Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts

Thursday, May 19, 2011

TERRORISM: In a posthumous message, Bin Laden hails Arab revolutions

Osama Bin Laden hails the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and called on Muslims to take advantage of this "rare historic opportunity" to lift, in a posthumous message audio captured by the U.S. central monitoring Islamist websites (SITE).

The message, posted on jihadist forums on Wednesday by the As-Sahab website, close to Al-Qaeda, takes 12 minutes and 37 seconds, and speaks to Muslims in the Arab revolutions in recent months.

Bin Laden recommends the establishment of a council to advise revolutionary and decide the best time to spread revolt in the Muslim world.

"Any delay could cause the loss of this opportunity and the trigger before the exact time would increase the number of victims," ​​said bin Laden yet, according to the SITE.

"I think the winds of change are blowing across the Muslim world with Allah's permission," says even the leader of Al Qaeda killed in Pakistan by U.S. commandos on May 2

According to a previous release of Al-Qaeda, Bin Laden, the instigator of the attacks of September 11, 2001, posted this message a week before being killed in an attack by U.S. special forces against his residence north of Islamabad, where he was hiding, said SITE.

There is "a great and rare historical opportunity to raise with the Ummah (Islamic community) and free yourself from bondage decided by the executives, the law of men and Western domination," said Bin Laden registration with a photo of the former leader of Al Qaeda.

"This is a great sin and a vast ignorance of waste this opportunity that the Ummah has been waiting for decades. So use this advantage and destroy the idols and establish justice and faith," he adds.

In his message he refers to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, but no mention of the uprisings in Libya, Syria and Yemen, bin Laden also warned against negotiations and compromise.

"To these revolutionary free in all countries stand firm in your initiative and be wary of negotiations, because there is no middle ground between the people of truth and the people of falsehood," he adds .

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

TERRORISM: The U.S. squad had prepared to kill Osama bin Laden

REUTERS - The U.S. special forces involved in the attack against the residence where Osama bin Laden was hiding were prepared to kill the leader of Al Qaeda, officials said Monday U.S. national security.

"It was an operation to kill. If he released the white flag to surrender, he was captured alive," said one official.But during the preparation of
the operation, the working hypothesis was that bin Laden and fought, what actually happened.

The Islamist leader has "participated" in exchange of gunfire between U.S. commandos and the occupants of the fortified residence in which he entrenched himself in Abbottabad, north of Islamabad, the official said.

Other officials said the clash lasted 40 minutes and that the al Qaeda leader had been shot in the head and chest and did not return fire.

Three other men and a woman were killed in the assault of American forces that have no loss in their ranks. A wife of Bin Laden, believed to be dead at first, is in fact injured.The woman killed in the raid was not used as human shields, an official said, correcting earlier statements.

Navy Seals

A senior U.S. administration has confirmed that the soldiers involved in the transaction knew that bin Laden would prefer to die rather than be captured alive.

"The U.S. troops do not seek to kill if there is a way to get a surrender in accordance with military rules of engagement.That said, I think the idea was widely shared that it would end with a death, "the official said.

The operation involved 15 members of special forces, mostly U.S. Navy Seals (elite unit of the Navy), who were based in Afghanistan, said an official familiar with the details of the attack.

Specialists in forensic medicine have also participated in the raid to recover evidence to prove the identity of bin Laden and hunt down information which other leaders of Al Qaeda or to foil the conspiracies being prepared.

According to the National Journal, U.S. authorities had used the information collected on the complex of Abbottabad to build a replica and conduct training sessions in early April.

In the hours that followed the death of Osama bin Laden by President Barack Obama, the commandos have surrounded the remains of Bin Laden at sea

This measure was taken so that the body of the leader of Al Qaeda does not become the object of a cult and it does not appear as a martyr for future activists.

The trail of a "mail"

The crucial information that helped track down bin Laden was provided during interrogations of activists detained by U.S. troops after the attacks of Sept. 11.

Some activists, many of which are held in military prison at Guantanamo, have informed U.S. intelligence on the existence of an "e" close to the Islamist leader.

Initially, U.S. officials did not know the names and activities of this messenger. His identity was discovered four years ago. Two years ago, another reliable information was obtained about the fact that this letter and his brother operated near Islamabad.

In August 2010, the United States end up unable to locate a residence in Abbottabad in which live two brothers, their families and a third larger family.

The residence is at the end of an unpaved road, not far from a military academy in Pakistan.Some residents are retired Pakistani officers.

Using photographs provided by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) from spy satellites and aircraft as well as plays the NSA, the CIA has concluded that the residence was equipped with safety means unusual. It also appeared that its occupants were taking precautions also unusual.

In early 2011, the CIA became convinced that a target "important" was in the residence of Abbottabad and the probability was high whether bin Laden. The CIA, however, has never had the "absolute certainty" that the leader of Al Qaeda was actually in residence, said an official.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

IMMIGRATION: The Tunisian migrants in the heart of a summit between France and Italy

AFP - President Nicolas Sarkozy met Tuesday in Rome, the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to try to ease tensions arising between France and Italy on the issue of immigrants from Tunisia, Libya and the acquisition of French in the Peninsula.

Immigration and Review of the Treaty of Schengen free movement will be the most sensitive points of the summit, taking place in the bucolic setting of the Villa Madama, sixteenth century mansion surrounded by gardens on the banks of the Tiber.

France "does not suspend Schengen" but "review the safeguard clauses in special circumstances," he assured Henry Guaino, special adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy.

Italy supports a kind of "technical control" to determine how the treaty was adapted to current realities, "said chief diplomat Italian Franco Frattini

On 17 April, Paris had raised the ire of Rome in suspending the movement of trains from the Italian town of Ventimiglia to France, saying that a train with onboard demonstrators wanting accompany Tunisian immigrants posed a risk to public .

France was upset by Italy, which has decided to grant residence permits of six months to more than 20,000 Tunisians arrived on its shores since January so they can join "friends and family" in France and elsewhere in Europe.

Other friction: Libya, where the peak position of France upset Italy, the former colonial power which it has significant economic interests.

Again, following a winded departure from Italy, which has been reluctant to release his ally Muammar Gaddafi, the positions converge: both countries have officially recognized the Libyan rebellion and sent military advisers on the spot.

Finally, MM.Sarkozy and Berlusconi should address the "problem" of the thirst for acquisition of French groups in the peninsula: LVMH and Bulgari grabbed the dairy group Lactalis is party to storm the local giant Parmalat.

All these topics should be addressed during this summit-flash, which begins at 0900 GMT and will result in a joint press conference expected around 1030 GMT.

Friday, March 25, 2011

EURO ZONE: Portugal he needs 75 billion euros?

The leader of the finance ministers of the euro area, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, said on Thursday on FRANCE 24 that Portugal would need 75 billion euros, probably over several years. Earlier he had told a German radio that he did not expect a request for help from Lisbon. Some economists put the figure at 26 billion euros. What are the possible scenarios? What number remember?

Portugal can he get away without asking for financial assistance to the EU and the IMF? This is what Jean-Claude Juncker has suggested initially."I do not think Portugal will apply for financial assistance," he told German radio Deutschlandfunk Thursday.

"Portugal has certainly put in place measures to reassure markets, but there is no guarantee that this will suffice," says FRANCE 24's Christophe Blot, a specialist in the European economy at OFCE-Sciences Po Most economists even think that the country will turn to the EU until June when some of its maturing debt.

In fact, the situation is reminiscent of Ireland. Until the last moment, the European authorities had suggested that Dublin could go it alone."Juncker made a statement of intent, if he had discussed an appeal for EU support, this would have been increasing speculation in the markets," says Christophe Blot.

What are the debts that Portugal should pay? The first major event occurs in June. Lisbon would have to find more than 9 billion euros to pay off a series of loans a decade ago. For the full year, the amount of debt owed is about 26 billion euros.

Lisbon may then become simply asking for 26 billion euros."It is unthinkable for a loan, whose amount would be recalculated as needed, is implemented with a first tranche of 26 billion," said Christophe Blot.

Hence out of 75 billion euros? When the EU assesses the amount of aid, she not only takes into account debts. It also looks at the deficit level to estimate the financing requirements that a country will need to implement measures of fiscal consolidation.

Also - this is what happened to Greece, which received 100 billion euros over 3 years - given the envelope does not necessarily mean that the current year."If we compare Portugal to Greece and Ireland and we observe the country's economic problems, 75 billion euros seem a reasonable estimate," concluded Christophe Blot.

If such support is decided, Europe and the IMF have spent on everything from Greece, 255 billion.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

BAHRAIN: The security forces violently dislodge protesters from the center of Manama

REUTERS - Opponents Bahraini reached Sunday to block access to the Financial Harbour business district of Manama, despite police intervention
of the order who used tear gas and water cannons.

The fighting has been unprecedented violence since February 17, when seven people were killed by the army.

Young protesters set up barricades across the avenue leading to the business district, having overwhelmed riot police who were trying to contain near the Place de la Perle, the epicenter of the dispute.

"The Interior Ministry is currently conducting operations to re-open the avenue of King Faisal and advised the demonstrators to return to the Place de la Perle for their own
security ", officials say in a statement.

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, is restless since last month by an unprecedented protest movement since the 1990s, inspired by the popular uprisings of Tunisia and Egypt.

The Youth Movement of 14-Feb, whose militants are encamped on the Place de la Perle, announced Saturday his intention to form a human chain to block access to the Financial Harbour.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

PAKISTAN: At least 24 dead in suicide bombing at a funeral

AFP - At least 24 people were killed Wednesday by a suicide bomber who detonated his bomb at a funeral in Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan, a country gripped by a deadly wave of bombings Taliban allied with al-Qaeda , police said.

The tragedy occurred at the funeral of the wife of a man fighting in an anti-Taliban militia, in the hamlet of Adeza, on the outskirts of large metropolitan France's northwest, located at the gateway areas tribal stronghold of Islamist insurgents.

"The bomber came on foot, his goal was the anti-Taliban militia members" who attended the funeral of the wife of one of them, told AFP by telephone Ijaz Mohammad Khan, an officer Peshawar police.

"At least 24 people were killed and more than 40 were injured," he added.

This new attack comes a day after a devastating attack at a service station near the offices of the powerful intelligence services in Faisalabad in central Pakistan, which killed 25 people and injured over 150.

Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented wave of attacks (over 450), mostly perpetrated by Taliban allied with al-Qaeda that killed more than 4,100 dead in three and a half years.

These insurgent groups and fundamentalist allies have ruled in the summer of 2007 and in unison with Osama bin Laden himself, jihad Pakistani government for its support for Washington since late 2001.

The attacks are mostly security forces - army, police, intelligence services - but also increasingly on civilian targets.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

TUNISIA - Feature: The flight of migrant workers continues in Egyptian port of Zarzis

The Egyptian military frigate "The Nasser" is the third of its kind to land on for a day in the Tunisian port of Zarzis, 70 km from Ras Jdir, a border post where, for 13 days, thousands of workers to leave Libya to safety.

After landing 25 tons of food, the Egyptian sailors of "Nasser" took over 400 of their countrymen, which will require two to three days at sea to return to their homeland. The passengers, waiting for the departure, look bleak for those who do not know what the future holds. "I returned poorer than when I'm gone", says Mohammed al-Abd al-Sayeh Rabou, province of Kana.

The men carrying bundles or canteens, tell their flight from the hostility of the Libyans.In the aftermath of the revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt, the Egyptians living in Libya have been suspected of being agitators and even echoing the discourse of the "Guide" Muammar Qaddafi, 24 February, "to have distributed drugs to resistant" as reported by Ahmed Hazou, from Al-Mansoura.

The military checkpoints, thirty of the 250 kilometers between the Libyan capital Tripoli, the border crossing, have marked their flight.

Each dam was a pretext for a body search, which it was impossible to escape.Ahmed Hazou had to get rid of its Euro 2000, three telephones and tools for ceramics to avoid being beaten.

Through the words of these men, Libya, and its petrodollars, no longer appears as the El Dorado it has long been the eyes of these young men, driven from their countries by unemployment and population pressure.Neither Mohammed or Ahmed never return, they swear.

Egyptian diplomats present at the port of Zarzis on Saturday, felt that the million and a half Egyptian workers living in Libya, some 500 000 have already fui.12 000 are still capable of crossing the border in coming days if the situation Libya deteriorated.

In addition to 400 evacuees with "The Nasser, 600 others waited to be airlifted to rejoin their families. All Egyptian refugee camp of Shusha, situated at the border will then have left Tunisia.

Monday, February 14, 2011

EGYPT: Hundreds of protesters are resisting Tahrir Square

The Egyptian army began Sunday to dismantle the institutions of the regime of Hosni Mubarak after the ousted president has ceded power Friday night. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has announced the dissolution of the People's Assembly and Shura Council, both Houses of Parliament, and the suspension of the Constitution.Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Council, also said he would preside over the destiny of the country to organize the next parliamentary and presidential elections, that Mubarak had planned before his departure in six months.

Decisions that consider Cairenes whole "positive," according to Melissa Bell, special correspondent for FRANCE 24 in Egypt. But the political transition will be difficult.

Thousands of Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square on Sunday night (instead of "Liberation", in French), Cairo, refused to leave the scene to "maintain pressure on the new government," said Melissa Bell."They told us to collect our belongings quickly or they would fall over," said Sunday, a protester at the microphone from our correspondents. "The army wants to suppress the revolution for failing to meet the demands of the demonstrators, they make us ... just promises," confided another. Some scuffles broke out elsewhere between soldiers and dozens of demonstrators. But all the protesters were asked to leave the square, the symbol of revolution, on Monday under the threat of the army that threatens to arrest them if they insist on staying.

Traffic has resumed for the first time in twenty days, around Tahrir Square. The soldiers removed all their dams, but maintain a significant presence.A return to normal as the organizers wanted the protest movement, even if they continue to call for holding events every Friday.Nagib Ahmed, spokesman of the "supervisory board of the revolution", explained on Sunday afternoon, the protesters "will come each week to celebrate our victory but also to ask the highest military authorities to respect its commitments."

Egypt in the post-Mubarak faithful to its international obligations

According to the Special Envoy of FRANCE 24, "the population as a whole, but trusted the military remains vigilant, because the army has still not responded to two of their demands: the release of political prisoners and the lifting of state of emergency."

For his part, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, said his first priority was to "restore security and facilitate the daily lives of the people." He also assured that the former president was still in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, bordering the Red Sea, denying rumors of a move abroad.

Sunday always, nearly 1 000 police officers have also filed past the Interior Ministry to demand higher wages, better working conditions and the sentencing to death of their former minister, Habib el-Adli, revoked under pressure Street at the end of January.Accused of corruption and despised by much of the population, the police wanted to gather "for their honor." "We are not traitors," have we heard in the processions. They assured that they had received orders to brutally suppress the protests that began on January 25.

Side of international relations, Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said the country remained committed by its international treaties and obligations. A message intended to allay the concerns of the United States and Israel about the future of the peace accords Israeli-Egyptian, who make Cairo a key partner for peace efforts in the region.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

EGYPT: New mass demonstrations are expected across the country

Further demonstrations are planned Friday in Egypt at the invitation of the protest movement that hopes to make the day of departure of President Hosni Mubarak, after 10 days of protests and unprecedented bloodshed in the country.

Organizers hope to raise as Jan. 28, one million people after the weekly Muslim prayer at the beginning of the afternoon.

According to the journalist Christiane Amanpour of the ABC, the Vice-President of Egypt Omar Suleiman, met during an interview with Mr.Mubarak in Cairo, told him that the army deployed reinforcements would use "never" force against the population.

After dismissing the appeal of the regime "illegitimate" dialogue, brotherhood Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, reviled by the authorities, felt that the calls for negotiations "will not affect the mass rallies planned Friday to bring down the regime ".

The opposition, composed also of secular parties and movements from civil society as the National Coalition for the change that has formed around the Nobel Peace Mohamed ElBaradei, has made the immediate departure of Mr Mubarak's condition to negotiate with the regime.

Mr.Sulaiman said that the request amounted to a "call to chaos" and urged the protesters to leave the Tahrir Square, the epicenter of protest in Cairo.

On the night of Thursday to Friday on Tahrir Square, thousands of protesters have again defied the curfew at night, camping in tents and warming themselves around fires after a day of intermittent clashes between opponents and supporters of M .Mubarak.

The latter, according to Ms. Amanpour, assured to have "enough to be president," said wanted to "give up power now, but he could not do so for fear that the country could descend into chaos."

For its part, the New York Times has assured Washington that talks with Egyptian officials the terms of an immediate departure of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to a transitional government led by Omar Suleiman, a project to gather support of the Egyptian army.

Mr.Mubarak said Tuesday he does not be seeking a sixth term in the presidential elections of September but this ad has not softened street.

At the same time, the authorities opted for the hard way by arresting seven young leaders of the protest movement, after meeting with Mohamed ElBaradei, the opponent, according to relatives.

At least eight people were killed and over 800 injured Wednesday and Thursday morning in violent clashes between the two camps.More than 300 people died in the first week of protest, according to an unconfirmed report of the UN.

Dozens of foreign journalists were beaten, arrested or intimidated these days, and no television has broadcast images live from Tahrir Square on the night of Thursday to Friday.

A foreigner of unknown nationality was beaten to death nearby, witnesses and rescue services.

Thursday, hundreds of supporters of the regime armed with clubs, knives and some guns, prevented the entrance for several hours on the place of reinforcements or supplies to opponents who are holed up.

The army, the backbone of the system, monitors without intervene.It is rarely intervened to disperse the players or try to save people assaulted.

Other supporters of the plan, posted on the bridge on October 6, threw stones and Molotov cocktails on the opponents. Pavers and curb stone were used as projectiles and barricades were erected.

The authority has rejected accusations that he orchestrated the violence, pointing to the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition force.

The West has condemned these attacks. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned "in strongest terms" attacks against journalists, calling on security forces to protect them.She also called for "serious negotiations" between the immediate government and opposition "to a peaceful transition and in good order" in Egypt.

In Berlin, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was "outrageous and totally unacceptable" the repression in Egypt against the media and human rights.

Faced with the alarming situation, Western leaders are maintaining pressure on Mr. Mubarak in calling for an immediate transition of power.

The international community also continues to assist its citizens to leave the country.

Despite the troubles, the Pentagon has assured he would not stop supplying arms to its ally Egypt.Its annual military support amounted to $ 1.3 billion.

U.S. intelligence has warned the Obama administration unrest in Egypt in late 2010, said Thursday before Congress an intelligence official.

Mr. Mubarak, 82, is accused of all evils in this country of 83 million people-poverty, unemployment, deprivation of liberty and police state.

This wave of social protest and political unprecedented swept Egypt since January 25, after Tunisia, which has seen the flight of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali under pressure from the street.

Monday, January 31, 2011

OIL: Why financial markets fear the unrest in Egypt

The unrest in Egypt began seriously to worry the markets. Monday morning, the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 1.2% and Paris lost 1.12% at the opening. However, as recalled by the New York Times Monday, the healthy financial market in New York had been affected either by the crisis in the eurozone, either by trade squabbles between the U.S. and China. So why Egypt?

It's the return of the specter of an outbreak of black gold. Monday morning, the price of a barrel of crude in London was close to the symbolic $ 100 (99.33), a level it had not met since October 2008. Yet Egypt is only the 30th largest oil producer. But the Suez Canal is an important regional role in transportation."A cargo of oil on six carries," said FRANCE 24 Cécile Antonin, a specialist in energy markets at OFCE-Sciences Po

Every day, nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil pass through this channel. Admittedly, this represents only 2% of world production, but "prices are calculated according to supply more or less compared to the previous situation," said Cecile Antonin. Above all, the oil passing through the Suez Canal is mainly destined for Europe and the United States. The Egyptian authorities have sought to reassure Monday.They stated that the traffic was for the time absolutely unaffected by the protests.

The risk of Algeria

The risk of contagion to other countries in the region most important oil markets, like Saudi Arabia or Iran, also gives a cold sweat to financial analysts. "To avoid social unrest, these countries might be tempted to increase social spending and then to pass on the price of oil," and fears a specialist oil at Goldman Sachs in the Wall Street Journal.

"Do not forget the countries of North Africa such as Algeria in the equation," recalls Cecilia Antonin.If the regime of Abdelaziz Bouteflika was also shaken, soaring prices could accelerate. Algeria is producing more oil than Egypt, and especially this country is a member of OPEC and thus a strategic player in this sector.

There are no worries that oil. Egypt is also the largest importer of wheat. Some fear that to make reservations, the Mubarak regime is still increasing its demand. "Currently, the commodity markets are so tight that the slightest change will raise prices," says Cécile Antonin. A situation particularly disturbing that the spectrum of riots in 2008 is increasingly present.