U.S. welcomes efforts to calm situation in Syria

The United States on Tuesday welcomed efforts to calm the situation in Syria, but stuck to its demand that Syrian President Bashar Assad step down.

"We welcome efforts by the international community to convince the Assad regime to cease the kind of violent acts that it`s been perpetrating on its own people, against the Syrian people," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

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Namibia potential gateway to southern Africa markets: former envoy

Indonesian companies will gain much if they invest in Namibia because they would then also be able to penetrate markets in the southern half of Africa, former Indonesian ambassador to Namibia Leonardus Widayatmo said.

"Indonesian products will penetrate the Southern African markets because Namibia is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)," Leonardus said here on Tuesday.

With Namibia now a member of the SADC, goods exported from Namibia to other SADC member countries will be free from import duties," he said.

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Obama: Kadhafi death sends message of freedom

US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Moamer Kadhafi`s grisly death sent a message to dictators around the world that people long to be free.

Obama appeared on NBC`s "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," as part of a west coast campaign and fundraising swing as he gears up his 2012 reelection bid and pressures Congress to pass his job-creating measures.

He said that Kadhafi, someone who for 40 years "terrorized his country and supported terrorism," had been given ample opportunity to leave power and transition his nation towards democracy.

"He wouldn`t do it and obviously, you never like to see anybody come to the kind of end that he did," Obama said, according to excerpts of the interview released by NBC.

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Gaddafi and son buried at dawn

Muamar Gaddafi and his son Mo`tassim were buried at dawn on Tuesday in an unknown location, ending a wrangle over the rotting bodies.

"Gaddafi and the son, Mo`tassim, were buried at dawn in a secret place with proper respects paid. We will release more details officially later," a senior interim government official told Reuters.

A military official from the town of Misrata -- where the corpses had been on public display in a former meat locker -- confirmed the burials.

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Swiss offer to help libya disarm, demine

Switzerland can help Libya to disarm its population following its armed revolution, as well as contribute to demining efforts, Swiss president Micheline Calmy-Rey said Saturday.

In an interview with newspaper Sonntag, Calmy-Rey also expressed hopes that some 265 million francs (216 million euros, US $300 million) worth of blocked Libyan assets could soon be released.

"Certainly we hope that the 265 million francs that are still in Switzerland can soon be released.

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Abbas: Israel Harus Minta Maaf ke Turki

Presiden Otoritas Palestina Mahmoud Abbas menuntut permintaan maaf Israel terhadap Turki terkait dengan kasus penyerangan kapal Mavi Marmara yang membuat hubungan Israel dan Turki memburuk.

"Perbaikan hubungan Turki dan Israel akan mendukung kelangsungan dialog damai," ujar Abbas, seperti dikutip Sabah, Jumat (7/10/2011).

Abbas juga menambahkan, Turki yang dahulu menjadi mediator antara Suriah dan Israel akan menjadi mediator yang sukses bagi dialog damai Israel dan Palestina.

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Al-Qaeda still a "threat" after Awlaqi death: FBI

The killing of US-born Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi has weakened Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but the group remains a "significant threat" to the United States, the head of the FBI said Thursday.

Awlaqi -- the leader of external operations for AQAP -- and Samir Khan, a Pakistani-American who was the editor of Al-Qaeda`s English-language magazine, were killed last week in a suspected US drone strike in Yemen.

"Despite this blow to their leadership, AQAP remains a significant threat to the homeland, and we must maintain our vigilance in responding to this threat," FBI Director Robert Mueller told the House intelligence committee.

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Cina Dukung Palestina di PBB

Cina Senin telah menekankan dukungannya pada upaya Palestina untuk memperoleh keanggotaan penuh Perserikatan Bangsa-bangsa, tapi menyerukan tindakan internasional yang "hati-hati" terhadap Suriah.

Menteri Luar Negeri Cina Yang Jiechi mengatakan negaranya akan mendukung presiden Palestina Mahmud Abbas dalam pemilihan di Dewan Keamanan PBB mengenai keanggotaan itu, dimana Amerika Serikat telah berjanji untuk memveto.

"Cina secara konsisten mendukung maksud adil pembentukan sebuah negara Palestina merdeka dan mendukung keanggotaan Palestina di PBB," kata Yang dalam pidato pada Majelis Umum PBB.

Ia mengatakan, Cina mendukung "perundingan politik" untuk mencapai solusi dua negara antara Palestina dan Israel.

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Hamas slams Obama`s UN speech

The Gaza Strip ruler, Islamic Hamas movement, slammed on Wednesday (Sept. 21) U.S. President Barack Obama`s speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the speech tried to rescue Israel.

Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a press statement that the speech "was a poor attempt to rescue Israel out of its crisis throughout fake calls that have no credit for the Palestinians."

"Obama called on the Palestinians to get back to direct negotiations with Israel, which is failed, and our people don`t count at all on the Americans," the statement said.

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Indonesia asks Thailand to contribute in ASEAN summit

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked Thailand to contribute in the success of ASEAN agenda in ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit in Bali in November this year.

"I hope Thailand will contribute and participate in ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit in Bali later in November so that ASEAN community becomes more robust in the development of regional political and economic architecture," President Yudhoyono said in a press statement after a bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Merdeka Palace on Monday.

On the occasion the president expressed hope that with a support from all Asean heads of states and governments, the Bali summit in November would yield a solution to both regional and international problems.

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Minister : Saadi Kadhafi arrives in Niger

One of deposed Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi`s sons, Saadi Kadhafi, arrived Sunday in Niger, a government spokesman said.

"Today, September 11, a patrol of the Nigerien armed forces intercepted a convoy in which was found one of Kadhafi`s sons," Marou Amadou said.

It was Saadi Kadhafi, a former footballer, said Amadou, who is also Niger`s justice minister.

"At this moment the convoy is en route to Agadez (northern Niger). The convoy could arrive in Niamey between now and tomorrow," he added.

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Rekaman Video Tertuduh 9/11 Ungkap Penjara Rahasia CIA

Pejabat AS telah mengkonfirmasi keberadaan rekaman video tahun 2002 dari interogasi seseorang yang diduga anggota komplotan 9/11, dikabarkan di sebuah penjara rahasia.

Rekaman tersebut, dikatakankantor berita Associated Press ditemukan di bawah sebuah meja CIA, mempelihatkan Ramzi Binalshibh di sebuah penjara yang dijalankan pemerintah Moroko yang dulu digunakan oleh CIA.

Namun seorang pejabat AS meremehkan signifikansinya, mengatakan bahwa rekaman tersebut "memperlihatkan seorang pria duduk di sebuah bangku menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan."

Rekaman itu dikatakan menjadi satu-satunya rekaman dari sebuah jaringan penjara rahasia CIA yang mati.

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Takut Mengancam Israel, Bantuan Militer Libanon Dibatalkan oleh AS

Ketua Komite Urusan Luar Negeri DPR mengatakan bahwa dia telah membekukan bantuan militer AS bagi tentara Libanon di tengah kekhawatiran dalam Kongres bahwa senjata yang diberikan Amerika dapat mengancam Israel.

Howard Berman, Demokrat California, berkata dia menunda $ 100 juta dalam bantuan kepada Angkatan Bersenjata Libanon pada 1 Agustus, karena ia prihatin tentang pengaruh kelompok Hizbullah yang mungkin berada dalam di tentara. Dia mengatakan kekhawatiran itu diperkuat sehari kemudian, ketika tentara Libanon menembak seorang perwira Israel selama aksi baku tembak di perbatasan kedua negara.

"Sampai kita tahu lebih banyak tentang peristiwa tersebut dan  pengaruh Hizbullah pada tentara (Libanon) - dan dapat menjamin bahwa tentara (Libanon) adalah seorang aktor yang bertanggung jawab -  hati nurani saya tidak dapat  baik memungkinkan Amerika Serikat untuk melanjutkan pengiriman senjata ke Libanon," kata Berman dalam sebuah pernyataan.

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Amerika Serikat Setujui RUU untuk Hindari "Default"

Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat AS, Senin malam waktu setepat (Selasa pagi WIB) menyetujui rancangan undang-undang (RUU) untuk mencegah "default" (gagal bayar) utang yang membahayakan dan memotong triliunan dolar belanja pemerintah, tahapan yang diatur untuk langkah-langkah menghadapi pemungutan suara di Senat.
DPR mendukung langkah-langkah tersebut, yang akan memungkinkan Washington yang kekurangan uang meminjam uang untuk membayar tagihannya setelah batas waktu tengah malam Selasa (Rabu 0.400 GMT), dengan margin mencolok 269-161.

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Putin: Aksi Militer Bukan Solusi Konflik Libya

Perdana Menteri Rusia Vladimir Putin tak melihat penyelesaian militer bagi konflik di Libya dan menyerukan dilancarkannya dialog politik di negeri itu, demikian laporan media setempat, Senin (1/8).
"Sangat diinginkan bahwa semua negara yang mengumpulkan sejumlah senjata menggunakan kekuatan sebagai unsur penahanan diri tapi tak menggunakannya secara sembrono. Penggunaan kekuatan takkan menghasilkan penyelesaian akhir, hanya proses politik diperlukan," kata Putin pada pertemuan pendukung mudanya di wilayah Tver.
Perdana Menteri Rusia itu juga mengakui ia tak sepenuhnya mengerti cara menafsirkan pernyataan NATO, yang mengatakan perhimpunan tersebut siap beraksi sampai akhir dalam konflik Libya.

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Peringati Sejarah Kelam, Iran Meminta Maaf Kepada "Setan Besar"

Para pemimpin kelompok oposisi Iran akan melakukan sebuah langkah yang tidak diperkirakan sebelumnya. Mereka hendak meminta maaf kepada AS pada peringatan 30 tahun penyerbuan kedutaan besar AS di kota Teheran.

Dalam sebuah langkah yang diperkirakan akan menyulut kemarahan besar diantara kalangan garis keras rezim Teheran, kelompok oposisi pada hari Rabu besok akan meminta maaf atas krisis kekerasan yang menyita perhatian dunia selama 444 hari dan berujung pada perpecahan hubungan antara Iran dan AS, dimana Iran kini sering menyebut AS sebagai "Setan Besar".

Para pengorganisir Gerakan Hijau, kelompok bentukan yang berupaya untuk membalikkan hasil resmi pemilihan presiden Iran pada bulan Juni silam, berencana untuk mempergunakan peringatan resmi pengambilalihan kedutaan tersebut untuk melancarkan serangan terhadap keabsahan revolusioner dari pemimpin Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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