Thursday 18 April 2024

Ben-Gvir: Executing Palestinian detainees best way to combat ‘prison overcrowding’

 Applying the death penalty to Palestinian detainees who are “terrorists” is the “right” solution to tackle the problem of prison overcrowding, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a tweet yesterday.

His post came after the Israeli government approved his proposal to build about 936 additional prison places to hold Palestinian prisoners.

Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, noted: “I’m glad that the government approved my proposal that will allow the Israel Defence Forces to build 936 (in total 1,600) additional prison places for security prisoners,” referring to Palestinian prisoners.

“The additional construction will allow the prison service to take in more terrorists and will bring a partial solution to the overcrowding crisis,” he added.

He went on: “The death penalty for terrorists is the right solution to the overcrowding problem, until then – glad that the government approved the proposal I brought.”

Earlier yesterday, the Israeli government approved the addition of about 1,000 prison places for Palestinian prisoners, at a cost of about 450 million shekels ($119.21 million). Some 50 per cent of the funding will come from the Ministry of Defence’s budget, with the remaining allocated from other ministries, according to the Walla news website.

The Government Media Office in Gaza said yesterday that the Israeli occupation army has arrested more than 5,000 Palestinians since it began its brutal bombing campaign on the Strip in October 2023.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240418-ben-gvir-executing-palestinian-detainees-best-way-to-combat-prison-overcrowding/

ECB fires back at plans to seize Russian assets

 

The confiscation of Moscow’s frozen funds could undermine international order, the head of the European Central Bank warns

ECB fires back at plans to seize Russian assets

US-backed proposals to seize frozen Russian assets could undermine the international order, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has cautioned. Her comments came during a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, where the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors were discussing the issue of using the immobilized assets of the Russian central bank to support Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the finance ministers and regulators said they would continue working on “all possible avenues” to make use of Russian sovereign assets, according to Reuters. The push to seize Moscow’s money has been led by the US and has caused a rift among the G7 and the EU political elite.

Washington and its allies have blocked some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets due to sanctions adopted in response to the launch of Moscow’s special military operation against Kiev in February 2022. Around $200 billion of that money is held in the EU. The US has been insisting for months that international law allows for the confiscation of the funds, but Germany and France have expressed concerns that such a move could set a dangerous precedent.

”I have seen four different schemes or proposals to circumvent what many other jurists or lawyers… regard as a very serious legal obstacle that can be construed as a violation of the legal international order,” Lagarde, a former lawyer, said, as quoted by the Financial Times.

Moving from freezing the assets to confiscating them could entail “breaking the international order that you want to protect; that you would want Russia to respect,” she added.

During the meeting in Washington, a senior US Treasury official outlined the options the finance ministers were “doing technical work” on.

”One of them is seizure, but another is collateralizing, or even using the windfall profits or the interest from these assets to fund a loan,” Deputy US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, as quoted by Reuters. The outlet reported earlier that the US and its allies were considering using the interest due on the frozen Russian assets as collateral for loans or bonds issued to help Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly said that the seizure of its funds would amount to theft and would further undermine global trust in the Western financial system. Russia has also warned that if necessary, it might respond in kind to such a move by the US and its allies.

https://www.rt.com/news/596161-lagarde-russian-assets-international-order/

Iran And Saudi Arabia - A Common Future Looking East

 

moon of alabama

In March 2023 Iran and Saudi Arabia restored their diplomatic ties with each other. The deal had been mediated by China.

As I remarked at that time:

This is huge!
...
Reviving relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran will make a lot of new things possible.

That Iran and Saudi Arabia accepted China's mediation is a recognition of Beijing's new standing in world policies. That alone is enough reason for the White House to hate the deal.

I later summarized the diplomatic action in the Middle East:

For the last 30 years the U.S. considered the Middle East as its backyard. Twenty years ago it illegally invaded Iraq and caused 100,000nds of death and decades of chaos. Now China, by peaceful means, changed the balance in the Middle East within just one month.
...
Xi and Putin are now running the multilateral global show. Biden and the hapless 'unilateral' people around him are left aside.

Amwaj.media, which translates everything into Persian, Arabic and English, has published a piece written by two academics from Iran and Saudi Arabia. Such cooperation is still rare. This can then be seen as a semi-official explanation and/or vision of those countries' global policies.

The piece confirms the loss of U.S. influence and the rise of China's role in the Middle East:

How Gaza war is pushing the region eastward

The unwavering US support for Israel’s war on Gaza has left a bitter taste in the region.  Anger is mounting not only in the Arab world but also across the Global South, over what is seen as western double standards towards Israel’s continued onslaught. There is a unified demand for a ceasefire and sharp criticism of what it viewed as unchecked Israeli aggression.
...
One main trend of regional dynamics in recent years has been a pivot to the east.
Underscoring this shift, Iran and Saudi Arabia in Mar. 2023 struck a deal to resume diplomatic ties in a historic agreement brokered by China. In particular, Beijing’s role in the breakthrough sent a clear message to Washington that it is not the only diplomatic heavyweight in the region.

Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have their own individual reasons for prioritizing better relations with their neighbors. For Tehran, getting closer to Riyadh presents a unique opportunity to break free from its economic isolation—after enduring years of US sanctions—by diversifying economic and political partnerships.
...
For Saudi Arabia, looking east is part and parcel of its ambitious Vision 2030—an extensive reform plan aimed at diversifying its economy. China, India, and Russia are key partners in realizing this vision, given their expansive trading relations with Riyadh. [...]

Overall, Riyadh understands that the success of Vision 2030, particularly the touristic aspect of it, partially hinges on a safer neighborhood. The attacks on Saudi oil installations in 2019, which were blamed on Tehran but claimed by Yemen’s Ansarullah movement—better known as the Houthis—marked a turning point.

The Kingdom was shocked by the lack of US action, [...]

The U.S. plan to bring the Arab states and Israel together into an anti-Iranian coalition gets rejected, the scholars write, because of lack of U.S. pressure on Israel to pursue a two state solution.

In consequence:

[T]he US is losing its standing among regional countries as a security partner. To many, the full-fledged western support for Israel is incomprehensible—and jeopardizes their own safety. [...]
All in all, pivoting towards Asia has become an attractive alternative for regional players seeking to counter US hegemony. Non-western countries are less open to adhering to Washington’s rules for the game, and this inclination will further consolidate intra-regional relationships—especially as key actors find more similarities than differences.

Although the perception of US double standards is not new, the willingness of non-western countries to challenge this amid a changing global order has increased. Previously, regional players tolerated the status quo as the US was seen as the sole superpower. However, with the rise of new global powers in the east, these actors see no reason to stay silent about the suffering in Gaza while passively accepting the moral arguments of the US regarding Russia’s war on Ukraine. If the current trend continues, western influence in a region where it has long been dominant will diminish.

This is quite a slap to the Biden administration which still seems to dream that it can broker some Saudi-Israeli deal and isolate Iran with it.

The times where the U.S. could dictate to the Middle East are definitely over.

Posted by b on April 17, 2024 at 16:13 UTC | Permalink

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/04/iran-and-saudi-arabia-see-their-common-future-in-the-east.html#more

Eurasia, Africa, Middle East: everywhere the Western minority continues to be pushed back

 18.04.2024 Author: Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov

Current events in different parts of the world once again prove the firm opposition to the policies of the Western minority, as well as to all forces nostalgic for a unipolar world order. The collective West can continue to pretend as much as it wants not to see this reality, but the facts are a delicate matter, and said processes are destined to accelerate in the near future.

Whether Western elites like it or not, even naturally not, the response to the actions of a global minority continues to gain momentum on all fronts and in various places around the globe. And if our country, Russia, has assumed a form of leadership in these processes, in particular and including within the framework of the Special Military Operation, other countries and regions in the world are increasingly beginning to take over the active opposition to the collective West.

Iran’s response to the criminal actions of the Israeli regime, the latter having also committed a total violation of international law by bombing the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus, is as such not only a limited and quite retained demonstration of the Islamic Republic capacity to respond to the aggression of its enemies and rivals, but also, to a certain extent, the end of a myth propagated for a long time. Namely, that the Israeli regime can allow itself to commit the most terrible crimes – both in Palestine and through its actions at the regional level – while remaining “untouchable” and unpunished.

Moreover, the Iran’s limited response – which, like Russia, continues to demonstrate strategic patience for the moment, has inspired a large number of the multipolar word supporters, including in Africa – which is also becoming today one of the main forces in the inevitable victory of the international multipolar order over the group of those nostalgic for the unipolar era, represented by the NATO-Western regimes, to which are added some Israel, Japan, and a few others.

At the same time, on the African continent itself, the processes of confrontation with the Western neocolonial minority continue and intensify. Especially in the Sahel region, where after the total fiasco of the Western regimes, first place that of France, and as was to be expected – difficult times lie ahead for the chief of the NATO-Western bloc, represented by Washington. Particularly in Niger, which with Mali and Burkina Faso is a member of the Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel, AES), where citizens mass demonstrations are taking place to require the complete withdrawal of US troops from the national territory.

All this taking place after the rupture already announced by the Niger authorities of military cooperation with the Washingtonian regime. Generally speaking, the problems for Washington and its Western vassals are far from being over on the African continent. And that – that’s also a fact.

Some Western analysts, in view of these and other global events, are already beginning to speak of “World War III” in some form. As for the supporters of the multipolar world, there is no question of any world war. Because everything that is unfolding before our eyes is nothing other than active opposition to the attempts of an obvious, arrogant and hypocritical planetary minority – to bring back the overwhelming majority of humanity under the dictatorship of this Western minority.

But that won’t happen. And the sooner the NATO-Western camp would have become aware of this, the better it would have been. Because today no threat – whether military, economic, hybrid or otherwise – is capable of stopping the natural process for humanity. Obviously and first of all – for the world majority. Moreover, all attempts to stop or at least slow down the processes inherent to the multipolar era – deal much more powerful blows against the very initiators of such attempts.

Yes, today’s resistance is already global. Once again – there is no question of resistance to the existing world order, since the contemporary world is already in a multipolar era. The resistance of non-Western peoples consists precisely in not allowing liars, criminals and hypocrites to take us back to a bygone era. It is of course particularly pleasant that in this confrontation our country, Russia, plays one of the main roles, often the main one, and in many areas.

The results will be as follows. The multipolar world, which has been categorically rejected by the neocolonial global minority – will simply move on at one stage to the next phase, namely the multipolar and post-Western world order. With all the consequences that ensue. Consequences, which at the time of their arrival, will be much less pleasant for the West than they could have been if the arrogant nostalgic for the unipolar diktat had accepted an inclusive multipolar world. They did not. This means that they will indeed have to assume the consequences of their criminal actions.

 

Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov, entrepreneur, political commentator, expert on African and Middle Eastern issues, exclusively for the internet journal “New Eastern Outlook

https://journal-neo.su/2024/04/18/eurasia-africa-middle-east-everywhere-the-western-minority-continues-to-be-pushed-back/

Amnesty: US-Backed Kurds in Syria Are Running Torture Prisons Responsible for ‘Mass Death’

 

The US is 'involved in most aspects of the detention system' that was set up in eastern Syria following the defeat of ISIS


by Dave DeCamp April 17, 2024 at 12:37 pm ET 

US-backed Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria are responsible for torture and “mass death” due to inhumane conditions at detention facilities that were set up after the defeat of ISIS, Amnesty International said in a new report on Wednesday.

Amnesty said that the US is “involved in most aspects of the detention system,” which holds more than 56,000 people, including 30,000 children, 14,500 women, and 11,500 men.

The Kurdish authorities, officially known as the Autonomous Authorities of the North and East Syria Region, include the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US’s main partner in Syria. The majority of those in custody were detained in 2019 when ISIS lost the last significant piece of territory that it had.

Amnesty said many of the women are victims of human trafficking and forced marriage to ISIS members, and many detained boys and young men are victims of ISIS’s child recruitment. The report said other ISIS victims are being held in the facilities, including as many as hundreds of Yazidis.

Amnesty interviewed people who were held in the camps who detailed the torture they experienced, which included beatings, stress positions, and electric shocks. “I was given electric shocks. I was pregnant at the time. The [interrogator] knew, he told me: ‘I am going to force you to have a miscarriage’, and that’s what he did,” one woman said.

The Amnesty report detailed how the US has funded and supported the detention facilities. “The US-led coalition, with funding from the US Congress, has refurbished existing detention facilities, constructed new ones, and frequently visits them. The US Department of Defense has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to the SDF and affiliated security forces,” Amnesty said.

Former detainees said that the “combination of physical abuse, inhumane conditions and lack of medical care caused outbreaks of disease and other health conditions, and led to the deaths of hundreds of people.”

Back in January 2022, there was a prison break at one of the facilities in Hasakah. A major battle ensued, and the US gave air support to SDF fighters on the ground. According to US Central Command, more than 420 suspected ISIS members and 120 SDF fighters were killed in the battle. A 17-year-old Australian boy who was in the prison at the time of the battle told Human Rights Watch that he estimated 15 to 20 children were killed. The boy said he was injured by a US Apache helicopter strike.

By backing the SDF, the US is able to maintain control of a section of eastern Syria that’s about one-third of the country’s territory. The US also has about 900 troops deployed in the area, which is where most of Syria’s oil and gas fields are located. The government in Damascus is strongly opposed to the US presence, making it an illegal military occupation.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/17/amnesty-us-backed-kurds-in-syria-are-running-torture-prisons-and-responsible-for-mass-death/

UK’s Cameron Says Israel Will Likely Respond to Iran Attack

 


by Dave DeCamp April 17, 2024 at 5:20 pm ET 

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Wednesday that he believes Israel will respond to Iran’s drone and missile attack, which was a reprisal for Israel bombing Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

Cameron made the comments while visiting Israel and advising against escalation. “It’s right to have made our views clear about what should happen next, but it’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act,” he said after meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was also in Israel on Wednesday to warn against a major escalation. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled he would not heed the advice.

“I have just come from meeting with the British and German foreign ministers,” Netanyahu said. “I thank our friends for their support in defense of Israel and I say this — support in both words and deeds. They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice, which I appreciate; however, I would also like to clarify — we will make our decisions ourselves. The state of Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend itself.”

Also on Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated Tehran’s warning that it would hit Israel much harder if Israel chooses to escalate. “If we had carried out a heavier operation, nothing would be left of Israel. But it was supposed to be a limited action,” Raisi said.

Iran gave the US and Israel plenty of time to prepare for its attack, as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Tehran gave 72-hour notice to regional countries. The White House denied that it received direct notice from Iran, but Turkish, Iraqi, and Jordanian officials said they did, which would have gotten back to the US. Iran also announced that it launched missiles and drones hours before they would reach Israel, and the US was able to intercept most of them on its own.

The US is portraying the Iranian attack as an Israeli victory, and President Biden has said the US would not support Israeli offensive action against Iran. But the US has also vowed to continue to defend Israel, which means the US would intervene if there were another escalation and Israeli territory came under attack again.

US officials told NBC News that they believe Israel’s response will be “limited in scope” and would likely target Iranian forces and allies outside of Iran. Israel has been targeting Iranians in Syria for years, but the consulate bombing marked a huge escalation since it targeted a diplomatic facility and killed a high-level Iranian general and six other members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

 https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/17/uks-cameron-says-israel-will-likely-respond-to-iran-attack/

No Sign of US Withdrawal from Iraq After PM Visits Washington

Both sides left open the possibility of an end to the US-led anti-ISIS coalition but a continued US presence in another form


by Dave DeCamp April 17, 2024 at 3:50 pm ET 

Following a meeting between President Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, there’s no sign a US withdrawal from Iraq will happen anytime soon despite earlier calls from al-Sudani’s government for an end to the presence.

Biden and al-Sudani met in Washington on Monday and released a statement reaffirming the US-Iraqi military partnership. The statement said they would continue talks on the future of the US-led coalition in Iraq, but the next meeting is not until July.

The US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of an anti-ISIS coalition that formed in 2014. Al-Sudani has previously said Iraq can handle the ISIS remnants that are in the country without the foreign coalition, but the US is insisting on a long, drawn-out process to evaluate the threat of ISIS.

Both sides appear to be leaving open the possibility of a continued US presence in Iraq even if the anti-ISIS coalition ends its mission in the form of a “bilateral” partnership.

“The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships,” Biden and al-Sudani said.

Ahead of his visit to Washington, al-Sudani wrote an article in Foreign Affairs where he called for a “new kind of partnership” with the US. He said there’s been an agreement to “end the international coalition in a gradual and orderly manner on an agreed timetable” but added that a committee will “develop a road map for future relations, including the presence of US advisers.”

Al-Sudani began calling for an end to the US presence after the US began bombing Iraqi Shia militias that are part of Iraq’s security forces. The US launched a series of major airstrikes in Iraq in retaliation for the drone and rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, which came in response to US support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. Tensions have eased since al-Sudani’s government and Iran pressured the militias to stop attacking the US following the death of three US troops at a base in Jordan.

Iraq’s parliament voted to expel US forces back in 2020 after a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. But the US refused to leave and was able to stay despite the opposition due to its enormous economic leverage over Iraq.

Since the 2003 invasion, Iraq’s foreign reserves have been held by the US Federal Reserve, giving Washington control over Baghdad’s dollar supply and the ability to devalue the Iraqi dinar. The US also keeps tight control over Iraq’s ability to pay its neighbor Iran for much-needed electricity.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/17/no-sign-of-us-withdrawal-from-iraq-after-pm-visits-washington/