Polish nationalists attack Russian embassy during Independence Day march
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Diplomats in Libya have confirmed a Russian woman sparked an attack on her country’s embassy in Tripoli. A former weight lifter had been in Libya since 2011 after heading there to fight on the side of Muammar Gaddafi in the civil war.
While in Libya Ekaterina Uztyuzhaninova gained notoriety as a political activist. Using the pen name Katya Cyaegha she became one of the most vocal and passionate members of the online community supporting Col. Gaddafi.
Ustyuzhaninova is known to have been an accomplished weight lifter and won a number of competitions in Russia and participated in several international events.
“She is not a bad person, but she wasn’t completely stable since some tragic events in her life,” Dmitry Ershov, who met her when he was looking for people to work as journalists in wartime Libya. He told Life News. “She wanted to go to Libya, but not for journalistic work. She supported the image of Muammar Gaddafi. Not his regime, but his image.”
At the peak of the Libyan conflict, ‘Cyaegha’ raised money to fund her one-woman expeditionary force. She travelled to Libya through Tunisia, saying that her goal was “to help Gaddafi or die for him”.
She managed to publish a number of reports of her exploits in Tripoli, which by that time was taken by the ‘rats’ – the derogatory name she used for the opposition forces. The messages were full of disdain for Gaddafi’s enemies and showed Cyaegha’s disregard for her personal safety.
“Some guy threatened me with an assault rifle and even shot in the ground next to my feet. But when he saw that I’m not afraid and have a knife, he ran away with his ass forward,” one of her first reports said.
“Cthulhian brain-f*ckedness beats Arab effrontery,” it added in a reference to Cyaegha’s nickname, which is borrowed from a deity feathered in horror fiction of Cthulhu Mythos.
The self declared mercenary fell on hard times after the fall of Gaddafi. His supporters had to do a whip round to pay her $ 2000 hotel bill, and buy her an air ticket home. She was reportedly kept ‘under house arrest’ at the Russia’s embassy at the time out of fear of being thrown to a debtor’s prison.
It’s not clear what she did since then or whether she did return to her home city of Novosibirsk, as some online reports claimed, or stayed in Libya. One of her friends in the pro-Gaddafi community says she received an e-mail from Cyaegha about a week ago, which seems to show that she was preparing for some drastic action.
“I know I will die in combat,” the message says. “There’s nothing bad about it. There is no heaven, life is short and the only sense a person may give to it is if some god or demon chooses to use him. And will then throw like a used condom.”
“This is war, and people get killed at war. I hope I’ll manage to give the rats as much sh*t as my body and mind can do,” the text goes.
Cyaegha’s supposed letter says that her 2011 pro-Gaddafi activism was “something more mystical that reposting news”.
“It is still alive. It is calling us back. But if I start telling you, you will thing I am totally out of my mind.”
Zero Hedge
Oct. 1, 2013
Following Pope Francis’ demand that the Vatican Bank review its procedures, Reuters reports that the bank is likely to close all accounts held by foreign embassies, following concerns about large cash deposits and withdrawals by the missions of Iran, Iraq and Indonesia, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The private bank IOR has around EUR7.1 billion in assets but is concerned it could be “an unwitting vehicle for money laundering and other illicit finances.”
The Vatican bank is likely to close all accounts held by foreign embassies, following concerns about large cash deposits and withdrawals by the missions of Iran, Iraq and Indonesia, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
The Vatican’s financial watchdog, which examined the transactions in 2011, believed the embassies’ justifications for the transactions were too vague or disproportionate to the amounts — up to 500,000 euros at a time — these people said. In one case, a large cash withdrawal was said to be for “refurbishment”, one person added.
Now the bank and the watchdog want to reduce the possibility that the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), as the bank is called, could be an unwitting vehicle for money laundering and other illicit finances.
Four people with knowledge of the matter said the closure of the accounts was likely to be a key recommendation of a broad review that Pope Francis has ordered of the bank, whose scandal-tainted history has long been an embarrassment for the Holy See.
…
The IOR is a private bank – currently with about 7.1 billion euros in assets under management – whose stated goal is to hold and manage funds for religious orders of priests and nuns, Catholic charities, Vatican employees, and other Catholic institutions. But the number of account holders has swelled to 19,000 over the years and diversified beyond the original categories with the right to hold accounts.
…
The bank is also coming clean on possible illicit financial activities. The Vatican has said it detected six possible attempts to use the IOR to launder money last year, and at least seven in the first half of this year. In one case, a prelate who had close ties to the IOR was arrested in June on suspicion of plotting to smuggle 20 million euros in cash into Italy from Switzerland to give to rich friends in southern Italy. The prelate, who will be tried in December, says he was not acting for personal gain.
This article was posted: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 9:46 am
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials tightened security at diplomatic missions in Lebanon and Turkey on Friday, ordering personnel out of Lebanon and offering to evacuate those in Adana in southeastern Turkey, amid security threats against Americans.
The U.S. State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey, and urged those is the rest of Turkey “to be alert to the potential for violence.”
Officials did not offer any specifics about the possible threats.
“Given the current tensions the region, as well as potential threats to U.S. government facilities and personnel, we are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution to protect our employees and their families, and local employees and visitors to our facilities,” said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, adding that officials are continuing to “assess the situation.”
In Lebanon, officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of the country “due to threats,” the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in statement.
The State Department urged “U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns.”
In Turkey, officials offered voluntary evacuation to reduce its diplomatic presence at its consulate in Adana, Turkey, “because of threats against U.S. government facilities and personnel.”
“The Consulate General in Adana has been authorized to draw down its non-emergency staff and family members it said.
It also recommended “that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to southeastern Turkey,” the statement said.
U.S. citizens who remain in Lebanon or southeastern Turkey should remain vigilant and make their own emergency plans, officials said.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Paul Eckert; editing by Jackie Frank)
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials tightened security at diplomatic missions in Lebanon and Turkey on Friday, ordering personnel out of Lebanon and offering to evacuate those in Adana in southeastern Turkey, amid security threats against Americans.
The U.S. State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey, and urged those is the rest of Turkey “to be alert to the potential for violence.”
Officials did not offer any specifics about the possible threats.
“Given the current tensions the region, as well as potential threats to U.S. government facilities and personnel, we are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution to protect our employees and their families, and local employees and visitors to our facilities,” said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, adding that officials are continuing to “assess the situation.”
In Lebanon, officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of the country “due to threats,” the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in statement.
The State Department urged “U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns.”
In Turkey, officials offered voluntary evacuation to reduce its diplomatic presence at its consulate in Adana, Turkey, “because of threats against U.S. government facilities and personnel.”
“The Consulate General in Adana has been authorized to draw down its non-emergency staff and family members it said.
It also recommended “that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to southeastern Turkey,” the statement said.
U.S. citizens who remain in Lebanon or southeastern Turkey should remain vigilant and make their own emergency plans, officials said.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Paul Eckert; editing by Jackie Frank)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Tuesday ordered the U.S. Embassy in Yemen evacuated as a result of the threat by al-Qaida that has triggered temporary shutdowns of 19 American diplomatic posts across the Middle East and Africa.
The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen “due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks” and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an “extremely high” security threat level.
“U.S. citizens currently in Yemen should depart. As staff levels at the Embassy are restricted, our ability to assist U.S. citizens in an emergency and provide routine consular services remains limited and may be further constrained by the fluid security situation,” the travel warning said.
The U.S. Embassy is located in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.
A U.S. intelligence official and a Mideast diplomat told The Associated Press that the current shutdown of embassies in the Middle East and Africa was instigated by an intercepted secret message between al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri and Nasser al-Wahishi, the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, about plans for a major terror attack. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
AQAP has been widely considered al-Qaida’s most dangerous affiliate for several years.
Even though the group lost Anwar al-Awlaki — one of its key inspirational leaders — to a U.S. drone strike in 2011, al-Wahishi and the group’s master bomb maker, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, remain on the loose and determined to target the U.S. and other Western interests.
The group is linked to the botched Christmas Day 2009 bombing of an airliner bound for Detroit and explosives-laden parcels intercepted aboard cargo flights a year later — both incidents involving al-Asiri’s expertise.
“Terrorist organizations, including AQAP, continue to be active throughout Yemen,” the travel warning said. “The U.S. government remains highly concerned about possible attacks on U.S. citizens (whether visiting or residing in Yemen), and U.S. facilities, businesses and perceived U.S. and Western interests.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Tuesday ordered the U.S. Embassy in Yemen evacuated as a result of the threat by al-Qaida that has triggered temporary shutdowns of 19 American diplomatic posts across the Middle East and Africa.
The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen “due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks” and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an “extremely high” security threat level.
“U.S. citizens currently in Yemen should depart. As staff levels at the Embassy are restricted, our ability to assist U.S. citizens in an emergency and provide routine consular services remains limited and may be further constrained by the fluid security situation,” the travel warning said.
The U.S. Embassy is located in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.
A U.S. intelligence official and a Mideast diplomat told The Associated Press that the current shutdown of embassies in the Middle East and Africa was instigated by an intercepted secret message between al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri and Nasser al-Wahishi, the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, about plans for a major terror attack. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
AQAP has been widely considered al-Qaida’s most dangerous affiliate for several years.
Even though the group lost Anwar al-Awlaki — one of its key inspirational leaders — to a U.S. drone strike in 2011, al-Wahishi and the group’s master bomb maker, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, remain on the loose and determined to target the U.S. and other Western interests.
The group is linked to the botched Christmas Day 2009 bombing of an airliner bound for Detroit and explosives-laden parcels intercepted aboard cargo flights a year later — both incidents involving al-Asiri’s expertise.
“Terrorist organizations, including AQAP, continue to be active throughout Yemen,” the travel warning said. “The U.S. government remains highly concerned about possible attacks on U.S. citizens (whether visiting or residing in Yemen), and U.S. facilities, businesses and perceived U.S. and Western interests.”
The British embassy in Yemen is to shut temporarily and several other embassies have been told to be vigilant after the US issued a global travel alert.
The embassy in Sana’a will be closed on Sunday and Monday as “a precautionary measure”, the Foreign Office said.
A spokesman would not say if the closure was due to a specific threat.
The New York Times said the US – which is to close 21 embassies and consulates on Sunday – has intercepted al-Qaeda messages discussing possible attacks.
The British embassy in Yemen had already been operating with a reduced staff “due to increased security concerns”.
A number of British embassies in the Middle East have been warned about the latest threat.
‘Emanating from Yemen’
Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, which monitors threats from al-Qaeda, said US authorities had intercepted communications “between senior al-Qaeda leaders talking about an operational and clearly viable plot against an embassy”.
The closure of a swathe of US embassies and consulates across North Africa and the Middle East is an unusual step.
The intelligence on which it is based – which is not being publicly disclosed but is reported to be intercepted communications – is thought to be credible but not specific about possible targets, leading to the very broad alert.
Embassies have been targeted in the past by al-Qaeda – including in Yemen, where al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is based.
Washington will also be mindful of the political controversy over whether it did enough to protect its consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The US administration may well be hoping this warning may protect its interests, disrupt the plans of its enemies and also protect it from criticism at home.
The UK does not appear to view the threat in quite the same way – acting in the wake of the US and closing only one embassy and not issuing the same kind of broad travel advice.
He said it was unclear which embassy that is, but Yemen is a high-risk country because the US has stepped up drone attacks there in recent days and al-Qaeda’s “most active franchise” is based in the Arabian Peninsula.
There has been a “lull” in US drone attacks in Yemen in the last two months, and Mr Simcox said the sudden increase suggests the latest threat is “emanating from Yemen itself”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The embassy will be closed on 4 and 5 August. We have withdrawn a number of staff from Sana’a, due to increased security concerns.
“We updated our travel advice to Yemen on 2 August to reflect that.
“We keep travel advice and the security of our staff and missions under constant review. Our travel advice advises particular vigilance during Ramadan, when tensions could be heightened.
“We are particularly concerned about the security situation in the final days of Ramadan and into Eid.”
The Islamic holy month ends next week.
Security analyst Peter Bergen said al-Qaeda had previously showed “strong interest in launching attacks” on the 27th day of Ramadan, which is on Sunday.
The US decision to close 21 embassies was “unprecedented”, he said, but American authorities “aren’t taking any chances” after the deaths of four people at its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year.
‘Leave now’
Iona Craig, the Times’ correspondent in Yemen, said very few British people now remain in the country, mostly working for the embassy, charities, UN organisations and oil companies.
She said “the threat to foreigners here has definitely increased” in recent months.
She told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme British embassy staff in Yemen now live on-site, following two attacks in 2010.
On its website, the Foreign Office was already advising against all travel to Yemen and urging British nationals to “leave now”.
It says there is “a high threat from terrorism throughout Yemen” and “a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, criminals and terrorists”.
Unlike the US, the UK is keeping its embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Iraq open, but it has advised staff to “exercise extra vigilance as we approach Eid”.
The US state department responded to the threat by issuing a global travel alert.
In a statement, it said: “Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August.”
BBC state department correspondent Kim Ghattas said it was “not unusual” for the US to issue travel warnings, but said “this one is both wide-ranging and somewhat specific”.
by VOA News April 23, 2013
France is expressing outrage following an attack on its embassy in the Libyan capital.
The explosion early Tuesday at the French complex in the Hay Andalus area of Tripoli wounded two guards and caused extensive damage.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the attack could have been worse if not for the quick action of security personnel. “There will be reinforcement in the whole area, not only in Libya but there will be security measures in the whole area. This attack was made to kill, France will not give in.,” he said.
Fabius also warned the attack was aimed not only at France but at “all the countries who are fighting against terrorist groups.”
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also condemned the attack, saying those responsible must be brought to justice.
The Libyan Foreign Ministry is calling the attack a “terrorist” incident.
Analyst Richard Cochrane with IHS Jane’s Information Group says the attack is worrisome because it shows just how fragile the situation is (audio of his full interview with VOA below).
“It really highlights the problems the Libyan government is having even in securing control of Tripoli, let alone the rest of the country, and exposes really how vulnerable foreign interests are to terrorists and this kind of terrorist attack,” he said.
Cochrane says another concern is the apparent degree of planning that went into Tuesday’s attack on the French embassy, which could indicate the involvement of more experienced militants.
Making matters more complicated, Cochrane says weapons are easy to come by in Libya.
“The population themselves are wary of giving up those weapons because they don’t yet trust the government to be acting in their best interest. It’s a very shaky post-revolutionary environment,” he said.
Libya has struggled with instability and violence since the ouster of long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi in late 2011.
An attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last September killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s vice president, Nicolas Maduro, says the government of President Hugo Chavez plans to expel a U.S. Embassy official for meeting with military officers and planning to destabilize the country.
Maduro identified the American as the Air Force attache and said he had been spying on the military.
He said the official has 24 hours to leave the country.
Embassy spokesman Greg Adams identified the attache as David Delmonaco.
Adams had no immediate comment.
“I’m sure we will be formulating some sort of response from Washington,” he said.
He said he did not immediately know Delmonaco’s rank.
Maduro spoke hours after the government said Chavez was in “very delicate” health after undergoing cancer surgery in December.
