Friday, November 30, 2012

مجاهدین افغان؛ عامل تامین امنیت یا نگرانی بازگشت به جنگ

مجاهدین افغان؛ عامل تامین امنیت یا نگرانی بازگشت به جنگ
رای قاطع سنای آمریکا به خروج سریع نیروهای این کشور از افغانستان

Syrian Refugees Attacked by ‘Armed Groups,’ U.N. Says - nytimes

GENEVA — The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday that armed groups are attacking Syrian civilians as they try to flee to Jordan to escape the conflict in their country. The agency appealed to all sides in the fighting to allow them safe passage. - Syrian Refugees Attacked by 'Armed Groups,' UN
Damascus airport flights disrupted for second day - BBC

Karzai 'unaware' of campaign cash from corrupt bank - AFP

KABUL — Afghan President Hamid Karzai was not aware that a major bank now mired in scandal had contributed millions of dollars to his re-election campaign, his spokesman said Thursday. - Karzai 'unaware' of campaign cash from corrupt bank
Can Afghanistan tackle corruption - Aljazeera
Afghan bank fraud siphoned out savers' money, independent report ... CNN

Afghanistan presses Pakistan to free Taliban

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Afghan foreign minister pressed Pakistan on Friday to free more Taliban detainees in Islamabad's custody in a bid to help coax the militant group into peace negotiations to end the 11-year-old war in Afghanistan, officials said. - Afghanistan presses Pakistan to free Taliban AP
Pakistan agrees release of more Taliban prisoners - AFP

Countries That Voted Against Palestine At UN Include United States, Israel And Canada

UNITED NATIONS -- Just nine nations voted against the Palestinian Authority's upgrade to nonvoting observer state status, which passed the General Assembly 138-9, with 41 abstentions. - Countries That Voted Against Palestine At UN Include United States ...
Palestinian Statehood Vote: Palestinians Certain To Win U.N. ...
Palestinian UN Recognition Vote Passes By Majority - Huffington Post

DSK Lawsuit: Strauss-Kahn In Preliminary Civil Case Deal With Maid Nafissatou Diallo

France's Le Monde says DSK to pay $6 mln settlement - DSK Reportedly Settles With Maid For $6 Million

White House rules out repercussions for Palestinians after UN statehood vote - thehill

President Obama has no plans to cut U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority following Thursday's statehood vote at the United Nations, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday. - White House rules out repercussions for Palestinians after UN ...

House passes GOP visa reform bill over Dem objections - thehill

The House on Friday approved legislation aimed at providing more visas to foreign nationals with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. - House passes GOP visa reform bill over Dem objections

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Obama, Romney eat chili, talk leadership - CBS

In their first face-to-face meeting since the third and final presidential debate, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney joined President Obama for a private lunch at the White House today, - Obama, Romney eat chili, talk leadership

Senate backs quicker withdrawal from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON Reflecting a war-weary nation, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday for an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting. - Senate backs quicker withdrawal from Afghanistan

UN relief official calls for boost in humanitarian support for Afghanistan

29 November 2012 – A senior United Nations official today called on the international community to step up its humanitarian support for Afghanistan to sustain the progress made so far in the country where thousands have suffered through 34 years of conflict and poverty. - UN relief official calls for boost in humanitarian - the United Nations

General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer State status at UN

29 November 2012 – The General Assembly today voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status at the United Nations, while expressing the urgent need for the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians leading to a permanent two-State solution. - General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer State
On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban stresses urgency of ...

U.N. Assembly, in Blow to U.S., Elevates Status of Palestine - nytimes

UNITED NATIONS — More than 130 countries voted on Thursday to upgrade Palestine to a nonmember observer state of the United Nations, a triumph for Palestinian diplomacy and a sharp rebuke to the United States and Israel. - UN Assembly, in Blow to US, Elevates Status of Palestine

28 Days to Prevent a Heart Attack - doctoroz

Heart disease is the #1 killer in America. In just 28 days, you can change your habits and lower your risk for a heart attack by up to 90%. Each week you’ll make a simple change, getting you closer to your goal.  - 28-Days to Prevent a Heart Attack

Security forces arrest Afghan accused of funding the Taliban

"The Americans won't tell us where he is," said Haji Kandiagha, the president of the exchange. "Everyone is angry about this, they don't know what the Americans will do." - Security forces arrest Afghan accused of funding the Taliban

US envoy to leave Afghanistan-Pakistan post

Marc Grossman, who took over after the death of Richard Holbrooke in 2010, will step down in December. - US envoy to leave Afghanistan-Pakistan post - Americas ... - Aljazeera

Fighting cuts access to Damascus airport, flights suspended

(Reuters) - Syrian rebels battled forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad just outside Damascus on Thursday, cutting access to its international airport, and the Dubai-based Emirates airline and EgyptAir stopped flights to the Syrian capital.- Fighting cuts access to Damascus airport, flights suspended

Cheap And Deadly, U.S. Drones Ignite Global Arms Race In Unmanned Strike Weapons - huffingtonpost

While President Obama ponders new legal and moral guidelines to govern America's growing use of armed robot aircraft, the world outside the White House is engaged in a revolutionary frenzy of building, arming and flying killer drones. - Cheap And Deadly, U.S. Drones Ignite Global Arms Race In Unmanned Strike Weapons

Former President George H.W. Bush, 88, hospitalized with bronchitis

Bush, 88, has been suffering from a severe cough, and he’s been in and out of the hospital for the last couple of weeks. He was admitted out of "an abundance of caution" due to his age, a source close to the family told NBC News. - News: Former President George HW Bush, 88, hospitalized with bronchitis

Moral Injury: The Psychological Wounds Of War

"Moral injury" is a term used in the mental health community to describe the psychological damage service members face when their actions in battle contradict their moral beliefs. - Moral Injury: The Psychological Wounds Of War : NPR

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Obamacare countdown: What is slated to happen over next year? - csmonitor

The health-care reform law, aka Obamacare, is poised to enter a crucial 12 months that includes setting up state exchanges, levying taxes on the wealthy, and preparing for the individual mandate. - Obamacare countdown: What is slated to happen over next year? - Obamacare countdown: What is slated to happen over next year?

Obama takes 'fiscal cliff' battle to social media

President Obama asks Americans to pressure Congress via social media to keep tax breaks for most while raising rates on the top 2% of earners. House and Senate Republicans fight back. -  Obama takes 'fiscal cliff' battle to social media - latimes
Report cites extensive corruption involving Afghan bank

Our Man in Kabul? -- THE SATURDAY ESSAY

Aware of Afghanistan's history, Mr. Karzai opposed the very notion of a U.S. counterinsurgency campaign, fearing that the insertion of American troops into traditional Afghan villages, and the casualties that they cause, would end up reinvigorating the Taliban. He has also argued that U.S. military operations are meaningless without first confronting Pakistan, which provides havens and support to Afghan insurgents—allowing the Taliban to bounce back after every offensive. Our Man in Kabul? - WSJ

Afghans Pin Energy Hopes on Local Gas - WSJ

The Pentagon's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, an organization that scouts Afghanistan with the hope of attracting private investment, put up the $2.9 million for the filling station here, seeing a project that, while relatively small, could be attractive to an investor who sees potential profit in selling CNG. - Afghans Pin Energy Hopes on Local Gas

Bundeswehreinsatz am Hindukusch: 5000 Geheimpapiere zeigen Wahrheit über Afghanistan

Die Regierung will den Afghanistan-Einsatz verlängern. Der „Rechercheblog“ der WAZ hat kurz vor der Entscheidung rund 5000 geheime Dokumente veröffentlicht. Die Erkenntnis: Die Sicherheitslage in Afghanistan hat sich stetig verschlechtert.- Bundeswehreinsatz am Hindukusch: 5000 Geheimpapiere zeigen Wahrheit über Afghanistan   -- So scheitert die Bundeswehr in Afghanistan
Massaker in Afghanistan: US-Soldat droht Todesstrafe wegen Zivilisten-Mord - Focus

EDITORIAL: The Pace of Leaving Afghanistan

Seventeen months ago, President Obama said that the 30,000 American troops deployed to Afghanistan for the “surge” would be home by this September, and he made good on that promise. He also said troop reductions would continue at a “steady pace” until the remaining 66,000 were out by the end of 2014. - The Pace of Leaving Afghanistan  - nytimes
Time Slipping, U.S. Ponders Afghan Role After 2014

محمود کرزی: "د کابل بانک پور مې له سود سره پرې کړی"

ښاغلي کرزي د راپور بنسټ سم بللی، خو د ده په اړه خبره يې دی وايي يو بې ځايه
تور دی.- محمود کرزی: "د کابل بانک پور مې له سود سره پرې کړی"
Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as 'Ponzi Scheme' - nytimes
'فریبکاری، اقدامات غیر قانونی و ضعف دولت عامل بحران کابل بانک شد'

No Amnesty for Taliban Crimes - Human Rights Watch

Providing immunity from prosecution for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious human rights abuses violates international law. International treaties, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which Afghanistan has ratified, and customary international humanitarian law, require parties to a conflict to ensure alleged perpetrators of serious crimes are prosecuted. Those responsible for war crimes and other serious abuses on both sides should be investigated and prosecuted. - Afghanistan: No Amnesty for Taliban Crimes

Why I'm Going to Afghanistan - John Dear

So this week, I fly to the other side of the world, to one of the poorest places on the planet, where two million people have been killed in warfare over the last four decades. I'm going, basically, for three reasons. Why I'm Going to Afghanistan - Afghanistan War

استخبارات کشور های منطقه در افزایش ناامنی ها در شرق افغانستان دست دارند

محمد اسحاق اتمر یکی از این آگاهان به روز سه شنبه در صحبت با رادیو آزادی گفت که برعلاوه حلقات استخباراتی ایران و پاکستان شماری از حلقات مذهبی عربستان سعودی نیز در تلاش این اند تا در افغانستان مشکلات ایجاد کنند: «این مسایل ناشی از رقابت های منطقه یی بخصوص از عربستان و ایرانی ها در منطقه است. هم چنان برخی از گروپ های افراطی که در پاکستان هستند این حرکت ها را دامن زده و آن را شعله ور می سازند. شما در جریان هستید که مذاکرات صلح میان افغان ها در جریان است و به پیش می رود و آنها می خواهند این مذاکرات را تحت تاثیر قرار داده و آن را سپوتاژ کنند.» -  «استخبارات کشور های منطقه در افزایش ناامنی ها در شرق افغانستان دست ...
«هدف ایجاد کابل بانک تقویه اقتصاد افغانستان نه، بلکه کلاه برداری ...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Afghan president seeks to allay fears of post-2014 chaos

(Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai projected a rosier future for his country on Tuesday and sought to quell "propaganda" of a possible descent into chaos once most international troops withdraw by the end of 2014. - Afghan president seeks to allay fears of post-2014 chaos
کرزی: در مذاکرات با آمریکا منفعت متقابل در نظر گرفته ‌می‌شود

'چند سیاستمدار ارشد افغان از بحران کابل بانک سود بردند'

گزارش جدید یک نهاد مستقل بازرسی نشان می‌دهد که در نتیجه بحران کابل بانک تعدادی محدود از سیاستمداران ارشد این کشور نزدیک به ۹۰۰ میلیون دلار سود بردند. جزئیات این بازرسی در گزارش مفصلی گرد‌آوری شده که بدست نیویورک تایمز رسیده است. - 'چند سیاستمدار ارشد افغان از بحران کابل بانک سود بردند'
راپور: کابل بانک کې له پیله درغلي وه
Kabul Bank fraud profited elite, leaked audit says
 Kabul Bank fraud 'profited elite'
'فریبکاری، اقدامات غیر قانونی و ضعف دولت عامل بحران کابل بانک شد'

Kabul Bank 'diverted £540 million to group of 12 in massive fraud' - Telegraph

Afghanistan's biggest private bank was a massive fraud scheme from its founding, with £540 million ($861 million) diverted to a clique of beneficiaries including the president's brother, a British-funded audit has found. - Kabul Bank 'diverted £540 million to group of 12 in massive fraud' - Afghanistan

New Government Report - Germany Criticizes Afghanistan's Lack of Progress

A new report by the German government paints a pessimistic picture of security in Afghanistan. Despite international efforts to train the national army and police force, "hostile forces remain operational," the government writes in its latest 'Afghanistan Progress Report' seen by SPIEGEL.- New Government Report: Germany Criticizes Afghanistan's Lack of - Afghanistan War

Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as ‘Ponzi Scheme’

KABUL, Afghanistan —Kabul Bank  became Afghanistan’s largest financial institution by offering the promise of modern banking to people who had never had a saving or checking account. What it really dealt in was modern theft: “From its very beginning,” according to a confidential forensic audit of Kabul Bank, “the bank was a well-concealed Ponzi scheme.”- Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as 'Ponzi Scheme' - nytimes
Fraud Trial Begins in Multimillion-Dollar Afghan Bank Scandal

‘Everybody needs to know’: Grapefruit combined with certain drugs can be deadly - NP

Eating a grapefruit or drinking its juice can be a great way to get vitamin C, but it can also be dangerous when taking certain prescription drugs, researchers warn. - ‘Everybody needs to know’: Grapefruit combined with certain drugs can be deadly - 'Everybody needs to know': Grapefruit combined with certain drugs can be deadly

Afghanistan will descend into ‘chaos and civil war’ unless the international community remains committed there: Forum panel

Afghanistan is “very, very vulnerable” and will descend back into “chaos and civil war” unless the world — especially the United States, and NATO allies such as Canada — remains engaged and committed there. - Afghanistan will descend into 'chaos and civil war' unless the ...NP

Kabul streets get overdue facelift - washingtonpost

KABUL — The ambitious, $45 million project — financed largely by the government of Japan and supervised by the Kabul mayor’s office  — will eventually produce 60 miles of smooth pavement and modern drainage in an aged, war-savaged capital where the population has exploded from 2 million to 5 million in the past decade. For now, though, it has produced mostly chaos and complaints.- Kabul streets get overdue facelift

Pentagon Wants to Keep Running Its Afghan Drug War From Blackwater’s HQ

The U.S. war in Afghanistan is supposed to be winding down. Its contractor-led drug war? Not so much.  - Pentagon Wants to Keep Running Its Afghan Drug War From ...Wired

Monday, November 26, 2012

Morsi Tries to Calm Egypt After His Edict - WSJ

CAIRO—Egypt's leader tried to contain the fallout from his decision last week to neutralize the judiciary and bestow nearly absolute powers upon himself, meeting with the country's top judges Monday and emphasizing that his edict was a temporary measure with limited scope. - Morsi Tries to Calm Egypt After His Edict   Power Struggle in Egypt Fuels Further Clashes

U.S. Looks to Set Size of Afghan Presence After 2014 . - Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—Top Obama administration officials want to keep around 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when formal combat ends in 2014, cementing a limited, long-term American military presence in the country if Kabul agrees, said senior U.S. officials. - U.S. Looks to Set Size of Afghan Presence After 2014
Afghan Clash Raises Sectarian Fears

US weighs post-2014 force of 10,000 troops in Afghanistan - AFP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is weighing plans to keep roughly 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan after the NATO-led force hands over security to the Afghan government, a senior US official said Monday. - US weighs post-2014 force of 10000 troops in Afghanistan
White House: no decision on troops in Afghanistan post 2014 - reuters

Time Slipping, U.S. Ponders Afghan Role After 2014

WASHINGTON — American and allied military planners are drawing up the broad outlines of a force that would remain in Afghanistan following the handover to Afghan security after 2014, including a small counterterrorism force with an eye toward Al Qaeda, senior officials say. - Time Slipping, U.S. Ponders Afghan Role After 2014
America's Future Role in Afghanistan - nytimes

Gangnam Style becomes YouTube's most-viewed video - BBC

Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become YouTube's most-watched video of all time. Gangnam Style 'most viewed video' 
South Korea eyes 'Gangnam style' tourism boost
Gangnam Style becomes YouTube's most-viewed video

Kabul Closes Universities After Sectarian Clashes

Afghanistan has closed down three major public universities in the capital, Kabul, for more than a week after sectarian clashes left one student dead and nearly 30 others wounded. - Kabul Closes Universities After Sectarian Clashes
The Quiet Pain of Insider Shootings in Afghanistan - latimes
تعطیلی زودهنگام چهار دانشگاه در کابل

Sunday, November 25, 2012

On International Day, Ban leads UN call for action to end violence against women

“Up to 70 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime (and) as many as a quarter of all pregnant women are affected,” Mr. Ban said in message to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against  - On International Day, Ban leads UN call for
UN News - UN launches initiative to highlight commitments to end ...

Power Shifts - The Revenge of Geography,’ by Robert D. Kaplan

And Iran “has often been less a state than an amorphous, multinational empire.” The suffix “istan” is Persian for “place,” meaning that the “stans” of Central Asia — Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the rest — reflect a map drawn in Tehran.  'The Revenge of Geography,' by Robert D. Kaplan - NYTimes

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Overcoming Foreign-Policy Disunity - Richard G. Lugar

Unfortunately, neither the George W. Bush White House nor the Obama White House showed much interest in a foreign-policy partnership with Congress. This contrasts with the Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Clinton Administrations, all of which placed a much higher value on Congressional participation in foreign policy. - .Overcoming Foreign-Policy Disunity - The National Interest
America's Flawed and Fragile Democracy - Paul R. Pillar

اسلام‌آباد و طالبان؛ تغییر استراتژی یا بازی جدید

اعلام رهایی ۹ تن از زندانیان طالبان از زندانهای پاکستان، توافق افغانستان و پاکستان روی فراخوانی اجلاسی مشتمل بر علمای دینی از سراسر جهان اسلام به منظور بررسی جنگ در افغانستان و در نهایت سفر رئیس ستاد ارتش پاکستان همراه با وزیر دفاع بریتانیا به کابل، از پیامدهای سفر آقای ربانی به پاکستان بود که ناظران سیاسی را متعجب ساخت. - اسلامآباد و طالبان؛ تغییر استراتژی یا بازی جدید
سیاستمداران افغان به شبکه‌های اجتماعی رو می‌آورند

Library of Congress shows diaries from Civil War

WASHINGTON (AP) — Letters and diaries from those who lived through the Civil War offer a new glimpse at the arguments that split the nation 150 years ago and some of the festering debates that survive today.- Library of Congress shows diaries from Civil War - Yahoo! News

Afghan 'revenge' attack kills three, wounds 90

GHAZNI, Afghanistan — A suicide car bomber killed three people and wounded dozens near a NATO-run training base on Friday, in an attack claimed by the Taliban as revenge for the execution of its militants. - News: Afghan 'revenge' attack kills three, wounds 90 - AFP

A Change in the Afghan Fighting Season, Borne on the Raindrops - nytimes

Rain in the Afghan desert left us dumbstruck, eyes on heaven. - A Change in the Afghan Fighting Season, Borne on the Raindrops - JOHN BILBY

'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Dies at 81 - The Hollywood Reporter

UPDATED: The Fort Worth native, who was diagnosed with cancer 13 months ago, played the conniving J.R. Ewing on the primetime soap. 'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Dies at 81 - The Hollywood Reporter
Larry Hagman, legendary actor who played J.R. Ewing of 'Dallas ...

Larry Hagman, Who Played J.R. Ewing in ‘Dallas,’ Dies at 81 - nytimes

Larry Hagman, whose portrayal of one of television’s most beloved villains, J. R. Ewing, led the CBS series “Dallas” to enormous worldwide popularity, died on Friday in Dallas. He was 81. -  Larry Hagman, Who Played JR Ewing in 'Dallas,' Dies at 81

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Study questions value of mammography screening

About a third of all tumors discovered in routine mammography  screenings are unlikely to result in illness, according to a new study that says 30 years of the breast cancer exams have resulted in the overdiagnosis of 1.3 million American women. -  Study questions value of mammography screening - latimes
New England Journal of Medicine

Thanksgiving (United States) - Wikipedia

Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. - Thanksgiving (United States) - Wikipedia,
Thanksgiving — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts

Afghanistan Executes Six in Gesture on Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan government executed six Taliban prisoners on Wednesday, just days after welcoming Pakistan’s  release of other Taliban prisoners, illustrating the tightrope that President Hamid Karzai is trying to walk: reaching out to the Taliban politically while demonstrating his opposition to their terrorist acts. - Afghanistan Executes Six in Gesture on Taliban - nytimes
Karzai Gives His Approval for Execution of Prisoners

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Fake terror plots, paid informants: the tactics of FBI 'entrapment' questioned - Guardian

Muslim civil rights groups have warned of a feeling of being hounded and threatened by the FBI, triggering a natural fear of the authorities among people that should be a vital defence against real terror attacks. But FBI tactics could now be putting off many people from reporting tip-offs or suspicious individuals.

"They are making mosques suspicious of anybody. They are putting fear into these communities," said Greenberg. Civil liberties groups are also concerned, seeing some FBI tactics as using terrorism to justify more power. "We are still seeing an expansion of these tools. It is a terrible prospect," said Mike German, an expert at the American Civil Liberties Union and a former FBI agent who has worked in counter-terrorism.

German said suspects convicted of plotting terror attacks in some recent FBI cases bore little resemblance to the profile of most terrorist cells. "Most of these suspect terrorists had no access to weapons unless the government provided them. I would say that showed they were not the biggest threat to the US," German said.

"Most terrorists have links to foreign terrorist groups and have trained in terrorism training camps. Perhaps FBI resources should be spent finding those guys." -  MORE,  Fake terror plots, paid informants: the tactics of FBI ...  - - New York
Feds Bust Four Clueless al-Qaeda Wannabes for Talking About Jihad - Kurt Nimmo

Dependence on paid informant in terror case may aid defense - latimes

The informant, who received $250,000 from the FBI and "immigration benefits" for his work over the four years, infiltrated the group in March and wore recording devices that provided evidence crucial to the case. The federal complaint unsealed this week against the four men was based in large part on incriminating statements recorded by the informant. - Dependence on paid informant in terror case may aid defense ... -- California terror plot case: Attorney skeptical of paid informant ...
Document: 4 L.A.-area men arrested in alleged terror plot

Obama pardons Thanksgiving turkey - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama pardoned two turkeys in an annual Thanksgiving rite on Wednesday, saying he wanted to offer the birds a second chance. - Obama pardons Thanksgiving turkey - Yahoo! News
Afghan president demands release of U.S.-held prisoners Reuters

Bomber Hits Kabul's Green Zone - Wall Street Journal

KABUL—A suicide bomber Wednesday penetrated Kabul's fortified Green Zone, where government officials, international diplomats and the U.S.-led military coalition live and work, killing two Afghan security guards and wounding at least three other people.- Bomber Hits Kabul's Green Zone
منطقه حفاظت شده کابل هدف حمله انتحاری قرار گرفت - bbc
کابل کې ځانمرګي برید دوه ساتونکي وژلي

More Afghan land cultivated for opium poppies, U.N. finds - latimes

More Afghan land is being used to grow opium poppies than a year ago, the United Nations drug agency said in a a new report  released Tuesday that underscores the challenges in combating the illicit crop. More Afghan land cultivated for opium poppies, U.N. finds
8 executed by hanging in Afghanistan, ending 4-year moratorium

Afghanistan: Karzai Should Halt Executions - HRW

The weakness of the Afghan legal system and the routine failure of courts to meet international fair trial standards make Afghanistan’s use of the death penalty especially troubling, Human Rights Watch said.  Afghanistan: Karzai Should Halt Executions

EU, rights groups condemn Afghan executions

KABUL — The European Union and international rights groups condemned Afghanistan's execution of eight prisoners and urged Kabul to drop plans to hang more soon. - EU, rights groups condemn Afghan executions - AFP

UN launches initiative to highlight commitments to end violence against women and girls

The United Nations agency tasked with advancing gender equality today announced a new initiative that will spotlight countries’ commitments to end violence against women and girls, seeking bold action and leadership to galvanize efforts to end the pandemic. - UN launches initiative to highlight commitments to end violence ...

Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Takes Effect

CAIRO — Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire on Wednesday, the eighth day of lethal fighting over the Gaza Strip, the United States and Egypt said after intensive negotiations in Cairo. -  Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Takes Effect - nytimes
Document: White House Statement on Obama’s Call to Netanyahu

Gen. Allen resumes command duty in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gen. John Allen has returned to Kabul to resume his duties as the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, more than a week after the Pentagon announced it was investigating potentially "inappropriate" correspondence between the four-star general and a woman linked to the David Petraeus sex scandal. - Gen. Allen resumes command duty in Afghanistan

War On Islam_ FBI spies on US Muslims living in fear.flv - YouTube

First they created freedom fighters to fight Russians invaders who were backed by CIA and their elites mafia underworld organisation so they funded both parties Russians and Afghanistanis people. They train them, armed them, giving money to their families and US citizenship in return for their support war with Rassia.  --- Once Russians were asked to leave they created this freedom fighters to terrorist .... More, War On Islam_ FBI spies on US Muslims living in fear.flv - YouTube
FBI, Craig Monteilh, Islamic Center of Irvine, Irvine, terrorists ...

Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills 3 Near U.S. Embassy

KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber made his way into a heavily guarded side street deep in the main diplomatic neighborhood of the Afghan capital early on Wednesday and detonated his explosive vest when Afghan security guards demanded his identification. The blast killed three security guards and wounded two civilians, according to police officials. - Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills 3

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

U.S. Seeks Truce on Gaza as Enemies Step Up Attacks - nytimes

On the deadliest day of fighting in the week-old conflict, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived hurriedly in Jerusalem and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to push for a truce. US Seeks Truce on Gaza as Enemies Step Up Attacks
Video: Hillary Clinton Heads to Israel

Karzai May Be Kicking Obama Out Of Afghanistan Soon - Business Insider

The US has long been demanding that the Afghan government continue the American practice of indefinite detention without charges, and still presses this demand even after the top Afghan court in September ruled that such detentions violate Afghan law. - Karzai May Be Kicking Obama Out Of Afghanistan Soon

Bernanke says it is urgently import for Congress to get budget deal to avoid fiscal cliff

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday urged Congress and the Obama administration to strike a budget deal to avert tax increases and spending cuts that could trigger a recession next year. - Bernanke says it is urgently import for Congress to get budget deal - washingtonpost
 Many Americans unaware of health-care law changes

Opinion : Afghanistan’s lost war - Brian Cloughley

The publication Defence News comments expertly on military topics and recently described the performance of the US Air Force in supplying troops in Afghanistan with vital stores. It noted that last year “43 forward operating bases were supplied solely by air, with 27,000 troops receiving all of their food, water, ammunition and fuel from the sky, dropped primarily by the US Air Force... The necessity to resupply troops by air comes from several factors, not the least of which is the skyrocketing number of roadside bombs US, Nato and Afghan troops face, making travel by road a risky bet.” - Afghanistan's lost war 

Karzai Gives His Approval for Execution of Prisoners - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai has signed off on the execution of 16 Afghan prisoners, a rare move in the country in the years since the end of the mass public executions favored under the Taliban’s rule. - Karzai Gives His Approval for Execution of Prisoners
Karzai Orders Afghan Forces to Take Control of American-Built Prison

US opens Afghan talks on long-term troop presence after 2014 - Guardian

Afghanistan and the US have opened talks to keep American troops in the country after most Nato forces go home in 2014, but the thorny question of immunity for American soldiers, which in effect ended the US role in Iraq last year, is likely to prove a stumbling block. - US opens Afghan talks on long-term troop presence after 2014
Rise in Afghan poppy farming fuelled by high opium prices -

Afghanistan's Opium Fields Expand - WSJ

KABUL—Land under opium cultivation in Afghanistan increased 18% this year, despite a decade of efforts by the international community to get Afghan farmers to switch to legal, though less lucrative, crops, a survey released Tuesday said. - Afghanistan's Opium Fields Expand
Afghanistan Says US Broke Pact on Prisons

Four SoCal Men Accused Of Plotting Terror Attacks In Afghanistan - Gene Maddaus

It's a familiar story. Boy meets extremist. Boy converts to radical Islam. Boy "likes" jihadi videos on Facebook. Boy shares dreams of violent jihad with FBI informant. Boy goes to jail. - laweekly - Four SoCal Men Accused Of Plotting Terror Attacks In Afghanistan
4 California Men Charged in Terror Plot, FBI - The New York Times

For Obama and Clinton, Their Final Tour in Asia as Partners - nytimes

For President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,  this week’s trip to Southeast Asia is to be their last foreign adventure together in office, an intriguing, sometimes awkward closing road show that is nostalgic over a partnership at an end yet hints at a future ripe with possibility. - For Obama and Clinton, Their Final Tour in Asia as Partners
Clinton to Visit Middle East in Move to Defuse Gaza Conflict

نگرانی از وضعیت کودکان در افغانستان

یک نهاد غیردولتی وضعیت کودکان افغان را نگران کننده خوانده و از طرفهای درگیر جنگ خواسته که از کودکان در جنگ استفاده نکنند.- افغانستان - نگرانی از وضعیت کودکان در افغانستان

Daniel Craig, James Bond Actor, Visits Afghanistan

British troops in Afghanistan were left more stirred than shaken on Sunday -- not by the harsh realities of war, but rather, by an appearance by James Bond himself at the Camp Bastion military base for a private screening of the latest 007 film, "Skyfall," E! reported. Daniel Craig, James Bond Actor, Visits Afghanistan - Afghanistan War

FBI: 4 Calif. men charged in alleged terror plot - Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four Southern California men have been charged with plotting to kill Americans overseas and in the United States by joining al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan,federal officials said Monday. FBI: 4 Calif. men charged in alleged terror plot  Four men arrested in California on terrorism charges - Yahoo! News
FBI: 4 Southern California men arrested on terrorism charges, planned to join al-

Monday, November 19, 2012

Fighting the ally? Karzai orders Afghan forces to capture US detention facility

Karzai spokesman Aimal Faizi told reporters that US troops are illegally holding more than 70 detainees whose release has been ordered by Afghan courts. Afghan courts have acquitted 57 of these prisoners, but the US has still refused to let them go, citing them as a danger to US national security. - Fighting the ally? Karzai orders Afghan forces to capture US - Russia - RT.com

Karzai Orders Afghan Forces to Take Control of American-Built Prison - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai ordered Afghan forces to take control of the American-built Bagram Prison and accused American officials of violating an agreement to fully transfer the facility to the Afghans, according to a statement from his office on Monday. - Karzai Orders Afghan Forces to Take Control of American-Built Prison

Hoisting Dead Children, Gazans Mourn Family Killed by Israeli Strike - nytimes

There were few if any visible tears at the intense, chaotic, lengthy funeral on Monday of Jamal and seven relatives, among 12 people killed the day before in the single deadliest attack since the latest hostilities between Israel and the Gaza Strip began  - Hoisting Dead Children, Gazans Mourn Family Killed by Israeli Strike
Israeli Iron Dome Stops a Rocket With a Rocket
While Trying to Mediate, Egypt Blames Israel for Gaza Conflict

9 jobs that pay $95,000 a year - MSN

Lawrence Welk, a popular musician, bandleader and television entertainer in the 1960s and 1970s, once said, "If you put all your strength and faith and vigor into a job and try to do the best you can, the money will come." - 9 professions that pay $95,000 per year
10 industries with double-digit job growth - Career
11 jobs that pay $55,000 a year

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Herat Journal, Freewheeling Afghan City Fearful of U.S. Pullout - nytimes

HERAT, Afghanistan — Women in Converse sneakers jog untrammeled — if still in full, flowing chadors — in this western Afghan city’s biggest park, enjoying freedoms rarely witnessed in the rest of Afghanistan. - Freewheeling Afghan City Fearful of US Pullout

Israeli Airstrike Kills Three Generations of a Palestinian Family - nytimes

GAZA CITY — An Israeli bomb pummeled a home deep into the ground here Sunday afternoon, killing 11 people, including nine in three generations of a single family, in the deadliest single strike since the cross-border conflict between Israel  and the militant faction Hamas escalated on Wednesday. -  Israeli Airstrike Kills Three Generations of a Palestinian Family
Editorial: Another Israel-Gaza War?

US fears further escalation in Israel-Hamas violence

(CNN) -- The major concern of the United States in the current Israeli-Hamas conflict  is a potential Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, U.S. officials said Friday. - US fears further escalation in Israel-Hamas violence
Israel says 79 rockets fired at it from Gaza Reuters