Bomb blast in Karachi, eight killed in explosion near police officer's home Swedish security police raid mosque

in Goteborg Fighters fail to seize Gaddafi stronghold, beat hasty retreat Maharashtra Police Abhinav Bharat in terror list Modis fast a political gimmick: Vastanvi Palestinian state bid sends UN into tizzy Nigeria offers reward for alleged UN building bomber Why didnt the bomb go off, Afzal wonders Drone crash: Pak troops battle Taliban for debris LeJ chief preaches violence in Pak NIA unveils face of saffron terror Protest over FBI criticizing Islam during training

Sarabhai, Gujarat riots victims detained GOODWILL FAST FAILS TO HEAL SCARS OF VICTIMS Bharatpur victims tell a tale of cop carnage Forces kill 12 civilians in Yemen Syrian Opposition Calls on Assad to End Crackdown Deal to Free 2 Americans Jailed in Iran Hits Snag Two Arrests in Finland Are Linked to Terrorism Mumtaz Qadri pleads guilty to killing Salmaan Taseer over blasphemous ts Ten militants among 15 killed in Pakistan clash Four Nigerians face death penalty over U.N. bombing 15 injured in Agra hospital blast, UP on high alert There are no Indian prisoners of war in Pakistan Pak Troops vie with miltants for drone wreckage This time, West sees hidden hand of Pakistan in terror attacks while India looks within Rein in Haqqani men, US warns Pak Jnanpith Award presented to Urdu poet Shaheryar

For UK Asians, polygamy spells state benefits

statemen

Can t rule out terror angle in Agra hospital blast: UP Police Human Rights Panel wants international probe into J&K unmarked graves Sacked Pak NSA got ISI nod to reveal Kasab info: WikiLeaks Denied date with President Obama, Pak PM Gilani calls off trip Obama shocker to India With terror back on radar, no Indo-Pak meet at UN Gen. Assembly Delhi High Court blast: Angry Kishtwar in denial mode Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal s wife denies Spain rape allegations Haqqanis have links with Pak govt: US UN approves Libya seat for former rebels Sanctions lifted, NTC claims Libya UN seat Muammar Gaddafi forces in fierce counter-attack in Bani Walid Libyan forces battle to loosen grip on Gaddafi towns India recognizes new regime in Libya Another blast victims death takes toll to 15 Delhi High Court blast: Family thrown out of house as injured battles for life Muslim ghetto calls Modi fast a farce Bharatpur riot: State seeks CBI probe; Meo Muslims unhappy with relief A Warm Account of How Iranians Survive Islamic Hawks US will target al-Qaida across world

US drone crashes in Pakistan: security officials Interior Minister Rehman Malik threatens to shutdown Google, YouTube UNSC imposes sanctions on 2 Pak-based al-Qaida leaders Pakistan seeking third-generation nuclear technology import from China

Pak military firms expelled from London arms show J&K House to debate Afzal Guru mercy plea on Sept 28 Jama Masjid attack: Police yet to make headway in probe Syrian envoy blames radical Islamic groups Iran s Khamenei warns Arabs against US, NATO Former PoK PM Sultan Mahmood Chaudhuri visiting Kashmir

The life and death of Shehla Masood A Smoke gone but doubts cloud Batla A BLOW-BY-BLOW ACCOUNT OF THE TERROR- BUSTING ENCOUNTER Batla House: Case trial isnt even halfway through After Afghan visit, Cheryl Coles life in danger: Report Govt calls his fast roza, his party prefers burqa Riot accused at fast, Modi ducks queries on 2002 responsibility Muslims slam move, say its all for votes Sangh snaps at Modis Muslim appeasement Gujarat govt shows riot victims the stick MODIS BID TO DERAIL RIOTS PIL EXPOSED Cheryl Cole gets Jihadi threat after visiting UK troops in Af Study: Invasion Led to Spike in Iraq Widows Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=550 5

------Bomb blast in Karachi, eight killed in explosion near police officer s home Sep 19, 2011 ISLAMABAD: At least eight people were killed and several others wounded when a s uspected car bomb went off outside the residence of a senior police officer in t he port city of Karachi in southern Pakistan on Monday morning. The blast, which went off at 7.30am, targeted the home of special superintendent of police Chaudhry Aslam of Crime Investigation Department in the posh Defence area. Seven persons were killed by the powerful blast, Geo News channel quoted police officials as saying. Aslam, who escaped unhurt, told the media that several of his police guards were among the dead. He said he had received threats from the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan but pl edged that he would not be deterred by such cowardly attacks. The officer and hi s family were shifted to an undisclosed location. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast, which was heard from several kilometres away, damaged several nearby houses and cars parked in the ar ea. The explosion caused a six-foot deep crater. Debris from the officer s home

was hurled over a large distance. Footage on television showed the wall and facade of the police officer s two-sto rey building were destroyed by the blast. A plume of smoke was seen rising into the sky. Several schools and educational institutions are located near the officer s home and the blast was followed by a traffic snarl as parents rushed to the area to pick up their children. The dead and injured were taken to the nearby Jinnah Hos pital. Karachi has witnessed several high-profile terrorist attacks, including one in M ay on the Mehran naval airbase that killed 10 security personnel. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Bomb-blast-in-Karachi-seven-ki lled-in-explosion-near-police-officers-home/articleshow/10036899.cms -------Swedish security police raid mosque in Goteborg Sep 19 2011 STOCKHOLM (AP) Sweden s security police raided the administrative office of a mo sque in the country s second largest city , the force said on Sunday. Security police spokeswoman Sirpa Franzen said Thursday s raid against the Belle vue Mosque in Goteborg was prompted by prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvarnstrom, wh o heads the investigation against three men arrested on the eve of the 10th anni versary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Mosque officials weren t immediately available for comments. Franzen declined to say if the raid was connected to the arrests and wouldn t gi ve more details. The force only confirmed the operation, following a report in a GT tabloid. The men, of Somali and Iraqi origin, were arrested as around 400 people were eva cuated from an arts center and were initially suspected of plotting a terrorist attack. However, the charges were later changed to preparing murder and the pros ecutor said it related only to one individual. The arrests and evacuation of the arts center which is located beneath the city s landmark half-mile (930-meter) Alvsborg bridge spread jitters across Sweden, w hich saw a suicide bomber blow himself up on a pedestrian street in Stockholm in December. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. -------Fighters fail to seize Gaddafi stronghold, beat hasty retreat Sep 19 2011 Bani Walid/Sirte: Libyan interim government forces fled in a chaotic retreat fro m the town of Bani Walid,after failing in yet another attempt to storm the final bastions of loyalists of ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since taking the capital Tripoli last month,motley forces of the ruling National

Transitional Council have met stiff resistance in Bani Walid and Gaddafis birth place Sirte,which they must capture before they can declare Libya liberated. Anti-Gaddafi fighters have tried several times to storm Bani Walid,150 km southe ast of Tripoli,in recent days only to retreat in disorder under fire from defend ers.Sundays failed attempt appeared to be among the worst yet,setting off angry recriminations among the attackers.NTC fighters said they had planned for tanks and pickup trucks with anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers to lead,but foot soldiers had piled in first. There is a lack of organisation so far.Infantry men are running in all direction s, said Zakaria Tuham,a senior fighter with a Tripoli-based unit.Our commanders had been told that heavy artillery units had already gone ahead,but when we adva nced into Bani Walid they were nowhere to be seen.Gaddafi forces were hitting us heavily with rockets and mortars,so we have pulled out. Anti-Gaddafi fighters from Bani Walid blamed comrades from elsewhere in Libya fo r being unwilling to coordinate.Those from elsewhere accused some local fighters of being traitors and passing information to Gaddafi men.Some fighters openly d isobeyed orders. Times of India -------Maharashtra Police Abhinav Bharat in terror list Vishwa Mohan Sep 19, 2011 NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Police has recommended to the state government that two H indu radical groups - Sanatan Sanstha and Abhinav Bharat - be included in the ca tegory of banned terrorist outfits under anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (P revention) Act. The name of Sanatan Sanstha had come up in the Goa blast case of 2009 while Abhi nav Bharat figured in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Some members of Ramesh Upadhyay e 2008 Malegaon rged 11 members Abhinav Bharat including Lt Col Srikant Purihit, Ajay Rahirkar, and Sammer Kulkarni were charged by the Mumbai ATS and CBI in th blast case. Similarly, the National Investigation Agency had cha of Sanatan Sanstha in the Goa blast case.

As many as 35 terror outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohamed, al-Qai da, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen, are in the category of banned terror outfits under UAPA, 1967. Maharashtra Police s move was disclosed by the Union home ministry in response t o a Parliament question during the monsoon session early this month.

The question was asked specifically on action being taken by the government agai nst organizations whose names figured in bomb blast cases, and whether such outf its would be banned.

Minister of state for home affairs Jitendra Singh had said, ll under investigation. However, with reference to Sanatan v Bharat , as per available information, Maharashtra Police he government of Maharashtra to include these organizations errorist organizations under Section 35 of the UAPA, 1967."

"The matters are sti Sanstha and Abhina has recommended to t in the schedule of t

The minister, at the same time, said that the name no specific organization was yet confirmed in investigations into the Samjhauta, Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad) and Ajmer Sharif bomb blast cases. He said, "However, among the accused persons in these cases like Swami Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, who have be en arrested and chargesheeted, were reportedly earlier involved in the activitie s of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)." The NIA has already filed chargesheets in these three cases. In case of the 2006 Malegaon blast, the Mumbai ATS and CBI had charged SIMI activists for the terro r act. However, the case was later handed over to NIA after Aseemanand had in hi s confessional statement said that the incident was, in fact, carried out by the same group which did blast in Malegaon in 2008. Besides IM, LeT, JeM, SIMI and al-Qaida, the existing list of banned terror outf its includes LTTE, Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Commando Force, ULFA, Deendar Anjuman, CPI (Maoist), People s Liberation Army (PLA) and others. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maharashtra-Police-Abhinav-Bharat-in-te rror-list/articleshow/10034375.cms -------Modis fast a political gimmick: Vastanvi 19 Sep, 2011 New Delhi: After facing flak for reportedly praising Narendra Modi, sacked V-C o f Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi on Sunday termed the Guj arat Chief Minister s three-day fast as a "political gimmick". "This three-day fast of Narendra Modi is a pretence. It is a political gimmick f or the upcoming Legislative Assembly polls and not a Sadbhavana Mission, as name d by him," Vastanvi said. He said he was not invited for the fast in Ahmedabad that started on Modi s birt hday yesterday and would "never take part in any event involving him (Modi)". Vastanvi, who hails from Gujarat, was elected as V-C in January. He was sacked f ollowing a controversy over his remarks praising Modi s development work in the state. He had also said that Muslims in Gujarat should "forget the 2002 riots and move on". Vastanvi, however, denied giving a "clean chit" to Modi in connection with the r iots and said he had not praised him "but his comments were projected in a wrong way". http://zeenews.india.com/news/gujarat/modi-s-fast-a-political-gimmick-vastanvi_7 32269.html -------Palestinian state bid sends UN into tizzy Sep 19 2011 New York: The United States and European powers stepped up a diplomatic scramble on Sunday to avoid a United Nations showdown on the Palestinian plan to seek fu

ll UN membership,which the United States administration has vowed to veto. US,European Union,Russian and UN officials were all involved in the bid to seek a face-saving way out of the looming confrontation at this weeks UN General Asse mbly in New York. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to meet EU foreign affairs representat ive Catherine Ashton in New York,where the Middle East diplomatic quartets envoy ,Tony Blair,was to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.Blair expressed confide nce that a deal could be reached.I think there is a way of avoiding a confrontat ion, the former British prime minister told US broadcaster ABC. Frustrated by the lack of progress with Israel and infuriated by its plans for n ew settlements in the occupied territories,Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas h as said he will ask the UN Security Council to approve full UN membership for a Palestinian state. Israel strongly opposes the move and the UShas said it will veto any request.The US insists only direct talks can set up an accord to create a Palestinian state . If a veto is wielded,the Palestinians could then go straight to the UN General A ssembly to seek an elevated observer status.It is likely to get a majority of th e 193 members and no veto is possible. Times of India -------Nigeria offers reward for alleged UN building bomber Sep 19, 2011 ABUJA: Nigeria s secret police has announced a $160,000 reward for anybody who c ould offer information on the whereabouts of a man, thought to be behind the Aug ust 26 suicide bombing of the UN headquarters in Abuja that killed 23 people. The suspect was named by State Security Service (SSS) as Mamman Nur a few days a fter the bombing and declared wanted. An attempt by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo to broker peace with t he Boko Haram sect on Thursday, was blurred by the shooting to death of his main host, Babakura Fugu by a gunman suspected to be a member of the group. On Friday, four suspected members of the sect were arraigned in an Abuja magistr ates court for being part of the UN headquarters bombing. Boko Haram sect wants wider practice of Islamic sharia system in the oil rich We st African country with 150 million people equally distributed among Christians and Muslims. The sect has been linked to al-Qaeda s franchise in the Maghreb, El-Shabab and r ecruits members in neighbouring Niger republic. Its leader Muhammed Yusuf was killed in 2006 by the Nigerian police after a conf rontation with the members of the radical group that led to the killing of at le ast 800 people. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Nigeria-offers-reward-for -alleged-UN-building-bomber/articleshow/10035954.cms

-------Why didnt the bomb go off, Afzal wonders Sep 19 2011 New Delhi : Why didnt the bomb, planted in the car used during the 2001 Parliamen t attack, not explode? This question still puzzles convicted terrorist Afzal Gur u, claims a 180-page manuscript by a Tihar jail superintendent. If the December 2001 terror attack on Parliament was a success then they would ha ve made Jammu and Kashmir an international issue and would have entered into neg otiations with the government, Guru the key accused in 2001 Parliament terror att ack case is said to have told Manoj Dwivedi, Superintendent of Tihar Jail number 3. Divided into six chapters, this document, starts with the attack itself and the first chapter tells the nitty-gritty of all that happened on December 13. It end s when Guru, on death row, is finally held by the police, Dwivedi said. They were very confident that the car fitted with improvised explosive device wou ld go off. Guru told me that they had parked the car fitted with bombs and explo sives in front of a police post the previous night of the attack fearing that it might be stolen. Surprisingly, no policeman bothered to check it. The car bomb used in the December 13, 2001 attack did not explode and till date Guru is cluel ess as to why it did not explode. If the attack had been a success they had name s of people in their minds who they would have wanted to negotiate with, says Dwi vedi, who has been refused permission by the Tihar authorities to publish the bo ok. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/why-didnt-the-bomb-go-off-afzal-wonders/848588 / -------Drone crash: Pak troops battle Taliban for debris Sep 19 2011 Dera Ismail Khan : Pakistani soldiers battled Taliban militants to seize preciou s debris from a suspected US drone that crashed in a rugged tribal area near the Afghan border, Pakistani intelligence officials said Sunday. The unmanned aircraft crashed Saturday night near Jangara village in the South W aziristan tribal area, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. T he village is near the border with North Waziristan. The officials said they learned of the crash by intercepting Taliban radio commu nications but dont know what caused it. Both North and South Waziristan are home to many Taliban fighters, though it is unclear whether they shot down the aircra ft or if it crashed because of technical problems. Drone crashes have happened b efore in Pakistan, but they are rare. The debris was first seized by the Taliban. Several hours after the crash, the P akistani army sent soldiers in to wrest it out of militant hands, sparking a fig ht with the Taliban in which three militants were killed, said the officials. Th ree militants and two soldiers were also wounded in the clash, they said.

Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/drone-crash-pak-troops-battle-taliban-for-debr is/848424/ -------LeJ chief preaches violence in Pak Sep 19 2011 Islamabad : Lashkar-e-Jhangvi chief Malik Ishaq, the alleged mastermind of a ter rorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket, who was recently released from jail, ha s started preaching hatred and violence again, according to a report prepared by Pakistani officials. Ishaq, accused of murdering 70 people, most of them Shias, had been involved in h ighly objectionable activities, said the document prepared by a law enforcement d epartment of the Punjab government. The document, titled Highly objectionable activities of Malik Ishaq, said that Ish aqs name has also been placed in the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act fo r appropriate legal action. Persons included in the fourth schedule of the ATA h ave to be watched by the police at all times. The Express Tribune newspaper quoted the document as saying that Ishaq addressed Madrasa Tajul Aloom at Tab Chouhan on September 2. Earlier the same day, he del ivered an address at Maki Mosque in Thal Hamza district. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lej-chief-preaches-violence-in-pak/848427/ -------NIA unveils face of saffron terror By Aman Sharma Sep 19 2011 Photos of fugitives wanted in several blasts released THE Hindutva face of terror has been bared. Desperate for leads into the whereab outs of 11 rightwing militants who are on the run, the National Investigation Ag ency ( NIA) has now made their photographs public. The fugitives are wanted for major blasts, including those in Goa, at Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid and on Sa mjhauta Express. Some of them are also believed to have murdered RSS worker Sunil Joshi, who was himself the prime conspirator in a number of terror attacks. The NIA took over t he probe of the Joshi murder case from the Madhya Pradesh Police in June. It is also investigating the Goa, Ajmer Sharif, Mecca Masjid and Malegaon blasts. The agency has now opened a 24- hour- assistance line for any information on the wanted men. A ministry of home affairs (MHA) official said catching the absconders could exp ose the links of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) with Hindutva terror.

Furthermore, the alleged role played by the sanghs senior member, Indresh Kumar, in the incidents would also come to light. In a reply to Parliament on September 7, the MHA admitted that the role of the RSS had not been specifically confirme d as yet in the Samjhauta, Ajmer and Mecca Masjid investigations. Full report at: Mail Today -------Protest over FBI criticizing Islam during training Sep 18, 2011 Arab-American and Muslim groups deplored the FBI s use of training material that characterized the Prophet Muhammad as a "cult leader" and linked Muslims relig ious devotion to a potential for violence. "It s really troubling," said Abed Ayoub, the legal director of the American-Ara b Anti-Discrimination Committee. Ayoub said the use of the material in counterte rrorism training - first reported in a blog post on Wired.com - was only one of numerous cases in which training materials for law enforcement agencies have por trayed Islam or Arabs in a negative light. "The bigger question is how did this material get in there in the first place?" he said. "Do you not have rules or guidelines that will prevent this from happen ing?" In a training segment called "Militancy Considerations," posted on Wired s Web s ite, a chart correlated a steady level of violence with "adherence by pious and devout" to the Quran. In contrast, the chart showed violence decreasing with "ad herence by pious and devout" to the Bible or to the Torah. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Protest-over-FBI-criticiz ing-Islam-during-training/articleshow/10025395.cms -------

For UK Asians, polygamy spells state benefits

Sep 18, 2011 LONDON: British House of Lords member Baroness Shreela Flather has accused a sec tion of British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis of polygamy for larger families to m ilk the country s welfare system. "Parts of the benefits structure have become a lucrative racket for claimants wh o lack any sense of social responsibility, wrote Flather in an newspaper artic le. "Britain s social security system incentivizes idleness and fecklessness." S he said the way some migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh exploit the system wa s the most worrying aspects of this. "There is now a growing wealth of evidence that the generosity of the welfare st ate encourages some Muslims from these two regions - along with plenty of white families - to produce ever larger families in order to claim extra payments and publicly-subsidised housing, she maintained in an earlier Lords speech. Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/For-UK-Asians-polygamy-spells-statebenefits/articleshow/10014459.cms ------Sarabhai, Gujarat riots victims detained Sep 18, 2011 AHMEDABAD: Danseuse and activist Mallika Sarabhai was on Sunday detained along w ith some Gujarat riots victims and others here ahead of their planned protest ag ainst chief minister Narendra Modi s sadbhavana (goodwill) fast. While being taken to the police station, Sarabhai said a police official told he r that they were instructed Saturday morning to arrest her before her protest at Naroda Patia. "A young police official told me that they were told yesterday (Saturday) mornin g that you are responsible to arrest Sarabhai as she comes here," Sarabhai said. The activist added that the police gave her no reasons while taking her to the p olice station. "No reason was given... The police said they were instructed," she said. Activis t Mukul Sinha has also been detained. Condemning Modi s three-day fast which continued for the second day Sunday, Sara bhai asked what was the point of sadbhavana when even after nearly 10 years, t he 2002 Gujarat riots victims have got no justice. "We were to hold a silent protest. I have no idea what I am being charged with," she said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sarabhai-Gujarat-riots-victims-detained /articleshow/10030034.cms ------GOODWILL FAST FAILS TO HEAL SCARS OF VICTIMS Sep 18, 2011 GUJARAT chief minister Narendra Modi may be talking peace nine years after the p ost- Godhra riots. But victims of the 2002 communal violence are clearly not imp ressed. The sins of 2002 cannot be washed away with a fast, says Amina Begum, sitting in her motley house behind Ahmedabads garbage dump. She lost her home at Guptanagar near Naroda Patiya. We lost everything in the riots; our house was burnt, she says. Relocated to Citizen Nagar, within 250 metres of the garbage dump of Ahmedabad M unicipal Corporation, Amina now struggles to make ends meet. All the documents w ere lost. We have nothing to even prove our identity, she says. Full report at: Mail Today

------Bharatpur victims tell a tale of cop carnage By Sudhanshu Mishra Sep 18, 2011 Claim police laid siege on mosque and sprayed bullets on the faithful MOHDHaroon Khan, 35, lies at Jaipurs Sawai Man Singh hospital with a bullet injur y in his right eye. He was brought from Bharatpurs Gopalgarh town, the scene of a communal clash on Wednesday that left eight persons dead. While the Rajasthan police claim the deaths and injuries were a result of crossfiring between two groups, Haroon and other victims have a different story to t ell. Haroon alleged that the police entered the Jama Masjid in Gopalgarh soon after h e had offered namaz and began firing indiscriminately. This can be gauged by the bloodstains all over the mosque, he added. The bullet could have blown off my head but I escaped by a couple of inches, Haro on said. Another victim, 25- year- old Ismail Khan, suffered burn injuries. He, too, clai med the police and some outsiders were responsible for the deaths. They threw petrol on some people and set them on fire. I was one of them, Ismail recalled. He said a policeman caught me and shouted kill him now. Then somebody poured petr ol on me. There was a fire outside the masjid and I was thrown into that, he alle ged. Ismail said he somehow managed to reach a pit that had rain water and immediatel y jumped into it. Full report at: Mail Today ------Forces kill 12 civilians in Yemen Sep 19 2011 SECURITY forces opened fire on anti- regime demonstrators on Sunday in Yemens cap ital Sanaa, killing 12 and wounding 500 others. Twelve people have been shot dead by gunfire and 500 others were wounded by live rounds and batons or suffer from breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear ga s, said Mohammed al- Abani, who heads a Sanaa field hospital. Security forces and armed civilians opened fire on tens of thousands of proteste rs who left Change Square, where they have camped since February, and marched to wards the centre of the capital, witnesses said. Security forces also used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse the rally , they added.

As clashes raged in the capital, massive demonstrations broke out in several cit ies south of Sanaa Taez, Yemens second- largest city, Ibb, and Dhammar and in Saa da in the north, to denounce the violence. Mail Today -------Syrian Opposition Calls on Assad to End Crackdown 19 Sep, 2011 BEIRUT (AP) Dozens of Syrian opposition members called on President Bashar Assad Sunday to end his deadly six-month crackdown or face an escalation in peaceful protests, as security forces fired warning shots to disperse high school student s calling for the regime s downfall. The weekend meeting drew more than 200 opposition figures, including leading wri ter Michel Kilo and Hassan Abdul-Azim, who heads the outlawed Arab Socialist Dem ocratic Union party. It was also notable because it took place inside Syria, rat her than in a neighboring country, as most others have. A statement released after the meeting called on Assad s regime to immediately e nd its "acts of repression," and it urged protesters to keep their movement peac eful and not be tempted to take up arms. The opposition members also stuck by an earlier position to oppose international intervention in Syria, though some pro testers on the streets have called for unspecified outside help. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/17/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Syria.html?ref =global-home&gwh=3DF80F12562898EF2A36E45380459E97 -------Deal to Free 2 Americans Jailed in Iran Hits Snag 19 Sep, 2011 TEHRAN, Iran (AP) A bail-for-freedom deal for two Americans jailed as spies in I ran hit a snag Sunday because a judge whose signature is needed on the bail pape rs was on vacation, the prisoners lawyer said, dashing hopes for their immediat e release. The attorney, Masoud Shafiei, said he could not complete the paperwork on the $1 million bail deal because a second judge who must sign the documents is on vaca tion until Tuesday. One judge already signed the papers Saturday. "I have no choice but to wait until Tuesday," Shafiei told The Associated Press. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29 years old, have been jailed for more than t wo years in a case that has deepened the mistrust between Iran and the United St ates. They were detained along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009 with their friend Sar ah Shourd. She was released last September with mediation by the Gulf nation of Oman after $500,000 was paid. Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/18/world/middleeast/AP-Iran-US-Hikers.ht ml?ref=global-home -------Two Arrests in Finland Are Linked to Terrorism 19 Sep, 2011 HELSINKI, Finland (AP) The authorities in Finland have arrested a man and a woma n on suspicion of financing and recruiting terrorists. The detentions are the fi rst terrorism-linked arrests in Finland, intelligence officials said. The two who were arrested have foreign backgrounds, the authorities said Saturda y, and their plans were not aimed at Finland. Detective Inspector Kaj-Erik Bjorkvist of the National Bureau of Investigation d eclined to further identify the suspects or provide details about the case, exce pt to say that the activities they are suspected of being involved with were rel ated to terrorist groups far away from Finland. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service said it began operations in 2009 that led to the arrests on Sept. 7. Officers confiscated data and other material in sea rches of homes at several locations in the Helsinki metropolitan area after the arrests, Detective Inspector Bjorkvist said. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/world/europe/finland-makes-its-first-terrorism -linked-arrests.html?ref=world&gwh=82F2F20A3DF97549A88011A0094FC38D -------Mumtaz Qadri pleads guilty to killing Salmaan Taseer over blasphemous ts Sep 18, 2011 RAWALPINDI: Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri has pleaded guilty before an anti-terrori sm court in the Salmaan Taseer murder case, saying that he had killed the then P unjab Governor on January 4 for his blasphemous statements. Taseer was assassinated by Qadri, one of his own elite security force protectors , because of his vocal opposition to the blasphemy law that was recently used to sentence a Pakistani-Christian woman, Asia Bibi, to death. During an in-camera trial of the case at Rawalpindi s Adiyala Jail, the ATC judg e recorded Qadri s statement. Qadri s counsel Raja Shuja-ur-Rehman told reporters outside the prison that his client had admitted to killing Taseer, and that nobody had instigated him to do so, the Dawn reports. He said that Qadri had also submitted a written statement of 40 pages, containin g verses from the holy Quran, quotations from the life of the Prophet, four deci sions of the Caliphs and views of Hanafi, Shafai, Maliki, Hanbali and Jafria sch ools of thought from the Islamic jurisprudence about blasphemy under section 265 -F (5) of the CrPC. Full report at:

statemen

24.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Mumtaz-Qadri-pleads-guiltyto------Ten militants among 15 killed in Pakistan clash Sep 18, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Ten militants and five securitymen were killed on Sunday during a cla sh at a checkpost in northwest Pakistan, Xinhua reported. Fighting erupted when militants attacked the checkpost in the Bara area of Khybe r Agency, close to the Afghan border. After this, hundreds of local tribesmen la unched a counter-attack, said a local Urdu channel. One soldier and four paramilitary personnel, who were manning the post, and 10 m ilitants were killed in the clash. Some militants fled the scene after the raid. The injured tribesmen were shifted to a hospital in Peshawar, the capital of Khy ber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Security has been reinforced in the area and a search launched to nab the milita nts. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Ten-militants-among-15-killedin-Pakistan-clash/articleshow/10027151.cms ------Four Nigerians face death penalty over U.N. bombing Sep 18, 2011 ABUJA: Four suspected members of a radical Islamist sect have been charged with orchestrating a suicide bombing on United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian c apital last month that killed at least 23 people. They face the death penalty if found guilty. The men were among 19 brought to a magistrates court in Abuja on Friday accused of carrying out separate attacks as members of Boko Haram, an Islamist group bla med for almost daily shootings and bombings in the remote northeast. The group, whose name translates to "Western education is forbidden" in the loca l Hausa language spoken in northern Nigeria, has shown its menace with a bombing in the police headquarters car park in Abuja in June and the U.N. strike. "You Salisu Mohammed, Musa Mukailu, Danzumi Haruna and Abdusalami Adamu of Kano state conspired among yourselves and sent a suicide bomber in (Honda car) loaded with explosives who forcefully drove into United Nations House Abuja and detona ted the explosives killing 25 persons," prosecutors told the court. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Four-Nigerians-face-death -penalty-over-U-N-bombing/articleshow/10018276.cms -------

15 injured in Agra hospital blast, UP on high alert Sep 18, 2011 LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: At least 15 people were injured in a blast at Jai Hospital in Agra on Saturday evening. The explosion took place at the waiting room near the reception of the hospital. Three of the injured have received serious injuries. The place is barely 2.5kms from high-security Mughal monument Taj Mahal. According to sources, preliminary reports on the incident from Uttar Pradesh DGP and chief secretary to the Union home ministry indicated that the blast could b e result of rivalries between two private hospitals. MHA sources said it, however, did not rule out the possibility of terror angle a t this juncture. Anything concrete can be said only after some progress in the p robe is made, it added. Forensic experts have recovered pieces of wire and a battery from the blast site , confirming the use of an improvised explosive device (IED). The explosive, bel ieved to be black in colour, was placed in a bag under a bench in front of the r eception counter. The condition of the wires and the battery suggested that the explosive was put together loosely. The blast shattered the windowpanes of the reception and set off panic among the people. The hospital is located around two km from the Taj Mahal and is on the Agra-Delhi highway. Patients were evacuated from the hospital and police cordoned off the entire are a and conducted an intensive combing operation. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/15-injured-in-Agra-hospital-blast-UP-on -high-alert/articleshow/10021505.cms ------There are no Indian prisoners of war in Pakistan Sep 18, 2011 RAJKOT: Former Pakistan law minister Iqbal Haider has claimed that there are no Prisoners of War (PoWs) languishing in Pakistan jails. Haider told this to media last night on the sidelines of meeting with the kin of Indian prisoners in Pakistan jails. Even though the city-based human rights activist M K Paul, working towards traci ng the missing Indian defence personnel for more than three decades, submitted a list of 54 Indian PoWs from 1971 war, Haider maintained that there are no India n PoWs in Pakistan jails. "Presently we have no prisoners of war in Pakistan jails. But if anyone has deta iled information about the PoWs, we would find out the truth and try to release them," he said. A four-member delegation from Pakistan, led by Haider, is in India to meet the k

in of Indian prisoners in Pakistan. The delegation also comprises former Pakista n Supreme Court Justice Naseer Aslam Jahaid, Karamat Ali and Mohmmad Ali Shah, b oth, members of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum. The delegation is accompanied by Jatin Desai, an activist of fishermen rights fr om Mumbai. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/There-are-no-Indian-prisoners-of-war-in -Pakistan-Former-Pakistan-law-minister/articleshow/10029804.cms ------Pak Troops vie with miltants for drone wreckage Sep 19 2011 Dera Ismail Khan: Pakistani soldiers battled Taliban militants to seize precious debris from a suspected US drone that crashed in a rugged tribal area near the Afghan border,Pakistani intelligence officials said. The unmanned aircraft crashed Saturday night near Jangara village in the South W aziristan tribal area,said the officials,speaking on condition of anonymity.The village is located near the border with North Waziristan. The officials said they learned of the crash by intercepting Taliban radio commu nications but dont know what caused it.Both North and South Waziristan are home to many Taliban fighters,though it is unclear whether the aircraft was shot down or if it crashed because of technical problems.The debris was first seized by t he Taliban.Several hours after the crash,the Pakistani army sent soldiers in to wrest it out of militant hands,sparking a fight with the Taliban in which three militants were killed. Times of India -------This time, West sees hidden hand of Pakistan in terror attacks while India looks within Sep 19 2011 Mumbai : The security analysis in the aftermath of the Mumbai and Delhi blasts i n the last two months by Western intelligence experts and the Indian establishme nt has followed a curious and, ironically, contradictory track. In the past, whe never India was hit by a terror attack and authorities were quick to point finge rs at Pakistan or groups based in that country, Western officials and even their media would take it with more than a pinch of salt saying India seemed to be ju mping the gun in the absence of concrete evidence. Over the last two months though, Indian officials and ministers have been unchar acteristically cautious, talking about home-grown terror groups and going on a s oul-searching trip about the radicalisation of Indian youth. The chatter outside the country, however, has seen a strong focus on Pakistan-inspired terror, the activities of Lashkar-e-Toiba and their possible connections to the two attacks. The chatter peaked this week and, even as India may quietly mutter that we-told-y ou-so, security experts say there is cause for alarm. While investigations into t he two blasts have made slow progress, top global intelligence group Stratfor sa id in a report this week that a loose network of operatives linked to Lashkar, I ndian Mujahideen and SIMI could be responsible.

Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/this-time-west-sees-hidden-hand-of-pakistan-in -terror-attacks-while-india-looks-within/848386/ ------Rein in Haqqani men, US warns Pak Sep 19 2011 Washington: The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,expressing deep concerns a bout violent attacks mounted by the Haqqani insurgent network,has again pressed the Pakistani military to take action against militant havens,US officials said. The chairman,Adm Mike Mullen,held a two-hour private meeting late Friday with hi s Pakistani counterpart,Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani,during a military conference in Seville,Spain,where the two discussed their nations complicated relationship. Admiral Mullen conveyed his deep concerns about the increasing and increasingly brazen activities of the Haqqani network and restated his strong desire to see t he Pakistani military take action against them and their safe havens in North Wa ziristan, said Capt John Kirby,the chairmans special assistant for public affair s. Full report at: Times of India -------Jnanpith Award presented to Urdu poet Shaheryar Sep 19 2011 New Delhi: Legendary Urdu poet and academician Prof Shaheryar was on Sunday pres ented Indias highest literary honour the Jnanpith Award for the year 2008. Presenting the award,Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan said,Like Rahi Massom Raza ,Shaheryar also believed in breaking the imaginary wall between Hindi and Urdu.H e is a real mascot of Hindi-Urdu culture. In the form of songs in Fasle,Anjuman,Gaman and Umrao Jaan,Shaheryar has given u nique gift to the film industry,Bachchan said.Today I feel honoured because I go t the opportunity to give this prize to Shaheryar sahab, the veteran actor said. On getting the recognition,Shaheryar said,I feel great that from now on my name will be taken with eminent writers like Mahasweta Devi and Firak,who also have g ot the Jnanpith. Shahryar was born in 1936 in a Muslim Rajput family in Uttar Pradeshs Bareilly d istrict.His poetry strongly expresses an ideological noncommitment. His actual name is Akhlaq Mohammed Khan and Shaheryar is his pen name.He receive d his early education at Bulandshahr and later studied at Aligarh Muslim Univers ity.He received Sahitya Academy Award in 1987 for the collection of poetry Khwab ka Dar Band Hai. Shahryar played a major role in shaping Urdu poetry of the current era. Times of India

-------Can t rule out terror angle in Agra hospital blast: UP Police Sep 18, 2011 AGRA: The possibility of the blast at a hospital being a terrorist attack could not be ruled out, UP s top police official said on Sunday. Uttar Pradesh special DGP, Brij Lal said investigating agencies were probing all angles into last evening s explosion in the reception area of the hospital that left six persons injured and they may take some more time to arrive at any conc lusion. "The possibility of the blast in Jai hospital being a terrorist attack could not be ruled out," Lal, who accompanied state minister Swami Prasad Maurya, to the blast site said. Maurya announced Rs one lakh compensation for the injured and a reward of Rs 50, 000 for anyone providing clues about the blast. Union minister of state for home affairs Jitendra Singh also visited the hospita l and announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the injured from the Prime M inister s Relief Fund. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cant-rule-out-terror-angle-in-Agra-hosp ital-blast-UP-Police/articleshow/10030017.cms ------Human Rights Panel wants international probe into J&K unmarked graves Sep 18, 2011 SRINAGAR: A day after the state human rights panel directed the Jammu and Kashmi r government to begin a probe into the more than 2,000 unmarked graves in variou s parts of the state, the association of parents of disappeared persons (APDP) m aintained that only an international probe would be "credible, independent and r epresentative". Khurram Parvez, coordinator of the APDP and liaison person of the International People s Tribunal on Kashmir (IPTK), said on Saturday: "The state human rights c ommission (SHRC) has ordered that an independent, credible and representative pr obe must be held into the unmarked graves in north Kashmir and those in Poonch a nd Rajouri districts of the Jammu region. "The SHRC has shifted the responsibility on the state government. They have orde red the state government to create a structured independent enquiry. We still ho ld that only an international probe would be impartial." Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Panel-wants-international-probe-into-JK -unmarked-graves/articleshow/10024703.cms -------

Sacked Pak NSA got ISI nod to reveal Kasab info: WikiLeaks Sep 18, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan s sacked national security adviser Mahmood Durrani has claim ed he had "written authority and had conferred with the ISI" chief before admitt ing to the media that 26/11 Mumbai terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab was a Pakistani, s hows a US cable revealed by WikiLeaks. Prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani axed Durrani January 7, 2009, and a day later he met US ambassador Anne Patterson. Durrani told Patterson that he had consulte d with ISI chief general Shuja Pasha about announcing Kasab was Pakistani. The ISI chief had been very specific that the government wanted to disseminate t hat information, reported Dawn. The cable points out Durrani saying he was one o f the four people authorized, in writing, to make such statements on behalf of t he government. The Pakistan government, however, did not coordinate the release of the informat ion with foreign secretary Salman Bashir, first denying it and then confirming i t. The PM learnt about the statements when he was in Lahore and out of the loop, the cable says and Gilani decided to fire Durrani for not consulting him. The U S envoy went on to say Gilani had received a memo authorizing Durrani to confirm Kasab s nationality, but he may not have seen it. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sacked-Pak-NSA-got-ISI-nod-to-reveal-Ka sab-info-WikiLeaks/articleshow/10024533.cms ------Denied date with President, Gilani calls off trip Sep 18, 2011 PAKISTAN Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani called off at the eleventh hour his planned visit to the US after President Barack Obama refused to meet him on the sideline s of the UN General Assembly session, a media report in Islamabad has claimed. The Prime Ministers House announced on Friday that Gilani had called off his visi t as he intended to personally supervise relief operations in flood- hit areas o f Sindh. But the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying that one reason for the move was the US Presidents refusal to meet Gilani on the sidelines of the UN session in New York. Gilani has now directed foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar to represent Pakistan at the UN General Assembly session. There were indications that the strained ties between Pakistan and the US had le d to Gilani cancelling his trip to America, where he was to address the UN Gener al Assembly session, the daily reported. Full report at: Mail Today ------Obama shocker to India

By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury in New Delhi Sep 18, 2011 US President wont meet Singh at UN session as bilateral ties lose momentum DESPITE best efforts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wont be able to meet US Presi dent Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session nex t week in New York. There were hectic efforts by New Delhi to arrange a meeting between the two leaders ostensibly to arrest the slowdown in bilateral ties. Briefing the media here ahead of Singhs visit, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai ru led out the PMs meeting with Obama or with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gi lani, who has reportedly cancelled his visit to the UNGA because of the flood si tuation in his country. The UNGA is the most sought- after forum for world leade rs to meet each other and meetings with Obama and Gilani were most sought after by India this year. While officials claimed any meeting between the two leaders was not on the cards as Obama leaves New York on September 21 after his engagements and Singh reache s there only the next day, it is understood Washington may have dragged its feet on such a meeting given the state of bilateral ties that have faltered over the past year. The US President is meeting a host of other world leaders during his three- day stay in New York beginning Monday. They include leaders from Afghanistan, Libya, Brazil, Japan, Britain, France, Israel and Sudan. If the US had agreed to Indias request, it was likely that Singh would have departed for New York earlier inst ead of September 21. Singh will be in the US during September 22- 27. Full report at: Mail Today ------With terror back on radar, no Indo-Pak meet at UN Gen. Assembly Sep 18, 2011 NEW DELHI: While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to have bilateral meeti ngs with other South Asian leaders during his visit to the UN General Assembly n ext week, no such meeting is planned with Pakistan leaders. Singh s counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani has pulled out of the visit and Pakistan will now be represen ted by its young foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, and, according to Indian o fficials, there is no proposal for a bilateral meeting as of now. While Singh will leave for New York on September 21, foreign minister S M Krishn a is expected to leave a day earlier. Apart from ruling out any proposal as of n ow for a bilateral meeting with Pakistan on the sidelines, foreign secretary Ran jan Mathai also confirmed that Singh is not likely to meet President Barack Obam a. "As of now, no meetings have been planned with President Obama. We have learnt t hat President Obama will be leaving New York before Prime Minister Manmohan Sing h reaches New York," Mathai said on Saturday. That terror is going to be high on the Indian agenda was evident when Mathai sai d the recent terrorist attack in New Delhi has once again served as a reminder o f the constant threat posed by terrorism to the security of democratic societies and well being of its citizens.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/With-terror-back-on-radar-no-Indo-Pak-m eet-at-UNGA/articleshow/10023950.cms ------Delhi High Court blast: Angry Kishtwar in denial mode By Arjun Sharma Sep 18, 2011 Seething anger and fear reign in Kishtwar as the Delhi High Court blast trail le ads NIAto the Jammu town. Fathers of three arrested youth speak out ... Dad says mastermind is mentally unsound LIFE appears to be going on normal on the streets of Kishtwar, the bustling town in Jammu region that is making national headlines. But the undercurrent of tens ion, fear and anger is hard to miss. Nervous, apprehensive glances greet a stran ger enquiring about the address of Amir Ali Hafiz, better known as Amir Abbas. T he information is forthcoming, nevertheless. In the towns main bazaar, Malik Market, a small lane opens on the main road. Abou t 50 feet into the lane stands a doublestorey house. A big iron gate opens into a lawn, beyond which is the house wherein lies the story of Amir Abbas. The family of Amir lives on the ground floor and has rented out the first floor. A bearded old man opens the door. He is Ghulam Abbas, the father of the man who is allegedly the mastermind of the Delhi High Court blast on September 7. That has become his identity since his son was arrested by the National Investig ation Agency ( NIA) a few days ago. He once used to be a petition writer in the district court and now gives sermons in the local mosque. Full report at: Mail Today ------Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal s wife denies Spain rape allegations Sep 18, 2011 RIYADH: The wife of billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal denied claims he r husband raped a model on a yacht in Spain in 2008, saying she was with him in France when the alleged crime took place. "I was with my husband outside of Spain the day these allegations took place in Ibiza," Amira al-Taweel was quoted as saying by the prince s chief of staff, Kho lud al-Dussari. "Quite simply we were not there. We were together in the French city of Cannes. I was with him all the time, and we were with at least 30 people," she said. "Hundreds of witnesses can confirm that we were in Cannes, just as there are doz ens of proofs that we were not in Ibiza in 2008."

A Spanish court has reopened a probe into the allegations, according to a ruling seen by AFP on Wednesday. Prince Alwaleed is a nephew of King Abdullah and one of world s richest men. He is being asked to respond to a complaint of sexual assault against him in August 2008 by a model who was 20 at the time. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Saudi-Prince-Alwaleed-bin-T alals-wife-denies-Spain-rape-allegations/articleshow/10024071.cms ------Haqqanis have links with Pak govt: US Sep 18, 2011 ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: The United States has evidence linking the Pakistan govern ment to the Haqqani network, which was behind this week s attack on the American embassy in Kabul, US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has said. A "lot of work" is needed to put Pakistan-US ties back on track and Islamabad mu st sever its links with militant groups like the Haqqani network, Munter said in an interview with Radio Pakistan . "Let me tell you that the attack that took place in Kabul a few days ago, that w as the work of the Haqqani network. And the facts, that we have said in the past , that there are problems, there is evidence linking the Haqqani network to the Pakistan government," he said in response to a question about the current state of bilateral ties. He did not give details about the evidence. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Haqqanis-have-links-with-Pak-govt-US /articleshow/10025441.cms ------UN approves Libya seat for former rebels Sep 18, 2011 UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to hand over Libya s UN seat to the former rebel National Transitional Council, while easing economic an d military sanctions and paving way for the strife-torn nation to begin its econ omic recovery and restore political order. The UN Security Council resolution 2009, adopted unanimously, mandates a new, th ree-month UN mission that will assist Libyan efforts to restore security, protec t human rights and undertake an inclusive political dialogue towards establishin g a democratic government. The passage of the resolution came just hours after t he193 member UN General Assembly, in a 114-17 vote, approved the credentials of the NTC which toppled Muammar Gaddafi, giving it Libya s seat at the UN. India voted in favour of the resolution to set up the new UN mission as well as the assembly resolution. The passing of the double resolutions was welcomed by w estern nations who said the move will help kick-start Libya s economy and provid e an inclusive and democratic set-up to the people of Libya who have been fighti ng Gaddafi and his forces for the last several months.

"The United States congratulates the Libyan people for this historic step forwar d. As Libyans chart a course towards a more inclusive and democratic future that respects and protects human rights, they will have a friend and partner in the United States," Susan Rice, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations sa id in response to the UNSC resolution. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/UN-approves-Libya-seat-fo r-former-rebels/articleshow/10025385.cms ------Sanctions lifted, NTC claims Libya UN seat Sep 18 2011 United Nations : The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to hand over Libyas UN s eat to the former rebel National Transitional Council, while easing economic and military sanctions and paving the way for the strife-torn nation to begin its e conomic recovery and restore political order. The UN Security Council resolution 2009, adopted unanimously, mandates a new, th ree-month UN mission to assist Libyan efforts to restore security, protect human rights and undertake an inclusive political dialogue towards establishing a dem ocratic government. The passage of the resolution came just hours after the 193-member UN General As sembly, in a 114-17 vote, approved the credentials of the NTC which toppled Muam mar Gaddafi, giving it Libyas seat at the UN. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sanctions-lifted-ntc-claims-libya-un-seat/8481 26/ ------Muammar Gaddafi forces in fierce counter-attack in Bani Walid Sep 18, 2011 BANI WALID (LIBYA): Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi fired rockets and scored cas ualties in a fierce counter-attack in the fugitive ex-Libyan leader s stronghold of Bani Walid on Saturday. Ambulances rushed dead and wounded fighters as explosions and gunfire thundered in the air, after the attack on a position of interim government fighters severa l kilometres (miles) from the city centre, an AFP correspondent said. "They swept the position after targeting us with Grad rockets," said National Tr ansitional Council fighter Omar Ali Ramadan, who said he and others had managed to take cover at an abandoned house. "At least seven rockets hit our position." The AFP reporter saw at least three w ounded people being carried in to a field hospital, one of whom subsequently die d amid cries of Allahu Akbar (God is greatest). He said ambulances were rushing to collect other casualties. Bani Walid is 180 kilometres (110 miles) southeast of Tripoli, the Libyan capita

l. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Muammar-Gaddafi-forces-in-f ierce-counter-attack-in-Bani-Walid/articleshow/10023310.cms ------Libyan forces battle to loosen grip on Gaddafi towns Sep 18, 2011 LIBYA: Libyan interim government forces charged a desert stronghold controlled b y fighters loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and battled on the streets of the ousted lea der s hometown as they struggled to quash his last pockets of support. Nearly a month since they drove Gaddafi s forces out of the capital Tripoli, tra nsitional government fighters have become mired in sieges of his loyalists rema ining redoubts, raising doubt over whether they can quickly unite the vast count ry. Forces backed by Libya s National Transitional Council (NTC) made little headway against stiff resistance in Gaddafi s birthplace Sirte on Saturday, but were ab le to celebrate the capture of the town of Herawa 60 km (40 miles) to the east. The fighters also stormed back into the desert town of Bani Walid, a day after d iehard loyalists beat them into a retreat. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Libyan-forces-battle-to-loo sen-grip-on-Gaddafi-towns/articleshow/10026944.cms ------India recognizes new regime in Libya Sep 18, 2011 NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares for his visit to the 66th s ession of the UN General Assembly, India has announced support for Libya s Trans itional National Council in the UN. The government said in a statement on Saturd ay that it supported the acceptance of credentials of the delegation of the TNC, led by its President Mustafa Abdel Jalil, to attend the forthcoming UNGA sessio n in New York. While remaining in contact with TNC in Benghazi and Cairo, India also participat ed as an observer in the Libyan Contact Group meeting in Istanbul in July and re cently at the minister of state level at the Paris conference on Libya jointly o rganised by France and UK on September 1. "India will also be participating in the high level meeting on Libya scheduled t o be held in the margins of the UNGA on September 20, called by the UN secretary -general. In this meeting, India will reiterate its willingness to extend all po ssible assistance to the people of Libya in their political transition, rebuildi ng and reconstruction activities," said a statement issued by the external affai rs ministry. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-recognizes-new-regime-in-Libya/ar

ticleshow/10023527.cms ------Another blast victims death takes toll to 15 By Neetu Chandra Sep 18, 2011 THE RECENT blast at Delhi High Court claimed its 15th victim with 64- year- old Rattan Lal Shroff succumbing to his injuries at the Ram Manohar Lohia ( RML) Hos pital on Saturday. A couple of days ago, when his family got his age rectified in the hospital reco rds, little did they know that he would soon be leaving all of them behind. Earlier this week, Shroffs legs, which were severely injured in the blast, had to be amputated to prevent the spreading of infection. But in the end this proved futile. His lungs and chest had been severely affected in the blast. Both his legs sustained injuries and had to be amputated to stop the infection s preading to other parts of the body. He was in a bad shape. His condition showed minor improvement a few days ago but deteriorated later on. He was put on ventilator where he suffered a respiratory failure and passed awa y on Saturday morning, a senior doctor in RML hospital, said. Despite his age, Shroff was the sole bread earner in the family. He was a commis sion agent in a textile firm. On September 7, he had gone to the high court to a ttend a hearing in a civil case. Full report at: Mail Today ------Delhi High Court blast: Family thrown out of house as man battles for life By Neetu Chandra Sep 18, 2011 ITS BEEN more than a week since the bomb blast at the Delhi High Court ripped apa rt the lives of scores of people who stood at Gate No. 5 of the court at the fat eful moment. But coming to terms with a tragedy is not easy, especially for a fa mily that has been rendered homeless. B. K. Thakur, one of the victims of the blast, is unaware that his family has be en forcefully evicted from their house in New Friends Colony, following a high c ourt order. Thakur, who was severely injured in the blast, is now recuperating a t the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre of All India Institute of Medical S ciences ( AIIMS). On September 7, when the blast took place, Thakur was standing outside the court , waiting for an entry pass. He had gone there to get a stay order on the evicti on notice he received on August 23. But all his hopes went unrealised. The explosion has crippled the life of this 6

0- year- old yoga teacher who was once an instructor to former Prime Minister I. K. Gujral. It has also brought untold suffering for his family members, who are now finding it very hard to pick up the threads and move on with their lives. Thakur used to stay in his New Friends Colony residence along with his wife, son , daughter- in- law and his two- year- old grandson. His younger brother and his wife also stayed with him. The family runs a trust which is involved in the man agement of a 40- year- old temple and a yoga ashram. Full report at: Mail Today ------Muslim ghetto calls Modi fast a farce Sep 18, 2011 AHMEDABAD: "He walked past me but did not stop to ask about my well-being, how c an I believe that his heart bleeds for me when he is away." Nadeem Saiyed, socia l worker from Juhapura, Ahmedabad s biggest Muslim ghetto, recites this couplet as his response to Modi s overture to Muslims. "The three lakh residents of Juhapura have no bus service, schools, dispensaries , playgrounds, storm water drains or fire stations. We ask for these amenities b ut we are given dumping grounds and sewage treatment plants," said Congress corp orator Mirza Haji Asrar Baig. "Tell me, where is the sadbhavana when BJP corpora tors oppose water supply projects to Juhapura on one pretext or the other?" In fact, after the 2002 riots no Muslim can get a house outside Muslim ghettos. Plus the lesson of Gulbarg Society is not lost on them. Crime lawyer Ejaz Quereshi, another Juhapura resident, said that Modi s fast is a waste of public money. The general feeling in Juhapura is that Modi s gesture is just a stunt aimed at raising his profile. "Non-Gujaratis may be taken in by the show but here we know the truth," said Dr Yakoob Memon, who runs the Riyaz Hospital in Juhapura. "Cro codile tears," is how MK Pathan, a retired Class I officer, described Modi s ges ture. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-ghetto-calls-Modi-fast-a-farce/a rticleshow/10024479.cms ------Bharatpur riot: State seeks CBI probe; Meo Muslims unhappy with relief Sep 18, 2011 GOPALGARH (BHARATPUR): The Rajasthan government has sought CBI probe into Gopalg arh riot in which at least eight people were killed. The decision was taken at a meeting at chief minister s office late Friday night after home minister Shanti Dhariwal returned from Gopalgarh in Rajasthan s Bharatpur district. Bharatpur collector K Kunal and police superintendent Hinglaj Dan have been tran sferred. Barmer collector Gaurav Goyal and Chittorgarh SP Vikas Kumar have repla ced them. The state also ordered a judicial probe by a retired Rajasthan high co urt judge and announced government jobs for the kin of those who were killed in the riot.

The police filed an FIR against unidentified persons for arson and firing in Gop algarh. "An FIR has already been lodged at the Gopalgarh police station," said M L Lathar, inspector general of police sent by the state government to monitor t he situation. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bharatpur-riot-State-seeks-CBI-probe-Me os-unhappy-with-relief/articleshow/10024335.cms ------A Warm Account of How Iranians Survive Islamic Hawks By Manju Kak Sep 18, 2011 IN THIS lyrical book a love letter to Iran, part history, part memoir author and journalist Kamin Mohammadi presents an unforgettable tome to her country. Her l ucid, sparkling prose warms every page with passion and purpose. Mohammadi, born in 1970, grew up in London till a longing for roots brought her back to observe the new contours of Islamic Iran. She reflects upon what happened. How did Iran lose its fragrance and colour to become this chador-obsessed society, cruelly c rushing its women and with them every feminine impulse. Through the lens of her own family history she digs into the backdrop of Persia emerging out of its medieval stupor, the last years of the Qajar dynasty and the rise of Reza Shah Pahlavi, a soldier of extraordinary energy who founded the sh ort-lived Pahlavi dynasty in the 1920s before his ouster by Ayatollah Khomeini. Reza Shah patterned himself on Turkeys liberal leader Kemal Attaturk in an effort to modernise Iran and emancipate its women through a ban on the purdah. His son , Reza Shah II, continued this in close association with the US and supported by his dreaded secret police, SAVAK, till the Revolution broke out and the state w as overtaken by Khomeinis Islamic fundamentalists in the late 1970s. Full report at: Mail Today ------US will target al-Qaida across world Sep 18, 2011 WASHINGTON: US will hit al-Qaida targets anywhere in the world, including in cou ntries unable or unwilling to act themselves, top White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan has said. The use of military force against al-Qaida is not restricted only to hot battlef ields like Afghanistan, Brennan declared in a lecture at the Harvard law school, adding that US can take pre-emptive action against suspects who pose an imminen t threat to it, anywhere in the world. Laying out what he called the Osama bin Laden raid doctrine, nder international law, US has the right to take pre-emptive foresaw any threat to it. Brennan also criticised a proposal on of the 2012 defence authorisation bill that would require arrested inside the US to be transferred to the military. Brennan said that u action whenever it in the senate versi terrorism suspects

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Will-target-Qaida-across-world/artic

leshow/10025321.cms ------US drone crashes in Pakistan: security officials Sep 18, 2011 MIRANSHAH: An unmanned United States drone aircraft crashed in Pakistan s lawles s northwestern tribal district on Sunday after suffering a technical fault, loca l security officials said. The drone, the second to crash in Pakistan within the last month, went down in S outh Waziristan, part of the lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border that Washi ngton calls a global headquarters of Al-Qaeda. "The American drone crashed in Zangara village of South Waziristan, apparently b ecause of some technical faults," a security official in Peshawar, the main town in Pakistan s northwest, told AFP. Two intelligence officials in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan, confirmed the incident. It was an armed Predator drone, they said. The United States uses unmanned surveillance aircraft in its war against the Tal iban in Afghanistan to monitor militants in Pakistan, from where Al-Qaeda and Ta liban-linked fighters launch attacks in Afghanistan. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-drone-crashes-in-Pakistan-s ecurity-officials/articleshow/10028918.cms ------Interior Minister Rehman Malik threatens to shutdown Google, YouTube Sep 18, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday warned that popular websit es like Google and YouTube could be shut down in Pakistan if they did not cooper ate with authorities investigating crimes and incidents of terrorism. Malik made the remarks while interacting with reporters at the headquarters of t he Federal Investigation Agency in Islamabad. He urged the websites to extend help to authorities to exterminate terrorism fro m the country. The government would be compelled to block certain websites, including Google an d YouTube, if they did not extend cooperation to authorities, Malik said. The Taliban and other terrorist organisations were sharing intelligence through the Internet and it is imperative to curb these activities, he said. Malik did not give details of the crimes and incidents of terrorism that the web sites could provide information about. TV news channels also quoted Malik as saying that he had issued an order for a c ase to be registered against the administrator of Google Pakistan.

The minister has faced criticism and ridicule from civil society and rights grou ps for several of his recent comments. Malik had recently claimed that jealous girlfriends and wives, and not political groups or criminals, were responsible for a majority of target killings in the southern port city of Karachi. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Malik-threatens-to-shutdown-Go ogle-YouTube/articleshow/10021920.cms ------UNSC imposes sanctions on 2 Pak-based al-Qaida leaders Sep 18, 2011 UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on two al- Qaida l eaders based in Pakistan, including the terror group s top strategist and propag anda chief Abu Yahya al-Libi. Sanctions were also imposed on a senior al-Qaida leader Younis al-Mauritani, who was in charge of the group s external operations and had planned attacks on Eur opean economic targets. The sanctions put into effect an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo agai nst the two, who participated in the "financing, planning, facilitating and perp etrating" of terror acts for al-Qaida. An al-Qaida commander in Pakistan, al-Libi provided financial assistance to the terror group s fighters in Afghanistan. The Libya-born has also been a top al-Qaida strategist, field commander in Afgha nistan and an instructor at training camps for the group. A prominent figure in al-Qaida s media operations, he has been referred to as it s propaganda chief , being second in visibility only to top leader Ayman al-Z awahiri. As of April 2010, Al-Libi had released 68 messages on behalf of al-Qaida and had urged Pakistanis to attack their government. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/UNSC-imposes-sanctions-on-2-Pa k-based-al-Qaida-leaders/articleshow/10016811.cms ------Pakistan seeking Sep 18, 2011 DALIAN (China): Islamabad plans to import latest Chinese nuclear technology, a s enior Pakistan government official has said. "Pakistan is in discussions with Chinese companies for imports of the third-gene ration nuclear technology," the China Daily quoted Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Paki stan s Minister of Science and Technology, as saying. Jamali said he hoped that the latest technology could be acquired by Pakistan in third-generation nuclear technology import from China

one or two years. China has helped with two reactors at Pakistan s Chashma nuclear power plant, bo th of which use second-generation technology. Pakistan has a third 300-megawatt reactor under construction at Chashma, finance d by China. Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Pakistan-seeking-third-gener ation-nuclear-technology-import-from-China/articleshow/10018229.cms ------Pak military firms expelled from London arms show Sep 18 2011 Islamabad : Two Pakistani military firms were expelled from a London arms show a nd their stalls shut down after it emerged that they were advertising cluster bo mbs, the event s organiser said. The stands of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory and Pakistan s Defence Export Promot ion Organisation Pavilion at London s Defence System and Equipment International exhibition were permanently shut after organisers were informed they had promot ional material for cluster bombs. "Defence and Security Equipment International can confirm that the Pakistan Ordn ance Factory stand and Pakistan s Defence Export Promotion Organisation pavilion have both been permanently shut down after promotional material was found on bo th containing references to equipment, which after close examination, was found to breach UK Government Export Controls and our own contractual requirements," s aid a statement from the show s organiser. The British government "fully supports the decision" to close the stands, the st atement said. Defence and Security Equipment International, the show s organiser, said it was "investigating how this breach of our compliance system occurred." The show s organiser acted after Green Party parliamentarian Caroline Lucas said she had found brochures promoting cluster munitions at the Pakistani stands. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-military-firms-expelled-from-london-arms-s how/848273/ ------J&K House to debate Afzal Guru mercy plea on Sept 28 Sep 18, 2011 SRINAGAR: Jammu & has listed a resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru for discussion and voting on September 29. Independent north Kashmir legislator Abdul Rashid Sheikh had submitted the resol ution to speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone on September 1. "The resolution is listed i n the assembly business at serial number 2," Sheikh said.

The speaker s office did not respond to queries about the resolution. Sources sa id the Congress high command has asked its legislators to oppose the resolution. The BJP and Jammu-based Panthers Party would follow suit. Observers say it woul d be interesting to see how the ruling National Conference deals with the resolu tion. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-House-to-debate-Afzal-Guru-mercy-ple a-on-Sept-28/articleshow/10024288.cms ------Jama Masjid attack: Police yet to make headway in probe Sep 18 2011 New Delhi : A year has gone by but police are be into the terror attack outside Jama Masjid ge of the 2008 Batla House encounter, even as trengthened ahead of its third anniversary on yet to make any headway in the pro last year, allegedly to take reven security in the capital has been s Monday.

This year the anniversary comes 12 days after terrorists struck outside the Delh i High Court exploding a powerful bomb killing 15 people, including a woman, and injuring over 70 others. We have strengthened our security. We are leaving no chances. However, there in n o reason to panic. Extra security measures have been taken, a senior police offic ial said. The official said all precautionary measures were taken in view of the threat pe rception ahead of the third anniversary of the Batla House encounter. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jama-masjid-attack-police-yet-to-make-headwayin-probe/848256/ ------Syrian envoy blames radical Islamic groups Shubhajit Roy Sep 18 2011 New Delhi : Showing gory images and video clips of protesters killing people on the streets, the Syrian ambassador to India on Friday blamed radical Islamic grou ps for causing trouble in the secular country. Riad Kamel Abbas also defended the countrys security forces as he said that they were acting in self-defence. If somebody shot at you, what will you do? Abbas said , when asked about reports of government forces killing protesters. He claimed that Syrian tanks do not fire and they are used to carrying upto 40 sold iers, since they dont have bullet-proof vehicles. We dont have paramilitary forces l ike India, so these tanks go on the streets, which are narrow, the envoy said, tr ying to reason the movement of battle tanks in the streets. As he spoke at the India Islamic Cultural Centre here, a laptop screen showed im ages of brutalities allegedly committed by radical groups.

Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/syrian-envoy-blames-radical-islamic-groups/848 134/ ------Iran s Khamenei warns Arabs against US, NATO Sep 18, 2011 Tehran (Iran) : Iran s top leader is warning Arab nations that were swept up in uprisings against autocratic regimes not to trust the U.S. or NATO when they for m their new governments. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei s remarks came during the opening Saturday of an internat ional Islamic conference in Tehran. Khamenei says the U.S. and NATO will try to dominate the future governments in E gypt, Tunisia and Libya. He says the Arab nations should not let this happen but preserve their Islamic traditions. Khamenei contends the collapse of the regimes in Egypt and Tunisia was a blow to U.S. influence in the region and an Islamic awakening. Tehran has portrayed the uprisings as a replay of its own 1979 Islamic Revolutio n that toppled the pro-U.S. shah and brought hardline clerics to power. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/irans-khamenei-warns-arabs-against-us-nato/848 042/ ------Former PoK PM Sultan Mahmood Chaudhuri visiting Kashmir PRAVEEN SWAMI Sep 18, 2011 Sultan Mahmood Chaudhuri, first high official to be allowed to visit Indian side of LoC Sultan Mahmood Chaudhuri, former Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Po K), will begin a five-day visit to Srinagar on Sunday thus becoming the first hi gh official, former or serving, from the province, which India claims as its ter ritory, to visit this side of the Line of Control (LoC). Mr. Chaudhuri, who served as the Prime Minister of PoK between 1996 and 2005, wi ll be attending the wedding of Srinagar resident Yasir Shah the son of local bus inessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali. Long a key figure in the politics of PoK, Mr. Chaudhuri was returned to the prov incial legislature in each election since 1985. He joined the ruling Pakistan Pe ople s Party (PPP) in 1994, left it five years ago to form his own organisation, but returned to the fold on the eve of this summer s elections. He was traditionally seen as hardliner, and had been vociferous in his oppositio n to a five-principles peace accord hammered out between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan s former military ruler, President Pervez Musharraf, in 2008 . The proposals stalled after Pakistan s chief of army staff, Pervez Ashfaq Kaya

ni, backtracked when General Musharraf demitted office. Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2462791.ece ------The life and death of Shehla Masood Sep 18 2011 Stories abound in Bhopal of the life and death of Shehla Masood. But among those who knew her, there appears agreement on one point: something was so uncharacte ristically passive, so un-Shehla-like, they say, about the dead body slumped in the driving seat of the silver-grey Santro on the morning of August 16, with no evident signs of struggle and a bullet hole in the neck. Some crude clues to the extraordinary splash the August 16 murder of the 38-year -old activist-and-businesswoman has made in this city of unhurried rhythms, wher e batolebaazi or the leisurely gossip is elevated to the status of art, may be p icked, perhaps, from the several descriptions of Shehla on her busy visiting car d. Secretary, Shahnaz Foundation. President, Madhya Pradesh Progressive Muslim Wome n Forum. Convenor, I will make sure Madhya Pradesh will remain a Tiger State. Se cretary, UdaiSociety for Automobile Sports & Adventure, Good Governance & RTI, En vironment and Culture. The keywords: RTIWoman Muslim. Or, in the name she gave her blog, printed at the bottom: Letz change d rulz. Lets change the rules. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-life-and-death-of-shehla-masood/848087/ -------A Smoke gone but doubts cloud Batla By Naziya Alvi Sep 19 2011 Three years after shootout locals refuse to accept polices version APARTIALLY deserted building stands out in the crowded Batla House locality. In the three years since the infamous encounter at L- 18, which left two alleged terrorists and a Delhi Police inspector dead, four of the eight flats in the fo urstorey house have been vacated. The structure, in the Jamia Nagar locality of Okhla, is said to have housed Indi an Mujahideen IM) terrorists involved in the serial blasts that rocked the Capit al six days ahead of the shootout. It is difficult to shed the stigma since we s hare the same lane. Can you imagine the plight of those grilled repeatedly by th e police? In the past three years, three families have shifted out of the house, Hamid Ali, who owns a shop in an adjacent building, says.

On Sunday afternoon Ali, along with many other neighbours and residents, gathere d near Khalil- ullah mosque to observe the third anniversary of the encounter th at shook the residents of Okhla. On September 19, 2008, Special Cell inspector M ohan Chand Sharma and two alleged IM terrorists, Atif Ameen and Mohammed Sajid, were killed in the reported exchange of fire. Full report at: Mail Today -------A BLOW-BY-BLOW ACCOUNT OF THE TERROR- BUSTING ENCOUNTER Sep 19 2011 SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 The Delhi Police carry out Operation Batla House, an encounter against suspected Indian Mujahideen ( IM) terrorists in the Batla House locality of Jamia Nagar i n the Capital. The shootout comes six days after five serial blasts rock the cit y, killing at least people and injuring over 100. Two suspected terrorists are k illed, two other suspects are arrested, while one accused escapes. Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma is also killed OCTOBER 17, 2008 Parties such as SP and BSP raise matter in Parliament and demand judicial inquir y into the encounter 21 MAY, 2009 The Delhi High Court tells the National Human Rights Commission NHRC) to look into allegations that the encounter was stage- m anaged and innocent people were targeted 22 JULY, 2009 The NHRC, in report, clea rs the police of rights violations. But public speculation continues and the deb ate on the genuineness of the police action rages FEBRUARY 4, 2010 Full report at: Mail Today -------Batla House: Case trial isnt even halfway through By Naziya Alvi Sep 19 2011 THE debate on the credibility of the Batla House encounter is not likely to end soon. Three years after the controversial shootout in the Okhla locality that left two alleged terrorists dead, the trial into the case has barely started. This is despite home minister P. Chidambaram suggesting that it was urgent to sp eed up the case. On September 16, the last date of hearing, the court of additional sessions judg e Ajay Kumar Kuhar recorded the testimony of the eighth prosecution witness. The case has over a 100 prosecution witnesses and is being heard, on an average, once or twice a month. We are trying our best to speed up the process, but a verdict is not likely till

a few years, Satish Tamta, defence counsel, said. He is defending Shahzad Ahmad, who is alleged to have fled from Batla House duri ng the shootout, but was later arrested. Full report at: Mail Today -------After Afghan visit, Cheryl Coles life in danger: Report Sep 19 2011 London : Pop star Cheryl Cole has reportedly become a prime target for Jihadis a fter visiting British troops in Afghanistan. The 28-year-old singer, was warned by UK-based radicals that she could now be le gitimately targeted by Jihadis, fighting a holy war against the West and her lif e is at risk, reported Daily Star. Cole donned army fatigues during a visit to troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand pr ovince, which marked ten years of war against the Taliban. I always had admiratio n for what the guys do out here but seeing them here at work is awe-inspiring. Im delighted to be here to recognise all the hard work they do, Cole said. But the terror messages came in after her visit and cleric Anjem Choudary said, S he has put herself in great danger by being such a high-profile visitor to the r egion. She will only have herself to blame for the repercussions on her own secu rity. In a statement on a website, Islamist group Muslims Against Crusades issued a further warning: In a bid to improve her own public image, she has put her sec urity and life at risk, Muslims will view this as an action of aggression agains t Islam and Muslims. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-afghan-visit-cheryl-coles-life-in-danger -report/848417/ -------Gujarat Govt. calls Modis fast roza, his party prefers burqa Sep 18 2011 Ahmedabad : Behind Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modis speech was a carefully c horeographed effort by his party in the state to mobilise minorities for his sho w and tell. Modi greeted and hugged Muslims, many of whom admitted they had been asked to we ar skull caps and burqas by their local BJP leaders. The men were asked to wear s kull caps and women were told to wear burqas, said Abdullahkhan Babi, who had com e with his wife from Mehsana, one of the worst-hit districts during the 2002 Guj arat riots. Dressed in a salwar-kameez, Babis wife, Zaheda, added: They asked the women to wea r burqas but we dont, so there was no point in making it obvious. Even our men do nt wear skull caps all the time. The couple, who came with a group of BJP minority morcha members, said a local councillor had arranged their trip. In its ad in an Urdu daily from Hyderabad, the State Information Department, whi ch Modi heads, even referred to his fast as roza. Aapko mera salaam, aapka shafiqan a nek tamannaon ke bal par main aaj se sadbhavana mission ke sath roza upvaas ka

aagaaz kar raha hoon, said Modi in the ad. (My respects to you. Encouraged by yo ur kind, compassionate good wishes, I have embarked on this sadbhavana mission a nd fast). Incidentally, the word roza refers to fasting as prescribed by the Quran for believing Muslims, the Urdu word for upvaas (a fast) is faaqaa. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-calls-his-fast-roza-his-party-prefers-bur qa/848209/ -------Riot accused at fast, Modi ducks queries on 2002 responsibility Sep 19 2011 Ahmedabad : If the 2002 riot victims have been conspicuous by their absence at N arendra Modis fast venue, with some being detained as they tried to protest outsi de, two prominent accused in the killings have made their presence felt. While Jaydeep Patel is one of the main accused in the Naroda Gam case, in which 11 persons were killed, Atul Vaidhya is one of the 66 accused in the Gulberg Soc iety massacre that left 69 dead. Patel, who was then a VHP general secretary, said he was at the venue of the fas t being held for communal harmony as a BJP worker. Vaidhya, a former active member of the Bajrang Dal, said he had come to meet Modi because sadbhavana is a good thi ng. Having projected a moderate side in the run-up to the fast, Modi today continued to try and reap the fruits without balancing his applecart. Parrying questions on whether he accepted moral responsibility for the 2002 riots, he struck out at the media: What is this thing?... You people like to stretch such a lie that you like. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/riot-accused-at-fast-modi-ducks-queries-on-200 2-r.../848511/ -------Muslims slam move, say its all for votes Sep 19 2011 New Delhi: A day after UP chief minister Mayawati wrote to the Prime Minister de manding quota for Muslims based on their population percentage,Muslim leaders sl ammed it as prepoll politics and said if the CM was serious about the issue,she would have followed the established democratic procedure of first getting a reso lution passed in the state assembly. They also questioned the BSP chiefs intent given that UP has not made any progre ss on implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commissions recommendation that the re should be 15% reservation for Muslims in the OBC quota. Kamal Farooqui,member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board,said: Muslims s upported her last time and got nothing in return.I do not have the figures with me but vast funds have remained unspent in Muslim majority-districts and the sta te government has not tried to change that.

Jamiat general secretary Mahmood Madani,who is reported to have of late veered t owards the BSP,welcomed the move,but halfheartedly,saying,there are demands for designating Muslims as most backward but she has not addressed the issue.Law and order is a state subject yet she has not made any effort to pass a legislation against communal violence in the state. Arshad Madani,who heads the other Jamiat faction,said it is nothing more than vo te-bank politics.I agree that Muslims have been booted out of jobs,education and politics,and are in need of special privileges,but invoking it for votes is not the way forward, he said. Times of India -------Sangh snaps at Modis Muslim appeasement Ajay Umat Sep 19 2011 Ahmedabad: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modis new-found love for Muslims,on a mpledisplay athis Sadbhavana fast,has upset the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RS S ) which would like to continue seeing him as Hindutvas poster-boy.Chants of Al lah-O-Akbar at the venue generated animated discussion among the Sangh parivar f ollowers,with SMS s being circulated about Miyan Modi. While parivar members like Vishwa Hindu Parishad have stayed away from the three -day show,the RSSs core leadership is unhappy with Modis pro-minority statements which it says amount to appeasement. The matter was discussed at an informal meeting of senior RSS leaders at the Hed gewar Bhavan,which was attended by three top RSS leaders Suresh Soni,V Satish an d Ram Lal. The three also met Modi on the first day of his fast but were taken aback by VHP s absence andthe presenceof a large Muslim contingent.A senior RSS worker said w hile the Sangh would prefer Modi over BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma S waraj,they werentsure about his brazen tactic to woo the minorities. A top VHP leader told TOI,Weweresurprisedthat hundreds of Muslims were being rea dily welcomed at Modis show while the widow of Haren Pandya,a member of our pari var,wastoldto stay away. Times of India -------Gujarat govt shows riot victims the stick By D. P. Bhattacharya Sep 19 2011 UNDERLINING the stark contrast between its claims and deeds, the Narendra Modi g overnment on Sunday launched a vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters, compris ing the victims of the 2002 riots and human rights activists, when they gathered for a demonstration at Naroda Patiya.

Ironically, the lathicharge and subsequent detention of the restful agitators ca me about on the second day of the Gujarat chief ministers fast proclaiming the so - called sadbhavna ( harmony and goodwill). The police, citing the unavailability of security personnel as the reason, had i nitially denied permission to the demonstrators. However, when the protesters went ahead with their programme, the police swooped down and detained lawyer- activist Dr Mukul Sinha besides danseuse- activist Ma llika Sarabhai, riot victim and activist Noorjahan Diwan and many others and for cibly dispersed the gathering. Full report at: Mail Today -------MODIS BID TO DERAIL RIOTS PIL EXPOSED By D. P. Bhattacharya Sep 19 2011 Suspended IPS officer who nailed Modi govts complicity in riots cases also helped the CM in derailing aPIL in the Godhra pogrom SANJIV Bhatt the man who exposed the collusion between the Gujarat government an d the accused in the 2002 Godhra riots cases stands exposed after an affidavit w as filed by his former boss R. B. Shreekumar before the Nanavati- Shah commissio n of inquiry. The suspended IPS officer played a central role in helping Gujarat chief ministe r Narendra Modis bid to derail a PIL by noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, apprehen ding it would tarnish the image of the state government. Sarabhai, in fact, told a packed news conference in Ahmedabad on Sunday that Mod i tried to bribe her lawyer with money from the secret service fund ( SSF) to de rail her case before the Supreme Court, which sought probe into the complicity o f Modi government in the Godhra riots. Her claims were also based on the affidav it filed by Shreekumar, former Gujarat ADGP. The affidavit, exclusive parts of w hich are available with M AIL T ODAY , accused Modi of machinations to divert pu blic money to sabotage the judicial process. It also implicates the now suspende d IPS officer Bhatt. Full report at: Mail Today -------Cheryl Cole gets jihadi threat after visiting UK troops in Af Sep 19 2011 London: Pop star Cheryl Cole has reportedly become a prime target for jihadis af ter visiting British troops in Afghanistan. The 28-year-old singer,was warned by UK-based radicals that she could now be leg itimately targeted by jihadis,fighting a worldwide holy war against the West and her life is at risk. Cole donned army fatigues during a visit to troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand pr ovince,which marked ten years of war against the Taliban.I always had admiration

for what the guys do out here but seeing them here at work is awe-inspiring.Im delighted to be here to recognise all the hard work they do.Every one of them is a hero in my book, Cole said. But the terror messages came in after her visit and cleric Anjem Choudary said,I find it completely outrageous that Cheryl Cole can go to Afghanistan and start praising the soldiers when thousands of innocent men,women and children are bein g slaughtered by the Americans and their allies.The fact that she is prepared to support this war in Afghanistan shows the naivety of the woman.She has put hers elf in great danger by being such a high-profile visitor to the region.She will only have herself to blame for the repercussions on her. In a statement on a website,Islamist group Muslims Against Crusades issued a fur ther warning. Muslims will view this (Cheryl Coles visit) as an action of aggres sion against Islam. Times of India -------Study: Invasion Led to Spike in Iraq Widows 19 Sep, 2011 BAGHDAD (AP) A study by a global humanitarian aid organization says three out of every five widows in Iraq lost their husbands in the years of violence that fol lowed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The study released Sunday by Los Angeles-based Relief International concluded th at about 10 percent of the estimated 15 million women who live in Iraq are widow s. It said 59 percent of the widows lost their husbands since 2003, citing violence and killings that followed the invasion as one of the reasons behind the deaths . Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi told a meeting in Baghdad that the widows light could harm society if they are not helped.

Lawmakers and activists urged the Iraqi government to offer more aid to the wido ws but did not offer concrete plans. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/18/world/middleeast/AP-M LURL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=550 5 Forward to a friend COMMENTS Print