Jamaat-e-Islami Demands Islamic System in Pakistan as PDM, PTI 'Pursuing Agenda of British Imperialism'
New
Age Islam News Bureau
28
December 2020
JI chief Sirajul Haq speaks at a rally in the Qila
Ground of Sarai Naurang town in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Pakistan, December 27,
2020. Geo News/via The News
-----
•
Woman Has the Choice to Live Her Life on Her Own Terms and With Her Husband,
Without Any Hindrance by Others, Says Allahabad High Court
•
US President Donald Trump Continues To Pardon War Criminals In Iraq,
Afghanistan
•
Kabul Calls for International Efforts to Bring Peace to Afghanistan
•
Malaysian Queen Expresses Love for Turkish Art, Culture
•
Rocket attack against US embassy in Iraq mere fabrication by Washington:
Kata'ib Hezbollah
•
Moroccans Protest Normalization Deal with Israel, Voice Solidarity with
Palestine
Pakistan
•
Jamaat-e-Islami Demands Islamic System in Pakistan as PDM, PTI 'Pursuing Agenda
of British Imperialism'
•
Two killed, eight injured in Panjgur blast
•
7 soldiers martyred in terrorist 'fire raid' on FC post in Balochistan's
Harnai: ISPR
•
9 soldiers, 2 army pilots killed in separate incidents in Pak
•
Militants attack Pakistan checkpoint in Balochistan, killing 7 soldiers
•
Pakistan ‘concerned’ by Afghan doubts over its commitment to peace
--------
India
•
Woman Has the Choice to Live Her Life on Her Own Terms and With Her Husband,
Without Any Hindrance by Others, Says Allahabad High Court
•
Not In Favour Of Laws Against Conversion For Marriage: JDU On 'Love Jihad'
•
Terror plot to attack J&K temples foiled, trio arrested
•
Shiv Sena speaking like Muslim league: BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain
--------
North
America
•
US President Donald Trump Continues To Pardon War Criminals In Iraq,
Afghanistan
•
FBI at home of possible person of interest in Nashville bomb
•
US sanctions on Turkey was long over-due
•
Twitter suspending Turkish group 'unacceptable': envoy
--------
South
Asia
•
Kabul Calls for International Efforts to Bring Peace to Afghanistan
•
Next round of Afghan peace talks will begin on January 5 in Doha: Official
•
Afghan police officers latest victims of bombings in capital
•
Afghanistan bars local government spokesmen from speaking to media
•
Hefazat-e-Islam gets Nurul Islam as new acting secretary general
•
Bangladesh to ship new group of Rohingya refugees to remote island
•
Taliban Abducts ’15 Passengers’ in Ghazni Province
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Malaysian Queen Expresses Love for Turkish Art, Culture
•
Malaysia’s Islamic authorities allow use of Covid vaccine, make it mandatory
for some
•
Jakim tightening enforcement, SOP for halal certification for imported goods,
says religious affairs deputy minister
--------
Arab
World
•
Rocket attack against US embassy in Iraq mere fabrication by Washington:
Kata'ib Hezbollah
•
Saudi Arabia’s KSRelief to rebuild Syrian refugee camp burned down in Lebanon
•
Turkey says it killed 15 Kurdish militants preparing attack in northeast Syria
•
Coronavirus: Saudi residents recount COVID-19 vaccine experience in Riyadh
•
Nasrallah: Hezbollah's precision missiles doubled in a year
--------
Africa
•
Moroccans Protest Normalization Deal with Israel, Voice Solidarity with
Palestine
•
Netanyahu speaks with Morocco’s king, invites him to Israel
•
Top Egypt officials visit Libya capital for first time in years
•
Libyan National Army will be seen as ‘targets’ if they attack Turkish forces:
Turkey
•
Libya's rival leaders start UN-brokered prisoner exchange: Officials
•
Haftar forces ‘legitimate targets’ if Turkish troops attacked: Ankara
•
Sudan says took back border land from Ethiopia
•
UN hails prisoner exchange between Libyan parties as part of Geneva ceasefire
deal
--------
Europe
•
Britain Says It Will Sign Free Trade Deal With Turkey This Week
•
Hundreds of migrants freezing in heavy snow at Lipa camp in northwest Bosnia
•
Russia reinforces Syrian area where Turkey-backed fighters clashed with Kurdish
forces
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/jamaat-e-islami-demands-islamic/d/123903
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
Demands Islamic System In Pakistan As PDM, PTI 'Pursuing Agenda Of British
Imperialism'
December
27, 2020
JI chief Sirajul Haq speaks at a rally in the Qila
Ground of Sarai Naurang town in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Pakistan, December 27,
2020. Geo News/via The News
-----
SARAI
NAURANG: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) "demands" an Islamic system in
Pakistan as the ruling PTI, as well as the Opposition-led Pakistan Democratic
Movement (PDM), are "pursuing the agenda of British imperialism",
party chief Sirajul Haq said Sunday.
Speaking
at a rally in Qila Ground in Sarai Naurang town, Lakki Marwat, Senator Sirajul
Haq said the JI did not believe in caste, ethnicity or heredity but that
"we are trying to implement the Islamic system" and that his party's
politics was different from that of the PDM.
"Islam
cannot be implemented" if there was PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
on one side and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on the other, he said, adding
that the biggest reason the JI did not join the Opposition's coalition and its
campaign against the PTI regime was because they "deceive the
people".
In
Pakistan, killers were not punished but rather protected by the system, Haq
added, lambasting the authorities for failing to arrest to date the killers of
"honourable and courageous Naqeebullah Mehsud", a 27-year-old native
of Waziristan shot dead during a "police encounter" in Karachi in
January 2018.
"The
police killed 400 people in Karachi. This system is for the killers, the
oppressors, the sugar mafia, the land mafia, and the flour thieves," he
noted. "No one can punish these oppressors here.
"We
want an Islamic system where the law is the same for all," he added.
'Ignoramus
student failing despite cheating'
Blasting
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sirajul Haq termed him an "ignoramus student
[who is] failing despite cheating" and underlined that when the PTI chief
had confessed to not being prepared, "then why did he sit for the
exam"?
"If
he was not prepared, then why did he take the Prime Minister's Office? This
ignoramus student Imran Khan and his cabinet have failed despite
cheating."
The
JI chief said that "clouds of danger hung above Pakistan," as the
country, according to him, has been "under the pressure to recognise
Israel".
'Will
eliminate interest system from Pakistan'
"Imran
Khan had said he would become the ambassador of Kashmir [but] the ambassador of
Kashmir has handed over Kashmir to [Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi],"
he said.
The
senator added that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was putting pressure
on Pakistan due to which electricity and gas were becoming more expensive by
the day.
"The
government stands with its feet on people's necks. If we get a chance, we will
eliminate the system of interest from the country," Haq vowed.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/765258-sirajul-haq-demands-islamic-system-as-pdm-pti-pursuing-agenda-of-british-imperialism
--------
Woman
Has the Choice to Live Her Life on Her Own Terms and With Her Husband, Without
Any Hindrance by Others, Says Allahabad High Court
Omar
Rashid
Lucknow,
December 27, 2020
The
Allahabad High Court has reunited an interfaith couple in Etah, observing that
since the woman had attained the age of majority, she has a choice to live her
life on her own terms and with her husband without any restriction or hindrance
by others.
A
Division Bench of Justices Pankaj Naqvi and Vivek Agarwal also quashed the FIR
lodged against the woman’s husband.
A
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court had earlier sent the woman to a Child
Welfare Committee (CWC) and then to the custody of her parents. The woman
Shikha’s husband Salman alias Karan had filed a habeas corpus writ pleading
that she had been sent to her parents house by the CWC against her wishes.
The
Bench interacted with the woman, who submitted that she was a major, born in
1999, and had entered into wedlock with Salman. “As the corpus has attained the
age of majority and she has a choice to live her life on her own terms and she
has expressed that she wants to live with her husband Salman @ Karan she is
free to move as per her own choice without any restriction or hindrance being
created by third party,” the HC noted in an order dated December 18.
The
CJM Etah, in an order dated December 7, had handed over the woman to the
custody of the CWC, which a day later handed her over to her parents, “without
any application of mind and against her wish,” the court noted. “The act of the
CJM and the CWC Etah reflects lack of appreciation of legal provisions,” the
judges said.
The
court quashed the FIR registered on September 27 under Section 366 of the
Indian Penal Code (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her
marriage) at Kotwali Dehat Police Station.
The
court had also directed the investigating officer of the case to ensure that
appropriate protection was granted to the couple till they returned to their
residence, and directed the police chief of Prayagraj to provide necessary
police security for their safe passage.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/allahabad-hc-reunites-interfaith-couple-in-etah/article33431223.ece
-----
US
President Donald Trump Continues To Pardon War Criminals In Iraq, Afghanistan
Ovunc
Kutlu
25.12.2020
US
President Donald Trump announcing this week a wave of pardons was the latest in
a series of wielding his clemency powers over the years for war criminals that
were convicted of killing civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As
US presidents have used their authority for more than two hundred years to
offer second chances to some Americans, Trump has issued 70 pardons during his
time in the White House as of Wednesday.
Trump's
executive clemency, however, keeps adding controversial military figures after
he pardoned four employees of an American private military company who killed
civilians in Iraq and were found guilty by a US court in 2014.
Employees
of Blackwater Security Consulting, now known as Academi, shot at Iraqi
civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20 in Nisour Square, Baghdad on Sept. 16,
2007 as they were escorting a US embassy convoy.
The
incident caused five investigations. The FBI found that at least 14 of the 17
Iraqis killed were shot without any cause, including 9- and 11-year-old boys.
Thirty
witnesses from Iraq, the largest group of foreign witnesses to travel to US for
a criminal trial, had described in the court that the four American men
initiated unprovoked shooting at Iraqi civilians with heavy gunfire and grenade
launchers.
In
the 2014 trial, Nicholas Slatten from the state of Tennessee, a sniper, was
found guilty of first-degree murder as prosecutors had said he started the
incident by opening fire.
Paul
Slough from Texas was found guilty of 13 counts of voluntary manslaughter and
17 counts of attempted manslaughter. Evan Liberty from New Hampshire was found
guilty of eight counts of voluntary manslaughter and 12 counts of attempted
manslaughter.
And,
Dustin Heard from Tennessee was found guilty of six counts of voluntary
manslaughter and 11 counts of attempted manslaughter.
While
a murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison, each voluntary
manslaughter count carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, and attempted
manslaughter counts carry seven-year maximum sentences.
"Seven
years ago, these Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine
guns and grenade launchers on innocent men, women and children," Ronald
Machen, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in his 2014
statement.
Blackwater
had a $1 billion government contract to protect American diplomats during the
war in Iraq. In a 2007 congressional hearing on Blackwater misconduct,
then-owner Erik Prince refused his employees to be defined as
"mercenaries" and did not share information about his
"private" company.
Blackwater
was renamed as Xe Services in 2009, and known as Academi since 2011 after it
was acquired by a group of private investors for around $200 million.
Stabbing
wounded prisoner
Trump
in December 2019 ordered the US Navy not to remove Chief Petty Officer Edward
Gallagher from its elite SEALs special operations force, and reversed his July
2019 court-martial demotion, saying: "This case was handled very badly
from the beginning."
Gallagher
was charged in September 2018 with 10 offenses, some of which included murder,
attempted murder, and other war crimes tied to his deployment to Mosul, Iraq.
He
was found guilty on a single charge -- stabbing to death a wounded 17-year-old
Daesh/ISIS prisoner of war with a hunting knife, and posing with his corpse and
sending the photo to his friends.
Gallagher,
whose nickname was "Blade", was also accused by fellow Navy SEAL
snipers of randomly shooting two Iraqi civilians, a schoolgirl and an elderly
man, while veterans reported his conduct to military investigators as being
"OK with killing anybody that was moving" and "freaking evil".
Navy
Secretary Richard Spencer was ousted by the White House after he criticized
Trump's intervention in Gallagher’s case.
Pardons
in past
Trump
also pardoned in 2019 three Army officers, two of them accused of war crimes in
Afghanistan -- 1st Lt. Clint Lorance and Maj. Mathew Golsteyn.
Lorance
in 2012 was charged with two counts of second-degree murder after he ordered
his men to open fire on three Afghan men who were on a motorcycle. He was found
guilty by a court-martial in 2013 and sentenced to 19 years in prison serving
six before receiving Trump's pardon.
Golsteyn,
an Army Green Beret, was charged with murder after killing an Afghan civilian
in 2010 who he claimed was a bombmaker for the Taliban killing two Marines. The
army closed the case in 2013 but reopened it in 2016.
Trump
in May 2019 had pardoned Army 1st Lt. Michael Behanna who was convicted of
murder of an Iraqi man in 2008. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment,
which was later reduced to 15 years, and granted parole in 2014 after serving
less than five years of his sentence.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-continues-to-pardon-war-criminals-in-iraq-afghanistan/2088191
--------
Kabul
calls for international efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan
26
December 2020
Afghanistan
has called on regional and international players to step up efforts to bring
peace and stability to the war-torn country.
First
Vice President Amrullah Saleh says there would be no peace and stability in
Afghanistan unless with close regional and international cooperation.
Addressing
the second meeting of Afghanistan's National Reconciliation Council, Saleh said
the war in Afghanistan is fueled by certain sides which benefit from war.
A
sharp increase in violence has shocked the entire nation and even prompted the
UN mission in Afghanistan to react.
Media
workers, political activists and government employees have turned into the most
frequent targets for assassination mainly over the past two months.
So
far regional and international players such as Iran and Pakistan as well as the
UN have pledged commitment to peace efforts in Afghanistan.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641571/Afghanistan-Kabul-peace
--------
Malaysian
queen expresses love for Turkish art, culture
DEC
26, 2020
The
cultural and historical jewels of Turkey have a big fan halfway around the
world, namely a member of Malaysia's royal family.
"I
am an admirer of Turkish arts and crafts as well as Turkish history and
culture," Malaysian Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah told
Anadolu Agency in an emailed interview.
"I
really appreciate rich Turkish embroidery and the regal designs which are used
in the Turkish palaces and historical buildings."
Tunku
Aziziah, the queen consort of Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin
Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, also said she is a great fan of Turkish TV series,
particularly "Kuruluş: Osman," "Diriliş Ertuğrul" and
"1,001 Nights."
The
queen, who was honored with the 2019 Craft Icon of the Year by the World Craft
Council, said "I also adore how distinct Islamic influences are
incorporated into Turkish designs, and many may not know about the close
historical relationship between the (Malaysia) Johor royal family and the
Turkish royal family."
Her
great-great-grandfather, the late Sultan Abu Bakar, married a Turkish woman,
the late Sultanah Khatijah, she said.
He
was also close to the late great Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II who reigned from
1876 to 1909. She said, "So much so that when my great-great-grandfather
Sultan Abu Bakar passed away in London (in 1895), Sultan Abdul Hamid sent his
mufti and Turkish dignitaries to perform the burial rites before the body was
sent back to Johor."
The
queen said she gets "excited" when she watches "The Last
Emporer: Abdul Hamid II," a famous Turkish TV series about the life of the
Ottoman sultan. "Because I get to recognize my ancestors and their
beautiful customs," she explained.
"In
fact, it is also a way of bonding with my sisters when we discuss Turkish TV
series."
Turkish
cuisine
The
queen also likes Turkish cuisine and loves watching Turkish cooking videos.
"I
wish I spoke and understood Turkish because I also like to watch Turkish
cooking videos. But most of all I enjoy watching Diriliş and Kuruluş," she
added, mentioning the two popular Turkish TV series.
Tunku
Azizah is so passionate about Turkish arts and crafts that every year for the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan, she orders "Turkish products as gifts for
family and dignitaries from Prenses Sipariş," a Turkish fashion designer.
She
added that she had started planning to visit Turkey multiple times "but
haven't yet had the opportunity to do so."
"It
is one of my dreams to stay and explore Turkey for one month and visit all the
historical and cultural sites. When the president of Turkey came to visit, we
had already planned to travel to Turkey but it had to be postponed due to the
pandemic," she explained.
https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/malaysian-queen-expresses-love-for-turkish-art-culture/news
--------
Rocket
attack against US embassy in Iraq mere fabrication by Washington: Kata'ib
Hezbollah
27
December 2020
Iraq's
anti-terror group, Kata'ib Hezbollah, has called the last week’s rocket attack
against the US embassy in Baghdad a false-flag strike and a plot hatched by
Washington.
Muhammad
Mohi, the spokesman for Kata'ib Hezbollah, which is part of the country's
Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), made the comments in an interview with the Al
Jazeera news broadcaster, saying Washington is the “sole beneficiary” of the
so-called attack as it “wants to increase pressure on Iraqi resistance groups.”
On
December 20, a series of Katyusha rockets landed near the US embassy complex,
which is inside Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone. The attack caused minor
damage to buildings there.
Mohi
said the pressure by the US comes as Iraqis are preparing to commemorate the
first anniversary of the Trump-authorized assassination of Iran’s top
anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis, deputy head of the PMU, in a US airstrike near Baghdad airport on
January 3.
After
the terrorist act, the Iraqi parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a
resolution calling for the expulsion of US forces from the Arab country.
Anti-American
sentiments have run even higher in the past few days as Iraqis are outraged by
the US president’s decision to pardon four war criminals. The Blackwater
contractors had been jailed for killing of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad
in 2007.
The
US embassy has been targeted several times this year amid heightened
anti-American sentiments in Iraq in the aftermath of the assassinations of
General Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
Washington
claims it fears another attempt against its diplomatic missions and military
bases in Iraq as the first anniversary of the martyrdom of the two popular anti-terror
commanders nears.
“Washington
fears demonstrations near its embassy or any kind of popular activities aimed
at exposing the US role in Iraq, and this concern has prompted the American
leaders to launch these (fake) strikes against their [own] embassy,” further
said the spokesman of the Kata'ib Hezbollah group.
Mohi
added that the outgoing Trump administration is trying to push Iran and the
resistance groups to give “a reckless response” by exerting pressure and
creating a crisis, “but we are aware of this plot.”
The
targeting of the US embassy has already sparked a war of words between
Washington and Tehran, with Trump blaming Iran for the attack and warning of
retaliation if “one American is killed.”
In
response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that Trump’s
remarks – which were made via Twitter – were reminiscent of the Bush
administration’s accusations against Iraq, which led to the 2003 invasion of
Iraq.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/27/641624/Iraq-US-Kata-ib-Hezbollah-rockets-embassy-Soleimani-Trump
--------
Moroccans
protest normalization deal with Israel, voice solidarity with Palestine
27
December 2020
Hundreds
of people have reportedly staged demonstrations across Morocco to express
solidarity with the Palestinian cause and denounce Rabat’s agreement to
normalize relations with the Israeli regime in a deal brokered with the help of
the administration of US President Donald Trump.
On
Saturday night, a large crowd took to the streets in the North African country’s
largest port city of Casablanca, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans
in condemnation of the “shameful” Israel-Morocco normalization agreement.
They
also slammed the Tel Aviv regime’s ongoing crimes against Palestinian people.
This
came after it was announced that a delegation from Morocco will visit Israel
over the weekend to work on advancing bilateral diplomatic ties.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Saturday that the
sides will discuss reopening liaison offices, establishing embassies and
launching direct flights between Tel Aviv and Rabat.
The
Moroccan delegation will arrive in Israel on Sunday evening, according to the
Israeli Foreign Ministry.
During
a “warm and friendly” telephone conversation on Friday, Netanyahu extended an
invitation for Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to visit Israel and the two agreed to
continue contacts in order to advance the normalization agreement in the weeks
ahead, a statement from the Israeli premier’s office said.
It
noted that the two leaders congratulated each other over the renewal of mutual
ties, the signing of the joint statement with the United States as well as
bilateral agreements.
Israel
and Morocco agreed on December 10 to normalize relations in a deal brokered by
the United States, making the North African country the fourth Arab state this
year to strike a deal aimed at establishment of relations with Israel. The
others were the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Trump
sealed the agreement in a phone call with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. As part
of the agreement, the US president agreed to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty
over the Western Sahara region.
The
Algerian Foreign Ministry later rejected Trump's stance, saying the US decision
“has no legal effect because it contradicts UN resolutions, especially UN
Security Council resolutions on Western Sahara.”
“The
proclamation would undermine the de-escalation efforts made at all levels in
order to pave the way for launching a real political process,” the ministry
said in a statement.
Additionally,
Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement,
reacted to announcement that Morocco will normalize relations with Israel,
denouncing the deal.
“This is a sin and it doesn’t serve the
Palestinian people. The Israeli occupation uses every new normalization deal to
increase its aggression against the Palestinian people and increase its
settlement expansion,” he said at the time.
Israeli
envoys arrived in Morocco on December 22 to meet its king and hammer out the
upgrade in ties.
The
Israeli delegation, led by national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, was
accompanied by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and architect of normalization
deals with Israel.
Four
bilateral deals were signed between Israel and Morocco, centering on direct air
links, water management, connecting financial systems and a visa waiver
arrangement for diplomats.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/27/641615/Moroccans-normalization-deal-Israel-protest
--------
Pakistan
Two
killed, eight injured in Panjgur blast
Behram
Baloch
27
Dec 2020
GWADAR:
Two people were killed and eight others injured in a bomb blast in the Panjgur
area of Makran on Saturday.
Police
said the blast occurred in the parking area of Aftab Shaheed Football ground
soon after a match had ended.
Panjgur
Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Sasoli said two people were killed on the spot
in the explosion. “It was a powerful blast that rocked the district
headquarters,” he added.
Mr
Sasoli said the blast occurred soon after the football match concluded.
However,
no player was injured in the blast.
IED
goes off soon after a football match
Police
and personnel of Frontier Corps rushed to the site soon after the blast and
cordoned off the area and took the dead and the injured to the district
hospital.
Initial
investigation revealed that an improvised explosive device was detonated by
remote control.
It
seems the deceased who were sitting in car after watching the football match
were the target of the blast.
Several
cars and motorcycles were damaged in the explosion while nearby houses were
also affected by its impact.
The
bomb disposal squad collected the evidence from the blast site.
The
deceased were identified as Rahim Jan and Hasan Jan. Both were residents of
Bonistan, a locality on the outskirts of Panjgur town.
The
injured included Mohammad Sameer, Zahid, Javed Ahmed, Jalal, Mehmood, Asad Ali,
Murad Ali and Ali Bakhsh.
The
bodies were handed over to the families after completing medico-legal
formalities.
No
one claimed responsibility for the blast.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598077/two-killed-eight-injured-in-panjgur-blast
--------
7
soldiers martyred in terrorist 'fire raid' on FC post in Balochistan's Harnai:
ISPR
Naveed
Siddiqui
27
Dec 2020
Seven
soldiers were martyred in a gun attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan
post in Harnai district of Balochistan, the military's media wing said on
Sunday.
The
"terrorist fire raid" targeted an FC post located in Shahrag area of
Harnai late on Saturday.
"During
[an] intense exchange of fire, seven brave soldiers embraced shahadat while
repulsing raiding terrorists," an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)
statement said.
It
said the area had been cordoned off and escape routes blocked to apprehend the
fleeing miscreants.
A
large scale search and clearance operation was in progress in the area.
"Such
cowardly acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces will not be
allowed to sabotage hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan," the
ISPR said, adding that security forces were determined to "thwart their
nefarious designs at all costs".
In
a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "saddened to hear of"
the soldiers' martyrdom in the attack.
"My
heartfelt condolences & prayers go to their families. Our nation stands
with our courageous soldiers who face attacks from Indian backed
terrorists," he wrote.
Education
minister Shafqat Mahmood also said he was "very grieved to learn about the
martyrdom of 7 of our soldiers defending the motherland".
The
martyred personnel were identified as Naib Subedar Gulzar, resident of
Mianwali; Sepoy Faisal, resident of Hafizabad; Sepoy Abdul Wakeel, resident of
Pishin; Sepoy Sher Zaman, resident of Kohat; Sepoy Jamal, resident of Dera
Bugti; Abdul Rauf, resident of Dera Ghazi Khan; and Faqeer Muhammad, resident
of Muzaffargarh.
The
incident comes five days after 10 suspected terrorists were killed in a gun
battle with security forces during an intelligence-based operation in
Balochistan's Awaran area.
“These
terrorists were involved in firing on security forces, which resulted in
martyrdom of Lance Naik Mohammad Iqbal on Dec 20 in the Awaran area,” the ISPR
had said at the time.
Earlier
in October, 14 security men — seven personnel of the Frontier Corps and as many
civilian guards employed by the OGDCL — were martyred in an armed attack on
their convoy on the Coastal Highway in the Ormara area of Gwadar district.
The
encounter took place between security forces and a large number of terrorists
on the Coastal Highway near Ormara when a convoy of the Oil and Gas Development
Company Limited (OGDCL) staff was being escorted from Gwadar to Karachi.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598158/7-soldiers-martyred-in-terrorist-fire-raid-on-fc-post-in-balochistans-harnai-ispr
--------
9
soldiers, 2 army pilots killed in separate incidents in Pak
Dec
27, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
At least seven Pakistan soldiers were killed in a gun attack on a post of
Frontier Corps (FC), a paramilitary force, in Harnai district of the country’s
restive southwestern Balochistan province, while four army personnel, including
two pilots, died in a chopper crash in Gilgit-Baltistan, the military's media
wing said on Sunday.
The
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that “terrorists’ fire raid”
targeted an FC post located in Shahrag area of Harnai late on Saturday.
“During
an intense exchange of fire, seven soldiers lost their lives while repulsing
raiding terrorists,” a statement issued by ISPR read.
It
said the area had been cordoned off and escape routes blocked to apprehend the
fleeing terrorists.
“Such
cowardly acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces will not be
allowed to sabotage hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan,” the ISPR
said, adding that security forces were determined to “thwart their nefarious
designs at all costs”.
Balochistan
is Pakistan’s largest but least populous province. The Baloch people, who have
been fighting for their rights for decades, complain that they do not receive a
fair share of their province’s extracted mineral and petrochemical resources.
The
$60-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, an extremely
unpopular initiative among the people of Balochistan, has brought renewed
attention to the province. The CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of
roads, highways, railway lines and energy projects linking China with the
Arabian Sea through a deep sea port in Gwadar, Balochistan.
In
the second incident, at least four soldiers were killed when their helicopter
crashed in the disputed northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday night.
According
to an army statement, the helicopter crashed due to technical reasons during a
casualty evacuation operation in the Minimarg area of Gilgit Baltistan.
The
four deceased soldiers have been identified as Maj Muhammad Hussain, Maj Ayaz
Hussain (both pilots), Naik Inzimam Alam and soldier Muhammad Farooq, the ISPR
confirmed.
The
military chopper was on a mission to evacuate the body of a soldier, Abdul
Qadeer, to Combined Military Hospital in Skardu hill-station when it crashed.
In
April this year, two pilots were killed when an army aircraft crashed in the
northeastern Punjab provin
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/9-soldiers-2-army-pilots-killed-in-separate-incidents-in-pak/articleshow/79981118.cms
--------
Militants
attack Pakistan checkpoint in Balochistan, killing 7 soldiers
Dec
27, 2020
KARACHI:
At least seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack in the
country's restive Balochistan province, the Army said on Sunday.
The
militants fire-raided a Frontier Corps (FC) outpost in Harnai region of the
province late last night, it said.
During
the intense exchange of fire, seven soldiers were killed, it said.
The
area was cordoned off and escape routes blocked to apprehend the fleeing
militants, while a large-scale search and clearance operation was underway.
"Such
cowardly acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces will not be
allowed to sabotage hard earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan," the
Army said.
Commenting
on the attack, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he was "saddened"
over the loss of lives.
"My
heartfelt condolences & prayers go to their families," he said.
The
attack followed the killing of 10 terrorists by the security forces five days
ago in the province.
Terrorists
and militants belonging to separatist groups frequently launch attacks on
security forces and civilians working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
projects in the province.
In
October, seven Frontier Corps soldiers and as many civilian guards employed by
the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) were killed in an armed
attack on their convoy in Gwadar district.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/militants-attack-pakistan-checkpoint-in-balochistan-killing-7-soldiers/articleshow/79980065.cms
--------
Pakistan
‘concerned’ by Afghan doubts over its commitment to peace
December
28, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Sunday said it was “concerned about some negative comments” from
Afghanistan about its commitment to the peace process and accusations that it
was hosting Taliban leaders on its soil.
A
video released on social media last week showed the deputy Taliban leader
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar meeting with purported senior members of the armed
group in Karachi.
Afghanistan’s
Foreign Ministry on Friday said the development was posing a “serious challenge
to achieving sustainable peace” in
the
country.
But,
following Arab News’ request for comment, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the
country remained committed to the peace process.
“While
Pakistan’s efforts are acknowledged and appreciated by Afghan society and the
international community, we are concerned about some negative comments which
continue to emanate from certain official as well as unofficial Afghan
circles,” a spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhari,
said.
Baradar
was in Pakistan with other Taliban delegates in mid-December to meet top
officials to push forward stalled peace talks between the group and Kabul to
end decades of war. When Taliban representatives arrived in Pakistan on Dec.
16, Kabul said the visit was taking place in consultation with the Afghan
government.
Following
the viral video, however, Kabul said that while the visit had initially “raised
further hopes for taking practical steps toward stopping the bloodshed and
bringing about sustainable peace in Afghanistan,” the footage “disclosed” the
presence of Taliban leaders in Pakistani territory.
Chaudhari
said that Pakistan would like to “reiterate its firm commitment” for lasting
peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The
“public blame game” was detrimental to the Afghan peace process and efforts to
enhance bilateral cooperation, which were strengthened during Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Kabul in November, he added.
“We
would continue to emphasize the mutually agreed on fundamental principle that
all bilateral issues, including security and intelligence matters, should be
addressed through relevant bilateral forums and channels.”
Pakistan
was ready to extend to Afghanistan all possible cooperation in the area of
security,
he
added.
Peace
talks in Doha between Kabul and the Taliban are due to restart on Jan. 5, and
Chaudhari said they would be a “delicate phase” of intra-Afghan negotiations.
“It is important for the negotiating parties to avoid accusations and to
demonstrate wisdom, sagacity and vision for the larger objective of lasting
peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he added.
The
talks follow a landmark deal signed between the US and the Taliban in February,
with Pakistan considered key in getting the group to the negotiation table with
US delegations and to ultimately participate in intra-Afghan talks.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1783751/world
--------
India
Not
in favour of laws against conversion for marriage: JDU on 'Love Jihad'
28th
December 2020
PATNA:
At a time when BJP ruled states are making legislation against conversion for
marriage, the Janata Dal (United), an ally of the saffron party in Bihar, on
Sunday asserted that such laws will create social hatred and division in the
society which it does not approve of.
"An
atmosphere of hatred and division is being created in the society in the name
of Love Jihad," Tyagi told reporters after the party's national executive
meeting here.
The
term "love jihad" is used by right-wing activists to refer to the
alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to convert in the guise of
love.
"Provisions
of the Constitution and CrPC give freedom to two adults to choose life partners
of their choice irrespective of one's religion, caste or region," Tyagi
said.
Socialists
have upheld the right of adults to marry irrespective of caste and creed since
the days of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, he said.
Lohia
was a socialist ideologue.
The
Cabinet in BJP governed Madhya Pradesh on Saturday passed a Bill which provides
for prison term of up to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh for conversion through
marriage or by any other fraudulent means.
The
bill in some ways is similar to an Ordinance notified by the BJP government in
Uttar Pradesh last month.
In
UP, a PIL has been filed in the Allahabad High Court challenging the ordiance,
contending that it impinges upon the fundamental right to choice and right to
change of faith.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/dec/28/not-in-favour-of-laws-against-conversion-for-marriage-jdu-on-love-jihad-2242150.html
--------
Terror
plot to attack J&K temples foiled, trio arrested
Dec
27, 2020
JAMMU:
Police on Sunday claimed to have foiled a terror plot to attack temples in the
border district of Poonch with the arrest of three Pakistan-linked terrorists,
besides recovering six grenades from them. The trio is said to be affiliated to
J&K Ghaznavi Force, a newly floated terror outfit.
Two
foreign terrorists of the outfit were slain in an encounter in Poonch’s Dogrian
on December 20.
“Acting
on intelligence inputs, a joint team of Army’s 49RR, J&K Police’s special
operations group and Poonch Police set up a checkpoint at Basooni late Saturday
and intercepted a vehicle driven by Mustafa Khan, a terror suspect, who was
questioned for his suspicious movement. Mustafa confessed to his involvement in
terror-related activities, based on which, two of his associates — Mohammad Yaseen
and Rayees Ahmed, both residents of Dabbi, Balakote — were arrested,” Poonch
SSP Ramesh Angral said.
After
sustained questioning of the trio, security forces got vital clues and raided
Mustafa’s residence in Mendhar’s Galutha Harni area from where six grenades and
other incriminating evidence, including posters of J&K Ghaznavi Force, were
recovered.
The
SSP said the three were in regular contact with their Pakistan-based handlers,
who instructed them to carry out terror strikes. “Interrogation further revealed
that they were planning terror attacks at religious places in Poonch in a bid
to trigger communal tension in the region,” he said, adding that some videos
about handling grenades were found in the mobile phones of the accused.
“With
the arrests, security forces unearthed a nexus involving local terrorists
engaged in ferrying war-like stores and narcotics,” Jammu-based defence
spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said, adding that searches were still
underway in the area.
On
Saturday, Jammu Police busted a module of The Resistance Front and arrested two
affiliates besides recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Earlier in
November, four Jaish-e-Mohammad ultras were killed near Nagrota on the
Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in an anti-terror operation.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terror-plot-to-attack-jk-temples-foiled-trio-arrested/articleshow/79981045.cms
--------
Shiv
Sena speaking like Muslim league: BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain
Dec
27, 2020
NEW
DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday hit back at Shiv Sena for its
editorial piece in its mouthpiece Saamna in which it alleged that the relations
between the Centre and States are worsening.
BJP
spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI, "Shiv Sena is speaking like
Muslim League. They are in coalition with Congress and I think they are getting
impacted by the ideology of Congress party and 'tukde tukde gang'."
Hussain
said that Shiv Sena "cannot even run Maharastra and they are using this
kind of language. It is not acceptable."
Through
its mouthpiece Saamna, the Shiv Sena said that the relations between the Centre
and States are worsening and cautioned that "it will not take much time
for states in our country to break away like the Soviet Union".
"If
the Central government does not realise that they are harming people for
political gains, it will not take much time for States in our country to break
away like the Soviet Union. The year 2020 has to be looked at, creating a
question mark on the capacity and credibility of the central government,"
it said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/shiv-sena-speaking-like-muslim-league-bjps-shahnawaz-hussain/articleshow/79978047.cms
--------
North
America
FBI
at home of possible person of interest in Nashville bomb
December
27, 2020
NASHVILLE,
Tennessee: Federal agents converged Saturday on the home of a possible person
of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators
scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that damaged dozens of
buildings on Christmas morning.
More
than 24 hours after the explosion, a motive remained elusive as investigators
worked round-the-clock to resolve unanswered questions about a recreational
vehicle that blew up on a mostly deserted street on a sleepy holiday morning
and was prefaced by a recorded warning advising those nearby to evacuate. The
attack, which damaged an AT&T building, continued to wreak havoc Saturday
on cellphone service and police and hospital communications in several Southern
states.
Investigators
from multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies were at a home in
Antioch, in suburban Nashville, after receiving information relevant to the
investigation, said FBI Special Agent Jason Pack. Another law enforcement
official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke
to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said investigators regard a
person associated with the property as a person of interest.
Federal
agents could be seen looking around the property, searching the home and the
backyard. A Google Maps image had shown a similar recreational vehicle parked
in the backyard when the photo was captured in May 2019; an AP reporter at the
scene did not see the vehicle at the property in the late afternoon Saturday.
There
were other signs of progress in the investigation, as the FBI revealed that it
was looking at a number of individuals who may be connected to it. Officials
also said no additional explosive devices have been found — indicating no
active threat to the area. Investigators have received around 500 tips and
leads.
“It’s
just going to take us some time,” Douglas Korneski, the special agent in charge
in charge of the FBI’s Memphis field office, said at a Saturday afternoon news
conference. “Our investigative team is turning over every stone” to understand
who did this and why.
Beyond
that, the only known casualties were three injured people. The infrastructure
damage, meanwhile, was broadly felt, due to an AT&T central office being
affected by the blast. Police emergency systems in Tennessee, Kentucky and
Alabama, as well as Nashville’s COVID-19 community hotline and a handful of
hospital systems, remained out of service.
The
building contained a telephone exchange, with network equipment in it — but the
company has declined to say exactly how many people have been impacted.
Asked
whether the AT&T building could have been a possible target, Korneski said,
“We’re looking at every possible motive that could be involved.”
Investigators
shut down the heart of downtown Nashville’s tourist scene — an area packed with
honky-tonks, restaurants and shops — as they shuffled through broken glass and
damaged buildings to learn more about the explosion.
Mayor
John Cooper has enforced a curfew in the downtown area until Sunday via
executive order to limit public access to the area. More than 40 buildings were
affected.
AT&T
said restoration efforts are facing several challenges, which include a fire
that “reignited overnight and led to the evacuation of the building.” This has
forced their teams to work with safety and structural engineers and drilling
access holes into the building in order to reconnect power.
“Our
teams continue to work around the clock on recovery efforts from yesterday
morning’s explosion in Nashville,” the company said in a Saturday statement.
“We have two portable cell sites operating in downtown Nashville with numerous
additional portable sites being deployed in the Nashville area and in the
region.”
Ray
Neville, president of technology at T-Mobile, said on Twitter that service
disruptions affected Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Atlanta.
“We continue to see service interruptions in these areas following yesterday’s
explosion. Restoration efforts continue around the clock & we will keep you
updated on progress,” he said in a tweet Saturday.
The
outages had even briefly grounded flights at the Nashville International
Airport, but service was continuing normally as of Saturday. The Federal
Aviation Association has since issued a temporary flight restriction around the
airport, requiring pilots to follow strict procedures until Dec. 30.
According
to Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake, police officers responded on Friday
to a report of shots fired when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded
warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes. Police evacuated nearby
buildings and called in the bomb squad. The RV exploded shortly afterward.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1783401/world
--------
US
sanctions on Turkey was long over-due
By
Himanshu Sharma
December
28, 2020
American
sanctions have signalled to Erdogan the consequences of undermining the
national security of America and its NATO allies
The
Ottoman Empire perished a century ago in the second decade of the Twentieth
Century. Turkey’s President Erdogan dreams of reviving the Empire again in the
Twenty-First Century. As he claims the Ottoman Empire boundaries, his
misadventures send jitters and nightmares to Americans and Arabs alike. The new
Caliph aspires to be the leader of the Ummah – the Muslim world – by elbowing
aside current leader Saudi Arabia.
Erdogan-the
Islamic toughie and the new rogue in the town-is doing all nasty things:
arousing sectarian conflicts in Syria, Libya, Egypt and Yemen, and morally
downgrading Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) over
journalist Khashoggi’s killing to tarnish Saudi image for unchallenged
leadership of the Ummah.
In
1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and established Islamic Turkish Cyprus in north. In
2020, Erdogan instigated Azerbaijan to open up old conflict with Armenia,
provided deadly missiles, army units, mercenaries and ran over
Nagorno-Karabakh. He did not listen to America and Russia! Erdogan estranged
Pakistan from long time mentor and benefactor Saudi Arabia, promised help in
Islamabad’s evil designs on Kashmir and made enemies of France and India.
On
December 14, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering
America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over purchase of Russian
missile systems-using the CAATSA for the first time against a fellow NATO
member. The EU and the UK sanctions may follow. Erdogan’s unwanted caustic
comments on French President Macron could trigger Turkey’s expulsion from the
NATO. Turkey’s geopolitical ambitions is punching much above its economic
weight, like erstwhile Yugoslavia! Erdogan, the dictator, is spreading himself
too thin over myriad Islamist issues. Sanctions serves Erdogan right but risks
swerving Turkey away from the NATO towards Russia and China.
Turkey
has cordial relations with the US, Russia, China, Israel and the Middle-East.
Was there any need for the Russian S-400 missile defence system it acquired in
mid-2019 disregarding threats to NATO allies, danger to the security of the US
military technology and personnel and enrich Russia’s defence sector? Ankara
rejected the US suggestions. American sanctions have signalled to Erdogan the
consequences of undermining the national security of America and its NATO
allies.
An
Asian alliance consisting of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey is crystalizing in
close ties with China and Russia. Turkey is a natural choice in the high table
of rogue countries.
Pakistan
and Turkey try an ‘alternate’ Islamic block – the new OIC – which is crashing
down. Malaysia pulled out long ago and now Turkey is collapsing. Ankara bit
more than it can chew. China has a considerable Muslim population in Xinjiang
but it does not acknowledge Muslims!
Turkey
and China have troubles with Americans. Pakistan has issues with neighbours
India, Afghanistan and the Gulf countries. India is steadily warming its way
into the Gulf geo-politics. Turkey, aligned with China, is needling India on
Pakistan’s behalf.
India
is not a NATO member, nor purchased F35, nor shares military technology with
other NATO countries, hence free to buy arms from anywhere. It purchased S-400
system with Trump’s waiver. India-US relationship is transactional and
strategic. But Turkey shares military technology with the NATO-a different ball
game all together-hence its purchase of Russian missiles and technological
transfers undermines the Integrated Aerial Defence Systems of the NATO and the
security of F35.
The
NATO needs Turkey-its second biggest ally-more than Turkey needs the NATO.
Turkey can keep refugees away, hem Arabian nations, provide access to the East
and help NATO expand and consolidate along the Balkans, Easter Mediterranean
and the Middle East. Turkey also heaps troubles on NATO which will be better
off without Turkey.
Erdogan
has converted Turkey-a secular country-into a bastion of Islam through virulent
political Islam, ushering in turmoil and war. Erdogan is making Turkey a “Real
Turkey,” ready to be roasted. Trying to benefit from both the Russian and
American systems, Turkey attracted American sanctions. A coup may get rid of
dictator Erdogan.
Erdogan
has become an Islamic fundamentalist rogue, designing a Caliphate and ruining
Turkey. Another Saddam, Gaddafi or Baghdadi? Turkey cannot qualify for the EU
membership, hence adventuring in the Mediterranean and inching closer to Russia
and China for strategic and political benefits.
Other
than Arabs, no other Muslim country has the financial resources to fight wars.
Turkey under Erdogan is fast descending into anarchy. One bad apple can ruin
the orchard. Turkey’s history is littered with such examples where some
ambitious leaders have set the country back by many decades.
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/us-sanctions-on-turkey-was-long-over-due/
--------
Twitter
suspending Turkish group 'unacceptable': envoy
Islam
Dogru, Zuhal Demirci
26.12.2020
NEW
YORK/ANKARA
Turkey’s
envoy in the US said Friday that the suspension of a Twitter account of a
Turkish group in America because of manipulation by the Fetullah Terrorist
Organization (FETO) was “unacceptable and a violation of freedom of speech.”
“TASC
[Turkish American National Steering Community] is a respectable organization
that represents distinguished members of Turkish American Community. It
constitues a legitimate forum where they share their views,” Serdar Kilic said
on Twitter.
“The
unacceptable decision to suspend TASC account is a clear violation of freedom
of speech and should be reversed asap,” Kilic stressed.
Turkey’s
Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran said the suspension of the accounts
and its representatives is “unacceptable”.
"This
is a blatant violation of freedom of expression discrediting the social media's
role in this very age of communication,” Kiran said on Twitter.
Halil
Mutlu, a co-chair of TASC, told Anadolu Agency, the group will initiate a legal
procedure on the incident.
He
condemned the gathering of FETO supporters on social media platforms who
manipulate realities. “Those, who carry out smear campaign against Turkey under
free media discourse, reveal their true face in front of the slightest
criticism against them,” he said. “Trying to discredit our social media account
in the communication age is a clear violation of freedom of expression.”
Gunay
Evinc, the co-chair of the institution, also said on Twitter: “Twitter provided
no notice of suspension, no reason, and has not responded to TASC’s inquiry,
despite Twitter’s own policies. We wait, as free speech in this privately owned
public forum is muted.”
TASC’s
deputy head Israfil Demir said the group was under cyberattack because it wrote
the truth about NBA player Enes Kanter, who is wanted as a terrorist in Turkey
for his links to FETO.
FETO
and its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, orchestrated the defeated military
coup July 15, 2016, which killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200.
Turkey
accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state by
infiltration into Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and
judiciary.
Demir
said between Dec. 18 and Dec. 23, accounts of TASC were attacked more than
2,200 times.
He
noted the attacks were directed at the group because it revealed Kanter’s close
relationship with the terror group’s ringleader.
Following
TASC’s tweet on Kanter, many FETO supporters started a social media campaign on
Facebook and Twitter to have accounts removed.
While
Facebook contacted TASC about the issue, Twitter suspended the accounts.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/twitter-suspending-turkish-group-unacceptable-envoy/2089060
--------
South
Asia
Next
round of Afghan peace talks will begin on January 5 in Doha: Official
27
December 2020
The
next round of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government will
be held in Qatar from next month, a top official said Sunday, despite President
Ashraf Ghani’s recent calls for them to be moved home.
Peace
talks began on September 12 at a luxury hotel in Doha, but negotiations are
currently on a break until January 5.
“The
second round of talks will begin on January 5 in Doha,” said Faraidoon
Khwazoon, spokesman for Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation,
which is leading the overall peace process in the country.
“The
leadership committee of the council ... decided to hold the talks in Doha,” he
tweeted, adding that many of the countries that had earlier volunteered to host
the talks withdrew their offers because of COVID-19.
In
a separate statement, the presidency tweeted that Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah,
who heads the council, held a meeting on Sunday.
The
two “discussed the venue for the next round of talks” after which Ghani
announced the government’s support for a second stage of talks with the
Taliban, the presidency said.
Earlier
in December, negotiators from both sides decided to take a break after months
of often frustrating meetings which were bogged down by disputes on the basic
framework of discussions and religious interpretations.
Prior
to going on the break, negotiators finally announced they were ready to proceed
on preliminary lists of agenda items when talks resumed on January 5.
But
Ghani and some other top Afghan officials immediately called for the next round
of meetings to be held in Afghanistan.
“It
is not appropriate to insist on holding talks in luxurious hotels. It is
necessary that the people see how the talks happen, which issues are focused on
and why,” Ghani said soon after the break in talks was announced.
The
Taliban did not comment on Ghani’s call, but they have in the past always
refused to hold the negotiations in Afghanistan.
The
insurgent group has a political office in Doha and its negotiating team resides
there.
The
talks follow a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the Taliban
and Washington, which will see all foreign soldiers leave the violence-wracked
country by May next year.
Plans
for renewed negotiations come amid a surge of violence across Afghanistan in
recent months, including in Kabul, which has seen regular bomb attacks and
targeted killings of prominent figures.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/27/Next-round-of-Afghan-peace-talks-to-take-place-in-Doha-from-next-month-Official
--------
Afghan
police officers latest victims of bombings in capital
26
December 2020
These
past couple of days have been deeply disturbing for Afghanistan’s capital.
In
the latest incident of a series of attacks four people, including two police
officers, were killed in bombings on Saturday.
“A
sticky bomb attached to a police vehicle” detonated in western Kabul, police
spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said.
Two
officers were also wounded in a similar bomb attack in southern Kabul earlier
in the day, the official added.
That
was not the end of the Saturday mini saga in Kabul.
A
third attack in the east had been meant to take a deadly toll but it caused no
casualties, said Maooma Jafari, deputy spokeswoman for the Afghan Health
Ministry.
Moreover,
two blasts hit other parts of the city but police provided no immediate
details.
Elsewhere
in the northern province of Balkh, a roadside bomb hit a police vehicle. A
senior army officer died there, said Arif Iqbali, a district police chief.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Since
December 20, more than a dozen people have been killed in acts of terror only
in Kabul.
Intensified
violence has given Afghanistan, its capital in particular, a thicker air of
insecurity.
Afghans
go through the current circumstances even though government negotiators and the
Taliban militant group are in talks for peace. Progress has been slow, however.
The
intra-Afghan negotiations began in the wake of a deal reached between the
United States and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, in February.
Under
the Taliban-US deal, Washington promised to pull out all its troops by mid-2021
in return for the Taliban to stop their attacks on US-led occupation foreign forces
in Afghanistan.
The
deal was intended to result in the reduction of bloodshed, but Taliban
militants have continued attacking Afghan security forces and civilians.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641554/Afghan-police-officers-bombings-Kabul
--------
Afghanistan
bars local government spokesmen from speaking to media
December
26, 2020
KABUL:
The Afghan government confirmed on Saturday that it had barred provincial
government spokesmen from sharing information with the media, raising concerns among
lawmakers and journalists that the move will be a major setback for press
freedom in the country.
The
decision comes two months after the dismissal of Takhar province Spokesman
Jawad Jawhari, who revealed to the media that 12 children had been killed in a
government airstrike, which the government had categorically denied. Jawhari’s
account was later confirmed by Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission.
“From
now onward, governors will take the responsibility of providing efficient
information to the media and the public, and spokesmen will continue their
duties as public affairs officers on the basis of their working regulation,”
Rahmatullah Andar, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani’s National Security
Adviser, told Arab News.
Dawa
Khan Menapal, a spokesman for Ghani, explained the decision was made “because
some spokesmen had talked about some issues that had no truth and were against
the policy.”
He
added that the role of provincial spokesmen will now be to pass on media’s
questions to governors. District chiefs will also be barred from media
interaction.
Najiba
Ayoubi, who runs a famous radio station in Kabul, described the government’s
decision as a “systematic move to suffocate voices and deprive people of
information.”
“For
years, the government enticed us with slogans of freedom of media and
expression and now openly and brazenly impose restrictions,” she told Arab
News.
Freedom
of the press has been touted by Afghan leaders and international donors as the
country’s “major achievement” since the ousting of the Taliban in a US-led
invasion in late 2001.
But
in recent years, journalists have been increasingly frustrated over limited
access to senior government and military officials across the country over
issues such as corruption and civilian casualties of operations by both Afghan
and US-led troops.
Provincial
spokesmen in many regions were the only official sources of information to the
media in Afghanistan, which has become one of the world’s most dangerous places
for journalists. At least four journalists have been killed in the country in
the past two months alone.
Nasir
Ahmad Noor, head of local media watchdog NAI, said the ban will lead to the
“spread of rumors and sometimes false information.”
“When
you do not have access to spokesmen and it is highly difficult to get to the
governors, then you have to rely on accounts from unnamed sources,” he said.
Hamidullah
Tokhi, a lawmaker from the southern Zabul province, told Arab News that the
parliament will debate the decision on Monday. With the ban, he said,
Afghanistan is moving toward “dictatorship and totalitarianism, as the
government wants to hide information and truth from the public.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1783221/world
--------
Hefazat-e-Islam
gets Nurul Islam as new acting secretary general
Anwar
Hussain, Chittagong
December
26th, 2020
He
will replace Nur Hossain Kasemi who passed away at a hospital in Dhaka on
December 13
Nurul
Islam, Secretary General of Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nabuwwat and Principal of Khilgaon
Jamia Islamia Makhjanul Uloom Madrasa, has been selected as the new acting
secretary general of the Qawmi madrasa-based radical Islamist platform
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.
Hefazat-e-Islam
Bangladesh Central Publicity Secretary Zakariya Noman Foyezi confirmed the
appointment to Dhaka Tribune.
“On
December 23, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh held a special meeting at Hathazari
Madrasa and Nurul Islam was selected for the post of acting secretary general
of the platform,” said the Hefazat leader.
Nurul
Islam will replace Nur Hossain Kasemi, who passed away at a hospital in Dhaka
on December 13.
Hefazat
was formed in 2010 and came to prominence by mobilizing opposition to the
Shahbagh Movement in early 2013. It was then that its leaders issued their now
infamous 13-point charter, which included demands for death penalty for
atheists and certain restrictions on social gathering between men and women.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2020/12/26/hefazat-e-islam-gets-nurul-islam-as-new-acting-secretary-general
--------
Bangladesh
to ship new group of Rohingya refugees to remote island
28
Dec 2020
Bangladesh
will move a second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay
of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop
the relocation on safety grounds.
More
than 1,100 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who have fled
Myanmar, will be moved from a refugee camp near the Myanmar border to Bhasan
Char island, two officials with the knowledge of the issue said.
Authorities
moved the first batch of more than 1,600 early this month.
"Buses
and trucks are ready to carry them and their belongings to Chittagong port
today. Tonight, they will stay there. Tomorrow they will be taken by naval
ships to the island," one of the officials said on Monday.
The
officials declined to be identified as the issue has not been made public.
Humanitarian
agencies and rights groups have criticised the relocation, saying the island,
hours by boat from the mainland, is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent
cyclones and could be completely submerged during a high tide.
Bangladesh
says it is only transferring people who are willing to go and the relocation
will ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are home to more than 1 million
Rohingya.
Mohammed
Shamsud Douza, the deputy government official in charge of refugees, said a 12
km long embankment had been built to protect the island from floods along with
housing for 100,000 people. Relocation was voluntary, he said.
"No
one is forced to go there," he said, adding that people can live a better
life there with greater access to healthcare and education.
But
refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya had been coerced
into going to the island, which emerged from the sea 20 years ago and has never
been inhabited.
More
than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 following a military-led crackdown
that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar
denies genocide and says its forces were targeting Rohingya militants who
attacked police posts.
Several
attempts to launch a process to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar have failed
because the refugees refused to go back, fearing more violence.
The
United Nations has said it has not been allowed to conduct a technical and
safety assessment of Bhasan Char and was not involved in the transfer of
refugees there.
https://www.livemint.com/
--------
Taliban
Abducts ’15 Passengers’ in Ghazni Province
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
28
Dec 2020
Taliban
have abducted 15 passengers on the Qarabagh Highway in the Ghazni province on
Sunday.
According
to the local officials, the Taliban militants stopped a vehicle carrying 15
passengers.
These
abductees were on their way from the Jaghori district to the Qarabagh district
of Ghazni province.
On
the other hand, Ghazni’s representative in the parliament, Arif Rahmani
confirmed to Khaama Press, that Taliban militants have abducted 15 passengers
in Qarabagh of Ghazni province.
Adding
that these militants have previously abducted six other passengers, so far they
were not released.
Reports
indicate, that this is not the first time that Taliban militants have taken
passengers on their way to Ghazni.
Earlier,
the militants have also abducted passengers on the Maidan Wardak and Ghazni
highway, specifically in the Jalriz district.
Taliban
have not yet commented over the abduction of the passengers.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-abducts-15-passengers-in-ghazni-province-556655/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Malaysia’s
Islamic authorities allow use of Covid vaccine, make it mandatory for some
HADI
AZMI and ANISAH SHUKRY
23
December, 2020
Kuala
Lumpur: Malaysia’s religious authorities have decided that the Covid-19 vaccine
is allowed and is mandatory for some groups.
This
view has been relayed to the Council of Rulers, Religious Affairs Minister
Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said in a statement on Wednesday, amid concern among
local Muslims that the shots could contain substances forbidden by Islam.
The
use of vaccines to protect Muslims from fatal diseases was not unusual in
Islamic law, the minister said. He cited six instances between 1988 and 2013
when they were given to prevent infections from Hepatitis B to Meningitis
Menveo.
The
Special Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Malaysian Islamic
Affairs, which met on Dec. 3, is of the opinion that the Covid vaccine must be
given to groups identified by the government, Zulkifli said.
“As
such, I urge all Malaysians, especially Muslims, to abide by and give full
trust to the government to manage the Covid-19 pandemic through the use of
vaccines,” he said.
Malaysia
is struggling to stem a fresh wave of cases that emerged in September. Daily
cases hit a record 2,234 on Dec. 10, with the outbreak spreading to facilities
of companies including Top Glove Corp. and Karex Bhd., the world’s biggest
maker of condoms. The nation added 1,348 new infections on Wednesday.-
Bloomberg
https://theprint.in/world/malaysias-islamic-authorities-allow-use-of-covid-vaccine-make-it-mandatory-for-some/572612/
--------
Jakim
tightening enforcement, SOP for halal certification for imported goods, says
religious affairs deputy minister
26
Dec 2020
KOTA
BARU, Dec 26 — The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) will tighten enforcement and the standard
operating procedure (SOP) for halal certification for imported goods including
meat brought in by cartels.
Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Ahmad Marzuk
Shaary said this was to ensure that everyone, especially Muslims could obtain
the supply of halal and clean flood, based on Islamic rulings.
"God
willing, with it (meat cartel scandal) being exposed, the government including
Jakim will improve the SOP and monitoring for compliance, and if needed, to
increase its (Jakim) manpower.”
He
said this to reporters after attending the Pengkalan Chepa-level circumcision
ceremony at Dewan Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam, near here, today.
The
media had reported the cartel’s evil tactic of smuggling frozen kangaroo and
horse meat from certain countries and passing it off as beef by repackaging the
meat and using the halal logo before selling it to supermarkets across
Malaysia.
Ahmad
Marzuk said following this discovery, Jakim would step up collaboration with
the relevant agencies including the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Ministry to resolve the issue. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/26/jakim-tightening-enforcement-sop-for-halal-certification-for-imported-goods/1935054
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
Arabia’s KSRelief to rebuild Syrian refugee camp burned down in Lebanon
Rawad
Taha
27
December 2020
The
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has begun covering
the needs of refugee residents of the Syrian refugee camp that was burned in
the north of Lebanon on Saturday.
Hundreds
of Syrian refugees fled their makeshift camp in north Lebanon after their tents
were torched when fighting broke out between local youths and camp residents.
KSRelief
confirmed it will be rebuilding the camp and secure housing for those affected.
Lebanon
is among more than 22 Asian countries that have benefited from KSRelief
programs and projects.
Reslan
Malas, President of Sobol al-Salam non-governmental organization cooperating
with KSRelief on rebuilding efforts said that all properties at the camp were
burned and that nothing was left.
“No
human casualties were recorded, but only material damage,” added Malas.
“The
King Salman Center already started distributing the supplies, blankets, and
clothes to those affected, and the center will distribute aid to all families.
There are around 100 families who used to live in this camp,” he added.
“During
the conflict and the fire, al-Salam ambulance, which is funded by King Salman
Center, transferred injured people from the camp to nearby hospitals. We are
following on the needs of the Syrian brothers,” he added.
Lebanon
has over one million Syrian refugees who fled since the beginning of the
conflict in 2011.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/27/Saudi-Arabia-s-KSRelief-to-rebuild-Syrian-refugee-camp-burned-down-in-Lebanon
--------
Turkey
says it killed 15 Kurdish militants preparing attack in northeast Syria
27
December 2020
Turkey
said on Sunday its military killed 15 militants from the Syrian Kurdish YPG
militia, which it said was preparing to carry out an attack in a region of
northeast Syria controlled by Turkey and its Syrian armed factions.
In
an offensive last year dubbed the Peace Spring Operation, Turkey seized a
120-km (75-mile) stretch of border territory in northeast Syria from the YPG,
which it considers a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) militia.
“Our
heroic commandos dealt another heavy blow to the PKK/YPG terrorist
organization. Fifteen PKK/YPG terrorists trying to infiltrate the Peace Spring
region from the south to carry out an attack were neutralized with the
successful intervention of our commandos,” Turkey’s Defense Ministry said on
Twitter.
Turkey
halted its offensive, which was widely condemned by Ankara’s Western allies as
the YPG was a key US ally in the fight against ISIS, after striking deals with
Russia and the United States.
Moscow
has said the YPG withdrew to at least 30 km (18 miles) from Turkey’s border,
but Ankara has been skeptical and held out the possibility of new attacks if
militants remain. US support for the YPG has been among the main issues between
Ankara and Washington, NATO allies.
Turkey
backs armed factions looking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while
Russia and Iran support Assad’s forces. Since 2016, Turkey has seized swathes
of northern Syria in four cross-border offensives to drive back ISIS and the
YPG, and prevent a fresh influx of migrants from Syria.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/27/Turkey-says-it-killed-15-Kurdish-militants-preparing-attack-in-northeast-Syria
--------
Coronavirus:
Saudi residents recount COVID-19 vaccine experience in Riyadh
Ismaeel
Naar
27
December 2020
Residents
living in Saudi Arabia have recounted their experience receiving the COVID-19
vaccine in the capital Riyadh, telling Al Arabiya that the process went
smoothly from registration until vaccination.
“I'm
extremely impressed with the organization of the whole issue. Like having a
vaccine was supposed to be a long procedure. But in reality, I noticed that
everything was perfectly organized, getting to the parking, and then the people
telling me where to go, and then the way the respect which they have for every
single citizen,” one resident told Al Arabiya.
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Health confirmed 163 new COVID-19 cases on Friday,
bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 362,066.
Health
officials also said 189 more patients have recovered over the past 24 hours,
raising the total number of people recovering from the coronavirus to 353,004.
“I
was little bit scared to take the vaccination but when I saw here, any people
are very happily they're taking, receiving the vaccination. And the Saudi
government, Saudi health ministry gave me an opportunity to take the
vaccination, I'm very thankful to them,” one Indian resident said.
“There's
no difficulty for me to find a place and a lot of nurses and personnels will go
and assist you. So it's very systematic. The facilities very clean and they
will not they will provide you a very, very good service so nothing to worry
about this vaccine,” another Filipino resident of the Kingdom said.
“I
thought it was outstanding, it was so efficient, and so easy. And the whole
process from registering interest to being, to being advised that it was
pending, to be advised that it was approved, and to make an appointment was
just so smooth and seamless. It was too good,” one foreign couple told Al
Arabiya.
Saudi
Minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia,
Ibrahim al-Assaf, also received the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, according to
the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/12/27/Coronavirus-Coronavirus-Saudi-residents-recount-COVID-19-vaccine-experience-in-Riyadh
--------
Nasrallah:
Hezbollah's precision missiles doubled in a year
28
December 2020
Hezbollah’s
secretary-general says the Lebanese resistance movement has, within the space
of just one year, doubled the size of its missile arsenal, and has the entire
occupied territories inside the range of the precision projectiles.
Speaking
to Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network late Sunday, Seyyed Hassan
Nasrallah said, “The number of precision missiles at the resistance’s disposal
has now doubled what it was a year ago.”
“Any
target across the area of occupied Palestine that we want to hit accurately, we
are able to hit accurately,” he told well-known Arab journalist Ghassan bin
Jiddo.
The
movement fought off two wholesale wars against Lebanon in the 2000s, forcing
the Israeli military into humiliating retreat on both occasions.
Nasrallah
said Hezbollah is determined to avenge Israel’s killing of one of its members,
Ali Kamel Mohsen Jawad, in an airstrike in Syria on July 20.
Since
the attack, the Israeli military has been on high alert near the Lebanese
border, fearing retaliation by Hezbollah. Experts say several trigger-happy
actions by Israeli troops near the border have exposed the extent of qualm in
the regime.
In
his interview, the Hezbollah chief said the incessant flight of Israeli drones
in Lebanese skies reflects the regime’s “confusion.” Hezbollah, he said, has
adequate weapons against the drones and fired at them on several occasions.
"The
flight of Zionist drones in Lebanon's airspace shows a strong fear of the
response by the resistance. The Israelis know that we fired the right weapon at
their drones without disclosing it," Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah
also touched on US-induced normalization agreements between several Arab states
and Israel, which have seen the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and
Morocco embrace Tel Aviv.
Nasrallah
said the normalization spree came as no surprise since “most of the Arab
regimes used to sell the Palestinians only words.”
“Nothing
in the world justifies…giving up Palestine,” he said.
The
normalization agreements, Nasrallah said, only helped end a period of
“hypocrisy” and indicated that “the masks have fallen” and the real nature of
these regimes have been exposed.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/28/641673/Lebanon-Hezbollah-missiles-precision-strike-Israel-occupied-Palestine-Nasrallah-Soleimani-Arab-normalization
--------
Africa
Netanyahu
speaks with Morocco’s king, invites him to Israel
26
December 2020
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday with Morocco’s King Mohammed
VI and invited him to visit Israel, Netanyahu’s office said.
The
two leaders spoke about moving forward with a US-brokered agreement announced
earlier this month to normalize bilateral ties, according to the Israeli
statement.
Netanyahu
also thanked King Mohammed for hosting an official Israeli delegation this
week.
King
Mohammed underscored the close ties between the Moroccan Jewish community and
the monarchy, the Royal Court said in a statement.
While
welcoming the resumption of relations with Israel, the King said Morocco’s
position regarding Palestine remains unchanged.
Rabat
advocates the two-state solution and the unique character of Jerusalem as a
city of three religions.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/26/Netanyahu-speaks-with-Morocco-s-king-invites-him-to-Israel
--------
Top
Egypt officials visit Libya capital for first time in years
28
December 2020
Senior
Egyptian security officials visited the Libyan capital Tripoli for the first
time in years on Sunday and held talks with officials from the Government of
National Accord (GNA), the Libyan interior ministry said.
The
visit was the first for senior Egyptian officials to Tripoli since 2014 when
the country entered a civil war between the GNA, based in the capital, and the
eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Libya
descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi
in 2011, and Egypt is concerned about instability in its neighbor and Turkey’s
support for Tripoli forces.
GNA
Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and Head of the Intelligence Service Emad
Trabelsi discussed “ways to support the ceasefire agreement and discuss the
outputs of the 5+5 committee” with the Egyptian delegation, the Libyan interior
ministry said in a statement.
It
was referring to a truce agreed on in late October between Libyan warring
factions and the so-called 5+5 meetings, involving five senior officers
appointed by each side.
Bashagha,
who visited Cairo last month, said on twitter that the meeting was “fruitful
and constructive” and described the relations with Cairo as “very important.”
The
Egyptian delegation includes deputy head of the intelligence service and top
officials from the foreign and defense ministries, an Egyptian intelligence
source told Reuters.
The
delegation also met GNA Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siala and promised to
reopen the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli “at the earliest time,” said Mohamed
Elgeblawi, the GNA foreign ministry spokesman on Twitter.
The
visiting officials would inspect the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli which has been
closed since 2014, Egyptian state newspaper Ahram reported.
The
two sides also agreed on taking steps towards resuming Libyan flights to Cairo,
Elgeblawi said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/12/28/Top-Egypt-officials-visit-Libya-capital-for-first-time-in-years
--------
Libyan
National Army will be seen as ‘targets’ if they attack Turkish forces: Turkey
27
December 2020
Turkish
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar warned on Sunday that the Libyan National Army
(LNA) forces led by Khalifa Haftar and their supporters based in eastern Libya
would be viewed as “legitimate targets” if they attempted to attack Turkish
forces in the region.
Speaking
during a visit to Turkish troops in Tripoli, Akar said LNA forces and his
supporters would have “nowhere to run” if they attacked Turkish forces, adding
they would become targets for Ankara “everywhere”.
Turkey
is the main foreign backer of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) based
in Tripoli, which for years has been fighting the LNA.
In
October, the GNA and LNA signed a ceasefire agreement and the United Nations
has been pushing a political dialogue aimed at elections next year as a
solution.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/12/27/Turkey-s-Defense-Minister-threatens-Libyan-National-Army-leader-supporters
--------
Libya's
rival leaders start UN-brokered prisoner exchange: Officials
26
December 2020
Libya’s
rival leaders kicked off a UN-brokered prisoner exchange, United Nations and
Libyan officials said Saturday, which was part of a preliminary cease-fire
agreement between the warring Libyan groups.
The
exchange of a first batch of prisoners, supervised by a joint military
committee, took place Friday in the southwestern village of al-Shwayrif,
according to the UN Support Mission in Libya, or UNSMIL.
Libya
is split between a UN-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival
authorities based in country’s east. The two sides are backed by an array of
local militias as well as regional and foreign powers.
The
oil-rich country was plunged into chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising
that toppled and killed former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.
In
April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hafter and his forces launched an
offensive to try and capture Tripoli, a campaign that collapsed after Turkey
stepped up its military support of the UN-supported government.
The
two sides signed a nationwide, UN-brokered cease-fire deal in October that
included an exchange of all war prisoners.
UNSMIL
announced the prisoner exchange without giving details on how many prisoners
were freed for each side. It called for both sides to speed up the
implementation of the cease-fire deal, including the exchange of all prisoners.
Fathi
Bashaga, the powerful interior minister of the UN-supported government, hailed
the exchange in a tweet, attaching photos of released prisoners.
The
Tripoli Protection Unit, a militia allied with the capital-based government,
also posted a 31-second video apparently showing the prisoner exchange, with an
official reading the names of those released.
The
cease-fire deal also included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries
from Libya within three months.
However,
no progress was announced on the issue of foreign forces and mercenaries two
months after they inked the deal.
Thousands
of foreign fighters, including Russians, Syrians, Sudanese and Chadians, have
been brought to Libya by both sides, according to UN experts.
Meanwhile,
Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the military chief of staff Yasar Guler
and other military commanders arrived in Tripoli Saturday, where they were
meeting with their allies in the UN-supported government, according to the
Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency.
The
unannounced visit has underscored the close ties between the Tripoli government
and Ankara. Akar and Guler also visited Libya in July.
Saturday’s
visit by Akar and other military officials came after the Turkish parliament on
Tuesday extended for 18 months a law that allows the deployment of Turkish
troops to Libya.
The
Turkish decision comes despite the cease-fire deal that envisioned the
departure of foreign forces and mercenaries within three months.
The
cease-fire deal also called for “military deals on training inside Libya” to be
frozen and for foreign trainees to leave the country. It did not name a
particular country but apparently referred to Turkey, which has struck military
and disputed maritime deal with the Tripoli administration.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/12/26/Libya-s-rival-leaders-start-UN-brokered-prisoner-exchange-Officials-
--------
Haftar
forces ‘legitimate targets’ if Turkish troops attacked: Ankara
27
December 2020
Turkey’s
defense chief has warned that forces loyal to Libya’s renegade general Khalifa
Haftar would become “legitimate targets” if they attacked Turkish troops in the
North African country.
“A
war criminal, murderer Haftar and his supporters must know that they will be
seen as a legitimate target in case of any attack on Turkish forces,” Hulusi
Akar said in an address to Turkish armed units in the Libyan capital of Tripoli
late on Saturday.
The
remarks were made available to media on Sunday.
Libya
descended into fresh chaos last year after the so-called Libyan National Army
(LNA) under Haftar’s command moved toward Tripoli to seize the capital. The
offensive was repelled by Libyan government forces.
The
conflict has since escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country.
Ankara
has been propping up the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord
(GNA) against Haftar forces, which are being backed by the United Arab
Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and France.
This
year, the Turkish support again dashed Haftar’s hopes of capturing the capital,
something that his troops had been trying to achieve for 14 months. Following
the setback, the warlord’s side was forced to strike a deal with the GNA.
On
Thursday, however, Haftar issued vocal threats against Turkey.
There
would be “no peace in the presence of a colonizer on our land,” he said,
referring to Turkey. He also claimed that his forces would “prepare to drive
out the occupier by faith, will, and weapons” in another reference to Ankara’s
forces.
The
Turkish minister, however, said, “If they take such a step, they will be unable
to find any place to flee to.”
“Everyone
should come to their senses,” he said, adding, “What matters here is that
everyone should contribute to a political solution. Any action other than that
would be wrong.”
In
addition to lending military support to the GNA, Turkey has been engaging in
talks with Russia for a solution to the conflict between the warring sides.
Libya
has been grappling with unchecked violence since the overthrow of former
dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 during an operation backed by the Western
alliance of NATO.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/27/641609/Turkey-warning-Libya-Haftar
--------
Sudan
says took back border land from Ethiopia
27
December 2020
The
Sudanese government says the country’s military forces have taken control of
most of the agricultural land allegedly occupied by Ethiopians near the border
between the two countries.
Tensions
have flared since the outbreak of a conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray
region last month and the arrival of thousands of mainly Tigrayan refugees in
eastern Sudan.
The
dispute between the two countries has been revolving around the agricultural
land in al-Fashqa area, which falls within Sudan’s international boundaries but
has long been settled by Ethiopian farmers.
The
row has culminated in armed clashes between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces in
recent weeks, with both sides accusing the other of instigating the violence.
“We
believe in dialog to solve any problem,” Sudan’s Information Minister Faisal
Salih said Saturday. “But our army will do its duty to take back all our land.
Currently our army has taken back between 60% and 70% of Sudanese land.”
Stressing
that the clashes had subsided in the past two days, Salih blamed the escalation
on the Ethiopian army and said, “Sudanese intelligence reports confirmed that
the organization, training and arming of the forces that attacked were not
militias but regular forces.”
Sudan
hosted authorities from Ethiopia to hold talks this week in Khartoum over the
issue of the disputed agricultural land, with Sudanese officials saying the
border was demarcated in the first years of the 20th century and that the ongoing
negotiations were limited to talks over placing additional markers on the land
at 2km rather than 10km intervals.
Ahead
of the talks this week, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Ato Demeke Mekonnen said
the Sudanese military had carried out attacks, plundering farm products and
exerting violence against Ethiopian refugees.
“Agricultural
products of Ethiopian farmers are looted, their camps are vandalized, and they
are also hampered from harvesting their own farms. A number of civilians have
been murdered and wounded,” he claimed.
Ethiopian
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also blamed in a statement “parties with hidden
motives to create hostility and suspicion between peoples” for the violence.
The
African nation has been grappling with outbreaks of deadly hostilities since
Abiy was appointed in 2018 and loosened the central government’s iron grip on
regional rivalries.
Abiy,
the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2019, has accused rebel forces loyal to the
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the region’s ruling party, of
launching deadly attacks on a pair of federal military camps in the region. He
has also accused the party of defying his government and seeking to undermine
it.
The
Ethiopian military has so far carried out a number of massive attacks against
the purported positions of rebel forces loyal to the TPLF in the Tigray region.
The violence, however, has forced a large number of people to flee the region
and cross the border into neighboring Sudan, which itself struggles with severe
economic problems.
The
United Nations and aid agencies have been pressing for safe access to Tigray,
which is home to more than 5 million people and where 600,000 were dependent on
food aid even before the conflict began last month.
Thousands
are feared dead and the UN estimates that more than 950,000 people have been
displaced by the conflict, nearly 50,000 of them into neighboring Sudan.
General
elections scheduled to be held next year have further inflamed rivalries over
land, power, and resources in the impoverished African country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/27/641596/Sudan-Fashqa-area-agricultural-land-Faisal-Salih-Tigray-region-
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UN
hails prisoner exchange between Libyan parties as part of Geneva ceasefire deal
26
December 2020
The
United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has welcomed the exchange of
prisoners between warring parties as part of a ceasefire agreement inked more
than two months ago in Geneva.
The
UNSMIL said on Saturday that the exchange of a first batch of prisoners kicked
off on Friday under the supervision of a joint military committee in the
southwestern village of al-Shwayrif.
"UNSMIL
welcomes the remarkable success registered today by the exchange of prisoners
from both sides under the supervision of the Joint Military Commission (5+5),
and thanks to the good offices of the tribal sheikhs and elders," the UN
body said on Twitter.
"The
Mission takes this opportunity to urge both parties to accelerate the full
implementation of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement, signed on October 23,
2020 in Geneva, including the exchange of all prisoners," it added.
Libya’s
rival sides eventually agreed to sign a permanent ceasefire agreement in
October in all areas, to bring an end to months of deadly fighting in the North
African nation.
Libya,
which sits atop the largest oil reserves in Africa, descended into chaos last
year after the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) under rebel commander
Khalifa Haftar moved toward Tripoli to seize the city, which was repelled by
Libyan government forces.
The
conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country.
Haftar
forces were fighting to unseat the government with support from the United Arab
Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan.
But
government forces have pushed them as far back as Sirte, on the Mediterranean
coastline, with crucial help from Turkey.
Late
in November, representatives of the warring sides in Libya concluded their
latest round of peace talks in Morocco and agreed to “ending the division” that
undermines the sovereignty of the North African country.
The
agreement was reached after five days of negotiations in the Moroccan port city
of Tangiers, where deputies from Libya’s internationally-recognized government
and rebel forces, under the command of renegade General Haftar, declared their
commitment to abandon "hate speech" and end political divisions.
In
a final statement, the participants indicated "commitment to holding
parliamentary elections and ending the transitional phase as soon as
possible."
In
August, the rival administrations announced separately that they would cease
all hostilities and hold nationwide elections, drawing praise from world
powers.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641559/Libya-prisoner-swap-Support-Mission-UNSMIL-ceasefire-agreement
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Europe
Britain
says it will sign free trade deal with Turkey this week
28
Dec 2020
Britain
and Turkey are set to sign a free trade deal on Tuesday, the UK trade ministry
said on Sunday, the first since Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a new
trade agreement with the European Union.
The
two nations will sign a deal that replicates the existing trading terms between
Ankara and London, but British trade minister Liz Truss said that she was
hopeful a bespoke deal between the countries could be struck soon.
“The
deal we expect to sign this week locks in tariff free trading arrangements and
will help support our trading relationship. It will provide certainty for
thousands of jobs across the UK in the manufacturing, automotive and steel
industries,” Truss said in a statement.
“We
now look forward to working with Turkey towards an ambitious tailor-made
UK-Turkey trade agreement in the near future.”
The
trading relationship was worth $25.25 billion in 2019, and Britain said it was
the fifth biggest trade deal the trade ministry had negotiated after agreements
with Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Norway.
Britain
has now signed trade agreements with 62 countries ahead of the end of the
Brexit transition period on Jan 1, when it leaves the EU’s trading
arrangements.
It
clinched its narrow trade deal with the EU, its biggest trading partner, last
week.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598314/britain-says-it-will-sign-free-trade-deal-with-turkey-this-week
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Hundreds
of migrants freezing in heavy snow at Lipa camp in northwest Bosnia
26
December 2020
Hundreds
of migrants on Saturday were stranded in a burnt-out squalid tent camp in
Bosnia as heavy snow fell in the country and temperatures suddenly dropped amid
a wintry spell of bad weather.
Migrants
at the Lipa camp in northwest Bosnia wrapped themselves in blankets and
sleeping bags to protect against biting winds in the region, which borders
European Union member Croatia.
A
fire earlier this week destroyed much of the camp near the town of Bihac that
already was harshly criticized by international officials and aid groups as
inadequate for housing refugees and migrants.
Authorities
have failed to find new accommodation for the migrants at Lipa, leaving around 1,000
people stuck in the cold, with no facilities or heating and on meager food
parcels provided by aid groups.
“Snow
has fallen, sub-zero temperatures, no heating, nothing,” the International
Organization for Migration’s chief of mission in Bosnia, Peter Van Der
Auweraert, tweeted. “This is not how anyone should live. We need political
bravery and action now.”
Bosnia
has become a bottleneck for thousands of migrants hoping to reach Western
Europe. Most are stuck in Bosnia’s northwestern Krajina region as other areas
in the ethnically divided nation have refused to accept them.
The
EU has warned Bosnia that thousands of migrants face a freezing winter without
shelter, and it urged the country’s bickering politicians to set aside their
differences and take action to accommodate thousands sleeping rough.
On
Saturday, migrants crowded at the camp to receive water and food provided by
Bosnia’s Red Cross as police sought to maintain order. Some migrants wore face
shields to protect them from the new coronavirus.
Plans
to relocate the migrants temporarily to a closed facility in central Bihac have
prompted protests by residents.
Left
without a solution, migrants put down carboard on the floor and set up
improvised barriers for a piece of privacy inside the only standing tent at the
Lipa camp.
Some
people held up their wet feet above the small fires migrants lit outside to
warm up, while others held blankets tight next to their bodies for warmth. Many
migrants were wearing sneakers despite the snow.
To
get to Croatia, migrants often use illegal routes over a mountainous area along
the border. Many have complained of violence and pushbacks by the Croatian
police.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/12/26/Hundreds-of-migrants-freezing-in-heavy-snow-at-Lipa-camp-in-northwest-Bosnia
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Russia
reinforces Syrian area where Turkey-backed fighters clashed with Kurdish forces
December
28, 2020
MOSCOW:
Russia said late on Sunday it had sent more military police to an area in
northern Syria where fighters backed by Turkey have clashed with Kurdish forces
near a strategic highway patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops.
The
deployment comes ahead of talks in southern Russia on Tuesday between Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Syria,
where Moscow and Ankara have backed different sides, is one of the topics the
two diplomats will discuss.
Battles
between Turkey-backed fighters and Kurdish forces broke out near the town of
Ain Issa in northern Syria earlier this month. The town Ain Issa sits along the
M4 highway that links major Syrian cities and where Russian-Turkish patrols
usually take place.
Turkish
forces and their Syrian insurgent allies seized territory in the region in an
offensive last year against the Kurdish YPG militia which holds swathes of
north and east Syria.
The
Russian defence ministry said in a statement it had sent more military police
to the area on Sunday.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1783971/middle-east
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