Reader’s Links for December 31, 2020

This is a year we can all be happy to see end. Except maybe for the makers of RNA vaccines.

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.

(I had this all ready and forgot to schedule it. Apologies to all)

About Eeyore

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

48 Replies to “Reader’s Links for December 31, 2020”

  1. Rudy Giuliani Goes Scorched Earth Ahead Of Georgia Runoffs
    Trending Politics – December 30, 2020

  2. “Senator Hawley talks his plan to object to the Electoral College certification process on January 6”
    Senator Josh Hawley – December 31, 2020

  3. Australia makes the first strike in trade spat with China and it will be a painful one for Jinping

    • This is a very good analysis of what is happening and what is at stake, what they are ignoring (probably deliberately) is the real big difference between legal control over a region of the sea and actual control. Indonesia would need the help of as many members of the Quad as they can get to be able to enforce any order for China to stop sailing in the Sunda Straits.

      As Robert A. Heinlein put it, “No Treaty is worth the paper it is written on until it has been ratified on the Battlefield.” Right now the US and Japan are the people with the power to ratify the ownership of the Straits. I don’t know Australia’s Navel strength but they are real close to the Japanese strength if they don’t equal it. India is working hard to catch up but needs help, they have to spread their Navy around the Indian Ocean and neighboring waters. This limits the amount of force they can project at any given time.

      As in so many problem areas these days the question is who will be the next President of the United States? We know Trump will stand up to China, we also know that Biden has taken so much money from China that it is unlikely that he will even frown in their direction. If Biden resigns Harris is so far to the left she is also unlikely to do anything to stop China. The January 6th Electoral Collage Vote is probably not going to settle the matter, no matter who wins or loses that vote the loser is going to contest the election up until January 20th and possibly long after that.

      • Australia has taken a heavy hit from China. It’s enfuriating to watch them be bullied, serving as an example of the Dragon’s disdain. But better off now than continuing to colony status.

  4. If Indonesia manages to increase its naval boundaries, it will be the end for Chinese ambitions

  5. Senate Probe Finds Obama Admin Signed Off on Grant of Taxpayer Funds to Al-Qaeda Affiliate (sputniknews, Dec 31, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/us/202012311081616991-senate-probe-finds-obama-admin-signed-off-on-grant-of-taxpayer-funds-to-al-qaeda-affiliate/

    “The US Senate Finance Committee initially launched an investigation into the relationship between non-profit organization World Vision and Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in February 2019, in the wake of a National Review article in July 2018 that claimed Barack Obama’s administration had approved a “$200,000 grant of taxpayer money to ISRA.”

    A US Senate investigation has discovered that the Barack Obama Administration in 2014 approved sending government funds to an organisation that had been sanctioned for its ties to terrorism.

    The transaction between World Vision United States, a non-profit humanitarian agency, and the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) was revealed on 22 December in a report recently released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

    A probe into the connections between World Vision and ISRA was launched in February 2019.

    The investigation found that World Vision had not known that ISRA had been sanctioned by the US since 2004, after channelling an estimated sum of $5 million to Maktab al-Khidamat, also known as the Afghan Service Bureau, the precursor organisation to Al-Qaeda, controlled by Osama Bid Laden.

    ‘Ignorance Not an Excuse’
    The Senate report concluded that the humanitarian agency’s ignorance had stemmed from “insufficient vetting practices”.

    “World Vision works to help people in need across the world, and that work is admirable. Though it may not have known that ISRA was on the sanctions list or that it was listed because of its affiliation with terrorism, it should have. Ignorance can’t suffice as an excuse. World Vision’s changes in vetting practices are a good first step, and I look forward to its continued progress,” Chuck Grassley said in a statement.
    The investigation launched in 2019 was triggered after the emergence of an article in National Review in July 2018. Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch, had revealed findings that the Barack Obama administration had signed off on a “$200,000 grant of taxpayer money to ISRA” even after discovering it was a sanctioned entity for its ties to terrorist organisations.

    Taxpayer Funds Funnelled to ISRA
    The current Senate report states that on 21 January 2014, World Vision had submitted a grant application to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out its Blue Nile Recovery Programme, seeking to provide food security, sanitation equipment, and health services to areas hard-hit by conflict in the Blue Nile region of Sudan.

    USAID accordingly awarded the Evangelical humanitarian non-profit a $723,405 grant for the programme. The following month, ISRA offered to partner with World Vision to provide humanitarian services to aspects of the Blue Nile programme, says the report, with the organisations collaborating on a spate of projects in 2013 and 2014.

    All the while, World Vision had allegedly been oblivious of the fact that ISRA was sanctioned. The revelation came after the non-profit set out to collaborate with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on a humanitarian project in Sudan. Prior to taking a decision, IOM embarked upon a routine vetting procedure, only to learn of World Vision’s ties with ISRA, and the latter’s sanctioned status.

    Upon receiving confirmation of this from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Compliance Team, IOM rejected World Vision’s offer to collaborate, states the report.

    The legal department of the non-profit was notified of ISRA’s status in September 2014, with all payments to the organisation placed on hold during an investigation.

    World Vision also wrote to OFAC on 19 November 2014, requesting a temporary license to wrap up the existing contract with the organisation if confirmation of ISRA’s sanctioned status was received.

    The response, while confirming that ISRA was sanctioned, rejected the request for a temporary license, stating it would be “inconsistent with OFAC policy”.

    World Vision followed up with yet another request for a license to transact with ISRA, as it reportedly feared legal consequences and potential expulsion for not following through with the contract.

    On 4 May 2015, the Barack Obama administration’s State Department recommended OFAC grant World Vision’s request for the temporary license to transact.

    OFAC granted the license to funnel $125,000 into ISRA the following day, accompanying the move with a “cautionary letter”. The letter warned the non-profit that its partnership with ISRA “appeared to have violated” the Global Terrorism Sanction Regulations.

    No proof was found that World Vision intentionally sought to dodge US sanctions by partnering with ISRA, claim the findings of the US Senate report on 22 December.

    “We also found no evidence that World Vision knew that ISRA was a sanctioned entity prior to receiving notice from Treasury. However, based on the evidence presented, we conclude that World Vision had access to the appropriate public information and should have known how, but failed to, properly vet ISRA as a sub-grantee, resulting in the transfer of U.S. taxpayer dollars to an organisation with an extensive history of supporting terrorist organisation [sic] and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden.”
    The report deplored the humanitarian organisation’s system of vetting prospective sub-grantees as “borderline negligent”.

    The non-profit was found to have “ignored elementary level investigative procedures.”

    “World Vision has a duty to ensure that funds acquired from the U.S. government or donated by Americans do not end up supporting terrorist activity,” says the report, while adding that a more “robust” and reliable system of screening would be called for to restore the public’s trust that “contributions made to World Vision are not funding illicit organisations”.
    In response to the report, the non-profit issued a statement to underscore that it “takes compliance obligations seriously and shares Sen. Grassley and the committee staff’s objective for good stewardship”.

    It added:

    “We appreciate the acknowledgement that the committee staff’s report to the chairman ‘found no evidence that World Vision knew that ISRA was a sanctioned entity prior to receiving notice from Treasury…Terrorism runs counter to everything World Vision stands for as an organisation and we strongly condemn any act of terrorism or support for such activities.””

  6. Zarif Says Iran Has Intelligence on US Plot to Fabricate Pretext for War (sputniknews, Dec 31, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202012311081620324-zarif-says-iran-has-intelligence-on-us-plot-to-fabricate-pretext-for-war/

    “”Instead of fighting Covid in [the] US, @realDonaldTrump and cohorts waste billions to fly B-52s and send armadas to our region, Intelligence from Iraq indicate plot to FABRICATE pretext for war. Iran doesn’t seek war but will OPENLY & DIRECTLY defend its people, security & vital interests, the Iranian top diplomat wrote. Zarif did not provide any further details about the evidence Iran had received…”

  7. ‘History Created’: Indian State With Sizeable Muslim Population Bans Islamic Schools (sputniknews, Dec 31, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/india/202012311081617936-history-created-indian-state-with-sizeable-muslim-population-bans-islamic-schools/

    “The decision to ban government-funded Islamic schools in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Assam comes months ahead of planned elections. Muslims, which constitute around 35 percent of Assam’s population, are known to have played a deciding role in shaping election outcomes.

    The Indian state of Assam in the country’s east, ruled by Prime Minister Modi’s BJP party has become the first in the country to ban all government-funded Islamic schools, or madrasas.

    The state, however, has plans to later use the funds saved from the shutting down of these institutions to convert them into “regular schools”.

    The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020, was passed in the state’s legislative assembly on Wednesday evening, with the opposition parties Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), staging walkouts to protest the new law.

    According to reports, the eastern Indian state, which borders Bangladesh, has 189 high and higher secondary madrasas controlled by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam as well as Assam Higher Secondary Education Council. The state also has 542 pre-senior, senior madrasas and Arabic-medium schools run by the State Madrasa Education Board.

    Announcing the new Bill in the legislative assembly, Assam’s Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Wednesday that the state authorities intended to shut down nearly 700 Islamic schools by April.

    Sarma added that the privately-run Islamic schools would continue to operate as usual.

    At present, Assam spends nearly $41 million on funding the Islamic schools, Sarma claimed during an interview last month.

    “We need more doctors, bureaucrats and engineers and not imams (Islamic scholars),” Sarma said in the state legislature.

    The BJP state government’s moves has drawn flak from both the opposition outfits, with Congress party labelling the move as part of BJP’s larger agenda to disempower Indian Muslims.

    However, many Indian social media users have lauded Assam government’s move, terming it as historic.

    Strategically-located Assam state has a sizeable Muslim presence; they constitute nearly 35 percent of the state’s population, higher than the national average of roughly 20 percent.”

    • Thanks, Uncle Vlad!
      Reporting a story that does justice to the Indian govt is much appreciated.

      Russia doesn’t have money, but it’s consistent in maintaining relationships. Their mastery of media is without parallel, it’s how they project soft power. India is appreciative, other countries observe with interest.

  8. Pakistan arrests 24 people over demolishing of Hindu temple (abcnews, Dec 31, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistan-arrests-14-people-demolishing-hindu-temple-74984159

    “Pakistani police arrested 24 people in overnight raids after a Hindu temple was set on fire and demolished by a mob led by supporters of a radical Islamist party, officials said Thursday.

    Meanwhile, dozens of Hindus rallied in the southern port city of Karachi to demand the rebuilding of their place of worship.

    The temple’s destruction Wednesday in the northwestern town of Karak also drew condemnation from human rights activists and leaders of Pakistan’s minority Hindu community.

    Local police said they detained 24 people overnight and more raids were underway to arrest radical cleric Maulana Shareef and other individuals who participated or provoked the mob to demolish the temple.

    The attack happened after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate the temple. According to police and witnesses, the mob was led by Shareef and supporters of Pakistan’s radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party,..”

  9. 2020 was supposed to be China’s year of world domination but it turned out to be exact opposite

  10. Census Bureau will miss deadline, could endanger Trump’s effort to exclude illegals from redrawing districts
    By Rusty Weiss December 31, 2020

    The Census Bureau announced Wednesday that it will miss its deadline on reporting apportionment figures used for the purposes of redrawing electoral districts. It marks the first time in over 40 years that the bureau has missed such a deadline.

    “This important process, which has been a part of every decennial census, is critical to produce data that can be used for apportioning seats in the House of Representatives among the states,” the Census Bureau said in a statement. The schedule for reporting this data is not static. Projected dates are fluid.

    Perhaps of more urgency, the bureau did not indicate whether the process would be completed before President-elect Joe Biden enters office on Jan. 20, 2021.

    Missing the deadline is more than just bureaucratic incompetence; it threatens the nature of our democracy. If the counting is not completed before Biden takes office, illegal aliens will most assuredly be counted in the process of apportionment.

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/12/31/census-bureau-will-miss-deadline-could-endanger-trumps-effort-to-exclude-illegals-from-redrawing-districts/

  11. An abusive Relationship:
    Forced to stop seeing friends and family.
    Won’t let you go out without permission. Stay home, stay safe.
    Tell you what to wear. Wear a mask
    Monitor your phone or email. Big tech
    Control the finances or won’t let you work. Stay home, stay safe
    Control what you read watch or say. CBC, CTV, CNN, MSNBC, FOX……..
    Monitor everything you do.
    Tell you it is for your own good and they know better. Politicians
    Don’t allow you to question it.
    Tell you are crazy and now body agrees with you.
    Call you names and shame you for being stupid or selfish.
    Gaslight you, challenge your memory of events, make you doubt yourself.
    Dismiss your opinions.
    Play the victim. If things go wrong, it’s all your fault.

    Do any of the above apply to a certain relationship, Islam or our lives today ?

    • Yesterday, a girlfriend rang my doorbell. She had a few baked cookies in a small bag to give to me as appreciation for a gift I gave her a few days ago.

      I opened the door and gestured for her to come in. She backed away and said she doesn’t want to contaminate my house.

      My reaction was swift. I moved forward, closed the door behind me, and told her outside in the cold that I never want to hear these words coming out of her mouth, not ever.

      I thanked her for the cookies. She was stunned.

      Back in the house, I felt a ting of regret for the harsh tone of my voice. So now, I’ll have to send her a carefully-worded email of atonement.

      BTW, we used to be good friends. No longer.

      So YES, we are losing friends and it seems there are more of them than of us.

  12. Dozens of Republicans Planning to Challenge the Electoral College Results
    By Zachary Stieber
    December 31, 2020 Updated: December 31, 2020
    biggersmaller Print

    At least 25 Republicans plan on challenging electoral votes during next month’s joint session of Congress, according to a tally by The Epoch Times.

    Twenty-four representatives and representatives-elect, who will enter office several days before the session, plan on filing objections. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is the only member or member-elect of the upper chamber to commit to an objection.

    “You’ve got 74 million Americans who feel disenfranchised, who feel like their vote doesn’t matter. And this is the one opportunity that I have as a United States senator, this process right here, my one opportunity to stand up and say something, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Hawley said on Wednesday.

    Objections are filed in writing and must have support from at least one member of each chamber. If they do, they trigger a two-hour debate and a vote by the House of Representatives and the Senate. A simple majority in each chamber is required to uphold the challenge.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/dozens-of-republicans-planning-to-challenge-the-electoral-college-results_3639277.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2020-12-31-1

  13. Business Owner Accuses Oregon Governor of Personally ‘Terrorizing’ Her Family For Defying Lockdown

    An Oregon small business owner who opened her salon in defiance of Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s Covid restrictions is now accusing the Governor of “terrorizing” her family in retaliation. Lindsey Graham filed a $100,000 lawsuit against Gov. Brown that details the extensive damages she sustained due to extended closures and unreasonable fines.

    Graham reopened her salon in May and promptly received a $14,000 fine from the state. Then Graham claims that Gov. Brown began to personally “retaliate” against her by threatening to put her children under the care of Child Protective Services in an attempt to force Graham to shutter her business.

    https://trumptrainnews.com/2020/12/29/business-owner-accuses-oregon-governor-of-personally-terrorizing-her-family-for-defying-lockdown/

    (Richard: This can work but only if you have a honest Judicial System, as we have seen during this election cycle we don’t have an honest Judicial System.)

  14. Hawley First Senator To Announce He’ll Object To Certification Of Electoral College Vote On Jan. 6

    Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley announced Wednesday that he will object to the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6 — the first senator to make such a declaration.

    “Millions of voters concerned about election integrity deserve to be heard,” Hawley said via social media, captioning a statement. “I will object on January 6 on their behalf.”

    https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-in-hawley-first-senator-to-announce-hell-object-to-certification-of-electoral-college-vote-on-jan-6?itm_source=parsely-api?utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=123121-news&utm_campaign=position1

    (Richard: Another Journalist who doesn’t do their homework, the vote in the House will be one vote per state, not one vote per Representative, I really hope the House follows the law.)

  15. Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts Alleged McConnell/Pelosi Plot to Stop Electoral College Certification Objection – Big League Politics
    Published 1 day ago on Dec 30, 2020 By Shane Trejo
    3-4 minutes

    Right now, only one Republican Senator – Josh Hawley of Missouri – has committed to objecting to the certification of dubious electoral college votes on Jan. 6.

    Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have been silent on whether or not they will join Hawley in objecting despite voicing publicly that the election results are suspect. Big League Politics reached out to Paul’s deputy chief of staff Sergio Gor on the matter but could not get in contact with him before this article was published.

    https://bigleaguepolitics.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-blasts-alleged-mcconnell-pelosi-plot-to-stop-electoral-college-certification-objection/

  16. Pennsylvania Lawmakers Urge McConnell and McCarthy to Dispute PA Election Results
    By Tom Ozimek
    December 31, 2020 Updated: December 31, 2020
    biggersmaller Print

    A group of 27 Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers on Dec. 30 penned a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), calling on them to dispute the Pennsylvania election results until an investigation is conducted into numerous claims of fraud.

    Pointing to allegations of fraudulent activity and violations of election law, the lawmakers said in the letter that their effort has “nothing to do with overturning any election results, but rather ascertaining if the allegations of fraud corrupted the outcome of the vote.”

    “There are simply too many questions that remain unanswered to say that the results can be trusted and therefore the certification is premature, and the results must be disputed until an investigation is completed,” wrote the group, comprised of eight Pennsylvania state senators and 19 state representatives.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/pennsylvania-lawmakers-urge-mcconnell-and-mccarthy-to-dispute-pa-election-results_3639476.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2020-12-31-2

  17. We Need a Global Alliance to Defend Democracies
    Richard Kemp
    11-14 minutes

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to use the G7 summit that Britain is hosting in 2021 to launch the “D10”, intended as an alliance of democracies to counter China. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to use the G7 summit that Britain is hosting in 2021 to launch the “D10”, intended as an alliance of democracies to counter China.

    His proposal is for the G7 group of leading industrialised nations to be joined by Australia, South Korea and India. The focus would be on developing 5G telecommunications technology to reduce dependence on Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party as well as reliance on essential medical supplies from China.

    President-elect Joe Biden put forward a somewhat similar initiative in 2019 and it is widely believed that he plans to convene a “Summit for Democracies” in 2021. It appears his intention is broader than Mr Johnson’s both in scope and participation, and that it includes promoting liberal democratic values across the world.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16904/global-alliance-democracies

  18. urkey: Turks Celebrate Nazi Sympathizer
    Uzay Bulut
    11-13 minutes

    In November, the Istanbul metropolitan municipality, led by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), named a park in Istanbul’s Maltepe district after Hüseyin Nihal Ats?z, a racist anti-Semite and one of Turkey’s most prominent Nazi sympathizers. Pictured: CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu (left), waves to supporters at a rally in the Maltepe district of Istanbul on July 9, 2017. (Photo by Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images)

    In November, the Istanbul metropolitan municipality, led by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), named a park in Istanbul after Hüseyin Nihal Ats?z, a racist anti-Semite and one of Turkey’s most prominent Nazi sympathizers. The request was made by members of another Turkish opposition party, “The Good Party” (Iyi). Ats?z (1905-1975) was known for “measuring skulls” to determine people’s “amount of Turkishness.”

    In March, a member of the Good Party presented a motion to the Istanbul municipal assembly, calling for a park in Istanbul’s Maltepe district to be named after Ats?z. The motion stated that Ats?z spent most of his life in the Köyiçi region of Maltepe, and the subject was put on the assembly’s agenda in November. After the motion was passed by the assembly, the park in the Yal? Neighborhood officially received Ats?z’s name.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16886/turkey-nazi-sympathizer

  19. Conversation
    Marjorie Taylor Greene
    Flag of United States
    @mtgreenee
    Word on the Hill is that Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi could be working together on a rules change “deal” to block our Electoral College Certification objection.

    The American people deserve to hear about the voter fraud that took place on Nov 3 … NO DEAL, NO COVER-UP!
    10:53 AM · Dec 30, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
    23.2K
    Retweets
    2.5K
    Quote Tweets
    58K
    Likes

    https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1344325697473544194

  20. Joe Biden Slips Up On Live TV Over Kamala Harris – He Just Called His Vice-President Elect The ‘President-Elect’
    By Adam Casalino|December 30, 2020
    Joe Biden Slips Up On Live TV Over Kamala Harris – He Just Called His Vice-President Elect The ‘President-Elect’
    Share
    What’s Happening:

    Who will really be in charge if Joe Biden gets into the White House? You might say Joe, of course.

    But that’s not what we’ve seen ever since he won his party’s nomination. First, he continued to bow to the radical left, abandoning his moderate policies in favor of extremism.

    https://thepatriotjournal.com/biden-tv-kamala-vp-elect/?utm_source=gjwhg&utm_medium=email

  21. More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/2021-millions-children-famine-unicef

    “Almost 1o.4 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition and famine in the coming year amid prolonged conflicts, internal displacement and the coronavirus pandemic, a UN report says.

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) said in a report released on Wednesday that many children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeast Nigeria, the Central Sahel, South Sudan and Yemen are on the brink of starvation.

    The consequences of conflict and other humanitarian crises have been intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, sending already dire conditions into a tailspin likely to result in widespread famine, the group said.

    “The impacts of this pandemic will be felt for years to come, but it’s already clear that Covid-19 has exacerbated poverty and inequality in conflict-affected countries, adding massive pressure to already overwhelmed social and health systems,” the report said.

    An increase in families without homes has also been documented, in addition to those who cannot afford the basic needs of food and water…”

  22. Yemen’s Houthis say Saudi pilots will only be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201231-yemens-houthis-say-saudi-pilots-will-only-be-exchanged-for-palestinian-prisoners/

    “An official in Yemen’s Houthi-led National Salvation Government (NSG) has reiterated that Saudi pilots currently being held captive will only be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the kingdom.

    In an interview yesterday with Al-Masirah TV, the head of the National Committee for Prisoners Affairs, Abdulqadir Al-Murtadha, stated: “We have assured the other party that the Saudi pilots will not be released from prison except in exchange for the Palestinian prisoners in Saudi Arabia.”

    He added: “The negotiation rounds in the prisoners’ issue in 2020 were distinguished by the fact that they ended with implementation, unlike the previous rounds,” noting that 1,087 prisoners of the Houthi-allied Yemeni army and “popular committees” were freed earlier in the year; 670 prisoners through UN brokered agreements and 417 prisoners through local deals.

    “The enemy thwarted 30 exchange deals during 2020, which were agreed upon through local parties to liberate more than 600 prisoners from both sides,” according to Al-Murtadha.

    “We released 150 prisoners during 2020, including 64 children who were brought into the battles by the forces of aggression, while the rest were released for humanitarian reasons.”

    Last year, Saudi Arabia incarcerated 68 Palestinians and Jordanians following a mass trial which has raised concerns by Human Rights Watch (HRW) over issues relating to due process. Some of the detainees had been held without charge for nearly two years.

    Among the Palestinians detained is Mohammed Al-Khodari, who is over 80 years old and a high-ranking official from the Gaza-based resistance movement Hamas. Alike the other detainees he was charged on vague accusations relating to terrorism.

    In March the leader of the Houthi movement known as the Ansarallah, Sayyid Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, extended an offer to the Saudis to release Hamas members held in Saudi in exchange for one of the captured Saudi coalition pilots held in Yemen along with four Saudi soldiers. The “much-appreciated initiative” was met with praise by Hamas who in a statement said it valued the “spirit of fraternity and sympathy” for the Palestinian people and their cause.”

  23. Saudi Arabia rejects any dictates or interference in its judicial affairs
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-rejects-any-dictates-or-interference-in-its-judicial-affairs-1.1609384427019

    “Saudi Arabia confirmed on Wednesday its rejection of any dictates or interference in its judicial affairs, and demanded that the UN Human Rights Commission respect the sovereignty and independence of states, local media reported.

    The permanent Saudi representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Dr. Abdulaziz Al Wasil, stressed that his country enjoys an honest and independent judiciary, and that it does not accept, in any way, any prejudice to the sovereignty of its judicial system by any party, stressing that the Kingdom rejects any dictates or interference in its judicial affairs…”

  24. Kuwaiti woman sentenced to death for killing Filipino maid
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/kuwaiti-woman-sentenced-to-death-for-killing-filipino-maid-1.76203197

    “A Kuwaiti woman was sentenced to death after she killed a 26-year old Filipino domestic worker, Jeanelyn Villavende, local media reported.

    Her husband was also convicted and was sentenced to four years for not reporting the crime and covering it up.

    Fawzia Al Sabah, the Philippine Embassy’s lead council, pointed out that that the court’s ruling was fair and adhered to Kuwaiti, as well as Sharia law…”

  25. Saudi-led coalition strikes at Yemen capital after attacks on Aden blamed on Houthis
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278139/saudi-led-coalition-strikes-at-yemen-capital-after-attacks-on-aden-blamed-on-houthis

    “Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck targets in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday in retaliation for attacks in the southern port city of Aden the previous day that took place as officials in a government backed by Riyadh arrived there.

    The coalition accused the Houthi movement, which it has been fighting for six years, of staging the attack on Aden’s airport and a second one on the presidential palace…”

  26. UK court orders payment of $28.7m to Broadsheet from Pakistan High Commission accounts
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278160/uk-court-orders-payment-of-287m-to-broadsheet-from-pakistan-high-commission-accounts

    “A high court in the United Kingdom has ordered to debit Rs4.5 billion from the accounts of the Pakistan High Commission in London over non-payment of penalty by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to the foreign asset recovery firm Broadsheet LLC.

    The Foreign Office sources told The Express Tribune that the high court in London had ordered for debiting millions of dollars from the accounts of the Pakistan High Commission in the UK by December 30.

    In view of court order, the United Bank Limited UK wrote a letter to the Pakistan High Commission on December 29, requesting it to provide written payment instructions with debit account details to facilitate the payment of $28,706,533.35 in line with Final Third Party Order issued by high court.

    The bank also told the high commission that in case of non-recipient of the written payment instructions by December 30, the bank would have no choice but to proceed with unilaterally debiting the high commission’s accounts to meet the payment amount stipulated in the court order.

    The sources informed that around Rs4.5 billion ($26,153,783.34) NAB amount was lying in the UBL, London account, which is operated in name of Pakistan High Commission in UK.

    The high commission has sent a communication to UBL Chief Executive Officer Brain Firth, conveying that any attempt by the bank to proceed with unilaterally debiting their accounts to make the payment would be a violation of the international law and a breach of trust that would impact the future relationship with UBL.

    As per the court order, the deadline for payment expired on Thursday (December 31). However, Foreign Office officials claimed that account had not been deducted. The sources said that due to NAB’s slackness, Pakistan faced additional loss of millions of dollars…”