http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=elderly Sun, 19 May 2013 19:32:46 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=elderly Wed, 15 May 2013 22:15:05 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a2c_1368670429 th1sf8te ROBOTS FOR THE ELDERLY source - Yahoo http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a2c_1368670429 th1sf8te ROBOTS FOR THE <span class="highlight">ELDERLY</span> ROBOTS FOR THE ELDERLY Sat, 18 May 2013 15:19:32 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04b_1368904397 Detroit Iron BEIRUT, Lebanon - President Bashar al-Assad of Syria , in a rare interview with a foreign newspaper, appeared to dismiss the possibility of serious progress arising from peace talks planned for next month, and to back away from earlier statements by Syrian officials that the government was willing to negotiate with its armed opponents."We do not believe that many Western countries really want a solution in Syria," Mr. Assad told Argentina's Clar'in newspaper in an interview published online on Saturday, blaming those countries for supporting "terrorists" fighting his government. "We support and applaud the efforts, but we must be realistic," he said, referring to efforts by the United States and Russia to broker talks in June. "There cannot be a unilateral solution in Syria; two parties are needed at least." Mr. Assad took a hard line throughout the interview, according to a transcript in English provided in advance to The New York Times. He declared that he would run for election as scheduled in 2014 and would accept election monitors only from friendly countries like Russia and China. He also accused Israel of directly aiding rebels by providing intelligence on sites to attack, refused to acknowledge any mistakes in his handling of the two-year-old crisis, and disputed United Nations estimates that more than 80,000 people had died in the conflict. All those contentions are likely to fuel what is already widespread pessimism about the potential talks. It is unclear who will talk to whom, and about what. The opposition in exile remains unable to unify fragmented rebel groups behind its political leadership, even those that nominally fall under the umbrella of the opposition's Free Syrian Army, let alone the growing cadres of extremist Islamist fighters who openly reject the opposition leadership and are a source of increasing concern in the West. Mr. Assad's supporters have long contended that his wide array of foreign foes, including the United States, Israel and Sunni-led Persian Gulf states, benefit less from a resolution than from a prolonged Syrian conflict that weakens Mr. Assad and his allies, Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group. That view is increasingly shared by some rebel leaders, increasingly frustrated with the West's unwillingness to give them untrammeled support. In meetings with his supporters ahead of the talks, Mr. Assad has projected confidence, suggesting that the United States would accept his remaining in power if American officials believed that he was militarily strong and could curb jihadists. He told a group of Lebanese politicians visiting Damascus, the capital, this month that his forces were carrying out offensives to retake rebel-held territory in Homs Province and the suburbs of Damascus to increase his leverage at the talks. "The battlefield will decide who is strong when they enter negotiations," he said, according to one of the visitors, Abdelrahim Mourad, a former Parliament member whose party is allied with Hezbollah. "America is pragmatic. If they found out they were defeated and the regime is the winner, the Americans will deal with the facts." Whether that view is realistic or not, Mr. Assad's opponents inside and outside Syria widely doubt that he is willing to make meaningful concessions - doubts he reinforced in the interview, refusing to recognize any element of the armed opposition as representing legitimate Syrian demands or even to talk to the rebels unless they disarm. "We are willing to talk to anyone who wants to talk, without exceptions," he said. "But that does not include terrorists; no state talks to terrorists. When they put down their arms and join the dialogue, then we will have no objections. Believing that a political conference will stop terrorism on the ground is unreal." Mr. Assad appeared to be backing off previous overtures by members of his government. On Feb. 25, Ali Haidar, the minister for national reconciliation, told Syria's Parliament that the government was ready to meet with armed opposition groups. "We, the government, and me, personally, will meet, without exceptions, with Syrian opposition groups inside and outside" the country, he said. "The president of the country has said that we will try with everyone that is against us politically. And even those who use arms - we must try with them." In continuing reports of violence, opposition activists in Syria said Saturday that government forces had killed and then incinerated at least 17 people in a two-day operation in an upscale neighborhood of northwest Homs, Syria's third-largest city and long a hotbed of the insurgency. Some died when government forces shelled the fields surrounding the neighborhood, Al Waer, starting Friday, and others were stabbed to death, said the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition news network with contacts in Syria. The bodies were later set on fire by soldiers and pro-government militias, the activists said. The activists' accounts could not be independently confirmed, but videos posted on YouTube and Facebook groups controlled by rebels showed charred bodies and shattered limbs, wrapped in red cloths and carpets. "They were found dead and burned," said Abu Rami, an activist from Homs reached through Skype. "We could only recognize nine men, but the rest were like black logs." Other residents said 10 of the dead belonged to two families and included four women and two 11-year-old children. In other developments, the elderly father of Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, was abducted Saturday by a gunman in southern Dara'a Province, close to the Jordanian border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a network based in Britain with contacts inside Syria. The government later arrested relatives suspected to be involved with the abduction, the observatory said, adding that rebels in the area had denied any responsibility. Mr. Mekdad's office confirmed the abduction, and residents in a neighboring village said that around 30 men, some carrying weapons, raided the family home and took the 80-year-old father, who was described by residents as "not an outspoken regime supporter and not a troublemaker." A spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army described the abduction as "unconvincing and strange," given that the father did not share his son's views and was seen as having good relations with the rebels around him. The Mekdad clan numbers in the thousands in Dara'a, where the uprising began, and includes government supporters and opponents. In the Clar'in interview, Mr. Assad also elaborated on his government's contention that the opposition was aligned with Syria's longtime foe, Israel, which has bombed Syrian territory three times this year in attacks believed to have targeted weapons being delivered to Hezbollah. "Israel is directly supporting the terrorist groups in two ways," he said. "Firstly it gives them logistical support" - a possible reference to medical aid Israel has given to Syrians wounded near the Syria-Israel border - "and it also tells them what sites to attack and how to attack them." Mr. Assad said that rebels had attacked a radar station instrumental to Syria's antiaircraft defenses against Israel, giving no further details. Mr. Assad said international monitoring of the 2014 elections would violate Syria's sovereignty. "We do not trust the West for this task," he said, proposing observers from "friendly countries such as Russia or China." "China?" the interviewer asked, presumably perplexed because China is not known for holding free elections. Mr. Assad was silent. The reporter then asked if Mr. Assad had any "self-criticisms." He replied: "It's illogical to carry out self-criticism before the events have been completed. If you go to watch a film you don't criticize it until it ends." He dismissed rebels' accusations that his forces had used chemical weapons, noting that such weapons "would mean killing thousands or tens of thousands of people in a matter of minutes. Who could hide something like that?" He disputed international estimates of the toll in the war, saying that it was unclear how many of the dead were Syrians and that "the terrorists often kill and bury their victims in mass graves" - an allegation that his opponents have leveled at his forces. Though foreign jihadists take part in the Syrian conflict, the vast majority of fighters are Syrians. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/world/middleeast/syria-developments.html?pagewanted=2&amp;_r=1&amp;hp http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04b_1368904397 Detroit Iron Syria's Assad, in an Interview, Suggests Peace Talks Are Unlikely to Succeed President Bashar al-Assad of Syria Fri, 17 May 2013 12:08:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bf1_1368806786 th1sf8te A burglar who helped himself to a pack of Jaffa cakes while stealing from an elderly couple's home has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Reece O'Callaghan broke into the property in West Heath Birmingham after smashing a window in July last year. During his time in the house he helped himself to a pasta meal and some Jaffa Cakes before making off with property including three televisions. O'Callaghan was spotted by a neighbour and police arrested him nearby but he denied the offence. However, forensic experts found his finger print on the Jaffa Cake box, Birmingham Crown Court heard. The court heard the elderly couple, aged 78 and 82, returned from holiday to found their house a mess following the burglary. O'Callaghan, of West Heath, who had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary and aggravated burglary, was given a sentence of seven-and-a-half years. Judge William Davis QC, said the couple had been left 'devastated' by what the burglar had done and that the elderly woman had been unable to stop crying since the incident. Judge Davis said the couple were still 'mourning' the loss of sentimental items from their home which could not be replaced because they had been unable to afford house insurance. He said that in a separate incident in December last year the defendant and another young man had 'invaded' the home of man who had befriended them and who had 'significant health problems.' UK MADNESS Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325968/Crumbs-Burglar-jailed-seven-half-years-caught-Jaffa-Cakes-ate-break-in.html#ixzz2TZC8Hrr9 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter DailyMail on Facebook http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bf1_1368806786 th1sf8te Crumbs! Burglar jailed for seven-and-a-half years after leaving fingerprints on box of Jaffa Cakes he tucked into during break-in Burglar jailed for seven-and-a-half years after leaving fingerprints on box of Jaffa Cakes he tucked into during break-in Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:57 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e48_1368723726 puckett69 This happened down around my neck of the woods. Link to the article on the WDAM website. http://lamarcounty.wdam.com/news/news/59133-purvis-house-fire-death-now-ruled-homicide-suspect-captured Submitted by WDAM Web Staff Tuesday, May 14th, 2013, 5:41pm Topics: News A house fire in Purvis that resulted in the death of an elderly woman is now a homicide investigation. Timothy Taylor, 36, of Purvis was denied bond Tuesday by Judge Bill Anderson and charged with first degree arson and murder. Taylor was arrested at his residence in Purvis around midnight, just a few hours after a home in the 600 block of First Avenue went up in flames. Fire officials say the body of an elderly woman was found inside. Initially, firefighters thought the fire may have started as a result of exploding oxygen tanks inside the house. The investigation led to Taylor, who authorities say was no stranger to the victim. Officials say the charges against Taylor could be upgraded to include capital murder, depending on the outcome of the investigation and the decisions of a grand jury. Copyright 2013 WDAM. All rights reserved http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e48_1368723726 puckett69 Purvis house fire death now ruled a homicide, suspect captured House Fire, Homicide, Bubba the Retard Thu, 16 May 2013 01:31:29 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d2d_1368682136 Salamander That's all folks, can't even enjoy your last few years in peace ;) "A 75-year-old resident of a New Jersey senior citizen housing complex is suspected of running a prostitution ring that employed some elderly residents as sex workers, NBC 4 New York has learned." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d2d_1368682136 Salamander Cops persecute seniors for paying for sex Prostitution, seniors, police Wed, 15 May 2013 22:42:43 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9c7_1368671920 ramotyis CHICAGO - An elderly woman was confronted on the Magnificent Mile by a mob of young men on Wednesday, who proceeded to take $100,000 worth of jewelry she was wearing. A Chicago police source said the 69-year-old woman from Homewood Flossmoor was accosted by 10 to 12 African American men while walking in the 700 block of North Michigan around noon in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. They threatened to beat her if she didn't give them her purse and jewelry. She took off her jewelry, valued at around $100,000, and handed it to them. According to police, the woman had a leaf-shaped pin she was wearing that was encrusted with diamonds and surrounded by black onyx. That alone was valued at $50,000. The men involved were between 18 and 19 years-old. They were wearing baggy pants and dreads. They ran northbound on Rush towards Chicago Avenue to escape. There was also a second incident at 1 p.m., in front of 800 N. Michigan, involving three female African-Americans and one male African-American who stole an iPhone from someone. Those suspects were taken into custody. Charges had not yet been filed. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/05/15/mob-steals-100000-worth-of-jewelry-from-woman-on-mag-mile/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9c7_1368671920 ramotyis Mob Steals $100,000 Worth Of Jewelry From Woman On Mag Mile. shitcago Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:38 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=753_1368655090 Eretz_Zen2 Three men, one of them an elderly man, are filmed sitting while blindfolded on a curb in the middle of a large public square in the northern city of al-Raqqa in Syria surrounded by a large crowd of people and by al-Qaeda affiliated jihadists belonging to the the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (the Levant), an organization resulting from the merger of Islamic State of Iraq (aka al-Qaeda in Iraq or AQI) and Jabhat al-Nusra (aka Nusra Front). A statement precedes the execution, in which the jihadist claims that this sectarian-driven execution is in response to the Alawites' and secular Sunnis' murder of their fellow Wahhabis, whom they refer to as Sunnis. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=753_1368655090 Eretz_Zen2 The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Publicly Executes Three Alawites for Being Alawite syria, fsa, free, syrian, terrorists, jihadists, jihadis, al, qaeda, jabhat, nusra, front, raqqa, public, execution, alawis, alawites, nusayris, sunnis, sectarian, nato, turkey, qatar, saudi, arabia Wed, 15 May 2013 17:25:11 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=79f_1368652988 LostRothschild Don't underestimate the anti's power to ignore reality... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disarming Realities: As Gun Sales Soar, Gun Crimes Plummet Larry Bell, Contributor A couple of new studies reveal the gun-control hypesters' worst nightmare...more people are buying firearms, while firearm-related homicides and suicides are steadily diminishing. What crackpots came up with these conclusions? One set of statistics was compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice. The other was reported by the Pew Research Center. According to DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. gun-related homicides dropped 39 percent over the course of 18 years, from 18,253 during 1993, to 11,101 in 2011. During the same period, non-fatal firearm crimes decreased even more, a whopping 69 percent. The majority of those declines in both categories occurred during the first 10 years of that time frame. Firearm homicides declined from 1993 to 1999, rose through 2006, and then declined again through 2011. Non-fatal firearm violence declined from 1993 through 2004, then fluctuated in the mid-to-late 2000s. And where did the bad people who did the shooting get most of their guns? Were those gun show "loopholes" responsible? Nope. According to surveys DOJ conducted of state prison inmates during 2004 (the most recent year of data available), only two percent who owned a gun at the time of their offense bought it at either a gun show or flea market. About 10 percent said they purchased their gun from a retail shop or pawnshop, 37 percent obtained it from family or friends, and another 40 percent obtained it from an illegal source. While firearm violence accounted for about 70 percent of all homicides between 1993 and 2011, guns were used in less than 10 percent of all non-fatal violent crimes. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of those firearm homicides involved a handgun, and 90 percent of non-fatal firearm victimizations were committed with a handgun. Males, blacks, and persons aged 18-24 had the highest firearm homicide rates. The March Pew study, drawn from numbers obtained from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also found a dramatic drop in gun crime over the past two decades. Their accounting shows a 49 percent decline in the homicide rate, and a 75 percent decline of non-fatal violent crime victimization. More than 8 in 10 gun homicide victims in 2010 were men and boys. Fifty-five percent of the homicide victims were black, far beyond their 13 percent share of the population. Pew researchers observed that the huge amount of attention devoted to gun violence incidents in the media has caused most Americans to be unaware that gun crime is "strikingly down" from 20 years ago. In fact, gun-related homicides in the late 2000s were "equal to those not seen since the early 1960s." Yet their survey found that 56 percent believed gun-related crime is higher, 26 percent believed it stayed about the same, and 6 percent didn't know. Only 12 percent of those polled thought it was lower. The Pew survey found that while women and elderly were actually less likely to become crime victims, they were more likely to believe gun crime had increased in recent years. On the other hand, men, who were more likely to become victims, were more likely know that the gun rate had dropped. Those gun crime rates certainly aren't diminishing for lack of supply...at least not for law-abiding legal buyers. Last December, the FBI recorded a record number of 2.78 million background checks for purchases that month, surpassing a 2.01 million mark set the month before by about 39 percent. That December 2012 figure, in turn, was up 49 percent from a previous record on that month the year before. FBI checks for all of 2012 totaled 19.6 million, an annual record, and an increase of 19 percent over 2011. Firearms sellers can thank the gun-control legislation lobbies for much of this business windfall. Marked demand increases have been witnessed over the past five years thanks to the 2008 and 2012 elections of U.S. history's most successful, if unintentional, gun salesman as president. The firearms market got a huge added boost after the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut activated a renewed legislative frenzy. If that gun-purchasing fervor has abated with the defeat of several congressional regulation proposals, as I'm sure it has, you surely wouldn't have known it by witnessing the overwhelmingly enormous annual NRA convention in Houston earlier this month. Attendance was estimated to be more than 70,000 people from all over the country. Those attendees weren't all guys either...not by a long shot. Last year, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that participation by women increased both in target shooting (46.5%) and hunting (36.6%) over the past decade. Also, 61% of firearm retailers responding to a NSSF survey reported an increase in female customers. A 2009 NSSF survey indicated that the number of women purchasing guns for personal defense increased a whopping 83 percent. Is John Lott, the author of "More Guns, Less Crime" right? Does the rapid growth of gun ownership and armed citizens have anything to do with a diminishing gun violence trend? His expansive research concludes that state "shall issue" laws which allow citizens to carry concealed weapons do produce a steady decrease in violent crime. He explains that this is logical because criminals are deterred by the risk of attacking an armed target, so as more citizens arm themselves, danger to the criminals increases. Whether or not you buy that reasoning, and it does make sense to me, what about the notion that tougher gun laws have or would make any difference? With the toughest gun laws in the nation, Chicago saw homicides jump to 513 in 2012, a 15% hike in a single year. The city's murder rate is 15.65 per 100,000 people, compared with 4.5 for the Midwest, and 5.6 for Illinois. Up to 80 percent of Chicago murders and non-fatal shootings are gang- related, primarily young black and Hispanic men killed by other black and Hispanic men. Would tightening gun laws even more, or "requiring" background checks, change these conditions? Gwainevere Catchings Hess, president of the Black Women's Agenda (BWA), Inc., an organization that strongly advocates strict gun-control legislation, rightly points out that "In 2009, black males ages 15-19 were eight times as likely as white males the same age, and 2.5 times as likely as their Hispanic peers to be killed in a gun homicide." Those are terrible statistics, but here are some others. Today, 72% of black children are born out of wedlock, as are 53% of Hispanic children and 36% of white children. Back in 1965, 25% of black children were born out of wedlock, nearly one-third fewer. As a result, promiscuous rappers, prosperous dope peddlers and street gang leaders are becoming ever more influential role models. It's probably no big stretch of imagination to correlate such grossly disproportionate crime and victimization rates with comparably staggering rates of single-parent families, those without fathers in particular. Yet in the general population, and although the agenda-driven media hasn't noticed, we can be grateful that gun violence has been trending downward since 1993 when it hit its last peak. Don't want to credit a rise in gun ownership and concealed carry by law-abiding citizens for this good news? Fine. But then, don't imagine that gun legislation is the reason or answer either. Leave that illusion to gun-control cheerleaders in the media. http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybel...rimes-plummet/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=79f_1368652988 LostRothschild As Gun Sales Soar, Gun Crimes Plummet 2, 2nd, second, amendment, gun, firearm, rights, constitution, tyranny, freedom Wed, 15 May 2013 10:55:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b16_1368629203 snoopAhLoop A 75-YEAR-OLD New Jersey man has been charged with running a prostitution ring that used elderly residents of his housing complex as sex workers. James Parham and 66-year-old Cheryl Chaney have also been charged with allowing people to use crack cocaine in their apartments. Englewood Police Chief Arthur O'Keefe told NBC 4 New York that Mr Parham employed a mix of young women and older residents. Mr O'Keefe said that Mr Parham facilitated sex and drug use in common areas of the complex, and that some elderly residents were afraid that speaking up may cost them their lives. Kevin Thomas, who knows people who live in the housing complex, said he didn't understand why older people were becoming criminals. "Why they wait so late in life to start doing stuff they should have did (sic) years ago, or shouldn't have touched period, why do you wait this late?" he said. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b16_1368629203 snoopAhLoop 75yr old PIMP running prostitution ring Pimp, Jersey, Crack, Drugs, Prostitution, Flyguy Tue, 14 May 2013 04:55:59 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7a0_1368521330 english-patriot33 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119266/Pensioner-died-fall-care-home-lay-floor-bleeding-10-minutes-Muslim-nurse-praying.html Pensioner who died after fall at care home 'lay on the floor bleeding for up to 10 minutes because Muslim nurse was praying' :Dorothy Griffiths, 89, fell from her bed, cutting her head and leaving a gash in her hip :After finishing praying the nurse said Mrs Griffiths was fine, only for her to fall unconscious four hours later An elderly woman who suffered a fall was left lying on the floor at a care home for up to ten minutes because a senior nurse was praying, an inquest heard. Abdul Bhutto, an agency nurse, told junior staff they would have to wait until he finished before he would attend to 87-year-old Dorothy Griffiths, who died nine days later. Mrs Griffiths, who suffered from Alzheimer's, was left on the floor while the Muslim nurse continued to pray on his mat. Eventually he arrived and examined the pensioner before telling carers to put her back to bed. She was later found unresponsive and was taken to hospital. Mrs Griffiths had cut her head and gashed her hip when she fell from her bed during the night and was found on the floor when staff rushed to her room after hearing a loud bang. A carer went to the care home's office for help to lift her but Mr Bhutto, who was in charge, said they would have to wait until he had finished his prayers. Carer Zoe Shaw told the inquest: 'It took between five and ten minutes because he was praying. A staff member told me we had to wait for him to finish.' The inquest heard Mr Bhutto was the most senior nurse on duty. He examined Mrs Griffiths on the floor but did not call an ambulance and instructed carers to put her back to bed. But instead Mrs Shaw, worried that she might fall again, washed the pensioner, dressed her and sat with her in the office. At about 5.45am she took Mrs Griffiths to the lounge and said she appeared to be well and was 'talking fine' and walking around. But at breakfast time Mrs Griffiths was found to be unresponsive and an ambulance was called at about 7.30am. Mrs Shaw, who broke down and wept during her evidence, said she would have called an ambulance immediately after the fall. She said that as a carer she did not realise she could and since this incident she had discovered staff could override a nurse's decision. Mrs Griffiths, a former pub landlady and the widow of former Barnsley footballer Steve Griffiths, had been a resident at the privately-run Valley Park Nursing Home in Wombwell, near Barnsley, since 2009 and died in hospital on November 3. Mr Bhutto failed to appear at the inquest in Sheffield and a summons had to be issued for him to attend later in the year. The court heard he had been contacted and denied being senior nurse that night. After the hearing was adjourned, Mrs Griffiths's daughter Jean David, 61, said the family had been put through more grief due to the nurse not turning up. Mrs David added: 'You put your trust in these people. 'What would happen if there was a fire, would they then stop praying?' It is understood Mrs Griffiths died from a brain haemorrhage and pneumonia although this has yet to be confirmed. A spokesman for the home, which is run by the Mimosa Healthcare Group, declined to comment. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7a0_1368521330 english-patriot33 Pensioner who died after fall at care home 'lay on the floor bleeding for up to 10 minutes because Muslim nurse was praying' islam, muslims, terrorists, pedophiles, outlaw islam, Tue, 14 May 2013 00:18:53 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aad_1368504381 KedarPL By: Yazan al-Saadi Al Akhbar SOURCE: http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/caught-bind-syrians-gulf As Syrians living outside of Syria are desperate to bring their family and friends out of harm's way, one place has firmly and quietly restricted its borders: the Gulf Arab region. Each Syrian in the Gulf has a tale to tell about the trials and tribulations they, or a friend, have faced in trying to bring someone to the safety of nations like Kuwait, Qatar, or Saudi Arabia. When asked to share their stories with Al-Akhbar , many strongly insist on anonymity. They are concerned that their attempts to obtain residency permits for themselves or family members would be affected negatively. O.D. is a young Syrian mother of two currently residing in Kuwait. Speaking to Al-Akhbar over the phone, she explained that her mother and brother were injured in the summer of 2012 when they tried to evacuate al-Hamah. The small village west of Damascus was being shelled by the Syrian military. unilateral policy of exporting funds and arms to certain anti-regime armed groups in an effort to hasten the downfall of the regime. Despite these gung-ho political and military pursuits, it is the humanitarian front where the compassion of Gulf states seems to reach its limit. According to UNHCR statistics, 1.4 million registered Syrians have fled the country and 3 million are registered as internally displaced. By the end of 2013, it's expected that more than half the population of Syria will likely need aid. In January 2013, $1.5 billion was pledged by various countries at a conference in Kuwait to address the growing humanitarian crisis. Out of all the Gulf countries, Kuwait is the only one that has fully honored its pledge, recently giving $300 million to various multilateral aid organizations involved in helping Syrians. The other Gulf states have either provided a small fraction of their initial aid promises or have announced that they will distribute funds directly to "the Syrian people" without much elaboration. But it is the system of restricting visas to Syrians desperately seeking to join their families and spouses living in the Gulf that adds further doubt to the Gulf authorities' proclaimed concern towards the well-being of the Syrian people. Blue and White Collar Refugees In the first few months of the uprising, Gulf countries like Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait implemented their own versions of security screenings and visa regulations for Syrians. Recently, Saudi Arabia has joined the fold by curtailing the numbers of Syrians seeking refugee. "For the UAE, they've been allowing parents, children, spouses. Brothers and sisters are allowed with some difficulties. Extended family members is simply not easy," said H.R., a Syrian engineer working in Dubai. "The authorities say they will give visas for 'humanitarian situations,' but they tend to look at possible salary rates that Syrians seek in terms of work before letting them in," she further said. H.R. elaborated that Syrians seeking blue-collar jobs in Dubai tend to be denied entry. Even those already in the country might be denied visa extensions or suddenly have their residency revoked for any political activity in support of the Syrian uprising. The UAE, it should be noted, is rumored to have allowed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's sister Bushra and her family, as well as Rami Makhlouf, the notoriously hated billionaire and cousin to the Syrian president, to reside freely in the country. Dysfunctional SNC Doha Office Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, has been at the forefront of condemning the Assad regime. The Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Saud was one of the first world leaders to publicly condemn Syrian military violence, calling for the end of the "killing machine" in August 2011. Unlike other Gulf countries, Saudi had been initially lenient in allowing Syrians into the country, but all that has changed in the past few months. Presently, Syrians are being religious pilgrimage visas to the Saudia Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina. Al-Akhbar contacted a number of Beirut travel offices that deal with such documents. When asked about the ability for Syrians to receive such a visa, the response was immediate and firm: "Sorry, no visas for Syrians." "Saudi is no better than Kuwait," said O.D. "They are doing the same thing. For the past six months, they have stopped family visas, and at times opening it for certain jobs like medicine and only if the Syrian is going to a certain city like Riyadh." And what of Qatar, the home of the Syrian National Coalition and the first country to hand the group the reigns of the Syrian embassy? "Nothing has changed. There are the same horrible standards," said M.E., a Syrian teacher in Doha. "Any visa has to go through the coalition now, we have no choice about it. Unless you can get a hold of a sheikh or a minister, even if you oppose the regime or not, you have to go through the coalition." " seems disorganized. It doesn't know what to do. The process takes a long time and you tend to need wasta to get anything done...Today, no one can tell you how to do the documents. It seems like everyone is secretive about the process," he said. M.E. has been living in Qatar for about three years. His mother and brother are still living in the Muhajireen district of Damascus. She is physically ill and he has been trying to get her to Doha for half a year now. "The official told me that the refugee status is only for those in tents and I was not in a tent," M.E. said."The law states that parents, single daughters, sons and brothers under the age of 18, and wives are allowed. But when I tried to get the paperwork done for my mother, it's been pending without any explanation," he said. According to him, the coalition office at first took in documents with no conditions. Over time, the office began to implement restrictions like denying unskilled labor. D.S., a Syrian journalist who also coordinates humanitarian work for Syrians based in Doha, affirmed M.E.'s experience. "The office for the coalition is very rudimentary. It hasn't done anything, doesn't present complicated services. It simply takes in documents and checks if this person is linked to the regime in some way," he said. "Specifically for Qatar, visas tend to be easier for women, but it's generally difficult - even if a person is a skilled worker. People are going through the coalition. They have thousands of documents pending and they cannot do anything. It is not in their hands, it is in the hands of the Qatari government," he added. In a last ditch effort to bring his mother to Doha, he went to the UN offices in Doha. They told him to contact the main UNHCR regional office in Riyadh. He did so, asking if he could be considered a "refugee" and therefore be provided protection. "The official told me that the refugee status is only for those in tents and I was not in a tent," M.E. said. Bound Hands of UNHCR "Officially, there are no Syrian refugees in the Gulf, only in neighboring camps," said an anonymous UN official in Kuwait. She explained that the Gulf states are not signatories of international refugee laws and conventions, and therefore aren't obliged to receive refugees or offer resettlement solutions. "What they do instead is offer the UN a little space to do work for people that are here legally and want to be resettled in other countries," she said. "Syrians in general have great restrictions in terms of resettlement, except for those who are directly threatened by persecution." "'Legal' Syrians worried about their families are restricted from bringing them to this region. Stories of babies, sick, elderly being denied entry are true," she said. "UNHCR has tried to open the doors for these cases by linking them to the concerned authorities. We have limited power to convince, and people have come to the UN for help, but hands are simply tied." But why aren't Syrians, particularly the exile political organizations linked with Gulf authorities, complaining and standing up to these policies? "Where are they going to put these people?" D.S. answered, "Look, it is wrong, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. It should be less restricted. But from their point of view, its security. They are worried that the Syrian regime somehow using refugees against them, perhaps by sending infiltrators. They are really defensive and watching out for this." "The may have a point, but ethically it's just wrong," he concluded. Repeated attempts by Al-Akhbar to seek comment from the UNHCR regional office in Riyadh on the cases of Syrians in the Gulf were not answered at the time of this writing. Furthermore, Al-Akhbar attempted to contact the Syrian National Coalition for comment on this issue. They have yet to reply at the time of this writing. Out of the other major Syrian opposition groups contacted to comment on the difficulties faced by Syrians in the Gulf, only the Local Coordinating Committee, which is based within Syria, responded. Below is their reply: "We are surprised that the Gulf States, which claim to support the Syrian Revolution, would restrict Syrians who are fleeing the Assad regime's brutality. We hope to be able to count on our supporters to demonstrate more willingness to support Syrian civilians both in terms of relief and in terms of temporary visas. The vast majority of Syrians who have been forced to flee are eager to come back home and begin rebuilding their country. We are grateful to those states that have hosted our people, and encourage Arab countries to do the same as we move forward during this very difficult period." Numbers of Syrians in the Gulf The exact number of Syrians living abroad has always been difficult to pin down, mainly because the Syrian government itself did not keep adequate records of them. However, a report by the Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration conducted by the European University Institute, conservatively estimates that 415,745 Syrians, or 1.9 percent of the total Syrian population, were living abroad as of 2010. The report notes that 28.9 percent, or around 120,000, of this total emigrant population are living and working in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia marked as the top destination for Syrians. These Syrian emigrants are almost split evenly in thirds between low (37.6 percent), medium (31.3 percent), and high (31.1 percent) education and thus are involved in a variety of blue and white collar jobs. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aad_1368504381 KedarPL Caught in a Bind: Syrians in the Gulf syria,refugees,syrians,war,conflict,assad,bashar al assad,gulf,home,return,money,fighting Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:57:43 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=97d_1367229096 Gorilla Biscuit STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 28 (UPI) -- An elderly couple have been charged with harassment for playing Iron Maiden songs at top volume toward their neighbors' home, Swedish police said. The couple was taking revenge on their new neighbors in the Stockholm area, who they said were too loud, Aftonbladet Daily reported Sunday. The 71-year-old woman, whose name was not reported, said the new neighbors were so loud, she had to take sleeping pills in order to sleep. "We wanted to give a taste of their own medicine," her 81-year-old husband said. The couple set up a music system on their balcony facing their neighbor's home, police said. The elderly couple allegedly played the music until as late as 4 a.m. throughout the winter, The Local.se reported. "The harassment has just carried on, I am completely broken down. How can I keep living here," the neighbors told police. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/04/28/Elderly-couple-blasts-Iron-Maiden-in-neighbor-revenge/UPI-30831367161558/#ixzz2RqQI60cN http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=97d_1367229096 Gorilla Biscuit <span class="highlight">Elderly</span> Couple Blasts Iron Maiden In Neighbor Revenge Iron Maide, Elderly Revenge