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Turkey: President Erdogan Vows To Punish Coup Culprits – OpEd

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In recent times, Turkey has been facing a lot of problems simultaneously both from outside and from within that have been trying to destabilize the former Ottoman Empire — the only Muslim nation in European continent and that is seeking entry into European Union.

Once again, the military in Turkey struck on July 15 against the elected government with a preplanned coup and, once again, failed to oust and punish the AKP government as it planned.

Once again the elected government in Istanbul has the opportunity to realize that its main enemy is not in Syria or the Kurdish freedom movement, but is hiding well within Turkey with the “protection” of anti-Islamic and anti-Turkey sources and that it strikes when it finds the time is ripe for subversive operation: The Turkish military and Fethullah Gulen seem to manage a hidden shadow government ever ready replace the elected government, are appear to be the prime actors.

Instead of protecting Turkey, the coup attacked Turkish sovereignty. The coup began shortly before 11 p.m. local time on July 15 Friday, when gunshots were first reported in Ankara. As military helicopters flew over the entertainment hub of Beyoglu district in Istanbul, televisions aired footage of military tanks and TV stations reported Turkish state TV had been taken over by military officials. CNN Turk reported that soldiers had entered its offices in Istanbul and cut off its broadcast. An anchor said, “We must abandon the studio, ..and I am being asked to leave the studio.” A camera showed an empty anchor desk as chants of “Soldiers out!” could be heard inside and outside the studio. The channel later resumed normal programming.

Shortly after dawn, video footage showed soldiers surrendering in masses. At least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara. Turkish state media reported they walked away from tanks and abandoned their posts on the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

When the coup began, soldiers blocked two bridges, the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, in Istanbul between the European and Asian sides. Military helicopters attacked the headquarters of TURKSAT satellite station on the outskirts of Ankara. The state-run news agency said the coup plotters in the helicopter had drowned.

The coup attempt began late Friday, with a statement from the military saying it had seized control “to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for law and order to be reinstated.” A fighter jet shot down a helicopter that had been commandeered by “coup plotters,” a Turkish presidential source told CNN. The Turkish military claims of a takeover was read by an anchor on state broadcaster TRT. She said the military imposed martial law.

A military statement read on Turkish state TV announced that martial law had been imposed across the country and a curfew had been declared. The statement added that Turkey was now being run by a “peace council” and that a new constitution would be drawn up soon.

In an e-mailed statement, the pro-coup faction said they were determined to fight and urged people to stay indoors. Reports of ongoing violence further fueled the notion that the government still hadn’t attained full power. The statement was made on behalf of the “Peace in the Nation” council, the announcer said.

Some senior military leaders refused to back the coup attempt, appearing on television to denounce the plotters and urge soldiers back to their barracks. “Those who are attempting a coup will not succeed. Our people should know that we will overcome this,” Gen. Zekai Aksakalli, the commander of the military Special Forces, told the private NTV television by telephone. A senior Turkish official told the Associated Press that 1,563 military personnel have been detained in the coup attempt. At least 16 coup plotters were killed in a clash at Turkey’s parliamentary headquarters.

Gen. Umit Dundar, the newly appointed acting chief of the general staff, said that officers from the Air Force, military police and the armored units were mainly involved in the coup attempt. More than 190 people died in the clashes, including 41 police officers, two soldiers, 47 civilians and 104 people described as “coup plotters.”

Fighter jets buzzed overhead, as gunfire erupted outside military headquarters. Soldiers backed by tanks blocked entry to Istanbul’s airport for a couple of hours before being overtaken by pro-government crowds carrying Turkish flags, according to footage broadcast by the Dogan news agency.

The military did not appear unified, as top commanders went on television to condemn the action and order troops back to their barracks.

Witness Katherine Cohen, an American who’s staying in an Istanbul hotel, said she heard a loud explosion at sunrise, and gunfire and jets all through the night. For much of the night, fighter jets flew low over Istanbul while armored vehicles streamed across a main bridge in the city. Gunshots rang out on Bosphorus Bridge, sending pro-government protesters down to the ground.

In Ankara, gunfire rang overnight as jets circled above. “When I stuck my head out, I could see helicopters shooting,” said Diego Cupolo, a photojournalist in Ankara. He said he could see tracer rounds zip through the air. Bombs were thrown at the parliament building in Ankara. A helicopter the government says was stolen by coup plotters was shot down by an F-16. A Turkish government spokesman confirmed that an F-16 fighter had shot down a helicopter that had been commandeered by soldiers supporting the coup.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman told the Associated Press a bomb hit one corner of a public relations building inside the parliament complex, injuring some police officers. Elsewhere, troops also fired in the air to disperse a growing crowd of government supporters at the Taksim monument in Istanbul as military helicopters flew overhead. A nearby mosque made an anti-coup announcement over its loudspeakers.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım admitted to Haberturk TV that an “attempt” had been made against the government and warned “those who carry out this attempt will be subjected to heaviest punishment.” Earlier, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag spoke on national TV, calling on “everyone to raise their voices against this attempt by the military and to embrace democracy.”
PM Binali Yildirim has called all legislators for an emergency meeting Saturday, Anadolu reported.

More than 1,500 military personnel were arrested across the country, said a senior official who was not authorized to speak to the media. The state-run Anadolu news agency said more than 1,100 were wounded.

Erdogan returns

The violent, chaotic night in Turkey ended with at least 160 people dead following the attempted coup and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reappearance after hours of uncertainty.

President Erdogan, who traveled to Ankara overnight from the seaside resort of Marmaris, addressed the country Saturday morning from Istanbul’s Ataturk airport. He called the attempt “treason.” Erdogan took the forces he apparently suspects of masterminding the coup to task.

“Now I’m addressing those in Pennsylvania,” he said, in an apparent reference to Fethullah Gulen, a cleric and former ally who lives in exile in Pennsylvania. “The betrayal you have shown to this nation and to this community, that’s enough. If you have the courage, come back to your country. You will not have the means to turn this country into a mess from where you are.”

In a statement, however, Gulen denied any connection to the coup attempt and said he condemned it.

In his TV address, Erdogan blamed the attack on supporters of Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan has long accused the cleric and his supporters of attempting to overthrow the government. The cleric lives in exile in Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.

Erdogan vowed that Turkey would “overcome this invasion” and called on Turks to “gather in squares and see what this minority can do with their tanks and artillery against the people.” Erdogan insisted that the coup attempt wouldn’t succeed. “They have pointed the people’s guns against the people. The president, whom 52 percent of the people brought to power, is in charge,” he said. “The enemies won’t succeed as long as we stand against them by risking everything.” But despite the president’s vows, the coup plotters were determined to fight to the end.

Ordinary Turkish citizens appeared to heed Erdogan’s call, as TV footage showed marching through the streets of Izmir and Istanbul waving Turkish flags. Crowds also gathered in Ankara’s main square.

“Throughout history those who make coups have been unsuccessful, and I absolutely believe that these will be unsuccessful as well,” Erdogan said.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the street after Erdogan’s call to confront the military was broadcast on television. Many waved Turkish flags and chanted their support for the President. Some climbed on tanks and blocked the path of military vehicles with their cars. But some soldiers got hugs from apparent supporters.

Ömer Çelik, Turkey’s EU negotiator, tweeted images that he said showed some of the damage at the Turkish Parliament: “Our country has been subjected to treacherous enemy attack, which displays betrayal to the nation, their uniforms and morals. The necessary response has been shown to the enemy and it is still being shown,” he said.

In Washington, a statement from the White House said President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that both sides “should support the democratically elected government of Turkey, show restraint and avoid any violence or bloodshed.” A senior Defense Department official said that the unrest was having “no impact” on anti-ISIS missions flown out of Incirlik Air Base in southeastern Turkey. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement calling for “calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution.”

President Erdogan claimed he is in control of the country early Saturday as loyal military and police forces quashed a coup attempt during a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left scores dead. He vowed that coup supporters “will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey.” Colonels and generals implicated in the rebellion were fired and loyal troops rescued the military chief who had been taken hostage at an air base on the outskirts of Ankara.

Military chief of staff Gen. Hulusi Akar is taking over the command of the operation against the coup plotters

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In Istanbul, Erdogan addressed crowds in the city, telling them that the coup had been quashed. “The government is in control,” he told supporters as they chanted his name. “Fifty percent of the people elected the President and that President is on duty.” He said those involved will be dealt with. “So far as we believe, so far as we’re alive, we’ll be prepared to die in the cause to tackle these people … we’re not going to compromise.”

Erdogan was elected Prime Minister in 2003. Under his rule, Turkey became a powerhouse in the Middle East. His reign came to an end in 2014, and his own party’s rules prevented him from seeking a fourth term. He ran for President — and won. Before this, the President of Turkey was a largely ceremonial role, but Erdogan tried to change that by altering the constitution to give him more power. He was active in Islamist circles in the 1970s and 1980s.

Under Erdogan, who is extremely religious, conservative, religion had started to play a more important role in Turkey, which still is a largely secular country.

While it was unclear whether Erdogan had quashed the uprising, the government is slowly reasserting its authority early Saturday. As the morning wore on, crowds emptied out of Istanbul’s Taksim square, where many gathered the night before. A total of 1,563 military officers were detained across Turkey, a source in the President’s office said.

Erdogan also admitted that his general secretary was abducted by coup makers. He was later rescued in an operation at an air base. A Turkish lawmaker said he and his colleagues were hiding in special shelters in the bowels of the parliament building after at least three explosions near the complex in the capital, Ankara.

As the crisis unfolded, there were reports that access to popular social media sites like Twitter and Facebook had been blocked within the country. Facebook declined comment, but Twitter said it suspected “intentional” interference with its service.

The chaos capped a period of political turmoil in Turkey blamed on Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has included a government shake up, a crackdown on dissidents and opposition media and renewed conflict in the mainly Kurdish areas of the southeast.
The coup attempts along with anti-government demonstrations off and on reveal the hidden agenda of anti-Turkey and anti-Islamic forces operating across the western globe to destabilize Turkey with a view to present it as a part of destined Middle East rather than Europe. Turkey seeks membership of EU as a legitimate European entry with Islamic mindset.

Istanbul is slowly limping back to normalcy. Turkish Airlines resumed flights out of Ataturk, which had earlier been overrun by protesters. Opposition soldiers had attempted to seize control overnight in various locations across the country, including the capital Ankara.

Why military coup?

Turkey has faced yet turmoil in recent times.. Of the 90 people dead, most were police officers killed in a gunfire exchange with a helicopter near the parliament complex in Ankara, Turkey’s NTV reported. It said the building was damaged in the night’s attacks. At least 1,000 people were hospitalized in Istanbul and Ankara.

Turkey’s Police Chief Celalettin Lekesiz said 16 coup plotters were killed in clashes at Turkey’s military police command. In images broadcast on CNN-Turk, dozens of soldiers walked among tanks with their hand held up, surrendering to government forces on Istanbul’s Bosporus Bridge. Discarded gear was strewn on the ground. People, some holding flags, climbed onto the tanks.

In Washington, a statement from the White House said President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that both sides “should support the democratically elected government of Turkey, show restraint and avoid any violence or bloodshed.” A senior Defense Department official told Fox News that the unrest was having “no impact” on anti-ISIS missions flown out of Incirlik Air Base in southeastern Turkey. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement calling for “calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution.”

Is the US also behind the coup for any specific reason or at least indirectly backing the coup? Apparently not! Is not Washington angry with Turkey for its decision to reconcile with Russia?

Turkey, a NATO member, is a key partner in US-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, and has allowed American jets to use its Incirlik air base to fly missions against the extremists in nearby Syria and Iraq. A coup against the democratically elected government could make it difficult for the United States to continue to cooperate with Turkey.

Who benefits from all these military coups and demonstrations?

The moot question is why military coups take place in countries while in countries like USA, UK, India ,etc where military plays dominant roles and even indirectly controls the government by delivering intelligence reports.

Had the coup team succeeded in ousting the ruling AKP government, it would have jailed all Brotherhood leaders and even killed some of them — as Egyptian dictator had done to its own first-ever elected government of President Morsi.

Turkey’s AKP government must ruthlessly punish the coup plotters so that never in the history of Turkey will there be another coup attempt.

The military cannot be allowed to take over the elected government, people and democracy.


Pakistan Stands Indicted In US: But Is That Enough? – Analysis

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By Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (Retd.)*

As Pakistan continues with its ‘kill and dump’ policy in Balochistan, killing of Shias in Gilgit-Baltistan and indiscriminate aerial bombing and artillery shelling of its own population along its northwest frontier, the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has just concluded its hearing titled ‘Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism’.

As per Pakistan’s media: the US congressional panel has demanded cutting off all US assistance to Pakistan to persuade Islamabad to act against the Afghan Taliban groups allegedly using its territory to launch operations into Afghanistan; some US lawmakers and witnesses also suggested declaring Pakistan ‘a state sponsor of terrorism’ and imposing economic sanctions if Islamabad did not eliminate the alleged terrorist safe havens on its territory. During the discussions, many times Pakistan was called manipulative and accused of cheating the US. According to Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of House Foreign Affairs Committee, “they (Pakistan) are making chumps out of us. We are being so stupid. It seems like paying the mafia”. Former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad claimed that Pakistani leaders had played the American system for decades. Salmon endorsed Khalilzad by adding, “patsies chumps. Most Americans see out of this and yet our so-called leaders do not really get it”.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia created the Taliban and the Haqqani network and Pakistan was protecting them, continuation of US aid to Pakistan was ridiculous, adding, “people of Balochistan should understand that the US is on their side for their independence and self-determination from a corrupt, viscous terrorist supporting regime …. Same with the Sindhis, same with other groups in Pakistan.” Referring to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Tricia Bacon, Assistant Professor at American University said, “it is by no means a rogue institution within Pakistan. It does not operate independently or on its own. It is an instrument or an arm of the Pakistani army”. What the Pakistani media did not cover is that a range of lawmakers, analysts, and diplomats during the above discussions and simultaneously at the UN General Assembly called Pakistan a terrorist entity, that Pakistan should be denied foreign aid, and proposed that its leaders, including its military generals, be sanctioned and stopped from traveling to the US for consistently cheating the world community on terrorism.

Despite not one US Congressmen speaking in favour of Pakistan, no mention of Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism at the joint hearing of the House subcommittees on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade and Asia and the Pacific, Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Affairs Adviser to Nawaz Sharif Sartaj Aziz downplayed the move, describing it as motivated by ‘baseless concerns of some US legislators’ The Pakistani embassy in Washington took refuge behind the fig leaf that Pakistan is partnering the US in fighting terrorism.

Never has there been such unraveling of the real face of Pakistan in the US. The decision for the above congressional hearing on Pakistan though warranted for past several years was perhaps egged on by Afghan President Asraf Ghani’s address at the recent NATO summit and arrest of 12 Pakistani national by Saudi Arabia for terrorist attacks during Ramadan. Ahead of the congressional hearing, Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq had made a strong statement to the House Foreign Affairs Committee ahead of a Congressional hearing that included amongst other things: “Pakistani policy is the principal cause of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. More broadly, Pakistan’s use of extremist and terrorist proxies, including threatening India, is significant contributor to the global menace of Islamic extremism, which must be confronted if we are to succeed in defeating terrorism and extremism around the world; posing as US partner, Pakistan supports Taliban and the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network; since 2005, Taliban and Haqqani network have regrouped in Pakistan and waged a devastating insurgency against the US and Afghan forces; Pakistan views the Taliban as an effective proxy to ensure Pakistani dominance over Afghanistan; Islamabad believes continuing the war in Afghanistan will lead to US withdrawal which would change the balance of power against the current government and in favour of its(Pakistan’s) proxies. Ultimately, Pakistan seeks the overthrow of the current government in Afghanistan because it is not compliant, and Pakistan knows its double-game is risky, but it believes that the risk is manageable.

While addressing the NATO summit, President Ashraf Ghani had categorically stated that peace initiatives taken by Afghanistan with Pakistan are not successful as Pakistan differentiates between good and bad terrorists in practice, adding, “our regional initiatives with neighbours are beginning to yield significant cooperative dividends. However, the exception is with Pakistan”. He pointedly stated that despite clear commitments to the quadrilateral peace process, “Pakistan’s dangerous distinction between good and bad terrorists is being maintained in practice.” This was a clear indictment of Pakistan. Pakistan’s dual game in Afghanistan has already resulted in President Obama announcing that present US troop strength in Afghanistan will continue till 2017 and NATO funding of the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) as well. Reverting to Kabul post the NATO summit, President Ghani also told the media: Pakistan should handover Afghan militants based in Pakistan and those who are opposing peace talks with the Afghan government; those differentiating between good and bad terrorism should pay the price, and; neighboring countries of Afghanistan should respect the sovereignty of Afghanistan and not allow insurgent groups to use their soil.

Ghani further said, “the key problem among our neighboring states is an absence of agreed rules of the game, thus we seek regional and global support in creating those rules, which will bind us to collective security and harmony”.

The question now is what will the Obama administration do post Pakistan’s severe indictment by the Congressional hearing? Will it continue to mollycoddle Pakistan as usual? Will it add more sugar to Pakistan now that China is blowing the truncheon in South China Sea post the Hague judgment, ignoring China and Pakistan are partners in terrorism and nuclear proliferation? Will the Obama administration dither because change in policy, though warranted in the past decade, may affect forthcoming presidential elections showing democrats in poor light? Pakistan’s military-ISI perceive themselves in smug position with China mothering them and being the nerve centre controlling the coalesced Taliban and Haqqanis, interlinking of Taliban, Al Qaeda-Haqqanis-AQIS, TTP support to ISIS, Al Qaeda allegiance to Afghan Taliban, Haqqani network in top echelons in Afghan Taliban, ISI supported by Pakistani regulars heading the Khorasan chapter of ISIS in Afghanistan and the like.

What the US and the world must realize is that small time measures like sanctions will not work, as can be witnessed by the hostile stance of North Korea – the other nuclear surrogate of China. China is following the legacy of Deng Xiaoping which planned going to the extent of nuclear war through her surrogates (North Korea and Pakistan) that doesn’t get traced back to China. President Xi Jinping would in all probability have no compunctions about this given the CPC’s aim of making China a “Great Power” even if taking on the world at large leads China to the path of Hitler’s doom. Much more than sanctions will be required to ‘save’ Pakistan.

*Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (Retd.) is a veteran of the Indian Army and a strategic analyst. He can be reached at prakashkatoch7@gmail.com

Georgia Lifts Restrictions At Border Crossing-Points With Turkey

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(Civil.Ge) — Restrictions for the Georgian citizens on crossing into Turkey were lifted on Saturday afternoon, less than twelve hours after they were imposed amid overnight coup attempt in neighboring country during which more than 160 people were killed in clashes in Ankara and Istanbul.

“Restrictions on the border crossing-points [with Turkey], which were imposed for security reasons, have been lifted,” the Georgian Interior Ministry said.

“Georgian citizens can travel to Turkey without restrictions through crossing-points via land and sea, as well as air at Georgia’s airports,” the ministry said.

Amid overnight coup attempt in Turkey, Georgian leadership gathered at an emergency meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential palace in Tbilisi shortly after 3am local time on Saturday to discuss potential implications of developments in Turkey, which Tbilisi describes as its “strategic partner” and which is Georgia’s largest trading partner.

After the meeting, which lasted for over an hour, President Giorgi Margvelashvili and PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili condemned coup attempt in Turkey and expressed support to democratically elected government.

Elite Boys Of Bangladesh: A Confounding Connection With Terror – Analysis

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By Swadesh Roy*

The Gulshan attack jolted Bangladesh; the last Friday night of Ramadan. It had not only shaken the people, but also damaged the image of the country. Not only was the killing of 17 foreigners and three Bangladeshis by the so-called Islamic terrorists horrific in itself, it was also a man-made disaster for the society of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh are worried for their security already and this new phenomenon has puzzled the whole society with the involvement of some elite and upper middle class boys in the terror attack, having come to shock many. The society of Bangladesh has to believe first that a group of elite and middle class boys are joining the Islamic militancy, and this has created a huge social and security problem.

In Bangladesh, it was generally believed that only madrassas-educated (Islamic education institution) boys, who come from very poor economic background, joined these radical Islamic movements for they are ostensibly paid by Islamic political parties. People who were expressing this type of opinion appear not to be serious about the new trend.

A terrorist organization, which is banned in Bangladesh, named Hiz Buth Thaheri, is essentially an elite organization. Most of its leaders are university teachers. The plan they employ to get students from such prosperous cadres into the group is like this: at first, they make a study group; through the study group they gradually brainwash them and ultimately, make them Islamic jihadists. The Bangladeshi government has arrested their main leader, who is a university teacher and has banned their all activities. Despite the ban, they still managed to organize some sudden processions in the capital, Dhaka. While the police did arrest some boys who were in these processions, but being from the elite class, they got their bails easily.

The Ganojagoron Manch was one of the victims of these radicals. The Islamic terrorist first hit it by hacking to death a young intellectual, Rajib Hyder. Government took prompt actions against it and the police arrested five or six boys from one of the leading private university of Bangladesh, North-South University. The common people and most of the intellectuals were however, not much concerned about it.

Now Hiz buth Taheri (HuJi), Jamatul Mujzhidin Bangladesh (JMB) and Anserulla Bangla Team (ATB) make a combination. This combination seems to be a natural combination of madrassas’ boys and the elite boys. How this combination is working is still unknown in Bangladesh. But in the Gulshan attack people have seen this combination take effective shape; their team leader was a madrassa boy and two of the operatives were elites. The local and world media is now very much vocal and are trying to find out why the elite boys were involved in the attack.

The reality is however, a lot different. A section of people are thinking that it is bad politics of the incumbent government that wants to destroy the opposition. On the other hand, some people are thinking it is a battle between believers and atheists. Interestingly, the government was not that much serious about the killing of these boys since they have vote politics to take care of.

For Bangladesh, it is now time to observe the connections. The Islamic terrorists of Bangladesh are homegrown, a few boys went to join IS, some are returning and joining with local terrorist organizations. Huzi, JMB and ATB are homegrown but funded by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. If they have any connection with IS, it is via Pakistan. But, in this case, it will be less tough for the government and the people of Bangladesh to overcome it, because the terrorist are local boys.

The Bangladesh government has to take many major actions soon; they have to think about the existing Pakistani involvement in Bangladesh. The Gulshan attack took place very near the Pakistani embassy and the residence of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Government should think about how the huge arms and ammunition reached there. It is a diplomatic zone; police checkposts are tight; only embassy or VIP cars can bring it. It is time to keep our eyes open – and act fast.

*Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh he can be reached at: swadeshroy@gmail.com

Tackling Islamic State Is Battle Of Minds And Not Just Swords – Analysis

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By Jai Kumar Verma*

While the Islamic State (IS), the most dreaded terrorist organization, has lost sizable territory and fighters because of constant bombing by diverse forces, including United States and Russian, but the ideology of this terrorist outfit remains intact.

IS, which is known as Dae’sh in Arabic, claims to establish a Caliphate (Islamic State) which will be governed by the Sharia law. It flourishes because of the rule of undemocratic and oppressive figures in many parts of the volatile Middle East and instability they have created in that part of the world. It also gains strength because of religious and sectarian tensions created to achieve petty gains.

Although several countries are working against IS, but there is no cohesion between them. Both US and Russia are vigorously bombarding territories controlled by IS, but with different aims and objectives.

IS which uses the internet and social media cogently, propagates that in Jihad ( Holy War), whosoever attains martyrdom would straight way go to heaven where all desires would be fulfilled. Several fanatics who are thoroughly brainwashed readily act as suicide bombers and there is no dearth of terrorists who are ready to sacrifice their lives in the name of holy war.

According to analysts, in less than two years from the announcement of the establishment of the Islamic State, more than 27000 foreign fighters from about 86 countries joined the terrorist outfit for Jihad. It indicates that the formidable use of internet and social media by the outfit on the one hand and on the other hand the propagation of the ideology of IS has managed to attract youth from across the world towards it.

The terrorist attack in Bangladesh by 6 educated, elite Bangladeshi youth on July 2, which had 20 people slaughtered to death and again on July 7 petrol bombs were hurled at Kishoreganj District in Bangladesh where more than 2 Lakh persons had gathered for Eid prayers. Four persons including 2 policemen were killed. Although officially unverified and unconfirmed, these incidents and the apparent claiming of responsibility of these attacks by the IS indicates that its presence is troublingly growing in the South Asian region.

Two blasts within a week in the country indicates the strong footing of IS in what appears to be a moderate Bangladesh. Although the security forces claimed that IS has no presence in the country and it was the handiwork of homegrown terrorists but the analysts feel that the terrorists were locals but were inspired by the ideology of IS.

The IS has threatened of lone wolf attacks which is very dangerous and difficult to control. The recent attack by Omar Mir Seddique Mateen in a night club in Orlando, USA on June 12 in which more than 50 people were massacred proved that it can be very lethal.

Usually the lone wolves are self-radicalized and they carry out terrorist activities without assistance of any terrorist outfit. They are disgruntled people and become extremists after reading inflammatory literature and ideology of organizations such as the Islamic State.

IS is losing ground and its influence is considerably mitigated, its end is not nearby, nevertheless. It still has the capability to strike in several countries of the world, including developed countries.

While the need to vanquish IS in the battlefield is urgent, but what is perhaps more important is that it must be defeated ideologically. The IS propagandists put a minimum of 50 different posts everyday on the website which is widely read by people from different walks of life. Several embittered people, particularly young Muslims, unemployed, dejected and rejected by the society find a sense of usefulness and purpose in the establishment of Islamic State.

Nevertheless, if IS loses its territorial base, its strength and credibility would be considerably reduced, but there is urgent need to address the reasons which created the IS in the first place.

These depressed young people also feel that they can take revenge from the society which has not done justice to them. The IS is killing their opponents with utmost cruelty so as to satisfy the vengeance of their young cadre. Secondly, as this brutality is done in the name of religion, it alienates all Muslims in the society.

The other reason for the constant flow of new recruits to the terrorist outfit is vicious, inefficient and dishonest leadership in several Muslim countries which has enhanced sectarian and tribal divide and several young people became terrorists due to socio-economic reasons. The western world, including Russia, supported these oppressive despots for some trivial gains.

Creation of Israel as an independent country is also an important reason of disenchantment of Muslims all over the world.

Devastation of Afghanistan, Iraq and other Muslim countries without any legitimate reason was also an important factor to stir animosity within the Muslim world towards the developed world.

Muslim youth from the developed world are joining IS because of discrimination and their wretched condition as most of them are ill-educated, but they blame society for their pitiable condition.

Besides external reasons the sectarian feud within Islam is an important reason behind creation of IS. Several Sunni countries led by Saudi Arabia are deadly against Shia Iran and both parties constantly plot against each other.

There are quite a few sub-sects among Sunnis. Salafism was spreading in Muslim world which made Saudi Arabia uncomfortable. The Saudi rulers who follow and propagate Wahhabi Islam were against moderate Salafism.

There is a need to adopt modern democratic form of Islam, but several Muslim rulers who have lots of petro-dollars do not want a liberal form of Islam. World must get rid of Islamic State as well as all terrorist organizations but unless the totalitarian regimes are overthrown or they liberate the masses, terrorism cannot be eradicated. It is easy to finish any particular terrorist organization, but it is difficult to deracinate the ideology. The world at large must launch vigorous programs to prevent the radicalization of youths, as well as there should also be de-radicalization programs.

Muslim clerics and mass leaders must liberalize the religion and modern education should be imparted to them so that they can get better jobs and status in the society.

*Jai Kumar Verma is an independent strategic analyst. He can be reached at: jai_pushpa@hotmail.com

Hindu Group Wants Removal Of Devi Portrayal From Overwatch Video Game

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A US-based Hindu group is urging Blizzard Entertainment to withdraw Devi (Goddess) skin of Symmetra character in its Overwatch video game, calling it inappropriate.

Skins are said to be alternate appearances that players can apply to characters in video games.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged Irvine (California) headquartered Blizzard Entertainment CEO Michael Morhaime and its parent Santa Monica (California) based Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick to withdraw the Devi skin in the video game, as it trivialized Hinduism’s highly revered goddesses.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that in a video game set-up, the player controlled the movements of Devi, while in reality the devotees put the destinies of themselves in the hands of their goddesses.

Moreover, Devi and its movements depicted in Overwatch did not match with characterization of the goddesses in the scriptures, Rajan Zed noted.

Zed stated that Blizzard Entertainment needed to follow its own “core values” which included “lead responsibly” (As one of the world’s leading game companies, we’re committed to making ethical decisions), as in this case it was creating confusion in the minds of community about Devi by misrepresentation.

Rajan Zed indicated that reimagining Hindu scriptures, symbols, concepts and deities for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it created confusion. Controlling and manipulating Devi with a joystick/ button/keyboard/mouse was denigration. Devi was meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not to be reduced to just a “character” in a video game to be used in combat in the virtual battleground.

Zed further said that Hindus were for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Video game makers should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, as these games left lasting impact on the minds of highly impressionable children, teens and other young people, Zed added.

Hindus welcomed entertainment industry to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not for refashioning Hinduism scriptures, symbols, concepts and deities for mercantile greed. He or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide genuine entertainment industry seekers the resources they needed for their study and research regarding Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, Rajan Zed stressed.

Symmetra, a character in Overwatch, whose corporation “sent her on clandestine missions around the world to uphold its corporate interests”; “utilizes her light-bending Photon Projector to dispatch adversaries”.

Devi, synonymous with Sakti, is applied to any of the many forms of Hindu goddess. Ancient Sanskrit text Devi Mahatmya described her supreme powers.

Overwatch, released in May and claimed to be a “critical hit”, is a multiplayer first-person video game developed by awards-winning Blizzard Entertainment, claimed to be “a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software” known for Warcraft, etc., whose history goes back to 1991 and which claims nineteen #1 games. Activision Blizzard, Inc., claims to be “world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment company”. In addition to the English version, Overwatch has been localized into various world languages.

Kazakhstan: How Many Punished For Exercising Religious Freedom?

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By Felix Corley

Contrary to claims by Kazakhstan’s Delegation to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee in late June that just eight individuals had been so far in 2016 punished for violating the Religion Law, the true number is higher, Forum 18 notes. More than 20 individuals are known to have been punished for exercising the right to freedom of religion and belief without state permission. Most of the Muslims, Protestants and Jehovah’s Witnesses were punished for offering religious literature the state has not approved in places the state has not permitted, talking about their beliefs with other people without state permission, or meeting for worship without state permission. Also, two shop owners have been fined for having religious literature in their shops without state permission, and banned from commercial activity for three months (see list at base of this article).

At least one person, Baptist Roman Dimmel, was given a short-term jail term for refusing to pay earlier fines for such “offences”. There are also increasing numbers of Muslim and Christian prisoners of conscience given long jail terms for exercising freedom of religion and belief. In addition to being jailed, these prisoners of conscience also have bank accounts blocked by the government without being informed of this, without additional legal process, and are also required to pay for “expert analyses” used to convict them.

Four days after the Human Rights Committee considered Kazakhstan’s record under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Geneva on 22-23 June, three more Muslims in the eastern town of Semei were fined for going door to door to talk to people about their beliefs and invite them to a mosque (see below).

Kazakhstan’s Delegation similarly understated the known number of individuals punished for, contrary to the Religion Law, exercising their freedom of religion and belief in 2013. This has been the peak year so far for such punishments (see below).

Twelve Kazakh human rights defender organisations have strongly criticised the government’s record to the Human Rights Committee, including the ban on exercising freedom of religion and belief without state permission. They noted that the government directly violates its UN human rights obligations.

Nearly 50 Jehovah’s Witnesses from Kazakhstan have joined complaints to the Human Rights Committee against fines (and deportation for foreigners) imposed for sharing their faith with others.

On 27 June Kazakhstan was elected onto the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for two years from 1 January 2017.

Fines without court hearings start being imposed

In a new move, police have without a court hearing started to fine people for exercising their freedom of religion and belief. Three Council of Churches Baptists have been fined by police without trial so far in 2016. Prosecutors later annulled one of the fines. Police have had the right to issue certain fines for exercise freedom of religion and belief without state permission since the beginning of 2015. But Baptists state that such summary police fines were not used against them before early 2016.

Recent fines for exercising freedom of religion and belief

In addition to the Muslims fined for exercising their freedom of religion and belief while the Human Rights Committee examined the government’s record, in April 2016 a shopkeeper in the northern city of Petropavl was fined for religious books his wife kept in his shop. He was also banned from conducting commercial activity for three months. Also in April, two Muslims visiting the southern town of Zhetysai were fined for standing outside the main mosque encouraging others to attend the namaz (prayers). Protestants were also fined in Spring 2016 for meeting for worship without state permission (see below).

Punishments are generally fines of 50 or 100 Monthly Financial Indicators (MFIs). A fine of 100 MFIs is currently 212,100 Tenge (about 5,200 Norwegian Kroner, 560 Euros or 625 US Dollars). This is about seven weeks’ average wages for those in work, according to June 2016 average income figures from the government’s Statistics Committee. However, some of those fined are unemployed or pensioners on lower incomes.

“False information”?

The Kazakh Delegation to the Human Rights Committee – which was led by Deputy Justice Minister Elvira Azimova – admitted that “a 100 or so” individuals were in 2013 punished under the Code of Administrative Offences for violating the Religion Law, according to the 23 June 2016 French-language UN press report on the session (see http://www.ohchr.org/FR/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20166&LangID=F).

But the Delegation understated the number of individuals punished in 2013, the peak year so far for such punishments. Forum 18 has documented 153 such punishments on 126 named individuals between January and early November 2013. Other individuals also appear to have been punished.

As noted above, punishments for exercising freedom of religion and belief continued until the end of 2013 and beyond. This includes the more than 20 people known to have been so far punished in 2016 (see list at base of this article). This compares to the 8 in 2016 claimed by the Kazakh Delegation.

Zukhra Galiyeva, an aide to Minister Azimova, told Forum 18 from Astana on 14 July that the Minister was not available. Asked whether the government Delegation had not been informed of the true numbers of those punished for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief or had deliberately given the UN Committee lower figures, Galiyeva responded of Minister Azimova: “She didn’t give false information.”

However, Galiyeva refused to give any further information, including how many individuals are currently being punished for exercising freedom of religion or belief and why. She said all questions should be sent by post to the Justice Ministry.

New restrictions on freedom of religion and belief planned

Continuing punishments for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief come as officials draft further amendments to the Religion Law and Criminal and Administrative Codes. These amendments seem set to impose even more restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief, with possible wider or increased punishments in the two Codes (see F18News 14 June 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2188).

Fined after Human Rights Committee examines record

On 7 June, three Muslims were stopped in the dacha district of Vostochnoi in Semei, in East Kazakhstan Region. Bakhytbek Tursynov, Erzhan Shomatayev and Asilkhan Tumeshbayev were speaking to local residents about their faith on the way back from evening prayers in the mosque.

East Kazakhstan Regional Internal Policy Department drew up a record of an offence against Tursynov, Shomatayev and Tumeshbayev under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 3. This punishes: “Carrying out missionary activity without state registration (or re-registration), as well as the use by missionaries of religious literature, information materials with religious content or religious items without a positive assessment from a religious studies expert analysis, and spreading the teachings of a religious group which is not registered in Kazakhstan”. The punishment is a fine of 100 MFIs, with deportation if the individual is a foreign citizen.

The UN Human Rights Committee considered Kazakhstan’s record under the ICCPR in Geneva on 22-23 June.

On 27 June Judge Gibrat Valiyev of Semei Specialised Administrative Court found all three Muslims guilty. He imposed the prescribed fine of 100 MFIs, 212,100 Tenge, according to the court verdict of 28 June seen by Forum 18.

The three men “do not consider their actions missionary activity”, the court verdict cites them as telling the hearing, “as inviting people to the mosque is the obligation (farz) of every Muslim”.

Kazakhstan requires that only people with state permission may share their beliefs and imposes severe restrictions on who may talk about their beliefs, where they may talk about them, and what materials they may use.

Petropavl: shopkeeper fined for religious books

On 4 January, officials including at least one religious affairs official raided Rustem Seidaliyev’s shop in Petropavl’s Korona shopping centre. The officials found religious literature on the top shelf of the display window. As Seidaliyev does not have the compulsory state permission to sell religious literature, they insisted he had committed a crime or an offence.

Kazakhstan imposes state censorship on all religious literature and objects, for example banning all Muslim literature that is not Sunni Hanafi, and imposes strict limitations on who may sell or distribute such material and where this may happen. Some bookshops which might be able to get state permission for this have decided not to apply for permission for fear of problems from the authorities.

On 29 February, officials decided to halt a criminal investigation against Seidaliyev, according to the subsequent court verdict in the case. On 17 March Bulat Omarov of North Kazakhstan Region Religious Affairs Department drew up a record of an offence under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 1, Point 3. This punishes: “Violating the requirements of the Religion Law for .. import, production, publication and/or distribution of religious literature and other religious materials, and items for religious use”. The punishment for individuals is a fine of 50 MFIs.

On 20 April, Judge Alena Devyatkina of Petropavl Specialised Administrative Court rejected Seidaliyev’s insistence that the religious books were not being offered for sale, and that his wife kept them in his shop. His wife teaches religion in a mosque in the city, she told the court, and used the books to teach fellow female Muslims. However, the Judge dismissed Seidaliyev’s wife’s testimony as invalid because she would not want her husband to be punished.

Judge Devyatkina punished Seidaliyev with the prescribed fine of 50 MFIs, 106,050 Tenge, according to the court verdict seen by Forum 18. Seidaliyev was also banned from commercial activity for three months. He did not appeal against the punishment and the court verdict came into force on 4 May, according to court records.

The court verdict does not say whether officials confiscated any religious books in the 4 January raid and, if so, whether they were to be returned to Seidaliyev, handed to someone else or ordered destroyed. Courts frequently order religious books to be destroyed.

“It’s not correct to ask who suffered”

Duman Espenbetov, who represented the regional Religious Affairs Department, refused to discuss the court verdict. “Our law says no one has the right to comment on court verdicts,” he claimed to Forum 18 from Petropavl on 12 July. He refused to say if officials confiscated any religious books from Seidaliyev.

Asked who had suffered because Seidaliyev had had religious books in his shop, Espenbetov responded: “It’s not correct to ask who suffered. He broke the law.” Asked why books related to religion are under government censorship, he denied that censorship is imposed. Asked whether Seidaliyev would have been fined had the books been about football he refused to respond and put the phone down.

On 23 May, court bailiffs began proceedings to recover the unpaid fine from Seidaliyev, according to Justice Ministry records. The telephone of Irina Fomkina, the bailiff in Petropavl handling the case, was switched off when Forum 18 called on 14 July.

Spring 2016: raided, fined for meeting for worship without state permission

In Spring, on the same day, police raided five Protestant congregations in an area of Kazakhstan, fellow Protestants told Forum 18. They asked that names and other identifying details not be given for fear of state reprisals. The congregations have chosen not to apply for state permission to exist, as is their right under Kazakhstan’s international human rights obligations.

Against international human rights law, Kazakhstan bans all exercise of freedom of religion and belief by more than one person without state permission.

During the raids, police confiscated religious literature, documents, computers and money, fellow Protestants complained. Officers told church members that their activity was banned as they do not have state registration. Administrative cases against several church members were handed to court and they were subsequently fined.

As the church members refused to pay the fines, court bailiffs came to the individuals’ homes and confiscated money and other items.

“The churches are under close surveillance and can’t function as they would wish,” fellow Protestants told Forum 18. All religious communities are thought to be under surveillance by the ordinary police and National Security Committee (KNB) secret police (see Forum 18’s Kazakhstan religious freedom survey http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1939).

Zhetysai: fined for inviting people to meet for worship

In Zhetysai, in South Kazakhstan Region, two Muslims have been punished for inviting people to worship in the town’s main mosque. Kairat Abuov of the regional Religious Affairs Department found the two men – Askar Kaliyev from Atyrau and Shokan Ualikhanov from Almaty – inviting people to pray on 4 April. The two Muslims do not live in Zhetysai.

At separate hearings on the evening of 8 April, Judge Altai Utemisov of Maktaaral District Court found Kaliyev and Ualikhanov guilty of violating Administrative Code Article 490, Part 3 (“Carrying out missionary activity without state registration”). The Judge imposed the prescribed fine of 100 MFIs, 212,100 Tenge, according to the court verdicts seen by Forum 18. Neither appealed against the fines and the decisions came into force on 19 April.

“They were talking to people about their faith”

Abuov of the regional Religious Affairs Department defended the prosecution of the two men. “They were talking to people about their faith and coming to people’s homes,” he told Forum 18 from the regional capital Shymkent on 12 July. Asked why talking to others of their faith should lead to punishment, Abuov laughed. “They broke the law.”

Abuov said Kaliyev and Ualikhanov had approached two people walking on the street. When they invited them to pray at the mosque, one of them called the police. “In Kazakhstan no-one can approach another person and tell them to come to a place of worship, except an imam or clergyman,” Abuov insisted to Forum 18. “They are not officials of a religious organisation approved as missionaries. People don’t want to listen to things about religion from unknown people.”

On 28 June, court bailiffs in Kaliyev’s home city of Atyrau began proceedings to recover the unpaid fine from him, according to Justice Ministry records. Reached in Atyrau by Forum 18 on 12 July, the bailiff handling the case, Kuanish Kaliyev (no relation), refused to discuss how he plans to recover the money from Askar Kaliyev.

Atyrau: appeals fail

Two members of the Protestant New Life Church in Atyrau failed to overturn earlier fines on appeal. In separate hearings on 23 June, Judge Bagila Nurzhanova of Atyrau Regional Court upheld the fines of 35 MFIs each and a three-month ban on unspecified activity on Bagitzhan Zholdybayev and Aleksandr Revkov, according to the court verdicts seen by Forum 18.

The two men were punished on 26 May under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 1, Point 1 for drinking tea in a café with five other church members after their Sunday meeting for worship on 17 April.

Known 2016 Administrative Code punishments

(Name; faith or occupation; date and place of hearing; Administrative Code article; punishment.)

1. Viktor Shtrek; Jehovah’s Witness; 25 January Ayirtau District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

2. Ruslan Bayanbayev; Jehovah’s Witness; 28 January Almaty Specialised Interdistrict Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 7; fine 50 MFIs (acquitted on appeal).

3. Ruslan Bayanbayev (second case); Jehovah’s Witness; 18 February Almaty Specialised Interdistrict Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 7; fine 50 MFIs.

4. Tatyana Pastukhova; giftshop owner; 25 February Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on commercial activity.

5. Gennadi Zhirov; Council of Churches Baptist; 24 March Arkalyk City Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs (book destruction order overturned on appeal).

6. Yuri Bekker; Council of Churches Baptist; 24 March Arkalyk City Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs (book destruction order overturned on appeal).

7. Shokan Ualikhanov; Muslim; 8 April Maktaaral District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

8. Askar Kaliyev; Muslim; 8 April Maktaaral District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

9. Nikolai Levin; Council of Churches Baptist; 20 April Sandiktau District Court; Article 669; fine 10 MFIs.

10. Rustem Seidaliyev; shopkeeper; 20 April Petropavl Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 50 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on commercial activity.

11. Dina Sarsebekova; Jehovah’s Witness; 25 April Oral Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

12. Roman Dimmel; Council of Churches Baptist; 3 May Shet District Court; Article 669; 3 days’ prison.

13. Yegor Prokopenko; Council of Churches Baptist; 22 May Zyryanovsk police; Article 489, Part 9; fine 100 MFIs.

14. Bagitzhan Zholdybayev; Pentecostal; 26 May Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 1; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on unspecified activity.

15. Aleksandr Revkov; Pentecostal; 26 May Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 1; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on unspecified activity.

16. Bakhytbek Tursynov; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

17. Erzhan Shomatayev; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

18. Asilkhan Tumeshbayev; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.

19. Aleksandr Belan; Council of Churches Baptist; date unknown Sergeyevka police, Akmola Region; Article 489; police imposed fine without court hearing (Prosecutor later annulled fine).

20. Sofya Bunyak; Council of Churches Baptist; late May Ekibastuz police, Pavlodar Region; Article 489, Part 10; police imposed fine of 50 MFIs without court hearing.

21. [Names withheld for fear of state reprisals]; Protestants; one area in Spring 2016; fines after 5 raids on same day.

Saudi’s Star Prince Goes To Washington – OpEd

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Since elderly King Salman took the throne in Saudi Arabia last year, favorite son Mohammed bin Salman has put the lie to his position as “Deputy” Crown Prince. Technically the third most powerful man in the Saudi court and subservient to his father Salman and his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef, the young prince has instead been increasingly open about rewriting the political rulebook in Riyadh. Now directly responsible for both the military and the nation’s struggling economy, Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to the top marks a seachange in Saudi politics and a once-unimaginable jump from one generation to the next.
 
The extent of that unexpected rise was made abundantly clear during the prince’s visit to the United States in June. Instead of photo ops, soft-focus interviews and decorative dinners, Mohammed instead sat down for a one-on-one meeting with President Obama and high-level meetings with Secretary of State John Kerry, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and CIA Chief John Brennan in Washington. He also sat down with key economic policymakers, including Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. Amid a series of reports that both his father and his cousin were seriously ill, American policymakers are clearly acknowledging the possibility that Mohammed could become the supreme authority in Saudi Arabia and are preparing accordingly. In a departure from the traditional Saudi focus on the defense, security, and energy aspects of its relationship with the United States, however, the prince looked beyond Washington and traveled to both Silicon Valley and Wall Street to meet with the American business class.
 
That newfound economic focus is tied to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, unveiled by Mohammed and his economic advisors over the past several months as an antidote to the monarchy’s overreliance on oil revenue. Coming on the heels of its multibillion-dollar investment in Uber, the meetings in New York and California point to the kind of future the potential heir has in mind. More broadly, the sheer number of public and private sector meet-and-greets speak to a reappraisal taking place both within Saudi Arabia and in terms of Saudi-American relations.
 
There is, of course, a strong geopolitical component to the prince’s American tour, and his presence is as much a reminder of current commitments as it is future promise. For all the controversy surrounding the Kingdom since Salman took the throne, Saudi Arabia is still an important ally for the U.S., the U.K., and the other Western powers. The opening with Iran that followed the nuclear agreement has pushed some analysts and diplomats to suggest Tehran would make for a more natural ally than Riyadh. Many in Europe especially have dovetailed warm feelings toward Iran with criticism of the Saudis over their actions in Yemen.
 
These same are routinely glazing over the fact that Iran is directly responsible for bankrolling and carrying out much of the Assad regime’s butchery in Syria and stoking equally destructive sectarian violence in Iraq. This helps explain why Western leaders, David Cameron especially, have been outspoken in defending their countries’ security ties with Riyadh. Saudi is the U.K.’s biggest trading partner in the Gulf area, with more than 200 joint-ventures worth some 18 billion pounds operating inside the Kingdom. The U.K. defense industry in particular does brisk business with the Saudis, and Britain’s BAE Systems counts Saudi Arabia as its third-largest customer. Commercial ties in the service sector have been expanding as well.
 
From the American perspective, Prince Mohammed´s visit comes in the midst of a politically charged atmosphere. Much of the tensions stem from the passage of a bill through the Senate which would allow 9/11 victims and their families to sue the Saudi government for alleged involvement in the 2001 attacks. President Obama has vowed to veto the bill should it pass the House of Representatives, and House Speaker Paul Ryan has expressed his reservations about the wisdom of pursuing such legal cases.
 
The acrimony, in any event, has been played down. Prince Mohammed, in his role as the architect of Saudi Arabia’s current economic policy, left for America focused on investment as much as military matters. His economic plan is a necessary and long-expected overhaul of the Saudi economy, partially privatizing Saudi Aramco and leveraging the national oil company to push the revamped government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to a $2 trillion valuation. That PIF has already made its first big splash by investing in Uber, a promising sign that the Kingdom’s investment strategy will focus on technology in its hunt for assets to invest in.
 
At the same time, Riyadh is actively pitching itself to Western companies as a desirable investment destination. In May, the plan scored its first major success with $3 billion in deals with GE, covering investments in Saudi´s digital and industrial economy. During his time in the capital, Mohammed met with Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin to propose expanding Saudi’s weapons manufacturing industry, while Dow Chemical was awarded a trading license for increased business in Saudi.
 

Beyond those established players, Prince Mohammed’s trip with Silicon Valley to meet with executives at Facebook and Microsoft speaks to a generational change both within the Saudi monarchy as well as within the American business world. It is hard to imagine Salman or Mohammed bin Nayef connecting with American tech entrepreneurs, and it speaks to the reshaping of the global economy that young companies like Uber are already being courted by foreign governments as major players. The photos of Mohammed bin Salman sitting across from Mark Zuckerberg, for example, help emphasize just how powerful the latter has become.

In his position at the head of Facebook, Zuckerberg and his company are now the effective arbiters of information flow for over 1.5 billion active users. At the effective political leader of an overwhelmingly young, tech-savvy country that is home to 40% of all Twitter users in the region, the Saudi prince understands just how pivotal U.S.-based social networks are to the fabric of his society. Beyond that, bin Salman’s visit just comes as further proof that the center of global economic gravity is shifting to the world-beating tech start-ups on the West Coast.

*Khaled Alaswad is a Jordanian-born risk management consultant who has been working out of Abu Dhabi, UAE for the past five years. Before that, he lived in Michigan in the United States while completing his degree in public policy and subsequently worked in Amman and Beirut before moving to the Emirates. His work has previously been published on Middle East Monitor and Your Middle East.


Crimea Highlights Lack A Modern National Self-Consciousness Among Most Russians – OpEd

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There is at the present time little or no feeling among Russians in Russia of solidarity with the supposedly “liberated” Russian residents of Crimea, Yevgeny Ikhlov says, an indication that “the non-Europeanized segment of Russians has almost no national self-consciousness in the contemporary meaning of that term.”

A modern nation, the Moscow commentator says, is a group of people who feel that they owe it to other members of the group who are suffering to come to their aid not out of some sense of universal charity but rather as a result of a feeling of “direct moral and political duty” (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=578B1900C65F4).

An imperial community, in contrast, Ikhlov continues, “treats population losses among compatriots as a sacrifice in the same of the empire and citizens as building material for the power of the state.” Indeed, and in contrast to modern nations, such sacrifices “only add a sense of sacredness to the personalized state.”

The borders of “’the Russian world’” are thus not the borders within which Russians live but rather where “the cult of Stalin” exists, he argues. At present, two groups of “civilized Russians” besides those who identify directly with the victims of the Soviet dictator deny that Stalin was a destroyer of the people.

These are first “the liberal Westerners who are also mentally imperialists but of a European type and who therefore clearly distinction the nation of the metropolitan area with ‘natives abroad’” and second, “Russian ‘white’ nationalists who see in Bolshevism and Stalnism an ideology which destroyed the historical Russia.”

“Imperial ‘a-nationalism’” has drawbacks, however. “It is undoubtedly glad for any territorial additions but it is organically incapable of including the newly acquired population into the Big Family of the Nation,” Ikhlov says. Instead, it views such populations as fundamentally different.

“Each addition of the latest Younger Brother legitimizes the power of the Older Brother and conversely the reduction of the state to the limits of the area in which the Older Brother lives undermines his right to rule over the state in principle.” That is why the union with Belarus and the recognition of Abkhazia are so important for such people.

After all, Ikhlov notes, “a sovereign without vassals is not a feudal lord but simply a vulgar landowner.”

Because of such views, “almost everyone in Russia was glad that their country got a new seacoast and wine growing resort area, especially given that it was Russian speaking and that it also got a city base.” What they did not see Crimea as was as making up for “the demographic losses” Russia has suffered over the last 25 years by adding new Russians to a Russian nation.

According to Ikhlov, “there was no feeling in Russia of solidarity with the ‘liberated’ Crimeans but there is constantly growing tension between the residents of this new province of the empire and those who go there on vacation for whom [the residents of Crimea] are above all else ‘unhappy natives.’” Such feelings are even more in evidence about the Donbass.

Ikhlov says that in his own mid, he has been “comparing the reaction of Russians to events in Crimea and the Donbass with the hypothetical reaction of Israelis to the fate of a large city in the south of Lebanon which historically [and completely hypothetically] had been populated by Jews.”

Let us imagine, he suggests, that in the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire allowed Sefardic Jews expelled from Spain to settle in Thessalonica, and let us call this imagined community “the Tyre Sector.” If Islamist radicals were then to take power in Beirut and threaten this community, imagine what would be the reaction of the Israelis to that.

“Under these conditions, the Israeli army would have driven a land corridor to ‘the Tyre Sector’ and then simply declared it to be part of Israel.” But “in present-day Russia, there is nothing even remotely approximately this variant of concern” about those Moscow says are fellow Russians.

And that shows that “Russians of Russia do not have any feeling of national solidarity with millions of Russians in Crimea and the Donbass which today are in territories firmly controlled by the Russian army. At the same time,” Ikhlov says, “the cult of Stalin is only strengthening” as a result of what is happening there.

Louisiana: Baton Rouge Shooting Leaves 3 Police Dead And 3 Injured, Shooter Dead

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Three police officers are confirmed dead and three injured in a shooting on Airline Highway near Old Hammond Highway in the state capital of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The suspected gunman was killed, state police superintendent said.

The attack was a lone-wolf incident, Colonel Mike Edmondson, the Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police said at the press conference following the incident, according to Reuters. The active shooter situation declared in Baton Rouge on Sunday has come to an end, the gunman is dead, he added.

“We do not have an active shooter scenario in Baton Rouge,” Edmonson said.

Louisiana authorities will hold another press conference regarding the Baton Rouge shootings at 1pm CDT (1800 GMT) on Monday, Reuters reported.

According to earlier reports, police believed there could have been at least two more suspects on the loose.

Three officers out of five transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital have died from their injuries. Two others remain in hospital, with one being in fair condition and the other in a critical state, according to WAFB and Reuters. The condition of the third policeman transported to the hospital remains unknown.

The Baton Rouge police department reportedly used a robot to check the area for explosive devices.

“We do know, and do believe there are more than one suspect. That’s why we’re alerting the community. We sending in the robot to see if there are any explosives in the area or any explosives on him,” said Corporal L’Jean McKneely, WAFB reported.

Two of the officers killed were from the Baton Rouge police, and the third was an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputy, Baton Rouge Chief Administrative Officer William Daniel said earlier, as cited by The Advocate.

The shooting took place at the B-Quik convenience store at a gas station, Baton Rouge police said, according to AP. The body of the suspect was found outside the store, at the door of a nearby fitness club. The city was on high alert following the incident.

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said earlier that one gunman had been killed, and police believed two more shooters may have been at large.

WAFB said that the shootout began in the early hours of Sunday morning on Airline Highway near Old Hammond Highway in Baton Rouge, less than one mile from police headquarters.

Police reportedly have no clear picture on what started the shooting, but it seems there was a running gun fight in the area of the shopping center and convenience store. They were first notified of the incident at about 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

Baton Rouge police responded to a call reporting a “suspicious person walking down Airline Highway with an assault rifle,” a CNN source said, adding that the person opened fire as soon as the police squad arrived.

According to a witness, there were at least 25-30 gunshots heard before police arrived, WAFB reported. Police officers were probably not the initial target, another witness said.

“This was not a come at police shooting. There were men out here shooting at each other before police ever got here,” a witness said.

Our Lady of the Lake hospital was guarded by policemen armed with long guns wearing bulletproof vests, media report.

According to reports, two hospitals in Baton Rouge were on lockdown with police guards.

A black man was detained by Baton Rouge police at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. Police saw that the man was carrying a gun. Officers searched his car but found nothing incriminating, according to social media reports. He was reportedly released after a woman identified as his mother explained that her son had come to hospital to see a doctor. He also had a license for the gun, she said.

There is still an active scene. They are investigating,” Kip Holden, the mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish told CNN when the operation was in progress. “Right now we are trying to get our arms around everything.”

“Everything is moving fast and I have not been able to verify everything,” he noted, adding that the gunman is believed to be down.

The immediate area has been cordoned off and closed to traffic, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said.

Turkey Indirectly Threatens US For Harboring Exiled Cleric Fethullah Gulen

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Turkish officials threaten to go to war with “any country” supporting exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the coup plot, which would put the US right in Ankara’s crosshairs.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim threated to go to war with any country that would “stand by” exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a resident of Pennsylvania in the United States who Washington refuses to extradite citing a lack of evidence that he was behind the attempted overthrow of the Erdogan government.

This appears to be a pointed threat against the United States with an implicit demand that Washington must extradite Gulen or face Ankara’s wrath. The provocative comments came after Turkish Labor Minister Suleyman Soylu shocked the world by accusing the America of manufacturing the overthrow effort.

“The US is behind the coup attempt. A few journals that are published there [in the US] have been conducting activites for several months. For many months we have sent requests to the US concerning Fethullah Gulen. The US must extradite him,” said the Labor Minister in a statement.

Secretary of State John Kerry responded by saying that Turkey has failed to provide sufficient evidence for the Obama administration to even consider their request to extradite the cleric. He also went on to condemn Ankara’s provocative statements saying that remarks alleging US involvement do serious harm to relations between the two countries.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that during a conversation on Saturday evening with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosoglu, the Secretary of State warned Turkey to never make such an accusation.

“He made clear that the United States would be willing to provide assistance to Turkish authorities conducting this investigation, but the public insinuations or claims about any role by the United States in the failed coup attempt are utterly false and harmful to our bilateral relations,” said Kirby.

The cleric allegedly behind the overthrow effort has also strongly condemned the coup.

“I condemn, in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup in Turkey. Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force,” said Gulen to the New York Times. “As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations.”

Gulen later questioned whether the failed coup attempt was a legitimate effort to overthrow the government or political theater at the hands of Erdogan.

The situation for the United States is now as perilous as ever with Turkey in possession of roughly 90 US tactical nuclear weapons that are stored at the Incirlik Air Base. Turkish officials have blocked access to the air base and the commander in charge of securing those weapons was arrested on Sunday.

Who Is Fethullalh Gulen? A Modernizer Or A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing?

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Believers say he preaches a new, modern form of Islam. Critics charge he is a power hungry wolf in sheep’s clothing preparing to convert secular Turkey into an Islamic republic; a conspirator who has created a state within the state and attempted this weekend to topple democratically elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a failed military coup.

That was not how past Turkish governments or for that matter Mr. Erdogan in his first eight years as prime minister saw Fethullalh Gulen, the leader of one of the world’s largest and wealthiest Islamic movements.

Back in the 1990s, secular prime ministers Tansu Ciller and Mesut Yilmaz and other prominent political leaders viewed Mr. Gulen as their weapon against the pro-Islamic Refah (Welfare) Party, the predecessor of Mr. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), that advocated Turkey’s divorce from the West and a return to its Islamic and Ottoman roots.

Mr. Erdogan too initially saw Mr. Gulen as a cherished ally. The two men worked together to force the staunchly secular military in line with one of the European Union’s demands for future Turkish membership to accept civilian control. It fit both men’s goal of lifting French-style laicist restrictions on freedom of religious expression that had long been resisted by the military. Mr. Erdogan had at the time no problem with Mr. Gulen’s followers establishing a power base in the police force and the military.

This weekend’s failed coup suggests that elements of the military still believe in a non-constitutional role of the military. Yet, at the same time, it is to the credit of Messrs. Erdogan and Gulen, that significant parts of the military, the opposition and the public backed Turkey’s democratically elected president and helped foil the coup irrespective of what they thought of his politics and leadership.

Mr. Gulen’s moves into branches of government, a version of German student leader Rudi Dutschke’s march through the institutions, reflected his long-term strategy. Mr. Gulen preaches obedience to the state and recognition of the rule of law while at the same time inserting his followers into key institutions of the state and educating a next generation in his ideological mold.

Indeed, more than half a century after he first became a government employed imam, Mr. Gulen adopted the role. He often dresses in a crumpled sports jacket and slacks, looking the part of a modern religious leader rather than a fervent Turkish nationalist or a militant Islamist. A doleful 75-year-old, he moreover talks the talk, evading language often employed by Turkey’s right-wing nationalists and Islamists.

As a result, Mr. Gulen’s modernist approach appealed to urban conservatives and some more liberal segments of the middle class. His approach contrasted starkly with that of Mr. Erdogan, who targeted the more rural conservatives and the nationalists.

It was indeed Mr. Gulen’s advocacy of tolerance, dialogue and worldly education as well as his endorsement of Turkey’s close ties to Europe that endeared him to the country’s secular leaders of the 1990s and subsequently to Mr. Erdogan.

“We can build confidence and peace in this country if we treat each other with tolerance,” Mr. Gulen said in a first and since then rare interview at the time with a foreign correspondent. “There’s no place for quarreling in this world… By emphasizing our support for education and the media, we can prove that Islam is open to contemporary things,” he added sprinkling his slow and deliberate speech with old Ottoman Turkish words regarded as quaint by modern Turks.

A diabetic with a heart ailment, Mr. Gulen has devoted himself since officially retiring in the early 1990s to writing tracts on Islam. Yet there is little in his writing or the administration of institutions linked to him that points in the direction of theological renewal.

Mr. Gulen among other things takes a conservative view of the role of women and has said that the presence of women makes him uncomfortable. It was something he had felt since he was a young man, he said. Not surprisingly, Mr. Gulen’s movement operates separate schools for boys and girls.

Yet, even Mr. Gulen has evolved. When in the mid-1990s a woman visitor asked directions to a toilet at the Istanbul headquarters of his Zaman newspaper, officials said the multi-story building wasn’t equipped for women visitors. A member of the staff was sent to check whether a men’s room was free. That has changed and women’s toilets were installed long before Mr. Erdogan sent his police in March of this year to take over the paper.

Critics charge that Mr. Gulen professed moderation may not be what he really hopes to achieve. “Fethullah’s main project is the takeover of the state. That is why he was investing in education. They believe the state will just fall into their lap because they will be ready for it, they will have the people in place. That is their long-term plan,” said a prominent liberal Turkish intellectual.

Indeed, Mr. Gulen’s movement, despite the imam’s long-term vision, effectively sought to undermine Mr. Erdogan’s government in late 2013 with charges of corruption against ministers in the then prime minister’s cabinet and members of his family. The charges and alleged evidence to back them up were never tested in a court of law.

Mr. Erdogan made sure of that. For him, the charges were the straw that broke the camel’s back. What had been an increasingly public parting of the ways that started with a soccer match fixing scandal in 2011 turned in late 2013 into open warfare with Mr. Erdogan firing or moving thousands of judiciary personnel and police officers to other jobs, shutting down the investigation, and seeking to destroy Mr. Gulen’s religious, educational and commercial empire.

The fact that the police played a key role in foiling this weekend’s coup attempt bears testimony to the degree to which Mr. Erdogan has succeeded in erasing Mr. Gulen’s influence in the police. This weekend’s dismissal of almost 3,000 judges and the issuance of arrest warrants for 140 of them on allegations of involvement with Mr. Gulen suggests that Mr. Erdogan believes that his efforts to destroy the imam’s infrastructure were more successful in the police than they were in the judiciary.

None of this amounts to evidence of Mr. Erdogan’s assertion that Mr. Gulen engineered this weekend’s coup attempt. Like so much in recent years, Mr. Erdogan has used the alleged threat of a state within a state as well as increasingly authoritarian measures to remove his critics from the media and academia and to attempt to cow the parliamentary opposition to turn Turkey into an a more authoritarian state.

Mr. Erdogan’s increasingly illiberal version of Turkish democracy in which the public is invited to protest on his behalf but not against him makes uttering unsubstantiated allegations relatively easy. Mr. Erdogan will however have to produce hard evidence if he formally goes ahead with a request that the United States extradite Mr. Gulen, who is a green card holder resident in Pennsylvania.

Even if those that staged the failed coup turn out to be followers of Mr. Gulen, Mr. Erdogan would still have to prove that Mr. Gulen was aware and involved in their plans. That may be easier said than done.

Back in 2011, during the soccer match fixing scandal, the first public indication of the growing rift between the two Islamists, Mr. Gulen apologized to one of the involved club executives. The preacher said if his followers were involved in prosecuting soccer executives and players, he was not aware of that. It was a rare suggestion that Mr. Gulen, a by now frail old man, may no longer be in control of the empire he built.

Netanyahu’s Alliance Of The African Periphery – OpEd

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Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, had an acute mind and the capacity to think strategically, a capacity demonstrated time and again during his two periods in office. The foreign policy strategy most closely connected with Ben Gurion has become known as the Alliance of the Periphery, or the Periphery Doctrine. This concept called for Israel to develop close strategic alliances with non-Arab Muslim states in order to counteract the then united opposition of Arab states to Israel’s very existence.

As long as Arab-Israeli relations remained frozen solid, the Periphery Doctrine retained its appeal. Pursuing it, successive Israeli governments have gone a long way towards achieving normal relations with nations like Ethiopia, Nigeria and India. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Israel gained the friendship of newly-independent Muslim republics of Central Asia such as Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, went so far in 2006 as to say: “It is not a crime to have relations with Israel,” a sentiment shared by the President of the newly independent South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Now Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to be applying a renewed version of the Periphery Doctrine inside continental Africa, by-passing the apparently hopeless case of South Africa. As long as the Israel-Palestine issue remains unresolved, South Africa is more or less a lost cause as far as relations with Israel are concerned. Official and public opinion inside the republic, mindful of South Africa’s long and painful progress to independence, is pretty fully persuaded that the Palestinian narrative closely replicates their own. Israel is cast, in the public consciousness, as brutal Afrikaner colonial overlords; the Palestinians as the downtrodden subject people reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. Prominent South Africans, like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, see a direct parallel between the apartheid regime imposed on his country by white supremacists and the situation of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories.

I was once guest interviewee on a South African radio program, and was closely questioned about this widely-held perception. Very little of what I described about present-day Israel – Arab participation in the democratic process, Arab members of parliament, Arab holders of prominent positions in public life, the total lack of discrimination in Israel’s hospitals as regards both staff and patients, the disputed status of the West Bank and the fact that Palestinians govern themselves in Areas A and B, how the barrier or wall has reduced terrorist attacks on ordinary citizens – very little of all this impressed my courteous host. The whole interview was conducted on the basis of opinions such as Archbishop Tutu’s that had sunk deep into the public consciousness.

“In South Africa,” said the Nobel Peace award-winning archbishop in 2014, “we could not have achieved our democracy without the help of people around the world, who through the use of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the apartheid regime. The same issues of inequality and injustice today motivate the divestment movement trying to end Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory and the unfair and prejudicial treatment of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government ruling over them.”

Also perhaps lodged in the national psyche was the memory of the close ties that Israel had maintained for many years with the pre-independence South African government; less well remembered, perhaps, is the forthright stand that Israel took against apartheid, and the fact that finally Israel imposed sanctions on South Africa in September 1987.

The last Israeli leader to visit Africa was prime minister Levi Eshkol, who made a state visit to Kenya in June 1973. On July 4, 2016 Netanyahu landed in Uganda on a five-day, four-country trip inside the continent, also visiting Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. He was accompanied by approximately 80 businesspeople from over 50 Israeli companies to help forge new commercial ties with African companies and countries.

In Uganda an official ceremony was held at Entebbe to mark 40 years since the daring raid by Israeli commandos to release hostages held captive by then President Idi Amin. Netanyahu then participated in an Israel-Kenya economic forum along with businessmen from both countries, dealing mainly with questions of agriculture, water resources, communications and homeland security. Later the leaders of seven East African states (Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania) sat round a table with Netanyahu to discuss how to enhance cooperation with Israel in cyber defense, energy, agriculture, trade, diplomatic, and related matters. To sweeten the discussion, Netanyahu was able to put on the table a financial assistance package of 50 million shekels ($13 million), approved by the Israeli government the previous week.

Two immediate positive results flowed from the multilateral conference. The first was the announcement by the prime minister of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa, endorsed in writing by President John Magufuli, that Tanzania intends to open an embassy in Israel for the first time. Bilateral ties between Israel and Tanzania were severed following the 1973 Yom Kippur War. They were re-established in 1995, but Israel still conducts its relations with Tanzania via Nairobi in Kenya.

The second, and perhaps more important, relates to Israel’s observer status in the African Union. It was in 2002 that Libya and other North African Arab countries ousted Israel, and in recent years South Africa has blocked attempts to get Israel reinstated. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta – the son of Jomo Kenyatta who had welcomed Israel’s prime minister Levi Eshkol back in 1973 –- announced that Kenya will work to restore Israel’s observer status in the African Union because “Israel is a critical partner in the battle against terrorism, the most serious challenge facing the world today,” said Kenyatta, adding that it was critical for Africa to re-evaluate its relationship with Israel in order to better enable Africa to deal with its challenges.

Netanyahu’s remarks at a press conference after the meeting hinted at the broader strategy that lies under this first formal foray by Israel into Africa for decades. The Periphery that Netanyahu has in his sights extends well beyond the East African nations included in this first round. In his words: “I believe in Africa. I believe in your future and I believe in our partnership for this future… We think that Israel now is the best partner that the countries of Africa could have, and it’s something that is dear to our hearts. I believe that this meeting will be seen as a turning point in Israel’s ability to reach a broad number of African countries, which is our goal.”

Nothing could be plainer.

President Obama On Shootings In Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Transcript

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(White House) — Good afternoon, everybody. As all of you know now, this morning, three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge were killed in the line of duty. Three others were wounded. One is still in critical condition.

As of right now, we don’t know the motive of the killer. We don’t know whether the killer set out to target police officers, or whether he gunned them down as they responded to a call. Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. And we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.

Earlier this afternoon, I spoke with Governor Edwards and Mayor Holden, and I offered them the full support of the federal government and reiterated my full support for law enforcement in Baton Rouge and for police officers across the country. I also spoke to the Attorney General, and the FBI has already been on the scene. And through the work of all levels of government, justice will be done.

Most of all, our hearts go out to the families who are grieving. Our prayers go out to the officer who is still fighting for his life. This has happened far too often. And I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement this past week. I’m surrounded by the best of the best every single day. And I know whenever this happens, wherever this happens, you feel it. Your families feel it. But what I want you to know today is the respect and the gratitude of the American people for everything that you do for us.

Five days ago, I traveled to Dallas for the memorial service of the officers who were slain there. I said that that killer would not be the last person who tries to make us turn on each other. Nor will today’s killer. It remains up to us to make sure that they fail. That decision is all of ours. The decision to make sure that our best selves are reflected across America, not our worst — that’s up to us.

We have our divisions, and they are not new. Around-the-clock news cycles and social media sometimes amplify these divisions, and I know we’re about to enter a couple of weeks of conventions where our political rhetoric tends to be more overheated than usual.

And that is why it is so important that everyone — regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organizations you are a part of — everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further. We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric. We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda. We need to temper our words and open our hearts — all of us. We need what we saw in Dallas this week, as a community came together to restore order and deepen unity and understanding. We need the kind of efforts we saw this week in meetings between community leaders and police — some of which I participated in — where I saw people of good will pledge to work together to reduce violence throughout all of our communities. That’s what’s needed right now. And it is up to all of us to make sure we are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Someone once wrote, “A bullet need happen only once, but for peace to work we need to be reminded of its existence again and again and again.”

My fellow Americans, only we can prove, through words and through deeds, that we will not be divided. And we’re going to have to keep on doing it “again and again and again.” That’s how this country gets united. That’s how we bring people of good will together. Only we can prove that we have the grace and the character and the common humanity to end this kind of senseless violence, to reduce fear and mistrust within the American family, to set an example for our children.

That’s who we are, and that’s who we always have the capacity to be. And that’s the best way for us to honor the sacrifice of the brave police officers who were taken from us this morning.

May God bless them and their families, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.

The View From Zimbabwe: Corruption, Hunger And Deprivation

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By Tom Edwards

Once the breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe is today one of the poorest countries in the continent. With as high as 85 percent unemployment in certain cities and townships, the citizens of Zimbabwe face a bleak future.

Their president, Robert Mugabe, has been in office since independence in 1980. His ruthless crackdown on political dissidents leaves activists missing, whilst his mismanagement of Zimbabwe’s potentially thriving economy has forced hundreds of thousands into poverty.

This all comes at a time when protestors have recently begun demonstrating against the government. At the beginning of this month, rioters burnt tires and closed roads, bringing Harare, the nation’s capital, to a standstill.

After spending time in the city I can personally attest to the dysfunction embedded in Zimbabwe day-to-day life.

Hundreds of soldiers walk the streets. Out of boredom and looking for a quick buck they search for a harmless wrongdoing. Their own lack of pay often encourages them taking the law into their own hands.

Such are the circumstances facing the civil service that their corrupt agenda is manipulated by the government. They are all one: the president, the police, and the army. Combined, they are a destructive force in which political, social and economic opponents are quickly silenced.

Mugabe’s manipulation of the civil service has become the benchmark of corruption within his country. With it, he and his ministers can freely do as they please.

How long the civil servants support Mugabe is another question. They are irregularly paid, thus breeding even greater corruption. If Mugabe at the frail age of 92 was to drop dread, it is not known whether a peaceful, yet corrupt government would take his place, or whether a bloody civil war would ensue after which a democratic leader is perhaps elected.

For many citizens, it is likely that they will turn towards a leader that can promise them nutrition and employment. Following 36 years of economic mismanagement, the population could demand a free market uninhibited of government intrusion.

For those living in rural communities, the farms could no longer be stagnated by substantial government taxes and the interventionist policies implemented by the Mugabe regime.

While in Harare I met with a local investigative journalist. Following subsequent email correspondence I questioned them about the state of their country. Among other things we discussed Mugabe’s failed policies, his arrogance and what foreign nations can do to assist Zimbabwe.

At the journalist’s request we have suppressed their identity to protect them from persecution within Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe was once an agricultural powerhouse, so what has caused the once strong agricultural industry into recession?

The transfer of land into the hands of the black majority from white farmers in recent decades was somewhat constitutionally valid. It worked well for a few years until the Mugabe government abused funds. The way in which the land distribution was carried out was ill-advised, turning the once breadbasket into a begging bowl. The terror with which the seizure of agricultural land was associated with, also led the world economy into condemning the land policy and resulted in travel and trade restrictions being imposed upon Mugabe and his followers.

Instead of adopting the policies that he introduced, Mugabe should have identified individuals who were agronomists and black farmers who deserved to be placed on farms. He wrongly gave the land to his wartime comrades and political opponents to secure their support.

In your opinion as an experienced journalist, what can the government do to help the struggling citizens who are unemployed?

There is nothing that Mugabe and his government can do to redress the economical turmoil, as this cannot be reversed under his leadership. Mugabe is known for being self-centered. Corruption is endemic and has been left to grow, empowering certain individuals at the expense of the masses.

Hundreds of businesses also close annually due to the controversial Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Law. This law entails that all foreign owned entities remit 51 per cent of profits to the local black communities. It is a piece of legislation that has not been explained and implemented well. It has led to many companies closing and thousands being laid off.

Zimbabwe also finds it difficult to tax those who earn a living off the streets. Mugabe has found it challenging to remain viable without introducing hefty taxes on the small proportion of citizens who are formally employed.

Mugabe insists that all of his elections have been won through democratic processes. How accurate would this be?

Mugabe insists that he has won all elections since 1980. The most important aspect to look at is how those elections are being organized, planned, and conducted. Who is behind the running of elections in the country? The answer to all the questions is that Mugabe has created a system that is a non-democratic way to orchestrate what is supposed to look like democratic elections.

Violence has been associated with every election in Zimbabwe, particularly in 2008. While Mugabe does not officially rig elections, the constant threat of army officials and police officers at election booths coupled with the presence of corrupt local authorities such as Chiefs and Headman intimidates voters to cast their support in favor of Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.

What happens to those citizens who oppose President Robert Mugabe?

Mugabe has historically treated political dissidents with no respect. Between 1980 and 1986, Mugabe is alleged to have killed up to 20,000 Ndebele ethnic Zimbabweans with the assistance of the Fifth Brigade. The Fifth Brigade were a segment of the Zimbabwe Army trained by North Korean Special Forces in the height of the Cold War. Mugabe never made any explanation for the atrocities. Although the Zimbabwe constitution proclaims the rights of all citizens, there is no freedom of speech.

Citizens who oppose Mugabe are not guaranteed of any safety for as long as they stay within the country’s borders. Examples such as Joshua Nkomo, Lookout Masuku, Ndabaningi Sithole, Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor Lovemore Madhuku have all been charged for merely opposing Mugabe. Any challenge against Mugabe and his government is viewed as an act of treason.

Journalists under section 81 of the Criminal Codification Act are also punishable if they publish information against the President. It is effectively impossible to oppose Mugabe, irrespective if you have valid information. The most recent case is that of the disappearance of journalist Itai Dzamara who allegedly was abducted by unknown assailants last year on the 9th of March. Dzamara has not been seen or heard from since.

How can foreign countries assist in the development of Zimbabwe?

Foreign countries can assist by offering the alternative in terms of education and skills development for the underprivileged, as well as offering programs that unite Zimbabweans regardless of their political affiliation. Zimbabweans require services, empowerment, and an array of jobs from foreign investors within the country.

Once Mugabe has passed, the future of the country can hopefully shape itself around a robust and practical economy.

** About the contact: the source for this feature article has been an investigative journalist in Zimbabwe and southern Africa for over two decades. Their goal is to expose the day-to-day life of Zimbabweans in the midst of a politically charged environment. To protect them from persecution within Zimbabwe their identity has been withheld.

This article was published by Geopolitical Monitor.com


Israel’s New Middle East Dimension – Analysis

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By Giancarlo Elia Valori*

The war in Syria has radically changed the equilibria of the whole Middle East. In fact it has ratified the new role of the Russian Federation, as well as the decline of the United States as reference power both for Israel and the “moderate” Sunni Arabs.

Finally it has established the Jewish State’s position and status as global player in the whole region. The new relationship between Israel and Egypt must be seen in this context. In fact, on July 10 last, the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, paid a visit to Jerusalem and met with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu twice..

The two statesmen analyzed the Palestinian issue, in particular, since the Israeli President hopes that Egypt will be in a position to act as a mediator for reaching final peace between Israel and the Palestinian entity.

The Egyptian President, Al Sisi, plans to reach a two-State solution for the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, this was not the only issue on the agenda.

In fact, the discussion between the Egyptian Minister and the Israeli Prime Minister mainly focused on Syria and Bashar El Assad’s ability to play a pivotal role in the fight against the Islamist jihad and ISIS. After six years of frozen relations between Turkey and Israel, even President Erdogan has resumed contacts with Jerusalem, by ensuring the exchange of intelligence, as well as strategic and military cooperation with this country.

Furthermore the Turkish leader has secretly sent the Heads of his intelligence services to meet their Syrian counterparts in Bashar’s government, so as to dispel and put an end to any misunderstanding and start an exchange of information and, in the future, of weapon systems.

At the same time, President Erdogan has used the Algerian mediators to reopen the channels with the Egyptian government. Hence a Sunni front is emerging, equal and opposite to the Shiite axis which has so far supported Assad’s Alawite regime, also during wartime.

Israel does not want Iran’s hegemony over Syria and the new equilibrium in Syria between the Sunni front – not opposed to Assad – and the Shiite region, which has always supported the Alawite regime, would stabilize the situation. In the future, it would also ensure the security of the Golan Heights and, possibly, of the Israeli-Lebanese border along the Litani river. It is also worth recalling the very recent Egyptian purchase – funded by Saudi Arabia – of a French-made Mistral-class helicopter carrier. Another one will be supplied late this year.

It is a real game changer for the Middle East: the Mistral class is equipped with missile defenses; it is an assault ship and can carry 16 helicopters in addition to a battalion of 40 Leclerc tanks with 450 soldiers.

Therefore, together with Russia, Egypt becomes the only country possessing a helicopter carrier in the region and hence it is able to patrol and defend the Sinai peninsula, the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba – a defense which is suitable both against Iran and the jihadists. Hence Israel can negotiate part of its external protection with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates against Iran and ISIS.

Considering that the war in Syria and the almost simultaneous rapprochement between Israel and Russia are a win-win game for the Jewish State, we must study not only the rearrangement of the Middle East framework, but also the changes and transformations of the Golan region.On July 5 last, Israel hit the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Southern Syria, in response to artillery operations on the Golan Heights by the Syrian Army.

Hezbollah stated that Israeli helicopters had attacked Syrian Army’s forces in Quneitra and, indeed, the IDF strikes had hit a building of the Syrian Ministry of Finance which, however, hosted the Iranian Pasdaran’s headquarters.

The issue is relevant and does not regard only the presence of Iranian forces: the whole Syrian border with the Jewish State and Jordan has now fallen prey to ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, namely the Syrian “section” of Al Qaeda.

In fact, along the Syrian border of the Golan region, the Army of Khaled Bin Al Walid is operating, namely a new jihadist group, combining ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, led by Abu Abdullah Al Madani, a Palestinian coming from Damascus and a veteran of Al Qaeda.

Al Madani has the financial resources to buy the chemical weapons of the old Syrian Army, an asset that many jihadi groups can no longer buy. He is selecting “rebels” for suicide operations within Israel and he is finally dealing with Al Nusra, with a view to penetrating the Golan Heights and threatening the Jewish State with the old chemical weapons of Hafez al-Assad’s arsenal.

Hence Israel “calls” – in the poker game sense – the intentions of the Sunni countries, threatened by the jihad at least to the same extent as Israel. It uses Egypt as a “bridge” for this new Middle East configuration. It makes President Erdogan’s Turkey go back into the anti-jihadist system and maintains excellent relations with Russia, which is now the only major power in the region.

Another win-win game, especially if the Turkey-Egypt-Saudi Arabia-Emirates axis is truly effective in the fight against jihadism.

About the author:
*Professor Giancarlo Elia Valori
is an eminent Italian economist and businessman. He holds prestigious academic distinctions and national orders. Mr Valori has lectured on international affairs and economics at the world’s leading universities such as Peking University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Yeshiva University in New York. He currently chairs “La Centrale Finanziaria Generale Spa”, he is also the honorary president of Huawei Italy, economic adviser to the Chinese giant HNA Group and Khashoggi Holding’s advisor. In 1992 he was appointed Officier de la Légion d’Honneur de la République Francaise, with this motivation: “A man who can see across borders to understand the world” and in 2002 he received the title of “Honorable” of the Académie des Sciences de l’Institut de France.

Source:
This article was published by Modern Diplomacy.

Kerry Talks To Turkey’s Cavusoglu, Stresses Claims Of US Role In Failed Coup ‘Utterly False’

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US Secretary John Kerry spoke Saturday evening with his counterpart Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, stressing that claims the US had any role in the failed coup attempt are “utterly false.”

According to US State Department spokesperson John Kirby, Cavusoglu provided an update on events in Turkey, and made clear the Turkish government remains in control of state institutions, as well as thanking the US for its support.

For his part, Kerry reiterated US support for the democratically elected government in Turkey, for the rule of law and for the need for authorities to take all necessary precautions to safeguard civilian life and property as they respond to this attempted coup.

Kirby said that Kerry also urged restraint by the Turkish government and respect for due process — and its international obligations — as it investigates and uncovers additional information about those involved.

“He (Kerry) made clear that the United States would be willing to provide assistance to Turkish authorities conducting this investigation, but that public insinuations or claims about any role by the United States in the failed coup attempt are utterly false and harmful to our bilateral relations,” said Kirby.

Finally, both ministers discussed Turkey’s importance as both a NATO ally and a key member of the coalition to defeat Da’esh, and stressed the need to stay focused on ensuring operational support to those efforts continue unabated, Kirby said.

Russia: New Religious Laws Not Expected To Hurt Catholic Church

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By Mary Rezac

Last week, despite protests from religious leaders and human rights groups, Russian president Vladimir Putin approved a new set of laws that would restrict evangelization and missionary activity to officially registered Church buildings and worship areas.

The laws fall under the umbrella of new anti-terrorism legislation, and prohibit sharing faith in private homes, online, or anywhere but recognized church buildings.

A missionary Catholic priest serving in Russia, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect his identity and his parish, told CNA that he expects the laws will have a much bigger impact on small groups of Evangelicals than they will on the Catholic Church in Russia.

The priest, who has been serving in Russia for 24 years, said that since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Catholic Church has followed government regulations that require religious organizations to be officially registered with the government.

Some smaller religious groups, often Evangelical groups, believe it is against their conscience to register with the government and so they refuse to do so, the priest said.

These new laws seem to be intended to target these newer, less established groups who are unregistered and may meet in private residences, he added.

The anti-evangelism law carries fines up to US $780 for an individual and $15,500 for an organization. Foreign visitors who violate the law face deportation.

The restrictions will also restrict groups considered “extremist”, which means something different in Russia than it does in the United States, the priest said.

For example, Jehovah’s witnesses would not be considered “extreme” in the sense of being a terrorism risk in the U.S., but in Russia, the tradition of conscientious objection to military service by members of the group is considered unjust and extreme by the Russian government, he said. The laws could also impact certain groups of Mormons, and fundamentalist, radical Muslims.

Catholic clergy and leaders in Russia have been careful over the years to only overtly advertise to existing Catholics.

“We’re very careful to say that our mission is to Catholics, and we are there to find the remnant of the Catholics and to serve them,” he said. “We don’t proselytize on the streets, because even if it wasn’t against the law, it would certainly be very dangerous.”

The religious situation in Russia is very fraught, the priest said. Before Communism came to Russia, a majority of the country’s citizens were Orthodox Christians. During the reign of Communism, the government attempted to destroy the Church by blowing up buildings and killing priests, religious sisters, and anyone who resisted them. Once the government gained control of the Orthodox Church, they appointed their own agents as hierarchy, who would then turn people in who came to the Church seeking baptism.

The seeds of distrust planted at that time still run deep, the priest told CNA, and the Russian Orthodox Church maintains its ties to the government today.

While Russia continually polls as one of the most faithful nations in Europe, with up to 65 percent reporting a belief in God, the terrors of the Communist regime are still fresh in the collective mind of the country, leaving the percentage of outwardly practicing Orthodox Christians or Catholic Christians at or below 1 percent of the population.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Catholic Church placed advertisements in newspapers and on television to let Catholics know that parishes had been reopened, and that there were priests there to serve them.

What they’re not allowed to publicly advertise, the priest said, is that the Church believes that everyone has the right to be Catholic and to seek baptism if they wish. Still, following the rules of the government, within reason, allows the Catholic Church to maintain a ministry of presence that would not exist if they were less careful.

While the new laws still certainly favor the Russian Orthodox Church, the priest said that it is “gross hyperbole” for some news outlets to compare these new laws to religious oppression under the Soviet Union.

“Making churches register with the government is not like slaughtering them wholesale in the millions,” he said.

The new laws are expected to go into effect on July 20. Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia and a former Moscow church-planter, told Christianity Today that while opponents of the new laws hope to appeal them, they are also prepared to go underground.

“They say, ‘If it will come to it, it’s not going to stop us from worshiping and sharing our faith,’” he said. “The Great Commission isn’t just for a time of freedom.”

Autonomy Over Dependence: US Halts Funding Haiti’s Election – Analysis

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By Sophie-Anne Baril*

Following political turmoil due to fraudulent elections in Haiti, the U.S. government has decided to cease funding for the country’s upcoming 2016 presidential election. A blessing in disguise, this cessation of external funds could possibly fortify Haiti’s autonomy. In the past, Haiti’s autonomy has been weakened by foreign involvement in its internal matters. For example, in Haiti’s 2015 presidential elections, the United States, along with other international bodies, provided a total of $38 million USD to Haiti’s Conseil Electoral Provisoire (Provisional Electoral Council, CEP).[1] After this presidential election was declared void and inconclusive, another election was rescheduled and ultimately also declared null. Haiti’s next presidential election will be held October 9 2016—that is, if provided the necessary funding and stable political environment. The presidential election’s proposed budget stands at $55 million USD. With the United States stepping out of the image, Haiti has the potential to conduct an autonomous election, setting the stage for greater and beneficial sovereignty in the island-nation.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby affirmed that the United States would not finance Haiti’s presidential election in October.[2] According to Kirby, the U.S. government had notified Haitian officials on July 1 that the United States would discontinue “its assistance toward the completion of the presidential electoral process.”[3] The U.S. government’s spokesman also stated that the United States will not fund the upcoming election because it was not planned within its appropriated budget. The new strategy deviates from the United States’ historical approach on its heavy involvement in Haiti.

In recent history, U.S. involvement in Haitian internal affairs has been significant—particularly through monetary and political influence. For example, in the early 20th century U.S. Marines occupied the Caribbean nation for 19 years. Early in 2004, the U.S. government supported a coup to overthrow Haiti’s first democratically elected president.[4] In 2009, the U.S. government further weakened Haiti’s democratic system by funding and supporting illegitimate parliamentary elections in Haiti.[5] The United States’ extensive history of political and monetary involvement in Haiti has undoubtedly shaped the nation’s governmental structure. Overall, U.S. influence in Haiti has not aided the nation to develop into a stable and sustainable democracy.

Historically, Haiti’s reliance on assistance from developed nations, such as the United States, has done the opposite of propelling the nation forward. Instead, this dependency has prolonged the cycle of corruption—continuing a trend, as described by The Washington Post, of monopolizing economic and political power in Haiti by foreign entities.[6] Now, with the U.S. government affirming its termination of finances for the upcoming election, the Haitian government, for the first time in many years, must rely on fewer outside sources and internal revenue for electoral funding. Spokesman Kirby has stated, “We believe it’s the sound thing to do, the right thing to do for the people of Haiti in the long-term.”[7] This statement, in defense of the cessation of election funds, implies that the U.S. government’s withdrawal from providing funds is two-fold. In addition to not having a budget for the October election, the U.S. government’s discontinued involvement from the election will create space for Haiti to independently rebuild its democratic institutions. Provisional Electoral Council Chief Leopold Berlanger echoed this idea when he said, “a real sovereign country […] should get the means to fund [its] own elections.”[8]

While the possibilities for Haiti’s growth towards autonomy are made possible through the lack of U.S. government funding and involvement, the situation also poses a plausible negative outcome. If the United States will not fund the election, it may not recognize its legitimacy. University of Virginia professor Robert Fatton finds this a troubling prospect: “The fact that the U.S. is pulling $2 million [USD] from the ‘election basket’ may be a sign that it is prepared to delegitimize the forthcoming elections if the results do not coincide with its interests.”[9] This would be the worst-case scenario for Haiti—a country desperate for a valid and transparent election along with an officially recognized leadership.

Nonetheless, with the appropriate funding, the presidential election will take place this October. It is now time for the Haitian government and people to prove their ability to unite and exercise Haiti’s long-awaited autonomy. For long, Haiti, the second nation to gain independence in the Western Hemisphere, has relied on outside aid and intervention. This year Haiti will have the opportunity to reaffirm its autonomy.

*Sophie-Anne Baril, Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs

[1] Nienaber, Georgianne. “How Is the US Involved in Haiti’s Current Elections?” Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. September 27, 2015. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://www.ijdh.org/2015/09/topics/politics-democracy/obama-sends-merten-back-to-haiti-as-new-election-crisis-looms/.

[2] Charles, Jacqueline. “U. S. to Haiti: Pay for Your Own Elections.” Miamiherald. July 07, 2016. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article88338777.html

[3] Ibid.

[4] “Haiti: US Interference Wins Elections.” TheHill. October 13, 2015. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/256679-haiti-us-interference-wins-elections.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Dupuy, Alex. “Foreign Aid Keeps the Country from Shaping Its Own Future.” Washington Post. January 09, 2011. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/07/AR2011010706511.html.

[7] McFadden, David. “US: No More Financial Help to Conclude Haiti Elections.” ABC News. July 07, 2016. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-financial-conclude-haiti-elections-40417737.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “US Withdraws Funding for Haiti Elections.” The Center for Economic and Policy Research. July 08, 2016. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/us-withdraws-funding-for-haiti-elections.

Ron Paul: Don’t Reform The Fed, Fed-Exit! – OpEd

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Opponents of a central bank should take advantage of the post-Brexit vote revival of secessionist sentiments to promote a secession from central banking, or “Fed-exit.” Ending the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money is the key to restoring and maintaining our liberty and prosperity.

By manipulating the money supply to fix interest rates, the Federal Reserve engages in price fixing. After all, interest rates are nothing more than the price of money. Like all prices, they communicate information about economic conditions to market actors. Federal Reserve attempts to override the market rate of interest with a Fed-favored rate distort the price signals sent to businesses, investors, and consumers. The result of this distortion is a Fed-created boom, followed by a Fed-created bust.

The Fed’s action affects the entire economy and impacts the lives of all Americans, as well as of people around the word. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the attempt to fix interest rates is the most harmful example of price fixing.

Many who normally oppose government intervention in the marketplace claim that central banking could work if only the Fed adhered to a monetary rule. Supporters of a “rules-based” monetary policy claim that a rules-based approach will bring stability and predictability to monetary policy, and thus put the economy on a path to permanent prosperity. But under a rules-based monetary policy, the Federal Reserve retains the power to manipulate interest rates. So under a rules-based approach, investors and entrepreneurs would still receive distorted price signals, which would still result in a boom-bust cycle. No rule can fix the flaws inherent in our system of monetary central planning.

In recent years, many progressives have joined libertarians and conservatives in criticizing the Federal Reserve. Progressive Fed critics often focus on the ways the Fed’s policies benefit big banks, Wall Street, and other special interests, and how the policies harm average Americans. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, many progressives do not want a free market in money. Instead they want a more “democratic” Fed. Thus, progressives favor, for example, requiring that more members of the Fed’s board be confirmed by the US Senate. They also favor putting representatives of “public interest” groups on the Fed’s board.

The Fed’s progressive critics are correct that big banks together with powerful financial institutions have too much influence on monetary policy. While implementing progressive reforms may reduce Wall Street’s influence on monetary policy, it will likely also strengthen the influence of the deep state — that network of crony capitalists, lobbyists, congressional staffers, and others who work behind the scenes to control our economic and foreign policies.

Many progressives believe that middle- and working-class Americans would benefit from a more “stimulative” (meaning inflationary) monetary policy. Saying that inflation would help the average American turns reality on its head. Middle- and working-class Americans are the main victims of the Fed’s inflation tax. Average Americans also suffer the most when the bubble created by the Fed’s inflationary “stimulus” inevitably bursts. The true beneficiaries of inflation are crony capitalists and big-spending politicians.

Instead of fruitless efforts aimed at “reform” of the Fed, those concerned with restoring a true free market, reducing economic inequality, and promoting peace and prosperity for all should work for a “Fed-exit.” The first step, of course, is to pass Audit the Fed.

Once Congress and the people learn the full truth about the Fed, they can begin to consider the best ways to Fed-exit. There are a number of steps that can and should be taken toward that goal that I will outline in a future column.

This article was published by RonPaul Institute.

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