30 mar 2014
Chairman of the Join Chief of Staff Army General Martin Dempsey speaks during a retirement ceremony, Maryland March 28, 2014
Israeli occupation prime minister thanked the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States for the additional US aid provided to develop the ‘Iron Dome defense system’. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu during his meeting with Dempsey in occupied Jerusalem praised the security and strategic cooperation between the US and the Israeli occupation state.
Dempsey met today with the occupation defense minister, Moshe Ya'alon, in the presence of the army chief of staff Beni Gantz and discussed the recent developments in the region and the mutual military cooperation.
Ya'alon thanked Dempsey for being a “true friend of Israel”, noting that the United States.
The United States is sworn to backing Israel with an annual military aid and this visit reflects yet another time the unwavering commitment to the Israeli occupation security.
Dempsey began his visit to the Israeli entity will continue for three days.
Israeli occupation prime minister thanked the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States for the additional US aid provided to develop the ‘Iron Dome defense system’. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu during his meeting with Dempsey in occupied Jerusalem praised the security and strategic cooperation between the US and the Israeli occupation state.
Dempsey met today with the occupation defense minister, Moshe Ya'alon, in the presence of the army chief of staff Beni Gantz and discussed the recent developments in the region and the mutual military cooperation.
Ya'alon thanked Dempsey for being a “true friend of Israel”, noting that the United States.
The United States is sworn to backing Israel with an annual military aid and this visit reflects yet another time the unwavering commitment to the Israeli occupation security.
Dempsey began his visit to the Israeli entity will continue for three days.
Chairman of the U.S Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey is scheduled to visit Israel on Sunday, where he will meet the Israeli military minister Moshe Ya’alon. According to the Israeli media, Dempsey and Ya’alon will meet in the city of Jerusalem amid of tension that hangs over the relations between America and Israel due to the latest criticism by Ya’lon to America’s policy concerning the Iranian nuclear issue.”
Israeli military source expected that the visit will last for three days, but the American embassy did not state a full schedule for the visit.
Israeli military source expected that the visit will last for three days, but the American embassy did not state a full schedule for the visit.
29 mar 2014
US President Barack Obama sought to allay Riyadh's criticism of his policies on Syria and Iran, telling the Saudi king their two countries remain in lockstep on their strategic interests.
He also assured King Abdullah that the US "won't accept a bad deal" with Iran, as global powers negotiate a treaty reining in Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
"The president underscored how much he values this strategic relationship," a senior US administration official said, after Obama met for some two hours with the king on a royal estate outside Riyadh.
In an interview aired on US television later Friday, Obama defended his administration's decision not to use military force in Syria, saying that the United States has its limits.
The US leader's comments came in an interview taped ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia, which was angered by his 11th-hour decision last year to pull back from strikes against the Syrian regime over its use of chemical weapons in the country's civil war.
"It is, I think, a false notion that somehow we were in a position to, through a few selective strikes, prevent the kind of hardship we've seen in Syria," Obama told broadcaster CBS in Rome.
"It's not that it's not worth it," he added. "It's that after a decade of war, the United States has limits."
"And it's not clear whether the outcome, in fact, would have turned out significantly better," he added.
Now in its fourth year, the bloody civil war has claimed more than 146,000 lives and displaced many others, causing a refugee crisis in the region.
A 'common interest' on Iran
Earlier, White House officials said part of the discussions would focus on ways to "empower" Syria's moderate opposition.
But officials shot down as untrue reports that the US administration was planning to give Riyadh a green light to ship man-portable air-defense weapons, known as MANPADs, to the beleaguered moderate Syrian opposition.
"This was not a trip or a meeting designed to coordinate detailed questions or types of assistance to Syrians," added the US official added, who asked not to be named.
Riyadh also has strong reservations about revived efforts by Washington and other major world powers to negotiate with Iran.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, long wary of Shiite Iran's regional ambitions, views a November deal between world powers and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program as a risky venture that could embolden Tehran.
The interim agreement curbs Iran's controversial nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanctions relief, and is aimed at buying time to negotiate a comprehensive accord.
Obama made clear to the king the US was "determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, that we've gone into the talks eyes wide open, but that we believe this is a common interest in stopping proliferation to Iran," the US official told reporters.
He also stressed that Washington remained "very much focused on Iran's other destabilizing activities in the region."
Iranian-Saudi rivalry crystallized with the Syrian conflict: Tehran backs Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, while several Gulf Cooperation Council states support the opposition rebels.
'Reassurance visit'
Obama's stand on events reshaping the region "have strained relations, but without causing a complete break," said Anwar Eshki, head of the Jeddah-based Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies.
US security and energy specialist professor Paul Sullivan said Obama meeting King Abdullah could "help clear the air on some misunderstandings."
"However, I would be quite surprised if there were any major policy changes during this visit. This is also partly a reassurance visit," he added.
The two leaders were also expected to discuss Egypt, another bone of contention since the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak, who was a staunch US and Saudi ally.
The kingdom was angered by the partial freezing of US aid to Egypt after the army toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July -- a move hailed by Riyadh.
Meanwhile, US officials said Obama did not raise the issue of human rights with the king despite appeals from US lawmakers and rights groups.
Dozens of US lawmakers had urged Obama to publicly address Saudi Arabia's "systematic human rights violations" and efforts by women activists to challenge its ban on female drivers.
"We do have a lot of significant concerns about the human rights situation" in Saudi Arabia, the second administration official said, mentioning in particular "women's freedoms."
Saudi activists have urged women to defy the driving ban and get behind the wheel on Saturday, the second day of Obama's visit.
He also assured King Abdullah that the US "won't accept a bad deal" with Iran, as global powers negotiate a treaty reining in Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
"The president underscored how much he values this strategic relationship," a senior US administration official said, after Obama met for some two hours with the king on a royal estate outside Riyadh.
In an interview aired on US television later Friday, Obama defended his administration's decision not to use military force in Syria, saying that the United States has its limits.
The US leader's comments came in an interview taped ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia, which was angered by his 11th-hour decision last year to pull back from strikes against the Syrian regime over its use of chemical weapons in the country's civil war.
"It is, I think, a false notion that somehow we were in a position to, through a few selective strikes, prevent the kind of hardship we've seen in Syria," Obama told broadcaster CBS in Rome.
"It's not that it's not worth it," he added. "It's that after a decade of war, the United States has limits."
"And it's not clear whether the outcome, in fact, would have turned out significantly better," he added.
Now in its fourth year, the bloody civil war has claimed more than 146,000 lives and displaced many others, causing a refugee crisis in the region.
A 'common interest' on Iran
Earlier, White House officials said part of the discussions would focus on ways to "empower" Syria's moderate opposition.
But officials shot down as untrue reports that the US administration was planning to give Riyadh a green light to ship man-portable air-defense weapons, known as MANPADs, to the beleaguered moderate Syrian opposition.
"This was not a trip or a meeting designed to coordinate detailed questions or types of assistance to Syrians," added the US official added, who asked not to be named.
Riyadh also has strong reservations about revived efforts by Washington and other major world powers to negotiate with Iran.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, long wary of Shiite Iran's regional ambitions, views a November deal between world powers and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program as a risky venture that could embolden Tehran.
The interim agreement curbs Iran's controversial nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanctions relief, and is aimed at buying time to negotiate a comprehensive accord.
Obama made clear to the king the US was "determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, that we've gone into the talks eyes wide open, but that we believe this is a common interest in stopping proliferation to Iran," the US official told reporters.
He also stressed that Washington remained "very much focused on Iran's other destabilizing activities in the region."
Iranian-Saudi rivalry crystallized with the Syrian conflict: Tehran backs Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, while several Gulf Cooperation Council states support the opposition rebels.
'Reassurance visit'
Obama's stand on events reshaping the region "have strained relations, but without causing a complete break," said Anwar Eshki, head of the Jeddah-based Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies.
US security and energy specialist professor Paul Sullivan said Obama meeting King Abdullah could "help clear the air on some misunderstandings."
"However, I would be quite surprised if there were any major policy changes during this visit. This is also partly a reassurance visit," he added.
The two leaders were also expected to discuss Egypt, another bone of contention since the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak, who was a staunch US and Saudi ally.
The kingdom was angered by the partial freezing of US aid to Egypt after the army toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July -- a move hailed by Riyadh.
Meanwhile, US officials said Obama did not raise the issue of human rights with the king despite appeals from US lawmakers and rights groups.
Dozens of US lawmakers had urged Obama to publicly address Saudi Arabia's "systematic human rights violations" and efforts by women activists to challenge its ban on female drivers.
"We do have a lot of significant concerns about the human rights situation" in Saudi Arabia, the second administration official said, mentioning in particular "women's freedoms."
Saudi activists have urged women to defy the driving ban and get behind the wheel on Saturday, the second day of Obama's visit.
27 mar 2014
The Israeli Radio has reported that the United States has offered the release of Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard, in return for releasing the fourth batch of veteran Palestinian detainees, and extending direct peace talks with the Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioned Pollard’s case during his latest visit to the Unites States, and Israeli sources said Netanyahu asked the US to release the spy.
He said that, in return, Israel would go ahead and implement what it already vowed to do, and release the fourth and final phase of veteran Palestinian detainees, imprisoned since before the first Oslo Peace Agreement.
Israeli sources said US Secretary of State, John Kerry, intends to present the issue to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Prime Minister.
The United States said Abbas-Kerry talks aim at trying to bridge the gaps in the positions of Palestinian and Israeli negotiators, and that Kerry will be holding talks with Netanyahu, either over the phone or through video conference.
The United States is trying to extend direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks despite stalemate, while several senior Israeli officials sent a message to Arab Foreign Ministers convening in Kuwait, asking them to focus on the Arab Peace Initiative as the base for peace talks.
Israel also asked the summiteers to take into consideration the “regional situation” and its effects on Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Jonathan Pollard, born to a Jewish family on August 7, 1954 in Galveston, Texas, worked as a civilian intelligence analyst; he was apprehended on charges of spying for Israel, and received a life sentence in 1987.
He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995, but despite granting him citizenship while he was in prison, Israel did not acknowledge buying classified information from Pollard.
Several Israeli officials, and pro-Israel lobbies, in addition to former and current Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been trying to secure Pollard’s release.
On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, Netanyahu sent a letter to Obama asking him to release Pollard; the White House rejected the request.
On December, 11, 2011, Netanyahu stated that “Israel has the moral obligation to secure his release”, adding that “Pollard never spied on the United States”.
In late December of last year, the Israeli National News Agency said more than 106 Members of Knesset “including Arab MK and left wing MK’s” held a special session at the Knesset, and signed a petition calling on US President Barack Obama to reconsider his decision not to release Pollard.
So far, 78 of 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners have been freed in three groups, with the final 26 to be released on March 29. However, recent statements by Israeli officials have cast doubt on whether the prisoners would be released on time, if at all.
On Tuesday, at dawn, December 31, 2013, Israel released 26 veteran Palestinian detainees, as part of the third phase of releasing all detained Palestinians held by Israeli since before the first Oslo peace agreement of 1993.
During the first and second phases, Israel released, back in mid-August, 26 veteran detainees (14 from Gaza and 12 from the West bank) and, in late October, it released 26 veteran detainees (21 from Gaza and 5 from the West Bank).
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioned Pollard’s case during his latest visit to the Unites States, and Israeli sources said Netanyahu asked the US to release the spy.
He said that, in return, Israel would go ahead and implement what it already vowed to do, and release the fourth and final phase of veteran Palestinian detainees, imprisoned since before the first Oslo Peace Agreement.
Israeli sources said US Secretary of State, John Kerry, intends to present the issue to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Prime Minister.
The United States said Abbas-Kerry talks aim at trying to bridge the gaps in the positions of Palestinian and Israeli negotiators, and that Kerry will be holding talks with Netanyahu, either over the phone or through video conference.
The United States is trying to extend direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks despite stalemate, while several senior Israeli officials sent a message to Arab Foreign Ministers convening in Kuwait, asking them to focus on the Arab Peace Initiative as the base for peace talks.
Israel also asked the summiteers to take into consideration the “regional situation” and its effects on Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Jonathan Pollard, born to a Jewish family on August 7, 1954 in Galveston, Texas, worked as a civilian intelligence analyst; he was apprehended on charges of spying for Israel, and received a life sentence in 1987.
He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995, but despite granting him citizenship while he was in prison, Israel did not acknowledge buying classified information from Pollard.
Several Israeli officials, and pro-Israel lobbies, in addition to former and current Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been trying to secure Pollard’s release.
On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, Netanyahu sent a letter to Obama asking him to release Pollard; the White House rejected the request.
On December, 11, 2011, Netanyahu stated that “Israel has the moral obligation to secure his release”, adding that “Pollard never spied on the United States”.
In late December of last year, the Israeli National News Agency said more than 106 Members of Knesset “including Arab MK and left wing MK’s” held a special session at the Knesset, and signed a petition calling on US President Barack Obama to reconsider his decision not to release Pollard.
So far, 78 of 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners have been freed in three groups, with the final 26 to be released on March 29. However, recent statements by Israeli officials have cast doubt on whether the prisoners would be released on time, if at all.
On Tuesday, at dawn, December 31, 2013, Israel released 26 veteran Palestinian detainees, as part of the third phase of releasing all detained Palestinians held by Israeli since before the first Oslo peace agreement of 1993.
During the first and second phases, Israel released, back in mid-August, 26 veteran detainees (14 from Gaza and 12 from the West bank) and, in late October, it released 26 veteran detainees (21 from Gaza and 5 from the West Bank).
26 mar 2014
Jonathan Pollard, who is convicted of passing classified information to Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst
Israeli occupation army radio revealed Wednesday morning that the Israeli government put the release of the final batch of Palestinian prisoner under the conditions of Palestinian Authority agreement to extent the negotiations time line and the U.S agreement to release the Israeli spy Jontan Bolard .
Occupation radio explained that the U.S secretary John Keri and his negotiator's staff had presented this new proposal after prime minister of Israeli occupation Netanyahu informed Kerry that Israel will not release any Palestinian prisoner unless peace negotiations are extended.
The radio quoted Netanyahu as saying " It is difficult to release the Palestinian prisoners from pre 1948 occupied Palestinian (Israelis Arab) as a wide range of Israeli ministers opposing it , even if Abbas agreed to extend the negotiations."
The Radio explaining that releasing Bolard after 30 years in America prison will reduce the Israeli opposition of releasing the Palestinian prisoners from pre 1948 occupied Palestinian and enable Netanyahu to pass the decision.
It's expected that John Keri will meet Mahmoud Abbas today in Aman to convince him to extent the negotiations.
Israeli occupation army radio revealed Wednesday morning that the Israeli government put the release of the final batch of Palestinian prisoner under the conditions of Palestinian Authority agreement to extent the negotiations time line and the U.S agreement to release the Israeli spy Jontan Bolard .
Occupation radio explained that the U.S secretary John Keri and his negotiator's staff had presented this new proposal after prime minister of Israeli occupation Netanyahu informed Kerry that Israel will not release any Palestinian prisoner unless peace negotiations are extended.
The radio quoted Netanyahu as saying " It is difficult to release the Palestinian prisoners from pre 1948 occupied Palestinian (Israelis Arab) as a wide range of Israeli ministers opposing it , even if Abbas agreed to extend the negotiations."
The Radio explaining that releasing Bolard after 30 years in America prison will reduce the Israeli opposition of releasing the Palestinian prisoners from pre 1948 occupied Palestinian and enable Netanyahu to pass the decision.
It's expected that John Keri will meet Mahmoud Abbas today in Aman to convince him to extent the negotiations.
PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, called the U.S. to stand up for international law and to have the political will to curb Israeli violations of international and humanitarian law.
She stressed, "unless there is an American commitment to treat Palestinians equally and to hold Israel accountable, there is no hope for peace."
Ashrawi's statements were uttered during her meeting with Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, Catherine Russell, at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.
Ashrawi highlighted the accomplishments of women in Palestine in the face of tremendous odds: "Despite the gender discrimination in Palestine and obstacles imposed by Israel's military occupation, among other barriers, Palestinian women persist in their struggle for equality, dignity, and social justice."
Both parties discussed the role of women in the "peace process," the importance of the women's movement in Palestine, the ongoing negotiations, and Israel's facts on the ground.
Ashrawi stressed, "For decades, we have been subjected to a system of direct control and captivity; Israel is violating our human rights and freedoms and annexing Palestinian land and resources, while completing the siege and ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem."
She stressed, "unless there is an American commitment to treat Palestinians equally and to hold Israel accountable, there is no hope for peace."
Ashrawi's statements were uttered during her meeting with Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, Catherine Russell, at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.
Ashrawi highlighted the accomplishments of women in Palestine in the face of tremendous odds: "Despite the gender discrimination in Palestine and obstacles imposed by Israel's military occupation, among other barriers, Palestinian women persist in their struggle for equality, dignity, and social justice."
Both parties discussed the role of women in the "peace process," the importance of the women's movement in Palestine, the ongoing negotiations, and Israel's facts on the ground.
Ashrawi stressed, "For decades, we have been subjected to a system of direct control and captivity; Israel is violating our human rights and freedoms and annexing Palestinian land and resources, while completing the siege and ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem."
21 mar 2014
The U.S. is "disappointed with the lack of apology" from Israeli Army Minister Moshe Ya'alon, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman told reporters on Friday.
"We still have remaining concerns about Ya'alon's pattern of behavior," Jen Psaki said during a press briefing. "I think we clearly expressed our displeasure by his offensive comments and an apology would be a natural next step."
Psaki added, however, that Ya'alon's comments don't reflect U.S. relations with Israel.
Washington has been incensed at the Israeli army minister since he leveled harsh criticism at the Obama administration in an address at Tel Aviv University, reported in Haaretz on Tuesday. Ya'alon said the United States "shows weakness" in various arenas around the world – including Ukraine – and that its allies in the Middle East are disappointed. Ya'alon said that because it is "sitting at home," America is opening itself up to terror attacks "and the United States will suffer."
Following a telephone call between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a personal talk with the Israeli prime minister, Ya'alon reportedly apologized to his American counterpart Chuck Hagel, saying, among other things, that there was no defiance, criticism or intention to hurt the United States or Israel's relations with its ally with his words.
However, in its statement following the Ya'alon-Hagel talk, the U.S. Defense Department refrained from referring to Ya'alon's statements as an apology, instead saying that Hagel said he thanked Ya'alon for the clarification, and appreciated what Ya'alon had to say about his commitment to those relations.
In January, Ya'alon raised the ire of fellow Israeli politicians and the U.S. State Department, after he was was quoted by the Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth calling Secretary of State John Kerry "obsessive and messianic," adding that he hoped Kerry "gets a Nobel Prize and leaves us alone."
Source: Haaretz
"We still have remaining concerns about Ya'alon's pattern of behavior," Jen Psaki said during a press briefing. "I think we clearly expressed our displeasure by his offensive comments and an apology would be a natural next step."
Psaki added, however, that Ya'alon's comments don't reflect U.S. relations with Israel.
Washington has been incensed at the Israeli army minister since he leveled harsh criticism at the Obama administration in an address at Tel Aviv University, reported in Haaretz on Tuesday. Ya'alon said the United States "shows weakness" in various arenas around the world – including Ukraine – and that its allies in the Middle East are disappointed. Ya'alon said that because it is "sitting at home," America is opening itself up to terror attacks "and the United States will suffer."
Following a telephone call between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a personal talk with the Israeli prime minister, Ya'alon reportedly apologized to his American counterpart Chuck Hagel, saying, among other things, that there was no defiance, criticism or intention to hurt the United States or Israel's relations with its ally with his words.
However, in its statement following the Ya'alon-Hagel talk, the U.S. Defense Department refrained from referring to Ya'alon's statements as an apology, instead saying that Hagel said he thanked Ya'alon for the clarification, and appreciated what Ya'alon had to say about his commitment to those relations.
In January, Ya'alon raised the ire of fellow Israeli politicians and the U.S. State Department, after he was was quoted by the Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth calling Secretary of State John Kerry "obsessive and messianic," adding that he hoped Kerry "gets a Nobel Prize and leaves us alone."
Source: Haaretz
The US administration asserted that its annual aid for the Zionist entity will not be reduced.
Two members of Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed that Washington to continue providing military aid to Israel despite budget cuts.
Kelly Ayotte and Joe Donnelly, who are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have visited Israel to confer on security issues on which the allies have partnered.
Donnelly stressed on the importance of having Israel as an ally in this region," pointing to Israel's rare stability in a turbulent Middle East.
The US administration signed a 10-year deal with Israel in 2007 granting it 30 billion dollars until 2017.
Two members of Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed that Washington to continue providing military aid to Israel despite budget cuts.
Kelly Ayotte and Joe Donnelly, who are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have visited Israel to confer on security issues on which the allies have partnered.
Donnelly stressed on the importance of having Israel as an ally in this region," pointing to Israel's rare stability in a turbulent Middle East.
The US administration signed a 10-year deal with Israel in 2007 granting it 30 billion dollars until 2017.
6 mar 2014
The U.S. House of Representatives approved, on Wednesday, a bill which changes Israel's status into one of a "strategic partner" of the United States.
According to a report by Alternative Information Center (AIC), the new status will provide Israel with various security benefits, among them priority in receiving American weapons surpluses. Unlike the bill's original draft, the final version does not include the automatic granting of U.S. tourist visas to Israeli citizens.
The bill, which passed the House with a great majority, will now go to the Senate for a final confirmation.
According to a report by Alternative Information Center (AIC), the new status will provide Israel with various security benefits, among them priority in receiving American weapons surpluses. Unlike the bill's original draft, the final version does not include the automatic granting of U.S. tourist visas to Israeli citizens.
The bill, which passed the House with a great majority, will now go to the Senate for a final confirmation.
24 feb 2014
Assistance to torture regimes violates US & international law
Guest post by Daniel Wickham
The top ten recipients of US foreign assistance this year all practice torture and are responsible for major human rights abuses, according to the findings of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other leading human rights organisations. This may be in violation of existing US law, which requires that little or no aid be provided to a country which “engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, including torture.”
A report released by the Congressional Research Service lists the following countries as the largest beneficiaries of US government-provided aid planned for 2014:
1. Israel - $3.1bn
2. Afghanistan - $2.2bn
3. Egypt - $1.6bn
4. Pakistan - $1.2bn
5. Nigeria - $693m
6. Jordan - $671m
7. Iraq - $573m
8. Kenya - $564m
9. Tanzania - $553m
10.Uganda -$456m
All ten have been accused of torturing people in the last year, and at least half of them are reported to be doing so on a massive scale. In Afghanistan, for example, a UN report that torture in prisons continues to be “widespread”, with over half of the 635 detainees who were interviewed claiming to have been abused. According to Amnesty International, torture is also “widespread” in Uganda and remains “common” practice in Iraq.
Elsewhere, in Kenya, Human Rights Watch claim that “police in Nairobi tortured, raped and otherwise abused and arbitrarily detained at least 1,000 refugees between mid-November 2012 and late January 2013.” Tanzanians “at most risk of HIV” also face “widespread police abuse” - including torture - and are “regularly raped, assaulted and arrested.”
The worst abuses in detention, however, are alleged to be happening Nigeria, where in addition to the “widespread” use of torture, nearly a thousand people died in military custody in the first six months of 2013. A senior officer in the Nigerian army, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that “about five people, on average, are killed nearly on a daily basis.” According to the Associated Press, “if the number is accurate, Nigeria’s military has killed more civilians than the (Boko Haram) militants did” in the same six month period.
The “abysmal” human rights situation in Egypt, whose government still receives half a billion dollars in foreign aid annually from the United States, is also a pressing concern. According to Tayab Ali of ITN solicitors in London, “the evidence suggests that Egypt’s military regime has carried out crimes against humanity on a horrendous scale, including murder, persecution, torture and enforced disappearances.” At least 1,300 protesters have been massacred and anywhere between 3,500 and 21,317 Muslim Brotherhood supporters arrested since the elected government of Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in a coup d’etat in July.
Although the crackdown shows no signs of letting up, with dozens more killed on the anniversary of the Egyptian uprising in January, the United States is on course to increase its support for the military regime after Congress passed a new bill which will allow the US to restore the full $1.5bn in foreign assistance which is traditionally provided.
Israel, the top recipient of US military aid, has also been accused of committing major human rights abuses over the last year, including the torture of Palestinian children. A recent report by the Public Committee against Torture in Israel described how detained children “suspected of minor crimes” have been sexually assaulted by Israeli security forces and kept in outdoor cages during the winter.
It found that “74% of Palestinian child detainees experience physical violence during arrest, transfer or interrogation.” This would appear to back up the claims of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which last year reported that “Palestinian children are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture” by the Israeli military and police.
Likewise, in Jordan and Pakistan, torture is practiced with “near-total impunity.” The Pakistani authorities have carried out particularly egregious human rights abuses in the province of Balochistan, where 160 people have been extra-judicially killed and 510 “disappeared” over the last year. According to reports from the country’s most widely read English-language newspaper, at least 592 mutilated dead bodies have now been found since January 2010. The United States, however, has kept silent on the mounting evidence of atrocities and continues to provide over a billion dollars in foreign assistance annually, making it Pakistan’s “largest donor of development and military aid.”
A number of other recipients of US foreign assistance are also alleged to practice torture systematically. In Bahrain, for example, Amnesty International report that “children are being routinely detained, ill-treated and tortured”, while in Mexico and Ethiopia, torture is described as “widespread.” Controversially, the Obama administration has also recently restored military aid to Uzbekistan, where the UN claim torture is practiced in its “worst forms.” In one particularly horrifying case, a man was actually boiled to death in an Uzbek prison for allegedly being a member of an Islamist group.
In spite of this, the United States remains a signatory of the United Nations Convention against Torture, which it ratified in 1994 [PDF]. However, the fact that the top ten recipients of US foreign assistance all practice torture raises serious questions about the Obama administration’s stance on human rights. If the United States wants to be taken seriously on these issues, a serious re-evaluation of its foreign assistance programme is needed. At a minimum, the Obama administration should respect existing US law by placing conditions, such as an end to the practice of torture, on the provision of military aid to foreign governments, which will hopefully then push those governments towards reform and a greater respect for human rights.
Guest post by Daniel Wickham
The top ten recipients of US foreign assistance this year all practice torture and are responsible for major human rights abuses, according to the findings of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other leading human rights organisations. This may be in violation of existing US law, which requires that little or no aid be provided to a country which “engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, including torture.”
A report released by the Congressional Research Service lists the following countries as the largest beneficiaries of US government-provided aid planned for 2014:
1. Israel - $3.1bn
2. Afghanistan - $2.2bn
3. Egypt - $1.6bn
4. Pakistan - $1.2bn
5. Nigeria - $693m
6. Jordan - $671m
7. Iraq - $573m
8. Kenya - $564m
9. Tanzania - $553m
10.Uganda -$456m
All ten have been accused of torturing people in the last year, and at least half of them are reported to be doing so on a massive scale. In Afghanistan, for example, a UN report that torture in prisons continues to be “widespread”, with over half of the 635 detainees who were interviewed claiming to have been abused. According to Amnesty International, torture is also “widespread” in Uganda and remains “common” practice in Iraq.
Elsewhere, in Kenya, Human Rights Watch claim that “police in Nairobi tortured, raped and otherwise abused and arbitrarily detained at least 1,000 refugees between mid-November 2012 and late January 2013.” Tanzanians “at most risk of HIV” also face “widespread police abuse” - including torture - and are “regularly raped, assaulted and arrested.”
The worst abuses in detention, however, are alleged to be happening Nigeria, where in addition to the “widespread” use of torture, nearly a thousand people died in military custody in the first six months of 2013. A senior officer in the Nigerian army, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that “about five people, on average, are killed nearly on a daily basis.” According to the Associated Press, “if the number is accurate, Nigeria’s military has killed more civilians than the (Boko Haram) militants did” in the same six month period.
The “abysmal” human rights situation in Egypt, whose government still receives half a billion dollars in foreign aid annually from the United States, is also a pressing concern. According to Tayab Ali of ITN solicitors in London, “the evidence suggests that Egypt’s military regime has carried out crimes against humanity on a horrendous scale, including murder, persecution, torture and enforced disappearances.” At least 1,300 protesters have been massacred and anywhere between 3,500 and 21,317 Muslim Brotherhood supporters arrested since the elected government of Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in a coup d’etat in July.
Although the crackdown shows no signs of letting up, with dozens more killed on the anniversary of the Egyptian uprising in January, the United States is on course to increase its support for the military regime after Congress passed a new bill which will allow the US to restore the full $1.5bn in foreign assistance which is traditionally provided.
Israel, the top recipient of US military aid, has also been accused of committing major human rights abuses over the last year, including the torture of Palestinian children. A recent report by the Public Committee against Torture in Israel described how detained children “suspected of minor crimes” have been sexually assaulted by Israeli security forces and kept in outdoor cages during the winter.
It found that “74% of Palestinian child detainees experience physical violence during arrest, transfer or interrogation.” This would appear to back up the claims of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which last year reported that “Palestinian children are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture” by the Israeli military and police.
Likewise, in Jordan and Pakistan, torture is practiced with “near-total impunity.” The Pakistani authorities have carried out particularly egregious human rights abuses in the province of Balochistan, where 160 people have been extra-judicially killed and 510 “disappeared” over the last year. According to reports from the country’s most widely read English-language newspaper, at least 592 mutilated dead bodies have now been found since January 2010. The United States, however, has kept silent on the mounting evidence of atrocities and continues to provide over a billion dollars in foreign assistance annually, making it Pakistan’s “largest donor of development and military aid.”
A number of other recipients of US foreign assistance are also alleged to practice torture systematically. In Bahrain, for example, Amnesty International report that “children are being routinely detained, ill-treated and tortured”, while in Mexico and Ethiopia, torture is described as “widespread.” Controversially, the Obama administration has also recently restored military aid to Uzbekistan, where the UN claim torture is practiced in its “worst forms.” In one particularly horrifying case, a man was actually boiled to death in an Uzbek prison for allegedly being a member of an Islamist group.
In spite of this, the United States remains a signatory of the United Nations Convention against Torture, which it ratified in 1994 [PDF]. However, the fact that the top ten recipients of US foreign assistance all practice torture raises serious questions about the Obama administration’s stance on human rights. If the United States wants to be taken seriously on these issues, a serious re-evaluation of its foreign assistance programme is needed. At a minimum, the Obama administration should respect existing US law by placing conditions, such as an end to the practice of torture, on the provision of military aid to foreign governments, which will hopefully then push those governments towards reform and a greater respect for human rights.
- This article was first published by Left Foot Forward
9 feb 2014
Former CIA Director James Woolsey
Former CIA Director James Woolsey says anti-Semitism could be a factor in the U.S. refusal to release a Jewish American jailed for spying for Israel.
Woolsey's told Israeli Channel 10 TV Saturday that Americans who spied for other countries including Korea and Greece were freed after short sentences, while Jonathan Pollard is still jailed after 25 years.
Pollard was a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy when he gave thousands of classified documents to his Israeli handlers. He was arrested in 1985 and later sentenced to life in prison.
"I certainly don't think that it is universally true, but in the case of some American individuals, I think there is anti-Semitism at work here," Woolsey said.
He said others who did the same as Pollard were freed quickly.
Former CIA Director James Woolsey says anti-Semitism could be a factor in the U.S. refusal to release a Jewish American jailed for spying for Israel.
Woolsey's told Israeli Channel 10 TV Saturday that Americans who spied for other countries including Korea and Greece were freed after short sentences, while Jonathan Pollard is still jailed after 25 years.
Pollard was a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy when he gave thousands of classified documents to his Israeli handlers. He was arrested in 1985 and later sentenced to life in prison.
"I certainly don't think that it is universally true, but in the case of some American individuals, I think there is anti-Semitism at work here," Woolsey said.
He said others who did the same as Pollard were freed quickly.
4 feb 2014
The US department of state issued travel warning and warns U.S. citizens against travel to the Gaza Strip. The travel warning said that U.S. government employees are not allowed to conduct official or personal travel to the Gaza Strip or to the West Bank, with the exception of Jericho and Bethlehem.
In case the U.S. government personnel wanted to travel in the areas surrounding Gaza and south of Beersheba, they must notify Embassy Tel Aviv's Regional Security Officer before traveling there.
The warning explained that “the security environment remains complex in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and U.S. citizens need to be aware of the continuing risks of travel to these areas where there are heightened tensions and security risks”.
In case the U.S. government personnel wanted to travel in the areas surrounding Gaza and south of Beersheba, they must notify Embassy Tel Aviv's Regional Security Officer before traveling there.
The warning explained that “the security environment remains complex in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and U.S. citizens need to be aware of the continuing risks of travel to these areas where there are heightened tensions and security risks”.
25 jan 2014
The popular committees in Gaza said that the American decision adding Ziyad Al-Nakhala, the deputy secretary general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, to the “list of terrorists” uncovered the ugly image of the USA. The committees said in a statement on Friday that the American administration had again uncovered its hostile stand against the Palestinian people, cause, and resistance.
It added that the American decision exposes Washington’s role in conspiring against the Palestine cause in service of the “Zionist project”, and affirms that the so-called American settlement proposals especially that of US secretary of state John Kerry were not serving the interests of the Palestinian people.
The committees lashed out at “The incessant attempts to smear Palestinian resistance by describing it as terrorist”, adding that such allegations collapse vis-à-vis the just Palestinian resistance against the “Zionist terrorism, occupation and project”.
It added that the American decision exposes Washington’s role in conspiring against the Palestine cause in service of the “Zionist project”, and affirms that the so-called American settlement proposals especially that of US secretary of state John Kerry were not serving the interests of the Palestinian people.
The committees lashed out at “The incessant attempts to smear Palestinian resistance by describing it as terrorist”, adding that such allegations collapse vis-à-vis the just Palestinian resistance against the “Zionist terrorism, occupation and project”.
23 jan 2014
The US Department of State on Thursday designated a Palestinian leader of the Islamic Jihad movement a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist," according to the State Department's website.
Ziyad al-Nakhalah was designated as a wanted "terrorist" under an executive order "which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism," the State Department said in a statement.
"The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Ziyad al-Nakhalah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons," the statement said.
Responding to Thursday's designation, a member of Islamic Jihad's political bureau told Ma'an that the decision provides cover for Israel to assassinate Islamic Jihad leaders and members.
In the designation, the US emphasized its partnership with the Israeli occupation in crimes against Palestinians, Nafith Azzam told Ma'an.
Azzam said that the US decision would not change Islamic Jihad's determination to fight against Israel and to defend the Palestinian people.
Ziyad al-Nakhalah was designated as a wanted "terrorist" under an executive order "which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism," the State Department said in a statement.
"The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Ziyad al-Nakhalah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons," the statement said.
Responding to Thursday's designation, a member of Islamic Jihad's political bureau told Ma'an that the decision provides cover for Israel to assassinate Islamic Jihad leaders and members.
In the designation, the US emphasized its partnership with the Israeli occupation in crimes against Palestinians, Nafith Azzam told Ma'an.
Azzam said that the US decision would not change Islamic Jihad's determination to fight against Israel and to defend the Palestinian people.
7 jan 2014
Combo of file pictures showing US journalist Glenn Greenwald (L) and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden still has “very significant” secrets to reveal relating to Israel, says the investigative journalist who first published the whistleblower’s leaks.
"I don't want to preview any stories that aren't yet published, but it is definitely the case that there are a huge number of very significant stories that are left to report," Glenn Greenwald said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 10 aired Monday night.
"There definitely are stories left that involve the Middle East, that involve Israel. The reporting is going to continue at roughly the same pace that has been happening," he said.
Among documents disclosed by Snowden last year was information that the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ had in 2009 intercepted an email address belonging to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and those of other senior Israeli officials.
Following the revelations, Israeli officials demanded that the US stop "systematically spying" on Israel.
"In the close ties between Israel and the United States, there are things that must not be done and that are not acceptable to us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on December 23.
Last month, several Israeli cabinet members and lawmakers said reports of US spying was an opportunity to press Washington to free Jonathan Pollard, a former US intelligence analyst who has been imprisoned for nearly three decades over spying for Israel.
Greenwald said he understood why Israel would link the NSA spying to the Pollard case.
"I think you are absolutely right to contrast the Jonathan Pollard case with revelations of American spying on their closest allies within the Israeli government, because it does underlie, underscore exactly the hypocrisy that lies at the center of so much of what the US government does," he said.
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden still has “very significant” secrets to reveal relating to Israel, says the investigative journalist who first published the whistleblower’s leaks.
"I don't want to preview any stories that aren't yet published, but it is definitely the case that there are a huge number of very significant stories that are left to report," Glenn Greenwald said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 10 aired Monday night.
"There definitely are stories left that involve the Middle East, that involve Israel. The reporting is going to continue at roughly the same pace that has been happening," he said.
Among documents disclosed by Snowden last year was information that the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ had in 2009 intercepted an email address belonging to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and those of other senior Israeli officials.
Following the revelations, Israeli officials demanded that the US stop "systematically spying" on Israel.
"In the close ties between Israel and the United States, there are things that must not be done and that are not acceptable to us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on December 23.
Last month, several Israeli cabinet members and lawmakers said reports of US spying was an opportunity to press Washington to free Jonathan Pollard, a former US intelligence analyst who has been imprisoned for nearly three decades over spying for Israel.
Greenwald said he understood why Israel would link the NSA spying to the Pollard case.
"I think you are absolutely right to contrast the Jonathan Pollard case with revelations of American spying on their closest allies within the Israeli government, because it does underlie, underscore exactly the hypocrisy that lies at the center of so much of what the US government does," he said.
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