BATMAN SHOOTER SENT WARNING PACKAGE

July 26, 2012

AURORA, Colorado (AFP) - Alleged Colorado shooter James Holmes reportedly sent a warning package to a psychiatrist at his former university with a notebook and drawings of his plans to massacre people.

Holmes, 24, is accused of shooting 12 people dead and wounding 58 more at a cinema on Friday in Aurora, outside Denver, as young moviegoers packed the first midnight screening of the latest Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises."

There were conflicting reports about whether the package was received in time for the massacre to be averted. Officials remained tight-lipped Wednesday on reports that it had lain unopened in a university mailroom for days.

Fox News, quoting an unnamed law enforcement source, said the parcel, with Holmes' name written in the return address box, arrived at the University of Colorado on July 12 but sat unopened until days after the July 20 massacre.

"Inside the package was a notebook full of details about how he was going to kill people," the law enforcement source said. "There were drawings of what he was going to do in it -- drawings and illustrations of the massacre."

Those drawings included some of gun-wielding stick figures shooting other stick figures, the report said.

However, a second law enforcement source quoted by Fox News said the authorities had been unable to confirm that the package had arrived before the killings occurred. The Denver Post, meanwhile, cited university officials as saying it had arrived on Monday, days after the shooting.

A police source told NBC News that Holmes had tipped them off to the package and told them to look for his name in the return address.

A report also surfaced that the suspect, who is expected to be charged with 12 murders and 58 attempted murders at his next court appearance on Monday, bought a high-powered rifle hours after failing a key oral exam.

Awarded a special grant by the government for his neuroscience studies, Holmes suddenly dropped out of the program with no explanation three days after failing the June 7 exam, ABC News reported.

Officials are unable to comment publicly on any of these matters because of a strict gag order imposed by the judge overseeing the case.

The first funeral of a massacre victim took place on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama told an event in New Orleans that he would pursue "common-sense" measures to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people.

In a speech to the National Urban League said he believes that even most gun owners would agree "that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of children."

"I believe the majority of gun owners would agree we should do everything possible to prevent criminals and fugitives from purchasing weapons. And we should check someone's criminal record before they can check out a gun seller.

"A mentally unbalanced individual should not be able to get his hands on a gun so easily. These steps shouldn't be controversial. They should be common-sense."

The gunman in last week's movie theater shooting gained access via a fire exit shortly after the film began and threw two canisters of noxious gas into the auditorium, witnesses said.

After firing one round directly into the air with a pump-action shotgun, he began shooting people at random with a military-style assault rifle capable of dispatching 50 to 60 rounds a minute.

Authorities say Holmes -- who had painted his hair reddish orange -- claimed he was the Joker, Batman's sworn enemy in the comic book series that inspired director Christopher Nolan's film trilogy, which features British-born actor Christian Bale as "the caped crusader".

The suspect gave himself up outside the cinema, still clad in the body armor witnesses described the gunman wearing.

Police said Sunday they had found Holmes's computer inside his booby-trapped apartment -- rigged to kill anyone who entered -- which could provide crucial details about how he planned and executed the attack.

Holmes is being held in solitary confinement in the Arapahoe County Detention Center and could face the death penalty if convicted, although Colorado has only executed one person since 1976.

Holmes made a bizarre first appearance in court Monday wearing a maroon prison jumpsuit under his shock of orange-dyed hair. He appeared unable to follow proceedings as his head bobbed up and down and he alternated between staring out wild-eyed and closing his eyes as if in a daze. He has yet to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Myanmar religious cleansing tantamount to crime against humanity

Described as the Palestine of Asia by the UN, the Rohingya Muslim community in Myanmar is currently going through an unutterable ordeal at the hands of the Rakhine extremist Buddhists in Arakan who are targeting the Muslim minority with the worst form of religious cleansing.

Ethnic cleansing is rife in Myanmar and is turning into a human tragedy of colossal proportions. A confidential United Nations report dated May 29, 2011 and marked “Not for Public Citation or Distribution”, defines ethnic cleansing as a “purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”

What is happening in Myanmar to the Rohingya Muslims violates international laws and is to be categorized as crime against humanity.

Unfortunately, the Myanmar peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the plight of the Rohingya Muslims. Maybe she has forgotten her own words on democracy and human rights that, “The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity.”

Reportedly, the settlement of the Rohingya Muslims in this region dates back to the eighth century. However, in the seventies, the junta embarked on a systematic program of religious cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims who are denied their basic rights, i.e. the right to freedom of movement, marriage, faith, identity, ownership, language, heritage and culture, citizenship, education etc. Deplorable as it is, the Muslims in Myanmar are among the most persecuted minorities in the world according to UN.

According to reports, 650 of nearly one million Rohingya Muslims have been murdered as of June 28. On the other hand, 1,200 others are missing and 90,000 more have been displaced.

US photographer Greg Constantine has recently released a book of black and white photography titled “Exiled to Nowhere: Burma’s Rohingya.” He believes that “One of the things that is lost in the discussions of the issues of statelessness-particularly with the Rohingya-are human stories.”

He relates the story of 20-year-old Kashida who had to “flee to Bangladesh with her husband. The Burmese authorities had denied her permission to get married, but when they discovered she had married in secret and was pregnant they took away all her family’s money and cows and goats. They forced Kashida to have an abortion, telling her: “This is not your country; you don’t have the right to reproduce here.”

The dire humanitarian crisis has already begun to assume tragic proportions and Muslims and non-Muslims alike are beginning to respond with perturbation and fear.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has called for end to violence in Myanmar.

“It is expected that the Myanmar government will prepare the ground for solidarity, national unity and asserting the rights of Muslims in the country and that it will avert violence and a human catastrophe in this regard,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Monday.

Iranian lawmaker Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini has suggested that the Islamic Republic of Iran should call on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold an ad hoc meeting concerning the Muslim massacre in Myanmar.

Also, the president of India’s Jamiat Ulma-i-Hind has voiced concern about the massacre, calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis in the country. Maulana Syed Arshad Madani lashed out at the Myanmar government for being indifferent to the massacre of Muslims by extremist Buddhists. He also criticized the silence of the international community and human rights organizations across the world about this humanitarian tragedy.

The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has strongly condemned the brutal massacre perpetrated against the Rohingya Muslims and has demanded that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) take necessary and urgent steps to prevent religious cleaning and these crimes against humanity in this region.

The statement reads, “The IUMS is reviewing in all concern what has befallen the Muslims in the Muslim region of Arakan, Burma, of fierce killing, displacement and persecution since a long time, not to mention displacement of them, and demolition of their homes, properties and mosques at the hands of the religious extremists in the Buddhist community. Unfortunately, the Buddhist government acts as a bystander in face of the heinous massacres escalating day after day against the Muslim minorities in the country. The numbers of casualties, in the attacks that are considered the most ferocious in the history of targeting the Muslims in Burma, are countless.”

In view of the ongoing inhumane violations in Myanmar, the US and its western allies, which keep pontificating about human rights in the world, have feigned ignorance about this humanitarian catastrophe. Why? Because they will not be able to reap any benefits of their future efforts in the country as they do in the Middle East and elsewhere. To crown it all, they have kept an agonizingly meaningful silence over the massacre.

It is certainly incumbent upon every person who cares about human dignity to fly in the face of this inhumanity and give a helping hand to the downtrodden Myanmar Muslims.

As the great Persian poet Sa’di says, “Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you’ve no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain!”

Gujarat genocide: Indian union in trouble

26 July 2008.

Things are not good in Gujarat and its capital of commerce Ahmedabad and Banglore. A few years ago Narendra Modi orchestrated a vile pogrom of bigotry against the Muslims. More than 3000 Muslims were systematically targeted and massacred. More than 400,000 were thrown out the state. They still yearn to return to their villages. Mr. Modi’s henchmen refuse to allow them to return to the homes and property–under threat of death.A few months ago Tehelka.com published a taped conversation for Mr. Modi directing his followers to continue the carnage.The triamphalist India media catering to Indian elite routinely will begin blaming Pakistan for anything wrong with the Indian union–however there are many suspects in the case. Banglore Billet: Indian Muslims And The Media By Nigar AtaullaThe Indian National Congress recently bribed many members of the BJP and about ten of them defected–destroying the chance of Ms. Mayawati from becoming the next prime minister–the first Dlait in the history of mankind to get to that position.The Naxalite are in open revolt against the Indian government and control about 40% of the Indian territory. The Northeastest states are in open rebellion. India has huge issues with the Tamils and in Sri Lanka. The animosity between India and Bangladesh is at fever pitch with India trying to railroad a transit agreement over the wishes of the Bangladeshis. India aslo has problems with Sikkim and Bhutan who do not want to join the Indian Union. There are separatists in Arunchal Pradesh and Tiamil Nadu and Mizoram. Of course the insurrection in Kashmir is ongoing.WIth Indian involvement in Afghanistan India now has new Pasktun enemies that want India to withdraw its 4000 troops in Afghanistan.Posted on July 25, 2008by Moin Ansari | Edit

Banglore Bombs: Blowback from Kabul–Pakhtuns to India: Get out of Afghanistan

| NEW YORK | RUPEE NEWS | July 25th, 2008 | Moin Ansari | The earthquake had already hit the service sector in Madras. The explosions in the heart of India’s $50 Billion IT industry has reverberations beyond the “Computer coolies” who many the Call Centers. While China offers stability and has begun bundling Chinese IT services with its products, the Bangalore is now rocked by real bombs–a result of India’s failed foreign policy that seeks hegemony with all her neighbors. Pakistan, Nepal, China, and Bangaladesh are RAW’s enemiesAHMEDABAD: Close on the heels of Bangalore serial blasts, six blasts rocked Ahmedabad on Saturday evening. (Watch)

All the explosion were low intensity blasts. At least twenty people have been injured in the blasts, they have been taken to Maninagar hospital. The Prime Minister has condemned the Ahmedabad blasts and appealed for calm.

The first explosion took place in Maninagar, which happens to be Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency. The second blast happened in the Sardar Patel Diamond market. The third and fourth blasts took place in Saranpur Bridge and Isanpur. While the first bomb was reportedly planted in a cycle, the other bombs were hidden in tiffin boxes, according to police sources. There were other blasts in Bapu Nagar and Raipur.The Naxalites have a force of approximately 15,000 cadres spread across 160 districts in the states of Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. They operate primarily in the lawless, dense forested areas of India’s interior, with some estimates saying Naxalites control approximately 10.03 million hectares (about 25 million acres) of forests nationwide. They also have an active campaign to recruit students and other youths to help spread their left-wing extremism into India’s towns and cities. Thus far, however, the Naxalites have not demonstrated the ability to operate in urban areas.

The three major threats to India are listed in all Indian security briefings

Pornywood and India Inc. cannot hide the truth about a failed state

89 insurgencies raging all over “India”

• Kashmir: 100,000 civilians killed
• White Widows: 50, million women ostracized from society and incarcerated in temples

• East Punjab: Brutal suppression of Punjabi insurrection. Thousands killed
• Tamil Nadu and Mizuram are in flames seeking independence
• Tamil insurrection in Sri Lanka led by Tamils Terrorists in India
• Bihar: Major suppression of Biharis and problems with Bangladesh
• West Bengal in Communist hands fueling Naxalites.
• Gujrat: Serious Hindu Muslim riots perpetuated by Mr. Moodi. 3000 burned.
• 200 -300 million Untouchables have little or no rights
• 150 million Muslims are at the lowest rung of the ladder:
  • India the only island of penury in Asia keeps the Subcontinent poor
  • India has had wars with all her neighbors
  • India has lowest per capita GNP in the Subcontinent
  • Indian poor are poorer than Sub Saharan Africa
    More than 200 districts in the hands of the Naxalites

    • Tamil Nadu and Mizuram secessionist movement are live and hot

    INDIA AS A FAILED STATE: India is a failed state for failing to provide food shelter and clothing for her citizens. India has bloody borders. India has had wars with all her neighbors. By harping on the “failed state” mantra the bigoted Indian commentariat wants to surround “Akhand Bharat” with small Balkanized mini-states like Sikkim, Bhutan, Sri Lanka. Any hegemonous power achieves its goal in the region by sabotaging the integrity and sovereignty of the neighbors. India wants to surround itself with a “Warsaw pact” type of string of obsequies and subservient states. Pakistan is big hurdle in India’s hegemonistic policy of Westward expansion. Since the West never faced “India” in combat, they are unaware of the (South) Indian agression that was encountered by Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia, and even Indonesia). China and Pakistan working together have arrested the advance of the sepoys of Delhi.
    UNTOUCHABLE DALITS EEK OUT A SUB HUMAN LIVING IN INDIA:Between 150 to 250 million Dalits or Untouchables live in utter sub-human conditions. A population as large as the United States lives in conditions that are below and worse off than that of Sub Saharan Africa. The dalit websites shed some light on the plight of the Dalits.

Burma Muslims Must Choose between Death And Forced Migration, UN Condemns\ photo +18

 The International Union of Unified Ummah deplored the massacre of Myanmar Muslims in their country and in other parts of the region, and called on international bodies to show swift reaction to the crimes committed against them. 

"Bad news are heard about Muslim genocide in Myanmar," a statement by the Union said on Saturday, adding that millions of Muslims who are considered as a minority in their country have faced different problems by Myanmar's government. 

The statement also condemned the recent massacre of thousands of Myanmar Muslims by the followers of Buddhism in front of the police forces, and said that such crimes are committed in a situation that the country's government prevents the presence of foreign reporters 
and representatives of international bodies. 

The statement came as Myanmar's President Thein Sein said that Myanmar Muslims must be expelled from the country and sent to refugee camps run by the United Nations. 

The UN refugee agency has snubbed the idea of setting up refugee camps to accommodate the Muslims. 

The UN says decades of discrimination have left the Muslims stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education and public services. 

Over the past two years, waves of ethnic Muslims have attempted to flee by boats in the face of systematic oppression by the Myanmar government. 

The government of Myanmar refuses to recognize them.

Terry cleared of racial abuse charge

LONDON: Former England captain John Terry was cleared Friday of allegations that he racially abused rival footballer Anton Ferdinand, the judge saying it was the "only verdict" he could reach.

Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle found the 31-year-old Chelsea skipper not guilty at the end of a five-day trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London.

Terry, wearing a white shirt with a grey suit, left court without speaking to media or supporters waiting outside.

He was accused of branding Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt" during a match between Chelsea and QPR on October 23 last year.

Terry denied committing a racially aggravated public order offence. He told the court that he was sarcastically repeating words he thought Ferdinand had said to him.

In his verdict, Riddle said that after weighing the evidence it was "highly unlikely" that Terry abused Ferdinand in the manner he was accused of.

"The prosecution evidence as to what was said by Mr Ferdinand at this point is not strong," he said.

"It is therefore possible that what he (Terry) said was not intended as an insult, but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him.

"In those circumstances, there being a doubt, the only verdict the court can record is one of not guilty."

Terry was alleged to have used "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress and the offence was racially aggravated", Riddle said.

"The defendant does not deny that he used the words," he said, but "his case is that his words were not uttered by way of abuse or insult nor were they intended to be abusive or insulting.

"He says they were used after a perceived false accusation made by Mr Ferdinand, the accusation being to the effect that the defendant had used the term during their exchanges with each other."

Though it was not the issue being judged, Riddle said he had substantial evidence to confirm that Terry was not a racist.

The issue, he said, was whether Terry used the words "by way of insult".

He said there was no dispute that Terry directed the words at Ferdinand.

Terry's reputation had been "at stake" during the trial, Riddle said.

The charge was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, the state prosecutors in England and Wales.

Alison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for London, said in a statement: "The very serious allegation at the heart of this case was one of racial abuse.

"It was our view that this was not 'banter' on the football pitch and that the allegation should be judged by a court.

"The chief magistrate agreed that Mr Terry had a case to answer, but having heard all of the evidence he acquitted Mr Terry of a racially aggravated offence.

"That is justice being done and we respect the chief magistrate's decision."

Had Terry been found guilty, he could have been fined up to #2,500 ($3,850, 3,150 euros).

(AFP)

Quetta blast toll rises to 6

July 13, 2012

QUETTA: Six people including an Awami National Party (ANP) leader were killed while ten others were injured when a blast occurred at Kuchlak Bazaar of Quetta Friday morning, Geo News reported.

According to police, a blast occurred at Kuchlak Bazaar near the venue of an ANP rally and was followed by intense firing that killed four people including an ANP leader Malik Qasim and an eight-year-old boy.

Ten people including ANP’s provincial president Aurangzaib Kasi and his wife were also injured in the blast.

Security forces cordoned off the area while rescue teams shifted the injured and bodies to Civil Hospital and CMH, Quetta.

Two vehicles were also damaged in the explosion while seven kilograms of explosives were used in the blast that were fitted in a bicycle, bomb disposal squad said.

Several political parties condemned the blast and demanded immediate action against the perpetrators.

Judges to be the first to resist if parliament attacked: CJ Iftikhar

July 13, 2012

QUETTA: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday said the judiciary would be the first to defend parliament against any unconstitutional acts, adding that as the fruits of rule of law are for every person living in the society, therefore, the responsibility of saving the country from any unconstitutional adventurism is also upon every person in the society. However, he added that as torch bearers of the rule of law, the people of Pakistan expect that lawyers will remain at the forefront of every struggle.

He expressed these views while addressing the Balochistan High Court Bar Association (BHCBA) on Thursday, says a press release. The CJ said the supremacy of Constitution and rule of law demand that all the organs of the state should function within their prescribed and well-settled limits provided by the Constitution and law. “The Constitution provides elaborate provisions for the system of administration of justice, including its establishment, powers and functions, etc.,” the CJ said. “The judiciary has been entrusted with the power to adjudge the validity of the legislative and executive actions on the touchstone of the Constitution. Supreme Court of Pakistan being the apex court is aware of its responsibilities and shall always administer justice and safeguard fundamental rights. We have taken oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Pakistan and to dispense justice without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

The CJ said, “It is an established fact that the judiciary of any country cannot impart justice without proper assistance of the lawyers. Lawyers, being part of the educated and law knowing segment of the society, have earned great respect and honour. But this honour has brought certain responsibilities on their shoulders. These responsibilities are twofold. On the one hand, they have to assist the courts in achieving the prime object of administration of justice, and on the other, they have to share the responsibility of upholding rule of law in all circumstances. The CJ said while justice might be a worldly affair for other religions, in Islam, it is a sacred obligation. “In Islam, justice is considered to be an attribute of Allah Almighty and its administration is considered to be a religious duty. The fortress of justice in Islam is unassailable because of its impartiality. Everybody is treated equal before law, irrespective of his position in the society,” the CJ said.

“The courts alone cannot impart justice without proper assistance of the lawyers, who are the officers of the court. The well prepared lawyers with their logical arguments assist the courts to achieve the ends of justice. This noble profession demands continuous learning to perform the sacred duty of dispensation of justice,” the CJ said. “Being torch bearers and respectable members of the society, the other important role of the lawyers is to strive for upholding the rule of law. They are supposed to raise the voice against oppression and violation of rights of the people.

“Bench and the Bar have to keep a healthy relation based on mutual respect, cooperation and professionalism. Lawyers must themselves become a model for the rule of law and constitutionalism. If they themselves do not follow the law, then their slogans may become empty, devoid of any force to influence others and any deviation from their code of conduct would bear a black spot on the whole community,” the chief justice remarked.

Speaking about the lawyer’s movement of 2007, the CJ said: “The unprecedented and unique lawyers movement has taken the country to such an exalted place from where it is destined to shine on the globe, Inshallah. Almost everyone has recognised the contribution of lawyers for their struggle of rule of law and constitutionalism. However, the story would be incomplete if the sacrifices of the civil society and the media are not appreciated.”

He said this struggle for the rule of law and independence of judiciary is not only restricted to a particular era but is an ongoing process and an eagle’s eye is required for the protection of rights of the people. “It is the fearless support of the judicial independence by the Bar that gives hope in the future for the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

Taliban polio ban puts Fata kids at risk

July 13, 2012

PESHAWAR: A Taliban ban on polio vaccinations will put 240,000 children at risk in troubled northwest Pakistan if an inoculation campaign cannot start next week, officials warned Friday.

Local Taliban and Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose followers are fighting Western troops in Afghanistan, have banned polio vaccinations in the northwestern tribal region of Waziristan to protest against US drone attacks.

They have condemned the immunisation campaign, which is slated to begin on Monday, as a cover for espionage.

"There is possibility that we may have to skip the polio campaign in North and South Waziristan because we are not getting clearance from the army nor is the situation conducive," a government health official told AFP.

"We have threats from the Taliban. Going to these areas for a polio campaign would be tantamount to putting the lives of our staff in jeopardy," added the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi was jailed for 33 years in May after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden using a hepatitis vaccination programme as cover.

Fawad Khan, director of health services in the tribal belt, told AFP that at least 160,000 children in North Waziristan and 80,000 in South Waziristan would be affected if polio drops are not administered.

Talks are ongoing between administrators and the Taliban, but health workers had "not yet received the green light" for going ahead in Waziristan, he added.

But a senior security official said tribal elders would on Monday discuss how to launch the campaign.

In South Waziristan, where the army fought local Taliban in 2009, the official said "it should not be difficult" to vaccinate children "at least in areas where displaced persons have returned".

The Lancet medical journal has said vaccination problems led last year to Pakistan's highest number of polio cases in a decade, 198, compared to 144 in 2010.

Polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

The highly infectious disease affects mainly the under-fives and can cause paralysis in a matter of hours. Some cases can be fatal.(AFP)

Polio eradication awareness walk held

July 12, 2012

PESHAWAR: District & Session Judge Shaibar Khan has said that children have the right to live healthy life and those propagating against polio vaccine were the enemies of the nation and children.

He said this while leading a polio walk here Thursday at Judicial Complex. A large number of lawyers, Judges, EDO Health Dr Abdur Rashid, UNICEF representatives, media persons and civil society members participated in the walk to supplement the efforts of the government for polio eradication.

Talking to media persons on the occasion, District & Session Judge Shaibar Khan appealed to the judges, lawyers and people hailing from cross segments of society to play their due role in raising public awareness about polio. He said that polio vaccine was completely safe and was the only remedy from the disease that cripples the child for the rest of his life.

Speaking on the occasion, President District Bar Wakeel Zaman assured all out support to the Health Department in their war against polio. He said that the lawyers would talk to the refusal families and convince them to administer two drops of polio to their children to protect them from the deadly disease.

EDO Health Peshawar Dr Abdur Rashid said that the only reason for putting emphasis on polio vaccination was to protect children from lifelong disability.

Later, District & Session Judge administered drops to the children to kick off July round of anti -polio drive in the province. (APP)