CHRISTIAN NEWS FROM RAY
A free service of Jesus Christ is Lord Ministries
News selected and edited by Ray Mossholder
Monday, January 20, 2014
KARZAI ASKS “WHAT PEACE HAS AMERICA BROUGHT US?”
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has demanded that the United States must cease military operations and airstrikes, as well as resume peace talks with the Taliban, before he signs a security deal to keep some U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond this year.
Karzai’s deepening anti-American rhetoric comes as the Taliban intensifies its assaults ahead of the planned withdrawal and after Friday’s militant raid on a popular Kabul restaurant, the deadliest single attack against foreign civilians since U.S-led operations in Afghanistan began in 2001.
Although Karzai has made similar demands in the past, he has in recent weeks ratcheted up his condemnations of alleged U.S. failures as Afghans look fearfully ahead to an uncertain future.
Karzai has repeatedly declined to sign an agreement allowing some U.S. forces to stay past the planned withdrawal. Karzai tentatively endorsed the deal after it was completed last October, but refused to sign it until after it was approved by a council of tribal elders known as the Loya Jirga in November. He says he wants his successor to decide after the April 5 presidential election.
The U.S. had wanted the deal to be signed by the end of last year because it needs time to prepare to keep thousands of U.S. troops in the country for up to a decade. NATO allies also have said they won’t stay if the Americans pull out.
The agreement aims to help train and develop Afghan forces, while also allowing for a smaller counterterrorism force to pursue Al Qaeda fighters and other groups.
Karzai’s demand to stop all military operations and airstrikes is a response to the findings of an investigation into a joint Afghan-U.S. military operation last week that resulted in civilian casualties, which Karzai blamed on the U.S. Military.
The coalition, which is carrying out its own investigation, said the government was not only aware but had requested the operation ahead of the elections because the area had fallen under Taliban control. “The resulting plan, approved through the Ministry of Defense, was a deliberate clearing operation to disrupt insurgent activity, based on intelligence obtained primarily by Afghan forces.”
The coalition said a team of more than 70 Afghan commandos with a few U.S. Special Operations Forces carried out the operation. Senior U.S. military officials said the commandos came under heavy fire almost immediately. An Afghan commando and U.S. soldier were killed.”
Afghan National Security Forces had nine U.S. advisers with them when they became trapped by withering fire from residential homes, they said.
“At that point, the ANSF and coalition advisers were unable to maneuver or withdraw without sustaining significant casualties. The combined force required defensive air support in order to suppress enemy fire from two compounds,” the coalition statement said.
Karzai also demanded Sunday that the U.S. do more to start talks with the Taliban, although an American effort to get them going through intermediaries in Qatar collapsed last summer. The Taliban have refused to talk directly with Karzai, his government or its representatives.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
IRAQ CONTINUES BEING ROCKED
BAGHDAD – Iraqi government forces and allied tribal militias launched an all-out offensive Sunday to push Al Qaeda militants from a provincial capital, an assault that killed or wounded some 20 police officers and government-allied tribesmen, officials said.
Since late December, members of Iraq’s Al Qaeda branch — known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — have taken over parts of Ramadi, the capital of the largely Sunni western province of Anbar. They also control the center of the nearby city of Fallujah, along with other non-Al Qaeda groups that also oppose the Shiite-led government.
Hours after the offensive was announced, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, “Our battle is firstly to beat and eliminate terrorism, though we welcome any solution, any proposal and any political meeting that should realize the priority of destroying terrorism, Al Qaeda, its formations and its allies.”
Elsewhere Sunday, gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint run by an anti-Al Qaeda, pro-government Sunni tribal militia outside the former Al Qaeda stronghold of Baqouba which is about 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the capital,
Baghdad. They killed the local leader and four assistants.
The Sunni militia, known as the Awakening Council, was formed by U.S. forces during the height of the insurgency. They are seen as traitors by Al Qaeda’s local branch and other militant groups.
Violence has escalated in Iraq over the past year, particularly since late last month after authorities dismantled an anti-government Sunni protest camp and arrested a Sunni lawmaker on terrorism charges. To alleviate the tension, the army pulled back from Fallujah and Ramadi, but that allowed Al Qaeda militants to seize control.
Last year, without the presence of American military, Iraq saw its highest annual death toll since the worst of the country’s sectarian bloodletting began to subside in 2007. The United Nations said violence killed 8,868 in 2013. Sunday’s violence brought the death toll so far this month to 364, according to an Associated Press tally.
I and and will Senior Deputy Of Interior, Adnan al-Asadi claims al-Qaida “have enough huge and sophisticated weapons to allegedly take Baghdad.”
IRAN APPEARS TO BE SETTING ASIDE ITS URANIUM ENRICHMENT
A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday that Iran had halted its 20 percent uranium enrichment, which is just steps away from bomb-making capability, and begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to that level.
Earlier Monday, Iranian state TV reported that workers had cut the link feeding cascades enriching uranium at its facilities at Natanz and Fordo. The state TV report also claimed that inspectors from the IAEA were present to observe the procedure.
Under the six-month agreement reached by Iran, the U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China on Nov. 24, confirmation from the IAEA that Iran has curbed its enrichment would clear the way for the partial suspension of U.S. and EU sanctions. That in turn would allow Iran to resume some key exports, including petrochemicals. Iran would also be able to resume trading in gold, other precious metals, and automotive parts.
In exchange, Iran has agreed to halt enrichment of uranium above 5 percent purity and “neutralize” its 20 percent enriched uranium. Inspectors will be given daily access to the Fordo enrichment site and monthly inspections would be allowed at the Arak heavy water reactor.
Iran is also scheduled to receive the first of six installment payments of unfrozen overseas funds on or around February 1. In total, the payments will amount to $4.2 billion, with the last of the funds due to be transferred in July.
The six-month agreement is designed to give negotiators breathing space in the hopes that a permanent deal can be reached. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told Reuters that she was hopeful that a new round of negotiations would begin “within the next few weeks.”
SYRIA REFUSES TO SIT AT THE PEACE TABLE WITH IRAN
BEIRUT — The prospects for a Syrian peace conference due to be held in Geneva this week were thrown into doubt Monday after the United Nations unexpectedly invited Iran to attend, prompting a threat from the Syrian opposition to withdraw.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York Sunday evening that Iran had been invited after it had agreed to accept that the premise of the peace talks is to pave the way for a transitional authority in Syria that would take power away from President Bashar al-Assad.
RIOTS IN UKRAINE
AKiev, Ukraine (CNN) – Ukraine’s capital remained in a tense standoff Monday following clashes between anti-government protesters and police that left dozens wounded. Thousands of demonstrators packed Kiev’s Independence Square in freezing temperatures Sunday, rallying in defiance of new laws that set limitations on the right to protest. Protesters and police accused each other of attacks during the large demonstration, which stretched into the early morning hours.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said protesters, wearing masks and helmets, used flares, tear gas, baseball bats and stones in clashes with police, breaking doors and windows on police buses and trying to take over government buildings.
Video from the scene showed protesters and police squaring off, with demonstrators hurling Molotov cocktails toward officers.
Some 100 police officers were injured, with more than 60 hospitalized, according to the Interior Ministry press office. More than 100 protesters were hurt, including some politicians, the protesters’ medical service reported. Forty-two protesters were hospitalized, according to the city of Kiev’s health care department.
Twenty people were arrested, but minor clashes between protesters and police continued Monday.
Sunday’s protest marked the latest fallout over legislation that lawmakers loyal to Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych approved Thursday. Yanukovych signed it into law soon afterward. In a statement published on his website late Sunday, Yanukovych said he was creating a working group to overcome the political crisis and had ordered it to meet with the opposition. A meeting was scheduled for today.
The events come in the wake of weeks of public protests after Yanukovych’s decision in November to spurn a planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia instead.
He called on Yanukovych to take part in the negotiations.
“It is vital that these negotiations bring real results, because they are the only way to get out of the conflict without its escalation,” Klitschko, leader of the opposition, said in a statement. “If the authorities break the word once again, escalation of the situation is inevitable.”
The White House blamed the increased tensions on Ukraine’s government for failing to acknowledge its people’s legitimate grievances and threatened sanctions if the use of violence continues.
Al Jazeera and wire services
NO MERCY FOR MORSI
CAIRO – Egypt’s prosecutors referred to trial Sunday the country’s former Islamist president on charges of insulting the judiciary and defaming its members to spread hate– the fourth case filed against Mohammed Morsi since his July ouster, the state news agency reported.
Morsi is already facing three separate trials on various charges, including inciting the murder of his opponents, conspiring with foreign groups and organizing jailbreaks– all of which can carry the death penalty. Only one case has opened and it is due to resume next month.
The new case includes 24 other politicians, media personalities, activists and lawyers, accused in separate incidents of insulting the judiciary in public, on television or on social media websites over the past three years. They include some of Egypt’s prominent youth activists and lawyers.
The referral also include figures who were at odds with Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, such as TV personality Tawfiq Okasha, known for lambasting revolutionary groups, the military, and the Brotherhood. The offense is punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine, or both.
The White House blamed the increased tensions on Ukraine’s government for failing to acknowledge its people’s legitimate grievances and threatened sanctions if the use of violence continues.
CHINESE NAVY PREPARES ITSELF FOR BATTLE
BEIJING – Chinese naval vessels including an island landing ship are staging drills in the South China Sea, where China and several other nations are locked in territorial disputes. The official Xinhua NewsAgency said two destroyers and China’s largest amphibious landing craft departed the naval base on the southern island province of Hainan on Monday. The ships also boast three helicopters and a company of marines.
Xinhua quoted Commander Jiang Weilie as saying the drills would focus on integrated combat missions involving ships, submarines and aircraft. China has moved sharply to assert its claim to nearly the entire South China Sea and its island groups. The Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim the entire sea or parts of it.
JAPAN CAN WAGE WAR AGAINa
At its 81st LDP annual convention in Tokyo, the party removed the pledge that Japan would “never wage a war”, China Central Television reported on Sunday.
and also made clear it will amend the country’s constitution. The changes show that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also the party chief, will intensify efforts step by step to push Japan further into animosity with neighbouring countries, analysts said.
Under the terms of its surrender in World War II, Japan banned from starting a war, while Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution also forbids Japan from resorting to warfare to settle international disputes.
Banri Kaieda, chief of the Democratic Party of Japan, said the issue needs to be discussed further, while Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the New Komeito Party – Abe’s ally in the coalition – again urged Abe to restore Japan’s deadlocked relations with China.
UNITED ARAB EMERITES BEGINS COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE
(Reuters) -The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will introduce compulsory military service for young Emirati men, it said on Sunday, a move highlighting the Gulf state’s concern over turmoil in its neighborhood.
Like other Gulf Arab states, this U.S. ally has strong military ties with Western powers which say they are committed to helping the OPEC member country deter or repel any threat. But the UAE is a big buyer of Western military hardware and has a territorial dispute with its much bigger neighbor, Iran, over three Gulf islands controlled by the Islamic republic. It is also wary of a neighborhood fraught with conflicts, including in Syria, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The state WAM news agency said the cabinet had endorsed a draft law which requires all men over the age of 18 or those who have finished high school and are under 30, to complete military training. It is optional for women.
The UAE has a population of around 8.2 million, about 90 percent of whom are foreigners. “Protecting the nation and preserving its independence and sovereignty is a sacred national duty and the new law will be implemented on all,” UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on his Twitter account.
Men who have finished high school will serve nine months, while those who do not have a high school diploma will serve for two years, according to Sheikh Mohammed’s tweets.
The move follows a similar decision by Qatar’s cabinet in November which approved a law to make brief military service compulsory on male Qataris between the age of 18 and 35.
Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said the decision showed that for the UAE to preserve its stability and prosperity “they really need to be on guard 24/7″.
SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIAL KIDNAPPED IN LIBYA
TRIPOLI, LIBYA – The Foreign Ministry in Seoul says Han Seok-woo, a 39-year old official of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency KOTRA, was abducted by gunmen in Tripoli early on Monday. A Libyan security official says the abduction took place in Tripoli’s upscale Qarqarish neighborhood as the man was leaving his embassy.
The Ministry says armed men blocked the road in front of his car and forced him to step out, then pushed him into their car and sped away, leaving the official’s vehicle and driver.
ENGLAND’S PRIME MINISTER CUTS WELFARE,
INSISTS ON ENGLISH
Benefits will be stripped from immigrants who cannot speak English, it i been reported.David Cameron intends to make the cuts in order to slash the country’s welfare bill, according to the Mail on Sunday. The Prime Minister reportedly wants to stop printing welfare literature in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.
According to the newspaper the measures, which were due to be announced on Monday, have been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.
It is hoped the scrapping of foreign-language documentation explaining how to claim benefits will make it harder for immigrants to make use of the UK’s benefits system, while encouraging those already in the country to learn English. The measures would also save the money spent on translators.
The Mail on Sunday said the plans, which would also affect British residents who cannot speak English, have been drawn up by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary.
A Conservative source told the newspaper: “The vast majority of voters will think this idea is plain common sense.
“It is unreasonable to expect taxpayers to spend huge sums on translators when people should be learning to read and write English.”
Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, said: “The principle is a good one but it needs to be introduced in a way that’s fair and reasonable. “If it is, it will meet with general public approval. The ability to speak English is one of the most empowering tools in the labour market and we should be encouraging as many people as possible to learn it.”
However, Tory sources reportedly said they were hopeful the changes will be confirmed later this week if the Liberal Democrats can be persuaded.
An unnamed official involved in the plan told the newspaper: “Cameron and Duncan Smith are very enthusiastic about it, but the Lib Dems had a wobble. They are nervous of being portrayed as being too harsh on immigrants.”
Keith Vaz, the Labour MP and chairman of the Commons’ home affairs committee, said: “In principle, it is a good idea, but it could cost the taxpayer more because if people are refused benefit and have a genuine claim, they will sue the Government.”
PHILADELPHIA TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS CAUGHT TEACHING STUDENTS TO CHEAT
Just days after three Philadelphia school principals were fired for alleged cheating, news comes that the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office is conducting a criminal investigation into widespread cheating involving more than 100 educators around the city.
The Philadelphia Inquirer cites sources with knowledge of the criminal inquiry in reporting the attorney general’s involvement, as well as a grand jury to probe a growing scandal that has already ensnared 138 teachers and principals from schools all over the city.
Meanwhile, an official with the union that represents Philadelphia school administrators is blaming the alleged cheating that took place at 53 district schools and three city charter schools on high-stakes testing, and ultimatums from higher-ups to reach performance plateaus.
“Do you know how many of us sat in meetings with our bosses and were told, ‘You have to bring your scores up’?” Robert McGrogan, a one-time Philadelphia principal told the Inquirer. “There was no how-to book given to us.”
The attorney general’s probe reportedly comes after a state-run analysis of exams taken around Pennsylvania in 2009 uncovered suspicious patterns of erasures.
The 53 Philadelphia schools — about 20 percent of the district’s total number of public educational institutions — come, as the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “from every part of the city and span every grade level,” and include some of the highest-achieving schools in the city.
ARE HORSES OR BIRDS STRONGER?
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning runs the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is a key cog in the NFL’s No. 1 defense. (Just ask him!) That intriguing matchup will be one of the main Super Bowl story lines when the AFC champion Broncos (15-3) play the NFC champion Seahawks (15-3) on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS YES TO POT
President Obama is in strong favor of the decriminalization of marijuana, and voiced his support for Colorado and Washington’s legalization of the drug in a long and wide-ranging interview in the New Yorker, published yesterday.
On the two states that have legalized pot, Obama said that “it’s important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.”
His reasoning: “Middle-class kids don’t get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do … And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties.”
President Obama believes the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado ultimately may open a Pandora’s Box and could lead to calls for cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs to be sold freely and openly. But more broadly, the president downplayed the dangers of pot, comparing it to cigarettes and arguing it is no more dangerous than booze.
“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” Mr. Obama said in a lengthy interview with The New Yorker. “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”
Mr. Obama also took aim at the uneven arrest statistics regarding marijuana, saying poor and minority kids face much stiffer penalties for smoking pot than middle-class children.
Still, Mr. Obama said turning weed into a legal product raises serious questions that the U.S. must confront.
“I also think that, when it comes to harder drugs, the harm done to the user is profound and the social costs are profound. And you do start getting into some difficult line-drawing issues,” Mr. Obama said. “If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, ‘Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka.’ Are we open to that? If somebody says, ‘We’ve got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn’t going to kill you or rot your teeth.’ Are we OK with that?”
NOW WE’RE TALKING BIG MONEY!
Global inequality has increased to the extent that the 1 trillion combined wealth of the 85 richest people is equal to that of the poorest 3.5 billion half of the world’s population according to a new report from development charity Oxfam.
And the report, entitled Working For The Few, claims that growing inequality has been driven by a “power grab” by wealthy elites, who have co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the economic system in their favour. Since the late 1970s, tax rates for the richest have fallen in 29 out of 30 countries for which data are available.
Oxfam called on attendees at this week’s World Economic Forum, which brings together politicians and business leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, to take a personal pledge to tackle the problem by refraining from dodging taxes or using their wealth to seek political favours.
Oxfam chief executive Winnie Byanyima said: “It is staggering that in the 21st century, half of the world’s population – that’s three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus.”
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What we call trouble, Christ calls opportunity.
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Monday, January 20, 2014