Despite Fatwa, Pak Hindus To Build Temple for Lord Krishna in Islamabad
New Age Islam News Bureau
3
Jul 2020
• U.S. Latino Muslims Speak the Language of Shared Cultures
•
Russia Working with Taliban to ‘Expedite’ US Pull-out from Afghanistan,
Pentagon Claims
•
Malaysian Organization Backs Turkey's Hagia Sofia Move
•
Centre Has Cancelled the Visas of Four Chinese Tablighis Who Were Part of The
Nazimuddin Jamaat
•
Hamas Urges Arab, Muslim Unity Against Annexation
•
I Will Expose the Qatar Regime, ‘Terrorists’ in More Audio Leaks: Qatari
Opposition Activist
•
The US-Russia Blame Game: Afghan Diplomacy Needs to Be Active
•
Targeting Civilians Crosses ‘Red Line’, Arab Coalition Says After Houthi
Attacks
--------
Pakistan
•
Despite Fatwa, Pak Hindus To Build Temple for Lord Krishna in Islamabad
•
Pakistan Muslim League-Q Objects to Construction Of Hindu Temple In Islamabad
•
Clerics Ask People to opt For Collective Sacrifice of Animals
•
Pak army rejects reports of additional deployment of troops along LoC
•
Pakistan rejects allegation of ‘exporting’ virus
•
Top court issues contempt notice to cleric for hurling threats at Justice Isa
•
Army denies presence of Chinese troops on Pakistani territory
--------
North
America
•
U.S. Latino Muslims Speak the Language of Shared Cultures
•
Secretary Pompeo urges Turkey not to convert Hagia Sophia into mosque
•
US Congress urges Trump administration to get tougher on China's Xinjiang
crackdown
•
US support for Israel since 1940s has been unmitigated disaster
•
US Senate Kills Bill To End War On Afghanistan, Repeal 2001 ‘War On Terror’
Authorization
•
US seeks to seize gasoline in four Iran tankers bound for Venezuela
--------
Europe
•
Russia Working with Taliban to ‘Expedite’ US Pull-out from Afghanistan,
Pentagon Claims
•
France leaves NATO maritime operation after probe into clash with Turkish ships
•
Italy seizes 14 tons of amphetamine pills made by Daesh in Syria
•
Turkey demands apology from France
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Malaysian Organization Backs Turkey's Hagia Sofia Move
•
Israelis are the enemy, Muslims should fight them - Malaysian former PM
•
China’s Repression Against Uighurs Muslims Minority in Xinjiang Province
•
Malaysia will continue supporting Palestinian struggle, says PM
--------
India
•
Centre Has Cancelled the Visas of Four Chinese Tablighis Who Were Part of The
Nazimuddin Jamaat
•
Centre Informs Top Court About Blacklisting, Visa Cancellations of Tablighi
Jamaat Members
•
NIA Arrests “Transportation Module” Member of Jaish In Pulwama Attack
•
Muslim Body Urges Maharashtra Government To Equip Abattoirs For Bakri Eid
•
CRPF personnel killed, terrorist shot down in encounter in Srinagar’s Malabagh
•
Terrorist responsible for death of minor in Kashmir killed in an encounter
•
2 Pakistan soldiers killed in retaliatory fire along LoC
•
17 foreign Tablighis in UP get bail, await trial
--------
Mideast
•
Hamas Urges Arab, Muslim Unity Against Annexation
•
Palestinian Hamas, Fatah Join Hands Against Israel’s Annexation Plan
•
Iranian Speaker: Resistance Only Way to Stand against Zionism
•
Iran says ‘no military solution’ for Syria in talks with Russia, Turkey
•
Unknown group claims responsibility for incident at Natanz nuclear site: BBC
Persian
•
Explosion at Iran nuclear site hit new centrifuge plant: US-based analysts
•
Coronavirus: Iran’s COVID-19 death toll surpasses 11,000
•
Iran reports ‘accident’ in construction near Iran’s Natanz nuclear site
•
Iran arrests two Swedish nationals in drug smuggling crackdown
•
Turkey wants France to apologize over ‘false’ Mediterranean Libya war ship
claims
•
Saudi-led coalition launches new airstrikes on Yemen
--------
Africa
•
I Will Expose the Qatar Regime, ‘Terrorists’ in More Audio Leaks: Qatari
Opposition Activist
•
Politics, Lies and Gaddafi Tapes: The Plots Uncovered By Libyan Intelligence
Leaks
•
Greek FM calls for Turkey to leave Libya in Benghazi meeting
•
At least 30 killed in terror attack in central Mali
•
Sisi’s plan to arm Libyan tribes in Egypt to backfire
--------
South
Asia
•
The US-Russia Blame Game: Afghan Diplomacy Needs to Be Active
•
Ghani confers the title of Marshal on General Dostum
•
From stateless to displaced, the Rohingya are still searching for hope years
after fleeing Myanmar
•
Over 800 civilians killed or wounded in attacks in Afghanistan during first
half of 2020: UN
--------
Arab
World
•
Targeting Civilians Crosses ‘Red Line’, Arab Coalition Says After Houthi
Attacks
•
Local, external parties pushing Lebanon into full-blown economic crisis: PM
Diab
•
Iraqi Prime Minister Hails Hashd Al-Sha’abi Counter-Terrorism Efforts
•
Saudi Arabia supports UAE non-permanent membership of UN Security Council
•
Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s hospitals invited to participate in four clinical
trials
•
Black market dollar trading forces Lebanese shops to close
•
Saudi Arabia’s Khalid bin Salman: UN report shows Iran’s ‘dark vision’ for
region
•
Pompeo: One fewer Hezbollah judge is always a good thing
•
Hezbollah supporters call for Lebanon to accept Iranian fuel offer
•
Syrian army forces in Syria’s Hasakah stop US convoy, force it to return
•
Fresh US military convoy enters northeast Syria from western Iraq
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/despite-fatwa-pak-hindus-build/d/122280
--------
Despite
Fatwa, Pak Hindus To Build Temple for Lord Krishna in Islamabad
Jul 3, 2020
Foundation
being laid for the first Hindu temple in Islamabad. (Picture: @OrgSarifm)
----
AMRITSAR:
Despite the fatwa (religious decree) by a Lahore-based prominent Islamic
seminary and threats of Muslims fundamentalists against construction of a new
Hindu temple in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, the tiny Hindu community has
decided to go ahead with its plans. The 20,000 sq ft land plot was given by
Pakistan government to the minuscule Hindu community of Islamabad, which
decided to build a Sri Krishna Temple there.
While
talking to TOI over phone from Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran
Khan-led Tehreek-e-Insaf’s member national assembly (MNA) Lal Chand Malhi said
the construction of a new temple in Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s capital
Islamabad was not only a matter of pride for Hindus of Pakistan or the Hindu
community across the globe but was a shining example of freedom to practice
one’s religion in the country.
He
said a handful of ‘Mullaas’ (fundamental Islamic clerics) were opposing the
construction but they didn’t have any solid grounds to do so. “There are others
who dislike the construction of a Hindu temple for their own reasons, but they
are quiet but not opposing,” he said.
According
to media reports, the fatwa had been issued by Lahore chapter of seminary Jamia
Ashrafia ordering a ban on construction of a new temple but “permitting” the
minority community to carry out the repair other houses of worship.
The
ground breaking ceremony of Sri Krishna Temple was held on June 23, and the
Islamabad Hindu Panchayat had met Imran Khan on June 25, Malhi said.
“The
work for the construction of Sri Krishna Temple is going on in full swing and
for this purpose,” he added.
There
were around 3000 Hindu’s living in Islamabad, the MNA said that the Islamabad
Hindu Panchayat had been pursuing the cause of a new Hindu temple since 2017.
He
said the Capital Development Authority had in 2017 allotted the plot to the
Hindu Panchayat for a temple and crematorium and it took nearly three years in
completion of formalities, including approval of site plan, for the
construction of a new temple.
He
said he had urged Imran Khan to sanction Rs 10 crore. “He immediately
sanctioned Rs 10 lakh. If we get financial support from the government, the
temple construction will complete soon else it could take some time,” he said.
Malhi
said Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri had also
assured all kinds of support to the Hindu community for the construction of the
temple.
There
were two temples in the city, one at Sidhpur and other at Rawal Dam. “Sidhpur
Hindu temple-cum-gurdwara has been turned into a tourist place, while Rawal Dam
temple is under litigation,” he said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/notwithstanding-fatwa-hindus-to-go-ahead-with-construction-of-temple/articleshow/76759328.cms
--------
U.S.
Latino Muslims Speak the Language of Shared Cultures
July 2, 2020
The
Pew Research Center says the number of Muslims living in the U.S. increased
from 2.5 million to 3.5 million from 2007 to 2017. Roughly a quarter-million of
them are Latinos.(GETTY IMAGES)
-----
MIAMI
– THE SMELL OF freshly made croquetas lingers in the air. The staff rush to
complete orders while keeping cases stocked with hot pastries and desserts like
the café's famous tres leches (milk cakes). Most of the workers are Cuban, and
nearly everyone is speaking Spanish.
That
was more than a decade ago, but Yasemin Kanar remembers her first day as a
part-time fondant cake decorator at Vicky bakery in Miami Gardens like it was
yesterday. Kanar, now a popular beauty social media influencer, was still in
high school at the time. She walked into the bakery dressed modestly, wearing a
hijab.
"It
took awhile for people to get used to that, but everyone was really nice to
me," Kanar recalls. "Once we started talking to each other in
Spanish, we were on the same page."
Kanar,
now known for her social media channels, was born to a Cuban mother and Turkish
father in Miami. Her mother, the daughter of a prominent Cuban émigré family,
converted from Catholicism to Islam in her early 20s after a spiritual search.
She raised Yasemin, her brother and sister in a household strong in both
culture and in faith. Her father influenced her moral outlook, Kanar says, but
her personality is more Cuban.
Kanar
and her siblings are part of a relatively small but fast-growing segment of the
Muslim population in the United States – Latino Muslims. The Pew Research
Center says the number of Muslims living in the U.S. increased from 2.5 million
to 3.5 million from 2007 to 2017. Roughly a quarter-million of them are
Latinos.
In
2009, just 1% of U.S. Muslims identified as Latino, reported the Institute for
Social Policy and Understanding, a Washington-based advocacy group that
provides research and education about American Muslims. Nine years later that
figure had increased to 7%, it said. Researchers estimate that slightly more
than half of Latino Muslims are former Catholics.
A
growing number of mosques publish literature in Spanish. Organizations like
Texas-based Islam in Spanish provide Qurans and videos to those wanting to
learn about the religion. In heavily Latino South Florida, Latino Muslims are
still finding a foothold. There is no prominent Latino mosque, for instance,
but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the number of Muslims and the
resources available to them are increasing.
"I've
gotten messages from Latino girls on my social media channels asking me
questions about Islam," Kanar says. "Some of them ask questions about
converting or how to tell their families."
Kanar,
now 30, is married to an Egyptian Muslim and the mother of two children. She
started her YouTube channel more than a decade ago to share how she styled her
hijab with close friends and family, but she was soon getting thousands of
views on her videos. When she started getting messages from Cuban girls with
questions about Islam, Kanar realized she needed to keep her channel as open as
possible.
While
the marrying of Cuban culture and Islam may seem counterintuitive to some,
Kanar maintains that being Muslim doesn't make her any less Cuban. Juan Gomez,
the director of an immigration clinic at Florida International University,
agrees.
"You
can't say that someone is more Cuban because they do one thing and you do
another," he says. "It's about remembering your background and how you
were brought up … It's the food, the language, the music, all of it."
Kanar
grew up surrounded by both Muslim and Cuban influences. Her favorite memories
include having dance parties with her girlfriends and digging into her mother's
arroz imperial – a classic Cuban comfort food made with layers of yellow rice,
shredded chicken, mayonnaise and melted cheese.
"(My
mother) would cook it on days we had a girl party or girl gathering," she
said. "It was my favorite, and such a treat … We would go crazy and have
fun as long as there were no guys around."
Kanar
didn't drink alcohol or wear revealing clothing like some of her Cuban friends,
and as she got older, she began to surround herself with friends who shared
similar values. While not all of them were Muslim, many lived their lives more
conservatively. Kanar moved to the small town of Stuart a few years ago, where
there are fewer Cubans. But she says her ability to speak Spanish has kept her
connected to her Cuban roots.
"When
(Cubans) first see me, they never think that I'm Cuban or that I can speak
Spanish and so they look at me like an outsider," she says. "When
they find out that I can speak Spanish, it's like they can relate to me on a
new level and my hijab doesn't matter anymore. I'm one of them."
Tony
Meyer, the owner of Vicky Bakery, recalled that the language bolstered his
relationship with Kanar. "We had an additional connection beyond her just
working for me," he says. "She talked to me in Spanish, and we had
that in common."
Wilfredo
Ruiz, the communications director for the Florida chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, is a Latino convert to Islam. He agrees that
language kept him connected to the Latino community after he converted to
Islam.
Cultures
and languages mixed during the centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian
Peninsula. "Language goes back many years, and you will see many
similarities between Spanish and Arabic," Ruiz says. "Perhaps that's
another reason why many Latinos feel the connection to Arabic and Islam."
Kanar's
mother, Roraima, 66, fled to Miami with her family at the age of 5 after Fidel
Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista's government in 1959. Her father had served
as a general under Batista.
"Many
Cubans will recognize my father's name … I am as Cuban as it gets,"
Roraima says. "But when people see me, they see my hijab first and not a
Cuban."
Roraima
was brought up in a Catholic household and was proud of her faith as a child,
but after she started asking questions in high school and college, she fell in
love with Islam.
"I
even wanted to be a nun at one point in time," she says. "Faith has
always played an important role in my life. It's just that now, I believe in
Islam because it had the answers that I was looking for."
Roraima
is in the 56% of Latino Muslims who converted from Catholicism. The rest
generally convert from Protestant faiths or secular or atheist lives, says a
2017 report on Latino Muslims in the United States published in the Journal of
Race, Ethnicity and Religion.
Families
may frown at a member leaving the faith they were born into, and Roraima's
mother was no different. But Roraima says she made clear that she wasn't
forgetting her upbringing and culture.
"In
Cuban culture, women definitely enjoy being celebrated by men," she says.
"When I stopped caring about that and converted to Islam, my self-esteem
went up ... I am Cuban, and my religion is Islam. To me, they are very
different things."
She
passed those values to her daughter. Kanar says she thinks that she is able to
relate well to both Muslims and Cubans because of her heritage and faith.
"As
a convert, my mother instilled a lot of confidence and love for Islam in
us," Kanar says. "It made me feel confident in my own body, and I
want to share that with others."
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-07-02/numbers-of-us-latino-muslims-growing-rapidly
--------
Russia
Working with Taliban to ‘Expedite’ US Pull-out from Afghanistan, Pentagon
Claims
01 July 2020
Russia
is working with the Taliban, Afghan government and others with interests in
Afghanistan to hasten a U.S. military withdrawal
----
The
Pentagon has claimed that Russia has been working with Taliban and the Afghan
government to “expedite” the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
The
US Defense Department made the allegation in a semiannual report to Congress
released Wednesday.
“Russia
very likely continues to support U.S.-Taliban reconciliation efforts in the
hope that reconciliation will prevent a long-term U.S. military presence,” read
the report. “As of February, the Russian government was working with the
central government, regional countries and the Taliban to gain increased influence
in Afghanistan, expedite a US military withdrawal, and address security
challenges that might arise from a withdrawal.”
The
report was released amid pressure mounting on the White House over allegations
that a Russian intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants
to kill US troops in Afghanistan.
The
report also alleged that Russia “has politically supported the Taliban to
cultivate influence with the group, limit the Western military presence, and
encourage counter ISIS operations, although Russia publicly denies their
involvement.”
Trump
‘weak-kneed’ against Putin
President
Donald Trump has been evading criticism, alleging that he was not briefed on
the intelligence.
Some
Republican lawmakers have come out in support of the president, calling the
reports “inaccurate” or based on “unverified” intelligence.
“Every
single member, Republican and Democrat alike, of the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence is aware, should have been aware of the intelligence that I was
briefed on. It’s long been available,” said Indiana GOP Senator Todd Young.
Democrats,
meanwhile, have taken the chance to attack Trump, with Senate minority leader
calling Trump “weak-kneed” against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If
in fact Putin and his cronies have been sponsoring the murder of American and
coalition forces in Afghanistan, there is no question that there should be
swift and severe consequences,” Schumer claimed on the Senate floor. “But
unlike every previous administration I’ve ever worked with, the Trump
administration has been shockingly weak-kneed when it comes to authoritarian
leaders like Putin.”
Moscow
lambasted the allegations as a bunch of “lies” on Monday.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/01/628694/Russia-working-with-Taliban-to-expedite-US-pullout-Pentagon
--------
Malaysian
organization backs Turkey's Hagia Sofia move
Faruk
Zorlu
02.07.2020
Turkey's
Hagia Sofia
----
A
Malaysian Muslim organization on Thursday threw its weight behind Turkey's
initiative to reopen the historical Hagia Sofia as a mosque in Istanbul.
"The
Hagia Sophia is a mosque and it should be respected as a mosque" Mohammad
Azmi Abdul Hamid, the head of Malaysia's Consultative Council for Islamic
Organization Thursday said on Twitter.
Commenting
on recent discussions in Turkey and abroad about the possible reopening of the
sixth-century landmark to Muslim worship, Hamid underlined: "The EU, Italy
and US should keep their hands off the issue as it is the right of Muslims in
Turkey to reclaim it as a functional house of Allah.
"Muslims'
rights have constantly been denied," he added.
The
Hagia Sophia was used as a church for 916 years. In 1453, it was converted into
a mosque by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II when the empire conquered Istanbul.
It
is one of the most important architectural works in the world and has underwent
restoration work during the Ottoman era and the addition of minarets by
architect Mimar Sinan.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/malaysian-organization-backs-turkeys-hagia-sofia-move/1897340
--------
Centre
Has Cancelled the Visas of Four Chinese Tablighis Who Were Part of The
Nazimuddin Jamaat
Jul
3, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it has cancelled
the visas of four Chinese Tablighis who were part of the Nazimuddin Jamaat and registered
FIRs against them for indulging in Tablighi activities impermissible under the
tourist visa granted to them and violating lockdown norms enforced to contain
spread of Covid-19 disease.
But,
the list of Tablighis, an overwhelming majority from Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Thailand and Iran, threw up a confusion about
the number of Chinese Tablighis - were they three or four?
The
list attached to the affidavit gave details of passports and type of visa
granted to the foreign Tablighis. From China, the list showed four being
present at Nizamuddin Jamaat - Ye Dahal, Ma Maerili, Ma Menai and Dehai Ye.
While Ma Maerili and Ma Menai were shown to have different passport numbers and
come on tourist visas on January 17, both Ye Dehal and Dehai Ye had come to
India on January 16, the first on tourist visa and the latter on business visa.
But, against both Ye Dehal and Dehai Ye, the passport number is the same -
E69534664. Are they the same person?
On
the Rules that empower Centre to unilaterally cancel a foreigner's visa,
solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh
Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna that the rules banning foreigners with tourist
visa from indulging in tablighi activity was issued by the Congress government
headed by PM P V Narasimha Rao on April 10, 1996.
Under
the 1996 Visa Rules, the Centre had asked the states and UTs that as and when
any foreigner coming on 'tourist visa' is found indulging in religious
activities/tablighi work, action should be taken against them under Foreigners
Act and he should be deported to the country of origin.
Responding
to a petition filed by 34 foreign tablighis challenging alleged arbitrary
cancellation of their visas, the Centre in its affidavit before the SC on
Thursday said provisions relating to tablighi activities by foreigners have
been specifically incorporated and regulated in the Visa Manuals issued by the
ministry of home affairs. It said Visa Manuals of 2017 and 2019 specifically
provided that "foreign nationals granted any type of visa and Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders shall not be permitted to engage themselves
in Tablighi work unless granted specific permission by the ministry of home
affairs."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-many-chinese-tablighis-were-at-nizamuddin-jammat/articleshow/76761585.cms
--------
Hamas
urges Arab, Muslim unity against annexation
Nour
Abu Eisha
02.07.2020
GAZA
CITY, Palestine
The
head of the political bureau of Hamas on Thursday urged Arab and Muslim
countries to support the Palestinian people in the face of impending Israel
plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
"I
call upon our Arab and Muslim nations to support the Palestinian unified
position in this national struggle and to support the steadfastness of our
people and their heroic resistance," Ismail Haniyeh, chief of the
organization, said in a statement.
Haniyeh
called upon Palestinian groups to enhance cooperation in all fields and engage
in complete confrontation against Israel's occupation.
He
hailed the joint-conference between Hamas and Fateh on Thursday, in which the
sides agreed to unify efforts against annexation.
"It
is an advanced step [the joint conference] towards achieving unity of position
and effort to confront the enemy and its plans," Haniyeh said.
Hamas
and Fatah have remained at odds since the former seized the control of Gaza
Strip in mid-2007 after several days of street fighting.
The
annexation was scheduled to be declared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on
Wednesday.
However,
uncertainty surrounds Netanyahu's position in light of widespread international
rejection of the plan along with differences with the US administration on its
application.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/hamas-urges-arab-muslim-unity-against-annexation/1897624
--------
I
Will Expose The Qatar Regime, ‘Terrorists’ In More Audio Leaks: Qatari
Opposition Activist
02
July 2020
The
Qatari opposition activist who has released a series of audio recordings
capturing political conversations of senior Qatari officials says that he has
more leaks to publish in his goal to “expose all those who conspired with the
Qatari regime.”
Opposition
activist Khalid al-Hail has released a series of audio leaks of undated
conversations involving Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani,
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, and the late Libyan dictator
Muammar Gaddafi.
The
recordings, which al-Hail says he has exclusively, have brought attention to
what seem to be Qatar’s plots against the rulers of neighbouring countries and
ties with Gaddafi’s revolutionary Libyan regime.
In
an interview with Al Arabiya, al-Hail said that the extent of plotting
surprised him – and that he plans to leak more information, despite receiving death
threats.
“I
know that the two Hamad regimes [the two previous Qatari emirs before the
current one] are traitors and liars ... You only heard a few minutes, in some
of which Gaddafi’s voice was deleted, but I saw and heard it all. I know what
is going on inside the [Qatari] government’s system, so I decided to expose all
those who conspired with the Qatari regime and those who conspire with this
terrorist group,” said al-Hail, when asked about his motivation for the leaks.
Al-Hail
added that he was surprised about the extent of the “conspiracy and plotting”
and that what he had currently leaked was “nothing in comparison” to what he
had heard.
Rather
than release all the recordings at once, al-Hail said that they would reach a
wider audience following his current method of publishing a series of short
leaks via his social media pages.
Khalid
al-Hail: Leader of the Qatari opposition?
Al-Hail
has been described as “the leader of the Qatari opposition.”
He
is one of the most prominent Qatari critics of the royal family, especially the
former Emir Sheikh Hamad, and
Al-Hail
was imprisoned by the Qatari regime in 2010 and 2014, he told the New York
Times, saying he had been tortured and electrocuted.
Now
in exile in London, al-Hail heads the Qatar National Democratic Party, which
calls for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Qatar. He
frequently appears on media channels criticizing the ruling al-Thani family.
Exposing
Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in Kuwait
The
recordings have also captured conversations featuring senior figures associated
with the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait.
The
audio features two Kuwaiti politicians in conversation with Libyan former
leader Gaddafi: Former MP Mubarak al-Duwailah, a leader of the Muslim
Brotherhood-aligned Islamic Constitutional Movement, and Hakim al-Mutairi, the
founder of the unofficial Kuwaiti Ummah Party who has been designated as a
terrorist by the Arab Quarter.
An
audio released on Sunday reportedly captured al-Duwailah meeting with Gaddafi
and discussing the fall of Saudi Arabia.
Kuwait’s
government responded to the leak on Monday, denying al-Duwailah’s claims that
he had briefed the Kuwaiti Emir about his meeting with Gaddafi.
“Kuwait’s
Amiri Diwan Sunday termed as ‘totally untrue and fabrications’ the remarks made
Mubarak Al-Duwailah that he briefed His Highness the Amir about details of his
meeting with ex-president Muammar Gaddafi,” said a statement posted on the
official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Al-Mutairi
was also recorded discussing revolutionary plans for the region with Gaddafi,
including “bringing down these governments.”
In
the latest leak, he is heard plotting against Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Sources
at Kuwait University, where al-Mutairi was a Sharia professor, revealed that
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior had launched an investigation into al-Mutairi
based on the recording.
For
al-Hail, the recordings expose two Kuwaitis as “political beggars” who went to
Gaddafi for support, which al-Hail says helps expose the Muslim Brotherhood and
its “climbers and fawners.”
“In
the end, I think that the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait in particular will fall
and fall strongly because what we have on them, whether documents or file or
even recordings or others, all these are documented,” said al-Hail.
“Even
Hakim al-Mutairi, he deceived his country, he deceived many people in the Arab
Gulf region. You only heard a part of the leaks, but you don’t know the rest of
it. He created a system that exists even in Saudi Arabia and even in people who
are now imprisoned on terror charges who were also complicit,” he added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/07/02/I-will-expose-the-terrorist-Qatar-regime-with-more-audio-leaks-Opposition-activist.html
--------
The
US-Russia blame game: Afghan Diplomacy Needs to be Active
02
Jul 2020
US
and Russia agreed on not accepting or supporting the restoration of the Taliban
regime what is so-called “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, expressed in a joint
statement just a week after the US-Taliban peace deal was inked.[1] But still
the “blame game” did not over between US and Russia concerning issues related
to Afghanistan.
However,
very recently, on 30th June, many popular American media such as The NY Times
and The Washington Post reported on the existence of a Russian bounty program
that pays Taliban fighters who kill any American military-man/service-member,
as it is claimed by US government.[2] But, Russia refuses to have any program
of such kind. In wake of this allegation report, Kabul should once again pursue
both (Washington and Moscow) aiming to have them remained committed in the
achievement of the long-lasting goal of Afghanistan which is nothing but peace
and stability. Indeed, Afghan people truly deserve to live in peace and
security.
Generally,
as part of their struggle for supremacy of world, there has long been many
layers of high and low conflict between US and Russia (formerly as the Soviet
Union) in almost all parts of the world, perhaps more than everywhere in
Afghanistan throughout many decades of the warship and instability,
particularly after Soviet invasion of the country in late 1979. In fact, during
the 1980s US has extensively supported the Afghan resistance group called
Mujahiddine, both financially and militarily, in their combat against Soviet
Union’s troops and the pro-Communism regime of Dr. Najibullah. So, it is not so
surprising if Russia does the same against the American military in
Afghanistan’s soil.
Currently,
due to the allegation of Russia’s paying cash for the lives of US service
members in Afghanistan, though has not been proved yet but it carries all the
potential to bring a new level of conflict between the White House and the
Kremlin. If proven true, the consequence will make the US and Russia enter into
a new era of hostility that can impact Afghanistan’s peace process in many
ways. True or not, such allegation, since it is an external one, can be kept
out of the context by a sound and active diplomatic maneuvering. In this
faltered situation, it is imperative for Afghan diplomatic machinery to be more
active aiming to avoid any external allegation or “blame game” that may damage
the ongoing peace process of Afghanistan. For this purpose, Regional-Security-Diplomacy
as means of Foreign Policy should be presented by Afghanistan to Russia and the
US. Hence, it is advisable that Afghanistan should approach the US and Russia
diplomatically before it gets late.
In
fact, more recently, in the previous month (mid-June), initiated by
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a trilateral virtual meeting was
held among high-level officials of Afghanistan, Russia and the US. The meeting
concluded by expecting an initial meeting of the negotiating teams -
Afghan government and Taliban group – on framing the negotiation agenda.[3]
Following that, a new initiative should be done by the government of
Afghanistan, as soon as possible, to the ends to have Russia and the US
remained committed in the facilitation of Afghanistan’s peace process.
In
conclusion, it is to be noted here that despite having all sorts of
competitions among themselves, the great powers, especially the US and Russia,
bear a unique responsibility towards the world at large. To keep the peace and
discourage the proliferation of mass destructing weapons, let be of a nuclear,
biological, or chemical one, or any other global challenges such as Climate
Change requires working together. The issues related to Afghanistan’s peace and
security (particularly the challenges of Terrorism, Extremism and narcotic) are
not an exception but necessitate all, especially the regional and global
powers, to work together. To this ends, Afghan Diplomacy needs to be more
active in finding the scope of cooperation rather than competition between the
great powers (US and Russia) at least in issues concerning Afghanistan.
https://www.khaama.com/the-us-russia-blame-game-afghan-diplomacy-needs-to-be-active-98798/
--------
Targeting
civilians crosses ‘red line’, Arab Coalition says after Houthi attacks
02
July 2020
Targeting
civilians crosses a “red line” and the Arab Coalition will not allow it, the
coalition’s spokesman Turki al-Maliki said at a press conference on Thursday.
“Targeting
civilians is a red line and we will not allow it,” he said.
His
statement came after the coalition intercepted and destroyed an Iranian-made,
explosive-laden drone in Yemeni airspace launched by the Houthi militia.
While
the Yemeni army had been committed to the ceasefire for a period of 45 days,
but the Houthis have not abiding by the agreement, al-Maliki added.
During
that period, the Houthis committed 4,276 violations, according to the
spokesman.
The
coalition also presented photographs of Houthi drones that were intercepted and
destroyed.
Iran
and the Houthis have violated the UN resolution banning the supply of arms to
Yemen, he said, adding that Tehran has been supplying the militia with weapons
to undermine the region’s security.
The
coalition had on Wednesday launched a military operation against the
Iran-backed Houthi militia after it recently launched several cross-border
missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/02/Arab-Coalition-destroys-explosive-ladden-drone-in-Yemeni-airspace.html
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Muslim League-Q Objects To Construction Of Hindu Temple In Islamabad
Jul
02, 2020
The
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), a ruling ally of the Imran Khan
government, has opposed the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad, asking
its coalition partner to scrap the project as it is “against the spirit of
Islam”.
Last
week, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of the first
Hindu temple in Islamabad. Prime Minister Khan had approved a grant of Rs 10
crore for the construction of the temple.
“Pakistan
was created in the name of Islam. Construction of a new Hindu temple in its
capital is not only against the spirit of Islam but also an insult to
Riayasat-e-Madina (Islamic welfare state),” Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry
Pervaiz Elahi said.
“My
party, however, supports the rights of minorities. Existing temples were
renovated during my tenure as Punjab chief minister. I had got Katas Raj temple
repaired,” he said.
Reacting
to the objection of its ally, Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan
from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said that despite opposition from
some parties the temple project will go ahead as per plan.
“The
land for the Hindu temple was allocated in 2016 by the Pakistan Muslim League
(N) government. Basically it was the project of the PML-N government,” he said.
PML-Q
parliamentarian Moonis Elahi said that Pervaiz Elahi was suggesting that the
temple should be built in Sindh province where there is a dense Hindu
population.
As
per plans, the Krishna temple will come up in a 20,000 sq ft plot in the
capital’s H-9 area. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was performed by
Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi last week.
Malhi
said there were several pre-independence era temple structures in Islamabad and
its adjoining areas, including one at Saidpur village and at the hill point
overlooking the Korang river near Rawal lake. However, they are all abandoned.
“While
the official formalities are underway, we have decided to continue the initial
ground works including the levelling of the land and erecting the boundary
wall,” Malhi said.
The
Hindu population in Islamabad is around 3,000, which includes government and
private sector employees, members of the business community and a large number
of doctors.
The
Hindu Panchayat Islamabad will manage the Shri Krishna Mandir. The panchayat’s
president Mahesh Chaudhry said a large number of people from various parts of
the country, including Balochistan and Sindh, had shifted to Islamabad, mainly
due to insecurity in those areas.
“Now
when we have families here, there is a need for a crematorium, a place for
collective prayers and marriage ceremonies,” Chaudhry said.
Hindus
form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.
According
to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to
the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
Majority
of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share
culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows. PTI
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/pakistan-muslim-league-q-objects-to-construction-of-hindu-temple-in-islamabad-107656
--------
Clerics
ask people to opt for collective sacrifice of animals
Imran
Ayub
July
03, 2020
KARACHI:
Prominent clerics and noted scholars have advised the people to prefer
collective sacrifice of the animals arranged by different organisations this
Eidul Azha instead of individual fulfillment of the ritual in an attempt to
maintain social distancing and contain the spread of coronavirus.
Addressing
a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, Ruet-i-Hilal
Committee Chairman Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, along with other ulema and clerics,
came up with a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) which, he claimed,
had been agreed between the clerics of all schools of thought and the Sindh
government. He appealed to the people and the provincial administration to
cooperate with each other amid the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sacrifice
of an animal is a key part of Islamic rites and prayers,” he said. “The
donations or giving in the name of charity or welfare cannot be considered an
alternative of this fareeza (religious duty). So the people should sacrifice
animals and don’t take khairat (charity) or donation as its alternative. But to
meet this commitment, we need to be cautions and follow those steps which are
helpful for everyone,” he said. “We advise the people to go for collective
sacrifice of the animals arranged by different welfare and religious
organisations instead of doing so at their houses or neighourhoods.”
Mufti
Muneeb said the clerics had held multiple meetings with the Sindh government
represented by provincial ministers Nasir Hussain Shah and Saeed Ghani, which
helped in devising the SOPs to meet challenges which would emerge after Eidul
Azha amid the growing number of coronavirus cases.
Say
only serious buyers should go to animal market
“These
SOPs should be followed by everyone — from buyers and traders of animals to the
local administration to organisations arranging collective sacrifice of the
animals,” said Mufti Muneeb. “The two sides [clerics and the Sindh government]
have agreed that all cattle markets would be set up away from cities or
residential areas at open grounds or land with four walls. The traders would
make arrangements to keep their animals disinfected.”
He
said the provincial government had assured them of developing a quicker and
vigilant system to dispose of offal and waste of sacrificial animals. He
appealed to the people collecting hides of sacrificial animals to quickly
perform their jobs.
“We
request the people not to treat cattle markets as picnic spots. A restricted
number of serious buyers should visit the markets and children should not be
allowed to visit the markets. Similarly, don’t exhibit your animals in your
neighbourhoods. The buyers and traders must wear face masks and maintain social
distancing,” he added.
On
the occasion, Maulana Adil Khan regretted the way the federal government had
been handling the issue of devising SOPs for annual religious events.
He
said that despite repeated attempts from the clerics and contacts with the
government functionaries in Islamabad several times, the federal authorities
had not been able to respond positively.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1566693/clerics-ask-people-to-opt-for-collective-sacrifice-of-animals
--------
Pak
army rejects reports of additional deployment of troops along LoC
Jul
2, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Army on Thursday rejected as "false and irresponsible"
media reports that it has moved around 20,000 additional soldiers along the LoC
in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan to match the Chinese deployments on the LAC.
The
military's media wing in a statement on Twitter "vehemently" denied
the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan and refuted reports that the Skardu
Airbase in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was being used by China.
News
claiming additional deployment of the Pakistan Army troops along the LoC in GB
and alleged use of Skardu Airbase by China is "false, irresponsible and
far from truth, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Babar
Iftikhar said.
"No
such movement or induction of additional forces has taken place. We also
vehemently deny the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan," he said.
...No
such movement or induction of additional forces has taken place. We also
vehemently deny presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan. (2/2)
—
DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) 1593671790000
Amid
the military stand-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh, media reports
claimed that Pakistan has deployed "almost 20,000 additional
soldiers" along the LoC in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan "to match Chinese
deployments on the Line of Actual Control in the east.
The
report said that the level of troops Pakistan has deployed is more than what it
did after the Balakot air strikes.
The
ties between India and Pakistan strained following the Balakot strike when the
Indian Air Force jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan on
February 26 last year to avenge the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force
personnel in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. Pakistan retaliated on
February 27 by attempting to target Indian military installations. The ties
further nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 that granted special
status to Jammu and Kashmir in August last. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic
relations with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pak-army-rejects-reports-of-additional-deployment-of-troops-along-loc/articleshow/76748851.cms
--------
Pakistan
rejects allegation of ‘exporting’ virus
Ikram
Junaidi
July
03, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Dr Moeed
Yusuf on Thursday categorically rejected the allegation that Pakistan has
exported the novel coronavirus to different countries, including the United
Kingdom, and said any attempt to single out Pakistan would not be allowed.
At
a media briefing, he also advised people to behave sensibly and not to travel
to Europe without getting Covid-19 test done as it would put the reputation of
Pakistan at stake. They should also avoid travelling unnecessarily, he added.
Dr
Yusuf said there were some instances in which people got themselves tested at
unauthorised labs and were found to be negative. However, they tested positive
after reaching some countries.
“I
suggest people that they should get themselves tested at the labs authorised by
the embassies of different countries because otherwise they can be deported.
Recently, there was a hue and cry in the UK that 50 per cent of Covid-19 cases
were carried by the people who went there from Pakistan. The fact of the matter
is that only 30 passengers were confirmed to have tested positive in the UK and
even it cannot be said with surety that they had carried virus from Pakistan
because tests are not conducted at airports of the UK,” he said.
PM’s
aide advises people to have tests at labs authorised by embassies
“Who
knows if those persons had contracted virus at airports of the UK or while
going to their house in cabs. I have talked to the British High Commissioner in
Islamabad and he informed [me] that the allegation was levelled in media
reports and there was nothing from the government side. Similarly, in some
other countries only 10 to 12 cases have been detected in people who travelled
from Pakistan,” he added.
The
SAPM said the country itself conducted tests of every passenger who came to
Pakistan till the middle of June, but did not blame any nation for positive
cases. Moreover, he said no one appreciated Pakistan for testing every patient.
“Now
it is being claimed that 50pc of cases in the UK were being exported from
Pakistan. But the fact is that only 30 passengers were detected positive there.
I also suggest Pakistanis not to travel unnecessarily as some of the
Pakistanis, who went abroad for tourism, have been stuck there and we are getting
their requests to bring them back. I want to make it clear that our priority is
to bring stranded Pakistanis first rather than those who went abroad for
tourism,” he said.
Dr
Yusuf said stranded Pakistanis would be brought back over the next one-and-a-half
weeks and flights to the Gulf countries would not be stopped. “I suggest people
to stop elective traveling abroad as we are not aware what will be the policy
of Pakistan and other countries after two weeks. Pakistan has been acting with
responsibility and will continue playing its role in stopping the spread of
disease,” he said.
Meanwhile,
4,142 more people were infected with coronavirus and 58 lost their lives during
the past 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 220,239 and deaths to 4,504.
Irsa
Office sealed
The
office of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) in Islamabad has been sealed
after an official, who was detected positive for Covid-19, visited the office
without submitting a medical fitness certificate.
According
to a statement, the official visited the office on Thursday. The matter was
brought to the knowledge of the competent authority and he was directed to
immediately return and stay home till his test report comes negative.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1566684/pakistan-rejects-allegation-of-exporting-virus
--------
Top
court issues contempt notice to cleric for hurling threats at Justice Isa
July
03, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the unconditional apology offered by
cleric Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza for making derogatory remarks and hurling
threats at Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other judges and issued him with contempt
notice.
Mirza
on Wednesday had submitted an affidavit before the apex court, tendering an
unconditional apology for “unintentionally” uttering some words against the
honourable judges in a “private meeting”.
Rejecting
his apology, a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and
Justice Ijazul Ahsan directed him to respond in seven days and to personally
appear in the next hearing.
During
the hearing, Justice Ahsan questioned whether such language could be allowed
and if an apology can be accepted in such a case.
The
chief justice remarked that there was “no room for mercy” in the case while
Justice Ahsan said that the video “was not made by a child but by Mirza
himself”.
The
court further observed that Mirza had a YouTube channel and he earned money
through it.
“Such
curse words are not used even in the streets. Islamic scholars recorded such a
video and then made it public. He [Mirza] accepted in front of the Federal
Investigation Agency that he recorded the video in the presence of seven
worshippers,” Justice Ahsan said.
The
judge pointed out that on the one hand Mirza had accepted his crime by
submitting an apology but he still claimed he had not committed a crime.
Sarkar
Abbas, Mirza’s lawyer, said his client was a heart patient and should be
forgiven to which the chief justice said he [Mirza] should have kept his
“tongue in check”.
The
chief justice berated Mirza’s lawyer for not understanding the importance of
the case and for taking it lightly. “We can send Iftikharuddin [Mirza] to jail
for six months,” he said.
Justice
Ahsan said according to Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, the video could
also be classified as a crime under the Criminal Procedure Code and
anti-terrorism laws, adding that there was no room for forgiveness in such
cases.
“The
video was planned and pictures were used as well. These words [in the video]
have been used against institutions. Forgiveness cannot be asked after using
such words,” Justice Ahsan remarked.
Attorney
General Khalid Jawed Khan argued that Mirza had used “strong words” against the
judiciary which had damaged its respect. But the AG did acknowledge that Mirza
had been shifted to a hospital on complaints of heart pain and dizziness.
“He
started getting dizzy after the judiciary took notice. If the court wants, it
can announce punishment today if he pleads guilty,” Justice Ahsan said.
Full
report at:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/07/02/top-court-issues-contempt-notice-to-cleric-for-hurling-threats-at-justice-isa/
--------
Army
denies presence of Chinese troops on Pakistani territory
July
03, 2020
RAWALPINDI:
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar
Iftikhar on Thursday termed reports by the Indian media that Pakistan had
deployed additional troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gilgit-Baltistan
as “false” and “irresponsible”.
Multiple
reports circulating in Indian media have claimed that Pakistan has deployed
“almost 20,000 additional soldiers” along the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and
GB “to match Chinese deployments on the LAC [Line of Actual Control] in the
east”.
In
a series of tweets, Gen Babar said that there was no truth to Chinese troops
were using the Skardu Airbase, saying that the reports were “false,
irresponsible and far from [the] truth”.
“The
level of troops Pakistan has deployed is more than what it did after the
Balakot airstrikes. Pakistani radars are believed to be fully activated all
along the region too,” Economic Times reported.
“No
such movement or induction of additional forces has taken place. We also
vehemently deny the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan,” the ISPR chief
said.
The
ET publication also claimed that meetings have been held between China and
Pakistan officials and the former is also holding talks with the Al-Badr, a
pro-freedom group based in held Kashmir, in order to “incite violence” in
occupied territory.
The
reports come after Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday that Pakistan had
no doubt that its arch-rival neighbor was involved in the attempted attack on
the Pakistan Stock Exchange earlier this week.
India
is currently engaged in a conflict with China at the LAC in the Galwan Valey of
the disputed Ladakh region. Last month, as many as 20 Indian soldiers were
killed in a violent clash between the two armies, the deadliest in decades.
Pakistan
has repeatedly expressed its concern that India may initiate a “false-flag
operation” to divert attention from its casualties in the conflict with China.
Full
report at:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/07/02/army-rubbishes-false-indian-reports-of-increase-in-troops-presence-along-loc/
--------
North
America
Secretary
Pompeo urges Turkey not to convert Hagia Sophia into mosque
01
July 2020
US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday urged Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan not to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque and said
Istanbul’s celebrated former cathedral should remain open to all.
“We
urge the government of Turkey to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a
museum, as an exemplar of its commitment to respect the faith traditions and
diverse history that contributed to the Republic of Turkey, and to ensure it
remains accessible to all,” Pompeo said.
On
Tuesday, the spiritual head of the world’s Orthodox Christians warned that
converting Istanbul’s sixth century Hagia Sophia back into a mosque would sow
division.
“The
conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will disappoint millions of Christians
around the world,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of
some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. He is based in Istanbul.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/01/Secretary-Pompeo-urges-Turkey-not-to-convert-Hagia-Sophia-into-mosque.html
--------
US
Congress urges Trump administration to get tougher on China's Xinjiang
crackdown
July
3, 2020
More
than 75 US senators and House members on Thursday urged the Trump
administration to take a tougher stance on China over its crackdown in that
country's Xinjiang province and make a formal determination whether its
treatment of Muslim Uighurs and other groups constitutes an atrocity, including
genocide.
"It
is time for action," members of the Senate and House of Representatives,
led by Republican Senator Marco Rubio, wrote Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asking them to sanction the Chinese
officials responsible for the mistreatment of Uighurs.
"These
human rights abuses demand a response from the United States as well as the
international community because evidence strongly indicates that the Chinese
government is intentionally working to destroy and essentially wipe out Uyghur
families, culture, and religious adherence and encouraging violence against
women," said the letter, seen by Reuters.
The
group also asked the administration to work with allies and partners to hold a
Security Council meeting at the United Nations to appoint a special rapporteur
to look into the situation in Xinjiang province.
The
United States and China have been at loggerheads for months over the handling
of the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing's imposition of a new security law in
Hong Kong. It is also ramping up pressure on China's treatment of Muslim
Uighurs in Xinjiang.
The
United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in
camps there. China has denied mistreatment and says the camps provide
vocational training and help fight extremism.
Full
report at:
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/07/03/us-congress-urges-trump-administration-to-get-tougher-on-chinas-xinjiang-crackdown.html
--------
US
support for Israel since 1940s has been unmitigated disaster
02
July 2020
By
Mark Dankof
As
a member of the of the American old right in the paleoconservative wing of the
Republican Party, which is admittedly a minority within the Republican Party, I
actually agree with AOC (Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and her colleagues on
this issue.
I
think the American support for Israel since the late 1940s has largely been an
unmitigated disaster for about four or five reasons.
One
is that the blowback against the United States worldwide for supporting what
has basically been an ongoing land thievery since the late 1940s has not done
the United States any good in terms of its relationships with most of the other
nations of the world, especially in the Middle East.
And
when we get into this situation, we also start looking at the economics of
this.
The
United States, of course, now has something like a 26 trillion dollar national
debt, and more and more Americans, who are not at either end of the political
spectrum, are starting to look at this relationship with Israel, and are asking
fundamental questions in regard to whether or not it continues to be in the
interest of the average American to be handing these people ten billion dollars
a year, including 3.8 billion a year in military aid.
The
fact is this has never made economic sense before. It makes even less economic
sense now. We start looking at all of the political turbulence in the United
States and the economic turbulence that has been created both by COVID-19 and
also by the aftermath of this George Floyd tragedy in Minneapolis. It's obvious
to more and more people in this country that this past relationship with
Israel, at least in the form that it has taken since the 1940s, is absolutely
unsustainable for the United States, and it needs to be either altered or
discontinued altogether.
Two-state
solution is a fraud
Thirdly,
I'd say that this so-called two-state solution that people like the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Democratic majority for Israel
keep talking about is in fact a fraud.
It's
impossible to have a two state solution when one side continues stealing all
the land. And this is what this annexations situation is really all about, with
the Trump administration and with the pro-Israel counterparts that they have in
the Democratic Party, the United States is basically handed over East Jerusalem
to the Israelis. The United States has
basically been supporting Israeli genocide in Gaza. And the United States, of
course, is clearly in a circumstance where it's given a green light to Netanyahu
and to the most radical elements in the settler movement in Israel to continue
stealing the rest of the land in the so-called occupied West Bank.
That
international law does not recognize Israel as having any claim to whatsoever.
So this whole two-state solution is a fraud. It's a transparent fraud.
And
I think what you're looking at the paleoconservative wing of the Republican
Party with people like Robert Taft, the late Robert Taft, and so forth, I think
they would certainly recognize that this is increasingly problematic and they
would have a lot to say in agreement with AOC and these other people in the
progressive wing of the Democratic Party who are trying to get this situation
under control.
There's
a fourth thing that AOC isn't talking about in her letter or any of these other
ladies that have signed this letter that has gone to Mike Pompeo, and that is
that Israel has had a very adversarial role with the United States when Israel
has deemed its espionage and military activities to be in its interest at
American expense, despite the fact that the United States is their overwhelming
political and economic backer in the world.
What
have I referring to? There is the Lavonne affair in the early 1950s. There was
the clear Israeli link to the Kennedy assassination with Meyer Lansky and David
Ben-Gurion being involved in that among some of the other principal players.
There was Israel's deliberate attack on the USS Liberty in June of 1967 that
killed and wounded scores of Americans.
And
when we started getting into more recent tragedies, there was the new Mekka
nuclear materials theft in Apollo, Pennsylvania, the Pollard spy case, the 9/11
situation, certainly we start looking at the Israeli, the obvious
Israeli-Mossad links to the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislain Maxwell pedophile ring
and the list goes on and on, in regard to this sick relationship that the
United States has had going with Israel and with the Israeli lobby and with
Jewish financial interests involved in this for many, many decades.
The
last thing I would say is that it's going to be quite fascinating to watch the
Democratic Party in this regard. The overwhelming amount of money that finances
the Democratic Party is provably Jewish money.
It's well over 50 percent. Unquestioned support of Israel has always
been axiomatic in the Democratic Party since the days of Harry Truman.
Stunning
defeat for the Israeli lobby
But
now we're seeing a real change in the Democratic Party where there's a real
power struggle over this whole issue of Israel versus Palestine. The recent
loss of Eliot Engle, who was the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, a
strong advocate for Israel, a tool of the Israeli lobby, he ends up losing
recently in a Democratic primary to a progressive Democrat challenger who is
anything but pro-Israel.
I
think this fellow's name, as I recall, as Jamal Bohlmann. This was a stunning
defeat for the Israeli lobby, despite the amount of money that was poured into
that campaign to ensure that angle was re-nominated and ultimately re-elected.
He was not.
And
this obviously has implications that had the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee and Democratic majority for Israel and all the rest of these groups
extremely concerned in regard to what this portends for the future.
And
I'm just waiting for the day -- it hasn't happened yet -- when there's going to
be more traditional old right, paleoconservative old right opposition to the
neoconservative pro-Zionist element that has hijacked the Republican Party in
my lifetime and hijacked that the mainstream conservative movement in this
country.
Support
for Israel and Zionism is not historically an American right position,
politically. It has been turned into that ever since the days of William F.
Buckley and National Review magazine.
And
what we might end up seeing in American politics with all these things going on
in the Middle East and a domestic American politics, is that the ALCS, the
progressive left in the Democratic Party, might increasingly be joined over
time by more and more disenchanted America First conservatives who begin to
recognize that Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo and John Bolton and people of this
ilk are political frauds. These people are not America First. They are Israel
First.
What
we might eventually see is a realignment of the American right between those
factions that will continue to support Israel, governed by the Protestant
evangelical right wing commitment to Israel. And those conservatives in the
Republican Party who have begun to see that you cannot have an America First
foreign policy and domestic policy and be a supporter of Israel.
So
there's a fundamental realignment of American politics on this issue that I
think is just starting to happen. And that's happening now, principally for the
time being in the Democratic Party. And I think that's what is so interesting
about watching this from afar, both in terms of AOC’s letter to Mike Pompeo,
along with the other signatories. And the other is this loss of Elliott Angle
and his departure from the US Congress.
These
are monumental political events and the Zionist lobby in the United States is
extremely worried.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628768/US-support-for-Israel-since-1940s-has-been-unmitigated-disaster
--------
US
Senate kills bill to end war on Afghanistan, repeal 2001 ‘War on Terror’
authorization
02
July 2020
The
US Senate has overwhelmingly voted against a bipartisan bill that would have
directed the Pentagon to begin an “orderly withdrawal” of US troops from
Afghanistan and finally end the war in the conflict-ridden country within a
year.
Lawmakers,
on Wednesday, voted 60-33 to block legislation that was proposed by Senator
Rand Paul, thwarting a rare attempt to wind down the longest conflict in
American history.
The
proposal would have removed US troops from Afghanistan and pay them a $2,500
bonus, and repealed the 2001 law authorizing the so-called War on Terror.
"Our
amendment will finally and completely end the war in Afghanistan,” Paul said.
“It is not sustainable to keep fighting in Afghanistan generation after generation.”
Paul
noted that some of the US soldiers taking part in the conflict were not even
born when it was launched in 2001.
The
United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001. Having failed
to end the Taliban’s militancy, American forces have since remained bogged down
in war-wracked country through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack
Obama, and now Donald Trump.
Some
14,000 US troops and approximately 17,000 troops from NATO allies and partner
countries remain stationed in Afghanistan.
Senator
Tom Udall, who also sponsored the bill, said that their proposed amendment was
"the responsible way" to end the 19-year-old war in Afghanistan.
Senator
James Inhofe, who urged others to vote to set aside the amendment, said that
amendment wasn't the "best way" to end the war.
"The
amendment directs a calendar-based withdrawal from Afghanistan rather than a
conditions-based,” he said.
The
United Nations has recently warned of an alarming rise in violence against
civilians and a “striking deterioration” in upholding international
humanitarian law in Afghanistan.
The
US and Afghan officials warn that the war has entered a complicated period of
uncertainty as peace talks Washington and the Taliban have yet to yield
results.
Official
data shows Taliban bombings and other assaults have increased 70 percent since
the militant group signed the deal with Washington in February.
Under
the deal, the US agreed to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, and the
Taliban agreed to refrain from attacking the US forces in the country.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628721/US-senate-bill-Afghanistan-troops-withdrawal-
--------
US
seeks to seize gasoline in four Iran tankers bound for Venezuela
03
July 2020
US
prosecutors filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran
is trying to ship to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration
to increase economic pressure on the two US foes.
The
government of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the
fuel supply to show it remains unbowed by US pressure. Washington has been
pressing for Maduro’s ouster with diplomatic and punitive measures, including
sanctions on state oil company PDVSA.
The
lawsuit, filed late on Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of
Columbia, was followed on Thursday by a warrant issued by US District Judge
James Boasberg for the seizure of the more than 1.1 million barrels of gasoline
in the four vessels.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Legal
sources said the gasoline could likely only be seized by US authorities if the
tankers enter US territorial waters. But they said the actions could help push
other countries to cooperate in seizing the fuel.
Gasoline
shortages in Venezuela, like Iran a member of OPEC, have grown acute due to US
sanctions, and the country has undergone an economic collapse. Still, Maduro
has held on.
In
the civil-forfeiture complaint, US federal prosecutors aim to stop the delivery
of Iranian gasoline aboard the Liberia-flagged Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna,
according to the lawsuit, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Boasberg
issued the warrant for the seizure of the gasoline in the tankers based on
probable cause that the fuel is forfeitable, the Justice Department said.
The
lawsuit also aims to stop the flow of revenues from oil sales to Iran, which
Washington has sanctioned over its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and
influence across the Middle East. Tehran says its nuclear program is for
peaceful purposes.
Washington
has increasingly been using civil forfeiture to stop illicit trade involving
Iran and Venezuela, complementing
its
sanctions policy, according to Evelyn Sheehan and Beau Barnes at Kobre and Kim,
a firm specialized in disputes and investigations.
“US
policy towards both Venezuela and Iran is focused on denying both regimes
access to foreign currency,” said Sheehan, who is also a former US Department
of Justice prosecutor. “Intercepting gasoline cargoes with civil forfeiture is
a novel way to achieve that goal.”
Zia
Faruqui and two other assistant US attorneys allege in the lawsuit that Iranian
businessman Mahmoud Madanipour, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps, or IRGC, helped arrange the shipments by changing documents about
the tankers to evade US sanctions.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2020/07/03/US-seeks-to-seize-gasoline-in-4-Iran-tankers-bound-for-Venezuela.html
--------
Europe
France
leaves NATO maritime operation after probe into clash with Turkish ships
01
July 2020
France
is suspending its involvement in a NATO naval operation off Libya’s coast after
a standoff with a Turkish ship and amid growing tensions within the military
alliance over Libya.
France’s
Defense Ministry said Wednesday that France sent a letter Tuesday to NATO
saying it is suspending its participation in Sea Guardian “temporarily.”
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
A
ministry official said France wants NATO allies to “solemnly reaffirm their
attachment” to the arms embargo on Libya.
France
has accused Turkey of repeated violations of the UN arms embargo on
conflict-torn Libya and branded the Turkish government in Ankara as an obstacle
to securing a cease-fire in the North African nation, which Turkey firmly
denies.
France
is also calling for crisis mechanism to prevent a repeat of an incident earlier
this month between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the
Mediterranean. NATO is investigating what happened.
France
says its frigate Courbet was “lit up” three times by Turkish naval targeting
radar when it tried to approach a Turkish civilian ship suspected of
involvement in arms trafficking. The ship was being escorted by three Turkish
warships. The Courbet backed off after being targeted.
The
French frigate was part of Sea Guardian, NATO’s naval operation in the
Mediterranean, at the time of the June 10 incident. France claims that under
the alliance’s rules of engagement such conduct is considered a hostile act.
Turkey
has denied harassing the Courbet. Turkey's ambassador to France was questioned
in the French Senate on Wednesday and defended Turkey's actions as peaceful and
crucial to restoring stability to Libya.
Libya
has been in turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising toppled leader
Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since been split between
rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and
different foreign governments.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/01/France-leaves-NATO-maritime-operation-after-probe-into-clash-with-Turkish-ships.html
--------
Italy
seizes 14 tons of amphetamine pills made by Daesh in Syria
01
July 2020
Police
in Italy say they have seized a 14-ton haul of amphetamine pills made by the
Daesh terrorist group in Syria, in an operation they described as the biggest
seizure of the drug in the world.
The
drugs were in the form of 84 million Captagon tablets and worth about one
billion euros, hidden in three containers found at the southern Italian port of
Salerno, police said in a statement on Wednesday.
Captagon,
a brand name, was originally for medical use but illegal versions have been
widely used by Daesh terrorists in combat, according to the police.
It
said Daesh “finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made
in Syria, which in the past few years has become the world’s largest producer
of amphetamines.”
The
drug, first produced in the West five decades ago to treat hyperactivity,
narcolepsy, and depression, is now prohibited in most countries due to its
addictive properties.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/01/628658/Italy-amphetamine-Daesh-Syria
--------
Turkey
demands apology from France
Busra
Nur Bilgic Cakmak
02.07.2020
Turkey's
foreign minister on Thursday demanded an apology from France for misleading
NATO and EU about recent tensions in the Mediterranean.
“France
did not tell the truth to both NATO and EU. The claim that our ships locked is
not true. We proved that and gave the documents to NATO. And NATO saw the
reality,” said Mevlut Cavusoglu in a joint news conference with his German
counterpart Heiko Maas.
“Our
expectation from France is to apologize to us for not providing the true
information,” he added.
France
last week claimed that Turkey harassed one of its vessels taking part in a NATO
mission in the Mediterranean. Turkish military officials denied the
allegations.
Cavusoglu
also reiterated Turkey’s position on Libya, saying Ankara sides with the
UN-recognized legitimate government of Libya.
The
UN resolution states that the Sarraj government is the only legitimate party in
Libya, he added.
“The
only and the best solution to the Libyan conflict is political solution and
permanent cease-fire,” said Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu
said Turkey is ready for dialogue with France to facilitate a political
solution and maintain stabilitiy in Libya.
NATO
chief Jens Stoltenberg said NATO officials were looking into the incident,
adding: "Those two NATO allies have totally different views on what
actually happened."
But
everyone agrees "that we need to support the UN efforts to find a
politically negotiated solution to the conflict in Libya," he added.
Ankara
and Paris have recently been at odds due to their conflicting policies in
Libya, which has been ravaged by a civil war since the toppling of Muammar
Gaddafi in 2011.
While
Turkey supports Libya's legitimate UN-recognized government, Turkish officials
accuse France of deepening the conflict by backing warlord Khalifa Haftar.
The
internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces
since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkey-demands-apology-from-france-/1897368
--------
Southeast
Asia
Israelis
are the enemy, Muslims should fight them - Malaysian former PM
JUNE
30, 2020
Muslims
should stop fighting among themselves or attacking the West, and should focus
on "the enemy" - Israel, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad has said.
In
an English-language interview on Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV aired on June 29,
captured by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Mahathir said
that Muslim in-fighting was helping Israel and her allies.
"I
know there are big powers that would like to see instability in Muslim
countries," he said. "We are doing things - almost like helping
Israel. Because we fight each other, the Israelis don't have to kill Muslims.
Muslims are doing it for them."
Instead,
he said Muslims should turn their attention on Israel itself, which he falsely
claimed was created through the displacement of a Palestinian state by Western
powers to rid themselves of Jews.
"The
whole of Israel was created through taking Palestinian land," he said.
"That is very wrong. So for that reason, we have always been against the
creation of the State of Israel. Unfortunately, the big powers back Israel
because they were the ones who created the State of Israel to solve their
Jewish problem. They were having a problem in Europe with the Jews, so they
wanted to create a homeland for the Jews, and they took Palestinian land."
But
he warned against attacking Western states, insisting that the true enemy was
Israel alone and that carrying out terrorist attacks against Western states
will only erode support for Palestine. Therefore, Muslims should take
inspiration from Palestinians who kill Israelis.
"When
you commit acts of terror without due consideration as to the effect on the
people concerned, for example you kill people in Europe - obviously the
Europeans will not support you." he told the interviewer. "Your enemy
is Israel, fight against Israel, don't fight against other countries - unless
they attack you, of course. But the enemy is Israel.
"[If]
you want to do anything, do it to the Israelis, like some of the Palestinians
in Jerusalem who individually attack Israeli soldiers. That is the enemy. But
if you go and attack the Europeans, Americans, and all that, you only create
more enemies."
Instead
of attacking America and other Western states, Muslims should support the
movement for black persons' rights, Mahathir suggested, repeating a popular
antisemitic trope claiming that Jews control the media in the West and use it
to spread pro-Israel propaganda.
"If
they [the American people] think we are wrong, we have to tell them that we are
doing something that is right, Mahathir told viewers. "It is a propaganda
campaign on the part of the Jews. They are very good. They own all the
newspapers in America. They own all the TV stations, so they have tremendous
influence.
"We
should show support for the blacks because this is where we can show that the
American society is unjust and unfair to their own people, so we will then
reduce the influence of America on our own internal affairs."
The
94-year-old former prime minister has a long history of voicing antisemitic
views in public, in the past calling Jews 'hook-nosed' and questioning the
number of Jews killed in the Holocaust.
In
September 2019 while still in office he appeared at Columbia University's World
Leaders Forum where he defended his record, saying “I am exercising my right to
free speech. Why is it that I can’t say something against the Jews, when a lot
of people say nasty things about me, about Malaysia, and I didn’t protest, I
didn’t demonstrate?
He
added: "The world is talking about freedom of speech, but whenever we say
anything against Israel and the Jews, it is considered antisemitism," he
stated. "It is my right to criticize Israel for its policy regarding the Palestinians
and say they do many bad things."
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/israelis-are-the-enemy-muslims-should-fight-them-malaysian-former-pm-633333
--------
China’s
repression against Uighurs Muslims minority in Xinjiang province
July
02, 2020
The
Chinese government has reportedly detained more than a million Muslims in
reeducation camps. Most of the people who have been arbitrarily detained are
Uighur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily from China’s
northwestern region of Xinjiang. More than 300,000 inhabitants of Xinjiang have
been given long prison sentences since 2017. In an effort to hide the extreme
abuse of the camp system and cover it with a patina of legality, in 2018 and
2019 many former camp detainees (perhaps the majority of former detainees) were
also given long prison sentences as well, supchina.com reported.
Many
of these convicts were found guilty of “thought crimes” or “pre-crimes” as a
system of immense cruelty descended on their villages.
Two
Uyghur sisters Nursiman and Nur’iman fear that the reason their family members
were imprisoned is because they moved to Turkey in 2015. Maybe during long
interrogations their relatives had been forced to confess that someday they
would like to visit them. Simply desiring to travel to a Muslim-majority
country could be construed as the pre-crime of intending to hijrat, the action
of immigrating to a space where Islamic piety is permitted. This action is now
defined by the Chinese state as an act of terrorism, supchina.com reported.
Accepting
money from a family member who lives in a Muslim-majority country or attempting
to learn Turkish, Arabic, or Urdu is now viewed as a terrorism-related crime.
It is likely for these reasons that the sisters’ relatives, the model family of
their village, have had their lives taken away from them.
For
years, the sisters stayed silent, hoping that their family members would be
released. They thought that speaking publicly might make things worse for them.
Then in 2019 they started to hear of other Uyghurs whose parents were being
released. They hoped that the same might happen to their parents and brothers.
Nursiman said that now she feels like she was naive to hope for something like
this.
Some
eight hundred thousand to million of Uighurs and other Muslims, including
ethnic Kazakhs and Uzbeks, have been detained since April 2017, according to
experts and government officials. Outside of the camps, the eleven million
Uighurs living in Xinjiang have continued to suffer from a decades-long
crackdown by Chinese authorities.
Full
report at:
https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/china-s-repression-against-uighurs-muslims-minority-in-xinjiang-province-631159
--------
Malaysia
will continue supporting Palestinian struggle, says PM
July
2, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue giving its support to the struggle of the
Palestinians and has called on the world community, especially the United
Nations (UN), to immediately find the best solution to the controversial peace
plan in the region.
"Let's
pray that all the problems and hostilities in the conflict-stricken region can
be solved peacefully. InsyaAllah.
"Taking
this opportunity, I would like to stress that Malaysia will continue giving its
support to the struggle of the Palestinians. I also call on the international
community, especially the UN, to immediately find the best solution to the
peace plan in the region," Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in
a posting on Facebook today.
Accompanying
the posting were four pictures of the prime minister receiving a courtesy call
from MyAQSA Foundation's delegation led by its founder and chairman, Suwardi
Yaacob, at his office today.
Muhyiddin
said during the meeting, which lasted almost an hour, he was also briefed about
the foundation, which was established in 2017.
"Alhamdulillah,
I'm very proud with the commitment and continuous efforts taken by MyAQSA in
educating the people about the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of
Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is one of the three mosques valued above all others in
Islam after that of Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) and the Nabawi Mosque,"
he said.
Muhyiddin
also shared that the delegation also explained to him of MyAQSA's involvement
at the international level, especially in the case of the Israeli war crimes
against Palestine in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the violation
of UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
He
said Malaysia, through MyAQSA, is the only organisation from the Asian region
which dared to file a protest against Israeli brutality at the ICC.
Full
report at:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/07/605484/malaysia-will-continue-supporting-palestinian-struggle-says-pm
--------
India
Centre
Informs Top Court About Blacklisting, Visa Cancellations Of Tablighi Jamaat
Members
July
02, 2020
New
Delhi: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has issued
individual orders on a case-to-case basis for cancellation of visas and
blacklisting of over 2,500 foreign nationals, for their alleged involvement in Tablighi
Jamaat activities.
As
per the information available, 205 FIRs have been lodged against the foreign
Tablighi Jamaat members by 11 states and 2,765 such foreigners have been
blacklisted so far, while visas of 2,679 foreigners (including 9 Overseas Citizen
of India (OCI) card holders) have been cancelled, it said.
The
top court was also informed by the centre that 1,906 Look Out Circulars (LOCs)
were issued against foreign Tablighi Jamaat members and 227 left India before
the issuance of LOCs/Black Listing.
The
foreign nationals told the top court that around 1,500 one-liner e-mails were
sent to them with regard to cancellation of visas but there was no show cause
notice for blacklisting from travel to India for 10 years.
A
bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna posted the
matter for further hearing on July 10 and asked the petitioners to file a
rejoinder affidavit to the Centre's reply and make appropriate representation
with the competent authority with regard to deportation.
Solicitor
General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the centre, said it has filed an affidavit
stating that individual orders were passed with regard to the cancellation of
visas and blacklisting of individuals on case-to-case basis.
He
said the grant of visa is not an enforceable right, let alone a fundamental
right, and these foreigners were not only blacklisted but there are criminal
charges pending against them and will be prosecuted under Foreigners Act.
Grant
of visa is a plenary sovereign function of the centre and across the world and
if they have committed an offence, these foreigners have to be tried, he said,
adding that no foreign Tabligh Jamaat member has been deported till now as
criminal proceedings are going on against them.
Senior
advocate CU Singh, appearing for these citizens from over 35 countries said
that if there was any violation of visa norms, they can be deported to their
parent country.
He
said that the centre is saying that case to case orders were passed but only
around 1,500 one-liner e-mails were sent to them about the visa cancellation
and there was nothing about blacklisting from travel to India for ten years.
The
bench told Mr Singh that they can challenge these individual orders of centre
before the High Court as the court needs to see whether it is a well-reasoned
order or a mechanical one.
Mr
Singh contended that they need to be deported as blacklisting would come into
picture, if the foreign nationals try to enter India.
The
bench, said that deportation would come into picture, if there are non-pendency
of cases against these foreigners.
It
asked the centre to file the orders passed with regard to visa cancellation
with the court and also circulate among lawyers for the petitioners.
The
centre in its affidavit filed on Thursday said that these foreign nationals are
spread across various parts of the country, some of who are still to be
located, the execution of the orders would take place at the time of the exit
of the said foreigners at the port of exit.
"It
is submitted that since the petitioners and other persons have been found to be
breaching the conditions of the visa granted to them, committing criminal
offences, etc..., the said persons are being investigate/ prosecuted as the
procedure established by law," it said, adding that the cancellation of
e-visa has been intimated to foreigners, who were one-visa, by e-mail but some
on regular visa could not be intimated as their e-mail ids were not available.
On
June 29, the top court had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to clarify
its stand about the status of visa of these citizens from 35 countries, who
were blacklisted for ten years for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat
activities.
The
top court had asked the centre to place on record whether individual notices
were issued with regard to cancellation of visas of the foreign nationals.
It
had said that the notification of MHA says the decision has to be taken on a
case to case basis by the authorities and it needs to be found out whether any
such orders were passed.
Four
petitions have been filed by 34 individuals, including a Thai national who is
seven months pregnant, challenging the centre's orders of April 2 and June 4 by
which over 2,500 foreign nationals,who are currently in India, were
blacklisted.
The
petitions, filed through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi and drafted by advocates
Ibad Mushtaq and Ashima Mandla, have contended that the en-masse blacklisting
of foreigners without any opportunity to defend themselves is a blatant
violation of Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the
Constitution.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/centre-tells-supreme-court-separate-order-passed-on-blacklisting-visa-cancellation-of-2-500-islamic-sect-members-2255982
--------
NIA
arrests “transportation module” member of Jaish in Pulwama attack
Jul
02, 2020
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a member of
Jaish-e-Mohammad’s “transportation module” in connection with the Pulwama
terror attack of February 2109 that killed 40 CRPF troopers, an official said.
The
accused, Mohammad Iqbal Rather (25), a resident of Budgam, allegedly ferried a
terrorist who helped in making bomb that was used by a suicide car bomber to
attack the CRPF convoy.
NIA
Spokesperson Sonia Narang said in a statement that Rather had facilitated the
movement of Muhammad Umar Farooq, a JeM terrorist and a key conspirator in the
case, to south Kashmir after he infiltrated into the Indian territory in Jammu
region in April, 2018, from the national highway near international border.
“Farooq,
along with others, had assembled the bomb used in the February 14, 2019 attack
(in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed). Rather had been undergoing judicial
custody since September, 2018 in another Jaish-e-Mohammed related case
investigated by NIA,” Narang said.
“As
such, he was produced by the jail authorities before the NIA Special Court,
Jammu on Thursday and was taken into seven days’ custody for his interrogation.
Initial examination has revealed that Rather was in constant touch with
Pakistan-based leadership of Jaish-e-Mohammed and was in communication with
them over secure messaging applications. He was part of the ‘transportation
module’ of Jaish-e-Mohammed,” Narang added.
Full
report at:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nia-arrests-transportation-module-member-of-jaish-in-pulwama-attack/story-ZYP2VhJaUOdpHQfFLMm9XJ.html
--------
Muslim
Body Urges Maharashtra Government To Equip Abattoirs For Bakri Eid
JULY
03, 2020
Mumbai:
The All India Jamiatul Quresh has urged the Maharashtra government to make
necessary arrangements at government-run abattoirs for the upcoming Bakri Eid
festival.
Bakri
Eid will be celebrated across the country on August 1.
“We
have asked the state government to set up shelter sheds for livestock keeping
in mind the monsoon season and also arrange for security, electricity and water
supply,” said Imran Babu Qureshi, the national vice-president of the All India
Jamiatul Quresh.
Apart
from this, the organisation has also sought the deployment of veterinarians and
doctors for emergencies, he said, adding that the abattoirs should charge a
regular fee for their services.
Social
distancing norms should be strictly followed, to prevent overcrowding in
markets at Mumbai and Pune amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while civic bodies
should make provisions to set up ward-wise markets for sale of animals, Qureshi
said.
Full
report at:
https://www.siasat.com/muslim-body-urges-maha-govt-to-equip-abattoirs-for-bakri-eid-1917549/
--------
CRPF
personnel killed, terrorist shot down in encounter in Srinagar’s Malabagh
Jul
02, 2020
A
CRPF trooper and a terrorist were killed in an encounter at Srinagar’s Malabagh
locality that began late Thursday evening, police said.
Two
to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the congested locality.
A
a cordon and search operation was launched in the area, near Habak Crossing,
after a tip-off about presence of militants there, a police official said. The
operation turned into an encounter after terrorists opened fire towards the
security personnel, the official added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/encounter-breaks-out-at-srinagar-s-malabagh/story-6l6jFEMVzoxw7bEtC46UJI.html
--------
Terrorist
responsible for death of minor in Kashmir killed in an encounter
Jul
3, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The militant responsible for the death of an eight-year-old boy and a
police personnel in the Bijbehara attack last week was killed Thursday night in
Srinagar.
The
Thursday night's encounter in which Zahid Daas was killed at Malbagh area of
Srinagar also led to the death of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier
who was severely injured.
Daas
is the same terrorist who was responsible for the deaths of eight-year-old
Nihan Yawar and J&K police personnel Shamal Kumar during a militant attack
on June 26 at Bijbehara, Anantnag.
Yawar,
a resident of neighbouring Kulgam district, was travelling with his father for
some personal work when he was hit by bullets fired by Daas at Padshahi Bagh
bridge in Bijbehara area.
Daas,
who belongs to the Jammu Kashmir Islamic State (JKIS), was targeting a road
opening party of the CRPF. The attack resulted in the deaths of Yawar and Kumar
but Daas was able to escape. The area was cordoned off and a hunt was launched
to nab him. Six days later, Daas died in Thursday's Malbagh encounter.
The
Bijbehara attack drew widespread condemnation with National Conference vice
president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah terming it
a "dastardly" act.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorist-responsible-for-death-of-minor-killed-in-an-encounter/articleshow/76762626.cms
--------
2
Pakistan soldiers killed in retaliatory fire along LoC
Jul
2, 2020
JAMMU:
At least two Pakistan soldiers were killed and several bunkers destroyed in
retaliatory action by the Indian Army against the ceasefire violation by
Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in three sectors of Poonch district in
Jammu & Kashmir.
Pakistan
violated the ceasefire by firing with small arms along LoC in Shahpur and Kirni
sectors of Poonch at about 9.30am, an Army spokesman said.
Indian
Army fired at Pakistan posts in Rakh Chikri area in retaliation, which killed
two Pakistani soldiers of the 10 Baloch Regiment, the Army spokesman said.
"No
major loss or injury was reported on Indian side,” the spokesman said.
There
has been a spurt in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and international border
in J&K this year with over 2,027 cases of violation being reported in the
first six months, till June 10.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-pakistan-soldiers-killed-in-retaliatory-fire-along-loc/articleshow/76757364.cms
--------
17
foreign Tablighis in UP get bail, await trial
July
3, 2020
Days
after a local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district granted them bail, 17
foreign Tablighi Jamaat members were released from jail, the police said on
Thursday. The 17 had been in jail since April for participating in the Jamaat’s
congregation in Delhi the month before.
The
foreigners were arrested on April 11, along with four Indians, after completing
14 days in quarantine. They were booked under the Foreigners Act for violating
visa norms, and other IPC sections. The Indian members of the Islamic movement
received bail the same month.
Of
the 17 foreigner nationals, 10 are from Indonesia, and seven from Thailand.
Responding to the court’s decision, Bahraich SP Vipin Kumar Mishra said, “The
17 were released on bail on Wednesday after they got it from CJM court. They
are currently staying in mosques in the district and will only be able to return
after the trial reaches a conclusion. We have their passports.”
Full
report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/17-foreign-tablighis-in-up-get-bail-await-trial-6487627/
--------
Mideast
Palestinian
Hamas, Fatah join hands against Israel’s annexation plan
02
July 2020
Two
major Palestinian groups, the Hamas resistance movement and Fatah political
party, have pledged unity against Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, as
signs are emerging of a purported rift between Israel and the United States
over the much-condemned project.
The
pledge of unity against the Israeli annexation plan was made during a joint
video conference held in Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of the
Palestinian Authority (PA), in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.
"We
are 100 percent consistent with Hamas to confront the challenges our cause is
facing,” said Jibril Rajoub, the secretary-general of Fatah, at the presser,
stressing, “We will put in place all necessary measures to ensure national
unity” in efforts against annexation.
“Today,
we want to speak in a single voice,” Rajoub emphasized, saying that the joint
press conference with Hamas was aimed at coordinating Palestinian efforts to
confront the annexation scheme.
“The
decision has been approved by our President [Mahmoud Abbas],” he added.
Saleh
al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, for his part, described the conference
as “an opportunity to start a new phase that will be a strategic service to our
people in the most dangerous stages.”
The
Hamas leader, who was speaking by video-link from the Lebanese capital Beirut,
also urged the Palestinian people to “continuously work on the ground and at
political levels to thwart the annexation project.”
Israeli
prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had time and again announced that he would
begin cabinet-level discussions for annexing more areas in the West Bank on
July 1, in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century.”
However,
Netanyahu’s much-publicized land grab plan, without clarifications, failed to
be launched on the set date amid widening differences within the Israeli ruling
coalition and against the backdrop of massive international opposition to the
highly-provocative attempt.
Crest-fallen
Netanyahu had suggested on Tuesday that there would be a delay in his
annexation plan after he failed to get the green light for the move both from
his key coalition partner Benny Gantz, who has been refusing to endorse
Netanyahu’s scheme, and the US.
The
Israeli premier, who had publicly voiced full-throated support of Trump’s plan,
also said that he would continue discussions with Washington over the scheme
“in the coming days.”
Experts
say there is evidence emerging that Netanyahu's desired roadmap for annexing
more Palestinian lands is at odds with the plan articulated by Trump.
Israel’s
unilateral annexation moves have faced a near-unanimous opposition from the
international community, including the European Union (EU).
Trump’s
scheme, unveiled in January, largely gives in to Israel’s demands while
creating a Palestinian state with limited control over its own security and
borders, enshrining the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and
allowing the regime to annex settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan
Valley.
According
to the so-called peace plan, the future Palestinian state will consist of
scattered lands linked together via bridges and tunnels.
Israel’s
delaying annexation plan a Zio-American ruse: Hamas official
On
Wednesday, former head of Hamas’s political bureau, Khaled Misha’al, warned
that the postponement of the Israeli annexation plan was only a Zio-American
ruse, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
He
said that the alleged rescheduling was in fact a misleading tactic not intended
to reverse or change the annexation plan, but to pave the way for its
implementation.
“We
have a great people who have never broken down or surrendered and who have been
fighting for long decades and have experience not found with other peoples of
the world,” added Misha’al, during an interview hosted on Al-Jazeera satellite
channel.
“We
have the Muslim nation that has not forgotten Palestine and its just cause, and
we have an international arena that is fed up with the Israeli occupation’s
insolence,” he said.
The
Hamas official also voiced his belief that the Palestinian people and the Arab
and Islamic nations were capable of facing the annexation plan pursued by the
occupying regime.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628747/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-Fatah-annexation-West-Bank-Gaza-US-Trump-Netanyahu
--------
Iranian
Speaker: Resistance Only Way to Stand against Zionism
Jul
02, 2020
“Zionists
only understand the language of resistance and any compromise and appeasement
against them (Israelis) will not go anywhere,” Qalibaf said on Wednesday in a
phone conversation with Head of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement
(Hamas)'s Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh.
He
praised the resistance of Palestinian and bravery of fighters of Palestinian
Hamas Movement as well as the key role of Palestinian leaders in continuing the
resistance and triumph over the Zionist regime.
The
Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the Palestinian people, Qalibaf
said, adding, “We believe that struggles of Palestinian fighters are preventing
the realization of the malicious plans such as so-called Deal of Century and
recent adventurism of Zionists for the annexation of a part of the West Bank to
the occupied lands and territories.”
Haniyeh,
for his part, congratulated Qalibaf on his election as Iranian Parliament
Speaker and put special emphasis on the resistance and perseverance of
Palestinian people.
He
also commemorated the name and memory of martyr Lt. Gen. Soleimani who played a
very decisive and pivotal role in resistance against Zionist regime.
People
of Palestine and Hamas Resistance Movement will continue their resistance until
the expulsion of Zionists from the occupied lands and territories, he
emphasized.
Haniyeh
lashed out at the silence of some countries over the occupation of the Zionist
regime and its expansionist plans taken, and added, “We strongly condemn the
silence of some countries in the region that seek to normalize their relations
with the Zionist regime.”
In
a relevant development on Wednesday, Qalibaf in separate letters to heads of
the international bodies and his counterparts in different countries had
underlined the need to immediately stop Israel's hostile and expansionist
policies, including annexation of the West Bank to the occupied territories.
In
his letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Head of the International
Inter-Parliamentary Union Gabriella Coebas Baron, Secretary-General of the
Parliaments Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Mohammed Qureshi
Nias, Secretary-General of the Assembly of Asian Parliaments Mohammad Reza
Majidi and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Yousef Al-Othimin, Qalibaf stressed the Iranian parliament's firm position on
the need to end Israel's occupation, provocative and illegal positions which
violate the international peace and security and support for the rights of the
oppressed Palestinian people.
He
added that the Zionist regime's expansionist policies are clear and extensive
violation of the humanitarian and international laws and conventions.
The
Israeli regime plans to annex 30 percent of the West Bank to the occupied
territories in early July, under the US-Israeli "Deal of the Century"
plan, with the support of President Donald Trump's administration. It has
angered Palestinians and international communities such as the European Union.
Full
report at:
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990412000326
--------
Iran
says ‘no military solution’ for Syria in talks with Russia, Turkey
01
July 2020
Iran's
President Hassan Rouhani said there is “no military solution” for Syria on
Wednesday during a video conference with his Russian and Turkish counterparts
about the war-torn country.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The
Islamic republic believes the only solution to the Syrian crisis is political
and not a military solution,” Rouhani said in a televised opening address.
“We
continue to support the inter-Syrian dialogue and underline our determination
to fight the terrorism of Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the ISIS group),
al-Qaeda and other related groups.”
“I
emphasize that the fight against terrorism will continue until it is completely
eradicated in Syria and the region in general,” he added.
Rouhani
made the remarks in a video conference with Russia's President Vladimir Putin
and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After
delivering opening statements, the three presidents are expected to discuss
Syria in private.
The
talks are the first since September in the so-called Astana format, in which
the three powers discuss developments in Syria, where the conflict has entered
its 10th year.
Iran
and Russia have been staunch supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
while Turkey has called for his ouster and backed opposition fighters.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/01/Iran-says-no-military-solution-for-Syria-in-talks-with-Russia-Turkey.html
--------
Unknown
group claims responsibility for incident at Natanz nuclear site: BBC Persian
03
July 2020
An
unknown group claiming to be dissidents within Iran’s security apparatus has
claimed responsibility for the Thursday incident at a nuclear site in central
Iran, according to the BBC’s Persian service.
Iran’s
nuclear body said an accident had taken place on Thursday at a construction
site in the Natanz nuclear site without causing casualties, state news agency
IRNA reported.
The
Natanz facility is one of Iran’s main uranium enrichment plants.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
A
previously unheard-of group calling itself “The Homeland’s Cheetahs” has
claimed responsibility for the incident, BBC Persian said Thursday.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/03/Unknown-group-claims-responsibility-for-incident-at-Natanz-nuclear-site-BBC-Persian.html
--------
Explosion
at Iran nuclear site hit new centrifuge plant: US-based analysts
02
July 2020
A
fire and an explosion struck a building above Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear
enrichment facility early on Thursday, a site that US-based analysts identified
as a new centrifuge production plant.
The
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran sought to downplay the fire, calling it an
“incident” that only affected an under-construction “industrial shed,”
spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said. However, both Kamalvandi and Iranian nuclear
chief Ali Akbar Salehi rushed after the fire to Natanz, which has been targeted
in sabotage campaigns in the past.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Kamalvandi
did not identify what damaged the building, though Natanz governor Ramazanali
Ferdowsi said a “fire” had struck the site, according to a report by the
semiofficial Tasnim news agency. Authorities offered no cause for the blaze,
though Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency published a commentary addressing the
possibility of sabotage by enemy nations such as Israel and the US following
other recent explosions in the country.
“The
Islamic Republic of Iran has so far has tried to prevent intensifying crises
and the formation of unpredictable conditions and situations,” the commentary
said. But "the crossing of red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran by
hostile countries, especially the Zionist regime and the US, means that
strategy ... should be revised.”
A
photograph later released by the atomic energy agency and state TV video showed
a brick building with scorch marks and its roof apparently destroyed. Debris on
the ground and a door that looked blown off its hinges suggested an explosion
accompanied the blaze.
Data
collected by a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite
suggested the fire broke out around 2 AM local time in the northwest corner of
the Natanz compound. Flames from the blaze were bright enough to be detected by
the satellite from space.
“There
are physical and financial damages and we are investigating to assess,”
Kamalvandi told Iranian state television.
“Furthermore,
there has been no interruption in the work of the enrichment site. Thank God,
the site is continuing its work as before.”
The
site of the fire corresponds to a newly opened centrifuge production facility,
said Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation
Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey,
California. He said he relied on satellite images and a state TV program on the
facility to locate the building, which sits in Natanz’s northwest corner.
David
Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security similarly said
the fire struck the production facility. His institute previously wrote a
report on the new plant, identifying it from satellite pictures while it was
under construction and later built.
Iranian
nuclear officials did not respond to a request for comment about the analysts’
comments. However, any damage to the facility would be a major setback, said
Hinz, who called the fire “very, very suspicious.”
“It
would delay the advancement of the centrifuge technology quite a bit at
Natanz,” Hinz said. “Once you have done your research and development, you
can’t undo that research and development. Targeting them would be very useful”
for Iran’s adversaries.
There
was no previously announced construction work at Natanz, a uranium enrichment
center some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Tehran. Natanz includes
underground facilities buried under some 7.6 meters (25 feet) of concrete,
offering protection from airstrikes.
Natanz,
also known as the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, is among the sites now monitored
by the International Atomic Energy Agency after Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with
world powers.
The
IAEA said in a statement it was aware of reports of the fire. “We currently
anticipate no impact on the IAEA’s safeguards verification activities,” the
Vienna-based agency said.
Located
in Iran’s central Isfahan province, Natanz hosts the country’s main uranium
enrichment facility. There, centrifuges rapidly spin uranium hexafluoride gas
to enrich uranium. Currently, the IAEA says Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5
percent purity, above the terms of the nuclear deal, but far below
weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. It also has conducted tests on advanced
centrifuges, according to the IAEA.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/02/Explosion-at-Iran-nuclear-site-hit-new-centrifuge-plant-US-based-analysts.html
--------
Coronavirus:
Iran’s COVID-19 death toll surpasses 11,000
02
July 2020
Iran’s
death toll from the novel coronavirus passed 11,000 on Thursday, the health
ministry said, as the country struggles to contain the Middle East’s deadliest
outbreak of COVID-19.
For
more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
Official
figures have shown a rising trajectory in fatalities and new confirmed cases in
recent months, after Iran reported a near-two month low in daily recorded
infections in early May.
“In
the past 24 hours, we lost 148 of our compatriots due to infection with
COVID-19,” health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state TV.
That
brings Iran’s overall death toll to 11,106, she added.
She
also raised the country’s coronavirus caseload to 232,863, with 2,652 new
confirmed cases in the past day.
“Unfortunately,
the number of hospitalizations is increasing in most of the country’s
provinces,” Lari said.
The
resurging overall numbers have seen some previously largely unscathed provinces
classified as “red” – the highest level on Iran’s color-coded risk scale – with
authorities allowed to reimpose restrictive measures if required.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/07/02/Coronavirus-Iran-s-COVID-19-death-toll-surpasses-11-000-.html
--------
Iran
reports ‘accident’ in construction near Iran’s Natanz nuclear site
02
July 2020
Iran’s
nuclear body said an accident had taken place on Thursday at a construction
site in a nuclear complex without causing casualties, state news agency IRNA
reported.
“An
accident occurred on Thursday morning and damaged a warehouse under
construction in open space at the Natanz site” in central Iran, said Behrouz
Kamalvandi, spokesman for the country’s Atomic Energy Organisation.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Kamalvandi
was further quoted as saying that the complex is currently inactive and there
is no risk of radioactive pollution.
The
accident did not result in casualties, he added, noting that the cause was
under investigation.
He
did not give any details on the nature of the reported accident.
Tehran
announced in May last year that it was suspending certain commitments under a
multilateral nuclear deal unilaterally abandoned by the United States in 2018.
The
2015 accord promised Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its nuclear
program.
US
President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal was followed by Washington
reimposing biting unilateral sanctions.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/02/-Incident-damages-construction-near-Iran-s-Natanz-nuclear-site.html
--------
Iran
arrests two Swedish nationals in drug smuggling crackdown
01
July 2020
Iran
has arrested two Swedish nationals following the dismantlement of a drug
smuggling gang, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“An
international drug smuggling gang has recently been discovered and dismantled
in a complex operation,” Tasnim reported on Wednesday.
“A
number of key members of the gang have been arrested in the operation,
including two Swedish nationals,” added Tasnim.
Tasnim
did not say in which part of Iran the operation took place.
The
drug shipments discovered were “dangerous industrial narcotics,” the agency
said.
Iranian
authorities are investigating the gang’s potential links to other international
drug cartels, said Tasnim.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/01/Iran-arrests-two-Swedish-nationals-in-drug-smuggling-crackdown.html
--------
Turkey
wants France to apologize over ‘false’ Mediterranean Libya war ship claims
02
July 2020
Turkey’s
foreign minister said on Thursday that France should apologize for making
“false claims” about a naval incident in the Mediterranean that has added to
growing tensions between the NATO allies.
“When
France makes false claims and works against Turkey, that should not be
accepted,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Berlin.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“We
expect France to apologize unconditionally,” he said, after Paris last month
denounced an “extremely aggressive” intervention by Turkish ships against a
French navy vessel participating in a NATO Mediterranean maritime security
operation.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/02/Turkey-wants-France-to-apologize-over-false-Mediterranean-Libya-war-ship-claims.html
--------
Saudi-led
coalition launches new airstrikes on Yemen
02
July 2020
The
Saudi-led military coalition waging war on Yemen has intensified its aggression
by launching a new round of airstrikes on the country, including in the
capital, Sana’a.
Yemen’s
al-Masirah reported late on Wednesday that airstrikes had targeted the central
provinces of Ma’rib and al-Bayda, the northern provinces of al-Jawf and Hajjah,
and the northwestern province of Sa’ada throughout the day.
Bombings
in Sa’ada left at least two civilians dead and four others injured, and also
led to the death of livestock, according to al-Masirah.
An
unnamed source with the Yemeni military said that during the past 24 hours, the
Saudi-led military coalition and its mercenaries had violated a 2018 agreement
between the warring sides 82 times.
Mohammed
Ali al-Houthi, the chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen,
condemned the Saudi aggression late on Wednesday and called on the Arab League
to seek a comprehensive solution to the conflict in Yemen.
The
new Saudi-led strikes come amid new advances by the Yemeni military. A
spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces said on Monday that the military had
retaken large swathes of land in al-Bayda and Ma’rib.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating war on Yemen
in an attempt to subdue a popular uprising that toppled a puppet regime of
Riyadh.
The
US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit
conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than
100,000 lives over the past five years.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628731/Yemen-Saudi-led-coalition-new-airstrikes
--------
Africa
Politics,
Lies and Gaddafi Tapes: The plots uncovered by Libyan intelligence leaks
02
July 2020
A
recent flurry of audio recordings leaked by a Qatari opposition activist has
again drawn attention to Qatar’s controversial foreign policy positions and
ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The
series of audio clips add further insights into some of the political
conversations that Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi (r. 1969-2011) had with
Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (r. 1995-2013), Qatar’s
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, and Kuwaiti MPs with
links to the Brotherhood.
A
previous leak from 2017 had captured Gaddafi with the former Emir and Prime
Minister plotting against Saudi Arabia and discussing plans to create chaos in
Arab countries.
But
at the end of May this year, Qatari opposition activist Khalid al-Hail released
the first of a new set of recordings that have recast the spotlight on Qatar’s
foreign policy, including its links with Muslim Brotherhood activists, who also
feature in the new leaks.
The
first leak captured Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad seemingly calling former
US President Barack Obama a “slave,” the first in a series of explosive
revelations to be caught on audio.
Throughout
June, al-Hail released further leaks that have brought renewed attention to the
allegations made against Qatar by the Arab Quartet of Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
Bahrain, and Egypt, who have been boycotting the small Gulf state since 2017.
These
accusations include Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and its use of
the Doha-based Al Jazeera network to undermine governments in neighboring
countries, especially Saudi Arabia.
Now,
al-Hail says that he is still planning to release more leaks that would be
“nothing in comparison” to what he leaked so far – despite receiving death
threats.
Here
is everything you need to know about the leaks, and their potential
consequences for the region.
Who
is publishing the Gaddafi-Qatar leaks?
Qatari
opposition activist Khalid al-Hail has published the leaks in Arabic
periodically on his Twitter page.
Al-Hail
is one of the most prominent Qatari critics of the royal family, especially the
former Emir Sheikh Hamad, and has been described as “the leader of the Qatari
opposition.”
He
was imprisoned by the Qatari regime in 2010 and 2014, he told the New York
Times, saying he had been tortured and electrocuted.
Now
in exile in London, al-Hail heads the Qatar National Democratic Party, which
calls for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Qatar. He
frequently appears on media channels criticizing the ruling al-Thani family.
Read
the interview with Khalid al-Hail here: I will expose the ‘terrorist’ Qatar
regime with more audio leaks: Opposition activist
What
is the source of the Gaddafi-Qatar leaks?
Al-Hail
did not reveal the source of the audio files when asked by Al Arabiya, and Al
Arabiya English has been unable to access the originals for verification.
“A
person would have reservations revealing their source but myself like many
others who received information, the space is open, but I mean the leaks I
posted are all exclusive and I am sure as I transcribed them myself, especially
the ones I published myself,” he said in an interview this week.
Many
of the leaks feature the voice of the Libyan dictator Gaddafi, who promoted a
revolutionary ideology that advocated overthrowing other Arab leaders while he
ruled Libya from 1969 until his death in 2011.
Some
of the leaks also refer to the US invasion of Iraq, placing them between 2003
and 2011.
Others
refer to a peace treaty between Sudan and a rebel group signed in 2006. One
source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that some of the conversations
might have taken place in Doha in 2009, when Gaddafi famously stormed out of
the Arab summit after insulting Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.
One
possibility is that the audio recordings come from the records of Gaddafi’s
regime, many of which fell into the hands of a range of groups following the
bloody coup that overthrew the dictator in 2011.
“Gaddafi
was known to record conversations so it is plausible that this has come from
his mukhabarat [secret police],” said Tim Eaton, a Libya expert and senior
research fellow with Chatham House’s MENA Program.
Eaton
also suggested that as Qatar currently backs Islamist groups in Libya’s ongoing
war, it might make sense for people opposed to the Islamists to release leaks
about Doha.
Many
of the leaks also appear to have some redacted elements when Gaddafi is
talking, potentially adding more evidence that they were conversations that
took place in either Qatar or Libya that were recorded by Libyan intelligence
services.
Have
the leaks been acknowledged?
None
of the individuals in the videos have denied their authenticity, and Qatar
acknowledged the first set of recordings when they came out in 2017.
In
an appearance on Qatari television, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin
Jassim dismissed the conversations as Qatari officials merely humoring Gaddafi.
“[Gaddafi]
asked for Al Jazeera to be part of it. He gave us tapes and everything and
asked us to release them against Saudi Arabia. We didn’t release anything.
After that, he said he’s preparing a conspiracy to change the rulers of Saudi
Arabia. We used to laugh at him,” said Sheikh Hamad.
One
of the Kuwaiti former MPs in the recordings, Mubarak al-Duwailah, tacitly
acknowledged their authenticity by tweeting that he had received permission to
meet with Gaddafi from the Kuwaiti government – which the government later
denied.
Despite
this, his brother Nasser denied the recordings authenticity on Twitter,
describing a “story of fabrications, incomplete records, edited image and
clips.” In response, al-Hail pointed out that both Mubarak and the Kuwaiti
government had acknowledged the recordings, and Kuwait’s government has
launched an official investigation into al-Duwailah’s appearance in the leaks.
Al-Hail
told Al Arabiya that he had received death threats from people who did not want
him to release the audio files.
“If
it was matter of selling yourself like a mercenary ... and a lot of offer
actually came, but the story is not just about the monetary offers but there’s
been a lot of threats, telling me I will be assassinated or killed, basically
acts of intimidation, etc,” he said.
What
are they key takeaways from the leaks?
The
leaks have attracted attention to Doha’s links with Gaddafi and other regimes,
including that of Bashar al-Assad.
In
one recording, the former emir can be heard saying: “As a small country we used
to be ostracized by the big countries. But thank God there [are countries] like
Libya standing with us, Oman, Syria recently.”
A
theme that runs throughout the recordings is Gaddafi’s plan to destabilize
other Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, to which the Qataris appear to
assent.
On
more than one occasion, the conversation centers on how to overthrow the Al
Saud family and carve Saudi Arabia into different states.
Saad
al-Faqih, a London-based Saudi Arabian opposition dissident, is mentioned on
several occasions as a tool for the conspiracy.
In
the 2017 recordings, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim and Gaddafi building a network
agents in Europe, as well as the need to build ties with the US and Israel to
reduce pressure from the US, which they suggest is linked to Saudi Arabian lobbying
against Qatar.
According
to the Saudi Arabian commentator Ali Shihabi, the leaks “confirm Qatar’s active
efforts to subvert the Kingdom, which is the main issue at dispute here.”
“Let
them stop that and relations can revert to normal. After all, Doha lives in the
same neighborhood, and a fire it starts in Riyadh will inevitably burn Doha
down too. Time to stop this nonsense and move forward as a unified GCC that
faces identical threats,” he told Al Arabiya English.
The
recordings also touch upon several of the points of contention between Doha and
the Arab Quartet that have contributed to the ongoing boycott.
The
Quartet accuses Doha of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which the UAE and
Egypt have designated as a terrorist organization.
According
to commentators, the fact that Gaddafi was having similar conversations with
Qatari rulers and Kuwaiti MPs with links to the Brotherhood is evidence for
Doha’s complicity in a regional conspiracy.
“[The
recordings have] exposed the extent of the conspiracy plotted by the Muslim
Brotherhood members, under Qatar’s guidance, as they seek to ruin their
countries and spread “constructive chaos” in Arab countries, specifically the
Gulf,” wrote journalist Salman al-Dossary in Asharq al-Awsat.
They
also bring into question Al Jazeera’s editorial independence from Doha, with
the leaks appearing to suggest that the station’s coverage was at least
influenced by the former Qatar emir.
Varsha
Koduvayur, a senior research analyst at the Washington-based think tank
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said that this was not the first
time such allegations had emerged.
“There
should be no doubt that Al Jazeera is far from independent in its coverage,
especially since the Arab Spring,” she added.
Who
are the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood affiliated members in the leaks?
The
most recent audio leaks feature three Kuwaiti former MPs.
Hakem
al-Mutairi
The
first is Hakem al-Mutairi, a known extremist preacher now living in exile in
Turkey.
Al-Mutairi
was designated as a terrorist by the Arab Quartet, which called on Doha to
sever its ties with him in 2017.
In
Kuwait, he had previously founded the Ummah Party, an unrecognized political
party that promoted alleged extremist views. Beforehand, he was a member of the
Kuwaiti Salafi Movement and a frequent critic of Saudi Arabia.
The
preacher is active on Twitter, where he has both Arabic and Turkish accounts,
and frequently tweets criticizing the US and Israel.
In
the most recent recording, al-Mutairi is heard plotting against the Saudi
Arabian and Kuwaiti governments.
This
follows a previous recording in which al-Mutairi can be heard as part of a
conversation with Gaddafi discussing revolutionary plans for the region,
including “bringing down these governments.”
Sources
at Kuwait University, where al-Mutairi was a Sharia professor, revealed that
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior had launched an investigation into al-Mutairi
based on the recording.
Al-Mutairi
was reached for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
Mubarak
al-Duwailah
Mubarak
al-Duwailah is a Kuwaiti former MP who was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood
until the 1990s, and now heads the Islamic Constitutional Movement, an
organization that shares a similar ideology.
Born
in 1954, al-Duwailah studied engineering in the US before entering politics and
becoming an MP in Kuwait in 1985.
He
was a member of the Brotherhood until the first Gulf War, after which he left
the organization due to its support for Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait,
according to the Erem news channel.
Al-Duwailah
attracted controversy for criticizing the leaders of regional countries,
including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2015, he was convicted to five years in
prison in abstention for insulting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayed.
Audio
released on Sunday reportedly captured al-Duwailah meeting with Gaddafi, in
which he responds to the Libyan leader’s speech about the imminent fall of
Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family.
“We
hear from the guys there that their situation is not good, even amongst
themselves they have many issues,” he says, in response to Gaddafi’s claims.
Al-Duwailah
tacitly acknowledged the recording’s veracity by responding to it in a tweet,
in which he claimed he had briefed the Kuwaiti Emir about his meeting with
Gaddafi.
However,
Kuwait’s Amiri Diwan – the name for the Emir’s royal palace – rejected
al-Duwailah’s claims and launched an investigation into his conduct.
“Kuwait’s
Amiri Diwan Sunday termed as ‘totally untrue and fabrications’ the remarks made
Mubarak Al-Duwailah that he briefed His Highness the Amir about details of his
meeting with ex-president Muammar Gaddafi,” said a statement posted on the
official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Al-Duwailah
was reached for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
Fayez
Hamed al-Baghili al-Rashidi
The
third figure is the less well-known Fayez Hamed al-Baghili al-Rashidi, also a
former Kuwaiti MP.
Al-Baghili
is heard praising Gaddafi for his peacekeeping efforts in Sudan, where Gaddafi
apparently helped broker a ceasefire between the Sudanese government and the
Rashaida Free Lions, an armed group based in eastern Sudan.
Al-Duwailah
claimed on Twitter that he and al-Baghili had been in Libya to help the
negotiations. Both are reportedly members of the Kuwaiti branch of the Rashaida
tribe.
According
to al-Hail on Twitter, al-Baghili and al-Duwailah had previously claimed that
Gaddafi had not been involved in the ceasefire negotiations and that the
Kuwaitis had brokered them themselves.
In
the recording, al-Baghili refers to the Rashaida people and praises Gaddafi,
describing him as “brother leader” and praising his apparent peacekeeping
efforts in Sudan.
This
would place the recording after 2006, when the Free Lions signed a peace treaty
with the Khartoum government.
What
do the recordings tell us about the Muslim Brotherhood?
Commentators
have said that the recordings give further evidence to the links between Doha
and the Muslim Brotherhood across the region.
Support
for the Brotherhood, which the UAE and Egypt have designated as a terrorist
organization, is one of the demands of the Arab Quartet for it to restore
relations with Qatar.
“Such
revelations only come to underline the historic decision taken by Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to boycott Qatar in June 2017 and
designate the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist. Meanwhile, Mutairi is an
extremist who was included in the terrorism list announced by Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain in 2017. It goes without saying that he is one of
the main recipients of Doha’s financial and media support,” wrote journalist
Salman al-Dossary in Asharq al-Awsat.
For
al-Hail, the recordings expose the Kuwaitis as “political beggars” who went to
Gaddafi for support, which al-Hail says helps expose the Muslim Brotherhood and
its “climbers and fawners.”
“In
the end, I think that the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait in particular will fall
and fall strongly because what we have on them, whether documents or file or
even recordings or others, all these are documented,” said al-Hail.
“Even
Hakim al-Mutairi, he deceived his country, he deceived many people in the Arab
Gulf region. You only heard a part of the leaks, but you don’t know the rest of
it. He created a system that exists even in Saudi Arabia and even in people who
are now imprisoned on terror charges who were also complicit,” he added.
What
is the role of Al Jazeera?
The
new leaks have also attracted scrutiny to the Doha-based Al Jazeera network.
In
two of the leaks, Sheikh Hamad and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim appear to discuss Al
Jazeera coverage with Gaddafi.
In
one, the former prime minister appears to tell Gaddafi that the network will
not host guests who are critical of Gaddafi.
“Give
us names ... if you give us the people that you don’t want to come out on Al
Jazeera. The person that coordinates between us and you ... [inaudible] ...
Abdulla,” Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim seems to be heard telling Gaddafi.
The
late Libyan leader then replies: “The agreement is that anyone who attacks
Libya, they’re not allowed.”
In
the second, the former emir appears to tell Gaddafi that Al Jazeera has not
stopped its negative coverage of Saudi Arabia.
“Al
Jazeera stopped [negative coverage] of Saudi Arabia,” Gaddafi says, to which
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa replies: “No, no, no. The stop that you’re referring
to did not happen.”
Read
more: Qatar assured Gaddafi Al Jazeera will not stop negative Saudi coverage:
Audio leaks
After
Gaddafi says that Qatar’s other television channels now have the same coverage
of Saudi Arabia as Al Jazeera, seemingly implying the need for a change in the
coverage, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim interrupts, and says he agrees with the
Libyan leader.
Another
section of the leaks also seemed to suggest that the Muslim Brotherhood runs Al
Jazeera, with Hamad bin Jassim appearing to respond to Gaddafi’s claims that
Brotherhood members run programs on the station by saying “I agree with you, I
am telling you this is true.”
Al
Jazeera’s coverage has also been a cause of disagreement between the Arab
Quartet and Doha. The Quartet accuses Qatar of using Al Jazeera to undermine
the governments of neighboring countries and destabilize the region, while
Qatar insists that the station’s coverage is independent.
“This
would not be the first time such allegations emerged. Leaked diplomatic cables
(through WikiLeaks) showed Qatari officials boasting about changing Al
Jazeera’s coverage as well. There should be no doubt that Al Jazeera is far
from independent in its coverage, especially since the Arab Spring,” said the FDD’s
Koduvayur.
Will
there be more leaks?
Al-Hail
has said that there will be more revealing leaks on the way, despite receiving
death threats.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/07/02/Audio-leaks-How-Qatar-Gaddafi-Muslim-Brotherhood-plotted-against-the-Gulf.html
--------
Greek
FM calls for Turkey to leave Libya in Benghazi meeting
01
July 2020
All
foreign powers, especially Turkey, should leave Libya, said Greece's Foreign
Minister Nikos Dendias in a meeting with Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Issa
Saleh on Wednesday.
Dendias
was in the country to meet with Saleh, who is the head of the Eastern-based
Libyan parliament.
The
parliament supports the Libyan National Army (LNA) in its conflict with the
Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which is backed by Turkey.
Turkey
has sent thousands of Syrian mercenaries to the country and helped the GNA lift
the siege of Tripoli, putting the LNA-controlled city of Sirte under threat.
The
GNA and Turkey have signed a controversial maritime agreement that gives Ankara
drilling rights over vast swathes of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/07/01/Greek-FM-calls-for-Turkey-to-leave-Libya-in-Benghazi-meeting.html
--------
At
least 30 killed in terror attack in central Mali
Felix
Tih
03.07.2020
At
least 30 villagers were killed in an attack on four villages in Mali's Mopti
region, local media reported late Thursday.
The
attack was perpetrated by unidentified gunmen riding pickup trucks and
motorbikes against vulnerable ethnic Dogon farming villages near the Burkina
Faso border, local daily MaliJet reported.
The
Dogon are an ethnic group living in Mali’s central plateau region, south of the
Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara and in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
The
attack also caused serious material damage.
"The
assailants arrived on board pickups. There were two of them on a motorcycle.
They started shooting at unarmed villagers without distinction," MaliJet
quoted a local resident as saying.
Since
2012, militants have carried out violent attacks in northern and central Mali,
killing thousands of soldiers and civilians.
Earlier
this year, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said his government was seeking
talks with militant groups in an effort to end an insurgency that has engulfed
the West African country.
Last
year, at least 456 civilians were killed and hundreds more wounded in Central
Mali alone, according to Human Rights Watch.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/at-least-30-killed-in-terror-attack-in-central-mali/1898280
--------
Sisi’s
plan to arm Libyan tribes in Egypt to backfire
Aydogan
Kalabalik
02.07.2020
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's scathing remarks on the situation in Libya
have added a new dimension to the ongoing crisis.
Last
month, Sisi said that Libya's Sirte and al-Jufra airbases were a "red
line" and he would arm Libyan tribes in his country to fight in the ranks
of East Libya-based warlord Khalifa Haftar.
He
also suggested that Cairo could launch "external military missions"
into Libya "if required," saying that "any direct intervention
in Libya has already become legitimate internationally".
Plans
have been made to settle Libyan-origin bedouin tribes, who live in the
northwest of Egypt, in Libya and to increase the population density in the east
of the country.
However,
historical hostilities among tribes of Libyan origin show that Sisi's plan is
unlikely to be implemented.
Libyan-origin
tribes in Egypt
There
are many Libyan-origin tribes in Egypt. The largest is known as the Awlad Ali
tribe with a population of over a million.
This
tribe migrated from Libya to Egypt 130 years ago. The war which took place in
1860 between Awlad Ali and the Abidat tribes in Libya’s Brega region lasted for
30 years.
Awlad
Ali had to emigrate to Egypt in 1890 after they lost the war. This forced
migration was called Tejridet Habib, a folklore in Libyan culture.
Most
members of the Awlad Ali settled in the Egyptian city of Marsa Matruh, which is
located between the city of Alexandria in the Mediterranean coast of Egypt and
and the al-Sellum district on the Libyan border.
The
coexistence of these two tribes is considered a weak possibility due to
historical reasons.
The
United Arab Emirates and Egypt are planning to substitute the seat of Haftar
with Aguila Saleh Issa, the speaker of the pro-Haftar House of Representatives
in the eastern city of Tobruk.
However,
Issa, who backs Haftar, belongs to the Abidat tribe.
A
possible support of Awlad Ali tribe to Haftar would mean that they back the
Abidat tribe who exiled their ancestors from their lands.
Therefore,
Awlad Ali tribe, which mostly resides in the regions close to the Libyan
border, is not expected to send its members to Libya to fight in the ranks of
Haftar.
Further
dissent
Other
Libyan-origin tribes living in Egypt include Beraisa, Fevayid, Henadi, Furcan,
Behce, Jamiat, Katan, Jabaliye, Rimah, Habbun, Awlad Sheikh, Jalalat, Mecabira
and Al-Jawazi.
Pasha
Yusuf Karamanli (1795-1832), the most famous name of the Karamanli Dynasty
which ruled Tripoli from 1711 to 1835, exiled the Al-Jawazi tribe to Egypt.
According
to Egyptian sources, members of the Al-Jawazi tribe mostly live in Zagazig and
Tanta cities in the northeastern Egypt.
Members
of the Al-Jawazi tribe do not see themselves as bedouins as they are well
integrated into the Egyptian society. Rather, they mostly describe themselves
as Egyptians.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sisi-s-plan-to-arm-libyan-tribes-in-egypt-to-backfire/1897734
--------
South
Asia
Ghani
confers the title of Marshal on General Dostum
03
Jul 2020
President
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani conferred the title of ‘Marshal of Afghanistan’ on
General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the former first vice president of Afghanistan.
The
Office of the President in a statement said President Ghani issued a decree in
this regard late last month.
According
to a copy of the decree which has been published online, President Ghani
approved the conferment of the Marshal title on Gen. Dostum as per the Article
19 and Item 64 of the constitution of Afghanistan.
The
decree further added that the title on Gen. Dostum has been conferred for his
services in resolving the political stalemates and ensuring security in the
country.
The
issue of conferment of Marshal title remained a hot topic during the
negotiations to resolve political tensions which arose following 2019
controversial presidential elections.
The
former first vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim was previously holding the title
of the Marshal of Afghanistan.
https://www.khaama.com/ghani-confers-the-title-of-marshal-on-general-dostum-08936/
--------
From
stateless to displaced, the Rohingya are still searching for hope years after
fleeing Myanmar
JUL
3 2020
Joanna
Tan
The
Rohingya are among the world’s most persecuted ethnic minorities — haunted by
the past and denied a future.
As
the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the world and into their squalid refugee
camps, they’re confronted by another grim prospect: separation from loved ones.
“There’s
Covid-19, it’s quite clearly spreading in the camps. But the Rohingya will not
go to get tested,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Asia at Human Rights
Watch.
“They
are afraid of being taken from their family, they are afraid of being isolated,
they’re afraid of being taken to this horrible detention island called Bhasan
Char — which is in the middle of nowhere... It’s like a Rohingya Alcatraz,” he
said, referring to the former island prison in San Francisco.
The
Rohingya are a Muslim minority from Rakhine state in western Myanmar — formerly
known as Burma. Most fled their homes after the military launched a brutal
crackdown in August 2017.
Today,
nearly a million Rohingya refugees live in cramped, temporary housing in the
Bangladesh district of Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s largest
settlement camps.
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told CNBC there were 50 confirmed
cases of Covid-19 and 5 deaths among the refugees in Cox’s Bazar as of July 1.
Testing was ramped up to 700 a day, and about 0.06% of the 860,000 Rohingya in
the camps have been tested. Additionally, Myanmar’s health ministry reported 10
confirmed cases in Rakhine, UNHCR said.
It’s
hard to know the true extent of the outbreak among the Rohingya, argued
Robertson.
“People
are refusing to go. I think the only people you’re really seeing that turn up
and get tested are the people who are gravely ill, and have no other choice ...
they need to get treatment or they may die.”
“We
have noticed a decline in the number of refugees approaching health facilities
for COVID-19 symptoms in the last weeks,” said Louise Donovan, a communications
officer at UNHCR. She said there appears to be “fear and anxiety among
refugees,” as those who volunteered to be tested had to be isolated for
precautionary reasons.
Additionally,
an internet shutdown in camps in Bangladesh and some towns in Rakhine “has
meant that people in some villages are unaware of the Covid-19 outbreak,” Human
Rights Watch said.
Flight
from Rakhine
Often
referred to as “the most persecuted minority in the world,” the Rohingya have
endured decades of oppression and human rights abuses.
A
citizenship law in 1982 stripped them of their nationality, making them one of
the world’s largest stateless communities.
While
there have been large migrations to Bangladesh since the 1970s, none was as
rapid and massive as the August 2017 exodus that thrust the Rohingya crisis
onto the world stage.
More
than 740,000 Rohingya were violently uprooted in the months that followed,
driven by a brutal military crackdown that reportedly killed thousands of
Muslims.
At
least half of those who arrived in Bangladesh were children. It was a migration
that was “unprecedented in terms of volume and speed,” the UN said.
Hundreds
of victims and witnesses described scenes of indiscriminate killing, including
of children and the elderly. Victims spoke of torture, rape, looting and
destruction. Satellite images showed hundreds of villages razed.
Myanmar’s
security forces said it was a counter-offensive aimed at rooting out terrorism.
What sparked the campaign was a series of attacks carried out by Rohingya
extremists, who killed 12 members of the Burmese security forces in August
2017.
The
UN condemned the operation as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and its
High Commissioner for Human Rights at that time slammed the response as
“clearly disproportionate” and “without regard for basic principles of
international law.”
Approximately
600,000 Rohingya are still inside Myanmar “living under threat of genocide,”
said the UN’s fact-finding mission on Myanmar.
Calls
for accountability
The
Rohingya want justice, Robertson said. They want those who committed the crimes
against them to be held accountable.
Myanmar’s
de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been accused of failing to protect the
Rohingya. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, once touted as the embodiment of
democracy, has been criticized for forsaking the oppressed.
In
a January op-ed for the Financial Times, Suu Kyi defended her government. She
noted that the UN’s independent commission interviewed close to 1,500
witnesses, but she claimed the report said that “some refugees may have
provided inaccurate or exaggerated information.”
While
acknowledging that “the report details killing of civilians, disproportionate
use of force, looting of property, and destruction of abandoned homes of
Muslims,” she maintained that the commission “found no evidence of genocide.”
Robertson
from Human Rights Watch strongly criticized the former democracy icon.
“She
has moved beyond just being a bystander — or someone who wasn’t involved — to
become part of the cover-up,” he said.
The
Myanmar government did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
What
the future holds
Education
brings hope for a brighter future to the Rohingya children, said Shairose
Mawji, Bangladesh chief of field services at UNICEF.
“Education
not only brings knowledge and skills, it also brings hope to children and help
counter the frustration and despair of their situation,” Mawji told CNBC in an
email. “Without adequate opportunities for learning, they are more exposed to
dangers of trafficking, child marriage, exploitation and abuse.”
There
are currently more than 465,000 Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh.
The
country agreed in January to grant 10,000 Rohingya students access to a formal
school curriculum, a pilot program targeted at those from grades six to nine.
It will eventually expand to others, Mawji said.
Still,
only about 13% of teenage boys and 2% of adolescent girls have access to
education in the camps, said the UN children’s agency, pointing out that girls
were disproportionately affected.
Rights
groups hailed the pilot program as a small victory, but Robertson was quick to
point out that 10,000 kids “is not a lot when you’re talking about over a
million refugees.”
“What
you see is a stunting of the educational aspirations of the Rohingya — an
entire generation of children who are not getting educated,” he added.
The
UNHCR was more hopeful.
Full
report at:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/03/myanmar-rohingya-refugees-search-for-hope-after-fleeing-rakhine.html
--------
Over
800 civilians killed or wounded in attacks in Afghanistan during first half of
2020: UN
Thursday,
02 July 2020
Over
800 people have been killed or wounded in "deliberate attacks"
targeting civilians across war-torn Afghanistan during the first half of this
year, the UN says, voicing concerns the rising violence was aimed at derailing
planned peace talks between the Kabul government and Taliban.
"In
the first six months of 2020, preliminary figures indicate more than 800
civilians were killed and injured in deliberate attacks against
civilians," the Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a
statement on Thursday.
The
mission said the Taliban were responsible for half of those casualties.
UNAMA
chief Deborah Lyons urged the Taliban and Afghan authorities not to target
civilians and push on with efforts to de-escalate the conflict ahead of
upcoming talks.
"It's
taken enormous work and some brave decisions for Afghans to reach the point of
being on the eve of unprecedented intra-Afghan negotiations," Lyons said,
adding, "There are spoilers who do not wish to see an end to war. No
matter what tactics they employ to de-rail the peace process, they cannot be
allowed to succeed."
The
United Nations has recently warned of an alarming uptick in violence against
civilians and a “striking deterioration” in upholding international
humanitarian law in Afghanistan.
In
recent weeks, attacks have targeted prosecutors, religious leaders, worshipers,
journalists, healthcare and human rights workers.
Violence
has surged despite a deal between the Taliban and the United States. Official
data shows that Taliban bombings and other assaults have increased 70 percent
since the militant group signed the deal with the United States in February.
Under
the agreement, the US will withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, and the
Taliban will refrain from attacking international occupying forces. The
militants have made no pledge to avoid attacking Afghan forces and civilians.
The
Taliban militants had been refusing to recognize the Afghan government until
they reached a deal with the United States on February 29 under which they
agreed, among other things, to sit down for peace talks with the Afghan
government.
The
Afghan government was a party neither to the negotiations nor to the deal, but
it has been acting in accordance with its terms, including by agreeing to free
Taliban prisoners.
However,
the militants have not stopped attacking government targets and civilians.
The
deal envisages a complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
The
US and its allies invaded the Asian country to topple a Taliban regime in 2001,
accusing it of harboring the al-Qaeda terrorist group. The militants now
control or hold influence over more Afghan territory than at any point since
that time and have carried out near-daily attacks against US-led foreign forces
and Afghan military outposts throughout the war-ravaged country.
But
insecurity has spiked, and US forces have remained bogged down there through
the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump.
The
Daesh terrorist group has also emerged in the Asian country more recently.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628763/Afghanistan-Taliban-UNAMA-US-NATO-Deborah-Lyons
--------
Arab
World
Local,
external parties pushing Lebanon into full-blown economic crisis: PM Diab
03
July 2020
Lebanese
Prime Minister Hassan Diab says certain internal elements together with foreign
parties are seeking to push the cash-strapped Arab country deeper into economic
crisis as the local currency has been on a downward trajectory for weeks,
losing more than half of its value.
“Unfortunately,
there are internal parties that do not care about the future of the country.
They are only seeking personal interests, which are shrouded in political and
sectarian calculations.
“Such
parties are either mercenaries working to drag Lebanon into regional conflicts
and use it as a bargaining chip, or are encouraging external parties to exert
control over the country and bargain over it for the sake of regional and
international interests,” Lebanon’s official National News Agency quoted Diab
as saying at a cabinet session on Thursday.
He
added, “A political and financial blockade is imposed [on Lebanon], and it is
aimed at starvation of the Lebanese nation. At the same time, they (local and
external parties) claim that they want to help the Lebanese people.
“They
ask for reforms, but protect corruption, grant corrupt people immunity and do
not allow us to pursue financial files and recover stolen assets.”
“They
are increasing the dollar value against Lebanese pound, and are trying to
disrupt the government's measures to counter the price surge. Whilst they
demand financial measures, they smuggle money abroad, prevent incoming
transfers, and block the opening of letters of credit for fuel, medicine and
flour in order to deprive Lebanese people of electricity, starve them and let
them die because of scarcity of medical supplies,” Diab highlighted.
“To
add insult to injury, they claim to be supportive of Lebanon and eager to offer
assistance to the Lebanese people,” he argued.
Diab
went on to say that certain parties “are blatantly interfering in Lebanon's
affairs. There have been secret and public meetings, letters written with
secret ink, encrypted messages, WhatsApp messages as well as plots and
operations” in order to impede government plans.
“The
government is working to break the link between the dollar price and the cost
of living. We are in the final stage of accomplishing this task. We will
continue to disburse financial aid to needed families every month. We are
gradually increasing the number of beneficiary families,” the Lebanese prime
minister said.
Diab’s
remarks came amid local media reports that intensive contacts are underway to
push some ministers to tender their resignations before the entire government
steps down.
“Negotiations
have been ongoing for the past 24 hours with former prime minister Saad Hariri
over the possibility of his return as premier,” Arabic-language Akhbar al-Yawm
news agency quoted informed sources, requesting anonymity, as saying.
Lebanon
is facing its worst economic crisis in decades. The Lebanese pound has
continued to plummet against the US dollar, losing more than 60 percent of its
value over the last weeks while sources of foreign currency have dried up.
The
economic situation is fueling inflation, which the Finance Ministry has
estimated will reach 27 percent later this year.
Diab
assured Lebanese citizens on April 16 that at least 98 percent of bank deposits
will not be affected by any financial measures that his government plans to
take.
Some
economists have, however, cast doubts on such promises, terming them as “out of
touch with reality.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/03/628795/Local-external-parties-pushing-to-plunge-Lebanon-into-full-blown-economic-crisis-PM-Diab
--------
Iraqi
prime minister hails Hashd al-Sha’abi counter-terrorism efforts
02
July 2020
Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has praised the Popular Mobilization Units
(PMU), better known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, for their key role in defeating the
Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the Arab country.
An
informed source told Iraqi Alsumaria television that Kadhimi held a meeting
with commanders of PMU and Iraq's Counter-terrorism Service (CTS) on Wednesday
night, highlighting their role in eradicating terrorism.
The
Iraqi prime minister said that he did not differentiate between the country's
counter-terrorism forces, including the army, police, PMU and CTS.
The
meeting came after Iraq released a dozen members of PMU following an
unprecedented raid on the headquarters of Kata'ib Hezbollah, which is said to
have been dictated by the US.
The
PMU members were released on Monday and all charges against them were dropped,
Kata'ib Hezbollah's military spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini told AFP.
The
arrests had been made last Thursday for allegedly planning a rocket attack on
Baghdad's Green Zone, where the US and other embassies as well as state
buildings are located.
Despite
Washington’s accusations, Kata'ib has never claimed responsibility for the
attacks.
The
Thursday raid on Kata’ib headquarters raised serious questions about Iraq's
direction under the new government, as Iraqi leaders described it as an attempt
dictated by the US occupiers.
In
November 2016, the Iraqi parliament recognized Hashd al-Sha’abi as an official
force with similar rights as those of the regular army, therefore legally
establishing it as part of the National Armed Forces.
The
PMU has long rejected Washington’s military presence in the country as an
obstacle impeding long-lasting security and stability in Iraq.
In
January, the Iraqi parliament unanimously approved a bill, demanding the
withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the
country following the assassination of Iran's top military commander, Lt. Gen.
Qassem Soleimani, and the second-in-command of Iraq's PMU, Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis.
Iraqi
resistance groups have vowed to take up arms against US forces if Washington
fails to comply with a parliamentary order calling for the expulsion of US
troops following the assassination.
Iraq
launches new anti-Daesh operation north of Baghdad
Meanwhile,
Iraqi forces began a large-scale security operation against the remnants of
Daesh terrorist north of the capital Baghdad on Thursday.
Citing
a statement by Iraq's Security Media Cell, Mawazin news said that the prime
minister, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ordered the operation
under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command.
The
statement added that the new military operation is aimed at enhancing security
and stability in those areas while chasing terrorists and arresting them.
Daesh
began a campaign of terror in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in
lightning attacks.
Iraq
declared victory over Daesh in December 2017 after a three-year
counter-terrorism military campaign, which also had the support of neighboring
Iran.
Recently,
however, Daesh has launched a string of terrorist attacks targeting civilians
and Iraqi forces, among them Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628728/Iraq-Kadhimi-PMU--
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Saudi
Arabia supports UAE non-permanent membership of UN Security Council
02
July 2020
Saudi
Arabia supports the United Arab Emirates in its candidacy for non-permanent
membership in the UN Security Council for 2022-2023, Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Kingdom to the UN Dr. Khalid bin Muhammad Manzalawi said.
The
Kingdom shares the UAE’s vision of bringing peace and security in the world,
Manzalawi said during the Asia-Pacific Group’s virtual meeting.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
UAE has addressed several major issues related to international cooperation,
peace, security and sustainable development, and has closely cooperated with
the UN and international partners to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East
and around the world, the deputy permanent representative added.
He
also called on other countries to support the UAE’s candidacy.
The
UNSC has fiver permanent members, which includes: China, France, Russia, the
United Kingdom and the United States and ten non-permanent members. The
non-permanent members include Belgium, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Germany,
Indonesia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Tunisia, and
Vietnam.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/02/Saudi-Arabia-supports-UAE-non-permanent-membership-of-UN-Security-Council.html
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Coronavirus:
Saudi Arabia’s hospitals invited to participate in four clinical trials
02
July 2020
Hospitals
in Saudi Arabia have been invited to participate in several antiviral clinical
trials conducted by the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center
(KAIMRC) to help develop effective treatments for the coronavirus, the center’s
executive director told Saudi Gazette.
For
more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
The
center will be conducting four different studies, all of which have been
approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SDFA).
The
first study, called Avi Mild 19, is a trial that will be testing the use of the
antiviral medication favipiravir, which was developed in Japan and used to
treat mild viruses.
The
second study, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of
Health, is named “FACT.”
It
is based on a combination of favipiravir and hydroxychloroquine and is used on
patients with moderate malaria.
“Since
there is still no antiviral for coronavirus approved by the SFDA, any medicine
that is currently available is a subject of experiment,” KAIMRC Executive
Director Dr. Ahmed al-Askar told Saudi Gazette.
The
health ministry has also been supervising the third study, which involves
extracting plasma from the blood of recovered coronavirus patients.
The
fourth study involves collecting data on the effectiveness of different
coronavirus countermeasures to determine which ones are the most efficient.
The
rise in the number of clinical trials being conducted in the Kingdom is an
indication of the country’s medical and scientific development, al-Askar said.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/07/02/Coronavirus-Saudi-Arabia-s-hospitals-invited-to-participate-in-four-clinical-trials-.html
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Black
market dollar trading forces Lebanese shops to close
02
July 2020
A
string of top retail shops in Lebanon announced temporary closures on Thursday
after the country's currency lost five-sixths of its value, triggering sharp
price hikes.
In
a series of posts on social media, the popular stores said they would
temporarily halt sales as the Lebanese pound reached more than 9,000 to the
dollar on the black market.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Although
the currency is officially pegged at 1,507 pounds to the greenback, a shortage
of hard currency has seen its street value plummet to record lows since
October.
That
has left retailers have struggling to price their wares.
"We'd
rather shut down than significantly increase our prices and lose your
trust," said the Lebanon franchise of Korean lifestyle brand Mumuso, which
is headquartered in China.
MikeSport
also closed its doors, saying it did not want to "get involved in the game
of buying and selling the dollar" on the black market.
Several
supermarkets, retail stores and butcher shops have closed in recent days
because of the currency crisis.
"The
retail industry is going in the direction of a total shutdown or a temporary
closure until things become clearer in terms of (the) exchange rate," said
Nabil Gebrael, head of the Calia Group, which operates more than 20 retail
stores in the country.
Some
of the brands' managers protested Thursday in a central Beirut square that was
the epicenter of anti-government protests last year.
Lebanon,
burdened by sovereign debt equivalent to 170 percent of its GDP, defaulted in
March for the first time in its history.
The
economic crunch has sparked months of unprecedented protests against official
corruption and the banking sector.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/02/Black-market-exchange-dollar-trading-forces-Lebanese-shops-to-close.html
--------
Saudi
Arabia’s Khalid bin Salman: UN report shows Iran’s ‘dark vision’ for region
01
July 2020
Saudi
Arabia urges the international community to extend the UN Security Council arms
embargo on Iran after the recent UN report showed Tehran’s “dark vision” for
the region, said the Kingdom’s Vice Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin
Salman on Wednesday.
“The
UN report confirming the Iranian regime's involvement in sabotage attacks on
the Kingdom illustrates the regime’s dark vision for the region, while
countries in our region work to promote positive relations, and provide
stability and security,” the Prince said on Twitter.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
added: “The Kingdom's decision to request an independent UN investigation
confirmed what we already knew about the Iranian regime. The international
community must do its part in maintaining the arms embargo in order to end the
crimes and hostility of this regime.”
The
UNSC had discussed in a virtual meeting on Tuesday a report by UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that determined that cruise missiles used in
several attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia
last year were of “Iranian origin.”
Later
on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan
said that “the UNSC’s discussion of the UN report that confirmed Iran’s
involvement in the attack on the Kingdom’s oil facilities is a reminder for the
international community to take a firm stance against the Iranian regime’s
aggression and terror.”
He
added: “The details and facts laid out in the UN report reinforce our support
for a continued ban on arming the Iranian regime and confronting its developing
nuclear and ballistic programs.”
The
United States has been pushing to extend the arms embargo on Iran before it
expires in October.
"Don't
just take it from the United States, listen to countries in the region…
Countries in the Middle East – who are most exposed to Iran's predations – are
speaking with one voice: Extend the arms embargo," US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo told the UNSC meeting.
"Iran
is already violating the arms embargo even before its expiration date. Imagine
if Iranian activity were sanctioned -- authorized -- by this group if the
restrictions are lifted," Pompeo added.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/01/Saudi-Arabia-s-Khalid-bin-Salman-UN-report-shows-Iran-s-dark-vision-for-region.html
--------
Pompeo:
One fewer Hezbollah judge is always a good thing
01
July 2020
US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday welcomed the recent resignation of the
Lebanese judge that ordered a ban on media appearances for the US ambassador to
Lebanon after she criticized Hezbollah.
“As
for this judge no longer being the judge, one fewer Hezbollah judge is always a
good thing,” Pompeo told reporters during a briefing.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Last
weekend, a Lebanese judge ordered a media ban on US Ambassador Dorothy Shea one
day after she called out Hezbollah for destabilizing Lebanon and jeopardizing
its economic recovery.
In
his order, the judge said that Shea spoke about “a Lebanese party represented
in parliament and cabinet and that enjoys a wide popular base,” referring to
Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Asked
if there were fears of any military escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in
the near future, Pompeo said, “we’re always concerned about the space between
Hezbollah and Israel, but related to this incident with our ambassador and her
ability to speak freely there, I’m – that doesn’t raise my concerns greatly.”
Pompeo
added: “I don’t think that greatly increases the risk of conflict between the
two.”
After
the judge’s order last Saturday, US Embassy spokesperson Casey Bonfield said it
was “disappointing that, with these challenging economic times, some are
attempting to distract and censor. We, as Americans, embrace freedom of speech,
and the important role of a free media, and we know Lebanon does as well.”
Shea
said that a senior official in the Lebanese government apologized to her for
Judge Mohammad Mazeh’s move.
A
senior official from President Michel Aoun’s office criticized Mazeh, saying
his order contradicted international and diplomatic treaties. “This judge
should get a warning of some sorts from the Higher Judicial Council,” the
official previously told Al Arabiya English, adding that it was out of the judge’s
prerogatives to make such a decision.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/01/Pompeo-One-fewer-Hezbollah-judge-is-always-a-good-thing.html
--------
Hezbollah
supporters call for Lebanon to accept Iranian fuel offer
02
July 2020
Hezbollah
supporters launched a hashtag in Lebanon Thursday, calling for Lebanon to
accept an Iranian offer for fuel.
The
hashtag, translated to English, #thelightrisesfromtheast, comes in response to
reports that Iran has put forward an offer to send fuel tankers to Lebanon to
resolve an electricity crisis.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Cash-strapped
Lebanon faces a crisis due to a shortage of available US dollars, making
imports more difficult.
Using
the hashtag that was circulated on Twitter, a picture was posted by one user
accusing Washington of “wanting darkness in Lebanon.” A rope with the flag of
the US appears on the image, turning off a light switch.
Pro-Hezbollah
newspaper, Al Akhbar, published an article on Wednesday titled, “Iran is ready:
Take the fuel in Lebanese pounds!”
The
daily said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Nasrallah that
Tehran would help Lebanon during what Al Akhbar said was an “American blockade.”
In
his last speech, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Hasan Nasrallah, said that
China and Iran had offered to help Lebanon and that Beirut needed "to look
East" since, he claimed, the United States was looking to “starve” the
Lebanese people.
Nasrallah
said China was prepared to build new power plants in Lebanon, while the
Iran-backed leader hinted that Iran would accept payments for fuel in Lebanese
currency.
However,
the US and European countries have offered to help Lebanon during its
unprecedented crisis once the government implements reforms that would
crackdown on corruption and wasted public funds.
American
company, General Electric, and Germany's Siemens have both expressed their
willingness to help build new power plants in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s
energy minister, Raymond Ghajar, said Wednesday that “a problem between Lebanon
and supply companies” was the reason for increased power cuts over the last few
days.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/03/Hezbollah-supporters-call-for-Lebanon-to-accept-Iranian-fuel-offer.html
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Syrian
army forces in Syria’s Hasakah stop US convoy, force it to return
02
July 2020
Syrian
government forces have block a US military convoy in the country’s northeastern
province of Hasakah and forced it to turn back amid seething resentment of
locals over the presence of American troops in the region.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA reported that the US convoy was confronted by Syrian
troops stationed at al-Dardara bridge as American forces were traveling along
the road linking the small town of Tal Tamr to Abu Rasin town on Thursday.
SANA
added that government forces did not allow the US convoy to move ahead, and
ordered it to “go back to the base it came from.”
No
one was hurt in the confrontation and there was no immediate comment from the
US military.
A
similar incident took place on June 25, when a US convoy of armored vehicles
headed back to its base after residents of Khirbet Bunyan village, which lies
in the al-Malikiyah district of the same Syrian province, did not allow it to
move and pelted it with stones. There were no reports of injuries.
Two
days earlier, local people in Faris Kabir village in the same province had
prevented a convoy of US military vehicles from passing through their village,
and hurled stones at the foreign soldiers.
Since
late October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil
fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of
President Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all troops from the Arab
country.
The
Pentagon claims the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from
possible attacks by Daesh. That claim came although Trump had earlier suggested
that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.
The
presence of US forces in eastern Syria has particularly irked the civilians,
and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys
entering the region.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628761/Syrian-army-forces-in-Syria%E2%80%99s-Hasakah-stop-US-convoy-force-it-to-retreat
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Fresh
US military convoy enters northeast Syria from western Iraq
02
July 2020
The
US military has sent a new convoy of trucks loaded with military hardware and
logistical gears to Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah as Washington
seeks to control and loot crude resources in the war-torn country.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA, citing unnamed local sources in al-Ya'rubiyah town,
reported that a convoy of 30 vehicles, including trucks and armored personnel
carriers, rumbled through the Waleed border crossing, located in the al-Rutba
district of Iraq’s western province of Anbar, into Syrian territories on
Thursday.
The
sources added that the convoy drove by Tel Hamees town and headed toward the
provincial capital city of Hasakah.
According
to SANA, the US forces have also built an airstrip in Geweran neighborhood of
Hasakah province to allow their military aircraft to land and take off. They
have also occupied a large number of state buildings in the area with the help
of Kurdish-led members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
This
came only a day after the US military dispatched a convoy of dozens of tankers
to the small Syrian city of al-Malikiyah in Hasakah province.
The
vehicles headed toward the Iraqi territory after being loaded with crude oil,
according to SANA.
Since
late October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil
fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of
President Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all troops from the Arab
country.
The
Pentagon claims the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from
possible attacks by Daesh. That claim came although Trump had earlier suggested
that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.
Syria,
which has not authorized the presence of the US military in its territory, says
Washington is “plundering” the country’s oil.
The
presence of US forces in eastern Syria has particularly irked the civilians,
and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys
entering the region.
Syrians
protest deployment of US-backed SDF militants
Separately
on Wednesday, dozens of people in Tel Hamees town in Syria’s northeastern
province of Hasakah staged a demonstration in protest at the deployment of
US-sponsored SDF militants in the area and their arbitrary practices.
SANA
reported that the residents blocked the main road to the town with burning tires
and blocks of stone, demanding the withdrawal of the militants from the region.
Security
conditions are reportedly deteriorating in the areas controlled by the SDF in
Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and arrests of civilians
by the US-backed militants.
Locals
argue that the SDF’s constant raids and arrest campaigns have generated a state
of frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and
livelihood.
Residents
accuse the militants of stealing crude oil and failing to spend money on
service sectors.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/02/628741/Fresh-US-military-convoy-enters-northeast-Syria-from-western-Iraq
--------
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