By Justin Hyatt DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – With newfound liberties for the Kurdish minority and the government’s “Democratic Opening” initiative, the prospects for peace in Turkey may be brighter now than they have been in the past 25 years. The fly in the ointment is the ban in December of the pro-Kurd Democratic Society Party (DTP). The December 11, 2009, decision of the Constitutional Court declaring DTP illegal was a hard blow for the Kurds, at about 20 million people the country’s largest minority. Expressing concern over the court ruling, the presidency of the European Union called on Turkey to reform … Continue reading Turkey’s Kurd initiative falters

By Zahid U Kramet LAHORE – Pakistan and the United States are apparently not on the same page in regard to the Afghan Taliban, particularly insofar as the Haqqani network in Afghanistan is concerned. Washington clearly sees Sirajuddin Haqqani as the enemy. Pakistan sees him as a possible ally in the exit of the US from the war theater beginning in 2011. The US views Haqqani’s fallback position (read sanctuary) in Pakistan as a direct threat to the Western coalition in Afghanistan and has warned of expanded drone strikes into Pakistani territory if it did not move more aggressively against … Continue reading Pakistan deals with its devils

Posted by Mehdi Hasan – 04 January 2010 21:52 My challenge to the publicity-seeking, extremist windbag From the Guardian: The leader of Islam4UK has said he will try to persuade people in Wootton Bassett to back an anti-war parade along the main street – the same route used to bring home the bodies of troops from Afghanistan. Anjem Choudary , whose group is an offshoot of the radical al-Muhajiroun movement, has caused anger by calling for members to parade through the Wiltshire town carrying up to 500 coffins symbolising the Muslim dead from the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. But why does … Continue reading 10 Questions for Anjem Choudary (aka Abu Jahil)

By Tolu Ogunlesi January 3, 2010 01:09AMT <!– –> There are speculations over where and when Umar Farouk, the Nigerian at the centre of the attempted bombing of an American plane, got radicalized. In the words of his family, the recent manifestations are “a very recent development.” According to them, “Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern.” In January 2005, while he was still at boarding school in Lome, he lamented his “loneliness” on an Islamic internet forum, in a post that raises doubts about his family’s claims … Continue reading The radicalisation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

Don’t allow ‘climate of fear’ to develop By Rebecca Attwood NUS calls for calm as investigations at UCL continue into radical Islam claims. Rebecca Attwood reports // The National Union of Students has warned against allowing a “climate of fear” to develop on UK campuses amid claims that a Nigerian man suspected of attempting to bomb a US passenger jet was radicalised while studying in the UK. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who allegedly tried to blow up an aeroplane over Detroit on Christmas Day, is a former engineering and business student at University College London. He graduated in 2008 and is … Continue reading Don’t allow ‘climate of fear’ to develop

ISLAMABAD – The suicide attack on the United States Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA’s) forward operating base of Chapman in the Afghan province of Khost last week was planned in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan. The attacker – a handpicked plant in the Afghan National Army (ANA) – detonated his explosive vest in a gym at the base, killing seven agents, including the station chief, and wounding six. The base was officially for civilians involved in reconstruction. The plan was executed following several weeks of preparation by al-Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil (Shadow Army), Asia Times Online has learned. This was … Continue reading US spies walked into al-Qaeda’s trap