New York Times Invesigation: Israeliclaim of 'Palestinian rocket' hitting Gaza's Baptist Hospital

New York Times Invesigation: Israeliclaim of 'Palestinian rocket' hitting Gaza's Baptist Hospital

    Tuesday, October 24, 2023   No comments

 The New York Times has quietly acknowledged that Israel’s key claim regarding the bombing of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza on 17 October is false. 

In an investigation published on 24 October, the New York Times found that Israel’s claim that a failed rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad fell on the hospital was not correct.

In the hours following the bombing, which Hamas claims killed 471 people sheltering in the courtyard of the hospital, the Israeli military claimed footage from an Al-Jazeera live stream showed the Palestinian rocket falling on the hospital.

“The footage has become a widely cited piece of evidence as Israeli and American officials have made the case that an errant Palestinian rocket malfunctioned in the sky, fell to the ground and caused a deadly explosion at Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City,” the New York Times wrote.

But the investigation by The New York Times concluded that the video clip “shows something else.”

The missile seen in the video detonated in the sky roughly two miles away from the hospital, The New York Times found, and was launched from Israel, not Gaza.

China says Israel acting 'beyond scope of self-defense'

China says Israel acting 'beyond scope of self-defense'

    Sunday, October 15, 2023   No comments

 The Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, confirmed in a phone call with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan, that the historical injustice against Palestine cannot continue.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Wang Yi as saying that China is "currently working closely with all parties to strengthen the ceasefire and end the war."

 According to him, the top priority is “ensuring the safety of civilians, opening humanitarian aid channels as quickly as possible, and protecting the basic needs of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”

 The Chinese minister stressed that his country "believes that the historical injustice that has been occurring against Palestine for more than half a century cannot continue," noting that the Israeli government must stop "collective punishment" of the residents of Gaza.

Wang Yi pointed out that "the parties should not take any action that would lead to an escalation of the situation," calling for the start of "negotiations."

In turn, Ibn Farhan indicated that Saudi Arabia opposes Israel’s forced resettlement of Gaza residents outside the region.

 The Saudi Minister urged the People's Republic of China, by virtue of its role as a permanent member of the Security Council, to work to ensure that the Council fulfills its responsibility to maintain international peace and security by pushing for "an immediate cessation of military operations and lifting the siege on Gaza."

Earlier today, state-run CCTV announced that Chinese envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will visit the region next week in an attempt to reach a ceasefire and launch peace talks.

It is noteworthy that last Friday, Israeli media reported that an Israeli employee at the embassy in the Chinese capital, Beijing, was stabbed outside the embassy area.

It is worth noting that, in the wake of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” epic, China called for “a ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, through a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” as it said.

The United States of America considered this position “disappointing,” as the Majority Leader of the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, demanded, during his visit to Beijing, “the necessity of issuing a statement explicitly condemning the Hamas movement, due to the attack it launched a few days ago.”

In turn, the American newspaper Politico commented on the Chinese position, saying that Beijing “apparently has decided that the path to a greater global presence passes through Palestine,” regardless of the “blows” it will receive from the West, because of what the newspaper described as "Leniency" with Hamas.

Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation's statement on the orders to displace Gazan civilians

Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation's statement on the orders to displace Gazan civilians

    Friday, October 13, 2023   No comments

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, commented on the Gaza population transfer order issued by Israeli leaders and backed by the US and some European governments: 

More than a million Gazans must urgently evacuate to the south of the strip at the request of the Israeli army. All “Western partners” are bashfully silent.

I wonder what their reaction would be to a similar demand addressed to the Kyiv regime to evacuate one of the major cities?

   

Algeria's president, Tebboune, signs a decree requiring the full performance of the Algerian national anthem

Algeria's president, Tebboune, signs a decree requiring the full performance of the Algerian national anthem

    Tuesday, June 13, 2023   No comments

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently signed a decree imposing the full performance of the national anthem with its five stanzas, to include a stanza containing words bearing a threat to France, and this stanza had angered Paris earlier.

It is noteworthy that Algeria wrested its independence from France in 1962 after 132 years of struggle against French colonialism, as that period was considered bloody in the history of the Arab country and remained a deep wound in the heart of every Algerian despite the passage of generations.

The Algerian national anthem is the only one that mentions another country in its lyrics, as one of its stanzas includes these sentences:

Oh France, the time for admonition has passed,

and we folded it as the book is folded,

O France, the day of reckoning,

prepare and take from us the answer,

in our revolution Separate the speech, and 

we resolved that Algeria would live.

so bear witness, 

bear witness, 

bear witness.

 

The section was sometimes sung, and at other times the Algerian authorities were satisfied with showing only part of the anthem to shorten it, but Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune signed the decree imposing the full performance of the anthem with its five sections.

The abbreviated version can be performed on certain occasions, such as receiving heads of state during official visits, or speeches addressed by the president to the nation, military decrees at the Ministry of Defense, and others.

The clip had aroused "France's anger", and the French negotiating delegation objected to it prior to the signing of the "Evian" treaty with the then interim Algerian government, which recognized Algeria's independence, but its request was rejected.

The clip was deleted during the reign of President Chadli Ben Jedid during the eighties of the last century, after that the former Algerian President Liamine Zeroual decided to restore it finally in 1995.

In 2007, the section of the Algerian national anthem was removed from school books, which caused great discontent in Algeria at the time.

Indeed, the video of Tebboune's inauguration ceremony and his taking the constitutional oath, in 2019, shows the full performance of the Algerian national anthem, including the passage that mentions France.

It is noteworthy that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was scheduled to visit France last May, but he postponed his visit without giving reasons.

 

Ukrainian Counteroffensive is on and using dams as weapons of war

Ukrainian Counteroffensive is on and using dams as weapons of war

    Tuesday, June 06, 2023   No comments

According to Russian officials, the Ukrainian army started its counteroffensive two days ago. The Russian ministry of defense released its tally of the two days of action.

Meanwhile, both sides blame each other for the partial destruction of a major dam that could have significant impact on civilian populations and the environment. The next few days will bring more details.
Here is a summary of what has been put in the public domain thus far.

From the Russian Ministry of Defense:

Within three days , the Ukrainian regime launched a long-promised offensive on different sectors of the front , concentrating a large amount of equipment and manpower for this purpose.

On June 4, the forces of the 23rd and 31st mechanized brigades of the AFU attempted an offensive in five areas.

The enemy did not achieve success on any of them, suffered significant losses : 300 military personnel, 16 tanks, 26 armored combat vehicles, 14 vehicles.

On June 5 , the Kiev regime attempted an offensive in seven directions with the forces of five brigades. It was stopped , suffered even more significant losses: more than 1,600 military personnel, 28 tanks, including 8 Leopards and 3 AMX-10 wheeled tanks, 136 units of other military equipment, including 79 foreign ones.

Attempts to attack were thwarted, the enemy was stopped, Russian soldiers and officers showed courage and heroism in battles .

I repeat, the enemy did not achieve his goals, suffered significant and incomparable losses.

The units of the 433rd motorized rifle regiment of the 127th motorized rifle division, the 37th and 60th motorized rifle brigades have distinguished themselves in battle, showing perseverance and stamina.

Special heroism was shown by the 3rd company of the 37th motorized rifle brigade under the command of junior lieutenant Yuri Yurievich Zhelanov and the commander of the 1st battalion of the same brigade, Major Vladimir Vladimirovich Polozhentsev.

These units, being in the direction of the main attack, staunchly defended their positions and inflicted significant losses on the superior forces of the enemy's 37th Marine Brigade . Under the threat of encirclement, Junior lieutenant Zhelanov, being wounded, took his company to pre-equipped defensive positions, where he successfully stopped the advancing enemy units.

It is especially necessary to note the skillful actions of our operational-tactical, attack and army aviation . They used 50 anti-tank guided missiles . As a result , 5 tanks and 29 other armored fighting vehicles were destroyed.

 In just 3 days of hostilities in all directions, the losses of the armed forces of Ukraine amounted to 3,715 military personnel, 52 tanks, 207 armored combat vehicles, 134 vehicles, 5 aircraft, 2 helicopters, 48  field artillery guns and 53 unmanned aerial vehicles.

 Unfortunately, it was not without our losses. In total, 71 servicemen were killed and 210 were injured during the repulse of the enemy offensive in the Joint Group of Forces. We also lost: 15 tanks, 9 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 vehicles and 9 guns.

 Tonight, the Kiev regime committed another terrorist crime : the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station was blown up , which led to the flooding of large areas. The purpose of these actions , according to available data, is as follows .

 Having not achieved success in offensive operations , in order to strengthen its potential, the enemy intends to transfer units and equipment from the Kherson direction to the area of its offensive operations , thus significantly weakening its positions in the Kherson direction .  The enemy began to build defensive positions on the right bank of the Dnepr , which indicates his intention to go on the defensive here.

 In order to prevent offensive actions of the Russian army on this sector of the front , the Kiev regime carried out a sabotage , in fact, a terrorist act , which led to the flooding of large areas and will have severe and long-term environmental consequences.

 In addition, according to available data, the discharge of water from the Dnepropetrovsk hydroelectric power station has been significantly increased , which leads to even more flooding of the territories.

 This fact indicates a large-scale sabotage planned in advance by the Kiev regime.

 Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu.

There Will be no Bakhmut Left for anyone to Keep or Liberate

There Will be no Bakhmut Left for anyone to Keep or Liberate

    Monday, March 27, 2023   No comments

The battle for the city of Bakhmut is not a battle for the city at all. Because there will be no city after the battle. That is one of the reasons why armed actors who seek shelter among civilians and fires from near their homes are committing a war crime according to international treaties. 

Although far from traditional homeland of Islam, here too, the Mosque stand witness to the recklessness and cruelty of war. A tank that appears to belong to the armed forces of Ukraine is stationed near what is left of a damaged mosque and firing.

There are many reasons why Ukrainian leaders are choosing to make a stand in the city of Bakhmut and not retreat. Perhaps one of the reasons is how they can use homes of civilians and their mosques and ch

urches as shield while they battle with the Russians. They want these cities and towns destroyed if they cannot be preserved under their control. That is criminal intent.

Urban warfare is not a neutral category. Urban warfare, when it is done intentionally, when an army or an armed group decides to engage in war activities from near mosques, hospitals, and other civilian structures, they are committing a war crime. 

   

When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi army collapsed very quickly. For civilians, especially those in large cities such as Baghdad, that was a good thing. The collapse of the Iraqi military spared large cities from complete destruction. 

But not all Iraqi cities avoided urban warfare. The fate of Fallujah comes to mind. Since the invasion, the city of Fallujah did not actually fall under the total control of the coalition forces. In fact, a year after the invasion, US troops tried to flush out pockets of armed rebels who took the city, especially the old city with its narrow walkways and dense neighborhoods as shield. From April 1 to May 1, 2004, US troops fought running battles with the armed groups. Knowing the cost of urban warfare is high for all sides, US troops decided to leave the city alone. That was the end of the First Battle of Fallujah. That retreat encouraged fighters from inside Iraq and outside Iraq, mostly fighters affiliated with al-Qaeda, to settle in Fallujah and use it as a base for their attacks. That brought back the coalition forces, this time, they were determined to liberate the city even if that meant its full destruction. 

From the first week of November to right before Christmas Eve of 2004, American, Iraqi, and British troops battled with armed groups in the city in what was officially called Operation al-Fajr, popularly known and the Second Battle of Fallujah. In the end, 710 coalition forces were killed or wounded and more than 3,000 rebels were killed or captured. But we may never know how many civilians, out of the more than quarter million residents of the city were killed or injured. That number was estimated to be in the thousands, to add to the estimate total number of 650,000 civilians who were killed in Iran during the invasion. As if two battles were not enough, when ISIL took over large territories in Syrian and Iraq, Fallujah falls back into urban violence once more.

If images of city buildings were an indication of the level of destruction urban warfare can bring, the images of the destroyed homes and mosques tell a story of unlivable devastation—the City of Mosques was reduced to a City of Ruin.

 The same applies to the urban warfare that took place in Syrian and is now taking place in Ukraine. 

UN says both Russia and Ukraine executed prisoners of war: Ukraine executed 25 Russian POWs, Russia executed 15 Ukrainian POWs

UN says both Russia and Ukraine executed prisoners of war: Ukraine executed 25 Russian POWs, Russia executed 15 Ukrainian POWs

    Friday, March 24, 2023   No comments

On the other hand, the United Nations on Friday accused Ukrainian and Russian forces of carrying out dozens of extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine.

The head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, expressed "great concern" about the execution of "25 Russian prisoners of war" by the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as "the execution of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war" by the Russians.

Bogner confirmed that the United Nations documented these executions of Russians, which were carried out by Ukrainian forces, "most often ... immediately after their capture on the battlefield."

She added that the United Nations is aware of 5 investigations conducted by Kiev related to 22 victims, but "we have not been informed of any prosecution of the perpetrators" of these crimes.

As for the Russian armed forces' execution of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war "soon after their arrest," the official said that 11 of these operations were carried out by the Russian armed Wagner Group.

Skulls were returned from France to Algeria do not all belong to the resistance fighters

Skulls were returned from France to Algeria do not all belong to the resistance fighters

    Tuesday, October 18, 2022   No comments

The New York Times reported, on Monday, that the skulls that Algeria recovered from France in 2020 do not all belong to the resistance fighters, and that these remains all remained French property even after they were handed over.

Documents from the Museum of Man and the French government, obtained by the American newspaper, revealed that 18 skulls were of uncertain origin, among the 24 skulls recovered by Algeria.

These skulls were returned under an agreement signed by the two governments on June 26, 2020, which included a 4-page appendix detailing the identities of the remains, according to Al-Hurra.

The document obtained by the "New York Times" showed that among the remains recovered by Algeria were imprisoned thieves, and three Algerian infantrymen who served in the French army.

Neither government has publicly acknowledged these facts as they seek to extract a "diplomatic advantage" from the recall, according to the New York Times.

And in July of 2020, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received a C-130 Hercules plane coming from France, carrying the remains of 24 Algerian fighters against French colonialism on board.

The plane landed at Algiers International Airport, after being escorted by fighters from the Algerian army, where the coffins received an official reception. They drew the Algerian national flag and were carried by soldiers from the guard of honor with 21 artillery rounds.

The American newspaper says that the process of France's return of these remains, which were on display in the Museum of Humanity, was accepted by Algeria, where the two countries celebrated the gesture as a milestone in their efforts to rebuild relations.

The Algerian government did not respond to The New York Times' requests for comment, and it remains unclear why it accepted some skulls that did not belong to popular resistance fighters, especially as it was highly critical of aspects of French President Emmanuel Macron's policy towards the country, at least until Snow melt in recent years.

Macron's office also declined to comment, redirecting questions to the Foreign Ministry, which said the list of the skulls returned was "approved by both parties."

Upon the handover in 2020, the French presidency stated that "this gesture is part of a process of friendship and healing of all wounds throughout our history."

She added, "This is the meaning of the work that the President of the Republic started with Algeria, which will continue with the respect of all in order to reconcile the memories of the French and Algerian peoples."

During a visit to Algeria in December 2017, President Macron pledged to return the Algerian human remains, which are in the Museum of Man of the National Museum of Natural History.

The American newspaper described the process as a "flawed return", which revealed a broader problem than returns, which are often "secret and muddled" and do not rise to the level of correcting the mistakes of the colonial era.

"Diplomatic issues prevailed over historical issues," said Catherine Maureen Desailly, the center-right French senator who has long worked to return mortal remains.

The Russian Embassy in Cairo accuses Lapid of lying and contempt for the Palestinians

The Russian Embassy in Cairo accuses Lapid of lying and contempt for the Palestinians

    Wednesday, August 10, 2022   No comments

The Russian Embassy in Cairo criticized Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's calls to bomb the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, noting that he adopted allegations related to the "Bucha massacre committed by Ukrainian Nazis."

The Russian Embassy in Egypt published a message on its Twitter account, accusing Lapid of double standards, comparing Lapid’s attempts, last April, to blame and blame Russia for the Bucha massacre, and his calls this August for “bombing and strikes on Palestinian Territories in the Gaza Strip.

And the Russian diplomatic mission asked: "Isn't that double standards, complete disregard and contempt for Palestinian lives?!"

Last April, the Russian presidency rejected any accusations of involvement in the killing of people in the Ukrainian Bucha, and called for an investigation into this "at the highest possible level." The Russian Defense Ministry also considered that the photos and videos in the Ukrainian city of Bucha were specially prepared for Western media, Considering that these actions "are nothing but a new provocation."

The Russian Defense confirmed that the residents of the Ukrainian city of Bucha "were allowed to leave it in the north direction during the control of the Russian forces over it, and none of the local residents was harmed by any violence during the period of the Russian armed forces' control of this city."

Relations between "Israel" and Russia have been tense in recent months. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Alex Ben-Zvi, against the background of a statement by Yair Lapid, last April, in which he condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine, describing them as "war crimes."

The war in Ukraine has unmasked the double standard and racism of Western nations in irrefutable ways. Nonetheless, the dehumanization of people who are not part of Western societies continues. 

For example, on BBC’s Newshour program, Monday August 8, when pressed about the killing of Palestinian children, an Israeli ambassador claimed that the children were killed by Palestinian fighters because Palestinians “don’t care about children”. The false claims created and promoted by Israeli officials have  been widely documented.

  

Pentagon: Ukraine strike on POW detention center 'unintended'

Pentagon: Ukraine strike on POW detention center 'unintended'

    Friday, July 29, 2022   No comments

"If Kyiv bombed the pre-trial detention center in Lilinovka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed, it was inadvertently done," a senior Pentagon official said.

And the official added, today, Friday: “If the strike was from the Ukrainian side, I assure you that they do not want to do that.”

Today, Friday, July 29, fragments of HIMARS ammunition were found at the site of the bombing of the former detention center in Lilinovka, according to the correspondent of the “Sputnik” agency.

According to the regional defense headquarters of the Donetsk Republic, the death toll from the strike by Ukrainian forces on the center in Lilinovka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are held, has risen to 53.

Eduard Basurin, deputy head of the People's Forces of the Donetsk Republic, also confirmed to reporters that Kyiv knew that there were Ukrainian prisoners at the center in Linovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.

SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds

SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds

    Tuesday, July 12, 2022   No comments

Today, Tuesday, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) conducted an investigation that published details of it saying that agents of the Special Air Service in Afghanistan (SAS) repeatedly killed detainees and "unarmed" men in suspicious circumstances.

The military reports obtained indicate that one unit may have unlawfully killed 54 people in one round that lasted six months.

The BBC also reported that General Sir Mark Carleton Smith, the former head of the UK's special forces, was aware of the alleged "unlawful" killings, but did not hand the evidence to the Royal Military Police - even after the Royal Military Police launched an investigation. in the killings carried out by members of the Special Forces.

 The BBC also found evidence that the former head of the Special Forces failed to pass evidence to a murder investigation. While the reports received said that more than 12 "kill or capture" raids were carried out in Helmand, Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011.

Personnel who served in Special Forces units stated that they witnessed the SAS killing unarmed people during the night raids.

The reports revealed a "pattern of strikingly similar reports of Afghan men being shot dead because they pulled AK-47s or grenades from behind curtains or other furniture after their arrest."

The report also said that AK-47s were deliberately placed at the scenes of accidents in order to justify the killing of unarmed people. He added, "Many people who served in the Special Forces were competing with each other over which of them had the most killings."

It is noteworthy that such incidents occurred in earlier times, according to the report, and the data indicate that they raise suspicion among officials that what happened in Afghanistan has turned into what he called “a suspicious and suspicious killing pattern”, especially since previous incidents that are very similar have been documented. It was revealed by the British Authority in its report.

The information in the reports shows that officers at the highest levels of the Special Forces were aware of the implementation of "potential unlawful killings", but were unable to report this to the military police, despite the fact that the law requires them to report such crimes.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Defense did not comment on what was published by the BBC, while a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said that the British forces "served with courage and professionalism" in Afghanistan to the highest standards.

Sherine Abu Aqleh, Al-Jazeera correspondent in occupied Palestine, was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin camp

Sherine Abu Aqleh, Al-Jazeera correspondent in occupied Palestine, was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin camp

    Wednesday, May 11, 2022   No comments

 This morning, Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aqleh, as a result of being hit in the head by live bullets, while covering the occupation's storming of Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.

And the occupation forces wounded Palestinian journalist Ali Al-Samudi with live bullets in the back.

The wounded journalist Al-Samudi recounted the details of the crime of the occupation in Jenin camp, saying: "There were no resistance fighters near us during the occupation's targeting of us in Jenin camp."

 

Al-Jazeera media network commented in a statement on the martyrdom of its reporter Abu Aqila, and said: "In a tragic, premeditated murder that violates international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces, in cold blood, assassinated our correspondent."

 

The statement added: "We condemn this heinous crime, through which it is intended to prevent the media from fulfilling its message, and we hold the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of the late colleague Shireen."

 

An Israeli force stormed the Jenin refugee camp and surrounded the house of the martyr Abdullah Al-Husari, while the resistance fighters confronted the invading force.

 

Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets at demonstrators and press crews.

 

The media office of the Palestinian government in Gaza condemned the "crime of the occupation in killing fellow journalist, Sherine Abu Aqleh," and considered it a "complete crime, and the conclusion of a long series of attacks that affected the former martyr, from detention and preventing her from covering to being injured."

 

The office stressed that "the crime confirms the criminal behavior of the occupier, and his disregard for all the covenants that guarantee the journalist unhindered media coverage, and the occupation soldiers would not have reached this level of criminality without their conviction that they are evading accountability and punishment."

 

Large crowds of Palestinians participated in the farewell procession of the martyr Abu Aqila towards the Church of the Latin Monastery in Jenin, before her funeral in Jerusalem. Jenin attended a massive rally condemning the crime of the occupation.

  

Esper's diary: Trump relied on fabricated and misleading information to target Soleimani

Esper's diary: Trump relied on fabricated and misleading information to target Soleimani

    Tuesday, May 10, 2022   No comments

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in his memoirs, asserts that "Trump greatly exaggerates his statements, and often makes unreliable and fabricated statements."

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed that he "opposed" former US President Donald Trump's decision to target the commander of the Quds Force, the martyr Qassem Soleimani, after Trump claimed "Soleimani was involved in targeting 4 US diplomatic missions."

Esper's newly released memoirs, titled "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Defense Secretary During Difficult Times", stated that "the daily intelligence briefings, which he reviewed, did not include any evidence to support the theory of accusing Soleimani of an attack on American embassies," adding that "Trump Adopt a pattern of behavior based on lying.

"Trump greatly exaggerates his statements, often making unreliable and fabricated statements," Esper wrote in his memoirs.

Esper was directly attacked by President Trump, who accused him of dishonesty, and was subsequently dismissed from office in November 2020.

Earlier, Esper revealed, in his memoirs, that Trump suggested shooting demonstrators who demanded racial justice, when the demonstrations approached the White House.

Redacted quotes in a new book by former US defence secretary Mark Esper suggest that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on US President Donald Trump to take direct military action against Iran's nuclear programme. 

In the book, A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times, Esper notes that Trump seemed firm in his commitment not to enter a war with Iran, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday.

He writes: "The president often had others in the room, and foreign leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him [REDACTED]."

Esper wrote that Milley told him that Robert O'Brien, Trump's national security adviser, had called to say that "the president wanted to strike a senior military officer who was operating outside of Iran".

"But why now? What was new? Was there an imminent threat? What about gathering the national security team to discuss this?

"Milley said he was 'stunned' by the call, and he sensed that O'Brien 'put the president up to this,' trying to create news that would help Trump's re-election."

Despite "confirmed war crimes of willful killing, torture, and rape," the ICC closes probe into abuse of Iraqis by British troops

Despite "confirmed war crimes of willful killing, torture, and rape," the ICC closes probe into abuse of Iraqis by British troops

    Thursday, December 10, 2020   No comments

 Key Quotes from the ICC Prosecutor's Statement:

The Office "confirmed, that there is a reasonable basis to believe that members of the British armed forces committed the war crimes of wilful killing, torture, inhuman/cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and/or other forms of sexual violence."

"the more than ten year long domestic process, involving the examination of thousands of allegations, has resulted in not one single case being submitted for prosecution to date: a result that has deprived the victims of justice."

"the only professionally appropriate decision at this stage is to close the preliminary examination and to inform the senders of communications. My decision is without prejudice to a reconsideration based on new facts or evidence."

The AP reported that the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said she is closing a preliminary probe into allegations of killings and torture of Iraqi prisoners by British troops from 2003-2008 and will not open a full-scale investigation because U.K. authorities have investigated the allegations.

The global court only takes on cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious international offenses if a member state is unwilling or unable to investigate them or has carried out investigations that were not genuine with a view to shielding suspects from justice.

In a statement, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office confirmed that there is “a reasonable basis to believe that members of the British armed forces committed the war crimes of wilful killing, torture, inhuman/cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and/or other forms of sexual violence" against Iraqi detainees.

Read:

• The Statement
  
  
• The Report

_________________________________

Saudi Arabia has committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law

Saudi Arabia has committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law

    Friday, January 19, 2018   No comments

Saudi Arabia has committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law some of which may amount to war crimes, killing nearly 1,000 civilians and hitting homes, markets, hospitals, schools, and mosques. The coalition carried out six apparently unlawful airstrikes in Yemen between June and September 2017, that killed 33 children among 55 civilian deaths. Human Rights Watch also documented how the Saudi-led coalition repeatedly attacked civilian factories, warehouses, and other protected sites in violation of the laws of war.

Domestically, Saudi authorities continued their arbitrary arrests, trials, and convictions of peaceful dissidents.

Read report here

UN report on yemen humanitarian crisis: “Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them”

UN report on yemen humanitarian crisis: “Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them”

    Tuesday, September 05, 2017   No comments

WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley: “Saudi Arabia should fund 100 percent of the needs of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen... Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them.”

The United Nations human rights chief has called for an independent, international investigation into the allegations of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yemen, in a new report published today.

“An international investigation would go a long way in putting on notice the parties to the conflict that the international community is watching and determined to hold to account perpetrators of violations and abuses,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release on the report.

“I appeal to all the parties to the conflict, those supporting them and those with influence over them to have mercy on the people of Yemen, and to take immediate measures to ensure humanitarian relief for civilians and justice for the victims of violations,” he added.

    
According to the report, which records violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law since September 2014, such acts continue unabated in Yemen, with civilians suffering deeply the consequences of an “entirely man-made catastrophe.”

Between March 2015, when the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) began reporting on civilian casualties, and 30 August, at least 5,144 civilians have been documented as killed and more than 8,749 injured.

Children accounted for 1,184 of those who were killed and 1,592 of those injured. Coalition airstrikes continued to be the leading cause of child casualties as well as overall civilian casualties. Some 3,233 of the civilians killed were reportedly killed by Coalition forces.

The report states that the past year witnessed airstrikes against funeral gatherings and small civilian boats, in addition to markets, hospitals, schools, residential areas, and other public and private infrastructure.

The Popular Committees affiliated with the Houthis and the army units loyal to former President Abdullah Saleh (the Houthi/Saleh forces) were responsible for some 67 per cent of the 1,702 cases of recruitment of children for use in hostilities.

The report stresses that “the minimal efforts towards accountability in the past year are wholly insufficient to respond to the gravity of violations and abuses continuing every day in Yemen,” adding that the National Commission established to investigate human rights violations in Yemen is not perceived to be impartial.

The report also found that the governorates most affected by the conflict were Aden, Al-Hudaydah, Sana'a and Taizz.

The humanitarian crisis – with nearly 18.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid and 7.3 million on the brink of famine – is a direct result of the behaviour of parties to the conflict, including indiscriminate attacks, attacks against civilians and protected objects, sieges, blockades and restrictions on movement, the report states.

“In many cases, information obtained…suggested that civilians may have been directly targeted, or that operations were conducted heedless of their impact on civilians without regard to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack. In some cases, information suggested that no actions were taken to mitigate the impact of operations on civilians,” the report states. Source