Gernot Rohr congratulates Madagascar on beating Nigeria

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Madagascar had never scored against Nigeria before much less beat Nigeria. Madagascar shocked Nigeria 2-0 to top their group at the ongoing AFCON 2019 in Egypt. Gernot Rohr's detractors will now have plenty of ammunition as to why the German tactician (who has never won anything on the African continent or elsewhere as a coach) should be fired, regardless of the outcome of this tournament. This was an embarrassing loss to a team almost 70 places below the Super Eagles in the FIFA rankings.
                         

Why a war with Iran would not be the best course of action for the United States

Image: Reuters

by Ted Galen Carpenter

Kenneth Adelman, a former assistant to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and a prominent figure in the U.S. foreign policy community, famously predicted in 2002 that a war to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would be a “cakewalk.” President Donald Trump apparently learned nothing from Adelman’s hubris and rosy optimism. Although he aborted a planned airstrike on Iran at the last minute, Trump later warned Iranian leaders that the military option was still very much on the table. He added that if the United States used force against Iran, Washington would not put boots on the ground but would wage the conflict entirely with America’s vast air and naval power. There was no doubt in his mind about the outcome. He asserted that such a war “wouldn’t last very long,” and that it would mean the “obliteration” of Iran.

But history is littered with examples of wars that political leaders and the general public erroneously believed would be quick and easy. When Abraham Lincoln opted to confront the secession of the Southern states with force, his initial troop request was merely for90-day enlistments. People in Washington, DC, were so confident that the Union army would crush the upstart rebels at the impending battle of Manassas that hundreds drove out in carriages to view the likely battlefield. They treated it like a spectator event, in some cases complete with picnic baskets. Four years later, more than 500,000 American soldiers were dead.

Leaders and populations in the major European capitals in 1914 exuded optimism that the new war would be over in a matter of months—with their side winning a glorious victory, of course. Once again, the situation did not turn out as planned. The projected quick and relatively bloodless conflict became a prolonged, horrific slaughter consuming millions of young lives, toppling established political systems in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia, and ushering in the plagues of fascism and communism. 

A common thread in the various blunders was the assumption that the initial phase of a conflict would be utterly decisive. That was Adelman’s error. Washington’s military encounter with Saddam’s forces was fairly close to being a cakewalk. The decrepit Iraqi army was no match for the U.S.-led invaders. When Saddam fell from power, President George W. Bush flew to a U.S. aircraft carrier that displayed a huge (later infamous) “Mission Accomplished” banner.

However, the initial military victory proved to be just the beginning of a giant headache for the United States. Within months, an insurgency arose against the U.S. occupation force, and political instability bordering on civil war plagued Iraq, paving the way for the rise of ISIS. At last count, more than 4,400 American troops have perished pursuing the Iraq mission, and the United States has spent well over a trillion dollars. Not exactly a cakewalk.

That is what makes President Trump’s cavalier attitude about a war with Iran so worrisome. He implicitly assumes that the United States has control over the twin processes of retaliation and escalation. U.S. officials made that same faulty assumption in Iraq—and decades earlier in Vietnam. But even adversaries that are inferior in terms of conventional military capabilities may have numerous options to wage asymmetric warfare. And that strategy can become a war of attrition that inflicts serious damage on the militarily superior United States.

Iran may be especially effective if it adopts that course. Indeed, just in the narrow military sense, Iranian capabilities are far from trivial. Retired Admiral James Stavridis notes that Iran has “exceptionally strong asymmetric warfare capability” in several areas. “Cyber [attacks], swarm small-boat tactics, diesel submarines, special forces and surface-to-surface cruise missiles are all high-level assets,” Stavridis stated. “They are also very experienced at employing them in the demanding environment of the Middle East.”

Beyond utilizing its direct military capabilities, Tehran might well call upon its network of Shia political and military allies in the Middle East to create havoc for the United States. Iran maintains very close ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon and several Shia militias in Iraq. The residual U.S. force deployed in the latter country could be especially vulnerable to harassment and lethal attacks. And one should not ignore or discount the potential role of the angry, oppressed Shia majority in Bahrain. If their seething discontent at the Sunni-controlled regime that Washington backs explodes into outright conflict, the Trump administration could find it increasingly difficult to continue basing the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

Going to war against Iran would be no minor matter, and President Trump is irresponsible to act in such a flippant manner. Attacking Iran could trigger a prolonged, costly nightmare in both treasure and blood. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a Democratic presidential candidate, likely is prophetic that a war against Iran would make the Iraq War look like a cakewalk. Tehran certainly has a multitude of ways to retaliate for U.S. aggression and to escalate the bilateral confrontation. U.S. leaders would be wise not to venture farther down that perilous path.

Source: The National Interest

Pamela Anderson's French boy-toy leaves her high and dry......

Pamela Anderson (L) and French soccer star Adil Rami

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Pamela Anderson has responded to ex-boyfriend Adil Rami's recent denial of infidelity with what she says is further proof that the French soccer player cheated on her.

Anderson, 51, wrote a lengthy blog post criticizing Rami's rebuttal as a "carefully worded response ... written either by his sister, lawyer or his current football team for damage control." 

The "Baywatch" alum publicly dumped Rami last week in an Instagram post calling him a "monster" and a "narcissist," alleging that she's worried for her safety.

Anderson also included what she says are letters written between herself and fashion company founder Sidonie Biémont, Rami's ex and the mother of his children, Zayn and Madi. The letters show Anderson reaching out in an attempt to become friendly with her. 

According to Biémont's response, she was "quite shocked and sad" to discover that Rami had lied about the beginning of his relationship with Anderson. She also alleged the two had kept up a relationship "as lovers" for nearly a year and a half after rumors arose that he and Anderson were dating, because he claimed the actress was just a friend. 

Biémont responded to the allegations Wednesday an Instagram post written in French, in which she admitted to being "deaf and blind" in her relationship with Rami.

"We hang on to everything, at the slightest sign, we interpret, we over-react, we leave room for the biggest lies," she wrote, according to an English translation. "When we are in love we want to believe more than anything, we dream that one day the family will be united, we think we were right to choose this person for half, we idealize ... We excuse, we forgive, we minimize. Then one day we see each other again, and we darken. I was very in love with Adil."

In a separate post, she said Rami "never subjected me to any physical violence and was never the hysteric or even the pathological jealousy currently described."

In an Instagram post Tuesday written in French and translated to English, Rami, 33, said he "deeply respects" Anderson and denied allegations that he had been living a "double life." 

"A break is never easy," Rami wrote. "As often in these situations, emotion can take over and let excessive things express itself. Pamela is a whole person, whom I deeply respect, who has convictions, who is sincere in her struggles, and for whom my love has always been sincere. That's what I want to remember."

Instead, he argued, he was trying to "preserve a lasting relationship" with his children and their mother, but admitted he could have been more transparent.

The athlete revealed the next day that he had been removed from his role as an ambassador for Solidarité Femmes, a French organization dedicated to helping female victims of violence. Anderson previously argued that he "should not be the face of protecting women from domestic violence, or protecting women at all." 

Rami said he respects the organization's decision, but is is "saddened" that Anderson used "lies about violence to hurt me. ... She knows that my commitment to the cause of violence against women is something that is really important to me." 

How Fulani vigilante will work in South East — Miyetti Allah Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari 

By Dennis Agbo

Chairman of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, in the South East zone, Alhaji Giddado Sadiq, in this interview culled from Vanguard speaks on how the proposed Fulani Vigilante will work in communities of the South-East, noting also that ranching is almost impossible in the zone because of limited land space.

What are the details of the proposed establishment of Fulani vigilante in south East?
The proposal is that wherever you chose to live, you have to make sacrifices and do what will bring peace in the area. If you read the newspapers you will see so much criticisms on the Fulani herdsmen, the Fulani in general or the northern extraction here in the South-East and so we have to do whatever is within our reach to redeem this name. There is no race that does not have criminals among them. It is not good to say that everybody from the race is a criminal. That is why we want to come out to work with the people that we know.

The Fulani herdsmen here in the South-East or any other place are looking for greener pastures to raise their cattle. They are not here to bring about violence or to make troubles. So that is why we want to redeem the name and for people to see us as peace loving people. This vigilante we are talking about, we did not say that they are going to work on their own but they will be under the supervision of their host or under the supervision of the Fulani.

How will the Fulani vigilante work with their hosts when they leave in the bush?

Most of the clashes we are having between farmers and herders are about the destruction of crops or killing of cattle. If we have a task force or vigilante from our own Fulani side, whenever a report is made to me as a leader, like in a recent report made to me at Uzo-Uwani, which I assigned four boys to go and assess that destruction, value the destruction and make sure that the owners of the cattle pay compensation to the farmer. This thing cannot be done with only Fulani, at least the host will be there, the governor’s aide will be there with the Fulani, they will go and assess, after assessing they will know the Fulani that is responsible for that destruction. This is how they can work. Whenever there is a report of anything, these people will go. If the person responsible is from our side, they will know.

Does it mean that the Fulani vigilante boys will join the community vigilante to work together?

That is what I mean.

Do you mean they will together become guards at night and in daytime in the communities?

The Fulani vigilante is inside the bush and any fault that is attributed to the Fulani, it is that time that those people will be invited and they will guide the vigilante of the locals on what to do. If it is their own people, they know how to get them; if it is destruction of farm they will join hands to make sure there is sanity in that area.

Will the Fulani vigilante be restricted to the bushes?

Their work is for the Fulani, they cannot guard the locals, they cannot arrest an Igboman, they cannot molest any woman because the host community has its own vigilante. These people are working with the Fulani. First of all, what they will be doing is to identify the Fulani that enter into the South-East, if they spot the bad ones, they will be told to go back, if they are good, we stay with them. They will work hand-in-hand with their host communities.

How will you address the fear that people already have about Fulani and criminality?

In all the tribes, you have the good and the bad ones. It is not fair to say that all Fulani are criminals. I want to assure you that the Fulani are here for greener pastures, they are not here to fight or to rape or rob and in all these accusations, the Fulanis are suffering more than any other person. They are kidnapped, raped and killed. You won’t believe it if I tell you the number of Fulani that have been killed in the South-East, it is just that we don’t make noise about it so that it will not bring more troubles. We don’t talk about our predicament but the Fulani are suffering more than any other person.

Will the proposed Fulani vigilante carry arms?

The vigilante will be approved by the authority first. If the government approves that they carry weapons, fine! If not they will not carry arms. The weapon that Fulani have is their cutlass and sticks.

As a leader of Miyetti-Allah,   have you ever caught any Fulani engaged in criminality?

This is a security matter. If you go to the office of the security agencies you will find out whether we do that or not. But when we suspect anybody we first ask the person the reason for his coming. The Miyetti-Allah has that instruction in the South-East, if such a person does not give convincing answer we hand him over to the police.

How has the Fulani vigilante been working in Enugu State as MACBAN said at the South-East security summit?

In Enugu State now, if I receive a report as a zonal chairman that cattle entered any farm, before the next day the matter will be resolved because of the boys we are working with. I told you earlier that we sent four boys to one community in Uzo-Uwani; our boys work 24 hours to ensure that there is peace between us and our host.

What is your reaction to claims that a helicopter dropped arms for herdsmen inside a forest in Enugu State?

All these rumors are what have been causing problems every where. Does a Fulani man use jet? In every society, there are those that don’t like peace and make sure they sabotage peace. The government of Enugu State is trying. Those who make those rumors don’t like what the governor is doing. All these are rumors and lies. Are you saying the security operatives will be watching such planes go up and come down? It is not true.

There are fears that that the herdsmen want to use the N100 billion offered by the Federal Government to execute the vigilante project?

The least people that benefit from government are the Fulani. The farmers benefit more than the cattle breeders. Every year they give farmers fertilizers, they give them chemicals to farm but there is no single thing for the Fulani man. Nobody is vaccinating the cattle, no loan. We have so many people that are suffering, who have lost their cattle in this farmers and herdsmen crisis but do you know that a Fulani man cannot be compensated and it’s just about 35 percent of Fulani that have cows, the rest 65 percent have no single cow. There is no empowerment for them and now people are saying they want to give Fulani N100 billion and I just hear these things in the media. If any money was given to us, I think that I should know as a zonal chairman so that I can collect the one for South-East. I want people to discountenance all these fabricated rumors against herdsmen.

Source: News Express

Amaju Pinnick's checkered history leads to new colonialism via FIFA

Gianni Infantino - Source (Reuters: Arnd Wiegmann)

By Eromo Egbejule

FIFA has appointed its secretary general Fatma Samoura as 'FIFA General Delegate for Africa' in a bid to improve football governance on the continent.

The biennial Africa Cup of Nations is currently under way in Egypt and the 24 competing nations have got down to the business of playing thrilling football, taking their destiny in their hands. The arrest of Ahmad Ahmad, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in Paris earlier this month in a corruption-related matter, seems like a distant past.

In the boardroom, however, what has been swept under the table since the embarrassing episode is the autonomy of African football.

Amaju Pinnick, chair of the Nigeria Football Federation and Ahmad’s first vice-president, was next in line to preside over the CAF, but has now been side-stepped by FIFA.

The world governing body has taken the novel step of appointing FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura, the world’s most powerful woman in football, to supervise the affairs of the CAF.

Senegalese-born Samoura, an astute administrator with decades of experience at the United Nations, has been handed the unusual title of FIFA General Delegate for Africa and will run the CAF from August till early next year. The time frame is subject to a six-month extension, at the discretion of FIFA.

In that period FIFA, through Samoura, will conduct a forensic audit that could throw up some more scandals. That is in itself a joke as the current Gianni Infantino led FIFA is itself in need of an even more stringent forensic audit. 

Insiders have suggested that some on the FIFA board are eager to get rid of Samoura because of her outspoken and uncompromising disposition, with Amaju Pinnick, a trusted and utterly corrupt lackey, being touted as a possible replacement for her. 

Amaju Pinnick, who came through the ranks as sports chief in his native Delta State, also has some corruption allegations to face in the Nigerian courts, including presiding over one of the most corrupt and utterly inept NFF boards in the history of Nigerian football. 

To further underscore what may be Zürich’s deep-seated distrust for Pinnick and the rest of Ahmad’s lieutenants in Cairo, FIFA also suspended payments to the CAF two days ago. The New York Times reports that the withholding of funds may have been a necessary move in getting the the CAF hierarchy to agree to let Samoura take control on the eve of the Africa Cup.

Analysts are saying that the move is an indictment of the African body’s leadership and is a welcome decision to stay a rudderless ship with a greedy captain and crew.

“The clear inference of this decision is that CAF is unable to handle its own affairs and solve its own problems, and that we have to seek the assistance of the master – often outside Africa – to help us clean our mess,” wrote South African daily City Press, in a stinging editorial.

Nigerian journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, writing for Al-Jazeera, revealed that Ahmad had also bankrolled the hajj pilgrimage journeys of a number of African football association heads. “CAF’s unwillingness to honor its own rules and laid-down procedures undermines its credibility as a governing body,” he added.

Disgraced former FIFA executive Sepp Blatter called Samoura’s appointment “new colonialism”, while UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin said the European football body did not approve of FIFA’s decision.

Editor's Comment: FIFA has no business appointing a so-called "General Delegate" for Africa and the acquiescence of Ahmad and Pinnick to this extraordinary and illegal move is extremely worrisome. It further speaks to the inordinate ambition of African leaders and their willingness to sell their own for the proverbial "sit at the master's table". 

'I pick my players by their penis size', says German woman coach of male team

Imke Wubbenhorst - Coach of a male German soccer team

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German coach Imke Wubbenhorst had the perfect answer to a sexist question asked by a journalist. She responded sarcastically that she selects her team’s list based on the penis size of the players.

Imke Wubbenhorst, who is the first female to coach a male team in Germany’s fifth tier side BV Cloppenburg, said this while responding to questions from journalists.

She told a German TV Welt how one journalist had asked her whether she warned players to put their pants on when she entered the dressing room.

“Of course not, I’m a professional,” she responded, sarcastically. “I pick my players based on their penis size,” Wubbenhorst said.

Wubbenhorst, who is a former German youth international, is not the first female coach to face condescending or sexist questions.

When former Sweden women’s team manager Pia Sundhage was asked in 2014 whether a woman was able to coach a men’s team, she replied: “Well [German chancellor] Angela Merkel runs a whole country.”

Sundhage had already won two Olympic golds as manager of the United States.

Fortunately, Cloppenburg’s owners are more forward thinking, saying “We only looked at quality.”

“It was an easy decision to let go of gender in the evaluation process,” said board member Herbert Schroder.

Wubbenhorst, 30, had been in charge of Cloppenburg’s women’s team but the club decided she would be better placed helping the relegation-threatened men’s side.

Cloppenburg currently sits bottom of the league.

Source: The Guardian

Typical English hypocrisy: England boss Phil Neville 'ashamed' by Cameroon behavior

Cameroon vs England - Source (Yahoo Sports)

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England boss Phil Neville said he was "ashamed" by Cameroon's behavior after a World Cup last-16 victory he said "didn't feel like football".

The English women booked a quarter-final spot after securing a controversial 3-0 win against Cameroon.

But the game was marred by Cameroon's extraordinary reaction to two video assistant referee decisions and several poor challenges on England's players.

"I am completely and utterly ashamed of the opposition," Neville said.

• 'Very entertaining but for the wrong reasons' - the game that had everything

"When I started in management, I think it was Arsene Wenger that told me: The team mirror the manager.

"If that was my team - and it will never be any of my players - they would never play for England again, with that kind of behavior.

"At times, we probably didn't know whether the game would continue.

"It didn't feel like football. It was a good win but that wasn't a World Cup last-16 tie in terms of behavior that I want to see from footballers.

"This is going out worldwide. I didn't enjoy it, the players didn't enjoy it. My players kept their concentration fantastically, but those images are going out worldwide about how to act, the young girls playing all over the world that are seeing that behavior. For me, it's not right.

"My daughter wants to be a footballer and if she watches that she will think: 'No, I want to play netball.'"

Editor's Commentary: One wonders what Phil would have said or done if the tables were turned. As for his daughter choosing to play netball "because of the actions of the Cameroon players", that would actually be a better option if genealogy traits were considered, as her father was a terrible football player. And people wonder why no one ever wants the English to win anything.