President Donald Trump has ordered that measures intended to prevent civilian casualties in Somalia be relaxed, effectively declaring the country a war zone. On Wednesday, Trump reportedly signed a declaration that deemed Somalia an “area of active hostilities.”
According to The New York Times, the move is intended to give top officials “more latitude” in the fight against Islamist insurgencies, including al-Shabab.
“It’s very important and very helpful for us to have little more flexibility, a little bit more timeliness, in terms of decision-making process,” Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command, said this week.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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President of Federal Republic of Somalia H.E Mohamed Abduallahi Farmaajo, in a written speech distributed to the leaders of the Arab world attending at 28th Ordinary Summit of the Arab League, discussed Somalia’s progress, priorities and remaining challenges going forward.
The president acknowledged that most of the Arab world is currently facing grave challenges stemming from the threats of insecurity, political upheaval and economic distress. In light of this, the President called on Arab leaders to unite to overcome these challenges and galvanize wide ranging support to safeguard the future of the Arab world and its citizens.
“We need to unite our efforts to overcome these challenges and galvanize support for our people and safeguard our future…We call for immediate end to the fighting and violence in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.”
President Farmaajo spoke of Somalia’s democracy as a sign of the potential for reform and progress within the country and good news within the Arab League.
“Though there are many challenges in the Arab world, it’s not all gloom. We had peaceful, free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections in Somalia. That’s good news for a start,” said the President in his statement.
Followed by a mortar bombing in Mogadishu and an abandonment of towns by ANISOM...
President Farmaajo advised Arab nations embroiled in conflicts to learn from Somalia’s experiences and acknowledge that the only viable solution to end the crises is to engage in dialogue.
The President acknowledged that Somalia is still facing enormous challenges, including a deadly drought that has led to and continues to lead to famine for many and the ever present and opportunistic and evil threat of international terrorism.
“The drought situation in Somalia has caused the death of millions of livestock, thus diminishing our strongest economic mainstay. More than 3 million people now face enormous risks, if immediate aid and support is not extended to them.’
The president said to mitigate the effects of the drought, there’s an immediate need to move quickly to alleviate hunger, as well as put in place mid-level and long term plans to find durable solutions.
“To overcome these challenges, we need to have realistic plans and unyielding support from our brothers and friends.”
The president also affirmed that terrorism has been the biggest threat to Somalia’s progress and stability for some time.
“Continuous terror attacks that cause ineffable loss of lives and destruction of property is the biggest affront to progress, stability and reconstruction in Somalia……terrorism has now become a fast growing tumor in almost all continents, unfortunately we had endured it longer than the rest. We call on the world to have a common position and unite efforts to combat the threat of terrorism.”
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Mogadishu’s Regional Court had summoned the International Committee of the Red Thingy Cross (ICRC) to answer a case of Hareasmment and wrongful dismissal as well unreasonable and unduly insensitive manner of abusing its representative in Mogadishu.
The court summoned Jordi Raich Curco, Head of ICRC Delegation to Somalia after staffer’s attorneys at Horn Legal Consulting Services filed legal case against the Geneva-based humanitarian institution. This is a damage of reputation to this Humanitarian organisation that its Management in Nairobi acted to abuse its trusted positions to be the management of the Somalia Delegation.
ICRC is accused of perpetrating wrongful employment termination following well-documented case of threats, abuse of power, Hareassments and mistreatment experienced, educated well know Head of their OFFICE in Mogadishu.
In a letter of notice of legal action, Horn Legal Consulting Services argues that this unfair dismissal affected the health, dignity, security and safety of its representative without even given time, and therefore mentioning “blatant violation” of “basic employment principles, rights and responsibilities in the Somali law”.
Somalia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) presented to regional court an labour rights abuse case in which it specified that the Head of Office for ICRCA is grieved by threats and sacking from Daniel Gerard OMalley, deputy head of ICRC delegation to Somalia, has deliberately Harrassing the Head of its sub delegate for 8 Months.
In line with Somalia’s labour code, MOLSA indicated that it called upon ICRC to come before the Ministry, but the humanitarian organisation refused to respect the call and therefore snubbed to come before the labour officials.
MOLSA asked Banadir regional to take appropriate action against International Committee of the Red Thingy Cross (ICRC) for breaching Somali laws, wrongfully dismissing head of its office in Mogadishu and putting in danger the life of its employee.
In a response letter addressed to MOLSA, ICRC termed Ministry’s intervention as “premature” and quoted article 3 of the Headquarters Agreement between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the International Committee of the Red Thingy Cross (ICRC), in which ICRC claimed immunity “from every form of legal and administrative process, except insofar as in any particular case the ICRC has expressly waived its immunity.
The said immunity has not been waived, for us to appear before you”. However the Ministry of Labour argued to review the said agreement that was not even passed by the parliament. Its this Head of Office who has helped ICRC to obtain this agreement that now they are violating the right of the staff.
Nevertheless, attorneys representing staffer contended that there is an overt abuse of immunities and privileges accorded to international organisations like ICRC who exploit headquarter agreements as an excuse to evade justice after breaching national laws.
Its not only the Banadir Head of Office faced harassments, but also Hiraan Head of Office resigned for such manners and also Baidoa Head of Office was forced to resign.
Banadir Regional Court now ruled that the dismissal of the Banadir Sub – delegation Head of Office for ICRC is illegal and not in line with employment law, and concluded the Head of Office to continue to work and to sit the Office.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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How many are dead, how many were sold as trade goods in a tradition going back to the earliest days of Islamic comquest?
[Ynet] Hundreds of children remain missing while officials refuse to acknowledge the largest-ever mass abduction of Nigerian schoolchildren by Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... Islamic holy warriors, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of children in the northeastern town of Damasak on Nov. 24, 2014, the New York-based organization said in a dispatch from researcher Mausi Segun.
She quoted traditional leaders as saying they submitted a list of 501 missing children to police and local government officials in April 2015, when the town was briefly freed from Boko Haram, but have never received a response.
International outrage met the separate April 2014 abduction of 276 girls from a school in Chibok. Dozens escaped early on and Nigeria's government last year negotiated the release of 21. More than 200 Chibok schoolgirls remain missing.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] A peace activist attempted to apprehend Saudi General Ahmad al-Asiri in London on Thursday, citing war crimes in 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. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... as the primary reason for his citizen’s arrest.
The peace activist, Sam Walton, stopped General Asiri while he was attempting to walk into a conference he was scheduled to speak at in London.
According to a statement released by Walton and Reverend Daniel Woodhouse, "The UK government has blood on its hands and we need to do everything we can to stop the transfer of weapons and show these sales are illegitimate. By providing weapons and support Britannia is deeply complicit in Saudi war-crimes, and it’s vital that we bring an end to this immoral, abhorrent trade."
A lifelong pacifist, Walton confirmed via his Twitter account on Thursday evening that he did not attack General Asiri or engage in any violent act, despite claims by pro-Saudi regime outlets.
In response to the protesters outside the conference, General Asiri was allegedly seen giving the crowd the middle finger upon entering the building of his conference.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Hurriyet Daily News] Selahattin Demirtas, the placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... co-chair of the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), will start a hunger strike on March 31 to protest "inhumane treatment," along with placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... HDP deputy Abdullah Zeydan.
Last week, HDP Siirt deputy Besime Konca started a hunger strike in the Kandira Prison.
Demirtas and Zeydan, who are both placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... in the northwestern province of Edirne, said they would go on hunger strike due to the actions of the Edirne prison warden.
"We are going on a hunger strike starting from Friday due to the warden’s refusal to engage in dialogue, his practices outside the boundaries of law, his inhumane treatment of other inmates, and the fact that he didn’t take any well-intentioned step towards ending other inmates’ hunger strikes, which have been going on for days," Demirtas said on March 30, in a message addressed to the HDP and the public.
"We invite the public to be sensitive regarding the ongoing hunger strikes and rights violations in prisons," he added.
A hunger strike had also been launched on Feb. 15 in the prisons in Edirne, Sakran in the western province of Izmir, the northwestern province of Tekirdag, and Sincan in Ankara in protest at "rights violations in prisons."
A total of 13 politicians from the HDP, including its co-chairs Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, are currently in jail facing hundreds of years in jail over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Ankara – Turkey’s National Security Council announced on Wednesday concluding its northern Syria offensive, known as Operation Euphrates Shield.
Turkish army troops had backed factions of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces in northern Syria successfully.
In a Turkish National Security Council meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, the government confirmed the operation had been “successfully concluded”.
Turkey’s “Euphrates Shield” military campaign that began last year in northern Syria has been completed, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Wednesday.
Yildirim said any other future military operations would be named differently.
“If something threatening our security happens in the future, regarding ISIS or something else, then this will be a new operation. Operation Euphrates Shield has ended, and any other future operations will be named differently,” he said.
The announcement, which left spectators surprised, followed the council concluding a 6-hour meeting chaired by Erdogan, which addressed internal and external developments, first and foremost the fight against terrorism and developments in Syria and Iraq.
In August, Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield inside Syria targeting ISIS militants and Syrian Kurdish militia men that Ankara considers “terrorists”.
Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have captured several towns including Jarabulus, al-Rai, Dabiq and finally al-Bab from extremists.
The announcement on ending the operation came a few hours before the visit of the United States Secretary of State to Ankara.
In recent weeks, the operation has approached a semi-complete halt after forces took control of the city of Bab, amid assurances from Erdogan and senior Turkish officials that the process will then move to Manbij, and then to al-Raqqa.
Manbij has recently become crossroad of all warring sides in Syria, where the regime, along with allies Russia and Iran and other influential parties such as the United States positioned themselves inside the strategic town.
Turkey has not been welcomed by the US administration with its proposals for liberating Raqqa without involving Kurdish People’s Units.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Turkey has successfully completed its months-long Euphrates Shield Operation in northern Syria but can launch new military movements under a different name if necessary, the Turkish prime minister has said, adding that the life has turned to normal in places cleared of jihadists.
“After this point, if we take action in the event that our security is threatened or if action is needed against DAESH [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL], then it will be as part of a new operation. That means the Euphrates Shield is over and any potential actions, if necessary, will be named differently,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told NTV late March 29.
Yıldırım’s words followed a statement issued by the National Security Council (MGK) meeting which announced the “successfully completion” of the Euphrates Shield Operation, which was launched on Aug. 24, 2016, in a bid to clear Turkey’s border of ISIL and stop the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) from merging its Kobane and Afrin cantons.
“Thanks to the Euphrates Shield, we have secured an area of 2,015 square kilometers under security by capturing al-Bab. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has been settled there. Syrians in Turkey have returned and life has returned to normal,” he added.
It is not clear whether Turkey will withdraw its troops from northern Syria and when it will begin an extensive effort to create new residential areas in the region for Syrians.
“The Euphrates Shield Operation, launched to secure our country’s border security, to prevent DEAŞ threats and attacks from targeting our country, to give an opportunity to our displaced Syrian brothers to return their homes and to continue their lives in peace and security, has been successfully completed,” the MGK said in a statement issued on March 29 following a meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish military supported FSA fighters with artillery and special forces during the operation. Thousands of militants were killed in the operation, according to official numbers, while more than 70 Turkish soldiers were also killed.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Preacher Anjem Choudary and six others put in catalog of ’specially designated global terrorists,’ placed under global financial.
The US State Department named British radical Islamic holy manAnjem Choudary ...Self-proclaimed holy man who used to work for Omar Mohammed Bakdri as spokesman for al-Muhajiroun. Anjem is a loathesome little attention prostitute who is to be heard cheering for the home team anytime anybody with a turban manages to slaughter a group of unarmed infidels. Anjem was born in the UK in 1967 and is, as you would expect, of Pakistaini descent. The Ghost of Dante is of the opinion that when he goes to hell his knees will be broken once a month... and the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group’s "Beatles" execution squad member El Shafee Elsheikh to its "designated terrorist" lists on Thursday.
The two were among seven backers and imported muscle of jihadist groups added to the State and Treasury Department blacklists of "specially designated global terrorists," which place them under global financial sanctions.
Others added to the lists include Mark John Taylor of New Zealand, who joined the Islamic State in 2014; Trinidadian Shane Dominic Crawford, another IS foreign fighter; and Tunisian-born Swede Sami Bouras, whom the State Department called a member of al-Qaeda involved in planning suicide kabooms.
Also included were Muhammad Bahrun Naim Anggih Tamtomo of Indonesia and Muhammad Wanndy Bin Mohammed Jedi of Malaysia.
Naim is a Syria-based planner and financier for Islamic State, while Jedi works with IS in Syria and Iraq to recruit new fighters from abroad.
Choudary is the only one of the seven not at liberty. The former lawyer of Pak descent was jugged Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! in September 2016 for encouraging support for IS jihadists.
Elsheikh, also British, is a member of an Islamic State "execution cell" dubbed "The Beatles", which is accused of multiple beheadings of captives, according to the State Department.
"Elsheikh was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer," said the State Department, using another acronym for the Islamic State.
Listing the seven on the Treasury’s sanctions list aims to deny them access to global business and banking networks by banning any American entities from doing business with them.
That ban can extend to foreign entities like banks with US operations, widening the impact of the sanctions.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/31/2017 00:37 ||
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#1
global financial sanctions? Garnering his dole check?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/31/2017 12:02 Comments ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The United States (U.S.) is no longer actively seeking to remove Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... from power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... (U.N.) Nikki Haley ...first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American governor in the country, after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. At the age of 39, Haley is the youngest current governor in the U.S., a distinction formerly held by Jindal. She is a Republican, which really grates on the Dems... told a group of news hounds on Thursday.
"You pick and choose your battles and when we’re looking at this, it’s about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out," U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley stated, as reported by the Rooters News Agency. They had a legitimate uprising against a dictatorship. It drew every filthy sandlouse from thousands of miles around, trying to impose a solution that's worse than the problem. The Syrian revolution was lost the instant an Islamist anus ate the heart out of a dead Syrian soldier.
"Do we think he’s a hindrance? Yes. Are we going to sit there and focus on getting him out? No," she said. "What we are going to focus on is putting the pressure in there so that we can start to make a change in Syria."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/31/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
Exactly what we're we focused on before now? I seem to have forgotten.
#2
so that we can start to make a change in Syria."
There's an informationally dense construct....NOT.
Exactly what change do you want and why will it be an improvement? Obubbles got us into a big mess and we can't get out without some measure of cleanup first. I don't know what to do but putting our troops on the ground ain't it.
Do what's necessary to insure Israel's safety and then let's see what the neighbors have to say and are willing to do.
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.
[ALMASDARNEWS] A peace activist attempted to apprehend Saudi General Ahmad al-Asiri in London on Thursday, citing war crimes in 
[Hurriyet Daily News] Selahattin Demirtas, the 
...Self-proclaimed holy man who used to work for Omar Mohammed Bakdri as spokesman for al-Muhajiroun. Anjem is a loathesome little attention prostitute who is to be heard cheering for the home team anytime anybody with a turban manages to slaughter a group of unarmed infidels. Anjem was born in the UK in 1967 and is, as you would expect, of Pakistaini descent. The Ghost of Dante is of the opinion that when he goes to hell his knees will be broken once a month...
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
