MACTV News: Loss of bin Laden adds to al Qaeda money woes, Posted by Menelik Zeleke

 

May 20, 2011 1:37:59 PM

• BINLADEN-QAEDA/FINANCING (ANALYSIS)

* With bin Laden gone, some Qaeda donors may hold back

* Trove from bin Laden home may reveal funding links

* Likely successor Zawahri lacks depth of bin Laden's ties


By William Maclean, Security Correspondent LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - Deprived of Osama bin Laden's fundraising starpower, al Qaeda's commanders face the prospect of a cash crunch that would complicate the task of evading capture by their U.S. pursuers.

The likely successor to Osama bin Laden is Ayman al-Zawahri, an Egyptian who lacks the former Saudi-born figurehead's depth of contacts among potential donors in the Gulf, a region seen in the West as an important funding source for militant groups.

Tension rises in Iraq's Kirkuk over presence of Peshmerga forces, Posted by Meosha Eaton

Iraq's Sadr urges protests against U.S. over Libya, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Anti-US cleric: 'U.S. tricks do not deceive us any more'
* U.S. moved ships, planes closer to Libya


By Muhanad Mohammed

BAGHDAD, March 3 (Reuters) - Anti-U.S. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged Iraqis on Thursday to protest against any possible U.S. military intervention in Libya, saying the United States installed Gaddafi and now wants to remove him.

Sadr accused Washington and western nations of planting agents in Arab states and supporting dictatorships, then intervening in the name of democracy and claiming to liberate Arabs, citing the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

"U.S. tricks do not deceive us any more. We were and still are standing against any intervention from the state of evil, America, in countries' affairs," Sadr said in a statement.

"I hope the Arab people, and especially those in Iraq, will show their rejection (for U.S. intervention in Libya) through peaceful protests this coming Friday."

The United States had said it was moving ships and planes closer to Libya. Two U.S. amphibious assault ships entered Egypt's Suez Canal on Wednesday on their way to the Mediterranean.

The repositioning of U.S. ships and aircraft closer to Libya is widely seen as a symbolic show of force since neither the United States nor its NATO allies have shown any appetite for direct military intervention in the turmoil in the oil-producing North African country.

Iraq has seen a wave of protests inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that have so far unseated long-ruling leaders in Egypt and Tunisia. Protests in Libya have become a rebellion against the four-decade rule of Muammar Gaddafi.

Iraqi demonstrators have called for some local politicians to step down and complained about shortages of electricity, jobs and food rations rather than calling for the ouster of a federal government seated just two months ago.

Sadr, who led two uprisings against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion, cemented his movement's position in Iraq's new coalition government after playing a kingmaker role in putting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki back in power for a second term.

"All people, especially the Libyan people, refuse intervention in their affairs, whether political, military or other kinds of intervention," Sadr said.

The cleric had asked his followers last month to give the new Iraqi government six months to try to address their demands, although he also said he would support peaceful demonstrations.

Progress in Iraq has been sluggish eight years after the U.S.-led invasion and frustration among Iraqis has been growing.

(Writing by Muhanad Mohammed; Editing by Rania El Gamal and Elizabeth Fullerton)

World govts send planes, ships for Libya evacuation, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Evacuees describe scenes of panic
* Flights awaiting permission amid increasing chaos
* EU states evacuating 10,000 citizens
* Turkey launches biggest ever evacuation of its nationals
* For FACTBOX on evacuation, click on

(Adds IOM statement, Brazil, Croatia)

By Daren Butler

ISTANBUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Governments around the world scrambled on Wednesday to send planes and ships to evacuate their citizens from turmoil in Libya, whose leader Muammar Gaddafi has vowed to crush a revolt against his 41-year rule. Fears for the safety of foreigners were heightened after a Turkish worker was shot dead as he climbed a crane at a building site near the capital Tripoli, according to Turkish officials. Turkey, with 25,000 citizens in Libya, is mounting the biggest evacuation operation in its history, and 21 other governments have asked Ankara for help getting their nationals out, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference.

European Union states are evacuating some 10,000 EU citizens from Libya, a spokesman for the EU executive said during a European Commission news briefing. The U.S. State Department said a chartered ferry with room for about 600 passengers was due to leave Tripoli shortly for Malta. "We're asking all U.S. citizens to head out to the ferry pier," spokeswoman Megan Mattson told Reuters. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as foreigners tried to escape the violence. Italy said estimates that at 1,000 people had been killed in the uprising were credible.

"The time at the airport turned into a nightmare, fights began to break out. Everyone is frantic," said Adil Yasar, a Turk who arrived in Istanbul late on Tuesday, adding he and other evacuees had gone without food and water for two days.Some 3,000 Turks who found sanctuary in a soccer stadium in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the uprising began, set sail for home escorted by a Turkish navy frigate, while two French military planes brought 402 French nationals back to Paris.

"We are very happy it's over," one passenger told Reuters after arriving at Paris's Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. "It was very sudden. Five days ago, we felt really secure. One would not have said that the situation was going to degenerate so quickly." Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has warned Gaddafi's government against taking "cruel steps" to crush the uprising, and called on all sides to ensure the security of foreigners.


"VERY FRIGHTENING"
Nationals of Lebanon, Syria and Germany, as well as Turkey, have joined thousands of Tunisians leaving Libya by its western land border, the International Organisation for Migration said. The IOM is trying to find new evacuation routes from Libya, which has an estimated 1.5 million foreign nationals, including people working there and those passing through. Libya borders Tunisia and Egypt, both of which have ousted long-time rulers in the past few weeks. Britain said on Tuesday it planned to send a charter plane to Libya to bring out Britons and was dispatching a Royal Navy frigate to waters off Libya in case it was needed.

Germany urged all its citizens to leave the country, and Chancellor Angela Merkel described as 'very frightening' Gaddafi's words that he was ready to die 'a martyr'. With eastern regions breaking free of Gaddafi's rule and deadly unrest hitting the capital Tripoli, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Japan, Russia and Saudi Arabia also sent or were planning to send planes for their nationals. Turkish construction company TAV was trying to arrange the evacuation of its 3,000 Thai and Vietnamese employees.

A Dutch military plane evacuated 82 people from Libya late on Tuesday, repatriating 32 Dutch citizens and 50 people from other countries, including Belgium, Britain and the United States, the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday. Brazil was sending a ship to pick up 180 workers and their families and take them to Malta, its foreign ministry said. A Ukrainian Il-76 military cargo plane was on its way to Tripoli to pick up 170 Ukrainians, including doctors, pilots and engineers who are working on contracts there.
Greek passenger ships headed to Libya to collect Europeans and 15,000 Chinese and bring them back via the island of Crete.

Croatia has evacuated 145 of its citizens and was trying to bring out another 140 Croat workers, its foreign minister said. Amid increasing chaos, and resignations by top Libyan officials protesting against Gaddafi's crackdown, some flights had difficulty getting clearance to land or depart. A Bosnian and Serbian planes were awaiting permission from authorities in Tripoli to bring their citizens home, officials of both countries said.

Bahrain army withdrawn, police attack protesters, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Army ordered to stand down, police to keep order
* Police disperse protesters trying to regain Pearl Square
* Shi'ite bloc wanted troop withdrawal before any dialogue
(Recasts, adds Shi'ite MPs, union strike call, hospital)
By Cynthia Johnston and Frederik Richter

MANAMA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Bahraini troops and armoured vehicles on Saturday rolled out of a Manama square that had been a base for anti-government protesters, meeting one opposition condition for a dialogue proposed by the king. But when a few protesters tried to regain their former stronghold in Pearl Square, police beat them back. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. One man raced to the centre of the traffic circle, fell to his knees to kiss the yellowed grass and began praying as other protesters celebrated. Moments later, 10 police cars pulled up and policemen beat up one protester and fired teargas. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. Troops in tanks and armoured vehicles took over the traffic circle on Thursday after riot police attacked protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231. Bahrain's crown prince announced that all troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would maintain order. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Factbox on protesters' demands [ID:nLDE71E1RA] Interactive factbox http://link.reuters.com/puk87r For related stories on Mideast unrest click [ID:nLDE71F0BK] Analysis on regional financial impact [ID:nLDE71E0YN] Background analysis on Bahrain politics [ID:nLDE7170WL] Factbox on political risks in Bahrain [ID:nRISKBH] Factbox on political actors in Bahrain [ID:nLDE6780D9] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> "That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shi'ite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Reuters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient." Wefaq had earlier rejected a call by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa for a national dialogue to end the unrest that has rocked Bahrain since Monday, saying troops must be withdrawn first, among other conditions. Another Wefaq lawmaker said the troop pullout was not enough by itself. "There's no difference if people are killed by the military or by the security forces," said Ibrahim Mattar. "STOP KILLING PEOPLE" "We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully." Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military. "Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defence ministers." He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.

"We are not going to enter a dialogue as Shi'ites," Mattar said. "They try to put the issue in this frame. The dialogue should be with all people who were protesting. Some are liberal, non-Islamic. Some are Sunni and some Shi'ite." Shi'ites, who make up about 70 percent of Bahraini nationals feel cut out of decision-making in the Sunni-ruled state and complain of discrimination in access to state jobs and housing. On Friday, the king offered a national dialogue with all parties to try to end the turmoil fuelled by Shi'ite grievances in which six people have been killed and hundreds wounded. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to King Hamad on Friday, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint and respect the rights of its people. MILITARY ORDERED TO WITHDRAW "Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets of Bahrain with immediate effect," a statement said on Saturday. "The Bahrain police force will continue to oversee law and order."

More than 60 people were in hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands. Also on Friday, Shi'ite mourners buried the four people killed in the raid on Pearl Square, which protesters had hoped to turn into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern about reports on violence by the security forces. "I urge the Bahraini authorities to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression and the right to assemble freely," she said, appealing to all parties to use restraint.

Young activists had also called for an open-ended strike from Sunday and the closure of all public and private schools on a Facebook page called the "February 14 revolution in Bahrain". They demanded that protesters be allowed back into Pearl Square, the release of all political prisoners and word on the fate of missing people, as well as the resignations of the defence and interior ministers and the security chief. A naval base near Manama that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Fleet spokesman said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokeswoman for the U.S. naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned. The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances. The unrest in Bahrain, a minor non-OPEC oil producer and regional banking hub, has shaken confidence in the economy. In 1999, King Hamad introduced a constitution allowing elections for a parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a cabinet led by the king's uncle for 40 years.

(Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Manama, Ross Colvin in Washington and Charlie Dunmore in Brussels; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)