Libyan activists raise alarm after anti-corruption journalist Ahmed Al-Senussi goes missing

The Libyan Journalists Network condemned the detention and raised alarm over the uptick of kidnappings and attacks on journalists.

The New Arab Staff
12 July, 2024

Activists have raised concerns over media freedoms in the country [Getty]

Activists and journalists in Libya say they are worried about the detention of a leading journalist, Ahmed Al-Senussi, who was reportedly abducted in Tripoli on Thursday.

The Alwasat Libya news site announced that Al-Senussi’s family lost contact with him after he was reportedly detained by the internal security agency.

Libyan journalist Mohammad Elgrj highlighted Al-Senussi previous coverage of political events in the country, suggesting it may be one of the reasons behind his detention.

"Ahmed Al-Senussi covers corruption issues, economic and social files, and economic policies. Primarily based in Tunisia, he announced his return to Libya yesterday after a dispute with the Ministry of Economy over publishing internal documents through Al-Sada economic newspaper, which he manages," he wrote on social media platform X.

He said he was "extremely concerning" that Al-Senussi was taken from his home and that he prays for his safe return.

Drooj, a Libya-based human rights platform, said that Al-Senussi's fate is essentially unknown as no charges have been made against him or details about his whereabouts not explained to his family.

"The series of kidnappings and murders committed against critics by the controlling authorities in Libya sends a clear message from the de facto authorities: remain silent and swallow your tongue," they said in a statement.

His disappearance comes just days after documents he published that incriminated the Minister of Economy Mohammed Al-Hawaij, which led to harassment by the internal security service of Al-Senussi and his colleagues.

"With their control over the state’s sovereign security and military agencies, the 'criminal authorities' ruling in Libya expand the circles of corruption in parallel with the narrowing the circle of freedoms and rights by intimidating anyone who threatens their privileges, even with a word," Drooj said in a statement.

The Libya-based Al Hurra News journalist Rafaat Belkhair also highlighted Al-Senussi’s arrest.

"The Libyan Journalists Network strongly condemns the kidnapping of the Libyan journalist Ahmed Al-Senussi today in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and expresses its deep concern over the escalation of kidnappings and attacks on journalists and civil society activists in Libya," Belkhair said.

Al-Senussi is a renowned media personality, with a TV show that covers issues related to the economy and political corruption.

Japan sacks defense officials for mishandling classified information

Action taken against 218 personnel over disciplinary issues, including abuse of power

Serdar Dincel |12.07.2024 



ISTANBUL

Japan on Friday dismissed and suspended officials in defense forces over issues including mishandling sensitive information, Kyodo news reported.

Defense Ministry said it disciplined a total of 218 Self-Defense Forces members and senior bureaucrats for issues including mishandling classified information and eating and drinking in base cafeterias without paying.

The individuals facing disciplinary actions are also accused of abuse of power.

Of these, 11 were dismissed, two were demoted, 83 were suspended, 14 received pay cuts, and seven were formally reprimanded. The remaining individuals were either admonished or warned.

A growing number of scandals are said to have led to increase in public distrust towards the SDF and the ministry.

The fraudulent practice, believed to have involved dozens of Maritime Self Defense Forces members, is thought to have been common and may have lasted from 2017 to 2022.

Regarding abuse of power cases, three high-ranking ministry officials at the director level or above are accused of repeatedly uttering intimidating remarks to their subordinates, causing psychological distress.

The behavior was uncovered during or after the ministry's special investigation into various forms of harassment in all SDF units from September 2022 to August 2023, following a high-profile sexual abuse case involving former female Ground Self Defense Force member Rina Gonoi.

UNITED IN WAR ON KURDISTAN

A rapprochement between Syria and Turkey is on the table. Here’s what it might mean for the region

Syrians cross into their country from the Turkish crossing point of Cilvegozu, in Reyhanli, southeastern Turkey, on Feb. 18, 2023. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad have recently signaled that they are interested in restoring diplomatic … more >

By Abby Sewell and Suzan Fraser - Associated Press - Friday, July 12, 2024

ANKARA (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad have recently signaled that they are interested in restoring diplomatic ties that have been ruptured for more than a decade.

Erdogan has said that he hopes to arrange a meeting with Assad soon for the first time since the countries broke off relations in 2011 as mass anti-government protests and a brutal crackdown by security forces in Syria spiraled into a still-ongoing civil war.


Speaking at a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, Erdogan said he had called on Assad two weeks ago to either come to Turkey for the meeting or to hold it in a third country, and that he had assigned Turkey’s foreign minister to follow up.

Turkey backed Syrian insurgent groups seeking to overthrow Assad and still maintains forces in the opposition-held northwest, a sore point for Damascus.

This is not the first time that there have been attempts to normalize relations between the two countries, but previous attempts failed to gain traction.

Here’s a look at what might happen this time around:

Russia, which is one of the strongest backers of Assad’s government but also has close ties with Turkey, has been pushing for a return to diplomatic relations.


In December 2022, the Turkish, Syrian and Russian defense ministers held talks in Moscow, the first ministerial level meeting between rivals Turkey and Syria since 2011. Russia also brokered meetings between Syrian and Turkish officials last year.

However, the talks fizzled, and Syrian officials publicly continued to blast Turkey’s presence in northwest Syria. Assad said in an interview with Sky News Arabia last August that the objective of Erdogan’s overtures was “to legitimize the Turkish occupation in Syria.”

Russia appears to once again be promoting the talks, but this time around, Iraq - which shares a border with both Turkey and Syria - has also offered to mediate, as it previously did between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Aron Lund, a fellow with the Century International think tank, said Iraq may have taken the initiative as a way to deflect pressure from Turkey to crack down on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s and has bases in northern Iraq.

By pushing rapprochement with Syria, Baghdad may be trying to “create some form of positive engagement with the Turks, kick the can down the road, and deflect the threat of an intervention,” Lund said.

The geopolitical situation in the region has also changed with the war in Gaza and fears of a wider regional conflict. Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, an analyst on Turkey and director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara, said that both countries may be feeling insecure and seeking new alliances in the face of the war’s potential regional ripple effects.

From Erdogan’s side, Unluhisarcikli said, the attempt to engage is likely driven in part by the increasing anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey. Erdogan is likely hoping for a deal that could pave the way for the return of many of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees living in his country.

From the Syrian side, a return to relations with Turkey would be another step toward ending Assad’s political isolation in the region after more than a decade as a pariah due to his government’s brutal crackdown on protesters in 2011 and alleged war crimes afterward.

And despite their differences over Turkey’s presence in northwest Syria, Damascus and Ankara both have an interest in curtailing the autonomy of Kurdish groups in northeast Syria.

Turkey may be concerned that the security situation in northeast Syria could deteriorate in the event that the U.S. withdraws troops it currently has stationed there as part of a coalition against the Islamic State militant group, Unluhisarcikli said. That could require Turkey to “cooperate or at least coordinate with Syria, to manage the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal,” he said.

Joseph Daher, a Swiss-Syrian researcher and visiting professor at the European University Institute in Florence, said the two governments likely hope for modest “economic gains” in a rapprochement. While trade never completely stopped, it currently goes through intermediaries, he said, while restoring diplomatic relations would allow official commerce to resume and make trade more fluid.

Analysts agreed that the talks are unlikely to bring about the full Turkish withdrawal from northwest Syria that Damascus has called for or any other major shift in conditions on the ground in the near term.

Although the two countries’ interests “actually overlap to a large degree,” Lund said, “there are also major disagreements” and “a lot of bad blood and bitterness” that could impede even “lower-level dealmaking.” Both Erdogan and Assad may also want to wait for the outcome of U.S. elections, which could determine the future American footprint in the region, before making a major deal, he said.

In the long run, Lund said, “The logic of the situation dictates Turkish-Syrian collaboration in some form. … They’re neighbors. They’re stuck with each other and the current stalemate does them no good.”

Unluhisarcikli agreed that a “grand bargain” is unlikely to come out of the present talks, but the increased dialogue could lead to “some confidence building measures,” he said.

Daher said the most probable outcome of the talks is some “security agreements” between the two sides, but not a full Turkish withdrawal from Syria in the short term, particularly since the Syrian government army is too weak to control northwest Syria by itself.

“On its own, it’s not able to take back the whole of the northwest - it needs to deal with Turkey,” he said.

In Turkey and in government-controlled Syria, many view the prospects of a rapprochement positively. In northwest Syria, on the other hand, protests have broken out against the prospect of a normalization of relations between Ankara - which had previously positioned itself as a protector of the Syrian opposition - and Damascus.

Kurds in Syria have also viewed the potential rapprochement with apprehension. The Kurdish-led authority in northeast Syria said in a statement that the prospective reconciliation would be a “conspiracy against the Syrian people” and a “clear legitimization of the Turkish occupation” of previously Kurdish-majority areas that were seized by Turkish-backed forces.

___

Sewell reported from Beirut.

Syrian armed groups divided over Turkey-Syria normalization push

Analysis

July 11, 2024
Bilal Samir

In recent days, widespread protests have erupted across many Turkish-controlled towns and cities in the countryside to the north of Aleppo and around Idlib. Some protests have escalated into violence, as clashes have broken out between local armed groups and Turkish forces, resulting in multiple casualties among both protesters and Turkish soldiers. The unrest followed racist attacks against Syrians that started in the Turkish city of Kayseri on June 30, destroying several Syrians’ properties.

While the racist attacks served as the catalyst for the protests in northern Syria, they were not the sole cause. In fact, these protests stem from growing public dissatisfaction over recent discussions about the potential normalization of relations between Turkey and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. On June 28, 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan indicated his country's willingness to restore diplomatic ties with the Assad regime. For his part, the head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, Özgür Özel, has said he is planning to travel to Damascus to meet Assad as well.

Statements by Turkish officials have coincided with what many Syrian activists view as preliminary and practical steps toward normalization. These steps include the opening by the local council of al-Bab in Aleppo's eastern countryside of the Abu al-Zandein crossing, which connects regime-controlled areas in Aleppo City with opposition-controlled areas, as a first step toward making it a permanent and official crossing. During this same period, Turkish immigration authorities launched a campaign to deport illegal Syrian refugees in Gaziantep and Kilis, resulting in the forced deportation of hundreds of refugees to northern Syria.

Despite their popular nature, the protests have exposed the rifts and divisions between various opposition factions. Some have showed support for Turkey's push toward normalization with the Assad regime, while others have adopted opposing and independent stances despite Turkish influence. This article aims to highlight the positions of the major military factions in Turkish-controlled areas during the protests and assess how closely they align with Turkey's policy.

Divided opposition

The map of military and security influence in northern Syria reveals six main Syrian National Army (SNA) factions operating in Aleppo’s northern countryside, while Idlib remains under the control of the Sunni Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Despite sharing the same ideology, the SNA factions differ in their structure and roles, leading each to adopt a distinct stance during the recent protests.

One notable faction in this context is the "Eastern" Liberation and Construction Movement, led by Abu Hatem Shaqra. This group mainly comprises fighters displaced from Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria and controls Jarablus and parts of al-Bab. It is one of the factions that actively participated in the protests. Its fighters stormed the administrative building of the Abu al-Zandein crossing and blocked commercial trucks from passing just days before the popular protests erupted. Members of the Liberation and Construction Movement also directly joined the protests in al-Bab and Jarablus, led a campaign of rioting and violence against government buildings, prevented Turkish employees from performing their duties, assaulted Turkish truck drivers, and shut down the Jarablus border crossing with Turkey.

The Sham Front, active in A’zaz, showed more restraint in its support for the protests. While it encouraged its base in A’zaz to join them, its armed members did not directly participate. Instead, they focused on protecting government buildings by establishing a security cordon and preventing protesters from breaching it. However, they were unable to fully control the crowds at the Bab al-Salamah crossing, where protesters stormed the building, resulting in numerous casualties. Eventually, the Sham Front managed to restore calm after local residents appealed to protesters to reduce tensions and avoid violence.

Meanwhile, the stance of HTS, which controls Idlib and wields significant influence over security in Afrin, remains ambiguous. While it has banned large protests in Idlib and its affiliated media outlets have labeled the racist attacks against Syrians in Turkey as an effort to incite “strife” by those with bad intentions, the situation in Afrin tells a different story. Masked gunmen, likely linked to HTS, infiltrated protests in Afrin and Jindires, escalating the unrest into an armed confrontation with Turkish forces near the Serail building in Afrin.

In contrast to the roles of the previously mentioned groups, the Sultan Murad faction, led by Fahim Issa, the al-Hamzat faction, headed by Sayf Abu Bakr, and the Sultan Suleiman Shah faction, under the leadership of Mohammad al-Jassem, have maintained a neutral position while working to contain the protests. They have deployed forces to safeguard government buildings within their areas of influence and engaged in suppressing the protesters.

In reality, the divides among military factions and the varying degree to which they comply with Turkish orders and directives are not new, nor are they the consequence of the recent protests. Over the past few years, their relationship with Turkey has led them to refuse certain directives. For instance, in 2018, fighters originally from Deir ez-Zor, who are currently members of the Liberation and Construction Movement, raided the town of Tadif, controlled by Assad regime forces, despite Turkey’s objection. Similarly, the Liberation and Construction Movement and the Sham Front factions have refused to send fighters to countries like Azerbaijan, Libya, and Niger in recent years. As a result, Turkey has withheld support from these groups during certain periods.

By contrast, the Sultan Murad, al-Hamzat, and Sultan Suleiman Shah factions have so far demonstrated greater willingness to comply with Turkish directives. For example, they have sent fighters to Libya, Azerbaijan, and Niger at Turkey’s request. Additionally, Turkey has repeatedly opposed leadership changes in these groups or attempts to diminish their influence.

The factors driving the differences in approach

The varying levels and forms of compliance with Turkey's directives can be attributed to each faction’s history, leadership, the social background of its members, and the extent of its popular support. The Sultan Murad, Sultan Suleiman Shah, and al-Hamzat factions were effectively established by Turkey during the "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch" military operations. Before that, they were small remnants of battalions within the Free Syrian Army (FSA). In contrast, Turkey had no role in the establishment of the Sham Front and the Liberation and Construction Movement. They are successors to larger groups, including the al-Tawhid Brigade, al-Fatah Brigade, the Eastern Sector of Ahrar al-Sham Movement, and some FSA factions founded in 2012.

Other factors contributing to the divide between groups include the ethnic backgrounds of their leaders and the makeup of their fighters. Fahim Issa, leader of the Sultan Murad faction, and Sayf Abu Bakr, leader of the al-Hamzat faction, are of Turkic origin. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Sham Front and the Liberation and Construction Movement are of Arab origin. The social and ethnic makeup of these two factions indicates that their fighters belong to the same ethnicity and hail from the same regions, primarily Aleppo's northern countryside and Deir ez-Zor. They also enjoy strong social support rooted in regional, family, and tribal ties, which is why their positions often align with those of their social support base and local community.

As for the Sultan Murad, Sultan Suleiman Shah, and al-Hamzat factions, they are not ethnically or regionally homogenous. They include both Turkic and Arab fighters, as well as those displaced from Homs, Hama, the Damascus countryside, and other regions in Syria. Lacking strong social support, they primarily recruit fighters by offering material and financial incentives. This is evident in their fighters' readiness to engage in operations abroad.

Despite its jihadist background, HTS has adhered to international agreements between Turkey and Russia since 2017 regarding the de-escalation zone in the Idlib countryside. Its ambiguous stance on the protests masks its efforts to expand its influence into areas controlled by the SNA to the north of Aleppo. To achieve this, HTS has pushed the narrative that it has successfully maintained security and managed protests in the areas under its control, while the SNA has struggled to contain the popular unrest in the areas surrounding Aleppo. Furthermore, HTS stands to lose significantly from any rapprochement between Turkey and the Assad regime, especially as it remains classified as a terrorist organization by both the international community and Turkey.

The impact of normalization

The normalization of ties between Turkey and the Assad regime is expected to affect security and stability in different ways across various regions of northwestern Syria, as outlined below:

1. Regions of high instability: The areas controlled by the Liberation and Construction Movement in Jarablus, as well as the regions where HTS exerts influence over security in Jindires and Afrin, may face significant instability and the potential resurgence of operations by the Assad regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

2. Regions of moderate instability: A’zaz, al-Bab, and Idlib City, controlled by the Sham Front and HTS, fall into this category. In these regions, the two groups are more likely to incite popular unrest than to engage in direct military action.

3. Regions of low instability: This category includes areas with a Turkic presence controlled by the Sultan Murad, Sultan Suleiman Shah, and al-Hamzat factions, such as the city of al-Rai and its surrounding towns and villages.

In conclusion, the protests in northern Syria highlight the transnational impact of the Syrian conflict. They also underscore the potential repercussions of events within Turkey on the political and security dynamics in northern Syria, and vice versa. Recent developments reveal that residents in Turkish-controlled areas of northern Syria are prepared to engage in an existential struggle if Ankara chooses to pursue normalization with the Assad regime. Furthermore, the existing divide among armed Syrian factions and their varying levels of compliance with Turkish directives raise questions about Turkey's ability to control these groups in future confrontations, restructure them, and remove dissenting members and leaders.

 

Bilal Samir is a Syrian researcher who closely follows developments in northern Syria. He is currently working on a master’s in international relations.

Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images

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The Middle East Institute (MEI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-for-profit, educational organization. It does not engage in advocacy and its scholars’ opinions are their own. MEI welcomes financial donations, but retains sole editorial control over its work and its publications reflect only the authors’ views. For a listing of MEI donors, please click here.

MYANMAR

MSF TEAMS FACE OBSTACLES PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE TO COMMUNITIES IN RAKHINE STATE

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Project Update12 July 2024

In June, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was forced to indefinitely suspend our medical humanitarian activities in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, following the extreme escalation of conflict; MSF’s office in Buthidaung was burnt down. While MSF has been able to maintain a minimum level of activities in some townships in the central part of Rakhine, our teams in those areas also struggle with severe access restrictions, and the consequences of violent conflict. Here are some of the major challenges in healthcare provision we are facing in Rakhine.

Teleconsultations means a lot to the people since this is the only contact left between the community and MSF.CAROLINE DE CRAMER, THE OUTGOING PROJECT MEDICAL ADVISER

Difficulties in accessing patients and delivering healthcare

Since November 2023, when the conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army resumed, MSF teams faced major difficulties in accessing patients. For eight months, MSF did not have authorisation to run any mobile clinics in Rakhine state, including in the displaced people’s camps in Pauktaw, where MSF is often the only healthcare provider. These camps are only accessible by boat, but with the escalation of conflict in Pauktaw, our teams could no longer travel to provide healthcare, nor could patients in need of emergency care reach the hospital in Sittwe.

This presents a major issue for patients with chronic health problems, emergency needs, and women with complicated pregnancies. In June, MSF received travel authorisation to resume our mobile clinic for a month in the mainly Rohingya Aung Mingalar neighbourhood in downtown Sittwe. Our teams are operating here with reduced capacity, including due to severe supply constraints. Our clinics in Pauktaw and other in towns remain inaccessible for the time being.

Travel restrictions are not affecting just MSF, but also other organisations and institutions providing lifesaving assistance and healthcare. MSF is no longer authorised to send any medicines to the camps in Pauktaw. Our community staff have managed to continue the provision of basic health services, but it is difficult to provide patients with basic healthcare, as medical supplies dwindle and medical staff can’t reach them.
When patients can reach out to a nurse, health promotion officer, or doctor, it is a form of mental health support.CAROLINE DE CRAMER, THE OUTGOING PROJECT MEDICAL ADVISER


Emergency referrals blocked

Before the resumption of the conflict in November 2023, when people in the camps or villages supported by MSF needed hospital care, they relied on our teams to provide emergency referrals, including pick up of patients and transportation to hospitals by car or boat. This is no longer possible due to travel restrictions imposed by the authorities, leaving people without the option of receiving specialised medical care.

For people attempting to reach hospital independently, the journey is fraught with difficulty. For patients in Pauktaw, reaching Sittwe by sea is practically impossible, while healthcare services available to them in other towns are limited, equally affected by the conflict, and often require an even longer journey.

People sometimes die on the way to seek healthcare or because they cannot even attempt the journey due to the prohibitive cost and difficulty of travelling. As a result, MSF has seen an alarming trend in maternal and neo-natal deaths. In January, our teams reported the deaths of a mother and her twins, and of two mothers who each lost a baby because they were forced to deliver at home. In June, our teams reported the death of another mother who was unable to receive antenatal care since April. She was scared to leave the displacement camp in Pauktaw due to the road blockages.
It’s only way for them to feel that they are not forgotten, that we are still present, and that they can count on us.CAROLINE DE CRAMER, THE OUTGOING PROJECT MEDICAL ADVISER


Public healthcare facilities no longer function

Since the resumption of the conflict, many health workers have left their jobs in public healthcare facilities, mostly due to safety and security issues. This has forced some facilities to close completely. Those that are still open struggle to function due to shortages of staff, medical supplies and fuel. Electricity networks no longer supply power in Rakhine, so health facilities depend on generators, but fuel to run them is not easily available due to supply routes being disrupted or cut off, impacting their ability to perform medical procedures.
Lack of phone signal makes teleconsultations challenging

To reach patients, MSF medical teams provide consultations by telephone or text message. However, this also poses a challenge, because phone networks are often disrupted, resulting in intermittent and very weak phone coverage across many areas. Patients and community volunteers often need to walk long distances or climb hills to try and get a phone signal.

“Teleconsultations means a lot to the people since this is the only contact left between the community and MSF,” says Caroline de Cramer, the outgoing project medical adviser. “When patients can reach out to a nurse, health promotion officer, or doctor, it is a form of mental health support. It’s only way for them to feel that they are not forgotten, that we are still present, and that they can count on us.”

Without immediate action, over 1M children to suffer acute malnutrition in DRC: WHO

Mass movements of people overwhelm water, sanitation systems, resulting in outbreaks of of cholera, measles, meningitis, mpox and plague, says senior emergency officer

Beyza Binnur Donmez |12.07.2024 -


GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday warned that without immediate action, over 1 million children will suffer acute malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Describing the current situation in DRC as "catastrophic," WHO's senior emergency officer Adelheid Marschang told a UN briefing in Geneva: "In the past months, DRC has faced escalating conflict and violence, leading to mass displacement, widespread disease, gender-based violence, and severe mental trauma, particularly in the eastern part of the country."

Marschang noted that the country has "the highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid" in the entire world, with 25.4 million people affected.

"Despite this, it remains one of the most underfunded crises," she lamented.

She drew attention to the number of total displaced people -- around 7.4 million -- and said these mass movements of people not only overwhelm water and sanitation systems but also resulting in outbreaks of cholera, measles, meningitis, mpox and plague, "all exacerbated by severe flooding and landslides affecting some parts of the country."

In 2024, over 20,000 cases of cholera and close to 60,000 cases of measles have been reported, according to the officer, who warned that actual numbers likely to be higher due to limited disease surveillance and data reporting.

Pointing armed conflict and displacement as "the main drivers" of food insecurity, she cited the latest food insecurity report, which found 40.8 million people face serious food shortages, with 15.7 million facing severe food insecurity and a higher risk of malnutrition and infectious diseases.

"If immediate action is not taken to address basic needs in DRC, over one million children will suffer from acute malnutrition," she warned.

She also noted that so far this year, WHO has reached 460,000 people with emergency health services in conflict-affected areas.

Humanitarian access remains "severely constrained" by military presence, she said and called for "sustained and unimpeded" access, urging the parties to work together to restore peace.

Russia tried to assassinate CEO of German arms firm sending weapons to Ukraine - report

Asked about the CNN report at the current NATO summit in Washington, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia was waging a hybrid war of aggression, including cyberattacks and sabotage.

By REUTERS

JULY 12, 2024 

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia, July 21, 2023.(photo credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin via REUTERS)

US intelligence discovered that Russia planned to assassinate the chief executive of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall which has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, CNN and the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The plot to kill Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger was one of a series of Russian government plans to assassinate defense industry executives across Europe who were supporting Ukraine's war effort, CNN reported, citing five unidentified US and Western officials as saying the plot was discovered earlier this year.

The US informed Germany, the report said, adding that German security services were able to protect Papperger.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to comment on the report when asked about it during a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, adding that the government was highly aware of the numerous threats to which it was exposed.

Rheinmetall said in a statement that "necessary measures are always taken" in regular consultation with security authorities.

Tank gun barrels and towers for Leopard 2A 4 tanks are pictured beside a production line of German company Rheinmetall, which produces weapons and ammunition for tanks and artillery, during a media tour at the company’s plant in Unterluess, Germany, June 6, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/FABIAN BIMMER/FILE PHOTO)

The Russian embassy in Washington and the Kremlin were not immediately available for comment.

The New York Times cited multiple Western officials in its report while the Financial Times also reported on the plot, referencing NATO diplomats

Rheinmetall, one of the world's biggest producers of artillery and tank shells, began ramping up production after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In May 2023, it said it had set up a joint venture with Ukrainian state-owned conglomerate Ukroboronprom to build and repair tanks in Ukraine.

Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of current President Vladimir Putin, said Russia would retaliate by hitting any facility Rheinmetall set up in Ukraine.

In February, Rheinmetall announced that it also planned to open an ammunition factory in Ukraine.
Vigilant

Two months on, Papperger - who has been with Rheinmetall for 34 years, including more than 11 years as CEO - made headlines when his garden house was set on fire by what tabloid newspaper Bild said were far-left activists.

Italy's Leonardo, which last week formed a joint venture with Rheinmetall to produce tanks, has no plans to increase security measures for its executives, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Asked about the CNN report at the current NATO summit in Washington, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia was waging a hybrid war of aggression, including cyberattacks and sabotage of infrastructure.

"This underlines once again that we as Europeans must protect ourselves as best we can and not be naive," she said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in response to a question on the CNN report, said he had seen a Russian campaign of hostile acts against NATO, which he said only led to allies stepping up support for Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Germany's Interior Ministry declined to comment on the CNN report, adding that the government was generally taking the threats posed by Moscow very seriously.

"Our security authorities are very vigilant and act accordingly, in close cooperation with our international partners," the spokesperson said. "The federal government will not be intimidated by the Russian threats. We will continue to do everything in our power to prevent possible threats in Germany."

Ger­many's do­mes­tic in­tel­li­gence ser­vices declined to comment.

When asked about the CNN report, a spokesperson for Rheinmetall peer Saab declined to comment, saying only that as a defense company it always had "preparedness and routines to protect the business and our employees."

Germany warns of security threats after alleged Russian plot to kill head of arms firm

‘Threats range from espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks to state terrorism,’ Interior Minister Nancy Faeser says

Oliver Towfigh Nia |12.07.2024 -


BERLIN

Germany on Friday warned of mounting Russian threats amid reports about an alleged Russian plot to kill the chief executive of major German arms manufacturer Armin Papperger, whose company has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine.

“We do not comment on individual threatening situations. But one thing is very clear: We are taking the significantly increased threat from Russian aggression very seriously,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German Press Agency (dpa).

We act together with international partners and the security authorities of the countries to protect Germany and thwart the plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin, she added.

The foiled plot against the head of Dusseldorf-based Rheinmetall was first reported by CNN.

Faeser stressed that “we won’t allow ourselves to be intimidated” amid Russian attempts to what she said was undermining support for Ukraine.

In view of the Russian threats, protective measures have been massively increased in the past two years, according to the minister. “The threats range from espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks to state terrorism,” she said.

The interior minister recalled two possible acts of sabotage that German counterintelligence had prevented in April. At that time, two men were arrested in Bavaria who were accused of planning sabotage actions, particularly against German support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

“Our security authorities have acted very consistently and prevented possible explosive attacks in Germany. We will continue to do everything we can to prevent Russian threats in Germany,” Faeser said.

On June 18, Faeser had already warned of growing espionage and cyber threats from foreign adversaries including Russia and China.

"The threat to our democracy from espionage, sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks has reached a new dimension," the minister told reporters in Berlin as she presented an annual report by Germany's domestic secret service.

Russia adjusted its intelligence strategy following the expulsion of its diplomats from Germany in 2023, according to Faeser.

The Kremlin is now waging a more intense, many-sided campaign against Berlin, and conducting espionage while also carrying out cyberattacks and disinformation operations, she added.

US plan to station missiles in Germany may lead to Cold War-style confrontation: Russia

Washington’s decision to deploy long-range cruise missiles on German soil is an attempt to suppress Russia, says Kremlin spokesman

Anadolu staff |12.07.2024 - 



ISTANBUL

Russia warned Thursday that a US plan to station long-range missiles in Germany could lead to a Cold War-style “direct confrontation.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks to Russian state broadcaster Rossiya 1 after the US announced Wednesday during a NATO summit in Washington, D.C. that it plans to begin periodically deploying Tomahawk cruise, SM-6 and hypersonic missiles to Germany starting in 2026, saying they will act as a deterrent.

"We are taking steady steps towards the Cold War. All the attributes of the Cold War with the direct confrontation are returning,” said Peskov.

Peskov said the US decision is an attempt to suppress Russia.

Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia had anticipated such a move and will develop a military response.

The latest development came after five children were wounded Thursday in the town of Shebekino in western Russia’s Belgorod Oblast when a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive device in the courtyard of a multi-story apartment building where there was a playground, according to Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the incident as a “deliberate terrorist attack.”

Ukraine said Thursday that a Russian attack caused heavy damage in the southern port city of Kherson, wounding a municipal emergency services rescue specialist and an employee of the Kherson region military administration. Numerous homes and infrastructure were damaged according to reports.

 

‘We can’t wait another year’: disaster-hit nations call for climate aid

By

 AFP   JULY 12,2024

Countries on the frontlines of climate change have warned they cannot wait another year for long-sought aid to recover from disasters as floods and hurricanes wreak havoc across the globe.

The appeal came during a meeting of the “loss and damage” fund that will conclude Friday amid concerns it is unlikely to be able to approve climate aid until 2025. 

“We cannot wait until the end of 2025 for the first funds to get out the door,” Adao Soares Barbosa, a board member from East Timor and a long-standing negotiator for the world’s poorest nations, told AFP.

“Loss and damage isn’t waiting for us.”

Nearly 200 nations agreed at the UN COP28 summit last November to launch a fund responsible for distributing aid to developing countries to rebuild in the wake of climate disasters.

That historic moment has given way to complex negotiations to finalise the fund’s design, which some countries worry will not move at a pace or scale that matches the tempo of extreme-weather disasters afflicting their people.

“The urgency of needs of vulnerable countries and communities cannot be left until we have every hair in place for this fund,” said Barbosa.

Damage bills for climate disasters can run into the billions and there is barely enough cash set aside for loss and damage at present to cover just one such event, experts say.

‘Immense pressure’ –

This year has witnessed a string of catastrophes on multiple continents, from floods and landslides to heatwaves and wildfires.

Delegates met in South Korea for the second meeting of the loss and damage fund this week as Hurricane Beryl left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and North America.

The “massive” destruction witnessed in recent weeks “puts immense pressure on us to deliver on our work”, Richard Sherman, the South African co-chair of the board steering the negotiations, told the meeting.

The fund said it wanted money approved “as soon as possible, but realistically by mid-2025”, according to an official document seen by AFP.

In an appeal for faster action, Elizabeth Thompson, a board member from Barbados, said Hurricane Beryl alone had caused “apocalyptic” damage worth “multiple billion dollars”. 

“In five islands of the Grenadines… 90 percent of the housing is gone… Houses look like packs of cards and strips of wood, roofs are gone, trees are gone, there is no food, there is no water, there is no power,” she said.

“We cannot keep talking while people live and die in a crisis that they do not cause.” 

Thompson said the fund needed to reflect “the urgency and the scale required to respond to… the risk, the damage and the devastation faced by people across the world who need this fund”. 

No money, no fund –

Wealthy nations have so far pledged around $661 million to the loss and damage fund. South Korea contributed an additional $7 million at the start of this week’s meeting. 

“That would hardly cover the likely losses from one major climate-related disaster,” Camilla More, of the International Institute for Environment and Development, told AFP.

Some estimates suggest developing countries need over $400 billion annually to rebuild after climate-related disasters. One study put the global bill at between $290 billion and $580 billion a year by 2030, and rising after that.

In one example in 2022, unprecedented flooding in Pakistan caused more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses, according to a UN-backed assessment.

Developing nations had been pushing for a specific fund to distribute aid to recover from climate impacts for 30 years, and the agreement struck in November was hailed a major diplomatic breakthrough.

“(But) ee can’t have a fund without money,” said Brandon Wu from ActionAid. 

Technical discussions are taking place this year over the details of the loss and damage fund, including with the World Bank which will house the fund on an interim basis.

The Philippines was chosen this week to host the fund’s board. 

Contentious discussions remain to decide how the money is allocated and in what form it should be made available to countries. 

On Tuesday, more than 350 nongovernmental organisations sent a letter to the fund’s board demanding that a substantial share of the money be made directly available as small grants to local communities and indigenous groups. 

 

Young Kenyans warn of fresh protests despite cabinet dismissal

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 AFP  JULY 12,2024

Young Kenyans on Friday dismissed President William Ruto’s decision to sack most of his cabinet, with some warning that they would resume street protests unless he steps down.

Ruto has been scrambling to contain the fallout of deadly protests against proposed tax hikes, after last month’s peaceful rallies descended into violence and tapped into widespread anger against his government.

Organised online and led largely by young, Gen-Z Kenyans, the protests have plunged Ruto’s administration into the most serious crisis of his two-year presidency, forcing him to abandon the finance bill containing the tax hikes.

In the latest move to defuse tensions, Ruto on Thursday dismissed all cabinet ministers including the attorney-general, with the exception of Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

But the announcement, while welcomed by some, did not appease some young Kenyans frustrated with Ruto’s failure to deliver on his 2022 election promise to create jobs and boost their fortunes.

Hyrence Mwangi, 25, said: “We will be back on the streets until Ruto goes. He has wasted two years in office travelling and telling lies.”

Initially peaceful, the protests sharply escalated when police fired at crowds who stormed parliament, ransacking the partly ablaze complex.

While large-scale street protests have subsided, anger against the government has not, particularly towards the police, with rights groups saying that 39 people were killed in the demonstrations.

“When we first went to the streets, Ruto dismissed us as a bunch of hired goons and criminals, only to come later and start saying he will make changes,” said 27-year-old Jackson Rotich.

“We can’t trust him.”

Law student Melisa Agufana, 24, said she wanted to “thank the president for listening”, adding that ministers had “wasted two years doing nothing apart from being driven around with our national flag.”

Analysts said the move offered the possibility of a fresh start, but warned of further risks.

“The challenge that Ruto now faces is forming a new cabinet that includes various vested interests, whilst simultaneously calming popular anger”, Gabrielle Lynch, professor of comparative politics at the University of Warwick, told AFP.

Last week, Ruto announced sharp cuts to government spending, including travel and refurbishment costs, and said he would increase borrowing to pay for some services even as Kenya grapples with massive foreign debt equivalent to roughly 70 percent of GDP.

The crisis led US-based Moody’s to downgrade Kenya’s debt rating further into junk territory, warning of a negative outlook, which will make borrowing even more expensive for the cash-strapped government.

Ruto said Thursday that he would “immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government”, without elaborating further.

 

Ericsson posts $1bn quarterly loss on Vonage write down

By

 AFP  JULY 12,2024

Swedish telecommunications equipment manufacturer Ericsson said Friday it had suffered a $1.0 billion quarterly loss after writing down the value of its purchase of US cloud-based communications operator Vonage.

Ericsson acquired Vonage in 2022 for $6.2 billion to expand its presence in wireless enterprise and broaden its global offerings, but already last year it wrote down its value by $2.9 billion as market conditions shifted.

Another write down of 11.4 billion Swedish kronor ($1.1 billion), mostly attributable to Vonage, was behind the 1.0 billion kronor loss in the second quarter.

Ericsson chief executive Borje Ekholm defended the acquisition.

“Vonage remains foundational to build out a global platform for network APIs,” he said, referring to the interfaces which allow for different software applications to communicate.

“This is critical for the digitalisation of enterprises and society, and will drive future growth in the telecoms industry,” he added.

Ericsson, along with its Nordic rival Nokia and China’s Huawei, dominates the market for 5G mobile network communications equipment, and the Vonage acquisition was aimed at diversifying into a growth market.

Ekholm said the write down was due to market growth slowing.

Accounting rules require companies to regularly reevaluate the value of their assets in line with market conditions which can provoke huge losses that may not fully reflect the operating situation of a firm.

Ericsson’s second quarter adjusted operating profit rose by 10 percent from the same period last year to 4.1 billion kronor even though it stepped up investment.

Sales however slid by 7 percent in the April-June period, to 59.8 billion kronor, although it noted that they rose by 14 percent in the important North American market.

Ekholm noted that the investment levels of its main clients, telecommunications operators, were unsustainably low but that the short-term outlook remains difficult.

“We expect market conditions to remain challenging this year, as the pace of India investments slow,” he said.

“However our sales will benefit during the second half from contract deliveries in North America.” 

He emphasised however that Ericsson, which announced in March 1,200 job cuts in Sweden, needs to “refocus on improving performance”.

It already announced 8,500 job cuts throughout the world last year to reduce costs.