Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, New Daesh Leader Worked With US, New Documents Reveal
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 November 2020
New documents reveal that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi
al-Quraishi, the new leader of the Daesh terrorist group, had been cooperating
with US intelligence elements.
-----
• Muslim Teen Guns Down Ahmadi Doctor, Injures His
Father And Two Uncles Over ‘Religious Differences’ In Pakistan Punjab
• A Hindu Temple, Believed To Have Been Constructed
1,300 Years Ago Discovered In Northwest Pakistan
• Afghan Govt, Taliban Resolve Key Sticking Points
Stalling Peace Talks
• Macron Accuses Turkey, Russia Of Pushing Anti-French
Sentiment In Africa
• US To Launch Regional Funds For Pakistan,
Afghanistan And Uzbekistan
• Spokesman Dismisses Report on Iranian Deputy FM's
Contact with Biden's Team As Fake News
Arab world
• Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, New Daesh Leader
Worked With US, New Documents Reveal
• Top US General In The Mideast Says ISIS In Iraq And
Syria Still Long-Term Threat
• Resistance forces won't put down their weapons amid
threat: Iraqi leader
• G20 Riyadh Summit Taking Place Under Exceptional
Circumstances: Saudi Arabia's FM
• US extends sanctions waiver for Iraq to import
Iranian gas: Iraqi official
• What is the G20, and what is different at this
year’s Riyadh summit?
• Hamas condemns Bahraini foreign minister’s visit to
occupied territories
• Iran-backed Militias Resume Rocket Attacks Toward US
Embassy in Iraq
--------
Pakistan
• Muslim Teen Guns Down Ahmadi Doctor, Injures His
Father And Two Uncles Over ‘Religious Differences’ In Pakistan Punjab
• Pakistan Court Jails Muhammad Ashraf And Lucman Shah
Aides of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in Terror Financing Case
• War of words erupts after govt refuses permission
for PDM rally
• Govt plans unbundling of several public entities
• SBP warns of forced repatriation of overseas
Pakistani workers
• Balochistan health, education sectors to be
revamped: adviser
--------
India
• A Hindu Temple, Believed To Have Been Constructed
1,300 Years Ago Discovered In Northwest Pakistan
• From 5-Year Jail Term To Non-Bailable Offence: What
States Say On Ordinance Against ‘Love Jihad’
• BJP Accused Rajasthan CM Of Supporting Love Jihad
Under The Garb Of Personal Liberty
• UP Home Department Proposes Tough Law Against
"Love Jihad": Report
• Bihar Should Have Law Against "Love
Jihad": BJP's Giriraj Singh
• Afghanistan can succeed only when terrorism no
longer flows across Durand Line: India at UN
• India for 'unequivocal' UNSC stand on terror
• Pak-based Jaish trying to target J&K polls: PM
• Article 370 would never be restored in J&K,
'Gupkar alliance' befooling people: BJP
• 4 Jaish terrorists killed in Nagrota got orders from
Masood Azhar’s brother
--------
South Asia
• Afghan Govt, Taliban Resolve Key Sticking Points
Stalling Peace Talks
• Ghani: UN Does Not Recognize The Legitimacy of
Taliban as a Government
• MoD Operations in Kandahar Claims 39 Militants,
Wounds 5
• At least eight killed in rocket attack in
Afghanistan's Kabul: Official
--------
Europe
• Macron Accuses Turkey, Russia Of Pushing Anti-French
Sentiment In Africa
• Belarus KGB Puts Social-Media Channel Creators on
Terrorist List
• Gloucestershire man arrested on suspicion of
terrorism offences
• Greek police arrest Islamic State suspect after
migrant camp brawl
--------
North America
• US To Launch Regional Funds For Pakistan, Afghanistan
And Uzbekistan
• Trump will participate in virtual G20 summit hosted
by Saudi Arabia: US official
• Pompeo: All options remain on the table against Iran
• Dealing with terrorism threat will dominate new
administration's agenda
--------
Mideast
• Spokesman Dismisses Report on Iranian Deputy FM's
Contact with Biden's Team As Fake News
• Israel’s aggressive intentions against Lebanon
remain, warns army chief Joseph Aoun
• Iran condemns Pompeo’s visit to occupied lands,
pro-Israel doctrine
• Iran: World must press Israel to join NPT
unconditionally
• Over 3,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel
since Second Intifada: Ministry
• Turkey issues detention warrants for 101 people on
alleged terrorism links
--------
Africa
• Rebels In Ethiopia's Tigray Fire Rockets At
Neighbouring State: Report
• Ethiopia conflict puts 2.3 million children in need:
UNICEF
• Boko Haram: Troops kill 3 terrorists, rescue women,
children in Northeast
• Somalia: Bomb Kills 3 Soldiers in Southern Somalia
--------
Southeast Asia
• Be Thankful Umno Is Part Of Federal Govt, Barisan
Nasional Reminds Squabbling Leaders
• GLC-driven initiatives will boost recovery, say
experts
• New tourism rules soon for green zone travel, says
minister
• Dr Mahathir suggests US president-elect Joe Biden
crucial to Asia’s growth
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/abu-ibrahim-al-hashimi-al/d/123536
--------
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, New Daesh Leader Worked With US, New Documents Reveal
20 November 2020
New documents reveal that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi
al-Quraishi, the new leader of the Daesh terrorist group, had been cooperating
with US intelligence elements.
-----
New documents reveal that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi
al-Quraishi, the new leader of the Daesh terrorist group, had been cooperating
with US intelligence elements.
According to the newly declassified documents, the new
Daesh commander has betrayed dozens of fellow Daesh terrorists in Iraq.
According to Iraq’s Al-Forat news, during an
interrogation in 2008, al-Quraishi provided the Americans with confidential information
about terrorist elements.
At that time, he was detained by US forces in Camp
Bucca prison in southern Iraq where he met Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former
Daesh leader who allegedly killed himself last year.
Out of 66 reports of al-Quraishi’s interrogations
conducted by the Pentagon, only three documents have been declassified.
According to these documents, al-Quraishi had accepted
to cooperate with the US intelligence service, giving the names of 88 fellow
terrorists to the Americans.
He had also disclosed information about his group’s
abduction and terror operations, but denied any involvement in the 2003 attacks
against foreign forces in Iraq.
His confessions also shed more light on how Daesh was
established and how it could reinforce itself following the increase in the
number of American troops in Iraq in 2007 and 2008.
The Daesh terrorist group was vanquished in Iraq and
Syria and lost all of its urban bastions in both Arab countries, but its
remnants carry out sporadic attacks both on government soldiers and civilians.
The group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was
allegedly killed in a US raid in northern Syria last month when he detonated
his explosive vest after being cornered in a tunnel by approaching American
Special Forces.
Daesh later confirmed his death and named Abu Ibrahim
al-Hashimi al-Quraishi as the new leader.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638992/Daesh-leader-quraishi-declassified-documents
--------
Muslim Teen Guns Down Ahmadi Doctor, Injures His
Father And Two Uncles Over ‘Religious Differences’ In Pakistan Punjab
November 20, 2020
Fatal attack on a house of Ahmadi in Murh Balochan, district Nankana Sahib - AFP
Photo
-----
A doctor belonging to Pakistan’s minority Ahmadi
community was shot dead, while his father and two uncles were injured when a
Muslim teenage boy opened fire on them over “religious differences” in the
country’s Punjab province on Friday, police said.
According to police, the Ahmadi family members were
returning to their home after offering Friday prayers in Murh Balochan at
Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, when an armed teenage boy opened
indiscriminate fire on them.
During the firing, 31-year-old Tahir Ahmad, a doctor
who did his MBBS from Russia, died on the spot, while his father Tariq Ahmad
and two uncles suffered bullets injuries.
Police have arrested the attacker, aged between 16 and
17. He lives in the same neighbourhood as that of the Ahmadi family and is
apparently inspired by the radical views against Ahmadis, police said.
“The suspect has been taken into custody and he
confessed to having attacked the family over religious differences. It is being
ascertained whether the teenager had attacked the Ahmadis on his own or he was
following somebody else’s instructions,? a senior police official said.
The Ahmadi community spokesperson Saleem-ud-Din
strongly condemned the attack and said there has been a wave of anti-Ahmadi
campaign in Pakistan.
“At some events recently, speakers openly incited
participants to kill Ahmadis. In the past few months, members of the Ahmadi
community are increasingly being targeted because of their faith. The Imran
Khan government has turned a blind eye to such activities. This is the fourth
killing of an Ahmadi community member due to his faith in the last few months
in Pakistan. There are many other incidents of violence where Ahmadis have been
injured or faced serious loss of property,” he said.
The Ahmadi community has demanded that the government
rein in the hate mongers who are operating with impunity.
“At the same time, the government has to implement its
own laws about hate campaign on social media that it is extensively used for
this purpose. The safety and security of every citizen in Pakistan is the
responsibility of the government and Ahmadis are law-abiding citizens of this
country who should get the same rights and protection as any other citizen of
Pakistan,” Saleem-ud-Din said.
The Ahmadi faith was established on the Indian
subcontinent in the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, whose followers believe
he was a prophet.
Pakistan’s parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in
1974. Since then, Ahmadis have repeatedly been targeted by Islamic extremists
in this Muslim majority nation in attacks that have drawn condemnation from
human right groups.
Attacks targeting members of the Ahmadiya community
have seen an uptick in recent months, the Dawn News reported.
Last month, an Ahmadi professor was shot dead in a
targeted attack in Peshawar, allegedly over his religious beliefs.
In July, an American national, Tahir Naseem, was shot
dead by a teenager in a Peshawar courtroom. It later turned out that the
deceased had reportedly left the Ahmadi community.
On August 12, Meraj Ahmed, an Ahmadi trader, was shot
dead by attackers in Peshawar’s Gulbahar area.
On September 10, a mob besieged the residence of an
Ahmadi in the Phandu area of Peshawar and the family was rescued by police.
However, one of the family members was arrested and charged with blasphemy.
https://indianexpress.com/article/pakistan/muslim-teen-guns-down-ahmadi-doctor-injures-3-others-over-religious-differences-in-pakistan/
--------
A Hindu Temple, Believed To Have Been Constructed
1,300 Years Ago Discovered In Northwest Pakistan
Nov 20, 2020
The discovery was made during an excavation at Barikot
Ghundai.(Italian Archaeological Mission to Pakistan )
-----
PESHAWAR: A Hindu temple, believed to have been
constructed 1,300 years ago, has been discovered by Pakistani and Italian
archaeological experts at a mountain in northwest Pakistan's Swat district.
The discovery was made during an excavation at Barikot
Ghundai. Announcing the discovery on Thursday, Fazle Khaliq of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Department of Archaeology said that the temple discovered is of Lord
Vishnu.
It was built by the Hindus 1,300 years ago during the
Hindu Shahi period, he said.
The Hindu Shahis or Kabul Shahis (850–1026 CE) was a
Hindu dynasty that ruled the Kabul Valley (eastern Afghanistan), Gandhara
(modern-day Pakistan), and present-day northwestern India.
During their excavation, the archaeologists also found
traces of cantonment and watchtowers near the temple site.
The experts also found a water tank near the temple
site which they believe was used by the Hindus for bathing before worship.
Khaliq said that Swat district is home to a thousand-year-old archaeological
sites and the traces of the Hindu Shahi period have been found for the first
time in the area.
Dr Luka, the head of the Italian archaeological
mission, said this was the first temple of the Ghandhara civilisation
discovered in Swat district.
Swat district is among the top 20 sites in Pakistan
which is home to every kind of tourism like natural beauty, religious tourism,
cultural tourism and archaeological sites.
Several places of worship of Buddhism are also
situated in Swat district.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ancient-hindu-temple-discovered-in-northwest-pakistan/articleshow/79328021.cms
--------
Afghan Govt, Taliban Resolve Key Sticking Points
Stalling Peace Talks
21 Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD: The Afghan government and the Taliban have
resolved key sticking points that had stalled peace talks for weeks, several
sources said on Friday, clearing the way for negotiations to move forward.
Talks started on Sept 12 in the Qatari capital Doha
but almost immediately faltered over disagreements about the agenda, the basic
framework of discussions and religious interpretations.
However, following days of sideline discussions, it
appears negotiators have now cleared the way for full peace talks to get under
way. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Taliban leader based in
Pakistan said that “sufficient progress” has been made.
“We are close to an announcement and initiation of
formal talks,” he said.
“A joint statement will be issued soon,” he added,
saying the announcement could come in the next few days.
A second Taliban source in Pakistan confirmed that
both sides have agreed on the basic rules to begin formal talks. A third source
close to the Taliban also confirmed the development. An Afghan official close
to negotiators in Doha said that both teams have now resolved several disputed
issues, opening the path for talks to begin.
Several members of the Afghan government’s negotiating
team recently returned to Kabul for final consultations, after which President
Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, who is heading the peace process for Kabul,
are expected to announce a breakthrough, the official said.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591521/afghan-govt-taliban-resolve-issues-stalling-peace-talks
--------
Macron accuses Turkey, Russia of pushing anti-French
sentiment in Africa
21 November 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Turkey
and Russia of whipping up anti-France sentiments across Africa by funding
individuals that incite resentment against Paris in the local media.
“We must not be naive on this subject: many of those
who speak, who make videos, who are present in the French-speaking media are
funded by Russia or Turkey,” Macron claimed during a Friday interview with
Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine.
The French president, who has generated widespread
controversy by his latest anti-Islam remarks, further accused Turkey and Russia
of attempting “to play on post-colonial resentment.”
Macron sparked extensive anger especially among the
Muslim population of nearly two billion people, after he publicly attacked the
Abrahamic religion in defense of repeated publication of derogatory cartoons of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the name
of “freedom of expression.”
In his interview, he accused Ankara of contributing to
the “misunderstandings” over his justification of re-publishing the
sacrilegious cartoons back in October.
“When I decided to attack radical Islam … my words
were distorted. By the Muslim Brotherhood -- quite widely -- but also by
Turkey, which has the ability to influence a lot of public opinion, including
in sub-Saharan Africa,” Macron claimed.
Reiterating his Islamophobic position that has caused
huge controversy across France and beyond over recent months, he further
claimed: “I am not attacking Islam, I am attacking Islamist terrorism,” using a
term deliberately repeated to depict Muslims as violent by faith.
Paris has called for a total reconsideration of ties
between the European Union and Turkey, which under President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has significantly expanded its presence and influence in Africa in
recent years.
During the interview, Macron also ruled out
negotiations with armed groups in Africa’s restive Sahel region, where France
is engaged in a military intervention by deploying thousands of troops.
“We don’t talk with terrorists. We fight,” Macron
further boasted, as discussions intensify in France and Africa over the
long-term strategy of its controversial Operation Barkhane military force.
He went on to claim that Paris would talk to different
political and other groups, but not armed groups “which continue to kill
civilians and soldiers, including our soldiers.”
Macron’s latest remarks on the denunciation of Islam
and in defense of secularism have drawn widespread backlash from Muslim
activists and advocates of the noble religion.
Macron in early October unveiled a plan to defend his
country’s "secular values" against what he labeled as “Islamist
radicalism” and claimed that the religion was “in crisis” all over the world.
Macron underlined that “no concessions” would be made
in a new drive to eliminate religion from education and the public sector in
the country.
The French president also said his government would
present a bill in December that would strengthen the country’s 1905 law that
officially separated religion and state.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/21/639037/France-President-Emmanuel-Macron-Turkey-Russia-anti-French-sentiment-Africa
--------
US to launch regional funds for Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Uzbekistan
Anwar Iqbal
21 Nov 2020
WASHINGTON: US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said on
Friday that Washington will soon announce a high-level meeting of
representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan to encourage trade
and development in that region.
The United States, which will also participate in the
meeting, is also launching a fund to encourage investments in the South and
Central Asian region.
Ambassador Khalilzad is the Trump administration’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation and has played a key
role in negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban with Pakistan’s support.
The deal, which calls for a total withdrawal of
foreign troops from Afghanistan by May 2021, was signed in February.
The Trump administration wants to withdraw most of its
troops from Afghanistan within this framework but faces a strong resistance
from the Pentagon which opposes an unconditional pullout.
“We look forward to soon announcing a regional
investment fund and a high-level meeting of representatives from the United
States, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to discuss connectivity, trade
and development initiatives,” Ambassador Khalilzad wrote in a tweet posted on
his official Twitter account.
The tweet followed his meeting with Uzbekistan’s
Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Kamilov in Washington on Thursday. Uzbek Special
Representative Ismatulla Irgashev also attended the meeting.
“We discussed the current status of Afghanistan Peace
Negotiations and the importance of an immediate reduction in violence,”
Ambassador Khalilzad wrote.
“We also discussed the region’s role in helping the
Afghan peace process and recommitted to the importance of regional economic
connectivity, trade and development facilitated by peace in Afghanistan,” he
added.
The US diplomat noted that peace in Afghanistan would
benefit Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited
Kabul, where he vowed to “do everything” to help curb violence and push for a
ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan forces.
Khan’s first visit to Kabul as prime minister comes
amidst escalating violence in Afghanistan, which also threatens peace
negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban that began in Doha
in September.
In August, Pakistan hosted a meeting of key Taliban
leaders in Islamabad, urging them to hold talks with the Afghan government to
end decades of conflict. Islamabad also emphasised the need for an intra-Afghan
dialogue to ensure regional stability.
The US-Taliban treaty also calls for such a dialogue
and links the withdrawal of troops to the success of these negotiations.
The Trump administration wants to implement the deal
before a new administration takes charge in Washington early next year.
The incoming Biden administration also wants a
troop-pullout but does not share President Donald Trump’s eagerness to do it as
soon as possible.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591523/us-to-launch-regional-funds-for-pakistan-afghanistan-and-uzbekistan
--------
Spokesman Dismisses Report on Iranian Deputy FM's
Contact with Biden's Team As Fake News
2020-November-20
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh
rejected the report as fake and a good example of yellow journalism.
"The report that was released few days ago is
completely fake," he said on Friday.
Earlier this week, the New York Times had claimed that
Araqchi had tried to pass on to Joe Biden’s advisers.
Iran's representative office in New York made an
immediate reaction to the news, rejecting any kind of direct on indirect
contact between Iran and the US.
"Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi,
has tried to pass on to Mr. Biden’s advisers through intermediaries Tehran’s
insistence that the United States return to the Iran deal unconditionally
before any talks resume," NY claimed.
"Iran is not interested in a temporary freeze and
will not stop enriching uranium or reduce its large stockpile in the
meantime," it continued.
However, advisers to Biden do not confirm receiving
any messages from Iran and say they will only deal with the issue after the
inauguration.
Iran has repeatedly reiterated that the election of
Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden as the US President is not very important to
Iran.
US President-elect Joe Biden has recently said in a
CNN article that he wants a renegotiation of the contents of the deal before he
agrees to rejoin the agreement.
“I will offer Tehran a credible path back to
diplomacy. If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the
United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on
negotiations. With our allies, we will work to strengthen and extend the
nuclear deal's provisions, while also addressing other issues of concern,” he
wrote, mentioning that he wants changes to the contents of the nuclear deal and
guarantees from Tehran that it would be open for compromise to strike multiple
deals over its missile and regional powers as well as a number of other issues
that have been the bones of contention between the two sides in the last four
decades.
In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif had stressed that the US has violated the nuclear deal and is in no
position to ask for any conditions for its return to the JCPOA, adding that
it's Tehran that has its own terms to allow the US back into the
internationally endorsed agreement.
The foreign minister has reiterated time and again
that Tehran would not change even a single word of the agreement, and cautioned
the US that it needs to pay reparations for the damage it has inflicted on Iran
through its retreat from the nuclear agreement and give enough ensurances that
it would not go for initiating the trigger mechanism again before it could get
back to the deal.
US President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the
historic deal, unilaterally pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018, and
unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in
defiance of global criticism in an attempt to strangle the Iranian oil trade,
but to no avail since its "so-called maximum pressure policy" has
failed to push Tehran to the negotiating table.
In response to the US’ unilateral move, Tehran has so
far rowed back on its nuclear commitments four times in compliance with
Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, but stressed that its retaliatory measures
will be reversible as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual
trade from the US sanctions.
Tehran has particularly been disappointed with failure
of the three European signatories to the JCPOA -- Britain, France and Germany
-- to protect its business interests under the deal after the United States'
withdrawal.
On January 5, Iran took a final step in reducing its
commitments, and said it would no longer observe any operational limitations on
its nuclear industry, whether concerning the capacity and level of uranium
enrichment, the volume of stockpiled uranium or research and development.
In relevant remarks last Wednesday, Araqchi said that
the US should lift all sanctions imposed against his country in the past 3
years before returning to the nuclear deal.
“If the US wants to return, all sanctions which have
been imposed in this period of time (past 3 years) should be removed. This is
not a precondition for returning to the nuclear deal but it is the nuclear deal
itself,” Araqchi said.
He added that of course there are other challenges
that Iran and the US should talk about (within the framework of the nuclear
deal) and the ground should be paved for the US return to the nuclear deal in a
way that will meet the Iranian people’s interests.
“The world is now speaking about one point and the
entire world has accepted that the (US) policy of maximum pressure has failed
and did not attain any of its goals,” Araqchi said.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13990830000350/Spkesman-Dismisses-Repr-n-Iranian-Depy-FM's-Cnac-wih-Biden's-Team-As
--------
Arab world
Top US general in the Mideast says ISIS in Iraq and Syria
still long-term threat
21 November 2020
WASHINGTON — Although the Islamic State extremist
group is battered and scattered, it cannot be fully defeated until the world
finds a way to reconcile and resettle the thousands of people displaced by
years of war in Iraq and Syria, the general overseeing American military
operations in the Mideast said Thursday.
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central
Command, said there is no military means of solving the problem of Mideast
refugees and internally displaced persons, or IDPs, who await repatriation or
resettlement and represent what he called an unfortunate byproduct of armed
conflicts.
“Today, across vast swaths of Syria and Iraq, the
systemic indoctrination of IDP and refugee camp populations who are hostage to
the receipt of ISIS ideology is an alarming development with potentially
generational implications,” McKenzie said in remarks to the National Council on
U.S.-Arab Relations.
He said a solution must come from a joint effort by
diplomatic, security and humanitarian organizations.
“Unless the international community finds a way to
repatriate, reintegrate into home communities, and support locally grown
reconciliation programming of these people, ... we are buying ourselves a
strategic problem 10 years down the road when these children grow up
radicalized. If we don’t address this now, we’re never really going to defeat
ISIS,” he added.
Over the past six years, starting with former
President Barack Obama’s decision in 2014 to return U.S. troops to Iraq to halt
an advance of Islamic State forces into Iraq from Syria, the U.S. has led an
effort to militarily defeat the extremist group in both countries. But the
group has not been extinguished, and McKenzie said it has not abandoned its
aspiration to recreate a caliphate and attack the West.
President Donald Trump has pushed for a full U.S.
withdrawal from Syria, saying the conflict there was not worth U.S. sacrifices,
although there currently are at least several hundred U.S. troops there working
with local forces to solidify gains against ISIS. The U.S. also has about 3,000
troops still in Iraq; on Tuesday the Pentagon announced that Trump had ordered
a drawdown to 2,500 in Iraq with no change for Syria.
President-elect Joe Biden has long argued for bringing
most U.S. troops home from the wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan while
narrowly focusing the U.S. military on defeating ISIS and al-Qaida.
Trump has pushed for the repatriation of foreign
fighters in Syria, but their home countries have largely refused to take them
back. He has shown little interest in leading a diplomatic or humanitarian
effort to resettle refugees and internally displaced people and to improve
their economic prospects.
In the short run, McKenzie said, ISIS is in no
position to pose a major security threat to the United States. The al-Qaida
extremist group and like-minded militants also are severely hobbled but not
eliminated, he said.
Pressure put on these groups by the U.S. military and
other organizations has made it difficult for them to transfer the funds,
organize the plans and move the people needed to conduct external attacks from
Iraq or Syria, he said.
“Because when you are running for your life up and
down the Euphrates River Valley, listening to the noise of an armed MQ-9 drone
overhead, it’s hard to think about conducting attack planning against Detroit,”
he said.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/11/19/top-us-general-in-the-mideast-says-isis-in-iraq-and-syria-still-long-term-threat/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Resistance
forces won't put down their weapons amid threat: Iraqi leader
20
November 2020
A
senior Iraqi leader says the Islamic resistance forces will not lay down their
arms as long as Iraq is under threat.
Qais
al-Khazali, leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, says the Iraqi government is
entitled to having a monopoly on carrying and using weapons in order to restore
stability to the country.
However,
he noted that the Iraqi resistance forces will continue carrying arms as long
as the country is in danger.
Speaking
in an interview with the Al-Iraqiya TV, which was aired on Thursday, Khazali
said resistance forces carry weapons for a specific goal and reason.
“Once
that goal is achieved, they will lay down their weapons,” he noted.
He
said he is opposed to rocket attacks against the US embassy, and so are many
other groups, as it is a diplomatic site.
“Resistance
groups are opposed to [the US] occupation; we do not approve of rocket attacks
against diplomatic centers,” he added.
The
heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, which hosts foreign diplomatic sites
and government buildings including the US embassy, has been frequently targeted
by rockets and explosives in the past few years.
Washington,
each time, has been quick to point the finger at popular anti-terror groups,
which are now integrated into Iraq's armed forces.
The
US has time and again targeted positions of Iraq’s anti-terror Popular
Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, after blaming the
major anti-terror force for the rocket attacks.
The
popular group and other resistance forces have strongly denied any involvement
in the strikes. They even agreed last month to stop military operations against
US and foreign forces in Iraq to allow them to leave the Arab country.
Khazali,
however, says the ceasefire announced by Islamic resistance groups has come to
an end as two conditions for the truce have not been met.
“The
two conditions included Iraq’s control over its airspace and setting up a
timetable for the withdrawal of American occupying forces from Iraq,” he said
in the Thursday interview.
“We
will establish the principle of our full right to confront alien forces
militarily,” he added.
Anti-American
sentiments have been running high in Iraq since the US assassinated Iran’s
anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, and deputy head of
Iraq’s anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in
Baghdad on January 3.
Just
days later, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously passed a bill mandating the withdrawal
of all foreign troops from Iraq.
The
US has refused to withdraw its troops, with US President Donald Trump balking
at the idea with the threat to seize Iraq's oil money held in bank accounts in
the United States.
Iraqi
resistance groups have pledged to take up arms against US forces if Washington
fails to comply with the parliamentary order.
The
US announced on Tuesday that it would slash troop levels in Afghanistan and
Iraq to 2,500 in each country, their lowest levels in nearly 20 years of
invasion.
Washington
still has some 3,000 troops stationed across Iraq.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638985/Iraq-khazali-resistance-US-occupation
--------
G20
Riyadh summit taking place under exceptional circumstances: Saudi Arabia's FM
20
November 2020
The
G20 Leaders Summit in Riyadh comes under exceptional circumstances due to the
coronavirus pandemic, said Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince
Faisal bin Farhan via the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Friday.
Despite
the challenges, Prince Faisal said the Kingdom had “faced the challenges of the
coronavirus pandemic with determination, determination and competence.”
“The
Kingdom has put at the top of its priorities the protection of lives and the
economy from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, and has paid special
attention to discussing policies related to individuals with their various
interests and areas affecting their lives,” SPA quoted the minister as saying.
“The
Kingdom seeks to push policy solutions to address the epidemic, and to work
with international partners and organizations to achieve these solutions,” he
added via SPA.
G20
Riyadh Summit
Saudi
Arabia holds the 2020 presidency of the G20, which rotates among members, and
will be hosting the G20 summit across Saturday November 21 and Sunday November
22.
Due
to the coronavirus, this year’s Riyadh summit is being held virtually, with
leaders and ministers attending via webcam.
The
build-up events, ranging from Women 20 to Business 20, have also taken place
virtually.
Addressing
the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic is top of the agenda this year, as
countries try to rebuild from the devastating economic impact of the virus.
The
environment has also featured, with the looming threat of climate change
everpresent on the agenda.
This
year’s agenda also has a sharper focus on culture than previous years, with
culture ministers pledging to support the $2.3 trillion cultural economy in a
meeting on November 4.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/11/20/G20-G20-Riyadh-summit-taking-place-under-exceptional-circumstances-Saudi-Arabia-s-FM
--------
US
extends sanctions waiver for Iraq to import Iranian gas: Iraqi official
21
November 2020
Washington
has granted Iraq a shortened 45-day sanctions waiver to import Iranian gas that
will expire days before US President Donald Trump’s term ends, an Iraqi
official said Saturday.
Baghdad
buys gas and electricity from its neighbor Tehran to supply about a third of
its power sector, worn down by years of conflict and poor maintenance.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
US blacklisted Iran’s energy industry in late 2018 but granted Baghdad a series
of temporary waivers, hoping Iraq would wean itself off Iranian energy by
partnering with US firms.
The
lengths of the exemptions have become a key tool in US policy towards Iraq,
demonstrating the level of satisfaction or frustration with Baghdad.
In
May, Washington granted Iraq a four-month extension as a gesture of goodwill
towards Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who had just formed a cabinet seen as US-friendly.
But
when it renewed the waiver in late September, the Trump administration gave
Iraq just 60 days.
This
time, it went even shorter: 45 days, a top Iraqi official told AFP, expiring
around a week before Trump is set to hand over the White House to
President-elect Joe Biden.
“They
(the Trump administration) wanted a last opportunity to have a say,” the
official said.
The
shorter waiver comes amid concern by Iraqi and Western officials that Trump
could use his final days in office to strike at Iran and its allies in Iraq.
The
State Department is drawing up plans for a possible closure of the American
embassy in Baghdad, which has been targeted by dozens of rocket attacks in the
last year.
And
two Iraqi officials have said they expect a “bucket list of sanctions” against
Iranian interests in Iraq ahead of the White House handover.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/21/US-extends-sanctions-waiver-for-Iraq-to-import-Iranian-gas-Iraqi-official
--------
What
is the G20, and what is different at this year’s Riyadh summit?
Marco
Ferrari
21
November 2020
This
year’s G20 summit will be an event quite unlike any in the organization’s
history.
Hosted
by Saudi Arabia, the Leaders’ Summit will bring leaders from 19 of the most
powerful countries and the European Union together.
But
travel restrictions and concerns over social distancing due to the COVID-19
virus pandemic mean that invitees will have to take part in a virtual
conference.
This
year’s agenda also looks different to previous years. The global financial
crash wreaked by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic will be high on the
agenda for this year’s summit, as leaders are expected to discuss ways of
dealing with the fallout of worldwide lockdowns over the past year and the
ongoing race to develop and roll out a vaccine.
What
is the G20?
Founded
in 1999 as a platform for national banks and governments of 19 countries and
the European Union, the G20 expanded its operations and began hosting regular
leaders’ summits in 2008.
It
invited world leaders from 19 countries and the European Union to discuss
matters of international monetary policy.
The
presidency rotates between member countries every year.
Its
roots can be traced back to the Bretton Woods conference at the end of the
Second World War, an early meeting of world leaders to discuss cross-border
monetary policy.
Its
members are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union,
France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
while Spain is a permanent guest invitee. Additionally, Jordan, Singapore, and
Switzerland have been invited as guests to this year’s summit. Several
international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
and World Trade Organization (WTO) are also invited.
Discussions
at the G20 summits revolve around issues affected global trade – both political
and regulatory. For example: at 2019’s summit in Osaka, members committed to
reforming the WTO’s dispute settlement system – which enforces rules about how
trade is conducted between WTO members.
What
is different this year?
Aside
from the fact that world leaders will not be attending the event in person,
this year’s G20 summit is expected to focus on addressing the fallout from the
coronavirus pandemic. It will be the first time the summit is hosted by an Arab
nation.
Saudi
Arabia’s agenda this year is focused on three key areas: empowering people,
safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers for the future.
The
Kingdom is expected to discuss ways for providing opportunities for everyone
around the world – with a particular focus on women and young people.
Environmental concerns will also play a role, as carbon emissions and ocean
preservation will be discussed. Finally, there will also be a focus on the
future of AI and the digital economy.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/11/21/G20-Explainer-What-is-the-G20-and-what-is-different-at-this-year-s-Riyadh-summit-
--------
Hamas
condemns Bahraini foreign minister’s visit to occupied territories
20
November 2020
Palestinian
Hamas resistance movement has censured a Bahraini government delegation led by
Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani over paying an official visit
to the occupied territories, more than two months after the Persian Gulf
kingdom normalized relations with Israel.
“The
Bahraini foreign minister’s visit to the occupied lands and the friendly talks
he had with criminal Israeli leaders are deplorable and condemned in strongest
terms. This is an unacceptable act at [both] Arab and moral levels,” Hamas
spokesman Hazem Qasem said in a statement released on Thursday.
He
added, “Bahrain’s request to exchange ambassadors during its foreign minister’s
visit reflects the Bahraini regime’s insistence on deepening the national
mistake that it made by signing the normalization agreement with the Israeli
Occupation.”
Qasem
then lambasted the Manama regime’s intent to exchange ambassador with the Tel
Aviv regime as contrary to Arab principles and an act of antagonism against the
national interests of Bahraini people, warning that such a measure would
further escalate tensions in the region.
The
senior Hamas official highlighted that Zayani’s visit to the occupied lands
concurrent with an uptick in Israel’s settlement construction activities in
Jerusalem al-Quds has made the Persian Gulf nation a partner in the crimes and
aggression being committed against Palestinian people, their rights and land.
On
Wednesday, the Bahraini delegation arrived by Gulf Air’s flight GF972 at Tel
Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, and Zayani was welcomed by his Israeli counterpart
Gabi Ashkenazi.
US
President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Avi Berkowitz, was on the flight as
well.
Zayani
met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and outgoing US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem al-Quds later in the day.
At
a ceremony in Manama on October 18, Bahraini and Israeli officials signed a
joint communiqué establishing full diplomatic relations. The Manama and Tel
Aviv regimes are now expected to open embassies.
The
Israeli delegation, led by Israeli security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, flew on
an El Al Israel Airlines charter flight from Ben Gurion Airport to Bahrain and
was accompanied by US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
The
meeting followed a September 15 ceremony at the White House when Netanyahu signed
US-brokered normalization deals with the Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Bahraini foreign minister.
The
normalization deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who
seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the deals ignore their rights and do
not serve the Palestinian cause.
Many
Arab states say they remain committed to the so-called Arab Peace Initiative –
which calls for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories
occupied after 1967 in exchange for peace and the full normalization of
relations.
But
speculation has been rife that some countries in the region would soon join the
bandwagon to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638984/Hamas-condemns-Bahraini-foreign-minister%E2%80%99s-visit-to-occupied-territories
--------
Iran-backed
Militias Resume Rocket Attacks Toward US Embassy in Iraq
By
Namo Abdulla
November
19, 2020
WASHINGTON
- Weeks of continued calm in and around Baghdad’s Green Zone were disturbed
Tuesday when several rockets were fired toward the U.S. Embassy, located in the
fortified area that houses key government offices and other diplomatic
facilities.
Iraqi
officials say at least three of the seven rockets fired were intercepted by the
Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-Ram) system installed near the U.S.
Embassy, but some of them fell in nearby civilian areas, killing at least one
child and injuring several others. The attack did not kill or wound any
Americans.
Initially,
a new pro-Iran group called Ashab al-Kahf or “the cave companions,” which Iraqi
intelligence sources describe as a subgroup of Kataib Hezbollah, the usual
suspect in attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the
attack on social media.
Denial
of responsibility
But
after news of civilian casualties broke, KH and its political ally in the Iraqi
parliament, the Fatah Coalition, issued separate statements denying the
involvement of Shiite militias in the attack. They both blamed it, without
evidence, on President Donald Trump’s election performance.
“The
shelling of the embassy came to cover up Trump’s loss in the elections through
exporting his internal crises and trying to ignite a full-scale war,” the KH
statement said.
The
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in a statement on Wednesday strongly condemned the
attack, noting reports that “Iran-backed militias again took credit for the
attack.” The statement also called on the Iraqi government to hold the violent
armed groups accountable.
The
new attack came nearly two months after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
reportedly called Iraqi leaders, threatening to close his country’s embassy in
Baghdad if Iraqi authorities failed to stop the militia attacks.
In
response to VOA’s question on whether Washington will close the embassy or take
other actions over the latest rocket attack, a State Department spokesperson
Wednesday said, “We understand the government of Iraq is currently
investigating. We have no further comment at this time.”
In
October, KH announced it was ceasing attacks on U.S. interests because they
were promised by Iraqi officials that U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Iraq.
U.S.
troop drawdown
Even
though the attack came shortly after the Trump administration announced it
would pull out several hundred of the 3,000 troops stationed in Iraq, Michael
Knights, an Iraq analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said
the incident was unrelated to the withdrawal decision.
“The
November 17 rocket attack was preplanned before the U.S. announcement,” he
said, adding that the rocket attack was timed to coincide with a secret visit
by Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC), who was said to be in Baghdad that day.
VOA
could not independently verify the alleged Baghdad visit by Qaani, who replaced
Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U.S. drone strike in January.
“Militias
[are] not emboldened. They have rushed to assure Iraqi government that it is
not they who did it. They want to keep a low profile until Trump is out,” added
Knights.
Pro-Iranian
militias in the past, however, have described U.S. troop drawdowns as a success
for their anti-American “resistance.”
The
attack also came hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held a
phone call with Pompeo. The two discussed the drawdown of U.S. troops and “the
growing capability of Iraqis in the fight against terrorism,” according to a
statement by Kadhimi’s office.
The
Iraqi government issued a statement on Wednesday, calling those behind the
attack “outlaws” and vowing that the perpetrators “will not go unpunished.”
Some
experts, however, doubt that Iraqi authorities will be able to bring the
attackers to justice.
https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/iran-backed-militias-resume-rocket-attacks-toward-us-embassy-iraq?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Court Jails Muhammad Ashraf And Lucman Shah Aides of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in
Terror Financing Case
Nov
20, 2020
LAHORE:
A Pakistani court on Friday jailed two more aides of Mumbai attack mastermind
and Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in a terror financing case.
The
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Lahore handed down six and five-and-a-half years
of imprisonment to JuD leaders Muhammad Ashraf and Lucman Shah, respectively.
ATC
judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of them.
On
Thursday, the 70-year-old JuD chief was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment
in two terror cases by ATC Lahore. Saeed's two close aides - Zafar Iqbal and
Yahya Mujahid - were sentenced to 10 and a half years each, while his
brother-in-law Abdul Rehman Makki was sentenced to six months of imprisonment
in the same cases.
Saeed,
a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a $10 million bounty on, was
arrested on July 17 last year in the terror financing cases. He was sentenced
to 11 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in February this year in two
terror financing cases.
The
JuD chief is lodged at Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat jail.
Saeed
is wanted in India for planning the 2008 Mumbai attacks when 10 Pakistani
terrorists killed 166 people, including six Americans, and injured hundreds
others.
Paris-based
global terror financing watchdog financial action task force (FATF) is
instrumental in pushing Pakistan to take measures against terrorists roaming
freely in Pakistan and using its territory to carry out attacks in India.
A
total of 41 cases have been registered by Pakistan's counter terrorism
department against the JuD leaders, out of which 24 have been decided while the
rest are pending in the ATC courts. Four cases have been decided against Saeed
so far.
The
sentencing of JuD leaders comes weeks after the FATF retained Pakistan on its
grey list till February 2021 as Islamabad failed to fulfil the agency's six key
obligations, including failure to take action against two of India's most
wanted terrorists - Saeed and Maulana Masood Azhar.
Saeed-led
JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which is
responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack.
The
US department of the treasury has designated Saeed as a specially designated
global terrorist. He was listed under the UN security council resolution 1267
in December 2008.
The
FATF had placed Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to
implement a plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing by the
end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later on due to Covid-19 pandemic.
With
Pakistan's continuation in the 'grey list', the country may find it difficult
to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank,
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union, thus further enhancing
problems for the cash-strapped nation.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-court-jails-2-more-aides-of-jud-chief-hafiz-saeed-in-terror-financing-case/articleshow/79328725.cms
--------
War
of words erupts after govt refuses permission for PDM rally
Ali
Hazrat Bacha
21
Nov 2020
PESHAWAR:
The opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Friday vowed to defy
government ban on its public gathering in Peshawar on Sunday, warning the
district administration that use of force to stop the protesting citizens could
spark street battles.
Rallies
across the country will be held as the PDM planned until the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government is removed, representatives of the opposition
parties declared while speaking at a joint press conference at Peshawar Press
Club.
Pakistan
Peoples Party’s central information secretary Dr Nafeesa Shah at a separate
presser also warned the government against playing with the emotions of the
masses, asking the administration to allow the 11-party opposition alliance to
hold its Peshawar rally in a ‘peaceful’ manner.
Friday
saw a flurry of statements and press conference soon after the Peshawar deputy
commissioner refused to allow the opposition, which had earlier held public
meetings in cities of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, to hold their rally
scheduled for Nov 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital.
In
a rejoinder to PDM’s request for permission, the Peshawar DC said: “The
Covid-19 positivity rate [in] District Peshawar has presently exceeded 13%,
which is alarmingly high and any large public gathering is likely to further
increase the spread of life-threatening virus. The undersigned regrets to
inform you that permission for the said event has not been granted.”
Just
two days ago, Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed while holding a press
conference in Islamabad had advised the opposition leaders to enter into a
dialogue with the government to steer the country out of the political impasse.
Accompanied
by PPP Senator Rubina Khalid, Ms Shah told the presser in Peshawar that PDM’s
rallies had baffled the PTI government that had offered to resolve issues
through dialogue.
Expressing
serious concern over the increasing prices of life-saving drugs, food items and
other essential commodities, the PPP central information secretary said the
existing inflation was the outcome of bad governance.
She
said the government was trying to hide behind the pandemic but warned that it
would not find any route to escape.
About
the spread of virus, Ms Shah said political parties had advised all their
workers to take necessary measures to ensure their safety.
The
PPP leader alleged that Gilgit-Baltistan election once again proved that the
PTI had come to power through election engineering. To disrupt the
anti-government movement being run by the people of Pakistan, the rulers were
trying to use ‘Covid engineering’, she said in reference to the restriction on
their public gathering.
Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s KP chapter chief Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, Awami
National Party’s KP general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, PPP’s KP president
Humayun Khan, Qaumi Watan Party’s provincial chapter chairman Sikandar Hayat
Khan Sherpao, KP information secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Ikhtyar
Wali Khan, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party representative Mukhtiar Yousufzai,
Jamiat Ahle Hadith representative Dr Zakir also spoke during the press
conference.
They
condemned the administration for turning down the permission for the Sunday
gathering and said the rulers were using different pretexts to disturb the
people’s movement against the government.
They
warned the government that any attempt to create hurdles in the holding of
PDM’s meetings would spark street protests.
The
JUI-F’s KP chief said the removal of banners and posters and denying permission
for holding the public rally were the tactics being used by the government to
pressure the PDM to cancel its events.
“We
are ready to go to extreme point against government,” the JUI-F leader
declared, demanding the establishment to stop supporting the PTI government.
ANP’s
Babak said it was fundamental right of the people to hold peaceful meetings.
Leaders of the ruling PTI, which did not take any precautionary measure at all
while recently holding public meetings in Gilgit-Baltistan last week, were
asking the PDM not to hold meetings due to the pandemic.
QWP’s
Sherpao and PML-N’s Khan described the PTI government more dangerous than
Covid-19, saying that it was time to get rid of ‘Covid-18’.
Earlier
addressing a press conference in Islamabad, federal Railways Minister Sheikh
Rashid had suggested the opposition parties to hold talks with PM Khan to end
political impasse. “If you don’t hold dialogue with the prime minister, the narrative
of [PML-N supremo] Nawaz Sharif will be buried,” Mr Rashid warned, adding that
approaching a “closed tunnel” was not a wise step as it could lead to a
“disastrously dangerous situation”.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591553/war-of-words-erupts-after-govt-refuses-permission-for-pdm-rally
--------
Govt
plans unbundling of several public entities
21
Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Husain has
announced unbundling of several state-owned enterprises, including Pakistan
Railways, PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills, and involving the private sector to run
these entities.
Addressing
a news conference with Information Minister Shibli Faraz here on Friday, Dr
Husain also highlighted the reforms undertaken in the federal tax collecting
body. Acknowledging mismanagement and corruption in the Federal Board of
Revenue (FBR), the adviser said the best way to eradicate all such misdoings
was to minimise human interaction.
“If
we are able to harness the true potential of tax collection, the government
will not require borrowing and the national debt will reduce,” he said, adding
that a UK-based Pakistani had been hired as the chief information officer at
the FBR and under the new system, payment of sales tax refunds was going on
smoothly.
“Now
the claimants do not need to meet any official to receive the cheques for
refunds; the amount is directly transferred to the bank account of the company.
We have cleared refunds of up to Rs250 billion and soon this system will be
implemented for income tax refunds, too,” he said.
PM’s
aide says Rs250bn sales tax refunds cleared
Dr
Husain said out of around 2.7 million income tax filers, one million showed a
negligible income and the FBR had started gathering information about these
people from the National Database and Registration Authority, Civil Aviation,
etc.
“Due
to this integration of database the FBR will know the lifestyle of such
persons; it will expand the tax base and eventually lead to lowering the tax
rate. All such measures will also help improve the FBR performance,” he added.
The
PM’s aide said the restructuring plan of Pakistan Railways (PR) had been
approved by the federal cabinet and the organisation would be divided into five
entities — a regulatory body on safety and accidents; a separate company for
ML-1 for fast-track train from Karachi to Peshawar; a government company to
manage the existing tracks and other infrastructure; a freight company as
currently only four per cent national freight is being handled by PR and this
needed to be enhanced; and a passenger company where the private sector will be
allowed to operate trains by giving charges to the track and infrastructure
company.
Dr
Husain also announced division of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) land into two
parts as well as a scheme to lay off its existing employees by offering them
salaries for two-three years.
“The
PSM has been non-functional since 2015, but salaries and other packages are
being paid by the government,” he said, adding: “We will establish a company to
run the Steel Mills with private sector and 1,200 acres of its land will remain
under the administrative control of PSM. We expect that the operating capacity
of Steel Mills will enhance up to three million tonnes per annum against one
million tonnes.”
He
said that 19,000 acres of other purpose land of the PSM would remain under the
government control.
The
PM’s adviser also announced the unbundling plan of PIA as the accumulated
losses of the national flag carrier over the past 10 years stood at Rs450bn. It
was a heavily indebted entity making it impossible to achieve any growth path,
he said.
“The
financial restructuring plan has been finalised; a fresh fleet would be
provided to the national flag carrier, but it would be rightsized to 7,000
employees from its existing strength of 14,000,” he added.
Dr
Husain said an attractive voluntary separation scheme would be offered to
around 3,500 employees, while 3,500 affiliated with non-core business like
catering, etc, would be outsourced. “The ratio will be reduced from 500 persons
per plane to 250, but that too is higher than that of Emirates or Qatar
Airways, to reduce losses and turn the airline around,” he added.
Dr
Husain said that out of 65m workforce in the country, only 4m were employed in
the public sector and the government had to strengthen the private sector as
the driving force for the economy. He said there were more than 100 rules and
regulations for the investors to fulfil for setting up an industry in Pakistan
and the government was working to reduce the number of such requirements.
He
said weakening any institution was easy and faster compared to strengthening
the institutions. “That is why it was the vision of the prime minister to
appoint only professional and able persons as heads of the institutions,
including the chief executives, managing directors and senior managers,” he
said.
Dr
Husain said the current selection process involved several competent
authorities, adding that earlier the hiring of senior managements in
state-owned enterprises and other institutions was discretionary of the prime
minister. He said that about 50 senior managers had been hired through this
process and none of the appointments had been challenged.
Many
competent overseas Pakistanis have been hired through this process, he said,
adding that the new promotion policy of the government was not based merely on
seniority, but also on competency and hard work.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591550/govt-plans-unbundling-of-several-public-entities
--------
SBP
warns of forced repatriation of overseas Pakistani workers
Shahid
Iqbal
21
Nov 2020
KARACHI:
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has warned over possible forced repatriation
of overseas workers that could create grave problems for the economy urging the
government to evolve a comprehensive strategy to deal with the situation.
“While
the short-to-medium-term focus seems appropriate given the abruptness of the
Covid-19 crisis, the government must also frame a long-term view and adopt a
comprehensive national migration policy,” the central bank noted in its
recently released State of Pakistan’s Economy 2019-20.
The
existing framework does not share any comprehensive action plan to address the
problems of migrant workers in case of forced repatriation, it added.
The
annual report provided a comprehensive account on overseas Pakistanis and
possible grave situation emerging from forced repatriation of workers
particularly in the Gulf region.
Over
100,000 overseas jobs for which the recruitment process was going on in the
country was disrupted due to Covid-19 and is not going to recover unless the
recruiting projects are revived.
“Around
50,000 Pakistani migrants faced layoffs in different countries. These jobs may
not be recovered in the short term and are thus extremely vulnerable,” it
added.
Using
data compiled by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), the
report said that around 60,000 Pakistanis were recruited for overseas work, but
could not proceed abroad due to travel restrictions and suspension of flight
operations. The BEOE also categorises these jobs as extremely vulnerable.
In
addition to these, 50,000 emigrants (Azaad Visa excluded) returned on paid or
unpaid leaves as of June 20. These workers have not been laid off, but their
job continuation entails risk, said the report.
In
case of forced dismissals, workers also did not receive compensation, and other
dues and therefore found it difficult to arrange travel expenses on their own.
The recent figure of stranded Pakistanis in different destinations is highly
skewed towards the Gulf region with more than 91 per cent in only two
countries, i.e., Saudi Arabia and the UAE, said the report.
During
April-June, the national airline flew 490 special flights and repatriated
90,308 citizens during April-June, said the report.
Even
before the Covid-19, important migrant destinations, including Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait and others, had started internal reform processes and took comprehensive
measures to encourage recruitment of local workers.
“Now,
with the Covid-19 crisis, the demand contraction and a dull crude oil market
has further weakened the economic outlook of oil-exporting economies. Under
such circumstances, a complete return to pre-Covid migrant employment levels
does not appear in sight, at least over the next two years,” said the report.
A
number of countries, including Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Mexico and Sri
Lanka, have been following national frameworks for the reintegration of
returning workers under national migration legislation and policy frameworks.
In
coming months, thousands of repatriated Pakistanis will require similar
reintegration assistance in the form of financial support, entrepreneurship
facilitation, skill up-gradation and job resumption, said the report.
“A
well-planned and coordinated strategy is needed at provincial and federal level
to address social and economic consequences of mass repatriation and cater to
the basic needs of the returned migrants,” said the report.
The
government must improve governance framework in migration-related operations to
improve policy effectiveness, the SBP advised.
“As
per the International Labour Organization (ILO) assessment, such operations in
Pakistan currently face multiple challenges, such as the absence of properly
designed systems, weak standard operating procedures, inadequately trained
assigned staff and coordination weaknesses among different departments,” said
the report.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591542/sbp-warns-of-forced-repatriation-of-overseas-pakistani-workers
--------
Balochistan
health, education sectors to be revamped: adviser
21
Nov 2020
QUETTA:
Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information Bushra Rind has said that the
Balochistan government has adopted a strategy to provide maximum facilities to
people in the health and education sectors.
Speaking
at a press conference here on Thursday, she said: “In order to overcome the
shortage of doctors in the province, the government will hire 3,000 male and
female doctors on contract.”
Staff
nurses and other medical staff would also be recruited, she added.
The
adviser said the government had also decided to take action against land grabbers
and encroachers. It was the commitment of the government not to allow anyone to
hold illegal possessions of government or private property, she added.
She
said the government would soon announce a new comprehensive media policy to
address the problems being faced by the media persons.
Ms
Rind said the Balochistan government was making all-out efforts to eliminate
corruption from the province and the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team and
National Accountability Bureau had recently signed a memorandum of understanding
to work jointly against corruption and corrupt elements.
Talking
about the current cold wave and expected rain and snowfall in Balochistan, she
said latest machinery had been acquired to combat with the challenge
successfully.
In
reply to a question, Ms Rind said electricity and gas supply were federal
subjects and the chief minister had already discussed these issue with federal
authorities.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591530/balochistan-health-education-sectors-to-be-revamped-adviser
--------
India
From
5-year jail term to non-bailable offence: What states say on ordinance against
‘love jihad’
Nov
21, 2020
Edited
by Meenakshi Ray
Several
states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, have said they will bring in laws to check “love
jihad”, described by Hindu activists as an organised conspiracy of Muslim men
to trick Hindu women into marriages and bring about a demographic change.
The
Madhya Pradesh government said on Tuesday that a bill will be passed in the
next session of the state assembly against “love jihad”. It will a provision of
five years in jail for forced conversions for marriage. The Haryana government
also indicated on the same day that it will constitute a committee of officials
to study and draft law to that effect. Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have also
said they will bring in legislation to end love jihad.
However,
according to experts, the charges of “love jihad” are bogus and that adult men
and women are free to convert under the right to freedom of religion. In
February, the central government told Parliament that there was no definition
of the term and no such cases were reported by agencies.
Congress-ruled
states have opposed the introduction of such legislation.
Here’s
what the states want to do against “love jihad”:
Uttar
Pradesh
UP’s
home department has sent a proposal to the state’s law ministry for a stringent
law to deal with the alleged religious conversion of women in the name of
marriage. News agency PTI citing a government spokesperson that a proposal for
strict law against “love jihad” has been sent to the law department.
This
has come after chief minister Yogi Adityanath said earlier this month that his
government is planning to introduce a law to regulate interfaith marriages
involving Muslim men and Hindu women, citing a high court order to promise that
his administration would secure and protect women in the state.
“Taking
a serious note of such incidents [of forceful conversion and cruelty], the CM
has directed that a concrete strategy be made to control such incidents. It has
often been seen that this is being done in an organised manner. If required, an
ordinance can be brought for it,” an official earlier told news agency PTI.
Last year, the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission submitted a report to
Adityanath, suggesting “a new law to check forcible religious conversions.”
Kanpur Police had also set up a special investigation team to look into “love
jihad” cases.
Madhya
Pradesh
The
central state’s home minister Narottam Mishra had said on Tuesday the Madhya
Pradesh Dharm Swatantrey (freedom of religion) Bill, 2020, will be passed in
the next session of the state assembly. Mishra said the law -- with a provision
of five years in jail for forced conversions for marriage -- was necessitated
because of rising cases of love jihad. He insisted that the BJP government was
not against interfaith marriages but only against incidents of love jihad.
“We
are going to table the Madhya Pradesh Dharm Swatantrey Bill, 2020, in this
winter session in December against love jihad, which means a woman is forced or
lured by a person of other religion for marriage and later she is tortured for
conversion,” said Mishra.
The
proposed law doesn’t mention any religion in particular in its provisions.
Mishra said the bill proposes rigorous imprisonment for five years for “luring
a person through fraud and forcing marriage by religious conversion”. Other
proposed provisions include making it mandatory for kin of the person being
converted for the purpose of marriage to file a complaint.
“The
forceful conversions and marriages will be a cognisable offence and
non-bailable. There will be a provision for declaring such marriages null and
void,” said Mishra. Besides, those assisting in such acts will be made
co-accused in the case, he added.
Haryana
Haryana
home minister Anil Vij said the state government intended to constitute a
committee of officials to study and draft law against love-jihad. “We will
first have a discussion with the chief minister, ML Khattar, in this regard,’’
Vij said. Vij said a representative of the advocate general’s office would also
be a part of the committee. This committee will study similar laws enacted by
other states, he added.
Karnataka
The
BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said on Friday that a ban on “love
jihad” and cow slaughter would be a reality in Karnataka very soon. Ravi, a
former Karnataka minister, said a law banning both practices would be passed in
the upcoming assembly session. He said there are serious deliberations going on
in government circles as BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel has also urged
chief minister BS Yediyurappa to take steps in this regard.
“Love
Jihad and cow slaughter ban have been approved by the BJP core committee. The
clamour to bring in a law banning cow slaughter has grown louder. We intend to
do so,” the Chikkamagaluru legislator said during a press conference.
Ravi
had said earlier this month that on the lines of Allahabad High Court’s order,
Karnataka would enact a law banning religious conversions for the sake of
marriage. Allahabad High Court had said in its October 31 order that religious
conversion just for the sake of marriage was not valid. “We will not remain
silent when Jihadis strip the dignity of our sisters,” Ravi had said, adding
that anyone involved in any act of conversion would face severe and swift
punishment.
Bihar
Union
minister Giriraj Singh on Friday supported the implementation of law against
“love jihad” in Bihar and claimed that the subject has become a cause of
trouble in many states. The BJP leader requested the Nitish Kumar government to
understand issues like “love jihad” and population control have nothing to do
with communalism, but that they are a matter of social harmony.
Singh
told reporters “love jihad” should be seen as a problem not only among Hindus
but also among all non-Muslims in all states of the country. He said that in
Kerala where there is a large population of Christians, community members have
expressed concern over this development.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/from-5-year-jail-term-to-non-bailable-offence-what-states-say-on-ordinance-against-love-jihad/story-0JwKeeXzMFCTZBA38OVU5H.html
--------
BJP
Accused Rajasthan CM Of Supporting Love Jihad Under The Garb Of Personal
Liberty
Nov
21, 2020
JAIPUR:
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday criticized BJP over 'love
jihad', accusing it of "manufacturing the word" to "divide the
nation and disturb communal harmony".
Gehlot's
attack came in a series of tweets, after BJP-governed states of Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana and Madhya Pradesh said they are considering enactment of laws to curb
such marriages. And, while the Karnataka government said it would watch steps
taken by UP and Haryana, BJP in Assam has promised to bring in a law if
re-elected in the state assembly elections next year.
Gehlot
accused BJP of violating the Constitution and citizens' personal liberty in
choice of marital partners. "Bringing a law to curb it is completely
unconstitutional and will not stand in any court of law. Jihad has no place in
love," he tweeted. "They are creating an environment where consenting
adults would be at the mercy of state power..."
They
are creating an environment in the nation where consenting adults would be at
the mercy of state power. Marria… https://t.co/SExIO21JDD
—
Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) 1605854832000
Reacting
to Gehlot's tweets, Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused
him of supporting love jihad under the garb of personal liberty and termed this
Congress's "communal agenda." He tweeted: "Dear Ashokji, love
jihad is a trap that has many young women believing that marriage is a personal
affair, where later it turns out it isn't. Also, if it is a matter of personal
liberty, then why are the women not free to keep their maiden name or
religion?"
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bjp-hits-back-after-gehlots-love-jihad-attack/articleshow/79330926.cms
--------
UP
Home Department Proposes Tough Law Against "Love Jihad": Report
November
21, 2020
Lucknow:
The Uttar Pradesh Home Department has sent a proposal to the state's Law
Ministry for a stringent law to deal with the alleged religious conversion of
women in the name of marriage, which BJP leaders refer to as "love
jihad".
The
development follows an announcement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during
recent election rallies that his government would come out with a law to deal
with "love jihad".
A
proposal for strict law against "love jihad" has been sent to the Law
Department, a government spokesman confirmed on Friday.
Stressing
on the need for a strict law to deal with "love jihad", UP Law
Minister Brijesh Pathak on Friday told news agency Press Trust of India, that
"There has been a rise in such cases in the state which have caused social
disharmony and enmity. These incidents are also bringing a bad name to the
state and therefore a strict law is the need of the hour."
'We
will do whatever is required as soon as we receive a proposal from the Home
Department as we have already made all necessary preparations," Mr Pathak
said.
Addressing
by-elections rallies in Jaunpur and Deoria on October 31, Chief Minister
Adityanath had said his government would come out with a law to deal with
"love jihad" and had used the Hindu funeral chant "Ram Naam
Satya Hai" to threaten those who don't respect their daughters and
sisters.
Welcoming
the Allahabad High Court ruling which had declared that conversion for the sole
purpose of marriage is not valid, the chief minister had also said posters
would be put up of those involved in "love jihad", a derogatory
coinage referring to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to
convert in the guise of love.
We
will bring an effective law. It is my warning to those who play with the honour
and dignity of sisters and daughters by hiding their real names and identities.
If they do not mend their ways, their 'Ram Naam Satya' journey will
start," Yogi Adityanath had said.
The
Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission had submitted a report last year suggesting
a new law to check the forcible religious conversions.
"The
commission is of the view that existing legal provisions are not enough to
check religious conversion and on this serious matter, a new law is needed like
in some other states," the report said.
The
report was submitted by the Law Commission along with draft legislation, Uttar
Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2019.
UP
Home Department Proposes Tough Law Against 'Love Jihad': Report
UP
planning a strict law to deal with religious conversion of women in the name of
marriage
Lucknow:
The Uttar Pradesh Home Department has sent a proposal to the state's Law
Ministry for a stringent law to deal with the alleged religious conversion of
women in the name of marriage, which BJP leaders refer to as "love
jihad".
The
development follows an announcement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during
recent election rallies that his government would come out with a law to deal
with "love jihad".
A
proposal for strict law against "love jihad" has been sent to the Law
Department, a government spokesman confirmed on Friday.
Stressing
on the need for a strict law to deal with "love jihad", UP Law
Minister Brijesh Pathak on Friday told news agency Press Trust of India, that
"There has been a rise in such cases in the state which have caused social
disharmony and enmity. These incidents are also bringing a bad name to the
state and therefore a strict law is the need of the hour."
'We
will do whatever is required as soon as we receive a proposal from the Home
Department as we have already made all necessary preparations," Mr Pathak
said.
Addressing
by-elections rallies in Jaunpur and Deoria on October 31, Chief Minister
Adityanath had said his government would come out with a law to deal with
"love jihad" and had used the Hindu funeral chant "Ram Naam
Satya Hai" to threaten those who don't respect their daughters and
sisters.
Welcoming
the Allahabad High Court ruling which had declared that conversion for the sole
purpose of marriage is not valid, the chief minister had also said posters
would be put up of those involved in "love jihad", a derogatory
coinage referring to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to
convert in the guise of love.
We
will bring an effective law. It is my warning to those who play with the honour
and dignity of sisters and daughters by hiding their real names and identities.
If they do not mend their ways, their 'Ram Naam Satya' journey will
start," Yogi Adityanath had said.
The
Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission had submitted a report last year suggesting
a new law to check the forcible religious conversions.
"The
commission is of the view that existing legal provisions are not enough to
check religious conversion and on this serious matter, a new law is needed like
in some other states," the report said.
The
report was submitted by the Law Commission along with draft legislation, Uttar
Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2019.
PromotedListen
to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
In
Kanpur, according to officials, the police had earlier set up a Special
Investigation Team to look into reports of "love jihad".
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/up-home-department-proposes-tough-law-against-love-jihad-report-2328251
--------
Bihar
Should Have Law Against "Love Jihad": BJP's Giriraj Singh
November
20, 2020
Patna:
Union minister Girriaj Singh on Friday favoured enactment of a legislation in
Bihar against love jihad, which, he claimed, has become a menace in the
country.
The
firebrand BJP leader also urged the Nitish Kumar government to realize that
issues like love jihad and population control had nothing to do with
sampradayikta (communalism) but are about samajik samrasta (social harmony).
Love
jihad has come to be realized as a menace in all states across the country -
not just among Hindus but among all non-Muslims. In Kerala where Christians
have a large population, members of the community have raised concern over this
phenomenon, Mr Singh told reporters here.
The
union minister, who represents the states Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in the Lok
Sabha, made the remark apparently referring to allegations by the Syro-Malabar
church that Christian girls were being targeted and killed in the name of love
jihad.
This
menace needs to be rooted out and it will be desirable if Bihar comes out with
a legislation to prevent love jihad. The government in the state should realize
that curbing love jihad and population control are linked to social harmony and
do not tantamount to promoting communalism, said Mr Singh, who is known for his
hard line.
Formerly
a member of the Nitish Kumar cabinet in the state, Mr Singh is known to be
foremost among detractors of the chief minister who swears by his zero
tolerance for the three Cs crime, corruption and communalism.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/giriraj-singh-bihar-should-have-law-against-love-jihad-2328171
--------
Afghanistan
can succeed only when terrorism no longer flows across Durand Line: India at UN
Nov
21, 2020
UNITED
NATIONS: In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India has told the United
Nations that Afghanistan can succeed only when terrorism no longer flows across
the Durand Line, asserting that those providing sanctuary to terrorists must be
held accountable and the Security Council should speak unequivocally against
such forces.
The
Durand Line is the 2,640-kilometre border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“It
is our view that peace process and violence cannot go hand in hand, and we call
for immediate comprehensive ceasefire. For durable peace in Afghanistan, we
have to put an end to terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries operating across
the Durand Line,” India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Ambassador T S Tirumurti said on Friday.
Speaking
at the Arria Formula Meeting on ‘What can the Security Council do to support
the peace process in Afghanistan', he said the report of the Analytical Support
and Sanctions Monitoring Team under the Al-Qaeda/Daesh Sanctions Committee has
also highlighted the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan. For violence
to end in Afghanistan, these terrorist supply chains must be broken, Tirumurti
said.
“It
is time that the Security Council speaks unequivocally against violence and
terrorist forces and acts against terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens,” he
said.
“Afghanistan
can succeed only when terrorism no longer flows across the Durand Line. Terror
and violence cannot be the instrument to shape Afghanistan's future or dictate
the choices Afghans make. It is important to ensure that no one provides
sanctuary to terrorists who threaten Afghanistan or any other country in the
region. Those who do so must be held accountable,” he said, without naming any
country.
Tirumurti
noted that Afghanistan today is at a critical juncture and it is vital for the
international community, especially the UNSC, to send the right message to
everyone concerned.
He
stressed that the overall objective of “our endeavour has been only to bring
lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, as that is critical for the peace
and security of the whole region” and in order to achieve this, the UNSC needs
to ensure that the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and
Afghan-controlled.
The
Indian envoy further stressed that it is important to ensure that the issue of
full transit rights to Afghanistan is not used by states to extract political
price from Afghanistan.
“The
international community should discourage medieval mentalities and work towards
removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan. It should ensure
all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral
transit agreements operate without any hindrance. India remains committed to
working with the international community towards achieving this shared
objective,” he said.
“The
situation in Afghanistan is a matter of concern. Restoration of normalcy in
Afghanistan through a legitimate democratic process is essential for long-term
stability of Afghanistan and the region,” he said, noting that India will start
its tenure in the UNSC from January next year, a crucial juncture for
Afghanistan.
“We
extend our assurance that India will continue to provide all support to the
government and people of Afghanistan in realising their aspirations for a
peaceful, democratic and prosperous future where the interest of all sections
of Afghan society are protected. We will continue to support all opportunities
that can bring durable peace, security and stability in the country.”
The
Indian envoy said the international community “simply cannot” afford to lose
the gains of the last two decades as the progress achieved so far is hard-won.
He stressed that India is convinced that the rights of women need to be
strongly protected and gender mainstreaming and safeguards are integral to the
future of Afghanistan.
Tirumurti
said the recent targeted attacks on Afghan National Defence and Security Forces
(ANDSF), universities, women occupying positions of responsibility and youth
only serve to highlight the concerted effort by terrorists and their sponsors
to erode the gains of the last two decades.
Terrorist
attacks continue to target innocents and institutions of learning, he said adding
that COVID-19 has hit Afghanistan in the midst of a difficult political
transition and an intensifying conflict.
Tirumurti
noted that India and Afghanistan are contiguous neighbours and are connected
together by centuries of historical, people-to-people and cultural relations.
He
said since 2001, India has committed over USD 3 billion towards development,
reconstruction and capacity building in Afghanistan.
“Major
projects such as the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam in Herat, the Afghan
National Parliament building in Kabul and the electricity supply grid between
Kabul and northern Afghanistan stand testimony to the special place that
Afghanistan occupies in our priorities.”
India's
developmental footprint is, today, spread across every one of the 34 provinces
of Afghanistan and New Delhi has also prioritised Kabul in providing assistance
to combat COVID.
“To
tide over the artificial and political obstacles of non-permit of full transit
rights to Afghanistan for their products to reach India and Indian products to
reach Afghanistan, we operationalised air freight corridors that has seen more
than 1000 flights. It is important for Afghanistan to have access to high
seas,” Tirumurti said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/afghanistan-can-succeed-only-when-terrorism-no-longer-flows-across-durand-line-india-at-un/articleshow/79335481.cms
--------
India
for 'unequivocal' UNSC stand on terror
Nov
21, 2020
NEW
DELHI: India has called on the UN Security Council to "speak
unequivocally" against violence and terrorist forces and "act against
terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens".
Speaking
in the Security Council on the Afghan peace process, India's permanent
representative to the UN TS Tirumurti said, "For durable peace in
Afghanistan, we have to put an end to terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries
operating across the Durand Line. The report of the Analytical Support and
Sanctions Monitoring Team under the al-Qaida/Da'esh Sanctions Committee has
also highlighted the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan. For violence
to end in Afghanistan, these terrorist supply chains must be broken."
He
also called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Afghanistan. For
the peace process to move forward, India put forth four suggestions: First,
that "the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and
Afghan-controlled. Solutions must come from the Afghans themselves".
Second,
Tirumurti said, there must be "zero tolerance of terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations". With a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan, he
said, "Afghanistan can succeed only when terrorism no longer flows across
the Durand Line. Terror and violence can't be the instrument to shape
Afghanistan's future or dictate the choices Afghans make. It is important to
ensure that no one provides sanctuary to terrorists who threaten Afghanistan or
any other country in the region."
India
also made an impassioned plea that the "gains" of the past couple of
decades should not be lost. In other words, India is cautioning the world
against leaving Afghanistan in a place which could see the Taliban overrunning
Kabul and taking the reins of power with Pakistan's help. With their regressive
mindsets, the progress made in the past few years, notably among women, could
be lost. "India is convinced that the rights of women need to be strongly
protected," Tirumurti said.
Addressing
the problems Afghanistan faces due to its land-locked situation and the curbs
imposed by Pakistan, India demanded that Afghanistan should get "full
transit rights" and which could not be used by other states to extract
political mileage. "The international community should discourage medieval
mentalities and work towards removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on
Afghanistan. It should ensure all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan
under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements operate without
hindrance," he said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-for-unequivocal-unsc-stand-on-terror/articleshow/79332712.cms
--------
Pak-based
Jaish trying to target J&K polls: PM
Nov
21, 2020
NEW
DELHI: A clear and irrefutable link establishing Pakistani origins of the four
terrorists killed on Thursday in Nagrota has emerged , leading Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to directly name “Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish e
Mohammad” behind efforts to wreak major havoc and destruction to “target
grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu & Kashmir”.
In
view of the large and unusual cache of weapons and explosives recovered from
the slain terrorists – 11 AK 47 rifles, 24 AK 47 magazines, one UBGL, 3
pistols, 6 pistol magazines, 29 grenades, 5 rifle grenades, detonators, 7.5 kg
of RDX and 20 meters of IED wire – the prime minister on Friday, in a rare
intervention, reviewed the situation in J&K in the light of what is seen as
a Pakistan- inspired plot to create mayhem. The review was attended by home
minister Amit Shah, NSA Ajit Doval, foreign secretary as well as top officials
of the intelligence establishment. After the review, PM took to social media,
again an unusual move, to highlight the efforts by Pakistan-based terror
outfits to target grassroot-level democracy in J&K and commend the security
forces for thwarting these plans.
Prime
minister's tweets were seen as aimed against Pakistan's ISI which uses jehadi
terror outfits like Jaish and Lashkar to hurt India.
“Our
security forces have once again displayed utmost bravery and professionalism.
Thanks to their alertness, they have defeated a nefarious plot to target
grassroots level democratic exercise in Jammu & Kashmir,” he tweeted,
indicating that the Pakistani-based Jaish was out to disrupt district
development council polls and destablise the situation in J&K with what
police sources described as a “big attack coinciding with the anniversary of
26/11”.
Some
key recoveries made from the dead Jaish terrorists, who had freshly infiltrated
from the international border in Samba, were cited by intelligence sources as
"unimpeachable” proof of the Pakistani origins of the slain terrorists who
with a veritable armoury at their disposal could have caused havoc in J&K.
These
include a digital mobile radio manufactured a Pakistani company named Micro
Electronics. Messages on the DMR set clearly show that the intruding terrorists
were in constant touch with their handlers across the border. These handlers
were following the location of terrorists en route to Kashmir and asking if
they faced any problems.
Message
Also,
a smartphone from a Pakistani company Q Mobile; medicines such as Flagyl, Surfi
tablet, Dicloran, Panadol etc, manufactured in Karachi; and shoes manufactured
in Pakistan are among the key recoveries that point to complicity of terrorist
outfits enjoying a safe haven in Pakistan.
Surfi
A
wireless set and a GPS device were also recovered.
Sources
in J&K police told TOI that the terrorists, after crossing the
international border and reaching a predesignated point on the national highway
south of Samba, were headed to the Valley. “The huge quantum of weapons clearly
indicates that the plan was to disrupt the effort to restore normalcy in the
trouble-torn part,” said an officer.
It
has been clear for some time that the Pakistani agencies have been disconcerted
by India's efforts to ensure that there was no eruption or upsurge in Kashmir
in the wake the constitutional changes of Aug 5, 2019. There have, of course,
been desperate attempts by Pakistan to use terrorists to strike at vulnerable
and soft targets like political leaders and civilians. “All such attempts have
been successfully thwarted with the cooperation of the people of J&K,” said
an officer.
Inputs
indicate that the impending DDC polls in J&K, which will establish the
third and final tier of the local bodies for governance, have unnerved
terrorists and Pakistani agencies, sources told TOI. The elections have already
seen massive participation in terms of nominations and public response.
Agencies
believe it was this process of democratic decentralisation that the Pakistani
terrorists killed at the Ban toll plaza in Jammu were trying to thwart with the
huge quantity of weapons they were carrying.
The
elimination of the four terrorists has added further to the high numbers of
terrorists killed by the security forces in intelligence-based operations since
Article 370 was abrogated in J&K. As per figures shared with TOI, over 200
terrorists, including 30 foreigners, have been gunned down in the UT since
August 2019.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-based-jaish-trying-to-target-jk-polls-pm-narendra-modi/articleshow/79331978.cms
--------
Article
370 would never be restored in J&K, 'Gupkar alliance' befooling people: BJP
Nov
20, 2020
SRINAGAR:
The BJP on Friday asserted that Article 370, which was revoked by the Centre
last year, would never be restored in Jammu and Kashmir, and alleged that
parties of 'Gupkar alliance' were befooling people by making promises over its
restoration.
Addressing
a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz also said the
upcoming District Development Council (DDC) polls were being fought over local
developmental issues and its results would not be a referendum on the Centre's
last year's decision of revocation of the special status of the erstwhile state.
"We
believe that when someone dies, he cannot return from the grave. Article 370
has also been buried and it will never return. It can never be restored and no
world power can help in its restoration," he said.
The
BJP leader, who is the party's incharge for Kashmir for the polls, said NC
president Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti were befooling people by
showing them dreams, but asserted their dreams would never come true.
"They
are showing the people dreams and befooling them. There is no big a lie than
that. These are the same leaders who were claiming Article 370 cannot be
scrapped and even stated that nobody in J&K will raise tricolour if it is
scrapped. However, the people are now raising tricolour without any
objection," he said.
Hussain
said the leaders of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PGAD) - an
amalgam of several parties, including the NC and the PDP, seeking the
restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state - had accepted the
Centre's decision of revocation of Article 370.
"They
have accepted this decision and are now participating in the elections. They
have ganged up. They have befooled the people of J&K. They have indulged in
politics over the bodies of the youth of J&K to save their chair. They are
sinners and no one will forgive them. They have committed big sins and are
worse than gangsters and they live only for power and to benefit their families
and relatives," he said.
Referring
to the DDC polls, he said the lotus - the BJP's election symbol - will bloom in
the valley like the rest of the country.
"The
polls are not a referendum. This is a local body election, about local issues.
This is not about national politics," he said, when asked if the BJP
losses the DDC polls, would it mean that the people of Kashmir have not
accepted the abrogation of Article 370.
Seeking
people's support for the polls, the former Union minister said the party would
live up to the people's expectations.
"We
are concerned about the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will ensure the
development, which is the right of people and will be given to them. The
J&K will see a new dawn of development and for which the work has already
been started. Give the BJP a chance and God willing, we will live up to your
expectations," he said.
Hussain
said it was the desire of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see massive
development in J&K.
"Jammu
and Kashmir is in the heart of PM Modi and he wants to develop it like other
parts of the country. J&K has the capability to give employment not only to
the people here, but to the outsiders as well," he said.
On
a question about the eviction of nomads from forest areas, Hussain said nobody
can snatch the lands of the people of J&K.
"This
is only propaganda. The laws have already been implemented and the rights of
the Gujjar and Bakerwal community will always be protected," he said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/article-370-would-never-be-restored-in-jk-gupkar-alliance-befooling-people-bjp/articleshow/79323461.cms
--------
4
Jaish terrorists killed in Nagrota got orders from Masood Azhar’s brother
Shishir
Gupta
Nov
21, 2020
Early
Thursday morning, an encounter between a group of terrorists and security
forces happened at the Ban toll plaza near Nagrota. By the end of it, four
terrorists were dead, but it wasn’t just a chance encounter. This was an
intelligence-based operation that was aimed at blocking what security forces
believed could be a major attack, being planned from across the border.
According
to people familiar with the matter, initial data from a global positioning
system (GPS) device and mobile phones carried by the four terrorists shows that
they were in touch with Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM)
operational commanders Mufti Rauf Asghar and Qari Zarar with the objective of
wreaking havoc in the Valley.
Mufti
Asghar is the younger brother of JeM chief and UN designated global terrorist
Masood Azhar.
On
Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed about the entire operation by
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the presence of Home Minister Amit
Shah, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and the two intelligence chiefs.
Following
this, the PM said in a tweet: “Neutralizing of four terrorist belonging to
Pakistan based terrorist organizations JeM and the presence of large cache of
explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak havoc and
destruction have once again been thwarted.”
Thanking
the security forces for their brave action, PM Modi said that their alertness
had scotched a nefarious plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises
(reference to the Panchayat elections) in Kashmir.
The
people familiar with the matter added that the Pakistani deep state is, as is
its wont, using pan-Islamist jihadist groups such as JeM to target India by
sending in suicide attackers across the border. HT learns that Pakistani
agencies have decided to hand over the Balakot terror training facility to JeM,
more than one and a half years after it was bombed by IAF jets.
NSA
Doval was informed about the Ban toll plaza encounter early on Thursday morning
as soon as the firing started at 4.50 am.
Preliminary
investigations have revealed that the four terrorists, all from Pakistan’s
Punjab Province, moved from across Shakargarh bulge and crossed over to India
in the Samba sector.
While
top counter-terrorism experts are still investigating the possible targets of
terrorists, the weapons, ammunition, grenades and explosives (RDX) carried by
them clearly indicates that they had a big strike planned in the Valley. Eleven
AK-series rifles, 30 Chinese grenades, 16 AK ammunition clips and 20 kilograms
of RDX were recovered from the bodies. The terrorists were battle trained as
despite repeated attempts of the J&K police to capture one of them alive,
they refused to give in and fought till the end.
Indian
intelligence officials say that apart from being an attempt to sabotage the
electoral exercise underway in the region, the aborted attack may also be a
diversionary tactic by the Pakistani army and ISI chiefs, under pressure from Opposition
parties in the country, to bring the focus back on Kashmir.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/4-jaish-terrorists-killed-in-nagrota-got-orders-from-masood-azhar-s-brother/story-kKe6ImIr1rhQSdWztyHD4I.html
--------
South Asia
Ghani:
UN Does Not Recognize The Legitimacy of Taliban as a Government
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
21
Nov 2020
President
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a UN Security Council meeting on Afghan peace on
Friday night said, that the only recognized legitimate state is the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan and that the Islamic Emirate was not recognized by the United
Nations.
The
organization does not support the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate.
“Today’s
meeting on peace in Afghanistan demonstrates the strong commitment of the
United Nations Security Council to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan,”
he said, and goals are reached for a peaceful solution.
“Afghanistan
is at the forefront of the fight against global terrorism. We are fighting
together to defeat terrorism and can only achieve peace when we stand side by
side,” he said.
The
international community today has come to the conclusion that Afghanistan must
reach a political solution and be a sovereign, united and democratic nation,
and the world, and preserve the achievements of the past two decades, and
expand it, he said.
He
called on UN council to put pressure on The Taliban.
“I
would request the council to stress the effective and thorough implementation
of sanctions regimes as a key instrument for the success of the negotiations
with the Taliban. The Taliban has yet to fulfill the conditions set,” Ghani
said, “Sanctions can only be effective if implemented by all.”
“The
current level of violence of the Taliban, especially against civilians, is
unacceptable. it undermines the peace negotiations and a ceasefire is urgently
needed” said Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland during the
meeting.
This
is coming at a time when Intra-Afghan talks between the Afghan government and
the Taliban in Qatar are facing an uncertain fate and the war in the country
has intensified.
https://www.khaama.com/ghani-un-does-not-recognize-the-legitimacy-of-taliban-as-a-government-97987876/
--------
MoD
Operations in Kandahar Claims 39 Militants, Wounds 5
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
21
Nov 2020
According
to the Ministry of Defense, 39 Taliban were killed in an attack on security
forces in Kandahar province.
Fawad
Aman, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said that the
Taliban attacked the outposts of the ANDSF forces in Panjwai and Zherai
districts of Kandahar province on Friday.
Aman
added that the national defense and security forces rebuffed the militant’s
attack in the framework of active infantry and airstrike offensives, as a
result of which 39 Taliban were killed and 5 others were wounded.
13
Taliban-planted minefields have been discovered and defused by the 205-Atal
Corps’ engineering team, Aman Added.
This
comes as battle across Afghanistan intensifies, and fears rise as major
casualties and damages are reported.
https://www.khaama.com/mod-defensive-operations-in-kandahar-claims-39-militants-wounds-5-98876786/
--------
At
least eight killed in rocket attack in Afghanistan's Kabul: Official
21
November 2020
A
rocket attack killed at least eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul on
Saturday, confirmed officials.
"The
terrorists fired 23 rockets on the city of Kabul. Based on the initial
information, eight people were martyred, and 31 others were wounded," said
interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian, who blamed the Taliban for the attack.
A police source also confirmed the toll.
The
attack occurred in densely populated parts of the Afghan capital including near
the centrally located Green Zone and at a neighborhood in the north.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Alarms
could be heard blaring at embassies and businesses in and around the Green
Zone, a massive, heavily fortified quarter that houses dozens of international
companies and their workers.
Unverified
photos circulating on social media showed what appeared to be holes from
rockets punched into at least two separate buildings.
Officials
did not immediately comment but the interior ministry said two small
"sticky bomb" explosions had been reported earlier Saturday morning,
including one that hit a police car, killing one policeman and wounding three
others.
The
explosions come ahead of a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
and negotiators from the Taliban and the Afghan government the Gulf state of
Qatar.
Wave
of violence
There
is an ongoing wave of violence that has wrought carnage across Afghanistan in
recent months. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday's
blasts.
The
Taliban have pledged not to attack urban areas under the terms of a US
withdrawal deal, but the Kabul administration has blamed the insurgents or
their proxies for other recent attacks in Kabul.
Taliban
and Afghan government negotiators launched peace talks in September but
progress has been slow.
Officials
told AFP on Friday however that a breakthrough was expected to be announced in
the coming days.
In
the past six months, the Taliban carried out 53 suicide attacks and 1,250
explosions that left 1,210 civilians dead and 2,500 wounded, interior ministry spokesman
Tariq Arian said this week.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/21/Explosions-heard-in-Afghanistan-s-Kabul-no-casualties-reported-AFP
--------
Europe
Belarus
KGB Puts Social-Media Channel Creators on Terrorist List
By
Torrey Clark
November
19, 2020
The
Belarusian security service put the founder of the country’s most popular
Telegram channel and its former chief editor on a terrorist watch list as
President Alexander Lukashenko tries to stamp out continuing protests against
claimed landslide re-election three months ago.
Nexta-Live
founder Stsiapan Putsila, 22, and Raman Pratasevich, 25, are the only two
Belarusian citizens on the list of more than 700 “individuals involved in
terrorist activities” drawn up by the State Security Committee, still known as
the KGB. Pratasevich left the channel in September.
Nexta-Live,
with more than 1.8 million subscribers, was instrumental in covering the police
brutality against protesters nationwide in August and demonstrations that
regularly gathered more than 100,000 people in the capital alone.
The
channel was designated as “extremist” in October, according to the state news
agency Belta, making it illegal to distribute its content or display its logo
in Belarus. The authorities are seeking to extradite Putsila and Pratasevich
from Poland, Belta reported this week.
Almost
1,300 people were arrested on Sunday at the weekly rally in the capital, Minsk,
according to human-rights center Viasna, which isn’t officially registered in
the country. For the first time since the disputed Aug. 9 election, the
opposition hasn’t called for a single major rally in Minsk on Sunday via
popular telegram channels. Instead, people were urged to organize smaller local
rallies.
Lukashenko
has rejected criticism of the crackdown and on Thursday promoted a senior
police official who had played an active role in dispersing and arresting
protesters.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-19/belarus-kgb-puts-social-media-channel-creators-on-terrorist-list
--------
Gloucestershire
man arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences
20
November 2020
A
43-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.
Counter
Terrorism Policing South East detained the man, from Gloucestershire, earlier
and he remains in custody.
Officers
are searching three locations in the county and another in the West Mercia
Police force area as part of their inquiry.
A
spokesman said people may see officers in protective suits, but there is
believed to be no wider threat to the public at this time.
The
man has been arrested on suspicion of encouragement of terrorism contrary to
section one of the Terrorism Act 2006; dissemination of terrorist publications
contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006; and collection of information
contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
He
has also been held on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting the
commission of serious crime contrary to section 44 of the Serious Crime Act
2007.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-55010053?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Greek
police arrest Islamic State suspect after migrant camp brawl
NOVEMBER
19, 2020
ATHENS
(Reuters) - Greek police arrested a Syrian Islamic State suspect on Thursday
after a brawl at a migrant camp where he has been staying with his wife and
children and said he was believed to have been involved in a number of
killings.
The
27-year old man, who arrived in Greece in March 2018, was detained after an
argument on Wednesday between two groups at the camp, a police official said.
He
was arrested on Thursday, accused of being a member of a terrorist group and
participating in homicides. He is expected to appear before a prosecutor later
in the day, according to a police statement.
Police
said such arrests were rare.
Greece,
on the front line of migration into Europe, promised on Wednesday to build new
reception centres for asylum seekers and cut the maximum stay in camps on its
now-overcrowded islands.
The
country bore the brunt of a large influx of refugees and migrants into Europe
in 2015 and 2016, many arriving via its outlying Aegean islands close to
Turkey.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-police/greek-police-arrest-islamic-state-suspect-after-migrant-camp-brawl-idUSKBN27Z211?il=0&utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
North America
Trump
will participate in virtual G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia: US official
20
November 2020
US
President Donald Trump will participate in the virtual Group of 20 summit being
hosted by Saudi Arabia on Saturday, a senior US official told AFP.
Trump’s
participation in the two-day meeting of the world’s wealthiest nations comes
after he attended Friday’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit via
video link.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app
Neither
summit was held in person because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hosted
by Saudi Arabia, the Leaders’ Summit will bring leaders from 19 of the most powerful
countries and the European Union together.
But
travel restrictions and concerns over social distancing due to the COVID-19
virus pandemic mean that invitees will have to take part in a virtual
conference.
This
year’s agenda also looks different to previous years.
The
global financial crash wreaked by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic will
be high on the agenda for this year’s summit, as leaders are expected to
discuss ways of dealing with the fallout of worldwide lockdowns over the past
year and the ongoing race to develop and roll out a vaccine.
The
summit comes with Trump still refusing to accept his defeat to Democrat Joe
Biden in the November 3 presidential election while issuing unfounded
accusations of widespread fraud.
In
her speech at a press briefing ahead of the summit, EU Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen welcomed President-elect Biden's plans to rejoin the Paris
Agreement on climate change, which Trump had withdrawn the US from.
“Effectively
addressing climate change will require a decoupling of economic growth from the
exploitation of limited resources,” she added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/21/Trump-will-participate-in-virtual-G20-summit-hosted-by-Saudi-Arabia-US-official
--------
Pompeo:
All options remain on the table against Iran
21
November 2020
US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeated Washington’s threats against Iran,
saying all options remain on the table against the Islamic republic.
Pompeo
made the remarks in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post when
he was asked whether “all options still on the table” against Iran.
Pompeo
said this has been the policy of the United States for the past four years and
there’s no reason it would change.
“My
judgement is, and history will reflect, that we’ve been pretty successful,” he
said.
“I
remember when we first began the maximum pressure campaign. We’d withdrawn from
the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], and the world said this will
never work, American sanctions alone won’t work,” he said.
“Well,
they have significantly reduced Iran’s capacity to foment harm around the
world. It’s not complete,” he added.
“[US
President Donald Trump] has done several things. One, he denied them money.
That also sent a strong message to the Middle East that facilitated the Abraham
Accords [through] this central understanding, this isolation of Iran in ways
that are deeply different than before, whether it’s the [United Arab] Emirates
or Bahrain or Sudan or whoever signs the Abraham Accords next,” he continued.
On
Wednesday, Iran warned the US of a crushing response if it takes any hostile
move against the country.
A
military advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei warned that an act of military aggression by the US against Iran that
could lead to an even limited conflict is likely to set off a full-scale war
that would afflict other parts of the region too.
The
remarks were made by Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, defense minister during
President Hassan Rouhani’s previous tenure and former commander of the Air
Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
“A
limited, tactical conflict can turn into a full-fledged war,” Dehqan said.
This
followed a New York Times report that U Trump had asked his top aides,
including Pompeo, about the possibility of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The
report said the aides dissuaded Trump by warning him that any such a move could
escalate into a broader conflict in the last weeks of his presidency.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/21/639023/Pompeo:-All-options-remain-on-the-table-against-Iran
--------
Dealing
with terrorism threat will dominate new administration's agenda
By
Daniel N. Hoffman
November
19, 2020
If
there’s one thing we learned from the last two presidential election cycles,
it’s that the United States has become more politically partisan and divided
than at any time in its modern history. Vigorous debate is a hallmark of
democracy, but bipartisanship is essential to protecting our nation from foreign
adversaries.
Bearing
in mind President Kennedy’s admonition that while “domestic policy can only
defeat us, foreign policy can kill us,” the stakes could not be higher.
Following a bitter and acrimonious campaign, the incoming Biden administration
will be on the hook to grapple with a wickedly complex range of threats,
including Iran, nuclear proliferation, North Korea, Russia and China.
But
it is the threat of terrorism that is arguably the national security threat
with the shortest fuse.
The
Trump administration decimated Islamic State’s so-called “caliphate” and
eliminated terrorists such as ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Hamza bin
Laden, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Qassim al-Raymi and AQAP’s
chief bomb-maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, whom former CIA Acting Director Michael
Morell called the “most significant international terrorist removed from the
battlefield since Osama bin Laden.”
And
just last week, reports confirmed that two unidentified men on motorcycles
gunned down al Qaeda second-in-command Abu Muhammad al-Masri, planner the 1998
U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, on the streets of Tehran. The Trump
administration has not yet officially commented on the strike, which Israeli
operatives were suspected of having carried out.
In
Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to mount lethal attacks with impunity. Top
Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani, whom the State Department officially
designated a global terrorist in 2008, leads the notorious Haqqani Network,
which allows al Qaeda and its shadowy leader, Ayman al Zawahiri, to find a
haven on its territory. The Haqqani Network has mounted violent suicide attacks
against U.S. and allied forces, the government of Afghanistan and innocent
civilians.
President-elect
Biden should have learned from the Obama administration’s precipitous
withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011, which proved a significant factor
in creating the conditions for the growth and spread of ISIS. Mr. Trump removed
significant numbers of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and now, in a
pre-election pledge, promised to bring all but about 2,5000 U.S. troops home
from Afghanistan by early 2021. Doing so, however, would risk making the same
policy mistake as Mr. Obama, who was forced to send U.S. troops back into Iraq
in 2014 to combat the surging Islamic State threat.
One
of the most important lessons we learned from September 11 was appreciating the
value of a robust forward presence of intelligence officers, diplomats and
troops to detect and preempt threats from places where no government exercises
its authority.
There
is rightly no interest in another troop surge or costly “nation-building,” but
the U.S. should maintain a forward presence in Afghanistan and Iraq — as small
as feasible — to keep working with local security forces on counterterrorism
operations and be prepared for unilateral action for as long as the threats
persist.
The
U.S. must also remain diplomatically engaged in support of Kabul and Baghdad.
Specifically, the U.S. must make real power-sharing arrangements in Afghanistan
a precondition for any full withdrawal. The U.S. should also commit greater
support to Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi, a valuable regional ally who is
dealing with an economy in recession, a COVID-19 crisis, and continuing
pressure from Iran and its allies inside Iraq. Iran’s widespread use of proxy
extremist militia forces in Iraq only heightens the intensity of sectarian
conflict, which is oxygen for terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda.
Pulitzer
Prize-winning columnist Charles Krauthammer eloquently articulated a strategy
of “forward defense” — confronting our enemies “over there” rather than play
defense as they plan attacks on the homeland.
Our
personnel serving on the front lines deserve a clearly articulated strategy,
one that explains and justifies the risks they are willingly taking on.
If
there is one thing our fractured political system needs, it’s a national
consensus on foreign policy. There is no better place to start than
counterterrorism. If Democrats and Republicans need any motivation, they should
keep in mind that nothing less than our nation’s security, which they took an
oath to protect, hangs in the balance.
•
Daniel N. Hoffman is a retired clandestine services officer and former chief of
station with the Central Intelligence Agency. His combined 30 years of
government service included high-level overseas and domestic positions at the
CIA. He has been a Fox News contributor since May 2018. Follow him on Twitter
@DanielHoffmanDC.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/nov/19/dealing-with-terrorism-threat-will-dominate-new-ad/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Mideast
Israel’s
aggressive intentions against Lebanon remain, warns army chief Joseph Aoun
Joseph
Haboush and Tommy Hilton
20
November 2020
Lebanon’s
army commander Friday warned his troops to remain alert and “fully prepared” to
defend their land in the face of continued Israeli threats.
“Be
alert and fully prepared to face Lebanon’s foes, as the Israeli enemy does not
hesitate to issue threats to attack our land; its hostile intentions towards us
have not stopped,” General Joseph Aoun said to soldiers during the Order of the
Day.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Aoun
also said that terrorists and terror cells had not stopped their plans to
“tamper with our internal stability.”
Lebanon
was one of the world’s first countries to defeat ISIS and push it outside its
borders during a 2014 operation where the Lebanese army defeated ISIS and Nusra
Front militants.
The
United States is the number one donor of aid and weapons to the Lebanese army.
Washington has invested and donated more than $2 billion in the military since
2006.
Meanwhile,
Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon in Kfar Shuba and Ghajar.
Tel Aviv has long defended its actions over the continued possession of
Iran-backed Hezbollah’s illegal arms and missile capabilities.
In
October, Lebanon and Israel began indirect talks over their disputed maritime
borders. The talks have been brokered by the US and hosted by the United
Nations.
But
this has not stopped Israeli threats, according to the Lebanese army chief.
“The
bet is on you in the face of these dangers, so there is no toleration for those
who tamper with the security and stability of our country, and there is no
toleration for those who attempt to undermine the supreme national interest and
tamper with civil peace,” he said Friday.
Aoun
also said that Lebanon is going through an “unprecedented stage” of political,
social, and economic difficulties, exacerbated by the Aug. 4 Port of Beirut
explosion and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We
are confident that with our unity and solidarity, we will surpass this stage,”
he said.
General
Aoun has commanded the army since 2017, having previously headed an infantry
brigade following counter-terrorism and military training in the US. He is not
related to Lebanon’s President, Michel Aoun.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/20/Israel-s-aggressive-intentions-against-Lebanon-remain-warns-LAF-chief-Joseph-Aoun
--------
Iran
condemns Pompeo’s visit to occupied lands, pro-Israel doctrine
21
November 2020
Iran
has condemned a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the
Israeli-occupied territories, saying his doctrine includes formalizing the
regime’s occupation and whitewashing its crimes.
In
a post on his twitter account, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said Pompeo prioritizes the interests of Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu over those of the American people.
The
#PompeoDoctrine 101:
-
Put Bibi's interest above that of even Americans who put him in office;
-
Formalize Israel's occupation & whitewash Israeli crimes- no matter what;
-
Silence criticism with bogus 'anti-Semitism label';
-
Waste US taxpayers money on private family tours pic.twitter.com/vCRuy4rBvA
—
Saeed Khatibzadeh (@SKhatibzadeh) November 20, 2020
Pompeo
arrived in Israel on Wednesday for his last trip to the occupied lands before
leaving office in January.
He
met with Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid
al-Zayani in Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
US secretary of state also made a stop at the site of the baptism of Jesus in
the Jordan Valley, where he announced that Washington would consider the
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement “anti-Semitic” and cut off
government support for any organizations taking part in it.
The
movement, which was initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian organizations and
later turned international, is meant to initiate “various forms of boycott
against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law” and end
its decades-long occupation of Palestine.
Pompeo
then travelled by helicopter to Psagot settlement close to the West Bank city
of Ramallah, marking the first time a top US diplomat had officially visited
the illegal Israeli settlements. It came a year after he declared that Israeli
settlements were "not, per se, inconsistent with international law".
Palestinian
Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Pompeo’s embrace of the
Israeli settlements and accused the outgoing US administration of “active
participation in the occupation of Palestinian lands.”
Most
of the international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal
based on the Geneva Convention principle that an occupying power is barred from
transferring its population into war-won territories. They also see the settler
units as an obstacle to the so-called two-state solution to the decades-long
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Additionally,
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called Pompeo’s visit to the
Israeli settlement a "dangerous precedent" that "legalizes
settlements."
During
the trip, Pompeo released a statement saying products from settlements could be
labelled “Made in Israel”.
The
BDS, however, accused the US and Israel of trying to silence advocacy for
Palestinian rights.
“The
BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality, stands with all
those struggling for a more dignified, just and beautiful world,” it said.
“With our many partners, we shall resist these McCarthyite attempts to
intimidate and bully Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights
defenders into accepting Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism as fate.”
After
Psagot, Pompeo paid a similar visit to the occupied Golan Heights.
Syria
appealed to the United Nations to condemn the "provocative" visit,
calling it "a flagrant violation" of Syrian sovereignty.
Israel
seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the closing stages of its 1967 Six-Day
War with Arab countries, which also saw the regime occupy the Palestinian
territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem al-Quds and the Gaza Strip.
Tel
Aviv unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 in a move not recognized
internationally.
Damascus
has repeatedly reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, saying the
territory must be completely restored to its control.
In
March 2019, US President Donald Trump signed a decree recognizing Israeli
“sovereignty” over the occupied Golan during a meeting with Netanyahu in
Washington.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/21/639034/Iran-US-Mike-Pompeo-visit-Israel-Palestine
--------
Iran:
World must press Israel to join NPT unconditionally
20
November 2020
Iran’s
representative to Vienna-based international organizations raises the alarm at
Israel’s highly secretive nuclear activities as a threat to global security,
saying the world community should pressure the regime into joining the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “swiftly” and “unconditionally.”
Addressing
a meeting of the 35-nation Board of Governors of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday, Kazem Gharibabadi singled out Israel as the
only party in the Middle East that has refused to join the NPT, thus preventing
the treaty from extending to all parts of the globe.
The
regime, he warned, has been expanding its clandestine nuclear capabilities in
entire disregard of international rules and norms, something that poses a
serious threat to global peace and stability.
He
said the international community “has no other option but to put constant
pressure on the regime in Israel to make it join the NPT swiftly and
unconditionally” and place its atomic activities and sites under the provisions
of the IAEA’s safeguards system, which allows inspection and verification of
the peaceful uses of nuclear materials.
That
is the sole way to resolve the “nuclear crisis” gripping the Middle East, added
Gharibabadi.
Israel
is believed to be the only possessor of nukes in the Middle East and estimated
to have between 200 and 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal. The regime,
however, pursues a policy of nuclear opacity under which it neither confirms
nor denies possession of nuclear arms.
‘Saudi
Arabia, UAE must respect IAEA safeguards’
Elsewhere,
the Iranian official voiced concerns about the refusal of NPT members Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to fully implement the Agency’s
Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and allow inspections of their nuclear work.
Gharibabadi
said the two regimes have in force the so-called Small Quantities Protocol,
which exempts them from authorizing IAEA inspections on the basis that they
have very little nuclear material and very few nuclear activities.
“As
long as they (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) fail to scrap the protocol as
repeatedly demanded by the IAEA’s Secretariat, they will not feel duty-bound to
implement the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements completely and effectively,”
he said.
Riyadh
and Abu Dhabi’s refusal to adhere to the safeguards agreements, while their
nuclear programs are rapidly advancing, will help them hide parts of their
activities in the absence of international inspections, he cautioned.
Gharibabadi
criticized the so-called advocates of nuclear non-proliferation for turning a
blind eye to Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s non-compliance with the IAEA’s
safeguards system and still helping them increase their nuclear capabilities.
The
UAE has made huge investments in developing its nuclear program in recent years.
The kingdom, in August, announced the start-up operations in the first of four
reactors at the Barakah nuclear power station, the first nuclear power plant in
the Arab world.
Experts
have, however, raised concerns about potential risks that the plant could pose
to the environment and regional security.
Saudi
Arabia’s nuclear ambitions have also prompted worries in the global community
over the past few years, especially after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman hinted in 2018 that the kingdom may go for nukes.
Widespread
reports of Saudi Arabia’s undeclared nuclear activities were confirmed in
August, when satellite images revealed a large compound in a suspicious
location in the heart of the desert.
The
Wall Street Journal, citing Western officials, reported that Saudi Arabia had
built a facility, with foreign aid, for extraction of yellowcake from uranium
ore near the remote town of al-Ula.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/639002/Iran-Israel-Nuclear-NPT
--------
Over
3,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel since Second Intifada: Ministry
20
November 2020
The
Palestinian Ministry of Information has pointed to the deliberate targeting of
Palestinian children by Israeli military, stating that more than 3,000 minors
have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli troops since the Second Intifada
(uprising).
The
ministry said in a statement on Thursday that at least 3,097 Palestinian
children have been killed, while tens of thousands of others sustained injuries
between the Second Intifada, which broke out on September 28, 2000 against Tel
Aviv regime’s occupation of Palestinian territory, until the end of October
2019.
The
statement added that 123 Palestinian minors have been killed and many more
injured ever since US President Donald Trump sparked controversy by officially
recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital in December 2017. More
than 17,000 Palestinian children were rounded up and detained during the
mentioned period as well.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Information highlighted that seven children have been
killed in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip since the beginning of
the current year as a result of the Israeli military assaults.
According
to statistics from the Palestinian Prisoners Club and the Palestinian Prisoners'
Affairs Authority Israeli forces have arrested 304 children between the start
of the current year and the end of June, and the number of Palestinian minors
currently being held bars at Israeli jails stands at 155.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian children have been detained by the Israeli authorities
since 2015, and some have been sentenced to ten years in prison or life
imprisonment, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said in a statement
released on the occasion of World Children's Day, which is celebrated on
November 20 each year.
The
society highlighted that most of the child detainees are from occupied
Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
PPS then called on international human rights institutions, and the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in particular, to make serious efforts to
protect Palestinian children, and to oblige Israeli authorities to abide by a
series of agreements concerning protection of child detainees.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails, with
dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638990/Over-3,000-Palestinian-children-killed-by-Israel-since-Second-Intifada-Ministry
--------
Turkey
issues detention warrants for 101 people on alleged terrorism links
NOVEMBER
20, 2020
ISTANBUL
(Reuters) - Turkish authorities have issued detention warrants for 101 people
including lawyers and doctors as part of what they called terrorism-related
investigations, a security source and state-owned Anadolu news agency said on
Friday.
Authorities
launched the operation from the southeastern province of Diyarbakir and sought
suspects across four cities and a total of 106 residential addresses, the
source said.
Seventy-four
suspects have already been detained, the source said.
The
suspects were believed to be connected to the Democratic Society Congress,
which the source and Anadolu defined as the legislative arm of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.
Anadolu
said the authorities found guns, documents and digital material at the
suspects’ addresses.
Milena
Buyum, Turkey campaigner for Amnesty International, said the lawyers’
detentions clashed with recent talk of judicial reforms, which have also been
mentioned by President Tayyip Erdogan.
On
Thursday, Erdogan’s close ally and former deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc,
emphasised the importance of the justice system in an interview.
“These
raids are the opposite of the kind of reform that Arinc spoke of only last
night, where detention is exceptional and judges take ‘pro-freedom decisions,’”
Buyum wrote on Twitter.
She
said the DTK was a Kurdish umbrella organisation for civil society.
The
PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European
Union, has fought against the state in the southeast since 1984. A ceasefire
collapsed in 2015.
The
Ankara state prosecutor’s office ordered the detention of 60 people in
September, including 48 lawyers and others in the legal sector, suspected of
operating in support of the network of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah
Gulen. That drew criticism from Turkish and international lawyers’ groups.
https://www.reuters.com/article/turkey-security/turkey-issues-detention-warrants-for-101-people-on-alleged-terrorism-links-idUSL8N2I61C8?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Africa
Rebels
In Ethiopia's Tigray Fire Rockets At Neighbouring State: Report
20
November 2020
Rebels
in Ethiopia's northernmost region of Tigray have reportedly launched rocket
attacks on neighboring Ahmara State, amid growing concerns about the spread of
violence in the East African country.
Amhara
communications official Gizachew Muluneh said on Friday that the Tigray
People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had fired three rockets at the regional capital,
Bahir Dar, in the early morning.
He
said the rockets had missed their targets, with two striking near the airport
and a third hitting a maize field.
"My
suspicion is they were targeting the Amhara Mass Media Agency, the airport, and
a telecommunications tower that is nearby," Gizachew said.
There
were no reports of casualties or damage, he added.
Last
week, the TPLF also fired rockets at Asmara, the capital of neighboring
Eritrea, which it accuses of backing Ethiopian government forces. Both Eritrea
and Ethiopia deny the allegation.
The
Friday development came a day after Ethiopia said its forces had liberated two
towns in the rebel-held Tigray and were further advancing to retake the
regional capital, Mekelle.
Ethiopian
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Abiy ordered the army offensive in Tigray early this
month, in response to a deadly attack on an army base that killed at least 54
people from the ethnic Amhara group in the Oromia region.
Abiy
accused the TPLF — the region’s ruling party — of having staged the attack.
Tigray's
regional president, Debrestion Gebremichael, has accused the federal government
of staging the offensive to oust the regional government and assert its own
authority.
Abiy,
a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has resisted calls by the United Nations (UN),
the African Union, and various countries for talks with the armed rebels in the
north.
The
conflict has left hundreds dead and forced around 25,000 Ethiopians to flee
across the border into Sudan. The crisis also risks destabilizing the wider Horn
of Africa region.
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that a
full-scale humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region.
UN
plans for 200,000 Ethiopian refugees in Sudan
Meanwhile,
the UN has announced that it is making plans for as many as 200,000 refugees
fleeing into neighboring Sudan, making an urgent appeal for $200 million to
assist them.
"Together
with all the agencies, we have built a response plan for about 20,000 people,
and currently we are at about 31,000, so it has already surpassed that
figure," the UN refugee agency's representative for Sudan, Axel Bisschop,
told a briefing in Geneva on Friday. "The new planning figure is around
200,000."
The
Sudan-based representative for the UN children's agency (UNICEF), Abdullah
Fadil, also voiced fears about the impact of the arrivals on Sudan, already
hosting one million refugees from other African neighbors.
"Our
serious concern is if we do not act quickly with the resources needed... this
could unravel not only Ethiopia but also Sudan," he told the briefing.
Rights
groups are concerned about ethnic violence and destabilization in Ethiopia,
Africa's second-most populous country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/639003/Rebels-in-Ethiopia-Tigray-fire-rockets-at-neighboring-state-Report
--------
Ethiopia
conflict puts 2.3 million children in need: UNICEF
20
November 2020
The
outbreak of conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region has left some 2.3 million
children in urgent need of assistance and thousands more at risk in refugee
camps, the UN children's agency said Friday.
Tigray
has been rocked by bloody fighting since November 4, when Ethiopian Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the launch of military operations against the
regional government.
The
move was a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud between the federal
government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the region's ruling
party, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy
took office in 2018.
Hundreds
of people have been killed in the fighting, and thousands have fled across
Ethiopia's northern border into neighboring Sudan.
"Inside
the Tigray region, restricted access and the ongoing communication blackout
have left an estimated 2.3 million children in need of humanitarian assistance
and out of reach," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said.
The
agency estimates that "some 12,000 children - some of them without parents
or relatives - are among those sheltering in camps and registration centers and
are at risk."
Many
of the makeshift camps set up in Sudan are overcrowded and refugees have been
struggling with unsanitary conditions, limited access to water, and food.
The
UN agency said it has sought to provide urgent assistance and life-saving
support for children living in "extremely harsh" conditions in the
camps.
Fore
urged all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian access, and refrain
from using explosives in densely populated areas.
"Every
effort should be made to keep children out of harm's way, and to ensure that
they are protected from recruitment and use in the conflict," she
said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638991/Ethiopia-conflict-children-Tigray-region-UNICEF
--------
Boko
Haram: Troops kill 3 terrorists, rescue women, children in Northeast
November
19, 2020
By
Shehu Usman
Troops
of Operation Fireball have killed three Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in
different clearances they conducted in Borno State.
Acting
Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeukoin, a
statement released on Thursday, indicated that the troops also rescued two
women and three children kidnapped by the terrorists.
He
recounted that, on 17th November, 2020, troops of 251 Task Force Battalion
deployed in Strong Response Area Molai while acting credible intelligence
intercepted some Boko Haram criminals and relations of some kidnapped persons
making efforts to pay a ransom of Two Million naira cash (2,000,000.00) to the
terrorists.
“In
a swift reaction, the gallant troops engaged the Boko Haram criminals forcing
them to abort the collection of the payment as well as abandon their captives.
“In
the aftermath of the decisive encounter, One Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist was
neutralized while others escaped with gunshot wounds. One AK 47 Rifle and one
Motorcycle were recovered.
“The
victims including 2 women and 3 children were all rescued unhurt”, he said.
In
another development, Brigadier General Onyeuko noted that on 17 November 2020,
troops of 151 and 202 Battalions conducted an aggressive fighting patrol to
clear Boko Haram criminals hideout in the general area of Zaye Ngusa Village
and other crossing points neutralised two terrorists.
NEWS: Ex-minister, Chukwu makes new UN team
“Similarly,
on 15 November 2020, troops of 26 Task Force Brigade in Strong Response Area
Pulka in a well coordinated ambush operation along Pulka – Sabon Gari – Kirawa
road intercepted Boko Haram criminals logistics convoy.
“On
sighting the terrorists, the troops engaged the criminals with gun fire forcing
them to flee abandoning their consignments.
“Items
recovered were: 8 bicycles, several bags of grains, assorted packets of drugs
and other food items”, he disclosed.
The
Acting Director, however, commended troops of Operation Fireball for their
resilience, gallantry and professionalism exhibited since the beginning of the
operation, while also assuring the entire populace of the Northeast region of
Nigerian military high command determination to finally rout the remnants of
BHT/ISWAP criminals from their enclaves in the zone.
https://dailypost.ng/2020/11/19/boko-haram-troops-kill-3-terrorists-rescue-women-children-in-northeast/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Somalia:
Bomb Kills 3 Soldiers in Southern Somalia
19
NOVEMBER 2020
At
least three soldiers died and several more people, including civilians, have
been wounded in a blast at a security checkpoint outside Somalia's capital on
Thursday morning, officials said.
The
attack took place in Lafole town, some 22 kilometers (13 miles) southwest of
Mogadishu.
Explosives
were planted by a roadside and detonated while soldiers were carrying out
security checks during the morning rush hour, according to Abshir Hussein
Mohamed, a police officer in the nearby town of Afgoye.
"At
least three soldiers have died and several more injured people, including
soldiers and civilians, have been shifted to a hospital in Mogadishu," he
told Anadolu Agency over the phone.
Somalia-based
al-Shabaab, affiliated with the al-Qaeda terror group, claimed responsibility
for the attack via its propaganda radio service Andalus.
The
blast comes days after at least five people were killed and eight more wounded
in a suicide bombing at a busy restaurant in Mogadishu.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202011200260.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1738667_
--------
Southeast Asia
Be
Thankful Umno Is Part Of Federal Govt, Barisan Nasional Reminds Squabbling
Leaders
November
21, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Annuar Musa said his “Umno
soul” is not dead as implied by an Johor Umno leader and he will continue
fighting for the unity of the Malays and Bumiputeras, which is a key founding
objective of the party.
Reminding
Johor Umno deputy chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamed that everyone will “die” one day,
he said he would not stray from this objective.
Yesterday,
Nur Jazlan described Annuar as a “politically dead figure” in Umno’s struggle
when commenting on the latter’s statement that Umno should snap out of its
superiority complex.
The
Federal Territories minister said certain Umno leaders had forgotten that the
party lost the general election in 2018. Because of this, he said, they had no
right to question the treatment Umno received in Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin’s Cabinet.
Annuar
said quarrels among some Umno leaders involved differences in personality and
opinion but he reminded them that these should not divide the party.
“We
should be thankful to God that we are back at the helm in the Putrajaya
administration. But remember that God’s grace can be lost at any time.
“If
you want to fire me, want to remove me as a minister, it does not matter. I
will be more disturbed if I am considered a bootlicker who is afraid of losing
my position,” he said.
In
politics, he said there were no eternal enemies or friends, adding that if Umno
could get along with MIC, MCA and PAS, he did not see why it could not
cooperate with PPBM.
“There
is no problem if we are criticised, reprimanded or have different opinions. To
me, that should be welcomed. And if you become dead politically, it doesn’t
matter. Either way, we will die too, but the struggle must live on,” he said.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/21/be-thankful-umno-is-part-of-federal-govt-annuar-reminds-squabbling-leaders/
--------
GLC-driven
initiatives will boost recovery, say experts
Teoh
Jie Ying
November
21, 2020
PETALING
JAYA: Economists have welcomed budget initiatives involving government-linked
companies (GLCs), saying it is important for these companies to help bolster
Putrajaya’s efforts to revive the economy.
These
initiatives can help ease unemployment and boost small businesses, say
economists Madeline Berma, a fellow of the Academy of Sciences, and Yeah Kim
Leng of Sunway University Business School.
These
initiatives include MySTEP, a short-term employment project under which GLCs
will provide 15,000 contract jobs, and the RM300 million Jana Niaga platform to
help finance small and medium enterprises.
There
is also the RM150 million contribution from GLCs for the provision of laptops
to students in 500 schools and the expansion of the My30 travel pass and a new
RM5 unlimited travel pass for school students involving an RM450 million
allocation from Prasarana.
Madeline
said the RM700 million allocated for MySTEP will be vital, especially
considering the unemployment rate was at an all-time of 5.3%. The MySTEP
programme also went well with efforts to reskill and retrain workers.
“Although
government handouts work as a short-term solution, a longer-term solution would
be to create employment opportunities provided by GLCs, even if it is on a
contract basis.”
Yeah
said the pandemic provided GLCs an opportunity to justify their existence as an
extension of the government’s socio-economic agenda.
“Through
offering apprenticeships and even industry training, GLC’s may well be able to
help Malaysians get back on their feet. Hopefully this will help mitigate the
severe unemployment, especially among youths.”
Madeline
and Yeah believe there is still a lot that GLCs can still do to support the
government’s efforts.
Yeah
says GLCs in the health sector should invest in efforts to find a Covid-19
vaccine, saying the best way to ensure economic recovery was to find a way to
contain the pandemic.
Madeline
said GLCs need to go beyond corporate social responsibility and should work
with local start-ups and social enterprises to add value and create
opportunities for all Malaysians.
She
also said she hoped GLCs would consider investing in low-tech initiatives in
areas without sufficient infrastructure.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/21/glc-driven-initiatives-will-boost-recovery-say-experts/
--------
New
tourism rules soon for green zone travel, says minister
November
21, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: New rules and procedures are being drawn up in the wake of the
government’s approval of inter-state and inter-district travel between green
zones, tourism minister Nancy Shukri said today.
Green
zone travel, which will be allowed from Sunday, will revive the domestic tourism
industry, which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.
She
was also confident that the decision would ease the concerns of hotel, resort
and homestay operators, tour guides, and others who lost their sources of
income during the difficult times.
She
hoped that people from green zones would use this opportunity to travel
domestically, besides using the services of local travel agents.
“This
opportunity should also be used as best as possible by industry players with
interesting travel promotions and offers in line with the new normal and SOP
(standard operating procedure) to attract tourists,” she said as a guest on the
Ruang Bicara live talk show programme on Bernama TV tonight.
Following
the latest development, Nancy said the SOP with regard to tourism was being
updated as there were some minor amendments that needed to be made on the
advice of the National Security Council adding that the new SOP list was
expected to be uploaded on the ministry’s official website in two days’ time.
She
said the ministry would also carry out engagement sessions with industry
players to discuss and ensure the permission given to travel would be fully utilised
to revive the tourism sector.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/21/new-tourism-rules-soon-for-green-zone-travel-says-minister/
--------
Dr
Mahathir suggests US president-elect Joe Biden crucial to Asia’s growth
21
Nov 2020
BY
SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 21 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Joe Biden could play a key role
for Asia’s overall growth as he looks to the US president-elect to rebuild ties
with China whose growth is crucial to the region.
The
95-year-old told business paper Nikkei Asia that he expects Biden to take a
more rational approach than current US president Donald Trump, who ignited a
trade war with the Asian superpower that had economic repercussions on around
the world, including Malaysia.
“Under
Trump, relationships between countries were totally destroyed as he quarreled
with China, Europe, Mexico and even with Canada,” the two-time prime minister
said.
“Biden
would have to have some normalisation in the relationship with China, as it's
very important to us,” he said.
China
remains Malaysia's largest trading partner, followed by Singapore and the
United States.
Bilateral
trade between the two nations hit another record high last year, rising to
US$124 billion (roughly RM503 billion), said China's Ambassador to Malaysia Bai
Tian, 14.2 per cent increase from 2018's US$108.66 billion (RM443 billion).
Dr
Mahathir, 95, a long vocal critic of the US, especially over American support
for Israel versus the Palestinians.
He
told Nikkei Asia that Biden could rebuild ties that he says were damaged under
the Trump administration.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/21/dr-mahathir-suggests-us-president-elect-joe-biden-crucial-to-asias-growth/1924728
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/abu-ibrahim-al-hashimi-al/d/123536
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism