This is a humble appeal I am making to your Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena, and The Hon. Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of the republic of Sri Lanka

(Lanka-e-News -30.Jan.2015, 11.55PM) 

2015-01-30

This is a humble appeal I am making to your Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena, and The Hon. Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of the republic of Sri Lanka

Dear Sir,

It is four years ago today ( 2011-01-30) ,the Lanka e news website portal and its most precious library were set on fire thus reducing the entire building and all that were in it to ashes. It is four long years since the website portal was totally destroyed . We therefore urge your esteemed selves to arrange for a proper investigation into this crime , nab the true culprits , and grant us an adequate compensation.

Four years ago today , on January 30 th , early morning , our news website office situated at Daham mawatha , Malabe , Colombo district where we carried on our news website was set on fire , and razed to the ground.

During the era when there weren’t exact Sinhala letters pertaining to the internet it was we who produced them and distributed free to the people while launching the first on line news website , ‘Lanka e news’ on 4 th February 2005, the day Sri Lanka received its independence ; and by the time it was destroyed completely on 30 th January 2011 , it had flourished so much so that it was posting news in all three languages , Sinhala, Tamil and English. During that time the number of permanent employees was 12, while there were three employees on contractual basis.

It is a well and widely known fact that our news website office fell victim to this disaster because , we always followed a steadfast fearless and forthright policy ,frankly exposing the truths against the obnoxious reign of Mahinda Rajapakse. Our website also openly supported common opposition Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka in his campaign during the Presidential election 2010.

Following the Presidential elections on 26 th January 2010, due to the unrelenting threats and intimidations we had to face , the founder and owner of the website and Editor , that is myself had to flee the country out of fear for my life. A free lance journalist of Lanka e news , Prageeth Ekneliyagoda was abducted and went missing.

At the time the office was burnt down , there were over 3000 valuable books , in the library. It was a most valuable library comprising books which were gathered from editors who are now long dead. It also contained invaluable books , magazines, DVD cinema and music CDs , stored computer data and equipments, very expensive cameras, recording equipments, digital video editing equipments , Photocopy , Fax machines and office equipments . Every one of these items was reduced to ashes.

The building including the roof were fully damaged. At the time this tragedy struck , our monthly earning from the website was Rs. 500,000.00. We were deprived of all this , when on top of this devastation , a ban was officially imposed on our website.

It is without any trace of doubt I say , it was the Mahinda Rajapakse government that was fully responsible and accountable for it. The police instead of apprehending the culprits , it arrested two members of the flotsam and jetsam of society , and claimed they were the culprits. Ultimately they were released.

Even though four years have elapsed , no case had been filed regarding this well planned arson that was committed .

In the circumstances , we appeal to your good selves to kindly look into our woes and dire plight which is the direct result of the ruthless diabolic arson committed on the Lanka e news website when it was being run duly and legally in this country, with a view to granting us adequate compensation after computing the losses due to the damage caused ,including the income we were deprived of during the period the ban on the website was in force. We also hope under the salutary good governance policy of your government , the true culprits too will be apprehended and duly punished.

Yours truly ,

Sandaruwan Senadheera

Editor and owner of Lanka e News
From London
sandaruwans@gmail.com

How Rajapaksas misused super luxury CHOGM buses

 Saturday, 31 January 2015 

Misuse of luxury buses by the Rajapaksa administration during the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in Colombo in November 2013 has come under investigation by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The luxury buses had been acquired by MP Namal Rajapaksa, for Minister Sajin Vaas Gunawardena and the former Chief Minister of the Uva Province Sachinda Rajapaksa and given on lease by the Lanka Ashok Leyland Company.

As much as Rs.900,000 a month was paid for the buses and the Foreign Affairs Ministry had paid a whopping Rs.25 million and it is not known for what purpose the two buses were used.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera ordered the investigation after the two buses were brought and parked at the Ministry premises without anyone's knowledge.

Further inquiries will be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department in consultation with the secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, a spokesman said.

A special feature of these two luxury buses is that they are highly advanced in transport and passenger comfort which other luxury buses don't have.

Below are pictures of former Uva Chief Minister Shashinda Rajapaksa travelling in one of the luxury buses.

- SLM -

Finding Lasantha’s Killers: ‘Question Mahinda Rajapaksa First’ Says Lasantha’s Brother Lal

January 31, 2015

Casting doubts on the government’s pledge of delivering justice to the unresolved murders of several journalists, a fresh investigation into the assassination of Sunday Leader Founder/Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickramatunge has not yet begun despite a clear pointer being available on where to begin the probe.

As Colombo Telegeraph reported in 2013, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had on three occassions divulged the involvement of former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka in the killing to Lasantha’s brother- Lal Wickrematunge – a fact which was also conveyed to former Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay by the Colombo Telegraph Editor in London.

When Colombo Telegraph inquired, Lal said the first time Mahinda Rajapaksa referred to Fonseka’s hand in Lasantha’s killing was over the phone, after he had attended a felicitation at the Galadari Hotel upon declaring Fonseka’s intention to contest at the Presidential elections.

“This felicitation also honoured three lawyers who died during that time and the three pictures were on the podium. Gen. Fonseka garlanded Lasantha’s picture and bent down and clasped his hands together in reverence and this picture was carried in the print media. President Rajapaksa called me in office and said ‘Eya danagahala wendala paw samawa gaththa eka hondai’ ( its good that he got down on his knees and asked for forgiveness),” Lal said adding that the other two times this fact was stated was when he mentioned it to him personally.

Lal says its mysterious as to why President Rajapaksa who was also the Defence Minister during his tenure, did not take measures to enforce the law with regard to the information he claimed to have possessed.

“I mentioned this during the vigil held to mark Lasantha’s fifth death anniversary and it was covered by the BBC Sinhala. They had questioned Gen Fonseka on it but he had denied it, claiming it was the former President Rajapaksa who was responsible for Lasantha’s death,” Lal said.

But prior to this statement, when Lal questioned Gen.Fonseka on who he believes killed Lasantha, he had said that it was drug dealers who were masquerading as politicians.

“I am unable to speak on the truth and wherefores of this but since a fresh investigation has been promised by this government, these facts maybe a place to start,” Lal says.

“The obvious thing to get to the bottom of this investigation is to start by questioning and recording former President Mahinda Rajapaksas’s statement. And if the investigators summoned me, I’m prepared to place further information which would be of use to them.” Lal further said.

Sripavan takes office

Justice K. Sripavan took oaths as the 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday -

By Dharisha Bastians-January 31, 2015

• Following judicial ‘reset’, country’s most senior judge entrusted to lead Supreme Court
• President’s Office calls Sripavan 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
• Controversial Mohan Pieris’ tenure erased from judicial history

Kanagasabapathy Sripavan, the country’s most senior Judge was sworn in as the 44th legitimate Chief Justice of the Republic yesterday, marking the end of a two year drama in the Supreme Court.
Justice Sripavan, 62, took oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena last evening, the Presidential Media Unit said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse were present at the swearing in at President’s House yesterday. Justice Sripavan’s family members were also present during the small oath-taking ceremony.
Justice Sripavan had been appointed “44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka,” the Presidential Media Unit said.
The recognition of Justice Sripavan as Chief Justice No. 44, following Chief Justice Bandaranayake who was No. 43, the Government appeared to have erased the memory of controversially appointed Chief Justice Mohan Pieris from the annals of Sri Lankan judicial history.
Chief Justice Sripavan administered the oath of office to President Sirisena on 9 January at Independence Square, after his campaign overlooked Chief Justice Mohan Pieris to preside over the important swearing in ceremony.
The new appointment comes two days after President Sirisena pressed reset on a two year impeachment saga, dramatically reinstating Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to office on Wednesday (29) based on a procedural point of the law pertaining to her sacking in 2013.
President Sirisena revoked Mohan Pieris’ appointment to the office on the basis that Bandaranayake’s removal was unlawful, and there had been no vacancy created for the position. Bandaranayake was also sent a letter, requesting her to resume duties at the Supreme Court.
After serving 24 hours back at the helm of the Supreme Court, Bandaranayake (58) retired from office on Thursday, with eight years left to serve.
The new Chief Justice entered the Bar in 1976 and joined the Attorney General’s Department in 1978. A student of Jaffna Hindu College, Justice Sripavan was appointed Deputy Solicitor General in 1996. After a 24 year career in the law, he was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Sripavan became the President of the Court of Appeal in 2007 and ascended the bench of the Supreme Court in 2008. In 2013, Justice Sripavan was sworn in as Acting Chief Justice for a brief period.
Chief Justice Sripavan becomes the third ethnic Tamil to ascend the office, following Suppiah Sharvanandan (1984-1988) and Herbert Thambaiah (1991) both of whom also hailed from the Northern Province.

Pix by Sudath Silva

Judges of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Take their Oath before the President

Former Court of Appeal Judge Anil Gooneratne was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court yesterday and was sworn in by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Justice Gooneratne served on the Court of Appeal bench that quashed the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake in 2013. The ruling angered the former ruling administration which deprived Justice Gooneratne of a promotion to the Supreme Court.
High Court Judge Lakshman Tikiri Bandara Dehideniya was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal, filling the vacancy created.

Finance Minister Ravi K’s Money Laundering Case Postponed

January 30, 2015 

The Colombo High Court yesterday postponed the case against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake who has been charged with allegedly facilitating money laundering, for March 4.

The case as postponed by High Court Judge Devika de Livera Tennakoon when Defence Counsel Reinzie Arsekualaratne informed the judge that Minister Karunanayake was unable to be present before the Courts yesterday as he was due to present the 2015 interim budget before the parliament.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake

As there was no objection from the prosecution, the case was postponed to March 4.

The Attorney General indicted Nexia Corporation, Linton Sirisoma and Karunanayake for allegedly facilitating money laundering in violation of Central bank regulations and the Exchange Control Act by depositing Rs. 390 million in a Standard Chartered bank account, which had been later used to purchase shares of the Union Bank. The transfer had been made by Sri Lankan American billionaire and hedge fund dealer Raj Rajarathnam.

During the hearings it was alleged that Karunanayake was directly involved in the fraud and that he intervened to collect the funds once the money was deposited in Sri Lanka.

“Exchange Control is the function of the Central Bank. The Central Bank is governed by the Monetary Board. The Secretary/Finance (Treasury) is a member of the Monetary Board. The Minister of Finance is the Boss of the Secretary/Finance. How nice to have a person charged with Exchange Control crimes as Finance Minister” a good governance activist told Colombo Telegraph.

Responding to the question above a retired secretary to the finance ministry said; “The Exchange Control offence as far as I am aware from a reading of the newspapers is a technical offence, namely the failure to inform the Exchange Controller of an inward remittance of foreign exchange. Actually Exchange control is generally reserved for outward payments and not for inward remittances since the rationale for Exchange Control is to control outward payments which can worsen the balance of payments. After the Money Laundering Act was passed the rationale for reporting of inward remittances above the threshold fixed by the Controller is to control money laundering and terrorist financing. So if the case falls under one of these two there would be a serious situation even if the case is pending and not proved. But if the case is merely for the failure to report to the Controller I think it is a technical offence.”

“The remittance came through the banking system and all such remittances are reported by the banks to the Central Bank in any case. While a departmental inquiry under the Exchange Control Act may have been necessary I am not sure whether it warranted a criminal case to be instituted. Of course I don’t know all the facts and would not want to comment since the matter is sub judice.”

“The late N.U Jayawardene would lament that the biggest mistake he made in his public office was to pass the Exchange Control Act. Exchange Control was introduced by the British colonial ruler to prevent enemy forces undermining Sterling since the British Government was no in a position to convert the pound sterling during the war and even for several years afterwards. There was the Sterling Assets Agreements with the colonies.

“With the end of the war the Defence Regulations lapsed and with it Exchange Control. There was no rationale for retaining Exchange Control as the county did not face any balance of payments problems then. NUJ lamented because he reproduced the Exchange Control Defence Regulations which included inward as well as outward remittances. The new Minister should review this outdated law and amend it suitably if he wants to attract foreign investment to the country. Of course being heavily indebted to foreign bankers and to China the country now needs all inward remittances to be able to repay the foreign debt as it falls due.” he further said.

High Noon at Hulftsdorp, quiet Gazette Notification for Central Bank

by Rajan Philips-January 31, 2015

"We cannot rewrite history, but we can right history," said Justice John C. Hayes III last week in a South Carolina Court in the US, while retroactively vacating the guilty verdicts against nine African Americans for sitting at an all-white lunch counter in a popular restaurant in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on January 31, 1961. They were 18-year-old high school students then and went to jail, refusing bail, and inspiring other Civil Rights activists of that era. Now in their seventies they had to wait for 54 years to have history righted. By that standard, the righting of judicial history in Sri Lanka took just two years to be accomplished. Even two months ago, no one could have imagined such a swift reversal of the vulgar and highhanded impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake in January 2013. What took place on Wednesday and Thursday was a necessary course correction, which necessarily took an unusual detour.

Mohan Pieris, the hitherto ‘de facto’ Chief Justice, was sent home packing on the technicality that he had been appointed to a non-vacant position by virtue of the procedural flaw in the then government’s impeachment resolution. In other words, the Rajapaksa government had not technically impeached the Chief Justice, even though it crowed it did so disregarding procedural objections, and bullied Dr. Bandaranayake to vacate her office and her official residence. Quite properly, the ‘de jure’ Chief Justice returned to the Supreme Court just for one day and retired, enabling the government to appoint Justice K. Sripavan as the new Chief Justice. History has been righted. The proposed constitutional changes should make sure that the judiciary is never again monkeyed with by the Head of State and/or Head of Government, as it has been since 1978.

The High Noon drama could have been avoided if Mohan Pieris had gracefully walked away from a position that he had disgracefully come to occupy. Pieris should have vacated his position just as the Governor of the Central Bank and the Secretaries to the Ministries of Defence and Finance vacated theirs after the January 8 election. He should have known that the reinstatement of Shirani Bandaranayake was an undertaking in the opposition manifesto (Paragraph #94) at the election, and he dug his hole deeper by attending a controversial meeting at Temple Trees with the outgoing president in the wee hours of January 9 morning, while vote counting was still going on. What additional signal did he need after the mighty national snub of not being called upon to deliver the oath of office to the newly elected President? He had the gall to ask for a diplomatic posting, but got clever by half and did not take it when he was offered one. In the end, he had no place left to go except his private home.

He is the master of his own misfortune, but as a Catholic he should know there is still life after trespasses both in this world and the next. He could use the upcoming Lent Season for a religious retreat, sing ‘God of Mercy and Compassion’ in atonement, rediscover his moral moorings in the Bible, and start bandying the message of his reformation to others as Felix Dias did after 1977.

That said, the government could have managed the inevitable surgery at the apex of the judiciary with some solemnity and earnestness through timely statements in parliament. The back and forth in the media between Pieris and government ministers was not an edifying instance of good governance. Parliament and not media scrums should be the first and the main forum for messaging. The general media can and will broadcast what transpires in parliament, but there is no point in persisting with the parody of cabinet briefings bypassing parliament that became a feature during the Old Regime. Nor is it necessary for cabinet ministers to offer broadsides on matters way outside their portfolios. They should be disciplined to mind and speak to their portfolios and files only.

Unlike the High Noon at Hultsdorp, the Central Bank came in for a quiet reallocation from the responsibilities of the Finance Minister to those of the Prime Minister, by way of a gazette notification. This is a significant departure from normal practice which should have warranted a statement by the Prime Minister in parliament. Not surprisingly, no one in parliament raised any concern about this. The matter has received some publicity thanks to Dr. WA Wijeywardena, a former Central Bank Deputy Governor, writing about it in one of his weekly articles. While calling the move "legally and operationally unworkable", Dr. Wijewardena, to my mind, is being charitable in also arguing that the new move could be "a step toward the bank’s independence." He does not give much credence to the litigation involving the new Finance Minister and the Central Bank’s implication in it, as being a plausible reason for listing the Central Bank under the Prime Minister instead of the Finance Minister. But no one knows the government’s real reason for this departure from normal practice, and the Prime Minister and the government have not helped the cause of good governance by doing things opaquely by gazette notification without a transparent explanation in parliament.

It was apparent during the election campaign that the topic of good governance was not just a Colombo fad, but one that resonated well in the villages and outstations. When people outside Colombo began using expressions like yahapalanaya, they were not parroting in the vernacular what the Colombo elites are accused of picking up from UN texts and Wikipedia accounts about good governance, but were giving verbal expression to their experience of bad governance under the Old Regime. The people do not know the text book attributes of good governance but they sure know what they want from a new government after experiencing under the Old Regime everything they do not want to see in any government. Needless to say, most of what the Old Regime did was in contravention of the norms of good governance, and while exposing the misdoings of the Old Regime the new administration must also demonstrate how it is doing things differently. At Hultsdorp, the government did what it had to do. In regard to the Central Bank, the government owes an explanation to parliament and through it to the people.

Mohan Peiris says his removal as CJ was ‘unlawful’

Mohan Peiris says that he has not retired, resigned or vacated the office of Chief Justice and that, however, due to exertions by external forces he has been displaced from office through an “unconstitutional process.”

January 31, 2015 

Statement issued by Mohan Peiris

Mahindananda’s era of mirth and merriment ends; Transport Director of ex President’s secretariat also served with same order

(Lanka-e-News- 27.Jan.2015, 11.45PM) When bribery and corruption charges against former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamamage involving a sum of Rs. 14 million rupees that was suppressed hitherto was taken up again by the commission inquiring into bribery and corruption , it was decided by the commission that the passport of ex minister shall be impounded ,in order to temporarily prevent him from fleeing from the country.

It is worthy of note though the JVP filed action against the ex minister long ago, the notorious Rajapakses who are a byword for corruption and monumental frauds suppressed the investigation.

The corrupt regime , in order to get all its foul and filthy work done to the regime’s advantage during the period of the elections appointed a most incompetent Ganesh Dharmawardena as the Director general in place of former Directress general of the commission Ms.Lakshmi Jayawickrema after having her removed earlier on.

Ganesh is an ordinary junior lawyer and has not been associated with the government service . He became notorious when he took under his custody the file of Aluthgamage while there were glaring monumental charges of bribery against Aluthgamage , and suppressed the investigations.

On top of this , when an inland revenue officer who was a relative (brother) of ex President was caught red handed by the officers of the commission while accepting a bribe of Rs. 400,000 .00 in cash , the Chairman and Director general of the commission together suppressed the inquiries. Now , it has become imperative that this file is investigated.

Meanwhile , the Fort magistrate ,Colombo , Thilina Gamage gave an order yesterday (26) to impound the passport of Keerthi Samarasinghe who was the transport Director attached to the Presidential secretariat during the corrupt Rajapakse era, while directing the Immigration and emigration department to bar his foreign travel.

This order was given by court following the CID informing court that the on going investigations will be hampered if Keerthi Samarasinghe leaves the country.

---------------------------
by     (2015-01-28 01:37:49)

Over Rs. 700 million spent by Rajapaksa government for a bid

Saturday, 31 January 2015 
Details of the massive wastage of public funds by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa government are now being exposed.

Among the many incidents of such wastage of public funds is the wasting of over Rs. 700 million on a bid that Sri Lanka actually lost.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said during the budget speech that over Rs.760 million of public money was wastefully spent on the unsuccessful presentation of the Commonwealth Games bid by the former regime.

Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivad Cabraal was the co-chairman of the Hambantota 2018 bid.

Cabraal travelled to St Kitts together with a 160 strong delegation that included co-chairman Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa, provincial councilor Anarkali Akarsha and former national cricketers Muttiah Muralitharan and Aravinda de Silva among others.

The failed Commonwealth Games bid is just one in many instances wear the public has had to bear the lavishness of the former regime.

Does One Violate Buddha’s Teaching By Worshiping Objects?

By Kapila Abhayawansa -January 30, 2015

Prof Kapila Abhayawansa

I have read the article entitled “The President’s Faux Pas” written bySharmini Serasinghe in Colombo Telegraph dated 27^th January. Referring to President’s homage to Bo tree, she observes: “, it is with deep despair, that I as a Buddhist noted, you President Maitripala Sirisena paying homage to a Bo tree, even though it is venerated by a majority of the Buddhist populace of this country. Furthermore, by paying homage to a Bo tree, you Mr. President are also openly violating the teachings of the Buddha, who denounced the worship of objects!”.

In my opinion, the President is not the one who violated the teachings of the Buddha by paying homage to Bo tree but Sharmini Serasinghe by saying that the Buddha denounced the worship of objects.

As the above mentioned statement of Sharmini leads to misinterpretation of the teachings of the Buddha I would like to make the following remarks:

In fact, the Buddha never denounced the worship of sacred objects as a mark of respect. What the Buddha denounced was the homage of object as a path to liberation. It is explicitly pointed out by the Buddha in the verses 188 to 192 of the Dhammapada.

Read More

Into The Jungle With Sri Lanka’s Last Hunter-Gatherers

A trip into the jungle with members of one of Sri Lanka’s oldest tribes reveals a way of life both richly entwined with nature, yet ever more precarious.

Tom Sykes -01.31.15

Over two thousand years ago, a lion made love to a beautiful woman in India, and their son, Sinhabahu, was born with lion paws for hands and feet. Sinhabahu in turn had a son called Vijaya, who became the first, legendary king of Sri Lanka (the people call themselves Sinhalase—meaning ‘lion people’) after he and 700 followers arrived on the tropical island, off India’s South East coast, some time around 500BC.

Into The Jungle With Sri Lanka’s Last Hunter-Gatherers.odt by Thavam Ratna

Bangladesh plastics factory fire kills at least 13 people

Scores were injured and more people may have died at Nasim Plastic House in a crowded market in the suburb of Mirpur, police official says

 Firefighters and locals try to douse the fire at a plastic factory in Mirpur. Photograph: Suvra Kanti Das/ Suvra Kanti Das/ZUMA Press/Corbis

Saturday 31 January 2015 

At least 13 people including two women were killed when a fire swept through a plastics factory in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Saturday.

Scores were injured and more people may have died at Nasim Plastic House in a crowded market in the suburb of Mirpur, a police official said.

“We are searching under a collapsed wall ... There might be more bodies under the debris,” fire service and civil defence director AKM Shakil Newaz said.

Fire department control official Mohammed Farhaduzzaman said the fire broke out Saturday evening at the five-storey factory.

He said 13 bodies were recovered from the gutted building and three people were hospitalized with burn injuries.

About 70 workers were inside the factory when the blaze broke out, said police.

The issue of safety in Bangladeshi factories was thrust into the spotlight by the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in April 2013, which killed more than 1,100 garment workers.

Yazidis battling ISIS appeal Israel and Netanyahu for help

Iraqi minority militia says Yazidis support Israel, fight similar enemies, ask for weapons, aid, and training.

Yazidi fighters gather on the summit of Mount Sinjar as they head to battle ISIS militants, in Iraq, Dec. 21, 2014.Photo by AP

Haaretz.com

By JTA | Jan. 30, 2015

An official in a militia organized by Iraq’s Yazidi minority has issued a public call for Israeli assistance.

Lt. Col. Lukman Ibrahim, speaking to Al-Monitor, said the militia needs weapons and aid, and would like Israeli assistance so it can fight Islamic State, or ISIS. He said the Yazidis support Israel and fight similar enemies.

Israel has yet to respond to the Yazidi request.

The militia, with 12,000 members, was organized in August to defend against ISIS, which has persecuted and killed the minority since capturing Yazidi cities last year. Most of the fighters are untrained.

“We appeal to the Israeli government and its leader to step in and help this nation, which loves the Jewish people,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying by Al-Monitor. “We would be most grateful for the establishment of military ties — for instance, the training of fighters and the formation of joint teams. We are well aware of the circumstances the Israelis are in, and of the suffering they have endured at the hands of the Arabs ever since the establishment of their state. We, too, are suffering on account of them.”

A Yazidi doctor who lives in Germany said that Yazidis and Jews can also find common ground in both being victims of genocide.

“What happened to us is the biggest genocide since the Holocaust of the Jews in Europe,” said Dr. Mirza Dinnay, a pediatrician, told Al-Monitor. “In the Holocaust, the goal was to annihilate an entire people, the Jews. IS has a similar plan — to exterminate an entire people, the Yazidis.”

Israeli Soldier Posts Photos Of Herself Smiling Next To Blindfolded Palestinian Prisoners

Highlighting the cold indifference and cruelty that has come to characterize the Israeli occupation, a recently discharged soldier has posted photos of herself smiling as she sits besides blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.

By Sydney Barakat for The AntiMedia | January 30, 2015

(ANTIMEDIA) Meet Eden Abergil – a former Israeli soldier who recently posted photos of herself smiling next to blindfolded Palestinian prisoners, on Facebook.

Abergil titled the Album that contains these photos, “The army…the most beautiful time of my life.”

The photos were flooded with sexual innuendos and other remarks about Abergil. One comment states, “You’re the sexiest like that,” and Abergil’s response to this comment mocks the detained man in the photo by saying: “I wonder if he’s got Facebook,” and “I have to tag him in the picture.”

The photos have gotten backlash from both the Israeli army and the Palestinians alike. So much backlash, that the photos have even been compared to the infamous Abu Ghraib photos that showed American soldiers smiling and giving a ‘thumbs up’ next to prisoners who were being tortured and humiliated.

But because Abergil is a former solider and not currently active, it’s unclear whether or not any legal action will be taken against her for posting such shameful photos and Abergil insists she did nothing wrong. If the tables were turned, I’m sure she wouldn’t think so. But we digress.

However, this is clearly not an isolated incident. There have beencountless reports of detainees being tortured, terrorized and humiliated by both the IDF in Israel/Palestine and by U.S. soldiers in various locations including Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay or ‘Gitmo’. In fact, it’s almost overwhelming how often this happens and needless to say it is disgusting and shameful.

Ah well, for “love of God and country,” right?