Syrian army defector says he was told to shoot unarmed protesters

During a month stationed in Deraa, neither Wasid nor any of his fellow conscripts saw a single armed demonstrator.

Martin Chulov in Istanbul
Monday 27 June 2011

Wasid, a Syrian conscript, set off for the southern town of Deraa in late April filled with the zeal of a soldier going to war. "We were going to fight terrorists," he said. But less than a day after arriving there, he was planning to defect.

The Syrian regime has cast the uprising in Deraa as a conflict between a loyal military and a large and highly mobile group of heavily-armed foreign-backed insurgents, roaming the country attempting to ignite sectarian strife.

Over three hours in an Istanbul safehouse, Wasid, 20, described events in the southern town where the wave of dissent that has swept Syria first broke. His account starkly contradicts the official narrative.

"As soon as we got there, the officers told us not to shoot at the men carrying guns. They said they [the gunmen] were with us. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It had all been lies," he said.

In the month they were stationed there, neither Wasid nor any of his colleagues saw any demonstrators with weapons in Deraa or the nearby town of Izraa. And instead of confronting armed insurgents, the unit was ordered to shoot protesters. "It shocked me," he said. "We are soldiers and soldiers do not shoot at civilians."

In the weeks leading up his deployment with the Syrian army's 14th Division, commanders had given regular briefings on the "violence" ahead. Wasid was convinced he would soon be in combat.

"When we were at the base in Damascus before we left for Deraa, we were not allowed to watch television at all, except for two hours each day when we could watch Rami Makhlouf's channel," he said. [Makhlouf, a tycoon, is President Bashar al-Assad's first cousin]. "All they showed were armed groups roaming the villages. I found out later that these groups were on our [the regime's] side – they were the Shabiha." According to Wasid, the Shabiha – ghosts – were the only civilian gunmen in town. Their group has strong links to the military and has developed a reputation over recent bloody months of being willing to do the dirty work in troublesome towns and villages.

"The first day we arrived there, 24 April, the Shabiha came to the base to speak with our officers. It was clear that the relationship was close."

Wasid showed the Guardian his military ID and application for refugee status, copies of which have been kept.

He does not want his real name or photograph used out of fear that his family may be targeted for reprisals.

After weeks of military crackdowns, the government is now on a diplomatic and media offensive. Officials are pushing their version of events to a few correspondents who were last week allowed to enter Syria for the first time since March. The official account has emphasized claims that Sunni Islamist groups have either initiated or hijacked the uprising's agenda.

"I never saw an Islamist or anybody that resembled one," said Wasid. "And nor did anyone else with me."

He estimated that about 30% of his unit were disaffected with the military.

But neither dissent nor defection are easy in Syria, where conscripts are paid £6 a month. "One guy – I only know his name as Wael, he was from the east – told an officer that what we were doing was wrong. "The next day he was killed. They said he had been shot by terrorists." Nevertheless, by 25 May Wasid and 20 others had mustered the courage to attempt to escape. He ditched his military fatigues – and the sniper rifle which he said he had never used – and ran with the group to the highway, where a van took them to Damascus. "Once we got there, we agreed we would go separate directions. I stayed in Damascus for three days and then left for Turkey. I don't know where the others went."

He crossed the border in the Kurdish northeast of Syria and made his way by bus to Istanbul, where the UNHCR and rights group Avaaz are helping him. Wasid's testimony will be used in a referral to the international criminal court being prepared by another group, Insan. Four other defectors from Deraa have made their way to the Jordanian capital, Amman, in recent days and are also briefing investigators.

Defections have been regularly reported during the uprising, but on a small scale. Apart from the apparent mutiny of half a base in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour (where Syrian officials claim soldiers were massacred by terrorists), none of the defections have been large enough to pose a threat to command and control of the army.

Wasid says his anger is directed not at the government, which he believes betrayed him, but at his army colleagues who stayed behind despite also seeing what he had seen in Deraa. "There were around 100 people each week killed there. They were civilians.

If I see my colleagues again, not only will I tell others what they have done, but I will find their families and tell them too. And then I will hurt them."

Source: The Guardian.
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/27/syrian-army-defector-wasid-deraa.

Iran fires medium-range missile in war game

Tehran (AFP) June 28, 2011

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards fired 14 missiles in an exercise Tuesday, one of them a medium-range weapon capable of striking Israel or US targets in the Gulf, state media said.

In response, the US State Department accused Tehran of "bragging" rather than complying with its international obligations.

The Guards' aerospace commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, insisted Iran's missile program posed no threat to European nations but was merely intended to provide defense against Israel and US forces in the Gulf.

"Today, on the second day of the exercise, we fired Zelzals (Quake), Shahabs (Meteors) 1 and 2, and the Ghadr (Power)," a medium-range missile which is a modified version of the Shahab-3, Hajizadeh told state television.

He said the missiles were not a threat to European nations.

"Iran's missiles have a maximum range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and are designed to reach US targets in the region and the Zionist regime," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.

"The Zionist regime is 1,200 kilometers away from Iran and we are able to target this regime with our 2,000 kilometer range missiles from Semnan and Damghan (in central Iran)," he said.

"We have the technology to build missiles with a longer range but we do not need them and we are not seeking to build such missiles."

Iran has said that its latest exercise is not aimed at any country but carries "a message of peace and friendship."

IRNA said the Guards fired nine Zelzals, two Shahab-1s, two Shahab-2s and a single medium-range Ghadr on the second day of their Great Prophet-6 exercise.

Iran unveiled the Ghadr, which has a range of 1,800 kilometers, following a successful test in September 2009.

The Zelzal is an unguided surface-to-surface missile with a maximum range of 400 kilometers.

The Shahab-1 and -2 have a range of 300 to 500 kilometers and are based on the Soviet-designed Scud.

On the first day of the exercise on Monday, the Guards unveiled an "underground missile silo" which they said was designed for launching their medium-range missiles, state television reported.

The broadcaster showed footage of a facility at an unknown location, containing a missile it identified as a Shahab-3.

"The technology to build these silos is completely indigenous," the state television website quoted the exercise's spokesman, Colonel Asghar Ghelich-Khani, as saying.

State television also showed a missile launch, without specifying its type or when the firing took place.

Iran's missile program, which is under the control of the powerful Guards, along with its space projects, has been a mounting source of concern in the West.

Western governments fear Tehran is developing a ballistic capability to enable it to launch atomic warheads which they suspect Iran is seeking to develop under cover of its civil nuclear program.

Tehran denies any such ambition.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Iran's actions "do not give anybody any confidence that they are moving in the direction of coming back into compliance with the demands of the international community."

She said "Iran, rather than getting itself back in the good graces of the international community ... seems to be bragging about its capabilities, conducting secret programs, parading new missiles in front of the press.

"So that's not taking us in the direction that we want to go with Iran," she added.

Nuland said UN Security Council resolution 1929 prohibits Iran from activity related to the development of missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but did not say whether Washington thought the tested missiles were nuclear capable.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_fires_medium-range_missile_in_war_game_999.html.

Russia test launches Bulava strategic missile

Moscow (AFP) June 28, 2011

The Russian military test launched its Bulava intercontinental missile Tuesday from the Yury Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea, a major boost for the navy after a series of failures.

The test was the first such launch from the strategic nuclear submarine specifically designed to carry the Bulava missiles, said defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

All previous such launches had been made from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine.

"The launch has been successful according to all the parameters," Konashenkov told AFP.

The missile was fired in the White Sea in northwestern Russia and hit its target in the Kura firing area on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific Ocean some 6,000 kilometers (3,730 miles) away, Konashenkov said.

Russia plans to conduct four more missile launches this year, he added. If further tests are successful, the missile can be taken up by the armed forces in late 2011 or early next year, Konashenkov said.

It was the 15th such test overall and the first this year, according to the defense ministry. Of the previous launches, only seven were successful.

In 2009, the Bulava's main designer resigned after the failures, which defense experts called a major setback to Russia's bid to revamp its nuclear arsenal by 2020.

The Bulava, which can be equipped with up to 10 individually targeted nuclear warheads capable of changing their flight trajectory, has a maximum range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

Its incorporation into the armed forces is part of a wide-ranging military reform aimed at updating the armed forces' Soviet-era structures and equipment to bring them in line with the demands of modern warfare.

The missile is designed for use with Russia's new Borei class of nuclear submarines like the Yury Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky, named after key historical figures.

Analysts have previously said the vessels risk being worthless unless the Bulava works.

In late 2009, a similar missile launch ended in failure, causing spectacular images in the sky above the Norwegian city of Tromso and prompting initial speculations they were caused by a meteor, the northern lights or even a UFO.

The White Sea, the usual site for such missile tests from Russian submarines, lies close to Norway's own Arctic region.

Defense analysts cautiously welcomed the launch, saying the armed forces had learnt from mistakes but more tests were needed.

"This is the beginning of possible success. Eight successful tests out of the 15 is a sign of hope, but nothing more than that," defense analyst Alexander Golts told AFP.

"The Yury Dolgoruky is the first of the new missile carriers which has completed at-sea tests and is ready for use. There is no doubt this is good news for the Russian navy and the military."

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_test_launches_Bulava_strategic_missile_999.html.

Spectacular discoveries in New Guinea

Manila (AFP) June 27, 2011

A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a round-headed dolphin are among more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, environment group WWF said.

Scientists made the astounding discoveries, which also included a river shark and dozens of butterflies, on New Guinea at a rate of two a week from 1998 to 2008, WWF said in a new report on the island's natural habitat.

"This report shows that New Guinea's forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world," said WWF's Western Melanesia program representative, Neil Stronach.

New Guinea, divided between Indonesia in the west and Papua New Guinea to the east, has one of the world's least spoilt and most stunning ecosystems.

Its rainforests are the third biggest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo, and, while the island covers just 0.5 per cent of the Earth's landmass, it contains up to eight percent of the world's species, according to WWF.

What was previously known about New Guinea's biodiversity was already breathtaking, such as the world's biggest butterfly -- with a 30-centimeter (12-inch) wingspan -- and giant rats that can grow up to a meter long.

Scientists believe that one square kilometer (247 acres) of the island's lowland rainforest may contain as many as 150 bird species, according to WWF.

The 1,060 species confirmed by scientists as new discoveries between 1998 and 2008 are believed to have only scratched the surface of New Guinea's dazzling ecosystems.

"Such is the extent of New Guinea's biodiversity that new discoveries are commonplace even today," WWF said in its report, titled "Final Frontier: Newly Discovered Species of New Guinea".

One of the most notable finds documented in the WWF report was a round-headed and snub-finned dolphin, which swims in protected, shallow coastal waters near rivers and creek mouths.

Discovered in 2005 in Papua New Guinea, it was the first new dolphin species recorded anywhere in the world in three decades, and is now known to also exist in Australia, WWF said.

Another of the 12 mammals found over the decade was an anteater named in honor of British naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Sir David's Long-beaked Echinda or, scientifically, Zaglossus attenboroughi.

One of the 134 frogs discovered was dubbed Litoria sauroni because its striking red and black spotted eyes reminded scientists of the evil character Sauron in the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Another new frog was notable because of its tiny size -- just one centimeter in length, while one had vampire-like fangs.

Nine snail species, some so colorful as to be almost unrecognizable from the backyard-garden-type variety, were among the 580 new invertebrates discovered.

One of the snails was bright yellow, while another was green and yellow.

Among the other new invertebrates was a brightly colored apricot crayfish, part of the family of creatures called "yabbies" in Australia and some other parts of the world, which was nine to 12 centimeters long

New fish totaled 71, with a kaleidoscope of colors, including one in the coral reefs of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea that thrilled scientists with its dazzling blue hue.

WWF said the most extraordinary freshwater discovery was a 2.5-meter-long river shark found in Papua New Guinea that has since also been located in northern Australia.

Of the 43 reptiles discovered, one could claim to be the most innocuous snake in the world -- it was just 12-14 centimeters long, had scales over its eyes so that it could not see, could not bite and had no venom.

But WWF said the excitement of all the new discoveries had been tempered by the fact that, like in the Amazon and Borneo rainforests, human actions were destroying New Guinea's natural habitat at an "alarming rate".

Some of the growing threats it listed were illegal and unsustainable logging, forest conversion for palm oil plantations, mining, road construction and unsustainable fishing.

"These environmental threats are exacerbated by global climate change which is increasing the number of fires within forests and savannas, erosion, and seawater incursion into coastal habitats," WWF said.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Spectacular_discoveries_in_New_Guinea_999.html.

PA slams Israel's decision to bring Jews from India

Monday 27/06/2011

JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Authority on Monday slammed Israel's decision to bring Jews from northeast India to Israel.

According to Monday’s issue of Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the ministerial committee convened under Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and decided to bring 7,300 Jews from India to Israel.

The report highlighted that up until 2007, 1,700 Indian Jews were brought to Israel, and immigration stopped since then.

PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said the decision came in line with Israel’s policy to bring non-Israeli Jews to Israel at the expense of the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, he added, Israel prevents the Palestinians from returning to their homeland to live there.

"This is something we condemn, and since we don't have enough information, we need to contact the Indian government for an explanation," he told Ma’an.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=400289.

Tunisia bars former regime officials from October poll

2011-06-27

Members of the dissolved RCD party and the Ben Ali regime will be excluded from Tunisia's upcoming constituent assembly elections, TAP reported on Sunday (June 26th). Authorities are in the process of preparing a list of RCD operatives and members of the ousted president's government. According to electoral commission chief Mustapha Tlili, the measure is expected to bar up to 18,000 from voting or running in the October 23rd elections.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/06/27/newsbrief-03.

Morocco to offer 20,000 textile jobs

2011-06-27

Morocco will train and integrate some 20,000 young people for jobs in the clothing and textile sectors, Le Matin reported on Saturday (June 25th). The initiative follows a partnership agreement between the Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT) and the Moroccan Textile and Clothing Industry Association (AMITH). Vocational training will be offered in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Fes and Marrakech.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/06/27/newsbrief-04.

Kadhafi, Seif al-Islam charged with war crimes

2011-06-27

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday (June 27th) issued arrest warrants for Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi, BBC reported. The Hague-based court charged them with crimes against humanity. Earlier this month, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented a report to the UN about murder, rape, torture and other war crimes committed by the Kadhafi regime against Libya's civilian population.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/06/27/newsbrief-01.

Italy rattles Libya coalition

WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) -- Italy has broken ranks with NATO allies participating in the bombing campaign against the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, speaking to a parliamentary committee in the aftermath of a NATO raid that accidentally killed civilians, called for an immediate halt to bombing to allow humanitarian aid to reach trapped civilians. He also called for continuing peace talks and "ever more detailed information on the results" of the campaign that's no closer to success than when it began in mid-March.

France and Britain, whose aircraft are heavily involved in daily sorties to degrade Gadhafi's military as well as eliminate Gadhafi himself, immediately rejected Frattini's suggestion.

"Any pause in operations would risk allowing him to play for time and to reorganize," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero responded.

The outright rejection of a pause in the bombing campaign is understandable. The international coalition against the Third World despot appears to be falling apart.

Germany withdrew its two frigates from NATO's Libya quarantine just days after the bombings began on March 17 in support of a U.N. Resolution calling for the protection of civilians who had caught "Arab Spring" fever and rebelled against the regime.

Norway, citing its inability to "maintain a large fighter jet contribution" for a prolonged period of time, announced this month it was withdrawing all its planes by Aug. 1.

Denmark, although still part of the combat coalition, is scrambling to obtain ordnance from other NATO members as it runs out of weaponry.

And France has indicated it will withdraw the carrier Charles de Gaulle from Operation Unified Protector despite the fact it is in the lead with Britain in military action.

If no carrier replaces the de Gaulle, all bombing sorties would have to be carried out from land bases in Europe, meaning more U.S. refueling flights for NATO aircraft since only the United States has the support capability.

The fissures in resolve and capability should be no surprise, European pride notwithstanding. Since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, it can be argued that NATO has steadily turned into a paper tiger. The alliance's focus and purpose – to deter and/or defeat any Soviet invasion of Western Europe – is gone. And the threat of communist troops pushing through the Fulda Gap was a very real one. Moscow was not shy in using force, as the crushing of the Hungarian revolution and the Prague Spring proved.

With the demise of the Soviet Union, the threat evaporated, and so did the impetus for higher military budgets and troop strength and preparedness.

In post-Soviet Europe, NATO has attempted to maintain relevance by bringing in more partners – former Soviet satellites. Members, to varying degrees, have has also engaged in military operations outside its traditional zone, such as Afghanistan and Iraq in recognition of terrorism's transnational threat. But it's still a shadow of itself, with just five of its 28 members meeting the organization's requirement of 2 percent of GDP for defense spending.

Although NATO membership was unanimous in voting to support the United Nations, less than half have participated in any way in the mission and less than a third have participated in combat strike operations, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted.

"In the past, I've worried openly about NATO turning into a two-tiered alliance: Between members who specialize in "soft' humanitarian, development, peacekeeping and talking tasks, and those conducting the 'hard' combat missions," he said, "between those willing and able to pay the price and bear the burdens of alliance commitments, and those who enjoy the benefits of NATO membership -- be they security guarantees or headquarters billets -- but don't want to share the risks and the costs.

"This is no longer a hypothetical worry. We are there today. And it is unacceptable."

U.S. Republican Sen. John McCain, an advocate for stronger NATO action against Libya, put the precarious situation NATO finds itself in with Libya this way: "If NATO cannot defeat a third-rate military power, then NATO is probably going to go out of business."

NATO action in Libya continues; rebel groups have not gained significant ground; Gadhafi remains in power; alliance shortcomings and fissures are likely to grow.

Maybe President George W. Bush's ad hoc "coalition of the willing," much derided by his opponents, is what lies ahead, with NATO, as a viable and credible organization, becoming a footnote in history.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/06/27/Italy-rattles-Libya-coalition/UPI-76521309196518/.

Foundation laid for Belgian wind farm

ESSEN, Germany, June 27 (UPI) -- The first foundation for an offshore wind farm that could generate enough power for 140,000 homes was installed off the Belgian coast, an energy company said.

German energy company RWE Innogy announced that the first foundation for the second phase of the Thornton Bank wind farm was installed off the coast of Belgium.

Martin Skiba, head of wind power at the energy company, said the offshore project is proceeding as scheduled. Engineering will start installing the wiring for the wind turbines in the coming weeks, he added.

The wind farm will be situated about 18 miles off the Belgian coast. Installation of the wind turbines begins next year and beginning in 2013, the project will start generating enough electricity to meet the demands of 130,000 homes.

The first construction phase started in 2009.

The wind farm, the company said, is the largest project financed offshore wind project in Europe. Eight commercial banks for providing around $1.28 billion in funding.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/06/27/Foundation-laid-for-Belgian-wind-farm/UPI-23921309190711/.

After delay, Sudan's Bashir heads to China

TEHRAN, June 27 (UPI) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was on his way to Beijing after making an unscheduled stop to Tehran in an apparent effort to escape arrest, Iran said.

Authorities in the Iranian government confirmed that a plane carrying the Sudanese president left for Beijing from Tehran, the Daily Telegraph newspaper in London reports. The visit to China marks the Sudanese president's first since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1593 in 2005 referred Sudan to the International Criminal Court after evidence emerged of serious rights violations in Darfur.

Bashir is accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Khartoum isn't party to the Rome Statute that created the international court. Neither is China.

The presidential plan failed to arrive Monday in Beijing as scheduled and later surfaced in Tehran,

Human rights groups were calling for Bashir's arrest during his four-day state visit. Speculation surfaced after he failed to arrive on time that he was afraid his flight would take him through the airspace of country's that could seek his arrest, the Telegraph adds.

The newspaper notes Washington appears to have sanctioned the visit to Beijing. A major international effort is behind restoring peace to Sudan ahead of a July independence for South Sudan.

South Sudan won the right to gain independence as part of a comprehensive peace agreement reached with Washington's help in 2005. Conflicts along the region dividing the north and south, disputes over oil and border demarcation threaten to unravel the peace deal.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/06/27/After-delay-Sudans-Bashir-heads-to-China/UPI-29371309195224/.

Bahrain transfers cases to civilian courts

MANAMA, Bahrain, June 27 (UPI) -- A decision by Bahrain to refer cases tied to a Shiite uprising to the civilian courts is a sign of a recognition of international rights, an official said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the prison sentences handed down last week to 21 opposition figures in Bahrain. He called on Manama to "allow all defendants" to receive a fair trial and "do everything possible" to create a climate for concrete national dialogue.

Bahrain's Minister of Social Development and Acting Health Minister Fatima al-Beloushi told Gulf Daily News that life was returning to normal and therefore the civilian courts could handle any cases yet to be tried before tribunals.

"Such a step is a strong indication of Bahrain's keenness on applying the highest rights and legal standards," she added.

Meanwhile, the official Bahrain News Agency reported Monday that one unnamed defendant pleaded not guilty though military prosecutors found there was enough evidence from his confessions to indict him. A second trial involving 28 figures accused of spreading "malicious information" was adjourned while the defense reviewed case documents, BNA added.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay complained in early June that her comments in BNA about the conflict were "blatantly" misrepresented.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/06/27/Bahrain-transfers-cases-to-civilian-courts/UPI-52381309195522/.

Japan PM adds Cabinet jobs on tsunami, nuke crisis

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's prime minister on Monday created two Cabinet posts to oversee the nuclear crisis and tsunami reconstruction efforts as he hopes to shore up his administration against criticism of its handling of the crises.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan named Ryu Matsumoto as reconstruction minister and made Goshi Hosono his minister in charge of handling the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

He also gave special advisory positions to two other senior politicians.

The moves are seen as an attempt by Kan to strengthen his hand against a growing number of critics who perceive a lack of leadership following the March 11 disaster.

He has said he would be willing to step down, but only after significant steps are made toward putting Japan's recovery on a solid footing. He has also set several preconditions, including the passage of budget bills and a renewable energy measure.

"I'm aiming at (stepping down) after achieving those bills," Kan told a news conference late Monday.

Hosono, who has been director of the government's nuclear crisis task force, will also be in charge of power conservation. An electricity shortage is expected in Tokyo because of the nuclear crisis, and the government has taken several steps to prevent problems.

Matsumoto, previously Kan's environment minister, will be replaced by Justice Minister Satsuki Eda, who will hold a double portfolio. Popular Cabinet member Renho will become an adviser, along with Shizuka Kamei, the leader of a smaller party in parliament.

"The main purpose of the new appointment is to push for reconstruction from the disaster and take steps to prevent another nuclear accident," Kan said. "Three months have passed since the disaster. It's time to start thoroughly discussing how we can be better prepared."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano earlier Monday announced the new lineup, in which he also serves administrative reform minister, taking over Renho's former post. Renho uses one name.

The earthquake and tsunami disaster left about 23,000 people dead or missing on the northeast coast, and touched off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

The disaster brought out deep rifts within Kan's party and has strengthened the largest opposition bloc, which has slammed his response as dithering and poorly coordinated.

Kan's support with the voters is also slipping.

A major newspaper reported Monday that support for his Cabinet has fallen to 26 percent, with 42 percent of the respondents saying he should be replaced as soon as possible. The telephone poll of 893 voters was conducted over the weekend by The Nikkei, a conservative business daily, and the TV Tokyo Corp. A poll of that size would normally have about a 3 percent margin of error.

The result marked a two-percentage-point drop for the Cabinet. Sixty-five percent of the respondents said they did not support the Cabinet.

Kan took office just over a year ago. He is Japan's fifth leader in four years.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

Morocco film festival pays tribute to 'Arab Spring'

Not only did Arab uprisings bring about changes in politics, but they triggered a cinema revolution, which was the focus of a recent Casablanca event.

By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Casablanca – 26/06/11

For five days, Moroccan and foreign cinema fans enjoyed an inspiring showcase of movies devoted to the 'Arab Spring'.

The sixth round of the International Short and Documentary Film Festival in Casablanca, which ended on Sunday (June 19th), featured twenty films from Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon and Europe.

"We did not want the current edition of the festival, which coincides with Arab popular upheavals, to pass without dedicating seminars to the topic, at a time when there are movies that inspire a revolution, such as 'Heya Fawda' (Chaos)," event director Mohamed El Mouchtary told Magharebia.

"There is no doubt that the seventh art was influenced by the revolutions, especially real-life cinema that portrays the true image of our societies," he added.

Said Belli, a participating Moroccan director, told Magharebia: "The impact of revolutions on cinema is inevitable, as the latter portrays aspects of the reality we live in. I believe cinema will take a different route in Arab countries, whereby it will portray people's suffering more accurately. It is normal for the cinema to be influenced by what is taking place in Arab countries."

For his part, Egyptian film-maker Samir Seif said that Arab uprisings would "serve to expand the extent of the freedom of expression in cinema, as those revolutions set people free, launch numerous trends and promote the freedom of expression".

"Naturally, it will reflect on the future films," he added. "Additionally, the values upheld by the revolutions, such as justice, citizenship and progress, will impact the new movies yet to be released."

Cinema is not only influenced by the current developments, Seif said; it can also shape the course of events. "It indirectly raises people's awareness and their sense of injustice. It is the job of art to contribute to people's awareness of what is going on around them."

"There must be a drama revolution alongside the people's revolution, with minimum censorship and maximum freedom of expression," Lebanese director Seba Rifai told Magharebia. "Naturally, newly-released movies are bound to be better than the previous ones. Censorship used to pressure film-makers. There was not much scope for creativity. Makers of the seventh art could not express everything they wished for in their movies."

Najib Kettani, who heads Organization Maroc Afrique, underlined that spotlighting the relationship between cinema and uprisings "reflects the interest of citizens of the Arab region in general, and the Maghreb, in particular, who want to live and enjoy stability and development in a democratic climate".

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/06/26/feature-01.

Taliban downplay Obama's decision on troops drawdown, call for complete withdrawal

KABUL, June 23 (Xinhua)-- Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan on Thursday downplayed U.S. President Barack Obama's troops withdraw announcement as a trick to deceive public opinion and called for the complete pull out of foreign forces, a Taliban statement said.

"Obama and his war mongers want to deceive their nation and with this announcement, while in reality, they have no respect for their nation's demands of waiting to bring this war and occupation to an end nor do they want to fulfill their promise," the statement sent to media added.

In the statement written in Pashtu language, spoken largely among the Taliban fighters, and English, the Taliban outfit vowed to continue armed struggle till the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama announced in Washington Wednesday night that 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year and another 23,000 will come back home by September 2012.

"Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the name of Taliban ousted regime) once again wants to make it clear that the solution for the Afghan crisis lies in the full withdrawal of all foreign troops immediately and until this does not happen, our armed struggle will increase from day to day," the statement emphasized.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-06/23/c_13946127.htm.

Qatar launches campaign to keep Ramadan food prices from rising

Qatar's Consumer Protection Department adds 100 commodities to list of items at reduced prices during Ramadan.

By Habib Toumi
June 22, 2011

Manama: Qatar's Consumer Protection Department (CPD) said that it had added 100 commodities to the list of food and non-food items available at reduced prices during Ramadan.

The inclusion boosts the number of commodities under a price freeze to 267, up from 156 in 2010.

The reduced prices will come into force on July 15, two weeks ahead of Ramadan, expected to start on August 1, and will continue until the end of the fasting month, expected on August 29, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported on Wednesday.

Ramadan, the sacred month for Muslims during which they abstain from eating, drinking and sensual pleasures from sunrise until sunset, is based on the lunar calendar.

The full price list is expected to be issued next week and retailers are not permitted to sell the commodities at prices higher than those fixed by the CPD.

Major food items included in the list are edible oil, floor, fish and poultry products, milk, frozen vegetables, pastries and juices. Non-food items include foil paper, tissue paper and several hygiene products.

However, the daily said that it was not clear whether the reduced prices would apply to wheat and sugar, two items that were included in last year's price freeze. Prices of both the commodities, especially sugar had shot up manifold over the past year.

Fruits and vegetables are also not likely to be included in the freeze, despite repeated calls from the public to control their prices during Ramadan.

Wholesalers have been asked to release sufficient stocks of the commodities to the market for the benefit of customers.

Last year, there had been complaints about some traders trying to cut supply to avoid losses arising from the price freeze.

Shaikh Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, CPD director, said the department would launch intensive inspections before and during Ramadan to ensure that all traders abide by the price list.

Consumers have been urged to report any violations of the rule to the Department. He said there was a plan, in collaboration with all the municipalities to distribute the price list to the public, ahead of Ramadan.

Shaikh Jassim said the CPD had tied up with 14 major retail outlets to make the Ramadan campaign a success.

The department has also entered into an agreement with Qatar Meat and Livestock Company- Mawashi- to import 20,000 Jordanian sheep ahead of Ramadan, apparently to address the continuing shortage of Syrian sheep in the country.

Source: Gulf News.
Link: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/qatar-launches-campaign-to-keep-ramadan-food-prices-from-rising-1.825112.

Hamas: Rafah opening will not clear Israel of responsibility

Sunday 19/06/2011

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The opening of the Rafah crossing should "improve relations with our brothers in Egypt," Hamas politburo Osama Hamdan told Ma'an on Thursday.

Speaking with Ma'an radio, the official said that regardless of the improvements made to life in the coastal enclave via the Rafah terminal, "we do not want to clear the occupation of its responsibility towards Gaza."

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=397991.

New Rafah travel mechanisms from next week

Friday 24/06/2011

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- New travel mechanisms will be implemented at the Rafah crossing at the start of the week, Gaza Cabinet head Mohammad A'zqul said Thursday.

The Ministerial Council secretary did not elaborate on the new procedures approved by the government in Gaza, but said that they would give priority to patients seeking treatment abroad, students enrolled at universities abroad, residents with passports of residency status in foreign countries and emergency travelers.

The official announced the establishment of an internal monitoring committee to regulate the operations of the terminal on Gaza's southern border, the sole source of passage abroad for Gaza's 1.6 million inhabitants.

While the terminal was opened by Egyptian authorities on May 28 for visa-free passage of travelers, bar males between 18 and 40 and up to 5,000 individuals specified on a blacklist, Egypt has set a cap of around 300 to 400 travelers per day. A registration process to the Gaza Ministry of Interior has been overwhelmed by applicants and had been closed temporarily.

A'zqul visited the terminal on Thursday and noted "the state of overcrowding, waiting and suffering of Palestinians at the crossing amidst limited numbers of travelers who can pass through while the number of travelers is increasing."

He listened to complaints and demand of the travelers, A'zqul said, and promised to work with the crossing administration to resolve these issues.

A'zqul said the Egyptian authorities have a responsibility to Palestinians in Gaza, and he hoped they would continue to work to end the closure on the coastal strip by helping the crossing to function.

Shortly after the terminal was opened, Egyptian and Gaza authorities clashed over coordination and travel mechanisms, causing a temporary re-closure, before the sides agreed to limit travelers and other mechanisms.

The border had remained largely shut since June 2006 when Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza after militants snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

The opening of the terminal, more than three months after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned following 18 days of massive street protests against his rule, was warmly welcomed in the coastal strip and the Egyptian street, though Israel strongly criticized the move.

Rafah is Gaza's only border crossing not controlled by Israel.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=399319.