Reader’s Links for January 20, 2020

Daily Links Post graphic

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

101 Replies to “Reader’s Links for January 20, 2020”

  1. Nigeria: Militants attack key aid facility in Ngala near Cameroon border, UN says
    https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/20/nigeria-militants-attack-aid-hub-ngala-borno/

    “Heavily armed militants carried out an “extremely violent” attack on a vital aid facility housing United Nations workers in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, the U.N. said on Monday, January 20.

    No aid workers were harmed in the assault, but a military source said that one soldier and four assailants died in the ensuing gunfight.

    The humanitarian hub in Ngala “was the direct target of a complex assault by heavily armed non-state armed groups operatives” on Saturday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a release.

    Humanitarian and military sources said militants in trucks fitted with machine guns stormed the hub which is near a camp for displaced people, AFP reported. An aid worker said the insurgents fired anti-aircraft machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades as they engaged soldiers in battle.

    “Protective security measures deployed at the humanitarian hub prevented any harm to the staff who was in the facility,” OCHA said.

    “The soldiers managed to evacuate the aid staff to their base close by while fighting continued,” the aid worker said.

    At least 20 displaced people awaiting assistance were killed, Reuters reported witnesses as saying.

    A Nigerian military officer said that the attackers “had also abandoned a vehicle laden with explosives intended for a suicide attack near the humanitarian hub.”

    The U.N. said that an “entire section of the facility was burned down as well as one of the few vehicles U.N. agencies rely on for movement and aid delivery.”

    It published images that showed a burned building and a destroyed vehicle.

    In a Sunday statement, Islamic State said fighters from its West Africa Province affiliate “attacked a garrison of the Nigerian apostate army, in the town of Gamboru Ngala” on Saturday. It said clashes led to the death and wounding of “a number of” soldiers…”

  2. Chad plans military deployment to Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area
    https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/20/chad-plans-military-deployment-mali-burkina-faso-niger-tri-border-france-sweden/

    “Chad’s defense minister discussed plans to deploy a battalion of military personnel to the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area with his French and Swedish counterparts on Monday, January 20, according to reports.

    France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly arrived in Chad’s capital N’Djamena on Sunday to begin a two-day visit to the Sahel region accompanied by Sweden’s Minister for Defence, Peter Hultqvist, the French ministry said in a statement.

    The European delegation met Chad’s defense and foreign affairs ministers, along with presidency and cabinet officials, al-Wihda reported. The French ministry said they were to be accompanied by Major General Pascal Facon, who commands the French-led Operation Barkhane counterterrorism force headquartered in N’Djamena.

    “The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss technical and legal details as well as preconditions for the deployment of Chadian troops in the Tri-border area,” al-Wihda reported Chad’s Minister of National Defence General Mahamat Abali Salah as saying.

    Parly announced that Chad’s President Idriss Déby Itno had instructed the armed forces to send a battalion to the tri-border zone, according to Tchad Infos.

    The meeting came a week after a summit in Pau in southwestern France, where President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of the G5 Sahel states announced a new Coalition for the Sahel which will see increased coordination between French and local forces focused on the tri-border zone and targeting Islamic State as a priority.

    On Thursday, the French defense ministry said that Barkhane forces had conducted a “large-scale joint operation with our partners in the G5 Sahel” in the tri-border area since January 2.

    “The Pau summit helped to breathe new life into the action taken by France and the G5 countries in the Sahelo-Saharan strip,” the French ministry’s Sunday statement said. “A week later, the time has come to implement the Sahel Coalition.”

    The new Coalition will see forces deployed to Barkhane and the G5 Sahel Joint Force (FCG5S) – which comprises troops from Chad, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania – operating under joint command. Macron also announced that 220 more troops would sent to the Sahel to reinforce Operation Barkhane.

    The FCG5S has three zones of operation: the western Mali-Mauritania border; the central border region between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger; and the eastern Niger-Chad frontier.

    According to a March 2018 NATO report, at full operational capacity the FCG5S force aims to maintain seven battalions – two from both Mali and Niger and one each from Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania. Each battalion consists of 550 soldiers plus 100 police or gendarmes, for a total of 4,550.

    The Joint Force is currently limited to a strip 50 km (30 miles) wide on both sides of each border zone, but the Pau declaration said the FCG5S “concept of operation will be revised,” allowing it “greater room for maneuver.”

    It is unclear whether the Chadian plans include a second battalion for the FCG5S. In January, 1,200 Chadian troops were withdrawn from Nigeria where they deployed as part of the regional Multinational Joint Task Force battling Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area.

    Portuguese and Estonian officials join French and Swedish ministers in Mali
    Portugal’s Minister of National Defense Joäo Gomes Cravinho and Estonia’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kristjan Prikk joined Parly and Hultqvist for the second leg of the trip in Mali’s capital Bamako, the French ministry said in a Monday statement.

    The four ministers were to meet with Mali’s Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Major General Ibrahim Dahirou Dembélé, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Mali and Head of MINUSMA Mahamat Saleh Annadif, G5 Sahel Joint Force commander Nigerien General Oumarou Namata, and President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

    The day will continue with a meeting with representatives of the European Union’s missions, followed by dinner at the French Embassy.

    Portugal’s Brigadier General João Boga Ribeiro currently leads the European Union Training Mission in Mali and Sweden’s Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporre serves as MINUSMA Force Commander.

    The complex insurgency in the Sahel began in Mali in 2012, when a Tuareg separatist uprising was exploited by Islamist extremists linked to al-Qaeda who took key cities in the desert north. Former colonial power France began its current military intervention in the Sahel region the following year, with Operation Serval driving the jihadists from the towns.

    But the militant groups have morphed into more nimble formations operating in rural areas, and the insurgency has gradually spread to central and southern regions of Mali and across the borders into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

    According to the U.N, around 4,000 people were killed in militant attacks in the three Sahel countries last year.

    Serval evolved in August 2014 into Operation Barkhane, with a mandate for counter-terrorism operations across the sub-Saharan region. Roughly 4,500 French troops are already deployed, focusing activity in insurgent-hit Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

    Troops deployed to Barkhane work alongside other international operations in the Sahel, including the regional G5 Sahel Joint Force and MINUSMA, the U.N. stabilization mission in Mali.

    Many armed groups including Islamic State are active in the Sahel region, but the majority of attacks are attributed to JNIM, which formed in March 2017 from a merger of several smaller groups. JNIM’s leadership has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

    Macron said the Sahel Coalition would prioritize the fight against ISIS in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area because it is the most dangerous.

    ISIS previously attributed attacks by affiliated militants in the Sahel to Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, but since May 2019, ISIS has attributed insurgent activities in the tri-border area to ISWAP, its West Africa Province affiliate that split from Boko Haram in 2016. ISWAP’s main area of operations is the Lake Chad area of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

    Barkhane has a growing international dimension, with France’s European partners contributing troops and equipment. Denmark deployed two Merlin helicopters that became operational in late December and Estonia is to almost double the size of its Barkhane contingent this year. Chinook helicopters from the United Kingdom also support the operation.

    France has for months been trying to build support for a new international task force called “Takuba.” In November, Parly said that France expected the new force to deploy in Mali by 2020.

    Estonia was the first partner to confirm a special operations forces deployment to Takuba. A defense ministry spokesperson told The Defense Post in November that special forces will deploy to Mali in the second half of 2020 and that force will “assist, advise and accompany” the Malian Armed Forces. Belgium and the Czech Republic have also signaled that they will participate, but the U.S. and Germany have declined.”

  3. Leader Urges Using Hajj as Opportunity to Promote Iran’s Religious Democracy
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/01/20/2186053/leader-urges-using-hajj-as-opportunity-to-promote-iran-s-religious-democracy

    “Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei highlighted the importance of the Hajj pilgrimage and urged Iranian officials to use it as an opportunity to promote the Islamic Republic’s “religious democracy” in the world…”

  4. Houthis Have Targeted 76 Mosques in Yemen
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2091271/houthis-have-targeted-76-mosques-yemen

    “Local Yemeni experts warn that Houthi coup militias are resorting to crimes against humanity to make up for their failure in advancing on several battlefronts in the war-torn country.

    Houthis have been targeting places of worship during times of prayers to record the highest death tolls possible. On Saturday, the group struck a mosque in a military camp in Marib – about 170km east of Sanaa – during evening prayers.

    In the attack, some 111 soldiers were killed and more than 68 injured…

    Al-Attiyah, in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, added that his ministry has compiled data showing that Houthis have targeted 76 mosques in the areas falling under their control.

    Apart from attacking places of worship, data show that Houthis have desecrated some of the mosques and transformed them into arms caches.”

  5. Honduras Formally Declares Hezbollah Terrorist Organization
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2091661/honduras-formally-declares-hezbollah-terrorist-organization

    “The Honduran government has formally declared Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a top security official said on Monday.

    “We declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization and will include it in the registry of persons and institutions linked to acts of terrorism and its financing,” said Luis Suazo, Honduras’ deputy security minister.

    Heavily-armed Hezbollah has also been designated a terrorist organization by the US government…”

  6. Iran’s new Quds Force commander vows ‘manly’ response to Soleimani assassination
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/irans-new-quds-force-commander-vows-manly-revenge-soleimani-assassination

    “The newly appointed commander of Iran’s Quds Force has said his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, was killed “in a cowardly way,” and has vowed to strike back at the United States “in a manly fashion”.

    Esmail Qaani made the remarks on Monday at ceremony marking the formal beginning of his tenure.

    Iran’s Quds Force is part of a 125,000-strong Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) which has been successful in building loyal proxy forces throughout the Middle East.

    “They [the US] hit him [Soleimani] in a cowardly way, but with God’s grace and through endeavours of freedom-seekers around the world who want vengeance over his blood, we will hit his enemy in a manly fashion,” Qaani said.

    “The enemy knows nothing but the language of force, so we will deal firmly with him.”…”

    • Soleimani killing: Iran seeking US prosecution in ICC
      https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200120-soleimani-killing-iran-seeking-us-prosecution-in-icc/

      “Iran has expressed its intention to file charges against the US President Donald Trump at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over the January 3 assassination of its top commander Qassem Soleimani.

      “We intend to file lawsuits in the Islamic Republic, Iraq and The Hague Court [International Court of Justice] against the military and government of America and against Trump,” Iran’s judiciary spokesman, Gholamhossein Esmaeili, said during a press conference last week.

      “There is no doubt that the US military has done a terrorist act assassinating Guards Commander Lt. Gen. Soleimani and Second-in-Command of Iraq Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis” Esmaeili continued.

      Since the killing, Iran’s leadership has vowed political, military, and legal revenge for what has been described as an unlawful killing of one of their greatest military heroes. The first wave of revenge strikes came nearly a week after Soleimani’s assassination when the US Ain Al-Assad Airbase in the Iraqi governate of Al Anbar was struck by rockets…”

  7. Saudi Arabia’s bot army flourishes as Twitter fails to tame the beast
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/despite-twitter-culls-riyadhs-disinformation-network-still-going-strong

    “ne of the Middle East’s oldest and most prolific disinformation networks is still going strong on Twitter – and no one seems to know why.

    The so-called Diavolo network, which mostly promotes content related to the conservative satellite news station Saudi 24 and its sister channels, has been responsible for spreading sectarian hate speech, antisemitism and conspiracy theories about the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, among other things.

    Highly coordinated effort
    You only need to search Twitter for a hashtag relating to a country in the Middle East to find one of these bot accounts. They typically copy-and-paste the same content, and feature a video clip with the distinctive Saudi 24 logo in the bottom right corner.

    The associated profiles are designed to look relatively plausible, with profile pictures often featuring real people. Although the exact numbers are hard to deduce, my analysis suggests that the network likely consists of up to 3,700 automated or semi-automated accounts.

    Two samples were used for this study. Both were generated by downloading around 20,000 tweets containing the phrase ‘???? ????”24″ (Saudi 24 Analyst) – which is a commonly used phrase by the bot network.

    Similarities in account creation date, the platform used by the account, number of followers and similarities in the content shared by the accounts all factor into determining whether or not the account can be flagged as suspicious. The actual size of the bot network is likely bigger, but this sampling method yields the data with the fewest false positives.

    An analysis of accounts, based on commonly repeated words among the network, suggests a highly coordinated effort.

    On average, 34 new Twitter accounts have been created each month since 2009, but on occasion, there has been a surge. In May 2016, a total of 335 accounts were created and last November 382 were established. If these accounts were organic, one would expect a more even distribution of creation dates.

    While some bot networks are only active sporadically, the network itself is constantly active, producing upwards of 2,500 tweets a day.

    Trending topics
    In terms of topics, the network consistently focuses on issues related to Iran, Turkey and Qatar. According to my analysis, around a third of all tweets in the past week have contained the hashtag #Iran, while #Turkey, #Qatar and #Saudi each came in at around 17 percent.

    Back in 2016, the Saudi 24 network was engaged in spreading anti-Shia hate speech in Arabic. This is perhaps no surprise, given that one of its connected entities was the Safavid Plan, a channel devoted to promoting anti-Iranian news and conspiracy theories.

    After receiving complaints, Twitter suspended 1,800 accounts, but the network then was much larger and this did little to disrupt its activity. At the time, I estimated the network to involve tens of thousands of accounts.

    Although the network has endured several culls since then, it is still going strong, spreading pro-Saudi propaganda and disinformation.

    The network also jumps on trending topics, especially when it seeks to defend Saudi Arabia from criticism…”

  8. Turkey and Pakistan collaborate on historical film
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200120-turkey-and-pakistan-collaborate-on-historical-film/

    “Actors from Pakistan and Turkey have starred in a film highlighting historical relations between Pakistan and Turkey.

    The movie, entitled Bear Witness (Sahit Ol), represents the era of the 1920s, when the region of India and Pakistan was under British rule. It revolves around the historic Khilafat Movement, launched by Muslims of the region to save Turkey from imperial powers.

    The film, inspired by real events, was originally shot in Urdu and will be dubbed in Turkish. Its lead cast includes award-winning television actors Emmad Irfani, Ghana Ali and Qavi Khan, as well as Turkish actor Mert Sismanlar.

    “This feature film depicts the era of 1920 when British rule was at its peak in the sub-continent and even at its peak, our forefathers defied British rule and started a mass movement, called the historical Khilafat Movement, to help their Turkish brothers and sisters in their struggle against the colonial forces. It pays rich tribute to the great Turkish leader Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, as well as to the brave Turkish nation,” the director and former Pakistani diplomat, Tahir Mahmood, informed Anadolu Agency, adding that the film is due to be released in March.

    After gaining popularity in the Middle East, South Africa and South America, action-packed Turkish television series, Dirilis: Ertugrul, has also taken over Pakistan. Last year, Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, ordered that Dirilis: Ertugrul`s five seasons must be dubbed in Urdu, to make it accessible to the general public.”

  9. Yemen police find kidnapped 9-year-old girl with severed tongue
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200120-yemen-police-find-kidnapped-9-year-old-girl-with-severed-tongue/

    “A 9-year-old Yemeni girl who was kidnapped last week in the capital Sanaa has been discovered with clear signs of torture on her body, including a severed tongue.

    Lujain Mohammed was reported missing three days previously, prompting a search in the city, which is under the control of the Houthi-aligned National Salvation Government.

    According to Al-Mashhad Al-Yemeni, local sources said the girl was found abandoned next to a rubbish bin next to a zoo, south of the capital. She reportedly had burn marks on her body and her tongue had been cut out, showing clear signs of psychological distress. The perpetrators are yet to be identified.

    The New Arab also reported that two teenage boys were reported missing last week in Taiz’s Dhabhan area, Mustafa Abdul Wasi, 13, and Awab Tarish, 14.

    Hundreds of people have been kidnapped in Yemen over the last 15 years, exacerbated by the almost 5-year on-going war in Yemen.

    A study published at the end of last year by the Sana’a Centre for Strategic Studies has revealed an increase in violence against women and children resulting from the conflict.

    Research shows women and girls in Yemen have been affected by rape, kidnapping and domestic violence, while boys face sexual violence and are forced to work.”

  10. Amnesty says new Qatar law ‘curbs freedom of expression’
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200120-amnesty-says-new-qatar-law-curbs-freedom-of-expression/

    “A new Qatari law criminalising the publishing of “false or biased” statements could “significantly restrict freedom of expression”, rights group Amnesty International said on Monday, reports Reuters.

    The addition to Qatar’s penal code published on Sunday allows for imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to 100,000 Qatari riyals ($27,000) for broadcasting, publishing, or republishing “false or biased rumours, statements or news, or inflammatory propaganda, domestically or abroad, with the intent to harm national interests, stir up public opinion, or infringe on the social system or the public system of the state”. London-based Amnesty International said the new law is a “worrying regression” from commitments Qatar made in 2018 when it ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The ICCPR has been ratified by 173 countries in all.

    Qatar already has a host of repressive laws, but this new legislation deals another bitter blow to freedom of expression in the country and is a blatant breach of international human rights law,

    said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty’s Middle East research director.

    “It is deeply troubling that the Qatari Emir is passing legislation that can be used to silence peaceful critics.”

    Qatar’s government communications office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the change to the law.

    Punishments “will be increased if the crime is committed during wartime”, according to the amendment, which was published in Qatar’s official gazette.

    The Gulf state, ruled by a one-family absolute monarchy, will host the 2022 World Cup. In the run-up to the soccer tournament Qatar has come under international criticism for its treatment of migrant workers and has introduced various labour reforms.”

  11. Somalia: Army offensive, airstrike kill 12 militants
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200120-somalia-army-offensive-airstrike-kill-12-militants/

    “The Somali military, backed by US airstrikes, killed at least 12 al-Shabaab militants in lower Juba province, officials said.

    The joint operation carried out by Elite Danab forces against the al-Qaeda affiliated group took place in the vicinity of Bangeeni in the south of the country.

    Somali government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo told Anadolu Agency over the phone that the operation also resulted in the wounding of several other al-Shabaab members.

    The US African Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that it conducted airstrikes, saying that they had not resulted in any civilian casualties…”

  12. Luxembourg’s foreign minister tells EU to recognise Palestine to save peace process
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/1/20/luxembourgs-foreign-minister-urges-eu-to-recognise-palestine

    “Luxembourg’s foreign minister has urged for the European Union to officially recognise Palestine as a state, in order to save the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.

    Speaking ahead of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, Jean Asselborn urged for recognising a Palestinian state in a bid to save the dying “Two State Solution”…”

  13. Three rockets hit near US embassy in Baghdad: security sources
    https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/three-rockets-hit-near-us-embassy-in-baghdad-security-sources-1.1579560779722

    “Three rockets hit near the US embassy in the Iraqi capital’s high-security Green Zone, security sources told AFP, with no immediate reports of casualties.

    Sirens could be heard across the zone immediately after the rockets made impact.

    The US has blamed Iran-backed paramilitary groups for a spate of similar attacks in recent months on the Green Zone, but there has never been a claim of responsibility.”

  14. Over million govt posts vacant for many years
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2140591/1-million-govt-posts-vacant-many-years/

    “Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered the recruitment of 129,000 candidates to fill vacant government posts.

    The direction came after the premier took notice of over one million government posts lying vacant for many years because of the negligence of ministries and divisions.

    The prime minister received a report from the Performance Delivery Unit on the efficiency of the ministries and divisions.

    As per the report, 120,000 jobs are vacant in 35 ministries and 218 divisions.
    A total of 13,421 jobs for posts from grade-16 to -22 and 51,000 from grade-1 to grade-7 remain to be filled are in various divisions…”

  15. Report: How the Helmand Food Zone Undermined Governance, Stabilisation and Drug Control
    https://www.khaama.com/how-the-helmand-food-zone-undermined-governance-stabilisation-and-drug-control/

    “The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) today presented the findings of its recent research synthesis paper, “The Helmand Food Zone: The Illusion of Success”, at a high-profile event in Kabul Serena Hotel.

    AREU’s renowned research consultant Dr David Mansfield, who is the author of the paper, presented his findings to a significant number of high-ranking government officials, representatives of national and international agencies, and civil society organizations. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session with the active participation of the audience that discussed various aspects of the research and its findings.

    “While the HFZ has finished, the consequences live on,” said David and added, “they [PEF and the Governor’s forces] couldn’t get agreement around the targeting strategy for eradication.”

    The study is generously financed by the European Union’s (EU) three-pronged research in Natural Resources Management in Afghanistan. This study documents how the Helmand Food Zone was developed, its origins and architects, as well as the different actors involved in the implementation and the subsequent challenges of delivery. Initially presented as a drug control project, the Helmand Food Zone came to be accredited for supporting stabilisation and governance in the Helmand province between 2008 and 2012. Driven by political demands rather than evidence, the programme became a flagship in Helmand, and lauded as a success, despite evidence to the contrary.

    Speaking about the report, AREU Director Dr Orzala Nemat said, “while this research paper is synthesising the overall study in the course of three years, we have brought key stakeholders today, to open up the discussions mainly on answering the ‘so what?’ question, meaning what needs to be done based on this multi-dimensional study’s findings and how to utilize its recommendations. Hence, we hope today’s roundtable discussion will help us find some answers and how to achieve outcomes.”

    The study reports that the short term success of the Helmand Food Zone with regards to its association with reducing poppy was far outweighed by the role the programme played in: (i) creating the conditions for unprecedented amounts of land to be brought under poppy cultivation than ever before; (ii) institutionalising forms of corruption that further alienated the rural population from the authorities; and (iii) helping set in motion a process of agricultural intensification that is likely to lead to the displacement of at least half a million people in the next decade.

    The paper argues, “However, as yields recovered in 2016 and the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces lost control over larger tracts of rural Helmand, farmers returned to poppy cultivation in ever greater numbers,” adding that “So much so that by 2017, UNODC estimated that there were 144,000 hectares of opium poppy in Helmand as a whole; and the United States Government’s estimates of poppy cultivation for the Helmand Food Zone indicated that there was even more poppy within its boundaries than when the programme began in 2009.”

    In fact, from a governance perspective, the study concludes that the Helmand Food Zone worked through and consolidated existing systems of power and patronage, empowering the Governor, officials and village elders to solicit rent and favours from farmers in exchange for development assistance or to avoid eradication.

    Of particular concern, the Helmand Food Zone turned a blind eye to repeated reports of corruption with regard to the distribution of wheat seed and fertilizers and continued to support the production of unverifiable village lists by district officials and elders with all the problems that this entailed. By doing so, the programme helped institutionalise forms of corruption and fueled the frustration and anger that many rural households felt towards the government and its representatives.

    By operating through mechanisms that siphoned off support to the wealthy, the Helmand Food Zone helped undermine the very goal that it set out to achieve – the idea that the governor and the government could deliver services to the population.”

  16. Egypt warns against any violations of Cypriot rights: FM spokesperson
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/359870/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-warns-against-any-violations-of-Cypriot-righ.aspx

    “Egypt’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Hafez warned in statement on Sunday of the consequences of any unilateral measures that “violate Cypriot rights and threaten the security and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean region.”

    Hafez emphasised Egypt’s support of the rights and sovereignty of Cyprus over its resources in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including the areas where Cyprus has been given licenses for offshore oil and gas exploration…”

  17. Egypt signs nine energy exploration agreements in Mediterranean and Western Desert
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/359887/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-signs-nine-energy-exploration-agreements-in-.aspx

    “The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum has signed nine agreements to search for and produce oil and natural gas in the Mediterranean and Western Desert regions.
    The agreements include digging 38 wells with investments of a minimum $452.3 million and signing grants of about $84 million.

    According to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum this morning, the agreements signed were between the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. (EGAS), Apache Corporation, BP plc, Shell Company and Petronas Company…”

  18. Dutch Police Arrest 4 in Mocro Maffia Prison Escape Attempt After Chase
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/01/291582/dutch-mocro-mafia-prison-escape-attempt/

    “Dutch authorities thwarted a prison escape attempt on Sunday, January 19, when a van parked beside the Zutphen prison went up in flames. The prison was home to Omar L, a leader in the “Mocro Maffia,” a gang of Moroccan-Dutch criminals engaged in drug trafficking and murder.

    Dutch media have named Omar L as the person the outsiders were planning to help escape.

    On Sunday, L’s lawyer Sander Janssen confirmed that prison officials have transferred L from Zutphen to Vught, a high security prison in the southern part of the country.

    The escape attempt began with a van set ablaze outside the prison. Police then chased a “suspicious” car carrying four individuals, eventually catching the car near the Netherlands’ border with Germany.

    One of the car’s passengers began running from police on foot, but police managed to apprehend all four suspects and employed a helicopter in the chase.

    Omar L is serving a life sentence in prison for several murders and attempted murders.

    Just last month, Emirati police arrested another leader of the Mocro Maffia, Redouane Taghi. Using information from the Moroccan security services, the Dutch and Emirati police were able to locate Taghi in Dubai.

    The Netherlands had an arrest warrant out for Taghi on murder charges. Morocco also suspects Taghi was behind the 2017 Cafe La Creme shooting in Marrakech. Two gunmen shot and killed a medical student in the incident instead of their target, the cafe’s owner.

    Mocro Maffia, in its early days, imported cannabis from Morocco’s northern Rif region into Europe. Today, the mafia also brings in harder drugs from South America.”

  19. Salvini migrant kidnap trial OK’d
    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/01/20/salvini-migrant-kidnap-trial-okd_9cf7b840-32af-4e31-ace5-5f7beebc36ed.html

    “A Senate panel on Monday voted to lift former interior minister Matteo Salvini’s parliamentary immunity to face trial in the alleged kidnapping of some 100 migrants aboard a coast guard ship last July.

    A definitive vote will be taken by the whole Upper House on February 17. Nationalist League leader Salvini risks 15 years in jail.

    The panel vote was deadlocked after the League voted, on Salvini’s instructions, in favour of the trial and the League’s allies voted against, and as in all tied votes the nay won the day, after the majority 5-Star Movement (M5S), Democratic Party (PD) and Italia Viva (IV) boycotted the vote.

    Salvini wanted to face trial to help muster popular support ahead of Sunday’s regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria.

    He said he was “ready to go to prison” to defend the principle of defending Italy’s borders.

    The League leader’s own five Senators voted, on his instructions, against the panel chair’s proposal to deny authorisation for trial.

    The League’s allies, four Senators from Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI) and one from Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI), voted in favour of the motion to deny trial.
    This led to a tied vote, five five. In the case of ties, the rules of the Upper House lay down that the nays prevail.

    Salvini said he welcomed standing trial
    while his opponents said he was “playing the victim” and trying to act like a martyr to drum up support for Sunday’s regional contests.

    The League-led centre right is aiming to take leftwing stronghold Emilia Romagna for the first time, after winning another leftwing fief, Umbria, last year.

    Salvini said earlier Monday that he was ready to go to prison to defend his position ahead of the vote.

    “(Giovannino) Guareschi said that there are times when you have to pass through prison to reach freedom,” Salvini said at a rally in Comacchio when asked about the case. “We are ready. I am ready”. The panel ruled on whether to grant prosecutors permission to proceed against Salvini over his conduct when he was interior minister regarding the Gregoretti Coast Guard ship.

    The Catania court of ministers has requested parliament give it the OK to proceed against Salvini for allegedly abusing his power by failing to give the ok for more than 100 rescued migrants to disembark from the ship for several days during a long standoff in July.

    Salvini, who operated a closed ports policy while interior minister in the last government, faced prosecution before but his parliamentary immunity was never lifted so he could go to trial in previous similar cases. The ruling majority accused Senate Speaker Elisabetta Casellati of not being impartial last week after she voted with the opposition regarding a procedural question. She rejected the charge, saying her actions were dictated by the need to keep work in the Upper House moving.”

  20. Islamic school teachers ‘hit kids with sticks’
    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/01/20/islamic-school-teachers-hit-kids-with-sticks_2d25f498-173e-47ff-8130-bef0d80dc5fa.html

    “Two Senegalese-Italian teachers at an Islamic school in Monza have been accused of hitting children between the ages of five and 10 with wooden sticks, sources said Monday.

    The children were also allegedly threatened and shut up in a cubbyhole because they allegedly did not work hard enough, sources said.

    The alleged abuse took place against some 10 children.

    One of the teachers has been placed under house arrest, judicial sources said.
    The other has been obliged to sign in with police, they said.

    The school is run by a Monza-based Islamic association.

    One of the teachers is alleged to have threatened children by saying “if you say anything at home I’ll kill you”.

    The other is alleged to have said “you know what’ll happen if you complain, you’ll end up in the punition room, in the dark”.”

  21. Daesh Founding Member Al-Salbi Believed to Be Current Terrorist Leader – Reports
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001211078088867-islamic-state-founding-member-al-salbi-believed-to-be-current-terrorist-leader-reports/

    “The Daesh* terrorist group is now headed by one of its founding members, Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, The Guardian reports citing intelligence officials.

    According to the newspaper, Daesh announced that Salbi would become its new leader in October 2019, right after Washington announced that the previous Daesh leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had been killed in Syria during a special operation by US troops.

    However, only Salbi’s “nom de guerre” was released at that time – Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, which made it difficult to recognize the individual in question.

    The Guardian said on Monday that the new Daesh leader is also known by the names of Haji Abdullah and possibly Abdullah Qardash.

    The United States put a $5 million bounty on Salbi’s head last year after he was identified as a potential replacement for Baghdadi in August, according to the newspaper.

    Salbi is believed to have led the genocide against Yazidis in Iraq. According to The Guardian, the new Daesh leader met Baghdadi in 2004.

    According to the Russian Defence Ministry, there is no reliable data to confirm that Baghdadi has indeed been killed. Since 2014, there have been at least six instances in which different states and non-state actors claimed to have killed Baghdadi.

    *Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a wide number of other countries.”