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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Two ex-Guantanamo detainees cleared by Algeria court

ALGIERS (Reuters) – Two men who had been held for seven years in the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of belonging to an extremist group were acquitted in an Algerian court on Sunday, state media reported.

The two men alleged during their trial in Algeria on terrorism charges that they were "brutally tortured" while in detention in Guantanamo Bay, Algeria's official APS news agency cited court documents as saying.

The men were arrested in Pakistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and transferred to Guantanamo Bay where they were held without trial before being sent home to Algeria last year, the agency reported.

The court in Algiers rejected prosecution arguments the two men, named as Faghoul Abdelli and Mohamed Terari, were members of a terrorist group and acquitted them, the agency said.

The United States set up the prison at Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, after the September 11 attacks to detain terrorism suspects. Human rights activists say the detentions are in violation of international law.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said the prison will be closed by January 22, 2010, although his officials have since acknowledged it will be difficult to meet that deadline.

Twelve Algerian citizens remain in the prison, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a U.S. non-governmental group that has represented many of the detainees seeking release.

Shahid Malik first British Minister to take pilgrimage to Makkah

LONDON, Nov 21 (APP): The British Communities and Local Government Minister Shahid Malik is to become the first ever British Minister to perform Hajj, his office announced Saturday.Mr Malik became Britain’s first Muslim Government Minister in June 2007 when Prime Minister Gordon Brown took the historic decision to appoint him as International Development Minister.

While in that role, as well as boosting aid in the non-Muslim world, some of the most significant increases in British aid were achieved in Palestine, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Kosovo and Indonesia.

Mr Malik, who represents the northern England constituency of Dewsbury, has also served as Justice Minister and Home Office & Interior Minister prior to gaining his current Ministerial role.

As Communities and Local government Minister his responsibilities include: the Olympic legacy (£10 Billion UK investment), The Thames Gateway (Largest regeneration area in Europe), Community Cohesion including faith, race and immigration, Preventing Extremism and the Fire and Rescue Service in England.

Prior to his departure for the holy land, he said:

“Hajj is a pillar of Islam and a compulsory act of worship for those who are blessed with the means to undertake the journey. I feel a great sense of privilege at having the opportunity of visiting the holy sites through the journey of devotion to Allah that Hajj represents. I am also immensely privileged and blessed to be performing Hajj and spending this precious time with my family Inshallah.”

Source: The Pakistani News.
Link: http://thepakistaninewspaper.com/news_detail.php?id=15176.

Lieberman rejects Turkey mediation for Syria talks

Israel's hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says Israel will not accept Turkey as the mediator in indirect peace talks with Syria.

"After all the verbal attacks and insults toward us expressed by the Turks, they cannot be considered as mediators between us and the Syrians," said the foreign minister.

He made the comments as Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer was preparing to leave for Ankara in the first such visit since Israel's three-week attack on the Gaza Strip.

Ankara harshly condemned the offensive which left over 1,400 Palestinians killed and wounded many others.

In October, Turkey excluded Israel from joint military drills and said bilateral ties would continue to suffer unless Israel ended "the humanitarian tragedy" in Gaza and revived peace talks with the Palestinians.

Israel, with help from Egypt, has imposed a crippling blockade on 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip.

"We hope to re-establish relations of confidence with Ankara, as our mutual strategic interests are extremely important," Eliezer said before his departure for the two-day trip.

According to Israeli media, the possibility of Turkey resuming its mediatory role was among the subjects that Eliezer is expected to discuss with Ankara officials.

Israel and Syria have so far held four rounds of indirect talks. Syria seeks Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by the Israeli forces since the 1967 Six-Day war.

Romania votes to elect leader amid economic woes

In recession-hit Romania, electorates have begun voting for their next president in a tight presidential election aimed at resolving the country's leadership crisis.

Romanians over 18 years of age are eligible to cast their ballots in the Sunday vote, with twelve candidates competing for presidency.

Polls suggest incumbent center-right President Traian Basescu and his Social Democrat rival Mircea Geoana are likely to attract between 30 and 33 percent of the vote each, paving the way for a run-off set for December 6.

The main concern for the European Union (EU) member state, that suffered a huge blow during the global financial crisis, is to work out a month-long political crisis hindering an international loan worth EUR 1.5 billion (USD 2 billion).

A caretaker government has been in charge for the last six weeks, following the government's collapse last month amid mounting disputes between the two-party coalition.

A third installment of a 20-billion-euro aid package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the EU and the World Bank has been postponed until a new government is formed.

The new president's first and toughest task would be securing enough support for a new prime minister. If a premier is not elected, he would have the power to dissolve the Parliament and call for new elections.

The vote marks the country's first election of a head of state since Romania joined the European Union in January 2007.

Voters were also asked to vote in a referendum to decrease the number of parliamentary seats to 300 from 471.

However, despite the election's high stakes, observers were predicting low turnout, with many Romanians seen as disillusioned with politics.

Since the fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu 20 years ago, voter participation has continually declined, from 86 percent in 1990 to 58.93 percent in the last presidential election in 2004.

While Basescu insists on modernizing the state and "eliminating the privileges of certain categories", his rival Geoana has proposed a "vigorous anti-crisis plan."

There is much work to be done to repair the economy, with Romanian gross domestic product (GDP) expected to shrink by eight percent in 2009, and the country's unsettled political situation has done little in this respect.

Former Iran VP jailed for six years over vote unrest

Iran jails Abtahi for gathering, plotting against Iran’s security, propaganda against regime, many other charges.

TEHRAN - Iran has jailed former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi for six years on charges linked to protests over June's presidential election, a moderate conservative website reported late on Saturday.

Abtahi, who was a close aide of reformist president Mohammad Khatami, was arrested with scores of opposition figures shortly after the publication of official results giving hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term.

He has remained in custody ever since.

On Saturday morning, Abtahi appeared in court where "he was informed of a six-year jail term," Abtahi's daughter Fatemeh told Ayandenews.com.

He was found guilty of charges including "gathering and plotting against the country's security, propaganda against the regime, insulting the president and participating in an illegal demonstration and keeping classified documents," the website said.

The report said the court had used as evidence posts on his web log, an interview with the BBC's Persian service and participation in a protest rally on June 15, when hundreds of thousands marched across Tehran.

Protesters charging the election was massively rigged held a series of mass demonstrations, plunging the Islamic republic into its worst crisis in 30 years.

Thousands were arrested and dozens killed. The opposition charges that a number of those detained were abused or raped in custody. About 140 protesters have been tried and five have been sentenced to death.

Abtahi, who was jailed only a few days after the June 12 vote, reportedly withdrew his accusations of electoral fraud when he appeared in court on August 1 and expressed regret for taking part in the protests.

The opposition has condemned the "show trials" and "forced confessions," and called for the prisoners' unconditional release.

Dubai court again clears ex-minister of fraud

Court of Appeals acquits Falasi of corruption charges on appeal for second time.

DUBAI - A former United Arab Emirates minister, Khalifa Bakhit al-Falasi, was cleared on Sunday of corruption charges on appeal for a second time, his lawyer said.

Dubai's "Court of Appeals acquitted my client Khalifa Bakhit al-Falasi" along with two co-defendants, an American and an Indian who were earlier convicted along with Falasi, Hussein al-Jaziri said.

Falasi, 51, was sentenced to two years in prison on February 24 for fraudulently taking control of a company after the death of his Lebanese business partner.

He was freed on appeal on May 28, but in July, a higher court threw out that ruling, ordering the former minister without portfolio to be tried again before the Dubai court by new judges.

Sunday's acquittal was the result of the second appeals court trial.

Falasi's 26-year-old son was acquitted of wrongdoing in the initial trial, but the American and the Indian were handed two-year prison terms for complicity.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=35833.

Hamas: Gaza armed groups agree to halt rockets

Agreement between Al-Qassam Brigades and other factions seeks to keep together internal front.

GAZA CITY - Hamas' armed wing on Sunday said that armed groups in its Gaza Strip stronghold had finalized a deal to stop firing rockets into Israel, but said they would respond to Israeli raids.

"The agreement between (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam (Brigades) and other factions to stop rocket (fire) is not a sign of weakness," the group said in a statement.

The agreement is "aimed at keeping together the internal front and the supreme national interest of the Palestinian people."

It warned, however, that the groups would respond in the case of Israeli strikes on the territory.

"Al-Qassam Brigades will not stand idly by in case of a Zionist escalation and will defend ourselves with all our force."

The statement was released a day after a rocket was fired into Israel from Gaza, landing without causing injuries or damage, and hours after the army responded with three air raids that wounded eight Palestinians.

It marked the latest violence along Gaza's border, which has been mostly quiet since a war that Israel launched on Hamas in Gaza on December 27 in response to rocket fire ended with mutual ceasefires on January 18.

The ceasefires have largely held despite violations by both sides.

Sleiman seeks abolition of religion in Lebanese politics

Lebanese President proposes changing electoral law relating to general elections.

BEIRUT - President Michel Sleiman called in a television speech on Saturday for the establishment of a committee to work towards the abolition of religion-based politics in Lebanon.

"To encourage vast participation (in political life), a national committee should be established and charged with abolishing confessionalism in politics," he said in a speech marking Sunday's 66th anniversary of independence.

Sleiman also proposed "changing the electoral law relating to general elections in order to obtain better representation and restore to expatriates their rights, including nationality and the right to vote."

In line with the current power-sharing system in Lebanon, the president is a Maronite Christian, the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of murdered ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, announced the formation of his new government more than four months after his US- and Saudi-backed alliance defeated a Hezbollah-led bloc backed by Syria and Iran in a general election.

His 30-member cabinet is composed of 15 seats for his coalition, 10 for Hezbollah's camp, and five for Sleiman appointees.

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu spreading

Sat, 21 Nov 2009

Amid concerns about increasing numbers of swine flu victims despite the use of a vaccine, officials now warn of a new wave of Tamiflu-resistant strain.

Swine flu continues to spread globally and has already claimed the lives of some 5,000 individuals; the majority of them reported in the US.

Tamiflu, on the other hand, is one of two flu medications effective in treating the affected cases as it not only shortens the duration of the disease, but also reduces the risk of developing complications.

More than 50 resistant cases have been reported in the world since the appearance of the disease in April, including 21 in the US. Four North Carolina patients are the most recent of such cases detected at a single hospital on Friday.

Five other victims identified at the University Hospital of Wales, in the UK are believed to have acquired the infection in hospital, becoming the first confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission of a Tamiflu-resistant strain in the world.

"The emergence of influenza A viruses that are resistant to Tamiflu is not unexpected in patients with serious underlying conditions and suppressed immune systems, who still test positive for the virus despite treatment," said the director of the National Public Health Service for Wale's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Roland Salmon.

He stressed that such resistance strains are not more severe than the strain that has been circulating all around the world since April.

While health officials are concerned regarding the possible outbreak of a Tamiflu-resistant strain of the illness, they urge individuals to take Tamiflu if needed, stressing that Tamiflu is still the most appropriate medication to fight swine flu.

Ahead of Hajj, Saudis report 4 swine flu deaths

Saudi officials have announced that swine flu has claimed the lives of four pilgrims just three days before the Hajj pilgrimage is set to begin.

Each year some 3 million Muslims including 2 million pilgrims from different countries participate in the Hajj ritual in the holy city of Mecca.

Health officials are concerned about the spread of a new wave of the A/H1N1 virus by pilgrims traveling to and from Mecca during Hajj season. Many countries have, therefore, imposed strict traveling restrictions.

Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani told al-Hayat newspaper on Saturday that four pilgrims had died of the new H1N1 flu virus.

A Nigerian teenager and three seniors from Sudan, India and Morocco are the victims of the fatal virus, the Saudi Health Ministry said.

"These cases were discovered too late," said Khaled Al-Marghalani, adding that some of the victims were extremely advanced in age while the others suffered from underlying chronic conditions.

A few months ago, a Pan Arab committee, aiming to contain the spread of the disease, decided to ban the participation of young children, seniors, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases in this year's Hajj.

Saudi officials, however, do not prohibit the entrance of anyone and have left the responsibility of the consequence to the countries of origin of the pilgrims.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=111903§ionid=3510212.

Tourism Spaceplane Approaching Blast-Off

by Hana Levi Julian

(IsraelNN.com) Private tourism will take a leap into space, with "the final frontier" to be revealed in the unveiling next month of the SpaceShip2 spacecraft on December 7.

The festive "blast-off" in the Mojave Desert in California will be kicked off by Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, who will show off the first private aircraft in history designed to carry tourists into space.

Branson, who promised in July 2009 at the Oshkosh Air Show that the spaceplane would be unveiled in December, said test flights will begin following the festive event.

The Virgin Galactic spaceline has plans on the table to operate a fleet of five such craft, and the first paying customers are expected to fly by 2011. Initial flights are intended to launch from Spaceport America, New Mexico, according to the company.

The innovative technology involved in the project is expected to create an especially wide opening for publicity of the spacecraft due to the unique aerodynamic design of the aircraft, which is unlike anything ever before created. Officials said the ship is the first ever to be composed entirely of carbon alloy.

The project is based in part on technology developed for a previous spaceplane model, SpaceShip1, licensed from Mojave Aerospace Ventures and held by Paul Allen. It is considered a suborbital spaceplane, designed specifically for carrying space tourists, and was developed under a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

SpaceShip2 will be able to carry six passengers and two pilots, and will reach 4,200 kilometers per hour (2,600 miles per hour), using a single hybrid rocket motor. It will launch at 15,200 meters (50,000 feet) from its mother ship, WhiteKnight2, and will use a feathered re-entry system, feasible due to the low speed of re-entry. All seats will recline back during landing to decrease the discomfort of G-forces.

Israeli representatives will also have a place of honor at the event -- the Israeli Galatic Dreamlines firm won the bid to sell tickets in Israel for tours in space. The company reports that a ticket will cost a happy tourist $200,000, with a deposit of 50 percent required in advance to reserve the seat.

The spaceship symbolizes the next step towards privatization of space travel for the general public," said Eliran Yaron, CEO of Galatic Dreamlines. Pleasure that until now was limited to astronauts or owners of great fortunes who allowed themselves to pay $20 million, will now be open to more and more people. The first spaceship pilots will enjoy three days of pre-flight preparation and acclimatization to change in the gravitational forces, and then will blast off into the atmosphere at eight times the speed of sound.

Thus far some 300 tickets have been purchased by adventurous tourists around the globe, and the sum total of the deposits paid to fly on the first spaceship tourism flight stands at $40 million.

'Gaza water not fit for human consumption'

Water in the Gaza Strip is so salty that it is no longer safe for human consumption, a senior Palestinian official in charge of water supplies in the coastal sliver says.

"The water is no longer fit for human consumption, with analysis and international studies showing that just 10 percent of water in the Gaza Strip is potable... threatening the lives of Palestinians," AFP quoted Munzir Shiblak as saying on Sunday.

In a statement he called for "the necessary measures to be taken to end the problem of salinity in Gaza water supplies, a problem that is getting worse," adding that the water situation in the Gaza Strip is "critical".

Shiblak noted that 160 million cubic meters of water was taken from the underground aquifers last year to supply 1.5 million people with drinking water and for agriculture, but that natural replenishment amounted to only 80-90 million cubic meters.

"The ground water deficit rose to more than 80 million cubic meters last year, and if this situation continues reserves could collapse in the next few years," Shiblak said.

The UN Environment Program also warned that Gaza's underground water supplies are "in danger of collapse "following years of overuse and the devastating war Israel waged in the territory at the turn of the year."

Turkey resolute to fulfill its nuclear ambition

Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz says the country is determined to build a nuclear power plant and will launch a new project to replace a failed tender.

Turkey's energy authorities canceled a 2008 tender won by a Russian-led consortium to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant after a top administrative court suspended parts of the regulation governing the process.

"The fact that the tender was scrapped does not mean that the process is scrapped. Our determination on nuclear power plants is persisting," AFP quoted Yildiz as saying on Saturday.

Yildiz said Ankara could consider involvement of the public sector in a new model for realizing the project.

A consortium led by Atomstroyexport, Russia's state nuclear giant, was the only bidder in the scrapped tender.

Galileo artifacts identified after auction

Two fingers and a tooth which belonged to the renowned Italian scientist Galileo Galileo have been found more than 100 years.

The astronomer's fingers --the thumb and middle finger-- and the tooth will be put on display next spring, an Italian museum director said Friday.

Galilei's three fingers, a vertebra and a tooth were removed from his body by admirers as his corpse was being moved from a storage place to a monumental tomb in 1737, 95 years after his death.

One of the fingers was found soon afterward and is now kept at the Museum of the History of Science in Florence. The vertebra has also been kept at the University of Padua, where Galileo taught for several years.

According to the Museum's director, Paolo Galluzzi, the tooth and two fingers from the scientist's right hand were kept by one of his admirers, an Italian marquis.

"But with time, the generations lost knowledge of what was actually inside the container," and the family sold it, Galluzzi said.

The Museum director added that the container was recently purchased by a private collector at auction. The collector contacted Galluzzi and other Florence officials to conclude that the relics belonged to Galileo.

The Museum said that Galileo's relics were held in an 18th-century blown-glass vase, which in turn was inside a wooden case topped with a wooden bust of Galileo.

Galileo died in 1642 after he was condemned by the Vatican for saying the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Israel begins work on new tunnels to storm Al Aqsa Mosque

Middle East Monitor

November 19, 2009

The Al Aqsa Foundation for Endowments and Heritage revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities began excavation works at Al Sharaf alley, tens of meters west of the Al Aqsa Mosque, in preparation for the construction of two tunnels and two electric elevators to connect between the alley, which was confiscated by the Israeli authorities in 1967, and the Al Buraq area and Al Maghariba Gate of the mosque.

The Foundation said that the aim of digging these tunnels and building the elevators is to "deliver a greater number of Jewish settlers to the Western Wall and the doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially the Al Maghariba Gate, through which foreign tourists and Jewish groups can storm into the Al Aqsa Mosque."

The Foundation considered this to be "a judaization project through which Israel seeks to Judaize the Al Aqsa Mosque."

It added that, during a tour it conducted Tuesday, November 17, it found works of deep excavations, by the so-called Israeli Antiquities Authority, in the Al Sharaf alley tens of meters west of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During these excavation works, historical and archaeological monuments, dating back to Ottoman and Mumluke eras, were being destroyed and obliterated.

The Al Aqsa Foundation for Endowments and Heritage had revealed in a media report on March 3, 2009 the intention of the occupation authorities and its executive arms to dig two new tunnels, one of them 56 meters long and the other 22 meters, in order to link the Palestinian Al Sharaf Alley, in the Old City, to Jerusalem.

It also revealed the Israeli authorities' intention to install an electric elevator in the vertical tunnel and electric corridor in the horizontal tunnel. The location of these two tunnels is to be the meeting point of several archaeological sites, through which Israel "is trying to develop an illusionary Hebrew history."

It explained that this Judaizational project would cost 10 million shekels (about U.S. $ 2.5 million), and will be implemented in collaboration between the occupation's municipality of Jerusalem, the so-called the Jewish Quarter Preservation and Development Company, the Monuments Authority, and the National Insurance Institute. The project will be funded through donations from Baruch Klein.

Al Sharaf Alley is an Islamic area located inside the boundaries of the Old City with an area of more than 133 square meters. It was occupied by Israel in 1967. It is the closest neighborhood to the Moroccan (Al Maghariba) district, which was destroyed by the Occupation authorities on 11/6/1967, after the fall of Al Sharaf Alley. Thousands of Palestinians were expelled from it, their houses, lands, and real estate properties were confiscated; then, private Israeli companies were immediately established. These companies seized the homes, real estate properties and lands of the area and housed the Jewish settlers and built new homes. They changed its name into the Jewish Quarter - and only a handful of Palestinians were left in it, in addition to two mosques - one of them is closed and the other is open only for Dhur (noon) and Asr (mid-afternoon) prayers, with the Azan (call to prayer) being banned.

Press release of Mullah Bradar Akhand, representative of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, about the new strategy implemented by Obama

Afghan Resistance Statement
Press release of Mullah Bradar Akhand, representative of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, about the new strategy implemented by Obama
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Dhu al-Qi'dah 11, 1430 A.H, October 30, 2009

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

After long waiting of one month and dithering about American reinforcement in Afghanistan, it has been unveiled by Carl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the US Senate that Obama wants to get a by-law passed through this committee that would allow giving money and other financial aids to some members of Taliban in order to encourage them part way with the current armed resistance.

We would like to tell Obama that this is an old weapon that has failed already. The British invaders used it in the 19th century but failed; the former Soviet Union used it, it failed too. The Afghan Mujahid people and the Mujahideen at the front lines have vast experiences of the past three decades in this regard and know all tactics used by the enemy.

Seeing that you failed to win the war with the help of your cutting-edge and sophisticated technology; considering that your media failed to make any ground; bearing in mind that your allies are seeking ways to leave the field and that your internal gunmen are not able even to defend themselves; realizing that your newly-formulated policies face failure one after another, then how you would be able to gain success by resorting to this devilish tactic while our people are already aware of the essence of such tactic.

Similarly, considering this decision as a sign of weakness and complete despondency of the enemy, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announces the following points for the moribund rulers of the While House:

1. All Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have been waging Jihad against the Americans and other invaders on the basis of an obligation of their belief and ideas. The terms of moderate (Taliban) and extremists are American-invented terms, which have no physical existence.

2. The Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are not mercenaries and employed gunmen like the armed men of the invaders and their surrogates. Contrarily, the Mujahideen have been carrying out this Jihad for obtainment of independence of the country and establishment of a Sharia system there. This war will come to an end when all invaders leave our country and an Islamic government based on the aspirations of our people is formed in the country.

3. We remind Obama and all rulers of the White House to avoid wasting your time on ways which are not pragmatic but focus on ways, which provide a down-to-earth and realistic solution to this issue. Pull all your forces out of our prideful country and put an end to the game of colonialization by shedding the blood of innocent Muslim people under the unjustified name of terrorism.

4. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan warns the rulers of the White House that the huge military expenditure that you shoulder to maintain your military presence in Afghanistan and carry out operations and implement other failed strategies will only deepen your economic crisis and will harm your international reputation. Your people will face more problems and suffer from psychological diseases. You should know that the Afghans laugh at your irrational decision and unpractical strategies.

5. The American rulers should not think that all heroic Afghan nation is like the few well-known Afghan Americans who sell their country and who have received training in the CIA cells for many years. Here in this country, selling one’s country quid pro qu money and government slot is not only a crime according to Islam but also a historical taunt and infamy. Traditionally, it is a shameful act, which is unforgivable. If you do not believe this, then have a glance at the history of Shah Shuja and Babrak Karmal and his cronies, the surrogates of the former Soviet Union. Study what status they had in the eye of the Afghan masses. The Afghans, particularly, the Mujahideen do not want to solve their economic problems of daily life with the donations and other material aids of the intelligence networks of colonialism.

This pious and patriotic people have offered tremendous material and soul sacrifices in the way of their sacred objectives. The Mujahideen have not chosen this path of strife between the truth and the evil to obtain some material goals. They have lofty Islamic and nationalist aims. This war will only end when these goals are achieved. Inshaallah.

Mullah Brader Akhund

Deputy-Amir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=60261&s2=22.

Emotion to Americans In Face of the Tide of the Afghans' Sensetivities

Afghan Resistance Statement
Emotion to Americans In Face of the Tide of the Afghans' Sensitivities
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

November 20, 2009

Nicolas Christopher, a well-known columnist of the New York Times has expressed his concern about the surge of 40,000 troops to Afghanistan. He showed his dismay in his Column in New York Times on October 22. According to him, the troops increase will provoke reaction from the Afghans which will lead to creating more sensitivities among the Afghan movements.

He argues that in the past, the presence of foreign troops in America provoked resentments of our forefathers, considering them as invaders. They were never ready to accept them as protectors of people. He adds, then the Britain could not perceive the scope of the resentments of our forefathers, nor they understood that we were the real owners of the land. The more the Britain resorted to oppressing us, the more our resistance increased. This is an experience that provides for us a good lesson about the sensitivities of other people regarding foreign forces.

Nicolas Christopher says, we fought in Afghanistan twice more than the time we spent fighting in World War II. Our expenditure now reaches $60 billion per year. But still we have not understood the essence of the current resistance, nor have we paid heed to the patriotic feelings of the Afghans in our calculations.

If we presume that reinforcement of 40,000 soldiers, at least requires $ 10 billion annually, then we can say, it is enough to provide expenditure of kindergarten of two million American children. In the long run, what is in our interest, the money to be spent for the well-being in America or just send our youths to war in Afghanistan which is not worth fighting.

Christopher believes , Afghanistan will never become a brilliant democracy.

The opinion expressed by the American writer indicates that there are still Americans who know the depth of the Afghan issue and the sensitivities of the Afghans as regards the Americans and America. This is in a time the American troops are bent on using their total might against the Afghans and ironically, the massacring of mankind now has become part and parcel of their character.

Why the Americans are not ready to call their military presence in Afghanistan as invasion and occupation of the country while they themselves called the British military presence in America as invasion?

Like Christopher, the Afghans too ask why we should consider the Americans and Western forces as our protectors whereas they murder our children, women and old men and why should not call them as invaders?

This is an open secret that the Afghans are highly sensitive to the American troops and they hate them more than they hated the Russian’s. The 68,000 American brutal troops are cutting the throat of our freedom with a blunt knife and they have unleashed bloodshed in the country. If they increase the number of their troops, say, if they send the requested 40,000 troops, it will prove that the Americans want to permanently stay in Afghanistan. It will mean that they have come to Afghanistan to occupy it for ever and this will strengthen the tides of resistance against the invaders. Those Afghans who do not know the realities in our country and have been deceived by the daydreams of reconstructions and financial grants will realize to bolster the ranks of the wayfarers of the way of Jihad. They will become like a popular stronghold of steel against the cunning invading troops.

This is obvious that the people who have common faith and ideology and grown up on the same soil, will not accept the presence of foreigners on the basis of their natural traditions. The history speaks for the sacrifices offered by them and the war fought by them in the cause of freedom.

It will not be possible that the invaders occupy their land under any pretext and ploy and ostensibly extend them a hand of friendship.

Expectedly, the invading troops must wait a strong reaction of the people--a country-wide upheaval-- which will send jittery into the enemy ranks and they will not be able to find an outlet to escape. Every son of this land of the Mujahideen will revive the epics and adventures of their Mujahid forefathers. They will take up their traditional arms and swords and fall on the retreating enemy to take the revenge.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=60289&s2=22.

"Story in Autumn" -- a Xinjiang boy's school life

During a class of Virtue and Life on Nov. 4, 2009, Yedos glues the triplet colors of red, yellow, and green leaves onto a white paper, and draws inter-strip patterns of blue and black, by which Yedos composes a work known as Story in Autumn. As the severe winter with windy and snowy weather draw nearer.

Yedos' home is over 100 km away, deeply inside the pasture of Mountain Tianshan. He was once such a light-hearted boy enjoying insouciant life by indulging on the expansive prairie with her elder sister.

Sense of loneliness struck on the little boy on day in 2007 when his sister bid farewell to him to go to boarding school in town. Yedos yearned so eagerly the life in school, and longing for studying and playing game with his little fellows.

His dream of going to school came true in the Autumn of 2008, when his father took him and his sister to the central primary school at Sardawan Town, 30 km south of Urumqi City, the capital of Xinjiang. With over 520 pupils on campus, the school attracts Yedos with its spacious ambiance strewing with verdant groves around the playground and classrooms.

The boy feels everything exciting and refreshing, he scampers about all around in exultation, trying on new suits and skim through all new textbooks.

Yedos gets quickly adaptable to the new life on campus, particularly active on the class of physical exercise, running, skipping rope and shooting basketball with inexhaustible vigor. In full excitement, Yedos spent away the first Autumn of his school year, and the stormy snow ensued come along with the early advent of winter. The location of Sardawan is a famous wind gap with its geographic token of Asian Center visible on campus. As a result of local government's efforts to tap tourism, a number of sculptures with typical tokens of Asian countries are erected up. Yedos followed teacher to have a geography lesson here and he was most impressive with the roaring gale that blow up sand and grits. Children have to hold hands together to trudge against the gust. Fearing the kids might be blown away by the gale, some parents even load heavy stones into the their satchels.

The gale is still ravaging and withering, Yedos bends over the window in the classroom, nibbling at his yogurt biscuit from his mom, watching the trees are being overwhelmed in the gust.

"Gale will blow people down," as teachers remind the students of not going outside. Feeling scary, Yedos slips into teachers' office, mumbling, "When the gale could weaken a little bit?"

"As long as all the trees grow as high as enough," as teacher points to the saplings that bend over in the gale, "then the wind is sure to be lessened on our campus."

Now comes the second autumn in Yedos' school year, he ascends to grade 2 and the saplings on campus also grow much higher and stronger. Yedos now bears a mind, eagerly to see these trees grow into denser and stronger hurst, tough enough to resist the ravaging gale, as he draws the pattern of the handicraft work Story in Autumn.

Japan, Turkey, UK, Saudi Arabia invited to Philippine peace process

The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have invited Japan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia to form part of the International Contact Group (ICG) that will guarantee all agreements in the peace process of the two negotiating parties.

In a statement on released on Saturday, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said of the four states that have been officially invited to join the ICG, only the UK, Japan and Turkey have showed positive signs that they are interested.

Saudi Arabia, the MILF said, has yet to response to the official invitation sent through its ambassador in Manila.

"The MILF top leadership has followed up the matter from the Kingdom's Foreign Ministry," MILF vice-chairman and chief negotiator Ghazali Jafaar said.

Last month, the Philippine government and the MILF said they are ready to hold formal peace negotiations in Malaysia anytime following the signing of three confidence-building agreements crucial to the resumption of talks.

Malaysia is the facilitator of the peace talks which collapsed in August last year after the botched signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

The government and MILF peace panels are just waiting word from the Malaysian government for the resumption of formal peace talks.

The MILF, which the Philippine military says has 11,000 fighters, is the largest group battling for self-rule in Mindanao. A final peace agreement is expected to end more than four decades of Muslim rebellion in Southern Philippines.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6820012.html.

Japanese gov't finds documents proving existence of secret nuke pact

The Japanese foreign ministry has found documents proving the existence of a secret Japan-U.S. pact that allows U.S. military vessels or aircraft carrying nuclear weapons to enter Japanese territory, local media reported Sunday, citing ministry sources.

A team of about 15 people, led by Mitsuru Kitano, a secretariat councilor in the ministry, found the documents during an investigation of ministry files, according to the sources. And the team informed Okada of its discovery on Friday.

"The probe is now in the final stage, and we will announce the outcome in January," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada was quoted by Kyodo News as saying on Saturday.

On Sept. 17, Okada ordered thorough investigation into the alleged secret pacts one day after Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formally launched his DPJ-led cabinet.

As the secret nuclear pact serves as a breach of Japan's three non-nuclear principles of possessing, producing or permitting the bringing-in of nuclear weapons on its soil, Former LDP-led government had always denied its existence, arguing that as they had never faced demands for prior consultations, they had to conclude that nuclear weapons had not been brought to Japan.

NASA astronauts complete 2nd ISS spacewalk

NASA astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis have completed the second of three spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS).

Atlantis crew members Mike Foreman and Randy Bresnik successfully installed instruments outside the ISS during their excursion, which lasted six hours, eight minutes on Saturday.

Although the sortie was delayed for half an hour due to a false depressurization alarm, the pair managed to get ahead of schedule and do all tasks on the to-do list.

"Congratulations on another amazing day of work in space," mission specialist Megan McArthur told the astronauts from Mission Control in Houston, Texas.

Atlantis is on an 11-day mission to deliver spare parts including gyroscopes, ammonia tanks, and other heavy equipment in NASA's last mission to the ISS this year.

The third and final spacewalk is scheduled for Monday.

NASA plans to retire Atlantis and two sister ships-- Discovery and Endeavour--next year after five more missions to complete construction at the space station.

The Atlantis will depart the ISS on November 25 and arrive back in Florida on November 27.

'Ceasefire will establish security in Niger Delta'

Sun Nov 22, 2009

The Nigerian army has hailed a four-month ceasefire between the government and militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta, saying the deal will re-establish stability in the southern region.

“So, to that extent, the JTF [Joint Military Task Force] has achieved tremendous results in terms of ensuring that there is a return to normalcy in terms of security. So things are back to normal and people are going about their business without any fear of insecurity,” VOA quoted the Nigerian military spokesman in the Niger Delta as saying on Saturday.

In June, the Nigerian government offered amnesty to thousands of militants in the Niger Delta.

Afterward, thousands gave up their weapons and accepted peace in the region.

Local communities in the Niger Delta have long complained about their poverty despite five decades of oil extraction.

The deal is meant to end the years of fighting and insecurity that have plagued Nigeria's oil industry.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/111874.html.

Celebrities Lead Charge Against Scientology

Hollywood figures quit "rip-off" church as Australian prime minister threatens parliamentary inquiry into its activities.

The security at the red-brick and glass-walled horseshoe of the John Joseph Moakley courthouse on Boston's waterfront was unusually tight. Anybody who was not a member of the city's bar association was swept with a search wand. Photo IDs were checked. Mobile phones were taken from guests, who included the Hollywood star Tom Cruise.

The occasion was a memorial service for Scientology's top legal adviser for a quarter of a century, Earle Cooley. The controversial head of Scientology worldwide, David Miscavige, delivered the eulogy, thanking his late friend for his contribution to the neo-religion during his career, much of which was spent pursuing journalists and former members who spoke out against it.

Miscavige may since have wondered privately what Cooley would have made of the events of last week. Scientology, founded in 1953 by the late science fiction pulp novelist, serial fantasist and inveterate self-publicist L Ron Hubbard, is under fire again across the globe, following years of struggle to be recognized - with some success - as a legitimate church.

The church has just been denounced in the strongest possible terms in the Australian parliament. Prime minister Kevin Rudd has expressed his concern over allegations of "a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality" and is contemplating a parliamentary inquiry. The organization is under police investigation and yesterday angry ex-Scientologists, spurred on by the claims, converged on its Australian headquarters calling for its tax-exempt status to be revoked.

And it is not only in Australia that Scientology is facing problems. A new book in America - Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of the Church of Scientology - by Marc Headley, an employee of the church's Los Angeles headquarters for 15 years, details - as others have - allegations of systematic abuse and bizarre episodes, such as the three weeks Headley claims he spent under instruction from Cruise in how to move bottles and other objects by concentrating on them.

Headley's book follows a year in which Scientology has been plagued by unwelcome revelations from high-profile defectors and fresh media investigation into its practices.

Last month the church narrowly avoided being banned in France after being prosecuted for fraud, following claims that four leaders - all given suspended jail sentences - had preyed financially on several followers in the 1990s. In Belgium, too, Scientology is embroiled in a long criminal investigation. Perhaps most embarrassing for an organization that prides itself on its wealthy Hollywood followers, Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis, an adherent of 30 years, abandoned Scientology in October, accusing it of homophobia.

That is not all. Some of the worst damage done to Scientology in the past two years appears to have been self-inflicted. Earlier this year the official spokesman in the U.S., Tommy Davis, son of the actress Anne Archer, stormed out of an ABC TV interview with Martin Bashir when Bashir had the temerity to ask about one of its central beliefs - relating to an evil intergalactic warlord named Xenu.

More ridicule was invited, unwittingly, by Cruise, the church's most high-profile member, in a leaked video produced for the organization last year that went viral on the internet. It showed a rambling Cruise laughing inexplicably while saying that Scientologists were uniquely equipped with the knowledge necessary to cure most of the world's ills, including crime, drugs, mental health problems and violence.

A religion to some, a business certainly, and a cult to many, whose innermost cadres wear pseudo naval uniforms, Scientology's religious tenets are a mixture of therapy-style self-improvement steps - at least at first - mixed with a weird space-opera metaphysics, which is revealed only to its highest acolytes. The church has frequently been accused of breaking up families and preying on the vulnerable. The history of Scientology and its critics has been a story played out in the courts in interminable proceedings that supported Cooley's very lucrative career, underwritten by a very lucrative religious practice in which followers pay large sums of money to progress through a series of training courses called "auditing".

In a quote attributed in the U.S. courts to the late Hubbard himself, it is made clear that the court cases serve a useful purpose, even when they are lost. According to Hubbard, "law can be used very easily to harass... If possible, of course, ruin… entirely."

Scientology has attempted to sue newspapers, including the Washington Post. Time magazine beat off a court claim for $400 million after describing the church on its cover as "the Cult of Greed". It has pursued authors, those who have campaigned against it, defectors and rivals. It has also made unsuccessful claims that details of its most secret practices should be regarded as both copyright and a trade secret.

The repeated attempts to use the courts to silence critics have been criticised in the judgments that have been upheld against Scientology, including one in 1996 that described its "documented history of vexatious behavior" and abuse of "the [U.S.] federal court system by using it, inter alia, to destroy their opponents, rather than to resolve an actual dispute over trademark law or any other legal matter".

So when Nick Xenophon stood up last week in the Australian parliament he was the latest critic in a long line. Xenophon made a carefully calculated decision - to use the protection of parliamentary privilege to denounce an organization that he claims "abuses its followers, viciously targets its critics and seems largely driven by paranoia". Xenophon's aim was simple: to challenge the tax-exempt status of Scientology as a religion.

If the allegations Xenophon detailed - including the claims by former high-ranking members that David Miscavige physically assaulted senior Scientologists - were familiar ones to critics of the movement, Xenophon's speech brought to the widest audience possible a synthesis of the recent and not so recent claims against the leadership of Scientology, allegations picked up worldwide within minutes of him speaking.

He described claims of "false imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, blackmail and the widespread deliberate abuse of information obtained by the organization". At the centre of Xenophon's long, impassioned speech were the allegations of Aaron Saxton, who was "born" into Scientology and "rose to a position of influence in Sydney and the United States".

According to Xenophon, Saxton's abuse started as a child when his mother was coerced into signing over guardianship of him to the organization and he was made a security guard at the age of 16. "In 1991 Aaron says he was sent to Scientology headquarters in Florida where he was involved in… putting five individuals under house arrest" and "ordered by superiors to remove documents that would link a Scientology staff member to murder".

"Aaron says women who fell pregnant were taken to offices and bullied to have an abortion. If they refused, they faced demotion and hard labor… Aaron says one staff member used a coat-hanger and self-aborted her child for fear of punishment. He says she was released from the organization and the files were destroyed."

Saxton also "ordered more than 30 people to be sent to Scientology's work camps, where they were forced to undertake hard labour", said Xenophon.

He said another former Scientologist, Carmel Underwood, who worked as a financial officer in the organization and claims to have been assaulted by another member, "witnessed a young girl who had been molested by her father being coached as to what she should say to investigating authorities in order to keep the crimes secret". In a letter described by Xenophon as "one of the saddest correspondences I have received", a father, Paul Schofield, admits to being part of a cover-up of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his two daughters.

The Church of Scientology in Australia's response last week was to accuse Xenophon of abusing parliamentary privilege and adding that the allegations were "unquestionably false". "This was not free speech. It was abuse and slander protected by the forms of our parliament," spokesman Cyrus Brooks said in a statement. It did not, however, reply to a series of written questions from the Observer about the cases detailed.

But if something has changed in the past few years, it has been the emergence of an increasingly empowered and vocal global opposition to the Scientologists. The development has been fueled in part by the internet's Anonymous movement - which posted the Tom Cruise video to YouTube last year - and has been behind a series of denial-of-service attacks on Scientology websites, protests and prank calls since the Scientologists had it removed it from the site, inevitably claiming copyright infringement. The Australian intervention by Xenophon was part of a wider and growing backlash against one of the world's most controversial movements.

If there has been a catalyst for many of the Scientologists' most recent problems it has been provided by a newspaper in Tampa, Florida - the St Petersburg Times - which covers the area including the organization's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater. The paper ran an investigative series featuring interviews with former members of the church's leadership. These included Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, two of the highest-ranking executives to leave Scientology.

According to the two men's accounts - denounced as "lies" by Miscavige and Tommy Davis - Miscavige routinely assaulted his lieutenants, including Rinder, 50 times. In one article, citing the testimony of four former members, the newspaper described Miscavige administering a vicious beating to another senior church figure, Tom De Vocht. The men described a complex system of internal justice, enforced by security checks and the threat of isolation as a so-called "suppressive person" or SP.

In the interviews the men admitted using violence against other members of the church, often, they claimed, at the behest of Miscavige, also alleging that the church used private information gathered on its members to bully them and force them to do its bidding.

At least some of the recent allegations will be familiar to Jason Beghe, the American actor. Last year he became the first of its celebrity followers - for whom the church maintains a "Celebrity Center" - to break with it, after giving Scientology more than $1 million in donations over 12 years.

These days Beghe prefers to warn that the church is "destructive and a rip-off". He claims that since his renunciation of Scientology he has been pursued to seminars in Europe - held to speak of its dangers - by private investigators employed by Scientology and "disconnected" from former friends who remain within it.

The decision of Beghe and Haggis to quit Scientology appears to have caused the movement its greatest recent P.R. difficulties, not least because of its dependence on Hollywood figures as both a source of revenue for its most expensive courses and an advertisement for the religion. The involvement of such high-profile figures as Haggis, Cruise and John Travolta has acted as a reassurance for potential recruits against the allegations of its critics.

While Haggis quit the church over its attitude to gay marriage, his lengthy leaked letter of repudiation of Scientology, written to Davis, included another complaint: that he had lied on television about a key Scientology practice.

Haggis said he had been stunned to see a CNN clip of Davis denying that the church practices a policy of "disconnection" by encouraging members to cut ties with non-members who may disapprove of their beliefs.

"I was shocked," wrote Haggis. "We all know this policy exists. I didn't have to search for verification - I didn't have to look any further than my own home." He then detailed how his wife was ordered by the church to disconnect from her parents because they were themselves ex-members.

His wife followed the orders and did not speak to her parents for a year and a half. "That's not ancient history, Tommy. It was a year ago… To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else are you lying about?"

The answer to that question may now be sought within the context of an Australian parliamentary inquiry. Notoriously litigious and undoubtedly secretive, Scientology is under the microscope again.

After a bad year for Cruise's church, things could be about to become a whole lot worse.
History of Scientology

Founded by L Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), a science-fiction novelist who turned to pulp writing after a wartime military career marked by a number of disgraces. It was while writing for Astounding Science Fiction in 1949 that he published his first article on the subject of dianetics, which would later become Scientology. It was described by one critic as "a lunatic revision of Freudian psychology". His book Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health was published in 1950. Attempts to set up dianetics as a therapeutic practice collapsed.

1952: Having failed to present dianetics as an empirically supported scientific system, Hubbard founded a religion called Scientology, which he claimed was the result of years of research. Using "e-meters" to "measure" the mind, he claimed it could be "cleared" by a process of "auditing". At this point based in England, he ran into problems with the authorities. He founded the Sea Organization, or the Sea Org, which would become the movement's central group.

1970: Scientology establishes its celebrity center in Los Angeles, aiming to attract Hollywood high flyers.

1977: Scientology runs into trouble in the U.S., this time for domestic espionage against the federal government, for which Hubbard's wife and a dozen other officials were convicted of conspiracy.

1986: Hubbard dies of a stroke in California.

1993: Scientology is declared tax-exempt as a church in the U.S., ending a 40-year battle.

1999: Refused tax-exempt status by the U.K. charity commission, which rules it is not a religion. However, in the years that follow it is recognized as a religion in a number of countries, including Sweden, New Zealand and Portugal.

2006: A repeat of a South Park episode that spoofs Tom Cruise and Scientology is pulled from the air.

2009: The church is found guilty of fraud in France. Screenwriter Paul Haggis splits with Scientology amid accusations of homophobia. Tom Cruise and John Travolta are still members of the Church of Scientology.

Enigma of Russian MiG-29s for Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A Russian military delegation is inspecting airfields before Moscow sends 10 MiG-29 fighter jets to bolster Lebanon's almost non-existent air force, a challenge to U.S. efforts to build up the Mediterranean country's state institutions to counter Hezbollah.

Under a deal announced in December by Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr during a visit to Moscow, Russia will provide the MiG-29s from its air force inventory free of charge, including upgrades, under a military assistance program.

The Americans have supplied second- and third-hand military equipment including M-60A3 main battle tanks (ex-Jordanian) and M-198 155mm artillery guns, worth $400 million to Lebanon since 2006.

But they refuse to provide advanced weapons systems on the grounds these could be used against Israel.

Their rationale is that building up Lebanon's armed forces will help stabilize the country and provide a legitimate alternative to Hezbollah that would undercut the Iranian-backed movement's justification for maintaining its own military forces.

By providing MiG-29s, even in such modest numbers, Moscow is seeking to outmaneuver the United States in Lebanon, as it is across the Middle East through political means as well as large-scale military sales.

But is it difficult to see how the Lebanese MiGs, a product of the 1990s and intended as a counter to the early model U.S. F-16, will alter the balance of power in any practical way in the region despite its speed, maneuverability and advanced weaponry.

Israel has objected to the deployment of MiG-29s on its northern border, claiming these could be used against the Jewish state.

It has been such Israeli opposition that has blocked the delivery of advanced U.S. weapons systems to Lebanon under the current military assistance program.

In theory, the MiG-29s would allow the Lebanese to contest suspected intrusions of their air space by Israeli jetfighters, reconnaissance aircraft and surveillance drones, as well as occasional strike missions.

However, that if the Lebanese MiGs tried to challenge the Israelis that would undoubtedly lead to confrontations with the Israeli air force, the most powerful in the Middle East, and possibly ignite wider hostilities.

As it is the MiG-29 pilots, to be trained in Russia, will be no match for the seasoned Israeli veterans flying their U.S.-built Boeing F-15Is and Lockheed Martin F-16s.

Ground attack missions against Israeli forces would also verge on the suicidal and are therefore unlikely short of all-out war.

Indeed, in such an event, the MiG-29s would be lucky to get off the ground since they would be a key target of the first Israeli airstrikes.

At present, Lebanon is helpless to counter Israeli air incursions. Its air force's combat capability consists of four patched-up British-built Hawker Hunter jets, 1950s vintage subsonic fighters that last saw action in the mid-1980s.

There is also one OV-10 Bronco, a turboprop observation/light attack aircraft, a type used in the Vietnam War, and a Cessna 2908B Caravan, a close air support/border surveillance aircraft provided by the United States in early 2009.

It can carry Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. Two more are to be delivered under the U.S. military program.

There are also around 40 helicopters, including 23 Vietnam-era Bell UH-1H Huey utility helicopters that can be fitted to carry bombs and rockets.

The Lebanese army only has aging Soviet-era anti-aircraft guns that are not radar-controlled and are thus completely useless against Israeli combat aircraft.

Hezbollah also has anti-aircraft guns but these are equally impotent against supersonic Israeli jets.

So, while the Russian military men inspect the suitability of the Lebanese air force's three bases -- at Beirut's international airport, Rayaq in the east near the Syrian border and at the civil airport at Kleiat in the north – the military value of the handful of MiG-29s remains an enigma.

Lebanon's new cabinet to increase economic growth

Beirut - Increasing economic prosperity in Lebanon will be at the top of the agenda of the country's new national unity government headed by Premier Saad Hariri, an economic adviser to the premier said Friday.

'The premier and his economic team believes that a major challenge facing the Lebanese government today is the economic issue and this should be the main focus in the coming few months,' said the adviser who preferred not to be named.

'Lebanon should be able to enhance investments so all Lebanese will benefit from this prosperity,' the adviser said.

'So the main task for this government will be to ensure political stability as well as legal frameworks necessary to encourage Arab banks to finance investment projects in the country,' he added.

Hariri in remarks at an Arab bankers conference in Beirut on Thursday vowed that 'all Lebanese will be able to benefit from the opportunities for prosperity, and this can be achieved by developing our comparative advantages and developing our creative and productive capacities and potential.'

Hariri stressed that Arab banks have a major role to play in financing infrastructure and socioeconomic projects. 'The new challenge facing Arab banks today may be that they succeed in being major partners in economic development,' he added.

Hariri's cabinet is due to work on creating an appropriate environment to enforce the activity of the private sector and preserve high growth rates in addition to ensuring job opportunities for fresh graduates.

The remarks by the premier gave Arab and Lebanese bankers attending the two-day conference confidence that the new Lebanese cabinet would be working on an economic plan to revive the Lebanese economy and encourage investment for the Arab world.

Adnan Youssef, chairman of the board of directors at the Union of Arab Banks, backed Hariri and said: 'It is important to direct Arab investments to the Arab world instead of directing them to foreign markets.'

According to official estimates, Lebanon's public debt is expected to be nearly 50 billion dollars at the end of 2009.

Hariri, whose coalition won a general election on June 7, managed after four months, to form a national unity cabinet that include all rival Lebanese factions, including the Hezbollah-led opposition.

Egypt's President Mubarak enters Algeria football row

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has stepped into a row with Algeria, vowing he will not tolerate the "humiliation" of Egyptian nationals abroad.

The dispute was triggered by violence following football World Cup qualifying matches between the two north African Arab nations.

Algeria won the crucial play-off, but each side has accused the other's fans of attacking their supporters.

The governing body of world football, Fifa, is investigating the violence.

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says in a country where political demonstrations are usually heavily suppressed this is an unusual sight and a further sign of how strained Egypt's relationship with Algeria has now become.

In the televised statement to a joint session of parliament, President Mubarak said his country will not be lax in defending the rights and integrity of its citizens.

"Egypt does not tolerate those who hurt the dignity of its sons," he said.

Although he did not mention Algeria by name, our correspondent says it was clear he was referring to the row that has occurred following violence that spilled over following the matches on 14 and 18 November.

Mr Mubarak said: "We don't want to be drawn into impulsive reactions. I am agitated too, but I restrain myself."

Algeria has demanded that Egypt stop what it describes as "a media campaign" against it following the violence.

On Friday, riot police had to quell a violent demonstration near the Algerian embassy in Cairo. Egypt's interior ministry said 35 people were injured.

A day earlier, around 1,000 Egyptians burned Algerian flags in a street near the Algerian embassy.

Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 in a play-off in Sudan on Wednesday.

Threat to quit

Protesters were incensed by reports that Egyptian fans at the match had been attacked as they left the stadium.

Egypt has threatened to quit international football for two years after complaining to Fifa about Algerian fans' behavior in Khartoum.

If Egypt does not go through with its threat, there is a chance the teams could meet again in less than three months, in the Cup of African Nations, hosted by Angola.

The two teams were drawn in different groups at Friday's ceremony but could meet each other in the later stages.

Egypt's foreign ministry had summoned the Algerian ambassador to hear complaints about reports of attacks on Egyptian fans in Khartoum and on Egyptian businesses in Algeria.

The Egyptian ambassador in Algiers was than recalled "for consultations".

Sudan has also summoned the Egyptian envoy in Khartoum, angry at Egyptian media coverage of the game's aftermath.

The Egyptian government alleges 21 of its citizens were attacked after the match, but Sudan says far fewer were injured.

The teams needed the play-off in a neutral country to decide on qualification after the final group match between them on Saturday saw Egypt win 2-0, meaning the two teams finished tied at the top of the group with equal points and identical goal difference.

Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Egypt after the Algerian team bus was pelted with stones before the 14 November match in Cairo.

Three Algerian players were injured by rocks thrown as they arrived.

US helps build anti-Taliban militia in Afghanistan

Sun Nov 22, 2009

The United States reportedly has begun helping anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan to promote tribal rebellion against the militants.

According to the New York Times, the US hopes this could supplement American and Afghan forces already in place, as well as any extra troops President Barack Obama might send.

"The idea is to get people to take responsibility for their own security," the paper quoted an unnamed senior US military official as saying. "In many places they are already doing that."

The report, however, says aiding the growth of any anti-Taliban militia runs a risk that such groups could turn against the Afghan and US governments.

US officials say they will keep the groups small and will limit the scope of their activities to protecting villages and manning checkpoints.

The goal is to avoid repeating past mistakes, including the creation of more Afghan warlords, who have defied the US and Afghan government's authority for years.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/111889.html.

Ahmadinejad begins LatAm tour after Peres visit

Iran's President is scheduled to begin his tour to five countries in Africa and South America on Sunday days after the Israeli president ended a tour aimed at rallying support against Tehran.

“Iranian President (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) will visit Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Senegal and Gambia,” IRINN reported on Sunday.

“Ahmadinejad is slated to visit Gambia in the first leg of his five-day trip,” it added.

He will then visit Brazil on the second day. Bolivia, Venezuela and Senegal will be the next targets.

Ahmadinejad's tour is aimed at boosting political and economic ties with the five African and South American countries.

Israeli President Shimon Peres's week-long visit to Brazil and Argentina, the first trip to the countries after 40 and 20 years respectively, comes amid Iran's amicable relationship with Latin American countries.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has thrown his weight behind Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear program aimed at peaceful purposes in September's UN gathering in New York.

Iran's close ties with Latin America and particularly Brazil, the fifth largest country, has been a cause of major concern both for Israel and its staunch ally, the US.

A day after Iran's ambassador to Brazil announced that Ahmadinejad and a large entourage of 110 representatives from 65 companies were to visit Brasilia early May 2009, US Secretary of State dubbed the development as "quite disturbing."

Blaming US President Barack Obama's predecessor for “Iran gains” in the region, the top US diplomat noted "I don't think in today's world, where it's a multi-polar world, where we are competing for attention and relationships with the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians, that it's in our interest to turn our backs on our own hemisphere."

The Israeli president's visit to the two Latin American countries, home to the largest Jewish community in the region, also led to angry demonstrations against the trip.

Demonstrators denounced Tel Aviv's deadly offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip which killed more than 1400 people, a large number of them women and children.

In Argentina, protesters carried placards which read "Get out of Argentina, murderer Shimon Peres", "Death to Zionist-fascist Israel, officer of American imperialism in the Middle East, murderers of the Palestinian people!".

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Israeli President had been hailed as "Shimon Hitler", during protests. Demonstrators carried placards showing Peres, sporting a short Hitlerian mustache standing next to an Israeli flag upon which a swastika had been drawn.

'200 Iranian hospitals depend on nuclear fuel'

Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog says over 200 hospitals in the country urgently need higher-enriched uranium.

As a timely reminder that obtaining higher-enriched uranium is a matter of great urgency for Iran, Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh said that the fuel is required for the Tehran nuclear reactor, which is designed to produce radioisotopes used by Iranian hospitals for medical treatment.

He warned that if Iran's proposal to purchase the fuel from abroad falls through, the country would have no choice but to enrich uranium to the required level of 20 percent 'if it is forced to'.

"We need the fuel because more than 200 hospitals depend on it," Soltaniyeh said in an interview with Der Spiegel published on Saturday.

A proposal put forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requires Iran to send most of its domestically produced low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad for further refinement.

Tehran has accepted the basics of the proposal but has also sought certain modifications to the offer, saying for instance that it would not send its enriched uranium overseas to be exchanged for the required fuel rods.

In a counter-proposal, Iran has suggested keeping the LEU in a room sealed by the IAEA inside the country until the higher-enriched uranium arrives.

Under this proposal, the exchange would be completed in two stages -- 400 kg of Iran's LEU would be exchanged with 58 kg of 20 percent-enriched uranium in each stage.

Soltaniyeh said the Western powers have yet to address Tehran's concerns and provide it with "enough guarantees" for the fuel supply. "The way we have been treated over the past 30 years, we have every reason [not to trust the Western powers]," Soltaniyeh observed.

Indonesian ferry sinks with 228 people onboard

Indonesian police have announced that a passenger ferry carrying more than 200 people sank off the country's Sumatra Island.

The ferry reportedly sank in poor weather 90 minutes into the trip on Sunday morning, said Yasin Kosasih, a police chief in Riau province.

At least 228 passengers including 15 children were on board from the port of Batam to Dumai in Riau, Sumatra, according to the passenger manifest.

Dozens have been rescued and a search operation is ongoing, police officials said.

The South Asian country with 234 million population and 17,000 islands is dependent on a network of ships and boats.

In one incident in January, nearly 335 people drowned when a ferry sank off Sulawesi Island.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=111890§ionid=3510212.

Lebanon army opens fire on Israeli drone

Lebanese anti-aircraft guns open fire on an Israeli drone that violated Lebanese airspace over the south of the country.

"A surveillance drone of the Israeli enemy" flew over "the area of Bint Jbeil at medium altitude" in the morning, the Lebanese military said in a statement on Saturday.

"Army anti-aircraft batteries opened fire on the drone, forcing it to gain altitude before leaving Lebanese airspace," AFP quoted the statement as saying.

The Lebanese military reports, almost on a daily basis, airspace violations by Israeli aircraft, but does not normally open fire on them.

The UN considers Israeli violation of Lebanese airspace to be a violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Israeli offensive on Lebanon in 2006.

Boat with 200 African refugees arrives in Italy

Rome (Earth Times - dpa) - A boat with around 200 refugees from Africa arrived at the Italian Mediterranean island of Sicily overnight, Coast Guard officials said Saturday. Coast Guard vessels intercepted the boat around midnight and escorted it to the port of Pozzallo.

The migrants said they came from Eritrea, but it was not clear which port they set off from.

There were 48 women, four children and a new-born baby among the group.

Some were suffering from dehydration after a journey lasting several days and had to be taken to hospital for treatment, media reports said.

UAE police give haircuts to 'indecent' youths

Cairo - Police in the United Arab Emirates cracked down on youngsters at shopping malls who violated so-called "decency laws," media reported Saturday. Scores of youngsters were detained by police in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate for sporting "unusual hair cuts" and clothing that showed parts of their bodies immodestly, the Gulf News reported.

Some of the teenagers were given haircuts by the police, in an effort to enforce the conservative code of the Gulf country.

Parents were summoned to sign pledges that they would educate their children in a "decent manner." The families were reported to have been pleased with the police for helping them discipline the wayward children.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295654,uae-police-give-haircuts-to-indecent-youths.html.

Lebanese mother confesses to wiping out family

Beirut - A Lebanese mother found dead with her three daughters left a videotaped confession that she poisoned the family, Lebanese media reported Saturday. Grace Jalakh, 40, said she had poisoned herself and her three young daughters because her husband has been working in Bahrain for years and she "cannot take it anymore."

The taped confession was aired on Lebanese television.

Jalakh was found dead with daughters Melissa, 13, Madison, 10, and Alfreda, 7, at their apartment in the town of Bhorsaf, northeast of Beirut, early Friday.

They had apparently eaten dishes of processed fruit laced with poison.

The bodies were discovered by Jalakh's husband, Paul, a horse trainer who had just returned from a six-day trip to the Gulf.

Police are continuing their investigations to see if there were other reasons which might have prompted the mother's action.

Kunduz airstrike relatives to demand compensation - Summary

Berlin (Earth Times - dpa) - Dozens of relatives of people killed in a controversial NATO airstrike in Afghanistan are to attempt to claim compensation from the German government, it emerged Saturday. Karim Popal, a lawyer, said in an interview with the Weser-Kurier newspaper that he was preparing a class-action suit against the government, on behalf of 78 relatives of people killed in the September 4 airstrike. He said he had informed the defense ministry in Berlin.

A German commander had called the airstrike to attack two militant-hijacked fuel tankers in the northern province of Kunduz, where up to 4,500 German soldiers are based.

According to NATO, which later criticized the German commander for overstepping his authority, up to 142 people died, including civilians.

Popal said he had recently been in Afghanistan to prepare material for the case. The lawyer is believed to be hoping for an out-of-court payment by the government to the victims' families.

Failing that, Popal would sue for compensation for the "flawed and grossly negligent" actions of the German forces, the Weser-Kurier reported.

Iraq parliament postpones vote on election law veto

Baghdad - Iraqi's parliament on Saturday postponed a vote on whether to overturn the vice president's veto of the country's new elections law, a member of the legislature said. "Iraqi MPs did not reach a consensus during today's session over the issue. They decided to postpone discussions till Sunday," Ezzeddin al-Dawla told the German Press Agency, dpa.

The issue at the heart of the veto is what percentage of seats in the new parliament will be chosen by expatriate Iraqi voters.

The country had been scheduled to go to the polls on January 18, following a lengthy parliamentary tussle over the electoral law governing the ballot.

But following Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi's veto of the law, the electoral commission said it was suspending preparations for election until the controversy had been settled.

Al-Hashemi, a Sunni Muslim, sent the law back to parliament on Wednesday, asking it to increase the percentage of seats reserved for expatriate Iraqi voters from 5 per cent to 15 per cent. Most expatriates are thought to be Sunnis.

According to al-Dawla, MPs were divided during Saturday's discussions, with "a majority calling for a rejection of al-Hashemi's demand." A few, al-Dawla said, "sought a compromise of reserving 10 per cent of the seats for expatriates."

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, on Wednesday called al-Hashemi's veto "a dangerous threat to the political process and democracy," and urged the electoral commission to resume preparations for the polls immediately.

January 18 was set as the poll date after parliament reached a compromise on the thorny issue of voting in the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on November 8.

The Iraqi constitution requires that elections be held before the end of January. The US military has said that it would begin reducing the number of its troops in Iraq roughly two months after the polls, provided the country appeared stable.

Parliament Speaker Iyad Al-Samarrai insisted that a delay in the elections "would not affect the timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq."

"But in the event of a constitutional vacuum and security disruptions, the government might have to delay the implementation of the timetables for the US troops' withdrawal," he said.

The regional government in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq had also threatened to boycott the elections if the number of seats allocated to the two provinces that together make up the region is not increased.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295675,iraq-parliament-postpones-vote-on-election-law-veto.html.

Atlantis spacewalkers venture outside for chores - Update

Washington - Two NASA astronauts began the second spacewalk of the Atlantis mission on Saturday to complete another round of chores outside the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts Mike Foreman and Randy Bresnik were to add more storage capacity on the station shell to hold parts and supplies.

A false alarm aboard the ISS had delayed the start of their spacewalk by more than an hour.

The alarm woke up both crews two hours after they went to sleep and warned them of a drop in pressure. This caused the ventilation system to shut down automatically, which in turn activated a fire alarm.

NASA said there was no danger to the astronauts, but decided to delay the spacewalk for an hour to give the crew time to get more sleep.

After the Atlantis mission, only five more shuttle flights to the ISS remain before the program is retired in 2010, and there is a rush to maximize the heavy lifting capability of the shuttle to ferry backup supplies to the orbiting station.

Since storage is a premium inside the station,new carriers are being attached outside for the equipment on the current mission.

During the first spacewalk on Thursday, two astronauts installed a backup antenna to the outside of the station and completed other maintenance work.

The final spacewalk of the mission is slated for Monday. Atlantis is to disembark on Tuesday and arrive back on Earth next Friday.

It will leave behind two containers with12,360 kilograms of spare parts: Gyroscopes that help keep the ISS at the proper altitude in space; an extra hand for the station's robotic arm; a gas tank for providing oxygen to the airlock during spacewalks; parts for the station's cooling system.

NASA is at work on developing the next generation spacecraft with an eye on returning humans to the moon or traveling to Mars and beyond. But full support for the plans is still pending in the halls of government.

Jeddah- Swine flu awareness campaign for airport staff

(MENAFN - Arab News) King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), Jeddah, has launched an intensive campaign with a major health care insurance provider to avoid a swine flu pandemic during this year's Haj.

The campaign covers all terminals at the airport and is aimed not only at travelers but also at the airport's 3,000 employees.

"As the gateway to the two holy cities and the connection point for flights to other cities in the Kingdom, KAIA is in the first line of defense to combat swine flu," said KAIA's Director General Mazen Khashoggi.

"Accordingly, the first stage of the campaign is to create awareness among our employees through a series of educational seminars conducted by Bupa Arabia, supported by the second stage, which is an informative campaign in cooperation with Bupa Arabia aimed at travelers and visitors ... inside the airport."

As part of the joint campaign, Bupa Arabia is placing hygiene awareness posters throughout the airport and organizing seminars for employees.

The seminar provides participants with both medical and practical information on how to protect themselves and others from swine flu. More than half a million pilgrims have already passed through KAIA and many more are expected to arrive in time for Haj. Since pilgrims are coming from countries all around the world, it is vital that every effort is made to minimize the possibility of a widespread outbreak of the H1N1 virus and this campaign complements the many other educational and preventive measures being implemented across the Kingdom, said Tal Nazer, CEO of Bupa Arabia.

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093284273&src=MOEN.

Kuwait- Govt female teachers can sponsor spouses

(MENAFN - Arab Times) The General Immigration Department has issued a decision to allow female expatriate teachers contracted with the Ministry of Education to transfer their husbands' residence under their sponsorship, reports Al-Shahid daily.

This decision comes after repeated requests by the teachers and has been approved across all governorates. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has issued a notice, instructing expatriate personnel at government departments to submit a no-dues certificate from the Ministry of Electricity and Water in order to receive an approval for leave, reports Awan daily.

The Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior Lt Gen Ahmed Al-Rajeeb circulated the announcement to help the government recover KD 4 million in unpaid electricity and water bills in the country. This decision comes after the Ministry of Electricity and Water asked for its Interior Affairs counterpart's support to enforce the decision.

Chairperson of the Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) Khalid Mutlaq Al-Azemi, after unrelenting efforts, assisted several expatriate workers to claim their rights from sponsors who committed violations against them.

In a press release, Al-Azemi disclosed this action has led to the closure of files of many companies. He stated that activities of the corrupt sponsors forced the affected workers to try to evade arrest and prosecution, while they were unable to transfer their sponsorship to other persons.

He said the federation held a series of talks with concerned authorities, such as the Ministries of Interior and Social Affairs and Labor, in addition to the parliamentary committee for Human Rights Protection in that regard. He added this became necessary due to several unfair decisions taken against workers due to reasons beyond their control.

Al-Azemi cited a meeting that took place on Nov 19, which involved the concerned parliamentary committee chairperson Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaie, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Mohsen Al-Afasi, the Director-General of Immigration, the Assistant Chairperson of the federation Abdul-Rahman Yousif Al-Ghanim and himself, among a host of other officials.

"We explored this issue from all perspectives, while the Immigration Chief undertook to withdraw arrest warrants against innocent workers and give them three months to regularize their legal status", the KTUF leader pointed out.

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093284233&src=NLEN.

China Mine Death Toll Reaches 87

HEGANG, China—The death toll from China's latest coal mine disaster reached 87 as hopes dimmed on Sunday that more survivors would be found a day after a gas blast at a colliery in the country's icy far northeast.

The state Xinhua news agency reported 528 workers were in the mine, at Hegang in Heilongjiang province, at the time of the blast, and 420 had been rescued by Sunday.

Some 21 miners remained trapped or unaccounted for, Zhang Jinguang, a spokesman for the mine company, told reporters, who were taken by officials to see 20 or so rescue workers descending down a tunnel still belching smoke.

Zhang Fucheng, an official in charge of rescue efforts, told Chinese television that efforts were being impeded by dense gas and collapsed tunnels. Temperatures were near freezing.
World's deadliest coal mining industry

This was the latest accident to hit the world's deadliest major coal mining industry. The blast was so violent it shook the surrounding area and nearby buildings partly collapsed.

Some of the survivors were badly injured.

"When I saw my husband, this mess of blood and flesh, I didn't recognize him at first," said Huang Guizhen, the wife of injured miner Qu Zhongliang, a Heilongjiang province news website (www.northeast.com.cn) reported. "Then the doctor told me it was my husband and I burst into tears."

Compared to other manual jobs, Chinese coal miners can earn relatively high wages, tempting workers and farmers into rickety and poorly ventilated shafts.

Safety staff knew gas in the mine had reached dangerous levels and were rushing to clear it when the blast erupted 500 meters below ground, the website report also said.

The Xinxing mine in Hegang lies near China's border with Russia and produced over a million tonnes of coal in the first 10 months of this year, the report said. It is owned by the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Holding Group, making it larger than most operations where colliery accidents occur.

NATO Takes Command of Afghan Army, Police Training

KABUL—NATO took command of the training of the Afghan army and police on Saturday to consolidate efforts on building an effective security force, a vital precondition for the withdrawal of foreign troops.

The existing U.S. training mission, CSTC-A, until now responsible for most of the training, is to merge with the new "NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan" (NTM-A), under a single NATO command, commanders said on Saturday at a ceremony in Kabul.

Deputy Commander of the new NATO mission Major General Michael Ward said he believed the move would encourage more NATO training personnel to be sent to Afghanistan, helping to speed the expansion of local forces.

"I'm very optimistic. We've identified what our needs are and we're bringing those back to NATO to get nations to contribute and we've already seen in this run-up, a significant number of people coming in with exactly the right skills," Ward told Reuters.

There are some 110,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including 68,000 Americans, fighting the Taliban that has spread its insurgency from the south and east of the country into previously peaceful areas.

At present there are about 95,000 Afghan soldiers and about 93,000 police.

In his assessment of the war, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Army General Stanley McChrystal, has recommended local security forces be eventually raised to a total of 400,000 soldiers and police.

Ward said the immediate aim was to increase the army to 134,000 and the police force to 96,800 by October 2010.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to send up a further 40,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, which McChrystal, says he needs.

Military commanders believe the foreign troops can ultimately only buy time before the Afghan army and police force are expanded. Only when they are able to provide security for themselves will foreign troops be able to leave.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/25486/.

Chavez says Venezuela in recession, by U.S. yardstick

CARACAS (Reuters) - Oil-exporting Venezuela is in recession, its socialist President Hugo Chavez said on Saturday, adding that the capitalist system of measuring economic growth was established in the United States.

"When an economy shrinks instead of grows, according to the norms established by international capitalism, then it enters into recession," he said during a five-hour speech to inaugurate a party congress.

"GDP fell in the third quarter, and so we entered a recession, according to the patterns elaborated in the United States," he said.

Venezuela's economy contracted an unexpected 4.5 percent in the third quarter, a second consecutive three-month contraction that most economists' define as a recession.

Until now, the government avoided using the word.

Chavez says the normal method of measuring a country's gross domestic product does not sufficiently weigh social services and publicly owned enterprises. He has called for the measurement to be revised in Venezuela.

Chavez has nationalized many of Venezuela's major industries, along with some food production, telecommunications and electricity.

Many in the private sector say his policies have a chilling effect on manufacturing, which fell by nine percent in the quarter.

Venezuela enjoyed a five-year boom of fast growth fed by soaring oil prices and lavish social spending but it came to an abrupt halt this year when global oil prices crashed. Prices have recovered somewhat but the economy has yet to follow suit.

Hugo Chavez invites Fidel Castro to Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is inviting his mentor Fidel Castro to visit Venezuela during the coming months.

Chavez read aloud a letter to the 83-year-old former Cuban leader during a televised speech Saturday night, saying "Venezuela awaits you." Chavez proposed that Castro visit at some point between now and April, during a congress of his socialist party.

The 83-year-old Castro has not been seen in public since undergoing a series of emergency intestinal surgeries in July 2006. He handed the Cuban presidency to his brother Raul but has continued writing essays published by state media.

Chavez also has invited Castro to a mid-December meeting of the regional ALBA trade bloc in Havana, saying he is well enough to attend.

3 bomb blasts leave 5 dead, 25 wounded in India

By WASBIR HUSSAIN, Associated Press Writer

GAUHATI, India – Three bombs exploded in India's restive northeast Sunday, killing five people and wounding more than 25, police said.

Five people died after two blasts went off within minutes of each other outside a police station in Nalbari town near the Assam state capital, Gauhati, a local police official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media, said about five minutes later a third blast occurred a few miles (kilometers) away. More than 25 people have been wounded in the three blasts.

India's northeast is beset by scores of conflicts. More than 10,000 people have died in separatist violence over the past decade. The region is home to dozens of separatist groups who accuse the government of exploiting the area's natural resources while doing little for the indigenous people.

Assam's Inspector General of police Bhaskar Mahanta said authorities suspect the militant separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom is behind the blasts. No group claimed responsibility.

Mahanta said the bombers had parked two bicycles fitted with carriers packed with explosives outside the Nalbari police station, which is located in a congested part of the town. These went off, killing passers-by and wounding the others.

Mahanta said police had received intelligence reports suggesting that the ULFA was planning to avenge last week's arrest of two of the group's leaders.

Last week, suspected ULFA rebels triggered a powerful explosion, derailing a freight train and setting more than a dozen oil tanker railcars on fire in Assam.

The ULFA has spurned the Indian government's offer to hold talks with them on condition that the group give up violence.

Freed Spanish sailors return home

The Spanish crew of a boat hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean have returned to Madrid, more than six weeks after they were captured.

The 16 crew members arrived in Spain on Saturday, where they were greeted by family members, four days after their release.

The crew had first traveled to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, where they described to a news conference of being threatened during their time as hostages.

"We were very badly treated - the worst possible," Ricardo Blach, the ship skipper, told Spanish media.

"They hit me, tied me up and 1,000 other things," he said, according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

'Volleys of bullets'

Wilson Pillate, another crew member said the pirates had an array of different guns, including pistols and Kalashnikovs.

"There were times when they would turn wild, firing volleys of bullets in the air," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

"One day in particular they rounded all of us up. They said our days had ended and they would kill all of us."

The Alakrana tuna fishing trawler was captured last month about 740km northwest of the Seychelles island of Mahe, along with its crew of 36 people.

The ship's crew also included eight Indonesians and others from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Madagascar, Seychelles and Senegal.

The pirates released the ship on Tuesday, saying they were paid $4m for the crew's release, which would be one of the highest ransoms paid.

But the Spanish government has not confirmed it paid any money.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister, has refused to confirm whether a ransom had been paid, saying "the government has done what it had to do".

Attacks off Seychelles have surged after pirates extended their range to evade navies patrolling off the Horn of Africa.