FMT News |  |
- Samy approves Palani’s safe seat plan
- Najib must come clean on Petronas money
- MIC AGM: No bang, only Pakatan bashing
- MIC gives up Pasir Panjang, Behrang seats
- MyDaftar offers fast track on citizenship documentation
- How to bag your New Year smooch
- Ambiga dituduh anarkis
- Sabah consumer body treads fine line
- ‘Do not belittle intelligence of Indians’
- Govt silence on palm oil price drop causing jitters
- Mahabharata – Bahagian 10
- Who is Deepak Jaikishan?
- ‘Indians livelihood far from satisfactory’
- ‘Pakatan will shut down Lynas’
- Say no to dirty political war
- Top ten Christmas destinations
- Chelsea back in the groove says Benitez
- I’ll speak to Cazorla about ‘dive’, says Wenger
- Lennon confident Celtic’s Euro stars won’t leave
- Ozil strikes twice as Madrid fight back for win
- Former South Africa president Mandela admitted to the hospital
- Egyptian military says only dialogue can avert disaster
- Mass gay weddings, now legal, expected in Washington state
- Feted in Gaza, Hamas leader hits out at Israel
- Doha climate talks throw lifeline to Kyoto Protocol
- Man suspected of involvement in Benghazi attack held in Egypt
- Pakistan’s Zardari in UK, meets girl shot by Taliban
- A vow is confirmed, a jihad grows – Jane’s Jihad
- Israel’s Olmert says country facing unprecedented isolation
| Samy approves Palani’s safe seat plan Posted: 09 Dec 2012 02:02 AM PST
He said it was understood that Palanivel would opt to contest in Cameron Highlands, a traditional safe seat for Barisan Nasional. “It is not wrong… because when I lost in 2008, I lost direction for a few months. As a (party) president, Palanivel has the right to choose a safe seat. “I think the preparation (being paved) for Palanivel to contest in Cameron Highlands is being done extensively. I am also sure that he will contest there,” Samy Vellu told reporters after the MIC’s 66th Annual General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here today. The Cameron Highlands seat is currently held by MIC, via its vice-president, SK Devamany. Asked if Devamany, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, would contest in Sungai Siput, Samy Vellu said: “That is for Palanivel, as party president, to decide. A good politician should not comment after he (Samy Vellu) leaves.” On the 13th general election, the former MIC chief said the party had to be well-prepared to face ongoing, as well as upcoming social issues. He was confident that MIC would secure all parliamentary seats in the coming election, with three seats namely, Subang, Kota Raja and Kapar, believed to pose a ‘tough fight’ for the party’s candidates. “The opposition is clamouring to capture the Segamat parliamentary seat. But I believe, with the noble state leadership, they (Pakatan Rakyat) can never invade Johor,” noted Samy Vellu. The one-day MIC General Assembly, which was attended by over 1,500 delegates and 2,000 observers, was earlier opened by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. - Bernama      |
| Najib must come clean on Petronas money Posted: 09 Dec 2012 01:48 AM PST
As I settled down to pen my response to an article by Zainal Epi, posted by FMT on Dec 7, 2012, titled ‘Chua off the mark on National Trust Fund’, I found another article in FMT posted yesterday, authored by Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz with the headline ‘What happened to Petronas money?’. That is the question that I have been asking. The answer is also what I am seeking to enlighten the people whenever I deliver my ceramahs in Johor and elsewhere. I will not respond nor clarify what Zainal has written because it is Petronas and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who should have rebutted the contents of my ceramah and blog postings on Petronas issues and whether there exists a national oil sovereign fund. Wouldn't that have been more credible, instead of using an errand boy to rebut me? Why can't Petronas and Najib proudly clarify the matter and tell us how much is in the fund? Malaysia is one of the bigger oil producing countries in the world, rolling out 693,700 bbl/day as of 2009. Why is the Barisan Nasional government so shy to declare how much of the country's wealth, derived from depleting oil resources, had been saved over the years for Malaysians during rainy days? Most other oil producing countries duly observe transparency to keep their people informed. They do not hesitate to make public their savings in their national sovereign oil fund. What's so special about Malaysia that it has to be different? What's there to hide when the funds are for the people and country's future utilisation when the oil fields run dry. Mr Prime Minister, after three years of governance, you have shown yourself to be the only finance minister in the world who refuses to clarify economic and financial issues. You always choose the easy way out and that is to remain unresponsive and silent. You don't even have the courage to defend your own Budget 2013 in Parliament against the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Shame on you! So, why don't you start showing that you are man enough to lead and govern Malaysians and Malaysia by telling us what has happened to Petronas money. Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.    |
| MIC AGM: No bang, only Pakatan bashing Posted: 09 Dec 2012 01:26 AM PST
Officiating the assembly, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak launched a stinging attack against the opposition by repeating the word “tipu” (cheat) more than 20 times in his 30 minute speech referring to the opposition pact. Claiming that the opposition coalition was full of lies, Najib said that Pakatan was only good in making promises compared to the BN which fulfilled promises. He also brushed aside Pakatan Rakyat’s claim that there were 300,000 stateless Indians in the country. He slammed the opposition in handling the Kampung Buah Pala (Penang) squatters issue and the demolition of a private shrine in Sepang recently. But this was not expected from Najib. He did not dwell on the plight of the community or its problems. Several observers attending the assembly were clearly disappointed with Najib’s speech as it did not address the issues confronting the Malaysian Indian community. Najib failed to use the platform to energise the party which seemed less vibrant of late. Despite, being the last MIC AGM before the 13th general election, party president G Palanivel’s presidential speech was not hard hitting, making only a list of “minor” requests for the government to fulfill. The assembly was expected to be used by Palanivel and Najib to boost the Indian support for the ruling coalition. Sub-standard debates “Indian votes are pivotal to BN in the upcoming election. Thus, Palanivel should have raised bigger issues at his doorstep than talking about photocopy machines to Tamil schools and other peanut matters,” he added. The one-day MIC general assembly was attended by some 1,400 party delegates and 2,000 observers here at Putra World Trade Centre(PWTC). Noted as the shortest MIC general assembly in the history of the party, the one day assembly also proved to be very dull following sub-standard debates by delegates who spoke on the presidential address and five resolutions tabled. The delegates largely praised the prime minister and party president by saying that both the leaders were doing their best to bring back the Malaysian Indians community back to the BN fold. A survey form was also circulated outside the AGM hall, requiring respondents to state among other things, if the BN would form the next federal government. It also required the respondents to state the strengths and weaknesses of Pakatan Rakyat. It also wanted to know steps to be taken by the BN to secure Indian votes at the next election. The survey form came with a free 2013 calender. There were also two hand-books, namely ‘Janji Ditepati’ and ‘Janji Dicapati’. The Janji Ditepati praised the BN for keeping up its promises to the people while Janji Dicapati depicted Pakatan Rakyat’s failure to keep its 2008 election promises. Judging from the assembly today, MIC would be facing an uphill task of not only winning seats at the next election but also in winning back the hearts and minds of the Malaysian Indian community.    |
| MIC gives up Pasir Panjang, Behrang seats Posted: 08 Dec 2012 09:54 PM PST
Party president G Palanivel said MIC has decided to swap the two seats — Pasir Panjang and Behrang — and were in the midst of negotiations for replacement seats in the state. “Buntong is a seat that we are looking at. We have yet to decide on the other seat. If we don’t get a seat in Perak, the Dengkil state seat (in Selangor) is our second option,” he told reporters after delivering his opening address at the 66th MIC annual general assembly here. The assembly, attended by some 3,500 delegates and observers, was declared open by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak at the Putra World Trade Centre, this morning. He explained the Selangor state seat was an option due to a stronger Indian vote base in Selangor. MIC lost in both Behrang and Pasir Panjang in 2008. Palanivel also confirmed that MIC would be contesting in nine parliament and 19 state seats in the coming general election. The party is alloted nine parliamentary and 19 state seats under the Barisan Nasional seat sharing system. Out of the allocated seats, MIC won only three parliamentary and seven state seats at the 2008 general election. It won its fourth parliamentary seat at Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election in 2010. Of the total 19 state seats, the MIC chief is confident that the party’s candidates would win 14 state seats but did not elaborate on the seats concerned. No problems in Perak “There are no differences of opinion. Negotiations are still ongoing,” said Palanivel. Earlier this week FMT reported that Perak BN and MIC were on a collision course due to Palanivel’s insistence on fielding old candidates. During the press meet, Palanivel also spoke about the Chinese votes which he deemed as important for MIC candidates. “We will win if we get 25% to 30% of the Chinese votes. “In Kapar, the Chinese say they’ll vote for DAP, not PKR and PAS,” he said. Kapar is currently held by PKR’s S Manikavasagam. He also expressed confidence in recapturing Selangor and regaining the two thirds majority in parliament. Also read:    |
| MyDaftar offers fast track on citizenship documentation Posted: 08 Dec 2012 09:36 PM PST
This initiative was jointly led by the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) and National Registration Department with the support of MIC and Indian community NGOs. During the campaign period, over 80 National Registration Department counters in nine states were opened, including on weekends, for those wishing to obtain identification documents to submit their application for due process. The process of application was simplified with written exams in Bahasa Melayu for applicants who were 50 years old and above, replaced with simple oral interviews. Further, for incomplete applications, volunteers from MIC and NGOs were assigned to assist the applicants with obtaining necessary supporting documents and completing the registration procedure. Click here to view the video on YouTube. Throughout the campaign, 14,385 Malaysian Indians who did not possess identification documents came forward to the MyDaftar counters, out of which a total 9,529 submitted applications to the National Registration Department. Within just 14 months, 6,590 applications have been approved and the rest are being processed. Apart from the MyDaftar campaign, the government have also partnered with major Indian community NGOs such as DHRRA Malaysia, MyIndians.com and Helping Hands Malaysia to resolve the documentation problem faced by Indians in Malaysia. For further enquiry, please contact: Thanasegaran- thana.taskforce@gmail.com / 016-2957172 Jawatankuasa Kabinet Masyarakat India, (Special Indian Task Force)    |
| How to bag your New Year smooch Posted: 08 Dec 2012 09:16 PM PST
Talk to everyone Don't get too drunk Be confident Pick your party Fresh breath Act early Don't be picky LINKS    |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2012 08:55 PM PST
Anarki bermaksud keadaan yang tidak berasaskan undang-undang dan kucar-kacir. “Ambiga Sreenevasan yang hebat ialah pencetus anarki di Malaysia,” kata Pengerusi Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin. Beliau berkata demikian dalam satu sesi forum bertajuk, ‘Seiringkah Mahasiswa dan Siswi Dengan Politik?”, anjuran Dewan Penginapan Pelajar (DPP) Proton, UUM dan Suara Wanita 1Malaysia. Ahli panel termasuk Pengetua DPP Proton Mazli Mutazam. Dalam forum tersebut, tayangan video klip Perhimpunan Bersih 3.0 turut dipertontonkan kepada lebih 3,000 mahasiswa. Ambiga, yang memimpin dua perhimpunan, Bersih 2.0 pada 2011 dan Bersih 3.0 April lalu mendesak kerajaan dan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya memenuhi lapan tuntutan bagi memastikan plihan raya berjalan dengan bersih dan adil. Selain Ambiga, Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar turut dikecam berikutan kenyataannya berkenaan dengan kebebasan beragama baru-baru ini. “Inilah pejuang belia yang memperjuang kebebasan beragama,” kata Sharifah dan beliau turut mengecam penulis buku Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta, Irshad Manji. “Mengapa tiada protes untuk seks bebas?” soal Sharifah sambil menyifatkan tema hak asasi manusia sebagai propaganda Barat. Semua yang menyertai forum tersebut menerima sehelai baju T SW1M dan sepuluh pemenang cabutan bertuah telah menerima komputer riba nota, Samsung Galaxy. Kesemua tokoh tersebut dikecam sebagai pihak yang mahu menghuru-harakan negara atas nama hak asasi manusia.    |
| Sabah consumer body treads fine line Posted: 08 Dec 2012 08:49 PM PST
Its president James Bagah felt the government’s displeasure after he threw in his lot with the opposition but soldiered on until this weekend. The State Reform Party (Star) member said he felt forced to give up his political belief for the sake of the NGO. Bagah announced his resignation from Star that is led by Jeffrey Kitingan and showed a letter to the party at the end of Caps’ coordinators meeting at Hongkod Koisaan building on Friday. “In order not to complicate things, I have decided to quit my membership in Star. This way it should be easier for us to deal with the government,” he said. He said Caps officials had faced difficulties getting assemblymen and parliamentarians here to endorse Caps launching on Dec 23 at a hotel here. Caps is seen as the replacement of de-registered Cash or Consumer Association of Sabah which was once headed by long-serving consumer activist Patrick Sindu. Sindu has since became a member of Star. According to Bagah, Chief Minister Musa Aman, has been invited to launch Caps. Meanwhile, Sabah Star secretary, Guandee Kohoi, when contacted said he has yet to receive Bagah’s letter but added it is “no problem” for Star. “Let James plays his role in the consumer body, that is okay, no problem for Star with that. After all he is organising a seminar and a dinner with Musa,” Kohoi said.    |
| ‘Do not belittle intelligence of Indians’ Posted: 08 Dec 2012 08:22 PM PST
“They say that there are 300,000 Indians in the country who do not have any documents… 300,000 stateless Indians they say. This is a lie. There are only 9,000 Indians who do not have documents. “Out of this 9,000 people, we have sorted out 4,500 applications for documents. Another 2,000 applications are still being processed. The registration is open. If there are any Indians without documents, they can walk in and apply to get their citizenship. “With all this going on, they (the opposition) can cheat that some 300,000 Indians are stateless. This is belittling the intelligence of Indians in the country. You can fool some people some time, but not all the people all the time,” he told some 3,500 people at the opening of 66th MIC annual general assembly here. He said the opposition had promised that the 300,000 stateless people would be given citizenship within one month after Pakatan Rakyat takes power of the federal government. “This means, they will process, 10,000 applications in a day and grant citizenship to 10,000 so called stateless Indians daily for a month. This is really belittling the intelligence of Malaysian Indians… can this be achieved…this is another lie,” Najib added. Pakatan demolished seven temples “In the last four years the Barisan Nasional never demolished any temple but in the last four years how many temples or shrines did Pakatan Rakyat demolish… seven, seven to be exact. “The latest is a private shrine built outside a house in Sepang. The Indian community must fight for its right. MIC must repair the altar…if they break again, then we repair again. “The opposition promise something but do something else. Just empty promises but our promise is a promise fulfilled. They cheat a lot with their empty promises,” he added.
“In the 11th general election (2004) the BN had its fixed deposit in the Indian voters but in the 12th general election, the Indian fixed deposit moved from the BN bank to the opposition bank. “We lost four states and two thirds majority partly due to the absence of Indian votes. Although we have made some mistakes in the past, we have done a lot for the community. We will continue doing more for Indians in the future. "Maybe our interest rates were not good in 2008 for the Indian fixed deposit votes but over the last three years, I have raised the interest rates and they are making a comeback to the BN bank. The confidence on the BN government is back,” said Najib, who is also Umno president. Also read:    |
| Govt silence on palm oil price drop causing jitters Posted: 08 Dec 2012 08:11 PM PST
Jalibin Paidi, a state committee member of State Reform Party (Star) is the latest to take to task both the federal and state governments for not taking any concrete step to alleviate the situation that threatened to push thousands of smallholders back into the poverty bracket. Days ago, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, Yong Teck Lee, highlighted the issue during a visit to the east coast of the state. Planters and smallholders on the east coast are anxious about their golden crop, the source of an economic boom after it replaced timber as one of the state’s top earners, after demand for the commodity failed to keep up with production. Jalibin, a former secondary school principal who is set to face the Barisan Nasional in Ranau, said it was astounding that government leaders were silent on such an important issue. “I for one am very concerned that thousands of our palm oil smallholders in Sabah are now in difficulty with the steady drop in prices recently. “Crude palm oil used to fetch more than RM500 per metric tonne but now it stands only at RM300 per tonne. “Smallholders who produced two-tonnes previously and earn more than RM1,000 a month are now only earning RM600 under current prices,” he said. “This has affected thousands of smallholders in Sabah, but it seems the federal government is mute on this matter. Can the Federal Plantation Minister, Bernard Dompok enlighten us on the causes please?” Jalibin asked. He said the Plantation Ministry appeared to be just waiting for things to happen rather than plotting new strategies. “So far there the ministry has done nothing to alleviate or mitigate the situation. For the record, Dompok not so long ago made an assurance that the government would take relevant steps to avoid the price of palm oil from dropping below RM500 per metric tonne, but look it is only RM300 per tonne now,” Jalibin said. Stop giving false hope Those who have had depended on their small plots of land to make ends meet are in an even worse position.
He said that while prices of commodities like palm oil might not be entirely controllable, there should be at least some mitigating steps taken by the authorities. “Otherwise next time please don’t promise this and that the government will ensure prices would not drop below RM500 per tonne as this is tantamount to giving hope that the government could control certain things when in fact it is just a false hope or “Janji Tidak Ditepati”,” he added.    |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2012 07:51 PM PST
"Selepas tuanku memperisterikan saya nanti, tuanku mesti berjanji bahawa tuanku tidak akan menghalang apa-apa yang saya lakukan," katanya sambil duduk dengan penuh sopan di tebing Sungai Ganges. "Tidak menjadi masalah, wahai gadis rupawan. Apabila kau sudah menjadi isteri beta, kau akan menjadi permaisuri di Kerajaan Hastinapura. Tentu sahaja kau boleh melakukan apa-apa sahaja dan tidak akan ada sesiapa yang menghalang," Santanu yang dilamun cinta cuba meyakinkan. "Saya tidak kisah tentang orang lain. Saya mahu tuanku berjanji bahawa tuanku tidak akan menghalang saya. …" "Baiklah." Santanu ketawa sebelum menghampiri Gangga dan memegang tangannya dengan penuh kasih. "Beta berjanji tidak akan menghalang apa-apa sahaja yang kau lakukan selepas kita berkahwin nanti." Gangga menguntumkan senyuman. Namun, masih ada kesayuan pada wajahnya. Bagaikan masih ada syarat-syarat dan peraturan berat yang perlu dipenuhi oleh raja itu jika mahu memperisterikannya. "Tuanku juga mesti berjanji bahawa tuanku tidak akan mengecewakan saya," gadis itu bersuara perlahan. "Apa? Mengecewakan kau?" Santanu segera memegang dagu Gangga yang ayu. "Beta sekarang sedang dilamun cinta dan beta tergila-gila akan kau. Beta pasti tidak akan mengecewakan kau sama ada pada waktu siang atau malam." Gangga tersipu-sipu mendengar kata-kata yang diucapkan raja berkenaan. "Kalau tuanku mengecewakan saya, maka saya akan segera meninggalkan tuanku dan istana." Senyuman pada wajah Santanu tiba-tiba hilang. Dipandangnya mata Gangga dengan penuh tanda tanya. Kemudian, baginda kembali tersenyum. "Janganlah kau risau memikirkan soal itu, wahai gadis yang berjaya menambat hati beta. Beta berjanji tidak akan melakukan apa-apa perkara yang mungkin membuatkan kau berasa kecewa. Sebaliknya, beta berjanji akan membahagiakan kau pada setiap masa," Santanu melafazkan janji setia. "Maknanya, Gangga mengenakan tiga syarat kepada Raja Santanu. Bukankah begitu, datuk?" Hassan bertanya sambil menghitung pada jari. "Benar. Ada tiga syarat utama yang dikenakan. Apakah syarat-syarat itu?" Datuk yang sedang bercerita mengemukakan pertanyaan kepada cucu-cucunya. "Pertama, Raja Santanu tidak boleh bertanya perihal asal-usul Gangga dan identiti sebenar dirinya. Kedua, raja itu tidak boleh menghalang apa-apa sahaja yang dilakukan oleh Gangga selepas mereka berkahwin," pantas Hussain menjawab. "Syarat ketiga pula adalah bahawa Raja Santanu tidak akan mengecewakan Gangga pada bila-bila masa. Sekiranya salah satu janji itu dimungkiri dan wanita penuh misteri itu merasakan dirinya dikecewakan, maka dia akan meninggalkan raja dan istana," Hassan menambah. Datuk meneruskan kisah dengan menceritakan bahawa akhirnya Santanu dan Gangga berkahwin dalam suatu majlis yang gilang-gemilang. Gangga menjadi permaisuri di Kerajaan Hastinapura yang diwarisi keturunan Kuru. Kehidupan pasangan itu ternyata aman dan bahagia. Tidak lama kemudian, Gangga mengandungkan anak sulung. Apabila cukup masa, lahirlah seorang putera yang comel. Santanu terasa amat gembira kerana sudah ada waris sulung untuk mengambil-alih tampuk pemerintahan selepas ketiadaannya. Namun begitu, kegembiraan Santanu tidak bertahan lama. Beberapa jam sahaja selepas putera itu lahir, Gangga membawa bayi berkenaan ke tebing Sungai Ganges. – Bersambung minggu depan    |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2012 07:41 PM PST
He is perhaps best known now as the “carpetman”, although i3investor.com describes him as coming from a family “pioneering” in property development and investment. But it also notes that he’s been in carpet manufacturing for 15 years. Under his leadership, both his Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd and Tek Holding Sdn Bhd (the property development and investment company), chalked billions. Bursa Malaysia notes that from 2000 to 2009, Deepak had completed property investment projects totalling about RM3 billion. In the carpet field, he initiated and successfully acquired the largest manufacturing plant in Malaysia known as Noble Carpet Sdn Bhd. In the year 2000, this manufacturing unit was said to be the only one that produced its own carpet yarn. In 2003 he set up the biggest manufacturing plant (Premier Weavers) with the latest weaving technology in Malaysia. Deepak is one of five directors in Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd, and an equal shareholder too. It’s this company that he’s been most associated with of late. ‘Rosmah’s like my elder sister’ Because Deepak has had close ties with the family of Najib Tun Razak, the Malaysian Prime Minister. But more importantly now perhaps is the fact that his name first saw the limelight in the Altantuya murder case. Altantuya, who was named in French police documents as a translator during the talks to purchase the Scorpene submarines for the Malaysian Ministry of Defence was murdered in October 2006 by two members of an elite police unit. The two were later convicted and sentenced to death for the crime. Deepak’s link was to the disappearance of PI Balasubramaniam after submitting two conflicting statutory declarations (SD) on the Altantuya incident. The first one implicated Najib and Rosmah while the second claimed otherwise. Deepak was named when PI Bala vanished after submitting a second SD. How did Deepak get close to the PM? Explaining his closeness to the family, he once said: "Rosmah, I treat her like my elder sister". But that quote didn’t bring him fame. His name came up again when a claimed conspiracy by the Kuwait Finance House (KFH) came into play. KFH is currently suing Jaikishan for an unpaid banking facility amounting to RM170 million. Through a letter of offer dated Nov 16, 2007, Deepak was awarded RM170 million worth of Islamic financing facilities which consists of : i) KFH Ijarah Muntahiah BitamlikAsset Backed Financing-i Facility of RM26.6 million. ii) KFH Ijarah Muntahiah BitamlikAsset Backed Acquisition Financing-i Facility of RM93.4 million. iii) Interchangeable and Combined Limit Facility not exceeding RM50 million. ‘Najib exceeded his authority’ Why did he suddenly become a turncoat? Was it the discovery that his company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd had lost a portion of land purchased from Umno senator Raja Roopiah’s Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, that angered him? According to media reports, Deepak had testified that after obtaining the letter issued by the Defence Ministry’s deputy secretary-general on the transfer of the land to him, he and Awan Megah worked out an agreement to formalise this. Cebur Megah was the nominee company or third party vehicle, to obtain the 223 acre land while 23 acres of the land would be returned to Raja Roopiah, who is currently a woman leader in Umno. But something appeared to have happened inbetween and land parcel slipped out of Deepak’s grasp. Deepak claims that Najib had bypassed the cabinet in deciding to pull back the land, but says little else. “You could say he (Najib) exceeded his authority (in relation to his decision)" Deepak was reported as saying. According to Deepak, the land involved was owned by the government and the rightful process was not followed. “There is no question of any breach of confidentiality (here)…there’s just a lot of fishiness from some people” he was quoted as saying. Deepak is currently suing Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, the Ministry of Defence and the Pejabat Tanah dan Galian. Series of coincidences? His latest ‘fame’ is a two minute video in which he allegedly explains his reasons for ‘exposing’ the premiere and his first lady. In the video he allegedly links PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and his fellow counterparts such as lawyer R Sivarasa, PKR vice president N Surendran and Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah to his decision to ‘tell the truth’. In the video, he allegedly mentions that Anwar was the one who offered legal help to him but ‘obviously’ expected a favour in return. Anwar has however denied all links to Deepak while Sivarasa and Surendran are now Deepak’s lawyers. Sivarasa claims he warned Anwar of the risks before taking up Deepak’s case. Anwar it appears saw no adverse political implications. Looking at the happenings in Deepak’s life, one wonders if all this is just a series of coincidence.    |
| ‘Indians livelihood far from satisfactory’ Posted: 08 Dec 2012 07:26 PM PST
Speaking at the opening of the 66th MIC general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here, he said the government must face the fact that Indians were still lagging behind and “the destiny of Indians must change.” “And the real change comes when we connect to the people and they are inspired by genuine leadership. We have that in our prime minister. We must take the cue from him and stay focused. “We must remember what we are about. What MIC is about. It is about building this community together. It is about equipping our people to succeed. It is about being their support system while guiding them towards a purposeful future," he said. The one-day MIC general assembly, attended by some 1,400 party delegates and 2,000 observers, was opened by Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Tun Razak. He said the loyalty of Malaysian Indians cannot be questioned. “We are very loyal this country. Despite all the hardship we never went back, we never gave up. We believe in Malaysia. We believe in working together. “We may be vocal at times but it is really because we love this country and want it to be the best it can be. We chose to be here. This country is now our home. It will be the home for our children and for generations to come,” said the MIC chief during his pin drop silence speech. Money for education “In line with the recently announced education blue print that equal access in terms of facilities, content and methodology be available across all schools, the upgrading of Tamil schools need to be accelerated and put on a fast track. “MIC feels that we need to ensure that Tamil schools can compete and will be on par with others within the next three years. I urge the government to give priority on this matter and allocate RM350 million a year to upgrade Tamil schools on a fast track basis until the target is met,” he added. Palanivel also devoted a small portion of his speech to thank the prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor for pushing forward early childhood education through the Permata programme. “Rosmah must have brought to your (Najib’s) attention and has successfully spearheaded the project as early childhood education is crucial for giving children a positive entry into the world of education. “We congratulate Datin Seri (Rosmah) on the success of Permata kindergartens and hope it will extend to all Tamil schools in the future,” he said. The MIC chief also wanted its Tafe college be upgraded into technical university status and the government to grant a RM30 million allocation to the Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED), the education arm of the party, and another matching grant for the AIMST University, which is also run by the MIC. Stimulus package “On the same note, I am requesting another RM10 million annually for Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the social arm of the MIC, to train other young entrepreneurs and fresh graduates in various other fields,” he said. He said while the government has yet to put in place any affirmative plans for the community to increase its equity in the country’s economic pie, there is now an urgent need to put in place a stimulus package to spur the community’s economic growth. “My message today is for continuity, for loyalty and for a long term vision. The challenges we face as a community are real and diverse. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. “Community building needs experience and tenacity. It needs vision and thought. It is a long term mission,” said Palanivel.    |
| ‘Pakatan will shut down Lynas’ Posted: 08 Dec 2012 07:14 PM PST
The DAP demands that Barisan Nasional should stop the operation of Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) now or four m Ministers should resign to take full responsibility for failing to fulfill their own promise that the rare earth waste will not remain but be exported out of Malaysia. BN's insincerity and lack of commitment to make public health and safety the utmost priority follows a recent admission by Lynas' Managing Director, Mashal Ahmad that no residues from Lamp would be exported out from Malaysia. The admission by Mashal contradicts the seven-paragraph joint ministerial statement on Feb 22, 2012 by four ministers whose portfolios are directly associated with Lynas' application to set up and operate the plant. The four ministers, namely International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamad; Science and Technology Minister Maximus Johnity Ongkili; Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Unggah Embas; and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, said as follows: "Prior to the issuance of the Temporary Operating License (TOL), Lynas shall submit a letter of undertaking that it will accept a return of any residue generated by its factory in Gebeng to its original source." Lynas' admission that rare earth waste will remain and not exported out of Malaysia presents a rare opportunity for the Malaysian government to cancel the Kuantan rare earth facility for breach of compliance without needing to pay compensation. Mashal had confirmed that Lynas have no plans to export the rare earth wastes because Lamp needed to abide by international conventions which prohibit the export of toxic wastes to overseas countries. Earlier, the Australian government has repeated that they will not take back the radioactive waste. Clearly Lynas' managing director has shown that this is an empty BN promise and another example of "Janji Tak Ditepati". Condition unfulfilled A condition imposed by the AELB on Lynas is for the submission of details of the plans and location of a proposed permanent disposal facility (PDF) that will manage the residue, if any, generated by the factory. The submission must be made within 10 months from the date the TOL is issued. To-date no one knows where in Malaysia does Lynas plan to build their Permanent Disposal Facility? Although Lynas is confident that by-products of the LAMP will be recycled and reused in commercial applications, and will not require long-term storage, a prominent chemist from China, Chun-Hua Yan commented that it is an outdated method abandoned by China. Clearly Lynas has shown that the guarantees of Liow Tiong Lai and three BN ministers are worthless as Lynas's toxic residues cannot be exported but will remain in Malaysia. As there is no radioactive waste or toxic residue management plan, BN should revoke Lynas' TOL or issue stop work order to Lynas until Permanent Disposal Facility (PDF) proposed by Lynas is confirmed out of the country. If BN refuses to defend the interests of the people's health and the environment by cancelling the Lynas plant for breach of compliance, then Pakatan will do so when we take over Putrajaya as the plant can now be cancelled for breach of compliance without needing to pay a single sen in compensation. Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary-general and MP for Bagan. This is his opening speech at the joint DAPSY and Wanita National Congress this morning.    |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2012 07:00 PM PST
I was a teenager then and the sight of my father quickly putting on his shoes to go out to our middle-class and predominantly Chinese neighbourhood to call for the menfolk to come out and defend their homes if the Malays attacked us was hard to reconcile with the ‘happy-go-lucky’ life we were enjoying. We could hear the drums beating in the distance where there was a Malay kampung. And for his efforts my father came back fuming that an old Chinese woman had scolded him for being a 'busybody'. It turned out she was also a distant relative. A month before Penang had seen a curfew when a policeman was killed after a politically linked incident. Tension was high. But not all of us were bent on spilling racial blood. We made sure that the Malay teacher and his mother who lived in our street was safe. I checked with my Malay friend and his family who lived in an adjoining suburb (which was predominantly Chinese) that they were safe. We took care of one another and there was no incident in all the neighbourhoods around us – Chinese protecting Malays and Malays protecting Chinese. Not everyone, in fact few Malaysians considered in total, were infected with the madness. Ours was a clique of friends from both sexes – some from school, and others from outside, who were drawn from all the races. Malay boys had Chinese girlfriends and Chinese boys had Malay girlfriends and so on. It was a time when we could have fun together without the scourge of religious separatism. It was the time of innocence uncorrupted by the poison of the politicians. Some of those friendships have lasted to the present. There is no racial madness except that which is taught and caught, and the politicians have much to answer. Years later we learned that it was all a ploy to rid Tunku Abdul Rahman of his leadership and that the racial riots were the plot of shameless politicians as Dr Kua Kia Soong explains in his book, May 13, Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969. Darkest time in Malaysian history Who knows the final number of casualties but as usual the official figures that I won't even bother checking would be understated. That many had died from gunshot wounds left questions unanswered. One real-life account was given by my university mate overseas. He was in a cinema in Kuala Lumpur and suddenly he was roused from his seat in the dark cinema by loud shouting and banging on the doors. When he saw that people were being attacked with parang, he quickly got out and escaped. It was the darkest time in Malaysian history. So many innocent lives were lost and Kuala Lumpur in certain Chinese-dominated areas was like a war zone. The ghosts of May 13 still haunt those who lost loved ones and property. Therefore why would anyone today remind us of a bloody day in the country's history and make cheap political capital out of the innocent blood of their fellow Malaysians? What unscrupulous politician would stoop so low as to draw his or her own race into a scheme that would leave no one any benefit but many homes with nothing but suffering and sorrow? I agree with CPI columnist Koon Yew Yin that Malays will be the biggest losers of a May 13 repeat because they now have so much more to lose but it is not even right to say who will lose more when the truth is everyone will have something to lose. The nation will lose most from the bloody minds and hands of those traitors. Playing with fire What a shameless and despicable display of desperate and unconscionable politics that should be deplored by every conscionable Malaysian. It goes without saying that the country will be plunged into the abyss of a failed state and recovery will be hard and painful should the race riots recur. And this time nothing will be hidden from the world. We will see images that were not possible when the state-controlled media had a news blackout and modern digital media technology did not exist. You can be sure that if anything like May 13 happens again, the international community will see what takes place and no one will be able to stop mobile phones sending images all over the world and anything that happens being recorded by someone somewhere. And there will be sufficient evidence to charge those responsible for the cowardly and cold-blooded murder. Those who play with the fire of May 13 are shameless and gutless, and the reason they do it is to drag their race and others into their dirty political war, one in which they face certain defeat. Fortunately today is not the era of May 13 though some specimens from that dark era still survive in power but not for long because they and their monstrous ideas will be rejected by every responsible Malaysian who wants peace and prosperity, not bloodshed. Some politicians are just that callous and poor losers and the sooner we see the backs of them the better it will be for every Malaysian. This article first appeared in the CPI website.    |
| Top ten Christmas destinations Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:25 PM PST The Christmas season might be famous for carols and colored lights where you’re from, but it’s also the perfect time to experience new destinations and check out their holiday customs as well. From the jazz music and Nativity parades of New Orleans, to the Santa hats and sandy beaches of Asutralia, there’s no better opportunity than Christmas to try seeing the holiday season in a brand new light. Online travel adviser Hotwire.com (www.hotwire.com) has compiled a list of its Top 10 most festive destinations for this year’s holiday season. Reuters has not endorsed this list:
There are only twelve days of Christmas, right? Not in Puerto Rico. This US commonwealth begins its celebrations the day after Thanksgiving and keeps the Yuletide spirit flowing until the feast of the three kings on January 6. During the six-week-long festivity, visitors can enjoy the Christmas decorations seen at homes, businesses and throughout the streets. While you’re there, you should also witness one of Puerto Rico’s famous holiday traditions – group caroling called parrandas. Visitors to this Caribbean locale can also experience unique holiday culinary customs like lechón asado – roast pig on a spit – a coconut pudding called Tembleque, or the sweet sap from a Chilean palm tree, coquito.
If there’s anything more iconic than the New York City skyline, it’s the New York City Christmas tradition. Every year, The Big Apple plays host to some of the most famous holiday traditions in the world, including the nationally televised lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. But The Empire State has tons more up its sleeve when it comes to Christmas traditions. Travelers can go ice skating in Central Park, discover unique international gifts at The Pond at Bryant Park, experience the incredible toy selection of FAO Schwartz and enjoy the spectacle of Macy’s annual Santaland display. 3. Bondi Beach, Australia
4. Santa Claus, Indiana With a city like Santa Claus, Indiana, the name really does say it all. This small Midwestern destination fancies itself “America’s Christmas Hometown,” and offers three weekends of Santa Claus celebrations throughout the month of December that are perfect for Christmas lovers of all ages. Travelers can journey into Santa’s Candy Castle and enjoy 25 different gourmet chocolates, chat with online elves and check to see if their name is on the naughty or nice list. Santa’s visitors can also enjoy other holiday attractions such as the amazing lights down Mistletoe Drive, a wooden rollercoaster, a Santa Claus museum and even a Christmas-themed miniature golf course.
In Nuremberg, Christmas is synonymous with Christkindlesmarkt, which means only one thing—holiday shopping. Germany’s own Christmas mega-market is one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world, drawing two million visitors every year and occupying Nuremberg’s central square area for the entirety of the Advent season. With its rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, a visit to the Christkindlesmarkt is like stepping back in time. Even the most jaded traveler may spring to life as the smell of fresh gingerbread and fruitcake fills the air. And with such a deep past, it’s as easy to lose yourself in Nuremberg’s Christmas tradition as it is to get lost in the stalls of the Christkindlesmarkt. 6. New Orleans Those searching for a way to celebrate the holidays in a unique southern fashion need look no further than New Orleans, where the poinsettia gets as much love as the fleur de lis. In this French Creole town, Christmas events start in November, and they ring in the holiday spirit in ways you’ve never seen before. Take the Celebration in the Oaks, for example: a pop-up Christmas theme park that brings bright lights and carnival rides to New Orleans City Park, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Folks from colder areas will feel right at home on Fulton Street, where travelers will find spinning multicolored Christmas trees and might even find themselves caught in the (fake) snow, which comes drifting down four times every hour.
If you’re looking to spend your Christmas somewhere really different, there’s no better place to visit than Tokyo. Since Christians account for only one percent of the population, Christmas is not a national holiday, and employees don’t get the day off. Despite that, Christmas is celebrated as a commercial holiday in Japan, and every year, the trees in Tokyo are lit up for the season and the Japanese, like their Western neighbors, still have shopping to take care of. Christmas Eve in Tokyo looks very different from Christmas Eve in North America and Europe, and bears a striking resemblance to Valentine’s Day. Instead of spending Christmas with family members, the Japanese go on romantic dinner dates with their significant others, celebrating the holiday over a chicken dinner and some Christmas cake. 8. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Amsterdam has not one, but two bearded gift-bearers that visit during the month of December: Sinterklaas and Santa Claus. Sinterklaas has been the richer holiday icon in Amsterdam, and gives the children most of their gifts on December 5th, marking the feast of St. Nicolas. Santa Claus, whose story is actually based on Sinterklaas’, comes on December 25th and brings the children a couple of minor presents. Santa Claus also brings the beginning of the Dutch Christmas – a two-day celebration complete with food, warmth and family – which starts on December 25th and ends on December 26th. For potential visitors, the draw of Amsterdam's double-celebration is hard to compete with. Two feasts, two Santas and two days of gleeful Christmas parties. And when it comes to giving and receiving gifts, how much more Christmas could a traveler really ask for? 9. Aspen, Colorado Whoever coined the term “Winter Wonderland” was probably imagining something very much like Aspen, Colorado at Christmastime. Peacefully nestled amid a trio of snowy mountains, Aspen is the perfect spot for travelers who like to celebrate their holidays in earmuffs and beanies. This snowy city hosts the 12 Days of Aspen, a holiday celebration from December 20th through New Year’s Eve, which includes a variety of activities that are sure to put you in the Christmas spirit—from shopping and restaurant deals to concerts and ice-staking. And with its four world-class ski resorts, acres of white-powdered aspen trees and upscale shopping options, Aspen is a prime destination for travelers looking to release their inner snow lover. 10. Lapland, Finland
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| Chelsea back in the groove says Benitez Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:08 PM PST  SUNDERLAND (United Kingdom): Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez claims his side’s confidence couldn’t be any higher as they turn their attention to the Club World Cup in Japan this week.The Blues crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday and travelled to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Saturday on the back of their worst domestic run for 18 years. However, a comprehensive 3-1 win over the Black Cats made it nine goals in the space of four days after Wednesday’s 6-1 rout of Danish side Nordsjaelland and provided a timely morale boost ahead of the trip to Yokohama. Chelsea take on either South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai or Mexican outfit Monterrey in their opening Club World Cup fixture on Thursday and Benitez believes it could be a successful trip given his side’s upbeat mood. “I was pleased with the way we played in the Champions League game, with passion and desire right to the end, and this was another good performance,” Benitez said. “If you are going to a tournament like this it is important to show what you can do on the pitch and play well. “It’s important to have an opportunity to win any trophy, but especially a trophy like this one. “I have managed a team (Inter Milan) to victory in the competition before and that was a great experience for me, and hopefully this will be a great experience for the players. “We are concerned because we know the schedule will be difficult, but we are trying to organise everything properly. “It might not be ideal because we have to go and then play a game in three days time, but we will try to do our best.” Saturday’s victory over Sunderland came courtesy of a first-half double from Fernando Torres, who scored with a first-time volley and a penalty, and a second-half strike from Juan Mata. Adam Johnson threatened to spark a Sunderland revival with a curled effort, but Chelsea ran out comfortable winners. The only negative for the Blues was a knee injury to Oriel Romeu that is likely to prevent the Spanish midfielder from travelling to Japan. “He will return to London and the doctor will look at him to see how he is,” Benitez said. “But when a player leaves the pitch limping and we have to go to Japan right now, it will be difficult for him. “At the moment, he has to stay with the doctor and make sure everything is fine.” Sunderland have dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season as their dismal run extended to one win from their last 10 league matches, and boss Martin O’Neill acknowledged that Tuesday’s home game with fellow strugglers Reading has assumed increased importance. “The goals either side of half-time were major setbacks to us, but we played very strongly,” O’Neill said. “The players put a big effort in, which was appreciated by the crowd. “Even though we were defeated, we can feel as though we’ve got something to take with us into the next match. “Tuesday is a big game, but it was always going to be that. If we win the game we lift ourselves up to the 15th in the league, but it is the points on the board which are more important.” - AFP    |
| I’ll speak to Cazorla about ‘dive’, says Wenger Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:06 PM PST  LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will review his side’s opening penalty in the 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion and speak to Santi Cazorla if he believes the Spaniard dived.Cazorla went over in the 26th minute at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday despite replays suggesting he was not touched by Steven Reid. Mikel Arteta scored from the spot and added a second penalty after half-time when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tripped by Chris Brunt. Wenger, when asked if he will speak to Cazorla after watching replays, said: “Of course. I will look at it, don’t worry.” Wenger admitted Arsenal were fortunate to get their first penalty, with the game looking even until referee Mike Jones awarded the spot-kick. “We were a bit lucky maybe on the first penalty because he could have given it or not given it,” he said. “I am sorry if it was not a penalty, but I have spoken to Santi and he said he has been touched and lost his balance. Maybe he made more of it, I don’t know. “It’s a difficult decision — it can go against you, (but) it went for us in this game. “That’s what it is. What I mean is, when he (a player) is touched, he goes down, the referee can give or not give the penalty.” Jack Wilshere was the star performer for Wenger, who said: “He is getting closer to the player we know he is and in this game, I think he made a big step. “You could see it already this week in training, that he has gained a little burst again, a little zip in the first three or four yards. “That’s what you have to accept in football, you have sometimes to be patient. He can only gain it by playing but of course in the first games you cannot be at that level.” Wilshere was at the heart of Arsenal’s best attacks but victory was not sealed until the 64th minute when Oxlade-Chamberlain was brought down by Brunt. However, West Brom felt there was a foul in the build-up and they were also angry at being denied a first-half penalty when Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker appeared to handle the ball. West Brom manager Steve Clarke said: “Goran Popov was fouled in the lead up to it (the second penalty) and for some reason the referee, who gave soft free-kicks all afternoon, decided not to give that one. “There was also a penalty for us for a Per Mertesacker handball, but he gave a free-kick the other way. It was the easy way out when you come to a big stadium and the crowd are on your back.” Clarke felt the opening penalty was clearly an incorrect decision. “There was clear daylight between Steven Reid and Santi Cazorla,” he said. “There was zero contact — it wasn’t even close. I’m not sure what the referee saw. It was a bad decision for us and obviously changed the shape of the afternoon. “It could have been a nervous afternoon for Arsenal. At 0-0 they hadn’t created too much.” Arsenal’s victory took them up to sixth position in the Premier League table, two points below fifth-place West Brom. - AFP    |
| Lennon confident Celtic’s Euro stars won’t leave Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:04 PM PST  GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon says he is confident of keeping hold of his star players beyond the January transfer window despite their European exploits attracting the attention of clubs across the continent.The Hoops booked their passage to the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek following their 2-1 win over Spartak Moscow. It ended an impressive group campaign which saw Lennon’s side earn their first ever away victory in the competition and defeat eventual group winners Barcelona in Glasgow. The performances of many Celtic players have caught the eye of clubs across Europe with Georgios Samaras the latest to be linked with a move away to Liverpool. But after another impressive display in the 3-1 Scottish Premier League win over Kilmarnock — that moved them three points clear at the top with a game in hand — the Celtic manager said the prospect of more European football in 2013 meant his players would be in no rush to leave Parkhead. “It’s all speculation. We have our own value of the players and I wouldn’t imagine anyone wants to leave at the minute,” Lennon said. “It is a good place and we are going well in all four competitions and that’s fantastic. “They’ve achieved great things already this season and hopefully there’s more to come and I don’t think any of them will be in a hurry to go. “We looked like a Champions League team today and we are looking more like that as the season progresses.” Before the match at Rugby Park the Hoops had struggled in SPL matches immediately following Champions League fixtures, having taken just one point from nine after their previous three European games. But Celtic showed no ill effects of their European exertions as goals from skipper Scott Brown, Joe Ledley and an impressive late goal from substitute Georgios Samaras, which saw every outfield player touch the ball in a 22 passing move before the Greek headed past Cammy Bell, sealed a stylish win. “I thought we were brilliant from start to finish. The third goal epitomised the way we played and I think everyone in the outfield touched the ball in the build up,” Lennon said. “They are good athletes. They didn’t have much time to recover so we gave them as much rest as we possibly could. “They are full of confidence obviously after what they achieved in the week. Sometimes you can be a bit flat after that but they weren’t today. “We were fantastic in terms of our application, concentration and the way we moved the ball around was very pleasing. To come here and win as well as we did on the back of Wednesday is terrific. “We are looking for a consistency of wins now. The only disappointment for me is we didn’t keep a clean sheet because apart from one great tackle from Charlie Mulgrew we weren’t in any real trouble. “We just switched off at the end but overall I am absolutely thrilled with that performance. It opens up a gap now and the rest of the teams have got to catch us now.” Celtic captain Brown was in fine form in the match as he scored his first goal of the season and set up the second for Ledley. Lennon was full of praise for his skipper, who has delayed an operation on a on-going hip problem, and said he was starting to get back to his best. “Some of his performances this season, particularly earlier on in the season before the condition started really affecting him, he was at the top of his game,” the Celtic manager said. “He had an injection after the Benfica game and it kicked in maybe 10 days later and since then we’ve started to see him come back to his very best. “When he plays like that there’s not many better midfielders around. He’s the driving force of the team.” - AFP    |
| Ozil strikes twice as Madrid fight back for win Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:00 PM PST  MADRID: Mesut Ozil grabbed two goals as Real Madrid twice came from behind to defeat Valladolid 3-2 yesterday to close to within eight points of Barcelona at the top of La Liga.The German international’s brace included an exquisitely-curled, left-footed winner from a free-kick on 71 minutes to keep Madrid on the tails of Barca and second-placed Atletico Madrid. Former Manchester United striker Manucho twice gave Valladolid first-half leads that Karim Benzema and Ozil cancelled out. Barcelona go to Real Betis on Sunday while Atletico, now only two points ahead of their city neighbours, entertain Deportivo La Coruna. Afterwards Real coach Jose Mourinho sent out his assistant Aitor Karanka to face the press and he was full of praise for the match winner. “Ozil was exceptional and did a lot of work off the ball as well, I think we saw the Mesut that we all want to see tonight. We changed it around at half-time in search of more width and the win and it paid off,” he said. Earlier, Mourinho had handed Nacho Fernandez his first start of the season in the league after an impressive performance in the win over Ajax on Wednesday while Jose Callejon, who hit a double that night, was also included. Madrid began well with Cristiano Ronaldo hitting a dipping drive just over the bar before Callejon tested Dani Hernandez in the home goal. But on seven minutes Valladolid went ahead through Manucho in their first real attack. When Pepe cleared a dangerous cross into the area, the resulting corner was not dealt with by the Madrid defence and the big Angolan striker was the quickest to react to hit his first of the evening. Within five minutes Benzema had equalised, Callejon took advantage of a Mikel Balenziaga slip to advance to the byeline and pull back a pass that gave the Frenchman an easy finish. Hernandez then had to punch clear a swerving free-kick from Ronaldo before Valladolid won another corner at the other end. Taken on the left, the same as the opener, German winger Patrick Ebert again whipped in a vicious inswinger that was met by Manucho’s head without a challenge. The impressive Ebert then smashed a free-kick just wide from distance before limping off with a muscle injury, a big loss for the home team. Hernandez had to be sharp to tip wide a Ronaldo drive but Valladolid were looking better organised and more capable of holding onto their lead the second time around. It was going to take something special to get Madrid back in the game and it came right on half-time. Ozil, who had been quiet until that moment, headed towards the area on a mazy run and exchanged passes with Benzema, who returned a neat back flick, before the German stabbed past Hernandez for the leveller. Mourinho cut short Nacho’s return at half-time, replacing him with Angel Di Maria, as a more attack-minded formation went in search of victory. His side were quick out of the blocks, Sergio Ramos headed wide a Xabi Alonso free-kick before Benzema had another shot stopped by Hernandez, who later made the save of the game from a Ramos header. The home side also contributed to what was an open and competitive game throughout. An Oscar Gonzalez shot that forced Iker Casillas into a stop was the closest they came to winning it. However, Ozil’s class was again the difference and his perfectly hit winner ensured the points went back to Madrid. Valencia won 1-0 at Osasuna to kick-off new coach Ernesto Valverde’s reign with a victory. Spain striker Roberto Soldado got the only goal on 55 minutes to move his side into the top half of the league while Osasuna remain in 16th position. Malaga thrashed Granada 4-0 to move into fourth. Two goals in each half, and some clinical finishing, were enough in a convincing win for the Costa del Sol side. Joaquin Sanchez got the first, before Javier Saviola, Ignacio Camacho and former Manchester City player Roque Santa Cruz added goals. Real Sociedad and Getafe stretched their unbeaten runs to five and four matches respectively with a 1-1 draw in which two headed goals came in the last five minutes. Angel Lafita put the visitors into the lead before Carlos Martinez grabbed a point for Sociedad in injury time. - AFP    |
| Former South Africa president Mandela admitted to the hospital Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:51 PM PST
A statement from President Jacob Zuma’s office gave no details of the condition of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. “Former President Mandela will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age,” the statement said. “President Zuma assures all that Madiba is doing well and there is no cause for alarm,” it added, referring to Mandela by his clan name. Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black president after the country’s first all-race elections in 1994, was admitted to hospital in February because of abdominal pain but released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with him. He has since spent most of his time in his ancestral home in Qunu, a village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province. His frail health prevents him from making any public appearances in South Africa, although in the last few months he has continued to receive high-profile visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton. - Reuters    |
| Egyptian military says only dialogue can avert disaster Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:49 PM PST
State broadcasters interrupted their programs to read out an army statement telling feuding factions that a solution to the upheaval in the most populous Arab nation should not contradict “legitimacy and the rules of democracy”. That sounded like a swipe at protesters who have besieged the palace of the freely elected president and called for his removal, going beyond mainstream opposition demands for him to retract a decree that expanded his powers. The statement also called for a “serious” national dialogue – perhaps one more credible than talks convened by Mursi on Saturday in the absence of opposition leaders. They insist he must first scrap his November 22 decree, defer next week’s popular vote on a new constitution and allow the text to be revised. Deep rifts have emerged over the destiny of a country of 83 million where the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 30 years of military-backed one-man rule led to a messy army-led transition, during which the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies won two elections. Many Egyptians crave stability and economic recovery. The spokesman for the main Islamist coalition demanded that the referendum go ahead on time on the constitution drafted by an Islamist-led assembly from which liberals had walked out. The army, which ran Egypt for months after Mubarak fell in February 2011, again cast itself primarily as the neutral guarantor of the nation. A military source said there was no plan to retake control of the country or its turbulent streets. Dark tunnel “The armed forces affirm that dialogue is the best and only way to reach consensus,” the statement said. “The opposite of that will bring us to a dark tunnel that will result in catastrophe and that is something we will not allow.” Mursi’s office said the president opened his “national dialogue” with about 40 political and other public figures discussing “means to reach a solution to differences over the referendum…and the constitutional decree”. Prime Minister Hisham Kandil told an Egyptian television channel that the talks had led to creating a committee to review Mursi’s November 22 decree and to work out legal ways to postpone the referendum. He said a new decree could be issued. “All options are on the table to reach consensus,” he said, adding that it was vital to take action to shore up Egypt’s economy that has been battered by the turmoil. The main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, which boycotted Mursi’s dialogue repeated its call on Saturday for scrapping the decree and the referendum on the constitution. Instability in Egypt worries the West, especially the United States, which has given Cairo billions of dollars in military and other aid since it made peace with Israel in 1979. The army might be pushing the opposition to join dialogue and Mursi to do more to draw them in, said Hassan Abu Taleb of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. He discounted the chance of direct military intervention, adding: “They realize that interfering again in a situation of civil combat will squeeze them between two rocks.” However, the military did seem poised to take a more active role in security arrangements for the December 15 referendum. A cabinet source said the cabinet had discussed reviving the army’s ability to make arrests if it were called upon to back up police, who are normally in charge of election security. According to the state-run daily al-Ahram, an expanded military security role might extend to the next parliamentary election and, at the president’s discretion, even beyond that. The army issued its statement while protesters were still camped out by the gates of the presidential palace. The tens of thousands of Mursi foes who surged past tanks and barbed wire to reach the palace gates on Friday night had dispersed. But a hard core stayed overnight in a score of tents. Leave Some had spray-painted “Down with Mursi” on tanks of the elite Republican Guard posted there after clashes between rival groups killed at least seven people and wounded 350 this week. Others draped the tanks with posters of Mursi and the word “Leave” scored across his face in red letters. “We are no longer calling for scrapping the decree and delaying the referendum,” Samir Fayez, a Christian protester at the palace, said. “We have one demand in five letters: leave.” Nearby, a Mursi supporter named Mohamed Hassan was quietly observing the scene. He suggested that the Muslim Brotherhood and its ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamist allies could easily overwhelm their foes if they chose to mobilize their base. “The Brotherhood and Salafis by themselves are few but they have millions of supporters who are at home and haven’t taken it to the streets yet,” murmured the 40-year-old engineer. The Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, denounced opposition protests that have swirled around the walls of Mursi’s palace, saying they “ruin legitimacy”. Badie said eight people, all of them Brotherhood members, had been killed this week and urged the interior minister to explain why police had failed to prevent assailants from torching the organization’s headquarters and 28 other offices. “Get angry with the Brotherhood and hate us as much as you like, but be reasonable and preserve Egypt’s unity,” he told a news conference. “We hope everyone gets back to dialogue.” The well-organized Brotherhood, which thrust Mursi from obscurity to power, remains his surest source of support. - Reuters    |
| Mass gay weddings, now legal, expected in Washington state Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:47 PM PST
Washington, Maine and Maryland became the first US states to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples by a popular vote, with the November passage of separate ballot measures that marked a watershed moment for gay rights. Washington’s law went into effect on Thursday, when hundreds of couples lined up to apply for marriage licenses, and the first legal same-sex weddings are due on Sunday after the expiry of a three-day waiting period required of all marriages. Diane Butzberger and Amanda Russ of Tacoma plan to be among the first of 140 couples to get married at Seattle’s City Hall on Sunday morning in a feted mass celebration. “So many older couples who’ve been mentors to us are going to be there,” said Russ, 39, a student at the Evergreen State College in Olympia. “We want to celebrate with them.” Much to her delight, the newlyweds will be treated by the city to a massive wedding cake. “It’s a cake for 400 gays and lesbians getting married,” said Russ, whose soon-to-be spouse is a hair stylist. “There’s no way that cake’s not going to be good. There’s no way it’s not going to be decorated perfectly.” The weddings come as U.S. public opinion has been shifting in favor of allowing same-sex nuptials, already made legal in six states and the District of Columbia by lawmakers or courts although not previously via a popular vote. Another 31 states have passed constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. A Pew Research Center survey from October found 49 percent of Americans favored allowing gay marriage, with 40 percent opposed. President Barack Obama in May became the first US president to say same-sex couples should be able to wed. The weddings come as the US Supreme Court stepped into the fray over gay marriage on Friday by agreeing to review two challenges to federal and state laws that define marriage as between a man and a woman. The high court agreed to review a federal law that denies married same-sex couples federal benefits, such as in taxes and immigration, that heterosexual couples receive. It also took on a challenge to California’s voter-approved gay marriage ban. Rocky path For same-sex couples now preparing to marry in Washington, the path to legalization has been a rocky one. The state’s Democratic-controlled legislature passed a bill to legalize gay marriage in February, and Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire swiftly signed it into law. But opponents collected enough signatures to temporarily block the measure from taking effect and force the issue onto the state ballot. Voters, by 54 percent to 46 percent, ultimately approved gay marriage at the polls. With Seattle City Hall unable to accommodate all the brides and grooms seeking to exchange vows on Sunday, a handful of King County judges have volunteered to marry couples in their courtrooms starting as the clock chimes midnight. Among those taking advantage of the atypical court hours will be Brendon Taga, 33, and Jesse Page, 30, of Seattle. “Getting the right to marry feels like a natural extension of something that already existed,” said Taga, a lawyer. Taga and Page had dreamed of holding a larger ceremony with friends and family next year on the beach in Taga’s native Hawaii. But when same-sex marriage passed in Washington state last month, they had a change of heart. “Hawaii’s still got a ways to go,” Taga said. “We want to spend our dollars where it can go to benefit citizens supporting us as a couple.” Couples issued a marriage license in Washington state have 60 days to get married, and not everyone is rushing to get hitched on Sunday. Amanda Beane and Anne Bryson-Beane of Seattle waited in line for their license at the King County Administration building Wednesday night, but will not be tying the knot until January 26. They’ll exchange vows before friends and family at Faith Lutheran church in Seattle. “I refused to talk about wedding preparations until the results were in,” said Beane, explaining the slight delay. Beane, who with her partner has seven adopted children between the ages of four and 12, said she hopes they will long remember the campaign to pass same-sex marriage in the state, and the sense of elation and acceptance that came with victory on November 6. “I hope one day they’re talking to their kids about it and their kids will be in disbelief that their grandmothers couldn’t get married,” she said. - Reuters    |
| Feted in Gaza, Hamas leader hits out at Israel Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:44 PM PST
A sea of flag-waving supporters poured into the city centre for celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Islamist group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip – a small splinter of coastal land – since 2007. Meshaal was born in the nearby West Bank but spent all his adult life in exile before arriving in Gaza on Friday for a triumphal visit. The trip comes two weeks after an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas that ended with a ceasefire. “Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on an inch of the land,” he told the crowds, saying he wanted the Palestinians to have all the territory that makes up modern-day Israel. “We will never recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation and therefore there is no legitimacy for Israel, no matter how long it will take,” he said. Hamas said 500,000 attended the four-hour rally, held under a leaden winter sky. There was no independent crowd estimate. “Oh dear Meshaal, your army struck Tel Aviv,” supporters chanted, referring to missiles that Hamas’s Qassam military brigade fired for the first time last month at Israel’s largest city, 70 km up the coast, and also at Jerusalem. “Oh Qassam, do it again, hit Haifa next time,” the crowds said, referring to a port city north of Tel Aviv. Hamas said it won the short conflagration, which killed some 170 Palestinians and six Israelis, mostly civilians. Israel disputes this, saying it not only killed Hamas’s top military commander but also destroyed much of the group’s arms stockpile. HAMAS MAKES PRIME TIME Once treated as a pariah organization by its neighbors, Hamas has seen its standing in the region rise on the back of Arab Spring uprisings that have ushered in several sympathetic Islamist governments sharing much of its own ideology. Underlining its improved status, delegations from a host of friendly states, including Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Bahrain, all attended the rally. By contrast, Israel, the United States and most Western governments view Hamas as a terrorist group. Meshaal picked out neighboring Egypt for particular praise, calling it “our backer”. He then took a swipe at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has led a deadly crackdown against a nationwide rebellion in his country. “Hamas does not support any regime or state that launches a bloody battle against its people,” said Meshaal, who quit his home in Syria earlier this year after falling out with Assad. Meshaal is seen as more moderate than many other Hamas officials, and although he stuck to the group’s hard line on Israel, he held out the chance of reconciliation with the rival Palestinian faction Fatah, which holds sway in the West Bank. “After the Gaza victory, it is time now for ending this chapter of division and build Palestinian unity,” he said. Hamas kicked Fatah out of the Mediterranean enclave after a brief civil war and all attempts to reconcile the two groups have failed so far. HAMAS OPEN TO LONG-TERM TRUCE While Hamas rejects dialogue with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party say they want a negotiated deal based on the lines that existed before the 1967 war, when Israel took the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Israel unilaterally left Gaza in 2005, but still imposes a land and sea blockade that it says is necessary to prevent arms smuggling. It continues to occupy the West Bank and has annexed East Jerusalem – a move not recognized internationally. Hamas’s charter calls for the destruction of Israel but its leaders have at times indicated a willingness to negotiate a prolonged truce in return for a return to 1967 lines – something Meshaal made no mention of at Saturday’s event. Israel tried and failed to assassinate Meshaal in 1997 and has stayed silent about his visit to Gaza. However, Israeli officials ridiculed the anniversary commemoration. “Hamas celebrates 25 years of murdering Israelis by rockets and suicide bombings as well as executing Fatah members and violating … human rights,” Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Twitter. In another shot across Israel’s bows, Meshaal promised to free Palestinians jailed in the Jewish state, indicating Hamas would try to kidnap Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips. Israel last year released 1,027 Palestinians from its jails in return for the liberation of Gilad Shalit, a conscript soldier who was seized by Palestinian guerrillas in 2006 and hidden away for more than five years in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians remain in Israeli jails, many accused of terrorism. Hamas says they are freedom fighters. “We will not rest until we liberate the prisoners. The way we freed some of the prisoners in the past is the way we will use to free the remaining prisoners,” Meshaal said. Toy guns, model rocket Meshaal, born in the West Bank in 1956, left with his family for exile in 1967 after Israel captured the territory. He now spends his time between Cairo and Qatar, and was expected to cross back into Egypt on Sunday or Monday to resume his position as Hamas’s key point person with foreign donors. Saturday’s rally was staged against the backdrop of a gigantic, panoramic picture of Jerusalem, including the golden-domed al-Aqsa mosque, which is one of Hamas’s symbols. A massive model of a Gaza-manufactured rocket dominated the set and small boys in army fatigues holding toy guns trooped onto the platform to be embraced by Meshaal. Speaking before him, a man identified only as a senior leader of the Qassam armed wing, his face covered by a checkered keffiyeh, said Hamas had used just a 10th of its capabilities in the November conflict with Israel. “This is evidence that the time of the occupation is over, your time Zionists is over. Your Frankenstein state is collapsing,” he said.    |
| Doha climate talks throw lifeline to Kyoto Protocol Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:36 PM PST
Many countries and environmentalists said the deal at the end of marathon two-week UN talks in OPEC-member Qatar would fail to slow rising temperatures or avert more floods, droughts, heatwaves and rising sea levels. Environment ministers extended until 2020 the Kyoto Protocol, which obliges about 35 industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions until the end of 2012. That keeps the pact alive as the sole legally binding climate plan. But the 1997 treaty, 23 days away from expiry, has been sapped by the withdrawal of Russia, Japan and Canada and its remaining backers, led by the European Union and Australia, now account for just 15 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions. “Much, much more is needed if we are really going to address climate change and reduce emissions,” said Kieren Keke, foreign minister of the Pacific island state of Nauru on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. He warned against endless talk that “locks in the death of our nations and of our children”. Most nations favored keeping even a shrunken Kyoto as a blueprint for future action. “It was not an easy ride. It was not a beautiful ride. It was not a fast ride, but we managed to cross the bridge and hopefully we can increase our speed,” European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said. China, India She said the deal would pave the way to talks on a new, global UN pact meant to be agreed in 2015 and enter into force in 2020, when Kyoto now expires. It will have emissions goals for all, including emerging nations led by China and India. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the deal but reckoned that “far more needs to be done,” his spokesman said. Environmentalists were unimpressed by the set of deals called the “Doha Climate Gateway”. “The UN climate talks failed to deliver increased cuts to carbon pollution, nor did they provide any credible pathway to US$100 billion per year in finance by 2020 to help the poorest countries,” the Climate Action Network-International said. “There’s a huge disconnect between the urgency on the outside and what happens here,” said Jennifer Haverkamp of the Environmental Defense Fund. The texts merely encouraged developed nations to raise aid from a current US$10 billion a year from 2010-12 to help the poor cut emissions and adapt to a changing climate. Some major nations voiced objections as soon as the applause ended in the final plenary yesterday night. US Climate Envoy Todd Stern said Washington could not accept a reference to a 1992 UN climate Convention in one text. And Russia said it opposed the terms for extending the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012. Russia wanted less stringent limits on unused carbon emissions permits, known as hot air. World carbon dioxide emissions are set to rise by 2.6 percent this year, and are about 58 percent higher than in 1990. Recent growth has come mostly from emerging nations, led by China and India. One decision raised the possibility of a new “mechanism” to help developing nations cope with losses and damage from everything from hurricanes to a creeping rise in sea levels. “Doha delivered just enough to keep the process moving. By resolving the key issues, all countries are now on a single track to enter into a new international climate agreement by 2015,” said Jennifer Morgan of the World Resources Institute. Kyoto obliged about 35 industrialized nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions by an average of at least 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the period from 2008 to 2012. The European Union, for instance, says it will deepen its cut to at least 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Kyoto would have expired at the end of 2012 without an extension. The nations pulling out – Russia, Japan and Canada – say it is meaningless to take on new targets when emerging nations have none. And Washington never ratified the pact. - Reuters    |
| Man suspected of involvement in Benghazi attack held in Egypt Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:31 PM PST
“They arrested Mohamed Gamal,” said one US official. The security source in Cairo, giving the man’s full name as Mohamed Gamal Abu Ahmed, said the suspect was being questioned about an alleged role in the attacks in Benghazi in September in which Christopher Stevens, the US ambassador, died along with three other American officials. US officials said Abu Ahmed’s group was suspected of a role in the violence but they were not sure whether he personally was involved. Abu Ahmed, released from an Egyptian prison in 2011 after the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, was originally arrested three weeks ago on charges of leading a militant cell that comprised members from Egypt and Libya. Egyptian security sources had earlier said the Abu Ahmed group, which they said had al Qaeda backing, was planning attacks in Egypt and abroad. Others linked to the group were arrested in October, including a Tunisian and a Libyan. - Reuters    |
| Pakistan’s Zardari in UK, meets girl shot by Taliban Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:29 PM PST
Yousufzai, who was shot in the head at close range by the Pakistan Taliban in October as she left school in the Swat valley, was flown for specialist treatment at the hospital which has treated hundreds of British soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. World leaders have since pledged to support her campaign and more than 250,000 people have signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism. Yousufzai was a “remarkable girl and a credit to Pakistan”, Zardari said in a brief statement issued by the hospital, after he and his daughter Asifa Bhutto held a five minute meeting with the teenager, her father and two brothers. During his visit to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham in the English midlands, Zardari was briefed on Yousufzai’s condition. He left without speaking to media. The hospital said on Saturday she was “well”. It has previously said she was recovering after suffering fractures to her skull and jawbone, but would need reconstructive surgery. - Reuters    |
| A vow is confirmed, a jihad grows – Jane’s Jihad Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:26 PM PST
Minutes earlier, an FBI agent had left a card on her door, requesting a call, and LaRose had known precisely what to do. She emailed her al-Qaeda handler for advice. It was July 17, 2009, and almost four months had passed since LaRose had agreed to kill in the name of Allah. Now, the FBI left a calling card on her doorstep. How had they found her? And what did they know? Her al-Qaeda handler, Eagle Eye, lived in Pakistan. He was wise. He was pious. He would guide her. LaRose, now 46, had never seen his face, but during online chats, he had seen hers. Her blonde hair, fair skin and green eyes made her a prized recruit, especially for the undertaking Eagle Eye had ordered. She would blend in nicely, avoiding suspicion. Eagle Eye’s plot called for her to travel to Sweden and murder Lars Vilks, the artist who had blasphemed the Prophet Mohammad. When LaRose reached Eagle Eye, he told her to call the agent back. Find out how much the FBI knows, he said. Obediently, LaRose dialed the number. The agent picked up. Have you ever visited extremist Islamic forums? he asked. No, never, she lied. Have you ever solicited money for terrorists? No. Another lie. Do you know anyone who goes by the online name Jihad Jane? No, LaRose said. The call didn’t last long, and the FBI agent didn’t reveal much. She couldn’t tell if the FBI had seen her YouTube posts supporting al-Qaeda and violent jihad. For more than a year, LaRose had clashed online with YouTube Smackdown, a group that flagged and reported hate speech and jihadist activity. Maybe they had contacted the FBI. But so what? Her YouTube rants couldn’t be considered a crime. Then again, what if the FBI knew more? What if agents had read messages LaRose exchanged with Eagle Eye in Pakistan or his associate Black Flag in Ireland? The men were al-Qaeda – that’s what they said, anyway. What about her jihadi friends inside the United States – the woman in Colorado and the teenager in Maryland? Did the FBI know about them? Or about her pledge to kill the Swedish artist? Despite the concerns, LaRose plunged forward. Without disguising herself, she began contacting fellow jihadists online. She warned them of the FBI’s visit and asked them to delete anything that might prove incriminating. Then LaRose took the next step on her path to martyrdom – an act she later described as one of the proudest moments in the conspiracy to kill the artist in Europe. She found a bargain flight to Amsterdam for $400. “I went straight to the airline,” she says today. “I didn’t use no middle person. I also made it two weeks ahead of time.” The plot, loose as it was, was advancing. Jihad Jane booked the flight for August 23. The honour student Shortly after the FBI agent left her duplex, LaRose emailed a high school student who lived near Baltimore, about 150 miles away. Please contact jihadi forum administrators, LaRose begged the teen. “Ask him to PLEASE remove ALL my posts… because I told the FBI guy I don’t know that site.” The teenager, who went by Hassan online, did as asked. “She is being threatened by the FBI,” he explained in a message to the forum administrators. Hassan wasn’t a creative pseudonym like Jihad Jane. It was simply the middle name of Mohammed H. Khalid, a gangly Pakistani immigrant who lived with his parents, older brother and two younger sisters in Ellicott City, Md. Khalid, 15, had met Jihad Jane on YouTube months earlier and their online friendship had grown quickly. By now, they were talking to some of the same people overseas: an al-Qaeda operative named Eagle Eye and a Muslim man in Ireland who called himself Black Flag. Like LaRose, Khalid had become radicalized watching videos of Muslim children maimed or killed in attacks by Israeli or American forces. Khalid was not a convert. He had been born a Muslim in Dubai and raised in Pakistan from age 11 to 14. His family, classic American immigrants seeking a better life for their children, had arrived in Maryland in 2007. Khalid’s father delivered pizzas. His mother kept the home. The family of six squeezed into a modern-day tenement, a tiny two-bedroom apartment selected for its location inside the best school district his parents could afford. In one bedroom, Khalid and his brother shared a mattress. In the other, his sisters lived beside stacked boxes of perfume the family peddled at a weekend flea market. Their parents slept on a mattress in the dining room. Khalid excelled during his first two years at Mt. Hebron High School. He earned A’s in English, Algebra, Science and U.S. History. He joined the chess club and later became an administrator for the school web site. Although his parents were thrilled with Khalid’s grades, they began to notice subtle changes. He seemed withdrawn and spent so much time alone in his bedroom on his laptop. They worried he might be downloading porn. If only. Eager to learn more about his Muslim heritage, the 15 year old had stumbled onto violent jihadi videos and become addicted. The anti-American rhetoric proved intoxicating to an immigrant boy struggling to find an identity in a place that embraced neither his race nor his religion. Khalid began translating from Urdu to English sermons and violent jihadi videos – snuff-style images of U.S. soldiers in the throes of death, and beheadings of Americans Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl. Khalid posted the videos and began to solicit money online for al-Qaeda. He never aspired to kill anyone personally. He later described himself as a “keyboard warrior.” “I will be a great facilitator,” he wrote to a friend. To shield his identity, Khalid studied basic terrorist tradecraft – how to use programs such as Pidgin to encrypt chats and Tor to cloak his location. He learned to use code words – for example, “HK” in place of “jihad.” The letters were chosen because J falls between H and K on the keyboard. Now, in mid-July 2009 – around the time Jihad Jane warned him about the FBI – Khalid launched a new online endeavor. It was brimming with teenage bravado. He called the blog Path to Martyrdom/Resisting the War Against al-Islaam. From the blog, Khalid linked to hundreds of videos of al-Qaeda sermons and violent attacks. He intended Path to Martyrdom to be anonymous. His keystrokes betrayed him. Pivoting between maintaining the school’s website and his new jihadist blog, he inadvertently linked the “About Me” section of Martyrdom to the wrong web page – the page for his high school track team. Jamie joins On August 1, 2009 – around the time LaRose found her bargain ticket to Europe – a 31-year-old woman sat before a laptop at her mother’s kitchen table in the remote town of Leadville, Colo. Jamie Paulin Ramirez felt stifled. Her young son, Christian, bounded past every now and then, and her nosy mother kept making excuses to stroll by. As discreetly as she could, Ramirez tried to shield the screen. She and her mom had clashed about her conversion to Islam. It wasn’t that her mother objected to the religion; she had married a Muslim herself. She just thought her daughter was overzealous. Ramirez feared her mom would launch into a tirade if she caught her chatting with her new Muslim friends, just as her mother criticized her for wearing a head scarf, or hijab. “When I would pray she would scream at me,” Ramirez recalled in a document reviewed by Reuters. “When I would wear my hijab to work and to the store, she would say it was embarrassing.” One of Ramirez’s new online friends was another recent convert to Islam, a woman from Pennsylvania who sometimes called herself Jihad Jane. They seemed a lot alike – they were both white, blonde, Americans. And each had gravitated toward Muslim men in Europe, including one man in Ireland. He had been trying to persuade Ramirez to bring her son and join him there. On this day, Jihad Jane wrote with big news: “Soon, I will be leaving for Europe to be with other brothers & sisters. When I get to Europe, I will send for you to come be there with me… This place will be like a training camp as well as a home.” “I would love to go over there,” Ramirez replied. Their chat turned to politics. And, years later, the brief exchange that followed would become part of the government’s case against both of them. Jihad Jane: “When our brothers defend our faith their homes, they are terrorist. Fine, then I am a terrorist and proud to be this.” Ramirez: “That’s right … If that’s how they call it, then so be it. I am what I am.” Ramirez was raised a Methodist, but she had become embittered toward God and abandoned religion years earlier following her sister’s death from cancer. Thrice divorced, Ramirez had moved in with her mother to save money. But they quarreled often, especially about her young son – what he should read, how he should pray, what he should eat for dinner, whether he should wear his hair short or long. Ramirez had been looking for a reason to leave. Her turn toward Islam had begun the year before, while researching a paper for a college class. Intrigued by what she learned about the religion, she continued reading. After a few months, she slipped down to a Denver-area mosque and converted. Now, her new, nonjudgmental friends on Islamic forums were enticing her to join them. The man in Ireland – the one Jihad Jane knew as Black Flag — pressed Ramirez hardest. Ramirez knew the man only by his real name, Ali Damache, and in his latest message to her, he persisted: Bring your son. Marry me. I will teach you Arabic and the mystical beauty of the Koran. Ramirez hesitated. Men had burned her so many times. She liked what she knew of Damache. He was nice – he complimented her on the color schemes of her hijabs. Even so…. Damache urged her to ask Allah for guidance. Pray for a week, each night before bedtime, he said, then consider the colors of the dreams: If the dreams come in white or green, it is a sign that she should to fly to Ireland with her son; if the dreams come in red or black, she and her son should stay in Colorado. Ramirez struggled to recall her dreams, but it wouldn’t matter. Damache told her he had prayed, too, and his dreams were glowing green – the color of Islam, and of Ireland. OK, Ramirez agreed, that must be a sign from Allah. She began shopping for two plane tickets to Ireland. The passports In the weeks leading up to her own flight to Europe, LaRose grew excited about what lay ahead. Finally, she would meet some true Muslims – men more righteous than she was, people wholly committed to the cause. They would teach her to pray and the ways of Allah. More important, they would accept her as one of their own. It would be an honor to fly to Amsterdam for training, then travel on to Sweden to carry out the killing. Her instructions: to shoot the artist Vilks six times in the chest. “That way,” LaRose recalls today, “they know it was not an accident. It was intended.” A short while before her flight, LaRose stole her boyfriend’s passport and birth certificate, presumably to provide false identification for the terrorists. LaRose located two of the boyfriend’s passports, one current and one expired, as well as several birth certificates. Following her handler’s instructions, LaRose mailed everything to young Khalid near Baltimore. Then, days before the flight to Amsterdam and the start of her new life, the realities of her old one intervened: Her boyfriend’s father suffered a heart attack. Soon after, he died. LaRose wasn’t deterred. She let her al-Qaeda associates know she was still coming. “I will be away from here in a couple days…” she wrote. “Then…I will get to work on important matters.” Within hours, LaRose heard a knock on the door of her home near Philadelphia. The FBI had returned. This time, LaRose answered. TOMORROW: The jihad begins How the series was reported: JANE’S JIHAD is based on six months of reporting in Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Ireland. The accounts, including the thoughts and actions of characters in the stories, are based on court records and other documents, many of them confidential, as well as interviews with people involved in the case. Reporter John Shiffman gained exclusive access to those documents and individuals. Many spoke only on condition of anonymity. In Ireland, the law forbids the government and defense lawyers from commenting until court proceedings are completed. In the United States, prosecutors do not typically comment before sentencing. The Reuters interview with Colleen LaRose, the woman who called herself Jihad Jane, is the only one she has granted. - Reuters    |
| Israel’s Olmert says country facing unprecedented isolation Posted: 08 Dec 2012 05:17 PM PST
He singled out Israel’s recent announcement that it would build new settlement homes in the E1 corridor near Jerusalem. The plan has sparked international protest. Olmert said such plans had been around for years. But making the announcement days after the United States sided with Israel against the Palestinians’ successful bid for de facto statehood recognition by the U.N. General Assembly was a slap in the face to the Jewish state’s main ally. “Bibi Netanyahu,” he said, using the prime minister’s nickname, “is isolating Israel from the entire world in an unprecedented way, and we will pay a high price in every facet of our lives, and the Israeli public should know it.” The settlement plans have provoked worldwide condemnation, with the United Nations, the United States and the European Union all voicing criticism of the project which they see as complicating any attempts at peace with Palestinians. In Berlin this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Netanyahu to avoid “one-sided moves”. Olmert, speaking on Israel’s “Meet the Press”, said he did not embark on a widely expected bid to run in Israel’s upcoming January election due to a lack of unity in the center-left bloc, as well as lingering legal troubles. A former head of the centrist Kadima party, Olmert was in July largely cleared of corruption charges that had forced him from office in 2008. - Reuters    |
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