

BOGOTA, Columbia, January 4 - Colombia rebels, Qaeda in "unholy" drug alliance. Colombian guerrillas have entered into "an unholy alliance" with Islamic extremists who are helping the Marxist rebels smuggle cocaine through Africa on its way to European consumers, a US official told Reuters. Interdiction efforts have made it more difficult to send cocaine straight from Colombia and other Andean producer nations to the United States and Europe. So criminal organizations including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, are going through Africa to access the European market. And they are doing it with the help of al-Qaeda and other groups branded terrorists by Washington, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

"In the mid to late 1990s when the Europeans became better at maritime interdiction, off the coasts of Portugal and Spain for example, traffickers started moving their routes southward. So the next progression was to Western Africa," said Jay Bergman, DEA director for the Andean region of South America. Three West African men accused of ties to al-Qaeda were extradited to New York in December on drug trafficking and terrorism charges It was the first time US authorities established a link suggesting al-Qaeda is funding itself in part by providing security for drug smugglers in West Africa.

...When sea interdictions stepped up, traffickers started using planes to get cocaine to Africa. Most flights appear to take off from Venezuela, which shares a border with Colombia. "All of the aircraft seizures that have been made in West Africa, and we've made about a half a dozen of them, had departed from Venezuela. If you look at the range and refueling requirements, that's the place you have to fly from," he said. "Geography is the key reason why Venezuela has become a springboard location," Bergman added. [Full story>>alarabiya.net]

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01.04.10 Five terrorists killed in OP RAH-e-Nijat: ISPR report

WANA, Pakistan, January 5 - Five terrorists have been killed and 7 others injured in the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat during the last 24 hours. According to ISPR, on Jandola Sector, security forces carried out sanitization in area around Shuza Nullah. On Shakai Sector, terrorists fired [a] few rockets at security forces check post near Boya Narai which was effectively responded. Security forces conducted search and clearance in Jamal Shah near Pash Ziarat and Mankal Algad on Razmak Sector and cleared 34 compounds. During [the] encounter, 5 terrorists were killed and 7 were reportedly injured, while [a] cache of arms and ammunitions were also recovered. Two terrorists were apprehended near Shewa check post.

In Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat-Malakand, Security forces conducted [a] search and clearance operation at Meramai near Chuprial, Pia Nimakai, Tando Dag, Shahbazabad near Katlang, Delai and Mora Sar check post and apprehended 5 suspected terrorists and recovered [a] cache of arms and ammunition. Five suspects voluntarily surrendered themselves to security forces at Shagai, Sakhra, Watakai and Dagar. [>thenews.com.pk]

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01.04.10 Iran says several foreigners arrested in protests

TEHRAN (Reuters) January 4 - Iran said on Monday that several foreigners conducting "psychological warfare" against the clerical system were arrested in last month's bloody clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. In the bloodiest unrest since the aftermath of a disputed June presidential poll, eight people were killed on Dec. 27 and over 40 reformist figures, including four advisers to opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, have been arrested since then.

"Several foreigners are among those who were arrested on the day of Ashura ... they were leading a psychological war against the system ... They entered Iran two days before Ashura," Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi told state television, without giving the foreigners’ nationality. Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused opposition leaders of links to “foreign enemies”, warning that they will not tolerate any more anti-government protests after the turmoil that broke out during the Shi'ite ritual of Ashura. The intelligence minister also said the case of the arrested foreigners would be handed over to the judiciary by Wednesday. [More>>khaleejtimes.com]

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01.04.10 Report: Jordanian agent carried out CIA bombing

January 4 - The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA agents on a base in Afghanistan Dec. 31, 2009 was a Jordanian doctor acting as a double agent for al-Qaeda, according to a NBC News report Monday citing "Western intelligence officials." The officials said the perpetrator was 36-year-old Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi. Al-Balawi had been identified as a possible terror threat more than a year ago, but US and Jordanian intelligence officials apparently believed he had turned and was feeding them valuable information. He was allowed onto the Afghanistan base last week after promising information about top al-Qaeda lieutenant Ayman al Zawahiri, according to the NBC report. [>cbsnews.com; See details,

msnbc.msn.com, January 4, "NBC: AL-Qaeda double-agent killed CIA officers" : Al-Balawi was arrested by Jordanian intelligence more than a year ago. However, the Jordanians believed that al-Balawi had been successfully reformed and brought over to the American and Jordanian side, setting him up as an agent and sending him off to Afghanistan and Pakistan to infiltrate al-Qaeda. His specific mission, according to officials, was to find and meet Ayman al Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's No. 2, also a physician. However, the Al-Jazeera Web site quoted a Taliban spokesman who said al-Balawi misled Jordanian and US intelligence services for a year.

The spokesman, Al-Hajj Ya'qub, promised to release a video confirming his account of the attack. Last week, according to the Western officials, al-Balawi reportedly called his handler to say he needed to meet with the CIA's team based in Khost, Afghanistan, because he said he had urgent information he needed to relay about Zawahiri. His handler was a senior intelligence official, identified in Jordanian press accounts as Sharif Ali bin Zeid. But bin Zeid was not just a Jordanian intelligence officer; he was also a member of the Jordanian royal family and was a first cousin of the king and grandnephew of the first king Abdullah... 

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01.04.10 Troops killed in Afghan explosions

January 4 - Two separate roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan have left four US troops and a British soldier dead. The US soldiers, the first American military casualties in Afghanistan in the new year, were killed in an explosion on Sunday in the south of the country, NATO-led forces said in a statement. The UK soldier died while on foot patrol in Helmand province, Britain's ministry of defence said on Monday. The Taliban said that a series of explosions on Sunday in Panjwai district of southern Kandahar had killed several foreign soldiers, but their report could not be verified immediately. Meanwhile, the Afghan defence ministry said its soldiers killed more than 10 Taliban fighters on Sunday in northern Kunduz province's Imam Sahib district. [More>>aljazeera.net]

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01.04.10 Kepler telescope has turned up five 'exoplanets,' NASA scientist announces

January 4 - Monday morning at an astronomy meeting here in Washington, the lead scientist for a new NASA space telescope announced the discovery of five more "exoplanets" far beyond our own solar system, and expressed optimism that his team is on a path to finding an Earth-sized planet in an Earth-like orbit in the near future. But the new trove of data from the telescope named Kepler has also turned up space oddities that make astronomers wonder what exactly they're looking at. For example, Kepler found a star with a small orbiting object that is hotter than the star itself.

The object is too hot to be a planet but is the wrong size and density to fit any known profile for a dwarf star. One of the five planets announced by William J. Borucki, the top scientist for the telescope, is so fluffy that "it has the density of Styrofoam," he said. Kepler was launched last March and is in an Earth-trailing orbit around the sun. It was designed to look at more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy in a patch of sky in the constellation Cygnus. The telescope finds planets using a technique that measures the very slight dimming of starlight as a planet passes in front of a star. [More>>washingtonpost.com]

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01.04.10 Mars' ancient lake beds spied by NASA probe

January 4 - New images of Mars suggest the Red Planet had large lakes on its surface as recently as three billion years ago. The evidence comes from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) which spied a series of depressions linked by what look like drainage channels. Scientists tell the journal Geology that the features bear the hallmarks of being produced by liquid water. But they appear to have formed much later in Mars' history than many thought possible, the researchers add. The team, from Imperial and University Colleges London, studied pictures of several flat-floored depressions located above Ares Vallis, a giant gorge running some 2,000km across Mars' equator. The hollows are about 20km in diameter. [More>>bbc.co.uk]

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01.04.10 Dubai opens world's tallest tower

January 4 - Dubai has opened the world's tallest building as the emirate tries to re-establish some of the optimism it experienced prior to its financial crisis. Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, on Monday inaugurated the tower — originally called Burj Dubai — as Burj Khalifa in honour of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the president of the United Arab Emirates. At a height of 828 metres, Burj Khalifa soars over its nearest rival — the Taipei 101 in Taiwan which rises to only 508 metres. Dubai, one of seven members of the United Arab Emirates, has gained a reputation for excesses with the creation of man-made islands shaped like palms and an indoor ski slope in the desert. But the emirate suffered a real estate crash at the end of 2008 when the global financial crisis hit. [More>>aljazeera.net]

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01.03.10 North calls for better US relations

January 2 - Pyongyang doesn't issue any threats or criticisms of joint military exercises. In its joint annual newspaper commentary to open the new year, North Korea yesterday called for an end to hostile relations with the United States and insisted on building a "nuclear-free" Korean Peninsula through dialogue. The stance represented a decidedly different tone from a year ago, when the North slammed South Korea for escalating tension. In an editorial published in three newspapers representing the ruling Workers’ Party, the North Korean military and its youth militia, North Korea did not issue any threat or offer criticism of South Korea. Instead, the North called for a peaceful peninsula.

"It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and make it nuclear-free through dialogue and negotiations," the editorial read, referring to North Korea by its official name. "Unshakable is our stand that we will improve north-south relations and open the way for national reunification." The editorial, published at the beginning of each year, provides a glimpse into the North's policies for the given year, and is closely monitored by the South. [More>>joongangdaily.joins.com]

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01.03.10 British Muslim MP says fine to 'profile' passengers

January 3 - With the failed US bombing igniting the profiling debate, a leading Muslim MP in the UK has said it is reasonable for Muslims to be singled out for security and this would not amount to their victimization. Labour MP from Birmingham Perry Barr Khalid Mahmood said it had become necessary to "profile" passengers from certain racial and religious groups to weed out possible terror suspects. "I think most people would rather be profiled than blown up... It wouldn't be victimization of an entire community," he said. Mahmood said it is reasonable for Muslims to be singled out for extra security checks at airports after the attempted bombing over Detroit.

"If people want to fly safely we have to take measures to stop things like the Christmas Day plot. Profiling may have to be the price we have to pay. "The fact is the majority of people who have carried out or planned these terror attacks have been Muslims," he said. The UK Border Agency said profiling was one of the security measures used in the case of people coming into Britain, but the Department of Transport refused to say whether it was used on passengers leaving the country. [>indianexpress.com]

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01.03.10 Malaysia to apeal 'Allah' ruling: minister

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) January 3 - "Allah" should be used only by Muslims: government. Malaysia's minister in charge of Muslim affairs has said the government will appeal a court ruling allowing a Catholic paper the right to use the word "Allah." Malaysia's high court ruled last week the Herald weekly had the right to use the word "Allah" after a long-running dispute between the government and the newspaper in the Muslim-majority nation. The paper has been using the word as a translation for "God" in its Malay-language section, but the government argued the word should be used only by Muslims.

Jamil Khir Johari said the country's national fatwa council had ruled in May 2008 that "Allah" could only be used by Muslims in Malaysia, state news agency Bernama reported late Saturday. "It is important for Muslims here to guard the use of the word and if there is any attempt to insult or misuse the word we must take all legal action as allowed under the federal constitution," he was quoted as saying by Bernama. Premier Najib Razak urged people to remain calm, saying he was concerned about reactions to the court decision. [More>>alarabiya.net; See other details,

thestar.com.my, January 3, "Allah issue: Pm urges calm while Government appeals court's decision" : ...Earlier, Najib received a memorandum from about 30 representatives of non-governmental organizations led by Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia deputy president Amidi Abdul Manan. Amidi, who claimed he represented some 20 NGOs, wanted the Home Ministry to file an appeal promptly to allay the anxiety of the Muslims in the country. He also urged all parties to respect the fatwa made by National Fatwa Council that the word Allah was exclusive to the Islamic religion.

Background story, Maravot News 1.01.10 Use of word 'Allah' not exclusive to Muslims: Malaysian court

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01.03.10 Palestinians claim Dead Sea Scrolls

January 3 - As custodians begin to pack up an exhibit of the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls and ship them back to Israel, both the Palestinians and the Jordanians have demanded their seizure. Both Jordan and the Palestinians have claimed custody over the historic Dead Sea Scrolls, currently on display at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Canada. Israel's Antiquities Authority loaned 17 of the Dead Sea Scrolls along with other artifacts from the time of the Second Temple to the ROM as part of a six month display. The display, entitled "Words that Changed the World," ended on January 3. "They are an integral part of Palestinian heritage," Hamdan Taha, Director of the Palestinian Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Department told The Media Line. [More>>jpost.com]

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Editorial note: Jewish and Christian scholars regard the Dead Sea Scrolls as important historical books, revealing scriptures found in the Bible and related documents. They were buried at the Dead Sea community of Qumran over 2,000 years ago by a group called the Essenes, who were an offshoot of the Pharisees at the time of Christ. Scholars believe that many of their scriptures foreshadow early Christian teachings, particularly those that refer to the "Children of Light" versus the "Children of Darkness," found in some of sayings in the Gospel of Jesus. Other scriptures provide insight into the Talmud and "Oral Torah" believed to have been created during the Jews' Babylonian Captivity. The Babylonian Empire under Nebuzar-adan captain of Nebuchadnessar's body-guard carried off the Jews in 586 BC. After the overthrow of Babylonia by the Persian Empire, the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great gave Jews permission to return to their homeland in 538 BCE and more than 40,000 are said to have returned, as noted in the Biblical accounts of Jehoiakim, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947 by a Bedouin goat-herds, confirm that the Bible, Jewish Talmud, etc., have passed through time with little modification. Before the documents were discovered, a running criticism held that the documents of the Bible had been tampered with over time and, thus, could not be relied on as to their scriptural authority.

This is an odd claim by the Palestinians who declaim the existence of Israel — with Hamas dedicated to the destruction of the Jews. Furthermore, modern Moslems tend to address Christians and Jews as infidels "condemned by Allah." The hateful speech of Iran's President Ahmadinejad towards Israel, threatening to destroy the Jews, and the constant killings and assaults on Christians by Moslems in Iraq warrant great concern as to the intentions of Islam towards Christians and Jews.

Jordan possessed some of the scrolls when it occupied Jerusalem (In the creation of the Israel and Palestine territories under UN Resolution of 1947, Jerusalem was set aside as UN territory, called The Corpus Separatum of Jerusalem. The scrolls contested by Jordan may belong to the UN, apart from Israel. It is not clear why Moslem nations would treasure the Dead Sea Scrolls, since the scrolls document the history of the Jews.

One may regard rightful ownership in the context of claims by Egypt, Greece and Turkey for the return of artifacts taken from their territories and acquired by the British Museum. If the Elgin Marbles, for instance, should be restored to Greece, then the Dead Sea Scrolls should rightfully belong with Israel. We can also note that the Dead Sea territory belonged to the Jews until they were evicted from the Holy Land during the Roman conquest of 70 AD. .

Mel Copeland

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01.03.10 Western embassies close in Yemen after 'direct al-Qaeda threat'

January 3 - Britain and the United States closed their embassies in Yemen today in the face of threats from al-Qaeda, as the two countries announced they were stepping up efforts to help the Yemeni Government fight terrorism. Security chiefs at the two fortress-like buildings in the new part of Sanaa, the capital, would decide whether to re-open the embassies tomorrow, officials said. [More>>timesonline.co.uk; See also bbc.co.uk, January 3, "US shuts embassy as al-Qaeda plans attack in Yemen."]

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01.03.10 Headley's Moroccan ex-wife gives more 26/11 leads

NEW DELHI, January 3 - Security agencies have been able to get an insight into the personal life of American terror suspect David Headley, with his estranged Moroccan wife telling investigators about connections he had in Mumbai, including with some socialites. Faiza Outalha, who, the security agencies suspect had carried out reconnaissance of certain installations that were targeted by the Lashker-e-Taiba terrorists in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that she was married to 48-year-old Headley but had a divorce later, official sources said. The woman flew to Mumbai from Karachi and crossed over through Wagah border into India the second time. She had come for the first time in 2007 and stayed with the terror suspect in Taj Mahal Hotel and later in Oberoi-Trident. Both the hotels were targeted by the terrorists on 26/11.

She again came in May 2008 via Wagah and went straight to Manali where she had her holidays near a Jewish house and later toured other parts of Shimla including Kufri, a well-known tourist destination. While she claimed that she had since been divorced as Headley was having relations with several women, the investigators also found from her about the terror suspect's relations with some upcoming Bollywood actors, prominent party-hoppers of Mumbai and socialites... Another question bothering the probe agency was how Outalha entered India through Wagah border which is exclusively meant for Indian or Pakistani nationals. The woman is a Moroccan passport holder and could only use the route through special permission from the Pakistani foreign office. [Full story>>timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

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01.03.10 Roadside bomb kills former Pakistan minister

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) January 3 - A bomb attack in northwest Pakistan killed a former minister on Sunday, officials said, keeping up pressure on a government struggling to contain a raging Taliban insurgency and stabilise the country. A roadside bomb hit the car in which former provincial minister Ghani-ur-Rehman was travelling. "The minister, his bodyguard and driver were killed," said Fazal Naeem, a police official in the town of Hangu, where the attack took place. A second bodyguard was also killed. The blast comes in an especially bloody week, including the suicide bombing of a volleyball game in a northwestern village where anti-Taliban militias were being formed. At least 98 people were killed. In another attack, claimed by the Taliban, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a religious procession of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city. [More>>thestar.com.my]

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01.03.10 US drone kills 2 militants in N. Waziristan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, January 3 - A missile fired by a US drone killed two suspected militants on Sunday in North Waziristan on the Afghan border. According to sources, the unmanned US aircraft targeted the house of a person known as Sadiq Noor in Mir Ali. [>thenews.com.pk; See more details, cnn.com, January 3, "Suspected US drone kills 2 in Pakistan."]

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01.03.10 Indian workers sold like cattle in Saudi Arabia: Stowaway

JAIPUR, India, January 4 - Habib Hussain of Moradabad, who hid in a toilet on an Air India flight from Saudi Arabia to return to his own country, says he did so for his two children, his pregnant wife, and an ailing mother. After his bizarre experience, Habib says he has realized that "aadhi roti" (half a piece of bread) at home is better than one in an alien land. He also said Indian labour is sold like cattle in that country.

He had sold his two "bigha'' land for Rs 1.25 lakh and left behind just about Rs 11,000 for his family after paying the agent. He now tearfully says, "There was no point in staying in Saudi. I just had to return. My wife was two months pregnant when I left and will have a baby any time now. My family was hungry here; I was hungry there. I was better off earning Rs 80 a day and feeding my family rather than living on a promise of Rs 15,000-20,000 and not getting a paisa. "I know there could have been serious problems during the flight, but I had confidence in my countrymen. Moreover, I was ready to face any consequence in India which would have been better than living in Saudi Arabia," he says. ``After grazing goats until noon, I offered namaz. In the evening, after helping a Haji with his bags, I slipped into a toilet in the lower deck of the aircraft. Forty-five minutes after the plane took off, an air hostess saw me. After she heard my story, she gave me a seat and food,'' said Habib.

All that Habib got to eat in the six months that he was away was one roti and a bowl of dal worth Re 1 each day - bought from the money that the Hajis tipped him with. "I didn't get a penny from my employer and started saving whatever I could to get back to my country. I could manage to save Rs 800 and thought if my passport was returned to me, I could board a flight to India. But whenever we asked for our passports, we were kicked and thrashed and made to work for over 14 to 18 hours a day," he said.

"Indian labour is sold in Saudi like cattle and thousands of Indians from UP and Bengal are suffering there. They are helpless without their passports," said Habib. "My agent (Imran) got an assignment to provide 50 labourers from India. We were recruited and sent in groups of five, 10 and 20. After landing, I was made to work in Jeddah for a month. I grazed goats during the day and worked as a cleaner at the airport in the evenings. I worked for 14-18 hours a day. Thereafter, I was sold to a "khafii" or agent in Medina who required 500 people. In Medina, I worked for over 15 hours daily. I wept and wondered how my family was doing back home," he said. "My father passed away two years back and my mother is ill and needs medication. I just want to get back home. I hope my case will be seen with empathy. Who will feed my children if I am put behind bars?" he asked. [>timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

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01.03.10 Mexico cops capture alleged drug lord

MEXICO CITY (AP) January 2 - Carlos Beltran Leyva arrested two weeks after higher-ranking brother killed in shootout. Mexican police have captured alleged drug lord Carlos Beltran Leyva, just two week after his even more powerful brother was killed in a shootout with troops — back-to-back victories in President Felipe Calderon's drug war. The Public Safety office said in a statement Saturday night that Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in Culiacan, the capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their gang.

Two weeks ago, his brother Arturo, reputed chief of the Beltran Leyva Cartel, was killed in a shootout with Mexican marines in the central city of Cuernavaca. Mexican officials in the past have described Carlos Beltran as a key member of the gang, but it was unclear if he took over as chief of the cartel after his brother died. A third brother, Alfredo Beltran Levya, was arrested in January 2008. Another brother, Mario Beltran Leyva, is still at large and listed as one of Mexico's most wanted alleged drug lords. [More>>cbsnews.com]

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01.02.10 'Internet imams' the new recruiters for al-Qaeda

WASHINGTON, January 2 - The apparent ties between the Nigerian man charged with plotting to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day and a radical American-born Yemeni imam have cast a spotlight on a world of charismatic clerics who wield their internet celebrity to indoctrinate young Muslims with extremist ideology and recruit them for al-Qaeda, American officials and counterterrorism specialists said. American military and law enforcement authorities said the man accused in the bombing attempt, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, most likely had contacts with the cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, whom investigators have also named as having exchanged email messages with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people in a shooting rampage in November at Fort Hood, Texas.

Speaking in eloquent, often colloquial, English, Awlaki and other internet imams from the Middle East to Britain offer a televangelist's persuasive message of faith, purpose and a way forward, for both the young and as yet uncommitted, as well as for the most devout worshipers ready to take the next step, to jihad. "People across the spectrum of radicalism can gravitate to them, if they’re just dipping their toe in or they’re hard core," said Jarret Brachman, author of "Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice." "Awlaki is, among other things, a talent spotter," a US counterterrorism official said. "That's part of his value to al-Qaeda If people are drawn to him, he can pass them along to trainers and operational planners." Sheikh Khalid bin Abdul Rahman al-Husainan of Kuwait mixes contemporary politics with talk of martyrdom. "Obama, in the same way that you raised the slogan, 'Yes We Can,' I too have a slogan," Husainan wrote in August. "My slogan in this life is 'Happiness is the day of my martyrdom.' " [>timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

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01.02.10 Yemen sends troops to al-Qaeda strongholds

SAN'A, Yemen (AP) January 2 - Security officials say Yemen has deployed several hundred extra troops to two mountainous eastern provinces that are al-Qaeda's main strongholds in the country. The officials say the reinforcements were sent Friday to Marib and Jouf provinces, where al-Qaeda's presence is believed to be strongest and where the central government has little control. The officials spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media. The United States has intensified security aid to Yemen in a bid to combat the growing presence of al-Qaeda in the impoverished Arab nation. President Barack Obama said Saturday that al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen was behind a failed attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day. [>khaleejtimes.com; See more details,

cbsnews.com (AP) January 2, "Yemeni troops sent to al-Qaeda strongholds" : ...Gen. David Petraeus, the US general who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and who announced the increased aid, arrived in Yemen on Saturday and met with President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Yemeni government official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press. The confrontation with al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen gained new urgency after the failed attempt on Christmas Day to bomb a US airliner headed to Detroit. President Barack Obama said Saturday that al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen was behind the attempt. A 23-year-old Nigerian accused in the attack, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has told US investigators he received training and instructions from al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen...

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01.02.10 Exclusive: CIA attacker driven in from Pakistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, January 2 - Suicide bomber was a regular CIA informant, had been to Chapman Base multiple times. The suicide bomber who killed at least six Central Intelligence Agency officers in a base along the Afghan-Pakistan border on Wednesday was a regular CIA informant who had visited the same base multiple times in the past, according to someone close to the base's security director. The informant was a Pakistani and a member of the Wazir tribe from the Pakistani tribal area North Waziristan, according to the same source. The base security director, an Afghan named Arghawan, would pick up the informant at the Ghulam Khan border crossing and drive him about two hours into Forward Operating Base Chapman, from where the CIA operates.

Because he was with Arghawan, the informant was not searched, the source says. Arghawan also died in the attack. The story seems to corroborate a claim by the Taliban on the Pakistani side of the border that they had turned a CIA asset into a double agent and sent him to kill the officers in the base, located in the eastern Afghan province of Khost. The infiltration into the heart of the CIA's operation in eastern Afghanistan deals a strong blow to the agency's ability to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda, former intelligence officials say, and will make the agency reconsider how it recruits Pakistani and Afghan informants. [More>>abcnews.go.com]

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01.02.10 Cartoonist intruder: 'links to Islamic terrorists'

January 2 - An intruder who was shot and wounded by police after breaking into the Denmark home of Muhammad cartoonist Kurt Westergaard has links to Islamic terrorists, according to Danish intelligence. The 28-year-old Somali man is connected to the radical Islamist al-Shabaab militia and al-Qaeda leaders in East Africa, claims Denmark's PET intelligence service. Police say the intruder entered the property by smashing a window and was carrying a knife and axe. He has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a court hearing today in Aarhus, Denmark. The 74-year-old, whose cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad sparked riots five years ago, has had numerous threats on his life and his house in Viby, near Aarhus, is heavily fortified with security modifications.

Westergaard, who had his five-year-old granddaughter staying with him, was able to hide in a panic room in his bathroom and signal the police using an inbuilt alarm button. Officers were at the house within two minutes and shot the intruder after he tried to attack them. The suspect, who is being treated in hospital for injuries to his hand and knee, will be charged with attempted murder, according to Jakob Scharf, head of PET. Scharf, said the attack was "terror related" and that the Somalian had been under surveillance for activities unrelated to Westergaard. [More>>timesonline.co.uk]

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01.02.10 2 ships hijacked off Somalia

LONDON (AP) January 2 - A British-flagged cargo ship and a chemical tanker from Singapore have both been hijacked by pirates in the perilous waters off the coast of Somalia, officials said on Saturday. The Asian Glory highjacking happened late on Friday roughly 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) east of Somalia, said Commander John Harbour, a spokesman with the European Union task force charged with combating piracy off Somalia. That same day, the Singaporean-flagged Pramoni, a chemical tanker with a crew of 24, was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest waterways. [More>>timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

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01.02.10 Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza after rocket strike

GAZA, January 2 - Israeli warplanes launched a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip early on Saturday, wounding two people, in retaliation for what the army said was a rocket strike, which landed in the desert and caused no damage or injuries. Two explosions were heard in Gaza City, one north of the city and one in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. Palestinian medics and witnesses said all the missiles appeared to land in open fields. Two people, including a child, were lightly wounded, medics said. An Israeli military spokesman said warplanes had attacked two tunnels militants were digging in the direction of Israel, apparently to infiltrate the country and carry out attacks. [More>>alarabiya.net]

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01.02.10 Four more terrorists killed in SWA: ISPR report

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, January 2 - Four more terrorists have been killed during the last 24 hours in the ongoing Operation Rah-e-Nijat. According to ISPR, in Jandola Sector, terrorists fired on security forces at Maddi near Jani Khel during encounter 2 terrorists were killed and 2 were apprehended. Terrorists tried to attack at security forces check post near Shuza Algad which was effectively repulsed, resultantly 2 terrorists were killed and 2 were injured. In Shakai Sector, security forces conducted [a] search and clearance operation at Karam Village near Kaniguram and recovered cache of arms and ammunitions.

Terrorists fired with small arms at Narakai near Ladha and Ghundai Gur and Boya Narrai which was effectively responded. In Razmak Sector, security forces conducted search and clearance operation[s] at Makeen, Bhismat near Razmak, Qalandir near Pash Ziarat and cleared 90 compounds while [a] huge cache of arms and ammunitions were also recovered. Terrorists fired mortar rounds at security forces check post at Spina Mela near Razmak which was responded effectively, resultantly 2 soldiers were injured. Terrorists fired with rockets at Metari Narai, resultantly 1 soldier embraced shahadat and 5 others were injured.

Security forces apprehended 6 suspects at Shewa Check Post during routine checking. In the ongoing Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat-Malakand, security forces carried out search and clearance operation[s] at Takhta Bai near Mardan, Bodigram near Matta and Akhama near Sakhra and Prangman near Piochar and Sora Banda and apprehended 2 suspects while [they] recovered [a] cache of arms and ammunitions. One suspect voluntarily surrendered to security forces at Bishbanr near Tiligram. Security forces carried out [a] search and clearance operation at Bnajot Manglour and recovered [a] cache of arms and ammunition. Security forces carried out [a] snap action in Bazdara Bala and Koh-e-Bermal near Malakand and apprehended 2 suspects. [>thenews.com.pk]

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01.02.10 California school administrator among victims of Mexican violence

January 1 - The bodies of six men -- including a California educator -- were found Thursday in the north-central Mexican state of Durango, hours after they had been abducted from a nearby restaurant, the man's relatives said Friday. "He was needlessly and senselessly murdered," said Carlos Salcedo, 37, about his brother, Augustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo, of El Monte, east of Los Angeles. Bobby Salcedo, 33, had traveled with his wife to visit her family in Gomez Palacio, his brother said. They were eating in a restaurant Wednesday night when armed men barged in, forced everyone onto the floor and abducted all six men who were in the party, Carlos Salcedo told CNN in a telephone interview.

At 7am Thursday, police notified his sister-in-law that they had found her husband's body in a local ravine with bullet wounds to the head and chest, he said. "All indications are that this was just random, a violent act, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he told reporters in El Monte. "What we really want to do is just shed a light on this incident and the senseless, violent acts that are happening across the border from us and really just put a spotlight on this and make sure that we find justice." [More>>cnn.com]

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01.01.10 US economy took a dive in the 2000s, a lost decade for workers

January 1 - For most of the past 70 years, the US economy has grown at a steady clip, generating perpetually higher incomes and wealth for American households. But since 2000, the story is starkly different. The past decade was the worst for the U.S. economy in modern times, a sharp reversal from a long period of prosperity that is leading economists and policymakers to fundamentally rethink the underpinnings of the nation's growth. It was, according to a wide range of data, a lost decade for American workers. A decade that began in a moment of triumphalism and the idea among some economists that recessions were a thing of the past has included two of them — bookends to a debt-driven expansion that was neither robust nor sustainable.

There has been zero net job creation since December 1999. No previous decade going back to the 1940s had job growth of less than 20 percent. Economic output rose at its slowest rate of any decade since the 1930s as well. Middle-income households made less in 2008, when adjusted for inflation, than they did in 1999 — and the number is sure to have declined further during a difficult 2009. The Aughts reflected the first falling median incomes since figures were first compiled in the 1960s. And the net worth of American households — the value of their houses, retirement funds, and other assets minus debts — has also declined when adjusted for inflation, compared with sharp gains in every previous decade since data were initially collected in the 1950s. [More>>washingtonpost.com]

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01.01.10 Iran in serious crisis: opposition leader Mousavi

TEHRAN (Reuters) January 1 - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi said on Friday he was ready to die for his reformist campaign after a disputed election in June, defying hardline calls for his execution. "I'm not afraid of being one of the martyrs who lost their lives in their fight for their rightful demands since the vote," Mousavi said on his website, five days after his nephew and seven other pro-reform protesters were killed during a rally. Mousavi, whose allegation that the June presidential vote he lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged set off a wave of unrest, said in the statement the Islamic Republic was in "serious crisis."

In his most outspoken remarks of recent months, Mousavi declared that "arresting or killing Mousavi, (or fellow opposition leader Mehdi) Karoubi ... will not calm the country." The remarks on his Kaleme website were a new challenge to the authorities, who have intensified their crackdown on the reform movement since last Sunday when eight people — including a nephew of Mousavi's — were killed in protests on the day of the Shi'ite Muslim ritual of Ashura. [More>>thestar.com.my; See related story,

nytimes.com, January 1, "Standoff in Iran deepens with new show of force" : CAIRO - Iranian authorities filled the streets of Tehran with hundreds of police officers and armed militia members to deter protests on New Year's Day as Mir Hussein Moussavi, the leader of the opposition, said in a statement that he did not fear giving his life as "a martyr." The overwhelming show of force in the capital and Mr. Moussavi's declaration, which said that even killing him would not end the unrest, were part of a day of charges, counter-charges and warnings from both sides, illustrating the deep divisions that have emerged in Iran since the outbreak of its political crisis six months ago. The government and its hard-line supporters continued to rely on force, and the threat of force, to quell protests and demand loyalty, while the opposition refused to back down. There was no indication that compromise was on the agenda.

During Friday Prayer services in the capital, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a fundamentalist cleric who heads the powerful Guardian Council, called protesters "flagrant examples of the corrupt on Earth" and effectively called for them to be executed as "in the early days of the revolution." For his part, Mr. Moussavi issued a statement on his Web site, Kaleme.org, that took a broad swipe at the government for its use of force against civilian protesters. It also criticized the government's handling of the economy and foreign policy and its failure to address institutional corruption...

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01.01.10 Bomber kills at least 75 at volleyball game in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) January 1 - Police say the death toll has hit 75 in a car bombing at a volleyball tournament in northwest Pakistan. Local police chief Ayub Khan said Friday's blast in Lakki Marwat was retaliation for locals' attempts to expel militants by setting up their own militia. He says 75 people are confirmed dead. He says more than 60 people are being treated at local hospitals. The vehicle exploded on a playing field in the northwest of the country that has been rattled by bloodshed since the army launched a military offensive against Taliban fighters in the South Waziristan tribal region. The operation has scattered insurgents but provoked apparent reprisal attacks that have killed more than 500 people since October.

"The locality has been a hub of militants. Locals set up a militia and expelled the militants from this area. This attack seems to be reaction to their expulsion," Khan told reporters. He said the bomber drove onto the field, which lies in a congested neighborhood, during the volleyball contest. Some nearby houses collapsed, and "we fear that some 10 or so people might have been trapped in the rubble," Khan said. [More>>foxnews.com; See also

bbc.co.uk, January 1, "Pakistan suicide bomb kills scores at volleyball match" : At least 88 people have been killed by a suicide bomb attack at a volleyball court in the troubled north-west of Pakistan, local police say. Police chief Ayub Khan said the bomber drove towards a field where people were watching a match, before detonating a load of high-intensity explosives. The attack happened near Lakki Marwat, close to North and South Waziristan. The Pakistani army has been conducting a campaign against the Taliban in the tribal areas since October. The number of people killed in militant attacks in Pakistan is fast approaching 600 in just three months...

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01.01.10 US base in Afghanistan key to US drone program: report

WASHINGTON, January 1 - The US facility struck this week by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan was a key anti-terror installation that oversaw a vital drone program targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban on [the] Pakistan border, news reports said Friday. The suicide attack killed seven CIA officers at Forward Operating Base Chapman, an installation that plays a major role in choosing al-Qaeda and Taliban targets for strikes by the remote-controlled aircraft, according to the Washington Post, which cited former intelligence officials who have visited the facility. The Post said [the] base also is a center for recruiting and debriefing informants. Wednesday's suicide attack was one of the deadliest blows ever against the CIA, which said a Taliban bomber managed to penetrate the defenses of the forward base, detonating an explosives belt in a room described as a gym.

The Post wrote that Forward Operating Base Chapman is a former Afghan army installation and was used jointly by American and Afghan security forces during their military campaign against the Taliban beginning in 2001. In recent years, the base added an intelligence-gathering function and had a housing compound for US intelligence officers. It is physically separate from the main US military base nearby, Forward Operating Base Salerno, the daily wrote. [More>>thenews.com.pk]

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01.01.10 Bhutto probe: Pakistan denies UN panel access to army officers

ISLAMABAD, January 1 - The UN probe into the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto has hit a roadblock with the Pakistan government denying access to top military officials, including powerful army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The UN inquiry commission headed by Ambassador Heraldo Munoz had submitted a written request some time ago for access to senior military officials, including Kayani, former ISI chief Lt. Gen. Nadeem Taj and ex-Military Intelligence head Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ejaz Mian. After thorough consultations within the government, the UN panel was informed in writing that access to military officials could not be granted, Dawn News channel reported quoting an unnamed top government official.

There was no official word on the development. Acting on a request from the Pakistan People's Party-led government, the UN appointed a three-member inquiry commission to determine the facts and circumstances of Bhutto's assassination on December 27, 2007. The panel is not expected to name suspected culprits and any criminal investigation will be up to Pakistani authorities. The UN panel had sought access to the serving Pakistani military officials shortly after it interviewed former President Pervez Musharraf in New York in November last year. [>indianexpress.com]

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01.01.10 Somalia's Shabab pledges to help Yemen's Qaeda

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 1 - Yemeni forces clash with rebels, kill 11. Somalia's hard-line Shabab insurgents Friday said they will send fighters to Yemen to help al-Qaeda there in its fight against government forces, as the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh appealed for reason from those who joined the terror network. Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansour, a senior official of the Shabab militia that pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda, announced the plan as he presented hundreds of newly-trained fighters in the north of Mogadishu. "We tell our Muslim brothers in Yemen that we will cross the water between us and reach your place to assist you fight the enemy of Allah," said Robow, to chants of "Allahu Akbar," or Allah is great, by the young fighters. "Today you see what is happening in Yemen, the enemy of Allah is destroying your Muslim brothers," he added.

...Yemeni forces meanwhile clashed with Shiite rebels, killing 11 in a country where Washington and Riyadh fear al-Qaeda may be gaining a stronger foothold, and Yemen's president reiterated a call to rebels to end the violence. "Eleven terrorists were killed and others were wounded in widespread combing operations and strikes by military and security units on Thursday against gatherings of Houthi terrorists in a number of areas," a government source told Reuters on Friday. The 26 September news website, quoting an unnamed source, said Yemeni forces had destroyed a "terrorist den" in the northern Saada region on Thursday. [Full story>>alarabiya.net]

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01.01.10 Two mortar shells hit southern Israel

January 1 - A day after two Grad-type rockets were fired at the Netivot area, two mortar shells were hit open areas in southern Israel on Friday evening. There were no reports of casualties or damage in both attacks. One of the projectiles landed near the Kerem Shalom border crossing at the southeastern end of the Gaza Strip and the other hit an open area in the Sdot Negev region, and has not yet been located. Earlier Friday, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for firing two Grad-type rockets at the Netivot area from Gaza on Thursday night. The Fatah-liked organization said the attack was carried out in revenge for the deaths of three of its members who were killed by the IDF in Nablus last week. The three were gunned down after carrying out a terror attack in Shavei Shomron that killed Rabbi Meir Chai. [More>>jpost.com]

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01.01.10 Gaza sees more newborns of malformation

GAZA, December 31 - Um Hamza, a 22-year-old pregnant woman, from Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, woke up at night numerous times during the 22-day Israeli war which ended on Jan. 18, sniffing the smell of gas. Several weeks later she started experiencing terrible pain in the abdomen. Although she had been pregnant for two months then, it was impossible for her to conduct necessary tests as the hospitals were overwhelmed by injured people of Israeli bombardments. The pain continued for a couple of months before she was finally able to get the medical checkup, and the results left her shocked and speechless. The child she was carrying suffered from malformation and may die either inside her womb or shortly after birth. The baby came to this world while his brain hung out of his head like a bag of skin covering his eyes, therefore, the baby will never experience sight. Meanwhile, he could not breathe either because of the malformation in his nose as it appears clogged.

...Doctors at the incubation department in the Shifa Hospital said exposure to toxic chemicals and radioactive substances primarily lead to fetal malformations in the first months of pregnancy when the neural tube is formed. Italian scientists said this month that The Gaza Strip's soil contains poisonous and cancer-causing materials after collecting soil samples from several areas bombed during the war. [Full story>>xinhuanet.com]

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01.01.10 Use of word 'Allah' not exclusive to Muslims: Malaysian court

KUALA LUMPUR, January 1 - In a landmark verdict, a Malaysian court has ruled that Christians have the Constitutional right to use the word "Allah" while referring to God, setting aside a government ban on its use by the country's religious minorities. The High Court ruling came on Thursday on a lawsuit filed by the Catholic weekly Herald, whose publication permit was approved by the home ministry on the condition that it would not use the word "Allah." After the verdict, government lawyers said they would consult with the home ministry before deciding whether to appeal. The Herald is now free to use the word "Allah" in its publication after the court quashed the home minister's prohibition against it using the word, declaring the order as "illegal, null and void."

In her decision, Justice Lau Bee Lan also declared that under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, applicant Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop Murphy Pakiam had the Constitutional right to use "Allah" in the Herald in the exercise of his right that religions other than Islam might be practised in peace and harmony in the country. She further ruled that the Constitution, which states Islam as the country's religion, did not empower the minister to make such a prohibition. [>timesofindia.indiatimes.com; See more details,

thestar.com.my, December 31, "High court grants Catholic publication Herald the right to use 'Allah' word again" : ...Justice Lau ruled as grounds for her judgement that both the respondents — the minister and the Malaysian government — had failed throughout the trial to prove how the use of the word “Allah” could threaten national security. On Jan 7 last year, the Home Ministry had approved the Herald's publication permit on condition that the usage of the word "Allah" was prohibited and the word "Limited" (Terhad) be endorsed on its front page to mean that it must be circulated only among Christians. The minister had prohibited the usage on grounds of national security and to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims. The Archbishop, as Herald's publisher, had filed an application on Feb. 16 for a judicial review to seek a declaration that the minister's decision for the prohibition was illegal and that the word "Allah" was not exclusive to Islam.

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Editorial note: "Confusion in Islam" : For those of you who may be nonplussed at this lawsuit, it gets down to the major confusion that is in Islam. The assumption that "Allah" is a word for God exclusive to Islam shows the ignorance of those who profess to be experts on the Koran. For the Koran repeatedly declares that it was written to confirm the Bible : Jewish Scriptures and Gospel; and it also declares Jesus as the Messiah (Christ). The Bible claims itself to be authored by God, which according to the prophets is known by as many as 70 names, from El, Elohim to YHVH, Jehovah. There was apparently confusion over the names of God during the time of Elijah as well, whose name means "God is God" : El is YHVH. It is a Jewish custom to include the name of God in a child's name. Thus we have Daniel and Jeremiah, etc.

See Maravot News 4.09.09 Editorial note, "Confusion over the teachings of the Koran" for more details on the misunderstandings around the Koran. The argument the Catholic Church posed, that "Allah" is one of the names of God used in the Old Testament is spurious and the real argument that should have been used is that if the Koran claims to confirm the Bible and as its source, then the source of the Koran would be the God of the Bible. Moslems and Christians tend to assume that the Koran and Bible are independent of each other and not authored by the same god — an absurd assumption.

For a background on the complaint of the Catholic Church and also the Sikhs see Maravot News 4.30.09 article 4.26.09 Malaysia Catholics oppose non-'Allah' Bible.

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12.30.09 Rival claims over whereabouts of Mir Hossein Mousavi

December 30 - Iran's state media reported tonight that the leader of the opposition had fled Tehran. Mir Hossein Mousavi, defeated in hotly disputed elections in June, was said to have left the Iranian capital on a day marked by pro-government rallies at which crowds chanted "Death to Mousavi." Another of the leaders, Mahdi Karroubi, was also said to have fled. Hossein Karoubi, however, the son of Mr Karoubi, said his father and Mr Mousavi were still in Tehran. He said: "My father and Mr Mousavi are in Tehran and IRNA’s report is baseless. They are still pursuing the people’s demands," The conflicting reports come three days after Mr Mousavi's nephew, Ali, was killed during a protest against the regime in which at least eight lost their lives. [More>>timesonline.co.uk; See related stories,

khaleejtimes.com, December 30, "Iran hard-liners back government in mass rallies" : TEHRAN - Tens of thousands of hard-line government supporters turned out for state-sponsored rallies Wednesday, some of them calling for the execution of opposition leaders as Iran's police chief threatened to show "no mercy" in crushing any new protests by the pro-reform movement. Pro-government rallies were staged in Shiraz, Arak, Qom and Tehran, among other cities. Demonstrators at a rally in Tehran chanted "Death to Mousavi," a reference to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Some shouted "Rioter hypocrites must be executed" and held up a banner that read: "We sacrifice our blood for supreme leader."

The government gave all civil servants and employees a day off to attend the rallies and organized buses to transport groups of schoolchildren and supporters from outlying rural areas to the protests. Hardline cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda called opponents of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supporters of Satan. "Enemies of the leader, according to the Quran, belong to the party of Satan," Alamolhoda told demonstrators in Tehran in comments broadcast on state TV. "Our war in the world is war against the opponents of the rule of the supreme leader."...

alarabiya.net, December 30, "Iran opposition leaders flee Tehran: state news" : Iran's state news agency IRNA said on Wednesday that two leaders of "sedition" in the country have fled to a northern province as tens of thousands of government supporters rallied in cities across the country. "Two of those who played a major role in igniting tension in Iran following the (June presidential) vote, fled Tehran and went to a northern province because they were scared of people, who demanded their punishment," IRNA reported...

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12.30.09 UK hostage Peter Moore released alive in Iraq

December 30 - British hostage Peter Moore has been released alive from captivity in Iraq, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said. He said Mr. Moore, an IT consultant from Lincoln who was seized in Baghdad in May 2007, was in good health and "absolutely delighted at his release." Mr. Miliband said the Moore family felt deep relief after two-and-a-half years of "misery, fear and uncertainty." Four bodyguards were seized with Mr. Moore. Three were shot dead; the fourth is also thought to have been killed. The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Jason Creswell, of Glasgow, were returned to the UK in June 2009, followed by that of Alec MacLachlan, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in September. Mr. Miliband has called for the release of the body of the fourth guard - Alan McMenemy from Glasgow.

Mr. Miliband said Mr. Moore, who had been released on Wednesday morning, was in the British Embassy in Baghdad and would be reunited with his family as soon as possible...The foreign secretary also told the BBC there were no concessions or deals made to secure Mr. Moore's release. "This was an Iraqi-led process of political reconciliation in which an armed group has made vows to come within the political system and to renounce violence, and that's the foundation of Peter Moore's release," he said. [Full story>>bbc.co.uk]

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12.30.09 Yemeni forces storm al-Qaeda hide-out, arrest 1

SAN'A (AP) December 30 - A Yemeni security official says forces have stormed an al-Qaeda hide-out in the country's east, setting off clashes. A government statement confirmed the clashes and said at least one suspected al-Qaeda member was arrested. The fighting took place in Hudaydah province, a principle al-Qaeda stronghold. It was home to most of the attackers who struck outside the US Embassy in 2008, killing 10 Yemeni guards and four civilians. The security official said forces acted on a tip. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. Deputy Interior Minister Brig. Gen. Saleh al-Zawari said forces would continue to strike against al-Qaeda until the group's powerful branch in Yemen is eliminated. [>thejakartapost.com]

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12.30.09 Somali arrested last month at airport with chemicals, syringe

MOGADISHU (AP) December 30 - A man tried to board a commercial airliner in Mogadishu last month carrying powdered chemicals, liquid and a syringe that could have caused an explosion in a case bearing chilling similarities to the terrorist plot to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The Somali man — whose name has not yet been released — was arrested by African Union peacekeeping troops before the Nov. 13 Daallo Airlines flight took off. It had been scheduled to travel from Mogadishu to the northern Somali city of Hargeisa, then to Djibouti and Dubai. A Somali police spokesman, Abdulahi Hassan Barise, said the suspect is in Somali custody.

"We don't know whether he's linked with al-Qaeda or other foreign organizations, but his actions were the acts of a terrorist. We caught him red-handed," said Barise. A Nairobi-based diplomat said the incident in Somalia is similar to the attempted attack on the Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day in that the Somali man had a syringe, a bag of powdered chemicals and liquid — tools similar to those used in the Detroit attack. The diplomat spoke on condition he not be identified because he isn't authorized to release the information.

Barigye Bahoku, the spokesman for the African Union military force in Mogadishu, said the chemicals from the Somali suspect could have caused an explosion that would have caused air decompression inside the plane. However, Bahoku said he doesn't believe an explosion would have brought the plane down. A second international official familiar with the incident, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to discuss the case, confirmed that the substances carried by the Somali passenger could have been used as an explosive device. [More>>jpost.com]

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12.30.09 Bombing kills 32, injures at lest 75

BAGHDAD, December 30 - Two suicide bombers have struck in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, killing 32 people and injuring 75, according to Fox News sources. The governor of Anbar province in Western Iraq was wounded, along with several other senior politicians. Early reports on state television suggested Qassim Mohammed Abid was killed, but his deputy later made clear his boss Qassim Mohammed Abid survived the attacks. Fox News reported his face was burned in the attack. Police officials confirmed with the first blast a suicide bomber detonated explosives in a vehicle at a busy junction. This was quickly followed by a second attack at the nearby provincial government headquarters. The blast hit the convoy of the governor as it was leaving the compound. Local media said the governor was taken for treatment by US soldiers. [More>>news.com.au; See other details,

indianexpress.com, December 30, "23 killed, provincial governor wounded in twin Iraq attacks.": ...The first attack struck near a security checkpoint at a road junction leading to the governorate offices in the centre of the Anbar provincial capital at around 0630 GMT. In addition to the dead and wounded, some 20 vehicle were destroyed in the blast. About a half hour later, governor Qassim Mohammed Abid and senior provincial security officials, who were in the governorate offices, went outside to check on the situation. "A suicide bomber wearing an army uniform ran towards the governor," police Captain Ahmed Mohammed al-Dulaimi told AFP...

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12.30.09 At least six Americans killed in Afghan attack

KABUL, December 30 - At least six Americans were killed Wednesday when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest made his way into an American base in Khost Province in southeastern Afghanistan, according to NATO military officials. The bomber managed to elude security and reach the base's gym, said one official, who did not want to be identified because the official was not authorized to speak about the incident. The official said the attack took place at Forward Operating Base Chapman, which one official described as "not a regular base," meaning that it was used by American intelligence agencies. It was unclear exactly where on the base the explosion occurred. The suicide bomber died in the blast and six Americans were also wounded, some of them seriously, suggesting that the death toll could climb, the officials said. [More>>nytimes.com]

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12.30.09 Taliban ask Imran to be mediator with Pakistan government

LAHORE, December 30 - Pakistan Taliban commanders have contacted cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan to broker peace talks with the government. "The Taliban have contacted me for peace negotiations with the government. But I will play the mediator's role only if the government gives its consent," Khan said on Wednesday. He did not mention which faction of the Taliban had contacted him. Khan, who heads the Tehrik-e-Insaaf party, has opposed military operations against the Taliban and other militant groups. He had earlier offered to act as a mediator between the Taliban and Islamabad, but the government did not respond, although the rebels in Swat had welcomed the offer. He had come under fire from PPP leaders and sections of the media for his "pro-Taliban" stance. Interior minister Rehman Malik has made it clear that the government will not talk to the Taliban or other terrorists unless they surrender. [>timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

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12.29.09 'Nauseating Zionist play' behind protests: Iran

TEHRAN, December 29 - Top cleric says opposition leaders should be executed. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the United States and Israel on Tuesday of staging an anti-government protest in which at least eight people died, saying it was a "nauseating play." His talk of a theatrical piece "commissioned and sold out" by the country's two arch-foes, came as Iran's parliament called for opposition demonstrators to be given maximum punishment, which is the death penalty...Meanwhile, speaker Ali Larijani said "parliament wants the judiciary and intelligence bodies to arrest those who insult religion and impose the maximum punishment on them without reservation."

Parliament also condemned "disgusting comments" by Western governments about Sunday's unrest, after they unanimously denounced the deadly crackdown in the Islamic republic...People had taken to the street on the holy day of Ashura, which commemorates the 7th century murder of Shiite Islam's holiest martyr, Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed. Eight people were killed as security forces used teargas, batons and eventually live rounds to push back thousands. Iran rounded up scores of opposition figures and dissidents after Sunday's protests and on Tuesday several reformist journalists and activists were also arrested, reports said.

...In a defiant reaction, Iran's leading reformist party condemned violence against demonstrators and backed the protests. The Islamic Iran Participation Front, which is allied with opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, called on the government to "reconcile with protesters and stop breaking the law, deception and tyranny." On another front, Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi said intelligence agents had arrested her medical professor sister, Dr. Nooshin Ebadi, on Monday. "She is not an activist and her arrest is in fact new pressure to stop my human rights work," Ebadi said in a statement on the Rahesabz opposition website. [Full story>>alarabiya.net; See background stories:

Maravot News 12.28.09, recording Iran protests from 12.22.09-12.28.09, including Tweets, links, abundant photos and videos.

bbc.co.uk, December 29, "Iran reformist Mousavi's nephew got death threats" : The nephew of Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was threatened days before he was killed in Sunday's protests, a prominent supporter says. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, a film-maker based in Paris, told the BBC that secret police called Seyed Ali Mousavi several times, saying: "We will kill you." But a police statement reportedly said Mr. Mousavi was killed by "terrorists." Meanwhile a regional representative of Iran's supreme leader said opposition leaders should be executed. "Those who are behind the current sedition in the country ... are mohareb [enemies of God] and the law is very clear about punishment of a mohareb," state media quoted Ayatollah Abbas Vaez-Tabasi, an influential figure in Khorasan province, as saying. The sentence for mohareb under Iran's Sharia law is death...

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12.29.09 Putin urges US to share missile defense data

MOSCOW, December 29 - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia wants the U.S. to share detailed data about its planned missile shield under a new arms control treaty, signaling potential new difficulties in the ongoing negotiations between Moscow and Washington. Putin's televised remarks set a defiant tone as negotiators try to hammer out a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expired on Dec. 5. The two countries had hoped to reach a deal before the end of the year, but problems persist. [More>>washingtonpost.com; See also,

Maravot News 12.28.09 article 12.24.09 Russia test fires ICBM missile and Editorial note, "Compare the yield of 550-750 kilotons of each SS-18 bomb to the Hiroshima blast:" ...Hiroshima's blast was equivalent to about 13 kilotons of TNT ...

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12.29.09 9 militants killed in Orakzai Agency

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, December 29 - The security forces in Orakzai Agency have killed nine militants while 14 terrorists have been injured. According to sources, security forces gunship helicopter attacked terrorists' hideouts in Anjani area of lower Orakzai, killing nine militants and injuring fourteen others. During the operation, [a] militant commander's house, seven vehicles, oil depot and four hideouts were destroyed. On the other hand, Police arrested 60 suspects in a crackdown in Jandol area of lower Dir. Meanwhile, old enmity claimed four lives in Jungle Khail area in Kohat. [>thenews.com.pk; See related stories,

thenews.com.pk, December 29, "Troops kill local militant commander in Swat" : WANA, Pakistan - During operation Rah-e-Nijat, security forces carried out search and clearance operation at Kaniguram and recovered one blasting machine for triggering IEDs. Meanwhile, troops conducted search operation near Charbagh and killed Abu Zar, a wanted terrorists’ commander in an encounter. He was an explosive expert and master mind of many terrorist activities against law enforcement agencies. Two other terrorists were also apprehended including cache of arms and ammunition. Terrorists fire raided at security forces check post at Janata near Northern Dir, which was effectively responded. During search operation, eight militants have been killed while one surrendered. [end]

thenews.com.pk, December 29, "Four militants killed in Hangu" : HANGU, Pakistan - Four militants were killed after an explosive-laden vehicle went off in Hangu on Wednesday, sources told Geo News. [end]

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12.29.09 Hundreds of al-Qaeda militants planning attacks from Yemen

December 29 - Hundreds of al-Qaeda militants are planning terror attacks from Yemen, the country's Foreign Minister said today. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi appealed for more help from the international community to help to train and equip counter-terrorist forces. His plea came after an al-Qaeda group based in Yemen claimed responsibility for the failed Christmas Day airliner bomb plot. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, alleged to be behind the attempt to blow up an American-bound aircraft, spent time in Yemen with al-Qaeda and was in the country only days before the failed attack.

...Dr. al-Qirbi said it was the "responsibility" of countries with strong intelligence capabilities to warn states such as Yemen about the movements of terror suspects. The United States, Britain and the European Union could do a lot to improve Yemen's response to militants on its own soil, he added. "We have to work in a very joint fashion in partnership to combat terrorism," he said. "If we do, the problem will be brought under control. There is support, but I must say it is inadequate. We need more training, we have to expand our counter-terrorism units and provide them with equipment and transportation like helicopters." [Full story>>timesonline.co.uk; See related story,

thestar.com.my (Reuters) December 29, "US plane bomber wanted to study sharia in Yemen" : ABUJA - A Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a US airliner told his parents he wanted to study Islamic sharia law in Yemen shortly before cutting off contact with them, the Nigerian government said on Tuesday. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, had been studying for a masters degree in Dubai when he told his parents he was going to Yemen to study Arabic for a few weeks, Nigerian Information Minister Dora Akunyili told reporters in the capital Abuja. "After a few weeks he now sent a message to the parents that he wanted to stay back and study sharia for seven years and the father said no, you can't do that," Akunyili said. "The father said they were not ready to send him school fees or money for upkeep, that he should go back to Dubai and complete his masters. (But Abdulmutallab) said he was going to get everything free," she said...

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12.29.09 N. Korea puts peace treaty before normal ties: sources

December 29 - North Korea conveyed to the United States that it places more emphasis on pursuing a peace treaty than a normalization of bilateral relations, a Japanese news agency reported, quoting an unidentified diplomatic source. Pyongyang officials including Vice Foreign Minister Kang Suk-joo had relayed the message to Washington's special envoy Stephen Bosworth when he visited the North earlier this month, according to Kyodo News on Monday.

The North Korean officials reportedly said normalizing diplomatic relations were of less importance because they could "collapse at any unwarranted moment," Kyodo News reported. Pyongyang has been strongly pushing to establish a peace treaty to replace the current armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. The North's logic was that the lack of a permanent peace deal on the peninsula was a reflection of Washington's hostile policies towards it. The United States has recently stated that four-way talks consisting of the two Koreas, China and itself could be considered to help pave the way for a new peace deal. [More>>koreaherald.co.kr]

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12.29.09 Iraqi man rewarded $85,000 for car bomb tip-off

BAGHDAD, December 29 - The Iraqi military said on Tuesday the government has rewarded a man 85,000 US dollars for informing security forces of a would-be car bomb in Baghdad. "The prime minister decided to reward a citizen who provided information about a booby-trapped car in Jamaa neighborhood (western Baghdad) and give him 100 million Iraqi dinars," said Major General Qassim Atta, the spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command. But Atta did not give the name of the man for security reasons. On Dec. 16, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told reporters that the security forces were focusing on boosting intelligence service by activating the role of the citizens in reporting about terrorist activities. He confirmed that his government offered a reward of 100 million Iraqi dinars (about 85,000 US dollars) to anyone who provides information about car bombs or those who are behind terrorist acts. [More>>xinhuanet.com]

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12.29.09 Somali pirates hijack three ships

December 29 - Somali pirates have captured a  freighter, a bulk carrier and a chemical tanker — despite a large foreign warship presence in the Gulf of Aden. Ending 2009 with a flurry of hijackings in one of the most profitable years to date, the Somali sea bandits' latest catch on Tuesday was the St. James Park - a UK-flagged chemical tanker with a crew of 26 from nine different  countries. According to Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme, the vessel was seized en route from Spain to Thailand but had been commandeered near the northern Somali  coast. He said the vessel's last safe port of call was Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and that the crew included seamen from Russia, Ukraine,  Bulgaria, Romania, Philippines, Poland, Georgia, India and Turkey. [More>>aljazeera.net]