Angry Mob Led By Local Clerics Destroys Hindu Temple in Northwestern Pakistan, Pakistani Police Arrested 14 People in Overnight Raids
New Age Islam News Bureau
31 December 2020
A policeman inspects the
burnt Hindu temple a day after a mob attacked the temple in a remote village in
Karak district, some 160 km southeast of Peshawar on December 31, 2020. (AFP)
----
• Assam Passes a Repeal Bill, Bringing an End to
Madrassas under the Now-Dissolved Madrassa Education Board
• Turkey Dismisses Fears of Muslim Uighur Deportations
to China
• Indonesia Disbands Radical Islamic Group over
Charges of Violence
• Rohingya Refugees Hope For Better Life as Bangladesh
Moves Them to Remote Island
• UN Chief Seeks International Monitors For Libya's
Fragile Ceasefire
• Trump’s Blackwater Pardons ‘An Affront To Justice’:
UN Experts
• Europe Terror: EU Vows to Tackle Extremism As
Attacks Continue In 2020
• Syria Urges UNSC to Take Firm Action against Israeli
Acts Of Aggression
Pakistan
• Angry Mob Led By Local Clerics Destroys Hindu Temple
in Northwestern Pakistan, Pakistani Police Arrested 14 People in Overnight
Raids
• Lahore court remands PML-N's Asif into NAB custody
for two weeks
• KP NAB seeks record of Fazl’s Multan properties
• Two FC men, 13 civilians injured in grenade attack
--------
India
• Assam Passes a Repeal Bill, Bringing an End to
Madrassas under the Now-Dissolved Madrassa Education Board
• VHP Ready to Accept Donations For Ram Temple
Construction From Muslims, Says Central Working President Alok Kumar
• Sedition Case against Social Democratic Party of
India Activists Shouting Pro-Pak Slogans in Karnataka
• Dr Aijaz Ahmad Lone from Baramulla Bags Fellowship
In international Islamic University Malaysia
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Asked ‘Why Should
There Be Conversion’, As He Backed the Controversial Anti-Conversion Law
Enacted By UP Government
• MP: 24 detained after clashes break out as Hindutva
rally shouts slogans outside mosque
• Three terrorists killed in Srinagar, kin of one
cries fake encounter
--------
Mideast
• Turkey Dismisses Fears of Muslim Uighur Deportations
to China
• Yemen’s Houthis: Detained Saudi Pilots Will Only Be
Exchanged for Palestinian Inmates
• Yemen airport blasts kill 26 as govt plane arrives
• Iran: All Culprits of General Soleimani’s Case to
Face Just Trial
• Iran allocates $150,000 for families of each victim
of downed Ukraine plane
• Former Israeli spy in US arrives in Tel Aviv,
greeted with prayer and passport
• Turkey hands life sentence to 92 people over 2016
coup attempt
• Iran, Turkey, Pakistan plan to revive railway line:
Report
--------
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia Disbands Radical Islamic Group over
Charges of Violence
• Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, SFA looking
Into Allegations over Malaysian Meat Cartel
--------
South Asia
• Rohingya Refugees Hope For Better Life as Bangladesh
Moves Them to Remote Island
• Afghan troops and police abandon nearly 200
checkpoints to the Taliban
• Drones become Taliban’s latest weapon in Afghan war
• Kabul IED Blast Kills 1, Injures 2
• Azerbaijan to Open Embassy in Afghanistan
--------
Africa
• UN Chief Seeks International Monitors For Libya's Fragile
Ceasefire
• Rights groups denounce Ethiopia’s arrest of Reuter’s
journalist
• Boko Haram landmines kill 11 Nigerian security
personnel
• Russia warns against call to war by Libya's Haftar
• UN mission in Sudan’s Darfur set to end mandate
--------
North America
• Trump’s Blackwater Pardons ‘An Affront To Justice’: UN
Experts
• Cuba warns US against redesignating it as a state
sponsor of terrorism
• Pompeo sued over US 'rushed' arms sale to UAE
• Turkish-Canadian professor appointed to Order of
Canada
• US: Investigation ongoing in Washington state bomb
call
--------
Europe
• Europe Terror: EU Vows to Tackle Extremism As
Attacks Continue In 2020
• Major’s Britain Feared Prospect of New War with Saddam,
Latest Papers Show
• Egypt's prosecution wants accusations against police
excluded from Regeni case
• Russia warns against escalation of tensions in Libya
• Refugees wait in cold to be bussed from burnt Bosnia
camp
• Albanian sentenced for urging removal of Turkish
flag
--------
Arab World
• Syria Urges UNSC to Take Firm Action against Israeli
Acts Of Aggression
• 25 Syrians killed in attack in Dayr al-Zawr
• Lebanon PM's office backtracks on FBI report on
Beirut port blast
• Syria's state media says 28 killed in bus ambush in
Deir al-Zor
• GCC Secretary General delivers formal invite to
Qatar to attend summit
• UAE's Gargash says Yemen's Aden airport blast is an
attack on Riyadh agreement
• US flies two nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over
Persian Gulf again in threat to Iran
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/angry-mob-led-local-clerics/d/123937
----
Angry Mob Led By Local Clerics Destroys Hindu Temple
in Northwestern Pakistan, Pakistani Police Arrested 14 People in Overnight
Raids
Dec 31, 2020
A policeman inspects the
burnt Hindu temple a day after a mob attacked the temple in a remote village in
Karak district, some 160 km southeast of Peshawar on December 31, 2020. (AFP)
----
PESHAWAR: Pakistani police arrested 14 people in
overnight raids after a Hindu temple was set on fire and demolished by a mob
led by supporters of a radical Islamist party, officials said Thursday.
The temple's destruction Wednesday in the northwestern
town of Karak drew condemnation from human rights activists and the minority
Hindu community.
Local police said they detained at least 14 people in
overnight raids and more raids were underway to arrest individuals who
participated or provoked the mob to demolish the temple.
The attack happened after members of the Hindu
community received permission from local authorities to renovate the temple.
According to witnesses, the mob was led by a local cleric and supporters of
Pakistan's radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party,
Pakistan's minister for religious affairs, Noorul Haq
Qadri, called the attack on the temple "a conspiracy against sectarian
harmony." He took to Twitter Thursday, saying attacks on places of worship
of minority religious groups are not allowed in Islam and "protection of
religious freedom of minorities is our religious, constitutional, moral and
national responsibility."
The incident comes weeks after the government allowed
Hindu residents to build a new temple in Islamabad on the recommendation of a
council of clerics.
Although Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully
together in Pakistan, there have been other attacks on Hindu temples in recent
years. Most of Pakistan's minority Hindus migrated to India in 1947 when India
was divided by Britain's government.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-arrests-14-people-over-demolishing-of-hindu-temple/articleshow/80041879.cms
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Assam Passes a Repeal Bill, Bringing an End to
Madrassas under the Now-Dissolved Madrassa Education Board
Dec 31, 2020
Govt-run madrassas to shut
soon in Assam; Govt tables Bill for repeal of provincialisation of madrassas
-----
GUWAHATI: The Assam assembly on Wednesday passed a
repeal bill, bringing an end to madrassas under the now-dissolved madrassa
education board which were being funded by the state. All these provincialised
and non-provincialised madarasas will now be converted into general upper
primary, high and higher secondary schools.
Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the
passing of the repeal bill as his “gift to Islamic society”.
Replying to a debate on repeal of the Assam Madrassa
Education (Provincialisation ) Act 1995 and the Assam Madrassa Education
(Provincialisation of services of employees and re-organisation of Madrassa
Educational Institutions) Act 2018 in the assembly, Sarma said, “After 10
years, when the converted institutions will produce doctors and engineers,
those opposing it now will thank the government. It is our duty to uplift the
society which is backward. This is my gift to Islamic society.”
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and
Congress staged a walkout after their demand to send the bill to the select
committee was rejected.
Sarma later tweeted, “Glad that the Bill pertaining to
repeal of Provincialisation of Madrassas has been passed, even as@INCAssam and
@AIUDFOfficial expectedly staged a walkout in Assembly. All madrassas being run
under government stand converted into regular educational institute wef April
1, 2021.”
Sarma said, “These madrassas are typical of Assam and
West Bengal and were introduced during the days of Warren Hastings. Next time
if we get the chance, we plan to introduce ‘kalam’ (pen) in Hafizia madrassa.
Presently, it has only theological teaching.”
He added, “It is wrong to say that we are against any
community or religion. The Muslim community has hugely benefited from the
scholarship scheme of the government and today at least 70% of patients coming
to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital are Muslims. These people have hugely
benefited from Atal Amrit Abhiyian and Orunodoi Scheme. The Orunodoi Scheme has
been rolled out with 17 lakh-odd families as beneficiaries at present as the
government would transfer Rs 830 per month to the account of one of the female
members of the family under the scheme.”
Sarma said, “We are not opposed to Islam. We have not
done this for votes. I do not get votes from those areas (Muslim majority). I
do not have vested interest either. Researchers have undertaken a survey in the
madrassas where 83% students said they want general education. I am giving you
a word that after conversion in two years, enrollment in this education
institution will increase hugely.”
Asserting that the government will appease none, he said,
“The Modi government initiated measures to help Muslim women from triple talaq.
It was not done for votes. We did not get a single vote because of this
measure. We will have to initiate measures of reforms with love and affection.
Opposing fundamentalists does not mean opposing Islam.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/assam-passes-bill-to-abolish-board-controlled-madrassas/articleshow/80038557.cms
--------
Turkey Dismisses Fears of Muslim Uighur Deportations
To China
30 December 2020
Muslim Uighurs demonstrate
in front of the Chinese consulate in Istanbul on Dec 30, 2020.PHOTO: AFP
-----
Turkey on Wednesday brushed aside fears that a new
extradition treaty with China would result in Ankara deporting Muslim Uighurs
en masse.
About 20 Uighurs with Turkish citizenship picketed
China’s consulate in Istanbul after the Chinese parliament ratified the 2017
treaty on Saturday.
Ankara has not yet ratified the agreement, but its
approval in Beijing has put Turkey’s estimated 50,000-strong Uighur community
on edge.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu did not say when
Turkey’s parliament might debate the agreement.
But he said its approval would not mean “Turkey will
release Uighurs to China.”
“Until now, there have been requests for returns from
China related to Uighurs in Turkey. And you know Turkey hasn’t taken steps like
this,” Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.
It would be “wrong and unfair to say it’s a deal for
the extradition of Uighurs. We are more sensitive to such issues than others,”
he said.
Uighurs speak a Turkic language and have cultural ties
with Turkey that make it a favored destination for avoiding persecution in
China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.
But news reports have accused Turkey of covertly
returning Uighurs to China via third countries.
Rights activists say Xinjiang is home to a vast
network of extrajudicial internment camps that have imprisoned at least one
million people.
China says these are vocational training centers to
counter extremism.
Ethnic Uighurs rallied for the ninth day running
Wednesday to express their fears about the extradition treaty.
“God willing, we hope our state will not approve such
a thing,” said Omer Farah, an Uighur with Turkish citizenship who said his
children are detained in China.
“But if it does, we are really worried. Because for
China, all 50,000 Uighurs who live here are criminals.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Turkey-dismisses-fears-of-Muslim-Uighur-deportations-to-China
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Indonesia Disbands Radical Islamic Group Over Charges
of Violence
By Richard C. Paddock and Dera Menra Sijabat
Dec. 30, 2020
BANGKOK — The hard-line Islamic Defenders Front was
outlawed by the Indonesian government on Wednesday and ordered to cease all
activities less than two months after its fiery leader, Rizieq Shihab, returned
from self-imposed exile and pledged to lead a “moral revolution.”
In a statement signed by top officials and the
national police chief, the government said that members of the group had
engaged in terrorist and criminal acts and that activities organized by the
group had disturbed public order.
Mr. Rizieq, 55, a cleric who claims to be descended
from the Prophet Muhammad, is accused of violating coronavirus protocols by
holding gatherings of thousands of people. He surrendered to the police earlier
this month and faces up to six years in prison. Days before his arrest, six of
his bodyguards were shot and killed by the police in what the authorities said
was self-defense. Mr. Rizieq remains in jail.
The order dissolving the group said that its
government registration had lapsed last year and that it was no longer a recognized
organization. It is now banned from conducting activities and using its logo, a
triangular symbol with a star at the center and its name in Indonesian and
Arabic lettering.
The government said that 29 members of the group had
been convicted of committing acts of terror, but provided no details or
evidence. It said 100 had been convicted of other crimes.
“With this prohibition, it has no legal standing,”
said Indonesia’s minister for political, legal and security affairs, Mohammad
Mahfud MD, referring to the group.
A spokesman for the group, Novel Bamukmin, said
members would not be deterred by the dissolution of the organization, commonly
known by its Indonesian acronym, F.P.I.
“They can disband the F.P.I. but they cannot disband
our struggle in defending the country and religion,” he said. “If we want to,
we can declare a new Islamic mass organization this afternoon. If it’s
disbanded, we can make a new one continuously. Registered or not, we continue
to exist.”
The Islamic Defenders Front was founded in the late
1990s as military rule was ending. At the time, top army generals created
civilian militia groups like the F.P.I. to help them retain power.
The group soon became known for enforcing its concept
of Islamic law by vandalizing bars, persecuting rival sects and attacking gay
and lesbian events. Over the years, it expanded its agenda to provide civil
rescue services and evolved into a political and social movement, gaining many
thousands of followers who were attracted by Mr. Rizieq’s anti-establishment
message.
“Considering the popularity of the group and the
widespread use of its symbols, the order will be difficult to enforce,” said
Ian Wilson, a senior lecturer at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, who
has followed the group since its early years. “Some will likely abandon it, but
it will potentially radicalize others.”
Hours after the announcement, soldiers and police
officers arrived at the group’s Jakarta headquarters and took down a huge
banner displaying Mr. Rizieq’s photo.
The Saudi-educated Mr. Rizieq, who co-founded the
group and remained its most visible leader, has long attracted controversy. In
2017, he left Indonesia while facing a pornography charge and accusations of an
extramarital affair and lived in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia.
When he returned to Jakarta in November, he was
greeted by many thousands of supporters and over the following days hosted
several large gatherings. He later apologized for violating coronavirus
restrictions, but it was not enough to keep him out of jail.
In returning to Indonesia, which is officially
secular, Mr. Rizieq also posed a challenge to President Joko Widodo’s
government and pledged to push Indonesia toward a more conservative vision of
Islam.
In his recent sermons, Mr. Rizieq accused Mr. Joko and
his government of leading the country into a crisis because the leaders lacked
morals. He contends that being a moral person means following Islamic, or
Shariah, law.
He also argues that Indonesia should be united under a
single God, and that since Muslims make up the overwhelming majority of
Indonesians, they should have the power to enforce Shariah law and set the
rules not only for Muslims, but for everyone as well.
Another radical Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir, was
disbanded by the government in 2017 for promoting a state based on Shariah law
rather than secular principles.
“The F.P.I. is destructive, disruptive, and fueling
intolerance,” said Jajang Jahroni, a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic
State University in Jakarta. “Maybe disbandment won’t be effective. If the
members are still on the street making trouble, they should be arrested and
taken to court.”
Richard C. Paddock reported from Bangkok and Dera
Menra Sijabat reported from Jakarta. Muktita Suhartono contributed reporting
from Bangkok.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/asia/indonesia-islamic-defenders-front-banned.html
--------
Rohingya refugees hope for better life as Bangladesh
moves them to remote island
December 31, 2020
DHAKA: A second group of Rohingya refugees in
Bangladesh were on Tuesday taken to an island in the Bay of Bengal to start new
lives, despite UN concerns for their welfare.
The Bangladeshi navy provided transport for 1,804
Rohingya Muslim refugees — members of an ethnic and religious minority group
who have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar — to the isolated Bhashan
Char island from overcrowded makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar.
They followed a first group of 1,642 relocated to the
island, 30 km from the mainland, in early December.
Under the $370 million relocation project, the
Bangladeshi government has built housing units and infrastructure on Bhashan
Char for 100,000 Rohingyas to take pressure off the main refugee settlement in
Cox’s Bazar that already hosts more than 1.1 million people.
However, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it had not
been involved in the relocation operation and expressed concerns over the
vulnerability of the island — which only emerged from the sea 20 years ago — to
severe weather and flooding.
Mohammed Deen Islam, 35, one of those who arrived on
the island on Tuesday, told Arab News: “We are being provided with living room
in buildings made of concrete. Here we have far better accommodation facilities
compared with the squalid camps at Cox’s Bazar. It’s a very beautiful place.
“Some of my relatives came here earlier at the first
attempt of relocation. Seeing the facilities here, they invited me to come,” he
said, adding that he had voluntarily applied for relocation with his wife and
four children.
Another Rohingya refugee, Nurul Islam, 39, said his
relatives who had moved to the island in the first group told him it offered
better opportunities to earn a living.
“From my relatives who came here in the first batch, I
heard that there were huge livelihood opportunities here on this island. I want
to start a new life here and will start fishing as I have previous experience
for this job,” he added.
Monowara Begum, 27, told Arab News: “We want peace and
happiness. I heard that Bhashan Char was a safer place to live and that is why
I volunteered to come here.
“In recent months, there were several incidents of
clashes among different Rohingya groups at Cox’s Bazar and sometimes it became
unsafe,” she said.
The Bangladeshi government said it was well-prepared
to improve the well-being of refugees through relocation and the creation of
job opportunities in areas such as cattle rearing, poultry farming,
agriculture, and fishing.
“We will start these livelihood activities once the
relocation process is completed and the Rohingyas are settled in their new
place,” said Mohammed Shamsuddoza Noyon, additional refugee relief and
repatriation commissioner of the Bangladeshi government.
“We have already handed over the keys to the new
houses to the refugees who landed on Tuesday. Initially, they will be provided
with cooked food but shortly they will receive gas stoves and food aid to cook
their own meals,” he told Arab News.
He added that the initiative had been supported by
local NGOs and that 20 health workers were on the island to provide medical
help.
“So far around 30 local aid agencies have enrolled to
work for the wellbeing of the Rohingyas and the number is increasing
gradually,” Noyon said.
But the relocation program has faced opposition from
aid groups, especially the UNHCR, which said it had not been involved in the
process and was concerned as to whether those going to the island had made the
move through their own free will.
“The UN has not been involved in preparations for the
movement or the identification of refugees for relocation. The UN has
emphasized that Rohingya refugees must be able to make a free and informed
decision about relocating to Bhashan Char based upon relevant, accurate, and
updated information,” said UNHCR spokesman, Mostofa Mohammed Sazzad Hossain.
He added that the refugee agency had asked Bangladeshi
authorities for an assessment of the island’s condition.
In 1991, nearly 143,000 people in coastal areas of
Bangladesh were killed by a cyclone that produced a tidal wave more than four
meters high.
The government, however, claims the island is safe as
it had built a two-meter-high embankment to protect the housing area.
“The UN’s request to undertake assessments has been
under consideration by the government for some time,” Hossain said, adding that
the agency required the assessment to decide whether it could be engaged in
operations on the island.
“The UN would need to carry out this work before being
able to decide on its operational engagement on the island. We would look
forward to having substantive discussions on this important matter soon,” he
said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1785196/world
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UN chief seeks international monitors for Libya's
fragile ceasefire
31 December 2020
UN chief Antonio Guterres has proposed international monitors
to support Libya's fragile ceasefire amid hopes that foreign fighters will soon
leave and the country can turn the page on a decade of war.
In a letter to Security Council members seen by AFP,
the secretary-general asked to set up a monitoring group that would include
civilians and retired soldiers from regional groups such as the African Union,
European Union and Arab League.
The warring sides, which reached a ceasefire on
October 23 in Geneva, both want to avoid armed and uniformed foreign troops,
Guterres said.
"I call on all national, regional and
international stakeholders to respect the provisions of the ceasefire agreement
and ensure its implementation without delay," Guterres said in the letter
dated Tuesday.
"I encourage member states and regional
organizations to support the operationalization of the ceasefire mechanism,
including by providing individual monitors under the auspices of the United
Nations."
He called in particular for all nations to respect the
UN arms embargo on Libya, which has been flagrantly violated.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/31/UN-chief-seeks-international-monitors-for-Libya-s-fragile-ceasefire
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Trump’s Blackwater pardons ‘an affront to justice’: UN
experts
30 December 2020
US President Donald Trump’s pardons of four Blackwater
contractors convicted of killing civilians in a 2007 Baghdad massacre is a
violation of US obligations under international law, UN experts said Wednesday.
“The Geneva Conventions oblige states to hold war
criminals accountable for their crimes, even when they act as private security
contractors,” Jelena Aparac, head of the UN working group on the use of
mercenaries, said in a statement.
“These pardons violate US obligations under
international law and more broadly undermine humanitarian law and human rights
at a global level,” she said.
Trump granted pardons to the guards on December 22
among a slew of other controversial pardons before he leaves office next month.
The four were convicted of opening fire in Baghdad’s
crowded Nisur Square on September 16, 2007 in a bloody episode that caused an
international scandal and heightened resentment of the American presence.
The shooting left at least 14 Iraqi civilians dead and
17 wounded while perpetuating the image of US security contractors run amok.
The Blackwater guards said they acted in self-defense
in response to insurgent fire.
“Pardoning the Blackwater contractors is an affront to
justice and to the victims of the Nisour Square massacre and their families,”
Aparac added.
The working group, consisting of five independent
experts who are appointed by the UN but who do not speak on behalf of the body,
warned Wednesday that countries have an obligation to hold convicted war
criminals to account.
“Pardons, amnesties, or any other forms of exculpation
for war crimes open doors to future abuses when states contract private
military and security companies for inherent state functions,” the statement
said.
The working group voiced deep concern at the practice
of permitting private security contractors to “operate with impunity in armed
conflicts”.
This, they warned, could encourage countries to
“circumvent their obligations under humanitarian law by increasingly
outsourcing core military operations to the private sector.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Trump-s-Blackwater-pardons-an-affront-to-justice-UN-experts
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Europe Terror: EU Vows to Tackle Extremism as Attacks
Continue in 2020
By Henry Ridgwell
December 30, 2020
LONDON - Europe has faced a series of terror attacks
on its soil during 2020, prompting the European Union to pledge a crackdown on
extremism both online and within communities, alongside enhanced security at
its borders.
France was once again a target for numerous terror
incidents throughout the year.
In September, echoes of past attacks returned to haunt
the country as four people were wounded in a knife attack outside the Paris
offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The French government said the
18-year-old suspect arrived in the country three years ago and is of Pakistani
nationality.
In 2015, gunmen killed 12 people in the same offices,
after the magazine had published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Those cartoons were used earlier this year by teacher
Samuel Paty in a class on freedom of speech at a school outside Paris. In
October, a Chechen teenager lay in wait outside the school, stabbing and
beheading Paty in an attack that shocked France.
Just days later, three people were stabbed to death in
a church in Nice. The attacker, an Islamist extremist, had arrived in France as
a refugee from Tunisia.
The attacks prompted French President Emmanuel Macron
to unveil a new anti-radicalism plan, as he declared that Islam was "a
religion in crisis" all over the world.
“Our citizens today must be protected,” Macron said
following the Nice attack. “Our citizens, those whose religion is Islam, must
be protected in our country, against these evils which is radical Islam.”
His comments sparked fury and protests across the Muslim
world. But the French president was unperturbed. Macron launched a crackdown on
radical preachers, closed several mosques and asked Muslim leaders to support a
charter of French “republican values.”
“This is a challenge for many countries that are trying
to deal with extremism and terrorism and security issues,” said Julie Norman, a
security analyst at University College London who advises the EU’s
Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN).
“How do you as a state respond in very necessary ways
to prevent attacks and to ensure security, but at the same time not alienate
citizens, civil liberties or a sense of cultural integration?” she asked.
The attacks were not confined to France. A failed
Syrian asylum-seeker fatally stabbed a tourist in the German city of Dresden in
October. He was later identified as an Islamic State supporter who had arrived
along with millions of other refugees in 2015.
In November, four people were killed and 23 injured
when a gunman rampaged through the Austrian capital, Vienna. The attacker was
an Islamic State sympathizer known to security services.
European leaders held an emergency meeting following
the Vienna attack and pledged greater security checks on the borders of the EU
to intercept extremists.
“They are ticking time bombs,” said Austrian
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. “If we want to protect all our freedom, we must
restrict the freedom of these people.”
But terror analysts say the biggest threat comes from
so-called homegrown terrorists who have been radicalized in Europe.
“The idea of kind of blaming asylum policies or
blaming refugees and immigrants is a little bit misguided. Not only does it
increase the chance of scapegoating those communities, but it just simply is
not where most of the threat is usually located,” analyst Norman told VOA.
The fierce political divisions are playing into the
hands of extremists, said Sajjan Gohel, international security director at the
Asia-Pacific Foundation.
“We must do our best to build bridges,” he told VOA.
“When there are separations and divisions, it's exploited by terrorist groups.
But Europe must always retain its values that it deems to be important, which
are freedom of expression, even if sometimes that can be controversial.”
Even as Europe tries to tackle Islamist
radicalization, far-right terrorism is a growing problem. Britain’s security
services said that in 2020, eight of the 27 advanced terror plots it has foiled
involved right-wing extremists.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/europe-terror-eu-vows-tackle-extremism-attacks-continue-2020
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Syria urges UNSC to take firm action against Israeli
acts of aggression
31 December 2020
In the wake of a new Israeli aerial assault, Syria has
called on the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibility and
take “firm and immediate” action to end such acts of aggression by the Tel Aviv
regime.
In a letter sent to the UN chief and the Security
Council president on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the world
body to make Israel respect Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967),338
(1973),350 (1974) and 497 (1981).
“Syria demands again that Security Council would
assume its responsibilities in the framework of the UN Charter, on top of them,
preserving the international peace and security, taking firm and immediate
actions to stop those Israeli terrorist aggressions on the Syrian lands, and
holding Israel responsible for its terrorism and crimes against the Syrian
people,” the letter read.
It came after an Israeli airstrike targeted a Syrian
air defense unit in the al-Nabi Habil area of the Damascus countryside early on
Wednesday. The attack killed a Syrian soldier and injured three others and
caused material damage to the site.
In a similar air raid on December 25, Israeli
warplanes fired a barrage of missiles through Lebanese airspace toward the
Masyaf area in the western countryside of Syria’s Hama Province.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry warned that Israel’s
aggressive approach poses a threat to international and regional peace and
risks a dangerous escalation in the Middle East.
“While the Syrian Arab Republic condemns the
aggression on the Syrian territories in a blatant violation of the Security
Council resolution No.350 for the year 1974 related to the disengagement of
forces agreement, it underlines that those repeated aggressions represent the
hostile nature of Israel and prove once again that the Israeli occupation
continues practicing the state terrorism
and arrogance, especially after the failure of the terrorist forces … in
carrying out their agendas,” it added.
The ministry also lashed out at Israel for supporting
the armed terrorist groups in Syria and the US for helping the occupying entity
escape accountability with immunity.
“The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates again that the
dangerous aggressive method adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities comes
as a result of the unlimited support offered by the US that provides Israel
with immunity from accountability, under support by some other members at the
Security Council,” it said.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy
since March 2011. Damascus says the Tel Aviv regime and its Western and
regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist outfits in the Arab country.
Israel frequently targets military positions inside
Syria, especially those of the resistance movement Hezbollah that has played a
key role in helping the Syrian army in its counter-terrorism fight.
Israel mostly keeps quiet about its attacks, which
many view as knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government’s increasing success
on the battleground.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/31/641908/Syria-UNSC-Israel-aggression
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Pakistan
Lahore court remands PML-N's Asif into NAB custody for
two weeks
Rana Bilal
31 Dec 2020
An accountability in Lahore on Thursday granted the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 14-day remand of Parliamentary Leader of
the PML-N in the National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
The NAB prosecutor informed the court that Asif, who
had been arrested from Islamabad on Tuesday, was facing charges of accumulating
assets beyond known sources of income.
Asif had acquired assets in the names of his wife and
children as well, the prosecutor said, adding that initially worth Rs5.1 million,
Asif’s assets now amounted to Rs812.1m.
The prosecutor told the court that the PML-N leader
had not disclosed the means through which he accumulated these assets and
requested physical remand of Asif so that the investigation against the PML-N
leader could be completed.
However, Asif's counsel objected to the request,
maintaining that the case against his client was “baseless” and “false”.
Asif alleged he had been shifted to NAB's custody in
Lahore because Prime Minister Imran Khan "couldn’t get the desired result
when an inquiry was launched against him by the watchdog's Rawalpindi
chapter".
Asif's counsel told the court that the NAB,
Rawalpindi, had summoned his client multiple times and Asif had appeared before
the anti-graft watchdog each time. Besides, he appeared before the NAB, Lahore,
all five times he was summoned, the counsel added.
He said all records asked for by the NAB too had been
provided, objecting to the watchdog’s request of a physical remand.
The court, however, sent Asif on a physical remand
till Jan 13, directing the NAB to submit a progress report on the investigation
at the next hearing. It further directed the watchdog to let Asif meet his
relatives, adding that Asif must be presented before the court at the next
hearing as well.
A NAB team had moved Asif from Islamabad to Lahore
after obtaining his transit remand from an accountability court on Wednesday.
Asif was arrested a day earlier from outside the Islamabad residence of another
senior PML-N leader, Ahsan Iqbal, where the former had come to attend a party
meeting.
The dramatic arrest of the firebrand opposition leader
had prompted a strong reaction from his party, with PML-N vice president Maryam
Nawaz alleging that NAB had acted like a “terrorist” and “kidnapped” Asif in the
darkness of night.
PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, in a tweet, had
condemned the arrest and termed it a result of the “nexus between the selectors
and the selected”.
“Such belittle acts reflect the government’s state of
panic, but it is moving even closer to its end through such actions,” he wrote.
On Wednesday, speaking to the media outside the court
premises in Islamabad, Asif had claimed efforts PM Imran was behind his arrest
and that efforts were underway to create a rift within the PML-N for the past
two years.
Addressing a press conference later in the day,
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Asif had been summoned by the NAB
several times to come and answer questions to "satisfy" the
anti-graft watchdog.
"It seems that he was not able to satisfy [NAB].
He could not give satisfactory answers to allegations against him regarding
money laundering and assets beyond means. If he had given the money trail and
an explanation, then maybe it would not have come to the point of arrest."
Charges against Asif
According to the NAB, investigations against the PML-N
leader were initiated under Clause 4 of the NAB Ordinance 1999 and Section 3 of
the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010.
“Before assuming the public office in 1991, the total
worth of Khawaja Asif’s assets was Rs5.1 million which increased to Rs221m in
2018 after serving on different posts which do not match with his known sources
of income,” said a statement issued by the NAB.
“Accused Khawaja Asif claimed to have received Rs130m
from a UAE firm M/s IMECO, but during the course of investigation, he failed to
present any solid evidence of receiving this amount as a salary,” it said,
adding: “This clearly shows that the accused tried to prove his income through
fake sources.”
Moreover, the NAB alleged that Asif was also running a
benami firm 'Tariq Mir and Company' which was registered in the name of his
employee. It said that an amount of Rs400m was deposited in the account of
Tariq Mir and no sources of this huge amount were disclosed.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598869/lahore-court-remands-pml-ns-asif-into-nab-custody-for-two-weeks
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KP NAB seeks record of Fazl’s Multan properties
Shakeel Ahmed
31 Dec 2020
MULTAN: The district administration has started
seeking details of properties owned by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his family in its jurisdiction on the request of the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, in connection
with a probe being conducted by the bureau.
NAB’s KP director general office, through a letter (No
1/34/(1079-32-332)IW-I/NAB(KP)/697) written to the Multan deputy commissioner
on Dec 22, stated the bureau was conducting an inquiry against former National
Assembly member Maulana Fazlur Rehman, his wife, two daughters, three sons, his
two brothers and eight others “over the allegations of corruption, corrupt
practice and accumulation of assets beyond means” under the National
Accountability Ordinance 1999.
“The documents/information useful or relevant to the
inquiry are in your control. Therefore, it is requested to provide complete
certified and legible copies of details/record of properties
(commercial/residential/agriculture) owned, purchased, sold or held by the
individuals (list attached) in your jurisdiction as per the format along with
part-e-sarkar, part-e-patwar, fards, annual agricultural income (if any) to
combined investigation team of this bureau for examination by Dec 28, 2020, at
NAB (KP), Peshawar.”
The DC has been asked to ensure accuracy of the submitted
information, as concealment of facts and misreporting would attract penalties
under the provision of NAO, 1999.
The anti-graft watchdog has sought complete
information, including name of mauza and tehsil, nature of property, cost of
acquisition (purchase) and date of acquisition by each owner.
The DC office sources said the assistant commissioners
of all the four tehsils of the district -- l City, Saddar, Jalalpur Pirwala and
Shujaabad -- have been ordered to provide the required information, after hecking
the revenue record of the respective tehsils.
They said that checking the revenue record of four
tehsils was a time-taking exercise, adding that as soon the reports from the
ACs were received, the information would be dispatched to the NAB, KP.
MNA Asadur Rehman, a son of the JUI-F chief, resides
in a house on Nawabpur Road.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598778/kp-nab-seeks-record-of-fazls-multan-properties
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Two FC men, 13 civilians injured in grenade attack
30 Dec 2020
KHUZDAR: Fifteen people, including two security
personnel, were injured on Tuesday in a grenade attack on a vehicle of the
Frontier Corps in Surab town of Kalat division.
Police said that two suspects riding a motorcycle
hurled a hand grenade at the FC vehicle parked in the city area of Surab and
escaped from the scene.
“As result of the explosion, two FC soldiers and 13
civilians suffered injuries,” a senior police officer told Dawn, adding that
the vehicle was badly damaged in the powerful blast that rocked the city of
Surab.
Soon after the blast, police and personnel of Frontier
Corps rushed to the site and cordoned off the entire area and took the injured
to district hospital, Surab. The seriously injured victims were later referred
to Civil Hospital, Quetta.
Security forces launched a search operation in
suspected places in Surab after the attack to trace the elements involved in
the attack. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598631/two-fc-men-13-civilians-injured-in-grenade-attack
--------
India
VHP ready to accept donations for Ram temple
construction from Muslims, says central working president Alok Kumar
Dec 30, 2020
BHOPAL: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will accept
donations for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya from all communities
including Muslims, said organisation's central working president, Alok Kumar,
on Wednesday. He said the VHP has set a target of fundraising from 13 crore
families to reach up to 65 crore individuals all over the country.
"We will accept donations from all. Those who
believe that Lord Ram is an avatar (7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu). Those who
believe in Imam-e-Hind are also welcome. Muslim brothers willing to contrbute
in the name of Ram ji are also welcome," Alok Kumar told reporters on
queries over donations from the Muslims.
The VHP top brass who arrived in Bhopal to share the
preparations and work plan for the construction of a grand Ram temple in
Ayodhya said the fundraising drive will begin from January 15 to continue till
February 27 across the country. During the drive, 1.25 crore families of 50,000
villages in Madhya Pradesh will donate to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra
Trust for the construction of Ram temple. The volunteers will contact 6.5 crore
devotees in the state.
On recent violence in MP, as sporadic incidents of
stone pelting were reported from Ujjain, Indore and some other places, he said
the VHP will not allow the temple movement to be discredited. "We will
keep vigil so that the movement does not get discredited. We will also ask the
agencies maintaining law and order to be vigilant. We believe that the people
of India are mature. As earlier decided, everybody has accepted the court's
verdict. We are determined to maintain peace and harmony. We are not in a phase
of conflict but creation. If a temple is being built, then land has also been
given for the mosque," he said.
The VHP leader said that Ram temple trust will not
accept money for the construction of the temple from governments' kitty.
"During the construction of Somnath temple, Mahatma Gandhi had suggested
that the government should make a trust for the temple. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi
temple will not accept government money for the construction. After discussions
with district and regional representatives it was decided that workers will
reach 5.25 lakh villages out of total 6 lakh villages in India," he said.
The VHP will contact 13 crore families all over the
country. At an average of 5 members in a family, the organisation will ensure
participation of 65 crore people in the fundraising drive. Alok Kumar said
Swami Akhileshwaranand ji will be the head of Shri Ram Mandir Nirman Nidhi
Samarpan Samiti in Madhya Pradesh.
"We are keeping the entire drive transparent.
Three banks have been involved under the drive - SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda.
Coupons amounting Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 100 will be distributed to collect
donations. Receipts will be given for donations over Rs 1000, he said adding,
the fund collected will have to be deposited in the banks within 48 hours.
"The campaign would certainly be the biggest ever
in the history of the world. This is a campaign of reconstruction of
renaissance of reaching out the biggest number of villages, the families and
the people for a socio-religious cause for the construction of the Ram Temple
and to march towards the Ram Rajya," he said.
Ram temple would have a total area of 2.7 acres. The
construction area is 57,400 sq. feet. The length of the Temple would be 360 ft
with 235 ft. The Temple would be a three storied structure with 5 Mandaps. The
number of columns would be 160 on the ground floor, 132 on the first floor and
74 on the second floor. It is expected that by 2024 Shri Ram Lala shall be
established in the sanctum sanctorum of the main Temple. Along with the temple,
there will be a library, archives, museum, research centre, Yagyashala, Ved
pathshala, Satsangh bhawan, Prasad distribution centre, amphitheatre,
Dharamshala, exhibition and other facilities.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/vhp-ready-to-accept-donations-for-ram-temple-construction-from-muslims-says-central-working-president-alok-kumar/articleshow/80030682.cms
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Sedition Case against Social Democratic Party of India
Activists Shouting Pro-Pak Slogans in Karnataka
Venkatesha Babu | Edited by Abhinav Sahay
Dec 31, 2020
In a video which has gone viral, activists allegedly
belonging to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were seen shouting
pro-Pakistan slogans after victory in gram panchayat elections in Ujire near
Mangaluru. SDPI allegedly shouted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. The Belthangady
police have decided to take suo moto action against those who raised the
slogans.
The slogans in support of Pakistan were heard while
the counting centre authorities were making announcements related to counting
of votes for Mundaje gram panchayat in Belthangady Taluk.
Belthangady BJP MLA Harish Poonja told the media that
he had spoken to the superintendent of police (SP) of the district and asked
for strict action against those who raised such slogans. BJP MP from Udupi,
Shobha Karandlaje tweeted to say that the incident again revealed SDPI’s real
character.
‘This is neither Peshwarar of Karachi.
#PakishtanZindabad slogans raised while celebrating SDPI candidate’s GP
election victory in Ujire. Yet again proving the loyalty & intentions of
SDPI,” she tweeted.
Karandlaje appealed to chief minister Yediyurappa for
banning SDPI.
“Dear CM @BSYBJP sir, it’s now or never. Ban this
anti-national organisation.”
However J Athaullah, SDPI district president, denied
that his party members were involved in the pro-Pak slogan shouting incident.
“None of our party workers will raise such slogans. We
will file a case against anybody who is trying to besmirch our name,” Athaullah
said.
Police officials said that a case had been filed
against 15 SDPI activists under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 124 A
(sedition) and 149 (offense committed in prosecution of common object) of the
Indian penal code (IPC) and efforts were on to identify those responsible.
Police have also sought the help of the public, asking them to send additional
videos if any to help identify the culprits.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sedition-case-against-sdpi-activists-shouting-pro-pak-slogans-in-karnataka/story-EhDrJvft7iVUMMNRUs3KAP.html
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Dr Aijaz Ahmad Lone From Baramulla Bags Fellowship In
international Islamic University Malaysia
December 31, 2020
Dr Aijaz Ahmad Lone from Baramulla has been selected
for post-doctoral fellowship in international Islamic University of Malaysia.
Aijaz had his early education from Baramulla and later
completed his M.phil and PhD from Iqbal Institute of culture and philosophy,
University of Kashmir. “The watershed in his academic career took place when I
moved to Kashmir University for post graduation in sociology and I completed my
research and (CGC-NET),” he said. Ajaz coordinated several research projects
related with social policy and societal importance. He is the, Chairman of
Iqbal Research lnstitute Lahore, Pakistan (Kashmir Chapter) and active member
of lqbal academy India, Pakistan and Iran.
Meanwhile, as per the declaration letter issued by the
International Islamic University of Malaysia, Aijaz will work under supervision
of Associate Professor Dr. Suhailah Hussain.
“I have perused Dr. Ajaz’s resume and his writings
(publishod and unpublished) and has found them to be significant in his
contributions to the contemporary Muslim world,” reads a declaration issued by
Prof. Hussain.
The proposed guide has further stated that the
farsightedness and high level critical thinking of Dr. Lone was impressive and
she was willing to guide and supervise him in his post-doctoral research at the
department.
“In relation to the funding and scholarship that he is
seeking. I strongly recommend it and hold the view that his infended research
will continue to advance the work of Islamization and ideas of great Muslim
scholars like Shariati and Iqbal for the developnent of Muslim education,” it
reads.
She has further stated that working together with Dr.
Ajaz in his post- doctoral research will also help to resolve problems and
challenges faced by muslim societies.
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/baramulla-scholar-bags-fellowship-in-iiu-malaysia/
--------
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Asked ‘Why Should There
Be Conversion’, As He Backed The Controversial Anti-Conversion Law Enacted By
UP Government
Rajnath Singh backs ‘love jihad’ law
31.12.20
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked “why
should there be conversion”, as he backed the controversial anti-conversion law
enacted by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh to crack down on
interfaith unions that the BJP besmirches as “love jihad”.
That Rajnath, known to be a relatively moderate face
in the current regime, has backed the anti-conversion law, being embraced by
several other BJP-ruled states as well although it is widely considered
regressive and discriminatory, shows that it has wide acceptability in the
central leadership.
Appearing unmindful of reports of couples being harassed
and even jailed under the new law in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow MP Rajnath told
news agency ANI when asked if the “love jihad” law was being misused: “Hamara
toh yeh kehna hai ki, conversion hona hi kyon chahiye (I want to ask why should
there be conversion)?”
Told that the Constitution allows religious
conversions, Rajnath intervened. “Nahi, nahi (No, no). I see reports of mass
conversions taking place in the country. This should stop,” the minister said.
Rajnath claimed that Muslims are not permitted by
their religion to marry someone from another faith.
“So, conversion for marriage, I personally don’t
approve of it,” he said.
Asked if an individual does not have the right to
marry outside his or her religion if he or she is willing to, Rajnath
interjected once again before the question could be completed.
“You may have seen that in many cases, forcibly, and
even allurement is offered for conversion. There is a huge difference between
natural marriage and forcible conversion for marriage,” he said, defending the
state governments enacting the anti-conversion law.
“I think the governments that have made these laws
have considered all these things,” Rajnath said.
The defence of the law came against the backdrop of
104 retired civil servants writing to chief minister Adityanath on Tuesday,
demanded the withdrawal of the anti-conversion ordinance, saying it was being
used to “victimise Indian men who are Muslim and women who dare to exercise
their freedom of choice”.
The signatories to the letter included former foreign
secretary Nirupama Rao and ex-national security adviser Shivshankar Menon,
among others.
The letter said Uttar Pradesh had become the
“epicentre of the politics of hate, division and bigotry” and the institutions
of governance were “steeped in communal poison”.
The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh
on Tuesday approved an ordinance against what it said were “forcible religious
conversions”. Some other BJP-ruled states too have started the process of
enacting a law similar to what Adityanath has done in Uttar Pradesh.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/rajnath-singh-backs-love-jihad-law/cid/1802141
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MP: 24 detained after clashes break out as Hindutva
rally shouts slogans outside mosque
Dec 31, 2020
The Madhya Pradesh Police have detained 24 people from
Chandan Khedi village after clashes erupted when members of Hindutva groups
shouted slogans in front of a mosque on Tuesday, The Indian Express reported.
The members of the Hindutva groups were conducting a rally in the
Muslim-dominated village to collect donations for the construction of a Ram
temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
Around 200 people chanted Hanuman Chalisa and “Jai
Shri Ram” slogans outside the mosque when prayers were being offered inside,
officials said. This led to a heated exchange between Hindus and Muslims, and
led to stone pelting, the police said. Some members from the rally hoisted
saffron flags and climbed the mosque and tried to damage the minaret, witnesses
said. Some videos also showed the Hindutva group members trying to damage
nearby houses and vehicles.
“Twenty-four people, mostly from the village, have
been rounded up based on video evidence,” Indore Inspector General of Police
Yogesh Deshmukh said. “There will be more arrests on both sides and people who
climbed atop the mosque will be identified and booked under relevant sections.”
The clashes went on till late on Tuesday and senior
officials such as Collector Manish Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police
Harinarayan Chari Mishra were at the spot to control the situation, according
to The Indian Express.
The Indore collector imposed prohibitory orders under
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, ANI reported. The orders were
imposed in gram panchayats of Chandan Khedi, Dharmat, Rudrakhya, Sunala,
Dudhakhedi and municipal councils of Gautampura and Sanwer.
The clashes in Chandan Khedi came three days after a
similar incident was reported in Ujjain’s Begum Bagh area. During a rally by
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, similar slogan chanting and stone pelting
incidents were reported. The police have arrested 15 people so far but they are
all residents of Begum Bagh. No participants of this rally have been arrested
so far.
https://scroll.in/latest/982721/mp-24-detained-after-clashes-break-out-as-hindutva-rally-shouts-slogans-outside-mosque
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Three terrorists killed in Srinagar, kin of one cries
fake encounter
Dec 30, 2020
SRINAGAR: Three terrorists were killed in an
anti-terror operation at Lawaypora on Srinagar’s outskirts on Wednesday, but
the kin of one of the slain men claimed he was a Kashmir University student who
had left home to write his exams, only to lose his life in a “fake encounter”.
Official sources identified the slain trio as Aijaz
Ahmad Ganie and Ather Mushtaq from Pulwama, and Zubair Ahmad Lone from Shopian.
“Since the past many days, we had been flooded with intelligence inputs about
terrorists’ movement on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Yesterday (December
29), we learnt that ultras were hiding in a house right opposite Noora hospital
in Lawaypora, HMT area,” GOC Kilo Force H S Sahi said at a press conference.
On ascertaining the presence of terrorists, a joint
team of Army’s 2RR, CRPF and J&K Police cordoned the area and asked them to
surrender, but the ultras “fired indiscriminately and even lobbed grenades at
the security forces, triggering an encounter. The operation was halted as
darkness fell but the cordon layers tightened. It resumed with first light on
Wednesday, ending around 11.30am with the killing of the three terrorists,” GOC
Sahi said. Police said an AK-47 rifle, two pistols and some grenades were
recovered from the spot.
Aijaz’s family from Pulwama’s Putrigam area, however,
contested the Army’s claim stating he had left a day ago to appear in the varsity
examination and they were “shocked” to see his body on social media labelled as
a “terrorist”. The distraught family staged a protest outside Srinagar Police
Control Room and raised slogans demanding Aijaz’s body. Some youths, meanwhile,
pelted stones at security forces near the encounter site after the firefight
ended.
The GOC, however, was yet to confirm the identities
and affiliation of the slain trio. He lauded the security forces for the “clean
operation” without any casualties to the team or civilians, adding that in the
past week, five terrorists including one from Pakistan were killed in two
gunfights in north Kashmir.
Asked why terrorists are choosing Srinagar’s outskirts
or highways for terror attacks on security forces, GOC Sahi said, “They do so
to get maximum publicity. The nature of ammunition used by terrorists in
today’s gunfight suggests they were planning a big strike on the highway.”
Another reason for choosing the area is because it has a congested locality,
lanes and bylanes. “They perhaps feel these areas are a safe haven. But our
intelligence grid is very strong and we won’t allow any terror bid. With
Republic Day approaching, they might be planning something sinister but we are
alert and will foil all their plans,” said the GOC, who was flanked by
Commander 10 Sector RR Naresh Mishra and West Srinagar SP Shehzad Saliar
besides other top officials of Army and police at the conference.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/three-terrorists-killed-in-srinagar-kin-of-one-cries-fake-encounter/articleshow/80032918.cms
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Mideast
Yemen’s Houthis: Detained Saudi pilots will only be
exchanged for Palestinian inmates
31 December 2020
The Houthi Ansarullah movement has conditioned the
release of Saudi pilots in Yemeni custody on the freedom of Palestinian inmates
held in the kingdom’s prisons.
Speaking to al-Masirah TV channel on Wednesday, Abdel
Kader Mortaza, the official in charge of prisoner affairs at Yemen’s National
Salvation Government, said Saudi pilots held in captivity in Sana’a would only
be swapped with the Palestinians imprisoned by the Riyadh regime.
Since February 2019, Saudi Arabia has kept 68
Palestinians and Jordanians in detention without any legal reason.
Among the inmates is Mohammed al-Khudari, a
high-ranking official from the Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement.
Mortaza said a total of 1,087 prisoners from the
Yemeni Army and allied popular forces were released from Saudi detention in
2020, 670 of them under UN supervision and 417 through local mediation.
In exchange, he added, the Houthis freed 150 captives,
including 64 child soldiers recruited by the Saudi-led coalition, which has
been waging a deadly war on Yemen over the past years.
A UN delegation visited Sana’a prisons 12 times in
2020, but the coalition does not allow such visits, the official noted.
He further said the enemy was preventing more than 30
prisoner exchange operations this year, reporting 900 cases of prisoner torture
at the hands of the Saudi-led coalition in 2020.
Mortaza also said 20 Yemeni inmates were killed this
year at the coalition-run prisons due to torture or medical negligence.
Saudi Arabia launched a devastating military
aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its
allied states, and with arms support from the US and several Western countries.
The aim was to return to power a Riyadh-backed regime
of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and defeat the Houthi Ansarullah
movement that has taken control of state matters.
The war has failed to achieve its goals, but killed
tens of thousands of innocent Yemenis and destroyed the impoverished country’s
infrastructure. The UN refers to the situation in Yemen as the world's worst
humanitarian crisis.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Mortaza expressed Sana’a’s
readiness to engage in talks on a prisoner swap in the coming year.
He also said the Islah party, which is the backbone of
the self-proclaimed Hadi government, has not accepted an offer by the UN for
prisoner exchange talks in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The UAE has kept hundreds of prisoners from the Yemeni
Army and allied popular forces, he added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/31/641921/Houthi-Yemen-Saudi-pilots-prisoners-swap-Palestinians
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Yemen airport blasts kill 26 as govt plane arrives
31 Dec 2020
ADEN: At least 26 people were killed on Wednesday as
explosions rocked Yemen’s Aden airport moments after a new unity government
flew in, in what some officials charged was a “cowardly” attack by Houthi
rebels.
Although all government ministers were reported to be
unharmed, more than 50 people were wounded, medical and government sources said
in the southern city, with the casualty toll feared likely to rise.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it was preparing a
“mass casualty medical response plan”.
Pakistan termed the explosions “a senseless act of
violence and terrorism” and urged the international community to ensure the
territorial integrity of Yemen.
As smoke billowed out of the airport terminal from an
initial blast, with debris strewn across the area and people rushing to tend to
the wounded, a second explosion took place.
Pakistan describes explosions as ‘senseless act of
violence, terrorism’
Video footage shot by AFP appears to show missile-like
ordnance striking the airport apron — that moments before had been packed with
crowds — and exploding into a ball of intense flames.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the
explosions.
Sporadic gunfire was heard soon after.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government and
southern separatists formed a power-sharing cabinet on Dec 18, forging a joint
front against the Houthi rebels who have seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa and much
of the north.
Both Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani and
Prime Minister Moeen Abdulmalik Saeed said that all the members of the
government were safe.
“We assure our great people that members of the
government are fine, and we assure you that the cowardly terrorist attack by
the Iran-supported Houthi militia will not deter us from carrying out our
patriotic duty,” Eryani said on Twitter.
Saeed tweeted that the “terrorist attack... was part
of the war waged against Yemen and its people”, but stopped short of accusing
the Houthi insurgents.
Yemen’s government spokesman Rajih Badi called for an
international investigation into the “terrorist” attack he said targeted “all
members of the cabinet”.
“It is too soon to accuse any party before an
investigation reveals who executed the attack, including (accusing) the
Houthis,” he said, adding those injured included civilians, security guards and
local officials.
Meanwhile, UN envoy Martin Griffiths condemned the
attack on Twitter, calling it an “unacceptable act of violence”.
“I wish the cabinet strength in facing the difficult
tasks ahead,” he said.
“This unacceptable act of violence is a tragic
reminder of the importance of bringing Yemen urgently back on the path towards
peace.” Michael Aron, the British ambassador to Yemen, also condemned the
blasts.
“A despicable attempt to cause carnage and chaos and
bring suffering when Yemenis had chosen to move forward together,” he said.
The cabinet members arrived in Aden days after being
sworn in by Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Saudi Arabia, which
leads a military coalition against the insurgents.
Hadi fled to the Saudi-capital Riyadh after Sanaa fell
to the Houthis in 2014.
Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have been killed
and millions displaced in Yemen’s grinding five-year war, which has triggered
what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
The new government includes ministers loyal to Hadi
and supporters of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), as well
as other parties.
Pakistan’s stance
A statement issued by the Foreign Office’s
spokesperson in Islamabad said: “Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the
terrorist attack at Aden airport in Yemen in which the cabinet members of the
newly-formed government were targeted.
“We believe this attack was not just condemnable as an
act of senseless violence and terrorism, it was also reprehensible as an
attempt to undermine the recent efforts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its
positive results, aimed at fostering enhanced peace and security in Yemen.”
Pakistan urged the international community to ensure
respect for territorial integrity of Yemen and to support efforts aimed at
promoting peace and security in the country, the statement added.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598813/yemen-airport-blasts-kill-26-as-govt-plane-arrives
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Iran: All Culprits of General Soleimani’s Case to Face
Just Trial
2020-December-30
“Iran’s policy is to bring to justice the culprits
involved in the January 2020 terror attack and punish them without any discrimination.”
Rayeesi said on Tuesday in a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart Faeq Zeidan,
and noted that the Iranian and Iraqi national security is intertwined.
He thanked the Iraqi judiciary for its continuous
follow-up on the terror attack by the US terrorist army which led to the
martyrdom of the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps Qassem Soleimani and Deputy Head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization
Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Rayeesi reiterated that the terrorist act aimed at
stopping the march of Iran and Iraq on the path of progress.
"Today, we consider the United States a clear
manifestation of state terrorism," the judiciary chief continued and
described the US as the common enemy of the Iranian and Iraqi nations.
He said the expulsion of the American troops from
Iraq, under the Iraqi parliament’s order, will guarantee security goals.
Faeq Zeidan, for his part, emphasized the
implementation of justice without discrimination in the case of the
assassination of martyrs Soleimani, Al-Muhandis and their companions.
He said, “We are mourning for the two martyrs in Iraq
and Iran, and we see that the photos of the two martyrs are put together in
these ceremonies. This shows the unity and common fate of the two nations.”
Referring to the US terrorist army’s expulsion from
Iraq, Zeidan said, “There is no need for the presence of foreign forces to
ensure security."
In relevant remarks on Monday, Secretary of Iran's
Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said that regional
security can be materialized only through expulsion of foreign forces, adding
that the US military activities in the region stem from their fear of past
criminal acts.
Shamkhani wrote on his Twitter page that security will
be brought to the region only if foreign anti-security forces leave the region,
and stressed that the recent activities of the US troops stem from their
vicious measures in the past.
He went on to say that such moves further spread
insecurity in the region.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991010000205/Iran-All-Clpris-f-General-Sleimani%E2%80%99s-Case-Face-Js-Trial
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Iran allocates $150,000 for families of each victim of
downed Ukraine plane
30 December 2020
Iran’s cabinet on Wednesday allocated $150,000 for the
families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane downed in Iranian
airspace in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.
“The cabinet approved the provision of $150,000 or the
equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each
of the victims of the Ukrainian plan crash,” IRNA quoted a government
statement.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they accidentally
shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane shortly after take off,
mistaking it for a missile when tensions with the United States were high.
Five days earlier, the US had killed Revolutionary
Guards commander Qassem Soleimani with a drone strike in Iraq.
Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development
Mohammad Eslami told state television on Wednesday that the final report on the
crash had been sent to the countries participating in the investigation.
Many of the victims were Canadian citizens or
permanent residents.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Iran-allocates-150-000-for-families-of-each-victim-of-downed-Ukraine-plane
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Former Israeli spy in US arrives in Tel Aviv, greeted
with prayer and passport
30 December 2020
A former US Navy analyst who served 30 years in prison
for spying for Israel arrived in the country early on Wednesday after parole
restrictions on his travel expired and was welcomed with a prayer and passport
by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Jonathan Pollard, 66, had long voiced a desire to
emigrate to Israel, which granted him citizenship. The espionage affair
strained US-Israel relations for decades.
Sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment after he
pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage, Pollard was freed on parole
in 2015.
A US Justice Department decision last month to let the
parole terms’ five-year travel ban go unrenewed was seen by some as a parting
gift to Israel by the Trump administration.
Netanyahu met Pollard and his wife Esther as they
disembarked in Tel Aviv, video distributed by the Israeli prime minister’s
office showed. The couple, both Orthodox Jews, kissed the tarmac.
After saying a Hebrew prayer of thanksgiving for the
liberation of prisoners, Netanyahu presented Pollard with an Israeli passport.
“Welcome home,” the prime minister said.
Israel Hayom newspaper, which first reported the
couple’s arrival, said they flew in aboard a private plane due to Esther
Pollard’s medical condition.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Former-Israeli-spy-in-US-arrives-in-Tel-Aviv-greeted-with-prayer-and-passport
--------
Turkey hands life sentence to 92 people over 2016 coup
attempt
30 December 2020
A court in Turkey has handed life sentences to 92
people, including former high-ranking army officials, for involvement in the
2016 failed coup.
The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that 12 of
the defendants received life sentences without parole on Wednesday, including
some department heads of the land forces.
During the 2016 botched putsch, a faction of the
Turkish military declared that it had seized control of the country and the
government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was no more in charge.
The attempt was, however, suppressed a few hours
later.
Ankara has since accused US-based opposition cleric
Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan's ally-turned-foe, of having orchestrated the coup.
Gulen denies any involvement.
Since the coup attempt, nearly 100,000 people have
been held pending trial and some 150,000 civil servants were sacked or
suspended. The defense ministry said 20,833 people were expelled from the
military.
Ankara’s post-coup mass arrests have drawn criticism
from human rights organizations and Turkey’s Western allies.
Rejecting that criticism, the Turkish government
defends the crackdown as a necessary response to a national security threat.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/30/641880/Turkey-court-life-sentences-coup
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Iran, Turkey, Pakistan plan to revive railway line:
Report
30 December 2020
Iran, Turkey and Pakistan plan to revive a railway
line connecting Istanbul to Tehran and Islamabad and ultimately extend it to
China, Tokyo-based newsmagazine Nikkei Asia reports.
The three countries launched a container train service
in 2009, but it only got as far as test runs and was never fully operational.
Even so, they always planned to follow up the initial
freight trains with passenger services and are now willing to launch the ITI
transnational line with the aim of enhancing connectivity with China's Belt and
Road Initiative (BRI), the report said.
The railroad service, stretching for 6,540 km, will
cut the 21-day journey between Pakistan and Turkey by sea to 10 days. And by
extension, it will connect to China's Xinjiang autonomous region which is
populated by ethnically Turkic Uighur Muslims, Nikkei said.
According to Lukasz Przybyszewski, a West Asia analyst
for the Asia Research Center at Warsaw's War Studies Academy, the ITI railroad
would further boost BRI, a trillion-dollar plan to connect the infrastructure
and economies of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.
Przybyszewski believes that Beijing regards Iranian
transport infrastructure in particular as part of BRI. The ITI railroad, he
says, will help Iran move around US sanctions.
"For Tehran, this is an attractive alternative
trade route because the ECO countries trade, in local currencies,"
Przybyszewski told the publication.
ECO stands for the Economic Cooperation Organization,
a 10-member political and economic intergovernmental organization founded in
1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has
been following a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran in order to isolate
the country through severing all modes of international trade with the Islamic
Republic.
However, Przybyszewski believes it is “practically
impossible to isolate and stop Iran from trading with its neighbors”.
According to the expert, infrastructure projects such
as the ITI railroad will stimulate the Iranian economy, and new railway
connections will offer greater flexibility going forward.
Last year, China took a major step to upset the United
States in its efforts to isolate Iran economically by committing to several
hundred billions of dollars in investment in the Islamic Republic.
China updated a 25-year deal signed with Iran first in
2016 that foresees $400 billion of Chinese investment in the resource-rich
Middle Eastern nation.
According to analysts, the deal represents “a
potentially material shift to the global balance of the oil and gas sector” and
could mark a "seismic shift in the global hydrocarbons sector” where no US
dollars will be involved in commodity transaction payments.
The central pillar of the new deal is that China will
invest $280 billion, developing Iran's oil, gas and petrochemicals sectors.
There will be another $120 billion investment in upgrading Iran's transport and
manufacturing infrastructure.
Officials have said China’s close involvement in the
build-out of Iran's manufacturing infrastructure would be entirely in line with
its mammoth One Belt, One Road initiative.
The Asian giant, they say, intends to utilize the low
cost labor available in Iran to build factories, designed and overseen by large
Chinese manufacturing companies, with identical specifications and operations
to those in China.
The idea is to ship Chinese products to Western markets
by using Iran’s transport infrastructure.
Beijing’s biggest transportation project in Iran is
worth $1.5 billion to electrify the rail line from Tehran to Mashhad for a
length of 926 kilometers.
There are also plans to establish a Tehran-Qom-Isfahan
high-speed train line and to extend this upgraded network up to the northwest
through Tabriz.
The railway is part of the 2,300-kilometer New Silk
Road that will link Urumqi in China’s resource-rich Xinjiang province to
Tehran, connecting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan along
the way and extending to Europe via Turkey.
Tabriz, home to a number of key oil, gas and
petrochemical and other industrial sites, and the starting point for the
Tabriz-Ankara gas pipeline, will be a pivot point in the route.
However, those investment plans have been put on the
back burner since the US reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic in 2018.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/30/641866/Iran-Turkey-Pakistan-revive-railway-China
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Southeast Asia
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, SFA looking
Into Allegations over Malaysian Meat Cartel
Choo Yun Ting
DEC 30, 2020
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and
the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are looking into allegations about a cartel's packaging
and sale of halal-certified meat in Malaysia, to determine if the Singapore
market is affected by the purported misconduct.
Recent media reports in Malaysia have alleged that the
cartel smuggles, repacks and re-labels non-halal frozen meat items as
halal-certified, the two organisations noted in a joint statement yesterday.
Muis and SFA said that only meat and meat products
from SFA-accredited overseas establishments can be imported into Singapore, and
these imported goods are also subjected to the agency's food safety
surveillance programme to ensure that they meet import requirements and
regulatory standards.
Meat which is imported for the Muslim market and Muis'
certificate holders also need to meet halal requirements.
"Muis assures the public that the halal-certified
meat products which are legally imported into Singapore may be consumed with
confidence," the statement said, adding that consumers are advised to
exercise caution when purchasing meat products overseas.
Noting that messages have circulated on social media
expressing concern that the frozen meat products could have been imported into
Singapore, and that the alleged improprieties in importing and packaging halal
meat could also be taking place in the Republic, Muis and SFA said that they
are looking into the matter.
Muis also said it is seeking more information from the
relevant authority in Malaysia, and urged people against spreading rumours and
to verify that their information is from credible sources.
The cartel is being investigated by Malaysia's Special
Investigation Unit.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/muis-sfa-looking-into-allegations-over-malaysian-meat-cartel
--------
South Asia
Afghan troops and police abandon nearly 200
checkpoints to the Taliban
30 December 2020
Afghan security personnel have abandoned nearly 200
checkpoints in restive Kandahar province in recent weeks, officials said
Wednesday, in some cases leaving behind their weapons to be seized by the
Taliban.
Kandahar provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat and a
local lawmaker separately confirmed the situation to AFP, saying commanders
would be disciplined for their actions.
The defense ministry in Kabul denied the reports,
insisting government forces had been making progress in the region.
Government forces and the Taliban have clashed
regularly in Kandahar province since October despite peace talks between the
warring sides.
“Afghan security forces have retreated from 193
checkpoints and outposts in Zharai, Maiwand, Arghandab and Panjwai districts,”
Kandahar provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat told AFP.
“Most of the security chiefs and officers who
neglected their duties have been dismissed and referred to the judiciary.”
Kandahar lawmaker Hashim Alkhozai and a local police
officer confirmed the details to AFP.
“The security forces exited the bases leaving behind
their weapons and ammunition,” Alkhozai said.
Most of those who left were soldiers, said Jan
Mohammad, a policeman from Zharai district.
“They left without firing a bullet,” he said.
“The Taliban now have all the weapons seized from the
army and are using them against us.”
Governor Hayat blamed “poor coordination” for the
situation amid a shortage of police and troops.
Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, who went on
to rule Afghanistan with a harsh version of sharia law until being overthrown
by a US-led invasion in 2001.
Since a US-Taliban deal in February, the insurgents
have mostly refrained from carrying out major attacks on cities, but have
launched near-daily assaults against Afghan forces in rural areas.
Peace talks between the two sides - which started in
September in the Qatari capital of Doha - are currently on a break and are due
to resume on January 5.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Afghan-troops-and-police-abandon-nearly-200-checkpoints-to-the-Taliban
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Drones become Taliban’s latest weapon in Afghan war
December 30, 2020
KABUL: On a quiet autumn day last month, bodyguards
for the governor of the northern Afghani Kunduz province, Abdul Sattar Mirzakawl,
played a volleyball match in the yard of the governor’s guest house adjacent to
his residence.
Suddenly, a blast went off, killing four of the
players.
Although Kunduz has long remained the most restive
area in northern Afghanistan because of Taliban’s heavy presence and routine
violence, officials investigating the attack were bewildered by its cause as
they could not immediately determine how it had happened.
It took them a day to conclude that it was a device
attached to a small drone which was dropped from the sky, part of a new method
used by the Taliban in their war of attrition that has lasted nearly 20 years
as the US prepares to withdraw troops by next spring.
“Initially, people could not distinguish the source of
the blast, but later on it became clear that the Taliban had placed a mine or
explosives under a drone that martyred four bodyguards of the governor,” Ghulam
Rabbani Rabbani, a member of Kunduz’s provincial council, told Arab News.
“Without any doubt, it was a new tactic and shows the
Taliban adopting special methods in the war.”
Despite there having been numerous other drone attacks
against military and police bases in Baghlan, Faryab, Logar, Paktia and Helmand
provinces for some months, the early November strike was the deadliest,
according to officials interviewed by Arab News.
Back in May, a similar attack in Kunduz claimed the
life of one official and wounded four others during a farewell ceremony for a
former governor, according to Rabbani and two provincial officials who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
A week ago, commando forces shot down a “weaponized
drone” in Logar province, south of Kabul, according to press reports.
“Weapons and ammunition attached to drones are
becoming the latest lethal trend on the Afghan battlefield,” wrote Bilal
Sarwary, a prominent Afghan journalist.
A senior army general in Kabul requesting to remain
anonymous told Arab News how the insurgents first used camera drones in Helmand
for filming a vast joint Afghan-US base six years ago.
The footage had helped the militants to plan and
conduct a massive commando-style assault on the highly protected base which
caused casualties and tens of millions of dollars of material losses.
“I watched the film of the attack which was released
by the Taliban later on. The camera had filmed the entire attack as it was
going on,” he explained.
The insurgents have also used drone cameras in filming
other military installations for preparing attacks, the general said, adding
that he also had heard that they now place mines or small explosives beneath
the commercially available drones for attacks.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban,
confirmed to Arab News the use of a drone, but refused to give other details
such as where they get them from and how long they have been using this method.
“Such information is always confidential, we can not
talk about this issue.”
Spokesmen for the interior and defense ministries
refused to comment about the use of “weaponized drones” by the Taliban.
A spokesman for the office of President Ashraf Ghani’s
national security adviser, Rahmatullah Andar, said the Taliban have used drones
since last year, with improvised explosives in a number of attacks in different
parts of Afghanistan.
But he said they “do not pose any major threat to the
government and large gathering of troops as we have measures in place.”
Although Andar downplayed the importance of threat of
the low-end drones, a retired general, Javid Kohestani, described it as a
worrisome development and a new tactic by the insurgents who have already used
some modern technologies, such as night vision and thermal optics in recent
years operations.
“It is a threat if they can develop it and use it
further. It is cheap and easy to transport and operate,” he told Arab News.
“The government does not have the tracing mechanism
and air defense and it is difficult to detect them in dark hours and even
during daytime as soldiers are not supposed to look to the sky all day.
“These drones can film bases with big numbers of
troops and later target them. If the government cannot stop it, it would be
very risky,” Kohestani added.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1784741/world
--------
Kabul IED Blast Kills 1, Injures 2
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
31 Dec 2020
According to police, at least one person is killed and
two others are wounded in an IED attack in Kabul city on Thursday morning.
Ferdaws Faramarz, a spokesman to Kabul police told the
media, the incident occurred at around 8 am in PD7 in the Chehel-Setoon area of
Kabul city.
The IED targeted a vehicle believed to be a
governmental vehicle because the vehicle is registered with a black colored
license plate.
Identities of the victims have not yet been released,
but some media reports claim, the attack happened on the vehicle carrying
Presidential Palace’s administrative office employees.
This is the latest incident amid a string of targeted
killings and a spate of IED blasts in the capital of Afghanistan.
So far, no group or individual has claimed
responsibility for the attack.
It is not the government officials to face such
attacks, in recent months journalists, activists, and public figures also fell
victims to such violence.
https://www.khaama.com/kabul-ied-blast-kills-1-injures-2-44556633/
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Azerbaijan to Open Embassy in Afghanistan
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
31 Dec 2020
Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday,
that Azerbaijan will establish an embassy in Afghanistan, following the
approval of the Azerbaijan parliament.
The embassy will open due to efforts of the Afghan
foreign ministry and its Embassy in Baku, the statement read.
The Azeri parliament session was amended to create an
opportunity for the approval of a bill for embassy establishment in Kabul.
The Azerbaijani parliament adopted a law on the
establishment of its embassy in Afghanistan, according to the Azertac news
agency.
“The Azerbaijani Parliament has adopted a law on the
establishment of the country’s embassy in Afghanistan, the city of Kabul,”
Azertac reported.
Lawmakers noted Afghanistan’s support to the country
and strong relations between the two countries.
This comes as a few weeks ago, Amanullah Jayhoon, the
Afghan envoy to Azerbaijan handed over his credentials to the country’s Foreign
Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov.
Both of the officials emphasized the need to expand
bilateral relations, and strengthen political, cultural, and trade relations
between the two countries.
https://www.khaama.com/azerbaijan-to-open-embassy-in-afghanistan-445544/
--------
Africa
Rights groups denounce Ethiopia’s arrest of Reuter’s
journalist
31 December 2020
Media rights groups are protesting the Ethiopian
government’s arrest of journalists, saying it indicates the erosion of press
freedom in the country.
Kumerra Gemechu, a video journalist for the Reuters
news agency, was arrested on December 24 at his home in Ethiopia’s capital,
Addis Ababa, and is being detained for 14 days for police investigations,
according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
“Kumerra’s work demonstrates his professionalism and
impartiality, and we are aware of no basis for his detention,” Reuters
Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement Monday.
Kumerra’s arrest follows the beating of Reuters
photographer Tiksa Negari by two Ethiopian federal police officers on December
16, the statement said.
“This is the latest example of how press freedom is
fast eroding under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate,”
said Angela Quintal, Africa program coordinator for the Committee to Protect
Journalists.
With Kumerra’s arrest, eight journalists have been
jailed in Ethiopia this year. Authorities in Cameroon also have jailed eight
reporters, and Eritrea has imprisoned 16 journalists, according to Quintal.
In 2020, the Committee to Protect Journalists
“documented a worrying pattern of holding journalists for weeks without formal
charges in Ethiopia. We trust that it will not be repeated with Kumerra and
urge the government to ensure that he is freed immediately and without
condition,” Quintal said.
Award-winning Ethiopian journalist Dawit Kebede, who
was arrested on November 30, appeared in court Monday and he will remain in
jail until his next court appearance scheduled for January 10, she said.
Quintal urged the Ethiopian government to “stop
harassing members of the press and immediately and unconditionally release Kumerra,
Dawit and the other journalists who remain in detention in Ethiopia for their
work.”
The Foreign Correspondents Association of East Africa
also voiced its support for Kumerra, in a tweet.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/31/Rights-groups-denounce-Ethiopia-s-arrest-of-Reuters-journalist
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Boko Haram landmines kill 11 Nigerian security
personnel
30 December 2020
Landmines planted by Boko Haram militants have killed
11 security personnel, including four soldiers in northeast Nigeria, security
sources said Tuesday.
Seven hunters recruited to help the military fight the
insurgents were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle hit a landmine in the
village of Kayamla, outside Borno State's capital Maiduguri.
"Seven hunters died in the explosion and nine
others are badly injured," Babakura Kolo, the head of a local
anti-militant militia, told AFP.
"Their vehicle hit a landmine as they were
pursuing Boko Haram insurgents," he added.
Another local militiaman confirmed the incident.
Four Nigerian soldiers were killed on Monday when
their vehicle hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram fighters in Logomani village
near the border with Cameroon, two security sources told AFP.
There has been a sharp increase in attacks in
northeast Nigeria since the start of the month.
Last week 40 loggers were kidnapped and three killed
near the Cameroonian border.
On Christmas Eve, Boko Haram killed 11 people, burnt a
church and seized a priest in a village near Chibok, where it notoriously
kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls six years ago.
Boko Haram and a splinter group known as ISWAP have
killed 36,000 people in the northeast and forced roughly two million to flee
since 2009, according to the United Nations.
C. Africa opposition coalition demands elections be
scrapped
Elsewhere in Africa, a powerful opposition coalition
in Central African Republic on Wednesday called for the "cancellation,
pure and simple" of the first round of elections last weekend that were
troubled by armed groups.
In a statement, the Democratic Opposition Coalition
(COD-2020), an alliance of political and other groups, said Sunday's elections
"were not fair and inclusive and are in no way the expression of the
people's will."
The vote, for the presidency and legislature, has been
seen as a key stability test for the CAR, one of the world's poorest and most
volatile countries.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/30/641867/Nigeria-Boko-Haram
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Russia warns against call to war by Libya's Haftar
Elena Teslova
31.12.2020
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on
Wednesday against resumption of hostilities in Libya.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow following a
meeting with his Libyan counterpart Mohamed Siala, Lavrov promised to provide
"maximum support" to ongoing peace efforts in Libya.
Referring to a recent call by Libyan warlord Khalifa
Haftar to continue a civil war that had been halted in October in a truce with
the country's internationally recognized government, Lavrov said the Libyan
sides should be encouraged to dialogue and stopped from fighting.
He underlined that the current cease-fire in the North
African nation was secured thanks to cooperation between Russia and Turkey,
both of which also contributed to organizing the Berlin peace conference on Libya,
the recommendations of which were later approved by the UN Security Council.
Libya has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of
late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The Tripoli-based legitimate government was founded in
2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term settlement failed
due to a military offensive by forces loyal to Haftar. He launched an onslaught
on the capital Tripoli in April 2019 but was pushed back.
A cease-fire was agreed on in late October, and
negotiations for an interim setup before presidential and parliamentary
elections on Dec. 24, 2021 are continuing.
Lavrov slammed what he called "geopolitical
experiments of the West" for being responsible for the possibility of
conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for trying to take
advantage of the processes of the Arab Spring.
He voiced concern over efforts for a settlement to the
Palestinian-Israeli issue, saying "the process of finding a political
solution to conflict faces real risks of failure."
"The situation is very serious. Here, as in other
cases, a responsible, leading role of the UN is needed in order to restart
direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, with the support
of the quartet of international mediators and Arab States," the minister
said.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/russia-warns-against-call-to-war-by-libyas-haftar/2094136
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UN mission in Sudan’s Darfur set to end mandate
Mohammed Amin
30.12.2020
The UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is set
to end its mandate in the troubled Sudanese region on Thursday after 13 years
of operation.
In a statement on Wednesday, UNAMID said the Sudanese
government will take the responsibility of providing security and services to
citizens in the region.
“As of 1 January 2021, UNAMID’s troops and police
personnel will focus on providing security for the mission’s drawdown
activities, personnel and assets,” the mission said.
“UNAMID will have a period of six months to undertake
the drawdown, which will be conducted in a phased manner. This will involve
repatriating troops, their vehicles and other equipment, separation of
international and national staff as well as a sequential closure of mission’s
team sites and offices and handing them over to designated entities in line
with United Nations rules” it explained.
Last week, the UN Security Council agreed to end the
UNAMID mission in Darfur when its mandate ceases on Dec. 31.
The mission was deployed in Darfur in 2007 to end a
bitter conflict that erupted in the western region in 2003 between government
forces and rebel groups.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/un-mission-in-sudan-s-darfur-set-to-end-mandate/2093412
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North America
Cuba warns US against redesignating it as a state
sponsor of terrorism
31 December 2020
Cuba on Wednesday warned the outgoing US
administration against redesignating the island as a state sponsor of
terrorism, a move reportedly under discussion that could hinder President-elect
Joe Biden's diplomacy.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reviewing the
possibility before leaving office on January 20 of returning Cuba to the
blacklist, which severely impedes foreign investment, a person familiar with
the situation said.
CNN, quoting an unnamed senior administration
official, said that Pompeo would make the designation "in the coming
days."
The New York Times first reported that the State
Department had drawn up the proposal but said it was unclear if Pompeo would
sign off on it.
"I denounce Sec of State Pompeo maneuvers to
include #Cuba in the list of States sponsoring terrorism to please the
anti-Cuban minority in Florida," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez
wrote on Twitter.
"#US grants shelter and impunity to terrorist
groups acting against Cuba from that territory," he said, in a familiar
charge against Cuban-American anti-communist activists who deny any wrongdoing.
The discussion comes ahead of the 60th anniversary on
January 3 of the United States severing relations with the nearby island
following Fidel Castro's communist revolution.
Tensions finally eased under former president Barack
Obama, who declared the policy of isolating the island to be a failure,
established diplomatic relations and removed Cuba from the terrorism list in
2015.
Biden, who was Obama's vice president, has given only
broad details of his Cuba policy but has indicated he would again relax
restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba and sending money to family on the
island, while still raising concerns on human rights.
Biden could again remove Cuba from the blacklist but
his State Department would need to undertake a formal review that declares that
the country has not been involved in terrorism over the previous six months.
It is unclear on what grounds Pompeo would designate
Cuba, but before Obama the United States would point to Havana's support of
leftist movements in the Western Hemisphere.
A State Department spokesperson said the agency does
not "discuss deliberations or potential deliberations regarding
designations."
President Donald Trump's tough stance on Cuba and its
ally Venezuela was credited with wooing immigrant communities and helping him
win the crucial state of Florida in last month's election.
Only three nations remain on the terrorism blacklist
-- US nemeses Iran, North Korea and Syria -- after Trump last month removed
Sudan.
The designation comes with broad sanctions that scare
away many foreign investors who do not want to risk penalties in the world's
largest economy.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/31/Cuba-warns-US-against-redesignating-it-as-a-state-sponsor-of-terrorism
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Pompeo sued over US 'rushed' arms sale to UAE
31 December 2020
A lawsuit has been filed against US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo at a federal court to block his "rushed” arms sale to the
United Arab Emirates, at the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs seeks
to block the Trump administration’s $23 billion arms deal with the Persian Gulf
country.
Pompeo, who oversees the State Department’s authorization
of government-to-government arms sales, “rushed” to make the deal, without
proper oversight or justification, said the complaint.
“The department failed to provide a reasoned
explanation for its rushed sale of sensitive weapons systems to the UAE, nor
can one infer that it has one, given the available evidence,” according to the
complaint.
“Indeed, widespread and publicly available evidence
suggests that the weapons being sold will be used in direct contravention of
world peace and US security, as well as prior US policy,” it added.
The research group seeks a court order forcing Pompeo
and the State Department to rescind the transaction.
Pompeo said the weapons would address “UAE’s need for
advanced defense capabilities,” and that the “sale will make the UAE even more
capable and interoperable with US partners,” according to the complaint.
“More is required under the law,” however, said the
group.
It said that approval can only be granted if a deal
“will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.”
Earlier this month, US Senate failed to block the sale
of advanced F-35 fighter jets and drones to the UAE.
The White House had earlier threatened to veto the
measures — seeking to block the sale — if they passed the Senate and House of
Representatives.
The White House had informed Congress in November
about the sale to the UAE of the F-35, more than 14,000 bombs and munitions,
and the second-largest sale of US drones to a single country.
Democrats said president Trump cut short or sidestepped
Congress’ typical review of major weapons sales.
US lawmakers also expressed concern about whether the
arms sales to the UAE would violate a longstanding US agreement with Israel
that any American weapons sold in the Middle East would not impair Tel Aviv’s
"Qualitative Military Edge" (QME) in the region.
Israel had considered its own F-35 fleet to be vital
to its own strategic edge over Arab nations but dropped its opposition to the
US sale as it saw the advantage of normalized ties with the UAE.
The sale, which according to experts could take six to
eight years to deliver, is expected to be reviewed by the incoming Biden
administration.
Over the past four years of Trump’s presidency,
lawmakers have repeatedly failed to block his plans for arms sales to
Washington’s allies in the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Last year, the president vetoed a series of measures
that would have blocked the sale of billions of dollars of arms to Riyadh and
Abu Dhabi.
The US president claimed back then that blocking the
arms sales “would weaken America’s global competitiveness and damage the
important relationships we share with our allies and partners.”
The state department has this week approved the sale
of $290 million in bombs to Saudi Arabia, which has waged a longs-year
devastating war on Yemen.
The defense security cooperation agency announced the
approval of sale of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb munitions and related
equipment to the kingdom on Tuesday.
On the same day, it announced approvals for the sale
of AH-64E Apache helicopters worth $4 billion to Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia has been Washington’s number one weapons
buyer.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/31/641919/US-arms-sale-Mike-Pompeo-Donal-Trump-UAE-F-35-jets
--------
Turkish-Canadian professor appointed to Order of
Canada
31.12.2020
TRENTON, Canada
A Turkish-Canadian senior public servant, lawyer and
university professor was officially appointed Wednesday to the Order of Canada,
one of the country’s highest civilian honors.
Yaprak Baltacioglu was Canada’s first woman deputy
minister of agriculture and served as a trusted advisor to four prime ministers
before her retirement in 2018.
The 61-year-old was born in Ankara, earned her law
degree from Istanbul University and came to Canada decades ago where she began
her distinguished career, holding several key senior positions in the federal
government.
She was named as one of 61 Canadians to the 2020 Order
of Canada by Governor General Julie Payette.
“This is the 40th year of making Canada my home,”
Baltacioglu tweeted. “I am honoured and humbled to be appointed to the Order of
Canada. It is such a privilege to be a citizen of such a glorious country and I
cherish having been given an opportunity to serve her.”
She was the previously the deputy minister of
transport, infrastructure and communities “where she played a key role in
administering the government’s stimulus package following the 2008 economic
crisis,” her Munk School, University of Toronto, biography says.
Among her other
roles as a senior civil servant, Baltacioglu served as secretary of the
treasury board from 2012 to her retirement in 2018.
She was then named as chancellor (head) of Ottawa’s
Carleton University.
Baltacioglu is the third Turkish-born Canadian to be
appointed to the Order of Canada, joining Dr. Faud Sahin and Prof. Izak
Benbasat.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkish-canadian-professor-appointed-to-order-of-canada/2094146
--------
US: Investigation ongoing in Washington state bomb
call
Övünç Kutlu
30.12.2020
An investigation is underway Wednesday after
evacuation and closures in a county in the US state of Washington where
officials responded to a bomb call.
Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement it
received Tuesday an anonymous 911 call from a blocked number where a male
informed there was an explosive device in a garbage can in the 800 block of
Front Street, Leavenworth.
As County Deputies and Washington State Patrol
immediately responded to the area and started evacuations, Highway 2 was closed
and traffic was rerouted, while people were asked to take shelter.
"The investigation is ongoing by the Chelan
County Sheriff's Office Detectives unit," said the statement on the
Office's Twitter page.
The incident is the latest in a series of events that
shocked the US since Christmas Day when a recreational vehicle (RV) exploded in
Nashville, Tennessee where it was playing a recorded message -- "If you
can hear this message evacuate now."
The Empire State Building in New York City became the
target of another bomb call on Sunday morning when the New York Police
Department was called that bomb would go off at noon. After an investigation in
the historic landmark, the call turned to be a hoax.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-investigation-ongoing-in-washington-state-bomb-call/2093854
--------
Europe
Major’s Britain feared prospect of new war with
Saddam, latest papers show
30 December 2020
Britain under prime minister John Major feared the
prospect of getting drawn into another US-led war with Iraq and was considering
abandoning Kurdish allies, according to government papers released on
Wednesday.
The confidential message is one of several papers from
Major’s final years in office from 1995 to 1997 made public for the first time
by the National Archives.
Major’s private secretary John Holmes warned: “The
Americans may well want to react militarily in a big way” if Iraqi president
Saddam Hussein’s forces took over the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
Such military action was something “we would simply
not be able to support,” he wrote in November 1996 before a bilateral meeting
with US president Bill Clinton’s secretary of state Warren Christopher.
The United States and its allies including Britain had
established a safe haven and were enforcing a no-fly zone in Kurdish-controlled
northern Iraq.
At the time, the area appeared vulnerable to a
takeover by Saddam’s forces, as rival Kurdish factions were fighting and
Baghdad supported one side against the other.
The Iraqi leader had months earlier staged a massive
incursion into northern Iraq, prompting US air strikes.
“This would pose an acute policy dilemma for us,”
Holmes wrote.
“The reality for both of us and the Americans may be
that we have to abandon northern Iraq.”
The note reveals the lack of appetite in London at the
time for further large-scale military action. Holmes also suggested the US
would not be capable of fighting such a war.
While abandoning northern Iraq would be “humiliating,”
Holmes wrote, “we may have no choice -- neither of us is prepared to put in the
real military effort or the resources to stop Saddam in the North and we would
probably wreck the Coalition if we tried.”
At the same time he advised against telling Clinton’s
administration this.
“Admitting now our inability to support the US in a
hypothetical future situation would be pretty difficult,” he wrote.
Major’s predecessor Margaret Thatcher was prime
minister when the first Gulf War began in response to Iraq’s invasion and
annexation of Kuwait in August 1990.
He took over as prime minister in November 1990 and
led the country during the conflict, which saw British troops fight alongside
the US and other coalition partners until February 1991.
Britain’s main opposition Labour party under Tony
Blair won a landslide election victory against Major’s ruling Conservatives in
1997.
Blair later backed US president George W. Bush, whose
father George H.W. Bush was president at the time of the first Gulf War, in
attacking Iraq in 2003.
Both alleged Iraq possessed weapons of mass
destruction but none was found. Saddam was eventually captured, put on trial
and executed in 2006.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/30/Major-s-Britain-feared-prospect-of-new-war-with-Saddam-innorthern-Iraq-Latest-papers
--------
Egypt's prosecution wants accusations against police
excluded from Regeni case
31 December 2020
Egypt's public prosecution told investigators on
Wednesday to exclude Italian prosecutors' accusations against four Egyptian
policemen from case documents on the 2016 killing of an Italian student in
Cairo.
The public prosecution's comments appeared intended to
signal the officers are no longer considered suspects in Egypt and that Cairo
does not want Italy to prosecute them.
Giulio Regeni, a postgraduate student at Britain's
Cambridge University, disappeared in the Egyptian capital in January 2016. His
body was found almost a week later and a postmortem examination showed he had
been tortured before his death.
Egyptian police and Egyptian officials have denied any
involvement in Regeni's killing.
But Italian prosecutors said on Dec. 10 they planned
to charge four senior members of Egypt's security services whom they suspect of
taking part in the "aggravated kidnapping" of Regeni. One of them
also faces charges of "conspiracy to commit aggravated murder", they
said.
They gave the four men 20 days to respond to the
charges after which, they said, they would ask a judge to indict them.
In a statement on Wednesday, Egypt's public
prosecution said "there is no point in launching a criminal case (over
Regeni's torture and killing) ... due to the lack of knowledge of the
perpetrator".
It said investigative authorities should "exclude
what was attributed (by Italian prosecutors) to four officers ... from the
papers in that incident."
Italy's foreign ministry described the Egyptian public
prosecution's position as "unacceptable".
In a statement, it expressed confidence in the work of
the Italian judiciary and said Italy would "continue to act in all forums,
including the European Union, so that the truth about the barbaric murder of
Giulio Regeni can finally emerge."
It urged Egypt's public prosecution to "share
this need for truth" and cooperate with Italian prosecutors.
Egypt announced on Nov. 30 that it was temporarily
suspending its investigation into the murder, saying it had reservations about
the evidence Italy had compiled.
Intelligence and security sources told Reuters in 2016
that police had arrested Regeni outside a Cairo metro station and then
transferred him to a compound run by Homeland Security. The police have denied
this and Egyptian officials have denied any involvement in Regeni's killing.
Regeni, 28, disappeared on Jan. 25, 2016, the fifth
anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising that ended the 30-year rule of
Hosni Mubarak.
Italian and Egyptian investigators had been working
together to try to solve the crime. But Italian judicial sources told Reuters
last year that Italy was frustrated by the slow pace of developments in Cairo
and decided to press ahead with its own line of inquiry to try to move things
forward.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/31/Egypt-s-prosecution-wants-accusations-against-police-excluded-from-Regeni-case
--------
Russia warns against escalation of tensions in Libya
31 December 2020
Russia has warned against the resumption of
hostilities in conflict-ridden Libya, after rebel commander Khalifa Haftar
called for the continuation of fighting, which has been halted thanks to a
United Nations (UN)-brokered truce.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued the
warning at a news conference in the capital, Moscow, following a meeting with
his Libyan counterpart, Mohamed Siala, on Wednesday.
Lavrov promised to provide "maximum support"
for the ongoing peace efforts in Libya and said that the warring side in Libya
had to be encouraged to engage in dialog.
The top Russian diplomat said the current ceasefire in
the North African country was secured following cooperation between Russia and
Turkey.
Libya's rival sides agreed to the permanent ceasefire
on October 23, bringing an end to months of deadly fighting in the North
African country.
Libya, which sits atop the largest oil reserves in
Africa, descended into chaos last year after rebel forces and militia groups
under Haftar's command moved toward Tripoli to seize the capital city, although
they were later repelled by Libyan government forces.
Over the past year, fighting elsewhere in the country
escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons
and mercenaries into Libya.
Haftar's rebels are being backed by the United Arab
Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and France in their attempts to unseat the
internationally-recognized government of Libya, which is supported by Turkey.
In late November, the representatives of the warring
sides in Libya concluded their latest round of peace talks in Morocco and
agreed to end divisions. The two sides indicated "commitment to holding
parliamentary elections and ending the transitional phase as soon as
possible."
UN seeks monitors for Libya's fragile ceasefire
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has
proposed that international monitors observe the implementation of Libya's
ceasefire amid hopes that foreign fighters would soon leave the country.
In a letter to Security Council members, the
secretary-general called for the establishment of a monitoring group that would
include civilians and retired soldiers from regional groups such as the African
Union, the European Union, and the Arab League.
"I call on all national, regional, and
international stakeholders to respect the provisions of the ceasefire agreement
and ensure its implementation without delay," Guterres said in the letter
dated Tuesday.
"I encourage member states and regional
organizations to support the operationalization of the ceasefire mechanism,
including by providing individual monitors under the auspices of the United
Nations."
Under the UN-brokered ceasefire, all foreign forces
are to leave Libya within three months.
The UN chief also urged all countries on Tuesday to
honor the UN arms embargo on Libya, which has been brazenly violated over the
past months.
Libya initially plunged into chaos in 2011, when a
popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time
dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/31/641916/Russia-warns-against-escalation-of-tensions-in-Libya
--------
Refugees wait in cold to be bussed from burnt Bosnia
camp
30 December 2020
Hundreds of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle
East waited in the cold on Tuesday to be bussed out of a burned camp about to
be dismantled in western Bosnia, but there was no agreement where they should
go.
Fire destroyed the camp in Lipa, housing about 1,200
people, last week. Police and UN officials have said the blaze was probably
started by migrants unhappy at the temporary closure of the camp, scheduled for
the same day.
On Tuesday, media quoted Bosnia’s security minister,
Selmo Cikotic, as saying that the migrants would be moved to a military
barracks in the town of Bradina, 320 km away. Finance Minister Vjekoslav
Bevanda disputed that, saying that there had not been any agreement.
About 10,000 migrants are stuck in Bosnia, hoping to reach
wealthier countries in the European Union. The Lipa camp, which was opened last
spring as a temporary shelter for the summer months 25 km away from Bihac, was
due to shut on Wednesday for winter refurbishing.
The central government wanted the migrants to
temporarily return to the Bira camp in Bihac, which was shut down in October,
but local authorities disagreed saying that other parts of Bosnia should also
share the burden of the migrant crisis.
The European Union, which had supported Bosnia with 60
million euros to manage the crisis and pledged 25 million euros more, has
repeatedly asked the authorities to find an alternative to the unsuitable Lipa
camp, warning of an unfolding humanitarian crisis.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/30/641853/Refugees-wait-in-cold-to-be-bussed-from-burnt-Bosnia-camp
--------
Albanian sentenced for urging removal of Turkish flag
31.12.2020
BELGRADE, Serbia
A court in Albania sentenced a man to two years in
prison Wednesday for inciting protesters to take down a Turkish flag.
In the incident on Dec. 31, 2017, a group opposed the
hanging of a Turkish flag at the Qafe Molle roadblock in the town of Mirdita in
northeastern Lesh province.
Protesters gathered near the dam where the Turkish
flag was hung, demanding that officials of Turkish company Ayen Enerji take it
down.
The court in Lesh sentenced Lon Mollaj for "hate
or incitement to provocation" according to Article 265 of the country's
Criminal Code.
Mollaj has the right to appeal the verdict within 15
days.
He did not attend the hearing, however, as he was not
in the country.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/albanian-sentenced-for-urging-removal-of-turkish-flag/2094155
--------
Arab World
25 Syrians killed in attack in Dayr al-Zawr
30 December 2020
At least 25 people have been killed in a terrorist
attack in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.
Syria’s official news Agency, SANA, reported that the
attack targeted a bus along a main highway in Dayr al-Zawr on Wednesday,
killing "25 citizens".
According to the report, 13 people were also wounded
in the attack.
No further details were provided.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said
the attack was carried out by the Daesh terrorist group.
The pro-opposition group claimed that at least 30 Syrian
soldiers were killed in the bus ambush.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy
since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western
and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc
in the country.
Syrian government forces have taken back many areas
once controlled by the terrorist groups.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/30/641887/Syria-Dayr-al-Zawr-terrorist-attack
--------
Lebanon PM's office backtracks on FBI report on Beirut
port blast
31 December 2020
The office of Lebanon's caretaker premier backtracked
Wednesday a day after citing him as saying an FBI report found 500 tonnes of
fertiliser caused the devastating Beirut port blast.
Hassan Diab, who resigned in the wake of the August 4
blast that killed more than 200 people, said last summer that more than 2,700
tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored haphazardly at a port
warehouse for years.
According to his office, the outgoing prime minister
on Tuesday told journalists a report by the US domestic intelligence agency
showed less than a quarter of that amount had actually exploded.
But it issued a clarification on Wednesday.
"Prime minister Diab was relying on unofficial
information attributed to the FBI," his office said.
"Diab has not received an official report on this
matter from the FBI."
One of his advisers told AFP he had been referring to
press reports.
AFP could not independently verify the contents of the
FBI report.
The US agency declined to comment, referring back to
its August statement that "further questions should be directed to the
Lebanese authorities as the lead investigators".
After the port blast, one of the largest non-nuclear
explosions in history, experts rapidly concluded that the quantity of
fertiliser that exploded was likely less than the 2,700 tonnes initially stored
on the docks.
Lead investigative judge Fadi Sawan this month charged
Diab and three former ministers with "negligence and causing death to
hundreds and injuries to thousands more" over the explosion in the first
set of indictments against politicians.
But the blast probe has since been suspended after two
of the charged ministers called on Sawan to be replaced. Lebanon's top Court of
Cassation must rule on their request before investigations proceed.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/31/Lebanon-PM-s-office-backtracks-on-FBI-report-on-Beirut-port-blast
--------
Syria's state media says 28 killed in bus ambush in
Deir al-Zor
30 December 2020
Twenty-eight people were killed in an attack on a bus
along a main highway in Syria's Deir al-Zor province that borders Iraq, Syrian
state media said on Wednesday, an incident that residents and defectors say was
an ambush on an army vehicle.
There were no more details of the incident in an area
where mostly Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias are based, near the
ancient city of Palmyra.
A senior military defector in the area said the
vehicle carried soldiers and pro-government militias who had finished their
leave and were on their way back to their base in the desolate, sparsely
populated area.
Another source said at least thirty soldiers were
killed, mostly from the Syrian army's elite Fourth Brigade, which has a strong
presence in the rich oil-producing province since Islamic State fighters were
ousted at the end of 2017.
Deir al-Zor residents and intelligence sources say
there has been a rise in recent months of ambushes and hit-and-run attacks by
remnants of ISIS militants who hid in caves in the mainly desert region.
They also say in the last few months, Arab tribes who
inhabit the area have been angered by executions by Iranian militias operating
in the area of dozens of nomads suspected of affiliation to militants.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/30/Syria-s-state-media-says-28-killed-in-bus-ambush-in-Deir-al-Zor
--------
GCC Secretary General delivers formal invite to Qatar
to attend summit
Reem Krimly
30 December 2020
The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) on Wednesday delivered a formal invitation to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad Al Thani to attend the upcoming GCC Summit, according to a press
release.
Sheikh Tamim received the Secretary General, Dr. Nayef
Falah al-Hajraf, at the Emiri Court in Doha Palace today, the statement added.
“I had the honor to personally deliver [Saudi] King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s invitation to H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani, the Emir of Qatar to attend the 41st GCC Summit taking place in Saudi
Arabia on January 5, 2021,” al-Hajraf said.
“The 41st summit marks the beginning of a new chapter
for the GCC as it enters its fifth decade,” he added.
The secretary general said the GCC will focus on meeting
the ambitions of the region’s young and digital population and enabling them to
compete and lead in a globally-connected post-pandemic world.
Last year, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman also invited
Qatar’s Emir to the Saudi capital Riyadh to attend the 40th GCC Summit.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/30/GCC-Secretary-General-delivers-formal-invite-to-Qatar-to-attend-summit
--------
UAE's Gargash says Yemen's Aden airport blast is an
attack on Riyadh agreement
30 December 2020
The attack on Yemen's Aden airport is an attack on the
Riyadh Agreement, the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Wednesday.
"The Aden airport attack targets the Riyadh
Agreement and the prospects of stability and peace it holds for Yemen. The
incitement, sabotage, violence and terrorism will fail in the face of the peace
project led by Saudi Arabia for the good of Yemen and the region," Gargash
said on Twitter.
At least 26 people were killed and dozens wounded in
an attack on Aden airport on Wednesday moments after a plane landed carrying a
newly formed Saudi-backed cabinet for government-held parts of Yemen.
Hours after the attack, a second explosion was heard
around Aden's Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including
Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, had
been taken to safely, residents and local media said.
In the airport attack, loud blasts and gunfire were
heard shortly after the plane arrived from Riyadh, witnesses said. A local
security source said three mortar shells had landed on the airport's hall.
Yemen's internationally recognised government and
southern separatists formed a new power-sharing cabinet on December 18, and
arrived in the southern city of Aden on Wednesday, days after being sworn in
Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia had introduced the Riyadh Agreement in
November 2019 to try to end the dispute in the country’s south that emerged in
2017.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/30/UAE-s-Gargash-says-Yemen-s-Aden-airport-blast-is-an-attack-on-Riyadh-agreement
--------
US flies two nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over Persian
Gulf again in threat to Iran
31 December 2020
The Pentagon has deployed a pair of B-52 bombers to
the Persian Gulf in yet another provocative military posture against Iran, just
weeks before US President Donald Trump is due to leave office.
The nuclear-capable bombers flew nonstop from Minot
Air Force Base in North Dakota and headed home after a show of force over the
western side of the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Announcing the deployment, the head of US Central
Command said Wednesday that it was to show that “we are ready and able to
respond to any aggression directed at Americans or our interests.”
“We do not seek conflict, but no one should
underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response
to any attack,” said General Frank McKenzie, without mentioning Iran by name.
It was the third time in six weeks that American bombers
conducted long-range flights off the Iranian coast.
Earlier in December, two B-52 bombers flew nonstop
from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, across Europe and then the Persian
Gulf on a short-notice mission.
The US Navy also announced the arrival of a
nuclear-powered submarine in the Persian Gulf last week. The USS Georgia passed
the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by two American warships, making it the first
missile-loaded submarine of its kind to enter the Persian Gulf in eight years.
The Iranian authorities have played down increased US
military activities in the region over the past weeks, saying such moves are a
mere defensive show, which stems from Washington’s fear of its past mistakes.
The latest deployment comes as Iranians and Iraqis are
preparing to mark the first anniversary of the martyrdom of their popular
commanders, namely Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis, who were assassinated in a US drone strike on January 3.
The strike, which was directly ordered by Trump,
triggered a strong anti-American backlash across the region, leading to growing
calls for the US military to end its presence in the Middle East.
Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles on a US military
base in Iraq on January 8 as part of its revenge for the assassination. US
positions in Iraq have since been targeted several times.
On December 20, several Katyusha rockets landed in
Baghdad’s highly fortified Green Zone, which houses the American embassy.
Washington was quick to point the finger at Iran, but
the Islamic Republic has strongly denied any involvement.
“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American
is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” Trump warned Iran via
Twitter on December 23.
While repeatedly saying that its “harsh revenge” for
Soleimani’s assassination is not yet over, Iran has also indicated that it
views revenge in a broader sense than just military strikes against US forces.
Days ago, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad told Al-Ahed
news that Iran reserves the right to avenge the “historic crime,” but its
revenge is not necessarily a military action.
“Revenge for the assassination of General Soleimani is
not necessarily a military action. Rather, the expulsion of American forces
from the region can be [our] revenge for General Soleimani’s blood,” Iraj
Masjedi said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/31/641926/US-flies-two-B-52s-over-Persian-Gulf-again
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