Marò e marines: due navi, due misure

Gli americani ammazzano un pescatore indiano e ne feriscono altri tre, ma nessun marinaio a stelle e strisce finirà sotto processo per averlo fatto, come i nostri marò. Con la differenza che i potenti alleati sparano per uccidere, quando devono fermare una presunta minaccia ed i nostri fucilieri di marina avrebbero mirato in acqua. L'incidente che ha coinvolto lunedì una nave militare Usa ed un altro incauto peschereccio indiano nelle acque di Dubai è molto simile al caso dell'Enrica Lexie, che ha portato Salvatore Girone e Massimiliano Latorre in galera. Talmente simile che l'ennesimo governatore dello stato indiano dove viveva la povera vittima ha subito messo le mani avanti chiedendo un indennizzo per la famiglia, come nel caso della nave italiana.«Lo avevamo detto: oggi tocca a noi, ma domani può capitare a tutti» sottolinea il sottosegretario agli Esteri, Staffan De Mistura, che si è occupato in prima persona dei marò. «In questo caso è toccato agli americani, che sparano per colpire se si sentono minacciati - fa notare l'ex diplomatico Onu - I pescatori indiani in acque internazionali vanno avanti imperterriti anche se dalle navi a cui si avvicinano arrivano chiari segnali di avvertimento».In pratica lo stesso copione del 15 febbraio a bordo della Lexie con il nucleo di marò in servizio antipirateria, che ha sparato per fermare un peschereccio uccidendo, secondo l'accusa, due indiani. Il problema è che noi siamo rientrati in porto dalle acque internazionali, in buona fede, facendoci ingabbiare i due marò. Gli americani al massimo accetteranno l'inchiesta ordinata dalle autorità di Dubai, ma non consegneranno mai nessuno dei loro uomini all'India o agli Emirati. L'incidente è avvenuto lunedì sera nel porto di Jabel Ali, quando una nave cisterna Usa in servizio nello strategico stretto di Hormuz ha individuato un'imbarcazione che si avvicinava troppo. Alla marina Usa brucia ancora l'assalto con i barchini minati nello Yemen al cacciatorpediniere Uss Cole, nel 2000, che ha provocato la morte di 17 marines. Pensando che si trattasse di una minaccia i marinai di guardia a bordo hanno prima lanciato avvertimenti con il megafono e segnalazioni. Poi hanno aperto il fuoco per fermare l'imbarcazione, che in realtà era un innocuo peschereccio. Un indiano a bordo è morto e altri tre sono rimasti feriti.Secondo De Mistura «questo incidente internazionalizza ancor più il caso dei nostri due marò». In pratica il governo indiano e la comunità internazionale dovrebbe tenerne conto, ma per ora la premier del Tamil Nadu, stato indiano d'origine della vittima, sfrutta il precedente dei marò. «Sono stati fatti notevoli sforzi da parte del governo indiano per ottenere risarcimenti per le famiglie delle vittime dalla società mercantile italiana» della Lexie scrive la governatrice Jayalalithaa al primo ministro indiano. «Quindi - prosegue - vi chiedo di assicurare che le famiglie della vittima e dei tre feriti siano adeguatamente risarciti». Per ora sono arrivate solo le scuse dell'ambasciatore americano a New Delhi e l'apertura di un'inchiesta chiesta dagli indiani, ma possiamo star certi che nessun poliziotto metterà piede sulla nave cisterna per arrestare i marinai americani che hanno sparato.Un motivo in più per sbattere i pugni sul tavolo come il nostro ministero della Difesa ha cominciato a fare, dopo lunghi silenzi e troppa diplomazia. Ieri il tribunale di Kollam, che sta processando Latorre e Girone, ha assestato l'ennesimo schiaffo procedurale.Gli avvocati dei marò avevano chiesto la traduzione degli atti d'accusa in italiano per farli comprendere agli imputati accusati di omicidio. Il giudice Pd Rajan ha risposto che non occorre perchè i legali conoscono sia l'inglese, che il malayalam, la lingua locale.Con una dura nota il ministero della Difesa «esprime il proprio totale disappunto per la decisione del Tribunale di Kollam». Secondo il dicastero «gli accusati conosceranno gli atti processuali unicamente in sede dibattimentale (...) viene così impedito il legittimo esercizio alla difesa da parte di Latorre e Girone: principio base di ogni Stato di Diritto». In pratica i marò non saranno sottoposti ad «un giusto processo». La nota della Difesa conclude che «il 19 luglio, in occasione dell'audizione presso la Corte Suprema di Nuova Delhi per la decisione sulla giurisdizione del caso, l'Italia reitererà la richiesta di sospensione del processo».www.faustobiloslavo.eu

CONSIDERAZIONI:

Non è questione di due pesi e due misure, ma di due Governi e Popoli  completamente diversi , sia come mentalità che cultura.

Gli Americani hanno un valore  di “Patria” molto alto, in Italia certi valori si trovano solo durante le partite di “Calcio della Nazionale”.

Gli Americani sono vicini hai loro uomini e donne che per il bene della “Patria” combattono in giro per il mondo, da noi vengono denigrati da una sinistra arcaica (ancora attaccata a vecchi ideali), dove vedono i nostri soldati come mercenari, una razza spregevole di persone ….. ma quando riguarda i loro simili, come la sig. Giuliana Sgrena alloa i militari fanno comodo e non importa se per liberare una senza un minimo di gratitudine è morto un agente dei Servizi ed è rimasto gravemente ferito un altro.

Gli americani non abbandonano mai i loro connazionali all’estero, e quando uno di questi si rivolge al proprio Consolato o direttamente l’Ambasciata vengono rispettati e fanno di tutto per risolvere il problema al punto di far intervenire direttamente il Segretario di Stato, senza aspettare che l’opinione pubblica o i media si muovano (e se non basta la diplomazia usano la forza) e questo vale per “qualsiasi” cittadino Americano… (ricco-povero, semplice cittadino o una personalità, colore politico, di religione sesso o razza)

E noi Italiani? Avete mai provato a recarvi presso qualche nostro Consolato o Ambasciata? Per prima cosa bisogna sperare che sia aperta, poi se non si è una persona famosa ( basta vedere il caso del cognato dell’attuale Presidente del Consiglio Fini, in sig. Giancarlo Tulliani dove l'ambasciatore Franco Mistretta ha steso un tappeto rosso al suo arrivo) vieni sistematicamente trattato come un pezzente, non un minimo di solidarietà ….. ma è inutile che continui sappiamo bene come funziona.

Torniamo alla vicenda dei due nostri Marò, perché il mercantile Enrica Lexie ha fatto ritorno al porto di Kochi quando nella zona risultavano altre mercantili? Chi ha dato l’ordine hai nostri due Marò Salvatore Girone e Massimiliano Latorre di consegnarsi alle autorità Indiane? L’addetto Culturale della nostra Ambasciata in India (un appunto per i non addetti, di solito dietro la figura degli addetti Culturali ci sono gli uomini dei Servizi, che di solito intrattengono rapporti con i Servizi locali e creano una rete di collaboratori, informatori ect. Che possono utilizzare in caso di nasca una “CRISI”) ma si vede che i nostri addetti erano troppo occupati a fare affari “LORO”?

Se il mercantile Enrica Lexie avesse proseguitò la navigazione verso il porto di destinazione, non sarebbe successo nulla, forse qualche protesta da parte della Diplomazia Indiana (ma nella zona transitavano altre navi), ma l’incompetenza della nostra Diplomazia, dei nostri Servizi d’Intelligence e dei diplomatici nella zona  e del Governo ha creato questa sittuazione.

Nello stesso tempo non mi parre di aver visto manifestazioni dove la sinistra dimostrava davanti all’Ambasciata o consolati Indiani, anzi ci siamo trovati davanti a un paradosso il sindaco di Milano Pisapia vietare si esporre manifesti di solidarietà verso i nostri due Marò (subito seguito da altri sindaci di sinistra), questo negli Stati Uniti D’America non sarebbe “MAI”  successo, in ogni casa sarebbe stato esposto il nastro giallo.

Quindi non a mio avviso non ci troviamo di fronte a due pesi e due misure ma da una parte una Nazione (US) che non cede di un millimetro e gl’interessi del singolo cittadino sono quelli della Nazione, dall’altra ci troviamo una Nazione dove ognuno pensa alla poltrona, al colore politico e per ultimo a  fare affari (SUOI) ….e l’interesse personale supera quello del “Cittadino” ….

La mia speranza è che il popolo Italiano trovi la forza di tirare fuori gli attributi e incominci a comportarsi come una vera Nazione, unita e non divisa da squallidi interessi di partito, economici ….ect

Li hanno traditi! Li hanno abbandonati! Li hanno raggirati con la promessa di risolvere la questione in tempi brevi .

Sig. Terzi e Sig. Di Paola assieme al corpo  Diplomatico Italiano presente in india, vergognarvi e presentare le Vostre dimissioni, per  incapacità, incompetenza, malafede e a mio avviso potrebbe anche ipotizzarsi  del reato di “Alto Tradimento” , vedrei bene l’applicazione:

 “Art. 85. Soppressione, distruzione, falsificazione o sottrazione di atti, documenti o cose concernenti la forza, la preparazione o la difesa militare dello Stato.”

Seguito da: Art. 82. Vilipendio alla nazione italiana. Il militare, che pubblicamente vilipende la nazione italiana, è punito con la reclusione militare da due a cinque anni. Se il fatto è commesso in territorio estero, si applica la reclusione militare da due a sette anni.

Se analizziamo bene il reato calzano a pennello sulla vicenda dei nostri due marò! Soprattutto art. 82 “Vilipendio alla nazione italiana” per la figuraccia che ci stanno facendo fare con i nostri Alleati e con il resto del Mondo ….

dr. Roberto Polastro

IAF To Soon Receive The First AW-101 Helicopters

The Indian Air Force is all set to spread its wings further. In order to attain greater heights, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots are being trained on some of the world's finest flying-machines known as Agusta Westland AW-101.

 

The Indian Air Force is all set to spread its wings further. In order to attain greater heights, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots are being trained on some of the world's finest flying-machines known as Agusta Westland AW-101.

Agusta Westland AW-101 are helicopters that have been purchased for commuting dignitaries. The first assortment of which is to be delivered by the end of 2012.

"The first batch of the IAF pilots had arrived in Britain as scheduled and were undergoing training at the Agusta Westland facility," said Finmeccanica group CEO Giuseppe Orsi during a press meet at the Farnborough Air Show.

Though, he didn't go into further details but told that some of the pilots would be trained in Britain as instructors also and they would in turn train their colleagues back home in India.

Agusta Westland, incorporating the former British Westland Helicopters, is a Finmeccanica group company now. It has delivered some 300 helicopters of different types to 22 countries since the merger of Augusta and Westland in 2000.

The week-long air show ended on July 15.

Getting familiar with its secure ride, The Indian Air Force selected the three-engined AW-101 for its VIP movement in 2010 in a US $827 million deal for 12 helicopters inclusive of training. All 12 helicopters are supposed to delivered by 2013.

The helicopter was selected after field trials after the results were evaluated by the IAF and the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for protection of the prime minister and elite political leaders.

The quirky aircrafts are fitted with missile jammers and electronic warfare counter-measure mechanisms as indeed like those of the US or other presidents around the world. No details are available though.

 

 

Paolo Borsellino

Jihad in Syria: The Penetration of Radical Islam in the Syrian Conflict

Recent reports of dozens of Kuwaiti jihadists traveling to fight in the Syrian conflict further highlight the stronger foothold radical Islamic groups are gaining in Syria. Since January 2012, Syria has been transformed into a major battleground of the jihad world, with a number of foreign and Syrian jihadist groups surfacing to participate in the conflict. This development not only poses a serious threat to the present Syrian government or any government that may follow, but also threatens the armed opposition in Syria, headed by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

At present, at least ten different notable foreign and Syrian groups with varying ideologies are waging militant jihad in Syria. In spite of these differences, a useful distinction becomes apparent when comparing each group’s mode of operation, which can be categorized as one of three types: The first type are “support” groups that predominantly assist the flow of arms and fighters into Syria. The second type are the “guerilla” groups that carry out small scale but regular attacks on security forces, and the third type are the “terror” groups that carry out high profile bombings outside the usual fighting areas. Through this distinction, it quickly becomes evident that the “terror” groups have had the most significant contribution to the conflict in Syria.

These groups have carried out at least twelve high profile attacks since January 2012, including suicide car bombings in Damascus, Aleppo, and Idlib. In addition to helping escalate the violence in Syria, the attacks leveled a major psychological blow against the Syrian regime by highlighting the weaknesses of the Syrian security apparatus. Primarily carried out by two Syrian Salafist groups, Jabhat al-Nusra and its Idlib based offshoot, Kata’ib Ahrar al-Sham, these “terror” groups have been inspired and assisted by al-Qaeda in Iraq to become two of the most prominent Syrian groups currently operating in the conflict. Despite this, “terror” groups in Syria do not receive widespread support within Syria and have not attempted to forge links with the FSA. Nonetheless, outside Syria these groups have gained wide support, including receiving small numbers of foreign Salafist fighters from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and most recently Kuwait.

This external support has also been extended to a number of the “guerilla” groups operating in the Syrian conflict and can be linked to the increased violence around Homs as well as the 134 percent increase in improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against Syrian security forces since January 2012. Despite different ideologies, many of the Syrian and foreign groups in this category have forged loose ties with the FSA and are assisting them in their fight against the Syrian security apparatus, through the use of guerilla warfare tactics based on experience gained in other jihad arenas. Two examples of groups that work with the FSA are the Syrian group Dhu al-Nurayn and the Lebanese based group Fatah al-Islam.

The “support” groups, which constitute the third category, remain a key link in supplying arms and fighters into Syria along preexisting smuggling routes, mainly from Iraq and Lebanon. These groups, though remaining at the sidelines, are important in helping feed the conflict in Syria and have indicated they may join the conflict at a later date. One example is the group called “The Free Army of Iraqis.”

With the pressure of the internal conflict already straining the current Syrian government’s authority over the country, these radical Islamic groups only add to this pressure. With the small size of these groups, the unpredictability of their attacks, and their increasing capability in fomenting unrest, it makes it difficult for Syrian security forces to effectively combat these groups as well as the FSA. In the long term, this prolonged pressure helps continue to weaken the Syrian government. For the main Syrian opposition, the radical Islamic elements are currently a necessary but problematic partner in its fight against the Syrian government: By keeping these radical Islamic groups at arm's length, making alliances with some, and denouncing others (especially al-Qaeda), they are hoping to utilize these groups' fighting power without damaging their credibility in the eyes of the Syrian people and the international community. Yet in the long term, with these radical Islamic groups gaining more support and competence, this uneasy relationship may waver and the opposition, especially the FSA, may find it faces an additional challenge to its rise to power in Syria. The ability of any future Syrian government to control the impact of these radical Islamic groups is a key question, as a possible repeat of events in Iraq after the American-led invasion of 2003 demonstrated. In the Iraqi case, radical Islamic elements took advantage of the power vacuum left from the disintegration of the security apparatus and established a strong presence there that is still felt today.

Outside Syria, radical Islamic elements in Syria could, in the long term, affect two key regional actors: Hizbollah and Israel. With the conflict already disrupting Hizbollah’s vital long term support from Syria and Iran, the emergence of openly hostile radical Sunni groups on its doorstep in Syria challenges Hizbollah’s previously unrivaled dominance. For Israel, the conflict in Syria has largely been beneficial, helping destabilize Syria’s government, and by extension, two of its key allies, Iran and Hizbollah. However, with the emergence of several radical Islamic groups in Syria strongly hostile towards Israel, Israel’s northern border may begin to see attacks from these groups in the future. With the situation in Syria growing more sectarian and chaotic, the radical Islamic groups in Syria are sure to profit, but to what extent is an open question.

 

Font: המכון למחקרי ביטחון לאומ

Beijing’s Raptor Knockoff

China shows off second new stealth jet development in two years

American intelligence agencies recently obtained new information on China’s second new stealth fighter-bomber revealed on the Internet in the past two years, according to U.S. officials.

The new jet, dubbed the F-60, is a fifth-generation warplane; a prototype was disclosed in photographs posted on two Chinese military affairs websites beginning June 21.

Officials familiar with intelligence reports said the shape and design of the F-60 appears similar to the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the U.S. military’s most advanced stealth fighter, although it is smaller in size.

The similarities are raising concerns in counterintelligence circles that China obtained design details for its new jet from the F-22 through espionage or cyber-spying, as occurred with the Chinese compromise of F-35 data by suspected intelligence hackers several years ago.

A Defense Intelligence Agency spokeswoman declined to comment on the new Chinese stealth jet.

According to the U.S. officials, intelligence analysts recently conducted detailed analyses of photos that show the first prototype of the new jet being transported on the back of a flatbed truck along the Beijing-Shenyang highway under escort by vehicles and officials of the Ministry of State Security, China’s political police and intelligence service.

Chinese Internet photo showing what U.S. intelligence agencies believe is a new Chinese stealth fighter enroute to a stress testing facility

The new jet was shown at a rest stop during its transport during what Chinese websites said was transfer to a stress testing facility.

The twin-engine jet was shown without its tail stabilizers or cockpit canopy, leading some analysts to conclude it was an L-15 trainer aircraft.

However, analysis of the photos revealed that the new jet is larger in size and has different wing shapes and engine intakes than the trainer, and therefore is likely the new F-60.

The photos and commentary were posted on Tiexue (www.tiexue.net), a military website in Beijing that reports on People’s Liberation Army developments; and Feiyang Junshi, (www.fyjs.cn), another military website based in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province.

No mention was made of the F-60 in recent unclassified Pentagon annual reports to Congress on China’s military.

The 2011 report stated that development of the J-20 stealth jet and long-range conventional missiles “could improve the PLA’s ability to strike regional air bases, logistical facilities, and other ground-based infrastructure.”

The F-60 jet is under development by the Shenyang Aircraft Corp., which analysts say lost out several years ago to the manufacturer of China’s first stealth fighter, the J-20, which is being built by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute.

The J-20 was first shown in a test flight during the visit to China in January 2011 by then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in what was widely viewed as anti-U.S. political posturing by China’s communist government and military.

Gates had canceled production of the Air Force’s F-22 months earlier claiming that large numbers of F-22s were not needed because China would not field a comparable jet until 2020.

It now appears that China will have two new fifth-generation stealth fighters capable of challenging the U.S. Air Force in Asia years before the U.S. intelligence estimate of 2020.

The Pentagon considers stealth jet fighters key “anti-access, area denial” forces that China is developing as part of a strategy of forcing the U.S. military to operate further from Chinese shores.

The arms have prompted a new Pentagon doctrine called the Air Sea Battle Concept that calls for new U.S. forces and upgraded alliances in Asia to better assist U.S. forces in coming to the aid of democratic friends and allies in any future conflicts in the region.

Other high-tech forces being built by China for use against the United States include anti-ship ballistic missiles; anti-satellite missiles and lasers; large numbers of submarines; cyber warfare capabilities; and anti-missile defenses.

Some U.S. intelligence analysts are viewing the disclosure of the F-60 as an official leak by the Chinese military. Evidence for that view was one photo of the jet that shows an Audi A6 parked next to the truck transporting it. The parked Audi appears designed to provide foreign or domestic observers with a vehicle of known dimensions that will allow analysts to make calculations on the size and shape of the new jet.

China in the past has revealed new military developments on the Internet through similar official leaks. For example, China’s new Yuan-class attack submarine was built entirely in secret until photos of the submarine appeared on the Internet in 2004.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, a former deputy chief of staff for intelligence, said the disclosure of the new Chinese stealth jet “should not come as a surprise.”

“The PLA [air force] has a very comprehensive planning process, and may have several advanced aircraft in various stages of design and development,” Deptula told the Free Beacon.

Larry Wortzel, a former Army intelligence officer, said it would be difficult to determine if the Chinese obtained secrets on the F-22 for the new jet.

“We know the F-35 had a major cyber penetration,” Wortzel told the Free Beacon. “But even without a penetration, there have been enough opportunities to see F-22s to assist a manufacturer in trying to copy the external design. Xian and Shenyang were working parallel programs for stealth fighter aircraft.”

Richard Fisher, a specialist on China’s military program, said in addition to the rest stop photos, later pictures showed the new jet at a People’s Liberation Army Air Force test center near the city of Xian.

A mock up of China's second advanced stealth jet fighter the F-60

“The F-60 has been reported by Chinese sources as a possible ‘private’ program that it hopes it can sell to the PLA later,” Fisher said in an interview.

“This has happened numerous times before, as in the case of the Hongdu K-8 trainer. What we see on the truck could also be a full-scale model headed for a wind tunnel, electronic or stress testing facility. We do not know yet if a flying prototype has been built.”

However, Fisher said image analysis shows the new jet to be a possible smaller fifth-generation fighter that could be promoted by Shenyang as a lower cost fighter than the Chengdu J-20.

“It is just slightly longer than the F-35, has twin engines but clearly uses stealth shaping as would a fifth-gen fighter,” Fisher said. “It may also employ internal weapon carriage and most likely has a modern [active electronically scanned array] radar. If this is a real program, it will also be developed into a carrier capable version. The size and twin-engine configuration is correct for usage on China’s carriers.”

China is currently conducting sea trials for its first aircraft carrier, the Soviet-era Varyag, and U.S. intelligence officials have said two additional carriers are under construction at a shipyard near Shanghai.

“The bottom line here is that as Washington can’t figure out whether it can afford just one fifth-gen fighter program, China may be pursuing up to three or more,” Fisher said.

The Chinese fighter buildup comes as the Navy is having second thoughts about purchasing large numbers of the naval version of the F-35, which was designated the mainstay future U.S. fighter jet after Gates killed off the F-22.

“When fighter programs start this kind of dive before production and deployment, the ending is usually bad,” Fisher said. “If the Shenyang fighter program is real, this only serves to compound the disaster of having ended F-22 production, which has to rank as one of the most shortsighted and dangerous acts of U.S. unilateral disarmament since the end of the Cold War.”

If the Navy cuts its plans to buy large numbers of F-35Cs and rely more on jets from the Air Force, there are concerns that the Air Force with about 120 F-22 will not be able to do the job, Fisher said.

The second new Chinese stealth fighter development further undermines the decision made by Gates in 2009 to limit production of the F-22 to 187 aircraft and to instead produce several thousand F-35s.

Gates said on July 16, 2009 that by 2020 the United States would have 1,100 fifth generation F-35s and F-22s, but that China was projected to have none, and that the gap of U.S. to Chinese advanced fighters would widen by 2025 with 1,700 advanced U.S. jets to Beijing’s “handful” of jets capable of penetrating strongly defended airspace and the ability to fly long distances.

Fisher said in response to Gates’ 2009 assessment: “With delays being compounded by further cutbacks and production reductions, it does not seem possible that the United States will have 1,700 fifth-generation fighters in 2025 while the Chinese may only have a handful.”

“The Chinese may have two hundred to several hundred by 2035, which in their neighborhood will go far to deter the United States,” he said.

To meet the Chinese jet fighter imbalance, “it is imperative that we revive production of an improved version of the F-22,” Fisher said. “Otherwise we condemn ourselves to either a slow retreat from Asia or a ‘Pearl Harbor’ that will be delivered by China.”

The Pentagon’s 2011 report on China’s military said, “In January 2011, initial images of China’s fifth generation J-20 stealth fighter were posted on the Internet.”

“Although the appearance of this prototype underscores the level of PRC investment in advanced defense systems, the Defense Department does not expect the J-20 to achieve an effective operational capability prior to 2018,” the report said. “China faces several hurdles as it moves toward J-20 production, including the mastery of high-performance jet engine production.”

The report also said “the J-20 will eventually give the PLA Air Force a platform capable of long range, penetrating strikes into complex air defense environments.”

Font: BY: Bill Gertz

A New Look at Afghanistan

Although for some time Israeli focus has not extended beyond the borders of Iran, a fresh approach to Iran’s eastern neighbor, Afghanistan, could unveil strategic advantages for Israel. While Iran has enormous influence on Afghanistan, events in Afghanistan are mistakenly viewed almost exclusively through Western-American lenses. At a recent INSS conference, Michele Flournoy, former US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, called on Israel and the United States to reexamine their priorities in order to strengthen their interests in the changing Middle East and help stabilize it; to be much more involved in discussions with civilian leaders and those who are shaping public opinion on social networking sites; to discuss agendas with civilian leaders, their aspirations to govern, and how they intend to govern; to restrain the extremists; and in general, to try to find common ground. She suggested opening channels of communication with civilian figures in tandem with communication with the authorities.

Today most United States transactions in the area are with Pakistan, in preparation for the withdrawal of US forces in 2014. Pakistan has interests in China, Iran, and Russia, and its loyalty after the withdrawal of US forces is highly questionable. Even today, the United States and Pakistan are sharply divided over the issue of drone strikes in the mountainous tribal areas. Pakistan has strongly criticized the US policy that has led to the deaths of civilians in these strikes. Islamabad claims that in addition to killing members of al-Qaeda, the United States is killing members of Afghan militias cultivated by the Pakistani government.

A great deal of money has been sent to Afghanistan from Islamic countries, most of which is used to build mosques and purchase weapons and ammunition, or “Quranic shipping containers,” as dubbed by exiled Afghan leaders. Indeed, the Islamist axis is steadily growing stronger.

Three circles of power operate in Afghanistan: the religious groups, the tribal groups, and the civic-national groups. It is often claimed that investing in the religious groups strengthens the connection to Pakistan; investing in the civic-national groups strengthens the connection to India and will provide the (sole) basis for building a civil society with a good future foundation for the growth of the democratic model; and investing in tribal groups will strengthen the connection to Iran. However, there are some tribal leaders who are distinguished precisely by their civic work for their communities and tribes, and even for the national interest as they understand it.

Afghanistan has a tribal society, and its tribal structure is thousands of years old. The Afghan population is mostly rural and lacks a young, intellectual middle class. Most of the information on events in Afghanistan comes from foreign correspondents, diplomats, human rights activists, and foreign soldiers who report from the major cities through blogs, or else from people who have been exiled from Afghanistan and report from abroad. The most popular and accessible communications medium in the country is radio. Only in the large cities is there television, not to mention internet and social networking sites.

While the discourse on social networking sites is perhaps not representative of Afghani society, it appears that what is posted on these sites is authentic and credible. They shed light on trends in Afghanistan, and especially the attitude toward NATO and US activity; Pakistan’s influence on events in Afghanistan; the change in the internal Afghan dynamic; the security-political situation in Pakistan; the peace talks and the dialogue between the West and the Taliban and the West and the Afghan government; and the Taliban's and the Afghans’ attitude toward the Karzai government.

Afghanistan’s borders with Iran and Pakistan are porous. The border with Pakistan can be penetrated by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Afghanistan’s neighbors are successfully taking advantage of the conflicts in the periphery and the inter-tribal rivalry. Ajmal Khan Zazai, a leader of the Pashtun tribe – which sees itself as the descendant of the lost tribes and even calls itself “sons of Moses” – is from a province in the southeast of the country with a population of 2.5 million, one of thirty-four Afghan provinces. Forty-two years old, Zazai is a reformist whose father was murdered when he opposed the Taliban. Zazai seeks a connection with Israel and the West through agricultural and economic projects, and his supporters hope that his movement, UAT (United Afghan Tribes), will be the main axis for changing the government and uniting the tribes. Indeed, some in Afghanistan and outside the country say that he is the only person capable of uniting the warring tribes into a political and security force. He also suggests that the tribes be armed in order to thwart the Taliban and secure hundreds of kilometers of border with Iran and Pakistan. He is seeking humanitarian aid in order to improve infrastructures, employment, education, and sanitation, and he has called for a government without corruption.

What follows are some of the current trends that appear in published information, including social networking sites in Afghanistan.

Delegitimization of the US and NATO Presence in Afghanistan

There is a broad consensus concerning the need to remove foreign troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. The basis of the legitimacy for continued NATO and US operations there has declined, both within Afghanistan and outside the country, and is now almost non-existent. There has been harsh criticism of the moral degradation of foreign forces and the serious damage to the religious and cultural sensibilities of the Afghans.

Time Favors the Taliban and Works against the Allies

Because of the loss within Afghanistan of the basis for legitimacy for Western operations to “liberate” the country, Afghan religious forces are growing stronger at the expense of the nationalist forces. For its part, the United States is losing its momentum. The US interest was to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table from a position of weakness, but in the past year, the equation has been reversed. The Taliban is dictating the conditions and the pace of progress in the talks. The Americans are interested in expediting the withdrawal because within the United States and abroad they are losing the legitimacy for the war, and are turning into the side that can be pressured and that is eager for a settlement, for better or for worse.

The Spillover of Religious Fundamentalism to Pakistan

Because of the proximity of northern Pakistan to southern Afghanistan and their identical ethnic, geographic, and tribal characteristics, it is natural that the Afghan Taliban finds shelter in the border region with Pakistan. The continuing war on terror against the Taliban has propelled troops to cross over into Pakistan, and Islamabad does not prevent them from entering. Pakistan has an interest in strengthening religious fundamentalist forces to prevent the tribal and nationalist forces that are interested in closer ties with India, at the expense of Pakistan, from being strengthened.

Karzai’s Government: A Corrupt Political Leadership

Karzai’s government is perceived as fundamentally corrupt and degenerate, lacking the ability to govern, and lacking any real ability to control events in Afghanistan. There is not a single element in Afghanistan that supports the Karzai government. Furthermore, the Taliban leadership is not prepared to hold serious talks with the central government as long as the “occupiers” have not left Afghan territory. The non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan, especially the Independent Election Commission, are investing great effort in building institutions and good governance. A change in the election law is also on the agenda, including a change in the party structure that will greatly strengthen civil society and the new democracy, in part at the expense of the religious elites.

Until the Withdrawal, No Internal Afghan Settlement Will Be Possible

It is clear to everyone that the future of Afghanistan must be determined by the internal political players, and not by a policy dictated from outside. Any policy formulated by internal political forces, together with NATO and the United States, is doomed to failure. Nevertheless, it is also clear that the pace of the allies’ withdrawal depends on the achievements in the war on terror on the one hand, and on political agreements and understandings between the United States, the Taliban, and the Karzai government, on the other.

The Future: Civil War or an Afghan-Pakistani War?

In the past, Pakistan was the base for the training, instruction, and funding of Afghan mujahidin forces in their war against the Soviet occupation. Most bloggers anticipate two possible scenarios for the day after the withdrawal:

a.       Taliban forces will fight national security forces, local police forces, and the Afghan army, which will lead to renewed civil war within Afghanistan; or alternatively

b.       Taliban forces will continue to cross over into Pakistan, endangering governmental stability and security and leading to a war between the two countries.

Font: המכון למחקרי ביטחון לאומ

Britain defends deployment of extra 3,500 Olympics troops.

A Starstreak high velocity missile system, which may play a role in providing air security for the Olympics, is manned by members of the British Royal Artillery during a media demonstration at Blackheath in London in May 2012

British authorities insisted Thursday that Olympic security would not be compromised after having to draft in an extra 3,500 troops because a private security firm failed to provide enough guards.

The embarrassing development adds to worries about Britain's preparations for the London Games, which officially open on July 27, as fresh problems also emerged with transport and border security for the event.

Home Secretary Theresa May made an urgent statement to lawmakers confirming that private contractor G4S could not supply all the security staff it had promised due to recruitment and training problems.

"Let me reiterate that there is no question of Olympic security being compromised," the interior minister told lawmakers.

She said the government had built in contingency plans to what is Britain's largest security operation since World War II but that "concerns have arisen about the ability of G4S to deliver the required number of guards".

"We have now agreed it would be prudent to deploy additional military support to provide greater reassurance," she said.

May said she was confident the government would be able to stick to its security budget for the Games, which stands at £553 million ($877 million, 662 million euros).

A total of 17,000 troops will now be involved in the Olympics.

The extra deployment of 3,500 is equivalent in size to more than a third of the current total British military force of 9,500 in Afghanistan, and comes as the armed forces are facing widespread cuts.

But Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said it would have "no adverse impact on other operations."

He added in a statement that all soldiers involved would receive their full leave entitlement and compensation if they had had to change any arrangements.

May said the government was now donating 10,000 Olympic and Paralympic tickets to the armed forces, as well as 7,000 tickets for dress rehearsals of the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

But opposition lawmakers demanded an explanation for the change which comes just over two weeks before the start of events despite Britain having had seven years to prepare.

"G4S has let the country down and we have literally had to send in the troops," Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee, told parliament.

Labour home affairs spokeswoman Yvette Cooper said the announcement "really looks like another huge Home Office shambles".

It was unclear what would happen to the reported £300 million fee the government had paid G4S for Olympic security.

Metropolitan police officers look toward the Olympic Stadium from the entrance to the swimming venue in April 2012.

Separately a parliamentary committee report published on Thursday found that Britain's spy agencies have been placed under "unprecedented pressure" by preparations for the Olympics, leaving the country at risk from other threats.

The Intelligence and Security Committee oversees the work of MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, the foreign spy agency MI6, and the electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ.

It praised them for working against potential threats to the Games from Al-Qaeda, Irish republican dissidents and "hostile states".

But the report said committee members remain "concerned at the risk that is being taken in some areas and the vulnerability of the UK at this critical period."

In a far cry from the image of fictional British spy James Bond, it added that one particular difficulty for the intelligence agencies was arranging childcare over the British summer.

Meanwhile an independent watchdog warned that border staff drafted in to cope with the influx of visitors to Britain for the Games may lack proper training and immigration experience.

In another pre-Olympics scare, the main M4 motorway between Heathrow Airport and London has been closed for repairs to a cracked viaduct. Britain's Highways Agency said it expected the road to reopen in time for the Games.

A Starstreak high velocity missile system, which may play a role in providing air security for the Olympics, is manned by members of the British Royal Artillery during a media demonstration at Blackheath in London in May 2012. British authorities insisted that Olympic security would not be compromised after having to draft in an extra 3,500 troops.

Metropolitan police officers look toward the Olympic Stadium from the entrance to the swimming venue in April 2012. British authorities insisted Thursday that Olympic security would not be compromised after having to draft in an extra 3,500 troops because a private security firm failed to provide enough guards.

An aerial view of London's Olympic Park in June 2012. British authorities insisted Thursday that Olympic security would not be compromised after having to draft in an extra 3,500 troops because a private security firm failed to provide enough guards.

Font: By by Danny Kemp

Olympics put British spy agencies under pressure.

Preparations for the London Olympics have put Britain's intelligence agencies under significant pressure, as the country stages its largest ever peacetime security operation, British lawmakers said on Thursday.

Preparations for the London Olympics have put Britain's intelligence agencies under significant pressure, as the country stages its largest ever peacetime security operation, British lawmakers said on Thursday.


In its annual review, parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said al Qaeda and its affiliated groups, along with armed groups opposed to the peace deal in Northern Ireland, still posed the most significant threat to Britain.

But the committee, which provides oversight of intelligence agencies, said successful counter-terrorism work was paying dividends.

"The Security Service considers there are signs for cautious optimism, with the number of attacks on national security targets falling in 2011," said committee chairman Malcolm Rifkind.

However intense work for the Olympic Games, which start on July 27, have put a strain on the work of domestic intelligence agency MI5, and was a "critical challenge for all concerned".

The review said the "Arab Spring" revolutions across the Arab world had dominated the work of Britain's security agencies in 2011, adding the developments had caught many within the intelligence community by surprise.

"We appreciate that it is often impossible to predict such events," said Rifkind.

"However there remains a question as to whether, once events began to unfold, the agencies should have anticipated the possibility that the unrest would spread quickly across the region."
Last month, MI5 chief Jonathan Evans warned in his first public speech for two years that al Qaeda militants were using countries which toppled leaders during the Arab Spring as bases to recruit Western youths for attacks on Britain.

"The Security Service has reprioritised its work to enable them to counter potential threats from al Qaeda and its affiliates; (Irish) Republican dissidents; hostile states and others in the run-up to or during the Games," Rifkind said.

"This, combined with the burden of the accreditation process (for the Games) and related work, has placed the Security Service under significant pressure over the past year."
The committee also said cyber attacks presented a serious risk to Britain's security and questioned if enough progress had been made on plans for a 650 million pound National Cyber Security Programme announced 18 months ago.
"More needs to be done if we are to keep ahead in this fast-paced field," Rifkind said.


Source: Reuters

Egypt and Iran: Will the Two Walk Together?

Until Mubarak’s ouster, Egypt, which viewed the Islamic Revolution as a threat to its regime, was a central link in the axis of anti-Iran Arab nations. The more than 30 years following the Khomeini revolution were marked by hostility between Egypt and Iran and the lack of diplomatic relations between them. Sadat’s Egypt was willing to grant asylum to the deposed shah, and the Islamic Republic of Iran honored Sadat’s assassin by naming a Tehran street after him. After Mubarak’s fall, various political elements in "the new Egypt" contended that the hostility with Iran was unnatural, and testified rather to the propensity of the Mubarak regime to subordinate Egyptian interests to United States and Israeli interests. Consequently, they argued, it is now incumbent on Egypt to renew relations with Iran and maintain close ties with it. The fact that Egypt allowed Iranian military vessels to pass through the Suez Canal en route to the Mediterranean seemed to be a practical expression of this change in the Egyptian approach to Iran. Iran, of course, welcomed these developments, and since then there have been attempts, mainly at the behest of Iran, to renew bilateral relations. These efforts, however, have come to naught – and apparently, this result is intentional.

When the Arab Spring began, Iran saw an opportunity to change the balance of power in the Middle East and improve its own standing. It eyed the fall of Mubarak, one of its greatest enemies, as a major opportunity to do so. Iran was one of the first countries to congratulate Mohamed Morsi on his victory in the Egyptian presidential elections. “This is the final stage of the Islamic awakening,” commented Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbhar Salehi in response to the announcement by the central voting committee in Cairo, adding: “The revolutionary movement of the Egyptian people has led to a new era and change in the entire Middle East.” Fars, the official Iranian news agency, even claimed that Morsi said in an interview that he is interested in good relations with Iran in order “to create a balance of power in the region.” The comment was subsequently denied by a Morsi spokesperson.

The question, then, is: Will the tendency to pursue policies contrary to that of Mubarak’s regime, in addition to the potential ideological proximity between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic regime in Tehran, generate a change in Egypt’s position in the titanic struggle between the axis of Iran and its proxies and the Sunni Arab nations, especially the Gulf states, that see Iran as a threat? This struggle demands that nations that in the past tried to maintain neutral policies take sides; Qatar, for example, which tried to maneuver between the camps, recently came out clearly against Iran.

Ideologically, too, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt does not necessarily ensure a honeymoon in relations with Iran, if only because there is no unanimity of opinion in the organization about the proper ideological stance to take towards Iran. Some senior leaders view Iran in a positive light as a leader of the resistance. Others contend that as a Sunni organization, the Brotherhood is obligated to maintain the Sunni tradition of looking negatively on the Shiite current. Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, viewed by many as the supreme religious and ideological authority of the Muslim Brotherhood, represents this stance. On many occasions, he has voiced concern over the danger of “exporting the Islamic revolution” and the “Shiitization” of the Sunni population in Arab countries. Thus it is likely that Egyptian-Iranian relations in the Morsi era will be dictated by some key considerations: the new regime’s view of Egypt’s national interests, including its regional standing; the balance of power between the elected presidency and the parliament, on the one hand, and the military, on the other; and the need to preserve relations with major regional and global actors.

A central component in Egypt’s identity is its view of itself as the pivotal Arab nation and the leader of the Arab world. In his article in The Guardian (June 15, 2012), Morsi roundly criticized Egypt’s disappearance from the global stage, claiming this created a dangerous vacuum and undermined regional stability: “Egypt's destiny is to lead. If I am elected…I will make sure that Egypt fulfils its destiny.” This sentiment pits Egyptian interests against Iran, which would like to expand its influence in the Arab parts of the Middle East. For the same reason, Egypt is also not enthusiastic about Turkey’s rising influence, even though Turkey’s Islamic model perhaps approximates Egyptian preferences more closely.

It is unclear how the struggle between Morsi and the Supreme Military Council will develop and whether the President’s authority will enable him to change Egypt’s security and foreign policy in any essential way. The Council has not changed its security and foreign affairs approach, so it seems that Iran and its proxies are still viewed as opponents to Egypt’s national interests. Therefore, in practice Egypt continues its former policy vis-à-vis Iran, including efforts to stop arms smuggling to the Gaza Strip, most of which come from Iran, even if Israel is not satisfied with the level of effectiveness. A Muslim Brotherhood government will presumably reverse Egypt’s current attitude towards Hamas, which is linked ideologically to the movement, but this does not necessarily mean a change in attitude towards Iran.

Morsi understands the Saudi concern about Egypt and Iran drawing closer to one another and will not want to harm the important relations with the richest Arab country, particularly while the Egyptian economy is mired in crisis. Everyday needs in Egypt will likely outweigh ideology, and indeed, Morsi’s first state visit is expected to be to Saudi Arabia, a clear indication of the camp with which Egypt is aligning itself. Despite the (hesitant) congratulations from King Abdullah to the president-elect, Saudi Arabia is not especially happy with the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory. Precisely because of the ideological proximity between the two Islamic movements – the Wahhabi school of thought and the Muslim Brotherhood – there is a sense of competition and tension expressed in mutual attacks. The leaders of the Saudi regime have reservations about the Brotherhood (e.g., they have not allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to establish a branch in the kingdom) and have made a point of making public declarations against them, especially after the 9/11 attacks in the United States (because of American criticism that the kingdom nurtures extremists).

It is also doubtful whether Egypt is prepared to pay the price of thawing relations with Iran, not only vis-à-vis the Gulf states but also the United States and the West in general, all of which would view such a move negatively. Iran and Egypt might renew diplomatic relations, if only to distinguish the current Egyptian regime from that of Mubarak, and as part of a new Egyptian, post-revolutionary foreign policy to maintain correct relations with all its neighbors. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that Egypt will pursue warm relations with Iran. Such a move is liable to isolate Egypt in the Arab world and globally, damage its primary status in the region and its interests in the Gulf, and deny it critical financial assistance. It is more reasonable to assume that Egypt will understand, as Turkey did after the Arab Spring began, that it must take a side, and that the side that is more natural to it is the side of those who oppose and compete with Iran.

Israel has a twofold interest: Operationally, it would like Egypt to act in the Sinai Peninsula to foil the smuggling of arms to the Gaza Strip, and strategically it would like Egypt to continue to serve as major partner in the Arab axis opposed to Iran. Israel does not have the capability of affecting Egyptian decisions, but the relationship to be formed between Israel and the new Egypt might become a factor in Egypt’s decision regarding Iran.

Font: המכון למחקרי ביטחון לאומ

Foiling Qaeda threats starts with intel: Napolitano

PARIS (Reuters) - The thwarting of an al Qaeda plot involving a non-metallic bomb shows that safety operations begin with strong intelligence and full-body scanners at airports are not the only tool to fight increasingly sophisticated threats, the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security said on Friday.

Janet Napolitano said in an interview with Reuters that a "multi-layered" strategy against militant groups included cooperation between spy agencies, good intelligence as well as looking at travel patterns and the behaviour of passengers at airports.
"If we have good intelligence, a lot of safety operations can spring from that," Napolitano, in Paris to meet with French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, told Reuters.
U.S. and allied intelligence agencies acquired an explosive device in late April or early May that U.S. officials believed Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, had intended to introduce aboard an aircraft bound for the United States or another Western country.
The device was an improved version of the "underwear bomb" of a failed Christmas Day, 2009 airline bombing attempt, U.S. officials said.
The new device raised concerns that bomb-detection technology at airports could fall short. U.S. officials said that metal detectors used in many airports would likely not have picked up on that threat, and many major hubs in and outside the United States are not equipped with body scanners able to find traces of explosives.
"The foiling of that AQAP plot illustrated again the international cooperation that has to occur in the aviation environment, and it begins with good intelligence," she said in the interview at the U.S. embassy.
"The body-scanners are extraordinarily helpful for non-metallic devices but they are not the only thing that can help with detection."
The U.S. Transport Security Administration had issued new directives to strengthen security for planes carrying passengers and cargo in the wake of the plot, Napolitano said, declining to detail the measures.
Asked to describe the bomb, which U.S. officials said never got near a plane, she said it was "more sophisticated" than the one used in the 2009 plot and "very potent".
"(It) could have been very destructive if it had actually been detonated at the right place in the plane, if the plane was at the right altitude," she said.
The device, which is being examined by the FBI, bore the hallmarks of Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, a Saudi militant who is believed to be a bomb maker working with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, U.S. officials have said.


Font: (Reporting by Nicholas Vinocur; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

Spy agencies under pressure from Olympics: MPs

The MI6 headquarters in London

Britain's spy agencies have been placed under "unprecedented pressure" by preparations for the Olympics, leaving the country at risk from other threats, a parliamentary committee said Thursday.

In a report, the Intelligence and Security Committee praised the agencies for reprioritising their work to counter potential threats to the games from Al-Qaeda, Irish republican dissidents and "hostile states".
The committee oversees the work of MI5, the domestic intelligence agency, the foreign spy agency MI6, and electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ.
The report said the Olympics had placed the spy services under "unprecedented pressure over the past year and we wish to highlight the exceptional effort made by the staff of all three agencies during this time".
But the committee members said in their report that they remain "concerned at the risk that is being taken in some areas and the vulnerability of the UK at this critical period".
The extra work for the Olympics had meant all three agencies, particularly MI5, having to freeze holidays and non-essential staff moves, and increase hours for staff.
"All these increase capacity to deal with the greater flows of intelligence, but they have been described to us as 'having quite a significant impact' and being 'very difficult for some people'," the report said.
Arranging childcare over the British summer period was a particular difficulty for the spies, the committee said.
The report also highlighted a slow response to the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, saying it posed a "real challenge" to the intelligence community.
"There does remain a question as to whether, once events began to unfold, the agencies should have anticipated the possibility that the unrest would spread quickly across the region," it said.

Russia dispatches warship flotilla to Syria for manoeuvres.

A Russian Naval fleet of 11 warships, led by an anti-submarine destroyer, have set sail to a naval base at Syrian port of Tartous to undergo scheduled manoeuvres until the end of September.
Intended to be the largest display of Russian military power in Syria, the move to send warships follows a recent decision made by Russia to halt new weapons shipments to the country until the conflict has been resolved.
The Russian Defence Ministry declined to disclose further details, however it confirmed that the ships had set out from ports of three fleets and would meet for training exercises in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
A military source told Interfax News Agency that the flotilla included the Udaloy I-class Admiral Chabanenko destroyer, three Ropucha-class landing craft, the Russian patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry, as well as two support ships from the Northern fleet and Baltic fleet vessels, including the surveillance vessel Neustrashimyy-class Yaraslav Mudri and Lena tanker.
The military source said that the manoeuvres were aimed at enhancing Russian naval fleet readiness and stressed that it 'was not linked to the escalation of the situation in Syria'.
Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said that the US had no reason to believe the Russian move to be out of the ordinary.
"Russia maintains a naval supply and maintenance base in the Syrian port of Tartus," Vietor added.
Tartus is Russia's only remaining military base outside the former Soviet Union and consists of a floating refuelling station and a few small barracks.

Religious leaders join to wipe out terrorism in Northern Kenya

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that the attacks on innocent Kenyans were acts of desperation from the militia and said that such people’s days were numbered.

GARISSA (Xinhua) -- Kenya’s religious leaders drawn from the Christian and Muslim faiths on Tuesday vowed to remain vigilant over terrorist who are bent on stirring inter- religious conflict in the country following Sunday twin attacks on churches in northern Kenya.

The leaders said those who attacked the churches were doing so as to create animosity and hatred between Muslim and Christians’ faithful who have been living in the country harmoniously for decades.

"We treat the incident as an act of international terrorism and not a war between a Muslim and Christian faithful," chairman of pastors’ fellowship in Garissa Pastor John Maura told journalists in Garissa town.

The clergymen were speaking two days after gunmen killed at least 17 people and injured more than 65 others in twin attacks on two churches in northern Kenya.

On Monday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga led a high powered government to northern Kenya where he vowed never to pullout soldiers from war-torn Somalia despite the recurring terror attacks in the East African nation.

Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka instead called on Kenyans to join security agents in fighting terrorism by volunteering information that they may have.

Odinga said that the attacks on innocent Kenyans were acts of desperation from the militia and said that such people’s days were numbered.

"This is a desperate enemy resorting to desperate actions, after sensing defeat, I want to appeal to Garissa residents and Kenya public in general to be your brother’s keeper and report any incident of insecurity for actions to be taken," Odinga said.

But the clergymen who were speaking after visiting the attacked churches and the victims of the Sunday terrorist attack said the heinous act has brought the Christians and Muslim communities living in North-Eastern region more closely than before contrarily to anticipation of the assailant who want spark off inter-faith conflict in the country.

Maura said the attack on the churches in the town has affected everyone including the Muslims since one of the police officers who were killed guarding the AIC church was a Muslim.

The pastor said the Christian community was touched by the solidarity shown by their Muslim counterpart in the country who apart from swiftly condemning the incident with strongest terms possible offered them consolation and material support.

National secretary of the Council of Imam Sheikh Hussein Mahat Noor said that terrorist is a global threat to civilization and human existence that discriminate no religions, greed, and race affiliations and it requires concerted efforts by all peace loving human being to confront head on.

He revealed that Muslim community in the town will make contribution to support the families of those killed and injured in the beastidily grenade and gun attacks.

"We are making contributions to support our affected brothers and sisters to see them through this most difficult time and we shall make sure we will provide security to their places of worship by guarding outside their churches every Sunday for them to conduct their prayers.

"We will die with them if such incident occurred again," Noor said.

Kenya cited abductions of foreigners, grenade and landmine attacks as the reasons for cross border incursion into Somalia in October last year.

Kenya’s tourism has suffered a decline the number of tourists arriving since September 2011 when the Somali militant group, the Al-Shabaab, carried out the kidnappings of tourists in the Lamu archipelago and the kidnapping of the Spanish volunteers.

The port city, the capital Nairobi and other parts of Kenya have suffered a series of grenade attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia last year to try to pursue Al-Shabaab insurgents it blames for a surge in violence and kidnappings threatening tourism.

Local Member of Parliament Barre Dualle urged the government to provide adequate security to protect the lives and property of the residents of the North-eastern which borders the war-torn Somalia noting that the region is likely to experience more targeted attacks from the weaken Islamist group Al-Shabaab because of its proximity to Somalia.

"The mindset our security machinery must be changed now that our country is at war with terrorist group in Somalia.

"It can never be the business as usually in term of the country’s security for our intelligent officers and they must proof to be equally to the task of the insecurity threats faced from international terrorist," Duale said.

The legislator said the government must bring to justice the criminals who attacked churches on Sunday in his constituency and killed innocent lives and ensure no such incidents occurs in future anyway in the country.

Font: SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENTS Christine Lagat and Stephen Ingati