Suicide bombers, attacks hit Baghdad police, 23 dead
12 Oct 2011 09:23
Source: Reuters // Reuters
* Two suicide bombers among attackers
* Attacks target police across Baghdad
* Second wave of attacks in Baghdad in three days (Updates death toll, adds details)
BAGHDAD, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Suicide bombers and roadside blasts targeted police in a wave of attacks across Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens on the second day of serial bombings in the Iraqi capital in less than a week.
One bomber rammed an explosives-filled vehicle into a police station in central Alwiya district, killing 13, and another blew up his car at a police building in northwestern Hurriya, killing 4 people and wounding 40, officials said.
"A car approached and... the driver smashed through the checkpoint and exploded the car when he hit a concrete barrier," Police Lt. Nadeer Adel told Reuters. "Smoke was everywhere, we all took cover. Minutes later we found a crater and some of our police were dead."
The Hurriya blast burned out police vehicles and damaged the station's blue protective blast walls next to the large crater in the road. In other districts blasts blew out windows from nearby homes and shops, scattering streets with debris.
The string of apparently coordinated bombings highlighted worries over the ability of insurgents to test Iraqi forces with multiple attacks despite security improvements as the last U.S. troops prepare to withdraw by the end of this year.
A car bomb on Wednesday also targeted a police patrol in southern Ilaam district, killing at least three, while a roadside bomb hit an army patrol in Hurriya, killing one civilian and injuring 12 people, mostly soldiers, police said.
Two police officers were also killed and seven people wounded when a roadside bomb hit a police patrol in the mainly Shi'ite Washash district in western Baghdad.
None of Iraq's insurgent or militia groups claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suicide bombings are usually the hallmark of Iraq's al-Qaeda affiliates.
At least 10 people were killed on Monday in three successive blasts in Washash district. The first blast was followed by two more when emergency services arrived at the site to tend to wounded.
The two days of Baghdad attacks came just after the government said it was postponing the army's handover of security in the cities to the police because it was concerned over their readiness.
The number of bombings and attacks in Iraq has fallen sharply from its peak during the sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, but Sunni Islamists tied to al-Qaeda and radical Shi'ite militias are still a threat in the OPEC producer.
Insurgents this year have increasingly targeted local security forces and local government offices outside the capital in what Iraqi officials say is an attempt to show that the government cannot provide security as U.S. troops leave.
More than eight years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the last 44,000 U.S. troops are preparing to pull out of Iraq when a bilateral security pact expires, though Baghdad and Washington are in talks about whether some will stay on as trainers. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem and Ahmed Rasheed; writing by Patrick Markey; editing by Tim Pearce)
============
Two bombings kill 16 in Baghdad Shi'ite district
13 Oct 2011 20:32
Source: Reuters // Reuters
* Bombings hit mainly Shi'ite Baghdad neighbourhood
* Third large attack on capital in less than a week (Adds details throughout)
BAGHDAD, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Two bomb blasts killed at least 16 people in a mainly Shi'ite Baghdad district on Thursday in the latest in a series of large attacks to hit Iraq's capital in less than a week.
Bombings across Baghdad since Monday are highlighting security risks in Iraq as U.S. troops prepare to leave by a year-end deadline more than eight years after the U.S. invasion.
In Thursday's attacks, a roadside bomb exploded near a coffee shop in the mainly Shi'ite district of Sadr City followed by a car bomb nearby, witnesses and police said.
"I heard a blast... I went to the scene to see what happened with some people. Soon after, 100 metres away, a taxi exploded," Mohammed Khadim, a witness said at a local hospital. "There were casualties lying in the street."
At least 16 people were killed in the two blasts and about 40 more were wounded, police and hospital sources said. A ministry of interior source put the toll at 18 killed.
Sadr City, an impoverished neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad, is the stronghold of radical Shi'ite, anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi militia once fought U.S. and Iraqi troops. He is now a key ally of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the heights of sectarian fighting in 2006-2007, but attacks still occur daily.
Suicide bombers and roadside blasts killed at least 28 people on Wednesday across Baghdad. The attacks mostly targeted police stations and patrols.
At least 10 people were killed on Monday, in three blasts in the mainly Shi'ite Washash district of the capital. The first blast was followed by two more explosions when emergency services arrived on the scene.
The last 41,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw when a bilateral security pact ends, but Baghdad and Washington are in talks to decide whether troops stay on as trainers after that. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
At least 10 killed in Baghdad blasts-police
At least 10 killed in Baghdad blasts-police
10 Oct 2011 20:08
Source: Reuters // Reuters
(adds comment from police, details)
BAGHDAD, Oct 10 (Reuters) - At least ten people were killed and 18 were wounded on Monday when three successive blasts exploded in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, police and hospital officials said.
A first blast went off underneath a car in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite Washash neighborhood followed by a second blast as emergency officials were trying to help wounded and then a third blast detonated nearby, police said.
"We were stationed nearby when we heard a blast. When we turned around we saw the light from the blast and we took our cars over to help the wounded," local police officer Yahya Qasim said at the site.
"A second blast went off less than 100 meters away. We were in total confusion, but we tried to evacuate the wounded."
Hospital sources and local police said at least 10 people were killed and another 18 were wounded.
Violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, but Sunni Islamist insurgents and Shi'ite militias still carry out daily attacks just as the last U.S. troops prepare to withdraw at year-end.
More than eight years after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq is in discussions over whether some U.S. troops should stay on as trainers. But the question of legal immunity for U.S. troops in Iraq is a key sticking point. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Maria Golovnina)
10 Oct 2011 20:08
Source: Reuters // Reuters
(adds comment from police, details)
BAGHDAD, Oct 10 (Reuters) - At least ten people were killed and 18 were wounded on Monday when three successive blasts exploded in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, police and hospital officials said.
A first blast went off underneath a car in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite Washash neighborhood followed by a second blast as emergency officials were trying to help wounded and then a third blast detonated nearby, police said.
"We were stationed nearby when we heard a blast. When we turned around we saw the light from the blast and we took our cars over to help the wounded," local police officer Yahya Qasim said at the site.
"A second blast went off less than 100 meters away. We were in total confusion, but we tried to evacuate the wounded."
Hospital sources and local police said at least 10 people were killed and another 18 were wounded.
Violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, but Sunni Islamist insurgents and Shi'ite militias still carry out daily attacks just as the last U.S. troops prepare to withdraw at year-end.
More than eight years after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq is in discussions over whether some U.S. troops should stay on as trainers. But the question of legal immunity for U.S. troops in Iraq is a key sticking point. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Maria Golovnina)
Monday, October 10, 2011
FACTBOX-Key facts about Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki
10 Oct 2011 08:40
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Oct 10 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says Washington still has options for keeping U.S. troops in Iraqi as trainers, even after the country's political leaders refused to grant them immunity as U.S. officials had requested.
Maliki last week won the support of political blocs to keep U.S. trainers past the year-end deadline for a U.S. troop withdrawal.
Here are key facts about Maliki:
* Maliki was born at Hindiya, south of Baghdad, in 1950. He holds a master's degree in Arabic and worked at the Education Ministry before fleeing in 1980 to neighbouring Syria and then Iran under sentence of death for his political activism. He returned after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that overthrew former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
* Maliki came to the forefront of Iraqi politics in April 2006 with the image of a tough, Shi'ite Islamist strong enough to weld rival factions into a national unity government. He was sworn in as prime minister for the first time in May 2006.
* Maliki has struggled to control a fractious government forged of fragile alliances. But in the last three years he has emerged stronger after sending the army to fight Shi'ite militia and presiding over a sharp fall in overall violence.
* Seemingly quick to anger, Maliki has turned many former allies into foes. He bristled at criticism in 2007 from U.S. lawmakers and has difficult relations with some U.S. military officials in Iraq. He harbours evident hatred of the Saddam regime which repressed Iraq's Shi'ite majority and assassinated many of his political colleagues. Many Sunnis fear he has little interest in affording them a fair share of power.
* Maliki has pursued a fine line with Shi'ite Iran, a U.S. foe which fought a 1980-88 war with Saddam's Iraq. Some say he has bowed to Iranian demands, citing an occasion when he met President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without a necktie, in deference to Iranian revolutionary fashion. Others said Tehran wanted Maliki replaced because it does not consider him friendly enough.
* He has managed recently to forge some consensus in Iraq's fractious power-sharing coalition over whether Baghdad should hold talks with Washington over U.S. troop trainers. But key issues such as the naming of a defense minister and a minister of interior - two security posts -- are still pending and could scuttle any agreement among Iraqi factions.
For a main story on Iraq's troop talks, please see (Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Oct 10 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says Washington still has options for keeping U.S. troops in Iraqi as trainers, even after the country's political leaders refused to grant them immunity as U.S. officials had requested.
Maliki last week won the support of political blocs to keep U.S. trainers past the year-end deadline for a U.S. troop withdrawal.
Here are key facts about Maliki:
* Maliki was born at Hindiya, south of Baghdad, in 1950. He holds a master's degree in Arabic and worked at the Education Ministry before fleeing in 1980 to neighbouring Syria and then Iran under sentence of death for his political activism. He returned after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that overthrew former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
* Maliki came to the forefront of Iraqi politics in April 2006 with the image of a tough, Shi'ite Islamist strong enough to weld rival factions into a national unity government. He was sworn in as prime minister for the first time in May 2006.
* Maliki has struggled to control a fractious government forged of fragile alliances. But in the last three years he has emerged stronger after sending the army to fight Shi'ite militia and presiding over a sharp fall in overall violence.
* Seemingly quick to anger, Maliki has turned many former allies into foes. He bristled at criticism in 2007 from U.S. lawmakers and has difficult relations with some U.S. military officials in Iraq. He harbours evident hatred of the Saddam regime which repressed Iraq's Shi'ite majority and assassinated many of his political colleagues. Many Sunnis fear he has little interest in affording them a fair share of power.
* Maliki has pursued a fine line with Shi'ite Iran, a U.S. foe which fought a 1980-88 war with Saddam's Iraq. Some say he has bowed to Iranian demands, citing an occasion when he met President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without a necktie, in deference to Iranian revolutionary fashion. Others said Tehran wanted Maliki replaced because it does not consider him friendly enough.
* He has managed recently to forge some consensus in Iraq's fractious power-sharing coalition over whether Baghdad should hold talks with Washington over U.S. troop trainers. But key issues such as the naming of a defense minister and a minister of interior - two security posts -- are still pending and could scuttle any agreement among Iraqi factions.
For a main story on Iraq's troop talks, please see (Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Chavez slams "horrible repression" of U.S. protests
08 Oct 2011 21:47
Source: Reuters // Reuters
* Calls U.S. Republican candidate "crazy"
* Says going to Cuba soon for final cancer check
By Enrique Andres Pretel
CARACAS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez condemned on Saturday the "horrible repression" of anti-Wall Street protesters and termed a U.S. Republican presidential candidate "crazy" for his criticism of Cuba and Venezuela.
Although still convalescing from cancer surgery in June followed by four rounds of chemotherapy, the 57-year-old Venezuelan president is quickly returning to the tough rhetoric and strong views that have made him famous worldwide.
Not surprisingly, Chavez expressed solidarity with American activists who have been staging rallies and marches against what they view as corporate greed by Wall Street.
The U.S. protests, which began last month in New York and have spread to Tampa, Florida, Seattle and other cities, have mostly been peaceful but sometimes resulted in confrontations. Dozens were arrested and police used pepper spray in New York earlier this week.
"This movement of popular outrage is expanding to 10 cities and the repression is horrible, I don't know how many are in prison now," Chavez said in comments at a political meeting in his Caracas presidential palace shown on state TV.
Chavez, who runs for re-election in a year's time and traditionally ramps up his anti-capitalist rhetoric to try and rally supporters before a vote, also let rip at Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who referred to the "malign socialism" of Cuba and Venezuela in a speech on Friday.
Venezuela's presidential vote is in October 2012, before the U.S. vote in November.
Chavez said again he was sure he would be given a clean bill of health in time to run a vigorous campaign for re-election in the South American OPEC member nation.
He would return to Cuba, where he was operated on in June to remove a malignant tumor, in a few days for final checks, Chavez said. "We're going to do all the examinations to confirm what we think up to now, that there are no malignant cells left in my body," he told the meeting.
Since coming to power in 1999, Chavez has sought to project himself as a leader of a global "anti-imperialist" movement.
He and allies in the ruling Socialist Party have been gloating over economic and social problems in the United States and Europe as evidence of capitalism's impending downfall.
"Poverty's growing, the misery is getting worse," he said, referring to the causes of the U.S. protests. "But that empire is still there, still a threat ... (President Barack) Obama is on his way down, for lots of reasons. He was a big fraud." (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Paul Simao)
Source: Reuters // Reuters
* Calls U.S. Republican candidate "crazy"
* Says going to Cuba soon for final cancer check
By Enrique Andres Pretel
CARACAS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez condemned on Saturday the "horrible repression" of anti-Wall Street protesters and termed a U.S. Republican presidential candidate "crazy" for his criticism of Cuba and Venezuela.
Although still convalescing from cancer surgery in June followed by four rounds of chemotherapy, the 57-year-old Venezuelan president is quickly returning to the tough rhetoric and strong views that have made him famous worldwide.
Not surprisingly, Chavez expressed solidarity with American activists who have been staging rallies and marches against what they view as corporate greed by Wall Street.
The U.S. protests, which began last month in New York and have spread to Tampa, Florida, Seattle and other cities, have mostly been peaceful but sometimes resulted in confrontations. Dozens were arrested and police used pepper spray in New York earlier this week.
"This movement of popular outrage is expanding to 10 cities and the repression is horrible, I don't know how many are in prison now," Chavez said in comments at a political meeting in his Caracas presidential palace shown on state TV.
Chavez, who runs for re-election in a year's time and traditionally ramps up his anti-capitalist rhetoric to try and rally supporters before a vote, also let rip at Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who referred to the "malign socialism" of Cuba and Venezuela in a speech on Friday.
"He's been attacking Venezuela and Cuba, and talking about the malign government of Hugo Chavez. And he has the arrogance to say that God created the United States so the United States can rule the world," Chavez said.
"And that crazy man might be the president of the United States, in elections that are just after ours."
Venezuela's presidential vote is in October 2012, before the U.S. vote in November.
Chavez said again he was sure he would be given a clean bill of health in time to run a vigorous campaign for re-election in the South American OPEC member nation.
He would return to Cuba, where he was operated on in June to remove a malignant tumor, in a few days for final checks, Chavez said. "We're going to do all the examinations to confirm what we think up to now, that there are no malignant cells left in my body," he told the meeting.
Since coming to power in 1999, Chavez has sought to project himself as a leader of a global "anti-imperialist" movement.
He and allies in the ruling Socialist Party have been gloating over economic and social problems in the United States and Europe as evidence of capitalism's impending downfall.
"Poverty's growing, the misery is getting worse," he said, referring to the causes of the U.S. protests. "But that empire is still there, still a threat ... (President Barack) Obama is on his way down, for lots of reasons. He was a big fraud." (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Paul Simao)
Friday, October 07, 2011
Gulf Keystone Petroleum headlining star-studded Proactive One2One events in Dublin and Manchester
Gulf Keystone Petroleum headlining star-studded Proactive One2One events in Dublin and Manchester
1:17 pm
http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/34091/gulf-keystone-petroleum-headlining-star-studded-proactive-one2one-events-in-dublin-and-manchester-34091.html
It has been a quite incredible year for Gulf Keystone Petroleum, one of AIM’s most closely followed and actively traded stocks.
And it will be headlining our One2One events in Dublin and Manchester, giving you, its investors and those monitoring its progress, the chance to hear the word directly from the GKP boardroom.
Presenting will be finance director Ewen Ainsworth, who will walk us through the story to date as well as addressing what is expected to be a barrage of queries about the company’s future plans.
Last month the group raised US$200 million via a placing with investors, showing that even in these rather choppy markets there is an appetite for projects in politically riskier jurisdictions such as Kurdistan in northern Iraq, particularly if they hold world class potential.
Former BP boss Tony Hayward, not normally a man given to hyperbole, recently called the region the last great oil frontier. And the stampede into the country by some of the larger explorers would seem to back up his assertion.
Analyst Andrew Matharu of Westhouse Securities reckons GKP’s is a compelling story – with near-term production, material prospects and a ‘fashionable’ geographical location.
“Kurdistan still has progress to make with the development of its hydrocarbon law and ensuring that export routes for oil producers remain open, but for now it is demonstrating to the London equity capital markets that it is open for business, whereas other addresses remain firmly closed,” he added.
According to Gulf Keystone the new cash will allow the company to increase its focus on the aggressive programme of exploration and appraisal drilling on the Shaikan, Sheikh Adi and Ber Bahr blocks in Kurdistan.
The fundraiser was a major an endorsement of the group’s success and its ability to explore and exploit at least 12 billion barrels of gross oil-in-place across its three licences as it ramps up production.
Also joining us in Dublin are Lydian International, GGG Resources and Respect Your Universe.
Armenia-focused gold miner Lydian, which is also presenting in Manchester, is starting to gain some traction with investors.
In fact there is a real buzz around Lydian now that analysts have digested the fine detail of the preliminary feasibility study on the Amulsar project in the mountainous former soviet state.
TD Securities’ analysis of the company is typical of the upbeat coverage of late. It set a C$4 price target for the shares, which are currently changing hands at C$2.24.
Broker Stifel Nicolaus is even more bullish, valuing the Lydian share at C$4.20 based on an NPV of around US$515 million – almost double the company’s market capitalisation.
July’s PFS covered the Tigranes and Artavasdes areas of Amulsar, which host 1.64 million potentially minable ounces of gold out of a total resource of 2.5 million ounces.
Annual production is predicted to be 123,000 ounces in the first three years rising to 256,000 ounces in year four through to year seven.
The economic assessment put cash costs of the open pit operation at US$419-US$499 per ounce, which is very much at the lower end of the cost curve.
The mine itself would have an initial capital cost of US$162.6 million and it would have an internal rate of return of 45 per cent.
TDS analyst Daniel Earle expects the company to come up with a far more aggressive mine plan when it publishes the definitive feasibility study in the second quarter of next year.
He is modelling average annual gold production of 218,000 ounces at a cash cost of US$413 an ounce, with initial capital costs of US$275 million.
And he expects to see the resource base grow: “While the deposit is of only moderate size at present, we believe that the company has recently made a breakthrough in its understanding of the controls on mineralisation.”
Indeed recent drill results suggest that significant resource growth is possible, Earle says, pointing to intersections of 69 metres and 100 metres at grades of 3.8 grams and 1 gram per tonne respectively.
GGG Resources, meanwhile, is on the verge of a new era as it prepares to consolidate the ownership of the highly promising Bullabulling gold project in Australia.
“Asset consolidation was something that we recognised was needed from the beginning,” said GGG chairman Peter Ruxton recently.
“With an accelerated development plan in motion, coupled with the recent and upcoming JORC update, we feel this is the right time to recommend this deal to our shareholders.”
Finally, Respect Your Universe, which is also presenting in London and Manchester, is creating a buzz around the mixed martial arts scene with its range of sportswear.
It is hoping to turn its cult RYU brand into a mainstream phenomenon that could give some of the big high street names a run for their money.
This is not just a run-of‐the‐mill fledgling sportswear business. It is an international brand-building exercise with mixed martial arts at its core.
And for such a small organisation, RYU has managed to attract some big hitters. It has drafted in senior figures from Nike, Adidas and Motorola and the two former executives of Lululemon Athletica, the yoga brand that is now a worldwide phenomenon.
Joining RYU in London will be Wasabi Energy, LonZim and Beowulf Mining.
Wasabi Energy is a clean technology company, and by far its biggest holding is a 96 per cent stake in Global Geothermal Ltd.
GGL owns the worldwide global patent for the 'Kalina Cyle', which is the most effective way of producing electricity from low heat sources. By using the Kalina Cycle electricity can be generated using waste heat and natural heat sources such as volcanic springs.
LonZim owns an eclectic mix of assets from hotels and land through to an electronic bank transfer system used by 19 of Zimbabwe’s 21 lenders.
Since its listing in December 2007, which raised almost £29 million, the company has completed seven significant transactions and built a portfolio of businesses in Zimbabwe that are well positioned to benefit from economic recovery.
Northern Sweden is the focus of Beowulf Mining’s exploration activity. And in Kallak North and Kallak South it has twin projects which together add up to one potentially world class iron ore deposit.
Chairman Clive Sinclair-Poulton, whose last presentation was both entertaining and informative, joins us to give a progress report.
Joining GKP, Lydian and RYU in Manchester will be New World Oil & Gas, which as certainly hit the ground running.
Since listing in May it has acquired a promising oil block and Belize and is tying up a second acquisition in Denmark.
In parallel the group is shooting seismic in Belize, which will help it identify its first drill target. Behind this frenetic activity is Bill Kelleher, who has big plans for this little E&P play.
Times and dates:
London
• DATE: Tuesday 11th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, Mayfair, W1J 5EB
• ROOM: Charles Suite
REGISTER FOR LONDON HERE
Dublin
• DATE: Wednesday 12th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Shelbourne Hotel, 27 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, 2 Ireland
• ROOM: Adams Suite
REGISTER FOR DUBLIN HERE
Manchester
• DATE: Thursday 13th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS
• ROOM: Derby Suite
1:17 pm
http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/34091/gulf-keystone-petroleum-headlining-star-studded-proactive-one2one-events-in-dublin-and-manchester-34091.html
It has been a quite incredible year for Gulf Keystone Petroleum, one of AIM’s most closely followed and actively traded stocks.
And it will be headlining our One2One events in Dublin and Manchester, giving you, its investors and those monitoring its progress, the chance to hear the word directly from the GKP boardroom.
Presenting will be finance director Ewen Ainsworth, who will walk us through the story to date as well as addressing what is expected to be a barrage of queries about the company’s future plans.
Last month the group raised US$200 million via a placing with investors, showing that even in these rather choppy markets there is an appetite for projects in politically riskier jurisdictions such as Kurdistan in northern Iraq, particularly if they hold world class potential.
Former BP boss Tony Hayward, not normally a man given to hyperbole, recently called the region the last great oil frontier. And the stampede into the country by some of the larger explorers would seem to back up his assertion.
Analyst Andrew Matharu of Westhouse Securities reckons GKP’s is a compelling story – with near-term production, material prospects and a ‘fashionable’ geographical location.
“Kurdistan still has progress to make with the development of its hydrocarbon law and ensuring that export routes for oil producers remain open, but for now it is demonstrating to the London equity capital markets that it is open for business, whereas other addresses remain firmly closed,” he added.
According to Gulf Keystone the new cash will allow the company to increase its focus on the aggressive programme of exploration and appraisal drilling on the Shaikan, Sheikh Adi and Ber Bahr blocks in Kurdistan.
The fundraiser was a major an endorsement of the group’s success and its ability to explore and exploit at least 12 billion barrels of gross oil-in-place across its three licences as it ramps up production.
Also joining us in Dublin are Lydian International, GGG Resources and Respect Your Universe.
Armenia-focused gold miner Lydian, which is also presenting in Manchester, is starting to gain some traction with investors.
In fact there is a real buzz around Lydian now that analysts have digested the fine detail of the preliminary feasibility study on the Amulsar project in the mountainous former soviet state.
TD Securities’ analysis of the company is typical of the upbeat coverage of late. It set a C$4 price target for the shares, which are currently changing hands at C$2.24.
Broker Stifel Nicolaus is even more bullish, valuing the Lydian share at C$4.20 based on an NPV of around US$515 million – almost double the company’s market capitalisation.
July’s PFS covered the Tigranes and Artavasdes areas of Amulsar, which host 1.64 million potentially minable ounces of gold out of a total resource of 2.5 million ounces.
Annual production is predicted to be 123,000 ounces in the first three years rising to 256,000 ounces in year four through to year seven.
The economic assessment put cash costs of the open pit operation at US$419-US$499 per ounce, which is very much at the lower end of the cost curve.
The mine itself would have an initial capital cost of US$162.6 million and it would have an internal rate of return of 45 per cent.
TDS analyst Daniel Earle expects the company to come up with a far more aggressive mine plan when it publishes the definitive feasibility study in the second quarter of next year.
He is modelling average annual gold production of 218,000 ounces at a cash cost of US$413 an ounce, with initial capital costs of US$275 million.
And he expects to see the resource base grow: “While the deposit is of only moderate size at present, we believe that the company has recently made a breakthrough in its understanding of the controls on mineralisation.”
Indeed recent drill results suggest that significant resource growth is possible, Earle says, pointing to intersections of 69 metres and 100 metres at grades of 3.8 grams and 1 gram per tonne respectively.
GGG Resources, meanwhile, is on the verge of a new era as it prepares to consolidate the ownership of the highly promising Bullabulling gold project in Australia.
“Asset consolidation was something that we recognised was needed from the beginning,” said GGG chairman Peter Ruxton recently.
“With an accelerated development plan in motion, coupled with the recent and upcoming JORC update, we feel this is the right time to recommend this deal to our shareholders.”
Finally, Respect Your Universe, which is also presenting in London and Manchester, is creating a buzz around the mixed martial arts scene with its range of sportswear.
It is hoping to turn its cult RYU brand into a mainstream phenomenon that could give some of the big high street names a run for their money.
This is not just a run-of‐the‐mill fledgling sportswear business. It is an international brand-building exercise with mixed martial arts at its core.
And for such a small organisation, RYU has managed to attract some big hitters. It has drafted in senior figures from Nike, Adidas and Motorola and the two former executives of Lululemon Athletica, the yoga brand that is now a worldwide phenomenon.
Joining RYU in London will be Wasabi Energy, LonZim and Beowulf Mining.
Wasabi Energy is a clean technology company, and by far its biggest holding is a 96 per cent stake in Global Geothermal Ltd.
GGL owns the worldwide global patent for the 'Kalina Cyle', which is the most effective way of producing electricity from low heat sources. By using the Kalina Cycle electricity can be generated using waste heat and natural heat sources such as volcanic springs.
LonZim owns an eclectic mix of assets from hotels and land through to an electronic bank transfer system used by 19 of Zimbabwe’s 21 lenders.
Since its listing in December 2007, which raised almost £29 million, the company has completed seven significant transactions and built a portfolio of businesses in Zimbabwe that are well positioned to benefit from economic recovery.
Northern Sweden is the focus of Beowulf Mining’s exploration activity. And in Kallak North and Kallak South it has twin projects which together add up to one potentially world class iron ore deposit.
Chairman Clive Sinclair-Poulton, whose last presentation was both entertaining and informative, joins us to give a progress report.
Joining GKP, Lydian and RYU in Manchester will be New World Oil & Gas, which as certainly hit the ground running.
Since listing in May it has acquired a promising oil block and Belize and is tying up a second acquisition in Denmark.
In parallel the group is shooting seismic in Belize, which will help it identify its first drill target. Behind this frenetic activity is Bill Kelleher, who has big plans for this little E&P play.
Times and dates:
London
• DATE: Tuesday 11th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, Mayfair, W1J 5EB
• ROOM: Charles Suite
REGISTER FOR LONDON HERE
Dublin
• DATE: Wednesday 12th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Shelbourne Hotel, 27 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, 2 Ireland
• ROOM: Adams Suite
REGISTER FOR DUBLIN HERE
Manchester
• DATE: Thursday 13th October 2011
• TIME: 5:45pm (for a 6:00pm start)
• VENUE: The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS
• ROOM: Derby Suite
Jobs’ worth
Jobs, no ordinary CEO, leaves no ordinary company
06 October 2011 | By Robert Cyran, Richard Beales
Steve Jobs has died at 56. He was no ordinary chief executive, and he leaves no ordinary company. The force behind the iPod, iPhone and iPad not only co-founded and then rescued Apple, building it into the most valuable tech company on the planet, worth some $350 billion. He also changed the way people live. It’s a rare entrepreneur who leaves that legacy - and a company that can thrive without him.
Jobs dropped out of college. And he was forced out of Apple less than a decade after starting it with Steve Wozniak having lost his fight to promote new Macintosh computers instead of more profitable, less capable machines. But these moments of change proved central to his later success. In a 2005 Stanford commencement address, Jobs talked of how, for example, calligraphy classes he took after dropping out of college influenced the design of the Macintosh, arguably Apple’s first world-changing device.
He was always ready to move on. He called being fired from Apple “the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” It’s easy to forget that Jobs built Pixar, the astonishingly successful computer animation company, while in exile from Apple. Even before Pixar, he founded Next Computer, making devices with an operating system far ahead of its time. This played a role in Apple’s success after 1996 when it bought Next, bringing Jobs back into the fold.
Along with the vision, drive and perfectionism that led to a string of successful products, Jobs did bring a less desirable cult of secrecy to Apple after his return. In one sense, it served the company well - when the iPhone landed and showed the world the real potential of smartphones, it shocked the industry. It was, as an observer put it at the time, “like it dropped out of a wormhole from the future.” But in handling the boss’s health problems in recent years, Apple’s tight-lipped nature caused investors to get less information than they deserved.
Even so, the company’s greatest success, the iPhone, was developed after Jobs had survived the initial onslaught of cancer. And Apple just this year became the most valuable company in America for a time, and its market value now only just lags Exxon Mobil’s. By some measures, Jobs’ creation ought to be worth much more. The success of its latest category-creating product, the iPad, means its growth potential remains powerful. And the company has an impressive array of talent even without him.
“Don’t be trapped by dogma,” Jobs told that graduating Stanford class. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Apple is a legacy in itself, but it’s the devices born of that philosophy that arguably matter most. Like all great inventors, Jobs created things that people didn’t even know they wanted - until millions of them just had to have them.
====
Context News
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and the architect of its recent success, died on Oct. 5, the company said. He was 56, and had fought a rare form of pancreatic cancer.
The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone resigned as chief executive of the world’s largest technology company in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook. Cook led the unveiling of Apple’s latest product, the iPhone 4S, just a day earlier.
In a statement, Apple said “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
==============
06 October 2011 | By Robert Cyran, Richard Beales
Steve Jobs has died at 56. He was no ordinary chief executive, and he leaves no ordinary company. The force behind the iPod, iPhone and iPad not only co-founded and then rescued Apple, building it into the most valuable tech company on the planet, worth some $350 billion. He also changed the way people live. It’s a rare entrepreneur who leaves that legacy - and a company that can thrive without him.
Jobs dropped out of college. And he was forced out of Apple less than a decade after starting it with Steve Wozniak having lost his fight to promote new Macintosh computers instead of more profitable, less capable machines. But these moments of change proved central to his later success. In a 2005 Stanford commencement address, Jobs talked of how, for example, calligraphy classes he took after dropping out of college influenced the design of the Macintosh, arguably Apple’s first world-changing device.
He was always ready to move on. He called being fired from Apple “the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” It’s easy to forget that Jobs built Pixar, the astonishingly successful computer animation company, while in exile from Apple. Even before Pixar, he founded Next Computer, making devices with an operating system far ahead of its time. This played a role in Apple’s success after 1996 when it bought Next, bringing Jobs back into the fold.
Along with the vision, drive and perfectionism that led to a string of successful products, Jobs did bring a less desirable cult of secrecy to Apple after his return. In one sense, it served the company well - when the iPhone landed and showed the world the real potential of smartphones, it shocked the industry. It was, as an observer put it at the time, “like it dropped out of a wormhole from the future.” But in handling the boss’s health problems in recent years, Apple’s tight-lipped nature caused investors to get less information than they deserved.
Even so, the company’s greatest success, the iPhone, was developed after Jobs had survived the initial onslaught of cancer. And Apple just this year became the most valuable company in America for a time, and its market value now only just lags Exxon Mobil’s. By some measures, Jobs’ creation ought to be worth much more. The success of its latest category-creating product, the iPad, means its growth potential remains powerful. And the company has an impressive array of talent even without him.
“Don’t be trapped by dogma,” Jobs told that graduating Stanford class. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Apple is a legacy in itself, but it’s the devices born of that philosophy that arguably matter most. Like all great inventors, Jobs created things that people didn’t even know they wanted - until millions of them just had to have them.
====
Context News
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and the architect of its recent success, died on Oct. 5, the company said. He was 56, and had fought a rare form of pancreatic cancer.
The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone resigned as chief executive of the world’s largest technology company in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook. Cook led the unveiling of Apple’s latest product, the iPhone 4S, just a day earlier.
In a statement, Apple said “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
==============
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
FACTBOX-Shabaab attacks on Somalia's government
04 Oct 2011 13:55
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Oct 4 (Reuters) - A truck bomb killed at least 65 people outside government buildings in the heart of Somalia's capital on Tuesday, an ambulance worker said, and al Shabaab insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.
The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels had threatened to carry out attacks on government installations after pulling most of their fighters out of Mogadishu in early August.
Here are some details on attacks on government members:
June 2009 - A suicide bombing killed Somalia's security minister and at least 30 other people in a hotel in Baladwayne on June 18.
Dec. 2009 - A suicide bomber killed three government ministers and 19 others on Dec. 3 in an attack on the graduation ceremony at Mogadishu's Shamo Hotel. In February 2010 the sports minister died from his wounds in the attack.
Feb. 2010 - Somalia's state minister for defence, Sheikh Yusuf Mohammad Siad, a former warlord also known as "Inda'ade" or "white eyes", survived a suicide car bomb attack in Mogadishu on Feb. 15.
Aug. 2010 - Insurgents in army uniforms stormed a hotel in Mogadishu frequented by Somali government officials on Aug. 24, killing at least 31 people. The dead included six legislators and five government security personnel.
Sept. 2010 - A suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Sept. 20, wounding two soldiers. The attacker was identified as a former interior ministry security guard who had defected to al Shabaab.
June 2011 - Al Shabaab rebels said they were behind the killing of Interior Minister Abdi Shakur Sheikh Hassan on June 10, after they planted a bomb under his bed at his house in the capital Mogadishu. Abdi Shaur, the minister's driver, had said he believed the minister was killed by a female suicide bomber, thought to be his cousin.
July 2011 - Somalia's new minister for women was snatched by Islamist rebels 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital almost immediately after her appointment was announced, a relative said.
-- Asha Osman Aqil was grabbed in an area controlled by al Shabaab militants after the country's fragile government announced its new cabinet. She was released hours later. (Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)
==============
Somali's al Shabaab kills 70 in Mogadishu bomb
04 Oct 2011 19:45
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Internally displaced children play on top of a tree near a settlement in Taleh neighborhood, Hodon district south of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, September 6,2011.
* Truck exploded at gate of government compound
* Al Shabaab claims responsibility
* Militant group warns of more attacks (Adds U.N., government statement on toll)
By Abdi Sheikh and Mohamed Ahmed
MOGADISHU, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Somalia's al Qaeda-linked rebels struck at the heart of the capital on Tuesday, killing more than 70 people with a truck bomb in the group's most deadly attack in the country since launching an insurgency in 2007.
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed denounced the blast, which caused the most casualties among young students waiting for exam results at the education ministry, as a "cruel and inhumane act of violence". Another 150 people were wounded.
The African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM) said a truck laden with drums of fuel rammed a checkpoint outside a compound housing government ministries in the K4 (Kilometre 4) area of Mogadishu, where students had gathered to register for scholarships offered by Turkey.
Hundreds of parents stood weeping outside the Madina Hospital in Mogadishu after being denied access for security reasons and nurses said they were overwhelmed.
The al Shabaab insurgents who carried out the attack later warned Somalis to stay away from government buildings and military bases. "More serious blasts are coming," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told reporters.
The twisted axle from the exploded truck lay on blackened soil. A body draped with a red shawl lay nearby. People used corrugated iron, rugs and white sheeting to carry corpses away from the devastation at a normally bustling junction.
Ambulances rushed to and fro past twisted, charred trees and a burnt out car.
"I was among the first people to arrive here moments after the explosion. I looked around and reassured those who were still alive," said witness Halma Abdi.
Britain condemned the attack and France reasserted its support for the country's U.N.-backed transitional government.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was appalled by the vicious attack.
"It is very difficult to prevent these types of terrorist attacks which we have consistently warned are likely to be on the increase," the U.N. special envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said.
The government said no senior officials were hurt in the attack on the ministry buildings.
BURNS AND FRACTURES
Al Shabaab insurgents pulled most of their fighters out of Mogadishu in August allowing government troops and African Union soldiers to seize much of the capital. But the rebels vowed to still carry out attacks on government installations.
"AMISOM still considers al Shabaab as a terrible group and will work with other partners to stop their horrible attacks on civilians," the AU force spokesman Paddy Ankunda said.
The blast flattened kiosks near the compound and a charred body lay near a blazing car. Debris from the explosion landed hundreds of metres away.
Scores of people with burns walked to a nearby hospital and police were trying to evacuate more students trapped inside the damaged buildings. Doctors said they were shocked by the number of casualties, in a city that has endured years of violence.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said more than 90 people, including five women and nine children, had been admitted to the Madina Hospital, many with burns and fractures.
Some analysts said they were worried the blast might prompt international agencies helping famine victims in Somalia to pull out, leaving operations in the hands of local organisations prone to corruption or theft by militias.
"Most humanitarian agencies were complaining about a lack of security and this might put off international agencies from going anywhere near Mogadishu now," said Hamza Mohamed, a London-based Somali analyst. "This is my worst fear now."
President Ahmed said al Shabaab could not have "attacked the Somali people at a worst time", as the country struggles with the worst drought to hit the country in decades, but vowed to hit back at the rebels.
"They cannot attack our resolve and will not turn us away from a future in our own safety and security, united in peace and prosperity," he said in a statement.
SUICIDE BOMBERS
When al Shabaab fighters pulled out of Mogadishu in August, analysts warned the conflict was far from won and a shift in the insurgents' tactics could herald a wave of al Qaeda-style attacks.
Others analysts said the attack was a stark reminder the group still poses a threat to Somalia, and other countries in the region. Al Shabaab killed 79 people watching the soccer World Cup final in Uganda last year.
Analysts also said the blast underscored the government's failure to take advantage of the August withdrawal.
"The fact al Shabaab has reoccupied at least three of the districts it abandoned at the time and is apparently able to operate freely in others to the extent of pulling off the bombing is an indictment of the regime's failure to capitalise on the opportunity, which was handed to it on a silver platter," said J. Peter Pham, Africa director with U.S. think-tank the Atlantic Council.
Al Shabaab has used suicide bombers to devastating effect in past attacks on African Union compounds, government buildings and a medical graduation ceremony.
A suicide bomber killed three government ministers in the December 2009 attack on the graduation ceremony in Mogadishu and a fourth minister died from his wounds two months later. A female suicide bomber killed the interior minister in June.
Al Shabaab is fighting to oust the U.N.-backed transition government that it sees as a puppet of the West and wants to impose its own harsh version of sharia law throughout Somalia.
The militants still hold sway over large chunks of southern and central Somalia, which is also in the grip of a famine. Al Shabaab had appeared to be on the back foot and there were reports of internal rifts and funding problems.
However, al Shabaab has renewed its attacks on government troops and militia near the Kenyan border in the past few weeks and the Kenyan government has also blamed the militants for the kidnapping of two Western tourists from its beach resorts.
The attack also comes at a time the government has just embarked on a 12-month political road map which is supposed to lead to elections for a new parliament and president by Aug. 20 next year. (Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed in Mogadishu; Yara Bayoumy and David Clarke in Nairobi; Writing by David Clarke)
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Oct 4 (Reuters) - A truck bomb killed at least 65 people outside government buildings in the heart of Somalia's capital on Tuesday, an ambulance worker said, and al Shabaab insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.
The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels had threatened to carry out attacks on government installations after pulling most of their fighters out of Mogadishu in early August.
Here are some details on attacks on government members:
June 2009 - A suicide bombing killed Somalia's security minister and at least 30 other people in a hotel in Baladwayne on June 18.
Dec. 2009 - A suicide bomber killed three government ministers and 19 others on Dec. 3 in an attack on the graduation ceremony at Mogadishu's Shamo Hotel. In February 2010 the sports minister died from his wounds in the attack.
Feb. 2010 - Somalia's state minister for defence, Sheikh Yusuf Mohammad Siad, a former warlord also known as "Inda'ade" or "white eyes", survived a suicide car bomb attack in Mogadishu on Feb. 15.
Aug. 2010 - Insurgents in army uniforms stormed a hotel in Mogadishu frequented by Somali government officials on Aug. 24, killing at least 31 people. The dead included six legislators and five government security personnel.
Sept. 2010 - A suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Sept. 20, wounding two soldiers. The attacker was identified as a former interior ministry security guard who had defected to al Shabaab.
June 2011 - Al Shabaab rebels said they were behind the killing of Interior Minister Abdi Shakur Sheikh Hassan on June 10, after they planted a bomb under his bed at his house in the capital Mogadishu. Abdi Shaur, the minister's driver, had said he believed the minister was killed by a female suicide bomber, thought to be his cousin.
July 2011 - Somalia's new minister for women was snatched by Islamist rebels 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital almost immediately after her appointment was announced, a relative said.
-- Asha Osman Aqil was grabbed in an area controlled by al Shabaab militants after the country's fragile government announced its new cabinet. She was released hours later. (Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)
==============
Somali's al Shabaab kills 70 in Mogadishu bomb
04 Oct 2011 19:45
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Internally displaced children play on top of a tree near a settlement in Taleh neighborhood, Hodon district south of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, September 6,2011.
* Truck exploded at gate of government compound
* Al Shabaab claims responsibility
* Militant group warns of more attacks (Adds U.N., government statement on toll)
By Abdi Sheikh and Mohamed Ahmed
MOGADISHU, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Somalia's al Qaeda-linked rebels struck at the heart of the capital on Tuesday, killing more than 70 people with a truck bomb in the group's most deadly attack in the country since launching an insurgency in 2007.
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed denounced the blast, which caused the most casualties among young students waiting for exam results at the education ministry, as a "cruel and inhumane act of violence". Another 150 people were wounded.
The African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM) said a truck laden with drums of fuel rammed a checkpoint outside a compound housing government ministries in the K4 (Kilometre 4) area of Mogadishu, where students had gathered to register for scholarships offered by Turkey.
Hundreds of parents stood weeping outside the Madina Hospital in Mogadishu after being denied access for security reasons and nurses said they were overwhelmed.
The al Shabaab insurgents who carried out the attack later warned Somalis to stay away from government buildings and military bases. "More serious blasts are coming," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told reporters.
The twisted axle from the exploded truck lay on blackened soil. A body draped with a red shawl lay nearby. People used corrugated iron, rugs and white sheeting to carry corpses away from the devastation at a normally bustling junction.
Ambulances rushed to and fro past twisted, charred trees and a burnt out car.
"I was among the first people to arrive here moments after the explosion. I looked around and reassured those who were still alive," said witness Halma Abdi.
Britain condemned the attack and France reasserted its support for the country's U.N.-backed transitional government.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was appalled by the vicious attack.
"It is very difficult to prevent these types of terrorist attacks which we have consistently warned are likely to be on the increase," the U.N. special envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said.
The government said no senior officials were hurt in the attack on the ministry buildings.
BURNS AND FRACTURES
Al Shabaab insurgents pulled most of their fighters out of Mogadishu in August allowing government troops and African Union soldiers to seize much of the capital. But the rebels vowed to still carry out attacks on government installations.
"AMISOM still considers al Shabaab as a terrible group and will work with other partners to stop their horrible attacks on civilians," the AU force spokesman Paddy Ankunda said.
The blast flattened kiosks near the compound and a charred body lay near a blazing car. Debris from the explosion landed hundreds of metres away.
Scores of people with burns walked to a nearby hospital and police were trying to evacuate more students trapped inside the damaged buildings. Doctors said they were shocked by the number of casualties, in a city that has endured years of violence.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said more than 90 people, including five women and nine children, had been admitted to the Madina Hospital, many with burns and fractures.
Some analysts said they were worried the blast might prompt international agencies helping famine victims in Somalia to pull out, leaving operations in the hands of local organisations prone to corruption or theft by militias.
"Most humanitarian agencies were complaining about a lack of security and this might put off international agencies from going anywhere near Mogadishu now," said Hamza Mohamed, a London-based Somali analyst. "This is my worst fear now."
President Ahmed said al Shabaab could not have "attacked the Somali people at a worst time", as the country struggles with the worst drought to hit the country in decades, but vowed to hit back at the rebels.
"They cannot attack our resolve and will not turn us away from a future in our own safety and security, united in peace and prosperity," he said in a statement.
SUICIDE BOMBERS
When al Shabaab fighters pulled out of Mogadishu in August, analysts warned the conflict was far from won and a shift in the insurgents' tactics could herald a wave of al Qaeda-style attacks.
Others analysts said the attack was a stark reminder the group still poses a threat to Somalia, and other countries in the region. Al Shabaab killed 79 people watching the soccer World Cup final in Uganda last year.
Analysts also said the blast underscored the government's failure to take advantage of the August withdrawal.
"The fact al Shabaab has reoccupied at least three of the districts it abandoned at the time and is apparently able to operate freely in others to the extent of pulling off the bombing is an indictment of the regime's failure to capitalise on the opportunity, which was handed to it on a silver platter," said J. Peter Pham, Africa director with U.S. think-tank the Atlantic Council.
Al Shabaab has used suicide bombers to devastating effect in past attacks on African Union compounds, government buildings and a medical graduation ceremony.
A suicide bomber killed three government ministers in the December 2009 attack on the graduation ceremony in Mogadishu and a fourth minister died from his wounds two months later. A female suicide bomber killed the interior minister in June.
Al Shabaab is fighting to oust the U.N.-backed transition government that it sees as a puppet of the West and wants to impose its own harsh version of sharia law throughout Somalia.
The militants still hold sway over large chunks of southern and central Somalia, which is also in the grip of a famine. Al Shabaab had appeared to be on the back foot and there were reports of internal rifts and funding problems.
However, al Shabaab has renewed its attacks on government troops and militia near the Kenyan border in the past few weeks and the Kenyan government has also blamed the militants for the kidnapping of two Western tourists from its beach resorts.
The attack also comes at a time the government has just embarked on a 12-month political road map which is supposed to lead to elections for a new parliament and president by Aug. 20 next year. (Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed in Mogadishu; Yara Bayoumy and David Clarke in Nairobi; Writing by David Clarke)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
