Critical Observer

Crane Collapses at Grand Mosque of Mecca Kills 107 People

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At least 87 people died and 184 more were injured when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the Saudi Interior Ministry said on Friday.<br />
The Kingdom’s General Directorate of Civil Defense blamed the accident on severe storms, according to its official Twitter.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i style="background-color: #e69138;">UPDATE: The latest numbers put the death toll at 107 as of 9/12/2015 .. Latest reports also show crane was owned by the Bin Laden family.</i></b></span><br />
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The governor of the Makkah region, the capital of which is Mecca,  Khalid al-Faisal has ordered the launch of an investigation into the causes of the accident.<br />
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The tragedy comes ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage which is due later this month. Millions of Muslims from around the world will converge on the holy city between September 21-26.<br />
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Photos taken from the scene and posted on social media show bodies lying in blood on the mosque’s floor surrounded by construction rubble and metal parts of the crane.<br />
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The project to expand the mosque was launched in 2011 by late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Earlier in 2015, King Salman bin Abdulaziz added five construction projects as part of the mosque’s expansion aiming to accommodate more than 1.6 million worshippers.<br />
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The projects cover 1.47 million square meters and include the construction of 78 new gates at ground level, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The project and is being carried out by the Saudi Binladin Group at an estimated cost of US$26.6 billion, according to local press.<br />
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The Grand Mosque, or Sacred Mosque, surrounds the Kaaba – the most sacred site in Islam. The cuboid structure made of granite located in the mosque’s center is often called the House of Allah.<br />
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The Kaaba is the place of the Hajj – the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five Pillars of Islam. It is mandatory of all Muslims physically and financially capable to carry out the journey at least once in a lifetime. The period of Hajj in Mecca is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of people in the world.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e69138;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Thoughts: Was this a message for them from an angry Allah about what is going on in the middle east and the role of Saudi Arabia in that mess? Rhetorical question of course. I dont actually think that it was Allah but the coincidence is surely interesting.</span></b></i></span><br />
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Crane Collapses at Grand Mosque of Mecca Kills 107 People

At least 87 people died and 184 more were injured when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage...

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CLAIM: Saudis intercepted SCUD missile fired by Yemeni rebels

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SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi Arabia said its military "intercepted and destroyed" a Scud missile fired across the border by Yemeni rebels early Wednesday. The Saudi military destroyed the missile's launch pad inside Yemen, Saudi's official news agency said. It said the missile was in the Jizan region in southern Saudi Arabia when it was intercepted.</div>
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The Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, said in a statement the missile hit a power plant in Jizan.</div>
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Yemen's conflict pits the Shiite Houthi rebels and troops loyal to a former president against an array of forces including southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni Islamic militants as well as troops loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.</div>
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The Iran-supported Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, last September, and in March a Saudi-led coalition started launching airstrikes against them</div>
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A high-ranking Saudi general was killed Sunday in Jizan by hostile fire. Several dozen Saudi soldiers have been killed in border attacks since the airstrikes began, mostly by missiles launched by the rebels and their allies.</div>
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The Saudi-led coalition meanwhile bombed several locations in Sanaa and in the central Marib province on Wednesday, according to tribal officials and security officials on both sides of the conflict.</div>
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Ground clashes were underway in Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, according to independent security officials, and in the town of Mukayris in the Bayda province, according to witnesses, independent security officials and the Houthis. The rebels said the coalition bombed areas in the northern provinces of Saada and Hajjah, and the western coastal Hodeida province.</div>
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All officials requested anonymity because they are not authorized to brief reporters.</div>

CLAIM: Saudis intercepted SCUD missile fired by Yemeni rebels

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi Arabia said its military "intercepted and destroyed" a Scud missile fired across the border by Yemeni...

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Yemen officials say al-Qaida seizes key areas of Aden

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SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida militants have seized control of key areas in and around Yemen's port city of Aden, high-ranking security officials said Saturday, a major gain for the group which has been making inroads amid the chaos of the country's civil war.</div>
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The move, part of a weekslong expansion in Aden in the wake of major fighting there between Shiite rebels known as Houthis and pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, shows how the organization still holds formidable clout despite its relatively low-profile role in the country's raging civil war.</div>
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Fighters took Tawahi district, home to a presidential palace and Aden's main port, and were patrolling the streets, some carrying black banners, the officials said. The militants also took parts of Crater, Aden's commercial center, and parts of Dar Saad town, just north of Aden, including an army base that their fighters turned into a training camp, they added.</div>
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Security officials near the seized base, in Dar Saad's al-Lohoum district, said it is now training some 200 militants. The officials, who hail from the military, security forces and police, all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to journalists.</div>
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Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi, now based in Saudi Arabia, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.</div>
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Original Article: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150822/ml--yemen-e611ea9ee3.html</div>

Yemen officials say al-Qaida seizes key areas of Aden

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida militants have seized control of key areas in and around Yemen's port city of Aden, high-ranking secur...

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