Brothers behind recent Paris attack smuggled through Oman

Just a quickie, international news is reporting that the brothers behind the 'Charlie' Paris attack were smuggled through Oman in 2011 to Yemen for a fortnight of 'training'.

These two brothers arrived in Oman on July 25, 2011, and from Oman they were smuggled into Yemen where they stayed for two weeks," a senior Yemeni security official, who declined to be named, said.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/11/france-shooting-yemen-idINKBN0KK0GY20150111

Here's a cool video (unrelated to the above) about to Europeans travelling through Yemen from part of the show 'maadventures'. They use camels to avoid check points and travel out into the desert,,,,,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qtOzftzDo8

Tribal Strife Down in Salalah

This is a few days old, but a couple of tribes in Salalah had a new year's 'gun brawl' to work out some issues over ¿land plots?. Several people were said to have been injured.

Oman has blocked the website of the Editor & Chief of Yahoo Travel

Blocking the editor-and-chief of Yahoo Travel may not be the best move for a country trying to promote tourism. ....

Source: Twiiter

Source: Web photos Paula Froelich - Informational purposes only

Ms Froelich wearing traditional mask

Her bio from the blocked website:

'Armed with a quick wit, unique voice and award-winning journalistic chops, Paula Froelich became the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Travel in April of 2013 after a stint as a senior writer at Newsweek and four years as a freelance journalist writing about politics, travel and pop culture. Her unique vision for the page has turned it into a must-read destination for anyone interested in being inspired, entertained, and motivated to engage the world and suck the marrow out of life.  In six short months Yahoo Travel went from primarily a booking site to the largest travel content site in the world.
 Her new video series, A Broad Abroad, is one of the first female-hosted travel adventure series of its kind. In it Paula invites viewers to explore the unknown and discover the unexpected in both familiar and exotic locales around the world. Her motto: Be Adventurous. Be Bold. Be Brave. Reclaim Yourself.
Paula is a New York Times best-selling author of the novel, Mercury In Retrograde. From 1999-2009, she was the Deputy Editor of the New York Post’s highly influential gossip column, “Page Six.” During her tenure she was seen by millions of viewers as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and The Insider and appeared as a guest on The View, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Today Show and Good Morning America.'

Ba Boom ! Old bomb from Jebel Akhdar was found and set off today

In Al Ainah, Jebel Akhdar a bomb was found on a property, Apparently, it's was a remnant from the 1950s during the Jebal Akhdar war. It appears that Oman forces were on the scene.

French woman, two Omanis held for Quran desecration in Sohar

 Shocking and surreal photo. French woman rubbing the Holy Quran on her feet
 during Ramadan in Sohar, Oman.

A French woman was arrested yesterday for desecrating the Holy Quran at Al Yahmadi mosque in Hambar area of the wilayat of Sohar.

After tearing the pages from the Holy Quran, the woman rubbed them on her foot. Sources said the woman’s foot was paining and she was advised by two citizens to rub the Holy Quran pages for one hour for relief. One of the citizens took some snaps of her while she was rubbing the Holy Quran on her foot.

Rather than blaming the French women, residents have accused the two citizens for their ‘mischief’. They were arrested for their act during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The investigation by Sohar police yesterday revealed that the French woman was suffering from some psychological disorder. She was crying and laughing at the same time during interrogation.

She also went to one of the exchange houses in Sohar on Saturday for sending OMR1 to her country. Meanwhile, the residents of Hambar area have denounced the incident in the Holy Month.  The woman and the two citizens are in custody for further investigation.

The woman refused to talk to the police and insisted the presence of a lawyer during interrogation. The French woman will be taken to one of the mental hospitals to make sure weather she is mentally sound or not.

Protest breaks out in front of Opera House in Muscat and in Sohar

A protest broke out in front of the royal Opera House tonight. At about 9:30 pm around 50 to 100 Omanis had gathered from what I saw from the car window.  A large organized police presence was felt and doing the best they could directing traffic on SQ Highway despite the gawking of those driving by.  It was said the number of demonstrators increased to several hundred by midnight and that some people from the ever busy the Jawharet complex had walked over and joined in.  

Demonstrators were voicing their outrage in regard to the Jason Moran concert held at the Royal Opera House at the end of February in which a member of the music group recited a few suras from the Holy Quran which is not considered religiously suitable.  The outrage has been festering in online forums and the like for the last week. The Royal Opera House has since issued a statement of apology. And, it seems no offense was intended by Mr. Moran or by members of his group. The Royal Opera House Muscat opened in 2011. It is an exquisite complex in the Qurum area.    

 Later, it was relayed  that people in Sohar were protesting also, but I did not see it and cannot comment. It is illegal to gather in groups of more than ten with out prior permission  in Oman as far as I know, and several Omanis are serving time for participating in such 'meet-ups' as reported by the media. However,   people here are gathering for the reason of upholding religious values.  Omani opinions vary on the issue.

   . 

Source: Sablat Oman

Municipal Council Elections Oman

The first ever Municipal Council Elections in Oman will be held soon (scheduled for December 22, 2012). These elections are to create an elected council on the wiliyat level that will be involved with development and service projects. Wilayats are smaller regions within larger governorates (mohfada) areas in Oman. For a complete list of governorates, wilayats and cooresponding number of Council members, please see end of post. 

  Highlights

• Royal Decree No. 116/2011 set out the requirements for the elections.
• Candidates could self-nominate between May 9, 2012 and (the extended deadline) June 6, 2012.
•  Open to all Omani citizens. All candidates must be over 30 years old.
•  Members of the Shura council and government employees are barred.
•  Number of elected members is based on population in units of 30,000.
•  There are around 546,000 (roughly 20% of the population) valid voter registrations in Oman.
• Interestingly, a relatively large number of candidates self-nominated; in Nizwa there are a reported 59 candidates, in Ibri 60 and 1636 in total (49 or nearly 3% women).
•  The Wali (mayor) from each wilayat recently met with the candidates.
• Candidacy exposure and news of the election has been quiet thus far; however, one can find posters of candidates around towns and positioned at roundabouts. Government banners introducing the elections have been spotted along major roadways.
• Election hotline number: +968-2468-6777 

'Municipal Council Community Partnership'

Local Candidate

Possible Drawbacks  

• Tribes: Some are concerned people may vote along tribal alliances. 
• Goats for Votes: Others worry that votes might be bought even though there are laws in place with penalties to deter such behaviour.  

List of Governorates & Wilayates   

1-:Muscat Governorate (number of council members)

The wilayat of Muscat (2), the wilayat of Muttrah (4), the wilayat of Al A’mirat (4), the wilayat of Baushar (6), the wilayat of A’Seeb (6) and the wilayat of Quriyat (4). ( Total 26 persons)

2-Dhofar Governorate:

The wilayat of Salalah (6), the wilayat of Taqah (2), the wilayat of Mirbat (2), the wilayat of Rakhyut (2), the wilayat of Thumrait(2), the wilayat of Dhalkut (2), the wilayat of Al Mazyounah (2), the wilayat of Maqshan (2), the wilayat of Shaleem and Halaniyat Islands(2) and the wilayat of Sadah (2). (Total 24 persons).

3-Musandam Governorate: 

The wilayat of Khasab (2), the wilayat of Diba (2), the wilayat of Bukha (2) and the wilayat of Madha (2). (Total 8 persons).

4-Al Buraimi Governorate:

The wilayat of Al Buraimi (4), the wilayat of Madha (2) and the wilayat of Al Sinainah (2). (Total 8 persons).

5-A’Dakhiliyah Governorate:

The wilayat of Nizwa (6), the wilayat of Bahla (4), the wilayat of Manah (2), the wilayat of Al Hamra (2), the wilayat of Adam (2), the wilayat of Izki (4), the wilayat of Sumail (4) and the wilayat of Bidbid (2). (Total 26 persons).

6-North Al Batinah Governorate:

The wilayat of Sohar (6), the wilayat of Shinas (4), the wilayat of Liwa (2), the wilayat of Saham (6), the wilayat of Al Khabourah (4) and the wilayat of A’Suwaiq (6). (Total 28 persons).

7-South Al Batinah Governorate:

The wilayat of A’Rustaq (6), the wilayat of Al Awabi (2), the wilayat of Nakhal (2), the wilayat of Wadi Al Ma’awil (2), the wilayat of Barka (6) and the wilayat of Al Mesana’ah (4). (Total 22 persons).

8-South A’Sharqiyah Governorate:

The wilayat of Sur (6), the wilayat of Al Kamil & Al Wafi (2), the wilayat of Ja’alan Bani Bu Hassan (2), the wilayat of Ja’alan Bani Bu Ali (4) and the wilayat of Masirah (2). (Total 16 persons).

9-North A’Sharqiyah Governorate:

The wilayat of Ibra (2), the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi (6), the wilayat of Bidiyah (2), the wilayat of Al Qabil (2), the wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid (2) and the wilayat of Dema & Tayeen (2).( Total 16 persons).

10-A’Dhahirah Governorate: 

The wilayat of Ibri (6), the wilayat of Yanqul (2) and the wilayat of Dhank (2). (Total 10).

11-Al Wusta Governorate: 

The wilayat of Haima (2), the wilayat of Mahout (2), the wilayat of A’Duqm (2) and the wilayat of Al Jazir (2). (Total 8 persons). 

(www.omanet.om) 

Website Popularity Rankings Oman: English blogs higher than newspapers & Ministry of Tourism

Popularity Rankings in Oman of websites listed by category based on Alexa data. Forums about society, politics and football are extremely popular. The Ministry of Education is the most popular government sponsored website. Egyptian and foreign news outlets are more popular than Omani ones. And, certain English blogs have a higher popularity ranking than major newspapers (including the Oman Observer), the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Tourism.  Downloading and file sharing also ranks high. I have not included all sites or search engines in the rankings below.

Government Sites
14 - Ministry of Education - moe.gov.om
21 - Ministry of Education Forum - forum.moe.gov.om/~moeoman 
30 - Higher Education Admission Center - heac.gov.om 
31 - Sultan Qaboos University - squ.edu.om 
77 - Manpower - manpower.gov.om
121 - ROP - Royal Oman Police 
181 - Muscat Securities - msm.gov.om 
237 - General Directorate of Traffic - traffic.gov.om 
737 - Ministry of Information Oman - omanet.om
1127 - Ministry Of Tourism - www.omantourism.gov.om/ 

Forums / Blogs / Hobbies
2 - Facebook
5 - Sablat Oman - s-oman.net - Global rank 3,059: Popular online forum all about Omani society
8 - Kooora - kooora.com - All about Arab football
17 - Censored Blocked Page Template - block.om 
20 - Hi Kora - hihi2.com - For those interested in Arab football 
28 - Omaniaa - omaniaa.net - Popular forum about politics, economy and society
37 - لبرزة العربية ALBRZH ALARABYA - albrzh.net  - General Arab forum; jobs... 
45 - Cool Binat -  cooolgirls.com
52 - Goal.com - goal.com - 'Provides soccer news and entertainment'
55 - ظفار المجد Dhofari Almajad - dhofari.com - Local forum on affairs of Dhofar region
108 - alharah2.net - Omani forum
199 - London Olympic 2012 - london2012.org 
570 - Muscat Mutterings - muscatmutterings.com, English blog on Oman
812 - AndyinOman .com - Expat teacher's blog about Oman; nicely done with lots of photos and descriptions

Shopping/Auctions

40 - Ebay - ebay.com 

48 - Apple Inc.- apple.com 
51- Amazon 

Service Providers / Banks
47 - Mazook -  Mozook is the number one mobile service provider in the Middle East and CIS region.
90 - Omantel - omantel.om - Phone service provider
92 - Bank Muscat - bankmuscatonline.com
99 - Oman Air - omanair.com 
106 - Booking.com 
120 - Nawras - nawras.om - Phone service provider Oman
1132 - Friendi Mobile - www.friendimobile.om 

Media
26 - MBC - mbc.net 
42 - Masrawy, Egyption portal and news site - masrawy.com
50 - Oman Daily - omandaily.om 
61 - Al Jazeera News - aljazeera.net 

74 - Al Arabiya News Channel - alarabiya.net, Arabic Language news station

81 - '7 Days' - youm7.com - Egyptian news site 

95 - Al Watan - watan.com - 'The largest Arab American Newspaper'

98 - Al Watan (Omani) - alwatan.com - 'Voice of Oman to the World'

101 - BBC Online - bbc.co.uk 

135 - India Times - indiatimes.com 

155 - Shabiba Newspaper - shabiba.com; Local Omani paper 

158 - Oman News - omannews.gov.om 

176 - Azzamn (Time) News - azzamn.org - Omani local news

232 - Quds Al-Arabi - alquds.co.uk - Arabic daily political newspaper published in Britain

255 - Gulf News - gulfnews.com 

295 - Times of Oman - timesofoman.com
322 - Muscat Daily 
1047 - Oman Tribune - www.omantribune.com 
1251 - Oman Observor - www.omanobserver.com

Downloads / Shareware
25 - My Egy - myegy.com - Place to download games, films and Arab movies
33 -  GulfUp | Free Files Sharing Site :) - gulfup.com 
49 - Arab Seed - arabseed.com - Watch or download Arabic movies, TV shows, music,  games

Other
274 - PDO

Pirates of the Arabian Sea

Check out the markers on the map below indicating actual (in red) and attempted (in yellow) pirate attacks off the coast of Oman in 2012. Oman is in a high risk zone of pirate activity.

2012 Attacks: Source: http://www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/live-piracy-map/

Samho Jewelry in Port Sultan Qaboos

The map above shows all piracy and armed robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during 2012. One may note a fair share of vessels have been attacked off the Omani coast.

Last year, South Korean press took over the Muttrah Cornish internet cafe by giving the owner a 'gratuity' to stay open during the afternoon 'siesta' period in order to report on the successful military operation of the South Korea navy to retake and rescue the hostages of the Korean ship Samho Jewelry. The ship was docked in the Muttrah port near Muscat after being saved. 

'In most incidents as soon as the pirates / armed robbers know that they have been spotted or feel the vessel has been secured and is a difficult target they will abandon the attack. However Somali and Nigerian pirates tend to be more aggressive in their attacks and hence additional precautions have to be taken.'

Most attacks in the Arabian Sea are perpetrated by Somali pirates and any ship seems to be prey from large oil tankers to fishermen navigating traditional dhow. To deal with pirates attacks, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has put together a bulletin of guidance on preventing and suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships. 

Dhow hijacked off the cost of Oman Jun 20 / 2012.
NATO rescue ship in background

According to the Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy bulletin, one of the most effect measures against being boarded is maintaining a nautical speed of 18 knots (which converts to about 32 km land speed) or above despite having machine gun fired or grenades flung on board to slow you down. Another is to hire private security contractor as no ship with hired 'security' has been successfully hijacked so far. Of course, being vigilant and fortifying the ship also helps. Basically, being boarded is bad and anything done to prevent that is helpful in thwarting an attack. 

'The average length of a hijacking of vessel and her crew is over 7 months.'

The motivation of the pirates is mainly money as there is often a ransom demand, but other motivations could be for revenge or pride. Some pirate groups calls themselves the Somali Coast Guard formed by fishermen touting the rational that they were protecting their seas from toxic waste being dumped in their waters by 'greedy' companies looking to dump cheaply and from over fishing of their waters by poachers.

Collecting ransoms may be seen as a form of remuneration for the pirates from being shafted in regard to their natural resources. This reasoning does not 'hold water' for some on the brutal attacks on private yachtsmen and their families including children. It is reported the pirates enjoy local support and encouragement from a majority of fellow Somalians. The pirate groups are known to coordinate and share in the booty. Pirating is a low overhead but high return endeavour for the Somali young men.

To engage in a 'pirate' attack it must be done in international waters; if perpetrated in a countries territorial waters, it is considered theft of a ship in addition to any other crimes which would have taken place during the attack.

More: 
IMO Reporting Centre: http://www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre
Modern Day Pirates Tales / Blog: http://piratebook.blogspot.com/
The Pirates of Somalia / Book: http://jaybahadur.blogspot.com/

Some news articles relating to attacks near Oman:

April 7 / 2012 MERCHANT VESSEL ATTACKED BY PIRATES OFF AL ASHKARAH

nov 11 / 2011 PIRATE ATTACK ON TANKER FOILED OFF SALALAH COAST

jun 23 / 2012 PIRATES SHOOT AT LNG TANKER OFF OMAN COAST

Jan 22 / 2012 TANKER ESCAPES PIRATE ATTACK OFF MUSCAT

Dec 11 / 2011 PIRATE ATTACK ON TWO VESSELS REPULSED

dec 27 / 2011 PIRATES HIJACK ITALIAN SHIP WITH 18 ON BOARD OFF OMAN

OCt 5 / 2011 MV DOVER DOCKS IN SALALAH FOLLOWING ITS RELEASE

Source BPM4 guide: Barbwire fortification to deter pirates

Source BPM4 guide: Water hosing to deter pirates

Pirate boats 'skiffs' 

Military boarding 

LNG tanker shot at by pirates

Article101 - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982

Definition of piracy
Piracy consists of any of the following acts:
(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:
(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;
(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;
(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;
(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b).

Omani Duwar, Two Well-Known Roundabouts Razed Recently

The Omani road system uses roundabouts over traffic signals for the majority. Along Sultan Qaboos Highway roundabouts are seen as decorative landmarks adding artistic interest to the roadway. 

Recently, two iconic roundabouts the Sohar Globe (RIP Jul 6/2012) and Wadi Kabir Bakhoor (Mejmar) circles were reported razed in order to make way for 'fly-overs' to ease traffic. Instead of destroying these well-known icons, why not move them into a park out in the desert such as done in Szoborpark (Memento Park) outside Budapest where all the old statutes are now displayed.

More info@:

Globe Roundabout to be History

www.timesofoman.com/echoice.aspx?detail=7785

'Demolition of Mijmar roundabout brought sad news'

www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Oman/Demolition-of-Wadi-Kabir-Mijmar-roundabout-sad-news-for-many

'I lived in Sohar when we had the Globe Roundabout'

www.facebook.com/ILivedInSoharWhenWeHadTheGlobeRoundabout

Before: Wadi Kabir Roundabout in Muscat

After: Wadi Kabir roundabout 'Sans' Bakhoor Decoration - May 2012

Spring 2011: Sohar Globe Roundabout

'Sans' Globe'

July 2012: Source:  www.facebook.com/ILivedInSoharWhenWeHadTheGlobeRoundabout

www.facebook.com/ILivedInSoharWhenWeHadTheGlobeRoundabout