Aitizaz Hassan, a 15-year-old boy who sacrificed his own life to save 2,000 fellow students has been hailed a hero in Pakistan. He tackled a suicide bomber on January 6 outside his school and prevented him from detonating his bomb inside that would almost certainly have killed most of the students present there. He has been awarded Sitara-e Shujjat, Pakistan's highest civilian award, posthumously.
One of the most evil persons ever to walk on the face of earth, Ariel Sharon, has died, at last. He was 85 and had been in a coma since January 2006 after suffering multiple strokes. He was a mass murderer and went to his grave with the blood of tens of thousands innocent Palestinians, Lebanese and Egyptians on his hands. May he receive punishment commensurate with his vile deeds.
Robert Gates, the former US Defence Secretary has confirmed in writing what Afghan President Hamid Karzai had said all along: that the US wants to manipulate the 2014 presidential election in Afghanistan the way it tried in 2009. In his about to be published memoirs, Gates says the late US diplomat for Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke was actively involved in undermining Karzai.
For frequent flyers, going through airport security checkpoints has become a nightmare. The so-called screeners are more like sexual predators. They are rude, ill-trained and have an attitude of do not give a damn. Are such intrusive searches really necessary or they are part of an elaborate scheme to create paranoia to take even the few rights people have in the West?
Foreign backed terrorist groups are fighting each other more than the Syria forces. They are also indulging in gruesome acts that have appalled most Syrians. They wish to have nothing to do with such barbarism.
It seems American soldiers take special pleasure in insulting Muslim sensitivities as happened yet again in Afghanistan's Wardak Province last night. American soldiers barged into a village mosque in the province and not only desecrated the mosque with their filthy boots but also desecrated copies of the Quran. There were immediate protests when word spread of the latest American outrage.
The military-backed regime in Egypt is becoming extremely brutal. Ousted President Mohamed Mursi is not permitted even to consult his lawyers before his scheduled court appearance on January 8. How is he expected to defend himself against bizarre charges that are politically motivated?
The Saudis appear determined to create massive conflict in the Ummah. Having failed to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Asad in Syria, they are now going after Lebanon. Their aim is to instigate sectarian conflict in the strategic town of Sidon that is a gateway to the south where Hizbullah has faced the zionists for several decades. Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan heads the campaign.
Poverty and violence are two characteristics frequently associated with Bangladesh. Today's election that was boycotted by all the opposition parties was marred by killings and firebombing of polling stations. Turnout was extremely low. While the “incumbent” prime minister Hasina Wajed may claim victory, the extremely low turnout and boycott by international observers have cast serious doubts about its validity.
Majed al-Majed, head of the Saudi-backed Abdullah Azzam Brigade, has died in mysterious circumstances in a Beirut hospital. He was captured from Sidon only last Monday and DNA tests had confirmed his identity. The group had claimed responsibility for the Iran Embassy bombing of November 19 resulting in 26 deaths. Iran wanted to join the investigation by questioning Majed. By killing Majed, this possibility has been eliminated.
The military has ordered the police to use maximum force against peaceful protesters in Egypt. The police are happy to oblige as the rampage after Juma prayers today demonstrated yet again. At least 19 protesters were shot and killed across Egypt and dozens injured. Their crime? They were protesting against the forthcoming referendum on a new constitution that has been drafted by a committee hand-picked by the military.
The latest terrorist car bombing, as all previous ones, can be traced directly to the Saudis. More particularly, Saudi intelligence chief Band bin Sultan is the one financing car and suicide bombings from Syria to Lebanon and from Iraq to Pakistan. Bandar is desperate because his plan to destabilize Syria and drive Bashar al-Asad from power has failed. The people of Lebanon, Iraq and Syria are paying the price.
The Saudi terrorist mastermind, Majed ibn Muhammad al-Majed, has been captured by Lebanese intelligence forces and is being interrogated in Beirut. He is believe to be head of the Saudi-funded Abdullah Azzam Brigade that had masterminded the November 19 twin car bombings of Iran's embassy in Beirut. The terror bombings killed 26 people and injured another 150. It will be interesting to see what information Majed provides.
We present our assessment of the past year: what was good and what was not so good or outright bad. The past, as it is said, is a mirror to the future. Since life is a continuum, events of the past have a bearing on the future. We present our pick of the past year.
The zionists never tire of proclaiming the greatness of Israel yet its reality is anything but. According to the latest statistics, at least 20 percent of Jewish children are sexually abused and one in three children live in poverty.
The once strongman and military dictator of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf is a worried man these days. Under house arrest since April, he faces a number of charges, the latest being treason that could send him to the gallows. While this is highly unlikely, his fall from grace and humiliation offer salutary lessons for would-be dictators.
The miltiary and its henchmen in Egypt are getting desperate. While the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon, the country's only organized and most popular group has been banned and most of its leaders imprisoned, the regime has also unleashed thugs against them. In any other society, this would be roundly condemned. Instead, puppet media outlets are egging people on to attack the Ikhwan. Civil war cannot be very far.
Will Karzai sign the deal or won't he is the question giving sleepless nights to the Washington warlords. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is playing coy about signing the deal that would allow US forces to remain in Afghanistan indefinitely under the erroneously labeled Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). Will Afghanistan come to America's rescue if the latter were attacked? The US wants a free hand in Afghanistan after 2014.
A massive car bomb exploded in Beirut's commercial district early today killing the former finance minister, Mohammad Shatah and five other people. At least 10 buildings were set on fire as ambulances rushed to the scene to pick up the wounded and dead. The explosion is bound to sharpen divisions in Lebanon. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri hinted at Hizbullah's involvement, something the resistance group does not indulge in.
