Monthly Archives: February 2021

2021-02-04: News Headlines

Adam Chamseddine (2021-02-04). Lebanon: Prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim found murdered. middleeasteye.net Lebanon: Prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim found murdered | Publisher and activist shot five times and discovered between the southern Lebanese villages of Tufahta and Adoussiyeh | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 09: 10 | Lokman Slim, who was found dead in his car in south Lebanon (AFP) | Lebanese activist and publisher Lokman Slim, a fierce critic of Hezbollah, was found shot dead in his car on Th…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-04). Belgium court sentences Iranian envoy to 20 years in jail over Paris bomb plot. middleeasteye.net Belgium court sentences Iranian envoy to 20 years in jail over Paris bomb plot | Antwerp trial was the first of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Iran's 1979 revolution | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 14: 08 | A heavily armed policeman stands outside the courthouse in Antwerp (AFP) | An Iranian diplomat accused of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group was s…

Yves Engler (2021-02-04). Ottawa should apologize for role in Agent Orange use in Vietnam. dissidentvoice.org A French legal battle offers an opportunity to revisit Canada's role in chemical weapons use and whether Ottawa owes something to its Vietnamese victims. On the weekend activists gathered in Paris to support a court case launched by a woman exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The group Collectif Vietnam Dioxine is supporting French-Vietnamese woman, …

yenisafak (2021-02-04). At least 24 irregular migrants held in Turkey. yenisafak.com At least 24 irregular migrants were held in different parts of Turkey on Thursday, sources said.Nine Iranian nationals were held in the Beyazkoy district of the northwestern Tekirdag province, close to the border with Greece.They were found on a bus stopped for a check by gendarmerie personnel, said the sources, asking not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The vehicle's driver, a Turkish national identified by the initials I.O., was arrested.In the central Nigde province, 15 Syrian nationals were held after police teams stopped and searched a bus on a highway connecting southeast Turkey to…

_____ (2021-02-04). Why Always Israel? Only One Country Matters to Congress and the Media. strategic-culture.org Pandering to Israel as part of the political process in the United States has become part of the DNA of both major parties. | The job of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations must have some kind of curse on it as it seems to attract a type of woman who seeks to prove her suitability by running up a tally of how many wars she can start and how many people she can kill. One recalls fondly Bill Clinton's monstrous Madeleine Albright, who famously declared the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children as "worth it" due to the sanctions that Washington had imposed and enforced. And then there was Barack Obama's darling Samanth…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-04). Children in crisis don't need a celebrity ambassador, they need a fully funded mental health service. thecanary.co In response to Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, Boris Johnson

yenisafak (2021-02-04). Turkey 'neutralizes' 5 YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces "neutralized" five YPG/PKK terrorists in a protected area across Turkey's southern border with Syria, the National Defense Ministry announced Thursday.The terrorists were trying to infiltrate the area of Turkey's cross-border anti-terror operations — Peace Spring and Euphrates Shield — to disrupt peace and security in the region, the ministry said on Twitter, adding that they had also opened harassing fire.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-ter…

news.un (2021-02-04). End impunity for use of chemical weapons in Syria, UN disarmament chief urges Security Council. news.un.org The United Nations top disarmament official, on Wednesday, stressed the urgent need to not only identify those who have used chemical weapons in Syria, but also hold them accountable for their deeds.

MEE staff (2021-02-03). 'Still waiting for answers': Beirut port blast victims denied justice, says HRW. middleeasteye.net 'Still waiting for answers': Beirut port blast victims denied justice, says HRW | Rights group says stalled investigation is 'riddled with serious due process violations', as well as political leaders' attempts to stop probe | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 18: 45 | Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 (AFP) | Lebanon's political leaders are "stalling" an investigation into a massiv…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). 'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast. middleeasteye.net 'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast | Rights group says stalled investigation is 'riddled with serious due process violations', as well as political leaders' attempts to stop probe | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 18: 45 | The Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 (AFP) | Human Rights Watch has accused Lebanon's political leaders of "stalli…

RT (2021-02-03). Syrian air defenses respond to 'Israeli aggression' near Golan Heights — state media. rt.com Syrian air defenses have responded to an Israeli missile attack near al-Quneitra, according to reports in the country's state media. | The missile strikes were launched late on Wednesday night around al-Quneitra, a city south of Damascus and just outside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. | Footage circulating online purported to show the attack in progress. | Syria's air defenses were also activated near Damascus, according to i24news and the Times of Israel. There were no casualties in either city, but the strikes did inflict unspecified "material damage," accord…

Vanessa Beeley (2021-02-03). The resurrection of Aya Sophia on Syrian soil — Al Sqeilbiyyeh, Hama. thealtworld.com The resurrection of Aya Sophia in Al Sqeilbiyyeh. | 3rd February 2021: Yesterday I visited the Syrian Christian town of Al Sqeilbiyyeh, one of the most fertile areas of Syria that was besieged for 7 years by the US Coalition- backed armed gangs. During that time the terrorist groups targeted schools, residential areas, infrastructure with missiles, nowhere was safe. The closest terrorist encampment was only 500m away in Qalaat Al Madiq. Invasion was an ever present danger. | | In the photos I took yesterday you will see couples po…

yenisafak (2021-02-03). Top Turkish, Norwegian diplomats discuss relations. yenisafak.com Turkish and Norwegian foreign ministers on Wednesday met virtually and discussed bilateral relations, regional and global developments.In a Twitter post, Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu said he discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Libya, the US, and the East Mediterranean with his Norwegian counterpart Eriksen Soreide.Turkey and Norway maintained its "bilateral trade volume despite the pandemic," Cavusoglu noted, and wished "further cooperation in every field, particularly energy."Meanwhile, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a Twitter post that Soreide had a "good and f…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria. middleeasteye.net Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria | Sixty-three Syrian Arabs and Kurds have been transferred to Turkey over suspected links to 'terrorist' organisations | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 12: 03 | Turkey-backed Syrian rebels take part in a military exercise in Ghandoura, in the northeastern countryside of Syria's Aleppo province, on 14 January 2021 (AFP) | Human rights groups have c…

Harun al-Aswad (2021-02-03). Arrests in Syria's Latakia signal discontent among pro-Assad communities. middleeasteye.net Arrests in Syria's Latakia signal discontent among pro-Assad communities | Many of the president's most loyal supporters in his stronghold have started speaking out against corruption and poverty | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 17: 39 | A handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency Facebook page on 13 October 2020 shows President Bashar al-Assad touring the village of Kafr Dabil in Syria's Latakia pro…

Ralph Nader (2021-02-03). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. commondreams.org Allowing the Trumpian half of his brain to overpower his judgment and vote to acquit Dangerous Donald would spell disaster for the Republican Party (assuming the Democratic Party doesn't go to sleep as it did after Obama's win in 2008). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell_biden_0.jpg

sputniknews (2021-02-03). Russia Urges New UNSC Members to Objectively View Syrian Chemical Dossier, Envoy to UN Says. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Russia called on the five new UN Security Council member states to objectively treat the Syrian chemical dossier and note the country's readiness to cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said.

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-03). 'Martyr Soleimani expanded Iran's experience in resistance'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) — Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General said that Lt. General Soleimani internationalized the Iranian experience in resisting oppression.

Marwa Osman (2021-02-03). Kurdish Contras Besiege Al-Hasakah—MES EP.92. thealtworld.com The siege imposed by the Kurdish contras known by the name "Syrian Democratic Forces" on the neighborhoods under the control of the Syrian army in the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli continues in light of the escalation of the suffering of the people and the faltering of Russian efforts to find a settlement that ends the siege and restore matters to their previous state. This situation is prompting scores of Syrian residents to walk great distances to bypass the SDF checkpoints especially after one Syrian security officer was killed by the Kurdish Contras in Hasakah city. | To discuss this issue with us from Pe…

MEE staff (2021-02-02). UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador | UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, says if US plans to pivot from Middle East to China it cannot 'take tools away from your partners' | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 15: 52 | The US agreed to sale of F-35 jets to Abu Dhabi following normalisation agreement between UAE and Israel (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates is confident t…

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Some 130,000 Israelis Have Visited UAE Since Normalization of Relations, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Some 130,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates since the normalization of relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords over the past few months, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousel Al Otaiba said on Tuesday.

Staff (2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…

Mustafa Dahnon (2021-02-01). Syria: Activist's arrest by Turkish-backed forces raises concerns over freedoms. middleeasteye.net Syria: Activist's arrest by Turkish-backed forces raises concerns over freedoms | Hayyan Ibrahim Hababa was detained for nearly two weeks before his release, with relatives fearing for his safety in detention | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 14: 16 | A social media picture of Hayyan Ibrahim Hababa (Facebook) | The arrest of a prominent media activist by Turkish-backed rebel forces has raised concerns about f…

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Israeli drone downed on Lebanese territory, says Hezbollah. laprensalatina.com Beirut, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Monday claimed it had downed an Israeli drone flying over southern Lebanon. Israeli authorities, however, said the drone crashed during an operational flight, in the second incident of its kind in 10 days. "On the morning of this Monday, February 1, 2021, the Islamic Resistance …

Steven Sahiounie (2021-02-01). Kurds, Stolen Oil, and an American Domestic Terrorist. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | "YPG is a sub-affiliate of the Kurdistan's Working Party (PKK), which …

2021-02-03: News Headlines

MEE and agencies (2021-02-03). Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli drone over southern Lebanon. middleeasteye.net Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli drone over southern Lebanon | Lebanese security sources say the anti-aircraft missiles failed to hit target, which returned to Israel | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 14: 35 | Naqura, south of the Lebanese city of Tyre, which is controlled by the United Nations peacekeeping force (Unifil), on the border with Israel (AFP) | Anti-aircraft missiles were fired at an Isra…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). 'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast. middleeasteye.net 'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast | Rights group says stalled investigation is 'riddled with serious due process violations', as well as political leaders' attempts to stop probe | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 18: 45 | The Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 (AFP) | Human Rights Watch has accused Lebanon's political leaders of "stalli…

Vanessa Beeley (2021-02-03). The resurrection of Aya Sophia on Syrian soil — Al Sqeilbiyyeh, Hama. thealtworld.com The resurrection of Aya Sophia in Al Sqeilbiyyeh. | 3rd February 2021: Yesterday I visited the Syrian Christian town of Al Sqeilbiyyeh, one of the most fertile areas of Syria that was besieged for 7 years by the US Coalition- backed armed gangs. During that time the terrorist groups targeted schools, residential areas, infrastructure with missiles, nowhere was safe. The closest terrorist encampment was only 500m away in Qalaat Al Madiq. Invasion was an ever present danger. | | In the photos I took yesterday you will see couples po…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria. middleeasteye.net Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria | Sixty-three Syrian Arabs and Kurds have been transferred to Turkey over suspected links to 'terrorist' organisations | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 12: 03 | Turkey-backed Syrian rebels take part in a military exercise in Ghandoura, in the northeastern countryside of Syria's Aleppo province, on 14 January 2021 (AFP) | Human rights groups have c…

yenisafak (2021-02-03). Top Turkish, Norwegian diplomats discuss relations. yenisafak.com Turkish and Norwegian foreign ministers on Wednesday met virtually and discussed bilateral relations, regional and global developments.In a Twitter post, Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu said he discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Libya, the US, and the East Mediterranean with his Norwegian counterpart Eriksen Soreide.Turkey and Norway maintained its "bilateral trade volume despite the pandemic," Cavusoglu noted, and wished "further cooperation in every field, particularly energy."Meanwhile, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a Twitter post that Soreide had a "good and f…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-03). 'Martyr Soleimani expanded Iran's experience in resistance'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) — Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General said that Lt. General Soleimani internationalized the Iranian experience in resisting oppression.

MEE staff (2021-02-02). UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador | UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, says if US plans to pivot from Middle East to China it cannot 'take tools away from your partners' | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 15: 52 | The US agreed to sale of F-35 jets to Abu Dhabi following normalisation agreement between UAE and Israel (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates is confident t…

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Some 130,000 Israelis Have Visited UAE Since Normalization of Relations, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Some 130,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates since the normalization of relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords over the past few months, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousel Al Otaiba said on Tuesday.

MEE staff (2021-02-01). Death threat targeting Israeli ambassador found at site of India embassy blast. middleeasteye.net Death threat targeting Israeli ambassador found at site of India embassy blast | Letter addressed to Israel's ambassador to New Delhi, Ron Malka, warns him to 'count the days', and was signed by unknown group 'India Hezbollah' | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 18: 25 | Last Friday, a small explosion occurred near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi (AFP/File photo) | A death threat was found near the scene of a blast outside t…

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Nadda Osman (2021-02-01). Murder of Lebanese model Zeina Kanjo causes uproar online. middleeasteye.net Murder of Lebanese model Zeina Kanjo causes uproar online | Many have called for greater protection of women and improved domestic violence laws | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 13: 58 | Kanjo's death has been condemned online, with many calling for accountability (Screengrab/Twitter) | The murder of a Lebanese model, Zeina Kanjo, on Sunday evening has been condemned online, and reignited conversations about the prot…

Vanessa Beeley (2021-02-01). Israeli aggression will never destroy the Syrian wall of resistance. thealtworld.com "Our children are terrified, the slightest noise makes them afraid now" a resident of Kazu, a sprawling western suburb of the city of Hama, Syria, told me when I visited the scene of the latest Israeli aggression against the Syrian people. | On the 22nd January at around 4am, Israeli warplanes reportedly flew

Staff (2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…

Mustafa Dahnon (2021-02-01). Syria: Activist's arrest by Turkish-backed forces raises concerns over freedoms. middleeasteye.net Syria: Activist's arrest by Turkish-backed forces raises concerns over freedoms | Hayyan Ibrahim Hababa was detained for nearly two weeks before his release, with relatives fearing for his safety in detention | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 14: 16 | A social media picture of Hayyan Ibrahim Hababa (Facebook) | The arrest of a prominent media activist by Turkish-backed rebel forces has raised concerns about f…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-01). Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq | Meanwhile, a US diplomat says Washington has failed Syria, Egypt appoints convicted security director as senior state official, and Kuwait investigates entire embassy staff in Cuba over house-storming incident | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 13: 58 | Iraqi pupils wearing masks attend class on the first day of the new academic year…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-01). Beijing criticizes US sanctions against Syrian nation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 01 (MNA) — Chinese Foreign Minister criticized US sanctions against Damascus in a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Faisal Mekdad.

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Israeli drone downed on Lebanese territory, says Hezbollah. laprensalatina.com Beirut, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Monday claimed it had downed an Israeli drone flying over southern Lebanon. Israeli authorities, however, said the drone crashed during an operational flight, in the second incident of its kind in 10 days. "On the morning of this Monday, February 1, 2021, the Islamic Resistance …

Steven Sahiounie (2021-02-01). Kurds, Stolen Oil, and an American Domestic Terrorist. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | "YPG is a sub-affiliate of the Kurdistan's Working Party (PKK), which …

Dimitris Eleas (2021-02-01). From "Blue Homeland" to Reuniting the Ottoman Empire? globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | "Mavi vatan," or "blue homeland," has become a common phrase in …

Pepe Escobar (2021-02-01). Why the US Deep State Won't Forgive Russia and Iran. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | In a stunning interview to the Beirut-based al Mayadeen network, Hezbollah's …

Harun al-Aswad (2021-01-31). String of car bombs kills 20 people in Turkish-held north Syria. middleeasteye.net String of car bombs kills 20 people in Turkish-held north Syria | The attacks left at least 14 civilians dead, including four children, and scores wounded | Sun, 01/31/2021 – 14: 18 | Rescue workers extinguish a fire caused by an explosion in the town of Azaz, in rebel-controlled northern countryside of Syria's Aleppo province, on 31 January 2021 (AFP) | Three car bombs killed at least 20 people…

yenisafak (2021-01-31). Ten people killed in terror attacks in N.Syria. yenisafak.com A bomb mounted on a vehicle was detonated in Azaz town.Four people were killed and 20 others wounded in the attack.Shortly after, another explosion in a checkpoint five kilometers (3.1 miles) east of al-Bab town killed six and wounded four people.It is feared that the number of casualties may increase.* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara…

news.un (2021-01-31). Fair Finance: The women entrepreneurs lifting communities out of poverty. news.un.org Helping women start and grow businesses in the world's poorest countries is a path to lifting them and their families out of poverty, the high-profile businesswoman, and new UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Goodwill Ambassador Sonia Gardner, has told UN News, in the second of our two part series this weekend, on the role the financial sector can play in reducing inequality.

news.un (2021-01-31). Children among dead following bomb attacks in northern Syria. news.un.org Several people, including four children, are reported dead, with many more injured, following a weekend of deadly bomb attacks in towns in northern rural Aleppo, Syria, that were roundly condemned by senior UN officials.