Iran's invitation to Syria talks marks significant shift for US and allies

Iran's invitation to Syria talks marks significant shift for US and allies

    Tuesday, October 27, 2015   No comments

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Unlike the countries that support the anti-Assad rebel groups, Iran has taken an unwaveringly strategic view of the crisis, consistently backing Damascus while pursuing its own interests. It has provided billions of dollars in cash and loans, as well as advice and expertise.
Its military role in Syria has been shadowy but vital, deploying Revolutionary Guards as advisers and overseeing offensives by its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Shia fighters from as far afield as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has raised its profile slightly in recent weeks as the forces it commands have taken part in Assad’s offensive against Aleppo. It has also suffered casualties that are starting to be noticed at home.

Iran’s formal position is that it backs a political solution to the crisis, but unlike Russia it has never signed up to the idea that it could end with a “Syrian-led political transition” that would almost certainly exclude Assad. That ambiguously-formulated idea lies at the heart of the Geneva conference communique of June 2012 - the basis for all international efforts to find a way out of the impasse.

“In any political process the role played by Bashar al-Assad will be important,” Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, told the Guardian in an interview last week.

“We are not working for Assad to stay in power forever as president, but we are very cognisant of his role in the fight against terrorism and the national unity of that country. The people of Syria will make the final decision and whatever decision they take, we will endorse.”

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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted that the invasion of Iraq helped the rise of ISIS

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted that the invasion of Iraq helped the rise of ISIS

    Monday, October 26, 2015   No comments

Speaking to CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired on Sunday, Blair said, "Of course you can't say that those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation [in Iraq] in 2015."

"There are elements of truth" in the fact that the invasion is responsible for the rise in ISIS, he said.

Asked whether the invasion was wrong, Blair failed to give a direct apology, saying that he could "apologize for some of the mistakes in planning and certainly our mistakes in our understanding of what would happen when you remove the regime. But I find it hard to apologize for removing Saddam. I think, even from today in 2015, it is better that he's not there than that he is there."

"I can say that I apologize for the fact that the intelligence we received was wrong because, even though he had used chemical weapons extensively against his own people, against others, the program in the form that we thought it was did not exist in the way that we thought," he said.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon responded by tweeting that Blair's comments were part of a "spin operation" ahead of the release of the long-awaited Chilcot Inquiry, which looks at the UK's role in the Iraq war. 

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Saudi Arabia hajj disaster death toll at least 2,121

Saudi Arabia hajj disaster death toll at least 2,121

    Monday, October 19, 2015   No comments

The crush and stampede that struck the hajj last month in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,121 pilgrims, a new Associated Press tally showed Monday, after officials in the kingdom met to discuss the tragedy.

The toll keeps rising from the Sept. 24 disaster outside Mecca as individual countries identify bodies and work to determine the whereabouts of hundreds of pilgrims still missing. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since Sept. 26, and officials have yet to address the discrepancy.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the kingdom's interior minister, oversaw a meeting late Sunday about the disaster in Mina, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The agency's report did not mention any official response to the rising death toll.

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Iran has repeatedly blamed the disaster on the Saudi royal family, accusing it of mismanagement and of covering up the real death toll, which Tehran says exceeds 4,700, without providing evidence.

"The lying and hypercritical bodies, which claim to (be promoting) human rights, as well as the Western governments, which sometimes make great fuss over the death of a single person, remained dead silent in this incident in favor of their allied government," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday, according to a transcript on his website.

"If they were sincere, these self-proclaimed advocates of human rights should have demanded accountability, compensation, guarantee for non-recurrence and punishment for the perpetrators of this catastrophe."

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Turkey stikes ISIL for the first time; but launched dozens of strikes on Kurdish people since the first ISIL bombing attack on Turkish civilians

Turkey stikes ISIL for the first time; but launched dozens of strikes on Kurdish people since the first ISIL bombing attack on Turkish civilians

    Friday, October 16, 2015   No comments

Although ISIL was behind suicide bomb attacks that killed many Turkish citizens, including the country's deadliest attack that took place in Ankara, the Turkish government initiated airstrikes against punishing Kurdish rebels instead.

Turkish warplanes have successfully struck militants linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Syria in first Turkish air campaign as part of a global coalition built to defeat the extremist group.

For months, Washington and Ankara had been holding talks on the military coordination in the Syrian airspace and it seems Turkish jets are given the green light to join the fight in Syria. There was no confirmation of the air strike from the Turkish side.

"We have seen in the last 24 hours or so that Turkey has stepped up their activity in Syria... reports overnight that Turks for the first time successfully struck a mobile ISIL target inside of Syria," Josh Earnest, White House spokesman, said during a daily press briefing on Thursday.

Turkey's contribution to the US-led coalition in Syria comes on the heels of stepped up Russian air activity in the war-torn country. Both Turkey and the US previously expressed unease about the increasing number of Russian aircraft in the Syrian skies. Russia reports of hitting dozens of targets inside Syria, almost the double of what the US-led coalition conduct daily.
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Turkey part of just three coalition airstrikes against ISIL since August

Turkey has joined just three coordinated U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in Syria since August.

Turkish war have jets struck ISIL positions in Syria in two of the three aerial campaigns so far, with the last of the air strikes coming late on Oct. 14, according to Turkish sources in Ankara.

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Perpetrators of the Ankara Massacre were on the Turkish government's list of suspects with ties to ISIL

Perpetrators of the Ankara Massacre were on the Turkish government's list of suspects with ties to ISIL

    Wednesday, October 14, 2015   No comments

The two suicide bombers who perpetrated Turkey’s deadliest terrorist attack ever on Oct. 10 in Ankara have been identified, with one of them an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) member whose brother killed 33 people on July 20 in Suruç in a separate bombing.

One of the pair was identified as Yunus Emre Alagöz, who was sought for being a member of an ISIL cell from the southeastern town of Adıyaman. Alagöz is the brother of Şeyh Abdurrahman Alagöz, who was the suicide bomber of the Suruç attack on July 20 this year in which 33 people were killed.

The second suicide bomber in the Ankara Massacre, which killed at least 97 people and injured hundreds more, was identified as Ömer Deniz Dündar. The man’s name was also on a list of 21 suspected suicide bombers.

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According to a list of potential suicide bombers that was circulated widely on the Internet before the identification of the suspects, both Alagöz and Dündar were on the list.

Dündar’s father, identified only by the initials M.D., said his son went to Syria in 2013 and returned to Turkey after a year, only to travel back to Syria eight months later.

M.D. said he had warned the police about his son, out of concern that Ömer Deniz would undertake illegal actions.

“I filed a complaint against my son. I said ‘put him in jail,’ but he was released after being questioned. Eight months later, he went to Syria,” he told Turkish daily Radikal.

M.D. said he had not been informed by the authorities about his son being one of the suicide bombers.

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Five leads pointing to ISIL as prime suspect of Ankara bombings

Five leads pointing to ISIL as prime suspect of Ankara bombings

    Monday, October 12, 2015   No comments

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is considered a prime suspect in the double suicide bombings that killed at least 97 in Ankara. Here are the five leads that point to ISIL’s involvement in the attacks

1.The bombs

In the bombings, 10-kg cluster bombs were detonated. Authorities believe a hand grenade could have been used rather than a remote-controlled detonator.

An official speaking to Reuters pointed out the similarities between the Ankara blasts and the July 20 Suruç bombing that killed 33.

“This attack is very similar to Suruç, indeed, all signs show this is its replica,” the source reportedly said.

2.‘Two suicide bombers’

Some eyewitnesses recall having spotted a suicide bomber with a backpack and a carry-on.

According to reports by some dailies, three unidentified bodies were recovered, two of which could belong to the suicide bombers. The vaccination marks on both bodies are seen as indicators that the bombers are Turkish.

ISIL often conducts terror attacks using suicide bombers.
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Davutoglu: Islamic State, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could all have carried out Saturday's bombing

Davutoglu: Islamic State, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could all have carried out Saturday's bombing

    Monday, October 12, 2015   No comments

Prime Minister Davutoglu, exposing a mosaic of domestic political perils, said on Saturday Islamic State, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could all have carried out Saturday's bombing.

Some direct their suspicions at militant nationalist groupings, with or without ties to the state, who are opposed to any concession to Kurdish demands for greater minority rights.

HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas said the government had blood on its hands, accusing it of failing to fully investigate the Suruc bombing or another attack on an HDP election rally in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on the eve of the last parliamentary election in June.

But government officials made clear that, despite the security concerns, elections would go ahead.

"Postponing the elections as a result of the attack is not on the table at all, even as an option. The elections will be held on Nov. 1 as planned," one senior official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity as the government observes three days of national mourning.

"Because of the rising risks, the security at election rallies, which is already being increased, will be raised further. The election will be held in a secure way."

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WAR ON PKK CONTINUES

The bombs struck seconds apart as crowds gathered for a planned march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since the collapse in July of a ceasefire between security forces and the rebel PKK, which is deemed a terrorist group by the United States and the EU as well as Turkey. Some 40,000 have been killed since the insurgency began in 1984.

The government has shown no sign of stopping its war against the PKK, even after the militant group on Saturday ordered its fighters to halt attacks on Turkish soil. The government dismissed the declaration as a ploy.

Turkish warplanes struck PKK targets in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey on Saturday and Sunday, and security sources said some 30-35 PKK guerrillas were killed in the northern Iraqi raids on Sunday alone.

"The PKK ceasefire means nothing for us. Operations will continue without a break," a senior security official said.

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Trukish protesters gather at scene of Ankara bombings chanting anti-AKP slogans; number of dead rises to 95

Trukish protesters gather at scene of Ankara bombings chanting anti-AKP slogans; number of dead rises to 95

    Sunday, October 11, 2015   No comments

Thousands of people, many chanting anti-government slogans, gathered in central Ankara on Oct. 11 near the scene of bomb blasts which killed at least 95 people, mourning the victims of the most deadly attack of its kind on Turkish soil.

Two suspected suicide bombers hit a rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists near Ankara's main train station on Oct. 11, three weeks before an election, shocking a nation beset by conflict between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a major presence at Oct. 10 march, said police attacked its leaders and members as they tried to leave carnations earlier at the scene. Some were hurt in the melee, it said in a statement.

"Murderer (President Tayyip) Erdoğan", "murderer police", the crowd chanted in Sıhhiye square, as riot police backed by water cannon vehicles blocked a main highway leading to the district where parliament and government buildings are located.

The government denies any suggestion of involvement.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, exposing a mosaic of domestic political perils, said Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), PKK factions or far-leftist radicals could have carried out the bombing.

Some have suggested militant nationalists opposed to any accommodation with Kurds seeking greater minority rights could have been responsible.

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Suicide bombers kill 86 at pro-Kurdish rally in Turkish capital

Suicide bombers kill 86 at pro-Kurdish rally in Turkish capital

    Saturday, October 10, 2015   No comments

At least 86 people were killed when two suspected suicide bombers struck a rally of pro-Kurdish and labor activists outside Ankara's main train station just weeks before elections, in the worst attack of its kind on Turkish soil.

Bodies covered by flags and banners, including those of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), lay scattered on the road among bloodstains and body parts. The HDP blamed the government which, it said, had blood on its hands.

Footage screened by broadcaster CNN Turk showed a line of young men and women holding hands and dancing, and then flinching as a large explosion flashed behind them, engulfing people carrying HDP and leftist party banners.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who has vowed to root out and crush a Kurdish insurgency since the collapse of a ceasefire and resumption of intense violence in July, called in a statement for "solidarity and determination" to confront the attackers.

"Like other terror attacks, the one at the Ankara train station targets our unity, togetherness, brotherhood and future," he said in a statement.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu told a news conference that 86 people had been killed and 186 wounded, 28 of whom were in intensive care. The death toll could rise further.

Witnesses said the two explosions happened seconds apart shortly after 10 a.m. as hundreds, including HDP activists, leftists, labor unions and other civic groups, gathered for a planned march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since conflict resumed between security forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

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Tunisian mediator group wins Nobel Peace Prize for aiding move to democracy

Tunisian mediator group wins Nobel Peace Prize for aiding move to democracy

    Friday, October 09, 2015   No comments

Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for helping build democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring, an example of peaceful transition in a region otherwise struggling with violence and upheaval.

The quartet of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers was formed in the summer of 2013.

It helped support the democratisation process when it was in danger of collapsing, the Norwegian Nobel committee said in its citation.

"This is a great joy and pride for Tunisia, but also a hope for the Arab World," UGTT chief Hussein Abassi told Reuters.

"It's a message that dialogue can lead us on the right path. This prize is a message for our region to put down arms and sit and talk at the negotiation table."

With a new constitution, free elections and a compromise politics between Islamist and secular leaders, Tunisia has been held up as a model of how to make the transition to a democracy from dictatorship.

"This a brilliant example, I think Tunisia is one of the Arab countries that has done best since the so-called Arab Spring and the upheavals in that part of the world," said Ahmad Fawzi, chief U.N. spokesman in Geneva.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 8 million Swedish crowns (633,196 pounds), will be presented in Oslo on Dec. 10.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised the quartet for providing an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war.

"More than anything, the prize is intended as an encouragement to the Tunisian people, who despite major challenges have laid the groundwork for a national fraternity which the Committee hopes will serve as an example to be followed by other countries," it said.

Committee head Kaci Kullman Five told Reuters: "I think it's timely to put the limelight on the positive results that have been obtained in Tunisia to try to safeguard them, to try to inspire the Tunisian people to build further on this basis."

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