Category Archives: terrorism

Another Red Line Crossed: The Taverna attack and the killing of foreigners just because they were foreigners | Afghanistan Analysts Network

As news continues to come in, it has as of now (Saturday evening) been confirmed that the dead included the well-liked Lebanese owner of the restaurant, Kamal Hamade (read an obituary here); the resident representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Wabel Abdallah, who was also Lebanese; three UN staff including UNAMA’s Senior Political Officer Vadim Nazarov, a Russian diplomat who had worked on Afghanistan since the 1990s and, apparently, Basra Farah, sister of prominent Somalian novelist Nuruddin Farah; a Danish member of the EUPOL mission and her British security guard, Simon Chase; another Brit, Dharmender Phangurha (Del) Singh, who was due to stand in elections to the European Parliament in the spring and, along with a Malaysian victim of the incident, Gnanathurai (Gnana) Nagarajah, had been working with the Adam Smith Institute as an adviser; two as yet unidentified Canadians; and two Americans who worked at the American University in Kabul. Of the Afghan dead, we still only have the details for two of the eight: the BBC’s Bilal Sarwary named one on Twitter as a friend of his, Haji Amin, a 22 year old trader, who, it seems was killed along with his wife of seven months. They were buried today. Three Afghan guards are also believed to be among the dead. The accounts of two of the Afghan kitchen workers who survived (see here and here) suggest that none of the diners made it out alive and that the owner ran down into the restaurant with a gun when the blast happened, trying to defend the diners.

via Another Red Line Crossed: The Taverna attack and the killing of foreigners just because they were foreigners | Afghanistan Analysts Network.

That Pussy Riot – Yuri Kozyrev Shoot: Fashion as Defiance — BagNews

It looks like the propaganda battle between Putin and Pussy Riot has germinated the ultimate merger of politics and protest, celebrity and fashion. Back on the streets after serving 21 months of a two year prison sentence for performing a protest song, band members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, in alignment with NOOR’s gifted photographer, Yuri Kozyrev, use youth, beauty, glamour, shopping, culture, earnest conversation, dancing, landmark cityscape, citizen journalism, social freedom, of course, and new glossy pastel iPhone 5c’s in TIME’s almost-frolicking slideshow to refashion activism as allure.

As target, antagonist but otherwise classic backdrop, the Kremlin must regret letting go of that prison garb. Because what signifies uniform submission has here been turned inside out, the woman using the garments for martyrdom credit and the material of repudiation. The jacket as conscience couture, resistance is now what’s in vogue.

via That Pussy Riot – Yuri Kozyrev Shoot: Fashion as Defiance — BagNews.

6 Palestinian villagers injured as armed settlers attack Beit Ummar | Maan News Agency

Six Palestinians, including a child, were injured in clashes that broke out after a group of Israeli settlers tried to raid Beit Ummar village near Hebron on Friday afternoon.

Spokesman for the local popular resistance committee Mohammad Awad Ayyad said that Israeli forces attacked a funeral procession in the village as dozens of settlers, some armed, gathered near the graveyard.

Settlers also attacked a restaurant in the area, smashed its windows and forced workers to close it down at gun point, Ayyad said.

He added that villagers arrived at the scene and scuffled with settlers, before Israeli forces intervened and fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at the Palestinian villagers.

Five people were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by the Israeli forces, and a child was injured after the rear windshield of his mother\’s car was shattered by a stun grenade.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that around \”200 Israeli civilians\” had gathered in Beit Ummar but that \”nothing out of the ordinary was happening,\” at that time, adding that later some Palestinians \”hurled rocks.\”

via 6 Palestinian villagers injured as armed settlers attack Beit Ummar | Maan News Agency.

Running out of ideas, Congressman suggests abortion restrictions as job creation

Let’s go through this here elected official’s path of reasoning, so we are all clear:

Restrict low-income folks’ access to abortion -> Those already struggling to make ends meet forced to have children they did not want (rich continue getting safe abortions tho FYI) -> JOBS!

Yup. It’s very very true!

 

Verónica sometimes can’t believe that this is real life.

via Running out of ideas, Congressman suggests abortion restrictions as job creation.

Destroy the land for jobs and then bye-bye! Gold mining stirs up controversy in Greece | Europe | DW.DE | 16.01.2014

Sustainable jobs?

“It’s a question of sustainability. I might be able to employ 1,300 people for 10, 12 years or so, but I also cause huge environmental damage in the process,

” Verginis said. “I also hurt jobs in other sectors, for instance tourism. If tourism numbers drop by 25 percent, 12,000 people will lose their jobs.”

According to Eldorado Gold’s vice president and general manager for Greece, Eduardo Moura, the company and its contractors currently employ about 1,600 people in the region. Its subsidiary Hellas Gold, of which Eldorado Gold owns 95 percent, is preparing the region for mining operations.

According to documents on Eldorado Gold\’s website, the Skouries mine is expected to be open by 2016 and have a mining life of 27 years.

via Gold mining stirs up controversy in Greece | Europe | DW.DE | 16.01.2014.

Erdogan takes on the Internet – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has never been at peace with the Internet. His animosity toward it increased after last summer’s Gezi Park protests proved how effective this medium can be in mobilizing the public politically. Already under international scrutiny over its negative approach to press freedoms and the freedom of expression, his government has now prepared draft legislation that will enable it to arbitrarily decide which websites the public will be allowed to enter, and which ones will be banned.

via Erdogan takes on the Internet – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.

Jewish extremists cut down fruit trees in revenge attack | Maan News Agency

“Reminds one of how the KKK used to operate in in the American South.” Suspected Jewish extremists cut down fruit trees belonging to Israeli-Palestinians overnight in an apparent revenge attack for Palestinian villagers detaining Jewish settlers, police said Friday.

The vandals left placards in the orchard reading

“Regards from Esh Kodesh,” the West Bank settlement outpost whose residents were assaulted and briefly detained on Tuesday when they entered the Palestinian village of Qusra, some wearing masks.

The vandals struck near Kfar Qasim, an Israeli Arab town that borders the West Bank some 40 kilometers west of Qusra, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

Seven of the dozen settlers involved in the original incident were meanwhile remanded in custody on Thursday night, Samri added.

via Jewish extremists cut down fruit trees in revenge attack | Maan News Agency.

British workers left unprotected says Labour as immigration row deepens | UK news | theguardian.com

** Racism pervades both left and right in UK – what’s a South Asian-, Caribbean-, Pacific-, or African-English person to think — what me – next for the hate, mate?**

The government has failed to introduce measures to protect the rights of low-skilled British workers whose jobs may be threatened by new migrants from eastern Europe, a Labour shadow minister has claimed.

As Britain opened its borders to Bulgarian and Romanian workers on New Year\’s Day, David Hanson, the shadow immigration minister, said the government has ignored calls to strengthen existing legislation that could stop employers from undercutting British employees\’ wages by recruiting from overseas.

His comments came as the first Romanians and Bulgarians with unrestricted access to the UK labour market began to arrive amid a deepening political row.

via British workers left unprotected says Labour as immigration row deepens | UK news | theguardian.com.