At least 10 dead in attack on Somalia's parliament building

May 24, 2014

Mogadishu, Somalia  Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack Somalia's parliament headquarters Saturday, leaving at least 10 people dead and more than 11 others wounded, witnesses and officials said.

Members of the parliament were among those wounded after gunmen loyal to the al Qaeda-affiliated terror group stormed the facility in Mogadishu, according to witnesses and official accounts.

Fighters used automatic rifles, heavy machine guns and explosives in an attack that lasted more than three hours, witnesses said.

Mohamed Madale, a police spokesman, said security forces later secured the building after the fighters blew themselves up. He said the security forces killed several fighters during the attack.

Dahir Mohamed, a police officer who witnessed the attack, said the attackers used a car filled with explosives to get into the parliament building, and killed some of the Somali forces guarding the building on their way in.

Smoke and flames could be seen pouring from the building as ambulances pulled up to attend to the wounded lying on the ground. People took cover as security forces moved in, exchanging gunfire with the attackers. Some members of parliament were evacuated from the building.

Ali Osman, an ambulance worker at the scene, told CNN that he collected 10 bodies, including those of Somali forces, civil servants and civilians who were caught in the crossfire during attack.

He also said more than 11 others, including members of parliament, also were wounded.

A spokesman said on Al-Shabaab's radio network that the group was responsible for the attack.

Prime Minister: Attack does not reflect "true Islamic faith"

In a statement condemning the attack, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed said, "The terrorists have once again shown that they are against all Somalis, by killing our innocent brothers and sisters. These cowardly, despicable actions are not a demonstration of the true Islamic faith."

The U.S. State Department issued a statement condemning the attack.

"We extend our sympathies and condolences to those affected by this heinous act of terrorism," deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said in the statement, "and commend Somali and African Union forces for their swift and courageous response."

"We continue to stand firmly with the Federal Government of Somalia and the many international partners working to support its efforts to root out the threat posed by al-Shabaab and to build a more secure and prosperous future for the Somali people," Harf said. "Cowardly acts such as these will not shake our resolve."

Lawmakers witness carnage

Mohamed Omar, a lawmaker who was inside the parliament building, said that Al-Shabaab fighters wore military uniforms and "suicide belts." Security forces killed at least three of the militants, Omar said.

Osman Daallo, a member of parliament, said he saw two colleagues seriously wounded, including a fellow MP "whose chest was gushing out from blood."

Mohamed Deyfalah, another MP, said the attack was the worst he has ever witnessed, and he had always believed the heavy security presence at the parliament would have prevented such an attack.

One of wounded MPs who asked to remain anonymous said the attack "indicates the weakness of the government."

"Our government is still unable to deal with the terrorists and today's attack underscores a lack of efficient government," the lawmaker said.

Late Saturday, Somalia's security minister, Abdukarim Hussein Guled, resigned as a result of the attack.

"I bear witness that the 22 months I have been in the office, we managed to improve the security situation of the country, especially Mogadishu," the minister said, "but now it is time to resign so that someone else who is better than me can take over the office."

Al-Shabaab's aim is to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state, though it has carried out attacks in other African countries, as well. The group carried out the mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, in September that left at 67 people dead.

The group has increased the use of suicide attacks in recent years, though these have been somewhat rare in Somalia. It is believed that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are helping train al-Shabaab fighters.

UK looks to boost fracking with new land access rules

The UK government has proposed new rules regarding rights to access land in a bid to speed up the introduction of fracking.

It proposes that shale oil and gas companies are granted access to land below 300m from the surface.
It also suggests firms pay £20,000 per well to those living above the land.
The consultation comes as a new report by the British Geological Survey (BGS) estimates there are 4.4bn barrels of oil in shale rocks in southern England.

The BGS estimates there are between 2.2 billion and 8.6 billion barrels of shale oil in the Weald Basin - that covers areas including Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent - but says there is "no significant gas resource".

These figures represent the total amount of oil in the rocks, only some of which can be accessed.
"It is not known what percentage of the oil present in the shale could be commercially extracted," the survey said.

'Opportunities'
 
Announcing the government proposals, Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Britain needs more home-grown energy.
"Shale development will bring jobs and business opportunities.
"We are keen for shale and geothermal exploration to go ahead while protecting residents through the robust regulation that is in place.

"These proposals allow shale and geothermal development while offering a fair deal for communities in return for underground access at depths so deep they will have no negative impact on landowners."
The new proposals do not affect the existing system for gaining access rights to land on the surface.
The government also proposed a new notification system to ensure local communities are well informed about any shale developments in their area.
The £20,000 would be an additional payment on top of the £100,000 per site already announced, and is specifically designed for those living above horizontal pipes under ground. Shale exploration companies have already committed to giving 1% of revenues from any successful wells to local communities.
But the government has not gone far enough in its proposals for compensating local residents, according to Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association.
"Given the significant tax breaks being proposed to drive forward the development of shale gas and the likely returns, payments to communities should be more in line with those across the rest of the world and be set at between 5%-10% of revenues," he said.

Fracking

The BBC's John Moylan said the report's estimates could have implications for the UK's long-term energy security and kick-off a drive to start fracking for oil in the region.

But he said the report suggests the shale rocks may contain less oil than similar formations in the US, where fracking has proved hugely successful in recovering oil and, particularly, gas. They could also be more difficult to frack.
Prof Robert Gatliff of the BGS told a news conference that the Weald could prove to be a "difficult play" for for the fracking industry.
Andrew Aplin, professor of unconventional petroleum at Durham University, also raised questions about how much of the oil could be extracted.
"Since neither the rock nor the oil is of optimal quality in the Weald, we might estimate that 1% of the Weald oil resource might be recoverable.
"This would equate to 0.05 billion barrels, which is about two months' UK consumption."
By way of comparison, the equivalent of around 45 billion barrels of oil has been extracted from the North Sea over the past 40 years.
Last year, a BGS study of the North of England suggested there could be as much as 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas contained in shale rocks.
The fracking process involves pumping water, sand and chemicals into rock at high pressure, and it has sparked demonstrations by environmentalists. Some governments have banned the process.
Critics argue that fracking contaminates water supplies and can cause earthquakes. There have been strong anti-fracking protests at Balcombe, West Sussex, against test-drilling.
However, a government report published in June 2012 concluded that fracking was safe if adequately monitored.

Politically sensitive

Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted fracking will be "good for our country" and has blamed a "lack of understanding" of the process for some of the opposition.

For many years, there has been more traditional exploration and development of oil and gas in the region.
Andrew Austin, chief executive of the onshore energy company IGAS, said it had long been known that southern England had extensive resources.
He told the BBC: "We've known that there's a big potential for oil and gas explorations across the country but particularly in terms of oil in the Weald Basin.
"There's been a long history of oil and gas exploration in this area. We as a company produce oil and gas from around 20 sites across that area. Around 40 million barrels have been recovered from that area to date."
In the US, fracking for oil and gas has created an energy boom and led to speculation that the country could overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer by 2020, or even sooner.
Gas prices in the US have fallen sharply as a result, and other countries are now hoping that shale oil and gas could also lead to lower domestic energy prices.


 

Putin on Obama: 'Who Made Him a Judge?'

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MOSCOW - A defiant Vladimir Putin declared today that the U.S.-led world order "has failed." Speaking to business leaders a at a forum in St Petersburg, the Russian president railed against U.S. sanctions and dismissed allegations that Russia is meddling in Ukraine, which he said was in the midst of "civil war" thanks to the West. He also rejected accusations by President Obama in unusually pointed terms.

The Russian president was addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's answer to World Economic Forum in Davos. This year fewer Western executives were in attendance after the White House leaned on them not to attend as the Obama administration seeks to isolate Russia over its policy in Ukraine and Crimea.

He urged investors "not to give in to pressure and blackmail" as the West tries to isolate Russia.

ON PRESIDENT OBAMA:

When asked by a moderator about President Obama's accusations that the Kremlin was lying when it claims it is not meddling in Ukraine, President Putin brushed aside the very notion with sarcasm.

"Who made him a judge?" he bristled, though he quickly added that he thinks Obama has a better opinion of him than was suggested.

ON EDWARD SNOWDEN:

Putin dismissed allegations that American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, who received asylum in Russia last year after being stranded in a Moscow airport for weeks, was a Russian spy.

"He's not an agent of ours. He hasn't given us any secrets. He hasn't leaked anything," Putin said.

ON US-RUSSIA RELATIONS:

Putin blamed the failure of the "reset" in U.S.-Russia relations on "unilateral moves" by the Obama administration.

"We didn't damage these relations. Despite the harsh rhetoric and contradictory approaches, we continue cooperation," he said.

"We are not going to engage in self-isolation," Putin added. "But you cannot force someone to love you."

ON UKRAINE:

Putin says that Ukraine is in the midst of a "civil war." He said it was not a "revolution," but rather a "coup" that deposed former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich in February.

He rejected Western claims that the unrest in Ukraine is due to Russian meddling, saying an American-backed "coup" resulted in "chaos and full-scale civil war."

Asked if Russia will recognize the results of this Sunday's presidential election in Ukraine, Putin said Russia "will respect the will of the people" and will work with whoever wins. His comments, however, afford him some wiggle room to declare that the election did not reflect the will of the people since separatist-held regions in southeastern Ukraine are rejecting the vote.

Putin also demanded that Ukraine pay the $3.5 billion Russia says Ukraine owes it for past gas deliveries.
He called Europe "snobs" for ignoring Russia's concerns about the economic deal they offered Ukraine last year. President Yanukovich ultimately rejected the offer in favor of a Russian loan, leading to the street protests that led to his ouster.

ON CRIMEA:

Putin defended Russia's intervention in Crimea, which the West and the leaders in Kiev have denounced as an illegal land grab.

"We just ensured the free will of the people," Putin said of the hastily-arranged referendum that led to the region's annexation by Russia.
"If we had not done that there would have been worse than in Odessa where people were burned alive," Putin argued, referring to a fiery clash in the Ukrainian city last month that left dozens dead.

ON SANCTIONS:

Putin defended his friends who were sanctioned by the United States last month over Russia's actions in Ukraine and Crimea.
"Those people are my friends and I'm proud to call them my friends. They are patriots," Putin said. "Their business have been directed towards cooperation with our country. Have their sanctions harmed their business? Definitely so. But they are experienced entrepreneurs. They took their money out and moved it to Russia so they haven't sanctioned too much, but their businesses have been damaged by sanctions. This is unlawful and unfair."
A visibly angry Putin noted that the United States is threatening more sanctions and asked what the justification will be.
"What have we done this time? There has recently been an earthquake in Thailand. Would you like to sanction Russia for that as well?" he asked sarcastically. "There is a civil war in Ukraine. What does Russia have to do with that?"
He suggested the United States only imposed the sanctions to gain a trade edge over European competitors who do more business with Russia.
Putin conceded that the sanctions have taken a toll on the Russian economy, which is hemorrhaging money and on the brink of recession. He argued, however, that it has not caused any lasting damage.

ON THE WORLD:

"The world is really changing rapidly. We see colossal geopolitical, technological and structural shifts. The unipolar model of the world order has failed," Putin said. "Today this is obvious to everyone, even to those who are still trying to act in their habitual coordinate system."

ON THE INTERNET:
Putin claimed that Russia had no plan to restrict the internet, despite widespread fears to the contrary.
"We have no restrictions over individual self-expression or the use of modern technologies for personal or business development," Putin said.
He suggested any restrictions were similar to measures imposed in the West.

"Restrictions were introduced, so what do they consist of? Banning the propaganda of pedophilia, child pornography, methods of suicide. Excuse me, there are plenty of such restrictions in the legal systems of all other countries, including Europe and the United States," Putin added.