Leadership: The U.S. is cutting intelligence to Israel, denying drones to Jordan, freezing military aid to Egypt and annoying Saudi Arabia. Yet these are the boots on the ground in the war against IS. What a waste.
A dispassionate observer might just ask which side the U.S. is on in the global war on Islamic State terror, given the recent string of decisions coming out of the Obama administration.
Israel is being denied critical intelligence at a time when Islamic State and a nuclear Iran threaten it from all sides. Relations are so bad there’ve been stories — denied by the U.S. — about U.S. threats to cut military aid and shoot down Israeli aircraft if they attack Iran.
Jordan has been denied permission to buy drones from San Diego-based General Atomics at a time when the barbarians are getting even closer to its gates and are committing some of the war’s worst atrocities against Jordanians. King Abdullah’s country has also shown a courageous willingness to lead in the war on IS, pulling once-discouraged allies such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain back into the alliance.
Egypt has been cut off from military aid at a time when Islamic State has declared a second front against Egypt from its west and conducted mass atrocities against Christians there. Egypt shows a willingness to confront Islam on ideological grounds and expose its grab for power. Instead of drawing praise and more aid, it’s been subjected to insane prattle from the U.S. about its human rights record — for outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood, the seedbed of both al-Qaida and Islamic State.
Relations with Saudi Arabia are at a historic low at a time when the Saudis have knocked the legs out from Iran by raising energy production.
Each of these Mideast countries has shown an impressive willingness to act against Islamic State terrorists and a nuclear Iran. They have confronted them on every front, from the war of ideas to the willingness to expend blood and treasure.
What’s more, they have shown a willingness to work together. King Salman, the new Saudi monarch, has acted quickly to meet with all of these leaders and discuss a common strategy.
Sadly, the U.S. is nowhere in this great emerging alliance that could create real stability in the Middle East. Most of the Obama administration’s energy is spent not on supporting this positive coalition effort, but undercutting Israel and Egypt while coddling Iran.
Once again, it’s a badly squandered opportunity.
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CENTCOM Commander: We Will not Withdraw from Manbij
Click to read the article in Turkish/Kurdish
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Joseph Votel told CNN they don’t plan to withdraw from Manbij.
In his statement last week, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the operation launched into Afrin can be extended to Manbij.
FM Çavuşoğlu: They must immediately withdraw
On Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, “The US has to cut its ties with a terrorist organization and also have to make them lay down arms. The US needs to take back the weapons they gave. They must immediately withdraw from Manbij”.
Erdoğan: I told them “Then you will withdraw your forces”
In his column today (January 29), Hürriyet columnist Abdülkadir Selvi wrote about the dialogue on the phone between President Erdoğan and US President Donald Ttrump:
“I told Trump on the phone that we will enter Manbij. He said ‘We have forces there’, and I told him ‘then you will withdraw your forces to the secure zone”.
35th Heavy Penal Court Combines Cases of Academics
Click to read the article in Turkish
Second hearings of 10 academics, who have been charged with “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” for having signed the declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime” prepared by the Academics for Peace, were held at 35th Heavy Penal Court in İstanbul Courthouse today (April 12).
Second hearings of O.K., T.A., B.D, D.D., H.Y., Ö.A from Galatasaray University, Gizem Bilgin, Alaeddin Dinç Alada, Mehtap Balık Kaya and Pedriye Mutlu from İstanbul University were held.
Stating that he considers combining the cases in his own court, the 35th Heavy Penal Court chief judge combined the 10 cases heard today. The next hearing will be held on October 18.
Except one academic from Galatasaray University who submitted excuse and didn’t attend the hearing, the nine nice academics made their statement of defense. The academics rejected the charges and demanded their acquittal.
The hearings against signatory academics started on December 5, 2017. As of April 12, 185 academics had their first hearings. 10 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison and all of the sentences were suspended, except for that of Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel.
What happened?
On January 10, 2016, 1,128 academics published a declaration entitled “We will not be party to this crime” on behalf of the Academics for Peace initiative.
On March 10, 2016, Asst. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Dr Kıvanç Ersoy and Asst. Prof. Dr. Meral Camcı read out the press statement at a press conference that was was held on behalf of the Academics for Peace/Istanbul group regarding the developments which had occurred since the declaration was first shared with the public.
The first three of these academics were arrested on the charge of “terrorist propaganda” on March 15, 2016, and the last, Camcı, who was abroad at the time, was arrested on March 31 when she returned to Turkey. The four academics were released on April 22, 2016 upon their first hearing, in which the prosecutor of the trial changed the charges pressed against the academics to the crimes regulated under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (insulting Turkey, the Turkish nation, or Turkish government institutions) and applied for authorization from the Ministry of Justice to hold the trial under the new article.
Another bill of indictment was prepared in October 2017 regarding at least 148 academics who signed the declaration. The academics were charged with “terrorist organization propaganda” under Article 7/2 of the Turkish Anti-Terror Act (#3713) in the bill of indictment prepared by Prosecutor İsmet Bozkurt. The first hearings were held on December 5, 2017.
As of April 12, 185 academics had their first hearings. 10 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison and all of the sentences were suspended, except for that of Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel. (BK/TK)
Confidentiality Order for File of Detained İHD Deputy Chair Bilici
Click to read the article in Turkish
The Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch has issued a statement about İHD Deputy Chair and Diyarbakır Branch President Raci Bilici being detained, and called for Bilici’s release.
The statement expressed that Bilici was detained during a police raid launched into his home at 6 a.m. this morning (March 15) and was taken to Diyarbakır Security Directorate Anti-Terror Bureau.
The charges pressed are unknown
Attorneys from the İHD Diyarbakır Branch held a meeting with Bilici at the Security Directorate and found out that a confidentiality order was issued for Bilici’s file.
The attorneys also stated neither Bilici nor his attorneys were informed of what charges were pressed against him.
“Bilici was threatened, targeted, detained”
The statement issued by the İHD Diyarbakır Branch is briefly as follows:
“Fundamental rights and freedoms have been systematically violated via State of Emergency (OHAL) practices, which have been ongoing for eight months, and the freedoms have been taken under pressure. Politicians, journalists, academics, intellectuals, authors, teacher, students, union members from all circles of the society get their share of the unlawful detentions and arrests.
“Human rights defenders have been facing practices including threats, crackdowns, discharges, detentions and arrests during this period in which the NGOs, which try to raise their voice against the unlawfulness, are tried to be hindered.
“İHD Deputy Chair and Diyarbakır Branch President Raci Bilici as well was targeted by pro-government media, threatened by unidentified people and circles, targeted and finally detained.
“We urge the international society to be sensitive about the protection of the human rights defenders”. (AS/TK)