[quaist]

And Putin's already washing his hands of any responsibility...

[sunnykerr]

Well, of course, Putin doesn't care about this part of it. He just didn't want to lose a lucrative relationship.

Mind you, this may be why the U.S. is urging China to take a positive, constructive role in the Syrian discussions which are ongoing at the United Nations.

[sunnykerr]

I first posted this story on the African thread, but as we're "done" talking about Syria (for now, of course) and the developing story has al-Shabaab all over this, I figure this is the place to discuss what's happening in Nairobi:

Kenyan soldiers battle militants after deadly mall shooting Kenyan troops were in the final stages of a battle with al Qaeda-linked militants at a Nairobi shopping mall late Monday -- two days after gunmen seized the mall, taking a number of hostages and leaving at least 62 dead. Kenyan officials said it was unlikely that any more hostages were left inside the upscale Westgate Mall, however similar claims of a quick resolution were made Sunday and the siege continued for another day. Three of the gunmen who stormed the mall were killed by Kenyan security forces Monday, and officials said more than 10 suspects were arrested. Explosions rocked the Westgate Mall throughout the day, as Kenyan soldiers ramped up their efforts to gain control of the plaza that became the scene of the horrific attack. Militants stormed the mall Saturday with grenades and assault rifles and opened fire on shoppers. According to the Kenyan Red Cross the attack left at least 62 dead and dozens more injured. An earlier death doll of 68 was lowered after officials said some bodies had been counted twice. Among the dead were two Canadians: diplomat Annemarie Desloges, 29, and Vancouver businessman Naguib Damji, 59. Two other Canadians were also injured in the attack. An American woman said Monday her Canadian nieces -- Fardosa Abdi, 17, and Dheman Abdi, 16 – were shopping when the gunmen stormed the mall. One of the girls is reportedly in critical condition with severe leg injuries. Al-Shabab, a Somali terrorist group with links to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack, which Kenya’s defence chief said Monday included fighters from a number of countries. "We have an idea who these people are and they are clearly a multinational collection from all over the world," said Gen. Julius Karangi. Foreign Affairs is also probing reports that a 24-year-old from Ontario is among the gunmen. Officials estimate that between 10 and 15 gunmen carried out the attack, including at least one who was dressed as a woman. Kenya’s Interior Minister, Joseph Ole Lenku, said an operation to evacuate hostages “has gone very, very well,” and said there are few, if any, hostages left in the mall. "The terrorists could be running and hiding in some store somewhere or something, but all floors now are under our control,” he said. CTV’s Middle East Bureau Chief Martin Seemungal described, “a very unclear and fluid situation here on the ground” in a telephone interview from Nairobi with CTV News Channel. He said the smoke billowing out of the mall was at first described as part of the troops’ efforts to gain access to the mall. However, it was later reported that the militants had set the fire as a “diversionary tactic.” Seemungal said gunmen have refused to speak to police or soldiers, so “we are not getting any sense that they’ve got any demands.” Eleven Kenyan soldiers were wounded in the running gun battles. Officials confirmed that both Kenyan and foreign nationals were among the dead, including citizens of the United Kingdom, France, India, South Africa, China and Ghana. The Associated Press reported that an audio message posted online by a spokesman for al-Shabab said the gunmen are under orders to “take punitive action against the hostages” if soldiers used force in a rescue operation. The terror group said the attack was in retribution for a 2011 military operation during which Kenyan soldiers moved into Somali territory. Bronwyn Bruton, the deputy director of Washington D.C.-based Africa Center, says the Nairobi attack was essentially a suicide mission that signifies a “new phase” in the al-Shabab organization. “The fact that they could deploy 10 to 15 people on a suicide mission like that, requiring such discipline and co-ordination, is a very frightening indication of their capacity,” Bruton told CTV’s Power Play on Monday. She described al-Shabab as a “brutal” insurgency that’s primarily focused on overthrowing Somalia’s Western-back government. “It’s an African rebel group, so it certainly brings the tradition of brutality, of harming innocent civilians, of ruling through terror. And then on top of that, al Qaeda is obviously one of the most feared organizations in the world and brings another set of tactics that is truly terrifying,” she said. “And what you have in al-Shabab is essentially a merger of those two traditions.”

There is cruel irony in having Canadian among both the victims and the assailants.

I don't know if there will be a response to this action. I rather hope there won't be, not in the usual manner anyway.

At the same time, if there is a response, it will be interesting to see what shape that takes, given that the victims were from so many different countries. It'd be interesting to see what kind of coallition emerges, if that's the road people want to go down.

[sunnykerr]

An update on the Kenyan attack:

Kenya's Westgate siege: Number of missing reduced to 39 The Kenyan Red Cross has said the number of missing in the Westgate shopping centre attack has gone down to 39 from an earlier figure of 61. Fourteen of the missing have been found alive and seven bodies were in the morgue, it said. The government has said 67 people were killed after al-Shabab militants stormed the Westgate centre in the capital, Nairobi, on 21 September. MPs have started a probe into alleged intelligence failings over the attack. The Red Cross says some relatives were not updating them when they found people who had been reported as missing. A Red Cross tracing manager has told the BBC that "some were reports from people who could not get through to their relatives on the phone and thought they might have been at the mall". The organisation has been calling those who reported people missing for updates. The government has said there are hardly any people still unaccounted for after the attack and that it did not think any hostages were killed when a car park collapsed inside the mall, ending the siege. However, the rubble is still being moved, so Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku accepted that some more bodies might still be discovered. Red Cross head Abbas Gullet told the Associated Press by telephone that: "The only way to verify this is when the government declares the Westgate Mall 100% cleared." 'Lapses' Five militants were killed by the security forces during the four-day siege, while nine people are in custody after being arrested in connection with the attacks, the authorities say. Al-Shabab, a Somali Islamist group, said the attack was in retaliation for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia. Security sources have told the BBC that the militants rented a shop at Westgate in the weeks leading up to the siege. Kenya's joint parliamentary defence and national security committees met briefly on Monday morning to begin their investigation into possible lapses in the country's security system. They have now adjourned and later visited Westgate. They will start calling people on Tuesday to testify before the joint committees. Committee head Ndung'u Gethenji had said the questioning of the security chiefs, including the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Michael Gichangi, would begin on Monday. He told the BBC last week that "people need to know the exact lapses in the security system that possibly allowed this event to take place". He also said they needed to understand "the anatomy of the entire rescue operation" amid allegations of confusion over who was in charge. Kenyan newspapers have reported that the NIS warned a year ago of the presence of suspected al-Shabab militants in the capital and that they were planning suicide attacks, including on the Westgate shopping centre. Briefings were given to the ministers "informing them of increasing threat of terrorism and of plans to launch simultaneous attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa around September 13 and 20, 2013", Kenya's Daily Nation had quoted counter-terrorism reports as saying. A dossier from the NIS - amounting to more than 8,000 pages according to Kenya's Standard newspaper - also suggests the Israelis issued warnings that buildings owned by its citizens could be attacked between 4 and 28 September. Westgate is partly Israeli-owned. The Daily Nation has reported that Kenyan intelligence had established that al-Shabab leaders had begun singling out Westgate and the Holy Family Basilica for attack early this year. Government figures said to have received the intelligence briefings include Mr Lenku, Treasury Minister Julius Rotich, Foreign Affairs Minister Amina Mohammed, Defence Minister Raychelle Omamo and Kenya Defence Forces chief Julius Karangi. On Sunday, Mr Lenku refused to answer questions on the issue, saying the information was confidential and would not be discussed in public. However, a senior interior ministry official earlier denied that ministers had ignored intelligence warnings. The official - who was speaking on condition of anonymity - told the BBC the government received intelligence daily, that action was taken and that many attacks had been averted.

[quaist]

I've checked, it's not April 1:

I've made mistakes, Assad tells German magazine BERLIN (AP) — A German magazine is quoting Syria's President Bashar Assad as saying he has made mistakes and that no side in his country's civil war is entirely free of blame. In an advance version of an interview to be published Sunday, Der Spiegel also quotes Assad as saying he doesn't believe in a negotiated peace with armed opposition groups. Assad reportedly told the weekly that he hadn't yet decided whether to run for the presidency again when his term ends in August. On Saturday, Der Spiegel quoted Assad as reiterating his insistence that government forces weren't responsible for the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus. The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 as protests against Assad's regime, evolving into a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people.

[sunnykerr]

Well, really, all he's saying there is that the peace process will hinge on whomever opposes him surrendring their weapons, and how likely is that to happen?

It's easy enough for him to put the blame on everyone when he's making demands and entrenching himself in a position of power.

"Doesn't know if he'll run for the presidency again?" What the hell is that supposed to mean?

He's been president ever since his father died. And his father was president for 30 years before him.

Heck, it may not even be his fault that he's got no concept of free elections and sharing power with others.

[quaist]

Of course, all this 'I don't know if I'll run again' isn't to be taken seriously.

What struck me though is the fact that he even bothered to state his side made mistakes in this conflict as well.

Why should he do that? Didn't seem like he cared about his global image anytime before.

[sunnykerr]

It gives him a veneer of legitimacy, doesn't it, though?

He doesn't seem like the sociopath he is if he's aknowledging mistakes.

And, let's face it, it doesn't cost him anything.

Especially since he doesn't seem to be giving any specifics.

[sunnykerr]

Mali 'Islamists' blow up bridge near Gao Suspected Islamist militants have blown up a bridge near Mali's northern town of Gao, the army says. The bridge over a River Niger tributary near Bentia is on the only route between Gao and neighbouring Niger. Monday's attack came shortly after shells were fired into Gao, also by suspected Islamists. Islamist militants controlled the whole of northern Mali until France and several African countries ousted them earlier this year. An election was held in July amid efforts to reunite the country and restore democracy. Last week, the MNLA ethnic Tuareg separatist rebels attacked Kidal, the main town north of Gao, after saying they were pulling out of a peace deal. The MNLA formed an alliance with several al-Qaeda-linked groups in 2012 but this soon broke down, with the Islamists seizing control of the major northern towns. One of those groups - Mujao - said it had blown up the bridge, the AFP news agency reports. Ibrahim Cisse, a local councillor for the Gao region, told AFP that assailants, "wearing turbans", arrived by motorbike at the bridge before blowing it up. A police source told AFP that there are two bridges at this point and only the older one was destroyed, while the new one was only slightly damaged. Residents and military sources have told the BBC that traffic is still able to pass. Last month, there was also a suicide attack in Timbuktu, which al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it had carried out. BBC Mali analyst Mamadou Moussa Ba says that amid the recent upsurge in insecurity in northern Mali, France appears to have put on hold its plans to withdraw all but 1,000 troops from the country. The United Nations also has some 6,000 peacekeepers in the country.

This is what I was afraid of.

Mind you, it could lead to nothing and I could prove a prize idiot for thinking this is a bad omen of things to come.

But I was afraid this would happen, once the world went away.

[quaist]

Chemical weapons watchdog wins Nobel Peace Prize for Syrian mission (Reuters) - The global chemical weapons watchdog working to eliminate chemical arms stockpiles around the battlefields of Syria's civil war won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a relatively small organisation with a modest budget, dispatched experts to Syria after a sarin gas attack killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus in August. Their deployment under a U.N. mandate helped avert a U.S. strike against President Bashar al-Assad and marked an unusual step into the limelight for a group more used to working behind the scenes overseeing the destruction of chemical weapons worldwide. "We were aware that our work silently but surely was contributing to peace in the world," OPCW head Ahmet Uzumcu said. "The last few weeks have brought this to the fore. The entire international community has been made aware of our work." Nobel Peace Prize committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said the award was a reminder to nations such as the United States and Russia to eliminate their own large stockpiles, "especially because they are demanding that others do the same, like Syria". "We now have the opportunity to get rid of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction...That would be a great event in history if we could achieve that," he said. Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, shot in the head a year ago by the Taliban, had been the bookmakers' favorite to win the prize for her campaign for girls' right to education. The OPCW Syria mission was unprecedented in taking place in the heat of a civil war that has riven the country and killed more than 100,000 people. Members of the Hague-based OPCW team themselves came under sniper fire on August 26. While the inspection and destruction of chemical weapons continues, with a team of 27 in the field, Assad forces and rebels clash across the country using conventional weapons. Human Rights Watch said this week rebels had killed at least 190 civilians in Latakia province in August. On Friday, government forces were trying to regain control of an area around Safira, about 20km southeast of Aleppo. The town, controlled by rebels including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, is close to a major suspected chemical site. Friday's award marks a return to the disarmament roots of the prize after some recent awards including the European Union last year and U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009. Those awards led to criticism that the committee was out of line with the spirit of the prize, founded by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. His 1895 will says the prize should go to one of three causes - "fraternity between nations", the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the formation and spreading of peace congresses. CHOKING, BURNS, CONVULSIONS The process of destroying chemical weapons can be hazardous and is costly. The chemicals can be burnt, but with care not to disperse poisonous toxins, or chemically neutralized. U.N. head Ban Ki-moon said this week the weapons would be "dangerous to handle, dangerous to transport and dangerous to destroy". "Chemical weapons are horrible things and they must never be used and that contributes not just to disarmament, but to strengthening the humanity within us," Malik Ellahi, political adviser to the OPCW director general, told Reuters. "It has always been our position, that quintessentially we work for peace. Not just for peace, we work to strengthen humanitarian norms." The Hague-based OPCW was set up in 1997 to implement a 1992 global Chemical Weapons Convention to banish chemical arms and most recently helped destroy stockpiles in Iraq and Libya. It has about 500 staff and an annual budget under $100 million. The United States and Russia had committed to destroying their arsenals by 2012 but have as yet failed to do so. OPCW head Uzumcu told Norway's NRK television: "I am sure...(the prize) will give encouragement to our staff to demonstrate more what they could do in terms of contributions to global peace and security." He said 80 percent of stockpiles under the oversight of the OPCW, excluding Syria, had already been disposed of. "Still, 20 percent will have to be destroyed," he said. Chemical weapons can inflict considerable suffering and death, with choking, chemical burns and convulsions, and can be dispersed easily by winds making civilian populations vulnerable. They were widely used in World War One. More recently, in 1998, 5,000 people were gassed to death by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in the town of Halabja. RUSSIA AND ASSAD Washington accused President Assad of conducting the August sarin attack, a charge he denied, while Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed rebels. Facing the threat of a U.S. strike, Assad eventually agreed to destroy Syria's sizeable chemical weapons programme and allow in OPCW inspectors. Putin's spokesman said he had no comment on the award. But a senior lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, Vyacheslav Nikonov, praised the decision and suggested some past awards, an apparent reference to the award to Obama, had been misguided. "This is one of the best choices made by the Nobel Laureate committee in its history," Nikonov said on state television. "They didn't want to make a mistake this time because there have been too many." The $1.25 million prize will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. The OPCW, which has 189 member states, said Syria was cooperating and it could eliminate its chemical weapons by mid-2014, provided they received support from all sides in its civil war. Chemical weapons experts believe Syria has roughly 1,000 tonnes of sarin, mustard and VX nerve gas, some of it stored as bulk raw chemicals and some of it already loaded onto missiles, warheads or rockets. Under a Russian-U.S. deal struck last month, Syria must render useless all production facilities and weapons-filling equipment by November, a process begun over the past several weeks.

I won't argue that this certainly represents a very good cause, but at the same time, I won't deny that I think Malala's the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of hearts...

[sunnykerr]

Malala's courage is an unquestionable thing.

I think, perhaps, the Nobel prize committee was trying to salute the longevity of the OPCW's work.

If she keeps going the way she has, there's every reason to believe Malala will get her own Nobel prize eventually.

[quaist]

I certainly hope she will.

And hopefully too, the OPCW's gonna achieve their goal.

The Nobel Committee seems to have a way of awarding the Peace Price to candidates that are aspiring to do something good, but haven't done so yet, lately.

[sunnykerr]

Are you refering to Obama's Nobel prize?

But, yeah, I seriously hope Malala's time is just to come.

[quaist]

Yeah, I was referring to Obama. Obviously, I do like the man and I think he's mostly doing the best he can in the face of Republicans basically opposing everything he wants to achieve... But he's not fit for a Nobel Peace Prize.

[sunnykerr]

He certainly wasn't when he was first elected anyway, which is when he got that prize.