Are these all players coming together to protect Mecca?Medina. But who is the threat.ramana wrote:Shyamd, re the KSA and nooks interesting info. Apparently it was joint project of KSA, TSP and PRc with Nelson's eye from US. Now things are changing and the heat is on KSA. There were reports of proximate security cover for the assets in Al Araby.
Thing is Musharraf visit had nothing to do with nukes - it was all speculation that they had made nook agreements. Both IOL and DNW confirm that there is no nuke deal in place as TSP did not agree to share the tech.ramana wrote:Shyamd, re the KSA and nooks interesting info. Apparently it was joint project of KSA, TSP and PRc with Nelson's eye from US. Now things are changing and the heat is on KSA. There were reports of proximate security cover for the assets in Al Araby.
"A weapon of peace" - remember that line?Acharya wrote: Are these all players coming together to protect Mecca?Medina. But who is the threat.
Is it really desh?
Mohammad Ahmed Bin Amir is the full name.shyamd wrote:
Don't know about Bin Amir, a full name would be good. Current commerce min is HE Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan. has been so since 90's.
Fadlallah, who holds the title "sayyed" to denote direct lineage with Prophet Mohammed
Along with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the charismatic Fadlallah was named on a 1995 US blacklist of specially designated terrorists signed by then president Bill Clinton.
Some faculty are concerned that the school's growing dependence on oil money will affect academic freedom, says Andrew Ross, an NYU professor of social and cultural analysis. The flashpoints are Abu Dhabi's lack of diplomatic relations with Israel, its intolerance of homosexuality, and its treatment of migrant labor, says Ross, president of NYU's chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Sexton says Israeli professors will be able to travel to the campus, as well as gay students and teachers, and NYU is monitoring labor practices.
Ronald W. Zweig, an NYU Israel studies professor and an Israeli citizen who traveled to Abu Dhabi, says officials there assured him he'd be able to come and go as he pleased and teach whatever he liked. "It's certainly a potentially risky venture, given that NYU's prestige is on the line," Zweig says. "It's very brave that John Sexton is moving forward with it."
Shepherd abducted by Israeli Army returns bruisedThree weeks ago, an Israeli border police officer shot and killed Palestinian Ziad Jilani execution-style after a hit and run accident involving a squad of four police officers. After first reporting the police version of the incident that Jilani was a terrorist attempting to kill police, the Israeli media, in the person of Amira Hass, put forward a far more credible report claiming that a border policemen approach a wounded Jilani who was lying in the street and shot him in the head from point-blank range.
The Justice Ministry has begun an internal investigation and Jilani’s body has been exhumed and an autopsy will be done. As part of the investigation, the murder scene and entire incident were reconstructed. During this event, the shooter admitted, according to Haaretz’s report (Hebrew), that he shot Jilani at point-blank range. He claimed, however, that he believed Jilani was a terrorist and killed him because he feared he was wearing a suicide vest. Further, he claimed he fired to protect the lives of innocent bystanders.
----------------------------BEIRUT: The shepherd abducted by the Israeli Army was handed back to Lebanese authorities on Monday, with signs of mistreatment during his detention.
According to a spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who acted as a mediator between Lebanese and Israeli armies, injuries were found on Imad Hassan Atwi’s body following his transfer to Lebanon.
“Yesterday, a Lebanese shepherd was apprehended by the [Israeli Army] in the Shebaa Farms area,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh.
“UNIFIL Force Commander [Alberto Asarta Cuevas] was in contact with all the parties with a view to resolving the situation. UNIFIL’s immediate concern was to secure the release of the shepherd.
“This afternoon the [Israeli Army] handed over the shepherd to UNIFIL. He was examined by the UNIFIL physician and found to have some bruises on his head and body as well as sprain in his right ankle. UNIFIL has since handed him over to the Lebanese Army.”
-------------------------An alleged Israeli spy arrested by Lebanese Army Intelligence last week had access to the "most significant segment" of one of the only two mobile networks in Lebanon, an industry expert told Babylon & Beyond.
The alleged spy, identified by officials as "Charbel Q," reportedly has confessed to working on behalf of the Israelis since 1996 and may have planted monitoring devices allowing the Israelis to tap directly into the Alfa network, one of the two major cellphone companies operating in Lebanon, according to local media reports (Arabic link).
"There is evidence that the accused, Charbel Q., had ties to Israel," a spokesman for the army confirmed. "The investigation is ongoing, and when it finishes, the matter will be decided according to Lebanese law."
According to one expert, the accused was a transmission officer responsible for maintaining crucial network stations, giving him access to "the most significant segment of the network from an intelligence perspective." Theoretically, the expert said, he could have planted devices that allowed the Israelis to eavesdrop on conversations and track people from their cellphones.
"Mobile technology allows you to mix activities such as location, identification and interception, so it is not a surprise that foreign forces have tried to penetrate these networks," said Riad Bahsoun, an industry expert who works on behalf of the International Telecommunications Union.
The case of Charbel Q has sparked anger and raised tough questions about the vulnerability of the Lebanese phone system and the government's culpability.
When cellphone service first came to Lebanon in 1994, the two networks were divided between foreign companies and powerful Lebanese political families. Even after the networks became state property in 2003, the government continued to lease the rights to foreign companies, eliminating competition and oversight and leaving Lebanese customers with some of the highest-priced cellphone service in the world.
In addition to being a favorite topic of complaint among ordinary Lebanese, the telecommunications sector is also a hot button among politicians. The militant group Hezbollah took up arms in 2008 to defend its terrestrial network, although Hezbollah members use the same mobile networks as the rest of the country.
"If the Mossad really have targeted some users on the [Alfa] network, it means that these people most probably are Hezbollah people," Bahsoun said. "In hindsight, we can say that, yes, Hezbollah people and the resistance were right in building their own secure network, or I don’t know how [the resistance] would still be here."
The arrest of Charbel Q is just the latest in a crackdown by authorities over the last two years that has yielded dozens of suspects and is thought to have dealt a significant blow to Israel's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
– Meris Lutz in Beirut
He said there will be a legal department in the UAE Embassy in India which will follow up on the cases of prisoners who are transferred to Indian jails.
Dubai: The UAE and India are drawing up an agreement which will allow the transfer of prisoners between the two countries, a senior Indian diplomat said yesterday.
M.K. Lokesh, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told Gulf News that the agreement will enable Indian convicts in the UAE to serve their sentences in their home country, and the UAE will bear their daily expenses.
"Convicted Indians can request to serve their jail terms in India. This is done on humanitarian grounds. The request can be made either by the Indian or the UAE government, or by the prisoners."
A senior official at the UAE Ministry of Interior said the agreement will be signed between the two countries soon.
"Convicted prisoners involved in financial crimes or those sentenced to death cannot serve their terms in India."
He said there will be a legal department in the UAE Embassy in India which will follow up on the cases of prisoners who are transferred to Indian jails.
Some Indian prisoners told Gulf News they prefer to complete their jail terms in the UAE.
-----------------------Jul 5, 2010 - 01:05 -
WAM Abu Dhabi, July 5th, 2010 (WAM) -- M. K. Lokeesh, the Indian Ambassador to UAE recently visited the National Centre for Documentation and Research (NCDR) and briefed on the activities of the Centre and its role in preserving the Memory of the Nation and enhancing its identity.
He was accompanied by Mrs. Anoja Shakravarti, the Cultural Attach in the Indian Embassy.
The Indian Ambassador discussed with Dr. Abdullah El Reyes, the Director General of the NCDR, various methods of cooperation including establishing ties between the NCDR and the National Archives of India, as well as other cultural and information institutions in India whose work is related to the Centre's areas of specialization. The Ambassador also suggested cooperation between the Centre and related agencies in India in order to document the history of Indian-UAE Relations based on sources in published books as well as historical documents in order to shed light upon the good relations between the two friendly countries in joint specialized conferences.
Dr. Abdullah El Reyes praised the positive response received by the Centre from their Indian counterparts in areas of common interests concerning archiving and documentation. He also noted that the Centre has benefited to a great degree from the documents which are related to the history of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Area located in the Archives of Maharashtra in the city of Mumbai, and the Goa Archives which contain the Portuguese Documents, as well as in the New Delhi and Kerala Archives.
After touring the Centre's facilities and departments, the Indian Ambassador recommended the exchange of information and visits with similar Indian institutions such as those found in the province of Kerala. Lokeesh discussed with the Director of the Centre the possibility of coordination with Indian academic institutions in such fields as archiving, documentation and information technology.
The Director General presented the Indian Ambassador with a memorial shield depicting Emirati heritage at the end of his visit.
----------------A Saudi delegation is to visit the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) later this month to sign an agreement to boost cooperation in space science that will help Riyadh develop its indigenous space program for peaceful purposes.
The delegation will be composed of scientists from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and other scientific institutions in the Kingdom. Details of the visit were disclosed by Rajeev Shahare, outgoing deputy chief at the Indian mission, here on Saturday night.
Shahare was speaking during a farewell party held by the India Business Forum (IBF). The event was attended by a number of businessmen and diplomats, Shahare’s wife Preeti Shahare, and many IBF office bearers including Owais Ahmed, Nadeem A. Tarin, S. Ziaur Rahman, Tareq Masood, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Mir Mahmood Ali.
Asked about the details of the space cooperation between Riyadh and New Delhi, Shahare — who will be leaving for New Delhi on Monday — said a memorandum of understanding between KACST and ISRO was signed during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Riyadh earlier this year. He said that ISRO, one of the world’s leading space research organizations, would provide expertise to Riyadh as it has been conducting a variety of operations for both Indian and foreign clients. Shahare also spoke about his time in the Kingdom. “I personally believe my stay here was a great one, I can’t say of its successes, but I am going back with a lot of satisfaction … This is a great country and you have a lot of opportunities, especially business going on with the Saudis,” he said.
He added that he also felt touched by the farewell party, speakers’ remarks and floral tributes.
Speaking on the occasion, IBF President Ahmed said that Shahare had been instrumental in boosting Indo-Saudi ties. “In fact, IBF was Shahare’s brainchild,” said Ahmed.
This view was echoed by several other speakers who praised him for his catalytic role in improving Indo-Saudi relations, and hoped he would return to the region as an ambassador.
Shahare’s wife Preeti received her share of encomiums with speakers calling her a “great” lady and an embodiment of all that is good and graceful.
“The Shahares may be leaving for India and we will miss them, but they will always be with us in our hearts and minds,” said Tarin, another IBF office bearer.
Ahmed also presented a memento to Shahare at the end of the party.
Photojournalist Wasif Bhai presented a memorial CD to Shahare containing a valuable collection of Shahare’s photos taken during his four-year stay in Riyadh.
Prior to coming to Riyadh, Shahare served Indian missions in Cairo, Aden, Geneva, Bahrain and Mauritius.
Tuesday’s much-publicized meeting in the Oval Office was in stark contrast to the frosty reception Mr. Netanyahu received during his last trip to the White House in March, when Mr. Obama left the prime minister waiting in the Roosevelt Room while he went upstairs to have dinner with his wife and daughters.
What I am referring to is more dissemination than discussion, rather than a forum, I think a polished website with regularly updated columns would be a good idea. We have enough people on this site who spend a lot of time writing posts, so a group of few people writing weekly columns could also work. Think nationalreviewonline or tnr.com etc.ramana wrote:Carl_T, That was the basic idea of BRF to bring together all those who want to discuss the world from Indian POV. However we need more such places to prevent single point of failure.
shyamd,No fewer than 200 people travel with the King....
They sure do love their alcohol. If they stood against lashes and stoning and two women equal one man rules they would be speaking against explicit Quranic commandments.
Quranic commandments come in one flavor only. About do’s and don’t’s, the Quran is not discriminatory. “Don’t drink alcohol” is no different than “Give him/her 99 lashes;
in fact the Quran also commands that everyone who is aware of adultery in the neighborhood must go and witness the punishment
Brilliant...Muteness is the best solution. Not for unimportant, sinning Muslims like Ms. Ashtiani, but definitely for the very important Muslims like Mr. Ahmadinejad’s best friend in Turkey