#Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

[xtruss]

An Ambassador Without a Country

The Afghan statesman Zalmai Rassoul is recognized by the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland—but not by the Taliban.

— By Steve Coll | August 13, 2023

Photographs By Silvana Trevale For The New Yorker

King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan, who reigned after his country gained independence from Great Britain, in 1919, collected automobiles and tried to modernize Afghan society through reforms such as compulsory education. In 1925, his government purchased a new Embassy in London, a four-story mid-Victorian edifice at Princes Gate, across Kensington Road from Hyde Park, near the Royal Albert Hall. The King’s change agenda provoked a violent revolt, however, and in 1929 Amanullah fled Kabul, reportedly in a Rolls-Royce. (He died in Switzerland in 1960.) Yet the London Embassy remained—a graceful and rapidly appreciating possession of an isolated, often vulnerable nation.

Zalmai Rassoul, a nephew of Amanullah’s who is now eighty years old, today lives alone in an apartment on the Embassy’s upper floors. In 2020, President Ashraf Ghani appointed Rassoul as the Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland. In June, 2021, Queen Elizabeth II met him over Zoom, to accept his credentials in the U.K. By that time, the Taliban had stormed dozens of Afghan district capitals, in an escalating offensive against Ghani’s Islamic Republic, the constitutional regime that had been created after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and was protected for almost two decades by nato troops. On August 15th, Kabul fell, and Ghani fled in a helicopter. As the Taliban took over the government, Rassoul stayed put at Princes Gate.

Since then, neither the United Nations nor any of its member states has recognized the Islamic Emirate, as the Taliban call their regime, largely because it seized power by force and imposed draconian restrictions on female education and on the ability of Afghan women to work freely. In the autumn of 2021, the British Foreign Office informed Rassoul that he could carry on as Ambassador. Almost two years later, the Islamic Republic’s red, green, and black flag still flies above the Embassy’s entrance. “So far, we are guests of the United Kingdom,” Rassoul told me recently, over tea in a cavernous ground-floor office. “It’s very strange,” he conceded. “When I’m asked who you are representing, I say, ‘The Afghan people,’ because we don’t have anymore a government.”

The Taliban, of course, would beg to differ. “We believe that all embassies belong to the state of Afghanistan and should be handed over to the authorities in power” so that the Islamic Emirate can run them in a “transparent and effective manner,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, told me. Rassoul is not the only Ghani-era squatter in an Afghan Embassy. When Kabul fell, the country maintained around forty Embassies around the world. Today, as many as twenty—mainly in Europe, but also in Ottawa and Seoul and a few other places—are still run by Republic-era diplomats. In Beijing, Islamabad, and other capitals, however, governments have accepted Taliban-appointed diplomats, even while withholding formal recognition of the regime. Balkhi said that fourteen Embassies are now managed by “newly appointed diplomats,” while at a number of other outposts diplomats from the Republic era “are fully coördinating with Kabul.”

Of all the Republic-era Ambassadors, Rassoul is by far the most politically prominent. He was educated in France as a nephrologist and worked as a doctor and a medical researcher in Saudi Arabia during the nineteen-eighties, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan stirred an uprising by mujahideen rebels armed by the C.I.A. Later, during the first era of Taliban rule, he moved to Rome to serve as a political adviser to Zahir Shah, the exiled former King whose father had restored the country’s monarchy after Amanullah’s departure, and who reigned over a period of relative stability and prosperity from the early nineteen-thirties until 1973, when he was ousted in a coup d’état. After the Taliban were removed from power, Rassoul became national-security adviser and then foreign minister under President Hamid Karzai. (Karzai has remained in Kabul since the Taliban takeover. Ghani is in the U.A.E.) Later, in 2014, Rassoul ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency. Youthful-looking for his years, he possesses the gentle manners of a royal scion, and is a rare leader from the Republic era who is not a lightning rod for his compatriots’ anger. “He’s a gentleman. People respect him,” Nasir Andisha, a Republic-era diplomat still serving in Geneva, and an informal adviser to the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front, told me. “He was probably the least controversial figure in politics in Afghanistan.”

Rassoul has lately been working with other Republic-era Ambassadors and diaspora figures to develop a plan for their country’s future. “I’m a politician, and, wherever I am, I’m involved in politics,” he told me, speaking publicly for the first time about his work and life at the London Embassy. “You know, politics is like a disease, when you get it.” In March, Andisha hosted a meeting of twenty-one Republic-era envoys in Geneva, where they formed the Council of Ambassadors and named Rassoul as a permanent co-chair, with a rotating partner. The envoys all oppose the Taliban. But “war is not a solution,” Rassoul said, and the best place to start is with intra-Afghan dialogue.

Rassoul’s apartment has a charming view of Hyde Park, and it is comfortably if impersonally furnished, suggesting a four-star hotel with Central Asian accents. For a touch of home, the Ambassador has mounted black-and-white photos of his royal ancestors. Each weekday morning at about nine o’clock, he goes downstairs to his office, where he meets Embassy colleagues as well as Afghan and other visitors. (A handful of salaried diplomats, mainly engaged in consular work, and a driver also remain at the Embassy.) At midday, he returns upstairs for lunch, and then goes down again to check on new developments. Sometimes, there aren’t any. Most evenings, he takes a long walk in the park. About twice a week, he plays golf at a nearby course. (He took up the sport while in exile in Rome.) Other London embassies still invite him to receptions celebrating national holidays or fêting distinguished visitors, and other rituals of diplomatic life. “I will go there and spend half an hour or an hour, just to show that Afghanistan exists,” he said.

Rassoul never married—work always seemed to get in the way, he said—and the only surviving member of his immediate family is a sister living in Brazil. I asked whether he was lonely. “I’m very comfortable here compared to all my compatriots, who, unfortunately, are running around to find a place to stay,” he answered, referring to the tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who had settled in the U.K. in 2021, many of whom have had to navigate overnight transformations from lives of relative privilege to the insecurities and indignities of refugee status. “But, intellectually, I am very frustrated.” Among other things, he still grieves for the Islamic Republic, “this tremendous international effort to bring Afghanistan from ground zero to, despite all the problems, an advanced country in the region.”

Zalmai Rassoul, in the London Embassy

In the initial months after the Republic’s fall, the Biden Administration and European allies engaged with the Taliban, hoping to address Afghanistan’s severe humanitarian needs and to coöperate on counterterrorism. But, in March of 2022, on instructions from the arch-conservative Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban decided to prohibit girls from attending secondary school. Since then, such restrictions have tightened, and, according to U.N. human-rights experts, they now constitute the most oppressive regime for women and girls worldwide. In late June, Richard Bennett, the U.N.’s human-rights rapporteur for Afghanistan, denounced the Taliban’s gender policies as “grave, systemic and institutionalized discrimination.” In this atmosphere, although British and U.S. engagement with the Taliban has continued, Rassoul and other Republic-era diplomats find that they are being welcomed at more official meetings than before. With the Taliban’s permission, Hamid Karzai visited London from Kabul this spring for a private visit with King Charles III; Rassoul joined him for a meeting at the Foreign Office. At a recent session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, in Geneva, the Taliban were excluded, and Nasir Andisha, the Ghani-era diplomat, introduced several Afghan women as speakers.

The Taliban’s strategy appears to be to wait out the recalcitrant Ambassadors while its government pursues formal recognition, aided by what has thus far been qualified but significant diplomatic support from China and Russia. Strikingly, the Taliban’s foreign ministry has not tried as yet to disrupt the consular work of non-Taliban Embassies. Indeed, according to Rassoul, the London Embassy funds its reduced operations with fees earned from issuing travel visas, passport extensions, birth certificates, and marriage certificates—and the Taliban still recognize most of these documents. “We attach great importance to serving and resolving problems of Afghans,” Balkhi said, when I asked him why the Taliban do so. Some Taliban officials travel on Islamic Republic-era passports, a Western official told me, because the Taliban have not yet issued their own. Even if they did, Taliban passports might not work very well, since the Kabul government has not been formally recognized.

Rassoul declined to say how much revenue the London Embassy generates through consular work, but it is apparently enough to fund the salaries of the staff. There is some tension between those Republic-era Ambassadors who can raise revenue from consular services provided to sizable Afghan populations (there are some hundred and fifty thousand Afghans living in Britain, according to Rassoul) and those who have no such population to serve. Afghanistan’s U.N. mission, in New York, which has never had a consular function, has fallen into arrears on utility bills. Naseer Faiq, a Republic-era career diplomat, is the mission’s chargé d’affaires—recognized by the U.N. but not the Taliban. “I have been trying to communicate this situation to the management of the building,” he told me. “Of course, this is not easy.” I asked how he pays for groceries. “My wife is working, and she is supporting us,” he said.

The struggle for control of the Embassies is partly rooted in the unsuccessful U.S. diplomacy that aided the Taliban’s military victory two years ago. In 2018, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo chose Zalmay Khalilzad, who had served as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.N. during the George W. Bush Administration, to negotiate with the Taliban. In February, 2020, the two sides announced a deal in which the U.S. promised to withdraw all its troops by May, 2021, in exchange for pledges that the Taliban would prevent Al Qaeda and other groups from launching attacks. Because the Taliban refused to deal with Ghani’s regime, the Republic was largely left out of the negotiations, and later talks between the Taliban and Ghani’s representatives foundered, leaving the Taliban free to pursue a military victory. Joe Biden inherited the diplomatic accord, and, although he described it as “perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself,” in April, 2021, he nonetheless said that the U.S. would pull out all its troops by September 11th. That announcement precipitated the Islamic Republic’s rapid collapse, culminating in the infamous scenes of evacuation and chaos at the Kabul airport in August. “It was a de-facto recognition of the Taliban as the future government of Afghanistan,” Rassoul said, of the U.S. decision to negotiate directly with the Republic’s enemies. He now wants to give diplomacy a chance partly because Afghanistan’s history suggests that no dictatorship of the Taliban’s kind is likely to last long, and so preparations should be made now for what may follow. In any event, “We cannot just sit,” he told me. “If we don’t want the use of force, a war, and we don’t do anything politically, that means we accept the situation with the Taliban there.”

After the Taliban takeover, a number of nations—including the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, Australia, India, and Kuwait—allowed senior Republic-era diplomats to remain at Afghan Embassies. In Washington, D.C., however, a different story unfolded. When Kabul fell, Adela Raz, a thirty-five-year-old woman with a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts, led the Embassy in Washington, on Wyoming Avenue. On October 27, 2021, Citibank froze the Embassy’s accounts, citing the requirements of U.S. sanctions imposed against the Taliban. Raz and her then counterpart at the U.N., Ghulam Isaczai, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to unblock the accounts. They cited the “critical services” that the Embassy provided to tens of thousands of Afghan refugees then pouring into the U.S., and argued that Citibank’s application of sanctions was mistaken, saying, “We continue to function solely as servants of the Afghan people and do not maintain any association with, work at the direction of, or pay any funds to the Taliban.” In January, after some back-and-forth, the State Department sent the Afghan Embassy an unsigned diplomatic note—a kind of official memorandum—that described Citibank’s actions as “independent” of the Biden Administration, and judged that it was “highly unlikely” the bank would unblock the Embassy funds. (Citi declined to comment.)

So the Biden Administration proposed to take “custodial” charge of the Washington Embassy and two Afghan consulates in the U.S.—but not the mission to the U.N.—meaning that the U.S. would pay for the properties’ upkeep and manage access. Raz could remain as Ambassador, the diplomatic note said, but all other Afghan diplomats accredited in the U.S. would be terminated, and their diplomatic visas would be cancelled. Raz declined to stay in place without her colleagues, according to people familiar with the matter, and took a position at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs. (Raz declined to comment.) Early in 2022, the State Department took control of the Afghan properties and shut them, which was a “normal procedure for embassies when they cannot support operations financially,” a department spokesperson told me. “U.S. officials engaged with the Afghan Embassy and its bank, but were unable to identify an immediate solution. . . . The Embassy’s underlying financial challenge was that it was no longer receiving funds from Kabul.” When I walked by the chancery on a recent weekday, no flag flew from it.

The D.C. Embassy’s fate reflects a larger truth about Afghanistan in Washington these days: it is an unpopular subject, partly because the Islamic Republic’s fall has become a talking point in polarized partisan politics. On a recent visit to Washington, Andisha was struck by the indifference and resignation he encountered among policymakers and regional specialists. He summed up what he heard as “The Taliban suck, but we have to have some coöperation with them. . . . And there is no alternative.”

It is appealing to imagine that diplomacy—an “intra-Afghan dialogue,” or the like—might address Afghanistan’s fragmentation and perhaps coax the Taliban toward political pluralism. But, in 2021, at a time when Ghani’s regime controlled a large army, the capital, and major cities, the Islamic Republic’s efforts to negotiate failed miserably; it is hard to see why the Taliban would make concessions now. The Council of Ambassadors is one of a number of organizing efforts led by Islamic Republic-era figures in exile. The National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of the anti-Taliban guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, has mounted armed resistance in northern Afghanistan, but has been battered by brutal Taliban counterattacks and reprisals against civilians. In general, there is little comity among the diaspora’s political factions. After the shock of Kabul’s fall, “There’s a level of mistrust,” Sima Samar, the former chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, told me. “Maybe the U.N. or the U.S. or Europe could bring people together . . . to facilitate an understanding or rebuilding of trust.”

It isn’t clear, though, who should participate in such an effort, or whether Western involvement would help. “My message to Afghan political actors has always been to organize themselves and then summon the international community,” Thomas West, the Biden Administration’s special representative for Afghanistan, told me. Younger Afghan activists are trying to assert themselves, pointing out that they are uncompromised by the Republic’s failures. “I’m not a Talib and I’ll never be a Talib, but I do recognize that we’re all on the same ship and it’s sinking,” Obaidullah Baheer, an adjunct lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, who is now a doctoral student at the New School, told me. Baheer is part of a loose network of next-generation advocates who have emerged on social media and at international conferences since 2021. “Everyone—especially the international community—wants short-term fixes,” Baheer added. “As always, they look for the silver bullet. That has never really helped Afghanistan.”

I asked Rassoul why he thought the Republic failed. “It’s our fault,” he said. “We could not consolidate democracy.” Afghans “participated in elections, taking the risk. You have seen that. But the institutions in Afghanistan destroyed the democratic process. . . . Corruption played a key role.” So did Afghanistan’s status as a ward of rich nations. “We believed they would be there for a long time and give us money,” he said, but “it was a miracle that the international community believed in Afghanistan for twenty years.”

The Taliban, meanwhile, have shown little interest in talking to exiled politicians or in any process that does not recognize their sovereignty and legitimacy. “The Islamic Emirate has opened its doors for all Afghans, whether living inside or outside Afghanistan, to hold meetings and discussions about issues with the leadership,” Balkhi said. These meetings “take place nearly every single day with tribal elders, scholars, academics, and other strata of society.” If exiles want to participate, he implied, they can come home.

Zalmai Rassoul seems unlikely to do so. In his ninth decade, he is enduring his third exile, and the royalist branches of Afghan politics to which he belongs have had a rough time since the nineteen-seventies, attacked by Communists and Islamists alike. Still, royals in exile can be susceptible to dreams of restoration, no matter how implausible the path may appear. “There is some sort of nostalgia,” he said. “Now that the Republic has been a failure, a lot of people give reference to the monarchy time [as] a really good time in Afghanistan. Maybe some people think that a monarchy—a constitutional monarchy, maybe—is good for Afghanistan.” Rassoul said that he himself does not support that idea, and did not mention his own qualifications, but, when I spoke with Andisha, he volunteered half-jokingly, “If we have a choice later in Afghanistan, we’ll call him a king. That will solve a lot of problems.” ♦

[multireligionvalsystem]

The flags of the world are in need of a new modern design instead of religious symbols such as Star of David, Cross, God is great or sword. A new representative flag that represents all citizens of a country regardless of religion and that can be hoisted by all.

A new design with each country's specific top level domain, ccTLDs, an educational design. The flags of the three different nations symbolize Christianity, Islam and other more difficult-to-interpret symbols

The Christian countries such as Great Britain, Australia, Scotland, Dominican Republic, Malta, Greece, Slovakia, Tonga, Switzerland, England, the flags of the Nordic countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland all look the same All have a common symbol namely the cross . While on the flags of Islamic countries, as on the Afghan flag it says, there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. The Iraqi flag says God is great. On the Iranian flag it says God is greater 22 times and on the Saudi flag, there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.

The third category of national flags is those with symbols that are difficult to interpret within the EU, such as Portugal and Spain. Double sovereignty Each independent state in the world has its own flag, national flag, some countries have their own rules such as that it is a crime to neglect its national flag on the other hand is allowed during demonstrations to burn or step on a flag to show their anger against the attacking nation t eg in war or during occupation. As a symbol of sovereignty, each independent state also has an Internet top-level domain, ccTLD as well as .se.

What is ccTLD, why is it very important and the reason for double sovereignty? According to the definition, a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory identified with a country code. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all two-letter top-level domains are ccTLDs. The Council of

European National Top-Level Domain Registries (CENTR) is the association of European Internet country code top-level domain registries, such as .se for Sweden. But within the EU, there are still countries that do not have a functioning top-level domain, ccTLDs.

This means that these have a sovereignty while others have double sovereignty. That is why the flags of nations are in great need of a modernization, a change, which shows the will to peace, equality and knowledge while providing meaningful employment.

Ignorance of the importance of the countries' top-level domains, ccTLDs during various wars, for example in the Middle East, the Arab Spring and in some African countries, often leads to the impossibility of achieving sustainable reconstruction, despite receiving aid.

Top-level domains of industrialized countries and top-level domains of poor countries.

The industrialized countries use their top-level domains efficiently, such as the US, UK, FR and SE, while poor countries have inactive top-level domains. To equate poor countries with rich countries requires a new flag design with ccTLDs that are placed on the nations' flags instead of religious and difficult-to-interpret symbols. Secondly, that the top-level domains of the poor countries are activated from the outside by the refugees themselves.

By giving refugees in Sweden and within the rest of the EU knowledge about the top-level domain and its significance via employment services, SIDA and social services offices in the country, it is possible for a group of refugees from Afghanistan to start their own IT company here in Sweden with the aim of activating it from the outside Afghan . This is done in collaboration with SIDA, the social services, the IT Foundation in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This reconstruction project provides meaningful employment for Afghan refugees and can be used at the same time for return and reconstruction. Active use of the top-level domain creates many jobs. This also applies to refugees from other countries. This means that during war, the top-level domain is activated by the refugees themselves, who in turn create jobs for themselves and also for new arrivals and other unemployed immigrants. First, they form a so-called Afghan internet society, as an association for cooperation. When the poor countries' top-level domains are dormant, inactive or have restrictions, the assistance can go to the for-profit foreign IT companies that take advantage of the situation. Those who can not afford and those who can afford it, while the internet is available in a limited area .. Many refugees lack knowledge about the top-level domain of their own countries and its significance, the same applies to those who teach Swedish to immigrants, employment services, social services and also aid organizations such as SIDA. CcTLDs are a huge resource that is not noticed or used. ccTLDs are more important than the flag itself, which is why it is important that they are placed on the flags. A prototype of such a flag has been created and is available online and on social media.

Aid organizations, ignorance of the connection between the top-level domain and unemployment have meant that countries that receive aid do not prioritize the top-level domain on which the country's IT infrastructure rests and which is a symbol of sovereignty. As we mentioned earlier, countries' flags are waving everywhere with religious symbols or symbols that are difficult to identify, distinguish or interpret. Had the countries replaced their symbols with their own country's international symbol, it would have been a little easier, At international competitions or ceremonies, it is difficult to distinguish between the different flags. The children have difficulty with this, the students in the school have difficulty with this and refugees also have difficulty with this. In addition to the fact that the top - level domain on the flag represents a sovereignty and all citizens, regardless of religion, it has an educational purpose as children can easily recognize their own and others' flags. The ccTLDs also solves the problem of unemployment. A prototype can be found here and on social media. In this way, peace is created and democracy is developed on the way to a sustainable policy and a sustainable world. 

War poses a threat to the environment and to humanity.

[salam2050]

Fate Unclear, Some Afghan Embassies Break Contacts With Taliban: Report

Fate Unclear, Some Afghan Embassies Break Contacts With Taliban: Report

Some e,bassies have even broken contact with the Taliban government. (Representational) Kabul: After a month has passed since the fall of the Republic of Afghanistan on August 15, the fate of Afghan embassies are unclear and some have even broken contact with the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate government. A former official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) says some of Afghanistan’s embassies…

[govtjobspk4u]

Arrest assaulters of Afghan ambassador’s daughter within 48 hours: PM

Arrest assaulters of Afghan ambassador’s daughter within 48 hours: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has instructed security officials in Islamabad to apprehend the culprits behind the kidnapping and assault of the daughter of the Afghan ambassador. The daughter of Envoy Najibullah Alikhel was abducted for several hours and tortured by unidentified men in Islamabad on Thursday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan condemned the heinous…

[expatimes]

Iran’s Zarif calls for ‘inclusive government’ in Taliban talks

Iran’s Zarif calls for ‘inclusive government’ in Taliban talks

Tehran, Iran – Iran will only support an “inclusive” government in neighbouring Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a top Taliban delegation.

In a Sunday meeting with the group led by senior Taliban figure Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Iran’s top diplomat emphasised a multilateral approach while offering to facilitate talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and cautioning reliance on the United States.

“Political decisions can’t occur in a vacuum. Forming an all-inclusive government must be done in a participatory process that considers structures, entities and fundamental rules like the constitution,” a foreign ministry statement said.

“The war and Afghanistan’s occupation have inflicted heavy damages to the good people of Afghanistan. I hope you’ll work to end the people’s problems and take away the occupiers’ excuses out of their hands through achieving peace in Afghanistan as soon as possible,” Zarif told Baradar.

The Taliban signed a peace deal with the United States in February 2020 that aimed to ensure the safety of American allies and interests in Afghanistan and the region in exchange for the pullout of troops from the country, which has been in turmoil since the US-led invasion in 2001.

The agreement also set out the parameters for intra-Afghan talks on the future of the country that the Taliban is participating in as they are held in rounds in Doha.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week the administration of President Joe Biden is reviewing the peace deal and is committed to ensuring the US-Afghan partnership.

Biden is expected to deliver his first major foreign policy address on Monday, which will include both the war in Afghanistan and his administration’s approach to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and regional influence.

Kabul said the Iranian government had informed it of the Taliban visit beforehand, and that Tehran said it would emphasise to the Taliban that a pause in the violent attacks against civilians and government officials was essential and that a lasting peace should be pursued within the framework of Afghanistan’s constitution.

The Taliban’s political chief, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, is also leading a delegation to Russia for talks.

“Because Mr Ghani has come to power through illegal means, it would be better for him to resign for peace and surrender power to Afghanistan’s true representatives,” Stanikzai said after touching down in Moscow.

Last week, the Taliban delegation met with Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security.

In that meeting, Shamkhani told Baradar Iran opposes violence in Afghanistan, especially in the western Afghan provinces that border Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will never recognise a movement that would wish to come to power through war in Afghanistan,” he said.

Expressing pessimism about US intentions in Afghanistan, Shamkhani said: “The US is not after peace and security in Afghanistan. Its approach is to perpetuate war and bloodshed between different Afghan factions.”

US torture

Shamkhani posted a tweet following the meeting, saying he believes Taliban leaders are steadfast in fighting the US.

“Someone who has been under US torture at Guantanamo for 13 years has not given up fighting the US in the region,” he wrote in reference to the infamous US prison.

The Taliban delegation’s visit, and Shamkhani’s comments, attracted criticism online from Afghan people and officials.

Yasin Zia, Afghanistan’s army chief of staff, said Shamkhani’s understanding of the war in Afghanistan was flawed.

“Taliban is not fighting against the US, it is fighting against the people of Afghanistan,” he tweeted in response to Shamkhani’s tweet. “We will act decisively against any group of enemies of Afghanistan’s people.”

Meanshile, the Taliban had recently criticised Iran for referring to it as a “terrorist” group.

In an interview with Afghanistan’s TOLOnews channel in late December, Zarif was pressed on whether Iran considers the Taliban as such.

“Look, the Taliban has done many terrorist acts. Is the Taliban still a terrorist group? In our laws we still haven’t taken Taliban out of our terror list,” the foreign minister said.

The Taliban condemned the “irresponsible” remarks that it deemed a “clear intervention in Afghanistan’s affairs”.

Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=17526&feed_id=31451

[indianarrative1]

The Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected Afghanistan’s insinuation that Islamabad was conducting “illegal fencing” along the two countries’ border, adding that it was being done to address “serious security concerns”.

In a statement. FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the fencing was “fully in accordance with the established norms of international law without encroaching into Afghan territory”, reports Dawn news.

This week, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they had protested the move through diplomatic channels.

In a statement carried by Tolo News, the Ministry spokesperson said: “Any action which has been taken by Pakistan, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has recorded its protest through the Afghan embassy in Islamabad to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul.”

Reacting to the report, the FO spokesperson said that the Afghan side would be well-advised to engage on border matters through the relevant institutional mechanisms to “address any misconceptions”.

“Regrettably, Pakistan’s suggestion for conducting joint topographic surveys had not been positively responded to by the Afghan side,” Dawn news quoted Chaudhri as saying.

The spokesperson also reaffirmed that Pakistan respected the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and conducted its relations with the brotherly country in accordance with the principles of the UN charter and expected “reciprocity from the Afghan side”.

Yesterday’s development comes after at least three people were killed and over 20 injured on the Pakistan side in a clash on July 30 between an unruly mob and security forces at the Friendship Gate border crossing in Chaman, while a heavy exchange of fire also took place between Pakistani and Afghan security forces.

[armeniaitn]

Iran Calls For Expansion Of Economic Ties With Azerbaijan

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/economy/iran-calls-for-expansion-of-economic-ties-with-azerbaijan-39352-25-07-2020/

Iran Calls For Expansion Of Economic Ties With Azerbaijan

Seyed Abbas Mousavi, former Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman and newly appointed Iran’s Ambassador to Baku, is convinced that strengthening economic relations between Tehran and Baku is of “high priority.”

“The neighboring states will have an important role to play in the future of Tehran’s political and diplomatic relations with other countries due to the cruel sanctions imposed against Iran,” Mousavi said in a meeting with Governor-General of Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province, Mohammad-Reza Pour-Mohammadi on July 24, according to a report by the state-owned news agency IRNA.

Referring to East Azerbaijan as a border province with the Republic of Azerbaijan, the ambassador said that the exchange of students and holding joint conferences with Azerbaijan can be effective in the expansion of bilateral relations.

Mousavi’s new position is challenging due to the fact that Azerbaijan and Armenia, both Iran’s neighbors, have been locked for decades in a conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region which is internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. Tensions between the two South Caucasus countries mounted on July 12 after Armenia’s troops shelled at the border positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Tovuz region, in northwestern Azerbaijan.

During the clashes, Mousavi called for further self-restraint by both sides, and expressed Tehran’s readiness to mediate and reduce tensions between the two neighboring nations.

In a phone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart on July 14, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted that Iran is always ready to support furthering the settlement of the conflict.

“The protection of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a regional strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Zarif underlined, according to the official website of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry.

The recent escalation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan caused deaths on both sides. Azerbaijan has lost 12 servicemen and a civilian so far. Meanwhile, Armenian authorities confirmed four deaths, including one major and one captain throughout the armed clashes. However, social media users in Armenia claimed that the government is deliberately hiding real numbers, which they believe is more than 30, of which seven are said to be officers.

The occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region by Armenia came after both nations gained independence following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991. Armenia kicked off military aggression against Azerbaijan to occupy the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The full-scale war lasted until a ceasefire deal in 1994. As a result of the bloody war, Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories – the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the immediate withdrawal of the occupying forces from Azerbaijani lands and the return of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands. All four legally binding documents go unfulfilled by Armenia to date.

In a telephone conversation in late June, Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad Dejpasand and Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev explored the ways for the expansion of the bilateral economic relationship between the two countries amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

Dejpasand, who also serves as the Iranian chairman of a joint cooperation committee of the two counties, referred to the building of a joint industrial park near the border of the two countries and joint projects of North-South Corridor, a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. A preliminary agreement on the establishment of a joint Iranian-Azerbaijani industrial park was reached in 2019. Along with a joint industrial park, the two countries will also set up a joint logistics center in Iran’s Ardebil Province.

For his turn, Mustafayev said his country has a comprehensive plan to limit the negative effects of the coronavirus outbreak and to support the employers and people in trade and economy activities, and promised to pursue all the points mentioned by the Iranian side and try to finalize the projects with collaboration.

Read original article here.

[riyadhvision]

Saudi Arabia condemns Kabul attack

The attack took place on Monday in Kabul’s Greenzone diplomatic area.

:: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned a bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday.

The ministry offered its condolences to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s government and people on behalf of the Kingdom and wished all injured a speedy recovery.

Saudi Arabia reiterated its stand with the…

[kashishipr]

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, in recent years, has increasingly interested not just domestic but also foreign businesses, including companies from the post-soviet nations. A vital thing to consider when planning to do business in Afghanistan is acquiring rights to trademarks. And it is possible only by ensuring successful Trademark Registration in Afghanistan. As trademarks help in protecting a business’ reputation and goodwill, they are essential for creating a remarkable brand.

Under the Trademark Law of Afghanistan, natural persons or their legal representatives can protect a trademark by registering it at the Afghanistan Central Business Registry and Intellectual Property (ACBR-IP) Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC). In this nation, registering a mark as a trademark is mandatory to get ownership rights on the same, as it’s a “first to file” jurisdiction. An unregistered trademark can be protected but only in some exceptional cases.

Information about Trademark Application

The Trademark Application in Afghanistan must be filed with ACBR-IP. Once received the application, ACBR-IP evaluates it in terms of its substance, design, and compliance with provisions of the trademark registration law. It takes the time of 30 days to approve or reject the application.

If any foreign company or person wants to register a trademark with ACBR–IP, then the same needs to provide the following documentation:

·         A Power of Attorney (PoA) that authorizes the relevant person(s) to register the trademark on the person’s or company’s behalf;

·         A Board Resolution to direct the trademark registration and authorization to legal representatives.

Remember that all the PoAs and Board Resolutions submitted from abroad should be legalized, notarized, and attested by relevant diplomatic channels. Furthermore, these documents need to be validated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul before the presentation of the Trademark Registration Application to the ACBR-IP.

Once this administrative step of the process of trademark registration is completed, ACBR-IP conducts a record check of applicable archives for the new application.

Trademark Registration Procedure

Since Afghanistan is not a party to the Madrid Agreement or its Protocol and other international to regional organizations, it is only possible to register trademarks in this nation according to the national procedure. Note that the national procedure is the only way to obtain Trademark Protection in Afghanistan. As per the rules in Trademark Registration Law of Afghanistan, the process includes a range of stages, like:

·         Filing trademark application with the national patent office;

·         Examination of the application;

·         Making application approval or rejection decision as per the outcomes of the conducted examinations;

·         Publication of status related to the application in the official bulletin;

·         Issuance of the title of trademark protection, i.e., trademark certificate.

Some Additional Things to be Considered

If you are planning to register a trademark(s) in Afghanistan, then it will be beneficial to get aware of some more information in addition to the above-given. And the statistics say that:

·         In the application for registration of your trademark, you must indicate all products and services for which you want to use the mark in Afghanistan. It is because the exclusive rights can apply to only those assets (items) that are specified in the registration certificate.

·         Trademark registration in Afghanistan is not allowed for alcoholic beverages.

·         If you register a combined trademark that includes both word and figurative elements, then the exclusive right to use the registered trademark is limited to some extent. It means though you own a Registered Trademark in Afghanistan yet it is essential to use the mark in the exact way in which it was filed and registered.

·         If you wish to use the logo of your trademark separately from the word element or vice-versa in countries like Afghanistan, then it is better to register another trademark, including only the word or figurative elements that you want to use and protect independently.

·         If any third party intends to register a trademark for similar products or services encompassing a part or portion of your trademark, you possess the right to oppose the application based on confusing similarity.

·         Opposition application can be filed within one month from the date of publication of trademark application in Afghanistan’s Official Gazette.

·         Registered trademarks in Afghanistan are valid for ten (10) years from the day of application. Besides, they can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of ten years.

·         Even if your trademark has expired, you can still get it renewed within six month grace period with payment of a late renewal fee. The concept of a grace period of six months within which you can renew your expired trademark is really beneficial.

If your application meets all the requirements as per the Trademark Law, the entire process from applying for a trademark to obtaining a registration certificate will be successful. And, after going through this article, you hopefully are familiar with almost everything required to register a trademark in Afghanistan. So, leave all the worries aside and fasten up your belt to enjoy the trademark protection in Afghanistan. For more visit: https://www.kashishipr.com/ 

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Contact - US

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[bangkokjacknews]

ISIS eyes Southeast Asia as next terrorism hotspot

Battered in the Middle East, #ISIS eyes Southeast #Asia as next terrorism hotspot to rebuild its army and its territories

The IS ideology — which includes the setting up of a caliphate — is far from dead and buried. And its supporters, including those who have returned home after fighting wars in Iraq and Syria, have now set their sights on turning South-east Asia into the next terrorism hotspot. For IS, the region has all the ingredients needed to become its next cauldron of violence: Porous borders, existence of logistical bases, weak regimes, poor enforcement measures and disenchantment among marginalised Muslims. “Southeast Asia has been dubbed as the second front for IS,” said Professor Mohd Kamarulnizam Abdullah, who researches on terrorism and religious violence at Universiti Utara Malaysia. The region already has had a taste of ISIS-style terror in recent years. In 2016, ISIS-linked militants launched a gun and bomb assault in the centre of Jakarta, killing several people. Last Sunday (Jan 27), a Roman Catholic cathedral on the island of Jolo in southern Philippines was bombed as worshippers gathered for mass. ISIS claimed responsibility for it. Although Singapore has been fortunate enough not to have experienced any violent attack, it will become increasingly harder to keep the country secure from the threat as the web of terror closes in on the island. While the Singapore Government has repeatedly stressed that a terror attack here is not a matter of if but when, there remains a sense of complacency among Singaporeans. A recent report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) showed that only 20 per cent of Singaporeans felt that the terrorist threat was imminent. The MHA’s Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2019 also said that the Republic’s “most pressing threat” comes from IS. In 2016, an IS-inspired plot to attack Marina Bay Sands from the Indonesian island of Batam — a 40-minute boat ride from Singapore — was foiled. Mr Joseph Franco, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said THE REGION: A SECOND WAVE OF TERRORISM The first wave of terrorism crashed into Southeast Asia in 2002, starting with the devastating bombings in Bali that year. It lasted till 2008, according to last year’s Global Terrorism Index, with terrorist groups the Philippines’ Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) — which has ties to Al Qaeda — being responsible for 301 and 274 deaths respectively. The second wave came in 2016, amid ISIS’ rise. As a result, Southeast Asia saw a 36 per cent increase in deaths due to terrorism from 2016 to 2017. In 2017, militant and insurgent groups championing separatist causes, which later forged alliances or became affiliated to IS, committed 348 terror acts which resulted in 292 deaths. They came from countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand. Research fellow Muhd Faizal Abdul Rahman from RSIS’ Centre of Excellence for National Security pointed out that “partnerships” between militant groups are not new. https://bangkokjack.com/2018/05/20/rise-fall-islamic-state-group/ They existed back in the days when Al Qaeda was at its zenith, forming ties with JI. The latter group sent its members to Afghanistan to train and gain combat skills under Al Qaeda and learn its doctrine. Similarly, aligning themselves with ISIS “facilitates the exchange of talent, skills and material resources” with local and regional groups, said Mr Faizal. Smaller militant or terrorist groups would also attain a higher level of legitimacy and support if they associate themselves with IS’ ideology, which seeks to establish a caliphate through a final battle between good (Muslims) and evil (non-believers). “It is more important to sustain the will to fight even when the means to fight is suppressed by security forces,” said Mr Faizal. Counterterrorism analysts also pointed out that by working together, the different groups can eliminate their common enemies — Western forces and governments that they claim to have exploited and marginalised Muslim communities — on multiple fronts. Such collaboration was exemplified during the Marawi siege in southern Philippines in 2017. Pledging allegiance to IS, a number of militant groups banded together to attack and take control parts of the city, before they were defeated by government forces after months of battle. Although the militants lost, the siege underscored IS’ reach in the region, said analysts. The Global Terrorism Index report said that the battle of Marawi was a “defining moment” in Islamist terrorism in the Philippines. Following that, IS’ online propaganda has urged foreign fighters to travel to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian outposts. Mr Franco said that even after the Marawi siege, there continues to be militant groups — whether aligned to IS or not — operating in the Mindanao region. “With access to illegal firearms, they continue to pose a threat,” he said. About 18 years after the Sep 11 attacks in the United States — which were carried out by the Al Qaeda — the terrorism threat has evolved and possibly become more potent, said analysts. Dr Mohamed Ali, an RSIS expert in religious extremism, pointed out that previously, the definition of a terrorist was clear-cut: He or she had to pledge an oath and be a member of a terrorist group. Now, however, individuals can just carry out attacks in their homelands without having to go through military training. “They can be anyone and can strike alone and out of the blue,” he added. “That makes them more dangerous.” The rising exclusivist sentiment in the region, namely in Indonesia and Malaysia, has also added fuel to fire. Last December, thousands of Muslim Indonesians took to the streets to commemorate the series of rallies held in 2016 that targeted a former Jakarta governor, who is a Christian. https://bangkokjack.com/2017/09/07/beware-mental-illness-running-islam/ Days after, Malaysians rallied in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to call on the government to preserve Islam as the country’s national religion and protect the rights of the Malays. Mr Faizal stressed that exclusivism “forms the pathway to terrorism”. “A person goes through the cognitive process of exclusivism before he is further radicalised into a terrorist. Exclusivism conditions an individual’s mind and values into believing that others are less human, less moral and deserves to be harmed,” he added. Dr Mohamed Ali warned that the harm caused by exclusivist ideas could be more damaging than the effects of terror attacks. It leads to different racial and religious communities alienating one another and breeding suspicion. The result: A weakening of the country’s unity and social fabric, he added. INDONESIA: CHANGING FACES OF TERROR Last May, an Indonesian family of six were involved in back-to-back attacks on three churches in the country’s second-largest city of Surabaya. The incident drove home the point that the terrorism threat in Indonesia had evolved in two areas: The people conducting the attacks and the weapons used. https://bangkokjack.com/2018/11/07/future-islam-europe/ Indonesian counterterrorism expert Dr Noor Huda Ismail noted that terrorist operations have morphed from group operations to lone wolves, and later involving women as well as the entire family unit. It is part of the IS doctrine to involve the entire family as part of efforts to establish a caliphate, he pointed out. In its propaganda magazines Rumiyah and Dabiq, it has been stated that the role of women is to breed the next generation of terrorists. Another reason why terror attacks now involve women and the entire family is because Indonesian authorities have successfully destroyed many terrorist networks in the country. “So, IS supporters have to change their tactics,” added Dr Noor Huda, who founded the Institute for International Peace Building to rehabilitate and reintegrate former terrorists into the society. Using household items as weapons to inflict damage is also the new norm. No longer is it necessary to make or smuggle in traditional bombs or firearms to carry out an attack, said Dr Najib Azca, the director of the Centre for Security and Peace Studies at Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University. IS has indoctrinated its followers to believe that if they cannot join its fight in Syria and Iraq, they can carry out attacks in their homelands as part of the jihad (armed struggle), he said. To do that, they can use vehicles to ram into crowds, or simply use household items like a kitchen knife to stab as many people as they can, said Dr Najib. He cited the case of an Indonesian woman Dian Yulia Novi, who planned to use a pressure-cooker bomb to attack the Presidential Palace in 2016, but was arrested before she could do so. “Those (household items) are also equally effective in killing people,” he added.

Indonesian K9 police examine a site following attacks outside the Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church (Surabaya Gereja Pantekosta Pusat) in Surabaya, East Java. (Photo: AFP/JUNI KRISWANTO In Indonesia, the authorities also have to deal with another conundrum: Radicalisation taking place behind bars, partly due to the lack of capacity in the prisons. The country’s 477 prisons are meant to house 125,000 inmates, but have ended up being crammed with more than 254,000 prisoners. This has resulted in arrested jihadists being placed in the same cells as offenders of other crimes. “That’s where they influence the others,” said Dr Noor Huda. In some parts of the country such as Solo, he noted that jihadists sit at the top of the moral hierarchy in prisons as they are regarded as “pure and enlightened”. “So, what happens is that other prisoners will go to them for Islamic teaching, and they too get radicalised. For the jihadists conducting the teachings, they become more hardcore.” The Indonesian authorities also have to grapple with the return of citizens who had taken part in foreign wars. A study by the US-based non-profit organisation Soufan Center and the Global Strategy Network released last year tracked 5,600 fighters who had returned to their home countries. Among them were 50 Indonesians. Dr Noor Huda said that in areas such as the Indonesian city of Medan, the returning fighters would be welcomed as “mujahideen”, a title given to those who had engaged in jihad. They could then pass on their experience and the teaching they had received. The release of extremists from prisons and back into society poses yet another threat. Last week, the government of President Joko Widodo faced a backlash after it announced that the JI’s spiritual leader and mastermind of the Bali bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir, would be released early from prison on medical grounds. The Indonesian government later said it will review the issue. There were concerns over the move as the 80-year-old ailing cleric is still regarded as influential, and could continue to inspire others to wage jihad. https://bangkokjack.com/2019/07/22/islamic-terror-camp-seized-thailand/ Dr Najib said the announcement of Abu Bakar’s release comes at a politically sensitive time, as the Muslim-majority nation is preparing to elect its next president in April. “But it could come at a cost, because those individuals could influence others to be radicalised,” he added. “For Indonesia, the battle against terrorism is still ongoing and there are always new elements that we have to deal with.” MALAYSIA: POROUS BORDERS A CHALLENGE According to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, 70 convicted extremists in Indonesia were released between January 2017 and August 2018. More are expected to be freed by the end of this year. Some came from the neighbouring countries of Indonesia and the Philippines. Others from as far as the Middle East.These foreigners entered Malaysia on work permits, and were later employed as labourers or construction workers. While many were in Malaysia to earn an honest living, some others had nefarious intentions. According to Malaysia’s authorities, 445 terror suspects had been arrested since 2013 and more than 120 of them — or over a quarter — were foreigners, some of whom were directly involved in a number of plots planned by extremists groups. Since 2013, the authorities have thwarted 23 planned attacks, including a plot to launch an assault at the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. However, in July 2016, Malaysia experienced its first successful IS attack after a grenade blast wounded eight people at a nightclub in Selangor. Prof Kamarulnizam of Universiti Utara Malaysia attributes the influx of such extremists to the country to the region’s porous borders as well as Malaysia’s openness in welcoming Muslims from other countries. “It is easy to slip in and slip out. You can go to the Philippines through Sabah, for example,” he added. Ahmad El-Muhammady, a counterterrorism analyst at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said the country has seen fewer arrests since the peak of 2013 to 2016. This, however, does not mean the “end of terrorism”, he cautioned. “This is just a hibernation period,” said Mr El-Muhammady. “On the surface, it looks safe, but beneath it, extremists are secretly making plans and radicalising others.” Even though the authorities have managed to crack down on terrorist networks such as JI, Al Qaeda or IS, analysts said they still pose a significant threat: Their ideologies are still floating around — whether online or offline — and are deeply entrenched in the minds of supporters and sympathisers. “Total eradication of ideology is almost impossible. It can be tamed and ‘domesticated’, but not total eradication,” stressed Mr El-Muhammady. Extremists who come to Malaysia, they either stay here to plot attacks in the country, or they use Malaysia as a launching pad to other South-east Asian countries to carry out attacks. Prof Kamarulnizam said that another worry is the return of Malaysians who had fought overseas. The study by Soufan Center and the Global Strategy Network estimated there were eight such fighters who had returned to Malaysia. Ironically, the authorities had received personal requests from Malaysians who had fought in Syria, asking to be brought home, said Prof Kamarulnizam. They had burnt their passports after pledging allegiance to IS. “Of course we cannot entertain them. The risk is too huge,” he added. The situation in Malaysia, however, is not as bad as in Indonesia, said analysts. For instance, there has yet to be an entire family unit radicalised and plotting terror attacks, though Prof Kamarulnizam pointed out that there was a case of a family who had sold their land and used the money to travel to Syria. Another issue of concern for Malaysia is “political radicalisation”, said analysts. Mr El-Muhammady said it involves spreading exclusivist views where Muslims are told they cannot celebrate the festivals of other faiths and that they should not accept non-believers. “It is a perfect ingredient for individuals to be led down the path of terrorism, when political radicalisation and terrorist radicalisation are merged together,” he added. – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

[expatimes]

Cabinet reviews preparations for legislative elections, rain season

KUWAIT, Oct 26: The Kuwaiti cabinet, during its weekly meeting at Seif Palace on Monday, congratulated His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince as well as Kuwaiti people and the Muslim nation on occasion of the Prophet’s (PBUH) Birthday, due to fall on Thursday.

The cabinet members reviewed the guidelines, set forth by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in his address to the last session of the outgoing (the 15th) National Assembly last Tuesday.

The Amiri speech reaffirmed commitment to the democratic course of the Kuwaiti people, and protection of the national unity and the fundamentals of the country’s foreign policy charted by His Highness the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Khaled Al-Saleh following the meeting.

The cabinet members commended “the tremendous efforts” being made by the various state departments and civil society to combat the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the country.

They also appreciated the cooperation given to the government by the National Assembly, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the democratic practices in the sun-up to the election of the 16th National Assembly, including protection of public freedoms, impartiality and transparency.

The cabinet members were briefed about the resignation of Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affair Mohammad Nasser Al-Jabri.

They were also apprised of two decrees nominating Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah as Acting Minister of Information, and Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Nasser Al-Roudhan as Acting Minister of Youth.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh made a presentation on the efforts underway to set the stage for the legislative elections, including the registration of candidates and how to guard against the spread of Covid-19 during the electoral process.

Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basil Al-Sabah made a presentation about the latest statistics relating to Covid-19 inside and outside Kuwait as well as the preventive measures to face up to the second wave of the pandemic. He also briefed the cabinet on the efforts of his ministry to ensure provision of vaccines against the viral illness and the formation of an interagency committee to supervise the operation of a mechanism for vaccination in keeping with the health safeguards.

The committee, chaired by Sheikh Dr. Basil, includes representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Secretariat of the Cabinet, the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) and the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT).

Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Dr. Rana Al-Fares and leaders of the her ministry and the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) also made online presentations on the preparations for rain season and the precautions against traffic jams, in collaboration with 16 state bodies including a geological team.

The cabinet heard a presentation by CAIT’s Director-General Haya Al-Wad’ani on the progress made in leveraging KuwaitApp and Shal across the government services to ensure easy access to the services and promote e-government.

Regarding the latest developments on the regional and international situations, the cabinet expressed resentment at the continued publication of cartoons offending Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The cabinet echoed the statement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) denouncing such cartoons and all slanderous acts against holy faith or religious icons.

The cabinet members welcomed the signing by the Libyan parties of ceasefire agreement at the end of the fourth UN-sponsored session of the joint military commission held in Geneva on October 19-23.

They voiced hope for success of the efforts of the UN envoy to Libya and all stakeholders to reach a political solution to conflict, restore security and stability in the country, and realize the aspirations of the brotherly people of Libya.

They also hailed the truce deal reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia and the efforts recently made by the United States to deescalate the conflict in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

They expressed hope that the two countries would be able to reach a political settlement to the dispute and restore security, stability and peace in the region.

The cabinet members strongly denounced the continued attacks by the Yemeni Houthi militia against civilian targets in the southern parts of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The persistence of such drone and missile attacks runs counter to the rules of international law and norms and undermines the security of the entire region, thus necessitating an immediate international response, the cabinet stressed, renewing Kuwait’s support to Saudi Arabia in all acts it might take to protect its security and stability.

The cabinet condemned the recent terrorist attack on an educational center in Afghanistan which left scores of casualties.

Expressing condolences for the families of the victims, the cabinet reaffirmed Kuwait’s solidarity with the Republic of Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism.(KUNA)

The post Cabinet reviews preparations for legislative elections, rain season appeared first on ARAB TIMES - KUWAIT NEWS.

#kuwait Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=12689&feed_id=11872

[phgq]

CVF Parliament Leaders support call for greater ambition ahead of NDC Midnight Deadline

#PHinfo: CVF Parliament Leaders support call for greater ambition ahead of NDC Midnight Deadline

Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) parliamentarian leader and House Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda (FILE PHOTO)

CALOOCAN CITY, Oct. 25 (PIA) -- Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) parliamentarian leaders are united in calling for more ambitious commitments ahead of the December 31 Midnight Deadline for nations to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The CVF parliamentarians led by House Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda; Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives, H.E. Mohamed Nasheed; and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Chair of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of Bangladesh, Saber Chowdhury, convened yesterday in a meeting chaired by the CVF Presidency of Bangladesh Special Envoy, Abul Kalam Azad.

Also in attendance were Designated National Focal Points of the CVF Presidency of Bangladesh, Additional Secretary MoEFCC Shamim Razi, Director-General Nazrul Islam of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Chair of the CVF Expert Advisory Group Dr. Saleemul Huq.

The meeting aimed to define efforts to accelerate formation of a supportive financing and regulatory environment to deliver a “Climate Prosperity” agenda from the CVF, and for policy de-risking for climate action. The launch of a South-South CVF parliamentary collaboration program which aims to enable parliamentarians from across the 48 CVF member-states to share valuable experiences and good practices on laws and policies in support of ambitious and urgent climate action to safeguard communities and progress towards the CVF’s “maximal resilience”, 100% renewable energy, and other goals, was also discussed.

The CVF also endeavors to secure greater commitments to action by bringing CVF parliamentarians worldwide together with the IPU, to open the possibility of having a beneficial collaboration with parliaments from non-CVF countries.

Legarda, the CVF Ambassador for Parliaments, lauded the initiative of Hon. Chowdhury for taking on the “ambition” task with CVF in 2020, and stressed the importance of the upcoming CVF-IPU collaboration in advancing the voices of the vulnerable nations and in pushing for the submission of enhanced NDCs before the year ends.

The Philippines early on communicated that it will submit its updated NDC alongside the country’s adaptation priorities. The process is facilitated by the Climate Change Commission, with active support from other government agencies and civil society.

Legarda also supported the creation of Climate Prosperity Plans to mobilize finance across a range of sources for CVF/V20 infrastructure and economic programs, to promote both robust socioeconomic progress and emissions reduction while building greater climate and disaster resilience.

She also emphasized that the CVF member-countries should share their respective enacted “best” laws which could also be adopted in other jurisdictions to increase ambition, promote tools and knowledge for adaptation, and increase the flow of international finance for climate action.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum is an international partnership of 48 developing nations most threatened by the global climate emergency. The current president of the CVF is Bangladesh, which took over from the Marshall Islands this year and will hold the presidency until 2022.

The CVF countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Kiribati, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Yemen. (PIA NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "CVF Parliament Leaders support call for greater ambition ahead of NDC Midnight Deadline." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056937 (accessed October 25, 2020 at 09:07AM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "CVF Parliament Leaders support call for greater ambition ahead of NDC Midnight Deadline." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056937 (archived).

[interkomitet]

NATO welcomes the start of Afghan peace negotiations in Doha

Today (12 September 2020), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke via video link at the opening ceremony of intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha, under the chairmanship of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “With the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, we are entering a new phase of the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process,” the NATO Secretary General said. “Afghans want peace and so does the international community, which has supported Afghanistan on this long, hard road,” he added.

The Secretary General highlighted the long-standing efforts carried out by NATO Allies and partners in Afghanistan, in the past nineteen years, as well as the achievements made in the country – with the help of NATO and the rest of the international community – and NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan’s long-term security. “Much has been sacrificed along the way, by Afghans, and our own troops,” he said. “These sacrifices were not made in vain; Afghanistan is no longer a safe-haven for international terrorists; it has now has higher life expectancy and lower child mortality; more children in school, including girls; a higher representation of women in all areas of public life; a vibrant media scene; and professional, capable and multi-ethnic Afghan security forces; the talks starting today must preserve these gains to reflect the hopes and wishes of all Afghan men and women; we are now adjusting our troop presence in Afghanistan to support the peace efforts; at the same time, we remain committed to training and funding the Afghan Security Forces to help safeguard the Afghan people,” Mr. Stoltenberg pointed out.

NATO and its partners welcome efforts to get to this point and urge all Afghans to now seize this opportunity for peace. In a statement, they stressed that they expect the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Taliban negotiating teams to engage constructively as they seek to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement that puts an end to violence, and builds on the progress of the last 19 years to safeguard the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women, children, and minorities, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists. They also reaffirmed their longstanding commitment to Afghanistan, the Afghan people, and the Afghan security forces.

http://interkomitet.com/international-parliamentary-organizations/nato/nato-welcomes-the-start-of-afghan-peace-negotiations-in-doha/

[iasshikshalove]

Daily Current Affairs 2nd March 2020

Today’s Important Topic’s For UPSC Preparation

1.    CMS.

2.    CENTRE TO REVIEW LIST OF MONUMENTS UNDER ASI.

3.    GIR NATIONAL PARK.

4.    EXPERTS CONCERNS FOR INDIA OVER US TALIBANAGREEMENT.

5.    PROJECT 75I.

6.    DHRONACHARYA AWARDEE ATHLETICS COACH JOGINDER SINGH SAINI  PASSES AWAY.

I   CMS (Conservation of Migratory Species):

What is CMS?

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals — more commonly abbreviated to just the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention and CMS COP is known as Global Wildlife conference—aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals — more commonly abbreviated to just the Convention on a global scale.

It is an international treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global

The convention was signed in 1979 at Bonn (hence the name Bonn Convention), Germany and entered into force in 1983. Its headquarters are in Bonn, Germany. Since its entry into force, the membership has grown steadily to include over 120 Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

Species Coverage:

The CMS Family covers a great diversity of migratory species. The Appendices of CMS include many mammals, including land mammals, marine mammals and bats; birds; fish; reptiles and one insect. Among the instruments, AEWA covers 254 species of birds that are ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle. EUROBATS covers 52 species of bat, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks seven species of shark, the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU six species of marine turtle and the Raptors MoU 76 species of birds of prey.

Appendix I – Threatened Migratory Species:

Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention, with relevant provisions outlined in Article III, paragraphs 4 and 5. Parties that are Range States to Appendix I species are obliged to afford them strict protection. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.

Appendix II – Migratory Species requiring International Cooperation:

Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. These species, either individually or by taxonomic group, are the basis for establishing instruments – regional or global – under CMS. For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional Agreements.Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-

COP 13:THEME

“Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home”

Venue

Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Center (Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)

LOGO: It was inspired by “Kolam”, a traditional art form from southern India. The Kolam art form was used to depict key migratory species in India like Amur falcon, humpback whale and marine turtles.

Mascot: The CMS COP 13 mascot was “Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard”. It is a critically endangered species accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Ten migratory species added to global wildlife agreement including the Asian Elephant, Jaguar and Great Indian

Gandhinagar declaration sends a strong message on the importance of migratory species for new global biodiversity

Ten new species were added to CMS Appendices at COP13. Seven species were added to Appendix I, which provides the strictest protection:

         Appendix I:

Appendix IIWhy in News? II   CENTRE TO REVIEW LIST OF MONUMENTS UNDER ASI: ABOUT ASI:AMASR Act, 1958:Why in News?III   GIR NATIOANAL PARK:IV   EXPERTS CONCERNS FOR INDIA OVER US TALIBAN AGREEMENT:Why in News?VI   DHRONACHARYA AWADRDEE ATHELETICS COACH JOGINDER SINGH SAINI:About Joginder Singh Saini:Deciduous Forest:

Asian Elephant,

Jaguar,

Great Indian Bustard,

Bengal Florican,

Little Bustard,

Antipodean Albatross,

Oceanic White-tip Shark.

8.Urial 9.Smooth Hammerhead Shark, 10.Tope Shark

India is host to 457 migratory fauna, shows latest CMS

With new additions to the wildlife list put out by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), scientists say that the total number of migratory fauna from India comes to 457 species. Birds comprise 83% (380 species) of this figure.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had for the first time compiled the list of migratory species of India under the CMS before the Conference of Parties (COP 13) held in Gujarat recently.

It had put the number at 451. Six species were added later. They are the Asian elephant, great Indian bustard, Bengal florican, oceanic white-tip shark, urial and smooth hammerhead shark.

Globally, more than 650 species are listed under the CMS appendices and India, with over 450 species, plays a very important role in their conservation.

Before COP 13, the number of migratory bird species stood at 378 and now it has reached 380.

The country has three flyways (flight paths used by birds): the Central Asian flyway, East Asian flyway and East Asian–Australasian flyway.

ASI is an Indian government agency attached to the Ministry of Culture that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural monuments in the country.

ASI’s function is to “explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance.”

Its headquarters is in Delhi.

It’s Functions are:

Preservation, conservation and environmental development of centrally protected monuments and sites, including World Heritage Monuments and antiquitie

Maintenance of gardens & development of new gardens surrounding centrally protected monuments and sites

Exploration and excavation of ancient sites

Specialized study of inscription and various phases of Indian architecture.

Maintenance of Archaeological site Museums

Operation of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act

Research and Training in different areas of Archaeology

ASI is the successor of The Asiatic Society of India. It was founded in its current form in 1861 by Sir Alexander Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy Canning.

It regulates all the archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act(AMASR),1958 and the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years.

Center to review list of monuments under

At present, 3,691 monuments nationwide are protected by the ASI, with the highest number, 745, in Uttar Pradesh.

The Number o momments under the Centre’s protection could increase government is planning to conduct a review of those under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the ones protected by the State governments, Union Minister for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel has said.

The list of Centrally protected monuments can go up to 10,000. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are about 7,000 temples, many of which are hundreds of years old. On the other hand, there are some monuments under the ASI that can be shifted to the State list,” he

Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest and wildlife sanctuary near TalalaGir in Gujarat,    It   is   part   of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.

Today, it is the only area in Asia where Asiatic lions occur and is considered one of the most important protected areas in Asia because of its biodiversity.

The Gir Forests Reserve, created in 1913 to protect the largest of the surviving groups of Asiatic lions, was accorded sanctuary status in 1965.

Other fauna include leopards, wild pigs, spotted deer, nilgai (a type of antelope), four-horned antelope, and chinkaras (a type of gazelle). A large central water hole contains a few crocodiles. The park also has a small temple dedicated to Krishna near the Tulsi-Shyam Springs.

Why in News?

A lioness in Gujarat’s Gir National Park gave foster care to a leopard cub for more than a A study has noted their short-lived bonding as a rare case of foster care between two competing feline species.

New Delhi has signaled its acceptance of the U.S.-Taliban and U.S.- Afghanistan peace agreements in Doha and Kabul that aim to end the 18- year war in Afghanistan, by sending envoys to witness

The two agreements set out a course for the next 14 months, including the pullout of U.S. troops, the denial of space to foreign terrorist groups and any violence against the U.S. and allies, and intra-Afghan

Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’, diplomatic and security experts say the impact on India may be a cause for worry for the government.

V   PROJECT 75I:

The Project 75I-class submarine is a follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari– class submarines for the Indian Navy.

Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel- electric submarines, which will also feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range.

All six submarines are expected to be constructed in Indian shipyards.

The P-75Iprogramme is a part of the 30-year submarine building plan cleared by the then Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 1999 that terminates in 2030. As a part of the plan, India was to build 24 submarines- 18 conventional and six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) with long- range nuclear-tipped missiles (SSBNs) as an effective deterrence to China and Pakistan.

Currently, two conventional submarines-INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi have been commissioned out of six Scorpene submarines which are being built at Mazagon Docks (MDL) in collaboration with Naval Group (earlier known as DCNS)of France, under the Project-75 (P-75) at a cost of around of Rs. 24,000

The Scorpene deal was signed in October 2005 and the first submarine was to be delivered by 2012 but due to inordinate delays and teething problems, delays occurred. The first one, INS Kalvari was commissioned on 14 December 2017. The second one, Khandariwas commissioned on 28 September

With falling allocation, Navy looks at fleet optimization.

Facing increasing budgetary constraints and with several big-ticket acquisitions lined up, the Navy is looking at adopting unmanned platforms, both aerial and underwater, in a big way, Navy sources

Dronacharya Award:

Dronacharya award is given to coaches who produced medal winners by Government of India which comes under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini, who groomed some of India’s finest track and field stars, died here on Sunday due to age-related problems.

Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics. He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the 1978 Asian Games.

Saini was the one who encouraged Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, who won an Asian Games gold medal in 1962, to take up Legendary marathon runner Shivnath Singh was among the other illustrious athletes whom he coached.

WORD of THE DAY

A forest that is dominated by trees that lose their leaves in the fall is called a deciduous forest. Wyoming deciduous tree species include aspen, cottonwood, box elder, ash, mountain ash, poplars, willows, fruit trees such as the wild plum and less commonly oak and maple. Deciduous forests are often called ‘hardwood” forests.

[bountyofbeads]

Protests and condemnation after Iran admits downing Ukrainian plane

By Babak Dehghanpisheh, Alexander Cornwell | Published January 11, 2020, 6:04 PM ET | Reuters | Posted January 11, 2020 |

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s admission that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 aboard, has provoked international outrage and triggered growing protests against Iranian authorities in Tehran and other cities including one in which Britain’s ambassador was detained.

In what President Hassan Rouhani called a “disastrous mistake”, Iran said on Saturday that a missile fired in error on Wednesday by its air defenses while on alert after Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq brought down the plane. Iran had denied for days after the crash that it had shot down the airliner.

Even as top Iranian officials and the military issued apologies, protests against authorities spread across Iran including in the capital Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he does not seek “regime change” in Iran, took to Twitter to express his support for the demonstrators, writing, “We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage.”

“The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching,” Trump wrote.

Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed late on Saturday that the country’s ambassador in Tehran had been briefly detained by Iranian authorities. The Tehran-based Tasnim news agency said the envoy was arrested for several hours in front of Amir Kabir University for inciting anti-government protesters.

“The arrest of our Ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

“The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment. It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to de-escalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards,” Raab added.

A leader of Iran’s opposition Green Movement, Mehdi Karroubi, called on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down over the handling of the downed airliner.

Foreign governments condemned the downing of the plane, with Ukraine demanding compensation. Canada, Ukraine and Britain, however, called Tehran’s admission an important first step.

“What Iran has admitted to is very serious. Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country had 57 citizens on board, told a news conference in Ottawa. “Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve."

Trudeau said Rouhani committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators, working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing a dialogue.

Up to 1,000 protesters chanted slogans in Tehran against the authorities, the semi-official Fars news agency said in a rare report on anti-government unrest.

Demonstrators ripped up pictures of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most influential military commander who was killed in a Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike in Iraq ordered by Trump. Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing led to Iran being on a state of high alert for possible reprisals when the plane was downed.

On Twitter, videos showed protesters demanding that Khamenei step down because of the disaster.

“Commander-in-chief resign, resign,” hundreds chanted in front of Tehran’s Amir Kabir university. Reuters could not verify the footage.

Demonstrations in Iran against a hike in fuel prices turned political last year, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic. About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15, three Iranian interior ministry officials told Reuters, though international rights groups put the figure much lower and Iran called the report “fake news.”

LEGITIMACY CRISIS

Iran’s clerical rulers risk a legitimacy crisis amid popular anger at the way they handled the plane’s downing. The belated admission by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards squandered the national unity on display after Soleimani’s killing. Khamenei, who has no term limit, has been in office since the death in 1989 of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei is 80.

Khamenei, until now silent about the crash, said information about the incident should be made public.

The shooting down of the passenger jet heightened international pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States and tit-for-tat attacks. Canada and the United States had both said early on that they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft, probably in error.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” Rouhani wrote on Twitter, promising that those responsible would be prosecuted.

In a televised address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had agreed with Rouhani on the beginning of joint work on decoding the black boxes from the downed aircraft. Zelenskiy also urged Ukraine’s international partners to be united and persistent until the investigation was complete.

In Twitter messages, angry Iranians asked why the plane was allowed to take off with tensions in Iran so high. The plane, a Boeing 737-800 bound for Kiev, came down shortly after takeoff from Tehran, when Iran was alert for U.S. reprisals after launching rockets at U.S. troops in Iraqi bases.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in a rare step, apologized to the nation and accepted full responsibility. Senior Guards commander Amirali Hajizadeh said he had informed Iran’s authorities on Wednesday about the unintentional strike, a comment that raised questions about why officials had publicly denied it for so long.

A military statement said the plane flew close to a sensitive Revolutionary Guards site at a time of high alert. Ukraine said the plane was in a normal flight corridor and Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said the airliner had not veered off its normal course.

Ukraine International Airlines said Iran should have closed the airport. The carrier said it had received no indication it faced a threat and was cleared for take off.

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Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai, Steve Holland, Howard Schneider and Jonathan Landay in Washington, Estelle Shirbon in London, Allison Lampert in Montreal, Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Natalia Zinets in Kiev; Writing by Edmund Blair, Giles Elgood and Will Dunham; Editing by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis

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Canada's Trudeau wins plaudits at home as Iran admits causing crash

By Rod Nickel | Published January 11, 2020, 4:10 PM ET | Reuters | Posted January 11, 2020

EDMONTON, Alberta (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s diplomacy was vindicated on Saturday when Iran admitted that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner as Trudeau had suggested, and his handling of the incident may increase support at home, Canadian political observers said.

The crash on Wednesday killed 176 people, including 57 from Canada. Iran insisted for days that it did not down the plane, but Trudeau said on Thursday he had received intelligence that suggested it did.

In a sharp reversal, Iran said on Saturday that its military had mistakenly shot down the airliner while on alert following Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.

“It helps (Trudeau) to demonstrate and assure Canadians that Canada will do its utmost to get explanations, gather the evidence and get justice for families that have lost loved ones,” said Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at University of Manitoba.

U.S. President Donald Trump and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson had voiced similar suspicions. But before Iran’s admission, the Middle East state demanded proof of Canada’s allegations.

Pressure had been mounting on Trudeau to respond strongly after he avoided more aggressive language immediately after the crash.

“His cautious reaction in the days after the crash has been vindicated,” said Roland Paris, Trudeau’s former foreign policy adviser and professor of international affairs at University of Ottawa. “He resisted the temptation to lash out. That might have provided space for the Iranian government to face the reality that it had shot down an airliner.”

Trudeau’s Liberal Party was re-elected in October but with a smaller caucus that leaves him dependent on other parties to hold government.

On Saturday, Trudeau said he was “outraged and furious” about the tragedy and spoke with Iran President Hassan Rouhani.

This response won praise from one of his fiercest critics, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

“Thank-you to Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau for his strong words denouncing the revelation that the Iranian military shot down UIA Flight 752,” Kenney tweeted.

Kenney’s province was hard-hit, suffering more than a dozen casualties from the Alberta capital Edmonton alone.

“Everybody is saying thanks to Canada for creating that environment of pressure to pursue the facts, to pursue justice,” said Reza Akbari, president of the Iranian Heritage Society of Edmonton.

Canadian investigators are among the international officials involved in the crash probe. Canada also said on Friday that it had established a global coordination group including Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom to support victims’ families.

“If Canada is able to play a prominent role, I think Trudeau might get some credit with Canadians,” Thomas said.

The Conservative Party of Canada, the main opposition, said Trudeau still needs to hold Iran to account by listing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, and by imposing sanctions if Iran does not fully cooperate with the investigation.

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Reporting by Rod Nickel in Edmonton, Alberta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

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Trump says watching Iran protests 'closely,' is 'inspired' by Iranians' courage

By Howard Schneider | Published January 11, 2020, 5:37 PM ET | Reuters | Posted January 11, 2020 |

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Twitter that his administration is closely following protests that erupted in Iran after that country’s government admitted its forces shot down a civilian Ukrainian airliner by mistake.

“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage,” Trump wrote in a post on Saturday.

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Factbox: Reactions to Iran's statement it downed Ukrainian plane

Reuters Staff | Published JANUARY 11, 2020, 2:39 PM ET | Reuters | Posted January 11, 2020 |

(Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday its military had shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard in a “disastrous mistake”, saying air defenses were fired in error while on alert after Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.

Iran had previously denied that it had downed the plane. Following are some reactions to Tehran’s announcement:

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY

“I insist on immediately completing identification of the bodies and their return to Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter after speaking to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. “The perpetrators must be held accountable.”

In a televised address later, he said the findings by Ukrainian experts in Iran meant that the truth about the crash could not be concealed.

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU

“What Iran has admitted to is very serious. Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility,” Trudeau told a news conference.

“Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve.”

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON

“Iran’s admission that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by mistake by its own armed forces is an important first step,” Johnson said in a statement.

“We now need a comprehensive, transparent and independent international investigation and the repatriation of those who died ...We can all see very clearly that further conflict will only lead to more loss and tragedy. It is vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward.”

SENIOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL

“Ultimately, Iran made an awful mistake,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Iran’s reckless actions have again had devastating consequences.”

ANTHONY BRICKHOUSE, AIR SAFETY EXPERT AT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY

“There’s nothing you can do to cover it up or hide it ... Evidence is evidence.”

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Reporting by Matthias Williams in Kiev, Jonathan Steve Scherer in Ottawa, Allison Lampert in Montreal; Compiled by Frances Kerry; Editing by Giles Elgood

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[political-fluffle]

Afghanistan has demanded the United States clarify remarks made by President Donald Trump, who said the country "would be wiped off the face of the Earth" if he wanted to win the war in Afghanistan.

"The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate," Sediq Sediqqi, the spokesman for the President of Afghanistan, said in a statement. "Given the multifaceted relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan calls for clarification on the US President's statements."

Trump on Monday had suggested that he could put an end to the Afghanistan war in a week, but that it would cost millions of lives and wipe the country "off the face of the Earth." (...)

The Afghan government was the second country since Monday to push back against Trump's remarks made during that Oval Office meeting with Khan.

Trump had claimed that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally asked him if he would like to be a mediator in the decades-long conflict between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region.

A spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar, denied Trump's claim, saying on Twitter that "no such request has been made" by Modi.

I hate this human-shaped pork rind so much!