Secrets of the Taliban’s success
Syed Saleem Shahzad
…In a interview with Asia Times Online, Mullah Abdul Jalil, a pioneer of the Taliban movement in Kandahar, elaborated. “There is a lot of rhetoric out of anger and frustration against the West because of the NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] oppression of the Afghan people, but the Taliban leadership still strictly abides by its code of conduct for the resistance against foreign occupation forces in our country,” said Jalil, who served as deputy foreign minister and foreign minister during the Taliban regime (1996-2001) . “Our code of conduct is documented in the Asasi Qanoon [Basic Law of Afghanistan]. Under article 103, it is mentioned that we don’t want any disruptions in any country of the world. The Taliban are only a national resistance movement against foreign occupation forces in Afghanistan,” said Jalil… Along with the Taliban’s foreign minister in 2001, Mullah Abdul Wakeel Muttawakil, Jalil was not comfortable with al-Qaeda being in the country, but when questioned on the matter he initially evaded answering with a smile, saying only that “it is unnecessary to open up controversies”. However, he did then elaborate, “Arabs are different from the Taliban. If today they boost attacks on Western targets, they do so independently. We have nothing to do with their claims. We have always limited our battle to that against NATO and although we could work in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, China or Iran, we never had any role in these areas”…

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Disaster in Afghanistan
John W. Warnock
It is difficult to find out what is really going on in Afghanistan. The focus of the mass media is almost entirely on the military activities of the Canadian and NATO forces. There is absolutely no coverage of political developments. The news on the economy is limited to the state of the poppy industry. This is no accident. The North American media, including the CBC, has strongly supported the U.S./NATO strategy and the administration of President Hamid Karzai. Contrary to the mainstream message, things are not going well…

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Arabs Persona Non Grata in Iraq Schools
Afif Sarhan, IOL Correspondent
Arabs who have been living in Iraq for decades are finding it extremely difficult to enroll their kids in schools nationwide. “When they see our documents and notice that we are not Iraqis they start giving us hundreds of excuses for not being able to accept our children with them,” Rayan Mohammad, a 34-year-old Palestinian father of three and resident of Baghdad, told IslamOnline.net. “They ask for other documents and some principals even ask for some financial donations for the school. We come from a simple and poor family and cannot afford that,” he added. “As far as I know, education in Iraq is free for all residents.” According to the Palestinians Association in Iraq, at least 60 percent of their children are out of schools and universities because of financial reasons…

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Nato raid kills Afghan civilians
BBC
At least two Afghan civilians have been killed and 10 wounded in an air strike by Nato-led forces in the eastern province of Khost, Nato officials say. They say that Nato forces were targeting an insurgent position when a weapon accidentally misfired. The incident comes amid rising tension between the government and foreign forces over civilian casualties…

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3 coalition soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Associated Press
Three US-led soldiers and an Afghan working with them were killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan Tuesday as government officials reported that 28 rebels, some of them foreigners, were killed in air strikes. The soldiers were killed in the east of Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said. It did not give the nationalities of the troops but most international soldiers in the east are US nationals…

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“Citizen Azmi” Without Citizenship?
Michael Warschawski, Alternative Information Center (AIC)
Long live Israeli democracy! Last week, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that “it is too early” (sic) to rule on the cancellation of former Member of Knesset (MK) Azmi Bishara’s Israeli citizenship and to stop paying him his pension as a former member of parliament. The non-honorable judges requested that the plaintiff, World Likud head Danny Danon, first address another juridical instance and return to the Supreme Court only if his demand is rejected. Azmi Bishara is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, founder, and for many years chairman, of Balad—The National Democratic Alliance—Party, former member of the Knesset, political activist and a brilliant intellectual…

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U.S. performer says forced to dance for Israeli airport security to prove identity
Associated Press
A performer with the famed American Alvin Ailey dance troupe on Tuesday said he was twice forced to perform steps for Israeli airport security officers to prove his identity before he was permitted to enter the country. Abdur-Rahim Jackson, an eight-year veteran of the African American dance ensemble, said he was singled out by Israel’s renowned airport security because he has a Muslim name. He called the experience embarrassing and said at one point, one of the officers even suggested he change his name..

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Cholera in Iraq: Babil Death Count Now At 12
Gorilla’s Guides

• Babil: Local sources are quoting health directorate officials as saying 12 deaths have now been recorded and that a further 500 people are being treated for suspected cholera. a state of emergency has been declared throughout the governorate.
• Al-Q?disiyyah: 4 people are being treated for suspected Cholera in Diwaniyah. One death from AWD is now confirmed.
• Maysan: The number of people being treated for AWD has risen to 98. Six children and one woman have died of what is suspected to be Cholera rather than AWD.
• Najaf: Health authorities are distributing water purification tablets as a precaution. Increased inspections of foodstuffs and drinks.
• ---

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Pop goes the Weasel
Anwaar Hussain
…Yesterday, after seven years of close alliance, President George W. Bush has kindly promoted Pakistan to the status of Afghanistan and Iraq i.e. an almost failed state. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the Americans are physically present. In Pakistan, they now mean their presence to be felt more acutely. Needless to say therefore, that any germination in the ‘terrorists’ numbers, or any closing of the distance between the terrorists and the WMDs in the region, as was recently seen, is an absolute unthinkable for the Americans. That will be an Armageddon-type scenario for them…

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The Draft Iraqi Oil Law: Making a Mockery of Sovereignty
JURIST
JURIST Special Guest Columnists Nancy Wohlforth and Fred Mason, Co-Convenors of U.S. Labor Against the War, say that the proposed Iraqi oil law would put effective control of most of Iraq’s vast oil resources into the hands of foreign companies and make a mockery of any real Iraqi sovereignty…

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West Bank water crisis hits hard in refugee camps
PNN
The water crisis in the West Bank’s Bethlehem reached a new low on Tuesday afternoon. Aida Refugee Camp residents demonstrated in protest, demanding that water be pumped into the camp. Palestinian security responded violently leaaving one youth shot and 10 other people injured from severe beatings in front of the Intercontinental Hotel on a main street near the camp. Residents and reprsentatives of the Fateh movement met with Bethlehem Governor Salah Tamari later in the evening and demanded that President Abbas undertake an investigation. Among those in attendance was Issa Qaraqa’, a former resident of the camp and Director of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, and current Palestinian Legislative Council member…

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Russian Navy set for U.S. backyard exercise
Russia Today
The Russian Navy has confirmed that a fleet of warships belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet is preparing to cross the Atlantic Ocean and head for the Caribbean. The squadron, led by the Northern Fleet’s flagship Pyotr Veliky (named after Peter I of Russia or Peter the Great) – one of the world’s largest heavily-armed nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers – will participate with the Venezuelan fleet in the Caribbean naval exercise in November… In addition, Hugo Chavez has approved Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers to use Venezuelan military airfields. These actions could be seen as Russia hinting to the U.S. that, despite surrounding Russia with U.S. military bases, America is just as vulnerable to attack as any other country…

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Arab League angered by the ongoing Palestinian divisions, threatens ‘sanctions’
Saed Bannoura – IMEMC
The Arab League expressed during its Cairo meeting its anger over the ongoing divisions and tensions between Fatah and Hamas and threatened to impose sanctions if the Palestinian parties do achieve reconciliation. Arab Foreign Ministers held a regular meeting which was attended by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas and discussed Egyptian efforts at achieving reconciliation between Palestinian factions, especially between Fatah and Hamas…

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September 9, 2008: 15 Iraqis Killed, 33 Wounded
Margaret Griffis, Antiwar.com
President Bush announced that no more U.S. troops will come home from Iraq until after the next president takes office. Meanwhile, U.S forces released an Iraqi cameraman from detention, and the Iraqi parliament convened in Baghdad. At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 33 more were wounded in the latest violence…

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Iraq Solidarity News TV
Iraqi Solidarity News (Al-Thawra)
We are pleased to inform you that you can now watch the development of the international opposition to the war and occupation of Iraq, on our new Iraq Solidarity News TV channel, which is a collection of up-to-date news reports of those who are working in solidarity with the Iraqi people in bringing about an end to the occupation of Iraq…

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