Turkey Funding Surrendered ISIS Cadres to Radicalise Indian Muslims With the Help of Preachers Recruited from Within Them
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 Aug 2020
According to an Indian
security report, Turkey has been sponsoring ISIS and its affiliates in Syria,
similar to what Pakistan has been doing with IS-KP in Afghanistan.
----
• 5 Rafales or
500, Pakistan Is 'Absolutely Ready' For India: DG ISPR
• US
Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Praises UAE-Israel Peace Deal
• Palestinian
Politicians Voice Dismay Over ‘Historic Agreement’
• Libya:
UAE-Israel Deal 'Betrayal That Doesn't Surprise'
• School Sets on
Fire in Afghanistan’s Northern Takhar Province
• Indonesia
Takes Part in Late-Stage China Vaccine Trial
• Egypt’s Sisi
Welcomes UAE-Israel Deal and Halt to Annexation
• Lithuania
Designates Hezbollah As A Terrorist Organization
India
• Turkey Funding
Surrendered ISIS Cadres to Radicalise Indian Muslims With the Help of Preachers
Recruited from Within Them
• Bengaluru Violence:
Vlogger Captured Human Chain Protecting A Hanuman Temple
• Pak court
allows Sikh girl to go with her Muslim husband or place of her choice
• Setting an
example of communal amity, Muslims form human chain to protect temple from mob
• Terrorists
attack police party in J-K’s Nowgam, 2 killed
• Terrorists gun
down two J&K policemen outside Srinagar
• J&K: Two
cops killed, one injured after militants attack police party in Nowgam
--------
Pakistan
• 5 Rafales or
500, Pakistan Is 'Absolutely Ready' For India: DG ISPR
• Pak Court
Suspends One-Year Sentence of Two JuD Senior Leaders, Close Aids Of Hafiz Saeed
In A Terror-Financing Case
• Sikh Girl Who
Embraced Islam Leaves Darul Aman To Live with Muslim Husband
• China angry
with Pak over poor security for its CPEC workers
• Celebrations
of 73rd Independence Day begin with traditional zeal across the country
• JUI-F chief
slams govt for hastily approving FATF-related bills
• Any plan to
change Karachi’s status will be ‘attack’ on Sindh, says Bilawal
• Qureshi’s
Saudi Criticism On Kashmir Hints Shift In Pakistan’s Strategy For The Islamic
World
• Can’t doubt
centrality of Saudi, says Pak army ahead of Gen Bajwa’s Riyadh mission
--------
North America
• US
Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Praises UAE-Israel Peace Deal
• Trump believes
Palestinians will seek peace after US brokers UAE-Israel deal
• US
administration seizes ships carrying Iranian oil
• Friends of
Israel in Congress wreck US ties with Turkey
--------
Mideast
• Palestinian
Politicians Voice Dismay Over ‘Historic Agreement’
• West Bank
Annexation Still ‘On the Table’, Says Netanyahu
• ‘Great News
for Peace’: Former Israel, US Officials React To Historic UAE-Israel Deal
• Iran, Iraq
Discuss Ways to Facilitate Mutual Trade
• Israel behind
Port of Beirut explosions, says former Lebanon interior minister
• UAE’s Jewish
community reacts to country’s historic agreement with Israel
--------
Africa
• Libya:
UAE-Israel Deal 'Betrayal That Doesn't Surprise'
• Jordan: Israel
must choose between just peace, conflict
• UN sounds
alarm over humanitarian crisis in NE Nigeria
• Turkey, Libya
ink deal to boost trade, economic ties
--------
South Asia
• School Sets on
Fire in Afghanistan’s Northern Takhar Province
• Afghan
authorities release final 400 Taliban prisoners as part of peace deal
--------
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia Takes
Part in Late-Stage China Vaccine Trial
• Police Arrest
Elderly Indonesian Catholic For Blasphemy
• Indonesia's
First Transgender Public Official Breaks Conservative Mould
• Report:
Philippines nab Abu Sayyaf leader linked to cross-border abductions in Sabah
--------
Arab world
• Egypt’s Sisi
Welcomes UAE-Israel Deal and Halt to Annexation
• Lithuania
recognizes Hezbollah as terrorist organization after Beirut explosion
• Egypt: Top
Muslim Brotherhood Figure Dies in Government Custody
• Lebanon
assembly ratifies state of emergency after deadly blast
• Beirut
explosion death toll rises to 178 with 30 people still missing: UN
• Beirut explosion:
US State Department official to stress reform during Lebanon trip
• World reacts
to UAE’s opening diplomatic ties with Israel
• Yemeni
government, STC discuss coalition under Riyadh Agreement
--------
Europe
• Lithuania
Designates Hezbollah As A Terrorist Organization
• France to
bolster military presence in Mediterranean amid tensions with Turkey
• France: Second
mosque fire in Lyon within week
• Turkey sends
EU leaders letters on East Mediterranean
• Rouhani,
Macron discuss nuclear deal, Beirut blast
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/turkey-funding-surrendered-isis-cadres/d/122627
--------
Turkey Funding Surrendered ISIS Cadres to Radicalise Indian Muslims With the Help of Preachers Recruited from Within Them
August 14, 2020
According to an Indian
security report, Turkey has been sponsoring ISIS and its affiliates in Syria,
similar to what Pakistan has been doing with IS-KP in Afghanistan.
----
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allocated huge funds to the Turkish
intelligence to radicalize Indian Muslims with the help of preachers recruited
from surrendered ISIS cadres.
According to an
Indian security report, Turkey has been sponsoring ISIS and its affiliates in
Syria, similar to what Pakistan has been doing with IS-KP in Afghanistan. Such
proxies have eliminated independent voices on the ground in Pakistan and
Afghanistan, while at the same time, denying their involvement.
Indian security
officials are also concerned over reports that Erdogan, in his efforts to bring
down the Saudi leadership of the Islamic world, may find a partner in Pakistan.
The recent open threat by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to
the Saudi leadership was due to Turkey's push and also the assurance of
financial assistance to Pakistan.
“Erdogan has
been using the religious institutions as well as terrorism to further his
single point agenda of claiming the leadership of the Muslim Ummah. Turkey’s
religious institution Diyanet has already made a substantial presence in India
through its activities and now Erdogan plans to exploit ISIS Terrorists to
trouble India. India shall be prepared to tackle it by adopting proactive
measures," said an official aware of these developments.
Turkish Directorate
of Religious Affairs — Diyanet has become a central Intuition for Erdogan’s
plans of becoming the new ‘Caliph’ of the Islamic world. It is mostly copying
the functioning religious system in Talabini Madrassas. Erdogan has reorganised
the Diyanet and delivered a huge budget the institution, raised salaries and
benefits of Imams, and is using them in the mosques as Erdogan’s party
operatives, not only in Turkey but also in foreign countries.
Liberal and
Gulenist Imams who refused to obey political orders from Erdogan’s party were
eliminated from the Diyanet in recent years. Now each Imam across Turkey has
become personally loyal to Erdogan.
As part of using
Islam to spread Turkey's strategic influence, Erdogan has recently formed a
Religious Services Directorate. The formation of the directorate was announced
on August 06, 2020, as an institution which will coordinate and deliver
commands of the Defence Ministry on religious services in the Turkish Army, in
addition to serving as a religious counselling service.
The staff of the
directorate will be in military rank and equal to other military officers in
the Turkish Army. The staff usually coordinates and carries on religious
services within forces, but according to the related law, they may get other
military duties also.
Previously, the
Turkish Armed forces were using professional imams who were serving their
compulsory military services to run religious services in military camps This
religious directorate likely serves three main purposes for Erdogan’s party.
The first purpose is to create new job opportunities for pro-Erdogan Imams.
Secondly,
Erdogan will have the chance to control and profile more secular high-rank
military officer with the help of ‘imam’ military officer. The possibility of
plotting a coup against the Erdogan government has become less likely.
Possibly, the profiling lists of such military officers will be considered for
next promotions in the Turkish Army. Third, this is another premeditated step
for the Erdogan regime to transfer the system from a secular democracy to
religious republic.
https://zeenews.india.com/world/turkey-funding-surrendered-isis-cadres-to-radicalise-indian-muslims-2302609.html
--------
5 Rafales or
500, Pakistan is 'absolutely ready' for India: DG ISPR
14 Aug 2020
Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar,
director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR),
-----
Pakistan is
concerned about India's increasing military spending and defence budget, but it
remains "absolutely ready" for any aggression despite New Delhi's
recent acquisition of five Rafale fighter jets from France, the chief of the
Pakistan Army's media wing said on Thursday.
Maj Gen Babar
Iftikhar, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), made
the statement during a wide-ranging press conference in which he spoke about
various issues concerning internal and external security.
Responding to a
question about the threat posed to Pakistan by the Rafale jets purchased by
India, the DG ISPR noted that India's military spending is the highest in the
world and it is also involved in an arms race.
"The way
the journey of the five Rafales from France to India was covered shows the
level of their insecurities," he said.
"Nonetheless,
whether they receive five [Rafales] or 500, we are fine. We are absolutely
ready and we have no doubt on our capability and we have proven this so it's
(the jets) not going to make much of a difference.
"But yes,
their defence spending and their budget compared to ours is affecting the
conventional balance of the region. And when this happens, things go into
another domain and the international community should also look at this.
"In
Pakistan, many say the defence budget is too much; right now we are at 17 per
cent [of the budget] distributed between the army, navy and airforce. And in
the past 10 years, Pakistan's defence spending has consistently been going down,
not up, and in the past two years, we didn't even keep the inflation cushion in
the defence budget.
"But this
does not mean that it has affected our preparedness. Even with these resources,
we are absolutely ready to take on our enemies.
"So bring
the Rafales [or] the S-400 [missile system], bring them on. We have our own
preparedness and our own answers to everything."
'India's state
terrorism in IOK'
At the start of
his press conference, Maj Gen Iftikhar spoke about the Indian repression in
occupied Kashmir.
"Azaadi
(independence) is a huge blessing," he said. "Ask about the
importance of freedom from the mother of an occupied Kashmir resident that
buries her son with the Pakistan flag."
"In
occupied Kashmir, the inhumane siege has continued for one year. Genocide is
being done and human rights are being violated through India's state terrorism
in the occupied [region].
"Under a
pre-planned, thought-out plan, India by changing the demography of the region
is trying to evict the Muslims living there," Maj Gen Iftikhar said.
"There is
no atrocity left which the Kashmiris have not witnessed. Youths are being
martyred and being buried in unnamed places in the name of
counter-terrorism."
He noted that
the targeting of Kashmiris with pellet guns by the Indian forces has become the
norm while the region's local leadership has been kept in detention for one
year.
He said Pakistan
has "left no stone unturned" in raising Kashmiris' plight before the
world.
"The
Government of Pakistan at all regional and international forums has raised
awareness on the Kashmir issue and voices against the oppression are
reverberating through the world's corridors."
Genocide Watch
and international media have unmasked India's actions in the occupied valley
while the United Nations secretary general has stressed human rights in
Kashmir, the DG ISPR said.
"During the
past one year, the issue has been raised in the UN three times and this shows
that the issue is of cardinal importance in the eyes of the world. And their
(Kashmiris') fight for independence will InshAllah be successful."
'India targeting
civilians at LoC'
He said the
situation at the Line of Control is linked to the Kashmir issue, adding:
"Despite the ceasefire appeal by the UN secretary general during the
pandemic, India continued their traditional cowardly actions and targeted
innocent people."
He said till
now, India has committed 1,927 ceasefire violations and has deliberately
targeted peaceful people living along the LoC in Azad Kashmir.
"Sixteen
innocent people have been martyred while 158 have been injured. In these
ceasefire violations, heavy weapons were used indiscriminately.
"Let me
also tell you that the Pakistan Army responds to all the ceasefire violations
effectively, but being a professional army we make military targets and target
those posts that are carrying out [the firing].
"On July
22, international media toured Azad Kashmir. They were allowed access to the
people of AJK; they saw and interacted with the people targeted by the
ceasefire violations.
"But on the
other hand, in occupied Kashmir, neither international media nor the UN group
was allowed to go to the LoC. But we have nothing to hide, that is why we have
always allowed international media to go wherever they want in Azad Kashmir.
"The government,
in light of India's actions, for the protection of the people, has decided to
build shelters in the homes of AJK residents. One thousand shelters have been
constructed and more are being made."
"The fire
of racism and communal hatred that India has started has spread to the whole
country. Their move to externalise their internal failures has put them at such
a point that the lava can take the whole region in its wake.
"A UN
report highlighted terrorist groups in India; they use these groups against
Pakistan and to spread instability in the region. The unsuccessful attack on
the Pakistan Stock Exchange or money laundering to facilitate terrorists, all
the clues lead to India."
He said India
had seen an increase in its defence budget and it was involved in an arms race.
"India is at the top of the list of countries buying arms. Pakistan is
completely aware of India's intentions and capabilities.
"Wars are
not fought only through the power of weapons; the people's trust and the
nation's resolve are the true assets of the army."
Answering a
question about Pakistan's new political map introduced by the government which
includes Indian-occupied Kashmir, the DG ISPR said the map "is an
assertion of our claim and an expression of our intent. We have made Pakistan's
territorial claim clear to the world that this is a disputed region ... so this
is Pakistan's political map and just a reassertion of our claims."
'We are all
sepoys'
The DG ISPR said
elements seeking to sow confusion and hostile intelligence agencies through
hybrid warfare "want to shift our attention away from the basic
issues"
"We will
not let enemy forces create a chasm between the army and the nation. We are
living in such an age of information where it is an effective tool and hostile
intelligence agencies are using it to spread confusion."
In order to do
som, elements of national power especially the diplomatic domain, information,
military, economy and hybrid warfare applications are used, he added.
He said on
Pakistan's social media landscape "the social fabric and the national and
military leaderships are being targeted through fake news and an uncertain
situation is being created".
"And
through this, they are trying to impose on the decision-making process,"
Maj Gen Iftikhar said, adding that such elements rely on misinformation,
disinformation and half-truths to mislead the people through different
platforms under a "thought-out campaign".
He stressed the
need to create awareness among the masses to counter such misinformation.
"The way
the Pakistani media has foiled the propaganda of the Indian media and the way
our youth has countered hostile intelligence agencies on digital platforms
shows that when it comes to Pakistan, we are all sepoys."
Hopes for Afghan
peace
Speaking about
the Afghan peace talks, Maj Gen Iftikhar said Pakistan played its part for
peace in Afghanistan. "We hope that attempts for the reconciliation
process are soon successful," he added.
"Peace in
Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan [and] peace along our western borders. So
if there is anyone who wants peace in Afghanistan after Afghans, it is
Pakistan.
"And the
way the peace process is going forward, it is also time for a gradual, time-bound
and adequately resourced refugee return programme for dignified repatriation of
Afghan refugees within the earliest possible time-frame facilitated duly by all
stakeholders."
Ehsanullah
Ehsan's claims 'baseless'
The DG ISPR was
also asked to comment on an audiotape reportedly released by former
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan in which he
reportedly claimed that he was asked to lead a death squad by Pakistani
authorities while he was in their custody. Maj Gen Iftikhar termed the claims
made in the alleged audio as "absolutely baseless".
Confirming the
information given by the interior minister, the DG ISPR said: "We were
using him (Ehsan) during an operation and he escaped and we greatly benefitted
from the information he gave us especially in dismantling some terrorist
organisations that he had belonged to."
He said
disciplinary action is being taken against the persons responsible for his
escape.
"I will
leave it to your best judgement why he is claiming all that and making those
allegations so that should be it," the ISPR chief told reporters.
'No need to
raise questions on Pak-Saudi ties'
Answering a
question about reported tensions between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia over raising
a voice for Indian-occupied Kashmir, the DG ISPR said "nobody can doubt
the centrality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic world" and
the two countries' ties are and will remain historic.
"The hearts
of the Pakistani people beat with the Saudi people, so there is no need to
raise questions on the relations," he added.
He said the
upcoming visit of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to Saudi Arabia was already
planned and it is related to the two countries' military-to-military relations.
"There is
no need to read too much into it. Everything is fine," he said.
Gains of
operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
Sharing
statistics from operation Radd-ul-Fasaad during the presser, the DG ISPR said:
"the war against terrorism is a hard-earned success."
"46,000
murabba kilometre [of land] has been evacuated from terrorists. More than
18,000 terrorists were killed and 400 tonnes of explosive material was
seized," he told the press conference.
Under the
operation, more than 194,000 intelligence-based operations were carried out and
more than 70,000 weapons and five million ammunition that was in the use of
militants were recovered, he added.
Border
management bringing crimes down
The DG ISPR said
measures are being taken at the Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran borders as part of
border management, which includes border terminals, scanner biometric system,
border posts, forts and fencing.
He stressed that
people on both sides of the frontier will benefit and terrorism can be stopped
through managing the border.
"The
capacity enhancement of Front Corps KP and Balochistan is being done for
effective border management.
"On the
Pak-Afghan border, fencing on more than 1,700km has been completed. In KP,
730km and in Balochistan, 980km have been fenced."
As part of the
fencing work, Maj Gen Iftikhar revealed, more than 70 improvised explosive
devices were defused under one project.
"Work is
also ongoing on Pak-Iran border fencing and this will be completed by 2021.
Further, more than 1,000 border posts and forts are also being built; 400 have
been completed and the rest are being set up.
"Due to
improvement in fencing and border management, IED explosions, illegal movement
and smuggling have reduced.
"Through
different operations under border management, peace has been brought in tribal
areas where the civil administration is now working on the development of these
areas. All this would not have been possible without the media; the media
played an excellent role in the war against terrorists.
"As far as
Balochistan is concerned, some enemy forces have been trying to disrupt the
situation. Pakistan Army is working day and night to foil these attempts and
some important progress has been made which will be shared with you at the
right time.
"Pakistan's
civil and military leadership along with the peace of Balochistan is also busy
with socio-economic uplift. Balochistan's development is Pakistan's development
and a prosperous Balochistan is the guarantee of a stable Pakistan."
According to Maj
Gen Iftikhar, the Pakistan Army with assistance from the government and
friendly nations is assisting in projects for providing the people with health
facilities and education.
"This
includes the state-of-the-art cardiac centre in Quetta and a hospital in
Gwadar. Also nine cadet colleges, the establishment of the Nust campus and the
dates processing plant in Panjgur will prove to be a milestone for development.
"From
Balochistan, more than 25,000 soldiers and 1,200 officers are serving in the
army while 200 cadets are receiving education from the military."
'Threat of Covid-19
has not gone away'
Speaking about
the coronavirus situation, the DG ISPR said Pakistanis battled the virus
"as a nation" and country's efforts to contain the disease have been
recognised by international leaders.
"There is a
reduction is corona positive cases and deaths but we can't stop taking
precautions; we need to take them more than ever.
"The people
by following measures [to contain Covid-19] showed responsibility but the
threat has not gone away. This virus is surging in some countries. Face masks
and social distancing are effective steps against the virus and we should
follow them."
He said a
national emergency was declared to deal with the desert locust attacks
situation and due to authorities' steps, locust swarms have been reduced from
61 districts to one district.
The Pakistan
Army is also assisting the civil administration in polio campaigns to help
reach the goal of making Pakistan polio-free, Maj Gen Iftikhar said.
He said the
flood situation is being monitored and all preparations are complete to deal
with an adverse scenario.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574208/5-rafales-or-500-pakistan-is-absolutely-ready-for-india-dg-ispr
--------
US Presidential
Candidate Joe Biden Praises UAE-Israel Peace Deal
13 August 2020
US presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden
------
Joe Biden, the Democratic
presidential candidate, Thursday praised the peace agreement signed between the
United Arab Emirates and Israel
as a “historic
step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East.”
Biden released a
statement saying that he would not support Tel Aviv’s annexation plans of the
West Bank if he is elected president in November.
For all the
latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The UAE’s offer
to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly-needed
act of statesmanship,” Biden said.
Biden said that
the deal had allowed a path toward “a more peaceful, stable Middle East,”
adding that he and VP candidate Kamala Harris would seek to challenge all the
nations in the region to keep pace if elected.
Biden also said
that Israeli annexation would be a “body blow to the cause of peace, which is
why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/08/13/US-presidential-candidate-Joe-Biden-praises-UAE-Israel-peace-deal.html
--------
Palestinian
politicians voice dismay over ‘historic agreement’
August 14, 2020
AMMAN:
Palestinian politicians have reacted with dismay to the US-brokered agreement
that will postpone the annexation of the West Bank while the UAE and Israel
establish full diplomatic relations.
The deal was
reached after talks between US President Donald Trump, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League after
Thursday’s joint announcement by the UAE, Israel and the US.
“The Palestinian
leadership rejects and denounces the surprising UAE-Israeli-US trilateral
announcement,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a senior adviser to Abbas, reading from
a statement outside the president’s headquarters in Ramallah in the occupied
West Bank.
Abu Rudeineh
described the agreement as a “betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the
Palestinian cause.”
If implemented
formally, the deal will pave the way for the UAE to become the third Arab
country to have official relations with Israel. The Palestine Liberation
Organization and Israel signed the Oslo accords in 1993 and 1995. Jordan signed
a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, while Egypt and Israel signed the Camp
David Accords in 1978.
A widespread
Palestinian fear is that the UAE-Israel agreement could weaken the Arab Peace
Initiative, brokered by then Crown Prince (later King) Abdullah in 2002, which
called for full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land in return for full
normalization with Israel.
Jamal Dajani, a
former spokesman for the Palestinian prime minister, said Palestinians feel
betrayed by the UAE, whose move at this critical time undermines their struggle
for independence.
“Israel’s
so-called plan of annexation is illegal and a non-starter. Netanyahu knew this,
so did Trump,” Dajani told Arab News.
“President Trump
said that the ‘ice has been broken,’ but in fact trust has been lost.”
Mustafa
Barghouti, head of Al-Mubadara (the Initiative), an independent Palestinian
political party, issued a statement calling the UAE action a “stab in the back
of Palestinians.”
He said the deal
endorses Israel’s decision to suspend rather than cancel the planned annexation
of large parts of the West Bank.
Hamadeh Faraneh,
an Amman-based member of Palestine National Council, said the decision is
neither historic nor surprising because it has been known for some time that
Israel and the UAE have been in regular contact.
He said the
decision is at odds with the Arab Peace Initiative and “amounts to a reversal
of the order of things.”
“Instead of the
end of occupation preceding normalization, we have now normalization without
any idea if there will be an end to the occupation,” he told Arab News.
The joint
statement by the UAE, Israel and the US said: “Opening direct ties between two
of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economies will
transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological
innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations.”
However, Aaron
David Miller, a former US peace envoy to the Middle East and a senior fellow at
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, described the agreement
as a “historic decision” that represents three wins and one loss.”
According to
Miller, it is a win for the leaders of Israel, the UAE and the US, but a loss
for Palestinians.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1719151/middle-east
--------
Libya:
UAE-Israel deal 'betrayal that doesn't surprise'
Mucahit Aydemir
14.08.2020
TRIPOLI
The agreement
reached Thursday between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to normalize
relations is a form of betrayal, said a top Libyan official.
Speaking to
Al-Jazeera TV, Mohamed Amari Zayed, a member of the Libyan Presidential
Council, said "this is a betrayal of the UAE state that doesn't surprise.
With its destructive role in Libya, Syria and Yemen, it is a natural result of
the embargo imposed on Qatar, Palestine and the independent nations of the
region."
Israel and the
UAE have agreed to normalize relations, US President Donald Trump said
Thursday, with Tel Aviv agreeing to delay its controversial plans to annex
large swathes of the occupied West Bank.
Zayed described
the UAE's step as "another stab in the back of the [Muslim] Ummah."
"The recent
losses of the Islamic Ummah as a result of this policy of the UAE are much
higher than the Zionist regime killed and displaced in the last 50 years,"
he said.
Under the
UAE-Israel deal, Israel will "suspend" plans to annex parts of the
occupied West Bank "and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other
countries in the Arab and Muslim world," according to a joint statement by
the US, UAE and Israel.
The UAE, the
foremost financial, political and military supporter of warlord Khalifa Haftar,
leader of the illegitimate armed forces in eastern Libya, sent thousands of
mercenaries affiliated with the Russian private army Wagner Group as well as
Syrian fighters and Sudanese militias to fight in the ranks of Haftar.
Libya has been
torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The
government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a
long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by forces
loyal to Haftar.
The UN
recognizes the government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj as the country's legitimate
authority as it has battled Haftar's militias since April 2019 in a conflict
that has taken more than 1,000 lives.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/libya-uae-israel-deal-betrayal-that-doesnt-surprise/1941371
--------
Indonesia Takes
Part in Late-Stage China Vaccine Trial
Aug 14, 2020
JAKARTA: More
people in Indonesia rolled up their sleeves Friday to test a potential
coronavirus vaccine developed by a Chinese company.
The Indonesian
government announced the partnership between state-owned enterprise Bio Farma
and the Chinese company Sinovac BioTech in early July. As part of the deal,
Indonesia recruited 1,620 volunteers for the trial. The first 20 were injected
with the candidate vaccine in Bandung, West Java province, on Tuesday, and more
followed suit.
``We hope that
this third clinical trial will be completed in six months. We hope that in
January we can produce it and at the same time, if the production is ready,
vaccinate all people in the country,'' President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.
After passing a
medical and PCR test to confirm their health, volunteers were given a first
dose of the experimental vaccine or a placebo, then a second dose 14 days
later.
``Fifty percent
of the volunteers will be injected by the vaccine and the other 50% will be
injected with the placebo. We will see the comparison from those who are
injected with the vaccine and those who got the placebo in seven months,''
clinical trial research leader Kusnandi Rusmil told The Associated Press by
phone.
Bio Farma
currently has a production capability of 100 million vaccine doses. The company
is building a new facility, expected to be completed in December, that will
increase the capacity to 250 million doses. Use of the vaccine will be
prioritized for Indonesia, the world's fourth most populated country, Bio Farma
CEO Honesti Basyir said.
Called
CoronaVac, the potential vaccine uses an inactivated pathogen, meaning the
virus is grown in a lab and then deactivated or killed. In June the company
announced that no severe adverse side effects had resulted from the phase 1 and
2 trials conducted in volunteers in China. The company is also planning
clinical trials with thousands of volunteers in India, Brazil and Bangladesh.
Under normal
circumstances, it takes years for a vaccine to be developed. But with many
experts believing that a vaccine is the best hope against the virus, clinical
trials and development have been rapidly accelerated since Jan. 10, when China
shared the virus' genetic sequence.
The trial comes
at a time when Indonesia continues to have one of the highest confirmed
caseloads in the region, with the actual number of cases suspected to be much
higher. As of Thursday, Indonesia had 132,816 confirmed cases with 5,968
deaths.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/indonesia-takes-part-in-late-stage-china-vaccine-trial/articleshow/77538208.cms
--------
Egypt’s Sisi
welcomes UAE-Israel deal and halt to annexation
13 August 2020
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed on Thursday an agreement between the
United Arab Emirates and Israel on normalizing ties that includes an Israeli
agreement to halt further annexation of Palestinian lands.
“I followed with
interest and appreciation the joint statement between the United States, United
Arab Emirates and Israel to halt the Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands
and taking steps to bring peace in the Middle East,” Sisi said on Twitter.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“I value the
efforts of those in charge of the deal to achieve prosperity and stability for
our region.”
Israel and the
United Arab Emirates announced an agreement on Thursday that will lead to a full
normalization of diplomatic relations between the two states, a move that
reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to Iran.
Under the
accord, which US President Donald Trump helped broker, Israel has agreed to
suspend annexing areas of the occupied West Bank as it had been planning to do,
White House officials said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/08/13/Egypt-s-Sisi-welcomes-UAE-Israel-deal-and-halt-to-annexation.html
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Lithuania
designates Hezbollah as a terrorist organization
August 13, 2020
VILNIUS,
Lithuania: Lithuania on Thursday designated the Lebanese militant Hezbollah
group as a terrorist organization and issued a 10-year ban on all individuals
related to the Iran-backed group from entering the Baltic nation’s territory.
“After receiving
valuable information from our foreign partners, we can assume that Hezbollah is
functioning on the principles of terrorist organization,” Foreign Minister
Linas Linkevicius said.
Linkevicius
added, without elaborating, that some persons with the Iran-backed organization
also pose threat to Lithuania’s national security.
Hezbollah
emerged as a ragtag guerrilla group in the 1980s, funded by Iran to battle
Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon. A protracted guerrilla war,
characterized by roadside bombs and sniper attacks, eventually forced Israel to
withdraw in May 2000. With the exception of an inconclusive, monthlong war in
2006, the volatile frontier has largely remained calm.
The US and
Israel, along with Britain, Germany, the Arab League and Gulf Arab states have
also designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The European Union has
only designated the group’s military wing as terrorist, in the aftermath of an
attack on a tourist bus in Bulgaria in 2012.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1719236/world
--------
India
Bengaluru
Violence: Vlogger Captured Human Chain Protecting A Hanuman Temple
Aug 14, 2020
BENGALURU: Amid
the arson and stone pelting in East Bengaluru on Tuesday night, there was one
act of harmony that lasted more than three hours. It was captured on a video
clip which went viral drawing praise as well as some criticism that it was a
cover-up.
Amateur
cameraman and vlogger Syed Mohammed Hanif, 27, of Ashok Nagar got a call around
9.30pm on Tuesday about the riots in Kavalbyrasandra. He rushed to the spot and
reached the BMTC bus terminus. “As I was running around and filming, I saw an
unusual sight of some men forming a human chain and standing still. When I went
closer, I realised the men were trying to protect a temple from rioters,” said
Hanif, whose video got thousands of hits and shares on the internet.
The men were
protecting a Hanuman temple even as protesters vandalised property and burnt
vehicles in the area.
A Nadeem (29), a
link in the human chain and seen in the video clip, said a few Muslim men got
together to protect the temple. “When I went there, there were around 10 men
trying hard to protect the shrine. I ran and joined them. Within minutes, more
people joined the chain and there was no way the protesters could come near it.
We were there till 11.30pm,” he said.
Another local
resident Arshad Ahmed recalled: “People were burning vehicles and pelting
stones and shouting slogans. Some bystanders like me were scared that this
anger would be directed at the temple. The men who protected this place of
worship prevented a bad situation from becoming worse.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-violence-vlogger-captured-human-chain/articleshow/77536330.cms
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Pak court allows
Sikh girl to go with her Muslim husband or place of her choice
Aug 13, 2020
Lahore The
Lahore High Court on Wednesday allowed Jagit Kaur of Nankana Sahib, who married
one Mohammad Hassan in September last against the will of her family, to go
with her husband or any place of her choice, saying she was not a ‘minor’.
Since September
2019, Kaur has been living in Darul Aman (shelter house) in Lahore following
her family’s allegation that she was kidnapped by Hassan who forcibly married
her.
India had voiced
its concern with Pakistan over the alleged abduction and forced marriage of the
Sikh girl and sought “immediate remedial action” from the Pakistan government.
LHC justice
Chaudhry Shehram Sarwar gave the ruling on the petition of Hassan, seeking
custody of ‘his wife’ Kaur whom he gave Muslim name Ayesha.
Police brought
the Sikh girl to the court amid tight security. Her brother and other family
members were also present in the court who expressed their dismay over the
decision.
Representing the
Sikh family, Khalil Tahir Sindhu, argued that the school-leaving certificate
was enough to prove that the girl is minor. He challenged the record of the
National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) regarding her age.
Sindhu also
informed the court that as per a settlement reached by Punjab governor Muhammad
Sarwar between the two parties, the girl is supposed to be handed over to her
family. “Emotions of the Sikh community will be hurt if the girl is allowed to
go with the Muslim man,” he contended.
Counsel for the
petitioner Sultan Sheikh told the court that as per the record of Nadra, the
girl was 19. He said a medical board previously constituted by the court had
already declared the girl a major.
The judge
rejected the arguments of Sindhu, saying only the documents of Nadra were valid
to establish the age of a person. Justice Sarwar further observed that the high
court had nothing to do with any decision made by the governor in a private
capacity.
“The
Constitution of the country safeguards the rights of Kaur and she is free to
live with a person of her own choice,” the judge said. The judge also ordered
the police to provide “foolproof” security to Kaur.
At the previous
hearing, Kaur told the court that she married the petitioner with her free
will, after converting to Islam, and did not want to go back to her family.
Tension between
Sikh and Muslim communities in Nankana Sahib has risen following the court
decision. Nankana police have been put on alert, officials said. PTI
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pak-court-allows-sikh-girl-to-go-with-her-muslim-husband-or-place-of-her-choice/story-QLJzDT8z913mnZtUPhJbiL.html
--------
Setting an
example of communal amity, Muslims form human chain to protect temple from mob
Aug 13, 2020
Bengaluru:
Youth, including those from a minority community, decided to protect a temple
when a mob was going on a rampage here after being irked over a social media
post on an allegedly communally sensitive issue.
A video of the
youth quickly forming the human chain to protect the Hanuman temple on Shampura
Main Road has gone viral, even as the mob was indulging in arson.
The human chain
was formed on Tuesday night as a result of some quick thinking while violence
sent shock waves across DJ Halli, KG Halli and neighbouring areas of
Pulakeshinagar.
"We saw the
rioters coming in groups towards the temple and their intention seemed to
damage it. Then we decided to form a human chain to protect it," a youth
who wished not to be named, said.
He expressed
fear that any damage to the temple could have complicated things further.
On Tuesday
night, a mob had gone on the rampage at Pulakeshinagar irked over the social
media post allegedly put out by a Congress legislator's relative, with the
government terming the violence as a well-planned act.
Three persons
were killed when police opened fire to quell the mob and scores of others,
including over 50 police personnel, sustained injuries in the violence that
stretched till the wee hours of Wednesday.
The mob had set
on fire the DJ Halli Police Station, besides damaging Pulakeshinagar Congress
MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy's property for his nephew Naveen had allegedly
posted some objectionable content in the social media about a week ago.
State Revenue
Minister R Ashoka had dubbed the violence pre-planned with an intention to
spread it in other parts of the city. Naveen has also been arrested.
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/130820/setting-an-example-of-communal-amity-muslims-form-human-chain-to-protect-temple-from-mob.html
--------
Terrorists
attack police party in J-K’s Nowgam, 2 killed
Aug 14, 2020
At least two
police personnel have been killed in a terrorists attack that took place on a
police party in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowgam. Another has been injured as per
reports. The policemen belonged to the 20th battalion of IRP.
The police
personnel were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment where two of them were
declared dead. The area where the attack took place has been cordoned off.
In a tweet,
Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the attack took place near the Nowgam
Bypass.
“#Terrorists
fired #indiscriminately upon police party near #Nowgam Bypass. 03 police
personnel injured. They were shifted to hospital for treatment where 02 among
them attained #martyrdom. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow,” the
tweet read.
This comes a day
after security forces on Thursday busted three hideouts of terrorists in
Awantipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district during a raid conducted by Jammu
and Kashmir Police along with Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and 130 Battalion
of CRPF.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/terrorists-kill-2-police-officers-injure-one-in-j-k-s-nowgam/story-HXstrAJDFebWTWHdY035YN.html
--------
Terrorists gun
down two J&K policemen outside Srinagar
Aug 14, 2020
SRINAGAR:
Terrorists fired indicriminately on a Jammu and Kashmir police party in Nowgam
on the outskirts of Srinagar city Friday morning, leaving two personnel dead,
officials said.
Police said
terrorists opened fire on the police team near Nowgam bypass, injuring three
personnel, who were shifted to a hospital for treatment but two of them
succumbed to their injuries.
The area has
been cordoned off and a hunt has been launched for the terrorists.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorists-gun-down-two-jk-policemen-outside-srinagar/articleshow/77538880.cms
--------
J&K: Two
cops killed, one injured after militants attack police party in Nowgam
August 14, 2020
At least two
Jammu and Kashmir policemen were killed and one injured after militants opened
indiscriminate fire on a police party in Nowgam district on Friday morning.
Three cops were injured during the attack. They were immediately shifted to a
hospital, where two of them succumbed.
“Terrorists
fired indiscriminately upon police party near Nowgam Bypass. Three police
personnel injured. They were shifted to hospital for treatment where two among
them attained martyrdom. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow,”
Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.
While the
militants managed to escape after the attacks, police and paramilitary cordoned
off the area to trace and nab the militants involved in the attack.
Friday’s
militant attack took place despite a security alert and heightened security in
the Valley in wake of the Independence day on Saturday.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-policemen-killed-nowgam-militants-attack-6554195/
--------
Pakistan
Pak Court
Suspends One-Year Sentence of Two JuD Senior Leaders, Close Aids Of Hafiz Saeed
In A Terror-Financing Case
Aug 13, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The
Lahore high court suspended on Thursday the one-year sentence of two senior
leaders of the proscribed extremist militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawah and close
aides of 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed in a terror-financing case.
In mid-June, a
special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore had convicted four top leaders of
JuD — Zafar Iqbal, Yahya Aziz, Abdul Rehman Makki and Abdus Salam — for
collecting funds and unlawfully financing activities of the terrorist
organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Iqbal and Aziz had been each sentenced to
five years in prison while Makki and Salam had been given one-year jail terms each.
Makki and Salam
had challenged their conviction in the Lahore HC.
During
Thursday’s hearing, a two-member bench of the Lahore HC comprising Justice
Asjad Javed Gural and Justice Waheed Khan, after hearing arguments from the
defence and prosecution, accepted the plea of Makki and Salam and ordered the
suspension of their one-year sentence by the ATC. The court also ordered their
release on bail. Both militant leaders were serving their sentences in Lahore’s
Kot Lakhpat jail.
Earlier this
year, a Lahore-based ATC had handed down two five-and-a-half-year prison
sentences to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed for his links with the banned group and
for collecting money to fund terrorism. Saeed, designated a global terrorist by
both the United States and the UN, founded LeT in the 1990s but had distanced
himself from the group since Pakistani authorities outlawed the organisation.
Saeed denies
allegations that he masterminded the Mumbai attacks or any other subversive
acts in India.
Washington has
offered a $10 million reward for bringing Saeed to justice. Several of his
aides are also currently on trial in Pakistan in terrorism-related cases.
Pakistan has
been under growing international pressure, particularly from the US, to crack
down on militant groups operating in the country in the name of Islamic
charities.
The Paris-based
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan two years ago on its “grey
list” of countries with inadequate controls over money-laundering and terrorism
financing. It has been pressing the country to improve its efforts against
terrorism and has given Pakistan a 27-point action programme to avoid being
placed on FATF’s blacklist, which would make international dealings almost
impossible for Islamabad.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pak-court-suspends-sentence-of-two-jud-leaders/articleshow/77531933.cms
--------
Sikh girl who
embraced Islam leaves Darul Aman to live with Muslim husband
Aug 13, 2020
AMRITSAR: Jagjit
Kaur alias Ayesha Bibi finally went to live with her Muslim husband Muhammad
Hassan at his house in Lahore from Darul Aman on Thursday where she had stayed
for nearly a year even as her father and brother met Pakistan Punjab’s governor
Chaudhary Mohammad Sarwar seeking his intervention to bring back Jagjit to the
family.
While talking to
TOI over phone from Lahore, Muhammad Sultan Sheikh, counsel for Ayesha and her
husband Hassan, said that there was an atmosphere of jubilation and sweets were
distributed outside Darul Aman for their victory.
Sultan said he
had accompanied Hassan and his family members to Darul Aman to pick Ayesha and
dropped all of them at Hassan’s house in his car amid heavy security
arrangement.
Notably, on
August 12, Lahore High Court had ordered to send Ayesha with her husband after
she gave a statement in the court that she didn’t want to go to her parents’
house but wanted to live with Hassan.
Daughter of
Bhagwan Singh who is granthi of Gurdwara Tambu Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Ayesha had
embraced Islam on August 28 last year and married her Muslim boyfriend Hassan
the next day. However, following tension between two communities in Nankana
Sahib, a local court had ordered to send Jagjit at Darul Aman where she had
been staying for nearly a year.
Pictures of
Hassan and his father Zulfiqar Ali sharing sweets and greetings with friends
were released on social media.
Kaur’s brother
Manmohan Singh said a delegation of Sikhs met Sarwar. However, he didn’t give
details of their meetings. Notably earlier also Sarwar had intervened to bring
truce between Ayesha and Hassan’s parents and had invited them at Governor
House but to no avail.
Meanwhile,
Amritsar Lok Sabha Member Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla has written a
letter to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan seeking his intervention in the
issue. He has ‘warned’ Khan that he will raise the issue at the international
level and Prime Minister Narnedra Modi.
“I strongly
condemn the oppression and harassment of the Sikh girls in the hands of persons
belonging to the majority religion. I, first of all, request you to resolve
this issue in a very peaceful, fair, judicious manner or else this matter shall
be taken up by me with Indian prime minister and also at international forums
to ensure that speedy justice is delivered and no such oppression, harassment,
and coercion shall be tolerated at any cost," Aujla said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sikh-girl-who-embraced-islam-leaves-darul-aman-to-live-with-muslim-husband/articleshow/77529819.cms
--------
China angry with
Pak over poor security for its CPEC workers
Aug 14, 2020
NEW DELHI:
Despite China reinvigorating the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with a
fresh infusion of $11 billion in July, growing discord at the working levels as
well as corruption is marring its flagship Belt and Road Initiative in
Pakistan.
In recent
meetings between Chinese and Pakistani officials, reports of which have been
leaked and seen by TOI, the Chinese side have expressed anger and frustration
with Pakistan regarding lack of security — these complaints are escalating to
senior levels of the Pakistan army who are expected to comply with Chinese
demands. Pakistan has raised an entire special security division (SSD) to
provide protection to Chinese contractors and workers along CPEC.
The discord
between the two sides has been sharp regarding the Karot hydropower project in
Punjab, as well as at the Azad Pattan project, where the Chinese are unhappy
about the progress and lack of security. A similar story is heard from the
Kohala hydropower project. Repeated Chinese complaints have led to both the
army and civilian government scrambling to accede to these demands. Disputes
over design and execution of this project have been going on since 2019. When
officials from the two countries attempted to resolve them, China refused to
accept the resolution plan given by Pakistan.
In other places,
for instance, in the Mattiari-Lahore road project, or even the Peshawar-Karachi
road project, the Chinese contractors are chafing against what they call
“strict security” by the Pakistani SSD. They want to be able to get around a
lot more and have demanded greater “flexibility” of movement, particularly in
Lahore.
In a third
instance, the two sides are squabbling over the amount of protection the
Chinese company, China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) have demanded at Sukhri
Kinari Hydro Power Project. The Pakistan SSD wants to monitor fewer sites, the
Chinese want more, and have complained that they are being asked to hire
additional security guards.
The agreements
at the strategic levels in both countries show a tight relationship where CPEC
is key to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). With
all its trials, CPEC appears to be moving forward. Recently, Pakistan’s
Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the strategically
important $6.8 billion Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project—the most expensive
project under CPEC.
At the ground
level, however, it is a different story, with compounding security worries for
China, massive corruption by entities from both countries and a growing debt
trap for Pakistan.
China has
repeatedly raised concerns in recent weeks at rising violence by Balochistan
militants which, according to Pakistani security experts like Muhammad Amir
Rana, are expanding their footprint from Balochistan into Sindh, as was seen
during the June 29 attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange.
According to
media reports, China has been asking Pakistan to get the Balochistan Liberation
Army (BLA) banned by the UNSC, but this movement has not received traction yet.
Recent reports
have given glimpses of the scale of corruption in CPEC deals which have been
detailed by internal reports which basically show both civilian and military
leaders in Pakistan are on the take.
Investigations
into poor quality construction of a new airport in Islamabad showed defalcation
of funds by a large number of people in the upper reaches of the Pakistan
military.
A related
problem is that incidents of violence by Chinese workers or contractors against
Pakistani security men go unaddressed, with army officers repeatedly asking
their men to stand down and not confront the Chinese, affecting the morale of
the men.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/china-angry-with-pak-over-poor-security-for-its-cpec-workers/articleshow/77536346.cms
--------
Celebrations of
73rd Independence Day begin with traditional zeal across the country
14 Aug 2020
The celebrations
of the 73rd Independence Day began with traditional zeal and fervour across the
country as change of guard ceremonies were held at Mazaar-i-Quaid and
Mazaar-i-Iqbal in Karachi and Lahore respectively.
Flag hoisting
ceremonies were held at public and private offices across the country and
special programmes were scheduled to observe the Independence Day.
Messages were
also released by President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, who
recalled the sacrifices of the forefathers and those who fought for and laid
down their lives in defence of the country.
The president
called upon the nation to "stand firm and work for progress and
prosperity" of the country. He urged the people to stay united in order to
meet the challenges that are being faced by Pakistan.
Prime Minister
Imran, whose message was posted in a series of tweets by the PM Office's
Twitter account, said that the day was "an occasion to pause and to
reflect as to how far we have been able to achieve those ideals that led to
creation of an independent state".
He also paid
tribute to "all those sons of the soil who laid their lives while
defending and protecting territorial as well as ideological frontiers of the
motherland" and pledged to "continue pursuing" the ideals of the
nation's founder Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
"We have
battled against odds both at external as well as internal fronts," the
prime minister said. "From the hostility of a neighbouring country, with
its known hegemonic intentions, to the scourge of terrorism and from coping
with natural calamities to fighting pandemics, our nation has always shown
resilience and perseverance. Today, we reiterate our pledge to remain steadfast
and embrace every challenge holding the torch of 'Unity, Faith and Discipline'."
The president
and the prime minister also directed the nation's attention towards the
"gross human rights violations" committed by the Indian forces in
Indian occupied Kashmir.
President Arif
Alvi, in his message, said that the residents of occupied Kashmir have been
suffering at the hands of the Indian forces for the past three decades. He
further said that "gross human rights violations" by the Indian
forces have intensified since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party repealed the
autonomy of the occupied territory last year. He assured occupied Kashmir's
people that "Pakistan will continue to support them in their just struggle
for their Right to Self-Determination as enshrined in the United Nations
Security Council resolutions".
The prime
minister said that the nation's "heart [is] profoundly grieved by the
sufferings of our brethren in IIOJK who are facing military siege since past
one year". He reaffirmed Pakistan's support for occupied Kashmir's
residents' "struggle for their right to self-determination" and
promised to raise the issue on every forum.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574334/celebrations-of-73rd-independence-day-begin-with-traditional-zeal-across-the-country
--------
JUI-F chief
slams govt for hastily approving FATF-related bills
Kalbe Ali
14 Aug 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday
condemned the government for hastily getting the FATF-related bills passed
through the parliament and said it was due to weak governance and failed
foreign policy that the government could not withstand the pressure of the
FATF.
Speaking to
media after a two-day meeting of JUI-F lawmakers and provincial chiefs, Maulana
Fazl said that the JUI-F’s opposition to FATF-related bills was based on
principles.
He said it was
not for the first time that Pakistan had been put on the grey list as it had
happened earlier, too, and Pakistan was cleared from it, but previous
governments had not been blackmailed by the FATF.
“The JUI-F took
a stand on the legislation passed in parliament and opposed these bills as we
consider them anti-Pakistan bills,” the Maulana said, adding that
parliamentarians were not even consulted over the matter.
He said the MMA
and some other parties were excluded from consultation over these bills and it
was against democracy, too.
The JUI-F chief
said that Pakistan was making FATF-related laws only under pressure from India
and its supporters around the world.
He raised the
issue of Kashmir in the FATF laws recently passed by the parliament and said
that it was due to the failure of diplomacy that Kashmir issue had been
shelved.
“What will
happen if the United Nations or the FATF declares Kashmir freedom fighters
terrorists?” the Maulana asked, adding that “there is no provision in the law
for rehabilitation of Kashmiri freedom fighters”.
The Maulana said
that these legislations had been drafted by the incompetent government, adding
that the government had failed to maintain a balance in international relations
and due to failed diplomacy the government had not only annoyed Saudi Arabia,
but also displeased China too over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The JUI-F chief
also expressed displeasure over PPP and PML-N attitude, saying that both
parties had not responded appropriately to the call for a meeting of Rehbar
committee.
“We met Bilawal
one day and Shahbaz Sharif the next day and it was decided to hold a meeting of
Rehbar Committee after Eidul Azha,” the Maulana said, but the next day both
parties voted for the government bills despite the fact that there was no need
to get blackmailed by the government.
He said that key
opposition parties were still in contact with the JUI-F and a multi-party
conference would be held when JUI-F reservations and concerns were removed.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574294/jui-f-chief-slams-govt-for-hastily-approving-fatf-related-bills
--------
Any plan to
change Karachi’s status will be ‘attack’ on Sindh, says Bilawal
Imran Ayub
14 Aug 2020
KARACHI:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said
that any move to change the administrative status of Karachi under legal cover
would be a second such ‘attack’ on the province after the ‘judicial murder’ of
former prime minister and founding chief of the party Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
However, in the
same breath he expressed the hope that no such move would emerge and the
challenges would be met with consensus and national unity instead of playing
politics on national issues.
Addressing a
press conference along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and key
members of the Sindh cabinet at the Sindh Assembly auditorium, he also
expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying it would play its role and would
not support any undemocratic move and would stand by the Constitution and the
law.
“God willing, no
such thing would happen,” he responded immediately while replying to a question
about a proposed plan of the federal government for Karachi which was recently
mentioned by the attorney general in the Supreme Court.
Amid worsening
situation of the provincial metropolis, the federal government was considering
“available constitutional and legal options” in order to fix problems of
Karachi, the attorney general had informed the court.
Claims Sindh govt’s
response to Covid-19 has been lauded by WHO
“But God forbid
anything happens and the PTI government attempts to occupy Sindh capital and
make it a colony, it will be solely illegal move. And if they try to give it a
judicial cover, then it will be a second such attack after the judicial murder
of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. And this would not be acceptable for us. I hope
no such thing will happen. It’s most challenging time of our history where we
are facing issues from economy to social sector. There is a need for unity and
more focus on the main issues.”
About the role
of his and other opposition parties in parliament during the recent legislation
and passing amendments to some crucial laws, he said the PPP went to all
extents to support the government only to save Pakistan from the blacklist of
the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). But, he claimed, the government was
demanding more than requirements of the FATF, which his party would not
support.
“We are against
three bills,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari. “Among them are CrPC Amendment Bill, the
Economic Terrorism Bill and the AMLA [Anti-Money Laundering] Bill. They are not
only more than the requirement of the FATF, but they would also compromise
basic human rights. The PPP has accepted the FATF and constitutional
requirements under the democratic process, but not the undemocratic ones
through which they are trying to obtain dictatorial powers.”
The PPP chairman
looked visibly angry when the performance of his 12-year government in Sindh
was questioned along with the role of the provincial administration during the
Covid-19 crisis.
He asked media
persons: “Please don’t be a tout of the establishment”.
He said: “It
doesn’t make sense to insult our intelligence and people on the ground during the
coronavirus crisis. Our policy is very clear and that is to save people’s
lives. Today every international body including the Bill Gates Foundation and
the World Health Organisation (WHO) are lauding the role of the Sindh
government. So don’t repeat the establishment’s point.”
The auditorium
of the Sindh Assembly burst into roars of laughter when the PPP chairman after
a pause told the journalists that he had been advised not to use the word
‘establishment’ during the press conference.
“Now you can
imagine how free we are. And definitely we are going to celebrate the
Independence Day tomorrow [Aug 14],” he said with a broad smile on his face.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574229/any-plan-to-change-karachis-status-will-be-attack-on-sindh-says-bilawal
--------
Qureshi’s Saudi
criticism on Kashmir hints shift in Pakistan’s strategy for the Islamic world
SUSHANT SAREEN
13 August, 2020
Pakistan’s
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi seemed hellbent on demolishing one of the
pillars of his country’s foreign policy when he openly threatened Saudi Arabia
to either lead the Muslim ummah and OIC against India’s constitutional reforms
in Jammu and Kashmir, or else he would be left with no choice but to advise his
prime minister, who has proclaimed himself as the ‘Ambassador of Kashmir’, that
Pakistan must move forward and call a session of all those Islamic countries
that are ready to stand with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, “with or without”
the Saudis. The unusually harsh tone of Qureshi against the Saudis, and all his
dramatics – contorting his face and speaking in his usual affected manner –
against a country that has for decades been a benefactor of a basket case that
Pakistan has become is likely to hold serious implications, not just on
Saudi-Pakistan relations, but also on Qureshi’s own political career.
Although Qureshi
was quite clear that his strident stand against the Saudi’s was his personal
opinion, it was endorsed by Pakistan’s foreign office which said that the
minister’s statement was “a reflection of people’s aspirations and expectations
from the OIC to take forward the dispute of Jammu & Kashmir
internationally.” A day after his initial outburst, Qureshi softened his tone
and tenor on Saudi Arabia. In a subsequent interview, even as he bent over backward
to express gratitude for everything the Saudis had done for Pakistan, he
clarified that because Pakistan considered Saudi Arabia as their own, a brother
country, it felt entitled to remonstrate against them, something they wouldn’t
do with any other country. There are reports that efforts were being made on
the back channel to ensure that damage was controlled. Later, a meeting took
place between the real ruler of Pakistan, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and
the Saudi Ambassador, and it has been revealed that Bajwa might be visiting
Riyadh to smoothen ruffled feathers. While he is in Riyadh, it is expected that
Bajwa will most likely push the envelope on not just seeking Saudi support in
OIC on Kashmir but also a restoration of the $3.2 billion Saudi deferred oil
facility which hasn’t been renewed, and appeal the Saudis to not demand the $3
billion they had loaned Pakistan for Balance of Payments support. The Saudis
asking the Pakistanis to pay back what they have borrowed is a big deal because
until now it has mostly been a free ride for the Pakistanis – the loans they
take are never repaid to the Saudis. If now the Saudis are asking their money
back, it isn’t because of the Saudi economic crisis but because of some serious
strains in the bilateral relationship.
Clearly, there
is something happening in the Saudi-Pakistan relationship that doesn’t quite
add up. Qureshi is no green horn like many other members of Imran Khan’s
cabinet. As a seasoned politician, he isn’t given to making emotional
outbursts, unless of course it is with a purpose. All his pretensions of being
deeply disturbed about Kashmir are only that. Around 20 years back, during a
meeting at the PPP office in Islamabad, Qureshi told this writer that he was
from Multan where Kashmir had no resonance and that it was an obsession only in
the Raiwind to Rawalpindi belt of Punjab. Now suddenly, if he is pretending to
be a bleeding heart on Kashmir, it isn’t out of love for the Kashmiris but more
to peddle some agenda. This could be a personal political agenda – positioning
himself as a crusader on Kashmir who is pushing for stronger domestic and
international action.
Such a strident
stand would burnish his ‘patriotic’ credentials and present him as an
acceptable alternative to Imran Khan, if and when Imran’s ‘selectors’ decide to
replace him. If his gambit succeeds, he will get credit for a robust policy on
Kashmir; if he becomes the fall guy, he can present himself as a martyr to the
Kashmir ‘cause’. He tried to pull something similar nearly ten years back when
he rebelled against his own government on the Raymond Davis case in 2011. At
that time too he was said to have been put up to play spoiler by the men in
Khaki. And quite like in 2011, this time too there are rumours about the
longevity of the Imran Khan government and for months there has been talk of
Qureshi trying to manoeuvre himself as a possible replacement of Imran Khan.
This is the Bhutto-in-Tashkent model. The problem is that it worked for
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto because he was a charismatic leader, something Qureshi
isn’t. Qureshi lost his own provincial assembly seat in the 2018 election and
at best has a following in a couple of constituencies, and that too because of
his Gaddi as a spiritual leader of a shrine.
Of course, his
overweening ambitions aside, Qureshi couldn’t have been behaving the loose
cannon without someone really powerful – in Pakistan this only means the
military – giving him the nod. There are two or three possible explanations.
The first
explanation is that this was a trial balloon. The Pakistanis have been trying
hard for an year to get the OIC to play a more pro-active role on Kashmir. But
the Saudis, along with the UAE and a few other important Arab countries,
haven’t shown much interest. They have fobbed off the Pakistanis by getting the
OIC Contact Group to issue meaningless statements. While the Saudi’s are a
member of this 5 nation group, the other members are Pakistan, Turkey, Niger
and Azerbaijan. Needless to say, apart from the Saudis, and to an extent
Turkey, all the other countries are quite inconsequential even in the Islamic
bloc. The Saudis however have not allowed any mention of Kashmir in the Mecca
Declaration of OIC, nor have they allowed an extraordinary session of OIC
foreign ministers on Kashmir in Pakistan, something the Pakistanis have been
pitching for rather desperately. Worse, the OIC invited the Indian foreign
minister Sushma Swaraj as a guest of honour in UAE – the Pakistanis boycotted
that session – in early 2019 after the Balakot attack. The Saudis, Bahrain and
UAE have honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with their highest award – the
last two countries did this after the constitutional reforms in Jammu and
Kashmir last August. The Pakistanis were cut to the bone but continued to try
for the foreign ministers meeting. It is now believed that through Qureshi,
they have tried to rattle the cage. Issuing an ultimatum to the Saudis is a
gamble. If it works, and the Saudis are
pressured into doing Pakistan’s bidding, the Pakistanis can crow about their
diplomatic success; if the Saudis react strongly, the Pakistanis can go on
their knees and apologise profusely and blame it all on Qureshi, whom the
Saudis don’t like much anyway because they see him as someone who earns his
wealth from a grave – the shrine whose custodian he is.
The second
possible explanation is that Qureshi was signalling the beginning of a shift of
strategy in Pakistan’s playbook in the Islamic world. Most Pakistanis disparage
the OIC as “Oh I see”, an organisation that really delivers nothing on the
causes dear to the Islamic Ummah. For some time now, there have been stirrings
to build an alternative Islamic bloc which isn’t tied to or tied down by the
Arabs. Among the countries that appear keen on this new bloc are Iran, Turkey
and Malaysia. Both Iran and Turkey have very strained relations with the
Saudis, partly for historical, sectarian, cultural and ethnic reasons, and
partly for geo-political reasons. In the Islamic world, the Arabs are the top
dogs, the Persians and Turkic people form the second and third rung. Countries
like Pakistan and Malaysia are the bureaucratic equivalent of Class IV
employees of the Ummah (or in Pakistan’s bureaucratic parlance, the below Grade
10 employees).
Last year, the
Pakistanis along with other countries tried to sow the seeds of an alternative
OIC when a proposal was floated for a global Islamic TV channel and a summit
was organised in Kuala Lumpur, where one of the issues that would be
highlighted was Kashmir. The Saudis however were furious. The Saudi Crown
Prince, who had given his personal aircraft to Imran Khan to travel to the UN
General Assembly, took back his plane, forcing Imran Khan to travel back in a
commercial airliner. Later, the Saudis warned the Pakistanis that if they dared
to do go ahead with Malaysia, not only would the Saudis cut off all financial
support – they gave the Pakistanis $6.2 billion in 2018-19 – but also deport
Pakistani workers (who send around $5 billion every year in remittances), and
replace them with Bangladeshis. Imran Khan succumbed to the threat and did not
go to Malaysia. But the cracks had already appeared in the relationship. The
Pakistanis were not just cut up about the lack of support on Kashmir, but also
the growing closeness between Saudi Arabia and India, both political and
diplomatic, and also in security and economic domain. Over the last few years,
the Saudi-India relationship has strengthened – Saudi have deported terrorists
and fugitives to India, the economic relationship is burgeoning, the political
ties are better than any time in the past. Not just the Saudis, but also with
their close allies UAE, India’s relations have become extremely close and
strong. This was Pakistan’s playground and now India was crowding them out.
Apart from the
India factor, there were other problems that had started to emerge in the
Pak-Saudi relationship. Pakistan’s refusal to join the Saudi-UAE forces in the
Yemen operations in 2015 didn’t go down well with both the Arab countries. At
that time, the Chinese were sinking in money into Pakistan under the CPEC
project and Pakistan’s ailing economy was given a boost. With the Chinese
keeping their back – Xi Jinping had reportedly assured Nawaz Sharif that the Pakistanis that China would stand behind
them in the event its ties with the Arab world unravelled – the Pakistanis felt
bold enough to say no to the Saudis. The Chinese also blocked Saudis becoming a
strategic partner in CPEC, something that the Pakistanis had announced after
Imran Khan’s visit to Riyadh in September 2018. The Pakistanis were also chary
of getting dragged into the Saudi-Iran sectarian conflict because of its
repercussions inside Pakistan. Add to this, Pakistan’s growing closeness with
Turkey which was emerging as an important security partner for not just
Pakistan’s overt but also covert wars especially against India. With the
Saudi-Turk relationship, always a little testy, going into a tailspin as a
result of the Khashoggi affair, the Saudis were never going to look kindly on
any compact with the Turks and Iranians. But the Pakistanis might be feeling
that the time had come to break loose from the Saudi strings and exercise
strategic autonomy. At the very least, hold this as a threat to make the Saudis
address their concerns.
The third explanation
is a rather sinister one, but cannot entirely be ruled out given Pakistan’s
propensity for adventurism. The Pakistanis have for long developed deep
contacts in the Saudi system. Pakistani forces are stationed in Saudi Arabia,
ostensibly for training and advisory purposes. Some reports even claim the
Pakistanis are there to defend the royal family. Given the divisions inside
Saudi Arabia, could the Pakistanis be part of a deeper conspiracy by some other
faction of the royal family? Although it sounds a little far-fetched and quite
speculative, could the Pakistanis be aware of something, or even be a part of
some such plan to topple the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman? Even the
slightest possibility of something like this would mean that the presence of
Pakistani security personnel in Saudi Arabia constitutes a danger to the royal
family which really needs to reconsider using a mercenary army for its
protection. For the Pakistanis, despite MbS having arranged Imran Khan’s
meeting with US President Donald Trump and promising big investments in
Pakistan, his impetuousness and his outreach to India makes him very unreliable
and raises questions over the future trajectory of Saudi-Pakistan relations.
Clearly, they would prefer someone more conservative at the helm in Riyadh,
someone who will stick to the old template in which Pakistan was the ‘most
favoured nation’.
It is entirely
possible that the Pakistanis will back down from taking on the Saudis. The
economic, diplomatic and political implications of going against the Saudis
extend to going against virtually the entire Gulf and other Arab states. But
the cracks that were already visible have widened and while they might still be
papered over for some more time, they are unlikely to be repaired completely. Can
India make use of this opportunity to further strengthen its relations with the
Saudis and other of its close allies like the UAE?
Sushant Sareen
@sushantsareen is Senior Fellow at Observer Research Foundation. Views are
personal.
https://theprint.in/opinion/qureshis-saudi-criticism-on-kashmir-hints-shift-in-pakistans-strategy-for-the-islamic-world/480965/
--------
Can’t doubt
centrality of Saudi, says Pak army ahead of Gen Bajwa’s Riyadh mission
Imtiaz Ahmad
Aug 13, 2020
Pakistan army
chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa will soon travel to Saudi Arabia, a senior
military official said on Thursday, confirming the visit that is seen as an
effort by the Imran Khan government to mend ties with the kingdom is on the
cards.
Major General
Babar Iftikhar, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, insisted that Gen
Bajwa’s visit was a pre-planned tour linked to “military-to-military relations”
between the two countries.
“There is no
need to read too much into it,” he told reporters at his briefing, describing
relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as “historic, important and good”.
“Nobody can doubt the centrality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to islamic
world,” the military spokesperson said in response to a question. A Reuters
report quoting military officials said the visit will take place this weekend
but there was no independent confirmation from Riyadh.
The visit is
widely seen as an effort by Islamabad to repair ties with Saudi Arabia that has
been upset at the Imran Khan government badgering Riyadh to convene a meeting
of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Conference to target India
over Kashmir.
Foreign minister
Shah Mehmood Qureshi crossed the red line last week when he asked OIC to “stop
dilly-dallying” and set a deadline for the Saudi-led grouping of 57 Islamic
countries. “If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime
Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready
to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,”
Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a Pakistani news channel last week.
The remark did
not go down well with the Saudi leadership which had made Pakistan pay back $1
billion two weeks ago, forcing Islamabad to borrow from China instead. The
Saudis are yet to respond to Pakistan’s request for a $3.2bn oil credit
facility, part of a $6.2bn package announced in 2018.
Analysts have
said that the Pakistan military leadership enjoys better relations with the
Saudi leadership than the country’s political leaders.
Saudi Arabia is
also asking for another $1bn back, putting pressure on Pakistan’s fragile
foreign exchange reserves. But the bigger blow would be if the Saudi government
starts to send back the approximately 2.5 million Pakistanis who live and work
in the Kingdom.
If need be,
officials have privately said that the Pakistan Foreign Minister may be removed
from his position in a bid to normalise relations with the Saudi leadership.
The Pakistan
foreign minister has twice postponed his press conference to explain his remarks
in a bid to placate Saudi Arabia, the last on Tuesday.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/don-t-read-too-much-into-it-says-pak-army-on-gen-bajwa-s-saudi-mission/story-NakBXSpAJc2539VBunUN8H.html
--------
North America
Trump believes Palestinians
will seek peace after US brokers UAE-Israel deal
14 August 2020
US President
Donald Trump on Thursday said he thinks Palestinians will seek peace with
Israel.
"I see
ultimately the Palestinians, I see peace between Israel and the Palestinians –
I see that happening," he told a news conference.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Trump on
Thursday managed to pull off a rare victory for US diplomacy in the Middle East
ahead of his Nov. 3 re-election bid by helping to broker a deal between
American allies Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
The Gulf
monarchy and Israel agreed to a normalization of diplomatic relations. Israel
also said it would suspend annexing areas of the occupied West Bank as it had
been planning to do.
Soon after he
sealed the agreement by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
one of his strongest supporters, and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed
bin Zayed, Trump called it a "HUGE breakthrough" on Twitter and told
reporters other similar Middle East deals are in the works.
The chance to
play global statesman was compelling for Trump, who trails in public opinion
polls ahead of what is shaping up as a tough election battle against Democratic
challenger Joe Biden and has struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic that
has battered the US economy.
Two of the
Republican president's primary Middle East endeavors have sputtered in the past
year. The new agreement, known as the Abraham Accord, has the potential to
impact both.
Trump has been
unable to negotiate what has been billed as the "deal of the century"
between Israel and the Palestinians, and a peace plan he proposed in January
that heavily favored the Israelis has not advanced in any significant way.
Trump, who
walked away from the international nuclear deal with Iran, also has been unable
to get concessions from Tehran in spite of a "maximum pressure"
campaign aimed at isolating the Iranians.
Israel and the
UAE, along with the another strong regional US ally in Saudi Arabia, count Iran
as an important enemy, bolstering their joint opposition to Tehran.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/14/Trump-believes-Palestinians-will-seek-peace-after-US-brokers-UAE-Israel-deal.html
--------
US
administration seizes ships carrying Iranian oil
Jeyhun
Aliyev
14.08.2020
The US
administration seized tanker ships allegedly carrying Iranian oil on the
grounds that it violated the sanctions against Tehran, according to the Wall
Street Journal on Thursday.
The four fuel
cargo vessels -- Luna, Pandi, Bering and Bella -- were confiscated in recent
days in the open sea for the first time for violating sanctions imposed by the
US President Donald Trump administration, and are currently on its way to
Houston, it said, citing US officials.
In July, US
prosecutors filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran
was trying to ship to Venezuela, aiming to prevent the revenues flow from oil
sales to Iran.
Iran’s economy,
traditionally dependent on oil exports, has withered in recent years with the
US government reinstating crippling economic sanctions.
The tensions
between Iran and the US escalated after Trump announced a unilateral exit from
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions that had been
eased by his predecessor.
Iran’s oil
industry has been hit hard by the sanctions, with many countries cutting down
oil imports from Iran, fearing backlash from the US.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-administration-seizes-ships-carrying-iranian-oil/1941427
--------
Friends of
Israel in Congress wreck US ties with Turkey
Vakkas
Dogantekin
13.08.2020
US lawmakers
with strong ties to Israel have worked for two years to sabotage American
relations with NATO ally Turkey and even not transparently worked behind the
scenes to block arms sales.
Four key
congressmen have clandestinely worked to freeze "all major US arms sales
to Turkey for nearly two years in a move to pressure Ankara to abandon its
Russian-built S-400 air defense system," according to a report by US-based
Defense News.
Turkey decided
in 2017 to purchase the anti-missile system following protracted efforts to
purchase an American defense system had no success. US President Donald Trump
emphasized on multiple occasions it was the fault of the Barack Obama
administration to ignore Turkey's request to purchase the US-made Patriots
system.
"[The]
Obama administration said no, no, no to Turkey when they wanted to purchase
Patriots and [Turkey] bought S400," Trump said in June 2019 and called the
Obama administration's reluctance and failure to sell Patriots to Turkey a
“mess.”
During his
second term, Obama turned a blind eye to all national security claims by Turkey
and instead of treating Ankara as a NATO ally, it financially and militarily
supported the YPG/PKK terror group in northern Syria at the expense of Turkey
and provided shelter to key members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization
(FETO) which Ankara accuses of masterminding a defeated military coup in July
2016.
FETO's brutal
military coup attempt left 251 Turks dead and more than 2,200 wounded in less
than 12 hours July 15. The terror group's leader Fetullah Gulen still lives in
the US state of Pennsylvania, with US officials turning a deaf ear to Turkey's
extradition requests.
The Defense News
report mentions Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch and House
of Representatives Foreign Affairs ranking member Mike McCaul as lawmakers who
were part of the freeze.
It also reported
two other lawmakers who are also part of anti-Turkey efforts in Congress as
being House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel and Senate Foreign
Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez, citing multiple Capitol Hill
sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Anti-Turkey
lawmakers all cite Ankara’s purchase of the S-400 and its alleged proximity to
Russia as motive behind the controversial move at a time when never uttering a
word about Israel's warm relations with Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who is fighting serious personal corruption charges, boasts warm
relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, visiting and hosting the
Russian leader several times in recent years to discuss various topics.
While Israel and
Russia have never confronted each other militarily, Turkey and Russia are at
odds in the Syrian and Libyan conflicts.
All staunchest
supporters of Israeli interests
According to
www.jewishpoliticalguide.com that assesses the proximity of American senators
and representatives to Israeli interests, all four lawmakers who work day and
night to disrupt Turkish-American relations are staunch allies of Israel.
When
individually checked, each lawmaker has received substantial donations from
Israeli lobbies and: opposed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement,
and supported the combating of BDS Act of 2017; opposed the Iran deal;
supported controversial US embassy move to Jerusalem; supported the Israel
Anti-boycott Act; supported the US Israel security Assistance Authorization Act
of 2018 and opposed UN Security Council Resolution 2334 which said Israel's
illegal settlement activity by stealing Palestinian land constitutes a
"flagrant violation" of international law and has "no legal
validity."
The Turkish Embassy
in Washington said in a statement: "There are a number of arms procurement
cases for Turkey, pending approval in Congress. As a staunch member of NATO and
an ally of the U.S., we are confident that approval of these requests without
further delay will be a natural outcome of our strategic cooperation," as
cited by the report.
"The U.S.
is our number one trade partner in defense industry and we believe that it is
in the strategic interest of both Turkey and the U.S. to further increase our
bilateral cooperation in this field."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/friends-of-israel-in-congress-wreck-us-ties-with-turkey/1940742
--------
Mideast
West Bank
annexation still ‘on the table’, says Netanyahu
14 Aug 2020
JERUSALEM:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he agreed to delay
annexation in the occupied West Bank as part of a normalisation deal with the
UAE but the plans remain “on the table”.
Netanyahu said
that in agreement with US President Donald Trump he had “delayed” West Bank annexation
plans, but that he would “never give up our rights to our land”.
Netanyahu, like
many in the Jewish state, refers to the occupied West Bank as Judea and Samaria
and claims the territory as part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
Agreement
removes time-bomb of annexation: UAE
“We will
definitely not locate anything in Jerusalem. West or East. Unless there is a
final agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians.” Gargash urged the
Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table but said that the
issue was not in the hands of the UAE.
The United Arab
Emirates’ Senior official Anwar Gargash said the deal had helped defuse what he
called the ticking time-bomb of Israel’s planned annexation of settlements in
the occupied West Bank that was threatening a two-state solution to the
IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
Gargash,
minister of state for foreign affairs, said the agreement was a bold but
necessary step to take in the region.
“The region is
very polarised. You will hear the usual noise but I think it is important to
move forward,” he told reporters in a briefing.
Delegations from
Israel and the UAE, a regional business and investment hub, will meet in coming
weeks to sign bilateral agreements on investment, tourism, direct flights,
security, telecommunications and other issues, the statement said.
Iran calls
UAE-Israel deal ‘shameful’
Iran’s Tasnim
news agency, which is affiliated to the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards,
said Thursday’s deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates on normalising
ties was “shameful”. Iran’s clerical leaders have yet to react to the deal.
Israel and the
UAE reached a deal on Thursday on seeking the full normalisation of diplomatic
relations between the two Middle Eastern nations, in an agreement that US
President Donald Trump helped broker.
Israel-UAE deal
‘does not serve Palestinian cause’: Hamas
The Gaza Strip’s
Islamist leaders Hamas on Thursday rejected a historic agreement between Israel
and the UAE saying it did not serve the Palestinian cause.
“The agreement
with the UAE is a reward for the Israeli occupation and crimes,” Hamas
spokesman Hazem Qasem said.
Johnson welcomes
deal
British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson welcomed an agreement between Israel and the United Arab
Emirates that will lead to a full normalisation of diplomatic relations between
the two states.
“The UAE and
Israels decision to normalise relations is hugely good news,” Johnson said on
Twitter.
“It was my
profound hope that annexation did not go ahead in the West Bank and todays
agreement to suspend those plans is a welcome step on the road to a more
peaceful Middle East.” Foreign minister Dominic Raab said it was “time for
direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel, the only route to lasting
peace.”
Sisi praises
deal
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday praised the US-brokered deal between
Israel and the United Arab Emirates that would halt Israeli annexation of
Palestinian land.
“I read with
interest and great appreciation the joint statement between the United States,
the brotherly United Arab Emirates and Israel concerning the halt of Israel’s annexation
of Palestinian land,” Sisi said in a tweet, adding that this would help bring
“peace” to the Middle East. Sisi’s remarks came after US President Donald
Trump’s surprise announcement Thursday that the UAE and Israel would normalise
ties.
The deal would
make the UAE only the third Arab country Israel has diplomatic relations with
after Egypt and Jordan.
As part of the
deal, Israel has agreed to “suspend” plans to annex Jewish settlements and
other territory in the occupied West Bank, according to a joint statement from
the US, UAE and Israel tweeted by Trump.
“I appreciate
the efforts of the architects of this agreement for the prosperity and
stability of our region,” Sisi said.
In 1979, Egypt
and Israel signed the first-ever peace treaty between the Jewish state and an
Arab nation, upturning Middle East diplomatic and military relations.
Egypt has long
served as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas
that controls the Gaza Strip.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574316/west-bank-annexation-still-on-the-table-says-netanyahu
--------
‘Great news for
peace’: Former Israel, US officials react to historic UAE-Israel deal
13 August 2020
Former Israeli
and American officials involved in the Middle East peace process are applauding
the landmark UAE-Israel agreement set to normalize relations between the two
countries.
On Thursday US
President Donald Trump announced the “Abraham Accord,” a diplomatic agreement
between the UAE and Israel, which is Israel’s first peace treaty with an Arab
country in 25 years.
Nadav Tamir, a
former policy adviser to Israeli President Shimon Peres, told Al Arabiya
English that the agreement, which will halt Israeli annexation of the
Palestinian territories, was “great news for peace.”
“No annexation
and improved relations with an important Arab country,” said Tamir in an
interview with Al Arabiya English.
Former US envoy
to the Middle East Ambassador Dennis Ross said the UAE’s decision to normalize
relations with Israel in return for an annexation freeze is a “huge step.”
“It prevents
Israeli annexation which preserves the possibility of two states and the hope
for peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” said Ross, who played a leading
role in shaping US involvement in the Middle East peace process for over twelve
years, in an interview with Al Arabiya English.
Ross said that
while Palestinians may criticize the agreement, “the reality is annexation has
been prevented and that serves Palestinian interests.”
Palestinian
lawmaker Bernard Sabella expressed skepticism, telling Al Arabiya English after
the announcement that he wasn’t sure that the development “would really change
things on the ground with respect to settlements and annexation.”
Former Israeli
Parliament member Ksenia Svetlova told Al Arabiya English that Thursday was
“truly a historical and happy day for both countries.”
Israeli and
Emirati delegations will meet in the coming weeks to establish bilateral
agreements on a range of issues including tourism, telecommunications, and
healthcare.
Currently there
are no direct flights from the UAE to Israel. Phone calls between the two
countries are blocked and neither have diplomatic offices in each other’s
country.
However
collaboration relating to healthcare is underway - relating to the coronavirus
pandemic. In June it was announced two UAE private companies paired with
Israeli companies to collaborate on COVID-19 research and technology.
Svetlova said
both global and regional challenges call for cooperation between the two
countries.
“Our countries
have maintained good relations for a while and its wonderful that this
relationship will not be finally normalized and a peace treaty will be signed,”
she said.
Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously pledged to annex parts of the occupied
West Bank and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz had urged the military to
hasten preparations for the planned annexation.
In June, UAE
ambassador to Washington Youssef Al Otaiba said Israel cannot expect to
normalize relations with the Arab world if it pushes ahead with its annexation
plans, in an op-ed for Israel’s best-selling daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, published
in Hebrew.
Otaiba called
the potential move an “illegal takeover” of land Palestinians seek for a state.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/08/13/-Great-news-for-peace-Former-Israel-US-officials-react-to-historic-UAE-Israel-deal.html
--------
Iran, Iraq
Discuss Ways to Facilitate Mutual Trade
Aug 13, 2020
Senior Iranian and
Iraqi officials held a meeting in the Iraqi capital, and stressed the need to
reach the level of 20 billion dollars in their trade exchanges.
The meeting was
held between Iran's Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi and the Iraqi minister of
commerce in Baghdad late on Wednesday.
The two sides
reviewed issues related to Iran's exports of gas and electricity to Iraq.
Also, the two
officials underlined the importance of following up mutual agreements reached
between the two countries previously, making investment in joint borders,
facilitating trade exchanges and holding business exhibitions.
Iran and Iraq
stressed enhancement of trade exchanges to the level of 20 billion dollars
during the July visit of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kadhimi to Tehran.
Last month, Iranian
First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri reaffirmed the resolve by Iran and Iraq
to expand bilateral relations, and said that both sides will achieve their
objectives by preparing a comprehensive document on trade cooperation.
"The ties
between Tehran and Baghdad in different fields such as oil, gas, and
electricity has been expanded significantly, but there are still other various
fields for the expansion of economic relations," Jahangiri said,
addressing the joint talks of high-level delegations of Iran and Iraq.
He referred to
financial and banking relations as a prerequisite of expanding economic ties,
calling for the implementation of agreements between Iran and Iraq in the field
of finance and banking sector.
Jahangiri also
stressed the need for the activation of the Joint Economic Commission of the
two countries, and said, "The activation of the commissions could play an
important role in resolving issues and remove the obstacles."
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990523000427
--------
Israel behind
Port of Beirut explosions, says former Lebanon interior minister
13 August 2020
Lebanon’s former
interior minister accused Israel of being behind the Aug. 4 Port of Beirut
blasts that killed almost 200 people and injured over 6,000.
Nouhad Machnouk,
currently an MP representing Beirut, said Israel was clearly responsible for
the explosion, “but it does not have the courage to [say it’s responsible]
because it is a crime against humanity.”
For all the
latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Machnouk held a
press conference Wednesday, where he praised the lawmakers who resigned
following the blasts. “They are more courageous than my colleagues and me;
however, if I resign alone, will this result in anything?” he questioned.
The former
minister, previously a close ally of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, called
for an international committee to investigate the explosions.
He also lashed
out at President Michel Aoun, who said that an international investigation was
a “waste of time.”
“Which Lebanese
judge would dare announce the finding of remnants of rockets in the debris [at
the port],” Machnouk asked, in an apparent reference to Iran-backed Hezbollah’s
arsenal of missiles and rockets.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/14/Israel-behind-Port-of-Beirut-explosions-says-former-Lebanon-interior-minister.html
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UAE’s Jewish
community reacts to country’s historic agreement with Israel
13 August 2020
Elli Kriel,
founder of the first Jewish kosher eatery in the UAE, had just exchanged
traditional Arabic food with an Emirati client on Thursday when she heard the
news: Israel and the UAE signed a landmark peace agreement to normalize
relations.
“I was preparing
a meal for an Emirati customer and when he took the food, he gave me two boxes
of local dates in an exchange very appropriate for this historic day,” Kriel
told Al Arabiya English.
“How
coincidental that the news broke at that precious moment,” she added.
Kriel, who has
been a member of the UAE’s Jewish community for the past seven years, recently
made history when she launched the first kosher food service in the Gulf
region.
Kriel, who is
originally from South Africa, said she was excited by the peace treaty, which
she said paves the way for positive developments in the Middle East.
To the news of
the setting up of direct flights between UAE and Israel, she said: “I am ready
to embrace Israeli visitors into the UAE and share with them the delights of my
Emirati-influenced Kosher cuisine and appreciation of my adopted home.”
Kriel’s husband
Ross, who is president of the Jewish Council of the Emirates (JCE), said the
announcement “reflects the extent to which the UAE has demonstrated sustained
courage and pragmatism in seeking opportunities for peace and economic
development in the region.”
“Our community
members look forward to direct flights to Israel and welcoming Israeli friends
and visitors to the UAE,” he told Al Arabiya English.
UAE’s Chief
Rabbi says agreement is the futuristic vision of country’s leader
Chief Rabbi
Yehuda Sarna told Al Arabiya English on Thursday that the agreement between
Israel and the UAE is forward-looking and the product of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s vision.
“I believe that
what we are observing is the unfolding of His Highness’ vision of tolerance,
synergy, and the fusion of past and future,” said Rabbi Sarna, adding that the
country’s Year of Tolerance last year, which welcomed Pope Francis to capital
city Abu Dhabi, was one example.
“What excites me
most about the agreement is the potential to collaborate on education and
culture,” Rabbi Sarna added.
Israeli and
Emirati delegations are set to meet in the coming weeks to establish bilateral
agreements on a range of issues including education, culture, tourism,
telecommunications, and healthcare.
It is Israel’s
first peace treaty with an Arab country in 25 years.
Hope for
Israeli-Palestinian peace
David Zabinsky,
a young American who moved to Dubai five years ago, said he hopes the
diplomatic breakthrough would serve as a bridge to “enduring cooperation
between Israel and the entire Arab world starting with a symbiotic peace
agreement between Israel and Palestine,” he told Al Arabiya English.
In exchange for
full diplomatic relations with the UAE, Israel has pledged to halt annexation
of Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank.
Zabinsky said
some of his closest friends in Dubai are Emirati and Palestinian and that he
hopes the new agreement breaks down “walls between communities.”
“I envision Jews
and Muslims throughout the UAE and the region having Shabbat dinners and
Ramadan iftars together – realizing there is far more that brings us together
than pushes us apart,” he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/08/13/UAE-s-Jewish-community-reacts-to-country-s-historic-agreement-with-Israel.html
--------
Africa
Jordan: Israel
must choose between just peace, conflict
14.08.2020
Israel should
choose between a just peace and the option to continue the conflict, a top
Jordanian diplomat said Thursday, referring to an agreement between the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to normalize ties.
Jordan's Foreign
Minister Ayman al-Safadi said in a statement that the impact of the deal on
peace efforts is linked to the actions that Israel will take.
The Jewish state
and energy-rich Gulf state have agreed to normalize relations, US President
Donald Trump said Thursday, with Tel Aviv agreeing to delay its controversial
plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.
"If Israel
sees the agreement as an incentive for the end of the occupation and the return
of the Palestinian people's right to freedom and to establish their independent
state on the 1967 borders with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital, the region
will move towards a just peace. However, if Israel does not do this, the
conflict will deepen and threaten the whole region," al-Safadi said.
The Islamic
Action Front, the political arm of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood group, described
the deal as "stabbing the Palestinian issue."
In a statement,
the political party said the deal meant "betraying the nations who oppose
any normalization with the Zionist enemy."
The attitude of
Palestine and Jordan against the annexation plan is the reason that pushed
Israel to back down from its implementation, the statement said, adding some of
the Arab regimes "gave the green light to Israel" in implementing
plans to eliminate the Palestinian issue.
Noting that the
agreement does not represent the attitude of the UAE people supporting the
Palestinian issue, it said the UAE's step was "a dark day in the history
of the Arab nations."
The Islamic
Action Front also urged the UAE to take a step back from the move, which was a
result of the normalization work with Israel "secretly conducted for
years."
Israel and the
UAE reached a historic deal Thursday that will restore diplomatic ties between
them. The Emirates became the third Arab country to recognize Israel after
Jordan and Egypt.
The deal was
brokered by Trump in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
While the deal
has been welcomed by some nations, it has sparked tremendous outrage in most
Muslim countries.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/jordan-israel-must-choose-between-just-peace-conflict/1941378
--------
UN sounds alarm
over humanitarian crisis in NE Nigeria
13.08.2020
The COVID-19
pandemic has worsened the already distressing humanitarian situation in
conflict-marred parts of northeast Nigeria, the UN warned on Thursday.
“The ongoing
conflict in northeast Nigeria, now entering its eleventh year, and the upsurge
in violent attacks over the past year in the crisis-affected states of Borno,
Adamawa and Yobe have deepened humanitarian needs,” the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in a report.
It said the
virus pandemic “is further exacerbating the situation and risks wreaking havoc
on the most vulnerable population.”
“At least 10.6
million people are now in need of life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa and
Yobe (BAY) states – the highest level recorded since the beginning of the
coordinated humanitarian response in 2015,” the report said.
The total
population of the states is around 13 million, meaning that four in every five
people need some form of help.
The UNOCHA said
the figure was at 7.9 million at the start of 2020 but “is now higher because
of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“At the same
time, more than 40% of health facilities in those three states have been
damaged or destroyed as a result of the protracted conflict,” the report said.
According to the
report, some 1.9 million people remain internally displaced in the BAY states.
“With the
upsurge in violence and new waves of displacements in the first half of the
year, nearly 60,000 people were forced to flee their homes, some for the second
or third time,” it said.
The agency
called for urgent assistance to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria,
especially in the overcrowded camps for internally displaced persons.
The UNOCHA
warned that failure to address the situation would “have far-reaching
implications in terms of human suffering, as well as on regional stability and
prospects for development.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/un-sounds-alarm-over-humanitarian-crisis-in-ne-nigeria/1940666
--------
Turkey, Libya
ink deal to boost trade, economic ties
Tuba Sahin
13.08.2020
Turkey and Libya
have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost trade and economic
ties, the Turkish trade minister said Thursday.
The deal will
lay the groundwork for resolving ongoing issues between Turkish firms and
Libyan employers, making new investments, and undertaking new projects, Ruhsar
Pekcan told a meeting held in Turkey's capital Ankara.
Pekcan told how
some construction projects begun by Turkish companies in Libya had recently
been interrupted.
"There were
uncertainties regarding completion of these projects and Turkish companies had
remaining receivables in these projects," she said.
Pointing to the
brotherly ties between the two countries, Pekcan said this is also reflected in
their bilateral economic and trade ties.
Turkish
companies set to begin new projects to meet Libya’s needs will support the
country’s stability and development process besides helping raise the general
welfare, she stressed.
"This
process will be a new opportunity to show the whole world Turkish-Libyan
cooperation," Pekcan underlined.
Large share of
contracting pie
For his part,
Al-Hadi Al-Taher Al-Juhaimi, Libya’s planning minister, also stressed the
importance of the deal for clearing up pending issues between Turkey and Libya.
Praising Turkish
contractors’ works in Libya, Al-Juhaimi said Turkish firms are behind 20% of
the investment projects in the country.
"We may
call this the lion’s share," he stressed.
After Libya ends
its domestic crises, the country will focus on new development plans, he noted,
adding:
"We trust
Turkish companies and are willing to partner with them under this development
plan."
With strong ties
dating back to the Ottoman era, Turkey and Libya last November also signed
agreements on maritime boundaries as well as security and military cooperation.
Libya’s government,
formed in 2015, in the wake of the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has faced
a number of challenges, including attacks by warlord Khalifa Haftar.
In recent
months, however, the UN-recognized government has turned the tide against
Haftar’s forces.
Turkey supports
the government based in the capital Tripoli and a non-military resolution of
the crisis.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkey-libya-ink-deal-to-boost-trade-economic-ties/1940261
--------
South Asia
Afghan
authorities release final 400 Taliban prisoners as part of peace deal
14 August 2020
Afghan
authorities said Friday they had started to release 400 Taliban prisoners, the
final hurdle in launching long-delayed peace talks between the two warring
sides.
A group of 80 prisoners
were released on Thursday, said National Security Council spokesman Javid
Faisal, tweeting that it would “speed up efforts for direct talks and a
lasting, nationwide ceasefire”.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Their release
was approved at the weekend by a gathering of thousands of prominent Afghans
called by President Ashraf Ghani after the authorities initially refused to
free the militants, accused of serious crimes including brutal attacks that
killed Afghans and foreigners.
Both sides have
said they are ready to begin talks in Doha, Qatar, within days of the prisoners
being freed.
The prisoners
include some 44 insurgents of particular concern to the United States and other
countries for their role in high-profile attacks.
Ghani warned on
Thursday that their release was a “danger” to the world.
“Until this
issue, there was a consensus on the desirability of peace but not on the cost
of it,” Ghani said in a videoconference organized by a US think tank.
“We have now
paid the major instalment on cost and that means peace will have consequences,”
he added, noting that the release of “hardened criminals” and drug dealers was
“likely to pose a danger both to us and to (America) and to the world”.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/08/14/Afghan-authorities-release-final-400-Taliban-prisoners-as-part-of-peace-deal.html
--------
Southeast Asia
Police arrest
elderly Indonesian Catholic for blasphemy
Konradus Epa
August 13, 2020
Police in Indonesia’s
West Java province have arrested a Catholic man accused of insulting Islam and
the Prophet Muhammad on social media.
Apollinaris
Darmawan, 70, from Bandung, is alleged to have made the insulting comments on
Twitter, including one that claims “Islam is not a religion but a heretical
teaching that silences and uncivilizes its people.”
He also
allegedly posted an anti-Islamic video on YouTube.
The posts drew
anger from local Muslims who stormed his home on Aug 8, dragged him into the
street and stripped him before police came to his rescue and took him into
custody.
“He is being
kept in custody for his own safety,“ said Galih Indragiri, head of the Bandung
Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Darmawan was a
Muslim but converted to Catholicism with his family.
In 2015, he was
sentenced to four years in prison for insulting Islam and was freed in March
this year.
Blasphemy is
punishable by law in Indonesia and Darmawan could also be charged under a
computer crime law. He could face a maximum sentence of six years in prison and
a fine of 1 billion rupiah (US$72,000).
Indragiri said
police were collecting more evidence, including a book that he allegedly wrote
criticizing Islam, while a video titled "Throw Islam away from Indonesia”
has been removed from YouTube.
Anwar Abas,
general secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s top clerical
body, said Darmawan was an intolerant man who does not accept diversity.
"Anyone who
insults other religions is a person who can’t accept freedom of religion,” he
told UCA News.
He called on
Indonesian people to respect one another and stop insulting other religions.
Stefanus
Mariyanto, a Catholic from Jakarta, said Darmawan’s alleged actions were
regrettable and could only undermine interfaith relations in Indonesia.
“I am a Catholic
but I don’t insult or hurt other religions. We must respect those different
from us,” he told UCA News.
Bonar Tigor
Naipospos, deputy chairman of the rights group Setara Institute for Democracy
and Peace, said Darmawan was well known for criticizing Islamic teachings.
“In a democracy,
views expressed by Darmawan are natural. In religious life, if people are
criticizing our religion, we [should] see it as a challenge, not an insult,” he
told UCA News.
According to
him, dialogue is important to settle differences. In conservative societies
like Indonesia, where people claim to be religious, Darmawan’s criticism is
seen as an insult, he said.
Tigor said
police should act wisely in handling this case and must not submit to public
pressure. “The police must act fairly with alleged perpetrators including
Darmawan,” he said.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/police-arrest-elderly-indonesian-catholic-for-blasphemy/89136
--------
Indonesia's
First Transgender Public Official Breaks Conservative Mould
12.08.2020
As the mayor of
a small village in Indonesia, Hendrika Mayora Kelan celebrated her 34th
birthday last week by giving out vegetables to her community.
Kelan is the
first openly trans woman to become a public official in Indonesia, the world's
largest Muslim-majority country.
"I am
grateful for the support of the people to me as a trans woman. They entrusted
the leadership of the village council to me," Kelan told DW.
She said at
times during the election, she felt inferior because of her sexual orientation.
But it seems her reputation as a hard worker mattered more to the village.
Read more:
Indonesian society splinters under conservative draft laws
"As soon as
I was elected, I was immediately confronted with the hardships brought on by
the pandemic. So, I immediately created a food security program, planted crops
and distributed them to the community," said Kelan.
The Habi Village
Consultative Body has important functions, including drawing up village
regulations, overseeing the use of village funds and monitoring the performance
of village officials.
With the
authority she has for the next six years, Kelan will also try to enact
inclusive policies, including empowering marginalized groups such as
transgender people.
Habi village in
Sikka district is part of a Catholic-majority region in Indonesia's
southernmost province, East Nusa Tenggara. There are around 320,000 people in
Sikka, of which Muslims make up 9%.
Before
transitioning to a woman, Kelan had been a religious brother in the Catholic
Church. As a devout Catholic, she has contended with a struggle between her
sexual identity and her faith.
A long
transition
Born in August
1986, she was given the male name Henderikus. She said she had felt like a girl
since elementary school; wearing make-up and playing with girl's toys.
"I already
felt different from boys. But due to family pressure, I continued to survive as
a boy."
When she was a
child, her family moved to the larger island of Papua and in high school, Kelan
entered a Catholic seminary school and became a religious brother.
"I had the
spirit to serve others," she said.
But during that
time, she also struggled with accepting her identity and reconciling her faith
with the feeling that being transgender was a sin prohibited by her religion.
Meanwhile, the
feeling that she was a woman trapped in a male body grew stronger, and she
began battling depression.
"I did not
tell my bosses about my self-identity, but I think all people could see my
femininity," she said.
After two years,
she decided to leave the service of the church. Slowly she started coming out
as transgender and began wearing women's clothes.
She moved to the
city of Yogyakarta on Java. She volunteered to help victims of HIV-AIDS, but
she soon ran out of money. She worked as a street performer and a sex worker,
facing beatings and harassment from officials.
In 2018,
following the death of her cousin, Kelan decided to leave the city and return
to the village in Sikka where she was born.
https://www.dw.com/en/indonesias-first-transgender-public-official-breaks-conservative-mold/a-54540510
--------
Report: Philippines
nab Abu Sayyaf leader linked to cross-border abductions in Sabah
14 Aug 2020
KUALA LUMPUR,
Aug 14 — Notorious Abu Sayyaf sub-commander “Idang” Susukan who is wanted by
both Malaysia and the Philippines has been arrested in Davao City on the
southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
Philippines
police caught Idang yesterday at the house of Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, The Star reported.
“Misuari brought
Idang to Davao to have him fitted with a prosthetic limb, after he lost his
left arm during a gun battle with the Philippines Armed Forces in Jolo island
early last year,” a regional intelligence source was quoted saying in The Star
report.
According to the
news report, Idang will be taken to Camp Quintin Merecido Hospital for a
medical check before being turned over to the Philippines Armed Forces in
Quezon City.
The Abu Sayyaf
gunman has a total of 34 warrants of arrest against him for killings and
kidnappings in southern Philippines and the east coast of Sabah since 2013.
Idang was
reported to be involved in the abduction and beheading of Sarawakian tourist
Bernard Then on November 17, 2015.
He has also been
linked to the abductions of Sabahan restaurant owner Thien Nyuk Fan from Ocean
King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan on May 14, 2015; Sabah tourist from China,
Gao Huayun and Filipina Marcy Darawan at the Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna
waters on April 2, 2014; Chinese national Yang Zai Lin from Wonderful Terrace
fish farm in Lahad Datu on May 6, 2014 and Malaysian Chan Sai Chun from his
fish farm in Kampung Sapang in Kunak on June 16, 2014.
The Abu Sayyaf
is notoriously known as a violent Muslim terrorist group operating in the
southern Philippines that have made several cross-border incursions into Sabah
to kidnap Malaysians and tourists for money to fund its operations.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/08/14/report-philippines-nab-abu-sayyaf-leader-linked-to-cross-border-abductions/1893836
--------
Arab world
Lithuania
recognizes Hezbollah as terrorist organization after Beirut explosion
13 August 2020
Lithuania has
recognized Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and banned its members from
entering the country, according to a statement by the Lithuanian foreign
minister on Thursday.
The move against
the Iranian-backed Lebanese organization comes nine days after a deadly blast
shattered much of the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing at least 171 people.
"Based on
information obtained by our institutions and partners, we can conclude that
Hezbollah uses terrorist means that pose a threat to the security of a large
number of countries, including Lithuania," announced the foreign ministry.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
"We stand
alongside the United States, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and other
countries that reached the same conclusion," it added.
Before
Lithuania, Germany was the most recent country to recognize Hezbollah as a
terrorist organization.
Opinion: We
banned Hezbollah activities in Germany. Now it’s the EU’s turn.
The Ministry of
Immigration in the country also said it had decided to ban anyone associated
with Hezbollah from entering Lithuania for the next ten years, "based on
information about their activities within the party that represent a threat to
the interests of Lithuania."
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/13/Lithuania-recognizes-Hezbollah-as-terrorist-organization-after-Beirut-explosion.html
--------
Egypt: Top
Muslim Brotherhood figure dies in government custody
13.08.2020
Essam Al-Aryan,
a prominent figure in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, died on Thursday while
serving a prison sentence in the Egyptian capital Cairo, according to local
media.
Abdel-Mon'em
Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for Muslim Brotherhood leaders, told Anadolu Agency:
"Security officials informed me of the death of Essam Al-Aryan without
giving any reasons for his death."
"I don't
know whether he died in prison or in hospital... I informed his family of his
death and started procedures after his death," Abdel-Maqsoud added.
Egyptian
pro-government media sources, including Al-Masri Al-Youm, said Al-Aryan's death
was from natural causes or a sudden heart attack.
Egypt’s Interior
Ministry has yet to comment on Al-Aryan's death.
Al-Aryan, 66,
was arrested following the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi in the
summer of 2013. In the years since he has served sentences of 25 years for
various alleged offenses.
Al-Aryan was a
prominent figure and took several positions in the Muslim Brotherhood, a group
outlawed following the military coup led by the current President Abdel-Fattah
al-Sisi in 2013.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/egypt-top-muslim-brotherhood-figure-dies-in-government-custody/1940592
--------
Lebanon assembly
ratifies state of emergency after deadly blast
14 Aug 2020
BEIRUT:
Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday approved a two-week state of emergency in
Beirut, declared after last week’s gigantic portside explosion, giving the army
greater powers to suppress resurgent protests.
Top diplomats
jetted in to show solidarity and contribute to the massive ongoing aid effort,
but also to weigh in on political developments following a blast widely blamed
on state corruption.
A senior US
envoy said the FBI would join the probe into the colossal blast that killed 171
people, injured thousands and reignited street protests demanding the ouster of
the entire political elite.
Dozens of
demonstrators shouted as lawmakers arrived at parliament to ratify the
emergency measure, but protesters, outnumbered by security forces, failed to
block the MPs’ cars.
Lebanese are
furious at a political leadership that allowed a massive shipment of ammonium
nitrate fertiliser, a powerful explosive, to languish for years in a port
warehouse despite repeated safety warnings.
“You have
destroyed us! Leave!” demanded one social media post, calling for more street
protests.
An investigation
found that right up until the eve of the blast, officials had exchanged
warnings over the cargo, but did nothing — despite experts’ warnings it could
cause a major disaster.
Prime Minister
Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned Monday, but he still leads a transitional
administration.
The state of
emergency approved by parliament allows the army to close down assembly points
and prohibit gatherings deemed threats to national security.
The move has
worried Lebanon’s 10-month-old anti-government protest movement, which had
faded amid the coronavirus pandemic and deepening economic hardship, but had
returned to the streets in force since the August 4 disaster.
Human Rights
Watch said it was “very concerned” the state of emergency would serve “as a
pretext to crack down on protests and snuff out the very legitimate grievances
of a large segment of the Lebanese population”.
A military
official said the now formalised state of emergency would place all security
forces under the command of the army, which would oversee the “post-explosion
phase”.
The official,
who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak on the issue,
stressed that it would not lead to “a crackdown” on civil freedoms.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574313/lebanon-assembly-ratifies-state-of-emergency-after-deadly-blast
--------
Beirut explosion
death toll rises to 178 with 30 people still missing: UN
14 August 2020
The death toll
from last week’s massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital has risen to nearly
180, with an estimated 6,000 people injured and at least 30 missing, the United
Nations said Friday.
The explosion
has affected operations at six hospitals, up from an initial three, and damaged
more than 20 clinics in the parts of Beirut worst hit by the blast, the UN’s
humanitarian affairs agency said in its report.
“A preliminary
rapid assessment within a 15-kilometre radius of the explosions, has revealed
that, out of 55 medical facilities, only half are fully operational and around
40 per cent have suffered moderate to serious damage and need rehabilitation,”
the report said.
It still wasn’t
known what caused the Aug. 4 fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium
nitrate stored in Beirut’s port. But documents have emerged in the wake of the
explosion that show the country’s top leadership and security officials were
aware of the chemicals being stored in the city port.
The blast has
changed the face of the capital and forced the government to resign. Lebanon’s
Parliament on Thursday approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first
session since the tragic explosion last week, granting the military sweeping
powers amid rising popular anger and political uncertainty.
Read more:
Beirut explosion: Lebanese community ships 138 tonnes of glass to Beirut from
UAE
Some 120
schools, used by 50,000 students, have been damaged. More than 1,000 of nearly
50,000 residential units were severely damaged, the UN report said.
At east 13
refugees, including at least two Palestinians, were among those killed and more
than 170,000 residents’ apartments were damaged, according to the UN report.
Despite damage
to the silos in the Beirut port, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs said food shortages are not expected.
The blast struck
Beirut in the midst of a crippling financial and economic crisis, and the UN
predicted people may have difficulties restoring or fixing their homes. But at
least 55 percent of buildings assessed were rented, which may allow people to
move elsewhere, the UN said.
According to the
world body the Beirut port is operating at 30 percent capacity and the Tripoli
port in the country’s north, at 70 percent . That is allowing for food and
goods to continue to flow. The World Food Program is bringing in a three-month
supply of wheat flour and grains.
The agency said
however it is concerned about a surge in coronavirus cases, particularly as
social distancing is relaxed during the widespread volunteering to help those
affected by the blast and protests against the government and political elite.
The government
resigned on Aug. 10 and the Cabinet remains in caretaker capacity. Protesters
are demanding officials be held accountable for the blast.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/14/Beirut-explosion-death-toll-rises-to-178-with-30-people-still-missing-UN.html
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Beirut
explosion: US State Department official to stress reform during Lebanon trip
13 August 2020
The US State
Department said its No. 3 diplomat will head to Lebanon on Thursday and stress
the ‘urgent need’ for Lebanon to embrace fundamental reform, in the aftermath
of a devastating warehouse blast that killed 172 people and injured thousands.
In planned
meetings with political leaders, civil society, and youth groups,
Undersecretary for Political Affairs David Hale will also underscore America’s
willingness to support any government that is “genuinely committed” to and
acting upon such a reform agenda, the agency said in a statement.
The FBI will
join also Lebanese and international investigators in a probe into the
explosion, Hale added.
Hale, previously
the US ambassador to Lebanon from 2013 to 2015, is one of two senior US
officials that have traveled to Beirut following a deadly explosion at the
city's port.
US Agency for
International Development (USAID) acting administrator, John Barsa, arrived in
Beirut on Sunday.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/13/Beirut-explosion-US-State-Department-official-to-stress-reform-during-Lebanon-trip.html
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World reacts to
UAE’s opening diplomatic ties with Israel
August 13, 2020
DUBAI: A deal
between the UAE and Israel that will lead to normalized ties has been welcomed
across the Middle East and beyond.
US President
Donald Trump, who helped broker the deal, hailed the agreement as big
breakthrough.
“HUGE
breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends,
Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the agreement describing it as "hugely
good news".
"The UAE
and Israel’s decision to normalise relations is hugely good news," Johnson
said on Twitter.
White House
senior adviser Jared Kushner said UAE becomes one of the US closest allies in
the region after the deal with Israel.
US Democratic
Presidential candidate Joe Biden hailed the deal as an historic step toward a
more stable Middle East, warning he would not support Israel's annexation of
Jewish settlements if he wins the White House in November.
"The UAE’s
offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and
badly-needed act of statesmanship," the former Vice President said in a
statement. "Annexation would be a body blow to the cause of peace, which
is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president."
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi praised the deal, saying it would halt Israeli
annexation of Palestinian land.
“I read with
interest and great appreciation the joint statement between the United States,
the brotherly United Arab Emirates and Israel concerning the halt of Israel's
annexation of Palestinian land,” El-Sisi said in a tweet, adding that this
would help bring “peace” to the Middle East.
Bahrain welcomed
the accord between the UAE and Israel which stops Israeli annexation plans and
raises the chances of peace, state news agency BNA said.
Ayman Safadi,
Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs and expatriates said Israel must choose
between a just and comprehensive solution that ends the occupation of
Palestinian land or the continuation of a conflict that violates the rights of
the Palestinian people.
Safadi said that
if Israel views the agreement as an incentive to end the occupation and accept
the rights of Palestinians to freedom and an independent state with East
Jerusalem as its capital, it will be a step toward peace in the region. If not,
he warned that the conflict will escalate and increase the threat to the
security of the entire Middle East.
He added that a
just and comprehensive peace, which is a strategic choice for the Arab world
and a necessity for regional and international peace and security, will not be
achieved while the occupation continues and Israel persists with policies and
procedures that threaten the two-state solution and undermine the foundations
on which the peace process is based.
The minister
said Amman supports any genuine effort to achieve a just and comprehensive
peace that ends the Israeli occupation and ensures rights of the Palestinian
people. Jordan will continue to work with others to achieve this, he added, but
any peace will not be permanent unless accepted by all peoples.
United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed “any initiative that can promote
peace and security in the Middle East region,” a spokesman said.
As part of the
deal, Israel had agreed "to suspend" plans to annex Jewish
settlements and other territory in the occupied West Bank, according to a joint
statement from the US, UAE and Israel tweeted by Trump.
Former British
Prime Minister Tony Blair said: “This is a momentous agreement which has taken
courage, imagination and leadership. It preserves the possibility of the Two
State solution by halting the annexation plan which would have made such a
solution a near impossibility.
“By deepening
the relationships between Israel and Arab nations, it helps create conditions
which offer Israelis the prospect of security and the Palestinians the chance
to pursue Statehood with credibility.
“And it shows
how the modern dividing line in the Middle East is not between different faiths
and cultures but between those who wish for peaceful co-existence across the
boundaries of faith and culture; and those who want violent confrontation.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1718971/middle-east
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Yemeni
government, STC discuss coalition under Riyadh Agreement
August 14, 2020
DUBAI: The
Saudi-backed government of Yemen met with the Southern Transitional Council
(STC) to discuss the political components to form the new government as part of
a power-sharing deal.
Prime Minister
Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed met on Thursday with STC representatives in Riyadh to
outline reforms to unite national ranks between the anti-Houthi coalition,
according to state news agency Saba New.
Both sides
discussed the priorities of the new government to face existing challenges in
the political, military, security, service and economic sectors. Sustainable
reforms and addressing corruption, were also on the agenda.
The discussions
between the two sides come under the Riyadh Agreement signed in November last
year.
The new
government will look to face current economic challenges in the war-torn
country with the aim to stop the deterioration of the national currency
exchange rate, as well as the humanitarian situation.
Meanwhile,
President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi left Saudi Arabia and headed to the United
States for medical treatment
The head of the
country’s internationally-recognised government, who has lived in exile in
Riyadh since the Iranian-aligned Houthi group captured the Yemeni capital Sanaa
in 2015, has been treated for a heart condition since 2011.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1719286/middle-east
--------
Europe
France to
bolster military presence in Mediterranean amid tensions with Turkey
13 August 2020
France has
planned to increase military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, amid rising
tensions between Turkey and European Union (EU) member Greece over Turkish oil
and gas exploration in disputed waters in the sea.
French President
Emmanuel Macron announced the plan in a phone conversation with Greek Prime
Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday, also voicing concern about the
“unilateral” exploration by Turkey in a disputed area of the eastern
Mediterranean.
France will
“temporarily reinforce” its military presence to “monitor the situation in the
region and mark its determination to uphold international law,” Macron’s office
said in a statement.
The statement
also underlined that prospecting had to “cease in order to allow a peaceful
dialog” between Greece and Turkey.
Last month,
Macron called for EU sanctions against Ankara for what he described as
“violations” of Greek and Cypriot sovereignty over their territorial waters.
Ties between
Turkey and Greece are in tumult over competing claims to natural gas reserves
in the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus and Turkey have argued for years regarding
the ownership of fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara says
Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share of the resources.
The standoff
between Ankara and Athens deepened on Monday after Turkey launched naval drills
off two Greek islands and announced the resumption of its energy exploration
research activity in the disputed area.
Turkey has
dispatched a seismic research vessel, accompanied by warships, off the Greek
island of Kastellorizo, where Ankara contests Greek maritime rights.
Turkey had
paused the research activities after a request from Germany but restarted them
after an agreement signed between Greece and Egypt that designated an exclusive
economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean
between the two countries. Turkey views the agreement as an attempt to keep it
out of the region.
The Turkish
defense minister said on Wednesday that his country was interested in resolving
the dispute with Greece through dialog.
Greece and
Turkey almost went to war in 1974 over Cyprus, which has since been divided,
with the northern third run by a Turkish Cypriot administration recognized only
by Turkey and the southern two thirds governed by the
internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/13/631692/France-military-presence-Mediterranean-Turkish-drilling
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France: Second
mosque fire in Lyon within week
Cindi Cook
13.08.2020
PARIS
A fire broke out
at the Essalam Prayer Hall in Lyon early Thursday, damaging a door, entrance
and the prayer room of the mosque.
Mayor Pierre
Oliver of the 2nd arrondissement where the hall is located said the fire
appeared to be an act of arson. "This is the second mosque that has burnt
in ten days," he said on Twitter. "People deplore the fact that
places of worship are vandalized."
He added:
"The fire would seem to be criminal, according to the first information
given to me by the firefighters and the police. We are awaiting the first
elements of the investigation.”
Oliver applauded
the quick work of firefighters in dousing the blaze that started at 2.16 a.m.
(0015GMT) in a series of recently renovated housing. It includes several
apartments, none of which were damaged.
"I condemn
the attempted fire that night in the Essalam mosque in Lyon, the second this
week. Anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian acts: These stupid and hateful
acts are contrary to everything that is France. I will protect freedom of
worship," said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Twitter.
The Secretary
General of the mosque, Abderrazak Chenini, said he will file a complaint with
authorities.
Last Friday, a
fire also started in an annex to the prayer room of a mosque in Bron, a suburb
of Lyon. The incident was most likely arson, according to prosecutors
investigating.
Farouk Korichi,
who heads inquiries into anti-Muslim acts for the Rhone Mosques Council, told
franceinfo radio he is well aware of the situation and is alarmed.
"They want
to terrorize us. There is no doubt that these are organized crimes. Because
there are a lot of extreme right-wing groups in the region. On facebook, there
are groups calling for the burning of mosques," he said.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-second-mosque-fire-in-lyon-within-week/1941181
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Turkey sends EU
leaders letters on East Mediterranean
Zuhal
Demirci
14.08.2020
Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sent letters Thursday to European Union foreign
ministers and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about recent developments
in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey's approach on the issue.
The letters came
ahead of a EU Foreign Relations Council meeting Friday at Greece's request.
In his letter,
Cavusoglu stressed that Greece and Greek Cyprus's unilateral steps and
alliances excluded Turkey, in spite of calls for collaboration and dialogue by
Ankara and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
He also noted
that the so-called maritime agreement between Greece and Egypt, which violates
Turkey and Lebanon's continental shelves, demonstrates Greece's reluctance to
start an honest dialogue with Turkey.
Turkey-EU
relations should not suffer further due to whims and fantasies of Greece and
Greek Cypriots, he added.
Cavusoglu
invited EU countries to stand against any unjust decision that might be taken
against Turkey, which has proven its good intentions until now many times.
He also held
phone talks with some EU foreign ministers, including from Bulgaria, Estonia,
Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania, and with EU foreign policy
chief Borrell discussing these issues.
Similar letters
are also being sent to UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres, UN Security
Council permanent members' foreign ministers and NATO General Secretary Jens
Stoltenberg.
Earlier this
week, Turkey resumed energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean region
after Greece and Egypt signed a controversial maritime delimitation deal.
The agreement
came only a day after Ankara said it would postpone its oil and gas exploration
as a goodwill gesture.
But after
declaring the Greek-Egyptian deal "null and void," Turkey authorized
the Oruc Reis seismic research vessel to continue its activities in an area
within the country's continental shelf.
The ship will
continue the two-week mission until Aug. 23 along with the Cengiz Han and
Ataman.
President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said the only solution to the dispute was through dialogue and
negotiation and urged Athens to respect Turkey’s rights.
Turkey has
consistently opposed Greece's efforts to declare an exclusive economic zone
based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of Turkey,
the country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkey-sends-eu-leaders-letters-on-east-mediterranean/1941315
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Rouhani, Macron
discuss nuclear deal, Beirut blast
Zehra Nur
Düz
13.08.2020
Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani asked his French counterpart Wednesday to oppose a
draft resolution the US proposed to the UN Security Council to maintain an arms
embargo against Tehran, according to a statement by Iranian presidency.
Rouhani said the
draft resolution is a "violation of Security Council Resolution 2231”
during a telephone call with Emmanuel Macron.
The Iranian
president urged all countries, especially the P4+1 -- China, France, Russia, UK
and Germany, to strongly reject the resolution.
“The
preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Security
Council Resolution 2231 is a fundamental commitment of all countries that have
remained in the JCPOA”, he said.
The statement
stressed the importance of consultation and cooperation between Iran, the three
European countries as well as Russia and China to hinder the “opponents” of the
JCPOA from accomplishing their purposes.
Macron
underlined that France does not approve of the resolution proposed by the
US.
"Our views
on the extension of the arms embargo on Iran are quite different from that of
the United States, and we have made this clear to them," Macron said.
Signed between
Iran and the P5+1 countries -- US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany – the
JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, curbed Iran's nuclear activities in
return for lifting of sanctions.
In May 2018, the
US withdrew from the agreement, igniting gradual cutting of the obligations by
Iran, who accused European signatories of delaying implementation of their
responsibilities under the deal.
US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) in June to extend an
arms embargo against Iran and warned ending it would risk stability in the
Middle East.
After a massive
deadly blast last week in Beirut, Rouhani stressed the importance of “more
unity” among political groups in Lebanon and called on all countries to provide
their supports for the creation of this unity.
Macron urged
Iran to support the resolution on Lebanese political crisis and to join the
international action group to achieve this goal.
A powerful blast
shook the Lebanese capital and its environs after 2,750 tons of ammonium
nitrate stored in a warehouse caught fire.
The shockwave
flattened nearby buildings and caused extensive material damage in Beirut,
leaving hundreds of thousands of residents homeless.
It came as
Lebanon deals with a severe financial crisis in addition to the coronavirus
pandemic.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/rouhani-macron-discuss-nuclear-deal-beirut-blast/1939915
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