Sufi Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem Launched: ‘Not Supporter of the Present Government but the Constitution’
New
Age Islam News Bureau
10
February 2021
A
new organisation ‘Sufi Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem” was launche
-----
•
Pakistan SC Orders Immediate Reconstruction of Vandalised Hindu Temple
•
Bangladesh to Hang Eight Islamists over Murder of Publisher
•
Christian Duo Publicly Flogged In Aceh for Drinking, Gambling
•
Lokman Slim’s Sister Says Lebanon’s Assassination History Repeats Itself
•
Fatah, Hamas Agree To Respect Outcome of Forthcoming Palestinian Elections
•
Nigeria Deepens Security Ties with Egypt to Battle Boko Haram
•
US Administration to Seek ‘Productive’ Ties with Pakistan, Says Scholar
•
UK Muslims Ask UN to Halt Sri Lanka’s Forced Cremations
India
•
Sufi Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem Launched: ‘Not Supporter of the Present Government
but the Constitution’
•
Muslim Law Allows Minor Girls to Marry On Attaining Puberty: Punjab and Haryana
High Court
•
Countering ‘Love Jihad’: India Love
Project (ILP) Marked the 100th Day of Its Formation on February 4
•
Trust Nominated War Veteran Mohammad Afzaal Ahmad Khan as Its Tenth Trustee For
Ayodhya Mosque Project
•
India inks MoU to build dam for safe drinking and agri water to Kabul
•
No Gender, Religion Bias in Orders by District Courts, Finds Study
--------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan SC Orders Immediate Reconstruction of Vandalised Hindu Temple
•
Pakistani PM To Address Lankan Parliament Amid Muslim Human Rights Concerns
•
Former PTI lawmaker confesses to accepting bribe ahead of Pakistan 2018 Senate
polls
•
Pakistan to seek debt relief from China Belt and Road loan
•
PTI dragging establishment into politics: PDM
•
Pakistan opposition slams govt over farmer leader's arrest in Lahore
•
ECP panel rejects plea for access to PTI accounts
•
SC bars carrying out death penalty for inmates with mental disorders
•
Shangla police arrest terrorist in Karachi
•
Five ‘foreigners linked with RAW, NDS’ remanded in CTD custody
--------
South
Asia
•
Bangladesh to Hang Eight Islamists over Murder of Publisher
•
Taliban Maintains Close Ties To Al-Qaeda, Says Afghan Foreign Ministry
•
The Taliban's varied suitors could spoil Biden's Afghanistan plans
•
Insecure Afghanistan will pose threats to global peace
•
Bomb explosions target Kabul police killing chief, bodyguard: Afghan official
•
Myanmar military implausibly plays the Rohingya card
•
Taliban offensives claim 9 ANA soldiers: Nimroz
•
India, Afghanistan signed a pact on ‘Shahtoot Dam’
•
Foreign fighters among ’22 Taliban killed’ in Ghazni
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Christian Duo Publicly Flogged In Aceh for Drinking, Gambling
•
Radicalised Malaysian man arrested under ISA and deported, wife placed on
Restriction Order
•
Singapore Expels Malaysian Man Who Allegedly Planned to Join IS in Syria
--------
Arab
World
•
Lokman Slim’s Sister Says Lebanon’s Assassination History Repeats Itself
•
Qatar ready to help Lebanon financially only if new government formed: Minister
•
Iraq executes five ‘terrorism’ convicts: Security sources
•
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman congratulates UAE on Mars Hope Probe
•
Top Bahraini cleric terms Islamic Revolution as great dawn coming after long
night
•
Saudi-led coalition destroys two Houthi armed drones
--------
Mideast
•
Fatah, Hamas Agree To Respect Outcome of Forthcoming Palestinian Elections
•
Golan Heights Will Stay Israeli, Netanyahu Office Tells US Secretary Of State
Blinken
•
Erdogan says Turkey aims to reach the moon in 2023
•
Iran summons Belgium envoy after diplomat Assadi jailed over terrorism
•
Iran's spy chief says Tehran could seek nuclear arms if 'cornered' by West
•
Yemen: UAE needs to end war on Earth before reaching for space
•
Iranians celebrate 42nd anniversary of Islamic Revolution
--------
Africa
•
Nigeria Deepens Security Ties with Egypt to Battle Boko Haram
•
Erdogan says Turkey might consider leaving Libya if others go first
•
Amnesty demands humanitarian access in Ethiopia's Tigray
•
UN Security Council supports Libya’s new interim government
•
Arab League rejects unilateral Israeli projects, calls for end to occupation
•
'Tunisia backing Libya's efforts for peace, stability'
•
3rd round of Libya constitutional talks starts in Egypt
•
Turkey trains Libyan troops on counter-terrorism
--------
North
America
•
US Administration to Seek ‘Productive’ Ties with Pakistan, Says Scholar
•
US-Backed Forces Stepping Up Campaign against IS in Eastern Syria
•
Why Biden is making unacceptable demands on Iran
--------
Europe
•
UK Muslims Ask UN to Halt Sri Lanka’s Forced Cremations
•
EU: Israel should stop demolition of Palestinian homes
•
Manchester police warned in 2016 over terrorism strategy, arena inquiry hears
•
UK lowers terrorism threat level to 'substantial'
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sufi-ittehad-e-millat-tanzeem/d/124268
--------
Sufi
Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem Launched: ‘Not Supporter of The Present Government But
The Constitution’
A
new organisation ‘Sufi Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem” was launche
-----
By
Abdul Bari Masoud
February
3, 2021
New
Delhi: A new organisation ‘Sufi
Ittehad-e-Millat Tanzeem” was launched here on Sunday with the aim to dispel
the wrong notion that Sufis and Shrines are supporting the agenda of the present
government. The leaders of the new organization alleged a fake narrative of
nationalism is being created to suppress minorities, Dalits, Tribals and weaker
sections.
The
leaders addressed a press conference to announce the launch of the outfit. Founder
of the new outfit, Syed Sarwar Chishti, who is also Khadim of the Ajmer Sharif
Dargah, said a fake narrative is spread that Sajjadanashins and Sufis are
supporting the government and its “repressive policies”.
We
want to make it clear that Sajjadanashins and Sufis are not ‘agent and
supporters’ of the government and there may be some black ships among our ranks
but we are not a supporter of any political or the government, Chisti said in
an oblique reference to All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council which recently met
government officials and announced its support to government agenda.
It
is history that Dargahs and Sufis always raise the voice of truth and never
sided with the government of the day and we want to revive this noble tradition
as the country is passing through a critical juncture since the advent of
fascist forces to the power, Sarwar Chisti said.
Launching
a scathing attack on the government, Sarwar Chisti said when people rise
against the anti- minority and anti- farmers’ policies; they are dubbed as
“Pakistanis and Khalistnis’. While referring to a plethora of ordinances namely
“Love Jihad”, Cow slaughter and others, he said the Constitution is being
attacked and we want to safeguard it.
He
also said the Tanzeem’s aim is to foster and promote communal harmony as it is
under serious strains due to nefarious activities of the communal and fascist
forces. Tanzeem will also work for unity among Muslims and promotion of
education, he added.
Speaking
on the occasion, activist and Supreme Court lawyer, Mahmood Pracha stressed the
need to protect and strengthen the Constitution which safeguards the
fundamental rights of the people.
Referring
to the heavy presence of police personnel at the site of the event, Pracha said
the ‘Manuvādi’ mentality only fears the Constitution which gives equality
before law to every citizen of this country.
Pracha, whose offices was raided by the Delhi police recently, said
Sufis have taken good step to save the constitution and added that Islam was
spread in the Sub-continent not because of Muslims rulers but of Sufis’s good
manners and character which need to be revived.
The
Delhi Police allegedly tried to scuttle the Press meet reportedly at the behest
of a tiny section of Sufis who are siding with the government and formed their
organization All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC).
The
organizers of the meet said they have been forced to cancel two venues India
Islamic Culture Center and The Park-Inn by Raddison hotel. When shifting the press conference at the Hotel
Riverview situated in Abul Fazal Enclave in Jamia Nagar, Police said you have
not taken permission for the meet, the organizers said.
As
many as 25 prominent Sajjadanashins and Sufis from across the country
participated in the launching event of the Tanzeem.
https://www.alhaqeeqa.org/sufi-ittehad-e-millat-tanzeem-launched-not-agent-and-supporter-of-the-government-but-the-constitution/
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Pakistan
SC Orders Immediate Reconstruction of Vandalised Hindu Temple
A still from video footage shows the attack on the
Hindu temple in the village of Terri. Photo: Twitter
-----
Sajjad
Hussain
February
10, 2021
Islamabad:
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to
immediately start rebuilding a century-old Hindu temple that was vandalised by
a mob in the province and submit a timeline for its completion.
The
attack on the temple in Terri village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district by
members of radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party (Fazal ur Rehman group) in
December drew strong condemnation from human rights activists and the minority
Hindu community leaders, prompting the apex court to order its reconstruction
last month.
On
Monday, a three-judge apex court bench, headed by chief justice Gulzar Ahmed,
heard the suo motu case regarding the burning of the temple, the Express
Tribune reported.
During
the proceedings, justice Gulzar said, “Inform us if any recovery or arrest has
been made on the temple issue in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa?” In January, the apex
court had ordered the provincial government to recover the money for the
construction of the temple from those who had burnt it.
Evacuee
Trust Property Board lawyer Ikram Chaudhry apprised the bench that no recovery
has been made so far on the temple issue, the paper said. “The government had
approved Rs 30.41 million for the reconstruction of the temple,” Chaudhry
informed the bench.
Justice
Ijazul Ahsan said that the court had ordered to recover the money from those
who burnt the temple so that they could learn a lesson.
“Evacuee
Trust Property Board chairman should be summoned and a detailed report
containing all the progress made so far be submitted in court,” justice Gulzar
said.
The
Evacuee Trust Property Board is a statutory board that manages religious
properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs who had migrated to India following
the partition.
Ramesh
Kumar, head of the Hindu Council and a member of the National Assembly, said
that the chief minister, Mahmood Khan, had said that the Karak area was
sensitive and that the reconstruction of the temple in Karak should be done by
the Hindu community. “The KP government will later reimburse the cost of
building the temple.”
The
KP additional advocate general said that according to the law, tender should be
issued for the reconstruction of the temple.
Justice
Gulzar directed authorities to ensure that the Prahladpuri temple in Multan is
prepared for the Holi festival falling on March 28. The chief justice directed
the Evacuee Trust Property Board chairman, Punjab IG and chief secretary to
ensure security at the Multan shrine.
The
bench summoned the Evacuee Trust Property Board chairman on the next hearing
and adjourned the suo motu case till next Monday.
Hindus
form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official
estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the
community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. The majority of
Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province, where they share
culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents. They often complain of
harassment by extremists.
https://thewire.in/south-asia/pakistan-sc-orders-immediate-reconstruction-of-vandalised-hindu-temple
--------
Bangladesh
To Hang Eight Islamists Over Murder Of Publisher
Protesters mourn the death of (from Lto R) Humayun
Azad, Abhijit Roy, Faisal Arefin Dipan and Nazimuddin Samad who were killed by
religious hardliners in a wave of violence between 2013 and 2016 which secular
activists, bloggers and atheist writers. (AFP File)
-----
FEB
10, 2021
Eight
Islamic extremists were on Wednesday sentenced to death in Bangladesh for the
murder of a publisher, as the Muslim-majority nation grapples with tensions
between religious hardliners and secularists.
Faisal
Arefin Dipan, 43, the owner of a Dhaka-based publishing house that had released
several atheist books, was hacked to death in October 2015 by men suspected to
be members of a local jihadist group.
The
attack was part of a wave of violence between 2013 and 2016 targeting secular
activists, bloggers and atheist writers.
Several
top Islamist political party leaders were hanged over the violence under the
government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Prosecutor
Golam Sarwar Zakir told AFP that the judge at Dhaka's Special Anti-Terrorism
Tribunal had convicted all of the eight accused men.
"He
(the judge) said their goal was to muzzle people's voices by murdering
bloggers, writers and publishers. They wanted to disrupt public security by
creating panic among the people," Zakir said.
Two
of the men are still on the loose and were sentenced in absentia, including
mastermind Syed Ziaul Haque, a sacked army officer, Zakir added.
Haque
has been charged with the killings of several secular activists.
A
defence lawyer for the eight men said they would appeal against the sentences.
The
Bangladesh government has set up two major anti-terrorism police units in
recent years to crack down on Islamic extremists.
More
than 100 suspected Islamists have been killed in anti-terror raids across the
country and hundreds have been detained. Around half-a-dozen Islamist militant
outfits have been banned.
Star
Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has become the latest target of radicals
and had to be given an armed bodyguard after he was threatened for attending a
Hindu ceremony in neighbouring India.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news
--------
Christian
duo publicly flogged in Aceh for drinking, gambling
February
8, 2021
BANDA
ACEH: Two Christian men were publicly flogged today in Indonesia’s
ultra-conservative Aceh province for drinking alcohol and gambling, in a rare
instance of non-Muslims facing a punishment frequently condemned by rights groups.
The
caning comes less than two weeks after a male couple were flogged nearly 80
times each for having gay sex, which is outlawed under local Islamic law.
On
Monday, the two accused received 40 lashes each from a masked sharia officer
who beat their backs with a stick.
One
of them, identified only as JF, said he chose flogging to avoid a criminal
prosecution that could have seen him jailed up to six months.
“The
Sharia police gave us options and we consciously decided to comply with the
Islamic criminal code. No one forced me to choose it,” he told AFP.
Aceh
is the only province in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country that
imposes Islamic law.
Non-Muslims
who have committed an offence that violates both national and religious laws
can choose to be prosecuted under either system.
Flogging
of non-Muslims is rare, however, with only a handful subjected to the
punishment in recent years for crimes including gambling and selling alcohol.
The
two Christians were among seven people publicly flogged in the province on
Monday.
The
five others were Muslims who were whipped for adultery and drinking alcohol –
both violations of religious law.
Human
rights groups have slammed public caning as cruel, and Indonesia’s President
Joko Widodo has called for it to end.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2021/02/08/christian-duo-publicly-flogged-in-aceh-for-drinking-gambling/
--------
Lokman
Slim’s sister says Lebanon’s assassination history repeats itself
09
February ,2021
Rawad
Taha
The
sister of prominent Lebanese publisher and critic of the Shia Hezbollah group
Lokman Slim said Lebanon’s history of assassinations was repeating itself, days
after her brother as found shot dead in his car on Thursday.
“My
father was also the lawyer of journalist Kamel Mroueh who was assassinated.
They assassinated him in his office… History is repeated in this country,”
Rasha al-Ameer told Al Arabiya during an interview.
Slim’s
mother said she refused to leave the southern suburbs of Beirut, because her
house is 150 years old and is older than Hezbollah.
“I
have lived here for 60 years… This house is 150 years old… I will stay in this
house because this house is older than Hezbollah… I will not leave,” Salma
Merchak added.
Al-Ameer
had previously hinted that Hezbollah was behind the killing, without naming the
group, adding that it is known who controls the area where her brother was
found dead.
“Killing
for them is a habit,” she said. Hezbollah and its allies dominate the area in
southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah
condemned Slim's killing, calling for a swift investigation. It also urged
security agencies to combat crimes it said have spread around Lebanon and which
have been “exploited politically and by the media at the expense of security
and domestic stability” — a jab at their critics.
Slim
was born in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, where he lived
all his life. He returned from abroad, when most people were leaving, during
the 2006 war with Israel, as the suburbs were being bombed.
He
founded Umam, a research and film production house with a library documenting
Lebanon's and Shia history. His family owns a publishing house and Slim hosted
public debates and political forums and art shows, including exhibitions
documenting the civil war's missing. He and his wife worked on a film
documenting the atrocities of Syria's notorious Tadmor prison.
In
2009, he and his wife organized a private viewing at their center for an
Oscar-nominated anti-war Israeli cartoon about Israel’s 1982 invasion of
Lebanon and the rise of the then-President Bachir Gemayel, in defiance of
Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities, who have banned it.
Slim
also set up Haya Bina, or “Let's go,” a group that encouraged participation in
2005 parliamentary elections, called for changes to Lebanon's sectarian-based
system, and taught women English.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/10/Sister-of-late-activist-Lokman-Slim-Lebanon-s-assassination-history-repeats-itself
--------
Fatah,
Hamas agree to respect outcome of forthcoming Palestinian elections
10
February ,2021
Palestinian
factions Fatah and Hamas said Tuesday they had agreed on the “mechanisms” for
forthcoming elections and to respect their outcome.
In
a joint statement on the second day of talks between Palestinian factions in
Cairo, they said they had agreed a timeline for the polls and “committed to
respecting and accepting their results.”
The
deal provides for an “electoral court” with exclusive jurisdiction over the
electoral process and any cases arising from the polls, the first in 15 years.
The
parliamentary and presidential polls are set for May 22 and July 31,
respectively.
The
Islamist movement Hamas won an unexpected landslide at the last elections in
2006, a victory not recognised by president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah.
That
led to bloody clashes the following year and a split in Palestinian governance.
Fatah
has since run the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and
Hamas has held power in the Gaza Strip since 2007, the year Israel imposed a
devastating blockade on the coastal enclave.
In
their statement, the factions said polling “must take place in Jerusalem, the
West Bank and Gaza, without exception” and committed to allowing “public
liberties and... an atmosphere of political freedom” as well as equal access to
official media for all electoral lists.
The
deal also includes commitments to immediately release all prisoners detained
“on factional grounds or in relation to freedom of opinion,” the statement
says.
The
parliamentary and presidential polls, set for May and July respectively, are
the first in 15 years.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/10/Fatah-Hamas-agree-to-respect-outcome-of-forthcoming-Palestinian-elections
--------
Nigeria
deepens security ties with Egypt to battle Boko Haram
George
Mikhail
Feb
8, 2021
Egypt
is concentrating on strengthening its economic and security influence in
Nigeria and consolidating relations with the ruling regime there. On Jan. 27,
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a letter from his Nigerian
counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari, which included a formal request from Nigeria to
cooperate with Egypt in security fields, especially combating terrorism by
organizing training courses and exchanging technical expertise.
Buhari’s
letter, delivered to Sisi by Nigerian Ambassador Joseph Kishi, dealt with ways
to enhance Nigerian-Egyptian cooperation in the fields of the economy and
trade, and how to benefit from Egypt's role in supporting Nigeria in
infrastructure projects, particularly roads and power generation.
The
Egyptian interest in Nigeria has recently increased, stressed Egyptian
Ambassador to Nigeria Ihab Awad, during his meeting with Buhari Jan. 28. He
said, “Ties with Nigeria have grown stronger in recent years, in light of Egypt's
keenness to do so.”
Samir
Ghattas, head of the Middle East Forum for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor
that the Egyptian-Nigerian relations include several areas, most notably the
security field. “Egypt supports Nigeria against the extremist organization Boko
Haram. Cairo has decided to establish the Community of Sahel-Saharan States
(CEN-SAD) regional anti-terrorism center, through which Nigeria receives
security support by training its forces on how to combat terrorism and track
down extremist groups.”
In
December 2018, the Egyptian army invited several CEN-SAD countries for a joint
military training, during which the Nigerian forces were trained on how to deal
with various terrorist threats such as armed groups and the release of
hostages.
The
Egyptian-Nigerian relations were not only limited to the security field but
extended to the economic field, as many official Egyptian economic delegations
visited Nigeria. Most prominently, Sherif Ismail, presidential aide for
national and strategic projects, visited Nigeria in 2018 to discuss how the
Egyptian companies could contribute to infrastructure projects in Nigeria.
In
2016, Ibrahim Mahlab, then-presidential aide for national and strategic
projects, visited Nigeria and met with many Nigerian businessmen to discuss
investment in the real estate and energy sectors.
On
Jan. 15, Egypt and Nigeria agreed on cooperation and investment in the field of
communications and technology. In February 2020, Egypt and Nigeria concluded a
contract between the Egyptian National Authority for Military Production and
the Nigerian Rungas Group, to establish a joint stock company for the
production and manufacture of gasoline and natural gas cylinders in Nigeria.
Egypt's
insistence on strengthening its presence and influence in Nigeria coincides
with Turkey's moves to establish a security and economic presence in Nigeria,
in light of accusations that the Turkish regime is supporting the armed group
Boko Haram in Nigeria.
In
2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Nigeria and Turkey signed
several memoranda of understanding for cooperation in the industrial,
commercial, energy and security fields.
In
January 2020, Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan visited Nigeria, as the
country is Ankara’s sixth-largest commercial market on the African continent,
according to Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency.
Despite
Turkey’s interest in benefitting economically from the Nigerian market, the
Nigerian authorities suspect that Ankara could be involved in arming and
supporting Boko Haram, and have opened an investigation into the matter after
intercepting an illegal arms shipment coming from Turkey in 2019.
“The
Nigerian government is concerned about the continuous import of weapons from
Turkey. In 2017 alone, four arms shipments arrived from there,” Nigerian
customs spokesman Joseph Atta, had told France24.
Egyptian
Ambassador Mona Omar told Al-Monitor, “Egypt realizes that Nigeria has a strong
presence and influence in all African forums and entities. Nigeria needs
Egypt's support in confronting terrorism and extremist groups, which calls for
security and political cooperation between the two countries.”
Omar
added, “Egypt hosts the CEN-SAD regional anti-terrorism center, which includes
intelligence delegations — most notably from Nigeria — and the role of that
center is to train Nigerian forces and others to combat terrorism and exchange
intelligence information.”
In
2018, the Egyptian army announced the establishment of the CEN-SAD regional
anti-terrorism center in Cairo, after the Egyptian Ministry of Defense
delegation attended the meeting of the defense ministers of the CEN-SAD, held
in the Nigerian capital Abuja in June 2018.
Speaking
about the economic cooperation between Egypt and Nigeria, Omar said, “A large
number of Egyptian companies invest in Nigeria — most notably the Arab
Contractors company — which contributes to infrastructure projects.”
She
noted, “Egypt is religiously present in Nigeria through the Al-Azhar Foundation
as well — sending delegations from Al-Azhar and receiving Nigerian students at
Al-Azhar University.”
In
2016, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, visited Nigeria and met
with Buhari to discuss ways to confront extremist ideology.
Speaking
about the Turkish presence in Nigeria, Omar said, “Turkey is working to flood
the Nigerian market with Turkish products and projects to control the country,
but there is a state of mistrust and popular anger toward Ankara since it is
suspected of supporting Boko Haram.”
She
added, “Egypt's security support for Nigeria disturbs Turkey because supporting
Nigeria's stability and training its forces weakens the extremist groups that
Turkey relies on to implement its plans.”
Member
of parliament Tarek Radwan told Al-Monitor, “The Egyptian parliament plays an
important role in consolidating relations with Nigeria through the visits of
Egyptian parliamentary delegations.”
In
October 2019, former Egyptian parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal visited Nigeria
and discussed with his Nigerian counterpart, Femi Gbajabiamila, the laws
required to combat terrorism.
“Turkey
is using economic activities in Nigeria as a cover to fund extremist groups in
the country, so the Egyptian role serves to strengthen and train Nigerian
forces to undermine any suspicious Turkish support for extremist groups,”
Radwan noted.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2021/02/egypt-turkey-nigeria-economy-politics-terrorism.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1983405_
--------
US
administration to seek ‘productive’ ties with Pakistan, says scholar
Anwar
Iqbal
February
10, 2021
WASHINGTON:
The Biden administration would like to rebuild America’s relationship with
Pakistan and make it more productive than it has been during the recent past,
says a senior US scholar.
At
a recent briefing on the new US administration’s foreign policies, James M.
Lindsay, a senior vice president at the Council for Foreign Relations, also
predicted a better understanding between the White House and the Pentagon on
the deployment of American troops in Afghanistan.
Since
their inauguration on Jan 20, several Biden administration officials have
endorsed the Pentagon’s position that Washington could not withdraw all its
troops from Afghanistan by May, as stipulated in the US-Taliban peace agreement
signed last year.
“The
Biden administration would hope to find a way to improve relations with
Pakistan,” said Mr Lindsay while responding to a question at the briefing which
was arranged by the US State Department’s Foreign Press Centre.
Noting
that the United States had had “a longstanding relationship with Islamabad,” Mr
Lindsay pointed out that during this period both sides had also developed “lots
of differences and grievances”. But “I think the Biden administration would
like to do what it can to make that relationship more productive,” he added.
The
US scholar argued that the Biden administration had inherited a complicated US
relationship with Pakistan, and some of the issues between the two countries
“sort of resonant here in the United States”.
One
such issue, he said, was a recent Supreme Court decision in Pakistan to
overturn the conviction of Ahmed Omer Sheikh, the prime suspect in the
beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl.
The
US Justice Department as well as the new Secretary of State Antony Blinken have
urged Pakistan to ensure that those involved in the murder do not go free. Both
also offered to bring Sheikh to the United States to face a trial in this
country if Pakistan is reluctant to go ahead with the proceedings.
Mr
Lindsay said that the administration would also have significant concerns about
human rights issues in Pakistan and they did worry about “whether or not
Pakistan is doing everything it can to prevent, contain, deter terrorists”.
Another
major concern for the new administration would be the relations between India
and Pakistan, he added, while pointing out that “it’s the one place in the
world in which two nuclear-armed countries abut one another and have tense
relations”.
Mr
Lindsay also listed the China-Pakistan relationship among the issues that the
Biden administration would like to discuss with Pakistan’s rulers, adding: “I
think there’s … concern in a Biden presidency about the nature of the evolution
of Pakistan’s relations with China.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606486/us-administration-to-seek-productive-ties-with-pakistan-says-scholar
--------
UK
Muslims ask UN to halt Sri Lanka’s forced cremations
Rabia
İclal Turan
10.02.2021
The
Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) submitted a complaint to the UN on Tuesday over
the forced cremations of Muslims in Sri Lanka who died of COVID-19.
The
MCB in partnership with UK-based law firm Bindmans submitted the complaint to
the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on behalf of their families.
“No
other state has carried out such unjust and discriminatory measures. We very
much hope that the Sri Lankan government will change its policy in line with
the World Health Organization’s advice,” Zara Mohammed, secretary general of
the MCB, said in a statement, describing the government’s policy as “unprecedented.”
Tayab
Ali, a partner at Bindmans who represents the MCB and the applicants, said the
forced cremations are a violation of religious freedom as well as international
law.
“We
hope that the United Nations Human Rights Committee will take immediate action
on receipt of this complaint by granting interim measures to halt these
cremations,” Ali said.
In
March last year, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health declared that burying
coronavirus victims could spread the virus. It said the bodies of the deceased,
irrespective of their religion, would therefore be cremated.
But
the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed that cremation is a “matter of
cultural choice.”
“It
is a common myth that persons who have died of a communicable disease should be
cremated, but this is not true,” it added.
NGOs
and minority groups in Sri Lanka have filed petitions before the Supreme Court
pleading to stop the cremation of Muslim bodies. But the court dismissed all
such petitions.
Since
the beginning of the pandemic, Sri Lanka has reported 71,211 coronavirus cases,
370 deaths and 65,053 recoveries, according to data compiled by US-based Johns
Hopkins University.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-muslims-ask-un-to-halt-sri-lanka-s-forced-cremations/2139537
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India
Muslim
Law Allows Minor Girls to Marry On Attaining Puberty: Punjab And Haryana High
Court
Manjeet
Sehgal
February
10, 2021
The
Punjab and Haryana High Court has said that a minor Muslim girl who has
attained puberty was at liberty to marry anyone as per the Muslim Personal Law.
Referring
to Article 195 of Muslim Personal Law, the court said, "Lunatics and
minors who have not attained puberty may be validly contracted in marriage by
their respective guardians. Marriage of a Muslim having a sound mind and who
has attained puberty is void if it is brought about without his or her
consent."
The
court further said that "puberty is presumed, in the absence of evidence,
on completion of the age of 15 years".
The
order was passed by Justice Alka Sarin while hearing a petition moved by a
Muslim couple from Punjab. The petitioners -- a 36-year-old man and 17-year-old
girl -- who got married on January 21, 2021, as per Muslim ceremonies, had
sought protection from the court, stating that their relatives were against their
relationship.
Justice
Alka Sarin observed that the petitioners cannot be deprived of the fundamental
rights provided by the Constitution merely because their family members were
against it. The court also said that family members had no right to interfere
since the couple got married as per the Muslim Personal Law.
The
court has directed SSP Mohali (SAS Nagar) to provide security to the couple.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/muslim-law-allows-minor-girls-to-marry-on-attaining-puberty-high-court-1767740-2021-02-10
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Countering
‘Love Jihad’: India Love Project (ILP)
Marked the 100th Day of Its Formation on February 4
By
Chinki Sinha
10
Feb 2021
New
Delhi, India – Last week, India’s Supreme Court refused to hear petitions
challenging the constitutional validity of religious conversion laws passed by
right-wing governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, saying the high
courts in these states should decide on the matter.
The
petitioners said innocent people, mainly Muslims, were being unfairly penalised
under the so-called “love jihad” laws, and that at least two other Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-governed states, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, were also
planning similar laws.
“Love
jihad” refers to a conspiracy theory propagated for more than 10 years by
India’s right-wing groups that accuse Muslim men of luring Hindu women for
marriage to forcefully convert them to Islam.
A
day after the Supreme Court order on “love jihad” laws came, a campaign called
the India Love Project (ILP) marked the 100th day of its formation on February
4.
Started
by a group of three former journalists in October last year, ILP aims to
celebrate stories of interfaith love or marriages – considered taboo in a
country divided along caste, religious and ethnic lines – on social media.
The
campaign, with steadily growing followers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter,
says it advocates “love and marriage outside the shackles of faith, caste,
ethnicity and gender”.
Cofounded
by a journalist couple, Priya Ramani and Samar Halarnkar and their friend
Niloufer Venkatraman, the project invites people to submit stories about
themselves or their families that help others understand that love transcends
religious and communal identities.
“This
is not fiction. These stories and couples have already happened, they exist.
People have made choices and some have braved odds to be with the person they
love,” Venkatraman told Al Jazeera.
Venkatraman’s
was the first story to feature in ILP, where she talked about her Parsi mother
and Tamil Hindu father.
Ramani
says the idea of creating ILP came when right-wing politicians started taking
aim at interfaith marriages as the “love jihad” controversy grew bigger towards
the end of last year.
“We
began discussing it actively last year,” she says, adding that the trigger was
the bullying popular jewellery brand Tanishq faced when it was forced to
withdraw its TV advertisement featuring an interfaith couple, where the boy was
a Muslim.
In
that same month, October 2020, that Yogi Adityanath, a saffron-clad Hindu monk
who is the BJP’s chief minister in Uttar Pradesh state, said those who practice
“love jihad” will not be spared.
His
government promulgated an ordinance making religious conversion a non-bailable
offence, with penalties up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of using
marriage to force someone to change their religion.
All
this despite the central government telling parliament last year that no cases
of “love jihad” were reported by any of the investigating agencies.
“In
my view, the concept of ‘love jihad’ is an attack on Hindu girls. They can’t
make a choice because we have this politics,” says Tanvir Aeijaz, a professor
of political science at Delhi University.
“I
am surprised why liberal feminists don’t pick up on this issue.”
Aeijaz
is married to Vinita Sharma, a Hindu who also teaches at the same university.
Their story was featured on the ILP, where the couple shared how they met in
1997 and got married after dating for six years.
“Our
families were concerned about our kids. We got married in 2003 in the backdrop
of the Gujarat riots. We were scared. I asked my friends to join us in the
court,” he says.
In
2002, more than 1,000 people – an overwhelming majority of them Muslims – were
killed in religious violence in the western state of Gujarat, the home state of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was then the chief minister.
The
couple named their daughter Kuhu, now 13. “We liked the name and it didn’t have
any religion in it,” says Aeijaz.
He
lauds the ILP for its campaign amid the growing backlash against Muslims.
“These are small but very strong interventions that are trying to build a
counter-narrative.”
Shainaz
Shaikh is a Muslim, who married Sanket Devle, a Hindu from the western state of
Maharashtra, in 2012.
“He
loves chicken biryani and I love misal pav [a delicacy in the state of
Maharashtra] and we tease each other how we were born in the wrong families,”
Shaikh wrote on the ILP page.
India’s
Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows marriage between individuals of different
faiths.
But
Tanweer Kamal, a lawyer in Patna High Court in the eastern state of Bihar, says
he faces a lot of problems when trying to register such marriages.
Kamal
says he has so far filed papers for at least 70 interfaith and intercaste
marriages. He says many interfaith couples settle for a marriage ceremony held
according to the traditions of one of the partners, while others opt for
religious conversion where a partner adopts the other’s religion.
Nivedita
Jha, author and president of Bihar chapter of South Asian Women in Media, says
she did neither and married under the Special Marriage Act.
Jha
is married to Shakeel, a doctor based in Patna, who goes by his first name
only. She says they married in 1987 against the wishes of their families.
“It
wasn’t easy in those days. My mother fainted when she heard about it. My father
didn’t have an ideological problem but he said the extended family might have
an issue,” she says.
During
the religious riots that erupted in the aftermath of the 1992 demolition of a
Mughal-era mosque in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state, Jha was pregnant.
When their son was born the next year, they named him Pushkin Shanib.
“We
both loved the Russian writer Pushkin and for his last name, we combined our
names. We didn’t want any identity politics in his name,” she says.
Jha
says “love jihad” laws are “against the soul of the constitution”.
“All
the people in this country have religious freedom. Jihad is done when we go to
war. In love, there is no war,” she says.
Ramani
says she receives a lot of messages from people who say they find reassurance
in such love stories.
“My
partner and I are facing a lot of hostility due to our interfaith backgrounds
and I cannot stress enough how relevant and healing your page is. Each story
brings both smile and tears. Keep doing the good work,” one such message reads.
Ramani
says the project now wants to curate more intercaste and LGBTQ love stories.
“Who
doesn’t like a good love story?” asks Niloufer.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/10/countering-love-jihad-by-celebrating-indian-interfaith-couples
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Trust
Nominated War Veteran Mohammad Afzaal Ahmad Khan as Its Tenth Trustee For
Ayodhya Mosque Project
FEBRUARY
10, 2021
The
new mosque will be bigger than Babri Masjid, says war veteran Mohammad Afzaal
Ahmad Khan
The
trust entrusted with building a mosque and hospital in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur
village on Tuesday nominated war veteran Mohammad Afzaal Ahmad Khan as its
tenth trustee, officials said.
The
Dhannipur mosque project was formally launched on Republic Day at Dhannipur,
around 24 km from the Ram Janmabhoomi, exactly six months after the Sunni Waqf
Board constituted the mosque's trust — Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF).
The
trust was constituted following the 2019 Supreme Court verdict that backed the
construction of a temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi and ruled that an alternative
five-acre plot be found for a mosque in Ayodhya in lieu of the Babri Masjid.
The
blueprint of the mosque complex, which includes a hospital, was unveiled on
December 19.
In
a virtual meeting of the IICF in Lucknow, it unanimously nominated 80-year-old
Khan as its tenth trustee, officials said.
Khan
is a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 wars and a recipient of the Sena Medal. He is
also a recipient of the President Award - Samaj Ratan.
The
Ayodhya Mosque project of the IICF is based on serving humanity. The hospital
will be the centre stage of the project, Khan said.
"We
will provide free of cost treatment to the ailing poor through this hospital,
and our community kitchen, another important part of our project, will feed at
least 1,000 people daily, and the research centre that is also part of the
project will be dedicated to great freedom fighter of Awadh Maulvi Ahmadullah
Shah," he said.
The
new mosque will be bigger than Babri Masjid, but won't be a lookalike of the
structure which once stood in Ramjanmabhoomi premises.
Meanwhile,
the Indo-Islamic Cultural Research Centre, to be built by Uttar Pradesh Sunni
Central Waqf Board in Ayodhya, would be named after freedom fighter who led the
first war of Independence in the Avadh region, Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah.
The
decision was taken in the IICF meeting, spokesperson of the trust, Athar
Hussain said.
The
research centre will have a museum, library and publications to showcase
Indo-Islamic culture of shared struggle and accomplishments of Hindus and
Muslims of India, he said.
Shah
had led the first war of Independence in 1857 in the Avadh region.
The
spokesperson said that as the Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition
filed by two Delhi-based sisters claiming ownership of the five-acre land at
Dhannipur village in Ayodhya, the process to speed up the project will begin
now.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/10th-trustee-appointed-for-dannipur-mosque-project/article33797988.ece
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India
inks MoU to build dam for safe drinking and agri water to Kabul
Feb
10, 2021
NEW
DELHI: India and Afghanistan signed an MoU on Tuesday for construction of the
proposed Shatoot dam that India will build to provide safe drinking and
irrigation water to Kabul residents. Presiding over the virtual ceremony with
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, PM Narendra Modi said no external power can come
in the way of India-Afghanistan friendship.
Modi
also expressed concern over increasing violence in Afghanistan and the
“cowardly manner” in which innocent civilians and journalists were being
targeted in Afghanistan. While calling for comprehensive ceasefire in
Afghanistan, he said as close neighbours and strong strategic partners, both India
and Afghanistan want to see the region free of extremism and terrorism.
Referring to the Afghan peace process, he said unity within the country was
important and hoped that a “united Afghanistan” will be capable of dealing with
any challenge facing it.
In
his remarks, Ghani said India’s development assistance to Afghanistan is
iconically marked on the country’s landscape. The MoU for Shatoot dam was
signed by foreign minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart Hanif Atmar. The
government said the project was a part of the New Development Partnership
between India and Afghanistan. “The Lalandar (Shatoot) dam would meet the safe
drinking water needs of Kabul city, provide irrigation water to nearby areas,
rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood
protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to
the region,” said a government statement.
This
is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the
India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated by Modi and
Ghani in June 2016.
“Signing
of the MoU on Lalandar (Shatoot) dam is a reflection of India’s strong and
long-term commitment towards the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and
the enduring partnership between two countries. As a part of our development
cooperation with Afghanistan, India has completed over 400 projects covering
all 34 provinces of Afghanistan,” said the statement. In his remarks, Modi
highlighted the civilisational relationship between India and Afghanistan and
gave an assurance of India’s continued support for a peaceful, united, stable,
prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-inks-mou-to-build-dam-for-safe-drinking-and-agri-water-to-kabul/articleshow/80777390.cms
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No
gender, religion bias in orders by district courts, finds study
by
Apurva Vishwanath
February
10, 2021
Does
the religion or gender of a judge in a lower court play a role in their orders?
A
study by the Development Data Lab, a US-based research organisation, has found
scant evidence of any systemic gender or religious bias in district and
subordinate courts across the country.
“In
both of these specifications, we find a robust null estimate of in-group bias
among Indian judges. Judges of different genders do not treat defendants
differently according to their gender, nor do judges display favouritism on the
basis of religion,” the study said.
The
Development Data Lab, founded by Dartmouth College Professor Paul Novosad and
Johns Hopkins SAIS Professor Sam Asher, works with governments, firms, and
civil society organisations to generate policy-relevant knowledge using data.
The
study looked at a dataset of 8 crore case records of all district and
subordinate courts, from 2010 to 2018, available on the government’s eCourt
platform. These cases cover over 7,000 district and subordinate trial courts
and more than 80,000 judges. This is the first such empirical study of judicial
data in India.
While
women represent 48 per cent of our population, they constitute only 28 per cent
of district court judges. Similarly, India’s 200 million Muslims represent 14
per cent of the population but only 7 per cent of lower court judges.
The
study classified judges and defendants according to gender and religion (Muslim
and non-Muslim) to examine in-group bias or whether existing structural
inequalities led to worse judicial outcomes for women and Muslims.
It
found that men defendants did not get better outcomes in conviction or
acquittal when their cases were assigned to men judges, and similarly, women
defendants did not get better outcomes before women judges. Equally, the
judicial outcomes of Muslims were virtually identical whether their cases were
assigned to Muslim or to non-Muslim judges.
Apart
from conviction and acquittal, the study tested the data against other case
processes such as delay or change of judge during the pendency of the case, and
found similar results.
However,
the lack of bias that the study found in Indian lower courts while deciding
cases involving Muslims and women does not rule out judicial bias in its
entirety.
While
the study examines bias by religion, it leaves out caste, a crucial variable.
Similarly, while the study examines systemic bias during conviction and
acquittal, it leaves out significant markers of the judicial processes such as
framing of charges, granting bail and determining the quantum of punishment.
As
a 2016 study by the Delhi-based Project 39A, a criminal law reforms advocacy
group, showed, of 385 death row convicts in India then, two-thirds belonged to
the backward classes or were religious minorities. All the 12 women death row
convicts at that time belonged to backward classes or castes or were religious
minorities.
Similarly,
according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) data for 2019, Muslims
and Dalits constitute the biggest set of undertrials in the country,
disproportionate to their share in the population. The share of Scheduled
Castes among undertrials stood at 21 per cent at the end of 2019, while their
share in the population is pegged at 16.6 per cent, according to the 2011
Census. Scheduled Tribes and Muslims make up for 10.5 per cent and 18.7 per
cent respectively of all undertrials while their respective share in population
is 8.6 per cent and 14.2 per cent.
On
not using caste as a variable while examining judicial bias, the study said,
“We do not examine bias on the dimensions of income or caste because we do not
yet have an algorithm that can classify these dimensions with high accuracy,”
the study said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/district-courts-order-gender-religion-bias-7181919/
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Pakistan
Pakistani
PM to address Lankan parliament amid Muslim human rights concerns
MOHAMMED
RASOOLDEEN
February
10, 2021
COLOMBO:
Sri Lankan Muslim community leaders were on Tuesday pinning their hopes on
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing their human rights concerns
during his historic visit to the island nation later this month.
Premier
Khan is due to arrive in the capital Colombo on Feb. 23 where he is expected to
hold talks with key government officials and party leaders.
Sri
Lanka’s parliament speaker, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, on Tuesday said that the
Pakistani PM was slated to address the legislature the following day.
Khan
will become the third Pakistani head of state to address the Lankan parliament,
after former President Gen. Mohammed Ayub Khan (1963) and Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1975).
Former
Indian premier, Jawaharlal Nehru, also addressed the Lankan parliament in 1962,
followed by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1985. More recently,
Indian PM Narendra Modi spoke to the legislature in 2015.
During
his two-day visit to the country, Khan is expected to hold talks with Sri
Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
Prominent
representatives of the island’s 2 million Muslims, who make up 9 percent of the
total population, said they were banking on “great Muslim leader” Khan to
“speak on our behalf.”
President
of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, N. M. Ameen, told Arab News: “The community
wishes to welcome a great Muslim leader who is coming as his country’s prime
minister for the first time. He is in a vantage position to speak on behalf of
the Sri Lankan Muslims.”
Rishad
Bathiudeen, former minister and leader of the All-Ceylon Makkal Congress, who
met with the charge d’affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo on
Tuesday, told Arab News: “We have expressed the concerns of the Muslim
community, especially regarding the forced cremation policy of the government
(for COVID-19 victims).”
Last
year, the Sri Lankan government was accused of forcing the cremation of anyone
confirmed or suspected to have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The
move outraged Muslims who said it breached their religious rights, and medical
experts argued that there was no evidence that COVID-19 could be contracted
from dead bodies.
Shreen
Saroor, a women’s rights activist and co-founder of the Women’s Action Network,
told Arab News: “Our legitimate rights to bury our dead must not undermine the
rights of our Tamil and Sinhala brothers and sisters to protect their rights or
know the truth about the death of their family members and to be allowed to
mourn them.”
“Prime
minister Khan must use his visit to assist in our struggles for human rights,
justice, and accountability for all in Sri Lanka,” she said.
Saroor
added that there were “concerns” that Khan might “negotiate a deal with the Sri
Lankan regime to restore Muslim burial rights while in turn offering Pakistan’s
support to Sri Lankan diplomatic efforts to reject the (UN) Human Rights
Council resolution.
“This
would not be the act of a friend to Sri Lanka and would be at the cost of the
Tamil community’s legitimate struggle for truth and justice. Like Muslims,
Tamils have been facing many challenges. The failures of domestic justice have
prevented reconciliation in our country and stopped the nation from moving
toward a stable and prosperous future.”
A
Jan. 27 report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet,
highlighted the need for a “strong human rights resolution” to address Sri
Lanka’s “deteriorating human rights situation” and “pursue accountability for
past and recent violations.”
It
also set out steps for the UN Human Rights Council to “confront the growing
risk of future violations.”
In
response to the report, the Human Rights Watch organization said: “Since the
government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has withdrawn its support for the
2015 consensus resolution seeking justice and reconciliation, and shown general
disregard for upholding basic human rights, the council should act to protect
those most at risk and advance accountability for grave international crimes.”
Toward
the end of the 2009 civil war between the government and the separatist
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), both groups committed atrocities which
led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1806646/world
--------
Former
PTI lawmaker confesses to accepting bribe ahead of Pakistan 2018 Senate polls
Feb
10, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
After a video went viral on Tuesday that showed Imran Khan-led Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers receiving bribes before the Senate elections of
2018, former PTI lawmaker Ubaid Ullah Mayar has confessed to taking bribe worth
Rs 10 million.
Speaking
to Geo News, Mayar said that he took the money on the directives of then Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and also said that the PTI-led
provincial government had paid Rs 10 million to all Members of National
Assembly (MPAs).
He
also mentioned that the bribery incident took place at the National Assembly
speaker's house and it was the provincial government which paid money to the
MPAs and then made a video.
"At
that time, Pervez Khattak had formed a committee of 17 MPAs and asked us to
vote for them, paid us the money, and promised to give us party's
tickets," he said, adding that he was not aware of being filmed at the
time of receiving the money.
He
also informed that he went to the High Court in relation to the matter, adding
that he "stands by [his] statement and is "not afraid of
anyone", reported Geo News.
Responding
to a question regarding two people from another party who could be seen taking
money in the video, Mayar said that "Khattak had promised to make them
ministers if they joined the PTI, which was later fulfilled".
He
also said that he was asked to return the money on the suspicion that he did
not vote for PTI's candidate.
This
comes after a video of PTI lawmakers receiving bribes before the Senate
elections in 2018 has surfaced on social media amid the ongoing war of words
between Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government and the Opposition on the open
ballot issue ahead of Senate polls.
According
to a report by Geo News, the video showed a couple of PTI Members of National
Assembly (MNAs) taking money from Mohammad Ali Bacha, former MPA of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) before the Senate elections in 2018.
In
the video, stacks of currency are seen in the video atop a table in front of
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PTI Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs).
Following
the release of the video, Imran Khan has ordered the removal of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Sultan Mohammad Khan, who had joined the PTI before
the 2018 elections, according to a report by Samaa TV.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/former-pti-lawmaker-confesses-to-accepting-bribe-ahead-of-pakistan-2018-senate-polls/articleshow/80779805.cms
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Pakistan
to seek debt relief from China Belt and Road loan
Feb
9, 2021
Pakistan
plans to ask China for relief on payments for power projects Beijing financed
over the past eight years, the latest developing nation that’s struggling to
repay debt under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
In
informal talks, Pakistan and China have discussed easing terms on the repayment
of debt on about a dozen power plants, according to a person with knowledge of
the matter, who said Islamabad hasn’t made a formal request yet. The parties
have canvassed Beijing’s willingness to stagger debt payments, as opposed to
lowering equity returns, the person said, requesting anonymity as the plan is
private.
An
enormous build-out of Chinese-financed power plants in Pakistan, which was
originally intended to solve its electricity shortages, has resulted in a
surplus that Islamabad isn’t able to afford. Infrastructure projects funded by
China’s initiative in other developing nations, such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia,
have suffered issues ranging from heavy debt loads to corruption.
China’s
ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of finance, as well as Pakistan’s
power division, didn’t respond to requests seeking comment.
China
has denied US criticism that the initiative leads to debt traps, while
acknowledging that countries have had difficulties repaying loans due to the
pandemic-induced global recession. Last year, Beijing canceled interest-free
loans to 15 African countries due to mature by the end of 2020, and it has
delayed other payments.
The
Belt and Road program had found new life in Pakistan last year with the signing
of $11 billion worth of projects, most of which went to revamping the nation’s
railway system.
While
Chinese financing has helped Pakistan diversify fuel supplies, it has also
resulted in a surplus of electricity, which is problematic for the government
in Islamabad because it is the sole buyer and pays producers even when they
don’t generate. To help tackle the issue, the government has negotiated with
power plants, which produce roughly half of its electricity, to lower rates.
Pakistan
will formally make the request to defer debt payments to China, as well as
other plants that were part of the latest power policy, after it concludes deals
with those local power producers to reduce electricity tariffs, said the person
with knowledge of the matter. Debt relief from China will also help the
government reduce power payments.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-seek-debt-relief-from-china-belt-and-road-loan/articleshow/80769727.cms
--------
PTI
dragging establishment into politics: PDM
February
09, 2021
HYDERABAD:
Leaders
of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have blamed the Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for dragging the “military establishment” into the power
politics while also asking the later to admit and apologise for their past
mistakes of political adventurism.
Addressing
a public meeting in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief and PDM President
Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others asserted that they had always opposed the
army’s involvement in politics.
Tens
of thousands of supporters of the PDM’s allied parties, with a far larger
presence of the PPP supporters, attended the event organised by the PPP at a
ground on the Hyderabad bypass. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice
President Maryam Nawaz was scheduled to address the gathering but she did not
attend due to the accident of her daughter.
“Are
those dragging them into politics who say in their public meetings that you
[the army] have no role in politics and that you should keep away from politics
and that all institutions should work as per their constitutional mandate?”
asked Bilawal.
“Or
those people drag them into politics who fight elections with their support,
who ask them to make them victorious in the elections, who want deployment of
the army inside and outside the polling stations.”
He
went on to contend that the PTI even urged the establishment to handle the
media, support them in passing the budget, to handle differences with friendly
countries, support the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) legislation, help
create consensus over Gilgit-Baltistan and help them in the Senate polls.
“When
they [PTI] see their defeat; when they know that the people are not standing
with them; when they realise that with your votes they can’t make government
and come to the power than they drag the establishment in politics.”
Bilawal
said that the people should be trusted for their wisdom in electing their
representatives and their decisions should be accepted. “The people should be
given permission to take decisions for their future,” he added.
Bilawal
reiterated that Prime Minister Imran Khan was responsible for the economic
crisis, inflation, unemployment and the growing corruption as identified in the
Transparency International’s latest report.
He
again rapped Imran’s knuckles for his statement in which he had said that Sindh
was not their province. “Balochistan, Punjab, K-P [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa],
Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are also not your provinces,” he charged.
The
PPP chairman alleged that Imran only wanted Sindh’s natural resources, tax
revenue and the islands and not the province or its people. According to him,
around 50% households or the people in half of Pakistan are facing malnutrition
because of Imran’s governance.
He
also blamed the PTI’s government for being anti-poor and pro-rich. The prime
minister was also accused of the ongoing anti-encroachment operations in the
province, though, those were being carried out on the Supreme Court’s order.
Referring
to the accountability process, Bilawal lamented that Imran was not questioned
for the alleged corruption in Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project, foreign
funding case, Malam Jabba, billion-tree project and Aleema Khan’s sewing
machines controversy.
The
PPP’s chairman informed the gathering that he would set off for the long march
next month from Karachi. “There will be a march in the month of March … we will
oust the selected, inept and illegal PM and will form the peoples’ government.”
Rehman,
the PDM and JUI-F chief, said they also wanted to see the army to remain
impartial in the political matters. “When do we want the army to get involved
in politics or play a role other than defence [of the country],” he asked. He
added that mistakes of the military’s intervention in politics had been made
and that should be admitted, followed by an apology to the nation.
Rehman
asked the establishment to reply why did they implicitly mock the opposition
parties and congratulated the PTI after the 2018 general elections if they were
not involved in rigging the polls and in giving power to Khan. “You should
clarify whom did you defeat and whom you made victorious [in 2018 elections].”
He
said the opposition parties were familiar with the obstacles created on the
path of democracy. “We have spent 40 years in politics. Please don’t teach us
a, b, c of politics. Rather, if you have to learn politics, become our
students.”
Rehman
derided the prime minister for being “more virulently infectious” than the
coronavirus. “They say Covid-19. I say, no, it’s Covid-18. We have to get rid
of the 2018’s coronavirus,” he added, referring to PTI’s election victory in
the 2018 elections.
Commenting
on the presidential ordinance for the open ballot in the Senate polls, the
PDM’s president advised the superior judiciary to stay away from that controversy,
which is purely political in nature.
He
argued that if the Constitution is silent over the secret or open vote to elect
the senators, the court should leave it to parliament to amend the law, instead
of trying to interpret the existing law. “Whatever is being done is also a
conspiracy against the judiciary.”
According
to him, a new controversy has emerged in the PTI’s foreign funding case which
has laid bare that Imran’s personal staff at his Bani Gala residence received
direct payments. “You are yourself head of the thieves but you blame others for
being thieves!”
He
asked the people from across Pakistan to gather in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for
the long march. “Until these cruel rulers remains in the power, our workers
will keep swimming against the tide. We aren’t the people who fall tired,” he
added.
The
PML-N Senior Vice President and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said
that the 11 parties, which are part of the PDM, had received 70% of the total
votes cast in 2018 general elections.
He
maintained that the PTI government was trying to usurp provincial autonomy,
vowing that the PDM would stand as a bulwark against the usurpation and protect
the 18th Amendment. “Who was distributing Rs1,000 notes [at Faizabad sit-in]?”
National
Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch questioned under what law the Centre was
occupying the islands in Sindh and Balochistan. He complained that the people
of Balochistan were not being made beneficiaries of the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) and the Gawadar port.
According
to him, the point of convergence for all the allied parties in the PDM is that
the country should be ruled as per the Constitution.
Pashtunkhwa
Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai asked Rehman and Bilawal
to meet the army officers with regards to their statement of establishment’s
non-involvement in politics. “If they take oath that they won’t interfere in
politics, the PDM will be ended.”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2283268/pti-dragging-establishment-into-politics-pdm
--------
Pakistan
opposition slams govt over farmer leader's arrest in Lahore
FEB
10, 2021
Pakistan
Kissan Ittehad (PKI) president Chaudhry Anwar was arrested from his residence
on Monday by the Raiwand police, which has led to the opposition claiming that
the government was putting pressure on the farmer leader to withdraw a
complaint against the police.
The
farmers' leader had led a protest around three months ago in the provincial
capital, demanding ₹2,000 per 40 kg
wheat support price and ₹300 per kg for
sugarcane, besides a flat power rate of ₹5 per unit for the farm
tubewells, Dawn reported.
However,
in the ensuing clash with police, one of the protesters named Ashfaq Langrial
had died.
Following
the arrest, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has alleged that the police
action is aimed at forcing Anwar to withdraw the petition he had earlier filed
for registration of a murder case against the police over the protester's
death.
"The
Punjab government had been pressing Chaudhry Anwar to withdraw his application
for registration of the murder case. On his persistent refusal, the Raiwind
police arrested him from his residence," Punjab PML-N President Rana
Sanaullah Khan said on Monday, reported Dawn.
He
further added that the 'puppet' government, which had been claiming to champion
the cause of farmers' rights, is now harassing the farmers' leadership through
arrests.
Meanwhile,
a police source says the PKI president was arrested from Multan by the Raiwind
police on a complaint of an overseas Pakistani, who alleged he had given ₹32 million in cash besides some
machinery for an agriculture project to the farmer leader.
The
complainant had alleged that life threats had been hurled at him when he
demanded his money back.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news
--------
ECP
panel rejects plea for access to PTI accounts
Iftikhar
A. Khan
February
10, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
In what appears to be another setback to a founding member of Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the scrutiny process of the ruling party’s foreign
funding case, the scrutiny panel on Tuesday rejected Akbar S. Babar’s petition
seeking access to PTI documents, including details of over a dozen ‘undeclared’
bank accounts of the party.
In
its latest order, the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) highlighted that the PTI documents were kept ‘secret’ because the ruling
party had objected to sharing the same with the petitioner.
Also,
the counsel for the PTI Shah Khawar had earlier termed Prime Minister Imran
Khan’s recent offer of ending secrecy in the foreign funding matter
“misconstrued”, because “his offer did not mean ending secrecy of the PTI
documents”.
The
counsel for the petitioner Syed Ahmad Hassan Shah, who was assisted by Badar
Iqbal Chaudhry during the scrutiny proceedings, also conveyed to the committee
that they would challenge its latest decision before the ECP, as transparency,
law and ECP orders demanded full access to PTI documents.
The
scrutiny committee meeting was later adjourned to February 15.
Parliamentary
secretary of the ruling party says all donations from overseas Pakistanis came
through banking channels
During
the scrutiny proceedings, the counsel for the petitioner read out a news report
whereby the PTI finance secretary admitted that the PTI had authorised using
personal bank accounts of four PTI ‘employees’ to collect donations from within
and outside Pakistan and that funds had been received from the UAE through
those accounts.
Mr
Shah said he had repeatedly referred to the original petition specifying the
front accounts of the PTI employees that had been allegedly used to collect
illegal money particularly from the Middle East and siphoned off by the top
leadership through cash cheques.
While
moving an application before the scrutiny panel, the counsel said it was
incumbent on the committee to write to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for
full access to the personal accounts of the four PTI employees to ascertain the
full scale and scope of illegal fund raising.
The
counsel said his client had repeatedly requested the scrutiny committee to
investigate the PTI employees’ private bank accounts which had been ‘illegally
used as a front’ to collect funds. Despite sharing ample evidence, the scrutiny
committee till date had made no effort to investigate those accounts, he
pointed out.
Also,
the PTI finance secretary had admitted to the existence of a special audit
report verifying all the allegations of financial irregularities by the PTI
that the ruling party refused to acknowledge before the scrutiny committee, Mr
Shah added.
The
PTI was asked to respond to the news report and the application filed by the
petitioner seeking SBP intervention to reveal the personal bank accounts of the
four ‘employees’.
For
PTI funds’ scrutiny, the committee will again meet on Monday.
‘PML-N
laid foundation of foreign funding’
Soon
after the scrutiny committee meeting, PTI parliamentary secretary Farrukh Habib
while talking to reporters said all PTI donations from abroad came through
banking channels and lambasted the opposition’s objections to the ruling party
right to allow its ‘paid employees’ to receive donation.
It
was like pot calling the kettle black, he said. “They are the ones who laid the
foundations of foreign funding in Pakistan,” he said while accusing Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz of having been “gifted”
the laundered money by her father and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif.
He
said that while the opposition party accused the PTI of having gotten foreign
funding, all of their leaders were sitting abroad. “The foreign funding case is
getting on Maryam’s nerves,” he said and dared the opposition party to appear
before the ECP and present their money trail.
He
said Ms Maryam was “caught with her lies, including in the Calibri font faux
pas [in the Panama Papers case].”
He
said a PML-N leader had disclosed Sharif family’s ties with Indian businessman,
Sajjan Jindal, through a tweet in April 2017. “These were the resources used
for receiving funding from India to weaken Pakistan and its institutions,” he
remarked.
He
chided the opposition for its talks of a Kashmir’s debacle. He recalled that
when ex-PM Sharif had gone to India to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Modi,
he preferred not to see the APHC leaders.
He
said Mr Sharif never uttered a single word about Indian spy Kulbushan Jhadav.
Mr
Habib also referred to the allegation that the PML-N supremo had received Rs10
million from Osama Bin Laden to topple the PPP government in the 1990s and
chided both parties for joining hands.
He
also alleged that then PM Sharif had sent Minister for Religious Affairs Syed
Amjad Qadri in 1998 for recognising Israel.
Transparency
in scrutiny
Talking
to reporters, PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar said the scrutiny committee’s
decision to keep PTI documents ‘secret’ had no legal basis and would be
challenged before the ECP.
He
said keeping the documents secret would only made the transparency and
credibility of the scrutiny process doubtful. He recalled that ECP in its
August 27, 2020 order had already rejected the committee’s report after nearly
two and half years of deliberations.
Mr
Babar said the PTI’s acknowledgment of using employees front accounts for fund
raising was an admission of guilt and vindication of his stance of mega
corruption and financial irregularity.
He
said the committee had been formed in March 2018 and asked to complete scrutiny
within one month, but the process was still under way. He requested the Chief
Election Commissioner (CEC) to intervene. He said the scrutiny committee and
the ECP could not be separated, as committee’s failure to conduct transparent
scrutiny impacted ECP’s public standing as an independent constitutional body.
He again requested the ECP to take charge of the case and conduct scrutiny
under its direct supervision.
Mr
Babar said he had no intention of relenting on the issue as he was determined
to bring truth before the people even if it meant knocking the doors of the
Supreme Court.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606495
--------
SC
bars carrying out death penalty for inmates with mental disorders
Rana
Bilal
February
10, 2021
The
Supreme Court on Wednesday said that if a prisoner on death row is unable to
comprehend the rationale behind their punishment due to a mental illness, then
carrying out the death sentence does not "meet the ends of justice".
The
apex court announced the verdict after reserving its judgement on a point
whether mentally ill death-row prisoners can be executed.
Headed
by Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, a five-judge bench announced the judgement at
the Lahore registry. Other members of the bench included Justice Sardar Tariq
Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice
Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
The
bench had on Jan 7, 2021, reserved its verdict after marathon hearings on three
appeals pertaining to as many mentally ill prisoners on death row amid a
consensus from the amicus curiae and advocate generals that such inmates should
not be executed.
The
appeals had been filed on the behalf of Kanizan Bibi, Imdad Ali and Ghulam
Abbas who have spent 30, 18 and 14 years on death row, respectively, while
exhibiting acute symptoms of mental illness.
In
its judgement, the court commuted the death sentences of Kanizan Bibi and Imdad
Ali to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile,
the court directed a fresh mercy petition to be prepared on behalf of Ghulam
Abbas, stating that there was nothing on record to show whether mental illness
was taken into consideration while dismissing an earlier plea.
The
petition is to be prepared in accordance with the relevant Prison Rules and
submitted to the president.
The
court also directed the Punjab government to immediately shift the accused from
prison to the Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore, for treatment and
rehabilitation.
The
court also directed authorities to amend the Prison Rules to bring the jail
manuals of all the provinces in harmony, and directed the federal and
provincial governments to establish/create high security forensic mental health
facilities at teaching and training mental health institutions .
"The
federal government (for Islamabad Capital Territory) and each provincial
government, shall immediately constitute and notify a medical board comprising
of three qualified and experienced psychiatrists and two psychologists from public
sector hospitals for examination and evaluation of the condemned prisoners who
are on death row and are suffering from mental illness to ensure that such
mentally ill condemned prisoners [...] are not executed," the judgement
read.
The
federal and provincial governments were also directed to launch training
programmes and short certificate courses on forensic mental health assessment
for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, police and prison
personnel.
The
Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad, and all the provincial judicial academies
shall also arrange courses for trial court judges, prosecutors, lawyers and
court staff on mental illness including forensic mental health assessment, the
judgement added.
In
its judgement, the SC clarified that not every mental illness shall
automatically qualify for an exemption from carrying out the death sentence.
"This
exemption will be applicable only in that case where a medical board,
consisting of mental health professionals, certifies after a thorough
examination and evaluation that the condemned prisoner no longer has higher
mental functions to appreciate the rationale behind the sentence of death
awarded to them," the judgement read.
In
the judgement, the apex court observed that the terms “mental illness” or
“mental disorder” are both used to refer to mental ailments and are defined by
medical science.
"It
is with the developing nature of medical science that scope of these terms may
also evolve. Therefore, we are of the view that a limited definition of the
terms 'mental disorder' or 'mental illness' should be avoided, and the
provincial legislatures may [...] consider to appropriately amend the relevant
provisions of mental health laws to cater for medically recognised mental and
behavioral disorders as notified by the World Health Organisation."
The
court also noted the use of "stigmatic labels" such as "unsound
mind", "lunatic" and "insane".
"Latest
legislations all over the world do not use such terms. Therefore, we consider
it appropriate to direct that the terms 'unsoundness of mind' and 'unsound
mind' occurring in Pakistan Penal Code, the Criminal Code of Procedure and the
Prison Rules be substituted with term 'mental disorder' or 'mental illness'.
"The
term 'lunatic' wherever it occurs shall also be substituted
appropriately," the judgement stated.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606555/sc-bars-carrying-out-death-penalty-for-inmates-with-mental-disorders
--------
Shangla
police arrest terrorist in Karachi
February
10, 2021
SHANGLA:
The Shangla police claim to have arrested a wanted terrorist during a raid in
Karachi.
A
statement issued here on Tuesday, said Abdul Satar of Lilonai, an alleged
Taliban commander, had carried out attacks on police and government
installations, and managed to escape to Karachi, where he had been living along
with his family for last 14 years.
It
said that district police officer Rahim Shah Khan had sent a team led by SDPO
Mohammad Fazil Khan and SHO Arif Khan to Karachi where he was arrested.
The
statement said the police had information about his hideout. The terrorist is
wanted to police under sections 364, 148, 149, 448, 120A, 121 and 124A of the
ATA.
Separately,
the police foiled a timber smuggling bid by seizing cedar wood at Dandai
checkpost on Tuesday.
The
police said the precious quality timber was being smuggled to Thakot area of
Battagarm district through Karakoram Highway.
They
said the forest department officials had been called for seizing the timber and
imposing fine on the smugglers.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606453/shangla-police-arrest-terrorist-in-karachi
--------
Five
‘foreigners linked with RAW, NDS’ remanded in CTD custody
February
10, 2021
KARACHI:
The administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts on Tuesday remanded five
foreigners held for allegedly working for the Afghan and Indian intelligence
agencies in police custody.
The
Counter-Terrorism Department on Monday claimed to have foiled a major terrorist
activity in the metropolis by arresting five Afghan nationals for having links
with Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and India’s Research
and Analysis Wing (RAW).
On
Tuesday, the investigating officer of the case produced the suspects before the
administrative judge of the ATCs to seek their physical remand for interrogation
and investigation.
He
informed the court that the gang of held suspects was busted in an
intelligence-based operation carried out in Shah Latif Town.
The
IO submitted that the suspects engaged in an encounter with personnel of law
enforcement agencies who managed to arrest them.
He
mentioned that the suspects were planning to target key government
installations, including the Sindh Assembly building.
The
IO said that an explosives-laden rickshaw prepared by them to use in terrorist
activity was recovered from their possession along with explosives and arms.
He
mentioned that some eight cases pertaining to encounter, possessing illicit
weapons and explosives and attempted murder were registered against them.
He
requested for 14-day physical remand of the suspects in the custody of the CTD
for interrogation and completion of investigation and other legal formalities.
However,
the judge remanded them in the custody of the CTD till Feb 20, directing the IO
to produce them on the next date along with an investigation report.
A
day earlier, the CTD chief had said a suspected militant was killed and five of
his accomplices were arrested during a pre-dawn raid on their hideout following
a deadly gunfight.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606482/five-foreigners-linked-with-raw-nds-remanded-in-ctd-custody
--------
South
Asia
Taliban
Maintains Close Ties To Al-Qaeda, Says Afghan Foreign Ministry
08
February, 2021
Kabul
[Afghanistan], February 8 (ANI): Despite the Taliban's claim that it seeks to
maintain peace in Afghanistan, the country's Foreign Ministry on Sunday
revealed that the terror outfit still maintains close ties to the terrorist
outfit Pakistani Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
According
to Khaama News, the ministry announced on Sunday in a released statement that
the 27th report of the UN Security Council (UNSC) Watchdog Group on Al-Qaeda,
ISIL, and its affiliated groups indicated the Taliban has continued its
relations with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
The
statement read that the Taliban's ties to Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and some other
terrorist groups are still intact and that the killing of several al-Qaeda
commanders, including Husam Abd al-Rauf, known as Abu Muhsen al-Masri, in
Taliban-controlled areas is the evidence that backs these claims.
"The
UN Security Council report also noted threats and coordination between the
Pakistani Taliban, regional terrorist groups, and the Islamic Jihad group, a
group of 100 militants that operate in Faryab and Kunduz provinces, in areas
under the Taliban influence," MoFA said in the statement.
Khaama
News further reported that based on the findings, UN-Analytical Support and
Sanctions Monitoring Team considers the situation in Afghanistan to be
challenging and widely exposed to terrorism.
The
Afghan Foreign Affairs Ministry also called on international partners to uphold
the Republic's rightful stand against the Taliban and push the group for a
ceasefire and violence reduction. First Vice President, Amrullah Saleh said the
Taliban did not abide by the Doha agreement, He added that from 5,500 Taliban
released prisoners, 85 per cent has returned to the battlefield. (ANI)
http://www.businessworld.in/article/Taliban-maintains-close-ties-to-Al-Qaeda-says-Afghan-foreign-ministry/08-02-2021-375298/
--------
The
Taliban's varied suitors could spoil Biden's Afghanistan plans
February
10, 2021
Russia,
Iran and Pakistan could easily undercut US designs in Afghanistan unless they
are made a part of the process.
US
President Joe Biden is considering to slow down the withdrawal of American
troops from Afghanistan and may remove the May 1 exit deadline.
The
Taliban has warned of violence if the Doha deal signed last February is
violated. The complete withdrawal, however, was always conditional on the
Taliban meeting their commitments to prevent terrorism, and the Pentagon is
stressing that.
While
abandoning the US-initiated Doha “peace-talks”, the Taliban – despite
UN-documented evidence of responsibility for the killing of tens of thousands
of Afghan civilians – has been invited to high level political meetings in
Tehran and Moscow.
It
is strange how Iran, which in 2001 helped US troops defeat the Taliban, is
using the same group 20 years on to upstage American efforts in Afghanistan.
Iran’s
invitation to the Taliban two weeks ago with photos of Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif showing respect to Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar took many by surprise but
it was choreographed to send a message to President Biden that Iran must be
involved in decisions on Afghanistan.
The
fact that two days later another Taliban leader, Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanikzai,
led another delegation to Russia indicates that Moscow and Tehran had
coordinated manoeuvres. Both moves could not have taken place without
Pakistan’s approval.
Iran,
Russia and Pakistan share concerns about the potential of continued American
presence in Afghanistan with additional troops returning.
The
Taliban’s insistence on the need for the US troop withdrawal echoed across the
Iranian press. Zarif told the Taliban they must do all they can to reach peace
to ensure “the occupiers have no more reason to be there”. He also stressed
that the US is by no means a suitable mediator or judge.
The
chief of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, who also met Mullah
Baradar welcomed the fact that the Taliban are “determined to fight the US”.
Iran,
which has never stopped meddling directly and indirectly in Afghanistan’s
political affairs, supporting mainly the Shia Hazara and Tajik groups in the
western provinces, seems to be eyeing Taliban power-sharing ideas provided all
ethnic groups were included. That is where it wants to work in closer
cooperation with Pakistan.
President
Ashraf Ghani remains strictly loyal to the United States and is opposed to any
interference by Iran or Pakistan.
Iran’s
former allies in the Northern Alliance, are divided between Dr Abdullah
Abdullah – who heads the High Council for National Reconciliation, working in
close cooperation with President Ghani – and others such as Ata Mohammad Noor
gathering support for a transitional government to upstage Ghani.
Despite
a turbulent relationship in recent years, Tehran and Islamabad appear to be
moving closer. Over the past few days Pakistan has helped release the last of
the 14 IRGC border guards.
Additionally
through online meetings, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to increase annual
bilateral trade to $5 billion. Last month they opened a border crossing point
to boost trade.
One
week before the Taliban’s Tehran visit, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan
supported Iran by saying he hoped the US sanctions would be lifted. “The
Islamic Republic has the capacity to turn into an economic power in the
region,” he said.
Meanwhile,
Stanikzai as the head of delegation in Moscow warned in a press conference that
the Taliban will continue to fight if the Americans don’t leave. He said he
hoped Russia would help the final settlement.
Russia,
which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, has increasingly played
the diplomatic card inviting the Taliban four times. Russia’s special envoy for
Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, a former KGB agent, has in several interviews
expressed concern that the Americans don’t want to leave Afghanistan and that
is what brings them close to the Taliban.
Iran’s
Zarif went to Moscow immediately after meeting the Taliban in Tehran and
praised the collaboration between the two countries which he said: “goes back
longer than the history of the US”.
Iran
and Russia cooperate closely on Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, the Caucuses and
Central Asia.
They
are both on the frontline of a series of new moves by the US administration.
Russia has just signed the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,
and Iran is expecting a way forward on its nuclear deal, the JCPOA. They see
the roadmap of their relations with the new US administration through that
prism. They are weary that too many new demands and controls will soon follow.
Russia
and Iran have justifiable security concerns about Afghanistan and want to
ensure that if the US presence continues it would include more consultation
with them. As such, the Taliban is the pawn in their opening move.
Pakistan
shares this outlook and as such, is willing to play its part.
They
know that the combination of Iran, Russia and Pakistan could undercut the
US-initiated “peace talks” in Doha and jeopardise any unsolicited future
American designs for Afghanistan.
https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/the-taliban-s-varied-suitors-could-spoil-biden-s-afghanistan-plans-43987
--------
Insecure
Afghanistan will pose threats to global peace
09
Feb 2021
President
Ghani on Tuesday said that if peace opportunities are lost, and the country
heads towards an uncertain future, the situation will cause extreme harm to global
and regional peace.
During
the virtual meeting the Afghan president indicated that the peace process is in
danger if the Taliban does not embrace a real political solution, he added that
“security forces are not defeated and neither have we lost our will or capacity
for serving our people”, and that Afghanistan will not surrender to the group.
The
president warned, “God forbid, if Afghanistan plunged into uncertainty,
consequences for the region and the world will be dire,”.
“This
is the moment where regional consensus and international consensus on the need
for guarantees for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan are essential. We must
ask the world to ask all stakeholders to respect the rules of sovereignty and
international relations, stop giving sanctuaries and stop interfering in the
affairs of their neighbors,” President Ghani said.
This
comes as Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National
reconciliation criticized the Taliban for their absence in the 2nd round of the
peace negotiations that stalled the talks for many weeks.
According
to Abdullah, the Taliban’s non-appearance has affected hopes for peace in
Afghanistan.Peace talks between both sides have been stopped for 23 days,
Abdullah also asked countries involved in the peace to encourage the Taliban to
return to the peace talks.
He
stressed that every commission in the council is responsible for ensuring
participation of all layers of society in the peace process, he said the
transitional government is not the aim.HCNR head added, that people and the
public should decide their future through elections and votes and that no
interim government resulted in peace.
Peace
can be achieved with inclusivity, and if there will be discussions on the
interim government, it should be discussed on the table.
https://www.khaama.com/insecure-afghanistan-will-pose-threats-to-global-peace-445544/
--------
Bomb
explosions target Kabul police killing chief, bodyguard: Afghan official
10
February ,2021
A
chain of bomb explosions targeting Kabul police on Wednesday killed a district
police chief and his bodyguard, and also wounded five people, officials said.
No
one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts, which were all caused by
so-called sticky bombs, explosive devices attached to vehicles that are
remotely detonated or set off by timers.
The
largest of the attacks struck a police car in a western Kabul neighborhood; the
force of the blast was so strong that the car flipped upside down, killing the
city’s District 5 police chief, Mohammadzai Kochi, and his bodyguard. The
driver of the car was wounded, according to two Afghan officials who spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Kabul
police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said an hour before that blast, two other
sticky bomb explosions took place. One of them, about 500 meters (yards) away
from where the police car was targeted, wounded four civilians. There were no
casualties in the other blast, which took place elsewhere in Kabul.
Afghanistan
has seen a nationwide spike in bombings, targeted killings, and violence on the
battlefield as peace negotiations in Qatar between the Taliban and the Afghan
government have stalled.
The
ISIS group’s local affiliate has claimed responsibility for some of the
attacks, but many go unclaimed, with the government putting the blame on the
Taliban. The insurgents have denied responsibility for most of the attacks.
In
eastern Ghazni province, the provincial governor’s spokesman, Wahidullah
Jumazada, said an airstrike called in during fighting with the Taliban killed
at least 22 insurgents, including foreign fighters in the group.
Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid immediately tweeted a denial, saying Afghan
government forces were defeated in the fighting in Ghazni. He also claimed the
Taliban have no foreign fighters in their ranks.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/02/10/Bomb-explosions-target-Kabul-police-killing-chief-bodyguard-Afghan-official-
--------
Myanmar
military implausibly plays the Rohingya card
By
BERTIL LINTNER
FEBRUARY
9, 2021
CHIANG
MAI – After grabbing power in a February 1 coup that has been resisted by
massive demonstrations and condemned by the US, EU and UN, Myanmar’s military
regime would appear to have few cards to play to win acceptance.
But
one the coup-makers amazingly think they can play is the plight of Muslim
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, who were driven across the border during
brutal military campaigns in 2016-17, and those who have remained behind in
Myanmar.
Shortly
after overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, the
new military regime sent a letter to Bangladesh’s government through its
ambassador in Myanmar to explain their reasons for the coup, namely
unsubstantiated allegations of fraud at the November 2020 election Suu Kyi’s
National League for Democracy (NLD) resoundingly won.
In
the letter, the full contents of which has not been made public, the military
regime also mentioned a possible solution for solving the Rohingya crisis. That
prompted Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abdul Momen, quoted by the Dhaka Tribune
on February 6, to say “these are good news. It’s a good beginning.”
Inside
Myanmar’s Rakhine state, several local military commanders have visited
Muslim-inhabited areas close to the Bangladesh border and a camp for internally
displaced Rohingyas in the state capital Sittwe.
According
to a February 5 United News Bangladesh (UNB) report, the commanders talked to
Rohingya elders and donated 500,000 Myanmar kyats (US$350) and food for the
mosque in Aung Mingalar Quarter where thousands of internally displaced persons
(IDPs) have been languishing since communal riots between Muslims and Buddhists
in 2012.
Military
visits have also reportedly taken place in Maungdaw, a Rakhine state township
that borders Bangladesh. The commanders have reportedly told the Rohingyas the
same thing: Suu Kyi, not the military, is to blame for their massive exodus
from Myanmar into Bangladesh in 2017.
It’s
not clear yet if the Rohingyas are taking the claim seriously. According to all
other accounts, what happened in 2017 was a military campaign over which Suu
Kyi, or any other elected civilian leader, had no influence considering the
military controlled the defense, border affairs and home ministries.
However,
the UNB report stated that Rohingyas in the overcrowded camps in Bangladesh’s
Cox’s Bazar were “joyous at the news of the fall of Suu Kyi.” Similar reports
have also appeared in other Bangladeshi media.
But
the question remains: will these military overtures result in an easing of the
restrictions on the movements of the Rohingyas in the IDP camp in Sittwe and
some token repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh?
Bangladesh’s
authorities have handed over a list of 840,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar for
citizenship verification, but only 5% of those, or 42,000, have been verified
by Myanmar and almost none has been able to return due to lingering security
concerns.
Bangladesh,
which fears radicalization among young, restless refugees and the activities of
criminal gangs among them, have up until now moved 5,300 refugees from the
overcrowded and congested camps near Cox’s Bazar to Bhasan Char, an isolated
island in the Bay of Bengal where new, modern facilities have been built,
indicating that they will be there for the foreseeable future.
Now,
if Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Momen is to be believed, the Rohingyas in the
camps “expressed happiness hearing the news from Rakhine.”
Part
of the military’s ruse, Yangon-based analysts say, is that those opposing the
military takeover and its policies could be branded “racists” or “Islamophobes”
if they denounce the military for suggesting repatriation of a community who
the vast majority of Myanmar citizens consider illegal immigrants from
Bangladesh.
Moreover,
how will the West react to such sentiments, if expressed, from the
pro-democracy demonstrators who are opposing the military’s coup? And what role
would China play in any such gambit?
Rohingya
refugees may have cheered Suu Kyi’s ouster, but social media postings also show
photos of Rohingyas expressing opposition to the coup by holding up three
fingers, a symbol of democratic defiance first used in the region by
anti-government demonstrators in Thailand and now being flashed across Myanmar.
As
for China’s role, Bangladesh has pinned its hopes for help on Beijing to find a
solution to the refugee crisis. According to Momem, speaking to Bangladesh
journalists on February 3, “We have confidence in China. They have come forward
to take initiative and some progress has been made.”
It
was not clear what kind of progress he was referring to, but, so far, it has
been limited to inconclusive talks between various actors. A virtual meeting
set up by Beijing involving representatives of Myanmar, Bangladesh and China
scheduled for February 4 was canceled because Myanmar’s coup-makers had cut the
nation’s internet connections.
Beijing,
which remains suspicious of any movement that could be described as Islamic,
has through the United Wa State Army — a Myanmar-based ethnic armed organization
that has close relations with China’s security services — warned other ethnic
groups not to have any dealings with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a
Rohingya rebel group.
Attacks
by that rag-tag rebel outfit against security outposts in Rakhine in 2016 and
2017 prompted the Myanmar military to launch a massive “clearing” operation in
the area. The Chinese have since claimed ARSA had connections with what it
called “Islamic militants” in its western province of Xinjiang.
The
international community appears to be divided on the issue. It is highly
unlikely that the new Joseph Biden administration in Washington, with its
stated commitment to democracy promotion in Asia and worldwide, would change
its view on the military takeover because of vague coup-maker commitments to
finding a solution to the refugee crisis, the greatest humanitarian crisis in
Southeast Asia since the Vietnam War.
Washington
is already considering re-imposing sanctions on Myanmar and even the 15-member
UN Security Council released a statement on February 4 calling for the release
of all detainees and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the
rule of law.
But
if Myanmar’s new military government manages to ride through the storm of
massive protests and strikes to retain power in Naypyitaw, it is not
inconceivable that Western powers and Japan, which is eager to keep Chinese
influence in Myanmar at bay, may start to soften their stance and engage the
coup regime.
History,
of course, shows engaging Myanmar’s generals is unlikely to restore the
relatively open but only semi-democratic order that prevailed under Suu Kyi
before the coup. Nor are the million or so Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
likely ever to return to Myanmar, regardless of the regime’s teasing suggestions
to the contrary.
https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/myanmar-military-implausibly-plays-the-rohingya-card/
--------
Taliban
offensives claim 9 ANA soldiers: Nimroz
10
Feb 2021
At
least nine Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban offensive attack in the
Khashrod district of Nimroz province.
Provincial
council members confirmed to media, that a large group of Taliban fighters
attacked Afghan National Army outposts on Tuesday night.
According
to the reports, 9 Afghan soldiers were killed during the skirmish, equipped
with armored Humvee tanks and heavy weapons Taliban rushed into the battle for
hours in the Minar area of the district.
Taliban
fighters had attacked army checkpoints in the Minar area using Humvees and
heavy and semi-heavy weapons.
ANA
reportedly reacted to the offensive and fought back the Taliban, it is said the
militants left the area upon hearing the sound of a plane.
Provincial
council officials also said, that the Taliban has taken two soldiers with them
and one Afghan national army member is still missing in action.
The
southwestern province of Nimroz is one of the most insecure provinces in the
country, where Taliban fighters are active in the majority parts of the region.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-offensives-claim-9-ana-soldiers-nimroz-454555/
--------
India,
Afghanistan signed a pact on ‘Shahtoot Dam’
09
Feb 2021
Indian
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and President Ashraf Ghani agreed on the
construction of a dam project in a virtual summit talk.
The
Shahtoot dam project establishment was signed by Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghan
Foreign minister, and Subrahmanyam Jasishankar, Indian Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
President
Ghani on his part thanked the Indian government for 500,000 doses of the
vaccine he added, “At this critical time, there could not be a greater gift”.
India
being a true partnership in Afghanistan’s development plans and assistance is
marked on our landscape, President Ghani added.
Meanwhile,
PM Modi expressed his Nation’s concern over the increasing level of violence
and targeted killings of journalists, and innocent people and call for an
“immediate stop” to such actions, he also said that India supports Afghan-owned
and led peace negotiations.
Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi indicated that
both “India and Afghanistan want to see the region free of terrorism”.
Shahtoot
dam will help provide 2 million people in Kabul with clean water and it will be
the second dam constructed by India in Afghanistan, reports indicated, that the
cost of this project is estimated to be $236 million.
The
project is expected to be completed within three years and will facilitate the
irrigation of 4,000 hectares of land in the Charasiab and Khairabad districts.
The
dam will hold 146 million cubic meters of portable water.
Previously
India in Afghanistan constructed the Salma dam also known as the
India-Afghanistan friendship dam.
https://www.khaama.com/india-afghanistan-signed-a-pact-on-shahtoot-dam-445544/
--------
Foreign
fighters among ’22 Taliban killed’ in Ghazni
10
Feb 2021
Ministry
of Defense stated, in a special defense operation in Ghazni province, the
Afghan commando forces captured and destroyed a manufacturing center for making
suicide bombing vests, the unit also wrecked a location where foreign Taliban
affiliates were kept.
In
a released statement on Wednesday, MoD indicated that both of the locations
were completely destroyed by the Afghan national defense and security forces.
During
the operation 22 Taliban fighters, including Arab, Pakistani, Tajik nationals
were also killed among the fighters, the bulletin added.
The
statement elaborated that among the 22 killed Taliban were Six Arabs, Two
Pakistanis, and Two Tajik nationals.
Three
Taliban members, including “Shahbaz Kha” suicide bombing facilitator were also
detained in the special operation conducted by the Afghan commandos, among the
detainees, MoD said.
MoD’s
commando unit also destroyed 16 suicide vests and 16 tons of explosive
materials during the operation.
This
comes as local authorities in Herat province reported that two soldiers were
killed and three others were wounded in a Taliban attack on a government
checkpoint in Golran district on Tuesday night.
Following
the battle, Taliban fighters fled the area, and according to the witnesses,
this clash has lasted overnight.
https://www.khaama.com/foreign-fighters-among-22-taliban-killed-in-ghazni-334433/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Radicalised
Malaysian man arrested under ISA and deported, wife placed on Restriction Order
Hariz
Baharudin
FEB
9, 2021
SINGAPORE
- A 33-year-old radicalised Malaysian working as a cleaner here has been
arrested and deported to Malaysia for planning to travel to Syria with his
Singaporean wife to take up armed violence for terrorist group Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The
Internal Security Department (ISD) on Tuesday (Feb 9) said the man's
34-year-old wife, a religious teacher who was radicalised by him and had wanted
to go with him, has been placed on a Restriction Order for two years. Her
teaching accreditation has been suspended.
The
man, Mohd Firdaus Kamal Intdzam, was arrested under the Internal Security Act
(ISA) in July 2020. The ISD said there was no indication he had made any
specific plans to cause violence in Singapore.
Investigations
revealed that Firdaus started being radicalised in 2016, when he went online to
deepen his religious knowledge and was exposed to pro-ISIS content.
"Through
sustained exposure to pro-ISIS materials, Firdaus was convinced by early 2018
that ISIS was fighting for Islam, and that its use of violence to create an
Islamic caliphate was justified," said ISD.
It
added that Firdaus had regarded a self-declared leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, as the true Islamic ruler. Even after ISIS' so-called caliphate
fell in the late 2010s, he still remained a fervent supporter of ISIS by
actively posting materials promoting ISIS and armed jihad on his social media
accounts.
Firdaus
had even created an ISIS flag in March 2020, which he hung at home to show his
loyalty towards the group.
He
believed armed jihad, or struggle in the name of Islam, was compulsory for all
able-bodied Muslim men.
In
addition to travelling to Syria to take up arms, Firdaus was also willing to
carry out attacks against countries which he deemed to be oppressing Muslims,
or which he saw as being hypocritical for aligning themselves with the West,
said the ISD. "He aspired to die as a martyr in the battlefield so as to
receive divine rewards."
The
department had worked closely with its Malaysian counterparts, the Malaysian
Special Branch, on investigations into Firdaus.
After
investigations were completed, Firdaus had his work pass cancelled and he was
handed over to the Malaysian Special Branch in August 2020.
The
head of the Counter-Terrorism Division at Malaysia’s Special Branch, Deputy
Commissioner Normah Ishak, told The Straits Times Firdaus was charged at the
Johor Baru Sessions Court last August for possessing items related to terrorist
acts. The case has been mentioned four times since September and last
Wednesday, it was again adjourned to March 1. Prosecutors are expected to
request that the case be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Responding
to queries on how it found out about Firdaus and his wife Ruqayyah Ramli, the
ISD said it had received information on his radical social media posts in
mid-2020. It declined to give further details, citing operational reasons.
“While
it is ISD’s practice to announce any new ISA terrorism cases expeditiously, one
key determinant of the timing of any such announcements is that it should not
jeopardise any ongoing investigations,” it added.
Radicalised
wife
Firdaus
started to influence his wife Ruqayyah Ramli with his pro-ISIS views after
their marriage in December 2018.
The
housewife and part-time freelance religious teacher, who was accredited by the
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore in September 2017, has had her
accreditation suspended.
As
part of her Restriction Order, she is not allowed to conduct religious classes.
ISD
said that while Ruqayyah initially had doubts, she started to believe her
husband's words and also saw ISIS' use of violence against perceived oppressors
of Islam as justified.
"She
was willing to accompany him to Syria, and intended to bring her two children
along. She believed that her role in the conflict zone would be to take care of
the family (through cooking and housework), and to assist other wounded ISIS
fighters," it added.
ISD
told The Straits Times that her children were not influenced by their parents’
radical beliefs, and that an aftercare officer has been assigned to provide
support for Ruqayyah and her family.
Ruqayyah
was not found to have attempted to spread her pro-ISIS views to others.
She
is currently undergoing religious counselling to steer her away from her
radical path, said ISD.
Under
the Restriction Order, she cannot change her residence, employment or travel
out of Singapore without official approval. She is also barred from issuing
public statements or joining organisations without approval.
In
a statement on Tuesday, Muis said it was “alarming” that Ruqayyah was a
part-time freelance religious teacher, and that her case is a “grim reminder”
of the dangerous influence of extremism still present today, especially from
online sources.
The
council urged people here to report any individual espousing violent or
extremist ideologies to the relevant authorities quickly for timely
intervention.
In
a Facebook post, Minister of State for Home Affairs Faishal Ibrahim said: “If
there are signs of radicalisation, we should refer these individuals to Muis,
the Religious Rehabilitation Group or the police. Early intervention will help
steer them away from the radicalised path.”
This
is the second time an accredited religious teacher has been issued with an
order under the ISA.
In
2019, former freelance religious teacher Murad Mohd Said, an ex-principal of
Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah, was placed on a Restriction Order for
segregationist ideologies that promoted violence and views detrimental to
Singapore's cohesion.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/radicalised-malaysian-man-arrested-under-isa-and-deported-local-religious-teacher
--------
Singapore
Expels Malaysian Man Who Allegedly Planned to Join IS in Syria
2021-02-09
Singapore
has deported a Malaysian man who intended to travel to Syria with his wife to
fight alongside the Islamic State extremist group, authorities in the
city-state said on Tuesday.
Upon
his expulsion to his home country in August, Malaysia charged the man for
possession of terror-related items, and a judge is expected to examine case
materials on March 1, the country’s counterterrorism chief told BenarNews on
Tuesday.
“Mohd
Firdaus bin Kamal Intdzam (Firdaus), a 33-year-old Malaysian, was arrested
under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in July 2020. Investigations revealed
that Firdaus, who was working as a cleaner in Singapore, was a supporter of the
terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS),” according to a
statement issued by Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the city-state’s
Internal Security Department (ISD).
“ISD
had worked closely with the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) on the
investigations into Firdaus. His Work Pass was canceled and he was repatriated
to Malaysia and handed over to MSB in August 2020 upon the completion of ISD’s
investigation into him.”
It
was not immediately clear why the Singaporean agencies had waited till Tuesday
to announce the deportation. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian counterterrorism police
chief Normah Ishak confirmed that Firdaus had been deported in August.
“He
was charged in August 2020 at the Johor Bahru Session Court in Johor with five charges for possessing items
related to terrorist acts under Section 130JB (1) (a) of the Penal Code,”
Normah told BenarNews.
If
convicted, Firdaus could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison, or
fined, according to the penal code.
“The
prosecutor is still waiting for the completed expert and forensic reports [in
the case],” Normah said via text messages, adding that the judge had set March
1 as the next court date to examine evidence.
“The
prosecutor is expected to request the court to transfer the case to the Kuala
Lumpur High Court,” Normah said.
‘Intention
to travel to Syria’
According
to Singapore’s investigation, Firdaus began to be radicalized in 2016, when he
found Islamic State propaganda online during his research to learn more about
religion, Singaporean officials said.
Two
years later, he was convinced that the group was fighting for Islam and that
its use of violence to create and Islamic state was justified, the ISD said.
Islamic
State’s self-declared Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Firdaus believed, was the
true Islamic leader. The top IS leader was killed when he detonated a suicide
vest he was wearing during a raid by U.S. forces in Syria in October 2019.
“Even
with the demise of ISIS’s so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq, Firdaus
remained a fervent supporter of ISIS. He actively posted materials promoting
ISIS and armed jihad on his social media accounts. … He harbored the intention
to travel to Syria with his wife to fight alongside ISIS,” the statement from
Singapore said, referring to the Islamic State by another acronym.
IS’s
last bastion in Syria fell in March 2019.
Meanwhile
last August, Singapore imposed severe restrictions on Firdaus’s wife,
Singaporean Ruqayyah Ramli, who was radicalized after her marriage in 2018,
according to the ISD.
“She
was issued with a Restriction Order (RO) under the ISA for a period of two
years in August 2020 after investigations found that she had been radicalized
by her husband, the department said.
A
person under such an order is not permitted to change his or her residence or
employment, or travel out of Singapore, without the prior approval of the ISD.
The individual also cannot issue public statements, address public meetings, or
print and distribute any materials.
Ruqayyah,
34, was a housewife and a part-time religious teacher who supported Firdaus’s
ambition to go to Syria, the agency said.
“She
was willing to accompany him to Syria, and intended to bring her two children
along. She believed that her role in the conflict zone would be to take care of
the family (through cooking and housework), and to assist other wounded ISIS
fighters,” the ISD said.
The
investigation did not find proof that Ruqayyah had attempted to spread her
pro-IS views.
“She
is not allowed to conduct religious classes as part of her restriction order
conditions. She is presently undergoing religious counseling to steer her away
from her radical path,” the department said.
7
arrests last year
On
Nov. 24, 2020, Singapore announced that another Malaysian national was sent
back home after that person was found to have been radicalized. Singapore did
not say when it expelled that person.
Malaysia
did not take any action against this person because police had cleared that
individual, Normah told BenarNews on Tuesday.
Malaysia
made seven counterterrorism arrests last year, she said.
“In
January [2020], six were arrested where three were charged and three more were
released due to insufficient evidence. In August 2020, we arrested one
individual and successfully charged him in court,” Normah said.
By
comparison, Malaysia arrested 72 IS-linked suspects in 2019 and 119 the year
before that.
“Due
to health security and pandemic prevention measures, daily movement and
activities have been restricted. So this has indirectly reduced the risk and
flattened the curve of terrorism in Malaysia,” Normah said last month during a
symposium on preventing violent extremism.
In
September, security analysts told BenarNews that IS was stepping up recruitment
in Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as the Philippines, amid the
distraction of a global pandemic.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/my-sg-is-02092021124332.html
--------
Arab
World
Qatar
ready to help Lebanon financially only if new government formed: Minister
09
February ,2021
Tuqa
Khalid
Qatar
is prepared to help Lebanon kick-start its struggling economy only if a new
government is formed, the Gulf country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed
bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Tuesday during a visit to Beirut.
"Qatar
in its policy does not provide financial support in cash, but in the form of
programs that make a difference in the state's economy and in the interest of
the people. This requires a stable government and work on economic programs
that serve the people," he said.
Lebanon
is locked in its worst economic crisis in decades and desperately needs
international aid, but donors have conditioned financial help on an independent
cabinet enacting sweeping reforms.
The
country's politicians have failed to agree on a new government since the
previous cabinet stepped down after a monster August 4 blast at the Beirut port
that killed more than 200 people and ravaged large parts of the city.
Two
visits to the country by French President Emmanuel Macron have failed to lift
Lebanon out of the impasse has yet to yield results.
"Qatar
does not seek to undermine the French initiative, rather it is working to
complete international efforts to form a government," the minister said.
Qatar
has maintained good ties with all sides of the multi-confessional country's
political factions over the years, hosting them in Doha in 2008 to ink a deal
after tensions came to a boil in the Mediterranean country.
The
agreement followed clashes in May that year between gunmen led by the Shia
Hezbollah group and pro-government forces, with the former briefly seizing
Sunni areas of west Beirut.
In
2019, gas-rich Qatar pledged to buy $500 million in Lebanese government bonds
to help support one of the world’s most indebted countries.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Qatar-ready-to-help-Lebanon-financially-only-if-new-government-formed-Minister
--------
Iraq
executes five ‘terrorism’ convicts: Security sources
09
February ,2021
Iraq
on Tuesday hanged five people convicted on “terrorism” charges in a notorious
southern prison, security sources said, despite an international outcry in
recent months over the country’s execution record.
The
five men, all Iraqi, were executed in the Nasiriyah prison in Dhi Qar province,
the only one in Iraq that carries out capital punishment, the security sources
told AFP.
Since
declaring ISIS defeated in late 2017, Iraq has condemned hundreds of its own
citizens to death for membership of the terrorist group.
But
only a small proportion of the sentences have been carried out, as they must be
approved by the country’s president, currently Barham Saleh, who is known to be
against capital punishment on a personal level.
Last
month, Iraqi authorities revealed that they had more than 340 execution orders
“for terrorism or criminal acts” that were ready to be carried out.
A
presidential source told AFP that a majority of those approvals dated back to
before Saleh became president.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Iraq-executes-five-terrorism-convicts-Security-sources
--------
Saudi
Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman congratulates UAE on Mars Hope Probe
Reem
Krimly
10
February ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Saudi Space
Commission, on Tuesday congratulated the United Arab Emirates on Mars “Hope”
Probe successfully entering the planet’s orbit, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
reported.
The
UAE made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Arab nation, and the fifth
worldwide, to send a probe to Mars.
Officials
have lauded the symbolic importance of the mission, which they say will inspire
a new generation of Emirati and Arab youth to begin careers in the sciences.
Prince
Sultan said the UAE’s ambition “was not born today,” but has been around since
the late Sheikh Zayed, the country’s founding father.
“In
1986, when I met Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, he was talking about
space and remembering the smallest details, and he had a great ambition on
which he built generations, aspirations and initiatives that contributed to the
realization of this dream,” SPA cited the chairman of the Saudi Space
Commission as saying.
Prince
Sultan affirmed the Kingdom’s support for the efforts of the UAE in the
projects and programs it is working on in the field of space.
For
his part, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr.
Nayef Falah al-Hajraf, congratulated the leadership, government, and people of
the UAE on the arrival of the “Hope” Probe to Mars.
Al-Hajraf
expressed his happiness and pride in this great achievement, adding that the
probe was manufactured by Emirati efforts, SPA reported.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/02/10/Saudi-Arabia-s-Prince-Sultan-bin-Salman-congratulates-UAE-on-Mars-Hope-Probe
--------
Top
Bahraini cleric terms Islamic Revolution as great dawn coming after long night
09
February 2021
Bahrain’s
most prominent Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim has described the
Islamic Revolution as a “great dawn” that came after a long night that had
distanced the Islamic community from divine guidance.
“The
Ten-Day Fajr (dawn) of the Islamic Revolution is a great Fajr for the Islamic
Ummah (community),” Sheikh Qassim said in a statement, referring to the ten-day
celebration period that began with the return of the late Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Iran and ended 10 days later with the
victory of the Revolution under his leadership on February 11, 1979.
“Helping
and protecting the [Islamic] government equals helping the divine religion,” he
said, Iran’s Al Alam TV network website reported.
He
added that supporting the Islamic government leads to empowerment, honor and
preservation of the independence of the Islamic community.
“It
will manifest the truth in the world and will serve the interests of all
humanity, because the interests of humanity are not separated from those of
Islam.”
The
Bahraini cleric said the Islamic community must feel proud of and rejoice over
the establishment of an Islamic government anywhere in the world, because such
a government is “truly a source of pride, honor, strength and encouragement”
for the whole Islamic community.
“This
government is a source of sincere guidance that helps humanity grow and thrive,
and it opens up for them opportunities for guidance, salvation and freedom,”
the top Shia cleric added.
Back
in 1979, Iran’s Islamic Revolution overthrew the Western-backed Pahlavi
dynasty, which had ruled Iran for over fifty years.
The
Revolution was among the most important events of the world in the 20th
century, changing the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and the balance
of power in the world.
Iran
celebrates the Islamic Revolution each year during the 10-day dawn between 1
and 11 February.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/09/644911/Shia-cleric-Islamic-Revolution-great-dawn-after-darkness
--------
Saudi-led
coalition destroys two Houthi armed drones
February
10, 2021
DUBAI:
The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Wednesday it
had intercepted and destroyed two armed drones launched by the Iran-aligned
group toward southern Saudi Arabia.
Coalition
spokesman Turki Al-Malki said in a statement on Saudi state media that the
attack had targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure.
It
was the third day this week that the coalition said it had intercepted Houthi
drones fired toward a southern region of the kingdom that borders Yemen.
The
Saudi-led military alliance intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis
ousted the internationally recognized government from power in the capital,
Sanaa.
The
Houthis hold northern Yemen, from where they have often launched missiles and
drones toward Saudi cities.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1806911/saudi-arabia
--------
Mideast
Golan
Heights will stay Israeli, Netanyahu office tells US Secretary of State Blinken
09
February ,2021
The
Golan Heights will remain Israeli, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office
said Tuesday, after the US’s top diplomat suggested American support for
Israeli control of the plateau was not unshakeable.
“The
Golan is very important to Israel’s security” but “legal questions are
something else,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Monday.
“As
long as Assad is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is present in Syria...
these pose a significant security threat to Israel... the control of the Golan
in that situation I think remains of real importance to Israel’s security,” he
said.
In
response on Tuesday, a source in Netanyahu’s office said: “Israel’s position is
clear. In any future possible scenario the Golan will remain Israeli.”
Former
US president Donald Trump signed a decree in March 2019 recognizing Israel’s
sovereignty over the occupied part of the Syrian Golan, annexed in 1981 in a
move never recognized by the international community.
Syria
described Trump’s decision at the time as a “flagrant violation” of its
sovereignty.
Israel
and Syria, which are still technically at war, are separated by a de facto
border at the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since the end of the
1967 Six-Day War.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Israel-relations-Golan-Heights-will-stay-Israeli-Netanyahu-office-tells-US-Secretary-of-State-Blinken
--------
Erdogan
says Turkey aims to reach the moon in 2023
09
February ,2021
Turkey
aims to achieve first contact with the moon as part of its national space
program in 2023, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
"The
first rough landing will be made on the moon with our national and authentic
hybrid rocket that shall be launched into orbit in the end of 2023 through
international cooperation," Erdogan said, detailing a two-phase mission.
Erdogan
did not elaborate further on the cooperation. Last month, Erdogan spoke to
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk on possible cooperation in space technologies
with Turkish companies.
Speaking
in an event in Ankara, Erdogan announced a program with 10 strategic goals
including sending a Turkish citizen to a scientific mission in space.
Last
month, Turkey launched its Turksat 5A satellite into orbit from the United
States in cooperation with SpaceX. Turksat 5B satellite is planned to be
launched in second quarter of 2021.
Turkey
aims to reach strategic space goals in 10 years, Erdogan also said, adding that
the country will improve work on satellite technologies and establish a space
port with other ally countries.
"Our
feet will be on earth but our eyes will be in space. Our roots will be on
earth, our branches will be up in the sky," Erdogan said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Erdogan-says-Turkey-aims-to-reach-the-moon-in-2023
--------
Iran
summons Belgium envoy after diplomat Assadi jailed over terrorism
09
February ,2021
Iran
on Tuesday summoned Belgium’s ambassador to Tehran in protest after a court in
Antwerp jailed one of its diplomats for plotting a thwarted 2018 bombing in
neighboring France.
Assadollah
Assadi, 49, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars on Thursday after being
convicted of attempted murder of a “terrorist” nature and “participation in the
activities of a terrorist group.”
He
denies the charges.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
Iranian foreign ministry said it had summoned the Belgian ambassador in Tehran
“to convey the strong protest of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the
illegal decision of the court in Antwerp concerning our diplomat Assadollah
Assadi.”
“The
Belgian government has also been called upon to take measures for the immediate
release of Assadi” and “to respect human rights standards,” it added.
Three
Belgians of Iranian origin were given jail sentences of between 15 and 18 years
and stripped of their Belgian nationality in the trial, which further poisoned
already tense relations between Tehran and European capitals.
The
Islamic republic had warned ahead of the trial that it would not recognize the
outcome, saying the procedure initiated by the Belgian justice system was “not
legitimate” as Assadi enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Terrorism-Iran-summons-Belgium-envoy-after-diplomat-Assadi-jailed-over-terrorism
--------
Iran's
spy chief says Tehran could seek nuclear arms if 'cornered' by West
09
February ,2021
Iran’s
intelligence minister said persistent Western pressure could push Tehran to
fight back like a "cornered cat" and seek nuclear weapons, which Iran
has for years insisted it has no intention of ever developing.
The
remarks made in a television interview are a rare suggestion that Iran might
have an interest in nuclear weapons, which Western nations have accused Iran of
pursuing.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly dismissed this charge, citing a fatwa or religious
decree issued in the early 2000s by the Islamic Republic's top authority,
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that bans the development or use of
nuclear arms.
The
United States and the other Western powers which originally signed up to a 2015
nuclear deal with Iran appear to be at an impasse over which side should return
to the accord first, making it unlikely US sanctions that have crippled its
economy can be quickly removed.
"The
Supreme Leader has explicitly said in his fatwa that nuclear weapons are
against sharia law and the Islamic Republic sees them as religiously forbidden
and does not pursue them," the minister, Mahmoud Alavi, told state TV.
"But
a cornered cat may behave differently from when the cat is free. And if they
(Western states) push Iran in that direction, then it's no longer Iran's
fault," Alavi said in the interview broadcast late on Monday.
Details
from the interview were published by Iranian news websites on Tuesday.
Iran
has insisted its nuclear program is to generate power and for other peaceful
purposes. But US intelligence agencies and the United Nations nuclear watchdog
believe Iran once had a nuclear weapons program that it halted.
US
President Joe Biden’s administration is exploring ways to restore the 2015
nuclear deal that Iran signed with major world powers but that was abandoned in
2018 by former President Donald Trump, who restored sanctions. Iran retaliated
by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response.
Biden
has said that, if Tehran returned to strict compliance with the pact,
Washington would follow suit, using that as a springboard to a broader
agreement that might restrict Iran's missile development and its regional
activities.
Tehran
has insisted that Washington must first ease sanctions before it resumes
compliance. It has ruled out any negotiations on wider security issues.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Iran-s-spy-chief-says-Tehran-could-seek-nuclear-arms-if-cornered-by-West
--------
Yemen:
UAE needs to end war on Earth before reaching for space
10
February 2021
A
senior Yemeni official has reacted to Abu Dhabi’s successful launch of a
Mars-bound mission, saying the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should first make
achievements on Earth, the greatest of which would be ending its role in the
bloody Saud-led war on Yemen, before reaching for the space.
“The
UAE is one of the countries involved in the coalition of aggression that is
besieging Yemen and killing people at the same time as it is following Amal
(Hope) [probe] on Mars,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, member of Yemen’s Supreme
Political Council, wrote in a post published on his Twitter page on Tuesday.
Addressing
Abu Dhabi, he added, “Abandon your conspiracies against the Republic of Yemen
and other countries [instead]! This will be the greatest achievement you will
make on Earth. It will be even bigger than the results that the probe will send
from Mars.”
Earlier
in the day, the UAE’s first mission to Mars reached the red planet and entered
orbit after a seven-month and 494 million-kilometer (307 million-mile) journey,
allowing it to start sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate.
The
launch made the UAE the first Arab country ever to reach Mars.
The
UAE has been a key part to a Saudi-led coalition that has been involved in a
military campaign against Yemen aimed at reinstalling a Riyadh-allied former
government there.
Last
December, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs put the
death toll from the Saudi-led war at 233,000.
According
to the world body, 80 percent of Yemen’s 30 million people need some form of
aid or protection. About 13.5 million Yemenis currently face acute food
insecurity, UN data shows.
Borrell:
Yemeni war source of instability for region
Meanwhile,
High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell has described the
ongoing Yemen conflict as a source of instability for the entire region.
“The
humanitarian and political situation in Yemen deserves more attention. Much
more than the one we pay to it. The war has been raging for almost 6 years,
with a devastating impact: 24 million people – which means 80% of the Yemeni
population – are in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 4 million are
displaced,” Borrell said at a European Parliament debate on the humanitarian
and political situation on Tuesday.
He
added, “Beyond this terrible humanitarian crisis, the war in Yemen has become a
source of instability in the whole region. We need to take decisive action to
avert a mass famine. The situation can still deteriorate, if restrictions to
imports of basic commodities and humanitarian access persist. The COVID-19
pandemic has only exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Additionally, the Safer oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea is a ticking time
bomb that could cause an environmental disaster.”
The
EU foreign policy chief highlighted that the only solution to Yemen crisis “is
to look for an inclusive political agreement.”
“We
fully back the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths,
in support of a ceasefire and a political solution [in Yemen]. We are ready to
push for a concerted action to unlock the stalled process and nudge the parties
to implement a permanent ceasefire and begin political talks,” Borrell noted.
The
remarks come as the Arabic-language al-Jazeera television news network reported
on Tuesday that the European Parliament is working on a draft plan for a
ceasefire in Yemen and negotiations for a comprehensive settlement in the
war-ravaged Arab nation.
Ansarullah:
Griffiths is British representative in UN attire
Separately,
the spokesman of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has lashed out at Griffiths,
stating the British diplomat pursues the interests of the United Kingdom under
the guise of a UN official.
“Just
like the logic of the British ambassador [Michael Aron], Griffiths calls the
defensive actions of our compatriots hostile. This makes him the representative
of his country [Britain] under cover of the United Nations,” Mohammed
Abdul-Salam said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/10/644958/Ending-atrocities-in-Yemen-greater-achievement-than-sending-Hope-space-probe-Houthi-tells-UAE
--------
Iranians
celebrate 42nd anniversary of Islamic Revolution
10
February 2021
Iranians
across the country are celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution,
which toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979.
Each
year, the occasion is commemorated by nationwide mass rallies, but this year,
there has been a change in the ceremonies due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The
celebrations began in the capital, Tehran, and other cities at 10:00 a.m. local
time (0630 GMT) on Wednesday, with the participants driving their cars,
motorcycles and bicycles.
The
vehicles were decorated with slogans as well as the images of Imam Khomeini,
the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the top
Iranian anti-terror commander, who was assassinated by the US, last year.
In
Tehran, processions of cars, motorcycles and other vehicles kicked off from 12
different points on, driving through the streets to circle the iconic Azadi
(freedom) Square.
More
than 6,000 Iranian and some 200 foreign journalists, photographers and
cameramen are covering the event.
Ballistic
missiles of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), namely Zolfaqar-e
Basir, Qiam and Dezful, were also put on display as part of the ceremonies at
Azadi Square.
In
addition to the driving marches, a virtual rally also took place on Wednesday,
with the Iranians taking to social media to renew their allegiance to the
Islamic Republic.
The
previous night, on the eve of the 42nd anniversary, a fireworks display was
performed over Tehran and other Iranian cities.
‘Iranians
will defeat US in economic war’
In
a final communiqué, the demonstrators reminded the arrogant powers, especially
the United States, of their grave miscalculations in dealing with the Iranian
nation before and after its Islamic Revolution, reaffirming their firm
determination to the deal the enemies another blow in the economic war they are
currently waging against the Islamic Republic.
The
demonstrators also said they will stand firm by their position on the 2015
nuclear deal with world powers, which the US abandoned in 2018, calling for the
removal of all sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran following its exit from
the agreement.
Tehran,
they emphasized, will return to its commitments under the agreement only after
a thorough verification of the other parties’ compliance with the deal, not
only in words or on paper but in practice.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/10/644950/Iran-Islamic-Revolution-anniversary-
--------
Africa
Erdogan
says Turkey might consider leaving Libya if others go first
Tuqa
Khalid
09
February ,2021
Turkey
will discuss withdrawing its forces from Libya if other foreign troops leave
first, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
In
December, Turkey's parliament authorized an 18-month extension of its troop
deployment in Libya.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Ankara
has long claimed Turkish armed personnel were only deployed in Libya to train
units loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against
the Libyan National Army (LNA), a rival administration backed by military
strongman Khalifa Haftar in the East.
However,
foreign powers and international monitors have accused Turkey of intervening
militarily in the North African country with the hope of expanding its
influence in the region.
Turkey’s
presence in Libya is linked to its broader interests in the eastern
Mediterranean, where it is hunting for natural gas in disputed waters claimed
by Cyprus in Greece.
The
Syrian Observatory, a war monitor, also reported that Turkey recruited Syrian and
Somali mercenaries to fight in Libya alongside the GNA.
Libya
has plunged into chaos since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.
On
Saturday, an interim executive was selected to lead conflict-torn Libya until
December elections following a decade of chaos.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/09/Erdogan-says-Turkey-might-consider-leaving-Libya-if-others-go-first
--------
Amnesty
demands humanitarian access in Ethiopia's Tigray
10
February 2021
Amnesty
International has urged Ethiopia's government to honor a promise to grant
humanitarian access to the conflict-stricken Tigray region in the north.
"The
Ethiopian authorities must live up to their promise to allow humanitarian
access to the region, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of
fighting," Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International's deputy director for East
Africa, the Horn and Great Lakes, was quoted as saying on the organization's
website on Monday.
Jackson
insisted that despite an agreement to grant free access to humanitarian
workers, the telephone and internet blackout in the region had hindered aid
operations.
"The
authorities must do everything in their power to facilitate access for
humanitarian and human rights workers to civilians in Tigray whose lives have
been torn apart by the fighting," she said.
"Ethiopian
authorities must not renege on this agreement. We reiterate our call on all
parties to the conflict to comply with their obligation under international
humanitarian law to facilitate rapid, unimpeded access for impartial
humanitarian relief," the Amnesty official added.
Meanwhile,
European Union (EU) authorities have warned that the fighting in Tigray could
lead to a broader conflict.
EU
authorities on Monday urged Eritrean troops, who reportedly support the
Ethiopian government troops fighting Tigrayan rebels, to withdraw from the
conflict zone and return to behind the border lines.
The
presence of Eritrean forces is "exacerbating ethnic violence" in
Tigray, the EU said in a statement.
Eritrea,
however, rejected the EU statement, describing the accusation as
"appalling."
"The
EU statement laments the 'exacerbation of ethnic violence' while conveniently
forgetting the toxic policy of institutionalized ethnicity and polarization
that the now defunct Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) clique pursued for
decades," Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel tweeted on
Tuesday.
Eritrea
and Ethiopia deny that Eritrean soldiers are involved in the Tigray conflict.
Ethiopian
government troops captured Tigray as part of a retaliatory response to alleged
attacks on government forces in November last year, and ejected the dissident
ruling party of TPLF, which had set itself in opposition to Prime Minister Abiy
Ahmed since he came to power in April 2018.
The
Ethiopian prime minister was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for restoring
peace with neighboring Eritrea after a long-lasting conflict between them that
was blamed on the TPLF members in government who wielded considerable clout for
decades.
Meanwhile,
accounts from residents, medical workers and humanitarian groups operating in
Tigray illustrate the plight of the people as Ethiopia struggles to revive a
heavily damaged healthcare system in Tigray three months after fighting
erupted.
Some
hospitals are barely functioning, with no water, electricity, or food,
according to witnesses.
"The
health system in Tigray is reportedly nearly collapsing," the United
Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a
February 4 report.
This
month, an assessment carried out by international aid agencies found that out
of Tigray's 40 hospitals, 11 were fully functional and nine were partly
functioning. Fourteen were not working at all and six were not assessed, the
report said.
However,
conditions were improving rapidly, according to Ethiopian Health Minister Lia
Tadesse.
Last
week, Tadesse said the government had sent supplies to 70 of the region's 250
medical centers, along with 10 ambulances.
"So
many health facilities have been looted, so we are working to get more
equipment to the region," she said. "The focus is to restore
services, supporting health workers to come back and ensure they have the
supplies."
One
woman told Reuters her mother died in Mekelle on December 4 because the family
was unable to find insulin. The woman said she tried hospitals, the Ethiopian
Red Cross Society, and other centers for diabetics, but no one had insulin to
spare for the 55-year-old woman. "The insulin came 13 days after my mother
died," she said.
Separately,
one person was shot dead on Tuesday when soldiers opened fire on an
anti-government protest in the city of Mekelle.
Several
witnesses told AFP that groups of young men were throwing stones and burning
tires to block roads in central Mekelle when soldiers used live rounds in at
least one location.
"One
dead body already arrived" with gunshot wounds, said a doctor at Ayder
Referral Hospital, adding that the victim was "a young man."
Meanwhile,
an international aid group on Monday denounced the destruction of its
facilities at refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Last
week, DX Open Network, a British investigations firm, released satellite
imagery showing widespread damage to both Hitsats and Shimelba, two camps for
Eritrean refugees.
"There
are clear and consistent patterns across both camps over a two-month period
demonstrating that these refugee camps were systematically targeted despite
their protected humanitarian status," the Norwegian Refugee Council said
in a statement.
"We
condemn the criminal destruction of our buildings and facilities that we set up
to serve refugees in great need," Jan Egeland, the NRC's
secretary-general, said in a statement. "This rampage of burning and
looting by armed men deepens an already dire crisis for millions of people."
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/10/644960/Amnesty-demands-humanitarian-access-in-Ethiopia-Tigray
--------
UN
Security Council supports Libya’s new interim government
10
February 2021
The
United Nations Security Council has unanimously agreed to support the new
interim government in Libya, praising the move as "an important
milestone" in the conflict-ridden North African country's political
process.
In
a statement drafted by Britain, the 15-member body called on "the interim
executive authority to agree swiftly on the formation of a new, inclusive
government," and to "launch a comprehensive national reconciliation
process."
The
Security Council also stressed the need to respect the ceasefire observed since
October, and to proceed with "the withdrawal of all foreign forces and
mercenaries from Libya without further delay."
Libyan
delegates at the UN-facilitated talks in Switzerland on Friday selected an
interim executive to lead the oil-rich country until December elections.
The
delegates chose Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a businessman from the western city of
Misrata, as Libya’s new prime minister, and elected a three-member presidential
council at the end of five days of talks, which took place within a framework
known as the Libyan Political Dialog Forum comprised of 75 participants picked
by the UN.
All
candidates for the new government vowed to honor a plan to hold presidential
and parliamentary elections on December 24, and gave written pledges. None of
them will be allowed to run for office.
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.
Since
2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the UN-recognized
government based in the capital Tripoli, and another camp based in the eastern
city of Tobruk, backed militarily by armed rebels.
The
country descended into unprecedented chaos last year after the so-called Libyan
National Army (LNA) under rebel commander Khalifa Haftar moved toward Tripoli
to seize the city. They were repelled by government forces.
The
conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/10/644940/UNSC-interim-government-Libya
--------
Arab
League rejects unilateral Israeli projects, calls for end to occupation
09
February 2021
The
Arab League has reaffirmed its rejection of any unilateral Israeli projects or
steps in violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and international
law.
In
their final statement after a Monday emergency meeting in Cairo, the foreign
ministers of the member states of the Arab League said they opposed any move by
the Israeli regime that would “undermine the two-state solution, for which
there is no alternative.”
They
urged Israel to immediately resume negotiations with Palestine, and stressed
the “adherence of the Arab countries to the two-state solution, which embodies
the independent and sovereign Palestinian state,” according to Egypt’s official
MENA news agency.
They
also urged all international bodies to make every effort to launch credible
negotiations that can end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The
ministers welcomed a ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on its
territorial jurisdiction in Palestine, which cleared its chief prosecutor to
investigate Israeli war crimes over the objections of the Tel Aviv regime.
Addressing
the meeting, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed that the
Palestinian issue was the focus of Arab consensus, Arab News reported.
“The
Palestinian position must be strengthened internally and externally,” he said,
warning that Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds was a serious obstacle to the two-state solution.
He
also renewed the Arab League’s commitment to supporting Palestine until it
achieves official statehood.
The
Monday meeting coincided with reconciliation talks in Egypt between the leaders
of rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, which respectively rule the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank.
“The
Cairo dialog is the culmination of an effective process that began months ago,
during which we worked together with the brothers in the Fatah movement and all
the factions,” Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political bureau, said in
a statement on Monday.
The
meeting also comes as normalization deals signed between some Arab governments
and the Israeli regime have enraged Palestinians and other Muslim nations,
which have slammed the deals as a stab in the back of the Palestinian people.
The governments of the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have signed
normalization deals with Israel.
Egypt
opens Gaza border crossing ‘indefinitely’
Meanwhile,
Egypt on Tuesday opened its Gaza border crossing “indefinitely,” allowing
Gazans — who have been under a blockade imposed by the Israeli regime — to pass
through Egypt to the outside world.
“This
isn’t a routine or normal opening. This is the first time in years that the
Rafah border crossing is opening indefinitely. It used to open only three or
four days at a time,” AFP cited an Egyptian security source as saying.
The
Rafah crossing had been largely closed in recent months because of efforts to
contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“I’ve
been waiting for six months for the crossing to open,” university student
Ibrahim al-Shanti told AFP. “The repeated closures have cost me a semester of
my studies. I hope it’s really permanent.”
Another
Palestinian, Yasser Zanoun, urged political leaders to negotiate a permanent
arrangement to ease Gaza’s worsening humanitarian plight, compounded by the
pandemic.
“This
crossing must be open 24 hours a day, throughout the year. There are lots of
humanitarian cases that are extremely dire,” said Zanoun.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/09/644924/Arab-League-rejects-unilateral-Israeli-projects,-calls-for-end-to-occupation
--------
'Tunisia
backing Libya's efforts for peace, stability'
Adel
Thabeti
09.02.2021
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia
on Tuesday vowed to continue its support for Libya’s efforts to restore peace
and stability.
Foreign
Minister Othman Jerandi congratulated Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein
Al-Lafi, members of Libya’s new Presidency Council, in a phone call, Tunisia’s
Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He
said Tunisia would continue to back Libya’s moves to strengthen its
institutions and reclaim its regional role.
Jerandi
stressed the importance of the role that the new executive authority has to
play in ensuring stability and a permanent resolution of Libya’s problems.
Al-Koni
and Al-Lafi expressed gratitude for Tunisia’s vital role in the Libyan
reconciliation process.
Last
Friday, Libya’s rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity
government to lead the country to elections this December.
Mohammad
Younes Menfi was elected head of the Presidency Council, with Al-Koni and
Al-Lafi as the members, and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was chosen as the prime
minister.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tunisia-backing-libyas-efforts-for-peace-stability/2139366
--------
3rd
round of Libya constitutional talks starts in Egypt
Diana
Shalhub
09.02.2021
A
third round of Libya’s dialogue on the constitutional track kicked off in
Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada on Tuesday, days after the election of a new
interim authority in the war-torn country.
Egypt’s
intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and the recently-appointed UN Special Envoy on
Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL), Jan Kubis,
addressed the opening session.
“The
Libyan Constitutional Committee will discuss arrangements for holding a popular
referendum on a new constitution,” committee member Naema Elhammi told Anadolu
Agency.
She
said the committee meetings will continue for three days.
The
Constitutional Committee is consisted of 10 members of both Libya’s High
Council of State and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (parliament).
According
to Egypt’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, the dialogue will also be attended by Emad
al-Sayeh, the head of Libya’s election commission.
The
committee had previously held two rounds of talks in Hurghada in September and
January.
On
Friday, Libya’s rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity
government after five days of talks at the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue
Forum (LPDF) in Switzerland.
Mohammad
Younes Menfi was elected to head the Presidency Council of the interim
government and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as its prime minister. Mossa Al-Koni and
Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi were also voted on the three-man Presidency Council.
Libya
has been torn by civil war since the ouster of ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Based
in the capital Tripoli and currently led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the
Government of National Accord was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement. But
efforts for a long-term political settlement have failed due to a military
offensive by militias loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.
Al-Sarraj’s
internationally recognized government has been battling Haftar’s militias since
April 2019 in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/3rd-round-of-libya-constitutional-talks-starts-in-egypt/2138891
--------
Turkey
trains Libyan troops on counter-terrorism
Burak
Dag
09.02.2021
The
Turkish Armed Forces continue to provide counter-terrorism training to the
Libyan Armed Forces, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"As
part of the military training, assistance and advice agreement, we continue to
provide training to the Libyan Armed Forces. Our personnel are providing ‘Basic
Counter-Terrorism Training’ to the Libyan soldiers in the Homs Joint Maritime
Training Center Command," the ministry said on Twitter.
On
Nov. 27, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli signed two memorandums of understanding: one
on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in
the Eastern Mediterranean.
The
North African country has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of late
ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Last
Friday, Libya’s rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity
government after five days of talks at the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue
Forum (LPDF) in Switzerland.
Mohammad
Younes Menfi was elected the head of the three-member Presidency Council, with
Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi as its two other members. Abdul
Hamid Dbeibeh was elected the prime minister.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkey-trains-libyan-troops-on-counter-terrorism/2138858
--------
North
America
US-Backed
Forces Stepping Up Campaign Against IS in Eastern Syria
By
Sirwan Kajjo
February
08, 2021
WASHINGTON
- U.S.-backed forces have intensified their campaign against the remnants of
the Islamic State (IS) terror group in eastern Syria.
The
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a military alliance that has been a major U.S.
partner in the fight against IS, said it has captured dozens of IS members in
the eastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour.
“Our
forces have already arrested over 30 terrorists,” said Siyamend Ali, a press
officer with the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main element within SDF.
“This
ongoing campaign is targeting (IS) hideouts and underground tunnels that have
been instrumental in their recent insurgency,” he told VOA in a phone
interview.
The
SDF said in a statement last week that its latest campaign was in retaliation
for the recent killing of two female officials by IS, adding that the
“large-scale operation” targets the terror group “across the entire Deir
el-Zour desert and along the Syrian-Iraqi border.”
Seda
al-Faisal al-Hermas and Hind Latif al-Khidr, two local leaders in eastern
Syria, were reportedly kidnapped and killed by IS militants in late January.
The United States has condemned the killings.
Despite
its territorial defeat in March 2019, IS continues to pose a threat in eastern
Syria. In recent weeks, the militants have escalated their attacks against
civilians and SDF-affiliated personnel, particularly in Deir el-Zour and Hasaka
provinces.
Several
Arab tribal leaders and civil servants have been killed in recent attacks
claimed by IS.
“There
is a need for us to intensify the operations, especially after the organization
started to expand its attacks to the Syrian Badia (desert) and its attempts to
expand to regions that were liberated by our forces,” Mazloum Abdi, general
commander of the SDF, said last week in an interview with the pan-Arab Asharq
al-Awsat newspaper.
U.S.
military officials said the global coalition against Islamic State is committed
to assisting its SDF partners in its ongoing anti-IS operations.
“The
coalition provides our SDF partners with a number of enabling capabilities, to
include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air power when
requested, and logistics,” Col. Wayne Marotto, spokesman for the U.S.-led
coalition, told VOA.
The
militant group has also increased attacks and ambushes against Syrian
government forces and its allied militias in areas such as Deir el-Zour, Homs
and Hama.
In
January, IS militants carried out at least 46 attacks in central Syria, killing
at least 55 pro-Syrian government fighters and 26 civilians, according to the
Counter Extremism Project.
Experts
say while IS currently has no capability to hold territory in Syria or Iraq,
the extremist group will likely continue to wage major attacks against other
forces in both countries.
“The
challenge in Syria is the fact that the country is fragmented because of the
civil war, and this means there is no unified effort to counter IS,” said
Sadradeen Kinno, a Syrian researcher who focuses on Islamist militancy.
IS
militants “have been exploiting this political and territorial fragmentation to
make gains across the country,” Kinno told VOA.
https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/us-backed-forces-stepping-campaign-against-eastern-syria?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1983405_
--------
Why
Biden is making unacceptable demands on Iran
09
February 2021
An
American writer and political analyst believes US President Joe Biden is making
unacceptable demands on Iran because he neither wants to remove illegal
sanctions nor return to the nuclear deal.
In
an interview with Press TV on Tuesday, Stephen Lendman said the Biden
administration intends to continue Washington’s dirty business as usual against
Iran because the Islamic Republic is not under American control.
Iran’s
foreign minister has said it is the United States that has to return to
compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement because Washington is the party that
abandoned the deal and violated its terms, warning the new US administration
against building on the failed policies of its predecessor.
“The
US left & violated the nuclear deal. So it’s the US that has to return
& implement its obligations,” Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday.
In
2015, Iran and six world states — namely the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia
and China — signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was
ratified in the form of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
However,
the US under former president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA
in May 2018 and reinstated the anti-Iran sanctions that had been lifted by the
deal.
The
Trump administration also launched what it called a maximum pressure campaign
against Iran, targeting the Iranian nation with the ‘toughest ever’ restrictive
measures.
Lendman
said, “It appears the Biden folks have been around in office since January 20 -
that's getting close to three weeks - and my assessment of them is... well
number one Biden is a figurehead but forces behind him are pulling the strings.
He's an election loser, not a winner. He was not elected. He was selected to
replace Trump. So that's the way the situation is.”
“After
only three weeks in office, he and the hardliners surrounding him have given me
no clues, no evidence whatsoever that they're willing to go another way from Trump
to reverse Trump's harshness on Iran and begin engaging with Iran responsibly.
Everything I've seen from them - their language, the few actions they have
taken, or maybe are beginning to take and their body language seems to indicate
they intend to continue dirty business as usual against Iran and that shouldn't
surprise anybody because this is the way the US has treated Iran since 1979
liberating revolution from tyrannical control by the US,” he stated.
“So
because Iran is free from US control, its imperial control; it's considered an
enemy of the US. Iran doesn't threaten anybody. It observes international laws,
it respects its neighbors, it supports peace, stability and cooperative
relations with other countries. It operates exactly the opposite of the way the
US, the West overall, NATO, Israel, these, and their imperial allies operate.
They have no respect for the rule of law, and they deplore peace, they
continually wage wars by hot or other means against other countries, including
Iran, and that's what the Biden people are doing. I think this is what they'll
continue to do in office ahead,” he added.
Iran
won’t sacrifice its sovereign rights to US
“I'm
very leery about whether they really ever intended to rejoin the JCPOA. Why?
Because they made absurd demands, offensive demands, extrajudicial demands,
they knew Iran would reject. If they wanted to rejoin the JCPOA they will make
reasonable requests, not demands,” Lendman said.
“Iran
is a very reasonable country. It'll go along with anything that's reasonable,
but it will not sacrifice its sovereign rights to a higher power in Washington,
and neither Washington, nor any other countries should expect Iran or any other
country to do that, but that's the way the US operates. It wants everything its
own way. It offers nothing in return, but broken promises,” he said.
“So
I don't know what's coming. But I don't expect anything good. I think there'll
be a stalemate in bilateral relations for a while. I do not expect a war. I
don't think the US would attack Iran. I know, Israel would never attack Iran on
its own without US permission and US direct involvement,” he said.
Forget
the saber-rattling
“There's
no evidence whatsoever that Israel would attack Iran. Forget all the
saber-rattling. I mention it once in a while in my writing, but it's
meaningless saber-rattling. It's is just that, and there is no follow-up to
what actions are to be taken,” the analyst said.
“Israel
would never attack Iran on its own without US permission and direct involvement
and I see none of that happening. I see US war by other means continue against
Iran, with no end of it as long as Biden's around, as long as any us regime is
involved because as long as Iran is free from US control, it'll always be
considered an adversary of the US, even though it's well-known in Washington.
It's well-known around the world that Iran doesn't threaten the US, doesn't
threaten Israel. Doesn't threaten any other countries, but these countries ally
with US imperial aims. They threaten Iran and all other independent countries
that they don't control. So looking ahead I see nothing good happening,” he
said.
“I
don't expect Biden to rejoin the JCPOA, certainly no time soon. The
unacceptable demands that he made Iran won't accept that. The JCPOA was
hardwired into international law in 2015. On January 16, 2016, the deal became
effective, affirmed by the Security Council unanimously which means, including
the US, which means is binding international law and in the US it is also
binding constitutional law. Under the Constitution Supremacy Clause, all
international laws the US has signed onto are automatically US laws -
constitutional laws,” he added.
“So
if Biden has no cause to make demands of Iran there's only one thing Biden
should do, but he won't. He should obey the law, rejoin the JCPOA, and if he
does, and lift the sanctions that were illegally imposed Iran is very willing
to sit down and negotiate with the US on other issues, but it will not and it
should not go back and renegotiate the JCPOA all over again. It took years for
it to be adopted and approved, and so on. So I am not optimistic about what I
see lying ahead,” he concluded.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/09/644902/Why-is-Biden-making-unacceptable-demands-on-Iran
--------
Europe
EU:
Israel should stop demolition of Palestinian homes
Agnes
Szucs
09.02.2021
BRUSSELS
The
EU on Tuesday called on Israel to stop its demolition of Palestinian homes and
to instead facilitate humanitarian access to Palestinian communities.
The
bloc firmly opposes “Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in that
context, such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of
homes,” the European Commission’s foreign policy spokesperson said in a
statement.
According
to the EU, around 60 Palestinians – 35 of them children – have been displaced
since Israeli forces confiscated and demolished 46 structures belonging to
Palestinian families in Hamsa al-Foqa in the northern Jordan Valley.
The
statement called the recent developments a “regrettable trend of confiscations
and demolitions seen throughout last year” that Israel continued despite the
COVID-19 outbreak.
The
EU considers Israel's actions “illegal under international law and as an
impediment to a viable two-state solution,” the spokesperson added.
The
document reiterated the bloc’s previous call on Israel to stop all settlement
expansion “in East Jerusalem and sensitive areas such as Har Homa, Givat
Hamatos and E1.”
Encouraged
by then-US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century, Israeli
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced last May that his government would formally
annex the Jordan Valley and all settlement blocs in the West Bank.
The
West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territory under
international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there – as well as the
planned annexation – illegal.
Like
Turkey and much of the international community, the EU does not recognize
Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it has occupied since 1967.
The
EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity and to
dismantle the already existing ones since 2001.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-israel-should-stop-demolition-of-palestinian-homes/2139447
--------
Manchester
police warned in 2016 over terrorism strategy, arena inquiry hears
Alex
Mistlin
Mon
8 Feb 2021
Greater
Manchester police were warned about shortcomings in their terrorism response
plans six months before the Manchester Arena bombing, the public inquiry into
the attack has been told.
The
inquiry heard on Monday how the police inspectorate outlined a number of
concerns it had identified, as part of a national review, in a November 2016
“hot debrief” with GMP’s counter-terrorism lead, Catherine Hankinson.
Among
the inspectorate’s conclusions was the risk of a force duty officer becoming
overwhelmed in the event of a marauding terrorist firearms incident (MTFA).
Inspectors
found that the majority of force duty officers “felt ill-equipped” to deal with
a terrorism incident and needed more training before enacting Operation Plato,
the police codename for a continuing marauding attack.
The
inquiry heard that the inspectorate report quoted an unnamed force duty officer
as saying: “I get two days on how to command vehicle pursuit and approximately
one to two hours in MTFA.”
The
inquiry has previously heard that, on receiving reports of gunshot injuries and
an active gunman during the arena attack on 22 May 2017, Insp Dale Sexton, the
force duty officer at GMP HQ, declared Operation Plato, believing an armed terrorist
was on the loose.
The
Plato plan included the designation of a hot zone into which only suitably
trained firearms officers could go, and dictated when emergency services could
help those injured.
The
inquiry has heard that for the first 40 minutes after the blast, only one
paramedic was in the City Room foyer, where Salman Abedi detonated his suicide
bomb killing 22 people, and that the first fire engine arrived more than two
hours after the explosion.
Giving
evidence on Monday, Andrew Buchan, associate inspector with Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, said it found GMP’s
Plato plan to be “very tactically focused” but did not go into detail about
operations jointly conducted with other agencies.
Buchan
told counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney QC that GMP had placed an
“over-reliance” on the force duty officer (FDO) to lead its response to a
terrorist attack.
The
inspectorate’s report was critical of “the number of tasks the FDO was expected
to perform” saying that “in all likelihood there are so many that it may be
some will not be completed or at least in the order expected”, the inquiry
heard.
The
report concluded: “There is no question that the FDO is being overloaded with
tasks in the initial stages of a potential Plato and will require urgent help.”
Those
findings were passed on to then assistant chief constable Hankinson – now
assistant chief constable at West Yorkshire police – in early November 2016,
when the terror threat level in the UK was severe.
The
hearing continues.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/08/manchester-police-warned-in-2016-over-terrorism-strategy-arena-inquiry-hears?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1983405_
--------
UK
lowers terrorism threat level to 'substantial'
FEBRUARY
8, 2021
LONDON
(Reuters) - Britain’s terrorism threat level from international terrorism has
been lowered to ‘substantial’ from ‘severe’, the third highest tier which means
an attack is deemed to be likely as opposed to highly likely.
The
threat level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the security
services. It has five levels moving from low to moderate, substantial, severe
and critical.
The
United Kingdom was moved on to a severe setting last November following attacks
in France and Austria.
https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-security/uk-lowers-terrorism-threat-level-to-substantial-idUSS8N2J402R?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1983405_
--------
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