Kavkaz

‘If the Islamic Courts came back, not just this area but the whole of Somalia will be safer’

Security concerns in the North Caucasus traditionally peak in the summer. Warm weather and green leaves on trees help the Caucasian rebels intensify their attacks on Russian army units and local police forces.

On June 8, The Chechen Committee of the National Salvation (CCNS), a Chechen human rights organization, reported that, according to their information, people in Chechnya are anticipating a serious increase in the number of rebel attacks in the near future.

NATO spokesman says the alliance wants U.S. missile-defense plans to be transparent to Russia. James Appathurai, speaking after the opening of the annual NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on June 14, said all NATO ministers wanted to avoid tensions and do everything possible to allay Russian concerns.

In a closed-door meeting with his cabinet ministers Thursday, Somalia’s puppet prime minister Ali Mohammed Gedi said there were no casualties in the Ethiopian and Somalia troops after unknown gunmen attacked their military bases in at least three neighborhoods of the Somali capital overnight.

The deposed Palestinian prime minister from Hamas has defied Mahmoud Abbas, the president from rival faction Fatah, calling his sacking and declaration of an emergency “hasty” and pledging that his government will continue to function.

Gunbattle in the area of Shalazhi village Kavkaz Center sources reports that the village of Shalazhi (Urus-Martan district) has been blocked by the invaders since the early morning of 13 June.

In occupied Kashmir, the Srinagar based Human Rights group, Coalition of Civil Society has demanded formation of an International Tribunal for War Crimes to investigate into the gross human rights violations by the Indian armed forces.

Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah say they have agreed to the terms of a new truce to end days of fighting in Gaza that has left 80 people dead. In a joint statement, leaders from both sides called for an end to fighting.

June 11, 2007: Russians have been rewriting their own history, more so than most nations, for a long time. The most recent example is their current attitude towards the Cold War, how it ended, and the legacy of 70 years of communist tyranny.