The news comes from the ‘Air et Cosmos’ specialist magazine, which reported online that a deal had been reached between France and the United States for the sale of two non-armed MQ-9 units. The French air force had already deployed a European-made Harfang drone to Mali, with the country now wishing to acquire more modern models quickly, although any purchase of the US Reapers directly from the manufacturer (as was done with Harfang) is expected to delay delivery by seven months. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is presently on a visit to the US, where he is expected to make the announcement, according to Air et Cosmos. The defense ministry has declined to comment. In a bid to curb the spread of extremism and Al Qaeda-linked militants in the northern parts of its former colony, France started a military operation in January of this year. The anti-government Islamists had spread Sharia law everywhere they went, and it is widely feared that if they are successful in Mali, the country will become a hotspot for extremism and the launching of terrorist attacks against European and other African nations. French efforts have since pushed the militants into mountain and desert hideouts. However, this changed the rules of the game in such a way that they now launch sporadic guerrilla attacks.Operation ‘Serval’ started with a deployment of 2,500 troops and the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declaring on January 30 that they would be out of there “quickly”. Since that time, that number has risen to 4,000, while the departure date had been moved up. Currently, the idea is that half will leave by July, when Mali holds their presidential election. Although Paris has begun withdrawal from the West African nation, ahead of the security handover to the International Mission for Support to Mali (MISMA), Le Drian’s recent visit to London paints a different picture, whereby 1,000 French troops will stay in Mali indefinitely, in case further problems arise. “This is the reason why France will remain with roughly 1,000 troops on Malian territory for an undetermined period of time to carry out counter-terrorism operations if necessary,” said Le Drian. As the battle against extremism in Mali shows no signs of abating, international donors have pledged €3.25bn to its rebuilding, as currently the country is in a state of complete destitution. … Read More
OpGTMO: Zero hour to Anonymous global anti-Gitmo action nears
Follow RT’s day-by-day timeline of the Gitmo hunger strike.The three day campaign, which kicks off on Friday, is intended to “Raise Awareness in social media of the human rights violations going on at Guantanamo, the indefinite detention of prisoners, many of whom have been cleared for release years ago.” In a statement released earlier this month, Anonymous expressed their solidarity with the hunger strikers, vowing they would “shut down Guantanamo.” They have instructed supporters of their global action to use the tag #GTMO17 when the countdown clock strikes zero. As a part of the twitterstorm, the group has sent out a series of lines to be re-tweeted which highlight reported abuses at the camp.”’The United States is slowly killing men in a prison that should never have existed.’ #GTMO17” “’They’re not going to be brutalized into submission, and I think the net result will be some of them will die.’ #GTMO17” “’When that tube goes up your nose, your eyes begin to water, as it passes through the back of your skull…’ #GTMO17”“’86 detainees have been cleared for release or transfer, but efforts to send them home have stalled, making them more desperate.’ #GTMO17” The group has characterized the detention facility as a concentration camp, casting aspersions on a series of alleged human right’s abuses ranging from force-feeding to the practice of compulsory cavity searches for detainees prior to any meeting with their lawyers. It has further lambasted US President Barack Obama for wavering on his 2009 promise to shut down the camp, which the collective described as “an ongoing war crime.” The Anonymous website also posted phone numbers for the White House, the United States Southern Command and the Department of Defense, urging supporters to ‘phonebomb’ officials with calls about the camp. Inmates at Guantanamo initiated the hunger strike in early February over alleged mistreatments, including the mishandling of their Korans. Out of the camp’s 166 detainees, 102 are currently taking part in the hunger strike. Thirty of the prisoners are being force-fed, a practice which the UN human rights office condemned as “torture” and a breach of international law, and three have been sent to the detainee hospital for observation. The swelling ranks of those demanding the prison’s closure has among its ranks not only internet activists, but those who have inside knowledge of the camp and its operations. Colonel Morris Davis, the former Chief Prosecutor for the terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay, has become a prominent advocate for the camp’s closure.“It’s been an embarrassment to the country, it’s drained our credibility, it’s wasted our money and it’s time for it to close.” … Read More
No sensation, only standing contracts – Lavrov on Russia’s weapons supplies to Syria
“I don’t understand why mass media are trying to make a sensation out of the fact. We do not conceal it that we supply weapons to Syria according to signed contracts, violating neither any international agreements, nor our own weapon export control legislation, one of the strictest in the world,” Lavrov said at a press conference on Friday. He stressed all of the weapons supplied are in fact air defense systems, and thus cannot impact the existing power balance between the Assad forces and the rebels. Lavrov’s remark comes in response to the recent uproar in the media, concerning Russia’s allegedly sending Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria and earlier reports on supplies of S-300 anti-missile systems, which are capable of intercepting ballistic targets. Russia has underlined on numerous occasions any supplies to Syria are according to old contracts, many of which are Soviet-era, the supplied weapons are missile-defense ones and after completing these contracts no new deals are planned.Lavrov and Ban talk Syrian deadlock as more evidence of rebels atrocities emergeThe Russian FM commented on Russia’s weapons supplies at a press-conference following his talks with the UN chief. The Syrian crisis dominated the agenda of the meeting, which is part of a recent flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the violence in the country, preceded by Vladimir Putin holding similar talks with worlds’ top officials, including the US secretary of state and the British and Israeli leaders. Eventually, a joint initiative was authored by Moscow and Washington to hold peace conference on Syria, planned for June. Before the conference happens though, both the US and Russia have several stumbling blocks to overcome, such as divisions inside the Syrian opposition, making it unclear who exactly can represent it at the conference, and harsh preconditions set by the rebels. “In contrast to the Syrian government, which has responded quite positively to the Russian-American initiative, the opposition’s answer was quite vague. They said that they welcome any initiatives that will help to stop the violence, but before that Assad must go – reiterating their stance, which has been the cause of the deadlock for many months,” said Lavrov on Thursday in an interview to Al Mayadeen. As for the US it is expected to object to Iran’s participation, on which Moscow insists.Another thing is that when Western leaders are talking to Russia they seem to be on the same page with Moscow’s position, agreeing on the need for negotiating peace, but as soon as they leave, they are once again calling for Assad to step down and promise increasing support to the rebels.The UK and France have become increasingly vocal in their calls to supply the insurgent groups with arms. British and French efforts at lifting the EU embargo on Syria are however strongly opposed by Austria, showing a divide on the issue in Europe.What could be a mind changer for them though is a recent series of reports on atrocities performed by the rebels. The freshest example is a shocking video of three men from government troops being publicly executed by rebels in a square in the northern city of Raqqa. The killings have been confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Earlier, another YouTube video was posted showing fighters of the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria executing 11 government soldiers. Still earlier this week another shocking video was released featuring a Syrian rebel eating a lung of a slain government soldier in what the insurgent described as an act of revenge.Growing evidence of atrocities committed by rebel groups, however did not prevent the UN from voting for a resolution condemning Assad and praising the opposition. Russia voted against the document, describing it as one-sided.Russia still urges all of the sides to resolve the crisis by negotiations, something Lavrov reiterated on Friday, saying a peace conference should be held “the sooner the better.”He was echoed by Ban Ki-moon’s call to “not lose the momentum.” … Read More
Pentagon plans to fight ‘War on Terror’ for another 20 years
Speaking to the Senate Armed Services early Thursday, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Michael Sheehan said the Pentagon has no plans to pull out of its almost 12-year-old war overseas.When asked for his take on how long the war on terror could go on for, Sheehan told lawmakers, “At least 10 to 20 years.”According to US President Barack Obama, the last combat troops will move out of Afghanistan in 2014. If remarks from Sheehan and others are at all accurate, though, in reality the war could last through the 2030s.Sheehan was being grilled by members of the Senate committee on Thursday over not just the future of the war, but what rules are in play to continue the operation. Congress granted then-President George W. Bush the power to go after al-Qaeda in 2001 by signing the Authorization to Use Military Force, a legislation that essentially gave the go-ahead to use America’s might by any means necessary to avenge the attacks of 9/11. Nearly 13 years later, though, some members of the Senate saw that the overly broad powers extended to the commander-in-chief through the AUMF are being used to justify a widening war that now has soldiers targeting insurgents in venue like Yemen and Somalia.The scope of America’s counterterrorism program, Sheehan said, stretches “from Boston to the FATA,” referring to the region of Pakistan considered a hotbed of terrorism. Because of that widening arena, some senators said it’s time to rewrite the law.“It has spread throughout North Africa, throughout the Maghreb,” Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) said during the hearing. “The situation’s changed dramatically.But while some lawmakers suggested it was time to revise the AUMF, Pentagon officials said the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act updated the law to grant the president power not just to target overseas terrorists, but suspects believed to be associated forces.Robert Taylor, the acting general counsel of the Department of Defense, said that the NDAA’s update to the Bush-era bill means that even suspects born after the September 11 attacks could be targeted as warriors in the war on terror.“As long as they become an associated force under the legal standard that was set out,” Taylor testified, according to Wired’s Spencer Ackermnn.Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, suggested the Pentagon was uninterested in changing the AUMF because they are using it to justify a war that wouldn’t otherwise be legal.“This is the most disturbing hearing I’ve been to in some time,” King said. “You guys have rewritten the Constitution today.”“You guys have invented this term, associated forces, that’s nowhere in this document,” King said. “It’s the justification for everything, and it renders the war powers of Congress null and void.”“I assume [the AUMF] does suit you well because you’re reading it to fit everything, and it doesn’t, the general rule of war applies,” King said.Even McCain, who has been by and large considered a hawkish member of the Senate, spoke out against the Pentagon’s reluctance to re-write a law that they are using to justify a war that could take US troops to all corners of the globe for the unforeseeable future.“For you to come here and say, ‘We don’t need to change it,’ I think, is disturbing,” McCain said.Before stepping down as secretary of defense, former Pentagon chief Leon Panetta said in late 2011, “We’re winning this very tough conflict.” Osama bin Laden was executed five months later, and the Central Intelligence Agency and DoD have continuously utilized strikes to weaken al-Qaeda substantially since. … Read More
Bahrain demonstrator jailed for insulting national flag
Prosecutors stated that draping the flag over a vehicle during the 2011 rally was an offense under the new restrictions, Associated Press reported adding that the specific charges remained unclear.Abdulla Sayegh admitted that he attended pro-reform protests, however maintained that many Bahrainis fly flags from vehicles during all kinds of gatherings, be it celebrations, anti-government or pro-government rallies.The demonstrator plans to appeal the jail sentence and the 100 dinar ($265) fine, according to his defense lawyer Hashim Saleh.This comes after six tweeters were jailed on Wednesday for posting comments about King Hamad bin Issa al Khalifa, which the court regarded as ‘abusing freedom of expression.’In April, Bahrain introduced stricter penalties making it illegal to insult the Gulf state’s King Hamad or national symbols, charges that carry up to five-year jail sentences.These measures come against the background of two years of protests led by the kingdom’s majority Shiites against the minority Sunni-led government. The protesters are continuingly calling for a transfer to a democratic system of government. Shiites complain of discrimination in jobs and government while in turn their loyalty is questioned by the Al Khalifa ruling family.Rallies intensified as Bahrain was to host a Formula 1 race on April 21, protestors labeling the event ‘race for blood’ as it overshadows the many alleged human rights abuses in the Gulf kingdom. Human Rights Watch cites multiple reports of physical and psychological torture that emerged during the grand prix.Earlier in the week, the kingdom for the second time canceled the visit of the UN’s special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, who was to probe police abuses of power.More than 80 people have died in uprisings since the pro-democracy protests begun in February 2011, according to Human Rights Watch. The government denies the allegations of discrimination and of arbitrary arrests and abuses by security forces. … Read More
At least 6 dead in Kabul as suicide bomb hits NATO convoy
The explosion took place in the industrial zone of the capital at about 8 am local time (03:30 GMT). The suicide bomber attacked the convoy with a car packed with explosives, according to local officials. The blast was powerful enough to set a nearby building on fire.Six people died and 37 were wounded, according to the Afghan Health Ministry, which adds that some of the bodies are unidentifiable.NATO confirmed “an explosion occurred on a coalition convoy in Kabul”, according to spokesman Lt Quenton Roehricht, cited by AP. The Hezb-e-Islami insurgent group, with links to the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the blast.”We planned this attack for over a week, our target was American advisers,” Hezb-e-Islami spokesman Haroon Zarghoun told Reuters by telephone, adding that the bomb killed 12 Americans. Officials however warn that insurgents tend to exaggerate death tolls. The group carried out a suicide attack on a minibus in September 2012, killing 14 people. Russian and South African pilots were among casualties of the explosion, which Hezb-e-Islami claimed was in response to a film mocking the prophet Muhammad.Hezb-e-Islami means Islamic Party and is a radical militant group sharing much of the Taliban ideology.The last major suicide bombing took place in the capital in March, when a man blew himself up next to the Defense Ministry, leaving nine Afghans dead. It happened during the state visit by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. … Read More
Clashes as thousands of Palestinians mark 65 years since displacement
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly had to use teargas and rubber bullets in response to Palestinian protesters throwing rocks at soldiers.In Jerusalem, two policemen were wounded as a result of clashes, reports Haaretz. A fire bomb was thrown at an IDF vehicle injuring four soldiers near the city of Hebron in southern West Bank.According to Palestinian WAFA news agency, several “peacefully demonstrating” Palestinians were injured during confrontations with IDF at Kalandia checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Violence broke out after Israeli soldiers fired teargas and acoustic bombs at protesters, the agency states.The IDF spokeswoman, however, said it was Palestinians who sparked the clashes, throwing stones at soldiers, while Israeli forces had to respond with crowd dispersal techniques, reports the Jerusalem Post. Clashes were also reported in other locations in the region, including Kadum and at Rachel’s tomb in Bethlehem.On May 15, thousands of Palestinians throughout Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip took part in events to mark 65th anniversary of the Nakba Day – the day after the creation of the State of Israel, which resulted in the mass displacement of Palestinians. At noon, sirens wailed in the West Bank for 65 seconds to commemorate the event. … Read More
