Iran 'to release' two US men jailed as spies

Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal have been in an Iranian jail for more than two years [AFP]

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Iran would release two US citizens imprisoned for spying in a "couple of days'" on bail, which their lawyer said had been set at $500,000 each. "I am helping to arrange for their release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home. This is of course going to be a unilateral humanitarian gesture," Ahmadinejad told The Washington Post on Tuesday.

"It is a unilateral pardon", he added. Asked by the Post how the pair would return to the US, Ahmadinejad said that "they are free to choose".

In a separate interview with the US network NBC, he said Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be released "in two days", but their lawyer Masoud Shafiei said they would be freed only when the bail had been paid. Bauer and Fattal were arrested in July 2009 near Iran's border with Iraq, where they say they were hiking in the mountains. They were sentenced last month to eight years in prison on spying charges.

A third American, Sarah Shourd, was freed on bail on humanitarian and medical grounds in September 2010 and returned home. "While we do not have further details at this time, we are overjoyed by the positive news reports from Iran," a statement issued by the families said.

"We're grateful to everyone who has supported us and looking forward to our reunion with Shane and Josh. We hope to say more when they are finally back in our arms." In the NBC interview, Ahmadinejad highlighted what he said was the way Iranians suffer in American jails.

"Do you know how many Iranians are now in American jails?" he said. "It's not only about two people in Iran. These two people are having very good conditions here in prison. It's like staying in a hotel." Bauer and Fattal, who share a cell in Tehran's Evin prison, were convicted at a trial held behind closed doors in August. Their supporters say evidence against them has never been made public.

US President Barack Obama has denied that the two men, who were working in the Middle East when they were detained, had any link to US intelligence. Reacting to the news on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "We have followed this very closely and we are encouraged by what the Iranian government has said today.

"We obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision by the government". The affair has heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, which severed diplomatic ties after the storming of the US embassy in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Source: planetdata.net

By: Progress On 23:15

Continue Reading

Seven dead in brazen Taliban assault on Kabul

Afghan forces Wednesday struggled to dislodge the last of the Taliban fighters who mounted a spectacular assault on Kabul, targeting the US embassy and NATO headquarters with rockets and suicide bombs.

The chaotic battle which broke out on Tuesday moved into a second day, with authorities saying two insurgents were still holed up in a high-rise construction site where the attacks were launched.

Helicopters from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force were circling the building at daybreak while explosions from rocket-propelled grenades continued amid sporadic gunfire, an AFP reporter near the scene said.

"Yes, there are ISAF air assets providing support at the request of the Afghan national security forces," said ISAF spokesman Sergeant Christopher DeWitt.

It is believed to be the first time a Taliban attack on Kabul -- seen as relatively safe compared to many other parts of Afghanistan -- has dragged across two days.

The coordinated assault, which has left at least seven people dead, is the latest sign that security has deteriorated sharply in the city where insurgents have staged increasingly brazen raids on Western targets.

It has also drawn questions over the ability of Afghan forces to protect their country after a security handover in July started a staged withdrawal of US-led combat troops which is due to finish in 2014.

Interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqui said Afghan forces were mounting an intensified operation to rid the building of the holdouts -- the last of at least eight attackers believed to be involved in the city-wide attacks.

"Now it's established that there are two of them remaining. They're on the 10th or 11th floor and are using hand grenades. They're fighting. The operation continues," he said. "They have rockets and hand grenades, they have weapons."

"We had some injuries overnight, three or four were injured in grenades," Siddiqui told AFP, referring to casualties among Afghan security forces.

Siddiqui said earlier that Afghan forces were working alongside NATO-led troops to hunt for the remaining gunmen, using night-vision goggles as the battle dragged on into the early hours.

Four civilians and three police were killed in the main wave of attacks Tuesday as well as three smaller linked incidents, according to the interior ministry spokesman.

A journalist from Afghan state broadcaster RTA was also shot and wounded while covering the standoff, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

At the US embassy, which blared out warnings for staff to take cover and avoid standing near windows as the attacks unfolded, spokeswoman Kerri Hannan said Tuesday there were no deaths or injuries among the hundreds of staff.

The embassy confirmed the attacks involved "RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and small arms fire" and that four Afghans had been injured -- three applying for visas and one local security guard.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed that the "brave" Americans who work at the embassy would not be intimidated by such attacks.

"We will take all necessary steps not only to ensure the safety of our people but to secure the area and to ensure that those who perpetrated this attack are dealt with," she said.

The giant, high security US embassy compound borders the ISAF compound where thousands of foreign troops live and work.

Video released by NATO showed foreign forces taking up positions within ISAF headquarters Tuesday and shooting back at insurgents as they defended themselves from attack.

ISAF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings told AFP that it suffered no casualties despite "minor damage" from "small arms and some indirect fire that landed in our compound."

The attacks started shortly after 1:30 pm (0900 GMT) Tuesday, when AFP reporters heard a string of loud blasts two days after the United States marked the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

A Taliban spokesman told AFP by text message that the targets were ISAF headquarters, the US embassy and Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and other "sensitive government places".

Witnesses told of their terror as events unfolded.

"I was sitting in my shop when suddenly I heard an explosion and then another one. Then there was gunfire," said Abdulbaqi, a local shopkeeper.

"People on the streets started running. I had to leave my shop to get to safety."

Three other suicide attacks struck Kabul on Tuesday -- two against police and one by an attacker who was killed as he headed towards the airport. All caused only a small number of casualties.

President Hamid Karzai insisted the raid would not derail the security transition process but would "embolden our people's determination in taking the responsibility for their country?s own affairs".

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said his organisation had "confidence" in the Afghan authorities and the transition process which has seen Kabul and six other parts of the country handed over by foreign troops.

Last month, nine people died when suicide bombers attacked the British Council cultural body in Kabul.

And in June, insurgents stormed the city's luxury Intercontinental Hotel sparking a fierce battle which killed at least 12.

Source: planetdata.net

By: Progress On 23:12

Continue Reading

Tourists kidnapped by suspected Pirates from a Kenyan Beach Resort

Kenyan Police are on the hunt for suspected Pirates following the murder of a British tourist and the kidnapping of his wife, in a gang raid on an exclusive beach resort called the Kiwayu Safari Village in Kenya, dangerously close to the border with Somalia.

A finance director of publishing house Faber & Faber, David Tebbutt (58 years of age) from Bishop's Stortford was tragically shot dead in cold blood, as he attempted to resist the gang aggressors. His wife (26 years of age), Judith Tebbutt was forcibly rushed away in a motor boat.

Both British security officials and local Kenyan police immediately initiated a far reaching search for Judith Tebbutt following up from reports that she was captured by members of Harakat al Shabab al Mujahideen (an extremist group based in Somalia). The search involved a combination of Helicopters, Speedboats and a spotter plane, which was carried up to the border limits, however no sign of the gang of raiders or their hostage has so far been reported.

The unfortunate couple arrived to their exclusive resort on the 10th of September (Saturday afternoon) after visiting the Masai Mara reserve. It sound ominous, as they were actually the only guests at the resort when the gang forced their way in sometime after midnight.

The regional commissioner Matthew Iteere was reported to comment that "The man was killed when he resisted,". "His wife was kidnapped and we are carrying out a search and rescue mission. So far we don't know the motive. We are treating it just as a bandit attack. But since we are reliably informed that they abducted that lady, sooner or later they may contact us, maybe seeking ransom."

Brian Thorp, 77, a missionary, was murdered on the nearby island of Lamu in 2008, while Somalis raiding across the border kidnapped two nuns in 2008 and three aid workers in 2009.

Kiwayu is about 30 miles (48km) from the border, and piracy experts said that if the raiders had escaped in a skiff they would have been back in Somali waters by daybreak.

Kiwayu Safari Village is approximately 50km from the Somali frontier. Guests are charged up to $350 USD per person per night and the resort is operated by a European couple (British man and his Italian wife).

Interestingly the resort's own website http://www.kiwayu.com/ previously claimed to take "security and safety very seriously." The website once featured these words, "We have our own organic security protocols as well as a professional security structure which provides us with overarching security and safety 24 hours a day." The website has now been taken off the Internet and if visitors click to the domain the following message appears “Sorry the website is unavailable due to the tragic events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected family.”

The kidnapping of wealthy Westerners for high ransoms is a well established tactic by Somali Pirates, which has been constantly on the increase in the region (land and sea) in the past decade. Recently a Spanish warship patrolling the area rescued a French woman, who was taken from her Yacht in the Gulf of Aden just 2 days prior to this event. A man who was aboard the Yacht is still missing and presumed dead by many. Moreover, a Danish family seized in February 2011, were eventually freed just last week, after an ransom airdrop of an estimated $3 million.

Most of the Pirates trade is actually focused out to sea in the area of the Gulf of Aden stretching right down to the Seychelles. Click on this link to see the region: Somali Pirates region. For regular updates on Somali Pirates go to Off Radar Maritime Security.

Our advice to all Perpetual Traveler's is to steer completely clear of the entire region (land or sea). The Pirates are venturing further and further afield and developing new tactics all of the time. It is simply not worth the risKatjato the average person to Holiday, Sail or Cruise in the area.

By: Progress On 01:25

Continue Reading

Russian Yak Airliner Crashes: 43 Killed

A Russian airliner has crashed, reportedly killing most of the passengers on board.

According to Russian news coverage, among the passengers were members of an ice hockey team, who were being transported to Belarus, in the Ukraine, for an upcoming match fixture.

The same sources have also indicated that the aircraft involved in the crash was a Yak 42, although specific information regarding the airline and precise location has not yet been provided. We do know, though, that the Yak came down near to an airport in Yaroslavl city, likely to have been Tunosha Airport.

Reportedly, the aircraft had just taken off when it began to lose height and ended up crashing approximately one kilometre from the airport boundary.
Russian Yak Crash

The Yak 42, of the type involved in the Russian Yak crash, is a mid-range turbofan-powered commercial airliner design first produced in the late 1970s and subsequently manufactured in several variants. Of the 178 ultimately built, close to 100 remain in use, the majority with Russian carriers.

This is Russia's first experience of an aviation incident in which an entire sports team has been lost, although there was a similar event back in the days of the Soviet Union.

The team involved was Yaroslavl Lokomotiv - three-times winners of the Russian ice hockey championships. Established in 1949, the team featured an international line-up of players, featuring representatives from Slovakia, Sweden and Germany.
Airliner Crash in Russia

Multiple investigations into the cause of the airliner crash in Russia are now already underway, one as demanded by Vladimir Putin - the country's Prime Minister. The Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has offered his condolences and is set to visit the crash area in coming hours.

An earlier Yak 42 crash happened in May 2003, when the entire 75-strong passenger contingent was killed. Even though far fewer people were said to be onboard the Yak 42 involved in this crash, this particular aircraft type can accommodate well over 100 people. Just two months ago, another Russian airliner crash produced 44 fatalities.

Aware of the elderly status of much of the country's commercial aircraft fleet, Medvedev has previously pledged to replace its aviation relics with much more up to date designs.

By: Progress On 00:13

Continue Reading

BagMessage: Real-Time Passenger Luggage Tracking

 

A pair of IT firms is working in partnership to deliver a new concept in baggage handling to the global airport arena.

Together, Amadeus and SITA are advancing a technique that could be introduced in early 2012. Once activated, it would give airline passengers the power to check the location of their luggage, in real time, no matter where its location.

Passengers equipped with handheld devices, including smartphones, would be able to use a hi-tech tagging system that follows the journey of luggage across the world. That simply means that, from the moment a bag leaves a passenger's possession, to the moment it's picked up again at the other end, it can be pursued through technology - a facility that's never before been directly available to travellers.
Passenger Luggage Tracking

According to Amadeus, once in place, the passenger luggage tracking system has the potential to seriously bring down the number of suitcases and bags lost or misplaced across the airline industry each year. That total, in 2010, ran to 29 million.

No less than 54 airports are set to receive the tracking system, known as BagMessage. Airports and airliners already have access to it but it's currently off-limits to passengers themselves.

"In the future, passengers will get real-time updates on their luggage when SITA's technology is used", a representative for SITA explained.
BagMessage: Real-Time Tracking System

"The airport itself is one of the last frontiers in delivering the ‘total trip experience'. If airlines are to overcome this challenge, it is important that they address the issue of mishandled baggage, which is a persistent problem for the industry and a very disruptive issue for passengers", Amadeus Airline IT's Vice President, Julia Sattel, said in a statement on the BagMessage real-time tracking system.

"In fact it's an area where technology can make a real difference, and Amadeus' and SITA's vision for the airport is to deliver solutions based on collaboration and data sharing between all relevant parties, including airlines, airports and ground handlers. Our work with SITA shows how sophisticated technology can deliver real improvements to the passenger experience."

By: Progress On 00:12

Continue Reading

Wise words from a wise man

Dear Perpetual Traveller Overseas readers

We would like to share with you the wise words of Felipe Cubillos who sadly died last Friday when his fateful plane to Juan Fernandez Island (Chile) crashed killing him and another 20 passengers. The purpose of his journey was to monitor the status of the rebuilding work being carried out in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. In particular the rebuilding work focused on all the little countryside schools destroyed and to empower fishermen to work again. Felipe Cubillos was truly a remarkable man that left aside successful businesses in his personal quest to help the most needed.

What I learned in the regatta around the world
By Felipe Cubillos

1. About your children, they are definitely not yours, just love them and try to educate them by example, if you can transfer them to seek their own dreams, not yours. Do not expect them to thank you for all that you do for them, their gratitude will come many years later, perhaps after you become a grandfather. But if in the meantime, they get to say they are proud to be your son/daughter, consider yourself highly rewarded. And if any of them should die before you do, at least you will have the comfort that you told them many times how much you love them.
2. About your parents, never stop thanking them the fact that they brought to this wonderful world and gave you the chance to live, just that, life!
3. About the sea, the wind and nature, admire it and cherish it, it is unique and we have no other. And the sea and wind, never try to defeat them or challenge them. They have everything to win. If you want to be a sailor, get used to live in permanent crisis.
4. About the limits, they do not exist or are far beyond what you think. How much further? That is the question, you have to take you to the end and then find out.
5. About the talent, is useless if not accompanied by determination, planning, discipline and perseverance. Talent is ephemeral, determination, eternal.
6. About love, thank the Universe if you wake up each morning with a kiss and a smile. And do as bees and butterflies, they do not look for cutest flower in the garden, but the one that has the highest content.
7. About the society, help those who are equally or more capable than you, but have not had the same opportunities than you. They are the most forgotten of society as society always help to those who ask for it, but I'm referring to those who do not seek help, that just need a chance. I still dream about a more fair and human society.
8. About Leadership, I miss in today's world those leaders who did what to do and told what to say, without expecting immediate results in the polls. I refer to those who marked a path, not following the masses.
9. About the wealth, once you have covered your cash flow, try to buy more time than money, more freedom than slavery.
10. About the anguish and bitterness, when you think something is not possible and problems overwhelm you, that you are not capable, take the time to see the stars and wait up for the dawn, you'll find that there always comes the sun, always!
11. About the winning, if you want to succeed you must be willing to fail a thousand times and willing to lose everything you've got. And do not be afraid to lose everything, because if you've earned it, for sure you'll get it back far exceeded.
12. About the present, live intensely, is the only moment that really matters, those who live clinging to the past are already dead and those dreaming about the future, yet unborn.
13. About the success and failure, acknowledge them as two impostors, but especially learn from failure, your own and from others, there's too much knowledge not generally used.
14. About friends, choose those that are with you when you're on the ground because when you are in the glory, you'll be overrun.
15. About the team, encourage them through tough times and never let one abandon you for making a mistake, that is the most important one.
16. About your country, love the land that saw you at birth, work for making it a better place for everyone and walk proudly your flag, whatever it is (whether are good or bad at soccer).
17. About effort, do not ever give up, do not believe that when something is taking too much is because it should, is simply that the universe is testing you on whether or not you're worthy of success.
18. About the fear, do not fear it, it's a great teammate, but do not be paralized by it and don't be afraid to be considered crazy or ridiculous, history teaches us that great lessons and tremendous discoveries are the product of those moments.
19. About God and heaven, I think if we act doing good, we may be on the waiting list if heaven exists and if not, we would have had our own heaven on earth.I did not found God only in the South Sea, in the clouds, storms, the waves, or the finish line or the start, but also that he was always with us, inside, deep inside us.
20. When in doubt of what to do, ask yourself what is your Cape Horn, arm yourself with a small backpack to carry just enough to survive and begin to walk. And be sure to look at the sky, then discover the albatross that will teach you to take off and fly free of effort. You will realize you do not need to fly in a flock.
21. Never, ever give up your dreams, pursue them passionately and does not matter if you do not succeed, the trip alone will be worth living, hopefully the dream you pursue is the impossible dream.
22. If you're fortunate one day to compete with rivals as big as those we had to face in this regatta, honor them, admire them, but give all you have to defeat them fair and square, they deserve it.
23. If in the day of my death I am given the choice to be reborn, I choose to be an Albatross and fly the South Sea to watch the intrepid sailors who risk their lives and leave everything searching for their dreams, the impossible dream.
24. And never take too seriously a sailor who is completing a world tour. He only knows how to sail a little better, nothing else!

By: Progress On 05:18

Continue Reading

U.S. Issues Travel Alert for 9/11 Anniversary

On September 2nd, the U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs issued the following Travel Alert to inform U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad of the continued threat posed by al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
9-11 Anniversary
September 02, 2011

As we mark the 10th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Department of State informs U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad of the continued threat posed by al-Qa'ida and its affiliates. While we have not identified any specific threats from al-Qa'ida affiliates and allies to attack the United States or our interests on the 9/11 anniversary, U.S. citizens should be aware that al-Qa'ida affiliates and allies have demonstrated the intent and capability to carry out attacks against the United States and our interests around the world. In the past, terrorist organizations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar. This Worldwide Travel Alert supplements the July 26, 2011, Worldwide Caution, and expires on January 2, 2012.

Source: planetdata.net

By: Progress On 05:09

Continue Reading