It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, July 10, 2022
STOP NUKE TESTS
Future US ICBM vehicle for Mk21A explodes 11 seconds after launch
WASHINGTON— The Minotaur II+ rocket, which the US will use for the LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] and W87-1 nuclear warhead – the Mk21A, conducted its first test, but it was unsuccessful. Days ago, on July 7th, during the first test at Vandenberg Space Force Base [VSFB], the rocket exploded 11 seconds after launch.
Immediately after the explosion, which was very close to the launch pad, debris fell into the area. VSFB officials reported no injuries but said the explosion did cause a fire on North Base. A press release from Col. Kris Barcomb, Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander confirms what we know, adding that the base’s priority has always been security, and after the incident, emergency teams responded immediately. At the moment, the cause of the explosion is not clear, but the base announced that an investigation had begun.
The new US nuclear program includes the phased retirement of 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and their replacement with the LGM-35 Sentinel based on the Minotaur II+e rocket. The launch was scheduled to be the first test supporting the development of the Air Force’s new Mk21A reentry vehicle.
Photo credit: Gagadget.com
According to the Pentagon’s plans, the new intercontinental ballistic missiles should begin entering the equipment of the US strategic nuclear forces in 2029 to replace the outdated Minuteman III missiles that have been in service since the early 1970s.
The missile is being developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation under a contract with the US Air Force for $13.3 billion. The US Department of Defense estimates that the cost of acquiring new missiles will be more than $95 billion.
The United States now has 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, each of which can deliver up to three nuclear warheads at a distance of 12,000 km. They are the only force-based intermediate ballistic missiles in the triad of US strategic nuclear forces.
Minotaur II+ is a suborbital launch system. At the moment, the US Air Force is in stage 3 of its development – launch and flight tests. By July 7, the Minotaur II+ had performed various test launches, the last one being the only failed launch.
Photo credit: USAF
The Mk21A is the new carrier of the W87-1 nuclear warheads. This model nuclear warhead is extremely powerful. According to available data from open sources, its power is equal to 300 kilotons – 15 times more powerful and devastating than the “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. The W87-1 is part of the W87 family – a warhead with a long history and one of the oldest in the US Army inventory. Sources say the W87-1 has improved security and safety in its use.
The name of the missile [Sentinel] was announced by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall on April 5 2022 in a press release.
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Activists in Stockholm march in solidarity with Kurds ANF STOCKHOLM Sunday, 10 Jul 2022,
Stockholm once again showed its solidarity with the Kurdish people. A crowded demonstration on Saturday walked the streets of the city centre chanting slogans in support of the Kurds and against the NATO agreement with Turkey to allow Sweden and Finland to enter the alliance, sacrificing the Kurds.
32 Turkish soldiers killed in guerrilla resistance in South Kurdistan
At least 32 members of the occupying Turkish army have been killed in the latest actions by HPG and YJA Star in South Kurdistan. ANF BEHDINAN Friday, 8 Jul 2022,
In its daily statement providing information about the ongoing war in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the press office of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) said: "The freedom guerrillas of Kurdistan, fighting selflessly in the spirit of resistance of 14 July, continue to deal heavy blows to the Turkish occupation army. As a result of the effective actions of our mobile guerrilla units, 32 invaders have been punished and two others have been injured. In addition, two helicopters and one drone have been damaged. The war criminal army of Turkey bombed our resistance areas 34 times with chemical agents and explosives, six times with fighter jets and dozens of times with attack helicopters and howitzers."
The HPG statement gave details of the latest actions by HPG and YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) in the Medya Defense Zones. Accordingly, snipers from YJA Star successfully prevented the occupation forces from approaching the Şehîd Umîd war positions in Zap region several times yesterday by using snipers. Two soldiers were killed and two injured in each case. In Kokerê, Turkish soldiers were struck with hand grenades while trying to enter the tunnel complex there and pushed back. In the resistance area of Çemço, a Turkish drone was targeted by guerrillas. Earlier today, the guerrillas hit occupation forces in Karker. Two soldiers were killed and another two seriously wounded in the "coordinated offensive attack."
In Metîna, HPG and YJA Star units carried out several guerrilla sabotages on 5 and 6 July. The actions were directed against occupation troops in the Sêdarê area in the Girê Amediyê resistance area. "The death of twelve soldiers has been safely established," the statement said. On 7 July, YJA Star guerrillas carried out two deadly sniper actions around the hill. Further sabotage actions were carried out at Girê Şehîd Pîrdoxan, among other places, and here the number of military personnel killed amounted to thirteen.
HPG pointed out that the Turkish army bombarded the combat area with planes, helicopters and howitzers and mortars following the actions. "The soldiers' bodies, which were torn apart as a result of the shelling, were not evacuated by the occupying forces, but lay in the combat area until the end."
In the Girê Cûdî resistance area, a soldier was killed by a guerrilla sniper on Thursday. At about the same time, two Sikorsky helicopters flew to Girê FM and Gîrê Amediyê to drop off airborne troops. The guerrillas intervened with artillery fire and heavy weapons. Both helicopters were hit and forced to move back.
Bayık: MIT is carrying out a massacre in cooperation with the KDP - PART ONE KCK Executive Council co-chair, Cemil Bayık, said that the Turkish state gave MIT a great task and opportunity to eliminate the Kurds, and added: "MIT is carrying out a massacre with the information given by the KDP." ANF BEHDINAN Sunday, 10 Jul 2022, 07:49
KCK Executive Council co-chair, Cemil Bayık, made important assessments on the current situation.
Stating that the isolation against Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan is getting worse with each passing day, Bayık emphasized that the AKP-MHP put pressure on Öcalan to maintain its rule and perpetuate its fascist system. Referring to the effect of the Gemlik march held in the past days to end the isolation, Bayık said that the Turkish state wanted to prevent the march but failed. Underlining that the march gave courage to people who marched despite all the pressures, Bayık said that this march also destroyed the curtain of fear created by the AKP-MHP government.
Bayık commemorated martyr Zîlan who carried out a self-sacrifice action on June 30, 1996. "Heval Zîlan – he said - understood the line developed by Rêber Apo very well. Heval Zîlan understood very well the attacks carried out by the genocidal Turkish state against the movement, Rêber Apo and the Kurdish people. She focused on how she would stand against the people and how she would send a message to the militants of the movement, and she put this into practice. Therefore, the practice developed by Martyr Zîlan became a benchmark for this movement and these people. The militants of this movement are based on this line of sacrifice. In Avaşîn and in Metîna, they are applying the line of heval Zîlan at the highest level."
Reminding that the Turkish state attacks Bakur, Bashur and Rojava every day, Bayık said that the KDP also played a role in the murder of martyr Ferhat Şibî and his friends. Noting that the MIT would not be able to carry out such massacres if the KDP did not provide intelligence, Bayık said: "The KDP and its intelligence collect information and pass it on to the MIT in and outside the Parastin Medya Defense Areas. They identify our friends, especially those in charge, places, houses, vehicles, and all of this information. MIT then carries out attacks and massacres acting upon this information. If the KDP and Parastin were not cooperating with the Turkish state, Turkey could not take a step in any area of Bashur, let alone Kelar."
t of the interview given by KCK Executive Council co-chair Cemil Bayık to ANF is as follows:
The aggravated isolation imposed on Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan continues. There is no news from him, and he is constantly being punished. What is the AKP-MHP aiming to achieve with this isolation? Reactions to the isolation also continue. One of these reactions was the Gemlik march. How do you evaluate this march, the attitude of the people and the actions against isolation?
The Gemlik march was held to protest the isolation imposed on Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. The Turkish state wanted to prevent this march, but failed. That's why the Gemlik march had a great impact. For this reason, I salute and pay my respects to everyone who took part in this march. The curtain of fear created by the AKP-MHP government in society was destroyed by this march. The Gemlik march gave courage to everyone. After the march, there were both positive discussions and discussions serving psychological warfare. But this shows the power and influence of Rêber Apo. If Rêber Apo had not been so influential, such discussions would not have taken place.
There is a reason why the isolation imposed on Rêber Apo is getting worse day by day. The AKP-MHP alliance is putting pressure on Rêber Apo to maintain his power and perpetuate his fascist system. But our leader does not accept this and is resisting. They want to break the will of Rêber Apo. That's why they're deepening the isolation even more. Rêber Apo has a truth. He was taken prisoner because he was fighting for freedom for the Kurdish people, for the peoples of the Middle East. Both when Rêber Apo was abroad and after he was taken prisoner, he focused on the democratization of Turkey and the solution of the Kurdish problem on this basis. Rêber Apo protected, defended and expanded the values created by the revolutionaries, socialists and democratic forces in Turkey.
Rêber Apo fought for democracy and freedom
If the values of democracy have been kept alive in Turkey, is thanks to the role of Rêber Apo. He wants to develop a democratic system in Turkey in which to solve the problems of all peoples, people of different faiths. That's why he struggles. The AKP-MHP is against democracy and is using all means to perpetuate its fascist system. The biggest obstacle in front of them is Rêber Apo. That's why psychological warfare is being waged in Imrali. The AKP-MHP wants to impose fascism and eliminate everyone who does not serve it. Rêber Apo stands against this and is fighting for democracy and freedom. A war is being waged on this basis in Imrali. The war waged by the AKP-MHP government against the Kurds, the peoples of Turkey, the socialists, the forces of democracy and freedom is developing in Imrali.
Our people have understood this very well, and the socialists and intellectuals in Turkey also better understand this. Again, the peoples of Turkey began to understand this, albeit slowly. That's why everyone should stand up against isolation. Anyone who says they are against the AKP-MHP, those who want to establish a democratic republic system in Turkey and solve problems through democratic means should stand up against isolation. The measure of democracy and freedom today is to oppose isolation. This is for Rêber Apo's voice to reach everyone. He who does not stand against isolation cannot call himself a democrat, a socialist, an anti-fascist, nor someone that will develop democracy in Turkey.
This year marked the 26th anniversary of Martyr Zîlan's self-sacrifice action on June 30, 1996. How is the line of sacrifice developed under the leadership of Martyr Zîlan kept alive in the Freedom Movement? How should sacrifice be understood?
Rêber Apo created a self-sacrificing movement in Kurdistan. Because nothing other than sacrifice can be an answer to what has been done in Kurdistan. Nothing can bring the Kurdish people back from the dead and resurrect them. That's why the struggle has been developed through sacrifice from the very beginning of the movement to the present. The militants of this movement and the Kurdish people are fighting selflessly every day. Heval Zîlan understood the line developed by Rêber Apo very well. That's why Rêber Apo put a lot of emphasis on heval Zîlan. Because heval Zîlan understood the line very well and, accordingly, she carried out a sacrifice action. She understood very well the genocidal Turkish state's attacks against the movement, Rêber Apo and the Kurdish people. She focused on how she would stand against this, what message she would send to the people and the militants of the movement, and she put this into practice. Therefore, the practice developed by the martyr Zîlan became a benchmark for this movement and the people. In Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna, they implement the self-sacrificing line of heval Zîlan at the highest level.
If we want to understand the line of these activists, we need to know Rêber Apo's line well. If the line is well understood, the struggle develops on the basis of sacrifice. The line of sacrifice created by Rêber Apo is sometimes misunderstood. The perception that the comrades will go and take action based on sacrifice and die is not correct. Rêber Apo stood against the philosophy developed by the invading Turkish state in Kurdistan. The philosophy developed by the enemy is the philosophy of death. Because of what was done to our people, people were saying, 'Even if God takes our lives, we can be saved'. So they saw the solution in death. Because the invading Turkish state had developed the philosophy of death in our society. Rêber Apo developed his philosophy of life against this. With this philosophy, they stood against occupation and genocide. This philosophy took the Kurdish people away from their deathbed.
There is no greater sacrifice-maker than Rêber Apo. Because he devoted his whole life to the freedom of peoples. He lives for democracy and freedom. He does not live for anything else than that. He has said no to a life without freedom and democracy for himself and his people. On this basis, he developed a historical struggle. Since Heval Zîlan understood that line well, she carried out a self-sacrificing action. Because of this, Zîlan is still alive today. It is this line of resistance that keeps the movement, the militants and the people alive.
'Floods in Bangladesh turn people into paupers overnight'
Anadolu Agency visits flood-hit Sylhet region of Bangladesh, witnessing telltale signs of destruction left behind by floods
General view of a flooded area in Sylhet, Bangladesh
Md. Kamruzzaman
10.07.2022 BANGLADESH
In what has been called one of the worst floods in recent history, 120 people are reported dead in Bangladesh and a whopping 15 million displaced.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, flood victims in remote areas said although they have to fight rising waters almost every year, this year the losses have been especially huge.
Peara Begum, 65, a mother of five, has been living on a highway leading to the border town of Companiganj from the northeastern district of Sylhet, as her home was washed away by floods.
The floodwaters flowed into her tin-and-bamboo home and began racing across the floor. Her family members had to stand in waist-deep waters for a full two days before they were finally rescued, she said.
“With the help of some neighbors, we reached the highway by boat somehow and have been living here under the open sky since then with a single dress,” she said, pointing towards a large swath of water, gesturing to where her village might have once stood.
But with a sheet of water covering everything, there are no traces of villages around.
As Anadolu Agency visited the flood-hit Sylhet region bordering India, it could see telltale signs of destruction left behind by the floods. Villagers were seen wading, swimming, and paddling using makeshift rafts or small skiffs, rescuing those marooned, or delivering aid. A large swath of habitats and farms are underwater.
It took nearly an hour by boat to reach the waterlogged place from where Begum and others were forced to relocate due to the deadly floods.
In some places, where the water has receded, people were seen trying to rebuild their houses making use of the odd bits and pieces of materials available.
“Only some wood and tin is left, and I’m trying to restore it just to take shelter with my three kids,” said Mohammad Rafiq.
Need permanent solution
He added that they need at least 10-15 years to recover from the damage caused by the floods.
In the remote Gussagram locality, Mohammad Juel asked the government to find a permanent solution to the floods that hit them every year.
“If the government makes concrete houses on high pillars for us, then we can get relief from such floods permanently,” he said.
He added that many residents of the area have migrated to different urban areas due to floods. Some of them are begging now after failing to find any other means of livelihood. Floods turn people into paupers overnight.
Heavy rains lashed the region ahead of the scheduled monsoons, a harsh reminder that climate change is bringing more extreme weather around the world.
Bangladesh’s 58 rivers, which create fertile plains, have also been a bane for the country, as they overflow frequently, causing death and destruction in the region.
Md. Mojibur Rahman, chief district officer, told Anadolu Agency that the government is on its way to finding a permanent solution to floods in the most vulnerable Sylhet and adjacent districts.
“From now on we will make more culverts instead of constructing roads so that during the rainy season, water flow is not interrupted. On the other hand, we will also dredge the two main rivers of Surma and Kushiara,” he said.
He also said the government has allocated funds for reconstructing the damaged houses of the people affected by this year’s floods.
Nord Stream 1: Canada to return repaired Russian pipeline part to Germany
Canada will return to Germany the repaired turbine of the Russian Nord Stream 1 pipeline, vital for sustaining German gas supply. Ukraine has condemned the move, saying it undermines the sanctions against Russia.
Canada will return to Germany the repaired turbine of the vital Nord Stream gas pipeline
It comes as the pipeline prepares to undergo maintenance from July 11 to 21. Although the maintenance is nominally routine, the tension with Russia and the sanctions status in allied countries like Canada had prompted German leaders to consider the possibility of a longer shutdown.
The repairs come amid Canadian sanctions against Russia extending "to land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery."
Ukraine had urged Canada not to return the repaired part, saying it would undermine sanctions against Russia.
Russia said it decreased gas flow through the Nord Stream because of the absence of the repaired turbine
Ukraine says returning part 'bowing to Russian blackmail'
Ukraine had been urging Canada not to return the repaired turbine. Alexandra Chyczij, the national president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said it would be "setting a dangerous precedent that will lead to the weakening of the sanctions regime imposed on Russia."
Sergiy Makogon, the chief executive officer of Ukraine's gas transmission system OGTSU stressed the turbine must be returned to Ukraine rather than Germany.
The country argued that Germany could rely instead on Ukrainian pipelines to transport a sufficient amount of gas.
Makogan described in a Facebook post the situation as "Kremlin blackmail." Russia's parliament had said the turbine's return would lead to lifting up gas supplies to Europe.
Siemens had proposed the shipping of the turbine back to Germany first, rather than to Russia, as a solution to Canada's legal dilemma. Berlin will then deliver it to Russia's state-controlled Gazprom, Reuters reported, citing a government source.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project was famously halted, despite it being completed, soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. But the original sister pipeline, inaugurated in 2011 and with a similar transport capacity, has remained in operation so far with its deliveries as yet unaffected by European sanctions.
Electricity security called into question
Fears are growing in Germany regarding a difficult winter, should Russia maintain its reduced gas supply.
Peter Adrian, the president of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), warned that the crisis could take its toll not only on citizens in need of heating their homes, but also on companies and Germany's economy at large.
Adrian told the dpa news agency that this could trigger a serious recession, predicting a decline in economic output of up to 10%.
"The clock is ticking and, as businesses, we have to think about the worst case scenario," Adrian said, warning of "disaster" should Russia fail to turn the gas supply back on after the conclusion of the pipeline's maintenance on July 21.
Canada to release equipment for Russia-Germany gas pipeline FILE - A view of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL (Ostsee-Pipeline-Anbindungsleitung - Baltic Sea Pipeline Link) long-distance gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, June 21, 2022. The Canadian government said late Saturday, July 9, 2022 it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance — equipment whose absence Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP, File)
BERLIN (AP) — The Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance — equipment the absence of which Russia’s Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas.
The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Canada’s minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that “Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany.”
That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support “Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas.” He said that “absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship.”
Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom.
German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldn’t have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices.
The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite “some little technical detail” as a reason not to resume gas deliveries.
The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europe’s biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia.
Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germany’s three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europe’s biggest economy faced a “crisis” and storage targets for the winter were at risk.
On Friday, energy company Uniper — Germany’s biggest importer of Russian gas — asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices.
Saturday, July 09, 2022
USA Tribal elders testify about painful memories from government-backed boarding schools
Associated Press
ANADARKO, Okla. — Native American tribal elders who were once students at government-backed Indian boarding schools testified Saturday about the hardships they endured, including beatings, whippings, sexual assaults, forced haircuts and painful nicknames.
They came from different states and different tribes, but they shared the common experience of having attended the schools that were designed to strip Indigenous people of their cultural identities.
“I still feel that pain,” said 84-year-old Donald Neconie, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Kiowa Tribe who once attended the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City. “I will never, ever forgive this school for what they did to me.
As the elders spoke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico and the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, listened quietly. The event at the Riverside Indian School, which still operates today but with a vastly different mission, was the first stop on a yearlong nationwide tour to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to the government-backed boarding schools.
“Federal Indian boarding school policies have touched every Indigenous person I know,” Haaland said at the start of the event, which attracted Native Americans from throughout the region. “Some are survivors. Some are descendants. But we all carry the trauma in our hearts.
“My ancestors endured the horrors of the Indian boarding school assimilation policies carried out by the same department that I now lead. This is the first time in history that a cabinet secretary comes to the table with this shared trauma.”
Haaland’s agency recently released a report that identified more than 400 of the schools, which sought to assimilate Native children into white society during a period that stretched from the late 18th century until the late 1960s.
Although most closed their doors long ago and none still exist to strip students of their identities, some still function as schools, albeit with drastically different missions that celebrate the cultural backgrounds of their Native students. Among them is Riverside, which is one of oldest.
Riverside, which opened in 1871, serves students from grades four through 12 these days, offering them specialized academic programs as well as courses on cultural topics such as bead-working, shawl-making and an introduction to tribal art, foods and games. Currently operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, it has nearly 800 students from more than 75 tribes across the country, and the school’s administration, staff and faculty are mostly Native American.
It is one of 183 elementary and secondary schools across the country funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that seek to provide education aligned with a tribe’s needs for cultural and economic well-being, according to the bureau’s website.
But Riverside also has a dark history of mistreating the thousands of Native American students who were forced from their homes to attend it.
Neconie, who still lives in Anadarko, recalled being beaten if he cried or spoke his native Kiowa language when he attended Riverside in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
“Every time I tried to talk Kiowa, they put lye in my mouth,” he said. “It was 12 years of hell.”
Brought Plenty, a Standing Rock Sioux who lives in Dallas, recalled the years she spent at Indian boarding schools in South Dakota, where she was forced to cut her hair and told not to speak her Native language. She recalled being forced to whip other girls with wet towels and being punished when she didn’t.
“What they did to us makes you feel so inferior,” she said. “You never get past this. You never forget it.”
Until recently, the federal government hadn’t been open to examining its role in the troubled history of Native American boarding schools. But this has changed because people who know about the trauma that was inflicted hold prominent positions in government.
At least 500 children died at such schools, but that number is expected to reach into the thousands or tens of thousands as more research is done.
The Interior Department’s report includes a list of the boarding schools in what were states or territories that operated between 1819 and 1969 that had a housing component and received support from the federal government.
Oklahoma had the most, 76, followed by Arizona, which had 47, and New Mexico, which had 43. All three states still have significant Native American populations.
Former students might be hesitant to recount the painful past and trust a government whose policies were to eradicate tribes and, later, assimilate them under the veil of education. But some welcome the opportunity to share their stories for the first time.
Not all the memories from those who attended the schools were painful ones.
Dorothy WhiteHorse, 89, a Kiowa who attended Riverside in the 1940s, said she recalled learning to dance the jitterbug in the school’s gymnasium and learning to speak English for the first time. She also recalled older Kiowa women who served as house mothers in the dormitories who let her speak her Native language and treated her with kindness.
“I was helped,” WhiteHorse said. “I’m one of the happy ones.”
But WhiteHorse also had some troubling memories, including the time she said three young boys ran away from the home and got caught in a snowstorm. She said all three froze to death.
“I think we need a memorial for those boys,” she said.
Felicia Fonseca contributed to this report from Flagstaff, Arizona
UN Deems Eviction of Palestinians from Masafer Yatta as ‘War Crime’
Saturday, 9 July, 2022 - Palestinian demonstrators gesture next to Israeli forces during a protest against Israeli settlements in Masafer Yatta, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat
The United Nations has warned that the forced evictions of Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and amounts to a “war crime.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of the Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states in its weekly report on Friday that the forcible transfer of civilians from, or within, the occupied Palestinian territory is absolutely prohibited under international humanitarian Law.
“Israeli authorities should halt all coercive measures, including planned evictions, demolitions, and military training in residential areas,” OCHA said in its report.
Masafer Yatta spans some 36 kilometers and is comprised of 19 Palestinian villages that are home to more than 1,200 Palestinians.
In the 1980s, Israeli authorities designated a part of Masafer Yatta as a closed military zone. Since this declaration, residents have been at risk of forced eviction, demolition, and forcible transfer.
In 1999, the Israeli government issued eviction orders against approximately 700 Palestinian residents of the city for “illegally living in a firing zone,” as a result of which the Israeli military evicted by force most of them and destroyed or confiscated their homes and property.
A few months later, the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ), in response to a petition filed on behalf of the residents, issued an interim injunction allowing most of the people to return, pending a final court decision.
However, the existence of eviction orders left residents living under the constant threat of destruction of their properties and the risk of forcible transfer.
In a 2012 petition to the HCJ, the Israeli military offered citizens access to the land for cultivation and grazing only on weekends and Jewish holidays.
Legal action, humanitarian aid and advocacy challenged this decision and provided temporary protection from forced eviction to the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta.
On May 4, 2022, the HCJ ruled that there were no legal barriers to the planned expulsion of Palestinian residents from Masafer Yatta to make way for military training, effectively placing them at imminent risk of forced evictions, arbitrary displacement, and forcible transfer.
The OCHA stressed in its report that “constant eviction of Palestinians from their ancestral homes and Israel’s decades-long settlements expansion activities have changed realities on the ground, and are inconsistent with international humanitarian law and UN Security Council resolutions, which are legally binding.”
The statement stated that “215 Palestinian families, comprising 1,150 individuals, including 569 children, are currently living in the Masafer Yatta area and are facing threats of home demolition, as well as violence from settlers who live in outposts close to them”.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah: Prominent Egyptian activist marks 100 days of hunger strike
Supporters of Alaa Abd el-Fattah are calling on Washington to help secure his release Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abd el-Fattah gives an interview at his home in Cairo on 17 May 2019 (AFP/File photo)
Supporters of prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who on Sunday will mark 100 days on a hunger strike, are calling on Washington to help secure his release, a statement said.
A major figure in the 2011 revolt that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Abd el-Fattah was sentenced in December to five years in prison after he was convicted along with two others of "broadcasting false news".
Sunday will mark 100 days of his huger strike, a statement from his support committee said. He has been only taking "100 calories a day in the form of a spoon of honey and a drop of milk in tea", Saturday's statement said. Alaa Abd el-Fattah: Family urges UK government to pressure Egyptian minister during London visitRead More »
His sister Sanaa Seif will speak about his case in a media briefing in Washington on Monday ahead of a Middle East tour later in the week by US President Joe Biden, the statement added.
Other Arab leaders including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are expected to be present in Saudi Arabia when Biden visits the kingdom as part of his tour.
Another sister, Mona Seif continues to draw attention to the plight of what rights groups say are about 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. She has been collecting letters of support from European lawmakers for months.
Mona Seif announced this week that she was suspending her own hunger strike, which she had begun in solidarity with her brother.
"Alaa is currently serving a five-year sentence for sharing a Facebook post about prison conditions in Egypt," the support committee statement said.
"He is on hunger strike demanding his right to consular access from the British embassy," it added.
Abd el-Fattah gained UK citizenship in April from inside prison, through his British-born mother Laila Soueif.
Egypt's interior ministry said last month that it had footage that "disproves" reports of his hunger strike.
The British government is now in disarray after Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister this week.
Egypt is set to host the COP27 climate summit in November, a role Human Rights Watch has said "rewards" President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's "repressive rule".
The case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah and Egypt’s crushing of dissent
The story of an imprisoned activist exposes the grim climate for speech in Egypt. Plus, what might Chile’s new constitution portend for the media there?
As Egypt’s President el-Sisi kicks off a “National Dialogue” on human rights, the precarious fate of jailed writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah exposes the grave climate for free speech in the country.
Contributors: Mona Seif – Sister of Alaa Abd el-Fattah Nancy Okail – President, Center for International Policy Amr Khalifa – Political analyst Sabrina Bennoui – Head of the Middle East desk, Reporters Without Borders
NASA FURIOUS AT RUSSIA'S UKRAINE STUNT ON SPACE STATION
On Monday, the Russian space agency took to Telegram to post images of ISS cosmonauts holding the flags of the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic — two separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine that only Russia and Syria recognize as independent territories — claiming that the Russian capture of the territories was a "liberation day to celebrate both on Earth and in space."
While NASA administrator Bill Nelson was quick to respond, claiming that there was no need for the US to further escalate the situation, the agency has seemingly had a change of heart since then.
NASA decided to condemn the act in a fiery Thursday statement, declaring that it "strongly rebukes using the International Space Station for political purposes to support [the] war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the station's primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes."
End of an Era?
Until this week, the off-world relationship between the two countries had remained civil overall, in spite of the war currently waging on Ukrainian soil.
Earlier this year, NASA associate administrator for space operation Kathy Leuders said that the space agencies and their respective spacefarers were "still working together," as quoted by The Washington Post. "Obviously, we understand the global situation and where it is, but as a joint team, these teams are operating together."
The astronauts and cosmonauts themselves have gone to great lengths to debunk claims of any Ukraine-related ill will amongst one another.
"About my relationship with my Russian crewmates," NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, told the press back in April after returning to Earth by way of Russian spacecraft. "They were, are and will continue to be very dear friends of mine."
Honestly, this whole situation is pretty heartbreaking. The ISS has served as a powerful symbol of peace and cooperation for decades. Politicizing the orbital outpost during a divisive, violent war serves as a highly unfortunate departure from its intended purposes.
The International Space Station as seen from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon departing the ISS Image: NASA
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tensions between the US and Russia are particularly strained here on Earth, prompting concerns that friction could inevitably spill over into the two countries’ longstanding partnership in space. For now, both NASA and Russia say they are still working together to keep the International Space Station operational, as they’ve done during past international turmoil.
Russia is, by and large, the United States’ biggest working partner in space. NASA and Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, jointly operate the ISS, an orbiting laboratory that has become the primary space destination for astronauts hailing from America, Russia, and other nations across the globe. Roscosmos and NASA have been working together on the ISS for nearly three decades now, but the US-Russian partnership goes back even further than that. The two space organizations coordinated on Russia’s former Mir space station, swapped seats on NASA’s Space Shuttle and Russia’s Soyuz rocket, and even worked together during the Apollo era on the Apollo-Soyuz test project.
Since the space partnership has been a lengthy one, this is certainly not the first time that Russia and the US have clashed on the ground while continuing to work together in space. NASA and Roscosmos have continued to cooperate on the ISS during the 2014 invasion of Crimea and even after Russia blew up its own satellite, creating debris that threatened the ISS. Consistent communication between the two organizations is paramount for the safety of the ISS crew, even when tensions flare. “We’ve been able to keep it compartmentalized for so long,” Todd Harrison, director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells The Verge. “And there’s a value to having that relationship between the US and Russia.”
Currently, seven people are living onboard the International Space Station, including four NASA astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts. NASA says that nothing has changed regarding the schedule of the ISS. “NASA continues working with the State Space Corporation Roscosmos (Roscosmos) and our other international partners in Canada, Europe, and Japan to maintain safe and continuous International Space Station operations,” Josh Finch, a spokesperson for NASA, emailed to The Verge in a statement a few hours before the invasion began. “NASA and its international partners have maintained a continuous and productive human presence aboard the International Space Station for more than 21 years.”
However, there may be more options for NASA to distance itself from the Russian space corporation as the situation becomes more dire on the ground, especially since the dynamic between the organizations has significantly evolved in recent years. “It’s not really an option to just not be in contact about [the ISS],” Makena Young, an associate fellow with the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS, tells The Verge. “But basically anything else I think is up for delays or cancellations.”
On a more superficial level, it seems likely that any planned trips to Russia or other pleasantries between NASA and Roscosmos will be delayed or canceled. Despite reports that NASA administrator Bill Nelson would be taking a trip to Russia to discuss ISS operations, NASA press secretary Jackie McGuinness confirmed to The Verge that there is no trip currently planned. “At the level of exchanges of dignitaries or attending conferences, I would guess that you’ll see a reduction,” David Burbach, a professor at the US Naval War College who teaches space security and international relations, tells The Verge.
Perhaps the most analogous situation to current events occurred back in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea. At the time, NASA sent out a memo to employees telling them to suspend contact with Russian government representatives. Travel to Russia was suspended for NASA workers and Dmitry Rogozin, a deputy prime minister in 2014 who now leads Roscosmos, was sanctioned personally, preventing him from entering the United States.
NASA was in a much more precarious position in 2014. The space agency had just retired the Space Shuttle in 2011, and without the vehicle, NASA didn’t have a way to deliver people to space. So, for years, NASA relied on Russia’s Soyuz rocket to get its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. While NASA could take some actions, the agency couldn’t completely distance itself from Russia during the Crimea invasion as the agency needed Roscosmos in a fundamental way.
Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space corporation Photo by Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The situation is much different now. In 2020, SpaceX successfully launched two NASA astronauts to the ISS on the company’s Crew Dragon, demonstrating that it could deliver people to and from space for the agency. Now, NASA has the option to fly its astronauts solely on Crew Dragon flights if it wants. And that could give NASA a little more freedom to cut ties with Russia on certain projects. “NASA really doesn’t have a lot of reliance on Russia anymore for civil space programs,” says Young. “So I think that there’s a lot more wiggle room to be a bit more strict than there was in the past.”
One project that might be in a precarious position is a planned crew swap between NASA and Roscosmos, where the two organizations would allow personnel to fly on the other country’s passenger vehicles. While NASA has continued flying its astronauts on the Russian Soyuz rocket, Russian cosmonauts have not yet flown on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Lately, Roscosmos had begun warming to the idea, and the two organizations are in the midst of finalizing that arrangement, though nothing has been officially signed. In December, Rogozin announced that Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina would fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the fall of 2022 as part of the crew swap. NASA confirmed to The Verge that there are two cosmonauts currently in Houston training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and two NASA astronauts completed training in Russia earlier in February.
It’s possible that agreement could be in jeopardy in the future, but for now, it seems to still be moving forward. “Roscosmos continues fulfilling its international obligations to ensure ISS operation; work is also underway on the integrated crew flights agreement.” Oleg Bolashev, chief specialist of the Roscosmos press service, emailed to The Verge in a statement.
Roscosmos continues to rely on NASA to keep the ISS running, as NASA spends $3–4 billion on the project every year. “I think it is fair to say Russia stands to lose more than we do,” Harrison says. He argues that the ISS is the flagship of the Russian space program. “They don’t really have any other achievements to point to of that magnitude,” says Harrison. “So they would be losing a tremendous science platform but also a tremendous status symbol as a space superpower if they didn’t have ISS.”
The ISS isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but the future of the station is still unresolved. In late December, the Biden administration announced its intention to extend ISS operations through 2030. Roscosmos has been mulling over a similar extension. However, Rogozin told The New York Times that such an extension could not happen until the sanctions on two Russian companies were removed. “In order to give us a technical capability to produce whatever is needed for this extension, these restrictions need to be lifted first,” Rogozin said. However, Rogozin also told CNN that “this is a family, where a divorce within a station is not possible.”
Outwardly, Rogozin is still showing his support for Roscosmos’ relationship with NASA amid current events while condemning US policy.
The NASA and Roscosmos relationship has faced more tests than ever as of late, even beyond the situation in Ukraine. When the Russian military intentionally destroyed one of the nation’s own satellites with a ground missile, the test created thousands of pieces of debris that posed an immediate threat to the International Space Station. The crew onboard — which included two cosmonauts — had to be woken up early and then sheltered in place as a precaution. Administrator Nelson condemned the test, and he later spoke with Rogozin, “expressing dismay” over the danger the astronauts faced. Rogozin indicated to The New York Times that he shared frustration over the test.
As it is, the ISS remains one of the few things keeping NASA and Roscosmos together. NASA is currently focused on its new flagship mission called Artemis, a massive new endeavor to send the first woman and the first person of color to the surface of the Moon. As part of that project, NASA developed the Artemis Accords, an international agreement between various nations that creates a set of standards for how to explore the Moon. Rogozin has been particularly critical of both Artemis and the Artemis Accords, comparing the agreement to “an invasion” in a now-deleted tweet. He also said that Russia plans to work with China on their lunar efforts instead.
Despite all this turmoil — both in space and on Earth — the ISS is still zooming along on its orbit, and the astronauts and cosmonauts on board are still working together as planned. In March, Russia plans to launch another crewed Soyuz flight to the ISS, though that mission will carry an all-cosmonaut crew. That isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
“I think it’s pretty unlikely we’ll see expansions or new developments with Russia,” says Burbach. “But I don’t think that the nuclear option with ISS — I don’t think we’re going to see that.”
California needs nuclear, solar and wind to beat climate change David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
Jennifer L. Klay
Fri, July 8, 2022
Momentum is building in San Luis Obispo County and across the state to extend operations at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant beyond its scheduled shutdown beginning in 2024.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is reconsidering the closure of the state’s last nuclear facility and single largest source of clean energy production. Sen. Dianne Feinstein recently changed her mind about shuttering Diablo Canyon. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Energy has proposed changes to allow the plant to qualify for federal assistance to remain in operation.
So why the recent shift? Time is running out to avert the worsening impacts of climate change and Diablo Canyon can help speed up our progress toward reducing emissions.
Research has shown that Diablo Canyon could enable the state to achieve a carbon-free electric grid 10 years ahead of schedule.
Two studies, one by Stanford and MIT and another by the Brattle Group, also found that the plant could dramatically reduce carbon emissions and reliance on natural gas and bolster grid reliability while saving Californians billions on their energy bills.
As of today, California is on track to badly miss its climate goals.
According to a recent report by Energy Innovation, the state needs to more than triple its rate of greenhouse gas reductions to reach its target of lowering emissions to 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2030. The Brattle Group study found that the expansion of solar power — one of the pillars of decarbonization — is currently running at less than half the rate required to maintain reliability and achieve the state’s zero-carbon goals.
Even if the state builds solar energy capacity at twice the current rate, California will remain dependent on polluting gas-fired power generation and carbon-emitting imported fuels in the near term. Those emissions will linger in the air and warm the atmosphere for centuries while retaining Diablo Canyon would enable the state to displace these sources with carbon-free generation.
Others express concern over the handling and storage of Diablo Canyon’s spent fuel. The volume of spent fuel is low and secured within dry casks that keep workers safe, prevent leaks, and withstand the impact of natural disasters. This technology is not new and has been rigorously tested and used for decades at Diablo Canyon and dozens of other sites throughout the nation.
Diablo Canyon’s seismic preparedness and safety is another topic of misinformation from opponents. But rigorous analysis has made clear that the plant is built to withstand any and all seismic activity at the site. In a letter to Gov. Newsom, experts point out that an extensive regulatory review found that Diablo could safely withstand even the largest earthquakes and that no additional seismic or flood protection retrofits are needed. Diablo Canyon “does not pose a seismic danger, and thus the seismic issue should be taken off the table,” the experts wrote.
Meanwhile, local support for retaining Diablo Canyon is strong. A January poll found that 74 percent of San Luis Obispo County voters support continued operation of the plant. In a show of bipartisan cooperation, Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham and County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg joined forces to warn that closing the plant would increase the state’s dependence on carbon-emitting natural gas, preventing us from meeting our ambitious emissions goals.
As California braces for prolonged drought, wildfires and weather extremes, every moment counts in securing the state’s clean energy future. Diablo Canyon should continue to produce carbon-free power to benefit the state and the local San Luis Obispo community and serve as an integral part of an all-of-the-above approach to building our low-carbon future.
Jennifer L. Klay is a physics professor at Cal Poly
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