West Bengal Imam Association Will Hit the Streets against AIMIM’s Decision to participate in the Upcoming Bengal Assembly Elections with Islamic Cleric Abbas Siddiqui
New
Age Islam News Bureau
07
January 2021
• US: Biden Denounces 'Extremist' Trumpsters in Capitol
•
Threats Posed By Islamophobia Need Collective Response of Muslim Leadership: Chairman
Senate of Pakistan
•
‘Most Dangerous Extremists’ Report Ranks Nasrallah First, ISIS’ Caliph Second
•
Iran Warns IAEA of Israel’s Clandestine N. Program, Calls for Tel Aviv’s
Instant Endorsement of NPT
•
After Normalization with Israel, US Treasury Signs $1 Bln Loan To Clear Sudan’s
Debt
•
UK, France, Germany ‘Concerned’ Over Iran Nuclear Enrichment
India
•
West Bengal Imam Association Will Hit the Streets against AIMIM’s Decision to
participate in the Upcoming Bengal Assembly Elections with Islamic Cleric Abbas
Siddiqui
•
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Moves Supreme Court, Seeks To Be Party In Pleas Against
State Laws On Religious Conversion
•
Farmers Protest Shouldn't Become Replica of Tablighi Meet: Supreme Court
•
India welcomes restoration of ties between Qatar and four other Arab states
•
No Respite For UP Muslim Teen Held After Birthday Party For 'Conversion'
•
SC Agrees to Examine Constitutionality of 'Love Jihad' Laws But Refuses Stay,
to Hear Matter in 4 Weeks
•
In AP, Muslim ‘forced to chant Jai Shri Ram’
--------
North
America
•
US: Biden Denounces 'Extremist' Trumpsters in Capitol
•
Trump Urges Supporters To Go Home Amid Violence
•
US, Sudan Sign ‘Abraham Accords’ Normalizing Ties with Israel: US Embassy
•
US air traffic control receive threat vowing revenge for Qassem Soleimani
killing
•
Proud Boys Leader Arrested and Charged with Burning D.C. Church’s Black Lives
Matter Banner
•
US President Donald Trump Says Transition Will Be Orderly
•
Turkey calls on all parties in US to use common sense
--------
Pakistan
•
Threats Posed By Islamophobia Need Collective Response of Muslim Leadership:
Chairman Senate of Pakistan
•
Pakistan's internet regulator bans anti-Islam movie
•
Military leadership vows to defeat terrorists and abettors
•
Pak PM Imran Khan Urges Shia Hazaras To Bury Slain Miners, Promises To Visit
'Very Soon'
•
Minorities equal citizens of Pakistan, state's job to protect them: PM Imran
•
Hazaras continue protest on 5th day, refuse to bury slain miners despite PM's
request
•
Christian prisoner moves PHC for release from ‘illegal’ detention
--------
Arab
World
•
‘Most Dangerous Extremists’ Report Ranks Nasrallah First, ISIS’ Caliph Second
•
Iraq Regains Confidence In Dealing With Outlawed Militias
•
Syrian air defences thwart Israeli aggression: SANA
•
Hezbollah municipality erects Soleimani statue in Beirut suburbs sparking
controversy
•
UAE says transport to, trade with Qatar may resume within a week
•
Qatar economy to grow 3 pct in 2021 on resolution of Gulf dispute: Standard
Chartered
•
Egypt seizes $39 mln worth of Captagon, hashish, in boxes labelled ‘made in
Lebanon’
--------
Mideast
•
Iran Warns IAEA of Israel’s Clandestine N. Program, Calls for Tel Aviv’s
Instant Endorsement of NPT
•
Iran's Home-Made Ababil Drones Destroy Surface Targets with Almas Missiles
•
Iran’s DM: Serious Evidence on Israel’s Role in Assassination of N. Scientist
•
Iran Urges Interpol to Issue Red Notice for Assassins of Gen. Soleimani
•
Quds Force Commander: Software Dominance Iran’s Next Slap to US
•
Iran’s IRGC blames US for own downing of Ukraine passenger plane, one year
later
•
Israel convicts Palestinian activist of illegal protest, assault, lawyer says
•
Yemen's army thwarts a Houthi infiltration attempt northwest of Saada
--------
Africa
•
After Normalization with Israel, US Treasury Signs $1 Bln Loan To Clear Sudan’s
Debt
•
After eight years of Mali campaign, France seeks exit strategy
•
Roadside bomb kills five in Cameroon's restive North West Region
•
At least 22 killed in eastern Congo village
•
Nigeria: Civilians Flee Homes As Boko Haram Attack Another Village in Borno
--------
Europe
•
UK, France, Germany ‘Concerned’ Over Iran Nuclear Enrichment
•
Man viewed extreme Isis content before Reading knife attack, court hears
•
Far-Right Extremists Charged Over Alleged Bomb and Poison Terror Plot in Poland
•
East London Mosque Closes to Help Prevent Spread Of COVID-19
•
France calls on Iran to release South Korean-flagged tanker
•
France says dozens of jihadists killed in weekend Mali air strike
•
Greece ‘pushing innocent people to death’: Turkey
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Indonesia Islamic Council Aims For Halal Ruling before Mass Vaccination
•
Malaysia's govt increases special lottery draws despite Islamist ally's
anti-gambling stance
•
Malaysians want Umno to remain part of ruling alliance: Survey
•
Indonesian police gun down two militants linked to 2019 Philippine church
bombing
--------
South
Asia
•
Troubled Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Resume Amid Violence, Accusations
•
Pakistan hails resumption of Afghan peace talks with the Taliban
•
Myanmar police arrest 100 Rohingya for traveling in their own country
•
Attacks in southern Afghanistan kill at least 11
•
5 Civilians Killed in Air Raid, Helmand
•
Taliban Attack Claim 6 Afghan Security Force Members
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/west-bengal-imam-association-hit/d/124007
--------
West
Bengal Imam Association Will Hit the Streets against AIMIM’s Decision to
participate in the Upcoming Bengal Assembly Elections with Islamic Cleric Abbas
Siddiqui
07th
January 2021
KOLKATA:
The West Bengal Imam Association said on Wednesday that it will hit the streets
against AIMIM’s decision to participate in the upcoming Assembly elections with
Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui.
The
imam’s body alleged that the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is venturing into
Bengal’s electoral arena with a goal to ensure dividend in favour of the BJP in
the next year’s elections.
The
imam’s organisation also said it would form a new organisation and contest the
upcoming elections to resist AIMIM and Abbas, if necessary. The ruling
Trinamool Congress enjoys the support of the state’s Muslim community, which
forms more than 30 per cent of the total electorates. The community switched to
the TMC’s fold in 2011 Assembly elections decimating the Left Front.
On
January 3, Owaisi visited Furfura Sharif and met Siddiqui, signaling AIMIM’s entry in the fray in 2021, when
Assembly elections are due in the state. The entry of AIMIM and alliance with
Abbas is said to be aimed to chip away at the minority vote share of the TMC.
Both the TMC and the CPI(M) described Owaisi as BJP’s proxy. After an
impressive show in last year’s Bihar elections, the AIMIM is now eyeing the
upcoming Bengal polls. The party is keen to leave its footprint on West Bengal,
sources said.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jan/07/asaduddin-owaisis-alliance-with-abbas-siddiqui-upsets-imams-2246600.html
--------
US:
Biden Denounces 'Extremist' Trumpsters in Capitol
Michael
Gabriel Hernandez
07.01.2021
WASHINGTON
US
President-elect Joe Biden sternly denounced ''extremist'' Trump supporters that
stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday, telling rioters to return home to
"allow the work of democracy to go forward."
The
Capitol was overrun earlier in the day as lawmakers were set to convene a joint
session of Congress that is traditionally a mundane affair of Electoral College
vote counting.
Instead,
chaotic scenes of thousands of rioters clashing with police outside of the
federal legislature gave way to even more pandemonium as the mob overwhelmed
law enforcement, breached the Capitol's doors and windows and eventually made
their way to the Senate floor.
Biden
said the riot was "an assault on the most sacred of American
undertakings."
"At
this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve
seen in modern times; an assault on the citadel of liberty: the Capitol itself;
an assault on the people’s representatives and the Capitol Hill police,"
Biden said in nationally televised remarks in which he urged Trump to go on television
to tell his supporters to leave the Capitol.
"Let
me be very clear, the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true
America, do not represent who we are. What we are seeing is a small number of
extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. Its disorder. Its
chaos. It borders on sedition, and it must end now," he added.
Security
was seen on photos posted to social media drawing pistols as rioters attempted
to breach the House chamber where the voting counting was to take place.
At
least one woman was shot amid the ongoing pandemonium, according to video
footage aired on television. It is unclear who fired the shot. She is in
critical condition, per reports.
Multiple
police officers have also been injured, according to reports.
The
grim scenes are an unprecedented stain on the US's peaceful transfer of power.
Trump
and his political allies have for months alleged that the election he lost to
Biden by 7 million votes was rigged, stirring emotions among his supporters
with conspiracy theories that have been repeatedly rejected in court. The
Justice Department also found no evidence to support his claims of widespread
voter fraud.
Shortly
after Biden went on national television Trump posted a video message on
Twitter, maintain his false allegations while calling on his supporters
"to go home now."
"We
have to have peace. We have to have law and order, and we have to respect our
great people and law and order. We don't want anybody hurt," said Trump.
Trump's
tweet was quickly flagged by Twitter, with a warning label stating that
"This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet cannot be
replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence."
The
White House said the National Guard "is on the way" to the scene
"along with other federal protective services" at Trump's direction.
Washington,
D.C. residents received emergency phone calls Wednesday warning them that Mayor
Muriel Bowser has enacted a citywide curfew beginning at 6 p.m.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-biden-denounces-extremist-trumpsters-in-capitol-/2101118
--------
Threats
Posed By Islamophobia Need Collective Response of Muslim Leadership: Chairman
Senate of Pakistan
JANUARY
7, 2021
Expressing
his delight on the recent development with regard to resumption of diplomatic
ties between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates,
Chairman Senate of Pakistan Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani termed it good omen for the
whole Gulf region.
He
said that mutual differences between Qatar and KSA, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE have
been resolved peacefully and normalization of diplomatic ties between these key
players of the Gulf region would augur well for the socio-economic growth and
prosperity of not only the Gulf region but whole Muslim Ummah. Chairman Senate
observed that mere misunderstandings and petty issues are creating hurdles in
our way of unity and collectivism and these issues can be resolved peacefully
through dialogue, negotiation, political and diplomatic parlays. He said that
our problems are common and we have to make collective efforts to search a
solution for the problems.
Chairman
Senate further remarked that conflicts, internal rifts, terrorism, poverty and
other such common issues have plagued the development process of Muslim Ummah
as one entity. He also referred to the recent wave of Islamophobia posing new
threat and challenges. He said that these issues require a joint effort on the
part of Muslim leadership. Chairman Senate hoped that the normalization of ties
between Qatar, KSA, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE would be marked as a new beginning.
He called upon all the parties to move forward and work together for
development of region. Chairman Senate also lauded the efforts of Saudi Arabia
in the whole process. He said that no country can live in isolation and
leadership of the Muslim Ummah has to take cognizance of the situation and work
together for a bright future of Ummah as a whole. He said that the government,
parliament and people of Pakistan appreciate these steps and we hope that the
leadership of Gulf region would make efforts for resolving the Yemen crises to
ensure lasting peace and prosperity.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/710632/threats-posed-by-islamophobia-need-collective-response-of-muslim-leadership-sanjrani/
--------
‘Most
Dangerous Extremists’ Report Ranks Nasrallah First, ISIS’ Caliph Second
Rawad
Taha
07
January 2021
Lebanon-based
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, current ISIS caliph Amir Muhammad Sa’id
Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, Hamas's Ismail Haniyeh, and others have been ranked as
the ‘Most Dangerous Extremists’ in a report published by the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP).
The
list of the top 20 ‘Most Dangerous Extremists’ considered individuals from
across the spectrum of ideologies and beliefs. This included, ISIS, the Muslim
Brotherhood and Ma Ba Tha, the anti-Muslim Buddhist group in Myanmar. All are
considered as huge threats to international security, according to the report.
Hezbollah’s
leader Hassan Nasrallah
Nasrallah
was ranked first because it has shaped Hezbollah into the dominant political
power in Lebanon, and is the “driving force” behind its military operations.
“Before
September 11, 2001, Hezbollah was responsible for more deaths of Americans
worldwide than any other organization,” the report added.
Current
ISIS caliph
Current
ISIS caliph Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla was ranked second in the
list. An Iraqi national, al-Mawla succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the leader
of ISIS in 2019.
“He
was a senior terrorist leader in ISIS’s predecessor organization, al-Qaeda in
Iraq, and steadily rose through the ranks of ISIS,” CEP said. It reported that
al-Mawla has helped drive the abduction, slaughter, and trafficking of members
of Yazidi religious minority groups in Iraq.
Hamas
Chief Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail
Haniyeh, Hamas political chief, was ranked third in the report.
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas fired Haniyeh as prime minister in June 2007 following
clashes between Hamas and Fatah forces. Haniyeh refused to accept his dismissal
and instead expelled Fatah and the PA from Gaza.
The
US Department of the Treasury designated Ismail Haniyeh as a Specially
Designated Global Terrorist on January 31, 2018.
Muslim
Brotherhood ideologue
In
the report, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamist theologian and unofficial chief
ideologue of the Muslim Brotherhood, was ranked fifth in the list.
Qaradawi
has been banned from the US, France, and Britain due to his extremist views. He
has been designated as a terrorist by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and
Bahrain.
Ashin
Wirathu, Communal Leader of the anti-Muslim Movement in Myanmar, was ranked
seventh on the list.
Anti-Muslim
Buddhist leader
The
report added that Wirathu is the anti-Muslim Buddhist group leader, and he has
regularly called on Myanmar’s Buddhists to boycott Muslim businesses and has
warned that Myanmar’s Muslims want to, “take over our country, and make it an
evil Islamic nation.”
Wirathu
previously served a nearly decade-long prison sentence for fomenting religious
conflict, though he was released in 2012. Wirathu’s extremist and conspiratorial
messaging is sold on DVDs and CDs throughout Myanmar.
Secretary-General
of Kata’ib Hezbollah
Ahmad
al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, was ranked tenth by the
report.
Hamidawi
is the secretary-general of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah
(KH).
He
received political, military, and intelligence training from Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was soon promoted to the KH’s Shura
Council.
The
report also featured multiple other extremist figures linked to al-Qaeda, ISIS,
and several ultra-right Neo-Nazi movements.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2021/01/07/Report-ranks-Nasrallah-ISIS-caliph-Haniyeh-others-as-Most-Dangerous-Extremists-
--------
Iran
Warns IAEA of Israel’s Clandestine N. Program, Calls for Tel Aviv’s Instant
Endorsement of NPT
2021-January-6
Iran’s
Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based International
Organizations Kazzem Qaribabadi, in his to the Director-General of the
International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, warned him over the Israeli
secret nuclear weapons program, stressing that such activities pose a serious
threat to regional and global security and stability.
He
emphasized the necessity of Zionist regime’s prompt and unconditional joining to
the NPT and giving full access of its nuclear facilities to the IAEA.
The
envoy urged the UN Nuclear Watchdog to draw the attention of all NPT members to
the threats posed by Tel Aviv as a result of its nuclear weapons and request
them to support the issue at the meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors and
the General Conference as well as the NPT tenth Review Conference.
“All
in the West Asian region, except the Israeli regime, are parties to the NPT,”
Qaribabadi said, adding that the development of a clandestine nuclear weapons
program by Israel continues to pose a serious threat not only to the security
and stability of the region and the world but also to the effectiveness and
efficiency of the NPT and the Agency's safeguards regime.
“It
should be rejected promptly and without any prejudices. Needless to say that
Israel is not also a party to any of other major treaties governing weapons of
mass destruction (WMD) non-proliferation,” he went on to warn.
Qaribabadi
also pointed to the NPT Resolution on the Middle East in 1995, saying, “The
Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the NPT which was held in May
1995 adopted a package of decisions in which the Resolution on the Middle East
was an integral part of the decision to an indefinite extension of the NPT.”
The
Iranian envoy further said that such resolution reflects the concerns of the
States Parties to the Treaty about the dangerous situation in West Asia
resulting from the presence in the region of nuclear activities not subject to
the IAEA safeguards, which puts regional and international peace and security
at risk.
He
also noted that the Zionist regime kept developing an advanced nuclear weapons
program despite the resolutions adopted by the IAEA General Conference from
1987 to 2010.
Qaribabadi
requested the IAEA chief to take necessary measures to address the mentioned
concerns and subsequently inform the member states of the results.
in
relevant remarks in November last year,Iranian Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi called on the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor the nuclear programs of both Saudi
Arabia and Israel.
Takht
Ravanchi made the remarks at a virtual meeting of the UN General Assembly on
Wednesday November 11 that endorsed the IAEA’s annual report.
He
said it is “of utmost importance” for the IAEA to consider available
information on Riyadh’s nuclear activities, adding, “If Saudi Arabia is seeking
a peaceful nuclear program, it should act in a very transparent manner and allow
the agency’s inspectors to verify its activities.”
Additionally,
he noted, the IAEA needs to take “an unbiased and professional approach” toward
Israel, which has refused to adhere to the agency’s safeguards, is not a party
to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is widely believed to possess
nuclear weapons.
Referring
to Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, Takht-Ravanchi said Iran alone receives 22
percent of all the agency’s inspections even during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Iran
and the agency have agreed to work in good faith to resolve these
safeguards-related questions,” he stressed.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991017000862/Iran-Warns-IAEA-f-Israel%E2%80%99s-Clandesine-N-Prgram-Calls-fr-Tel-Aviv%E2%80%99s
--------
After
normalization with Israel, US Treasury signs $1 bln loan to clear Sudan’s debt
06
January 2021
US
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signed on Wednesday an agreement to provide
Sudan with a $1 billion bridge loan to clear the $1.2 billion it owes the World
Bank in arrears, after Khartoum signed the “Abraham Accords” to normalize ties
with Israel.
“The
Secretary also discussed the economic opportunities created through Sudan’s
opening of relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords,” a readout of
Mnuchin’s trip to Sudan said.
The
bridge loan will be given to Sudan when “the agreed conditions with the Bank
and under the MOU are met.”
Mnuchin
had said in mid-December when the US removed Sudan from the list of state
sponsors of terrorism: “The United States Treasury looks forward to working
with bipartisan members of Congress, and with Sudan to help clear its arrears
at the International Financial Institutions and to advance Sudan’s efforts to
secure debt relief in 2021.”
Sudan's
finance ministry said on December 16 that the World Bank bridge loan would
allow it to access $1.5 billion annually in funds from the World Bank's
International Development Association (IDA), the lender's financing arm for the
world's poorest countries.
Sudan
has more than $60 billion in foreign debt.
Earlier
in the day, the US embassy in Khartoum said on Twitter: “We congratulate the
civilian-led transitional government on its signature today of the Abraham
Accords Declaration, which will help further Sudan on its transformative path
to stability, security, and economic opportunity.”
"The
agreement allows Sudan, Israel and other signers of the Abraham Accords to
build mutual trust and increase cooperation in the region."
Sudan
is one of four Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel, along with the
UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/06/After-normalization-with-Israel-US-Treasury-signs-1-bln-loan-to-clear-Sudan-s-debt
--------
UK,
France, Germany ‘concerned’ over Iran nuclear enrichment
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
06.01.2021
LONDON
Britain,
France and Germany expressed “deep concern” over Iran’s commencement of uranium
enrichment up to 20% in one of its facilities.
“This
action, which has no credible civil justification and carries very significant
proliferation-related risks, is in clear violation of Iran’s commitments under
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) and further hollows out the
Agreement,” said a joint statement by the three countries.
Describing
the enrichment a “serious negative development,” the statement said it
“undermines the joint commitment of JCPoA participants on 21 December to
preserve the JCPoA.”
“It
also risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy
with the incoming US Administration.”
“We
strongly urge Iran to stop enriching uranium to up to 20% without delay,
reverse its enrichment programme to the limits agreed in the JCPoA and to
refrain from any further escalatory steps which would further reduce the space
for effective diplomacy,” it added.
“We
remain in close contact with the other remaining JCPoA participants to assess
how to best address Iran’s non-compliance within the framework of the JCPoA.”
Late
last week, Iran confirmed a plan to increase uranium enrichment up to 20% as it
moves to implement a recently introduced law as a counter-measure against US
sanctions.
Under
the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67%. The
threshold was, however, breached by Iran in response to the US withdrawal from
the deal, raising the level to 4.5.
Despite
US President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to withdraw from the JCPoA, EU
members Germany and France have repeatedly underlined their commitment to the
deal and urged Tehran to return to full compliance with the agreement.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-france-germany-concerned-over-iran-nuclear-enrichment/2100441
--------
India
Jamiat
Ulama-I-Hind Moves Supreme Court, Seeks To Be Party In Pleas Against State Laws
On Religious Conversion
06th
January 2021
NEW
DELHI: A Muslim body moved the Supreme Court Wednesday seeking it be made a
party in the batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of
controversial new laws of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand regulating religious
conversions in inter-faith marriages.
The
top court earlier in the day, issued notice to the two states, while agreeing
to examine the validity of their laws.
Jamiat
Ulama-I-Hind in its application said that similar legislations are also being
enacted or planned by various other states which also need to be declared
unconstitutional.
It
has said that the ordinance passed by the Uttar Pradesh government was
promulgated in the backdrop of statements issued by the Chief Minister claiming
that his government was working to bring a strict law to curb incidents of
'love jihad'.
"That
as is evident by the statements made by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh,
the impugned ordinance was promulgated to curb incidents of 'love jihad' which
is a terminology used to describe inter-religious marriages, which they allege
involves the conversion of the woman - either by force or guile - to marry a
Muslim man," it said.
The
NGO, in the application filed through advocate Ejaj Maqbool, said that in such
circumstances, it wishes to raise the issue of fundamental rights of the Muslim
youth, who are being targeted and demonized by using the ordinance which itself
is unconstitutional, being violative of Articles 14, 21 and 25.
It
said that the ordinance attempts to regulate a personal decision of each human
being by encroaching upon an individual's choice to convert to a religion of
his/ her choice and scrutiny by the state of such a personal decision is a
grave assault on personal liberty of an individual and is violative of Article
21.
The
ordinance makes it a criminal offence to convert a person by offering him/her
an 'allurement', it added.
"Though
the impugned ordinance seeks to address the mischief of forcible conversion,
however it provides that reconversion to a person's previous religion is not
illegal, even if it is vitiated by fraud, force, allurement, misrepresentation
and so on," the application said.
It
added that the impugned ordinance reverses the rule of burden of proof in
criminal law and proceeds on the presumption that each religious conversion is
illegal.
"Further,
the Impugned Ordinance puts the burden on the person carrying out the
conversion to prove that it is not illegal. The offence of illegal conversion
is also 'cognizable' and 'non-bailable', which means that a police officer can
arrest an accused without a warrant and the accused, may or may not be released
on bail, at the discretion of the court," it said.
The
application said that apart from the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful
Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion
Act, 2018, state of Himachal Pradesh (Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act,
2019) has also enacted a similar legislation, while a similar legislation is in
the pipeline in Madhya Pradesh where the cabinet cleared the Madhya Pradesh
Freedom of Religion Bill 2020.
The
NGO sought impleadment into the pleas filed by advocate Vishal Thakre and
others and an NGO 'Citizen for Justice and Peace'.
The
pleas challenged the constitutional validity of the UP ordinance, and the
Uttarakhand Act which regulate religious conversions of inter-faith marriages.
The
UP ordinance was cleared by the state Cabinet in November and ascent was given
by Governor Anandiben Patel on November 28.
It
relates not only to inter-faith marriages but all religious conversions and
lays down elaborate procedures for those who wish to convert to another
religion.
The
Uttarakhand Act entails two year jail term for those found guilty of religious
conversion through force or 'allurement', which can be in cash or in kind
--employment or material benefit.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jan/06/muslim-body-moves-supreme-court-seeks-to-be-party-pleas-against-state-laws-on-religious-conversion-2246461.html
--------
Farmers
protest shouldn't become replica of Tablighi meet: Supreme Court
Jan
7, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre what it has learnt from
the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation earlier this year amid Covid-19, and the
same situation may arise with the protesting farmers, if precautionary measures
are not taken to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Citing
the ongoing farmers protest at various Delhi borders, a bench headed by Chief
Justice S.A. Bobde asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, "You must
tell us what is happening?"
The
bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian queried
further, whether farmers protesting at various Delhi borders are taking
precaution to contain the spread of Covid-19.
When
the Solicitor General replied in negative, the top court said it could
potentially become a situation like the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation in the
national capital, which happened in March last year. Mehta replied that he will
find the status.
The
top court asked the Centre to file a report on the steps taken so far to contain
Covid and issued notice on a plea filed by Supriya Pandita through advocate
Omprakash Parihar.
The
top court emphasized that it is concerned if precautions are not being taken
against the spread of Covid in large gatherings.
The
bench said it is trying to ensure that Covid-19 does not spread and asked the
Centre to ensure guidelines are strictly followed.
Pandita
had moved the top court questioning the role of Centre, Delhi government and
Delhi police for allowing the huge congregation, including foreign delegates at
Nizamuddin Markaz, which risked the health of people amid Covid-19.
The
top court also asked the Centre to issue guidelines for the prevention of large
gatherings, and Mehta agreed to comply.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/farmers-protest-shouldnt-become-replica-of-tablighi-meet-supreme-court/articleshow/80149465.cms
--------
India
welcomes restoration of ties between Qatar and four other Arab states
Jan
06, 2021
India
on Wednesday welcomed the restoration of diplomatic ties between Qatar and four
other Arab countries that had imposed an embargo on it in 2017, saying such a
move would give a boost to peace and stability in the region.
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhad said on Tuesday that
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had agreed to
“fully set our differences aside” with Qatar at a Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) Summit at Al-Ula.
The
four countries had cut ties with Qatar in 2017 and imposed a partial blockade,
accusing the gas and oil-rich state of backing acts of terrorism. Qatar, which
had angered the other states because of its close ties with Iran and the
broadcasts of the Al-Jazeera news channel, had dismissed these allegations.
Following
the restoration of full ties between the five countries, external affairs
ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said: “We were pleased to note the
positive developments at the recently concluded GCC Summit in Al-Ula, Saudi
Arabia. We welcome the reconciliation and rapprochement between countries in
the region.
“India
shares [an] excellent relationship with all the countries in the GCC, which is
in our extended neighbourhood and we hope that such encouraging developments
will further promote peace, progress and stability in the region.”
Srivastava
added: “We will continue to work with GCC countries for the strengthening of
our bilateral cooperation. We also look forward to enhance our institutional
dialogue and partnership with the GCC.”
The
GCC states are home to some nine million Indian expatriates, with a majority
based in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Indian government has worked hard to
boost its relations with the Arab states, particularly in defence cooperation
and energy security, and it has also welcomed the recent normalisation of ties
between Israel and key Arab states such as the UAE.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-welcomes-restoration-of-ties-between-qatar-and-four-other-arab-states/story-ujEIqtt89j5cOMpJOdrj4J.html
--------
No
Respite For UP Muslim Teen Held After Birthday Party For 'Conversion'
by
Alok Pandey
January
06, 202
Lucknow:
A young Muslim teen in west Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor, 430 km from Lucknow, has
spent over 20 days in jail after an incident last month where he and a
16-year-old Hindu girl, walking home from a friend's birthday event, were
ambushed, harassed and taken to a police station. The matter escalated to a
case being filed under the state's controversial new anti-conversion law.
At
her village in Bijnor, 50-year-old Sanjeeda, the mother of 18-year-old Shakib,
who is now in jail awaiting a bail hearing this Friday - a widow with no fixed
income - says she has just about managed money for a lawyer, as she fights back
tears.
"I
am very distressed. When my husband was alive, I borrowed lakhs of rupees for
his treatment. He died two years ago. No one is willing to even give me money
to fight this case," Sanjeeda told NDTV.
Shakib
was arrested on December 15 and jailed for allegedly trying to forcibly convert
the 16-year-old Hindu girl, a charge denied at the time by both the girl and
her mother.
The
Bijnor police, which had insisted the Muslim teenager was arrested on a
complaint by the girl's father, has gone ahead and filed a chargesheet in the
case, under stringent sections of the law where bail is difficult.
"We
filed the case on December 15 and a police officer investigated it. Based on
evidence, medical examination and the girl's statement before a magistrate, we
have filed a chargesheet in the case under IPC, POCSO Act, SC/ST law and the
conversion law," says Dr Dharm Veer Singh, Bijnor's police chief.
At
the Hindu girl's village, less than 2 km from Shakib's home, her father in a
brief interaction with NDTV continued to insist this is a case of forcible
conversion. "No, they can't say this, you can ask them again," he
said when asked about his daughter and mother saying on record there was no
conversion angle to the matter.
But
the girl and her mother were both not at home and the father and other
villagers were unwilling to disclose their location. Two weeks ago, in
interviews to NDTV, both of them had vehemently denied the police version.
"Around 11.30 pm some people caught hold of us - the villagers beat us up.
They accused us of theft. They caught one boy, I don't know who he was, and they
caught me. I did not know who the boy was. It is not true that he was trying to
convert me," the girl had told NDTV.
At
both the teens' villages, not many were willing to discuss the case on camera
or off it except Vinod Saini, the pradhan or chief of the girl's village who
continues to claim the police cooked up the unlawful conversion charge .
"I
simply do not think this was a case of 'love jihad'. I have already said this,
this case has been foisted just like that. Both were students and they used to
meet each other," Mr Saini told NDTV.
The
district's police chief has rubbished the claim. "This is totally wrong.
We filed a chargesheet only after statements and a medical examination and a
court statement. Even today the girl's father and family members are sticking
to their statements. Some people are trying to entice the family to change
their statements and we are keeping a watch on such people and we will act
against them. We do not act based on any statements by a pradhan or politician.
The action is based on evidence and court statements," the Bijnor police
chief said.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bijnor-no-respite-for-up-muslim-teen-arrested-for-conversion-while-returning-from-birthday-party-2348691
--------
SC
Agrees to Examine Constitutionality of 'Love Jihad' Laws But Refuses Stay, to
Hear Matter in 4 Weeks
JANUARY
06, 2021
The
Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to examine controversial new laws of Uttar
Pradesh and Uttarakhand regulating religious conversions due to inter-faith
marriages.
A
bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde refused, however, to stay the
controversial provisions of the laws and issued notices to both state
governments on two different petitions. The pleas, filed by advocate Vishal
Thakre and others and an NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace, have challenged the
constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious
Conversion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018
which regulate religious conversions of inter-faith marriages.
At
the outset, the top court asked the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High
Court after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that it is already seized of
the matter. The bench said that this is not the transfer petition where it can
transfer to itself all the cases on the law after one of the petitioner said
that the issue should be examined by the top court.
Senior
advocate CU Singh, appearing for the NGO, referred to the judgement of Justice
(retd) Deepak Gupta and says that similar laws are being made in various
states. Singh added that some of the provisions of these laws are oppressive
and horrible in nature and requires prior consent of government to marry which
is absolutely obnoxious. The bench said that it is issuing notice and sought
response from both the state governments within four weeks. When Singh insisted
for stay of provisions, the CJI said that now stay is sought on some provisions
without hearing the states. How can it be done, the bench asked.
'Love
Jihad' is a conspiracy theory touted by right-wing groups under which they
claim Muslim men 'forcibly convert' women of other religions under the 'guise'
of love.
In
UP, the law provides for a jail term of up to 10 years for any violations.
Under the law, which deals with different categories of offences, a marriage
will be declared "null and void" if the conversion of a woman is
solely for that purpose. The onus to prove that the conversion has not been
done forcibly will lie on the accused and the convert.
Amore
stringent law against conversion by force, inducement or through marriages
solemnised for the sole purpose of adopting a new religion, with a provision of
up to seven years in jail for violators, has come into force in BJP-ruled
Himachal Pradesh, over a year after it was passed by the state assembly.
In
MP, the 'Freedom of Religion Bill 2020' was approved by the cabinet in a
meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The bill has provision
for up to ten-year jail term and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh for those accused of
converting women on the pretext of marriage.
https://www.news18.com/news/india/sc-agrees-to-examine-constitutionality-of-love-jihad-laws-issues-notices-to-up-uttarakhand-himachal-3252236.html
--------
In
AP, Muslim ‘forced to chant Jai Shri Ram’
Jan
7, 2021
VIJAYAWADA:
A 26-year-old Muslim youth was allegedly manhandled and forced to chant “Jai
Shri Ram” at Auto Nagar area in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool town on Tuesday.
Police
said the harassment took place when the accused, an employee at a private
motorcycle repair shop, stopped the victim, allegedly snatched his bike keys
and started harassing him. After locals noticed it and gathered around, the
accused fled from the spot.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/in-ap-muslim-forced-to-chant-jai-shri-ram/articleshow/80144488.cms
--------
North
America
Trump
urges supporters to go home amid violence
Servet
Gunerigok
07.01.2021
WASHINGTON
Amid
violence surrounding the US capital Washington D.C., President Donald Trump
called on his supporters on Wednesday to respect law and order and go home.
In
a video on Twitter, the president repeated his claim that the Nov. 3
presidential election was "stolen from us" and said everyone
including the Democrats know it.
"But
you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order,
and we have to respect our great people and law and order. We don't want
anybody hurt," said Trump.
Trump's
tweet was quickly flagged by Twitter, with a warning label stating that
"This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet cannot be
replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence."
His
remarks came after hundreds of his supporters clashed with police during an
apparent attempt to storm the Capitol building.
Videos
on social media showed supporters tearing down security fences and confronting
police to breach the building.
The
Washington Post reported that two buildings at the Capitol complex have been
evacuated amid the tension.
The
incident happened minutes after Vice President Mike Pence announced that he
rejected Trump's demand that he interfere in Congress's counting of Electoral
College votes, just minutes before lawmakers were set to convene in a rare
joint session.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-urges-supporters-to-go-home-amid-violence/2101039
--------
US,
Sudan sign ‘Abraham Accords’ normalizing ties with Israel: US embassy
06
January 2021
The
United States and Sudan on Wednesday signed the “Abraham Accords” under which
the mainly Arab Muslim country agreed to normalize ties with Israel, the US
embassy in Khartoum said.
“We
congratulate the civilian-led transitional government on its signature today of
the Abraham Accords Declaration, which will help further Sudan on its
transformative path to stability, security, and economic opportunity,” the
embassy said on Twitter.
“The
agreement allows Sudan, Israel and other signers of the Abraham Accords to
build mutual trust and increase cooperation in the region.”
Sudan’s
Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the deal with visiting US Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to the prime minister’s office.
“This
is a very, very significant agreement .. It would have a tremendous impact on
the people of Israel and the people of Sudan as they continue to work together
on cultural and economic opportunities and trade,” Mnuchin said in comments
carried on the state-run SUNA news agency.
Abdulbari
said Sudan welcomed “the rapprochement that took place between Israel and the
countries in the region, as well as the beginning of diplomatic relations,
which we will work, form our side in the near future, to strengthen and expand
them in the interest of Sudan and in the interest of other countries in the
region.”
Also
during Mnuchin’s visit, the US and Sudan signed a “memorandum of understanding”
to facilitate the payment of the African’s country’s debt to the World Bank,
the Finance Ministry said, a move that is widely seen as a key step toward
Khartoum’s economic recovery.
The
ministry said the settlement would enable Sudan to receive more than $1 billion
annually from the World Bank for the fist time in nearly three decades, when
the country was designated a pariah state.
Sudan
has more than $60 billion in foreign debt.
On
October 23, President Donald Trump announced Sudan would become the third Arab
state to normalize ties with Israel as part of a US-brokered deal known as the
“Abraham Accords” after the biblical patriarch revered by Muslims and Jews.
That
followed the North African nation agreeing to put $335 million in an escrow
account to compensate US victims of terrorist attacks. Those include the 1998
bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania by the al-Qaeda network
while its leader, Osama bin Laden, was living in Sudan. The country also was
believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian
militants in the Gaza Strip.
In
exchange, Trump notified Congress of his intent to remove Sudan from the US
list of state sponsors of terrorism, a key incentive for the deal.
There
was no immediate comment from Israel on Wednesday.
The
Trump administration announced diplomatic pacts last year between Israel and
the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — the first since Jordan recognized Israel
in the 1990s and Egypt in the 1970s. Morocco also established diplomatic ties
with Israel. The agreements are all with countries that are geographically
distant from Israel and have played a minor role, if any, in the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
The
accords have contributed to the severe isolation and weakening of the
Palestinians by eroding a longstanding Arab consensus that recognition of
Israel should only be given in return for concessions in the peace process.
Although
Sudan is not a regional powerhouse, establishing ties with Israel is deeply
symbolic.
Sudan
is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to
overthrow longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. The county is now ruled
by a joint military and civilian government that seeks better ties with
Washington and the West.
During
his visit, Mnuchin met with Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling
sovereign council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
It
is the first visit by a sitting US treasury chief to Sudan, the statement said.
Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo in August became the first top US diplomat to visit Sudan
since 2005, when Condoleezza Rice visited.
The
visit came “at a time when our bilateral relations are taking historical leaps
towards a better future. We’re planning to make tangible strides today as our
relations enter a #NewEra,” Hamdok tweeted.
The
Justice Ministry said last month that the US would give a $1 billion bridge
loan to the World Bank on behalf of Sudan, in addition to $1.1 billion in
direct and indirect aid from the US.
Since
the ouster of al-Bashir, Sudan has been ruled by a joint military and civilian
government that seeks better ties with the West. It has been struggling with a
huge budget deficit and widespread shortages of essential goods, including
fuel, bread and medicine.
Annual
inflation soared past 200percent in the past months as prices of bread and
other staples surged, according to official figures.
Mnuchin’s
visit came amid rising tensions between military and civilian members of
Sudan’s transitional government. That tensions, which resurfaced in recent
weeks, have largely centered on the military’s economic assets, over which the
civilian-run Finance Ministry does not have control.
John
Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry watchdog group, said Mnuchin should
pressure the military and security apparatus to allow “independent oversight”
to businesses they control.
“As
Secretary Mnuchin engages with the leadership in Khartoum, it is critical that
he weighs in with strong support for international anti-money laundering
standards and fiscal transparency, which are essential for Sudan to counter the
looting of its national economy,” he said.
Mnuchin
flew to Sudan from Cairo, where he met with Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah
el-Sissi, a close US ally. The stops are part of a flurry of activity during
the final days of the Trump administration.
Mnuchin
later tweeted that he was headed to Israel "for important meetings.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/06/US-Sudan-sign-Abraham-Accords-normalizing-ties-with-Israel-US-embassy-
--------
US
air traffic control receive threat vowing revenge for Qassem Soleimani killing
Peter
Donnelly
06
January 2021
Multiple
air traffic controllers in New York received a threat Monday in audio obtained
by CBS News: “We are flying a plane into the Capitol on Wednesday. Soleimani
will be avenged,” it said.
The
news comes on the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in a US
drone attack.
Iran
has vowed to avenge Soleimani’s killing, and the country’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last year said that retaliation against the US would
happen, Al Arabiya English earlier reported.
Iran
will never forget the US killing of Soleimani, and “will definitely strike a
retaliatory blow to the Americans,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Washington
is aware of Iran’s position. In December last year General Kenneth McKenzie,
the head of US Central Command (Centcom), told journalists, “We are prepared to
defend ourselves, our friends and partners in the region, and we’re prepared to
react if necessary.”
It’s
unclear who sent the threat. While the US government does not believe the
warning of an attack is credible, it is being investigated as a breach of
aviation frequencies, CBS News reported.
Sources
told CBS News a message was sent to air traffic controllers on Tuesday
reminding them that any threat or a plane deviating from its flight path should
be reported immediately.
Tensions
are rising in the Middle East, highlighted by the IRGC’s seizure of a South
Korean-flagged tanker on Monday.
In
a sign of creating unity amongst Gulf countries Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman met with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on
the sidelines of the GCC Summit in AlUla on Tuesday, state news agency SPA
reported.
The
UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, had severed diplomatic, trade
and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism
– a charge Doha denies.
The
summit saw all Gulf countries sign the AlUla declaration which Saudi Foreign
Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said formally ended the dispute with Qatar.
The
Crown Prince had said during the summit there was an urgent need for Gulf
countries to unite their efforts, especially in the face of the Iranian threat
in the region.
“We
urgently need to unite our efforts to... confront the challenges that surround
us, particularly the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, its
ballistic missile program, and the destructive projects adopted by its proxies
through terrorist and sectarian activities to destabilize the security and
stability of the region,” the crown prince said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2021/01/06/Iran-supreme-leader-US-air-traffic-control-receive-threat-vowing-revenge-for-Qassem-Soleimani-killing
--------
Proud
Boys Leader Arrested and Charged With Burning D.C. Church’s Black Lives Matter
Banner
By
ELLIOT HANNON
JAN
05, 2021
Police
in Washington, D.C., arrested the leader of the far-right extremist group the
Proud Boys on Monday afternoon in connection with last month’s burning of a
Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church in the city.
Authorities apprehended Enrique Tarrio, who lives in Miami, when he entered the
city ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled rally among fellow far-right advocates of
overturning the 2020 election in an effort to keep President Donald Trump in
office. While the charge of destruction of property is a misdemeanor,
prosecutors are also investigating whether actions of the 36-year-old Tarrio
and the Proud Boys—a white nationalist, male-chauvinist organization—constitute
a hate crime, which would carry additional penalties.
The
Proud Boys were part of the pro-Trump demonstration on Dec. 12 in the capital.
Full of grievance and provocation, ultimately the Proud Boys got what they
wanted that night, violence and chaos, as the event spiraled into street
skirmishes with counterprotesters, including a stabbing. That night four
churches in the district were vandalized, including Asbury United Methodist
Church, which sits six blocks from the White House. The historic Black church’s
Black Lives Matter banner was taken and burned. The act evoked the disturbing
history of Black churches being burned in the U.S. during Reconstruction and
the civil rights movement. In the aftermath of the December rally, Tarrio
admitted to burning the banner in a series of statements on far-right
platforms, daring police to arrest him. On Monday, police did just that as
Tarrio was believed to be arriving from the airport for Wednesday’s rally.
Tarrio
was also charged with two additional felony counts when police found the
far-right leader to be in possession of high-capacity magazines, which allow
weapons to hold and load more ammunition, during Monday’s arrest. Local
authorities are concerned about the potential for violence during Wednesday’s
pro-Trump, anti-Democracy event, which is coordinated to be held during the
certification of the Electoral College tally of President-elect Joe Biden’s
win.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/01/proud-boys-leader-arrested-charged-burning-church-black-lives-matter-banner.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
US
President Donald Trump says transition will be orderly
January
07, 2021
WASHINGTON:
President Donald Trump said there would be an “orderly transition on January
20th” after Congress concluded the electoral vote count early Thursday
certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory hours after he appeared to
excuse the violent occupation of the US Capitol by his supporters.
Trump
acknowledged defeat in the Nov. 3 election for the first time, after a day of
chaos and destruction on Capitol Hill perpetrated in his name by supporters
that halted business in Congress for more than six hours.
“Even
though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear
me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,”
Trump said in a statement posted to Twitter by aides. His personal account was
locked by the social media company for posting messages that appeared to
justify the assault on the seat of the nation’s democracy.
Trump
added, “While this represents the end of the greatest first term in
presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America
Great Again!”
Trump
on Wednesday had encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol to protest
lawmakers’ actions, expressed empathy for the mob, which violently forced its
way inside, clashed with police and forced lawmakers into hiding.
“These
are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory
is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who
have been badly & unfairly treated for so long,” Trump wrote in a message
that was later deleted by Twitter. He added, “Go home with love & in peace.
Remember this day forever!”
In
an earlier video he had praised the protesters as “special” people and said he
understood their pain. Twitter later locked his account for the first time as
it demanded he remove the tweets and threatened “permanent suspension.”
Trump’s
response to the violence underscored his months-long obsession with trying to
overturn the results of the election, spending the final days of his presidency
angrily stewing and lashing out at Republicans for perceived disloyalty.
Trump
spent much of Wednesday afternoon watching the insurrection on television from
his private dining room off the Oval Office. But aside from sparing appeals for
calm issued at the insistence of his staff, he was largely disengaged as the
nation’s capital descended into unprecedented scenes of chaos as a mob of
thousands tried to halt the peaceful transition of power.
Instead,
a White House official said, most of Trump’s attention was consumed by his ire
at Vice President Mike Pence, who said he would not overturn the will of voters
in the congressional electoral count. The official was not authorized to
discuss the matter and spoke only on the condition of anonymity.
The
violence, coupled with the president’s tepid response, appeared to drive many
Republicans to the breaking point after years of allegiance to Trump. In a sign
of growing frustration, a number of White House aides were discussing a
potential mass resignation, according to people familiar with the conversation,
although some harbored concerns about what Trump might do in his final two
weeks in office if they were not there to serve as guardrails when so few
remain.
After
four years with no shortage of fraught moments, Wednesday’s events quickly
emerged as the nadir of morale in the Trump White House, as aides looked on in
horror at the chaos at the Capitol fomented by Trump.
Stephanie
Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff and a former White House press
secretary, submitted her resignation Wednesday, but declined to say what has
prompted her move. Deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, White House
social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews also
resigned, according to officials.
More
departures were expected in the coming days, officials said. But other aides
indicated they were staying to help smooth the transition to President-elect
Biden’s administration.
Trump
has been single-mindedly focused on his electoral defeat since Election Day,
aides said, at the expense of the other responsibilities of his office,
including the fight against the raging coronavirus.
Indeed,
it was Pence, not Trump, who spoke with the acting defense secretary to discuss
mobilizing the D.C National Guard on Wednesday afternoon.
Trump
only reluctantly issued the tweets and taped a video encouraging an end to the
violence. The posts came at the insistence of staff and amid mounting criticism
from Republican lawmakers urging him to condemn the violence being perpetrated
in his name, according to the official.
And
even as authorities struggled to take control of Capitol Hill after protesters
overwhelmed police, Trump continued to level baseless allegations of mass voter
fraud and praised his loyalists as “very special.”
“I
know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now,” he said in a
video posted more than 90 minutes after lawmakers were evacuated from the House
and Senate chambers. “We can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to
have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1788546/world
--------
Turkey
calls on all parties in US to use common sense
Burak
Bir,Havva Kara Aydın
06.01.2021
Reacting
to scenes of supporters of US President Donald Trump on Wednesday storming the
Capitol building, Turkey urged all parties in the US to use moderation and
common sense.
"We
are following with concern the internal developments happening in the U.S.
following the Presidential elections which culminated in the Capitol Hill
building being breached by protesters today,” the ministry said in a
statement," Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"We
call on all parties in the U.S. to maintain restraint and prudence. We believe
the U.S. will overcome this internal political crisis in a mature manner,"
the ministry added.
Turkish
citizens in the US were also advised to stay away from crowded places and
places where demonstrations are being held.
The
protesters were trying to disrupt a tally of electoral votes in Congress making
official the election of Joe Biden as Trump's successor.
"We
follow the events in the USA with concern and invite the parties to calmness,”
Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop wrote in English on Twitter.
“We
believe that problems will always be solved within law and democracy.”
He
added: "As Turkey, we have always been in favor of the law and democracy
and we recommend it to everyone.”
On
Twitter, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin also expressed how Turkey is
carefully watching the events, saying: "We follow the recent developments
in the US capital with a lot of concern."
"We
maintain our belief that democracy in the USA will become operational as soon
as possible with all its institutions and practices," said Fahrettin
Altun, communications director of Turkish presidency, on Twitter.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkey-calls-on-all-parties-in-us-to-use-common-sense/2100899
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan's
internet regulator bans anti-Islam movie
Thursday,
07 January 2021
Javed
Rana
Pakistan
telecommunication authority, the official internet traffic regulator, has
banned the screening of what appears to be a blasphemous, anti-Islam movie,
"The Lady of Heaven.”
The
controversial movie depicted the the life of Hazrat Fatima (PBUH), the daughter
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The movie generated public resentment across the
Muslim world for building up the story of an Iraqi child victim of a conflict
and similarities of his difficulties with disputed historical events associated
with the life of Hazrat Fatima (PBUH), one of the most revered and respected
figures in Islam after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The
film was produced by Enlightened Kingdom, a London-based motion picture
company. This man, Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, a controversial cleric based in the
UK, has written the screenplay for the controversial movie.
Al-Habibi
was behind another similar controversial movie depicting the life of Hazrat
Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), 10 years ago in a
controversial manner. Kuwait revoked his citizenship after his controversial
movie on sectarian lines in 2010.
Pakistan
is very prone to sectarian violence, particularly on issues linked to the
reverence and honor of the Prophet (PBUH), his companions, and his close family
members. The fear drove Pakistan to come into action instantly to prevent the
eruption of violence at a time when Islamabad believes India is systematically
engaged in stoking sectarian conflict in the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/07/642457/Pakistan-s-internet-regulator-bans-anti-Islam-movie
--------
Military
leadership vows to defeat terrorists and abettors
January
5, 2021
The
Pakistan Army leadership, in a meeting at the General Headquarters in
Rawalpindi on Tuesday, vowed that terrorists and their abettors would be
“defeated at all costs”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a
statement.
At
the 238th Corps Commanders’ Conference, chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the army leadership reviewed the security situation
in the country and the region with a “special focus on the situation along the
borders, internal security and other professional matters of the army”.
It
also discussed the “ongoing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC),
Working Boundary and eastern border”, the ISPR said.
The
army huddle paid “special tribute to all shuhada (martyrs) and their families”
for their sacrifices for a “peaceful and secure Pakistan”, especially the
martyrs in the recent incidents in Balochistan.
“Their
sacrifices won’t go [to] waste. Terrorists and their abettors will be defeated
at all costs,” the statement added.
Earlier
this week, 11 coal miners belonging to the Shia Hazara community were shot dead
in the Mach area of Balochistan after armed militants kidnapped them and took
them to a nearby area before opening fire at close range.
The
militant Islamic State group or Daesh claimed responsibility for the killing.
It
was the second such incident in the span of a few months in the restive
province that has seen an uptick in violence, with several incidents of terrorism
being reported last year.
In
October 2020, seven soldiers of Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan and seven
security guards were martyred in an ‘encounter’ with a “large number of
terrorists” while escorting a convoy of state-run Oil & Gas Development
Company Ltd (OGDCL) on the Makran Coastal Highway in Ormara.
The
convoy was on its way to Karachi from Gwadar when it came under attack
Today’s
meeting also expressed “extreme respect and appreciation” for the people
risking their lives to combat the coronavirus.
The
meeting noted that training and professional pursuits must remain the army’s
“prime focus to enhance operational preparedness and thwart any possible
misadventure”.
“Highest
standards of capability and maintaining cutting edge at all levels is vital to
meet all challenges in tandem with other elements of national power,” the
statement quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.
“[The]
defeat of complete threat spectrum is only possible through a comprehensive
national effort, where all segments of the society play their rightful role,”
the statement quoted the participants as observing.
In
accordance with the Right to Self-determination of Kashmiris Day being observed
today, the forum expressed “complete solidarity with resilient and brave
Kashmiri brethren till the realisation of their just cause in accordance with
their aspirations and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions”.
“Decades
of atrocities by Indian occupation forces have failed to suppress
ever-strengthening freedom struggle. [The] determined Kashmiris shall succeed,”
the army leadership said.
According
to the ISPR, the meeting also expressed its satisfaction at the progress in the
Afghan peace process and efforts made for regional peace and stability.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/01/05/military-leadership-vows-to-defeat-terrorists-and-abettors/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Pak
PM Imran Khan urges Shia Hazaras to bury slain miners, promises to visit 'very
soon'
Jan
6, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday urged the protesting minority
Shia Hazara community members to bury the bodies of 11 coal-miners killed by
the Islamic State terrorists in southwestern Balochistan province, promising he
would visit them "very soon".
The
miners from the Shia Hazara community were shot dead from a close range shortly
after being abducted by the Islamic State terrorists on Sunday in the
province's mountainous Machh areas.
Their
relatives and hundreds of other members of the community began the protest on
Sunday after terrorists abducted and killed miners.
They
have been protesting along with the coffins having victims' bodies in the
Western Bypass area of provincial capital Quetta amid harsh cold weather,
insisting they will bury their dead only when Prime Minister Khan personally
visits them to assure protection.
Hundreds
of the Shia community members are also organising protests in Karachi.
"I
share your pain & have come to you before also to stand with you in your
time of suffering. I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole
with all the families personally. I will never betray my people's trust. Please
bury your loved ones so their souls find peace," Khan tweeted.
"I
want to reassure the Hazara families who lost their loved ones in a brutal
terrorist attack in Machh that I am cognisant of their suffering & their
demands. We are taking steps to prevent such attacks in the future & know
our neighbour is instigating this sectarian terrorism,” Khan said in another
tweet.
I
want to reassure the Hazara families who lost their loved ones in a brutal
terrorist attack in Machh that I am co… https://t.co/amxx4gMbEM
—
Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 1609927469000
Khan
sent his minister for shipping Ali Zaidi and adviser on Overseas Pakistanis
Zulfi Bukhari – both Shia – to meet the protestors.
The
two ministers sent by Khan met the protestors along with Balochistan Chief
Minister Jam Kamal Khan and requested them to end their protest. They also
asked them to bury the dead and do not link the matter with the visit of the
Prime Minister.
"I
would request the community to not associate it with some official's
visit," said Chief Minister Khan, while a similar request was made by Ali
Zaidi.
Chief
Minister Khan said that law and order was the responsibility of the provincial
government and he would do everything to stop such attacks and arrest the
attackers.
"He
(prime minister) will definitely come, the president will come, ministers and
parliamentarians will come. But even if the prime minister comes, we have to
solve our problems ourselves,” he said.
Police
have been raiding different places to arrest the attackers.
The
Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), a Shia political party, organized protests
in Karachi to show solidarity with the victims of the Macch.
Rahat
Begum, who lost her two sons in the massacre, said that Hazara Muslims are
being targeted by sectarian and militant outfits for long and the killers are
never brought to justice despite promises made by the government.
"This
time we want assurance from the Prime Minister that the killers will be caught
or we will not move from here,” she said.
This
is not the first time that the Hazaras have been targeted by extremist outfits
in Balochistan. In the last few years, hundreds of Hazaras have been killed in
either suicide bomb attacks, planted bomb blasts or target killings.
Hazaras
are disproportionately targeted by sectarian violence as they are easily
identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance.
Balochistan
has witnessed violence against Hazaras for more than a decade and half by
militants who consider them as heretics.
The
Hazaras are part of the Shia community who live in Balochistan and Afghanistan.
They have been often targeted by the Sunni militants.
The
province has been troubled for some time now with terrorists and militants from
sectarian and separatist groups operating in the province and carrying out
attacks on security forces, installations, the Shia Hazara community members or
even labourers/workers from other provinces.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pak-pm-imran-khan-urges-shia-hazaras-to-bury-slain-miners-promises-to-visit-very-soon/articleshow/80137790.cms
--------
Minorities
equal citizens of Pakistan, state's job to protect them: PM Imran
07
Jan 2021
Prime
Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the government's commitment to protect
religious minorities, saying members of such communities are equal citizens of
Pakistan and it is the state's duty to ensure their safety.
In
a wide-ranging interview with Turkish media outlet A News, broadcast on
Wednesday, the premier termed as "unfortunate" and
"terrible" the killing over the weekend of 11 Shia Hazara coal miners
in Balochistan's Mach area and the mob attack on a Hindu shrine in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa's Karak district last month.
Prime
Minister Imran attributed the attacks on Hazaras to "the legacy of the
1980s" when Pakistan participated in the Afghan jihad.
"One
of the worst outcomes of the jihad was [militant] sectarianism in Pakistan. So
we have been lumbered with this legacy. We had these militant sectarian groups
and the Hazara Shia community in Balochistan was targeted by these Sunni
extremist groups.
"It
was very unfortunate because ... not just that we had these extremist sectarian
groups, [but] these groups have morphed with ISIS or Daesh," he said,
referring to the militant Islamic State (IS) group which claimed responsibility
for the Mach massacre.
The
premier said he could understand the pain of the Hazara community because the
last time they were targeted, he was in the opposition. "I actually went
there and then too they didn't want to bury the dead until there were certain
promises given," he recalled.
"We
will assure them of complete support and protection," Imran said.
Relatives
of the slain miners have been protesting outside Quetta for four days along
with the coffins of the deceased. One of their demands is for Prime Minister
Imran to visit them.
Amidst
criticism over not visiting the protest camp so far, the premier earlier today
urged Balochistan's Hazaras to bury the bodies of the miners, promising he
would visit them "very soon".
Referring
to the vandalising of the Hindu shrine in Karak, Prime Minister Imran said the
government had "immediately taken action and arrested everyone" and had
also pledged to rebuild the temple.
"We
believe that minorities in Pakistan are equal citizens and the job of the state
is to protect them," he emphasised.
Islamophobia
'not addressed'
Prime
Minister Imran also recalled the roots of, and his government's efforts
against, Islamophobia in the West, saying Muslim leaders had failed to address
the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in Western countries.
"I
saw the evolution of Islamophobia in Western countries and if I have to put a
date on it, it was that awful character Salman Rushdie; he wrote this book
which insulted our Holy Prophet (PBUH).
"And
since then two things happened: One, in the west they could not understand the
reaction of the Muslims when our Holy Prophet was insulted. And because they
could not understand it they believed that Islam was against freedom of speech.
So they put it on freedom of speech that [a] man can write anything in a book
not understanding the love, respect and reverence we have for our Holy
Prophet," he said.
On
the other hand, the premier noted, Muslims living in Western countries got
"very agitated" and some even became violent in response to offensive
acts of non-Muslims targeting Islam.
"They
believed that it was deliberately targeting the Muslim community; the fact is
that the Western people do not understand, they cannot understand the way we
feel for our Prophet because they don't consider their own holy sacred entities
the way we do. In fact, they don't treat religion like we do, especially in
Europe," he said.
"Therefore,
this gap of misunderstanding between the two communities — the Muslims living
in the Western communities and the Western communities — [kept growing] and
unfortunately this gap was not addressed," the prime minister added.
He
said the gulf should have been addressed by leaders of the Muslim world
"who should have got together and explained on world forums [...] to the
Western countries that if you, under the garb of freedom of speech, in the West
caricature, insult or mock either our Holy Quran or our Holy Prophet, then
there will be a reaction".
"Unfortunately,
the Muslim leadership did not do so. Therefore this gap over a period of time,
especially after 9/11, has just grown more and more and so has Islamophobia.
This gap of misunderstanding and Islamophobia have grown together."
Prime
Minister Imran criticised the French government's handling of Islamophobia,
saying they had "equated terrorism to Islam" which would have
"long term consequences".
He
said when sections of the Muslim population reacted violently to acts such as
caricatures ridiculing Islamic personalities, the French authorities instead of
understanding their sentiments clamped down on Muslim communities, "who
then become ghettoised and get more radicalised".
"Marginalisation
creates radicalisation," he stressed.
'Want
US to be even-handed between Pakistan and India'
Asked
about his expectations from the incoming administration of US President-elect
Joe Biden, Prime Minister Imran said it was "difficult to predict"
what trajectory the Pakistan-US relationship will take under the new leader.
"But
what I can say is we want the US to be even-handed between Pakistan and India;
that's all we want. What we do not want is what is happening right now where
India is supposed to be this big ally of the Western countries against
China," he said.
The
premier said he could not understand why there had to be a rivalry with China
to the point where the US would need allies to counterbalance Beijing.
"This
policy is difficult for Pakistan because then the whole thing gets lopsided;
India is favoured, Pakistan's legitimate rights are ignored," he added,
noting that Pakistan had given "huge sacrifices" for the US in the
Afghan jihad and its aftermath.
Ties
with Israel?
In
response to a question, Prime Minister Imran reiterated that Pakistan would not
follow some Arab countries in recognising and normalising ties with Israel.
He
said while every country "has its own foreign policy [and]
interests", doing so would make Pakistan "completely lose" its
moral standing to support the Kashmir cause, and would go against Quaid-i-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah's policy of not recognising Israel until the Palestinians
were given their own homeland.
He
said no one had or could "put pressure on me" to recognise Israel
because Pakistan was a democratic country.
The
people of Pakistan have an emotional attachment to the Palestinian cause which
"means that if anyone in this country who is a democratic leader decides
to recognise Israel, he would be going against the will of the people of this
country".
https://www.dawn.com/news/1600056
--------
Hazaras
continue protest on 5th day, refuse to bury slain miners despite PM's request
Ghalib
Nihad
07
Jan 2021
Despite
Prime Minister Imran Khan's request to move ahead with the final rites of the
slain miners and an assurance that he would visit them "very soon",
Balochistan's Shia Hazara community continued to protest for a fifth straight
day on Thursday, refusing to bury those who were brutally killed over the
weekend in the province's Mach area.
Sources
told Dawn that the prime minister has decided to visit Quetta "soon"
to express solidarity with the members of the community but the date and time
of his visit are "being kept secret due to security concerns".
On
Sunday, armed attackers slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound
near a mine site in Balochistan's Mach coalfield area, filming the entire
incident and later posting it online. The gruesome attack was claimed by the
militant Islamic State group.
Since
then, thousands of Hazaras have staged a protest along with coffins containing
the miners' bodies in the western bypass area in Quetta, while members of their
community have also held protests in Karachi.
Despite
extremely harsh weather as the mercury drops to below freezing point, the
mourners, including women and children, have refused to leave until the premier
meets them and the killers are brought to justice.
A
day earlier, the prime minister, in a series of tweets, said that he was aware
of the Shia Hazara community's "suffering & their demands",
adding that the government was taking steps to prevent such attacks in the
future and knew that "our neighbour is instigating this sectarian
terrorism."
"I
share your pain and have come to you before also to stand with you in your time
of suffering. I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole with all
the families personally," he said while addressing the mourning Hazaras.
"I
will never betray my people's trust. Please bury your loved ones so their souls
find peace," the prime minister said.
In-depth:
I am Hazara
Day-long
efforts by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, Minister for
Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM)
on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari on Wednesday to persuade the protesters to
bury the bodies of the slain miners proved futile as the protesters refused to
do so without having a meeting with the prime minister.
Several
other attempts by both federal and provincial authorities also failed.
Interior
Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who had met the protesters on Monday, had
announced Rs2.5 million would be paid to each victim's family as compensation.
Earlier
today, the chief minister once again appealed to the protesters to bury the
miners citing "religious obligations".
Meanwhile,
the Anjuman Tajran Balochistan has called for a shutter down strike in Quetta.
Bilawal,
Maryam to visit
Meanwhile,
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz are
both due to visit the Shia Hazara community today to "show
solidarity" with them.
"Have
been trying to reach Quetta with CM Sindh & Former PM Gillani. We’ve had to
off load as the planes engine would not start. Trying to make other
arrangements. PM must accept demands of the victims of terrorism protesting
along with their dead for 5 days now," Bilawal tweeted.
Maryam
will also request the community to bury the miners. In a tweet on Wednesday,
Maryam said: "On the direction of Nawaz Sharif I’m going to my sisters and
brothers (in Balochistan) with a request to hand over their dead to Allah
Almighty. I am sure they will not reject my request. For the last four days the
Hazara community has been calling the heartless in Islamabad."
She
asked the mourners not to wait for an "insensitive and heartless man"
(Imran Khan) and appealed to them to bury their dead. "May Allah elevate
their ranks in the hereafter and grant you patience."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1600204/hazaras-continue-protest-on-5th-day-refuse-to-bury-slain-miners-despite-pms-request
--------
Christian
prisoner moves PHC for release from ‘illegal’ detention
07
Jan 2021
PESHAWAR:
A member of the Christian minority kept in the Peshawar Central Prison on
Wednesday moved the high court seeking his release from the prolonged ‘illegal’
detention.
In
the petition, Shakeel Masih claimed that he had been imprisoned for around 10
years without trial, while the records of his alleged crime and detention had
been missing from the documents of the relevant court in Khyber tribal district.
He
requested the court to declare his detention illegal, unconstitutional and
against his basic rights.
Shakeel
Masih alleged that the trial court without assigning any reason had been
extending his judicial remand after every 14 days for keeping him behind bars.
Claims
he has been kept in Peshawar jail for a decade without trial
He
requested the court to declare the trial court’s arbitrary orders by granting
judicial custody without recording any reason as against the basic principles
of criminal justice.
The
petitioner sought his release claiming nothing is available on record to prove
his involvement in the killing of military officials in Khyber region more than
a decade ago.
The
petition was filed by lawyer Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel known for public interest
litigations.
The
respondents in the petition are the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through
advocate general, provincial inspector general of prisons, interior secretary,
Khyber district public prosecutor, district and sessions judge of Khyber district,
and Peshawar Central Prison’s superintendent.
The
petitioner said that he was arrested around 10 years ago on the charge of
killing some military officials in Khyber tribal region but no document to that
effect, including FIR, was available on record.
He
insisted that though there was no FIR or any incriminating evidence against
him, he had been detained without any lawful justification.
The
petitioner said that he hadn’t been provided with any document related to his
case as required under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
He
claimed that he had regularly been taken to the court’s premises for around a
decade but the personnel brought him back to the prison without presenting
before the relevant judge.
The
petitioner wondered when records of his case were not available with the court,
how it was possible for it to grant his judicial remand to keep him behind bars
for an indefinite period.
He
contended that when there was no evidence of his alleged involvement in
killings or the records of his case were missing, the trial court should have
either acquitted him or released him on bail until the relevant documents were
available.
The
petitioner said that the trial court had the powers to acquit an accused under
Section 265-K of Code of Criminal Procedure when there was insufficient
evidence against him or her and the complainant and witnesses hadn’t been
appearing before it.
He
claimed that he had been denied the fair trial opportunity, which was
guaranteed in Article 10-A of the Constitution.
The
petitioner said that he had been deprived of his liberty with no plausible
reason, which was a violation of Article 9 of the Constitution.
Lawyer
Saifullah Muhib told Dawn that first, his client’s father pursued his case but
after he died a few years ago, there was no one to pursue it.
He
said that as per the prisoner his family members were asked to stay mum over
his case and they were afraid to come forward, hence he has been pursuing this
case from the prison.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1600097/christian-prisoner-moves-phc-for-release-from-illegal-detention
--------
Arab
World
Iraq
regains confidence in dealing with outlawed militias
Shelly
Kittleson
Jan
5, 2021
ERBIL,
Iraq — Reports that Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for a member of a
powerful armed group and arrested another have led to tentative hopes for the
future of holding “outlaws” to account in the country, despite claims that some
leaked documents were false.
A
planned protest on the first anniversary of the Jan. 3 assassination of Iranian
Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US drone strike and the Iran-linked Iraqi
commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis just outside the Baghdad airport failed to
attract as many participants as had been expected. Concerns over threats about
a major attack on US forces or interests as revenge for the assassination also
did not materialize.
One
of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi pledges when sworn in on May 6 following
months of a government void and massive protests across southern and central
Iraq was to bring all arms under state control. The extent toward which
progress has been made on this front almost eight months later has been the
subject of heated debate but has taken on greater urgency as the drawdown of US
troops continues.
Fewer
foreign troops in the country is seen by some as a risk to Iraqi security,
while others feel it is a positive step toward less “interference” in the
country.
Following
an attack on Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Dec. 20 in which at
least eight rockets were fired according to Iraqi military sources and 21
according to a US Central Command statement, a member of the well-known armed
group Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) was also arrested.
He
was arrested on criminal charges linked to the Dec. 20 attack on the US Embassy
in the Green Zone.
Despite
being an Iran-linked faction, AAH has at times engaged in significant outreach
to local communities in Sunni-majority areas. In the central Salahuddin
province, for example, this journalist has in previous years met with members
of the largest Sunni-majority tribe who joined the local branch for the sake of
a salary.
On
Dec. 26, a man often referred to as a “security official” for the Iran-linked
armed group Kataib Hezbollah and who goes by the name “Abu Ali al-Askari” on
social media threatened the prime minister that if he continued to test the
patience of the “resistance factions,” he would have his ears “cut like a
goat.” Iran-linked armed groups operating independently of the Iraqi state
often use the term “resistance factions” when referring to themselves.
A
warrant was reportedly issued for the Kataib Hezbollah security official’s
arrest in late December shortly after Askari’s tweet appeared and the alleged
official document was leaked to the media. Some later reported that the
document was fake.
Requests
for comment sent to both an Iraqi Interior Ministry official and a Kataib
Hezbollah spokesman had not been answered by the time of publication.
Twitter
had blocked Askari's account earlier in March after he threatened various Iraqi
officials including Kadhimi, in his role as head of the country’s intelligence
service. Askari had accused the current prime minister of involvement in the
Jan. 3 assassination last year.
Some
Iraqi armed factions linked to Iran also criticized the tweet and Askari’s
threats. As prime minister, Kadhimi is commander-in-chief of the armed forces;
several of these groups have brigades that are part of the official Popular
Mobilization Units (PMU), which receive government salaries and pensions.
Askari
claimed in a tweet that “not even Iranian intelligence” services would be able
to protect Kadhimi, with some observers noting that in so doing he drew a
distinction between Iran’s Intelligence Services Ministry and the parallel
service run by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Social
media, meanwhile, was awash in the final days of December in cryptic, angry
vows of revenge by supporters of armed groups close to those killed in the US
attack last Jan. 3 and in speculation about what the Iran-linked factions were
planning.
Kadhimi
has made a point of heading to the streets in times of tension since taking
office in May to shore up the public’s confidence in his government and
security services. He paid a visit to Tarmiya — long known as the “center of
Salafi recruiting” near the capital — after a sniper killed a high-ranking
military official in July. He was recently shown in videos walking confidently
through the streets of Baghdad after the attack on the Green Zone in December.
However,
many decry his government’s apparent lack of progress in finding and
prosecuting the killers of such high-profile targets as renowned Iraqi
counterterrorism expert Hisham al-Hashimi, who was assassinated in Baghdad on
July 6. Many claim Hashimi was likely to have been killed by armed factions
linked to Iran.
Kataib
Hezbollah spokesman Mohamed Mohi had on Nov. 20 stressed to this journalist
that Kataib Hezbollah is “a jihadi faction that adopts Islamic law and works to
spread it and defend it.” In relation to rocket attacks that month, he had said
that given “the circumstances Iraq is in and the US post-election transition,”
it is “illogical to carry out military actions against US targets.”
The
spokesman for the US-designated terrorist group, which nonetheless has brigades
within the official Iraqi PMU forces, went on to say that “it is necessary to
look for who is benefiting from these attacks since there are US, regional and
Iraqi parties that do not want the American forces to withdraw from Iraq and
there are some that are working to push the defeated Trump administration to
carry out an attack targeting the resistance factions and the PMU.”
Meanwhile,
some less publicized signs of an improvement in law enforcement and state
control have been seen. For example, Iraq’s customs revenue reportedly rose by
approximately 41% between June and
November 2020 compared with the previous year.
This,
as some commentators have pointed out, is likely in large part due to reducing
militia control of customs points through bulking up military oversight of them.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2021/01/iraq-security-militias.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Syrian
air defences thwart Israeli aggression: SANA
06
January 2021
Syria’s
air defenses have thwarted an Israeli missile attack on southern Damascus,
shooting down most of the missiles.
The
Israeli missiles had flown over the Syrian Golan Heights before being shot down
by the Syrian air defenses over the capital, Syria’s official news agency SANA
reported on Wednesday night.
The
Israeli missile strike was carried out at 11:10 pm local time, according to a
military source.
The
Syrian air defenses had thwarted last Wednesday another Israeli aggression on
Damascus amid an upsurge in Israeli attacks on the Arab country.
State-run
media added that the Israeli assault, which was carried out on the southwestern
town of al-Zabadani in the Rif Dimashq governorate, claimed the life of a
Syrian soldier and left three others injured.
Israel
frequently targets military positions inside Syria, especially those of the
resistance movement Hezbollah which has played a key role in helping the Syrian
army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists.
The
Arab country has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The
Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies
are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.
Israel
mostly keeps quiet about the attacks on Syrian territories which many view as
knee-jerk reaction to Syrian government’s increasing success in confronting
terrorism in country.
The
Tel Aviv regime has been a main supporter of terrorist groups that have opposed
the government of President Bashar al-Assad since militancy erupted in Syria
nine years ago.
Syrian
government forces have taken back many areas once controlled by the terrorist
groups.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/06/642442/Syria-air-defense-israel
--------
Hezbollah
municipality erects Soleimani statue in Beirut suburbs sparking controversy
06
January 2021
The
unveiling of a large statue in Beirut of an Iranian commander killed by the US
last year has sparked indignation among many in Lebanon — the latest
manifestation of a growing schism between supporters and opponents of the
Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
The
bronze bust of Gen. Qassem Soleimani was erected Tuesday by the Ghobeiry
municipality in a Hezbollah stronghold near Beirut's airport to commemorate the
slain general's supportive role in Lebanon's wars with Israel. Soleimani, the
architect of Iran’s proxy militias in the Middle East, was killed in a US drone
strike near Baghdad airport a year ago.
Others
lamented what they described as the cultural hegemony of the militant Hezbollah
and its ally, Iran. Wael Attallah, a Lebanese Canadian, tweeted: “This is a
cultural aggression being imposed on Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese
today feel violated and powerless. The Schism is getting wider day by day,
little by little.”
One
Lebanese media personality said she received death threats after her criticism
on social media of the new statue.
The
criticism has triggered a backlash from supporters, who started a Twitter storm
with the hashtag: #Soleimani-is-one-of-us.
The
killing of Soleimani and a top Iraqi militia leader last year at Baghdad’s
airport significantly ratcheted up tensions in the region, sparking outrage
among their supporters and bringing Iran and its allies and the US close to an
all-out conflict. Iraq and Hezbollah, Iran’s closest allies in the region, have
called for the expulsion of US troops from the region and threatened to
retaliate for the killing of the two commanders.
The
fallout over the Soleimani statue reflected deepening divisions in the small
country that has become increasingly aligned with Iran, alienating traditional
Arab and Western backers.
A
report in the online site Al-Modon called the bust in southern Beirut a “symbol
of (an) Iranian mandate” in Lebanon that replaces symbols of a bygone era when
pictures or statues of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdul-Nasser and Syrian President
Hafez Assad were prevalent.
The
bronze bust about 3 meters (10 feet) high is located in a roundabout on a
street named for the Iranian general and is linked to a highway named after
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini — a reflection of growing Iranian
influence in Lebanon.
Giant
posters of Soleimani were also installed along the airport highway and in
streets and neighborhoods allied with Hezbollah, in some instances sparking
angry reactions from locals.
In
the eastern Bekaa highway to the Brital area, unidentified men torched a
billboard of Soleimani on Sunday, according to the local LBC TV channel.
The
following day, other portraits of Soleimani were burned north of Beirut in Nahr
al-Kalb by men who brandished the portraits of Christian leader Bachir Gemayl,
who was assassinated in 1982.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/06/Hezbollah-municipality-erects-Soleimani-statue-in-Beirut-suburbs-sparking-controversy
--------
UAE
says transport to, trade with Qatar may resume within a week
07
January 2021
Trade
and transportation could resume between Qatar and boycotting countries within a
week, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs said on
Thursday.
Saudi
Arabia and its Arab allies agreed on Tuesday to restore ties with Qatar, ending
a boycott imposed in 2017 over allegations that Doha supported terrorism and
was cozying up to Iran, which it denied. Tuesday’s deal has US backing.
“Measures
to be implemented within a week of the agreement include practical measures of
airlines, shipping and trade,” the UAE minister, Anwar Gargash, told reporters.
However,
other issues such as restoring full diplomatic relations and the Turkish
presence in the Gulf would take longer, the official said. “Some issues are
easier to fix and some others will take a longer time.”
In
2017 Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had set Doha 13 conditions to end
the boycott, including closing al Jazeera TV, shuttering a Turkish military
base, cutting links to the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading ties with Iran.
Qatar
said the embargo had aimed to curb its sovereignty.
“We
have a very good start with (Tuesday’s) agreement... but we have issues with
rebuilding trust,” said Gargash.
“There
will be bilateral working groups to move forward on other issues,” he added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2021/01/07/UAE-says-transport-to-trade-with-Qatar-may-resume-within-a-week
--------
Qatar
economy to grow 3 pct in 2021 on resolution of Gulf dispute: Standard Chartered
06
January 2021
Qatar’s
economy will grow 3% as the easing of a three-year-old regional dispute will
help trade, tourism, and logistics, Standard Chartered said, revising its
previous 2.1% growth estimate.
Saudi
Arabia and its Arab allies agreed on Tuesday to end the Gulf dispute which
started in mid-2017 over allegations that Qatar supports terrorism, charges it
has denied.
“We
see the lifting of restrictions on trade and travel on Qatar as adding impetus
to the ongoing recovery in trade, tourism and logistics,” Standard Chartered
said in a note on Wednesday.
It
said the United Arab Emirates lifting restrictions on trade and travel to Qatar
could also help the UAE’s trade recovery, “possibly leading to less trade and
transit volume via Oman’s port and airport,” after Oman benefited from the
re-routing of some trade during the embargo.
Another
benefit could be a convergence in Qatar’s onshore and offshore spot currency
rates, as foreign liquidity stands to benefit from the lifting of the embargo,
it said.
The
bank’s revised growth forecast is higher than the 2.2% forecast Qatar gave last
month in its 2021 budget.
“Regionally,
the boost to consumer and investor sentiment and lower perceived geopolitical
risk may contribute positively to economic outcomes, particularly ahead of
significant events such as EXPO 2020, set to be hosted by Dubai in October
2021, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha,” it said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2021/01/06/Qatar-economy-to-grow-3-pct-in-2021-on-resolution-of-Gulf-dispute-Standard-Chartered
--------
Egypt
seizes $39 mln worth of Captagon, hashish, in boxes labelled ‘made in Lebanon’
Rawad
Taha
06
January 2021
Egypt
has seized drugs worth $39 million after intercepting a container transiting
from one Arab country to another, state-owned online newspaper Al-Ahram Gate
reported on Wednesday.
The
container, which was transiting through the Egyptian port, had eight million
super-strength “Captagon” amphetamine pills and nine tons of hashish.
The
General Administration for Narcotics Control seized the container which had
carton boxes labelled “Made in Lebanon” containing the narcotics.
There
were no immediate details on who had been trying to transport them, but the
statement said an investigation into the smuggling attempt was continuing.
Consumption
of “Captagon” outside the Middle East is negligible, the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said last year, but it is a significant drug in the
Gulf. Lebanon and neighboring Syria are conduit routes for the drug.
Scientists
say “Captagon” is a super-boosted amphetamine with unique chemical complexities
allowing it to induce potent psychoactive effects far more rapidly than
amphetamines alone.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/06/Egypt-seizes-39-mln-worth-of-Captagon-hashish-in-boxes-labelled-made-in-Lebanon-
--------
Mideast
Iran's
Home-Made Ababil Drones Destroy Surface Targets with Almas Missiles
2021-January-6
"Over
the last few years, with the efforts of Iran's young experts and scientists in
the Army and the Ministry of Defense, intelligent weapons for drones have been
designed and produced, some of which have been tested during the current
event," Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army for Operations Rear Admiral
Mahmoud Mousavi said.
Almas
missile which has been made by Iranian scientists and experts is able to
destroy targets on the ground with great precision.
The
first major drone exercise of the Iranian Army began in the northern central
province of Semnan on Tuesday.
Hundreds
of combat drones are participating in the drills.
Earlier,
Rear Admiral Mousavi said the exercise included tracing and destroying air
targets by means of air-to-air missiles, and also included destroying targets
on the ground by means of bombs and precision missiles.
In
a relevant development on Wednesday, the Iranian Army successfully test-fired
Azarakhsh (Thunderbolt) missile from the home-grown Karrar-class drone on
Wednesday during the major drone drills.
Azarakhsh-
air-to-air missile successfully identified and annihilated its hypothetical
targets. This is the first time the missile is being used in a war-game.
The
hypothetical enemies were successfully annihilated by Karrar-class drones
carrying 500-pound bomb.
The
Spokesman of the drills, Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, announced that constant
monitoring of the borders through the drones is among the aims of the
maneuver.
“Today,
the borders are being carefully monitored and observed by the Army forces via
drones equipped with surveillance and electronic information systems,” Mousavi
said, stressing, "The Islamic Republic of Iran's Army is capable of giving
strong response to any aggression by enemies."
On
Tuesday, the Iranian Army showcased hundreds of its drones during the large-scale
exercises underway in Semnan province in the presence of the Chief of Staff of
the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and a number of
Army commanders.
Major
General Baqeri paid a visit to the Army drone units consisting of hundreds of
UAVs deployed in an area stretching over one square kilometer.
The
drones included the Army’s pilotless operation, combat, interception,
detection, surveillance, organic war, suicide UAVs of all the four forces of
the Army.
The
displayed UAVs, enjoying various kinds of combat and logistic multi-rotors, are
capable of launching operations under the electronic war conditions and are
also equipped with jamming systems and deception radars.
Some
of the unveiled drones were the recent products of the Iranian Army.
The
Iranian Army started its first large-scale drone combat wargames in Semnan
province on Tuesday with the participation of hundreds of drones used by the
Ground Force, Air Force and Navy, Deputy Chief of Operations of Iran's Army
Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi said.
“Today,
the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the able and most powerful countries in
the field of drone production,” Admiral Mousavi said, adding that various types
of sophisticated drone systems used in the Army's Ground, Air, and Naval
Defense will perform their predesigned missions in real combat conditions.
“UAV
combat operations including air interception and destruction of aerial targets
using air-to-air missiles, destruction of ground targets using bombs and
pinpoint missiles, as well as widespread use of suicide drones, are among the
measures that will be carried out in the operational part of this exercise,” he
went on to say.
The
commander further elaborated, "The flight of naval drones from a vessel in
southern waters of the country, long-range flight of pinpointing suicide drones
to destroy vital targets in the depths of enemy’s soil will be one of the drone
combat exercise plans.”
“Participation
of UAV units from other parts of the country and monitoring land, air and sea borders
are among the other important measures that will be taken in this large-scale
drone combat exercise,” he added.
Some
UAV equipment, achievements, and subsystems produced by the experts of the Army
and defense industry will also be unveiled in an exhibition in the presence of
senior officials and commanders of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has also earlier
urged the Iranian Armed Forces to further reinvigorate their capabilities and
deterrence power.
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran does not intend to start a war against anyone but you
(Armed Forces) should increase your capabilities to the extent that not only
does the enemy fear attacking Iran but also the shadow of war against the Iranian
nation will fade away with the help of the Armed Forces' solidarity, might and
effective deployment," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing Navy officials
and commanders in Tehran on the occasion of the Navy Day in Iran.
He
added that the Armed Forces' preparedness played as a deterrent power against
the enemy threats.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991017000934/Iran's-Hme-Made-Ababil-Drnes-Desry-Srface-Targes-wih-Almas-Missiles
--------
Iran’s
DM: Serious Evidence on Israel’s Role in Assassination of N. Scientist
2021-January-6
General
Hatami made the remarks in a letter to his counterparts in over 60 countries.
He
underlined the need to abandon double-standard policies with regard to the
fight against state terrorism.
The
Defense Minister also urged global community to participate in the campaign
against state terrorism.
Referring
to the record of Israeli spying services, direct involvement in assassinating
Iranian scientists, he said that there is also serious evidence on the regime's
role in the assassination of Dr. Fakhrizadeh.
“Silence
on this terrorist act will result in its repetition and insecurity in the
world,” the minister warned.
Hatami
also said that Iran preserves the right to respond to the assassination.
In
relevant remarks in early December, Iranian embassy in the Hague condemned
assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, saying that evidence
shows Tel Aviv's involvement in the terrorist attack.
There
are various evidences, showing that the Zionist regime was behind the terrorist
attack on Iranian scientist Fakhrizadeh, the embassy said in a statement on
Wednesday December 2.
It
also stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran expects all countries in the
world, specially countries such as the Netherlands, which claims to promote
human rights, the rule of law and fight against insecurity.
While
condemning this gross violation of international law, the Islamic Republic of
Iran also expects the Netherlands to explicitly demand for accountability of
perpetrators of this terrorist attack, the statement said.
Martyr
Fakhrizadeh's car was targeted by an explosion and machinegun fire in
Damavand's Absard 40 kilometers to the East of Tehran on Friday November 27,
2020.
The
nuclear scientist and one of his companions were immediately taken to a nearby
hospital but he could not be saved.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday that the assassination
bears all the hallmarks of the Israeli regime.
An
informed source told Press TV on Monday that the remains of the weapon used in
the Friday assassination of senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh show
that it was made in Israel.
The
history of Tel Aviv’s sabotage targeting Iran’s nuclear energy program is as
old as the program itself.
Many
observers believe Israel is not able to carry out such dangerous operations
without the prior information and support of the United States which left a
landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.
Secretary
of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said that
electronic equipment has been used in the “highly complicated” assassination of
Fakhrizadeh, and further underlined the role of Israel and the anti-Iran
Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, PMOI and NCRI) in
the terror attack.
“Unfortunately,
the operation was very complicated and was carried out by using electronic
equipment and no one (terrorist) was present on the scene. But some clues are
available, and the identity and records of the designer of the operation has
been discovered by us,” Shamkhani said.
“Certainly,
Monafeqin (hypocrites as MKO members are called in Iran) have played a role and
certainly, the Zionist regime and Mossad are the criminal mastermind of this
incident,” he added.
Early
in 2018, the Israeli sources had acknowledged that Mossad had tried to
assassinate an Iranian nuclear scientist, but its operation failed.
According
to Fars News Agency, Mossad had gained access to Fakhrizadeh's name via a UN
list which referred to him as a senior scientist of Iran's Defense Ministry's
Physics Research Center.
After
the terrorist attack on November 27, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami underlined that assassination of
Fakhrizadeh may not undermine Iranians' resolve, and said revenge for the
terror attack is already on the country's agenda.
General
Salami extended condolences to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, martyr Fakhrizadeh's family, and the Iranian
nation over the martyrdom of Head of the Research and Innovation Organization
of Iran's Defense Ministry, Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated in an
organized and pre-planned terrorist attack by the child-killing Israeli regime.
"The
enemies of the Iranian nation, specially the masterminds, perpetrators and
supporters of this crime, should also know that such crimes will not undermine
the resolve of the Iranians to continue this glorious and power-generating
path, and harsh revenge and punishment is on agenda for them," the IRGC chief
commander stressed.
Also,
Ayatollah Khamenei in a message condemned assassination of Fakhrizadeh,
ordering officials to take action to punish the masterminds and perpetrators of
the terror attack.
“Mr.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent nuclear and defense scientist of the country,
was martyred by criminal and cruel mercenaries. The unique scientific figure
gave his dear and precious soul in the way of God for his great and lasting
scientific efforts, and the high position of martyrdom is his divine reward,”
Ayatollah Khamenei said in his message on Saturday November 28.
“Two
important issues should be seriously put on the agenda by all relevant
officials; first, probing the crime and the definite punishment of those who
perpetrated and ordered it; and second, pursuing and continuing the martyr's
scientific and technical efforts in all the sectors in which he was engaged,”
he added.
Ayatollah
Khamenei also extended his condolences to martyr Fakhrizadeh’s family, students
and the scientific society of the country, wishing him the highest position
before God.
President
Rouhani had on Saturday condemned assassination of Fakhrizadeh, vowing
retaliation for the criminal act.
“All
think-tanks and enemies of Iran should know well that the Iranian nation and
officials are too brave and too courageous to leave this criminal act
unanswered,” Rouhani said, addressing a meeting of the national coronavirus
campaign headquarters in Tehran.
“The
relevant officials will give a response to their crime in due time, and in addition,
the Iranian nation is too wise and too smart to fall into the trap of the
Zionists’ plot,” he added.
President
Rouhani said that it seems some parties are after stirring chaos but “they
should know that we are aware of their plots and they will not succeed in
attaining their malicious goals”.
“The
Zionist regime and those standing against Iran should know that the path of the
country’s development and research will be paved rapidly” and a large number of
other Iranian scientists like Fakhrizadeh will emerge to help, he added.
Iranian
nuclear scientists have been the target of the western and Israeli spy
agencies' assassination attempts in recent years.
In
June 2012, Iran announced that its intelligence forces had identified and
arrested all terrorist elements behind the assassination of the country's
nuclear scientists.
"All
the elements involved in the assassinations of the country's nuclear scientists
have been identified and arrested," Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced
in a statement.
"A
number of countries, whose territories and facilities had been misused by the
Mossad-backed terrorist teams, have provided the Iranian officials with
relevant information," the statement added.
"Over
the course of the investigations, all other elements behind the assassinations
of the Iranian scientists Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriari and Mostafa
Ahmadi Roshan as well as Reza Qashqaei (Roshan's driver) have been
apprehended," the statement read.
"Some
of the perpetrators of the assassination of Dr. Fereidoun Abbasi, the current
head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, are among those arrested," the
ministry added.
According
to the statement, Iran's Intelligence Ministry had detected some of Mossad's
bases within the territories of one of Iran's Western neighbors, which provided
training and logistical support to the terrorist networks.
In
the fifth attack of its kind in two years, terrorists killed a 32-year-old
Iranian scientist, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, and his driver on January 11, 2012.
The
blast took place on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Iranian
university professor and nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was also
assassinated in a terrorist bomb attack in Tehran in January 2010.
The
assassination method used in the bombing was similar to the 2010 terrorist bomb
attacks against the then university professor, Fereidoun Abbassi Davani – who
became the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization - and his colleague Majid
Shahriari. While Abbasi Davani survived the attack, Shahriari was martyred.
Another
Iranian scientist, Dariush Rezaeinejad, was also assassinated through the same
method on 23 July 2011.
In
a relevant development in January, 2015, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
(IRGC) announced that it had thwarted an attempt by the Israeli intelligence
forces to assassinate an Iranian nuclear scientist.
“In
the last two years, the Zionist enemy (Israel) was trying hard to assassinate
an Iranian nuclear scientist, but the timely presence of the IRGC security
forces thwarted the terrorist operation,” Deputy Chief Liaison Officer of
Flight Guards Corps Colonel Ya’qoub Baqeri told FNA in 2015.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991017000545/Iran%E2%80%99s-DM-Seris-Evidence-n-Israel%E2%80%99s-Rle-in-Assassinain-f-N-Scienis
--------
Iran
Urges Interpol to Issue Red Notice for Assassins of Gen. Soleimani
2021-January-6
“Iran
has asked the Interpol for the apprehension of the US president and 47 others
in connection with the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani
near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, last year,” Esmayeeli announced on Tuesday.
He
added that Iran has identified 48 people in connection with the targeted terror
attack and that includes US President Donald Trump, Pentagon officials and
terrorist American forces in the region.
The
spokesman said Tehran has made it clear in its request the role each individual
played in the brutal assassination and emphasized that Iran would seriously
pursue the case to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In
relevant remarks on Sunday, Iranian Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Rayeesi said US
President Donald Trump will ultimately have to pay for ordering assassination
of top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
“Whether
he is the US President or not, Trump should face retribution for the atrocity
he has perpetrated,” Rayeesi told Lebanon’s al-Manar TV network on Sunday.
He
called the assassination an example of “state terrorism” that occurred in a
third country, while General Soleimani was on an official visit at the
invitation of Iraqi premier.
“This
is definitely an atrocity that does not comply with any of the international
laws and regulations and humanitarian principles,” Rayeesi noted, adding that
all the perpetrators are prosecutable.
“Tehran
has got significant evidence related to the assassination,” the chief justice
noted.
“We
are keeping up our efforts towards prosecution of the culprits through a
special tribunal at home, in cooperation with Baghdad, and on the international
arena, including through international legal channels and the UN,” he added.
“If
the evidence is examined independently and on the basis of international law
and human rights, our efforts will bear fruit,” Rayeesi said.
“However,
those behind the assassination should primarily be convicted in the international
public opinion and conscience,” he stressed.
Lieutenant
General Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad
International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
The
airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an
American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five
Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred by the missiles fired by the
US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On
January 8 and after the funeral ceremony of General Soleimani, the IRGC
Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad
airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated
airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General Soleimani.
Ein
Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels,
which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the
radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and
intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central
radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The
second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in
Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani"
reprisal operation.
Iraq
said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these
two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone,
including the Iraqi army.
The
IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Meantime,
Iran announced in late June that it had issued arrest warrants for 36 officials
of the US and other countries who have been involved in the assassination of
the martyred General Soleimani.
"36
individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem,
including the political and military officials of the US and other governments,
have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the
judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the
Interpol," Alqasi Mehr said at the time.
He
said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorist
action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and
will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991017000625/Iran-Urges-Inerpl-Isse-Red-Nice-fr-Assassins-f-Gen-Sleimani
--------
Quds
Force Commander: Software Dominance Iran’s Next Slap to US
2021-January-6
“The
first slap [to avenge Martyr Soleimani] was the unprecedented funeral ceremony
for Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and the second slap was the airstrike
on the American base in Iraq,” Qaani said adding, “And the third one will be
the dominance in the field of software over the hollow awe of the Arrogance.”
He
went on to say that the US warmongering policies in the region have all failed.
"Having
been defeated, the Americans gathered the nasty elements who were called as
Takfiri and, using the money of some of the regional countries, like the Saudi
regime, and with collaboration of criminals like the Zionist regime, forged
terrorist groups and sow insecurity in the region," the commander noted,
stressing, “This path should be continued by brave youths with the guidelines
of the Supreme Leader.”
He
emphasized that the US awe should be broken.
In
relevant remarks on Monday, Commander of Hazrat Zeinab Base of the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Rahim Noei-Aqdam said that today
Martyr Qassem Soleimani is 1,000 times more powerful than General Qassem
Soleimani, adding that his school was the school of resistance against bullying
powers.
“Martyr
Soleimani is 1,000 times stronger than General Soleimani,” Noei-Aqdam said,
stressing that Lieutenant General Soleimani taught us to stand firm against the
global bullying powers.
He
added that Soleimani's school was the school of rejecting dependence on Eastern
and Western powers and standing up to the US hegemony.
Noei-Aqdam
went on to say that the path of Martyr Soleimani is the path of dignity and
honor.
Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad
International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
The
airstrike also martyred Deputy Commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces
(PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an American airstrike
that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five
Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred by the missiles fired by the
US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On
January 8, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on
US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a
US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General
Soleimani.
Ein
Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels,
which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the
radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and
intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central
radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The
second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in
Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani"
reprisal operation.
Iraq
said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these
two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone,
including the Iraqi army.
The
IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Meantime,
Iran announced in late June that it had issued arrest warrants for 36 officials
of the US and other countries who have been involved in the assassination of
the martyred General Soleimani.
"36
individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem,
including the political and military officials of the US and other governments,
have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the
judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the
Interpol," Prosecutor-General of Tehran Ali Alqasi Mehr said.
He
said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorist
action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and
will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991017000406/Qds-Frce-Cmmander-Sfware-Dminance-Iran%E2%80%99s-Nex-Slap-US
--------
Iran’s
IRGC blames US for own downing of Ukraine passenger plane, one year later
Yaghoub
Fazeli
January
7, 2021
In
a statement ahead of the first anniversary of its downing of a Ukrainian
passenger plane in Iranian airspace, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) blamed what it called “US adventurism” for the incident.
The
IRGC’s statement, published Wednesday on its website, said the plane’s downing
was a consequence of the “inhuman adventures and terrorist acts of the US in
the region.”
“The
Ukrainian plane crashed in war conditions following the US’ adventurism and
terrorist crime and the subsequent missile strike on the terrorists’ base” in
Iraq, the statement read, referring to the US killing of IRGC Commander Qassem
Soleimani in Iraq on January 3, 2020, and Iran’s retaliatory attack on military
bases in Iraq hosting US troops using ballistic missiles five days later.
The
IRGC shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 on January 8,
killing all 176 onboard, hours after the attack on US bases in Iraq.
After
days of denying responsibility, Iran admitted to downing the plane on January
11, saying its military mistook the passenger plane for a cruise missile.
Iranian,
Canadian, Ukrainian, British and Afghan nationals were killed in the crash.
Canada’s
foreign minister recently said he does not believe Iranian claims that the
plane was shot down as a result of “human error.”
Also
on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani vowed that those responsible for the
downing of the plane would “definitely” be tried in court.
The
administration “insists on prosecuting the perpetrators in a fair trial,”
Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting.
In
the past year, there has been no mention of any trials for detainees in the
case by the Iranian judiciary.
Last
week, Iran’s cabinet allocated $150,000 for the families of each of the 176
victims of the plane, state media reported.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/07/Iran-s-IRGC-blames-US-for-own-downing-of-Ukraine-passenger-plane-one-year-later
--------
Israel
convicts Palestinian activist of illegal protest, assault, lawyer says
06
January 2021
An
Israeli military court on Wednesday convicted a Palestinian rights activist of
offenses in the occupied West Bank, his lawyer said, in a case that Amnesty
International described as politically motivated.
The
military did not immediately provide Reuters with the Ofer military court’s
verdict against Issa Amro of the Palestinian city of Hebron, and arguments over
sentencing will await a further hearing on February 8.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Amro
denied the charges, which included protesting without a permit, obstructing
Israeli soldiers’ activities in the flashpoint city of Hebron and assaulting a
Jewish settler.
Amro,
40, founded an activist group that regularly protests against settlement
construction in Hebron. Under heavy Israeli military protection, around 1,000
settlers live there among 200,000 Palestinians.
“It
doesn’t make sense to punish someone for non-violent resistance,” Amro told
Reuters. “The Israeli military system exists only to oppress Palestinians and
restrict freedom of speech.”
Amro
was convicted on six of 18 charges against him, in incidents that occurred
between 2010 and 2016, his lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said.
Lasky
said it was hard to predict whether Amro would face prison time, but that a
Palestinian in a similar case received a 10-month term.
Amnesty
International said the charges against Amro were “politically motivated and
linked to his peaceful work in exposing Israel’s human rights violations”.
The
group has also condemned as “disgraceful” charges brought against Amro by the
Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Amnesty
said the PA has accused him of “disturbing public order” and “insulting higher
authorities” over Facebook posts in 2017 critical of Palestinian leaders.
Amro
said his next Palestinian court hearing is on January 20.
Most
countries view settlements Israel built on West Bank land captured in a 1967
war as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical and historical connections
to the territory, as well as security needs.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/06/Israel-convicts-Palestinian-activist-of-illegal-protest-assault-lawyer-says
--------
Yemen's
army thwarts a Houthi infiltration attempt northwest of Saada
Rawad
Taha
06
January 2021
Four
Iran-backed Houhti militiamen were killed, others captured, as the Yemeni army
thwarted their infiltration attempt northwest of Saada, said Brigadier General
Mohammed al-Jaradi, the commander of the fifth battalion of the border guards.
Earlier
two women were killed and a number of civilians were injured in Houthi bombings
of homes of the people of Al-Haima area in Taiz.
A
large blast and gunfire was heard at Aden airport shortly after a plane
carrying Yemen’s newly-formed government landed last Wednesday, an Al Arabiya
correspondent reported.
At
least 25 people were killed and 110 others wounded in the attack on Aden
airport, local security sources told Reuters.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2021/01/06/Yemen-s-army-thwarts-a-Houthi-infiltration-attempt-northwest-of-Saada
--------
Africa
After
eight years of Mali campaign, France seeks exit strategy
06
January 2021
Eight
years after France sent troops to Mali to stop militants from invading the
country, it faces tough choices about how to continue pursuing extremists
without getting bogged down in a potentially un-winnable war.
According
to a report by AFP, five have been killed by roadside bombs in Mali in the past
10 days, bringing the number of soldiers killed across the Sahel to 50 since
France launched a campaign to rid northern Mali of militants in January 2013.
Among
the latest victims was Sergeant Yvonne Huynh, the first female soldier killed
since the start of the French intervention.
Her
death on Saturday, claimed by a group linked to al-Qaeda, coincided with a
massacre across the border in western Niger, where unidentified gunmen killed
around 100 villagers in one of the worst atrocities in the region.
The
deaths – and disputed claims Tuesday by villagers in central Mali that up to 20
wedding guests were killed in an airstrike – have clouded recent successes
highlighted by France’s 5,100-member Barkhane counterterrorism force. , and its
African partners.
Over
the past year, the French have killed the infamous al-Qaeda leader, Abdelmalek
Droukdel, as well as one of the military leaders of the GSIM affiliated with
al-Qaeda.
Anxious
to avoid getting bogged down in a long conflict in Afghanistan, Paris is
preparing to announce a withdrawal of the 600 additional soldiers it deployed
in the Sahel last year.
But
whether the withdrawal signals the beginning of the end of France’s mission in
the Sahel is not yet clear.
Defense
sources said AFP that President Emmanuel Macron wishes to go further in
reducing the number of French troops in the Sahel region before the next
presidential election in April / May 2022.
“So
far, the French have not really questioned the role of France in the Sahel. But
you have to be very careful. Public opinion can change very quickly, ”a
government source said AFP.
A
sign that the Sahel mission could become national political football, some
opposition politicians have already started to question the wisdom of staying
the course.
“War
in Mali: for how long?” The far left party France Unbowed questioned Monday.
“The
more we help Mali, the more it collapses,” said Marc-Antoine Pérouse de
Montclos of the French Institute for Research for Development (IRD).
He
spoke of a military coup in August that echoed a coup in 2012, a year before
the arrival of the French.
“The
longer we stay, the more difficult it will be to leave,” said Pérouse de
Montclos, adding: “Beyond the (French) death toll, the real question is how to
withdraw without losing face. ”
But
for Michael Shurkin, senior political scientist at US defense think tank Rand
Corporation, “it was never going to be quick.”
Citing
long-standing governance issues in the region, he said: “All France can do is
buy time and create space for its African partners to do what they should.
GSIM’s
growing assertiveness over Qaeda, meanwhile, could thwart phasing out plans.
France
had identified the Daesh militants in the Greater Sahara Group as the number
one threat to the region, but its efforts to prevent the terrorist group,
defeated in Syria, from regrouping in the Sahel had the effect of strengthening
its rival.
“Today,
it (the GSIM) is Mali’s worst enemy,” admitted General Marc Conruyt, commander
of Barkhane, in November.
France
has high hopes for a new elite European force, Takuba, set up to support Malian
combat troops following repeated calls from Paris for better burden sharing by
its EU partners.
Over
the past year, Barkhane has also stepped up cooperation with a regional force
of five countries, the G5 Sahel, which France hopes will ultimately assume
regional security.
But
the G5 Sahel remains ill-trained and underfunded – chronically lacking in air
power, surveillance and intelligence gathering.
In
an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) in early December, the
commander of the G5 Sahel admitted that the force was still dependent on France
“to compensate for the shortcomings of our national forces”.
“For
us, as a joint force, it would be premature to consider (a reduction of
Barkhane) and risky for the G5 Sahel,” warned General Oumarou Namata Gazama.
Defense
Minister Florence Parly, in an interview with Le Parisien this week, recalled
that French forces were “not destined to stay forever” in the Sahel.
However,
she insisted on the fact that they would stay “as long as necessary” for the
countries of the Sahel “to be able to respond to the (militant) threat
themselves, which they are starting to do”.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/06/642427/France-Africa-Mali-Sahel
--------
Roadside
bomb kills five in Cameroon's restive North West Region
06
January 2021
Four
soldiers and a senior government official have been killed in Cameroon's
restive North West Region after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive
device, according to an internal security note and another senior official.
The
vehicle was travelling in a military convoy when it was ambushed by armed
secessionists on Wednesday, the note seen by Reuters said, adding that five
others were severely wounded.
The
senior official said the five-vehicle convoy was returning to the town of
Mbengwi, 450 km (279.62 miles) northwest of the capital Yaounde, after the
installation of recently appointed local officials when the blast occurred.
No
one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
It
is rare but not unheard of for separatists in the conflict to use makeshift
bombs, but Wednesday's attack was among the deadliest since a June 2019 attack
that killed four police officers and wounded six.
The
security note said the powerful device was made up of large gas cylinders.
What
began as peaceful protests in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions in 2016
has degenerated into a violent insurgency pitting several separatist groups
against Cameroon's mostly French-speaking government.
More
than 3,000 people have been killed and nearly a million displaced since 2017,
with both sides regularly accused of committing atrocities.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/06/642426/Roadside-bomb-Cameroon
--------
At
least 22 killed in eastern Congo village
5
January 2021
BENI,
Congo, Jan 5 (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed in an overnight raid on
a village in a part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo plagued by Islamist
rebel attacks, local authorities said on Tuesday.
The
militants struck late on Monday, killing residents of Mwenda village with
machetes and guns, its civil society leader Jeremi Mbweki said.
He
blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group which has
emerged as the most lethal militia in Congo's eastern borderlands and is
suspected of hacking to death at least 17 people in a nearby village last week.
"Now
we live in total fear, with no certainty about the future," Mbweki said by
phone. The administrator of Beni territory, Donat Kibwana, confirmed the death
toll and said the ADF was responsible.
More
than 1,000 civilians were killed in attacks attributed to the ADF in 2019 and
2020, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated offensives by the army and
U.N. peacekeepers against the group over the past decade.
Nine
more bodies were discovered on Monday in another village in the area - also
victims of an alleged ADF attack, Kibwana said.
Congo's
eastern borderlands with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have been ravaged by
attacks by militias, many formed of remnants of groups that fought in Congo's
civil wars around the turn of the century.
Islamic
State has claimed responsibility for many suspected ADF attacks in the past,
although U.N. experts said last week that they have been unable to confirm any
direct link between the two groups. (Reporting by Erikas Mwisi Kambale, Writing
by Alessandra Prentice, editing by Ed Osmond)
https://news.trust.org/item/20210105111304-7ki3x/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Nigeria:
Civilians Flee Homes As Boko Haram Attack Another Village in Borno
5
JANUARY 2021
Maiduguri
— Hundreds of civilians are fleeing their homes following an attack by
suspected Boko Haram insurgents on a community in Askira/Uba local government
area of Borno state on Tuesday.
It
was learnt that the deadly groups are currently setting houses ablaze at Womdeo
village in Askira/Uba council of Borno state.
According
to a fleeing resident, Musa Ishaiku, he said hundreds of residents "are
currently taking refuge in the bushes and hills without knowing the whereabouts
of their love ones."
"They
came at about 6:30 pm and started shooting from all angles, there was confusion
as many parents could not find their children, we are on the hill now. Watching
how are they currently burning down our houses." Musa stated.
Another
resident, Steve Mamza said that the insurgents came in hundreds to attack the
community.
"
As I am speaking with you they are still in Womdeo village, walking free for
about two hours now. Many of our people have fled to the adjoining community
for safety. Our village is under attacks by Boko Haram."Mamza added.
As
of the time of filing this report, the military was yet to confirm or deny the
incident.
Daily
Trust reports that the insurgents had on Monday attacked a military settlement
in Kuda, near Chibok town at exactly 4:30 pm.
Six
soldiers and one civilian reportedly died during the exchange of gun duel.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202101060013.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Europe
Man
viewed extreme Isis content before Reading knife attack, court hears
5
Jan 2021
A
man who stabbed three people to death in a minute in an alleged terrorist
rampage had viewed material about a notorious Isis killer, a court has heard.
Khairi
Saadallah murdered three men in a park in Reading on 20 June as they enjoyed a
summer’s evening.
A
hearing at the Old Bailey to determine if the attacks were terrorist acts and
therefore subject to a higher sentence, was told that Saadallah viewed
extremist material in the days before the attack and had a longstanding
interest in extremism.
It
also heard that Saadallah, 26, bought the knife from a supermarket the day
before the stabbing spree in which he stabbed three people to death, wounded
three others, and shouted: “Allahu Akbar”.
He
has already admitted to three murders and three attempted murders at an earlier
hearing.
The
hearing was told Saadallah had in 2019 accessed material on his mobile phone
about Mohammed Emwazi , the Isis propagandist seen in videos taunting victims
before killing them, and two days before the attack had accessed a website with
the flag associated with Isis, which had staged numerous attacks against
western targets.
The
prosecutor, Alison Morgan QC, said Saadallah, who was from Libya, believed the
murders were an act of holy war.
His
victims were three men enjoying a summer evening in Forbury Gardens, Reading,
during the first national lockdown. They were James Furlong, 36, a history
teacher; David Wails, 49, a scientist; and an American pharmaceutical worker
Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39. The men died after being stabbed by Saadallah as
they sat on the grass at about 7pm. Ritchie-Bennett and Furlong died after
single wounds to their necks. Wails was stabbed once in the back.
Saadallah
also stabbed and wounded their friend Stephen Young and two other men, Patrick
Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, who were sat nearby.
Morgan
told the hearing: “In less than a minute, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, the
defendant carried out a lethal attack with a knife, killing all three men
before they had a chance to respond and try to defend themselves.
“Within
the same minute, the defendant went on to attack others nearby, stabbing three
more people … The defendant was ruthlessly efficient in his actions. The
prosecution’s case is that the attack perpetrated by the defendant was
carefully planned and executed with determination and precision.
“The
defendant believed that in carrying out this attack he was acting in pursuit of
his extreme ideology, an ideology he appears to have held for some time. He
believed that in killing as many people as possible that day he was performing
an act of religious jihad.”
Morgan
said Saadallah had carried out reconnaissance of the park and had been pictured
in Libya handling firearms, and had come to Britain in 2012 after having been
part of a militia opposing the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
In
Britain, Saadallah was refused asylum and started offending, carrying out
thefts and assaults, for which he was jailed. He was assessed as having an
emotionally unstable and antisocial personality disorder, and in jail was seen
as “impressionable and volatile” and keen to associate with a known extremist
preacher Omar Brooks in about 2017.
Morgan
said this showed Saadallah, three years before the attack, was still interested
in the extremism he had been exposed to in the chaos of Libya.
On
5 June, two weeks before his stabbing rampage, he was released from jail and in
the days preceding the attack made a series of internet searches. These
included whether coronavirus was “a sign of the end of the world”, military
activity in Libya, body bags, the park where the attacks happened, and how to
disappear with magic – believed to be linked to witchcraft.
He
also accessed the website with the flag linked to Isis and the hearing heard
that his probation officer became concerned about him, but when a crisis team
visited him on 19 June he refused to open the door. That day he also went to a
Morrison’s supermarket and bought the knife he used to stab six people.
The
hearing before a judge continues.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/05/man-khairi-saadallah-viewed-isis-material-before-reading-knife-attack-court-hears?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Far-Right
Extremists Charged Over Alleged Bomb and Poison Terror Plot in Poland
By
Tim Hume
Two
alleged right-wing extremists have been charged with plotting a
Christchurch-style terror attack on a mosque to "prevent the Islamisation
of Poland," the country’s security agency has said.
Stanisław
Żaryn, a spokesperson for Poland’s Internal Security Agency, said the attack
was intended to be carried out with explosives against "a specific
religious object of the Islamic community," understood to be a mosque. He
added the accused also planned to use poisonous substances in the attack.
Żaryn
said the accused both held right-wing extremist views, with one having made
public calls to “exterminate” Muslims, and the second having written a
manifesto outlining his Islamophobic views, calling for migrants to be hounded
by hooligans and intimidated with firearms and explosives.
The
two men, who were under surveillance at the time of their arrest, have been
charged with plotting a mass-casualty explosive attack, punishable by up to 10
years in jail. A third has been charged with the illegal possession of
explosive precursors, punishable by up to two years in jail.
The
writing of a manifesto echoed the strategy used by far-right terrorist Brenton
Tarrant, who killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand
in March 2019.
According
to Polish media, the indictment followed a raid on a Warsaw house in November
2019, a day before the annual Independence Day march in the city — a major
event on the far-right calendar drawing tens of thousands, including many
hooligans and extremists.
During
the investigation, officers found four firearms, including a homemade
submachine gun, along with ammunition, explosives, and bomb-making substances.
Far-right
experts say that despite the prevalence of anti-migrant and Islamophobic
sentiment in Poland since the arrival of hundreds of thousands of predominantly
Muslim migrants into Europe during the height of the migration crisis in 2015,
the alleged terror plot is a relative rarity in the country.
“Extreme
Islamophobia has become a part of mainstream political and media discourse,
especially since 2015,” Rafal Pankowski, a sociologist at Warsaw’s Collegium
Civitas and head of the Polish anti-racism group Never Again, told VICE World
News.
“In
this context, I'm not surprised that extremists tried to take the anti-Muslim
violence to a new level, unfortunately.”
He
said this was despite Poland’s tiny Muslim community accounting for about 0.1
percent of the country’s 38 million people — one of the smallest Muslim
populations in Europe.
“The
supposed danger of ‘Islamisation’ is simply absurd in the Polish context,” he
said.
But
while anti-migrant sentiment had resulted in numerous cases of anti-Muslim
violence and hate speech in Poland in recent years, plots for violent,
large-scale attacks have been a relative rarity — especially compared to the
situation in neighbouring Germany, where a number of far-right terror attacks
have been plotted or carried out in recent years.
“These
plots are rare in Poland, to say the least,” Kacper Rekawek, an affiliated
researcher at the Counter Extremism Project, told VICE World News.
He
believed the reason for this was that, unlike Western European countries like
Germany, where the governments took a more welcoming stance towards migrants,
the prevailing mood in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries
was sharply against the new arrivals.
“For
the whole of Central and Eastern Europe, when the migrant crisis erupted, I
would say that anti-migrant sentiment was the dominant sentiment in the
region,” he said.
“When
this is the mainstream position, then your local extremists hardly have a cause
to rally around. You don’t have a situation in which they would be striking
against the government, or a certain elite, which isn’t doing what they want
them to do.”
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3vqz8/far-right-extremists-charged-over-alleged-bomb-and-poison-terror-plot-in-poland
--------
East
London Mosque closes to help prevent spread of COVID-19
January
7, 2021
Despite
the government allowing places of worship to remain open under new lockdown
restrictions, East London Mosque has chosen to close its doors for prayers due
to concerns about the very high levels of COVID-19 locally.
East
London Mosque’s decision is effective from today but they will review the decision
after two weeks, and thereafter keep the situation under constant review.
ELM
said: “This decision has not been taken lightly. But just as in last March,
when we and many other mosques closed even before the government announced a
national lockdown, we’re putting the safety of our congregation, our staff and
our volunteers above our strong desire to maintain communal worship.
“Our
decision has been made in consultation with senior scholars, imams and ulama of
the country. In Islam, the preservation of life is of the utmost importance and
a key governing principle used to formulate rulings in the Shari’ah, as is the
case here.”
ELM
is advising families to pray together at home but it will continue to broadcast
talks through its website and social media, and it will keep essential services
running, such as food bank deliveries and advice and counselling.
Its
funeral service will also still be operating although funeral prayers held by
family and friends will be limited to 30 people in accordance with the lockdown
rules.
On
Monday the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown and instructed people
to stay at home to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.
The
decision followed a rapid rise in infections, hospital admissions and case
rates across the country, with hospitals now under more pressure than they have
been at any other point throughout the pandemic.
This
drastic jump in cases has been attributed to the new variant of COVID-19, which
scientists have now confirmed is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible.
New
government guidelines state that the public can attend places of worship for a
service, although people must not mingle with anyone outside of their household
or support bubble. They should also maintain strict social distancing at all
times.
Most
major mosques around the country remain open for communal and individual prayer
with strict restrictions.
https://5pillarsuk.com/2021/01/06/east-london-mosque-closes-to-help-prevent-spread-of-covid-19/
--------
France
calls on Iran to release South Korean-flagged tanker
07
January 2021
France
on Wednesday condemned Iran’s seizure of a South Korean tanker in strategic
Gulf waters and called for the vessel’s immediate release.
“This
incident is fueling tensions in the region,” the French foreign ministry said
in a statement.
“France
calls for the immediate release of the ship and its crew,” it added, stressing
the need to preserve the freedom of navigation.
On
Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized the South Korean-flagged Hankuk Chemi
and arrested its multinational crew of 20 near the Strait of Hormuz, a
chokepoint through which a fifth of world oil output passes, alleging the
tanker had polluted the area’s waters.
The
Guards said the arrested crew were from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and
Myanmar.
South
Korea has demanded the ship’s release and deployed a destroyer to the area –
though with no plans to engage in an offensive operation, an unnamed military
official told Yonhap News Agency.
Seoul
has said it will send a government delegation to Iran to negotiate the release
of the vessel and its crew.
Iran’s
move came after Tehran had urged Seoul to release billions of dollars of
Iranian assets frozen in South Korea as part of the US sanctions.
The
incident was the first seizure of a major vessel by the Iranian navy in more
than a year.
In
July 2019, the Guards seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the
sensitive Strait of Hormuz for allegedly ramming a fishing boat and released it
two months later.
It
was at the time widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after authorities in the
British overseas territory of Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker and later
released it over US objections.
Tehran
denied the two cases were related.
The
Guards seized at least six other ships in 2019 over alleged fuel smuggling.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2021/01/07/France-calls-on-Iran-to-release-South-Korean-flagged-tanker-
--------
France
says dozens of jihadists killed in weekend Mali air strike
05/01/2021
France
said on Tuesday it had killed dozens of jihadists in a weekend air strike in
central Mali, while several villagers and a local group said up to 20 wedding
guests were killed by a helicopter.
Social
media has been buzzing with rumours since Sunday about events in Bounti, and
villagers there told AFP that a wedding party was attacked by an unidentified
helicopter.
Separately,
French military headquarters told AFP fighter jets had "neutralised"
dozens of jihadists in central Mali after the group had been tracked for several
days.
"The
reports relating to a wedding do not match the observations that were
made," an army spokesman told AFP.
With
no early statements from French or Malian officials, rumours filled the gap.
Confirmation
of reports is difficult in a remote area where many jihadists are thought to
operate.
Offensive
aerial operations in Mali are mainly conducted by the Malian military or by the
French anti-jihadist force Barkhane.
Villagers
in Bounti said a lone helicopter opened fire in broad daylight, sowing panic
among a crowd gathered for a wedding.
'Run
for your lives'
"It
was run for your lives," said Ahmadou Ghana, who said 19 people died, two
of whom were his brothers, and several others were seriously wounded.
"We
were surprised by the intensity of the strike," said another villager,
Mady Dicko, adding: "The helicopter was flying very low."
On
Sunday, Tabital Pulakuu, an association that promotes the culture of Mali's
Fulani ethnic group, reported an "air strike that claimed the lives of at
least 20 civilians" during a wedding.
A
French military source who was familiar with Sunday's operation told AFP:
"There can't be any doubts or ambiguity, there was no wedding.
"This
was a strike that was carried out after a particularly strict, multi-party
process on a fully-identified armed terrorist group, after collating
information, intentions, posture, in a studied area."
Bounti
lies in the Mopti region, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the Malian
capital Bamako.
The
region became ensnarled in a jihadist offensive that began in northern Mali in
2012 and then advanced into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210105-france-says-dozens-of-jihadists-killed-in-weekend-mali-air-strike?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Greece
‘pushing innocent people to death’: Turkey
Cankut
Tasdan
07.01.2021
Turkey’s
interior minister on Thursday accused Greece and the EU of putting people’s
lives in danger, releasing footage showing the Greek Coast Guard pushing asylum
seekers towards Turkey.
“Greece
is still pushing innocent people to death and Europe is just watching… Turkish
Coast Guard Forces are saving lives,” Suleyman Soylu wrote on Twitter in
English.
“We
strongly condemn @Frontex and @Europarl_EN for ignoring this inhuman treatment
that stands every day @nmitarakis,” Soylu said, attaching footage showing an
inflatable boat of asylum seekers pushed by the Greek Coast Guard.
The
video recording also showed one of the asylum seekers who recounted how they
were pushed by the Greek forces towards Turkey and later rescued by the Turkish
Coast Guard.
Turkish
teams conduct rescue operations for asylum seekers almost daily in the Aegean
Sea.
Turkey
has repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum
seekers, saying that it violates humanitarian values and international law by
endangering the lives of vulnerable people, including women and children.
Last
November, European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly opened an investigation into EU
border agency Frontex following reports that the EU border agency is supporting
Greece to push asylum seekers back to the open sea.
The
EU observer had also reported that Greece ordered its coast guard to push
asylum seekers to Turkish territorial waters, according to a string of emails
exchanged between Frontex and the Greek Coast Guard.
“A
redacted chain email from the EU’s border agency, Frontex, made available
following a freedom of information request, clearly shows that the Hellenic
Coast Guard (HCG) received orders to push migrants back into Turkish
territorial waters,” read the report.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/greece-pushing-innocent-people-to-death-turkey/2101778
--------
Southeast
Asia
Indonesia
Islamic council aims for halal ruling before mass vaccination
JANUARY
6, 2021
JAKARTA
(Reuters) - Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council aims to issue a ruling
on whether a COVID-19 vaccine is halal, or permissible under Islam, before the
country is due to start a mass inoculation programme using a Chinese vaccine
next week.
The
world’s largest Muslim-majority country plans to launch vaccinations on Jan. 13
after obtaining 3 million doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech.
Controversy
over whether vaccines adhere to Islamic principles has stymied public health responses
before, including in 2018, when the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a
fatwa declaring that a measles vaccine was forbidden under Islam.
“Our
target is before first injections start, the fatwa has to come out then,” said
Muti Arintawati, an official at MUI in charge of analysing food and drugs to
assess whether they are halal.
Indonesia
is struggling with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia and
authorities are relying on a vaccine to help alleviate dual health and economic
crises ravaging the country.
Asked
about the risk of public resistance, a health ministry official said the
government would wait for MUI’s decision.
In
a bid to boost acceptance, President Joko Widodo has said he will be the first
to receive a vaccine shot next week.
Dicky
Budiman, a researcher at Australia’s Griffith University, said authorities
needed to be transparent on the halal certification to reassure the public.
The
New York Times reported that Sinovac told Indonesia’s state-owned drugmaker Bio
Farma that the vaccines were “manufactured free of porcine materials.”
Bambang
Heriyanto, Bio Farma’s corporate secretary, confirmed receiving the statement,
but said the halal status was decided by MUI. Sinovac did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
Ahmad
Ishomuddin, an official at Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s biggest mainstream
Muslim organisation, said emergency vaccines that were not halal could be used
if there were no other options.
This
opinion was supported by some Muslim residents in Depok, south of Jakarta.
“If
indeed the vaccine contains non-halal ingredients and during the emergency
period there are no other ingredients for the medicine, yes, it is permissible
according to my religion,” said 19-year-old student Muhammad Farrel.
Indonesia’s
food and drug agency (BPOM) needs to issue emergency use approval for
vaccinations to start.
In
neighbouring Malaysia, religious authorities have declared COVID-19 vaccines
were permissible for Muslims, and mandatory for those the government has
identified to receive them.
Malaysia
does not require vaccines to be certified halal, though authorities are
planning to introduce a certification framework this year to allay concerns
among some Muslims.
https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-indonesia-vaccine/indonesia-islamic-council-aims-for-halal-ruling-before-mass-vaccination-idINKBN29B121
--------
Malaysia's
govt increases special lottery draws despite Islamist ally's anti-gambling stance
Ram
Anand
JAN
6, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR - The Malaysian government has increased special lottery draws to be
carried out by gambling firms this year, despite the anti-gambling stance of
Islamist party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), which is part of the ruling
Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Following
a year in which coronavirus pandemic-fuelled restrictions severely hampered the
national economy, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government, which is
dominated by Malay-Muslim parties, reinstated the number of special draws to 22
in a calendar year. This is markedly higher than the number of draws allowed by
the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.
A
senator from the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), Mr Liew Chin Tong,
raised the matter in the Malaysian Senate last week, and urged the government
to reduce the number of special draws in order to minimise social ills caused
by gambling.
Gambling
is prohibited in Islam, and proceeds from gambling are defined as sin tax,
along with tobacco and alcohol sales.
The
contribution of the gambling industry to Malaysia's sin tax has been increasing
over the years.
Between
2008 and 2012, the government collected an average of RM1.26 billion a year
from the industry. Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng revealed in 2019 that
the sin tax collected from gambling activities in the preceding year amounted
to RM4.5 billion (S$1.4 billion).
The
special draws - which are a special addition to the regularly allowed three
draws per week - normally involves a much larger winner's pot. The government
imposes an extra tax on those buying tickets for the special draws, providing
an extra revenue on top of the regular gambling tax.
The
special draws were first introduced during the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad in 1999, with the proceeds from the draws contributing to a special
fund to help those affected by the Nipah virus outbreak in Malaysia in 1998.
The
draws - 22 Tuesdays a year - stayed the same for the next two decades, with the
proceeds being consolidated with government revenue.
But
when the PH government, which was also led by Dr Mahathir, won federal power in
2018, the draws were reduced to 11 in 2019 and, subsequently, only eight draws
were allowed for 2020.
The
DAP, which was a member of PH, had consistently spoken out against the special
draws, fearing that increased gambling activity could lead to gambling
addiction.
The
special draws, which contributed RM80 million in extra revenue for the
government in 1999, reached a high of RM238 million in 2017, and averaged a
revenue of RM200 million a year in recent years.
Mr
Liew's revelations in the Senate saw several PAS leaders immediately objecting
to the increase in special draws. Top PAS leaders and those who are part of the
PN administration have so far stayed quiet on the matter.
PAS
information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad said that his party's anti-gambling
stance has not changed, pointing to PAS-ruled Kelantan - where the state
government bans any form of gambling.
PAS
senator Khairil Nizam Khirudin, meanwhile, asked the DAP to work with the party
to help eradicate gambling.
"We
invite leaders from DAP, and other parties in Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan
Nasional to eliminate all gambling activities in Malaysia altogether," Mr
Khairil said last Saturday (Jan 2).
But
analysts noted that PAS has shown its willingness to place some of its
political ideals on the backburner after becoming a member of the PN federal
government.
BowerGroup
Asia director Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said that the party is willing to be more
pragmatic while being in government.
"This
is not the first time it has shown that it is willing to put PN's interest
before its own," Mr Asrul Hadi said.
Mr
Asrul Hadi said the party took a step back in demanding for an amendment to the
Malaysia's syariah courts legislation - to empower the Islamic courts to also
rule on certain criminal offences. This was a long-held controversial demand
that was one of the key issues that undid the working relationship between PAS
and Chinese-led DAP in 2015.
"I
do not think this will be a major or an issue at all during the election.
Theoretically, special draws only affect the non-Muslim community, and the
issue would not significantly impact the rural Malay voters," Mr Asrul
Hadi said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-govt-increases-special-lottery-draws-despite-islamist-allys-anti-gambling
--------
Malaysians
want Umno to remain part of ruling alliance: Survey
Shannon
Teoh
JAN
7, 2021
Malaysians,
especially the Malay majority, want Umno to remain part of the Perikatan
Nasional (PN) government, according to a survey late last month by top pollster
Merdeka Centre.
The
largest party in the ruling PN has intensified calls in recent days to cut ties
with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and force
snap polls, less than a year after forming the government together.
The
survey found only 31 per cent of voters agreed that Umno should withdraw from
PN, with 44 per cent disagreeing.
Crucially,
only 21 per cent of Malays - who form the majority in over half of the 222
parliamentary seats - said Umno should pull out from the pact that unites the
country's three main Malay-Muslim parties, while 62 per cent wanted PN to stay
intact.
The
other main Muslim party is Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
But
the poll, done between Dec 23 and 31, also showed the 1,202 respondents were
nearly evenly split on whether Umno should head into the next election as part
of PN.
Among
Malays, 36 per cent said Umno should go it alone and just over half wanted the
once-dominant party to join forces with Tan Sri Muhyiddin's coalition.
"In
our view, PN's dominance among the Malay electorate will be negatively affected
should Umno decide to go it alone and, along with it, cast uncertainty as to
the outcome if elections were held," the Merdeka Centre said in a press
release on Tuesday.
It
added that this scenario could create similar conditions to the watershed 2018
election, when Umno's six decades of uninterrupted rule was ended by Pakatan
Harapan (PH), as Malay voters were split three ways.
Mr
Muhyiddin and his party were part of PH in that election but defectors in the
coalition led by him joined hands with Umno and PAS last February, leading to
the Bersatu president being sworn in as prime minister in March with a new
ruling pact, PN.
But
Umno chafed at playing second fiddle to Bersatu in terms of government posts
and influence over decision-making, culminating in a threat to torpedo Budget
2021 during the year-end parliamentary sitting. Still, Umno stayed its hand
amid concerns that Malaysia's efforts to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19
pandemic would be jeopardised if government spending was not approved.
The
party's annual general meetings last weekend, however, saw about three-quarters
of its divisions resolve to ditch Bersatu and force fresh elections by March.
Umno's
leadership was expected to decide last night whether to ratify these
resolutions.
The
Straits Times understands that party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - who has
found himself sidelined by PM Muhyiddin - wants Umno's leaders to resign
government posts by next month.
On
Monday, Kelantan Umno chief Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub resigned as Malaysian Palm Oil
Board chairman, while Zahid on Tuesday replaced the Umno-led Barisan Nasional
coalition's secretary-general Annuar Musa with his own loyalist, Datuk Seri
Ahmad Maslan. Tan Sri Annuar is one of several Umno leaders in the Muhyiddin
Cabinet who still support cooperation with Bersatu.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysians-want-umno-to-remain-part-of-ruling-alliance-survey
--------
Indonesian
police gun down two militants linked to 2019 Philippine church bombing
Jan
06, 2021
Indonesian
police on Wednesday shot down two Indonesian militants linked to 2019
Philippine church blast, said the authorities. The officers arrested scores of
pro-Islamic State radicals. Indonesia's counter-terrorism squad Densus 88,
raided a hideout of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an extremist group. The
hideout was located in Makassar city on Sulawesi island.
Two
suspects were gunned down when they "resisted arrest" and attacked
officers, police said, adding that a third suspect suffered gunshot injuries
and was being treated in hospital.
Another
17 militants were detained.
The
police said later on Wednesday that two dead suspects were linked to financing
Philippines's worst terror attack in years. The bombing had killed 21 and
injured many in 2019.
The
pair were later identified as an Indonesian militant and his wife.
"The
two were involved in transferring money to the bombers of the church in Jolo,
Philippines," national police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan told reporters,
without elaborating.
In
early 2019, two explosions ripped through a Catholic church on the Philippines'
Muslim-majority island of Jolo, killing worshippers at Sunday mass and security
forces -- raising fears about growing links between militants in Southeast
Asia.
IS
claimed responsibility for the cathedral blast, saying two suicide bombers
detonated explosive belts.
The
Jolo attack was carried out days after voters approved expanding Muslim
self-rule in the south aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion for independence
or autonomy for the sizeable Islamic minority of the mainly Catholic
Philippines.
https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-police-gun-down-two-militants-linked-to-2019-philippine-church-bombing-354854
--------
South
Asia
Troubled
Afghan-Taliban peace talks resume amid violence, accusations
By
Pamela Constable
Jan.
5, 2021
KABUL
— Afghan delegates flew to Qatar on Tuesday to reopen peace talks with Taliban
leaders amid a rash of mutual recriminations, mixed signals from U.S. officials
and a continued spate of assassinations targeting prominent civilians.
Zalmay
Khalilzad, the U.S. diplomat who brokered a separate U.S. deal with the Taliban
in February, arrived in Kabul on Tuesday from Doha, the Qatari capital and
Taliban political base. He tweeted that he hoped "both sides" would
make "real compromises" that would lead to "tangible
progress" in the talks, which began in September but have failed to
address any major issues.
While
both Afghan and Taliban officials have issued recent statements saying they
were committed to the talks and hoped to settle the 19-year conflict through
discussions, their messages were tinged with anger and blame that boded ill for
the new round. Some observers in Kabul predicted that the talks, which are
resuming after a two-week holiday hiatus, would probably collapse.
The
“demand of Afghanistan’s people is that the bloodshed should end forever in
this country,” Masoom Stanekzai, a former national intelligence chief who heads
the Kabul delegation, said in a video posted Tuesday on Twitter. “Afghanistan’s
people suffer from the terror that the war has created every day, every night,
every moment.”
The
Taliban, sidestepping the issue of civilian killings, issued a harsh statement
Monday that lashed out at the U.S. government, denouncing what it said were
U.S. military airstrikes on civilian areas. It warned that “such pernicious actions”
could both threaten their February pact and “jeopardize” progress in resolving
issues among Afghans, “turning nascent hopes to despair.”
American
military officials here responded with unusual speed and sharpness, saying
Monday that U.S. stated policy is to “defend Afghan forces” against Taliban
attacks. For the first time, they also directly blamed the insurgents for a
recent spate of targeted killings of journalists, civic leaders and government
officials.
Taliban
spokesmen have denied similar charges by Afghan officials and suggested that
they amount to a “survival tactic” by the government of President Ashraf Ghani,
who narrowly won reelection last year but has lost public support as violence
and economic problems persist.
“The
Taliban’s accusations [that] the US violated the US-TB agreement are false,”
tweeted Col. Sonny Leggett, the U.S. military spokesman here. “The Taliban’s
campaign of unclaimed attacks & targeted killings of government officials,
civil society leaders & journalists must also cease for peace to succeed.”
The
status of the U.S.-Taliban pact, while seemingly unrelated to the domestic
issues of religion, power-sharing and democratic freedoms that Afghan and
Taliban leaders are slated to negotiate, is a critical but highly contested
factor in the Afghan talks.
Under
that deal, the Trump administration agreed to gradually withdraw most U.S.
troops by early this year, acceding to the insurgents’ most important demand.
There are now about 5,000 troops in the country, and that number is slated to
drop to 2,500 by next month. In return, Taliban negotiators agreed to reduce
violence, avoid targeting American forces and cut ties with al-Qaeda and other
extremists.
Many
Afghans say the Taliban has failed to fulfill those pledges and that the U.S.
concessions gave the religious militia too much leverage over a weak Afghan
government at the current talks. The insurgents, meanwhile, are worried that
the incoming Biden administration will set further conditions before continuing
the promised troop drawdown.
At
the moment, though, the message from Washington, amid a tense and contested
presidential transition, is muddled. On Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
praised the Taliban for not killing any Americans since the pact was signed,
suggesting that it will hold. The next day, the U.S. military denounced the
rash of civilian killings as an obstacle to peace.
Khalilzad,
who is meeting with Pakistani, Afghan and Taliban leaders during his current
regional visit in an effort to improve the chances for revived talks, called
the targeted killings “unacceptable” but did not directly accuse the Taliban.
He
also hinted at problems on the Afghan side, including disputes between Ghani
and some negotiators, who insist that an interim government must be installed
because the Taliban refuses to recognize his administration and will never make
peace with it.
Other
divisions exist over how hard to press the Taliban for a nationwide cease-fire,
which it has resisted. In a statement Tuesday welcoming the resumption of
talks, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, said a
“cessation in fighting would create a better atmosphere for talks” and allow
emergency winter aid to reach rural areas.
On
Monday, Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi told a group of lawmakers that the
Taliban is preparing to launch a “full-scale” war in the coming months,
ordering fighters to keep going through the bitterly cold winter instead of
waiting for their traditional spring offensive.
Taliban
officials declared Monday that they are now “in a relatively stronger political
and military position” than at any previous time. Their efforts to act as a
“responsible party” and resolve differences through talks, they warned, “should
never be read as weakness.”
Pamela
Constable is a staff writer for The Washington Post's foreign desk. She
completed a tour as Afghanistan/Pakistan bureau chief in 2019, and has reported
extensively from Latin America, South Asia and around the world since the
1980s.Follow
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghan-taliban-peace-talks-resume/2021/01/05/dc2016f6-4af0-11eb-97b6-4eb9f72ff46b_story.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1877872_
--------
Pakistan
hails resumption of Afghan peace talks with the Taliban
January
7, 2021
Pakistan
has welcomed the resumption of the second round of the Afghan peace talks in
Qatar between representatives of the Kabul government and the Taliban, which
commenced after a three-week break.
In
a statement, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said that the two teams have made
significant progress by finalising the rules and procedures last month and have
now reconvened to negotiate on substantive issues, reports Xinhua news agency.
"We
are hopeful that the two sides will prioritize working out a roadmap for
reduction in violence and ceasefire in the negotiations," the statement
said.
The
Ministry further said the year 2020 witnessed substantial progress towards
peace in Afghanistan, with a number of positive developments including
conclusion of the US-Taliban peace agreement and the start of intra-Afghan
negotiations.
"We
remain hopeful that the year 2021 will witness the dawn of a peaceful and
stable Afghanistan," it added.
The
statement said Pakistan hopes that the two negotiating teams would continue to
engage with open-mind and will observe patience, prudence and perseverance to
seize this historic opportunity for peace.
"We
call upon both sides to remain constructively engaged and show flexibility in
the negotiations for reaching an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive
political settlement which would lead to lasting peace and stability in
Afghanistan," it added.
The
second round of the talks, which began on Wednesday, will focus on a ceasefire
and reduction in violence in Afghanistan.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/pakistan-hails-resumption-of-afghan-peace-talks-with-the-taliban-121010700621_1.html
--------
Myanmar
police arrest 100 Rohingya for traveling in their own country
06
January 2021
Police
in Myanmar have arrested about 100 people from the Rohingya Muslim community
for leaving their native western state of Rakhine.
The
arrests were made during a raid on a house in Shwe Pyi Thar township of Yangon
Region on Wednesday.
The
local Tomorrow News Journal published photos showing several barefoot men and
dozens of women in colorful head scarves sitting on the ground in a courtyard.
Tin
Maung Lwin, a police captain from Shwe Pyi Thar, said either 98 or 99 people
had been arrested, but declined to provide further details.
"The
investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Myanmar
frequently arrests Rohingya Muslims on grounds of "illegal travel"
for attempting to escape "apartheid conditions" in Rakhine.
Thousands
of Rohingya Muslims were killed, injured, arbitrarily arrested, or raped by
Myanmar soldiers and Buddhist mobs mainly between November 2016 and August 2017
in what the UN has said was genocide. Some 800,000 other Rohingya survived only
by fleeing to Bangladesh, where they live in cramped camps.
Another
600,000 Rohingya Muslims still remain in Myanmar under apartheid-like
conditions, confined to camps and villages and denied access to healthcare and
education and unable to travel freely.
The
Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and considered illegal immigrants,
despite their ancestral roots dating back centuries.
"It
is outrageous that Myanmar authorities continue their policy of arresting
Rohingya for merely travelling in their own country," John Quinley, senior
human rights specialist at Fortify Rights, said.
"The
group arrested in Yangon should be immediately and unconditionally
released."
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/06/642425/Myanmar-police-Rohingya-Muslims
--------
Attacks
in southern Afghanistan kill at least 11
07
Jan 2021
Separate
attacks in southern Afghanistan left at least 11 civilians and security forces
dead, officials said on Thursday, even as Afghan negotiators were in Qatar to
resume talks with the Taliban aimed at finding an end to decades of conflict.
In
southern Uruzgan province, a suicide car bomber detonated a vehicle full of
explosives early on Thursday near a military base, killing six security forces,
said a provincial council member who was not authorised to speak with the
media.
Mohammad
Karim Karimi, deputy head of the provincial council in Uruzgan, confirmed the
attack on the military base in Tirin Kot, the provincial capital, but couldn't
provide an exact death toll.
He
said the explosion was so strong it sent shock waves through the city.
In
southern Helmand province, at least five civilians were killed and five others
wounded in a suspected airstrike late on Wednesday on the outskirts of Lashkar
Gah, the provincial capital, according to Attaullah Afghan, head of the
provincial council.
He
said the casualties included children and women.
Abdul
Nabi Elham, provincial governor, said officials were investigating to determine
whether the assault was an airstrike or some other type of attack.
No
one immediately claimed responsibility for either attack.
An
Afghan negotiating team is in Qatar's capital of Doha to resume talks aimed at
finding an end to decades of relentless conflict even as violence has spiked
across the country.
The
stop-and-go talks come amid growing doubt over a US-Taliban peace deal brokered
by outgoing US President Donald Trump.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1600209/attacks-in-southern-afghanistan-kill-at-least-11
--------
5
Civilians Killed in Air Raid, Helmand
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
07
Jan 202
Local
officials in Helmand said, at least five civilians have been killed in an
airstrike in Lashkar Gah.
Ataullah
Afghan, chairman of Helmand provincial council, told the media on Thursday that
five civilians were killed in an airstrike in the provincial capital.
According
to a report, All five were members of one family.
Afghan
added that the attack took place last night in the “Bushran” area in PD10 of
Lashkar Gah, the center of the Helmand province.
5
other individuals have reportedly been injured during the incident.
So
far, no security officials have commented on the air raid.
Earlier
in December 2020, Afghan security forces on Saturday conducted an airstrike in
the Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province, the attack is said to
have targeted Taliban gathering.
However,
there are conflicting reports of casualties based on the air raid.
Local
residents told the media, at least seven members of a family were killed during
the air raid, and the Taliban claimed at least 13 civilians including children
were killed due to the bombings.
https://www.khaama.com/5-civilians-killed-in-air-raid-helmand-4555457/
--------
Taliban
Attack Claim 6 Afghan Security Force Members
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
07
Jan 2021
At
least six security force members were killed in a Taliban attack on a security
outpost.
Local
officials told media, that the Taliban carried out offensives on the ANDSF
check posts on Wednesday night, in the Charkhab area along Kunduz Highway.
According
to provincial officials, a police unit traveling to support an ANA soldier was
caught in a Taliban ambush, leaving three policemen dead and five others
wounded.
Media
reports indicated, that the Taliban captured five Army soldiers and a security
base has fallen.
Both
Taliban and government security officials have not yet commented on the
incident.
This
comes as second rounds of peace talks have started in Doha, Qatar.
The
negotiating teams will start their dialogues over the agenda on Saturday, last month, 28-article draft agenda has been
handed to the Taliban by the Afghan team and the Taliban had given a 21-article
agenda draft to the republic’s negotiators, reports indicated.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-attack-claim-6-afghan-security-force-members-556655/
--------
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