[HODHODYEMENNEWS] A large batch of US forces arrived on Saturday in the city of Mukalla, the center of the oil-rich province of Hadhramaut, in eastern Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... The Saudi "Al-Hadath" TV channel confirmed that the American forces maintain a military presence in the city of Mukalla.
On Friday, al-Hadath channel quoted American sources as saying: "There is an American military base in which special forces operate in the city of Mukalla."
The channel’s correspondent in Washington, Bier Ghanim, confirmed that between 40 and 50 American soldiers arrived, among the latest reinforcements in Hadhramaut province.
Media outlets had confirmed the arrival of US forces and their tour of the coastal cities of al-Dhaba, al-Shihr, Fowah, and Broum in Hadhramaut, where the UAE’s "Barshid" camp is located.
The arrival of almost daily US military flights to and from al-Rayyan Airport was highlighted by the media after US forces converted it into a military base in early 2021.
Observers noted that the American presence in Hadhramaut at the military and diplomatic levels reveals the American ambitions in the province, which is rich in oil wealth.
It should be noted that the United States is showing remarkable interest in Hadhramaut province through extensive visits of political delegations and military missions, amidst the struggle of the Saudi-led coalition forces represented by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi and their followers to control Hadhramaut.
[IsraelTimes] Tehran has stepped up harassment of independent news organization in wake of widespread protests; channel says it can no longer protect its staff in London
A Farsi-language satellite news channel based in London long critical of Iran’s theocratic government said Saturday it had moved its broadcasts to Washington "to protect the safety of its journalists" after reportedly being targeted by Tehran.
The alleged targeting of Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites.... International comes as Tehran also has long harassed members of the BBC’s Persian service for their work reporting on the country. However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... the threats against Farsi-language networks broadcasting abroad have exponentially grown as they cover the nationwide protests that have rocked Iran since September — providing information otherwise unheard across the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s state-controlled television and radio networks.
Iran International described making the decision after London’s Metropolitan Police told it "about the existence of serious and immediate threats to the safety of Iranian journalists" working there.
Reached for comment, Iran International referred to a statement saying that "threats had grown to the point that it was felt it was no longer possible to protect the channel’s staff" or the public around its studio in London.
"A foreign state has caused such a significant threat to the British public on British soil that we have to move. Let’s be clear this is not just a threat to our TV station but the British public on the lam," the channel’s general manager Mahmood Enayat said. "Even more this is an assault on the values of illusory sovereignty, security and free speech that the UK has always held dear."
Enayat added: "We refuse to be silenced by these cowardly threats. We will continue to broadcast. We are undeterred."
Iran’s mission to the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran International tied its decision to London police days earlier announcing the arrest and charging of Austrian national Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 30, with allegedly "collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."
Police say they arrested Dovtaev a week ago at London’s Chiswick Business Park, home to the offices of Volant Media UK Ltd., the owner of Iran International. However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... police did not directly tie Dovtaev to a threat against the channel. Police reportedly placed armed officers around the channel in November over threats against it.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Dovtaev had a lawyer.
Voltant Media, once majority-owned by a Saudi national, also broadcasts another channel called Afghanistan International.
Iran International has focused intensely on the nationwide protests that have swept Iran since the September death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman earlier detained by the country’s morality police. Iran’s Intelligence Ministry describes the channel as a "terrorist organization."
"Its operatives and affiliates will be pursued by the Ministry of Intelligence," Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib said in November. "And from now on, any kind of connection with this terrorist organization will be considered to be tantamount to entering into terrorism and a threat to the national security of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran."
That same month, the broadcaster said the Metropolitan Police warned that two of its British-Iranian journalists faced threats from Iran that "represent an imminent, credible and significant risk to their lives and those of their families." Meanwhile, ...back at the wine tasting, Vince was about to start on his third quart... another outspoken critic of Iran’s government living in the US has faced multiple alleged plots by Tehran targeting her.
The BBC in February filed a separate complaint to the United Nations saying there were "increased security concerns for BBC News Persian journalists in the light of extraterritorial threats."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Three female students from Dagestan have been rehabilitated at the Novocherkassk medical college after they managed to reach a compromise with its leadership on the issue of uniforms, one of the girls said. The situation was resolved without a trial, while the publicity of the incident, as well as criticism of Ramzan Kadyrov, played a decisive role, the lawyers said.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 11, the teachers' council of the medical college in Novocherkassk expelled five students, including natives of Dagestan and Chechnya, for wearing hijabs. The girls complained to the prosecutor and the Ombudsman. The college authorities said that students can return to their studies if they refuse to wear clothes with religious attributes. On February 2, it became known that female students were allowed to return to college.
On January 29, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, called the ban on wearing the hijab a manifestation of fascism, because of which the natives of Dagestan and Chechnya were expelled from the college in Novocherkassk. He threatened to "take action " for disrespecting Muslim customs.
Kizperi Magomedbekova , one of the previously expelled students who have now been reinstated in the college, said that she and two other students returned to the school. She clarified that she plans to complete her studies at this college, like the other two girls from Dagestan.
"The three of us just recovered, Chechens - residents of Novocherkassk, did not want to continue their studies there. We already go around in a medical gown and a hat, and put on a balaclava from below. They ask us to put on a sweater with a neck and a hat, so that it would not be visible what we wear," Magomedbekova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
She did not specify other details, and also expressed satisfaction with the return to study. No comments were received from other students.
The girls have already begun attending college classes, according to a video message from three previously expelled students. The video was provided to the "Caucasian Knot" by one of the students, Kizperi Magomedbekova, and as of February 18, this video has not been posted on the YouTube service.
"We agreed that we will wear clothes that do not contradict the rules of the college, but also do not violate the precept of our faith," one of them says on behalf of the three girls. The students in the video thank Ramzan Kadyrov and other representatives of the leadership of Chechnya, representatives of the Don community of the peoples of Dagestan and some other officials for their help in "a compromise solution to the issue."
The issue with the return of female students to college was resolved out of court. Two girls refused to return to this educational institution of their own free will, said lawyer Ruslan Nagiyev , who represented the interests of the students.
“We have already prepared a lawsuit in defense of the interests of the girls. But we managed to reach a mutual agreement during negotiations in a pre-trial order. This was largely due to the participation of the permanent representative of the head of the Chechen Republic in the Rostov region Ruslan Ganchaev. Governor of the region Igor Guskov.
A compromise solution has been found. Girls will attend college in clothes that, on the one hand, do not contradict the charter and rules of the college, and on the other hand, do not violate the principles of the students' religion," he explained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The students intend to publish a new video message, the lawyer added. However, what exactly it will be dedicated to, Nagiyev did not specify.
Lawyers intend to monitor the situation, which will develop further, emphasized the lawyer Magomed Nurbagomedov, who also represented the interests of the students.
“Three girls were reinstated, the other two decided not to. It seems that there is a compromise. They will wear headscarves. We will find out over time [how the college leadership will behave]. Anyway, the girls are happy that they are starting classes. They are already tired of this uncertainty," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
Nurbagomedov is sure that the publicity of the incident played a decisive role. "I am grateful to you [the media] for this. I think you understand that Ramzan Akhmatovich [Kadyrov's] demands could not be missed. He clearly and clearly expressed his opinion on this issue. I completely agree with him," Nurbagomedov stressed.
Hijab is a Muslim woman's clothing that covers her entire body except for her face and hands. Wearing a hijab is compulsory for a Muslim woman. In the modern world, hijab is most often understood only as an Islamic women's headscarf.
Wearing hijabs regularly causes incidents in various institutions of the country, said Danis Garaev, a senior researcher at the Institute of Pedagogy, Psychology and Social Problems in Kazan . "How many people wear hijabs in post-Soviet times, so many problems arise. For the Muslim community, this is a constantly topical issue," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
In recent years, there has been less discrimination in Russia due to the wearing of hijabs, he added. “Especially when it comes to regions with a significant or majority Muslim population. It’s not worth talking about global discrimination against Muslim women now. Those who want to realize themselves find channels for this. There are almost no scandals in educational institutions because of this,” the scientist noted .
He connected this trend with the general trend towards the actualization of traditionalism in Russia. “In general, this trend towards the preservation of traditional values overlaps some local cases. The factor of respect for the headscarf is inscribed in the traditionalist discourse. Therefore, it is possible to overcome discriminatory measures. Garaev.
[Dawn] PTI big shot Dr Shireen Mazari has claimed that former army chief (retired) General Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to "resettle" members of the proscribed Tehrik-e-Taliban ...Arabic for students... Pakistain (TTP) in the country, following Afghan Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
Mazari made these remarks on Dawn News programme ’Doosra Rukh’, which will air at 7pm today. The statement from the former minister comes at a time when there has been a substantial increase in terror activities across the country, with an attack on the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... police chief’s office on Friday night being the latest incident.
The hours-long combat between turbans and law-enforcement agencies, at the office located at Sharea Faisal, left four people martyred and 16 injured while all three turbans were reported to be killed.
During the interview, Mazari said, "Bajwa at one point brought up the matter (of Taliban) — General Faiz was also present at the time — that there are Pak nationality families in the TTP who want to return to the country.
"If they accept the Constitution and lay down their arms, something should be done for some sort of resettlement and talks should be held."
The PTI leader added a meeting was called as the resettlement suggestion had caused an "immediate reaction from the elected PTI members".
"It was clearly decided that before initiating a dialogue, a committee will be formed between the elected representatives and the military to form a consensus as our elected people have a lot of reservations."
Mazari said the PTI had demanded that first, a consensus should be reached and then a dialogue with the TTP should be initiated.
She then lamented that afterwards, the PTI government was ousted and the current government "did not care about what dialogue was to be held with whom".
The former MNA asserted that the blame for failing to deal with the TTP would "fall not on us but the imported government".
The PTI leader insisted that Gen Faiz had made a visit "in the beginning to talk to the Afghan government" and not the Taliban.
’All options open’
Additionally, when asked about PTI Chairman Imran Khan ...aka The Great Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight... ’s demand seeking legal action against Gen Bajwa for alleged violation of the Constitution, Mazari said that the party "had all options open to it".
She said, "By the way, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has admitted that when he was the prime minister, there was interference back then as well and Bajwa was not letting him do many things; so, this is nothing new.
"When the Constitution is violated, whichever Article is violated, there is the option to take action against the violator. So, let’s see what the President says."
When asked if there was any threat given to Imran from Gen Bajwa, Mazari responded, "It has been heard that he gave a lot of threats. I was also present in many meetings [but] I do not want to say anything right now. Everything will come forward at its time."
She refrained from giving further details saying the PTI cared that "many things are sensitive and confidential for the country" even if Gen Bajwa did not do so. "Do not push us so much that we are forced to tell everything," she added.
The PTI leader said she knew "whatever used to be said about the United States and India" through what was discussed during parliament briefings.
When asked if the former army chief was in favour of India in any way, Mazari replied, "I would only say that when the proposal surfaced to start trade with India, it was the Cabinet’s decision that until India steps back from its illegal actions of Aug 5, we cannot talk with it."
When asked further if Gen Bajwa thought the contrary about the trade, she said, "Probably; the proposal did stem from somewhere."
"Bajwa sahib said himself ’I had arranged [matters] and a meeting was also being held but then Khan sahib said the meeting of national security advisors could not take place neither could trade’," she added.
The PTI chief had in the past defended his plan to resettle TTP families in the country, saying the "returning fighters had many issues that needed to be resolved for peace in the province" and that reaching an agreement was the better option compared to the only other choice of killing them all.
He had linked the surge in terror incidents across Pakistain with his removal from power and held the incumbent PDM government responsible for derailing the grinding of the peace processor.
"When the Afghan war ended... some 30,000 to 40,000 Pak tribal fighters wanted to come back," Imran had said, adding all stakeholders, including local leaders, had been taken on board regarding their resettlement in the country.
"The PTI government had two options: either kill all of them or reach an agreement with them and allow them to settle in the province. These returning fighters had many issues that needed to be resolved for peace in the province," he had said, underlining that the process was ongoing when the "infamous regime change operation removed" him from power.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
02/19/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: Pak Taliban (TTP)
[Dawn] Addressing the Munich Security Conference in Germany, the PPP chairman said the most important issue regarding Afghanistan in the region was the "security and terrorist threat emanating out" of the country, adding that there was a whole "alphabet soup" of terrorist organizations that were based out of Afghanistan.
He rued that not enough seriousness was paid to the issue by the international community or the Afghan government.
"The concern is that if we and the interim government don’t take these groups seriously and they don’t demonstrate the will and the capacity to take on terrorist groups then they will conduct terrorist activities in the region first — we are already witnessing an uptick in terrorist activity in Pakistain since the fall of Kabul — but it won’t be long before it reaches somewhere else."
FM Bilawal urged the international community to act "pre-actively" rather than reactively after the "nightmare scenario".
He further told world leaders to find a way to build the capacity for the interim Afghan government to help it build a standing army.
"They don’t have a standing army, nor a counter-terrorism force or even proper border security," he said. "In that situation, even if they have the will, they don’t have the capacity to deal with this [terrorist] threat which is a problem, first for the imminent neighbours and then the international community".
The foreign minister cited how "very little attention" was given to Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul and the ongoing Ukraine war.
Bilawal gave an example of how banned bully boy groups such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban ...Arabic for students... Pakistain, Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Liberation Army and Al Qaeda were operating from Afghanistan while the international community was not doing enough to contain the threat.
"A lot of my time is taken to convince Afghan authorities to take on gunnies and address my security challenges," Bilawal said, emphasising that terrorist groups have more coordination in Afghanistan than "we all do".
The foreign minister said Pakistain did not want to "invade Afghanistan and go in after them and repeat the mistakes of the past" so the best scenario was for the respective law-enforcing institutions in Afghanistan to become functional.
Bilawal stressed that Pakistain would continue to help Afghanistan in any way it could and also called for opening the country’s banking channels, unfreezing its funds and building a "consensus based on Afghanistan’s realities".
AFGHAN SUPPORT FOR TTP
After the TTP called off its ceasefire on November 28, Pakistain has been hit by a wave of terrorism, mostly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but also in Balochistan and the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... town of Mianwali, which borders KP. Terror attacks have also reached as far as Islamabad and Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... A report released by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) on Tuesday said Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are unlikely to discontinue supporting holy warriors in Pakistain as they feel that economic troubles prevent Islamabad from launching a major operation against the TTP.
"Amid Pakistain’s economic crisis and the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, the Pak Taliban have reemerged as an increasingly potent threat," warned the report.
Referring to Kabul’s recent criticism of Islamabad’s policies, the report argued that "this undiplomatic rhetoric underscores the Taliban’s determination to continue supporting the TTP, even in the face of intensified pressure from Pakistain".
USIP argued that the Taliban’s response to being confronted about their support for the TTP "has been to level counter-accusations — which does not signal an impending shift away from that support".
[IsraelTimes] Foreign Ministry blames South Africa and Algeria for severe diplomatic breach; Israel gained official observer status in 2021.
An Israeli observer delegation at the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... summit in Addis Ababa was kicked out of the opening ceremony on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said, blaming South Africa and Algeria for the severe diplomatic breach.
According to the Walla news site, which first reported the incident, security guards came up to the Israeli delegation during the opening ceremony and demanded they leave.
Video showed the Israelis, led by Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for Africa Sharon Bar-Li, leaving after several minutes of discussion.
"Israel views seriously the incident in which the deputy for Africa, Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, was removed from the African Union hall despite her status as an accredited observer with access badges," said ministry spokesperson Lior Hayat.
"It is sad to see that the African Union has been taken hostage by a small number of krazed killer countries such as Algeria and South Africa, driven by hatred and controlled by Iran," Hayat said.
"We call on the African countries to stand against these actions that harm the organization of the African Union itself and the entire continent," he said.
The African Union did not responded to a request for comment about the incident.
Asked about Israel’s accusations that South Africa and Algeria were behind the move, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s front man Vincent Magwenya told AFP at the summit: "They must substantiate their claim."
The issue of Israel’s observer status has caused deep discord in the 55-member bloc.
At last year’s summit, a debate on the issue was suspended in a bid to avoid a vote that would create an unprecedented rift in the Union.
Instead, a committee was set up that was supposed to give its recommendations at this year’s summit.
The relationship with Israel is a rare point of contention for a body that values consensus, with powerful member states, notably South Africa, loudly protesting a decision in 2021 by Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, to accept Israel’s accreditation to the bloc.
The six-member committee was to have included South Africa and Algeria, who opposed Faki’s move to accredit Israel, as well as Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... , who supported it.
Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... also asked to be on the committee, while South Africa requested the inclusion of Nigeria as well, diplomats said at the time.
The Paleostinian Authority has repeatedly urged African leaders to withdraw Israel’s AU accreditation, denouncing its "apartheid regime."
The 2021 accreditation handed Israeli diplomats a victory they had been chasing for nearly two decades.
Israel was previously accredited at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), but lost that status when the body was disbanded and replaced by the AU in 2002.
Seventy-two countries, regional blocs and organizations are already accredited, including North Korea ...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche... , the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and UNAIDS, according to the AU’s website.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made strengthening Israel’s relations with Africa one of his main foreign policy goals.
Earlier this month he joined visiting President of Chad Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno in Tel Aviv to officially open the African nation’s embassy in Israel, a move both leaders hailed as "historic."
[Rudaw] A bishop in Duhok is facing a legal complaint over a Facebook comment that was insulting to Islam.
“Know your place, dhimmi unbeliever!”
The bishop has apologized and said he was not responsible for the post.
Two weeks ago, a post appeared on the Facebook page of Bishop Bahzad Mziri of the Anabaptist Church in Duhok. The post made comments about Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam, that were considered insulting and derogatory and stirred up public ire.
Duhok’s Directorate of Endowment and Religious Affairs and the public prosecutor intend to take the bishop to court.
"We are determined to file a complaint tomorrow morning against this man," Mohammed Khalid, general director of the endowment directorate told Rudaw on Saturday. Their complaint will assert that Bishop Mziri "disrespected Islam and the Prophet of Islam."
Khalid’s office has informed the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, which, he said, had spoken to the person at the ministry in charge of Christian affairs, securing their support. "Many priests and bishops are also set to be present on Sunday at Duhok's court," he said.
Bishop Mziri has apologized. He posted a statement on Facebook in which he said his account had been "hacked" and someone else commented in his name.
The bishop told Rudaw's Nasir Ali on Saturday that someone who is an admin of his account had posted the comment without his approval. He also said that he is currently in Jordan and is ready to go in front the judge when he is back in the country.
Mziri added that he has been involved in many acts promoting religious tolerance in Duhok and he is not ready to destroy the city's coexistence.
Despite Mziri’s apology, Khalid of the endowment directorate said they will proceed with the court case.
[AlAhram] The Paleostinian national and Islamic forces in occupied Jerusalem declared their intention to observe civil disobedience, starting Sunday early morning, in protest of the Israeli repression measures against Paleostinians in the city and the rest of the occupied territories.
The forces said in a press statement that the civil disobedience measures include calling on Paleostinian workers not to go to their workplaces in Israel, refusing to pay taxes to the Israeli authorities and the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, closing the road leading to the Shuafat camp checkpoint, and closing the entrance to Anata town.
The civil disobedience comes in response to the daily crimes of the Israeli occupation government against our people in Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied territories, including extrajudicial killings, arrests, and home demolitions, reported WAFA news agency.
It also comes against the backdrop of the almost daily Israeli police and military raids on the Paleostinian refugee camp of Shuafat, in occupied Jerusalem, and the adjoining town of Anata.
In Hebron, a Paleostinian child was injured in an attack on Saturday by hardcore Israeli settlers, guarded by army, on vehicles and homes in the Old City, south of the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.
WAFA correspondent said scores of armed Israeli settlers embarked on a rampage attacking Paleostinians’ homes and vehicles at Shuhada Street in the Old City, injuring a Paleostinian child, Emran Jaber. The child was hospitalized as a result.
The rampaging settlers also attacked and vandalized several parked vehicles before an Israeli army force arrived at the scene to secure their way back. Confrontations erupted between the Israeli occupation forces and local Paleostinian residents in the aftermath of the attack.
Israeli settler fanatics also shouted profanities at Paleostinians as they passed through the Israeli military checkpoint at Shuhada Street in Hebron’s Old City, threatening them with forced displacement and with more assaults.
The city of Hebron is home to roughly 200,000 Paleostinians and about 800 notoriously aggressive Israeli settlers who live in colonial compounds in the heart of the city, heavily guarded by Israeli troops.
In February 2019, Israel expelled the only international monitors protecting Hebron’s Paleostinians from the 800 heavily guarded settlers, one of whom committed the 1994 massacre that triggered their deployment.
Yesterday’s report can be seen here. A collection of tweeted videos can be seen at the link.
[Dawn] Protests rocked Iran ...Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979... again overnight after a seeming slowdown in recent weeks, with marchers calling for the overthrow of the government, online video posts purportedly showed on Friday.
The marches in numerous cities including Tehran that began on Thursday evening and went on into the night, marked 40 days since the execution of two protesters last month.
Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini were hanged on Jan 8. Two others were executed in December.
The protests that have swept across Iran began last September after the death in jug of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini for flouting the hijab policy, which requires women to entirely cover their hair and bodies.
Videos on Friday showed overnight demonstrations in several neighbourhoods in Tehran as well as in the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Qazvin, Rasht, Arak, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Qorveh, and Izeh in Khuzestan province.
An online video purportedly from the city of Mashhad, in the northeast, showed protesters chanting: "My martyred brother, we shall avenge your blood."
The long wave of unrest has posed one of the strongest challenges to the government since the 1979 revolution. Openly defying the hijab rules, women have waved and burned their scarves or cut their hair.
While the unrest appeared to have tapered off in recent weeks, likely because of the executions or the brutal crackdown, acts of civil disobedience have continued unabated.
Nightly anti-regime chants reverberate across Tehran and other cities. Youths spray graffiti at night denouncing the republic or burn pro-government billboards or signs on main highways. Unveiled women appear in the streets, malls, shops and restaurants despite dire warnings from officials.
Many of the women among the dozens of recently released prisoners have posed unveiled in front of cameras.
Authorities have not backed down on the compulsory hijab policy.
In recent weeks Iranian media have reported the closures of several businesses, restaurants and cafes for failure to observe the hijab rules.
Earlier this month, a Tehran pharmacy was ordered to close because "its owner disrespected the person who warned her to observe the hijab", the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on Wednesday.
Last week, Iranian officials called on trade unions for stricter enforcement of hijab regulations in Tehran’s stores and businesses.
’Improperly’ veiled female students were warned last month they would be barred from entering Tehran University, while local media reported that about 50 students were prevented from entering Urmia University, in the northwest, for flouting hijab rules.
Rights activist muppets say more than 500 protesters have been killed since September, including 71 minors. Nearly 20,000 have been detained. At least four people have been hanged, according to the judiciary.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
02/19/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[IsraelTimes] New York Times
... which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... analysis finds several signs that Eagle 44 base will be home for Su-35 fleet, expected to arrive later this year in major boost to Iranian Air Force.
An analysis of images from a newly revealed underground air force base in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites.... named "Eagle 44" reveals that the site is likely being prepared to host advanced Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Iran earlier this month unveiled what it said was its first underground air force base, with the head of the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s military saying the site would be among those used to launch a response to any potential strikes by Israel or others.
The report by the Times, which looked at images released by Iran along with satellite images of the site, found several clues that Tehran was preparing the base for the Su-35 fighter jets.
Iran said last year it was looking to buy the jets as it dramatically stepped up defense coordination with Moscow in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Iran has become a major weapons supplier to Russia, particularly of its killer drones.
It is believed Russia is willing to supply Tehran with 24 of the fighters after a deal to supply the same number to Egypt fell through.
The first clue that Eagle 44 was being prepared as a base for the Su-35s was seen in the promotional video and photos released by Iran. In them, a poster is seen with the silhouettes of fighter jets. All the silhouettes are of aircraft currently in the Iranian air force, except for one, which is of the Sukhoi, the Times said.
In addition, satellite imagery of the site shows that the Iranians have built a full-scale mock-up of the Su-35, which was likely being used to ensure the base could accommodate the larger dimensions of the Russian jet.
"These are likely being used in assessing clearances for maneuvering the aircraft throughout the underground facility and could suggest they’ll be based here," Chris Biggers, a former US government imagery analyst told the Times.
The report said work on the base was likely ongoing to prepare for the arrival of the jets, noting that while satellite images indicate the current entrance tunnel is too small for the Su-35, work was ongoing on a second, larger tunnel.
Iran unveiled the base with much fanfare.
"Any attack on Iran from our enemies, including Israel, will see a response from our many air force bases including Eagle 44," Iran’s armed forces’ Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri told IRNA at the time.
IRNA said the Eagle 44 site was one of Iran’s most important military facilities, and would be home to fighter jets equipped with long-range cruise missiles.
The location of the base was not disclosed as part of attempts by Iran to put key military and nuclear facilities out of the way of potential strikes.
However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... the New York Times report said the base was in a mountainous area in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, only 100 miles north of the key Strait of Hormuz.
It said work on the site has been going on for a decade, but it was possible that it was only recently decided to use it at an air base, noting that runway construction was new.
Analysts also told the Times that building such a sophisticated base to house Iran’s current fleet of outdated fighters made little sense and so it was likely designed for the new Su-35s. The report said the arrival of the jets, expected later this year, would be "the country’s most significant upgrade to its aging fighter jet fleet in decades."
Iran has in recent years been moving much of its critical military infrastructure underground.
Israel is suspected of launching a series of attacks on Iran, including an assault on its underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges.
Last year, Iran’s army unveiled details about an underground base in the Zagros mountain range, where it said some 100 drones were stored. Iran has also shown off similar tunnels in the past, which serve as storage areas for missiles and drones.
Last month, there was a significant drone attack on a key Iranian defense facility in the city of Isfahan. The site hit in the strike was reportedly a weapons production facility for Iran’s killer Shahed-136 drones.
The attack was one of a number widely attributed to Israel, which has a policy of not commenting on such operations.
Iran threatened retaliation over Israel’s reported involvement in the Isfahan attack, warning Jerusalem "not to play with fire."
In his previous term, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered numerous strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and operations on Iranian soil. He has been open about his intention to oppose Tehran’s nuclear aspirations at any cost, as Israel generally views an Iranian nuclear bomb as an existential threat.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
02/19/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
....Like I said the other day - don't matter how deep you dig it, there's two things that have to be above ground: the power connections and the door.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
02/19/2023 10:32 Comments ||
Top||
#2
So gonna move out the mostly non functional F-4's and the last F-14 to make parking spaces?
One other likely visible access point to the underground hangers would be the air exhaust. It's gotta be big, or you can't run the engines while inside. And if you can't run the engines inside, it's just a parking garage.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
02/19/2023 11:17 Comments ||
Top||
'America’s potential adversaries have realized that current non-nuclear penetrating weapons are relatively ineffective in destroying underground facilities. According to the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, “the use of underground facilities…is expanding as potential adversaries conceal and protect their most vital national security functions and activities.” As such, underground facilities likely constitute adversary centers of gravity. In fact, vital national security functions and activities describe strategic centers of gravity. Therefore, if resources allow, attacks on these centers of gravity may deal a decisive blow to the enemy. This paper will discuss adversary mindset changes in utilizing underground facilities; it will argue that successful targeting of these facilities may persuade the adversary to discontinue their efforts. It will also examine the most relevant ethical questions in directly targeting strategic leaders known to be hidden in such facilities. Finally, it will focus on specific challenges in defeating underground facilities. The conclusion argues that the strategic importance of underground facilities demands national-level attention to the practical and ethical questions relevant to successfully attacking and defeating them.'
BLUF: The greater their perceived achievement, the more immediate the requirement for their destruction.
[NPASyria] The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) rejected on Saturday allegations by the UN Human Rights Council of abuses by its security forces against Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS)-affiliated family members.
On Feb. 16, the Human Rights Council claimed that at least ten boys, some as young as 12 years old, were taken from their mothers in Roj camp, northeast Syria, by the authorities running the camp on January 31.
Roj camp, the second most-dangerous camp after Hawl Camp, is run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It houses 806 families, or around 2.800 individuals, both locals and foreigners. The foreigners, mostly women and kiddies of ISIS members, hail from 62 countries, according to previous a report published by North Press.
The AANES Foreign Relations Department said in a statement the management of the camps had transferred some teenagers to rehabilitation centers to distance them from the Death Eater environment, which prevails in the camps, given that they are most impressionable at that age.
The prisons, camps and rehabilitation centers in AANES-held areas are "open for everyone" to visit and they were previously surveyed by several foreign bodies, which investigated the detainees’ conditions, the AANES’ statement reads.
The statement further criticized "international inaction" as no solution for foreign ISIS affiliates has been found.
The camps and prisons have been turned into "an Death Eater environment in which children are growing up," the AANES pointed out.
It also warned against the grave danger posed to the camps’ security and the future of the teen’s own countries should the "Cubs of the Caliphate" generation continue to be raised in this environment. "This is a great danger that needs to be countered," the AANES said.
The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani, and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah, and Deir ez-Zor after the SDF defeated ISIS militarily there.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
02/19/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[23 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
The only thing worse than the UN complaining while providing no real solutions is when they provide real solutions.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/19/2023 20:09 Comments ||
Top||
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites....
...aka 
...Arabic for 
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka 
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
...Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
