Libya Turned Into Hell: Seven Years Without Gaddafi

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This October 23 marks the anniversary of the "end of the civil war" in Libya in 2011.

According Boris Dolgov, Senior Researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS, when NATO intervened in that internal military conflict, it led to the collapse of the Muammar Gaddafi rule and the collapse of the Libyan state.

"As a result Libya has collapsed as a state; and today there are various political forces, including Islamist ones, competing to become the only authority in the country," the expert says.

At the moment there are two main political forces fighting for power in the country — the House of Representatives and the Government of National Accord, but there are other forces as well. In Libya there are various clans that have armed groups in their areas of influence. Some of the groups adhere to radical Islam.

© AFP 2018 / Abdullah DOMA

Tripoli Sees Russia As Key Player in Creating Stability in Libya - Deputy PM

Russia, like other members of the international community, is making great efforts to find a solution to the Libyan crisis, but so far no one has managed to obtain any tangible result in the process.Moscow is working with Libya's most influential forces, like the armed forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar who is fighting radical Islamists and aims to rebuild the Libyan state.

Russia Making Maximum Effort to Resolve the Crisis

Russia is working together with various forces in Libya to reach a political consensus among them and make the political process a priority. The representatives and delegations of various political forces even went to Russia to take part in talks.

In the future, Russia will continue working to resolve the crisis.

"Russia hasn't officially declared it will send military advisers or other Russian military personnel to Libya, but, in my opinion, it would be possible if the Libyan side, for instance the forces such as those led by Marshal Haftar, asked for it," Dolgov explained.

Russia can help solve the Libyan crisis. It could help end the local conflict with the aid of Russian military advisors or instructors on the ground who can pass on their experience to the Libyans.

Khalifa Haftar is Libya's most powerful military force. According to the Marshal, he is fighting against radical Islamic groups. This is really important for Russia as these groups pose a threat not only to Libya, but also to the region as a whole, and even to Russia itself.

We know that Islamists from Syria and Iraq have arrived in Libya; in one of the regions, they have even created a para-state that swore allegiance to Daesh (terrorist group banned in Russia). This poses a threat to Russia as Daesh terrorists and other affiliated groups have stated that their goal is to promote jihad in Russia, namely in the Caucasus and southern Russia.

"Haftar's forces are helping to eliminate this threat, so that Moscow's willingness to cooperate with these forces becomes clear," the expert said.

What we are seeing in Libya today is a very complex process. An armed conflict can have repercussions; finding a compromise among a number of armed groups will take time. But perhaps the elections in Libya will somehow glue society together.

"The normalization won't happen tomorrow or the day after; it won't happen even in a year, but at least we've found the right path and hopefully Libyan society will follow it," Dolgov concluded.

"Libya Turned into Hell"

"We can say that from a sovereign state, Libya has been divided between various forces, many of which are controlled by foreign intelligence services," Usef Shakir, an expert on Libya, told Sputnik.

"Libya was stable and secure; the state apparatus worked well, the country was developing and growing steadily. And now chaos and fear has reigned for 8 years," he added.

"Libyan ambassadors to European countries have become personae non gratae. In fact, the ambassadors serve as agents to the forces who have appointed them. They protect the interests of their patrons and seek support for them in the host countries," Shakir said.

© AP Photo / Mohammed el-Shaiky, File

Libyan Future: West Apparently 'Has No Idea What to Do With It After Gaddafi'

"Libya's economy is almost nothing — hundreds of billions of dollars have come in from the sale of oil, but for 8 years not a single strategic development project has been implemented in the country. We see the constant waste of national wealth and bloody confrontations. Lots of people are armed and we constantly hear about victims and wounded. Libya has become hell.""Whose fault is it? It's the elite, who betrayed everyone and let NATO into the country. The government was overthrown, but in the end nothing good came out of this. Regional and world players are interested in the Libyan crisis continuing. It is linked to oil and other natural resources: the country is fragmented, there is no dialogue between south, north, west and east, and no one contributes to getting out of the crisis.

When Khashoggi was killed, all the media was talking about that. But in Libya lots of people, journalists and activists are constantly being killed. The DAESH and Al-Nusra extremists as well as the opposition from Sudan and Chad have found a home in the country.  Can you imagine what Libya has turned into? Can you imagine the current situation in the country?" the expert concluded.

READ MORE:

• Ceuta Onslaught: How Gaddafi's Grim Prophecy for Europe is Coming True
• Russia Plans to Renew Gaddafi-Era Contracts With Libya
• Libya: Before and After Gaddafi

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israeli Forces Kill 4 Civilians and Wound 236 Others, including 51 Children, 8 Women, 3 Journalists, 6 Paramedics and 16 Sustaining Serious Wounds

For the 31th Friday of Return and Breaking Siege March, Israeli Forces Kill 4 Civilians and Wound 236 Others, including 51 Children, 8 Women, 3 Journalists, 6 Paramedics and 16 Sustaining Serious Wounds

Ref: 116/2018

On Friday, 26 October 2018, in excessive use of force against peaceful protesters on the 31^th Friday of the March of Return and Breaking the Siege, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians and wounded 236 others, including 51 children, 8 women, 3 journalists and 6 paramedics, with live bullets and directly hit tear gas canisters in eastern Gaza Strip.  Sixteen of those wounded sustained serious wounds.

According to the fieldworkers of Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), the Israeli forces increased the use of live bullets against peaceful demonstrators, especially in eastern Khan Younis, where demonstrations moved to a new location in the east of Khuza’a and 3 demonstrators were killed in addition to dozen others were wounded.

 PCHR’s investigations and fieldworkers’ observations emphasize that though limited attempts to approach the border fence were reported in the demonstration areas, there was no imminent threat posed to the life of the Israeli soldiers and the protests were totally peaceful.  PCHR’s fieldworkers did not witness any armed manifestations while the Israeli soldiers continued to position on the top of sand berms and hills, in military jeeps and tanks along the border fence.

This proves that Israeli forces continue to use excessive force against the protestors upon highest Israeli military and political echelons despite no danger or threat posed to the life of Israeli soldiers.

The incidents today, 26 October  2018, were as follows:

At approximately 15:00, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the 5 encampments established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return and Breaking Siege along the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip governorates. They raised flags and chanted national songs. Hundreds, including children and women, approached the border fence with Israel, set fire to tires and gathered 300 meters away from the main border fence. Some of them attempted to throw stones at the Israeli forces, limitedly threw Molotov Cocktails and pulled parts of the second barbed-wire few meters away from the fence established inside the Palestinian territories few meters away from the border fence and in limited cases, they threw Molotov Cocktails along the border fence. However, there was no threat posed on the lives of Israeli soldiers stationed behind barracks and sand berms, 70 meters away the border fence.

The Israeli shooting, which continued until 18:30, resulted in the killing of 4 civilians; 3 of them were killed in eastern Khan Yunis, east of Khuza’ah, where demonstrations moved to a new location near the border fence in eastern Khan Yunis. The death of civilians killed was declared few hours after their arrival at the European Hospital and they were identified as:

1. Nassar Eyad Nassar Abu Tayyim (19), from Bani Suhiylah, east of Khan Yunis, was hit with a live bullet to the head in eastern Khan Yunis.
2. Ahmed Sa’ied ‘Abed al-‘Aziz Abu Lebda (22), from Bani Suhiylah, east of Khan Yunis, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern Khan Yunis.
3. ‘Ayish Ghassan ‘Ayish Sha’at (23), from al-Fukhari neighborhood, east of Khan Yunis, was hit with a live bullet to the head in eastern Khan Yunis.
4. Mohamed Khaled Mahmoud ‘Abed al-Nabi (27), from Jabalia, was hit with a live bullet to the head at approximately 15:20, in eastern Abu Safiyia area, northeast of Jabalia. His death was declared at approximately 16:30 in al-Shifa Hospital after referring him from the Indonesian Hospital.

Moreover, 236 civilians, including 51 children, 8 women, 3 journalists, and 6 paramedics, were wounded with live bullets and directly hit with tear gas canisters. Sixteen of those wounded sustained serious wounds in addition dozens suffering tear gas inhalation and seizures after tear gas canisters were heavily fired by the Israeli soldiers from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.

Table of Civilian Casualties due to the Israeli Suppression since the Beginning of the Great March of Return on 30 March

Notes	Medical Crews	Journalists	Women	Children	Total	Casualties
Among those Killed, there are 5 Persons with Disabilities and a girl	3	2	1	33	168	Killed
Among those wounded, 495 are in serious condition and 76 had their lower or upper limbs amputated.  The number of those wounded only include those wounded with live bullet and directly hit with tear gas canisters as there have been thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation.	128	116	247	1586	9073	Wounded

PCHR hereby condemns the crimes committed by the Israeli forces, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.

PCHR emphasizes that continuously targeting civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention. Thus, PCHR calls upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.

PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.

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Army Injures Many Schoolchildren In Hebron

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25 Oct 7:38 PM

Israeli soldiers fired, Thursday, several gas bombs into the Nahda Basic School for Boys, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, causing dozens of students and teacher to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, including some students who fainted.

Rawhi az-Zaro, the principal of the school, said the soldiers surrounded the school and fired dozens of gas bombs directly into its campus.

He added that dozens of children and teachers suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, including some who fainted, and required urgent treatment.

Az-Zaro stated that the soldiers also fired gas bombs and workers of the Hebron City Council, near the school, causing them to suffer the severe effects of teargas inhalation.

The principal said the school administration contacted the Palestinian Education Ministry about the attack, and the Palestinian District Coordination Office to demand the military vehicles to avoid driving near the schools during the times when students are arriving or leaving it.

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Vanessa Beeley Interviews White Helmets Members Who Admit Nusra, Extremist Connections, Israeli Assistance To Terrorists

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Author’s Note: Please access Vanessa Beeley’s article, “SYRIA EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Beeley Meets the White Helmets and Armed Group Leader in Dara’a Al Balad,” for the full story, photos, and videos.

If you have been reading mine or Vanessa Beeley’s articles regarding the nature of the White Helmets, you already know the piles of evidence documenting the fact that the alleged “humanitarian” organization is nothing more than a propaganda wing of al-Nusra Front used to beat Western audiences over the head and pull at their already-manipulated heart strings into supporting American military intervention in Syria.

Vanessa Beeley of 21st Century Wire and The Wall Will Fall has been the spearhead of information regarding the White Helmets since day one and, with her recent article, has once again driven another nail in the fake first responders’ coffin.

During her recent visit to Syria, Beeley was amazingly able to snag an interview with an actual active member of the White Helmets still functioning in Daraa al-Balad. Despite her reputation as a critic of the group, her qualifications as a “British journalist” seemed to reassure the group members that she was a “friendly.” Indeed, such is the nature of Western mainstream journalism that terrorist groups find these outlets to be comrades in arms.

Daraa al-Balad, while technically under the control of the Syrian government, is in the midst of a fragile “cease-fire” type agreement established in July, 2018 and negotiated by the Russian Reconciliation team whereas the Syrian military controls the territory but a variety of “rebel” groups still operate there as well. Conditions of the cease-fire were that the terrorist groups surrender their heavy and medium weapons and that the Syrian army has the right of admission to liberated areas. In addition, extremist groups were to withdraw from areas close to the Jordanian border. Many of these extremist groups accepted the terms of reconciliation but many, such as those in Dara’a al-Balad, chose to continue their “policy of confrontation.”

A separate deal was offered by Russia to Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a rebranded Nusra Front faction, which occupied areas of Dara’a. According to reports, Abu Jaber, the former Emir of HTS, turned down the proposal. Interestingly enough, Jaber was one of the founding commanders of Ahrar al Sham, which itself was responsible for brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns. Despite a horrific attack in al Zara, Homs, where Ahrar al Sham slaughtered a number of Alawite women before standing on their corpses and taking photos, the United States refused to label them a terrorist group.

The question of American “terrorist” labeling is one for another article but, suffice it to say, it was “armed groups” such as these maintaining their positions of “confrontation” under which the “last remaining” White Helmets group in Dara’a al Balad continues to operate and the environment Beeley entered in order to interview not one but two White Helmets operatives.

NOTE: At the end of the article I will include a number of links to previous articles by myself and Beeley regarding the true nature of the organization. Please access Vanessa Beeley’s article, “SYRIA EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Beeley Meets the White Helmets and Armed Group Leader in Dara’a Al Balad,” for the full story, photos, and videos.

Shabab al Sunnah, one of the groups that accepted the Russian/Syrian conditions accompanied Beeley during her entrance to Dara’a al Balad and repeatedly confirmed that the area had been under the control of al Nusra Front.

White Helmet #1 – Abu Mohanad Al Mahamid

The leader of the White Helmet center in Dara’a al Balad was Abu Mohanad al Mahamid. According to Beeley, once he figured out that she was a British journalist, he seemed to want to present an image that would impress her, even to the point of putting on his white helmet and launching into a big defense speech of the White Helmets’ reputation. He admitted to Beeley that the group was funded by the British government but claimed they were not influenced by British policy. He also admitted “that they were pressured to follow British policies.” In addition, he made a distinction between serving “friends and enemies” which demonstrates his lack of unbiased neutrality as was his claim.

“When I say that we are independent it means that we do not follow anyone, when some come to me and say that you should follow British policies I say to them, no. We serve all people, our friends and our enemies,” he said.

Beeley writes,

During his initial display of neutrality, Al Mahamid was clearly on a drive to persuade me of the White Helmet good reputation. When questioned about the White Helmet involvement in executions carried out by HTS and associated groups in Dara’a, Al Mahamid was quick to echo the White Helmet party line which presents these White Helmets who do collaborate in crimes committed against Syrian civilians and SAA prisoners, as being “bad apples“, who are “sacked” for “misconduct” – rather than criminal thugs who collaborate in torture, execution and the punishment of those who do not comply with their sectarian ideology or who have remained loyal to Syria’s government and army.

“..we have fired members only because they attended some sort of executions because we save lives and we do not help anyone to kill any one because it is against humanity and notice that all White Helmet members are full of humanity and sensitive to the extent if you shout at them they cry. So our work is plain humanitarian work, and when we used to bring soldiers here, we used to respect them and treat them as one of us, because all Syrians are losing.” ~ Al Mahamid (emphasis added)

Al Mahamid was asked about the White Helmet connections to Nusra Front (HTS) bearing in mind the praise heaped upon the White Helmets by Abu Jaber and Muhaysini. Again, Al Mahamid was adamant that their White Helmet center had no such affiliation, despite being next door to the Nusra Front buildings. In his eagerness to present the case for their center he was quick to say that it was very possible that other White Helmet groups in Syria were affiliated to Nusra Front and made up of Nusra Front militants. The question was – “do you think that some White Helmet members or centers acted in a different way from other White Helmet centers, East Aleppo or other cities?”

“Of course, here we do not belong to any one, but someone in the Western area, for example, might be Nusra front. “

Al Mahamid was asked again – “so White Helmet members may also be Nusra Front?”

“Of course! They might be Nusra Front and run a White Helmet center so this means all his colleagues are also Nusra Front, but not in my area.” ~ Al Mahamid (emphasis added)

An interesting point is made here by Al Mahamid. If a White Helmet center is run by a Nusra Front member then all his colleagues will also be Nusra Front. This vindicates claims made by myself and other independent analysts that any area occupied by Nusra Front will be dominated and controlled by Nusra Front. Nusra Front is a brutal, ideologically supremacist organisation, so it would make perfect sense that if a White Helmet group is led by a prominent member of Nusra Front, the members are likely to adhere to the same ideology and to follow the same practices of extreme sectarian hatred and violence.

Case in question is the leadership of the White Helmets in East Aleppo. Abdulaziz Maghrabi was not only an armed member of Nusra Front but had also been an armed member of the Turkish-backed Al-Tawhid brigade which invaded East Aleppo in 2012. Maghrabi also demonstrated allegiance to Abu Amara, the Nusra Front protection corps in East Aleppo. Maghrabi was photographed, on a number of occasions, working with both Nusra Front fighters and Abu Amara groups.

Read 21st Century Wire article, by Vanessa Beeley: White Helmets and Local Councils – is the UK FCO Financing Terrorism in Syria with Taxpayer Funds?

When we asked Al Mahamid about the Israeli evacuation of White Helmets, he became very animated:

“There are some (armed) factions connected with Israel, those factions were gathered by Israel in Quneitra and were told that you will leave with the White Helmets. By the way, the number of White Helmets in the southern area are 635, but those who left were 800. This means that there are (armed) factions who work with Mossad and they were extracted alongside the White Helmets. But for us here, we stood against this and demanded that the record of the White Helmet members to be reviewed because not all who left were White Helmets. Because not all those who left were White Helmets, there were people who left from Quneitra. There were terrorists, some left from the Yarmouk Basin”

“You mean ISIS,” we asked

“Exactly!”

“So ISIS left with other armed factions alongside the White Helmets?”

“What happened is that Israel told the factions it supports to leave with the White Helmets. But here in this center were 38 members but no one left.”

“So, those who left – where were they from?”

“They were from Quneitra and the FSA and armed factions who are supported by Israel. This what we witnessed, I do not deny the fact that around 50 % of those who left to Israel were White Helmets but the rest were factions supported by Israel.

During my time in the south, I had also visited Quneitra and followed in the tracks of the armed groups and White Helmets as they were evacuated from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Syrian territory of the Golan heights and, from there, were transported to Jordan. Of the estimated 800 who escaped Syria by this Israel-facilitated route, allegedly only 442 made it to Jordan for resettlement in the designated countries which included Canada, UK, France and Germany.

I visited one White Helmet center in Jabata Al Khashab, Quneitra which was again contained within a complex controlled by Nusra Front but also incorporating the centers of the FSA and Al-Furqan brigade. I was shown to a small room which was reportedly used as a prison and torture cell by the armed groups. The room was actually part of the White Helmet building, which I was told, was known as Station 103.

Watch Beeley’s short video on the White Helmet Station 103 opposite Nusra Front HQ. WATCH:

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US Imperial Interference In Central America To Blame For Migrant Crisis? — Rebel Voice

The caravan of refugees that is moving slowly from Honduras to the Mexico-US border is gaining quite a bit of media exposure, not least from the aggressive rhetoric of Donald Trump. The families in the group have been portrayed as a threat to US national security. Such ill-conceived language serves only to heighten ethnic and […]

via US Imperial Interference In Central America To Blame For Migrant Crisis? — Rebel Voice

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Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories – Book Review

The Biggest Prison on Earth: a History of the Occupied Territories

The Biggest Prison on Earth – A History of the Occupied Territories, by Ilan Pappe. (Photo: File)

By Jim Miles

(The Biggest Prison on Earth – A History of the Occupied Territories.  Ilan Pappe.  Oneworld Publications, London, 2018)

The history of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine is continued with Ilan Pappe’s recent work, The Biggest Prison on Earth.  For those who have read Pappe’s earlier histories, it is clear the original Zionists recognized the existence of the Palestinian population and the resistance most likely to rise from it.  Also recognized are the actions taken throughout the occupation and settlement that the Jewish settlers were intent on marginalizing, displacing, and cleaning as much of Palestine as they could of its residents.

The revelation in this continuation of the history is the high degree to which these policies were officially planned and ready for action starting up to four years before the 1967 six day pre-emptive war against the Arab states.  The details of control, the laws, and institutions necessary to contain the Palestinian population and to try and force it into exile were developed before the war started – and implemented immediately afterward. These rules and regulations essentially made all occupied areas into large open-air prisons.

Pappe argues that the term “occupation” is invalid for two main reasons:  first, it is not a temporary situation; and it denies 80 percent of the Palestinian Mandate.  I understood the latter to recognize that in reality all of the British controlled Mandate is occupied by Jewish settlers.   Israel is in its entirety a colonial settler society and not an occupying power: it is permanent and it practices ethnic cleansing.

Demographics above all plays a major role in Palestine.  With the 1967 war about to start, the Israeli’s recognized they were absorbing an even larger demographic deficit by acquiring the new territories.  The means to control the situation domestically and with foreign countries was important, and most importantly was the support of the U.S. politically, militarily, and financially.  The goal, apart from completely eliminating the Palestinians, was to hold territory without annexing it and preventing any contiguous Palestinian control. The book works through the political discussions before and after the war, and then through the different periods leading up to the Oslo Accords.

The Oslo Accords fit perfectly into the Israeli plans of never intending to create a Palestinian state.  Domestically, the PLO and Fatah were not only sidelined but with the creation of the Palestinian Authority and the three zones of control in the West Bank, essentially became partners in crime.    Internationally, the politicians talked, and talked some more while more and more settlements were established in the newly occupied zones…and the international community accepted the ploy.

Pappe also takes the reader through the two Intifadas and the various onslaughts/punishments handed out to Gaza.  In sum, Gaza has served as a maximum security prison, without recourse to any international recognition except for a few moments when the assaults killed large numbers of women and children.   It has served in some respects as a training ground and munitions testing site for the Israeli army highlighting mostly what the world should know about its complete lack of morality and its general lack of on ground fighting efficiency.

Israel never intended from the start to do more than nod their collective heads and continue on with their well-planned zones of military control.  The Biggest Prison on Earth – A History of the Occupied Territories is essential reading in order to help complete the overall picture of Israeli intransigence in regards to international law and international human rights standards and their callous subjugation of the Palestinian people.

– Jim Miles is a Canadian educator and a regular contributor/columnist of opinion pieces and book reviews to Palestine Chronicles.  His interest in this topic stems originally from an environmental perspective, which encompasses the militarization and economic subjugation of the global community and its commodification by corporate governance and by the American government.

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Syria Determined to Restore Idleb and Will not Allow It to Become New Caves for Terrorists: Al-Jaafari

Created on Friday, 26 October 2018 21:59

NEW YORK– Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari reaffirmed Syria’s determination to extend its sovereignty over the province of Idleb completely and that Syria will not allow Idleb to become “new caves for terrorists.”

During a session of the UN Security Council about the situation in the Middle East, al-Jaafari said that Idleb is an integral part of Syria and the Syrian state is determined to fully extend its sovereignty over it when it deems it appropriate, and that this act is a right guaranteed by the UN Charter and international law, with an opportunity for political and diplomatic work, SANA reported.

He added that the Syrian state will not allow Idleb to become “new Tora Bora caves for terrorists” and this matter is settled.

He pointed out that some Western countries, which shed crocodile tears over the situation in the city of Idleb and launched threats on the pretext of their concern for protecting civilians in the city, did not act wgen terrorist groups in it targeted innocent civilians in the city of Aleppo with dozens of shells on Wednesday morning, claiming the lives of tens of civilians and injuring many others.

Al-Jaafari also noted that the illegal US-led international coalition continues to commit crimes in Syria, the last of which was in the villages of al-Sosa and al-Bubadran in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, which led to the martyrdom of 62 civilians, children and women among them, and injuring many others, some of which are in critical situation.

“We are surprised that the UN Special Envoy’s report ignored the crimes of this coalition against the Syrians,” he said, adding that the US-led coalition targets everything in Syria except for terrorist groups.

Al-Jaafari said that those who called for the UNSC meeting today are trying to undermine the cooperation between the Syrian government and the UN, a cooperation that has resulted in many positive events over the years of crisis.

He added that the Syrian government has engaged in the Geneva talks since their inception and it has dealt in a positive, open, and transparent manner with the UN Special Envoy since taking office as facilitator of intra-Syrian dialogue more than four years ago.

Al-Jaafari affirmed that the Syrian government was and still is keen to ensure the success of the tasks of the Special Envoy, because this success is in the interest of the Syrian people, adding that the Syrian government has proved its keenness through dealings with former envoys Kofi Annan and Lakhdar Brahimi.

He said that the Syrian government participated fully in the Astana process and also dealt positively with the outcomes of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and it continues to adhere to its results, which included the agreement to form a committee to discuss the current constitution, and which enables the Special Envoy to act as facilitator for its work.

Al-Jaafari pointed out that the Syrian government believes in the importance of the UN role in facilitating the intra-Syrian dialogue, but not in imposing custodianship over this dialogue.

“Although 74 years have passed since the establishment of the UN and the adoption of its noble principles, it is shameful to see these values being denied and thrown against the wall by some states, some of whom are permanent members of this Council,” he said.

Al-Jaafari stressed that Syria respects the Charter and the role of the UN, which is based on the power of the law and not on the arrogance of force, as well as respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

“Syria rejects the establishment of a camp for terrorists in the Syrian area of al-Tanf by a UN permanent state which also deploys its military forces as this act considers as a violation of the provisions of the UN Charter,” he added.

He stressed the Syrian state is keen to end the crisis, and this is made apparent by the openness of the state to initiatives aimed at combating terrorism and resolving the crisis by settling the situation of those involved in this war, achieving national reconciliation, stopping bloodshed, and preserving Syria’s territorial unity.

Al-Jaafari pointed out that the establishment of a committee to discuss the current constitution is one way out of the crisis.

He concluded by affirming that the Syrian government will make every positive effort to achieve what the Syrian people aspire to, and that it’s ready to complete cooperation with the UN to reach the desired results.

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Sanctions against Social Ethics

Sanctions against Social Ethics

Hussein Samawarchi

The practice of social responsibility needs for all to be proactive, one way or another, in bringing equality for fellow community members. It is when the more able member of society assists the less fortunate for the purpose of maintaining a general social equilibrium of education and wealth. Everyone should be entitled to an equal opportunity to realize his or her ambitions and full potential; the tools that lead to improving one’s situation are availed by others knowing that the betterment of the individual member yields a healthier society for all.

Protecting the rights of every person is a main deterrent against the decline of moral standards which, in its turn and in so many cases, is a direct result of social frustration. Hence, the display of a sound sense of social responsibility by all would ultimately serve in eliminating, to a great degree, many factors that lead to corruption – a healthier social setup evolves.

This is a part of the teachings of Islam; justice has to be prioritized if we are to live in the comfort of safety. And, the application of justice goes beyond the classical judicial system. Islam dictates the founding of courts manned by wise and highly educated judges; it doesn’t stop there though. It also dictates that justice is practiced to a person’s best ability with family, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and anyone who is weaker. Justice is a part of social responsibility in Islam.

When the word “Hezbollah” is mentioned anywhere, the resistance is the first thing that comes to the mind of the majority of people. The image of a heroic patriot walking up a hill on a cold rainy night with his brothers, leaving the warmth of his family to ensure that his home and the homes of his neighbors are protected against the “Israeli” saboteur.

These brave men of the Lebanese resistance have relied, mostly, on simple weapons during the years extending from 1982 – nothing worth millions of dollars like tanks or fighter jets. They showed the world that a successful resistance relies more on the hearts of the people than on the class of armament. They showed that volunteers achieve more victories than professional highly paid soldiers and mercenaries.

The United States is talking about further sanctions against Hezbollah. They, allegedly, impose sanctions for the “noble” purpose of preventing a government or an organization from acquiring weapons. Knowing that the defense strategy of the resistance does not depend on tactical items that need great expenditures, it can be clearly seen that whatever the magnitude of the sanctions is, it will not affect the military aspect. The defense combat gear comprises rifles that are decades- old and even older rocket-propelled grenades. The maximum in cost might be night vision binoculars but those can be purchased over the counter globally under the commercial category of civilian and recreational gadgets.

As for some more sophisticated weapons like modern compact anti-tank and aircraft arms, plenty has been left behind in Iraq and Syria and in pristine condition by the dozen or more terrorist factions armed to the teeth with compliments of “Israel” and other terror-supporting countries. Stockpiles upon stockpiles have been seized.

So, what are the sanctions targeting?

One might argue that affecting the overall financial situation of Hezbollah would influence the salaries of its members negatively, resulting in their eventual dismay from a worsening personal financial situation leading to desertion. That would have been the case if they were fighting for financial gain. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of the men of Hezbollah are volunteers and they avail themselves for purely patriotic reasons; as poetic as it sounds, the truth is that their payment is the honor of fighting for their country.

As for those who serve on a full-time basis, their salaries are covered with donations from local businesses which are sufficient. At this point, it is worthy of mentioning that the salary of the highest paygrade in Hezbollah is that of the Secretary-General. The amount is USD 1,400.

Again. What are the sanctions targeting?

The answer is clear. The sanctions are against the fabric of the society that contains Hezbollah. They are against Social responsibility and justice. They target civil establishments linked to the general population falling directly and indirectly under the geographical region where Hezbollah and Muslims exist. These establishments include orphanages, educational institutions for the financially underprivileged, non-profit medical centers, charities, women empowerment centers, vocational training institutes for young adults with special needs, and more.

The American administration that still gives billions of dollars in the form of unconditional annual aid to “Israel” for the purpose of building more illegal settlements on Palestinian raped land and arming its terrorist army along with Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group] mercenaries wants to close down Lebanese charities that take care of society.

They aim to financially suffocate civilian institutions that direct the social compass towards higher human values. The concept of “education and justice for all” is the enemy in the scope of American sanctions. The recent move against the UNRWA is sufficient proof of that.

Contemptible acts like targeting the livelihoods and the future of the youth and the needy can only be described as animosity towards humanity. There’s no doubt that certain aspects will suffer here and there. Still, one must keep in mind that this is a social set up built by the people who excel in the culture of resilience and creativity. History has it written in its pages: The Lebanese will always prevail. How can they not when they have such leaders as Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in their ranks.

Source: Al-Ahed News

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