Monday 30 April 2012
Sunday 29 April 2012
Saturday 28 April 2012
Crescent and Moon 6th and 7th of Jamadul Thanil 1433
Published on Apr 28, 2012 by East Africa Moon Sighting
It is the rainy season here in East Africa but that will not stop us from sighting the moon day to day, we have been doing this for quit a long time, we are used to it, some time we do stay outside with umbrella hoping it will appear for a second or more,
Palestinian mechanic creates vintage-style cars
Friday, 27 April 2012
Farid Junidi said his passion lies in designing and constructing vintage cars.
The 50-year old creates unique vehicles that have got the town talking and heads turning when the car drives by.
“My idea was to create something unusual in the city, something that we do not have,” Farid said standing in his garage.
“The idea was also to show that we can create many things like cars, especially cars that you don’t normally see on the streets. I like my job and because I wanted people to know more about my job, I started to create these cars,” he said.
The ‘Junidi 1’ is the car enthusiast’s first invention, designed as well as built by the man himself, using very basic equipment like body repair tools and a welding machine from his garage.
This automotive masterpiece took eight months to build and holds a modern Nissan engine inside the body of the car but its exterior dates back to 1937.
Junidi says the car is part of many families’ happy memories as it was used during their wedding ceremonies.
“Young grooms use this car on their wedding day. We use the car to collect the bride on the wedding day,” he said.
The car is expected to attract people from the city of Hebron for special events such as weddings.
The ‘Junidi 1’ underwent an official test drive in February and can reach speeds of around 120 kilometers per hour.
Junidi said his car has already participated in an exhibition of vintage cars last year and is now working on another three vehicles.
Kiir, back from China, says Heglig belongs to South Sudan
Friday, 27 April 2012
President Salva Kiir said South Sudanese forces withdrew from Heglig only to avoid being diplomatically isolated. (File photo)
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, back from an official visit
to China, said on Friday that his armed forces had not damaged the
contested Heglig oilfield they seized for 10 days earlier this month
because it belongs to South Sudan.
Both South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan and became independent last July, and Sudan claim the Heglig oilfield. South Sudan said its forces withdrew from the area last Friday after coming under intense diplomatic pressure to pull back.
“Panthou and the oil on top of it is ours ... it is impossible that we would damage or destroy (the facilities),” Kiir, using South Sudan’s name for the Heglig oilfield, told tens of thousands of supporters after his return from China.
Both South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan and became independent last July, and Sudan claim the Heglig oilfield. South Sudan said its forces withdrew from the area last Friday after coming under intense diplomatic pressure to pull back.
“Panthou and the oil on top of it is ours ... it is impossible that we would damage or destroy (the facilities),” Kiir, using South Sudan’s name for the Heglig oilfield, told tens of thousands of supporters after his return from China.
“One day, if there is law in this
world, Panthou will come back to us by law ... That’s why this talk
about us damaging (the oilfield) is a lie,” he said. “We have no reason
to damage the oil refineries in Panthou or any other contested areas
because these areas are ours.”
Satellite images have shown serious damage to some of the infrastructure. Each side has accused the other of damaging the facilities, part of a war of words that has accompanied local fighting along the 1,800 km (1,100 mile) contested border in what was once Africa’s largest country.
The skirmishes have threatened to escalate into a full-blown conflict, which neither can afford. Most of the two nations’ economically vital oil production has been shut down. Oil provides about 98 percent of South Sudan’s state revenue, and Heglig accounts for half Sudan’s 115,000 bpd output.
Kiir said South Sudanese forces withdrew from Heglig only to avoid being diplomatically isolated. Their seizure of Heglig was sharply criticized by the United Nations. Sudan says its forces ejected the South’s troops from the area.
“To be condemned internationally is not good,” Kiir told a boisterous crowd at the John Garang mausoleum.
China, which has significant oil and business interests in both countries, and the African Union have stepped up diplomatic efforts in the past week to try to bring the rivals back to the negotiating table.
The Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC), the consortium which runs the Heglig field, is run by state-owned China National Petroleum Co (CNPC), Malaysia’s Petronas and India’s ONGC.
Fighting across the disputed border erupted in late March after Sudan and South Sudan failed to resolve a number of contentious issues including oil export fees and citizenship.
Since pulling out from Heglig, South Sudan has accused Khartoum of cross-border air raids, which Sudan denies. Witnesses and South Sudanese military officials said Sudanese warplanes struck the South’s Unity state on Monday, killing two people.
Earlier on Friday South Sudan said a Sudanese-backed rebel militia had attacked a town in the South's oil-producing Upper Nile state, potentially broadening the conflict.
“A militia that is supported by the Sudanese Armed Forces attacked a place...near Malakal and the SPLA (South Sudanese army) has repulsed them,” said SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer.
“There are no details on casualties,” he said.
Sudan’s army spokesman, al-Sawarmi Khalid, could not immediately be reached on his mobile phone. Khartoum denies supporting any rebels in South Sudan.
Khartoum and Juba accuse each other of supporting rebel militias to destabilize their opponents, and each denies the other’s charges. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July after five decades of intermittent civil war.
Malakal is the administrative center of Upper Nile, a volatile area bordering Sudan and Ethiopia. It is also a base for many U.N. agencies and international aid groups.
Satellite images have shown serious damage to some of the infrastructure. Each side has accused the other of damaging the facilities, part of a war of words that has accompanied local fighting along the 1,800 km (1,100 mile) contested border in what was once Africa’s largest country.
The skirmishes have threatened to escalate into a full-blown conflict, which neither can afford. Most of the two nations’ economically vital oil production has been shut down. Oil provides about 98 percent of South Sudan’s state revenue, and Heglig accounts for half Sudan’s 115,000 bpd output.
Kiir said South Sudanese forces withdrew from Heglig only to avoid being diplomatically isolated. Their seizure of Heglig was sharply criticized by the United Nations. Sudan says its forces ejected the South’s troops from the area.
“To be condemned internationally is not good,” Kiir told a boisterous crowd at the John Garang mausoleum.
China, which has significant oil and business interests in both countries, and the African Union have stepped up diplomatic efforts in the past week to try to bring the rivals back to the negotiating table.
The Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC), the consortium which runs the Heglig field, is run by state-owned China National Petroleum Co (CNPC), Malaysia’s Petronas and India’s ONGC.
Fighting across the disputed border erupted in late March after Sudan and South Sudan failed to resolve a number of contentious issues including oil export fees and citizenship.
Since pulling out from Heglig, South Sudan has accused Khartoum of cross-border air raids, which Sudan denies. Witnesses and South Sudanese military officials said Sudanese warplanes struck the South’s Unity state on Monday, killing two people.
Earlier on Friday South Sudan said a Sudanese-backed rebel militia had attacked a town in the South's oil-producing Upper Nile state, potentially broadening the conflict.
“A militia that is supported by the Sudanese Armed Forces attacked a place...near Malakal and the SPLA (South Sudanese army) has repulsed them,” said SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer.
“There are no details on casualties,” he said.
Sudan’s army spokesman, al-Sawarmi Khalid, could not immediately be reached on his mobile phone. Khartoum denies supporting any rebels in South Sudan.
Khartoum and Juba accuse each other of supporting rebel militias to destabilize their opponents, and each denies the other’s charges. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July after five decades of intermittent civil war.
Malakal is the administrative center of Upper Nile, a volatile area bordering Sudan and Ethiopia. It is also a base for many U.N. agencies and international aid groups.
Blast hits Libyan court, poses challenge to gov’t struggling to restore order
Friday, 27 April 2012
Security personnel inside the Benghazi court building survey the damage after it was hit by three blasts. (Reuters)
A bomb exploded at a courthouse in the Libyan city of Benghazi on
Friday, wounding four people and damaging nearby buildings in a new
challenge to the government’s struggle to restore order.
A security official said three explosive devices were planted near a courthouse wall. The blasts shattered windows of a nearby hospital, wounding one person inside.
The explosion left gaping holes on the side of the courthouse in the center of Benghazi, and shattered the windows of the building as well as a nearby office block.
A security official said three explosive devices were planted near a courthouse wall. The blasts shattered windows of a nearby hospital, wounding one person inside.
The explosion left gaping holes on the side of the courthouse in the center of Benghazi, and shattered the windows of the building as well as a nearby office block.
Security guard Ashour al-Farsi
said the blast was set off around four in the morning. “We heard huge
booms and rushed out to see what it was,” he told Reuters.
“That’s when the glass shot through my leg,” he said, adding that two other security guards were also hurt.
Security sources told AFP “unknown assailants booby-trapped the building” and set off the explosion at “exactly 5 am (0300 GMT).”
Witnesses and residents told AFP the blast was very intense.
“It left residents in the area and patients being treated in a nearby hospital completely shaken up,” one said.
Government spokesman Mohammed al-Harizi told AFP that investigations were underway to determine the identity and motives of the assailants.
He said investigators had found graffiti at the scene expressing support for former leader Muammar Qaddafi, who was captured and killed by rebels in October.
“They found some slogans related to Qaddafi’s regime,” Harizi said, without elaborating.
Residents of Benghazi, the cradle of Libya’s revolution, have voiced frustration at being all but forgotten by the new leadership in Tripoli since Qaddafi was ousted in August.
The blast came just hours after the arrival of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), which usually meets in Benghazi during the final week of every month.
Late Thursday, clashes sparked by a prison revolt in Benghazi, cradle of the revolt that toppled Kadhafi, left one person dead and at least four wounded.
Security sources blamed the prison-break attempt on radical Islamists.
The Mediterranean city has been hit by sporadic acts of violence this year, including an attack on government buildings, the desecration of a World War II cemetery, clashes at political rallies and the failed bombing of a U.N. convoy.
Libya is also facing a leadership crisis with key members of the ruling National Transitional Council pushing for a no confidence vote against the government of interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kieb.
Harizi said “no decisions” had been reached on that topic.
In late January, protesters stormed the local headquarters of the ruling NTC, smashing its windows with stones and metal bars. On April 10, a home-made bomb was thrown at a convoy carrying the head of the United Nations mission to Libya but no one was hurt.
Hampered by the lack of an effective national army or internal security force, the NTC is grappling to disband dozens of powerful militias that effectively control various parts of the country.
Militia chiefs have resisted attempts to integrate their personnel into the official military and police forces.
“That’s when the glass shot through my leg,” he said, adding that two other security guards were also hurt.
Security sources told AFP “unknown assailants booby-trapped the building” and set off the explosion at “exactly 5 am (0300 GMT).”
Witnesses and residents told AFP the blast was very intense.
“It left residents in the area and patients being treated in a nearby hospital completely shaken up,” one said.
Government spokesman Mohammed al-Harizi told AFP that investigations were underway to determine the identity and motives of the assailants.
He said investigators had found graffiti at the scene expressing support for former leader Muammar Qaddafi, who was captured and killed by rebels in October.
“They found some slogans related to Qaddafi’s regime,” Harizi said, without elaborating.
Residents of Benghazi, the cradle of Libya’s revolution, have voiced frustration at being all but forgotten by the new leadership in Tripoli since Qaddafi was ousted in August.
The blast came just hours after the arrival of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), which usually meets in Benghazi during the final week of every month.
Late Thursday, clashes sparked by a prison revolt in Benghazi, cradle of the revolt that toppled Kadhafi, left one person dead and at least four wounded.
Security sources blamed the prison-break attempt on radical Islamists.
The Mediterranean city has been hit by sporadic acts of violence this year, including an attack on government buildings, the desecration of a World War II cemetery, clashes at political rallies and the failed bombing of a U.N. convoy.
Libya is also facing a leadership crisis with key members of the ruling National Transitional Council pushing for a no confidence vote against the government of interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kieb.
Harizi said “no decisions” had been reached on that topic.
In late January, protesters stormed the local headquarters of the ruling NTC, smashing its windows with stones and metal bars. On April 10, a home-made bomb was thrown at a convoy carrying the head of the United Nations mission to Libya but no one was hurt.
Hampered by the lack of an effective national army or internal security force, the NTC is grappling to disband dozens of powerful militias that effectively control various parts of the country.
Militia chiefs have resisted attempts to integrate their personnel into the official military and police forces.
Scores killed and injured as bombings rock Damascus amid massive demos
Friday, 27 April 2012
Syrian refugees and local residents take part
in a demonstration against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after
Friday prayers outside the Syrian embassy in Amman. (Reuters)
A deadly suicide bombing rocked the Syrian capital on Friday,
killing 9 people and fuelling growing skepticism about hopes for the
success of a U.N.-backed peace plan.
Amid the unrest, demonstrations were taking place after weekly Muslim prayers in flashpoint cities such as Hama, where shelling by government troops has reportedly killed scores of people since Monday.
As many as 21 people have been killed by the gunfire of Syrian security forces across the country on Friday, Al Arabiya reported citing Syrian activists.
Amid the unrest, demonstrations were taking place after weekly Muslim prayers in flashpoint cities such as Hama, where shelling by government troops has reportedly killed scores of people since Monday.
As many as 21 people have been killed by the gunfire of Syrian security forces across the country on Friday, Al Arabiya reported citing Syrian activists.
At least 9 people died and 28
others were wounded by Friday’s blast, which hit as worshippers were
leaving weekly prayers at the nearby Zein al-Abidin mosque in the
central Midan district, state television said.
The report blamed “terrorists,” the term used by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to refer to rebels, and said civilians and security force members were among the casualties.
Television footage showed gruesome images, including a severed hand, pieces of flesh and pools of blood.
A separate blast hit an industrial zone of Damascus, but there were no reports of casualties, and three security agents were wounded in a blast in the coastal city of Banias, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Assad’s regime has repeatedly blamed “armed terrorist groups” for the violence, and for failing to abide by a putative ceasefire that went into force on April 12.
But U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the regime was in contravention of a six-point peace deal by keeping troops and heavy weapons in urban areas, and expressed alarm about reports of population centers being shelled.
On Thursday, 27 people died in Syria, most of them civilians, Syrian activists told Al Arabiya.
And overnight clashes between troops and rebels in the central city of Homs killed at least one army deserter and wounded another 15, according to AFP.
More than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising erupted against Assad’s regime in March 2011, the U.N. says, while non-governmental groups put the figure at more than 11,100.
The Local Coordination Committees, which organize protests, said a massive demonstration began at Sayed Ahmed Mosque in Damascus’ Qadam district on Friday, with security forces firing on it and making arrests.
It also said several people were injured in the eastern oil city of Deir al-Zor after security forces opened gunfire to disperse a demonstration.
Opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said the accord drawn up by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was likely to fail because it obliges Syria to allow free demonstrations.
“If the Annan plan which provides for peaceful demonstrations is applied, millions of Syrians will take to the streets and the regime will fall,” he told AFP in Cairo.
The truce, which has never witnessed a day without violence, is to be monitored by 300 U.N. observers due to arrive in Syria in the coming weeks. A small advance team is already on the ground, and will be doubled to 30 by month's end, a U.N. official said on Friday.
The U.N. said Ban “remains deeply troubled by the continued presence of heavy weapons, military equipment and army personnel in population centers.”
This was “in contravention of the Syrian government’s commitments to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from these areas,” he said, demanding Damascus “comply with its commitments without delay.”
Western nations have expressed strong doubts that the U.N. observers will be able to work, and the United States has already warned it may not renew the mission's initial three-month mandate.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the Security Council must be ready to order sanctions if Syria flouts commitments to halt violence.
The Syrian National Council, the main opposition group in exile, has called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss a resolution to protect civilians.
The Arab League said it would ask the U.N. to ensure the immediate protection of civilians, but without going as far as demanding the use of force.
On Wednesday, France raised the prospect of military intervention if Annan’s peace plan fails.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France is planning to push next month for a “Chapter 7” Security Council resolution if Assad’s forces do not pull back -- a diplomatic move that could lead to action ranging from economic sanctions to military intervention, according to Reuters.
However, Juppe added such a resolution, which was also mooted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week, was unlikely to pass, alluding to previous Security Council vetoes by Russia and China.
Moscow, a long-time Damascus ally blamed the recent violence in Hama on rebel forces and hinted at al-Qaeda involvement.
Western powers have said they intend to push for an arms embargo and U.N. sanctions.
Russia and China have made clear that they would veto any attempt to authorize Libya-style military action in Syria and have resisted the idea of sanctions.
The report blamed “terrorists,” the term used by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to refer to rebels, and said civilians and security force members were among the casualties.
Television footage showed gruesome images, including a severed hand, pieces of flesh and pools of blood.
A separate blast hit an industrial zone of Damascus, but there were no reports of casualties, and three security agents were wounded in a blast in the coastal city of Banias, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Assad’s regime has repeatedly blamed “armed terrorist groups” for the violence, and for failing to abide by a putative ceasefire that went into force on April 12.
But U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the regime was in contravention of a six-point peace deal by keeping troops and heavy weapons in urban areas, and expressed alarm about reports of population centers being shelled.
On Thursday, 27 people died in Syria, most of them civilians, Syrian activists told Al Arabiya.
And overnight clashes between troops and rebels in the central city of Homs killed at least one army deserter and wounded another 15, according to AFP.
More than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising erupted against Assad’s regime in March 2011, the U.N. says, while non-governmental groups put the figure at more than 11,100.
The Local Coordination Committees, which organize protests, said a massive demonstration began at Sayed Ahmed Mosque in Damascus’ Qadam district on Friday, with security forces firing on it and making arrests.
It also said several people were injured in the eastern oil city of Deir al-Zor after security forces opened gunfire to disperse a demonstration.
Opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said the accord drawn up by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was likely to fail because it obliges Syria to allow free demonstrations.
“If the Annan plan which provides for peaceful demonstrations is applied, millions of Syrians will take to the streets and the regime will fall,” he told AFP in Cairo.
The truce, which has never witnessed a day without violence, is to be monitored by 300 U.N. observers due to arrive in Syria in the coming weeks. A small advance team is already on the ground, and will be doubled to 30 by month's end, a U.N. official said on Friday.
The U.N. said Ban “remains deeply troubled by the continued presence of heavy weapons, military equipment and army personnel in population centers.”
This was “in contravention of the Syrian government’s commitments to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from these areas,” he said, demanding Damascus “comply with its commitments without delay.”
Western nations have expressed strong doubts that the U.N. observers will be able to work, and the United States has already warned it may not renew the mission's initial three-month mandate.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the Security Council must be ready to order sanctions if Syria flouts commitments to halt violence.
The Syrian National Council, the main opposition group in exile, has called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss a resolution to protect civilians.
The Arab League said it would ask the U.N. to ensure the immediate protection of civilians, but without going as far as demanding the use of force.
On Wednesday, France raised the prospect of military intervention if Annan’s peace plan fails.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France is planning to push next month for a “Chapter 7” Security Council resolution if Assad’s forces do not pull back -- a diplomatic move that could lead to action ranging from economic sanctions to military intervention, according to Reuters.
However, Juppe added such a resolution, which was also mooted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week, was unlikely to pass, alluding to previous Security Council vetoes by Russia and China.
Moscow, a long-time Damascus ally blamed the recent violence in Hama on rebel forces and hinted at al-Qaeda involvement.
Western powers have said they intend to push for an arms embargo and U.N. sanctions.
Russia and China have made clear that they would veto any attempt to authorize Libya-style military action in Syria and have resisted the idea of sanctions.
For victims in Sierra Leone, Taylor's verdict brings relief
April 27, 2012 -- Updated 0102 GMT (0902 HKT)
Mohamed Traore of Sierra Leone lost his hand to forces backed by former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- An international tribunal finds Charles Taylor guilty of aiding war crimes
- In Sierra Leone, war victims feel relief
- Amputee Jabati Mambu says much more has to be done for those who suffered
- Taylor finds some support in his homeland, Liberia
He was only 15 when
rebels of the Revolutionary United Front swept through Freetown, the
capital of Sierra Leone. In their signature, sinister style, they hacked
off Mambu's hand with a machete.
Mambu, now 28 and a
goalkeeper for Sierra Leone's amputee football (soccer) team, was one of
thousands of victims who felt huge relief Thursday after an
international tribunal convicted former Liberian President Charles
Taylor on 11 counts of aiding and abetting the rebels to carry out war
crimes.
"I think this should send
out a very big message to those who want to commit crimes," Mambu said.
"People will listen, even if they don't care, and they will know what
has happened today is important for us victims."
Those who suffered in
Sierra Leone's notoriously brutal civil war reveled in the fact that
Taylor was finally held to justice for the bloodshed, an act of
accountability that had seemed implausible to many.
In the diamond-mining
region of Kono, where much of the atrocities took place, almost everyone
has a story to tell about the rebels, who the Special Court for Sierra
Leone concluded were supported militarily by Taylor.
Verdict brings hope to war crime victims
Charles Taylor verdict 'momentous'
Taylor found guilty of war crimes
"Things went bad, but
this will let people know that it will not go unpunished," said the Rev.
Sahr Christian Fayai, head of the Human Rights Commission in Kono.
Fayai saw loved ones die, children abducted, women raped and homes burned.
"My experience was very bitter. I lost everything in a heartbeat," he said.
The verdict, he said, will help heal the wounds. Or at least begin healing.
The court found Taylor
guilty of abetting murder, rape, conscripting child soldiers, sexual
slavery and mining diamonds to pay for guns in the decade-long war that
ultimately left 50,000 dead or missing.
It has been another
decade since Sierra Leone emerged from violence. But another Kono
resident was still too afraid to speak openly. He had seen hell and
lives in fear of retribution for telling the world about it.
During the worst of the
war, he and his family walked by the cover of night to escape across the
Guinea border. But the rebels caught them and lined them up with others
for execution.
One of the rebel
fighters recognized the man and called him out. He asked his son to
point to all those he knew. The boy picked out his father, mother,
sister and grandfather. Everyone else was shot to death.
"They killed them in front of our faces. My boy was so terrified -- he was only 5."
Thursday, the man
watched a judge read out Taylor's verdict on a television screen in a
bank. He stood among amputees and ex-combatants. They felt vindicated:
Taylor, they said, had robbed them of their youth and education. They
might have been something in life had it not been for him.
Justice took a long time coming, the Kono resident said. But it prevailed.
"Now I am waiting to see
what will be the sentence," he said. "Will it be a life sentence? We
live with the bitterness of war. We can see scars all over."
In Taylor's homeland,
Liberia, the reaction to the court's historic ruling was mixed. Taylor
had just become the first former head of state to be convicted by a war
crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg trials after World War II.
In Monrovia, the
Liberian capital, a man sported a "not guilty" T-shirt and advocated for
Taylor's freedom. Others said they want their president back.
"If I want him to come back? Yes. I would be happy," said Dennis Zomo. "I'm a Christian. I don't have any bad mind against him."
Daniel Rogers said he
was angry about the bad reputation the world has attached to Liberia. He
said the people of Sierra Leone were hardly innocent.
"We did not chop our
people's arms during our war. We are not ... wicked enough to chop up
people," he said. "We expect that our war crimes court, the court of
Liberia, will come here, too, to try people from Sierra Leone."
Added Ali Kemokei: "I feel there was an international conspiracy. President Taylor never ... went to fight in Sierra Leone."
But not every Liberian was defending Taylor.
"I feel good for Taylor
to be guilty," said Sekei Duklay, "because he killed my people, he
destroyed this country, so I don't like him. I want they should (put)
him in jail for life imprisonment."
Back in Freetown, people
gathered at the Special Court Thursday to watch the verdict. Taylor's
proceedings were moved to the Netherlands because of fear that the trial
might trigger instability in Liberia.
In Freetown, Taylor still has a following.
"The court says it is
trying those who are most responsible," said Elred Collins, head of the
Revolutionary United Front Party and the former spokesman for the
rebels.
"Every Sierra Leonean
took part in the war. In one way or another, they did take part in the
war," he said. "So if you would like to bring everyone to justice, I
don't know when the case will end."
Jabati Mambu says,"More has to be done for the things that happened to us not to happen again."
For Mambu, the amputee footballer, there is no end, either. Not yet.
And not for other
victims of the war, who said that the conviction of one man was not
enough to help get the damaged lives of thousands of others back on
track.
"I think more has to be
done for the things that happened to us not to happen again, like
amputation, rape, burning of houses," Mambu said.
In Sierra Leone, said
aid worker Jennifer Harold, there are bullet holes in all the buildings.
And there are bullet holes in the national psyche.
In that sense, the verdict was a big victory, said Harold, World Vision's director in Sierra Leone.
Change is slow, she
said. But with Taylor likely to go to jail, the victims of his war know
now that they don't have to be mired in the past.
Journalist Damon van der Linde reported from
Freetown, Sierra Leone and CNN's Moni Basu reported from Atlanta.
Journalist Bonnie Allen contributed to this report from Monrovia,
Liberia.
Pakistani prime minister refuses to step down after conviction
April 27, 2012 -- Updated 1015 GMT (1815 HKT)
Pakistan PM convicted of contempt
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Supreme Court has convicted Yousuf Raza Gilani of contempt
- He makes his first public appearance since the verdict
- The prime minister says only parliament can remove him from office
- The court gave him a symbolic sentence with no jail time
"No one can disqualify me
besides you, madame speaker, and this parliament," Gilani said,
addressing Fehmida Mirza, speaker of the National Assembly.
He also rejected calls for his resignation from opposition leaders, who have said his conviction damages Pakistan's credibility.
"If they have the
courage, they should bring a vote of no confidence against me," he said
in parliament, his first public appearance since he was found guilty on
Thursday.
Gilani: Musharraf must faces charges
Pakistan PM: No objection to prison
The Supreme Court
convicted Gilani of contempt of court after his repeated refusals to ask
Swiss authorities to revive old corruption charges against the
country's president, Asif Ali Zardari.
The verdict was the
culmination of a confrontation between the court justices and the
civilian government that lasted nearly two years. It makes Gilani the
first sitting Pakistani prime minister to be convicted of a crime. But
it is unclear if it will lead to his ouster.
Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz
Ahsan, on Thursday said that Pakistan's constitution stipulates that a
member of parliament can only be disqualified after a conviction and a
prison sentence of at least two years.
The Supreme Court did not
sentence Gilani to time behind bars but delivered a symbolic sentence
by keeping him in custody for the duration of the hearing which lasted
only several minutes.
His eligibility to remain
Pakistan's prime minister will be decided by the speaker of parliament,
and possibly the election commission, in a process that could take
months.
Gilani and his lawyers
have argued that the prime minister did not follow the court's order to
press for the reopening of the corruption charges, which date from the
1990's, because Zardari enjoys immunity in Pakistan and abroad as a
president in office.
"What is my crime?"
Gilani said asked during his defiant appearance in parliament on Friday.
"I have protected the constitution of this country.
CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.
Seeking justice for Haiti's rape victims
CNN Heroes
April 26, 2012 -- Updated 2241 GMT (0641 HKT)
CNN Hero: Malya Villard-Appolon
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Rapes in Haiti increased after the January 2010 earthquake, experts say
- CNN Hero Malya Villard-Appolon and her group are reaching out to help victims
- Villard-Appolon says rape is underreported in Haiti and rarely prosecuted
- Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes
But her nightmare was just beginning.
"I was gang-raped while I was sleeping in the middle of the street," she said. "And I got pregnant."
Alvana did not know her
attackers. Depressed and unsure of what to do next, she was directed by a
friend to a clinic run by KOFAVIV, a Creole acronym that translates
into the Commission of Women Victims for Victims.
"By the time I got to them, my belly was already big," she said. "But they took care of me."
Alvana was given food,
water, housing and prenatal care. She decided to keep her daughter, even
though the psychological pain could be difficult -- and still is, two
years later.
"It's terrible," said
Alvana, 33. "I love my daughter ... (but) I look at myself and see that I
have a child that is a product of a gang rape."
Malya Villard-Appolon, right, knows what it's like to be a victim of sexual violence. She has been raped twice.
Her story is, unfortunately, all too common in Haiti, said Malya Villard-Appolon, one of KOFAVIV's co-founders.
"After (the earthquake),
the situation was inhumane and degrading," Villard-Appolon said. "There
was no security in the (displacement) camps. There was no food; there
was no work. And now there is a rampant problem."
Accurate numbers are difficult, if not impossible, to find in the aftermath of such devastation, but KOFAVIV and other groups say they have seen a definite increase in rape cases after the January 2010 earthquake.
"Victims became more
vulnerable due to a range of things," said Brian Concannon Jr., director
of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. "They lost their
houses; there were no locked doors anymore. People lost family members
who were a source of protection."
Terrible living
conditions, including a shortage of food and water, contribute to the
problem as well, said Charity Tooze, a senior communications officer
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Washington
office.
Culture of rape in Haiti
"The conditions are so
dehumanizing," Tooze said. "Over months and months, it increases all
forms of violence, including sexual violence."
There has also been a
lack of prosecution in the country. In the first two years after the
quake, not one person in Haiti has been convicted of rape, according to
the UNHCR.
"The big problem is, you can't find justice," said Villard-Appolon, 52.
Even before the quake,
she says, rape was an issue in Haiti, historically underreported because
of social stigma, retaliation from perpetrators and a lack of legal
support. That is what led her and Marie Eramithe Delva to start KOFAVIV
in 2004. Since the group's inception, it has helped more than 4,000 rape
survivors find safety, psychological support and/or legal aid.
"We tell people to come out of silence," she said. "Do not be afraid to say that you have been victimized."
Villard-Appolon knows
what it's like to be a victim of sexual violence. She has been raped
twice, and her husband died as a result of beatings he endured trying to
save her from being raped. In 2010, her 14-year-old daughter was raped
in a displacement camp.
"I can't describe to you
how I felt when I heard about that, because I was a victim," she said.
"I started asking myself what kind of generation I came from. Am I
cursed?"
She escorted her
daughter to two police stations and received no assistance, she said,
just a lot of talk. One police officer told her that "girls are so
promiscuous" and indicated that many young girls are asking for sex.
But she carries on,
"fighting with hope that I know there will be a change," she said.
Internationally, she has testified before the United Nations Human
Rights Council, calling for increased security within the displacement
camps and asking that women's groups be included in decision-making
processes.
"I was a victim, and I did not find justice. But know I will get it for other women," she told CNN.
When the earthquake hit Haiti, KOFAVIV's founders watched their clinic and their offices collapse along with their homes.
Villard-Appolon lived in
the dangerous Champ de Mars displacement camp for half a year. There,
she said, she watched as conditions deteriorated.
"It was all kinds of
people who ended up in one area," she said. "The jails were not
destroyed, but their doors were opened, and all prisoners went free.
Many of them ... were armed, and they were notorious murderers."
One criminal held
Villard-Appolon at gunpoint, demanding money. The police never showed
up, she said, but she managed to escape after a group of supporters
arrived to fight.
Villard-Appolon said
many single women had to leave their children with strangers in order to
search for food, water or work. In some cases, the children were raped.
The youngest victim, she says, was a 17-month-old.
"I spent six months
witnessing it," she said. "Babies are not spared; adults are not spared;
mothers are not spared; sisters are not spared."
Despite the escalating
violence and the loss of its clinic, KOFAVIV regrouped to help victims
in Haiti's "tent city" camps, where about 500,000 people still live
today. The group has 66 female outreach agents and 25 male security
guards who work within the camps, organizing nighttime community watch
groups and providing whistles and flashlights to women. All of them have
been affected by gender-based violence, whether personally or through a
family member or loved one, Villard-Appolon said.
KOFAVIV also relies on
more than 1,000 members to help share their stories, support the victims
and urge them to come forward and fight for justice.
It usually starts by
accompanying the victims to the hospital within 72 hours of being raped.
Once they undergo a test, they receive the medical certificate they
must have to begin legal proceedings.
"After that, we assign a
lawyer to her," Villard-Appolon said. There is no cost to the victims,
and they receive support from KOFAVIV through the trial.
Villard-Appolon says she is determined to keep fighting for a brighter future, even though justice has been elusive.
"My dream is that we
will get to a place where we stop talking about the number of rape
cases," she said. "We will stop talking about Haiti as a country where
people are committing violence against others. One day, we have to be
able to say that we have a country with people who respect each other."
Want to get involved? Check out www.madre.org/kofaviv and see how to help.
Friday 27 April 2012
Hairdresser turns robber into sex-slave
RT
Published: 14 April, 2009, 14:05
Edited: 29 September, 2010, 04:05
Edited: 29 September, 2010, 04:05
A hairdresser from the small Russian town of Meshchovsk has subdued a man who tried to rob her shop, and then raped him for three days in the utility room, Life.ru reports.
The incident occurred on Saturday, March 14. The working day was coming to an end at a small hairdressers, when a man armed with a gun rushed in and demanded the day’s earnings.
The frightened employees and customers agreed to fulfill his demand, but when the shop’s owner, 28-year-old Olga, was handing the money to the robber, she suddenly knocked him down on the floor and then tied him up with a hairdryer cord. The 32-year-old Viktor couldn’t have known that the woman was a yellow belt in karate.
Olga locked the unlucky robber in the utility room and told her
colleagues that she was going to call the police – but didn’t do so.
When everybody left home, she approached the man and ordered him to
‘take of his underpants’ threatening to hand him over to the police if
he refuses to cooperate.
After that Olga raped her hostage for three long days. She chained
Viktor to the radiator with pink furry handcuffs and fed him Viagra.
She eventually let the man go on Monday, March 16, saying: “Get out of my sight!”
Viktor went straight to hospital as his genitals were injured, and then to the police.
Olga was resentful when she was taken by the police.
“What a bastard,” the woman said about Viktor. “Yes, we had sex a couple of times. But I’ve bought him new jeans, gave him food and even gave him 1.000 roubles (around $ 30) when he left.”
After that she wrote a notice to the police claiming the man tried to rob her shop.
Both Olga and Viktor may now face prison terms. The woman could be convicted of rape, while the man of robbery.
 Olga (image from http://life.ru) |
She eventually let the man go on Monday, March 16, saying: “Get out of my sight!”
Viktor went straight to hospital as his genitals were injured, and then to the police.
Olga was resentful when she was taken by the police.
“What a bastard,” the woman said about Viktor. “Yes, we had sex a couple of times. But I’ve bought him new jeans, gave him food and even gave him 1.000 roubles (around $ 30) when he left.”
After that she wrote a notice to the police claiming the man tried to rob her shop.
Both Olga and Viktor may now face prison terms. The woman could be convicted of rape, while the man of robbery.
Sadist cuts off fake lame beggar’s feet
RT
Published: 03 June, 2010, 11:22
Edited: 04 June, 2010, 02:29
Edited: 04 June, 2010, 02:29
A homeless man who pretended to be a cripple and collected alms
while sitting in a wheelchair has had both his feet amputated by an
unknown medic.
A passerby discovered the unconscious victim of the grizzly crime at night in a small town in southern Ukraine. An ambulance arrived on the scene, and to their horror the crew realized that the man had had both feet amputated at the ankles in an impromptu operation. The surgeon used some kind of anesthetic, and both wounds had been professionally dressed to stop the bleeding, local media report.
A passerby discovered the unconscious victim of the grizzly crime at night in a small town in southern Ukraine. An ambulance arrived on the scene, and to their horror the crew realized that the man had had both feet amputated at the ankles in an impromptu operation. The surgeon used some kind of anesthetic, and both wounds had been professionally dressed to stop the bleeding, local media report.
Police identified the unusual patient as a local homeless person. He
begged for charity from drivers of passing cars at a crossroad, posing
as a war veteran with his spine irreparably damaged in action. He acted
as if he were lame even in front of fellow beggars, and only a handful
of close friends knew he had no problems with legs.
After he recovered, the victim said he did not remember the attack.
Investigators have several versions of possible motives for the mutilation, from sadistic self-righteousness to competition among beggars.
After he recovered, the victim said he did not remember the attack.
Investigators have several versions of possible motives for the mutilation, from sadistic self-righteousness to competition among beggars.
Chemist dies from self-made “chewing bomb”
RT
A young chemist met a horrible death in Ukraine when his face was reduced to a bloody pulp by an explosion in his mouth.
Vladimir Likhonos, 25, was at home in his room when relatives heard a quiet pop. When his brother Rostislav went to check, he saw a horrible picture: Vladimir, still reclined in his chair, was covered with blood, his lower jaw was missing, and what was left of his face was hideously disfigured. In a matter of minutes he was dead, report local media.
A police investigation into the tragedy revealed that the young man apparently died from his passion for chemistry. He studied the subject for several years in Kiev Tech University, and was a brilliant student, even though he lagged behind in other disciplines.
On his computer table investigators found a small plastic bag with
white powder, which was identified as a powerful explosive. Right next
to it was a saucer with citric acid, which Vladimir liked to consume by
dipping a chewing gum in it.
Apparently, the chemist accidentally put his chewing gum into explosive and sent it right into his mouth. The explosion was likely triggered by his salvia and lethally injured the man.
The administration of the university where Vladimir used to study said they do not teach students how to make bombs. However, an advanced and determined chemist would have no difficulty finding instructions for bomb making on the Internet, they added.
Police are now trying to establish if the explosives they discovered were made for a customer or for the unfortunate man’s own amusement.
Apparently, the chemist accidentally put his chewing gum into explosive and sent it right into his mouth. The explosion was likely triggered by his salvia and lethally injured the man.
The administration of the university where Vladimir used to study said they do not teach students how to make bombs. However, an advanced and determined chemist would have no difficulty finding instructions for bomb making on the Internet, they added.
Police are now trying to establish if the explosives they discovered were made for a customer or for the unfortunate man’s own amusement.
Series of explosions hits Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, at least 29 wounded (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
RT
Published: 27 April, 2012, 13:41
Edited: 28 April, 2012, 03:56
Edited: 28 April, 2012, 03:56
People assist an injured woman at the scene of an explosion in Dnipropetrovsk, April 27, 2012 (Reuters/Stringer)
(20.3Mb)
embed videoFour explosions struck the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, injuring at least 29 people, among them at least 10 children. The blasts went off at a series of locations in the city center. Local authorities have launched a terrorist investigation.
The first bomb exploded as a crowded tram pulled into a stop, injuring five passengers. Authorities say it was caused by a bomb planted in a nearby rubbish bin.
“The shockwaves smashed the tram’s windows, and the doors buckled on two cars passing by. In one car, the airbags popped out. Police were there in a minute, fire fighters arrived in about five minutes,” writes Master_Tyre, a user of Dnepropetrovsk's city web forum.
Forty minutes later, a second explosion rocked an area close to the city’s railway station, wounding seven. The third bomb went off in a park, injuring one woman. And yet a fourth blast struck near an opera house not far from the site of the first explosion.
It has been reported that some of the explosions were caused by incendiary devices planted in rubbish bins. As a consequence, police systematically removed and checked rubbish bins throughout the city.
After receiving an anonymous call saying there was a threat of an explosion, authorities began a full evacuation of the Dnepropetrovsk train station. This caused a stampede of people running towards the exits. Local media reported sniffer dogs and a bomb squad arriving at the scene. The train station resumed work later in the evening, and no explosives have been found.
Ukrainian site vgorode.ua reported widespread panic in Dnepropetrovsk. People were afraid the next explosion could occur at any time in any place. Traffic reportedly ground to a halt in the city center as people fled their offices in an attempt to get home. The police have warned citizens to stay indoors, while Interior Ministry troops have been deployed in the city.
Telephone networks were down, overloaded with people calling their friends and family members to check on their safety. However, news agencies suggested authorities may have shut down the networks to curtail possible terrorist activity.
For a long time it was unclear exactly how many explosions hit the city – with some local media outlets reporting up to ten.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said a group of specialists will investigate the blasts. Russia and Poland agreed to assist in the probe.
First Deputy Chief of Ukraine's National Security Service Vladimir Rokitsky said his agency requested foreign help, and that Russia and Poland "immediately offered assistance."
Local media were quick to report the first arrests in connection with the explosions, citing the Interior Ministry. However, a senior security official denied the reports, saying he was unable to confirm information about any suspects.
Ukraine is set to host the Euro 2012 football championship in June. Matches will be held in Kiev, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lviv. Authorities have already vowed to guarantee the event's security for the event, and UEFA says it will not cancel the upcoming championship or change its location.
“This event does not change UEFA's confidence in the security measures that have been developed by the authorities in view of UEFA EURO 2012, and which will ensure a smooth and festive tournament,” an official statement read.
Blasts déjà vu
Donetsk is the closest major city to Dnepropetrovsk, and has been put on high alert following the explosions, given that it has a recent history of terror attacks.On January 20, 2011, two bombs rocked the Ukrainian city of Makeevka in the Donetsk region. One was placed in a phone booth near a shopping center, and another 600 meters away in a rubbish bin. No one was injured in either explosion.
However, unknown individuals demanded four million euro from Makeevka authorities, threatening to detonate more bombs around the city if their demands were not met. Later two men were arrested in connection with the blasts and charged with acts of terrorism.
In November 2011, a rubbish bin exploded on the sidewalk of Karl Marx Avenue in Dnepropetrovsk, killing one person. As in January, the alleged organizers of the attack demanded 5 million euro and warned that explosions would strike the city of Donetsk if authorities did not comply.
(Reuters/Stringer)
Photo from RBC-Ukraine
Photo from RBC-Ukraine
Photo from RBC-Ukraine
Armored vehicles patrolling the center of Dnepropetrovsk.
Black Panther who posted bounty for Martin’s killer arrested
RT
The New Black Panther Party member behind the call for vigilante justice against Trayvon Martin's killer has been arrested.
On Monday Hashim Nzinga was imprisoned for an unrelated weapons charge.
According to a Dekalb County Sheriff’s arrest warrant, Nzinga had a FN Herstal 5.7 x 28 handgun which was pawned.
Over the weekend Nzinga announced to the media that anyone who was able to capture Zimmerman, “dead or alive” would be handed a reward of $10,000.
The New Black Panther Party’s campaign to track and hunt down Martin’s killer was widely promoted with flyers and press conferences all across Sanford, Florida, the location of the black teen’s death.
The radical group's national chief of staff was arrested during a visit to a probation office by his probation officer.
Last month the 49-year-old New Black Party member received a felony conviction for deposit fraud and gun possession was a violation of his parole.
On Tuesday Nzinga’s bond was ironically set at $10,000 and appeared at a hearing after his arrest by Dekalb County Sheriff’s office in Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Nzinga's arrest comes in the wake of comments by the lead homicide detective in charge of Trayvon Martin’s case saying he wanted to arrest Zimmerman for killing the weaponless teenager.
Chris Serino, an investigator at Sanford Police Department, said Zimmerman should have been arrested for manslaughter, but due to the apparent lack of evidence the local state attorney overruled him. State Attorney Norman Wolfinger has refused to comment on the matter.
In Florida manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
According to an ABC report, from the start Serino voiced his doubts about Zimmerman’s account of “self-defense” and wanted to see Martin’s killer detained.
In an attempt to take matter into their own hands, The New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense called for a militia of black volunteers to help capture Zimmerman, but Martin’s relatives believe that more violence isn’t going to help and will just make matters worse.
“We recognize that a lot of people are doing things on behalf of Trayvon Martin,” said Sybrina Fulton, the dead teen’s mother.
“We’ve decided that we want things to be done peaceful,” she added.
Published: 28 March, 2012, 21:41
Edited: 29 March, 2012, 01:18
Edited: 29 March, 2012, 01:18
Hashim Nzinga. (Reuters / John Sommers II)
The New Black Panther Party member behind the call for vigilante justice against Trayvon Martin's killer has been arrested.
On Monday Hashim Nzinga was imprisoned for an unrelated weapons charge.
According to a Dekalb County Sheriff’s arrest warrant, Nzinga had a FN Herstal 5.7 x 28 handgun which was pawned.
Over the weekend Nzinga announced to the media that anyone who was able to capture Zimmerman, “dead or alive” would be handed a reward of $10,000.
The New Black Panther Party’s campaign to track and hunt down Martin’s killer was widely promoted with flyers and press conferences all across Sanford, Florida, the location of the black teen’s death.
The radical group's national chief of staff was arrested during a visit to a probation office by his probation officer.
Last month the 49-year-old New Black Party member received a felony conviction for deposit fraud and gun possession was a violation of his parole.
On Tuesday Nzinga’s bond was ironically set at $10,000 and appeared at a hearing after his arrest by Dekalb County Sheriff’s office in Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Nzinga's arrest comes in the wake of comments by the lead homicide detective in charge of Trayvon Martin’s case saying he wanted to arrest Zimmerman for killing the weaponless teenager.
Chris Serino, an investigator at Sanford Police Department, said Zimmerman should have been arrested for manslaughter, but due to the apparent lack of evidence the local state attorney overruled him. State Attorney Norman Wolfinger has refused to comment on the matter.
In Florida manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
According to an ABC report, from the start Serino voiced his doubts about Zimmerman’s account of “self-defense” and wanted to see Martin’s killer detained.
In an attempt to take matter into their own hands, The New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense called for a militia of black volunteers to help capture Zimmerman, but Martin’s relatives believe that more violence isn’t going to help and will just make matters worse.
“We recognize that a lot of people are doing things on behalf of Trayvon Martin,” said Sybrina Fulton, the dead teen’s mother.
“We’ve decided that we want things to be done peaceful,” she added.
Ex-terrorist network? ‘Facebook’ for former extremists
RT
Reuters / Laszlo Balogh
From Islamic Jihadists to neo-Nazis, over a thousand former extremists and their victims are connecting online to tackle terrorism via the Google-supported social network Against Violent Extremism (AVE).
The network's mission statement says “former violent extremists (‘formers’) and survivors of violent extremism are empowered to work together to push back extremist narratives and prevent the recruitment of ‘at risk’ youths.”
The idea is simple: both the victims and perpetrators of extremist attacks can stop others from embracing violent ideas. The network says it “uses technology to connect, exchange, disseminate and influence all forms of violent extremism (from far right and far left to al-Qaeda-linked and inspired and gangs).”
The organization hopes to use its website and YouTube channel so that “members can stay in touch, share ideas, collaborate, find investment and partners, and project their messages to wider audiences.”
Robert Örell, head of Exit Sweden, an organization that helps rehabilitate former neo-Nazis, told Wired that the key to fighting extremism was often a matter of practicality, not ideology.
“Often the key factor in turning an extremist away from violence is not so much challenging their opinions as meeting them with a nonjudgmental attitude and giving them a practical route to new friends, a new job and a new life. This is true whether you are talking to a former skinhead extremist or a former Islamic radical,” he said.
The idea for the network was first generated at the 2011 Summit Against Violent Extremism, hosted by Google Ideas. Google has decided to put its money where its mouth is, as the Internet giant has confirmed it will fund the AVE network for at least two years.
The site’s resource section provides activists with a broad range of information, from sustaining non-profit organizations, marketing strategies, and even information on how to handle the media during a kidnapping.
Currently, the group has 436 connections, including 52 formers, 18 survivors, and 20 ongoing projects.
Iran and Israel: Comparing military machines
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Assessing statistics for the two regional rivals at the heart of the Middle East dispute over nuclear arms.
Ben Piven
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2012 19:14
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Israel, the US, and some European powers have alleged that Iran aims to build nuclear weapons to complement its conventional arms, but Tehran says its current programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes. Regardless, Western powers generally agree that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon and is at least many, many months away from having a deliverable warhead - if the development of one is indeed its goal. While a military strike on Iranian nuclear sites is far from certain, the possibility of a confrontation looms nonetheless. A look at the comparative strengths of the Iranian and Israeli forces reveals discrepancies in both equipment, capabilities and numbers of enlisted troops. Iran has a population ten times larger than Israel's, from which to draw its armed forces, but much of its military hardware is of dubious condition - due to the arms embargo in place since in various forms since 1979.
"In a very general sense, it's no secret or cutting-edge analysis that Israel's military is the best-equipped and best-trained in the whole region," says Roberts. "But some sections of [Iran's military] are battle-tested." "Then again, it's not Iran's conventional forces which are the concern [for the US and its allies]. The Revolutionary Guards are better-paid and organised [than the rest of Iran's military]," Roberts told Al Jazeera. "Their Quds Force and naval capabilities are a big unknown - especially the asymmetrical way that they would fight with these unusual weapons, in small decentralised units." Roberts also says, while the two militaries are not likely to enter direct army-to-army combat any time soon, they may well end up squaring off via proxy forces in Gulf or Mediterranean states. Any direct confrontation between Israel and Iran would likely involve long-distance aircraft, air-defence weaponry, small naval craft and ballistic missiles. "The way to best characterise the Iranian view of the Israeli military is to look from the point of view of geography," says Kamran Bokhari, Vice-President of Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs with Stratfor. "On a map, Israel may not appear too far from Iran, but in reality, they are too far from each other to be engaged in some sustained conflict. "It's not as though Iran has reach into Israel, and even though Israel has a far superior military, it is unable to wage a [long-term] campaign against Iran," Bokhari told Al Jazeera. "Iranians know that, and aren't concerned about Israel attacking as much are they are concerned about the US ... with assets very close to Iranian borders." By the numbers
Israel has 176,500 personnel on active service, made up of 133,000 in the army, which includes 107,000 conscripts. The navy has 9,500 sailors on active duty and there are 34,000 in the air force, as well as a total reserve force of 565,000. Iran reprotedly has more than 523,000 personnel on active service, comprising 350,000 in the army, including 220,000 conscripts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, viewed as the most loyal guardians of the ruling system, has a further 125,000 soldiers. Young Iranian men are obliged to serve 18 months in the military service when they turn 19 years old, and volunteers begin at 18 years old. A paramilitary volunteer militia, the Basij Forces (literally "Mobilisation of the Oppressed"), takes members from age 15. Charged with defending the country's borders and maintaining internal order, Iran's military is comprised of the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh), which has ground forces, a navy, an air force (IRIAF) and Khatemolanbia Air Defence Headquarters. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Islami) consists of the Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force and the Quds Force (special operations). There are 18,000 Iranian naval personnel and 30,000 air force personnel, including 12,000 in air defence. Tanks, subs and planes The Israeli army has more than 3,000 tanks, reported to include 441 Merkava MkI, 455 Merkava MkII, 454 Merkava MkIII, 175 Merkava MkIV and 206 Centurion models.
Iran's military reportedly has 1,613 tanks, including some 100 locally produced Zulfiqar, about 100 ageing British-made Chieftain Mk3 and Mk5 models obtained before the 1979 revolution, alongside 150 US-made M-60A1s - as well as 480 Soviet-designed T-72 tanks and 540 T-54/T-55 models, according to the Reuters news agency. Tehran also has about 640 APCs, in addition to 8,196 artillery pieces - of which 2,010 are towed and more than 800 are motorised. The Israeli navy has three Dolphin (German-made type 212 variant) tactical submarines - thought to be nuclear-armed in order to give Israel offshore second strike capability - in addition to 57 patrol and coastal combat ships, including three corvettes. Iran, on the other hand, has a significantly larger fleet of naval craft, containing 23 submarines, including 15 tactical subs; three Kilo-class Russian-made Type 877 diesel-electric attack submarines, 12 midget submarines (Iranian-built Ghadir and Nahang shallow-water vessels made for the Gulf) and eight swimmer delivery vehicles. The Iranians also reportedly have more than 100 patrol and coastal combat ships, including six corvettes, 13 patrol craft, four patrol boats, 21 semi-submersible boats and 56 various other patrol vessels.
Israel maintains 81 attack helicopters, including 30 Bell AH-1E/AH-1F Cobra and 30 Boeing AH-64A Apache gunships, as well as 200 transport helicopters. Its air defence capabilities include 48 towed surface-to-air missile launchers (SAM) and 920 guns, as compared with the 279 SAM missiles reportedly held by Iran. Iran's air force is believed to contain some 336 combat-capable aircraft, including 189 fighter aircraft such as 20 US-made F5B jets, 60 F5E Tiger IIs and Russian-made 35 Mig-29A jets. The force is also understoof to have 108 ground attack aircraft, among them both Iranian and Russian-built craft, many of which were reportedly taken from Iraq. The country's 116 transport aircraft were made in China, Netherlands and the US, among other places. The IRIAF also has 30 Bell 214C maritime reconnaissance helicopters. Missile power Iran's approximately 1,000 strategic missiles, believed capable of striking throughout the Gulf and beyond, are reportedly controlled by the Revolutionary Guards, and include around 300 short-range ballistic missiles, including Iranian-made Shahab-1 (Scud-B), Shahab-2 (Scud-C), as well as Tondar-69 (CSS-8). Tehran has also domestically produced Shahab-3 strategic intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM), with a reported range of up to 1,000km, the Ghadr-1 with an estimated 1,600km range and a Shahab-3 variant known as Sajjil-2 with a reported range of up to 2,400km, according to Reuters reports. If true, Israel and much of eastern Europe would be within range.
"All of this is shrouded in mystery and not really transparent," says Bokhari of Stratfor. "We don't have a very good understanding of what Iran can actually do. There is a greater likelihood of Iranian missiles accurately targeting Arab states in the Gulf, but Israel is far away." Bokhari suggests that Iran's power lies in its "ability to disrupt the global economy" and keeping the other side from unleashing a military campaign via "associated costs that are too high ... The issue right now is Iran's asymmetric capabilities, and future nuclear capabilities". During war games in early January 2012, Iran tested medium-range surface-to-air missiles in the Gulf which were domestically designed and built. The launch coincided with increasing international pressure over the country's atomic programme. While Iran has denied it is in the process of producing nuclear weapons, Israel is widely believed to have nuclear capability, despite its policy of "nuclear ambiguity". Delivery means include Jericho-2 intermediate-range ballistic missiles and Jericho-1 short-range missiles. It is believed to have in the range of 200 nuclear warheads that it can launch with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). On November 2, 2011, Israel test-fired an ICBM thought to be an upgraded Jericho-3 from the Palmachim base, with a potential payload of 1,000kg and capable of reaching as far as South America or Oceania. The next day, Israel staged a mass civil defence drill simulating a missile attack in the centre of the country. Despite the conventional military advantage to Israel, Roberts, the security specialist at RUSI, believes that "the Israelis don't have enough planes and enough of the right bombs to significantly set back whatever is going on in Iran ... I don't think it's a very sensible thing to do. There should be no [illusion] that Israel can unilaterally put an end to the Iranian nuclear programme". "The one absolute kind of certainty is that, subsequent to a strike, Iran would be guaranteed to be pursuing the bomb vigorously and clandestinely." Follow Ben Piven on Twitter: @BenPiven |
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Source:
Reuters, CIA Factbook, Jane's Defence, GlobalFirepower
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