Jordan's king accuses Turkey of sending terrorists to Europe

Abdullah tells US politicians that radicals are being 'manufactured in Turkey... as part of Turkish policy' -

Jordan's king, Abdullah, and the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AFP) 

David Hearst-Friday 25 March 2016

King Abdullah of Jordan accused Turkey of exporting terrorists to Europe at a top level meeting with senior US politicians in January, the MEE can reveal. 

The king said Europe’s biggest refugee crisis was not an accident, and neither was the presence of terrorists among them: “The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy and Turkey keeps on getting a slap on the hand, but they are let off the hook.”

Asked by one of the congressmen present whether the Islamic State group was exporting oil to Turkey, Abdullah replied: ”Absolutely.”

Abdullah made his remarks during a wide-ranging debriefing to Congress on 11 January, the day a meeting with the US president, Barack Obama, was cancelled.

The White House was forced to deny that Obama snubbed one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East, attributing the cancellation to "scheduling conflicts", although Obama and Abdullah met briefly at St Andrews Airforce base a day later. 

Present at the meeting in Congress were the chairmen and members of the Senate Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, including Senators John McCain and Bob Corker, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid, the Senate Majority and Minority leaders respectively. 

According to a detailed account of the meeting seen by MEE, the king went on to explain what he thought was the motivation of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Abdullah said that Erdogan believed in a “radical Islamic solution to the region".

He repeated: "Turkey sought a religious solution to Syria, while we are looking at moderate elements in the south and Jordan pushed for a third option that would not allow a religious option.”

The king presented Turkey as part of a strategic challenge to the world.

"We keep being forced to tackle tactical problems against ISIL but not the strategic issue. We forget the issue [of] the Turks who are not with us on this strategically."

He claimed that Turkey had not only supported religious groups in Syria, and letting foreign fighters in, but had also been helping Islamist militias in Libya and Somalia.

Abdullah claimed that "radicalisation was being manufactured in Turkey" and asked the US senators why the Turks were training the Somali army.

The king invited the US politicians present to ask the presidents of Kosovo and Albania about the Turks.

Abdullah said that both countries were begging Europe to include them, before Erdogan did. 

Abdullah was supported in his remarks by his Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, who said that the Albanian president was a Catholic married to a Muslim, and that that was a model which should be protected in a Muslim majority country.

Judeh said that when the Russian bombing campaign prevented Turkey from establishing safe zones in northern Syria to stop refugees from coming to Turkey, "Turkey unleashed the refugees onto Europe”.

Both Judeh and Abdullah bridled at the $3bn deal offered by Europe to Turkey, noting that Turkey had only 2m Syrian refugees out of a population of 70m, whereas Jordan was facing “a bigger problem proportionally".

Jordan and Turkey are officially allies. The Turkish prime minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, cancelled an official visit to Jordan after the latest bomb attack in Turkey which killed 34 people in Ankara.

The Kurdish Freedom Falcons (TAK), an offshoot of the PKK, claimed responsibility for the bombing. 

The postponed visit is due to take place this weekend and Davutoglu will be mindful that Abdullah told senators that Turkey was using the Kurds as an "excuse" for its policies in Syria.

Galip Dalay, research director at Al Sharq Forum and senior associate fellow on Turkey and Kurdish Affairs at Al Jazeera Center for Studies, said it was wrong to portray Turkey as having a strategic goal of establishing an Islamist government in Syria.

He said: "Turkey did its best in the first eight months of the Syrian crisis to find a political solution to the crisis, which would have included Bashar Assad. Back then, Turkey was criticised in the region and the West for being too soft on Assad regime and being too optimistic about the possibility of reform. When it became clear, after eight months of arduous attempts, that Assad had no intention of initiating a political and democratic process to meet the demands of the protestors, Turkey threw its weight behind the opposition. "

Dalay said that the claim Turkey was buying oil from the Islamic State group was a Russian fabrication concocted by Moscow after Turkey shot down the Russian fighter. "Turkey is not the only one saying there is no evidence to support this claim. The United States said it too."

The Turkish government would not comment officially on Abdullah’s reported remarks on 11 January. 

But a senior Turkish source accused the king of becoming "the spokesman for Bashar al-Assad".

He said the portrait emerging from these remarks was not one of a king speaking but of a "Western journalist with a fuzzy state of mind and little familiarity with the region".

He said: “Turkey is definitely carrying out an intense struggle against Daesh (the Islamic State group). Bombings take place in Turkey not in Jordan. When this is the case, groundless accusations by King Abdullah are totally unacceptable.

"Moreover, his tackling of the Daesh issue with such unfounded information also raises the question about whether Jordan could play a meaningful role in the fight against Daesh.”

He said the king’s claims that IS was selling oil to Turkey were not only absurd but showed that Abdullah did not have the slightest idea about what was going on in Syria.

"The king's statements and accusations against Turkey are not the first. Unfortunately, all of his allegations are the same as the slanders frequently expressed by the Assad regime.

"It would be to Jordan's and the region's interest, if Jordan, as a friend of Turkey, were to work for a strategic cooperation with a strategic power like Turkey, instead of acting like the spokesperson of Assad.”

Saudi Arabia campaign leaves 80% of Yemen population needing aid

Peace talks give Saudis way out as conflict fails to combat terrorism and puts an already impoverished country on the brink
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have failed to deal a decisive blow to Iran-backed rebels. Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

 A Yemeni boy runs past buildings damaged by Saudi-led airstrikes this week in Sana’a. Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

Simon Tisdall-Friday 25 March 2016

It is difficult to view Saudi Arabia’s relentless war of attrition in Yemen as anything other than a destructive failure. The military intervention that began one year ago has killed an estimated 6,400 people, half of them civilians, injured 30,000 more and displaced 2.5 million, according to the UN. Eighty per cent of the population, about 20 million people, are now in need of some form of aid.

The Saudis’ principal aim – to restore Yemen’s deposed president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi – has not been achieved. If they hoped to contain spreading Iranian regional influence, that has not worked, either. If the US-backed coalition’s campaign was intended to combat terrorism, that too has flopped. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), in particular, and Islamic State (Isis) have profited from the continuing anarchy.

The conflict pits Aden-based Hadi government forces and their Sunni Arab allies against Houthi Shia militias, backed by Tehran, who control the capital, Sana’a, and much of central and northern Yemen. Already one of the world’s poorest countries before fighting escalated last year, Yemen now faces widespread famine. Food shortages are being exacerbated by a growing bank and credit crisis,Oxfam warned this week.

“The destruction of farms and markets, a de facto blockade on commercial imports, and a long-running fuel crisis have caused a drop in agricultural production, a scarcity of supplies and exorbitant food prices,” Oxfam said. Sajjad Mohamed Sajid, Oxfam’s country director, said: “A brutal conflict on top of an existing crisis ... has created one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies in the world today – yet most people are unaware of it. Close to 14.4 million people are hungry and the majority will not be able to withstand the rising prices.”

The UN’s 2016 appeal for donor cash has largely fallen on deaf ears. Belatedly responding to international criticism, including pressure for UK and EU arms embargoes, the Saudi government has agreed to scale back military operations pending renewed peace talks. The announcement followed a horrific airstrike on a market in Houthi-controlled Hajja province on 15 March that killed 119 people, including many children.

The UN’s human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, pointed the finger directly at Riyadh. “Looking at the figures, it would seem that the coalition is responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together, virtually all as a result of airstrikes,” he said. Markets, hospitals, clinics, schools, factories, wedding parties, and hundreds of private residences had been hit, Zeid said.

The Saudis’ agreement to re-enter UN-mediated peace talks in Kuwait following a proposed 10 April ceasefire looks like an admission that continued military attrition is no solution and is making matters worse. The Houthis are far from defeated, while Iran recently signalled willingness to step up direct involvement, as in Syria.

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, the army’s deputy chief of staff, suggested Iran could deploy military advisers. “The Islamic Republic … feels its duty to help the people of Yemen in any way it can and to any level necessary,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has paid a high political and diplomatic price for its Yemeni misadventure, with scant return so far. Its actions have turned the spotlight on its lamentable human rights record, notably its recent execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leading Shia cleric. The Yemen bloodshed has alienated western public opinion and European politicians fearful of another Middle East refugee emergency and associated Islamist radicalisation.

Despite the Saudi-led intervention, al-Qaida, in particular, retains a strong and expanding foothold in southern Yemen and uses it as a recruiting and training base. Washington is quietly carrying out its own campaign there behind the Saudi smokescreen. At least 40 AQAP militants were killed in a US drone strike this week.

Saudi failure in Yemen follows strategic reverses in Syria, where Russia’s autumn intervention reinforced Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president and Riyadh’s sworn foe. Bold plans by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the impulsive Saudi defence minister, to send troops to support Syria’s Sunni rebels have come to nothing, while Saudi involvement in the US-led air campaign against Isis has been minimal.

Iranian leaders, meanwhile, appear ever more confident as they entrench their influence and interests in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Arabian peninsula. Their buoyant mood can be attributed in part to last year’s landmark nuclear deal with Washington and the subsequent lifting of western sanctions. The Saudis were appalled. But the US overrode their objections.

Speaking recently, Barack Obama was woundingly candid about US-Saudi differences over Syria and Iran. He spoke of America’s Saudi alliance with barely disguised distaste. And he offered some unpalatable advice to his “friends” in Riyadh. “The competition between the Saudis and the Iranians – which has helped to feed proxy wars and chaos in Syria and Iraq and Yemen – requires us to say to our friends as well as to the Iranians that they need to find an effective way to share the neighbourhood,” Obama said. Sectarian rivalries were not in the US interest. And the Saudis, he suggested, could no longer count on preferential treatment.

Uncensored & Unscripted: Human Rights Activist Ken O'Keefe to Speak in Salem/Portland

“I am first and foremost a lawfully declared world citizen, meaning my ultimate allegiance is to my entire human family and to planet Earth.” ~ Ken O’Keefe

Ken O'Keefe, World Citizen, Human rights activist

Mar-25-2016

(SALEM, Ore.) - In February, ex-US marine and Gulf War Veteran Ken O’Keefe was detained from boarding an airplane because he opted out of the TSA body scanner, agreeing instead to a physical body search, and was refused. That was the last thing O’Keefe needed, or expected. He travels a lot, and this response was a first.

That day at the Los Angeles airport, attempting to make the last leg of his journey to a speaking engagement in Acapulco, Mexico, he was thrown off track by some employees with much authority and little sense.

“I am not surprised that the Orwellian TSA (Homeland Security) have denied me the ability to board a flight from LAX to Acapulco because I opted out of the body scanner procedure,” he responded to the TSA decision.

But, why did he refuse?

“I refused this as an ex-US Marine who has been given experimental injections and pills during the 1st Gulf War; these experimental drugs being administered without informed consent due to a “waiver” provided by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of the US Government.

Ken O'Keefe

“Many have died from ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ due to these experimental drugs, essentially many have been murdered by the FDA and US Military who ordered American sons and daughters to take experimental drugs.

“I have in the past always opted out of the body scanner and agreed (under duress) to a physical body search, today I once again agreed to this under duress but again was told I must submit to a body scan or be denied the ability to travel/fly. I have refused these terms, which inherently means radiating myself with their dangerous body scanners."

Eventually, O’Keefe was allowed to continue his trip, but not without much difficulty, uncertainty and consternation.

Now, Ken is back in the United States, perhaps for the last time, and he is standing up to the injustice he experienced. If it can happen to O’Keefe, then any of us are at risk.

On behalf of our Constitutional rights, he began the "F*** the USSA/TSA/Homeland Security Tour".

He appeared at the Historic Fellowship Hall in Berkeley, CA, on Sunday, then spoke in Ashland, Oregon, Tuesday and is headed northward for a few days in the Salem/Portland area before heading east to his next engagement.

Ken O’Keefe will be speaking in Salem on Friday, March 25^th, and in Portland on Saturday, March 26^th.

Don’t miss Ken O’Keefe as he shares the intriguing journey of his own awakening and how you, as an individual, can positively impact and influence all of humanity, not just for now, but for all future generations.

“I believe the world is what we make of it and that we have as a human duty the obligation of working to hand this world over to our children in a better state to that which we inherited it,” O’Keefe said.

A published author and lecturer who holds Irish, Hawaiian and Palestinian citizenship, Ken O’Keefe believes in non-violent, unhesitating, fully confrontational work for human rights. The ex-US marine and Gulf War Veteran formally renounced his US citizenship in 2001.

His activities to date include founding Human Shield Action to Iraq (2003), serving as a captain on the first Free Gaza Mission (2008), surviving an Israeli attack on the ship Mavi Marmara (2010) and becoming Social Enterprise Managing Director of Aloha Palestine CIC and the Samouni Project.

O’Keefe’s style of activism is exemplified by his involvement in peacefully disarming two Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara, even as nine of his fellow passengers were executed.

Soon after the tragic events that took place in International waters in the wee hours of that morning, in May 2010, the Israeli military falsely claimed O’Keefe was a "terrorist operative of Hamas".

An outspoken opponent of human rights violations, he has stood against all means of oppressing men, women and children at the mercy of misplaced authority, corrupt bureaucracy, and man made hatefulness.

O’Keefe has repeatedly stated that Israeli Mossad and its assets, along with traitorous elements within the US, are directly responsible for the ‘false flag’ 9/11 attacks, and is unwavered in his beliefs.

“F*** the traitors in all areas of American society. The US Constitution is the only answer for Americans,” Ken O’Keefe says loud and clear.

These speaking events are FREE to attend, with a suggested donation. A fundraising dinner will start at 4:30pm prior to Ken's presentation which begins at 6:00pm.

The delicious Vegetarian meal is provided by local restaurants. All donations ($20 suggested) go to defray the travel expenses. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Friday’s event will be held at Quaker Friends Meeting House at 490 19th St. in Salem, OR 97301; he will be speaking in Portland on Saturday, March 26th at 4:30 PM - 9 PM, at Flossin Media located at 311 N. Ivy, Portland, Oregon 97227.

In 2010, Salem-News.com hosted a speaking tour with Ken O'Keefe. Two weeks on the road with Ken O'Keefe, his mother, Pat Johnson, and Eileen Fleming throughout Oregon and Washington was an irreplaceable experience. It was life-changing, in fact.

Be inspired. Grab a friend and take this chance to spend a little time with Ken O'Keefe. You'll be glad you did.

TJP (Truth-Justice-Peace)

WATCH THE VIDEOS BELOW:

Ken O'Keefe - TSA Denied Flight to Acapulco for Refusing Body Scanner at LAX:

Published Feb 17, 2016

A Brief Philosophy - By Ken O'Keefe - Open Mind Conference - Copehagen Denmark 2015

Published on Oct 19, 2015

BBC HARDtalk - Kenneth O'Keefe - June 2010

Published June 2010

Mavi Marmara Music Video

Music video for "Song for Mavi Marmara" by David Rovics,
video produced by Bonnie King (Salem-News.com

US President’s historic visit to Cuba points to importance of economics

US President Barack Obama waves next to First Lady Michelle Obama as they arrive with their daughters Sasha and Malia (behind) at Jose Marti international airport in Havana on March 20, 2016 - AFP

March 23, 2016,

It is the language of the merits of economic liberalization that Obama used for a good part of his speech. On this score, the US President is well in tune with the tone and temper of our times because economic globalization is no respecter of political differences. This, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaou Ping knew as far back as the late seventies. Since then, China has become one of the foremost exponents of economic pragmatism. As should be expected, China’s foreign policy has been moulded to encompass this shift in economic policy. In this situation, political orthodoxy takes second place to practical economic need. This, Cuba too has come to realize, although there is no indication that Cuba is prepared to dilute too much her communist credential.

It was, once again, a case of economics taking precedence over politics as US President Barack Obama figured in a historic handshake with Cuban President Raul Castro in Cuba, ending decades long strained ties between the countries based on mainly Cold War ideological questions. It is clear that the US President’s current visit to Cuba is of an epochal nature. It could pave the way to bring to a close a political enmity, which, in the early sixties, figured prominently in propelling the US and USSR into a potential nuclear confrontation in the seas off Florida, which would have had disastrous consequences for the Americas and the world.

President Obama’s address to Cuba and the world was easily one of the highest points in the US President’s visit to the Caribbean island which remains one of the final bastions of communism in the world. If one needs a comprehensive overall view of the factors which pushed the Obama visit, it is to this characteristically eloquent and stirring address that one must turn. Essentially, it is economic considerations that are driving this historic thaw in US-Cuba relations and we are compelled to contemplate the unifying dimension in economic globalization, which latter is the pervasive backdrop to the most significant of current international developments. Economics are continuing to drive politics and it is virtually impossible to assess issues in international politics currently without focusing on this paradigm change in international relations.

It was abundantly clear that the Obama administration was not going to be distracted from its course in Cuba and Argentina, which Obama was to visit next, considering that the horrific terror attacks in Brussels occurred at the time of Obama’s Cuba visit. The US President condemned the attacks cogently and pledged the US’ solidarity with the people of Belgium in this the US ‘European ally’s’ time of need. He also re-affirmed the US’ commitment to fight terror and pledged to see an end to it on the basis of unity with those sections of the world which are opposed to terror.

The latter pronouncements pointed to policy consistency on the part of the West on terror-linked issues. The world’s major terror organizations, including the LTTE, remain outlawed in the US and it is difficult to see the West softening its policy stance on these outfits, considering the terrible human costs terror continues to exact. The Brussels attacks are proof that terror organizations, such as the IS, are not only unrelenting in their efforts to harm civilians but are also in an attempt to extend their reach beyond their usual areas of operation in the Middle East and adjacent regions. Clearly, EU member countries are among the potential terror targets.

Considering the above, the conscience of the writer of this column was outraged when he heard some ‘brain-dead’ Sri Lankan sections ghoulishly cry out ‘Jayawewa’ and ‘retribution’ on their learning of the terror attacks in Brussels. If they are jubilant on seeing civilians losing their lives to terror, it could be said that these sinister cheer squads are as inhuman as the terrorists, even LTTE terrorists. Such is the toll that brutal and prolonged wars exact from publics. Among other things, the incident reminded this columnist that there are very many people among the local public, some even instrumental in moulding public opinion, who are badly in need of psychiatric assistance. This is an urgent task for the relevant state institutions, including those in charge of ensuring the mental health of the public.

That said, it must be underscored that a purely military or law and order approach cannot help a great deal in containing terror anywhere. Terror arises from keenly felt group grievances and these grievances need to be addressed by political solutions which aim at eliminating these causes for discontent. That is, political solutions need to complement military ones. However, ideally, political solutions must take precedence over military approaches, mainly on account of the consideration that political solutions are sparing of human lives.

President Obama was quite expansive in his address on the numerous opportunities that would open up from now on in the areas of trade, investment and tourism, between the US and Cuba. He called on both sides to make good use of these opportunities to ensure the mutual economic well being of the countries. He was particularly emphatic about the opportunities for people-to-people contact which could be availed of and on their role in ending the decades-long strained ties between the countries. The current dissolving of barriers to economic interaction between the countries must be utilized, Obma indicated. He said in no uncertain terms that he had called upon Congress to lift the US-initiated, decades-long economic embargo on Cuba.

It is clear that the US is in an effort to bolster its economic ties with every possible country and region to enhance its status as a predominant economic power. Recently, it entered into the Trans Pacific Partnership which has the potential to accelerate the US’ economic penetration of the Asia-Pacific region. Needless to say, in taking these initiatives, it is in an attempt to upstage China. Not without urgent interest are reports that China ‘s economic concerns have now spread to even the Amazon in South America, the US’ veritable backyard.

However, it is the language of the merits of economic liberalization that Obama used for a good part of his speech. On this score, the US President is well in tune with the tone and temper of our times because economic globalization is no respecter of political differences. This, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaou Ping knew as far back as the late seventies. Since then, China has become one of the foremost exponents of economic pragmatism. As should be expected, China’s foreign policy has been moulded to encompass this shift in economic policy. In this situation, political orthodoxy takes second place to practical economic need. This, Cuba too has come to realize, although there is no indication that Cuba is prepared to dilute too much her communist credential.

In the face of these momentous developments, Sri Lanka’s ‘Old Left’ is, apparently, choosing to maintain a stony silence. An input by it on what it makes of the current crumbling of Cold War rivalries, for example, would be most welcome. Is it opposed or otherwise to these ground-breaking currents of the times?

Pakistan says captured Indian spy in Baluchistan province

Fri Mar 25, 2016

Pakistan made an official protest to India on Friday after detaining a man it says is an Indian spy who illegally entered the country and was captured on Thursday in the violence-plagued province of Baluchistan.

India's foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that Pakistan's foreign secretary had taken up the matter with the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad but denied the man is a spy.

"The said individual has no link with the Government since his premature retirement from the Indian Navy," the spokesman said in a statement. "We have sought consular access to him."

Tensions are already high between the nuclear-armed nations after India blamed Pakistan-based militants for a January attack on an Indian air base, in which seven military personnel were killed.

"(Pakistan) conveyed our protest and deep concern on the illegal entry into Pakistan by an RAW officer and his involvement in subversive activities in Baluchistan and Karachi," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday, referring to a message conveyed to India's ambassador.

RAW is Research and Analysis Wing, the country's main external intelligence agency.

Pakistan believes that India is supporting separatists in the resource-rich Baluchistan province, as well as militants fighting the state from the lawless tribal areas. It also sees India as fuelling strife in the volatile city of Karachi.

India denies any such interference and has itself accused Pakistan of backing militants fighting Indian security forces in its part of the divided Kashmir region, of helping militants to launch attacks elsewhere in India and backing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Pakistan say it only offers diplomatic support to the Muslim people of Kashmir living under what it says is heavy-handed Indian rule. It denies backing militant attacks in India.

A Pakistani military official in Baluchistan told Reuters the alleged RAW spy was an Indian navy officer.

 Another Pakistani official gave the same information.

Both declined to be identified because they were not authorised to give details of the incident to the media.

One of the officials said the man had been moved to Islamabad for interrogation.

The neighbouring countries have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.

Baluchistan's provincial interior minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, told reporters that the arrest "proved Indian involvement" in his province.

Last year Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the RAW was determined on annihilating Pakistan.

"RAW has been formed to undo Pakistan and to wipe Pakistan off the map," Asif said in a television interview.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sought to improve ties with India since his election in 2013, but his efforts are widely considered to have caused friction with the army, which sees relations with India as its domain.

Last December Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Pakistan to meet Sharif, the first visit by an Indian premier in more than a decade, raising hopes that stop-start negotiations might finally make progress after decades of hostility.

(Reporting and writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Robert Birsel and David Goodman)

Pakistan: March 23 Resolution – Forgotten Imperatives of a Progressive Nation

by Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

( March 24, 2016, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) If you wish to view the screen of virtual reality of Pakistan’s politics – come and see the mirror – how Pakistan is being governed by the wrong people, with wrong thinking and doing the wrong things. Continued daily bloodbaths of the innocent civilians triggered by terrorism, overwhelming militarization of the public institutions, destroyed commerce and trades and non-productive economic culture have incapacitated the operational body of Pakistan.  Its existence and freedom are challenged by its own political rulers. The thinking hubs of the nation must initiate planned steps and organize revulsionary collective ideas and ideals to deter threats to the national freedom, integrity and future of Pakistan.  Those who embrace power through intrigues, gangesterism, political killings, military coups and backdoor conspiracies are not the legitimate rulers and answer to the aims of the peoples’ aspirations for a strong Pakistan. The priorities must be focused on developing a new system of economic and political governance by disconnecting the interdependence on foreign aid, debts and dictates. The nation has been dehumanized to its critical and painful juncture of very survival. Under the circumstances, what is there to celebrate a Pakistan Day of March 23? The symbolic Pakistan Day celebrations will remain devoid of much needed change and reformation goal of the institutionalized corrupt system of governance. Pakistan is in desperate need of political change and a new political system of governance to safeguard its national freedom and a sustainable future.

How Absolute Rulers Betrayed the “Pakistan Resolution of March 23?”

Full Story>>>

Pressure forces amendment to Univ. of California intolerance report

Protestors hold signs during a meeting of the University of California Board of Regents, at the San Francisco Mission Bay campus, on 23 March.Charlotte Silver

Charlotte Silver-24 March 2016

A decision came down this week in a battle that may influence how university administrators deal with campus activism on Palestine around the US.

The University of California Board of Regents rejected a proposal to equate anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism, approving an amended [report] on intolerance, which had been widely criticized for conflating political speech with discrimination.

The report, which focuses almost exclusively on anti-Semitism, had been undertaken at the behest of Israel advocacy organizations.

It blames anti-Zionist activism on UC campuses for an alleged rise in anti-Semitic incidents.

Notably, the Anti-Defamation League reported that last year the number of anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses was the lowest since 1999, when the organization started tracking them.

Criticism of the report, which was written by an eight-person working group, had focused on the sentence: “Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California.”

At Wednesday’s UC Regents meeting, board member Norman J. Pattiz proposed the sentence be changed to: “Anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California.”

Pattiz said his suggestion was based on feedback from the UC Academic Council.

The council had written a letter to the regents that said the statement as it was written would cause “needless and expensive litigation, embarrassing to the university, to sort out the difference between intolerance on the one hand, and protected debate and study of Zionism and its alternatives on the other.”

Full Story>>>

This Woman Squeezed Her Lip For A Year Until A Doctor Found This!

By admin • On March 22, 2016

Dr. Sandra Lee is a dermatologist who specializes in removing pimples and cysts. She is known simply as Dr Pimple Popper. What she sees every day in her practice disgusts many people.

The woman in this video had a cyst under her lip that she had been squeezing for a year.

After the intervention the woman was pleased that the cyst was removed. Apart from a small scar, there is going to be no other hint of the cyst.

This video proves that no one need to be scared of going to the dermatologist.

 Look for yourself:

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. Thanks.

Scientists Have Managed To Edit HIV Out Of Infected Cells

photo credit: HIV infects the immune systems CD4+ T-cells, which compromises the immune system and leads to the development of AIDs. 3Dme Creative Studio/Shutterstock

 by Josh L Davis-March 23, 2016

The last few years has seen a massive leap in terms of genome editing. With the development of the incredible CRISPR/Cas9 technique, never before have scientists been able to so easily and precisely identify, edit, or remove specific sections of DNA. This has allowed scientists to target particular mutations, giving hope that the cure for certain inherited diseases could be around the corner. Now, researchers have used it to target HIV, and have managed to remove the genome of the virus from infected cells.  

When HIV infects someone, its RNA is transcribed into HIV-1 DNA, which is then integrated into a specific immune system cell known as CD4+ T-cells. This means that the infected cells then replicate the HIV genome, producing more of the virus, which can then go on to infect more CD4+ T-cells. This has the effect of weakening the immune system, and eventually gives rise to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, with sufferers then succumbing to other normally beatable illnesses such as pneumonia.

Current antiretroviral drugs aim to stop the virus from infecting the cells in the first place, but once the virus has placed its DNA within the T-cells, there is little that can be done, and the infected cells then act in effect as a reservoir for HIV. “Antiretroviral drugs are very good at controlling HIV infection,” explains Kamel Khalili, senior investigator of the study published in Scientific Reports. “But patients on antiretroviral therapy who stop taking the drugs suffer a rapid rebound in HIV replication.”

So, the team from Temple University Health System instead decided to see if they could use the impressive precision of CRISPR to locate and remove the sections of HIV-derived DNA from infected T-cells. They showed that they were indeed able to remove the entire HIV genome without any other side effects on the host cells, which continued to grow and divide normally. Not only that, but the now HIV-eradicated T-cells were then immune to new infection by the virus later on. 

“The findings are important on multiple levels,” says Dr. Khalili. “They demonstrate the effectiveness of our gene editing system in eliminating HIV from the DNA of CD4 T-cells and, by introducing mutations into the viral genome, permanently inactivating its replication. Further, they show that the system can protect cells from reinfection and that the technology is safe for the cells, with no toxic effects.”

Significantly, the researchers conducted the experiments using CD4 T-cells taken from HIV-infected patients and then grown in the lab, giving hope that the technique could be improved upon to such a degree that doctors will no longer simply stop the infection of cells, but cure them. 

CHALLENGES OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN SRI LANKA”, UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL MUST STAY ENGAGED

( Challenges of Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka, HRC 31 side event (c) S.Deshapriya)

24/03/2016

On Thursday 17th March, jointly with Franciscans International and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), IMADR held a side event on “Challenges of Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka”. Mr. J. David WHALEYopened the discussion with his appreciation and congratulations to the civil society of Sri Lanka including Tamil diaspora for the series of three resolutions on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council (HRC) during the difficult period. He reminded that it started from the disappointment in 2009 after the end of conflict. He then shared the infographic “Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka” default_external link created by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). Following the introductory remark, civil society representatives from the country shared their perspectives on the current process.

Image: (c) S.Deshapriya

First speaker, Dr. Nimalka FERNANDO, stressed that the experiences and expectation of communities inside the country have to be looked at in order to assess the ongoing transitional justice process. She pointed out that the controversy of the issues which the former regime resisted such as addressing the war, discussion of Sri Lanka at the HRC and halting the prosecution of Tamils still remains strong in the country. She gave her analysis that transitional justice in Sri Lanka includes rebuilding of a new democratic state while addressing past violations, which has posed challenges to political leaders. She shared her difficulty to translate the term “transitional justice” in Shinhalese for victims to understand the concept. She emphasised that the Government of Sri Lanka needs to respond the HRC resolution “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka (A/HRC/RES/30/1)” substantially. She also reminded that civil society should critically engage with the Government in implementation of the HRC resolution. She shared her challenge to understand and respond to the expectations of victims for transitional justice. She acknowledged the delay in the Consultation Task Force as it needs to look at the expectations of victims. She reminded that the civil society has a responsibility to engage with the Government in order to deliver justice, since it also worked for the political change.

Second speaker, Mr. Niran Anketell, laid out the challenges of transitional justice in next few months. First, there is an urgency of the need for reform. He shared the concern on a possible split of the coalition Government after the completion of the Constitutional reform, which is likely to deter the transitional justice reform. He therefore stressed that the transitional justice reform has to be done within 2016. 

Second, he highlighted that the momentum of transition cannot be missed. He pointed out that “honeymoon period” of transition is over in Sri Lanka in which a sense of urgency is now required to bring forward the consensus made for transitional justice. He emphasised the need of continuing international engagement and pressure, since bureaucratic resistance to changes is persistent. He listed the examples of the Witness and Victims Protection Bill, criminalisation of enforced disappearances, demilitarisation and land return. Third, he regretted the absence of progress in demilitarisation apart from the immediate action soon after the political change in 2015. He concluded his presentation by highlighting the need of urgent actions and continuing international pressure.

Third speaker, Ms. Nalini RATNARAJAH, screened the short film which captured the daily struggles and stigma faced by female ex-combatants of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Ms. Ratnarajah explained the reason why she focused on the Eastern province was because those ex-combatants are totally neglected. She also shared her difficult experience in making the film due to the unwillingness of people to cooperate for fear and continuing surveillance. According to her, former female ex-combatants are excluded and isolated from communities. She explained to the audience that the lack of means of female ex-combatants for living such as education, vocational skills and lands traps the women in poverty. Most of their husbands abandoned them with children, which has made their situation harder. 

She pointed out that the interviewees in fact voted for the President Sirisena and the coalition Government in the high hope to receive livelihood support and truth for their missing family members. However, the support from the State remains insufficient and the women continue to live in fear. She concluded that transitional justice for female ex-combatants means compensation and livelihood assistance.

Before opening the discussion for questions and comments, Mr. Whaley agreed that there is a need to address the trauma and rebuild the lives of victims. He stressed, “Transitional justice denied is not transitional justice”. One participant asked the panellists about what are immediate actions to be taken in order to bring progress in implementation of the HRC resolution. Mr. Anketell responded that such actions should have been taken by March 2016 and the current discussion should have been on further measures. He suggested that reparation measures can be provided as part of confidence building measures for people to engage with the transitional justice process. He also raised the issue of sequencing in the Government. Another audience asked the panellists how the Government can bring the transitional justice process forward while the former President’s force remains visible. Dr. Fernando shared the frustration of civil society for the slow progress. She reminded that one of the challenges for transitional justice is to win the Sinhala constituency, since accountability is for all communities. She stressed that every stakeholder should live with the pledge for truth, justice and reconciliation. Lastly, one of the participants asked for the update on the Consultation Task Force. Mr. Anketell explained that the Task Force was not sufficiently funded until recently. He regretted that consultations were not complete in March and civil society members are made responsible for the process. In the concluding remark, Mr. Whaley welcomed the continuing critical engagement by the civil society of Sri Lanka to implement the HRC resolution.

IMADR

UK determined in supporting Sri Lanka achieve accountability commitments says David Cameron

24 March 2016

British Prime Minister David Cameron called on Sri Lanka to draw on the experience and expertise of the international community and diaspora in promoting justice and fair treatment for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

In a message sent to the annual All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils event, Mr Cameron said, 

“the Sri Lankan government has made important commitments to accountability reconciliation and a political settlement that addresses the needs of all its citizens. The UK is determined to support Sri Lanka to deliver on these commitments.”

See full letter here.

 

Tamil Guardian‏@TamilGuardian

UK Prime Minister @David_Cameron sends wishes as All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils hold annual event. #lka