Uprooted Palestinian: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM – سلام القدس عليكم

Sunday, 28 July 2019

Sayyed Nasrallah: We Respect Our Allies, Palestinian Workers Unlike Other Foreign Workers

July 26, 2019

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah delivered a speech Friday on the 31rst anniversary of Jihad Al-Binaa establishment, in which he portrayed the significant role of the foundation in reconstructing the wrecks resulting from the assaults waged against Lebanon.

His eminence stressed that since its emergence, in addition to the military work, Hezbollah has been concerned about the political, cultural, and healthcare aspects, and all these factions have cooperated together to achieve year 2000’s victory.

Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that everything Jihad Al-Binaa offered before year 2000 was from Iranian donations.

He added that “after 2006 war was over and people returned to their homes, regional powers along with Israel wagered that victory will turn into defeat after the supporters of the resistance see all that destruction. Meanwhile, before the war was over the reconstruction plan which Jihad Al-Binaa led was made.

“As soon as the war was over damaged homes were being repaired and wrecks of destroyed homes were removed and within two weeks everyone who lost his house had a place to reside in, while the whole reconstruction project was fully implemented in five years,” he said. His eminence noted that “as a step taken to fight the desertification phenomenon, Jihad al-Binaa also planted over 10 million trees,” and he called upon people to hold their national and environmental responsibility and preserve every plant.

On another level, Sayyed Nasrallah tackled the foreign employment in Lebanon file, emphasizing that “there is a difference between a foreign worker and a Palestinian worker, while the first can return to his country and work there, the Palestinian doesn’t have a country to return to because his country is occupied and he is connected to a greater cause”.

Hezbollah secretary general stressed that while many things in Lebanon are two faced, Hezbollah isn’t, insisting that “some people portray Hezbollah as the leader of all the governmental foundations which is the biggest lie in the history of Lebanon”.

“Whoever claims that aims to hold Hezbollah accountable of the current situation and incite the US and other countries against Lebanon,” Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed, pointing out that “our political opponents have a misconception about our relation with our allies, we deal with them with all respect and we don’t impose anything on them. While you might take advantage of your allies, we treat our allies with dignity and respect…”

In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah tackled Kabreshmoun incident in which Lebanese Minister Saleh Al-Ghreeb’s convoy was attacked and two of his bodyguards were killed.

“Our ally is the victim and the incident could have triggered civil peace and Hezbollah declared its support for Party Leader Talal Erslan (party which Ghareeb belongs to) without pressuring anyone, in contrast people started claiming that Erslan is a tool for Hezbollah against other powers,” he stated, asserting that “this is insulting for us and it is all fallacies and forgery.”

“PM Hariri called for postponing the cabinet meeting instead of holding it in its time. A big problem took place, so why disparage the killing of someone? On this file I say: We treat our allies with respect, and if we have a problem with anyone we face him with it. We don’t hide behind our allies. We are neither weak nor cowards. We call for dialogue between the leaders of the Druze sect and support holding a cabinet meeting as soon as possible to discuss that incident.”

Finally, concerning the Zionist delegate’s claims about Hezbollah using the Lebanese port to move weapons into Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah assured that these are false claims that aim to impose control on the port and airport.”

He stressed that this is a national responsibility and the port must not be exposed due to these claims, concluding that “the only thing that worries Israel in the Security Coordination, and this weapon is in the hand of the Palestinian Authority and it should use it to halt Israel’s destruction of houses.”

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Unilateral Surrender? Hollow Mahmoud Abbas Suspension of Agreements with Israel

By Stephen Lendman

Global Research, July 26, 2019

In 2005, Mahmoud Abbas was anointed by Israel to serve its interests.

Installed by a rigged election with no legitimacy, his term expired in 2009 but it didn’t matter.

Israeli hardliners kept him in power where he remains as long as staying submissive to their will, meaningless rhetoric not an issue.

For over 14 years, he served as Jewish state enforcer in the Occupied Territories, betraying the Palestinian people. More convenient stooge than statesman, he’s Israel’s puppet.

He long ago abandoned Palestine’s liberating struggle, collaborating with the enemy for benefits afforded him and his family.

Betrayal pays well. Middle East expert As’ad AbuKhalil earlier estimated his super-wealth, saying he amassed around $1 million monthly, largely from stolen Palestinian money and other embezzled funds, adding:

His wealth is stashed abroad in Jordanian and other accounts — “not under any national or international scrutiny.”

Unnamed PA sources earlier said he has extensive property holdings. His sons Tarek and Yasser also profited hugely from PA projects.

A former Abbas aide called him the “sultan of Ramallah,” describing him as thin-skinned and vengeful, tolerating no opposition.

He’s in power unchallenged because Israel and the US wants him heading the PA, largely serving their interests by enforcing harshness on the Palestinian people.

Since Hamas was elected Palestine’s legitimate ruling authority in January 2006, Abbas collaborated with Israel against its leadership, part of the Jewish state’s divide and conquer strategy.

In 1993, he was part of the Palestinian team in Oslo, negotiating the Versailles accord, his signature on the capitulation.

The late Edward Said minced no words calling it unilateral surrender, Palestinians getting nothing in return but hollow Israeli promises, abandoned before the ink was dry.

Throughout Abbas’ tenure as puppet president, Israel expanded settlements on stolen Palestinian land unobstructed by him or his cronies, handsomely bribed to capitulate to their interests.

Collaborating with the enemy is treason, how Abbas operated since Oslo and throughout his time as PA head.

He hasn’t gone along with what he knows about Trump’s no-peace/peace plan “deal of the century” for good reason.

A third intifada might erupt if he capitulated to what no responsible leadership should touch, possibly making him a marked man by Palestinians for elimination, maybe killed for betrayal.

Time and again in response to unacceptable Israeli actions against long-suffering Palestinians, Abbas threatened to suspend cooperation with the Jewish state, never following through with commitment, his rhetoric amounting to hollow deception.

Gaza: The World’s Largest Prison

His latest threat came in response to Israel’s unlawful demolition of 70 Wadi al-Hummus homes in Sur Baher township, a Palestinian neighborhood on the southeastern outskirts of East Jerusalem.

Israel claimed they were too close to its separation wall, what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled illegal in 2004 — a land theft scheme unrelated to security issues.

Israel wants the entire city Judaized for exclusive Jewish development and use, Palestinians ethnically cleansed from land they legally own.

Most Sur Baher Palestinian structures destroyed were in West Bank Areas A and B, under Palestinian jurisdiction, according to Oslo.

It didn’t matter and never does. Nothing stands in the way of Israeli pursuit of its agenda at the expense of fundamental Palestinian rights and the rule of law.

Abbas’ latest “suspension” threat takes effect on July 26, saying

“(w)e will not succumb to the dictates and the imposing of a fait accompli on the ground with brute force, specifically in Jerusalem. All that the (Israeli) occupation state is doing is illegal,” adding:

“Our hands have been and are still extended to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. But this does not mean that we accept the status quo or surrender to the measures of the occupation.”

“We will not surrender and we will not coexist with the occupation, nor will we accept the ‘deal of the century.’ ”

“Palestine and Jerusalem are not for sale or bargain. They are not a real estate deal in a real estate company…no matter how much time it takes, the repugnant occupation is going to be defeated and our future state will be independent.”

In 2017, the PA suspended diplomatic relations with the US over Trump’s one-sided support for Israel, including his no-peace “deal of the century” peace plan — a symbolic gesture, achieving nothing positive for the Palestinian people.

Abbas and his cronies capitulated to occupation harshness for over 25 years ago, permitting hundreds of thousands of settlers to control Palestinian land illegally — Israel ignoring Fourth Geneva’s Article 49, the PA leadership doing nothing to contest its unlawful actions.

The Fourth Geneva provision prohibits

“(i)ndividuals or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not…regardless of their motive.”

“The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

It’s what Israel has done since 1967 — unobstructed by the world community and UN authorities — nor by PA leadership since Oslo (1993) and follow-up agreements.

Ignoring his longstanding collaboration with Israel against Hamas, undermining Palestinian unity against repressive occupation, land theft, and other Jewish state high crimes against long-suffering Palestinians, including three Israeli wars of aggression against Gaza since December 2008, Abbas falsely said:

“My hand is extended (to Hamas) for reconciliation, and it is time to get more serious.”

Political analyst Dawoud Yousef downplayed Abbas’ threatened suspension of ties to Israel, saying:

“(T)he PA is completely powerless to make these kind of dictates. They exist because the occupation allows it,” adding:

“From the Oslo Accords onwards, the PA has been designed and structured to be dependent on cooperation with Israel.”

It’s a powerless, Israeli created body to serve its interests. Earlier PA threats to cut cooperation with Israel were “never complete and only meant the ending of high level communications, not day to day interactions between security forces,” Yousef explained, adding:

“(T)hese threats demonstrate to an acute degree the complete emptiness of the PA’s diplomatic strategy within the current Post-Oslo paradigm.”

“The asymmetry of power wasn’t offset by the PA’s establishment. It was officially entrenched. (Its threats are) as if the prisoner says that he no longer recognizes his cell.”

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

The original source of this article is Global Research

Weekly report on israel’s terrorism on Palestinians (18 July – 24 July 2019)

PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations(18 – 24 July 2019)

Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory for the week of 8 – 24 July, 2019.

125 civilians were injured during the Great March of Return, in Eastern Gaza, including 53 children, 3 women, 5 journalists and 4 paramedics, by Israeli forces. In the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, 48 civilians were injured, including 5 children and 3 journalists.

Shootings and other threats to bodily integrity

At approximately 03:00 on Thursday, 18 July 2019, officers from the Israeli “Mista’arvim” undercover unit dressed like Palestinian civilians sneaked to al-Duheisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, driving 2 civilian vehicles with Palestinian registration plate. They raided and searched a number of houses from which they arrested Ismail Tawfiq al-‘Essah (19) and Fares Hasan Shamarkhah (35). Meanwhile, tens of children and young men gathered and threw stones, empty bottles and Molotov Cocktails at Israeli soldiers while the soldiers used live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a young man was shot with a live bullet to the right thigh. He was taken to al-Husein Hospital in Beit Jala for treatment.

At approximately 07:30 on Saturday, 20 July 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 18:00, Israeli forces raided a sit-in tent established by civilians protesting the Israeli authorities’ decision to demolish 16 residential building in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood in Sour Baher village, south of East Jerusalem, east of Bethlehem. The soldiers fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, journalist Ayat ‘Arqawi (29), was hit with a tear gas canister to the waist and then taken to a medical point to receive treatment.

At approximately 19:00 on Sunday, 21 July 2019, Israeli forces moved into al-Issawiya village, north east of occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched al-Issawiyah Secondary School, blew up the doors and then confiscated flags of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and pictures of Mohammed Sair ‘Obaid, who was killed by Israeli forces in ‘Obaid neighborhood 20 days ago. Meanwhile, tens of Palestinian children and young men attempted to confront the Israeli raid. They threw stones, empty bottles and Molotov Cocktails at Israeli soldiers while the soldiers fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canister at them. As a result, a young man was shot with a rubber bullet to the abdomen. He was taken to al-Maqased Hospital in al-Tour neighborhood, east of occupied Jerusalem, to receive treatment. Mohammed Abu al-Humus, Head of the Follow-up Committee in al-‘Issawiyah village, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that Israeli forces deliberately used live ammunition and rubber bullets in targeting buildings’ entrances and balconies as live ammunition penetrated houses belonging to al-‘Ajlouni and ‘Obaid families. Israeli forces also attacked and pepper-sprayed and used stun gun against Rami (34) and ‘Ala’a ‘Esmat Obeid (36), who were in front of their commercial shop. Abu al-Humus emphasized ambulances crews of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) tried to offer first aid for the 2 young men, but Israeli soldiers prevented them and arrested the young men while unconscious and was on the stretcher.

At approximately 22:00 on Sunday, 21 July 2019, Israeli forces stationed off Rafah shore in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 4 nautical miles. They surrounded a fishing boat manned by ‘Essam Nabil Nayef al-Aqra’a (29) and his brother Riyad (23), from Deir al-Balah. The soldiers ordered them to take off their clothes, jump into water and swim towards the gunboat. The fishermen were detained and their boat was confiscated. At approximately 07:00 on Monday, 22 July 2019, the Israeli authorities released the fishermen through Beit Hanoun “Erez” checkpoint; their fishing boat is still confiscated.

At approximately 21:35 on Monday, 22 July 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Sudaniyah shore, west of Jabalia, in northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 – 5 nautical miles. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 07:00 on Tuesday, 23 July 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 24 July 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Sudaniyah shore, west of Jabalia, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported. At approximately 22:30, Israeli forces sporadically opened fire at fishermen in the same area until 23:45, neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

Settlement Expansion and settler violence in the West Bank including occupied East Jerusalem

At approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 18 July 2019, Israeli forces backed by military construction vehicles and Israeli Civil Administration officers moved into al-Kroum area in northern Nablus. An Israeli bulldozer then uprooted a steel fence surrounding a 750-sqaure-meter plot of land and belonging to ‘Adnan ‘Abed al-Razeq Yaseen ‘Ayyad. The Israeli forces also confiscated a caravan from the land under the pretext of being in Area C. ‘Adnan refuted the Israeli forces’ claims.
At approximately 07:30 on Sunday, 21 July 2019, Israeli forces backed by military construction vehicles and Israeli Civil Administration officers moved into Kherbit al-Hadidiyah in eastern Tubas. An Israeli bulldozer uprooted a residential tent and livestock barracks belonging to Naje’ Ka’abnah. The Israeli forces then confiscated 2 residential tents, 2 livestock tents, a tent used as a kitchen, a barn, and other contents.
At dawn on Monday, 22 July 2019, hundreds of Israeli police officers backed by dozens of military construction vehicles moved into Wadi al-Humus neighborhood, in Sour Baher, south of occupied East Jerusalem. They declared it as a closed-military zone and prevented entering or exiting it in order to carry out a large-scale destruction operation in Jerusalem since occupying it in 1967. Israeli forces raided 3 residential buildings belonging to Isma’il Abu Sarhan , Belal al-Kasawani and Ghaleb Abu Hadwan and his son Monther in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood and vacated them for demolition. In the meantime, the Israeli police officers beat the residents and pepper-sprayed them, in addition to firing rubber bullets and sound bombs at many apartments after their inhabitants refused to exit. As a result, 10 persons of Abu Sarhan family sustained bruises and were then taken to hospitals. At approximately 06:00, Israeli bulldozers demolished 10 residential buildings; 3 were inhabited while the others, comprising of 72 apartments, were under-construction. Additionally, 4 floors of Mohamed Idreis Abu Tair building were blew up. It should be noted that the destruction operation was carried out within 18 hours. During the demolition, the Israeli forces detained the buildings’ owners and dozens of persons stood in solidarity with them after forcibly getting them out of the buildings and dispersing them few meters away. It should be noted that around 22 persons, including 14 children, became homeless after demolishing their houses and over 70 families were deprived of living in their under-construction apartments. The destroyed houses belong to:
Ghaleb Hawan and his son Monther: a 2-story house built on 210 square meters and sheltering a 10-member family, including 6 children;
Isma’il ‘Ebeidiyah: a 2-sotry house built on 250 square meters and sheltering a 7-member family, including 5 children;
Belal al-Kiswani: a 1-story house sheltering a 5-member family, including 3 children;
‘Alaa’ ‘Amirah: a 2-story house built on 200 square meters (uninhabited);
‘Ali Khalil Hamadah: a 4-sotry building (under-construction);
Ja’afar Abu Hamed: a 1-story house (under-construction);
Akram Zawahrah: a 4-sotry building and a penthouse (under-construction);
Na’eem Musallam: a 2-sotry building (uninhabited);
Tareq Mahameed: his house was located behind the security street from the West Bank side;
Ra’fat ‘Obaidat: (under-construction); and
Mohammed Idris Abu Teir: a 7-story building comprised of 40 residential apartments (under-construction), where explosives were planted in 4 story in order to blow them up.

It should be mentioned that on 13 June 2019, the Israeli High Court approved the Israeli military’s decision to demolish 16 residential buildings comprised of 100 apartments in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood under the pretext of being near the annexation wall which was established on the village’s lands. On 20 June 2019, the Israeli forces handed tens of residents’ notices to self-demolish their property by 18 July or the Israeli forces will later do so. On 21 July 2019, the Israeli High Court rejected the appeal filed by the residents to freeze the demolition orders, and within hours the Israeli forces stormed the neighborhood and started the demolitions.

Wadi al-Humus neighborhood (area: 3,000 dunums; population: 6000) is located on the edge of Sour Baher, south of occupied East Jerusalem. The neighbourhood is not within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries and most of its lands are classified in Area A that is under full control of the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Accords; thus, the buildings’ owners obtained construction licences from the Palestinian Ministry of Local Governance. Following the construction of the annexation wall in 2003, the neighbourhood was split as some houses ended up in the Israeli side but not under jurisdiction of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem.

Closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement of persons and goods

Gaza Strip

As the Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip enters its 14^th consecutive year this July, severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of persons and goods enhance the de facto separation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Moreover, Israeli naval forces imposed a blockade, chased fishermen, opened fire at them, and confiscated their fishing equipment. During the reporting period, 6 shooting incidents, chasing fishermen and their boats, arresting and releasing fishermen were documented.

Note: No updates occured on the state of the crossing during the reporting

West Bank

In addition to permanent checkpoints and closed roads, this week witnessed the establishment of more temporary checkpoints that restrict the goods and individuals movement between villages and cities and deny civilians’ access to their work. Israeli forces established 34 temporary checkpoints, from which they arrested 8 civilians.

The military checkpoint were as follows:

Qalqilyah:

On Thursday, 18 July 2019, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at the entrance to Hijjah village, east of Qalqilyah; and at the eastern entrance to Qalqilyah. They then arrested a civilian.

At approximately 15:00 on Friday, 19 July 2019, a similar checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance to Qalqilyah.

At approximately 21:50 on Saturday, 20 July 2019, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance to Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilyah.

At approximately 21:30 on Saturday, 20 July 2019, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance to ‘Izbit al-Tabeeb village, east of Qalqilyah.

On Monday, 22 July 2019, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints at the entrance to Jayyous village, northeast of Qalqilyah; between al-Nabi Iyyas and ‘Izbit al-Tabeeb villages; and at the entrance to al-Nabi Iyyas village, east of the city.

On Monday evening, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance to Jayyous village, northeast of Qalqilyah, where they arrested 4 civilians.

Fully detailed document available at PCHR official.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

A Bahraini Activist climbs the London's roof of Bahraini embassy to stop execution of Two Activists on False Accusations

Update :

A Bahraini Activist climbs the roof of the Bahraini embassy in London to protest against executions and British police storm the building

Martyr Ali Al-Arab’s Last Words: I Didn’t Kill Him, I Don’t Even Know Where the Incident Happened!

By Bahrain Mirror – Translated by Staff

“I didn’t kill Hisham al-Hamadi, at all, I am satisfied with Allah’s judgement,” those were the last words mouthed by martyr Ali Mohammad al-Arab who was on imminent death row. His family was totally concerned about his fate after a visit that seemed to be the last ever.

Bahrain Mirror cited his mother, who described the last moments of meeting with her son who has been detained for two years, as saying: “Everything was unusual when we arrived at Central Jaw Prison.”

Ali’s family reported that there was tight security measures at the prison, huge numbers of officers and policemen, and double inspection. The first time was when entering the prison’s building, and the second time was before entering the room where they met their son.

“We entered as groups. The duration of the visit was around an hour and a half. Ali said that after having lunch he was moved into a solitary cell like what they did to Ahmad al-Malali. I was handcuffed and remained so until before I entered this room,” Ali narrated.

The mother, who was very confused out of the shock, and asked one of her sons about the year Ali was born, said that Ali was studying Accounting in Saudi Arabia. He turned 25 a few months ago. And he spent more than two years in prison.

“As he told us earlier, the moment he entered Jaw Prison after issuing the verdict was very difficult on him because, according to his jailers, they prepared for him a torture and humiliation party the moment he arrived there,” the mother added.

“He stood in front of us, he was very happy to hug us without a glass barrier after this long period of separation. He looked into my eyes and was very calm as he told me: don’t worry mother, martyrdom is my wish, and here it is coming true.”

The mother recalled that Ali was way stronger than her. He was resilient and very calm until the last moment with him. He didn’t mention writing a will, but perhaps he had told one of his siblings about it: “I don’t know, I just know that he was worried about me and he didn’t want me to cry.”

As a mother, I can bear witness that my son Ali Mohammad al-Arab was subjected to torture, the lady said. During the first visit after his arrest, the mother said she saw him on a wheelchair and that he mentioned the names of those who tortured him.

Ali’s brother also told Bahrain Mirror that during the farewell meeting, his brother stressed total satisfaction with Allah’s judgement, and that he feels he will soon be executed.

“He entered the room wearing the prison’s grey uniform. After we had a short chat, I had a question in my mind about the truth of the accusation filed against him. I asked him: Brother, do you have anything to do with the killing of Hashem al-Hamadi? He replied: Not at all, I have nothing to do with his killing, I even neither know him nor the place where he was killed.”

The policewomen were secretly listening to al-Arabs from the open window in the small visit room. They were listening to every detail, and were surrounded by armed guards. They have clearly seen that Ali didn’t care to any of their behaviors. “Perhaps they wanted to witness the reaction of humans passing through such hard times as we were doing,” the brother added.

Ali’s mother noted that her son didn’t experience imprisonment before: “This is his first time in prison.” His siblings say: “We asked him about his will, but he said the only thing he wanted is Allah’s pleasure.”

Martyr Ali al-Arab’s mother and his siblings couldn’t find words that describe their loved one during that horrible moments. One of his siblings said: “What could I tell more? There wasn’t but a strong calm man. He greeted us and was full with pleasure.”

According to a report issued by Amnesty International in March 2018 on the issue of Ahmad al-Malali and Ali al-Arab and what they were subjected to after arrest: “During detention, the two men were subjected to torture by the security officers, including electrocution and beating. The toenails of Ali al-Arab were also ripped out.”

This Happened in the Small Room, Martyr Ahmad al-Malali’s Father Describes the Farewell Visit

By Bahrain Mirror – Translated by Staff

“I wish I were martyred in a different way, but it finally happened,” these were the words of detainee Ahmad al-Malali who was facing imminent execution by Bahraini regime’s authorities on the issue of killing officer Hisham al-Hamadi, on which there is no evidence but the confessions made under systematic torture; a method that tops all kinds of evidence in Bahraini courts.

Isa, father of martyr Ahmad al-Malali told Bahrain Mirror that his son was pursued by the regime between 2011 and 2017, when he was only 16 years old. Now, as he turned 24, he didn’t enjoy his life, he couldn’t study or work, until he was arrested and accused of assassinating that officer.

Seeking freedom, martyr Ahmad was trying to escape via sea before a military force raided the boat and arrested him. During the urgent and quick visit that came a few hours before the expected execution, Ahmad said:

“I was hiding behind the edge of the boat. Bullets were flying over, so I told myself I wish one of them would hit me so I can be martyred. The bullet, however, settled in my wrist. I wished I could have martyred in another way. But it has finally happened, and this is the most important.”

The Urgent Visit

The urgent visit didn’t go as normal as before. The family received a call in which they were informed that they are allowed a special visit to see their detained son at noon. There number for the members allowed to visit was unlimited. It was a clear that it is a “farewell visit”, the father says. Isa al-Malali narrates that some 35 members of the family came to the gate of Central Jaw Prison to meet with Ahmad.

“The situation was unusual there. Military patrols were roaming the area surrounding the prison. We were divided into groups of five. Each group can enter to meet with Ahmad for 15 minutes and so on…” the father says.

Inspection was tight, the policewomen took off the women’s headscarves, even their headbands. After the inspection, every member was escorted with two police officers. On both sides of the corridor leading to the visit room, there were armed policemen. When the members arrived at the room, other officers were examining the names.

Inside the Room

The visit room has two doors, the one that the family entered through, and the other through which Ahmad entered. “We hugged him, he sat in front of us. He was aware of what was going on. He knew they were his last hours before the execution,” the father describes the situation.

There was a small window inside the room, it was open and the policewomen sitting behind it were listening all what was going on inside. Beside them there were some armed policemen. “You won’t doubt for a single moment that their looks hide killing and death.”

I talked to my son, the father says.

He described his escape attempt and how he was wishing for martyrdom. “We all know that my son is innocent, but unfortunately no one called us to ask about what he was saying over that period. Neither the family of the killed officer, nor the MPs called us. After this visit, only human rights activists called us although they learned that this will happen and that he will be executed after a few hours.

Inside the room, Ahmad asked for forgiveness from all the family members in case he had made something wrong to them during his life. “He wrote his will, he told us, and we will read it after his execution. He refused to give us details. He asked us to read it only after he leaves this world,” the father narrates.

We started performing prayers inside the room, and Ahmad participated with us. We also recited the Ziyara (visit) of Imam Hussein (AS). We were reciting as we heard the policewomen laughing as they were overlooking us from the window, Isa al-Malali explains.

An officer who seemed responsible for the visits entered the room and told me, “bid your son farewell, the visit is almost over,” the father said, adding that martyr Ahmad was the one helping us to stay patient, asking us to trust God and be patient and satisfied with Allah’s judgement and destiny.

“I bid my son who will leave this life at 24 farewell. He is my eldest. I only say that my son is innocent. May Allah avenge from anyone who wronged my son,” the father concludes.

According to a report issued by Amnesty International in March 2018 on the issue of Ahmad al-Malali and Ali al-Arab and what they were subjected to after arrest:

“During detention, the two men were subjected to torture by the security officers, including electrocution and beating. The toenails of Ali al-Arab’s feet were also ripped out.”

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HOUTHIS REPEL ANOTHER SAUDI OFFENSIVE IN DALI’, LAUNCH COUNTER-ATTACK (VIDEO)

South Front

27.07.2019

The Houthis repelled on July 26 an offensive by the Saudi-led coalition and its proxies on their positions in the central Yemeni province of Dali’.

Saudi-backed forces attempted to capture several positions of the Houthis in the in district of Qa’tabah, in the heart of Dali’. However, the Yemeni group’s fighters were able to fend off the attackers following hours of heavy clashes.

After repelling the offensive, the Houthis launched a counter-attack on Saudi positions near Qa’tabah. Houthi fighters killed and injured several Saudi-backed fighters and captured some weapons in the course of the counter-attack.

Last week, Saudi-backed forces carried out a similar attack on the Houthis’ positions in Qa’tabah. However, the attack turned out to be a complete failure.

The Houthis’ ability to carry out offensive and defensive operations simultaneously has allowed them to solidify their presence in central Yemen, despite the repeated attacks by the Saudi-led coalition.

Houthis Repel Another Saudi Offensive In Dali', Launch Counter-Attack (Video)

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More on this topic:

In Video: Houthis Capture Weapons During Night Raid In Southern Jizan

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PEPE ESCOBAR: US and Iran Stuck on Negotiation Ground Zero

July 27, 2019

by Pepe Escobar (cross-posted with Consortium News – by special agreement with the author)

PEPE ESCOBAR: US and Iran Stuck on Negotiation Ground Zero

All bets are off in the geopolitical insanity stakes when we have the President of the United States (POTUS) glibly announcing he could launch a nuclear first strike to end the war in Afghanistan and wipe it “off the face of the earth” in one week. But he’d rather not, so he doesn’t have to kill 10 million people.

Apart from the fact that not even a nuclear strike would subdue the legendary fighting spirit of Afghan Pashtuns, the same warped logic – ordering a nuclear first strike as one orders a cheeseburger – could apply to Iran instead of Afghanistan.

Trump once again flip-flopped by declaring that the prospect of a potential war in the Persian Gulf “could go either way, and I’m OK either way it goes,” much to the delight of Beltway-related psychopaths who peddle the notion that Iran is begging to be bombed.

No wonder the whole Global South – not to mention the Russia-China strategic partnership – simply cannot trust anything coming from Trump’s mouth or tweets, a non-stop firefight deployed as intimidation tactics.

At least Trump’s impotence facing such a determined adversary as Iran is now clear: “It’s getting harder for me to want to make a deal with Iran.” What remains are empty clichés, such as Iran “behaving very badly” and “the number one state of terror in the world” – the marching order mantra emanating from Tel Aviv.

Even the – illegal – all-out economic war and total blockade against Tehran seems not to be enough. Trump has announced extra sanctions on China because Beijing is “accepting crude oil” from Iran. Chinese companies will simply ignore them.

Okay With ‘OK Either Way’

“OK either way” is exactly the kind of response expected by the leadership in Tehran. Prof. Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran confirmed to me that Tehran did not offer Trump a “renegotiation” of the JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal, in exchange for the end of sanctions: “It’s not a renegotiation. Iran offered to move forward ratification of additional protocols if Congress removes all sanctions. That would be a big win for Iran. But the US will never accept it.”

Dehghan: U.S. bases would be targeted. (Wikimedia Commons)

Marandi also confirmed “there is nothing big going on” between Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and tentative Trump administration negotiator Sen. Rand Paul: “Bolton and Pompeo remain in charge.”

The crucial fact is that Tehran rejects a new negotiation with the White House “under any circumstances,” as expressed by Hossein Dehghan, the top military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Dehghan once again made it very clear that in case of any sort of military adventure, every single base of the U.S. Empire of Bases across Southwest Asia will be targeted.

This neatly ties in with Iran’s by now consolidated new rules of engagement, duly detailed by correspondent Elijah Magnier. We are well into “an-eye-for-an-eye” territory.

And that brings us to the alarming expansion of the sanctions dementia, represented by two Iranian ships loaded with corn stranded off the coast of southern Brazil because energy giant Petrobras, afraid of U.S. sanctions, refuses to refuel them.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a fervent Trump groupie, has turned the country into a tropical U.S. neo-colony in less than seven months. On U.S. sanctions, Bolsonaro said, “We are aligned to their policies. So we do what we have to.” Tehran for its part has threatened to cut its imports of corn, soybeans and meat from Brazil – $2 billion worth of trade a year – unless the refueling is allowed.

This is an extremely serious development. Food is not supposed to be — illegally — sanctioned by the Trump administration. Iran now has to use mostly barter to obtain food — as Tehran cannot remit through the CHIPS-SWIFT banking clearinghouse. If food supplies are also blocked that means that sooner rather than later the Strait of Hormuz may be blocked as well.

Beltway sources confirmed that the highest level of the U.S. government gave the order for Brasilia to stop this food shipment.

Tehran knows it well – as this is part of the “maximum pressure” campaign, whose goal is ultimately to starve the Iranian population to death in a harrowing game of chicken.

Chokepoint: The Strait of Hormuz. (Flickr)

How this may end is described by an ominous quote I already used in some of my previous columns, from a Goldman Sachs derivatives specialist:

“If the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the price of oil will rise to a thousand dollars a barrel representing over 45 percent of global GDP, crashing the $2.5 quadrillion derivatives market and creating a world depression of unprecedented proportions.”

At least the Pentagon seems to understand that a war on Iran will collapse the world economy.

And Now for Something Completely Different

But then, last but not least, there’s the tanker war.

Dutch analyst Maarten van Mourik has noted significant discrepancies involving the UK piracy episode in Gibraltar – the origin of the tanker war. The Grace 1 tanker “was pirated by the Royal Marines in international waters. Gibraltar Straits is an international passage, like the Strait of Hormuz. There is only 3 nautical miles of territorial water around Gibraltar, and even that is disputed.”

Mourik adds, “The size of the Grace 1 ship is 300,000 MT of crude oil, it has a maximum draught of about 22.2 meters and the latest draught via AIS indicated that she was at 22.1 meters, or fully laden. Now, the port of Banyas in Syria, which is where the offshore oil port is, has a maximum draft of 15 meters. So, in no way could the Grace 1 go there, without first having to offload elsewhere. Probably a very large quantity to get within max draught limitations.”

Zarif (r.) negotiating nuclear deal with then US Secretary of State John Kerry in July, 2015. (Wikimedia Common)

That ties in with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif refusing on the record to say where Grace 1 was actually heading to, while not confirming the destination was Syria.

The tit-for-tat Iranian response, with the seizure of the Stena Impero navigating under the British flag, is now evolving into Britain calling for a “European-led maritime protection mission” in the Persian Gulf, purportedly to protect ships from Iranian “state piracy.”

Observers may be excused for mistaking it for a Monty Python sketch. Here we have the Ministry of Silly Seizures, which is exiting the EU, begging the EU to embark on a “mission” that is not the same mission of the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign. And on top of it the mission should not undermine Britain’s commitment to keep the JCPOA in place.

As European nations never recede on a chance to flaunt their dwindling “power” across the Global South, Britain, Germany and France now seem bent on their “mission” to “observe maritime security in the Gulf,” in the words of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. At least this won’t be a deployment of joint naval forces – as London insisted. Brussels diplomats confirmed the initial muscular request came from London, but then it was diluted: the EU, NATO and the U.S. should not be involved – at least not directly.

Now compare this with the phone call last week between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Tehran expressing the determination to “keep all doors open” for the JCPOA. Well, certainly not open to the Monty Python sketch.

That was duly confirmed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said Iran will “not allow disturbance in shipping in this sensitive area,” while Iranian vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri rejected the notion of a “joint European task force” protecting international shipping: “These kinds of coalitions and the presence of foreigners in the region by itself creates insecurity.”

Iran has always been perfectly capable, historically, of protecting that Pentagonese Holy Grail – “freedom of navigation” – in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran certainly doesn’t need former colonial powers to enforce it. It’s so easy to lose the plot; the current, alarming escalation is only taking place because of the “art of the deal” obsession on imposing an illegal, total economic war on Iran.