Category: Regions

Syrian rebels told by West to unify and reject extremism
Syrian rebels told by West to unify and reject extremism

Syrian rebels were told by their western backers on Saturday they had to present a united face and reject extremism in return for a major new package of non-lethal assistance.

The West has been reluctant to provide even non-lethal aid to rebel fighters Photo: Reuters

By Richard Spencer, Istanbul

4:05PM BST 20 Apr 2013

Foreign ministers of nations backing the Syrian opposition, including William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and John Kerry, the US secretary of state, met opposition leaders in Istanbul to thrash out a major new aid package.

They continue to reject directly supplying the opposition with arms, despite fighting reaching a bloody stalemate across the country, but the US was on the verge of announcing up to $200 million in “non-lethal” military aid – equipment such as body armour and night-vision goggles.

Diplomatic sources told The Daily Telegraph that in return the allies were demanding an end to internal wrangling in the opposition Syrian National Coalition, the Western-recognised political front for the rebels.

The SNC was being asked to sign up to a three-pronged pledge. They had to reject extremism and present an inclusive face to the world that included religious minorities, secular groups and women as well as the dominant Islamist faction.

Several secular members of the coalition have walked out in the last month, following the election of Ghassan Hitto, who is seen as close to the Muslim Brotherhood, as an interim prime minister for the rebels.

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They are also being told to commit to secure Syria’s chemical weapons, a major security concern, and to present a detailed plan for “the day after” – how basic services will be run whenever President Bashar al-Assad is forced from office, assuming he is.

Anti-Syrian regime protesters chant slogans and wave the Syrian revolutionary flag during a demonstration in Aleppo (AP)

Time is running out,” one diplomatic source said, adding that the Coalition needed to show unity to be recognised as a credible leadership by those doing the fighting inside Syria.

On Thursday, Mr Kerry told congressmen: “We want to make certain that the people we’re working with are committed to pluralism, diversity, to a democratic process. There have to be a series of guarantees.”

The West, represented in the “Friends of Syria” group, has been reluctant to provide even non-lethal aid to rebel fighters, keen not to get sucked into another Middle Eastern war and afraid of bolstering the many jihadist forces among the rebels.

But America is believed to be coordinating with Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia, which are sending weapons, and the SNC on Saturday called for more direct intervention. “While humanitarian aid is a dire necessity, the Syrian opposition is also looking for support that will enable the immediate fall of the regime and an end to the suffering of the Syrian people,” a statement said.

Underlining their demands, fierce fighting claims scores of lives on Saturday. Activists and the regime confirmed major battles in the Damascus suburbs and between Homs and the Lebanese border.

In Damascus, regime troops were attacking rebels who had seized the mixed Sunni and Christian suburbs of Jdeidat Artouz and Jdeidet al-Fadel. The activists’ Damascus media office said 69 people had been killed on the rebel side, including civilians.

Near the Lebanese border, an area divided between Sunni, Shia and Christian communities, regime forces swept into four rebel-held villages around the town of Qusayr. Earlier in the week, rebels seized part of an airbase north of Qusayr, showing the back-and-forth nature of the conflict.
April 21, 2013
Kerry to announce more nonlethal aid for Syrian rebels

By Elise Labott

The Obama administration is set to announce a significant expansion of nonlethal aid to the armed Syrian opposition as the European Union moves closer to lifting an arms embargo to potentially arm rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. officials told CNN.

Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to announce the new assistance package at an international meeting on Syria in Istanbul on Saturday, the officials said.

CNN first reported on April 9 that the administration was finalizing a package of increased assistance. The officials said the exact dollar amount and specific items to be shipped have not been finalized, and will be determined in Istanbul, where Kerry is to meet with other donors to Syria and leaders of the Syrian opposition.

However, officials said the package is expected to include more than $100 million in equipment such as body armor, night vision goggles and other military equipment that is defensive in nature, but could be used to aid in combat by Syrian rebels battling forces loyal to al-Assad.

Other options under discussion include assistance to support the expansion of the ongoing, civilian-led programs for delivery of critical goods and services by local councils throughout Syria and additional aid for capacity building efforts, the officials said

Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday a goal of Friends of Syria meeting is to identify “what accelerants to Assad’s departure might make the most sense.”

Increasing nonlethal aid to the rebels could help convince al-Assad that he must step down, Kerry said.

Another aim of the conference is to “get everybody on the same page” with respect to what a post-Assad Syria will look like,” he said. That could “create a confidence level about who’s getting what kind of aid from whom.”

The move by Washington to expand assistance to the armed rebels reflects what U.S. officials describe as a ramped-up effort to change the military balance on the battlefield in Syria to get al-Assad to step down.

The move comes as Britain and France are leading efforts to lift a European Union arms embargo on Syria.

Both have suggested they are prepared to join nations such as Qatar in providing the rebels with weapons, and are urging the United States to do the same. The arms embargo expires in May and diplomats said the EU countries are discussing possibly allowing it to expire or be amended to ban only weapons for Syrian government forces.

The package being discussed, however, still falls short of the heavy weapons and high tech equipment sought by the rebels.

Despite pressure from Congress and his own national security team, President Barack Obama has been cautious about increasing direct aid for the armed rebels. Kerry has pushed for more aggressive U.S. involvement in Syria since taking office in February.

Last month, Obama agreed to send food and medicine to the rebels, the first direct U.S. support for the armed opposition.

Supporters of expanding the aid argue such a step would strengthen the hand of moderate members of the opposition and make them less reliant on well-armed extremist elements within their ranks.

“Everybody has now accepted a concern about extremist elements who have forced their way into this picture, and there is a desire by all parties to move those extremist elements to the side and to give support, I believe, to the Syrian opposition,” Kerry said Thursday. “That’s a big step forward.”

A push last summer from CIA, Pentagon and State Department leaders was rejected by the White House. At least for now, it remains opposed to arming the opposition, fearing that U.S.-provided weapons could wind up in the wrong hands.

The Obama administration has funneled $385 million in humanitarian aid to Syria through international institutions and nongovernmental organizations.

In addition, Washington has provided more than $100 million to the political opposition and has pressed it to establish a leadership structure.

But the Syrian Opposition Council, the main Syrian opposition group, has roundly criticized the United States for refusing to provide badly-needed support to organize a transitional government and broaden its support inside Syria.

After Istanbul, Kerry will travel to Brussels, where he will discuss the Syria crisis with NATO and EU foreign ministers. He will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Obama administration sees Moscow, one of Syria’s most important backers, as key to a political settlement.

On Thursday, Kerry said Washington was still open to negotiations between the regime and the opposition but warned “that time is not on the side of a political solution. It’s on the side of more violence, more extremism, an enclave breakup of Syria.”

The longer the war drags on, Kerry said, the greater the chance of a “very dangerous sectarian confrontation over the long term, and the potential of really bad people getting hold of chemical weapons,” he added.

Post by: By CNN Foreign Affairs Reporter Elise Labott
Filed under: Assad • Sec. State John Kerry • Syria

April 21, 2013
Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh

English version below

ATEFAH SAHAALEY KİM Mİ ? OKUYUN

İslamiyet öylesine özgürlüklerin yaşandıgı bir din ki (!)

Atefah daha 13 yasindayken bir erkekle tek basina ayni arabada görüldügü icin hapis cezasina carptiriliyor, suçu iffetsizlik. Hapisten cikar cikmaz 51 yasindaki evli ve cocuk sahibi bir taksi şöförü tarafindan tecavüze ugruyor (Hüseyin Üzmez geliyor akla).

Sonra mı ?

İmzasiz bir sikayet üzerine yeniden tutuklaniyor Atefah iskence ile sorgulaniyor, sorgulayici, hakim ve savci ayni kisi bu arada, tamamen İslami usül sorgu sirasinda tecavüze ugradigini “itiraf” ediyor. Bunun uzerine, 16 yasinda, idama mahkum ediliyor .Atefah. 2 gün icinde yüksek mahkemeden izin aliniyor ve halka ibret olmasi icin kendi sehrinin, tanidigi insanlarin oldugu sehrin meydaninda idam edilmesine karar veriliyor.

Ailesini son kez görmesine bile izin verilmiyor, acelesi var cünkü müslümanların. Acilen öldürülmesi gerek bu iffetsiz kizin ve öldürüyorlar da, 40 dakika boyunca asiyorlar Atefah’yi, müslüman tanidiklarinin alkislari ile birlikte.

Bir sehrin daha iffeti kurtuluyor.

Sonra 22 yasinda oldugu iddia edilen Atefah’nin 16 yasinda oldugu anlasiliyor,cesedi caliniyor ertesi gün, mezarindan, büyük ihtimalle ahlakli müslümanlar (!) tarafindan…

Tecavüzcüler ise serbest, kirbaçla atlatiyorlar , tam da islam’a yakisir sekilde, iffetlice.

Türkiye’de de iffetli müslümanlarımız kara carsafla Nisantasi’nda yürüyememekten dem vuruyorlar.

Kafalarini dünyaya kapadiklari basörtusüyle, amaci insanin kafasini acmak olan Üniversitelere girememeyi elestiriyorlar,amaçları imam yetistirmek olan imam hatiplerden mezun olup, amaci bilim insanı üretmek olan Üniversitelere girememeyi anlamsiz buluyorlar.

Müslümanca yaşanacak bir ülke özlemi içinde olanlar, bilin ki karsinizda her zaman sizden daha fazla sayida, sizin pisliklerinize karsi koyacak bir kitle olacak, kendi pisliginiz icinde bogulmaniz dilegiyle…

_Eos

(more…)

April 20, 2013
Flotilla survivors to move court despite apology

Flotilla survivors to move court despite apology

ISTANBUL Israel’s apology to Turkey over the 2010 killing of nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship did not go far enough and Israeli soldiers will be pursued in court, survivors of the incident said on Monday.

In a rapprochement brokered by US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on March 22 for the killings, pledged compensation to the bereaved or hurt and agreed to ease a six-year blockade on Gaza. Erdogan said these gestures met his conditions for normalising relations with its erstwhile ally.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said while visiting Istanbul on Sunday that restoring full ties between Turkey and Israel was vital to regional stability.

With the apology, Israel aimed to end a three-year diplomatic crisis with Turkey, once its closest regional ally, that erupted when Israeli soldiers stormed an international flotilla carrying relief aid to challenge the Gaza blockade.

As part of the agreement on compensation, Israel wants lawsuits against its soldiers to be dropped.

“We will continue with the criminal lawsuits we have opened against the Israeli soldiers and commanders, and we won’t accept dropping this suit if compensation is paid,” said Musa Cogas, who was wounded by Israeli gunfire on board the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla carrying aid to Palestinians.

An Istanbul court is hearing charges that have been filed against four of Israel’s most senior retired commanders, including the ex-army chief, in absentia and could carry life sentences. Israel has called this a politically motivated “show trial”. Ahmet Varol, a journalist who was on the Mavi Marmara, said one “formula for a resolution” would be for Israel to provide a timetable for ending the blockade of Gaza, ruled by the Hamas movement, and make Turkey a monitor of that process.

“Our efforts are for the full lifting of the blockade. Nobody wants compensation, and while an apology may have diplomatic meaning, it means nothing to the victims,” he said.

The apology nonetheless showed Israel had accepted its wrongdoing in the incident, Varol added.

Separately, hundreds of Palestinians rallied outside a UN office in Gaza City on Monday, protesting against its decision to suspend aid to refugees in the besieged enclave, witnesses said.

Protesters held banners that read “We want bread, we don’t want games,” and chanted “O Muslims and Arabs, see the downtrodden,” according to witnesses.

Separately, Israel’s army closed a goods crossing into the Gaza Strip on Monday a day after a rocket was fired from the besieged enclave, a spokeswoman said, says a report from Occupied Jerusalem. The rocket crashed into southern Israel on Sunday. “The Kerem Shalom crossing is closed until further notice, except for humanitarian purposes, after the firing of the rocket,” the army spokeswoman said.

Separately, Israeli authorities barred two Moroccan MPs accompanying EU parliamentarians from crossing into the West Bank to meet Palestinian officials, one of the lawmakers said, says a report from Amman.

“The Israel authorities prevented me and my colleague Ali Salem Chekkaf from crossing into the West Bank without giving us any reason,” Mehdi Bensaid said. “I do not understand this Israeli action, which was an insult to the Moroccan parliament and people. I denounce it.”

Agencies

via Oman Tribune – the edge of knowledge.

April 20, 2013
Visit of E.Mammadyarov to Tel-Aviv is very important for Azerbaijan

Gulnara Inanch, director of Information and Analytical Center Etnoglobus (ethnoglobus.az), editor of Russian section of Turkishnews American-Turkish Resource website www.turkishnews.com

Since the declaration of Azerbaijan as an independent country, the visit of an influential political-diplomatic head of state body to Israel on April 21 can not be estimated as a simple event. Usually, the President of Azerbaijan and minister of foreign affairs meet with their colleagues in the international ceremonies. But as we stepped to new stage in geopolitics, the terms of game have been changed. In this regard the visit of Elmar Mammadyarov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, to Israel should be explained from different standpoints.

First of all, some months ago, during the US President Barrack Obama’s visit to Tel-Aviv it was achieved to warm the Turkey-Israel relations. Tel-Aviv had initially refused to apologize and to compensate the events that occurred during the attack of “Blue Marmara” (Mavi Marmara) ship that carried humanitarian aid to Gazza district which is under block. But, the reason of persuading Israel by B.Obama to change its views to the very issues is not just related with that Turkey is strategic country. I think that, the main purpose is to warm the relations between Turkey and Israel, another powerful country in the area, and bring to position of strategic cooperation as it was some years ago.

The main purpose in this project is improvement and propaganda of importance and authority of each country, jointly and separately, in their place of location.

It should be mentioned that until deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey there was Turkey-Azerbaijan-Israel strategic trio. These three countries maintain their specific geopolitical code in their area. Following collapse of Soviet Union, blocking and two-pole world factor have been weakened for some period. But, all processes that have occurred within recent years lead to blocking and grouping of countries again. While B.Obama was solving the problem in regard to Ankara-Tel Aviv relations discussion of terms of Azerbaijan’s place in Turkey-Israel strategic duet are said to have been discussed.

The second issue is the first visit of Azerbaijani official to Palestine. Though official Baku established close and development-inclined relations with Israel, Azerbaijan maintains positive image in Arabian world thanks to recognition of the independency of Palestine and supporting division of Quds in two – eastern and western parts.

At the end of last year, Khaled bin Saud bin Khaled, the Prince, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, confirmed that it is necessary that international community should increase the pressure over Yerevan in order to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Israel officials have repeatedly confirmed their interest in increasing the authority of Azerbaijan in Middle East adding that they do their best for this purpose. One of the reasons is the need of availability of any other alternative country to Turkey in the area. As a result of this, imperial claims of Turkey are back, Azerbaijan is a small country and it does not have any imperial ambitions. By the way, in Northern Caucasus policy Russia bases on this factor referring to Azerbaijan. That’s why, in some regional issues official Baku can be a mediator.

Official Baku tries to draw Islamic world’s attention to Karabakh conflict in parallel with Quds problem. In this case, Ramallah meetings would be an important step in order to draw Islamic world’s attention to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

I would like to draw your attention to another interesting issue. Nowadays, John Kerry, the Secretary of State of USA, stated that Nagorno Karabakh conflict is being discussed with Turkish officials which I can say that, is thanks to US’s Jewish lobby.

Decisions made for the benefit of Azerbaijan by the US Department of State include two key issues – good attitude to the Jewish in Azerbaijan and relations between Azerbaijan – Israel. Azerbaijan managed to prevent the recognition of “Armenian genocide” only thanks to the support of Jewish lobby representing Israel’s interests. Despite Armenian lobby’s attempts to raise the “Armenian genocide” issue in Knesset, officials of Israel declared that they would never give an opportunity for it as they highly appreciate relations with Azerbaijan.

Basing on analysis, we can say that Azerbaijan is working with diligence in respect to release the occupied regions within Nagorno Karabakh conflict according to offer of stage-by-stage solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Some years ago military-political platform was created for its realization.

It seems that this issue is again in the focus of attention. Azerbaijan is not indebted to Israel for the strategic relations. Azerbaijan protected the arm industry of Israel from being collapse by purchasing arms in large parts from this country. Because military industry of Israel is deprived of its potential buyers in West as a result of economic crisis in Europe.

Oil fields of Israel in Mediterranean Sea have already been discovered and Israel involved Azerbaijan to the exploitation of abovementioned fields, and requests to build gas line from Turkey.

In general, it should be noted that, Jewish lobby played leading role in realization of projects such as “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan”, “Baku-Tbilisi-Gars” and at present TANAP.

No doubt that another important issue that will be discussed in Tel-Aviv is Iran. Besides, Azerbaijan will officially declare that it will not let using its territory for attack against Iran. Thus, it will draw Islamic world’s attention. By the way, I have to say that, visit of E.Mammadyarov to Tel-Aviv is very important for Azerbaijan at present. Because everything that will be stated in Israel and Palestine that focused the attention of the world will be delivered to international society as well as Islamic world and Jewish lobby by world’s media. It should be noted that, this visit occurs in the period when ideological fight is intense of in Azerbaijan-Iran relations.

It should be noted that Israel does not need any territory in Azerbaijan in order to attack Iran. For the first, it is known that Baku will not agree with it as it may cause consequences for Azerbaijan. For the second, Israel considers the territory of Azerbaijan suitable for intelligence activity against Iran. It helps to pass on technical equipment installed within the scope of projects which are realized by Israel in the territory of country to neighboring countries from the nearest areas to Iran. In addition, Israel and Jewish organizations are trying to raise the issue of South Azerbaijan in the territory of Azerbaijan to have relations with the Jewish people living in Iran, to contact with representatives of organizations representing nations living in Iran and Azerbaijan and political-religious communities in Azerbaijan.

I must say that Azerbaijan’s answer to objections of Iran to the visit of Shimon Peres, the president of Israel, to Baku was that it will not let the dictation of directions of foreign politics. In addition to abovementioned, Azerbaijan may act as mediator between Iran-Israel relations. This thought has also been expressed by different officials of Israel many times. I think that, new role of Azerbaijan and new progress of Turkey-Iran relations will be determined in Tel-Aviv. I remember, some years ago, when Bashar Asad visited Baku, presence of Azerbaijan in Syria-Israel relations as a mediator was considered possible.

April 20, 2013
Deutsche Boerse decleares its interest in Turkey’s Istanbul exchange

Germany’s Deutsche Boerse has decleared its interest in Istanbul’s renewed bourse, which is looking for international partnerships with technlogy providers, market makers and investment funds.

The newly reorganized Borsa Istanbul is looking for strategic partners in three different categories to elevate its reputation amid attention from the German bourse, which has expressed interest in the Turkish bourse’s partnership plans.

“The first of these [categories] will be selected from among the groups that will support our technological infrastructure, enhance our market access and increase our international popularity. The second will be among the market makers that could permanently provide liquidity, and the third will be among large and private investment funds that are acknowledged as opinion leaders in the global markets,” _brahim Turhan, Borsa Istanbul’s chairman and CEO, told daily Hrriyet yesterday, adding that 40.5 percent of the stock exchange would be given to strategic partners in the three categories.

Borsa Istanbul has already attracted attention from Germany following its recent reorganization.

“Turkey has a spectacularly fast-growing economy between Asia and Europe,” Deutsche Boerse Corporate Affairs Deputy President Frank Herkenhoff told Anatolia news agency yesterday.

“That’s why we are closely interested in the efforts [of Turkey] to make Istanbul an international finance center. We are interested in the plans of the Turkish government about this issue,” the Gruppe Deutsche Boerse spokesman said.

Global interest

Herkenhoff said the recent consolidation of the gold and stock exchanges under the single umbrella of Borsa Istanbul was an important step in Istanbul’s attempt to become a financial center, adding that the Deutsche Brse viewed possible strategic partnerships with the Turkish exchange favorably.

“Our Bourse has an understanding to build a successfully strategic partnership with the stock market in Istanbul,” Herkenhoff added.

The Turkish government and Borsa Istanbul have both said their next move will be to form international partnerships.

Some media reports claimed Borsa Istanbul was in talks with information technologies (IT) departments of leading global stock exchanges including the Deutsche Brse, Nasdaq, the London Stock Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange-CME and The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for technology infrastructure equipment partnerships.

After the completion of all required works by the end of 2015, bourse officials plan to offer 49 percent of the entity to the public, Turhan said.

bne/Hurriyet Daily News

April 20, 2013