Gazette 070414

Friday July 4th 2014

    Crowds flock to E Jerusalem funeral 

Mourners have carried the body of a murdered Palestinian teenager through East Jerusalem amid huge crowds and tight security ahead of his funeral.

Mohammad Abu Khdair's family believe he was killed in revenge for the murders of three young Israelis in June. Police have not yet established a motive.
His funeral is to take place near the family's home in the Shuafat district.
Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinian youths clashed with police. No injuries were reported.
The funeral comes amid heightened tension between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in and around the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Friday Hamas said it was ready to halt its rocket attacks on southern Israel if the Israel military ceased its air raids against the Palestinian territory.
A Hamas source said Egyptian intelligence officials had brokered a potential ceasefire, but rockets and mortars continued to hit Israel, and Israel fired artillery shells into Gaza - although the intensity of attacks by both sides lessened.
RELATED: Palestinians riot, police fire tear gas during funeral procession of slain teen

Jordanian militant leader says Jordan is not immune to regional chaos

MAAN, Jordan –  A Jordanian militant leader linked to al-Qaida says Jordan is not immune to the chaos befalling neighboring countries.
Mohammed al-Shalabi, a senior leader of Jordan's Salafi movement, tells The Associated Press that there is huge anger in the country because of "economic injustice."

He spoke in an interview Friday at his home on the outskirts of the southern city of Maan. The impoverished area has seen protests by supporters of the Islamic State group, an al-Qaida splinter group leading a blitz offensive in Iraq and Syria.
Al-Shalabi, better known as Abu Sayyaf, urged the government to implement Islamic law and more balanced economic policies to avoid a fate similar to Syria and Iraq.
Jordan is one of the closest U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Iraq Army Recaptures Saddam's Birthplace From ISIS Militants

BAGHDAD, July 4 (Reuters) - The Iraqi army retook Saddam Hussein's home village overnight, a symbolic and tactical victory in its push against Sunni insurgents that have seized swathes of the country. Backed by helicopter gunships and helped by Shi'ite Muslim volunteers, the army recaptured the village of Awja in an hour-long battle on Thursday night, according to state media, police and local inhabitants. Awja lies 8 km (5 miles) south of Tikrit, a city that remains in rebel hands since Islamic State, formerly the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), launched a lightning assault across northern Iraq last month. 

The military spokesman of embattled Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Awja had been "totally cleansed" and 30 militants killed, according to state television. A police source told Reuters three insurgents had been killed. The birthplace of Saddam, Awja benefited hugely from the largesse of the Sunni dictator before his ousting by the U.S. invasion of 2003 and locals remained fiercely loyal to the man who would select his relatives from the area for top posts. Spokesman Qassim Atta said security forces had seized control of several government buildings, including a water treatment plant, but security sources and residents said militants were still holding Iraqi forces from entering Tikrit. 

The offensive to retake Tikrit began on June 28, but the army has still failed to retake the city which fell after the police and army imploded last month in the face of a militant onslaught that also captured Mosul and other major Sunni areas. The army said it now held the 50-km (30-mile) stretch of highway running north from the city of Samarra - which is 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad - to Awja.

Iraq crisis: Isis rebels 'hunt opponents', say refugees

Isis rebels have been methodically hunting down non-Sunnis and those opposed to the militants, refugees from the rebel-held towns have told the BBC.

Isis demanded officials and soldiers pledge allegiance to the caliphate they recently declared or face execution.
More than one million Iraqis have fled their homes over the month as Isis seized Mosul, Tikrit and other cities in the north-west.
At least 2,461 people were killed in June, the UN and Iraqi officials say.
In other developments on Thursday:

• Iraqi military officials denied that troops had abandoned positions along the border with Saudi Arabia, who had reportedly deployed 30,000 soldiers along the frontier

• Turkey announced that a group of 32 Turkish lorry drivers seized last month in northern Iraq by Isis had been handed over to Turkish diplomats. A group of 49 other Turkish citizens are still being held by the rebels

• India said 46 Indian nurses being held by militants in Tikrit were safe, but were being forced to move to a new area. It added that 40 Indian construction workers seized near Mosul were still being held, but were also unharmed

Jihadist 'database' The refugees in the Kurdish-controlled town of Sinjar, near Tal Afar, told the BBC's Quentin Sommerville that towns and villages they had fled were now being systematically cleared by Isis (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

Indian nurses trapped in Iraq to fly home, official says

BAGHDAD –  More than 40 Indian nurses who were trapped by in territory captured by Islamic militants who have overrun much of Iraq in recent weeks are safe and will fly home this week, an Indian official said Friday.
The nurses, 46 in all, had been stranded for more than a week at a hospital in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, which Sunni militants, including fighters from the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria/Levant extremist group, captured last month. Officials say the nurses were moved this week to the militant-held city of Mosul farther north.

On Friday, chief minister of Kerala state in India, Oommen Chandy, said the nurses will return home on a special aircraft arranged by the Indian government. They are expected to arrive in the southern city of Kochi.
"We are thankful to the government of India," Chandy said.
The nurses were believed to be traveling from Mosul to the largely autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, and were expected to arrive in the regional capital of Irbil. It was not immediately clear whether they had crossed over into the Kurdish self-rule area yet or not.
"We are waiting for the arrival of the nurses from Mosul in coordination with the Indian ambassador," said Nawaz Shadi, the governor of Irbil province. "The checkpoints and the security forces are waiting for their arrival in Irbil and then for them to return to their country."

Syria conflict: UK planned to train and equip 100,000 rebels

The UK drew up plans to train and equip a 100,000-strong Syrian rebel army to defeat President Bashar al-Assad, BBC Newsnight can reveal.

The secret initiative, put forward two years ago, was the brainchild of the then most senior UK military officer, General Sir David Richards.
It was considered by the PM and the National Security Council, as well as US officials, but was deemed too risky.
The UK government did not respond to a request for comment.
Lord Richards, as he is now, believed his proposal could stem the civilian bloodshed in Syria as rebels fought troops loyal to Mr Assad.
The idea was considered by David Cameron and Dominic Grieve, the attorney general, and sent to the National Security Council, Whitehall sources said.

Deadly Violence In Egypt On Anniversary Of Morsi Ouster

Five men died in Cairo in separate incidents involving a bomb blast and protester clashes with security forces on Thursday, the first anniversary of the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, security sources said.

Thousands of Egyptians opposed to the army's ouster of Mursi last year joined rare protests in cities and towns around the country, witnesses said. Previous protests had much lower turnout after a new law required official approval.

Security was tight in Cairo as armored personnel carriers blocked off the city's central Tahrir Square to head off any possible protests there.

Since Mursi's ouster, his Muslim Brotherhood group was labeled a terrorist organization and thousands of Islamists have been jailed on accusations of terrorism and violence while militant Islamists have stepped up attacks on security forces.

"On July 3, Egyptians will revolt, marking the beginning of the end of the coup, marching from all towns and cities across Egypt to liberty squares in all provinces," an alliance of Mursi's supporters said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Three of Thursday's victims died in clashes that broke out in Cairo between protesters and security forces, security sources said. Unrest was reported both from the upscale district of Mohandiseen and poor areas such as Haram and Materiya.

Kurds push for independence vote amid Iraq chaos

Massoud Barzani, president of autonomous Kurdish region, calls on Iraqi MPs to plan for independence referendum

Iraq inched closer to partition on Thursday as the president of the country's autonomous Kurdish region asked MPs to start making plans for an independence referendum.
Speaking in the Kurdish parliament in Irbil, Massoud Barzani said he no longer felt bound by the Iraqi constitution, which enshrines the unity of the state, and asked MPs to start preparations for a vote on the right of self-determination, which would represent the Kurds' boldest move towards statehood in 94 years.
"The time has come to determine our fate and we should not wait for other people to determine it for us," Barzani said. The Kurds' historic ambition for a nation state has been given new momentum by the lightning advance of Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) – and Iraqi politicians' inability to act decisively in the face of the insurgent threat.
Iraq's national flag is now rarely seen in northern Iraq, and the Kurdish colours have been raised above all government buildings in Kirkuk, which Kurdish forces seized when the Iraqi army fled in the face of the Isis advance two weeks ago.
Government forces clashed again on Thursday with Isis militants near Tikrit, the home town of Saddam Hussein, which the army has been trying to retake for more than a week.
Kurdish fighters have engaged with Isis largely to defend Kurdish interests. In his speech Barzani said: "We will try to help our Shia and Sunni brothers … to get out of this crisis, but to be truthful we will [be responsible for] a new people [Kurds] who believe in coexistence, democracy and constitution. We will not deal with those who sabotaged the country."

Iron Dome intercepts Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza

The Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted two Kassam rockets fired by Palestinians at southern Israel on Friday.

A Palestinian mortar exploded in an open field near the Eshkol regional council. No injuries or damage was caused. Another Palestinian rocket exploded in the western Negev town of Ofaqim. Still no word on casualties.
Earlier on Friday morning, four rockets exploded in southern Israel while another was intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. Two more mortar shells reportedly exploded in open fields according to media reports.
Soon afterward, IDF artillery fired into the Gaza Strip following the barrage of rocket-fire despite media reports that Hamas officials have claimed they support a ceasefire with Israel which Egyptian intelligence officials were attempting to broker.

Following days of rocket fire and retaliatory strikes by the IDF, the BBC quoted a Hamas sources as saying a truce had been brokered, a claim that Israel has not confirmed. 

Rebels attack from both sides of border in Ukraine

KIEV: Ukrainian troops have recaptured more than a dozen eastern villages from pro-Russia separatists but Russia is allowing the rebels to attack Ukrainian border posts from its territory, a top security official said on Friday.

National security council secretary Andriy Parubiy also said Russia was massing troops near the Ukrainian border — a statement that could not immediately be verified. The two neighbors share a 2,000km long border that is unmarked and unguarded outside of a few checkpoints.

There was no immediate response from Russia to either statement, which came as President Petro Poroshenko expressed a willingness to take part in new peace talks as early as Saturday.

Ukraine says Russia is arming and supporting the separatists in the east, a charge that Russia denies. Ukraine is wary about Russia possibly grabbing more territory after President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in March. The rebels have asked to join Russia and Russian nationalists have urged Putin to send troops into Ukraine, but Putin has resisted those demands for fear of more western sanctions.

Poroshenko, in a statement Friday, said Ukraine had proposed a place and a time for talks but had not heard back from the other parties. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the rebels took part in earlier talks along with representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Filipino activists call for end to US defense pact

MANILA, Philippines –  Protesters clashed Friday with police near the U.S. Embassy in Manila, where about 100 of them marched to mark Philippine-American Friendship day with a call to junk a new defense pact allowing thousands of U.S. troops to be temporarily based in the country.
A policeman and a protester were slightly hurt as demonstrators pushed their way toward the embassy and riot police shoved them back with truncheons and shields.

Vencer Crisostomo, chairman of Anakbayan youth group, said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the two allies in April was an "unequal agreement" that is a "sellout of our national sovereignty."
He said the arrangement will not act as a deterrent but will instead worsen tensions between China and the Philippines, which are embroiled in a territorial row in the South China Sea. "It's not really about friendship," said former Congressman Teddy Casino of the leftist New Patriotic Alliance. "It's about exploitation, it's about a neocolonial relationship." Casino urged the Supreme Court to declare the defense pact unconstitutional.

NSA investigation: Germany arrests 'suspected US spy' 

An employee of Germany's intelligence agency has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the US, reports say.

The man is said to have been trying to gather details about a German parliamentary committee that is investigating claims of US espionage.
The US National Security Agency (NSA) was last year accused of bugging the phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel as part of a huge surveillance programme.
The NSA revelations put a strain on ties between Germany and the US.
US officials at the embassy in Berlin have declined to comment on the latest development.

'Serious matter' German media say the man arrested this week is a 31-year-old employee of the federal intelligence agency, known as the BND.
The German federal prosecutor's office confirmed the man's arrest, but gave no other details.
A spokesman for Ms Merkel said she had been informed of the arrest, as had the members of the nine-strong parliamentary committee investigating the activities of foreign intelligence agencies in Germany.
"The matter is serious, it is clear," spokesman Steffen Seibert told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper,
Der Spiegel news magazine said the man was believed to have passed secret documents to a US contact in exchange for money.

Clinton gaffe: Former secretary of State confuses Britain's political parties

Another interview, another gaffe for Hillary Clinton. 
The former secretary of State, who's been heavily promoting her new book "Hard Choices" in a likely precursor to running for president in 2016, appeared to state the Conservative and Tory Parties in Britain were rival political parties during a BBC interview. 

"Tory" is in fact another name for the Conservative Party in Britain. 
Asked by the host what she thought of the "Special Relationship" between the U.S. and Great Britain, Clinton declared it was "very special between our countries." 
"There's not just a common language, but a common set of values that we can fall back on," she said. "It doesn't matter in our country whether it's a Republican or a Democrat or frankly, in your country, whether it's a Conservative or a Tory. There is a level of trust and understanding. That doesn't mean we always agree because, of course, we don't." 
Clinton also has uttered several cringeworthy statements about her family's personal wealth in recent weeks. She said she and her husband President Clinton were "dead broke" when they left the White House, although since that time they have collected more than $100 million from speaking engagements.

F-35 fighter jets grounded in U.S. until engine inspections complete

Investigation has thus far failed to explain what caused an F-35 engine to explode in Florida

The U.S. military said it had grounded the entire fleet of 97 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets until completion of additional inspections of the warplane's single engine built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

The Pentagon's F-35 program office, Air Force and Navy issued directives on Thursday ordering the suspension of all F-35 flights after a June 23 fire on an Air Force F-35A jet at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, according to statements by the Pentagon and the F-35 program office.

Canada is poised to buy 65 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, but the $400 billion program's development has been plagued by technical issues, with many critics arguing that more viable alternatives to the jet exist on the market. (U.S. Air Force/Reuters)

The Pentagon said U.S. and industry officials had not pinpointed the cause of the fire, which occurred as a pilot was preparing for takeoff. The pilot was not injured.
The Pentagon said preparations were continuing for F-35 jets to participate in two UK air shows later this month, but a final decision would be made early next week. The fire has already derailed plans for an F-35 jet to fly by a naming ceremony for Britain's new aircraft carrier on Friday.

Obama Administration Announces Massive Climate Change Funding

President Obama's new climate change push was reaffirmed on Thursday when the Department of Energy announced that it will make $4 billion in loans available to clean energy projects.
In a statement, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said:

“As the President emphasized in his Climate Action Plan, it is critical that we take an all-of-the above approach to energy in order to cut carbon pollution, help address the effects of climate change and protect our children’s future. Investments in clean, low-carbon energy also provide an economic opportunity. Through previous loan guarantees and other investments, the Department is already helping launch or jumpstart entire industries in the U.S., from utility-scale wind and solar to nuclear and lower-carbon fossil energy. Today’s announcement will help build on and accelerate that success.”

The Department highlighted several key technologies it anticipates will receive loans, including hydroelectric dams and drop-in biofuels.
Last month, Obama announced new rules for power plants meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ThinkProgress also notes several other DOE announcements to fund green energy projects. The efforts are a step in the right direction, but some climate scientists say it might be too late.
Michael Oppenheimer, a scientist at Princeton University, told Scientific American that "marginal cuts by the U.S. don't have a long-term overall big effect on the climate. What has to happen to have a big effect on the global climate is for all the big emitters to get together and decide that they are all going to cut some substantial fraction."
Earlier this week, Climate Central reported that June was the third month in a row where carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere topped an average of 400 parts per million. This is the longest amount of time in recorded history that CO2 levels have been this high.

Tighter security for flights to US

Security is being tightened at airports with direct flights into the US - including some in the UK - in response to US warnings of a "credible threat".

UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the measures were being taken to keep the public safe.
While he would not specify what steps would be involved, he ruled out "significant disruption" to passengers.
It comes amid US media reports that al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Yemen are developing bombs to smuggle on planes.
A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the changes were a response to a "real time" and "credible" threat, but he could not comment on specific intelligence matters.
'Remain vigilant' DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and are consulting the aviation industry."
The changes are expected in the coming days.
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she took the threat seriously, saying: "We have to remain vigilant." 

Supreme Court sides with Christian college in birth control case

The three female justices of the Supreme Court sharply rebuked their colleagues Thursday for siding with a Christian college in the latest battle over providing women with contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act, saying the court was retreating from assurances offered only days ago.
In a short, unsigned opinion, the court said that Wheaton College in Illinois, at least temporarily, does not have to comply even with compromise provisions in the law that the college says still violate its religious beliefs.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the action cast doubt on the very accommodation the court’s majority seemed to endorse Monday in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which concerned businesses that objected to providing birth control that offends the owners’ beliefs.
“Those who are bound by our decisions usually believe they can take us at our word,” wrote Sotomayor, who was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. “Not so today.”
She said Thursday’s order “evinces disregard for even the newest of this court’s precedents and undermines confidence in this institution.”
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