Weekend News in Brief. For February 9-10, 2013

What Others Are Saying

Second assault attempt on Ahmadinejad in Cairo

An Egyptian citizen attempted to assault Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday evening. The assault occurred at the residence the residence of Mojtaba Amani, the acting Iranian ambassador in Cairo, during a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. The attacker attempted to physically assault Ahmadinejad as he chanted, “Down with Iran, he must leave,” Al-Masry Al-Youm reported… This is the second attempted attack on the Iranian president during his stay in Cairo to participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit, which concluded its activities on Thursday afternoon. Earlier this week, a young Syrian man tried to assault Ahmadeinjad as he was coming out of the Hussein Mosque and threw his shoe at him. – The Egypt Independent

Turkey’s Erdoğan slams European countries over terrorism

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will show no more patience over “Europe’s tolerance” towards terror groups that target security forces and civilians in Turkey. Speaking at his party’s Provincial Advisory Council meeting in İstanbul on Saturday, Erdoğan accused EU countries of being “gentle” in the fight against terrorism. “The latest incident in Paris and the attack on the US Embassy, which left a Turkish national dead and another one injured, have led us to question the relationhip between Europe and terror,” Erdoğan said, referring to the killing of three Kurdish women, including a co-founder of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in Paris on Jan. 9 and a recent suicide bomb attack on the US Embassy in Ankara staged by an ex-convict living in Germany who entered Turkey illegally via Greece. Erdoğan also blamed Europe for failing to show solidarity with Turkey in fighting terrorism, which he said, had cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars in the past three decades. “Some European countries have been protecting murderers sought on international arrest warrants. Leaders of terrorists groups freely walk in Europe and they freely control their terror networks from abroad. In the middle of Berlin, the separatists can erect a tent to collect financial aid for the terrorist organization in millions of euros,” Erdoğan stated. – Sunday’s Zalman, Turkey

Gaza farmers call for boycott of Israeli firms

Hundreds of farmers marched towards Gaza’s border with Israel on Saturday to demand a boycott of Israeli agricultural firms, a local union said. The Union for Agricultural Work Committees in Gaza said in a statement that protestors also gathered in dozens of European cities to protest against Israeli company Mehadrin, which operates in illegal settlements and exports citrus fruits, dates and other produce. “The boycotts of Israeli agriculture companies are so important as the Israeli occupation has destroyed our farming production and denied us the possibility of exporting our own products,” farmer Mustapha Arafat said. “International pressure on Israel is the only way our own economy will be allowed to develop and for us to live normal lives,” he added. Protests took place in cities across France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, the Gaza union said. Ma’an News Agency, Palestinian Territories

India not keen on Israel’s Iron Dome missile system

An Israeli missile shield, which created some buzz in the defence ministry last year following its success in Gaza Strip, may not finally come to India, as the armed forces are not satisfied with its utility because of its short range. Known as Iron Dome, it is an air defence system — meant to neutralise rockets and artillery cells fired from a distance of up to 70 km — which emerged as one of the world’s most successful missile shields. As the ministry was scouring the market for an effective missile cover for Delhi and Mumbai, Iron Dome caught its attention. Preliminary discussions were held with Israeli officials, too. But now, questions are being raised by the armed forces over its efficiency. “Our challenges are bigger. We have to cover a bigger distance. – Deccan Herald, India

Jordan. Border calm prevails as Syrian refugee flow continues. Officials say they expect the cost of hosting the rapidly growing refugee community to reach $1 billion in 2013

Some 2,000 Syrians crossed into Jordan on Thursday amid an ongoing lull in violence along the border, according to the UN. The influx raises the total number of new arrivals over the past week to 9,000. Some 80 injured Syrians were among Thursday’s arrivals, most of whom were transferred to public hospitals in the border cities of Ramtha and Mafraq, security sources said… According to Jordanian security sources, brief fire fights erupted between regime and rebel forces late Wednesday near the Syrian border towns of Tal Shihab and Nasib, with no major causalities reported… Rebel forces suspended their 36-hour assault early Tuesday after failing to capture the border crossings, Syria’s main conduits to Jordan, but vowed to resume their offensive as early as next week. Meanwhile, violence continued to intensify across Syria on Thursday, with the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting over 100 deaths near the cities of Daraa, Hama, Homs, Idlib and Damascus. As of late Thursday, some 10,000 Syrians had amassed along the border waiting to cross into the Kingdom. Jordan has opened its borders to over 350,000 Syrians since the onset of the conflict in March 2011. – The Jordan Times

Patriarch Lahham sounds alarm over Syria’s Christians

Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorius Lahham III voiced alarm Friday about the situation of churches and Christians in Syria and appealed for urgently needed aid. “The news that you follow in the media does not truly reflect the tragic situation that citizens are having to live, particularly at the Homs and Latakia dioceses as well as in Aleppo, Hawran and Damascus,” Lahham said in a letter ahead of the start of Lent. “Many of our sons have been kidnapped and large sums of money have been paid to secure their release. About 100 of our children were killed and martyred along with some 1,000 Christians of all the sects,” he said. “Around 20 churches were destroyed, damaged or evacuated in the area mentioned, and prayers are no longer held there as the faithful and priests have deserted their parishes,” said the prelate, who is based in the Metn town of Rabieh. Earlier this week, the bishop of Aleppo voiced similar concerns, saying that Christians in Syria were being terrorized by kidnappings for ransom.  Concerns over the fate of Christians in Syria have grown amid reports about the rising influence of Islamists among the ranks of anti-regime fighters. - The Daily Star Lebanon

Cyprus upgrade for Palestinians

Cyprus said yesterday it has upgraded its relations with the Palestinians to full diplomatic mission status, one of just eight European Union countries to do so. The decision was announced by Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis during an official visit by her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Malki. “I informed my Palestinian counterpart of the decision of the government to upgrade the status of the Palestinian diplomatic representation in Cyprus from that of a diplomatic mission to that of an embassy of the State of Palestine,” Marcoullis told reporters… A Cyprus Representation Office opened in Ramallah in the West Bank in 2009. Malki said the decision sent a “very important message,” adding: “We hope this courageous step taken by Cyprus will be taken by others in the European Union.” -  Gulf Times, Qatar

Palestinians round up alleged Hamas members

Palestinian security forces arrested more than 25 members of the Hamas movement over the past 48 hours, a security official said Thursday on condition of anonymity.  He said that some of those arrested around the West Bank city of Ramallah were in possession of explosives. A Hamas source, however, said that those arrested “were in possession of funds for distribution to prisoners but we are unaware of any possession of explosives or weapons.” The Israeli army said on Monday that it had it arrested 25 Hamas members in overnight raids across the West Bank. Hamas said that three of them were members of the Palestinian parliament. - Khaleej Times, UAE

Mixed reaction from Malmö’s Jewish community following Mayor Ilmar Reepalu’s decision to step down

Reepalu, 69, will bring his 19-year tenure to an end on July 1st. He addressed the anti-Semitism accusations, which have marred his latter years in charge, in a farewell editorial in newspaper Sydsvenskan, saying that his words had been misinterpreted. Rabbi Shneur Kesselman, who has been on the receiving end of several anti-Semitic attacks, told The Local that he wouldn’t miss Reepalu. “This issue was not about somebody stepping down but about taking responsibility. I truly hope that whoever takes his place is more responsible,” Kesselman said. Kesselman, who dresses in traditional Jewish attire, has been physically attacked on the street and had the word Palestina carved into his car since moving to Malmö in 2004. “Reeplau crossed the line on occasion with his comments and I just hope that his successor sees the reality of the situation,” the US native added. “Many Jewish people living in Malmö have lost their sense of security because of his comments. The problem goes much deeper.” – The Local, Sweden

Recovery of looted funds in “Arab Spring” countries

The curtain has been brought down on foreign investments of former regimes in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.  It has been over two years since the eruption of the so-called “Arab Spring” although this spring has not blossomed yet. And it seems that it will never bloom as things are going from bad to worst. This is clearly manifested in the drastic deterioration in economic conditions and people’s living standards, which have reached rock bottom.  On the political front, the growing differences and clashes between the society’s components in Arab Spring countries make the picture even look more dark and gloomy. In the midst of this chaos and deteriorating economic conditions, there is an important need for stability, otherwise losses will be doubled. The curtain has been brought down on foreign investments of former regimes in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, which are estimated at more than $250 billion (Dh917.5 billion), according to preliminary data. This despite the fact that it would not be possible to determine the actual volume of these investments and deposits, noting that estimates have varied about the volume and the geographic range of the Yemeni and Syrian funds. - Gulf News, Qatar

The Arab English Language Press. What They Are Saying.

America’s insanity cannot last forever

The Palestine Telegraph  - The hired media agents of influence continue to poison the masses of war against Iran. Every day, there are more irrational and abstract accusations of the nuclear development program in Iran. For sure, the large segments of mankind do not believe in these theories and vicious propaganda onslaught. Obama needs Israeli lobbyists support and money to get re-elected. To Obamas mind, America and Israel do have historical bonds of friendship but in a global context they are disconnected to the rest of the international community. America and Israel are alone, not part of the global thinking and agenda for peace and co-existence. America and Israel need a political and intellectual challenge to come to terms with peace and security but the oil-soaked blood-tainted authoritarian and intellectually sold out oil producing Arab leaders cannot provide one.

Salafis determined to establish Islamic Emirate in Gaza

Asharq Al-Awsat, UK – A prominent Salafi jihadist based in the Gaza Strip has stressed that his group’s efforts of establishing an Islamic Emirate in the Gaza Strip continues despite the severe blows handed to them at the hands of Israel and the Hamas Movement. “We always are planning to establish God’s Sharia on earth. This is the duty of every Muslim. Our project, God willing, exists, and the day will come when the mujahidin will fulfil their project.” Abu Abdul-Muhajir told Asharq Al-Awsat. Abu Abdul-Muhajir blasted the Hamas movement for what he described as the continued detention and “summoning campaign” against members of his movement, despite the recent Israeli attack that killed prominent Salafi official, Hisham al-Suaydani (Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi).

Iran atrocities probe begins

Gulf Daily News, Bahrain - A landmark tribunal investigating crimes committed by the current Iranian regime against political prisoners in the 1980s starts in The Hague today. The Iran Tribunal will hear firsthand accounts of atrocities committed against Iranian citizens under a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, which is said to have resulted in between 5,000 and 30,000 citizens being tortured and executed for holding beliefs that conflicted with the regime. Prosecutor John Cooper QC will describe how people were tied to a bed with a dirty sock stuffed in their mouth and had the soles of their feet whipped with electric cables; flogged and beaten; forced to squat in small boxes known as “the grave”; deprived of sleep; made to stand for days on end; sexually abused; and suspended in the air by their arms, which were twisted behind their back, for hours until their shoulders snapped. He will also tell judges that inmates were forced to watch fellow prisoners being tortured, were tortured in the presence of their own children and were executed by hanging or firing squad, while others died from the torture itself. The tribunal will hear how children were imprisoned with their parents and were even executed as political prisoners, the youngest being just 11 years old, while Death Commissions grilled prisoners about their religious faith and hanged more then 5,000 in the space of a few months. “It is a stain on the collective conscience of humanity to deny these scars a way to heal and these nightmares a means to subside,” Mr Cooper says in his opening submission. “This is why the prosecution now moves at this phase to prove that responsibility for these grave, widespread and systematic violations of human rights lies with the highest echelons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on whose express orders they were carried out.” Eight human rights judges will oversee the hearings, although Iran has refused to co-operate with the Tribunal despite being invited to participate.

Four killed following Muslim protests in Ethiopia

Arab News, Saudi Arabia - Four people, including one police officer, were killed in Ethiopia Sunday as protesters attacked a police station where Muslim demonstrators were being held, an official said Tuesday. “One police officer was killed while two police officers sustained injuries, and three members of the (protester’s) group were killed during the violence,” government spokesperson Shimeles Kemal told AFP. The attack occurred Sunday in Gerba in the Amhara region, after demonstrators gathered to protest what they call undemocratic elections of the Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs, Ethiopia’s highest Muslim representative body. Shimeles said the group attacked the police station with firearms and machetes after the arrest and tried to “forcefully release their members.”

Sudan accuses Israel of air raid, threatens payback

The Daily Star, Lebanon – Israeli missiles struck a military factory and killed two people in the Sudanese capital Wednesday, the government said, 18 months after alleging a similar raid by the Jewish state. “We think Israel did the bombing,” Culture and Information Minister Ahmad Bilal Osman told a news conference. “We reserve the right to react at a place and time we choose.” The military and Foreign Ministry in Israel, which has long accused Khartoum of serving as a base for militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, refused to comment… Evidence pointing to Israel was found among remnants of the explosives, he said.

Ahmadinejad prison visit vetoed again

The Gulf Times, Qatar - Iran’s judicial authorities have again denied a request by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Evin prison where his top media adviser is serving time, Iranian media reported yesterday, in another sign the president’s power is on the wane. Ahmadinejad’s request was seen as linked to the detention of his press adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr who was jailed for six months in September for publishing an article deemed offensive to public decency. The judiciary turned down his first request to visit on Sunday, saying it was not in Iran’s best interests for him to spend time on such a visit at a time when the country is facing an economic crisis. Ahmadinejad replied accusing the judiciary of unconstitutional conduct. “Taking into account the recent letter and circumstances, on no account will a visit to Evin prison be allowed without co-ordination,” Sadeq Larijani, the head of the judiciary, said yesterday, Iran’s student news agency reported. “The notion that the president has the right to supervise other powers (the judiciary) is completely false,” he said.

Curfew imposed in Indian city

Khaleej Times, UAE –  Police imposed a curfew Thursday after Hindu-Muslim clashes during the Indian festival season in the state of Uttar Pradesh, near where deadly religious riots flared 20 years ago. The curfew was clamped on parts of Faizabad city following communal violence over the immersion of Hindu idols in a river on Wednesday to mark the festival of Durga Puja. Officers used tear gas and fired live rounds in the air to control the fighting. At least nine people including one policeman were injured as vehicles were set alight and shops damaged. Faizabad is next to Ayodhya, home to the Babri mosque that was razed in 1992 by Hindu zealots. Subsequent riots killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, in some of the worst sectarian violence since Indian independence. “My government will hunt down people out to disrupt the communal harmony in the state,” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in the state capital Lucknow. At least 12 people have been killed in the last seven months in inter-religious violence in Uttar Pradesh, raising fears that tensions between Hindus and Muslims are increasing in the state.

UN ‘alarmed’ after new Myanmar unrest

Aljazeera, Qatar –  A new wave of sectarian unrest in western Myanmar has left at least 20 dead, officials say, sparking an exodus of “thousands” of people and prompting the UN to express its grave concern. Hundreds of homes were burnt on Thursday in the fresh outburst of unrest in Rakhine state, which was convulsed by Buddhist-Muslim clashes in June that tore apart communities and left tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingya languishing in basic camps. More than 100 people have now been killed in the state, according to the authorities, which have imposed emergency rule in the face of continued explosive tension in the region… The UN issued a statement saying it was “gravely concerned” about the resurgence in violence and called for calm in the region… About 75,000 people are estimated to still be displaced following the June unrest, and the UN expressed fears over large numbers of people fleeing to the “already overcrowded” camps near the state capital of Sittwe.

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