Monday, July 28, 2014

Tafsir Surat al-Fatihah 17: Path of the Prophets & the Righteous ~ Dr. Y...

Jewish Israeli Professor Nurit Peled: Gaza concentration Camp

EU-LIKE POLITICAL BLOC POSSIBLE FOR MUSLIMS: HEAD OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS

22.07.2014
Reuters
Source: Daily Sabah 

Comment:  Although I agree with Mehmet Gormez about ISIS, there are many things in which I disagree. One of those things concerns the Khilafah. From this article it seems as if Mehmet Gormez has the position that the Khilafah does not have any validity.
  My position is, that the Khilafah will be re-established by Allah-Himself- when and how He choices. Khilafah is not an obligation, but a blessing from Allah that we Muslims need to deserve. In sha'a Allah we will deserve it when we are no longer mixing faith with wrong.
 Allah says in The Qur'an that those who do not mix faith with wrong will be in security and will be guided. What does this mean? (What does it mean to say that the glass is half full? It means that the glass is half empty.) It means that those who do mix faith with wrong will not be in security. 
What is some of the major wrongs within The Islamic Nation? They include: making shirk with Allah (some of the ways that Muslims are making shirk with Allah is: taqlid and shrine worship); saying lies about Allah (which includes forbidding that which Allah has made lawful); and, fearing Allah's creatures. 
Now, as far as The Turkish constitution is concerned the article says:

 "The constitution enshrines the directorate's duty to uphold principles of secularism and national unity."

Secularism and national unity? What is this? Secularism is a Kufr way of life, and therefore is unacceptable in Islam. It is the directorate's duty to uphold principles of secularism...? Is it the duty of a Muslim to uphold Kufr? I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaitan.

Here is the article:
 

ISTANBUL – The declaration of a "caliphate" by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militants in Iraq lacks legitimacy and their death threats to Christians are a danger to civilization, head of Turkey's Religious Affairs, the successor to the last caliph's most senior imam, said.

ISIS, an armed group formerly allied to al Qaeda that has captured swathes of territory across Iraq, last month declared its leader, Ibrahim al-Baghdadi, "caliph" - the historical title last held by the Turkish Ottoman sultan who ruled much of the Muslim world.

"Such declarations have no legitimacy whatsoever," Mehmet Görmez, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, the highest religious authority in Turkey, which, although a majority Muslim country, has been a secular state since the 1920s.

"Since the caliphate was abolished ... there have been movements that think they can pull together the Muslim world by re-establishing a caliphate, but they have nothing to do with reality, whether from a political or legal perspective."

Görmez said death threats against non-Muslims made by the group, were hugely damaging.

"The statement made against Christians is truly awful. Islamic scholars need to focus on this (because) an inability to peacefully sustain other faiths and cultures heralds the collapse of a civilization," he told Reuters in an interview.

Since ISIS's advance across northern Iraq in June, Christians have fled the city of Mosul, where the militants are based, after they were given the choice to convert, pay a religious tax or be executed.

Mosul's Christian community is one of the world's oldest, tracing its roots back two millennia.

 'HISTORICAL TIES'

Görmez is in a unique position to question Baghdadi's claim to the caliph's seat. His office was created in 1924 to replace the Ottoman Sheikh al-Islam, the mufti with authority to confirm new sultans and who also served as chief legal adviser.

"Its structure has changed greatly in modern times but its historical ties, of course, continue," Görmez said, wearing a grey suit and tie and running worry beads through his hand.

The caliphate itself was abolished in 1924, part of early modernising efforts by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded the secular Turkish Republic on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.

Today Görmez's department drafts the weekly sermon delivered at the nation's 85,000 mosques, which it supervises. It also employs all of Turkey's imams - Muslim preachers - who are technically civil servants trained by the state.

The constitution enshrines the directorate's duty to uphold principles of secularism and national unity.

"The caliphate is erroneously viewed as a religious authority by Westerners, who see it like a kind of papacy. But historically the caliphate was a legal entity that accepted religious references. It was a political authority," he said.

Muslims can no longer be unified under the rule of a single ruler like a caliph but could emulate political blocs like the European Union, aligning themselves along shared democratic values, Görmez said, speaking after wrapping up an international conference in Istanbul that brought together dozens of scholars from the Shi'ite and Sunni branches of Islam.

Conflict between the two denominations has been blamed for much of the recent bloodshed in Iraq and Syria, but Görmez said that economic and social factors in areas were the root causes.

"After a century of occupation, dictatorial regimes and suppressed identity, they are trying to express their vengeful anger and hatred by appropriating religion," he said.

"The West looks for the roots of this terror and violence in religion, but these are not the wars of the Middle Ages, which were truly sectarian."

An average of 1,000 Muslims are killed each day around the world, mostly due to internecine strife, he said. "Almost 90 percent of them are killed by other Muslims, by their brothers.

"Muslims need not look beyond themselves for the causes of these conflicts. They should be aware that ... global powers have a responsibility but those are forces they cannot control."


Link: http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2014/07/22/turkeys-top-religious-authority-calls-isis-caliphate-illegitimate.

 

♥ LOVE | A Lecture for ALL Brothers & Sisters | Omar Suleiman

Tafsir Surat al-Fatihah 15: Worship Allah as if you see Him! ~ Dr. Yasir...

Saturday, July 26, 2014

RATHER THAN PALESTINE UN SENDS CONDOLENCES TO ISRAEL

22.07.2014
Source:Daily Sabah

Comment: Ban Ki-moon is obviously a puppet of the global oligarchy/NWO. This is not surprising, since The United Nations was created by the NWO. The United Nations is one of the international organizations which was created by the NWO, and as such is promoting the agenda of the NWO- the enslavement of humanity. 
 "Ban Ki-moon urged the Palestinian government to recognize state of Israel immediately." 
 Ban Ki-moon does indeed serve the interests of The Illuminati/NWO.

Here is the article:



UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. secretary-general said Tuesday it is his "hope and belief" that his emergency mission to the Middle East will lead to an end to the fighting between Hamas and Israel "in the very near future." Ban Ki-moon urged the Palestinian government to recognize state of Israel immediately.

Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council by videoconference from the West Bank city of Ramallah that he could not publicly reveal details "at this highly sensitive moment." As he started to address the council a siren could be heard in the background.

The U.N. chief has also visited Qatar, Kuwait, Cairo and Jerusalem, and said he will go on to Jordan and Saudi Arabia on what he called his mission "of solidarity and peace." In the last three days he has met with the head of the Arab League and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli leaders as well as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Norway's foreign minister. He also spoke to French President Francois Hollande.

"Suffice it to say, it is my hope and belief that these talks will lead to results and an end to the fighting in the very near future," Ban said.

He cautioned, however, that "of course there are many obstacles and complexities."

Ban said "the most promising prospect of a cease-fire" in an Egyptian initiative to return to the cessation of fighting in November 2012 that has been endorsed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League but unfortunately not Hamas.

"I encourage all those with influence to urge constructive action," Ban said. "This is the most meaningful path to peace."

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, urged the Security Council, which is often divided on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the fighting.

He said a resolution backed by the Palestinians and their supporters will be circulated to the 15 council members later Tuesday.

Link:  http://www.dailysabah.com/world/2014/07/22/ban-kimoon-urges-palestinian-government-to-recognize-state-of-israel.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Jordanians angered by Israel's war on Gaza

July 15, 2014
Source: Al Monitor

 AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians have raised their voice against the Israeli offensive on Gaza that has so far killed over 200 Palestinians and one Israeli, with protesters taking to the streets, members of parliament (MPs) planning to head to the Gaza Strip and King Abdullah II warning of "the dangerous escalation" of violence in the area.

Israel’s week-old Gaza Strip barrage followed an escalation of hostilities that began with the arrest of hundreds of Hamas supporters by Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers who were later found dead.

A Palestinian youth was then abducted and burned alive in Jerusalem, in an alleged act of retaliation by far-right Israelis.

Jordanians have since then taken to the streets, calling on the government to expel the Israeli ambassador to the kingdom, shut down the embassy, cut all relations to what protesters have defined “the Zionist entity” and revoke the peace treaty with Israel. But actions against Israel seem unlikely.
“Jordan will neither expel the Israeli ambassador nor shut down the embassy,” Jawad Anani, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told Al-Monitor. “This demand always arrives whenever there is an Israeli action that angers Jordanians. We cannot do that, as we need to maintain lines of communication with the Israelis despite Jordan’s current very cold relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

At a rally led by the Muslim Brotherhood on July 9, protesters attempted to storm the Israeli Embassy, but were prevented from reaching the diplomatic mission by Jordanian forces. Six people were arrested and then released shortly after.

Asked about the reasons behind the protest, Sheikh Hamza Mansour, leader of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the kingdom, told Al-Monitor that Jordanians and Palestinians were one and the same people, therefore, "If you are killing us in Gaza, you are killing us everywhere."

"If this continues, Jordan’s streets, from Aqaba to Ramtha, would stand up to their defense spontaneously without planning or mobilization from anyone," he said.

Following an emergency meeting called by the Palestine Committee in the lower house of parliament last week, 20 Jordanian MPs announced they would head for Gaza in a display of solidarity and support with Palestinians suffering under “Israeli aggression.”

"This is a message to America, Europe, the [UN] Security Council and the international community that Israel’s domination and arrogance is unacceptable and cannot be left without questioning and punishment,“ MP Yihya Saud, head of the Palestine Committee in the Lower House and organizer of the initiative, told Al-Monitor.

Saud stressed the MPs will act independently of the Jordanian government and planned to reach Gaza from the Rafah border crossing between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt.

But Egyptian authorities denied the Jordanian MPs access to the enclave amid security concerns on July 14, Saud said, adding that Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh was due to discuss the request with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, though signs for an agreement were “thin.”
Anani, who was first a negotiator in the discussions that led to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty in 1994, said there have been violations to the accord over the past two decades.

"There were infringements on issues regarding treatment of refugees according to the international law and the abolishment of the borders between Jordan and the West Bank as we did not recognize the Israeli legitimacy as occupier in these territories."

The former royal court chief said that tension between Israel and the Palestinians has always had a direct repercussion on Jordan and as long as a peace agreement was not reached, there would be instability in the kingdom and in the region overall.

“Attacking civilians in Gaza and accusing Hamas of the teenagers’ kidnapping, despite Hamas’ denial and lack of evidence, has led to anger. We are still living the Arab Spring and people in the streets are not accepting this violence. This affects the security of everybody in this part of the world and in Jordan especially,” Anani said, downplaying the chance of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.
“The Israelis are reluctant to enter Gaza by land with troops as this would lead to casualties among their lines, something that they cannot afford politically right now,” he said.

In a display of support for the Palestinians in Gaza, around 300 protesters filled the square in front of the Kalouti Mosque in west Amman after Friday prayers on July 11 and the Ramadan special evening prayers on July 15, a few blocks from the Israeli Embassy. Al-Monitor attended both rallies.
Riot police were deployed but no incidents were reported during the rallies.

Banners depicting the Nazi swastika next to a Star of David and reading "Jordanian government, shut down the Zionist embassy, kick the ambassador out," and "The road to Palestine is through gun barrels not a Zionist visa" could be spotted at the rally.

Degoul, a 46-year-old Jordanian residing in New York, but currently on a visit to the country, said he joined the protest to support the Palestinians amid the ongoing "massacre."

"What we are seeing is a premeditated murder conducted by the Israeli government on the people of Gaza without any balance between what happened and what Israel is doing. Gaza has no airplanes or tanks," he said.

Student Marwa Daher, 17, who has distant relatives in Palestine, told Al-Monitor the current state of affairs was partly the result of people not raising their voices loud enough for the Palestinian cause.

Similar protests took place in several cities across the country in Karak, Irbid, Tafileh, Mafraq and Jerash, protesters said at the rally.

On July 10, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned against the "dangerous" escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, during an official visit to Washington.

Following a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, the king said the recent developments hampered the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli talks based on the two-state solution, and the ensuing "vacuum" would lead to more violence.

Anani said the Israelis were showing no signs of wanting peace.

“The Arab Spring has given the Israelis a green light to keep ignoring the mutual peace and occupying more land. They are encouraging settlers to build new settlements, they are attacking the Holy Shrine in Jerusalem. This is not acceptable. What the Palestinians do in retaliation of violence, the Israelis do continuously on a daily basis,” he said.

Link:  http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/jordan-gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-muslim-brotherhood.html.



























Expansion of ‘secret’ facility in Iraq suggests closer U.S.-Kurd ties Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/11/233126/expansion-of-secret-facility-in.html#storylink=cpy

July 11, 2014
McClatchy Foreign Staff
Source: McClatchyDC

 

— A supposedly secret but locally well-known CIA station on the outskirts of Irbil’s airport is undergoing rapid expansion as the United States considers whether to engage in a war against Islamist militants who’ve seized control of half of Iraq in the past month.

Western contractors hired to expand the facility and a local intelligence official confirmed the construction project, which is visible from the main highway linking Irbil to Mosul, the city whose fall June 9 triggered the Islamic State’s sweep through northern and central Iraq. Residents around the airport say they can hear daily what they suspect are American drones taking off and landing at the facility.

Expansion of the facility comes as it seems all but certain that the autonomous Kurdish regional government and the central government in Baghdad, never easy partners, are headed for an irrevocable split _ complicating any U.S. military hopes of coordinating the two entities’ efforts against the Islamic State.

The autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government angered Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki when early in the crisis it sent its pershmerga militia to seize the long-contested city of Kirkuk when Iraqi troops abandoned it. Relations have deteriorated since. On Wednesday, Maliki accused Kurdish President Massoud Barzani sheltering Islamic State members. The next day, Barzani demanded that Maliki resign.

Overnight, Kurdish troops seized oil fields operated by Iraq’s Northern Oil Co., whose exports had been controlled by the central government, and on Friday, Kurdish legislators began a boycott of the Iraqi government.

The developments all come as the United States, which has said it won’t come to Iraq’s assistance unless Maliki takes steps to make his government more inclusive, is expected to announce early next week its assessment of the military situation in the country. Pentagon officials said the assessment might be made public as early as Monday.

But U.S. officials have known for some time that it was likely that they’d need to coordinate any steps it takes both in Baghdad and in Irbil, where the peshmerga has worked closely over the years with the CIA, U.S. special forces and the Joint Special Operations Command, the military’s most secretive task force, which has become a bulwark of counterterrorism operations. Peshmerga forces already are manning checkpoints and bunkers to protect the facility, which sits just a few hundred yards from the highway.

“Within a week of the fall of Mosul we were being told to double or even triple our capacities,” said one Western logistics contractor who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he’d signed nondisclosure agreements with the U.S. government on the matter.

“They needed everything from warehouse space to refrigeration capacity, because they operate under a different logistics command than the normal military or embassy structures,” the contractor said. “The expansion was aggressive and immediate.”

Other contractors who deal extensively with moving heavy equipment through Irbil’s airport, which has supported a rapidly expanding oil and gas drilling industry, said they were aware of the expansion. One British oil executive said he’d detected a “low-key but steady stream of men, equipment and supplies for an obvious expansion of the facility.” The local Kurdish intelligence official described what was taking place as a “long-term relationship with the Americans.”

In a statement July 3, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that Irbil would host such a center, in addition to one being set up in Baghdad, and suggested that it had already begun operating.
“We have personnel on the ground in Irbil, where our second joint operations center has achieved initial operating capability,” he said then.

“It’s no secret that the American special forces and CIA have a close relationship with the peshmerga,” said the Kurdish official, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he was discussing covert military operations. He added that the facility had operated even “after the Americans were forced out of Iraq by Maliki,” a reference to the 2011 U.S. troop withdrawal after the Obama administration and the Iraqi government couldn’t agree on a framework for U.S. forces remaining in the country.

The official refused to directly identify the location of the facility but when he was shown the blurred-out location on an online satellite-mapping service he joked, “The peshmerga do not have the influence to make Google blur an area on these maps. I will leave the rest to your conclusions.”
But the official wasn’t shy discussing the past arrangement and potential for a future expansion of the relationship.

“Most of our ‘mukhabarat’ worked directly alongside both the CIA and JSOC throughout the war in Iraq because of our language ability and long experience battling both Saddam and radical terrorists,” he said, using the Arabic term for “information office,” usually ascribed to local intelligence.

“Peshmerga fighters fought closely alongside the American Green Berets throughout northern Iraq in places like Mosul, Tal Afar and Kirkuk because we are very professional and trusted,” he said. “And many of our men would work directly with the most secret units as interpreters and Iraqi experts.”

During a recent visit to the site, extensive construction of new roads off the main highway could be seen, as well as what appeared to be construction of a fortified gate complex to protect access, which previously had been controlled by a simple dirt road and checkpoint flanked by two bunkers guarded by men in peshmerga uniforms.

Armored sport utility vehicles driven by military-appearing Westerners in civilian clothes were seen entering and exiting the facility in convoy fashion.

“Irbil is a very friendly place for people in the intelligence business,” a Western military attache said on the condition he not be identified because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the matter. “So many locals worked with the Americans and remember them fondly, that you didn’t need the hardened defenses that you’d find normally this close to a battlefield.”

The attache said the existence of the facility had long been known to residents. “Nobody cared before because everyone is on good terms,” he said.

A retired American special forces officer said it would be a relatively simple matter for the United States to work with peshmerga forces. “A lot of those pesh guys were known and respected for their training and trustworthiness by ODA, OGA and the Secret Squirrels long before the 2003 invasion,” he said, using the acronyms for “Operational Detachment Alpha,” the official designation of the Green Berets, and “other government agency,” a common slang term for the CIA. “Secret Squirrels” is a term soldiers use to describe Joint Special Operations Command units that usually don’t have an obvious unit designation.

A special operations officer, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he’s legally bound not to publicly discuss his career without specific Defense Department permission, said working with the Kurds would overcome a number of difficult issues that would be present as U.S. advisers worked with the Iraqi army.

“It’s a natural fit that as these guys look around at the collapsed Iraqi army and how all of its remaining competent units are either infiltrated by or directly led by Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders that there would be a high degree of discomfort directly operating with them,” he said.

“But the Kurds are trustworthy, reliable and already know how to fight alongside your units. It’s a natural fit to run an operation from Irbil with the pesh, while the other advisers in Baghdad try to stem the bleeding of the Iraqi army and protect that huge U.S. embassy complex.”

He also noted there are advantages to working with Kurdish forces if the United States decides to launch airstrikes against Islamic State positions.

“Airstrikes are close to useless without good intelligence and targeting, and that’s going to be hard to come by on the Baghdad side of things,” he said. “To me it’s a no-brainer. The only real way you can do that is with the Kurds.”

Nancy A. Youssef contributed to this report from Washington. 

Link:  http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/11/233126/expansion-of-secret-facility-in.html.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/11/233126/expansion-of-secret-facility-in.html#storylink=cpy

Israeli forces assault worshipers at Al-Aqsa, detain 1

 22/07/2014
Source: Maan News Agency

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa mosque compound Thursday and assaulted worshipers while providing security to a group of right-wing Jewish extremists, witnesses said.

Witnesses told Ma'an that a group of settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compounds through the Moroccan Gate while provoking worshipers, who in turn chanted "Allah Akbar," or "God is Great" in Arabic.

Israeli police on the scene then called special police forces to secure the group as they moved through the compound and then out through the Chain Gate, before they reportedly assaulted worshipers with batons and pushed them to the ground causing bruises to many.

The special forces detained an employee who works for the Al-Aqsa endowment office and took him to police station located at the Chain Gate, witnesses said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that there were no clashes but "only Arabs shouting Allah Akbar," adding that the individual was detained for "trying to attack the group" that had entered the compound.

Because of the sensitive nature of the Al-Aqsa compound, Israel maintains a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls it to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area. Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers.

The compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam.

It is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
 

Medecins Sans Frontieres calls for Israel to stop striking civilians in Gaza

21 July 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor

 Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called on Israel to halt its aggression against the Gaza Strip, noting it is complicating efforts to provide medical care to casualties.

In a statement published on its website on Sunday, MSF said that most of the victims of Israeli fire are civilians. It also said that Israeli forces target paramedics.

"The majority of the dead and wounded in Gaza are civilians and medical workers are also coming under fire," the statement said.

The organisation also said it had witnessed two paramedics, who were killed and two others who were injured whilst trying to rescue wounded from Sheja'ia. It said that an MSF vehicle came under fire as an Israeli attack took place just about 300 metres away.

"A clearly identified MSF vehicle escaped an air strike 300 metres away," MSF statement said. It added that the Israeli authorities had promised secure movements for the organisation from the Erez border crossing to Gaza City.

In addition, MSF cited its field coordinator in Gaza, Nicolas Palarus, who said: "the United Nations shelters are now overcrowded and hygiene conditions are extremely worrying."

Link: www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/12967-medecins-sans-frontieres-calls-for-israel-to-stop-striking-civilians-in-gaza.

Turkey's Erdogan condemns Israel over Gaza

07.18.14 
By SUZAN FRASER

Associated Press

Source:Miami Herald

  Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan intensified his fiery rhetoric against Israel over its ground invasion of Gaza on Friday, accusing the country of state terrorism and genocide and saying the two countries will not mend ties on his watch. 

Earlier, hundreds of protesters pelted the top Israeli diplomat's residence in Ankara with stones, and the private Dogan news agency said police in Istanbul used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters trying to enter the Israeli Consulate grounds. Turkish legislators leaving a late-night debate in parliament also protested against Israel.

Turkey intensified security around Israeli missions but the demonstrations prompted Israel to call home the families of Israeli diplomats and to keep staff in the embassy and consulate to a minimum.
Tzachi Moshe, a spokesman for Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, said Israel "sharply protested the flagrant violation of diplomatic rules."

Erdogan told reporters after Muslim Friday prayers: "Israel threatens world peace. Israel threatens peace in the Middle East. Therefore, I personally, can never contemplate anything positive with Israel as long as I remain on duty."

"Israel is at the moment waging terrorism; Israel at the moment is carrying out genocide," he said.
Turkey and Israel had been working toward improving ties that were soured after Israeli commandos stormed a pro-Palestinian aid ship in 2010, killing eight Turks and one Turkish-American. Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and recalled its own top envoy following the incident.

Israel apologized to Turkey for the deaths and agreed to pay compensation under a U.S.-brokered arrangement in 2013. Turkish officials said in March the sides were close to reaching a compensation deal that would lead to a restoration of ties.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the department believes Erdogan's statements are "offensive and wrong."

"And, of course, this kind of provocative rhetoric is unhelpful and distracts from urgent efforts to bring about a cease-fire," she said.

Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.
 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/18/4242388/turkeys-erdogan-condemns-israel.html#storylink=cpy
 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/18/4242388/turkeys-erdogan-condemns-

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Associated Press

Associated Press

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israel.html#storylink=cpy

Erdogan: Israel a terrorist state following in the footsteps of Hitler

21 July 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor

 Turkish Prime Minister and presidential hopeful Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of being a terrorist state following in the footstep of Adolf Hitler.

In his speech before a campaign rally in the Hatay province on Sunday, Erdogan said Israel is committing massacres in Gaza.

Reuters news agency quoted him as saying that Israelis "have no conscience, no honour, no pride. Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism."

He hailed the people of Gaza, saying: "From here, I salute the brave heroes of Gaza."
Erdogan prayed that justice would come to "the oppressed Palestinians, who are breaking their Ramadan fast with death and martyrdom."

Erdogan also prayed for "all those enduring repression in Egypt, Syria and Iraq."

He addressed Shia leaders, urging them to "refrain from sectarianism", adding: "Aren't we all Muslims? Why then are there so many victims? 200,000 people have been killed in Syria and you still do not consider President Al-Assad as a killer. How could you defend him? How could you defend a murderer for the sake of a doctrine?"

Link: www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/12954-erdogan-israel-a-terrorist-state-following-in-the-footsteps-of-hitler.

Davutoglu: Israeli oppressors cannot defeat the Palestinians

21 July 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor

 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that by using oppression, Israel will not achieve its intended goals in Gaza and Palestine because "nothing is stronger than a nation revolting for the sake of justice," Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking during a Ramadan iftar ceremony on Sunday, Davutoglu said that ever since the start of the latest escalation, he has been making "intensive contacts" with the different Arab and international parties for the sake of stopping the Israeli aggression.

He hailed the Palestinian people, saying they are "brave and unbreakable in the face of Israel's aggression".

"The unjust Israelis will be held accountable and punished in this life and in the afterlife," Davutoglu said, adding that, "The day will come when Palestinians regain their rights and bring their oppressors to justice."

He also reaffirmed that Turkey will continue to stand "day and night" with the Palestinian people and their struggle.

Over the past two weeks, Israel has been waging a massive military campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 500 people and injuring thousands.

Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/12947-davutoglu-israeli-oppressors-cannot-defeat-the-palestinians.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The New CISPA: Cybersecurity bill passes through Senate Committee


By: Zach McAuliffe
Source: bennswann

The Cyber Information Security Act (CISA) has passed through the Senate Select Committee on Tuesday by a vote of 12-3, pushing the bill one step further to reaching the Senate floor.

CISA is the latest reincarnation of internet-security based bills to be voted on by the government.  Last year, a similar bill called the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) passed the House, but was met with controversy over what opponents of the bill called a lack of privacy protections.

“The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA),” reports Julian Hattem from the Hill, “makes it possible for companies and government agencies to share information about possible hackers and security weaknesses with each other, which advocates say is critical to make sure that blind spots aren’t left untended for long.”

Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), one of the people responsible for the creation of CISA, argues the bill would allow businesses and government agencies to more easily exchange information with regards to cyber-attacks.

Feinstein said, according to VPN Creative, “Every week, we hear about the theft of personal information from retailers and trade secrets from innovative businesses, as well as ongoing efforts by foreign nations to hack government networks…this bill is an important step toward curbing these dangerous cyberattacks.”

Opponents to this bill and similar bills have used the Edward Snowden leaks as evidence of the government and NSA abusing cybersecurity flaws in the name of national security.

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mark Udall (D-CO) both voted against the bill, saying in a joint-statement, they agree cyber-attacks are a serious threat to American infrastructure, but they have also seen “how the federal government has exploited loopholes to collect Americans’ private information in the name of security.”

The Center for Democracy and Technology also found faults with the bill, saying on the groups website, the bill fails to recognize and address “recently-disclosed cybersecurity-related conduct of the National Security Agency (NSA), some of which undermines cybersecurity.”  The CDF also says the bill would allow law enforcement agencies to wiretap individuals in the name of cybersecurity.
The bill will be heard next by the whole Senate and will be voted on in the coming months.

Link:  http://benswann.com/fighting-in-israel-closes-down-us-embassy-in-area/.

U.S. Ignored Warnings Before ISIS Takeover of a Key City

07.10.14
The American-supported Free Syrian Army was forced to withdraw from a key city on the Iraq-Syria border last week after its pleas for help went unanswered by the United States.
 
Three weeks ago, a group of leaders from the opposition Free Syrian Army warned U.S. officials that a strategic city along the Iraqi border was about to fall to ISIS. It was the latest in a long series of increasingly anxious cries for help. The rebels never heard back from the Americans.

Five days ago, the predictions came true. Free Syrian Army units in the city of Der al Zour handed over their territory to the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, following weeks of desperate requests for help to international officials, including a direct appeal in a private meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power.

“[The U.S. officials] showed an understanding of the situation but there was no movement at all,” the commander of the FSA battalion near Der al Zour told The Daily Beast in an interview. “There’s no clear American position in that part of Syria. We told the Americans we are going to fight ISIS and ISIS is close to us, but they did nothing.”

Two leaders of the Free Syrian Army in eastern Syria told The Daily Beast that the moderate rebels in the area greatly outnumbered the ISIS fighters returning from Iraq in stolen American-made vehicles. But the FSA battalion, weakened from months of being under siege, did not have enough ammunition to engage ISIS in the fight. They retreated south, giving up what they controlled of Der al Zour to ISIS without ISIS having to fire a shot.

“Der al Zour was surrounded for several months by ISIS and the regime. The siege included no food and water. Our battalion was weakened,” the FSA commander said. “The FSA numbers are big, but we don’t have weapons, we don’t have ammunition, we don’t have anything.”

For several weeks prior, FSA leaders had tried to sound the alarm. If Der al Zour fell to ISIS, the extremist group would have control of the transportation routes from their stronghold in Raqqa, Syria to their new territories in northern Iraq. The area is also rich in oil and gas resources and was the last FSA stronghold along the rapidly disappearing Iraq-Syria border.

About six weeks ago, a group of representatives of the FSA and the Syrian Opposition Coalition went to Jordan, and met with the international committee coordinating aid to the FSA based there. They presented a detailed urgent request for money, food, and weapons to be sent to the FSA in and around Der al Zour. Three weeks ago, just days after Mosul fell to ISIS, a group of FSA and SOC officials met with Power in Turkey and briefed her about the impending disaster on the Syrian side of the border. But after the meeting: nothing.

Power met with a range of people impacted by the Syrian conflict as part of her trip to Turkey and Jordan, an official from the U.S. mission to the United Nations (USUN) told The Daily Beast, including senior government officials, refugees, leaders of NGOs, and representatives of the Syrian opposition. She also met with Jordan's King Abdullah, Turkish President Gul and Turkish Prime Minster Erdogan.

Power’s conversations with rebel leaders included “hearing the concerns of both FSA and the Syrian opposition that they have raised consistently with the U.S. government and others, which is that the regime and ISIS are making inroads and that the Syrian opposition needs additional assistance,” the USUN official said. “Ambassador Power told them she would share what she learned with her colleagues in Washington when she returned from her trip.”

The USUN official declined to specify if or how Power followed up on the request or why the U.S. government failed to answer their call for help. The international coordinating committee in Jordan eventually did send the FSA in Der al Zour a small amount of equipment and ammunition. But the shipment didn’t arrive until after ISIS had taken over the FSA positions. ISIS, on the other hand, spread $2 million in the area, to entice local tribes and leaders to permit their presence there.

Today, Der al Zour’s city center is divided into areas controlled by the al Qaeda-affiliated al Nusrah front, the Islamic Front, and the Syrian regime, which controls the airport and the high ground outside the city from which they shell the opposition areas relentlessly. ISIS and the regime are working together, and ISIS controls the suburbs without any fear of attacks from the Syrian Arab Army.

Sen. John McCain traveled to Turkey last month and also met with FSA and SOC leaders and heard their warnings about ISIS advances in eastern Syria. He criticized the Obama administration for not heeding the warnings before Der al Zour fell to ISIS, part of what he sees as a pattern of neglecting the needs of America’s allies inside Syria.

“It’s a manifestation of our failure to help on behalf of the Syrian people. And it’s a logical conclusion to a total absence of involvement and leadership in both Syria and Iraq,” McCain told The Daily Beast in an interview.

Power, along with several other top officials including Secretary of State John Kerry, have long been arguing for more aid to the moderate fighting rebels, but have been repeatedly thwarted by senior White House national security staffers, McCain said.

“She is trying, others are trying, but the small cadre around the President, most of whom have no national security experience, are vetoing it and they have been for years,” McCain said.

Last year, The New York Times reported that White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough rebuffed Power’s recommendation that the U.S. increase its support to the FSA. “Denis, if you had met the rebels as frequently as I have, you would be as passionate as I am,” Power told McDonough. “Samantha, we’ll just have to agree to disagree,” McDonough responded.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin told The Daily Beast in an interview that covert assistance to FSA was increasing slowly, but should have been ramped up a long time ago.
“I have never thought that we have done enough to help the Free Syrian Army. We should have given greater support to the vetted elements of the FSA a year or two years ago,” he said. “We are now in the process of doing that, but much of that is classified.”

For supporters of the Syrian opposition in Washington, the administration’s failure to support the FSA in eastern Syria was a missed opportunity and an avoidable setback in the drive to prevent ISIS from consolidating its control over its territory.

"The warning signs about the disintegration of the Iraq-Syria border have been clear for months,” said Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff, president of the American NGO People Demand Change, which works with the Syrian opposition. “It is clear that once again the White House is behind the curve in keeping pace with the realities on the ground in Syria and again missed an opportunity to empower ideologically moderate elements of the opposition who want the responsibility of keeping ISIS from further threatening the stability of the region."

Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, an American NGO, said that ISIS is now preparing for a push on Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, where the FSA is also being squeezed by extremist and regime forces. ISIS could also make another run at Azaz, a town near Aleppo on the Syria-Turkey border.

“Azaz is very strategic because it’s a major conduit for humanitarian aid and assistance to the FSA,” he said. “If ISIS takes control of territory bordering a NATO ally, that’s not good for anybody.”
The Obama administration has requested $500 million from Congress to train and equip vetted moderated opposition groups, but that aid if approved won’t be delivered until at least next year, which could be too late.

“$500 million coming several months from now is not sufficient,” Moustafa said. “We need urgent action now against both Sunni and Shia extremists.”

Omar Abu Layla, official spokesperson for the FSA Eastern Front, told The Daily Beast in an interview that the ISIS threat is getting more, not less, serious and ISIS will continue its expansion in every direction if nothing is done.

“We warned the U.S. a long time ago about the danger of ISIS. We’ve told them that if nothing is done, the danger of ISIS will spread to other countries in the region and eventually other parts of the world, including the United States,” he said. “I want to get a clear answer. Will the U.S. support the Free Syrian Army or must we wait for a new administration in Washington?”

Link:  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/10/u-s-ignored-warnings-before-isis-takeover-of-a-key-city.html.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

The true Gaza back-story that the Israelis aren’t telling this week

9 July 2014
Robert Fisk
Source: The Independent

A future Palestine state will have no borders and be an enclave within Israel, surrounded on all sides by Israeli-held territory.

 OK, so by this afternoon, the exchange rate of death in two days was 40-0 in favour of Israel. But now for the Gaza story you won’t be hearing from anyone else in the next few hours.

It’s about land. The Israelis of Sederot are coming under rocket fire from the Palestinians of Gaza and now the Palestinians are getting their comeuppance. Sure. But wait, how come all those Palestinians – all 1.5 million – are crammed into Gaza in the first place? Well, their families once lived, didn’t they, in what is now called Israel? And got chucked out – or fled for their lives – when the Israeli state was created.

And – a drawing in of breath is now perhaps required – the people who lived in Sederot in early 1948 were not Israelis, but Palestinian Arabs. Their village was called Huj. Nor were they enemies of Israel. Two years earlier, these same Arabs had actually hidden Jewish Haganah fighters from the British Army. But when the Israeli army turned up at Huj on 31 May 1948, they expelled all the Arab villagers – to the Gaza Strip! Refugees, they became. David Ben Gurion (Israel’s first Prime Minister) called it an “unjust and unjustified action”. Too bad. The  Palestinians of Huj were never allowed back.

And today, well over 6,000 descendants of the Palestinians from Huj – now Sederot – live in the squalor of Gaza, among the “terrorists” Israel is claiming to destroy and who are shooting at what was Huj. Interesting story.

And same again for Israel’s right to self-defence. We heard it again today. What if the people of London were being rocketed like the people of Israel? Wouldn’t they strike back? Well yes, but we Brits don’t have more than a million former inhabitants of the UK cooped up in refugee camps over a few square miles around Hastings.

The last time this specious argument was used was in 2008, when Israel invaded Gaza and killed at least 1,100 Palestinians (exchange rate: 1,100 to 13). What if Dublin was under rocket attack, the Israeli ambassador asked then? But the UK town of Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland was under rocket attack from the Irish Republic in the 1970s – yet the RAF didn’t bomb Dublin in retaliation, killing Irish women and children. In Canada in 2008, Israel’s supporters were making the same fraudulent point. What if the people of Vancouver or Toronto or Montreal were being rocket-attacked from the suburbs of their own cities? How would they feel? But the Canadians haven’t pushed the original inhabitants of Canadian territory into refugee camps.

Link:  http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-true-gaza-backstory-that-the-israelis-arent-telling-this-week-9596120.html.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Egyptian military empire

09 July 2014
Dr Walaa Ramadan 
Source:Middle East Monitor

The Egyptian Armed Forces are the largest in Africa and the Middle East. In 2014, they were ranked the 13th most powerful in the world, consisting of the army, navy, air force and the air defence command. Large paramilitary forces also exist, such as the Central Security Forces (under the control of the ministry of the interior); Border Guard Forces and the National Guard (under the control of the ministry of defence).

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) is the governing body, made up of 21 officers; it sits in times of war or insurgencies such as during the course of the January 25 Revolution, when the toppled President Mubarak reassigned power to SCAF, which then governed Egypt in the interim period until the 2012 elections.

The Egyptian Armed Forces receive military assistance from the US; most of the $1.5 billion given to Egypt every year is military aid. These funds were frozen following the military coup against the first democratically-elected civilian president in July 2013 and its violent aftermath; they were resumed by the US Congress following the recent Egyptian elections, which saw the coup leader, Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, gain a landslide victory in what elections deemed widely to be farcical and illegitimate, reminiscent of Mubarak decades. Much of the military aid Egypt receives is in the form of equipment, such as tanks and jet fighters, which are surplus to Egyptian needs and are kept in storage.

The military's power

The armed forces enjoy considerable power, prestige and independence within the Egyptian State. They form the single most powerful institution in the autocratic state that has been the entire history of the Republic of Egypt. From the military coup by the Free Officers' Movement (a group of army officers led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser) that toppled King Farouk in 1952, to the 2011 revolution, all of the presidents of Egypt (Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak) were military officers. This succession was interrupted by the revolution which led to the election of the first democratically-elected civilian President of Egypt, Dr Mohamed Morsi, in an interruption to autocratic rule.

President Morsi did not have full constitutional powers and did not have full authority over state institutions such as the armed forces. The military were protected from legal and parliamentary oversight, even under a civilian president.

The armed forces have their own hospitals, villages, complexes, social clubs, education institutions, petrol stations, factories and companies. They own restaurants and football grounds. They also have a stronghold in business, engaging in road and housing construction, consumer goods, resort management and extensive tracts of real estate. They have a vast economic stronghold in Egypt, but the precise amount is not known; the military's budget is secret and its industries are unaudited and untaxed. The names of the general officers and even the military's exact size (ranks are estimated at 300,000 to 400,000) are all considered to be a state secret.

The military's "grey economy"

Khaled Fahmy, head of history at the American University in Cairo, calls this a "grey economy, in the sense that we know very little of them, they are not subject to any parliamentary scrutiny, the Egyptian government auditing office has no control or knowledge of them."

According to journalist Joshua Hammer, the Egyptian military controls "as much as 40 per cent of the Egyptian economy"; since the revolution of 2011, claims German newspaper Die Welt, this proportion has increased to 45 per cent. Some economic experts put the estimate of the military's holdings at up to 60 per cent.

With the harsh political crackdown following the July 2013 coup, the military is positioning itself to become Egypt's uncontested economic power, ensuring its allies have key economic posts; it has expanded its authority over government development deals, including the lucrative Suez Canal Project, a key component of the economic "renaissance project" championed by deposed President Mohamed Morsi, which stands to bring Egypt billions of dollars in annual revenue. The massive project presents a strategic shipping link through which 8 per cent of world trade passes. It will include port and terminal expansion, the construction of a new airport and a new industrial zone, at an estimated cost of $8.6 billion over the next two decades.

Since President Morsi's ouster, the military-led government has assumed complete control of the project. The military is acting as the primary contractor for economic development in the project, as it is in numerous other projects across the nation. Whilst the Egyptian armed forces claim to have no financial stake in the canal's development, many of the 14 Egyptian-foreign joint ventures bidding on the master plan of the project have very close connections with the military. For example, one of the companies on this venture is the state-owned Arab Contractors, which is headed by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab from the former National Democratic Party. Mahlab was appointed by the military following the coup, and was reappointed in June 2014 following Al-Sisi's presidential "victory".
Another company bidding on the Suez Canal project, the Maritime Research and Consultation Centre, has a board of directors consisting almost entirely of military officers and is chaired by the minister of transportation. Almost all of the other companies on the venture have previous contracts with the military's Gulf allies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have pumped billions of dollars into post-coup Egypt.

Between September and December of last year, shortly after the coup, at least six major infrastructure contracts for roads, bridges, tunnels and apartment blocks, worth more than $1.5 billion, went to the military.

Egyptian state is a "Military Inc."

Following the July 2013 coup, it has become the norm to find a military officer in charge of each government authority. The Egyptian economy is becoming increasingly shaped by the ruling generals, and military businesses and control appear to be expanding, permeating every aspect of the bureaucracy. A report in Haaretz on the economic advantages enjoyed by the Egyptian military went as far as to state that Al-Sisi's phrase about his "desire to serve the people", which supposedly drove him to stand for president, was the flipside to his desire for the army not to lose its economic hold on the country. The reporter went on to say that Al-Sisi must demonstrate his economic leadership, particularly given that the military accounts for the largest share of the economy.

"We're dealing with a brand-new economy that's now run by 'Military Inc.', " claims Joshua Stacher, an Egypt expert at Kent State University, who has studied the military economy.

According to Middle East expert Stephan Roll, writing in a policy paper for the German Institute for International and Security Affairs last September, "Egypt cannot achieve social peace if the one-sided growth policy of the late Mubarak era is simply continued."

Economists say the military's expanding businesses and industries create unfair competition for their non-military rivals. The military uses poorly-paid conscript labour (who make $17-28 a month) and do not pay taxes, thus allowing it to price projects far below the prices of private-sector firms, and even state-run enterprises.

Moreover, the armed forces have de facto control over all undeveloped non-agricultural land in Egypt, or about 87 per cent of the country. This transforms into massive plots of land, some in lucrative locations, monitored by watchtowers, with signs forbidding photography identifying them as military zones. On one of these massive tracts of land in Cairo, a 4.5 million square metre, UAE-based, residential and commercial project overlooking the Greater Cairo area – Emaar's exclusive 18 billion pound Uptown Cairo complex – has started construction following an agreement during an economic ministerial committee meeting in February this year.

This project is the latest and biggest of the military-secured developments, and will have a private road linking it with Cairo's public network. A private road to a private city, owned by the country's army. The chants of Tahrir square in 2011 for "bread, freedom, social justice" will not be heard in this luxurious, exclusive, gated community in the heart of the capital, nor will it be heard in any other military-owned development.

The very same institutions and people which dealt with the Uptown Cairo project, including the governor of the Central Bank of Egypt and the Ministers of Finance, Investment, Planning, Supply, Electricity, Petroleum, Housing and Agriculture, are the same that are failing to solve Egypt's mounting urban problems. Many of these are caused directly by the lack of accountability and the incompetence of these very institutions.

The ministry of defence receives billions of dollars in economic projects which come nowhere near the state treasury; instead, the state budget pours into the armed forces 70 billion Egyptian pounds a year at the expense of the poor, long-suffering citizens.

Austerity for the people

One of the motivations for the outbreak of the 2011 revolution was the growing unhappiness among Egyptians of the widespread deep-rooted corruption and gross inequality in their society. Many analysts say that the stronger military stronghold on the Egyptian economy is deepening the corruption and may push the tide to another upsurge of popular anger.

The lavishness of the military stands in stark contrast to Al-Sisi telling Egyptians that they have to sacrifice from their health and wealth for the sake of Egypt. Al-Sisi's famous speech in which he told the people that "there isn't anything, there isn't anything!" regarding the financial situation of the country, and that a generation or two may have to suffer in order that future generations can prosper, still rings in the ears of his people.

This week alone saw the announcement of an increase in the price of petrol by 78 per cent, and along with the increase in the price of electricity, food prices are expected to increase by 200 per cent. This comes at a time when Egyptians, 40 per cent of whom live below the poverty line, are already suffering the challenges of feeding their families with the existing price increases following the coup last summer.

Salaries

With the increased pressure on the Egyptian people to endure a harsh life of austerity and rationalised personal spending, it would be interesting to know how much the military coup leader, now president, pays himself and his military staff. The military budget remains secret under the pretence of being a national security threat, but with the military demanding from the people a life of austerity, it's only fair that its officers are transparent about their own finances.

The military has seen three salary rises since the January 25 Revolution, including a 50 per cent pay rise last August for all staff and ranks. There are no confirmed figures for the salaries of senior military leaders, but a source claimed that the Manager of Security receives EGP 900,000 ($150,000) monthly, so it is mind-boggling what senior officers may receive. Some officers within the security or administrative establishments have spoken of a range between 100,000 and 500,000 EGP monthly ($16,700 – $83,000) as being common. The highest wage annually is thought to be between 12 and 100 million pounds ($1m and $16.67m). In Egypt, the poor sacrifice in order that those who made them poor are able to live lavishly.

The republic of retired generals

Egypt has become a republic of retired generals with the military having a policy whereby every senior officer is given a high-rank civilian position upon retirement. Such generals are found in two types of employment: upper bureaucratic positions and economic enterprises owned by the military. In Egypt, 18 out of the 27 provincial governors are retired army generals. The state-owned oil sector is also highly militarised with oil and gas companies run by retired generals.

The head of the Suez Canal is a former military chief of staff and the heads of the Red Sea ports are retired generals, as is the manager of the maritime and land transport company. The health minister's assistant for financial and administrative affairs is a retired general, and so are many others in the bureaucratic offices of the ministry. Many retired generals are also in the ministry of environment. The current head of the Supreme Constitutional Court was originally an army officer who served previously as a judge in military courts.

The Egyptian military has sucked the wealth out of the country like a dangerous parasite. With its deep permeation in every aspect of Egyptian society, and a stranglehold on the Egyptian economy, indeed most of what constitutes the Republic of Egypt, the questions is: will the Egyptian State ever be demilitarised?

Link:  https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/americas/12672-egypt-opens-rafah-border-crossing-after-un-request.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Turkey against a Kurdish state in Iraq, says official

01 July 2014
Source:Middle East Monitor

 Turkish officials said that Turkey rejects the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, Reuters reported Monday.

According to a Turkish official, as quoted by Reuters, the Turkish government supports a unity government in Baghdad to counter the threat of Sunni fighters who have recently seized large swathes of Iraqi territory.

"Turkey's position is to support the security and political unity in Iraq," the official said.
The statement came after remarks by Huseyin Celik, a spokesman for Turkey's ruling AK Party, published in the Financial Times on Saturday, have been cited as evidence that Turkey would accept the establishment of an independent Kurdish state if Iraq were to fall apart.

Iraqi Kurds have benefited from the recent turmoil in the country by seizing lands from which the government withdrew after the advance of ISIS fighters in June.

Turkey is concerned that Kurkish independence would stir up separatist sentiments among Turkish Kurds whose conflict with the Turkish government has left at least 40,000 killed over the past few decades. Peace talks have eventually led to a cease fire agreement between the two sides last year.
Furthermore, Turkey has recently allowed Iraqi Kurds, for the first time, to pump oil via a pipeline into a Turkish port to export it, amid opposition from Baghdad.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for Kurdish independence, unlike US position which supports unity of Iraq.

Link:  www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/12471-turkey-against-a-kurdish-state-in-iraq-says-official.

Lycopene Matches Statins in Improving Blood Vessel Function

June 24th 2014
Source: GreenMedInfo
 
We've known for decades that cardiovascular disease is notably lower in southern Europe especially compared to the U.S.  The Mediterranean diet, consisting of more fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, usually gets the credit. It's been shown to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes in patients with high cardiovascular risk.

Now researchers have identified a key nutrient in the Mediterranean diet that deserves special mention.  They found that lycopene, a carotenoid found abundantly in tomatoes, helps reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Lycopene gives tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables a distinctive red color.  It's a powerful antioxidant and 10 times more potent than vitamin E.  

In a study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers at the University of Cambridge demonstrate how lycopene improves the function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease.[i]

The researchers noted that in spite of aggressive cholesterol lowering with statins and other drugs, cardiovascular patients were still at risk of heart attack and stroke.  They believed that risk was due to impaired endothelial function.

The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that lines the inside of blood vessels and helps facilitate blood flow. Endothelial function predicts future cardiovascular events.  Having a healthy endothelium is considered an important factor in preventing heart disease.

In a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, interventional trial the Cambridge researchers recruited 36 cardiovascular disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers.  The patients with cardiovascular disease were all on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Despite this, they still had a relatively impaired function of the endothelium compared to the healthy volunteers.

Half the subjects were given 7 mg per day of lycopene and the other half received a placebo.  The researchers measured forearm blood flow which is the gold standard for gauging the function of blood vessels.

They found that 7 mg of oral lycopene supplementation improved and normalized endothelial function in the patients, but not in healthy volunteers.

In just two months, lycopene improved the widening of the blood vessels by over a half (53%) compared to baseline in those taking the supplement.  That's important because constriction of the blood vessels is one of the key factors that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

The researchers noted that in spite of the statin medication, endothelial function was impaired in the patients with cardiovascular disease.  They also noted that the lycopene supplements significantly improved endothelial function even though there were no changes in blood pressure, lipid profiles or inflammation.

They also noted that the 53% improvement in endothelial function from 7 mg of lycopene was comparable to the effect other studies found with 20 mg of the drug simvastatin in high cholesterol patients.[ii]  But the lycopene was able to effect improvements that went beyond statin therapy in these patients with atherosclerosis.

And of course, lycopene does not have the problems related to statins which have been found to have over 300 adverse health problems

Lycopene is found naturally in tomatoes.  It's more potent when it's pureed and cooked.  Its power is also enhanced when cooked or consumed with olive oil, as is common in Mediterranean countries.
Watermelon and guava also contain significant amounts of lycopene. Other good sources include papaya, pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, purple cabbage, carrots, asparagus, and mangoes.

Link:greenmedinfo.com/blog/lycopene-matches-statins-improving-blood-vessel-function
 

Big Pharma exec turned Whistleblower

UK: “rising tide” of attacks on Muslim women


by Mark Townsend
Source: theguardian.com
Source: muslimvillage.com

More than half of Islamophobic attacks in Britain are committed against women, who are typically targeted because they are wearing clothing associated with Islam, new data reveals.

The figures of anti-Muslim attacks, compiled in the nine months following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in May 2013, come days after Saudi Arabian student Nahid Almanea was stabbed to death in Essex, with detectives believing that she may have been attacked because she was wearing traditional Islamic clothing.

In a study of calls to the Tell Mama hotline, which records Islamophobic crimes, academics at Teesside University found there were on average two incidents every day over the period.
Victims reported a total of 734 incidents to the hotline between the start of May last year and 28 February 2014, broken down into 599 incidents of online abuse and 135 offline attacks – an increase of almost 20% on the same period the previous year.

One aspect of the figures indicates an apparent lack of trust in police to deal with Islamophobic incidents, with one in six victims choosing not to report the incident to authorities.

The Teesside report, published by the first research unit in Britain dedicated to the study of the far right and its opposition, says more effort is required to foster greater trust between the Muslim community and authorities.

“Supporting victims and encouraging them to come forward to report a hate crime remains the highest priority,” the report says. “Alongside addressing under-reporting, authorities should be encouraged to disaggregate hate crimes by strand, and to take seriously the increased incidence of anti-Muslim hate crime.”

The data also revealed that – unlike most incidents of hate crime, which overwhelmingly involve male perpetrators and victims – 54% of the victims of Islamophobia were female.

One theory is that Muslim women are more “visibly” Muslim because of traditional clothing such as the hijab or abaya. The figures show that four in five victims attacked in the street or elsewhere were females wearing visibly Muslim clothing; almost the same proportion of alleged perpetrators offline were young, white men.

Incidents reported to Tell Mama leapt after the murder of Rigby, with nearly four times more reports during the week following the attack than the previous week – although the number of incidents reduced in the months thereafter.

However, the report says that Islamophobia and its negative impact on community relations remains an ongoing concern. “Throughout spring 2014, there were heightened levels of both online and offline incidents reported to Tell Mama. At this time, many people in Britain felt frightened and victimised,” it says.

Overall, the data are in contrast to the trend for hate crime, with government figures showing the number of reported attacks falling.

Other findings from the report confirm that a significant number of incidents reported to the hotline involved a link to far-right groups such as the English Defence League. A far-right connection was traceable in almost half of reported Islamophobic online abuse.

An online link to the far right was readily detected through recognisable slogans such as the EDL’s “NFSE” (No fucking surrender ever), hashtags linked to far-right groups, avatars or recurring far-right phrases including neo-Nazi phrases.

In a previous report by the Teesside University centre, it was claimed that a small number of far-right activists were responsible for a significant proportion of online hate incidents targeting British Muslims.

Link:  http://muslimvillage.com/2014/06/30/55032/uk-rising-tide-of-attacks-on-muslim-women/.

China imposes restictions on Uighur Muslims fasting


by aljazeera.com
Source: Muslimvillage.com

Chinese authorities in the northwestern province of Xinjiang have banned Muslim officials and students from fasting during the month of Ramadan, prompting an exiled rights group to warn of new violence.

Guidance posted on numerous government websites called on Communist Party leaders to restrict Muslim religious activities during the holy month, including fasting and visiting mosques.
Xinjiang is home to about nine million Uighurs, largely a Muslim ethnic minority, many of whom accuse China’s leaders of religious and political persecution.

The region has been rocked by repeated outbreaks of ethnic violence, but China denies claims of repression and relies on tens of thousands of Uighur officials to help it govern the province.
A statement from Zonglang township in Xinjiang’s Kashgar district said that “the county committee has issued comprehensive policies on maintaining social stability during the Ramadan period.
“It is forbidden for Communist Party cadres, civil officials (including those who have retired) and students to participate in Ramadan religious activities.”

The statement, posted on the Xinjiang government website, urged party leaders to bring “gifts” of food to local village leaders to ensure that they were eating during Ramadan.
Similar orders on curbing Ramadan activities were posted on other local government websites, with the educational bureau of Wensu county urging schools to ensure that students do not enter mosques during Ramadan.

‘Administrative methods’

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more closer to God, pious and charitable.

An exiled rights group, the World Uyghur Congress, warned the policy would force “the Uighur people to resist [Chinese rule] even further.”

“By banning fasting during Ramadan, China is using administrative methods to force the Uighur people to eat in an effort to break the fasting,” said group spokesman Dilshat Rexit in a statement.
Xinjiang saw its worst ethnic violence in recent times in July, 2009, when Uighurs attacked members of the nation’s dominant Han ethnic group in the city of Urumqi, sparking clashes in which 200 people from both sides died, according to the government.

Link:  http://muslimvillage.com/2014/06/30/55029/china-imposes-restictions-on-uighur-muslims-fasting/.

Al-Nusra and ISIS fight over border city

29 June 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor

Opposition fighters including members of Al-Nusra Front launched an attack on Saturday against Islamic State of Iraq and As-Sham (ISIS) militants to retake control of the city of Abu Kamal on Syria's eastern border with Iraq. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic Brigades sent reinforcements to Abu Kamal after violent clashes erupted between Islamic Brigades fighters and some Al-Nusra militants who had pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Last Wednesday, Al-Nusra Front Victory, the official arm of Al-Qaeda in Syria, swore allegiance to ISIS, which seeks to control both sides of the Syria-Iraq border. The Observatory pointed out that several Front elements refused to change sides and joined fighters from other Islamic Brigades in an attack against the city. They were able to control two centres belonging to ISIS and the breakaway Al-Nusra faction.

Abu Kamal is located on the border with Iraq in the Syrian oil-rich province of Deir ez-Zor. Experts believe that ISIS is seeking to establish an "Islamic state" in Iraq and Syria including the province. It has been waging a major offensive in Iraq for more than two weeks and taken control of large areas in the north and west.

The Observatory noted that fierce battles between ISIS and other groups from the Syrian opposition, including Al-Nusra Front, started in January and have led to the deaths of more than six thousand people.

It also pointed out that dozens were wounded in a car bomb explosion in the Syrian town of Duma, north-east of Damascus, yesterday. A video posted online showed a car burning; activists say that the incident occurred near a busy market in Duma. The Observatory said that dozens were killed or wounded but there were no immediate reports about the incident in the Syrian media.

Link: 
 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/12437-al-nusra-and-isis-fight-over-border-city.