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Southeast Asia

MILF, MNLF unite for Bangsamoro law passage

2015-10-14

[InterAksyon] Top leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front declared that the two Moro fronts have agreed to "merge and unite" to push for the passage of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) now pending in the Philippine legislature. After the reunification meeting in Maguindanao, MNLF chair Muslimin Sema said, "This unification simply means that both sides have the same goal – that is for the betterment of Bansamoro people and other inhabitants of Mindanao." MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said the unification was born during the recent Bangsamoro Coordination Forum in Kuwait called for by the Organization of Islamic Conference in May this year. Both Murad and Sema said that "under this present situation of the peace process, we realized and feel duty-bound to strengthen and consolidate our unity and our people under the blessings of universal brotherhood for the common good and interest of all." The MNLF Sema faction is the largest and most politically active part of three MNLF factions of the MNLF that includes the Nur Misuari faction and the MNLF-Islamic Command Council.

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Southeast Asia

MNLF seeks amnesty for Misuari

2015-09-12

[ABS-CBN] The chairman of the Islamic Command Council of the Moro National Liberation Front has appealed to the Philippine president to grant MNLF founder Nur Misuari amnesty for his involvement in the 2013 Zamboanga siege. Islamic Command Council chairman Habib Hudjahab Hashim said there were precedents in granting amnesty to a person accused of rebellion. According to Hashim, Misuari was simply fighting for his political ideology, and to implement the 1996 peace agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government, which he believed was abrogated when the government signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Hashim added that an amnesty is also needed in order for Misuari to be able to attend the ongoing tripartite meeting with the Organization of Islamic Conference and Government Peace Panel, which has been discussing three contentious issues of the accord. He said these issues will be further discussed in the dialogue which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November. Misuari has been facing rebellion charges and a violation of international humanitarian law after hundreds of his armed followers attacked villages in Zamboanga City, displacing thousands of families. Since then, Misuari has been reportedly hiding in the MNLF camps in Sulu province. Hashim said two years after the Zamboanga siege, Misuari has no plans to surrender. Neither are there feelers to negotiate for his surrender. He said Misuari remains firm in his position for declaring independence, and claiming the majority of Mindanao as part of their territory. Hashim said they are also pushing for the creation of another autonomous government intended solely for MNLF, citing the 1976 Tripoli Agreement as the basis.

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Southeast Asia

Despite MNLF calls, Misuari warrant stands

2015-09-01

[Inquirer] The Moro National Liberation Front said it was hopeful that the Philippine government would lift the arrest warrant for its leader, Nur Misuari, so he could join the delegation to Manila on September 2 for the tripartite meeting with the government and the Organization of Islamic Conference. On its official Facebook page, the MNLF said Misuari and some 80 MNLF officials were included in the list of those attending the meeting, to thresh out problems hounding the erstwhile militant group. The MNLF wrote, "We hope the warrant would already be lifted against our beloved leader Prof. Nur Misuari." Misuari has been in hiding after warrants were issued against him over the September 2013 siege, where at least 300 people were killed and over 120,000 families displaced. Despite being in hiding, Misuari maintains close contact with the MNLF faction that he heads. Regional State Prosecutor Peter Medalle said they have not received any information that Misuari's warrant would be lifted and that the former miltant leader-turned-politician could still be nabbed on sight.

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India-Pakistan

PM should call OIC meeting on Kashmir issue: Hafiz Saeed

2015-02-06

[NATION.PK] Jamat ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ...who would be wearing a canvas jacket with very long sleeves anyplace but Pakistain... stated that Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... should call on a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), to resolve Kashmire issue. While talking to Private Channel, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said that Pakistain is a biggest attorney of Kashmire's oppressed nation therefore, it should boycott the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... (UN), if they do not cooperate in solving Kashmire matter. Furthermore, he pronounced that the Kashmiris are fighting for their freedom. Moreover, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed further added that US President B.O.'s visit to India has increased the security problems in the territory of Pakistain.

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Southeast Asia

MNLF threatens new attacks in Mindanao

2013-12-10

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is threatening to begin new attacks in Mindanao following the signing of the annex on power sharing in the framework agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza issued the threat warning yesterday a day after the government and the MILF signed the power-sharing deal. He said, “Certainly, that would lead to another war. They can sign everything. If they want to continue, then let the war continue." The Philippine government is downplaying the influence of Nur Misuari over the MNLF by saying that the group is divided into three factions. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles has reportedly asked the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to exclude Misuari as MNLF representative to the scheduled tripartite meeting in Indonesia next year.. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dared Misuari to come out of hiding to prove his innocence on the charges of rebellion and other related crimes. AFP Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said, “A warrant has been issued against him and if he is innocent, he should come out and prove his innocence.” . The AFP maintains that Misuari – contrary to reports that he is in hiding in the Middle East with his family – is actually holed up in Talipao, Sulu.

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Southeast Asia

Philppine military won’t interfere in Sayyaf-MNLF fighting

2013-02-07

A senior member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) called for Muslims to stop killing Muslims yesterday as the group massed for a bigger assault on Abu Sayyaf strongholds in Sulu. The fighting, which broke out Sunday morning, has caused hundreds of villagers to flee their homes in Patikul town, where Abu Sayyaf terrorists bandits are believed to be holding Jordanian journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani. The government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has sent out relief and health workers to the town, while police and military units are moving to prevent the fighting from spreading to populated areas. Habib Mujahab Hashim, a senior member of the MNLF’s central committee and chairman of the group’s Islamic Command Council, said there was a pause in the fighting yesterday as the guerrillas under Ustadz Habier Malik regrouped in preparation for a bigger offensive. He said, “If this does not stop, it could lead to mutual annihilation. The only way out is to talk brother to brother.” Many MNLF and Abu Sayyaf members are related by blood or marriage along with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday said it would not meddle in the hostilities, except to ensure the safety of civilians in the affected areas. Col. Orlando de Leon, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, said, “They have their own agenda. Preventing the resumption of hostilities is hard any time, it could erupt. What we want to prevent is a spillover.” He added, “We are ready to treat the wounded. That is provided by international humanitarian law.” Hashim expressed worry that prolonged hostilities could lead to a serious clan war. He said, “It’s sad that Muslims are killing fellow Muslims. We also don’t condone Muslims killing Christians.” He said he had talked to senior MNLF and Islamic religious leaders to intervene and stop the fighting, but was told that they would do so only on instructions of Misuari. He said, “They said any movement to interfere might be perceived as sabotage." Misuari reportedly ordered the offensive after the Abu Sayyaf refused to turn over several of its hostages to the MNLF. On Saturday night the Abu Sayyaf released a Filipino television crew, but not to the MNLF, and refused to hand over Atyani to Malik’s group. The release of the two Filipino hostages, reportedly in exchange for ransom, prompted the MNLF to attack the Abu Sayyaf’s jungle hide-outs on Sunday. Sixteen MNLF fighters have been reported killed, with several of them beheaded, while the group estimates that the Abu Sayyaf has lost 14 men. Misuari is running as an independent for a fresh term as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Yesterday, President Aquino emphasized that the government did not give permission for the MNLF offensive. He said, “There is no sanction, there is no clearance. They didn’t tell us that they were going to attack the Abu Sayyaf." What he had ordered, Aquino said, was to bring about 300 families displaced by the fighting to safer ground. He also ordered the military and police to confine the violence to Patikul. He said, “On Sunday when I first heard about the clash, our first priority of course (was the safety of) our citizens or civilians who might be caught in the conflict areas. Sources said Misuari hoped that securing the release of the hostages would boost his chances in the ARMM race in May and improve his standing in the Organization of Islamic Conference. The President’s Liberal Party is fielding ARMM officer-in-charge Mujiv Hataman against Misuari and former Sultan Kudarat congressman Pakung Mangudadatu of the United Nationalist Alliance for governor in the autonomous region.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Russia Urges Saudi Arabia, Qatar To Halt Help For Syria Rebels

2012-06-08

[Bloomberg] Russia is urging Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in their national face... and Qatar to halt help for Syrian rebels, a senior politician in the Russian ruling party said. Russia and China yesterday proposed a meeting to support peace efforts by United Nations ...an organization whose definition of human rights is interesting, to say the least... envoy Kofi Annan ...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo... . The two nations, along with the U.S., the U.K., La Belle France, the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... , the Organization of Islamic Conference and Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... States, Turkey and Iran should take part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Beijing yesterday after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile... and Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao ...Hu has been involved in the Communist party bureaucracy for most of his adult life, meaning his viewpoint has a lot more theory than it does practice. He espouses a Harmonious Society approach, suggesting everybody should play nice or they'll be shot... "Boats carrying weapons are being dispatched and they are getting financing too because Saudi Arabia and Qatar are paying salaries to members of the Syrian Free Army," Alexei Pushkov, the head of the foreign-affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said in a telephone interview today. "Instead of supporting the armed actions of the opposition, we want them to exert a restraining influence." Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ruled by Sunni monarchies that are at odds with Syria's mainly Shiite ally, Iran, have publicly voiced support for arming the rebels. Syria's ambassador to Russia said last week that the two countries are sabotaging a UN plan to end the 15-month conflict in his country by continuing to arm rebels in violation of a cease-fire agreement reached in April. "Weapons are entering Syria through its borders with Leb and Turkey," Riad Haddad said in a June 1 interview. "And these are heavy weapons."

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Fifth Column

Exploiting the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary

2011-07-15

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Islamists and their supporters are busy preparing a disinformation campaign to whitewash Sharia law and Islamic ideology under the banner of an operation they call “Prepare New York.” The intent is to use a front of “interfaith” alliances with progressive groups to marginalize those who are trying to expose the truth about the Islamist agenda and to exploit the 9/11 anniversary for propaganda purposes. Let’s start with the fact that one of Prepare New York‘s “Action Partners” is the unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorist financing case, the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Council for American Islamic Relations. Then there are the connections of various Steering Committee Partners of Prepare New York to the Cordoba Initiative, or the “Ground Zero Mosque,” and to its founder, Imam Feisal Rauf . Rauf was the imam behind the Ground Zero Mosque project and a co-founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, an organization receiving funding from a number of leftist organizations and from foreign nations that are members of the Organization of Islamic Conference and whose objective is to promote a positive image of Islam to the American public. So far, we have only looked at the common thread amongst many of the key players behind the Prepare New York initiative being planned around the tenth anniversary of 9/11. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Recall that part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s grand strategy, in its own words, is to “channel thought, education and action” and to “work within various influential institutions and use them in the service of Islam.” This would include working with progressive organizations to the extent they serve the Islamists’ purposes, such as George Soros ’ Open Society Foundation and One Nation, both of which are helping to fund Prepare New York.

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International-UN-NGOs

OIC warns against heavily political campaigns against Islam

2011-06-25

(KUNA) -- Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) warned against the continuation of heavily publicized political campaigns against Mohammedan immigrants. "These political campaigns are moving gradually to the United States," the OIC's report of 2010-2011, on the phenomenon of "Islamophobia", ...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do... said on Friday. The report will be submitted to freign ministers of the OIC's member states in their upcoming conference in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. "Animosity against Islam and Mohammedans are not considered individual and spontaneous acts any more. It has become a calculated phenomenon of hostility. If developed from mere direct insults to a full-fledged distortion of Islam, then it would lead to a real threat of cultural clash," the report cautioned. This Islamophobia methodology, which was stirred from the ideologies of some European right-winged parties, has started moving to the United States, the report noted. Therefore, UN Secretary-General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another John Marshall ... warned against blowing this phenomenon out of proportion, especially after the increasing European demands on prohibiting wearing hijab (head cover for Mohammedan women) and applying more restrictions on Mohammedan immigrants. The most influential incident that triggered Islamophonia was the Holy Koran burning campaign launched by Pastor Terry Jones against building an Islamic center near Ground Zero, in New York, the report said. It also mentioned that Studies and surveys done by European institutions said that European society elites take advantage of the Mohammedans immigrants' economical and social Mohammedan burdens to serve their political agendas; hence negatively effecting the Mohammedans' chances of getting job and better health care services.

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International-UN-NGOs

OIC calls on strictly following universality of Human rights principles

2011-06-22

(KUNA) -- Member States of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) in the Human Rights Council (HRC) called Tuesday on the new president of HRC Ambassador Laura Dupuy of Uruguay to lead the council by strictly following the principles of universality of human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... principles. The Rantburg Travel Agency is now accepting bookings for its Great Cathedrals of Arabia tour... "You have assumed the presidency of the Human Rights Council at a very critical juncture. Today the Council is confronted with serious challenges and may receive the fate of the Commission on Human Rights," said Pakistain in a statement on behalf of the member states of the OIC. The Council is entering its sixth year. It has been led by five distinguished colleagues who have not only put in their best but have tried to preserve the neutrality of their office and worked at building bridges with the aim of preserving the integrity and objectives of this Council, Pakistain added. "Under your able leadership, Madam President, we are confident that the Council will improve its standing by upholding the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue, while addressing human rights' issues in impartial, objective and non-selective way. "We are confident that your experience will help guide the deliberations of this Council in a fair, transparent and objective manner. The OIC looks forward to working with you all in the days ahead and assures you, Madam President, of its fullest cooperation during the year ahead," assured Pakistain. The OIC countries announced also its supporting to the proposal of NAM to rationalize the Programme of Work of the Council in order to make it manageable. The OIC regrets that the Council could not reach consensus on this issue. "The Calendar of Meetings scheduled for the sixth year of the Council is hectic. The latest session of the Council, concluded last week, experienced unprecedented non-stop meetings during one session," explained Pakistain. "This hectic schedule affects the ability of small delegations to effectively participate during the Council proceedings, formally as well as informally".

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Africa North

Clinton heads to UAE for talks on Libya

2011-06-09

[Emirates 24/7] US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another Dean Rusk ... left here Wednesday for Abu Dhabi to consult with countries backing military action in Libya and looking at more ways to help the Libyan opposition. The talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital on Thursday come after President Barack B.O. Obama said NATO's ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants... mission in Libya was forging "inexorable" advances that meant it was only a matter of time before defiant Muammar Qadaffy's ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... departure. The so-called International Contact Group meeting will build on a May 5 gathering in Rome where Clinton and her partners agreed on a new fund to aid Libya's rebels and promised to tap frozen assets of Qadaffy's regime. US officials said the participants will discuss a "range of issues," including implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973. Resolution 1970 imposed bans on assets and travel on members of Qadaffy's regime as well as an arms embargo. Resolution 1973 authorized "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians, including air strikes on Qadaffy's ground forces and a no-fly zone. The International Contact Group on Libya, which includes all the countries participating in the NATO-led campaign targeting Qadaffy's regime, held its inaugural meeting in Qatar, which participates in the NATO mission. NATO has intensified its campaign, launching daily raids on Tripoli, but only nine of NATO's 28 member states are taking part in the strikes. La Belle France and Britannia are bearing the brunt of the load with helicopters now in their arsenal. The other countries are the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Italia and non-NATO state the United Arab Emirates, which sent 12 warplanes to enforce the no-fly zone. Countries such as Spain and the Netherlands, and non-NATO partner Sweden, have contributed combat jets but their roles are limited to enforcing the no-fly zone aimed at preventing Qadaffy attack planes from taking off. Turkey, which reluctantly backed the mission, is only participating in the naval embargo. Around a dozen NATO members are not contributing any assets to the mission, including Germany, which has refused to back the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... resolution that authorized the mission. Weeks of air strikes on regime targets have thus far failed to force Qadaffy out, but Obama nevertheless insisted that he was on borrowed time after a brutal four-decades-long rule. The president, criticized by some domestic opponents for allowing Britannia and La Belle France to take the lead in the NATO mission after an initial US blitz, argued that the effort had already achieved substantial goals. Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom... , Obama said that the port city of Benghazi was now free from the threat of the Libyan regime and that Qadaffy forces had been pushed back from the city of Misrata. "What you're seeing across the country is a inexorable trend of the regime forces being pushed back, being incapacitated," he said on Tuesday. "You're seeing defections, often times of some very high-profile members of the Qadaffy government, as well as the military. "I think it is just a matter of time before Qadaffy goes." In addition to NATO countries, representatives from the United Nations, Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... , European Union, Organization of Islamic Conference, and the Gulf Cooperation Council will be at the talks. After Abu Dhabi, Clinton will travel to Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia to discuss trade, development, health and other issues. She is due to return to Washington on June 15.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

'Enemy attempts to sow discord in Iran'

2011-04-30

[Iran Press TV] Senior Iranian holy man Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami warns of enemy plots to disturb the country's calm by spreading rumors about discord in the country. "The foreign-based and isolated enemies of the nation, in their interviews constantly seek to suggest there is a rift in the country," Ayatollah Khatami told crowds of worshipers in Tehran on Friday, IRNA reported. The holy man cautioned against an enemy plot to show the atmosphere in Iran as tensional, calling on Iranian officials "not to play in their court" and "not to fill their puzzle squares." Ayatollah Khatami ruled out a "dual government" in Iran, and emphasized that the only rule in the country is that of the constitution which above all contains Islamic Jurisprudence. The capital's interim Friday Prayers leader noted that the Medes and the Persians has learned to assess the righteousness of parties and politicians based on the enemy's response. "I tell the foreigners that whatever figure or movement you support will be recognized as deviatory by the people [of Iran], and this will be to that [figure or movement's] disadvantage," he added. Addressing the developments in the region, the holy man blamed the United States for the unrelenting violence in Arab countries where people are demanding the end of the rule of their dictators. He accused NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants... forces of engaging in "a war of attrition" in Libya in a bid to win control of the oil-rich country in the long run. Ayatollah Khatami pointed to the US intervention in Yemen, and blamed the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council for siding with "dictators and executioners" and functioning as "the arm of the US" in the region. He lashed out at the "deadly silence" from the international community. "You the United Nations ...an organization whose definition of human rights is interesting, to say the least... , are you not an organization of nations? ... Why are you as silent as death? You the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... , are these not Arabs? Why aren't you supporting them? You the Organization of Islamic Conference, why have you been hit by this plague of indifference? Why aren't Mohammedan scholars crying out [in protest]?" he questioned. Ayatollah Khatami warned the ruling royal families in Soddy Arabia and Bahrain to stop their violent crackdowns on popular demonstrations and anti-regime protesters. "I warn Al Khalifa and Al Saud that every crime you commit takes you a step closer to elimination," he said "People in the future will remember the Al Khalifa [regime] as war criminals and the Al Saud regime as traitors standing by Israel in the 22- and 33-day wars," he added, referring to the wars Israel waged respectively on Leb in 2006 and the Gazoo Strip in Dcember2008-January 2009.

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