KATYN-2. Chechens in Poland do not doubt that Kaczynski was killed by Russian terrorists from the gang of FSB

14 April 2010

The correspondent of the Hamburg paper Die Welt in Warsaw Paul Flückiger informed about the situation in Poland:

"The shots of state television of Poland underline gloomy presentiments. They show how the Russian secret service FSB cordoned the crash site and terrorize Polish journalists. The Russian agents sized notebooks and cameras from journalists.

"I am confident that the FSB is behind that disaster", says a Chechen refugee in the market in the Warsaw district of Prague. "They had also get us by the throat", she accuses.

The woman, who refused to give her name, has always believed that Lech Kaczynski was a great assistant to Chechen refugees in Poland. And she says:

"Kaczynski had never trusted Russians - and he was right".

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/04/14/11866.shtml.

KATYN 2. Marauding FSB terrorists stole NATO and Polish secrets

15 April 2010

According to the Polish website in German, PolskaWeb News, the Russian terrorist organization of FSB Russia (successor to the KGB) used the Polish plane crash to steal NATO and Poland's state and military secrets. The website writes:

"At the crash site of the Kaczynski's Tupolev plane, prevails since Saturday not only sadness but also the Russian secret service of the FSB. They wear cloths of experts, military uniforms or present themselves as prosecutors. There 60 of them just at a crash site. The number of Poles there is still only 3.

From the beginning, they targeted at bags, briefcases and weapons, charred mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices. The fact is that, along with the Polish President and his case for emergency situations, there were also highest Polish military officials among the dead, including the Polish Chief of Staff F. Gagor, as well as top commanders of the NATO, whose laptops, of course, "disappeared" along with the satellite telephone of the Polish President and his metal suitcase.

The weapons of 9 bodyguards of Lech Kaczynski are also "missing", but their bodies have been found. Polish experts at the crash site had actually nothing to gather from the remnants of the aircraft, or private and official items of the victims.

All of them returned to Moscow. Now you are really to worry seriously about what the Kremlin took in his possession from important secrets of the Polish military and the NATO.

The Polish prosecutors have already reported that Russian investigators gathered in the woods at the crash site everything, first of all, all personal items, but also half-burned documents. Polish top officials, as well as the Army, Air Force and Navy Chiefs, were on board of the Tupolev plane.

All the Polish enemies of Putin and the Kremlin died at the same time. Poland rightly fears that due to the tragedy, Russia was able to get access to all Polish state secrets.

The Polish Chief of Staff Gągor was in any case, a bearer of NATO classified information and had access to all the "Top Secret" information from the Alliance.

Poland is almost entirely in the hands of Russians in the matters of the investigation. Therefore, they quietly ask in Poland, what secrets the victims were carrying with them. The Polish domestic intelligence ABW is continuing its investigating since Sunday and wants to find out what the passengers on board the Plane of Death had in their possession.

But they still know very little about informal data that could be held in the luggage of political and military leaders. Also in Brussels, at the NATO headquarters, people are concerned about Russian leadership and dominance during an investigation of the tragedy in Smolensk and in Moscow.

For Russian media and politicians, it is already known since Sunday, although the investigation of the crash is only at its initial stage, that it was the passengers and the crew on board who caused the disaster.

The Polska Web News does not share the opinion of the Russians, since, judging by the state of affairs, we can not exclude an outside attack on the plane".

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/04/15/11862.shtml.

KATYN 2. Only one version stays valid — Kaczynski was murdered by Russian FSB

The Polish President Lech Kaczynski and other high-ranking passengers did not interfere in the work of the crew of the plane, which crashed near Katyn, and did not give instructions to land at the military airport in Smolensk.

This has been told to the Moscow radio Echo Moskvy by a source close to the joint Polish-Russian commission, investigating the crash.

The source also referred to the data in one of 3 "black boxes", the decoding of which has been completed. The box did not record any pressure on the crew during their conversations, the source said.

It is to be noted that earlier the FSB propaganda repeatedly claimed that the cause of the accident was "Polish arrogance". According to the FSB, the murdered Polish President Kaczynski allegedly ordered his pilot to land the plane, despite alleged "bad weather".

All passengers on board died. Where from the Russians could learn what was happening on board shortly before the crash, offering such a version, was never explained.

If the President of Poland did not give such an order, then the pilot would never land the aircraft in "bad weather" of his own, because, despite "Polish arrogance", he was surely not a suicide. Earlier, Polish journalists reported the weather was within normal limits and there was no "dense fog" there.

The technical condition of the aircraft was also OK. Thus, all possible "natural" causes for the crash have been excluded.

The FSB version that the Polish plane tried to land four times to land has also been rejected. This is now being reported even by the Russian FSB media.

The only version stays valid - the plane with the "enemies of Russia" had been destroyed under orders by Putin and Medvedev in the attack orchestrated by the international terrorist organization of FSB Russia or by the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

But even in the latter case, the responsibility lies with the FSB, because Russia is now a FSB-controlled country, and the GRU can't do anything of their own, without orders from the FSB.

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/04/16/11859.shtml.

Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki: the US is a tyrant, and tyrants across history have all had terrible ends

The US has accused the US-born Yemen-based religious scholar Anwar al-Awlaki of being linked to an attack on a military base in Texas and the alleged attempt to blow up a passenger plane over Detroit on Christmas Day.

US officials accuse al-Awlaki of either inciting or ideologically influencing Major Nidal Hasan, a US army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in November, and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian suspect in the attempted bombing of a US-bound plane.

In this interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, al-Awlaki says he supports the failed bombing of the plane but did not encourage the attack.

Al Jazeera: The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have quoted CIA investigators as talking about the possibility of targeting you in a drone attack. Why do you think the Americans want to kill you?

Awlaki: Because I am a Muslim and I promote Islam. The charge is "incitement"; my relationships with Nidal Hasan, Umar Farouk and some 9/11 attackers, and now I am accused of being linked to 14 cases. All this comes as part of the attempt to liquidate the voices that call for defending the rights of the Umma [Muslim nation].

They reject the principle of pride and demanding justice, they want to promote the principle of humiliation and compliance. They want to market the democratic and peaceful US Islam that calls for obeying the superiors even if they were traitors and collaborators, they want an Islam that recognizes the occupation and deals with it, they want an Islam that has no sharia ruling, no jihad and no Islamic caliphate.

We call for the Islam that was sent by Allah to Prophet Muhammad, the Islam of jihad and sharia ruling. Any voice that calls for this Islam, they either kill the person or the character; they kill the person by murdering or jailing them, or they kill the character by distorting their image in the media.

Al Jazeera: Have you met Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and did you issue a fatwa [a religious edict] allowing him to carry out the operation?

Awlaki: My fellow mujahid [a Muslim engaged in jihad] Umar Farouk, may Allah free him, is one of my students, and yes there was some contact between me and him, but I did not issue a fatwa allowing him to carry out this operation.

Al Jazeera: Does describing him as a "mujahid" mean you support what he did?

Awlaki: Yes, I support what Umar Farouk has done after I have been seeing my brothers being killed in Palestine for more than 60 years, and others being killed in Iraq and in Afghanistan. And in my tribe too, US missiles have killed 17 women and 23 children, so do not ask me if al-Qaeda has killed or blown up a US civil jet after all this. The 300 Americans are nothing comparing to the thousands of Muslims who have been killed.

Al Jazeera: You have supported Nidal Malik Hasan and justified his act by saying that his target was a military not a civilian one. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's plane was a civilian one, which means the target was the US public?

Awlaki: It would have been better if the plane was a military one or if it was a US military target. Al-Qaeda organization has its options, and the American people live [in] a democratic system and that is why they are held responsible for their policies.

The American people are the ones who have voted twice for Bush the criminal and elected Obama who is not different from Bush as his first remarks stated that he would not abandon Israel, despite the fact that there were other anti-war candidates in the US elections, but they won very few votes. The American people take part in all its government's crimes.

If they oppose that, let them change their government. They pay the taxes which are spent on the army and they send their sons to the military, and that is why they bear responsibility.

Al Jazeera: Do you think Yemen's government would facilitate your assassination?

Awlaki: The Yemeni government sells its citizens to the United States, to earn the ill-gotten funds it begs the West for in return for their blood. The Yemeni officials tell the Americans to strike whatever they want and ask them not to announce responsibility for the attacks to avoid people's rage, and then the Yemeni government shamelessly adopt these attacks.

For example, the people of Shabwa, Abyan and Arhab have seen the Cruz missiles, and some people saw cluster bombs that did not explode. The state lies when it claims responsibility, and it does so to deny collaboration. US drones continuously fly over Yemen. What state is that which allows its enemy to spy on its people and then considers it as "accepted cooperation".

Al Jazeera: You accuse the Yemeni government of lying while it publicly rejects any direct intervention. Does this mean the country is occupied?

Awlaki: Undoubtedly. The sea is occupied; the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, Suqatra island, and the air is occupied by the drones.

There is also [a] US presence on the land, violating the state sovereignty under the pretext of the embassy's practices. There is also [a] military presence training the interior forces to fight Muslims and kill the sons of Yemen. The Americans were training Yemeni forces to kill the sons of Yemen. This is occupation, Yemen is occupied.

Some people and governments are distinguished by certain qualities; as you may say this person is tall, and that is stubborn. The Yemeni government's special quality is lying, the Yemeni government is a lying government, it lies internally and externally, it lies to its people, to its neighbors and to America, it lies to everyone. The government has claimed it killed this and that, and then it turned out to be lying. The Yemeni government only wants to offer presents to the United States, and you can see how low it has gone.

Al Jazeera: Some Yemeni scholars, who have issued fatwas of jihad in case of direct intervention by the US or the West in Yemen, disagree with your opinion that there is currently direct intervention in the country.

Awlaki: It is a good fatwa, but it is incomplete and conditioned. The United States has entered [Yemen] by all means, even if it has not sent its army like what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, it does not dare to [send troops] because the Yemeni people will "swallow" them and will make them forget the terrors they have seen in Iraq and still face in Afghanistan.

I want to draw these scholars' attention to the fact that there are US officers, whether intelligence or army officers, now in Sanaa and other areas, and this is US intervention. Why do not these scholars issue fatwas to kill these officers? They are spying, killing and training Yemeni soldiers to kill.

Al Jazeera: The Western media says that you are 'inspiring' Muslims in the US and the West. Is this an exaggeration?

Awlaki: I have said in an earlier interview with Al Jazeera's Yusri Fouda that the United States is a tyrant, and tyrants across history have all had terrible ends. I believe the West does not want to realize this universal fact. Muslims in Europe and America are watching what is happening to Muslims in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, and they will take revenge for all Muslims across the globe.

Source: Al Jazeera English
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/04/16/11860.shtml.

Ousted Kyrgyz leader flies to Belarus after resignation

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Moscow - Ousted Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev flew Saturday to Belarus, two days after he fled his country for Kazakhstan, media reports said.

Bakiyev, who was pushed from power by bloody protests last week that killed at least 84 people, boarded a plane in Taras, Kazakhstan, for Minsk, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing people close to the 60-year-old politician.

Belarus' authoritarian president, Aleksander Lukashenko, had offered Bakiyev exile.

Bakiyev flew Thursday to neighboring Kazakhstan, where he resigned as president in an internationally brokered deal aimed at restoring calm in his home country.

Since then, the situation has stabilized in the Central Asian republic, where an interim government, led by pro-Western former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva, has taken over.

It has issued arrest warrants for relatives of Bakiyev on charges that include murder. Among those charged is his brother Shanysh, who is accused of ordering sharpshooters to pick off demonstrators.

The former president's family is on the run. Bakiyev himself has immunity from prosecution.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319173,ousted-kyrgyz-leader-flies-to-belarus-after-resignation.html.

Morocco, Spain discuss military co-operation

2010-04-16

Royal Armed Forces Inspector-General Abdelaziz Bennani led a Moroccan delegation to Madrid this week for the 6th Joint Military Commission meeting, MAP reported on Friday (April 16th). "Morocco is making significant efforts to fight illegal immigration, drug trafficking and international terrorism," MAP quoted Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon as saying after the two-day session on military and defense co-operation.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/16/newsbrief-03.

Begging in the name of religion: the children of al-Moudat

Islamic schools are forcing young students to sacrifice classroom time so they can beg on the streets.

By Mohammed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud and Mohamed Foily Samba Vall for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 16/04/10

Every morning after reading the Qur'an, ten-year old Diop Samba sets off for the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott to find anyone willing to give him loose change or perhaps a loaf of bread. The young beggar is among the al-Moudat: children who must pay for their own Islamic education.

"I have to get a certain amount of money every day; otherwise I'll infuriate my teacher, who is waiting for what I bring him. I can't return to al-Mahdhara (religious school) empty-handed, or else I'll get punished," Diop tells Magharebia.

He works all day. "I would love to play with my friends and watch TV," Diop admits, but life inside al-Mahdhara prevents it.

The little boy dressed in rags adds, "I love public schools where students carry their books and pens and spend the day in the shade, but we spend the entire day under the sun looking for money."

"My father refused to send me to those schools," Samba says. "I don't know why he did that."

There are more than 2,000 disadvantaged people in Nouakchott, according to the November 2009 census conducted by the Commission for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and for Relations with Civil Society (CDHAHRSC).

Many are children dispatched by their religious schools to beg for alms.

Zeid Hamidoun, age 11, is another child of the al-Moudat. He dreams of one thing, he says: "to buy a bicycle and stop going to al-Mahdhara".

"My neighbors call me names that I don't like, such as 'beggar' and 'street child,'" Hamidoun tells Magharebia, his tears telling a part of his tragedy.

Sheikhs believe that the costs of religious education, such as water, electricity, food and clothes, should be borne by the little students.

"The economic resources of al-Mahdhara are very poor, and therefore, everyone is required to contribute, including the students and their families, who are usually poor," religious instructor Othman explains to Magharebia.

"Seeking knowledge needs effort. I know that there are some human rights organizations that criticize what we do, but this is not important. The goal is to serve our religion and nothing else," Othman asserts.

Like Diop and Zeid, students finish reading their Qur'anic lessons in the early morning. After a modest meal, they are sent out to the streets on an obligatory "religious mission" aimed at collecting money, food, clothes and medicines.

After spending a tough day begging, students return in the evening to al-Mahdhara to meet with their sheikhs and calculate their collections. They then enter into a profound sleep until dawn prayers begin the cycle of misery, boredom and fatigue anew.

Al-Moudat are also exposed to risks such as drug addiction and sexual exploitation. Over time, experts confirm, some of these young beggars turn into experienced thieves and land in jail.

Some families that send their children to these religious schools lack the financial resources to pay for their children's education.

Others see the schools as a character-building tradition.

Mohamed, in his fifties, has worked for two decades as a carpenter in the southern Mauritanian city of Rosso. He has five sons, four of whom were sent to a Mahdhara run by one of his relatives.

"I know that my sons have been living for the last three years under harsh conditions in al-Mahdhara," he said. "I know that they combine learning and earning money. I think that this experience will be important for their lives; it will make them stronger in the future."

"Life doesn't show mercy, and we shouldn't hide this reality from the children," he added.

The phenomenon of al-Moudat is not restricted to Mauritania, explained Siyde Mint Mohamedou, director of the government-run Child Protection and Social Integration Center. In Mauritania and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, she continued, some sheikhs of al-Mahdhara say they want to disseminate Islamic culture, but do not have enough money to do it without the extra funds.

"In the end, what they do is exploit the children and expose them to risks. Mauritania doesn't accept such types of behavior."

"We're dealing with this as a dangerous phenomenon," she told Magharebia.

In many documented cases, the al-Moudat children master little other than begging and collecting food.

Under the aegis of the Social Affairs Ministry, the Child Protection Center conducted assessment tests for 70 children aged between 5-14 years. "We noted how poor their level of knowledge was," Mint Mohamedou said.

"Some of them don't even know how to read or write although they spent years in those schools. This is because those children didn't find time to learn, given that they were economically exploited on a permanent basis by their sheikhs."

To sociologist Mohamed Ould Ahmed, the phenomenon of al-Moudat is "dangerous to society and identity". The strange thing, he tells Magharebia, is that this behaviour exists at all, given that Islam "encourages abstinence and self-reliance".

"When was begging a Sharia-based principle?" Mohammed wonders.

"The government has to intervene in order to solve the problem legally, rather than economically," he maintains. "Mentalities don't change easily, especially if they derive their sanctity from religion."

For social advocates and government officials, the financial component to the problem is clear. Difficult circumstances and unemployment mean that begging is not limited to children seeking alms for their schools. Adult beggars can also be found at every traffic light and on every corner in the Mauritanian capital.

Many citizens feel helpless about remedying the miserable situation of beggars young and old.

To confront the disturbing problem, the Mauritanian government has allotted 300 million ouiguiyas (833,000 euros) to shelter and rehabilitation programs in the Nouakchott neighborhoods of Sebkha, Arafat, Elmira and elsewhere. Food, sanitation, and even income-generating activities were offered to more than 2,000 beggars.

Many quickly abandoned the shelters to go back to the Nouakchott streets.

An old beggar near the El Mina market outside a suburb of Nouakchott explained, "The authorities in Nouakchott wished to control the growing crisis of begging by making funds available, yet the sum was insufficient. I preferred to continue asking for donations. This 'job’ allows us to make ends meet."

"One who masters his work can make up to 70,000 Ouguiyas each month," another beggar confirmed.

In another attempt to quell the crisis, Mauritanian authorities launched a national initiative in February under the banner, "Fighting against begging is a contractual obligation for everyone".

As part of the major media campaign, clerics and imams appeared on national television and radio to condemn the behavior as contradictory to the teachings of Islam.

Despite wide dissemination, however, the message does not always get through.

Mohamed Abdallahi, in his sixties, has been begging for more than five years. He has no plans to quit.

"I am my family’s sole provider. I often go to Nouadhibou, and I sometimes stay one month and I often bring more than 100,000 ouguiyas."

As Abdellahi shuffles along the capital streets, he often finds himself vying with young boys dispatched by their religious schools to glean spare change from passers-by.

But his children are not among these young street urchins pleading for alms.

With money from his own begging, he tells Magharebia with pride, he is able to guarantee the education of his two sons and his two daughters.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2010/04/16/reportage-01.

Sponsorship plan helps Algerian orphans

FOREM, a private organization, hopes to place 10,000 orphans under the sponsorship of generous Algerians.

By Hayam El Hadi for Magharebia in Algiers – 16/04/10

More than a quarter-million Algerian children whose parents were killed during the Black Decade may soon see help from a sponsorship program just unveiled by the National Foundation for Health Promotion and Research Development (FOREM).

Aicha is eager to serve as an adult benefactor to one of the estimated 300,000 Algerian orphans.

"I wasn't fortunate enough to have children," she told Magharebia. "When I found out that you can sponsor a child, this seemed like a good idea to me. I'll be able to help children and follow their progress at school."

For many families looking to help children find a home, sponsorship is an alternative to adoption. In Algeria, children who are placed with a family have no inheritance or kinship rights, a regulation that deters many would-be parents from adopting.

To deal with this problem, FOREM launched a voluntary sponsorship scheme on March 31st. The organization, which deals with a range of social concerns including AIDs awareness, aims to enroll a total of 10,000 children in the program.

Sponsors are required to provide 3,000 dirhams per month to help with the child's expenses, but foundation head Mustapha Khiati is encouraging sponsors to give more if they are able.

"Although modest, this amount would enable [children] to have proper schooling, cover their healthcare needs and provide a minimum amount of leisure," Khiati told Magharebia. He said the sponsorship level was set so as to encourage less-wealthy families to contribute.

This arrangement will enable children who have lost one or both parents to remain in a family environment while also being guaranteed a minimum level of income, Khiati added.

Both children and potential sponsors involved in the program will be carefully screened according to FOREM criteria. Children must be under 16 and come from families needing financial assistance, while sponsors must be of irreproachable character. Social workers will visit the children at homes and in school to ensure they are being looked after properly.

Algeria's former religious affairs minister, Dr. Mohamed Berredouane, explained the process of sponsorship or kafala.

"Kafala, which is adoption without filiation, allows children to be taken care of by enabling them to have their adoptive family's surname on their civil status documents, which means that they can avoid having to mention 'Born under X' or 'No patrimonial name,'" Berroudouane said.

The practice of kafala was introduced in 1990, after thousands of children lost their parents in massacres committed by terrorists, Berroudouane said.

"Sponsoring is…an excellent thing," Mohamed, an imam, told Magharebia. "It's a bit like the equivalent of sadaka. It must be remembered that religion places great importance on orphans."

Reda, a manufacturer, said he was proud to sponsor a child.

"It's been a wonderful experience. I am responsible for a 10-year-old child who lost his parents. I cater to his needs, I pay for his schooling, and I find it really interesting. It allows me to do something good," he said.

Mehdi, the young child he sponsors, said: "Since I've been sponsored, I've had no worries. My sponsor is very kind. He pays for me to receive a good education and more besides. Thanks to him, I have nice clothes and I can even go on holiday. Before, I couldn't even dream about that."

Mehdi's maternal aunt also said she was grateful for the assistance.

"I've been looking after Mehdi since he lost his parents. It's my duty, but I wasn't really coping financially. I was unable to provide him with everything he needed," she told Magharebia.

"Thanks to Mr. Reda, I no longer have anything to worry about. He provides [Mehdi] with what he needs and more besides. We were able to go on holiday last year. That was a first."

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/16/feature-01.

Moscow launches military satellite

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that Moscow has successfully launched a military satellite into space, according to Russian news agencies.

Spokesman for Russian Space Forces Alexei Zolotukhin said on Friday that a Russian Soyuz-U rocket delivered a Cosmos defense satellite into orbit.

This is the second time for Russia to launch a defense satellite this year, Ria Novosti reported.

In January, a Proton-M rocket delivered a Raduga military communications satellite into orbit from the Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome.

Russia reportedly operates a system of 60-70 military satellites with reconnaissance abilities, missile early warning signals and other capabilities.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123547§ionid=351020602.

10 injured in Lebanon clashes

At least 10 people, including five soldiers, have been wounded in army clashes with a powerful clan in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek.

According to a security official, an army patrol, while searching for fugitives in a court case in Baalbek's Sharawneh district, came under fire by members of the Jaafar family, AFP reported late Friday.

"Ten people were wounded -- five soldiers, four clan members and one passer-by," the official said.

He further pointed out that automatic weapons and RPG rockets were used in the exchange of fire.

All the routes into and out of Sharawneh were cordoned off by the army following the incident.

The military often carries out operations in the surrounding Bekaa region that is notorious for drug trafficking and car thefts.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123543§ionid=351020203.

Brazil, Turkey stress talks on Iran

Amid US calls for new sanctions against Tehran, Brazil and Turkey say that they will work together to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglo reiterated Friday that their countries were still looking to diplomatic means to resolve the Iran dilemma.

"We will continue to work together to arrive at a diplomatic solution on Iran and we hope that in the course of the coming week we can make some progress on this front," Davutoglo said during a press conference .

Davutoglo said Friday that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan discussed the Iranian nuclear issue with Brazilian President Luiz Inacia Lula da Silva during a nuclear security summit held in Washington earlier this week.

"After the talks in Washington, we must now exchange views with our Iranian colleagues... and then we shall see what progress we have made," Davutoglo said.

The US, which accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, has been lobbying for more UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against Tehran.

Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent members of the UNSC, have to date opposed new sanctions as a proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

This comes as the US-led push for more sanctions against Iran has also received a chilly response from China, which is one of the five veto-wielding members of the UNSC.

Despite its recent statement that it might support sanctions against Iran, Russia, another permanent member of the Council, has called on parties involved in the Iranian nuclear issue to lean toward diplomacy rather than sanctions.

Iran says any punitive measures against it are legally baseless as Tehran's nuclear energy program is being fully monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123542§ionid=351020104.

Nuclear summit kicks off in Iran

A much-awaited international conference on disarmament and non-proliferation of atomic weapons has started in the Iranian capital.

During the two-day conference, international politicians will put their heads together to address the nuclear disarmament issue.

Representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and experts from over 70 countries will also be taking part in the conference, which has been called "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapon for No One."

By hosting the event, Tehran hopes to raise awareness in the international community about the fact that nuclear weapon stockpiles held by world powers are the most significant menace to world security.

Nuclear doctrines, atomic discrimination, globalization of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and double standards applied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its dealings with various states, are also to be high on the agenda.

The need to make “clean and peaceful nuclear energy” available to all countries is also expected to be a highlight of the event.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123541&sectionid=351020101.

4 Spanish soldiers dead in Haiti

A helicopter crash has killed four Spanish soldiers in a mountainous area near Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic, a UN official says.

"The four Spanish soldiers are dead," George Ola-Davies, a spokesman for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, said on Friday.

Juan Pedro Gomez, Spanish consul general in Haiti, confirmed the casualties.

The soldiers' remains "are in the process of being recovered and will be rapidly repatriated to Spain," Gomez said.

The Spanish Defense Ministry said the helicopter was returning from the Dominican Republic with another helicopter when "they lost contact with each other due to poor visibility."

A devastating quake in January killed thousands of people and leveled part of the capital Port-au-Prince.

More than 400 Spanish military personnel are deployed in Haiti helping with earthquake relief efforts.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123537§ionid=351020706.

As a country-wide Resistance Movement

Wednesday April 14, 2010

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Now after the passage of nine years since the American invasion of Afghanistan, the public of the world have reached the conclusion that the usage of the word of terrorism was an unjustified pretext and the attacks were an illegitimate aggression. Being so, it was part and parcel of a colonialist strategy of Washington drawn up by Pentagon strategists after the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. By using this pretext, they wanted to bring the world under their belly.

Washington needed some slogans to make the invasion appear justified and the execution of the colonialist plan feasible. So they adroitly and cunningly coined the War on Terror cliché. However, the ground realities in Afghanistan indicate that the invading forces in Afghanistan are not fighting against a few armed opposition but they are facing the Afghan nation in an armed confrontation. Had it not been the case, they would not have needed 150,000 soldiers to maintain the status quo.

On 13, last February, 15,000 foreign troops supported by 20,000 Afghan hireling police and army soldiers launched massive offensive against Marja, a town in Helmand province., But now after the passage of two months, the American and their puppets see a certain defeat there. If there are a few terrorists as they prefer to call them, then why their highly-trained soldiers and sophisticated weapons could not achieve victory. Vice versa. Army may fight against an armed group but they could not withstand a people’s upheaval.

Nine years back, Bush claimed, Taliban were not more than 1000-2000 and promised to eliminate them soon. But today one of their prominent generals, general McKiernan, says America needs 400,000 soldiers to contain Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Likely, in the past nine years, never a day has passed without the invaders claiming that they have killed tens of armed Taliban. By now, they should have finished all those 2,000 Taliban. But the ground realities of today show that the resistance movement grows day by day.

According to a survey conducted by Western institutes, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has influence in 80% of the Afghan territory. Is it possible for 2,000 or even 10,000 armed men to do this? The fact is that the current Jihad movement is a nationalist, Islamic and country-wide movement. Torture, detention, air strikes and brutal raids would never eliminate it.

The Red Army of the former Soviet Union killed about two million Afghans but they could not put a stop to the resistance. The more the invading Americans and their allies martyr the Afghans, the more they would bounce back stronger, rather than being silenced; the flames of revenge will become more wide-spread and burgeoning.

The bottom-line is when the White House rulers and the Pentagon generals stop, not throwing dust into the eyes of the public of the world under the fake name of fighting terrorism and when they will abandon their ambitious colonialist goals and dreams of dominating the world?

We deem it necessary to a remind these rulers who are intoxicated by the craze of capturing the world, if you do not look at the realities as they are , you will certainly end up facing the fate of the former Soviet Union. Then surely, you will not only lose control of the world but face disintegration back home. Now the choice is yours.

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Afghanistan/Statements/April10/the%20Islamic%20Emirate%20of%20Afghanistan,%20as%20a%20country-wide%20Resistance%20Movement.htm.

An Interview With Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani

-Balagh Media Correspondent: Peace be upon you, and the Mercy of Allah, and His blessings.

All praise be to Allah, He who gives victory to the Mujahideen, and peace and blessing be upon the Commander of the Mujahideen, and upon his family, his Companions, and upon those who follow the true guidance.

Allah says in the glorious Qur'an:

"Indeed, if you steadfastly persevere and maintain righteousness and the enemy come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction]" (3: 125)

Our Sheikh, Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, may Allah help you with His support, we at Al-Balagh Media Center wish to thank you for giving us this opportunity to meet with you, and have a dialogue with you about certain things, so as to get a clearer picture about what is happening on this blessed land which has been filled with the blood of the martyrs. We want to talk about the latest events which are falsely reported by the lying media, and we also want to take the opportunity to ask you to send a message to the Jihadist media outlets, especially to the brothers from the Jihadist media foundations, and the Mujahideen. And we also would like to hear your opinion about the evolution within the field of Jihadist media, and about what challenges they have experienced, especially in the previous period. Therefore, let us direct towards our beloved Sheikh a number of questions which we hope you can answer.

We begin in the name of Allah.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: First of all, we want to know some general information about you, and we also want to know which areas are under your control?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: Your brother, Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of Sheikh Jalaluddin Haqqani, I am thirty years old. I was born in the state of Paktia, I am a member of the Shura Council of the Islamic Emirate. As for the areas which we control, we were mandated by the Islamic Emirate to command in the front south-east of Afghanistan (Paktia, Khost, Paktika) and we have Mujahideen struggling in the north (in the north of Afghanistan) and South (the states of Southern Afghanistan). They serve under the commanders of those provinces.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Secondly, we would like you to inform us about what is happening on the ground, and the progress you are making?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: All Praise be to Allah, and again praise be to Allah, our Mujahideen fighters in the provinces which I have mentioned are in control more than 90% of the land, and the foreign forces and the apostates are trapped in their bases and their centers. The rest of the areas are all under the control of the Mujahideen, and the common people - they are with the Mujahideen, and they love the Mujahideen. The Mujahideen are targeting the enemy in their bases and their centers from time to time, which is confusing the enemy.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: How true are the rumors which are published by the Media that the enemy is making progress on the ground in all areas?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: These rumors are baseless lies, directed by the Western media, who are trying to cover up the defeat of the enemies by replacing it with a victory on their media channels. They are always saying that they are winning, but if what they are claiming is true, then why are there so many Mujahideen in those areas?! And all praise be to Allah, we are very strong, and we have so many Mujahideen that we are not capable of equipping them all, because there are too many to equip.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Fourthly, what is the amount of the losses on the ground that are not announced by the enemy?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: Have you heard from the Western media, where the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged that in comparison between the first three months of 2009 and 2010 that their losses doubled, and the wounded has risen to three times more than before? This is in addition to the great financial losses.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: What are the reasons in your opinion, which forced the CIA to ask for help from the Arab intelligence services? Is this evidence of the weakness of the Crusaders, their helplessness in Afghanistan, and their inability to control things?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: Yes this is true. Everyone knows that America is in a very weak state, and that they are begging for help from all the nations on earth to deal with the Mujahideen.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Is there a strong presence of Arab intelligence services on the ground of Khurasan, or was the operation of Abu Dujanah a one-time operation, based on strong intelligence?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: No, there is no strong intelligence presence from any groups whatsoever.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Are the Mujahideen who are immigrating to the land of Khurasan, any hindrance or burden to the Afghan jihad?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: All praise to Allah, it is the contrary: they lighten our paths, and resist the cross-worshipers in cooperation with us and we are with them in the same trench.


Al-Balagh Correspondent: How is the cooperation between the immigrants and the Ansar in the land of Khurasan (the Arab Mujahideen and other Mujahideen in the land of Khurasan)?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: They are a living example of how the immigrants and the Companions and the Ansar were cooperating with each other to the fullest of their capability.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Is there any advice you want to give to the people who are sitting back from Jihad?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: If their sitting back and staying away from jihad is intentional, let them know that they and the Islamic nation are throwing themselves into a hole of humiliation. The ones who stay behind need to perform this obligation. It could be that some of them have arguments and sources justifying their staying away. But to refute their arguments and sources we invite them to read a few books by the great Sheikh and Mujahid Ahmed bin Ibrahim, there you will find the Islamic ruling about people who stay away from Jihad.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Can you describe the extent of the impact of the operation carried out by the martyr Abu Dujanah on the ground?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: The great hero, the Mujahid for the sake of Allah, Abu Dujanah al-Khurasani, may Allah accept him, in this blessed martyrdom operation which killed senior officials from the U.S. intelligence, the CIA. Those who were killed were an elite intelligence group, and those who were killed from the U.S. intelligence was the group who were responsible for attacking the Mujahideen in those areas, especially the leaders of the Mujahideen. They had been working for years in this area, and they had also some influence in the neighboring countries, for example in Iraq. After killing this group we managed to break the backbone of the enemy, and the effectiveness of their operations which targeted the Mujahideen were reduced by 90%. And the outcome of this blessed operation which killed a group of skilled American intelligence officers, was to also create an imbalance in the use of spies, as well as loss of confidence, and also their presence became very weak, because of security problems in their ranks.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: What are the reactions from the Afghan people about the published statements from the enemy forces, about their claims that they are making progress on the ground?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: All praise be to Allah, the people of Afghanistan know the truth about the enemy, and they know the lies and the false claims of the enemy. They know what the reality is, and they know that the enemy does not control an inch of this land. Be assured, these are fabrications of the enemy.


Al-Balagh Correspondent: Can we have an overview from Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, as to the future of Jihad in the Land of Khurasan?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: Conquest is coming soon, Allah willing, and the Islamic Emirate will return stronger than it was, Allah willing.

Our Sheikh, now we will talk about a very important subject, and this subject has proven its presence on the fields... and that subject is Jihadist media, and from there we hope you will give your advice to those involved in Jihadist media.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Can we have an overview from Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani about the future of Jihadist media?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: They will continue with distributing powerful releases, and they will seek any way to strengthen and increase awareness, and reach the minds of the youths and the general Muslims, and show the people the true face of the enemy.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Our Sheikh, we want to ask you to direct a message to the Jihadist media outlets, and what is the extent of the impact of the Jihadist media?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: The Internet Jihadists need to raise their level, and organize themselves more, and come together, and increase their research, and publish their materials. They also need to be up to date, and they need to be fast with spreading the news from Islamic Jihadist world quickly, and release the messages from the commanders of Jihad. The goal is for their work to be something with a strong exclusive presence, they need to make the other (non-Jihadist) media agencies be asking for them, and not us asking for them. The Mujahideen need to help them, and the Jihadist movements need to increase their distributing of Jihadist material (statements, interviews etc...), and most importantly the official video releases. In addition, the general Muslim people need to help them financially, technically and by all other means. Internet Jihad networks are something we need to be proud of, and respect, the fact is that they are doing a great job.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Do Jihadist media networks serve their purpose, or do they need to be more active?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: Yes they serve their purpose, but they need to improve their skills in all areas, and they need to be more active on every front.


Al-Balagh Correspondent: How strong is the role of the Jihadist media networks in supporting the Mujahideen, and showing the truth about the fierce, total war that is going on in the land of Khurasan?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: It is playing a big role and the Jihadist media networks have a presence on the ground, but we need more coverage and attention.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: What is the role of the Jihadist forums, and especially al-Faloja Islamic forums, in revealing the facts about the situation on the ground in Khurasan?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: The role of the Jihadist media networks is great and clear, and we thank them, and especially al-Faloja Islamic forums, and before that al-Hesbah and al-Ekhlas, and the other pulpits of jihad, and this is a great opportunity to thank all the Muslims responsible for the Jihadist Media. And I ask Allah to accept this from them.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Is there any advice you want to give to the Jihadist media networks in general?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: My advice to my fellow (Jihadist Journalist) and to the Jihadist media networks in general, and to the Mujahideen, is to investigate the truthfulness of their words and actions, and to not exaggerate the news. And they need to strike the morale of the enemy, and warn the people about the news from enemy sources. I ask Allah to guide them, and bless them with the highest paradise in the heavens. I ask Allah to protect them and to help them, and in fact they have offered a great service in exposing the false deceit of the Crusaders.

Al-Balagh Correspondent: Is there a final word you want say to the whole world through Al-Balagh Media?

The Sheikh, may Allah protect him: The Islamic Ummah need to help their Mujahideen brother by all means and in all arenas. The people who have money need to help with money. The people with expertise and experiences in the areas of explosives, electronics, communications and anti-spy networks, and the destruction of the enemy, as well as the people of the pen, poetry, literature must rise to refute the rumors and fabrications of the Crusader enemy. They need to act upon knowledge, and need to stand in one rank, just like the West is doing against the Muslims. The Islamic scholars should always tell the truth and act upon it, and they need to give Islamic verdicts in support of the Mujahideen. They must leave the partial differences behind them, and work for unity among the Muslims, and combine their efforts and wake the Muslims up.

Finally, we thank the Sheikh, Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, may Allah protect him, and we are honored by this opportunity to meet you, and we apologize to you if we have taken too much of your time by our questions. We ask Allah to bless our Sheikh, and to make you an asset for the Islamic religion, and to make you one of the people who give victory to his religion.

And our final prayers is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may be the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad, the best of prayers and blessings.

Note: The brother who conducted the interview is brother Fadil Abu Dujanah San'aani, may Allah protect him.

Al-Balagh Media Center
Corresponding to April 13th, 2010

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Afghanistan/Statements/April10/An%20Interview%20With%20Commander%20Sirajuddin%20Haqqani.htm.

'Iran-Turkmenistan ties unbreakable'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has praised "unbreakable" Tehran-Ashgabat bilateral ties, calling for closer cooperation on nuclear disarmament policy.

"Big and constructive measures are on the agenda of both countries' officials and both governments (Tehran and Ashgabat) are determined to implement joint ventures to improve bilateral ties," Ahmadinejad told his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in a Friday phone conversation.

Turkmenistan has sent a high-level delegation to attend the two-day conference titled "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for None," which will open in Tehran on Saturday, on April 17.

"By implanting independent and humanitarian policies, Iran and Turkmenistan can move towards dismantling weapons of mass destruction and ensuring world security," Ahmadinejad said about the importance of attending the event in the Iranian capital.

In return, the Turkmen president expressed hope that the Tehran summit will prove effective in global disarmament.

Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov heads the high-level delegation from Ashgabat.

The delegation will also attend the tenth meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between the two neighboring states while in Tehran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123531§ionid=351020101.

'Hezbollah arms not Israel's business'

Israel has received a humiliating rebuff over its recent remarks about Hezbollah arms after a senior official said the movement's weaponry are not Tel Aviv's business.

Hezbollah-affiliated government minister Hussein Hajj Hassan said Friday that the movement is always arming and preparing itself against foreign threats, but "what we have is not their (Israel's) business," Lebanon's al-Manar TV reported.

He said Israel possesses all kinds of weapons so Lebanon will acquire every means to defend itself against Tel Aviv's attacks.

Israel's President Shimon Peres had earlier claimed that Syria provided Hezbollah with Scud missiles capable of reaching targets anywhere in Israel.

Damascus however denied the allegations "which are an attempt by Israel to raise tensions in the region," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Israel is seeking to create a climate that will pave the way for an eventual Israeli attack to avoid responding to the demands of a just and comprehensive peace," it added.

Tensions mounted between Israel and Lebanon after the regime's forces crossed into the Lebanese border town of Abbassiyeh last week.

Israeli troops, however; withdraw from the town after Lebanon issued a warning to them.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123525§ionid=351020203.

US unemployment rises in 24 states

Rising unemployment rates have been reported in nearly half of all states in the month of March, according to a US Labor Department report.

A total of 24 states suffered jobless rate increases in March, according to the Labor Department's monthly report. But rates declined last month in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

Even so the national unemployment rate is firmly stuck at 9.7 percent for a third month in a row.

Many economists and policymakers expect the nationwide jobless rate to remain elevated for some time to come, even as job growth slowly resumes.

Friday's report comes a day after lawmakers voted to push back the April fifth deadline for two months to file for extended unemployment benefits.

The move was approved by President Obama. Keeping to the new deadline would restore federal jobless benefits to more than 200 thousand Americans who would have instead started losing their claims.

Meanwhile, the strain of high unemployment has drained jobless benefit funds in a majority of states, forcing many states to borrow billions from the federal government to help out-of-work Americans.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123521§ionid=3510203.

Palestine commemorates Prisoners Day

Thousands of Palestinians have held a demonstration in Gaza City as well as the West Bank, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.

The demonstrators who took to the streets of Gaza City, Khan Yunis and the West Bank, staged a mock-trial for Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday, Press TV reported.

The rallies were organized ahead of Prisoners Day on Saturday.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) released a report on the occasion of the day, according to which over 7,000 Palestinian are in Israeli jails.

Among the detainees, there are 34 female prisoners and 270 child detainees of whom 44 are under the age of 16 years.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123522§ionid=351020202.

'Tehran summit undermines US strategy'

Paul Ingram, executive director of the British American Security Information Council, says Tehran's nuclear conference will challenge US strategy towards Iran.

"The Tehran conference will undermine US strategies in forming a front against Iran," said Ingram in an interview with Mehr news agency.

Praising Tehran on holding the "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for None" summit, Ingram added "Obama held the Nuclear Security Summit in an aim to reach an international consensus against Iran; however, his efforts were of no avail.”

He said holding such conferences by Iran could increase international support for Iran and decrease tension in this regard.

Officials from more than 60 countries as well as delegates from various international and non-governmental entities will take part in the two-day Tehran conference, which kicks off on Saturday.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will be reviewed in the Tehran summit, since the treaty has by far proved ineffective in preventing the development of nuclear weapons.

The 60 nation meeting comes amid Western efforts to push through a fourth round of UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear energy program.

US President Barack Obama invited the leaders of 47 nations to attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington nearly three days ago, in an apparent pledge to secure nuclear material they possess.

"But the real action is taking place on the sidelines of the Washington sit-down, where the President is lobbying world leaders one by one to back new sanctions against Iran," the Times reported on April 14.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing a non-peaceful nuclear energy program. Iran rejects the accusations, saying the West must focus on abandoning nuclear weapon arsenals which pose a serious threat to world peace and security.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123533§ionid=351020101.