Chad Rebels -Forces Progressistes pour l'Independence et la Renaissance-Operate from Cameroon

Peterkins Manyong
30 January 2009

-Following the inability of rebels based in Chad to oust President Idris Deby, a new resistance movement will reportedly operate from Cameroon, The Post has learnt.

The new rebel force, claiming to be named the "Forces Progressistes pour l'Independence et la Renaissance" roughly translated as "Progressive Force for Independence and Rebirth."

It has been launched by the "Forum for Exiled Chadians in Central Africa" better known by its French acronym as FECAT.

The politico-military movement, as it is described, has its headquarters in Douala and will reportedly launch attacks on the Chadian army from Southern Chad.

A Chadian citizen, who spoke to The Post in confidence, wondered how a serious movement which intends to carry out operations in the south of the country could succeed pitching tents thousands of kilometres away. He said he was sure that the aim of the movement was to force the government of President Deby to the negotiating table.

Already, seven of the more than a dozen rebels fighting the Chadian government formed a coalition a week ago and is in the process of absorbing many more.

Our informant attributed the failure so far of the Chadian rebel forces to greed and vaulting ambition of their leaders, each of whom is determined to be the next president.

He regretted that the press statement of the rebels would so scare the Chadian Government as to cause the tightening of security around the borders, making it difficult for Chadian citizens to return to their fatherland.

The Rest @ African News Analysis

Cyrpuse Halts Iranina Arms Shipment to Syria

Cyprus stops Iranian arms shipment bound for Syria

01/31/2009: Haaretz and Reuters report that the Cyprus-flagged "Monchegorsk" en route from Iran carrying arms to Syria, which likely

... was the same ship the US navy detained and released on Tuesday,.....

was halted by Cypriot authorities after Israeli and US officials requested that the Cypriot government halt the ship, according to a confidential European Union diplomatic source.

Cypriot authorities had demanded that the ship dock in Limassol for inspection, and once docked, from the ship were unloaded artillery rounds and rockets, among other weapons.

January 31, 2009 at 08:00 AM

The Rest @ Secutiy Law Brief

Salafi Group in the US Has Weekly Conference Calls with Islamists

The Somaliland government arrested 11 US residents who were smuggling Anti-Aircraft Missiles into Hargeisa. According to source from from Somaliland government these 11 people have allegedly received training from Al-Shabaab in the use of these weapons. The Somaliland government has information that indicates these weapons were originated from Eritrea and transported to Galgudud region in Somalia, where the accused received training from Al-Shabaab.

Somaliland American Council has previously called on Somaliland-Americans on December 12, 2008 to help United States authorities by reporting any suspecious information about these people.

• There are reports that indicate that Somali-Americans who practice conservative Islam has weekly conference calls presumably for educational purpose;
• Al-Shabaab is invited as guest-speakers from Somalia,
• During these conference calls Al-Shabaab uses the opportunity for recruiting by making appeals to the faith and patriotic emotions of the Somali-youth to fight Ethiopia and its friends in the Horn of Africa
• Somaliland is considered a friend of Ethiopia and the West.

On October 29, 2008; there have been three simultaneous car-suicide attacks on Somaliland; at the Presidential Palace, at the UNDP building, and the Ethiopian Embassy. Thirty innocent people have lost their lives.

• The six men who committed the terrorist attacks on Oct 29 were US residents who left the United States and joined Al-Shabaab to attack Somaliland.
• In this report today another 11 US residents have been arrested by the Somaliland government alleggedly for smuggling Anti-Aircraft Missiles into Hargeisa.

Somaliland American Council (SAC) is concerned about the fact that Al-Shabaab is waging consistent attacks on Somaliland; which are becoming more dangerous and more lethal attacks, the fact that US residents or Somali-American are carrying out these attacks, and Somaliland is distracted by the upcoming Presidential elections on 3/29/09.

SAC is calling on all Somaliland-Americans to help Somaliland by fighting Al-Shabaab in the United States

We must form close relationships with the US authorities to deny Al-Shabaab an opportunity to attack United States and Somaliland.

We believe today it is Somaliland and tomorrow it will be the United States; unless we stop them now, we must do this as US citizens to protect the United States and help stop these attacks on Somaliland.

The Rest @ Somaliwyn

BELMOKHTAR MOKHTAR connected to Robert Fowler Disappearence?

The United Nations may be exploring the possiblity That the kidnaping of UN Diplomat Robert Flower and Luis Guay may have a BELMOKHTAR MOKHTAR connection.

Somalia 2009 at a Cross Roads

Somalia, today you must choose

Life or death; to rule yourself or to be ruled.

What will you choose, for today, for tomorrow?

Your culture is Muslim, your spirit is cowboy;

The cowboy in you has been drunk with power

The Muslim in you tells you that the way to peace is through discipline,

but is that really Allah's way?

Remember, this was the teaching of Hitler and the Nazis.

One Road leads to the Caliphate;

will the kalifa respect you, love you, or will it sacrifice you

like the West, Like Italy, Like the Arabs?

Will the foreign fighters really go home. or will they train your sons

to fight in the wars of other lands, in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, in Uganda?

Will your sons want to stay and work the Land and the business of Somalia,

Or will their minds be sold into the service of the Caliphate, to fight in foreign lands

leaving your daughters unprotected, your elders vulnerable.




The Other path leads to the rebuilding of Somalia.

A new way for clans to fight with honor

a new place for the Kalashnikov of your youth

to fight, to win, to live, and to come home to your daughters.


O Somalia you must choose to have a voice to Allah, or to have the discipline of man

Does Allah want the government to be your battlefield, or your water wells?

Is it the will of Allah to grow your food and your animals to feed your children,

or the ravenous mouths of foreign fighters?

Libya Exploring Nationalization of Foreign Oil Firms

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Wednesday his country and other oil exporters were looking into nationalizing foreign firms due to low oil prices and suggested Tripoli might not stick to OPEC production quotas.
Speaking via a satellite link from Libya to students at Georgetown University in Washington, he called the current price of oil "unbearable."

Oil was around $44 a barrel on Wednesday, less than a third of the price in July of $147.
"We would not adhere to OPEC's regulations because our livelihood depends on oil," Gaddafi said, without providing any details of how Libya might not stick to the oil producing organization's quotas.

Last month, Libya told oil firms to cut output by 270,000 barrels per day from January 1, more than the curb it needs to make under an OPEC deal to pump less.

Gaddafi, who decides Libya's oil policy, referred to recent Libyan newspaper reports over nationalization because of the dipping oil prices.

The reports, including in the main state paper widely seen as the mouthpiece of Gaddafi, said this week the Basic People Congresses, Libya's top executive and legislative bodies, should vote to nationalize oil firms when they meet in the next few days.

The Rest @ AP

"Oil exporting countries may move toward nationalization because of the rapidly declining prices. This is put on the table and is being discussed seriously," Gaddafi said through an interpreter.
"Oil maybe should be owned by national companies or the public sector at this point, in order to control the oil prices, the oil production or maybe to stop it," he told the students. "We may refuse to sell it at this very low price."
LIBYA HOPES FOR PRICE RISE
Petro-Canada, one of Libya's largest foreign oil producers, said it has heard no talk of nationalizing its interests in the North African country.
"We continue to have a cooperative relationship with the government of Libya, both signing agreements last summer and implementing contracts," said Andrea Ranson, spokeswoman for the Calgary-based company.
In June, Petro-Canada signed six long-term exploration and production deals with Libya's state oil company that it said would lead to a doubling of production there.
U.S. companies ConocoPhillips, Hess Corp and Marathon Oil are active in Libya under a consortium called Oasis Group with Libyan National Oil Corp. Other U.S. firms involved there are ExxonMobil, Chevron and Occidental.
Gaddafi said he hoped nationalization could be avoided by a price rise. Continued...

Famoval of Iran to Build Cars in Algeria

Famoval (Fabrication & Montage de Vehicules Industriels d’Algerie), a firm headed by Mohamed Rahmoune, has teamed up with Iran’s Saipa to build a car Assembly Line in Algeria...

The Rest @ Maghareb Confidential