‘Freedom for Öcalan, Autonomy for Shengal’ campaign  one year later

As part of the campaign led by the Shengal Autonomous Administration and the Free Yazidi Women's Movement (TAJÊ), Yazidis and Arabs living in Shengal expressed their demands through various actions and events.


ANF
SHENGAL
Monday, 21 October 2024

The ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and Autonomy for Shengal’ campaign has left one year behind.

Within the framework of the campaign that started on 21 October 2023, Yazidis and Arabs living in Shengal (Sinjar) expressed their demands through various actions and events.

As part of the campaign led by the Shengal Autonomous Administration and the Free Yazidi Women's Movement (TAJÊ), a tent action was launched on 25 October 2023 under the leadership of the Shengal Arab Councils.

On 28 October, Arab women staged a march to express their demands for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the autonomy of Shengal.

On 11 December, the Young Women's Union of Shengal and the Êzidxan Youth Union supported the campaign by setting up a book stand with the slogan ‘Read Leader Öcalan's Books, Know Yourself’.

Within the framework of the initiative, which continued uninterruptedly in 2024, marches, workshops, seminars, panels and reading events were organised and the demands for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the autonomy of Shengal were expressed. The events organised in this process brought support to the Yazidi struggle through participation from different segments of society.

The campaign continues with determination in order to bring the demands of the people of Shengal to the international arena and to call for freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and status for Shengal.

The Yazidi settlement area Shengal (Sinjar) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is the last contiguous settlement area of the Yazidi community. Thousands of Yazidis were murdered and thousands of women and children were taken prisoner in the 3 August 2014 onslaught on Shengal by ISIS militants. While ISIS gangs began murdering Yazidis in Shengal, the Peshmerga left, leaving the Yazidis behind, unprotected. The guerrillas of HPG (People’s Defense Forces) and YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) and fighters of the YPG (People’s Defense Units) and YPJ (Women’s Defense Units) came to the Yazidi people's aid in the face of ISIS aggression. Thanks to a months-long selfless struggle, the city was liberated on 13 November 2015. After the liberation of the city, the HPG/YJA Star and YPG/YPJ subsequently withdrew in 2017. People who returned to their land after Shengal's independence reformed, established defensive units and built their institutions.

Armenian women fight for a democratic Syria

The Armenian Women's Union fights for the active participation of women in all areas of life. Anahit Kasabiyan said that the Armenian community living in Northern and Eastern Syria will establish a political party led by women.


NÛJIYAN ADAR
HESEKÊ
Sunday, 20 October 2024,

Armenian Women's Union Coordination Member Anahit Kasabiyan stated that they will continue to struggle for the construction of a decentralised life in Syria where equality, justice and democracy will be ensured and all nations can live together.

The Armenian Women's Union, which strengthened its organisations with the paradigm of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, continues its work uninterruptedly. ANF talked to Anahit Kasabiyan, Member of the Armenian Women's Union Coordination, about the organisation of the Armenian Women's Union, the participation of Armenian women in all areas of life before and after the revolution and their 2nd congress.



When was the Armenian Women's Union founded and what was its purpose?

Armenian women had forgotten their identity within different nations. They knew they were Armenians, but there was nothing more than that. For this reason, we tried to raise awareness by coming together with Armenian women in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Hesekê for three months before the first congress. During this period, 80 seminars were held on the history, culture and identity of the Armenian community. Through these seminars, discussions on the content of the congress were held with the women who came together, and the regulations were discussed.

In fact, after these discussions, the draft of the system to be established for Armenian women emerged and the congress was held based on this preparation. With the slogan ‘The Armenian Women's Union resurrects itself after 107 years’, the Armenian Women's Union was declared at the 1st Armenian Women's Congress held on 30 August 2022. For the first time in 107 years, that is, after the Armenian genocide, an Armenian women's congress was taking place. We needed the Armenian Women's Union more than bread and water. A woman who does not live her identity, culture and does not know her history could face a new genocide at any moment. Therefore, I can say that we have guaranteed our existence with this union. In addition, Armenian women, who needed to be liberated from the male-dominated mentality, needed to organise with their own identity. In addition, it was a great danger for them to live with the cultures and histories of the society they lived in and the nations they lived with, but not to live their own history, culture and identity. Of course, most importantly, staying away from the developments in the Rojava Revolution, which is a Women's Revolution, living disconnected, not taking part in women's organisation would affect the development and transformation of Armenian women.

What was the life of Armenian women before 2012? What kind of participation was there in all areas of life?

Armenian women were involved in different fields before 2012. There was no situation that represented the Armenian people and kept their history, culture and identity alive. They had a position that was included in the system of the Ba'ath regime, was a part of this system and served this system. They were not in the struggle for change and transformation through the eyes of women or from the perspective of free women. They were subject to what existed. The bitter effect of the state system was effective on women, and it would not be wrong to say that Armenian women had no will. Such a picture was also reflected in social relations. In this context, Armenian women and community were indistinct in society and had lost their identity.

What kind of change took place with the revolution?

Historically, the Armenian community has gone through difficult times, lived in various geographies, and had the chance to protect, preserve and pass on its identity, culture and rights to new Armenian generations in the process. Before the establishment of the Armenian Community Council, we were involved in military, political and social activities, and we became stronger through organisation. These military, political and social activities greatly influenced the organisation of the Armenian community. The endeavour to form a strong community enabled them to preserve their own identity. The establishment of the Council with the revolution allowed this organisation to become stronger and more systematic. The Armenian community is now able to organise social events to keep their language, religion and traditions alive, thus ensuring social solidarity. There are approximately 130 political parties representing the so-called Armenian community worldwide. However, when we look at the regulations, researches and struggles of these parties, we do not see an approach that protects and observes the rights of the Armenian community. For this reason, as the Armenian community living in Northern and Eastern Syria, we will establish a political party led by women.

You said that you came together with many Armenian women and organised discussions and seminars. What were the views of Armenian women on the Rojava Revolution during these activities?

The Rojava Revolution was evaluated as a model that allows women to take an active part in political and military fields. The fact that the women's movement in Rojava co-operated with other ethnic and religious groups and encouraged solidarity was seen as an important step by Armenian women, and they were impressed by this approach. Such interaction offered an opportunity for peace and harmony between different communities. The fact that women in Rojava took an active role in the military arena and participated in the war was inspiring for many Armenian women. This reinforced the presence of women in the struggle for peace and freedom and set an example for the younger generations. The wind of change created by the Rojava Revolution in the social structure strengthened Armenian women's belief that similar transformations should take place in their own community as well. There has been an awareness that the role of women in social life needs to be redefined. Armenian women think that the women's movement in Rojava also sets an example in terms of protecting and expressing their own cultural identity. The endeavour to keep the cultural richness of different ethnic groups together allows their own culture to take part in this process.

What kind of road map do you have as Armenian women for Syria-Syria dialogue?

As the Armenian community and women, we are involved in the activities for Syria-Syria dialogue. We have closely witnessed the sacrifices and bloodshed in Northern and Eastern Syria and the Armenian people have played a major role in this revolution. For this reason, we are directly involved in the activities and solutions offered to resolve the crisis. We will continue our struggle for the construction of a decentralised life in Syria where equality, justice and democracy will be ensured and all nations can live together. Due to the current crisis, beyond the institutions and organisations representing the Syrian people, many states have settled in the region in line with their own interests. This is being done in line with plans to disrupt the integrity of Syria and to disintegrate its unity.

How do Armenian women living in Northern and Eastern Syria evaluate the paradigm of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan?

All Armenian women living in the region are organising and strengthening themselves in line with Leader Apo's (Abdullah Öcalan’s) philosophy. Leader Apo's ideas and thoughts, his predictions, the paradigm he developed was not only for the Kurdish people. It is a paradigm that appeals to all peoples. Armenian women argue that Leader Apo's ideas will bring a solution for the peoples of the Middle East and the world. They realise that the key to the solution lies with Leader Apo. Therefore, ensuring the physical freedom of Leader Apo is our priority and, especially, his physical freedom is vital for women. The solution to the persecution and genocide against the Armenian people also lies with Leader Apo.

The 2nd Congress of the Armenian Women's Union was held on 7 January. What kind of transformation was achieved with the congress?

First of all, a coordination was needed for the Armenian Women's Union to carry out healthier and stronger work. Therefore, the Coordination of the Armenian Women's Union was established. It was decided that the representative offices of the Armenian Assembly and the Armenian Women's Union would be located in the Autonomous Administration offices. Small economic projects will be established for Armenian women to develop themselves and take their place in society. In the Armenian Language Course to be established, ideological education for women will be highlighted. The participation of Armenian women in the Armenian Military Council will be strengthened and their participation in the Armenian political party to be established will be ensured. We will consider this year as a year of education in order to achieve better development and transformation in the intellectual dimension. In addition, an Armenian Women's Union will be organised in Raqqa.

People of Raqqa celebrate the 7th year of freedom

At the celebration of the 7th anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS gangs, Hisên Osman, Co-Chair of the Democratic Peoples' Assembly, said, “The Autonomous Administration draws its strength from the unity and support of the peoples.”


ANF
RAQQA
Sunday, 20 October 2024, 18:27

Raqqa was liberated from ISIS occupation 7 years ago. People's Defence Units (YPG), Women's Defence Units (YPJ) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on 20 October 2017 that they completely liberated the city, known as the capital of ISIS, from ISIS.

This important day was celebrated today with the slogan ‘We liberated our city in the spirit of our martyrs; we will continue our struggle until we destroy the occupation and achieve full freedom’.

For the celebration to commemorate this historic victory, the Municipal Stadium in Raqqa was decorated with posters of martyrs and flags of the SDF, YPG, YPJ, HPC and Internal Security Forces. The celebration was attended by Sîham Qeryo, Co-Chair of the Democratic Peoples Assembly of North and East Syria, Gabrîel Şemûn, Co-Chair of the Executive Council, Hisên Osman, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration Council, tribal leaders and opinion leaders, as well as representatives of the Future of Syria Party, Zenûbiya Women's Community, Raqqa Military Council and many people from the canton.

During the celebration, which started with a minute of silence, Hisên Osman, Co-Chair of the Democratic Peoples' Assembly of Nort and East Syria, addressed the crowd. Osman congratulated the 7th anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa and said, “This victory was won with the determination and free will of the people of North and East Syria and the SDF fighters. The fighters have become a symbol of resistance all over the world with their great struggle and sacrifice in this liberation operation.”

Osman emphasised that the Democratic Autonomous Administration is determined to protect the gains of the region and destroy the mercenary cells and said, “The Autonomous Administration draws its strength from the unity and support of the peoples. Social honour based on the principles of democratic nation and brotherhood of peoples is our common destiny. We will continue to develop our city, strengthen its security and protect its free identity.”

Osman thanked the people of Raqqa and added: “Our people joined the reconstruction work by uniting around the Autonomous Administration and gave great support.”

The celebration continued with speeches on behalf of the Zenubiya Women's Community and the Raqqa Military Council, and various cultural and artistic events.

Seven years ago, the liberation of Raqqa

Seven years ago, Raqqa was liberated from the hands of the Islamic State by the SDF and YPJ. A new life was built step by step on the ruins of the "capital of terror".


ANF
RAQQA
Sunday, 20 October 2024

Raqqa was the capital of the "ISIS caliphate" in Syria. Seven years ago, the jihadists' reign of terror collapsed. After a months-long and costly offensive to liberate the city, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) raised their flags in Raqqa's stadium on 17 October 2017. The stadium was one of the terrorist militia's last strongholds: public executions and torture were carried out there. Two days later, the YPJ (Women's Defense Units), whose fighters had led the "Battle of Raqqa", announced the complete expulsion of ISIS in Al-Naim Square. But the jihadists left behind a devastated, mined city and a severely traumatized population.



The administration of the liberated Raqqa was handed over to a civil council. The body made Raqqa a diverse, multi-identity and multi-religious city again after almost four years of ISIS rule. In an interview with the Mezopotamya (MA) news agency, activist Emine Omar from the Women's Committee of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria spoke about the years of reconstruction in Raqqa and what has changed in the lives of women as a result of this process.

Omar said: "Raqqa was of great strategic importance to the Islamic State. That is why it became the 'capital' of the ‘Caliphate’. Terror and attacks were part of everyday life and Raqqa quickly turned into a colorless and lifeless city. Both men and women wore black clothes. Women were forced to wear the hijab. It was not clear who was underneath this clothing. The aim was to deprive women of any identity."



Omar spoke about the controls on women by the ISIS's self-appointed morality police, the so-called Hisbah, and said: "On the street, women had no colour. Everything was black. Women were forced to marry ISIS mercenaries. Women who refused were punished. Universities and schools suddenly ceased to exist."

Omar described the destruction caused by ISIS in Raqqa: "The extent of the destruction caused in the more than three years of terror was unbelievable. When the self-government liberated the city, it had to deal with this devastation. It began to soothe the wounds from the ground up. Because ISIS had infiltrated every area of ​​life. When Raqqa was liberated, the women made their victory clear by tearing off their black chadors. That was a symbolic moment. After the liberation, Raqqa shone again in the colors of life. Above all, Arab women who experienced and were subjected to the oppression of ISIS are now spreading the revolutionary understanding of Autonomous Administration. They are committed to defending women's rights in administrative structures and organizations and have founded a women's committee. Raqqa was once called the 'city of death'. But the struggle that the women of Raqqa waged after the liberation contributed significantly to breaking the fear of ISIS here."



Today, Raqqa is being rebuilt according to the paradigm of the Democratic Nation, added Emine Omar. The three core elements are democracy, women's liberation and social ecology. The practical reality of this theory and the dream of a revolution in which women are free and none of them are enslaved has led to great change in Raqqa. As a result, many women who fled the city under ISIS rule have returned to Raqqa. "With the Rojava revolution, women recognized themselves," says Omar, adding: "They took this self-awareness everywhere in their leadership role in the revolution, in their struggle and their organization, and thus also in the reconstruction of Raqqa. Today, women take their rights as a basis in all areas. Assyrian, Arab and Kurdish women founded their own organizations. These organizations are based on women's rights. The apoist philosophy of 'Jin Jiyan Azadî' has spread all over the world as the slogan of the women's revolution. That was a very important example. But the fight against the ISIS threat remains a key challenge - for us women, for Raqqa and for the entire autonomous region."

KURDISTAN

Autonomous Administration: We will share every means we have with all Syrian peoples

“We will share every means we have with all Syrian peoples. We do not neglect to meet the needs and defend the rights of all the peoples living in North and East Syria,” said Hesen Koçer of the Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria.


HÎVDA HEBÛN
QAMISHLO
Monday, 21 October 2024

Hesen Koçer, Deputy Co-Chair of the Executive Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), told ANF that the aim of the Turkish state is to make a demographic change in the region and to create contradictions between the peoples of the region.

Evaluating the interest policies of the Turkish state and regional states towards refugees, Hesen Koçer said; “The reason why some states such as the Turkish state have kept Syrian refugees on the agenda since 2023 is not because they have an approach that will benefit these refugees or based on their interests. The main purpose of these countries is the politics of interest they pursue through refugees. These interests are mostly based on how much economic benefit they can provide. In particular, the policy of the Turkish state on refugees has been much dirtier.

‘The Turkish state used refugees to achieve its policy in the Middle East’

The Turkish state has not only turned them into political material. It also used those refugees as an armed force within gang groups. In this way, it utilised them to achieve the policy it wanted to carry out in the Middle East and on the states of the region, and especially to achieve the goals it had set for itself in the region. This was one side of its policy. On the other hand, it has always used these refugees as a threat against Europe. It continues this policy until today. Today, it is creating a demographic change in the region by settling these refugees in the regions it occupies.

By settling people from different parts of Syria not in their own regions, but in the regions it occupies, especially in North and East Syria, it will both make a demographic change and ensure the emergence of serious contradictions among the Syrian peoples. This is the main goal of the Turkish state. Within the framework of this goal, the Turkish state is settling many people in the occupied regions and building new villages and camps in these regions. It is doing this through some organisations affiliated with Qatar and Kuwait.

Under the guise of humanitarian organisations, these institutions are actually taking part in the demographic change in the region. The Turkish state's racist attacks in Turkey until a year ago, which led to the deaths of many people, the looting of Syrian refugees’ shops; all these are planned as a result of a conscious and special policy against refugees.”

‘Peoples suffer the consequences of the wars created by international states in the region’

Hesen Koçer said that the wars in the region also created a wave of migration and continued: “There is a very serious war in the region. This war is not only a physical war waged by states against each other; it is also being waged on the basis of political, social and cultural genocide against societies and peoples. Of course, this war is also affecting refugees in a very serious way. The Ukraine-Russia war, the Hamas-Israel war and the conflicts in general are all causing an increase in the number of refugees in the Middle East on the one hand, and on the other hand, paving the way for new migrations and causing a wave of migration towards Europe. While there are solutions and alternatives to the problems, the peoples who could fundamentally solve the real problems are being victimised by these wars. Today, the hunger, misery, forced migration from their own lands and the deep misery experienced by the peoples of the region under these conditions are the result of the wars created by international states in the region. While there is migration on the one hand, demographic change is taking place in many areas in the region due to these migrations on the other hand. Moreover, these migrations lead to an increase in unemployment, poverty and humanitarian tragedy.

There have been very violent attacks against North and East Syria. With these attacks, a policy of displacing the people from the region was implemented. However, the people of North and East Syria managed to resist these attacks. Today, if the refugees are turning to the North and East Syria region, it is thanks to the security and stability in this region. In addition, taking care of the problems of the refugees and meeting their needs makes people turn to North and East Syria.

There are many refugee camps in northern and eastern Syria. There are people from North and East Syria who were forced to flee their homes due to the occupation. They are staying in Serdem and Berxwedan camps in Shehba. Those coming from Serêkaniyê and Girê Sipî are staying in Serêkaniyê camp and Til Semin camps in Raqqa. The IDPs are staying in these camps with the aim of returning to their cities. This is the expectation of the people.

‘The Turkish state wants to drag society into chaos through threats and attacks’

Again, there are refugees coming from different parts of Syria other than North and East Syria. These refugees are also staying in camps in North and East Syria because it is a safer region. However, the Turkish state wants to drag society into chaos through threats and attacks. The war policy of the Turkish state in the region is, of course, having a negative impact on the situation of the refugees here.

For this reason, as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, we have always said and are saying that ‘we will share every means we have with all Syrian peoples.’ No one can question the nationality of North and East Syria in this regard. In other words, some people’s arguments that the autonomous administration is promoting the fragmentation of Syria are baseless. We do not neglect to meet the needs and defend the rights of all the peoples living in North and East Syria. Again, whoever comes to this region, we will show the same approach to them.”

‘Attacks in the region cause an increase in migration’

Hesen Koçer pointed out that the Damascus government must do its part in order for the Syrian refugees who had to leave their homes and cities to return to their land and said: “As the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, we have always approached the refugee problem principally. We have always made our calls based on this principle and welcomed the Syrian refugees from Lebanon, too, on this basis. The Israeli attacks in Lebanon had serious negative effects on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Syrian refugees in the south of Lebanon in particular have faced great danger. We set up a crisis desk on this basis.

We set up committees in both northern and eastern Syria and Lebanon to help the refugees and ensure their passage. We prepared camps, and those who had homes here were helped to settle in their own homes or with relatives. Those who came from outside North and East Syria were sent to camps. About 20 thousand refugees have crossed so far and this number is increasing every day.

Of course, there are camps set up for the resettlement of these people and we have even appealed to many international humanitarian organisations for the needs of the refugees. Some humanitarian organisations have responded to our call, but the majority have not responded so far. The attacks in the region cause an increase in migration. As the Autonomous Administration, our approach is for everyone to return to their own lands.

‘The longer the war lasts, the more migration will increase’

On this basis, we have been calling on international powers and organisations to support the return of refugees to their homelands. So far, however, there has been no serious response to these calls. Some aid organisations in the region are providing assistance to the refugees, but of course, this is not enough to alleviate the hardships and sufferings of the refugees. These people have lost their lands and cities. In addition, the situation of refugees in war-torn areas is worsening. Previously, we have called for the return of refugees from North and East Syria to their own lands. Our call for Lebanese refugees is also on this basis. As the Autonomous Administration, our approach towards refugees is clear. Many states use refugees as political tools and this is the most dangerous approach.

Therefore, there is no solution to the refugee problem in the current situation. On the contrary, it seems that this situation will turn into a much more dangerous crisis in the future. This crisis will be experienced not only in the Middle East but also in European countries. Because the war is not over and the longer the war lasts, the more migration will increase. It seems that this war will continue. In this sense, the situation of refugees is not good. As the Autonomous Administration, we will continue to provide all the support and assistance we can for the refugees.

‘The Damascus government does not have a clear policy for the return of Syrian refugees’

This requires the support of international aid organisations. Likewise, the government in Damascus must fulfil its duty towards the Syrian people. However, so far it has not fulfilled this duty.

The economic, military and political situation of the Damascus government has a negative impact on the refugees. So far, the Damascus government does not have a clear policy for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Millions of people have migrated from Syria so far. In order for these people to be able to return, there must be a special policy. So far, however, it seems that everyone is approaching the refugee problem according to their own interests. Some are trying to benefit economically, others want to use it as a tool of social pressure, and the government in Damascus is part of this policy.”

Police in Haiti battle gang coalition trying to seize capital

Published: 21 Oct 2024 

People flee their neighborhood after armed gangs terrorized the Delmas 24 and Solino areas, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 20, 2024. 

(Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP)


AP

Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Police on Monday clashed with gunmen trying to take over one of the few communities in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, that is not controlled by gangs.

Solino has been under attack since Thursday, with residents calling radio stations pleading for help as they fled their homes. Officers seized control of several areas as they keep pursuing gang members, Haiti’s National Police said in a statement late Sunday.

In a video posted on social media, gang members hoisted automatic weapons in the air and cheered as they claimed control over parts of Solino, warning that all those who are not part of a gang coalition known as "Viv Ansanm” will be "burned to ashes.”

The coalition also has attacked other neighborhoods, including Tabarre 27, with the attacks forcing more than 4,200 people to flee, according to a report the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration released Monday.

More than 60% of those left homeless moved into already crowded makeshift shelters hosting others who lost their homes in recent years to gang violence. Others sought refuge at a school, a church and a health center, according to the report.

Gangs that control 80% of Port-au-Prince also have threatened journalists covering the most recent attacks, calling them out by name and ordering that they be killed.

Viv Ansanm, which means "Living Together,” formed in September 2023, creating a coalition between two large gang federations that were enemies.

It was responsible for launching large-scale attacks on critical government infrastructure starting in February, eventually leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The coalition also has unified to fight a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence in Haiti that began earlier this year.

After the coalition was formed, armed clashes between gangs fell by 78% from March to August, compared with the previous six months, according to a report published this month by ACLED, a U.S. nonprofit that collects data on violent conflicts worldwide.

"The consolidation of the Viv Ansanm alliance has enabled gangs to focus their resources on criminal activities and confrontations with security forces, rather than engaging in infighting,” it said.

The report also warned that "despite the volatile relationships among gang members, Viv Ansanm is likely to endure as long as it faces the shared threat of an international security force.”

 Iran News: Iranian Saffron Industry Struggles as Foreign Competitors Rebrand It 

Written byMansoureh Galestan

21st October 2024

Iran’s saffron industry, once a global leader in quality and production, is now facing significant challenges due to a combination of economic mismanagement, international sanctions, and aggressive competition from abroad. As foreign competitors repackage and sell Iranian saffron under their own brands, Iranian officials express concern over the future of this key export commodity. 

According to statements from Mohammad-Hassan Didehvar, a member of the Iran-Spain Joint Chamber of Commerce, foreign entities, particularly Spain, have been purchasing Iranian saffron, repackaging it, and marketing it as a Spanish product. “Iran has been the main supplier of saffron exported from Spain, which is then sold globally as a Spanish product,” Didehvar told ILNA News Agency on October 19, 2024. He emphasized that while Spain has started cultivating saffron, its supply is still largely dependent on Iranian imports. 

On October 15, PressTV, a mouthpiece of the Iranian regime often used to impress Tehran’s foreign audiences, claimed that “Iran produces over 90% of the world’s saffron, but sanctions and other obstacles have hindered its ability to capitalize on this market.” 

The issue extends beyond Spain. Countries like Afghanistan and the UAE are also reportedly buying bulk Iranian saffron, rebranding it, and distributing it to markets worldwide. Didehvar explained that this practice, alongside banking restrictions caused by sanctions, has severely hampered Iran’s ability to profit from its own production. “Now, Afghan traders have more favorable banking conditions in Spain than Iranians, allowing them to outperform us in this market,” he added. 

The situation has not only impacted international sales but also the domestic market. Farshid Manouchehri, Secretary of Iran’s National Saffron Council, expressed concerns over the declining consumption of saffron within Iran. “When the price per kilogram of saffron reaches 70 to 80 million tomans, domestic consumption sees a notable decline due to the lack of increase in people’s incomes,” Manouchehri stated in an interview with ILNA earlier this year. The reduction in domestic consumption reflects broader economic hardships within the country, compounded by inflation and stagnant incomes. 

Despite efforts to navigate these challenges, Iranian traders are forced to rely on intermediaries and complex financial arrangements in African and Arab countries, adding to the cost and risk of trade. “Iranian traders must use unconventional routes to bypass sanctions, often through middlemen in other countries, which increases both expenses and risks,” Didehvar noted, highlighting how these methods are not sustainable solutions for long-term trade stability. 

The struggles of the saffron industry mirror the difficulties faced by other traditional Iranian exports such as pistachios and carpets. Despite pledges by the Iranian government to boost non-oil exports, there has been limited success. The regime’s failure to establish proper branding for Iranian saffron has allowed competitors to dominate the market, leaving Iranian farmers and traders to bear the brunt of lost revenues. 

The current state of the saffron industry, along with the larger economic crisis in Iran, reflects the consequences of the regime’s mismanagement and inability to adapt to global market changes.  

The decline of Iran’s saffron industry reflects how the regime’s malign agendas have undermined the country’s traditional trade and economic strength. Aggressive regional policies, systemic corruption, and international sanctions have stifled growth, allowing foreign competitors to profit from Iran’s resources. Once-thriving industries are now struggling, as the regime prioritizes its hegemonic ambitions over the nation’s economic future. 

Thousands Rally For Peace In Northwestern Pakistani City (Video)

Thousands of demonstrators held a peaceful protest in the troubled northwestern Pakistani city of Bannu. The October 20 rally, organized by civil society groups, called for an end to Pakistani Taliban attacks and a heavy-handed security crackdown in the region, which lies near the border with Afghanistan. Bannu has been the scene of several major Taliban attacks this year.

Gunmen kill 7 people working on a strategic tunnel project in Indian-controlled Kashmir

KASHMIR IS INDIA'S GAZA

Villagers carry the body of Kashmiri doctor Shahnawaz who was among those killed when gunmen fired at people working on a strategic tunnel project in Indian-controlled Kashmir, during his funeral at Nadigam village, southwest of Srinagar, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. 

By Associated Press - Monday, October 21, 2024

SRINAGAR, India — Gunmen fatally shot at least seven people working on a strategic tunnel project in Indian-controlled Kashmir and injured at least five others, officials said on Monday.

Police blamed militants who have been fighting against Indian rule for decades for the “terror attack” at a camp for construction workers near the disputed region’s resort town of Sonamarg. No rebel group immediately claimed responsibility.

Police said at least two gunmen fired “indiscriminately” at officials and workers associated with the construction, leaving two dead on the spot. At least 10 others were taken to hospital, where five more died. The attack came shortly after workers returned to their lodgings on Sunday night. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the attack.

The dead included five non-local laborers and officials, one Kashmiri worker and a Kashmiri doctor.

Reinforcements of police and soldiers launched search operations in the area to nab the attackers.

Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, condemned the attack in a post on social media platform X, calling it “dastardly & cowardly.”

A key Kashmiri resistance leader said he was “deeply saddened by the outrageous killings.”

“Another grim reminder of the unending cycle of violence and uncertainty we are suffering for decades,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq wrote on X.

Hundreds of people, mostly non-local laborers, are working on the ambitious tunnel project that aims to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold desert region that is isolated for half the year because of massive snowfalls. Experts say the tunnel project is important to the military, which will gain significantly improved capabilities to operate in Ladakh.

The strategically important region shares de facto borders with Pakistan and China, and Indian and Chinese soldiers have been engaged in a military standoff there since 2020. Both countries have stationed tens of thousands of soldiers there, backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.

Sunday’s attack was the second attack on a non-local worker in the region since a largely powerless local government was sworn into office Wednesday, following the first local elections since India stripped the region of semi-autonomy five years ago.

On Friday, body of a worker from eastern Bihar state, riddled with bullet wounds, was recovered from a maize field in southern Shopian district, police said. They blamed militants for the killing.

Kashmir has witnessed a spate of killings, many targeting workers from other parts of India, since 2021. Police say the killings, which have also included local Muslim village councilors, police officials and civilians, have been carried out by anti-India rebels.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. The nuclear-armed rivals have fought two of their three wars over the territory since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

India insists that Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.

NAKBA 2.0

Far-right Israelis gather for conference to rebuild settlements in Gaza

Conference held at Gaza border and attended by several government ministers, Knesset members

Abdelraouf Arnaout |21.10.2024 - TRT/AA



JERUSALEM

Hundreds of far-right Israeli settlers gathered at a conference near the border with the Gaza Strip to press for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian enclave.

The event, held in an area designated by the Israeli army as a closed military zone near the settlement of Be’eri at Gaza border, carries the slogan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party along with the “Gaza is Ours, Forever” slogan and is centered on preparing for settlement efforts in the territory under the title of “Preparing to Resettle Gaza," which Israel evacuated in 2005.

Several government ministers and Knesset members attended the conference, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Minister of Equality May Golan, one of the conference organizers, called for the establishment of Jewish-only settlements in Gaza.

"We will hit them where it hurts - their land. Anyone who uses his land to plan another holocaust will receive another Nakba from us," she said.

The US has consistently opposed the idea of returning Israeli settlements to Gaza, a stance reiterated throughout the ongoing war, particularly after Israel dismantled its Gaza settlements nearly two decades ago.

According to the Israeli news site Walla, such initiatives could complicate Israel's defense in legal cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, given that international law deems settlements in occupied territories illegal.

South Africa has already filed a case against Israel at the ICJ in December 2023, accusing Tel Aviv of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. The court held hearings in January 2024 regarding protective measures for Gaza.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,600 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 99,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has displaced almost the territory’s entire population amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.


*Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

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Water Protectors Use Novel Legal Tactic to Challenge the Dakota Access Pipeline

By Winona LaDuke, originally published by Barn Raiser

October 21, 2024

This story was originally published by Barn Raiser, your independent source for rural and small town news.

“No one wants to have oil in their water”— Natali Segovia, Water Protector Legal Collective

It’s about the water.

I’m returning to Mni Sose, the Missouri River, eight years after the saga of Standing Rock, when thousands of Water Protectors came to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from crossing under the river. In August 2016, I went to the river, summoned by Ladonna Brave Buffalo, Debra White Plume and others, both in this world and who have passed. I came for the water, because being a Water Protector is about life. Try drinking oil.

The cases grind on. Prosecutors have charged more than 800 people with crimes during the 11 months between the establishment of the first encampment, Sacred Stone, in April 2016, and the eviction of Oceti Sakowin Camp in February 2017. Some have had their charges reduced or dismissed. Others have been jailed as felons. North Dakota is still seeking to get the U.S. government to pay for the $38 million the state expended on police forces.

In November 2023 in Bismarck, federal regulators held their first public hearing on the draft of the court-ordered Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), yet in May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a final statement would not be ready until 2025. Just to say it again: the federally required EIS is still being reviewed seven years after the pipeline was installed under Lake Oahe and began operating. What’s more, the draft statement was developed by a company, Environmental Resources Management, which has ties to the petroleum industry. Meanwhile, DAPL continues to operate without the proper permits. That’s a bit backwards.

(Natural Resources Defense Council)

The legal system is not a fast one, and it’s backed up with all sorts of stuff, including the 500,000 pages of documents recently produced under seal—meaning they cannot be disclosed to the public—by Energy Transfer (ET), DAPL’s owner.

On August 28, Standing Rock Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire sent a letter calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to reopen public comment on the draft EIS, in light of a new document that came to light.

The story of how this document was uncovered is an interesting one. In 2017, ET filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace, the international environmental organization, for its participation in the opposition to the pipeline. ET is charging Greenpeace with a staggering $300 million in damages for “defamation” of the company.

How do you defame an oil pipeline company? You say mean things about them.

ET’s case against Greenpeace is part of a strategy known as a SLAPP suit, or strategic lawsuit against public participation, used by large corporations to censor, bully and push their critics toward bankruptcy with spiraling legal costs. But in a turn of events, Greenpeace is now trying new legal means to upend ET’s SLAPP suit, which could spell good things for nonprofits and activists whose dissent has been silenced by these suits.

As an international organization, Greenpeace is looking to use anti-SLAPP laws passed in April by the European Union that protect organizations based in the EU from SLAPP lawsuits outside the EU. In July, Greenpeace did just that, filing a countersuit against ET in a Dutch court to recover damages and costs related to the SLAPP suit, putting the legal theory to its first test. (In recent years, more than 30 states in the U.S. have adopted or amended anti-SLAPP laws.)

This spring the Water Protector Legal Collective raised the alarm on documents filed publicly as part of ET’s SLAPP lawsuit. One of them was a January 16 report, prepared for Greenpeace by an engineering firm, Exponent, that “determined there was a ‘relatively high’ probability that during [ET’s] drilling under the Missouri River at the Lake Oahe crossing, ‘1.4 million gallons of drilling fluids’ were lost in 700 events ending up in Lake Oahe.” That’s a lot of drilling fluid ending up in the Missouri River—water that recharges an aquifer providing drinking water to cities and towns along the river. Energy Transfer appears to have failed to report these spills to the federal agency that enforces pipeline construction

It’s going to be a problem for us all.

Now, what’s in drilling fluid? That’s the stuff that keeps the drill lubricated when it’s drilling deep under a river. The recipe is proprietary, but it is supposed to be basically bentonite, a clay-like substance.

The problem is that ET was already convicted of lacing drilling fluid with toxins. In 2022, Energy Transfer was federally debarred by the Environmental Protection Agency due to 48 criminal convictions in Pennsylvania for concealment and failure to report drilling fluid leaks and use of unapproved toxic additives resulting in water contamination at 21 sites during its construction of the Mariner East II, Rover and Revolution pipelines in 2017. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also sought a penalty from ET and its Rover Pipeline LLC of $40 million for releasing 2 million gallons of drilling fluid containing toxic diesel fuel under the Tuscarawas River in Ohio in 2017. And that’s only the beginning.

The other documents produced in ET’s lawsuit against Greenpeace remain under seal—which means that even despite their highly public litigation efforts, ET is still maintaining its practice of concealing potentially damaging information. But that could change. On September 17, the Water Protector Legal Collective, which filed a motion this summer to intervene as a non-party in the ongoing legal battle between Greenpeace and ET, asked a North Dakota judge to lift a protective order that has guarded ET’s confidential documents related to pipeline safety and desecration of cultural sites. In the coming weeks, the judge could compel release of evidence relating to the spills of drilling fluid during the construction and operation of DAPL, along with a deposition of ET’s CEO Kelcy Warren, who is a close ally of Donald Trump.

The question for North Dakota is: Should you trust oil companies?

There’s a problem that most folks can see. North Dakota has 18 major petroleum pipelines and 9 major natural gas pipelines, which amounts to nearly 30,000 miles of pipeline, enough pipe to cross the state 88 times. A carbon pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions would add 333 more miles.

Who checks on pipeline safety? That’s the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the federal agency in charge, matched with some state inspectors. In 2023, PHMSA was 40 short of the required 247 pipeline inspectors on the job. There are at least 2.6 million miles of pipeline in the United States, so those folks are stretched thin. PHMSA has not yet written regulations for hydrogen and carbon dioxide pipelines, but there are hundreds of miles under construction or installed already. What kind of smart guys allow projects to proceed without any safeguards or regulations?

Then there are the state inspectors, or lack thereof. In North Dakota, online advertisements both offer services and seek more pipeline inspectors. One ad: “Looking for a fast pipeline inspection in North Dakota? FairLifts can help arrange a timely pipeline inspection and other helicopter services for you…”

Another issue: Who gets to ask oil companies about their pipelines? In one hearing, ET argued that it was not required to report loss of drilling fluids or other accidents to PHMSA while a pipeline is under construction. That’s a convenient argument—except it’s incorrect.

The lack of public knowledge about pipeline leaks, spills and other cases of groundwater degradation only incentivizes energy companies to criminally hide their messes. Part of that is a result of the state changing the designations of spill reporting. In 2019, the Associated Press reported that North Dakota’s Health Department logged more than 8,000 “reported releases” over the span of five years but did not make public updates on the severity of those spills or their cleanup status.

In 2014, 29 million gallons of oil-contaminated “produced water”—a waste product of hydraulic fracturing—was released into the environment by Summit Midstream Partners (no relation to Summit Carbon Solutions mentioned above). And in 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice fined the company $l5 million. As the DOJ reported, more than 700,000 barrels were discharged thereby contaminating Blacktail Creek and nearby land and groundwater, including 30 miles of tributaries of the Missouri River. The spill continued for five months before it was contained and reported as required by the Clean Water Act. By law, the federal fines in this case will go to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund used to respond and clean up future oil spills.

In March 2014, the Mid-Valley Pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners, spilled 21,000 gallons of crude into the environment, including Ohio’s Oak Glen Nature Preserve. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

“Summit gave misleading and incomplete statements to the government about the duration and size of the spill,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, after Summit pleaded guilty in 2021. “Through the civil and criminal cases, Summit is being held responsible for its misconduct and must implement more rigorous environmental management to prevent and detect future spills as a condition of probation.” That’s just one company.

There’s definitely a disconnect in North Dakota regulations. Fundamentally, the question, asked by Natali Segovia, executive director of the Water Protector Legal Collective, remains for us all:

“Who is looking out for the health of the river, the fish and the 12 million people who live from Missouri River Water, including, 891 irrigation federal, state and tribal intakes from the Missouri? We cannot sit idly by and watch environmental regulations be rendered meaningless. They must count for something.”

It’s eight years after the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance at the river. The Standing Rock tribe is still seeking to close down the pipeline, the Environmental Impact Statement is in draft form and oil still runs North Dakota.

We might need more Water Protectors. You can’t drink oil.

Teaser image credit: In March 2014, the Mid-Valley Pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners, spilled 21,000 gallons of crude into the environment, including Ohio’s Oak Glen Nature Preserve. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Winona LaDuke


Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist working on issues of economic, food, and energy sovereignty. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and leads several organizations including Honor the Earth, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, Akiing, and Winona’s Hemp. These organizations develop and model cultural-based sustainable development strategies utilizing renewable energy and sustainable food systems. She is an international thought leader in the areas of climate justice, renewable energy, and environmental justice. She is also a leader in the work of protecting Indigenous plants and heritage foods from patenting and genetic engineering. She has authored six books including; Recovering the Sacred, All our Relations, Last Standing Woman, and her newest work, The Winona LaDuke Chronicles.