RSF launches new #FreeAssange petition as UK’s Home Secretary considers extradition order

By APR editor -

April 24, 2022
Reporters Without Borders ... a new petition to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Image: RSF
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk

Following a district court order referring the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange back to the United Kingdom’s Home Office, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a new petition calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel to reject Assange’s extradition to the United States.

RSF urges supporters to join the call on the Home Secretary to #FreeAssange by signing and sharing the petition before May 18.

On April 20, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court issued an order referring Julian Assange’s extradition back to the Home Office, reports RSF.

READ MORE: Other reports on the Julian Assange case

Following a four-week period that will now be given to the defence for representations, Home Secretary Priti Patel must approve or reject the US government’s extradition request.

As Assange’s fate has again become a political decision, RSF has launched a new #FreeAssange petition, urging supporters to sign before May 18 to call on the Home Secretary to protect journalism and press freedom by rejecting Assange’s extradition to the US and ensuring his release without further delay.

“The next four weeks will prove crucial in the fight to block extradition and secure the release of Julian Assange,” said RSF’s director of operations and campaigns Rebecca Vincent, who monitored proceedings on RSF’s behalf.


“Through this petition, we are seeking to unite those who care about journalism and press freedom to hold the UK government to account.

“The Home Secretary must act now to protect journalism and adhere to the UK’s commitment to media freedom by rejecting the extradition order and releasing Assange.”

Patel’s predecessor, former Home Secretary Sajid Javid initially greenlit the extradition request in June 2019, initiating more than two years of proceedings in UK courts.

This resulted in a district court decision barring extradition on mental health grounds in January 2021; a High Court ruling overturning that ruling in December 2021; and finally, refusal by the Supreme Court to consider the case in March 2022.

RSF’s prior petition calling on the UK government not to comply with the US extradition request gathered more than 90,000 signatures (108,000 including additional signatures on a German version of the petition), and was delivered to Downing Street, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ahead of the historic first-instance decision in the case on 4 January 2021.

The UK is ranked 33rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2021 World Press Freedom Index.

Pacific Media Watch collaborates with RSF.

KJK: Revolutionary people's war must be expanded

KJK denounced the Turkish attacks in South Kurdistan, saying “Our people, women, youth and the friends of our people should unite around the guerrilla resistance. The revolutionary people's war must be expanded in the face of this genocide."


ANF
BEHDINAN
Wednesday, 20 Apr 2022, 17:22

The Community of Women of Kurdistan (KJK) released a statement regarding the latest wave of invasion attacks by the Turkish army against southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

The KJK statement released on Wednesday includes the following:

“Driven by the neo-Ottoman ideology, the fascist Turkish state is escalating attacks on Kurdistan in an attempt to occupy it. The anti-Kurdish fascist AKP-MHP government has started an all-out war. This war is being waged as a continuation of the international conspiracy against Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, as well as the plan to 'bring the people to their knees'. The military offensive which was launched on April 17 is the continuation of this plan.

'GUERILLA IS LEADING STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM'

The AKP-MHP fascism, which has been targeting our people, our freedom movement and women for years, knows no boundaries anymore. The invasion attacks against Medya Defense Zones, which started in Xakurk in the spring of 2019, continued in Heftanîn, Gare, Metina, Zap and Zagros areas. The April 17 attack is a continuation of the invasion plan. The guerrilla forces are the targets of attacks since they resist, protect the gains in Kurdistan and lead the freedom struggle.

'RESISTANCE SHOULD BE EXPANDED'

Motivated by a struggle for power and family-tribal interests, the KDP is giving way to the occupation forces. It not only paves the way for the Turkish invasion of South Kurdistan, but also offers all the resources and wealth of Kurdistan to Turkey. The KDP’s betrayal and its cooperation with the fascist anti-Kurdish Turkish state are now seen by everyone. If the KDP was not involved in this plan, the Turkish state could not have attempted to invade South Kurdistan. This betrayal of the KDP is in no way accepted by the Kurdish people. Our people and women manifested strong reactions to betrayal and occupation. The Kurdish resistance should be developed and displayed more actively.

'SHENGAL ATTACK AND ISIS GENOCIDE'

The attack of the Iraqi army against Shengal Defence Forces which was carried out in parallel with the attacks against the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas during the Yazidi feast Çarşema Serê Nisanê is not a coincidence. In cooperation with the KDP and Iraq, the occupying Turkish state is completing the Yazidi genocide, which ISIS could not realize in Shengal in 2014. The Iraqi state and the KDP did not protect the Yazidi community in 2014, leaving them face to face with genocide. The Yazidi community, which defends itself with its own forces today, is being attacked by the Turkish state, the KDP and the Iraqi army during its holiest day. This shows that the plans directed at the Yazidi community are not independent from the genocide committed by ISIS. The Yazidi massacre that took place in 2014 was recognized as a genocide by some institutions and states. The genocide has left a black mark in the history of Iraq. This black mark should not be repeated once again. The state and institutions, which recognize the massacre that took place in 2014 as a genocide, should also display a clear stance against the recent attacks if they are sincere.

'ATTACKS ARE NOT ORDINARY, AND RESISTANCE SHOULD NOT BE ORDINARY, EITHER'

We, the freedom movement and the people, are in a difficult period of struggle. Dirty plans are being introduced to target the gains of our struggle. If these plans are not prevented, the Kurdish people will face serious dangers. We must expand the struggle and resistance against this war of aggression and genocide. Since these simultaneous and multiple attacks are not ordinary, the resistance and struggle against these attacks should not be ordinary, either.

'EVERYWHERE SHOULD BE AN AREA OF RESISTANCE’

With a fighting spirit inspired by Kurdish leader Öcalan, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas protect our values ​​and the lands of Kurdistan. The defense of our country is the duty of all Kurds. Thus, our people, especially women and young people, should contribute to the struggle everywhere. In order to increase the fears of the AKP-MHP fascism, North, South, Rojava, East Kurdistan, Shengal, Maxmur and every land where Kurds live must be turned into an area of ​​total resistance. Just as the resistance line of the peoples succeeded in the past, the resistance of our people against the fascist and genocidal Turkish state will also succeed.

'LET'S SUPPORT THE GUERILLAS'

On this basis, our people, women, young people and the friends of our people should unite around the guerrilla resistance. The revolutionary people's war must be expanded in the face of this genocide. The resistance of the guerrillas will succeed through total social resistance. In 2014, the Kurdish people in Kobanê did not accept any option other than victory against the Turkish state and its mercenaries. They considered self-defence as the core value of a dignified life. This stance brought us victory. The people of Kurdistan, the youth and women must revolt against the occupation and destroy fascism.”

Stop the Turkish war of occupation in Kurdistan!

“Stand against the war in Kurdistan! Stand for a world in which all people can live together in solidarity and equality,” said Women Defend Rojava in an appeal against the Turkish war of occupation in Kurdistan.


ANF
NEWS DESK
Friday, 22 Apr 2022, 13:13

The alliance Women Defend Rojava released a statement calling for urgent action to stop Turkey’s genocidal campaign against the Kurds in Kurdistan territory.

The appeal released on Friday includes the following:

“Throughout Kurdistan, the situation is currently escalating and the Turkish war is intensifying immensely. Time and again it has been announced that Erdoğan could expand his war of occupation in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. Where the war in Kurdistan was already taking place before everyone’s eyes anyway, but nevertheless undisturbed, there is now a total lack of attention. Following the recent publication of plans for a new major offensive, the Turkish state has now launched its air and ground attacks against civilians and the guerilla in the Medya defence areas in Southern Kurdistan through artillery, bombardments and fighter jets on the night of April 17. Turkey’s large-scale invasion in collaboration with the PDK in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) has been in sight for a long time and has now begun. On Friday, April 15, the Prime Minister of the PDK party ruling in Southern Kurdistan met with Erdoğan and the head of the Turkish intelligence service MİT. Now it is reported that Turkish war planes are taking off from military bases in Southern Kurdistan, which only further confirms the cooperation of the Turkish state and the PDK. Together with Turkey’s war, a long feared internal Kurdish war is now looming.

Meanwhile, the attacks in Northeastern Syria are intensifying. The Turkish army is attacking the community of Zirgan and villages in the mainly Christian region of Til Temir with massive artillery attacks. Numerous homes and other buildings, such as the church in the Assyrian village of Til Tawil, have already been destroyed as a result and drones are still flying over the region.

Parallel to the renewed Turkish military offensive in Southern Kurdistan and the intensified attacks on Northeastern Syria, the situation in Şengal is also escalating. The Iraqi army has attacked several positions of the local Ezidi defence forces and fierce fighting has ensued. The people of Şengal, where IS committed a genocide in August 2014, killing tens of thousands of Ezidis and enslaving women and children, are now facing renewed danger. With the construction of a 250-kilometre long wall along the border with Rojava and the reinforcement of Iraqi military bases in the region, the situation there is also coming to a head.

In Turkey itself, the Erdogan regime continues its fascist policies. Civil society associations, such as the platform “We will stop femicides”, which does public relations work against femicide in Turkey and accompanies women experiencing violence during trials, are to be banned. In Turkish prisons, isolation and systematic torture, including fatalities, are daily realities for political prisoners. Nevertheless, the international community remains silent about all this, supports and approves the attacks and once again makes itself complicit in the fascist policy and Turkey‘s war, which is against international law.

However, we will not remain silent! The achievements of the revolution in Kurdistan, which places the liberation of women at the centre of its struggles, is a thorn in the side of the authorities. It is our responsibility to oppose this war and to defend the women’s revolution wherever we are. We oppose the Turkish war! We know that we have the power to stop this war and to change the world with our common struggle for dignity. We stand side by side with the people of Kurdistan and their right to self-determination! Defending Kurdistan means becoming aware of the responsibility here. Let’s make resistance visible everywhere!

Therefore, we as Women Defend Rojava call for action against colonialism, fascism, patriarchy and femicide and all forms of oppression. Let us protest in creative forms and actions, take our resistance against the Turkish war of occupation to the public and fight together for a life in dignity and freedom! There are many ways to draw attention to Turkey‘s war, be it on social media platforms, through banners, solidarity photos in defence of Kurdistan, distribution of flyers or other actions in public spaces. Join the call and share it!

It is time to get active against this war, to resist and to take to the streets and squares with our feminist protest! Together we defend the women’s revolution! Stand against the war in Kurdistan! Stand for a world in which all people can live together in solidarity and equality!”

Sezai Temelli: The war economy is the reason for Turkey's economic collapse


Sezai Temelli, economist and HDP deputy, writes that the war economy is the reason for Turkey's economic collapse and argues that there is a need to build a future against capitalism and the Nation-State.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Tuesday, 12 Apr 2022,

In an article published by Kurdistan Report, Sezai Temelli, economist and HDP deputy writes that the war economy is the reason for Turkey's economic collapse and argues that there is a need to build a future against capitalism and the Nation-State.

The article is as follows:

If we look at Turkey's last forty years, we can see that the country's now chronic political and economic crises are in part linked to the state's war strategy against the Kurdish people. While the intensity of the war against the Kurdish people has fluctuated over the past decades, the fact that the Kurdish question today remains an issue of war and has not been resolved is related to the strategic partnership of the capitalist class and the political rulers in Turkey. These have come together because of their overlapping interests of accumulation and hegemony. In recent times, this is particularly visible in the example of the agreement between the AKP rulers and the war industry in the country.

Three trillion dollars for the military

Countless studies and researches by international institutions have found that Turkey is one of the countries where military spending has increased the most. Both scientific and technological researches in this field have been increased. This dramatic upward trend is undoubtedly the result of the hostility towards the Kurds and the war policy. In the last forty years of war, financial resources of almost three trillion dollars have been allocated to the military, condemning the country to this process of chronic crises.

The security policy and war funding in the region, built on violence and oppression, which leaves no room for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, leads to a deepening of the economic crisis as public funds are excessively drained into these areas. This budget subsequently is missing in social areas such as education or the health sector. The related lack of funds for social security systems also leads to an increase in poverty and unemployment in the country. These diverse problems in the country have their roots in the Turkish state's war and security policy.

Exposing the economic interests of the state

If we look at the development of capitalism in Turkey over the last 40 years or take a look at the exploitation mechanisms and surplus value developments in the country, it becomes visible that the war has created a very comfortable climate for the regime. If we do not expose this linkage of war policy and economic interests of certain factions in the state, it will not be possible to pave the way for a peace policy.

The expulsion of the Kurdish population, the destruction of their homeland, the extreme exploitation of the labor of forcibly migrated Kurds, the impoverishment and disenfranchisement of the Kurdish people is part of the production of surplus value in Turkey. The struggle for the redistribution of this surplus value and the bases for an understanding about this distribution give us a clear picture of the structural composition of society in Turkey and of the ruling politics.

Imperialist Greed

The exorbitant centralization of capital accumulation in this area, especially in the last decade, has meant that Turkey's existing state borders are now too narrowly cut for the satisfaction of its interests. The rulers have made it clear that they can no longer tame their imperialist desires and that they are dreaming of solving the current regime crisis with the help of the aspiration for the state borders of Misak-i Milli1. The state leadership's ongoing war strategy is consequently aimed at annexing territories in North Syria.

Society opposes the war

For the current government, which denies the right of the peoples of Syria, above all the Kurds, to self-determination, the end of the road is apparent both at home and abroad. The AKP leadership has lost social support and has lost credibility in the global political arena. Its attempt to stop the implementation of the peoples' right to self-determination in Syria is futile. The state leadership may impose the war as much as it likes to bridge the militarist capital crisis, yet, society's opposition to the war is becoming clearer as the economic crisis worsens.

Society, which is witnessing every day the destructive results of the economic crisis, is gradually breaking its silence. Each and everyone now knows how much a bullet costs, and no one wants to pay that price anymore. We are looking at a leadership that, in the interest of capital, wants to create even more surplus value with even more war and, at the same time, is sliding into an ever deepening crisis that is now as great as the one that led to its assumption of power at the time.

If we succeed in making the struggle for peace a matter for society as a whole, the most important dynamic that will bring the current phase of the crisis to an end can emerge from this. It is inevitable that the whole society organizes together democratically against fascism and fights against war and for a dignified and lasting peace. Democratization inevitably goes hand in hand with the democratization of the economy. The democratic struggle must be carried out radically in every field in order to put an end to poverty, unemployment, ecological destruction and exploitation of labor and to find a democratic solution for the Kurdish question.

A radical struggle for democracy, moreover, is related to political and economic freedoms. We must carry the struggle for freedom for a democratic republic into every sphere of life and economy. Without detaching the sphere of the economy from the demand for freedom, we must build a future against capitalism and the nation-state that goes hand in hand with the democratization of the economy.

This article was first published in the March/April2022 edition of the Kurdistan Report.

1. Misak-i Milli is the name for the political manifesto of the Turkish independence movement during the First World War. The borders of a Turkish republic that had not yet been founded at the time, as outlined in this manifesto, included areas in what is now Rojava (North Syria) and South Kurdistan (North Iraq).

The Turkish war of aggression in Southern Kurdistan - The background (Part 1)

What is Turkey aiming at with its war of aggression in Kurdistan? Why is it attacking right now and what are its plans in case of military success? These questions are addressed in an analysis by Civaka Azad - Kurdish Center for Public Relations.


CIVAKA AZAD
BERLIN
Sunday, 24 Apr 2022

Turkey has launched a new war of aggression in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) and many now have question marks in their minds. What is Turkey aiming at with this offensive? Why is it attacking right now? And what are its plans in case of military success? Civaka Azad (Kurdish Center for Public Relations) addresses these questions in the first part of a two-part analysis:

Since the night of April 17-18, the Turkish state has been attacking the southern Kurdish regions of Zap and Avaşîn. These areas near the Turkish border are largely under the control of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Prior to the start of the offensive, Turkey bombed the target areas widely over a period of three days. Then, when Operation Claw Lock was launched, attack helicopters, warplanes and combat drones were used. In addition, the area is being shelled with rockets from Turkish border military stations. Turkish soldiers were airdropped from attack helicopters at several points at the beginning of the offensive. Since then, there have been heavy military clashes between the guerrilla units and the Turkish military. Both sides have already made initial announcements on casualties in their own and enemy ranks. The numbers naturally differ and cannot be independently confirmed. But neither side doubts that the fighting will continue for a long time.

What is Turkey aiming at with this war of aggression?

Turkey under the AKP regime is pursuing multiple goals with this war. Firstly, there is the deep-rooted hostility towards the Kurdish population. No matter where the Kurdish freedom movement acts and defends the interests of the Kurds, it becomes a target of the Turkish state. This is because the acts of war in Southern Kurdistan are embedded in a more comprehensive concept of attack against the Kurdish population. In Northern Kurdistan (Turkey), state repression increased significantly after the Kurdish New Year festival of Newroz. On March 21, millions of Kurds throughout Northern Kurdistan poured into the streets and not only celebrated Newroz, but also declared their support for the Kurdish freedom movement. The AKP could not and would not let this stand. Since then, hundreds of Kurdish activists have been arrested in several waves of arrests.

Then there is the theater of war in Rojava/Northern Syria. The Turkish state actually wanted to launch a new major offensive here at the end of last year. Kobanê was considered a possible target. At that time, however, Turkey did not get the green light from the international powers for a new war and the AKP regime was unable to realize its plans at that time. Instead, the Turkish government has since intensified its drone attacks in Rojava (30 drone attacks since the beginning of the year) and has been shelling the cities of northern Syria with missiles (most recently the city of Kobanê on April 22). Even ISIS has become active again in northern Syria. And here, too, Turkey is likely to have its fingers in the pie. For in the large-scale attack by ISIS cells in Hesekê in January of this year, numerous Islamists from the Turkish-occupied areas of northern Syria are said to have infiltrated the city. The acts of war in southern Kurdistan cannot and must not be viewed independently of events in other parts of Kurdistan, especially since the aggressor everywhere is the Turkish state.

In addition to fighting Kurdish gains, however, the AKP regime also pursues neo-Ottoman interests in the region. The occupation of Afrin and the strip between Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî in northern Syria by the Turkish army and Islamist mercenaries are well known. In addition, Turkey also maintains numerous military stations in southern Kurdistan. The areas Turkey invades will not be easily surrendered. It already has enormous political and economic influence on the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, and above all on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) under the leadership of the Barzani clan. In the long term, Turkey wants to extend its influence to Baghdad, where it would like to play a role similar to that of Iran. And if you listen to the talk shows of the Turkish mainstream media, the oil-rich cities of Kirkuk and Mosul in northern Iraq belong to Turkey anyway.

Another factor in favor of the military offensive, and this has already been sufficiently voiced in the past, is Turkey's domestic political situation. The economic crisis weighs heavily. A new war comes just in time. Thus, the ranks in Turkish society can be closed again by strengthening the nationalistic "we" feeling (and the collective anti-Kurdish racism). It is therefore not surprising that the Turkish opposition leader of the CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, dedicated his prayers to the "heroic" Turkish soldiers in action via Twitter.

Why is Turkey attacking right now?

We have already touched on the answer to this question above. But there is another reason for the timing: the Ukraine war!

Many connoisseurs of Erdoğan's politics have expected a renewed military campaign against the Kurds in the shadow of the Ukraine war. For in terms of foreign policy, this moment offers almost optimal conditions for a war of aggression by Ankara in violation of international law. Who now wants to criticize Turkey for this offensive? The West, which has just regained its old love for NATO and is therefore courting Ankara's partners? Or Putin, whose war in Ukraine is going anything but as planned and for whom the partnership with Ankara is therefore more important than ever? No, Turkey certainly does not have to reckon with foreign policy criticism. Erdoğan is in the position in which he feels most comfortable: he is needed and courted by the international powers. He knows how to exploit this position and will exploit it to the bitter end. Against the backdrop of this constellation, an expansion of military actions and war crimes by the Turkish army can also be expected. For he does not currently have to reckon with any headwind from international powers.

What will happen if Turkey achieves military success...?

Of course, the AKP regime has a clear plan. The current war in Southern Kurdistan marks one stage of that plan. The PKK guerrilla forces are to be brought to their knees. If this succeeds in Zap and Avaşîn, it will likely be the turn of the next areas controlled by the PKK in Southern Kurdistan. The Turkish state also knows that the guerrilla forces represent a security guarantee for the achievements of the Kurdish population. If military successes are achieved against the guerrillas, then it will consequently be the turn of the achievements. The self-government of the Yazidi town of Şengal and the Maxmur refugee camp are at the top of Turkey's list of attacks. The Iraqi military's recent provocations in Şengal are undoubtedly linked to the Turkish offensive. Time and again, Turkey has bombed these two places in the past. In August last year, even a hospital in Şengal was attacked by the Turkish air force. Eight people were killed as a result. Subsequently, Turkish drone attacks have continued to kill people in both Şengal and Maxmur. Turkey wants to raze the self-government of these two areas to the ground, there is no doubt about that. But now the guerrillas are to be eliminated first.

But Turkey will not leave it at that with a military success. Many currently assume that it could launch a new offensive in Rojava/Northern Syria after possible military successes against the PKK. Another possibility is that it will destabilize the region with the help of ISIS in order to subsequently legitimize its own military intervention. But it is unlikely to stop there either. We mentioned earlier that many political analysts in Turkey have long had their eyes on Kirkuk and Mosul. In any case, those who hope that the Turkish military will dutifully clear its military stations in southern Kurdistan and begin its retreat after a possible military success against the PKK are very optimistic. Under the AKP, Turkey is blatantly pursuing a neo-Ottoman expansionist policy. And in this conception, not only Rojava but also South Kurdistan belong to the Greater Turkish Empire.

In the second part of our analysis, we will address the following questions:

What successes have past Turkish offensives had in South Kurdistan?

What role do the political parties in South Kurdistan play in the current war?

What is the reaction in Baghdad to the Turkish war of aggression?

What about the international reactions?

And why does this war concern us at all?

IRAQI KURDISTAN
KCK calls on Baghdad to establish a dialogue with Yazidis in Shengal

The KCK Foreign Relations Committee called on Baghdad to establish a dialogue with the Yazidi people and said, "As the Freedom Movement, we would support any constructive democratic process that leads to a solution to the current situation."

ANF
BEHDINAN
Friday, 22 Apr 2022,

In a written statement regarding the Turkish state's invasion attacks and the tension in Shengal, the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Foreign Relations Committee called for the Iraqi state to remove weapons and violence from the dialogue process it will develop with the Yazidi people, stating that discussion should serve as the foundation.

The KCK Foreign Relations Committee statement released on Friday is as follows:

“On April 17, 2022, the fascist Turkish regime launched a new attack in its genocidal war against our people. Stuck in a corner with his past crimes, having his economy hit rock bottom since it was spent against the Kurds and dominated by theft, and society demonstrating its opposition to this fascist regime everywhere, fascist Erdogan attempted to alter the agenda. These efforts, though, were ineffective in extending his time and the fascist dictatorship. As a result, he is trying to expand his lands and destroy our people's achievements by utilizing collaborating groupings and families such as the KDP, trying to leave not a singular focus to oppose on behalf of Kurdistan.

While the fascist regime's attacks to this end continue, the courageous and innovative resistance of the Kurdistan freedom guerrilla frustrates many schemes. Calling the fascist Turkish regime's actions exclusively opposed to the PKK suggests that either nothing is understood from history or that there is a partnership in these schemes. The Turkish state has a long history of anti-Kurdish sentiment.

THEY WANT TO REALIZE THEIR NEO-OTTOMAN DREAMS

The Turkish state views any Kurd resisting in the name of the Kurdistan freedom struggle to be dangerous and will do all in its power to destroy it. Furthermore, the same fascist state is working hard to actualize their Neo-Ottomanist dreams. Designating Mosul and Kirkuk as Turkish territories, it organizes agents and carries out activities. Again, it sees no harm in interfering in Iraq's domestic affairs and engages in a variety of initiatives to make sure that political stability is not maintained. The Turkish state’s role is crucial in Iraq's inability to establish stability. The fascist Turkish state continues to carry out its plan to break up Iraq and occupy the area up to Mosul and Kirkuk with this strategy. The KDP is the plan's most important proponent. The KDP is the most supportive of the invaders against the Kurdistan freedom guerrillas' resistance against the Turkish army.

DIALOGUE WITH YAZIDI PEOPLE IS NECESSARY

The fascist Turkish dictatorship has recently increased its attacks on Shengal and our Yazidi people who have just recently experienced genocidal attacks by ISIS. Thousands of women and children were taken prisoner during the 73rd massacre, and their fate is still unknown. While rebuilding their lives following the defeat of ISIS, our Yazidi people also wanted to develop measures to prevent future genocides. For this goal, they established the autonomous administration model while keeping in mind federalism, which is also the spirit of the Iraqi constitution. This endeavor by the Yazidi people largely irritated the KDP, which had handed over Shengal to ISIS, as well as the Turkish state, which was in charge of ISIS. Once again, the Yazidis tried to develop this process in coordination and dialogue with Iraq.

The media has reported tensions between the Iraqi army and the Yazidi population in Shengal in recent days. When the ISIS attacks began, we as a movement intervened in the 73rd massacre. We defended our Yazidi brothers and sisters against these attacks. Following that, a substantial number of ISIS attacks were defeated in the Shengal region, particularly by the YBŞ-YJŞ and Asayiş which are the defensive forces of Yazidis, with the cooperation and assistance of the Iraqi state. Following this process, the Yazidi people in Shengal established their autonomous administration. This procedure was conducted in order to prevent any possible attacks on the Iraqi peoples via Shengal. As a result, the Yazidi defense force in Shengal is not a problem for Iraq, but rather a solution.

It is understood that a plan is in effect, to bring the Iraqi state and the Yazidis face to face at a time when the Turkish invasion attack on South Kurdistan and Iraq has intensified. The Yazidis are a folk that has been subjected to genocides. Iraq must treat the Yazidis and their political will with greater sensitivity and responsibility.

The forces pointing guns at the Yazidis were ISIS, KDP, and Turkey recently. The Iraqi state, on the other hand, should exclude guns and violence from the dialogue process it will develop with the Yazidi people. Agreements made against the will of the Yazidis, the construction of the Turkish wall, and disregard for the values of the people do not address the problems.

Advancing upon the Yazidi people and their children with military vehicles leads to conflict, not dialogue. Neither the Yazidis nor the Iraqi state should get to that point. Similarly, the Shengal autonomous administration should share its solution initiatives with the Iraqi government and administration, with the goal of resolving the conflict through negotiation. In this regard, we would like to stress that the Freedom Movement would support all forms of constructive democratic methods to solve the problem.

As a movement, we are engaged in a major fight against the colonial Turkish state. This is not simply the Kurds' freedom war, but also the resistance of the region's peoples for freedom and peace. The Turkish state's neo-Ottoman scheme will be confronted by the Kurdistan guerrilla's walls and broken into pieces. As a movement, we will continue to frustrate these schemes and resist for the sake of the region's peoples' freedom, peace, and stability. We call upon both the Iraqi state and society to see the dangers of the Turkish state's and its accomplices' invasion plans and to speak out more loudly against them.”

Iraqi army attacks YBŞ and YJŞ positions in Shengal
The Iraqi attacks on the self-governing Yazidi region of Shengal in South Kurdistan continue to escalate. After the Iraqi military tried to take control of check-points of the Êzidxan Asayiş 

ANF News

Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Self-Govern

 

By: Jessica Ashe, EdD, MBA - Foreign Affairs Premier for The Kingdom of Hawai’i

Sovereign nations have the right to self-rule. The rash of colonialism that involved rule of local places by far away governments is ending, as demonstrated recently by Barbados' new independence, not only condoned by its previous colonial head but celebrated in-person by Prince Charles. The Kingdom of Hawai'i is another example of an indigenous people who have thrown off imperialist hands. In 1993, US President Clinton issued what is commonly known now as 'The Apology Bill', which admitted that US Marines landing on the then sovereign territory of The Kingdom of Hawai'i was an act of war. Consequently, the subsequent annexation, initiated by a group of missionaries whose primary concern was the profits from sugar, was also deemed illegal and hence not valid.

The Kingdom of Hawai'i never actually ceased to exist. Queen Liliuokalani, the ruling monarch at the time, ceded under threat of death to her cabinet until such a time as the illegal overthrow would be rectified. In their local context, a precedent was set for the righteous return of rule to its rightful monarch when Admiral Thomas rescinded the illegal British overthrow of The Kingdom in what is known as The Paulette Affair. When that happened, King Kamehameha coined the phrase that would become that national slogan, Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono,

The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Today, The Kingdom of Hawai'i's government operates independently from and without the need for consent from the United States.

King Edmund Keli'i Paki-Silva Jr. was proclaimed by the Council of Regency, Na Kupuna Council O'Hawai'i Nei as Queen Liliuokalani's rightful heir in 2002. He has led a life of righteousness, which confirms this designation. He works to further the causes of his people, like rescuing Pololu Valley from becoming a parking lot. He created the standard in the Indigenous Knowledge curriculum, adopted by schools worldwide. The importance here is that local places should be ruled by local people. Indigenous knowledge is what helps a people and geography to prosper. India cannot be effectively led, or led with honor, by people in England. This has been proven. Each physical place on earth has a unique locale, language, and ways of knowing how to utilize resources efficiently towards the betterment of its people and sustainability of the land.

The point for Kurdistan is that only we Kurds have the local knowledge, "ways of knowing" to lead our people. Kurdistan is currently a 'semi-autonomous' region. However, only we, the Kurds, can appropriately govern our land, just like only a Hawaiian can govern that Kingdom. It could go without saying that it is a mandate to honor basic human rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We Kurds teach our children about other stateless nations and the postcolonial world. We cover their news in our media and cover the issues of the oppressed as our own. For us Kurds, it's part of our belief system to care for and stand with a Kashmiri and Native American, a Balouchi, and a Catalan as much as we stand for Kurdistan. Nations that have been divided, oppressed, massacred, culturally assimilated, othered, and denied statehood should stand together as one to establish an alliance of the wronged and start from there.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kurdistan 24.

Algae a winner in Elon Musk-funded greenhouse gas contest

By MEAD GRUVER

April 22, 2022

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, shakes hands with XPRIZE founder and Executive Chairman Peter Diamandis during an XPRIZE presentation event in Los Angeles, May 15, 2019. From algae farming to producing a sort of artificial limestone, ideas for reducing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere are getting a funding boost from famed entrepreneur Musk. The Tesla electric vehicle and SpaceX rocket company developer is bankrolling a $100 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition for the most promising ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide by grabbing the gas right out of the air. 

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — From algae farming to producing a sort of artificial limestone, ideas for reducing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere are getting a funding boost from famed entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The Tesla electric vehicle and SpaceX rocket company developer is bankrolling a $100 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition for the most promising ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide by grabbing the gas right out of the air.

The 15 early-phase “milestone round” winners were announced Friday and each will get $1 million, a welcome boost for the teams to carry on with and scale up their work.

“What we’ve said is you haven’t given us a million bucks; what you’ve done is catalyzed investment in this technology,” said Mike Kelland, CEO of Planetary Technologies, a milestone winner that seeks to increase the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide by controlling the rising acidity of seawater.

The milestone winners aren’t necessarily ahead or favored for the $80 million in final prize money that will be awarded in three years. Until Dec. 1, 2023, anyone can still jump in the contest, which was announced a year ago, and potentially get a share of that money.

The final winning team or teams will need to show they can remove 1,100 tons (1,000 metric tons) of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, show how much it would cost to remove up to 1.1 million tons (1 million metric tons) per year and show a path to removing billions of tons of carbon dioxide per year.

A third party — neither the participants nor XPRIZE — will independently validate the work submitted for the grand prize to be announced on April 20, 2025.

XPRIZE announced $5 million in carbon removal project awards to university student teams last fall. The milestone winners announced Friday propose a variety of ways to remove carbon dioxide through artificial means and by helping nature do much of the work herself.

Planetary Technologies isn’t looking up into the sky but down in the ocean to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada-based company proposes to use antacids produced from the leftovers of metal mining to make the ocean more able to absorb the greenhouse gas.

“If we kind of ignore the ocean — say we’re trying to do this on land, we’re trying to store it in the ground — we’re just not going to make it,” Kelland said. “That’s sort of the opinion of a lot of these scientists working in this field.”

Durham, North Carolina-based 8 Rivers Capital, sees ocean chemistry as a model to replicate. The winning company seeks to trap atmospheric carbon dioxide in calcium carbonate crystals, similar to how the gas dissolved in the ocean helps form seashells and limestone.

Company spokesperson Adam Goff described the process as “poetic” in a way.

“The calcium cycle is how the earth regulates its CO2 over millions of years. We’re sort of speeding up that natural cycle,” Goff said.

Global Algae, based in Santee, California, won with a plan to cultivate algae to help restore rain forests, which capture huge volumes of carbon dioxide. Algae can be a more efficient and more profitable alternative to the cattle ranching and soy and palm oil crops currently on cleared rain forest land, said Mark Hazlebeck, a principal of the family-owned company.

“We’re actually creating more oil and protein while we’re reforesting at the same time,” Hazlebeck said.

The prize announcement comes as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns in ever-starker terms of the threat of rising global temperatures, including worsening heat, fires, storms and droughts.

“We still need more — more and deeper emissions cuts, and more reliable, validated carbon removal solutions. That’s why we launched this prize,” said Marcius Extavour, chief scientist and vice president of climate and environment at XPRIZE.

XPRIZE is a technology promotion organization known in part for a contest that encouraged development of a privately funded, reusable spacecraft in 2004. Last year, two teams that showed they could profitably trap carbon dioxide from smokestacks in concrete split a $15 million XPRIZE award.

“Even if we stopped CO2 production, that’s probably still not enough,” XPRIZE founder and executive chairman Peter Diamandis said in a 2021 chat with Musk posted on the XPRIZE website. “We do need mechanisms for extraction of CO2 from the atmosphere and the oceans that don’t exist right now.”

The risk of climate disaster could become “dire” if the trend of higher greenhouse gas concentrations continues alongside human population growth and industrialization, Musk replied.

“It’s probably an unwise experiment to run,” Musk said. “Right now, we’ve only got one planet. Even if 0.1% chance of disaster, why run that risk? It’s crazy.”

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Follow Mead Gruver on Twitter at https://twitter.com/meadgruver.

Pro-gun group grows into potent political force in Oklahoma


Don Spencer, left, the president of the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, speaks to state Sen. Kevin Matthews after a meeting at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in Oklahoma City. The pro-firearms association was little-known a decade ago but has grown into a formidable political player at the state Capitol. 

(AP Photo by Sean Murphy_File)


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Wayne Shaw seemed to have all the conservative credentials needed to win reelection to his state Senate seat in Oklahoma two years ago. The mild-mannered pastor with deep ties to the community had a solidly conservative voting record during his eight years in office.

But when Shaw, as chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, declined to hear a bill to allow people to carry guns into bars, he drew the ire of an unemployed truck driver who was passionate about gun rights.

The angry gun advocate, Don Spencer, belonged to a local pro-firearms group. In short order, he and his friends recruited a Republican challenger for Shaw, held a fundraiser in his district and helped defeat the incumbent in the primary.

“I’m not opposed to guns,” said Shaw, who was stunned by the development. “But that (guns in bars) is a good way of throwing gasoline on a fire.

Spencer’s feat is an example of a phenomenon in red states where the Republican Party is moving farther and farther to the right: The most potent political forces aren’t always the long-established organizations that have groomed candidates and advanced legislation for decades. In the current climate, little-known outsiders, even without pedigree or money, can become powerbrokers quickly if connected to incendiary issues like guns or abortion. And almost any officeholder can become vulnerable.

Few at the Oklahoma State Capitol had even heard of Spencer when he started advocating for pro-gun laws, but now he’s a formidable presence in the building. The 62-year-old from Meridian, a small town about 40 miles from Oklahoma City, is warmly welcomed by senior Republicans, and he often sets up camp in legislators’ offices and helps draft legislation.

At bill signing ceremonies, Spencer can often be seen flashing a smile among the lawmakers flanking the governor. Political hopefuls seek him out, and he gives them a seven-page questionnaire to fill out to determine whether they might receive an endorsement.

In the five years since Spencer took over the group, the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association has grown from a handful of chapters to more than 50, set up its own political action committee and begun branching out into other right-wing causes, like stopping vaccine mandates and limiting discussions of race in schools.

Spencer sees the opportunities as boundless. “People in this state are concerned about their rights, and they realize now it’s more important what’s going on in their backyard than what those crazies are doing in Washington, D.C.,” Spencer said in an interview.




The push to expand gun rights comes amid a surge in gun violence in communities across the country, including several mass shootings in recent weeks. Between 2019 and 2020, the last year for which federal data is available, shooting deaths increased 35%. Yet calls for tougher firearms limits have been blocked by GOP opposition, with leaders instead citing an even greater need for citizens to protect themselves.

Fear that government will threaten conservative values is running strong in red states right now, said Michael Crespin, a political science professor at the University of Oklahoma who is familiar with the OK2A group.

“There’s this whole idea that Democrats are going to come and take their guns away,” Crespin said. “That’s not happening,” but “that fear is a good motivator for politics.”

OK2A racked up its broadest achievement in 2018 when lawmakers passed constitutional carry legislation which allows adults to openly carry firearms in public without a license or training. The bill had previously been vetoed by a Republican governor, Mary Fallin, but it was the first one signed into law by new Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

This year the group is pushing to allow people to carry guns on college campuses, at sporting events and at county and state fairs, despite opposition from pro-business groups like chambers of commerce.

While Republican politics had been moving rightward already, the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the role of conservative interest groups, buoyed by resistance to health restrictions. Even meetings in thinly populated rural counties can draw more than 50 people, with hundreds more tuned into livestreams online.

Fundraising is rising sharply. OK2A raised nearly $40,000 in 2019, $83,000 in 2020 and more than $122,000 last year, according to state campaign finance data. Much of the money is spent on online ads and for booths at gun shows. Records show Spencer has started drawing a salary, about $30,000 each of the last two years.

“They do have influence out there, especially in Republican primaries,” said Gary Jones, former chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party. “Where they have their greatest success is low-turnout races where they can mobilize and turn out a bigger percentage of their supporters.”

Tensions sometimes flare between OK2A and the party’s established leaders. When the leader of the Senate expressed concerns last year over a bill designed to protect Oklahoma from “federal overreach,” Spencer called for him to step down and quickly summoned almost 1,000 people to the Capitol to protest.

Earlier this year, a Senate Republican, Lonnie Paxton, complained that Spencer went too far when he declared at a rally, “We win at the ballot box so we don’t have to go to the ammo box.”

Noting the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing was fueled by anti-government rhetoric, Paxton said the remark “crossed every conceivable line of decency.”

Spencer brushed off the complaint, saying it only helped his fundraising.

Republican candidates and officeholders regularly ask to speak to the group’s chapter meetings, with speeches typically including a healthy dose of fiery anti-government rhetoric.

At a recent meeting at an Oklahoma City firearms store, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Tulsa preacher Jackson Lahmeyer, derided Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, as a “mass murderer.” Another Republican candidate offered raffle entries starting at $25 for four custom-built AR-15s and a .50-caliber rifle.

At the Capitol, members ask Spencer about new bills to introduce.

“On a firearms issue, he’d be the first stop to go to,” said Rep. Eric Roberts, a Republican from Oklahoma City.

A leading Democrat, Rep. Emily Virgin, said she’s concerned the group’s power is becoming dangerous.

“This really has just turned into a far-right extremist organization, and the fact that so many Republicans in the House and Senate seem to take their cues from that organization is what is most concerning,” she said.

But Winona Heltzel, a group member from the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, said she joined because she thinks the group can help prevent gun confiscation.

“I know everybody talks about the government, but I’m worried about criminals,” Heltzel said.

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Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy

Russia DM: 396 Crew Members Evacuated From Moskva Cruiser


At least 396 Crew Members Evacuated From the shipwreck of Moskva Cruiser. Apr. 22. 2022. 

| Photo: Twitter/@EuropeNews_b

Published 22 April 2022 (12 hours 51 minutes ago)

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that a total of 396 sailors were evacuated from the Moskva cruiser.

Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday that one crew member died from the lost Moskva cruiser, and there are 27 still missing in action. According to the announcement, at least 396 sailors were evacuated.

"On April 13, the Moskva missile cruiser sustained serious damage due to detonation of ammunition caused by a fire. Attempts to extinguish the fire were fruitless. During the damage control, one serviceman died, and 27 more went missing in actions," said the Ministry.

The Ministry offered its support to the relatives and close ones of the dead and missing crew members. It said that "the remaining 396 crew members were evacuated from the cruiser to nearby Black Sea Fleet ships and delivered to Sevastopol." On Friday, after the funeral service to the ensign who died on the cruiser, which was celebrated in Sevastopol, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev posted on his Telegram channel that the ensign had died but was capable of saving hundreds of his fellow servicemen.

"Today, we paid our last respects to Ivan Leonidovich Vakhrushev. […] He died as a hero. He led his team; he evacuated the sailors after the fire started, then went back, shut down the boiler, but did not have enough time to save himself. He performed an act of valor and save the lives of hundreds of his fellow servicemen," said Governor Razvozhayev. The Ministry of Defense also said on the matter: "Russian Ministry of Defense is providing all necessary support and aid to the relatives and close ones of the dead and the missing in action."

The Russian MoD said that the crew members of the lost Moskva cruiser said of their disposition to continue serving on Russia's Black Sea Fleet ships. "Following a discussion between the Black Sea Fleet command with Moskva cruiser crew members, the absolute majority of officers, ensigns, and volunteer service sailors expressed their desire to continue service on Black Sea Fleet ships," said the Ministry.

"Conscript sailors will be dismissed in the reserve after their service term is over," the Ministry said, adding that some servicemen requested to be transferred to other garrisons; to continue serving on ships of different fleets.