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News Headlines & Trends12.20.09 Chernobyl Exclusion Zone radioactive longer than expected December 20 - Radioactive Material Isn't Disappearing From the Environment as Quickly as Predicted. Chernobyl, the worst nuclear accident in history, created an inadvertent laboratory to study the impacts of radiation — and more than twenty years later, the site still holds surprises. Reinhabiting the large dead zone around the accident site may have to wait longer than expected. Radioactive cesium isn't disappearing from the environment as quickly as predicted, according to new research presented here Monday at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Cesium 137's half-life — the time it takes for half of a given amount of material to decay — is 30 years, but the amount of cesium in soil near Chernobyl isn't decreasing nearly that fast...but the scientists have calculated that what they call cesium's "ecological half-life" — the time for half the cesium to disappear from the local environment — is between 180 and 320 years. [More>>abcnewsgo.com] 12.20.09 Iranian dissident cleric Montazeri dies TEHRAN (AP) December 20 - Iran's most senior dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who emerged as the spiritual father of its reform movement, died on Sunday. He was 87. For years, Montazeri had accused the country's ruling Islamic establishment of imposing dictatorship in the name of Islam, and he persisted with his criticism following June's disputed presidential election. His stance made him a hero to the opposition, and his criticisms were even more stinging because of his status. Montazeri had once been designated to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, as the supreme leader — but the two had a falling out a few months before Khomeini died of cancer in 1989. Montazeri's grandson, Nasser Montazeri, said he died in his sleep overnight. [More>>thejakartapost.com; See also 12.20.09 'Egypt should fear Iran more than we do' December 20 - At the end of an hour-long meeting Sunday evening with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that "Egypt has more to fear from Iran than we do." The foreign minister went on to stress that "The greatest danger in the Middle East today is Iran, which is a greater threat to moderate Arab nations than to Israel." Teheran, according to Lieberman, is "attempting to duplicate the model of Hizbullah in Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen." [More>>jpost.com] 12.20.09 Iraq sends forces to oil well seized by Iran BAGHDAD, December 20 - Iraq deployed security forces Saturday near a remote oil well seized by Iran, officials said, and its government pressed Tehran to withdraw its forces from the area along their disputed southern border. US officials applauded Iraq for standing its ground against Iran — an uneasy ally that analysts said was aiming to remind its neighbor of its economic and political pull in its takeover of the oil well Thursday. The site is located in one of the largest oil fields in Iraq and has about 1.5 billion barrels in reserves...One of the Iraqi officials said Iranian soldiers came and went from the oil well throughout Saturday. They were gone by the evening, leaving behind an Iranian flag mounted at the well, the official said. [Full story>>japantoday.com] 12.20.09 20 suspects nabbed, arms seized in Laki Marwat LAKI MARWAT, Pakistan, December 20 - The Laki Marwat Police on Sunday raided the Dodah Jungle area and arrested 20 suspected people besides seizure of heavy arms and ammunition from their possession. Addressing a news conference, DPO Laki Marwat Ayub Khan said the recovered arms include LMGs, 750 cartridges, explosive-filled containers and bags filled with ammunition. He said these containers are used to destroy bridges and added the seized arms were due to be used during Muharram. [>thenews.com.pk] 12.20.09 US transfers Guantanamo detainees December 20 - The United States has sent home 12 detainees from its Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Six Yemenis, four Afghans and two Somali prisoners, from the the autonomous Somaliland region, were transferred over the weekend, the US department of justice said in a statement on Sunday. "These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and relevant foreign authorities to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures," it said. "Consultations with foreign authorities regarding these individuals will continue." After the latest transfer, 198 detainees remain at the facility on the southern tip of Cuba. [More>>aljazeera.net] 12.20.09 UN should play lead in Middle East settlement - Arab League chief CAIRO (RIA Novosti) December 20 - The United Nations should play the leading role in the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the chief of the Arab League said."Many people, including me, think that degradation in the peace process started when the UN lost its leading role," Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told Anbaa Mosku (Moscow news), a newspaper RIA Novosti publishes in Arabic. Earlier, Palestinian leaders, tired of fruitless efforts to see progress at talks with Israel, decided to address the UN Security Council asking it to adopt a resolution to recognize the borders of a future Palestinian state. [More>>en.rian.ru; See related story, 12.20.09 Fog discovered on Saturn's largest moon Titan LOS ANGELES, CA, December 19 - US scientists have discovered fog moving across the south pole of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Titan looks to be the only place in the solar system aside from Earth to have copious quantities of liquid (largely, liquid methane and ethane) sitting on its surface...The presence of fog provides the first direct evidence for the exchange of material between the surface and the atmosphere, and thus of an active hydrological cycle, which previously had only been known to exist on Earth, the researchers said in a paper published in the latest issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. [Full story>>xinhuanet.com; See related story, 12.19.09 Squid invasions signal changes in the Pacific Ocean December 19 - Some Fish Stock Decline as Jumbo Squid Migrate to New Waters. When large numbers of jumbo squid first showed up in California's Monterey Bay in 1997, scientists weren't sure what had brought the cephalopod that far north. An unusually strong El Niño event had warmed the eastern Pacific. But the squid, dubbed el diablo rojo — the red devil — in its native waters off the coast of Mexico, didn't typically venture farther north than Baja California. And indeed, within two years, the Humboldt squid — Dosidicus gigas — had disappeared from central California waters. But in 2002 — another El Niño year — they reappeared. This time, they took up permanent residence and pushed even farther north – past Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, until, by 2004, fishermen near Sitka, Alaska, were hauling them in. 12.19.09 Iran acknowledges fatal beatings TEHRAN (AP) December 19 - After months of denials, Iran acknowledged Saturday that at least three people detained in the country's postelection turmoil were beaten to death by their jailers. The surprise announcement by the hard-line judiciary confirmed one of the opposition's most devastating and embarrassing claims against authorities and the elite Revolutionary Guard forces that led the crackdown after June's disputed presidential vote. There was no immediate public reaction from the opposition, but some activists asserted that authorities under pressure over abuse claims were merely seeking to punish low ranking staff while shielding senior level officials who the opposition says are most to blame. 12.19.09 US Army: Iran cannot push Iraq around like this December 19 - Iraq is "not going to be pushed around" by Iran, the top US diplomat in Iraq said Saturday following an Iranian takeover of an oil well along the two nations' disputed border. US officials said they approved of Iraq's speedy defense of its sovereignty amid ongoing concerns over Iran's influence on its Mideast neighbor. "It does speak to the overall view here that they are not going to be pushed around by Iran," US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill told reporters. Iranian forces earlier this week crossed into Iraq, seizing an oil well just over the border in the southern Maysan province. The takeover — which included planting an Iranian flag on the well — was met by protests from Baghdad. 12.19.09 Yemen says more than 30 Qaeda suspects held SANAA (AFP) December 19 - Yemeni security forces have arrested more than 30 al-Qaeda suspects during an offensive launched earlier this week against the terror network, the defence ministry said. The ministry, on its website, said 29 suspects were rounded up in the suburbs of Sanaa and four others were held in Aden, southern Yemen. On Thursday, at least 28 al-Qaeda militants were killed and 17 others were captured in operations backed by air strikes that foiled imminent suicide attacks, according to the ministry. 12.19.09 Tensions grow for Muslims as French debate national identity CASTRES, France, December 19 - When Muslim worshipers showed up at the Bilal Mosque early Sunday morning, they found two pig's ears and a poster of the French flag stapled to the door; a pig's snout dangled from the doorknob. "White power" and "Sieg heil" were spray-painted on one side, they recalled, and "France for the French" on the other. The desecration of the main mosque in Castres, a tranquil provincial town 50 miles east of Toulouse, was an ugly exception in generally easygoing relations between the native French population and a pocket of about 10,000 Muslims, mostly Algerian immigrants and their children, who in recent years have made Castres their home, according to Muslim as well as native French residents. 12.18.09 Price war declared as ticket sales start for world's fastest train journey WUHAN, China, December 18 - China's railway stations Friday began selling passenger tickets for the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway, which boasts the world's fastest train journey with a 350-km-per-hour average speed. The service between Wuhan, the largest city in central China, and Guangzhou City, a business hub in the southern Guangdong Province, was scheduled to start on Dec. 26. The journey of 1,068.6 kilometers would take three hours, compared with the previous 10 and a half hours, said an official with the Wuhan railway bureau...China's government has launched a major upgrading of the nation's overstretched railway system. It will build 42 high-speed passenger rail lines with a total length of 13,000 kilometers in the next three years...When a network of high-speed passenger rail lines traveling at 250 to 350 km per hour is finished in 2012, it will cover almost every major city with a large population. Almost 80 percent of the civil transportation market will be affected. [Full story>>xinhuanet.com] 12.18.09 10 killed in suicide attack in northwest Pakistan ISLAMABAD (AP) December 18 - A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near a mosque inside a police compound in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing 10 people in the latest attack by suspected Taliban militants waging war against the Pakistani government. The Taliban have stepped up their campaign of violence since the military launched a major offensive in mid-October in the militant stronghold of South Waziristan in Pakistan's lawless tribal area near the Afghan border. Friday's attack was the second in two weeks against a mosque used by Pakistan's security forces. Most of the 10 people killed in the attack in the Lower Dir region were police leaving the mosque after Friday prayers, said the area's police chief, Feroze Khan. The blast wounded another 28 people, also mostly police, said a local hospital official, Ghulam Mohammed. No group has taken responsibility for the bombing, but the Taliban has carried out similar attacks throughout the country. [More>>timesofindia.indiatimes.com; See related stories, 12.18.09 Iraq reports Iranian incursion; Tehran issues denial BAGHDAD (Reuters) December 18 - A senior Iraqi official said Iranian soldiers crossed into Iraqi territory on Friday and took up position at a southern oilfield whose ownership is disputed by Iran, but Tehran denied the report Iraqi Deputy Interior Minister Ahmed Ali al-Khafaji said the incursion was the latest in a series this week at the Fakka oilfield, around 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad, in Maysan province. "At 3:30 this afternoon, 11 Iranian (soldiers) infiltrated the Iran-Iraq border and took control of the oil well. They raised the Iranian flag, and they are still there until this moment," he told Reuters. [More>>thestar.com.my] 12.18.09 'Iranian cyber army' hacks Twitter December 18 - The popular microblogging site Twitter was briefly shut down after a group apparently calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army launched attack on the site. Visitors to the site found that Twitter's homepage had been replaced by a page showing a green flag under red text reading "This site has been hacked by Iranian Cyber Army." The website's official blog acknowledged the disruption on Friday, but gave no details as to how the site had been been hacked and who had carried out the attack. Biz Stone, the site's cofounder, wrote on the blog: "As we tweeted a bit ago, Twitter's DNS [Domain Name Service] records were temporarily compromised tonight but have now been fixed." "We will update with more information and details once we've investigated more fully," he said. Technology blogs including TechCrunch said Twitter went down around 06:00 GMT for about an hour. [More>>aljazeera.net] 12.18.09 EU: National priority map contradicts building moratorium December 18 - The European Union on Friday afternoon condemned the government's decision to include West Bank settlements in the the national priority map, saying that such a move contradicted Israel's 10-month building moratorium in Judea and Samaria. "This decision runs counter to the spirit of the settlement freeze," the Swedish EU presidency was quoted as saying by Reuters. "It also prevents the creation of an atmosphere conducive to resuming negotiations on a two-state solution," the EU statement reportedly read. The Foreign Ministry blasted the EU statement, saying that criticism by the European Union was increasing the disagreement between the sides instead of promoting peace and working towards the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. [More>>jpost.com] 12.18.09 Residents attack church in Bekasi JAKARTA, December 18 - A group of residents attacked a church under construction in Harapan Indah residential complex, Bekasi, West Java, on Thursday evening, causing damage to several buildings. No one was injured in the incident. The chairwoman of the church construction committee, Kristina Maria Rantetana, said the incident happened at around 10.45pm on Thursday. "I saw around 1,000 people wearing white robes marching to the church. When they arrived, they started throwing rocks at the church," she told kompas.com on Friday. "Some of them entered the church complex and started a fire." Kristina said she immediately reported the incident to the police. Several officers had arrived shortly afterward, but could not do anything to control the crowd. The incident finally ended at around midnight when around 100 police officers from Bekasi Police arrived. One man was arrested for stealing a device in the church during the attack. [>thejakartapost.com; See related story, 12.18.09 US charges 3 in drug case with helping al-Qaeda December 18 - Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed narcotics and terrorism conspiracy charges on Friday against three West Africans they said were associates of al-Qaeda and a related terrorist group, marking the first time such charges had been brought against people said to be linked to al-Qaeda. The men, who were taken into custody on Wednesday in Ghana and flown to the United States on Thursday night, were arrested after a four-month investigation in which paid informants working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration posed as members of a Colombian terrorist group, according to court papers. Federal authorities have long maintained that al-Qaeda has been involved in drug trafficking, in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. 12.17.09 Israel blocks Jerusalem gathering December 17 - Israeli police have detained at least six people in East Jerusalem after a clash with Palestinians gathered to mark the end of a year of cultural festivities. Dozens of Palestinians had gathered in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday to celebrate the city's selection as the 2009 "Capital of Arab culture" by the Arab League and the UN's educational body, Unesco. The designation is a tradition that rotates among various Arab cities annually. "The situation remains tense as police maintain a very heavy presence here outside Damascus gate," he said. "This comes on the heels of a year when Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem have been trying to celebrate Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture. But throughout the course of the past calendar year, Israeli officials have prevented any kind of Palestinian celebrations [and] Palestinian national festivals taking place here. [More>>aljazeera.net] Editorial note: "East Jerusalem belongs to the UN Corpus Separatum of Jerusalem," set aside when the UN established the state of Israel.
Via UN resolution, two territories — of Israel and Palestine — plus a separate UN governed territory of Jerusalem and the territory of Jordan were carved out of the British Mandate territory of Palestine in 1947. (See palestinefacts.org). Before this the territories of Palestine and Syria did not exist but were divided into many separate Ottoman sanjacks and Willayats (provinces) (See article jerusalemites.org). Establishing a historical context of Palestine is quite difficult, since it has been divided and conquered by all of the empires crossing through it over time, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Kingdom of David and Solomon, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Hasmonians, Arabs, Ottomans, Crusaders, etc. It seems that the only logical and legal map that can be used to determine ownership of Jerusalem would be the map established by the UN when establishing the territories of Israel, Palestine, Jerusalem and Transjordan in 1947. Short of this, a map from the Roman Empire would be no less legitimate for determining ownership of Jerusalem than the many others through the centuries.
Mel Copeland 12.17.09 7 foreigners among 16 killed in US drone strikes MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, December 17 - Sixteen people where killed, including seven foreigners when unmanned US aircrafts fired 10 missiles at a house in North Waziristan on Thursday. According to sources, the US drones targeted some houses situated in Degan and Ambor Shaga areas off 25 kilometers from Miranshah, headquarter of North Waziristan. Following the drone strikes, as people were heading toward the targeted house, 10 back-to-back missiles were fired, killing 16 people. According to reports, five to six pilotless aircrafts were still hovering over North Waziristan. Earlier in the day, two people were killed in a US drone strike, which hit the house of a tribesman in Datta Kheil Kay. [>thenews.com.pk] 12.17.09 Afghan troop surge to bring more drones December 17 - More "Eyes in the Sky" Coming to Protect Troops, But Can the Enemy Easily Hack into the Video Feeds? The US military is adding more drones and expanding its video surveillance in the skies over Afghanistan to meet the needs of American forces as 30,000 more troops head into the war zone, a top Air Force general said Wednesday. The trouble is, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer, that some American drones transmit unencrypted video back to military analysts, which has made it possible for the enemy to see the pictures, too. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, told reporters the bolstered eyes in the sky will come from a mix of manned and unmanned aircraft and added technology that allows each MQ-9 Reaper drone to collect 10 video transmissions and beam them back to 10 different users on the ground. 12.17.09 Yemen kills 34 al-Qaeda militants, captures 17 (AFP) December 17 - Yemeni security forces killed 34 suspected al-Qaeda militants and captured 17 in operations against the group in the south and around the capital, the defence ministry said. The operations took place in the southern town of Abyan, as well as in the capital Sanaa and the neighboring district of Arhab, the official said in a statement carried by the defence ministry-linked website 26sep.net. [>khaleejtimes.com; See more details, 12.17.09 Police kill four militants, surround others in Chechnya GROZNY, Chechnya (RIA Novosti) December 17 - Police have killed four militants in a special operation in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said on Thursday. Kadyrov said law enforcers had surrounded a group of militants, which might include militant leaders, in the southern mountainous region of Chechnya. "Four militants were killed in the first hours," Kadyrov said. "Their identities are being investigated. Arms, ammunition and explosives have also been seized." According to Kadytrov, police forces involved in the special operation found a militant winter base and surrounded it. The Chechen president said that despite heavy snowfall and thick fog, the operation will continue in the region. 12.17.09 Mexican drug lord is killed in a raid MEXICO CITY, December 17 - Special Forces from the Mexican military surrounded and killed one of Mexico's top drug cartel leaders, Arturo Beltrán Leyva, in a firefight that began late Wednesday as part of President Felipe Calderón's longstanding battle against drug traffickers, the Mexican military said. Mr. Beltrán Leyva, who was also wanted in the United States, was the highest-level drug lord killed since President Calderón began his offensive against the nation's cartels in December 2006. Mr. Beltrán Leyva died in his apartment in a luxury complex in the southern city of Cuernavaca after a two-hour gun battle with some 400 Special Forces troops from the Navy and the Army. Six other drug traffickers were killed, one as he jumped out the window, and one member of the Navy's Special Forces died in the shooting. 12.17.09 Scientists unlock genetic code in major cancer breathrough LONDON, December 17 - The entire genetic codes of two common types of cancer have been cracked, according to scientists, who say the breakthrough could unlock a new era in the treatment of deadly diseases. Scientists at the UK-based Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute catalogued the genetic maps of skin and lung cancer and have pinpointed the specific mutations within DNA that can lead to dangerous tumors. Researchers predict these maps will offer patients a personalized treatment option that ranges from earlier detection to the types of medication used to treat cancer. The genetic maps will also allow cancer researchers to study cells with defective DNA and produce more powerful drugs to fight the errors, according to the the study's scientists. [More>>cnn.com; See also 12.16.09 Iran missile test draws Western condemnation TEHRAN (Reuters) December 16 - Iran's hardline rulers sent uncompromising signals to foes at home and abroad on Wednesday, warning of possible legal action against opposition leaders and testing an upgraded missile that could reach Israel. The United States said the launch of a Sejil 2 missile, with a reported range that would put the Jewish state and US Gulf bases within reach, undermined Iran's insistence of peaceful intentions and would be looked upon seriously by the world. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it boosted the case for tougher sanctions over the oil producer's disputed nuclear programme, which the West fears is aimed at making bombs. Tehran says it only seeks to generate electricity. "This is a matter of serious concern to the international community and it does make the case for us moving further on sanctions," Brown said in Copenhagen. 12.16.09 Danish police clash with protesters as climate talks heat up (AFP) December 16 - Police battled demonstrators outside the UN climate summit on Wednesday as leaders of developing nations let rip at wealthy counterparts, exposing the mighty obstacles facing a deal to tame global warming. Police with dogs fired teargas and arrested around 260 marchers near the Bella Center, while inside the conference venue fears swelled that ministerial wrangling could wreck hopes for a deal. Around 1,500 demonstrators tried to march on the closely guarded complex, where 194 nations are seeking to forge a strategy to head off the dangers from rising oceans, droughts, plagues and storms threatened by soaring temperatures. 12.16.09 Two Qassams hit Israel, in second Gaza rocket attack this week December 16 - Gaza militants fired two more Qassams into Israel on Wednesday, defying a moratorium announced by Hamas on cross-border rocket fire for the second time this week. The rockets struck an open area in the city of Sderot, causing no casualties. Palestinian militants also fired two Qassams at Israel on Sunday. One rocket exploded in the southern Negev, while the fell short, exploding in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces Sunday identified a rocket fired by Gaza militants as a Russian-made S5K, the type used in battle in Iran and Afghanistan. The IDF said it was the first time this type of weapon has been fired from the territory. Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Strip, last month announced that it has reached an agreement with other militant groups in Gaza to stop firing rockets at southern Israeli towns to prevent retaliatory attacks. [>haaretz.com] 12.16.09 Militant commander among 6 killed in SWA - ISPR report WANA, Pakistan, December 16 - Security forces engaged and destroyed a vehicle at Miranshah during operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan, resultantly terrorists' commander Gulbadeen Mehsud was killed. As per ISPR details, 6 terrorists have been killed during last 24 hours, while 1 soldier embraced shahadat and 6 were injured. Terrorists fired with arms at security forces camp at Sararogha and Shuza Defile which was effectively responded, killing 2 terrorists. Moreover, forces conducted search operation at Shuza, Aghzar Khel and recovered [a] huge cache of arms and ammunition while army carried out sanitization around Khassadar Ridge. Meanwhile, security forces conducted [a] search operation in Sultano near Ladha and recovered arms and ammunition. [>thenews.com.pk; See related story, 12.15.09 Gulf brushes off Iraq oil threat, nears joint currency KUWAIT CITY (AFP) December 15 - Gulf states on Tuesday brushed off mounting economic threats including Iraq's plans to massively boost oil output as they strode towards launching their own single currency. Winding up a two-day summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, leaders also issued joint statements to back Saudi Arabia in its fight against Yemeni rebels and opposition to military action against Iran. But economic issues were at the forefront of talks at the summit held in the shadow of an alarming debt crisis in Dubai, the regional financial hub of key GCC member the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait said it offered to assist Dubai to repay huge liabilities of its conglomerate Dubai World, but the summit stressed it only dealt with the emirate's debt woes in the context of the global recession. 12.15.09 UK ponders law change after Tzipi Livni arrest warrant December 15 - The government is "urgently" looking into reforming the law after a UK court issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni. The warrant was granted by a London court at the request of Palestinian plaintiffs, provoking Israeli anger. It was revoked on Monday when it was found Ms. Livni was not visiting the UK. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Israel was a "close friend" of the UK's and stressed he was keen to "avoid this sort of situation arising again." Pro-Palestinian campaigners have tried several times to have Israeli officials arrested under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which holds that some alleged crimes are so grave that they can be tried anywhere, regardless of where the offences were committed. Ms. Livni was foreign minister during Israel's Gaza assault last winter. She said the court had been "abused" by the Palestinian plaintiffs who requested the warrant. [More>>bbc.co.uk] 12.15.09 Suspected terror group 'filmed London sites' December 15 - A gang with suspected links to al-Qaeda were caught filming potential terror targets in London, police have revealed. Footage has been released which was recorded on one man's mobile phone as he travelled around the capital. It shows the man inspecting Oxford Circus, Mornington Crescent and Camden Town Tube stations, plus Liverpool Street railway station. City of London Police said they believed information was being gathered for a possible atrocity in the capital or at major regional shopping centres. Five men were arrested in July 2008, but none were ever convicted of terror offences. The footage has only now been publicized after a flood of criticism over police stop-and-search powers. Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt said this was police hitting back at the negative comments. [More>>news.sky.com] 12.15.09 Headly could be 'double agent' of US agencies, Lashkar NEW DELHI, December 15 - Indications that US terror suspect David Headley could have been a "double agent" for American agencies and Pakistan-based outfits have become clearer for Indian investigators with mounting evidence coming their way. Top official sources said that there is a strong suspicion that US agency CIA knew about Headley's link with Lashkar-e-Taiba one year before Mumbai attack but did not convey it when he was freely travelling across India. The investigators believe that the US agencies kept away the information from India and never allowed the Pakistani- origin Headley to get "exposed." The 39-year old terror suspect, arrested by FBI for his role in Mumbai attacks, had visited India in March 2009 — four months after Mumbai attack carried out by LeT — but FBI still did not inform India that Headley is a LeT operative, apparently fearing he could be arrested in India. [More>>timesofindia.indiatimes.com] 12.15.09 27 dead, 90 hurt in DG Khan blast DERA GHAZI KHAN, Pakistan, December 15 - At least 27 people were killed and many more wounded when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the crowded Khosa market in Dera Ghazi Khan on Tuesday. The house of Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, senior adviser to Punjab's Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was also destroyed in the blast. However, luckily, no member of the family was present in the house at the time of blast. Southern Punjab was once again target of the terrorists’ nefarious designs. DG Khan commissioner Hasan Iqbal told Geo News the blast took place at the Khosa Market, which is the commercial center of the city. The explosion was so huge that it completely devastated at least 10 shops. While 10 to 12 more shops were slightly damaged. [More>>thenews.com.pk] 12.15.09 8 killed, 40 hurt in Kabul suicide bombing KABUL (AP) December 15 - A suicide car bomber struck a heavily guarded neighborhood Tuesday near the home of a former Afghan vice president and a hotel favored by Westerners, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, officials said. The Afghan Interior Ministry said the target of the bombing was unclear, but security officials at the scene said the bomber was going after the home of former first vice president, Ahmad Zia Massoud. He is the brother of legendary anti-Taliban hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by al-Qaeda two days before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. 12.15.09 Iraq bombings leave several dead December 15 - At least four people have been killed and several others injured in a series of car bombs in central Baghdad. Three explosions went off in separate locations across the city on Tuesday, an Iraqi interior ministry official said. A police source said the first explosion occurred near the Iranian embassy and the other two near the foreign and immigration ministries...Soon afterwards, four people were killed in separate attacks in the northern city of Mosul, where bombers targeted two churches. At least 40 people were injured, among them schoolchildren, police and medics said. [Full story>>aljazeera.net] 12.15.09 4 decapitated bodies found in Mexican border city TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) December 15 - Police have found the decapitated bodies of four men in the Mexican border city of Tijuana. The Baja California state prosecutor's office says police found three of the bodies inside a home early Tuesday. An hour later, they found a fourth decapitated body inside a pickup truck. The office said in a statement the heads were left near the bodies along with messages. It didn't say what the notes said. Tijuana, which is across the border from San Diego, California, has faced an upsurge in drug cartel violence in recent years. Prosecutors say 583 people have been killed so far this year in the city. [>foxnews.com] 12.15.09 Corruption cases in US law agencies rise EL PASO, Texas, December 8 - The change from law enforcer to lawbreaker can begin with a bottle of liquor or a bribe of breakfast and coffee. In the worst cases, officers entrusted with protecting the border end up switching from public servants to drug smugglers' minions. Federal officials say the number of corruption investigations involving US law enforcement agencies on the border continues to rise. These include cases in the El Paso Sector, which includes the Texas counties of El Paso, Culberson and Hudspeth and all of New Mexico. Corruption cases became apparent about the time the Department of Homeland Security carried out large-scale US Border Patrol hirings in 2008. 12.14.09 China launches landmark Central Asia gas pipeline SAMANDEPE GAS FIELD, Turkmenistan (AP) December 14 - A landmark pipeline from Central Asia to China began pumping natural gas Monday, loosening Russia's grip over the region's vast energy resources. At a midday ceremony in a field in northeastern Turkmenistan, the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan together rotated a pipeline spigot to raucous applause and cheering, sending the first consignment of gas on its way to the energy-hungry Asian nation. By becoming the first major Central Asia gas export route to completely bypass Russia, the new pipeline will play a key role in wresting the former Soviet republics in the region out of Moscow's economic sphere of influence. 12.14.09 Obama to 'Fat Cat Bankers' : Time to start lending WASHINGTON,December 14 - President Wants Wall Street to Do More to Help Borrowers, Homeowners. In a face-to-face meeting with the country's leading financial executives at the White House today, President Obama insisted that the nation's banks do more in "every responsible way" to increase lending to consumers and small businesses and help repair the US economy. "Given the difficulty business people are having as lending has declined and given the exceptional assistance banks received to get them through a difficult time, we expect them to explore every responsible way to help get our economy moving again," Obama said. 12.14.09 Citigroup reaches deal to repay US bailout funds December 14 - Citigroup reached a deal early Monday morning to be the last of the big Wall Street banks to exit the government's bailout program, after persuading regulators that it was sound enough to stand on its own. Citigroup announced a broad program that will replace the $20 billion of remaining bailout aid with money from private investors, facilitate the sale of the government's $25 billion in bank stock and allow it to wean itself off other forms of federal assistance. To help replenish its coffers, Citigroup expects to raise about $17 billion by selling stock as early as this week and issue up to $7.2 billion in other capital by the first quarter of next year. The moves will leave the bank with one of the largest capital cushions of the major banks, assuaging regulators’ concerns about its ability to weather another severe downturn without returning to the government for help. The plan also should help Citigroup shed the stigma that came with accepting bailout money and remove the harsh compensation restrictions imposed on banks that received multiple bailouts. [More>>nytimes.com] 12.14.09 Iran president slammed for Mahdi comments DUBAI, December 14 - Ahmadinejad advisor spreads rumors he speaks to savior. Political and religious Iranian figures slammed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his repeated comments about the Mahdi, or who Muslims's believe is mankind's savior, and warned him about the consequences of rumors that he converses with the holy imam. Secretary-general of the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, Habibollah Askar-Oladi, met with the president and told him rumors that link Ahmadinejad to the Mahdi were dangerous and especially rumors that he converses with him, the pro-government Jahan News reported. Askar-Oladi, who is also head of Imam Khomeini's Committee, accused Ahmadinejad's advisor, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, of helping to spread the rumors. 12.14.09 Source: 'Alarming' secret document details Iran's nuclear goals LONDON, December 14 - A secret document that appears to show that Iran was working on building nuclear weapons as recently as 2007 is "alarming" and "part of a body of evidence backing up deep concerns over Iran's nuclear program," a Western diplomatic source with knowledge of the papers told CNN on Monday. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has a copy of the secret papers, which were also obtained by the Times of London, the source said. IAEA officials confirm they are investigating the document, but said they have not formally asked Iran for more information about it. A top international nuclear expert said it seemed to point to Iranian efforts to build a bomb. 12.14.09 Hardline schools lure foreigners to Pakistan KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) December 14 - Anas bin Saleem, a 12-year-old American spends seven hours a day sitting cross-legged on the floor memorizing the Koran. He is one of thousands of foreigners who have flocked to conservative Islamic schools in Pakistan, despite a government ban. Pakistan and foreign governments consider the international students a potential security threat. The students could export extremism back to their own countries, or stay and fight in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan stopped granting student visas in 2005, but many students still arrive on travel visas and never leave when they expire. "We are concerned, but what can we do?" said an official from one Southeast Asian embassy. "We can't stop people from traveling ... It is their constitutional right." 12.14.09 Key Taliban commander arrested in Karachi KARACHI, December 14 - The Karachi police claimed to have arrested an important militant commander, Toti Khan, member of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Swat. The SSP CID Omar Shahid said that commander Toti Khan has been arrested from Ittehad Town of the city. A huge cache of arms and explosives have also been recovered from his possession. Toti Khan is alleged to have been involved in attacks on security forces and checkposts. [>thenews.com.pk; See related story, 12.14.09 Afghan policemen killed in attacks December 14 - Sixteen policemen have been killed in two separate attacks on checkpoints in southern and northeastern Afghanistan, the ministry of interior said. Eight officers were killed in an attack in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in the south on Monday morning. Another eight policemen were also killed in an ambush in the northeastern Baghlan province at about the same time. "Sixteen policemen lost their lives in two separate attacks by the terrorists," an interior ministry statement said. The attacks underscore the vulnerability of Afghan police, whose training, along with that of the local military, is a priority in the recently announced US strategy for Afghanistan. [More>>aljazeera.net] 12.14.09 Poachers kill almost 60 tigers in India in 2009 NEW DELHI (RIA Novosti) December 14 - A total of 59 tigers were killed by poachers in India in 2009, which is over twice the amount killed last year, India's environment ministry said on Monday. Despite national conservation and protection programs, 28 tigers were killed in 2008, 30 in 2007 and 22 in 2006. Several years ago, poachers killed all the tigers in India's Sariska and Panna national parks and the authorities had to repopulate the area with tigers from other parks. The total number of tigers in India varies from 1,200 to 1,700. [>en.rian.ru] 12.13.09 US, NK agree on need for peace treaty December 13 - The United States and North Korea reportedly agreed in principle on the need to discuss a peace treaty in a four-nation setting with South Korea and China. The mutual understanding was reached during US special envoy Stephen Bosworth's visit to Pyongyang last week, according to Yonhap News. Bosworth and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju agreed that the four nations should start negotiating a peace treaty to replace the 1953 armistice after the six-party talks on the North's denuclearization resume, a South Korean government official was quoted as saying. "North Korea proposed to discuss the peace regime under a four-nation negotiation framework instead of the US-DPRK bilateral format, and the United States agreed." This reconfirms the joint communique announced in October 2000 by the United States and North Korea after special envoy Jo Myong-rok met with then-US President Bill Clinton in Washington. [More>>koreaherald.co.kr] 12.13.09 Thailand detains plane with weapons cache from North Korea BANGKOK (AFP) December 13 - Thai authorities have detained five people who landed in Bangkok in an east European cargo plane full of heavy weapons that originated in North Korea. The plane's pilot asked to land at Bangkok's domestic Don Mueang airport on Saturday morning, and on inspecting the aircraft Thai officials found the cache, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said. "An eastern European airline asked to land this morning at Don Mueang airport to refuel its tank. When Thai authorities examined the aircraft they found a lot of weapons and detained up to five people," Panitan said. He later said the weapons had been transferred to Takhli Air Force base in the central Thai province of Nakhon Sawan. [More>>news.com.au; See other details, en.rian.ru, December 13, "Plane with arms detained in Thailand was bound for Ukraine."] 12.13.09 Yemen rebels claim 70 killed in Saudi air raid (AFP) December 13 - At least 70 people were killed in a Saudi air raid on a Yemeni village near the border with Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Yemen's Huthi rebels alleged, declaring the incident a "massacre." A spokesman for Yemen's army, Askar Zuail, confirmed air raids in the region but said they were carried out by Yemeni planes and targeted rebel positions and not civilians. An Internet rebel statement said the attack was carried out Sunday morning against the village of Bani Maan in Razeh region of northern Sadaa province, the mountainous stronghold of the rebels. [More>>khaleejtimes.com; See related story, 12.13.09 Beilin urges US envoy Mitchell to resign after 'year of failure' December 13 - Former justice minister and Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin has called on US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell to resign, accusing him of having "failed" in his mission to advance the peace progress. "The mission of Senator Mitchell failed," Beilin said in an interview with Palestine Note. "I think Mr. Mitchell should resign, after one year in which nothing happened but for the worse." [>haaretz.com] 12.13.09 Ashkelon plice nab bomb plot suspect December 13 - Police on Sunday afternoon arrested a Palestinian construction worker who entered Israel illegally after receiving intelligence that he planned to carry out a suicide bombing. According to police, the man had spoken of his desire to detonate explosives strapped around his body within Israel. Ashkelon police forces, led by station chief Cmdr. Haim Blumenfeld, launched a large scale search for the 27-year-old suspect, backed by a police helicopter. The suspect was apprehended as he hid in a construction site. A police bomb squad searched the area but found no traces of explosives. The suspect was arrested and taken for questioning. 12.13.09 Burned ayatollah photo sparks new Iranian protests TEHRAN (AP) December 13 - Police surrounded the campus of Tehran University on Sunday, trapping hundreds of students protesting what they said were fabricated government images showing the burning of a photo of the revered founder of the Islamic republic. State television has repeatedly shown images, ostensibly taken during opposition protests on Dec. 7, of unidentified hands burning the picture of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a grave and illegal insult against a man who remains widely respected in the country. The students protesting on Sunday contend the images were fabricated by government agents and are being used to justify further crackdowns on the opposition. 12.11.09 Sweeping bank reform bill clears House WASHINGTON, December 11 - Measure, aimed at preventing another big financial crisis, imposes more oversight and creates consumer protection agency. The House passed legislation Friday aimed at preventing the next big financial crisis, ushering in the most sweeping set of changes to the banking regulatory system since the New Deal. The bill, which passed 223-202, imposes more oversight and stronger capital cushions for the largest banks and Wall Street firms. It forces them to pay a total of as much as $150 billion into an emergency fund that could be tapped when a troubled firm needs to be taken over and broken up. The legislation also calls for the regulation of some derivatives and creates a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate products such as credit cards and mortgages. [More>>cnn.com] 12.11.09 US claims killing Abu Yahya al Libi in SWA drone strike WASHINGTON, December 11 - US officials have claimed that Abu Yahya al Libi, a key leader of al-Qaeda, has been killed in Tuesday's airstrike in South Waziristan. Local Talibans and government officials have rejected the killing. A US drone targeted a vehicle by launching two missiles in Sipalga area, 12 kilometers from Miranshah, North Waziristan. Three people including two foreigners had been killed in the attack. The US officials have claimed that one of the dead is wanted leader of al-Qaeda Abu Yahya al Libi. Libi had fled from a US detention facility in Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2005. The US had put a bounty of one million dollars for his arrest. [>thenews.com.pk; See other details, 12.11.09 Egypt installing metal barrier on Gaza border RAFAH, Egypt (AFP) December 11 - Egyptian authorities are inserting metal sheets into the ground along the border town of Rafah in a bid to stem smuggling into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, residents told AFP on Friday. Metal sheets are being placed 20 to 30 metres (70 to 100 feet) deep into the ground, a resident of Sarsawiya south of the border told AFP, after the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that an underground barrier is being built along Egypt's border with the Palestinian enclave. Another witness said metal sheets were being inserted into the ground in Dihniya town farther to the south. 12.11.09 Yemen rebels claim capture of Saudi border post SANAA (AFP) December 11 - Yemen's Shia rebels said on Friday they have seized control of a Saudi military post along the border between the two countries. The claim, which could not be immediately confirmed by Yemeni and Saudi officials, came as a Saudi newspaper reported that Saudi forces had detained 1,805 people so far this month on the border with Yemen. The Zaidi rebels, in a statement posted on the Internet, said the rebels had seized “full control of the Al-Jabri Saudi military post” as well as weapons, communication material, military vehicles and surveillance equipment. 12.11.09 10,000 new settlers within 10 months: Israel JERUSALEM (AFP) December 11 - Settlers attack West Bank mosque to "avenge" freeze. An Israeli minister has predicted there will be 10,000 new settlers in the occupied West Bank over the next 10 months and insisted that a moratorium did not freeze but only limited construction. "Over the next 10 months the population of 300,000 will grow by at least 10,000 residents," said Benny Begin, a minister without portfolio from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, in comments broadcast on public radio on Friday. "Properly speaking, this is not a freeze. We are not planning to freeze life but only to impose certain limits on construction" in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Begin said late on Thursday in Tel Aviv. 12.11.09 Minister: 'No citizenship if you cover face' December 11 - Men whose wives must wear a full Islamic veil will not be granted citizenship, France's justice minister has said. Michele Alliot-Marie said wearing the niqab or burqa — where the face is covered — affected "our ability to live together, the values of the republic and in particular human dignity." A parliamentary panel is exploring possible laws to bar women from wearing full face veils in the country, home to Europe's biggest Muslim population. Speaking in a television interview, MS Alliot-Marie said: "There are a certain number of basics on which we must stand firm. For instance, someone who would be seeking French citizenship and whose wife wears the full veil is someone who would not appear to be sharing the values of our country. Therefore in a case like that one, we would reject his request." [More>>news.sky.com] 12.11.09 Gaza Islamists slam West Bank beauty pageant GAZA (RIA Novosti) December 11 - Officials of the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, condemned on Friday the decision by the West Bank's authorities to hold a Miss Palestine beauty pageant. The event is scheduled to take place on December 26 in the West Bank, controlled by the Fatah, the main political rival of Hamas. "The pageant shows moral degradation in the West Bank," the Ministry of Women's Affairs said in a statement. "We are set to bring to justice all who damage the reputation of our people." 12.11.09 Hamas celebrates its 22nd birthday in Gaza GAZA CITY (AFP) December 11 - Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007. The Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip on Friday began celebrations marking the movement's 22nd anniversary with parades and the unveiling of a huge mural depicting rockets targeting Israel. Hundreds of people riding camels, horses and motorcycles took part in processions from the north and the east of the besieged Palestinian territory to converge on the house of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. In the centre of the coastal strip, thousands of people took part in a pro-Hamas march that also featured mock rockets.[More>>alarabiya.net] 12.11.09 Australian PM threatens legal action against Japan over whaling SYDNEY, December 11 - Australia's prime minister threatened legal action against Japan on Friday if it does not stop its research program that kills up to 1,000 whales a year. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's comments came as the Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada saying in an interview that Japan has no plans to halt its whale killing expeditions in the Antarctic. “We don't accept Japan's premise for those terms of so-called scientific whaling,” Rudd told Australia's Fairfax Radio Network. “If we cannot resolve this matter diplomatically, we will take international legal action. I've said that before — I’m serious about it.” [More>>japantoday.com]
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