Germans mark fall of wall, Palestinians lament 'apartheid' wallIsrael's wall remains 20 years after Berlin Wall
Local and international peace activists stand on a concrete block of Israel's controversial wall
DUBAI (Al Arabiya)
As Germany marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Palestinians lamented the rise of Israel's "apartheid" wall by breaching the concrete barrier on Monday near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Some 100 protestors, waving Palestinian flags, broke through near the Qalandiya military checkpoint and set fire to tires as Israeli forces opened fire, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported. The protesters were said to be wearing fluorescent jackets that read "We are going to Jerusalem" in a bid to get the worlds attention about the hypocrisy of celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall when Israel still kept its wall around the Palestinian people.
The images of Palestinians breaching the wall were almost identical of the images of the historic night when East Berliners trapped behind the 3.6 meter (12 feet) high concrete barrier rushed checkpoints to force it open, which have dominated German television and newspaper coverage for the past week.In Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the courage of East Germans as leaders converged on the German capital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of an event which marked the end of the Cold War."The night of Nov. 9, 1989 was the fulfillment of a dream," Merkel said in a speech in Berlin. "Many played a role. But it would not have been possible without the courage of the people in the former East Germany."Perhaps the Palestinian people should take a page out of the German people's book.
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Saudis say pick up communications in Farsi among rebelsYemen rebels post alleged Saudi prisoner video
The military identity card posted by the Houthi rebels
DUBAI (Al Arabiya)
Yemeni rebels on Monday posted footage of a man they identified as one of several Saudi soldiers in their custody as Riyadh continued its offensive against the Shiite insurgents.Saudi Arabia launched air strikes on the northern Yemeni rebels last week after they crossed the border and said they had seized an area called Jabal al-Dukhan. On Friday, the rebels said they had captured several Saudi soldiers.The video showed a man in military uniform with facial wounds and an apparent leg injury receiving medical attention. It identified him as Staff Sergeant Ahmad Abdullah al-Omari.
They also posted a picture of a military identity card carrying Omari's name but the photograph alongside it showed little resemblance to the man in the video.Saudi Arabia has said four soldiers were missing, but denied they had been taken prisoner. The rebels have not said how many soldiers are in their hands.
Important documents
In the meantime, one of the Saudi soldiers reported missing returned to the kingdom on Monday with important maps and other military documents.The Saudi forces said they have also reported picking up communications in Farsi language among the rebels.The kingdom said on Sunday it had regained control of territory seized by the rebels.The world's top oil exporter has become increasingly anxious about instability in Yemen, which, as well as the Shiite insurgency in the north, faces separatist sentiment in the south and a growing threat from resurgent al-Qaeda fighters.In the past few weeks Houthi rebels have accused Saudi Arabia of allowing Yemeni forces to use its territory as a base to launch attacks against them, but the kingdom has denied the allegation. The rebels, referred to as Houthis after the clan of their leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, first took up arms against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's government in 2004, citing political, economic and religious marginalization by the Western-backed administration.The conflict intensified in August when Yemen's army launched Operation Scorched Earth to crush the rebels.Aid groups, which have been given limited access to the northern provinces, say up to 150,000 people have fled their homes since 2004

King Abdullah to Israel: Don't play with fire
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:28:28 GMT
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Jordan's King Abdullah
Last month, Jordan warned that the provocative Israeli acts in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound could "fuel violence in the region and jeopardize peace efforts." "Any further provocative attempts by Israeli troops and Jewish extremists, such as what happened today in the shrine's compound, represents a flagrant violation of international law and conventions and sets the stage for more tension and acts of violence," said Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil Sharif, in a statement. Hamas Political Leader Khalid Meshaal said in October that Israel plans to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque in an effort to build a new temple in its place. Under a 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Tel Aviv, Israel acknowledged Amman's right to be in control of all matters relating to the historical compound

Obama: US military presence serves Japan
Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:03:17 GMT
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The US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base is located in the populated city of Ginowan.
US President Barack Obama, who is due to travel to Japan this week, says the presence of US military bases in the country is in the interest of the nation. Obama said he thinks the new center-left government in Japan will continue with a 2006 military deal with the US after reviewing the agreement. "I'm confident that once the review is completed they will conclude that the alliance that we have … serves the interests of Japan and that they will continue," Obama said Tuesday. Under the 2006 accord, the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base would be closed, but its air operations moved to an alternative site to be built on the southern island of Okinawa by 2014 in the coastal Camp Schwab area. The US leader, however, accepted that the new government wanted to review aspects of their security alliance. "I think that it is perfectly appropriate for the new government to want to reexamine how to move forward in a new environment," Obama said in an interview with broadcaster NHK. Tokyo and Washington have been at loggerheads with each other over the presence of US military forces in the country after the new Japanese government took power in September. Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama who has pledged a less subservient relationship with the US says his government may want the base moved off the island or even out of the country. Washington has about 47,000 troops based in Japan, more than half of them on Okinawa. Local residents have been angered by crimes committed by US service personnel as well as the risk of accidents. In 1995, rape of a schoolgirl by three US servicemen infuriated residents of Okinawa. Demands to close the base on safety grounds grew when a US helicopter crashed in the grounds of a local university in 2004. Last Sunday, some 21,000 Okinawan residents protested against the presence of the US military base.

Cultivating For Hajj

By Riad Mustafa

More than 20,000 Russian Muslims will go on hajj this year. MOSCOW — Russian farmer Ibrahim Mouradov can’t wait to fly for the soul-searching journey of hajj. “This is my third time to go on hajj,” the 68-year-old told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, November 7. He is preparing to go with his wife to the holy lands in Saudi Arabia for the spiritual trip. “We farm and sell our produce to collect money for hajj.” More than 20,000 Russian Muslims will go on hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, this year. The first batch of the Russian pilgrims left for Saudi Arabia on November 4. Virtual Hajj on IslamOnline.net Hajj: Types and Rulings Hajj: Getting Prepared (Folder) Russian preparations are in full swing for the soul-searching journey. “Religious authorities have begun giving lessons to the pilgrims about hajj ahead of their travel to the holy lands,” said Roshan Abassov of the Religious Board of Muslims in European part of Russia. He said the Board is also cooperating with travel agencies to provide religious guides for the pilgrims. “We are coordinating with the agencies to provide a group of religious guides to help the pilgrims perform the ritual.” Every able-bodied adult Muslim -- who can financially afford the trip -- must perform hajj once in their lifetime. Around three million pilgrims from over 160 countries are expected to perform hajj this year, which is expected to climax on November 26, when the faithful descend the Mount `Arafat. Dream Comes True The elder Muslim recalls his first time he went on the spiritual journey. “Hajj was a far-fetching dream,” Mouradov said. “I had never imagined that I would be able one day to visit this holy place as the Communists have deprived us from everything, even prayers.” Muslims suffered repression under the Soviet Union, which banned the visible practice of all religions. Under the Soviet rule, a few number of Muslims were able to get their hajj dream fulfilled. “But now the dream has come true,” said Mouradov. Islam is in a state of revival in Russia after years of suppression. There are nearly 4,000 mosques in the country. Muslim halal food and Islamic dresses have emerged in the capital Moscow, which saw earlier this month the opening of the first Muslim hospital in federal Russia. The government has also set up a $60 million fund to support Islamic culture, science and education, part of which is designated for state-accredited Muslim schools and universities. Russia has a sizable Muslim minority of around 23 million people representing roughly 15 percent of its 145 million population. Islam is Russia's second-largest religion

US Muslims Condemn Fort Hood Attack, Fear Backlash

By Dina Rabie, IOL Staff

“We make it clearly that the American Muslim community condemns the attack in the strongest possible words,” Awad asserted. WASHIGTON – American Muslims were united Friday, Friday, November 6, in condemning an attack at a US military base as indiscriminate violence unjustified by any religious or political ideology, fearing a backlash over the incident. “We make it clearly that the American Muslim community condemns the attack in the strongest possible words,” Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American Muslim Relations (CAIR), told IslamOnline.net. "No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence.” Deadliest Attack on US Bases (Timeline) Some 13 people were killed and 30 wounded late Thursday in Fort Hood military base in Texas when army psychiatrist, Major Nidal M. Hasan, opened fire at fellow soldiers. “The incident is horrific,” said imam Shaker Elsayyed, of Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia. “This is a very unfortunate incident and we feel it is very sad that it took the lives of those who protect us and our country,” added Khaled Iqbal, deputy director of ADAMS Islamic center in Virginia. Hasan, who was born in the US to Palestinian parents, was shot and taken into custody after the attack. During his army service, he counseled many US soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder. Having counseled the traumatized soldiers, Hasan, who was to be deployed to Iraq this month, knew all too well the terrifying realities of the war. “We are deeply shocked of the random killing of service people and civilians who protect us and our country and we are sending our condolences to all families of the victims,” said Ibrahim Ramey of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation. “We think it is tragic and we condemn it. There is nothing in Islam that tolerates violence.” Backlash “We ask the government to stand vigilant and protect the community,” called Ramey. Fearing a backlash, Muslim leaders warn that the attack should not be used to target the Muslim community. “We reject the idea that this incident is motivated by a terrorist ideology of a religious community, which is Islam,” asserted Ramey. He fears that there would be a possible backlash reaction for the incident and the Muslim community will bear the brunt of it. “We are deeply concerned about that. We ask the government to stand vigilant and protect the community.” The anti-Muslim reaction for the Fort Hood rampage emerged fast in Texas. "Jihad at Fort Hood?" read the headline of a post on the Jihad Watch blog, just moments after Hasan was identified as the perpetrator of the attack. The Arab-American Institute said it received one threatening call from an unidentified male, shortly after reports of the incident surfaced, and the group, which condemned the attack, said it was expecting more. CAIR scheduled a Capitol Hill news conference Thursday night to urge calm and said it would be announcing publicly any threats they receive as they occurred - in hopes of dissuading people from making them in the first place. “We are urging the community leaders to take extra precautions to protect their families and institutions from a possible backlash,” Awad, CAIR Executive Director, said. American Muslims, estimated at between six to seven million, have been in the eye of storm since the 9/11 attacks, having their faith widely stereotyped and their civil rights eroded by anti-terror laws. “We are also calling for calm and unity,” Award urged. “We urge national political and leaders and media professionals to help setting that tone in a time of crisis.

Islamic Banks Weather Global Crisis

"A conservative approach to risk and close links between the financial sector and real assets has helped shield the (Islamic) sector from the worst of the credit crisis," Caplen said. (Google) LONDON — Thanks to its ethical low-risk approach, Islamic banks have managed to weather the global financial crisis, achieving high growth rates in 2009, a new study has found. "A conservative approach to risk and close links between the financial sector and real assets has helped shield the sector from the worst of the credit crisis," Brian Caplen, editor of the Banker Magazine, said in the study cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP). The study, commissioned by the London-based magazine and a unit of HSBC Bank, said Islamic finance institutions have overcome the crisis that harshly hit conventional banks. A financial firestorm swept the US and the world in September 2008, after the demise of Lehman Brothers, one of the Wall Street giants. It has knocked down many major companies worldwide, causing mounting job losses, falling household wealth and forcing consumers to hold back on spending. The study attributes success of the Islamic banks to rules that forbid investing in collateralized debt obligations and other toxic assets that caused the financial crisis. The rules of Islamic banking and finance read like a how-to guide on avoiding the kind of disaster that is currently gripping world markets. Islam forbids Muslims from usury, receiving or paying interest on loans. Transactions by Islamic banks must be backed by real assets -- not shady repackaged subprime mortgages. Shari`ah-compliant financing deals resemble lease-to-own arrangements, layaway plans, joint purchase and sale agreements, or partnerships. Investors have a right to know how their funds are being used, and the sector is overseen by dedicated supervisory boards as well as the usual national regulatory authorities. Booming Due to its safety, the Islamic finance industry is building a “solid track record," on the global market, the study says. “At the moment there is a great demand for capital guaranteed or capital secured products," David Dew, Deputy CEO of HSBC Amanah, told Reuters. The study notes that assets held by Shari`ah-compliant banks or the Islamic units of conventional banks rose by 28.6 percent to 822 billion dollars in 2009, up from 639 billion dollars in 2008. This contrasts sharply with the stagnation in the conventional banking sector. A Banker's survey of the top 1,000 world banks published in July showed annual asset growth of just 6.8 percent. Islamic finance is one of the fastest growing sectors in the global financial industry. Starting almost three decades ago, the Islamic banking industry has made substantial growth and attracted the attention of investors and bankers across the world. A long list of international institutions, including Citigroup, HSBC and Deutsche Bank, are going into the Islamic banking business. Currently, there are nearly 300 Islamic banks and financial institutions worldwide whose assets are predicted to grow to $1 trillion by 2013

Deadliest Attack on US Bases (Timeline)

The attack on Fort Hood in Texas is the deadliest mass shooting at a US military base in modern history. SAN ANTONIO, Texas – An attack that killed 13 people and wounded 31 in Fort Hood in Texas appears to be the deadliest mass shooting at a US military base in modern history. In May, a US Army soldier was arrested after a shooting spree at Camp Liberty in the Iraqi capital Baghdad that killed five people and wounded three more. That attack occurred at a clinic for soldiers suffering from war-related stress. In 2005, a US Army sergeant was charged with premeditated murder in the deaths of two US officers who were killed in an explosion at their base near Tikrit. And in March 2003, just days after US troops poured over the border into Iraq, an American soldier was detained after grenades thrown into three tents exploded at a US base in Kuwait, killing one soldier and wounding another 13. Fatal attacks on military bases in the United States are rare. In May, 2007 five militants were arrested by the FBI after a 16-month sting operation and eventually found guilty of plotting to kill "as many soldiers as possible" at the Fort Dix army base in New Jersey. The Fort Hood shooting is among the deadliest in the United States, but other mass shootings in Texas have also made the list. In 1966, a student went on rampage, killing 14 people from the observation deck of a tower on the campus of the University of Texas, Austin before he himself was shot dead by police. In 1991, in what was then the nation's worst mass shooting on record, a gunman drove his pickup truck into a crowded cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, the city adjacent to Fort Hood, and began firing indiscriminately, killing 22 people before he himself was found dead.

Fort Hood Tragedy... Muslim Soldiers Speak Out

By Dilshad D. Ali, D. IOL Correspondent

More than 20,000 Muslims are estimated to be serving in America's 1.4 million-strong armed forces. (Google photo) WASHINGTON – Several Muslims who have served or are currently serving in the military say the tragic deaths of 13 soldiers in Fort Hood, Texas, at the hands of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is an individual action that does not represent them, insisting that Muslims remain an integral part of the US military. "There’s nothing we [in the military] can do about it," Robert Salaam, a former Marine who reverted to Islam after 9/11, told IslamOnline.net. "What Maj. Hasan did does not represent us," he told IOL confidently. Some 13 people were killed and 30 wounded late Thursday in Fort Hood military base when Major Hasan, an army psychiatrist, opened fire at fellow soldiers. Hasan, who was born in the US to Palestinian parents, was shot and taken into custody after the attack. James Booth, a 26-year-old private serving his first tour in Iraq, was shocked and horrified by suspect Maj. Hasan’s shooting spree in Fort Hood. He said the news spread fast amongst the soldiers stationed all around Iraq. As he vehemently condemns the shooting, Jameel Malik, a lance corporal in the Marine Corps currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, says Muslims must stop being apologetic. "Why should we apologize for something someone else did that does not represent Muslims in any way?" he told IOL. There is no official count of Muslims serving in the 1.4 million-strong US armed forces because recruits are not required to state their religion. But according to the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affair Council, there are more than 20,000 Muslims serving in the military. Feared Backlash Qaseem Ali Uqdah, a 21-year Marine Corps veteran and a chaplain in the Air Force, says the tragedy must be treated as a criminal one. Uqdah, who now heads AMAFVAC, is worried about a "witch hunt" following the Fort Hood killings. Salaam, the former Marine, also fears many would not disassociate Maj. Hasan’s criminal actions from his faith. "Starting today, it’s going to be hard," he believes. Though his experience when serving in the army was positive and though he believes that Muslim service members are a vital and loyal part of the military, Salaam fears the tragedy will cause problems of public perception. "When I was serving, there were isolated incidents of people making offensive comments, but they were swiftly reprimanded," he recalls. "But when something like this happens, it’s hard to explain to people outside of the military that one man’s twisted motives do not speak for the thousands of Muslims serving their country. "In the Marine Corp we say ‘God, Country, Corp.’ Those are concepts very synonymous with Islam. And when something like this happens, it’s like a major setback in [public] relations, because [people think] that we can’t even trust those who have given an oath to his country." Booth, who converted to Islam six months after joining the army and is serving in Iraq, does not share the fears of violence and a backlash. "I am confident that my brothers and sisters in the army will react calmly and rationally to this terrible incident." He says the army has always been respectful of his faith. Initially, he admitted, he was nervous to let on that he was Muslim. "I would say I was going to the restroom when it was time for me to pray to avoid being detected," he told IOL. "Eventually I got tired of that and just told [my unit] that I was Muslim. Other than a few curious questions at first, I am treated just like everybody else." Malik, a 22-year-old who joined the Marines in 2007, said people don’t realize that the diversity amongst Marines and other service members holds them together. "In the words of Colonel Douglas Burpee (a high-ranking Marine), ‘In the era of the war on terror, the example of a devout Muslim serving in the American Military is a heartening sign that highlights the difference between America and its self-appointed enemies in this conflict.'" Proud Americans Muslims in the military say that the record of the thousands of Muslim-American soldiers who have sacrificed in the service of their country is proof enough that they are a vital part of the military. Salaam, the former marines, insists that Muslim and non-Muslim soldiers have no problems with each other. "It’s the political climate that drives the ‘Muslims in the military problem,'" he contends. "If it was a problem, we wouldn’t see Muslim centers at military bases around the countries. We wouldn’t see Marines in their dress blues coming for Jummah prayers," added Salaam. "You can be religious and serve your country. Maj. Hasan’s actions should not eclipse all the good done by Muslims in the military." Reacting to attempts by conservative politicians to take the Fort Hood killings and extrapolate it to suggest Muslims shouldn’t be welcome in the military, Malik, the Marines corporal, says such politicians are simply uneducated about the true teachings of Islam. "I would say to them the next time you hear about ‘Islamic terrorists ready to destroy America,’ be sure to recognize two things," he said confidently. "First that those terrorists have as much to do with Islam as the Klu Klux Klan had to do with Christ (peace be upon him). "Second, recognize that you have an even more powerful military, one that also comprises of Muslims ready to defend America with everything they have, including their very lives.

Deadly Saudi-Yemen border clashes

Saudi forces say they have carried out operations against Houthi fighters who crossed the border [AFP] Seven Saudis and an unknown number of Houthi fighters have been killed as Saudi forces battle Yemen rebels for the fifth straight day, medics have said. Saudi commanders said troops were shelling suspected Houthi positions on Saturday and plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the Jebel al-Dukhan peak that marks the frontier near the border town of Al-Khubah. A medical official said seven Saudis, four of them women civilians, had been killed and 126 people wounded since the fighting erupted. The Houthis claimed that they captured a number of Saudi soldiers on Friday. Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a spokesman for the Houthis, told Al Jazeera that the men were seized after Saudi ground forces crossed into Yemeni territory. "We will carry out interviews with them ... they will be treated with respect," he said. Abdel-Salam urged Riyadh to end the "unjust Saudi aggression" and to stop Yemeni forces from using bases inside Saudi territory to attack the Houthis. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the claim, but has previously said that its operations against the Yemeni fighters have been limited to air raids and artillery strikes. The Yemeni government accuses the Houthis of seeking to restore an imamate overthrown in a 1962 coup that sparked eight years of civil war. The Houthis insist they are fighting to defend their community against government aggression and marginalisation. Focused on infiltrators The Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday that the kingdom's attacks were "focused on infiltrators in Jebel al-Dukhan and other targets within the range of operations within Saudi territory". In depth Video: Interview with Yemen's president Foreign states blamed in Yemen war Profile: Yemen's Houthi fighters Inside story: Yemen's future "The entry of the gunmen to Saudi territory, the aggression against border patrols ... and presence on Saudi soil is a violation of sovereignty that gives the kingdom every right to take all measures to end this illegitimate presence," it said, citing an official source. Saudi government officials said on Thursday that at least 40 Houthi fighters had been killed as Saudi forces recaptured an area close to the border which had been seized by the Yemeni group. At least one member of the Saudi security forces was killed and 11 others injured as the Houthis crossed the border. A government adviser in Riyadh told the AFP news agency on Thursday that there had also been air raids in Yemen, but the government in Sanaa denied that Saudi fighter jets had crossed in its territory. Saudi Arabia, which the Houthis accuse of providing support to Yemen's military, has become increasingly concerned about the violence along its southern border since it flared up in August. There have been claims that Iran, the predominantly Shia rival of Saudi Arabia for power in the region, has been providing assistance to the Houthis. Sanaa said on October 28 that it had arrested five Iranians on a boat loaded with weapons allegedly destined for the Houthis. But the group denies receiving any help from Tehran, which has offered to mediate in the conflict. Houthi denial Abdul al-Malik al-Houthi, the Houthis' leader, told Al Jazeera that there was no way for Iran to get weapons to his men in the far north of Yemen. "Weapons are largely available in Yemen," he said. He said his fighters had also seized a lot of arms from the Yemeni army, including those taken from captured security posts. Al-Houthi said his group had no ambitions to target territory in Saudi Arabia. "Saudi Arabia has always co-operated with Yemen, but this co-operation has now taken a new shape," he said. Hundreds of people have died in northern Yemen since the country's army began its offensive against the Houthis on August 11. The fighters, concentrated mainly in the Saada and Amran provinces, are known as Houthis after their late leader, Abdul-Malek's brother Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi, a Zaidi leader who was killed by the Yemeni army in September 2004. An offshoot of Shia Islam, the Zaidis are a minority in a predominantly Sunni Arabian peninsula but form the majority in northern Yemen. Only a small minority of Zaidis are involved in the Houthi uprising

Kabul rejects 'foreign criticism'

Karzai's re-election was marred by fraud and his main rival's decision to pull out of a planned runoff [EPA] The Afghan government has rejected foreign criticisms of Hamid Karzai, with the re-elected president saying that they "violated national sovereignty". International figures, including the US president and the British prime minister, have called on Afghanistan to take concrete steps to clean up the government after the presidential poll was marred by fraud. "Over the last few days some political and diplomatic circles and propaganda agencies of certain foreign countries have intervened in Afghanistan's internal affairs by issuing instructions concerning the composition of Afghan government organs and political policy of Afghanistan,'' the foreign ministry statement said on Saturday. "Such instructions have violated respect for Afghanistan's national sovereignty." International leaders and the UN have acknowledged Karzai's victory in the polls, but they have issued stiff warnings that corruption must be tackled in order to ensure continuing support. 'Tough statement' Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Kabul, said that the foreign ministry statement was "very tough". "Among diplomatic circles there seems to be some very undiplomatic language right now," he said. In video Watch Al Jazeera's interview with David Miliband, UK foreign minister "The response [from diplomatic missions] is that they are very surprised by this language ... one high-level official pointed out that much of the Afghan government is being paid by the international community and there are international troops out there fighting to keep this government in power." Karzai was only returned for a second term after Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival, withdrew from a planned second round runoff when his demands for major changes to the heavily criticised election commission were dismissed. After the Security Council held a closed-door session on Afghanistan on Friday, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, cautioned that the political situation in the country remained "delicate". "Clearly, the recent elections were seriously flawed," he said. Corruption complaints Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, said that the government had become a "byword for corruption" and challenged Karzai to meet the five key tests of security, good governance, reconciliation, economic development and regional relations. In depth Your views: What now for Afghan democracy? Video: Abdullah pulls out Blogs: John Terret on Obama's call to congratulate and cajole Karzai Blogs: James Bays on what next for Afghanistan Video: Afghans dismiss runoff vote Inside Story: The election runoff The corruption monitoring group Transparency International rates Afghanistan as the world's fifth-most corrupt country. The Afghan foreign ministry was particularly angry about comments made by Kai Eide, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, who it said "exceeded international norms and his authority as a representative of an impartial organisation". Eide said on Thursday that the government should not assume that it would keep the backing of international donors and troops if it does not address the widespread perception of corruption and continues to welcome regional commanders into the administration. "We can't afford any longer a situation where warlords and power brokers play their own games," Eide said. "We have to have a political landscape here that draws the country in the same direction, which is in the direction of significant reform." 'Action needed' Aleem Siddique, the UN spokesman in Kabul, told Al Jazeera that Eide would not apologise for his remarks. "There is a need to tackle corruption - this is what the what the Afghan people expect, this is what the international community expects," he said. "We need to see firm concerted action to tackle these issues if we are to move forward." In a speech after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, Karzai pledged to combat corruption and work with his former opponents to ensure all Afghans views are taken into account. Commenting on the speech, David Miliband, Britain's foreign minister, told Al Jazeera: "He spoke very clearly about national unity, tackling corruption, building up security forces of his own, not relying on foreign, about reaching out to his neighbours, notably Pakistan, and also about bringing the insurgency back into the political system. "He said many things that people wanted to hear from him. Now we need to see them in practice."

Youth lured to fight in Somalia

Somalis living in northern Kenya have accused the government in Nairobi of secretly recruiting and training youths from the region as soldiers to go to fight for the transitional Somali government against al-Shabaab fighters. Local leaders have said that in the last three weeks alone, at least 200 Kenyans of Somali origin have been recruited in the town of Garissa. The recruitment drive has also been accused of operating in other towns and the refugee camps in Dabaab. Habiba Kosar, one of numerous parents in northeastern Kenya raising the alarm, said her 18-year-old son, Mohammed, was recruited and is being trained as a soldier at a Kenyan government security facility. "My son was picked in the middle of the night. He is being trained for Somalia. We have never seen Somalia and have no connection with the country. I just want my son back," she said. Government officials and local leaders have been petitioned by parents in eastern Kenya for the return of their children. Government denials Both the Kenyan and transitional Somali governments deny any involvement. The Kenyan defence ministry told Al Jazeera the accusations of recruitment were false. "This is cheap propaganda disseminated by some militia groups in Somalia," a spokesperson said. Habiba Kosar said her son was taken in the middle of the night "What I am aware of is that the Kenya government and, by extension the Kenya police, has been, and will continue to be, training Somali youths to serve as policemen in their country." But Mohammed Gabow, the mayor of Garissa town, said: "It's very sad for the Kenyan government to take advantage of the joblessness of our youth and recruit them to fight in a conflict in another country. "It's also disappointing that the same government is denying knowledge of this illegal exercise." Kenyan authorities are being accused of directly supporting the recruitment drive, which has already processed hundreds of Kenyan citizens of Somali origin. Kenyan security officials have been engaged in the recruitment and transportation of the youths, critics of the programme say. Sharmarke Abdi, one recruited Kenyan youth, said he escaped after two weeks of training alongside hundreds of youths from both Kenya and Somalia. "We were told that the United Nations was supporting the recruitment. We were transported in government vehicles. We began training immediately. Some of the trainers were from Somalia," he said. 'Money and jobs' Mohammed Adow, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Garissa, said: "Those recruiting the young men are said to have lured them with money and promises of steady jobs." Human Rights Watch said the recruits were promised up to $600 for military training and then a monthly salary after deployment in Somalia. Mohamed Sheikh Nor, a journalist based in Mogadishu, told Al Jazeera: "The Somali president recently denied that his government had done any recruiting across the country. "The information minister of Somalia also [issued a denial]. But the commander of the government forces, General Yussuf Dhumal, told reporters in Mogadishu that Somalia and Kenya are co-operating in recruiting potential soldiers for the Somalia government in Kenya's northeastern region, contradicting earlier denials." Our correspondent said the recruitment issue has also raised questions of identity in the region. As Gabow told Al Jazeera: "We are not part of Somalia and the Kenyan government treats us as second-class citizens. It's a dilemma."

US jobless rate hits 26-year high

Unemployment rate topped 10 per cent in October despite fewer cuts in positions by employers [EPA] The latest official data shows that the unemployment rate in the United States touched 10.2 per cent in October, the highest since 1983. Labour department figures released on Friday revealed that nearly 16 million Americans were unable to find jobs and that employers had cut 190,000 positions last month, down from 219,000 in September. Barach Obama, the US president, cautioned that difficult economic challenges lay ahead. "Although we lost fewer jobs than we did last month, our unemployment rate climbed to over 10 per cent - a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead," he said on Friday. He signed signed an extension to unemployment benefit entitlements that will enable claimants to get up to 20 extra weeks' payments. Christina Romer, the chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said the jump in unemployment from 9.8 per cent in September reflects the typical lag shown by the labour market as growth picks up. "Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labour market weakness," she said in a statement. The largest job losses over the month were in construction, manufacturing, and retail trade. Well-worn path Max Fraad Wolff, an economics professor at New School University in New York, said Obama's news conference was "more or less travelling down the same well-worn path, with the possible exception of one good piece of news" - the 20-week extension in unemployment benefits. "Behind those headline numbers, which are pretty shocking and upsetting in of themselves, is the fact that a little more than 35 per cent of the unemployed in America have been unemployed for six months or more and they are beginning to run out of their unemployment benefits," he told Al Jazeera. California crisis Video: Elderly hit hard by healthcare cuts Video: Hard times fall on America's Golden State "President Obama has signed an extension to those benefits today." While the official US unemployed rate has gone into double digits, Wolff said that the real jobless rate was even higher. "We get a number called U3 from the Bureau of Labour Statistics - that is the official unemployment level. The real unemployment level is more like something called U6 - and that stands at 17.5 per cent," he said. "These are massive unemployment figures ... they tell us that no neighbourhood, no sector, no town, no community does not face the weight or feel the sorrow of unemployment." Tom Bemis of Marketwatch.com in London, told Al Jazeera that the US economy had grown in the last quarter and that the US productivity rate "shot up quite a bit". "That's typical when you're trying to come out of the end of a recession as it is hoped now," he said. Long-term unemployed Bemis said the problem is that the long-term unemployed, those who have been out of a job for more than six months, continues to grow and it is up past 5.5 million now. "If those people remain unemployed for a long time, their ability to consume is impaired and the ability to kickstart the US economy is in serious question," he said. Commenting on the October figures, Robert MacIntosh, an economist at Eaton Vance, said: "The employment numbers themselves when you look at the revisions weren't all that bad, but the headline of 10 per cent was huge psychologically." MacIntosh said that if current trends continue, the economy could see job gains in January or February but that unemployment may rise with labour force and population growth.

Troops' mental health in spotlight

After an army psychiatrist killed 13 people at a US military base in Texas, concerns are being raised about the mental health of the military staff. Families of soldiers at the Fort Hood base say Thursday's shootings are just a symptom of a much wider and increasingly urgent problem. There have been dozens of suicides at the facility in recent years. Sebastian Walker reports from Fort Hood.

"America made him what he is": Hamad US army gunman's act "impossible": grandfather

Men and women share baked goods outside U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan's mosque (File)

Al-Bireh, WEST BANK (Reuters)

The grandfather of a U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of shooting dead 13 people and wounding 30 others at a base in Texas said on Saturday he found it impossible to believe his grandson had committed the act.

"He is a doctor and loves the U.S." Ismail Mustafa Hamad told Reuters in an interview at his home in the Palestinian town of al-Bireh. "America made him what he is."

	Whether he became angry or something else, I don't know... What I do know is that it is impossible that he would do something like that
Ismail Mustafa Hamad

U.S.-born Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, a Muslim and the son of immigrant parents, was shot during the attack and is being held at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

"Whether he became angry or something else, I don't know... What I do know is that it is impossible that he would do something like that," Hamad, 88, said.

Hasan, who had spent years counseling wounded soldiers, many of whom had lost limbs fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, last visited him in the occupied West Bank some 10 years ago. Hamad said he had since visited his grandson in the United States.

Hamad appeared to rule out a political motive.

"He used to come to my house, to stay with me and entertain me. He never took an interest in politics and he didn't even like watching television," Hamad said.

Colonel John Rossi, a spokesman at the Fort Hood army base, the biggest military facility in the world, said Hasan was unconscious but in stable condition.

The gunman, with two guns including a semi-automatic weapon, opened fire apparently without warning at Fort Hood base, where troops were getting medical checkups before leaving for foreign deployments.

Hasan was transferred to Fort Hood in April and was to have been deployed to Afghanistan, where the U.S. military is fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Hasan's cousin, Nader Hasan, said in interviews that he had agitated not to be sent overseas. "We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," he said.

	This was the biggest shock for him. So there is another reason why he did what he did, not just because of the harassment of the soldiers, there is another reason
Hasan

Another reason

Nader Hasan also said his cousin had complained, as a Muslim, of harassment by fellow soldiers.

Another cousin, Mohammed Hasan from al-Bireh, said the shooting may have been motivated by what he said was the U.S. Army's refusal to allow him to leave the armed forces.

"About a week before the incident, he hired a lawyer in order to leave the army, get married and live his life. But they rejected his request, and asked him to go to Afghanistan.

"This was the biggest shock for him. So there is another reason why he did what he did, not just because of the harassment of the soldiers, there is another reason," Mohammed Hasan said