The report’s release on Chinese state outlet Xinhua accused Washington of “double standards” and turning a “blind eye to its woeful record of human rights.” The lengthy document rounds on the US government for its failure to protect its citizens and its disregard for their safety.”The lives and personal security of the United States citizens, who were haunted by serious violent crimes, were not duly protected,” the report said. It emphasized that women’s rights in particular were being degraded, citing rising levels of domestic violence reported in 2012.”Religious discrimination is also rapidly on the rise, with an increase in insults and attacks against Muslims,” it added. In addition, gun crime was centered on in the report as one of the key failings of the Obama Administration who have still not introduced any concrete measures to mitigate violence after two high-profile attacks. The report also contained an attack on the US political system, targeting the influence of political donations in shaping policies which it claimed amounted to a degradation of democracy.“In the US, elections could not fully embody the real will of its citizens. Political contributions had, to a great extent, influenced the electoral procedures and policy direction. During the 2012 presidential election, the voter turnout was only 57.5 per cent.”Those in glass houses…Referencing US foreign policy, the report criticized Washington for styling itself as a “world judge” and encroaching of human rights abroad.“The US seriously infringed upon human rights of other nations. In 2012, US military operations in Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan caused massive civilian casualties,” wrote the report. It cited reports of US soldiers burning copies of the Koran in Afghanistan last year which it condemned as “serious blasphemy.”Guantanamo prison, “where the US has illegally imprisoned foreigners,” was targeted in the report as a gray area in the US’ attitude to human rights. The report came in response Washington’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, in which it denounced China for the repression and coercion of advocates of human rights. Beijing dismissed the report as flawed as it was based on unconfirmed media reports and speculation. Beijing and Washington have consistently traded blows over the years over each other’s human rights records. The US put sanctions in place on China in 1989 following a deadly crackdown on demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Washington’s human rights report is now in its 36th year and has repeatedly flagged China for its dubious rights record. … Read More
Russia to mine uranium and build nuclear power plants in Egypt
The Egyptian leader has paid official visit to Russia to hold talks with Vladimir Putin as clashes continue in Egyptian cities.The latest reports suggest that at least 48 people have been wounded in Cairo over the last 24 hours, as Muslim Brotherhood supporters and opponents clashed. Nine of the hospitalized reportedly suffered gunshots. Police deployed teargas to disperse the rival groups, but with little success.Egyptian opposition activists demand Mohamed Morsi’s resignation, saying they don’t want Islamist rule in the country.While political opponents in Egypt are unable to find common ground, Morsi’s economic and political negotiations in Russia appear to bring some concrete results.”We have agreed to gradually proceed toward diversifying our trade and economic ties. New joint projects in the areas of industrial cooperation, energy or, say, agriculture could increase the mutual investment flows,” Vladimir Putin said, informing that the financial agencies of the two countries will get in contact to extend a loan to Egypt at a bilateral meeting in the nearest future.Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak announced that Egypt proposed sending a delegation to Cairo “to resume cooperation in peaceful nuclear projects” to jointly construct new nuclear power plants. Cairo plans to build 4 GWt of nuclear power facilities by 2025, Novak said.Cairo has also invited Moscow to step in joint developing of uranium mines in Egypt and Moscow accepted both proposals, he said.Moscow said it would like to see Egypt taking part in Gas Exporting Countries Forum scheduled to take place in Moscow in July 2013.”Egypt is a gas extracting country. A Gas Exporting Countries Forum is scheduled to be held in Moscow in July. We will welcome the participation by the president of Egypt or his representatives,” Putin said.International politics positions of the two countries also coincided a lot, as the leaders “thoroughly considered a number of acute international problems,” Putin said, and found common ground on the issues of international politics, particularly the hair-trigger situation in the Middle East, and especially emphasized the civil war in Syria.The presidents agreed that diplomacy is the only solution to the Syrian crisis and that foreign intervention into Syria is unacceptable.“There should be a political and legal solution of the Syrian crisis without external meddling. We are for an early ceasefire to start intra-Syrian negotiations,” Putin said, stressing that Moscow’s and Cairo’s “positions are close.”Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told the media after the talks that “The Egyptian president voiced very new, fresh and interesting ideas,” on the Syrian crisis settlement.Moscow and Egypt also found considerable similarity in the approaches to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict.”We believe it is essential for the quartet of international mediators to step up its activity in cooperation with the Arab League States,” Putin noted.At the end of the talks, Morsi invited Putin to pay a return visit to Egypt.In the meantime clashes between Egyptian opposition and Muslim Brotherhood are running high.The parties are throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at each other, both sides use homemade handguns.Opposition accuses police of siding with Morsi supporters from the Muslim Brotherhood as police use teargas to disperse crowds.“We need calm and we also need president Morsi to step down because we are tired of this,” Morsi opponent Emad George told AP.In the light of the turbulent events in Egypt, Putin particularly asked Morsi to give “increased attention to Russian tourists’ safety.”On Friday Islamist Morsi supporters held rallies outside the High Court building in Cairo and in the coastal city of Alexandria, demanding the “cleansing of the judiciary.” They believe the loyalists from the former regime are blocking Morsi’s policies. Their opponents insist that Islamists want to consolidate the Muslim Brotherhood’s power by taking over the courts and get rid of secular-minded judges. … Read More
North Korea ready to develop relations, ensure stability ‘as a responsible nuke state’
North Korea, which, despite tension, is getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung, said it was ready to conduct relations “based on the ideals of peace and sovereignty” and contribute to security and stability in Asia, and in the whole world “as a responsible nuclear-weapon state.”However, North Korea’s Kim Yong-nam pointed out that not every nation is worthy their friendship, saying the country’s “invincible defense forces” armed with strengthening “nuclear deterrence forces” will “unfold a total fight against the USA, acting in accordance with a wartime scenario.”“We will expand in quantity our nuclear weapons capability, which is the treasure of a unified Korea… that we would never barter at any price,” Kim Yong-nam stressed.Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday asserted the United States is willing to “reach out” to North Korea – as long as it “takes action” towards giving up its nuclear program.“I think it is really unfortunate that there has been so much focus and attention in the media and elsewhere on the subject of war, when what we really ought to be talking about is the possibility of peace. And I think there are those possibilities,” Kerry said during his Sunday visit to Tokyo where he is meeting his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kishida reiterated the American condition for talks, saying both Japan and the US “cannot allow North Korea in any way to possess nuclear weapons.”North Korea should cease its “provocative speech and behavior,” Kishida stressed, urging it to take “concrete action toward denuclearization.”Just the day before, China also said it is “firmly committed to upholding peace and stability and advancing the denuclearization process on the Korean peninsula.”“There is no question in my mind that China is very serious – very serious – about denuclearizing,” Kerry noted after his Saturday talks with top Chinese officials.He also warned the North Korean government would be making a “huge mistake” if it were to launch a missile as he stopped in South Korea, where some 28,000 US troops are stationed.The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday added that North Korea should realize their “provocative acts do not bring any benefit,” other than making the situation for them “more difficult.” He said that Japan is willing to coordinate with the United States, South Korea, China and Russia to prevent the North Korean missiles from being launched.The other battle frontIn the meantime, Pyongyang warned South Korea of “catastrophic consequences,” should there be a propaganda action during the Day of the Sun – Kim Il-sung’s 101th birthday celebrations on April 15.Several South Korean NGOs have recently announced plans to launch air balloons with leaflets criticizing the North Korean regime over the border between the two countries.Reports said the South Korean police have already prevented one such launch on Saturday, “for the first time ever,” according to activists. The latter undertook such attempts in the past, sometimes also attaching dollar bills to the leaflets. The people living in the border areas have protested the actions, as it inevitably leads to flare-ups with the North, the police explained.North Korea itself is responsible for some recent provocative actions – which are taking place on the cyber-front, Seoul officials have claimed.The South Korean nuclear power plant operator Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said it had to cut off the Internet access and even seal the USB ports on all the computers inside their facilities for the fear of possible cyber-attacks from North Korea. Such “preventive measures” were taken after several other state companies, including banks and TV stations, became subject to such attacks that were officially blamed on North Korean hackers.Some 48,000 South Korean computers have been hacked during the recent attacks, leading some of the country’s experts to claim the war is already going on in cyber-space. They estimate an army of at least 3,000 ‘hacker troops’ from the North are taking part, according to Itar-Tass.North Korea has dismissed the allegations as “rumors” and “deliberate provocations” aimed at worsening the existing tension.It also thwarted the South Korean president Park Geun-hye’s recent call for dialogue and “trust-building process,” calling it “a cunning trick to hide the South’s policy of confrontation.”There would be no negotiation until South Korea and the United States end their joint military drill on the peninsula, the North Korean Reunification committee spokesman said in a statement on Sunday, adding that under these circumstances “such a dialogue would be meaningless.”The statement aired by the KCNA news agency also blamed the South for trying to “shift its responsibility for putting the Kaesong Industrial Complex into a crisis.” Some 53,000 North Korean workers employed by 123 South Korean companies were working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex until it closed down due to the recent escalation of diplomatic hostilities.The South Korean media is now speculating whether the North will test-fire a missile during Monday’s birthday celebrations, some claiming the launch facility is already on standby, RT’s Aleksey Yaroshevky reported from the region on Sunday. … Read More
Iraq 10 years on: ‘Roadblocks, checkpoints, blasts and constant danger’
Kirkuk has been a symbol for the country’s most intractable woes: escalating violence, the conflict among ethnic and religious groups, and the fight over Iraq’s resources.Attacks and bombings have continued to increase in the oil-rich city in the north of the country, which is currently a center of ethnic and political tension over resources.More than 270 lives were lost in attacks in Iraq in March alone. In the most recent blast at least 23 people were killed and more than 130 wounded after bomb blasts rocked four Shiite mosques in Baghdad and another mosque in Kirkuk.Many Iraqis say they still feel unsafe in a country freed from Saddam’s dictatorship, Lucy Kafanov reported.One of the key challenges Lucy Kavanov faced while travelling through Iraq was actually getting to the town. “We couldn’t even access the city without a military escort. A group of Kurdish soldiers had agreed to take us in. Both Baghdadis and the Kurds lay claim to Kirkuk and are sparring over control. Aside from the danger, those entering from the Kurdish side need special permission to get past the Iraqi checkpoints”, she said.New Iraq is now defined by roadblocks and concrete barriers.“Checkpoints are a dominant feature of life, and they are everywhere. Aside from the hassle, they’re also a frequent target of attacks. For us, it was blatant visual reminder of a country still very much at war.”Despite the danger, life does not stop in Kirkuk. “We were expecting empty streets, but people continued to go about their business as normal. Vendors seemed busy. Families did their shopping.”But if you look deeper, there are scars beneath the surface. “Residents here say attacks could happen at any time and in any place”, Kafanov reported.Kirkuk resident Karwan Abdle Rahman believes that fear of political repression has been replaced by fear of the unknown.“We don’t know who the enemy is or when the next bomb will go off. But it’s a daily fear so we’ve gotten used to it. I do small things to feel safer like driving with all the car windows down. That way, if there’s a blast, at least the glass won’t hurt us.”For another local resident Fallah Mahmoud the daily life has become a painful struggle. He happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bomb went off, injuring his leg. He told RT that a decade of war has ruined Iraq.“What benefit did the war bring? What democracy? Only explosions, shootings and kidnappings. People should feel free to go out and come back safely. Where is that? I can leave but there’s no guarantee I’ll come back alive”, he said.For locals like Mahmoud the conflict in Iraq is not about “sectarian differences”, but about political interests, power and oil. … Read More
Meet the billionaire survivalists
A recent article from Vanity Fair paints a curious picture of London’s well-heeled Knightsbridge, a neighborhood of quaint Victorian houses and elegant hotels serving high tea. Today, a ginormous complex of concrete and metal towers looms above; a development some call the world’s most exclusive address. Though London has long been a place where the cops don’t even carry guns, security is the watchword at One Hyde Park: high-tech panic rooms, bulletproof glass and “bowler-hatted guards trained by British Special Forces” offer residents the promise of perfect safety and privacy in luxurious surroundings.Only, nobody really lives there. At night, the building is nearly pitch-dark despite the fact that most of the units have been sold.Continue Reading… … Read More
‘North Korea not a suicidal regime’
The latest exchange of tit-for-tat military posturing and threats between the US and North Korea dates back to February, when following Pyongyang’s third missile test, the international community slapped its latest round of sanctions onto the regime.This brought on more concrete action from the two countries, involving the deployment of stealth fighter jets, a warship and now a strengthening of the US military base in Guam – with North Korea now saying it has its top commanders’ final approval for a nuclear strike on US bases in the Pacific and South Korea.RT has spoken to a number of experts on the prospect of the possible escalation of hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang. Their views all converge on one premise – that North Korea’s actions are testimony to the fact that they actually want to negotiate – not “commit national suicide”.Co-Director of the ‘Foreign Policy In Focus’, John Feffer believes that at such a point in the dialogue between two nations hostile towards each other, the words of actors are not always rational and should not be understood as serious threats.RT: North Korea recently moving long-range equipment to make it more in range of US bases in the Pacific: is it just blusters, is this gamesmanship, is this a real threat? What do you think?JF: I think it’s just gamesmanship. North Korea is trying to get the US back to the negotiating table. And its missile range is frankly not reliable, nor long enough to make it to US positions.RT: So, in terms of the concept of brinksmanship, how far do you think both sides are willing to ratchet up the tension before somebody finally takes a breath and says “All right, lets’ see what we can do here”?JF: If these were two rational actors, I would say they should already have made the decision to back down. Unfortunately in a situation like this it’s not rationality that governs the actions of the players. They’re responding to, sometimes, unconscious queues, and sometimes to non-rational factors. But North Korea is not a suicidal regime. I don’t think that Kim Jong- un has demonstrated an interest in setting up a situation in which the US or South Korea simply eradicate his government. And of course the US isn’t particularly interested in any kind of a conflict at this point, especially with cuts going through in the military sector.Danny Schechter, an independent film-maker and media critic echoes Feffer’s opinion, adding that, despite North Korea’s historic mistreatment of its people, there is a concerted effort at tarnishing its image and simplifying the reasons for its actions through media and Hollywood entertainment, and that the harmful effects of such a strategy make the public immune to analyzing Pyongyang’s actions in any kind of light but the one we are presented with by the United States.RT: You’ve written about the so-called demonization of North Korea in the media. How is it being demonized?DS: Well, there’s a new movie out, called ‘Olympus Has Fallen’… it’s about North Koreans invading the White House, taking the president hostage, shredding and trashing the whole place, killing and massacring all kinds of civilians. It’s the sort of movie that incites a violent response… these stereotypes end up contributing to a climate of tension. Just today, Anonymous [the hacker group] reportedly has stolen North Korean internet emails, so the conflict is broadening and widening into civil society.RT: But it’s hardly surprising the whole world has turned on it, because it’s actually threatening to bomb the US with a nuclear bomb.DS: I hate to tell you this, but what they’re actually saying and what we’re reading may be very, very different. PBS News Hour recently interviewed a member of the CIA who specializes in North Korea. He’s saying that actually the developments there are positive from an American point of view. The military is less involved, less engaged with the new government. There’s a promise and a possibility of a breakthrough there. So, I don’t think we’re just listening to our fears, our own voices based on stereotypes and historic reactions to the ‘nasty commies’ in North Korea. I think there’s something else going on here that we’re not seeing…This is a situation with historical roots which we need to understand.RT: We’re not going to see a war, are we?I think we’re going to see a war of words… there’s other stuff happening in North Korea that we don’t know, but perhaps we don’t want to know, because it’s more convenient as a faceless brutal enemy than as a possible partner in the region in a peninsula that’s still divided all these years later by war, dictatorship, the aftermath of WW2 etc. You have to get into the history and understand where they’re coming from if you want to talk to them and communicate with them and not just feel good about denouncing them. … Read More
Architecture is always political
New York’s East 53rd Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues, is full of nondescript Manhattan skyscrapers. In the courtyard of one of these clinically clean buildings, however, there are five crumbling, old slabs of concrete covered in graffiti. It’s hard to believe that these blocks, so out of place in their surroundings, were once part of one of the most politically charged structures in the world, one that divided the globe in two based on ideology and geopolitics — the Berlin Wall.Over more than 87 miles and 25 years, the wall divided Berlin between East and West, standing as a symbol of division and tension, an almost impossible hurdle to millions of immigrants and political refugees. After its fall, the government of East Germany sold pieces of it to people and entities across the globe; these particular slabs were purchased by Jerry Speyer, of NYC developer Tischman Speyer, and installed on East 53rd Street in 1990 for the enjoyment of the public. In their new context, however, they’ve lost almost all of their political meaning and significance, particularly on a cold Sunday afternoon when I’m the only visitor. They stand impotently dividing nothing, demarcating no place. Context is what gives architecture power, and in 2013 New York, old Berlin means nothing.Continue Reading… … Read More
