tagged w/ Attack
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worrg
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7 days ago
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A SUICIDE bomb attack ripped through central Damascus last night, killing at least 25 people and wounding 46.
Syrian television said the attack took place in the Damascus suburb of Midan.
A Syrian official said the target appeared to be a bus carrying police, and the bomb detonated near a school. The casualties were mostly civilians, and some security personnel.
TV showed footage of rescuers gathering body parts in the streets in an area where damaged cars and buses could be seen splattered with blood. It showed a damaged bus that had blood on its seats, and carried police helmets.
"This is a criminal terrorist act," a man shouted.
The SANA news agency reported casualties among civilians and security personnel.
"The attack took place in a heavily populated working-class neighbourhood near a school," the state television said. "It killed and wounded dozens of people."
The privately-owned Dunia television channel, which is close to the authorities, said that an Arab League observer team went to the scene of the bombing but made no comments to journalists at the scene.
The Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist group that has organised anti-regime protests since March, said in a statement to AFP in Cyprus last night that another explosion was heard in the Damascus suburb of Tal.
Two weeks ago, 44 people were killed in a similar attack.
The powerful December 23 bombings sparked a swirl of claims and counter-claims over who was responsible, with the authorities saying they were the work of al-Qa'ida and the opposition blaming the regime.
The latest attack came ahead of planned mass protests by pro-democracy activists to demand the Arab League observer mission, in Syria for two weeks, admit its failure to stem nearly 10 months of bloodshed and hand over to the UN.
There has been no let-up in security force fire against civilian demonstrators with two killed last night in Hama and 10 wounded in the southern city of Daraa, cradle of the protests that erupted in mid-March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP in Nicosia.
Protests were also reported in Syria's second city Aleppo and third city Homs, in the port city of Latakia, in Deir Ezzor in the northeast and in Douma on the northern outskirts of the capital.
In Homs, a 36-year-old was killed by a security force bullet while sitting on his balcony, the Observatory added.
A team of Arab League observers has been in Syria since December 26 trying to assess whether President Bashar al-Assad's regime is complying with a peace accord aimed at ending its deadly crackdown on dissent.
The "Syrian Revolution 2011" group, one of the driving forces on the internet behind the uprising, called on Facebook for demonstrations after Friday prayers to urge the "internationalisation of our cause".
The appeal for people to take to the streets following the main weekly Muslim prayers comes ahead of an Arab League meeting on Sunday to discuss the mission, which has come in for scathing criticism this week.
The UN estimates more than 5000 people have been killed in the crisis since March, and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime forces killed another 17 civilians on Thursday.
Opposition groups have criticised the monitors and say the authorities control themA SUICIDE bomb attack ripped through central Damascus last night, killing at least 25... more
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A gunman shot dead three people at a busy central square during a Christmas market in the Belgian city of Liege Tuesday and then killed himself, a justice official said.
More than 75 people were injured in the attack, some of them seriously, Liege's prosecutor told a news conference. As well as firing from a rifle, the gunman also threw explosives, officials and witnesses said.
Gaspard Grosjean, a journalist for a local Liege newspaper, was in the square moments after the attack.
"We saw people with bullet wounds in their shoulders, their hands," he said, adding that he had seen one dead body. "I see people completely scared, people are crying, everyone is on their phones."
The gunman, named as Nordine Amrani, 33, began his attack near a bus stop at Place Saint Lambert, a central shopping area and the site of the city's annual Christmas market and its main courthouse.
He ended by shooting himself in the head with a handgun, witnesses said.
It was clear not what his motive was, but justice officials said he had been summoned in the morning to appear before police and had previous convictions for illegal possession of arms and of drugs.
"He has no history of terrorist acts," prosecutor Daniele Reynders told a news conference in Liege.
A spokesman for Belgium's crisis response center also said there was no indication that it was a terrorist attack.
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo expressed horror at the attack and travelled to the city, 90 km (56 miles) east of Brussels. Belgium's king and queen also planned to visit.
The police closed down the center of Liege for a number of hours, with helicopters circling overhead and ambulances arrived from as far away as neighboring the Netherlands.
A museum on the square said it had taken in injured people.
"I can say there were injured, but don't ask me if it's five, seven, eight or nine. I don't know," said Jean-Jacques Messiaen, director of the Archeoforum museum.
Police and other officials had no immediate information on a possible motive for the attack.A gunman shot dead three people at a busy central square during a Christmas market in... more
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A lone gunman brought bloodshed and mayhem to the eastern Belgian city of Liège today, killing three people in a frenzied attack during which he lobbed hand grenades and fired an assault rifle into crowds of shoppers and commuters.
The man, named as 33-year-old Nordine Amrani, died after going on the rampage in the Place Saint Lambert, near the city's bus station, court and Christmas market. Two teenage boys aged 15 and 17 were killed on the spot, while a 75-year-old woman died of her injuries later. A two-year-old child was reported to be in a critical condition in a local hospital, and at least 75 people were injuredA lone gunman brought bloodshed and mayhem to the eastern Belgian city of Liège... more
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No sane person, especially someone who has had access to the elementary knowledge acquired in primary school, would agree that our species, especially those who are children, teenagers or youth, should be deprived of the right to live, today, tomorrow and forever. Never have human beings, throughout their eventful history, as persons endowed with intelligence, ever heard of an experience like that. I feel the duty to convey to those taking the trouble to read these Reflections the opinion that all of us, with no exception, are obliged to create awareness about the risks that humankind are running in an inexorable manner, towards a final and total catastrophe as the consequence of irresponsible decisions made by politicians who fate, rather than talent or merit, has placed the destiny of humankind in their hands. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/section-table/43040-genocidal-cynicism-by-fidel-castro-ruzNo sane person, especially someone who has had access to the elementary knowledge... more
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worrg
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1 month ago
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White Tigers do not exist in the wild, they are purposefully inbred in captivity to meet the demand of the paying public. The kind of severe inbreeding that is required to produce the mutation of a white coat also causes a number of other defects in these big cats.
The same gene that causes the white coat causes the optic nerve to be wired to the wrong side of the brain, thus all white tigers are cross eyed, even if their eyes look normal. They also often suffer from club feet, cleft palates, spinal deformities and defective organs.White Tigers do not exist in the wild, they are purposefully inbred in captivity to... more
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BigCat
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2 months ago
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The Obama administration has affirmed, continued and expanded almost all of the draconian domestic civil liberties intrusions pioneered under the Bush administration. Here are twenty examples of serious assaults on the domestic rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, the right to privacy, the right to a fair trial, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience that have occurred since the Obama administration has assumed power. Consider these and then decide if there is any fundamental difference between the Bush presidency and the Obama presidency in the area of domestic civil liberties.
Patriot Act
On May 27, 2011, President Obama, over widespread bipartisan objections, approved a Congressional four year extension of controversial parts of the Patriot Act that were set to expire. In March of 2010, Obama signed a similar extension of the Patriot Act for one year. These provisions allow the government, with permission from a special secret court, to seize records without the owner’s knowledge, conduct secret surveillance of suspicious people who have no known ties to terrorist groups and to obtain secret roving wiretaps on people.
Criminalization of Dissent and Militarization of the Police
Anyone who has gone to a peace or justice protest in recent years has seen it – local police have been turned into SWAT teams, and SWAT teams into heavily armored military. Officer Friendly or even Officer Unfriendly has given way to police uniformed like soldiers with SWAT shields, shin guards, heavy vests, military helmets, visors, and vastly increased firepower. Protest police sport ninja turtle-like outfits and are accompanied by helicopters, special tanks, and even sound blasting vehicles first used in Iraq. Wireless fingerprint scanners first used by troops in Iraq are now being utilized by local police departments to check motorists. Facial recognition software introduced in war zones is now being used in Arizona and other jurisdictions. Drones just like the ones used in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan are being used along the Mexican and Canadian borders. These activities continue to expand under the Obama administration.
Wiretaps
Wiretaps for oral, electronic or wire communications, approved by federal and state courts, are at an all-time high. Wiretaps in year 2010 were up 34% from 2009, according to the Administrative Office of the US Courts.
Criminalization of Speech
Muslims in the US have been targeted by the Obama Department of Justice for inflammatory things they said or published on the internet. First Amendment protection of freedom of speech, most recently stated in a 1969 Supreme Court decision, Brandenberg v Ohio, says the government cannot punish inflammatory speech, even if it advocates violence unless it is likely to incite or produce such action. A Pakistani resident legally living in the US was indicted by the DOJ in September 2011 for uploading a video on YouTube. The DOJ said the video was supportive of terrorists even though nothing on the video called for violence. In July 2011, the DOJ indicted a former Penn State student for going onto websites and suggesting targets and for providing a link to an explosives course already posted on the internet.
Domestic Government Spying on Muslim Communities
In activities that offend freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and several other laws, the NYPD and the CIA have partnered to conduct intelligence operations against Muslim communities in New York and elsewhere. The CIA, which is prohibited from spying on Americans, works with the police on “human mapping”, commonly known as racial and religious profiling to spy on the Muslim community. Under the Obama administration, the Associated Press reported in August 2011, informants known as “mosque crawlers,” monitor sermons, bookstores and cafes.
Top Secret America
In July 2010, the Washington Post released “Top Secret America,” a series of articles detailing the results of a two year investigation into the rapidly expanding world of homeland security, intelligence and counter-terrorism. It found 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence at about 10,000 locations across the US. Every single day, the National Security Agency intercepts and stores more than 1.7 billion emails, phone calls and other types of communications. The FBI has a secret database named Guardian that contains reports of suspicious activities filed from federal, state and local law enforcement. According to the Washington Post Guardian contained 161,948 files as of December 2009. From that database there have been 103 full investigations and at least five arrests the FBI reported. The Obama administration has done nothing to cut back on the secrecy.
Other Domestic Spying
There are at least 72 fusion centers across the US which collect local domestic police information and merge it into multi-jurisdictional intelligence centers, according to recent report by the ACLU. These centers share information from federal, state and local law enforcement and some private companies to secretly spy on Americans. These all continue to grow and flourish under the Obama administration.
Abusive FBI Intelligence Operations
The Electronic Frontier Foundation documented thousands of violations of the law by FBI intelligence operations from 2001 to 2008 and estimate that there are over 4000 such violations each year. President Obama issued an executive order to strengthen the Intelligence Oversight Board, an agency which is supposed to make sure the FBI, the CIA and other spy agencies are following the law. No other changes have been noticed.
Wikileaks
The publication of US diplomatic cables by Wikileaks and then by main stream news outlets sparked condemnation by Obama administration officials who said the publication of accurate government documents was nothing less than an attack on the United States. The Attorney General announced a criminal investigation and promised “this is not saber rattling.” Government officials warned State Department employees not to download the publicly available documents. A State Department official and Columbia officials warned students that discussing Wikileaks or linking documents to social networking sites could jeopardize their chances of getting a government job, a position that lasted several days until reversed by other Columbia officials. At the time this was written, the Obama administration continued to try to find ways to prosecute the publishers of Wikileaks.
Censorship of Books by the CIA
In 2011, the CIA demanded extensive cuts from a memoir by former FBI agent Ali H. Soufan, in part because it made the agency look bad. Soufan’s book detailed the use of torture methods on captured prisoners and mistakes that led to 9-11. Similarly, a 2011 book on interrogation methods by former CIA agent Glenn Carle was subjected to extensive black outs. The CIA under the Obama administration continues its push for censorship.
(more @ link)
These twenty concrete examples document a sustained assault on domestic civil liberties in the United States under the Obama administration. Rhetoric aside, how different has Obama been from Bush in this area?
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/20-examples-of-obama-administration.html#moreThe Obama administration has affirmed, continued and expanded almost all of the... more
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Protesters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have broken into the UK embassy compound during an anti-British demonstration, reports say.
Militant students are said to have removed the British flag, burnt it and replaced it with Iran's flag. State TV showed youths smashing embassy windows.
The move comes after Iran resolved to reduce ties following the UK's decision to impose further sanctions on it.
The UK's Foreign Office said it was "outraged" by the actions.
It urged Iran to honour international commitments to protect diplomatic missions and their staff.
The students clashed with anti-riot police and chanted "the embassy of Britain should be taken over" and "death to England", AP reports.
Students were reported to be ransacking offices inside the building, and one protester was said to be waving a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth II.
Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said documents from the embassy had been seized and set alight. Embassy staff fled by the back door, the agency added.
Outside the embassy's walls, several hundred other demonstrators were gathered.
TV footage showed Iranian riot police gradually clearing the protesters away from outside the embassy.
The UK Foreign Office issued an angry statement urging Iran to quickly restore order.
"We are outraged by this. It is utterly unacceptable and we condemn it," the statement said.
"Under international law, including the Vienna Convention, the Iranian Government have a clear duty to protect diplomats and embassies in their country and we expect them to act urgently to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of our staff and security of our property".
On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted by a large majority to downgrade diplomatic relations with the UK after the UK Treasury imposed sanctions on Iranian banks the previous week, accusing them of facilitating the country's nuclear programme.
Iranian radio reported that some MPs had chanted "Death to Britain" during the vote, which was approved by 87% of MPs.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Background: UK-Iran ties
After a series of ups and downs in relations following the 1979 Iranian revolution, London and Tehran restored full diplomatic ties in 1988.
Iran broke off relations the following year after Ayatollah Khomeyni's fatwa on the author Salman Rushdie. Partial diplomatic relations were restored in 1990 and these were upgraded in 1999 to ambassadorial level.
In 2001, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited Iran.
In March 2007, Iranian forces seized eight Royal Navy sailors and seven marines from their patrol boat on the border between Iran and Iraq, saying that the sailors had entered Iranian waters. They were freed the next month.
In June 2009, Britain said it had frozen Iranian assets worth almost £1bn under sanctions imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear programme, and later Iran and Britain each expelled two diplomats. The same month, Iran accused Britain of involvement in the post-presidential election unrest in Iran.
In November 2011, Britain imposed new financial sanctions on Iran, a move which appears to have led to the current situation.Protesters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have broken into the UK embassy compound... more
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pdy
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2 months ago
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Each time I hear of a new drone strike by America in some distant foreign land, by some video game player, wielding a computer joystick in Nevada, I get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my soul that my country has committed a cowardly act of murder, simply because it’s virtually risk-free and so easy to do so. There is something about a remote-controlled, highly efficient killing machine that just does not sit well with me, both as a civilized human being, and an American citizen. And there is also something about the ‘CIA’ conducting these so called ‘war on terror’ drone missions through a ‘Special Activities Division’, which has a conveniently irresponsible ring to it.
Without getting too deeply into the actual numbers of casualties, the notion of which most Americans are used to that collateral damage in the form of civilian deaths from drone strikes is non-existent or minimal, has been clearly disputed in an August 2011 report, by an independently backed British, not-for-profit, investigative journalism initiative, based at City University In London. ‘The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’ as it calls itself, is currently at odds with U.S. Intelligence officials, who for obvious reasons, often make it appear to the American public as if each and every drone strike they conduct is a logistical and surgical success. Yet, according to the aforementioned report that I have cited, there are credible reports of more than 150 children having their lives snuffed out to date, via American military drones.
Continues @ http://thenewworldreporter.com/2011/10/15/drones-killing-for-sport/Each time I hear of a new drone strike by America in some distant foreign land, by... more
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Citizens of the world
We are Anonymous! Recently something very disturbing has come to our attention. You must take all notices and information claiming to be 'Anonymous' with a grain of salt. Consider EVERYTHING.
Operation Invade Wall Street is bullshit! It is a fake planted operation by law enforcement and cyber crime agencies in order to get you to undermine the Occupy Wall Street movement. It proposes you use depreciated tools that have known flaws such as LOIC.
Anonymous would never tell you to use LOIC - Not after the arrests and failures of Operation Payback.
Anonymous wouldn't attack NYSE on a HOLIDAY - It is debatable if Anonymous would ever even attack NYSE.
Be wary friends!
We are Anonymous We are Legion We do not Forgive We do not Forget Expect Us Be wary of imitations!Citizens of the world
We are Anonymous! Recently something very disturbing has come... more
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neham
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4 months ago
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sitsi
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5 months ago
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At least 20 people have been killed after unknown gunmen opened fire at a crowded bar near the Burundi capital, Bujumbura, officials say.
Link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14968935At least 20 people have been killed after unknown gunmen opened fire at a crowded bar... more
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Breaking news: as of this writing, an Israeli military jet has just landed at Cairo's airport, most likely to pick up its ambassador and his family to return them to Tel Aviv. Today's planned demonstrations included the storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo, the demolition of the wall which was built by Egypt's security forces around the building to protect it from attack. Protesters came with crow bars and hammers, and some with their bare hands reduced the wall to ruins.
Once again, the Israeli flag was torn by one of four protesters who climbed some 15 stories to reach it, and managed to dislodge the flagpole as well. Last week, it had been taken down as anger mounted in Egypt after five of its soldiers were killed by Israeli forces in the Sinai.
Hundreds of diplomatic documents from the Israeli embassy were tossed out the windows, but since the protesters only reached the entrance, they could have been pamphlets and/or forms that were set in the foyer. The Israeli ambassador left the area with his family, fearing for his safety. It was later reported that he had reached the airport in the capital.
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Continue reading on Examiner.com Washington in touch with Egypt's leadership to ensure safety of Israeli embassy - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/washington-touch-with-egypt-s-leadership-to-ensure-safety-of-israeli-embassy#ixzz1XVVqNazQBreaking news: as of this writing, an Israeli military jet has just landed at... more
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I was informed by the California Director of the Humane Society of the United States Jennifer Fearing yesterday that AB376 passed through the senate 25-9 and now proceeds to the Governor for final sign off to be made a law making California partner with Washington, Oregon and Hawaii on the ban on the sale or possession of shark fins.I was informed by the California Director of the Humane Society of the United States... more
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A retired Chinese general recently revealed that his country might be planning a surprise missile attack on the United States. The public comment of Xu Guangyu came in response to WikiLeaks revelations that last year Washington had warned its allies beforehand of China’s test of a missile interceptor. http://www.factoverfiction.com/article/3390A retired Chinese general recently revealed that his country might be planning a... more
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Cynthia McKinney ..... Thanks to all who have come out and participated in the Truth Tour. I have almost come to its end. Last night in Detroit, several of the women were moved to tears as I explained the situation in Libya right now as I know it to be. Every venue has had every seat occupied or was filled to capacity with standing room only. Detroit's young singer and band, Sister Ziyah and Black Rain were phenomenal and their music set the tone for the event: first song, Kickstart the Revolution; second song, Good Morning, America; third song, Today, I'm a Better Me. This Truth Tour has been unique because the true peace people in this country have revealed themselves by their willingness to step forward and be counted against this war in the very midst of the worst deceit and demonization ever. NATO war crimes are being excused, discounted, or covered up by those who posed as supporters of justice and peace. It is never OK to bomb people. And it is never OK to ask the peace-loving people of this country to sacrifice Social Security and Medicare and education and housing--and I could go on and on--so that war profiteers can fatten their ill-gotten coffers. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43002-libya-truth-tourCynthia McKinney ..... Thanks to all who have come out and participated in the Truth... more
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worrg
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