Indian writer and political activist Arundhati Roy said the generally accepted
image of Gandhi was a lie. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Watch: Hamas Places Civilians in the Line of Fire
IDF releases another video showing how Hamas deliberately puts civilian lives in danger.
The IDF has released another video which shows how Hamas deliberately puts civilian lives in danger.
The video shows that Hamas hides weapons and missile launchers in densely populated areas and sends men, women and children directly into the line of fire to be used as human shields for terrorists.
Hamas has openly boasted about the "success" of its strategy of using civilians as human shields during Operation Protective Edge, and the IDF has published extensive evidence of the practice.
By contrast, the IDF has dropped leaflets, sent phone messages, and issued general warnings to all civilians within range of upcoming airstrikes to prevent further harm.
The IDF has also called off attacks upon realizing that there are innocent civilians in the area or, as shown in the video below, when seeing the terrorist target enter an ambulance.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
The IDF has released another video which shows how Hamas deliberately puts civilian lives in danger.
The video shows that Hamas hides weapons and missile launchers in densely populated areas and sends men, women and children directly into the line of fire to be used as human shields for terrorists.
Hamas has openly boasted about the "success" of its strategy of using civilians as human shields during Operation Protective Edge, and the IDF has published extensive evidence of the practice.
By contrast, the IDF has dropped leaflets, sent phone messages, and issued general warnings to all civilians within range of upcoming airstrikes to prevent further harm.
The IDF has also called off attacks upon realizing that there are innocent civilians in the area or, as shown in the video below, when seeing the terrorist target enter an ambulance.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Christians flee Mosul after ISIS ultimatum to convert or leave
Al Arabiya News
Christians have fled Iraq’s northern city of Mosul en masse before a Saturday deadline issued by the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) for them to either convert to Islam, pay tax, leave or be killed.
Al Arabiya correspondent in Iraq Majid Hamid said the deadline set by the jihadist group was 12 p.m. Iraqi time (10 a.m. GMT). Hamid reported that many Christians fled the city on Friday. It is not clear if any remained after the deadline.
Patriarch Louis Sako told AFP on Friday: “Christian families are on their way to Dohuk and Arbil,” in the neighboring autonomous region of Kurdistan. “For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians,” he said.
Witnesses said messages telling Christians to leave the city by Saturday were blared through loudspeakers from the city’s mosques Friday.
A statement dated from last week and purportedly issued by ISIS that took over the city and large swathes of Iraq during a sweeping offensive last month warned Mosul’s Christians they should convert, pay a special tax, leave or face death.
“We were shocked by the distribution of a statement by the Islamic State calling on Christians to convert to Islam, or to pay unspecified tribute, or to leave their city and their homes taking only their clothes and no luggage, and that their homes would then belong to the Islamic State,” Sako said.
The patriarch, who is one of the most senior Christian clerics in Iraq, and residents contacted by AFP said Islamic State militants had in recent days been tagging Christian houses with the letter N for “Nassarah”, the term by which the Koran refers to Christians.
The statement, which was seen by AFP, said “there will be nothing for them but the sword” if Christians reject those conditions.
[With AFP]
Worshippers attend mass on Christmas Eve at a Christian church in
Mosul,
about 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, December 24, 2009.
(Reuters)
Al Arabiya correspondent in Iraq Majid Hamid said the deadline set by the jihadist group was 12 p.m. Iraqi time (10 a.m. GMT). Hamid reported that many Christians fled the city on Friday. It is not clear if any remained after the deadline.
Patriarch Louis Sako told AFP on Friday: “Christian families are on their way to Dohuk and Arbil,” in the neighboring autonomous region of Kurdistan. “For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians,” he said.
Witnesses said messages telling Christians to leave the city by Saturday were blared through loudspeakers from the city’s mosques Friday.
A statement dated from last week and purportedly issued by ISIS that took over the city and large swathes of Iraq during a sweeping offensive last month warned Mosul’s Christians they should convert, pay a special tax, leave or face death.
“We were shocked by the distribution of a statement by the Islamic State calling on Christians to convert to Islam, or to pay unspecified tribute, or to leave their city and their homes taking only their clothes and no luggage, and that their homes would then belong to the Islamic State,” Sako said.
The patriarch, who is one of the most senior Christian clerics in Iraq, and residents contacted by AFP said Islamic State militants had in recent days been tagging Christian houses with the letter N for “Nassarah”, the term by which the Koran refers to Christians.
The statement, which was seen by AFP, said “there will be nothing for them but the sword” if Christians reject those conditions.
[With AFP]
Netherlands in a bind over possible Russian involvement in MH17 crash, reports NYT
Having suffered the largest casualty in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash, the Netherlands is now caught in a dilemma over the prospect that Russian-backed separatists are involved in the tragedy as it counts Russia as a big trading partner, reported the New York Times today.The Dutch government is mindful of the fact that Russia is the country's third largest trade partner, with constantly expanding business ties, especially in natural gas, the paper reported.
According to Malaysia Airlines, of the 298 people aboard MH17, 192 passengers were Dutch nationals.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has not been as vocal as United States President Barack Obama on the MH17 disaster, said the newspaper.
Rutte told a press conference yesterday that flight MH17 had been taken down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM).
"It seems as if MH17 was shot down, but we have no exact information on what actually caused the disaster," Rutte was quoted as saying on state television.
Rutte's diplomatic reaction illustrates the small manoeuvring space the Dutch have when it comes to its relations with Russia.
"We are a small country, dependent on our exports," the New York Times quoted Alexander Pechtold as saying.
Pechtold heads D66, a liberal democratic party and is also one of Netherlands' main opposition leaders.
"Unlike the United States, we cannot always react from our moral high ground.
"However, if proven that the Russians are responsible for this terrible event, we cannot look in the opposite direction," he said in the New York Times report.
It reported that prominent Dutch author and historian Geert Mak as saying the Dutch were in a difficult position due to Russian support for the Ukrainian separatists.
Mak said in the report that Russia's support for Ukrainian separatists places the Dutch in a difficult position.
“We have a serious bone to pick with Russia after this horrible incident. Especially if it turns out that Putin (Russian president) armed these men,” he said of the Ukrainian separatists in the report.
Mak said in the report that this was also the way for a smaller country to survive and be prosperous.
“Now we are angry. Angry over the fact that Dutchmen have been killed, but at the same time we realise we need our ties with Russia. Activism is a way for us to do what we can,” he said in the report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the downing of flight MH17, saying the country over which the aircraft crashed should be held responsible.
Steering lock driver to be charged on Monday
Siti Fairrah Ashyikin Kamaruddin, or Kiki, the
woman driver of the white Peugeot car who is alleged to have bullied an
elderly man using a steering lock earlier this week, will be charged in
court on Monday.
Pahang CID chief Zakaria Ahmad said police had also recorded statement from the woman last Thursday.
"She was detained at the Kuantan police headquarters at 4pm last Thursday, but was released on police bail on the same day as the police were satisfied with her statement," he told reporters in Temerloh today.
Zakaria
said the case was still being investigated under Section 427 of the
Penal Code for causing mischief and Section 506 of the same Code for
criminal intimidation.
The incident occurred at about 1.10pm last Monday at the parking lot of the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC).
The woman's road rage behaviour against the 68-year-old government pensioner was recorded by members of the public who were at the scene and was uploaded onto several social websites until the video lasting 2.33 minutes became viral and 'trending'.
- Bernama
Pahang CID chief Zakaria Ahmad said police had also recorded statement from the woman last Thursday.
"She was detained at the Kuantan police headquarters at 4pm last Thursday, but was released on police bail on the same day as the police were satisfied with her statement," he told reporters in Temerloh today.
Zakaria
said the case was still being investigated under Section 427 of the
Penal Code for causing mischief and Section 506 of the same Code for
criminal intimidation.The incident occurred at about 1.10pm last Monday at the parking lot of the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC).
The woman's road rage behaviour against the 68-year-old government pensioner was recorded by members of the public who were at the scene and was uploaded onto several social websites until the video lasting 2.33 minutes became viral and 'trending'.
- Bernama
Kula says gov't wavering causes cynicism
“This suspension between nobility of intent and an enfeebled will at enforcing good intentions is the reason behind the prevailing public cynicism about politicians,” observed the MP for Ipoh Barat.
Speaking at a forum on unilateral conversion of minors in Ipoh earlier this week, the federal legislator said that though seasoned politicians acknowledged that the road to hell is usually paved with good intentions, no lasting policy or initiative aimed at solving recurrent problems could take hold on society without it stemming from a good intention.
“The
government had a good intention when it set up the Royal Commission on
the management of the police force eleven years ago, but when the panel
recommended a viable solution to the problem of custodial deaths, the
government wavered on its implementation,” observed the lawyer who acts
for estranged spouses who have had their children caught in custodial
disputes converted to another religion.Kulasegaran was referring to the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which the RC on making the police force more effective recommended in its report unveiled in March 2005.
He noted that the government also had a good intention in April 2009 when a Cabinet committee recommended the banning of unilateral conversions of minors caught in custodial disputes between estranged parents.
Ignoring custodial battle kids’ pain
“A feeble will is the reason why the government has not moved from converting good intention into the legislative mechanisms to prevent unilateral conversions of minors caught in custodial battles,” asserted Kulasegaran.
He said this vacillation which takes no heed of the anguish of bereft spouses and deprived children caught in custodial battles is the cause of widespread public cynicism about governance and those engaged in it.
“Politicians fiddle while affected parties fume and file for court action but the judicial process and enforcing agencies are stymied by being stranded in a grey zone where clashing jurisdictions compete for the right to be recognized as the rightful authority,” said the MP.
He said enquiries he had raised in Parliament about these interfaith disputes and custodial deaths receive ambiguous replies from the relevant ministries.
These replies, he said, raise the question of who really is determining policy in government – whether it is the Cabinet or government agencies which decree what ministers should say and do.
“Confusion
is created and scepticism about government and governance is bred such
that matters are left hanging in a grey zone where people are encouraged
to become cynical about politicians,” said Kulasegaran (left).He said that in the ensuing void, demagogues who represent only a few and some not even anybody rise to fill the gap, spreading their racial and religious tocsins.
“Pretty soon the waters are poisoned as the best of peoples lack conviction while the worst of them are full of passionate intensity. In this atmosphere, anything and everything can happen,” mused the four-term parliamentarian.
Kenapa harus terbang di ruang udara zon perang?
Alasan syarikat penerbangan lain juga terbang di ruang udara Ukraine tidak boleh di terima kerana keselamatan kita adalah tanggungjawab kita
SEREMBAN – Susulan penerbangan Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH17 dari Amsterdam ke Kuala Lumpur ditembak jatuh dengan peluru berpandu darat ke udara pada hari Khamis lalu, orang ramai mempersoalkan mengapa syarikat penerbangan nasional itu memilih untuk terbang di zon ruang udara wilayah yang sememangnya diketahui sedang bergolak.
FMT membuat tinjauan di bandar Seremban dan cuba mendapatkan reaksi orang ramai berhubung kejadian yang mengorbankan 298 penumpang dan anak kapal MH17.
Khairul Nizam Kassim, 44, bertanya kenapa MAS ambil risiko dan merentasi zon perang.
“Walaupun menggunakan laluan alternatif yang lebih jauh dan MAS akan rugi dari segi kos penerbangan, tetapi ia akan menjamin keselamatan penumpang.
“Sekarang siapa yang mahu dipertanggungjawabkan? Tiada ada sesiapa yang mahu mengaku menembak MH17.
“Bukankah pencegahan lebih baik?
“Pada bulan April, International Civil Aviation Organisation, telah menasihatkan agar syarikat penerbangan mempertimbangkan laluan alternatif selepas mengenalpasti kemungkinan wujudnya risiko yang serius kepada keselamatan penerbangan awam antarabangsa.
“Apakah MAS tidak peka?
“Malah kalau tidak ada mana-mana pihak memberi amaran pun, sepatutnya secara ‘common sense’ boleh fikir secara logik, kenapa ambil risiko lalu di ruang udara zon perang? tanya Khairul Nizam.
Ruang udara Ukraine dulu lain, sekarang lain
Khairul Mohamad, 31, pula berkata alasan sudah lama terbang di ruang udara berkenaan tidak boleh diterima.
“Tidak kisah berapa tahun laluan itu telah digunakan. Dulu lain sekarang lain.
“Dulu selamat, kini sejak beberapa bulan Ukraine bergolak dengan perang saudara.
“Maka sudah tentu ianya tidak selamat lagi untuk terbang di ruang udara Ukraine, lebih-lebih lagi di zon perang.
“Alasan kononnya ada banyak lagi syarikat penerbangan lain terbang di ruang udara tersebut tidak boleh di terima kerana keselamatan kita adalah tanggungjawab kita.
“Kalau dah namanya zon perang, pasti akan ada kejadian tembak menembak di sana sini, letup sana letup sini; tapi kitalah yang harus berhati-hati dan jangan lalu di zon perang.
“Pada hari Isnin, Eurocontrol, sebuah badan yang mengkordinasi semua trafik di ruang udara Eropah telah menghantar satu nota rasmi dikenali sebagai Notam, mengulangi amaran tersebut dan menasihatkan dengan tegas agar mengelak dari ruang udara tersebut,” jelas Khairul.
Terbang atas zon perang, ibarat serah nyawa
Mohamad Sudhay, 55, pula bertanya kenapa MAS lalu di ruang udara negara sedang berkonflik.
“Perang saudara di Ukraine ini bukan sehari dua, tapi dah berapa bulan.
“Terbang di atas ruang udara negara berperang ini seperti serahkan nyawa macam itu sahaja.
“Walaubagaimanapun saya menasihatkan orang ramai jangan takut penggunakan penerbangan udara.
“Ajal dan maut di tangan tuhan,” katanya.
Leong Chee Kong, 48, berharap kerajaan ambil tindakan tegas ke atas pihak yang menyebabkan kesemua 298 penumpang dan anak kapal MH17 terkorban.
“Saya juga harap kerajaan siasat kenapa pada hari tersebut MH17 dikatakan membuat sedikit lencongan daripada laluan asal.
“Apakah pihak berkuasa Ukraine atau Ukraine Air Traffic Control (ATC) telah dimaklumkan terlebih dahulu sebelum lencongan itu di buat? tanya Leong.
A Vanitha Sri, 18, pula berkata pihak yang bertanggungjawab menembak jatuh MH17 dan mengakibatkan orang yang tidak bersalah mati, perlu dihukum.
“Ini sangat kejam. Bayangkan berapa ramai kanak-kanak yang tidak berdosa terkorban begitu sahaja.
“Kenapa mereka (pihak yang menembak MH17) berbuat demikian?
“Macam mana boleh jadi begini?
SEREMBAN – Susulan penerbangan Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH17 dari Amsterdam ke Kuala Lumpur ditembak jatuh dengan peluru berpandu darat ke udara pada hari Khamis lalu, orang ramai mempersoalkan mengapa syarikat penerbangan nasional itu memilih untuk terbang di zon ruang udara wilayah yang sememangnya diketahui sedang bergolak.
FMT membuat tinjauan di bandar Seremban dan cuba mendapatkan reaksi orang ramai berhubung kejadian yang mengorbankan 298 penumpang dan anak kapal MH17.
Khairul Nizam Kassim, 44, bertanya kenapa MAS ambil risiko dan merentasi zon perang.“Walaupun menggunakan laluan alternatif yang lebih jauh dan MAS akan rugi dari segi kos penerbangan, tetapi ia akan menjamin keselamatan penumpang.
“Sekarang siapa yang mahu dipertanggungjawabkan? Tiada ada sesiapa yang mahu mengaku menembak MH17.
“Bukankah pencegahan lebih baik?
“Pada bulan April, International Civil Aviation Organisation, telah menasihatkan agar syarikat penerbangan mempertimbangkan laluan alternatif selepas mengenalpasti kemungkinan wujudnya risiko yang serius kepada keselamatan penerbangan awam antarabangsa.
“Apakah MAS tidak peka?
“Malah kalau tidak ada mana-mana pihak memberi amaran pun, sepatutnya secara ‘common sense’ boleh fikir secara logik, kenapa ambil risiko lalu di ruang udara zon perang? tanya Khairul Nizam.
Ruang udara Ukraine dulu lain, sekarang lain
Khairul Mohamad, 31, pula berkata alasan sudah lama terbang di ruang udara berkenaan tidak boleh diterima.
“Tidak kisah berapa tahun laluan itu telah digunakan. Dulu lain sekarang lain.
“Dulu selamat, kini sejak beberapa bulan Ukraine bergolak dengan perang saudara.
“Maka sudah tentu ianya tidak selamat lagi untuk terbang di ruang udara Ukraine, lebih-lebih lagi di zon perang.
“Alasan kononnya ada banyak lagi syarikat penerbangan lain terbang di ruang udara tersebut tidak boleh di terima kerana keselamatan kita adalah tanggungjawab kita.
“Kalau dah namanya zon perang, pasti akan ada kejadian tembak menembak di sana sini, letup sana letup sini; tapi kitalah yang harus berhati-hati dan jangan lalu di zon perang.
“Pada hari Isnin, Eurocontrol, sebuah badan yang mengkordinasi semua trafik di ruang udara Eropah telah menghantar satu nota rasmi dikenali sebagai Notam, mengulangi amaran tersebut dan menasihatkan dengan tegas agar mengelak dari ruang udara tersebut,” jelas Khairul.
Terbang atas zon perang, ibarat serah nyawa
Mohamad Sudhay, 55, pula bertanya kenapa MAS lalu di ruang udara negara sedang berkonflik.
“Perang saudara di Ukraine ini bukan sehari dua, tapi dah berapa bulan.
“Terbang di atas ruang udara negara berperang ini seperti serahkan nyawa macam itu sahaja.
“Walaubagaimanapun saya menasihatkan orang ramai jangan takut penggunakan penerbangan udara.
“Ajal dan maut di tangan tuhan,” katanya.
Leong Chee Kong, 48, berharap kerajaan ambil tindakan tegas ke atas pihak yang menyebabkan kesemua 298 penumpang dan anak kapal MH17 terkorban.
“Saya juga harap kerajaan siasat kenapa pada hari tersebut MH17 dikatakan membuat sedikit lencongan daripada laluan asal.
“Apakah pihak berkuasa Ukraine atau Ukraine Air Traffic Control (ATC) telah dimaklumkan terlebih dahulu sebelum lencongan itu di buat? tanya Leong.
A Vanitha Sri, 18, pula berkata pihak yang bertanggungjawab menembak jatuh MH17 dan mengakibatkan orang yang tidak bersalah mati, perlu dihukum.
“Ini sangat kejam. Bayangkan berapa ramai kanak-kanak yang tidak berdosa terkorban begitu sahaja.
“Kenapa mereka (pihak yang menembak MH17) berbuat demikian?
“Macam mana boleh jadi begini?
Ramai penumpang Belanda sepatutnya tiba di Borneo
Pusat peranginan Pulau Tiga mengesahkan menerima maklumat mengenai kumpulan pelawat itu dan telah membuat persediaan untuk menerima ketibaan mereka.
KOTA KINABALU: Seramai 26 daripada 189 rakyat Belanda yang menaiki pesawat MH17 yang terhempas selepas ditembak dengan misil di udara Ukraine pada malam Khamis, sepatutnya sudah berada di Sabah dan Sarawak untuk bercuti.
Penumpang rakyat Belanda itu dikatakan terlebih dulu akan melawat Sarawak.
Lawatan mereka di Sabah adalah untuk mengunjungi hutan di Sukau dan Taman Kinabalu untuk melihat keindahan Gunung Kinabalu.
Pulau Tiga juga adalah antara tempat menarik yang dirancang untuk dilawati sepanjang tiga minggu lawatan mereka di sini.
Pusat peranginan Pulau Tiga mengesahkan menerima maklumat mengenai kumpulan pelawat itu dan telah membuat persediaan untuk menerima ketibaan mereka.
“Antara mereka ialah Peter Essers, 66, isterinya Jolette Nuesink, 60, dan anak anak mereka Emma, 20 dan Valentijin, 17,” kata Richard Hii, jurucakap Tropical Adventure Sdn Bhd yang berpusat di Sarawak.
Syarikat itu sepatutnya menguruskan perjalanan mereka ketika berada di sini.
Menurut Richard, mereka sangat sedih kerana tetamu mereka ditimpa tragedi dan berharap sesiapa saja yang bertanggungjawab mengorbankan ramai orang yang tidak bersalah dalam nahas itu dihadapkan ke muka pengadilan.
“Tiada apa-apa yang kita dapat lakukan buat masa ini kecuali mendoakan roh mereka yang terkorban dan kesabaran diri keluarga serta kawan-kawan yang meratapi pemergian mereka,” katanya.
Penumpang rakyat Belanda itu dikatakan terlebih dulu akan melawat Sarawak.
Lawatan mereka di Sabah adalah untuk mengunjungi hutan di Sukau dan Taman Kinabalu untuk melihat keindahan Gunung Kinabalu.
Pulau Tiga juga adalah antara tempat menarik yang dirancang untuk dilawati sepanjang tiga minggu lawatan mereka di sini.
Pusat peranginan Pulau Tiga mengesahkan menerima maklumat mengenai kumpulan pelawat itu dan telah membuat persediaan untuk menerima ketibaan mereka.
“Antara mereka ialah Peter Essers, 66, isterinya Jolette Nuesink, 60, dan anak anak mereka Emma, 20 dan Valentijin, 17,” kata Richard Hii, jurucakap Tropical Adventure Sdn Bhd yang berpusat di Sarawak.
Syarikat itu sepatutnya menguruskan perjalanan mereka ketika berada di sini.
Menurut Richard, mereka sangat sedih kerana tetamu mereka ditimpa tragedi dan berharap sesiapa saja yang bertanggungjawab mengorbankan ramai orang yang tidak bersalah dalam nahas itu dihadapkan ke muka pengadilan.
“Tiada apa-apa yang kita dapat lakukan buat masa ini kecuali mendoakan roh mereka yang terkorban dan kesabaran diri keluarga serta kawan-kawan yang meratapi pemergian mereka,” katanya.
Allahyarham Ghafar bantah hidang arak dalam MAS
Yang Dipertua PAS Kawasan Masjid Tanah, Imran Abdul Rahman berkata demikian ketika menyampaikan ucapan takziah kepada ibu Abdul Ghafar, Maimon Sarpan, 74 di rumah beliau di Kampung Seri Tanjung di sini tengah hari tadi
Maimon berkata beliau terkejut menerima berita kejadian tersebut apabila diberitahu oleh anaknya pada tengah malam peristiwa malam itu.
“Anak saya telefon suruh buka TV tengok berita, dia kata Salim terlibat dengan kemalangan tersebut, saya baru nak tidur masa itu”
“Tidak ada apa yang dapat saya katakan, hanya air mata yang mengalir mengenangkan anak saya ini,” ujar beliau.
Menurur Maimon, Salim (nama panggilan keluarga untuk Ghafar) merupakan anak yang baik dan sentiasa ingat kepada keluarga.
“Kita mendoakan roh Allahyarham dan semua penumpang muslim lain dicucuri rahmat dan di tempatkan bersama roh para anbia, syuhada dan solihin”
“Kami juga mengharapkan Mak Cik Maimon dan keluarga tabah menghadapi dugaan Allah ini,” ujar Imran dengan nada sedih.
Dalam pertemuan itu Maimon menunjukkan gambar-gambar Ghafar dan sentiasa memuji kebaikan anaknya yang terkenal dengan kuat beragama dan sentiasa komited menjaga kebajikan keluarga.
Difahamkan Allahyarham Ghaffar adalah seorang yang berani melawan perintah syarikat agar tidak menghidangkan arak di dalam penerbangan yang diketuainya.
Seorang rakannya Halim Hassan menyatakan Ghafar adalah seorang yang suka solat malam, mengaji dalam penerbangan dan menjadi mutawif (pemandu ibadat haji dan umrah) kawan-kawannya semasa umrah, Halim Hassan menulis perkara itu dalam komuniti Whatsapp Masjid Bukit Indah yang kini disebarkan melalui media sosial.
Menurut rakan-rakannya dari kariah Masjid Bukit Indah itu, selain membuat bantahan kepada MAS tentang penghidangan arak di dalam kapal terbang, Ghafar pernah menulis surat kepada Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan para mufti agar mengeluarkan arak daripada sajian dalam pesawat MAS.
Ghafar juga, kata Halim, pernah meminta pemangku Menteri Pengangkutan Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein agar membenarkan para pramugari beragama Islam untuk memakai tudung semasa bertugas.
Ukraine, rebels agree on security zone at crash site
HRABOVE, Ukraine — Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists agreed Saturday to set up a security zone around the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet to allow the orderly removal of the bodies of the 298 people killed in the shootdown of MH17 over eastern Ukraine two days ago.
The Malaysian airliner — en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew members — crashed into rebel-held territory Thursday after being hit by what U.S. officials say was a SA-11 surface-to-air missile. There were no survivors.
In a related development, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Ministere Sergei Lavrov agreed in a "frank discussion": by phone Saturday that all evidence in the case be turned over to independent, international investigators, the ITAR-TAss News agency reports.
"During the frank discussion, the minister and the secretary, without mincing words, exchanged assessments and arguments and agreed on the main point that it is necessary to ensure an absolutely impartial, independent and open international investigation of the Malaysian plane crash in Ukraine on July 17,"the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement."
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) should play a leading role in the investigation, the statement said.
Lavrov and Kerry agreed that "all evidence, including flight data recorders, should be made available for examination as part of an international investigation and that all necessary conditions should be created on the ground to ensure access for the international team of experts".
In Kiev, Ukrainian Security Service head Valentyn Nalyvaychenko said in televised remarks Saturday that trilateral talks, involving Russia, had agreed on a 7-square-mile security zone "so that Ukraine could fulfill the most important thing — identify the bodies (and) hand them over to relatives," Ukrinform reports.
The announcement of an agreement followed charges by Ukraine that local militia in the restive eastern Ukraine region near the Russian border had removed at least 38 bodies from the crash site near the village of Hrabove.
On a dirt road near the site Saturday morning, separatist officials from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's ministry of internal affairs began moving bodies in what appeared to be an unorganized and ad hoc operation.
At one point, about 15 bodies had been laid out on the rural road.
"Experts are removing the bodies," a separatist soldier who identified himself as Commander Ugriumny and seemed to be in charge told reporters. "Where we will move them, we will wait and see."
Until the soldiers arrived in a 10-vehicle caravan, the golden fields in this remote region near the Russian border were virtually empty, except for the decomposing bodies, some still strapped to their airline seats, and wide swaths of plane wreckage. There were no emergency services vehicles, no separatist soldiers.
The militiamen, who began setting up a perimeter, cordoning off the area and putting up tents, scoffed at charges by the Kiev government that bodies were being removed from the scene.
"No one stole any bodies," said Commander Ugriumny. "Or have taken them anywhere."
MH17: Government Will Do Its Best To Provide Closure, Bring Back Victims - Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today gave assurance that the government will do its utmost to provide closure to the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crew and passenger grieving families and it will also do its level best to bring back the victims of the tragedy.Najib said the Malaysian investigation team had arrived in Kiev, Ukraine, and was in the midst of making arrangements to access the location of the crash some 400km away.
"A few holistic approaches must be taken and it is understood that insurgents have agreed to create a safe passage for the recovery and investigation team.
"We hope they will do so as this is a serious event and they must all demonstrate compassion for the countries affected and the innocent victims," Najib said in his latest posting in his Facebook account here Saturday.
The prime minister said he had also asked Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman to go to Kiev as soon as possible to ensure that the team could do their work undisturbed.
"They (Liow and Anifah) are to facilitate and ensure our demands are met. Other than logistics, this is a geopolitical matter," he said.
Najib said the handling of flight MH17's blackbox must follow the international laws of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the recovery must be by Malaysia as owner of the blackbox.
"When meeting the next-of-kin, we understand their individual perspectives as a family unit. It was a very emotional session and I urge the public to uphold in prayers all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy," he said.
Flight MH17, carrying 298 people - 283 passengers and 15 crew was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Ukraine. 43 passengers including the 15 crew and two infants are Malaysians.
Ukrainian authorities believe that the Boeing 777 was shot down.
MH17 had left Amsterdam at 12.15 pm (Netherlands time) Thursday and was to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10 am (Malaysian time) Friday.
SLAP IN THE FACE FOR M'SIAN AUTHORITIES: 'Not our job' to warn about dangers of missiles - UN aviation body:
OTTAWA/MONTREAL - The UN civil aviation body said on Friday it was not responsible for issuing warnings about potential dangers such as military conflicts, saying that duty fell to individual nations. (Rebel Leader Gives Bizarre Account of Malaysia Airlines Plane Crash)The role of the International Civil Aviation Authority has come under scrutiny after a Malaysian airliner was shot down by a missile on Thursday over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. (Barack Obama Reaches out to Global Leaders for Investigation on Malaysia Airlines MH17)
Montreal-based ICAO rejected suggestions it should have issued a warning about the potential dangers of flying over the area. (Malaysia Airlines Crash: Downing of Jet Exposes Defects of Flight Precautions Over Ukraine)
"ICAO does not declare airspace safe or unsafe or undertake any other direct operational responsibilities with respect to civilian air services," said spokesman Anthony Philbin. (Obama Points to Pro-Russia Separatists in Downing of Malaysia Airlines Plane)
"It is always the responsibility of our sovereign member states to advise other states of potential safety hazards."
Asked whether ICAO would ever issue warnings about the dangers of missiles, he replied: "It's not our job."
Malaysia's transport minister said earlier that ICAO had shut down a route over eastern Ukraine after the disaster. ICAO said it did not have the power to open or shut routes.
ICAO did issue a warning to airlines in April about flying over Crimea in the wake of the Russian invasion but it cited potential problems with conflicting air traffic controllers, not the risk of violence. The warning was not an order but rather said "consideration should be given to measures to avoid the airspace".
Malaysia said ICAO had approved the route the doomed airliner took but this appears to be a misreading of what the body does. ICAO issues advisories based on decisions taken by delegates rather than telling members what to do.
"It is up to countries to implement them or not, most countries do ... but ICAO standards are more or less equivalent to a treaty, you can either comply or not as you see fit," said a Canadian expert on aviation law, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Despite having an expertise in aviation, ICAO is challenged by its inherent structure as a UN body with 190 members, said John Saba, a lecturer at McGill University's Integrated Aviation Management Programme in Montreal.
"The political constraints are beyond them," Saba said.
"You have people from different countries who are trying to represent the interest of their country but also hammer out deals.
"To condemn them (ICAO) would be very, very unfair."
Philbin said ICAO would not pass on any information it might receive about airlines avoiding certain parts of the world because "ICAO doesn't really have an operational mandate".
Ukraine had allowed airliners to fly at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and higher above the area where the Malaysian flight crashed. US and other officials say the jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatist rebels. Brussels-based Eurocontrol is the agency responsible for coordinating European airspace. It and ICAO were cited in a safety bulletin issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency in April advising that Crimean airspace should be avoided.
Domestic authorities also have significant powers. The US Federal Aviation Administration issued an order on Thursday prohibiting American aircraft from flying over eastern Ukraine.
ICAO said on Friday that, in response to an official request from the Ukrainian government, it would send a team to assist with the investigation into the downing of the plane. But it noted that Ukraine is officially in charge of the investigation by virtue of being the "state of occurrence".
The crash highlights the fragmented nature of global aviation regulation.
Philbin said there had been no talk of ICAO taking on a more global regulatory role and Saba said the organisation was unlikely to change in the near future.
"The countries that are members of ICAO have to agree to it. How are you going to get them all to agree to give ICAO more power over them?" he said.
"They are our best hope for having any international rules. It may be an imperfect hope but they are our best hope." – Reuters
Arundhati Roy accuses Mahatma Gandhi of discrimination
Prize-winning author questions position in India of 'person whose doctrine of nonviolence was based on brutal caste system'
"Being outspoken is one thing but being so blase about your ignorance is quite another," said Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of the world-renowned thinker and activist. "It's just an attempt to get publicity."
Prof Mridula Mukherjee, an expert in modern Indian history at Jawaharlal University in Delhi, said Roy's criticism was misplaced. "Gandhi devoted much of his life to fighting caste prejudice. He was a reformer not a revivalist within the Hindu religion. His effort was in keeping with his philosophy of nonviolence and bringing social transformation without creating hatred," Mukherjee said.
Roy's comments are part of a long-running historical argument over Gandhi's views on caste.
Gandhi's stance is sometimes contrasted by commentators with that of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a Dalit who grew up in poverty but went on to become a prominent independence leader and India's first law minister, with responsibility for much of the country's constitution. Roy recently wrote a new introduction to Ambedkar's undelivered 1936 speech, The Annihilation of Caste, in which she called Gandhi "the saint of the status quo".
Mukherjee said Gandhi and Ambedkar "represented different understandings of how to solve problems of caste oppression in India, but each was equally sincere".
The British government recently announced that a statue of Gandhi would be placed in Parliament Square.
Roy's comments come amid a series of rows over the study and representation of Indian history.
The appointment of a little-known academic to the head of a national research body has raised concerns that the new Hindu nationalist government in India may try to promote an ideological version of the country's past.
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, won a landslide victory in May, ending a decade of rule by the centre-left Congress party. When last in power, between 1998 and 2004, the BJP prompted controversy with its criticism of prominent historians and efforts to excise what ministers claimed was a Marxist or western vision from textbooks.
Prof Yellapragada Sudershan Rao took up his post as chair of the Indian Council of Historical Research last month. Rao was formerly head of history and tourism management at a little-known university.
Rao immediately caused controversy with comments criticising alleged Marxist influence on Indian historical studies and western-inspired methods of research. He also told interviewers that he believed the Hindu literary epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, were historically accurate accounts of real events.
Salil Tripathi, a columnist in Mint, a local newspaper, wrote: "His appointment is troubling … because he appears to believe that history is shaped by both faith and reason. Faith matters, of course, but faith is part of a culture, it should not dictate history. Faith is about unquestioned belief; history is about facts and reality."
Romila Thapar, one of India's most respected historians, said she feared "the ICHR may now turn the clock back".
"Historical research in India is no longer limited to trying to prove that the narratives of the ancient texts were historically accurate. We are now perhaps more concerned with what they tell us about our past societies and cultures," Thapar wrote.
BJP officials have denied any intention to change the way history is taught in schools or elsewhere.
The decision in February by Penguin to stop distributing an academic work on the Hindu religion by US expert Wendy Doniger after a legal challenge from conservatives prompted particular concern among liberal writers and thinkers in India. The BJP government last week denied reports that it had destroyed thousands of files, including some related to Gandhi's assassination by a Hindu fanatic in 1948.
Arundhati Roy, the Booker prize winning author, has accused Mahatma Gandhi of discrimination and called for institutions bearing his name to be renamed.
Speaking at Kerala University in the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram, Roy, 52, described the generally accepted image of Gandhi as a lie.
"It is time to unveil a few truths about a person whose doctrine of nonviolence was based on the acceptance of a most brutal social hierarchy ever known, the caste system … Do we really need to name our universities after him?" Roy said.
The caste system is thousands of years old but still defines the status of hundreds of millions of people in India. So-called untouchables, or Dalits, continue to suffer discrimination.
Speaking at Kerala University in the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram, Roy, 52, described the generally accepted image of Gandhi as a lie.
"It is time to unveil a few truths about a person whose doctrine of nonviolence was based on the acceptance of a most brutal social hierarchy ever known, the caste system … Do we really need to name our universities after him?" Roy said.
The caste system is thousands of years old but still defines the status of hundreds of millions of people in India. So-called untouchables, or Dalits, continue to suffer discrimination.
Mahatma Gandhi, whose views on caste have been a
long-running argument among historians. Photograph: Corbis
The author's comments provoked immediate outrage from descendants and some scepticism from historians."Being outspoken is one thing but being so blase about your ignorance is quite another," said Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of the world-renowned thinker and activist. "It's just an attempt to get publicity."
Prof Mridula Mukherjee, an expert in modern Indian history at Jawaharlal University in Delhi, said Roy's criticism was misplaced. "Gandhi devoted much of his life to fighting caste prejudice. He was a reformer not a revivalist within the Hindu religion. His effort was in keeping with his philosophy of nonviolence and bringing social transformation without creating hatred," Mukherjee said.
Roy's comments are part of a long-running historical argument over Gandhi's views on caste.
Gandhi's stance is sometimes contrasted by commentators with that of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a Dalit who grew up in poverty but went on to become a prominent independence leader and India's first law minister, with responsibility for much of the country's constitution. Roy recently wrote a new introduction to Ambedkar's undelivered 1936 speech, The Annihilation of Caste, in which she called Gandhi "the saint of the status quo".
Mukherjee said Gandhi and Ambedkar "represented different understandings of how to solve problems of caste oppression in India, but each was equally sincere".
The British government recently announced that a statue of Gandhi would be placed in Parliament Square.
Roy's comments come amid a series of rows over the study and representation of Indian history.
The appointment of a little-known academic to the head of a national research body has raised concerns that the new Hindu nationalist government in India may try to promote an ideological version of the country's past.
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, won a landslide victory in May, ending a decade of rule by the centre-left Congress party. When last in power, between 1998 and 2004, the BJP prompted controversy with its criticism of prominent historians and efforts to excise what ministers claimed was a Marxist or western vision from textbooks.
Prof Yellapragada Sudershan Rao took up his post as chair of the Indian Council of Historical Research last month. Rao was formerly head of history and tourism management at a little-known university.
Rao immediately caused controversy with comments criticising alleged Marxist influence on Indian historical studies and western-inspired methods of research. He also told interviewers that he believed the Hindu literary epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, were historically accurate accounts of real events.
Salil Tripathi, a columnist in Mint, a local newspaper, wrote: "His appointment is troubling … because he appears to believe that history is shaped by both faith and reason. Faith matters, of course, but faith is part of a culture, it should not dictate history. Faith is about unquestioned belief; history is about facts and reality."
Romila Thapar, one of India's most respected historians, said she feared "the ICHR may now turn the clock back".
"Historical research in India is no longer limited to trying to prove that the narratives of the ancient texts were historically accurate. We are now perhaps more concerned with what they tell us about our past societies and cultures," Thapar wrote.
BJP officials have denied any intention to change the way history is taught in schools or elsewhere.
The decision in February by Penguin to stop distributing an academic work on the Hindu religion by US expert Wendy Doniger after a legal challenge from conservatives prompted particular concern among liberal writers and thinkers in India. The BJP government last week denied reports that it had destroyed thousands of files, including some related to Gandhi's assassination by a Hindu fanatic in 1948.
Saturday, 19 July 2014
MALAYSIANS:WE WILL BE DOOMED AS A NATION ...
if we do not come together, look at ourselves, where we came from as a people, what we have become, and where we want to go ...
within the last few years we have been experiencing unusual phenomena pointing out to social, political, and religious turmoil -- all these exacerbated and sped up and even made viral by high-speed cybernetic technologies. ... these phenomena takes on a truly global and globalizing character, thrusting this one "pastoral, peaceful, and pristine" nation into the world arena of both fame and infamy.
from mystery to tragedy .. this is the theme where are at at now in the two incidences of the Malaysian Airlines we are still grappling with, as a nation new to problems of such magnitude. within six months we not only lost planes by we are plunged into socio-emotional chaos of untold proportion, as if they are capstones of the never-ending corruption, bigotry, power-abuse, mismanagement, and the inability to enculturalize systems meant to make our living safer and saner.
as a student of existentialism, cybernetics, the the nation-state -- a topic that inspired my doctoral studies, i feel that the internet, as a tool of social engagement and cultural change is pervasive. it can bring us together or rip us apart, it can build a nation or destroy it, and it can educate for peace or incite violence on a massive scale.
it is a frankenstein in post-modern times.
i had hypothesized that the installatiom of or Multimedia Super Corridor, the birth of Cyberjaya, and the rise our own networked society and the "democratization of the post-industrialzied digital and globally-networked tool of social engagement" will alter the fundamental character of the "nation-state" such as Malaysia. i had that thought in the early 2000. i am stil "observing" what the internet will continue to do and what will be the cognitive and emotional consequences of the nurturing of this post-modern prometheus.
as a nation, we perhaps become more informed, more able to learn from the boundless wasteland of cybespace, and perhaps more able to see where we are going as nation.
but with any technology, and as it becomes enculturalized and become us and even as it tells us how to live, think, as well as to continue to be and become as a human being, we are confronted by all the contradictions of what it means; confronted by the disabling or even deconstrcuting and destructing aspects of our creation. that frankenstein we are no loner able to bring back home.
we are at a critical juncture -- how do we stop and think how to use technology, especially this mediium i am using. do we see its value and utilty from the point of view of ethics or do we become a child overly excited of the freedom it accords and use it without understanding what "creativity and altruism" means? do we use it to spread falsehood and half-truths and to destroy others -- or do we use it as a tool to educate and to educate for peace based on the crafting of knowledge and the sharing of information that will elevate human dignity and help reduce the suffering of others?
of course, like many, i am a believer in the internet as a tool to make others aware of the injustices the powerful amongst us inflict onto the powerless, of the hideousness of capitalist formation and the evolution of the sophisticatedness of the modern class system, of the rise of religious fundamentalism that is leading towards the "struggle to eatsablish" this or that theocratic state through violence, and as tool to make children smarter by having smarter shools. these are the elements of what this frankenstein of ours can do.
in a time of chaos ... we ought to think how to use this medium. my emotions these past 24 hours have been quite "fried". i have been overwhelmed by images of horror derived and drawn from the two horrifying events unfolding: the israeli incursion into gaza and the massacre of innocent people in response to the diablic work of hamas and the massacre of innoent people as well, and in the case of the instantaneous destruction of Malaysian Airline MH17 with all on board reportedly dead.
the images, especially of dead bodies strewn into pieces and of children dying and dead in such horrible conditions, became too much for me. they are meant to make a point of the war: the crime against humanity but they have come to me too much to be cognitively and semotically ingested. many of them ought not to be posted and passed around.
use the internet responsibly. educate and not arravate to annihilate. use it to build this nation and not to celebrate bigotry and racism.
but at this moment in the most difficult time we are facing as a nation .... we need to look at ourseleves and look at this social media too we have in our hands and ask this question: will this help globalize and multiply hatred ... or will this spread love and goodwill ... ?
LET US WORK TOGETHER ON A COMMON GROUND for the COMMON GOOD. and let us pray for the ending of the violence destroying both the people of Gaza ... and the children of Israel.
Malaysian ex-mufti: Hitler “might have been right” in exterminating Jews
his kind of talk is becoming increasingly open and common. “Palestinian” victimhood propaganda has made Jew-hatred newly respectable, and the rise of Islam in the West has directed new opprobium toward those whom the Qur’an designates as the worst enemies of the Muslims (5:82). “Hitler might have been right, says ex-mufti,” Malaysia Today, July 15, 2014 (thanks to Tom):
(Malay Mail Online) – Popular religious scholar Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has waded into the Adolf Hitler controversy today, writing in an opinion piece that the Nazi dictator “might have been right” in exterminating the Jews.
Despite admitting that not all Jews are bad, the former Perlis mufti insisted that Jews in general have a bad record, as proven by their many trickeries and betrayals, including against Prophet Muhammad.
“We are not anti-certain races, or blindly anti-Semitic like Hitler or previous Europeans. But if we see the betrayals and wicked acts of the Israeli Jews, those are not a new or odd thing for them.
“There might be truth behind Hitler’s belief,” said Mohd Asri in his article on news portal Astro Awani.
Mohd Asri claimed that Hitler’s rhetoric against the Jews and move to exterminate the community were widely-supported at that time by the German public.
He also claimed that Hitler was not first to believe that the Jews were “destructive”, listing down German Protestant leader Martin Luther, the Spanish, the Portuguese, and the Catholic church as others who mistreated the Jews.
“Why did the Europeans unite in believing that the Jews were an evil race? The answer, is whether the belief was superstitious, or it was based on their experiences with the Jews,” suggested Mohd Asri.
“If the answer is the first, then the Jews were truly a persecuted race.
“[But] if the answer is the Jews had historically destroyed human lives until the Europeans feared them, then the cruel and brutal acts of Hitler had indirectly reduced the harm that the Jews pose to Europeans and the rest of the world, even if they were cruel and unacceptable.”
He claimed that the Christian Churches have long had their suspicion of Jews, which however ended with the establishment of anti-Semitic laws which granted the Jews “invincibility”.
Mohd Asri also listed down the times that Jews had betrayed the Prophet Muhammad, which finally led to them being exiled after plotting to overthrow Muhammad’s rule.
However, the scholar insisted that Islam does not declare wholesale that all Jews are evil, saying that one of Muhammad’s wives was a Jew, while one of his companions, Abd Allah Salam, was also a Jew who converted into Islam.
“Generally, the Jews have a bad record. But this does not deny the possibility that there are good people among the Jews. But the record of the Jews generally, is of course bad,” said Mohd Asri….
Jihadists stone Syria woman to death for 'adultery'
BEIRUT: Jihadists in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa have accused a woman of adultery and stoned her to death, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday.
It was the first "execution" of its kind by the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) group in Syria, which has proclaimed the establishment of an Islamic "caliphate" straddling Syria and Iraq.
"ISIS carried out its first sentence of death by stoning against a woman in Tabaqa, accusing her of adultery," said the Britain-based Observatory, referring to a town in Raqa province, most of which is under ISIS control.
An activist in the province confirmed the report, and said the stoning took place in a public square in the Tabaqa market area Thursday evening.
"This is the first time that this has happened here," added Abu Ibrahim.
A second activist in Raqa, Hadi Salameh, said the woman was reportedly in her thirties, but that few details were known about her except that she was killed after sentencing by an ISIS religious court.
"The situation is unbearable. Stoning is the worst punishment history has known. A quick death is more merciful," Salameh told AFP via the Internet, using a pseudonym for security reasons.
"The woman's family did not know the sentence was going to be carried out at this time," said Salameh.
He said residents are "terrified" of ISIS, but fear the consequences of reacting to its harsh methods.
ISIS first emerged in the Syrian conflict in late spring last year.
Some Syrian rebels initially welcomed the jihadists, seeing them as potential allies in their war to topple President Bashar Assad's regime.
But the group's systematic abuses and quest for domination swiftly turned the mainstream opposition against it, and rebels have been battling ISIS fighters since January.
ISIS spearheaded a recent offensive in Iraq, capturing large swath of territory and massive amounts of weapons from fleeing Iraqi troops.
Did this man fire the missile at MH17?
The prime suspect behind the MH17 tragedy is the self-proclaimed defence minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, Igor Girkin.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the former intelligence officer is known by the name Strelkov - or "shooter" and has even shot his own troops for insubordination.
The spotlight fell on Girkin (left) after he reportedly posted a message on a Russian social media page, which read: "We did warn you - do not fly in our sky."
The post was later removed when it became clear that the plane was a civilian aircraft and not a Ukranian military plane.
The Sydney Morning Herald pointed out that "no amateur can bring down a passenger jet streaking across the sky."
"Don't be lulled into believing any trooper with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher on his shoulder could carry out this attack.
"The professionalism required points to Girkin and his Russian-backed separatists as the most likely suspects.
"They
have captured missile batteries mounted on trucks, and are suspected to
have been supplied with Russian-made 'needle' portable launchers that
can be carried by a man," reads the report.
As Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists blamed each other for the crash of MH17 Boeing 777, a sophisticated missile system has been brought into the public limelight – the Russian-made 9K37 Buk.
Confirmation that a missile was involved will only come if someone admits firing one, or if crash investigators find shrapnel and other tell-tale signs on the aircraft debris and the bodies recovered.
Nevertheless, the use of a missile was raised soon after the MH17 disaster by a Ukrainian Interior Ministry official who said pro-Russian forces had used the missile to bring down the plane.
However, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has denied having missiles in its possession.
A
medium-range surface-to-air missile such as Buk is necessary to bring
down an aircraft at a cruising altitude as shoulder-fired missiles
(called Manpads, or Man-Portable Air Defence System), favoured by
insurgents worldwide for their portability, lack the range needed.
Manpads can only threaten commercial airliners during take-off and landing, when it is flying relatively low and slow. The earliest version of the Buk missile has a maximum engagement altitude of 14 kilometres. The MH17 was reportedly flying at about 33,000 feet (10km) high.
Airspace MH17 was in was deemed 'open'
According to a report in British newspaper The Guardian, the Ukrainian authorities had banned flights at 32,000ft (9.75km) and below in the area where MH17 crashed at the time of the incident, and the airspace it was flying was deemed "open". That airspace in eastern Ukraine is now closed to all civilian air traffic.
The
radar-guided missile weighs just over half-a-tonne and is typically
launched from the top of an armoured vehicle or a ship, in contrast to
Manpads that can be carried and fired by a single person and are
designed to attack low-flying aircraft and helicopters.
Various versions of the missile, carrying nicknames such as "Grizzly" and "Gadfly", have been fielded since 1979 in Russia, Ukraine, China and other countries.
It had seen combat on both sides of the 2008 South Ossetia war between Russia and Georgia, during which defence analysts noted the Russian Air Force had taken heavy casualties relative to the small Georgian military and could not develop an effective counter-measure against a missile system it created.
However, the question remains: If a missile brought down the MH17, who fired it?
"It's a very capable system, proven under real-world conditions," Foreign Policy magazine quoted a political risk consultancy Wikistrat researcher Andrew Bowen as saying, while noting that the system is difficult to use.
"These systems require a large amount of technical know-how, unlike these Manpads, which are basically 'point-and-shoot'," Bowen said.
Foreign Policy also reported that Ukraine has such missiles in its possession. However despite denials, so does Donetsk, which is said to have a missile system similar to Buk.
Donetsk had acquired Buk missiles, says report
The magazine quoted Russian newswire Itar-Tass as reporting on June 29 that Donetsk had acquired Buk missiles, and said the group had even bragged about its acquisition on Twitter.
The posting, also dated June 29, has since been removed and can only be viewed via Google’s cache.
"An Associated Press reporter spotted what was described as 'a launcher similar to the Buk missile system' near the town of Snizhne.
"On Thursday, a Twitter account associated with Maidan protest movement in Kiev posted a photograph purporting to show a Buk launcher in the town of Torez, which is near the crash site and has been the scene of fighting between separatist and government forces," the report added.
The report also noted that while Ukraine does have Buk missiles near the crash site, these missiles in the region were only used against Ukrainian government aircraft.
Meanwhile, deputy editor of the Polish magazine Dziennik Michal Potocki, who had been studying the conflict in Ukraine, agreed that the separatist group is responsible for shooting down the Malaysian airliner.
"It cannot be the Ukrainian side - they do not need to use surface-to-air missiles as the separatists do not have airplanes as for now. It was probably a missile system called Buk," Potocki told Malaysiakini in an email today.
He also pointed out that just before news broke that MH17 had crashed, separatist leader, Igor Strelkov, posted on a Russian social media site that two supposedly Ukrainian aircraft had been shot down, saying that they were "an Antonov and probably a Sukhoi".
"Only after we got the news that it was Boeing - the separatists started to blame the Ukrainian side," Potocki said.
MH17 had been using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft for the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight, which is the same model used for flight MH370 that went missing on March 8.
All 295 on board perished in the incident.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the former intelligence officer is known by the name Strelkov - or "shooter" and has even shot his own troops for insubordination.
The spotlight fell on Girkin (left) after he reportedly posted a message on a Russian social media page, which read: "We did warn you - do not fly in our sky."The post was later removed when it became clear that the plane was a civilian aircraft and not a Ukranian military plane.
The Sydney Morning Herald pointed out that "no amateur can bring down a passenger jet streaking across the sky."
"Don't be lulled into believing any trooper with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher on his shoulder could carry out this attack.
"The professionalism required points to Girkin and his Russian-backed separatists as the most likely suspects.
"They
have captured missile batteries mounted on trucks, and are suspected to
have been supplied with Russian-made 'needle' portable launchers that
can be carried by a man," reads the report.As Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists blamed each other for the crash of MH17 Boeing 777, a sophisticated missile system has been brought into the public limelight – the Russian-made 9K37 Buk.
Confirmation that a missile was involved will only come if someone admits firing one, or if crash investigators find shrapnel and other tell-tale signs on the aircraft debris and the bodies recovered.
Nevertheless, the use of a missile was raised soon after the MH17 disaster by a Ukrainian Interior Ministry official who said pro-Russian forces had used the missile to bring down the plane.
However, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has denied having missiles in its possession.
A
medium-range surface-to-air missile such as Buk is necessary to bring
down an aircraft at a cruising altitude as shoulder-fired missiles
(called Manpads, or Man-Portable Air Defence System), favoured by
insurgents worldwide for their portability, lack the range needed.Manpads can only threaten commercial airliners during take-off and landing, when it is flying relatively low and slow. The earliest version of the Buk missile has a maximum engagement altitude of 14 kilometres. The MH17 was reportedly flying at about 33,000 feet (10km) high.
Airspace MH17 was in was deemed 'open'
According to a report in British newspaper The Guardian, the Ukrainian authorities had banned flights at 32,000ft (9.75km) and below in the area where MH17 crashed at the time of the incident, and the airspace it was flying was deemed "open". That airspace in eastern Ukraine is now closed to all civilian air traffic.
The
radar-guided missile weighs just over half-a-tonne and is typically
launched from the top of an armoured vehicle or a ship, in contrast to
Manpads that can be carried and fired by a single person and are
designed to attack low-flying aircraft and helicopters.Various versions of the missile, carrying nicknames such as "Grizzly" and "Gadfly", have been fielded since 1979 in Russia, Ukraine, China and other countries.
It had seen combat on both sides of the 2008 South Ossetia war between Russia and Georgia, during which defence analysts noted the Russian Air Force had taken heavy casualties relative to the small Georgian military and could not develop an effective counter-measure against a missile system it created.
However, the question remains: If a missile brought down the MH17, who fired it?"It's a very capable system, proven under real-world conditions," Foreign Policy magazine quoted a political risk consultancy Wikistrat researcher Andrew Bowen as saying, while noting that the system is difficult to use.
"These systems require a large amount of technical know-how, unlike these Manpads, which are basically 'point-and-shoot'," Bowen said.
Foreign Policy also reported that Ukraine has such missiles in its possession. However despite denials, so does Donetsk, which is said to have a missile system similar to Buk.
Donetsk had acquired Buk missiles, says report
The magazine quoted Russian newswire Itar-Tass as reporting on June 29 that Donetsk had acquired Buk missiles, and said the group had even bragged about its acquisition on Twitter.
The posting, also dated June 29, has since been removed and can only be viewed via Google’s cache.
"An Associated Press reporter spotted what was described as 'a launcher similar to the Buk missile system' near the town of Snizhne."On Thursday, a Twitter account associated with Maidan protest movement in Kiev posted a photograph purporting to show a Buk launcher in the town of Torez, which is near the crash site and has been the scene of fighting between separatist and government forces," the report added.
The report also noted that while Ukraine does have Buk missiles near the crash site, these missiles in the region were only used against Ukrainian government aircraft.
Meanwhile, deputy editor of the Polish magazine Dziennik Michal Potocki, who had been studying the conflict in Ukraine, agreed that the separatist group is responsible for shooting down the Malaysian airliner.
"It cannot be the Ukrainian side - they do not need to use surface-to-air missiles as the separatists do not have airplanes as for now. It was probably a missile system called Buk," Potocki told Malaysiakini in an email today.
He also pointed out that just before news broke that MH17 had crashed, separatist leader, Igor Strelkov, posted on a Russian social media site that two supposedly Ukrainian aircraft had been shot down, saying that they were "an Antonov and probably a Sukhoi".
"Only after we got the news that it was Boeing - the separatists started to blame the Ukrainian side," Potocki said.
MH17 had been using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft for the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight, which is the same model used for flight MH370 that went missing on March 8.
All 295 on board perished in the incident.
'Since when sultan's wrath is basis for probe?'
"And since when has the sultan's wrath become a reason to investigate?"
"The police should be mindful of the law, apply their mind to the issue at hand. Don't just act mechanically," the vocal academician said in a statement.
Aziz was commenting on the investigations under the Sedition Act against PAS leader Khalid Samad (right), whose remarks regarding the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) angered the sultan.He said the Shah Alam MP had merely suggested amending the law to curb Mais’ executive powers and did not mention the sultan.
"It was others who linked his suggestion with the sultan's position and power. Khalid did not say anything about the sultan.
"What's wrong about making the suggestion? Since when has a suggestion to amend the law pertaining to a corporation like Mais become seditious?" he asked.
Aziz noted that the issue had become a hot topic when the sultan rebuked Khalid on Tuesday for his remarks made almost a month ago.
Yesterday, Khalid apologised to the sultan but at the same time expressed confusion as to which part of his statement had angered the ruler.
The PAS leader is also seeking an audience with the sultan to explain his stand.
Khalid had called for the amendment after Mais refused to return the seized Malay and Iban language copies of the Bible seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia in January this year.
Russian-made missile key suspect in MH17 crash
A Russian-made surface-to-air missile has emerged as the most likely cause of the suspected downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, analysts said today, as claim and counter-claim swirl over who launched the weapon.The vehicle-mounted "Buk" missile system is capable of soaring to the height of a civilian airliner like Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, unlike more widely available shoulder-launched weapons, defence experts said.
The Ukrainian and Russian military both use the device, but pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine had just hours before the disaster announced that they had seized a number of Buk systems themselves.
"Who has shot it down? There is lots of evidence which shows these were pro-Russian separatists who have done that," Russian defence expert Igor Sutyagin of the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) said.
He cited a Twitter post on Thursday by separatists, later deleted, "when they reported that they had captured precisely that piece of hardware known as Buk".
Originally developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, the most modern version of the Buk missile has taken pride of place during recent Russian military parades on Red Square.
It can hit targets flying as high as 22,000m – more than twice the 10,600m MH17 was cruising at – said IHS Jane's Missiles and Rockets editor Doug Richardson.
There are two variants: the Buk-M1 and Buk M2, codenamed by NATO as the SA-11 Gadfly and the SA-17 Grizzly.
The missile is produced by the Russian arms firm Almaz-Antey, recently targeted by US sanctions, at a factory in Ulyanovsk.
Buk missiles are complicated to operate, unlike shoulder-launched weapons, requiring three lorry-sized vehicles – a command post, a radar vehicle, and a launcher with the missiles, analysts said.
The missiles themselves each weigh more than half a tonne and are about the height of two men.
Richardson said the missile system has a "friend or foe" identification system, but could not distinguish a commercial airliner from another unknown plane.
"It would not give you a warning that you were tracking an airliner," he said.
If it was a missile – as Ukraine, the United States and others allege – the question of where it came from and who fired it is key to the crisis.
Ukraine pointed the finger at separatist rebels, and if it was them they could have either captured it from Ukrainian forces, or have had them supplied by Russia, analysts said.
Two Ukrainian military planes were shot down in the weeks before the Malaysian Airlines jet crashed.
"Where does it come from, how have they acquired this kind of weaponry? Is this supplied from Russia? If yes, why is Russia supplying this kind of weaponry?" said Domitilla Sagramoso of the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
A message on the official Twitter account of rebel group the Donetsk People's Republic said on Thursday that insurgents had seized a series of Buk systems from a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile regiment.
Hours later, the group's "defence minster" Igor Strelkov on his local social networking page claimed to have downed what they said was a Ukrainian military transport plane. Both messages were later deleted.
Eliot Higgins, who posts detailed analyses of weapons in Syria and other conflicts on his Brown Moses blog, said he had traced a video of a Buk missile launcher about 12km from the crash site which was posted on Thursday.
"The video was uploaded on July 17th. I've found no other versions of it, and it was on a new YouTube account which was deleted a few hours later," he said in an email.
"Beyond that, there's no other way to confirm the date of the video. It's heading out of an opposition-controlled town, close to the town centre, heading south, which is towards the Russian border."
Jonathan Eyal, International Director at Rusi, said it was "impossible to believe" rebels could have hit their target without radar and other logistical support from the Russian military.
But Russia's defence ministry said Friday that a Ukrainian Buk radar was operating on the day of the crash.
Experts also pointed out the Ukranian forces themselves had accidentally shot down an airliner in a training exercise in 2001, killing 78 people. AFP
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/russian-made-missile-key-suspect-in-mh17-crash#sthash.TOupv05X.dpuf
Steward never returned to taste mum’s cooking
His mother had cooked his favourite dishes but steward Sanjid Singh Sandhu never came home as he was on the ill-fated MH17.
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Steward Sanjid Singh Sandhu, who changed shifts with a colleague at the last minute on the ill-fated MH17 flight, told his family he would be back for lunch today but it was not meant to be.
Jijar Singh, 71, said his son informed him on Tuesday that he had changed shifts with his colleague to go to Amsterdam.
Sanjid, 41, had told his mother Jagjit Kaur, 73, that he would be in for lunch with his wife Tan Bee Geok, 43, and 10-year-old son Hans Singh Sandhu.
“His mother has cooked his favourite dishes,” Jijar told reporters when met at his house in Taman Selamat, Alma here today.
The family received the bad news at 4 a.m. today from their daughter, Sheila Sandhu, 43, who resides in Italy, that MH17 had crashed in Ukraine.
Sanjid was among 15 MAS crew members who perished in the plane, allegedly shot down by a missile, near the village of Grabovo in eastern Ukraine late last night.
“We are shocked and cannot describe our loss because he is our only son. It has happened and we have to bear with it,” said Jijar.
Sanjid joined MAS 16 years ago following in his sister Sheila’s footsteps. Sheila is now married to a foreign national and settled in Europe.
Since joining MAS, Sanjid moved to Kuala Lumpur and visited his parents whenever he was on leave.
“He is a jovial and friendly guy with many friends,” said Jijar, a retiree of the then Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN), now TNB.
Jijar has a piece of advice for married couples – have more than two children, at least two boys and two girls.
“Don’t suffer like us. We have lost our only son,” said Jijar, who had undergone two heart bypass surgeries.
He recalled that when talking about the disappearance of MH370, Sanjid told him it was all fated.
Jijar remembers the last words to Sanjid when his son was about to depart to Kuala Lumpur last month: “You are my only son and your son is my only grandson. So please take care.”
He said his daughter-in-law was making the funeral arrangements for Sanjid and that she may have to go to Ukraine.
Jijar Singh, 71, said his son informed him on Tuesday that he had changed shifts with his colleague to go to Amsterdam.
Sanjid, 41, had told his mother Jagjit Kaur, 73, that he would be in for lunch with his wife Tan Bee Geok, 43, and 10-year-old son Hans Singh Sandhu.
“His mother has cooked his favourite dishes,” Jijar told reporters when met at his house in Taman Selamat, Alma here today.
The family received the bad news at 4 a.m. today from their daughter, Sheila Sandhu, 43, who resides in Italy, that MH17 had crashed in Ukraine.
Sanjid was among 15 MAS crew members who perished in the plane, allegedly shot down by a missile, near the village of Grabovo in eastern Ukraine late last night.
“We are shocked and cannot describe our loss because he is our only son. It has happened and we have to bear with it,” said Jijar.
Sanjid joined MAS 16 years ago following in his sister Sheila’s footsteps. Sheila is now married to a foreign national and settled in Europe.
Since joining MAS, Sanjid moved to Kuala Lumpur and visited his parents whenever he was on leave.
“He is a jovial and friendly guy with many friends,” said Jijar, a retiree of the then Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN), now TNB.
Jijar has a piece of advice for married couples – have more than two children, at least two boys and two girls.
“Don’t suffer like us. We have lost our only son,” said Jijar, who had undergone two heart bypass surgeries.
He recalled that when talking about the disappearance of MH370, Sanjid told him it was all fated.
Jijar remembers the last words to Sanjid when his son was about to depart to Kuala Lumpur last month: “You are my only son and your son is my only grandson. So please take care.”
He said his daughter-in-law was making the funeral arrangements for Sanjid and that she may have to go to Ukraine.
MH17 passenger uploaded Instagram video before take-off
Friend received last video from him, says never expected him to be on the ill-fated flight.
KUALA LUMPUR: Md Ali Md Salim, 30, a Malaysian passenger onboard the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border, had uploaded a video on his Instagram account while seated in the plane moments before take-off.
The 15-seconds video was uploaded under his account name “@masa1777″ at noon (Amsterdam time), with the caption: “Bismillah…#hatiadasikitgentar” (In the name of Allah…feeling slightly nervous).
The video showed passengers and a MAS stewardess placing their personal items into the overhead baggage compartment and preparing for take-off.
His friend, Mohd Zaem Nordin, 24, who shared the video on his Instagram said that he did not expect Md Ali to be on the ill-fated plane.
“When I saw the video which had been uploaded about 15 hours earlier, I was shocked and did not think that he would be on the plane,” said Zaem when contacted by Bernama today.
Md Ali was pursuing his Psychology Doctorate at a university in Amsterdam and was due to complete his studies next year, said Zaem.
Zaem, who shared Md Ali’s video on Instagram, said that they last contacted one another on June 25 via Facebook.
“We always kept in touch on Facebook and the last time, he said he wanted to come home this year to spend Hari Raya with his family.
“I did not know that his wish would not be fulfilled and that this video is his last,” Zaem said.
The two had been friends since 2010 and Zaem described Md Ali as a “cheerful and caring person who was always concerned about his friends”.
“We first met when he was working as a fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur branch, he was friendly and easy to get along with.”
Flight MH17 left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam time) and was scheduled to arrive at KLIA, Sepang at 6.10am (Malaysia time) today. (Bernama)
KUALA LUMPUR: Md Ali Md Salim, 30, a Malaysian passenger onboard the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border, had uploaded a video on his Instagram account while seated in the plane moments before take-off.
The 15-seconds video was uploaded under his account name “@masa1777″ at noon (Amsterdam time), with the caption: “Bismillah…#hatiadasikitgentar” (In the name of Allah…feeling slightly nervous).
The video showed passengers and a MAS stewardess placing their personal items into the overhead baggage compartment and preparing for take-off.
His friend, Mohd Zaem Nordin, 24, who shared the video on his Instagram said that he did not expect Md Ali to be on the ill-fated plane.
“When I saw the video which had been uploaded about 15 hours earlier, I was shocked and did not think that he would be on the plane,” said Zaem when contacted by Bernama today.
Md Ali was pursuing his Psychology Doctorate at a university in Amsterdam and was due to complete his studies next year, said Zaem.
Zaem, who shared Md Ali’s video on Instagram, said that they last contacted one another on June 25 via Facebook.
“We always kept in touch on Facebook and the last time, he said he wanted to come home this year to spend Hari Raya with his family.
“I did not know that his wish would not be fulfilled and that this video is his last,” Zaem said.
The two had been friends since 2010 and Zaem described Md Ali as a “cheerful and caring person who was always concerned about his friends”.
“We first met when he was working as a fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur branch, he was friendly and easy to get along with.”
Flight MH17 left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam time) and was scheduled to arrive at KLIA, Sepang at 6.10am (Malaysia time) today. (Bernama)
‘They shouldn’t be fucking flying here’
(Malay Mail Online) – The following is a transcript of conversations allegedly between Russian military intelligence and Ukrainian separatists that were intercepted by Ukraine’s spy agency in the moments after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down.
The first exchange is between one Igor Bezler, identified as Russian intelligence, and
Vasili Geranin, a colonel in the Russian Federation separatist force.
Bezler: We have just shot down a plane. Group Minera. It fell down beyond Yenakievo (Donetsk Oblast).
Vasili Geranin: Pilots. Where are the pilots?
Bezler: Gone to search for and photograph the plane. It’s smoking.
Geranin: How many minutes ago?
Bezler: About 30 minutes ago.
This is followed by a subsequent conversation between two separatist rebels identified by Ukrainian intelligence as “Grek” and “Major”, believed to be after an inspection of the crash site.
“Major”: These are Chernukhin folks who shot down the plane. From the Chernukhin check point. Those Cossacks who are based in Chernukhino.
“Grek”: Yes, Major.
“Major”: The plane fell apart in the air. In the area of Petropavlovskaya mine. The first “200” (code for dead bodies). We have found the first “200”. A Civilian.
“Greek”: Well, what do you have there?
“Major”: In short, it was 100 percent a passenger (civilian) aircraft.
“Greek”: Are many people there?
“Major”: Holy shit! The debris fell right into the yards (of homes).
“Greek”: What kind of aircraft?
“Major”: I haven’t ascertained this. I haven’t been to the main sight. I am only surveying the scene where the first bodies fell. There are the remains of internal brackets, seats and bodies.
“Greek”: Is there anything left of the weapon?
“Major”: Absolutely nothing. Civilian items, medical items, towels, toilet paper.
“Greek”: Are there documents?
“Major”: Yes, of one Indonesian student. From a university in Thompson.
A third conversation is of an unidentified rebel and Cossack commander Nikolay Kozitsin.
Rebel: Regarding the plane shot down in the area of Snizhne-Torez. It’s a civilian one. Fell down near Grabove. There are lots of corpses of women and children. The Cossacks are out there looking at all this.
They say on TV it’s AN-26 transport plane, but they say it’s written Malaysia Airlines on the plane. What was it doing on Ukraine’s territory?
Kozitsin: That means they were carrying spies. They shouldn’t be fucking flying here. There is a war going on.
Obama Points to Pro-Russia Separatists in Downing of Malaysia Airlines Plane
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Friday that the United States believed the Malaysia Airlines jetliner felled over eastern Ukraine had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile from an area inside Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists. He demanded a prompt international inquiry as signs emerged that separatists were impeding an assessment of the crash site by outside monitors.
Mr. Obama’s remarks at the White House were the strongest public suggestions yet from the United States of who was responsible for the downing of the plane, which exploded, crashed and burned on Thursday on farmland in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard.
Mr. Obama said the loss of life was an “outrage of unspeakable proportions” and a “global tragedy.” He vowed to investigate exactly what had happened to end the lives of “men, women, children, infants who had nothing to do with the crisis” in the region. He also said that at least one American was among the dead.
“We are going to make sure the truth is out,” Mr. Obama said, referring to what he described as a trove of misinformation that had already shrouded the plane crash.
“We don’t have time for propaganda,” he said. “We don’t have time for games.”
The president said the violence in the region must not obstruct an independent investigation of the plane’s destruction, and he called on Russia, Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatists to agree to an immediate cease-fire. “Evidence must not be tampered with,” Mr. Obama said. “Investigators need to access the crash site. And the solemn task of returning those who were lost onboard the plane to their loved ones needs to go forward immediately.”
While separatists guarding the crash site allowed some Ukrainian government rescue teams to enter and begin collecting bodies, they were less cooperative with a team of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who wanted to secure a safe route for the investigation and salvaging operations.
Reuters quoted Thomas Greminger, chairman of the O.S.C.E.'s permanent council in Vienna, as saying that armed separatists had prevented the monitors from gaining full access to the site. “In the current circumstances, they were not able to help securing this corridor that would allow access for those that would want to investigate,” he was quoted as saying.
There were reports that some separatists had fired at the monitors, but the O.S.C.E. said in a Twitter message that those claims were untrue.
Mr. Obama spoke after Samantha Power, the American ambassador to the United Nations, told an emergency Security Council meeting on the Ukraine conflict that there was “credible evidence” that pro-Russia separatists and their Russian associates in eastern Ukraine were responsible for the crash.
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 — Flight 17, from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — was at a cruising altitude of 33,000 feet on a commonly used air route over eastern Ukraine when it was struck on Thursday.
Continue reading the main story
Both Russia and the separatist groups deny any responsibility, and some rebel leaders suggest that Ukraine’s armed forces may have shot down the plane. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has implicitly blamed Ukraine’s government, saying it created the conditions for the separatist uprising that has escalated into a major crisis. But Mr. Putin has not denied that a Russian-made weapon may have destroyed the aircraft.
Mr. Obama resisted blaming Mr. Putin personally, saying that the United States did not know who had fired the missile. But he made clear that he held the Russians responsible for failing to stop the violence that made the downing possible.
Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/world/europe/malaysia-airlines-plane-ukraine.html?_r=1
Najib Calls For Emergency Parliament Sitting On MH17 Incident
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called for an emergency Parliament sitting to table a motion to criticise the inhumane act committed on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17 which was believed to have been shot down in Ukraine, on Thursday.The Prime Minister said the emergency sitting was to state the firm stand of the Malaysian people on the unfortunate tragedy.
Najib said Malaysia strongly criticised the inhumane act which he described as uncivilised, violent and irresponsible.
"Although the flight MH17 was believed to have been shot down, we are not pointing fingers at any one at the moment until concrete proof could be verified," said the Prime Minister in a special message on the MH17 tragedy which was aired live on RTM1, here today.
Najib said he was made to understand that the area where the incident took place was controlled by rebel troops.
"Thus, we are making various efforts, including through diplomatic channels and Malaysia's cordial relations with the countries concerned so that the investigating team can carry out their task while handling of the victims could proceed smoothly," he said.
The Prime Minister said the Malaysian government demanded that the parties involved must guarantee the safety of the rescue teams throughout the operation.
"Secondly, the Malaysian government also urges the parties concerned not to obstruct and contaminate evidence at the site of the tragedy so that investigation could can be carried out transparently and effectively.
"Thirdly, if investigation proves that the flight MH17 was shot down, Malaysia demands that the party responsible be brought to book," he said.
The Prime Minister added that he had conveyed the three demands to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Ban Ki Moon.
"I have also requested the Russian President, Vladimir Putin to extend whatever cooperation to achieve these objectives," he said.
Najib also called on all Malaysians to be united and strengthen the spirit of solidarity to face this heartbreaking incident.
"In this moment of sadness which is most challenging, let us stand united, strengthen the spirit of solidarity to face this tragic occasion.
"May Allah grant His blessings for our endeavours to go through this hard time," the Prime Minister added.
Friday, 18 July 2014
‘We Don’t Rob During the Ramadan and on Fridays’ Caught Robbers Tell Police
The picture
below does not show what these men really look like when they stand on
the streets. This is because they have been in police custody and their
guises have worn off. But on a good day, any man who doesn’t look
closely can be easily fooled to believe they are women.
And clearly, many men must have fallen prey
to their wiles. These are hardened criminals who have terrified the
people of Ibadan. One of them, Lawal Kabir claims he is a devout Muslim
who considers Fridays and the Ramadan period as sacred and therefore, he
cannot engage in robbery at such times.
He continues by saying that on Fridays he
goes to the mosque to pray so that God would forgive all his criminal
tendencies Ironically, he was arrested on Friday after observing the
Jumat prayers.
According to him and the other suspects, they
had unleashed terror in places like Osun, Sawmill and Iyana-Agbala.
The eight-man gang confessed this and other crimes they had committed
to Crime Alert.
One of them, Ayodele Olaitan, shook his head
in regret and said: “It was my friends that pushed me into this. I
joined the gang sometime ago and I have participated in at least three
robbery operations.
I am not the owner of the mask you see on me.
It belongs to one of us called pastor. He is dead now. I regret all my
actions. I didn’t realize we could be caught. But, now the game is up, “
he said this in tears.
Lawal Kabir stated that he was driven into
the criminal world out of business failure. “I took to robbery when my
plumbing work was not booming. Three years after my freedom as an
apprentice, I tried all I could to make both ends meet, but things did
not work for me. I first stayed in Lagos before I later came to Ibadan
where I was introduced to a gang of armed robbers. I have participated
in four armed robbery attacks.
I went with them to Osun State, Ibadan,
Sawmill and Iyana -Agbala. I was arrested on Friday after I finished
praying in the mosque. Somebody we call a pastor, also a member of the
gang called me without knowing the police had already arrested him.
I don’t rob on Fridays and during Ramadan. I
used those periods to pray to God to forgive me my sins. I know what I
was doing was wrong but it was difficult for me to break away from it.”
Biola Alaba, the one with the weave-on, noted
that they were eight in number. They were arrested at a drinking joint
during a robbery operation at Bodija. He states he never killed any of
their victims.
“How can I commit two sins at the same time. I
cannot rob and kill at the same time. It is unfair to rob someone of
his belongings and kill him. We don’t even rape our victims, “ he said.
Sunday Omooba from Ogbomoso, a member of the
Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, narrated that he took charge of the armoury
for the gang. “I helped them get bullets through one man. I just call
the man any time I need bullets for the gang.
I don’t rob with them. In fact, I did not
know that they were using the bullets to rob. I also supplied that pump
action gun to them. I bought the gun for N70,000 from a friend. If I
knew that they would use the weapons for robbery, I would not give
them.”
Mr. Mohammed Indabawa, the State
Commissioner of Police related that, “sequel to tip-offs about a
criminal hideout at a mechanic village, Iyana Church, Ibadan, a raid was
organized and SARS operatives arrested the following suspected armed
robbers: Olaitan Ayodele, Abiola Alaba, Oyewole Ogunwole, Adedeji
Mustapha, Omooba Oyewole and Adedeji Mustapha. On interrogation, they
all confessed to their past and present crimes within and outside Oyo
State. They also confessed to have attacked and robbed two police
officers.”
All their victims were contacted and they corroborated their confessions.
http://www.360nobs.com/2014/07/we-dont-rob-during-the-ramadan-and-on-fridays-caught-robbers-tell-police/
Two Pakistani diplomats in UK accused of abduction, rape
The accused men were among foreign diplomats suspected of 14 crimes — who are entitled to diplomatic immunity and thus protected from British law.
Two Saudi men were arrested for drink-driving and have escaped prosecution despite the fact that the crime entails brutal lashings in their own country. A diplomat from Kuwait — where alcohol is banned — was also accused of drink-driving.
FCO minister, Mark Simmonds had on Tuesday presented to the British parliament the list of diplomats, who had allegedly committed ‘serious and significant’ crimes.
He said the Metropolitan Police’s Diplomatic Protection Group had warned the FCO regarding 14 criminal offences committed by foreign diplomats.
Simmons added that the number of crimes committed by members of the diplomat community in UK was significantly low.
“The FCO does not tolerate foreign diplomats breaking the law,” the FCO minister said.
As per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, those granted immunity are expected to obey the law and if allegations come at the forefront, the relevant foreign government can be asked to withdraw the privilege so that an investigation can be carried out against the accused.
Earlier last year, the FCO had made that request for five of the most serious crimes, including those committed by the Pakistani diplomats.
Despite the fact that the Pakistani government had partially lifted immunity in one case so that police could interview the diplomat, there were no legal compulsions for complying with the British request.
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