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Al Qaeda Breaks Link With Syrian Militant Group ISIS – OpEd

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By Paul Woodward

Reuters reports: Al Qaeda’s general command said on Monday it had no links with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL aka ISIS), in an apparent attempt to reassert its authority over fragmented Islamist fighters in Syria’s civil war.

After a month of rebel infighting, al Qaeda disavowed the increasingly independent ISIL in a move likely to bolster a rival Islamist group, the Nusra Front, as al Qaeda’s official proxy in Syria.

The switch is seen as an attempt to redirect the Islamist effort towards unseating President Bashar al-Assad rather than waste resources in fighting other rebels, and could be intended to shift the strategic balance at a time when government forces are increasingly active on the battlefield. It could also embolden Nusra in its dispute with ISIL.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Goldberg writes: Two prominent Republican senators say that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told them — along with 13 other members of a bipartisan congressional delegation — that President Barack Obama’s administration is in need of a new, more assertive, Syria policy; that al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Syria pose a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland; that Russia is arming the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and is generally subverting chances for a peaceful settlement; that Assad is violating his promise to expeditiously part with his massive stores of chemical weapons; and that, in Kerry’s view, it may be time to consider, once again, supporting the arming of more moderate Syrian rebel factions.

At a time that al Qaeda, the organization led by Ayman Zawahri, is disavowing ISIS, it’s time that Washington and the press stop using al Qaeda and al Qaeda affiliates as the preferred catch-all terms for branding America’s enemies.

Know Your Enemy 101: Al Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant/Syria (ISIL or ISIS) are not interchangeable terms. The idea that all these groups pose a threat to the U.S. homeland is either an expression of the ignorance of those making the claim or a cynical attempt to exploit the ignorance of their audience.

The article Al Qaeda Breaks Link With Syrian Militant Group ISIS – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review.


Iran Viewpoint: Military Option: A Final Choice Available To All Countries – OpEd

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By Iran Review

By Bijan Kiani

For many years, the US statesmen have been talking about war and military strike as an option available to them for dealing with other states that are not in line with their policies. They have also tried to use that threat as a means of achieving their goals. War, per se, is an ominous and destructive phenomenon unless it represents efforts made to safeguard lofty human values, including Jihad for the protection of a divine cause or to defend a country’s territorial integrity. Islam is a religion which invites people to peace. However, such an invitation to peace does not necessarily mean that its followers should ignore enemies’ moves and neglect the need to go to war when it is absolutely necessary.

From a military viewpoint, the main strategy of Islam is to advise Muslims to be totally prepared to defend themselves and to head off any possible threats. It is noteworthy that the Almighty has ordered Muslims in the Quran to “prepare for them [your enemies] whatever force you can….” This Quranic verse clearly shows the emphasis that Islam puts on military strategy by reminding Muslims of the necessity to be totally vigilant in the face of their enemies. When Islam talks about the necessity for Muslims to be vigilant and be prepared to defend themselves against the enemies, it means that one of the major options that should be taken into account in the face of enemies is the military option. A review of the evolutionary curve of human societies and governments throughout history will reveal that going to war has been always a main option and has been never taken off any government’s table in the course of human history. Perhaps, this option will continue to remain on the table of all governments – whether they are aggressive and unjust governments or rightful states that are simply defending themselves – until the day comes when the ideal state promised by God, which is supposed to bring true peace for humanity, will come into being.

The recourse to this option, however, has been seen more prominently since the theory of realism was brought up in the West and gradually became the dominant theory of the Western states. According to the theory of realism, international relations constitute a playground for the interests of various states. As a result, it is quite natural for serious conflict of interests to take place in this area. Therefore, it has frequently happened in many cases that states, as the main players in international relations, have resorted to war as the most important option which allows them to gain more power and pursue their legitimate or even illegitimate interests.

The main purpose of this introductory note was to mention this basic point that throughout the human history, war has been constantly an option open to all governments. Therefore, there is nothing new with the remarks made by the United States politicians about the military option being available against Iran during more than three decades that have passed since the victory of the Islamic Revolution. They have been also repeating their angry remarks about this option during all the days that nuclear talks have been going on between negotiating delegations from Iran and other parties involved in the Iranian nuclear issue.

Everybody knows that, at least, according to Western realistic teachings, war may break out at any time and wreak havoc on human societies as it has always done in past eras. Therefore, there is no doubt that all governments, either big or small, are forced to look upon war as one of their available options when it comes to relations with other countries, and should always be ready for its possibility. The fact that all the governments undertake heavy military spending and spare no effort to bolster their armies and other parts of their armed forces, buy various kinds of weapons, engage in outright arms race, establish plants for mass production of war materiel and take many other similar measures, all prove that those governments always keep the military option ready on their tables.

Iran, as a country, and the government of the Islamic Republic, as a government which has arisen from the biggest revolution of the 20th century, have been always ready to defend themselves and have been always vigilant in the face of every move made by enemies and ill-wishers. This has been necessitated as a result of the true nature of international relations as well as different problems with which Iran has been grappling, including the experience of eight years of war [with the neighboring Iraq]. Americans are more aware of this fact than any other party. Nonetheless, every now and then, they directly or indirectly point to the possibility of choosing the option of war against Iran. The reason behind repetition of this threat will be discussed later in this article. However, it is quite clear that the American statesmen will go for this option on Iran only if all necessary conditions are provided. The following is a shortlist of these necessary conditions:

1. When it comes to benefits and losses of war, the benefits of a possible war against Iran should certainly and greatly outweigh its losses;

2. The security of Israel should not be put in jeopardy;

3. No interruption should take place in the supply of oil to the West and its allies during the war and the price of oil in global markets should not go up in sharp spurts;

4. The interests of the United States should not be endangered in the region and the world;

5. The counterblow by Iran against the United States should be predictable;

6. The United States should have the upper hand both at the beginning and at the end of such a war;

7. Regional allies of the United States, which may help Washington in case of an attack on Iran, should be immune to Iran’s retaliatory measures;

8. Any military operation  should be limited in scope and carefully carried out;

9. The defensive power of Iran’s armed forces should be low;

10. The Iranian people should not take any measure to support their government;

11. After the experience of war in Vietnam, the United States usually embarks on war only when the other party is weak and can be easily conquered. For example, Afghanistan and Iraq in Asia, Serbia in Europe, and Panama in Latin America were all considered very weak and easy targets for the US military.

Now, with the above eleven points in mind, let’s have an assessment of the current situation of the United States with regard to every one of those points. Many American experts have admitted to the fact that at the moment, the United States is in no position to embark on a new war whose benefits would be higher than its losses.

In case of a US attack on Iran, Israel will be very vulnerable. The so-called “Iron Dome” missile defense system, which is supposed to protect Israel against missile attacks, has been proven unable to even head off attacks by Fajr missiles. Therefore, there is no doubt that it will be even more vulnerable to more advanced missiles. As a result, in case of a military strike against Iran, no part of the occupied Palestinian territories would be immune to retaliatory attacks.

In case of a military attack by the United States, Iran will be able to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers or, at least, cause serious problems for their movement. Under such conditions, the global oil prices are sure to see a steep hike as a result of which the ailing economies of the United States and other Western countries will experience an uncontrollable shock.

Iran has declared once and again that in case of an imposed war with the United States, it will resort to asymmetrical warfare. The real meaning of asymmetrical warfare is that Iran will target all the weaknesses and interests of the United States. An asymmetrical war would not be limited to a specific time and place, which could be predictable by the United States and allow Washington to prepare its military forces for contingencies.

As a result, Iran has frequently announced that such a war may begin by the United States or any other country, but the beginner will not be necessarily able to end it at will. The past experience of eight years of war between Iran and Iraq attests to this fact.

The United States may be willing to initiate a limited war, but such a war will probably spread rapidly to engulf the entire region and even the world. Undoubtedly, the Iranian armed forces are now at the peak of their power and readiness to defend the country and will give a firm response to any country in the region which may take sides with the United States in its possible strike against Iran.

Throughout their history, the Iranian people have been known for their high spirit for fighting and dispelling foreign invaders. There is no doubt that if they see their country in danger, they are sure to rally behind their government and make any aggressor regret what they have done. Basically, Iran is not an easy target for the United States to conquer. As a result, and with the above facts in mind, it goes without saying that the United States lacks preparedness to wage a new war against Iran at the present time. Therefore, frequent reference to the military option against Iran under conditions when diplomatic negotiation and dialogue is going on, is just a threadbare measure taken in the vain hope of extorting more concessions from Iran. So, it is clear that they will not be able to achieve this goal and this behavior will only shed more light on the true colors of the US government before the public opinion of the world, especially the Iranian nation. Consequently, it may even exacerbate the current situation of distrust that governs relations between the two countries.

Does it really make any difference to a nation that is vigilant and ready to defend its country’s territorial integrity, whether its enemies have the military option ready on the table or not?  [The US President] Mr. [Barack] Obama can order this option not only to be kept on the table, but also be hung from all the walls of the White House.

Undoubtedly, whenever it is possible for the United States to embark on military strike, it will not hesitate to do so. The main reason which has so far prevented the United States from waging war against Iran and has made it suffice to posing the war gesture is Washington’s inability to do so. And the main reasons behind that inability were elaborated earlier in this article.

Bijan Kiani
Expert on International Affairs

Source: Tabnak News Website
http://www.tabnak.ir/
Translated By: Iran Review.Org

The article Iran Viewpoint: Military Option: A Final Choice Available To All Countries – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Obama To Visit Saudi Arabia In March

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By VOA

By Dan Robinson

U.S. President Barack Obama is to visit Saudi Arabia next month after a trip to three European nations. Talks with Saudi King Abdullah will focus on regional security issues, including the Syrian civil war and international negotiations with Iran for a final agreement on its nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia was added to the already announced itinerary for Obama in Europe, including the global Nuclear Summit in The Netherlands, consultations with NATO and the EU in Brussels, and Italy, where he will meet Pope Francis and Italian leaders.

Long close allies, U.S.-Saudi relations have been severely strained. Saudi officials complained bitterly last year about what they saw as Obama’s reluctance to intervene militarily in Syria, or to do more to arm rebels.

Riyadh is providing weapons to the rebels. Saudi Arabia also remains concerned about support that Shiite Iran, its chief regional rival, has given to President Bashar al-Assad. Warring Syrian parties recently held inconclusive face-to-face talks in Geneva.

Saudi leaders also are watching closely the P5+1 negotiations with Tehran for a final nuclear deal. Other issues include nervousness about events in Egypt, where there has been ongoing violence ahead of a new election.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked Monday if scheduling Obama’s stop in Riyadh was aimed at carrying out “damage control.”

“Saudi Arabia is a close partner of the United States and we have a bilateral relationship that is broad and deep and covers a range of areas, and the president very much looks forward to the visit where all of those areas will be discussed in meetings. And whatever differences we may have do not alter the fact this is a very important and close partnership,” said Carney.

In newspaper interviews last year, influential former Saudi intelligence chief and former ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal, strongly criticized U.S. Mideast policy.

This focused on President Obama’s approach on Syria, specifically his eventual decision not to use military force in response to Syrian government chemical weapons attacks, and the Iran negotiations.

President Obama and the Saudi monarch spoke by telephone this past November. The White House said Obama “reiterated the firm commitment “of the United States to friends and allies in the Gulf.

Secretary of State John Kerry visited Saudi Arabia last year and again in January as part of efforts to address Saudi concerns, and discuss Mideast peace efforts.

President Obama is scheduled to meet February 14 with King Abdullah of Jordan at the Sunnylands estate in California. Those talks will also focus on Syria, Israel-Palestinian peace efforts and other issues.

The article Obama To Visit Saudi Arabia In March appeared first on Eurasia Review.

US Could Default On Debt By End Of February

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By VOR

The United States federal government could default on its obligations and debt “very soon,” the Obama administration warned Monday. The US is near the part where the government runs out of room to borrow money under a legal cap on the public debt.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew confirmed that the US is going to reinstate a debt limit at the end of the week and the administration can utilize accounting schemes to stay under the new cap until the end of this month. Once those methods are completed then the government would spend its remaining reserves rather quickly because at this time of the year it’s short on cash due to tax refunds.

“Without borrowing authority, at some point very soon, it would not be possible to meet all of the obligations of the federal government,” Lew stated in a speech delivered to a think-tank organization.

Speaking at a Bipartisan Policy Center event, Lew explained that it’s uncertain if the government should address its long-term fiscal picture because it has taken positive actions on the reduction of the budget deficit.

“I’m not sure this is the year for the long-term fiscal challenge to be dealt with,” said Lew. I actually believe that we’ve made so much progress in the short and medium term, we have a little time to deal with the longer term.”

Without borrowing money to pay its debts and obligations, it could miss Social Security payments and other monthly checks for various entitlement programs. According to some experts, if the US were to default then it could initiate domestic and international financial panic and even a collapse of the national and global economies.

The treasury secretary said the US treasury department could resort to accounting mechanisms to avoid breaching the limit until the end of February.

But soon after, the US will only be able to pay its debt and other obligations with cash on hand.

And in the spring, Mr Lew noted, the US issues tax refunds to Americans who overpaid income taxes last year, straining its cash reserves.

While Republicans have in the past demanded budget cuts in return for agreeing an increase in the borrowing limit, the party’s leaders have signalled reluctance to do so this time around.

The national debt is more than $17 trillion, but some economists say that figure is more likely to be between $70 and $200 trillion if you account for unfunded liabilities and expenditures.

The article US Could Default On Debt By End Of February appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Sochi 2014: Russia Expects, But Can Athletes Deliver?

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By Ria Novosti

By James Ellingworth

Could Russia be an also-ran at its own Olympics?

That’s the question troubling the Kremlin as Russia drastically scales back its predictions of sporting glory at the $51 billion extravaganza in Sochi.

Next month marks 20 years since Russia last topped the Olympic medal table in Lillehammer, a final flowering by the old Soviet-era sports system while the country was in the chaotic transition to a market economy.

Back then, Russia had little money but plenty of medals, but now the danger of the opposite could be true of Sochi 2014.

Competing in palatial sport facilities that would have been unimaginable in the Russia of 20 years ago, some of the host nation’s athletes may dream of Lillehammer-style glory. But the stark truth is that many will simply be keen to avoid failure on the scale of Vancouver 2010, when Russia finished 11th in the medal table, its worst-ever result.

The aftermath of that flop saw Vladimir Putin – then prime minister – demand that Russia must come first in Sochi, his pet project, but since then officials have been subtly redefining what “success” would mean.

The Sports Ministry set a top-three target last year, but its head Vitaly Mutko has backed down since. “Any result that the team displays” is deserving of support, he said last week.

Russian Olympic Committee chief Alexander Zhukov once predicted that Russia could “take first place” in Sochi but now has also set the bar low. “Performing worse than in Vancouver is impossible” was his barely reassuring line last month.

There is little question that Russia has improved since that 2010 nadir, branching out into new sports and hiring foreign coaches at great expense, but the strides that have been made appear shorter than expected.

So who could save Russia’s blushes?

Russia’s flagship medal contender is its men’s hockey team, bidding to win the gold medal for the first time since the Soviet “Big Red Machine” triumphed in Calgary in 1988. Boasting stars like Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, Russia’s first two forward lines pack fearsome firepower, but concerns remain over the host nation’s strength in depth against likely gold medal rivals, chief among them Canada.

On the other side of the Olympic Park, figure skating legend Evgeni Plushenko will bid for a fourth Olympic medal after conquering injuries and younger opponents to book his place in Sochi. The battle over Russia’s sole men’s competition entry went down to the wire, with the 31-year-old winning through in a test skate for officials after the up-and-coming Maxim Kovtun flopped at the European championships.

In the pairs, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov have been breaking world records for fun over the last two years, but have stumbled through recent competitions. Even so, anything less than a gold medal would be a major disappointment. Fifteen-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia and ice dancers Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev could also snatch bronzes.

Speedskating could be an unusual goldmine for the host nation, with Ivan Skobrev and Denis Yuskov both potential champions. By far the most noteworthy member of the Russian team is short-track star Viktor Ahn, the ex-South Korean triple Olympic champion whose adopted Russian first name is, he says, a sign of his dedication to coming first in Sochi.

In the mountains, another naturalized foreigner has become a Russian pioneer in an unfamiliar sport. US-born Vic Wild is chasing snowboard gold on the same team as his Russian wife, Alena Zavarzina.

That’s not to say that Russia is out of the running in its traditional mountain sports.

Cross-country skiing and biathlon should both provide medals, although not necessarily any golds. There was an unpleasant reminder of Russian sport’s checkered past Thursday when medal contender Irina Starykh was sent home from the Russian biathlon team after failing a drug test.

Embarrassingly for the government, that news came only a week after Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko claimed there was “not a single” drug test worry for the host nation. Doping claims bring back unwelcome memories of 2006, when Russia was stripped of a biathlon silver medal after Olga Pyleva tested positive for a banned stimulant.

But despite the unprecedented weight of expectation on the Russian athletes, team spirit appears high.

“Everyone understands why we’re going to Sochi, but it’s important to feel that we are one fist, one team, that the guys are behind one another, that no one will ever sell out anyone else,” Malkin told R-Sport earlier this month.

To avoid a flop at its first Winter Olympics, Russia will need that team spirit across the board.

The article Sochi 2014: Russia Expects, But Can Athletes Deliver? appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Erekat: No Middle East Negotiations Progress

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By Maan

PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said a recent meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry made no progress and a date for a framework agreement was yet to be set.

Erekat said he held several meeting with Kerry in Washington, and the two discussed ways to push the peace process forward but there was nothing official to report so far.

Kerry did not set a date for his next visit to the region or a date to present the framework agreement.

Kerry met with Erekat in Washington last week, after meeting with Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni.

“Until this moment and after the Quartet meeting which was held on Saturday in Munich, Kerry did not present anything written or official,” Erekat said.

He highlighted that the Palestinians awaited an official proposal from the US, which was postponed due to “deep issues with Israel which rejects the two-state solution and international law.”

Israel has decided to build over 10,000 settler homes, demolished over 219 Palestinian homes and killed over 40 Palestinians since restarting peace talks last July, Erekat noted.

He said that Israel should be held accountable by the international community, and not just condemned and denounced.

After meeting Kerry in Washington, Erekat flew to Munich for a symposium about the Middle East peace process at which he had a heated argument with Livni.

Erekat explained that the reason for the argument was her insistence that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

“I told her in front of the whole world that we will not change our history, our religion or our civilization,” Erekat said. “We are the lawful sons of Palestine; we will not accept Israel as a Jewish state”.

He added: “I informed Livni that Israel must apologize for Palestinian refugees, because they weren’t displaced by a volcano or a tsunami, but by the establishment of Israel. They should apologize to them and solve their issue on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative and international decisions.”

“Livni accused us of not wanting peace, and I told her that Israel is racist against Palestinians in ways that did not happen in South Africa. The world should rise against this racist regime, hold it accountable and punish it,” he added.

Erekat said that discussions in Munich focused on the requirements of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the two-state solution.

He also rejected connecting the release of veteran Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails to signing a framework agreement.

He explained that the release of veteran prisoners was “a deal done out of the negotiations and is connected to the heavy price of freezing applications for UN organizations.”

The article Erekat: No Middle East Negotiations Progress appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Puzzle Over China Data And Rising Smog – Analysis

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By RFA

By Michael Lelyveld

China’s recent energy reports have posed a puzzle for those seeking to understand the connections between slower economic growth and rising urban smog.

Ordinarily, a slowdown in growth would be expected to result in reduced rates of emissions, but China’s worst air pollution in its modern history seems an exception to the rule.

Official economic and energy reports for 2013 have pointed in conflicting directions.

Last year’s gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic activity, rose 7.7 percent, matching the growth level of 2012 as the lowest since 1999.

Growth in industrial output of 9.7 percent also weakened from the 10-percent pace of 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

Yet power consumption climbed 7.5 percent in 2013, considerably more than the 5.5-percent gain a year earlier, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

Electricity use is often cited as a more reliable indicator of economic activity than official GDP, suggesting China’s performance last year may not have been as lackluster as it appeared, The Wall Street Journal said on Jan. 20.

Confusing indicators

But it is unclear whether China produced more economic value last year or simply used more electricity.

The question is complicated by other ambiguous indicators.

Implied oil demand rose just 1.6 percent, the weakest yearly rate in more than two decades, Reuters reported.

According to state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), the growth in apparent oil consumption was 1.7 percent, which it called the smallest in 13 years.

The oil figures seem to conflict with the more bullish implications of electricity use and the rise in urban smog.

But the results reported by the coal industry are even more curious.

The China National Coal Association (CNCA) reported that growth in coal consumption slowed to 2.6 percent last year, reaching 3.61 billion metric tons.

The rate is slightly more than the 2.5-percent growth reported by he NBS for 2012, but still seemingly at odds with the 7.5-percent rise in electricity use, since coal is China’s main fuel for power.

‘A difficult question’

Philip Andrews-Speed, a China energy expert at National University of Singapore, said the question of conflicting reports is “a really difficult one.”

“Why so much extra electricity with so little extra coal?” Andrews-Speed asked.

China has made great strides in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, as well as natural gas, but probably not enough to account for the discrepancy between power and coal consumption growth.

According to the 2013 World Energy Outlook of the Paris- based International Energy Agency, coal supplied 88 percent of China’s electricity demand in 2011, suggesting consumption should have advanced on parallel tracks.

Between 1990 and 2011, the share of coal consumption accounted for by power generation doubled from 26 to 52 percent, Andrews-Speed said.

Slumping coal prices for most of last year might also have been expected to encourage consumption. China’s five major power companies reported an 18-percent jump in combined profits last year thanks to low coal prices, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The difficulty posed by China’s data is compounded by the fact that it comes from such a variety of sources, including the NBS, the NEA, and industry, while official GDP figures are frequently criticized as unreliable.

A Xinhua report on Jan. 23 noted that the sum of provincial-level GDP figures for last year exceeded the national total by 2 trillion yuan (U.S. $330 billion), even before three of the 31 provincial governments had submitted results.

Common inconsistencies

Such inconsistencies in NBS estimates have been common over the past decade.

“One plus one equals two. But it’s not always the case when you are talking about the calculating of local and national GDP data in China,” Xinhua said, calling the addition error “a somewhat peculiar math problem.”

But Andrews-Speed said 2013 was not unique in its apparent conflicts with energy data. Over the past 13 years, China has recorded similarly large and unexplained gaps in growth rates between power and coal consumption during the periods 2000-2002 and 2007-2008.

Andrews-Speed said the answer to the puzzle may be contained in research by China energy expert Kevin Jianjun Tu, formerly of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

In a 2011 paper for Stanford University, Tu found that the sum of coal consumption figures from the provinces has frequently topped national totals by as much as 500 million tons annually for the past decade. The excess is suspected to be a sign of illegitimate trade in coal.

Andrews-Speed noted that the biggest discrepancies in reporting correspond to the years with the greatest gaps in consumption growth between coal and power.

The correlation suggests that China may be burning far more coal than estimated in the industry reports, Andrews- Speed said.

If so, that could explain the big difference between growth rates in coal and power consumption last year and, more importantly, the big increase in urban smog.

The article Puzzle Over China Data And Rising Smog – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review.

India-South Korea Relations: A New Beginning – Analysis

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By IDSA

By Pranamita Baruah

India and South Korea enjoy warm and friendly relations. However despite its strong economic foundation, the relationship has so far failed to realize its full potential. South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s recent visit to India was hoped to rectify that situation and add depth to the bilateral relations. In fact, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, after his meeting with President Park on January 16, 2014, averred that her visit would enable to impart further substance, greater content and new momentum to the ‘Strategic Partnership’.

President Park four-day state visit was accompanied by a high level delegation which included the foreign, trade, ICT and science ministers. During the visit, both Park and Manmohan Singh presented the following three elements as a common vision: stronger high level political cooperation, open economic and trade environment and deeper cultural understanding. In order to implement the common vision, they agreed to set the following policy directions: strengthening bilateral strategic communication channels in the political and security field; consolidating the institutional framework for economic cooperation and creating more favourable conditions for further expansion of trade and investment; deepening mutual understanding by expanding cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions and last but not the least, closely cooperating with each other as partners on the regional and international stages to address common challenges of mankind so as to usher in a new era of prosperity for the international community. Both the countries signed nine pacts, including the Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military Information, the MoU on Joint applied research, the conclusion of negotiations for revision of the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, etc. Both sides are hoping that this would not only intensify the bilateral relationship but also open up new opportunities for engagement.

One of the major focus of Park’s visit was to discuss about the final clearance for the multi billion dollar POSCO Steel Plant and the Port project in Odisha, which is one of the major South Korean ventures in India. In 2005, the project was initially proposed to be set up in the coastal town of Jagatsinghpur (Odisha). Not much progress could be achieved due to several factors like environmental clearance, delay in land procurement and popular protest. However just few weeks ahead of Park’s visit, the Ministry of Environment and Forests gave the go ahead for the POSCO plant. The Odisha government too has managed to provide about 2700 acres of land and instead of setting up a 12 million tones per annum steel plant (as proposed originally), it has been decided that the project would go ahead with 8 million tones. India has assured South Korea that grant of mining concession for the project is at an advanced stage and so the project could finally move ahead.

Both the leaders agreed that sustaining trade growth and expanding economic exchanges are vital for a stronger India-South Korea relation. Over the years, the relationship has witnessed tremendous growth in the economic sector. The enforcement of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010 has helped in boosting trade relations from $12 billion in 2008 to $20 billion in 2011. It is projected to reach $40 billion by 2015. While taking advantage of the domestic market in India, South Korean firms (Hyundai, Samsung, LG, etc) have performed quite well here. Although India has maintained by and large a restrictive investment environment for foreign investors, it is significantly relaxed in the case of South Korean firms pursuant to the CEPA. During Park’s visit, the two countries announced the conclusion of negotiations for the revision of the present Double Taxation Avoidance Convention. They also agreed to establish a Joint Trade and Investment Promotion Committee at the cabinet level. The two sides also agreed to establish a CEOs Forum comprising of captains of the industry and commerce from both sides to provide new ideas for deepening bilateral economic ties. They even explored the possibility of setting up a Korean Industrial Park in the state of Rajasthan. As South Korea is one of the few countries which have been able to maintain a trade surplus with China, India is hoping that the proposed park could provide a fillip to its industry suffering from slow growth in exports and subsequently help the industrial sector to get integrated in the global supply chain.

As far as political and security ties are concerned, India-South Korea relations have been steadily forging ahead. During Park’s visit, the two sides emphasized on enhancing political interaction through mutual visits, including parliamentarians and high-level officials from central as well as provincial governments. They also underlined the need to expand the current bilateral security consultations. As for defense cooperation, in recent years, both the countries have not only conducted joint naval exercises, but also working together on defense R&D and anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. During Park’s visit, the two countries concluded an Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military Information which would boost defence engagement. They have not only agreed to hold annual interactions between their two national security structures, but also to launch a Cyber Affairs Dialogue. India is also now strongly considering purchase of South Korean minesweepers.

Civilian uses of space have opened up new avenues for engagement. South Korea has an ambitious space programme and it has been looking for international partners. India’s cost-effective space launches are attractive to Seoul, particularly after the recent success of Chandrayaan and GSLV launches. Both the countries signed the implementing agreement between the Indian Space Research Organization and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute for cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. The two countries also agreed to increase collaboration in the peaceful uses of space science and technology. While appreciating the contribution of the Science and Technology Cooperation Fund worth $10 million towards joint research projects since 2011, the two countries agreed to create an additional fund of $10 million (with a contribution of $5 million by each side) to promote joint mega projects. Moreover they have inked a MoU on Joint Applied Research and Development Programme in Science and Technology. The two countries also agreed to establish the India-ROK ICT Policy Forum to discuss cooperation on software and information security. As far as implementation of the New Delhi-Seoul civil nuclear deal (2011) is concerned, the India has assured Seoul that it would take up the latter’s proposal for setting up nuclear plants as and when India starts working on phase II of those projects.

India-South Korea relations have come a long way since the establishment of their diplomatic relationship in 1973. Throughout the Cold War, the ideological differences largely deterred the two countries from realizing the full potential of the relationship. The growing economic interaction since India’s economic liberalization pushed both to explore the possibility of cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Of course India’s growing emphasis on its ‘Look East Policy’ and South Korea’s ‘New Asia Diplomatic Initiative’ has helped elevate the relationship to one of ‘strategic partnership.’ In the coming years, the two can expand their sphere of cooperation in areas like intelligence sharing, infrastructure development projects (e.g., shipping). At the multilateral level, they can even explore the possibility of cooperation with countries like Japan in sectors like maritime security, counter terrorism, drug trafficking, climate change, UNPKOs, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities, etc.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India.

Originally published by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (www.idsa.in) at http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/IndiaSouthKoreaRelations_pbaruah_290114

The article India-South Korea Relations: A New Beginning – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review.


Realism Not Romanticism Should Dictate India’s Pakistan Policy – Analysis

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By IDSA

By Sushant Sareen

Wags have often compared India’s policy towards Pakistan with the attitude of an abused wife who continues to harbour fond hopes that her tormentor will one day reform. Much like the abused wife, India’s response to incessant provocations from Pakistan is limited to the occasional protest. And, just as the abused wife justifies sticking to the unhappy marriage because destiny has willed it so, India uses geography and an outdated concept of neighbours to desist from taking any step or making any policy that will address the Pakistan problem substantially, if not entirely.

Thus it is that even as reports emanating from Pakistan reveal that the Lashkar-e-Taiba openly threatened war after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Jaish-e-Mohammad hosted a huge rally under police protection in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on India’s Republic Day, Pakistani troops once again violated the ceasefire along the LoC, and that the Pakistani delegation played the ‘dehati aurat’ (to use Nawaz Sharif’s evocative phrase) to seek US intervention and involvement on its side against India not just in Kashmir but also in Afghanistan, the Indian press is reporting that the lame-duck Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a last throw of the dice (and perhaps throwing all caution to the winds) is planning to visit Pakistan just on the eve of elections.

Although it is entirely possible that other than some movement on the trade front, no other Napoleonic feat will be achieved during this purported trip. There is apprehension that the outgoing government might enter into some understanding or even agreement – speculation is rife about some sort of roadmap being agreed to resume the Composite Dialogue – that ties the hand of the next Prime Minister in how to engage with, or as the case may be, stay disengaged from, Pakistan. In other words, by undertaking a visit to Pakistan, the Indian PM could well be laying a diplomatic and strategic minefield for his successor.

Whosoever forms the next government in New Delhi must have an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review of India’s Pakistan policy. Such exercise should not only question the hoary assumptions and shibboleths that have guided policymaking so far, but also forge a policy framework that sheds all starry-eyed notions based on extraneous considerations – personal friendships, ancestral links, family origins, childhood nostalgia, romantic notions of being the one to normalise relations to recreate the period of glorious co-existence (which actually never existed!), delusions of statesmanship which will be the toast of the world – in favour of a policy that protects and promotes India’s economic, political, security and strategic interests. Hard-nosed and professional assessment based on ground realities, and not seductive and sugary statements from Pakistani leaders, must form the basis of any new policy.

Among the first things that the next government must do is get over the ‘saviour’ complex that has dogged India’s Pakistan policy since Independence. Against the backdrop of US-led ISAF withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rising profile and power of both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups, immense pressure will come on the next government from sections within India to make concessions to Pakistan and rescue it from the existential crisis in which it finds itself. Such pressure to pull Pakistan’s chestnuts out of the fire must be resisted. Simply put, Pakistan’s existential crisis is of its own making and asking or expecting India to rescue Pakistan from itself is a mug’s game. Innumerable times in the past India has become a victim to this ‘saviour’ complex only to repent later.

Out of all the outstanding issues between the two countries, the only area in which reasonable progress appears possible is trade. It is, however, important that the rationale for trade not be overstated. The political and diplomatic spin-offs resulting from bilateral trade are at best a fringe benefit and should not and cannot become the primary objective for opening trade. To put politics before economics in the context of trade would be akin to putting the cart before the horse. The two countries should open up trade for no other reason except that it makes economic sense and is beneficial for both sides. At the same time, political and security realities must be factored in while opening trade. The recent drugs haul in Kashmir and other instances of arms, explosives and narcotics being smuggled under the cover of overland trade should serve as a wake-up call to those who advocate throwing open the borders for traders. Similarly, adopting a cavalier attitude in easing travel and visa restrictions is inviting disaster. While it is true that subversives don’t need visas to come across the border, it is equally true that there is no reason to make it easy for them to cross the border on readily available Indian visas.

The utility of people-to-people contacts should also not be overstated. No doubt, travel between the two countries will help in dispelling some of the myths and falsehoods that have been propagated over the years. But it will also reaffirm some of the stereotypes. The short point is that Indian policymakers must take into account the deep-seated prejudice and societal transformation that has happened inside Pakistan over the last nearly seven decades. This is not to deny that there are many Pakistanis with a lot of goodwill towards India; only these people, despite being very visible and vocal, don’t call the shots. To make policy on the basis of interaction with these people and ignore the overwhelming majority that thinks and views India very differently and inimically would be a grave mistake. Indeed, many of the liberals inside Pakistan, perhaps unwittingly, play the good cop to soften and confuse opinion and discourse within India, while their establishment continues on its bad cop routine. What is more, many among this lot have also got insidiously warped in their world view. For instance, an iconic Pakistani editor of an English weekly who is seen by many in India and across the world as a rational and sensible person did not bat an eyelid in one of his TV programmes in claiming that the famed Lahore hospitality is not a Punjabi but an Islamic trait! This sort of comment betrays a mindset that will find it difficult to reconcile to the idea and reality of India.

India’s Pakistan policy must not be based on statements emanating from Pakistan but on tangible steps that the Pakistani authorities take to address India’s concerns. Apart from preparing a set of metrics to judge Pakistan’s intentions and sincerity, the next government must resist the temptation of entering into any deal just for the sake of a deal. Interim settlements or a series of interim deals of the type envisaged on the back-channel between Musharraf and Manmohan Singh on issues like Jammu and Kashmir will be disastrous for India. This will mean that Pakistan will be free to reopen the issue at a time of its convenience and choosing. If there is a deal on offer, it must be of a permanent nature for India to accept it.

The next government must be open to the idea of grabbing a good deal if one is on offer. But there is no reason for India to go overboard in trying to seal a deal. In other words, if Pakistan desires parity with India, it should not expect ‘magnanimity’ from India, and if it expects ‘magnanimity’, then it should not insist on parity. Most importantly, India needs to understand that the future trajectory of relations will depend on whether or not Pakistan’s animosity towards India outweighs its fear and revulsion of the Taliban. If Pakistan sees the Taliban as the problem, then prospects for a detente, and even normalisation, will improve tremendously. If, however, India remains the object of hate and the Taliban an ally or asset, then normalisation or even detente will remain a chimera. What course Pakistan chooses will become clear in the next first year of the next government in Delhi, by which time the new government should be able to review, re-evaluate and remake India’s Pakistan policy.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India.

Originally published by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (www.idsa.in) at http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/RealismNotRomanticism_ssareen_300114

The article Realism Not Romanticism Should Dictate India’s Pakistan Policy – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Where Is Egypt Headed? – Analysis

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By IDSA

By K. P. Fabian

Now that three years have elapsed since the 2011 Revolution in Egypt, it is pertinent, nay, imperative, to ask the central question: Where is Egypt? Where is it going? On January 25, 2011 Egyptians shed fear of their repressive government that had deprived them of their human rights for decades and gathered in the world famous Tahrir Square to demand that President Hosni Mubarak resign. Mubarak, in office for thirty years, fell eighteen days later. Millions of Egyptians in Tahrir Square and elsewhere saw the exit of Mubarak as signaling the beginning of Egypt’s journey towards democracy. Three years later, it is painfully clear that Egypt has lost its way towards democracy; in fact, it is heading fast in the opposite direction. The police state under Mubarak is being restored; freedom of expression has been drastically abridged; dissent does provoke punishment; political prisoners total up to twenty one thousand; and political demonstrations need prior permission. Egypt is under military rule and a field marshal is soon going to be elected president.

The Egyptians who assembled, or more accurately, who were permitted to assemble, in Tahrir Square on January 2014 did not go there to celebrate the 2011 Revolution. They went there to bury that Revolution and to celebrate the 2003 coup. Many carried big photos of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and of Nasser, the most charismatic leader in the Arab world in our times. The obvious intention was to suggest that al-Sisi is the Nasser of the day, and the savior of Egypt. Some carried photographs of Mubarak, a clear indication that the Mubarak loyalists, known as fulul, are actively engaged in politics, supporting the regime in power. It was a state-funded and state-sponsored, superbly and expensively choreographed event. There was a state-of-the-art stage, a far cry from the rickety, shaky one in 2011 the same day. The lighting system was sophisticated and expensive. The crowd was there to cheer General al-Sisi. There were t-shirts and sweets displaying his image in galore. Predictably enough on January 27 the General was promoted Field Marshal and the SCAF(Supreme Council of Armed Forces) ‘approved’ his candidature at the Presidential election, dates for which are yet to be announced. Incidentally, the choreography is unerring. The interim President, Adly Mansour, appointed by al- Sisi, had earlier said that the election to the Parliament would take place before that of the President. Later, it was announced that there was flexibility, meaning the sequence could be reversed. The intention is to take advantage of the current high popularity of al-Sisi whom many women say on television that they want to marry.

It is time to look analytically and critically at the political developments in Egypt since the exit of Mubarak in February 2011. Otherwise it will not be possible to understand what is now happening. The first and foremost point to note is that it was a flawed and incomplete revolution: Mubarak fell, but the ‘the Deep State’ that supported and enabled him to sustain his dictatorship did not fall. The concept of the Deep State was originally applied to Ottoman Turkey and its republican successor founded by Ataturk. It basically meant secret sources of political power. Currently, in Egypt’s case, it means the triumvirate of the Army, the Higher Judiciary, and the Intelligence agencies, generally known as the Mukhabarat in the Arab world. Out of the three the Army is the leader and others are ‘attendant lords’.

The second point to underline is that the Deep State did not want Egypt to be a democracy as it had everything to lose if that were to happen. The SCAF grabbed power when Mubarak fell; Egyptians hold the Army in high esteem and when the Army announced that it would arrange for election in six months time and hand over power to a democratically elected government most Egyptians believed it. However, the Army was in no hurry to hand over power. It delayed the election, finally held and completed in eleven months. Here it is important to look at the collaboration between the Army and the Higher Judiciary. Judge Tahani el Gebali, Deputy President of the Supreme Constitutional Court, was the friend, philosopher, and guide to SCAF in legal matters. She advised the postponement of the election to the parliament pointing out the risk of the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory. When the results came with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists winning a 70% majority, SCAF regretted the holding of election and told her that she was right.

The Higher Judiciary in Egypt is exceptionally smart and cunning in pursuing its goals. It had made sure that there was a minor technical flaw in the procedure adopted for the election; the intention was to make use of it, if necessary, to declare the parliament to have been illegally elected. This is precisely what happened. The parliament met in January 2012, only to discover that it was devoid of any powers. There was an Army-appointed Prime Minister, Kamal el Ganzouri, not answerable to the parliament. He threatened the Speaker (Saad el- Katatni) many a time that he would get the parliament dissolved.

The parliament was dissolved by the Higher Judiciary in June 2012. By then it was clear that the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Muhammad Morsi might win the election for the president. After the parliament was dissolved, SCAF issued a declaration arrogating to itself powers to decide on the budget and for issuing laws. The excuse given was that since there was no parliament it was necessary to fill the legal vacuum. The real intention was to render President Morsi as powerless as the dissolved parliament was. Morsi who took office on June 30, 2012, bided his time to recover his lost powers. In August 2012, unknown armed men killed 16 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai, close to the border with Israel. Earlier, Morsi had attracted attention and praise from US for effecting a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. Morsi ‘invited’ Field Marshal Tantawi, the head of SCAF and ruler of Egypt after Mubarak to resign. General Sami Anan, the chief of the Army, too was ‘invited’ to resign.They did and Tantawi was offered and accepted the post of Advisor to the President. Morsi appointed General al- Sisi as Defence Minister. A superficial observer might have thought that Morsi scored a decisive victory over SCAF and that the latter accepted defeat stoically. The future was to show that SCAF was determined to win the war after losing a battle. Morsi believed that his victory over SCAF was decisive and permanent.

Morsi decided to accelerate the constitution making process. A constituent assembly appointed by the dissolved parliament was writing the draft. It was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood numerically and otherwise. There was reason to believe that at any time the Higher Judiciary might dissolve the assembly. Morsi had to recover the powers taken away by the Army before he came into office. In November 2012, Morsi issued a declaration that gave himself immunity from judicial scrutiny for certain acts. The primary intention was to complete the writing of the draft of the constitution, put it to a referendum, and hold election to the parliament as early as possible. In other words, Morsi wanted to take Egypt towards democracy. But he was viciously attacked for behaving like a Pharao and wit sent him a letter in hieroglyphics.

However, Morsi failed to notice that his adversaries were succeeding in portraying him as an undemocratic leader taking Egypt in the direction of an Islamic state, shackled by Sharia, and anti-modern. In fact, some of his actions did lend weight to such an interpretation. For example, he appointed as Governor of Luxor a man believed to be associated with an attack on foreign tourists killing in all sixty in November 1997.

The Higher Judiciary bided its time. It did not, though it could have, quash the presidential order. Earlier, it had quashed Morsi’s order reviving the dissolved parliament. The intention of the Deep State was to give Morsi a long rope. The public was turning against him as the economy was going from bad to worse, with shortages and soaring prices of essential goods. Given the precarious political situation, the number of foreign tourists dropped. Naturally, Morsi’s promise to create employment was not carried out. The Deep State watched the swelling anti-Morse tide with some satisfaction. Morsi won the referendum on the constitution. But, it was a Pyrrhic victory. His adversaries got emboldened and protests against him mounted. The Army started to look for an opportunity to get rid of Morsi. The police was not fully cooperating with the government in meeting the protests as the higher officials in the ministry of the interior were part of the Deep State. They were not going to take orders from the Brotherhood whom they had tortured for decades. Finally, Morsi had to call in the army to deal with the protestors. Military tanks were deployed in Cairo in December 2012 as the anti-Morsi protests mounted. That marked a decisive point in Morsi’s downfall.

The coalition against Morsi was broad based with practically all Egyptians minus the followers of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Army was not only watching, but giving much more than encouragement to the protesters. They read the writing on the wall correctly: If they keep mobilizing, at some point the Army will step in and remove Morsi. The D-date chosen was the 30th of June, 2013 when Morsi will complete one year in office. Predictably, General al- Sisi gave a 48-hour ultimatum to Morsi: Settle through negotiations or else. There was no way Morsi could have negotiated his way out as his foes did not want to talk to him. It seems that he was under the false impression that US will not permit a coup against him. What game US played is yet to be fully revealed. Probably, it was a double game. On July 3, 2013, President Morsi was physically taken to an undisclosed place and kept incommunicado for weeks. The SCAF got back in power and promptly appointed the President of the Superior Constitutional Court, Judge Adly Mansour as interim president once again manifesting the close coordination between the two principal pillars of the Deep State.

Once we understand the truth about Morsi’s fall it is easier to understand what has happened since then. It is true that Morsi was inept and did not play his cards well. But, it is also true that he was dealt a bad hand. He could get a prime minister only in August 2013. With hindsight one might say that the Deep State was astute enough to get the Brotherhood to replace its original choice of presidential candidate Khairat el-Shater , an experienced and politically smart leader by Morsi, rather inexperienced . The reason given for the disqualification of el-Shater is rather strange considering that a revolution was supposed to have taken place: He had not completed six years after release from prison. It is believed that Morsi was not all wanting to take on the burden and that he wept when he was nominated.

The above account with the Deep State playing a crucial role in the post-Mubarak Egypt can be contested. But, more and more scholars are agreeing with it.

To sum up, Egypt is proving that time travel is possible in politics. From 1952 onwards Egypt had only military rulers, none elected in a free and fair election, except for Morsi for one year. Col. Nasser and General Naguib led from 1952 to 54; Nasser alone till 1970; Sadat succeeded and ruled till his assassination in 1982 when Mubarak took over. When Mubarak fell Tantawi stepped in. Morsi was an aberration that was rapidly rectified. From early 1950s, Egypt became a police state. That police state is being restored after a brief break of less than one year. It could also be said that even under Morsi the police state was not completely dismantled. He too availed of the police state at times.

Soon there will be a presidential election. al – Sisi will be elected either unopposed or against conveniently placed opponents to choreograph the election process. Sooner or later, the people of Egypt will realize that they have been fooled. Once again, not in the immediate future, they will try to go to Tahrir Square. But this time the Deep State will play its cards with consummate skill. The people might not be permitted to reach the Square unless they want to show support to the regime.

With Egypt’s reversion to military rule, even if it is sanctified through an election process less than free and fair, one can say definitely that the pro-democracy tide in the Arab world is subsiding. The only success story so far is Tunisia where the Ennahda , an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, has shown maturity and superior political navigational skills . As of now, democracy is growing roots in Tunisia where the Arab Spring began. In Yemen the move towards democracy was stalled, but it has recovered with the successful conclusion of a broad based dialogue on the new constitution. In Libya, there is anarchy with the state lacking in authority . Egypt accounts for about a quarter of the Arab world in terms of population and its centrality is beyond question. Egypt’s reversion to military rule will have its repercussions in the Arab world. Yet, it is remarkable that Tunisia and Yemen seem unlikely to follow Egypt’s bad example.It will be wrong to conclude that Egypt’s embrace of military rule will be invariably replicated elsewhere in the Arab world.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India.

Originally published by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (www.idsa.in) at http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/WhereisEgyptgoing_kpfabian_30114

The article Where Is Egypt Headed? – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review.

India: Court Asks Christians To Wait One Year To File For Divorce

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By UCAN

The separation period required for a Christian couple to file a petition for dissolution of marriage by mutual consent will be one year, the Karnataka high court ruled on Monday.

The court disposed of public interest litigation relating to Section 10A (1) of the Divorce Act, 1869, (applicable to Christians) in the light of a 2010 verdict of a division bench of the Kerala high court.

The Kerala court had read down the ‘two years’ separation period in Section 10 A to ‘one year’ so as to bring the same in conformity with Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, Section 32B of the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice DH Waghela noted that the Kerala court judgment has become the law of land in the light of an apex court judgment which says that any verdict of a high court holds good for the entire country unless the same is challenged in the apex court.

The bench also noted that the Centre, which was a respondent before the Kerala court, did not challenge the said judgment.

During the hearing, counsel for the Archdiocese of Bangalore said that the dissolution of a Christian marriage by divorce by mutual consent or by decree of court is not at all recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC).

“But realizing that a ‘marriage’ could be brought about with underlying defects or shortcomings or other disqualification, the RCC has procedure for annulment of marriage. Annulment by church is the only way of termination of marriage recognized by the RCC,” he said.

The PIL was filed by Shivakumar, who challenged the norm under Section 10A of the Divorce act prescribing a two-year period prior to filling of petition for divorce by Christians.

The petitioner contended that a two-year separation period is arbitrary as the Special Marriages Act, the Hindu Marriage Act and the Parsi Marriage Act have a one-year separation period clause.

The Kerala high court had said: “Having considered all the relevant circumstances, we are of the opinion that the stipulation of a higher period of two years of mandatory minimum separate residence for those to whom the Divorce Act applies, in contra-distinction to those similarly placed to whom Sec 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, Sec 32B of the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and Sec 28 of the Special Marriage Act would apply, offends the mandate of equality and right to life under Arts14 and 21 of the Constitution.”

The article India: Court Asks Christians To Wait One Year To File For Divorce appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Saudi Arabia Says Tough Punishment Stresses Zero Tolerance For Terrorism

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By Arab News

Saudi Arabia will imprison citizens who fight in conflicts abroad for anywhere between three to 20 years, according to a royal decree issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Monday.

The decree also said Saudis who join or endorse groups classified as terrorist organizations, whether inside or outside the country, will also face the same punishment.

Military officers found guilty of committing such a crime will face “a minimum of five years and a maximum of 30 years in prison,” the decree said, adding that the move was aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s unity and security.

Articles of a previous law for combating terror and terror funding will be applied on those taking part in combat abroad or joining terrorist and extremist organizations. These include articles related to arrest, investigation, evidence collection and trial.

The king said the decree was also aimed at safeguarding the state from criminals who go against its stable and constitutional system and try to undermine its security and stability.

“We also want to protect our people from imported ideologies that target the Kingdom’s security, stability and peace and damage its regional and international reputation and its relations with other countries,” the king explained.

The decree also stated that punishment will be applied to those joining, supporting or sympathizing with terrorist organizations, including extremist religious and ideological groups.

Those who provide any kind of moral or material support to such organizations or promote them verbally or in writing or encourage others to support them will face the same punishment, the decree said.

A high-level committee, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Foreign, Islamic Affairs and Justice, the Court of Grievances and the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, has been set up to come up with a list of terrorist organizations.

“The interior minister shall inform us on matters related to arrests, investigation and prosecution of people involved in activities mentioned in the decree,” the king said. The decree comes into effect 30 days after its publication in the official gazette.

The article Saudi Arabia Says Tough Punishment Stresses Zero Tolerance For Terrorism appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Lebanon Rejects Al-Qaeda Expansion

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By Al-Shorfa

By Waleed Abu al-Khair

Lebanese are condemning the advent of a new group calling itself “Jabhat al-Nusra (JAN) in Lebanon” which recently claimed responsibility for several bombings in the country and called for further attacks.

While Lebanon’s pluralism makes it fertile ground for moderate ideas, war in neighbouring Syria and political and economic tensions in Lebanon have fuelled the expansion of the group, which appears to be linked to the al-Qaeda branch in Syria with the same name, analysts told Al-Shorfa.

“The emergence of new names for al-Qaeda, such as ‘al-Qaeda in the Levant’, is not new, as this name emerged years ago in a statement issued on February 15th, 2005, in which it denied involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,” said Lebanese University political science professor Wael Shreim, who specialises in political Islam.

JAN in Lebanon, meanwhile, does not appear to have a Lebanese leadership and is linked to foreigners taking refuge in the country, he said.

The group claimed responsibility for recent attacks in Lebanon, including the January 21st bombing in Haret Hreik in southern Beirut, and a car bombing in Hermel, in east Lebanon.

In January, the Marwan Hadid Brigades, a group claiming links to both JAN in Lebanon and al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades, claimed responsibility for rockets launched at Hermel.

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades were behind the double suicide bombing that hit the Iranian embassy in Beirut in November.

The leader of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades is said to be Saudi national Majid al-Majid, who also was on the kingdom’s most wanted list. Al-Majid was arrested in early January by the Lebanese security services and later died in custody of kidney failure.

In 2006, al-Zawahiri instructed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq at the time, to export jihadist fighters to the Levant to establish an Islamic state, he said.

The forces that moved to the Levant included the Abdullah Azzam Brigades and the Marwan Hadid group, Shreim said.

“This confirms that supporters of al-Qaeda ideology and even other jihadists are subordinate to [forces] outside Lebanon,” he said.

After following the actions of some takfiri groups in Lebanon, Shreim said he has seen a pattern: “A group of young people organise around takfiri thought that is hostile to opposing views and have no one to follow but the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda. They then pledge allegiance to the organisation and get a response in the form of support — even if that support is only verbal — from al-Qaeda leaders or Ayman al-Zawahiri himself.”

Lebanese political activist Nabih al-Akoum also said al-Qaeda ideology has spread in Lebanon.

“Al-Qaeda has become an ideology rather than an organisation with a military structure like other militias,” he said. “Every group or organisation that comprises youths who subscribe to salafist-jihadist thought and tendencies […] pledges allegiance to the head of the al-Qaeda pyramid, al-Zawahiri, and he in turn adopts them.”

This ideology crept further into Lebanon after Hizbullah entered the Syrian conflict, giving that fight a more sectarian character, and prompting al-Qaeda factions to target Hizbullah strongholds and Iranian interests in Lebanon, as Iran supports Hizbullah, al-Akoum said.
Consequences of al-Qaeda expansion into Lebanon

Should al-Qaeda’s ideas spread further in Lebanon, the country would suffer, Shreim said.

“The initial damage will stem from security tension, which in Lebanon takes on a regional and sectarian character, and this would be difficult to curb once it expanded, as the bulk of Lebanon consists of areas with mixed religions and sects,” he said.

“Note that al-Qaeda is trying to infiltrate more than one area, in particular in the south, the north and Bekaa, all of which are mixed areas,” he added.

Such an expansion also would make other Lebanese sects such as Shias and Christians “a target for a-Qaeda’s gunfire and criminal operations”, Shreim said.

Attacks and abuses taking place in Syria in the name of religion testify to the path taken by such groups, he said.

“Al-Qaeda’s expansion would have devastating consequences on the Lebanese heritage as a whole and its image as a country of coexistence and harmony among religions, not to mention the devastating consequences to the economy, which is in near-ruins as it is,” he added.

Al-Qaeda found in the sectarian tension in some Levantine countries and in the Syrian crisis an opportunity to emerge and use some parts of the Levant as safe havens, said Hani Nasira, an Egyptian author who specialises in Islamist groups.

“Accordingly, al-Qaeda is active independent from the goals of the revolutions and reform and regional relations, for in its eyes the [entire] world is infidel, while it alone stands for faith,” he told Al-Shorfa.

Nasira said he believes al-Qaeda’s infiltration into Lebanon would create sectarian tension, “especially given that the escalation of the Syrian revolution and Hizbullah’s entry into the conflict, have fuelled sectarian wars”.
Al-Qaeda exploits conditions to gain followers

Muslim preacher Sheikh Mahmoud Abdullah, of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah in Lebanon, said JAN and other groups that follow takfiri ideology are trying to infiltrate the Lebanese social fabric and reach in particular young Sunnis.

These groups are being helped by several factors, including tough “social and economic conditions in areas of Lebanon such as the north and Bekaa and sectarian sentiment among Sunni youth, which has been fuelled further by Hizbullah’s blatant entry into the war in Syria “, he said.

Al-Qaeda has used media it propagates via online forums and social networking sites to spur its expansion, Abdullah said.

“But more important is the role played by some clerics and preachers who exploit the aforementioned conditions, as was proven recently with the success of some of them,” such as Lebanese sheikh Ahmed al-Assir, who recruited dozens of youths under the pretext of fighting Hizbullah, he said.

It was revealed later that al-Assir was raising funds and gathering weapons for JAN, he said.

“Al-Assir exploited this sectarian fanaticism and tension and fuelled them with provocative speeches, creating an environment for the young men who fought with him that was alien to their own,” Abdullah said.

“Many youths may be drawn by clerics without knowing they have become al-Qaeda elements, and become convinced they have taken up arms to defend their religion and Muslims in Syria and Lebanon,” he said, warning that this could further spread al-Qaeda ideas and later create a generation of young Lebanese loyal to the group.

Current political, security and economic conditions in the country do not favour moderate clerics who are trying to confront these radical ideas, Abdullah added.

Lebanese journalist Ahmed Jaber said al-Qaeda’s presence in Lebanon may be currently limited to a welcoming environment that adopts its ideology under several names, adding that “al-Qaeda so far has no organisational structure in Lebanon.”

“Until further notice, the situation in Lebanon will remain unwelcoming to jihadist organisations,” he told Al-Shorfa.

“An extremist atmosphere would emerge and spread should Lebanese politics grow increasingly gridlocked, and recede when an atmosphere of compromise prevails,” he said.

However, prevailing sectarian tension in the region makes it easy for JAN in Lebanon to do work for the organisation’s leadership in Syria and Iraq, he added.
Lebanon: a fertile ground for moderation

Lebanon’s religious and sectarian pluralism makes it fertile ground for open, secular and moderate religious ideas, not extremist ones, said political science professor Shreim.

“If we look closely at ongoing sectarian tensions and their causes, we find they are transitional and primarily connected to politics,” he told Al-Shorfa. “Lebanon’s domestic conflicts, even if they sometimes take a sectarian hue, are still purely political and dissipate when the political tension dissipates.”

“This explains the limit to the spread of extremist ideas advocated by al-Qaeda and its reliance on foreign elements to prove its presence in Lebanon, or at times [its attempts] to fuel sectarian sentiment among Sunni youth under the pretext of stemming the Shia tide, especially after Hizbullah became immersed in the Syrian war,” he said.

Neither Lebanon’s history nor its politics or its geography would allow the spread of al-Qaeda ideology to the extent that makes it a dangerous pit in the region, Shreim said.

“For this reason, we currently find that the actual number of extremists who are Lebanese nationals is very small and do not serve the objectives set by this terrorist organisation,” he said.

The article Lebanon Rejects Al-Qaeda Expansion appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Russia Reinforces Military Base In Kyrgyzstan

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By Trend News Agency

By Viktoriya Zhavoronkova

Russia plans to improve the fighting potential of its airbase in the Kyrgyz city of Kant, Ria Novosti reported on Feb. 3 quoting Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu.

Starting last December, Russia began supplying arms to Kyrgyzstan in light of withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.

The minister noted that Russia plans to regularly increase the fighting potential of the base in Kant.

He expressed hope that these efforts will create a secure defense potential, able to resist threats to the security of both Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

The article Russia Reinforces Military Base In Kyrgyzstan appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Ron Paul: The Continuing Al-Qaeda Threat – OpEd

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By Ron Paul

Appearing last week before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that he could not say the threat from al-Qaeda is any less today than it was ten years ago. It was a shocking admission. Does he mean that the trillions of dollars spent fighting the war on terrorism have resulted in no gains? That those who urged us to give up some of our liberties to gain security have, as Benjamin Franklin warned, lost both?

There may be reasons Director Clapper would want us to believe that the threat from al-Qaeda is as strong as ever. An entire industry has arisen from the government’s war on terror, and for both the government sector and the security-industrial complex the terrorist threat is big business. Economic pressure has thus far not affected the military or intelligence sectors – despite false claims that the sequestration cut military spending. However, emphasizing continued high threat levels without being able to openly explain them due to secrecy requirements is one way to keep the security budget untouched.

Also, emphasizing the continued high threat level from terrorists overseas is a good way to frighten citizens away from their increasing outrage over reports of massive domestic spying by the NSA. Unfortunately Americans may still be more willing to give up their liberties if they are told that the threats to their security remain as high as ever.

What if Clapper is telling us the truth, however? What would this revelation mean if that is the case?

For one, it means that we have gotten very little for the tremendous amount of spending on the war on terrorism and the lives lost. We are told that the military and intelligence community can protect us if they are given the tools they need, but it appears they have not done a very good job by their own admission.

More likely, it may mean that the US government’s policies are causing more al-Qaeda groups to arise and take the place of those who have been defeated by US drone and military attacks. Clapper does mention that there are so many different al-Qaeda franchises popping up it is difficult to keep track of them all, much less defeat them. But why is that? A former State Department official stated last year that every new drone strike in Yemen that kills innocent people results in the creation of 40-60 new enemies. Likewise, the young girl from Pakistan who had been brutally shot by the Taliban for her desire to go to school told President Obama during a White House meeting that “drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people.”

Are there more al-Qaeda groups out there because our policies keep creating new ones?

On that point, Clapper said to the Senate that in Syria the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front “does have aspirations for attacks on the homeland.” It is all the more disturbing, then, to have also read last week that Congress voted in secret to resume sending weapons to the Syrian rebels, who are dominated by al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. We have read about US-supplied weapons meant for “moderates” in Syria being seized by radicals on several occasions, and the Voice of America reported last year that our Saudi “allies” are arming the same al-Nusra Front that Clapper identifies as a threat to the US. Is the US Congress arming the very people who will commit the next attack on US soil?

Why is al-Qaeda as much a threat as it was ten years ago? Perhaps it is that we continue to fight the wrong war in the wrong manner. Perhaps because we refuse to consider that many overseas are angry because of our government’s policies and actions. After ten years of no progress, is it not time to try something new? Is it not time to try non-intervention and a strong defense rather than drone strikes and pre-emptive attacks?

The article Ron Paul: The Continuing Al-Qaeda Threat – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review.


Israel: Military Choking Palestinian Village, Planning Tourist Site

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By Eurasia Review

The Israeli military is severely harming livelihoods in a Palestinian village in the West Bank that it plans to turn into an archaeological tourist site. The military should drop the project and lift excessive restrictions that keep residents from building or farming on their land and that limit their freedom of movement.

Decades ago, the Israeli military demolished many buildings in the village, Nabi Samwil, a few kilometers northwest of Jerusalem, without notifying residents in advance or providing them with an explanation, residents said. In 1995, the military declared the area a national park, using that explanation to deny residents the right to build, renovate, conduct business, or plant trees. Since 2007, Israel’s separation barrier has cut the village off from the rest of the West Bank, and the Israeli authorities do not allow most of the residents to travel or work in Israel. Israel announced plans for an archaeological tourist site in the village in June 2013. Israeli authorities have not consulted residents about any of the plans.

“The Israeli military has choked off Nabi Samwil for years, and it is cruel to now make a tourist attraction out of the part of the village the military destroyed,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director. “The military should be making sure Nabi Samwil residents can return and rebuild, not making their displacement permanent.”

Since December, residents have held weekly protests against turning the archaeological site into a tourist attraction. Plans commissioned by the Israeli military’s Civil Administration division provide for building an access road, parking, buildings, and other structures for visitors to the archaeological site. An Israeli official managing the excavations told residents on December 27 that anyone who participated in the protests “does not get to work” at the site, residents and Israeli rights activists said.

The Israeli military occupied Nabi Samwil, whose name means “Prophet Samuel”, in 1967. Seven families fled then, villagers told Human Rights Watch. The military’s 1967 census says that 66 residents remained. In 1971, villagers said, the military bulldozed about 30 buildings in the center of the village, near the mosque – the area the military is now planning to turn into the tourist site.

As the military prohibited rebuilding the homes or new residential construction after 1971, the remaining villagers moved into houses and structures whose owners had left in 1967, including a structure to house sheep, a few hundred meters east of the mosque. The military demolished some renovated buildings, apparently because they were renovated without military permits, residents said. In 1995, the military designated the “Nabi Samuel National Park” on a 350-hectare tract encompassing the entire village and its surroundings. The national park plan effectively prohibited building new structures or infrastructure.

The Israeli authorities have provided no justification based on military necessity or protection of the residents for preventing people from rebuilding or returning. Under international law, those are the only reasons they can forcibly – if temporarily – transfer inhabitants of an occupied territory from their homes.

The national park plan designated the area around the village mosque – including the remains of homes and other buildings the military had destroyed in 1971– an archaeological site, where the Israeli Parks and Nature Authority, under the auspices of the Israeli military’s archaeology staff office, began excavations in the 1990s.

Emek Shaveh, an Israeli group focused on archaeology, reported in 2013 that, “the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions identify Nabi Samuel as the burial place of the prophet Samuel,” and that the area of the village mosque was originally a Christian holy site dating from the Byzantine period. There is currently a Jewish prayer area in the basement level and a Muslim prayer area at the entrance level of the mosque building. Emek Shaveh submitted an objection to the plan, arguing that it was wrong to turn a destroyed Palestinian village into an archaeological site. The group argued during a military planning hearing in November that plans to build an elevator for tourists on the outside of the mosque building could harm the site.

Because the Israeli military considers the area a park, officials have no plans to improve the village’s infrastructure or to allow new buildings, a planner said at the military planning committee hearing, which Human Rights Watch attended.

The route of the Israeli separation barrier cuts deep into the West Bank, leaving West Bank villages – where around 11,000 Palestinians live – between the barrier and Israeli territory. The military designated this land “seam zone” areas. As with other villages in seam zone areas, the military only allows Palestinians whom it has registered as permanent residents of Nabi Samwil to cross a checkpoint to the rest of the West Bank, and severely restricts the goods they can bring in with them.

In one case, forces at the checkpoint held up a school bus for hours because one student tried to bring a sack of bread into the village without prior permission.

The checkpoint and other Israeli restrictions on residents’ movement, such as road-blocks cutting off access to other villages, make it difficult and time-consuming for the 250 residents of the village to travel to and work in the rest of the West Bank. At the same time, Israel considers most of the villagers Palestinian West Bank residents, and prohibits them from traveling or working in Israel without special military permits.

The military has thwarted residents’ attempts to generate income by setting up small businesses, including their own efforts to attract visitors to the historic site. In September, the military confiscated a carwash that a villager had set up in June, after issuing an order stating that he did not have a building permit. The resident said that he owns the plot of land.

Human Rights Watch spoke to two residents who said that the only jobs available to them in the village were to work for the military’s archaeological staff by excavating their village’s demolished homes. Ten men from Nabi Samwil are employed to excavate the site, they said – four of them born in homes that the military demolished in 1971 and that are now included within the archaeological site.

In separate court cases pending before the Israeli High Court of Justice, the military is seeking judicial approval to forcibly displace residents of the Palestinian villages of Susiya and Khirbet Zanuta, in the southern West Bank, because of archaeological finds at the sites. In a third case, state authorities delegated the operation of an archaeological tourist site, the “City of David” in the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem, to a settler group, Elad, that has evicted Palestinians from their homes. Israeli authorities have also demolished other Palestinian homes and structures in Silwan.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on June 18 that officials from the military’s Archaeological Staff Office, in the Civil Administration division, removed a 200 – 300 year-old stone, inscribed in Arabic, from the wall of the Nabi Samwil mosque in May. The military archaeologists removed the stone without consulting the residents or the Muslim waqf, or endowment, which owns the mosque site. Human Rights Watch observed informational plaques set up by Israeli authorities at the site that refer extensively to the site’s Jewish history and religious significance, but contain only passing reference to its Muslim heritage.

Israel has ratified, and Palestine acceded to, the 1954 United Nations Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which requires an occupying power, as far as possible, to “support the competent national authorities of the occupied country in safeguarding and preserving its cultural property.” Israel does not permit Palestinian authorities to access Nabi Samwil, Susiya, Khirbet Zanuta, or Silwan.

The Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 prohibits Israel, as the occupying power, from making life so difficult for Palestinians in occupied territories that they are essentially forced to leave their communities. Deliberately violating this prohibition against “forcible transfer” is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and prosecutable as a war crime.

“Israeli authorities not only exclude Palestinians from any role in managing their cultural heritage, but are perverting archaeology into a tool to drive Palestinians out of their communities,” Whitson said.

The article Israel: Military Choking Palestinian Village, Planning Tourist Site appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Starvation: A Twisted Example Of The Assad Regime’s Terrorism – OpEd

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By Syria Comment - Joshua Landis

By Matthew Barber for Syria Comment

A fabulous documentary about the situation of children in Syria is being shown on Canadian and British television. The documentary, “Children on the Frontline,”  will be available for viewing for a limited time online, but unfortunately only for viewers in Canada or the UK. The documentary contains enlightening footage of life inside war-torn neighborhoods of Aleppo, and interviews with a number of children who talk about their experiences living on the frontline of the Syrian war. One little girl talks about how she searches for salvageable scrap metal that she brings home to her father who makes bombs. She describes, as though it is perfectly ordinary, seeing the head of a man split open when a bomb in their workshop was accidentally detonated. Another girl, about 5 years old, relays a dream of being surrounded by a circle of snipers who begin opening fire on her. “They hit me here, here, here,” she says, touching her body in the places where she dreamed the bullets hit. The scene that brought tears to my eyes was seeing several sisters searching through abandoned homes, looking for weapons. The harsh juxtaposition of the world of children and the world of war is depicted so clearly: One of the girls is carrying a gun and they are discussing finding weapons, when suddenly they become distracted by a stash of little toys and stuffed animals they discover. The gun is laid aside as colorful little bears and plastic balls are examined. Their older sister then won’t allow them to remove the items from the house, because “it would be stealing” from the people who own the house. The mother of the girls explains on camera that she won’t allow her children to loot anything from any home, whether it had belonged to regime-aligned people or not.

A well-known activist named Aboude is also profiled, who lives in Aleppo and is 13 years old. He began taking the courageous stance to criticize the government openly, at school, two years ago when he was only 11. No one put him up to this; his parents were against his involvement in activism, but he has been leading protests ever since. The documentary also examines the plight of the area that is now threatened by al-Qaida-linked Islamists who punish even the most stalwart revolutionaries for “un-Islamic” behaviors. The area in which the documentary was filmed is an FSA stronghold at the edge of rebel territory, directly adjacent to regime positions. Though sniper fire is a serious threat, one of the fighters explains that ”being close to your enemy is the safest place to be,” because aerial bombardment is unlikely on the frontline where rebel positions are so close to regime forces. In addition to daily confrontations with regime forces, the people of the area now have to contend with the threat of kidnappings by al-Qaida rebels who target even the most committed activists who pioneered dissent in the early days of the uprising. Those who follow events in the country have known for a while that this has been a growing problem, but there are still plenty of FSA-controlled areas that are feeling increasingly hampered by the oppressive involvement of ISIS members who are more interested in imposing their own religious norms than in uniting with rebel forces to provide defense. (A significant example of this occurred this week when Raed Fares, the man behind the famous protest artwork that comes out of Kafranbel, was shot—likely by ISIS—but survived the assassination attempt.)

Something evident in the area depicted in the documentary, still controlled by FSA forces, is that food is available. Other areas of resistance that become surrounded or captured by the regime do not remain so fortunate.

Over the past month or more, a high number of photos and narrated accounts have emerged that present evidence of horrific levels of suffering, due to starvation.

Starvation is a weapon of torture employed against the regime’s opponents; it is less about any military strategy but more about collectively punishing political enemies and breaking the will of those who defy the state. Starvation in Syria has been taking place in two contexts: 1) opposition areas that fall under regime control and are subsequently blockaded, food supplies being prevented from entering these districts, and 2) prisoners in custody who are not fed by their captors.

Over the course of the Geneva peace talks, the regime’s narrative was unsurprising. It highlighted instances of terrorism committed by jihadists and then portrayed itself as trying to combat the terror problem. Even as we near the beginning of the 4th year of the conflict, regime figures at the talks would not acknowledge that their opponents were Syrian or that a great portion of the Syrian population does not recognize Assad as president. They portrayed their own narrative as “the Syrian side” or “the Syrian story” implying that contrary views were not Syrian. For regime proponents and members of the Ba’athist cult of unreality, a Syrian is not someone originating within the geographical bounds of the historical place called Syria; to be a Syrian, one must embrace and endorse the rule of the current state, as defined by the rulers.

The Guardian reports that during the Geneva talks this past week, nearly 1,900 people have been killed in Syria. Allegations of blockades that result in starvation continue, reportedly occurring in multiple locations within the country. In addition to the accounts of starvation, Human Rights Watch yesterday released a detailed report on the Syrian regime’s systematic use of punitive housing demolition—the destruction of entire neighborhoods—over the last two years. The report can be accessed here: “Razed to the Ground.”

After hearing the tired yet predictably deceitful language propagated by regime figures at the Geneva talks, it is important to remember that yes, terrorism has been rampant among many Syrian rebel factions—typical in asymmetrical warfare, and in this conflict often directed at sectarian targets—but nevertheless, no single player in the conflict has utilized terrorism as widely as the Syrian regime.

The places currently under siege in Syria that we could identify (that may experience the risk of a lack of food or from where reports of the absence of food have been received) are: Babila, Beit Sahem, Duma, Harasta, Zamalaka, Deir al-Asafir, Mukhayam Yarmook, Yelda, al-Mo’adamia, Daraya, Qabuun, Jobar, Berzeh, Homs, Homs al-Qadima, al-Qasour, al-Qarabiss, Jorat al-Shayah, al-Waer, Rastan, Telbissa, Hola, al-Dar al-Kabira, Qal’at al-Hosn, Zara.

The following are a few of the examples of starvation that have been circulating recently.

An old man from Rif Dimashq (Damascus countryside or suburbs) cries while talking about the imposed blockade and the inability to find food.

Starvation in the Yarmouk Palestinian neighborhood of Damascus, showing recently deceased emaciated body and an emaciated man still alive:

Emaciated infant dead from starvation in Jisreen:

An article in Arabic describes how a family in Yarmouk was poisoned after eating cat meat

‘Eating grass to survive’ in besieged Homs - BBC

“We are now eating anything that comes out of the ground, plants, even grass. We pick it, then cook it with some water using wood because we have no gas…

“These shrubs and grass that we’re eating causes illnesses, such as indigestion and fever. A few days ago an elderly man died within six hours from eating the grass and shrubs.”

An Amnesty International article discusses, in addition to the absence of food, the danger of being shot by snipers while trying to bring leaves/grass for family members to eat:

… “Every day, we receive around four people – probably half of them women – who were shot at by snipers as they were picking plants and shrubs in the fields. The women say they prefer to risk their own lives to spare their children. On one occasion, we received a teenager, probably aged 16 or 17, who was shot dead. His father started talking to him, saying: ‘You died for the sake of bringing hibiscus leaves for your siblings.’ It was heartbreaking,” he said. …

BBC article from today describes some aid reaching Yarmouk:

… In a separate development, the UN relief agency UNRWA said it had delivered 720 food parcels to a besieged Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus on Thursday.

Yarmouk camp, which is held by the rebels, is suffering severe shortages of food and medical supplies, with activists reporting dozens of deaths there from starvation.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness described “chaotic scenes” as 700 of the total 900 food parcels brought into the camp were distributed to residents.

He said it was the first aid to reach the remaining 18,000 residents since 21 January, when UNRWA distributed 138 food parcels. …

More images are here: 1, 2

In addition to the issue of blockades that will not allow food to those inside, evidence emerged recently confirming widespread starvation within Syrian prisons. On Jan. 20, the Guardian published a report it had received from an independent commission on the issue. The report, available here, consisted of an analysis given by several individuals who examined photographic evidence of torture and starvation. The photographs had been smuggled out of Syria by a regime defector who worked inside the prisons. The evidence consisted of 55,000 photographs of around 11,000 bodies. A large percentage of the photographed corpses showed signs of emaciation. I won’t relay the story of the defector or details of the investigation. The report is worth reading. Aspects of the report’s methodology were criticized, as were the political motivations behind the timing of its release just prior to the Geneva talks, in addition to scrutiny on those who funded the report. This notwithstanding, the findings of the report deserve attention.

One article to discuss the report was published on Mail Online: Starved, tortured then throttled: The true horror of how Assad’s soldiers execute rebel prisoners is revealed in new images

The article contains a number of the leaked photos of tortured and starved bodies, a few of which I will post. On the one hand I feel apologetic for posting these, but on the other I believe its important to consider the extent of suffering experienced by prisoners in Syria. This is a reality we must not ignore, and it should disturb us.

Commentary on the report appeared here and in the following article: Syrian regime document trove shows evidence of ‘industrial scale’ killing of detainees

Senior war crimes prosecutors say photographs and documents provide ‘clear evidence’ of systematic killing of 11,000 detainees

Syrian government officials could face war crimes charges in the light of a huge cache of evidence smuggled out of the country showing the “systematic killing” of about 11,000 detainees, according to three eminent international lawyers.

The three, former prosecutors at the criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone, examined thousands of Syrian government photographs and files recording deaths in the custody of regime security forces from March 2011 to last August.

Most of the victims were young men and many corpses were emaciated, bloodstained and bore signs of torture. Some had no eyes; others showed signs of strangulation or electrocution.

The UN and independent human rights groups have documented abuses by both Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebels, but experts say this evidence is more detailed and on a far larger scale than anything else that has yet emerged from the 34-month crisis.

… The authors are Sir Desmond de Silva QC, former chief prosecutor of the special court for Sierra Leone, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, the former lead prosecutor of former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic, and Professor David Crane, who indicted President Charles Taylor of Liberia at the Sierra Leone court. …

“This is amazing. This is the type of evidence a prosecutor looks for and hopes for.  We have pictures, with numbers that marry up with papers with identical numbers – official governmentdocuments. We have the person who took those pictures. That’s beyond-reasonable-doubt-type evidence.” …

“These photos – if authentic – suggest that we may have only scratched the surface of the horrific extent of torture in Syria’s notorious dungeons. There is only one way to get to the bottom of this and that is for the negotiating parties at Geneva II to grant unhindered access to Syria’s detention facilities to independent monitors.”

ISIS has also starved their prisoners. The narrator in this video says that after being imprisoned by ISIS and not being given food or water, prisoners had to eat rats. The video shows the mutilated body of a man who was in prison with him. He says there were 325 prisoners. ISIS guards came and led out a group of them, including some militia commanders, after which they heard gunshots. The guards came back and took out another group, including a 14 and a 15 year old. More gunshots were heard. When they asked the guards where they were taking these people, they were told that they were letting them go home, but then one of the prisoners who was arrested for a trivial reason and tortured at the hands of a British interrogator was shot and killed in front of them for not being able to move after being tortured. That’s when they realized that they were all being executed in turns. One of the prisoners was arrested for simply walking past an ISIS headquarters building and looking at them. Another was a 73 year-old diabetic man with very swollen fingers and feet. The arrested children were more resistant to the hunger and thirst than were the adults. As the cameraman moves the camera around, people standing near the narrator cover their faces out of fear of being seen by ISIS.

Starvation of pro-regime civilians by blockade is also used as a weapon on the part of rebel forces: The politics of starvation: Syria’s civilians go hungry after months of sieges - Patrick Cockburn

… Unnoticed by the outside world, the largest single community currently besieged and on the edge of starvation in Syria lives in two Shia towns west if Aleppo, Zahraa and Nobl, with a combined population 45,000. In this case the besiegers are Sunni rebels who accuse the Shia townspeople of supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad and are seeking to starve them into submission. …

Zahraa and Nubl form an isolated Shia pocket in an area where most of the people are Sunni supporting the rebels. The towns have received no supplies from the outside apart from an occasional delivery by a government helicopter. …

The politics of starvation are complex in Syria and open to manipulation for propaganda purposes. The problem stems primarily from the government forces’ strategy of sealing off areas that have been captured by the armed opposition and not letting people or goods in or out. …

This article appeared at Syria Comment.

The article Starvation: A Twisted Example Of The Assad Regime’s Terrorism – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review.

Top US Officials Say Snowden Leaks Prompted Defense Changes

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By VOA

By Cindy Saine

Top U.S. intelligence officials say leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have put members of all branches of the U.S. military and other U.S. personnel abroad at risk, and that the Pentagon has had to make costly changes. The officials testified to a congressional panel about worldwide threats to U.S. national security.

Defense Intelligence Agency Chief Michael Flynn told the House Intelligence Committee that revelations by Edward Snowden, who is now living in Russia, have put the lives of U.S. service members in danger, and that the Pentagon is making adjustments.

“Everything that he touched, we assume that he took, stole,” he said. “So we assume the worst case in how we are reviewing all of the Defense Department’s actions, events, exercises around the world.”

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper again called on Snowden and anyone who is helping him to return all stolen documents that have not yet been published.

Clapper and the National Security Agency are under fire for monitoring the communications of U.S. friends and allies, as well as those of U.S. enemies, with a sweeping eavesdropping program — the scope of which was disclosed to the media by Snowden.

The NSA has been criticized for collecting vast amounts of metadata from the telephone calls of American citizens, information that could be mined to trace potential security threats.

At Tuesday’s hearing, several lawmakers asked about threats to the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

“There are a number of specific threats of varying degrees of credibility that we are tracking,” said Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center. “This is what we expected, it is what we saw in the run-up to prior Olympic Games and prior events like these.”

Olsen characterized as “good” the cooperation with Russian intelligence services on countering threats to the Games.

The article Top US Officials Say Snowden Leaks Prompted Defense Changes appeared first on Eurasia Review.

US Navy Nuclear Officer Cheating Scandal Grows, Dozens Decertified

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By RT

US Navy officials announced Tuesday that one out of every five nuclear reactor operators at a training center in Charleston, South Carolina would be decertified due to allegations they cheated on qualification tests in a scandal that continues to grow.

Staff members at the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in Charleston are accused of sharing information about a test on reactor operations amongst themselves. Approximately 30 of the 150 qualified operators in Charleston have been decertified, a Navy official told The Hill, and the Navy has launched an investigation into the matter that some say is likely to expand.

No current students are thought to be involved in the scandal.

“This incident involves members of the school staff who are required to qualify to operate and instruct students on the training reactor,” said Admiral John Richardson, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

He refused to disclose what information is thought to have been shared but added “it’s fair to say that these exams and the operation of the plants do involve classified information and that will be an active part of the investigation to fully understand that.”

Navy officials maintained that the propulsion systems are not related in any way to nuclear weapons. Two nuclear reactors are used to train sailors for duty on board a submarine or aircraft carrier that uses propulsion to travel around the world.

The sailors in question passed operations training at the Charleston base before deploying on a nuclear-powered vessel abroad, according to the Associated Press. They then returned to the training center planning to work as instructors for new recruits, a position that requires a certification test. It is this examination, which includes oral and written components, they allegedly cheated on.

Richardson said authorities first recognized the problem when a senior enlisted sailor “recognized that this was wrong” and decided to report the cheating.

Admiral Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, told reporters assembled at a Pentagon news conference Tuesday that the matter is still under investigation.

“To say I am disappointed would be an understatement,” he said. “We expect more from our sailors – especially our senior sailors.”

The allegations come after 34 Air Force officers at Malmstrom Air Force base in Montana were ensnared earlier this month in an unrelated cheating scandal. The nearly three dozen nuclear command officers either cheated on a proficiency exam or knew that others cheated and failed to report the misconduct.

These officers, unlike those involved in the South Carolina case, were responsible for the safety of nuclear missiles stored in Montana. Nearly 20 percent of the 190 officers charged with overseeing the readiness of the weapons were caught up in the scandal.

However, the news out of Charleston also comes as the Navy seeks to put a number of other corruption cases behind them.

Multiple officials were suspended at the end of 2013 when accusations surfaced that they had provided information about ship movements and other details to a military contractor in exchange for cash and prostitutes. Yet another situation involves officers’ ties to a mechanic who charged the Navy over one million dollars to develop weapons parts that cost only thousands to manufacture.

The article US Navy Nuclear Officer Cheating Scandal Grows, Dozens Decertified appeared first on Eurasia Review.

OPCW Confirms Last Libya’s Chemical Weapons Completely Destroyed

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By VOR

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that the last of Libya’s chemical weapons has been completely destroyed, the OPCW said Tuesday.

Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdulasis told the Haag-based OPCW that the last of Libya’s chemical weapons supply of bombs and artillery rounds filled with mustard gas was destroyed on January 26.

The announcement followed a visit by OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu, accompanied by experts from the United States and Germany, to Ruwagha, location in the desert where the weapons were destroyed.

“The destruction of these munitions was a major undertaking in arduous, technically challenging circumstances, as we saw first-hand earlier today at the remote Ruwagha chemical weapon destruction facility,” Uzumcu said.

Meeting these challenges was accomplished through close cooperation between Libya, the OPCW and other countries, he said. The New York Times reported Monday that Libya had discreetly destroyed the arsenal with help from the United States and other countries.

The arsenal included hundreds of bombs and artillery rounds dating back to the regime of Moamer Gaddafi.

“This is the culmination of a major international effort to eliminate weapons of mass destruction from Libya and to ensure that they never fall into the hands of terrorists,” Andrew Weber, assistant secretary of defence for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programmess, was quoted by the Times as saying.

The destruction of Libya’s chemical weapons began in 2004 when Libya joined the Chemical Weapons Convention. Signatories to the convention are obligated to declare and destroy all chemical weapons.

After signing the convention, Libya declared possession of nearly 25 metric tons of bulk sulfur mustard agent, several thousand unloaded aerial munitions designed designed to be loaded with chemical agents and several chemical weapons production facilities, the OPCW said.

The aerial munitions were immediately destroyed and in the ensuing years the production facilities were either destroyed or converted to peaceful purposes under OPCW guidance and verification, the OPCW said.

Operations to destroy the bulk sulfur mustard agent began in October 2010 but were suspended in February 2011 when the destruction facility malfunctioned, the OPCW said.

After Gaddafi was toppled by a popular uprising and killed in October 2011 the new Libyan leadership discovered nearly 2 tons of mustard gas that had not previously been acknowledged and was already loaded into bombs and artillery shells.

With help from Germany, Canada and the United States, the new government resumed destruction operations in early 2013 at Ruwagha.

The weapons were destroyed using a special oven in the desert. The technology came from a Swedish company, and the Libyan contractors were trained in Germany, the Times reported.

The article OPCW Confirms Last Libya’s Chemical Weapons Completely Destroyed appeared first on Eurasia Review.

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