Thursday, May 07, 2015
Douglas Murray: The Cartoon Wars
Of course, this idea goes to one of the false presumptions of our time: that people on the political left are motivated by good intentions even when they do bad things, while people on the political right are motivated by bad intentions even when they do good things. So a cartoon promoted by Charlie Hebdo may be thought to be provocative in a constructive way, whereas one promoted by AFDI can only be thought if as being provocative in an unconstructive way. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, this is one of the main problems that underlies the reaction to the Texas attack.Michael Lumish: Say Hello to the Devil
Such a distinction is, needless to say, a colossal mistake. When people prefer to focus on the motives of the victims rather than on the motives of the attackers, they will ignore the single most important matter: that an art exhibition, or free speech, has been targeted. The rest is narcissism and slow-learning.
It does not matter if you are right wing or left wing. It does not matter if you are American, Danish, Dutch, Belgian or French, or whether you are from Texas or Copenhagen. These particularities may matter greatly and be endlessly interesting to people in the countries in question. But they matter not a jot to ISIS or their fellow-travellers. What these people are trying to do is to enforce Islamic blasphemy laws across the entire world.
That is all that matters. If we forget this or lose sight of it, not only will we lose free speech, we will lose, period.
If Pamela Geller is a racist I have yet to see the evidence. What I see is a much maligned woman standing up to the enemies of the Jewish people and to the enemies of the infidel west. What I also see are a whole bunch of moral cowards who defame this woman even as they turn a blind eye to the rise of political Islam throughout the Muslim Middle East.‘Draw Muhammad’ Winner on Growing Up in Islam and Defeating the Jihad
The rise of political Islam during the Obama administration may be the single most significant geo-political event in world history since the demise of the Soviet Union. The Muslim Middle East is moving from a period of secular-authoritarian nationalism, as exemplified by people such as Gamal Abdel Nasser, to a period of rising theocratic-authoritarianism in the name of Islam. This, it should be emphasized, is not an improvement. On the contrary. While Hosni Mubarack may have been a dictator he, at least, did not believe in some Allah-given right to slaughter Jews and he did not set himself up as an enemy of the United States and the west.
This is what the Muslim Brotherhood has done and it is precisely what Geller opposes.
Of course, it should be something that anyone who believes in secular democracy should oppose, but they don’t. Mainstream media throughout the United States and Europe largely pussy-foot around political Islam despite the fact that it represents everything that the secular west allegedly opposes. Devotees of political Islam (or “radical Islam” or “Islamism”) oppress women, hang Gay people from cranes, and promises the slaughter of the Jewish people and they do so in the name of Allah.
What’s not to like?
Ask Pamela Geller, she’ll have some words.
Breitbart News spoke with Bosch Fawstin, an accomplished artist, cartoonist, and anti-Jihad activist who won first prize at Sunday’s “Draw Muhammad” free speech event in Garland, Texas.
The event came under attack by AK47-weilding jihadists, who were neutralized by a police officer before they could commit mass murder against the free speech art display’s attendees.
Fawstin talked about his unique experience growing up in the Bronx as a Muslim, how his life changed after the 9/11 attacks, and he shared strategies to defeat the global jihadist movement. His artwork is featured throughout the interview.
Breitbart News: You won first prize at the Muhammad Cartoon Contest? What inspired your first-place artwork?
Bosch Fawstin: Quite simply, I wanted to do something different because I’ve been drawing Muhammad for a long time. Ever since the Danish cartoons, and after the Charlie Hebdo attack. Every time something horrific happens. If free speech was under assault, under siege, I drew Muhammad.
This drawing of Muhammad showed him threatening me. He says, angrily, ‘You Can’t Draw Me,” with a sword in his hand. I respond, ‘That’s Why I Draw You.’”
A Reset Button for Israel?
In the coming weeks, President Obama may announce his support for—or at least his non-objection to—a U.N. Security Council resolution defining the terms of a Palestinian state. This would represent an unprecedented break with Israel and mark the culmination of the Obama administration’s six years of confrontation with and animosity toward the Jewish state.Ramallah blasts new Netanyahu government as ‘against peace’
Yet President Obama’s campaign against Israel also provides an opening for those vying to be the next president to describe a pro-Israel agenda. Because American public opinion is solidly pro-Israel, the next president—Democrat or Republican—will be able to move quickly to repair much of the damage caused by the current administration. What kinds of initiatives should 2016 candidates who are friends of Israel consider making part of their foreign policy platforms?
The first thing the next president, Democrat or Republican, might consider doing is downgrading the peace process as the central feature of the U.S.-Israel relationship. On Inauguration Day 2017, the peace process will be more than 25 years old—with very little progress to show and in some cases, such as Gaza, with a situation much worse than before. The pursuit of Palestinian statehood over the past quarter-century has damaged U.S. credibility. It has committed our country to a diplomatic proceeding whose expectations have always been set too high, and in which corrupt and violent figures are promoted as peace partners while an ally is set up to play the role of scapegoat.
The new right-wing religious coalition government formed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be belligerent and will work against peace, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday.Palestinians push to put Israel on UN list of child abusers
The government “will be one of war which will be against peace and stability in our region,” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.
“This government will set its sights on killing, and reinforcing settlement activities,” he said of Israel’s ongoing construction on land the Palestinians want for a future state.
His remarks came after Netanyahu managed to hammer together a coalition just ahead of a midnight deadline, giving him a knife-edge majority of just one seat in parliament.
The Palestinian Authority is spearheading an effort to have Israel added to a UN list of human rights violators.Is Iran Really a Partner?
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, on May 1 sent Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter asking him to add Israel to the list of entities committing “grave violations against children.” The secretary-general releases the list in conjunction with his annual report on children and armed conflict.
In a report Tuesday, Middle East Eye, a news site, said Ban is due to release the report in the coming weeks. A petition led by Palestinian solidarity groups is due to arrive on Ban’s desk by Thursday.
Adding Israel to the list would put it in the company of the Taliban, Congolese militias that exploit child soldiers and the Islamic State jihadist group, or ISIS.
The international community is failing to respond to Iran's weapons and terrorism networks.Lifting Sanctions Will Pave Iran's Way to Regional Hegemony
In recent years, Iran's networks have been expanding significantly, most often with deadly results for the region.
While Iran's nuclear program is the focus of intense global attention, the international community frequently overlooks the sophisticated Iranian transnational weapons smuggling and terrorism networks, currently fueling wars and instability across the Middle East.
Weapons ships disguised as cargo vessels, Iranian airlines that carry arms, and ground convoys ferrying missiles, rockets, guns, and ammunition are all used to arm members of Iran's regional network.
The lack of attention to these acts of aggression is quite startling in light of the scope of destructive influence they have, not just for the Middle East, but for international security as a whole.
Today, it is possible to look at a number of battles raging in the region; what connects them to one another in this network more often than not is the spurring influence of Iran.
A strengthened Iranian economy in the wake of sanctions removal might carry very negative implications for the situation in the Middle East. While Iran continues to be a major sponsor of terrorism, it has been forced to reduce its assistance to terror groups throughout the Middle East because of economic constraints.How I learned to love the Iranian bomb
An improvement of Iran’s economic situation and increasing oil exports would bolster Iran’s political and military power in the region.
In the Middle East, three state blocks are currently competing for power: The Saudi-Egyptian axis, Turkey, and the Iranian Shiite axis. The Obama administration’s behavior is strengthening Iran – a grave policy blunder that could allow the country to more efficiently spread its revolutionary ideology. A nuclear deal and the end of sanctions would facilitate Iran’s power ambitions in the region.
Iran has an estimated GDP of $406 billion, which is the second largest in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 80 million people, making it the second-most populous country in the Middle East after Egypt.
Saudi Arabia, which has an extremely tense relationship with Iran, may face a challenging strategic outlook over the long-term. With the decline of U.S. dependence on Riyadh’s oil, Iran is well set to become the dominant regional power if a nuclear deal is reached and sanctions are removed.
Tehran's largest cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra, contains the graves of thousands of Iranians killed in battle. There's also a polished stone monument bearing this inscription: "To the memory of two Muslim Lebanese youths who on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 23, 1983, in two simultaneous martyrdom operations, with trucks carrying explosives, attacked the headquarters of American occupiers [in south Beirut] and headquarters of French occupiers [in west Beirut] killing 241 American marines and 48 French paratroopers. Their names we do not know, but we will continue their path."Iran Arrests Leading Rights Activist, One Week After FM Says No One Jailed for Opinions
We do know the name of the man who planned those mass murders, which were not against "occupiers," but against international peacekeepers working under U.N. auspices at the request of the Lebanese government. Imad Mughniyeh was a commander of Hezbollah, Iran's Lebanon-based terrorist proxy. Among other attacks for which he was responsible: the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and the prolonged torture and eventual murder of CIA Beirut station chief William Buckley.
In 2008, Mughniyeh was assassinated. Last year, Iran's foreign minister laid a wreath on Mughniyeh's grave in Beirut.
And recently New York University held an event titled: "A Conversation With His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran." What did he say in response to questions about the tribute he paid to Mughniyeh?
Not a word. No one thought to ask.
Narges Mohammadi, a leading Iranian human rights activist, was arrested on Tuesday. The arrest comes after Iran’s foreign minister and lead nuclear negotiator, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that “the Islamic Republic doesn’t imprison journalists or dissidents over their views” last week.Is there a deal with Iran on Stuxnet too?
The New York Times reported:
Ms. Mohammadi is one of the best-known activists remaining in Iran.
For more than a decade, Ms. Mohammadi, 43, has worked with the Defenders of Human Rights Center. The group was founded by Shirin Ebadi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Political pressure forced Ms. Ebadi to leave Iran, and she now lives in Switzerland.
This week, Ms. Mohammadi, 43, who has been sentenced to prison terms on multiple occasions for her human rights work, was scheduled to appear in court in connection with a new case filed against her by the Iranian authorities. A request for a delay in that case was denied, leaving her lawyer no time to study the charges against her, Baharnews reported.
In light of the malware attacks against their nuclear program, it seems extremely unlikely that Iranian negotiators would agree to a nuclear deal with the United States without reliable assurances that such attacks would stop. Did the US provide such assurances – even verbally – and did the US also provide assurances that it would use its technical assets to blunt similar Israeli attacks?Iran reportedly releases seized Maersk cargo ship
And what of an attack on Iran's nuclear sites by the Israeli air force? It seems extremely likely that between human intelligence assets in Israel and spy satellites and other "national technical means," the US would pick up telltale signs that Israel was preparing to launch an attack. Did the Iranians demand, and did the US offer assurances, that such an attack would be prevented by, for example, leaking the information to the media?
These are extremely important and sensitive questions, and it would be foolish to expect the administration to offer answers publicly. But behind closed doors one might expect the relevant committees in both the Senate and the House to insist that senior administration officials give full and forthright answers.
Iran has released the Maersk Tigris cargo vessel seized by its patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz last week over a business dispute, official media said Thursday.Eugene Kontorovich: Release of ship by Iran is really a ransom
“An informed source at the Ports and Maritime Organisation said the Maersk ship was free” to leave the country, the IRNA state news agency reported.
It gave no further details but said an official statement would be issued later on the vessel’s release.
Iran has said it seized the container ship because of a commercial dispute with Denmark’s Maersk group, which chartered the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel.
News reports suggest that Iran may release the Maersk Tigris, which it has held for a week, in a few days – upon receiving payment from Maersk, the vessel’s charterer. It appears Iran is essentially seizing vessels for ransom, or charging a selective toll on transit through international straits. (The crew has reportedly just been released, but the ship is still detained.)Iran’s Foreign Minister Takes in Gullible Media
Iran purports to have seized the vessel to satisfy a debt. As I’ve explained, this argument fails on its own. Moreover, fundamental rules of international law prohibit the arrest of vessels in transit for the debts incurred on prior transits or by other vessels. This is codified in Art. 20(2) of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to which Tehran is a party.
The Islamic Republic has no legal authority to seize the ship. Releasing it on payment of money is not piracy, because that can only committed by non-state actors, but it is definitely a shake-down, and an assertion of general sovereign rights over international shipping lanes. It is likely not the last such ransom Iran will demand.
The silence about Iran’s piracy is important as it goes to its overall trustworthiness. Earlier this week The Wall Street Journal published a poll saying that Americans favored a deal with Iran over continued sanctions (the administration’s way of framing the issue) by 54% to 37%. But what if the first half of the polling question had been along the lines of “would you prefer a deal with a nation that violates international law with impunity?” By not properly describing the nature of the Iranian regime, Americans can’t possibly make an informed choice in a poll.Kerry says US remains concerned about Iran's destabilizing actions in region
But the problem is deeper than Americans perceptions of Iran. If Iran doesn’t abide by international conventions (even as it seeks to cloak its actions in home highly selective and subjective definition of the rule of law) how can we expect it to keep its word on a future nuclear deal? That’s the question the administration doesn’t want to address and that’s the question that most of media chooses to ignore.
One other thing that’s important to remember is that Zarif (and President Hassan Rouhani) are often portrayed as moderates struggling against hardliners. Zarif’s endorsement of piracy is a reminder that he, too, is hardliner. Or as Victor Davis Hanson calls him, the Westernized Anti-Westerner.
Saudi Arabia proposed a five-day humanitarian truce in Yemen on Thursday after weeks of airstrikes and fighting, but said a ceasefire depended on the Houthi militia and its allies also agreeing to lay down arms, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said.Israeli hiker killed in Nepal quake laid to rest
US Secretary of State John Kerry, addressing a news conference alongside Jubeir in Riyadh, welcomed the proposal and added that neither Saudi Arabia nor the United States was talking about sending ground troops into Yemen.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed in air raids and fighting since a Saudi-led coalition began strikes against the Houthis on March 26, aimed at pushing the Iranian-allied militia back from captured areas and restoring President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.
Kerry added that he was "very, very concerned" by Iranian activities in Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere.
Or Asraf, the Israeli backpacker killed in the earthquake in Nepal last month, was laid to rest in his hometown of Lehavim in the Negev Wednesday afternoon.Expert: Oil Industry Has Solutions for Israel's Tunnel Problem
Thousands attended the funeral of the only Israeli casualty of the massive earthquake that devastated the Himalayan nation and killed more than 7,600.
“You’re probably in heaven now hugging Yuvi and Yifrach (Yuval Dagan and Tal Yifrach were soldiers in Or’s IDF unit who were killed in last year’s war in Gaza), so no matter what — you’ll never be alone,” one soldier from Asraf’s elite Egoz unit said at the funeral, according to Ynet.
Asraf, who was injured in the war, was hiking in the Langtang area north of the capital, Kathmandu, when the quake struck.
Members of the relief team that recovered Asraf’s remains on Sunday included nine of his comrades from Egoz. They carried his body across dangerous terrain, hit hard by the earthquake, to the nearest village on Sunday night.
“The journey’s over, you’re finally home, but how do you fold up 22 years of life into a coffin?” Asraf’s father, Patrick, said in his eulogy.
Speaking Wednesday at an army gathering discussing military defense techniques, Langosky, a winner of the Israel Prize, said that terrorists relied on the “tunnel option” as their ace in the hole against Israel, because they know the country has been unable to prevent their use. “The terrorists continue to dig tunnels in Gaza and Lebanon. Ten years ago, I told Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who was then Northern IDF Commander, that Hezbollah was already digging tunnels," he said.IDF to follow up on claims of Gaza tunnel under kibbutz
“The greatest danger of these tunnels is if a terror group would seize an area, especially one important for national defense,” said Langosky. “It would be easy for them to kidnap soldiers or civilians from sensitive sites.”
Can the problem be solved? Yes, said Langosky – but the IDF and defense establishment are going to have to do some rethinking. “The key element is to identify tunnels, and there are technologies to do this in use in the oil industry. Tunnel digging creates seismic signals, and there are solutions to detecting these, even deep underground, that have been in use for more than a decade. With a network of sensors near the border, it would be possible to cover the entire area and get alerts on digging activity,” he said.
Langosky said that he and others have been trying to warn the IDF about the dangers – and suggest solutions - for at least a decade. In a sharp debate that followed, Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Naveh said that it was unfair for him to make those accusations without an authorized individual from the IDF who was familiar with the matter present.
Amid reports that Hamas has been rebuilding its subterranean infrastructure, the IDF will investigate a possible attack tunnel running below a Gaza border town, following up on ongoing complaints by residents of Kibbutz Nirim that they have been hearing underground construction noises.Israel holds naval drill with US, Greece
A resident of the Israeli border community with the Gaza Strip decided to turn to a private company to evaluate the site, and it concluded that a tunnel was indeed being constructed underground, prompting the army inquiry, Channel 10 reported Wednesday.
The inquiry comes amid sustained efforts by Hamas to rebuild its offensive capabilities against Israel, including the conscription of new fighters, rehabilitating its cross-border attack tunnels and restocking its rocket arsenal with longer-distance rockets.
“A number of side entrances to a tunnel were identified with 70 percent certainty. The tunnel route was mapped out and marked with geo-physical means,” the private report stated. “The findings support the residents’ claims.”
The Israel Navy took part in a trilateral exercise with the US and Greek navies this week.Report: Hamas Set to Conduct Paragliding Attacks Against Israel
The exercise, the largest of its kind, dubbed Noble Dina, involved air-sea maneuvers and the use of a variety of naval vessels. It began on April 27 and will reach its conclusion on May 14, the IDF Spokesman’s Office said.
Three Israeli missile ships – the INS Lahav, a Sa’ar-class ship, and the INS Keshet and the INS Romah, both Sa’ar-4.5 class missile ships – took part.
Israeli dolphin submarines and a naval helicopter also took part.
“On April 29 navy forces reached the Greek island of Crete and held combat exercises as well as technical anti-submarine warfare drills,” the IDF stated.
Hamas is developing an air attack capability – by recruiting Palestinian students in Malaysia to carry out attacks on Israel using paragliding equipment, a report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The report reveals two incidents in which Hamas was found to be conducting training of Palestinian students for such attacks in that country.Khaled Abu Toameh: Hamas arrests dozens of Islamic State supporters
In a recent indictment against a terrorist from Hevron, Wasim Kawasme, it was revealed that he was recruited with other students from Judea and Samaria to train for such attacks. Kawasme was arrested in the Khan Yunis area, arrested for terror activity after he was involved in terrorist attacks on behalf of Hamas. He admitted under questioning that he had undergone air attack training in Malaysia, as part of a group of ten terrorists.
Security officials say that Hamas is apparently operating under the radar in Malaysia, away from the eyes of authorities. The terror group is apparently operating under the guise of “social” and “educational” organizations in Malaysia. Many of the groups are being operated by Hamas terrorists, investigators learned from their questioning of Kawasme. At least forty students have been recruited in this manner.
Hamas has arrested dozens of Salafi-jihadists who are affiliated with Islamic State, sources in the Gaza Strip said. They said the arrests came following a series of bombings, which were reportedly carried out by the Salafi-jihadists in recent weeks.US may sell Saudis bombs once only offered to Israel — report
Earlier this week, Hamas demolished a mosque frequented by Islamic State supporters in Deir el-Balah.
Hamas said that the mosque was a tent, and not a concrete structure, that was used by the extremists as a meeting venue.
Islamic State supporters have accused Hamas of waging a massive crackdown on their men. They issued a warning to Hamas to release the arrested men within 72 hours or face the repercussions of its actions.
The Salafi-jihadists also issued a warning to several top Hamas security officials in the Gaza Strip who are responsible for the crackdown.
Amid American efforts to allay Sunni Arab concerns over the nuclear deal with Iran, officials are reportedly considering selling Saudi Arabia bunker buster bombs, which are currently only offered to IsraelLebanese Writer Criticizes Houthis' Persecution Of Yemeni Jews, Calls On Hizbullah Leader Nasrallah To Condemn It
American officials said privately this week that the Obama administration is considering selling GBU-28 bunker buster bombs to the Gulf monarchy, the Washington Times reported this week.
Talks for the sale are taking place in secret, since according to a 2008 congressional mandate, the US must ensure Israel’s military superiority in the Middle East. But the American administration is also anxious to reassure its Sunni allies in the region that it is not abandoning them.
In addition to the sale of bunker buster bombs to Saudi Arabia, the US is also considering selling F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, according to a recent report.
Analysts say the weapons sales could erode Israel’s military edge in the region.
In an April 20, 2015 article in the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal, writer Wissam Sa'ade criticized the persecution of Jews in Yemen by the Houthis. Noting the January 2007 expulsion of 45 Yemeni Jews from the Houthi stronghold of Al-Salem and another expulsion of Jews, in July 2014, from the town of Raydah in the 'Amran governorate, Sa'ade said that the Houthis were bullying a small group of impoverished rural Jews in the name of their war against Israel and Zionism and under their motto "death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews, and victory for Islam."Hezbollah Under Pressure After Facing Losses in Syria, Opposition in Lebanon
Sa'ade also criticized Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, a supporter of the Houthis who considers them part of the resistance axis, and called on him to have the courage to distance himself from these Houthi acts and to condemn the Houthis for persecuting Yemen's Jews.
"When Mr. Hassan Nasrallah deals with Yemen, he presents Ansar Allah [i.e. the Houthis] as one of the movements fighting Israel in this [Arab] East. But which Israel is this group fighting against?
"This is not the Israel that was established imperialistically on the land of Palestine. This is a different kind of Israel, with but a few hundred residents; unlike the Zionist state, it and its citizens have lived in the mountains [of Yemen] for centuries. [This Israel] has neither nuclear weapons nor Merkava [tanks]. Most of its residents have never been on an airplane, and most are members of the same clan.
According to the latest reports from officials in Syria, in the last few days Hezbollah lost four senior commanders in the field, among them Hezbollah’s Qalamoun regional commander, Ali Khalil Alian, whose death was first reported by Arab media on Tuesday.Carter: Syria Safe Zone Would Require 'Combat Mission'
Today, three other senior commanders were added to the list of Hezbollah’s losses, according to reports cited by Israel’s NRG news. They were: Tawfiq Al-Najjar, Hassan Adnan Al-Asi and Hussein Luweis.
Media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah denied that the Shia organization was taken by surprise, claiming Hezbollah was able to successfully turn the tables on the Nusra Front and its allies.
In addition to the hardships on the battlefield, criticism of Hezbollah has been mounting inside Lebanon, mainly due to a persistent campaign launched by Hariri, one of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s staunchest opponents in the country.
Hariri has repeatedly claimed that Hezbollah’s actions endanger Lebanese security and threaten the country’s borders.
Hezbollah has also been confronting a relatively new phenomenon: strident criticism from its Shia base. Many Shia families see the war in Syria as a war that is not theirs and have criticized Hezbollah for sending their sons into battle.
Turkey has long called for a safe area to be set up along the Syrian-Turkish border to protect civilians but President Barack Obama's administration has yet to endorse the idea.Syria Is Using Chemical Weapons Again, Rescue Workers Say
[Defense Secretary Ashton] Carter emphasized the challenges involved in establishing a buffer zone, and warned that other regional governments might not be ready to contribute to the effort.
"We would need to fight to create such a space and then fight to keep such a space and that's why it's a difficult thing to contemplate," Carter told members of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.
Carter was asked about the option by Senator Dick Durbin, one of four senators to send a recent letter to Obama calling for setting up a safe area in Syria.
"Though this may not be a genocide by classic legal definition, it is the humanitarian crisis of our time ... with no end in sight," Durbin was quoted by AFP as having said.
Carter said such a safe zone would be "contested" by the Islamic State (ISIS) group and other extremists on the one hand and the Syrian regime's forces on the other.
The "practicalities" would be "significant," he said.
Eyes watering, struggling to breathe, Abd al-Mouin, 22, dragged his nephews from a house reeking of noxious fumes, then briefly blacked out. Even fresh air, he recalled, was “burning my lungs.”US to UN: Investigate Syrian Chemical Weapons Use
The chaos unfolded in the Syrian town of Sarmeen one night this spring as walkie-talkies warned of helicopters flying from a nearby army base, a signal for residents to take cover. Soon, residents said, there were sounds of aircraft, a smell of bleach and gasping victims streaming to a clinic.
Continue reading the main story
Two years after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, there is mounting evidence that his government is flouting international law to drop jerry-built chlorine bombs on insurgent-held areas. Lately, the pace of the bombardments in contested areas like Idlib Province has picked up, rescue workers say, as government forces have faced new threats from insurgents. The Assad government has so far evaded more formal scrutiny because of political, legal and technical obstacles to assigning blame for the attacks — a situation that feels surreal to many Syrians under the bombs, who say it is patently clear the government drops them.
The United States wants the UN Security Council to set up an investigation on the use of chemical weapons in Syria following reports of chlorine gas attacks, diplomats said Wednesday.Students Gather Packages for Christian Refugees Fleeing ISIS
The investigation would be carried out by a team of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and tasked with establishing who is to blame for the attacks.
"There is mounting evidence of repeated use of chlorine" in Syria, a Security Council diplomat said.
"There is a proposal for a mechanism which would allow relevant experts to have the right kind of access to answer the questions about attribution," said the diplomat.
The United States is taking the lead for the proposal that is set to be discussed at the Security Council on Thursday, according to AFP.
Western diplomats are in contact with Russia, Syria's ally, to discuss whether Moscow would be prepared to support a draft resolution setting up the UN investigation.
The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum led by Father Gabriel Nadaf, the Im Tirtzu movement, and Rescuers Without Borders traveled across Israel and visited several college campuses this week to assist Christian refugees fleeing Islamic State (ISIS).
"It is a dark time in the Middle East, and my heart goes out to the countless victims of our time," Nadaf stated. "Extreme Islamist ideology has taken hold in the Middle East and is their mission to destroy our Christian history, culture and identity."
"Many Christian brethren are with the Lord now, and the others have fled their homes," he continued. "The rest of us pray."
Nadaf announced the project's name as "The Emergency Mission for Christians in the Middle East," with the aim to "provide immediate aid to persecuted and victimized Christians across the Middle East."
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