Brotherhood leaders leave Qatar for Libya: Report

GCC panel preparing plan to be implemented by Doha before envoys are reinstated Gulf News Report Published: 16:05 April 25, 2014 Dubai: Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood leaders reportedly deported by Qatar have arrived in Libya, a London-based daily said. The leaders have landed at Maeetiqiya international airport in the Libyan capital over three days, Libyan political, military and security sources told Al Arab newspaper. They were ferried away to unidentified places in cars waiting at the airport located around 11km west of Tripoli and dominated by an armed Islamist group, the sources added. According to the daily, Qatar has been looking for a country that would host the senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood following intense pressure by fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — to change its policy of supporting the movement. The three countries on March 5 pulled out their ambassadors from Doha to protest against what was seen as Qatar’s meddling in their domestic affairs and its backing of the Islamist movement rejected by some GCC countries as an illegal organisation. The three countries insisted their ambassadors would not be reinstated until Qatar complied fully with an agreement it signed on April 17 in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Although the details of the accord have not been made public, reports citing “well-informed sources” said that the three countries wanted Qatar’s alignment with GCC common policies and the deportation of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders from Qatar who should be denied access to all Qatari or Qatar-supported media. Other conditions included deporting around Qatar-based 15 Gulf nationals whose activities have been considered suspicious. The agreement was signed in Riyadh following an intense mediation by the Emir of Kuwait that has been richly acknowledged. Kuwait and Oman, the other two GCC members, did not recall their ambassadors from Doha. In separate statements, the foreign ministers of Oman and Qatar have said that the divergences between Qatar and the three other GCC countries that constituted the most serious political crisis within the alliance since it was founded in 1981 were over. Khalid Al Atiyyah, the Qatari minister, said last week that the “divergences in opinions are over and it is up to the countries to decide on sending their ambassadors back to Doha.” However, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister, on Wednesday said that the reinstatement of the ambassadors was linked to Qatar’s commitment to the implementation of the Riyadh agreement. “The GCC foreign ministers meeting in Riyadh on April 17 was the start of a process for the direct application of the agreement, so results will not be immediate,” he said. “We have drawn up reconciliation measures and an action plan that is being fine-tuned right now in Riyadh. The timeline will be linked to the progress of the process,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a GCC security conference in Bahrain. A GCC Executive Committee is holding meetings in the Saudi capital to prepare the points that will help with the implementation of the Riyadh agreement, Al Arab said. Quoting diplomatic sources, the daily said that the points would be reviewed by the GCC foreign ministers before they are implemented by Qatar. The committee would then monitor the application process with a three-month deadline, it added. Some of the points include deportation of Muslim Brotherhood leading figures to their home countries and reviewing the policies of the Doha-based pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera. The three countries also want Qatar not to allow religious preachers to use mosques or media to attack other GCC countries and to cancel all forums by organisations seen by the GCC as having links with terrorism. They also insist that Qatar must shut down research centres directed by Saudi nationals who had been given the Qatari citizenship.

GREEK-LED GROUP SIGNS 3.2 BLN EUR CONSTRUCTION DEAL IN QATAR

Greece's biggest construction group Ellaktor said on Thursday it signed a 3.2 billion euro ($4.4 billion) contract to build a subway line in Qatar. Greek-led group signs 3.2 bln eur construction deal in Qatar Thu, Apr 24 12:20 PM EDT * Ellaktor leads Alysj joint venture in Qatar deal * Joint venture to build subway line in Doha * Greece's biggest builder expands abroad to offset local slump ATHENS, April 24 (Reuters) - Greece's biggest construction group Ellaktor said on Thursday it signed a 3.2 billion euro ($4.4 billion) contract to build a subway line in Qatar. Ellaktor, which has been expanding its foreign business to cope with an economic crisis at home, said in an Athens bourse filing it owned a 32 percent stake in joint venture Alysj, which won the "Gold Line Underground" project in Qatar's capital city of Doha. Construction of the 32-kilometre long tube is expected to be completed in 2018, Ellaktor said, boosting the company's construction backlog of currently 3 billion euros. The firm did not reveal its joint venture partners in the Qatar project. Foreign operations, mainly in the Balkans and the Middle East, account for about a third of the company's backlog. Once a major driver of the Greek economy, construction has slumped by more than 75 percent due to austerity policies imposed on bailed-out Greece by its international lenders. But the prospects of Greece's construction industry are improving after public finances stabilised and the country returned to bond markets earlier this month. Titan, the country's biggest cement maker, said it expected demand for cement to grow this year for the first time since 2006, on the back of public investment. Ellaktor is participating in a 7.6 billion euro toll road project that Greece unfroze in recent months. ($1 = 0.7231 Euros) (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Harry Papachristou and Elaine Hardcastle) ============= Qatar Rail sees delivery of first tunnel boring machine By: Shabina S. Khatri | 1 hour agoView as "Clean Read" | 2 Comments 284 SHARES EmailUPrint Qatar Rail The first of 21 massive tunnel boring machines (TBM) to be used to dig parts of the Doha Metro has arrived in Qatar. The TBM, named “Lebethra,” was made in Germany and will be put to work on the Red Line North, along with three other soon-to-arrive machines named Al Khor, Al Mayeda and Al Bidda. QRail Some 10 stations are expected to be completed for the Red Line North and eight stations for the Red Line South in the first phase of construction. It and parts of the Gold and Green lines will open to passenger traffic in 2019. How it works The TBMS will be used to cut circular holes in the ground beneath Doha for all the lines. Previously, Qatar Rail officials said all 21 machines would be working by 2015, adding that residents may feel “minor vibrations” during work. In a statement, the company said: “TBM Lebretha will travel a distance of approx. 7.954 km and will take approx. 22 months to complete – between Q3 2014 to Q2 2016). The average speed will be between 14m/day to 21 m/day, depending on ground conditions. And its daily excavation quantity will be approx. 680m³, with a predicted total excavation quantity of 5,408,720m³. Each of the TBMs for the Doha Metro measure 7.05m in diameter and 120m in length, therefore to ensure transportation was successfully managed, TBM Lebretha was dismantled into 22 sections which were easier to transport including the cutter head.” Lebethra is currently in the process of being reassembled after journeying to Qatar and is supposed to become operational in the third quarter of this year. It will work at the launch site of Al Wahda, next to the Qatar Exhibition Center. In addition to the four TBMs that will be used on the Red Line North, Qatar Rail explained in a statement the distribution of the other machines for the first phase of the project: •Red Line South will receive 5 TBMs; •Green Line will receive 6 TBMs; and •Gold Line will receive 6 TBMs. Thoughts? ================ Announcement of Important Fact ELLAKTOR informs the Investment Community that its subsidiary AKTOR, as the leader of ALYSJ JV, with percentage of 32%, signed the contract for the design and construction of the project “Gold Line Underground” in Doha, Qatar. The project forms part of Qatar Integrated Rail Project and the Gold Line is by far the largest singular construction package of the Doha Metro. The value of the contract is Euro 3.2bn including an option for the client of Euro 770m. The route of the Gold Line traverses Doha, Capital of the State of Qatar, from East to West. Key figures include: - Total of 32km bore tunnelling with diameter of 6 metres - Tunnelling lined with approximately 128,000 segments - 6 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) utilised simultaneously - 13 underground stations fitted out with high-end finishes and state of the art MEP systems - 2.5 million m3 of excavation for the stations - 1 million m3 of concreting - Project includes traffic and utility diversions. The project duration is 54 months and is due to be completed August of 2018. This project reinforces Aktor’s presence in Qatar and the Middle East as well as the strategic positioning as a leading international contractor. Kifissia, 24/4/2014 ==========================

Five dead in British military helicopter crash in Afghanistan

Sat, Apr 26 10:17 AM EDT KABUL (Reuters) - Five service members were killed when a British helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO-led coalition forces and the British Ministry of Defense said. An Afghan official said the helicopter carrying soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had crashed due to technical problems. "ISAF is still in the process of reviewing the circumstances to determine more facts," ISAF said. It did not provide details of their nationalities. A spokesman for Kandahar Governor Tooryalai Wesa confirmed the crash occurred near Kandahar City. "Today at 11 am (0630 GMT) an ISAF helicopter crashed due to technical problems in Takhteh Pol district. As a result five ISAF soldiers were killed," spokesman Dawakhan Minapal said. In London, the Ministry of Defense said the helicopter was British but did not elaborate on the nationalities of the dead. "We can confirm that a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today," the ministry said in a statement. "The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until families have been notified." Foreign forces casualties have fallen in the past few months, as U.S.-led forces start to wind down operations ahead of a year-end deadline to leave Afghanistan. The United States has been at odds with President Hamid Karzai who has refused U.S. entreaties to sign a bilateral security agreement that would permit about 8,000 U.S. troops to remain in the country after the formal U.S. withdrawal at the end of the year. The leading contenders to replace Karzai have, however, said they will sign the agreement to allow the small contingent of U.S. forces to stay in the country for counter-terrorism and Afghan training purposes. Since the start of the year, nearly twice as many foreign civilians have been killed in attacks this year compared to foreign troops. At least 24 foreign civilians, including doctors and journalists, have been shot or killed in bomb attacks. (Reporting by Jeremy Laurence; Additional reporting by Ismail Sameem in Kandahar and Stephen Addison in London; Editing by Kim Coghill and Raissa Kasolowsky)

85 Killed, 108 Wounded Across Iraq As Political Rally Attacked

by Margaret Griffis, April 25, 2014 Print This | Share This The Pentagon has sent a team to Iraq to assess the situation in Iraq. The U.S. military appears keen to help Iraq counter the Sunni extremists. Today, at least 85 Iraqis were killed and 108 more were wounded. Many of them were killed at a political rally in Baghdad. Elections take place next week, except in Anbar where the situation is too volatile. In Anbar: Clashes broke out in Ramadi, but the number of casualties is unknown. Mortars and Katyusha rockets struck an army base. A clash left four soldiers dead and two wounded; nine militants were also killed. In Falluja, six militants were killed and six more were wounded in artillery fire. Four civilians were wounded in a shelling attack. Shelling continued later. At least 18 more militants were killed. A roadside bomb wounded a council member in Rutba. Three gunmen were killed near Qaim. Elsewhere: In Baghdad, three bombs killed 33 people at a political rally held by the Shi’ite militant group Asaib Ahl al-Haq in the Industrial Stadium. At least one suicide bomber was involved, and 90 other spectators were wounded. Also, guards fired their guns in the air after the attack. A militant-linked website claimed the attack was in revenge for killing and displacing Sunnis. It did not help to have one speaker tying some Sunni politicians to terrorism. The group has also sent fighters to support Assad in Syria and is apparently planning to do the same in Anbar province. In Basra, a senior Sunni politician was killed in what may have been a revenge attack. A police major and three bodyguards were shot dead at a polling station in al-Hay. A bomb in Dibis wounded two soldiers. A suicide bomber managed to only kill himself. A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded another in Hamrin. Gunmen attack the home of a senior judge in Zab, where they wounded him. Four militants were killed and one more was wounded in a clash in Teli Ttasah. ============= Revenge Killings in Baghdad Raise Casualties to 69 Killed, 37 Wounded by Margaret Griffis, April 26, 2014 Print This | Share This Attacks against provincial councilmen and polling centers continued. Today, a councilman from Salah ad Din province was targeted and killed. A number of dumped bodies were found in Baghdad. Some of the attack may have been in revenge for an attack on a political rally yesterday. At least 69 people were killed and 37 more were wounded. In Anbar: Near Falluja, a clash at a checkpoint left two soldiers and six gunmen dead; another two soldiers were wounded. A militant commander and four aides were killed in a security operation. Clashes took place in Ramadi but the death toll is unknown. Six militants were killed during an attack in a policeman’s home. Several polling station were blown-up around the province, including a private one in Qaim. Elsewhere: In Baghdad, a bombing left four dead and at least 11 more wounded at a Nasser neighborhood restaurant. A bomb in Saidiya killed one policeman and wounded five people. Two civilians were shot dead and three more were wounded in Amil. Gunmen killed two more elsewhere. A policeman was killed in a Shura bombing. A dumped body was found in Shoala, but at least eight more bodies were discovered in other neighborhoods. Three more deaths were attributed to yesterday’s massacre at a political rally. Extra security forces were deployed to the international Green Zone ahead of elections. Gunmen in Samarra attacked a Salah ad Din provincial councilman. He and two guards were killed, while his son was wounded. Four soldiers were killed during an attack on a Mazraa checkpoint. A roadside bomb killed four people and wounded one more in Dour. Three policemen were killed and two more were wounded when militants blew up polling stations in Saniya and Baiji. A bomb in al-Hajaj killed two soldiers and wounded three more. In Imam Weis, a bomb killed one civilian and wounded two more. A sheikh was killed in a roadside explosion in the Muror village. Three people were wounded in a small arms attack on a polling station in Kirkuk. In Baghdad, two civilians were wounded by a blast. A bomb in Arab Jabour wounded two soldiers. Ten ISIS/DAASH militants were killed in Tal al-Zalat. =============== تبصرے صفحہ شیئر کریں صفحہ پرنٹ کریں دوستوں کو بھیجئے عرب لیگ کے بنیادی ایجنڈے میں عرب اقوام کا معیار زندگی بلند کرنے کا نکتہ شامل ہونے کے باوجود تنظیم کے ایجنڈے پرسیاسی معاملات ہمیشہ چھائے رہے ،فوٹو: فائل خلیج، مشرق وسطیٰ اور افریقا کی مکمل آزاد اور نیم خود مختار عرب ریاستوں کی مجموعی تعداد تیس کے قریب ہے ، لیکن ان میں سے 22 ممالک سعودی عرب، بحرین، مصر ، کویت، جزائر القمر، اردن، عراق، یمن، جیبوتی، لبنان، لیبیا، موریتانیہ،مراکش، اومان ، قطر، سومالیہ، سوڈان، فلسطین، شام، تیونس اور متحدہ عرب امارات لیگ کے رُکن ہیں۔ البتہ شام میں جاری موجودہ خانہ جنگی کے باعث عارضی طور پر اس کی رکنیت معطل ہے ۔ زبان، کلچر، مذہب، تہذیب وثقافت کی یکجائی کے باوجود وسائل اور معیار زندگی کے اعتبار سے ان ملکوں میں زمین آسمان کا فرق ہے۔ دولت و ثروت اور غربت وافلاس میں ان دو درجن عرب ممالک میں ایک گہری خلیج حائل ہے۔ عرب برادری میں پائے جانے والے اس منفرد تضاد میں ایک ملک کی دولت کا کوئی حساب نہیں اور دوسرے کے عوام زندگی کی سانسیں بحال رکھنے کے لیے روٹی کے ایک ایک لقمے کو ترس رہے ہیں۔ 1945ء میں جب عرب لیگ کی قاہرہ میں اساس رکھی گئی تو عرب اقوام میں غربت کا خاتمہ، وسائل کی منصفانہ تقسیم، عرب ممالک کے مابین سیاسی اور جغرافیائی تنازعات کا پرامن حل اور لیگ کے فورم کے ذریعے کسی بھی تیسری طاقت کے ساتھ مذاکرات یا طاقت کا استعمال جیسے نکات بنیادی مقاصد قرار پائے تھے۔اب عرب لیگ کی عمر70 برس ہورہی ہے۔ ان ستر برسوں میں لیگ کے مقاصد اور اہداف میں ان بنیادی نکات کے ساتھ کئی دوسرے نکات بھی شامل ہوئے لیکن عملاً یہ اتحاد کوئی بڑا معرکہ سر نہیں کرسکا ہے۔ عرب لیگ کے ہوتے ہوئے فلسطین میں یہودیوں کے لیے قومی وطن کا اعلان کیا گیا۔ اسی یونین کی موجودگی میں آٹھ سال تک عراق اور ایران ایک دوسرے کے شہریوں کا قتل عام کرتے رہے۔ عرب لیگ کے رکن ممالک کو اسرائیل نے تین جنگوں میں شکست دی۔ سنہ 2011ء میں عرب ریاستوں میں انقلاب کی تحریک اٹھی تو لیگ تماشا دیکھتی رہ گئی۔ لیبیا میں کرنل معمرقذافی نے عوام پر طاقت کا استعمال کیا تو نیٹو کو مداخلت کرنا پڑی۔ شام میں خونی تحریک چوتھے سال میں داخل ہوچکی اور اب تک ڈیڑھ لاکھ افراد لقمہ اجل بن چکے ہیں لیکن عرب لیگ کے رہنمائوں کی نشست وبرخاست کوئی رنگ نہیں دکھا سکی۔ یوں دفاعی اور تزویراتی اعتبار سے بھی یہ اتحاد بدترین ناکامی سے دوچار ہوا۔ اس لیے یہ تنظیم عربوں کی قوت میں اضافے کا موجب بننے کے بجائے مفاداتی گروپوں کے بلاکس میں بٹی اور بڑے عرب ملکوں کے بوجھ تلے دب کررہ گئی۔ العربیہ ڈاٹ نیٹ کی ایک رپورٹ کے مطابق عرب لیگ کے بنیادی ایجنڈے میں عرب اقوام کا معیار زندگی بلند کرنے کا نکتہ شامل ہونے کے باوجود تنظیم کے ایجنڈے پرسیاسی معاملات ہمیشہ چھائے رہے ، اس لیے لیگ اپنے رُکن ممالک میں غربت و افلاس اور بھوک وننگ کی خلیج نہیں پاٹ سکی ہے۔ لیگ کے رُکن ممالک میں ایک طرف سعودی عرب، متحدہ عرب امارات، کویت، بحرین، اومان، قطر اور لیبیا جیسے قدرتی تیل، گیس اور معدنیات کی دولت سے مالا مال ملک ہیں۔ وہاں پر صومالیہ، سوڈان،یمن، عراق اور موریتانیہ جیسے ممالک میں بسنے والے کروڑوں لوگوں کو دو وقت کی روٹی بھی میسر نہیں۔ سعود ی عرب فی کس سالانہ آمدن 25ہزار ڈالر، کل جی ڈی پی 09 کھرب ، 27 ارب ، 76 کروڑ ڈالر۔ بحرین 28 ہزار 691 ڈالر، کویت ایک لاکھ19 ہزار ایک سو ایک ڈالر، مراکش3260 ڈالر، متحدہ عرب امارات ایک لاکھ چھبیس ہزار سات سو ڈالر، سلطنت اومان24 ہزار 700 ڈالر، قطر ایک لاکھ 53 ہزار اور لیبیا18ہزار 130 ڈالر فی کس آمدنی کے اعتبار سے سر فہرست ممالک ہیں۔ ان میں کویت، سعودی عرب، قطر، اور دیگر خلیجی ریاستیں بے پناہ قدرتی وسائل کی مالک ہیں۔ یہاں کے لوگوں کی امارت اور دولت و ثروت کا اندازہ لگانے کے لیے’’گلف نیوز‘‘ کی ایک رپورٹ کے اعدادو شمار ملاحظہ کیجئے۔رپورٹ میں بتایا گیا ہے کہ اگر صرف کویت، قطر اور سعودی عرب اپنی مجموعی دولت کا 10 فی صد خیرات کردیں تو افریقا کے صومالیہ جیسے چھ غریب ملکوں کی آٹھ کروڑ آبادی کو تیس سال تک خوراک فراہم کی جا سکتی ہے۔ امریکی بزنس جریدے’’فوربز‘‘ کی رپورٹ کے مطابق فی خاندان دولت کے اعتبار سے سعودی عرب خلیجی ممالک میں پہلے نمبر پر ہے۔ ’’سوئس کریڈٹ ریسرچ انسٹیٹیوٹ‘‘ کی رپورٹ کے مطابق پوری دنیا کی فی کنبہ دولت 241 ٹریلین ڈالر سے زیادہ ہے۔ جبکہ سعودی عرب کا اس میں حصہ چھ کھرب ڈالر ہے۔ جو کسی بھی دوسرے عرب ملک کی فی خاندان دولت کے اعتبار سے سب سے زیادہ ہے۔ اگر اس خطیر رقم کا عشر عشیربھی غریب ملکوں کے عوام کو دے دیا جائے تو ان کی زندگیاں بدل سکتی ہیں۔ فی کس دولت کے اعتبار سے قطر عرب ممالک میں پہلے نمبر پرہے ۔2013ء کے دوران قطر میں فی کس آمد ن سالانہ ایک لاکھ 53 ہزار 294 ڈالر بتائی گئی۔ فی کس دو لت کے اعتبار سے متحدہ عرب امارات ایک لاکھ26 ہزار 791 ڈالر کے ساتھ دوسرے اور کویت ایک لاکھ 19 ہزار 101 ڈالر کے ساتھ تیسرے نمبر پر ہے۔ یمن دوسرا افغانستان خلیجی ممالک کی ان گنت دولت کے بیچ یمن کے ایک طرف سعودی عرب او ر دوسری جانب کویت واقع ہیں۔ دوسرے خلیجی ممالک سے بھی یمن کا فاصلہ زیادہ نہیں، لیکن آج تک یمن کو خلیج کارپوریشن کونسل(جی سی سی) میں بھی شامل نہیں کیا گیا۔ ایسا کیوں ہے؟ جی سی سی کے ایک سرکردہ لیڈر کا یہ بیان توجہ کے لائق ہے کہ ’’یمن سے بہتر ہے ہم افغانستان کو کارپوریشن میں شامل کرلیں‘‘۔ یمن کے حالات افغانستان سے کافی حد تک مماثلت رکھتے ہیں۔ یمنی فوج پچھلے کئی سال سے القاعدہ اور علیحدگی پسند حوثیوں سے نبرد آزما ہے ۔ امریکا بھی ڈرون کے ذریعے القاعدہ ارکان کو نشانہ بنا رہا ہے لیکن آج بھی سعودی عرب اور یمن کے درمیان سنگلاخ پہاڑوں اور لق و دق صحراء کو القاعدہ کی محفوظ پناہ گاہیں خیال کیا جاتا ہے۔ یوں یمن کی کمزوری کی بڑی وجہ سال ہا سال سے جاری خانہ جنگی ہے۔ یمن کی دوسری کمزوری جس کے باعث اسے دوسرا افغانستان قرار دیا جاتا ہے وہ ’’قات‘‘ نامی ایک نشہ آور بوٹی ہے۔ جس طرح افغانستان میں پوست کی کاشت باقاعدہ ایک پیشہ کی حیثیت رکھتی ہے، اسی طرح یمن کی ’’قات‘‘ نامی یہ بوٹی بھی پوست کی دوسری شکل ہے۔ قات نہ صرف مقامی لوگوں میں عام استعمال کی جاتی ہے بلکہ غریب دیہاتیوں کا ذریعہ روزگار ہے۔ مقامی سطح پر اس کی زیادہ قیمت نہیں البتہ اسے منشیات کی دوسری اقسام میں ڈھال کر خطیر رقوم کے بدلے میں اسمگل کیا جاتا ہے۔دلچسپ بات یہ ہے کہ ’’قات‘‘ کا بے دریغ استعمال خود سعودی باشندے بھی کرتے ہیں اور یہ بوٹی انہیں صرف یمن سے ملتی ہے۔ یمن کے صحراء میں تیل اور گیس کے بھی وسیع ذخائر موجود ہیں مگر ملک کے پاس اتنے وسائل نہیں کہ وہ سعودی عرب اور کویت کی طرح انہیں اپنے استعمال میں لاسکے۔ایک رپورٹ کے مطابق یمن کی 40 فی صد آبادی خط غربت سے نیچے زندگی بسر کر رہی ہے۔ یمن کی یہ غربت خلیجی ممالک کی دولت و ثروت کا منہ چڑا رہی ہے مگرمجال ہے کہ انہیں اپنے پڑوسی کا کچھ بھی خیال ہو۔ دولت علم سے دوری اور شہ خرچیوں کا موجب مثل مشہور ہے کہ ’’علم بھوک سے حاصل ہوتا ہے لوگ اسے سیری میں تلاش کرتے ہیں بھلا کیسے پائیں گے‘‘۔بے پناہ دولت کے مالک عربوں نے اس ضرب المثل کو سچ کردکھایا۔ ان کی دولت سیر سپاٹوں اور عیاشیوں پرصرف ہورہی ہے۔یہ کوئی جذباتی تخیل نہیں بلکہ اقوام متحدہ جیسے مستند ادارے کے اعدادو شمار ہیں۔ اقوام متحدہ کے ادارہ برائے سائنس و ثقافت’’یونیسکو‘‘ کی حال ہی میں سامنے آنے والی رپورٹ میں بتایا گیا ہے کہ بہ کثرت دولت کے باوجود عرب ملکوں کے 43 فی صد بچے نا خواندہ ہیں۔’’تعلیم سب کے لیے‘‘ کے زیرعنوان اقوام متحدہ نے پوری دنیا میں شرح خواندگی کا ایک جائزہ پیش کیا ہے۔ رپورٹ کے مطابق دنیا بھر میں ایک ارب کے قریب بچے بنیادی تعلیمی سہولیات سے محروم ہیں ان میں پانچ کروڑ بچے عرب ممالک کے بھی شامل ہیں ۔ ان میں یمن کا نام پھر سرفہرست ہے کیونکہ یمن میں صرف 36 فی صد بچوں کو بنیادی تعلیم کی سہولیات میسر ہیں اور باقی نور علم سے یکسر محروم۔ یمن میں جس رفتار سے تعلیمی سہولیات کا نیٹ ورک پھیل رہا ہے اگر اس میں اضافہ نہ ہوا تو سو فی صد شرح خواندگی میں 58 سال کا عرصہ لگ سکتا ہے۔ ناخواندگی اور بچوں کی بنیادی تعلیمی سہولیات کے فقدان کے اعتبار سے نائیجیریا دوسرے نمبر پر ہے لیکن مقامِ حیرت ہے کہ دنیا بھر میں شرح خواندگی کے اعتبار سے پاکستان کی حالت نائجیریا سے بھی بدتر ہے کیونکہ بچوں میں شرح خواندگی اور بنیادی تعلیمی سہولیات کے فقدان کی فہرست میں پاکستان دنیا کا دوسرا بڑا ملک قرار پایا ہے۔ یونیسکو کی رپورٹ کے مطابق مجموعی طورپر عرب ممالک 129 ارب ڈالر کی رقم تعلیم پرصرف کرتے ہیں لیکن اس کا نتیجہ صفر ہے۔ اس کی بنیادی وجہ حکومتوں کے اللے تللے ہیں۔ تعلیم کے لیے بجٹ منظور کر لیا جاتا ہے مگر اسے صرف کرتے ہوئے نہایت بخل سے کام لیا جاتا ہے۔ اربا ب اختیا ر بچوں کی تعلیم کا بجٹ اپنے عالمی دوروں اورعیش و عشرت پر صرف کردیتے ہیں، جس کے نتیجے میں ناخواندگی کی شرح مسلسل بڑھ رہی ہے۔ جس رفتار سے عرب ممالک میں شرح خواندگی بڑھ رہی ہے اگر رفتار وہی رہی تو اسے سو فی صد تک لانے میں 70 سال کا عرصہ درکار ہوگا ۔ یہ ان عرب ملکوں کی حالت ہے جو دولت و ثرولت کے ڈھیر پر پلتے ہیں جنہیں خود بھی اپنی دولت کا اندازہ نہیں۔ رہے افریقا کے غریب عرب ممالک تو ان کے پاس تعلیم کے لیے بجٹ بچتا ہی نہیں ہے۔ صومالیہ جیسے شورش زدہ ملکوں میں جتنی کچھ تعلیمی سرگرمیاں ہو رہی ہیں وہ غیرملکی این جی اوز کے تحت ہیں۔ سرکاری سکولوں کا معیا ر اس قدر پست ہے کہ تیس تیس مربع کلو میٹر کے علاقوں میں صرف ایک مڈل اسکول بھی دستیاب نہیں ہے۔ تعلیم کا یہ معیار اور دوسری طرف عربوں کی شہ خرچیاں دیکھ کریہ اندازہ لگانا مشکل ہے کہ ان کے ہاں بچوں کی بنیادی تعلیمی سہولیات کا فقدان ہے۔رپورٹ میں بتایا گیا ہے کہ خلیجی ممالک کے 70 فی صد لوگ بیرون ملک سیرو سیاحت پر جاتے ہیں اور سالانہ تین کھر ب ڈالر کی رقم عیاشیوں پر اڑاتے ہیں۔ان میں سعودی عرب، متحدہ عرب امارات، قطر، بحرین کویت او ر اومان سر فہرست ہیں۔ بات صرف شہ خرچیوں تک محدود نہیں بلکہ اس سے بھی ایک خوفناک شکل خوراک کا ضیاع ہے۔ اس ضمن میں اسرائیل کے عبرانی میگزین’’ہارٹز‘‘ کی رپورٹ میں ہوش ربا اعدادو شمار بیان کیے گئے ہیں۔ رپورٹ میں بتایا گیا ہے کہ خلیج کے امیر ممالک سالانہ چار ملین ٹن خوراک ضائع کرتے ہیں جبکہ خود اسرائیل میں سالانہ نصف خوراک ضائع کردی جاتی ہے۔ گو کہ رپورٹ میں پوری دنیا میں خوراک کے ضیاع کے خوفناک اعدادو شمار بیان کیے گئے ہیں مگر عرب ممالک کے بارے میں بیان کردہ حقائق ناقابل یقین ہیں۔ رپورٹ میں بتایا گیا ہے کہ سعودی عرب متحدہ عرب امارات، مصراور لیبیا میں ضائع کی جانے والی سالانہ خوراک اگر مستحق لوگوں تک پہنچائی جائے توتین کروڑ لوگوں کی ایک سال کی خوراک کی ضروریات پوری کی جا سکتی ہیں۔ ایک طرف خوراک کے ضیاع کا یہ عالم ہے او ر دوسری جانب انہی عرب ملکوں کے بیچ ایسے خطے بھی موجود ہیں جہاں لوگ مردار کھا کر پیٹ بھرتے ہیں۔ اس باب میں تازہ ترین خطہ شام کا ہے جہاں لاکھوں لوگ پچھلے ایک سال سے خوراک سے محروم ہیں اور قحط کے نتیجے میں مرر ہے ہیں۔ شام میں خوراک کی قلت کی بنیادی وجہ وہاں پر جاری شورش ہے لیکن شام سے باہر یمن، عراق، سوڈان اور صومالیہ میں سالانہ 10 لاکھ بچے ، بوڑھے اور عورتیں علاج کے فقدان اور خوراک نہ ملنے کے باعث زندگی کی بازی ہا ر جاتے ہیں اور عرب ملکوں کے کھرب پتیوں کی دولت جیت جاتی ہے۔

Toronto police officer charged with murder of teenager after streetcar shooting returned to duty

Republish ReprintRepublish OnlineRepublish OfflineReprintJosh Visser | April 24, 2014 | Last Updated: Apr 24 9:00 AM ET More from Josh Visser | @joshvisser . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan DenetteCity of Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo leaves the court house after being granted bail as Forcillo has been charged with second degree murder from the shooting of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim in Toronto, on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.. TwitterGoogle+ LinkedIn Email CommentsMore TumblrPinterestRedditDiggFarkItStumbleUpon .James Forcillo has been placed on administrative duty The Toronto police officer who is being tried for second-degree murder for the on-duty shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim on a streetcar last summer has returned to duty. Constable James Forcillo has been on administrative duty for several weeks, Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack told CP24 Thursday morning. “He would be on a restricted duty, in an administrative function that would not have an impact on any of the operations or police investigations,” McCormack said. The decision to return Forcillo to duty after a seven-month suspension was made by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, the Toronto Sun reports. Forcillo was charged with second-degree murder last month after an SIU (the provincial organization that investigates serious incidents involving police) investigation into the shooting death of Yatim, 18. Yatim, armed with a knife, was shot eight times by Forcillo on a Toronto streetcar near a popular downtown park on July 27. Yatim was alone on the streetcar at the time, which was surrounded by about a half-dozen police officers. The evidence being heard at the preliminary inquiry for the murder trial is currently under publication ban. The incident was recorded on smartphones, outraging many in the public. McCormack said the police association encourages the force to find “meaningful work” for suspended officers. “This was an on-duty incident, Officer Forcillo was responding to a call,” he said. .

The Saudi-Brotherhood divide

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal gestures during a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Riyadh Jan. 5, 2013. (photo by REUTERS) Author: Caryle Murphy Posted April 21, 2014 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Few Saudi decisions have provoked as much mystification as the recent one designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, a move described by some Saudis in recent interviews as “weird,” “emotional” and “stupid.” Summary⎙ Print Saudi Arabia’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization has mystified many Saudis and complicated the kingdom’s regional policies. Author Caryle Murphy Posted April 21, 2014On March 7, the Interior Ministry statement formally overturned a partnership of more than half a century that despite some rocky periods had benefited both the Saudi government and the Islamist movement. The relationship’s abrupt rupture has created confusion and fear, say many Saudis. While the Brotherhood has no overt organization in the kingdom — all political parties are banned — its ideology enjoys widespread sympathy. And several generations of Saudis were raised in an educational system whose curriculum was heavily influenced by Brotherhood ideas.

“There are many people who are not in the Brotherhood but think it is an OK organization,” said a Saudi university professor who asked not to be named. “We’ve had the Brotherhood here without any terrorism for 50 years.”

The government now risks alienating this sector of the population that is generally well-educated and prominent among the staff of state, religious and media organizations. Despite sporadic demands from Brotherhood-inspired activists for political restraints on the monarchy, the sector has never openly challenged the government — and at times supported it against violent Islamists. The Saudi decision also created a new divide in the Sunni world at a time of deep tensions in the faith, as well as rising sectarian feelings pitting Sunni against Shiite. It is likely to complicate the kingdom’s relations with many other countries where Brotherhood-affiliated organizations are significant political players, such as Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Saudi rift with Qatar centers on differing views of the Brotherhood. Riyadh’s break with the Brotherhood will be another point of disagreement in already strained ties between Saudi Arabia and Washington, whose diplomats openly engage with Brotherhood-affiliated groups in many countries. So far, only Egypt, which declared the Brotherhood a terrorist group in December, and the United Arab Emirates have fully endorsed the Saudi designation. In a recent interview, Jeddah-based lawyer Bassim Alim said, “It’s going to severely backfire in the sense that throughout the Arab and Islamic world, the Muslim Brotherhood is known to be a nonviolent entity and ideology. Up to now … even the Salafi movements around the world that have been traditionally close to Saudi Arabia have rebuffed the Saudi position ​vis-a-vis the Brotherhood.” Some observers said they are concerned that with the Brotherhood off-limits, Saudi and Egyptian youths may gravitate to more militant underground groups. “It is a big, very shocking decision that I don’t think has been absorbed yet by the people in the region or the international community,” said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. “At a time when Saudi Arabia wants to be the leader of the Sunni world, I think it’s very, very damaging to their own interests. … I don’t think it was well thought out.” Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is the oldest Islamist political organization in the Muslim world and one of the most controversial. Some see it as a group of dedicated, pious Muslims promoting a nonviolent Islamic identity and worldview. Others regard it as a threatening, totalitarian-like incubator of violent Islamic militancy. Depending on one’s view of the group, the Saudi move was akin to banning Rotary International or the American Communist Party.

“The decree was really weird and strange because it’s against reality," said Salman al-Oadah, a religious leader and critic of the Saudi government’s crackdown on dissent, in an interview in Jeddah. "The Muslim Brothers are not terrorists. They don’t believe in violence.” “I have spent the last 10 years criticizing al-Qaeda continuously” for being a terrorist group, Oadah added. “But the Muslim Brotherhood … to be objective, calling it a terrorist group, it’s unjust. You can call them a political group, but I don’t think for practicing politics they can be called terrorist.”

Mohsen al-Awajy, who was active in the 1990s Saudi opposition movement Sahwa al-Islamiyya (Islamic Awakening), which was shaped by the Brotherhood’s vision of political Islam, called the Interior Ministry statement an “emotional decree." He said, "This is why I haven’t announced any reaction to that.” Seated beneath a bank of more than a dozen televisions in his Riyadh office, Awajy added, “We advised all of our brothers, all of our friends, to remain calm and not to react against this emotional action. We believe it’s not going to last for a long time.” Riyadh’s decision was partly a show of solidarity with Egypt’s military junta, which dislodged the Brotherhood-dominated government there in a coup last July. It was also meant to silence internal criticism of the government’s support for the coup. Awajy, for example, said he posted an online petition denouncing the coup — and implicitly Riyadh’s backing for it — that garnered thousands of signatures before the government forced him to remove it. The government’s terror designation also appears to have been influenced by the discovery that Sahwa networks were allegedly recruiting youths to join the Syrian rebels, said a Saudi researcher. While the Saudi government supports the Syrian rebellion, it has forbidden young Saudis from joining the rebels, some of whom are linked to al-Qaeda, fearing they will become radicalized by the experience. “The Muslim Brotherhood is sending [and] encouraging people to go to fight in Syria from Saudi Arabia and from outside,” said Saud al-Sarhan, director of research at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. “It’s the first time this group of the Sahwa goes in a very obvious way to fight in Syria and to ask people to join them,” Sarhan added, noting that some young Saudis killed fighting in Syria were from families active in the Sahwa movement. The ministry statement makes even the mildest demonstration of sympathy for the Brotherhood — as well as al-Qaeda-linked groups — a criminal offense, including the use of supportive slogans or symbols. Soon after the statement came out, many Saudis cleansed their Twitter and Facebook profiles of the four-finger image meant to show solidarity with the Brotherhood and the families of those killed by Egyptian troops in the August 2013 attack on protesters in Cairo’s Rabia al-Adawiya Square. A senior government official said in an interview that Brotherhood networks in the kingdom had “started organizing people,” but that sympathizers would not be arrested unless they “do actions.” Several Saudis said the government could not possibly arrest all Brotherhood sympathizers, but that it might use the new terror label selectively to silence critics or alleged troublemakers. In a statement from its London press office, the Brotherhood said it was “surprised” and “distressed” by the Saudi move, which “contradicts entirely with its historical relations with the Muslim Brotherhood.” It added, “History has proven that the Muslim Brotherhood has always been a pioneer when it comes to spreading correct Islamic ideologies that are free from extremism, and this is what a lot of trustworthy scholars from within Saudi Arabia have testified for.” The Brotherhood’s origins in the kingdom go back to the 1950s and 1960s when the monarchy welcomed members being persecuted by Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser and other Arab leaders. Although not permitted to formally organize, they flourished in a spiritual environment congenial to their Islamic ideology. They also found jobs in the expanding Saudi bureaucracy and raised funds for their work. However, relations between the Brotherhood and the monarchy grew increasingly tense over the years because of the Sahwa’s activities, including its opposition to US troops in the kingdom during the Gulf War. More recently, Riyadh was angered by the Brotherhood’s role in helping unseat its old ally, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and mismanaging the Egyptian economy. It also feared that the Brotherhood’s electoral victory in Egypt would inspire the Sahwa to begin agitating again for political reform. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/saudi-brotherhood-divid.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz2zbOonsdw ==================================== 28 killed in attack on Shi'ite political rally in Iraq Fri, Apr 25 18:59 PM EDT 3 of 4 By Raheem Salman BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of explosions killed 28 people and wounded more than 40 at a Shi'ite political organization's rally in Iraq on Friday, police and medical sources said. The militant group Asaib Ahl Haq (League of the Righteous) was presenting its candidates for elections on April 30 at the rally in eastern Baghdad. Three bombs exploded in succession as people were leaving, Reuters reporters at the scene said. A roadside bomb went off near the main gate, followed by a suicide car bomb after a few minutes and then a final explosion. Al Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on the Internet. The group said it had carried out the bombings in response to "murder, torture and displacement" of Sunnis by Shi'ite militias which "massacred children and women". The attack came as tensions ran high in Iraq in the runup to a national election on April 30 and as the Iraqi security forces are locked in a four-month battle with ISIL in western Anbar province. It appeared to be the work of ISIL aimed at baiting the group to strike Sunni neighborhoods or communities in hopes of provoking a full-fledged civil war. SPEECH AGAINST SUNNI RADICALS Asaib's main leader Sheik Qais Khazaali had just delivered a speech accusing some politicians of aiding terrorism and vowed his movement was ready for any action by ISIL. "To all ISIL ... we are ready. We are prepared," he said. "We are the defenders of this country. You will never reach us." He added: "If ISIL is the sickness, were are the medicine." As people started to leave the stadium, the first bomb exploded. Grey smoke rose in the air and people ran or scrambled for cover. The a white mini-van raced to the stadium's main gate and detonated, unleashing a massive ball of fire. Army and police shot in the air and a final explosion shook the ground. Asaib members commandeered cars to rush the injured to hospital. A wounded man limped away, stained in blood, while people hunted for missing friends or relatives. Asaib, which has formed its own party, al-Sadiqoon (the truth seekers), is accused by some Sunnis and Shiites of carrying out killings and driving families from their homes. Khazaali denies the allegations but says his movement defends Iraq against terrorism. Some of Asaib's members are in Syria defending the shrine of Sayyida Zainab in Damascus. Pictures of its slain fighters from Syria can be seen around Baghdad and Shi'ite cities across the south. Khazaali was an aide to Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr and led his own faction of fighters, who broke away from Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. At the height of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007, some of the worst attacks on Sunnis were blamed on Asaib. The group also carried out attacks on the U.S. military. (Reporting by Raheem Salman; Editing by Ned Parker and Andrew Roche) =====================

Fao project delays to cause massive export shut-in

Workers build the first new storage at Fao in March 2011. (ALI ABU IRAQ/Iraq Oil Report) By Ben Lando and Staff of Iraq Oil Report Published Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014As Iraq and its oil company partners spend billions of dollars to boost production capacity and exports, one key bottleneck is threatening to decimate their return on investment and shut in hundreds of millions of barrels of oil over the coming years.The coastal Fao storage depot in Basra is supposed to serve as a critical way station for crude traveling between oil fields and export terminals, storing oil and pumping it offshore to ensure continuous field production and fully maximized tan... You are here: Home » Politics » National Politics » Q&A: The Calculator IOR talks to Ali Hama Salih, Kurdistan’s popular MP, and a rising star in the opposition Gorran party. Q&A: The Calculator Ali Hama Salih, known as "The Calculator" for his public questioning of KRG finances, is now a leading politician with the Gorran Movement. (SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images) By Rawaz Tahir and Patrick Osgood of Iraq Oil Report Published Tuesday, February 18th, 2014Before he polled 139,000 votes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s Sept. 21 parliamentary elections, Ali Hama Salih was already famous.Known as “The Calculator,” he hosted shows on KNN, a local TV network aligned with the opposition party, drawing viewers with line-item breakdowns of what he alleged to be corrupt deals over land, oil and Parliamentarian benefits.Salih’s transition from firebrand journalist to opposition MP follows his Gorran Movement's progress from its foundation...