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Monday, June 10, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Source of US intel leak out self despite probe threat

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A 29-year-old government contractor revealed himself on Sunday as the source of bombshell leaks of US monitoring of Internet users and phone records, as US intelligence pressed for a criminal probe.Edward Snowden, who has been working at the National Security Agency for the past four years, admitted his role in the leaks in a video interview posted on the website of the Guardian that clearly showed his face.My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them, he said.He said he was willing to sacrifice a comfortable life because I cant in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine theyre secretly building.A former technical assistant for the CIA, Snowden worked for the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton, his current employer.He flew to Hong Kong on May 20 after copying the last set of documents he intended to disclose at the NSAs office in Hawaii, the Guardian said, adding that he has remained there ever since, holed up in a hotel room.The British newspaper said it was revealing Snowdens identity at his own request.I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong, Snowden said.He acknowledged fears of being rendered -- summarily detained without due process and taken into secret detention by the CIA or its partners -- or taken in for questioning by Chinese authorities.And that is a concern I will live with for the rest of my life, however long that happens to be, he said.The leaks published in The Guardian and the Washington Post have set off a furor, with President Barack Obama and the chief of US intelligence defending the secret programs as vital to keeping Americans safe.Director of National Intelligence James Clapper confirmed on Saturday that the NSA uses a program called PRISM to gather data trails left by targeted foreign citizens using the Internet outside the United States.A separate program, also disclosed by The Guardian, has been used to scoop up the telephone records of millions of Americans.In an interview with NBC News, portions of which aired Sunday, Clapper called the disclosures literally gut-wrenching and said they had caused huge, grave damage to US intelligence capabilities.The NSA has filed a crimes report on this already, he told NBC.He said he was profoundly offended that a disgruntled intelligence officer was a source for the leak to the Post. This is someone who for whatever reason has chosen to violate a sacred trust for this country, he said.And, so, I hope were able to track down whoevers doing this, because it is extremely damaging to, and it affects the safety and security of this country.Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian reporter who brought to light the PRISM program and the separate program to gather US phone records, said the public had a right to know and openly debate what the government was doing.Every time theres a whistleblower, someone who exposes government wrongdoing, the tactic is to demonize them as a traitor, he told ABC.What they were seeing being done in secret, inside the United States government, is so alarming they simply want one thing.And that is, they want the American people to learn about this massive spying apparatus and what the capabilities are, so we can have an open, honest debate.Clapper said he understood public concerns about the invasion of privacy and threats to civil liberties, but that a lot of what people are seeing and reading in the media is a lot of hyperbole.He said two plots have been foiled through information obtained through the programs, both in 2009 -- one a bomb attack on New York subways, and another linked to David Headley, a conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.I find it a little ironic that several weeks ago, after the Boston bombings, we were accused of not being sufficiently intrusive, he said.The intelligence chief has declassified some details of the PRISM program in the face of a storm of controversy over suggestions the government had backdoor access to the servers of Internet giants like Google, Facebook and Yahoo.Internet service providers denied they had given the government unfettered access to customer data, insisting they did so only when compelled by law.Under PRISM, which has been running for six years, the US National Security Agency can issue directives to Internet firms demanding access to emails, online chats, pictures, files, videos and more uploaded by foreign users.

Multinational military exercises launch in Jordan

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ZARQA (AP) - Jordanian and US army officers have launched multinational military exercises involving border security and irregular warfare in this key U.S. Mideast ally.The 12-day Eager Lion exercises bring together 8,000 personnel from 19 mainly Arab and European countries to bolster defense capabilities in the face of a possible flare-up from neighboring Syria.We dont intend to attack anybody, Jordanian Maj.Gen. Awni el-Edwan told reporters Sunday, while commenting on the annual exercises first ever deployment of U.S. Patriot missiles. Jordan has been jittery over reports of chemical weapons use in the two-year civil war.Meanwhile, Syrias regime and its patron, Russia, have expressed concern over the Patriot deployment.President Bashar Assads forces appear to be regaining control in recent days over areas taken by rebels, particularly the strategic town of Qusair.

British police suspect London fire to soldier murder

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LONDON (AFP) - A fire which broke out overnight at an Islamic boarding school in Britain is suspected of being a revenge attack for last months murder of a soldier on a London street, the countrys top police officer said Sunday.Detectives are working tirelessly to establish whether the blaze at the Darul Uloom Islamic School in the southeast London suburb of Chislehurst was started deliberately, according to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe.There have been a string of attacks since soldier Lee Rigby was hacked to death in Woolwich, southeast London, on May 22 in a suspected Islamist attack.Hogan-Howe urged all communities to shun violence.We should not allow the murder of Lee Rigby to come between Londoners, he said. These are difficult times for Londons communities.The unified response we have seen to his death across all communities will triumph over those who seek to divide us.Emergency services were called to the school at around 11.50 pm local time (2250 GMT) on Saturday and the fire was extinguished shortly after the arrival of the fire brigade.More than 120 pupils and staff at the boys school are believed to have been evacuated after the blaze was discovered.Two people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but their ages have not been released. There was minor damage to building at the 3,000-a-year ($4,650, 3,500 euros) school which was established in 1988.A spokesperson for the school was not immediately available to comment.

Makarova, Vesnina win French Open women's doubles

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PARIS (AP) - Fourth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia won their first Grand Slam title together by defeating defending champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy 7-5, 6-2 in the womens doubles final of the French Open on Sunday.It was the first major title for Vesnina but the second for Makarova, who won the mixed doubles with Bruno Soares at the U.S. Open last year.The top-seeded Errani and Vinci were bidding to win a third straight Grand Slam title and their fourth overall. They had beaten Makarova and Vesnina in their four previous meetings.We really wanted to beat them finally, because its really difficult to play against the same team and (be) losing all the time, Vesnina said. We were not thinking it was a final or a Grand Slam, we were just thinking that we have to beat them.Indeed, it didnt feel like the final of a major with just a couple of hundred spectators in the stands on Court Philippe Chatrier.Vesnina had previously lost all her Grand Slam finals three in womens doubles and three in mixed doubles. Her run of bad luck seemed to continue in the fifth game of the first set when Makarova hit a crosscourt backhand into Vesninas back.She hit pretty hard, Vesnina said. You know, this tournament she hit me twice already. I have (one) in my head and one in my back.Vesnina winced in pain while Makarova looked embarrassed. But the Russians quickly got over it by exchanging a high-five.Against a resilient Italian team that broke back three times in the first set, Vesnina took Vincis serve at 5-5 by hitting a backhand return winner.The Russians won four straight games in the second set to lead 4-1 and clinched the victory with a smash from Vesnina.Makarova leaped around at the end of the match while Vesnina fell to her knees. They won the tournament without dropping a set in six matches.

Formula One: Vettel wins Canadian Grand Prix

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MONTREAL (AFP) - Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish to claim his and Red Bulls maiden Canadian Grand Prix win in Montreal on Sunday.Ferraris Fernando Alonso came in a distant second, with Lewis Hamiltons Mercedes taking third.Yes, weve won Canada, the car was amazing, the German triple world champion said over the team radio.Vettels third success of the season after wins in Malaysia and Bahrain extended his lead at the top of the drivers standings. He is now on 132 points, 36 clear of Alonso on 96 points.Kimi Raikkonen lies third on 88 points after the Lotus drivers lowly ninth place finish with Hamilton 11 points further back.While Vettel and Red Bull celebrated there was disappointment for Williams.The British outfit had high hopes of picking up their first points of the season from Valterri Bottas who had qualified in third but were out of luck again when the Finnish rookie trailed in 17th.

Brazil beat France 3-0 ahead of Confed Cup

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PORTO ALEGRE (AP) - Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas scored second-half goals on Sunday for Brazil to defeat France 3-0 in its final warm-up before the Confederations Cup.Chelsea playmaker Oscar opened the scoring with a shot from close range in the 54th minute, Hernanes added to the lead with a left-footed attempt from inside the area in the 85th, and Lucas sealed the victory by converting a penalty in injury time.The result ended Brazils 21-year winless run against France, and gave the Selecao its first victory over a former World Cup champion in nearly four years.A two-time defending champion in the Confederations Cup, Brazil will play Japan in the tournaments opener next Saturday in the capital of Brasilia.Brazil hasnt won a significant title since the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Athletics: Lemaitre beats Gatlin in Rabat

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PARIS (AFP) - European champion Christophe Lemaitre claimed a notable scalp on Sunday as he beat American Justin Gatlin over 100-metres in Rabat.The Frenchman recorded a winning time of 9.98sec with a strong tailwind of 2.9m/s with Gatlin coming home in 10.02.The exploit is all the more impressive as 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin, who subsequently served a four-year dopping ban, beat Usain Bolt in Rome on Thursday.Gatlin beat the Jamaican superstar, who won 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold medals at the last two Olympics, in a time of 9.94 in the Italian capital, with Bolt clocking 9.95.Lemaitre was slow out of the blocks in Morocco but surged through to galop past Gatlin in the final few strides.It was the 22-year-olds first outing under 10-seconds this season. His French record is 9.92 set two years ago.

Explosions heard from NATO site at Afghan airport

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KABUL (AP) - Large explosions were heard around dawn Monday at the military side of Kabuls international airport, which houses a NATO headquarters, but the cause was not immediately clear.Insurgents in Afghanistan usually carry out their attacks in the early morning.The head of the Kabul police criminal investigation division, Gen. Mohammad Zahir, said that an incident has occurred at Kabul airport and that police were headed to the scene.The explosions began about 4:20 a.m. and residents heard what sounded like a dozen explosions coming from the direction of the militarys facilities. They said the explosions sounded like rocket-propelled grenades along with automatic weapons fire.The U.S.-led NATO coalitions Joint Command headquarters at the airport runs the day-to-day operations of the nearly 12-year-old war against insurgents. The airports military side is also used for NATO transport and other aircraft.It started just after dawn prayers and I counted about a dozen explosions, mostly RPG fire, coming from the airport, said Emayatullah, who lives next to the airport. Like many Afghans he uses only one name.The International Assistance Forces Joint Command said it was aware of reports of an attack, but had no further details.

'Do or die' match no bother for Misbah

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) – Pakistan and South Africa will meet in a do or die encounter of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham today in a day-night match. The match will start at 5:00pm PST.Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq tried to take the pressure off his side by insisting a do or die Champions Trophy clash against South Africa was nothing new for the team.Both sides need to win Mondays day/night clash at Edgbaston if they are to have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals of a tournament for the worlds top eight one-day nations.Pakistan suffered a two-wicket loss against the West Indies in their low-scoring Group B opener at The Oval on Friday, a day after South Africa went down by 26 runs against India in Cardiff.Mondays match is also nicely set-up in that the strength of South Africa, set to be without both their injured quicks Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, now appears to be their batting with Pakistans trump card their bowling attack.In March, South Africa beat Pakistan 3-2 in a home one-day series but only after Misbahs men levelled at 2-2.Its not a new story for us, Misbah told reporters at Edgbaston on Sunday.In South Africa, we were in a similar situation like that in the ODI series, when we had to win the fourth ODI and our team did exceptionally well with that.The best thing you can do is to take it game by game, and tomorrow is a game and you just need to win that.Against the West Indies, only Misbah -- with a career-best 96 not out -- and opener Nasir Jamshed (50) made it into double figures.The 39-year-old Misbah said he did not mind shouldering the burden but was understandably keen for the rest of the top order to get runs.This is a trend of passing teams over the years. I think before it was Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.So, as a senior player, you have to take the responsibility, but its really good if some of the other guys come to the party and do their job.But the saving grace for Pakistan against the West Indies was the performance of a bowling attack that so nearly pulled what would have been an extraordinary victory given they had so few runs to defend.The towering Mohammad Irfan (three for 32) and fellow left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz (two for 42) both posed problems, the pair the latest models off Pakistans now seemingly inexhaustible production line of fast bowlers.There was a time when Pakistan, in common with the rest of the sub-continent, was regarded as a graveyard for fast bowlers but Misbah said the tough conditions, which led Imran Khan, and later Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, to develop reverse swing, had created a special breed of pacemenMaybe genetically people are a bit stronger, maybe the conditions because its not conducive for seam bowling thereIts really hard work there in Pakistan. If you want to be a fast bowler, you really need to be hard working, you need a bit of pace there. So maybe that helps people to just bowl a bit quicker than other parts of the world.

Steyn set to miss Pakistan clash

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - South Africa are set to to be without Dale Steyn once again at the Champions Trophy when they face Pakistan at Edgbaston on Monday.Steyn, widely regarded as the best fast bowler currently in world cricket, missed the Proteas opening 26-run Group B defeat by India in Cardiff on Thursday with a side strain.And South Africa captain AB de Villiers, speaking to reporters at Edgbaston on Sunday, was pessimistic about Steyns chances of facing Pakistan.The final decision hasnt been made yet, but its not looking good, de Villiers said. The chances are hell only be ready for the last one (South Africas final group match against the West Indies in Cardiff on June 14).We are still hanging on to that last little bit of hope he could wake up tomorrow (Monday) morning and do a bit of a fitness test and look good for the game, but its not looking good at all.South Africas fast bowling resources were further depleted when Morne Morkel, who limped off while bowling his seventh over against India, was ruled out of the tournament with a leg injury.India capitalised to pile up 331 for seven but South Africa gave them a scare before falling short in a daunting chase.Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said South Africa remained a strong side even without their two premier fast bowlers.They won a game against us when both Steyn and Morkel werent playing in South Africa, Misbah said.They are a quality side, and at the moment their strength is their batting, so we just cant relax. I think we need to really play well, really give a 100 percent, and then we have a good chance.The Proteas have called up Chris Morris, a 26-year-old seamer who has played two Twenty20 matches for South Africa, but has yet to appear in a one-day international, as Morkels replacement.And de Villiers, having seen the way in which England beat Australia by 48 runs in a Group A encounter at Edgbaston on Sunday, reckoned pace was still the way forward.It looked a similar kind of wicket to the one well be playing on. The one spinner for England, (James) Tredwell bowled really well but it was the seamers, who started reversing the ball, who really restricted the batters and made them look like they cant get it off the square.The wicketkeeper-batsman added now was the not the time for the Proteas to change tactics.We are not going to change too much. I very well remember the 2007 World Cup (in the West Indies) where we played Australia in the semi-finals and tried to change strategy.We tried to take it to them and the next minute we were 20 for five.We are going to stick to our game plans. We believe if we play to our full potential, we believe we can beat any team here.

Botham backs England to whitewash Australia

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LONDON (AFP) - Ian Botham has warned Australia that England are so superior to their old rivals that it would be no surprise to see back-to-back whitewashes in the forthcoming Ashes double-header.England legend Botham believes his countrys 48-run win over Australia in the Champions Trophy on Saturday is likely to be the first in a long line of victories in their meetings over the next few months.The former all-rounder, who tormented Australia with his heroics during several epic Ashes encounters in the 1980s, is so unimpressed by Michael Clarkes squad that he believes England could win all 10 of the upcoming Tests between the countries.England will look to retain the Ashes when they face Australia in a five-Test series that starts on July 10 at Trent Bridge and, if Bothams bold prediction comes true, they will then dominate again when they travel to Australia for the Ashes rematch later this year.Given that weve got back-to-back Ashes series between now and January, if we get a good summer - and you rarely lose too many days to rain in Australia - make that 10-0, Botham told the Sunday Times.Im serious. Why not? I think were that much better. All it needs is the players to believe they can do it.Australia will be tougher than they look on paper, because theyre born fighters, but not only are they struggling to keep a fast bowler on the field for more than one game at a time, losing (Ricky) Ponting and (Michael) Hussey has left a gaping hole in the batting.Theyre relatively inexperienced, which is a big minus coming to a place like England, and when I hear things like, Phillip Hughes has a much better technique than when he was last here, I think, Well, that wouldnt be hard.And if Michael Clarke continues to struggle with his back, then yes, 5-0 is definitely on the cards.The main reason for Australias recent decline has been the retirement of stars like Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath.Yet Botham feels Australias players have often been confused by the input from their coaches.John Buchanan famously gave his players a document during the 2001 Ashes series which detailed the teachings of fifth century Chinese warlord Sun Tzu in a bid to motivate the team to inflict more misery on Englands beleaguered side.Then earlier this year, Australias current coach Mickey Arthur was criticised after dropping four players for the third Test in India when they failed to compete a team presentation.Arthur was angry that Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja didnt submit feedback requested by team management after a thrashing by India.The Australian philosophy of work hard, play hard has always appealed to me, which is perhaps why I have so many friends there, Botham said.Ive got to say, though, that they dont look much like the hard-as-nails cricketers I used to know.This business of their coach setting them homework made me laugh out loud, almost as much as that previous coach banging on about Chinese warlords.Maybe theyve been playing so badly because the players are confused by all this stuff. And if so, good. Im just glad I played in the pre-bull**** era, when grown men were allowed, by and large, to go away on tour for months on end and be treated like grown men and not schoolboys.Homework? Do me a favour. I never did that when I was at school, never mind when I was playing cricket.

Yorkshire's Fisher becomes youngest county player

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LONDON (AFP) - Yorkshires 15-year-old pace bowler Matthew Fisher became English county crickets youngest post-war player after he was handed his senior debut on Sunday.Fisher was named in the side to face Leicestershire at Scarborough in a 40-over match, having taken six for 25 against the Foxes in a second XI match earlier this week.Yorkshire confirmed on Twitter: Matthew Fisher will become the youngest player to feature in a competitive county match aged 15 years and 212 days.Fisher was originally included in the match-day squad two days ago, at which point Yorkshires first-team coach Jason Gillespie said: Matthew deserves his call-up into the squad.We monitor the progress of all our players and the feedback I have received from (second-team coach) Paul Farbrace on the way Matthew has been playing has been excellent.Fishers first taste of senior action came with the bat and he made a dynamic start, hitting the second and third balls he faced to the third-man boundary before being run out for 10 off the last ball of Yorkshires innings of 258 for nine.When he got the chance to bowl, Fisher managed to take his maiden wicket as he dismissed Shivsinh Thakor lbw for a duck.He finished with figures of 7-0-40-1, but Leicestershire denied him a winning debut as they edged to a three-wicket victory.Yorkshire already hold the record for fielding the youngest first-class cricketer after wicketkeeper Barney Gibson, aged 15 years and 27 days, played in the non-county match against Durham MCCU in 2011.

U.S. family urges change to children's organ transplant policy

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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A second family has stepped forward in the public fight to change a donor-organ policy that places sick children younger than 12 years of age at the bottom of the adult transplant list, regardless of the severity of their illness.The mother of Javier Acosta, 11, who suffers from cystic fibrosis and needs a lung transplant, urged policymakers on Saturday to adopt new rules to make a life-saving adult lung more readily available to her gravely ill son.If Javier does not receive a transplant, he will die, Milagros Martinez said during a news conference in Philadelphia. I say that's unfair because of a policy. It shouldn't be that way.The family of Sarah Murnaghan, 10, who like Javier is suffering from cystic fibrosis, is also publicly calling for a change in transplant list policies administered by the Organ Transplant and Procurement Network.The Murnaghan family efforts have garnered national media attention and scrutiny of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, some of whom have called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to intervene.Last week, U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson granted the two families a temporary court order barring enforcement of a policy that places children under age 12 at the bottom of the adult lung transplant list, regardless of their illness.The Murnaghan and Acosta children are both awaiting lung transplants at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. While each is eligible for donor lungs from children, those are rare.The lawsuits have led some to voice concerns that adding children to adult transplant rosters could end up pushing deserving older patients farther down the list.But Stephen Harvey, a lawyer for both families, said his clients want a policy change based on patients' relative conditions, not their ages.We're seeking that the system allocate a lung to Javier based on the severity of his condition, Harvey said. So if there's an adult who's more severe than him, that adult gets the lung. We're not asking to jump to the front of the line.The executive committee of the Organ Transplant Network is due to meet on Monday, at which time it could announce a review of the transplant rules. Failing that, a hearing to review the restraining order is scheduled for June 14 before Judge Baylson.It was unclear how many children would be affected by a shift in rules. Harvey said there are 16 children aged from 5 to 10 currently seeking lung transplants, and that 23 such procedures were performed on children in 2011.

Anti-Hezbollah protester killed in Lebanon

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BEIRUT (AP) - Clashes erupted Sunday near the Iranian embassy in Beirut between protesters opposed to Hezbollahs participation in the Syrian war and unidentified locals, killing one demonstrator, a senior Lebanese military official said.The official identified the man killed as a 28-year-old from the small Lebanese Option Party which had called for the anti-Hezbollah protest. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.A military statement said the protesters had barely arrived to the embassy area when clashes broke out and a civilian opened fire. The embassy is located in Bir Hassan, a predominantly pro-Hezbollah area.The official National News Agency said the army had quickly deployed and cordoned off the area of the clashes in south Beirut. The private Al-Jadeed Lebanese TV said another female protester was also injured in the melee.The stations reporter at the hospital said the protester who died had been shot twice in the leg, once in the back, and was hit on the head with a baton.The protest at the embassy coincided with another small rally in downtown Beirut, also criticizing Hezbollahs military intervention in Syrias conflict. In Beiruts central Martyrs Square, a large banner read: Rejecting Hezbollahs fighting in Syria.Dozens of protesters, including many Syrians, chanted against the militant groups participation in the conflict, warning that it would bring the conflict to Lebanon.Those fighting in Syria are not Lebanese. Their culture, their flag, money and weapons are Iranians, Saleh el-Mashnouk, an ardent critic of Hezbollah told the crowd in the square. We are here to wipe the shame that hit Lebanon because of them.Lebanese protester Samara el-Hariri, 31, said Syrias war is hurting Lebanons economy and increasing sectarian tension. My country is stricken, she said.Hezbollahs overt participation in the fighting in Syria has increasingly heightened political and sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Sectarian clashes in north Lebanon have intensified since Hezbollah said last month it would side with Syrias President Bashar Assad until he defeats the rebels who seek his removal. Both the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and its most important patron, Iran, have strongly backed Syrias Assad.Fighters from Hezbollah helped Syrian forces in an offensive against the rebel-held town of Qusair for nearly three weeks until they finally overran it this week. The victory was a significant one for Assads regime.

Libya army chief resigns after clash in Benghazi

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TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) - Libyas army chief of staff resigned on Sunday as an elite military unit took control of a base of pro-government militias after clashes killed 31 people in the eastern city of Benghazi.The developments underlined the security chaos in Libya more than a year and a half after longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was deposed in a civil war.The violence broke out Saturday when protesters stormed a base belonging to Libya Shield, a grouping of militias aligned with the military that were tasked with helping to maintain security. The protesters were demanding that the militias leave their camp and submit to the full authority of Libyas security forces.It remains unclear which side fired first. Libyan officials have provided few details of the clashes. Witnesses said some of the protesters brought weapons to the camp, which was the main Benghazi base for Libya Shield militiamen. The militiamen appeared outnumbered by hundreds of protesters outside the gates.Hospital officials said protesters made up most of the dead. Many were buried Sunday. The officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to speak to reporters.According to the director at the citys Jalaa Hospital Mohamed Belied, the deaths were caused by gunshots and explosive fragments. He said that dozens of people were wounded.In one immediate result of the violence, Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Youssef al-Mangoush resigned citing the unusually high death toll from the Benghazi clashes.Military officers had been protesting against al-Mangoush for weeks, accusing him of corruption and of failing to exert authority over militias. Some militias were believed to have favored al-Mangoush remaining in his post, because he had been unable to replace them with a strong unified force.Benghazi, the birthplace of the revolution that led to the ouster of Gadhafi, was the site of the Sept. 11 assault last year on the U.S. diplomatic mission that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. High level police officials have also been assassinated and security bases have come under frequent attack there by unidentified assailants.Militias have taken on greater roles since the fall of Gadhafi, providing border protection and security at airports to fill the vacuum as the central government has been unable to exert control.The deadly clashes are likely to further enflame anger against militias, which have been accused of acting with impunity and enforcing their own agendas.While some Libyans see the continued presence of militias as an obstacle to restoring security in the North African state, others believe they are playing a positive role in maintaining law and order while efforts to rebuild a professional army and a police force are underway.Many residents of the city blame the countrys central government for failing to impose its authority on militias and clamp down on a proliferation of weapons from the 2011 civil war. Some have even pressed for self-rule, complaining about discrimination by the west, where the capital, Tripoli, is located.Special forces known as Saaqa took over control of Libya Shields base in Benghazi after the clashes there. During their attempt to enter the base, five members of Saaqa were killed and 10 wounded by an explosion, according to Col. Abdullah el-Shiafy in remarks carried by the official Libyan News Agency LANA.Other security units took control of three other Libya Shield bases in Benghazi, according to el-Shiafy. The pro-government militia has yet to announce its next steps.Prime Minister Ali Zidan, in a statement issued early Sunday after he cut short a tour in Libyas western towns, described the events as sad and painful and urged people to be cautious and exercise self-restraint.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 6/10/2013 07:21:00 AM

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