AIMPLB Member Appeals to Imams to Spread Awareness against Dowry after Death of Ayesha Arif Khan
New
Age Islam News Bureau
05
March 2021
Ayesha Arif Khan
------
•
Still Making the Case for Islam and Democracy in a Tunisia Battered By Crises –
Ennahda Chief
•
Khashoggi's Fiancée Denounces Lack of Action against Saudi Crown Prince over
Journalist’s Murder
•
US Condemns Infiltration across LoC, Supports Dialogue between India, Pakistan
•
Teenagers Are Being Recruited To Islamist Terror Groups in 'Worrying' Numbers
during
•
Seven People of Hazara Ethnic Group Brutally Killed in Afghanistan’s Restive
East
•
Formation of Special Body Proposed To Resolve Shariah-Civil Law Overlap, Says
Muslim Lawyers Association President
•
Iran Welcomes Europe's Move to Scrap US-Backed Draft Resolution at IAEA
India
•
Death of Ayesha Arif Khan - AIMPLB Member Appeals to Imams to Spread Awareness
against Dowry
•
How Scramble for Muslim Votes In Bengal May Help BJP In Assembly Polls
•
10 nominations filed for 8 posts of Sunni board
•
Muslim Ministers Should Resign over Maharashtra CM’s Remarks: Abu Asim Azmi
•
461 bullets, 4,000 tear gas shells used by cops to quell Delhi riots
--------
Africa
•
Still Making the Case for Islam and Democracy in a Tunisia Battered By Crises –
Ennahda Chief
•
Six Dead in Jihadist Attacks in Northeast Nigeria: Aid Groups
•
Suspected Islamists kill 8 in attack on northeast Congo village market
•
Morocco sees Sahel jihadists as magnet for local cells
--------
Arab World
•
Khashoggi's Fiancée Denounces Lack of Action against Saudi Crown Prince over
Journalist’s Murder
•
Rebuilding Efforts Continue in Syria’s Former IS Stronghold
•
Bahrain’s Plan to Form Anti-Iran Alliance with Israel Is Betrayal: Wefaq
•
Iraqi resistance groups announce confrontation with US occupiers until
liberation
•
Lebanon’s central bank governor may be sanctioned by US: Report
•
Grocery shoppers fight over basic commodities as Lebanon stares into the abyss
•
Arab Coalition destroys Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Saudi Arabia’s
Jazan
--------
North America
•
US Condemns Infiltration across LoC, Supports Dialogue between India, Pakistan
•
US, UK spy agencies snooping on Middle East via Red Sea cables: Report
•
US, at UN, accuses Russia of blocking 'accountability' on Syria chem weapons
•
US VP Harris assures Israel’s Netanyahu of ‘unwavering commitment’ amid Iran
standoff
•
US ‘firmly opposes’ ICC probe of Israeli crimes against Palestinians
•
Zion man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to assist ISIS
--------
Europe
•
Teenagers Are Being Recruited To Islamist Terror Groups in 'Worrying' Numbers
during Lockdown, Warns UK Foreign Secretary
•
Germany Places Far-Right AfD Party under Surveillance for Extremism
•
UK Prisons Must Not Become ‘Terrorist Training Grounds’ As Sentences Increased,
Government Warned
•
Pope Francis departs Rome for risky, historic Iraq tour
•
France bans far-right group Generation Identity
------
South Asia
•
Seven People of Hazara Ethnic Group Brutally Killed in Afghanistan’s Restive
East
•
Tripura Christians Angry Over Church Demolition in Bangladesh
•
Sweden attacker identified as ‘Afghan asylum seeker’
•
Violence in Afghanistan ‘must end’, EU condemns targeted killings
•
Inclusivity is key to salvaging the US–Taliban Doha deal
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Formation of Special Body Proposed To Resolve Shariah-Civil Law Overlap, Says Muslim
Lawyers Association President
•
Selangor Islamic Religious Department Detains Four In Hulu Langat Over Alleged
Violations Of Islamic Law
•
PAS ‘no’ to any attempt to split ummah, forge alliance with opposition
•
Take threats against Nur Sajat, transgender community seriously, say activists
--------
Mideast
•
Iran Welcomes Europe's Move to Scrap US-Backed Draft Resolution at IAEA
•
Israel will defend itself if world fails to stall Iran’s nuclear plans: Benny
Gantz
•
Russia, Turkey want to save Iran nuclear deal, urge US to lift sanctions on
Tehran
•
Rouhani estimates ‘damage’ to Iran by US sanctions since 2018 at $200 billion
•
IAEA plans ‘technical’ meeting with Iran in early April on open issues
•
Iranian Interior Minister Stresses Amicable Ties with Iraq
•
VP: Iran Ready to Share Scientific Experiences with Syria
•
Israel extends so-called administrative detention of two Palestinian officials
•
Yemeni drones attack air base, airport in Saudi Arabia: Military
•
Tehran sues European firms for aiding Saddam’s chemical attacks against
Iranians: Judiciary
--------
New
Zealand
•
Christchurch homes raided after online threats to carry out terrorist attacks
on mosques
--------
Pakistan
•
Kohistan Clerics to Help Protect Foreign Workers of Dasu Project
•
Pakistan court orders removal of ex-ISI chief from no-fly list
•
Yousuf Raza Gilani's election as senator challenged with ECP
•
Biden nominates Pakistani-American as deputy head of US agency on small
businesses
•
COAS, ISI chief call on Prime Minister Imran
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aimplb-member-appeals-imams-spread/d/124467
--------
AIMPLB
Member Appeals to Imams to Spread Awareness against Dowry after Death of Ayesha
Arif Khan
Ayesha Arif Khan
------
04th
March 2021
LUCKNOW:
A senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has
appealed to imams to conduct an awareness campaign against dowry, days after a
Muslim woman committed suicide by jumping into the Sabarmati River in Gujarat.
Khalid
Rashid Farangi Mahali said the death of Ayesha Arif Khan due to dowry has
concerned the entire Muslim community.
There
is an appeal to imams of all mosques to clearly state Islamic decrees, rights
and duties of wives and husbands before Friday prayers.
These
should be explained in simple language so that "tragic incidents like
Ayesha's suicide can be averted," he added.
Demand
of dowry is "Haraam" and against Islamic law, but some people still
follow such an "un-Islamic and non-human practice", he said.
On
February 25, Ayesha (23) committed suicide by jumping into the Sabarmati River
in Ahmedabad in Gujarat soon after recording a video on her mobile phone.
According
to a complaint lodged by her father with police a day later, Ayesha's husband
Arif Babukhan inflicted mental torture on her for dowry since their marriage in
2018.
In
the video, which went viral on social media, Ayesha can be heard saying she is
not taking the step under any pressure.
Ayesha's
husband, a resident of Rajasthan, has subsequently been arrested.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/mar/04/aimplb-member-appeals-to-imams-to-spread-awareness-against-dowry-2272158.html
--------
Still
Making the Case for Islam and Democracy in a Tunisia Battered By Crises –
Ennahda Chief
Rachid
Ghannouchi, the head of Tunisia's main Islamist party and speaker of
parliament,
-----
By
Claire Parker
March
4, 2021
TUNIS
— Rachid Ghannouchi, the head of Tunisia's main Islamist party and speaker of
parliament, wanted to make something clear — that a social democratic party
based on Islam can still play ball in Tunisia and in the Arab world.
Thousands
of his partisans had flooded downtown Tunis on Saturday in what some observers
called one of the largest demonstrations in the past decade. Men, women and
children backing his party, Ennahda, had been bused in from throughout the
country. Draped in Tunisian flags, they chanted “National unity!” and slogans
in support of Ghannouchi.
“We
wanted to send a message that the revolution is still here and powerful and
working, so that everyone knows their size,” Ghannouchi said in an interview a
day later in his Tunis home.
Ennahda
had officially called the march in support of national unity and independent
prime minister Hichem Mechichi’s embattled government. Asked whether it also
aimed to project his party’s power, Ghannouchi replied: “Of course.”
In
a region where authoritarian governments have crushed or co-opted Islamist
movements, Ennahda has sought to fashion itself an example of compatibility
between Islam and democracy. It has remained Tunisia’s most resilient and
influential political force in the decade since the Arab Spring. But now, as
political and economic crises batter the country and Ennahda slips in the
polls, the party is fighting to assert its relevance.
Ghannouchi,
79, has helmed the movement for four decades. He co-founded Ennahda’s precursor
in 1981 as a nonviolent Islamist group that advocated participation in
democracy. He spent several years in prison in the 1980s under Tunisian leader
Habib Bourguiba before fleeing to London, where he lived in exile for more than
20 years.
After
the revolution, Ghannouchi returned to Tunisia to a hero’s welcome. But he
opted not to run for national office, instead serving as a power broker and
guiding his party’s rise to prominence, its efforts to draft Tunisia’s new
constitution and its alliances with secular parties in pursuit of a “consensual
democracy” in which Islamists are major players.
“We
have been convinced that we have to work with secularists to compete against
any sort of fundamentalism, whether based on Islam or based on secularism,” he
said Sunday, sitting in a home office lined with copies of the Koran and books
such as “Religion and State in the Modern Islamic Context.”
Ghannouchi
insisted that his party offers a paradigm for others in the region. The
compromises it made for Tunisian democracy — and, crucially, for its own
political survival — enabled it to escape the fate of the Muslim Brotherhood in
Egypt, which came to power after the Arab Spring only to be crushed by a
military coup in 2013.
Fearful
of such a turn, Ennahda distanced itself from other Islamist groups — and from
the “Islamist” label itself. In 2016, the party rebranded itself as “Muslim
democratic” and banned preachers from running for office. Ghannouchi now sees
the term “Islamist” as an imprecise label of little utility.
“It
puts under one umbrella people who reject violence with people connected to
terrorism,” he said. “This term doesn’t mean anything — it only serves to muddy
the waters.”
The
party’s popularity has waned over time. In 2019, it won 52 seats in the 217-seat
parliament, compared with a high of 89 seats in 2011.
Ghannouchi
won a seat in 2019 and was quickly elected speaker. His tenure has been marked
by controversy, with the highly fragmented parliament roiled by political spats
over forming a government.
Mechichi,
backed by Ennahda and two allied parties, was the third head of government
nominated since the 2019 election, and he is currently locked in an
unprecedented constitutional dispute with Tunisian President Kais Saied that
threatens to bring down the government.
Ennahda,
meanwhile, faces mounting criticism from all sides. A wave of protests swept
the country in January as Tunisians expressed their anger at police repression,
economic difficulties and parliament. Anti-Ennahda and anti-Ghannouchi slogans
abounded, as well as calls for parliament’s dissolution and “the fall of the
regime.” The heavy-handed police response drew condemnation from rights groups
but little concern from Ennahda.
“There
are some real grievances, but I believe these grievances are being used by some
radical political parties,” Ghannouchi said of the protests.
“If
you put our experience in context with other Arab Spring countries . . .
it’s a model experience of democratic transition,” he added.
Still,
Ghannouchi acknowledged that his party bears some blame for a failure to
address worsening economic conditions.
“We
take responsibility proportionally to our size in government,” he said.
“There’s no doubt that our experience in governing was minimal. There’s no
doubt that we have learned a lot from our experience.”
Ever
the polarizing figure, Ghannouchi has seen his popularity plummet as his
four-decade career in politics winds to a close. His public approval rating now
stands at 8 percent. Divisions within Ennahda over his leadership exploded into
public view in the fall, when 100 leaders signed an open letter urging him not
to seek another term.
Ghannouchi’s
position in parliament is also in jeopardy — a motion of no confidence against
him had garnered 103 signatures as of last week, a lawmaker told Tunisian
media. Ghannouchi said he does not expect the motion to pass, “but if it
happens, it’s not the end of the world.”
The
political turmoil has worsened Tunisia’s deepening economic crisis and spooked
investors. The fallout from the coronavirus devastated Tunisia’s already
struggling economy, which contracted by an estimated 8.2 percent in 2020,
according to the International Monetary Fund.
Hopeful
that the Biden administration might come to the rescue, Ghannouchi has made
overtures to the United States in recent weeks, including meeting with U.S.
Ambassador Donald Blome and penning an op-ed in USA Today.
“The
success of Tunisia’s democracy is in the interest not just of Tunisia but of
the world,” he said Sunday, “because it’s an example of where Islam and
democracy are compatible and it’s the best way to fight extremist
interpretations and violent interpretations.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/tunisia-ghannouchi-ennahda-protests/2021/03/03/5b714944-7b97-11eb-8c5e-32e47b42b51b_story.html
--------
Khashoggi's
Fiancée Denounces Lack of Action against Saudi Crown Prince over Journalist’s
Murder
Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee
------
04
March 2021
The
fiancée of brutally-murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has lambasted the
lack of action against Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying
the world leaders should not maintain relations with a “murderer” after a
declassified US intelligence implicated the Arab kingdom’s de facto ruler in
the killing.
Khashoggi,
59, a former advocate of the Saudi royal court who later became a critic of bin
Salman, was killed after being lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul,
Turkey, on October 2, 2018, and his body was dismembered by a Saudi hit squad.
The
Saudi government initially claimed Khashoggi left the consulate on that day,
but Riyadh later said after an alleged investigation that he had been killed by
a “rogue” group and not by direct order from the crown prince, who is also
known by his initials as MBS.
Despite
official denials by Riyadh, some Western governments as well as the CIA, said
they believed MBS ordered the assassination, which caused an international
uproar.
On
Friday, declassified US intelligence by the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence revealed that MBS had approved the brutal assassination.
While
Washington imposed sanctions on some of those involved, it spared bin Salman
himself, a move that angered and disappointed rights groups.
“That
it was said there would be no sanctions against the person who gave the order
for the crime to be committed created a strange dilemma in everyone’s minds.
But this could change in the coming days,” said Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s
Turkish fiancée, in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.
Cengiz,
who was waiting outside the consulate when he entered to retrieve documents for
their upcoming marriage, said the report had been “a very huge and important
step” in the path to justice, but must be acted on.
“The
process of seeking justice is a long process, sometimes it is not easy,” she
further said.
Khashoggi’s
fiancée was speaking after the conclusion of a court session in Istanbul of the
trial in absentia of 26 Saudi officials over the journalist’s assassination.
Khashoggi’s
lawyer Ali Ceylan and Cengiz asked the judge to add the US intelligence report
to the case file.
However,
the presiding judge rejected the request on the grounds that it would “bring
nothing” to the trial, despite the fact that the US report clearly concluded
that MBS “approved” the operations since it fit a pattern of him “using violent
measures to silence dissidents abroad.”
After
the court hearing on Thursday, Cengiz told reporters that the US report
“directly attributes responsibility to the crown prince. Therefore, we want
this to be taken into account by the court.”
The
next hearing has been scheduled for July 8.
Five
suspects who received death penalty sentences in an opaque trial in Riyadh last
year later had their sentences commuted to 20 years in prison.
“Those
in power need to take action. Otherwise they will build their policies in the
short to medium term based on a relation with someone who is proved to be a
murderer,” Cengiz further said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/04/646564/Saudi-Arabia-Turkey-Hatice-Cengiz-Khashoggi-US-Mohammed-bin-Salman
--------
US
condemns infiltration across LoC, supports dialogue between India, Pakistan
Mar
5, 2021
WASHINGTON:
Condemning the terrorists who seek to infiltrate across the Line of Control,
the US on Thursday called on all parties to reduce tensions along the LoC by
returning to the 2003 ceasefire commitments.
"We
have continued to follow very closely developments in Jammu and Kashmir. Our
policy towards the region has not changed. We call on all parties to reduce
tensions along the Line of Control by returning to the 2003 ceasefire
commitments," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told a reporter at
his daily news conference.
"We
condemn terrorists who seek to infiltrate across the Line of Control. When it
comes to how we will support that, we continue to support direct dialogue
between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and other areas of concern," Price
said in response to a question.
Price
was responding to a question as to what Secretary of State Antony Blinken is
going to do to ensure or try to ensure that the ceasefire announced between
India and Pakistan is maintained.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/us-condemns-infiltration-across-loc-supports-dialogue-between-india-pakistan/articleshow/81342314.cms
--------
Teenagers
Are Being Recruited To Islamist Terror Groups in 'Worrying' Numbers during
4
March 2021
Teenagers
are being recruited to Islamist terror groups in 'worrying' numbers during the
pandemic, Dominic Raab warned today.
The
Foreign Secretary highlighted the problem as he made a statement updating the
House of Commons on the threat from Daesh.
He
said although the extremist organisation had been 'weakened' its propaganda
still needed to be tackled 'head on'.
In
December the volume of terrorist content online went up by 7 per cent as
lockdown provided a 'perfect storm' for young people vulnerable to
indoctrination, according to Mr Raab.
'This
is a critical moment. Yes, Daesh's brand has weakened – it remains,
nonetheless, globally recognised,' he said.
Mr
Raab continued: 'In December 2020, the UK Counter-Terrorism Referral Unit saw a
7 per cent rise in the volume of terrorist content online and we can see a
worrying rise in the proportion of children and teenagers that are now being
arrested for terrorism offences.
'And
it was Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu (of the Metropolitan Police) who
described lockdown and the accessibility of terrorist content online as a
perfect storm because terrorists have digital access to those who are probably
the most susceptible to extremist narratives.
'So
we are tackling Daesh's propaganda head on and I am proud the FCDO leads on
this work on behalf of the global coalition.'
He
added that the UK Government has 'carried out a range of targeted and effective
cyber operations'.
Mr
Raab warned MPs that Islamic State are 'still able to carry out lethal
attacks'.
'The
safety and the security of our citizens is obviously the Government's highest
priority, it is at the core of our work in tackling Daesh which remains our
most significant terrorist threat – both at home and abroad,' he said.
Shadow
foreign secretary Lisa Nandy asked what steps the Government is taking to
protect children from Daesh propaganda.
'I
was deeply troubled to hear the Foreign Secretary outline the way that children
are being targeted by Daesh propaganda,' she said.
'Does
he agree that it is appalling that British children in the UK are being groomed
to join Daesh? And can he therefore tell me what steps the Government is taking
to protect children from this threat?'
Mr
Raab responded: 'I think this is particularly important because of the moral
duty that we recognise and the first thing to say is obviously we advise anyone
against travel to Syria, there's no consular support there, certainly not the
kind of regular consular service that we'd be able to provide, that's obvious,
the conditions on the ground make that impossible.
'And
as I have said to the House previously, we continue to work with all of those
concerned to facilitate the return of unaccompanied or orphaned children where
that's feasible, where that can be done where there's no risk to security and
where practically it can be done.
'I
won't comment on the numbers, it's obviously very sensitive but I take that
very seriously. We regard those children as the innocents of the scourge of war
and wherever it's safe and possible, we will put our protective arms around
them.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9325941/Teenagers-recruited-terror-groups-worrying-numbers-lockdown.html
--------
Seven
people of Hazara ethnic group brutally killed in Afghanistan’s restive east
04
March 2021
At
least seven members of the persecuted Hazara ethnic group have been brutally
killed in Afghanistan’s restive province of Nangarhar, in the latest attack
against the largely Shia minority.
Ajmal
Omar, a member of Nangarhar provincial council member, said on Thursday that
the migrant Hazara laborers had their hands bound behind their backs and been
shot to death late Wednesday.
Juma
Gul Hemat, the provincial police chief, confirmed the murders, saying four
people had been detained as part of an ongoing investigation into the gruesome
incident.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the murders. However, the Daesh terrorist
group controls parts of the Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan to the
east.
The
deadly incident took place almost 20 kilometers from the eastern city of
Jalalabad near the Pakistan border, an area where a large number of militants
are believed to have influence, including the Taliban militant group and a
local affiliate of the Daesh group.
The
flashpoint city witnessed the gunning down of three female media workers on
Tuesday in separate attacks that occurred just minutes apart. Earlier that day,
a female doctor was killed in the city by a magnetic bomb that had been attached
to her vehicle.
The
Hazara community on both sides of the border has suffered decades of
persecution and attacks by violent militant groups operating across the
troubled region.
For
the past several years, the minority, which makes up roughly 10 to 20 percent
of the Afghan population, has been growingly taken the brunt of soaring
violence across the war-torn country with Daesh terrorists attacking the
group’s mosques, schools, rallies, and hospitals.
Taliban
militants have also targeted Hazara people over the years, abducting and
killing commuters of the minority group traveling on Afghanistan’s perilous
roads with impunity.
The
Hazara people have also been targeted outside of Afghanistan. Members of the
ethnic group in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s poorest province, have long been
persecuted for their faith, facing targeted attacks and large-scale bombings
that have killed hundreds in the past two decades.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/04/646574/Afghanistan-Hazara-Nangarhar-Daesh-Taliban
--------
Formation
of special body proposed to resolve shariah-civil law overlap, says Muslim
lawyers association president
04
Mar 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 4 — A special body or council needs to be formed involving the
shariah and civil courts to resolve the issue of shariah -civil law overlap in
this country, says Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia president (PPMM),
Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar.
He
said the body, for example, could be called the Constitutional Court with the
objective of its establishment to resolve the dual legal system practiced in
Malaysia.
“When
there is a dual legal system, we cannot avoid some overlapping between the
shariah and civil laws. When there is overlapping, we need to have another body
to resolve the issue.”
Zainul
Rijal said this in the “Bicara Pembela” slot titled “Shariah Law in Malaysia”,
which was broadcast online via the Facebook of Pertubuhan-Pertubuhan Pembela
Islam (Pembela) last night.
He
referred to the case of a woman born out of wedlock to a Muslim father and
Buddhist mother who recently succeeded in her appeal in the Federal Court to be
declared a non-Muslim as a result of the dual legal system.
He
also cited the case of a man who was charged (on August 21, 2019) in the
Selangor Syariah High Court for attempting to have sexual intercourse with
another man. The accused also succeeded in his appeal in the Federal Court for
a declaration that Section 28 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor)
Enactment 1995 is invalid.
Last
February 28, the Federal Court ruled that Section 28 which criminalises
unnatural sex is inconsistent with the Federal Constitution and is therefore
void.
Zainul
Rijal said before the special body could be established, the status of the
shariah courts should be uplifted to be at par with the civil courts, with a
hierarchy of five levels and having the same power.
“Some
differences between the shariah and civil courts have made the former appear
like a tribunal only to some quarters, which is not right. The shariah courts
have their own jurisdiction which the civil courts cannot interfere with,” he
added. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/04/formation-of-special-body-proposed-to-resolve-shariah-civil-law-overlap-say/1954917
--------
Iran
Welcomes Europe's Move to Scrap US-Backed Draft Resolution at IAEA
2021-March-4
"Vote
on the resolution was called off with intensive diplomatic efforts in Tehran,
Vienna and the capitals of all members of the (International Atomic Energy
Agency) Board of Governors, specially the three European countries, as well as
the support of China and Russia," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said on Thursday.
"Today's
development can maintain the path of diplomacy opened by Iran and the IAEA and
pave the way for the full implementation of undertakings by all parties to the
nuclear deal," he added.
"Iran
hopes that the parties to the nuclear deal will manage to take this opportunity
and guarantee the full implementation of nuclear deal by everyone through
serious cooperation," Khatibzadeh said.
Reuters
reported earlier today that Britain, France and Germany have scrapped a
US-backed plan for the IAEA's board to criticize Iran for scaling back
cooperation with the agency.
The
decision was made after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi warned
the other parties to the nuclear deal to avoid moves which increase tensions.
Araqchi
made the remarks in a meeting with Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Themistoklis Demiris on Wednesday.
Both
sides conferred on the expansion of bilateral relations as well as the latest
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) developments.
He
went on to say that Iran will fully comply with its JCPOA obligations if
Washington lifts illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
“Iran’s
move to reduce its JCPOA commitments are in line with the provisions of the
Nuclear Deal and in response to the non-fulfillment of the US and European
commitments,” he added.
The
Iranian diplomat further highlighted that Tehran has adopted necessary measures
to safeguard the JCPOA in the past four years.
Referring
to the efforts made by E3 to submit a draft resolution, he maintained that Iran
will not accept similar behaviors after the failure of the US maximum pressure
campaign.
Araqchi
said that lifting illegal US sanctions is the only way to advance the JCPOA,
adding that Iran expects the remaining signatories of the Nuclear Deal to
resolve the issues through political settlement and avoid any action the would
further escalate tensions.
Demiris,
for his part, stressed Greece's support for using diplomatic means to resolve
disputes, noting that the country along with its European partners has always
opposed the US withdrawal from the Nuclear Deal and the imposition of
unilateral sanctions against Iran.
Iranian
President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi warned on Wednesday that the
West-sponsored resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of
Governors can leave negative impact on cooperation between Tehran and the IAEA.
“Certainly
the resolution, even after they say they have removed and softened many of its
clauses, is considered as non-constructive and affects the type of negotiations
we have about the nuclear deal and Iran’s interaction with the Agency, and it
should be corrected before it is too late,” Vaezi told reporters after a
cabinet meeting in Tehran.
He
stressed that the European countries and the US should take a clear step (to
remove sanctions against Iran), and added, “After verification, we will fulfill
our undertakings too."
Iran
had also warned on Tuesday that if a harsh resolution is approved at the
International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors against the country,
Tehran will review the recent joint statement with the IAEA.
“In
response to the whisper from European countries, our representative (to the
IAEA) has stated in a statement that if any resolution against Iran is
approved, an appropriate response and decision will be made, including a review
of the recent joint statement between the IAEA and the Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran (AEOI),” Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee told reporters
in a press conference in Tehran.
“We
are still committed to the nuclear deal and in case other parties resume their
undertakings, we will resume implementation of all our obligations quickly and
without delay, including the full implementation of the Additional Protocol.
The recent agreement reached between Iran and the IAEA demonstrates Iran's
goodwill and steadfastness in reassuring the international community of our
undisputable commitment to the peaceful conduct of nuclear activities,” he
added.
Rabiyee
said that Iran expects its goodwill to be responded with goodwill from the IAEA
Board of Governors members, and added, “In our view, with the agreement reached
(between Iran and the IAEA), there is no reason to worry about the halt of the
voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol.”
“However,
if the US really has a reason to worry, it should return to its commitments in
the nuclear deal to pave the way for Iran to reciprocate and obviate such an
artificial concern,” he added.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had also warned on Monday that Tehran
will take serious action in response to any possible West-sponsored resolution
at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.
“The
foreign minister presented a report on the latest developments at the IAEA
Board of Governors during the meeting (with us, the legislators) and said if
any destructive resolution is issued against Iran at the IAEA board of
governors, Iran will show a serious reaction,” Rapporteur of the parliament’s
National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Abolfazl Amouyee told FNA.
He
was elaborating on the Monday morning meeting between Zarif and the Iranian lawmakers.
Amouyee
also referred to the proposal for the US presence at the meetings between Iran
and the G4+1 under the nuclear deal, and quoted Zarif as saying, “The US is not
entitled to return to the nuclear deal until it fulfills its undertakings.”
Zarif
had also earlier today warned that any hostile move by the western states at
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors against
Tehran would further complicate the present circumstances surrounding the
nuclear deal and Iran's nuclear issue.
“The
Europeans have started a wrong move in support of the US at the (IAEA) Board of
Governors,” Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Iranian
lawmakers on Monday.
He
cautioned that the Western countries’ measure could further complicate the
conditions.
Tehran
has already informed the IAEA Board of Governors about the complicated
conditions which can be created by the westerners’ move, Zarif said, expressing
the hope that rationality would win.
He
also warned of Iran's scenarios for any hostile measure adopted at the IAEA
Board of Governors meeting.
In
relevant remarks on Sunday, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
(AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi had also cautioned the IAEA Board of Governors to avoid
adopting a resolution against Iran under the US pressure and influence, warning
that any such hostile move would trigger Tehran’s reciprocal response.
“In
case the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopts an
anti-Iran resolution due to the suspension of the [NPT] Additional Protocol, we
will give a proper response,” Salehi said, a day before the IAEA Board’s
meeting.
Referring
to a recent joint statement between AEOI and the IAEA on Iran’s voluntary
stopping of the Additional Protocol to the NPT Safeguards Treaty, he said,
"The appendix to this statement is confidential.”
“No
specific conditions have been made in this regard, and according to the
detailed information about the list of facilities and monitoring cameras
mentioned in this appendix and also due to security considerations and the need
to hide the location of key facilities in Iran, this appendix will remain
confidential,” the official noted.
IAEA
Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reached a temporary bilateral
understanding with Iran over a week ago, allowing the Agency to continue
verification work in the country for up to 90 days.
Grossi
said the understanding was meant to provide a window of opportunity for
political talks to get underway amid attempts to revive the nuclear deal
between Iran and world powers, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action, the JCPOA. The possibility of a Board resolution however, is further
complicating the situation.
Grossi
appealed for constructive discussions that would preserve the work of the
Agency.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991214000454/Iran-Welcmes-Erpe's-Mve-Scrap-US-Backed-Draf-Reslin-a-IAEA
--------
India
How
scramble for Muslim votes in Bengal may help BJP in assembly polls
Prabhash
K Dutta
New
Delhi
March
5, 2021
Two
communities are often talked as major vote banks in an election in Bengal —
Muslims and Matuas. Muslims are estimated comprise about 30 per cent of voters
in Bengal while Matuas around 15 per cent.
Matuas
are Hindu refugees, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been soliciting
support of in Bengal against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool
Congress (TMC). The TMC is equally keen at reaching out to them. As it stands
today, vote bank of Matua community is a direct fight between the BJP and the
TMC.
It
is the Muslim vote bank that is likely to be a bigger key factor in deciding
the Bengal Assembly polls. For decades, the Muslims were considered a vote bank
of the Left Front, which with strong cadre base among the Hindus ruled Bengal
for 34 consecutive years. The Congress could not break the Left-loyalty of the
Muslim vote bank despite a fostering different a pro-Muslim image in rest of
the country.
The
break came when the TMC mobilised farmers, workers and poor Muslims during
Singur and Nandigram agitations. The Sachar Commission report that came in 2010
helped Mamata Banerjee guide the switch of loyalties from the Left to the TMC
as panel found Muslims of Bengal were in “worse” condition on economic and
social parameters.
A
fresh scramble for Muslim votes is being seen in Bengal. Two prominent leaders
espousing for Muslim identity are in the fray — Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui, a young
preacher from influential Furfura Barbar Sharif of Hooghly district, and
Asaduddin Owaisi, the AIMIM chief and Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP.
SIDDIQUI-OWAISI
TIE-UP THAT WASN'T
Abbas
Siddiqui, known popularly as Bhaijaan among his followers and supporters, and
Owaisi were ‘supposed’ to contest the Bengal Assembly election on the same side
of the fence. So much so that Abbas Siddiqui had declared himself “a fan of
Owaisi” and Owaisi had placed the leadership of his AIMIM in Abbasi Siddiqui
for Bengal election.
Now,
Abbas Siddiqui has partnered with the Left-Congress for Bengal election asking
“those who love me” to vote for the alliance. The decision irked Owaisi. He has
been critical of the Congress, holding it responsible for the “worse”
socio-economic status of Muslims and clubs the grand-old-party with the BJP for
excluding the community from the mainstream of development.
Following
Abbas Siddiqui’s decision to tie-up with the Left-Congress alliance, Owaisi
said he would fight separately in the Bengal election. Incidentally, the
expansion of the AIMIM in Bengal happened in recent months due to Owaisi’s
‘failed’ partnership with Abbas Siddiqui. Owaisi is likely to secure a chunk of
votes particularly of Urdu-speaking Muslims.
Abbas
Siddiqui is going into the Bengal election with his newly floated outfit, the
Indian Secular Front (ISF), which is headed by his brother Naushad Siddiqui.
Abbas Siddiqui has said his front espouses for the rights of Muslims, Adivasis
and Dalits. But his appeal has been to Muslims mostly.
A
campaign for Muslim votes is bound to be polarising in Bengal, where the BJP
has led a sustained campaign against the TMC over issues cropping up from Durga
Puja procession, Saraswati Puja celebration and slogan of Jai Shri Ram. The
BJP’s campaign paid dividend in 2019 Lok Sabha polls when a strong polarisation
was seen.
How
Polarisation Works For BJP
The
TMC secured more votes of Muslims pushing its vote share by five per cent
compared to the previous 2014 election despite winning 12 fewer seats. But a
polarisation among the Muslim votes also saw a counter-polarisation of Hindu
votes helping the BJP win 18 seats with the party polling 27 per cent more
votes than the previous Lok Sabha election.
A
more vigorous presence and campaigning by Abbas Siddiqui and Owaisi is likely
to bring greater polarising focus on Muslim vote bank. Abbas Siddiqui, in
particular, is likely to be a key player here. His Furfura Darbar Sharif
follows the principles of the Ahle Sunnatul Jamaat, an immensely popular
Islamic sect in Bengal, especially in the border areas.
This
is also the region which has seen influx of illegal migrants from Bangaldesh.
Illegal migration has been a poll cry for the BJP for years. West Bengal goes
to the polls against this background of jostling for the Muslim votes. The BJP
may feel happy if Abbas Siddiqui and Owaisi have a greater role to play in
Bengal. Mamata Banerjee would, of course, be worried.
https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/west-bengal-assembly-polls-2021/story/how-scramble-for-muslim-votes-in-bengal-may-help-bjp-in-assembly-polls-1775876-2021-03-05
--------
10
nominations filed for 8 posts of Sunni board
Mar
5, 2021
Ayodhya:
Former chairman of Sunni Waqf Board and president of Indo Islamic Cultural
Foundation, Zufar Farooqi, was among ten people who have filed their
nominations for the eight posts of the board.
Both
Farooqi and another member of the Ayodhya Mosque Trust, Adnaan Farrukh, from
Gorakhpur, have filed their papers for the two seats of Mutawalli quota.
For
the two seats of the Member of Parliament quota, Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan
from Moradabad and Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali from Amroha have
filed their nominations.
For
the two seats of MLA/MLC quota, three Smajwadi Party MLAs, Abrar Ahmad from
Sultanpur, Nafees Ahmad from Azamgarh and Iqbal Mahmood from Sambhal are in the
fray.
SP
MLC from Amroha, Parvez Ali, has also filed the nomination. However according
to top sources in SP, Parvez Ali and MLA Iqbal Mahmood may withdraw their
nominations on Friday.
For
the two seats of Bar Council, Imran Mabood Khan and Abdul Razzaq Khan have
filed their papers.
Elections
for the members of the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board are to be held on Sunday
for the eight-member board to look after those Waqfs having the at least income
of 1 Lakh per year. Three members would be nominated by the Uttar Pradesh
government that would include a special secretary-level officer, one religious
scholar and one social worker. All the 11 members of the Waqf Board are Sunni
Muslims. The elected members of the board would elect the chairman.
Election
officer Shivakant Dwivedi told TOI that nominations could be withdrawn on
Friday from 11 am to 5 pm and on Saturday the final list of contestants would
be displayed. The election, if needed, would be held on Sunday and result
declared the same day.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/10-nominations-filed-for-8-posts-of-sunni-board/articleshow/81339699.cms
--------
Muslim
Ministers Should Resign over Maharashtra CM’s Remarks: Abu Asim Azmi
By
Faisal Malik, Mumbai
MAR
05, 2021
A
day after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said his party was proud to have been
associated with the demolition of the Babri masjid, trouble was witnessed
within Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi demanded
that Muslim ministers belonging to Congress should resign immediately, while
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam asked if the chief minister’s remarks were part
of the common minimum program, the basis of the formation of the Maharashtra
Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Thackeray
in his reply to the governor’s address on Wednesday had said that while
everyone else ran away after the demolition of Babri Masjid, his father and
Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray owned up to it. “He had said that if
the Shiv Saniks have demolished the structure, he was proud of them,” Thackeray
said.
Azmi,
who had supported the MVA government when it was formed in November 2019,
raised strong objection to the speech. “Thackeray’s statement and political
speech in the Assembly are highly objectionable. He should not forget that the
government was duty-bound to follow the CMP on which the government was
formed,” he said in the Assembly on Thursday.
Nirupam
slammed the leaders from ruling parties for keeping mum over the statement.
“While Thackeray made the remarks, the Congress, NCP ministers and MLAs sitting
next to him kept enjoying it. Which common minimum program is this,” he tweeted
in Hindi.
Congress
and NCP ministers chose to not react to it. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana
Patole said that he would not comment on it.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/muslim-ministers-should-resign-over-maharashtra-cm-s-remarks-abu-asim-azmi-101614885586613.html
--------
461
bullets, 4,000 tear gas shells used by cops to quell Delhi riots
By
Prawesh Lama
MAR
05, 2021
Policemen
fired at least 461 bullets in the air and used nearly 4,000 tear gas shells to
quell the Hindu-Muslim clashes that erupted in parts of northeast Delhi a year
ago, according to Delhi police’s report on the riots.
The
numbers of bullets fired and tear gas shells used were the highest in recent
years, several mid-level police officers said. To be sure, while tear gas is
commonly used to quell protests, instances of police resorting to aerial firing
are not common. “Before the riots, while police may have used hundreds of tear
gas shells during violent demonstrations such as the violence outside Jamia
Millia Islamia during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, police in
Delhi hardly have to resort to aerial firing. It happens only once in a while
and in a few cases,” said an officer who did not wish to be identified.
At
least 53 persons died while 581 others were injured when riots broke out in
northeast Delhi between February 23 and 27 last year. The analysis on the use
of force by police also mentions that “police did not use excessive force
despite extreme provocation, with the first casualty in the riots being a
policeman”.
Police
have said that while rioters carried pistols and other types of weapons, all
their officers fired only aerially and not at any rioter on the road.
“...However, if police had resorted to direct fire, to disperse the protestors,
the casualties would have been enormous and could have further fuelled the
riots. The police used tear gas, lathi charge and aerial firing to control the
crowd. The force used was neither excessive nor less but was commensurate to
the demands of the situation,” the report reads.
Tear
gas and lathi charge are the first steps used by police in handling riots.
Of
the 53 people who died, postmortem reports later revealed that at least 13 of
them had died of gunshot wounds. One of the defining images of the riots was
that of a northeast Delhi resident, later identified as Shah Rukh Pathan,
holding a pistol, also pointing it at a police officer, in the middle of the
violence. Police investigations revealed that many rioters bought weapons from
parts of western Uttar Pradesh before the riots began. In Shah Rukh’s case, the
pistol he used (later recovered) was bought from Munger, Bihar. He bought it
from an employee of an illegal gun factory in Munger.
According
to the police report, the highest number of bullets fired and tear gas shells
used were in the first 36 hours of the violence. It mentioned that before 2020,
the 1992 riots in northeast Delhi were concentrated in areas under three police
stations, while in 2020 the violence was spread across 12 police stations and
two police districts: northeast and Shahdara.
Police
mentioned that most of the casualties last year were reported in the interior
areas north of Wazirabad Road, which had no previous history of communal riots.
The mobs, according to the report, gathered in large numbers at many places
simultaneously and when they were controlled or dispersed from one place, they
continued rioting at the other places.
“The
intensity and scale of violence can be gauged from the fact that 4,458 PCR
calls were received on February 24, 2020 and 9,308 calls the following day,”
the report said.
As
an attempt to restore calm during and after the riots, police records show that
between February 22 and March 21, 2020, a total of 471 peace committee meetings
were held in the area, many of which were chaired by lieutenant governor Anil
Baijal and police commissioner SN Shrivastava.
As
part of their investigation, police have till date arrested 1,753 persons,
which includes 820 Hindus and 933 Muslims. Of the 1,753 persons, at least 544
alleged rioters who were involved in specific incidents of rioting and arson
are currently out on bail.
Local
politicians Tahir Hussain and Ishrat Jahan, student activists Umar Khalid,
Gulfisha Fatima and Sharjeel Imam who are among 21 alleged main conspirators
are still behind bars. Police have booked the 21 persons on charges of sedition
and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/461-bullets-4-000-tear-gas-shells-used-by-cops-to-quell-delhi-riots-101614896937298.html
--------
Africa
Six
Dead in Jihadist Attacks in Northeast Nigeria: Aid Groups
MARCH
3, 2021
Aid
groups in Nigeria said Wednesday six civilians died in a suspected jihadist
attack on a northeastern town that, according to the UN, “directly targeted”
aid facilities.
“At
least six civilians lost their lives in crossfire, several others were injured
and are still missing,” the Nigeria INGO Forum, gathering 54 international
charities, said in a statement.
A
military source told AFP that fighters from the Islamic State West Africa
Province (ISWAP), which split from mainstream Boko Haram in 2016, were behind
an assault on the town of Dikwa that began late on Monday.
“ISWAP
terrorists launched simultaneous attacks on the super camp (military base) and
the UN humanitarian hub,” the source said.
The
hub is one of nine in northeast Nigeria where aid workers live and work.
A
spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nigeria
told AFP it had received six injured people for treatment.
The
UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said on Tuesday the
insurgents had “directly targeted” aid facilities, affecting efforts to help
nearly 100,000 people in need.
The
Nigeria INGO Forum said, “the full scale of the attack’s impact on civilians…
is still being assessed.”
The
Nigerian army said it had “repelled” the attackers.
“The
terrorist groups who stormed the town in an unconfirmed number of gun trucks
and motorcycles were visited with heavy bombardment and overwhelming
firepower,” army spokesman Mohammed Yerima said in a statement on Tuesday.
But
three sources who requested anonymity told AFP that the insurgents were able to
take the town for several hours between Monday evening and mid-day Tuesday.
The
army or the government have not released an official death toll.
Dikwa
is home to nearly 114,000 people including 75,470 internally displaced persons
(IDPs) — people living in Nigeria who have fled their homes because of
conflict.
President
Muhammadu Buhari reshuffled the military command this year, raising hopes of a
shift in strategy to end a 12-year-old conflict that has killed 36,000 people
and forced around two million to flee their homes.
Since
2019, three humanitarian hubs – Banki, Ngala, and Monguno — have been targeted
in attacks by insurgents.
Due
to worsening security, humanitarian workers in Nigeria are struggling to
provide aid.
The
UN estimates that 8.7 million people will require urgent assistance this year.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/03/03/six-dead-jihadist-attacks-northeast-nigeria/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Suspected
Islamists kill 8 in attack on northeast Congo village market
3
March 2021
BENI,
Democratic Republic of Congo, March 3 (Reuters) - A rmed insurgents killed at
least eight people during a raid on a weekly market in northeastern Democratic
Republic of Congo, a witness and a rights group said on Wednesday, blaming
fighters from a Ugandan Islamist armed group.
The
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern
Congo since the 1990s, has committed a spate of brutal reprisal attacks on
civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019.
The
ADF has been blamed for the killing of over 140 people since the start of the
year, in almost weekly attacks in Congo's restive east. The group killed around
850 people last year, according to U.N. figures.
ADF
fighters entered the village of Mambelenga in the territory of Irumu on Tuesday
afternoon and started shooting, said Gili Gotabo from a local civil rights
group. Two attackers died in the raid, he said.
A
Congo army spokesman confirmed the attack in Mambelenga, halfway between the
eastern cities of Bunia and Beni.
"In
broad daylight, suddenly we saw armed men, badly dressed, with weapons and
machetes. They started shooting directly at us," said Mumbere Kokoma, a
resident of the village.
"I
took my daughter and fled into the bush."
Islamic
State has claimed responsibility for several suspected ADF attacks in the past,
although U.N. experts have not found any direct link between the two groups.
(Reporting by Erikas Mwisi Kambale; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by
Mark Heinrich)
https://news.trust.org/item/20210303135424-zq9t4/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Morocco
sees Sahel jihadists as magnet for local cells
By
Ahmed Eljechtimi
MARCH
3, 2021
RABAT
(Reuters) - Jihadist groups in the nearby Sahel region, which recruit and train
their followers online, represent Morocco’s biggest militant threat, the head
of its counterterrorism agency said.
Although
Morocco has had only one major attack over the past decade - the 2018 killing
of two Scandinavian tourists - its location “makes it a target for the Sahel
groups” said Haboub Cherkaoui.
“The
terrorist threat persists as long as there are groups that recruit and train
their followers online including Islamic State in the greater Sahara,” he told
Reuters in an interview.
Since
it was set up in 2015, Cherkaoui’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation has
dismantled dozens of militant cells and arrested more than a thousand suspected
jihadists, he said.
The
numbers point to the continued militant risk in Morocco after the rise of
Islamic State in Syria and Iraq last decade caused a surge in jihadist activity
that persists even after the group was defeated in its Middle East heartland.
Islamic
State refocused on the Sahel region, he said, and along with other jihadist
groups there has taken advantage of porous borders and trafficking networks.
Both
Niger and Mali have battled militant insurgencies while Libya’s civil war has
created space for jihadist groups to operate.
In
late February, Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Dine El Otmani took part in a Sahel
security summit in Ndjamena and offered support for military action against
jihadist groups, including through training troops.
Morocco
is also concerned that some of its nationals who joined Islamic State in the
Middle East might have relocated to the Sahel, Cherkaoui said.
In
total, 1,645 Moroccans joined jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, including 745
who died in suicide attacks or in battle. Most of the 1,645 fought for Islamic
State.
Of
the survivors, 270 have returned to Morocco and 137 were prosecuted, said
Cherkaoui, adding that 288 women and 391 minors also went to the conflict
zones, following their main income provider.
Moroccan
law punishes by up to 10 years those who join jihadist groups abroad.
Morocco
has offered intelligence that helped arrest Jihadists or foil attacks in
France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and recently
the United States, Cherkaoui said.
“Our
success hinges on continued intelligence sharing with our partners,” Cherkaoui
said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-security/morocco-sees-sahel-jihadists-as-magnet-for-local-cells-idUSKBN2AV1QQ?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Arab World
Rebuilding
Efforts Continue in Syria’s Former IS Stronghold
By
Reber Kalo, Sirwan Kajjo
March
03, 2021
TABQA,
SYRIA - Nearly four years after it was liberated from the Islamic State (IS)
terror group, the Syrian town of Tabqa has become a leading example of the
reconstruction efforts currently underway in parts of the war-ravaged country.
Tabqa,
which is part of Raqqa province in northern Syria, was freed from IS militants
in May 2017 following a major military campaign spearheaded by the U.S.-backed
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
While
the town is still controlled by SDF-affiliated groups, its military airbase
fell under control of Syrian government troops and allied Russian forces in
October 2019, after those nations reached a deal with the SDF. The deal was
part of a broader understanding intended to stop a major Turkish-led offensive
in northeast Syria. Turkey views the SDF as a terrorist organization.
Under
IS rule and during the war against the militant group, much of the Tabqa’s
infrastructure was destroyed.
Local
officials say their efforts since Tabqa’s liberation have focused primarily on
restoring basic services for the local population.
“In
2020, we entered a new phase of rebuilding Tabqa,” said Abdulhamid Khamiri,
co-chair of Tabqa civilian council. “We cleaned up the city and tried to end
all scenes of destruction.
“In
2021, we have a much bigger plan for the city,” he told VOA.
Khamiri
said plans for the coming months include ways to rebuild the local economy
through long-term investment projects.
The
latest project in Tabqa’s reconstruction process is a major shopping mall,
which reportedly will be the largest in northeastern Syria.
“This
mall, with a floor area of 4,000 square meters, has 84 stores, 24 halls and six
restaurants,” said Adib Hussein, head of the North Construction company, which
is responsible for building the mall and other construction projects in the
city.
The
mall “will be open for customers very soon,” Hussein said.
While
some experts say Tabqa’s rich natural resources could help it recover faster
than other cities formerly occupied by IS, efforts by former President Donald
Trump to secure and develop Syrian oilfields have largely been stalled by legal
challenges over who holds the right to sell it and to whom.
But
U.S.-based Syrian affairs analyst Ahed al-Hendi says there is more to it than
that.
“What
helps this notion of an accelerated recovery process in Tabqa is the fact that
it has a very vibrant cosmopolitan community that is willing to use
international funding much more effectively than other cities and towns
liberated from IS,” said al-Hendi, a former VOA contributor who has worked
closely with the Syrian Kurdish-led administration in the region.
Al-Hendi,
who recently visited Tabqa during a trip to northeastern Syria, said the town
was known as a place that managed local affairs efficiently even prior to IS
rule.
The
United States has funded several significant projects as part of its post-IS
stabilization efforts in the region, rehabilitating Tabqa's main hospital in
2018 along with coalition partners such as the Britain, France, Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates.
The
U.S. government says that since the beginning of Syria’s conflict in 2011, the
United States has provided over $12 billion in humanitarian and stabilization
assistance to the civilian population in the country.
https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/rebuilding-efforts-continue-syrias-former-stronghold?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Bahrain’s
plan to form anti-Iran alliance with Israel is betrayal: Wefaq
05
March 2021
Bahrain's
main opposition group has denounced the Bahraini regime’s plan to join Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in forming an alliance with the
Israeli regime against Iran, calling the move an act of betrayal.
The
al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, in a statement released on Thursday,
condemned the al-Khalifah regime’s intention to join the anti-Iran coalition as
the ultimate betrayal of national values in Bahrain.
"The
Zionists tend to quickly drown anyone who clings to them," the statement
said.
“All
strata of the Bahraini society are opposed to any friendship with the Zionists.
Attempts to dance to their tune show the weakness and humiliation [of the
Bahraini regime],” it adde.
8-
عبرت الوفاق عن سخطها ورفضها للحديث عن إقامة تحالف أمني يضم البحرين والكيان الصهيوني واعتبرته في سياق خيانة المباديء والقيم وأكدت أن الصهاينة سيغرقون من يتشبث بهم سريعاً، pic.twitter.com/tvEeiInC6y
— Alwefaq Society (@ALWEFAQ)
March 4, 2021
The
Jerusalem Post newspaper, citing an unnamed Israeli official familiar with the
matter, reported on March 1 that Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have
discussed expanding cooperation and forming an alliance against Iran.
Speaking
in an interview with Russia’s Arabic-language RT Arabic television news network
on Wednesday, former Iranian defense minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi
warned the Persian Gulf states against joining an alliance against Iran
together with Israel, saying the move will bring “catastrophic consequences”
upon them.
Vahidi,
who is a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said Saudi Arabia, the UAE and
Bahrain lacked the capability to face Iran.
Therefore,
Vahidi said, “it is unlikely that they would be so stupid as to join an
alliance against us with the Zionist entity.” If they were to join such an
alliance, “they will endure very powerful blows.”
“We hope they do not sink any
further into the Israeli quagmire because joining such an alliance would bring
catastrophic consequences upon them,” he said.
Israeli
prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements with Emirati Foreign
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister
Abdullatif Al Zayani during an official ceremony hosted by former US president
Donald Trump at the White House on September 15 last year.
Palestinians,
who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip with
East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, view the deals as a betrayal of their
cause.
The
Israeli regime has significantly stepped up its much-criticized land grab
projects since its normalization deals with the UAE and Bahrain — followed by
Sudan and Morocco.
The
UAE and Bahrain have also dramatically slashed their financial assistance to
the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after the two Persian Gulf
states agreed to normalize ties with Israel last August.
A
member of Netanyahu’s cabinet and Likud party on November 23 last year
confirmed reports that Netanyahu had flown to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine
meeting with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and then US
secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Israel’s
Kan public radio and Army Radio said Mossad chief Yossi Cohen also attended the
meeting.
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas denounced the meeting as an “insult” to
the Palestinian cause.
Hamas
spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri described the Israeli premier's meeting, which was
reportedly held in Neom on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, as “dangerous”.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/05/646597/Bahrain-plan-to-form-alliance-with-Israel-is-betrayal-of-national-values-Wefaq
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Iraqi
resistance groups announce confrontation with US occupiers until liberation
05
March 2021
Iraqi
resistance groups have announced a new phase of resistance against US forces in
the country, vowing “confrontation with occupiers until the liberation of
Iraq.”
“The
resistance sees confrontation as the only option that guarantees the freedom,
dignity of this country after exhausting all the means that others have bet on
with the occupation,” the coordinating body for the Iraqi resistance factions
said in a statement on Thursday, according to the Iraqi media.
“We
are facing a new page from the pages of the resistance, in which the weapons of
the resistance will reach all the occupation forces and its bases in any part
of the homeland,” they said.
Hailing
the recent attacks against the “occupation forces”, the statement added that
“the resistance has the legal and national right and popular support for all of
that, but will not target diplomatic missions.”
“The
Iraqi resistance is an Iraqi decision, and its choice is the choice of the
Iraqi people, and it will continue circumstances and sacrifices until Iraq is
liberated from the filth of the occupation,” it said.
The
statement came a day after 10 Grad rockets struck the Ain al-Assad air base
hosting American forces in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. The incident
led to the death of two American contractors and injured as many as six people.
It also resulted in material damage to both parts of the outpost.
An
informed security source told Press TV that eight of the projectiles struck the
“American part” of the base, while two hit the section that is assigned to the
US-led coalition.
The
raid was conducted days after the US military targeted the positions of the
Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, on the
Iraqi-Syrian border, where they were engaged in fighting the remnants of the
Daesh terrorist group.
Elsewhere
in the Thursday statement, the Iraqi resistance termed as “traitorous” any
party that stands as an obstacle against the path of resistance and its
constant choice in confronting and expelling the occupier.
“It
is the right of the resistance, rather its duty, not to pay attention to such
bodies, but rather to prevent it by all means from hindering its strikes
against the occupation,” they said.
Forbes
magazine reported on Wednesday that the United States will likely deploy the
Avenger air defense system in Syria, Iraq, to support US forces in the face of
the growing drone threat.
US
military bases and diplomatic missions in Iraq have been repeatedly targeted in
recent months as anti-US sentiments run high in the Arab country since the US
assassination of Iran’s legendary anti-terror commander General Qassem
Soleimani and his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the
PMU, last year.
The
two anti-terror commanders were targeted along with their companions in a drone
strike authorized by former US president Donald Trump near Baghdad International
Airport on January 3, 2020.
The
Wednesday attack against the US-led occupation forces targeted the same air
base that Iran openly attacked on January 8, 2020 as part of its retaliation
for the Soleimani assassination, which also prompted the Iraqi lawmakers to
push for the expulsion of the US-led foreign forces from their country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/05/646592/Iraqi-resistance-pledges-target-occupation-forces-until-liberation
--------
Lebanon’s
central bank governor may be sanctioned by US: Report
04
March, 2021
The
US is considering sanctions against Lebanon’s long-serving central bank chief
as a broader investigation into the alleged embezzlement of public funds in the
country gathers pace, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Officials
within the Biden administration have discussed the possibility of coordinated
measures with their European counterparts targeting Riad Salameh, who’s led the
Middle Eastern nation’s monetary authority for 28 years, said the people, who
requested anonymity because the talks are private.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
discussion has so far focused on the possibility of freezing Salameh’s overseas
assets and enacting measures that would curtail his ability to do business
abroad, the people said. Deliberations are ongoing and a final decision over
whether to take action may not be imminent, they said. Salameh denies any
wrongdoing.
US
authorities have considered penalizing Salameh before. The possibility emerged
as recently as last year, but then-President Donald Trump wasn’t interested in
taking action, two of the people said. His administration focused much of its
Middle East policy on countering the influence of Iran and its proxies like
Lebanon-based Hezbollah, whereas President Joe Biden has initially emphasized
accountability on corruption and human rights abuses.
Should
any measures be imposed, it would be a rare instance in which a foreign
government has taken action against the sitting head of a central bank over
alleged corruption. It would also amount to a remarkable reversal of fortune
for one of the world’s longest-tenured monetary policy chiefs and further
complicate Lebanon’s efforts to win international financial support.
Salameh,
70, was once celebrated as the financier who stabilized Lebanon’s currency
against all odds and was even considered at one time to be a presidential
contender. As recently as 2019, he earned an A-grade from the New York-based
magazine Global Finance in its annual rankings. Euromoney named him central
bank governor of the year a decade earlier.
A
household name on Wall Street and in foreign capitals, Salameh has been one of
the few constants over the past three decades as Beirut wrestled with war, debilitating
political standoffs and an economic meltdown.
That
backdrop sparked mass protests in October 2019 against a political class
accused of bleeding state coffers through decades of corruption and
mismanagement. Demonstrators also blamed Salameh for ever-riskier policies to
sustain a financial model that ultimately failed, wiping out the life savings
of a generation of Lebanese. More than half the population now lives in
poverty, according to the United Nations.
Swiss
Probe
In
January, the Swiss attorney general’s office asked the Lebanese government for
help with an investigation into money laundering linked to possible
embezzlement from the coffers of Banque du Liban, as the central bank is known.
Swiss authorities didn’t identify the target of their probe and the Lebanese
judiciary said it had been approached about transfers abroad made via the
central bank.
The
investigation also involves other jurisdictions, including the U.K. and France,
where authorities are reviewing Salameh’s links to properties, shell companies
and overseas bank transfers, the four people said. While the Swiss probe lends
momentum, potential American sanctions don’t necessarily depend on its outcome
as much as on shifting political calculations, they said.
Salameh
dismissed the allegations made against himself and the central bank.
“It
is utterly untrue that I have benefited in any way or form, directly or
indirectly, from any funds or assets belonging to BDL or any other public
funds, he wrote in an emailed response on Thursday to questions from Bloomberg
News.
Salameh
said his net worth was $23 million when he took on the role of governor in
1993, a fortune amassed during his previous career as a private banker. His
salary at Merrill Lynch was $165,000 a month, he said.
“The
source of my wealth is clearly identified, he wrote in the email.
A
spokeswoman at the White House’s National Security Council referred questions
to the Treasury Department. A representative there didn’t respond to requests
for comment. A spokeswoman at the Swiss attorney general’s office said the
investigation is ongoing but declined to comment on coordination with US
authorities. The U.K. Treasury referred queries to the Foreign Office, which
declined to comment. Lebanon’s justice minister didn’t respond to questions.
Neither did an official at the French presidency.
Brother’s
Commissions
Swiss
authorities are looking into allegations that Salameh indirectly benefited from
the sale of Lebanese Eurobonds held in the central bank’s portfolio between
2002 and 2016, according to a Lebanese judicial official and a person familiar
with the Swiss investigation, both of whom requested anonymity as the
information is sensitive.
The
monetary authority holds Eurobonds from market-to-market transactions as well
as swap agreements with the government.
BDL
would cancel Treasury bills and receive the bonds in return.
Also
of interest to authorities is the relationship between Salameh’s brother, Raja,
and the brokerage firm Forry Associates Ltd, which charged commissions on the
sale of Eurobonds to investors, four of the people said. The commissions under
scrutiny total more than $300 million, according to a person familiar with the
Swiss investigation.
The
Beirut-based investigative news website Daraj previously reported on the link
between Salameh’s brother and Forry. The firm was registered in 2001 in the
British Virgin Islands, an offshore tax haven, and administered by Mossack
Fonseca, the Panamanian agent exposed in the 2016 Panama Papers leak. Forry was
struck off in 2011, according to data from the leak.
As
early as 2007, the then US Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman raised
concerns in Washington over the financial relationship between the Salameh
brothers and the central bank. In a diplomatic cable later made public by
WikiLeaks, he wrote that Raja earned commissions off a central bank contract
dating back to the 1990s, which paid him any time new banknotes were printed.
Raja
Salameh could not immediately be reached for comment when contacted via
Solidere, a real estate company where he’s a board member. There is no publicly
available contact information for him and efforts to reach him via individuals
known to him were unsuccessful. In the past he’s said that he owns businesses
and investments in real estate and hospitality, locally and internationally,
using his own private funds.
Anti-Hezbollah
Ally
Under
Trump, the US sanctioned several Lebanese officials for supporting Iran-backed
Hezbollah, an armed group with a powerful political wing. In November, it also
imposed penalties on the leader of the largest Christian bloc -- a Hezbollah
ally -- under the Global Magnitsky Act, which seeks to curb serious human
rights abuses and corruption overseas.
It
isn’t clear if any action against Salameh would fall under the Magnitsky
provisions or other regulations allowing Treasury officials to penalize foreign
officials accused of using the US dollar for illicit transactions, the people
said.
France,
which has been working with Lebanese officials to form a new government in Beirut,
warned last year that coordinated sanctions could be imposed against political
leaders if they failed to enact reforms to salvage an economy whose collapse
might further destabilize the region.
Any
action against Salameh would be more sensitive, however, given the push by the
Biden administration and European allies to reach a diplomatic accord with Iran
as well as efforts to end a political crisis that’s left Lebanon without a
government for almost seven months.
Potential
measures against officials who’ve helped in the fight against Hezbollah have
gotten a chillier reception from some of America’s allies, four of the people
said. Salameh, in particular, forged close relationships with US and European
officials as they sought to limit Hezbollah’s footprint in the Lebanese
financial sector.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/US-foreign-policy-Lebanon-s-central-bank-governor-may-be-sanctioned-by-US-Report
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Grocery
shoppers fight over basic commodities as Lebanon stares into the abyss
04
March, 2021
Grocery
shoppers in Lebanon fought over basic commodities in videos shared Thursday as
the economic crisis deepened and the local currency tumbled.
In
one video, a mother was seen screaming at employees of a grocery store after
trying to purchase a certain amount of what appeared to be powdered milk.
A
man accompanying the woman went on to snatch the product from an employee’s
hands and a brawl ensued between employees and shoppers.
In
a separate video, two men were seen snatching cooking oil and other products
out of shopper’s carts, waiting to pay.
Crisis-hit
Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government since last August.
Political leaders continue to bicker over spoils in the next government as
Hezbollah and its Christian allies in the Free Patriotic Movement demand
representation.
Meanwhile,
the Lebanese pound dipped to a record low this week. Pegged to the US dollar at
1,507.5LL since 1997, the pound was trading at 10,000LL to the dollar on the
black market.
Demonstrators
took to the streets in frustration and have blocked roads in protest since
Tuesday.
The
coronavirus pandemic has further added to the dire situation in Lebanon.
Additionally, the shortage of available US dollars has forced many businesses
to shut down or lay off employees.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/Lebanon-crisis-Grocery-shoppers-fight-over-basic-commodities-as-Lebanon-stares-into-the-abyss
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Arab
Coalition destroys Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Saudi Arabia’s
Jazan
Tuqa
Khalid
04
March ,2021
The
Arab Coalition destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed
Houthis towards Saudi Arabia’s southern Jazan region, state TV reported on
Thursday.
Saudi
authorities said on Tuesday a military projectile launched by the Houthis fell
in Jazan, injuring at least five civilians.
Coalition
Spokesperson Colonel Turki al-Maliki said: “The Houthi militia deliberately
escalates hostile and terrorist targeting of civilians and civilian objects
systematically using ballistic missiles… Those actions constitute war crimes.”
The
Arab Coalition has reported in recent weeks increased aerial attacks launched
by Houthis in Yemen towards civilian areas in the Kingdom.
The
attacks on Jazan come days after the Arab Coalition said it had thwarted a
ballistic missile attack by the Houthis on the Saudi capital Riyadh, and
destroyed six armed drones launched towards cities in the kingdom’s south.
Riyadh
said a Houthi drone attack caused a fire in a civilian aircraft at an airport
in Abha mid-February.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/04/Arab-Coalition-destroys-Houthi-ballistic-missile-launched-toward-Saudi-Arabia-s-Jazan
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North America
US,
UK spy agencies snooping on Middle East via Red Sea cables: Report
05
March 2021
The
mushrooming of fiber optic cable networks in the Middle East has provided a
tool to Western intelligence agencies to make inroads into the region’s
sensitive data and communications traffic.
The
Five Eyes, a signals intelligence (SIGINT) alliance of the US, UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand, has been prying on the region since decades,
according to new findings.
The
key players in this "unholy network" include the US’s National
Security Agency (NSA), and the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters
(GCHQ).
The
Middle East region, owing to its strategic importance and sinister agendas of
Western regimes including the US and UK, remains a breeding ground of
surveillance for the West.
Apart
from conventional forms of surveillance like tapping phone lines, the region is
also a hotbed of mass surveillance due to complex matrix of fibre optic cables.
According
to a report in Middle East Eye, spy agencies have tapped into fibre optic
cables to intercept vast volumes of data, from phone calls to the content of
emails, to web browsing history and metadata. Financial, military and
government data also passes through cables.
Such
intercepted data is sifted by analysts, while filters extract material based on
the NSA and GCHQ’s 40,000 search terms – subjects, phone numbers and email
addresses - for closer inspection.
In
the area spanning the Red Sea and Iran, there are no terrestrial fibre optic
cables crossing the Arabian peninsula, the report notes. All internet traffic
going from Europe to Asia either passes through the Caucuses and Iran, using
the Europe Persia Express Gateway (EPEG), or via Egyptian and Red Sea routes.
Egypt
is a main chokepoint, handling traffic from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and
Africa, and vice versa. The 15 cables that cross Egypt between the
Mediterranean and Red Sea handle between 17 percent to 30 percent of the world
population’s internet traffic, or the data of 1.3 billion to 2.3 billion
people, the report notes.
The
Five Eyes alliance has information-sharing arrangements in place with some
European countries and Japan and South Korea to intercept data from Russia and
China. The NSA also has a relationship with Sweden, since it is a landing point
for all cable traffic from Russia’s Baltic region.
In
contrast, the US has less formal information-sharing relationships with the
Middle East region including Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and
the UAE.
“The
Egyptians have an intelligence-sharing agreement [with the US], but they are
probably quite supine in the relationship, being after the money [from the
cable operators] and some intelligence sharing, which is largely [from the US
side], ‘here’s what you get’,” Hugh Miles, founder of Arab Digest, is quoted
saying in the report.
The
Five Eyes could be tapping cables in Egypt or its territorial waters, however.
Documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 refer to a secret NSA base in the
Middle East called DancingOasis.
“It
is extremely secret. Significantly it was built without [the host] government
knowing, which is an immense risk to the Americans,” Duncan Campbell, an
investigative journalist specialising in surveillance since 1975, is quoted in
the report.
“Where
it is located is pure guesswork. Candidate one is Jordan, then Saudi Arabia,
and three, Egypt. Geographically the only other place would be Oman, from where
Britain covers the Persian Gulf.”
Israel
is another side with the technical capability to tap subsea cables in the
region, according to Campbell, though it currently has no connections to Middle
Eastern network.
There
are no cables that go beyond the two coastal landing points of Tel Aviv and
Haifa, which are connected to continental Europe and Cyprus.
This
could change if Google’s reported plans for its new “Blue-Raman” cable running
from Europe to India through Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman come to
fruition, the report adds.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/05/646605/US-UK-Spy-Agencies-Snooping-Red-Sea
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US,
at UN, accuses Russia of blocking 'accountability' on Syria chem weapons
04
March ,2021
The
new US envoy to the United Nations on Thursday accused Russia of seeking to
stymie efforts to hold the government of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad
accountable for its use of chemical weapons during its long civil war.
"We
all know the Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons. So why hasn't
the Syrian government been held accountable?" the ambassador, Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, told a Security Council meeting via videoconference.
"The
answer is sadly simple: the Assad regime has tried to avoid accountability by
obstructing independent investigations and undermining the role and work"
of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), she said.
"And
the regime's allies, in particular Russia, have also sought to block all
efforts to pursue accountability," added the US diplomat, who was
participating in her first Security Council meeting since taking over as
President Joe Biden's envoy.
"Russia
has defended the Assad regime despite its chemical weapons attacks, it has
attacked the professional work of the OPCW, and it has undermined efforts to
hold the Assad regime accountable for its use of chemical weapons and numerous
other atrocities."
Moscow's
UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, defended Damascus, saying: "On Russia's
advice, Syria has abided by the OPCW in good faith, and has gotten rid of its
chemical weapons arsenal" -- a claim greeted with skepticism in the West.
He
also mocked Thomas-Greenfield, who holds the council's rotating presidency for
March, for being a bit wordy in what was meant to be a "brief"
intervention to start the proceedings.
"We
all always try to be brief, but it's not always possible," he said before
launching into what he called "a brief and useful historical recap on
Council deliberations" -- seemingly chiding Thomas-Greenfield for being a
newbie.
According
to the United Nations, which has accused Assad's regime of carrying out
chemical attacks against its own citizens in the past, Damascus has for years
not replied to a series of 19 questions about its weapons installations, which
could have been used to stock or produce chemical weapons.
OPCW
investigators have accused Assad's regime of sarin gas and chlorine attacks in
Syria in 2017.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/US-at-UN-accuses-Russia-of-blocking-accountability-on-Syria-chem-weapons
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US
VP Harris assures Israel’s Netanyahu of ‘unwavering commitment’ amid Iran
standoff
05
March ,2021
Tuqa
Khalid
US
Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the United States’ “unwavering
commitment to Israel’s security,” in a call with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said.
She
“underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the US-Israel
partnership,” the statement read.
“The
Vice President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of continuing close
cooperation and partnership on regional security issues, including Iran’s
nuclear program and the regime’s dangerous regional behavior,” the White House
said.
President
Joe Biden’s administration took steps to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal
which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 and subsequently
announced additional sanctions on Tehran.
The
Iranian regime demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before
taking any real action to return to the deal.
Israel
was not a party to the 2015 deal and has longed opposed any “soft” US
approaches towards its long-time foe Iran.
Tel
Aviv has powerful advocates within the US Congress and Netanyahu has threatened
to take unilateral military action on Iran if he deems diplomacy a dead end,
which leaves Washington with a difficult balancing act to figure out.
Earlier
on Thursday, Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tel Aviv would not
hesitate to act independently if the international community failed to stop
Iran’s “nuclear escalation.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/05/US-VP-Harris-assures-Israel-s-Netanyahu-of-unwavering-commitment-amid-Iran-standoff
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US
‘firmly opposes’ ICC probe of Israeli crimes against Palestinians
04
March 2021
The
administration of US President Joe Biden has “firmly opposed” the International
Criminal Court (ICC)’s decision to open an investigation into the war crimes
perpetrated by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories.
US
opposition on Wednesday came shortly after the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Fatou
Bensouda announced in a statement that her office would formally investigate
the atrocities committed by the Israeli military against Palestinians in the
occupied West Bank, the besieged Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem al-Quds since
1967.
“We
firmly oppose and are disappointed by the ICC prosecutor’s announcement of an
investigation into the Palestinian situation,” US State Department spokesperson
Ned Price said at his daily press briefing.
“We
will continue to uphold our strong commitment to Israel and its security,
including by opposing actions that seek to target Israel,” he added, claiming
that the ICC “has no jurisdiction over this matter.”
The
American official said the US had “serious concerns about” The Hague-based
tribunal’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction on Israeli military forces.
US
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken repeated almost exactly the same words in a
tweet on Thursday.
The
United States firmly opposes an @IntlCrimCourt investigation into the
Palestinian Situation. We will continue to uphold our strong commitment to
Israel and its security, including by opposing actions that seek to target
Israel unfairly.
—
Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 4, 2021
The
ICC's chief prosecutor said in her statement that the investigations “will be
conducted independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favor.”
In
December last year, Bensouda announced that a five-year preliminary examination
of the “situation in the state of Palestine” had provided her with “reasonable
basis” to launch a war-crimes investigation into Israeli military actions in
the besieged Gaza Strip as well as Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West
Bank. But she had asked the court to determine whether she had territorial
jurisdiction before proceeding.
Last
month, the ICC confirmed that the territories occupied by Israel in a 1967 war
were subject to its jurisdiction.
The
ICC verdict was condemned by Israel but praised by Palestinians and
international rights organizations.
Israel
occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip —
territories the Palestinians want for a future state — during the Six-Day War
in 1967. It later had to withdraw from Gaza.
About
700,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built in the West Bank
and East Jerusalem al-Quds since then. The settlements are illegal under
international law, but the international community has done little to pressure
the Israeli regime into reversing its policies.
Palestine
is a party to the ICC’s founding Rome Statute and has long carried out
diplomatic efforts for the investigation of the war crimes by Israel in the
occupied territories.
Both
Israel and the United States have refused to sign up to the ICC, which was set
up in 2002 to be the only global tribunal trying the world’s worst crimes.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/04/646540/US-Israel-Palestine-ICC-probe-war-crimes
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Zion
man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to assist ISIS
By
JASON MEISNER
MAR
03, 2021
A
north suburban man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison for
attempting to aid the Islamic State terrorist group by providing cellphones to
an undercover FBI agent to be used as detonators for bombs.
Joseph
Jones and his friend Edward Schimentiwere convicted by a federal jury in 2019
of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
In
rejecting prosecutors’ request for a 17-year term, U.S. District Judge Andrea
Wood said that while any terrorism case is serious, the scheme that Jones was
convicted of “was not of comparable severity” as many others where specific
violence was planned.
“This
is not a case where anyone claims Mr. Jones was actually planning on carrying
out a terrorism attack,” Wood said. “And it’s not disputed ... that Mr. Jones
never actually made contact with anyone directly involved with ISIS.”
But
Wood also said she could not give Jones time served as suggested by his attorneys,
adding that Jones had tried to “minimize his conduct” in statements to law
enforcement after his arrest and in his testimony at trial.
The
lengthy sentencing hearing played out over two days beginning last month and
included a tearful statement from Jones, who apologized for his “grave
mistake.” But he also denied being a terrorist and accused federal
investigators of ensnaring him in an undercover operation by “preying on my
sympathies.”
“Sometimes
I feel like I have every reason to hate the government, but I don’t hate them,”
Jones said. “I forgive them for what they’ve done.”
Jones
also insisted he was never out to hurt anybody but simply “trying to be a good
Muslim and a good American.”
“I
consider myself a patriot,” he said in a voice choked with emotion. “I have my
own view and my own beliefs, and it’s not about hatred.”
In
asking for a 17-year sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas wrote in a
court filing that although the friends were not planning to travel overseas
themselves to fight, they celebrated the violence that ISIS perpetrated and
believed they were assisting in it.
“The
defendants deliberately attempted to assist an extremely violent terrorist
group they knew was engaged in a wide range of atrocities,” Jonas wrote. “Not
only were defendants aware of these atrocities, they celebrated them, gleefully
watching horrific execution videos and sharing such ISIS propaganda online.”
Jones’
attorney, Patrick Boyle, had asked for a term of time served, which as of
February was just under four years behind bars. In a lengthy court filing this
week, Boyle described how Jones’ family life had deteriorated with his father’s
drug addiction, leading him into his own problems with substance abuse and
petty crime.
Jones
found Islam as a teen and credits the religion with helping get him sober,
Boyle said. But his continuing research on the formation of an Islamic state
“took him to dark places on the internet,” including “slick” videos produced by
ISIS that glorified attacks on civilians, which Jones does not condone.
“He
believes that Islam never justifies violence against people who are just trying
to live their lives,” Boyle wrote.
Renewing
an argument from trial that Jones was entrapped by undercover FBI agents, Boyle
said that Jones feels betrayed by the government and that “they pressured him
into something he didn’t want to do.”
The
case against Jones and Schimenti marked the only time so far Islamic
State-related charges have gone to trial in Chicago, instead of ending with a
guilty plea. The trial featured days of testimony about the group’s brutal
tactics — including torture and beheadings — as well as its notorious
propaganda campaigns aimed at impressionable Americans.
Jurors
were shown one propaganda video found on Schimenti’s computer showing
terrorists clad in all black standing behind six captured Kurdish fighters
whispering prayers while on their knees. Prosecutors stopped the video as the
terrorist narrating it in English held a large knife up to the throat of one of
the captives.
The
investigation began in September 2015 when an undercover agent posing as a
motorist arrested in a traffic-related incident approached Jones at the Zion
Police Department, where Jones was being interviewed about the recent slaying
of a friend.
That
agent introduced Jones and Schimenti to others posing as devotees of ISIS,
including an informant they knew as Mohammed, who told them he was going to the
Middle East to join the Islamic State ranks, according to prosecutors.
In
February 2017, Schimenti took the informant to a gym in Zion to train for the
battlefield. Remarking on his own weight problem, Schimenti said on an
undercover recording that what mattered most in jihad was “hand-to-hand” combat
skills, not physical fitness.
“Man,
you know I’m all big, fat,” Schimenti said on the recording played for jurors.
“But (God willing) the brothers will just have me be the one to cut the neck.”
Although
the charges do not allege the two participated in any violence, Schimenti
talked with the informant about future plans to attack Naval Station Great
Lakes in North Chicago, a short distance from his home.
On
April 7, 2017, Schimenti and Jones dropped off Mohammed at O’Hare International
Airport equipped with cellphones they had purchased at his direction, according
to the charges.
“Drench
that land with they, they blood,” Schimenti allegedly said as he and Jones saw
the man off at the airport.
Boyle
told reporters he was “disappointed” that jurors rejected his argument of
entrapment.
Both
Boyle and attorneys for Schimenti had argued throughout the trial that the FBI
targeted the pair because of their admittedly extremist views and then induced
them to actively support terrorism through a series of undercover agents and
informants.
“The
government had my client under surveillance going back to 2015, including
aerial surveillance,” Jones said. “Then they concocted a ruse to introduce an
undercover (operative) and worked on him for almost two years.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-isis-terrorism-zion-friends-joseph-jones-sentencing-20210303-dvggbyrufbfxholozi6sz7owfi-story.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Europe
Germany
Places Far-Right AfD Party Under Surveillance for Extremism
By
Katrin Bennhold
March
3, 2021
BERLIN
— For the first time in its postwar history, Germany has placed its main
opposition party under surveillance, one of the most dramatic steps yet by a
Western democracy to protect itself from the onslaught of far-right forces that
have upset politics from Europe to the United States.
The
decision by the domestic intelligence agency will now allow it to tap phones
and other communications and monitor the movements of members of the far-right
Alternative for Germany party, which not only sits in the Federal Parliament
but has become entrenched at all levels of politics in nearly every part of the
nation.
It
is among the most sweeping efforts yet to deal with the rise of far-right and
neo-Nazi political movements within Western democracies, which are attempting
more vigorously to constrain, ostracize or even legally prosecute those
elements to prevent them from chipping away at the foundations of democratic
institutions.
News
of the move came on the same day that France banned Generation Identity, a militant
youth movement considered dangerous for its slick rebranding of neo-Nazi
concepts, and as lawmakers in the European Parliament in Brussels forced the
party of Hungary’s semi-authoritarian leader Viktor Orban out of the mainstream
conservative group.
It
also follows the impeachment hearing in Washington of former President Donald
J. Trump over accusations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the
Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as rising concerns among Democrats and even U.S. law
enforcement agencies about links between some Republican Party members and
extremist or conspiracy groups like QAnon.
For
Germany, the question of how to deal with the far right has particular urgency
in an election year that will see Angela Merkel step down after 16 years as
chancellor, a tenure in which she became a symbol of a Germany that has learned
from its Nazi past and opened itself to refugees seeking shelter from conflict
and persecution.
Because
of Germany’s Nazi history and the fact that Hitler rose by democratic means
before swiftly moving to abolish democracy, the country designed its postwar
political structures with built-in safeguards to protect against the rise of
political forces — primarily another Nazi party — that could once again usurp
the democracy from the inside.
The
domestic intelligence agency, known as the Federal Office for the Protection of
the Constitution, is one of them. Its founding mission is to act as an early
warning mechanism to protect the Constitution against budding threats.
“We
take that mission very seriously,” Thomas Haldenwang, the president of the
agency, said last year.
“We
know from German history that far-right extremism didn’t just destroy human
lives, it destroyed democracy,” he said. “Far-right extremism and far-right
terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”
The
Alternative for Germany, known by its German acronym AfD, the first far-right
party to make it into Germany’s federal parliament since World War II, has
become the most serious test for Germany’s postwar institutions yet.
The
party won 13 percent of the vote in 2017, two years after Ms. Merkel welcomed
over a million refugees into the country. During the pandemic, its support has
shrunk to around 10 percent, but in Germany’s former Communist East it still
scores twice that.
Despite
noticeably radicalizing in recent years and closing ranks with neo-Nazis in
street rallies, the AfD has pockets of support in state institutions like the
police and the military, raising concerns about far-right infiltration at the
heart of democracy.
AfD
lawmakers routinely travel to Russia, where they are hosted at length by the
foreign minister. They celebrated President Trump’s election and took photos
with his ambassador during July 4 celebrations at the American embassy in
Berlin. Stephen K. Bannon met the AfD leader Jörg Meuthen in 2019.
More
recently, several AfD members expressed sympathy for the storming of the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6. “Trump is fighting the same political fight — you have to
call it a culture war — as we in the Alternative for Germany are in Germany in
opposition,” Martin Renner, an AfD lawmaker, wrote on Facebook. The post has
since been deleted.
At
home, AfD leaders accuse Muslim immigrants of being criminals, attack the
press, and dismiss the Nazi era as a “speck of bird poo in history.”
During
the coronavirus pandemic, AfD officials have taken part in demonstrations that
have at times turned violent, including last year when protesters tried to
force their way into the Parliament building in an act that now seems a
harbinger of the violence that shook the Capitol in Washington in January.
Yet,
even as the AfD has become more radicalized, the party has established a
presence in state and local legislatures across the country.
Increasingly
concerned about the party’s positions, the domestic intelligence agency has
spent two years scrutinizing the speeches and social media posts of AfD
officials for evidence of extremism.
An
assessment amounting to some 1,100 pages concluded that the party’s position
violated key principles of liberal democracy, not least Article 1 of the German
Constitution, which states that human dignity is unassailable, officials said.
A
year ago the intelligence agency announced a first escalation, classifying both
the most radical wing of the AfD associated with Björn Höcke, the party’s most
notorious far-right firebrand, and its youth organization as extremist and said
it would place some of its most influential leaders under surveillance.
Since
then, this radical wing — despite being formally disbanded — appears to have
only extended its influence in the party, officials say. At a recent party
convention in December, the radical wing had the support of nearly half the
delegates.
The
latest decision by the intelligence agency to widen the spotlight to all party
members stops short of classifying the AfD as extremist, but it clears the way
for the agency to place it under surveillance to determine if it is.
Members
of the AfD responded with outrage on Wednesday, vowing to take legal measures
and insinuating that the move was politically motivated. Later this month,
there are two hard-fought state elections, and in September a national ballot
will determine a new government.
“The
intelligence agency is acting purely politically when it comes to the AfD,”
wrote Alice Weidel, a prominent party leader, on Twitter. “Given the state and
federal elections this year that is particularly remarkable.”
Another
AfD lawmaker, Jürgen Braun, sounded a similar theme. “You know you’re living in
Germany,” he wrote on Twitter, “when one and a half weeks ahead of two
important state elections and a few months before the national election the
domestic secret service declares the biggest opposition party to be
suspicious,” he said.
But
elsewhere in the political spectrum the decision met with widespread support.
“Against
the backdrop of our experience in German history I can understand fully that
the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has designated the AfD as a
suspected case of far-right extremism,” tweeted Konstantin von Notz, a Green
lawmaker and deputy president of the intelligence oversight committee in
parliament. “Our democracy defends itself!”
It
is not the first time that Germany’s intelligence agency has placed a political
party under observation. In the 1950s, a successor party of the Nazi party was
banned by the constitutional court, followed by the Communist Party of Germany.
More recently the neo-Nazi National Party of Germany attracted state scrutiny
as did members of the far-left Left Party.
The
question of whether a government agency can put a democratically elected
political party under surveillance — or even ban it — if the party is feared to
be a threat to democracy has become the subject not just of fierce debate but
also a legal battle.
The
decision to investigate the AfD as a potentially extremist group was reached
last Thursday but was not publicly announced, pending an ongoing court case the
AfD has brought to stop the measures against it.
The
intelligence service told the court that pending the end of the court case, it
would not use its observation powers on AfD lawmakers and party members running
for office in upcoming elections.
Last
month, an administrative court in Cologne ruled that the intelligence office,
known here as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or its
German initials BfV, was allowed to start investigating the AfD for extremism.
The
agency would not comment on the case on Wednesday. But German officials, who
requested anonymity given the ongoing court battle, confirmed the decision.
“Due
to the ongoing legal proceedings and out of respect for the court the BfV does
not give any public statements on this matter,” the intelligence agency said in
an emailed statement.
In
a measure of the decision’s scope and significance, it almost doubles the
number of listed suspects of far-right extremism in the state’s official
database.
In
last year’s intelligence report, the intelligence agency said there were 32,080
individuals suspected of far-right extremism. That number already included
8,600 AfD members who belong to Mr. Höcke’s radical wing and to the party’s
youth wing. Now another 24,000 AfD members will be added.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/world/europe/germany-afd-surveillance-extremism.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
UK
Prisons Must Not Become ‘Terrorist Training Grounds’ As Sentences Increased,
Government Warned
Lizzie
Dearden
March
4, 2021
British
prisons must not be allowed to become “terrorist training grounds” as the
number of extremist inmates rise, the government has been warned.
The
number of terrorist prisoners hit a record high last year, and a package of new
laws currently going through parliament aims to make them serve longer inside
jail by increasing sentences and changing release rules.
During
a debate in the House of Lords on Wednesday, several peers demanded assurances
that security inside prisons will be maintained and extremists can be
deradicalised.
It
comes more than a year after the first Isis-inspired attack inside a UK jail,
where a terrorist inmate and radicalised violent criminal attempted to kill a
prison officer at HMP Whitemoor.
Proposing
a series of amendments to the new Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill, Liberal
Democrat peer Lord Marks said: “We are also concerned to consider the effect on
other prisoners of having serious terrorist offenders in their midst.
“It
is of great importance to avoid the risk that the most serious offenders are
seen as some kind of kingpins within prisons to be looked up to and emulated.
If our prisons become terrorist training grounds, the effect of long sentences
will have been utterly counterproductive.”
Lord
Marks called for a review of separation centres, which are intended to isolate
influential extremists from the mainstream process.
Three
were opened in the wake of a damning review on Islamist extremism, but only one
remains in operation.
Concern
about radicalisation and terrorist networking have been mounting following revelations
in recent trials for alleged attack plotters.
Four
terror attacks were launched by serving or released prisoners in a seven-month
period between November 2019 and June, in Fishmongers’ Hall, HMP Whitemoor,
Streatham and Reading.
During
the House of Lords debate, a minister said a Home Office unit had conducted an
“internal review of lone-actor terrorism” in the summer, but that its findings
were “sensitive and will not be published”.
Green
Party peer Baroness Jones said the changes in the new bill “can either work
very well or be disastrous”.
“The
government are taking a very worrying approach to counterterrorism with this
sort of ‘tough on crime’ mentality, where we just lock people up and throw away
the key,” she added.
“There
is a huge risk that issues and behaviours like this can spread in prison and in
fact the prisons become a recruiting ground. That is pretty much how Isis
started, in the prison camps in Iraq, so we have a precedent for some quite
damaging events coming out of locking people up.
“We
have to be very careful that the government’s attempts to imprison people
indefinitely do not just make the problem much worse.”
Labour
peer Lord Ponsonby said that bodies representing prison guards and probation
officers had raised concerns about the impact of removing the possibility of
early release from some terrorists.
“It
is much easier to manage a prison, and much safer for their members, if there
is hope for the prisoners themselves,” he added. “There has been a huge
increase in attacks on prison officers in recent years.”
Baroness
Hamwee, a Liberal Democrat peer, said: “No hope can lead to an attitude of not
having anything to lose, managing to get involved in terrorism and suceeding
with catastrophic effect.”
The
Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill passed its third reading in the House of
Commons in July, and was going through its report stage in House of Lords.
Amendments
will be made before it goes back to MPs for their final approval.
The
law as initially drafted would increase the maximum penalty from 10 to 14
years’ imprisonment for several terror offences.
Judges
would also be able to increase the sentence for any crime punishable by more
than two years in prison by finding a “terrorist connection”.
The
bill would force terrorists given extended determinate sentences to serve the
entire term in prison, rather than being released on licence, but only if the
maximum penalty for the crime was life.
An
impact assessment commissioned by the Ministry of Justice said that while
longer sentences could give terrorists more opportunity to engage in
deradicalisation programmes, there “is a risk of offenders radicalising others
during their stays in custody”.
Legal
changes would see those found guilty of selected offences, such as planning
attacks, handed a minimum 14-year prison term and monitored for up to 25 years
after their release under new “serious terrorism sentence”.
The
law would also increase licence periods and introduce lie detector tests for
released prisoners, and enabled the extended imposition of Terrorism Prevention
and Investigation Measures (Tpims).
Responding
to Wednesday’s debate on the government’s behalf Lord Stewart, the Scottish
lord advocate, said the bill would be subject to post-legislative scrutiny.
He
said that Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation,
would look at its effects and was conducting a separate review on terrorism
inside prisons.
“Efforts
in our prison system to deradicalise and rehabilitate offenders in custody are
ongoing, and techniques are developing constantly,” Lord Stewart said.
“We
have a set of specialist operational controls for managing counterterrorism
risk in custody, as well as a number of population-management controls
available for use across the entire prison estate.
“Most
extremist prisoners can, and should, be managed in the mainstream prison
population with appropriate conditions and controls.
“We
take the risk of radicalisation within the prison estate seriously and, where
deemed necessary, we have used, and will use, the separation centres available
to us to prevent persons spreading malicious ideology to other prisoners.”
Lord
Stewart said the main deradicalisation programme, the Healthy Identity
Intervention, was currently being evaluated and that a “new counterterrorism
assessment and rehabilitation centre” was being established.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/terrorists-prison-uk-sentencing-bill-b1812043.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Pope
Francis departs Rome for risky, historic Iraq tour
by
Kunal Gaurav
MAR
05, 2021
Pope
Francis left Rome on Friday to start a four-day trip to Iraq, his most risky
foreign trip since his election in 2012 and the first visit by a pontiff to the
country.
An
Alitalia airplane carrying the 84-year-old pope, his entourage, a security
detail, and about 75 journalists, left Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport for the
4-1/2-hour flight to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Iraq
is deploying thousands of additional security personnel to protect Francis
during the visit, which comes after a spate of rocket and suicide bomb attacks
raised fears for his safety.
The
flags of Iraq and the Vatican City fluttered outside Baghdad airport in
anticipation of his arrival.
Francis's
whirlwind tour will cover four cities in the north and south of the country,
taking him by plane, helicopter and possibly armoured car to areas that most
foreign dignitaries are unable to reach, let alone in such a short space of
time.
He
will say Mass at a Baghdad church, meet Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the
southern city of Najaf and travel north to Mosul, where the army had to empty
the streets for security reasons last year for a visit by Iraq's prime
minister.
Mosul
is a former Islamic State stronghold, and churches and other buildings there
still bear the strains of conflict.
Since
the defeat of the Islamic State militants in 2017, Iraq has seen a greater
degree of security, though violence persists, often in the form of rocket
attacks by Iran-aligned militias on US targets, and US military action in
response.
On
Wednesday morning, 10 rockets landed on an airbase that hosts U.S., coalition
and Iraqi forces. Hours after that attack, the pope reaffirmed he would be
going to Iraq.
Islamic
State also remains a threat. In January, a suicide attack claimed by the Sunni
militant group killed 32 people in Baghdad's deadliest such attack for years.
VIOLENCE
AND HOPE
Francis
will meet clergy at a Baghdad church where Islamist gunmen killed more than 50
worshippers in 2010. Violence against minority groups in Iraq, especially when
a third of the country was being run by Islamic State, has reduced its ancient
Christian community to a fifth of its once 1.5 million people.
The
pontiff will also visit Ur, birthplace of the prophet Abraham, who is revered
by Christians, Muslims and Jews, and meet Iraq's revered top Shi'ite Muslim
cleric, 90-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The
meeting with Sistani, who wields great influence over Iraqi politics and its
Shi'ite majority, will be the first by a pope.
Some
Shi'ite militant groups have opposed the pope's visit, framing it as Western
interference in Iraq's affairs. But many Iraqis hope that it can help foster a
fresh view of Iraq.
"It
might not change much on the ground, but at least if the pope visits, people
will see our country in a different light, not just bombs and war," said
Ali Hassan, a 30-year-old Baghdad resident picking up relatives at the airport.
The
trip is the pope's 33rd outside Italy. He is due to return to Rome on Monday
morning.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pope-francis-departs-rome-for-risky-historic-iraq-tour-101614933948046.html
--------
France
bans far-right group Generation Identity
03.03.2021
The
French government on Wednesday agreed to ban the far-right group Generation
Identity, saying the organization incited "discrimination, hatred and
violence."
Interior
Minister Gerald Darmanin posted the decree to ban GI on Twitter, saying it took
into account the group's "structure and military organization,"
adding that GI can be regarded "as having the character of a private
militia."
Darmanin
noted in the decree the group had links to "ultraright groups from which
(GI) receives logistical support," noting that it received donations from
Brenton Tarrant, the terrorist behind the 2019 mosque shootings in
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Racist
ideology
In
the decree, Darmanin pronounced the Lyon-based association illegal, and said
its publications and actions spread "an ideology inciting hatred, violence
and discrimination of individuals, based on their origin, their race or their
religion."
Government
spokesman Gabriel Attal said: "With that decision we are putting an end to
sometimes violent actions from the group."
GI
has gained notoriety in recent years after staging a number of operations to
block migrants from entering the country. The most recent of which occurred in
January, with around 30 GI members congregating at the Col du Portillon
mountain pass on the French-Spanish border, in what the group called a
surveillance operation to "defend Europe."
Fences
and helicopter missions at borders
It
was the latest in a string of demonstrations by GI members, often involving the
deployment of fences at border crossings.
In
August 2019, the group's leader and two other members were handed six-month
prison sentences after they set up a blockade in the French Alps and rented two
helicopters to search for migrants.
Members
of the far-right group scaled the mountain pass at an altitude of 1,762 meters
(5,781 feet), and unveiled a giant banner which said "Closed border: No
way" before erecting a symbolic blockade in the snow using plastic
fencing.
In
response, a separate group of activists escorted some 30 migrants into France,
sparking skirmishes with police and GI members.
https://www.dw.com/en/france-bans-far-right-group-generation-identity/a-56760300?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
South Asia
Tripura
Christians angry over church demolition in Bangladesh
March
05, 2021
Christian
leaders in Bangladesh have condemned the demolition of a partly built
Protestant church by the Forest Department in a remote hilly area of the
country.
Adhirang
Tripura, a member of the largely Christian indigenous Tripura community, said
Christians are angry and demanding compensation after Forest Department
officials destroyed their new church in Sathiram Tripura village after accusing
them of illegally occupying a forest reserve.
Forest
officials along with 8-10 Muslim civilians tore down the Seventh-day Adventist
Church building at Kurukpata Union in the Alikadam area of Bandarban district,
one of three hilly, forested districts collectively called the Chittagong Hill
Tracts (CHT), on Feb. 25, according to Adhirang, a Baptist Christian and member
of the local union council.
“Officials
said they demolished the church building because it was being constructed in a
forest reserve. But my question is, then why are illegal activities like
cutting down trees and lifting stones from rivers not stopped? Can't we, as a
minority, practice our religion properly?" Adhirang told UCA News.
“The
destroyed building was not a new church, but an old structure made of bamboo
and straw was being replaced with a concrete building with funding from church
members.”
Support
Asia's largest network of Catholic journalists and editors.
If
the structure was illegal, it should not have existed for years, he added.
Some
160 Tripura Christians belonging to the Baptist Church or Seventh-day Adventist
Church have been living in Bidhymoni Tripura village and Sathiram Tripura
village for generations, he explained.
An
official from Chittagong Catholic Archdiocese that covers the area also
expressed dismay over the church demolition.
“We
are worried and terrified over the incident. We also have our churches here and
the incident is a bad example. We want justice for this incident and hope the
government will compensate the Seventh-day Adventists for it,” the priest told
UCA News on condition of anonymity.
Catholic
priests working in the CHT are often harassed and questioned by law enforcement
agencies when they visit villages to offer pastoral care to the faithful.
“This
is unacceptable. All must be free to practice their faith freely,” the priest
added.
S.M.
Kaiser, a forest official in Bandarban, denied allegations of any wrongdoing.
“We
evicted a building in the reserve area. The law requires that permission from
the Forest Department is mandatory if anyone wants to build any structure in a
forest area. In this case no permission was given,” he told UCA News.
Philip
Tripura, general secretary of the Alikadam Tripura Welfare Association, said
the incident is of grave concern to the local Christian community.
“The
Forest Department has hurt the religious sentiments of Christians by
demolishing the church. We demand a fair investigation and justice for this
heinous act. If not, it will be difficult for Christians in the region to
practice their religion in the coming days,” Philip told UCA News.
According
to its website, the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Bangladesh has been active
in the country since 1906. It operates schools, colleges and orphanages across
Bangladesh. It has 33,681 members in 127 churches in the country. Christians,
mostly Catholics, account for less than half of one percent of the 160 million
people in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
The
CHT is Bangladesh’s only mountainous region — bordered by India and Myanmar to
the southeast — and famous for its natural beauty including lush green forests,
hills, rivers, springs and lakes. For years, the area has been home to more
than 25 indigenous groups, mostly Buddhists and some Christians.
Since
the 1980s, the region has received a massive influx of Bengali Muslim settlers
under state-sponsored migration schemes that triggered tensions and violent
disputes over land, livelihoods and forestry.
Indigenous
groups formed a militia group that started attacking Muslim settlers accused of
land grabbing and abusing their people. In response, the government deployed
the military and a bloody bush war raged for more than two decades until the
signing of the CHT Peace Accord in 1997.
Despite
the peace treaty, the CHT remains a heavily militarized zone and a volatile
region where deadly sectarian conflicts and violence between armed political
parties are common.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/tripura-christians-angry-over-church-demolition-in-bangladesh/91643
--------
Sweden
attacker identified as ‘Afghan asylum seeker’
05
Mar 2021
A
22-year-old Afghan is confirmed to be the culprit of stabbing and injuring eight
people in Sweden, the man had arrived in a Nordic country in 2018 media
reported on Thursday.
The
incident happened in the city of Vetlanda on Wednesday, Police told AFP that
detail had emerged which led them to probe whether there was a terror motive behind
the stabbings.
Swedish
police are currently working with the country’s intelligence service Sapo to
determine the cause and motive of the attack.
The
security officials are investigation a possible “terror incident” following the
stabbing of eight people by an Afghan man, and did not provide details on the
victims.
Earlier
police called the incident “attempted murder but later changed it to a
“suspected terrorist” attack.
Police
chief Malena Grann told reporters that “There are details in the investigation
that have led us to investigate whether there was a terror motive,”.
The
city inhabited by approximately 13,000 people was shocked to get the news of
stabbings.
According
to police, the man used a sharp knife but some sources say he had a brandished
knife when the stabbings happened.
The
man whose identification was undisclosed was shot in the legs and is admitted
to a hospital, media reported.
Three
of the eight injured victims have reportedly suffered life-threatening
injuries, while two others are in serious condition, local health authorities
reported.
Police
indicated that the perpetrator is in a condition able to answer investigative
questions, the suspect was a resident of the area and was previously accused of
petty crimes and use of small-scale cannabis.Stefan Lofven, Swedish Prime
Minister condemned the “horrific violence” and added that Sweden faces “these
despicable actions with the combined force of the community,”.
He
also wrote on his Facebook page that “We are reminded of how frail our safe
existence is,”.
Local
media outlets reported that Swedish intelligence services indicated that the
“terrorist threat” was high.
Sweden
was also been targeted twice by such attacks, in April 2017, a radicalized
Uzbek asylum seeker mowed down pedestrians with a stolen truck in which five
people were killed and in December of 2010 a man carried a suicide attack, he
himself was killed but passers-by were mildly injured in the incident.
https://www.khaama.com/sweden-attacker-identified-as-afghan-asylum-seeker/
--------
Violence
in Afghanistan ‘must end’, EU condemns targeted killings
04
Mar 2021
European
Union Condemned the targeted attacks on media workers, journalists, and women
in Afghanistan.
EU
also called on all of the warring parties to end the violence and that “the
violence in Afghanistan must stop”.
According
to European Union, the atrocious, planned assassination of three young female
media workers deprived them of their future, their families, friends, love
ones, and colleagues.
“The
Taliban remain responsible for the majority of civilian casualties and targeted
assassinations, either directly or by opposing a ceasefire. Targeting
journalists must stop. Targeting women must stop. The violence in Afghanistan
must stop,” the statement indicated.
The
European Union expects transparent and thorough investigations of all these
attacks and assassinations, the statement said, reiterating the European
Union’s resolve to support media and the freedom of speech in Afghanistan.
EU
hoped for a transparent and thorough investigation of all such attacks,
targeted killings and reiterated the EU’s support to media and freedom of
speech in Afghanistan.
These
attacks illustrate the vulnerable and dangerous situation that female media
workers face.
“It
also continues a worrying trend of systematic, targeted attacks and killings of
journalists, human rights defenders, civil society representatives and civil
servants, which cost the lives of 1,200 civilians in 2020, a 45% increase
compared to 2019” the statement read.
https://www.khaama.com/violence-in-afghanistan-must-end-eu-condemns-targeted-killings/
--------
Inclusivity
is key to salvaging the US–Taliban Doha deal
5
March 2021
Imtiaz
Gul
The
deal struck by the United States with the Afghan Taliban in Doha on 29 February
2020 was de facto recognition of the weight of the fundamentalist militant
group. Nearly 10 days later all 15 members of the UN Security Council endorsed
the agreement. But challenges plague the deal a year on.
Taliban
delegates speak during talks between the Afghan government and Taliban
insurgents in Doha, Qatar, 12 September 2020 (Photo: Reuters/Ibraheem al
Omari).
Former
US acting deputy representative to the United Nations Cherith Norman Chalet had
pointed out that the resolution was the culmination of more than a year of
unprecedented, painstaking US diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, the Kabul
government and almost all key regional actors. Accompanied by verbal demands
for a reduction in violence as a pre-condition to intra-Afghan dialogue, the
agreement called for the fundamentalists to sever ties with international
terrorist groups and to prevent them from using Afghanistan to carry out
attacks against the United States.
A
year on, the violence is not diminishing nor is the intra-Afghan dialogue
making any real progress. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s team is still seeking
explanation on the rationale for continuing ‘Taliban jihad’. The United Nations
is also yet to take around 100 key Taliban leaders off the list of terrorists.
The
deal underlined a realisation among the Taliban for the need to engage in talks
for a way out of nearly two decades of conflict. US support for a Taliban Doha
office was also a political compulsion for the United States — it had until
then treated the Taliban as an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group and was
legally constrained from talking to them. Doha provided a political face to the
Taliban and enabled them to engage with the United States and other
stakeholders.
But
Kabul reneged on the deal in pinning hopes for a review of US Afghan policy
under the Biden administration. The move disregarded the critical role and
consent of other actors as well as the opinions of key regional power centres
such as Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Islamabad.
For
the Taliban, the deal with the United States and endorsement by the United
Nations had vindicated its position as a legitimate stakeholder, and an
expectation that it would be consulted on a possible extension to the pull-out
of all US-led troops from Afghanistan. Under the agreement, the United States
was to reduce its troops down to 2500 and eventually extract all combat forces
from Afghanistan by early May 2021.
The
entire process is now facing multiple complications. Many voices inside and
outside of Washington are calling for an extension in the deadline for US
withdrawal to allow more time for intra-Afghan talks. But the Taliban seem to
view this as the United States backtracking on its promise, undermining trust
in future arrangements.
Ghani
is intent on maintaining his leadership even if the intra-Afghan talks result
in an agreement on an interim government. But the Taliban have ruled out a
continuation of the current administration and governance system in Kabul as an
‘illegitimate entity and product of US occupation’.
Most
officials and analysts still consider Pakistan — which shares a 2560-kilometre
border with Afghanistan — as the key to success in the Afghan process. But if
the past were any indicator, it would be a mistake to believe the Taliban might
give in to any Pakistani demands for a longer term ceasefire or an extension to
the May deadline. The onus for success of the process rests more on the ability
of Afghan stakeholders to mutually navigate the minefield of political
disagreements than on Pakistan.
The
Taliban still draws some support from Moscow, Beijing, Ankara and Tehran. They
are all urging the Taliban to moderate its position on foreign troop
withdrawals from Afghanistan. ‘Responsible withdrawal’ has been the desire of
almost all regional players because all neighbours will face blowback if the
Afghan security forces fail to fill the vacuum.
Any
yearning for peace in Afghanistan must be viewed in the geopolitical context.
The current stalemate between New Delhi and Islamabad hardly inspires any
prospects for positivity as far as Afghanistan is concerned. Both want to
retain their respective influence as much as possible. The last Indo–US 2+2
Dialogue in October 2020 identified China as the ‘common challenge’. Pakistan
is the closest partner of China in the region and cannot expect much from
either India or the United States.
The
best way to salvage the Doha deal lies in an inclusive consultative process
embraced both by national stakeholders and external players. Any decision
excluding the Taliban, Kabul or regional actors is likely to spell greater
trouble for Afghanistan.
Favouring
an inclusive approach is the fact that the Biden administration alone may not
be able or willing to shoulder the entire process. The COVID-19
pandemic-induced economic crisis has drawn the focus of the United States and
other major NATO allies away.
Any
major deviation from the basic contours of the existing agreement will only
help spoilers of peace and not the millions of Afghans who are desperate for
return to normalcy. This could also erode trust in the inviolability of future
peace agreements that consume enormous effort and time to mature.
Imtiaz
Gul is Executive Director at the Center for Research and Security Studies,
Islamabad.
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/03/05/inclusivity-is-key-to-salvaging-the-us-taliban-doha-deal/
--------
Southeast Asia
Selangor
Islamic Religious Department Detains Four In Hulu Langat Over Alleged
Violations Of Islamic Law
04
Mar 2021
SHAH
ALAM, March 4 — The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has seized
several items as evidence following the arrest of two men and two women in Hulu
Langat last night over alleged violations of the Islamic law or fatwa.
Its
director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad in a statement today said the four detainees
were taken to Jais headquarters for further investigations under Sections 7, 9
and 10 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor Enactment) 1995.
He
said the case against the four individuals was brought up in the Shah Alam
Syariah Subordinate Court today.
A
male accused was allowed bail of RM1,000 with a Grade 41 civil servant as
surety and he was ordered to hand over his international passport and to report
to the Gombak District Islamic Religious Office every two weeks.
“The
court set bail of RM3,000 with a Grade 48 civil servant as surety for each of
the female accused. They were also ordered to hand over their international
passports and report to the Religious Office every two weeks.
“The
other male suspect was released on bond,” he said adding that the court has set
July 28 for re-mention.
“With
the arrest of the four, JAIS is expected to resolve a case involving alleged
violations of the Islamic law or fatwa including belittling the honour of the
Al-Quran and Al-Hadith and insulting or bringing into contempt the religion of
Islam,” he said. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/04/jais-detains-four-in-hulu-langat-over-alleged-violations-of-islamic-law/1954943
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PAS
‘no’ to any attempt to split ummah, forge alliance with opposition
March
5, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: PAS today said it would reject any attempt to split the Muslim community
and any effort to forge a new alliance with the opposition, following Umno’s
decision against cooperating with PPBM in the next general election.
The
party’s secretary-general, Takiyuddin Hassan, also said it would focus on
strengthening the ties among the three parties.
“We
are confident that any differences and misunderstanding that has arisen can be
resolved by the party leaders,” he said in a statement.
Powered
by Streamlyn
Takiyuddin
said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had met with Umno and PPBM leaders several
times, and had sat down with PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.
He
said cooperation among Malay parties was vital in the context of the country’s
political future.
“So,
we reject any attempt to split the unity of the ummah, which is the basis of
this cooperation.
“We
also reject any attempt to forge any new alliance with Pakatan Harapan or its
allies.”
Following
an Umno Supreme Council meeting last month, the party declared it would not
cooperate with PPBM in GE15 and it would only work with the PN-led government
until Parliament was dissolved.
Takiyuddin
also said PAS would continue with its agenda of strengthening the unity among
the Muslim community and empowering Muafakat Nasional (MN).
MN
is an alliance between Umno and PAS, the two largest Malay-Muslim parties,
which was formally set up in September 2019. In August, Umno and PAS officially
accepted PPBM into the alliance.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/03/05/pas-no-to-any-attempt-to-split-ummah-forge-alliance-with-opposition/
--------
Take
threats against Nur Sajat, transgender community seriously, say activists
Hakimie
Amrie Hisamudin
March
5, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Former minister for Islamic affairs Mujahid Yusof Rawa has cautioned
members of the public not to overreact over the announcement by cosmetics
entrepreneur Nur Sajat that she intended to renounce Islam.
Recently,
Nur Sajat hinted during a live broadcast on her now-deactivated Instagram
account at converting to another religion.
Her
announcement prompted a backlash from netizens, with some threatening to kill
her.
“Do
not overreact, who are we to judge her? Instead of punishing her, we should continue
to persuade her nicely not to convert to another religion. That is the proper
reaction,” Mujahid told FMT.
However,
he said, Nur Sajat should not have used the weaknesses of religious
institutions in handling her case as an excuse to convert.
“The
weaknesses and imperfections are coming from the institutions, not from Islam.
So, Nur Sajat should not have used them as an excuse to convert. That is not
fair,” he said.
Justice
for Sisters (JFS), an NGO that advocates the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals
and transgender people (LGBT), said there were legitimate fears that those from
the transgender community could fall victim to violence and hate crimes.
Describing
the public reaction as extreme, FS founder Thilaga Sulathireh told FMT: “Their
extreme actions are legitimised by patriarchal interpretations of religion and
laws that criminalise persons based on their gender identity, religious beliefs
or lack thereof, freedom of expression and such.
“The
fact that people can call for violence and issue death threats openly
demonstrates a high level of impunity in this country, especially against trans
and gender diverse women. These forms of extremism based on religion and
patriarchal ideas are worrying.”
Thilaga
said the current situation in relation to Nur Sajat must not be taken lightly.
She said the authorities must “step back and ensure safety for Nur Sajat and
the transgender persons and LGBTIQ persons in general”.
Meanwhile,
Sisters In Islam (SIS) said hate crimes and death threats against the marginalised
community should be taken seriously by the authorities, community and religious
leaders.
Death
threats are a crime under Section 506 of the Penal Code which provides for
imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine or both, the women’s group said,
while threats on social media are a crime under the Communications and
Multimedia Act 1998 which provides for a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or
imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.
“It
is heartbreaking when religious leaders and authorities choose to remain silent
on the issue involving death threats.
“SIS
urges the public to be calm, not to spread hatred, threaten and encourage
violent acts against Nur Sajat or the transgender community in general.”
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/03/05/take-threats-against-nur-sajat-transgender-community-seriously-say-activists/
--------
Mideast
Israel
will defend itself if world fails to stall Iran’s nuclear plans: Benny Gantz
Joseph
Haboush
04
March ,2021
Israel
will not wait for the international community to stop Iran’s “nuclear
escalation,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Thursday, adding that Tel Aviv
was ready to act independently if needed.
“Iranians
are breaking everything that was agreed with them; they are bluffing in any
aspect that one can think,” Gantz said in an interview with Fox News.
US
President Joe Biden has been pushing for direct talks with Iran over the JCPOA,
an acronym for the Iran nuclear deal, signed in 2015. Former President Donald
Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and imposed heavy economic sanctions
on Iran.
Iran’s
president says the sanctions have cost Tehran around $200 billion.
But
Israel and other countries in the region have been skeptical of a new deal that
doesn’t include consultation with Tel Aviv and the Gulf. Barack Obama did not
negotiate or include regional countries in the discussions that led to the 2015
deal.
Now,
Iran is spreading its nuclear capabilities all across the country in order to
use it “God forbid, or to use it as a deterrence canopy” in the midst of
potential negotiations with the US, Gantz said.
“The
Iranian nuclear aspiration must be stalled. If the world stops them before,
it’s very much good. But, if not, we must stand independently, and we must
defend ourselves by ourselves,” he warned, in an apparent reference that Israel
could act without coordinating with Washington.
Gantz
said Israel was constantly improvising its capabilities to strike and defend
itself.
Lebanon’s
Hezbollah
Asked
about the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, Gantz said the
group had “hundreds of thousands” of missiles.
The
Israeli official shared what appeared to be a classified map. “This is a map of
Lebanon. What you see there are ground forces, headquarters, launching sites,
et cetera. Everything is aimed to civilian targets, and it is being conducted
from civilian infrastructure,” Gantz alleged.
Asked
if the map was a target list for Israel, he said: “This is a target map. Each
one of them has been checked legally, operationally, intelligence wise, and we
are ready to fight.”
Hezbollah
and Israel fought to a stalemate in 2006. Since then, both sides have greatly
expanded their arsenal and fighting capabilities.
On
Wednesday, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said his group was not looking
for a war with Israel.
Analysts
fear an all-out war between the two is inevitable. And they warn that if the
Biden administration proceeds to negotiate with Iran without coordinating with
Tel Aviv, there could be uncoordinated action against Iran and its proxies from
Israel.
“Israel
will go all out and do crazy ****,” if the US strikes a similar deal to the
2015 one with Iran, a former Trump official told Al Arabiya English. “We
stopped them from doing a lot of crazy **** during our time, but I’m not sure this
administration will be able to because there won’t be coordination if they push
ahead with a deal and don’t include Israel.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/05/Israel-will-defend-itself-if-world-fails-to-stall-Iran-s-nuclear-plans-Benny-Gantz
--------
Russia,
Turkey want to save Iran nuclear deal, urge US to lift sanctions on Tehran
Tuqa
Khalid
04
March ,2021
Russia
and Turkey said they wanted the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to be “saved”, urging
the United States to lift sanctions on Tehran.
Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that lifting US sanctions on Iran
over its nuclear work and returning to the 2015 nuclear deal will contribute to
regional stability and economic prosperity.
“President
Erdogan, who stated that he wished the new US administration would abandon
unilateral sanctions on Iran and lift restrictions on the prosperity of Iranian
people, said the statements on the issue in recent days had led to a new window
of opportunity,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement last month after
phone call between Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Russia’s
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday the US must take steps that
demonstrate the seriousness of its intentions to return to the Iranian nuclear
deal, and there are still opportunities to save the accord known formally as
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“The
window of opportunity for rescuing the nuclear deal has not yet been closed. A
prerequisite is the full and consistent implementation of the 2015
comprehensive agreements by all countries that developed and concluded them. We
are working closely with all JCPOA participants to achieve this goal,” Russian
state news agency Interfax cited Lavrov as saying.
“However,
not everything here depends on us or the European participants in the Action
Plan. The principal point is the position of the Joe Biden administration on
the nuclear deal. In our opinion, Washington’s steps would contribute to
unblocking the situation around Iran and its nuclear program, which would send
a signal to Tehran demonstrating the seriousness of the US intentions to return
to the JCPOA,” he added.
Washington
and Tehran are locked in a standoff over reviving nuclear talks.
President
Joe Biden’s administration has signaled to Iran its willingness to return to
talks to revive the nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018 and
subsequently announced additional sanctions on Iran.
Biden
reversed Trump’s determination that all UN sanctions against Iran had been
restored. And the State Department eased stringent restrictions on the domestic
travel of Iranian diplomats in New York.
Yet,
Tehran demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking
any real action to return to the deal.
Russia,
Turkey and Iran all have tenuous relationships with the US and face an uphill
climb with the Biden administration which announced prioritizing human rights
as part of its foreign policy.
Ties
between Washington and Ankara have been strained over a host of issues including
the latter’s purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems and detainment of
journalists and activists under seemingly arbitrary terrorism charges.
Recently,
the US sanctioned senior Russian government officials and Russian entities in
response to Moscow’s attempt to kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a
nerve agent.
The
latest action by Biden’s administration marks a sharp departure from former
President Donald Trump’s reluctance to confront Russian President Vladimir
Putin.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/Iran-nuclear-deal-Russia-Turkey-want-to-save-Iran-nuclear-deal-urge-US-to-lift-sanctions-on-Tehran
--------
Rouhani
estimates ‘damage’ to Iran by US sanctions since 2018 at $200 billion
Tuqa
Khalid
04
March ,2021
Iran’s
President Hassan Rouhani estimated the “damages” to his country by re-instating
US sanctions under the Donald Trump administration at $200 billion.
“If
the new US administration wants to make up for the mistakes of the previous
administration, we have left the path clear for them,” Rouhani said in a speech
on Thursday.
“Some
friends said that the US should first compensate the damages it has done to the
Iranian nation - which is of course more than $200 billion - , but we have said
that we will leave the claim for damages to the next stage for now, but first,
they have to show their good will by lifting the sanctions and fulfilling their
obligations ,” he added.
Washington
and Tehran are locked in a standoff over reviving nuclear talks.
President
Joe Biden’s administration has signaled to Iran its willingness to return to
talks to revive the nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018 and
subsequently announced additional sanctions on Iran.
Biden
reversed Trump’s determination that all UN sanctions against Iran had been
restored. And the State Department eased stringent restrictions on the domestic
travel of Iranian diplomats in New York.
Yet,
Tehran demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking
any real action to return to the deal.
The
Iranian regime is trying to get more concessions from Washington before taking
any real action, especially in light of growing pressure at home due to
economic hardship worsened by the US sanctions.
“Tehran
urgently needs sanctions relief... Iran also holds its presidential elections
in June 2021 and, for the outgoing Rouhani administration, securing a quick
return to the deal would build back lost economic and political confidence, and
perhaps also impact the election outcome,” according to Sanam Vakil, Senior
Research Fellow at Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/Iran-sanctions-Rouhani-estimates-damage-to-Iran-by-US-sanctions-since-2018-at-200-billion
--------
IAEA
plans ‘technical’ meeting with Iran in early April on open issues
04
March ,2021
The
UN nuclear watchdog plans to start a “technical” dialogue with Iran aimed at
advancing the process of obtaining explanations on outstanding issues such
uranium particles found at old, undeclared sites, its chief said on Thursday.
“I’m
... aiming at having a far more clear understanding of this issue by the summer
or before,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told a news
conference, adding that the first meeting would be in Iran in early April and
he hoped to report back to the IAEA board on progress by June.
Iran
welcomed a decision by European nations on Thursday to scrap a planned
resolution criticizing the country at a meeting next week of the UN’s
International Atomic Energy Agency.
“Today’s
developments can keep open the path of diplomacy initiated by Iran and the
IAEA,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
Britain,
France and Germany had planned to introduce a resolution at the IAEA board of
governors meeting criticizing Iran’s suspension of some nuclear inspections.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/04/Iran-nuclear-deal-IAEA-plans-technical-meeting-with-Iran-in-early-April-on-open-issues-
--------
Iranian
Interior Minister Stresses Amicable Ties with Iraq
2021-March-4
Amicable
relations between Iran and Iraq is beyond signing agreements and Memoranda of
Understanding (MoUs), Rahmani Fazli said in a meeting with visiting Iraqi
Interior Ministry delegation in Tehran on Wednesday.
He
reiterated that relations between the two countries of Iran and Iraq do not
confine within the framework of agreements and MoUs, rather, relations between
the two states are based on beliefs, cultural, religious commonalities.
"We
love the Iraqi people like our own people," he added.
Iran’s
Ministry of Interior has made its utmost effort to expand and develop relations
between the two countries, so that the interior ministries of the two countries
can play a very important role in strengthening and broadening relations
between the two countries.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Rahmani Fazli pointed to the issue of fighting against
terrorism, and said, “In this field, the two countries have taken giant strides
in the fight against terrorism. At the request of Iraqi government, Islamic
Republic of Iran is ready to provide Iraqi government and people with advisory
and logistics services whenever it is needed.”
One
of the most significant cooperation between the two ministries is the issue of
Arbaeen rites and rituals, he said, adding, “Arbaeen is a matter of faith and
culture for people of Iran and Iraq which can further expand relations between
the two countries.”
Senior
Advisor to the Iraqi Interior Ministry Abdul Halim Faham Al-Farhoud, for his
part, expressed special thanks to the Iranian Ministry of Interior for its
hospitality and stated that negotiating for reaching Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) and enhancing security cooperation between the two
countries is the main aim behind visit of Iraqi delegation to the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
Security
of Iraq is the security of Iran and there are common relations and interests
between the two countries, he underlined.
In
relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Hossein
Zolfaqari stressed that Tehran and Baghdad have good cooperation in fighting
terrorism even after defeating terrorist groups in the region.
Zolfaqari
made the remarks in a joint press conference with High Counselor of Iraqi
Interior Ministry Abdulhalim Fahim al-Farhoud.
He
said that Iran hosted an Iraqi delegation this week with high level meetings on
promoting cooperation and information exchange on issues concerning security,
border cooperation, fighting terrorism, organized crimes, fighting drug
trafficking and facilitating civil travels between countries.
Zolfaqari
also said that an agreement was drafted to be signed in a future meeting
between interior ministers of Iran and Iraq.
He
highlighted very good cooperation between officials from the two countries on
different areas, including Arbaeen ritual which is widely commemorated by
millions of Iranians traveling to Iraq during the occasion.
Although
terrorism has been defeated, Iran and Iraq have still close cooperation to
fight terrorism in various fields, including intelligence, education, border
control, and experience exchange, Zolfaqari said.
Fahim
al-Farhoud, for his part, said that he and his companions had several meetings
with Iranian counterparts and good conversation on security and issues related
to citizens went on in the meetings.
He
also said that the Iraqi delegation visited some defense companies in Iran to
get familiar with Iranian defense products and Iraq would use the products to
meet its needs.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991214000318/Iranian-Inerir-Miniser-Sresses-Amicable-Ties-wih-Ira
--------
VP:
Iran Ready to Share Scientific Experiences with Syria
2021-March-4
Sattari
made the remarks in a meeting with the chairman and members of the Board of
Directors of Syrian Chambers of Commerce in Damascus on Wednesday.
He
underlined that Iran is ready to transfer its experiences and export its
scientific productions to Syria especially in the field of technology and
training Syrian students.
During
the meeting, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors of Syria Muhammad Abu
Al-Hoda Al-Lahham stressed the importance of increasing trade exchange and
using Iran's experience in the field of technology, expanding cooperation
between businessmen of the two countries, facilitating the transfer of goods
and setting up a joint Iranian-Syrian bank.
Iran
on Wednesday also inaugurated Innovation and Technology Center in Damascus Free
Zone to strengthen the scientific and economic relations between the two
countries and establish the link between companies operating in the fields of
biotechnology, information and nanotechnology, communications, industry as well
as creating necessary infrastructure.
Sattari
visited Syria along with heads of 40 knowledge-based companies.
Sattari
had also earlier this week said his country is prepared to meet Syria’s need to
medical equipment and technologies.
“Iran
is ready to export medical equipment and technology needed by Syria,” Sattari
said in a meeting on Tuesday with Syrian Minister of Health Hassan Ghabbash,
noting that knowledge-based companies have notably improved Iran’s health
sector.
“Iran
has managed to export some equipment such as standard ventilators to Syria amid
the coronavirus pandemic,” he said, noting that Factor VII (a vitamin
K–dependent serine protease glycoprotein) have also been exported to Syria
since two weeks ago.
Hassan
Ghabbash, for his part, called on Iran to provide short-term courses for some
Syrian physicians, and added that the import of medicines from Iran is very
important, because the besieged country attaches importance to standard of
drugs such as Iranian medicines.
He
stressed that Syria attaches high importance to biotechnology products; so,
Damascus wants to dispatch expertise teams to Iran to visit Iranian
pharmaceutical factories.
In
a separate meeting with the Syrian Industry Minister Ziyad Sabbagh, Sattari
underlined further expansion of technological cooperation between Tehran and
Damascus.
Sabbagh
hailed using Iranian technology in Syria, expressing hope to benefit Iranian
innovative youth's breakthroughs in his country.
In
relevant remarks earlier on Tuesday, Sattari said that startups are powerful
components of Iran’s defense against global sanctions, adding that technology
diplomacy is a new form of diplomacy that Iran tries to build up in the world.
“Startups
are the elements of Iran’s powerful defense against international sanctions,”
Sattari said at the Iran-Syria Business Matchmaking event in Damascus on
Tuesday, noting that Tehran is seeking to shape a new kind of diplomacy in the
world called, “Technological Diplomacy”.
“Today,
Iran has the largest startups in the region in advanced sciences,” he added
referring to the managers of over 40 Iranian knowledge-based companies
attending the event.
Sattari
emphasized that the new generation of Iranian knowledge-based companies
developed by youth, and added, "These companies have learnt how to export
their product.”
The official noted
that sales of these companies have topped over $12 billion.
“We have no restrictions on the
transfer of our experiences to Syria," he said.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991214000295/VP-Iran-Ready-Share-Scienific-Experiences-wih-Syria
--------
Israel
extends so-called administrative detention of two Palestinian officials
04
March 2021
Israel
has extended the custody of two current and former Palestinian officials
according to the so-called administrative detention rule, a form of
imprisonment in which the individual is never tried and can be held
indefinitely.
An
Israeli court extended the solitary confinement of Sheikh Ra’ed Salah for yet
another six months, the Palestinian Information Center said in a report on
Thursday.
A
few days earlier, his lawyer Khaled Zabarqa had revealed that the Tel Aviv
regime intended to hold Sheikh Salah, the leader of the northern branch of the
Islamic Movement, in isolation under flimsy security pretexts.
“He
has been in isolation since six months ago and today the court extended it for
another six months, which means he will spend a whole year in solitary
confinement,” Zabarqa said.
Israeli
security authorities claimed that the Palestinian official could pose a
security threat to the regime if he were held with other inmates, his lawyer
added.
Zabarqa
described Wednesday’s court session as a mere formality, lambasting the
tribunal for approving what the security services had requested without looking
into the truth of their accusations and not caring about the impact of its
verdict on his client.
“Israel
is prosecuting Salah for his ideology and religious beliefs and not because of
any criminal offense,” the lawyer stressed.
Separately
on Wednesday, a court in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds extended the
administrative detention of Khaled Abu Arafa, the former Palestinian minister
of al-Quds affairs, for another four months, without trial or indictment.
Israeli’s
spy agency Shin Bet arrested Abu Arafa, 59, in November last year after
summoning him for interrogation at the Ofer detention center near Ramallah, in
the occupied West Bank.
A
week later, an Israeli court in Jerusalem al-Quds extended his detention for
several days before issuing an administrative detention order for four months
against the ex-minister.
The
Palestinian official has so far been in Israeli jail several times. He was
banished from Jerusalem al-Quds upon his release in 2014.
More
than 350 detainees are under administrative detention, in which Israel keeps
the detainees for up to six months, a period which can be extended an infinite
number of times. Women and minors are also among the detainees.
Such
detentions take place on orders from a military commander and on the basis of
what the regime describes as "secret" evidence.
Some
prisoners have been held in administrative detention for up to 11 years without
any charge. Palestinians in administrative detention resort to hunger strikes
to force the Israeli authorities to release them.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/04/646556/Palestine-Israel-Sheikh-Ra%E2%80%99ed-Salah-administrative-detention-Khaled-Abu-Arafa
--------
Yemeni
drones attack air base, airport in Saudi Arabia: Military
05
March 2021
Yemeni
armed forces, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have launched
fresh retaliatory attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting Abha International
Airport and King Khalid Air Base in southwestern region of Asir.
Spokesman
for Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said in a post
published on his Twitter page that three domestically-manufactured Sammad-3
(Invincible-3) and Qasef-2K (Striker-2K) combat drones struck designated
targets inside the sites with great precision early on Friday.
مجددا سلاح الجو المسير يتمكن بفضل الله من استهداف مواقع هامة في قاعدة الملك خالد الجوية ومطار ابها الدولي فجر اليوم بثلاث طائرات مسيرة نوع صماد 3 وقاصف 2k وكانت الإصابة دقيقة بفضل الله
يأتي هذا الاستهداف ردا على تصعيد العدوان وحصاره المتواصل على شعبنا العظيم
—
العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) March
5, 2021
He
added that the airstrikes come within Yemen’s legitimate right to respond to
the Saudi devastating war and all-out blockade against Yemeni people.
The
latest drone strikes came a few hours after the Yemeni army forces and allies
launched a ballistic missile at the southwestern Saudi port city of Jizan.
The
Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed the missile.
On
Thursday, Yemen’s military said it launched a missile attack against Saudi Arabia’s
Aramco oil facility in the kingdom’s Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Saree
said on Twitter that a Quds-2 cruise missile had hit the economically strategic
site and the strike was accurate.
The
senior Yemeni military official noted that the missile attack was in
retaliation for a six-year military campaign led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
Two
civilians in Saudi-backed shelling of Ta’izz
At
least two civilians were killed and ten others injured when artillery shelling
targeted an area in Yemen’s southern coastal province of Ta’izz.
A
local security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saudi-led
militants carried out heavy artillery shelling on al-Jumlah area in the Salh
district of the province on Thursday evening.
Russian
FM Lavrov invited to Sana’a
Mohammed
Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, has extended an
invitation to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit Sana’a and obtain
a more detailed understanding of Yemen's humanitarian crisis.
“We invite the Russian foreign
minister, who plans to undertake a regional tour between March 8 and 12, to
visit Sana’a to learn about security and stability [here in Yemen],” he wrote
on Twitter on Thursday.
Lavrov
will visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on March 8-12 to
discuss coordination on energy markets, the Interfax news agency reported on
Thursday.
The
Yemeni official called on Lavrov to reopen the Russian embassy in Sana’a
instead of visiting the Saudi capital Riyadh, in order to acquire an in-depth
understanding of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen as a result
of the aggression being waged by the Saudi Arabia, United States, Britain, the
United Arab Emirates and their allies.
Back
in December 2017, Russia closed its embassy in Sana’a and evacuated its
diplomats from the Yemeni capital.
The
United Nations says Yemen has the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80
percent of the country’s 30 million people needing some form of aid or
protection. About 13.5 million Yemenis currently face acute food insecurity, UN
data shows.
Last
month, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said some 16 million people in Yemen
were going hungry and five million of those people were “just one step away
from famine.”
Some
400,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished, he said.
“Those children are in their
last weeks and months,” he warned. “They are starving to death.”
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March
2015, with the goal of bringing the government of former president, Abd Rabbuh
Mansur Hadi, back to power and crushing the popular Ansarullah movement.
The
Yemeni armed forces and allied popular groups have, however, gone from strength
to strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and left Riyadh and its allies
bogged down in the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/05/646589/Yemeni-forces-launch-fresh-retaliatory-drone-strikes-at-targets-in-Saudi-Arabia
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Tehran
sues European firms for aiding Saddam’s chemical attacks against Iranians:
Judiciary
05
March 2021
The
head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights says Iran has
filed lawsuits in international courts against European companies that provided
chemical materials to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime, who used
chemical weapons against Iranians in the 1980s war.
Ali
Baqeri-Kani made the remarks on Thursday in a meeting with families of the
martyrs of the Sardasht chemical bombing during a visit to West Azerbaijan
Province.
Baqeri-Kani
said the Judiciary has filed lawsuits for more than 200 of the victims of
Saddam’s chemical attacks, and final verdicts have been issued for 70 of the
cases.
He
lamented that the same countries which “brutally” butchered the Iranian people
through their “chemical weapons” are now “arrogantly” violating the rights of
the Iranian people through their “economic and political” tools, making a
reference to their use of sanctions and international institutions against
Iran.
“The governments that are
exerting the highest amount of pressure and the most extensive sanctions
against the Iranian people today are the ones that provided Saddam with
chemical weapons, prevented international action against the Ba'athist regime
and prevented media coverage of Saddam’s crime,” he stated.
He
further said the same Western countries that suffocated civilians in Sardasht
neighborhoods now claim to champion human rights in Geneva fortresses.
The
official went on to invite Western rulers to hold their next so-called human
rights meeting in Sardasht, so that they closely see the effects of their
atrocities against the Iranian people.
“In the Sardasht crime, although
Saddam played the role of the executioner in the most criminal way, the
approach and action of some Western governments were certainly not less than
the role of the executioner,” Baqeri-Kani said.
Those
governments, he continued, consciously and deliberately produced and sold
chemical weapons to Saddam, supported him in the international arena and
suppressed media coverage of his crime in order to shift public opinion in
their favor.
Sardasht,
a small city in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province, was targeted by Saddam’s Iraq
on June 28, 1987, when Iraqi bombers attacked four densely populated parts of
Sardasht with fatal chemical gasses.
Sardasht
was the third city after Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki to become the target of
weapons of mass destruction. At least 110 people were killed and 5,000 more
were injured during the attack.
Iraq
have launched over 350 large-scale gas attacks along the Iran-Iraq border
between 1980 and 1988 on combatants and non-combatants, leaving behind over
107,000 victims.
As
many as 2,600 of that total died at the time, and more than 45,000 others were
left in permanent need of treatment.
Saddam
possessed a huge arsenal of chemical weapons, which were reportedly produced
using materials supplied by the US and other Western countries. Iranian
officials have on numerous occasions urged the international community to bring
the perpetrators to justice.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/05/646600/Iran-sues-European-firms-over-aiding-Saddam-chemical-attacks-Official
--------
New
Zealand
Christchurch
homes raided after online threats to carry out terrorist attacks on mosques
By
Sam Sherwood and Blair Ensor
March
4, 2021
Christchurch:
Armed police have raided two Christchurch homes after a person allegedly made a
series of online posts threatening a terrorist attack involving car bombs on
March 15, the second anniversary of the mosque massacre.
Members
of the armed offenders squad carried out search warrants at the properties in
St Albans and Linwood shortly before 6pm, Christchurch time, on Thursday.
Two
men were arrested. A 27-year-old man was later charged with threatening to
kill, police said. He would appear in the Christchurch District Court on Friday
morning.
The
other man was released without charge.
Detective
Inspector Michael Ford earlier said police searched the two properties after
receiving information from the public regarding “concerning communications on
the 4chan site”.
The
site is an anonymous online message board known to be frequented by far-right
individuals.
On
Sunday night, a person made a series of posts on the site using a similar
online name to that used by the Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant who
fatally shot 51 people at the al-Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on
March 15, 2019.
The
poster said they were “originally English”, but grew up in South Africa before
moving to New Zealand in 2009.
The
person said they planned to “take action” on March 15 by carrying out an attack
remotely on the two mosques using car bombs.
The
explosions would be livestreamed, they said.
Others
on the message board told them not to do anything “stupid or radical”.
Ford
urged people to be vigilant in the lead-up to March 15 and report any
concerning behaviour immediately.
“There’s
absolutely no appetite for hate crimes in our community,” he said.
It
is understood police have visited the Christchurch mosques in recent days and
searched them for bombs.
A
neighbour said she met a man who lived at the property a few days ago. He told
her he had only just moved into the area, she said. She was shocked to hear the
reason why police were at the house.
The
Australian terrorist, now aged 30, was last year jailed for life without the
possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40
charges of attempted murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/oceania/christchurch-homes-raided-after-online-threats-to-carry-out-terrorist-attacks-on-mosques-20210304-p577wx.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2064110_
--------
Pakistan
Kohistan
clerics to help protect foreign workers of Dasu project
March
5, 2021
MANSEHRA:
Clerics in Upper Kohistan district have assured the administration that they
will not allow anyone to block work on the Dasu hydropower project and will
help protect foreign workers.
“The
ulema backed by all local tribes have announced that the residents won’t be
allowed to hamper smooth execution of the Dasu energy project. Those
challenging the government’s writ will be taken to task,” deputy commissioner
Arif Khan Yusufzai told reporters at the end of a jirga in Dasu, the district
headquarters of Upper Kohistan, on Thursday.
The
event was attended largely by the clerics. Work on the dam was suspended last
month when Wapda’s guards opened fire on a group of people, who attempted to
enter an under-construction tunnel of Dasu dam.
Five
of them had suffered injuries.
The
deputy commissioner said the land acquired for Dasu dam was the public property
and nobody could make an ownership claim about it.
Assure
admin won’t let anyone block work
He
said the district administration also wanted to ensure brotherhood among tribes
settled across the district and that they be given an equal opportunity for
project jobs.
Mr
Yusufzai warned that those creating hurdles to the project would be dealt with
strictly under the law.
Meanwhile,
the deputy commissioner gave away Rs220 million cheques to the people, whose
land was acquired for the Dasu dam.
He
said the project would help meet the country’s electricity shortfall but
develop Upper Kohistan district.
Also
in the day, the office-bearers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Women’s Wing
visited the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital and expressed satisfaction with the
services offered to patients, especially pregnant mothers.
“The
Sehat Sahulat Programme is a revolutionary healthcare initiative of the PTI
government and expecting mothers are availing themselves of it for free
services including care by skilled birth attendants and medicines,” PTI Women’s
Wing president Farrakh Ishtiaq told reporters.
She
said the hospital’s bedding strength, which came down to around 150 after its
wards were destroyed by the 2005 earthquake, had been enhanced to 350.
Another
PTI leader, Tahira Jabeen, blamed high mother and infant mortality rate in the
district at the deliveries handled by unskilled health workers and said the
rate would plunge due to the Sehat Sahulat Programme, which provided free
gynaecological services to visitors.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1610717/kohistan-clerics-to-help-protect-foreign-workers-of-dasu-project
--------
Pakistan
court orders removal of ex-ISI chief from no-fly list
Mar
5, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (HC) on Thursday ordered the removal of
ex-Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retired) Asad Durrani’s name
from the no-fly list, saying there was no reason to prevent him from leaving
Pakistan.
Chief
justice Athar Minallah said that the court has examined all records and found
that there was no inquiry underway against Durrani when his name was put on the
Exit Control List (ECL) in 2018.
“Like
all citizens, the retired general also has rights to move freely,” the judge
remarked. The court then ordered that Durrani’s name be removed from the list.
Last
month, another high court judge, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had recused
himself from hearing the petition, saying he had taken the decision owing to
reasons he did not want to share.
Durrani
had put himself into trouble after co-authoring a book, The Spy Chronicles:
RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace, with ex-RAW chief Amarjit Singh Dulat, in
2018.
Following
the book’s publication, the interior ministry had placed Durrani’s name on the
ECL after being asked by the Military Intelligence (MI) to prevent him from
leaving Pakistan. It had prompted Durrani to challenge the move in the
Islamabad HC in 2019. The federation of Pakistan and ministries of defence and
interior were made respondents in the case.
In
a written reply submitted to the Islamabad HC last month in response to
Durrani’s petition, the defence ministry had said the former ISI chief’s name
was placed on the no-fly list for “his involvement in anti-state activities”.
The
book, according to the ministry’s statement, contained “certain contents
concerning the national security of Pakistan, being in contravention of the
provisions of the Official Secrets Acts, 1923”.
Last
year, the Pakistan Army announced that Durrani had been found guilty of
violating the military’s code of conduct and a court of inquiry was ordered
against him for writing the book. A military court subsequently stripped him of
his pension and other post-retirement benefits. In October 2020, according to
Durrani, the government had restored his pension.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-court-orders-removal-of-ex-isi-chief-from-no-fly-list/articleshow/81336965.cms
--------
Yousuf
Raza Gilani's election as senator challenged with ECP
Saqib
Virk
March
05, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The
election of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as a senator was
challenged with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday.
The
petitioner, on behalf of advocate Azhar Siddiq, stated that the Pakistan
Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate's win should be declared null and void as
the polls were not transparent.
The
plea said that rigging in elections is a crime and it should be investigated,
highlighting that latest technology was not used in the polls despite the
directions of the Supreme Court in this regard.
The
petitioner further asked the ECP to not issue a notification of Gilani's
successful election.
The
plea further asked the electoral authority to investigate horse-trading in the
polls and take action against those responsible.
It
also sought action against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President
Maryam Nawaz and Ali Musa Gilani over the allegations of rigging. According to
the petitioner, Moosa's video and Maryam's statement were evidences of rigging.
ECP,
the plea added, should have a case registered against the two over the
violation of Section 167, 168, and 170 of the Election Act.
In
a major upset in the Senate elections held on March 3, PDM's Yousaf Raza Gilani
defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Hafeez Sheikh by five votes.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2287664/yousuf-raza-gilanis-election-as-senator-challenged-with-ecp
--------
Biden
nominates Pakistani-American as deputy head of US agency on small businesses
March
5, 2021
US
President Joe Biden has nominated a Pakistani-American, Dilawar Syed, to serve
as the deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA),
according to a statement released from the White House.
Confirming
the news on Twitter, Dilawar said he was "deeply humbled &
honored" on the nomination, which is yet to be confirmed by the US Senate.
"I
will put my heart and soul into helping small businesses everywhere in these
challenging times," Dilawar said, adding that the "grit" of
small businesses made America strong.
Dilawar
holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and
earned a BA in Economics and Computer Science from The University of Texas at
Austin. He immigrated to the US from Pakistan as a freshman student to attend
The College of Wooster in Ohio, the White House statement said.
Dilawar
currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of Lumiata, an
"AI for healthcare company focused on reducing healthcare costs and
improving patient outcomes". He was previously the president at Freshworks
where he worked in scaling the software company's products to thousands of
small and medium-scale businesses, according to the statement.
The
statement noted that Dilawar had a history of furthering civic efforts "at
the federal, state, and local level focusing on economic growth and
entrepreneurship".
"He
served on President Obama’s White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders (AAPIs) and chaired the White House Initiative on AAPIs’ Economic
Growth Committee.
"In
that role, Syed led the administration’s engagement with small businesses
across the US after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009."
This
will not be his first interaction with the SBA as he also previously served as
a liaison with the SBA and the Department of Commerce on federal initiatives
such as the President’s Export Council, said the statement.
Biden
previously inducted Pakistani-American Salman Ahmed into his foreign policy
team to serve as director policy planning at the US State Department. This was
the second such induction of a Pakistani American in Biden's team.
The
president had also chosen a Pakistani-born climate expert, Ali Zaidi, to serve
as as his Deputy National Climate Adviser in December. The appointment had made
Zaidi the highest ranking Pakistani-American in the Biden administration.
“This
diverse and accomplished team […] embodies my core belief that America is
strongest when it works with our allies,” Biden had said in a statement.
“Collectively,
they have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic
achievements in recent memory — and I am confident that they will use their
diplomatic experience and skill to restore America’s global and moral
leadership.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1610824/biden-nominates-pakistani-american-as-deputy-head-of-us-agency-on-small-businesses
--------
COAS,
ISI chief call on Prime Minister Imran
March
5, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday met Prime Minister Imran Khan as
part of the interactions between the civilian and military leadership on
national issues.
Director
General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was also present
during the meeting.
No
statement on the meeting was issued by the Prime Minister Office, which
normally gives out press releases on such interactions.
An
official, speaking on the background, said the meeting was held to review the
“internal and external situation”.
There
have been about five publicly known meetings between Prime Minister Khan and
the army chief and ISI director general in the past couple of months under this
format.
However,
people were quick to link the meeting to the latest political developments in
the country following the Senate elections in which the ruling coalition
suffered an upset on the seat for the federal capital where Finance Minister
Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost to opposition’s candidate former prime minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani.
The
shock defeat forced Prime Minister Imran Khan to seek a fresh vote of
confidence from the National Assembly.
Mr
Khan during the day separately held consultations with his allies and party
leaders over the vote of confidence.
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz, while speaking at a presser, said that
Gen Bajwa and Gen Hameed should not have met the prime minister at this
occasion as it sends out wrong signals.
She
said that the meeting at this juncture does not send out good visuals.
Ms
Nawaz said that the “institutions” should end backing of PM Khan, if they have
not done so far and should restrict themselves to the constitutional and lawful
role.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1610782/coas-isi-chief-call-on-prime-minister-imran
--------
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