April 2019 - Page 17 of 26

US-Turkish Tensions Escalate Over Russian Missile Purchase

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEU

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirming his commitment to buy Russian missiles in the face of renewed warnings from NATO ally the United States about sanctions, Ankara and Washington remain on a collision course. Analysts warn that with a July date looming for Ankara to take delivery of the missiles, time is running out to avert a rupture in bilateral ties.

“Turkey must choose — does it want to remain a critical partner in the most successful military alliance in history?” said David Satterfield, the U.S. nominee to be the ambassador to Turkey, speaking at a confirmation hearing Thursday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Or does it want to risk the security of that partnership by making such reckless decisions that undermine our alliance?”

“We tell them [journalists], ‘This is a job done, all is ready,’ ” said Erdogan. He confirmed the purchase of the S-400 missiles as he spoke to Turkish reporters Monday, while returning from Moscow after his third meeting this year with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It’s like a slow-motion car crash. It’s even difficult now to call Turkey and the U.S. allies, so I am not very optimistic about the relationship,” said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served in Washington.

Washington claims the S-400 missiles will compromise U.S.-made military defense systems used by Turkey, in particular the F-35 fighter jet. The Pentagon has warned that delivery of the F-35 planes to Turkey, which is a co-producer of the aircraft, is in jeopardy with any deployment of the Russian missiles.

The U.S. Congress is also warning that Ankara’s procurement of Russian weapons would open the door to financial sanctions, under CAATSA — the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Under the 2017 legislation, Turkish institutions and individuals can be targeted by hefty fines.

Any U.S. fine could rock Turkey’s economy, which is in recession after last year’s collapse of the lira, triggered by the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey over the detention in Turkey of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has since been released.

“I don’t think market participants have a very good handle on how high the stakes are,” said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, “in the bad-case scenario of Turkey-U.S. brinkmanship in the S-400 drama.”

On Friday, the lira fell sharply amid growing investor concerns about U.S.-Turkish tensions and reports of a steep fall in Turkey’s foreign currency reserves. “I fear Erdogan has not been told by his advisers how little foreign reserves Turkey has left,” said an analyst for a foreign bank, speaking anonymously. “Turkey has very little room and time to maneuver now.”

Some analysts suggest Turkey is too important for the U.S. to crack down on. “I was speaking to American diplomats. I told them, ‘It’s America’s choice — do they want to hit Turkey with sanctions that will make an unstable Turkey, that will destabilize the rest of the region?’ ” asked international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

Bagci says a lack of clarity by Washington about its intentions exacerbates the current tensions.

“The Americans are confused. What we hear from the American Pentagon, the State Department, is it [the S-400 sale] will create troubles and reduce trust and cause sanctions. But the American president has said nothing,” said Bagci.

“If [U.S. President Donald] Trump says don’t buy [the S-400 missiles],” he added, “it will carry much more political weight. However, as long as there is no statement from the American president, there will probably be no return from this deal.”

The Turkish president’s advisers routinely maintain that the only voice that counts in Washington is that of Trump. They allege dark forces are operating around the U.S. president, seeking to sour ties with Ankara.

Analysts warn that any strategy by Ankara of relying on Erdogan’s relationship with Trump is risky. “There is a danger for Ankara in miscalculating U.S. intentions,” said Selcen. “But the [U.S.] intentions are there, clearly stated, it is also true, Trump did not come out publicly on these issues.”

Berat Albayrak, Turkey’s economy czar and Erdogan’s son-in-law, is due in Washington in the coming days for a series of meetings and conferences. According to Turkish media reports, Albayrak is expected to meet high-level U.S. officials including Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. The two men reportedly have developed a close working relationship.

“It remains to be seen whether those parties at the Pentagon [and] White House will use this visit by Mr. Albayrak as a last measure to convey once again America’s message on these issues concerning Turkey’s national security,” said Selcen. “But time is ticking, and we’re in the middle of April, and the S-400 is due to be delivered to Turkey in July. So there is not much time.”

Some analysts warn that Washington has already run out of time. “The S-400s will be delivered; the question is not delivery,” said Bagci. “But the question is: Is it going to be used? It could be deployed to Turkish Cyprus, so it’s not in Turkey. In Turkey, every home has a guest room. So the S-400 could be like a vase in the guest room, not used.”
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Czech Envoy: Bids Welcome From US Arms Manufacturers

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEU

As the Czech Republic moves to boost its arms spending under a proposed defense accord with Washington, its ambassador in Washington says his government hopes U.S. defense contractors will bid aggressively for his country’s business.

“Obviously, our American friends are [submitting] some tenders for what we intend to buy in the next year. I wish them success,” Hynek Kmoníček told VOA in an interview this week.

“Nobody says how the tender will end up, but we definitely have the intention to bring as many American military partners to our tenders as possible, because the more competitors you have, the better price you get at the end,” he said.

Kmoníček said the defense agreement under negotiation is likely to resemble a pact signed several days ago between the United States and Hungary. The U.S. State Department said the Hungary deal “will facilitate greater partnerships to address shared threats and global challenges.”

The Czech Republic, Kmoníček said, is a nation of just 10 million people, strategically located “on the way from Western Europe to Russia and back.”

“If you look at our history, it’s not an easy history; everybody liked us, everybody occupied us,” he said in explaining his country’s reasons for pursuing the bilateral defense agreement.

WATCH: Czech Ambassador: Our Main Defense Partner Is US

“We need friends who understand why we are who we are” and who are willing to form an alliance, he said, adding that the majority of his fellow citizens see NATO as a “seal” of their defense.

Kmoníček said the Czech Republic has committed to doubling its current defense expenditures in order to reach the NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP by 2024 — a significant increase but one that enjoys popular support in his country.

“If you look at the opinion of the man in the street, he knows that times have changed, that we’re not living in a world as safe as it was 20 or 25 years ago,” he said.

WATCH: Czech Ambassador: ‘These Are Our Sons’

Ultimately, “what we want to know is whatever we buy for our army” provides the best protection available. “These are our sons,” and ensuring their safety is the government’s obligation, Kmoníček said.

A second component of the proposed defense accord calls for the Czech Republic to work toward “full compatibility with all the other NATO equipment because you need to synchronize with your partners,” Kmoníček said.

“The main defense partner for the Czech Republic is the United States, so anything new which will come in that respect is more than welcome.”

The ambassador said a defense dialogue takes place between the United States and the Czech Republic once a year. He said the new bilateral agreement could be in sight by the time the next round takes place a year from now.
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Trump Administration Seeks Court Order to Continue Asylum Policy

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeUS

The Trump administration rushed to save its program of sending asylum seekers back to Mexico by filing an emergency motion with a federal appeals court, asking it to block an injunction that was set to shut down the policy Friday.

The government told the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco that the United States faced “a humanitarian and security crisis” at the southern border and needed immediate intervention to deal with surging number of refugees.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg ruled the policy was contrary to U.S. immigration law. He issued a nationwide injunction blocking the program and ordered it to take effect at 8 p.m. EDT (midnight GMT).

Possible harm to asylum seekers

Melissa Crow, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the groups that brought the case, said the stay should be denied to prevent irreparable harm to asylum seekers who could be unlawfully forced to return to Mexico.

Since January, the administration has sent more than 1,000 asylum seekers, mostly from Central America, back to Mexico to wait the months or years it can take to process claims through an overloaded immigration system.

Seeborg’s ruling also ordered the 11 plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit to be brought back to the United States.

Although it is appealing and the lower court order had yet to take effect, the Trump administration was allowing some asylum seekers from Mexico to return to the United States, Reuters confirmed.

President Donald Trump has bristled at limits on his administration’s ability to detain asylum seekers while they fight deportation, and the administration was in the midst of expanding the program when Seeborg blocked it.

The government’s filing on Thursday night with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked for two stays: a brief administrative stay, which would remain in place until the parties had argued the issue of a longer stay that would block the injunction during the months-long appeals process.

‘No urgency’

Judy Rabinovitz, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who worked on the case, said there did not appear to be any justification for the request for the administrative stay since asylum seekers were already returning to the United States.

“There’s no urgency,” she said. “They are already complying with the court order.”

The 9th Circuit court has been a frequent target for Trump’s criticisms of the judicial system, which has blocked his immigration policies on numerous occasions.
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UN Allows Senior Taliban Leaders to Travel for Peace Talks

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeUS

Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

ISLAMABAD — The United Nations recently granted a waiver to senior Taliban leaders, allowing them to travel and take part in peace talks with the United States to end the 18-year-old war in Afghanistan.

The U.N. Security Council sanctions committee that deals with the Taliban says the nine-month exemption period beginning on April 1 is meant to allow the men to participate in Afghan peace and reconciliation talks in a range of countries.

“Individual itineraries will depend on the location of peace discussions. The Committee has also decided to grant a limited asset freeze exemption only for financing exempted travels,” it said.

American reconciliation envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and his team are expected to enter a new round of meetings with Taliban interlocutors in Qatar later this month. Both sides say the dialogue process, which started late last summer, has since made steady progress.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA that the names of all 14 members on their negotiating team and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who heads the group’s informal “political office” in the Qatari capital of Doha, have been taken off the U.N. blacklist. Those on the list are subject to financial sanctions, travel ban and arms embargo by all member nations.

The insurgent group has long viewed U.N. sanctions on its leaders as a major obstacle to the peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan. Taliban officials say Khalilzad had promised in the last round of discussions in March that he would look into the Taliban’s demand of getting the sanctions temporarily removed.

The U.S. and the Taliban are trying to seal a deal on a withdrawal timeline for all foreign forces in Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban guarantees it would not allow international terrorists to use the country again for attacks against other nations.

Khalilzad, however, has repeatedly stated he wants a comprehensive Taliban cease-fire and the insurgent group’s engagement in an intra-Afghan peace dialogue before Washington concludes a final agreement.

Intra-Afghan talks in Qatar

Before their next meeting with the U.S. negotiating team in late April, Taliban representatives are scheduled to host an informal two-day interaction in Qatar on April 19 with politicians inside and outside of the Afghan government, tribal elders, civil society, youth and women representatives.

Taliban officials have clarified there will be no official representatives of the Afghan government, and participants at the intra-Afghan meeting will attend it in their personal capacity to express personal views during the course of discussions.

The insurgents refuse to engage in any talks with the Kabul government, dismissing it as an illegal entity and a product of U.S. “occupation” of Afghanistan.

The informal intra-Afghan meeting will be the second such conference after Moscow hosted the inaugural gathering in February.

The peace overtures come at a time of intensified violence in Afghanistan, where both government forces and the Taliban have claimed inflicting massive battlefield casualties on each other in recent days.
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ICC Says Will Not Investigate US Troops in Afghanistan

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeUS

The International Criminal Court has announced it will not pursue an investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. troops and allies in Afghanistan.

On Friday, a panel of ICC judges rejected a request by the court’s prosecutor to investigate war crimes alleged to have been in Afghanistan by the U.S. military and intelligence services.

U.S. President Donald Trump praised the decision.

“This is a major international victory, not only for these patriots, but for the rule of law,” he said in a statement.

Trump noted the United States has “consistently declined” to join the court because of the court’s “broad, unaccountable prosecutorial powers” and “the threat it poses to American sovereignty,” as well as other factors that the White House considers “deficiencies that render it illegitimate.”

“Any attempt to target American, Israeli, or allied personnel for prosecution will be met with a swift and vigorous response,” the U.S. president said.

In a separate statement Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said such an investigation “would not serve the interests of justice.” He called it “a victory for the rule of law and the integrity of the ICC as an institution, given that the United States is not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction.”

Washington signed, but never ratified, the Rome Statute that founded the tribunal in 2002. While the United States worked with the ICC under the Obama administration to bring Ugandan militants to justice, the Trump administration has been strongly critical of the organization.
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Army: DR Congo Troops Kill 36 Burundi Rebels in East

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeAF

Congolese troops killed 36 Burundian rebels in clashes with two armed groups in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo and three soldiers were also killed, the DRC army said Friday.

The Congolese army mounted a series of operations between April 6 and 8 in the eastern province of South Kivu aimed at regaining territory against the Burundian rebel groups National Liberation Forces (FNL) and the Burundian Republican Forces (FOREBU).

“During the three days of combat, 36 of these rebels have been neutralised,” army spokesman Dieudonne Kasereka said.

FNL leader general Aloyse Zabampema was seriously wounded, he said. Several areas formerly under the control of rebels have been recovered by Congolese soldiers, he added.

Reuters was unable to immediately confirm the army report.

The FNL is among several ethnic Hutu rebel groups that rose up to fight Burundi’s Tutsi-led military government in the 1993-2005 civil war. Though it officially disarmed in 2009, pockets of FNL fighters remain active in eastern Congo.

Millions were killed in the civil war in Congo between 1998-2003, when foreign armies and allied rebel groups clashed over territory and mineral concessions, mostly in the east.

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, who took office in January, has pledged to address the militia violence that persists in the region.
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Sudanese Woman in Iconic Protest Images Reports Getting Death Threats

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeAF

A woman who has come to symbolize protests in Sudan after being photographed chanting atop a car during demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir said on Thursday she had received death threats since her image went viral.

Clad in white, Alaa Salah can be seen poised above the crowds in Khartoum, where demonstrators gathered to demand the military hand over power to civilians.

The ouster on Thursday of Bashir, 75, followed months of protests against his rule.

“I wanted to get on the car and speak to the people,” according to a post on a Twitter account for Salah, 22, an engineering and architecture student at Sudan International University.

“We need international support, for people to be aware of what’s happening and to understand our demands.”

The post praised the role of Sudanese women, many of whom have taken to the streets in protest.

Figures from the World Bank show that less than half of women finish secondary school in Sudan, where female life expectancy is about 66 years old.

“You cannot have a revolution without women. You cannot have democracy without women,” read the tweet. “We believed we could, so we did.”

Calling herself “very proud to take part in this revolution,” Salah said her life has been threatened since her picture and video went viral on social media.

“I will not bow down. My voice can not be suppressed,” according to a tweet on her account, adding that she would hold Bashir responsible “if anything happens to me.”

Reuters could not reach Salah for comment or verify that she wrote the tweets herself on her account rather than representatives.

Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague and faces an arrest warrant over allegations of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003 and led to the death of an estimated 300,000 people. He denies the allegations.
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UN Rights Chief Urges Respect for Human Rights in Post-Coup Sudan

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeAF

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is urging Sudan’s new rulers to uphold the constitution and take heed of human rights as they try to move the country forward after the toppling of president Omar al-Bashir.

Many things worry the high commissioner about what she considers is a volatile and uncertain moment in Sudan’s future.

Bachelet notes the crisis in Sudan has its roots in human rights grievances. She says the solution to the crisis also must be grounded in human rights.

Bachelet’s spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, says the high commissioner fears the ousting of longtime president Omar al-Bashir by the army will not result in a more democratic rule-based society.

She says Bachelet is disturbed by the military council’s announcement Thursday saying it would suspend the constitution and take charge of running the country during a two-year political transitional period.

“We are very concerned about this. The constitution of Sudan needs to be upheld. There are important human rights protections that are contained within that constitution…. We also understand that the announcement that was made yesterday did not indicate any possibility for people to participate in this transition,” Shamdasani said.

Bachelet is calling on the authorities to ensure the inclusion of civil society and dissenting voices in charting a way forward.

The International Criminal Court has issued a statement demanding Sudan’s deposed president appear before the court to face justice. Al-Bashir is wanted by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Shamdasani told VOA her office is encouraging the government of Sudan to fully cooperate with the ICC.

“We are also calling for full accountability, including for the use of excessive force that has taken place since December this year. And, we are calling for full respect for the rule of law,” Shamdasani said.

Between 40 and 70 people reportedly have been killed and hundreds arrested since peaceful protests against the government of Omar al-Bashir began in mid-December. Bachelet is calling for an investigation into the killings and for the release of all those detained.

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Facebook Fined for Failing to Tell Russia Where User Data Is Stored

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEU

A Russian court fined Facebook on Friday for failing to tell authorities where it stores Russian user data, Russian news agency reported, a ruling that highlights wrangling between tech giants and Russia as it ramps up Internet controls.

The court fined Facebook 3,000 roubles ($47) for not providing the information in line with legislation that requires social media companies to store user data on servers located in Russia.

The only tools Moscow currently has to enforce its data rules are fines that often amount to very small sums or blocking the offending online services, an option fraught with technical difficulties.
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Medical Supplies Rushed in as Fighting Moves to Tripoli’s Center

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEA

The World Health Organization says it is rushing lifesaving medical supplies to hospitals in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as fighting intensifies and moves toward the center of the city.

The United Nations says the civil conflict has displaced more than 8,000 people — nearly half of them in the last 48 hours. Health facilities near Tripoli report at least 323 wounded and 75 dead, according to the World Health Organization.

However, U.N. humanitarian aid is not being flown into the Tripoli airport, which has been hit by airstrikes.The WHO representative in Libya, Syed Jaffar Hussain, says his agency is looking for alternative ways of getting critical medical supplies into the country.

In the meantime, he says the WHO has pre-positioned supplies in three strategic locations.Talking on a telephone from Tripoli, he told VOA there are enough supplies for two to three weeks, when he expects the crisis will peak in the city.

“Looking at the intensity of the conflict, we have a contingency plan for accommodating more and more IDPs [internally displaced persons] or expecting more and more IDPs in the thousands, if not in hundreds of thousands, in the next few days,” Hussain said.

WHO is considering shipping supplies from its hub in Brindisi, Italy, or using the World Food Program’s humanitarian helicopter service to airlift supplies in an emergency situation.

Hussain said the highest priority is for trauma care supplies needed to respond to severe casualties. Patients with chronic illnesses usually are overlooked in crisis situations such as this, but the WHO considers it essential to provide chronic medication for people suffering from life-threatening illnesses, such as diabetes.

A major problem facing Libya is the large number of migrants who come from countries where tuberculosis and HIV is highly endemic, Hussain said, adding the WHO will have to bring in large supplies of drugs to treat those illnesses.
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Medical Supplies Rushed in as Fighting Moves to Tripoli’s Center

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEA

The World Health Organization says it is rushing lifesaving medical supplies to hospitals in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as fighting intensifies and moves toward the center of the city.

WHO is considering shipping supplies from its hub in Brindisi, Italy, or using the World Food Program’s humanitarian helicopter service to airlift supplies in an emergency situation.

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Iranians Rally Protesting US Move Against Guard Force

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEA

Burning American and Israeli flags, Iranians rallied after Friday prayers against the U.S.’s decision to designate the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization.

Thousands of worshippers came out of the mosques chanting traditional anti-U.S. slogans at such rallies of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Iranian state media said similar demonstrations took place in other Iranian cities and towns.

The U.S. government this week designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group to increase pressure on Iran, isolate it further and prompt authorities to divert some of the financial resources Tehran uses to fund militant activity in the Middle East and beyond.

Iran responded by designating all U.S. forces as terrorist and labeling the U.S. a “supporter of terrorism.”

Also Friday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressing that Iran would hold the U.S. accountable for any future provocations against Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.

According to the state-run IRNA news agency, Zarif said the U.S. and “several puppet governments will bear responsibility for dangerous consequences of the adventurism.”

“The provocative move will raise tensions to an uncontrollable level and increase threats in the region,” he said, adding that the Revolutionary Guard is at the forefront in fighting terrorism and extremism.

The commander of Iranian ground troops, Brig. Gen. Kioomars Heidari, said the U.S. decision was self-destructive as the Americans “have put their own forces, particularly the U.S. Central Command, in danger across the world.”

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Iranians Rally Protesting US Move Against Guard Force

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEA

Burning American and Israeli flags, Iranians rallied after Friday prayers against the U.S.’s decision to designate the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization.

Iran responded by designating all U.S. forces as terrorist and labeling the U.S. a “supporter of terrorism.”

According to the state-run IRNA news agency, Zarif said the U.S. and “several puppet governments will bear responsibility for dangerous consequences of the adventurism.”

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Labour Party Says UK Should Oppose Assange Extradition to US

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEU

Key figures in Britain’s opposition Labour Party said Friday the government should oppose the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States on charges of conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer.

Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a tweet that the U.S. is trying to have Assange extradited because he exposed “evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Diane Abbott, Labour’s spokeswoman for domestic affairs, said the government should block the extradition on human rights grounds. She said the U.S. case against Assange is about the “embarrassment of the things he’s revealed about the American military and security services.”

The politicization of Assange’s case reflects the wide interest in the legal future of a man hailed by some as a heroic whistleblower standing up to governments, and condemned by others as a willing stooge who helped the Russians boost the campaign chances of President Donald Trump, who had showered praise on WikiLeaks in 2016 and welcomed its release of Hilary Clinton’s campaign emails.

Assange faces what is likely to be a titanic struggle to fend off extradition to the U.S. — and possibly a second extradition request from Sweden on rape allegations.

Police arrested the WikiLeaks founder Thursday at the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Ecuador withdrew his asylum. He is in British custody awaiting sentencing for jumping bail in 2012.

U.S. Justice Department officials seek to put Assange on trial for allegedly conspiring to break into a classified government computer at the Pentagon. The charge was announced after Assange was taken into custody. If found guilty, Assange faces a maximum five years in prison.

It is also possible that Assange, 47, will face an extradition request from Sweden if prosecutors there decide to pursue allegations of rape and sexual misconduct against him.

Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 after he was released on bail in Britain while facing extradition to Sweden on the allegations. He had stayed inside the embassy building for nearly seven years.

Swedish prosecutors dropped the case against Assange in 2017, saying at the time there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden because of his protected status inside the embassy. The allegations by two women have not been tested in court and Assange has denied wrongdoing.

Assange received a verbal rebuke in his first London court appearance Thursday afternoon when District Judge Michael Snow found him guilty of breaching his bail conditions.

“Mr. Assange’s behavior is that of a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interests,” Snow said.

Assange’s next court appearance was set for May 2 via prison video-link in relation to the extradition case, a process that involves several layers of appeal that could take several years.

Extradition lawyer Ben Keith said the court will not assess the evidence against Assange in an effort to determine his guilt or innocence, but will scrutinize whether the offense he is accused of in the U.S. would be a crime in Britain.

“The most likely outcome is that he will be extracted to the United States,” he said.

Britain is bound by law not to extradite a suspect to a country where he or she could face execution for the crime, but this is not an issue at the moment because the crime Assange faces does not put him at risk of capital punishment, he said.

In rare cases where U.S. law would allow the death penalty, such as first-degree murder or terrorism, U.S. officials typically facilitate extradition by providing assurances to Britain that capital punishment would not be sought, Keith added.

If Sweden also makes an extradition request, it would be up to Britain’s Home Secretary to determine which would take priority. Typically the first request made — in this case from U.S. officials — would be acted on first, but officials have some leeway.

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Trump: ‘I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks’; US Seeks Assange Extradition

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeEU

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he has no knowledge of the website WikiLeaks, after the whistleblowing site’s founder, Julian Assange, was arrested in Britain.

The 47-year-old Australian national had been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, but was ejected Thursday and taken into custody by British police.

Ecuador said Assange had broken asylum conventions by continuing to interfere in other countries’ affairs through the publishing of confidential information.

WATCH: Trump Denies Knowledge of WikiLeaks

Trump was questioned by reporters on the arrest Thursday.

“I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It’s not my thing,” Trump said. “I know there is something to do with Julian Assange, and I’ve been seeing what’s happened to Assange. And that would be a determination, I would imagine, mostly by the attorney general, who’s doing an excellent job. So, he’ll be making a determination.”

On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump repeatedly referred to WikiLeaks after it published hacked emails from the Democrat National Committee. He once declared, “WikiLeaks! I love WikiLeaks,” at a rally in Pennsylvania.

In 2010, WikiLeaks published a cache of more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan, obtained by former U.S. Army soldier Chelsea Manning, then known as Bradley Manning. They detailed civilian casualties, along with details of suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Manning was prosecuted under the Espionage Act and jailed in 2010. She was released in 2017, but was jailed again in March 2019 for refusing to testify before a grand jury about WikiLeaks.

Asylum in embassy

Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy after facing rape charges in Sweden, which have since been dropped. He predicted then that he would face extradition to the United States.

“As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all our societies,” Assange told a crowd of supporters from the balcony of the embassy.

The United States accuses Assange of conspiring with Manning to access classified information on Department of Defense computers and has requested his extradition from Britain.

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of the press is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, so the precise charges against Assange will be key, said legal analyst Caroline Mala Corbin of the University of Miami School of Law.

“If you break the law while you gather information, that is not protected by the free speech clause. If, however, you publish information — even if someone else has illegally obtained it — the free speech clause does come into play,” she told VOA.

Assange supporter and prominent human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said Assange must be afforded the rights of other journalists.

“It smacks of double standards, and it has the whiff of a vendetta against WikiLeaks and against Julian Assange,” he said.

British judges will now decide whether to fulfill the U.S. extradition request.

Geoffrey Robertson, an attorney who has represented Assange in the past, said Assange could face up to 40 years in prison if he is extradited to the United States.

“I have faith in the British justice system, and I think he will argue that this is a breach of his right of freedom of speech,” Robertson said.

Assange will first face sentencing for failing to surrender to authorities on sexual assault charges in 2012.

Meanwhile, one of the Swedish women who accused Assange of rape has requested the case be reopened, further complicating the legal case against him.
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SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy Rocket, Lands All 3 Boosters

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeUS

SpaceX launched its second supersized rocket and for the first time landed all three boosters Thursday, a year after sending up a sports car on the initial test flight.

The new and improved Falcon Heavy thundered into the early evening sky with a communication satellite called Arabsat, the rocket’s first paying customer. The Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket in use today, with 27 engines firing at liftoff — nine per booster.

Eight minutes after liftoff, SpaceX landed two of the first-stage boosters back at Cape Canaveral, side by side, just like it did for the rocket’s debut last year. The core booster landed two minutes later on an ocean platform hundreds of miles offshore. That’s the only part of the first mission that missed.

“What an amazing day,” a SpaceX flight commentator exclaimed. “Three for three boosters today on Falcon Heavy, what an amazing accomplishment.”

Launch from Apollo pad

The Falcon Heavy soared from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, using the same pad that shot Apollo astronauts to the moon a half-century ago and later space shuttle crews.

Prime viewing spots were packed with tourists and locals eager to catch not just the launch but the rare and dramatic return of twin boosters, accompanied by sonic booms. The roads were also jammed for Wednesday night’s launch attempt, which was scuttled by high wind.

Because this was an upgraded version of the rocket with unproven changes, SpaceX chief Elon Musk cautioned in advance things might go wrong. But everything went exceedingly well. SpaceX employees at company headquarters in Southern California cheered every launch milestone and especially the three touchdowns.

“The Falcons have landed,” Musk said in a tweet that included pictures of all three boosters.

Tesla Roadster still in orbit

Musk put his own Tesla convertible on last year’s demo. The red Roadster, with a mannequin, dubbed Starman, likely still at the wheel, remains in a solar orbit stretching just past Mars.

The Roadster is thought to be on the other side of the sun from us right now, about three-quarters of the way around its first solar orbit, said Jon Giorgini, a senior analyst at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

A couple dozen ground telescopes kept tabs on the car during its first several days in space, but it gradually faded from view as it headed out toward the orbit of Mars, Giorgini added.

The Roadster could still look much the same as it did for the Feb. 6, 2018, launch, just not as shiny with perhaps some chips and flakes from the extreme temperature swings, according to Giorgini. It will take decades if not centuries for solar radiation to cause it to decompose, he said.

Air Force mission next

SpaceX plans to launch its next Falcon Heavy later this year on a mission for the U.S. Air Force. The boosters for that flight may be recycled from this one.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine last month suggested possibly using a Falcon Heavy, and another company’s big rocket, to get the space agency’s Orion capsule around the moon, minus a crew, in 2020. But the preferred method remains NASA’s own Space Launch System mega rocket, if it can be ready by then.

Bridenstine said everything is on the space table as NASA strives to meet the White House’s goal of landing astronauts back on the moon by 2024.

NASA’s Saturn V rockets, used for the Apollo moon shots, are the all-time launch leaders so far in size and might.

SpaceX typically launches Falcon 9 rockets. The Falcon Heavy is essentially three of those single rockets strapped together.

Until SpaceX came along, boosters were discarded in the ocean after satellite launches. The company is intent on driving down launch costs by recycling rocket parts.
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Chicago Sues ‘Empire’ Actor for Police Costs

Posted on 04/12/2019 by SeeUS

The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit Thursday against Jussie Smollett, saying the actor owes it more than $130,000 for police costs incurred in the investigation of a hate crime that authorities allege was phony, according to legal documents.

The lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court more than two weeks after prosecutors in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed all criminal charges against the “Empire” actor.

Chicago officials previously said they would sue Smollett after he refused a demand by the city for $130,000 to cover police overtime costs.

The actor’s criminal defense attorney, Mark Geragos, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Smollett, 36, who is black and gay, ignited a firestorm on social media by telling police on Jan. 29 that two apparent supporters of President Donald Trump struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs on a Chicago street.

After weeks of investigation, Chicago police determined that Smollett cooked up the scheme, in which they allege he hired two brothers to pose as his attackers, because he was dissatisfied with his salary on “Empire.”

Smollett, best known for his role on the Twentieth Century Fox Television hip-hop drama, has said he has always been truthful about the incident.

He was charged in February with staging the incident and filing a false police report.
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US EPA Chief Defends Big Energy Projects, Says Climate Not Top Priority

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeUS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will unveil a proposal to speed state-level permitting decisions for energy infrastructure projects soon, the agency’s chief told Reuters on Thursday, blasting states that have blocked coal terminals and gas pipelines on environmental grounds.

President Donald Trump is seeking to boost domestic fossil fuels production over the objections of Democrats and environmentalists concerned about pollution and climate change.

On Wednesday he issued a pair of executive orders targeting the power of states to delay energy projects.

“We started working on it in advance, so we hope to have something out soon,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an interview. He was unable to provide a precise timeline.

Based on Trump’s orders, Wheeler’s EPA has been tasked with clarifying a section of the U.S. Clean Water Act that has allowed states like New York and Washington to delay projects in recent years.

New York has used the section to delay pipelines that would bring natural gas to New England, for example, and Washington state has stopped coal export terminals that would open the Asian market for struggling coal companies in Wyoming and other landlocked western states.

“They are trying to make international environmental policy,” Wheeler said of Washington state, whose governor, Democrat Jay Inslee, is running for president on a climate change-focused platform. “They’re trying to dictate to the world how much coal is used.”

Wheeler said New York, which amid strong public pressure denied a clean water act permit for construction of a natural gas pipeline to New England, is forcing that region “to use Russian-produced natural gas.”

“We are importing Russian natural gas which is not produced in an environmentally conscious manner. If the states that are blocking the pipelines were truly concerned about the environment, they would look to where the natural gas would be coming from … I think it’s very short-sighted,” he said.

Wheeler said the EPA would not prevent a state from vetoing a project, but would clarify the parameters they should be able to consider, and the length of time they have to do so.

He also said that California is playing politics in its fight with the EPA to preserve its more stringent vehicle emission standards as the national standard.

Wheeler: Water trumps climate

Wheeler said he believes climate change is a problem, but that it had been overblown by former President Barack Obama’s administration — at the expense of other bigger issues like water quality.

“Yes, climate is an issue and we are working to address it, but I think water is a bigger issue,” he said.

Wheeler dismissed the findings of a report released earlier this week by EPA scientists in the journal Nature Climate Change that detailed the scale and urgency of climate change.

He said while he encouraged EPA scientists to carry out and publish research, he stressed the recent paper “did not reflect EPA policy.”

Environmental groups say the EPA’s replacement of an Obama-era rule limiting carbon emissions from power plants would likely lead to increased emissions by allowing older, more polluting coal plants to operate longer.

Asked whether the replacement — the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which gives states responsibility for regulating emissions — is stringent enough, Wheeler said it adheres to the parameters of federal law.

“I think what is effective regulation is one that follows the law and one that will be held up in court,” he said.

EPA vs. polls

Several Democrats challenging Trump in the 2020 election have made climate change a top-tier issue, embracing aggressive policy platforms like the Green New Deal calling for an end of fossil fuels use.

Asked whether he was concerned that the EPA may be out of synch with polls showing an overwhelming number of young people believe climate change should be a priority issue, Wheeler was dismissive.

“I do fear that because so many people only talked about climate change. You’re right, there could very well be a new generation coming up saying that’s the only environmental issue — and it’s not,” he said.

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UN, EU Demand Immediate Halt to Fighting in Libya

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEA

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

The United Nations and European Union are urging an immediate end to the fighting in Libya which is threatening to destabilize the entire region.

Rival governments in Libya — the internationally recognized administration of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli, and General Khalifa Haftar’s government in the east — are battling for control of the capital.

U.N. officials say three emergency medical providers have reportedly been killed and more than 8,000 civilians have fled their homes.

“We remain deeply concerned about the well-being of the civilians in and around the areas of clashes, especially amid increasing reports of indiscriminate shelling,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday. He added that families trapped in the battle zone are running out of supplies, and emergency teams are going in at great personal risk.

The U.N. is calling for a humanitarian truce to let emergency aid in and to give civilians a chance to get out. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says there can be no military solution and that the parties must return to the political process.

The European Union is calling on Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces to halt their offensive against the capital.

“The military attack launched by the LNA on Tripoli and the subsequent escalation in and around the capital are endangering civilians, including migrants and refugees, and disrupting the U.N.-led political process, with the risk of serious consequences for Libya and the wider region, including the terrorist threat,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

The fighting for control of Tripoli was still centered in the city’s southern suburbs Thursday. The U.N. says at least 56 people have been killed, while al-Serraj’s government says it has taken 200 prisoners.

Libya has been in political and economic chaos since longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was toppled and killed in 2011.

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UN, EU Demand Immediate Halt to Fighting in Libya

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEA

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

The United Nations and European Union are urging an immediate end to the fighting in Libya which is threatening to destabilize the entire region.

U.N. officials say three emergency medical providers have reportedly been killed and more than 8,000 civilians have fled their homes.

The European Union is calling on Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces to halt their offensive against the capital.

Libya has been in political and economic chaos since longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was toppled and killed in 2011.

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Israeli Moon Mission Ends With Spacecraft’s Crash

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEA

An Israeli spacecraft lost contact with Earth moments before it was to land on the moon and crashed late Thursday, failing in an ambitious attempt to make history as the first privately funded lunar mission.

The spacecraft lost communication with ground control as it was making its final descent to the moon. Moments later, the mission was declared a failure.

“We definitely crashed on surface of moon,” said Opher Doron, general manager of the space division of Israel Aerospace Industries. He said the spacecraft was in pieces scattered at the planned landing site.

Engine shut down

Doron said that the spacecraft’s engine turned off shortly before landing. By the time power was restored, he said the craft was moving too fast to land safely. Scientists were still trying to figure out the cause of the failure.

One of the inertial measurement units failed. And that caused an unfortunate chain of events we're not sure about,'' he said.The engine was turned off. The engine was stopped and the spacecraft crashed. That’s all we know.”

The incident occurred in front of a packed audience that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was broadcast live on national television.

The small robotic spacecraft, built by the nonprofit SpaceIL and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, had hoped to match a feat that has been achieved only by the national space agencies of three countries: the U.S., Russia and China.

If at first you don't succeed, try try again,'' Netanyahu said. He vowed to put an Israeli spacecraft on the moonintact” in the next two years.

Scientists, who were giddy with excitement only seconds earlier, were visibly distraught, and celebrations at viewing centers across the country were dashed.

President Reuven Rivlin hosted dozens of youngsters at his official residence. The children, some wearing white spacesuits, appeared confused as the crash unfolded.

We are full of admiration for the wonderful people who brought the spacecraft to the moon,'' Rivlin said.True, not as we had hoped, but we will succeed in the end.”

Launched in February

The failure was a disappointing ending to a 6.5 million-kilometer (4 million-mile) lunar voyage, almost unprecedented in length, that was designed to conserve fuel and reduce price.

The spacecraft hitched a ride on the SpaceX Falcon rocket, launched from Florida in February. For the past two months, Beresheet traveled around the Earth several times before entering lunar orbit.

The U.S. space agency NASA broadcast the landing attempt live on its dedicated TV channels, as well as online.

“While NASA regrets the end of the SpaceIL mission without a successful lunar landing of the Beresheet lander, we congratulate SpaceIL, the Israel Aerospace Industries and the state of Israel on the incredible accomplishment of sending the first privately funded mission into lunar orbit,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

Every attempt to reach new milestones holds opportunities for us to learn, adjust and progress,'' he added.I have no doubt that Israel and SpaceIL will continue to explore, and I look forward to celebrating their future achievements.”
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Israeli Moon Mission Ends With Spacecraft’s Crash

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEA

The spacecraft lost communication with ground control as it was making its final descent to the moon. Moments later, the mission was declared a failure.

Engine shut down

The incident occurred in front of a packed audience that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was broadcast live on national television.

If at first you don't succeed, try try again,'' Netanyahu said. He vowed to put an Israeli spacecraft on the moonintact” in the next two years.

Scientists, who were giddy with excitement only seconds earlier, were visibly distraught, and celebrations at viewing centers across the country were dashed.

President Reuven Rivlin hosted dozens of youngsters at his official residence. The children, some wearing white spacesuits, appeared confused as the crash unfolded.

We are full of admiration for the wonderful people who brought the spacecraft to the moon,'' Rivlin said.True, not as we had hoped, but we will succeed in the end.”

Launched in February

The failure was a disappointing ending to a 6.5 million-kilometer (4 million-mile) lunar voyage, almost unprecedented in length, that was designed to conserve fuel and reduce price.

The spacecraft hitched a ride on the SpaceX Falcon rocket, launched from Florida in February. For the past two months, Beresheet traveled around the Earth several times before entering lunar orbit.

The U.S. space agency NASA broadcast the landing attempt live on its dedicated TV channels, as well as online.

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Vatican Holds Spiritual Retreat for Peace in South Sudan

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEU

Pope Francis has told leaders of South Sudan that peace is possible and urged the country’s leaders to seek what unites and overcome what divides.

At the end of a two-day meeting in the Vatican, the pope shocked those present by kneeling and kissing the feet of South Sudan’s former warring leaders.

At the end of the two-day meeting in the Vatican, originally proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Pope Francis told South Sudanese leaders to recognize the enormous shared responsibility they hold for the present and future of their country.

Those attending the meeting included South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar, and three other vice presidents.

The pope called on them to commit themselves to the building of their nation.

The pope said, “People are wearied, exhausted by past conflicts: remember that with war, all is lost! Your people today are yearning for a better future, which can only come about through reconciliation and peace.”

The pope said this meeting was “something altogether special and in some sense unique,” as it was neither an ordinary bilateral nor diplomatic meeting between the pope and heads of state, nor an ecumenical initiative involving representatives of different Christian communities. Instead, it was a spiritual retreat.

South Sudan’s civil war, which broke out in late 2013, has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 4 million South Sudanese from their homes. A peace deal last August has reduced but not stopped the fighting.

One of the South Sudanese religious leaders attending said these were days of intense prayer and deep reflection and of open and frank dialogue and spiritual conversation.

“The leaders leave here renewed and committed to the task of working for peace, striving for reconciliation and seeking justice for the 13 million people, the South Sudanese, whose prayer and hope they all carry.”

Pope Francis told them how he learned last September that a peace agreement for the country had been signed and congratulated political leaders for “having chosen the path of dialogue.” He urged them to implement what has been agreed on.

The pope expressed his heartfelt hope that hostilities would finally cease, that the armistice would be respected, that political and ethnic divisions would be surmounted, and that there would be a lasting peace for all those citizens who dream of beginning to build the nation.

After his speech at the end of the retreat, Pope Francis kissed the feet of the former warring leaders and told them their people are waiting for their return home, for reconciliation, and a new era of prosperity.
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Vatican Holds Spiritual Retreat for Peace in South Sudan

Posted on 04/11/2019 by SeeEU

Pope Francis has told leaders of South Sudan that peace is possible and urged the country’s leaders to seek what unites and overcome what divides.

At the end of a two-day meeting in the Vatican, the pope shocked those present by kneeling and kissing the feet of South Sudan’s former warring leaders.

Those attending the meeting included South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar, and three other vice presidents.

The pope called on them to commit themselves to the building of their nation.

One of the South Sudanese religious leaders attending said these were days of intense prayer and deep reflection and of open and frank dialogue and spiritual conversation.