Is Africa in the Age of Begging?: Ghana's President Seeks Foreign Partnership

First it was President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria that begged President Obama of the United States to help develop Nigeria in order for Africa to develop. He said President Obama needs to develop Africa and he cannot develop Africa without developing Nigeria first. On the whole, it looks more like African leaders are displaying their ineptitude openly publicly.

No Chinese official ever begged foreigners to help develop China. The Asian Tigers; Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore grew of their own accord. Luis Inacio Lula da Silva led Brazil to the part of glory by having a good mastery of good governance and all seriousness to lead the people to a glorious era. Hugo Chavez stood like a rock having in mind the sole mission of making Venezuelans feel the benefits of their country being an oil producer.

Ghana’s President John Mahama on his part called on leaders of more developed nations to partner African leaders toward ensuring sustainable development of the continent. This is contained in Mahama’s address presented at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. Mahama said that much of what was currently seen were gestures that connoted pity and sympathy instead of partnership for economic development.

"Often the western world has wrongly assumed that we in Africa do not know our worth, this is entirely wrong because Africans are aware of who they are. African leaders are aware that what the continent needs is not sympathy, it is partnership which will avail us the ability to stand on our own feet," he said. The Ghanaian president further said that the continent would achieve serious development given the right partnership.

"Africa is not in search of hand-outs, Africa is in search of opportunities, we have already shown that with time and the right opportunity, Africa can make it." Mahama said. Mahama stated that there was need to transform Africa’s economy by adding value to its primary export produce. "It is not good enough for Africa to export raw gold, cocoa, petroleum and other resources and end up importing product finished from its produce."

"Africa needs to add value to its natural resources by setting up industries that will add these values," he said. He said that such step would create more employment for the teeming youths and boost economic growth in the continent.

What Mahama and his counterpart from Nigeria nay Africa always fail to grab when making such atrocious speeches is that the only times the Western world ever came to full agreement and partnership on Africa were times they wanted to exploit and plunder Africa. The heinous, inhuman and inhumane Slave Trade coupled with the notorious colonial era and the continued entrenchment of imperialism. These leaders are talking more like they are out of ideas, almost totally helpless and hapless yet want to continue ruling.

Africans can only save Africa and determine the form of partnership they want not begging. No country ever begs and grows. Every developed nation on earth today took charge of their destinies. It is high time Africans started taking developmental issues seriously and stop killing themselves while the leaders siphon the funds meant to be injected into the economy and develop the land to the lands of the same people they are begging.

Serious countries will continue to look at the leaders begging and pleading for support as jokers and clowns because they know Africa is wealthy but badly and poorly managed.

Responses to Terrorism; The Nigerian and the Kenyan Experiences

Nigeria prides itself as the giant of Africa and as such ought to be leading the continent in various ways but apart from her population, she has a real quagmire in other capacities to project her power. Nigerians, maybe due to the long years of being shortchanged, have totally lost confidence in the government. Nigerians who naturally are hailed as being 'fearful' of death and highly compassionate now wake to witnessing deaths and killings with no remorseful hearts. The generality of the citizenry move each day as if nothing is happening or nothing has happened.

The lives of the people have been politicised. The government puts on the garment of ineptitude when the Boko Haram saga started because the President is scared of being labelled a tribal goon. The case is simple; the President does not want the people from the North of Nigeria to see him as being in favour of one side since members of his own community in the Niger-Delta who took to crimes to demand better deal in the oil-rich region were given amnesty and massively trained. The situation of Nigeria is so precarious that one begins to wonder how the so-called leaders and elders think. Nigeria loves being in a continuous state of denial.

If one mentions the wastage in the Niger-Delta, northerners will be quick to support and heap the blame on the President as well as the Tompolos and the Asaris. If one condemns Boko Haram, they will pounce on one, if not careful, eats one raw. If you want to see the full fury of them, attempt to clarify between Boko Haram and the militants of the Niger-Delta and one would be eaten raw. They will simply say all crimes are crimes and what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander; hence, Boko Haram members deserve amnesty like the militants. Crimes are crimes and that ends the similarity; which is only in nomenclature not in deeds. Militants did not bomb churches or how do the defendants of the inhumane people see their own crimes? How many mosques did militants bomb?

If militants ever bombed any mosque, will they ever accept such without imploding the country? How many children's throats did the militants slit? Students and most especially students who just finished their examinations were killed like rats yet you still compare and contrast militants to these inhuman ones? Those asking for amnesty for Boko Haram saw the opportunity to do so and did not bother to miss the point. They demanded for amnesty since the President refused to act accordingly. Before amnesty was arrived at for the Niger-Delta militants, force had been maximally employed and utilised to prove a point that the state is the state. Even when amnesty was finally worked out, President Umar Yar'Adua did not beg the militants.

He spoke like the President that he was; boldly and frankly. He even gave them an expiry date after which maximum force shall be employed and that time, nobody would blame the President again. Our new President apparently was too 'timid' to stamp his feet and stand his ground for the right things to be done. However, there are many too who are ready to frustrate the efforts of the President beginning from the political obfuscation that arose during the heydays of President Yar'Adua's sickness to the era of the 'doctrine of necessity' down to his subsequent passing away.

This might be a 'convenient' excuse not to act in 2010 but after the full four-year mandate was given to President Jonathan, he ought to have decided to be Presidential but apparently, he decided to go the El Rufai way and prove himself to be an 'accidental public servant' by estranging himself from the people through all sort of obnoxious policies from subsidy to MAULAG and 5000 naira note among others. He was not talking to the people at all rather promulgating policies that are so alien to the people. Uhuru Kenyatta responded like a President to the Watergate Shopping Mall attack. Before now, he had proved to be a man for the people. He appealed to parliamentarians to cut their spending in other to free funds so as to be able to develop the economy.

Under President Jonathan, the jumbo pay and mammoth spending of the National Assembly skyrocketed while civil servants' salaries are delayed all in the name of no money. Corps members are suffering and crying before they could be paid in relatively unknown terrains. President Kenyatta never had any double minds of being labelled anything. Kenya like Nigeria is having security challenges. It had its own post-election violence too in 2007 and in the new dispensation, the people rescued their land. This is why many have concluded that Nigeria is not yet a nation. Despite being a fervent adherent and believer in one Nigeria because it has far more advantages than separate kingdoms, I accept that submission.

Uhuru Kenyatta took up the challenge because Kenya is his own not the Kikuyu tribe. President Jonathan-led administration refused to caution Asari Dokubo and his numerous vociferous militant outbursts which would have given him a good locus standi as an impartial President that he ought to be. President Obasanjo arrested OPC leaders; Frederick Fasheun and Gani Adams and threw them inside jail despite being from the West with them. With that, how will he not have the authentic certificate to deal with others trying to create pandemonium in the land? If the administration can call Asari to order, it will be able to call Modu Sherrif, Ango Abdullahi and all those creating unnecessary tensions to order.

Rather than act, the administration rants each day that politicians should not heat up the polity when Asari is busy singing and dancing in trance to his own personal songs of war. Though Nigerians are relatively tired of the whole scenario and have started acting strangely with the daily loss of the pounds of humanity, it is high time we started learning. Kenyans came together to help each other, no section, group or religious adherents gathered to support the carnage publicly or tweet to blame it on the President. No one celebrated the death of the other group like we see in Nigeria. Nobody goes about shamelessly asking for amnesty or criticizing the use of force to quell the siege.

Nobody targeted the other accusing them of having common religious belief with the group which carried out the attack. The people of Kenya gathered and donated blood to victims. Kenyans, both abroad and within donated over $420,000 in just 48 hours for the care of the victims. Fast food outlets and canteens opened around the vicinity in numbers to feed the volunteers and armed forces. An attack that was meant to destabilize Kenya and divide Kenyans succeeded in uniting them.

No tribe or group of person seeks to undermine the government because the head of the government hails from another region of the country. The citizens of Nigeria should not allow themselves to be deceived by selfish politicians who employ tactics aimed to create tension and division in order to gain power that nobody but them and their families only reap the benefits. It is time Nigerians woke up seriously and not allow parochial sentiments jettison our future. These set of thieving politicians will always be friends for as long as they are on the same page in looting. How many of them have killed themselves because of religion and tribe? They only fight and kill when they cheat one another in the sharing of the looted funds. Why do we kill ourselves at the grassroots?

Issues

*President Kenyatta was highly Presidential. He spoke, reacted and ultimately acted like a President. He was never sentimental and had no tribal consciousness. He did not say he had al Shabaab members in his cabinet nor put the blame on political enemies. This is by far the most important.

*Raila Odinga; the foremost face of the opposition stood beside him and they both fought together. Raila even engaged in negotiation with some of the terrorists. After all, it is all about Kenya not Oromo tribe or Kikuyu. It is all about the Kenya he could later become its President. If it were to be the opposition in Nigeria, they would have been happy that the President lost his relatives. It is that bad in Nigeria.

*The people of Kenya are not notoriously religiously and 'tribally' dogmatic like many mannequins in Nigeria whose brains think of nothing else than read religious meanings centrally to every happenings and events. They jettisoned tribal affiliations because it is an attack on Kenya not the President or any tribe.

*Kenya's interior ministry, defence forces and police force understood the current trend. They quickly identified with the passion of the youths by becoming active on social media. They created hashtags stating 'One Kenya' and to show they are all together in this. No one ever dissuaded the trend by bringing in religious and tribal rants.

*Again, the most important factor in all these is that the President had earlier identified with the people by passionately appealing to Parliamentarians to reduce their jumbo pay in order to develop the economy. He also took the issue of security wholeheartedly. To crown it all, he acted Presidential during the attack and after it by appealing to Interpol to issue an arrest warrant on Samantha, the notorious British female terrorist believed to be part of the whole terror drama.

GOD bless the people of Nigeria
GOD bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
GOD bless Africa

The Changing World: China Considers Lifting Ban on Social Media

The world is a global village and the trend if not properly handled could consume a nation with the spread of social media. The precarious situation and vulnerability could 'destabilize' any nation who is not a member of the game being played by the powers who control the media; mainstream and social. The various revelations of Edward Snowden as well as Wikileaks have shown that nowhere is really fully safe from espionage activities.

An example of such fears in a country like China is the New York Times op-ed on Premier Wen Jiabao's family in 2012 which was greeted by massive ill-feelings from Chinese officials after the paper reported that several of Mr. Wen's close relatives had control over vast, secret assets worth at least $2.7bn. Beyond blocking websites Chinese authorities also monitor internet activity by individuals.

Investments and businesses are two formidable determinants of nations' behaviours as regards media freedom; mainstream or social. Investors want a relatively stable country with good records of press and people's freedom. Russia despite being known for its clampdown on dissenting voices is also dancing to the tune of change. Moscow is realising that the voice of the people is crucial in the scheme of things in a nation. Protests are now organised with little or no police intervention.

With the changes in the world, China seems to be considering lifting a ban on social media and major foreign news websites in a bid to provide comfortable living for western investors. The sites will be open only in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ), covering 28 square kilometers of the Pudong district. It is set to open for business on September 29. It is hoped to attract foreign investment and business, increase economic activity and inflows into China, as well as to boost massive economic reform.

The rest of Mainland China will not be given such an access. In many places on Mainland China, access to Facebook and Twitter have been blocked and both banned since 2009 due to mass-scale riots in the western city of Urumqi in Xinjiang province. Dozens of major news websites are also inaccessible as China’s government censors and blocks websites it considers inappropriate or politically sensitive.

Earlier in September, China's top court adopted a judicial interpretation allowing any internet user engaged in disseminating "false information" or "slanderous comments" to face up to three years in prison. Those found guilty of using "false online information" to provoke "serious public disorder" could face a prison sentence of 10 years. More recently, prosecutors are now obliged to open investigations if "defamatory" comments were "viewed by at least 5,000 internet users or have a re-tweet up to 500 or more times."

With the continuous efforts to draw in business experts and investments, things might be changing gradually for the Chinese and in China. The need  to make living conducive and convenient and move in line with globalisation and global demands led to the opening up of China initially in the late 70s. The current trend could begin to have impacts on its political spectrum and outlook as more and more Chinese demand reforms at home.

Thinking: The American-Nigerian Presidents and Their Styles

It bemused me when African leaders openly proclaim their incapacity and incapability by beckoning on foreign bodies to help them and the continent as if Africa can and will never stand on its own. Criticising every government's policy should not always be a leit motif because at times, one would repeatedly sound trite but then one cannot be quiet. Nigerian Presidents over the years especially since the emergence of democracy in 1999 can at best be termed American-Nigerian Presidents.

This is because the leaders seem to be responsive to the White House than to Nigerians. During the heated debate of the third term agenda of President Obasanjo, he was extremely relatively quiet when the whole internal politics was so hot and the hullabaloo overshadowed the entire polity, the President never said anything. Despite the noises at home for him to declare his intention, he never did, only for Nigerians to hear as an aside when their President visited Washington that he discussed his third term agenda there, which George W. Bush vehemently opposed.

That bolstered the Nigerian Senate in a way and the structure was successfully dismantled. As if that was not enough, President Umar Yar'Adua came into office amid ill-feelings and bad reactions among Nigerians on the election that brought him into office which Nigerians described as being massively rigged and flawed. Nigerians called the elections 'daylight robbery' yet the President said nothing about it. Rather, he was more concerned with the relative snub President Obama gave his regime by going to Ghana.

The Yar'Adua administration handled the issue as if without Obama coming to Nigeria, Nigeria would collapse and refused to be a country again. Later, Hilary Clinton visited and to the utmost surprise of Nigerians, their President confessed to the erstwhile American Secretary of States that the elections that brought him into office were widely flawed. This was another slap.

One unique thing to note is that this present dispensation combined all the situations described above. Can anyone remember that President Goodluck Jonathan declared his intention to run for office in 2010 after he had an encounter with President Obama at the Nuclear Energy Summit? That was when and where his inspiration came from. He came back renewed and reinvigorated.

Quite recently, President Obama refused to visit Nigeria and rather than learn from the past the Jonathan-led administration took it so centrally as if without the visit, Nigeria would seize to function efficiently. Anyway, he acted like an 'independent' sovereign much to the chagrin of Washington by allowing Omar al Bashar of Sudan who is wanted by the ICC into Nigeria for the special AU summit. Next, he went to China.

Nigerians have been worried about the whole political jamboree, brouhaha and pandemonium as regards the President's intention to contest in 2015. So much tension and at best uncertainty has been generated in the land. Words from the horse's mouth are the best. The President has remained calm and refused to say anything only to attend the 68th UN summit in New York and Nigerians wake to hear that their President has diplomatically declared his intention to run for the election in 2015.

Then one is poised to ask, are they Nigerian Presidents or Nigerian-American Presidents? They find it hard to discuss and talk to their own people but always so easy and convenient for them to visit or see White House officials first before owing up to the responsibilities they owe Nigerians not Americans. In order words, it means Nigerians are not unique to them since they are not the ones who will get them into office. Once Washington has endorsed it, they can come back home with zeal and perfect the rigging.

GOD bless the People of Nigeria
GOD bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
GOD bless Africa

Nigeria: EFCC and ICPC charge the Youths to be Active Participants in the anti-Corruption War

As the EFCC and ICPC prepare to merge in accordance with the Oronsaye-led panel on the restructuring of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the two bodies have beckoned on the youths to champion the anti-corruption campaign. The youths are the trustees of posterity according to Benjamin Disraeli but the current situation and trend in Nigeria nay Africa does not portray such a reality. The youths are docile while the elders are pathetically brutal; preventing the youths from rising.

CAJ News reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are hopeful their newly-announced partnership will curb corruption in the country. EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, re-affirmed the commitment of the agency to continue combating the menace.

He said the EFCC would not relent in its efforts to rid Nigeria of economic and financial crimes. Larmode said his organisation would collaborate with other stakeholders in the initiatives aimed at tackling corruption. “Corruption has become a cancer worm that is eating up the nation. As such, all hands must be on deck to check the menace," Larmode said during a five-nation Youth Integrity Camp government organisations and youth bodies organised.

The event was held under the auspices of the Anglophone West Africa Youth Integrity Camp. It drew participants from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone. The programme aims to engage youths as stakeholders in the fight against graft. According to the ICPC, the initiative is geared towards increasing awareness on anti-corruption issues.

"It is also aimed at establishing a network of youth leaders who are empowered and motivated to use their dynamism and innovative minds to fight corruption, demand transparency and accountability and promote integrity," ICPC stated. The ICPC had once initiated such a move geared towards initiating the youths, most especially students in higher institutions, in the anti-corruption war but just as it is usually with the general Nigerian policy syndrome; it only survived more on paper than in practicality.

Al Shabaab is a Threat to the World and Global Peace; Somalia's President Warns

As Kenya battles militants from Somalia, who launched a very colossal terrorist attack on Westgate shopping mall in the capital Nairobi killing several people including a foremost Ghanaian cum African poet; Kofi Awoonor, Uganda expressly boosted its security while the Somali leader has come out to diplomatically warn the world on the danger al Shabaab poses.

AP reports that the President of Somalia says the group claiming responsibility for the terrorist attack at a Kenyan mall presents a threat not just to Africa, but to the entire world. Kenyan authorities say dozens of people have died in the attack. Somali militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says reports that some of the attackers may have been Somalis who lived in the US illustrate the global nature of al-Shabaab. Mohamud said after a Monday speech at Ohio State University in Columbus that he has spoken with the president of Kenya and plans to visit the country.

Mohamud says his government is committed to uprooting al-Shabaab. He says maintaining security is his top priority as Somalia rebuilds after decades of civil war and terrorist threats. The apparent peopling of the mall by foreigners made it the best and a formidable chosen destination for the militants.

The Kenyan mall was a real target that could effect the necessary collateral and psychological damage terrorism always intends to achieve with its 'unseen' hands without accountability. The Somali President urged the world not to desert Somalia as doing so would constitute a real danger. Ethiopia too must not go to bed with its two eyes close as every country who participated in the demoralisation of al Shabaab could be potential target.

I Will Conduct Credible Polls in 2015 ~President Jonathan to Obama

After throwing powerful jabs at those who continue to distract his administration with fake news and obnoxious conjectures by telling them to allow him concentrate on his job, President Jonathan again has emphasized on his main goal which is to transform Nigeria in all facets; politically, economically and diplomatically. The President resounded the position of Nigeria as the 'Big Brother of Africa' without which Africa may not really put its onus rightly.

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier warned those bent on creating political pandemonium in the land to desist from doing so. He cleared one of such nefarious statuses Nigerians are quick to jump at by speaking through his media aid, Dr Reuben Abati to demystify the news making the round that he took 600 officials to New York as reported by Sahara Reporters. The whole Presidential team composed of just 30 officials. He warned the opposition and their attack 'voltrons' not to blow up the house they intend to occupy with dynamites.

President Goodluck Jonathan continues to reiterate the commitment of his administration to hold credible, free and fair elections in the country by 2015. He gave the assurance during his bilateral meeting with President Barack Obama in the Lyndon B. Johnson suite in the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on Monday. “I have conducted credible elections in 2011 and I am committed to do the same in 2015.”

Jonathan reminded the US President that as he continued to work towards a safe world, Nigeria, he said, should not be left out.  “For you to fix the world, you must fix Africa. For you to fix Africa, you must fix Nigeria.” He also called for a stronger global consensus and determination to end the scourge of terrorism as quickly as possible. President Jonathan said that unless the international community unite and deploy its enormous resources to eradicate terrorism, it would continue to be embarrassed by terrorist outrages such that occurred in Nairobi.

He expressed his appreciation of the support and assistance Nigeria had received from the U.S. in the fight against domestic terrorism. Jonathan said that Nigeria would welcome more bilateral collaboration to fight terrorism in the country. On his part, President Obama recalled his recent trip to Africa and since then he saw common interests in helping Nigeria improve its rural electrification, empowering young people through the Young African Leaders programme.

According to him, improving internal security is in a way consistent with human rights and making sure Nigerian elections in 2015 continue to improve the country’s democratic process. Obama said the attack at a Nairobi mall over the weekend “underscores” the level to which all countries "are connected” and the need to work together. “We stand with them against this terrible outrage that’s occurred, we will provide them with whatever law enforcement help that is necessary.”

“The United States will continue to work with the entire continent of Africa and around the world to make sure that we are dismantling these networks of destruction.” The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and the National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, were also in attendance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Jonathan was accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U. S, Prof. Ade Adefuye, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, and the Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo.

Fear of Al Shabaab brings Wisdom: Uganda Boosts its Security after Kenya's Westgate Disaster

Every country responsible for the ouster of Al Shabaab in Somalia must brace up for the challenges ahead after the Westgate Mall Disaster in Kenya. An African adage says the death killing one's closest allies is a proverbial message to one. This proverb is perfectly understood by Uganda and sure Ethiopia too must not sleep.

NAN reports that Uganda, which like Kenya has sent troops to fight Islamist militants in Somalia, said on Monday it had stepped up security after a raid by Somali-linked gunmen on a Kenyan shopping mall that killed at least 68 people.

The last big attack by Somalia's al Shabaab gunmen, which has claimed responsibility for the Nairobi attack, was a double bombing in Uganda in 2010, targeting people watching the soccer World Cup final on television in Kampala, killing 77 people.

"We have generally stepped up security across the board in terms of streamlining border security so that we plug all the loopholes at entry points that could be potentially exploited by these characters," said Ugandan Army Spokesman, Lt.-Col., Paddy Ankunda. There was no obvious sign of heightened security at two of the capital's main shopping malls, beyond the usual check by private security personnel.

"We have strengthened our cooperation with our neighbouring countries in intelligence sharing and all other ways in which we can collaborate to defeat these terrorists," Ankunda added. Apparently, Ethiopia too must be ready to increase its alert level and step up its security capacity and capability.

Nigeria: Probe Apo Killings; Civil Rights Congress tells Federal Government

Security Reports on Friday revealed that the Joint Task Force in Abuja engaged some suspected Boko Haram militants in a gun duel at an uncompleted building around the National Assembly Quarters in Apo. The militants who sustained various injuries but survived the assault claimed they are not members of the dreaded sect. Officials of the State Security Service were said to have quizzed some of the victims on their hospital beds.

NAN reports that The Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to raise an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the Friday killings at the Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja. A statement issued by the President of the congress, Shehu Sani, on Monday in Kaduna, said the conflicting claims by security agents and survivors of the alleged attack raised ethical and professional questions.

According to the statement, the claims must be properly determined. It added that “discretion, accountability and responsibility in the use of lethal force is indispensable in a free and democratic state.” “The state has a moral and constitutional duty to combat violence and terror and restore peace but not at the price of the lives of innocent persons.”

“If we accept the extra judicial killing of ‘insurgents’ by security agents, we have logically issued a licence for impunity.” “Fighting insurgency should not be an excuse to kill innocent persons and commit heinous atrocities with the seal or stamp of the state.” The statement noted that ‘so much blood has been spilled’ and urged the Federal Government to thoroughly investigate the matter and prosecute anyone found guilty.

The Battle: Kenyan Forces versus Al-Qaeda-Linked Militants from Somalia

Forensic experts are combing the Westgate shopping mall for traces of explosives. The Kenyan government has also declared a 3-day national mourning period. The battle seems to be 'over' as further developments would finally reveal. Kenyan police reveal they are currently sweeping the mall and checking for explosives. A local official also said that the city morgues is preparing for the arrival of a large number of bodies of the victims of the Westgate mall attack, which currently stands at 62. There are many bodies remaining inside the mall, according to an AP witness - a brother of one of the soldiers taking part in the military operation.

The UN Envoy for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, said that the price of walking away from Somalia would be very high, Reuters reports. "Security remains the number one challenge, the control and defeating of al Shabaab is key to this," Kay told the press in Geneva. "The amount of money that we're talking about that's required for the extra effort in Somalia would be very small. But the cost of walking away would be very expensive."

The militants inside Westgate claim there are still live hostages inside the shopping mall, according to various international news sources. The al-Shabaab militia claims they have spoken to their 'mujahideen' (fighters) and despite earlier claims that the fighting could be coming to a close, say "the fighting has just started."

The militants are disputing the claims that foreigners were among the ranks of the hostage-takers. And those that claim they are American or British "do not know what is going on," Reuters reports. At the same time, a British security source says it is "a possibility" that Samantha Lewthwaite, a UK citizen, was involved with the militants, but added that no conclusive evidence exists yet to support the claim.

As Kenya's military searches Westgate mall for remaining terrorist elements and finds out more about their identities, al-Shabaab claims the 'mujahideen' are "still holding their ground," Reuters report. Al-Shabaab now claims on their Twitter that they are changing into uniforms of dead soldiers.

Kenya's Interior Ministry says Al Qaeda was behind the attack not al Shabaab. The conclusion of the battle is ongoing as Kenya's forces are now taking full charge of Westgate. The forces of evil shall never triumph over that of good. Africa is really proud of Kenya and its Police cum Military forces. Victory shall always be that of the continent over those who intend to destabilize and disturb the peace.

Kenya Defence Forces say over 200 civilians have been rescued from a besieged shopping mall as the bloody hostage crisis continues into its third day Nairobi. The military says all possible escape routes
were sealed and attackers’ chances of escape are very slim.

Kenya's Interior Ministry says the government will stand by the families of the victims. The Minister for Interior states that people should not take to spreading false information that the country is theirs and is under their control not in the hands of the inhuman and inhumane terrorists. The Minister says people should not say the terrorists blew the building as all activities are being coordinated by the Security Forces.

Meanwhile, the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan said the storming of the Westgate Mall is a dastardly act on humanity. He called on the world to rise against terrorism by revealing that any attack on the innocent ones in any nation is an attack on everyone on the globe. He strongly condemned the Boko Haram sect and al Shabaab militants saying all these senseless termination of lives are alien to Africa and must be combated headlong.

RT reports that heavy gunfire, explosions heard at the Kenyan shopping mall, witnesses report. Smoke is seen rising from the area. TV footage from the scene showed Kenyan troops running into the complex. "It is us who caused the explosion, we are trying to get in through the roof," one security official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters at the scene. Journalists and their cameras have been moved and no longer have a clear sight of the mall.

A suspected member of the terrorist group currently holding hostages in a Kenyan shopping mall was arrested in the Netherlands. Muhammed Hussein Ahmed, a 38-year-old Dutch citizen, was detained after he bought a plane ticket to Turkey, Dutch TV RTL reported. Some of the hostages held by militants have been rescued in the latest twist of the rescue operation, AFP reports citing Kenyan police chief. The Kenyan Red Cross has revised the number of deaths in the mall attack to 62, reducing the death toll by seven. The previous number was wrong due to double counts of some bodies as they were moved from morgue to morgue.

Two shopping mall attackers have been killed and others wounded by Kenyan troops, Interior Minister Joseph Lenku told journalists. Some of the Kenyan forces sustained injuries in the firefight. The minister said all of the attackers were male, but some were wearing female clothes, which probably explained witness accounts, which said there were women among the terrorists. He added that the plume of smoke rising over the mall comes from mattresses, which have been set alight by the gunmen as a decoy.

International Criminal Court proceedings for the trial of Kenya's deputy president have been put on a week's hold as a result of the hostage crisis, Reuters reports. Two blasts accompanied by brief gunfire were heard from inside the Nairobi mall, according to a Reuters witness. The news comes as Israeli advisers are aiding Kenyan forces with developing a strategy to end the siege, after having earlier tried and failed to enter the building.

"Israelis and Kenyan forces have tried to enter Westgate (mall) by force but they could not, the mujahideen (fighters) will kill the hostages if the enemies use force," Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, Al-Shabaab spokesman said earlier in clip posted on the website. Heavy gun fire exchanges can still be heard and the battle ranges on.

Nigeria: Early Marriage is a setback for Female Children; Senator Speaks Out

The debate on early marriage refused to wither away as a member of the Nigerian Senate again speaks out against it. The champion of the proposal has always been Senator Ahmed Yerima who married a 13-year old Egyptian. When the clause received the yes vote to be retained in the Constitution which is under the guise of protecting the girl-child who married early by conferring on her the right of full age as regards the renunciation of her citizenship, Nigeria cried out and since then, the Senate has vowed to review it.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that Sen. Helen Esuene, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Matters, says early marriage is a major setback to the self-actualisation of female children. Esuene expressed this concern on Saturday in Uyo at the 18th Biennial Conference and General Assembly of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN).

The theme of the conference was "The girl child: reaching out and raising opportunities for health, empowerment and education”. She said that early marriage was a monster that deprived girls of their childhood, health, future and sometimes her life."Child marriage serves no useful purpose in the society and should be discontinued,’’ she advised.

Esuene said that it was abnormal to practice such old culture in the 21st century world where the female gender was in a hurry to cover lost grounds in the area of public participation. The senator said that girls must be empowered with the right tools of education, self-confidence, knowledge and absolute understanding of their physical makeup.

She said that girls should be made to grow up to see themselves as complete and independent persons, not a weak half. Esuene added that the girl-child had been spotlighted in recent years due to attempts to correct her marginalisation caused by cultural and traditional practices.

"I am happy to note that some of the obnoxious cultural practices such as genital mutilation and fattening are fast becoming history,’’ she added. She also expressed concern that the level of female education in the northern part of the country was still very low in spite of Universal Basic Education programme of the Federal Government. She said that the girls needed to acquire adequate knowledge to be in a position to impart same to her children later in life.

Many Nigerians killed against the section that could encourage many paedophiles who do not understand the basic Islamic tenet of ensuring and assuring the girl-child is protected as adduced by Senator Ahmed Yerima. Twitter users created the hashtag #ChildNotBride which spread like wildfire and instantly created a platform to go against the provision in the constitution.

Computer glitch delays NASA's cargo ship arrival at space station

A computer mishap has forced NASA and the Orbital Sciences corporation to delay the planned arrival of the brand new cargo ship at the International Space Station (ISS) for 48 hours. “Following the discovery of a data format discrepancy between an on-board ISS navigation system and a similar system on Cygnus at around 1:30 a.m. this morning, today's rendezvous with the station was postponed,” the corporation reports on its website.

A software update has already been developed and is currently being tested. After it is uploaded to Cygnus, a second rendezvous attempt will be made. The ship “remains healthy, with all major subsystems operating as expected,” the company says. On Wednesday, the Cygnus capsule, packed with food and clothes for the ISS crew, blasted off from Virginia for a test flight and had been scheduled to reach the station on Sunday.

RT

Consuming Fire on the Mountain of Africa?: Islamist Terrorists from Somalia hit Kenya

RT latest report says Kenyan military spokesperson Colonel Cyrus Oguna confirmed that “most of the hostages have been released, and the Kenya Defence Forces has taken control of most parts of the building," where at least 68 people were killed in an attack. Four military personnel were injured during the latest rescue operation, Kenya Defense Forces stated. Kenyan authorities have regained control of most of the mall and have rescued most of the hostages, Kenya Defense Forces tweeted.

Kenyan forces have launched a major assault to free the hostages trapped inside the mall. US President Barack Obama has also called Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta to say that the US will support Kenya's efforts to bring the perpetrators of the shopping mall attack to justice. Former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, said that the militants had established contact with the country’s authorities. He did not mention the attackers’ demands. Beside Kenyans, among the victims of the attack are also citizens of France, the UK, Canada, China, South Korea and India.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram of condolence to Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying Russia strongly condemns this act of terrorism, the Kremlin’s press-service reported. Security forces have “a good chance” of neutralizing the attackers at the shopping mall, said Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta. "The criminals are now located in one place within the building. With the professionals on site, I assure Kenyans that we have as good a chance to successfully neutralize the terrorists as we can hope for," he told reporter

At least 68 people are now reported to have been killed according to Kenyan Red Cross and over 200 others wounded by Al-Qaeda-linked militants in a Nairobi shopping mall, as the hostage crisis there has entered its second day. Foreigners are among the casualties. 10 to 15 gunmen are still inside the shopping mall, a Kenyan minister has reported. 30 hostages are still inside the building, according to the country’s officials and Western diplomatic sources cited by CNN. AP journalists reported from the scene that gunfire was heard in the mall on Sunday morning.

They added that following the shooting, two wounded Kenyan security forces were carried from the mall. Israeli advisers are reportedly helping Kenya to work out a strategy to end a siege at the mall. "There are Israeli advisers helping with the negotiating strategy, but no Israelis involved in any imminent storming operation," an Israeli security source told Reuters. President Kenyatta also lost close members of his family. Ghanaian poet, Kofi Awoonor also died in the Westgate attack after sustaining serious injuries. Awoonor was in Nairobi to speak at the Storymoja Hay Festival, a four-day celebration of writing, thinking and storytelling.

Along with Ghanaian poets Nii Parkes and Kwame Dawes, Awoonor was due to perform on Saturday evening as part of a showcase of award-winning poetry from both sides of Africa. He died age 78. One of the smiles of Africa is gone. His son was severely injured too but new report shows he has been discharged from the hospital. Witnesses said the attackers ordered all Muslims to leave the premises, as only non-Muslims would be targeted. "The casualties are many, and that's only what we have on the outside. Inside there are even more casualties and shooting is still going on," Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Abbas Guled said.

A police officer inside the shopping centre said the gunmen had barricaded themselves into the Nakumatt supermarket. "We have reports of American citizens injured in the attack, and the US Embassy is actively reaching out to provide assistance," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement, Reuters reports. Al Jazeera International has reported that Al Shabaab, a hardline Islamist group with a stronghold in neighbouring Somalia, told them that they carried out the Nairobi shooting.

"We got three bodies from this shop. And a couple of bodies here," he said pointing to an abandoned hamburger bar, Reuters reports. Some local television stations are reporting that hostages have been taken, but there has been official confirmation. A Reuters photographer earlier said he saw five bodies outside the mall and a former British soldier said he saw four more people who had also been killed.

At least two dozen wounded were wheeled out on stretchers and shopping carts. Many of the victims had sustained what appeared to be superficial wounds inflicted by flying debris. Others were seen walking out of the building with bloodied articles of clothing wrapped around their injuries. "I Personally touched the eyes of four people and they were dead. One of them was a child. Its carnage up there," said a former British soldier at the scene.

Police are currently engaged in an ongoing shop-by-shop sweep of the complex. "They have seven hostages, confirmed," an officer told AFP. Kenyan soldiers were also deployed to take part in the operation to bring the shopping complex back under control. Police helicopters circled over the building as sporadic gunfire could be heard more than two hours after the attack was launched. Police cordoned off the roads surrounding the mall in central Nairobi's Westlands neighborhood.

Kenya’s interior minister said the mall shooting may be “an attack by terrorists.” "It is a possibility that it is an attack by terrorists, so we are treating the matter very seriously," Mutea Iringo, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Interior told Reuters. Asked if foreign security services were involved in the operation to flush out the attackers, he said, "At this stage it has not become necessary yet." Nairobi police Chief Benson Kibue blamed the attack on terrorists, though he did not name a group. Five assailants, armed with AK-47s and grenades launched their attack on the Westgate shopping mall in the Kenyan capital around midday.

Gunmen were said to have lobbed grenades at the onset of the strike. They then proceeded to shoot indiscriminately and took several people hostage at the mall in Nairobi, a senior Kenyan government source said. Armed police arrived on the scene nearly half an hour later and could be heard shouting "get out, get out" as scores of shoppers fled the building. Smoke billowed out of the entrance, which was believed to have been caused by the grenade attack.

"They don't seem like thugs, this is not a robbery incident," Yukeh Mannasseh who was on the mall's top floor when the shooting started, told Reuters. "It seems like an attack. The guards who saw them said they were shooting indiscriminately." Other witnesses said that the gunmen had asked all Muslims to vacate the mall, as only non-Muslims would be targeted in the attack. When asked if the attack was a robbery, one paramilitary officer replied, "No, terrorist".

An AFPTV reporter said police and security guards were trying to secure a multi-screen cinema complex inside the mal where many had taken shelter. The reporter said she saw at least 20 people rescued from a toy shop on one of the upper floors of the building. A shop manager who managed to escape said it had appeared “the shooters had taken control of all the mall.”

The Somali militant group al-Shabaab had earlier threatened to strike the mall, as it is a popular destination for the city’s expatriate community. However, no one has yet to claim responsibility for the assault. One victim said that he had been shot by a man who appeared to be Somali, while others noted the gunmen were speaking in a foreign language. "A Somali guy shot at me. The guy who shot me was carrying a rifle, an AK-47," said  Saptal Singh, who was in a cafe in the top floor of the mall.

The sleeping of Africa on the world stage will eventually consume it. Apparently, most of the people involved in this attack were foreigners. The consuming war of Washington versus Al Qaeda is fast moving around countries close to Muslim-populated countries or countries with a sizable number of Muslim population. One begins to wonder when Africa will wake from slumber and see itself losing in the Imperialism versus Fundamentalism game despite not being a participant and has no interest whatsoever. Nigeria is currently battling its own. Mali just ended and one only hopes for a better future ahead, now Kenya.

Of what benefit is a belief that people use to send wrong signals to the world? Of what benefit is the follower-ship of a country that is really and advantageously secured where it is located but continuously precariously spread its tentacles of hatred with its policies? The two camps are same and Africa seems to be caught between the era of Trans-Saharan and Trans-Atlantic trades again. Somalia has continually been the albatross of the continent as many of today's fundamentalists had received their training in that country since 1991. Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the Kenyan attack. The Twitter account of Al Shabaab which announced the attack has been suspended.

NASA Calls off Attempts to Find its Deep Impact Space Probe

NASA has called off attempts to find its Deep Impact space probe, after it lost contact last month. The Deep Impact space probe mission, which began eight years ago to study the make-up of comets, has now been abandoned. NASA says the probe was heading towards the sun in November, an encounter it was not sure to survive.

The spacecraft was launched in January 2005 for a close-up study of comet Tempel-1. It was not just a passive experiment. The probe released an 372-kilogram metal slug that crashed into the comet's nucleus, triggering a shower of particles for analysis by the mother spacecraft and remote observatories.

Deep Impact continued its comet quest with a flyby of Hartley 2 in November 2010 and long-distance studies of other bodies, including the approaching Comet ISON. The spacecraft was also used to look for planets beyond the solar system.

NASA last heard from Deep Impact on August 8, with engineers suspecting that a software problem caused the spacecraft to lose its orientation system, cutting off radio contact with Earth in the process.

"Despite this unexpected final curtain call, Deep Impact already achieved much more than ever was envisioned," Lindley Johnson, who oversees the program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement.

University of Maryland astronomer Michael A'Hearn, who led the Deep Impact science team, said in a separate statement: "I'm saddened by its functional loss. But, I am very proud of the many contributions to our evolving understanding of comets that it has made possible."

"These small, icy remnants of the formation of our solar system are much more varied, both one from another and even from one part to another of a single comet, than we had ever anticipated."

NASA had hoped Deep Impact would play a key role in observations of the approaching Comet ISON, a suspected first-time visitor to the inner solar system that was discovered in September 2012 by two Russian astronomers. Later this month, NASA's Mars Curiosity rover and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt to catch a glimpse of the comet as it flies by Mars.

Reuters

Israel Cannot Be Touched; It Must Remain A Nuclear Power. ~UN Attempts to Say

In the build-up to the final agreement for Syria to hand over its chemical weapons and place them under international control, embattled President Bashar al Assad attempted to mull what the world knows can never be possible; that Israel should destroy its own stockpile of chemical weapons too. It was another good try anyway. Assad knows better (but was trying to render his own voice so as not to appear weakened) that Israel is the only country in the world that can do whatever it likes without anybody holding it culpable.

The United States does not need to bark or roar before the majority of the UN member states know what to do as regards any resolution presented against Israel on the floor of the UN General Assembly or any of the the UN-affiliated bodies. The UN Security Council is simply a no-go area. Israel equals veto. An Arab-backed resolution targeting the Jewish state for criticism over its clandestine nuclear weapons arsenal was voted down by member states of the UN nuclear agency. Fifty-one countries voted against the so-called ‘Israeli Nuclear Capabilities’ measure and 43 states voted for it.

The indefinite postponement last year of an international conference on banning atomic arms in the region led to the frustration of the Arab states; hence, proposed the rejected measure at the annual member state gathering of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The US had pushed for the Israel’s neighbours not to present the text of the resolution. The US knows full well that it will die a natural death as always.

If the text had been adopted, Israel would have been compelled to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and place its nuclear facilities under IAEA monitoring.  Diplomats had expected a close vote. The United States said the move would endanger broader diplomatic efforts to create a Middle Zone free of weapons of mass destruction. Israel said it would severely undermine efforts to hold regional security talks.

Despite the warnings, Ambassador Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, head of the Arab League group at the IAEA, earlier said the draft resolution would go ahead. "The world has to know that Israel is not playing a constructive role, that Israel has a [nuclear] capability," Ramzy told Reuters. Iran for its part said this week Israel's nuclear activities "seriously threaten regional peace and security."

World powers agreed in 2010 to an Egyptian plan intended to lay the groundwork for establishing a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. The US, who co-sponsored the meeting, said it would not take place as scheduled last December and did not forward a new date. Arab diplomats said they had held back on proposing the resolution over the last two years in a failed bid to buoy chances for the Middle East conference.

"We have engaged seriously and constructively in the preparations [for the conference]. The Israelis have been playing for time, delaying. We have never seen enough seriousness on their part," Ramzy said. Israel's atomic energy chief, Shaul Chorev, said that Arab states were using this week’s IAEA meeting as a platform for "repeatedly bashing" his country. The Arab-backed resolution only deepens "existing distrust" among the region's countries, he said.

Israel is believed to possess anywhere from 75 to as many as 400 nuclear weapons, including thermonuclear weapons in the megaton range. Israel has never confirmed or denied being in possession of the arms. In the most recent US report on the Israeli arsenal, published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, nuclear weapon proliferation experts Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen assess that Israel stopped producing nuclear warheads back in 2004 once it reached around 80 munitions, RT reported.

However, the country can easily double its arsenal since it has enough fissile material to build at least another 115 bombs, the experts say. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Israel’s assumed nuclear weapons stockpile made the country “a target” and “create foreign policy problems,” AFP reported.

Putin said “the technical advantage of Israel – we need to say this directly – is such that it doesn’t need nuclear weapons. Israel is already in a technical military sense several heads above the countries in the region.” He added that Syria had developed chemical weapons “as an alternative to the nuclear weapons of Israel.”

Despite the glaring tactical and strategic advantages of Israel over all countries in the Arab World, it still continues to roar profusely over the Iranian nuclear programme which Tehran had reiterated countless number of times that it is for peaceful purposes. Israel's stance has made Western powers slam numerous biting sanctions on Iran. Ayatollah Khamanei released a Fatwa in 2004 that nuclear weapons are not endorsed by Islam and was re-echoed recently by President Rouhani. However, Netanyahu continues to claim they are all lies.

The same Netanyahu was confirmed by former French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, as a foremost liar while President Obama confirmed him as being deceptive. They were unknowingly overheard by some reporters. The world only understands propaganda. It is a case of he who controls the media or has the most formidable influence on the media controls the minds and thought processes of many in the world.

This is why a McCain will always and maybe will forever be furious that a Putin is taking the [media] war to their doorstep by writing a masterpiece and an evergreen speech to the American people in the New York Times, where Putin lectured the 'most democratic' nation on earth on how to respect international law which would prevent the escalation of wars and to stop relying on brute force like Adolf Hitler. John McCain retorted with a vainglorious trash; neglecting virtually all the issues raised while attacking solely the personality of Putin and lectured Russians on how to be gays.

The Thinkers, Leaders and their War of Words; Washington versus the Kremlin

Either President Putin is fervently hated or mildly loved, he has done what the world continues to wish since the demise of the Soviet Union; reduction in wars especially Washington-led and backed wars. He has successfully dissuaded the United States from the usual 'no one can question me' nature. He has moved the thinking of the US away from 'I can strike any nation at will if it does not comply with Washington-imposed standards and red lines'.

Putin might be hated really based on Western fabrication and portrayal of him but he is currently ensuring all rational humans have the best rest of minds as possible. Had the US struck Syria, the world would currently be moving closer to an Iraq and a Libya by now. It is natural of Washington and NATO to strike, leave the country in disarray and stylishly exit such. Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya are ready-made illustrations.

Putin has finally completely changed the perception of the powers in Washington that everything is not all about war-war; it could be a case of word-word too and he is succeeding in that. No American leader would naturally have written an op-ed in any Russian Times long before now because to them, the US is too powerful and no one can challenge it in all spheres of life. Putin just did and basically through Snowden, Syria and his op-ed in the New York Times. In response, Senator McCain, the seemingly most 'powerful' war-hawk today retorted in kind.

Republican Senator John McCain has slammed President Vladimir Putin’s polices in an op-ed headlined “Russians deserve better than Putin,” written for Russia’s online newspaper Pravda.ru. McCain accused Putin and his associates of corruption, punishing dissent and creating an economy “based almost entirely on a few natural resources.” The US senator also singled out the case of Russian lawyer Sergey Magnitsky, who died in prison. McCain, who says he is often referred to as “an active anti-Russian politician,” described himself as “pro-Russian” and said he was not an antagonist of that country’s citizens.

McCain apparently refused to link the case of Edward Snowden and Sergey Magnitsky as well as failed to grab the tenets of Putin's op-ed which was primarily to tell Obama not to create fundamentalist ideology in the Americans through his 'Exceptionalism Stance'. What Putin is simply saying is that sensible countries of the world are tired of over-dependence on brute force by the US to force nations to bow at its feet and the message in guise to the Americans is that their nation is hated because it is God's own. Which nation is Devil's own?

Amnesty International Calls for the Trial of Gaddafi's Son by ICC; AU to Debate Member States Pull-out

Again the cry is on Africa. After the deposition of Maummar Gaddafi and the turning of Libya into a 'beggar nation' those who never believed anything good can come out of Africa are calling again for the transfer of erstwhile figures of the Gaddafi regime to the Hague for trial. The Kenyan deputy President, William Ruto is currently facing trial at the Hague over the post-election violence of 2007. He is the first serving official to stand trial at the Hague. Uhuru Kenyatta, the Kenyan President is to begin his own trial in October.

Kenya's spokesman for the presidency Manoah Esipisu said the country had not canvassed for the coming AU summit on October 13, but "welcomed the opportunity by African leaders to discuss what is obviously an important matter for the continent". Kenya's Parliament has passed the resolution endorsing the withdrawal of the country as a signatory to the Rome Statute.

"The Kenyans have been criss-crossing Africa in search of support for their cause, even before their parliament voted to withdraw from the ICC," an AU official told Reuters. "An extraordinary summit will now take place to discuss the issue. A complete walk-out of signatories (to the Rome Statute) is certainly a possibility, but other requests maybe made." The summit would be preceded by a meeting of African foreign ministers a day earlier, he said.

Questions continuously have been asked on the real target and mission of the ICC owing to the fact that George Bush and Tony Blair were never even called into question over their involvement in the Iraqi massacre not to talk being indicted by the body. It is always easy pointing to Africa by ICC than to Syria, Britain and the United States because the powers are present there.

Amnesty International called on Libyan authorities to hand over Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and former intelligence chief Abdallah Senussi to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Both are wanted for crimes against humanity. Amnesty met with both detainees last week ahead of the referral of their cases to the Indictment Chamber in Tripoli on September 19.

However, Libya insists they be put on trial inside the country. “The referral of these cases to the Indictment Chamber brings us one step closer to the start of national trial proceedings for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, in violation of Libya’s legal obligation to surrender him to the ICC,” Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hassiba Hadj Sahrahoui, said. In 2012, the ICC charged Saif al-Islam with crimes against humanity during the revolution that toppled his father the year prior. The court also ruled that he be extradited to The Hague.

The perceived selective justice of the ICC is making it lose all credibility if it ever has any in the face of many reasonable African nations. The next AU summit will discuss the revocation of the acceptance of the statute by African states in solidarity with Kenya. No one doubts the fact that impunity of African leaders and their gluttonous acts for bloodshed and wanton desire for destruction all because of greed and avaricious tendencies must be checkmated but it is about time Africans take their destiny in their hands than rely on those who brought the continent to this state since 1443.

Pentagon Prepares to Overtly Arm Syrian Rebels

All options are always and still are on the table to get Bashar al Assad out at all cost. The apparent frustration of the United States in exploring all options are evident in its continued, consistent and constant policies in raising one dust or another each time Assad seems to be knocking it off. Around April, John Kerry categorically stated that Assad has no place in the future of Syria.

When defending the aborted US strike on Syria during the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, he mulled the same note that President Obama has said and stood on his words that Assad must go. The United States has been training the rebels covertly since 2012 in Turkey but it looks more like they are no match for Assad's military.

The US has also explored the sarin gas option since April, all moving towards stalemate and maybe an incoherent end with Russia's stance. Now Pentagon is about to do what it knows how to do best in situations like this; arm the rebels directly under the guise and cloth of 'moderates'. Does it mean radicals and terrorists like Al Nusra have been armed before and are losing; hence new ones must be joined in the nomenclature of being 'moderates'?

RT reports that Pentagon has put together a plan to equip and train “moderate” Syrian rebel forces, marking the first instance of the American military having direct contact with the opposition. Information regarding the new plan was relayed by two Obama administration officials to CNN. The idea has allegedly been under consideration since the first evidence of a massive chemical weapons attack outside of Damascus on August 21 emerged, which the US maintains was carried out by Assad’s government.

Though the two officials did not cite many specifics on the proposal, the effort would involve training which would take place in a country near Syria. However, weapons would not be directly supplied as the Pentagon has no authority to do so.

"We have any number of options under development that could expand our support to the moderate opposition, but no decision has been taken at this point," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey told reporters on Wednesday in response to questions on the proposal. The Pentagon’s plan would involve US troops training selected rebels on the use of small arms, along with command and control and other military tactics.

No matter how diplomatic Washington tries to package and cook its intervention, it is seemingly glaring to most objective observers that the benefits and utmost advantages would serve the radicals in the Syrian war. The oppositions are disjointed, disoriented, disorganized and disunited. All attempts to bring them together by Washington, the house of Saud in Makkah, Turkey, some selected EU countries, Qatar among others have always ended in a more disconnected mission.

An Obfuscating Revolution: Has Libya Turned to a Beggar Nation Like Somalia?

The pretense that a leader is a dictator and must go is costing many nations their future today on the international scene. The real drummers for the galls called protesters and those willing to take up arms against the government lie underneath the sea. They are the ones who want nations, especially those in Africa to keep begging. Once a nation is not begging and not owing them like Libya, any available opportunity is usually turned against such a leader.

All humans deserve freedom, it is a natural craving and the mental thoughts are usually wired to demand for such but it must be done with the great interest of one's nation at heart not those who hide under the banner of being humanitarian or carrying the destiny of humanitarian intervention whom at best are roving lions looking for who to devour to revamp their economic meltdown. Libya has finally joined the rank and file of beggars like Somalia with almost to legitimate decorum.

RT reports that the Libyan prime minister is reaching out for international help amid political turmoil and stunted oil exportation which has cost the country $130 million a day. Ali Zeidan met with Britain’s David Cameron as Libya continues to be mired in post-Western intervention disarray following the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The overthrow has not yielded a conciliatory political climate as many had hoped.

Violence, militias and political activists have cut off most of Libya’s oil fields and ports since July, overwhelming the government’s young army and police force. "If the international community does not help in the collection of arms and ammunition, if we don't get help in forming the army and the police, things are going to take very long," Zeidan said while speaking at a Libya investment conference in London. "The situation is not going to improve unless we get real and practical assistance."

Zeidan told Cameron he’d like to reduce the number of arms flowing through Libya, while peacefully reaching out to militia members in an effort to provide support. "We are going to work on solving this problem," he said. "When blood is shed, the loss will be greater.” Libyan officials said oil production has opened more in the west, but still remains stunted in the east.

The General National Congress has negotiated with an armed group to reopen the El Sharara oilfield. Disruptions in production have cost the country and partners $7.5bn, a board member at the National Oil Company said.

The renewal of El Sharara is expected to increase Libyan oil production to 400,000-450,000 barrels per day (bpd), Libya's deputy oil minister Omar Shakmak told Reuters. Nevertheless, major energy companies are reducing operations in Libya. ExxonMobil is cutting back its involvement in Libyan oil production, saying increased instability is not worth a large presence. Royal Dutch Shell has abandoned exploration on two Libya blocks, and Marathon is pondering the sale of its part in a major Libyan oil consortium, sources said in July.

Libya under Gaddafi was prosperous and had a reasonable standard of living, better than South Africa whom the west wants us to believe has always been better because they are in control there. There was peace and tranquility in Gaddafi's Libya. Many African migrants who once worked in that blessed country still cry today because it was more of a paradise on earth to them. Now, Libya is not the same again and might continue to degenerate if care is not taken.

Nigeria is Winning the War on Terrorism

President Goodluck Jonathan recently disclosed that the sum of over N800M had been spent on training and retraining of SSS officers in a bid to prepare them effectively for the challenges of stemming the tide of terrorism mostly through intelligence gathering. He revealed that N800M was released for training this year, adding that in 2011 and 2012, the sums were N237m and N300m respectively.

The State Security Service in its own response said the war against terrorism is paying off as terrorists have been drastically weakened and can no longer carry out coordinated attacks in the country. According to the Director-General of the agency, Ekpenyong Ita, during the passing out parade and inauguration of 385 members of the Cadet Officers Basic Course 27 in Lagos, he stated that terrorism would soon be a thing of the past in the country.

Ita said the SSS had been able to help curb terrorism due to investment in human capacity development as well as cooperation from members of the public, sister agencies and the press. He said, "We can confidently say that we have decimated the terrorist' top and middle level leadership and its foot soldiers thereby dislodging its centre of gravity".

He revealed further that "there is no doubt that our strategies have invariably affected the cohesion of the group as well as the chain of command, to the level that the group, for now does not possess the capacity to direct and launch simultaneous attacks on several cities or targets in Nigeria as had been the situation in the past two years".

"We intend to build and consolidate on our successes in this war against the terrorists in order to create a conducive environment for democracy and development". Ita said the new officers, who had undergone almost a year of training, were coming at a sensitive time in the nation’s history. He therefore advised them to remain focused and put the nation's interest first.

He said, "to our graduating cadets, you are coming into the service at a very auspicious time, when the service is being re-invented to position herself for even greater effectiveness in the global security landscape. You are coming at a time when the nation grapples with serious security challenges.  You must collectively and individually contribute to the attainment of the service’s mandate".

President Goodluck Jonathan represented by the supervising Minister for Education, Nyesom Wike, said the training of the service personnel was necessitated by the current security challenges facing the country. The President said "we will do more as peace and security are important to the economy. The Federal Government through the National Assembly recently passed the anti-terrorism law".

He concluded by encouraging the cadets. He said "you have performed well but remember that your passing out today is the beginning of your job. Your training was necessitated by the current security challenges facing the country." The Boko Haram menace and other heinous crimes like kidnapping and several cult and communal clashes have posed great security challenges to the country.

Russia Reactivates Arctic Military Presence; India fires nuclear-capable 'Agni V' missile

Developments around the world are making nations think their stand on the international plane. The American strength and its apparent ability to touch on any country it wishes is giving others the motivation to go tough militarily too. Russia has reactivated its presence in the Arctic by deploying its nuclear-powered ice breaking warships to the region.

Russia’s Defence Ministry officially announced return of Russia’s military to the Subarctic region. The statement was made to mark the arrival of a task group of 10 warships and support vessels to the western coast of Kotelny Island in the Novosibirsk (New Siberian Islands) Archipelago.

The task group is headed by Russia’s most powerful battleship and the flagship of the Northern Fleet, cruiser Peter the Great (Pyotr Veliky). The group is accompanied by four nuclear icebreakers facilitating the passage through areas with particularly thick ice.

“For the first time ever, all Russia’s nuclear surface ships – heavy nuclear missile cruiser Peter the Great and nuclear icebreakers Yamal, Vaigach, Taimyr and 50 Let Pobedy, were combined to perform a joint task,” Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov told journalists.

Russia's first Defence Minister, Army General Arkady Bakhin said that Temp military airfield on Kotelny Island that was inactive for over 20 years will become operable in October, as An-72 and An-74 cargo planes will land there, bringing instruments and supplies for the reactivated Air Force base.

In the near future the airstrip will be modified to be able to receive heavy cargo planes such as Il-76 and An-22 Antey military jumbos. This will speed up reestablishing Russia’s military presence in the Arctic region, as the air connection will be regular, all-weather and all year around.

The task group left the port of Severomorsk and has already covered 2,000 nautical miles, crossing the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas. The region has been left unmanned militarily since the demise of the USSR. Now, Russia says it wants to take charge fully.

The simple theory of might is right. China itself has embarked on massive military developments which definitely is making the Asia-Pacific region look more like an upcoming theatre of war. America too has been bolstering its forces in Asia especially by radical increase in troops presence in the Philippines. It already has Seoul and Tokyo within its ambit.

India has conducted a second test firing of its nuclear-capable 'Agni-V' long-range ballistic missile, which boasts a strike range of over 5,000 kilometers – capable of reaching Beijing and much of Europe, The Indian Express reported.

The three-stage solid propellant missile was test-fired from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha on Sunday. The 'Agni-V' can carry a nuclear warhead of over 1 ton. India has been struggling to keep up with China's growing military might, and is eager to have a viable deterrent against its larger, nuclear-armed neighbour.

As Russia and the US Agree to Destroy Syria's Chemical Weapons; Opposition Tries to Raise its Stake

Russia and the United States have agreed on a framework to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. John Kerry says Assad must hand over all details of the locations of the chemical weapons stockpiles within a week while Sergei Lavrov has confirmed that both the US and Russia have contacted Damascus directly on the issue.

The United Nations stated that it has received all official documents from the Syrian government to join the Chemical Weapons Convention and Damascus would be a full member by October 14; 30 days after its application to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov have both been seriously brainstorming on possible ways to end the Syrian crisis. The European Union on its part said it is satisfied with the progress made and would be willing to render its own assistance to effect all the terms of the agreement.

President Obama and the Pentagon are however still mulling that all options are still on the table and the American military is still standing on same posture despite the deal.

Meanwhile the Syrian opposition is also planning 'a future' for itself. The opposition to President Assad, an umbrella group led by the Syrian National Coalition, has elected the moderate Islamist Ahmad Tumeh as their provisional prime minister.Tumeh, a 48-year old former political prisoner from the east of Syria, received 75 votes out of the 97 cast in a ballot in Istanbul.

The move is seen by analysts as an attempt to raise its credibility as high stakes diplomacy plays out between the US and Russia to try and resolve Syria’s two year civil war. Tumeh is an independent Islamist and has been appointed to run rebel-held areas where a slide into chaos has threatened to undermine the opposition to President Assad.

Nigeria: Villagers Reject Shell's Greek Gift as Compensation in Port Harcourt

The dispute over two oil spills in 2008 that caused excessive damage in which Shell says progress has been made on spill cleanup plans came to an end at the court but not a logical one. The villagers rejected an offer of compensation from Royal Dutch Shell for damage done to their livelihoods by oil spills from pipelines operated by the company, their lawyers said.

Aljazeera's Yvonne Ndege visited a community and the extent of the damage shown was almost beyond redemption. A man's whole fish pond was destroyed with his massive investments. He lamented that he who was always giving to many in his community and locality suddenly became a beggar. He said the precarious situation he found himself was now worsened by the actions of Shell which claimed it had embarked on a  cleanup which was at best a kangaroo act.

The failure to reach a settlement means Shell and around 15,000 members of the Bodo fishing communities in southeastern Nigeria remain locked in litigation. Their lawyers said they will now go back to a British court to request a trial timetable. The legal action is being closely watched by the oil industry and by environmentalists for precedents that could have an impact on other big pollution claims against majors.

"We haven't reached agreement on compensation, which is disappointing," a spokesman for Shell's Nigeria unit said. "Nonetheless, we're pleased to have made progress in relation to cleanup," he added, saying measures had been put in place to get remediation work done as soon as possible. A source close to Shell and another source involved in the negotiations told Reuters the company offered total compensation of 7.5 billion naira ($46.3 million).

Leigh Day, the British law firm representing the villagers, said the compensation offer amounted to approximately 1,100 pounds ($1,700) per individual impacted, without giving the number of people it says were affected. "The whole week has been deeply disappointing," said Martyn Day of the London-based law firm, who has been in talks with Shell since Monday in Nigeria's oil hub Port Harcourt. "The settlement figures are totally derisory and insulting to these villagers," he added.

The Nigerians launched a suit against Shell at the High Court in London in March 2012, seeking millions of dollars in compensation for two oil spills in 2008, but both sides agreed to try and settle in compensation talks in Port Harcourt. Shell accepts responsibility for the Bodo spills but the two sides disagree about the volume spilt and the number of local people who lost their livelihoods as a result.

Citing independent experts, Leigh Day says up to 600,000 barrels of crude were spilt, which would make it one of the worst in history. Shell in its bid to cover-up, citing a report by a joint investigative team puts the volume spilt in the two original incidents at just 4,100 barrels. Shell accepts that a significantly higher volume of oil was spilt later but says this was due to other factors including sabotage.

It has complained that its clean-up teams were at times denied access to sites by local groups. Recently, Shell went against any punitive measures like death sentence as mulled by the Nigerian Senate for oil thieves and saboteurs. It also claimed neither it nor its workers have been involved in oil theft. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant has been a major play player in Nigeria with its daily crude production not known by the Nigerian government because the government has no capacity and capability to verify.

Whatever Shell declares is what the government would accept. Corruption continues to be the bane of the oil industry while kidnapping, oil theft, pipelines vandalisation and all sort of criminal activities are ubiquitous in the Niger-Delta.

Poll Reveals American Soldiers Do not want Strikes in Syria

As John Kerry of the United States and Sergei Lavrov of Russia battle for the soul of Syria diplomatically in Geneva while the two Presidents, Obama and Putin trade jabs with Obama's 9/11's speech and Putin's counter-voice in the New York Times, American soldiers have simply been showing their disapproval for any involvement and mission in Syria.

The irony of any disapproval though is that it would not stop any recalcitrant American President bent on war and directed by his war-hawks but it goes a long way to show the awkward madness of what democracy is in the United States.

The US service-members oppose military strikes in Syria by a three-to-one margin, according to a poll by Military Times. An online survey of more than 750 active-duty troops found 75 percent of respondents were not in favour of airstrikes against the Assad regime.

A slight percentage more said it is not in the US national interest to get involved in the country’s civil war. Military Times said money and a war-weary isolationist streak were top reasons for the soldiers’ disapproval. Despite this disapproval, Senator McCain still wants nothing other than military strikes. One definitely wonders what would be happening in the world by now as regards wars if he were the President.