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Showing posts from April 12, 2015

Turkish court acquits Dutch activist of PKK propaganda

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A court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır ruled yesterday for the acquittal of Dutch activist Frederike Geerdink on charges of spreading propaganda of the terrorist organization the PKK. The ruling comes about one week after a prosecutor asked for her acquittal. Geerdink, known for the staunchly pro-PKK articles she penned, was facing a prison term up to five years. The activist attended the second hearing of her trial in Diyarbakır where she has a residence. The prosecutor reiterated his indictment and said there was no evidence of Geerdink actively carrying out pro-PKK propaganda such as "hanging any items, banners, emblems, pictures related to the terrorist organization in any place or wearing an uniform with PKK insignia," as was claimed. A panel of judges ordered her acquittal for the lack of evidence. Speaking to journalists after her acquittal, Geerdink said she appreciated the ruling, adding, "it would be better if there was not a lawsuit (against me) at a

Istanbul Film Festival falls apart over PKK documentary

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ANKARA, Turkey – This month’s annual Istanbul Film Festival has fallen apart midstream over a censorship row with the Culture Ministry, after it stopped a last minute screening of a documentary on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Organizers announced on Monday that the majority of the films would not be screened, and that the closing ceremony later this month also had been cancelled, after many filmmakers withdrew their entries to protest the Culture Ministry’s move. The trouble began when the ministry insisted at the last minute before screening Sunday that “Bakur” (North), a film about the daily lives of PKK members that includes interviews with senior leaders, could not be shown without a special permit. That quickly turned into a censorship row, after other filmmakers whose works were being screened at the festival decided to pull their entries in protest. In addition, more than 100 Turkish filmmakers, including the most recent winner of the Cannes film festi

Colombia FARC Conflict: Are Peace Negotiations In Jeopardy After Attack On Military?

Peace talks between the Colombian government and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are in jeopardy following the Tuesday deaths of 10 Colombian soldiers at the hands of FARC. The incident led President Juan Manuel Santos to lift the halt on bombing FARC camps “until further notice,” the Bogota newspaper El Tiempo  reported  Wednesday night. The stoppage had been in effect since last month. Meanwhile, the rebels were asking the government Thursday to “keep a cool head.”  Fighting between the military and the FARC has ravaged Colombia for more than 50 years. In the course of the conflict, the rebel group has recruited child soldiers, engaged in drug trafficking and planted land mines throughout the South American country. The two sides started negotiating a peace deal in Cuba two years ago. But Tuesday’s attack in a rural area called La Esperanza (Hope), and the government's response, are threatening to upset any pact. Santos has yet to call off negotiatio

Why has the PKK taken action?

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The Turkish Armed Forces ( TSK ) announced that five  terrorists  were killed and a number of soldiers were wounded in a clash that occurred in Ağrı. Then, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party ( HDP ) and the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) camps argued that it was a setup devised by the ruling party, which they say sought to have soldiers killed by the Kurdistan Workers' Party ( PKK ). The ruling party responded with a harsh and security-oriented rhetoric, depicting these statements as "provocation" and "threats to the security of the election." What is happening as the election nears? Why has the PKK taken action? As a matter of fact, the PKK hasn't changed its attitude; rather, what has changed is the ruling party's attitude. With the effective crackdown in 2012, a serious blow to the PKK was dealt, as the PKK's camps in the region were destroyed. If the ruling party had improved the fundamental and democratic rights of Kurds in pa

NPA kills two, ransacks mayor's house in Compostela Valley – military

Suspected New People's Army rebels on Tuesday ransacked the home of Monkayo, Compostela Valley Mayor Joselito Brillantes Jr. and killed a security guard, the military said on Thursday.   In a statement released on Thursday, Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs chief Captain Alberto Caber said the rebels ransacked Brillantes' home at around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and carted away eight high-powered firearms.   He added that a civilian security guard, Roberto Baysa, was killed in the attack while defending his post.   Meanwhile, Eastern Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad condemned the attack.   "This incident has strengthened our resolve to further enhance security measures to protect the civilian communities and other possible targets against treacherous attacks from the NPA bandit group," Baladad said.   A few minutes before the incident, another group of heavily-armed NPA members attacked the patrol base of the AFP's 25th

An end to the idea of ‘rogue states’

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Barack Obama’s decision to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism marks another important step towards the elimination of its pernicious but surprisingly resilient post-cold war concept of the “rogue state”. Mr. Obama on Tuesday had notified Congress of his “intent to rescind” Cuba's inclusion on the blacklist, after a lengthy review launched late last year as Washington openly began a rapprochement with its Cold War foe. In a roll call of supposed infamy that once included almost a dozen countries worldwide, only North Korea still scores as in all four “evil-doer” categories, as defined by the former U.S. President George W. Bush. Specifically, it maintains weapons of mass destruction, supports terrorists, abuses human rights and threatens U.S. interests. Ronald Reagan kick started America’s fixation with recalcitrant second-tier powers that defy America’s will. In 1985, he warned the U.S. would not tolerate “attacks from outlaw states by the strang

White paper on Tibet denounces ‘middle way’

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It says that the 'middle way' of Dalai Lama is a cover for gaining independence. Photo: AP The Chinese government on Wednesday has issued a white paper on Tibet, which rejected the “middle way” path advocated by the Dalai Lama. Titled “Tibet’s Path of Development Is Driven by an Irresistible Historical Tide”, the document observes that rather than pursuing autonomy, the “middle way” of Dalai Lama is a cover for gaining independence. Xinhua reported that the “middle way” negates a sound developmental path and is an attempt to establish a “state within a state” on Chinese territory as an interim step towards the ultimate goal of full independence. The white paper states that in tune with the improvement of relations between China and the United States in late 1970s, Dalai Lama’s group shifted its attempts from achieving open independence to achieving disguised independence by cloaking them with what is called the “middle way.” The document counselled that, “The only s

WikiLeaks creates online archive of hacked Sony documents

Sony blasts WikiLeaks for creating the archive, saying the website was helping hackers disseminate stolen information. Whistleblower site WikiLeaks on Thursday put hundreds of thousands of emails and documents from last year’s crippling cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment into a searchable online archive. It’s the latest blow for the entertainment and technology company struggling to get past the attack, which the company estimates caused millions in damage. The website founded by Julian Assange said that its database includes more than 170,000 emails from Sony Pictures and a subsidiary, plus more than 30,000 other documents. Sony Pictures blasted WikiLeaks for creating the archive, saying the website was helping the hackers disseminate stolen information. “We vehemently disagree with WikiLeaks’ assertion that this material belongs in the public domain,” the company said in a statement. But Mr. Assange said the documents should be available to the public. Alth

Suspect in US college shooting says he's a neo-Nazi

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During a court appearance Thursday to face a pending murder charge, Stancil again accused the victim, who was gay, of improperly approaching minors. (AP photo) RALEIGH, North Carolina: The man charged with killing a print shop employee at a North Carolina community college says he's a neo-Nazi who hates gay people.  Kenneth Morgan Stancil III told Raleigh's WRAL-TV he killed Ron Lane earlier this week because Lane had made sexual advances to Stancil's 16-year-old brother. Lane's cousin, Steven Smith, told that TV station that Lane never made sexual advances toward children or anyone he worked with.  During a court appearance Thursday to face a pending murder charge, Stancil again accused the victim, who was gay, of improperly approaching minors.  Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones II told Stancil he could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.  "I know that. But I knew what I had to do, and I knew when I got caught, I knew in my mind I

Nepal: Maoists ‘ready’ for compromise

KATHMANDU, APR 16 - The UCPN (Maoist) has said that it is ready to make a compromise on the issues of federalism if the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML agree to make more concessions on the electoral system. The main opposition party claims that it wants to conclude the statute drafting process as soon as possible if the ruling parties are ready for the inclusive and proportional representation of marginalised communities through a new electoral system. Although the parties have agreed in principle to go for a mixed electoral system, they are divided over the percentage of FPTP and Proportional Representation (PR). Giving preference to negotiations over street protests, the Maoist leaders said they were not in a mood to announce the third phase of protest despite pressure on UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal from allies of the 30-party front to unveil the street protest.    “If ruling parties are ready to allocate 55 percent seats under FPTP and 45 percent under prop

Technology helps police nab top Maoist leader in Jharkhand

RANCHI: Jharkhand police produced senior Maoist leader, Shiv Prasad Singh alias Rohitji alias Ritlal alias Pawanji before media on Thursday evening, almost 26 hours after he was arrested from Patratu under Pithoria police station at 4PM on Wednesday. Rohitji, known to be a member of Bihar Jharkhand Special Area committee (BJSAC) since formation of CPI (Maoist) in 2004 carries a reward of Rs.25 lakh in Jharkhand whereas he is also learnt to be in the most wanted list of Bihar police with a separate cash reward of Rs.10 lakh in his name.  Use of technology by police and flouting of usual norms practiced by the Maoists helped police nab the top leader with ease. While photography of senior leaders among the ranks and file of Maoists is completely restricted, Rohitji had recently got a photograph clicked with two body guards standing by his side. Having obtained a copy of the photograph police circulated it strategically on social media that eventually helped them not just gather intellig

No seasonality to Maoist campaign

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The spate of Maoist attacks on police personnel in Chhattisgarh this April is being explained away as a sort of silly season of combat The spate of Maoist attacks on police personnel in Chhattisgarh this April is being explained away as a sort of silly season of combat, prime time for the rebels’ so-called tactical counter-offensive campaign that runs from March to June. Such an interpretation is a misreading of the situation. The Maoist rebellion has morphed—and will continue to morph—beyond copybook reasoning. There really isn’t any seasonality to the Maoist campaign in India beyond heavy monsoon rain and occasional floods hampering their operations (security forces too must contend with such climatic control). This was experienced first-hand by 14 troopers of Central Reserve Police Force killed in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh in December 2014, and a dozen more that were wounded. A scan of attacks on security personnel over the past three years shows events that stre

Russian defence chiefs blame US for global security risks

Top Russian defence officials have lashed out at the United States, accusing it of undermining global security by funding revolutions and expanding NATO in a bid to contain Russia.   Speaking at a conference in Moscow yesterday, attended by his counterparts from North Korea, Greece and Pakistan, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the world order needs to be redefined in a speech that focused heavily on the perceived threat from the United States.  Advertisement "We live in a watershed moment of history. We are the ones to determine the parameters of world order," Shoigu told the annual Conference on International Security.  "We are concerned that the stability constructed after World War II is beginning to careen," he said. "Some countries who consider themselves winners in the Cold War are attempting to dictate their will to others."  Frequently using the term "some countries" to refer to the United States and its closest allies, Shoigu

Russia Blames United States for Conflict in Ukraine

Top Russian officials accused the United States on Thursday of seeking political and military dominance in the world and sought to put blame on the West for international security crises, including the conflict in east Ukraine. Evoking Cold War-style rhetoric, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said a drive by the United States and its allies to bring Kiev closer to the West was a threat to Moscow and had forced it to react. "The United States and its allies have crossed all possible lines in their drive to bring Kiev into their orbit. That could not have failed to trigger our reaction," he told an annual security conference in Moscow. Echoing his comments, General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, told the meeting: "Considering themselves the winners of the Cold War, the United States decided to reshape the world to fit its needs. "Aiming at complete dominance, Washington stopped taking into account the interest