U.S. news outlets say the Biden administration will begin urging all Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to get an additional shot. The added dose is intended to offer more protection against the highly contagious delta variant that has led to a wave of new infections.Federal health officials are expected to announce sometime this week that Americans should get the extra shot, commonly known as a booster, eight months after their initial inoculation. Most Americans received either the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, while some were given the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.Officials had been rejecting calls to authorize booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines saying data suggested that people are still protected from the virus, including the delta variant. But new studies out of Israel show the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness had significantly decreased among elderly people who were inoculated at the beginning of this year. The data prompted Israel to begin administering booster shots to people 50 years or older.The booster shots will likely begin sometime in September after the Food and Drug Administration approves Pfizer’s request to use the vaccine for a third dose. The first to receive the booster will be health care workers, nursing home residents and other elderly people — the same groups that received the first shots in the U.S.CNN says experts anticipate the policy will be extended to those who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, once they have more data.Both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control last week recommended a third shot of Pfizer or Moderna for some people with weakened immune systems.WHO calls for booster banThe World Health Organization recently called for a worldwide moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots until at least the end of September, to allow low-income nations to get more initial vaccination doses. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that lower income nations have vaccinated at a rate of about 1.5 doses per 100 people, while wealthy nations are vaccinating at a rate of nearly 100 per 100 people.New Vaccine Requirements in New York City, New York state and Washington, D.C.In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that all visitors and employees of museums and other cultural institutions will be required to have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine. The new mandate, which takes effect Thursday, is an expansion of Mayor de Blasio’s “Key to NYC” program that imposes a similar mandate for patrons of bars, restaurants, gyms and other indoor venues. Also on Monday, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all health care workers in the state, including those at nursing homes and adult care facilities, to get at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by September 27. A similar directive issued Monday by health authorities in Washington D.C. sets a deadline of September 30.First NFL team reaches 100% vaccination rateThe National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons said Monday that all of its players are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming the first NFL team with a 100 percent vaccination rate. The NFL announced last week that if any games were cancelled due to coronavirus outbreaks among unvaccinated players during the upcoming season, the team with the outbreak will forfeit the game and be credited with a loss, and would also result in a loss of pay for players on both teams.The NFL furiously scrambled to make up several games that were cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks on several teams during last year’s 17-week schedule. Tennessee takes action against mask mandatesIn the southeast U.S. state of Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order Monday that gives parents of public school children permission not to follow mandatory mask requirements issued by local school boards in the state. Lee joins other governors across the United States, including Florida and Texas, who have taken steps to either blunt, revoke or prevent such orders issued by local school officials, despite the new surge of COVID-19 infections due to the delta variant, especially among young children.New lockdown in New Zealand New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday that the entire nation was entering a strict lockdown after a 58-year-old man became the first person to test positive for COVID-19 since February.The case was reported in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. The nationwide lockdown will take effect Wednesday and last for three days, while Auckland and the coastal town of Coromandel, where the infected man also visited, will be shut down for a full week. Prime Minister Ardern said authorities are assuming the man was infected with the delta variant, but will not be able to confirm it until Wednesday.Ardern said it was necessary to “go hard” with the strict lockdown in order to prevent a widespread outbreak. New Zealand has been praised for imposing a strict lockdown in the early days of the pandemic that has led to just 2,927 confirmed infections and just 26 deaths among its five million citizens.CDC Designates four new as ‘High-Risk’ destinations The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday added four new destinations to its highest risk level of its COVID-19 travel advisory list. Turkey, Montenegro, the Caribbean island of Dominica and the British-controlled island of Jersey have been designated as Level 4, which signifies a “very high” risk of contracting COVID-19. The CDC says people should avoid travel to these destinations, and advises that anyone who must travel to these spots needs to be fully vaccinated.Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and AFP.
…
Month: August 2021
Federal Government Declares First Federal Water Cuts in Western States
Federal officials on Monday declared a first-ever water shortage on the Colorado River, triggering mandatory water supply cuts for several Western states in the river’s lower basin and Mexico in 2022.The shortage was announced after a 20-year megadrought in the West brought water levels to a record low in the largest U.S. water reservoir, Lake Mead. The lake, fed by the Colorado River, serves nearly 25 million people in three Western states and Mexico.Sitting at 35% capacity, the lake is at its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.”This year, we’re seeing the combined effects of lower-than-average snowpack, hotter temperatures and drier-than-average soil conditions, and unfortunately that trend may continue,” said Interior Department Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo in a news briefing.Trujillo attributed the “unprecedented” environmental changes to climate change. According to a recent United Nations report, global warming may irreversibly worsen many effects of climate change, leading to more intense heat waves and longer droughts.Water reductions will go into effect in 2022 for Arizona, Nevada and Mexico so the water and energy demands of communities that draw from the lake will continue to be met. California, the other state that Lake Mead supplies, is not affected by the first round of cuts.The cuts are expected to hit farmers in Arizona especially hard, with the state losing about 18% of its annual Colorado River allotment. Nevada stands to lose about 7%, Mexico 5%.The reductions represent 613,000 acre-feet of water in total. For perspective, one acre-foot can meet the water needs of one to two households for an entire year.Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir on the Colorado River, has also experienced plunging water levels in recent years, which may eventually result in shortages in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, the states it supplies.
…
Afghan American Community Watches in Shock as Taliban Ascend to Power
Shock, horror, sadness, anger. Fear. These are some of the emotions members of the U.S. Afghan community are expressing as they watch the fall of the government in Afghanistan over the past few days. VOA’s Julie Taboh reports.Camera: Saboor Bidar, Mike Burke, Nicholas Jastrzebski Produced by: Michelle Quinn
…
Preserving, Reviving Hawaiian-Language Press
Hawaii had a thriving native-language press through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now there is an effort underway to preserve and renew Hawaiian-language journalism, as VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports from Honolulu Camera: Mike O’Sullivan
…
Europe Urges Unity on Taliban, is Quiet on Failed Mission
European leaders said Monday they will press for a unified international approach to dealing with a Taliban government in Afghanistan, as they looked on with dismay at the rapid collapse of two decades of a U.S.-led Western campaign in the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke Monday to French President Emmanuel Macron, stressing the need for a common stand on recognizing any future Afghan government and preventing a humanitarian and refugee crisis. FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the Downing Street Briefing Room in London, July 5, 2021.Both leaders agreed to cooperate at the U.N. Security Council, and Johnson also said he will host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days. Johnson said on Sunday, “We don’t want anybody to bilaterally recognize the Taliban.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman echoed that sentiment Monday, saying the question of whether there can be a dialogue with the Taliban needs to be discussed internationally. “We do not have any illusions about the Taliban and the essence of their movement,” said spokesman Steffen Seibert. The French leader said in a speech to the nation Monday night that the fight against “Islamist terrorism in all its forms” would not end. FILE – French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference at the Elysee Presidential Palace, in Paris, July 9, 2021.”Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was,” Macron said. He stressed that the U.N. Security Council is the forum for a coordinated response, and added, “We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same.” Macron also raised fears of uncontrolled migration to Europe by Afghans, saying that France, Germany and other European countries would work to swiftly develop a “robust, coordinated and united response.” FILE – Afghans flee fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces, on the outskirts of Herat, 640 kilometers (397 miles) west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 8, 2021.As far as the crisis inside Afghanistan, European leaders’ hands are tied in many ways: They have little leverage over the Taliban, and they are deeply reluctant to publicly criticize the withdrawal decision by the United States, their powerful NATO ally — or comment on their own role in the failed intervention. NATO countries were left with little choice but to pull out the roughly 7,000 non-American forces in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden announced in April that he was ending the U.S. involvement in the war by September, 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of London’s Royal United Services Institute, said that Britain — which for much for the war contributed the second-largest number of troops to the mission — “was especially upset that the Biden administration didn’t consult it more fully about the decision to withdraw this summer.” “That is water under the bridge, but the fact that there wasn’t a coordinated alliance approach to the withdrawal makes it even more important now to coordinate a Western response — starting with the question of recognition” of a Taliban government, he said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that theFILE – European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a news conference in Brussels, May 10, 2021.Taliban “need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force.” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also warned that the militant group would face “isolation” and “lack of international support.” Borrell is expected to chair an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, while NATO envoys will also hold talks. Meanwhile, Russia’s envoy on Afghanistan said that Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct. Chalmers said “Western influence on the Taliban is very limited” compared with that of Pakistan, Iran and China. And Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said that warning the Taliban that they face international isolation is a threat “unmoored from reality.” “It is part of the Taliban’s ideology to reject modernism and the international community — and the reputation won by forcing the U.S. to leave is worth far more than aid budgets,” he wrote for the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank. “Indeed, having earned a reputation for abandoning its mission, its friends, and its allies, it is the United States that may actually feel more isolated,” Volker added. The U.K. has repeatedly alluded to how it had been put in a “very difficult position” to continue the mission once the United States announced its decision to pull out, and British leaders have spoken with a tone of resignation as the situation deteriorated rapidly after NATO’s exit. “I think it’s fair to say that the U.S. decision to pull out has accelerated things, but this has been in many ways something that has been a chronicle of an event foretold,” Johnson said Sunday. Other European allies have made veiled criticisms of NATO’s most powerful member country. Taliban fighters stand guard in a vehicle along the roadside in Kabul on August 16, 2021.Asked Monday whether France and the U.S. were responsible for the collapse of the armed forces and the unfolding humanitarian crisis, Defense Minister Florence Parly said, “France hasn’t been in Afghanistan since 2014. There’s no parallel to make with the U.S. involvement.” Briefing reporters last week about the crisis in Afghanistan, a senior EU official said that “the decisions which were made in this respect were made in NATO.” He did not single out the alliance’s most influential member, but the criticism was implicit. Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni was much more direct, saying, “Let’s give a welcome back to the cynical Obama-Clinton-Biden doctrine: ‘If you can’t win, create chaos.'” Western governments have also appeared to be caught off guard by the stunning speed of the Taliban’s advance on Kabul. For months, European ambassadors at NATO and the EU have been unable to answer questions from reporters about what security arrangements might be in place in Afghanistan should the situation deteriorate. Questions about how to protect embassies and the Kabul airport, where chaos reigned Monday as scores sought to flee the country, were never unanswered. In the past few days, U.S., British and other Western governments have scrambled to evacuate their embassies, their citizens and Afghans who have helped with their military mission as the Taliban seized power. “All of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas admitted Monday. “Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed with which the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated.” British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace choked up during an interview as he expressed deep regret that some of those people will be left behind. “It’s sad, and the West has done what it’s done,” he acknowledged. “We have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice. … It is what it is.”
…
Turkey Drops Kabul Airport Plans, Will Assist if Taliban Ask, Sources Say
Turkey has dropped plans to take over the Kabul airport after NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan but is ready to provide support if the Taliban request it, two Turkish sources said Monday. Turkey, which has 600 troops in Afghanistan, had offered to keep them in Kabul to guard and operate the airport after other NATO members pulled out, and was discussing details with Washington and the government of President Ashraf Ghani. The plans were thrown into disarray in the past two days after Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the Taliban swept into Kabul and thousands of Afghans, also hoping to escape, thronged the airport on Monday. The Taliban had also warned Turkey against keeping soldiers in Afghanistan to run the airport, warnings that Ankara had dismissed before the Islamist militants surged toward the capital. “At the point reached, there is total chaos at Kabul airport. Order has been completely disrupted,” said one of the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity. “At this stage, the process of Turkish soldiers taking up control of the airport has automatically been dropped,” the person added. “However, in the event that the Taliban asks for technical support, Turkey can provide security and technical support at the airport.” Opposition parties in Turkey had criticized the government’s plans, saying such a mission would put Turkish soldiers at risk and calling for their immediate withdrawal amid the uptick in violence. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has called for calm in Afghanistan and criticized the Taliban’s advance, said last week he could meet with the Taliban as part of efforts to end the fighting in Afghanistan. Ankara had viewed the airport mission as a potential area of cooperation that could help heal frayed ties with Washington and other NATO allies, which have been strained over several issues.
…
Turkey Steps Up Efforts to Avert Afghan Refugee Exodus
With the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, Turkey seeks to avert a refugee exodus, with the country already hosting over four million refugees, with about 120,000 of them from Afghanistan, according the United Nations.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pledging to step up diplomatic and security efforts to prevent an Afghan refugee exodus into Turkey. Erdogan, speaking Sunday, warned that the Taliban’s victories in Afghanistan inevitably opens the door to more refugees heading to his country.Erdogan said “Turkey is facing a growing migration wave of Afghans transiting through Iran.” He said, “we will continue to make efforts to bring stability to the region, starting with Afghanistan.”Erdogan spoke with Pakistani President Arif Alvi at his side, who was visiting Istanbul. The Turkish president said Pakistan, a close Turkish ally, was key to restoring stability in Afghanistan.Earlier this month, Erdogan said he was ready for talks with the Taliban leadership. The Taliban said last week they consider Turkey an ally of Afghanistan. Ankara has also held diplomatic talks with Tehran over the refugee crisis. Turkish officials have accused Iran of sending some Afghan refugees to the Turkish border, which Tehran has denied.FILE – A group of Afghan migrants rest on a main road after crossing the Turkey-Iran border near Dogubayazit, Agri province, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2018.Ali Hekmat, head of the Turkish-based Afghan Refugee Solidarity Association, said many Afghan refugees in Iran are desperate to leave.“I am expecting that more refugees will be moving to Turkey from Iran because lots of Afghan army and authorities escaped into Iran. Yesterday, the Iranian government sent them back to Afghanistan. So, most of the refugees are afraid [of] Iran pushing them back to Afghanistan. So, it’s the best choice to arrive in Turkey, and maybe they will be near Europe,” said Hekmat.Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, right, and top army commanders check the Turkey-Iran border in Van, eastern Turkey, Aug. 15, 2021.Erdogan has declared a frontier wall with Iran will soon be completed to prevent new arrivals. With Turkey already hosting over four million refugees, mainly from the Syrian civil war, analysts warn of rising social tensions in the country.Last week, hundreds of people attacked Syrian refugees’ homes and shops in a suburb in the capital, Ankara. Recent opinion polls indicate a majority of people want many of the refugees to leave, a stance backed by the main opposition party.Analyst Asli Aydintasbas said the prospect of a new wave of Afghan refugees poses a major problem for Erdogan.“It’s a huge challenge and an increasingly divisive issue in Turkish public opinion. There is an overwhelming anxiety in Turkish society about refugees, in general, including some 4 million Syrians. The issue is so explosive in Turkey right now; that would be huge political blow to him (Erdogan) if it were to come out that Turkey was formerly accepting Afghan refugees,” said Aydintasbas.Ankara is expected to continue to step up its efforts to control its borders. But with another significant refugee exodus being widely predicted, time is not on the government’s side.
…
US Customs Seizes Shipments of Fake COVID Vaccination Cards
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents say they have now seized more than 121 shipments containing more than 3,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine cards this year alone.In a release, the agency said agents have intercepted the shipments at the port of Memphis, Tennessee, all of them from China and bound for different U.S. cities. The manifest usually indicates the contents are paper or greeting cards. Inside were packs of 20, 51 or 100 of the counterfeit cards.The officers say the cards have blanks for the recipient’s name and birthdate, the vaccine maker, lot number, and date and place the shot was given, as well as the logo of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the upper right corner. But the cards contain typographical errors, unfinished words and often misspellings, and they are always imported by a non-CDC or medical entity.The agency says there is no attempt to hide or disguise what is inside the packages.The discoveries come as more and more businesses and entertainment venues are requiring proof of vaccination to enter. New York City will this week begin phasing in its vaccine mandate for bars, restaurants and other venues.The FBI has warned the public that buying, selling or using a counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination card is a crime. It can be categorized as the unauthorized use of an official government agency seal — such as the CDC or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — and violators could face a fine and up to five years in prison.In the agency release, Area Port Director of Memphis Michael Neipert said counterfeits are a waste of time and resources, considering vaccinations are free and available everywhere.“If you do not wish to receive a vaccine, that is your decision. But don’t order a counterfeit, waste my officer’s time, break the law and misrepresent yourself,” he said.On Sunday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on federal officials to crack down harder on the fake cards.Some information for this report came from by the Associated Press.
…
Kenyan Aid Group Hopes to Bring Justice Closer to the Defenseless
Isaac Ndegwa goes through legal briefs at the Justice Defenders’ offices in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.The 35-year-old is researching cases to help prisoners with their appeals. Just two months ago, Ndegwa too was behind bars, serving a 14-year sentence for a robbery and violent crime.But during his time in prison, he joined a Justice Defenders’ legal training program and earned a law degree that helped reduce his sentence. “We were able to challenge that law, through the knowledge that we gained, and my sentence was subjected to the same, to the remission, so I didn’t serve the whole fourteen years, I served now nine years and eight months,” Ndegwa said. Ndegwa is one of 15,000 inmates who have had their sentences reduced or were released from prison through the efforts of Justice Defenders.The aid group, which also trains wardens, seeks to make justice accessible to vulnerable members of society.Miriam Wachira is Justice Defenders’ country director for Kenya.“Seeing people in prison, behind bars, being able to study a law degree and finishing it, that has been one of our biggest success stories,” Wachira said.Justice Defenders seeks to bridge a gap by empowering those who are unable to access justice through the legal process. Kenyan high court lawyer John Lewis Onkendi said many people can’t begin a legal process because of lack of money. “A lot of Kenyans have a problem in accessing justice because justice in Kenya can be expensive,” Onkendi said. “By that I mean affording an advocate for an average Kenyan is not an easy task and so sometimes you find that a lot of them do not have quality and credible legal representation.” Justice Defenders has served more than 33,000 people since its beginning in 2007. Its legal education training and practice serves prisons in Kenya, Uganda, and the Gambia.Thirty-nine inmates have graduated from the group’s law program, sponsored by the University of London, and six are practicing law.Forty-one-year-old Brenda Ambani is accredited with the University of London to teach law for the group. She said the demand for the group’s services is high. “One of our greatest impacts is having people who have studied this degree and they use that knowledge to argue out their cases in court,” Ambani said.Justice Defenders is run solely through donations.The group seeks to have those who have gone through its programs give back, like Ndegwa, by helping those who are locked up get access to justice.
…
Sex-for-food Aid Scandal Unfolding in Burkina Faso
A recent report found that community leaders in Burkina Faso are exploiting internally displaced women, demanding sex or money in return for food aid. One local official said these reported incidents could be the “tip of the iceberg” in a displacement crisis of 1.3 million people. At an unofficial camp in the Centre North region, IDPs say they do not receive food aid from the state or nonprofits. One woman, who is not being named for her safety, said she has been forced to take desperate measures in order to eat. She said she stayed in the shelters for six months without having enough to eat unless she had sex with people distributing food. Many women in the area, she said, were contracting sexual diseases as a result. She survived in these conditions until her husband came back and they were able to rent a small house. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 9 MB480p | 13 MB540p | 18 MB720p | 41 MB1080p | 73 MBOriginal | 86 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioA report last month by The New Humanitarian, a media outlet focusing on humanitarian issues, found that eight IDPs had been forced into sex in exchange for food aid in the Centre North region. “From the reporting that I did and the women that I spoke to, it seemed like everyone knew that this was happening,” said Sam Mednick, a reporter with The New Humanitarian. “Few people were really willing to talk about it. The women I spoke to said they knew other women who had also registered for food and were having a hard time finding food assistance and thought they were being propositioned in the same way that they had been — either for sex or for money in order to add their names to the registration lists.” The report also said an inter-nonprofit system to prevent and address sexual exploitation and abuse is not fully set up. A local official from a town with a large IDP population, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told VOA the size of the sex-for-food scandal is likely much bigger than has been reported so far. He said that there are so many women who approach them to express their concerns, but he does not have the exact number. He estimates between 20 to 30 displaced women have reached out so far. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which provides much of the aid, refused to give an on-camera interview, but did respond to questions via email. Asked why the system for preventing cases of sex-for-food aid had not been properly set up, the response was: “The Government of Burkina Faso, supported by the U.N., has a toll-free number for filing complaints in all cases of sexual or gender-based abuse. … Focal points are in place to detect any sign of sexual abuse or exploitation and humanitarian and other workers are trained on their responsibilities and accountability.” Burkina Faso’s ministry for humanitarian affairs did not respond to VOA’s request for comment.
…
Greece Wildfires Continue as New Blazes Break Out Near Athens
Two new wildfires burned uncontrollably outside the Greek capital, Athens, on Monday, forcing nearby villages to evacuate.An area near the town of Lavrio, southeast of Athens, was the first to ignite, as flames fanned by strong winds decimated mountainside vegetation before spreading to pine trees. Three villages were evacuated, while 91 firefighters, six water-dropping planes and six helicopters were deployed to contain the blaze.The raging fire is in danger of spreading to Sounio National Park, which boasts the ancient Temple of Poseidon.A second fire broke out northwest of the capital in Vilia, forcing another three villages to evacuate. Over 240 firefighters were fighting the blaze, along with eight water-dropping planes and nine helicopters, according to The Associated Press.The blazes are the latest in a series of over 500 wildfires to break out in Greece, elongating weeks of devastation that brought the destruction of hundreds of buildings and tens of thousands of acres of land. One volunteer firefighter and an Athens official died as a result of the fires, and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.The severity of the wildfires was driven by the country’s worst heat wave in decades, during which temperatures topped 45° C (113° F). The record heat wave also sparked uncontrolled fires across Albania, Algeria, Italy, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Russia, Spain and Turkey. The Greek government has been criticized for its lackluster response to the fires and has relied on assistance from the United States, the European Union and Middle Eastern countries to contain them.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologized on television last week for “any weaknesses that may have occurred” in his government’s response.”I fully understand the pain of our fellow citizens who saw their homes or property burned,” Mitsotakis said. “Any failures will be identified. And responsibility will be assigned wherever necessary.”The same day, Mitsotakis approved an aid package of 500 million euros ($587 million) to fund reforestation efforts and compensate those who lost homes or property.Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
…
Thai ‘Gen Z,’ Pro-democracy Veteran ‘Red Shirts’ up Ante on PM Prayuth
Thailand’s boisterous youth movement is linking up with the kingdom’s most enduring pro-democracy force — the “Red Shirt” protest veterans — posing the most serious threat yet from the street to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s grip on power.But experts say as long as the former army chief retains the support of Thailand’s core interest groups, the monarchy, the military and big business, he is unlikely to fall, no matter how many push for his removal from office.Almost daily protests, spurred by the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and an unprecedented economic crunch, are swelling. By dusk parts of Bangkok are covered in choking swirls of tear gas while fires rage, set by a hard core of young protesters clashing with police.Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends a family photo session at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2021.The violence, experts warn, could lead to the army coming out and a deepening of the political crisis engulfing the turbulent nation.Tens of thousands of people joined loud, colorful convoys of “car mobs” across the country Sunday, calling on Prayuth to resign. The convoys rode through Bangkok and the “Red Shirt” rural heartlands of north and northeastern Thailand.At the helm in the capital was Nattawut Saikuar, a former Red Shirt hero, who pulled out his old followers as leader of the new “Oust Prayuth Network” alongside thousands of young “Gen Z” protesters.“This is a synergy between two generations fighting a common enemy,” Nattawut told VOA.The Red Shirt movement began in 2008 in outrage at an appointed government which followed a coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.A few years later, their protests were put down with a bloody army crackdown led by Prayuth.In 2014 as army chief, Prayuth led another coup against another elected government, this time led by Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s younger sister. The Reds were forced into retreat.“These young people have taken up the baton,” Nattawut added.Police use a water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters taking part in a demonstration calling for the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha.New political wisdomThailand’s Gen Z, angry, articulate and armed with social media, have challenged Thailand’s power pyramid like never before, calling for Prayuth to resign and a new constitution to unplug the army from politics for good and, crucially, reform of the all-powerful monarchy.“Frankly, before Prayuth’s coup I was just a normal school kid,” a 25-year-old protester who gave her name as Pop said, as she daubed “Prayuth Get Out” on a road in spray paint.“But as time goes by you realize politics affects us all. That’s when I took to the street and joined the movement demanding this government fall.”Experts say Thailand’s arch-royalist establishment sees Prayuth as an integral part of the hierarchy that has been carefully constructed to keep populist civilian leaders like the Shinawatras out, while leaving the monarchy above reproach and tycoons to dominate the economy.“Prayuth is now not only protecting his position, but also protecting the advantages of an establishment that has benefited from the past few years,” political scientist Kanokrat Lertchoosakul told VOA News.And that means, no matter how bad things get on the street — with a coronavirus pandemic claiming scores of lives each day, low vaccination rates and the economic growth forecast to be rubbed out for the year — Prayuth is unlikely to budge.“The elite need to keep him in power,” prominent historian Nidhi Eoseewong said during Sunday’s car mob.“Prayuth knows all too well that it’s not up to him to step down or not, it’s up to the powers behind him who will decide.”Undeterred, the young protesters have gone after him for more than a year.This picture taken on March 25, 2019, shows exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra being interviewed by Agence France-presse in Hong Kong.They are also filling up rooms on the Clubhouse app, for chats hosted by the 72-year-old Thaksin from his self-exile abroad, even though most are too young to remember the enigmatic billionaire.His youth appeal has raised prospects of a remarkable comeback of sorts, especially as the economy sinks further and the government runs out of cash and ideas.But unlike the loyalties of the past, “Gen Z” has a “new political wisdom,” warns Kanokrat, explaining they will not back leaders who play old power games at the expense of their demands.“If we don’t listen and turn them into a very high potential human resource for the future, we are turning them into the state enemy,” Kanokrat said.
…
US Investigating Tesla Autopilot Accidents
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) has opened an investigation into auto manufacturer Tesla’s autopilot system after 11 accidents have been reported since 2018, resulting in 17 injuries and one death.In a report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said investigators found that in each of the accidents, various Tesla models encountered first responder scenes and “subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes.”The report said most of the incidents took place after dark, and each of the crash scenes involved scene control measures such as first responder vehicle lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, and road cones. In each case, the Teslas were confirmed to have been engaged in either autopilot or traffic-aware cruise control during the approach to the crashes.The report explains that Tesla’s autopilot system — the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) — allows the vehicle to maintain its speed and lane centering. With the ADAS engaged, the driver still holds primary responsibility for identifying obstacles in the roadway or “adverse maneuvers by neighboring vehicles.”The report says the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened an autopilot systems investigation into Tesla models Y, X, S and 3 from the years 2014 to 2021. It will involve an estimated 765,000 vehicles.The agency said it would look at how autopilot ensures that Tesla drivers are paying attention to the road. The company’s owners’ manuals instruct drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel, but autopilot continues operating even if drivers only occasionally tap the wheel.Some of the information in this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
…
Japan PM Extends COVID Emergency as Cases Surge
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the COVID-19 state of emergency for Tokyo and several surrounding regions will continue through September 12 rather than expiring at the end of this month after a surge in new cases over the past three days.Tokyo announced 2,962 new daily cases on Monday, after a record 5,773 on Friday. All of Japan saw a record 20,400 cases that day.Suga told reporters the surge in infections is reaching alarming levels. He said the state of emergency currently in effect for Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa will include three other areas – Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka, which are currently under a less severe COVID-19 status.The state of emergency began in July, just before the start of the Tokyo Olympics. With the latest extension, the emergency will remain in force during the Paralympics Games August 24 through September 5.Suga said the measures will become official Tuesday, following further consultations with experts. He also said hospital care was “a priority,” and people waiting at home to be hospitalized were getting checkups by phone. Critics say the government has not done enough to respond to the crisis in organizing the hospital system overall to accommodate those with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.Japan’s state of emergency restricts commercial activity, with bars and restaurants told to close or stop serving alcohol, and movie theaters and karaoke parlors closed. Japanese laws limit how much the government can mandate, making the state of emergency declarations little more than requests for cooperation.Just over one-third of the nation’s population has been fully vaccinated, even while the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus is reportedly spreading. Japan’s vaccine rollout got off to a relatively late start and is proceeding at a pace that is one of the slowest among industrialized nations. Japan has had more than 15,000 COVID-19-related deaths, and worries have been growing about the health care system becoming increasingly stretched thin. Some of the information in this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
…
Sex-for-Food Aid Scandal in Burkina Faso
A recent report found that community leaders in Burkina Faso are exploiting internally displaced women, demanding sex or money in return for food aid. One local official said these reported incidents could be the “tip of the iceberg” in a displacement crisis of 1.3 million people. Reporter Henry Wilkins spoke to a victim in this report from the town of Kaya.Camera: Henry Wilkins
…
Commander of UN Peacekeeping in CAR Says Violence Continues in Country
The commander of U.N. peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic says rebels there continue to challenge authorities and threaten neighboring countries like Cameroon. General Daniel Sidiki Troare made the comments during a weekend visit to Cameroon for talks with defense officials.The U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission, MINUSCA, says the situation in the Central African Republic remains fragile.General Daniel Sidiki Troare is the Burkina Faso-born force commander of MINUSCA. He said rebel attacks and human rights violations on C.A.R. civilians and institutions are frequent.He said the fundamental objective of the U.N. peacekeeping mission is to protect civilians, U.N. Mission staff and offices, the country’s state institutions and restore definitive peace is facing lots of challenges. He says he is visiting Cameroon because more cooperation is needed between U.N. troops and Cameroon’s military to stop rebel advances and bring back order to the C.A.R.Troare spoke in Cameroon where he was visiting as the head of a MINUSCA delegation. MINUSCA reports that since August 1, it documented 18 incidents of abuse and cases of human rights violations perpetrated by rebels. Thirty victims of the abuses are receiving psychosocial care in Bangui.In July, another 20 people reported abuses in the C.A.R. capital Bangui. More than 25 C.A.R. communities suffered bloody attacks from rebels.MINUSCA reports that in July, 5,500 wounded civilians received health assistance in its hospitals.Troare said C.A.R. rebels facing reprisals from U.N. peacekeepers hide on both sides of the Cameroon border.Joseph Beti Assomo, Cameroons Defense Minister (Moki Edwin Kindzeka/VOA)Joseph Beti Assomo is Cameroon’s defense minister.Assomo said Cameroon will be sending 800 troops to the C.A.R. in September because Cameroon faces insecurity when attacks occur in C.A.R. He said when rebels block the road linking Cameroon’s coastal commercial city Douala and Bangui, economic activity declines and thousands of transporters are deprived of their source of livelihoods.Assomo said since December when post-election violence erupted in the Central African Republic, rebels have blocked the road linking Douala to Bangui at least six times. He said the number of people displaced within the C.A.R. rose from 300,000 in December to 500,000 in July. Assomo however said that many of the displaced have returned to safe localities.Assomo and Troare did not say where in the C.A.R. that Cameroon’s troops will be deployed. But Assomo said they will be expected to secure the border. He said Cameroon has deployed several hundred additional troops to its eastern border to stop rebels from entering Cameroon.Violence in the C.A.R. degenerated into an armed conflict in 2014 when a coalition of armed groups known as the Seleka overthrew then-President Francoise Bozize.Cameroon shares a 900-kilometer boundary with the Central African Republic and hosts 300,000 refugees from the neighboring country.
…
US Set to Make Decision on COVID Booster Shots
The next couple of weeks will tell whether the U.S. will begin to offer coronavirus booster shots to its population, Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, told the television show “Fox News Sunday.” “There is a concern that the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness,” Collins said. Healthcare workers, nursing home residents and other older people would be the first in line to receive the booster shots, according to the NIH director. The delta strain of the coronavirus is driving up the COVID caseload in the U.S. to approximately 129,000 new infections a day, a 700% increase from the beginning of July. Collins said the case load could jump to as many as 200,000 a day, rivaling the worst days of the COVID outbreak in January and February. Collins also said people who have not yet been vaccinated are “sitting ducks” and urged them to get the COVID vaccine as the highly contagious delta variant sweeps across the country. If data indicates that a booster is needed, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s chief epidemiologist, told “Face the Nation” on CBS Sunday that the country “will be absolutely prepared” to deliver the inoculations “very quickly.” The U.S. has recorded more COVID cases than anyplace else in the world at 36.7 million cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Australia has procured one million Pfizer vaccine doses from Poland. More than half of the vaccines are slated for 20-to 39-year-olds in New South Wales in 12 local government areas that have had COVID outbreaks. The rest of the vaccines “will be distributed on a per capita basis to other states and territories,” the government said in a statement. “Orphanhood and caregiver deaths are a hidden pandemic resulting from COVID-19-associated deaths,” the international medical journal The Lancet has reported. “Accelerating equitable vaccine delivery is key to prevention.” The Lancet report said that globally, from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021, its researchers estimate that 1,134,000 children “experienced the death of primary caregivers, including at least one parent or custodial grandparent.” In addition, it is estimated that “1,562,000 children … experienced the death of at least one primary or secondary caregiver.” “Psychosocial and economic support can help families to nurture children bereft of caregivers and help to ensure that institutionalization is avoided,” The Lancet report said. “These data show the need for an additional pillar of our response: prevent, detect, respond, and care for children.” The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center recorded 207,217,030 global COVID-19 cases and 4,362,337 global deaths early Monday.
…
Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Resigns After Chaotic 17-Month Tenure
Malaysia’s king will keep Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on as caretaker prime minister after Muhyiddin and his entire cabinet formally resigned Monday following months of political turmoil. Muhyiddin submitted his resignation and that of his ministers to King Al-Sultan Abdullah when he visited the royal palace shortly after holding an emergency cabinet meeting. He later said during a nationally televised address that he was stepping down because he had lost support of the majority of lawmakers. Muhyiddin also reassured Malaysians that he would not join with lawmakers he called “kleptocrats” or interfere with the judiciary’s independence to stay in power. The royal palace issued a statement explaining that King Al-Sultan is keeping Muhyiddin on in a caretaker role because it is not a good time to hold elections as Malaysia continues to struggle with rising COVID-19 infections. Muhyiddin’s tenure as prime minister is the shortest in Malaysian history. The king selected Muhyiddin as prime minister last March after then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s ruling coalition had collapsed a month earlier. But he has been beset by constant challenges to his leadership within his fragile coalition and rising anger over his government’s poor response to pandemic. Malaysia has one of the world’s highest COVID-19 infection rates and deaths per million, with 1.4 million total infections and 12,510 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Muhyiddin’s tenuous grip on power began unraveling when a group of lawmakers with the United Malays National Organization, the largest party in the coalition, withdrew their support. UMNO, once Malaysia’s long-serving ruling party dating back to the country’s independence in 1957, has a handful of politicians facing corruption charges, including former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Muhyiddin’s 17-month tenure as prime minister is the shortest in Malaysia’s history. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
…
Pfizer Vaccines from Poland to Boost Australia’s Fight Against COVID-19
Poland is selling one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to boost Australia’s comparatively low COVID-19 inoculation rates. Australia has bought extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the Polish government for an undisclosed amount. The first shipment arrived in Sydney Sunday. Reports have said Poland has been trying to sell-on at least four million spare doses from its national stockpile. The deal is part of Canberra’s international hunt for extra doses to boost its vaccination rollout. With only about a quarter of its population fully inoculated, Australia has lagged behind many other countries. Half of the doses from Poland will go to 20-to-39-year-olds in the worst virus-hit suburbs in Sydney, where Australia’s harshest lockdown got even stricter on Monday with new regulations that limit the movement of millions of people. Many residents in areas with large numbers of delta variant infections are not allowed to move more than 5 kilometers from their homes as law enforcement agencies assume some of the most sweeping powers the country has ever seen. Almost 18,000 police officers and 1,800 soldiers are patrolling Sydney streets to enforce the lockdown. Health authorities in New South Wales Monday reported 478 new COVID-19 cases — a new daily record — and seven more fatalities. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is urging people to obey the public health orders. “We have been seeing those case numbers rise in Sydney and New South Wales each day and that is terribly concerning. So, together we have got to get those numbers coming down and there are two things we can do. I need you to stay at home and you needed more vaccines from us. More vaccines are on their way, they will be there this week,” Morrison said.In Victoria, officials Monday extended a lockdown in Melbourne until at least September 2 as delta variant infections increase. A night-time curfew will be imposed from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Lockdowns are also in place in the Australian Capital Territory — the region surrounding Canberra — and the Northern Territory. Travel into and out of Australia remains heavily restricted. Most foreign nationals were banned from entering in March 2020 to curb the spread of the virus. The policy continues to separate many families. Daniella May, a German-Australian woman, has written a song about not seeing her extended family overseas. “In different time zones we sit, and the uncertainty we breathe, we with our loved-ones freeze on ‘phone screens, cry and think, is this Australia?” May said. About 39,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in Australia since the pandemic began, and 958 people have died, according to the Health Department.
…
Tropical Weather Bringing Heavy Rains to Southern US, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Monday that reconnaissance aircraft has found that Tropical Storm Fred “has slowed down a little,” but is expected to produce heavy rainfall and a dangerous storm surge along the coast of the Florida Panhandle later in the day. Fred may have slowed its forward speed, but forecasters warned about the possibility of tornadoes and life-threatening surf and storm surges. The weather forecasters cautioned that “a tornado or two” could be possible Monday morning over the Florida west coast and Panhandle, and during the late morning and into the afternoon from the Florida Panhandle northward into southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama.
Once Fred makes landfall, it is expected to weaken, NHC said. Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Grace is continuing to produce heavy rains in western Puerto Rico, the forecasters reported, and flash floods and mudslides are possible across the island of Hispaniola Monday. On Hispaniola, tropical storm watches are posted for the entire coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as Grace approaches. Haiti needs “grace” of another kind after suffering an earthquake Saturday, which came just weeks after the political crisis of a presidential assassination. Haiti has never fully recovered from a devastating earthquake in 2010.
…
Malaysia PM’s Cabinet Resigns – Science Minister
Malaysia’s cabinet led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has tendered its resignation to the king, science minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Monday, after months of political turmoil that resulted in a loss of the premier’s majority. Khairy announced the news in a post on Instagram. Prime Minister Muhyiddin was earlier seen entering the national palace on Monday, after reports he would tender his resignation to the king. Muhyiddin’s office did not respond to Reuters requests for confirmation on Monday. Muhyiddin’s hand had weakened after months of infighting in his coalition. If confirmed, his resignation would end a tumultuous 17 months in office but could also hamper Malaysia’s efforts to reboot a pandemic-stricken economy and curb a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, as there is no obvious successor. Malaysia’s ringgit currency earlier fell to a one-year low and the stock market slipped. It was not immediately clear who could form the next government, given no one has a clear majority in parliament, or whether elections could be held during the pandemic. Malaysia’s infections and fatality rates per million people are the highest in Southeast Asia. The decision is likely to be thrust into the hands of constitutional monarch King Al-Sultan Abdullah, who can appoint a prime minister from among elected lawmakers based on who he thinks is most likely to command a majority. Muhyiddin, who had for weeks defied calls to quit, had informed party members that he would submit his resignation to the king on Monday, according to Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, a minister in the prime minister’s department, news portal Malaysiakini reported on Sunday. The minister did not respond to a request for comment. The prime minister convened a special cabinet meeting on Monday morning, state news agency Bernama reported. Reuters journalists saw Muhyiddin arrive at the national palace. His resignation could return the premiership to the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), Malaysia’s ‘grand old party,’ which was voted out in a 2018 election after being tainted by corruption allegations. The top two contenders for the premiership or interim prime minister’s post include deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and veteran lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, both from UMNO. Muhyiddin’s grip on power has been precarious since he took office in March 2020 with a slim majority. Pressure on him mounted recently after some UMNO lawmakers — the largest bloc in the ruling alliance — withdrew support. Muhyiddin had said the recent crisis was brought on by his refusal to meet demands including the dropping of corruption charges against some individuals. UMNO politicians, including former premier Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are facing graft charges. They have denied wrongdoing and were among those who withdrew support for Muhyiddin this month.
…
Zambian Opposition Leader Hakainde Hichilema Declared Winner of Presidential Election
Zambia’s main opposition party leader Hakainde Hichilema has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, winning more than 50% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election. Zambia’s electoral commission announced Monday in the capital, Lusaka, that Hichilema had won more than 2.8 million votes, with incumbent President Edgar Lungu taking 1.8 million votes. The 59-year-old Hichilema, a wealthy businessman and leader of the United Party for National Development, is claiming the presidency on his sixth try. Hichilema’s victory was fueled by widespread discontent with the collapse of Zambia’s economy, which has been saddled by falling prices of copper, its chief export, rising inflation and unemployment, becoming the first African nation during the COVID-19 pandemic to default on its sovereign debt last year. Lungu denounced the election as “not free and fair” Saturday after the first round of votes had been released, alleging acts of violence against his supporters and members of his ruling Patriotic Front party. But government forces blocked Hichilema from campaigning in several areas, while activists accused the government of harsh restrictions on public demonstrations. Lungu was seeking a second term in office, having defeated Hichilema in the 2016 elections. He boasted of the many infrastructure projects his government has undertaken during his tenure. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
…
Ex-Khmer Rouge Official Appeals Genocide Verdict in Cambodia
The last living leader from the inner circle of Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime launched his courtroom appeal Monday, seeking to convince a long-running international tribunal to overturn his conviction on charges of genocide. Khieu Samphan, 90, was the former head of state for the Khmer Rouge, the radical communist regime that ruled Cambodia with an iron fist from 1975-1979 and was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people. His defense team is seeking to overturn a 2018 verdict finding him guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, questioning the evidence and arguing there were procedural mistakes. Kong Sam Onn told the judges of the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC, that his client had been given inadequate time to prepare an initial defense, and that the original panel failed to provide the grounds for its ruling in a timely fashion, among other things. “It should be null and void, and so I am requesting the Supreme Court chamber to … reverse the judgment,” he said. Khieu Samphan sat in a chair behind his attorneys, appearing to listen intently as they addressed the court. Kong Sam Onn said his client would address the chamber at the end of the four days of hearings. Observers say it’s unlikely for the conviction to be overturned, and even if it is, he is already serving a life sentence for a 2014 conviction of crimes against humanity connected with forced transfers and disappearances of masses of people. That conviction was upheld on appeal in 2016.Civic group members wait in queue before getting into the court room of the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 16, 2021.“The appeal hearing is quite important for both sides, the Cambodian victims and the accused,” said tribunal spokesman, Neth Pheaktra. The verdict won’t come until next year. Under the leadership of the late Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge sought to eliminate all traces of what they saw as corrupt bourgeois life, destroying most religious, financial and social institutions, and forcing millions out of cities to live in the countryside. Dissent was usually met with death in the Khmer Rouge’s notorious “killing fields” or elsewhere, while starvation, overwork and medical neglect took many more lives. Only when an invasion by Vietnam finally drove the Khmer Rouge from power in 1979 did the magnitude of the killings become truly known. Khieu Samphan’s 2018 conviction was largely connected to crimes committed against Vietnamese and Cham minorities in Cambodia. He was found not guilty of genocide against the Cham, a Muslim ethnic minority whose members had put up a small but futile resistance against the Khmer Rouge, for lack of evidence. But he was found guilty of genocide of the Vietnamese under the principle of joint criminal enterprise, under which individuals can be held responsible for the actions of a group to which they belong. His crimes against humanity conviction covered activities at work camps and cooperatives established by the Khmer Rouge. They included murder, extermination, deportation, enslavement, imprisonment, torture, persecution on political, religious and racial grounds, attacks on human dignity, forced marriages and rape. He was “found to have encouraged, incited, and legitimized criminal policies and to have made a significant contribution to crimes committed” by the Khmer Rouge. The breaches of the Geneva Convention governing war crimes included willful killing, torture and inhumane treatment. During his trial, Khieu Samphan claimed the allegations against him were “Vietnamese propaganda” and said that while he had been aware of accusations of suffering under the Khmer Rouge, “the term murderer I categorically reject.” After being ousted from power in 1979, the Khmer Rouge waged guerrilla warfare for another two decades before disintegrating. Pol Pot died in the jungle in 1998, and on Christmas Eve that year, Khieu Samphan surrendered along with Nuon Chea, the movement’s chief ideologue and its second-highest official. Nuon Chea was convicted alongside Khieu Samphan in 2018 and died the following year. The ECCC tribunal was established at Cambodia’s behest to bring to justice the leaders of the Khmer Rouge during its time in power. Since the first judges and prosecutors took up their duties in 2006, however, the court has only successfully convicted three people in prosecutions that have cost some $300 million. In addition to Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, the only other leader convicted was Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who as head of the Khmer Rouge prison system ran the infamous Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh. He died in 2020 while serving a life prison term for war crimes and crimes against humanity. After the conviction of Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea in 2018, the government of autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself a midlevel Khmer Rouge commander before defecting while the group was still in power, declared no more cases would go forward, saying they would cause instability. Human rights attorney Theary Seng, who survived the Khmer Rouge genocide herself but lost her parents, criticized the trials as “political theatre” where Hun Sen and others have been “allowed, backed with U.N. insignia, to try themselves.” Still, she said she planned to attend the opening of the appeal to see the case against Khieu Samphan to its conclusion. “I have forgiven Khieu Samphan, as I have no intention for revenge, but that is not the same as holding him responsible,” she told The Associated Press in an email. “I hold Khieu Samphan directly responsible for the murders of my mom and dad, and for taking my childhood away from me in forcing me into a living hell.”
…
Concerns Over US Terror Threats Rising as Taliban Hold Grows
America’s top general said Sunday that the United States could now face a rise in terrorist threats from a Taliban-run Afghanistan. That warning comes as intelligence agencies charged with anticipating those threats face new questions after the U.S.-backed Afghan military collapsed with shocking speed. Less than a week after a military assessment predicted Kabul could be surrounded by insurgents in 30 days, the world on Sunday watched stunning scenes of Taliban fighters standing in the Afghan president’s office and crowds of Afghans and foreigners frantically trying to board planes to escape the country. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators on a briefing call Sunday that U.S. officials are expected to alter their earlier assessments about the pace of terrorist groups reconstituting in Afghanistan, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. In June, the Pentagon’s top leaders said an extremist group like al-Qaida may be able to regenerate in Afghanistan and pose a threat to the U.S. homeland within two years of the American military’s withdrawal from the country. Two decades after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban harbored al-Qaida leaders, experts say the Taliban and al-Qaida remain aligned, and other violent groups could also find safe haven under the new regime.Taliban flags fly on the gate of Ghazni provincial governor’s house, in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021.Based on the evolving situation, officials now believe terror groups like al-Qaida may be able to grow much faster than expected, according to the person, who had direct knowledge of the briefing but was not authorized to discuss the details of the call publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration officials on the call with senators – among them were Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin — said U.S. intelligence agencies are working on forming a new timeline based on the evolving threats, the person familiar with the matter said. Current and former intelligence officials on Sunday pushed back against criticism of what was widely seen as a failure by the agencies to anticipate how fast Kabul could fall. One senior intelligence official said that “a rapid Taliban takeover was always a possibility,” adding: “As the Taliban advanced, they ultimately met with little resistance. We have always been clear-eyed that this was possible, and tactical conditions on the ground can often evolve quickly.” The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. But President Joe Biden didn’t suggest such an outcome at a July 8 news conference, when he said “the likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely. ” The reduced U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan — down to 2,500 troops at the end of President Donald Trump’s term — may have hindered intelligence efforts in Afghanistan. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency until October, said having fewer Americans embedded with Afghan forces meant there was less insight into how those forces would perform. “It’s very, very difficult to gauge the morale down at the unit level because you’re just not there anymore,” Ashley said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if Afghan leaders would tell us only what we want to hear anyway.” Monitoring terrorism threats in Afghanistan will be even more difficult with U.S. troops withdrawing and the Taliban in control. Intelligence agencies in Afghanistan work side by side with troops. Without the same military presence, spies are severely limited in what they can collect about the morale of Afghan troops or support for the Taliban. “If they leave, which they did, that means we leave as well,” said Marc Polymeropoulos, who held several roles related to Afghanistan during a 26-year career in the CIA. “And that certainly affects our intelligence gathering footprint.” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that once evacuations are settled that “our focus is going to shift” toward intelligence and counterterrorism activities. The U.S. will have to ensure it has the ability to track whether al-Qaida is reconstituting there, he said in an interview. “The Taliban has lots of reasons to honor their agreement with the United States and keep al-Qaida at bay. And our mission now is to put ourselves in a position where we can monitor and verify that that commitment,” he said.
…