April 2018 - Page 19 of 24

Immigration Raid Takes 97 Into Custody at Tennessee Plant

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeUS

A federal immigration raid that took 97 people into custody at a Tennessee meat processing plant may be the biggest employment crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration, civil rights activists said Friday.

Eleven people were arrested on criminal charges and 86 were detained for being in the country illegally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Tammy Spicer said in a statement Friday.

The Thursday raid on Southeastern Provision, a meat processing plant in Bean Station in eastern Tennessee, is the largest single worksite immigration enforcement action since the administration of President George W. Bush, said Jessie Hahn, labor and employment policy attorney at the National Immigration Law Center.

“This is part of the stepped-up Trump mass deportation enforcement agenda for sure,” Hahn said.

Cracking down on employers

The current administration has promised to crack down on employers who hire immigrants living in the country illegally, and several raids have taken place across the country. A total of 21 people were arrested after immigration agents raided 7-Eleven stores nationwide in January.

A Tennessee activist said the processing plant raid is another example of the emphasis on enforcement.

“What we saw here, while it is the largest and certainly credibly egregious raid, it does fit in the larger practice and patterns of the Trump administration of targeting workers, indiscriminately arresting immigrants and really terrorizing communities across the country,” said Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

Spicer declined to confirm whether it is largest workplace raid under the current president.

Suspected tax evasion

Officials with ICE, Homeland Security, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the Tennessee Highway Patrol executed a federal search warrant on the meat processing plant Thursday morning, Spicer said.

During the search, Homeland Security officials encountered 97 people who are subject to removal from the U.S., she said. Ten workers were arrested on federal criminal charges, and another was arrested on a state charge. Of the 86 people arrested and placed in deportation proceedings, ICE kept 54 in detention and released 32 from custody, Spicer said.

An affidavit filed with the search warrant and signed by a special agent with the IRS says the government has probable cause to believe that the company and its owners have committed tax evasion and are employing immigrants in the country illegally. An undercover police officer was hired at the company using a false name and he was paid in cash, the affidavit filed by IRS Special Agent Nicholas Worsham said.

Court records say James Brantley is the president of the business and his wife, Pamela, is listed as an employee. Public records do not list their phone number. The Associated Press left phone and email messages with company but they were not returned.

Several children saw both parents placed in detention and many did not show up for school Friday because of fear in the immigrant community, Teatro said.

Many of the people employed at the plant had worked there for years and are long-standing members of this rural community, she said.

Rights activists have mobilized to help with donations and legal assistance and people have rallied to help the workers and their families, Teatro said.

“That’s because in the face of the threats of the Trump administration, communities have been organizing and coming together to defend their rights and we’re not going to stop organizing, and the community isn’t going to stop standing with these families until they’re returned home.”

This story was written by the Associated Press.
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Workshop Teaches Ukrainian Art of Dyeing Easter Eggs

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeEU

The Catholic Easter custom of hunting brightly colored eggs and chocolate bunnies may be over now, but in the Orthodox world, Easter comes one week later. And it brings with it, its own unique traditions. One of them is the centuries-old practice of drawing elaborate patterns on Easter eggs decorated and painted using hot wax. Mariia Prus and Konstantin Golubchik produced this report from Alexandria, Virginia that is narrated by Katherine Gypson.
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US Raises the Stakes with Tough Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeEU

The White House has announced sanctions against 38 Russian individuals and companies, saying it is standing up to ongoing “malign activity” by the Russian government against Western democracies in Crimea, Ukraine, Syria and around the world. Russia denies any wrongdoing. VOA Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington on a move that may deepen the divide between Washington and Moscow.
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Trump, UAE Leader Push for Unity in Gulf Amid Standoff

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeEA

U.S. President Donald Trump and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates agreed Friday to push for unity among Gulf nations, the White House said, amid a bitter standoff between Qatar and other U.S. allies in the region.

The two leaders agreed in a telephone call that members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council “can and should do more to increase coordination with each other and with the United States,” the White House said in a statement.

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and their archrival Iran. Doha has denied the charges and has said the countries aim to curtail its sovereignty.

The dispute pits key U.S. allies against each other and has complicated efforts to maintain a united front against Iran.

Earlier this week, U.S. officials said the Trump administration was postponing until September a summit with Gulf Arab leaders that had been planned for May. A crowded diplomatic calendar and lack of progress in negotiations to end the dispute were cited as reasons by officials.

Trump last month met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was on multiweek tour through the United States and is scheduled to meet with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani April 10.

This story was written by Reuters.
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Syrian Troops Launch Assault on Last Rebel Enclave in Ghouta

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeEA

Syrian troops have launched a ground and air assault on the last rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta, killing at least 40 people, according to monitors.

State television showed live footage Friday of thick smoke billowing from different parts of Douma, the largest city in Ghouta. It said Republican Guard forces were pushing in on the town, where the Jaish al-Islam rebel group is holding out.

The fighting comes after other rebel groups in Ghouta accepted safe passage to rebel-held areas northeast of Aleppo.

Russia said last week that Jaish al-Islam accepted a deal to leave Ghouta, which houses tens of thousands of people. However, the evacuations stalled over reports that the rebel group remained divided over the withdrawal.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said the 40 dead in Friday’s offensive included eight children.

It said some of the air attacks were likely carried out by Russian warplanes and said dozens of airstrikes hit various parts of the city.

State news agency SANA said Jaish al-Islam launched mortar shells around the capital, Damascus, hitting several suburbs of the city and killing four people. A rebel spokesman denied the group targeted any Damascus neighborhoods.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the renewed outbreak of fighting in Douma “is of great concern to us.”

The violence comes after nearly two weeks of calm in Ghouta, an enclave on the eastern edge of Damascus. In February, Syria’s government and its ally Russia launched an air and ground offensive on eastern Ghouta, killing more than 1,600 civilians.
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Muslim-American Advocates Hail New York Police Surveillance Settlement

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeUS

Muslim-American advocacy organizations are hailing a legal settlement with New York City police over the department’s surveillance of the community, saying the agreement sends a message that simply being Muslim is not a crime.

The settlement, announced Thursday by lawyers for New York City, the New York Police Department and the Muslim community, resolves a 2012 lawsuit brought by Muslim groups. The suit challenged the lawfulness of a program New York police created after the attacks of September 11, 2001, to gather intelligence on Muslims.

Under the terms of the settlement, the New York Police Department confirmed that it has dismantled the unit responsible for carrying out the intelligence-gathering operation and agreed not to conduct suspicionless surveillance based on religion or ethnicity.

Victory for American Muslims

Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy organization that initially filed the lawsuit, hailed the settlement as a victory for American Muslims.

“Today’s settlement sends a message to all law enforcement: Simply being Muslim is not a basis for surveillance,” Khera said during a press call with reporters.

Omar Farah, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, a progressive legal advocacy organization that later joined the lawsuit, agreed that the settlement bears the same message.

“Attempting to predict criminality on the basis of race or religion is repugnant and it never works — except to humiliate and criminalize targeted communities,” Farah said.

Years of spying, not one lead

Muslim Advocates filed the lawsuit after the Associated Press revealed in a series of investigative reports in 2011 and 2012 how the New York Police Department infiltrated Muslim groups and put informants in mosques in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

As part of the counterterror program, the police monitored at least 20 mosques, 14 restaurants, 11 retail stores, two grade schools and two Muslim student associations in New Jersey, Khera said.

The monitoring included video surveillance of mosques, photographing of license plates, community mapping, and infiltration of mosques, student associations and businesses, she said.

Khera said the surveillance did not produce a single investigative lead.

“This was not lawful policing but just blatant discrimination against innocent Americans,” she said.

The settlement came after an appeals court in 2015 struck down a lower court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit, prompting New York City to initiate talks with the plaintiffs.

Farhaj Hassan, a U.S. Army reservist and the lead plaintiff in the case, said the settlement was a victory for the United States.

“We believe the legal rulings and settlement in this case will endure as part of a broader effort to hold this country to account for its stated commitment and its obligation to uphold religious liberty and equality,” Hassan said.

This story was written by VOA’s Masood Farivar.
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Justice Department Considers Joining Harvard Affirmative Action Case

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeUS

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday it might formally enter a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants as the agency probes its admissions policies for potential civil rights violations.

The department disclosed its plan in a brief urging a federal judge in Boston to not allow the Ivy League school to file pretrial court papers and documents provisionally under seal.

Harvard had cited the need to protect the privacy of applicants and students as well as the inner workings of its admissions process, arguing that various documents should be initially filed under seal pending the judge’s review.

Privacy protections

The Justice Department said it opposed Harvard’s request, joining Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), the group behind the case, which has urged the disclosure of “powerful” evidence showing Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“Harvard College is responsible for protecting the confidential and highly sensitive personal information that prospective students — none of whom asked to be involved in this dispute — entrust to us every year in their applications,” Harvard spokeswoman Rachael Dane said in a statement.

“We are committed to safeguarding their privacy while also ensuring that the public has the access that it is entitled to under the law,” Dane said.

William Consovoy, a lawyer for SFFA, declined to comment.

Supreme Court ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled universities may use affirmative action to help minority applicants get into college. Conservatives have said such programs can hurt white people and Asian-Americans.

The Justice Department under Republican President Donald Trump has been investigating a complaint by more than 60 Asian-American organizations which say Harvard’s policies are discriminatory because they limit the acceptance of Asian-Americans.

“The public funds Harvard at a cost of millions of dollars each year, and thus has a paramount interest in any proof of these allegations, Harvard’s responses to them, and the Court’s resolution of this dispute,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in Friday’s filing.

The department said that while it had obtained much of the case’s evidence through its own separate probe, it wanted to review the court records as it considers whether to file a “statement of interest” arguing a position in the case. A hearing before U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs is scheduled for Tuesday.

Harvard says its admissions policies comply with U.S. laws and that it has worked to increase the financial aid it offers to ensure economic, as well as racial, diversity in its classes.

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Scandal-hit U.S. Republican Congressman Farenthold Steps Down

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeUS

Republican U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas, accused by a female former aide of sexual harassment, abruptly resigned from Congress on Friday after admitting to allowing an unprofessional culture to flourish in his Capitol Hill office.

“While I planned on serving out the remainder of my term in Congress, I know in my heart it’s time for me to move along and look for new ways to serve,” the 56-year-old congressman who represented Corpus Christi in the U.S. House of Representatives said in a social media video statement.

Former radio show host

While Farenthold has denied the sexual harassment accusation, the former conservative radio show host said in December he would not seek re-election. He made that announcement a week after the House ethics committee said it was investigating him over allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation involving a female former staff member.

“I had no idea how to run a congressional office, and as a result, I allowed a workplace culture to take root in my office that was too permissive and decidedly unprofessional,” Farenthold said in December.

The ethics committee said it was also looking into whether Farenthold had made inappropriate statements to other members of his staff.

His resignation took effect on Friday afternoon. Farenthold, who began serving in Congress in 2011, is the latest of several U.S. lawmakers who have stepped down or not sought re-election after being accused of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment claim settled

Politico reported in December that the congressional Office of Compliance had paid $84,000 from a public fund on behalf of Farenthold for a sexual harassment claim.

In 2014, his former communications director, Lauren Greene, filed a lawsuit accusing him of creating a hostile work environment, gender discrimination and retaliation, court documents showed.

The two reached a confidential mediated agreement in 2015, according to a statement from Farenthold’s office that denied any wrongdoing by him.

Reuters has been unable to verify the allegations against Farenthold.

This story was written by Reuters.
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White House Praises McMaster on His Last Day

Posted on 04/07/2018 by SeeUS

The White House praised Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster as a “terrific person” on his last day as national security adviser.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders paid tribute to McMaster, who is leaving after just over a year in office. He’ll be replaced Monday by John Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations.

Sanders said it had been “a real privilege” to work with him.

Trump told McMaster last month he wanted a change in his foreign policy team. They differed on policy and never developed a strong personal relationship.

Trump was still fond of McMaster and had hoped to find him a suitable place in the military. But McMaster said he was retiring from the Army.

This story was written by the Associated Press.
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Arizona, Texas Prepare to Send Guard Troops to US-Mexico Border

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeUS

Arizona and Texas announced Friday that they were preparing to deploy National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to President Donald Trump’s call for more border security.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said about 150 guard members would deploy next week. And the Texas Military Department, the umbrella agency over the Texas’ National Guard branches, said on its Twitter account that it would hold a Friday night news conference on its preparations, though further details were not immediately available.

Trump told reporters Thursday that he wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border to help fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

That would be lower than the roughly 6,000 National Guard members that former President George W. Bush sent in 2006 during another border security operation, though more than the 1,200 guard members President Barack Obama sent in 2010.

Department of Homeland Security officials have said guard members could support Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement agencies. Department of Human Services Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said this week that guard members could “help look at the technology, the surveillance,” and that the department might ask for fleet mechanics.

From 2006 to 2008, the guard fixed vehicles, maintained roads, repaired fences and performed ground surveillance. Its second mission in 2010 and 2011 involved more aerial surveillance and intelligence work.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, now Trump’s energy secretary, also sent about 1,000 guard members to the border in 2014 in response to a surge in the number of unaccompanied immigrant children crossing the Rio Grande, the river that separates the U.S. and Mexico in the state.

About 100 guardsmen remain deployed as part of that existing state mission.

This story was written by the Associated Press.
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Medics: Israeli Troops Kill 7 Palestinians on Day of Heightened Gaza Border Protests

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEA

Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian protesters and wounded at least 200 along the Israel-Gaza border Friday, Gaza medical officials said, raising the death toll to 27 in the weeklong disturbances.

They said the demonstrators, including two boys aged 16 and 17, were killed at protest sites along the frontier during a round of daily demonstrations that has been dubbed “The Great March of Return.”

A well-known Palestinian journalist was among the dead. Early Saturday, Palestinian health officials confirmed that Yasser Murtaga had died from a gunshot wound sustained while covering demonstrations near the Israeli border in Khuzaa. The area was the scene of large protests Friday, and was covered in thick black smoke.

Murtaga was more than 100 meters (yards) from the border, wearing a flak jacket marked “press” and holding his camera when he was shot in an exposed area just below the armpit. Journalists were in the area as protesters were setting tires on fire.

The day of violence, which saw bigger Palestinian crowds than in recent days but not as large as when the demonstration began last Friday, calmed down as night descended.

Gazans, including Palestinian refugees and their descendants seeking to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel, have set up tent encampments a few hundred meters inside the 65-kilometer (40-mile) fence that separates Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Large groups of youths have ventured much closer to the no-go zone along the barrier, risking live fire from Israeli troops to roll burning tires and throw stones.

“Israel took everything from us, the homeland, freedom, our future,” said Samer, a 27-year-old protester who would not give his full name, fearing Israeli reprisals. “I have two kids, a boy and a girl, and if I die, God will take care of them.”

The number of protesters on Friday was larger than in recent days, but lower than at the outset of the disturbances on March 30, when 17 Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli forces. The Israeli military estimated Friday’s turnout at 20,000.

Refugees make up most of the 2 million people in Israeli-blockaded Gaza, an enclave ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas, which calls for Israel’s destruction and is designated by Western states as a terrorist organization.

Many of those killed were militants, said Israel, which stationed sharpshooters on the frontier to stop Palestinians attempting “any breach of the security infrastructure and fence, which protects Israeli civilians.”

War of words

David Keyes, an Israeli government spokesman, accused Hamas of having instigated violent protests along the border.

“This is a travesty for the Palestinian people that the Hamas government is encouraging its people to attack Israel, it is encouraging its people to commit acts of violence,” he said.

Hamas’ Gaza leader, Yehya Al-Sinwar, spoke at a protest encampment to praise those who turned out to confront the “enemy who besieges us.” He said the demonstrations would continue, telling the crowds: “We will uproot the borders, we will pluck out their hearts, and we will pray in Jerusalem.”

Earlier, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged protesters to keep the rallies peaceful. “Maintaining the peaceful nature of the protests will strike all fragile Zionist propaganda,” Qassem said in a statement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who holds little sway in Gaza, condemned what he described as Israel’s “acts of killing and oppression conducted … against the peaceful uprising.”

Israel’s response to the protests has drawn international criticism, with human rights groups saying it involved live fire against demonstrators posing no immediate threat to life.

The demonstrators have revived a long-standing demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages that their families fled from, or were driven out of, when the state of Israel was created.

The Israeli government has ruled out any right of return, fearing that the country would lose its Jewish majority.

‘Rules of engagement’

Palestinian youths burned Israeli flags and planted Palestinian banners on dirt mounds beside tented encampments as others arrived on large trucks carrying piles of more tires to burn. Others launched stones with slingshots.

With Israeli tear gas rising into the air, Palestinian youths used T-shirts, cheap medical masks and perfume to try to protect themselves. Israel tried to douse the burning rubber with jets of water directed over defensive dirt mounds on its side of the border.

A U.N. human rights spokeswoman urged Israel to exercise restraint against the Palestinian protesters. “We are saying that Israel has obligations to ensure that excessive force is not employed. And that if there is unjustified and unlawful recourse to firearms, resulting in death, that may amount to a willful killing,” Elizabeth Throssell said in Geneva.

Israel says it is doing what it must to defend its border and that its troops have been responding with riot dispersal means and fire “in accordance with the rules of engagement.”

The Palestinian deaths have elicited scant concern in Israel, which has been the target of thousands of rocket strikes from Gaza over the past few years.

Palestinian militant groups have also dug tunnels under the border fence to smuggle weapons, and to launch attacks.

This story was written by Reuters. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Prominent Russian Businessmen, Officials on New US Sanctions List

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

The United States imposed sanctions on Friday against Russian businessmen, companies and government officials.

Below are the names of the most prominent businessmen targeted along with their main assets/connections and extracts from the U.S. Treasury statement.

Designated Russian oligarchs

OLEG DERIPASKA, main owner of En+, co-owner of Rusal and Norilsk Nickel Deripaska, is ranked by Forbes magazine as Russia’s 19th-richest businessman with a net worth of $6.7 billion. Deripaska holds regular meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, invested heavily in Russia’s 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and has said his own interests are indivisible from the state’s.

En+ has a 48 percent stake in Rusal, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers. Rusal is listed in Hong Kong and counts Glencore among its shareholders.

Rusal has assets in Italy, Ireland, Sweden, as well as Nigeria, Guyana, Guinea, and a stake in Australian QAL, the world’s top alumina refinery. Over 10 percent of Rusal’s total sales go to the United States.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Oleg Deripaska is being designated … for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as … for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.”

VIKTOR VEKSELBERG, key owner of Renova holding group. Forbes ranks Vekselberg as Russia’s ninth-richest businessman with a net worth of $14.4 billion. He is famous for bringing back a collection of Faberge eggs to Russia.

Apart from Russia, Renova has assets in the United States and Europe, of which the most notable are stakes in the Swiss companies Sulzer, Schmolz+Bickenbach and Oerlikon. They are not under sanctions.

Vekselberg and his partners also have a stake in Rusal, which supplies aluminium to the United States and other countries.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Viktor Vekselberg is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy. Vekselberg is the founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renova Group.”

KIRILL SHAMALOV, minority shareholder with petrochemical company Sibur Shamalov. He married Putin’s youngest daughter Katerina in February 2013, multiple sources who were at the wedding told Reuters. After the marriage, he swiftly grew his wealth through investments in Russia’s biggest petrochemical company, Sibur.

Unconfirmed media reports say Shamalov and Putin’s daughter have since split.

Forbes says Shamalov is Russia’s 72nd-richest businessman with a net worth of $1.4 billion. Shamalov now owns 3.9 percent of Sibur. Gennady Timchenko, a close associate of Putin, holds a stake in the company as well.

Sibur is not under sanctions.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Kirill Shamalov is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy. Shamalov married Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova in February 2013 and his fortunes drastically improved following the marriage.”

ANDREI SKOCH, a deputy in the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament. Forbes says Skoch is Russia’s 23rd-wealthiest businessman with a net worth of $4.9 billion. Skoch’s father, Vladimir, owns a stake in USM holding. Businessman Alisher Usmanov is a key shareholder in USM. Neither Usmanov nor USM is under sanctions.

Via USM, Skoch’s father co-owns Metalloinvest, Russia’s largest and the world’s second-largest mining company by the size of iron ore reserves, with units in Ireland, Switzerland and Guinea.

USM also has stakes in Megafon, Russia’s second-largest mobile operator, in MAIL.RU Group, one of Russia’s largest internet companies, and in Russian social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

USM also has stakes in Alibaba, JD.com, Xiaomi, Uber, Spotify, Airbnb, Zalando, Flipkart, Ola Cabs, Didi Chuxing, ZocDoc and Klarna.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Andrei Skoch is being designated for being an official of the government of the Russian Federation. Skoch is a deputy of the Russian Federation’s State Duma.”

SULEIMAN KERIMOV, member of the Russian upper house of parliament. Kerimov is ranked by Forbes as Russia’s 20th-wealthiest businessman, with a net worth of $6.4 billion.

He is embroiled in a tax fraud investigation in France. The Kremlin has said it will do all it can to help him.

Polyus, Russia’s largest gold producer, is controlled by Kerimov’s family. Polyus is not under sanctions.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Suleiman Kerimov is being designated for being an official of the government of the Russian Federation. Kerimov is a member of the Russian Federation Council.”

VLADIMIR BOGDANOV, chief executive of oil company Surgutneftegaz. Forbes puts Bogdanov’s net worth at $1.8 billion, making him Russia’s 53rd-wealthiest businessman.

Surgutneftegaz is already under sanctions.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Vladimir Bogdanov is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy. Bogdanov is the director general and vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Surgutneftegaz, a vertically integrated oil company operating in Russia.”

IGOR ROTENBERG, son of Arkady Rotenberg, Putin’s former judo partner Forbes says Igor Rotenberg is Russia’s 93rd-richest businessman and worth $1.1 billion.

Arkady Rotenberg and his brother Boris Rotenberg are already under sanctions due to their close connections to Putin, whom they have known since they practiced judo together in St. Petersburg in Putin’s younger days. Arkady Rotenberg is now overseeing the construction of a bridge Putin has championed to Russia-annexed Crimea.

From U.S. Treasury Department: “Igor Rotenberg is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy. Rotenberg acquired significant assets from his father, Arkady Rotenberg, after OFAC designated the latter in March 2014. Specifically Arkady Rotenberg sold Igor Rotenberg 79 percent of the Russian oil and gas drilling company Gazprom Burenie.”

Designated oligarch-owned companies

Companies from Deripaska’s business empire: B-Finance Ltd., Basic Element, EN+ Group, EuroSibEnergo, Rusal, Russian Machines, GAZ Group, Agroholding Kuban.

Companies from Igor Rotenberg’s business empire: Gazprom Burenie, which provides oil and gas exploration services in Russia, and NPV Engineering.

Shamalov’s Ladoga Menedzhment, which is engaged in deposit banking.

Vekselberg’s Renova Group.

Designated Russian state-owned firms

Rosoboroneksport and the Russian Financial Corporation Bank, which is owned by Rosoboroneksport.

Designated Russian government officials

Andrey Akimov, chairman of the board at Gazprombank.

Andrey Kostin, president of VTB bank.

*Alexey Miller, chief executive of Gazprom.

Mikhail Fradkov, president of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies.

Sergey Fursenko, member of the board of directors of Gazprom Neft.

Oleg Govorun, head of the Presidential Directorate for Social and Economic Cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States Member Countries.

Alexey Dyumin, the governor of the Tula region.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the minister of internal affairs.

Konstantin Kosachev, the chairperson of the council of the Federation Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council.

Vladislav Reznik, member of the Russian State Duma.

Evgeniy Shkolov, an aide to Putin.

Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of the central bank.

Vladimir Ustinov, the plenipotentiary envoy to Russia’s Southern Federal District.

Timur Valiulin, the head of the General Administration for Combating Extremism within Russia’s Interior Ministry.

Alexander Zharov, the head of Roskomnadzor.

Viktor Zolotov, the director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops and commander of the National Guard Troops.

*Gazprom’s key European partners include OMV, Engie, Uniper, Royal Dutch Shell, BASF, E.ON, Eni, Gasunie, as well as Turkey’s Botas, China’s CNPC, Japan’s Mitsui and Mitsubishi, among others.

Data from OFAC, public interviews, companies information.
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US Raises Stakes with Tough Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

The White House has announced sanctions against 38 Russian individuals and companies, saying the United States is standing up to ongoing “malign activity” by the Russian government against Western democracies and around the world.

At Friday’s White House briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the U.S. still wants to work with Russia.

WATCH: US Raises the Stakes with Tough Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs

“Again, what we would like to see is the totality of the Russian behavior change. We want to continue having conversations and work forward to building a better relationship,” Sanders said.

Oligarchs, Russian companies

The sanctions will be imposed on seven Russian oligarchs — including Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — and 12 companies they own or control. Seventeen senior Russian government officials, as well as a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and its subsidiary, a Russian bank, also will be targeted.

The group includes key members of Putin’s inner circle.

Those sanctioned will have their assets blocked in the U.S. and people in the U.S. are barred from doing business with them.

Friday, a number of U.S. lawmakers and foreign policy experts welcomed the measure, saying the sanctions are overdue.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said the move is the strongest action taken by the Trump administration to date for Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and “its murder of dissidents at home and abroad.”

“The sanctioning of oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska, who is linked to Paul Manafort, Alexander Torshin and Putin’s son-in-law, will send a strong message to the Kremlin,” Schiff said in a statement.

Florida’s Marco Rubio, a Republican senator and former presidential candidate, also welcomed Friday’s announcement.

“These new sanctions send a clear message to Vladimir Putin that the illegal occupation of Ukraine, support for … war crimes [under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime], efforts to undermine Western democracies, and malicious cyberattacks will continue to result in severe consequences for him and those who empower him,” Rubio said in a statement.

Russia denies its government has interfered in Western elections and allegations that Moscow has had dissidents murdered.

The new sanctions targets include Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council.

“I have been in the USA many times. Regarding the fact that they have introduced sanctions, it doesn’t mean we will not communicate with them. There are other countries where it is possible to communicate and work to resolve these questions,” Patrushev said.

‘Devastating blow’

Bill Browder, the CEO of Hermitage Capital — an investment fund and asset management company specializing in Russian markets — and a human rights activist, told VOA the latest round of sanctions is “a devastating blow for Putin and his inner circle,” and are likely to have more direct and sustained impact on the Kremlin leadership.

“Every civilized country should follow the USA and impose sanctions,” Browder said.

Anders Aslund of the Atlantic Council, an American think tank focusing on international affairs, said the sanctions will be painful for Russia.

“It will essentially mean that these people cannot do business in the U.S. banking system, and that essentially means that you can’t do business in dollars, and that will be serious,” Aslund told VOA.

Some, including Mark Simakovsky of the Atlantic Council, questioned the timing of the new sanctions.

“These are actions that would have been taken in any normal administration,” Simakovsky said. “The question is, because President [Donald] Trump has sought to maintain positive relations with Putin, even congratulating him, why did this administration choose to do this and why now?”

Simavoksy said the new sanctions are unlikely to change Putin’s behavior.

“I think this will only further deepen the divide between the U.S. and Russia,” he said.

Many experts are watching to see if European Union nations will follow suit with their own tough measures against Moscow, now that the U.S. has taken the lead on sanctioning Russian oligarchs.

This story was written by VOA’s Cindy Saine and William Gallo. Iuliia Alieva, Ia Meurmishvili and VOA’s Russian service contributed to this report.
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UN Accuses Israel of Excessive Use of Force in Gaza

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEA

The United Nations human rights office is echoing a recent call by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an independent investigation into Israel’s use of force against Palestinians who staged protests in Gaza on March 30. The call came Friday as Israeli troops again clashed with Palestinians staging “right of return” border protests.

What began as a peaceful demonstration along the Gaza-Israeli border Friday turned deadly shortly after the U.N. human rights office in Geneva called for restraint by both the Israeli security forces and Palestinians. Spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters U.N. officials feared a repeat of last month’s riots, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people and injuries to more than 1,000.

She said several hundred protesters reportedly were wounded by live ammunition. She noted the victims reportedly were unarmed or did not pose a serious threat to the Israeli security forces, who were well protected. The rights office said Israeli security forces used excessive force last month. Throssell told VOA that Israel denies the accusation.

“From what we have documented, it is certainly that the killings and the injuries do actually point to an excessive use of force and, in particular lethal force,” said Throssell. “And, that was in a situation where there was no threat of death or serious injury. And, that is why we have made this call. This is a law enforcement issue. This has law enforcement principles.”

Under international human rights law, firearms may be used only as a last resort, only in response to an imminent threat of death or risk of serious injury. Throssell said international law obliges Israel’s security forces to respect the rights of peaceful assembly.

She said in the context of a military occupation, as is the case in the self-governing Palestinian territory, the unjustified and unlawful recourse to firearms by law enforcement resulting in death may amount to a willful killing and a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Palestinians have constructed protest tent camps along the entire length of the Gaza Strip in five locations. They are expected to stay in place for six weeks.

The protests are designed to commemorate the Nakba or “catastrophe” when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had to flee their land or were expelled during the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel. Israel has deployed more than 100 snipers along the Gaza Strip.

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Spokesman for South Sudan’s VP Quits, Blames Government for Country’s Suffering

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeAF

The press secretary for South Sudan’s Vice President James Wani Igga has resigned, saying he cannot serve a government that is subjecting its people to suffering.

David Mayen Dengdit told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus that he left his position a week ago because of what he called bad government policies.

“I would be a hypocrite if I pretended to be serving two masters: A government that is sending its people away, that is subjecting its people to different forms of sufferings, and the same people who are victims of our government. I could not do both at the same time,” said Dengdit, who is now in Denver, Colorado.

The government of President Salva Kiir has been fighting rebel groups since December 2013. The civil war has pushed an estimated 4 million South Sudanese from their homes and left at least 6 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

Office: Dengdit requested time off

Dengdit is a longtime associate of Igga. Dengdit began working for Igga in 2008, when the vice president was the speaker of the national legislative assembly in Juba.

Kalisto Lado, the deputy press secretary in the vice president’s office, told VOA that Dengdit has not submitted a resignation letter.

“We were surprised to hear him talking to VOA that he has tendered his resignation,” he said. “What we know is that he took some time off to visit his family in Kampala [Uganda] and his mother and sister in the U.S. He also requested some time off to seek medical attention.

“He was a good press secretary. … We don’t know the motives behind his resignation. We wish he had first consulted us before resigning.”

War crime accusations

Dengdit said the government’s counterinsurgency policy in parts of eastern Equatoria and Yei River states has pushed thousands of people from their ancestral lands.

Dengdit said he traveled recently to Uganda on a bus and witnessed ghost villages along the once-busy Juba-Nimule highway, which connects South Sudan with east African countries.

“I can attest to you that if a population census is conducted tomorrow, the Madi tribe would not be counted because they have all been pushed to refugee camps in Uganda,” he said.

Kiir visited the South Sudanese border town of Nimule last month and apologized to residents whose villages were destroyed during a government campaign to fight rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition in the area.

“I am sorry to see Lowa Pari in the shape I have seen this morning,” Kiir told a small crowd of people who turned up at a trading center during his visit. “This was once a place where the population used to be active. Now it is vandalized; there is nothing there and I am sorry for that.”

Dengdit said, “A skewed counterinsurgency strategy by the Kiir administration is responsible for the sufferings of civilians in South Sudan, for the war crimes that have been committed against the civilians in greater Equatoria, in greater Upper Nile.”

He said the government practices a policy of blanket condemnation of civilians in villages across South Sudan.

“This is happening in Lainya [county]; this is happening to [the] Kakwa in Yei [state] and Morobo [county in Yei]. This is happening to [the] Kuku in Kajokeji [county],” the former press secretary said.

Pay issue

Dengdit also said he has not been paid since November.

When he was last paid, the money wasn’t enough to cover basic costs, Dengdit said. “When your salary comes, it is not enough to provide you with water for 30 days. A barrel of water is now 200 South Sudanese pounds,” (about $1.50), he said.

Kiir has acknowledged on several occasions that his government has no money to pay its soldiers and civil servants.

In March, Kiir told his new finance minister to devise ways to revitalize the collapsed country’s economy.

Dengdit, however, maintained the country has money from oil revenues. “We are still exporting 150,000 barrels [of crude oil] per day even today. Where is that money going?”

He said South Sudan’s capital, Juba, is crowded with women, men and street children begging from well-wishers.

“There is a total meltdown, there is a complete collapse of the economy, [and] people cannot make ends meet,” Dengdit said.
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Former S. African President Zuma Appears in Court on Corruption Charges

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeAF

Former South African President Jacob Zuma appeared in court Friday to face corruption charges. The appearance was brief but significant, coming just under two months after his resignation.

Addressing supporters outside the courthouse Friday, Zuma criticized the charges as politically motivated.

“Innocent until proven otherwise,” he said after appearing at the Durban High Court to face charges of fraud, racketeering, corruption and money laundering.

Earlier, a defiant Zuma smiled and waved to hundreds of supporters as he entered the building.

In court, the prosecution told Judge Themba Sishi that they have agreed with the defense to postpone the case until June 8.

The postponement was mainly to give Zuma a chance to finalize his review application, objecting to the decision to re-charge him.

Zuma was not asked to plead or pay bail. The judge only warned him to appear on the next court date.

Andile Mgxitama, one of the Zuma supporters who prayed, sang and danced outside the court, said “we are here to stand with the president of the people.”

“We will stand with President Zuma now,” he said, “and we will stand with him until the land returns. Hands off Zuma.”

For many South Africans, seeing the former president in the dock was surreal. And for Sizakele Dhlamini, it is a positive development in African democracy.

“It is a norm in African countries that former presidents or current presidents who break the law, they are left to go scot-free,” said Dhlamini. “South Africa has proven beyond reasonable doubt that it’s doable. It can be done.”

Zuma’s party, the African National Congress, has decided not to support him during his court battle, even though some ANC members came out to support him Friday, saying they were doing so on their own.

Political analyst Karima Brown said this could be a big blow for Zuma.

“This is a man deeply at odds with his own organization,” she said. “For someone like Jacob Zuma, who has been in the African National Congress for more than sixty-five years, that is a deep, deep wound.”

The charges relate to kickbacks Zuma allegedly received in connection to a European arms deal undertaken by South Africa in the 1990s. A representative for French arms dealer Thales SA is facing charges similar to Zuma’s.

Zuma first appeared in court for the same charges in 2007. They were dropped in 2009, but the Democratic Alliance party convinced the court to reinstate them, leading to Friday’s appearance.

As usual, Zuma’s supporters demanded that he sing his trademark songs Friday — and he did not disappoint.

This story was written by Thuso Khumalo in Johannesburg for VOA News.
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Palestinians Hold 2nd Mass Protest on Gaza Border

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEA

At least one Palestinian has been killed and 40 wounded in clashes along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip. The violence follows the killing of 19 Palestinians by Israeli forces during violent demonstrations in the same area a week ago.

Thousands of Palestinians held a mass protest on the Gaza border, where they were confronted by Israeli troops.

Soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to prevent a breach of the border fence.

The protesters burned tires near the fence, as thick black smoke rose into the air.

Demonstrator Muhammad al-Tramsi said that by burning tires, Palestinians hoped to blind Israeli snipers. He said he is not afraid to die.

Israel has warned that any attempt to breach the fence and bring a flood of Palestinians across the border is a red line that will not be tolerated.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman described the protests as a provocation and warned that anyone approaching the border fence is putting his life at risk.

The United Nations, European Union and human rights groups charge that firing at unarmed demonstrators is an excessive use of force, but Israel has rejected their demands for an inquiry.

The Islamic militant group Hamas which rules Gaza says the protests are aimed at highlighting Israel’s crippling blockade on the coastal territory as well as the so-called “right of return”: the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes in Israel.

The weekly demonstrations are due to conclude in mid-May with a mass march on Israel’s 70th anniversary.

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Egypt’s Most Popular Daily Sacks Chief Editor Over Election

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEA

Egypt’s most popular daily has sacked its chief editor amid a crisis over the paper’s coverage of last month’s presidential election, which critics have dubbed undemocratic, in the latest blow to freedom of the press in Egypt.

The dismissal note for Mohammed el-Sayyed Saleh was signed by Al-Masry Al-Youm’s CEO Abdel-Moneim Said, and was dated April 4.

It was widely circulated on social media Friday and the paper’s journalists, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media, confirmed its authenticity.

Attempts to reach Saleh were unsuccessful. On his Facebook page, Saleh posted that he had left his job, claiming it was his own desire. He said he is “proud of what I have produced … proud of 14 years of my work here and proud of 1,000 headlines.”

The dismissal note did not include reasons behind the sacking and only said, “it has been decided to end the assignment” of Saleh as a chief editor.

Election authorities have said the paper’s coverage amounted to an “insult.” Al-Masry Al-Youm ran a piece last month about state-orchestrated efforts to mobilize voters using rewards. One of the headlines read: “Officials promising financial bonus, gifts in front of the polls.”

Saleh was referred for questioning, while Egypt’s state prosecutor opened an investigation into the paper’s election coverage. The state-run Supreme Council for Media Regulations fined the paper 150,000 Egyptian pounds (8,400 dollars) and demanded it publish an apology.

The paper, which had changed the contentious headlines in second editions, ran an apology Monday.

Al-Masry Al-Youm is owned by Egyptian tycoon Saleh Diab, who in 2015 was briefly arrested over corruption allegations. The incident was seen as a warning from authorities.

In the March balloting, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was re-elected for a second term, getting 97 percent of the vote in a virtually one-man contest, with only one obscure politician running after all serious challengers were arrested or pressured to withdraw from the race.

Since the ouster of el-Sissi’s predecessor, Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following mass protests against his divisive rule, authorities have waged an unprecedented crackdown on political dissent and media. Thousands have been jailed, including journalists. Protests have been banned, hundreds of websites blocked, and freedom of press has largely been curbed.

Days before the election, authorities expelled British journalist Bel Trew after arresting her and threatening her with a military trial.

Another arrest

Also this week, Adel Sabri, the chief editor of Masr al-Arabia independent website, was arrested. He faces allegations of membership in the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, publishing false news, and managing an unlicensed website — typical allegations against government critics.

Masr al-Arabia was also fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $3,000) for publishing an Arabic translation of a New York Times report saying voters were offered cash, food and promises of better services in exchange for casting ballots.

Reporters Without Borders has ranked Egypt as 161 out of 180 countries on their 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
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Three Killed in Pair of Suicide Car Bombings in Somali Capital

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeAF

Three people are dead after a pair of suicide car bombings in Somalia’s capital, police said Friday.

The first explosion occurred at an army checkpoint on the airport road in Mogadishu, injuring one soldier, Capt. Mohamed Hussein said. The bomber apparently was heading to Mogadishu’s international airport but was stopped by soldiers.

The heavily fortified airport houses embassies and is a major target for al-Shabab extremists.

The second car bomb detonated shortly afterward near busy Benadir junction after soldiers stopped the vehicle, firing on it as it tried to speed through a checkpoint.

The three dead included a soldier, Hussein said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the two explosions. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of the capital and holds large parts of southern and central Somalia.
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US Sanctions Russian Oligarchs

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

The Trump administration on Friday announced wide-ranging sanctions against 38 Russian individuals and companies, part of what senior administration officials billed as a response “to address Russia’s pattern of malign activities” around the world.

U.S. officials say the sanctions are “not in response to any single event or issue,” but are aimed at countering the “totality of the Russian government’s ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity around the world.”

In a briefing with reporters, the officials cited Russia’s occupation of Crimea, the destabilizing of eastern Ukraine, support for the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s “ongoing malicious cyber activity,” and “Russia’s continued attacks to subvert Western democracies.”

“Elites are not immune from accountability from the actions of the Russian government,” a U.S. official said, adding that Russian oligarchs should use their position of influence to “put an end to this cycle of destabilizing Russian activity around the globe.”

The oligarchs, the official said, have “reaped great benefits under the Putin regime and play a key role in its malign agenda.”

The sanctions will block all of the oligarchs’ assets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and U.S. persons will be “generally prohibited” from dealing with the sanctioned entities, officials said. Any entities owned 50 percent or more by any of the subjects also will be subject to the sanctions.

The move comes after Britain, the United States and other NATO countries expelled more than 150 Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter, who were attacked with a nerve agent in Britain.

The spy, Sergei Skripal, 66, remains in a British hospital following the March 4 poisoning that Britain has blamed on Russia. The attack on the Skripals set off wide diplomatic recriminations, between the West and Moscow, that were reminiscent of the Cold War standoffs of the 1950s.

Russia has adamantly denied involvement and expelled an equal number of Western envoys. There was no immediate Russian reaction to the latest sanctions.

This story was written by William Gallo
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New Service Robots Gaining Popularity in Europe

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

Robots are constantly adding new skills to their repertoire. In Italy, the first dedicated interactive service robot, “Robby the hotel concierge” and his brother, “Cayuki the car salesman,” are taking the country by storm with their technological efficiencies. In Finland, another kind of robot – “Elias” is thrilling classrooms with his language and dancing skills. As VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports, the next generation of robots is ready to serve, educate and entertain the masses.
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Paris Restaurant Keeps Refugee Dreams Alive

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

As Europe hardens laws and attitudes toward asylum seekers, a new restaurant has opened in Paris that gives refugee chefs a platform to display their culinary talents and cultural backgrounds and — its founders hope — help them better integrate into their adopted countries. For VOA, Lisa Bryant has the story from Paris.
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Israel, Hamas Prepare for ‘Friday of Tires’ Showdown Along Gaza Border

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEA

Israel and Hamas geared up Friday for another showdown on the Gaza-Israel border, amid concerns about renewed bloodshed after more than a dozen Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured by Israeli fire in a mass protest last week.

Friday’s march is the second in what Gaza’s Hamas rulers said would be several weeks of protests against a decade-old border blockade of the territory.

Activists plan to burn large numbers of tires Friday, in hopes that clouds of black smoke will block the view of Israeli snipers deployed on the other side of the border fence.

Israel has accused Hamas of trying to carry out border attacks under the cover of large protests and said it will prevent a breach of the fence at all costs.

Rights groups protest

Israel’s defense minister has warned that protesters approaching the border fence endanger their lives, drawing condemnation from rights groups that said such seemingly broad open-fire rules are unlawful.

A leading Israeli rights group, B’Tselem, issued a rare appeal to Israeli soldiers to refuse “grossly illegal” orders to fire at unarmed protesters.

Last Friday, thousands of Gaza residents participated in a mass demonstration, many gathering in five tent encampments that had been set up from north to south along the narrow coastal strip’s border with Israel, each at a distance of about several hundred meters from the fence. Smaller groups, mostly young men, rushed forward, throwing stones, hurling firebombs or burning tires and drawing Israeli fire.

Week’s toll: 22 Palestinians

In all, 22 Palestinians were killed in Gaza over the past week, among them 16 involved in last Friday’s protests, according to Gaza health officials. This includes a 30-year-old who died on Friday of injuries sustained last week, the officials said.

The six other deaths included three gunmen killed in what Israel said were attempts to attack the border and three men who were struck by Israeli tank fire.

Last week’s turnout was apparently driven by the organizational prowess of Hamas as well as the growing desperation of Gaza residents who live in what has been described as the world’s largest open-air prison.

The crowd size was seen as a test for Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seized the territory in 2007 from its political rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Ahead of Friday’s march, Hamas announced it would pay compensation to families of those killed or injured, ranging from $200 to $500 per injury and $3,000 per death.

Devastated economy

Late Thursday, activists urged residents over loudspeakers mounted on vans touring the streets to show up for what they called the “Friday of Tires.”

The idea of mass protests was initially floated by social media activists, but was later co-opted by Hamas, with the backing of smaller militant factions.

For Hamas, it’s perhaps the last chance to break a border blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, without having to succumb to demands that it disarm.

The blockade has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. It has also devastated Gaza’s economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day.

Hamas leaders billed the final protest, set for May 15, as the “Great March of Return” of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, implying they would try to enter Israel. But they stopped short of specifically threatening a mass breach of the border fence.

Israel has warned that it will not permit a breach of the fence and said it has a right to defend its sovereign border.

Military officials have said Hamas has used the protests as a cover for damaging the fence, planting explosives and, in one incident, opening fire on soldiers.

Israel argues that Hamas could have ended the suffering of Gaza’s 2 million people by disarming and renouncing violence.

Hamas has refused to give up its weapons, even at the cost of derailing talks on getting Abbas to assume the burden of governing Gaza, seen by Israel and Egypt as a prerequisite for opening Gaza’s borders.
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South Africa’s Zuma in Court, Briefly, to Face Corruption Charges

Posted on 04/06/2018 by SeeEU

Former South African president Jacob Zuma appeared in court Friday to face corruption charges relating to a $2.5 billion arms deal, later telling a crowd he would be proven innocent in the long running case that resurfaced after his fall from power.

Zuma’s transition from “Mr. President” to “Accused Number One” in less than two months is a significant setback for the 75-year-old, whose nine years in office were marked by economic stagnation and credit downgrades.

He faces 16 charges including fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

In a procedural appearance that lasted less than 15 minutes, state prosecutors and Zuma’s lawyers asked the Durban High Court to adjourn the case until June 8 so both sides could prepare submissions. Judge Themba Sishi approved the request.

A potential trial would take several more months to prepare.

Zuma denies charges

Zuma later told thousands of supporters outside court in Durban that his opponents were telling lies and the judiciary and politicians believed that he did not have rights.

“The truth will come out. What have I done?” Zuma told the cheering crowd, speaking in Zulu in his home Kwa-Zulu Natal province. “I am innocent until proven guilty.”

Zuma denies any wrongdoing and is challenging the decision to prosecute the case, a dramatic development on a continent where political leaders are rarely held to account for their actions before the law.

The speed with which prosecutors scheduled his day in court is a sign of the loss of control Zuma has suffered since his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, became head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December.

Zuma still retains some popular support, especially in his Zulu heartland.

Heavily armed police in riot gear lined the square outside the court, as thousands of Zuma supporters gathered to express solidarity with a leader they say is the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt.

‘Hands off Zuma’

Marchers, many clad in the distinctive yellow, green and black of the ANC, carried placards reading “Hands off Zuma” and performed the high-stepping toyi-toyi protest dance made popular in South Africa’s decades-long struggle against apartheid.

Zuma, forced to resign by the ANC last month, was at the center of a 1990s deal to buy billions of dollars of European military hardware to upgrade South Africa’s post-apartheid armed forces.

But the deal was mired in scandal and controversy from the start, with many inside and outside the ANC questioning the spending given the massive social problems, from health to education, Nelson Mandela’s party had to address after coming to power in 1994.

The affair has cast a shadow over South African politics ever since.

Zuma was deputy president at the time. Schabir Shaikh, his former financial adviser, was found guilty and jailed in 2005 for trying to solicit bribes for Zuma from a subsidiary of French arms company Thales.

The company is facing charges in the same case.

Charges against Zuma were filed but then set aside by the National Prosecuting Authority shortly before he successfully ran for president in 2009. The charges were re-instated in 2016.

Since his election nine years ago, his opponents have fought a lengthy legal battle to have the charges reinstated. Zuma countered with his own legal challenges.
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