BIDEN APPROVAL LOWEST EVER

Over Half of Americans Say US Will Be—or Is—at War With Russia: Poll

BY JASON LEMON 

ON 3/27/22

A majority of Americans believe that the United States is already—or soon will be—at war with Russia, new polling shows.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, drawing swift international condemnation. Ahead of the unprovoked assault, President Joe Biden and Western European leaders warned repeatedly that an attack from Russia against its Eastern European neighbor was imminent.

In the wake of the invasion, the U.S., Canada and European allies quickly implemented stringent sanctions targeting the Russian economy, as well as Putin and other Moscow elite directly. The U.S. and NATO allies have rapidly transferred billions of dollars in weapons, military equipment and humanitarian aid to assist Ukraine as it fights back against the Kremlin's assault.

Although Biden has repeatedly asserted that the U.S. does not plan to send troops to assist Ukraine, many Americans believe that the country has already gone to war with Russia or will soon be in direct conflict with the adversarial nation.

New polling released Sunday morning by NBC News shows that 57 percent of respondents believe the U.S. is already at war with Russia, or that it will be within the next year. Of those, 41 percent believe the U.S. is on the brink of war with Russia and will be in direct military conflict with the country soon. Sixteen percent said the U.S. is already at war with Russia.

A majority of Americans believe the U.S. is already—or soon will be—in a war with Russia. Above, President Joe Biden is greeted by Colonel Matthew Jones at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on March 23.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES


Biden's response to the Russia-Ukraine war also doesn't appear to be drawing much confidence from Americans. Only 28 percent of respondents said that they have "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence in the president to respond adequately to the crisis. Meanwhile, 44 percent said they had "very little" confidence in Biden's ability to respond to the war, and an additional 27 percent said they had "just some" confidence.

The NBC News polling also marked a new record for Biden—the lowest approval rating of his presidency. Just 40 percent of respondents said they approve of the job he is doing in the White House, while 55 percent said they disapprove.

That's nearly a complete reversal of where NBC News polling had Biden about a year ago in April of last year. At that time, 53 percent of respondents said they approved of the president while 39 percent said they disapproved. It also marks a decline since January, when 43 percent said they approved of Biden's performance as commander-in-chief.

Those findings are slightly worse than the current FiveThirtyEight average of national polls. That currently shows, as of Sunday morning, that Biden's approval rating stands at about 42 percent, as 52.8 percent disapprove of the president.

The NBC News poll was conducted from March 18 to 22 and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. One thousand adults were surveyed.

Biden has said that the U.S. will respond directly to Russia if it launches an attack against a NATO ally. On Thursday, the president also said the U.S. would respond "in kind" if Russia uses chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.

"The nature of the response depends on the nature of the use," he added.

Speaking in Poland on Saturday, the president said: "We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle; hope and light, decency and dignity; of freedom of possibilities. For God's sake, this man [Putin] cannot remain in power."

The White House later clarified the president's remarks after many interpreted them to mean Biden was calling for Putin's removal as Russia's president.

"The President's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region," the White House said. "He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change."

Speaking with Russia's Tass news agency, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to Biden's comments about Putin saying that "each time such personal insults narrow the window of opportunity for our bilateral relations under the current [U.S.] administration. It is necessary to be aware of this."

Trans Thai model deported from Dubai because her passport identified her as male

"He asked if my boobs were big or small," she wrote, adding that airport staff forced her to wait in the men's waiting room.

By Molly Sprayregen

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Photo: Screenshot, Facebook Video

A Thai model says she was deported from Dubai International Airport because she’s transgender.

According to her Facebook post detailing the story, Rachaya Noppakaroon was planning to appear at an event in the United Arab Emirates when she was stopped at the airport because the gender marker on her passport identified her as male, despite her presenting as female.

Related: Texas school official orders librarians to remove LGBTQ books from shelves

In Thailand, it is not possible to legally change the gender marker on a person’s ID, so Noppakaroon had no way of providing accurate documentation.

Airport staff held her for nine hours before sending her home to Thailand and telling her to come back when her documents say she is female.

Noppakaroon said it felt like “a nightmare while opening my eyes,” according to Facebook’s translation of her post.

She also asserted she had all of the documents she needed, from a passport to a visa to proof of vaccination.


“They asked me to go to a room and asked me why I was a man,” she said.

And after waiting for hours to be interviewed, she tried to show one of the airport employees proof of her modeling work in Thailand but said he “was more interested in sex.”

“He asked if my boobs were big or small,” she wrote, adding that they forced her to wait in the men’s waiting room.

She also repeatedly mentioned one employee who was kind to her and who checked in to see if she was okay.

Throughout the entire ordeal, she said she couldn’t stop crying.

In the U.A.E., it is also illegal to change one’s gender and there are no anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. Homosexuality is also criminalized, and it is illegal for “any male disguised in a female apparel” to enter a women’s space.

Nevertheless, Noppakaroon wrote that she doesn’t hold the airport employees responsible.

“We don’t blame Dubai employees for this (but we’re angry). We blame Thai law if they look down on us and many people who have to face problems like us. I hope they will see that it’s something that needs to be fixed.”

Egypt police abusing Sudanese refugees: HRW

• The Human Rights Watch said that Egyptian police have subjected detained refugees and asylum seekers to 'forced physical labour'.
• Raids carried about by police have lead to the arrest of 30 Sudanese refugees.
• According to reports, after the arrests they were taken to a security facility and forced into physical labour.

---

Egyptian police have arbitrarily detained at least 30 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, subjecting some to abuse and "forced physical labour", Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday.

According to three Sudanese refugees and a Cairo-based civil society group interviewed by HRW, police carried out raids on 27 December and 5 January, in nearly identical circumstances.

Plainclothes police arbitrarily arrested some two dozen refugees and asylum seekers from their homes, coffeeshops, on the street and at community centres.

They were taken to a security facility and forced to "unload boxes from large trucks into warehouses" by police, who hurled racist insults and "used batons to beat those who they claimed were not working hard enough".

The next day, police dropped off those detained at a highway crossroads in eastern Cairo, without levelling any charges against them.

The New York-based watchdog called on Egypt's public prosecutor to "investigate and hold accountable those responsible for arbitrary arrests and mistreatment of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers", HRW's Joe Stork said.

READ | 'A scene one cannot imagine': Mali slips further into turmoil as French and EU soldiers leave

According to HRW, some of those targeted had mobilised protests in May and August 2021 at the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, in Cairo "over harassment and racist treatment by Egyptians, a lack of protection and resettlement delays".

Last May, they also held a protest at the Sudanese embassy in Cairo in support of demonstrations in their home country.

As of January 2022, over 52 000 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt are registered with the UNHCR, though official figures estimate between two and five million Sudanese live in Egypt.

Activists and rights groups regularly charge that Sudanese in the country face mistreatment, discrimination and racism.

Stork said:

Silencing activists will not solve the issues of the Sudanese refugee communities, whom authorities should protect from abuse,

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said Egypt hosts around "six million people who came to the country due to ongoing conflicts or the magnitude of poverty in nearby countries".

"We do not call them refugees," he told a forum held earlier this year in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"They are integrated into our society, they eat and drink, they receive (medical) treatment and whatever (resources) we have are made available to them."

UN: ‘Syria’s devastation finds few parallels in recent history’

On Mar 27, 2022

UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths in Sweden, (AFP)

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths expressed on Thursday that Syria’s “devastation finds few parallels in recent history.”

Briefing the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the situation in Syria, Griffiths announced: “This month marks eleven years of war, destruction, and humanitarian crisis for the people of Syria. Such devastation finds few parallels in recent history.”

Griffiths stated: “Over 350,000 people have been killed and nearly 14 million people have been displaced from their homes. Basic services have been destroyed. Five million children born since the start of the conflict have known nothing but hardship and nothing but war.”

He added: “Civilians continue to be killed and injured along front line areas of northwest and northeast Syria,” citing that 18 civilians were killed in northwest Syria in February.

Giving an example of the horrific scenes in Syria, he conveyed: “We continue to be concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Al-Hol, where some 56,000 people live. Incidents resulting in death and injury, including of children, continue.”

Griffiths called for affording protection for the people in the camp, stating: “We need to maintain the civilian character of the camp. I take this opportunity once more to call for the full repatriation of third-country nationals from camps in northeast Syria. As we reported here last month, 14.6 million people are in need of humanitarian aid – more than at any time since the start of the conflict.”

He added that the “crippling economic crisis continues to push humanitarian needs to new heights,” warning that the war in Ukraine, which is leading to soaring food and energy prices globally, might “have a negative impact on the region, including in Syria.”

“Mines and explosive ordnance killed 805 people in Syria in 2021 and injured nearly 3,000 more. Around half of the population in Syria is estimated to live in areas contaminated with explosive ordnance. Again, a shocking figure. At present, one-third of Syrian households receive less than two hours of electricity a day. Public services, of course, are similarly underserved.”

The UN official concluded: “Ultimately, now more than ever, we need action to show the people of Syria that they are not forgotten as they fear that they are and to deliver aid that is so urgently needed by communities, those families, those statistics.”

 

 

Source: Middle East Monitor

Russian Tankers Going Dark Raises Flags on Sanctions Evasion

K. Oanh Ha, Bloomberg News

An ice-class tanker used for shipping liquefied natural gas sit in Sabetta sea port near the Yamal LNG plant, operated by Novatek PJSC, in Sabetta, Russia, on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Novatek is one of the largest independent natural gas producers in Russia. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Russian tankers carrying oil chemicals and products are increasingly concealing their movements, a phenomenon that some maritime experts warn could signal attempts to evade unprecedented sanctions prompted by the invasion of Ukraine.

In the week ended March 25, there were at least 33 occurrences of so-called “dark activity” -- operating while on-board systems to transmit their locations are turned off -- by Russian tankers, said Windward Ltd., an Israeli consultancy that specializes in maritime risk. That’s more than double the weekly average of 14 in the past year.

The dark operations occurred mainly in or around Russia’s exclusive economic zone, according to Windward, which conducted the research at Bloomberg’s request. 

Commercial vessels are required by international maritime law to have their automatic identification system, or AIS, turned on while at sea. Disabling or manipulating a ship’s identification system is at the top of deceptive shipping practices cited by the U.S. Treasury Department in an advisory last May to curb illicit shipping and sanctions evasions.

“There’s no reason why they should have their AIS turned off,” said Gur Sender, Windward’s program manager who specializes in compliance and risk issues. “Investigating if a vessel is engaged in deceptive shipping practices related to specific regimes is crucial to protect your business from dealing with sanctioned entities.”

Since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S., U.K. and other allies have ramped up sanctions against the Kremlin. U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on March 8 banning imports of Russian oil and gas, while on the same day, the U.K. said it will phase out oil imports by the end of the year. Both countries, along with Canada, have also barred Russian ships from accessing their ports. 

As more countries and businesses shun commerce with Russia, the country’s fleet will be under pressure to conduct dark activity and even engage in illicit shipping to stay afloat, said Ian Ralby, chief executive of I.R. Consilium, a maritime law and security consulting firm that works with governments.

“Russia has quickly become a pariah state so they are obscuring some of their activities because a lot of people on both ends of a transit don’t want any association to Russia,” said Ralby. “Anywhere that Russia appears in the overall management or operation and ownership of the vessel, there are concerns about dark activity right now. Almost anything that they are going to be doing is gaining scrutiny and legal concerns because of all the various sanctions.”

If the isolation of Russian ships and crew continue, they will have little choice but to take offers that are given to them, making them susceptible to “all sorts of criminal and nefarious manipulation,” said Ralby. “We may see a parallel global market emerge where there is internal trading among all these sanctioned states and their enablers,” he said.

READ: Sanctioned Mogul’s Yacht Heads Home to Russia as Others Go Dark

Satellite Imagery

In many of the cases of dark activity, operations are conducted between a Russian-flagged or owned ship and non-Russian vessels, according to Windward. Ships that conduct operations side-by-side exhibit tell-tale patterns of movements and speed, even if their transponders are off. Satellite imagery can also reveal operations. 

Windward’s data shows that the number of ship-to-ship meetings that lasted at least three hours between Russian oil tankers and non-Russian vessels has remained relatively normal. That’s enough time to allow oil tankers to transfer their goods to a third vessel that’s not affected by sanctions or bans, said Sender. 

The occurrences are also happening close enough to ports where ships can potentially load up on clean fuel products, he said. 

Windward has also detected some vessels entering Russian territorial waters and visiting its ports for the very first time, even as the overall number of ships making a maiden voyage to Russia falls. 

Unusual Russian Visit

Since the outbreak of the conflict, 22 unique vessels -- some of which are owned or operated by companies registered in the U.K., U.S. and Germany -- have entered Russian territorial waters for the first time, according to Windward. 

In one instance, a tanker managed by an American company departed from the Chinese city of Dongying on Feb. 25 and entered Russian waters on March 3, making its first-ever Russian port call in Nakhodka. The tanker departed the port and drifted in Russian waters before calling port on March 19 in a tanker terminal in Vladivostok.

The U.S. ban on Russian oil came into effect March 8 for new purchases, but provides a 45-day window for U.S. buyers to wind down their existing contracts.

“While this voyage is not considered illegal or a violation of sanctions, it still raises questions” given current U.S. policies, according to a Windward AI Insights note. “It will be interesting to see if this trend continues and how many companies will view these new regulations and restrictions as mere recommendations.”

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

After that disastrous royal tour, is the sun finally setting on the Commonwealth realms?

A reckoning with those countries that have held on to Queen Elizabeth as their head of state is long overdue – as William and Kate’s trip to the Caribbean made clear

‘The signs weren’t looking good for William and Kate from the outset.’ 

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William arrive in Nassau. 

Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

Moya Lothian-McLean
Sun 27 Mar 2022 

Just how long has the British monarchy been in crisis? This time – after “Megxit”, after Prince Andrew – it was the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s disastrous trip to the Caribbean. What was supposed to be a “charm offensive”, drumming up enthusiasm in the year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee, ended up looking more like a long goodbye, with the headlines spotlighting anti-royal protests, failures to address legacies of slavery, and the news that Jamaica is planning to ditch the Queen as head of state.

It may well be time for the royal family to face up to the fact that the sun is setting on those final remnants of the empire that they once embodied – and not a moment too soon.

For Britons, it can be easy to forget that the Queen’s realm and territories stretch far beyond these isles. Out of the 54 “independent and equal nations” that make up the Commonwealth of Nations, 15 (including the UK) still count the Queen as their head of state. Becoming a republic doesn’t necessitate surrendering membership of the Commonwealth itself – it simply means a symbolic rejection of British rule. And with Barbados finally taking the leap last year, longstanding debates about republicanism have been reignited in the remaining realms.

The issue is just as hotly debated in the likes of Australia (54% of people there would support becoming a republic) as it is in Jamaica, but packing William and Kate off to the Caribbean has inevitably focused minds in that region. Though republican camps in the Caribbean have long cited the impact of colonialism and slavery on the contemporary fortunes of their countries, a new reckoning is afoot, against the backdrop of the global Black Lives Matter movement and renewed conversations about the legacy of empire. Thanks to the attention the royals command, the disintegration of British overseas rule is being documented in real time.

The signs weren’t looking good for William and Kate from the outset. The couple’s first official engagement, in Belize, was unceremoniously cancelled after protests from the Q’eqehi Maya people over a land dispute with a charity that William patronises. Heading to Jamaica, they were met with more demonstrations, this time calling on the royals to address the issue of reparations for the several hundred years they directly profited from the slave trade. Government officials backed up the sentiment, with Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, informing a solemn William and Kate that the country was “moving on’’ and wanted to be “independent”, seemingly following the example of Barbados. It’s no wonder the royals were gracing Sunday’s front pages in damage-limitation mode, with William offering a half-apology for the tour.

As ever, sometimes opening their mouths only makes things worse: in a speech given in Kingston last week, Prince William expressed “profound sorrow” for the transatlantic slave trade, but people were quick to point out that he stopped short of an apology or acknowledging the monarchy’s direct interests in slavery. At one point in history, enslaved Black Africans arriving in the Caribbean via the Royal African Company were branded with the initials “DY”, marking them as the property of the then Duke of York . Royal profiting from slavery continued apace – the future William IV even personally argued for the continuation of the trade in the House of Commons in 1799, a move that, according to historian Brooke Newman, helped “delay” abolition for a few more years but “misjudged the mood of the nation” – and damaged the reputation of the royal family as a result.


‘Perfect storm’: royals misjudged Caribbean tour, say critics

For the royals, the trip has been a sharp lesson in how people in the Commonwealth now perceive Britain and its institutions. As the Jamaican dancehall artist Beenie Man put it during an interview with ITV News: “We are just here, controlled by the British, ruled by the British law when you go in the court. It’s all about the Queen … but what are they doing for Jamaica? They’re not doing anything for us.” The Jamaican writer Ashley Rouen Brown summed up the grounds for resentment succinctly: Jamaicans, he wrote, are “currently the only citizens within the Commonwealth realm that require a visa to visit the land of their head of state”. Meanwhile, requests for financial reparations, in recognition of the impact centuries of plunder had on economic prospects, have been met with egregious responses, like David Cameron’s 2015 offer for Britain to finance a £25m prison to hold Jamaican “criminals” in lieu of compensation for slavery.

In Jamaica, republicanism has been part of the political conversation since the 1970s, and there is cross-party support for the move. But now, debate has been replaced by decision. Emancipation is in full swing. It’s no coincidence that it comes as the Queen – who “made the Commonwealth central to her life when she became monarch” – reaches the twilight of her reign. But nor can it be a coincidence that this is all happening after several years of governmental and monarchical misrule in London. The aftermath of the Windrush scandal still leaves a bitter taste. And, albeit on a different scale, it’s worth taking account of some more of Beenie Man’s words: “If Harry was coming, people would react different,” he said. “People are going to meet Harry.” In that sense, the royals really are the authors of their own misfortune.

But with or without the Sussexes, there is an air of historical inevitability to all this. So, what happens next? Ahead of Kate and William’s visit, the Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon said: “If Jamaica decided it did [want to become a republic], there would be a domino effect on the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean.”

His words may well be prescient. The royal couple flew into the Bahamas, the last leg of their tour, to be greeted by protests on the ground and opposition from the likes of the Bahamas National Reparations Committee. Belize has announced a constitutional review, and late last year leaders including the St Vincent premier were urging fellow Commonwealth realms to attain republican status. The wheels seem firmly set in motion, with the royals’ open-backed Land Rover left spinning in the sand.

This kind of reckoning with reality is long overdue, and, who knows, it may even be a long-term positive for Britain if it helps disabuse our political class of its globe-trotting, Empire 2.0 fantasies. At the very least, now is the time to admit that for many parts of the world, the benefits of sovereign British rule are most heavily felt by the home nation itself. Within our own borders, we may kid ourselves that the monarchy is still a glittering jewel in our crown. But for many people overseas who wish to escape the long shadow of empire and exploitation, the shine has well and truly rubbed off.


Moya Lothian-Mclean presents Human Resources, a podcast about the legacies of Britain’s slaving history

PARNOID PAKISTAN POLITICK

Pakistan PM: Foreign forces conspiring against my government

Online News EditorMarch 27, 2022

 

Islamabad, March 27 (EFE).- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday accused “foreign forces” of providing funding to replace his government with the help of people inside the country.

The premier made his remarks while addressing a rally in the capital of Islamabad, where thousands of his supporters and party workers gathered to show their support for him as a pending no-confidence vote in Parliament will decide his fate within the next few days.

“In our country, with the help of foreign money, an attempt is being made to replace our government,” Khan said, adding that “the money is foreign but (the) people who are being used are our own people.”

“Now, the nation has to decide whether it will let them succeed or not,” he added.

The PM said that “we know from what places attempts are being made to pressure us. We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest.”

“I am not accusing, I have this letter as proof,” Khan added showing a letter to his audience.

He said he was informed of the “conspiracy” a few months back, adding that his government is pursuing an independent foreign policy which some “foreign forces” don’t want.

“Now the times have changed. We will not accept anyone’s slavery,” the premier said, adding, “We will make everyone our friends (but) will not be their slaves.”

In his speech, the prime minister referred to former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was hanged in 1979 in a controversial murder case by military ruler Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

“Zulfikar Bhutto was killed for having an independent foreign policy,” Khan, a former cricket star, said.

An alliance of opposition parties, the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM), submitted a no-confidence motion against the PM in Parliament on March 8.

Opposition leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan People’s Party and religious political party Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) have been approaching Khan’s allies for support in the vote.

To date, the coalition partners in Khan’s government have not announced their support for the no-confidence motion.

Khan needs 172 votes in the 342-member house to get a simple majority to retain office. His party, along with his coalition partners and independent members hold 179 seats, thus putting him over the threshold by eight votes, provided he can count on all those lawmakers for their support.

However, more than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have spoken openly against the government, blaming Khan for not delivering on the promises he made before the election that brought him to power.

A crucial session of the National Assembly, or lower house of Parliament, will be held on Monday and expectations are that the no-confidence motion will be discussed the same day. As per prevailing rules for such moves, the speaker of the house must set the day for the vote within seven days of finalizing debate on the motion.

The PML (N) is currently heading a march from the city of Lahore to Islamabad, and the party has announced a rally in the capital on Monday. As of the filing of this report, the marchers are in the eastern city of Gujranwala.

EFE aa-daa/vh/bp

As no-trust vote looms, Pak PM Imran Khan claims foreign powers behind ‘conspiracy’ to topple his govt

Addressing a rally at Parade Ground in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged that foreign powers were involved in a “conspiracy” to overthrow his government


Press Trust of India 

Islamabad

March 27, 2022


Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. (AP photo)
In a massive show of strength ahead of a crucial no-confidence motion against his government, Pakistan’s embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday addressed a mammoth rally in the national capital where he claimed that foreign powers were involved in a ‘conspiracy’ to topple his coalition government.

Addressing the rally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) titled ‘Amr Bil Maroof’ (enjoin the good) and billed as a "historic" event at Parade Ground in Islamabad, Prime Minister Khan said foreign elements are using local politicians and money to “mend the country’s foreign policy” and asserted that he has a letter as ‘evidence’ to support his claims.

ALSO READ: 'Woh to fakir aadmi hai': Pak minister lends support to Imran Khan at show of strength rally

"Attempts are being made through foreign money to change the government in Pakistan. Our people are being used. Mostly inadvertently, but some people are using money against us. We know from what places attempts are being to pressure us. We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest," Khan said in his marathon speech that lasted more than an hour and a half.

"The letter I have is proof and I want to dare anyone who is doubting this letter. I will invite them off the record. We have to decide for how long we will have to live like this. We are getting threats. There are many things about foreign conspiracy which will be shared very soon," he said.

At the beginning of his address, Khan thanked the participants of the rally for responding to his call and gathering in Islamabad from every part of the country.

Khan said that poor countries are backward because the law there fails to catch the rich who are involved in white collar crimes. They transfer stolen and looted money to offshore accounts. Small thieves do not destroy a country like the way big thieves do, he said.

"These 'three stooges' are looting the country for years and all this drama is being done to have Imran Khan surrender like Musharraf. They are trying to blackmail the government. General Musharraf tried to save his government and gave these thieves NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) and it resulted in the destruction of Pakistan," Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

ALSO READ: Pak interior minister advises PM Khan to call elections after budget

"Come what may, I will not forgive them even if my government goes or even if I lose my life," he said, apparently referring to former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Fazlur Rehman.

In his speech, Khan also made an impassioned appeal to his party lawmakers while exhorting those from the opposition to desist from voting against him the upcoming no-trust vote against him.

Pakistan has been on the edge since Opposition parties on March 8 submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat, alleging that the PTI government led by Prime Minister Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.

On Friday, the National Assembly's crucial session on the no-trust motion against embattled Khan was adjourned by the speaker without tabling of the resolution, amid vociferous protests from opposition lawmakers.

"I called you here because attempts are being made to bribe people. They decided to dislodge our government by claiming that Pakistan is being destroyed. I challenge that no government gave a performance like we did in our three and a half years," Khan told 

The premier listed a series of policy decisions taken by his government which he said benefited the country greatly and would continue to do so in future, the newspaper reported.

Two special trains were mobilised by the national transporter, Pakistan Railways, from Lahore and Islamabad at the request of the government to transport PTI workers.

“The public meeting will be the largest in the history of the country and have a great impact,” Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood told reporters on Saturday.

The call for the rally was given by prime minister Khan as he has been trying to present his fight against a “group of crooked opposition leaders”, but still many believe that gathering could be his swan song due to the odds of no-confidence heavily decked against him.

"Today is a battle for Pakistan...and not for PTI, it's a battle for the future of our nation," Khan had said in a message issued hours before the gathering.

While Khan was addressing the rally, a Baloch leader, Shahzain Bugti, announced to part ways with him. He had been given the task to hold talks with estranged Baloch nationalist leaders to bring them into the mainstream but he ended by getting estranged himself and ditching the premier.

Bugti was working as special assistant to the prime minister on reconciliation and harmony in Balochistan. He said that the prime minister had promised to focus on South Balochistan and under-developed areas, "but he failed to do so".

Meanwhile, an equally huge event is expected in Islamabad on Monday by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of the Opposition parties.

The PDM comprising the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) retaliated to hold their power show a day later that will coincide with the National Assembly session when the no-confidence motion is set to be formally moved in the house.

The JUI-F supporters have started moving under the supervision of local leaders, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri told the media.

They are mainly coming from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan where the party has a lot of support. Some of them have already reached Hakla Interchange near Islamabad.

Another big protest march led by PML-N vice presidents Maryam Nawaz and her cousin Hamza Shehbaz, who is the son of PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, started from Lahore on Saturday. Travelling on the historic GT Road, they are scheduled to reach Islamabad on Monday to attend the opposition rally.

“It (the march) will be the last nail in the coffin of the PTI government,” Maryam told her supporters.

Interior minister Sheikh Rashid warned that the Opposition would not be allowed to block any main roads for political activities as it was against the direction of the Supreme Court.

“We have deployed paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Corps along the Srinagar Highway and any effort to block it will be resisted,” he said.

Rashid said over 15,000 security personnel would be deployed for keeping law and order and also warned to call the Army in case of any untoward incident.

The political temperature has been slowly reaching a boiling point in the wake of the no-trust move by the Opposition. The make and break point for prime minister Khan is likely to be reached by the end of next week.

The Opposition parties are confident that they can get the support of 172 members in the house of 342 to dislodge the government, while the government claims that it enjoys the required support in the house to foil the attempt.

Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government.

With major allies of Khan looking the other way and about two dozen PTI members of Parliament revolting against him, and the powerful establishment not providing a helping hand, he is less likely to get the support of the much-coveted 172 lawmakers.

Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides.

The PTI has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government.

ALSO READ: Pakistan should apologise for committing atrocities during 1971 war: Bangladesh foreign minister

Police attack commemoration of Kızıldere massacre in Istanbul

In Istanbul, a commemoration rally of leftist youth groups marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Kızıldere massacre was violently broken up by police. At least six participants were detained.


ANF
ISTANBUL
Sunday, 27 Mar 2022, 

VIDEO

In the western Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, a rally by left-wing youth groups to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Kızıldere massacre was violently broken up by police. At least six people involved in the action were taken into custody, some of them by force.

The organizations Dev-Lis (Revolutionary High School Students) and Dev-Güç (Revolutionary Youth Forces) organised the commemoration in front of the Süreyya Opera House in the district of Kadıköy. Initially, the gathering was surrounded by police with reference to a ban on assembly issued by the district governorate. As the group refused to leave the square, the rally was broken up by the police.

"Kızıldere was not the end, the struggle continues" chanted the demonstrators as some of them were taken to the ground and dragged across the asphalt by security forces. Handcuffed with their hands behind their backs, six of them were taken away and taken to a police station. They are likely to face charges of violating the Turkish Assembly Law and resisting state authority.




    

Internationalist Berxwedan: The experience of Rojava can be used also in Italy

The Rojava International Conference so the presence of internationalists speaking 27 different languages. Zeryan Berxwedan said that "this conference can be an inspiration not only for Rojava but also for my country, Italy."

MUSTAFA ÇOBAN
QAMISHLO
Sunday, 27 Mar 2022

VIDEO 10:00 MIN 

Internationalist Zeryan Berxwedan said that they are trying to carry the ideology of the revolution in Rojava to their countries and emphasized that ideological solidarity is extremely important to defend the revolution. Stating that the foundation of the Rojava revolution is the philosophy of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, Zeryan Berxwedan said: "As Leader Apo said, we have to analyze our societies and find humane solutions for our society. Therefore, Abdullah Öcalan's thought is that internationalist studies are as important as those in Rojava. It is extremely important for the continuation of our lands."

Zeryan Berxwedan, one of the delegates to the 1st Rojava Internationalist Conference, which saw the participation of all internationalist structures and institutions in Rojava, talked to ANF about the conference.

What did the first Rojava Internationalist Conference mean to you?

The conference was very emotional for me. First of all, because we came together as internationalists to talk about issues that are important here or in our countries. Another impressive thing was that you had friends speaking 27 different languages ​​at the conference. Personally, I have never met so many comrades from different parts of the world in Italy before.

This means that as society and comrades we need a stronger unity in the world to go beyond the system and create something else. The conference was definitely very emotional. It gave energy and strength on an emotional level to continue a work that is not only in Rojava but also in our countries. In contact with other countries in the world, we understand that the fundamental problem is always the same, the system that oppresses and kills various societies in different parts of the world.

What was discussed regarding the role of women in internationalism?

The role of women is extremely important. Because women have been oppressed by this system for 5,000 years. As a result, women experience this system much more severely than men. In internationalism, women can be pioneers both ideologically and practically. The role of women internationalists is very important to convey the values ​​of humanity and equality that we do not usually find in our countries.

What were the key points that emerged at the conference?

It was important that we got together. Because we deepened the internationalist work in Rojava. There are different plans. Here in Rojava there are more ideological formations; trying to connect more internationalists from various structures. But above all, one of the most important points for me is to try to understand how we will transfer the energy and ideology of the Rojava Revolution to our countries and how we will continue this work. Because most of the time, when we return to our countries, we feel lost and cannot understand how to continue this revolutionary work.

Because we change. We change our perspective; we change our personality. When we return to our world, to our societies, we often do not know how to continue revolutionary work. One of the important points of the conference, one of its plans, was how to continue the revolutionary work here and take it to our countries.

What kind of international revolution experience did the Rojava Revolution reveal?

The Rojava Revolution has had a great impact on internationalism and internationalist comrades. Because it is a new hope for a new society and a method of social organization. Not only that, but through the ideology of the Kurdish movement, as internationalists, we can work on ourselves to be better, more humane people, disconnected from the individualism and capitalism of our society.

The values ​​of internationalism are definitely one of the core values ​​of humanity, with the desire to create a better humanity, free from wars and repression. As a result, many internationalist comrades are trying to live together a new form of society, deciding to fight against the system we live in every day and, especially, to provide solidarity with oppressed peoples. The basic values ​​are to remain human, to be able to feel the pain of others, because the pain of oppressed peoples is also our pain. Because even if there is one person, the world is not free, a person cannot live freely but continues to live in a violent state.

We need to create international ideological solidarity

Of course, internationalism in Rojava defends the revolution not only with weapons, but with the most classical form of defense; but at the ideological level, we are trying to carry the ideology of this revolution to our countries and lands. Defense is, of course, physical, but also ideological. In order to defend this revolution, it is extremely important to create ideological solidarity not only in Rojava but also in our countries. Internationalist solidarity is very important in these times. Because, as we see in the world, the system renews itself against society and the peoples.

As you can see, a war broke out between Russia and Ukraine in Europe. Therefore, internationalism is extremely important to bring together the various existing ideologies and different societies around the world. Comrades must work on this, understand how we can create a new society free from wars, free from the state and capitalist powers, killing whole communities and people for economic and political interests, as we have seen better lately.

So where does this revolution come from and can it be applied everywhere?

Of course, the basis of this revolution is Abdullah Öcalan's thought, a revolutionary thought based on humanity and differences. It can be applied anywhere in the world, even in our societies. Of course, it should be applied with many differences. As Leader Apo said, we have to analyze our societies and try to find humane solutions for our society. Therefore, Abdullah Öcalan's thoughts are extremely important for the continuation of internationalist work here in Rojava as well as in our lands.

Could you feel your own international identity at this conference?

As an Italian, I felt that this conference was important. I started to think about how I could transfer the values ​​of this experience to Italy, to my comrades, friends and family. I think Italy is a country that is very open to change. This conference can be an inspiration not only for Rojava but also for my country. I definitely felt that the problems raised by many of the comrades present at the conference were my problems, as we came from similar places and from the same system.

Therefore, we can create something else. I have hope that we can create our own organization inspired by the Kurdish movement in Italy. Abdullah Öcalan's ideas are conveyed in a different geography, a different society, a different history, and we can.

Do you have a message for your country or the world public opinion?

I want to tell people around the world that there can be another society, another method of social organization. Here there is hope for everyone, because it is a humanistic organizational system based on differences, love of life, peace, a human ideology that starts with people and society, and is not based on power and the state. What I want to say is that in order to understand where we can find common ground, it is necessary to try to analyze our struggles, analyze our lives within the system, continue this struggle and continue to hope for a different world free from the violence of the world.

Spanish activist Tekoşer: The Rojava Revolution marks a new beginning for internationalism

Internationalist Tekoşer is from Castilla, in the Spanish state and has been in Rojava for approximately three months.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Monday, 28 Mar 2022,


Internationalist Tekoşer attended the conference organised by the internationalists in Rojava. He is from Castilla, in the Spanish state, and has been in Rojava for about three months.

Speaking to ANF about the conference, he said: “This conference has been a series of very important experiences; it has been a historic moment for all of us, it’s the first time in the history of Rojava that all the internationalists working here, in Rojava, can come together. There have been able to open a lot of debates, to talk about our concerns, our desires, about the problems here, about the problems in our own countries, the doubts about our role here or in our countries. The truth is that it has been a very, very enriching experience. It has been a great opportunity to live it, and above all, it has been very nice to meet colleagues from all over the world and see that we are fighting for the same thing.”

Tekoşer added: “I think that the revolution has had many successes, it has brought many improvements. I think that there is still a lot to be done and that should be the main driving force for us to continue working in the same direction, because it is the right direction.
The Rojava revolution has had a very big impact on all internationalist struggles. It has meant a before and an after, I think that internationalism was not at its best before the Rojava revolution and the call that began during the liberation of Kobane and was extended to all the comrades who came here. For example, you can see that less than a year ago the Zapatista comrades came to Europe to strengthen internationalism, so I think that the experience of Rojava, of so many people who have come here, have learned and have returned to their countries of origin is bearing fruit.”



For the Spanish activist, “internationalism should be based on unity. At the end of the day, here in Rojava, we come to Rojava with very different ideologies and we learn to coexist, to talk, to exchange experiences, we learn methods from each other, we learn to review ourselves, to generate self-criticism, to improve our own tools. This is a very important value, unity.
Another very important value is the value of dedication, learning to leave everything to give everything. This is another of the values that we learn by coming to Rojava and I think it is one of the most important values as well.”


For Tekoşer, “internationalism plays very different roles in the defense of the revolution, not only the physical defense, which is perhaps often the most visible, but also the spreading of ideas in our places of origin, the transmission of the values of the Rojava revolution, the diplomatic work that is done, an example of this is how a region within the Spanish state, Catalonia, has recognized the self-administration as a legitimate actor with which to dialogue, to exchange. This is how the work that we internationalists do here is materializing and then returning to our countries of origin. It is essential, internationalism, as I mentioned before, means learning and sharing. If we are not willing to learn from other cultures, other ways of doing things, other values, we will always repeat the same mistakes. For me, it is very clear that it is necessary to travel, that it is necessary to learn from the revolutions around the world in order to improve ourselves, our collectives and our struggles.”

Tekoşer continued: “The truth is that I arrived at the conference without knowing very well what to expect. I have not been here long, but as the days went by I noticed how the feeling of community was growing, how the illusion was growing inside me to finally end up very happy, re-signifying and re-knowing what I want to do here and why I am here, so it was a very important moment.

For me, the role of women should be that of the vanguard. I believe that women are, in the end, as Öcalan said, the first oppressed nation, therefore they should be the first to liberate themselves. I believe that women, not having been so influenced by the state mentality, have the key to liberate all of humanity and I believe that we men have to do much more work, because we are much more influenced and we cannot allow ourselves to let our comrades be the ones who come to liberate us, but we have to be the ones who do the work of following them in this struggle.

For me, the most important decisions that were taken during the conference were those that were aimed at facilitating the organization of internationalists here so that we can develop projects that later have an impact on our places of origin or that allow us to have a more protagonist role in the Rojava revolution.

I have to tell you that revolution is possible, that Rojava is not a dream, it is a reality. That together we can reach a new world. I believe that Rojava can teach us how to give us tools, methods to achieve it, but I believe that throughout Europe a revolutionary current is emerging and I think it is our duty to know how to read the moment and to know how to act accordingly.”