West Asia News and Discussions (YEMEN, gulf)

All threads that are locked or marked for deletion will be moved to this forum. The topics will be cleared from this archive on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Locked
UlanBatori
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14045
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by UlanBatori »

JDAMs. New precision-delivery method for direct arms 'aid' delivery to Pakis, on their heads. Host of new types of sensors and mines. All sorts of toys need to be tested, and ISIS has been defined as "Pure Evil" by POTUS BO.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12067
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by A_Gupta »

Peter Kassig was a convert to Islam: Abdul-Rahman Kassig.
http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-david ... ter-kassig
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by SSridhar »

Saudi Arabia leans on Gulf states to close ranks as region boils - Reuters
Gulf Arab states have shelved a bitter row among themselves, hoping to repair an alliance that has been sorely tested by chaos in the Middle East and the prospect of an Iranian nuclear deal that could tilt the regional balance of power toward their old foe Tehran.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain agreed at a meeting on Sunday to return their ambassadors to Qatar, signaling an end to an eight-month dispute over Doha’s backing of Islamist militants in Syria and elsewhere and its promotion of Arab Spring revolts.


An official photograph showed Qatar’s youthful emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, kissing the head of Saudi King Abdullah, who is over 90, in reconciliation at the meeting of Gulf Arab rulers in Riyadh. The king was the driving force behind the closing of ranks, analysts and a diplomat said.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE withdrew their envoys in March. They accused Qatar of failing to abide by an agreement not to interfere in one another’s internal affairs and not to support the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, seen as a terrorist group by some Gulf Arab states. Qatar denies that charge.

Officials said the possibility of a thaw in relations between Tehran and the United States, the Gulf States’ main ally, following any nuclear accord was a constant preoccupation of Gulf Arab rulers, but was not the immediate cause of Sunday’s agreement.

The rulers instead appear to have mended fences for fear the row would otherwise spin out of control, possibly leading to a boycott of the annual summit their six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alliance to be hosted by Qatar next month. A boycott would have been a deep embarrassment to Qatar, amplifying an impression of GCC disarray and raising doubts about the point of a three-decade-old union of monarchies created to stand together against common adversaries. Nevertheless the top GCC concern is to protect its members, who see themselves as a rare Arab bastion of security, with Iraq and Syria at war, Yemen and Libya in chaos, Egypt destabilized and Lebanon undermined by the turmoil on its borders.

Referring to the region’s difficulties, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah said the accord among Gulf states was important because without it they would be “vulnerable to storms”, the state’s al-Rai newspaper said on Tuesday.

“GCC disunion was probably deemed as too dangerous by Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries for the stability of the region,” said Jean-Marc Rickli, assistant professor at the department of defense at King’s College London, based in Doha.
The Gulf’s Sunni Muslim dynasties also want to counter Iran, which they regard as an expansionist Shi’ite power bent on exporting its Islamic revolution to the Arab world.

A diplomatic source involved in the reconciliation efforts said that while Iran was not an immediate factor in Sunday’s meeting, “the concern over Iran and its nuclear work is always there and has never gone away”.

A deal to curb but not scrap Iranian uranium enrichment, which the West says is intended to develop a nuclear bomb, would alarm Israel and Gulf Arab rulers who fear the rise of a regional power hostile to their interests.

Iran and negotiators for six world powers are meeting in Vienna to try to seal an accord by a deadline of Nov 24.
“Even if it is just an interim agreement, it would give a boost to the Iranian posture,” said Sami alFaraj, a security adviser to the GCC. “The GCC needed to unify its stances, in light of Iran. Timing is of the essence.”

At Sunday’s meeting, King Abdullah secured a fresh pledge from Sheikh Tamim to curb Qatar’s support for the Brotherhood and end its media criticism of neighboring Gulf states, a diplomat said. There was no immediate confirmation of that report.

How long the agreement lasts is another question.

Some analysts say its durability is by no means assured, given the depth of Qatar’s ties to Islamist groups and its desire to continue to try to play a prominent role in regional affairs.

Alfaraj, the GCC security advisor, said he was cautiously optimistic. But UAE political scientist AbdulKhaleq Abdulla said that while the dispute could be seen as “officially” over, in reality that might not be the case. Qatar had to be given time to show that it was abiding by its commitments, he said.

“It is difficult to know what compromises were reached and how truly satisfied the various parties are,” said Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Rickli said the agreement was probably intended to stop the states intervening in each other’s internal affairs. “It is thus likely that we will continue to see different policies when it comes to supporting different actors and groups abroad”.
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

I did see a few reports that the Saudi ambassador has gone back to Qatar too a couple days ago.
member_28714
BRFite
Posts: 317
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by member_28714 »

A friend slaving in Saudi Arabia says shit is about to hit the fan from an economic perspective in SA. Everyday there are more people losing their jobs.
RajeshA
BRF Oldie
Posts: 16006
Joined: 28 Dec 2007 19:30

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by RajeshA »

I bet that the Sauds and the Zayeds and all the other Sheikhs in Gulf have now got the heebie jeebies, that Qatari proxies like ISIS could just about declare Jihad on the House of Saud, Zayed, and what not!

Possibly they fear that they do not have sufficient control over the ISIS movement!
krishnan
BRF Oldie
Posts: 7342
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 12:58
Location: 13° 04' N , 80° 17' E

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by krishnan »

that fear seems to have come true
gakakkad
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4667
Joined: 24 May 2011 08:16

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by gakakkad »

x -post from nukkad

dubai in all its glory

Image
There are three different Dubais, all swirling around each other. There are the expats, there are the Emiratis, headed by Sheikh Mohammed; and then there is the foreign underclass who built the city, and are trapped here. They are hidden in plain view. You see them everywhere, in dirt-caked blue uniforms, being shouted at by their superiors, like a chain gang – but you are trained not to look. It is like a mantra: the Sheikh built the city. The Sheikh built the city. Workers? What workers?
Every evening, the hundreds of thousands of young men who build Dubai are bussed from their sites to a vast concrete wasteland an hour out of town, where they are quarantined away. Until a few years ago they were shuttled back and forth on cattle trucks, but the expats complained this was unsightly, so now they are shunted on small metal buses that function like greenhouses in the desert heat. They sweat like sponges being slowly wrung out.
Sonapur is a rubble-strewn patchwork of miles and miles of identical concrete buildings. Some 300,000 men live piled up here, in a place whose name in Hindi means "City of Gold". In the first camp I stop at – riven with the smell of sewage and sweat – the men huddle around, eager to tell someone, anyone, what is happening to them.
Sahinal Monir, a slim 24-year-old from the deltas of Bangladesh. "To get you here, they tell you Dubai is heaven. Then you get here and realise it is hell," he says. Four years ago, an employment agent arrived in Sahinal's village in Southern Bangladesh. He told the men of the village that there was a place where they could earn 40,000 takka a month (£400) just for working nine-to-five on construction projects. It was a place where they would be given great accommodation, great food, and treated well. All they had to do was pay an up-front fee of 220,000 takka (£2,300) for the work visa – a fee they'd pay off in the first six months, easy. So Sahinal sold his family land, and took out a loan from the local lender, to head to this paradise.
As soon as he arrived at Dubai airport, his passport was taken from him by his construction company. He has not seen it since. He was told brusquely that from now on he would be working 14-hour days in the desert heat – where western tourists are advised not to stay outside for even five minutes in summer, when it hits 55 degrees – for 500 dirhams a month (£90), less than a quarter of the wage he was promised. If you don't like it, the company told him, go home. "But how can I go home? You have my passport, and I have no money for the ticket," he said. "Well, then you'd better get to work," they replied.
Sahinal was in a panic. His family back home – his son, daughter, wife and parents – were waiting for money, excited that their boy had finally made it. But he was going to have to work for more than two years just to pay for the cost of getting here – and all to earn less than he did in Bangladesh.
He shows me his room. It is a tiny, poky, concrete cell with triple-decker bunk-beds, where he lives with 11 other men. All his belongings are piled onto his bunk: three shirts, a spare pair of trousers, and a cellphone. The room stinks, because the lavatories in the corner of the camp – holes in the ground – are backed up with excrement and clouds of black flies. There is no air conditioning or fans, so the heat is "unbearable. You cannot sleep. All you do is sweat and scratch all night." At the height of summer, people sleep on the floor, on the roof, anywhere where they can pray for a moment of breeze.
The water delivered to the camp in huge white containers isn't properly desalinated: it tastes of salt. "It makes us sick, but we have nothing else to drink," he says.
The work is "the worst in the world," he says. "You have to carry 50kg bricks and blocks of cement in the worst heat imaginable ... This heat – it is like nothing else. You sweat so much you can't pee, not for days or weeks. It's like all the liquid comes out through your skin and you stink. You become dizzy and sick but you aren't allowed to stop, except for an hour in the afternoon. You know if you drop anything or slip, you could die. If you take time off sick, your wages are docked, and you are trapped here even longer."
He is currently working on the 67th floor of a shiny new tower, where he builds upwards, into the sky, into the heat. He doesn't know its name. In his four years here, he has never seen the Dubai of tourist-fame, except as he constructs it floor-by-floor.
Is he angry? He is quiet for a long time. "Here, nobody shows their anger. You can't. You get put in jail for a long time, then deported." Last year, some workers went on strike after they were not given their wages for four months. The Dubai police surrounded their camps with razor-wire and water-cannons and blasted them out and back to work.
The "ringleaders" were imprisoned. I try a different question: does Sohinal regret coming? All the men look down, awkwardly. "How can we think about that? We are trapped. If we start to think about regrets..." He lets the sentence trail off. Eventually, another worker breaks the silence by adding: "I miss my country, my family and my land. We can grow food in Bangladesh. Here, nothing grows. Just oil and buildings."
Since the recession hit, they say, the electricity has been cut off in dozens of the camps, and the men have not been paid for months. Their companies have disappeared with their passports and their pay. "We have been robbed of everything. Even if somehow we get back to Bangladesh, the loan sharks will demand we repay our loans immediately, and when we can't, we'll be sent to prison."
This is all supposed to be illegal. Employers are meant to pay on time, never take your passport, give you breaks in the heat – but I met nobody who said it happens. Not one. These men are conned into coming and trapped into staying, with the complicity of the Dubai authorities.
Sahinal could well die out here. A British man who used to work on construction projects told me: "There's a huge number of suicides in the camps and on the construction sites, but they're not reported. They're described as 'accidents'." Even then, their families aren't free: they simply inherit the debts. A Human Rights Watch study found there is a "cover-up of the true extent" of deaths from heat exhaustion, overwork and suicide, but the Indian consulate registered 971 deaths of their nationals in 2005 alone. After this figure was leaked, the consulates were told to stop counting.
At night, in the dusk, I sit in the camp with Sohinal and his friends as they scrape together what they have left to buy a cheap bottle of spirits. They down it in one ferocious gulp. "It helps you to feel numb", Sohinal says through a stinging throat. In the distance, the glistening Dubai skyline he built stands, oblivious.

the glitz and glamour of the shakina "developed" arap nations is slowly unmasking..
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

gakakkad wrote:x -post from nukkad

the glitz and glamour of the shakina "developed" arap nations is slowly unmasking..

Watch this video.
chanakyaa
BRFite
Posts: 1723
Joined: 18 Sep 2009 00:09
Location: Hiding in Karakoram

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by chanakyaa »

gakakkad wrote:x -post from nukkad

dubai in all its glory

There are three different Dubais, all swirling around each other. There are the expats, there are the Emiratis, headed by Sheikh Mohammed; and then there is the foreign underclass who built the city, and are trapped here. They are hidden in plain view. You see them everywhere, in dirt-caked blue uniforms, being shouted at by their superiors, like a chain gang – but you are trained not to look. It is like a mantra: the Sheikh built the city. The Sheikh built the city. Workers? What workers?
Dubai, built on sweat and blood of South Asians, is as glitzy as blood diamonds of South Africa. I've seen it. Fortunately, as a professional, I never had to go through it but I shared a flat with a desi who supervised people shown in the above picture. The tragedy is that for decades labor from India, Bangla and SL have travelled to ME and lived in treacherous conditions to build roads and buildings while their home countries were/are in desperate need of the same infrastructure. If we had learned the technique of creating debt and then debasing it using inflation, all that human power would have helped India and our neighbor countries build glitzy cities like Dubai at the expense of foreigners...a way to go. Inspite of all this history we continue to support these countries be it shopping or allowing Sheikhs to invest in real estate in India. Pathetic
dnivas
BRFite
Posts: 494
Joined: 05 Dec 2008 05:54

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by dnivas »

ISIS executes 39 indians

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/isis- ... 141127.htm
In shocking news, 39 of the 41 Indian construction workers, who were abducted by ISIS militants, have reportedly been executed.

The men, who were working for a Turkish construction company in Mosul, were abducted in mid-June when the jihadists overran the Iraqi region.
poor souls
vishvak
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 5836
Joined: 12 Aug 2011 21:19

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vishvak »

Other than ISIS barbarians, the Turkish construction company must also be made answerable. The media must ask why they treated the workers from India differently than ones from Bangladesh. We can not keep quite here about any excuses the ISIS barbarians throw up.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Self Delete- Incomplete Post
Last edited by Mukesh.Kumar on 28 Nov 2014 04:13, edited 1 time in total.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Analyzing Oman-The Omani Identity- Part B

2.2.2 Splits within Oman: Modern Oman is a new construct, less than fifty years only. Only with the ascension to the throne of the current Sultan did the country change its name from Sultanate of Muscat and Oman to Sultanate of Oman. Scratch the surface and you find tribal and regional identities. There are religious, tribal and regional groupings which have been held together under the firm and unifying rule of the Sultan, but there are still centrifugal tendencies.

2.2.2.1 Tribal Nature: Omani society continues to be highly tribal with limited intermarriage between various sub-groups. Who you know, or, rather ‘wusta’ determines your potential success. Even today depending on the family name, you can make out from which part of the country someone has come from.
Image

One of the biggest impacts of this is found in the government employment market where having the right family name can open doors. In a society where even today public sector jobs are more valued than private sector (because of better hours, better retirement plans and salaries, better holidays) this has driven favoritism.

It is an uneasy mix and Omani society still has some time to go before these vanish. The implication is that if Oman were to try an overnight transition to democracy the chances of chaos and tribalism issues may bubble up as each sub-group tries to jockey for power. Below is a compendium of key family names and the area they come from. Though superficially Arabic is the key language of Oman, scratching the surface one will find that at least 9 dialects of varying origin are still spoken in Oman. Oman is not as homogenized as other GCC states, and any interested observer has to take into account the opinions of the different parts of if one is to make any sense of the pot-pouri.


2.2.2.2 Religious Fault lines: Officially, Ibadism is the religion of Oman. Ibadism which is a highly conservative, yet more tolerant version of Sunni branch broke off from the main body under the 4th Caliph, Ali. The bedrock of Ibadi belief in Oman was centered around Nizwa. However, parts of Oman have sizeable Sunni populations and a sizeable Shia community. Oman, till now has been tolerant of other religions also with Muscat being host to two churches and three temples. Additionally, Wahabi influence from Saudi has been resisted actively by the government who are very wary of this.

Though Oman is dominated by Ibadi’s, the small Shia population are economically and politically strong punching above their weight with many key ministers and business houses (specially the Lawati’s) doing well. As wont this has led to undercurrents in society. In fact the strength of the Shia community has provided both an opportunity and created a weakness in Oman. Because of traditional linkages with Iran from the community and other historical factors, Oman has been one of the rare countries in the world to have had great terms with both US/UK and Iran. At the same time there is resentment against the Shia community from the majority who see the huge charitable donations they make to Iran and feel that these guys are not Omani enough. Even today there are murmurs within the Lawati community that if the Sultan is succeeded by someone not as strong as him, these guys will be singled out. It’s likely that the same fears are present among the small Hindu Omani community who are prominent in business here.

So though Oman is about 70% Ibadi, the relative power of other communities balance out this dominance with Shia’s and Iranian influence having a voice in national discourse.


2.2.2.3 Regional Centrifugal Tendencies-
Primarily based on tribal affiliations, there are distinct patterns to Omani regional preferences:
Image

Batinah- The fertile coastal belt north of Muscat has supported most of the traditional agriculture in Oman. With its long coastline it has also been a trading stop for ships from Basra, Bandar Abbas and the Makran coast. Over time, when borders were not so tightly defined these people have intermarried with clan members in what is now UAE. As UAE has grown with petro-dollars, mercantilism and government largesse, these families have seen their erstwhile poorer relatives grow wealthier and there is a sense of envy and of being deprived among them. No wonder that the biggest Arab Spring protests in Oman happened in this region. Specific trouble spots would be Shinas and Liwa wilayats.

Sharqiya- South of Muscat along the coast, often the residents of this area are called Bedu/ Bedouin by their compatriots. There is a strong sense of a slightly distinct identity among the people here. (Personal hypothesis, for some reason there seems to a high preponderance of people from this area to work in UAE- anyone travelling through this belt will be amazed by the number of Abu Dhabi and Dubai number plate vehicles driven by locals 400 km from the UAE border). Like the northern Batinah tribal groups citizens residing don’t have as strong ties with Muscat. Historical incidents like members of the Bahwan clan trying to set themselves up as popular choices.

Dhofar- Dhofari’s with the history of their revolution, their mountain ways, their own different languages, and climate, and the fact that they are separated from the rest of Oman by almost 800 km of empty desert, continue to believe in a separate identity. Whether that is enough to cause a fissure in future is anybody’s guess, but incidentally the second largest Arab Spring protests in Oman happened at Salalah the capital of this region.

2.2.3 A Society in Flux: Oman is a society in flux. A very young population (median<25 years), rapidly changing ways, from camel to Camry in 30 years, a rising number of educated unemployed youth, a government not flush with oil money.

2.2.3.1 Restive Young Society- Young society where people look at other GCC countries and feel like poor country cousins, a nascent national identity, Omani’s are a restive lot. Unemployment (at 15%), more specifically youth unemployment (~18%), a feeling that the government is not doing enough to provide either government jobs or forcing private companies to provide more white collar jobs or curbing the influx of expatriates had been one of the reasons behind the outpouring of discontent during the Arab-Spring protests in Oman.

Image
Another factor which, while not unique to Oman among other Arab societies, but worth noting is the concept of a bride price. Adding in the fact that an Omani man must also provide his wife with a house/ apartment/ extension to family home at marriage, it results in Omani’s spending close to two-three years earnings on their wedding. This has driven average marriage age higher, resulted in increased indebtedness of Omani’s to banks and has fueled increased discontent among youth.

Housing demand in a rapidly urbanizing society, driven by nuclear families and traditional marriage requirements is also a factor driving increased discontent among salaried Omani’s. Since all the land is owned by the Government, new houses can only come up when the government lotteries off plots post development- A process which has lagged behind the rapid increase in demand. This and the limited availability of loans (especially from banks who ask for a threshold salary before giving a loan).


2.2.3.2 Gender Relations- Compared to most GCC nations, Oman’s has a more open society. In fact the ubiquitous ‘abaya’, that one sees in Oman entered Oman as a fashion statement in the mid-eighties from Bahrain. Even today, one sees changes in abaya fashion every year. It retreats a bit, becomes longer, becomes lacy, tighter, more open, more colourful.
Like women’s fashion, women’s rights have also moved ahead, at a slow but steady pace. Since the beginning the Sultan has encouraged women’s participation in a more open society. In fact if one looks at literacy rates and education numbers then a picture emerges that while enrollment of females at the primary school level lags behind males slightly, at the graduate level women easily outnumber men.
Image

Though, the previous generation preferred staying at home, the younger generation of female Omani’s are increasingly stepping out into the workforce and availing of foreign education sponsored by the government.


2.2.3.3 Baby steps to democracy- Following the Arab Spring, the government announced an extension to the advisory Majlis al Dawla which had consisted of 83 nominated members before by adding 84 seats to be democratically elected to the Majlis-al-Shura,. In a country voting for the first time, with no political parties, where about 1.5 mn odd are eligible to vote for about 84 seats, all it would take on an average is 10,000 odd votes to come to power. It’s a small step, but significant. As can be expected the new lawmakers have been more populist, or, rather are yet to gain the kind of experience that would be needed to run a country. With no parties allowed officially, it will take Oman’s newly elected lawmakers some time before they can emerge as full-fledged decision makers. One hopes that Oman does not go the Kuwait way which seems to be stuck in limbo due to political tussles.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Oman today has been stitched into a cohesive identity under Sultan Qaboos. Characteristics of which are a sense of difference from other GCC states. Ibadism which has been the primary religion of Oman, has been tolerant till now. But it's also a society in flux with internal faultlines based on tribal affiliation, economic issues. Till today, Oman has been able to steer a path away from Regional conflicts with a balancing act between Shia Iran and other Sunni Arab states. But all this can change. And here lies the crux of Oman- the country's primary identity is derived from the personage of the Sultan. In his absence the country can splinter or settle into a mess. It can become a stage for a proxy war between Sunni's (backed by Saudi/ UAE) and Shia Iran.


P.S.
RajeshA wrote:Before Qaboos goes, he should sign an Instrument of Accession to India! :wink:
- Let's forget anything of the ilk. Despite their tolerance of other religions and better relations with India, the ordinary Omani, will not in anyway be able to live down an accession or an openly preferential treaty with India. If everyday, you treat your construction worker and neighbourhood coffee-shop guy with condescension it will be extremely hard for you to want to be a part of his country openly. Perhaps the better way would be to form a strategic partnership whereby the Indian military in exchange of basing rights, intelligence and support enable Oman to continue on its path of independent foreign policy. I will cover this more in the part on 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

For further Reading on History of Oman/ GCC I would highly recommend the following sources:
1) J.E.Peterson- An in-depth view of Omani culture can be found in the follwoing two papers:
a) Oman_Diverse_Society_Northern_Oman
b) Oman_Diverse_Society_Southern_Oman
2) On the society,dress, culture and difference's of various GCC states.
3) For data on Oman, a great source of statistics would be National Center for Statistics and Information
abhik
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3090
Joined: 02 Feb 2009 17:42

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by abhik »

So how are we going to respond to the news of the killing of the Indian workers? More pusillanimity or are we going to put some fear onto IS and their handlers.
JE Menon
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7127
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by JE Menon »

Mukesh, what is the source of your data on population, tables and charts. If it's in there I can't seem to find it.

On the families you have mentioned it is a personal collection based on anecdotal interactions.

thanks for the write up.
uddu
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2091
Joined: 15 Aug 2004 17:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by uddu »

39 out of 40 kidnapped Indians were killed by ISIS

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/isis ... 04112.html

Two Bangladeshi construction workers, who were kidnapped by ISIS militants in Iraq along with Indian workers in June, have confirmed that the militants (Jihadi terrorists) shot dead 39 out of the 40 kidnapped Indians, while one worker miraculously survived the execution to tell the story of the tyranny unleashed by the group.

According to reports, a correspondent of an Indian news channel, who travelled to Iraq on spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shanker's peace mission, met Shafi and Hasan, the two Bangladeshi construction workers in Kurdistan's capital Erbil, which has been a safe heaven for people running from the ISIS.

They told the correspondent that they were among the 53 Bangladeshi workers who were kidnapped along with the 40 Indian workers in Mosul in June. The gun-wielding men, who were holding the Holy Quran, inquired about their faith. They later assured them that they would be taken to Erbil. The Indian workers also thought they would be released unscathed. Later, both the Indian and Bangladeshi workers were segregated.

According to the men, after some days, an Indian worker named Harjeet Masih joined them and told that his fellow Indian workers had been shot by the militants after they were being taken to a hilly terrain, 6 kilometres away from the spot where Bangladeshi workers were kept.

Harjeet told them that his fellow Indian workers were killed on June 15. He survived as he pretended to be dead. Shafi and Hasan said Harjeet also had two bullet injuries. However, he was fine as the bullets had brushed past him.

Harjeet later reached a place named Al Jamia, where he told the ISIS men that he was a Bangladeshi worker named Ali.

He joined the Bangladeshi workers and narrated them his ordeal. He lived with them pretending to be a Muslim. He offered daily namaz to deceive the ISIS militants.

"On the way to Erbil, we were checked by the Iraqi military. We had informed our embassy. Harjeet was with us. They took our photos and we were taken to Erbil in an official vehicle," Hasan told the news channel .

However, he lost touch with the Bangladeshi workers after they reached Erbil.

These claims had also been made by another Bangladeshi worker, who had told a newspaper that he had met an Indian men. (Click to read the report)

According to reports, the current whereabouts of this lone Indian survivor are not confirmed currently, but he has spoken to his mother over the phone.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken a note of the report and are investigating the matter.

When is India going to deploy our forces to fight and destroy the Islamic state? How much more time is required before we start to pound the Islamic state and bring it on its knees before others in the neighborhood finishes it off.
A direct involment is now required. If want to take the U.N along that's also fine. Whoever wants to join can join. Lets do some target practice in Islamic state until it's completely eliminated.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

@JeM-The source for the population data is the Oman government's census final results in 2010. I had the downloaded PDF on my hard drive and made them into charts. Unfortunately the specific site Omancensus.net is inoperable now. Recent updated numbers can be found from the NCSI site. The source for education data is the annual year book of data published by NCSI for 2013. Here again, I pulled data and made it into my own charts.
JE Menon
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7127
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by JE Menon »

Thanks mate.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Analyzing Oman- 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India

Here we look at the importance of the country of Oman for its importance for India. The primary thrust of this essay is Oman’s geostrategic importance to India because of its geographical presence, but the article also looks at the other factors also. The structure is:

1.1 Oman’s economic importance to India (Business/ Natural resources/ Remittances or Employment market)
1.2. Possible shared foreign policy interests
1.3. Military importance



1.1. Economic Importance to India: Oman, while a much smaller economy compared to the other Gulf economies has its own advantages for India. Let’s look at various aspects of Oman’s economic importance to India.

1.1.1. Indian Business- Many important Indian business houses over time have invested in Oman. Key business interests in Oman include L&T (involved in construction – tieup with the Zubair Corporation one of the key influential business families in Oman, fabrication yard in Sohar); Jindal- Steel plant in Sohar; Yusuf Ali’s Lulu Hypermarkets (10 Hypermarkets); IFFCO (fertiliRPG Group (KEC Tower construction); Galfar (Omani firm founded by Md. Ali and staffed with Indians); Services and Trade (Construction firm and Joinery business founded by PNC Menon of Shobha Developers- rather it’s the other way round, S&T was founded which followed by Shobha); Tata Group with tie-ups in LCV/MCV’s with Al Hashar Group. Together Indian firms through various entities have sizeable business interests in Oman. Unlike UAE, most of the business in Oman is no trading but manufacturing. It’s in Indian interest to protect these businesses and in future influence can be exerted through them. It’s easy to setup a business in Oman, energy is cheap and corporate taxation is low. Furthermore, basing an industry in Oman gives greater access to the GCC market (even without the Customs Union, it is possible to export goods at 0% duty to the rest of the market). Excluding UAE, Oman is the likeliest and most easy place for firms to start out from. With the proposed GCC railway link coming up, it will become easier and cheaper not only to service GCC but the rest of the markets in West Asia.

Image

The only drawback to investing in Oman is the lack of trained local manpower and the slightly stringent laws forcing firms to employ nationals. However, with oil prices on the way South, a situation may come soon when the government to encourage employment generation may ease the way and further give tax breaks and investment incentives to invest in Oman.

1.1.2- Natural Resources- Ok, Oman does not have much oil (about 0.5% of proven global reserves). At least not that much that is known to be available for exploitation. While future discoveries near the Saudi border, or offshore can change that, Oman has already moved ahead with several EOR projects to balance its falling oil yield. There is a prospect of finding more oil in the future in Southern Oman, but for now the interest in Oman continues to build up around natural gas. Oman’s oil production is expected to degrow within the decade unless there are some new-breakthroughs in extraction techniques.

Image

The attractiveness of Oman from the point of view of India would be in Natural Gas imports and the prospect of building energy intensive industries in Oman who can take advantage of cheap gas to manufacture and export to home markets like India. Other areas of interest could be mining for iron, copper, limestone, etc which have potential given Oman’s convoluted geological history. Other resources that can be attractive are fishing rights. With a low population base and a huge coastline, Oman jutting out into the Arabian Sea can be used as a base for fishing.

1.1.3 Remittances- Officially, there is just over 0.5 mn Indian expatriates based out of Oman. Compared to other GCC, Oman has treated expatriates much better. While not comparable to UAE, expatriates from Oman remit close to USD 3 bn every year (4% of total remittances to India). It is a sizable amount and of interest for us to secure.
Image
Source: UNCTAD data


This is Part A. Will continue next part and cover possible shared interests in Foreign Policy and other areas in Part B. Will cover Duqm in Part C which will be the key to Oman's development in Part C
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Analyzing Oman- 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India- Part B


1.2. Possible shared foreign policy interests

While no nations can be friends or natural allies permanently, at this point of time Oman and India share certain common interests.


1.2.1Piracy- Oman sits just off the edge of the piracy affected areas off the East Coast of Africa. In fact in the past few years Muscat has become the jump-on/jump-off city for many of teams of security guards that routinely crew the tankers and bulkers going round the Horn of Africa. The Omani Navy is fledging and not geared for the task. Where Oman becomes concerned is that it’s two key ports- Salalah and the upcoming Duqm fall within easy range of the pirates activities. In fact just three years ago, an Indian flagged tanker was hijackedfrom just outside Salalah port and the Omani Navy could do nothing about it. . This is an opportunity for the Indian Navy to seek permanent basing rights in Oman establish a naval presence. At one shot it provides four benefits:
a) Security against piracy
b) Jump-off point for operations on East African seaboard
c) A Western flank open against Pakistan in case of war, a listening post otherwise
d) Control over the Straits of Hormuz

1.2.2 Narcotics-
Though nothing comes out in the papers, Oman's youth have a drug problem. Proximity to the Golden Crescent, Omani shores are landing ground for both drugs smuggled from Iran and Pakistan. A possible area of interest could be joint-policing, help with coast line monitoring and establishment of treatment facilities (or at the least access to drug-rehabilitation clinics in India for the children of well to do families).

1.2.3 Relations with Iran-
Unlike other GCC nations, Oman has had a balanced relationship with Iran. A contributing factor can be the presence of a large Shia community in Oman, but in my opinion it has been mainly because of the centrist policy of the Sultan who has tried to maintain good relationships with all neighbours. In fact over the years Oman has been a conduit for back-door talks between the US and Iran. Case in point is Oman facilitating the November round of US/ EU-Iran nuclear talks. As far back as 2005, Sultan Qaboos had been advising the US government on opening talks with Iran and advising the US on issues in the Gulf.
India, like Oman, has a non-adversarial, if not a shared interest in the integrity and well being of Iran. This is an area for co-operation. Tying Oman and Iran together gives us the flexibility of covering both sides of the straits of Hormuz, tying in sizable oil sources and form a plank for keeping it all together if and when sanctions against Iran start. More on the Oman Iran relationships and recent economic underpinnings for it here, hereand here.

1.2.4 Relations with other GCC States-
While part of the GCC council, Oman has steered a paththat is in its own interests. It has had boundary issues with Suadi and UAE. Furthermore, it is wary of the religious exports from these countries. So while not adversarial Oman also does not have great relations with these countries. Oman in many ways would favour tying up with a neutral balancing power that can help offset these regional heavies. Time for Pax Indica?
In fact, given the fact that Oman is within the GCC, a tie-up with Oman for intelligence gathering, access to Dubai and Saudi can be an asset which needs to be developed. A great place to source operatives for collecting intelligence on D-Company activities in Dubai, monitor Arabic language media and chatter.

1.2.5 East Africa-
The East African littoral had been an Omani sphere of influence. Though political power has eroded over time, cultural ties and long established family ties keep East Africa alive in Oman as an area of interest. Being in the neighborhood, Oman's interests lies in a stable region. As Indian firms and the government look towards Africa, Oman can be a suitable partner and a source of intelligence for expansion into East Africa.

1.2.6 Pakistan-
While Oman will tend not to take sides, Oman has concerns regarding the extremism emanating out of Pakistan and the increased presence of narcotics hitting Omani shores which have origins in Oman. Given the current situation, Oman surely will side with a strong India which can walk the talk. As a neighbour, Oman would have intelligence on Pakistan which can be tapped into for Indian use.

1.2.7 ISIS et al-
Given a society which has recently been united under the Sultan, a sectarian mix, Oman is inclined to keep a strong grip over not letting ISIS et al get a footing in the country. In the absence of a strong central leader and a coherent policy, there is danger of fragmentation, of becoming a proxy battleground between Saudi and Iran. Till now Oman has been able to avoid terrorist activities through vigilance and partly because the Ibbadi majority has not taken sides in the Shia-Sunni schism running through this part of teh world. There have been occasional murmurs of uprising and at least two documented =698#.VHhFrMkjMXE]casesthat I could find online
RajeshA
BRF Oldie
Posts: 16006
Joined: 28 Dec 2007 19:30

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by RajeshA »

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:
RajeshA wrote:Before Qaboos goes, he should sign an Instrument of Accession to India! :wink:
-
Let's forget anything of the ilk. Despite their tolerance of other religions and better relations with India, the ordinary Omani, will not in anyway be able to live down an accession or an openly preferential treaty with India. If everyday, you treat your construction worker and neighbourhood coffee-shop guy with condescension it will be extremely hard for you to want to be a part of his country openly. Perhaps the better way would be to form a strategic partnership whereby the Indian military in exchange of basing rights, intelligence and support enable Oman to continue on its path of independent foreign policy. I will cover this more in the part on 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India
Mukesh.Kumar ji,

thanks for your insights into Oman!

As I mentioned, it is a question of fear. If Omanis are not afraid, they would not and need not think of looking for protection!

The way Middle East is moving, with its iterations of Sunni-Radicalization, when do the Omanis think, that ISIS or Jundullah or Taliban would be knocking on their doors? When Yemen can go down the black-hole with sectarian violence, why are Omanis so confident that they have immunity?

What is their Plan-B?
Aditya_V
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14332
Joined: 05 Apr 2006 16:25

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Aditya_V »

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:Analyzing Oman- 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India

Here we look at the importance of the country of Oman for its importance for India. The primary thrust of this essay is Oman’s geostrategic importance to India because of its geographical presence, but the article also looks at the other factors also. The structure is:

1.1 Oman’s economic importance to India (Business/ Natural resources/ Remittances or Employment market)
1.2. Possible shared foreign policy interests
1.3. Military importance



1.1. Economic Importance to India: Oman, while a much smaller economy compared to the other Gulf economies has its own advantages for India. Let’s look at various aspects of Oman’s economic importance to India.

1.1.1. Indian Business- Many important Indian business houses over time have invested in Oman. Key business interests in Oman include L&T (involved in construction – tieup with the Zubair Corporation one of the key influential business families in Oman, fabrication yard in Sohar); Jindal- Steel plant in Sohar; Yusuf Ali’s Lulu Hypermarkets (10 Hypermarkets); IFFCO (fertiliRPG Group (KEC Tower construction); Galfar (Omani firm founded by Md. Ali and staffed with Indians); Services and Trade (Construction firm and Joinery business founded by PNC Menon of Shobha Developers- rather it’s the other way round, S&T was founded which followed by Shobha); Tata Group with tie-ups in LCV/MCV’s with Al Hashar Group. Together Indian firms through various entities have sizeable business interests in Oman. Unlike UAE, most of the business in Oman is no trading but manufacturing. It’s in Indian interest to protect these businesses and in future influence can be exerted through them. It’s easy to setup a business in Oman, energy is cheap and corporate taxation is low. Furthermore, basing an industry in Oman gives greater access to the GCC market (even without the Customs Union, it is possible to export goods at 0% duty to the rest of the market). Excluding UAE, Oman is the likeliest and most easy place for firms to start out from. With the proposed GCC railway link coming up, it will become easier and cheaper not only to service GCC but the rest of the markets in West Asia.

Image

The only drawback to investing in Oman is the lack of trained local manpower and the slightly stringent laws forcing firms to employ nationals. However, with oil prices on the way South, a situation may come soon when the government to encourage employment generation may ease the way and further give tax breaks and investment incentives to invest in Oman.

1.1.2- Natural Resources- Ok, Oman does not have much oil (about 0.5% of proven global reserves). At least not that much that is known to be available for exploitation. While future discoveries near the Saudi border, or offshore can change that, Oman has already moved ahead with several EOR projects to balance its falling oil yield. There is a prospect of finding more oil in the future in Southern Oman, but for now the interest in Oman continues to build up around natural gas. Oman’s oil production is expected to degrow within the decade unless there are some new-breakthroughs in extraction techniques.

Image

The attractiveness of Oman from the point of view of India would be in Natural Gas imports and the prospect of building energy intensive industries in Oman who can take advantage of cheap gas to manufacture and export to home markets like India. Other areas of interest could be mining for iron, copper, limestone, etc which have potential given Oman’s convoluted geological history. Other resources that can be attractive are fishing rights. With a low population base and a huge coastline, Oman jutting out into the Arabian Sea can be used as a base for fishing.

1.1.3 Remittances- Officially, there is just over 0.5 mn Indian expatriates based out of Oman. Compared to other GCC, Oman has treated expatriates much better. While not comparable to UAE, expatriates from Oman remit close to USD 3 bn every year (4% of total remittances to India). It is a sizable amount and of interest for us to secure.
Image
Source: UNCTAD data


This is Part A. Will continue next part and cover possible shared interests in Foreign Policy and other areas in Part B. Will cover Duqm in Part C which will be the key to Oman's development in Part C
Something wrong here, highly doubt there that many Indian expatriates in Bangladesh remitting USD 4 Billion a year.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Analyzing Oman- 1) Forget Chahbhar, Socotra & Dubai, Here's Oman-Oman's Geopolitical Importance to India- Part C: 1.3. Military importance

This section deals with Oman's importance to India because of geographic location, presence in Arab world and ties with other countries, followed by areas of possible influence for India's military in Oman.

1.3.1 Geographic Location- Looking at the map of Oman one can see four separate spheres for which Oman is of interest.

Image


1.3.1.1- Straits of Hormuz-:

Image
Today, close to 20% of the world's oil flows through the straits of Hormuz. Tensions with Iran, the Iraq war have all prompted rerouting of these supplies through overland pipelines through Saudi, but still it remains the world's (and in fact for Asia with 80% of crude from this route going to Asia) strategic bottleneck.
Image

Iraq and Saudi have reopened a pipeline from Iraq to Yarba al Bahr, Abu Dhabi invested in a pipeline to Fujairah, bypassing Hormuz, and before the shit hit the fan in Iraq and Syria, it was exploring transhipment through Syria. Besides oil, having a sizable military presence in the area gives India unspoken leverage on UAE. In future if a day comes that UAE picks sides against India, in a Indo-Pak conflict, the scope of strangling maritime traffic which has been one of the bread-butter cash flows for Dubai's Jebel Ali is always there. It's all about talking in a low voice but walking with a big stick. A presence here makes us one of the future power-brokers in the Middle East. What is in it for Oman, another strategic ally in their independent foreign policy calculus who can help them chart an independent course. Please keep in mind that Oman has reasons to fear for its independence via-a-vis other GCC states. One brewing conflict zone is Duqm, a future rival to all the GCC ports. In fact when Oman faced its Arab Spring in the port of Sohar the grapevine news was that the trouble had been instigated by UAE which was afraid that Sohar located outside the Hormuz was a destabilizing factor for the continued viability of Jebel Ali.

1.3.1.2- East Africa Littoral-: Oman is the nearest springboard for the East Africa Littoral, available to India. I am putting here a chart of distances computed to various choke points and stratgeic areas of interest for Oman. We will be referring back to this chart again and again.
Image

Basing a few naval ships, including a small expeditionary force (and while we are at it a small para unit), in Southern Oman would give us tremendous leverage and operational independence for taking on pirates and exerting influence on the East African Seaboard. What is in it for the Omani's? If Pax Indica can be signed, worst comes to worst, the Omani government can call upon these units in case of a major insurgency or more from a disaster relief point of view. Being non-US and non-Arab, it would be easier for the populace to accept such interventions.

1.3.1.3- Exerting influence on the Suez-- While Suez, is bordered by Yemen, Saudi, Egypt, Sudan and Eriteria, India does not enjoy long term relationships with any of these countries. Suez still remains the northwestern entry point into IOR, and being able to at least monitor this entry point is critical for us. South-West Oman offers this possibility for us.

1.3.1.4-Western flank against Pakistan- A permanent naval presence off the Makran coast would be something useful in a naval conflict against Pakistan. Granted basing rights, Oman can be the first pearl in the Indian Ocean for us. Please refer the chart given above for details.


1.3.2- Presence in Arab World- My gut feel is that even today India lacks the linguistic skills or human intelligence about the Arab world. We depend upon second hand info from AmirKhan. It is in this place that Oman can be especially handy for us to keep tabs on the Arab world. Not only in providing ready made inputs, but Oman can be a place where Indian agencies can slowly buildup language skills, gain an understanding of the sects/ tribal factions/ and dynamics of the Arab world. Being next door to UAE & Suadi means that Oman can be a staging ground for intelligence gathering and even possible future covert action against D-Company and ilk based out of Dubai. An area where Oman would definitely be interested is access to satellite coverage of the region(both military and weather- Oman recently has had a history of weather disturbances and any early warning system that can benefit them will be welcome)


1.3.3-Possible Areas of Indian Military Influence in Oman-

Airforce:Till early this year, Oman used to be the only nation that flew Jaguars other than India. In fact RAFO and IAF used to train and exercise jointly. There are links present and it is up to us to leverage them further.
Image
Possible areas of cooperation could be joint training. Another area is maintenance of aircraft-even now Oman is dependent on Brit ad French technicians to maintain their aircraft. this is one area where we can step in. Use something like the Pakistani model of gathering retired airmen and crew from India and send them over to work in Oman. Another possible area of cooperation is sale of military hardware. If ever there was a country where we could sell the LCA as a second line of aircraft, it would be Oman. As long as we don't go head to head against US aircraft sales, there is no way that the US would block sales of LCA to Oman. Similarly, I am sure that the LCH would find flavour in Oman where the recent accent has been on reducing defence expenditure.

Army: Of the three services, possibly the place where India can influence the least other than through training. In 2010, there was news that Oman had placed a small order for the INSAS, but not details post that have emerged. It is possible that the order was quietly canceled due to the negative brouhaha surrounding the INSAS in India.

Navy: Possibly the greatest scope of cooperation lie here. Oman has previously purchased ships from India, and the Indian Navy and Oman continue to cooperate on naval exercises. The scope of selling further corvettes or patrol vessels as an alternative to expensive hardware from Europe needs to be explored.


Conclusion:

Oman is uniquely positioned as a country of geostrategic importance to India. It's independent foreign policy and differences with other GCC states makes it amenable for a partnership with India. In this light, we need to focus more on Oman.
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Aditya_V wrote: Something wrong here, highly doubt there that many Indian expatriates in Bangladesh remitting USD 4 Billion a year.
@ Adtitya_V- Fully agree, but this was the data that came from the source. One reason could be a business transaction is shown as personal, but I also find it highly irregular
Mukesh.Kumar
BRFite
Posts: 1244
Joined: 06 Dec 2009 14:09

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

RajeshA wrote:
Mukesh.Kumar ji,

As I mentioned, it is a question of fear. If Omanis are not afraid, they would not and need not think of looking for protection!

The way Middle East is moving, with its iterations of Sunni-Radicalization, when do the Omanis think, that ISIS or Jundullah or Taliban would be knocking on their doors? When Yemen can go down the black-hole with sectarian violence, why are Omanis so confident that they have immunity?

What is their Plan-B?
Plan-B is the hot topic on cool winter evenings in Muscat today. As I tried to highlight, Omani society at this moment seems unified, but there are subterranean fault-lines. The big elephant in the room is after the current Sultan who?

Personal Opinion Alert On: My guess is that Oman will try to follow through on the same path put down by the current Sultan. Omani's will rally round the royal family and support the chosen successor. Saudi/ Iran/UAE all will try to use the restive youth to foment trouble. To avoid this I expect a large set of freebies and populist measures announced soon. Also Oman will try to tie in more allies to guarantee a set of stable friends to balance acts of these countries. Herein lies the golden opportunity for India.
As for what prevents Oman from going the Sunni/Shia way- well 70% of locals are Ibbadi who consider themselves different from these two groups. You have another 40% of the total population as expats out of which maybe 50% are non-Muslims. So I would guess that about 65% of the population are either non-Muslim or Ibbadi who have no truck in the Shia-Sunni fight. Therefore if Oman can resist and keep a lid on pressures from UAE/Saudi and Iran, it maybe bale to avoid the craziness that's affecting Syria and Iraq.Personal Opinion Alert Off
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

TSJones
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3022
Joined: 14 Oct 1999 11:31

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by TSJones »

uddu wrote:39 out of 40 kidnapped Indians were killed by ISIS

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/isis ... 04112.html

Two Bangladeshi construction workers, who were kidnapped by ISIS militants in Iraq along with Indian workers in June, have confirmed that the militants (Jihadi terrorists) shot dead 39 out of the 40 kidnapped Indians, while one worker miraculously survived the execution to tell the story of the tyranny unleashed by the group.

According to reports, a correspondent of an Indian news channel, who travelled to Iraq on spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shanker's peace mission, met Shafi and Hasan, the two Bangladeshi construction workers in Kurdistan's capital Erbil, which has been a safe heaven for people running from the ISIS.

They told the correspondent that they were among the 53 Bangladeshi workers who were kidnapped along with the 40 Indian workers in Mosul in June. The gun-wielding men, who were holding the Holy Quran, inquired about their faith. They later assured them that they would be taken to Erbil. The Indian workers also thought they would be released unscathed. Later, both the Indian and Bangladeshi workers were segregated.

According to the men, after some days, an Indian worker named Harjeet Masih joined them and told that his fellow Indian workers had been shot by the militants after they were being taken to a hilly terrain, 6 kilometres away from the spot where Bangladeshi workers were kept.

Harjeet told them that his fellow Indian workers were killed on June 15. He survived as he pretended to be dead. Shafi and Hasan said Harjeet also had two bullet injuries. However, he was fine as the bullets had brushed past him.

Harjeet later reached a place named Al Jamia, where he told the ISIS men that he was a Bangladeshi worker named Ali.

He joined the Bangladeshi workers and narrated them his ordeal. He lived with them pretending to be a Muslim. He offered daily namaz to deceive the ISIS militants.

"On the way to Erbil, we were checked by the Iraqi military. We had informed our embassy. Harjeet was with us. They took our photos and we were taken to Erbil in an official vehicle," Hasan told the news channel .

However, he lost touch with the Bangladeshi workers after they reached Erbil.

These claims had also been made by another Bangladeshi worker, who had told a newspaper that he had met an Indian men. (Click to read the report)

According to reports, the current whereabouts of this lone Indian survivor are not confirmed currently, but he has spoken to his mother over the phone.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken a note of the report and are investigating the matter.

When is India going to deploy our forces to fight and destroy the Islamic state? How much more time is required before we start to pound the Islamic state and bring it on its knees before others in the neighborhood finishes it off.
A direct involment is now required. If want to take the U.N along that's also fine. Whoever wants to join can join. Lets do some target practice in Islamic state until it's completely eliminated.
I find your message most troubling. I think you should talk to rsoami. He's got all the answers, either that or the mongol.
TSJones
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3022
Joined: 14 Oct 1999 11:31

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by TSJones »

RSoami wrote:
We dont know anything.
All of America must be celebrating at the opportunity given to them to test their weapons (indefinitely). They have already negated the Manpad threat. Apaches are operating you dunno where all.
Contact TSJ for more info.
please share your info with uddu.
member_20317
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3167
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by member_20317 »

Craziness that's affecting Syria and Iraq is called umrikha and for them ibbadists would == mid east christians == yazidis == syrians == hindus.

Sometime back we were told that yazidis are not hindu variants and that presumption should not be the basis for any kind of commiseration with them. Well now we have Hindus killed off by the people who are raised by umrikhan and its allies while the local Indian MSM sings about it all day long to pin the blame on the current government and simultaneously running somebodies agenda to have a nouveau convert rescued. There is nothing confidence inspiring in getting manipulated even for a big country like ours. The confidence should go down if 40% of the population thinks with a foreigner's brain while sitting within the country, in a sparsely populated and strategically located country with the power-center in transition.
RSoami
BRFite
Posts: 771
Joined: 23 Apr 2010 14:39

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by RSoami »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... urkey.html

Kobane is being attacked from Turkey side now it seems. Why is Turkey supporting ISIS which is beheading Americans.

Is it still in NATO. Does it not fear the American wrath. What has the world come to.

Wait. Its quite possible that America has asked Turkey to help ISIS, lest it loses its practice targets. After all ISIS has given America an infinite supply of targets to practice its weapons. That manpad threat is already gone, you see.
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

These are the rhetorical qns that I use with my team on a different mission:

a. Who is the IS?
b. Who are moderate rebels?
UlanBatori
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14045
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by UlanBatori »

vijaykarthik wrote:These are the rhetorical qns that I use with my team on a different mission:

a. Who is the IS?
b. Who are moderate rebels?
a. is easy: a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates. I suggest it be modified to "who is behind the IS"?
b."Moderate Rebels": dead ones. Any who were moderate were killed in the first wave as usual - by both sides.
RSoami
BRFite
Posts: 771
Joined: 23 Apr 2010 14:39

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by RSoami »

^^ Just like management gurus have turned secondhand cars into pre-owned cars, the strategic geniuses have turned anyone who doesnt behead americans into moderate rebels.

Remember the good Taliban.
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

The US and NATO [mainly driven by Pent-a-gun policies] are somehow hoping for a secret uprising like the one last time around... Sunni Awakening movement
But the US decimated the tribes who did it last time around. Those tribes have been massacred this time around.

US still hoping for a law to come into pic so Iraq can form the Natl Guards. Not so easy, I think.

In the meanwhile: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... s_militias

My answer for b is: A moderate rebel doesn't exist anymore. The moderate rebel is as indoctrinated as the terrorist and its just a misnomer. We don't need no moderate rebels. They are potential terrorists in the wings.

IS does have a lot of Qatari, Turkey and KSA mercenaries. Perhaps lots of the guys from the Central Asian republics : the -Stans. Pak too?
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/1204 ... esentative

Insightful article on what could have possibly happened during the Israel-Palestine talks. Mmh
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by Tuvaluan »

"IS does have a lot of Qatari, Turkey and KSA mercenaries. "

Of these, US is backing Qatar to the hilt so all the flatulence from GOTUS about "taking on the evil of the IS" is just for effect, either that or Qatar is not providing overt support to the IS, but working behind the scenes with KSA/Turkey. Turkey and KSA are less US-friendly than they used to be, but the US has a large presence in Qatar now. Turkey is overtly backing the IS and maybe making a play for the oil in the regions captured by IS and also wipe out the Kurds while they are at it.
vishvak
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 5836
Joined: 12 Aug 2011 21:19

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vishvak »

Qatar and US Partner To Train Moderate Syrian Rebels At Covert Base In Gulf
ibtimes report:
The camp in Qatar lies south of the capital between Saudi Arabia's border and Al Udeid, which is the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East. Reuters reported that the suspected location of the camp is a closed military zone guarded by Qatari special forces
So how covert is the suspected camp that is not too far from the largest air base of USA in the ME. :-?

The above report also refers another report by Reuters.
Qatar runs covert desert training camp for Syrian rebels
Asked about the Qatari training, a Saudi defense source said: "We are not aware of this training camp, but there's one thing we agree on: Assad needs to go and we would not oppose any action taken towards that goal."

To Qatar, ousting Assad remains a priority and youthful Emir Sheikh Tamim has said that military efforts to tackle Islamic State will not work while the Syrian president remains in power.

A source who works with rebel groups said Qatar had delivered weapons, mostly mortar bombs, to the Islamic Front and some FSA brigades about two months ago and had paid some salaries for Islamic Front groups.
So for Sunni+western forces, the Syrian govt and rest are just collateral damage of such decisions.
vijaykarthik
BRFite
Posts: 1169
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: West Asia News and Discussions

Post by vijaykarthik »

^^ But what I cant understand is that once the Assad wing is out, nothing will EVER work to counter the IS threat. Not that stuff with probably work with Assad / Iran in power too.
I sometimes stand stupefied when I see extreme straw men like the one KSA, Turkey, Qatar and pro-Wahhabists put forth to fwd their own ideas and ideals.

And yeah, moderate rebels. I think a proper definition of mod rebel is someone who kills people to an inch of their lives. All in moderation only.
Locked