Posts from — October 2013

Washington Continues to Support Al-Khalifa Regime in Bahrain
29 October, 2013 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Activists of the opposition in Bahrain contacted the local press, warning that Washington is indeed supporting the al-Khalifa regime, despite a recent statement that it had suspended all aids and military collaboration.

Bahrain which is looking to purchase a large amount of tear gas canisters is believed to have turned to its long term American ally, Islam Times reported Monday.

Activists produced a series of documents to support their claims. Bahrain government wants to purchase 2 million gas bombs and other crowd control weapons.

An international inquiry in November 2011 found that 35 people had died during Bahrain’s uprising, most of whom were protesters but also including five security personnel. The opposition puts the death toll at more than 80.

The US-based Human Rights First (HRF) advocacy group earlier this month urged Washington to speak out against the planned teargas shipment.

According to Bahrain Watch, the leaked document came in the form of a tender issued by the Interior Ministry’s Purchasing Directorate. It invited arms manufacturers to supply the ministry with “teargas cartridges and sound grenades.”

In March 2012, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the use of teargas had led to a number of deaths of protesters and bystanders in Bahrain.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a US-based group that campaigns for medical staff working in crisis zones, said in August 2012 that the Bahraini government used teargas indiscriminately, causing severe injuries to some civilians.

Bahrain has denied that charge. …source

Nasrallah Slams Riyadh for Derailing Syria Peace Talks
29 October, 2013 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Saudi Arabia is seeking to derail the long-delayed Geneva II peace conference aimed at ending the conflict in Syria and is enraged over the Syrian government’s gains, Hezbollah Secretary General said.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyed Hassan Nasrallah also slammed Saudi regime’s meddling in the internal affairs of Lebanon and hindering the country’s efforts to form a new government, Al-Alam reported Monday.

“The world has come to an understanding that a military solution (in Syria) is no longer valid and the only acceptable solution is a political one via an unconditional dialogue,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of al-Rassoul al-Azam Hospital.

“But there is one country, … the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it is still very angry over the prospects of a political solution in Syria,” he added.

Nasrallah said the kingdom had exhausted all available means to force the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s government, such as sending tens of thousands of fighters and spending an estimated $30 billion.

“The fighting side did all it can to target the government and bring it down but failed to reach any results,” he said.

The prospects of a military solution subsided, Nasrallah said, in light of divisions within the Syrian opposition and the rebels, the Syrian army’s recapture of several areas and the collapse of a possible US-led attack on the conflict-ridden country.

“The stubbornness and insistence on (a military solution) will only lead to further fighting, casualties and destruction as well as repercussions on neighboring countries,” Nasrallah said.

He also advised Saudi Arabia not to pass up the opportunity for peace talks in Geneva II, noting that time was not on the opposition’s side.

“Given the current developments, it is best that you go forward with a political solution in Syria,” he said.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. Reports indicate that the western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside the country.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence.
…source



Nasrallah: Saudi “anger” fueling Syrian war
28 October, 2013 – Al Akhbar

After two and a half years of relentless bloodshed, the whole world with the exception of Saudi Arabia has reached the conclusion that there can be no military solution to the Syrian crisis, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech Monday.

He accused the Wahhabi-ruled kingdom of letting its “anger” over failing to topple President Bashar al-Assad cloud its judgement and prevent political dialogue from taking shape.

“There is one regional country that is still very angry …. because it did not achieve its goal. They brought tens of thousands of fighters from all over the world [to Syria], … sent weapons, money,” Nasrallah said.

“[There has been] international pressure, sieges, sanctions and incitement [against the Syrian government]. Everything that could have been done was done, and nothing happened.”

“We cannot continue to have the region ignite in flames just because one country is angry,” he added.

The international community is trying to push the proposed US-Russian “Geneva II” peace conference tentatively scheduled for late-November, but leading factions of both Syria’s political and armed opposition groups have either flatly rejected dialogue, or demanded that conditions be set before coming to the table.

A coalition of 19 rebel groups on Sunday labelled as traitors any opposition faction that engages in peace talks with the Syrian government.

Nasrallah said that despite infighting among Syria’s opposition, they all “drink from the same tap,” in a reference to the Saudi kingdom.

“All of those whose hearts beat for Syria, or those affected by the conflict, must point their fingers at those who are preventing such dialogue and a solution in Syria,” he said.

He added that the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should use their influence to push Syria’s opposition to attend next month’s peace conference without pre-conditions. …more

What a Surprise: U.S.-Based Iran “Experts” Promoting Israeli Policy
by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett – 29 October, 2013

As the new round of nuclear diplomacy between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 unfolds, an informal coalition of forces is coalescing in the West to oppose any prospective deal in which the United States would “accept” safeguarded uranium enrichment in Iran. Of course, Israel and the pro-Israel lobby are at the heart of this coalition. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s remarks about the Iran nuclear talks on NBC’s Meet the Press this past Sunday, see here, are emblematic of the “zero enrichment” camp:

“The question is not of hope; the question is of actual result. The test is the result. The result has to be the full dismantling of Iran’s military nuclear program. If that is achieved, that would be very good. If it’s achieved peacefully, it’s even better…I think the pressure has to be maintained on Iran, even increased on Iran, until it actually stops the nuclear program—that is, dismantles it. I think that any partial deal could end up in dissolving the sanctions. There are a lot of countries waiting for a signal, just waiting for a signal, to get rid of their sanctions regime. And I think that you don’t want to go through halfway measures…

As far as the freezing of assets—as far as I remember, those assets were frozen for three reasons: one, Iran’s terrorist actions; two, its aggressive actions, particularly in the Gulf; and three, its continued refusal to stop the production of weapons of mass destruction. You know, if you get all three done, and they stop doing it—well, then, I suppose you could unfreeze them…Those sanctions weren’t Israeli sanctions. I’ve always advocated them, but the international community adopted very firm resolutions by the Security Council, and here’s what those resolutions say: they said Iran should basically dismantle its centrifuges for enrichment (that’s one path to get a nuclear weapon) and stop work on its plutonium heavy-water reactor (that’s the other path for a nuclear weapon).

It’s very important to stress that it’s for nuclear weapons. Nobody challenges Iran’s or any country’s pursuit of civilian nuclear energy. But seventeen countries in the world, including your neighbors Canada and Mexico, have very robust programs for civilian nuclear energy, and they don’t enrich with centrifuges, and they don’t have heavy water plutonium reactors.

Here comes Iran and says, ‘I want civilian nuclear energy.’ I don’t know why, because they have energy, with gas and oil, coming out of their ears for generations. But suppose you believe them. Then you ask, ‘Why do you insist on maintaining a plutonium heavy water reactor, and on maintaining centrifuges that can only be used for making nuclear weapons?’ And the answer is because they want to have residual capability to make nuclear weapons. And you don’t want that, and UN resolutions don’t want that, Security Council resolutions. And I propose sticking by that.”

U.S. inattention to Libya breeds chaos
By David Ignatius, 25 October, 2013 – Washington Post

For a case study of why America’s influence has receded in the Middle East, consider the example of Libya. Some simple steps over the past two years might have limited the country’s descent toward anarchy. But Libya became so toxic after the Benghazi attack that the United States has been slow to provide help.

When Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan visited Washington in March, he made a straightforward request: He needed U.S. help in training a “general-purpose force” that could protect officials of the democratically elected government and safeguard Libya’s basic services. He explained that, without such protection, government officials couldn’t move safely around the country to do their work.

Helping Libya should be a no-brainer. The United States and its NATO allies spent billions toppling the regime of Col. Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, and they have a big investment in creating a secure state. Instead, Libya has become a nation of lawless militias. Zeidan’s government can’t even hold meetings safely. The United States should have begun training security forces immediately after Gaddafi was toppled. Every day of delay is a mistake.

The Obama administration has approved, in principle, a plan to train 6,000 to 8,000 Libyans outside the country. But the situation in Tripoli is so chaotic that Libyans haven’t yet made a formal request for this assistance. U.S. officials said it won’t start until the spring, at the earliest.

President Obama is said to have decided at a Cabinet meeting this month that “we have not been doing enough” as the chaos grew in Libya and that he wants to “accelerate” assistance, according to a senior administration official. That’s good — better late than never — but it’s an open question whether Congress will let Obama do what’s needed.

Congressional Republicans deserve much of the blame. The GOP has staged more than a year of near-hysterical attacks about alleged failures and coverups involving the Sept. 11, 2012, assault on the U.S. compound in Benghazi that left four Americans dead. The relentless GOP sniping and second-guessing had the inevitable consequence: Nobody wanted to risk another Benghazi; U.S. diplomats hunkered down at the embassy in Tripoli; and Libya policy went in the deep freeze.

Here’s how bad the Libya phobia has become: When the Department of Homeland Security recently began drafting a rule that would allow Libyan students and workers to come to the United States for education and training, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) thundered that “it is shocking that the Obama administration is turning a blind eye to real terrorist threats that exist in Libya today.” And Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) denounced the move as “unbelievable.”

What continued in the Libya vacuum were secret U.S. counterterrorism operations. These culminated in the Oct. 5 raid that snatched al-Qaeda militant Anas al-Libi in Tripoli and brought him to New York for trial on charges stemming from the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. This was a laudable operation, but counterterrorism is not America’s only interest in Libya.

The raid produced an embarrassing backlash: Zeidan, the pro-American prime minister, was kidnapped by angry militiamen from his hotel in Tripoli and held for hours. The gunmen released him partly because they didn’t want to fight other armed gangs for control of the hostage. Zeidan said he hadn’t approved the U.S. mission, but his cover of deniability was frayed when Secretary of State John Kerry insisted the operation was “legal and appropriate,” implying it had Libyan approval. …more

Bahrain: Injured Civilian In A Coma After Being Shot With Tear Gas Canister
27 October, 2013 – Bahrain center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its grave concern over the continued use of excessive force against peaceful protesters by the authorities in Bahrain.

Abbas Abdulnabi Marhoon, 19 years-old, is suffering from severe injuries after he was shot with a tear gas canister in the head on the 16th of October 2013. Witnesses reported that Marhoon was shot directly at the head and was taken, unconscious, to a nearby medical center: the Hamad Kanoo health center. Due to the seriousness of his injuries, Marhoon was transferred to the operation room in the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital. He was shot near the brain and eye, which caused him to suffer from fracture in his skull, serious bleeding, and he is currently being closely monitored.

The family stated that Marhoon is still in the Intensive Care Unit and is unconscious; his condition is not stable.

As Marhoon struggling for his life, recently leaked documents from Bahrain Watch show that the authorities in Bahrain have made plans to import a massive shipment of tear gas canisters from Korea. It was one such canister that Marhoon was injured with, and the police have been documented in many videos using these weapons illegally.

The leaked document is a request for a bid to supply Bahrain with 1.6 million tear gas canisters and 90,000 sound grenades. Bahrain Watch launched a campaign to stop this shipment and demands a stop to all tear gas sales to Bahrain. Since the start of Bahrain’s uprising, approximately 39 persons were killed by tear gas, several of them due to injuries caused from directly being shot with tear gas from close range; there are several children among them.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and all of Bahrain’s closest allies as well as international institutions to pressure the authorities to:

– Launch an immediate investigation into Marhoon’s injury and hold those responsible accountable

– Put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to stop its use of excessive force in response to the continued peaceful protests, and to consider a meaningful solution to resolve the persistent political issues of instability in the country.

…source

Bahrain’s Continued Weaponizing of Tear Gas
by Samirah Majumdar and Hadley Griffin – 25 October, 2013 – PHR

In August 2012, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) reported on the extensive, persistent, and disproportionate use of toxic chemical agents by anti-riot police against civilians in Bahrain. Police weaponized tear gas in order to crush protests, leading to at least 39 confirmed deaths since 2011 and causing long-term deleterious consequences for those repeatedly exposed to the toxic chemicals in enclosed spaces. PHR is once again concerned about an escalation of violence and the use of toxic chemical agents against protesters as latest developments point to continued instability in Bahrain.

Security forces in Bahrain have regularly cracked down on demonstrators since pro-democracy protests began in February 2011. Police continue to use force to disperse protesters, with recent reports in early October indicating that anti-riot police used buckshot, sound grenades, and tear gas against demonstrators following the death of a political detainee. There have been other sources of tension as well – in the past month, scores of activists have been sentenced in unfair trials, with allegations that authorities used torture to extract confessions. On September 29, 50 Shiite activists received sentences of up to 15 years in prison for their involvement in the 14 February Coalition, a youth-led opposition movement. Al-Wefaq, a political opposition party, has accused the government of escalatory security methods and pulled out of a national dialogue in September because of the arrest of one of its leaders. The United States has voiced concerns over both the recent unrest and lack of progress in the national dialogue that was agreed upon following the violent demonstrations in 2011.

A leaked document, released on October 16, 2013 and publicized by Bahrain Watch, has renewed concerns that the Bahraini government is stockpiling tear gas to crackdown on protesters. The document is a Ministry of Interior tender that shows the country’s plans to import 1.6 million tear gas canisters, 90,000 tear gas grenades, and 145,000 sound and flash grenades, totaling more than the entire Bahraini population of 1.3 million people. Given regular protests in the country and the authorities’ sustained inappropriate and excessive use of force against them, there is little doubt that this new purchase order will target protesters. And based on Bahrain’s aforementioned abuse of tear gas, PHR is seriously concerned that Bahraini forces will again use tear gas to punish protesters, inflict suffering, and suppress dissent.

PHR reiterates its call to the government of Bahrain to cease the use of tear gas in the country until the government conducts a full and impartial investigation into tear gas abuse, re-trains security forces in its proper application, and holds perpetrators of excessive or improper use of force accountable. Given the recent history of rampant tear gas abuse in the country, PHR strongly urges a suspension of the shipment of toxic chemical agents to Bahrain until these basic benchmarks are met, after which the government of Bahrain must adhere to United Nations guidelines on the use of force regarding any future use of tear gas or related substances.
…more

Sheikh Issa Qassim: Reforms in Bahrain Inevitable

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim warned that there is no substitute for reforms in Bahrain.

The prominent Bahraini cleric said, “The people of Bahrain have made clear they do not wish to be ruled by such amoral and immoral tyrants whose thirst for blood and injustices is legion.”

Sheikh Qassim went on deploring the despicable horrors which the regime has imposed on its people – unlawful arrests, tortures, violations of sacred religious places of worship, murder, oppression, and repression, the Islam Times reported.

“You will reap what you have sowed,” he prophesized, directly addressing al-Khalifa regime.

Dozens upon dozens of Bahrainis have endured humiliation and repression for having dared expressed their desire to be treated fairly by the Sunni-led government.

As a result of their calls for democratic reforms, the regime has been conducting a sectarian-based campaign against political activists, stopping at nothing to ensure that al- Khalifa remains in power. …source

Bahrain: Photographers Detained, Reportedly Tortured in Attack on Freedom of Expression
25 October, 2013 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is urgently appealing for an intervention in the case of the award-winning photojournalist Hussain Hubail, 21 years-old, who has been denied adequate medical care for approximately two weeks. The authorities in Bahrain are escalating their attack on freedom of expression, by detaining, torturing and ill-treating photographers.

Hubail, who has been held in Dry Docks Prison since August 5th, 2013, has been denied adequate medical care for approximately two weeks. In the early morning on Friday, October 25th, his health deteriorated and he lost consciousness in prison and was transferred to the hospital where he had ECG and was given IV. The security forces failed to proide him with all the medicines that were prescribed by his doctor. He was asked to come back for follow-up visit, but it is unknown whether he will be taken back to the hospital as his doctor requested.

On 31st July 2013, Hussain Hubail, award-winning photojournalist, was arrested from Bahrain International airport while heading to Dubai, UAE. He was subjected to enforced disappearance for over four days, during which his family went to ask about him at the Criminal Investigation Directorate but they denied having him in custody. On 5th August 2013, Hubail was transferred the Dry Dock prison and was allowed his first call to his family. He was not allowed to contact a lawyer until the 7th August, and he was taken to the Public Prosecution on the same day. The BCHR received confirmed information that Hussain was reportedly subjected to torture; he was beaten and kicked in the abdomen and face, kept in an extremely cold room, forced to stand for long periods of time, and deprived of sleep during the time he was at the CID.

According to Hubail’s lawyer, Ali Al-Asfoor, he was interrogated about his work as a photojournalist and his connection to twitter account linked to “Tamarrod – Rebellion” protests that were planned on the 14th August 2013. Hubail’s house was raided during his interrogation with the Public Prosecution and his camera and laptop were confiscated.

Hubail won 1st place in a photography contest run by Alwasat newspaper in May 2013 for a photograph of protesters amid clouds of tear gas. The BCHR has received information that a photo in which Hussain appeared taking photographs at one of the opposition societies rallies, was shown to detainees in the past months at the CID and the interrogators were trying to learn the identity of the photographer in that photo. (Read More: Bahrain: Arrest of Lawyer after Tweeting about Torture of Detained Blogger and RSF: Use Of Arrest And Torture In Bid To Stifle Protests In Bahrain)

Abdulla Salman Al-Jerdabi is another detained photographer. He was arrested on the 13th September 2013 and was reportedly beaten by security forces on the way to the police station. The beating caused him knee injuries and a wound under his lips; marks on his body from this abuse are still visible. It was reported that when the officer realized that he was a photographer, he threatened him with further abuse. He is accused of illegal gathering and the possession of iron bars with the intention to attack the police force. He will be taken to the Public Prosecution on the 28th of October, and the decision will be taken to release him, or detain him further. …more

Photojournalist in Bahraini Jail Denied Medical Treatment

TEHRAN (FNA)- Photojournalist Hussain Hubail is being denied adequate medical care and treatment in a Bahraini jail.

The regime uses such methods as retaliation against prisoners of conscience, political prisoners and other prisoners, Alwefaq.net reported Sunday.

Hubail is suffering from heart pain and shortness of breath but he has not yet been transferred to hospital. According to his family, the prison’s clinic has given him a non-prescribed medicine.

He was arrested on 31st July 2013 and is now facing accusations related to his media activism, such as using social media to incite hatred of the regime.

His family fears that his health condition may worsen and cause further complications. Nevertheless, the Government takes full responsibility for any possible complications Hubail may suffer due to its deliberate denial of providing him with the necessary medical treatment.

Younis al Hadher, another prisoner in Bahrain, is also being denied medical treatment, despite his deteriorating health condition. Al Hadher was arrested at the building of the Immigration and Passports Department when he went to renew his passport on 19th December 2012. Younis is suffering from chronic epilepsy. Sadly, due to the continuous denial of medical care he is subjected to, he has lost the ability to walk and move normally and is suffering from complications in hearing and eyesight. According to his family, he also suffers from heart cramps as a result of his epilepsy that is confirmed in his medical report.

Mohammed Sahwan, is detained and injured with Shotgun pellets –internationally prohibited arms – and needs immediate treatment due to his critical condition. But he too is being denied medical treatment in jail and only given painkillers.

These are three of many cases of denial of medical care in the Bahraini jails. Indeed, some prisoners have died in jail due to the absence and denial of medical care and treatment, like Mohamed Mushaima.

Al Wefaq National Islamic Society demands the Authorities to provide full medical care and treatment to the political prisoners as a humanitarian right. Al Wefaq considers this issue in the hands of the international community since the regime has crossed the humanitarian lines by denying prisoners medical treatment as a punishment against dissidents and individual citizens.

Al Wefaq stresses that the Government of Bahrain has proven that it is irresponsible and is not able to maintain the safety and security of individual citizens and does not value their lives. As the Government does not only arbitrarily and vengefully arrest and prosecute citizens in trials based on coerced confessions under torture, it goes further to put their lives in danger. …source

Ongoing judicial harassment against Bahraini activists for their cooperation with UN system
28 October, 1013 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) and Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) express their serious concern over the ongoing campaign of judicial harassment against human rights defenders in Bahrain who cooperate with the UN system. In the recent days, Human rights defender Mohamed Al-Maskati was interrogated on charges related to freedom of expression, while another 2 defenders of his organization, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), are currently behind bars.

On 22 October 2013, human rights defender, co-founder and president of the BYSHR Mohamed Al-Maskati was summoned to Al-Khamis Police Station where he was interrogated on charges of “inciting hatred against the regime” in relation to a speech he made on 8 September 2013 in Jidhafs Town, where he talked about the concept of nonviolence and the importance of demanding rights through peaceful techniques as well as human rights as set in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Defender Al-Maskati was released after he signed a pledge to appear before the Public Prosecution office upon request. His case may be transferred to court at any time.

Mohamed Al-Maskati is a renowned human rights defender, an advocate of non-violence and a trainer of Digital Security for human rights defenders. He has been actively cooperating with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in recent years and has visited the Special Rapporteurs in August 2013. He also met several diplomatic missions in Geneva in coordination with many regional and international Human Rights organizations.

This summon comes at the end of a long list of judicial and extra-judicial harassment to human rights defender Al-Maskati. Since June 2013, he is going through a trial at the Lower Criminal Court, facing possible prison sentences on charges of “participation in illegal protests” in relation to his participation in a peaceful protest entitled “Self determination”. The next hearing will be on 9 December 2013.

Last year, on 16 October 2012, Al-Maskati was detained for about 24 hours and questioned at the Public Prosecution office on charges of “rioting and participating in an illegal gathering” few weeks after he delivered an oral intervention at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, where he informed the (HRC) about the massive intimidation campaign against him. Although he was released after interrogation, but the charges remained pending since then. After tweeting about his attendance at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva in September 2012, Al-Maskati received continuous threats via anonymous phone calls. He was threatened with death if “he damaged Bahrain’s reputation in Geneva”, and he was also a target of a smear campaign run by a pro-government newspapers following his return from Geneva.

Another two members of BYSHR are currently behind bars. Human rights defender and BYSHR co-founder Naji Fateel is detained since May 2013 and has been sentenced on 29 Sep 2013 to 15 years in prison after a show trial that fails to live up to fair trial standards. He was reportedly subjected to torture in detention. Human rights defender and member of BYSHR, Hussain Abdulnabi, is still detained while facing a trial since 6 Sep 2013. Some reliable reports confirmed that the security forces have a plan to target other members of the BYSHR. …more

Thousands, including freed politician, protest in Bahrain, demanding reforms in Gulf kingdom
Star Tribune – 25 October, 2013

MANAMA, Bahrain — Thousands of people have marched in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, demanding more reforms in the country.

Among the protesters Friday was prominent opposition figure Khalil al-Marzooq, freed Thursday as he faces charges of encouraging violence. He has denied any support for bombings and other attacks, which have been on the rise.

Protesters chanted anti-government slogans Friday and some masked youths confronted police. An Associated Press journalist saw police fire tear gas at demonstrators.

Bahrain has been gripped by nonstop unrest after the kingdom’s Shiite majority began an uprising in early 2011 calling for a greater political voice. Many protesters and other senior opposition figures have been jailed during crackdowns in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

…source

Torture is still in practiced in Guantanamo
Voltaire Network – 28 October, 2013

Mr. James Connell, the lawyer of 36-year old Ammar al Baluchi who is detained in Guantanamo, stated that his client has been tortured for years.

Mr. Connell has based this statement on two unclassified medical documents that show signs of apparent torture. However, according to prosecutor Clay Trivett, everything that concerns interrogations is classified as ’’sources and methods’’ of the CIA. Discretion also applies to interrogatios carried out in secret off-shore prisons, located on Navy boats in international waters. The lawyer is therefore not allowed to refer to the incidents or the methods proving that his client was tortured.

Mr. Connel asked that the president of the military court come to inspect the prisoner’s cell inside the Guantanamo 7 camp (the secret part reserved for the CIA). But the military judge refused, since officially torture is no longer being practiced there.

Ammar al-Baluchi is a Yemeni immigrant. He was arrested in Pakistan on April 29th 2003, then detained illegally and tortured in a secret CIA prison for over two years. He was transfered on September 2006 to Guantanamo where he’s been illegally imprisoned for 7 years.

According to the National Commission on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Ammar al-Baluchi is supposed to have purchased the tickets for and provided the air pirates with various tips about life in the United-States. In addition, he purportedly served as a straw man in numerous money transactions.

The case of Ammar al-Baluchi has been evoked in the debates about the possible closing of Guantanamo. Senator Mitch McConnel had concluded that he would have to be freed at the closing of the camp, for lack of evidence against him.
…source

Bahrain cuts jail terms of two policemen who tortured protester to death
27 October, 2013 – Al Akhbar

Bahrain’s appeals court on Sunday cut the jail terms of two policemen convicted of torturing to death a protester after a 2011 crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, a judicial source said.

The court reduced the terms of the men from seven years to three after a lower court had convicted them in December over Abdul Karim Fakhrawi’s killing in custody in April 2011.

Fakhrawi was a publisher and had co-founded Al-Wasat daily, which the authorities closed following the crackdown on protests over two years ago.

A number of policemen are facing trials over claims of killing protesters or torturing detainees after a wave of arrests that targeted members of the Shiite majority.

On Monday, a court in US-backed kingdom decreased the jail term of a policeman convicted of shooting dead a protester in February 2011 from seven years to three.

The authorities say they are implementing the recommendations of an independent commission of inquiry that confirmed allegations the security forces had used excessive force during the uprising.

At least 89 people have been killed by police since the protests began two and a half years ago, according to the International Federation for Human Rights. …more

Bahrain: We use tear gas on protesters ‘appropriately’
By Mahmoud Habboush – Reuters – 28 October, 2013

DUBAI – Bahrain has defended its use of tear gas after rights groups criticized the Gulf kingdom’s reported plans to buy 1.6 million canisters of the material.

Local and international rights groups have accused the authorities of using tear gas excessively and of firing canisters directly at protesters or into cars and houses where they can cause serious injuries.

“Tear gas is non-lethal and it is used appropriately by the police, in compliance with the law and in full adherence with the internationally accepted standards contained in the Bahrain police code of conduct,” the government spokesman’s office said in an email to Reuters.

The tiny island state has been in political upheaval since February 2011, when mass protests led by the mostly Shi’ite Muslim opposition were crushed by the Sunni monarchy.

The government statement was made in response to a Reuters query about a leaked document published by Bahrain Watch, an advocacy group, which appeared to be a tender to supply the Interior Ministry with tear gas canisters and stun grenades.

The U.S. government has banned the export of tear gas to Bahrain.

“Bahrain’s police forces are using less force than is legally permitted,” the statement said.

It did not specifically address the issue of the reported tear gas tender, but did say that protesters’ practices of setting fire to car tires and throwing petrol bombs were more dangerous than the authorities’ use of teargas.

It said more than 2,300 police personnel had been injured and nine killed since the protests began 2-1/2 years ago.

An international inquiry in November 2011 found that 35 people had died during Bahrain’s uprising, most of whom were protesters but also including five security personnel. The opposition puts the death toll at more than 80.

The U.S.-based Human Rights First (HRF) advocacy group earlier this month urged Washington to speak out against the planned tear gas shipment.

According to Bahrain Watch, the leaked document came in the form of a tender issued by the Interior Ministry’s Purchasing Directorate. It invited arms manufacturers to supply the ministry with “tear gas cartridges and sound grenades.”

In March 2012, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the use of tear gas had led to a number of deaths of protesters and bystanders in Bahrain.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a U.S.-based group that campaigns for medical staff working in crisis zones, said in August 2012 that the Bahraini government uses tear gas indiscriminately, causing severe injuries to some civilians.

Bahrain denies that charge.
…source

Bahraini Opposition Leader Says Protests Continue despite Suppression
27 October, 2013 – Tasnim News Agency

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A prominent Bahraini opposition leader said the Al Khalifa regime would never be able to restrain the Arab nation from holding demonstrations, noting that the opposition will keep staging mass rallies against the ruling family.

“The Bahraini nation has repeatedly announced in the demonstrations that no matter how much the Al Khalifa wants to intensify the crackdown (on people), it would not be able to prevent the Bahraini nation from pouring into the streets and shouting slogans for the overthrow of Manama regime,” Ali al-Mushaima told the Tasnim News Agency on Sunday.

He also expressed concern about the conditions of those opposition activists now held in the regime’s custody, and warned that the ruling government might resort to liquidating the opposition leaders to dampen or silence the anti-regime protests.

The Persian Gulf state has seen frequent unrest since authorities cracked down on the popular uprising against the ruling monarchy in early 2011.

Human Rights Watch has accused the Bahraini government of violence and torture, with frequent reports of child protesters facing conditions which border on torture while in custody.

Human rights organizations have also accused the West of turning a blind eye to the crackdown, because it considers Bahrain as strategically important, providing a haven for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Bahrain has seen tens of people killed since the protests erupted, according to the International Federation for Human Rights. Hundreds more have been arrested and languish in prison.

In a recent mass show trial in six separate cases, 95 Bahraini protesters were sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison for allegedly trying to topple the country’s constitutional monarchy, organizing bombings and inciting anti-government rallies.

Many popular human rights activists were among the 95 individuals receiving a total of 808 years behind bars. …source

Bahrain regime waging war on own people
By Finian Cunningham – 26 October, 2013 – PressTV

The US-backed Bahraini regime is mounting an undeclared, merciless war on the majority Shia population of the tiny Persian Gulf island.

Yet, this systematic crime against humanity is proceeding with impunity and barely a murmur of international protest. The regime may be the ones holding the gun, but it is the tacit support of Washington and London that allows these despots to pull the trigger on civilians.

And the murderous repression by the unelected Sunni monarchy is going into overdrive. This week, regime forces killed a 17-year-old boy when they shot him at close range in the head. The regime immediately smeared the victim by labeling him “a terrorist” and it was dutifully reported in this slanderous way.

Meanwhile, four youths were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on the basis of confessions obtained by torture – the latest in hundreds of other such cases. They were accused of being “terrorists” and attempting to kill police officers with petrol bombs.

A senior political opposition figure, Khalil Marzooq, was earlier detained on charges of “inciting terrorism”. He is currently facing prosecution. If convicted, which is almost a certainty because the courts are appointed by the Khalifa monarchy, Marzooq will join dozens of other Bahraini opposition leaders behind bars also accused of “terrorism”.

Journalists, bloggers, photographers, poets, lawyers, teachers, human rights defenders have also been jailed, accused of “terrorism”. President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, Mohammed al Maskati, was this week hauled in for interrogation, accused of “inciting terrorism”.

Al Maskati was targeted because a few weeks ago he gave testimony to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on the regime’s escalating violations. His colleagues, Naji Fateel, Nabeel Rajab and Abdulhadi Al Khawaja – all internationally respected human rights defenders – are already facing years behind bars on trumped up charges of sedition and terrorism.

In other words, every man, woman and child in Bahrain who opposes the illegitimate rule of the Khalifa dictatorship is deemed to be “a terrorist”.

The regime always had carte blanche to use whatever violence and repression it liked for crushing peaceful protests. But now, under the tutelage of its political patrons in Washington and London, the Khalifa regime has cloaked its despotism with pseudo-legal powers and propaganda that allow for the complete criminalization of any dissent or demand for democracy.

To assist in this barbarism, the Bahraini rulers have enlisted top American and British “public relations” media firms. Bell Pottinger and Hill & Knowlton are among the Western disinformation agents who earn million-dollar contracts to launder the bloodstained image of the regime.

The Bahraini regime’s war on the civilian population is being stepped up with the import of 1.8 million poisonous gas canisters – euphemistically called “tear gas”. With an indigenous population of only 600,000 – 70 per cent of which is Shia – that equates to nearly three toxic weapons for every person. This gas has already been used to deadly effect by indiscriminate, saturation firing into villages across Bahrain. Dozens of people, including elderly and infants, have been killed by asphyxiation over the past two years from regime forces firing these weapons into homes.

Don’t be fooled by some media reports that these toxic weapons are being sourced from firms in South Korea and South Africa. Previously, American and British companies supplied the Bahraini regime directly with government-approved export contracts. Now in a sleight of hand, American and British suppliers are routing their deadly cargoes through overseas intermediaries.  ...more

The Western Press has become increasingly collaborative with false, misleading and unverifiable tales of opposition Treachery in Bahrain. The Bahrain Regime has secured Western Public Relation Firms, who routinely work in a collaboratively with their Western Press Counter-parts, on the payroll under Multi-million dollar contracts with the Regime. REF. HERE The reality in Bahrain is the press is under State Control. The foreign press, when it is even allowed into the country, is controlled and monitored and frequently expelled by the Regime if they report unfavorably on Regime conduct. Otherwise stories such as the one in the posts below are fashioned and selectively fed to propaganda channels in the Western Press.

An honest observer would have to question the video posted below. The image of the slain activist is inconsistent with the story in the video report. There is an aspersion that the victim of the police killing, somehow assaulted, or “perhaps” planned to assault foreign workers. The video reports a bomb detonated in the hands of the young activist. A bomb detonation in the hands would have injured the hands and almost certainly the face. In the still image we see at least one hand in tact, the other concealed by the body and no facial injuries on slain youth. The damage to the worker quarters in the video are consistent with that of 38 caliber buckshot, a lethal round used by police, as are the apparent wounds of the youth – front side impact of buckshot to the chest and shoulder area. The point of impact indicates the victim was facing the shooter and the stray rounds of buckshot hit the trailer at an angle and the blood spatter along with it. The victim would of had his back toward the workers quarters. There is ample evidence to suggest the victim might well have been shot, at least once, from close range with standard issue, lethal rounds of buckshot. Phlipn Out.

Bahrain teen dies when bomb explodes in his hand
Reuters – 23 October, 2013

Police in Bahrain say this was the spot where a 17-year-old died when a bomb he was planting went off in his hands. The intended target of the attack wasn’t clear. Witnesses said a worker at a nearby warehouse was wounded by the blast. Holes were visible in the walls of the pre-fabricated home used by the workers as a sleeping area. Bahrain’s state news agency said a gun and ammunition were found near the body of the bomber said to have been wanted by security forces for criminal offences. The incident happened in the village of Bani Jamra, west of the capital, Manama. Sunni-ruled Bahrain has largely put down an uprising by mostly Shi’ite protesters demanding reform. But small-scale clashes have continued and bomb attacks have been on the rise since the middle of last year. …source

‘US, UK support Al Khalifa regime killing machine’
24 October, 2013 – Interview Ali Al Fayez – PressTV

In an interview with Press TV, Ali Al Fayez, a Bahraini activist in London, shares his thoughts regarding the ongoing crackdown by Bahraini regime forces against protesters.

What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Ali Al Fayez, the United States in particular has been criticized for the past at least few years for not doing enough for the case of the opposition in Bahrain but at the same time, we see the US along with some other Western countries like the UK who are known to sell arms most recently the US to these Persian Gulf countries. Isn’t that in a way emphasizing indirectly their support for these regimes such as the one in Bahrain?

Al Fayez: Thank you for inviting me. I think it is not indirect; it is a direct support and coverage for the Al Khalifa regime in Bahrain. The United States and United Kingdom are not only supplying weapons and supplying security know-how to the government of Al Khalifa and the regime of Al Khalifa.

But they are providing them with the political coverage everywhere and they are stopping the Bahraini people to put any kind of cases in, for instance, the International Court or in Geneva. Today, Bahraini regime is standing and still continuing this killing machine because it is enjoying the support from particularly the United States and United Kingdom.

Press TV: If you were to look at the US’ importance of this country, this Persian Gulf country Bahrain, the fingers are pointing at their Fifth Fleet. How much of the factor does the Fifth Fleet play in terms of the US looking the other way when it comes to Bahrain?

Al Fayez: I think the Fifth Fleet is one of the factors that play a big role in supporting the Al Khalifa regime but that is not the only factor. Americans have built up their allies in the [Persian] Gulf based on their problem with the Iranian revolution after it became real on the ground in 1979-1980 and that is why they established the [P]GCC, ([Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council,) to counterpart the Iranian revolution for a change.

Americans have built up their allies based on that and not based on the people and what the people want in the [Persian] Gulf states and that is why today they are kind of reviewing their policy and that is why they want to open up a dialogue with the Iranians.

Saudi Arabia is not happy with that but the Americans have only part for their… to continue their existence and to protect their interests is to have a dialogue with the Iranians. We believe these allies are not allies but rather the [stuff] to deliver what is needed to be done by the Americans and the United Kingdom government. …source

Saudi Arabia Continues Tantrum Over Syria
By: DSWright – 23 October, 2013

After throwing a literally royal tantrum at the United Nations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has put the United States on notice that there will be further consequences for not following orders and bombing the Assad government in Syria. The Sunni-based Saudis wanted US assistance in helping them dominate the Middle East over their sectarian rivals the Shiite-based Iranians. The US public was disinterested as was a sizable portion of the the US military industrial complex.

Now the Saudis are retaliating by telling anyone who will listen that they are through with the US.

“Upset at President Barack Obama’s policies on Iran and Syria, members of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family are threatening a rift with the United States that could take the alliance between Washington and the kingdom to its lowest point in years.

Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief is vowing that the kingdom will make a ‘major shift’ in relations with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria’s civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan, often called “Bandar Bush”, is hopping mad and went on a tirade against the US to a group of European diplomats.

“Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that the United States had failed to act effectively against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.

Failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain? That’s odd, because I can’t recall President Obama or any US official saying anything when the Saudi backed Sunni government of Bahrain gunned down protesters from the Shiite-majority population. Not a peep.

I, for one, welcome any Saudi commitments to stay clear of US politics, if for no other reason than that special relationship led to 9/11 – an attack carried out by a majority of Saudi nationals and organized by one of the elite of Saudi society, Osama Bin Laden.

The US-relationship with Saudi Arabia is predicated on the American interest in securing oil sources and markets for arms shipments – both of which the Saudi royal family was happy to oblige the US with. Now America produces immense energy domestically and has no good reason to even have such a large arms industry let alone exchange arms for favors with the gulf states.

Keep your friendship Prince Bandar.

…source