China Urges Support for New Israel-Palestinian Peace Plan

UNITED NATIONS — 

China's U.N. ambassador urged the international community on Monday to support President Xi Jinping's new four-point proposal to end the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish an independent Palestinian state.

Liu Jieyi said at a news conference that China's future diplomatic efforts will focus on trying to move toward a negotiated solution based on the four proposals.

Xi signaled China's stepped-up engagement in the Middle East when he met about two weeks ago in Beijing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and outlined the plan.

The four points are:

— Advancing the two-state solution based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a new Palestinian state.

— Upholding “the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security,” immediately ending Israeli settlement building, taking immediate measures to prevent violence against civilians, and calling for an early resumption of peace talks.

— Coordinating international efforts to put forward “peace-promoting measures that entail joint participation at an early date.”

— Promoting peace through development and cooperation between the Palestinians and Israel.

China views both Israel and the Palestinians as “important partners” in its “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a mammoth Chinese-funded push to develop transport routes including ports, railways and roads to expand trade in a vast arc of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe, the ambassador said. China has also proposed launching a “China-Palestine-Israel tripartite dialogue mechanism in order to coordinate the implementation of major assistance programs in Palestine,” he said.

But the gaps between Israeli and Palestinian leaders remain wide, preventing any meaningful talks since 2009.

China to host seminar

Tensions escalated recently after Arab gunmen killed two Israeli police officers at the major holy site in Jerusalem on July 14, prompting Israel to install security devices that sparked Arab outrage and clashes. Under intense pressure, Israel removed the metal detectors last week and prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque ended peacefully on Friday.

Liu said China plans to hold a seminar for Israeli and Palestinian “peace activists” this year, seeking “to contribute wisdom for the settlement of the Palestinian question.''

He urged the international community to “respond positively to the proposals made by China because we believe these four proposals once fully implemented will really go a long way towards helping the issue to be solved through negotiations, and also contribute to stability of the relations between the two sides."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More China Urges Support for New Israel-Palestinian Peace Plan : http://ift.tt/2tT3Ui3

Qatar Files WTO Complaint Against Trade Boycott

GENEVA — 

Qatar filed a wide-ranging legal complaint at the World Trade Organization on Monday to challenge a trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, the director of Qatar's WTO office, Ali Alwaleed al-Thani, told Reuters.

By formally "requesting consultations" with the three countries, the first step in a trade dispute, Qatar triggered a 60-day deadline for them to settle the complaint or face litigation at the WTO and potential retaliatory trade sanctions.

"We've given sufficient time to hear the legal explanations on how these measures are in compliance with their commitments, to no satisfactory result," al-Thani said.

"We have always called for dialogue, for negotiations, and this is part of our strategy to talk to the members concerned and to gain more information on these measures, the legality of these measures, and to find a solution to resolve the dispute."

The boycotting states cut ties with Qatar — a major global gas supplier and host to the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East — on June 5, accusing it of financing militant groups in Syria, and allying with Iran, their regional foe. Doha denies these allegations.

The boycotting countries have previously told the WTO that they would cite national security to justify their actions against Qatar, using a controversial and almost unprecedented exemption allowed under the WTO rules.

They said on Sunday they were ready for talks to tackle the dispute, the worst rift between Gulf Arab states in years, if Doha showed willingness to deal with their demands.

The text of Qatar's WTO complaint cites "coercive attempts at economic isolation" and spells out how they are impeding Qatar's rights in the trade in goods, trade in services and intellectual property.

The complaints against Saudi Arabia and the UAE run to eight pages each, while the document on Bahrain is six pages.

No reaction

There was no immediate reaction from the three to Qatar's complaint, which is likely to be circulated at the WTO later this week.

The disputed trade restrictions include bans on trade through Qatar's ports and travel by Qatari citizens, blockages of Qatari digital services and websites, closure of maritime borders and prohibition of flights operated by Qatari aircraft.

The complaint does not put a value on the trade boycott, and al-Thani declined to estimate how much Qatar could seek in sanctions if the litigation ever reached that stage, which can take two to five years or longer in the WTO system.

"We remain hopeful that the consultations could bear fruit in resolving this," he said.

The WTO suit does not include Egypt, the fourth country involved in the boycott. Although it has also cut travel and diplomatic ties with Qatar, Egypt did not expel Qatari citizens or ask Egyptians to leave Qatar.

Al-Thani declined to explain why Egypt was not included.

"Obviously all options are available. But we have not raised a consultation request with Egypt yet," he said.

In its WTO case, Qatar would also draw attention to the impact the boycott was having on other WTO members, he added.

Many trade diplomats say that using national security as a defense risks weakening the WTO by removing a taboo that could enable countries to escape international trade obligations.

Al-Thani said governments had wide discretion to invoke the national security defense but it had to be subject to oversight: "If it is self-regulating, that is a danger to the entire multilateral trading system itself. And we believe the WTO will take that into consideration."

Aviation group

Qatar also raised the boycott at a meeting of the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Monday, al-Thani said.

In comments to Qatar-based Al Jazeera television later Monday, Qatar's transport and information minister said the boycotting countries had discriminated against Doha in violation of an international agreement guaranteeing overflights.

"These countries have used this right arbitrarily and imposed it on aircraft registered only in the \state of Qatar," Jassim bin Saif al-Sulaiti said.

Qatar in June asked Montreal-based ICAO to resolve the conflict, using a dispute resolution mechanism in the Chicago Convention, a 1944 treaty that created the agency and set basic rules for international aviation.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain said Sunday that they would allow Qatari planes to use air corridors in emergencies.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Qatar Files WTO Complaint Against Trade Boycott : http://ift.tt/2f3ADOT

Clooney Foundation to Open Schools for Syrian Refugees

NEW YORK — 

George Clooney's foundation is planning to open seven public schools for Syrian refugee children.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice announced a new partnership Monday with Google, HP and UNICEF to provide education for more than 3,000 refugee children in Lebanon.

George and Amal Clooney said in a statement Monday that the foundation's commitment of more than $2 million toward education for Syrian refugees aims to prevent thousands of young people from becoming "a lost generation."

The couple said Syrian refugee children "have been victims of geography and circumstance" for whom formal education can make all the difference.

George and Amal Clooney established the Clooney Foundation for Justice last year to support equity in courtrooms, classrooms and communities around the world.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Clooney Foundation to Open Schools for Syrian Refugees : http://ift.tt/2tXg51b

Libya Committee Votes in Favor of Constitutional Draft

BENGHAZI, LIBYA — 

A committee tasked with writing a constitution for Libya voted in favor of a draft, paving the way for parliament to approve a referendum and causing uproar among opponents.

Critics, including secessionists and people in favor of the country's 1951 constitution, called for a redo of Saturday's vote.

Protesters broke into the committee's building in the eastern town of Bayda, according to two committee members, who said they called on the committee to reconvene Sunday. It was not immediately clear whether the committee met again.

Committee members opposing the decision issued a signed statement saying that voters failed to consider amendments proposed by opponents to articles in the draft.

Amraja Noah, a committee member from the eastern city of Tobruk, said protesters stormed the building to stop the session, forcing the members to rush the vote.

He said 44 members attended the session and 42 voted in favor of passing the draft.

An opponent of the decision, Abdelkader Kadura, a committee member from Benghazi, expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of the voting.

"This serves a small minority and a certain geographical area," he said, referring to members who voted in favor.

The 60-member committee has been assigned to work on a draft constitution since 2014.

Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 civil war that toppled and killed dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The oil-rich nation is now split between rival governments and militias.

Libya's internationally-recognized parliament is based in the east and allied with the powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Libya Committee Votes in Favor of Constitutional Draft : http://ift.tt/2uLi3AL

Lost Children Are Legacy of Battle for Iraq's Mosul

MOSUL, IRAQ — 

Thousands of children have been separated from their parents in the nine-month battle for Mosul and the preceding years of Islamic State rule in northern Iraq - some found wandering alone and afraid among the rubble, others joining the refugee exodus from the pulverized city.

In some cases their parents have been killed. Families have been split up as they fled street fighting, air strikes or Islamic State repression. Many are traumatized from the horrors they have endured.

Protecting the youngsters and reuniting them with their families is an urgent task for humanitarian organizations.

"These children are extremely vulnerable," said Mariyampillai Mariyaselvam, a child protection specialist with UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund). "Most have gone through a very painful history."

Nine-year-old Meriam had left her family one day last October to visit her grandmother in west Mosul, then under Islamic State rule. The government offensive to recapture the city began, so she stayed there.

Her father Hassan told Reuters he had been a policeman but quit when the radical Islamists seized Mosul in 2014, fearing he would be targeted. He, his second wife, along with Meriam and her three half-siblings moved from dwelling to dwelling.

"We were living in many different places, moving around. Meriam stayed with her grandmother but when the bridges were shut down, I could not cross the river to see her," he said, speaking in the abandoned, half-built house in east Mosul where the family is now squatting.

They eventually fled to the Hassan Sham displaced persons camp but Meriam was trapped in the west.

After government forces retook the neighborhood in June, she and her grandmother made it to the Khazer camp. Her father asked UNICEF for help and they managed to track down his daughter. They were reunited in Hassan Sham later that month.

"I was hearing bombing and killing every day. I did not believe they would find her," he said.

Life is still hard for the family. They left the camp to return to the city with their few possessions, but the house owner wants to evict them. Hassan makes ends meet by finding day jobs. But at least they are together, he said, cuddling his daughter as he spoke.

Meriam, a bright-eyed girl with a shy smile, said she would like to go to school.

"I have never been to school. I would like to have books, a backpack, and to learn letters. That is my dream," she said.

Mosul Surge

UNICEF says children in shock had been found in debris or hidden in tunnels in Mosul. Some had lost their families while fleeing to safety but sometimes parents had been forced to abandon children or give them away. Many children were forced to fight or carry out violent acts, it said in a statement. They were also vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

UNICEF's Mariyaselvam, speaking to Reuters in Erbil, said the number of children coming out of Mosul had increased in the past few months as the battle reached its climax.

He explained the distinction between separated children, who are split from their legal guardians but are with friends or relatives, and unaccompanied children, who are alone and without care or guardians.

It was difficult to give an accurate number but child protection agencies have recorded more than 3,000 separated and over 800 unaccompanied children, he said. The latter are the priority.

The task of rescuing and identifying them begins in the field, with relief agency teams placed in strategic locations where people are fleeing. Registration points are set up. Mobile child protection teams also visit households. Then UNICEF and its local partners begin tracing the legal guardians or relatives.

"Our primary focus is care and protection for them. We try to make sure that they are provided immediate care," he said.

In camps, they are usually placed with people on a temporary basis. If parents or other relatives cannot be identified, a legal process begins to put them in care homes with government permission. If all efforts fail, there is a foster program.

From the start, the children need specialized services such as psychological counseling. Some need mental health care. But the Iraqi government lacks sufficient resources or infrastructure to handle the challenge, Mariyaselvam said.

Mosul, which served as the capital of Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria for three years, provided a particular set of problems. UNICEF and the government followed cases to ensure children were safe from abuse and exploitation once they were back in the community.

"The situation we are seeing is that some children are not being accepted by the community because of their affiliation," he said, referring to the children of Islamic State fighters and supporters.

Some youngsters were roaming the city streets and some were being used as child labor, he said. Families who had lost their homes or fled could sometimes simply not cope.

"It is going to require a lot of time and a lot of resources and specialized services for them to rebuild their lives, including sending them back to school," Mariyaselvam said.

And with the war still going on as Islamic State retreats and a government offensive to recapture the IS-held town of Tal Afar expected soon, a new wave of lost children is anticipated.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Lost Children Are Legacy of Battle for Iraq's Mosul : http://ift.tt/2tUY3ge

Saudi Arabia Says Calls for Internationalization of Holy Sites 'A Declaration of War'

DUBAI — 

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called Qatar's demands for an internationalization of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage a declaration of war against the kingdom, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Sunday, although it was unclear whether Qatar had actually made any such demand.

"Qatar's demands to internationalize the holy sites is aggressive and a declaration of war against the kingdom," Adel al-Jubeir was quoted saying on Al Arabiya's website.

"We reserve the right to respond to anyone who is working on the internationalization of the holy sites," he said.

However, it was unclear whether Qatar made the demand. It did accuse the Saudis of politicizing Hajj and addressed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion on Saturday, expressing concern about obstacles facing Qataris who want to attend hajj this year.

No one from the Qatari government was immediately available for comment.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain have previously issued a list of 13 demands for Qatar, which include curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shutting down the Doha-based Al Jazeera channel, closing a Turkish military base and downgrading its relations with Gulf enemy Iran.

On Sunday, foreign ministers of the four countries said they were ready for dialogue with Qatar if it showed willingness to tackle their demands.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Saudi Arabia Says Calls for Internationalization of Holy Sites 'A Declaration of War' : http://ift.tt/2hecQN4

Thousands Rally in Istanbul Against Israel's Al-Aqsa Mosque Measures

ISTANBUL — 

Thousands of people rallied in Turkey's largest city on Sunday against security measures Israel has imposed at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, shortly after Israel removed other measures that led to two weeks of violent Palestinian protests.

The rally in Istanbul, called "The Big Jerusalem Meeting" and organized by Turkey's Saadet Party, drew some five thousand people to the Yenikapi parade ground on the southern edge of Istanbul.

Protesters were brought in by buses and ferries from across the city, waved Turkish and Palestinian flags, and held up posters in front of a giant stage where the chairman of the Saadet party and representatives from NGOs addressed the crowd.

"The Al-Aqsa mosque is our honor," read a poster.

"You should know that not only Gaza, but Tel Aviv also has their eyes on this parade ground. Netanyahu does as well, and he is scared", said Saadet Party Chairman Temel Karamollaoglu, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Turkey has opposed the security measures installed at the entry points of the mosque compound, with President Tayyip Erdogan warning Israel that it would suffer most from the dispute.

Erdogan accused Israel of inflicting damage on Jerusalem's "Islamic character", in comments that Israel's foreign ministry called "absurd".

The dispute over security at the mosque compound - where Israel installed metal detectors at entry points after two police guards were shot dead this month - has touched off the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.

On Friday however, the main prayer session at the Al-Aqsa mosque ended relatively calmly after Israel removed the tougher security measures, though it barred entrance to men under age 50.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City and the holy compound, in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the area in a move that has never been recognized internationally.

Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, sits in the heart of the Old City. It is also the holiest place in Judaism - the venue of two ancient temples, the last destroyed by the Romans. Jews pray under heavy security at the Western Wall at the foot of the elevated plaza.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Thousands Rally in Istanbul Against Israel's Al-Aqsa Mosque Measures : http://ift.tt/2uaCrYd

Egypt Officials Say Resort Knife Attacker Tasked by IS

CAIRO — 

Security officials said on Sunday that the Egyptian man who stabbed to death three tourists and wounded three others earlier this month in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada was tasked by the Islamic State group to carry out an attack against foreigners.

The officials said that investigations revealed 29-year old Abdel-Rahman Shaaban had communicated with two IS leaders on social media after they recruited him online.

One of them gave Shaaban daily lessons for a month after which he got in touch with the other, who asked him carry out an attack against tourists in either the resort city of Sharm al-Sheikh or Hurghada, to prove his allegiance to the group, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Shaaban rode a bus from the Nile Delta province of Kafr el-Sheikh to Hurghada on July 14 and headed to a beach hotel where he killed two German women and wounded two Armenians, a Ukrainian and a Czech woman, using a knife that he bought earlier from a store, the officials added. Shaaban was arrested shortly after he was chased by hotel workers and security guards who handed him over to the police.

The Czech woman, who was hospitalized with back and leg injuries after the attack, died last week.

Shaaban is a resident of Kafr el-Sheikh where he attended the business school of the local branch of Al-Azhar University - the world's foremost seat of learning of Sunni Islam and the target of mounting criticism in recent months over its alleged radical teachings and doctrinal rigidity.

The resort attack took place just hours after five policemen were killed in a shooting near some of Egypt's most famous pyramids in the greater Cairo area. The Interior Ministry said last week that its forces killed four suspects and arrested two others who were behind the killing of the policemen.

Egypt's government has been struggling to contain an insurgency by Islamic militants led by an Islamic State affiliate that is centered in the northern region of the Sinai peninsula, though attacks on the mainland have recently increased.

The extremist group has been mainly targeting security personnel and Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Egypt Officials Say Resort Knife Attacker Tasked by IS : http://ift.tt/2vjybLj

Court Upholds Sentence for Israeli Soldier Who Killed Unarmed Palestinian

An Israeli military court has rejected a soldier's appeal after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for killing a Palestinian.

Elor Azaria, 20, was convicted of manslaughter in January for fatally shooting an incapacitated Palestinian assailant in the West Bank nearly a year ago.

The landmark case polarized the nation, pitting much of the public against Israel’s most prized and respected institution, the army. In a rare move, the military condemned a soldier’s actions during a Palestinian attack, while many ordinary people were appalled that an Israeli youth serving on the front lines was hauled into court like a common criminal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted Sunday he would recommend a pardon for Azaria.

The incident in question took place last March in the West Bank town of Hebron, when two Palestinians went on a stabbing rampage targeting Israeli troops. One assailant was shot dead by soldiers and the other was wounded, lying incapacitated on the ground.

Eleven minutes later, a cell-phone video caught Azaria taking aim at the 21-year-old injured Palestinian and shooting him in the head. The soldier claimed that he feared the man was booby-trapped with a bomb; but commanders quickly disputed that and Azaria was put on trial for violating the army’s code of moral conduct.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Court Upholds Sentence for Israeli Soldier Who Killed Unarmed Palestinian : http://ift.tt/2wbIGfW

Britain Strips More than 100 Islamic State Fighters of Citizenship

ROME — 

Their home countries don’t want them back. Hundreds of foreign fighters who enlisted with Islamic State to fight in Syria and Iraq are being stripped of their citizenship and blocked from returning by Western governments.

Returning fighters are seen as a grim threat, the deadly legacy of a murderous movement being defeated and rolled back on the battlefield. Western intelligence officials say they are already over-stretched trying to monitor tens of thousands of suspected extremists who never left their home countries.

British officials say they have stripped more than 100 British fighters and brides of their citizenship, preventing them re-entering the country legally, according to British news reports. All those who have lost British citizenship are dual nationals. Under international law, governments can’t revoke someone’s citizenship if it would render them stateless.

According to Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, 152 IS recruits have been stripped of British citizenship since 2016, 30 since March.

Of the estimated 850 Britons who joined IS or al-Qaida-linked groups in Syria, 15 percent are thought to have been killed. A handful of returnees have been jailed, but officials say many cannot be prosecuted for lack of evidence. Some are thought to have become disillusioned with jihadism, but many are thought to pose a significant terror risk.

Britain isn’t alone in fearing the havoc returnees could wreak or the added burden they place on intelligence services already struggling to maintain surveillance on thousands of suspects who never left to fight. In June, following terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, British authorities admitted 23,000 radical Islamists had been considered a “person of interest” to the security services at any one time, more than six times the previous figures made public by the government.

Of those, 3,000 are considered serious threats, including about 400 people who have returned to Britain after fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq.

Other countries fearful

Since 2015, several Western governments have moved to amend their laws to make it easier to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals involved in terrorism. Even so, European governments have faced mounting criticism that they have little in the way of comprehensive plans ready for returnees, either in keeping tabs on them or requiring them to enter rehabilitation and de-radicalization programs.

There is fierce debate also over the effectiveness of de-radicalization programs on fighters who have not already become disillusioned.

Critics include Alex Carlile, a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, who has complained about the British government’s inconsistency and has called for the reintroduction of tough "control orders" that were banned in 2012 over human right fears. The control orders allowed the authorities to restrict suspects’ movement and their use of phones and computers.

He said in a television interview last month it was a “grave mistake” to abolish the orders which “may have saved dozens of lives” between 2005 and 2011.

In February, the Australian government revoked the citizenship of Khaled Sharrouf, who slipped out of Australia in 2013 after serving a four-year jail term on terrorism-related charges.

He became internationally infamous after posting on the internet in August 2014 a photograph of his seven-year-old son holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier. In April a new video surfaced showing Sharrouf’s youngest son wearing a suicide vest being prompted by his father to issue threats to murder Australians.

At least 110 Australians are estimated to have joined terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. Seventy are thought to be dead, three were captured in Lebanon and are in jail there. Australian officials are considering revoking their citizenship.

It has been rare for Western fighters to be captured. In an interview last week with VOA, Gen. Andrew Croft, who oversees the coalition air campaign against IS in Iraq, said foreign fighters are certainly among the IS forces.

“One of the dynamics you see is that foreign fighters can't just blend in with civilians and go to an IDP camp. So the foreign fighters often move around in groups, and they will often fight to the death,” he said.

A move by then-president Francois Hollande to pass legislation to make it easier to revoke French citizenship of terrorist suspects holding dual nationality failed last year. Opinion polls suggested the legislation had public backing, but political critics and rights groups argued the measure would do little to prevent terror attacks and risked worsening race relations by stigmatizing sections of the population, notably Muslims of North African descent.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Britain Strips More than 100 Islamic State Fighters of Citizenship : http://ift.tt/2vVpL9J

Iraqis Say They Foiled IS Plan to Attack Revered Shrines

BAGHDAD — 

Iraqi intelligence officials said Sunday they foiled an attempt by the Islamic State group to attack revered Shi'ite shrines and the sect's spiritual leader.

The IS plan was to launch a series of suicide attacks in Karbala and Najaf that house the shrines as well as the home of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, two officers told The Associated Press.

The simultaneous airstrikes by Iraqi and Russian air forces two weeks ago hit gatherings of suicide bombers in the Iraqi town of Qaim and in Syria's Mayadeen area, both under IS control. They gave no details on casualties.

Recent meetings with the Russians yielded increased intelligence sharing between the two nations, they said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Early this month, IS suffered a major blow as U.S.-backed Iraqi troops captured the northern city of Mosul after nine months of highly destructive warfare. The militants now control small towns mainly near the border with Syria.

IS took over Iraq's second-largest city in in summer 2014 when it conquered much of northern and western Iraq. Along with territories in Syria, they declared a caliphate and governed according to a harsh and violent interpretation of Islamic law.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Iraqis Say They Foiled IS Plan to Attack Revered Shrines : http://ift.tt/2wbeXE4

Iran: Telegram Transfers Some of Its Servers to Iran

TEHRAN — 

Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reports that the country's communications minister has announced that the "Telegram" messaging service has transferred some of its servers into Iran.

The Sunday report quotes Mahmoud Vaezi as saying: "As a result of meetings with Telegram managers, some of its servers have been moved to the country."

On July 22, Pavel Durov, the company's CEO, said no Telegram servers will be moved to Iran or installed here. But Iran told foreign based social networks that they must move their servers into the country if they want to continue operations in the country.

Iran blocks social media websites like Facebook and Twitter and censors others, though top officials have unfettered access to social media. Many access sites by using proxy services and virtual private networks.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Iran: Telegram Transfers Some of Its Servers to Iran : http://ift.tt/2hdv7Kp

Report: Qatar Neighbors to Meet to Discuss New Sanctions

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — 

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain are expected to discuss imposing new economic sanctions on Qatar when they meet in the Bahraini capital Manama Sunday, the pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper reported.

The four Arab states cut ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorist groups and cozying up to their arch-foe Iran, allegations Doha denies.

Foreign ministers of the four countries “are expected to impose sanctions that will gradually affect the Qatari economy,” al-Hayat newspaper said, citing unidentified Gulf sources, without giving any further details.

Bahrain’s state news agency BNA said Saturday that King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa had hailed cooperation between the four countries in fighting terrorism.

Diplomatic efforts led by Kuwait and involving the United States and Turkey have failed to end the row, which has affected travel and communications between Qatar and the four countries and led to harsh verbal exchanges in the media.

Saudi Arabia has closed its land border with Qatar, while all four countries have cut air and sea links with Doha, demanding the gas exporting country take several measures to show it was changing its policies.

Turkey and Iran have stepped in to provide fresh produce, poultry and dairy products to Qatar instead of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Oman providing alternative ports to those in the UAE.

The four Arab countries added 18 more groups and individuals they say are linked to Qatar to their terrorist lists last week.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Report: Qatar Neighbors to Meet to Discuss New Sanctions : http://ift.tt/2vURVSf

Will IS Losses in Iraq, Syria Boost al-Qaida?

As Islamic State militants continue to lose territory in their declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, officials and analysts are expressing concern that al-Qaida is making efforts to turn those losses into gains for itself.

Al-Qaida had been largely eclipsed by IS in recent years, with IS militants grabbing headlines by seizing territory in Iraq and Syria and carrying out attacks in the West. But there are signs that al-Qaida may be re-emerging as a regional power.

"Al-Qaida in Syria is using opportunities to seize additional safe havens, to integrate itself into parts of the local population, parts of other forces, and bumping into other forces as well," said Joshua Geltzer, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the U.S National Security Council.

Tahrir al-Sham, an offshoot al-Qaida group originally known as the al-Nusra Front, has recently emerged as the most powerful Sunni insurgent faction in Syria after consolidating its control over most of the northwestern province of Idlib.

"Idlib now is a huge problem. It is an al-Qaida safe haven right on the border of Turkey," Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the U.S.-led global coalition to counter IS, said at the Middle East Institute in Washington on Thursday.

McGurk blamed the flow of weapons and foreign fighters into Syria for al-Qaida's gradual strengthening in Syria.

Measures under way

McGurk added that the U.S.-led coalition intended to work with Turkey to seal the northern Syrian border to prevent more recruits from joining al-Qaida affiliates in the region.

Hailing the progress of the Iraqi forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, McGurk said the coalition's priority was defeating IS. But now that priority also includes ensuring that foreign fighters do not leave the region to cause trouble elsewhere.

"We do not want any foreign fighters getting out of Iraq and Syria," he said during a panel discussion at the Middle East Institute on the Trump administration's counterterrorism policy.

Experts warn that as IS-controlled territory shrinks, the terror group's foreign fighters will inevitably be drawn to al-Qaida.

"You may see on a local level al-Qaida affiliates being opportunistic and pulling in ISIS units who kind of feel lost," Charles Lister, a Syria analyst for the Middle East Institute said, using another acronym for IS. "They [IS militants] don't have the same kind of grandeur, they don't have the same powerful leadership, and they don't have the same powerful brand that they had before."

IS-al-Qaida alliance?

Led by Jordanian jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, IS was founded as an offshoot of al-Qaida in Iraq in 2004. But as IS gained influence in Iraq and Syria in 2014, the terror group split from al-Qaida, and the two groups engaged in acrimonious and at times bloody competition over the leadership of the jihadist cause. For years, IS has been siphoning off followers of al-Qaida. That trend seems to have begun to reverse.

Iraq's Vice President Ayad Allawi told Reuters in April that he had information from Iraqi and regional contacts that "the discussion has started now" concerning a "possible alliance" between the two terror groups.

Referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, Allawi said, "There are discussions and dialogue between messengers representing Baghdadi and representing Zawahiri."

While some analysts raise concerns about the possibility of IS and al-Qaida joining hands, others like Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute downplay it, arguing that an ultimate rapprochement between the two groups is unlikely, given the history of animosity and their fundamental differences on "global jihad."

Lister, however, highlighted that al-Qaida could take an opportunistic approach to draw IS members into its ranks as the terror group faces defeats on several fronts in Iraq and Syria.

Lister said Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, who has recently appeared as a new face of al-Qaida leadership, has been trying to ease tensions with IS in an effort to encourage the merger of IS fighters into al-Qaida.

"Hamza has very purposely, I think, not spoken out against ISIS in all of his recent statements," Lister said.

Al-Qaida in a blind spot

Experts warn that as the U.S-led coalition is cracking down on IS-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, it should not allow al-Qaida to move to other areas and operate at ease. They say the group is trying to gain sympathy of the local Syrian population by showing itself as a moderate alternative to Islamic State.

"We continue to underestimate al-Qaida," said Jennifer Cafarella, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. "While al-Qaida in Syria is currently not actively attacking abroad, they have built an army. It has consolidated control in Idlib, and is preparing to do the same underneath the U.S.-Russian cease-fire deal in Daraa to expand that model of first destroying the moderate opposition and then begin instillation of al-Qaida governance to transform population over time."

She said the strategy of the U.S.-led coalition after removing IS from Iraq and Syria needs to shift to the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed because of war, and that should be coupled with addressing the grievances of Sunni residents who feel marginalized by Iran-backed Shi'ite militias.

"This is a very long war and we haven't won it yet. These tactical successes are important but can be temporary if we do not set adequate conditions, which is much more than a military requirement," Cafarella said.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Will IS Losses in Iraq, Syria Boost al-Qaida? : http://ift.tt/2uJ2YiV

Spokesman: Palestinian Leader in Hospital for Routine Tests

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK — 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman said Saturday the 82-year-old leader has been hospitalized for a routine checkup and will be discharged in a matter of hours.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh said Abbas is undergoing regular examinations at a Ramallah hospital.

Abbas has suffered heart problems in the past, but his doctors have said he is fine. A year ago, Abbas underwent an emergency heart procedure after suffering exhaustion and chest pains. He went through a number of tests, including a cardiac catheterization, a procedure that can detect and treat heart problems, but was given a clean bill of health.

Last month, Abbas dispelled rumors he had suffered a stroke.

Any health scare for Abbas heightens concerns over the uncertain leadership situation in the Palestinian territories - which are divided between two rival governments and where there is no succession plan for the aging leader.

Abbas, who has no plans to step down, has ignored calls to appoint a successor, setting the stage for a bitter power struggle if he is incapacitated.

Abbas was elected president in 2005 for what was supposed to be a four-year term. But in 2007 the rival Hamas militant group seized control of the Gaza Strip, and Abbas has remained in power. The Palestinians are now divided between two governments, Abbas' Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza. Attempts at reconciliation have repeatedly failed.

Abbas, who is a heavy smoker and is overweight, was treated years ago with prostate cancer and has had a stent inserted to treat artery blockage.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Spokesman: Palestinian Leader in Hospital for Routine Tests : http://ift.tt/2uHNYlq

Iran: US Navy Again Fires Warning Shots Near Its Vessels

TEHRAN, IRAN — 

Iran’s state news agency is reporting that a U.S. navy aircraft carrier has fired a warning shot in an “unprofessional” confrontation with Iranian vessels.

A Saturday report by the official IRNA news agency says the USS Nimitz and an accompanying ship came near an Iranian oil offshore platform in the Persian Gulf and a helicopter from the ship hovered near vessels manned by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.

The report said the encounter took place Friday afternoon and the U.S. Navy ships left the area afterward.

The confrontation comes just three days after a U.S. Navy patrol boat fired warning shots near an Iranian vessel that American sailors said came dangerously close to them during a tense encounter.

Similar incidents have been common between Iranian and American ships in recent years.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Iran: US Navy Again Fires Warning Shots Near Its Vessels : http://ift.tt/2v6ikzg

US Issues Sanctions After Iran Rocket Test

WASHINGTON — 

The United States imposed sanctions Friday on six subsidiaries of a company key to Iran’s ballistic missile program, citing continued “provocative actions” like Tehran’s launch of a rocket capable of putting a satellite into orbit.

Iranian state television reported Thursday that Iran had successfully tested a rocket that can deliver satellites into orbit, an action the United States and others say breaches a U.N. Security Council resolution because of its potential use in ballistic missile development.

A joint statement Friday from the United States, France, Germany and Britain said the launch was inconsistent with a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Iran not to conduct such tests.

​Six firms sanctioned

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on six Iranian firms owned or controlled by the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group. The move enables the U.S. government to block any company property under its jurisdiction and prevents U.S. citizens from doing business with the firms.

“These sanctions ... underscore the United States’ deep concerns with Iran’s continued development and testing of ballistic missiles and other provocative behavior,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement.

“The U.S. government will continue to aggressively counter Iran’s ballistic missile-related activity, whether it be a provocative space launch ... or likely support to Yemeni Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia such as occurred this past weekend,” Mnuchin said.

The six Shahid Hemmat units targeted by the U.S. sanctions manufacture missile components, missile airframes, liquid-propellant ballistic missile engines, liquid propellant, guidance and control systems. They also do missile-related research and maintenance.

US: Iran violates UN resolutions

The Treasury move was announced just hours after the U.S. Senate voted almost unanimously to impose new sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea.

The sanctions in the bill, which the White House says President Donald Trump will sign, also target Iran’s missile development programs as well as human rights abuses.

The State Department charged Thursday that Iran’s test of the satellite launch vehicle was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions as well as the spirit of the multinational Iran nuclear deal, under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programs in exchange for a lifting of some economic sanctions.

Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said the Trump administration would continue to impose consequences on Iran until it complied fully with U.N. resolutions.

“The issue with Iran always comes back to mistrust. Iran’s widespread support for terrorists tells us we can’t trust them. Iran’s breaking its obligation on missile testing tells us we can’t trust them. Yesterday’s launch proves that yet again,” she said in a statement.

The Trump administration certified Iran as being in compliance with the nuclear deal last week, even though Trump has called the agreement negotiated by his Democratic predecessor “the worst deal ever.”

Trump issued a veiled threat against Iran earlier this week, warning Tehran to adhere to the terms of the nuclear accord or face “big, big problems.” He said in a speech in Ohio that the deal had “emboldened” Iran and added “that won’t take place much longer.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More US Issues Sanctions After Iran Rocket Test  : http://ift.tt/2vRR9FS

Campaign Underway to Stem Polio Outbreak in Syria's Deir Ezzor

GENEVA — 

A United Nations-led polio immunization campaign to stem an outbreak of this crippling disease is under way in Syria's Deir Ezzor Governorate. The campaign, headed by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund, started on July 22.

The campaign got off to a good start. The World Health Organization reports that hundreds of vaccinators going door to door in this embattled Syrian city managed to inoculate nearly 60,000 children under the age of five on the first day. Security problems had delayed the start of the campaign in Deir Ezzor and continue to pose dangers for the health workers.

WHO reports 89 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, which is mainly caused by a wild polio virus, have been detected this year in Deir Ezzor. It also reports another 26 cases of vaccine-derived polio type 2 cases in the area.

The agency says one case of vaccine-derived polio has been discovered in Tell Abyad district in Raqqa along with 14 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in the whole region.

WHO spokesman Tariq Jasarevic said the campaign aims to vaccinate 328,000 children in Deir Ezzor and 120,000 children in Raqqa, when a planned vaccination campaign in that governorate gets under way.

"Hopefully, we will be able to stop this outbreak because even though the vaccine-derived polio is in a way less virulent than the wild polio, it is paralyzing children and it also reflects that there is a low level of immunization," he said.

WHO reports 355 vaccination teams from local non-governmental organizations are immunizing children at fixed sites or going door to door to make sure no child is missed. Jasarevic said the community acceptance is high.

He said two immunization rounds are planned for Deir Ezzor, although no date for the second round has been set. He said polio vaccines for two rounds have been shipped to Qamishli, in preparation for the planned campaign in Raqqa; however, the raging battle to retake Raqqa — Islamic State's de facto capital — from the militants puts the starting date of the polio immunization campaign in the outskirts of the city in question.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Campaign Underway to Stem Polio Outbreak in Syria's Deir Ezzor : http://ift.tt/2tKoZv3

French Officials Backtrack on Macron’s Migrant Plans

ROME — 

Improvisation and abrupt policy announcements aren't exclusive traits of U.S. President Donald Trump — his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, has surprised fellow European leaders all week with foreign policy statements, mostly concerning Libya, that have left some fuming and the Elysee Palace floundering.

On Friday, French officials had to walk back Macron's announcement about setting up "hotspots" in Libya to process asylum-seekers to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. And he told reporters he would do so “with or without” European Union approval, saying he intended to set up the centers this summer.

The announcement earned the rebuke of Italy’s foreign minister, who said “France can't move forward with improvised lines.”

The European Commission issued a muted statement, with spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud saying the Commission would need time to “define exactly what is being proposed.” Behind-the-scenes, EU officials were scathing, with one telling VOA that this was another one of “Macron’s Trump moments.”

Within 24 hours, the Elysee Palace started to temper Macron's "hotspots" announcement, saying variously he’d been misquoted or misunderstood, or that the announcement — made at a refugee facility in the French town of Orleans — was “premature.”

Risk of abuses

Rights organization expressed alarm about the plan. Human Rights Watch said it was dangerous to try to process asylum-seekers’ requests in Libya. “[This] carries the risk of human rights abuses," warned Judith Sunderland, the group’s associate director for Europe.

But Macron’s ideas were not hedged with caveats. He said France will vet asylum-seekers in Libya — he estimated there are 800,000 migrants waiting in the north African country ready to cross — before they embark on the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.

"The idea is to create hotspots to avoid people taking crazy risks when they’re not all eligible for asylum. We'll go to them,” said Macron.

The French leader said that migrants were destabilizing Libya and Europe by fueling human trafficking, which in turn funded terrorism and the militias. According to the French news agency AFP, he noted “other European countries are very reluctant” and that France would “do it” even without the EU.

His officials indicated the plan was impractical, however, while Libya remains split between three competing governments, buffeted by dozens of militias and rival warlords.

Macron's office insisted he was being misunderstood and that the president only wanted asylum requests processed as close as possible to the migrants' countries of origin in sub-Sahara Africa, not necessarily in Libya.

That explanation was welcomed by the Italian foreign minister, who earlier this week complained publicly about a meeting Macron brokered in Paris between rival Libyan leaders, which had not been coordinated with either Rome or Brussels.

Popularity slump

Italian frustration with Paris grew on Thursday when Macron decided to nationalize, at least temporarily, a French shipyard in western France to block a takeover bid by the Italian state-owned company Fincantieri. The takeover was due to go into effect on Saturday.

The STX shipyard, currently majority-owned by a South Korean company, builds not only passenger vessels, but also warships. French opponents of the takeover have highlighted Fincantieri's links with China, warning that sensitive French know-how could end up in Chinese hands, something that did not trouble Macron’s predecessor, Francois Hollande. The blocking move was described by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni as “serious and incomprehensible.”

Macron’s French critics argue his abrupt policy announcements are a response to his slumping popularity. In just two months since the 39-year-old former banker took power, he has seen his popularity rating fall by ten percentage points — the biggest decline for a new president since 1995.

The president’s defenders say at least he’s trying to come up with fresh ideas — especially when it comes to the migration crisis roiling Europe and the linked problem of a lawless Libya. They point to a raft of policy proposals on the migration crisis from other European states, including Italy, that have gone nowhere. The latest from Rome is to send Italian warships to help Libya's coast guard combat people smugglers.

Gentiloni said Thursday that the move could be a “turning point” in the migrant crisis. This year 100,000 migrants mainly from Africa and South Asia have arrived in Italy. More than 2,000 others have died at sea.

But Italian lawmakers have to approve the mission — which has been coordinated with the EU Commission — and opposition is rising. Some express concern that sending back migrants from their launching point may breach international humanitarian law. Others worry that the Libyan coast guard can’t be trusted, asserting that some in the coast guard are in league with traffickers and others are controlled by militias.

Right groups also are alarmed at European government thinking that favors blocking asylum-seekers in Libya, where they are vulnerable to abuse.

"Handing people over to militias that collude with the smugglers and traffickers" would violate humanitarian law, said Human Rights Watch's Sunderland.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More French Officials Backtrack on Macron’s Migrant Plans : http://ift.tt/2u4WTtC

IS Claims Deadly Attack in Syria Against US-backed Force

BEIRUT — 

Islamic State militants have carried out a deadly attack on U.S.-backed forces in Syria, killing and wounding many fighters and civilians, Syrian monitors and an IS-linked media outlet said Friday.

The assault took place on Thursday near the northern city of Raqqa — the Islamic State group's de facto capital, where U.S.-backed Syrian fighters are battling to rout the extremists from their stronghold.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have captured wide areas from IS in northern Syria since late last year, and on June 6, the U.S.-backed forces launched an offensive to capture the city of Raqqa. The fighting recently has been concentrated inside the city but IS staged Thursday's surprise attack on a village about 17 kilometers (11 miles) away from Raqqa.

The Aamaq news agency said the attack killed 53 SDF members and damaged two armored vehicles. It added that IS fighters returned to their base safely afterward.

Nisreen Abdullah, a spokeswoman with the U.S.-backed SDF, said IS has been carrying out attacks against the SDF but strongly denied the high number of casualties given by Aamaq.

"Daesh is trying to boost the morale of its fighters," Abdullah said by telephone from northern Syria, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Daesh is facing collapse," she added, referring to the loss of the group of almost half of Raqqa in the fighting so far in the city.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said IS fighters used motorcycles in the Thursday attack. He said they were able to kill and kidnap dozens of SDF fighters and civilians.

Meanwhile, near the Syrian capital of Damascus, members of an al-Qaida-linked group opened fire at protesters who demanded that the hard-liners leave the eastern suburbs known as eastern Ghouta.

Members of the powerful Hay'at Tahrir al Sham militant alliance — Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee — shot toward the protesters but did not cause any casualties among them, according to the Observatory and Ghouta-based activist Anas al-Dimashqi.

The al-Qaida faction is also known as HTS.

Al-Dimashqi said HTS fighters tried to tear down the tri-color flag of the Syrian uprising, adding that no one was hurt in the shooting. He said members of the Syrian rebel group known as Failaq al-Rahman protected the protesters.

Earlier Friday, the al-Qaida-linked HTS issued a statement saying the rebels shot dead a jihadi near his house in Ghouta and calling on Failaq al-Rahman to hand over those who shot and killed the fighter.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More IS Claims Deadly Attack in Syria Against US-backed Force : http://ift.tt/2eU91vD

Israel on Alert for Friday Prayers at Jerusalem Shrine

JERUSALEM — 

Israeli police were on high alert Friday ahead of Muslim prayers at a major Jerusalem shrine at the center of recent tensions.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said men younger than 50 would be barred from the site Friday following security assessments indicating Palestinians plan protests there. There are no restrictions on women.

Rosenfeld said some Palestinians barricaded themselves inside Al-Aqsa Mosque overnight in order to join protests later. Police removed them after they refused to leave, he said.

Friday prayers are the highlight of the Muslim religious week. Thousands of Muslims from around Israel and Palestinian areas typically worship at the holy compound in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Tensions have been running high at the site Arab gunmen killed two police officers on July 14, prompting Israel to install metal detectors and other security devices.

The move outraged Muslims who claimed Israel was trying to expand its control over the site. Israel emphatically denied the allegations insisting the security measures were needed to prevent more attacks.

The issue sparked some of the worst street clashes in years and threatened to draw Israel into conflict with other Arab and Muslim nations.

Under intense pressure, Israel removed the metal detectors and said it planned to install sophisticated security cameras instead.

Muslims had been praying in the streets outside the shrine to protest the security measures since they were installed. They turned to pray at the sacred site Thursday after Israel removed them.

However, violence resumed as Palestinians gathering for prayers at the compound clashed with police.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Israel on Alert for Friday Prayers at Jerusalem Shrine : http://ift.tt/2uIbYn5

US Cuts Ties With Local Syrian Group Trained to Fight IS

PENTAGON — 

The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State is cutting ties with a local Syrian partner force who "engaged in activities not focused on fighting ISIS," a coalition spokesman said Thursday.

Army Colonel Ryan Dillon told reporters that American forces were "in the process of ceasing our support and receiving the equipment" provided to the group Shohada al-Qartyan (ShQ) to fight Islamic State militants in southern Syria.

"We have made it very clear time and again that our goal in Syria and in Iraq is to fight ISIS and to fight ISIS only," Dillon said, using the common acronym for Islamic State. "Our partner forces, we've asked them to be committed to that same mission."

Two U.S. officials confirmed to VOA that the group targeted pro-Syrian regime forces located outside southern Syria's so-called deconfliction zone, which for months has been established as the area within a 55-kilometer radius of the al-Tanf garrison, where coalition forces are training counter-IS fighters.

One official confirmed that this was not the first time Shohada al-Qartyan had carried out these types of attacks.

"They wanted to go back on their oath to fight only Islamic State," another official told VOA.

Still talking

Other local allies remain at the garrison and continue to cooperate with coalition advisers, officials said, with Dillon adding that discussions with ShQ leaders were ongoing.

The Pentagon refers to its local allies in southern Syria as the "Vetted Syrian Opposition" (VSO), and many of these Arab fighters initially organized against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The VSO differs from the Syrian Democratic Forces, a large fighting force of both Kurdish and Arab fighters who are fighting Islamic State in northern Syria.

Some of the VSO forces are indigenous to areas along the middle Euphrates River Valley, a region overrun by IS. Dillon estimated Thursday that 5,000 to 10,000 IS fighters had gathered in that area.

However, Syrian government troops have recently positioned themselves between the al-Tanf garrison and the middle Euphrates River Valley.

"Can we leave on trucks and go straight across to Abu Kamal and Mayadin and Deir ez-Zor without running into the regime? Likely not," Dillon said. "But as far as any future plans on getting them into the fight, we will address that, and we believe that there will be an opportunity to use them in the fight against ISIS in the middle Euphrates River Valley when needed."

The story was first reported by CNN.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More US Cuts Ties With Local Syrian Group Trained to Fight IS : http://ift.tt/2u3rKa2

Islamic State Threatens Iran in New Video

The Islamic State group has issued a short new video in which it threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran and vows to destabilize the country with terrorist attacks.

The video, released Tuesday, depicts a teenage boy in military uniform who directly looks at the camera and speaks Persian with a bold voice, threatening the regime.

The teenager is introduced as the "Persian Qattadah" in the video, which is the name of a close disciple of Prophet Muhammad.

"We will destroy your land and your home, we will disrupt your security and we will shed your blood into rivers," the teenager is heard saying in the video.

Iran has not yet reacted to the video. It was produced in similar fashion to other videos released by the terror group in the past.

In late March, IS released a 36-minute, Persian-language video aimed at Iran's Sunni Muslim minority in which several adults spoke in Persian, but with heavy Baloch and Arabic accents.

The new video portrays a child soldier who speaks fluent Persian with no accent at all, which suggests that the terror group may have made inroads in parts of the country to recruit.

Mixed reaction

Analysts' views on the content and purpose of the video were mixed.

Some said IS wanted to exploit Iranian Sunnis, who have long been deprived of their rights.

"Islamic State's propaganda is falling on fertile ground as Sunnis in Iran are deeply underprivileged and deprived of many of their rights," Ali Alfoneh, a nonresident senior fellow at Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at The Atlantic Council, told VOA.

"It is hardly surprising that the Islamic State is trying to target Iran's Sunni minority," Alfoneh added.

Others downplayed the video and viewed it as a desperate move by IS to show that it remains relevant. The terror group has faced numerous defeats on the battlefield in recent months in Iraq and Syria.

"This is an isolated case and depicts a desperate effort by IS to show it is still capable of conducting new attacks," said Alex Vatanka, a senior analyst at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

"With less territory under control and shrinking sources of revenue, recruiting new members from Iran, where people, even dissident Sunnis, see less common ground with IS, seems to be shooting in the dark and bears no fruit at all," Vatanka added.

Marginalization of Sunnis

Alfoneh of the Atlantic Council said he thought that some of Iran's policies were purposefully marginalizing the country's Sunni minority from the mainstream, which could drive them closer to extremist groups like IS.

"Iran's Sunnis are being oppressed, and the Iranian government policy of relating Sunnis to IS and Saudis has not given the desired fruit expected," he said. "Twin attacks on June 7 committed by Iranian members of IS prove that fact."

IS militants carried out twin terrorist attacks in early June targeting Iran's parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

The attacks, which IS claimed responsibility for, killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more.

Iran's mainly Baloch and Kurd Sunni minorities have long accused Tehran of discriminating against them because of their religious views.

Human rights organizations also have talked of mass executions of Sunnis and have urged Iran to lift restrictions on Sunnis, who make up about 9 percent of the country's population.

Tehran has acknowledged it executed at least 977 people in 2015, which it says was mainly for drug-related crimes.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Islamic State Threatens Iran in New Video : http://ift.tt/2uH4NLB

Turkish Parliament Changes Bylaws

The Turkish parliament has approved a series of changes to its bylaws, which critics say aim to further curtail opposition voices.

The amendments cover a range of issues from what the parliament speaker can wear to how long a bill can be debated.

The government insists the changes will render parliament more effective. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is accused of increasing authoritarianism, has long criticized the opposition for allegedly obstructing the work of parliament.

The changes come as Turkey is engaged in an unprecedented crackdown on the alleged perpetrators of last year's failed military coup, which human rights group say has been broadened to include all government opponents.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested and over 110,000 have been fired from their government jobs.

Two lawmakers stripped of power

Also Thursday, the parliament voted to strip two pro-Kurdish lawmakers of their status of Member of Parliament on the grounds of “absenteeism.”

The vote brings the number of Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) lawmakers who have lost their seats to four.

In the last general election in November 2015, the HDP won 59 seats, becoming the second largest opposition party.

Certain words banned

With the changes to the parliament's bylaws, legislators will now be punished for using certain words, including “Kurdistan” or “Kurdish province” — terms frequently used by HDP legislators.

Nationalists who backed the amendments regard the terms as an expression of separatist sentiment.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Turkish Parliament Changes Bylaws : http://ift.tt/2vNInbG

UN: As Many as 50,000 Civilians Still Trapped in Syria's Raqqa

UNITED NATIONS — 

The United Nations estimated Thursday that 20,000 to 50,000 civilians remained trapped in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the site of heavy fighting as U.S.-backed local forces seek to defeat Islamic State militants in their self-declared capital.

U.N. deputy humanitarian chief Ursula Mueller told the Security Council, "Their situation is perilous. There is no way for them to get out."

Mueller said the heavy fighting and airstrikes had killed or injured dozens of civilians and had displaced more than 30,000 people in July.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, a group of Kurdish, Arab and Christian fighters, began their offensive to liberate the city June 6. They have received air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition.

"Civilian movement out of the city remains extremely difficult due to the presence of mines and other unexploded ordnance, as well as shelling, sniper activities and airstrikes," Mueller said during a video briefing from Amman, Jordan.

"The U.N. and its partners are responding to those who have been displaced and we are ready to provide support in Raqqa city, as soon as access and security conditions allow," she said.

In its monthly report on the humanitarian situation in Syria, the U.N. said the situation inside the city was "reportedly dire." Civilians continue to be killed by air and ground strikes, food and medicine shortages persist, and markets and bakeries remain closed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More UN: As Many as 50,000 Civilians Still Trapped in Syria's Raqqa : http://ift.tt/2tNuqNB

Iran Claims it Successfully Launched Satellite-carrying Rocket

Iran announced Thursday that it had successfully launched a rocket carrying a satellite into space.

State television in Iran claimed the “Simorgh” rocket, which means phoenix in Farsi, is capable of carrying a 250 kilogram satellite as far as 500 kilometers above Earth, but did not elaborate on the payload of the rocket launched Thursday.

"The Imam Khomeini Space Center was officially opened with the successful test of the Simorgh (Phoenix) space launch vehicle," state television reported.

The launch of the rocket comes after the United States moved earlier this month to increase economic sanctions placed on Iran over its ballistic missile program.

Thursday’s launch did not violate the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by Iran and several Western nations, though the U.S. has expressed concern that the rocket technology being developed by Iran could potentially be adapted to long-range missiles.

Earlier this week, Iran announced it would open a new facility to produce missiles capable of targeting aircrafts and cruise missiles.

Iran, in the past, has successfully launched several dummy satellites. In 2013, the country said it successfully launched a monkey into space and was later able to retrieve the animal alive.

Iran hailed the monkey launch as its next step toward putting a human into space, but earlier this year, an Iranian official said the space agency cut plans to launch a human into space due to cost concerns.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Iran Claims it Successfully Launched Satellite-carrying Rocket : http://ift.tt/2vbsXkG

Isolated Qatar Hires Firm Founded by Trump Aides Amid Crisis

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — 

Qatar has hired a Washington influence firm founded by former top campaign aides to President Donald Trump and another specialized in digging up dirt on U.S. politicians, signaling it wants to challenge Saudi Arabia's massive lobbying efforts in America's capital amid a diplomatic dispute among Arab nations.

Hiring a firm once associated with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who left it in May over a dispute with his partners, shows Qatar wants access to a White House with close ties to Saudi Arabia. The firm retains Barry Bennett, a Trump campaign adviser, as well as others with ties to the president.

But matching Saudi Arabia, which scored a diplomatic coup by hosting Trump's first overseas trip, could be a tough battle for Qatar, even if it does boast the world's highest per-capita income due to its natural gas deposits.

"The Qataris are belatedly working up to the scale of the challenge they face," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University who lives in Seattle. "This whole crisis, now that it's kind of settled down into a prolonged confrontation or standoff, it's become almost a struggle to win the hearts and minds in D.C."

The Gulf rift already has seen slogan-plastered taxicabs in London, television attack ads in the United States and competing messages flooding the internet and state-linked media on both sides since the crisis began on June 5.

Qatar, in the midst of building stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, isn't afraid to spend its money. Since the crisis began, Qatar paid $2.5 million to the law firm of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to audit its efforts at stopping terrorism funding - one of the allegations levied by the Saudi-led quartet of nations.

According to documents newly filed to the U.S. Justice Department, Qatar has hired Avenue Strategies Global for $150,000 a month to "provide research, government relations and strategic consulting services." The contract also says that activity "may include communications with members of Congress and Congressional staff, executive branch officials, the media and other individuals."

Lewandowski founded Avenue Strategies just after the November election that put Trump in the White House. Lewandowski resigned from the firm only months later, saying he was troubled by a firm-related project he hadn't sanctioned. Others tied to Avenue Strategies had started a firm of their own, pitching Eastern European clients with promises of access to Trump and high-ranking White House officials.

The firm, which includes a former chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Qatar also signed a three-month, $1.1 million renewable contract with the opposition research firm Information Management Services, according to a Justice Department filing .

The firm, run by Jeff Klueter, a former researcher for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, did not respond to requests for comment. It advertises itself as doing so-called "oppo," which includes digging into political opponents' past and comments for incriminating or simply embarrassing material.

Qatar did not respond to a request for comment about the lobbying contracts. But it may serve as recognition that while Qatar has had success in speaking with the State Department and the Pentagon, it needs to make inroads to the Trump White House, Ulrichsen said.

Despite hosting a major U.S. military base, Qatar has been a target of Trump over its alleged funding of extremists, something Doha denies. Saudi Arabia enjoys close relations to Trump, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In Washington, Saudi Arabia spends millions of dollars on lobbying, including a most-recent push to oppose a law allowing Sept. 11 victims' families to sue the ultraconservative Muslim nation in U.S. courts . Its lobbying firms have been putting out memos on Qatar.

Meanwhile, an organization called the Saudi American Public Relation Affairs Committee launched an online campaign called the Qatar Insider highlighting material critical of Doha. The committee also paid $138,000 to air an anti-Qatar attack ad on a local Washington television station, according to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al-Jazeera.

"Our aim is to show the American people that Qatar has been employing a foreign policy that harms its neighbors and contributes to regional instability," said Reem Daffa, the executive director of the committee, known by the acronym SAPRAC.

But while Daffa said SAPRAC does no lobbying, it has registered as a lobbying firm with Congress and tweeted a Qatar attack ad at Trump . It also has not filed paperwork with the Justice Department despite the committee being listed as entirely owned by a Saudi national .

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, first put in place over concerns about Nazi propagandists operating in the U.S. ahead of World War II, requires those working on behalf of other countries or their citizens to file regular reports to the Justice Department.

There are no similar rules in Britain, though the crisis recently could be seen on the streets of London. Pro-Qatar ads appeared on the city's famous black taxis, bearing the message: "Lift the Blockade Against the People of Qatar." Al-Jazeera Arabic even did a story about them.

But whether any of it will sway policy makers remains unclear.

"The prevailing view is that there are no perfect allies," recently wrote Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. "So whatever money the Gulf countries are spending in Washington, they should know it is not very well spent."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Isolated Qatar Hires Firm Founded by Trump Aides Amid Crisis : http://ift.tt/2eQtwte

Rights Group Alleges US-Trained Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul

An Iraqi army division trained by the U.S. military allegedly assassinated several dozen prisoners in the final days of battle to recapture Mosul's Old City from Islamic State, according to Human Rights Watch.

The rights group, in a report issued Thursday, is urging the U.S. to end support for the Iraqi army's 16th Division pending a probe into what it believes are war crimes.

"The U.S. military should find out why a force that it trained and supported is committing ghastly war crimes," said Human Rights Watch Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. "U.S. taxpayer dollars should be helping to curtail abuses, not enable them."

The watchdog said the alleged executions were witnessed by two international observers. The observers said they saw a group of Iraqi soldiers who identified themselves as members of the 16th Division take four naked men down an alley and then heard gunshots. The observers said the soldiers informed them the prisoners were IS fighters.

As the observers were leaving the area, one of them told Human Rights bodies of a number of naked men were seen lying in a doorway.

IS lost control of the Old City after nine months of fighting with Iraqi forces who are supported by a U.S.-led coalition. Fighting in the area continued for several days after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS on July 10. Videos were distributed showing Iraqi troops beating unarmed men and killing one by pushing him off a cliff.

Iraq has vowed to investigate earlier allegations of abuses and to take appropriate action against those responsible.

Iraqi government spokespeople have not responded to these latest allegations.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Rights Group Alleges US-Trained Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul : http://ift.tt/2w2Y2n0

AP Sources: US Seeks to Test Iran Deal With More inspections

WASHINGTON — 

The Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump desperately wants to cancel, senior U.S. officials said.

The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. While the Trump administration seeks to police the existing deal more strictly, it is also working to fix what Trump's aides have called "serious flaws" in the landmark deal that — if not resolved quickly — will likely lead Trump to pull out.

That effort also includes discussions with European countries to negotiate a follow-up agreement to prevent Iran from resuming nuclear development after the deal's restrictions expire in about a decade, the officials said. The officials weren't authorized to discuss the efforts publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The inspections requests, which Iran would likely resist, could play heavily into Trump's much-anticipated decision about whether to stick with the deal he's long derided.

If Iran refuses inspections, the argument goes, Trump finally will have a solid basis to say Iran is breaching the deal, setting up Tehran to take most of the blame if the agreement collapses. If Iran agrees to inspections, those in Trump's administration who want to preserve the deal will be emboldened to argue it's advancing U.S. national security effectively.

The campaign gained fresh urgency this month following a dramatic clash within the administration about whether to certify Iran's compliance, as is required every 90 days.

Trump was eager to declare Tehran in violation, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency that monitors compliance says its infractions are minor. At the urging of top Cabinet members, Trump begrudgingly agreed at the last minute to avoid a showdown for another three months — but only with assurances the U.S. would increase pressure on Iran to test whether the deal is truly capable of addressing its nuclear ambitions and other troublesome activities.

Trump faces another certification deadline in three months, and it's far from clear that either new inspections or any ``fixes'' to address whether his concerns will be in place by then. Trump told The Wall Street Journal this week he expects to say Iran isn't complying, setting a high bar for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other aides to persuade him otherwise.

"If it was up to me, I would have had them noncompliant 180 days ago," Trump said.

To that end, the administration is seeking to force Iran to let in IAEA inspectors to military sites where the U.S. intelligence community believes the Islamic Republic may be cheating on the deal, several officials said. Access to Iran's military sites was one of the most contentious issues in the 2015 deal, in which Tehran agreed to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

Last week in Vienna, where the International Atomic Energy Agency is based, Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon floated the proposal to the European members of the Joint Commission that oversees the deal, one official said. Britain, France and Germany joined the U.S., Russia, China and the European Union two years ago in brokering the deal with Iran.

To force inspections of new sites in Iran, the U.S. would need to enlist the support of the IAEA and a majority of the countries in the deal. But the U.S. has run into early resistance over concerns it has yet to produce a "smoking gun" — compelling evidence of illicit activity at a military site that the IAEA could use to justify inspections, officials said.

Among the concerns about a rush toward inspections is that if they fail to uncover evidence of violations, it would undermine the IAEA's credibility and its ability to demand future inspections. So the U.S. is working to produce foolproof intelligence about illicit activity, officials said. The officials declined to describe the intelligence activities or the Iranian sites the U.S. believes are involved.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, alluded to the strategy during an event hosted Wednesday by The Washington Post. Corker said the U.S. was trying to ``radically enforce'' the deal by asking for access to ``various facilities'' in Iran.

``If they don't let us in, boom,'' Corker said. ``You want the breakup of this deal to be about Iran. You don't want it to be about the U.S., because we want our allies with us.''

As a candidate, Trump threatened to rip up the deal that President Barack Obama brokered. As president, Trump has yet to take that step, as his administration finishes a broader Iran policy review expected to conclude in August.

The other major step to try to address what Trump has deemed flaws in the deal involves ensuring that Iran can't revert to old behavior once the limitations on its program ``sunset'' over the next decade-plus. The State Department said Trump has directed his administration to ``work with allies to explore options'' for dealing with that and other shortcomings. Talks are underway with the European countries about a supplemental deal, though it's unclear how Iran could be persuaded to sign on.

The deal's provisions for inspections of military facilities, or ``undeclared sites,'' involve a complex process with plenty of opportunities for Iran to stall. Tehran can propose alternatives to on-site inspections, or reject the request, which would trigger a 24-day process for the Joint Commission countries to override the rejection.

That could drag on for months. And under ambiguities built into the deal, it's unclear whether Iran must allow IAEA inspectors into military sites, or whether the Iranians can take their own environmental samples and send them to the IAEA for testing, as was allowed under a 2015 side agreement that let Iran use its own experts to inspect the Parchin military site.

Even if Trump declares Iran in violation of the deal _ a move that would invigorate his conservative base _ he could still leave Iran's sanctions relief in place.

American businesses are eager for the deal to survive so they can pursue lucrative opportunities in Iran. The aviation industry recently signed billions of dollars of contracts to sell passenger plans to Iranian airlines, including a $16.6 billion deal for Boeing.

___

Associated Press writer George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report.

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP and Matthew Lee at http://twitter.com/APDiploWriter

AP-WF-07-27-17 1253GMT

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More AP Sources: US Seeks to Test Iran Deal With More inspections : http://ift.tt/2v0VTLT

Muslim Leaders Tell Faithful to Pray Inside Jerusalem Shrine

JERUSALEM — 

Muslim leaders told the faithful to return to pray inside a major Jerusalem holy site on Thursday after Israel removed security devices it installed outside entrances to the shrine following a deadly Palestinian attack at the compound.

Thousands of Palestinians had been praying in the streets outside the shrine to protest the security measures since the crisis began.

“After extensive discussion and after achieving this victory in this round we call on our people in Jerusalem and inside (Israel) and anyone who can access the al-Aqsa Mosque to enter ... en masse,” the Islamic leaders declared in a statement.

The head of the Supreme Islamic Committee, Ikrema Sabri, said the first prayers would be held there Thursday afternoon.

Palestinians danced, chanted “God is Great” and set off fireworks after some security devices were removed early Thursday morning. It dismantled metal detectors there earlier this week.

Attack at the shrine

Israel installed the new security measures earlier this month after Palestinian gunmen shot and killed two police officers from within the site.

It said the security measures were necessary to prevent more attacks and are standard procedure to ensure safety at sites around the world. Palestinians claimed Israel was trying to expand its control over the site.

The issue sparked some of the worst street clashes in years and threatened to draw Israel into conflict with other Arab and Muslim nations.

Delicate balance

Israel removed the devices under intense pressure and said it would install sophisticated security cameras instead.

But Palestinian politicians and Muslim clerics had insisted that wasn't enough and demanded Israel restore the situation at the shrine in Jerusalem's Old City to what it was before the July 14 attack.

The fate of the site is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Even the smallest perceived change to delicate arrangements pertaining to the site sparks tensions.

Holy site for Jews, Muslims

Jews revere the hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City as the Temple Mount, site of the two Jewish biblical temples. It is the holiest site in Judaism and the nearby Western Wall, a remnant of one of the temples, is the holiest place where Jews can pray.

Muslims believe the site marks the spot from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. It is Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

The latest development could put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tough spot as he tries to tamp out a wave of unrest that has triggered international pressure while not appearing to his hard-line base as capitulating.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Muslim Leaders Tell Faithful to Pray Inside Jerusalem Shrine : http://ift.tt/2tM8nqU

UN Chief 'Concerned' as Tensions Persist in Jerusalem

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he is concerned about the risk of violence escalating in the Old City of Jerusalem and called on Israel "to demonstrate restraint.''

Guterres' statement was issued after rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas issued calls for mass protests by Muslims against Israel on Friday over security measures installed at a contested site.

The U.N. chief called on "all political, religious and community leaders to refrain from provocative action and rhetoric."

Tensions have been high in Jerusalem for a week, triggered by Israel's decision to install new security measures, including metal detectors and cameras, at a major shrine in Jerusalem's Old City in response to a July 14 attack by Arab gunmen who killed two Israeli police guards.

For many Muslims, the new security measures were just the latest proof of their suspicions that Israel gradually wants to expand its control over the holy site, known to Muslims Al Aqsa Mosque and to Jews as Temple Mount.

Hoping to calm days of unrest, Israel removed the metal detectors and security cameras but they were to be replaced with "advanced technologies" -- widely believed to be smart cameras with facial recognition technology.

Refusing to pass through the metal detectors, Muslims have held prayer services outside Jerusalem's Old City Lions Gate every night as a form of protest.

In Washington, the State Department said while the U.S. supports measures that would de-escalate tensions, it is up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide what works to maintain the status quo of the holy site.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Tuesday answered a reporter's question about whether the cameras are a step in the right direction.

"We will leave it to those parties to determine what works for them," she said. "Unfortunately, and as goes with the peace process, ultimately it's their decision to make. Both parties have to be able to live with it and be able to work with it," she said.

Separately late Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to expel Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera from Israel because it "continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More UN Chief 'Concerned' as Tensions Persist in Jerusalem : http://ift.tt/2tLsq8C

Israel's Netanyahu Threatens to Shut Al-Jazeera Jerusalem Office

JERUSALEM — 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he would work to close the Jerusalem offices of Qatar-based al-Jazeera, accusing the
television news network of inciting recent violence in the city.

Jerusalem is experiencing one of its most tense periods in years as Palestinians protest heightened Israeli security measures near the Temple Mount-Noble Sanctuary compound, one of the city's holiest sites, and the events have been widely reported, including by al-Jazeera.

“The al-Jazeera network continues to stir violence around the Temple Mount,” Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page in Hebrew.

The Qatar-based network was not immediately available for comment.

The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm.

“I have spoken several times to law-enforcement authorities demanding to close al-Jazeera's offices in Jerusalem. If this does not happen because of legal interpretation, I will work to enact the required legislation to expel al-Jazeera from Israel,” the Israeli leader added in his post.

Al-Jazeera has also faced government censure in neighboring Egypt when in 2014, the Arab state jailed three al-Jazeera staffers for seven years and closed the network's offices. Two staffers have been released but a third remains imprisoned.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Israel's Netanyahu Threatens to Shut Al-Jazeera Jerusalem Office : http://ift.tt/2w1oPjt

Red Cross Urges West, Saudi-Led Coalition to Resolve Yemen Crisis

GENEVA — 

Western and regional powers must use their influence on Yemen's warring parties to end a two-year conflict that has exacerbated a huge cholera epidemic and left the country in ruins, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday.

A Saudi-led coalition is battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls most of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa, in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than three million.

"Definitely we would hope that Western countries understand the deep crisis, the risk of this enormous crisis for international stability, for the stability of the region," ICRC President Peter Maurer told reporters, speaking from Sanaa during a five-day mission to Yemen.

"I came here to urge the international community to take action and step up its response to this outbreak, which is - let's be very clear - a man-made outbreak. It's largely the consequence of warfare and destruction of public services," said Maurer, after visits to Taiz and Aden.

He called for finding solutions to pay workers' salaries and allowing aid supplies including medicines into the port of Hodeidah and Sanaa airport, both controlled by the Houthi rebels, to ease massive suffering.

Yemen's health system is in tatters, salaries have not been paid for 10 months, waste is "piling up" in the streets, and hospitals, water stations and other vital infrastructure have been attacked and destroyed, he said.

The cholera epidemic that erupted in April is still raging, infecting about 400,000 people, and despite signs of its spread slowing, could be reignited by the rainy season, Maurer said.

"The pace of increase of cases is slightly diminishing. Which does not mean overall the cases are decreasing but the pace is slightly diminishing," he said. "The problem is most experts expect the pace to increase when the rainy season starts."

Maurer said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their coalition as well as Yemeni parties were all "critical actors to find solutions" to the crisis.

"I would also hope that those countries outside the region should use their influence to nudge these parties into compromise, to use their influence in order to find solutions," he added.

Maurer said he hoped to "break the deadlock" over ICRC visits to detainees who are held by all sides, including by the coalition. He sought an "atmosphere where exchanges of prisoners can be negotiated between the parties".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More Red Cross Urges West, Saudi-Led Coalition to Resolve Yemen Crisis : http://ift.tt/2h38Hve