Zimbabwe News Bulletin: ZANU-PF Offices Bombed in Gweru

Republic of Zimbabwe Vice-President Joice Mujuru congratulates President Robert Mugabe on his concluding speech at the ZANU-PF 12th National People's Conference held in Bulawayo in early December 2011. The party stands poised for the elections., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Zanu-PF offices bombed

Thursday, 29 December 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters

AN explosion rocked Zanu-PF provincial offices in Gweru on Tuesday night, shattering windowpanes, in a suspected politically-motivated attack.

No one was injured in the explosion.

While police yesterday could not disclose the cause of the explosion, occupants of the building - which houses other offices - suspect this was a pre-meditated attack on the Zanu-PF offices.

Said Midlands provincial police spokes-person Inspector Patrick Chademana: "We are still investigating the cause of the explosion which occurred yesterday (Tuesday) at around 11pm."

Sources close to the investigations ruled out the use of petrol bombs like in previous bombings that targeted Zanu-PF offices.
Zanu-PF provincial administrator Cde Passmore Washaya said the attack could have been an act of aggression by MDC-T activists.

"We are still waiting for police investigations to be completed, but we strongly suspect that this was an act of aggression by our enemies, especially the MDC-T," he said.
Cde Washaya said preliminary investigations showed that the explosion did not damage property inside the offices.

"It looks like the suspects missed their target and the explosion ended up shattering windowpanes without causing further damage," he said. "We are, however, still waiting for the police to complete their
investigations so that we can ascertain the extent of the damage."

MDC-T Midlands provincial spokesperson Mr James Tsuro dismissed as unfou-nded, allegations that his party was responsible for the bombing of Zanu-PF offices.

"These are unfounded allegations and if the suspects were from the MDC-T party, by now there could have been a number of arrests," he said.

"There is no reason why MDC-T would bomb empty offices and besides our party is not violence-oriented. There is no point for us to resort to violence when it is a known fact that virtually all the urban dwellers are MDC-T party supporters. Why would we bomb other political parties' offices when we have the majority of supporters?"

The level of politically-motivated violence increased during the year with several properties belonging to Zanu-PF officials and supporters being burnt in various similar attacks.

Property and clothes were destroyed at the party's Joshua Nkomo district offices in Matapi, Mbare in February this year.
No one was injured in the attack, but the bomb destroyed timber worth more than US$600 000.

The attack occurred a few days after Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth chairman Cde Jimu Kunaka was assaulted by suspected MDC-T youths at a food outlet in the city. Other bombs were detonated in Budiriro and Epworth, with the police indicating that MDC-T activists were responsible for the attacks.

The MDC-T was implicated in various politically motivated bombings that targeted police stations ahead of the March 2008 harmonised elections.

According to the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, an MDC-T employee identified as Charles Mutama told US Embassy political officer Audu Besner that the party's security, intelligence and youth branches planned dynamite and petrol bomb attacks on targets in the country's five cities.

Mutama, a well-known MDC-T informant to the embassy's political section was recruited during the 2000 student movement and claimed to have received military training in Uganda.

The attacks increased in March 2007. Among the targets that were petrol bombed were police stations in Unit N, Chitungwiza, Nehanda in Gweru, Marimba in Harare and Sakubva in Mutare.


Lake disaster: Mujuru consoles bereaved families

Thursday, 29 December 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters

ACTING President Joice Mujuru has descri-bed the Lake Chivero boat disaster which claimed the lives of 11 children on Christmas Day as a reckless disregard of life in its innocence.

In her condolence message to the bereaved families, the Acting President blamed the accident on the boat operators' love for money and profits.

"Whilst I am still to get the full facts on what happened on that fateful day, the initial reports point to callous negligence on the part of the boat owners," said Acting President Mujuru. "Gross negligence has cost us so tremendously by way of 11 hapless souls who did not deserve such a cruel fate.

"As a mother and grandmother, I feel the full horror of this whole incident, all of it aggravated by the staggering toll borne by one victim-family, the Ruzvidzo family, which lost three children in that incident."

Acting President Mujuru said it was ironic that the children drowned on a day dedicated to celebrating life.

"Such reckless disregard of life in its innocence triggers deep questions in all of us, more so in those in our midst whose quest for money and profit simply cheapen life in this extraordinary way," she said.

"On behalf of Government and on my own behalf, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to all the families which have lost their little lovely angels in this terrible way on a day ironically dedicated to celebrating life.

"May the fact of our sharing in their grief lighten their pain.

"The whole nation joins them in this hour of pain and sorrow."

The Acting President's condolence message came as the owner of Chasura Boats, Latif Ameer (53) and his three workers appeared in court facing 11 counts of culpable homicide.

Ameer was arrested on Tuesday, together with boat captain Fadil Ramon Weale (27), driver Enock Yorani Zulu (36) and Joseph Abraham (37) whose position has not been disclosed.

They were remanded to January 11 next year on US$500 bail apiece.

Ameer and his accomplices were not formally charged when they appeared before provincial magistrate Mr Kudakwashe Jarabini.

They are also facing an alternative charge of contravening certain sections of the Inland Waters Shipping Act Chapter 13:06.

As part of their bail conditions, they were ordered to report once every Friday at their nearest police stations.

They are also required to continue residing at their given addresses until the matter is finalised.

Prosecutor Ms Mollyn Mutamangira alleged that on December 25 at Lake Chivero, Ameer, who is the owner of the speedboat approached Zulu and asked him to operate it.

She said Ameer allegedly failed to provide life jackets to passengers who would board the boat.

Ms Mutamangira said Ameer assigned Weale to be in charge of collecting money from passengers before they got into the boat to supervise the passengers.

Abraham, she said, loaded 17 passengers into the boat, which has a carrying capacity of six passengers, without lifesavers in the presence of the other suspects.

Ameer further instructed Zulu to continue operating the boat with passengers without life jackets.

Zulu, Ms Mutamangira said, did not have a licence to operate the boat, but drove the boat into Lake Chivero around 6:10pm.

As the boat was in the middle of the lake, water started getting in and passengers panicked and moved to one side.

The overloaded boat capsized, causing the death of 11 passengers.

Meanwhile, the remaining victims of the boat disaster, Sprenner (12) and Anesu Kaseke (10) were buried yesterday at Rwizi Village in Mhondoro.

Their father, Mr Tobias Kaseke, said his other relatives, Tadiwanashe January (7) and Pathras Chimimba (13) were laid to rest at Granville Cemetery in Harare on Tuesday.

The other victim, Munashe Joramu was also laid to rest in Norton yesterday.

Misleading Western Reporting Still Downplaying Number of Libyan Victims of NATO Bombing

Carnage inflicted by the US-led bombing campaign against the North African state of Libya. Washington has mobilized a host of other imperialist governments and their allies to plot regime-change in this oil-producing country., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Misleading western reporting still downplaying number of Libyan victims of NATO bombing

Posted: 2011/12/27
From: Mathaba

There are none so blind, as those who will not see...

By Yellow Bird

It appears that the western media are as keen as ever to keep covering up NATO war crimes in Libya, as witnessed by a piece that came out in the New York Times (NYT) on December 17th, which attempts to downplay NATO’s murderous bombing rampage over a period of seven months by giving the laughably inaccurate impression, through its misleading and deceptive reporting, that a mere 40-70 Libyan civilians were killed in total throughout the entire bombing campaign.

Let’s take a look at some excerpts from the article itself (with my bold highlights added):

In Strikes on Libya by NATO, an Unspoken Civilian Toll

In the opening paragraph below, it is reluctantly admitted that NATO caused civilian casualties, but the number of victims is immediately downplayed by referring to these casualties as being in the ‘scores’ (a word meaning here, ‘multiples of 20’) thus already directing the reader’s mind away from the reality that hundreds upon thousands of civilians were actually killed by NATO ordnance raining from the skies.

TRIPOLI, Libya — NATO’s seven-month air campaign in Libya, hailed by the alliance and many Libyans for blunting a lethal crackdown by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and helping to push him from power, came with an unrecognized toll: scores of civilian casualties the alliance has long refused to acknowledge or investigate.

In the third paragraph, the writer refers to “accounts of dozens of civilians killed by NATO in many distinct attacks”. Notice the use of the word ‘dozens’ (ie, multiplies of twelve, which has an even smaller numerical value than the earlier-used ‘scores’).
And in the fifth paragraph:

In all, at least 40 civilians, and perhaps more than 70, were killed by NATO at these sites, available evidence suggests. While that total is not high compared with other conflicts in which Western powers have relied heavily on air power, and less than the exaggerated accounts circulated by the Qaddafi government, it is also not a complete accounting.

Here the author states that 40-70 civilians died in several bombing raids, but then he goes on to imply that this is the total number of civilians killed throughout the NATO air campaign, by craftily referring to this estimate as “that total”. Moreover he goes on to white-wash even that meagre estimate by claiming that it ‘is not high compared with other conflicts in which Western powers have relied heavily on air power’. (By this wording he incidentally also reinforces the estimate of 40-70 civilian dead as the final tally). In the meantime he takes the opportunity to make the arrogant and baseless assertion that accounts of civilian casualties circulated by the "Qaddafi government" (meaning "Jamahiriya government") were ‘exaggerated’ - in case anyone should question the ridiculously small numbers enumerated by NATO’s media puppets. He is forced to admit however that the estimate “is not a complete accounting” - but the damage has already been done and the figure 40-70 is implanted in the mind of the reader, who, unless he or she makes a strenuous effort to find out the truth, is going to swallow this outrageous manipulation of the facts.

We can see from this NYT article that the figure 40-70 has been selected as ‘the magic number’, which will now be repeated ad nauseum in other western news outlets, with the added misfortune that these will quote no doubt only parts of the NYT article. The resulting edited version will make the deception even more comprehensive.

Below is a perfect example of how the NYT story was picked up by UPI and published without any background provided on how the number 40-70 was drawn from just a small selection of admitted bombing sites. The reader is thus left with the impression that only 40-70 died throughout the entire campaign.

NATO airstrike flaws killed Libyans

TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The NATO air campaign in Libya appears to have caused 40-70 civilian deaths despite its surgical precision, The New York Times reported.

We can only hope that the readers of the western mainstream media will eventually come to realise how brazenly they are being manipulated, but as the old saying goes, ‘There are none so blind, as those who will not see….’

Egypt May Support Russia's Probe Into NATO Attacks in Libya

European countries have bombed the African state of Libya. After financing a rebel assault which was defeated, the Europeans have killed children in airstrikes. , a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Russia: Egypt may support Russia’s probe into NATO attacks in Libya – Egyptian Foreign Minister

Ria Novosti

Egypt may join Russia’s probe into the deaths of peaceful Libyans killed by NATO air strikes during its military campaign, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said on Wednesday.

“We are considering this issue and consulting with [our] Russian colleagues and will make a decision after the consultations,” Amr said after a meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Last week, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin urged NATO to investigate civilian deaths in Libya from its bombing campaign, saying the alliance's claim that there were no civilian casualties was untrue.

His remarks came after The New York Times claimed up to 70 people were killed in Libya during NATO’s eight-month military operation.

Churkin said he has asked NATO to give "a definitive report" to the UN Security Council summing up its activities in Libya. But he said "unfortunately" the alliance only provided "piecemeal, rather perfunctory reports... (that) were not very informative."

The international NATO-led military operation in Libya began on March 19, two days after the approval of a UN resolution on "targeted measures" to protect civilians.

Libya saw almost ten months of fierce fighting before the opposition Libyan National Transitional Council established control over the country's territory.

Ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in October near his hometown of Sirte after being captured by NTC forces.

US Government Deliberately Massacred Over 1 Million Since 9/11

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is shielded by guards after coming under attack by demonstrators opposing the imperialist bombing of Libya which was justified by Security Council action., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

The U.S. government deliberately massacred over 1 million civilians yet still no UN sanctions, trials or military action

Posted by PAUL W KINCAID War Crimes, World news Thursday, November 24th, 2011

In Iraq and Afghanistan over a million civilians have been killed since 2001. They were not killed by Iran, Libya or Syria. They were not killed in a civil war. They were massacred by the United States government. The United States willfully and deliberately massacred over a million unarmed civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States went to war with 3 nations that hadn’t attacked the United States or even threatened the United States. Now the United States government is preparing to mass murder millions more in unprovoked attacks against Syria and Iran. It is time for the International community to wake up and take action against the United States government. It is time for the International community to impose sanctions against the United States government. If the United States government attacks either Syria or Iran the United States government must be held accountable and they must pay the price.

The evidence is clear. The US attacked 3 countries which did not attack the US or any other country or even threatened other countries in any way. The US attacks against Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya are declared “Wars of Aggression”, Crimes Against Peace” and “War Crimes” according to US and International Law. The evidence declares George W Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Barack Hussein Obama, Joe Biden, Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton, Leon Panetta, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Nicolas Sarkozy, Gérard Longuet, Steven Harper, Peter MacKay and members of their government as war criminals.

“Aggression is the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations, as set out in this definition,” according to General Assembly Resolution 3314.

The definition of terrorism is: 1. League of Nations Convention (1937): “All criminal acts directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public”. 2. UN Resolution language (1999):”1. Strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomsoever committed; 2. Reiterates that criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them”.

The US government does not recognize the legitimate use of violence by civilians against the US invader in the occupied countries of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and they do not recognize the legitimate use of force by the Syrian government against CIA mercenaries who have illegally entered the country to overthrow the Syrian government. The United States government labels all resistance movements as terrorist groups. Others make a distinction between lawful and unlawful use of violence. The US government has labeled all resistance to their unlawful and unprovoked attacks and occupation as enemy or unlawful combatants. Ultimately, the distinction is political. In November 2004, a United Nations Security Council report described terrorism as any act “intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.

The US government’s “War on Terror” is a state sponsored terrorist act. It is the US government engaging in wars of aggressive terror against all those who oppose the US takeover of their natural resources – in this cases natural gas pipeline in Afghanistan and oil in Iraq and Libya.

“U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) defined terrorism as: “The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.” The US Department of Defense has defined the actions that the United States government has taken against the people of the United States, the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and threats against Syria and Iran as terrorism.

As far as the US government is concerned everyone who opposes them are “terrorist” yet the victims of the US aggression are actually “freedom fighters”, defending their country and fellow countrymen from the unlawful, unjustified and unprovoked attack by the criminals in control of the US government.

Key criteria that define the US government as a terrorist state:

Violence – According to Walter Laqueur of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “the only general characteristic of terrorism generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence.” – Shock and awe was used by the Bush White House when they launched their cowardly and unprovoked attack against the innocent people of Afghanistan and Iraq. The US attacks were pure acts of violence against the civilian population of Afghanistan and Iraq. Bush and Cheney committed terrorist acts against the people of Afghanistan and Iraq and Obama and Gates against the people of Libya.

Neither Afghanistan or Iraq had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks. No hijackers were from either of those 2 countries. No foreign war planes attacked, bombed, or invaded the US on 9/11. No diplomat from either countries made any threats against the US or ordered the attacks against the US yet the US immediately made plans to violently attack them. Both Afghanistan and Iraq are victims of terrorism, wars of aggression, war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the US government. Both countries are victims of the US violent unprovoked attacks that destroyed their countries and slaughtered millions of their “civilian” population.

Psychological impact and fear – Terrorist attacks are carried out in such a way as to maximize the severity and length of the psychological impact. Each act of terrorism is a “performance,” devised to have an impact on many large audiences. Terrorists also attack national symbols to show their power and to shake the foundation of the country or society they are opposed to. This may negatively affect a government’s legitimacy, while increasing the legitimacy of the given terrorist organization and/or ideology behind a terrorist act. The US government put on quite a “performance” with their terrorist attack against their own country on September 11, 2001.

Immediately the US government took control of the media in order to maximize the psychological impact and hyped the fear in the US public. Bush and Cheney carefully chose the World Trade Centers for they were a national symbol of the US financial power. Bush and Cheney are the real terrorists. Government documents revealed that the Patriot Act was drawn up even before the attacks of September 11, 2001 giving evidence of the attacks being premeditated.

Perpetrated for a political goal – Something all terrorist attacks have in common is their perpetration for a political purpose. Terrorism is a political tactic. Rebuilding America Defenses detailed the Bush White House political goal even before they stole the White House in the 2000 presidential election. The US Constitution clearly stated that “only” the House of Representatives can decide by vote when a tie occurs in a presidential election yet the George W Bush had his brother decide for the entire nation – through the ruling of one unelected state judge (judge was appointed by Jeb Bush). Rebuilding America Defense is a terrorist doctrine that laid out the entire political goal of the Bush administration.

Deliberate targeting of non-combatants – It is commonly held that the distinctive nature of terrorism lies in its intentional and specific selection of civilians as direct targets. Specifically, the criminal intent is shown when babies, children, mothers, and the elderly are murdered, or injured, and put in harm’s way. Much of the time, the victims of terrorism are targeted not because they are threats, but because they are specific “symbols, tools, animals or corrupt beings” that tie into a specific view of the world that the terrorist possess. Their suffering accomplishes the terrorists’ goals of instilling fear, getting a message out to an audience, or otherwise accomplishing their often radical religious and political ends. When the US government began their “War of Terror” they immediately planned for and launched attacks against civilians. Shock and awe was a deliberate armed attack against the civilian population. The US government murdered over 1 million Iraqi civilians by the time George W Bush declared mission accomplished. Even to this day there are daily reports of US military strikes that have killed civilians – not any opposing army, navy or air force.

The US government saw all those who resisted their unlawful occupation as a threat to their goals in Iraq. Every time the US military launched a mission in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya their missions were always against civilians. They murdered the innocent civilians as a warning to every one else who would dare to come forward and oppose the illegal occupation of their country. They murdered over 1 million innocent civilians, including women and children, to invoke perpetual fear in the general population.

Disguise – Terrorists almost invariably pretend to be non-combatants, hide among non-combatants, fight from in the midst of non-combatants, and when they can, strive to mislead and provoke the government soldiers into attacking the wrong people, that the government may be blamed for it. The Bush White House brainwashed the US public into believing that they are attacking and occupying other countries to protect the US and the people. They are falsely portraying themselves to be the good guys. The US Congress has known that Bush and Cheney mislead them yet to this day they have not done their sworn duty to make them accountable for their criminal acts against the US people and the innocent people of Afghanistan and Iraq. The US Congress knows that the Obama ordered armed attacks against Libya were unconstitutional (and therefore illegal) and yet to this day they have not made Obama accountable for breaking US law and the unlawful mass murder of the Libyan people.

If you and I were to take the list of hijackers as evidence then the Bush government attacked the wrong country and killed the wrong people because according to the US White House the mastermind behind 9/11 was a Saudi billionaire with ties to the Saudi royal family and the majority of hijackers were Saudi. Their presented evidence declares that Saudi Arabia attacked the US not Afghanistan or Iraq or Iran. The Bush White House evidence clearly lays blame for the killing of US citizens on September 11, 2001 on Saudi Arabia yet they chose to attack 2 innocent countries. The 9/11 Commission Report was commissioned by the White House to hide and cover up the facts that Saudi Arabia helped the Bush administration attack the US.

Unlawfulness or illegitimacy – Some official (notably government) definitions of terrorism add a criterion of illegitimacy or unlawfulness to distinguish between actions authorized by a “legitimate” government (and thus “lawful”) and those of other actors, including individuals and small groups. Using this criterion, actions that would otherwise qualify as terrorism would not be considered terrorism if they were government sanctioned – state terrorism. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” This is exemplified when a group that uses irregular military methods is an ally of a State against a mutual enemy, but later falls out with the State and starts to use the same methods against its former ally. A perfect example is the cozy relationship between the US and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. Saddam fought a proxy war for the US against Iran. Donald Rumsfeld was special envoy to Saddam and he personally hand delivered the Bell helicopters that Saddam used to drop the US made and delivered chemical bombs on Iran and the Kurds who tried to assassinate Saddam. Every day Bush and Cheney declared they were right and had the right to attack Afghanistan and Iraq. They both keep saying the World is behind them – that their unlawful attacks against innocent states is legitimate. To them torturing is legal because they sanctioned it. Both kept on citing executive privilege whenever another major war crime is uncovered, one that they ordered. Reality is that the attacks against the US on September 11, 2001, against Afghanistan and Iraq are all state sponsored terrorism – all committed by the US government.

Associate United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson was the chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Tribunal. In his report to the State Department, Justice Jackson wrote: “No political or economic situation can justify” the crime of aggression. He also said: “If certain acts in violation of treaties are crimes they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us.”

Since September 11, 2001

Number of hijackers from Iraq on 9/11 = 0
Number of hijackers from Afghanistan on 9/11 = 0
Number of Taliban involved in 9/11 = 0
Number of Middle East attacks against the US = 0
Number of US civilians killed by Iraqi military = 0
Number of US civilians killed by Afghan military = 0
Number of US civilians killed by the Taliban = 0
Number of US civilians killed by Saddam Hussein = 0
Number of US civilians killed by Iran = 0
Number of US civilians killed by Libya = 0
Number of Iraqi bombers used in 9/11 attacks = 0
Number of Afghan bombers used in 9/11 attacks = 0
Number of US citizens killed by bin Laden on 9/11 = 0

– When the US FBI was asked why there is no mention of 9/11 on Bin Laden’s Most Wanted web page, Rex Tomb, Chief of Investigative Publicity for the FBI said, “The reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Usama Bin Laden’s Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11.”

Number of US citizens killed on 9/11 by al Qaeda = 0
Number of Iraqi and Afghan civilians killed by US = 1,000,000 +
Number of US citizens killed by Bush / Cheney and their administration on 9/11 = 3000+
Number of US Soldiers killed since 9/11 by Bush / Cheney and their administration and the Obama administration = 4000+

Number of Libyan civilians killed by US = 30,000+
Number of Libyan civilians killed by Gaddafi = 0
Number of CIA paid mercenaries killed by Gaddafi before Obama attacked Libya = at least 233 illegals
Number of US civilians killed by Syria = 0
Number of Syrian civilians predicted to be killed by US forces = 1 million+
Number of Iranian civilians predicted to killed by US and Israeli forces = 3 million+

Never forget that millions of men and women went off to war to free countries from occupation by aggressive and imperialistic states. How many Americans gave their live so that others can be free? How many paid the ultimate sacrifice to free Europe from the occupation of Adolf Hitler? All of those brave souls’ sacrifice is now belittled and tarnished with the cowardly wars of aggression by the US government against innocent countries. The unlawful attacks against Afghanistan and Iraq by the government of George W Bush and against Libya by Barack Insane Obama and his government dishonors their memory and their sacrifice. What they fought against is now the policy of the US government. They fought to end occupations. They fought to free foreign states. They fought to end the war and bring about peace.

The military and political objective of the United States before Bush was to end a war as quickly as possible in order to restore peace. As soon as they liberated an occupied country they left because freedom does not mean replacing one occupier with another. What did George W Bush and Barack Insane Obama do? They attacked 3 countries without provocation. They attacked and killed millions of innocent people. They destroyed entire civilians cities, towns and villages. They mass murdered women and children. They tortured prisoners of war.

The occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq is continued even today, even with a new president. Bush did not liberate Iraq or Afghanistan, he attacked and occupied them. Obama didn’t stop the killing of the Libyan civilians he attacked and mass murdered a thousand times more.

Have you noticed that Bush and Obama have never uttered the word “peace” in regards to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria or Iran. They only spoke of and continue to speak of war. Obama promised that if he was elected president he would end the wars. He broke his promise as the wars go on with no talk of peace. The US is no longer a nation of peace keepers and peace makers. The US is a nation of war keepers and war makers. They are the real terrorists. They are the evil that we fought to the death to destroy. They are a mockery to the sacrifice of millions who paid the ultimate price so that others can be free and live in peace.

Syria and Iran compared to US

The UN and the United States are calling for harsh sanctions against Syria and Iran. The US is preparing to launch wars of aggression against Syria and Iran for what the United States government perceives as Syrian crimes against humanity (killing Syrian civilians in a government crackdown) and for Iran seeking the nuclear bomb. What Syria and Iran are doing is no different than what the United States has already done.

Somalia News Update: Elders Denounce Kenya Bombings; US Bans Remittances

Somalia resistance forces fighting the US-backed Transitional Federal Government. The president of the TFG recently visited the US seeking assistance for the continuation of his government., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Somali elders denounce Kenyan fighter jet attacks

GUDA (Sh. M. Network) - some of Somali prominent elders in Lower jubba region have strongly condemned the latest Kenyan air raids on villages in that province that did not discriminate between civilians and military objectives.

Speaking to Shabelle Media, Abdiqadair Ahmed Mohamed, one of the elders in Lower Jubba region denounced the strongest terms the latest Kenyan aerial strikes, which its warplanes struck intentionally on civilians’ locations in Guda village nearby Kismayu town, some 500-km away south Mogadishu, Somali capital.

The elders denied Kenyan claims of killing senior Al-shabab fighters in its latest air strikes in southern Somalia. They said, KDF bombed makeshift huts including a schools and villages dwell in innocent civilians.

“We call on Kenyan government to halt swiftly its air raids on civilian ground targets from low-flying aircraft using machine guns because most of them inflicted heavy civilian casualties,” we also urge Nairobi to start a prompt and impartial investigation is needed into what happened in Guda village.” said Abdiqadair Ahmed Mohamed, one of the elders in Lower Jubba region.

Guda village in Lower Jubba region is a territory close to Kenya manned by the militant group Al-Shabaab and has witnessed several air strikes since Kenyan incursion into Somalia nearly three months ago to pursue the militants.

This call from Somali elders in southern Somalia comes as Kenya military spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir confirmed the air strike but denied any civilian casualties. He also warned civilians to keep away from Al-Shabaab territories.

For more send your comments to webmaster@shabelle.net


Kenyan fighter planes strike in southern Somalia

GARBAHAREY (Sh.M.Network)-Kenyan fighter jets bombed the outskirts of Al-shabab militant-controlled villages in Gedo region, the south of the Horn of Africa conflict and drought stricken country on Wednesday, causing unspecified casualties residents said.

Local people said, two suspected Kenyan helicopters hit on a nomadic villages laying on the ground nearby Garbaharay town, the provincial capital of Gedo region, which locates somalia’s border with Kenya, was a known rebel haunt.

The two helicopters struck nomadic townships between El-adde and Likolay villages-Al-shabab-held villages nearby Garbaharay district of Gedo region of southern Somalia, where locals said to be an Al-shabab military base.

Residents said, it appeared the helicopters to have been targeting bases used by al-Shabab insurgents.

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the exact casualties in these latest air strikes in southern Somalia, but local people expressed concerns over the air raids.

Kenya has conducted numerous air raids in southern Somalia in the past three months.

Al-shabab has not yet said ant word about the air strike on its bases in Gedo region of southern Somalia on Wednesday.

For more send your comments to webmaster@shabelle.net


KDF kills five and maim 150 Al Shabaab fighters

Nairobi (Sh. M. Network) - As Kenyans thronged churches and entertainment spots on Christmas Day the country’s military was literally in the trenches battling Al Shabaab under the blistering Somalia sun.

When the guns finally went silent, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) had killed five members of the militant group and injured eight in the Southern Somali sector.

But signs there could a bigger war involving the Kenyan forces and Al Shabaab got cleared when the militia revealed it was marshalling its forces in Kismayu. This is the town out of which KDF wants to flush them out as the port town is considered to be its economic lifeline and logistical support base.

KDF spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir reported the Kenyan forces struck Kuday, a town South of Kismayu. In his latest update posted on Twitter, Chirchir confirmed KDF had hit targets in Wamaitho and Deida Adhi both in Lower Juba leaving at least150 injured, with some may be even dead.

In the same raid, one ‘technical’ vehicle popular with Al Shabaab fighters was decimated and one skiff (small boat) also destroyed. Chirchir urged civilians in Somalia to stay away from Al Shabaab bases to avoid being hit during air strikes.

Al Shabaab accuses Kenyan Air Force of hitting civilians in camps for the internally displaced and claiming victory, a claim that has been denied strongly by Kenya, which insists it only targets military installations.

Al Shabaab has not officially commented on the latest attacks by KDF, but the raids may be the closest yet to Kismayu and represent an escalation of the conflict. The deadly strikes appear targeted to soften Al Shabaab positions and to break their will to fight.

Curiously, the air raids have avoided Kismayu, possibly to prevent mass deaths, especially of civilians in this densely populated town in Southern Somalia.

According to Somali websites linked to Al Shabaab, the militia has stepped up training of personnel in and around Kismayu and is reportedly rushing extra militia from other areas of Southern Somalia to the port city to stave off a possible attack from the Southern Sector by KDF.

Kenya appears to be relying more and more on its air power to overcome the difficulties of roads made impassable as heavy rains continue to pound much of Southern Somalia. Movement of heavy military equipment and amour has reportedly been slowed down.

Back at home, police are expected to bring to court eight individuals suspected to be working with Al Shabaab including two who surrendered themselves to police on Saturday afternoon. They are Sylvester Owino Opiyo alias Musa Osodo and Hussein Nderitu Abbas alias Mohamed, who police brought under its radar claiming they 'have vital information on Al Shabaab activities in Kenya.'

'Police have cause to believe they have information which can assist us in unraveling any intended criminal activities by the Al Shabaab in the country,' said the Police Spokesperson Mr Eric Kiraithe.

Mr Chacha Mwita, who represents Opiyo and Nderitu, said he was ready to battle police in court accusing them of engaging in 'propaganda tricks'. 'Why did the police send out a dramatic public alert against my two clients when they could have easily contacted me and request me to avail them? Was it necessary to create a public scare? Do they have another agenda in mind?' Mwita asked.

More arrests

He also fought off claims that his clients violated bail terms insisting he was unaware of any condition beyond posting the Sh300,000 bond and a surety of a similar amount. Police had accused the two, who have ongoing cases of being members of Al Shabaab militia, of violating their bail terms.

Police have not yet revealed names of the other six who are being held in unknown locations. Last week, police arrested six other suspects in Nairobi and Mombasa in what it claimed was an operation to prevent an attack by the Somalia-based group during the busy holiday season.

Police are expected to arrest more people this week as the holiday season approaches its peak on New Year’s Day to prevent possible attacks.

The latest military encounter by KDF comes a few days after a commander of the Al Shabaab was reportedly killed in a fierce ground battle a few kilometers from Kenya-Somalia border but inside the neighbouring state.

Reports on the ground indicated that the rebel group was trying to move forces towards the Central Sector of the Operation Linda Nchi when they were intercepted by KDF ground forces, near Gerille in Somalia on Friday evening. The town that Al Shabaab lost in October after the Kenyan intervention in Somalia started, lies about 10 kilometres from the international border with Kenya.

Al Shabaab has not commented on the killing of Commander Abdirashid Garbe, slain alongside ten fighters on Friday evening. But a KDF officer in Gerille told The Standard inside Gedo in Somalia 'Abdirashid Garbe who is a commander was killed by KDF.'

Estimates indicate about 60 fighters, who were on foot, were involved in the fight in which KDF suffered no casualties.

Meanwhile the operation against the militia by KDF and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces is on more than 100 kilometres inside Somalia’s Gedo Province.

The Kenyan military is trying to deter the militants’ attempts to regroup after routing them from a string of towns close to the Kenyan border.

Two months ago, a KDF soldier was killed in Busar in an ambush by Al Shabaab, which is being squeezed towards Bardheere after being ousted from many parts of Gedo including Garbaharey, which is held by a pro-TFG Islamic militia group calling itself Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a.

According to expert projections in Somalia, an assault on Bardheere would open the main highway to Baidoa, Al Shabaab’s stronghold in Bay and Bakool region.

Source: The STANDARD


Somalis Fear End of US Remittances Will Empower Militants

Gabe Joselow | Nairobi, Kenya December 28, 2011

At the end of this week, citizens of Somalia will lose one of their biggest sources of money. That is when a U.S. bank cuts off cash transfers to the war-torn and famine-stricken country. Somalis in Nairobi say the move - intended to stop funding for Somali militants - will hurt ordinary people instead.

Nairobi's Eastleigh neighborhood is a center of commerce for Kenya's sizable Somali community.

Nicknamed “Little Mogadishu,” the streets are crowded with handcarts pulling cooking oil, men selling suit jackets and undershirts, and street vendors hawking a leafy narcotic known as khat.

The invisible force energizing much of this trade is a unique money transaction network, which allows the Somali diaspora to send money to family members and business partners back home.

But the so-called hawala network is about to lose a major lifeline, when a U.S. bank cuts off one of the only transfer services for Somalis in the United States.

Omar Haji, originally from Mogadishu, now lives in Eastleigh, and receives financial support from his family in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

He said that most people will see this action by the banks as an attack on Somali people rather than against al-Shabab.

He added that support for the militant group could actually grow, and businesses that typically receive money from abroad may turn to the relatively wealthy al-Shabab for financing.

The al-Qaida linked group has waged war against the country's central government for years, and has funded itself by taxing citizens in areas under its control.

Somalia's Transitional Federal Government has had some limited success driving the militants out of the capital Mogadishu in recent months. But Hassan Said Samantar, a minister of Galmudug State in central Somalia, said cutting off remittance flows could further destabilize the country.

“I find this move really very unfortunate for the Somali population at a time. Particularly at a time when Somalia is going forward with the roadmap and the security situation is improving and so on. Whenever Somalia is going forward it seems there are forces that push it back,” said Samantar.

The United States says Somali money transfer services handle up to $1.6 billion every year. And the international development agency Oxfam says about $100 million is sent directly from the United States.

Mohamed Ali Mohamud is a former Somali presidential candidate from Puntland. He now runs a borehole drilling company that operates in Somalia. He said the bigger money-wiring services have a very scant presence in Somalia and do not operate in al-Shabab controlled areas, leaving very few alternatives for cash transfers.

“Western Union or Moneygram, or whatever, they don't venture to go that area where those guys are controlling. But these Somali remittance [companies], they are taking risks. They make agreements with the local people there, for their safety, and then they make the remittances, immediately, without delay,” said Mohamud.

In addition, Western Union can charge a fee of up to 20%, while the hawala merchants charge between 2 and 5 percent.

Eastleigh businessman Mohamed Jamaa sells electronics, milk, biscuits and other small items that he imports from Somalia.

He said if the money is cut off at the source of the supply chain, it will immediately affect his business, and his ability to support his four sons who live at a refugee camp.

Jamaa said he gives the boys money to keep them occupied, but that if he can no longer support them, they may have no choice but to go back to Somalia and join al-Shabab.

The U.S. firm, Sunrise Community Banks, decided to shut down the money transfer service for fear it would be in violation of a U.S. counter-terrorism law if the money ended up in the wrong hands.

Somalia's Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali is urging the U.S. government to step in to help find another solution.

South Africa Legal Update: Selebi to Remain in Prison Hospital; Zuma Abandons NPA Appeal

Jackie Selebi, the former National Police Commissioner in the Republic of South Africa, was convicted of corruption in a widely publicized trial. The ANC stalwart could face up to 15 years in prison., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

No parole, but Jackie Selebi to stay in prison hospital

NICKOLAUS BAUER | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Dec 28 2011 11:11

Jackie Selebi will not receive medical parole but will be kept in the medical wing of a correctional facility "indefinitely", the department of correctional services said on Pretoria on Wednesday.

"Following the medical report from the staff at Steve Biko Academic Hospital it has been decided Mr Selebi will be kept in the medical wing of a correctional facility indefinitely, after his release from hospital," the national commissioner of correctional services,Tom Moyane, told reporters.

After losing the appeal against his conviction for corruption, the former commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) began his 15-year jail sentence on December 5.

According to Moyane, Selebi has received intermittent treatment for "uncontrollable sugar diabetes" and undergone laser surgery on his eyes since his arrival.

The 61-year-old former top cop was then transferred from prison to the Steve Biko Academic hospital in Pretoria on December 19 and is currently receiving treatment at the facility's nephrology ward.

Selebi is undergoing dialysis treatment at the facility and his current condition was described as "critical but stable" by hospital officials.

"This department is trying to be as transparent as possible, to dispel suggestions that Selebi is faking it," Moyane added.

At this stage neither Selebi nor his legal representatives have filed a formal application for medical parole.

There have also been no recommendations for medical parole from the doctors attending to Selebi.

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found Selebi guilty of receiving money in exchange for favours and information from convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti.

It is understood Selebi collapsed at his home in Waterkloof on December 2 upon hearing his appeal against his conviction failed in the Supreme Court of Appeal.


Zuma abandons bid to keep Simelane as NPA boss

NICKOLAUS BAUER | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Dec 28 2011 15:17

President Jacob Zuma has dropped his challenge of a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling that Menzi Simelane's appointment as head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is "invalid", it emerged on Wednesday.

In court papers filed with the Constitutional Court on December 23, Zuma formally withdrew his appeal against the December 1 judgment by the appeals court.

The SCA ruled that Simelane's appointment as the national director of public prosecutions in November 2009 was "inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid".

Dropping the Constitutional Court challenge effectively means Zuma must relieve Simelane of his duties as NPA boss.

The Democratic Alliance, which initially failed in its North Gauteng High Court bid to have Simelane's appointment overturned, welcomed the decision saying "common sense" had prevailed.

The official opposition argued that Simelane was not a "fit and proper person" for his position and that Zuma had failed to "follow proper procedure".

"The fact that the president is withdrawing his appeal means in effect that he will abide by the decision of the SCA. This must mean that he has decided to appoint someone else in this position," said the chairperson of the DA's federal executive, James Selfe.

The NPA refused to comment on Zuma's decision to withdraw the challenge, with spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga telling the Mail & Guardian it was up to the presidency to issue a statement on the matter.

Neither presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj nor justice department spokesperson Tlali Tlali could be reached for comment.

Legal woes

This is the latest in a series of legal woes befalling Zuma.

Last week the president appointed advocate Nomvula Mokhatla, the NPA's deputy national director of public prosecutions, to act as the head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

Mokhatla replaced Advocate Nomgcobo Jiba, another deputy national director of public prosecutions, who served in the position for less than a week following the controversial departure of Advocate Willem Heath.

Initial indications are promising though, as Zuma's greatest political foes the DA said they were "encouraged" by Mokhatla's replacement of Jiba.

The SIU and Simelane debacles came in the wake of an outcry over Zuma's decision to appoint Mogoeng Mogoeng as chief justice of the Constitutional Court in September.

Mogoeng's appointment came after Zuma "unconstitutionally" attempted to lengthen the term of then chief justice Sandile Ngcobo.

All of these decisions have come in a space of less than five months with opposition parties and analysts alike condemning Zuma for his apparent "blundering".

But, as the presidency is not made up of Zuma alone, it's uncertain as to who has been whispering bad advice into the president's ear.

Following the Ngcobo calamity, the role of chief state law adviser Enver Daniels in Zuma's choices was questioned.

Justice Minister Jeff Radebe has also been suggested as a possible source of the legal problems.

Zuma and the minister have a long standing relationship and are to be known political, so it would be a fair assumption that he has the president's attention when he talks.

But, despite the finger being pointed in his direction, Radebe has flatly refused to shoulder any blame.

When approached for comment prior to the SCA appeal withdrawal, Maharaj would not be drawn into commenting on Zuma's confidence in his legal advisors – or who was behind the bloopers.

"People are allowed to speculate -- just know that when there is a problem President Zuma acts," Maharaj said.

In an attempt to steady the ship, Zuma called in Michael Hulley to become his presidential legal advisor in early November.

"Mr Hulley's arrival was to reinforce the legal team -- not only in the presidency itself but across the board in the department of Justice," Maharaj noted.

But, the jury is still out on whether Hulley's experience in helping Zuma stave off charges of rape and corruption will lead to better overall legal decision making, or whether the controversial figure he cuts will be continued to be mired in the scandal surrounding his role in the Aurora mining saga.

The true test of Hulley's impact will only be felt in 2012 when further important decisions are made.

Maharaj maintained that as a constitutional democracy people were always free to hold opinions -- even if they are negative -- but also warned against the ease of "sucking your thumb" to form your views.

"It is a narrow way of looking at things, to label these as mere mishaps. This is a fact of grappling with the realities on the ground when you are building a constitutional democracy," surmised Maharaj.

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-12-28-zuma-abandons-bid-to-keep-simelane-as-npa-boss

Nigerian OPC Founder Urges Dialogue With Boko Haram

Crowd gathers outside an area where a bomb was planted at a Christian church in Nigeria near the capital of Abuja. The Boko Haram group has claimed responsibility., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Fasehun urges FG to dialogue with Boko Haram

On December 29, 2011
Nigerian Vanguard

By ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

Founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, yesterday, has said if care was not taken, the insecurity in the country may lead to a revolution.

Condemning last Christmas day bomb attacks on innocent Nigerians in the Northern part of the country, Fasehun, said it was time President Goodluck Jonathan, as the chief security officer allow influential Nigerian to intervene on the security matters and find solution to the problem.

Speaking at a briefing organised to proffer solutions to problems facing the country, he maintained that it was not enough to condemn the killings but that government must allow influential Nigerians mediate in the crisis.

He said government should get reputable Nigerians to meet with aggrieved individuals, put them together and meet with the Boko Haram leaders to put an end to the ceaseless bombings and killings.

He maintained there were Nigerians, who command respect, who could meet with the group and get them to surrender their weapons, adding that the security situation, particularly armed robbery and kidnapping was becoming more worrisome.

He decried the reactions of security operatives to insecurity in the country, lamenting that the operatives in themselves are paradoxically not secure, saying “there is hardly any street in Lagos State without vigilante group.”

Calling on President Jonathan to put on hold the plan to remove fuel subsidy, Fasehun cautioned the president not to go ahead with the removal, saying “he may not like the outflow and the reaction from the removal of the subsidy.”

He said oil subsidy removal was like adding salt to the injury of Nigerians, noting that such decision at this time will further impoverished the downtrodden, who are already down and struggling to survive.

Warning those advising the president on the removal, he said, “oil subsidy removal will do a lot of damages to this country and when the damage is open, a million of Okonjo Iweala will not stop it.”


Seven hurt as bomb hits madrassa in Nigeria

5:31pm EST
By Austin Ekeinde and Tife Owolabi

PORT HARCOURT/JOS (Reuters) - Assailants threw a homemade bomb into a madrassa in southern Nigeria's Delta state, police said, wounding seven people and escalating tensions between Muslims and Christians after a spate of church bombings across the nation.

Six of the wounded were children younger than nine learning the Koran at the Islamic seminary, or madrassa.

In a separate incident, armed Fulani herdsmen shot dead three members of a family in the ethnically and religiously mixed Plateau state on Wednesday, witnesses and officials said.

The school attack on Tuesday night came two days after Christmas Day bombings of churches and other targets by Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed 32 people in a coordinated strike that seemed aimed at igniting sectarian strife.

"Some men driving in a Camry car threw a low-capacity explosive into a building where an Arabic class was taking place," police spokesman Charles Muka said.

"Children aged between four and nine were taking a lesson. Six children were injured and one adult," he said.

He said police suspected a local vigilante group.

Boko Haram, a sect which aims to impose Islamic sharia law across Nigeria, claimed responsibility for the December 25 attacks, the second Christmas in a row it has caused carnage.

The worst attack killed at least 27 people in the St Theresa Catholic church in Madalla, a town on the edge of the capital Abuja, and devastated surrounding buildings and cars as worshippers poured out of the church after Christmas mass.

The attacks risk reviving sectarian violence between the mostly Muslim north and Christian south, which has killed thousands of people in the past decade.

"DECLARATION OF WAR"

Speaking at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, Ayo Oritsejafor, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella group for all denominations, said Christians had become victims of "Islamic Jihad."

"It is considered as a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria," Oritsejafor said. "CAN has found the responses of ... Islamic bodies on this matter to be unacceptable and an abdication of their responsibilities."

"The Christian Community is fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights."

Jonathan promised to do more to tackle the threat of Islamists and hinted at a reshuffle in his security services.

"We will restructure ... and make sure we get a team that will meet with the challenge we are facing today," he said. "I will plead with religious leaders, both Muslim and Christian leaders, to work together."

Nigerian Christians fear the Christmas Day bombings could lead to a religious war in Africa's most populous country.

There was no suggestion the killings in Plateau had any link to Sunday's church bombings, as the victims were Christians.

The state is a tinderbox of ethnic and religious rivalries over land and power between local people and migrants from other areas that often take the form of sectarian strife between the state's Christian and Muslim communities.

Women wept and wailed in anguish over the bodies of a husband and wife in their thirties and their baby child, all of which were riddled with bullet holes.

"When the Fulani herdsmen came around late in the night, I managed to escape through the window before they killed my son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter with guns," said Mary Pam, the mother of Philip Francis, one of the victims.

(Additional reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja and Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Myra MacDonald and Matthew Jones)

Nigerian Royal Dutch Shell Oil Spill at Bonga: Senate Directs Agencies to Check Shoreline Leaks

Nigeria Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke faces the challenge of maintaining production levels amid growing unrest in the petroleum producing regions of the West African state, the continent's most populous. Nigeria held national elections in 2011., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Bonga spill: Senate directs agencies to check shoreline oil

By Emeka Ugwuanyi, Kelvin Okunbor and Oluwakemi Dauda
Nigerian Nation

The Senate Committee on Environment has directed the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to examine the oil noticed on the shoreline when the members of the committee had an overfly of the Bonga facility to have a firsthand information of the Bonga oil spill, which has been on since last week.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Bukola Saraki, and his members, who addressed the press after their visit to the facility, said the directive has become imperative to determine whether the oil spill they noticed was from Bonga or a third party asset.

He also expressed concerns over the poor funding of response agencies.

Consequently, the agencies will take a sample of the spill on the coastline to determine, which facility was liable for the spill.

The committee commended the efforts of Shell at containing the incident, explaining that they overflew to Forcados to get comprehensive assessment of the incident.

Saraki said: “We were able to fly over the area and it was clear that a lot of work has been done by Shell to clean up most of the spill that has occurred. Shell has been effective in response to containing the incident.

“We also had the opportunity to look at some of the satellite images that supported how the event started since December 21. Shell officials also explained to us what led to the spill, how one of the three lines that supply crude to the export tankers gave up. Why the line gave up is still being investigated but definitely Shell exhibited corporate responsibility by shutting all operations and production immediately the incident occurred.

“We also flew across to Forcados where there was clearly some oil at the shoreline but at the moment it is not clear if it was coming from a third party facility or from Bonga. NOSDRA and DPR have been told to go and carry out examination of the oil to determine where the oil came from.

“The committee also appealed to the communities there to co-operate to quicken the clean up of the shoreline. Frankly, what we saw is human resources equipment pooled together to address the incident. But going forward, until the cause of the spill is determined; it will be difficult to decide what to do.”

The committee said it also wants NOSDRA and government to have independent spill clean-up organisations, stressing that it was possible for Shell to quickly respond to the spill because it is a big and responsible company.

Apart from the Shell spill, Saraki noted that the committee has gone through the Niger Delta and discovered there are issues and there is urgent need to address them. He said oil companies including the indigenous firms, should be directed to get prepared to tackle emergencies, such as the Bonga incident to protect the country and the environment.

Other members of the committee at the event were Prof. Ben Ayade; Vice Chairman, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and Senator Bolu Kunlere as well as Secretary of the committee, Vibi Njamanze.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has raised an alarm over the oil spillage from the Bonga facility, which is rated the worst to hit the country since 1998.

The Bonga facility is located about 120 kilometres off Nigeria’s coast and produces 200,000 barrel of oil per day.

The slick from the Shell facility was said to have affected over 115 miles of ocean near the nation’s coast and putting at risk fish, birds, vegetation and other marine resources in the areas.

Nigerian Christian Leaders Want Solutions to Blasts

A series of bomb attacks were carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day, 2011. Reports indicate that the Boko Haram Islamic group claimed responsibility for the attacks., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Christian leaders want solution to blasts

Thursday, 29 December 2011 00:00 From Oghogho Obayuwana, John-Abba Ogbodo, Emeka Anuforo, Lillian Chukwu (Abuja) and Chuks Collins (Awka)
Nigerian Guardian
.
Okogie blames govt for fresh violence

34 confirmed dead, victims decry rejection

THOUGH the Christmas day blasts may have quit smoldering, the pain and anger rankle as Christian leaders yesterday urged the Federal Government to “do more” in its desire to protect Nigerians from dastardly acts such as bomb blasts being detonated in parts of the country.

The President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritshejafor; erstwhile CAN leader, His Eminence, Sunday Mbang; as well as the parish priest of the ruined St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Madalla Rev. Fr. Isaac Achi made the call yesterday when a delegation of Christian leaders visited the bombed church premises.

The CAN delegation left the scene of the blast by 4.00pm. Madalla is about 50 minutes drive from Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after a combined prayer session by the faithful that had gathered inside the damaged building, Oritshejafor said: “We have said that this cannot be accepted. We are praying for those responsible for security in our country including the ones you see manning here now. But we want our leaders to have the political will to do more and take more action than we have seen... If you protect mad people and you think you are protecting your religion, you are wrong.”

Asked what should be the response from the aggrieved Christians now, he said: “These are difficult times. What has happened is difficult to take, we know this… but my appeal is: Do not revenge, protect yourselves...”

Muslim leaders had earlier also visited the church. Asked about the level of interfaith cooperation in the aftermath of the bomb blast, the CAN leader said: “We are happy that the Ulama came but we want to encourage them to go a step further. I keep saying this that the people doing this (bombing) are not spirits. Now there are many more things I wish to say but I cannot make any pronouncements now until after the conclusion of our meetings.”

Addressing the faithful earlier, Oritshejafor said the delegation had come to show solidarity. He quoted from the book of John 16:23, reminding the congregation of Jesus’ words: “I have overcome the world... our belief in God must be stronger now than before. You will hear from us. Nigeria will still be great. Nobody will reduce this country. No body will overthrow God’s plan for you. Be encouraged. Strength comes from God.”

In a joint prayer led by Mbang, the traumatised relatives of victims and Nigerian Christians were urged not to despair. Mbang said: “Although this is very difficult, but we do also pray today as you have taught us: Father forgive them (perpetrators of bomb blast) for they know not what they have done.”

The head of the Catholic faith in the country, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, yesterday described the prevailing state of insecurity in the nation as very worrisome and embarrassing.

The cleric, who spoke in Awka yesterday at the commissioning of the new N500 million St Peter’s Catholic Church complex built and furnished by a businessman, Dr. Austin Ndigwe, said the Boko Haram menace had been nearly pampered by the government to the chagrin of the observing international community.

“Even the bombs for the New Year day are ready, the government and the security agencies have failed the people”, he pointed out.

According to him, “the way Nigeria is going today, to say we are making progress is to deceive ourselves, especially under the present administration. We are not doing well at all, more so, as it appears that under this administration anything the masses want is what the government would work against…”

He noted that the Federal Government had not told Nigerians what it did with funds from similar policies as the removal of petroleum subsidy in the past or what it intended doing with the proceeds of the fuel subsidy removal. He cautioned those in government to desist from taking the electorate for fools.

Besides, three days after the Madalla, Sulieja bomb blasts, victims have decried lack of adequate medical attention. Reasons were also given for the initial rejection of victims by top hospitals as government dismisses any idea of medical evacuation to other countries.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said 96 victims had been identified and 34 confirmed dead.

The Guardian learnt that emergency and referred cases were turned back at the hospitals due to the shortage of medical personnel, inadequate facilities of the health institutions to accommodate the already overwhelmed bedding capacities and lackadaisical attitude of some health professionals in the provision of quality healthcare services to victims.

But reliable sources told The Guardian that the main reason for the rejection was that “the government has not even redeemed the expenses incurred on treatment of victims of the last United Nations suicide bomb blast in August.”

According to the source, “it will be foolhardy for any medical institution that depends on such operational funds to embark on adequate treatment without assurance of further payment for the new blast cases.”

During a tour of the National Hospital Abuja (NHA), Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital (GTH) and State House Clinic by the minister yesterday, doctors at the GTH were seen preparing patients for transfer to the NHA for computerised tomography scans which were lacking in the “newly equipped hospital.”

A 32-year-old unemployed survivor of the blast, pleaded for more medical attention at GTH.

He said: “The doctors are compromising because they saw the minister. They should help us (victims) with better treatment,” he lamented.

The Chief Medical Director, GTH, Dr. Peter Alabi refused to address questions from the press on the matter just as his counterpart at the NHA, Prof. Bala Shehu refuted any claim of initial rejection of victims by the top hospital.

Reacting to the Christmas bombings, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), advised Christians in the country not to engage in any reprisal attacks, noting that vengeance belongs to God.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Ndoma-Egba noted that although the attacks on churches were becoming rampant, Christians in the country should engage in prayers for God to find a lasting solution to the development.

Besides, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Tuesday that over 10,000 persons were displaced by the recent blasts in Yobe State.

Nigerian United Nations Office Bombing in August Claims One More Worker

United Nations offices in Abuja, Nigeria were destroyed in a powerful explosion on August 26, 2011. The building was reportedly hit by a truck loaded with explosives. 60 or more casualties are reported, with 10 dead., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Abuja UN office bombing claims one more worker

Thursday, 29 December 2011 00:00 From Martin Oloja (Abuja), Francis Obinor (Lagos) and Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) News -

EU, Germany condemn attack on churches

AS the world condemns the bombing of churches in some parts of Nigeria on Christmas Day by the Boko Haram sect, the United Nations has announced the death of one more person as a result of the attack on the UN House in Abuja on August 26, 2011 by the same Islamic fundamentalist group.

According to a statement, the late United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) official, Mr. Fred Willis, who passed on in South Africa on December 23 was one of the critically injured UN staff members on life support systems who were evacuated to South Africa on air ambulances in August.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Daouda Toure, who has consoled the family of the victim, described the late Willis as “a dedicated UN professional who, among other accomplishments, contributed immensely to building the capacity of staff and national institutions in vaccine security and logistics for humanity”.

The statement noted that the death toll from the bomb blast now stands at 25: 13 UN staff and 12 non-UN staff.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has described the Christmas Day bombings as cowardly and expressed a strong backing for Nigeria in its efforts to check the menace of terrorism spreading in the northern part of the country.

In a statement, the Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , Catherine Ashton, expressed shock at the attacks.

Catherine, who is also the Vice President of the European Union Commission said: “I condemn in the strongest possible terms these attacks and all other acts of terrorism. We stand behind the Nigerian authorities in their fight against terrorism, to protect all citizens in particular the most vulnerable and to preserve the right to life and rule of law.”

Also, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Christian Wulff, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take decisive action against masterminds of the dastardly act, describing the bombing as cowardly and not part of the teachings of any religion. He called on the community of nations to stand together against the terror.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in his reaction lamented the killing of innocent Nigerians by religious extremists and said: “Sadly, even on Christmas Day the world has not been spared the horrors of cowardly terrorist attacks. These things are not only a message conveyed by the Christian Christmas as well as other world religions.

They can also be – for that is indeed the lesson of over 60 years of recent European history – the key to the peace, freedom and prosperity of entire regions.”

Nigerian Presidential Election Results Upheld by Supreme Court

Retired-General Muhammad Buhari, who is a former Nigerian military head-of-state, has had his petition to overturn the results of the national presidential elections rejected by the Supreme Court. Goodluck Jonathan was upheld as President., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

President hails ruling, woos CPC’s supporters

Nigerian Guardian

THE Supreme Court has put a judicial seal of approval on President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory at the April 16, 2011 presidential polls.

In affirming Jonathan as the validly elected President, the aåpex court yesterday dismissed the appeal by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) for failing to prove that its claims of non-compliance with the 2010 Electoral Act by the electoral umpire substantially affected the outcome of the polls.

Although the CPC was without its presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in the bid to nullify Jonathan’s victory following his pledge not to challenge the outcome in court, he however deplored the apex court’s ruling.

Buhari, in a swift reaction to the ruling, said the apex court toed the same path it followed in 2003 and 2007, when it gave similar judgments on his appeal against the victory of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his successor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He said all who witnessed the conduct of the 2011 elections would know that the Supreme Court’s decision was “politically motivated and has little judicial content.

“This Supreme Court has proved no better than the Supreme Courts of 2003 and 2007,” Buhari stated.

Buhari also called for a new order in governance. He particularly called for the abolishment of security votes, cut in recurrent expenditure, by reducing salaries and allowances of public officers.

Except for the estacodes of the Presidency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and medical emergencies, Buhari asked the government to slash those of other agencies and be transparent in the management of allocations to the armed forces and security agencies.

He added: “If all hands are on deck to help save our country from imminent collapse, we should stabilise. When that happens, Nigeria should take a close look at the country’s structure in a calm and unemotional atmosphere. Hopefully, we may come to a better form of government to see Nigeria through the next 50 years.”

President Jonathan, who also reacted to the judgment, welcomed the unanimous confirmation by the Supreme Court that he won the election.

In a statement yesterday, the President applauded the ruling by seven justices of the court, saying it was in line with the decision of the vast majority of Nigerians and political parties at the polling centres.

He also commended Buhari for availing himself of the country’s legal and judicial system in expressing his reservations about the conduct of the elections.

Now that the process has run its full course, Jonathan “hopes that General Buhari and his party will accept the ruling of the esteemed justices of the Supreme Court in good faith and join hands with him and other well-meaning Nigerians to build a united, stronger and prosperous nation that present and future generations of Nigerians can be proud of.”

The seven-man panel of the apex court in a unanimous decision held that the CPC failed in its appeal to show how its claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) substantially affected the outcome of the elections.

The court said although CPC’s case was built on claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and criminal allegations such as ballot box stuffing and sundry electoral malpractices, it abandoned the latter (criminal allegations) and focused on the former (non-compliance with the Electoral Act).

It noted that although the appellant tried to focus on pursuing the claim of non- compliance, it failed to establish how that shortcoming, which it held was not substantial, affected the result of the election. The justices further held that CPC did not prove its case beyond doubt that it had been shortchanged by any lapse from INEC in the conduct of the said polls.

The party also prayed the apex court to either void the election and order INEC to organise a re-run election between its candidate and that of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or in the alternative, remit the case-file to the tribunal and order the Appeal Court President to constitute a fresh panel to hear the appeal de-novo (afresh).

The respondents were INEC’s Chairman, Attahiru, Jega, the 36 states’ Resident Electoral Commissioners and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), President Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and the PDP.

The lower tribunal did not only dismiss CPC’s petition, but also held that the electoral exercise was conducted in line with the provisions of both the 2010 Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.

But dissatisfied with the verdict of the five-man tribunal presided over by Justice Kumai Bayaang Akaahs, CPC’s counsel, Mr. Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), told the Supreme Court that the tribunal wrongfully evaluated evidences that were adduced before it by witnesses the party called.

In the brief of argument it entered at the apex court registry on November 28, the CPC contended that the trial tribunal erred in law when it rejected documents required to prove multiple thumb-printing, non-distribution of electoral materials as well as occasioned miscarriage of justice by not ascertaining the actual number of required voters, the accredited number of voters and the actual number of voters that voted in the disputed election.

On the other hand, counsel to President Jonathan and Sambo, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety, saying it grossly lacked in both substance and merit.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Dahiru Musdapher, presided over the panel that heard the appeal. The other justices on the panel are Mahmud Mohammed, Walter Onnoghen, John Afolabi Fabiyi, Olufunlola Adekeye, Bode Rhodes-Vivour and Sylvester Ngwuta.

Buhari, who recounted the previous “sins” of the Supreme Court, said: “In 2003, we presented a cast iron case before the Court of Appeal citing several major infringements of the Electoral Act 2002. In particular we subpoenaed INEC to furnish the court with proof of the ‘result’ they declared. They did not, because they could not. The court still declared the result as valid. Worse still, the Supreme Court upheld this dubious ruling of a dubious election.

“In 2007, I and my party, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) produced copious proof that the presidential election was rigged in the most blatant fashion. For one, ballot papers were distributed to polling stations on blank sheets of paper, making it impossible to carry out an audit trail. Second, during the process of tallying the result, the egregious Professor Maurice Iwu, then Chairman of INEC excused himself from the collation venue (after only 11 states and Abuja of the 36 states were tabulated) and announced the “result.” At the time he made this announcement, voting materials had not even fully arrived in some states. Only in Nigeria and only under a government like PDP’s would these criminalities pass the sanction of the judiciary. Yet on appeal, the Justice Idris Kutigi’s Supreme Court after a long adjournment declared the election valid, with three justices dissenting.”

On the 2011 elections, Buhari said the exercise was eclipsed in more depth and scope with forgery and rigging.

He did not spare INEC’s boss (Jega) of blame in the alleged fraud that characterised the election. Buhari said Jega, who was touted as competent and a man of integrity, proved neither and attributed the spontaneous violence that broke out in parts of the country after the announcement of the “result” to the way the polls were handled.

The CPC boss lamented that the country, which was on the brink of developing into the major continental power in 1999, is now a “fractured society, corruption everywhere, violence everywhere, a sense of helplessness and hopelessness nearly everywhere.”

He urged the National Assembly to give a lead in reducing their allowances substantially and stopping their foreign travels, adding that savings should be applied to education, infrastructure and agriculture with emphasis on youth employment.

The PDP, Senate President David Mark, and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal yesterday described the ruling as a confirmation of the decisions of Nigerians at the polls.

The PDP said the ruling has again vindicated the position of most Nigerians on the sanctity of the general elections.

Mark said the judgment is a reflection of the wishes of the people of Nigeria. In a statement issued by his media adviser, Kola Ologbondiyan, Mark urged Jonathan and Sambo to dedicate themselves to the service of the country.

The Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu enjoined Nigerians to support the Jonathan’s administration for speedy transformation of the country. Tambuwal said the judgment reaffirmed the decision Nigerians made by electing the President during last April‘s presidential election.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Imam Imam, Tambuwal urged the opposition, especially the CPC, to support the current administration to develop the country.

China EXIM Lends More to Africa Than World Bank, Fitch Says

Pan-African leader and President of the Republic of Guinea, Ahmed Sekou Toure, having dinner with the leader of the People's Republic of China and head of the Communist Party of China on September 12, 1960., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

China EXIM Lends More to Africa Than World Bank, Fitch Says

December 28, 2011, 7:01 PM EST
By Mike Cohen

Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Export-Import Bank of China extended $12.5 billion more in loans to sub-Saharan Africa in the past decade than the World Bank, Fitch Ratings said.

State-owned EXIM lent about $67.2 billion to the world’s poorest region between 2001 and 2010 compared with the World Bank’s $54.7 billion, the ratings company said in a report e- mailed from London today.

“It is estimated that 20 percent of EXIM bank’s total business volume is conducted with Africa,” Fitch said. “Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan have been traditional recipients of EXIM loans since the bank’s founding in 1994. However, more recent projects suggest an even distribution across the African continent.”

China has been boosting ties with Africa, as it seeks to secure access to the continent’s raw materials and new markets for its manufactured goods. In return it has provided African governments with financing to help develop their economies, attaching less stringent loan conditions than institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

“Absence of political strings, competitive interest rates and flexible repayment schedules compared with Western counterparts, makes China’s loans highly attractive,” Fitch said. “For countries dependent on foreign aid, such as Ghana and Mozambique, Chinese loans offer an alternative source of capital against more traditional donor demands, particularly given growing infrastructure needs.”

Foreign Direct Investment

Chinese loans to sub-Saharan Africa exceed the Asian nation’s foreign direct investment in the region, with cumulative investment reaching $11 billion as of 2010, according to the ratings company. Most EXIM loans have been used for infrastructure projects, Fitch said.

China Development Bank Corp., the state-owned policy lender, has its own special loan program with Africa to help small- and medium-sized companies secure financing and build local markets. Since the program’s inception last year, the bank has helped fund more than 1,000 projects that created 50,000 jobs in more than 25 African countries, Fitch said, citing data provided by the state lender.

“Long-term debt sustainability is a concern, given poor transparency regarding loan terms and the weak debt management capacity of borrowers,” Fitch said. By the end of 2009 “35 African countries had debts canceled by China, amounting to approximately $30 billion.”

--Editors: Nasreen Seria, Emily Bowers

To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Cohen in Cape Town at mcohen21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

Occupy the PGA in Benton Harbor, March 23-27, 2012

Marchers demonstrate through downtown Benton Harbor, Michigan where the right-wing governor has imposed an emergency manager who fired the mayor and city council. The crisis of the U.S. political system is being further polarized. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe), a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

A personal invitation from the President of the NAACP , Benton Harbor Chapter !

It is our distinct honor and privilege to invite you on behalf of the NAACP-BH , the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO) and Stop The Take Over in Benton Harbor, Michigan to an event scheduled for May 23-27, 2012 .

Occupy the PGA
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Senior PGA Golf Tournament

We are committed to escalating the Occupy Movement to support human rights in housing in addition to the push back against bailouts for fraudulent banks. They are stealing our homes and lives. Democracy is non-existent here in Benton Harbor. Joseph Harris, the Emergency Manager must go! With pride, he called himself a "dictator."

The PGA will be played on a $750 million dollar, 530-acre resort near the lakeshore with $500,000 condominiums. We can not forget the three golf holes inside Jean Klock Park that were taken from the Benton Harbor residents.

If your schedule does not permit your attendance on May 26, 2012, alternative action dates are May 23-25, 2012. Please let me know if you can accept the invitation to participate in Occupy the PGA. We eagerly await your response. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me directly at (269-925-0001). Allow me to thank you in advance.We the residents of Benton Harbor love you!

President/NAACP/BANCO
& Stop The Take Over
Benton Harbor
Rev. Edward Pinkney
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
269-925
0001