VOCR Gazette 070213

Tuesday July 2nd 2013

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Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi Addresses Deadline, Plans Own Path 

CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - President Mohamed Mursi rebuffed an army ultimatum to force a resolution to Egypt's political crisis, saying on Tuesday that he had not been consulted and would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.
The Islamist leader described as potentially confusing Monday's 48-hour deadline set by the head of the armed forces for him to agree on a common platform with liberal rivals who have drawn millions into the streets demanding Mursi's resignation.
Members of his Muslim Brotherhood have used the word "coup" to describe the military manoeuvre, which carries the threat of the generals imposing their own road map for the nation.
But in a statement issued at nearly 2 a.m., fully nine hours after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delighted Mursi's opponents by effectively ordering the president to heed the demands of demonstrators, the president's office used considerably less direct language to indicate he would try to take little notice.
"The president of the republic was not consulted about the statement issued by the armed forces," it said. "The presidency sees that some of the statements in it carry meanings that could cause confusion in the complex national environment."
Official video was released showing Mursi meeting the uniformed Sisi. Their body language seemed awkward, although it was unclear when it was shot.
The statement from Mursi's office continued, "The presidency confirms that it is going forward on its previously plotted path to promote comprehensive national reconciliation ... regardless of any statements that deepen divisions between citizens."
Describing civilian rule as a great gain from the revolution of 2011, Egypt's first freely elected leader, in office for just a year, said he would not let the clock be turned back.
But in referring to his plans for reconciliation as those he had spelt out before, he was speaking of offers that have already been rejected by the opposition, leaving it improbable that such compromises would bear fruit before Sisi's deadline.

Car bomb rocks Damascus neighbourhood: watchdog

A powerful car bomb rocked a district of the Syrian capital Damascus overnight, injuring several members of the security forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

"A large explosion apparently caused by an explosive device placed inside a car rocked the district of Kfar Sousa," the watchdog said.
"Several members of the security forces were injured in the blast," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that it was unclear what the explosion had targeted and whether it had caused any fatalities.
The rebel brigade Liwa al-Sham claimed responsibility for the blast in a video uploaded to YouTube late on Monday.
Two members of the group said its fighters "on the ground targeted a group of senior officers responsible for crimes of the Assad regime."

Russian rocket crashes in Kazakhstan

An unmanned Russian Proton-M rocket has crashed just seconds after its launch from the Russian Baikonur facility in Kazakhstan.

Dramatic video footage broadcast by Russian TV shows the rocket break up before exploding into a fireball over the Baikonur cosmodrome.
Russia's Interfax news agency reported that up to 500 tonnes of poisonous rocket fuel may have been released and contaminated the crash site.
There were no reported injuries.
The rocket was carrying three satellites for Russia's Glonass (global) navigation satellite system.
It is not yet clear what caused the accident.
It is not the first incident involving a Proton-M rocket, according to the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.
A similar rocket crashed shortly after it was launched six years ago, and in 2010 another rocket failed to put three navigation satellites into orbit.

Bombs in Iraq hit minibus and protesters, killing at least 20

 Demonstrators in an ethnically disputed northern city and a minibus carrying Shiite pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala were among the latest targets of Iraqi militants in a string of bombings that killed 20 people, authorities said Tuesday.

Iraq is weathering its deadliest outburst of violence since 2008, with more than 2,000 people killed since the start of April. The bloodshed appears to be largely the work of resurgent Sunni militants such as Al Qaeda, feeding off Sunni discontent with the Shiite-led government.
In Tuesday's deadliest attack, at least one suicide bomber blew himself up near Turkomen protesters who had set up tents in the city of Tuz Khormato, according to Ali Abdul-Rahman, a spokesman for the Salahuddin provincial governor. He said the protesters were demanding tighter security for the community following a deadly car bombing Sunday.
The Tuesday bombing killed at least 11 people and wounded 42, according to Munir al-Qafili, the head of the city council in nearby Kirkuk.
Among those killed were two Turkmen leaders, Ahmed Abdel-Wahed and Ali Hashem Mukhtar Oglou, according to the United Nations mission to Iraq.

Rebels Ban Makeup And 'Immodest Dress' For Women In Syria

BEIRUT, July 1 (Reuters) - Islamist rebels in Syria's northern city of Aleppo issued an order on Monday banning women from dressing in what it considered provocative styles, angering some locals who accuse the group of overstepping its powers.
The Islamic law council of Aleppo's Fardous neighbourhood issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning all Muslim women from wearing "immodest" dress and announcing plans to apply such rules to all female inhabitants.
"Muslim women are banned from leaving the house in immodest dress, in tight clothing that shows off their bodies or wearing makeup on their face," the statement said. "It is incumbent on all our sisters to obey God and commit to Islamic etiquette".
Hardline Islamist groups have increasingly taken the lead in the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Many units, some of which are linked to al Qaeda, have stretched their influence beyond the battleground and established police and administrative councils in some rebel-held areas.
But these groups' ascendance is stirring resentment among many Syrians, who are increasingly reporting incidents of Islamist councils silencing or even attacking groups with different views.
It was not possible for Reuters to verify the council's fatwa, as access for foreign media in Syria is limited. But several residents of Aleppo confirmed the reports.
The statement, which was published on the Fardous council's Facebook page, was condemned by some activists and applauded by religious supporters, who said it was necessary to prevent distractions for the rebels.
"Islam doesn't ban other religions but it does require certain etiquette in public," said one Facebook commentator, Ammar al-Kassem. "A girl can't go around dressed in a way that causes chaos and shame, no matter what her religion."
Others insisted the fatwa was fake and spread by Assad's supporters to scare them away from the Islamist-led opposition.
But most objectors used the announcement as a chance to take a swipe against Islamist rebel leaders. 

Suicide attack on Kabul supply firm

Insurgents have killed at least seven people in a suicide attack on the Kabul base of a logistics firm supplying Nato forces in Afghanistan, police say.

Five guards, four of them Nepali, were among those killed in the gun and bomb attack, which came early on Tuesday.
The Kabul police chief told the BBC the four insurgents, who were all killed, had a truck full of explosives.
This is the latest in a series of attacks on targets in the Afghan capital in recent months.
Last week, Afghan security forces put down a militant gun and bomb attack near the presidential palace, in one of the most secure areas of Kabul.
The Taliban say they carried out that attack, in which four insurgents and three security guards died.
On Monday, the Afghan intelligence agency said a would-be suicide bomber had been shot dead in central Kabul.

China to join Russia for largest naval drills with foreign partner

China will join Russia later this week for its largest-ever naval drills with a foreign partner, underlining deepening ties between the former cold war rivals along with Beijing's desire for closer links with regional militaries.
China has long been a key customer for Russian military hardware, but only in the last decade have their militaries begun taking part in joint exercises.
China's defence ministry said on Tuesday that its navy would send four destroyers, two guided missile frigates and a support ship for the exercises, which start on Friday in the Sea of Japan and run until 12 July.
The ships departed on Monday from the port of Qingdao, where China's Northern Fleet is based, and headed for the rallying point in Peter the Great Bay near Vladivostok.
"This marks our navy's single biggest deployment of military force in a China-foreign joint exercise," the ministry said.
General Fang Fenghui, the People's Liberation Army chief of the general staff, announced the exercises during a visit to Moscow, where he met his Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov. The two also announced that another round of anti-terrorism joint drills would be held in Russia's Ural mountains from 27 July to 15 August.
In comments reported by the official Liberation Army Daily, Fang emphasised that outsiders should not consider the exercises threatening. 

Nato compound in Kabul attacked; 6 killed 


KABUL: Militants blew up a suicide car bomb at the gate to a Nato compound in Kabul early Tuesday and attacked guards with small-arms fire, killing four guards and two civilians, police said. All four suicide attackers were also killed.

Kabul provincial police chief Mohammad Ayuob Salangi said the powerful car bomb blew up at about 4:30am, leaving a deep crater at the first gate leading into the camp. Two truck drivers who were waiting to enter the area were killed in the blast, he said.

Three other suicide attackers wearing explosive vests then began fighting with guards; all were killed. Salangi said the guards killed were all Nepalese contractors.

The Taliban later claimed it carried out the attack.

Salangi had no further details immediately and said the attack is being investigated.

It happened after the Interior Ministry announced Monday that insurgents had killed nearly 300 Afghan local and national police in one month, illustrating how casualties among local forces are mounting now that Nato-led coalition troops have handed over responsibility for combat operations.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told reporters that 299 police were killed in the last month, and another 618 were wounded. The Defense Ministry said it did not have monthly figures for the number of Afghan soldiers killed.

Five men rape journalist, 22, in Tahrir Square: reports

A Dutch journalist has been raped by a group of five men in Cairo's central Tahrir Square as millions of protesters take to the streets to demand the removal of Egypt's President Mohammed Mursi, according to reports.

• Army sets ultimatum

The woman is believed to have undergone surgery for horrific injuries sustained in the attack, as a volunteer vigilante group formed to protect women in Tahrir Square reported a new wave of sexual violence by groups of men targeting women.
Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment said it had recorded 44 cases of sexual assaults and harassment against women on Sunday night alone, the highest number it had encountered since the group was formed in November 2012.

North Korea wants talks with US to ease tension

North Korea's foreign minister has appealed for direct talks with the U.S. to ease regional tension, saying Washington's hostile policies against his country make war a possibility.

North Korean delegation official Choe Myong Nam says Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun also told a regional security forum Tuesday in Brunei that the North Korean nuclear standoff won't be resolved unless the U.S. changes its tone.
North Korea surprisingly offered to talk with the U.S. last month after weeks of tension following its February nuclear test. The U.S. has coolly responded the overture saying Pyongyang must first demonstrate its sincerity on nuclear disarmament.
Choe says Pak also said that the U.S. must accept North Korea's dialogue offer if it truly wants to promote peace.
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Dem lawmaker pushes proposal to let Congress vote from home

A Democratic California lawmaker is behind a proposal that would allow members of Congress to vote remotely on pieces of legislation from their home districts in a virtual setting.
Rep. Eric Swalwell introduced the resolution with Republican Reps. Steve Pearce of New Mexico and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming to amend House rules so lawmakers can vote remotely through a secure communications system, The Hill reported.
The resolution would allow lawmakers to vote on bills that require a two-thirds majority in the House to pass, meaning they are being considered under a suspension of regular rules and are typically noncontroversial, according to the report.
"Companies and families across the country are using technology to communicate remotely. There is no reason that the legislative branch of the world's oldest democracy cannot do the same," Swalwell said in a statement to The Hill. "Our bill will allow Members of Congress to work more efficiently and stay better connected to our constituents. It’s time to upgrade Congress to the 21st century."

Border security plan would help defense firms

The border security plan the Senate approved last week includes unusual language mandating the purchase of specific models of helicopters and radar equipment for deployment along the U.S.-Mexican border, providing a potential windfall worth tens of millions of dollars to top defense contractors.

The legislation would require the U.S. Border Patrol to acquire, among other items, six Northrop Grumman airborne radar systems that cost $9.3 million each, 15 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters that average more than $17 million apiece, and eight light enforcement helicopters made by American Eurocopter that sell for about $3 million each.

Obama, Bush mark Tanzania embassy bombings at memorial

President Obama and former President George W. Bush gathered Tuesday at a memorial for Americans killed in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania nearly 15 years ago. 
Obama and his Republican predecessor laid a wreath in honor of the 11 Americans who died in the attack masterminded by Osama bin Laden, along with a near-simultaneous bombing at the U.S. Embassy in neighboring Kenya.
Both were in the same coastal city of Dar es Salaam promoting development on the continent by coincidence. Obama is on the final day of a weeklong tour of the continent, while the George W. Bush Institute is hosting a two-day summit on African women.
Initially the two men had no plans to meet, but the White House announced Monday that they would participate in the memorial. It was a rare joint public appearance by the two presidents.

The Insiders: Democrats are trying to suppress the confusion and hide the cost of ObamaCare

I don’t know if Members of Congress will be hearing about it in town hall gatherings and other meetings back home over the Fourth of July recess, but the rolling thunder of the approaching ObamaCare train can be heard in the distance.  Smart Democrats are beginning to get frantic about the need to suppress the confusion and hide the cost of ObamaCare between now and the 2014 midterm elections.  We are just three months away from the October 1st enrollment start date and so far, nothing about the ObamaCare implementation process should be politically encouraging for Democrats.  In fact, the more people learn about ObamaCare, the more frightened they become.

Right now, small businesses across America are making the final determinations on how to reduce the working hours of their employees so fewer employees qualify for the mandated, employer-provided health insurance.  Employers are also deciding whether it makes more economic sense to pay a fine to the government or pay for healthcare benefits for their employees.  What this means is that hundreds of thousands – and perhaps even millions – of Americans will learn that they are being dismissed from their employer’s healthcare coverage.

Republicans Paint Clinton as Old News for 2016 Presidential Election

WASHINGTON — Stuart Stevens, the top strategist for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, declared to an audience of reporters at a breakfast last month that electing Hillary Rodham Clinton would be like going back in time. “She’s been around since the ’70s,” he said.

At a conservative conference earlier in the year, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, ridiculed the 2016 Democratic field as “a rerun of ‘The Golden Girls,’ ” referring to Mrs. Clinton and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who is 70.

And Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, seizing on the Fleetwood Mac song that became a Clinton family anthem, quipped to an audience in Washington, “If you want to keep thinking about tomorrow, maybe it’s time to put somebody new in.”

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