Officials declare 'murder hornet' eradicated from U.S.


Dec. 19, 2024 / UPI

Members of the Washington State Department of Agriculture hrnet eradication pose for a photo in October of 2022 after removing the first hornet nest detected in the United States. Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Agriculture/Release


Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Federal and state officials have declared the eradication of the so-called murder hornet from the United States, five years after the invasive species was first detected in the country.

The eradication of the northern giant hornet, formerly known as the Asian giant hornet, was announced in a remote press conference Wednesday by the Washington State and U.S. departments of agriculture, which said there has not been a sighting of the insect in three years.

"I got to tell you, as an entomologist, I've been doing this for over 25 years now and it is a rare day when the humans actually get to win one against the insects," said Sven Spichiger, WSDA pest program manager.

According to officials, the hornets first gained widespread attention in the United States in 2013, when it was reported that 42 people were killed and another 1,675 were severely injured by the insect in China that year.
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This prompted agriculture officials in the United States to create a framework to respond to the northern giant hornet in 2016. In 2019, Washington State added the hornet to its invasive species handbook warning residents to be on the lookout.

That August, the hornets were detected in Canada's British Columbia. Then on Dec. 8, a resident of Whatcom County, Wash., reported the United States' first murder hornet. A beekeeper had also collected a few specimens but didn't report them until the summer of 2020.

"So we knew we already had a problem," Spichiger said.

Spichiger said a plan was implemented "almost immediately," and in the spring of 2020, traps were set to try and catch emerging murder hornet queens.

"The basic framework, which was pretty simple: it's set out traps, if you find them, switch to live traps. When you get a live hornet, follow it back to its nest and then take out the nest," he said. "It's a real easy statement but that is basically the plan of it and this is what we implemented."

The first murder hornet nest was detected in a cavity of a tree in Washington State in October of 2020.

Three additional nests were detected and eradicated the next year.

Spichiger said the last trap they erected to catch the insect was removed Dec. 5, 2021, the three-year mark of which was passed earlier this month, enabling the officials to declare the murder hornet eradicated.

"It's a significant victory for everybody who's involved and all of Washington can actually be proud, especially those who hung traps and those who called in reports," Spichiger said.

According to officials, had the hornets been able to establish their presence in the country, honey bees, pollinators and other native insects would have been put at significant risks. They also pose a threat to humans, as their sting is more dangerous than that of a honey bee, they said.

"What can I say? I'm just extremely excited to be able to announce this today, and although it is an absolute significant victory -- we won this battle -- the battle will continue," he said, as they will be on the lookout for the introduction of new invasive species.

DRC files complaint against Apple over alleged illegal mineral exploitation

The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing the company of illicitly using "blood minerals" in its supply chain.


Issued on: 18/12/2024 - RFI

The Apple Inc. logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. © Reuters - Mike Segar

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country's conflict-racked east and Rwanda, zones in which the materials are alleged to be mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

Apple's French and Belgian units also deployed deceptive commercial practices to persuade consumers that its supply chains were clean, according to a statement from lawyers representing the DRC.

The French news agency AFP reports that complaints against Apple have been lodged in Paris and Brussels with the allegations encompassing war crimes, laundering, forgery and deception.

Last April, the legal team asked Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with Apple subsidiaries in France, about the potential inclusion of pillaged minerals in the company's supply chain but did not receive substantive responses.





DR Congo accuses Apple of using 'blood minerals' from war-torn east

The DRC's Washington-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam described the case as constituting a "first salvo" of judicial actions.

"Color Apple red, and not green. It is a trillion-dollar company that must be assumed to know the consequences of its actions. Enough with denials of accountability and hiding behind the false narrative of supply chain defenses!", he said.

People carry bags of cassiterite (tin ore), coltan and manganese on 28 May, 2013 down a hill from the Mudere mine, in eastern DRC. (File photo) © AFP - Junior D. Kannah
'Endless enrichment'

Paris-based lawyer William Bourdon said the criminal complaints constitute "a first step towards making one of the biggest players in tech accountable for its policy of endless enrichment at the cost of the most serious of crimes staining African supply chains."

Brussels lawyer Christophe Marchand added that "these complaints filed against Apple are a matter of great public interest at a time when European countries, consumers and non-governmental organisations are increasing their scrutiny of international supply chains."

Computer chips and tech devices require a wide array of minerals and specialty metals.

Dark side of the mine: journalist unearths human cost of smartphones in DRC

The lawyers said that the scale and duration of the alleged activities have caused "unfathomable harm and suffering" for civilians, fuelling violence and conflict by financing militias and terrorist groups and contributing to forced child labour and environmental devastation.

They also cited investigations by the United Nations, the US State Department and international NGOs such as Global Witness to document the scale of the problem.

The lawyers said they have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to inform her of the criminal complaints and to request a dialogue on the EU's role in working towards accountability and an end to armed violence in sub-Saharan Africa's mineral supply chains.

Apple last year said it had "no reasonable basis for concluding" its products contain illegally exported minerals from conflict-hit zones. The tech giant has insisted it carefully verifies the origin of materials in its output.

Rwanda has also dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

"This is just the latest blow by the DRC government, which is constantly seeking to divert attention to Rwanda with false accusations," Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told AFP.

DR Congo's mineral-rich east has been racked by violence since the 1990s, with tensions worsening since a renewed offensive in late 2021 of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the DRC province of North Kivu.

Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of using M23 to take control of resource-rich eastern DRC.

(with AFP)

Global coal demand to reach record high in 2024, IEA finds

Global consumption of coal is set to reach a new peak in 2024 – driven by rising demand in China, India and Indonesia, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest report, released Wednesday.
 

An aerial view of a coal terminal in Hebei province, China. 

via REUTERS - CHINA DAILY

By: RFI
Issued on: 18/12/2024 -

The IEA’s Coal 2024 report forecasts that global demand will surpass 8.9 billion tonnes this year, marking the third consecutive annual record.

The agency now predicts coal consumption will peak in 2027, revising earlier estimates that projected a peak this year.

China, the world’s largest coal consumer, is expected to burn 4.9 billion tonnes of coal in 2024 – a record high. The surge is driven by rising electricity needs and continued reliance on coal-fired power plants.

While China has heavily invested in renewables like wind and solar, its coal consumption remains substantial. China accounts for over one-third of the world’s total coal usage.

Emerging economies like India and Indonesia are also increasing their coal consumption, offsetting declining demand in advanced economies such as the United States and the European Union.

Hot year, rising emissions

The report comes as 2024 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, according to the EU’s climate monitor Copernicus.

Scientists have repeatedly warned of the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the catastrophic effects of climate change.

“Our models show global demand for coal plateauing through 2027 even as electricity consumption rises sharply,” said Keisuke Sadamori, IEA director of energy markets and security.

Transition challenges

Efforts to transition away from coal remain slow, with countries struggling to commit to phasing out fossil fuels. Cop29, held this year in Azerbaijan, failed to deliver stronger global commitments to reduce coal usage.

The IEA highlighted that countries like Turkey now import more coal than the EU, as European reliance on coal continues to fall.

However, geopolitical developments, such as the possible return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, could disrupt climate progress.

Trump has previously dismissed climate change as a “hoax”, raising concerns about weakening global climate commitments.

RFI EXCLUSIVE

'Prison helped our cause': Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson plans next steps in France

Anti-whaling activist and Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, freed after five months in custody in Greenland, will head to France in the coming days, following Denmark’s refusal to extradite him to Japan.

RFI
Issued on: 18/12/2024 

Marine conservation activist Paul Watson leaves prison in Nuuk, Greenland, on 17 December, 2024. AP - Alataq Moeller/Arctic Creative

By:RFI

In an interview with RFI, the 74-year-old co-founder of the Sea Shepherd marine conservation organisation, discusses the political pressure surrounding his case, his plans to challenge Interpol and his determination to carry on with his work.

Environmental activist Paul Watson freed after Denmark refuses his extradition to Japan

RFI: How are you feeling after your release?

Paul Watson: I am very much relieved that I will be able to see my children when I return to France in a couple of days.

RFI: Does Denmark’s refusal to extradite you feel like a victory for you and your cause?

PW: I believe it is a victory, and a recognition of the fact that Japan is killing whales illegally. They're trying their best to set an example of me because they don't want anybody interfering with their illegal operations. In this respect they failed to do that, so we'll continue our opposition to their illegal whaling.

My being in prison is really an extension of the campaign to expose illegal Japanese whaling operations, so I think it's been very successful. We've probably brought more attention to what Japan is doing by my being in prison than if I had gone there with the ship. It's been hugely successful towards that goal of exposing Japan's illegal operations.

RFI: Do you know how your case was ultimately resolved?

PW: Denmark has an obligation and a commitment to human rights, and to do what's right. The rules regarding extradition are clear. This is a very minor charge. It's over 14 years old. It's politically motivated. Those factors alone would prohibit extradition.

Japan was putting pressure on Denmark by threatening to cancel multimillion-dollar offshore wind turbine projects unless they delivered me to them. That, of course, is also indicative of how political this entire case is.

I think that we succeeded in exposing the fact that Japan is putting that economic pressure on. I don't think Denmark really had a choice because Denmark is a country that supports human rights, always has. We knew that from the beginning.

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson requests French nationality

RFI: How did you cope with five months in detention?

PW: The prison was not very bad. The prisoners were friendly, and the guards were friendly. I spent most of my time either reading or answering letters. I received about 4,000 of them and about 70 percent were from France.

I couldn’t answer everybody but I tried to answer as many as possible – especially letters from children.

RFI: Do you plan to take legal action?

PW: We intend to go to Lyon to confront Interpol about the political abuse of their authority. My case has been under investigation by a European committee looking into the abuses of Interpol since 2017.

Interpol has to make a decision here as to whether their agency can be used by countries to persecute people who oppose their political positions.

RFI: The UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders has warned there has been increasing repression of activists. Are you concerned about this?

Over the years there's been more and more persecution of environmental activists. Things are far different than in the 1990s, 1980s and 1970s. The laws are much more repressive in order to protect the corporate profits of companies, and also to protect government abuse of power. So it's becoming more difficult to be an activist now than it was 20 or 30 years ago.

Minister opposes transfer of whales from French aquarium to Japan

RFI: Will this change your approach or merely reinforce your determination?

PW: Our methods have proven to be very successful over the last 50 years, so I don't see us changing that. Our approach is what I call “aggressive non-violence” – we non-violently intervene against illegal activities. I don't know of any other way to go about doing this.

The only alternative is for governments to uphold their responsibility under international law, but the problem right now is there’s a lack of political and economic motivation to enforce the law, forcing non-government organisations and individuals to do the job that governments should be doing.

RFI: What’s next for you?

PW: I will continue to work with Sea Shepherd France in order to oppose whaling and other illegal activities: the poaching of turtles, illegal fishing. We'll carry on doing what we have been doing for the past 50 years.

RFI: Iceland recently extended whaling permits to 2029, and Japan has expanded fin whale hunts. Are you still optimistic?

Over the last 50 years, we’ve shut down whaling operations in Australia, South Africa, Spain, Peru and Chile. I’m confident that we will eventually shut down Icelandic, Norwegian and Japanese whaling.

But we also have to keep in mind that all of these whaling activities are highly illegal. They are in violation of international law, and we're committed to upholding international conservation law.

RFI: A few days ago, you were made an honorary citizen of the city of Paris. Are you returning to Paris now?

I live in France, I’ll be returning to Paris, my family’s in France... and it was because of France that I think that we won this case. The support of Sea Shepherd France, of President Macron, of the prime minister, of the president of French Polynesia, and thousands and thousands of French citizens across the country contributed to the decision and I’m very, very grateful for that.

This interview by RFI's Pauline Gleize has been lightly edited for clarity.

Bozarslan: The Kurdish question is not confined to a single country, it is a regional matter

Professor Hamit Bozarslan emphasized the necessity for Kurds to achieve internal integration and underlined that the Kurdish question is not confined to a single country but is a regional matter.


SERKAN DEMIREL
PARIS
Tuesday, 17 December 2024

As the dynamics in the Middle East are shifting, Professor Hamit Bozarslan emphasized the necessity for Kurds to achieve internal integration and underlined that the Kurdish question is not confined to a single country but is a regional matter that must be understood as such.

In Turkey, discussions about resolving the Kurdish question have resurfaced after the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, shook hands with Democracy Party (DEM) deputies and subsequently made a call regarding Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned under harsh conditions for 26 years. At a time when the balance of power in the Middle East is shifting, what is the significance of Bahçeli’s statement? Does the Turkish state genuinely seek to resolve the Kurdish issue, an issue it avoids even naming? And what does it mean for Bahçeli to address Öcalan directly? What lies ahead for the Kurds as regional dynamics shift once again?

To answer these questions, we spoke with Hamit Bozarslan, a Middle East expert and professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris.

The first part of this interview can be read here

Lack of transparency

Highlighting the lack of transparency in the discussions about the resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey, Prof. Bozarslan noted: "Bahçeli’s statement has been widely debated in Turkey, including within Kurdish circles. Analyzing these developments is very challenging because the greatest obstacle is the lack of transparency. Who is involved in this process? Which actors are part of it? Does the MHP represent itself, or is it representing other forces? What are the tensions within the AKP regarding the Kurdish issue? We do not know the answers to these questions."

Solving the Kurdish question is not the real goal

Bozarslan suggested that developments in the Middle East might have pushed Bahçeli to make such a statement, adding: "When Bahçeli made this call, the war in Lebanon was ongoing. The Assad regime had not yet fallen. There was a concern that Israel might intervene in the Kurdish issue, which could weaken Turkey. Instead of allowing Israel to handle this, Turkey thought it should take control. This idea was expressed in the 1990s and 2000s as well. The essence of this approach and these statements is not to acknowledge the Kurdish question but to frame it as a Turkish issue. The primary aim here is to temporarily defuse existing tensions."

He continued: "What we are seeing today is a continuation of this approach. Will this stance persist after Assad’s removal? We do not know. In any case, the U.S. and Europe would support negotiations between Kurds and Turkey, and there is a similar expectation among Kurds. However, there is no real opposition within Turkey."

Denial of the Kurdish people’s legitimacy

Bozarslan stressed that Bahçeli’s statements and the overall stance about resolving the Kurdish question fall far short of acknowledging the existence of the Kurdish issue or the legitimacy of the Kurdish people. He said: "From my perspective, the main problem is not whether Öcalan participates in parliament but whether the Kurdish question and the legitimacy of the Kurdish people are recognized. If this does not happen, it will inevitably lead to new problems in the future. These calls absolutely do not mean recognition of the Kurdish question. Recognizing the Kurdish question and the legitimacy of the Kurdish people is not limited to Turkey. It must be acknowledged as a regional issue in the Middle East. Moreover, neither the Syrian Kurds nor the Turkish Kurds are seeking independence. If the intentions are serious, the status of Rojava can be recognized."

The push for Kurdish submission to Sunni Turkish dominance

Bozarslan highlighted the Turkish state's ongoing insistence that the Kurdish people submit to the dominance of Sunni Turkish identity, and said: “The current stance is essentially this: ‘Okay, you exist, we can accept your presence, and perhaps injustices have been done to you. But now you have representation in parliament, you have a leader, and we acknowledge all of this. In return, you must accept the authority of Turkey or Turkishness.’

This was precisely what happened in 2014 and 2015. Looking at the rhetoric of Erdoğan and the AKP at that time, the attitude of the regime was clear: ‘Yes, we recognize Kurdish existence. We are ready for a peace process. We even denounce past oppressions, such as the burning of villages, and admit you are right about those matters. But now, you must align yourselves with Sunni Turkish authorities.’”

Rojava targeted for refusing submission

According to Bozarslan, the peace process collapsed because Syrian Kurds rejected this imposition, resulting in Turkey adopting a hostile policy against Rojava: "The fundamental question is whether Kurds will be accepted as Kurds or merely as a subordinate force under Turkish control. This is my interpretation of the recent debates. As I mentioned, given the lack of transparency and absence of concrete information, I cannot go beyond these assessments."

Recognizing Abdullah Öcalan’s influence

Bozarslan sees the recent call by Devlet Bahçeli directed at Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan as an acknowledgment of Öcalan’s influence: "Bahçeli’s statements demonstrate a recognition of Öcalan’s symbolic power. Demanding that the PKK lay down its arms is meaningless, as their armed struggle in Turkey is now at its lowest level in decades. However, the PKK remains a symbolic force and a central reference point for the Kurdish movement in Turkey. Similarly, Öcalan is widely regarded as a symbol among Kurds."

The Kurdish Question: a regional challenge

Bozarslan said that the Kurdish question is not limited to Turkey but is a regional matter: "The Kurdish presence in parliament and the repeated electoral victories in municipalities, even under the constant threat of government-appointed trustees, demonstrate that the Kurds have not been defeated. The Kurdish community is highly conscious, and their resistance has shifted to different platforms. The Kurdish question predates the PKK and continues to this day. It is not just a Turkish issue but a regional one. This broader perspective, however, is absent from the discussions of Bahçeli and the AKP."

The urgency of Kurdish unity

Bozarslan underlined the critical need for Kurdish unity in a time of shifting dynamics in the Middle East, and said: "The main question is not what awaits the Kurds, but what the Kurds need to do. The role of the U.S., especially in Syria, will be decisive, but Kurds cannot rely solely on external actors. Kurdish movements and actors need to critically assess their own actions. The most urgent priority is fostering internal integration among Kurds.

The existence of Iraqi Kurdistan is itself a miracle, especially given the atrocities of the 1980s, such as the Anfal operations and village burnings. However, today’s Kurdistan is divided into two camps: one fearful of Iran and the other overly cautious of Turkey. Integration between these factions is vital. Similarly, relations between Iraqi Kurdistan and Rojava must improve. While achieving seamless cooperation may be difficult, steps can be taken to enhance ties, such as opening borders, mutual recognition, and joint diplomacy. The future of the Kurdish struggle hinges on addressing these challenges."

Iran’s collapsing militia strategy

Bozarslan also commented on Iran’s faltering regional influence, which has implications for Kurds, and said: "Iran’s strategy of maintaining regional dominance through its militias has completely collapsed in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. This decline represents a significant loss of legitimacy for the Iranian regime. While a complete revolution or regime collapse in Iran may not be imminent, new uprisings are likely.

In such scenarios, Iranian Kurdistan will inevitably play a major role. We saw this in 2022, when the slogan ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ (Women, Life, Freedom) from Kurdistan became a rallying cry across Iran. Kurdistan also became a reference point for Baluchistan. From this moment forward, Kurds must prepare for various scenarios and contingencies."

GERMANY
Activists occupy ZDF building and demand recognition of the Autonomous Administration

Activists occupied the foyer of the ZDF in Berlin, drawing attention to the attacks by Turkey and the SNA in Northern and Eastern Syria and demanding the recognition of the Autonomous Administration. The peaceful protest ended with a police operation.


ANF
BERLIN
Thursday, 19 December 2024

In Berlin, around twenty activists occupied the foyer of the ZDF studio to draw attention to the attacks by Turkey and the SNA in Northern and Eastern Syria and to demand appropriate coverage. The activists also demanded the recognition of the Autonomous Administration. The peaceful protest ended with a police operation.

The activists said that before the evacuation there was a constructive discussion with those responsible for the ZDF. The discussion ended with an exchange of contacts and the prospect of a meeting. "We then declared that we were leaving the building voluntarily," said the activists.


The police, however, insisted on getting the identities of the activists "in order to be able to file charges of trespassing. We asked ZDF to withdraw the complaint of trespassing due to the positive outcome of the discussion and our willingness to leave voluntarily," said the activists, adding that "ZDF did not want to give us this guarantee. We then refused to leave the building voluntarily without a guarantee that the complaint would be withdrawn and were then evicted by the police using painful holds."

The activists demanded, among other things, that German and, above all, public media companies fulfill their duty of democratic and all-round reporting and cover the escalating attacks by Turkey and the SNA on the Democratic Autonomous Administration in Northern and Eastern Syria (DAANES).

WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM

Rihan Loqo: Women must build the new Syrian constitution

Rihan Loqo said that women in Syria have waged an important struggle against nationalist, religious, sexist, and state-centered mentalities, and added that "women must build the new Syrian constitution."


NÛJIYAN ADAR
QAMISHLO
Thursday, 19 December 2024, 

The Turkish state, seeking to turn the collapse of the Assad regime into an opportunity, continues its attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria.

Kongra Star spokesperson Rihan Loqo said that the mercenaries trained by the Turkish state aim to weaken the unity of peoples and undermine women’s will. She noted that these groups, despite having different identities, serve the same purpose.


Highlighting that the Autonomous Administration model is unprecedented, Rihan Loqo said: "Between 2005 and 2012, women became the pioneers of social change, and this revolution was realized under their leadership. Women have built their own systems in communes, councils, defense, academia, the economy, and justice in Northern and Eastern Syria. The Autonomous Administration has promoted a paradigm based on the democratic family, co-leadership, democracy, equality, and freedom. This remarkable organization has contributed to the emergence of a new model not only in the region but also globally. One of our most significant achievements is the co-leadership system, which was realized through the philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom)."

Loqo continued: "The Rojava Revolution developed based on the science of Jineoloji (women’s science), which played a critical role in the establishment of all institutions within the Autonomous Administration. Built with the contributions of women, the Autonomous Administration today, led by Kurdish women and in unity with Arab, Syriac, Armenian, Circassian, and Turkmen women, is fighting against nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism through the Women’s Confederation. The organization and collective action of women have enriched the Rojava Revolution. For this reason, the Rojava Revolution has gone down in history as a Women’s Revolution. The establishment of the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units) and Women’s Internal Security Forces further highlights our distinctiveness, as their struggle against DAESH (ISIS) has been widely seen."

The system aims to isolate women from life

Emphasizing the struggle waged against patriarchal mentalities from Rosa Luxemburg to Sakine Cansız, Rihan Loqo highlighted the fight for a new Syria following the fall of the Assad regime and stated: "Kurdish women have fought relentlessly against nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism. Northern and Eastern Syria are part of Syria, and Syria is part of the Middle East. In the 21st century, a huge resistance led by women has been waged and continues to be waged against the patriarchal mindset. Nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism prevent the establishment of a free life, democratic families, democracy, and equality. Women’s voices and their will are being silenced. Women are being systematically excluded from all areas of life, especially politics. The primary goal of these mentalities is to erase women’s presence, ideas, and actions. We do not just criticize this mentality; we actively wage a war against it through women’s united struggle.

Women have been fighting in Syria for many years. We have paid a heavy price for an equal, democratic, peaceful, and free life. We want a new Syria that is democratic, equal, just, and rooted in peace. This new Syrian constitution must be built under women’s leadership, and women’s rights must be guaranteed. The cultural richness of Syria’s peoples must be preserved, and their existence safeguarded, as seen in the Social Contract declared in Northern and Eastern Syria. Just as the Social Contract protects the rights of women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, in short, every individual in society, the new Syrian constitution must do the same. Without this, it is impossible to speak of a democratic, equal, just, and peaceful Syria."

Militias organized under various names were trained by the Turkish state

Rihan Loqo pointed out that since the Rojava Revolution, the Turkish state has targeted the brotherhood of peoples, women’s will, democracy, equality, and, by extension, the Democratic Nation project. She stressed that the Syrian government must not fall into the Turkish state’s trap when rebuilding the country, and added: "The Turkish state’s aim is the dismantling of the Democratic Nation project. Indeed, it has mobilized all its resources to eliminate this project. Up to now, it continues its attacks using technical means and militias it has trained. All of these militias have been trained for years by the Turkish state. We cannot view groups like Baghdadi-led militias, or figures like Erdoğan and Jolani, separately. Those who overthrew the Syrian regime have, in earlier periods, carried out massive massacres.

Despite these intense attacks, Northern and Eastern Syria remain the safest, most stable areas where peace and justice are upheld in Syria. Since the fall of the Syrian regime by HTS and the subsequent announcement of the interim Syrian government, we have been carefully monitoring developments. So far, we have not encountered any approach that defends women’s will and freedom or recognizes women as a force or entity. From day one, women were required to wear headscarves. Women scientists were targeted and killed. It is evident that a rigid, religious system based on Sharia law is being aimed for in Syria. For this reason, our struggle against sexism and occupation will continue without pause. It was not easy to build a system rooted in women’s freedom. Everyone should know that we will not compromise on our women-centered freedom system."

Only with Öcalan’s paradigm we can resolve the crisis

Recalling Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's past assessments regarding the Syrian crisis, Rihan Loqo said that Öcalan possesses the power to resolve global crises and concluded her speech with the following remarks: "Mindsets that prioritize national interests over the welfare of peoples continue to deepen the crisis day by day. Recently, a meeting was held with Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], but it was not followed up. If there had been continued dialogue with Leader Apo today, the Syrian crisis would not have reached this level of depth. Forces prioritizing nation-state interests are well aware of this, which is why isolation persists without interruption. If we stand for the brotherhood of peoples, peace, democracy, harmony, and justice, Leader Apo's views must reach the people. The trust of the peoples living in Northern and Eastern Syria in Leader Apo's paradigm is complete, and they strongly advocate for an urgent visit with him.

The ongoing war today is a war of existence and non-existence. For this reason, it is a war for freedom. The peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria have waged an extraordinary struggle for over 12 years, paying great sacrifices in the process. Led by women, this has been a war of existence, during which ISIS was eliminated, and thanks to YPJ and YPG, not only Northern and Eastern Syria but also the world was saved from a major catastrophe.

In this historic moment, I call on everyone to embrace the philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî and to unite around the struggle for a free life, woven with huge labor and sacrifice."

Thousands take to the streets in northeast Syria in support of Kurdish-led force
Middle East

Residents in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli took to the streets on Thursday in a demonstration supporting the resistance of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the recent attacks by pro-Turkey fighters in the region.


Issued on: 19/12/2024 - 
By: NEWS WIRES

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. © Delil Souleiman, AFP


Thousands of people demonstrated Thursday in northeast Syria in support of a US-backed, Kurdish-led force that for weeks has been pushing back against Turkey-backed fighters, an AFP correspondent said.

The show of support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) comes after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

A Turkish defence ministry source said Thursday that Ankara would push ahead with military preparations until Kurdish fighters “disarm”.

Demonstrators in Qamishli for the first time raised the three-starred flag adopted by Syria’s new authorities, symbolic of the uprising against Assad's rule that began in 2011, the correspondent said.

“Long live the SDF resistance,” demonstrators chanted, also yelling, “The Syrian people are one” and “No to war in our region, no to Turkey’s attack” on northeast Syria.

Others raised the flag of northeast Syria’s semi-autonomous Kurdish administration, and of the SDF, which spearheaded the fight that defeated Islamic State group jihadists in Syria in 2019.

Qamishli resident Mazloum Ahmed, 39, said people “came out today to support our forces”.

“We have been on this land for thousands of years,” he said, adding: “We must obtain our rights... in the new Syrian constitution.”

Another demonstrator, Salha Kalash, 50, said “the Syrian people must be one and fight to protect our land”.

“We want a democratic Syria where everyone has their rights... it's time for us to have our place in a Syria of justice and equality”.

On Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 21 pro-Turkey fighters were killed after they attacked a Kurdish-held position near the northern town of Manbij despite a US-brokered ceasefire extension in the area.

Concerns have grown over a possible Turkish assault on the Kurdish-held Syrian border town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Manbij.

The SDF on Thursday accused Turkey and allied fighters of “not adhering to the (ceasefire) decision and continuing attacking” south of Kobane, encouraging residents to “take up arms against the (Turkish) occupation”.

Turkey accuses the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of being affiliated with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants at home.

Both Washington and Ankara consider the PKK “terrorist” group.

A military chief from Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said this week that Kurdish-held areas of Syria would be integrated under the country’s new leadership.

The Kurdish administration has extended a hand to Syria’s new authorities, but fears it could lose its limited self-rule in the northeast.

(AFP)

Turkey won't halt Syria military activity until Kurd fighters 'disarm'

AFP , Thursday 19 Dec 2024

Ahram Online - 

Ankara will push ahead with its military preparations until Kurdish fighters "disarm", a defence ministry source said Thursday, stressing Turkey faces an ongoing threat along its border with northern Syria.


File Photo: Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters take part in a military exercise in the countryside of Afrin in the rebel-held Aleppo province. AFP


KURDISH YPJ FIGHTER


The comments came as concerns grew over a possible Turkish assault on the Kurdish-held Syrian border town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Manbij.

Turkey has thousands of troops in northern Syria and also backs a proxy force there which has engaged in ongoing clashes with the SDF, a US-backed Kurdish-led force that Ankara sees as an extension of its domestic nemesis, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"The threat posed by the terrorist organization to our borders and our operation areas in Syria continues," the source said.

"Until the PKK/YPG terrorist organization disarms and its foreign fighters leave Syria, our preparations and measures will continue within the scope of the fight against terrorism."

Turkey accuses the YPG (the People's Protection Units), which makes up the bulk of the SDF, of being affiliated with the PKK which both Washington and Ankara consider a "terrorist" group.

Since 2016, Ankara has carried out several major operations against the SDF.

But Turkey believes Syria's new rulers and Ankara-backed insugents "will liberate the regions occupied by the terrorist organization PKK/YPG," the ministry source said.

The fighting between Turkish-backed factions and Syrian Kurdish fighers comes more than a week after insugents toppled Syria's longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad.

Washington on Tuesday said it had brokered an extension to a fragile ceasefire in Manbij and was seeking a broader understanding with Turkey.

But the defence ministry source insisted Ankara was not talking with the SDF, saying it was "out of the question for us to meet with any terrorist organization".

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday the Manbij truce had been "extended through the end of the week, and we will, obviously, look to see that ceasefire extended as far as possible into the future".

But the Turkish source said "every step taken by terrorist groups that pose a threat to the security of our country and Syria is followed, and preventive and destructive measures are taken".

Hollande says attacks on Rojava "unacceptable"

Former French President François Hollande said that attacks on Rojava are unacceptable, and added: "I cannot tolerate the abandonment of the Kurds. 

I am calling on France and the international coalition to protect the Syrian Kurds."


ANF
PARIS
Thursday, 19 December 2024,

International reactions to the attacks by the Turkish state and its affiliated armed groups on areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (Rojava) continue. Former French President François Hollande, speaking during a live broadcast on Franceinfo to discuss developments in Syria, said that the attacks on Rojava are unacceptable and warned that Europe cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the Autonomous Administration regions.

When reminded of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's remarks suggesting that the European Union should strengthen its ties with the jihadist group HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) and asked whether HTS could be trusted, Hollande responded: "First, they need to provide evidence. Let me issue a warning here: HTS is not the only Islamist group. There are also Turkey-backed groups and other, more democratic groups. We need to see what these groups will do in the areas they control."

‘Kurds helped us against ISIS, they cannot be abandoned’

Hollande continued by highlighting the importance of supporting Syrian Kurds, and said: "There can be no attacks against the Syrian Kurds. It was the Syrian Kurds who helped us in our fight against DAESH (ISIS). Without the Syrian Kurds, it would not have been possible to uproot DAESH from Syria. France provided them with full support. As President, I could not, in good conscience, accept the abandonment of the Syrian Kurds today. Additionally, the Syrian Kurds are currently keeping thousands of DAESH prisoners under control. If these individuals are released, sooner or later they will return to our own territories."

‘Kurds play a crucial role against terrorism’

Hollande called for the protection of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, and said: "The Kurdish autonomy must be respected. What I mean by that is that the Syrian Kurds play an important role. They have been, and continue to be, absolutely vital in the fight against terrorism. However, this does not mean that they must separate from Syria. The message should be that they need to coexist within the region."

‘France and the International Coalition must protect the Kurds’

The former president insisted on France’s responsibility, saying that "France must protect the Kurds. France, along with the International Coalition established to fight terrorism, has a duty to protect them. As for Von der Leyen, Europe cannot ignore what is happening in this part of Syria. While I was in the European Council, I encountered Europeans who viewed Syria as a distant place with no impact on the European continent. But we experienced terrorist attacks, and so did they. Therefore, they need to understand that what happens in Syria can also have repercussions on our own territories."

Ousted Assad regime leaves Syria, economy in ruins

December 18, 2024 

Middle East Monitor – 

People gather to celebrate with the ‘Syrian revolution flag’ after performing the first Friday prayer following the collapse of the 61-year-long Baath regime in Syria and the end of the Assad family’s rule in Aleppo, Syria on December 13, 2024 [Kasım Rammah – Anadolu Agency]

Syria’s collapsed regime of Bashar Al-Assad left the country and its economy in ruins, turning it into a den for terrorist organisations and illegal activity, Anadolu Agency reports.

The country suffered from displacement and uncountable deaths, while its capital stock and economic activities were plagued by the civil war and international sanctions, as the country’s production, foreign trade and foreign exchange earnings plummeted. Its economic indicators, budget balances and exchange rates have also been destabilised.

Syria’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have halved in 2010-2020 and the country’s dependence on imported goods soared, including staple food products, and its local industrial and agricultural production collapsed, according to various sources, such as the World Bank, the UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Gold Council.

Syria’s GDP is estimated to have been $37.1 billion in 2022, $39.5 billion in 2023, and $29.3 billion in 2024—a stark difference from $60 billion in 2010, before the civil war.

The country’s GDP per capita declined from $2,800 in 2010 to $2,100 in 2022 and 2023, and it is estimated to fall further towards $1,600 by the end of the year.

READ: Russia dismantles air defence system at Hmeimim air base in Syria

At the same time, the overthrown regime’s revenues fell 35 per cent year-on-year in real terms in 2023 versus 2022, and 85 per cent compared to the pre-civil-war period, before 2010.

Oil production, exports down

Meanwhile, Syria, once the largest oil exporter in the Eastern Mediterranean, lost its key position in oil production and oil exports as a result of the capture of oil-rich regions by non-regime forces. Syria’s oil production of 383,000 barrels per day before the civil war dropped to 90,000 barrels per day last year.

Syria ran a foreign trade deficit of between $7 billion to $10 billion annually from 2007 to 2011 but the country’s foreign trade declined rapidly as the unrest that started in March 2011 grew into a full-blown civil war, which resulted in international sanctions and, consequently, the country’s foreign trade volume fell from $29 billion in 2010 to $4 billion in 2023.

Syria ranked 176th in the world last year, with its exports reaching $650 million, and 163rd in the world with imports totalling $3.4 billion.

The country’s most important exports were olive oil, calcium phosphate, cotton, spices, canned vegetables, cast iron scrap, shelled fruits and wheat, while its imports were sunflower oil, wheat flour, petroleum, animal feed, rice, sugar, cement, tea, electricity and construction iron.

Syria’s rapidly growing population reached 22 million in 1990-2011 and recent estimates show the population stands at 18.5 million.

Meanwhile, the civil war in the country led to serious losses in employment, as the unemployment rate is estimated to have reached 57 per cent.

Depreciating currency, rising inflation

The Syrian pound depreciated 270 times against the US dollar in 2011-2023, which further fuelled inflation, while inflation reached 64 per cent in 2022 and 141 per cent in 2023. Inflation projections show it is estimated to be at 95.1 per cent by the end of this year and 69.4 per cent in 2025.

READ: US officials warn of ‘imminent’ threat of new Turkiye military incursion into Syria

Syria used to be one of the prominent countries in the Middle East in gold and oil reserves, with an estimated gold reserves of 25.8 tons in 2011, and although this figure is estimated to have remained relatively the same after the civil war and the fall of the regime, there is reportedly no reliable data to be found on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Meanwhile, the largest oil and gas fields in the country are occupied by the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation. The organisations operating in gas and oil-rich areas, which are concentrated in the north-east, are estimated to have extracted at least 150,000 barrels on a daily basis.

Despite the Caesar Act imposed by the US on Syria, which sanctioned Assad for war crimes against Syrians under the first Trump administration, the PKK/YPG is reported to have sold most of its crude and processed oil to the regime, and its annual income from the oil sold to the Assad regime and Northern Iraq is estimated to have exceeded $1.2 billion.

Prior to the civil war, Syria was one of the most dynamic markets in the Middle East and the steps towards the transition to a free market economy and rising oil reserves triggered rapid growth in the country’s economy, creating business opportunities for foreign firms and investments, as the booming oil and gas industry and infrastructure projects made Syria an attractive market, though the conflict, starting in 2011, put a pause to foreign direct investments.

Syria has 11 safe zones, and in these designated zones, foreigners can establish companies and projects in line with incentives and five-year tax exemptions.

Agriculture badly hit

However, the decline in all sectors of Syria also hit its agriculture, as the cultivated land in the country fell 25 per cent, versus the pre-civil-war period. The World Bank reported that the access of farmers to seeds, fertilisers, fuel and machinery spare parts, which are needed to grow crops, became increasingly more difficult, resulting in diminishing agricultural production.

Syria became a major producer and seller of the highly addictive Captagon drug, a brand name for the prohibited psycho-stimulant fenethylline, reportedly with the influence of the PKK/YPG. The World Bank reported that the drug business is estimated to have yielded a revenue of up to $5.6 billion in 2020-2023, while those involved in the Captagon sales are said to have profited $1.8 billion per year.

GUST ARBITER

Study: 80,000 Syrians work in Germany in professions lacking specialised personnel

December 18, 2024 

Middle East Monitor

In response to Al-Jolani’s call, Syrian people take to the streets in celebration in Hanover, Germany, on December 14, 2024 [Somaya Abdelrahman/Anadolu Agency]

The results of a study indicated that the return of Syrian refugees living in Germany to their homeland could negatively affect the German economy and increase the gap in the shortage of skilled workers.

A study issued by the German Economic Institute (IW) showed that about 80,000 Syrians in Germany work in professions that suffer from a shortage of skilled workers.

For example, the number of Syrians working as technicians in the car mechanic sector has recently reached more than 4,000.

The Institute reported that about 7 out of 10 vacant positions in the field of automotive technology cannot be filled with specialists possessing the appropriate qualifications.

Many Syrians also work in other professions that suffer from a shortage of workers. Statistics indicate that about 2,470 Syrians work in the field of dentistry with contracts subject to compulsory social security; 2,260 Syrians work in the field of childcare and education; 2,160 in the field of nursing and health care; 2,100 in climate-related jobs in the field of electrical engineering and 1,570 Syrians work in the field of plumbing, heating and air-conditioning.

Fabian Semsarha, an economist at the IW and author of the study, stated that “Syrian workers are important to the German labour market, as they contribute significantly to alleviating the shortage of specialised personnel in Germany.” The study also indicates that many Syrians work in other professions, such as doctors, with the number of Syrian doctors working in Germany estimated at around 5,300. The study confirmed that their return to their homeland could worsen the shortage of personnel and lead to problems in providing health care.

Semsarha believes that the contribution by Syrian personnel is often underestimated in the debate about the possibility of their return.

“In many professions, it may become difficult to fill positions if these people leave the country,” he said, calling on politicians to provide safe residence opportunities for working Syrians.

According to the Federal Employment Agency, there were an average of 213,500 people of Syrian origin working in jobs covered by social insurance in Germany between June 2023 and May 2024.

Of the total number, 86,000 are employed in support jobs, while 127,000 are employed in skilled jobs that require vocational training or university studies. There are also around 155,000 Syrians who have registered as unemployed, making it possible for them to immediately enter the labour market.

A Christmas miracle in Syria

(RNS) — Assad was the King Herod of our time. Like Herod, he slaughtered the innocent.

Syrians gather during a celebratory demonstration following the first Friday prayers since Bashar al-Assad's ouster, in Damascus' central square, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Thomas Reese
December 16, 2024

(RNS) — At a time when most of the international news is full of gloom and doom, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria is a happy surprise, almost a Christmas miracle. Bashar al-Assad, the last scion of the family that ruled Syria for 50 years through fear and terror, is gone.

Assad was a King Herod of our time. He arrested, tortured and killed thousands of Syrians and forced millions more into exile. He used barrel bombs and chemical weapons against his own people. Cities harboring opponents to his regime were leveled with no regard for the cost in civilian deaths, children or adults. Nowhere was safe, not churches, not hospitals. Like Herod, he slaughtered the innocent.

Assad was aided and abetted by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon. The West imposed economic sanctions to try to squeeze him out of power, but in latter years was more concerned about quashing the Islamic State group and al-Qaida than the plight of the Syrian people under Assad. American troops are still in Syria to attack Islamic State group fighters. We also support the Kurds in Syria, who have been one of our most loyal and effective allies.

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Meanwhile, Western intelligence and the media failed to see how weak the Assad regime had become. Its economy was in shambles. Its allies were occupied elsewhere: Russia in Ukraine, Iran and Hezbollah with Israel. Its soldiers were poorly paid and unwilling to die for a regime that did nothing for them. In hindsight, the fault lines were evident.

The fall of Assad has rearranged the Middle Eastern chessboard. Turkey, which backed the rebels, will have more influence in Syria and elsewhere. Russia is confined to a narrow strip on the coast of Syria and may soon have to evacuate the country, where they are not welcome.

Iran has lost its most strategic ally in the Middle East. Without a land route through Syria, Iran cannot resupply Hezbollah, which is already crippled because of its war with Israel. With a severely weakened Hezbollah and Syrian refugees departing for home, the politics of Lebanon will now change. Iraq, too, could be safer if Syria is no longer a safe zone for terrorists.

But all is not well in Syria. Soldiers of its new rulers, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have liberated Damascus, Aleppo and Hama, but they do not control the whole country. Numerous rebel groups will compete for dominance, including pockets of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Bringing the country together will not be easy.

The more radical groups will not lay down their arms. The Kurds, who opposed Assad, fear the Sunni Arab majority that has now taken over the country. The Assads belonged to a minority Shia sect called the Alawites. They and other minority groups that allied themselves with Assad also now fear for the future.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is labeled a terrorist group by the United States and other Western countries. Its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has a U.S. bounty of $10 million on his head. In the past, he opposed the Islamic State group’s attempts to take over his forces. He was allied with Al-Qaida but broke with the group in 2016. He is focused on Syria not on a global jihad.

According to The New York Times, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is described as pragmatic and disciplined by those who have studied it or interacted with it in Idlib Province, the territory it controlled in northern Syria prior to the fall of Assad.

So far, al-Julani has said and done all the right things. He has disarmed Syrian soldiers and sent them home. He has told civil servants to stay at their jobs and told his supporters not to take revenge on Assad supporters. All religious and ethnic groups are to be left in peace. Looting will not be tolerated. He has told his soldiers not to hassle women about their clothing.

It is as if he learned from the mistakes the U.S. made after conquering Iraq.

On the other hand, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has jailed its critics in Idlib. And Facebook and other social media are full of threats against groups allied with Assad, especially the Alawites.

What should the United States and Western governments do in response to the Syrian revolution?

First, it should immediately suspend the $10 million bounty on al-Julani. Nothing could be more disastrous for American foreign policy in the Middle East than an American-backed assassination of the liberator of Syria.

Second, the U.S. should suspend the classification of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist group as long as they do not carry out terrorist activities in the future. It can always be reclassified as a terrorist group in the future if needed.

Third, the United States should welcome the positive words coming out of Damascus and lift economic sanctions if their actions continue to be consistent with what the new rulers are saying. International aid organizations should be allowed to help the Syrian people immediately.

Fourth, we should do all we can to facilitate the safe return of refugees to Syria. Many of these refugees have the skills needed to rebuild Syrian society and its economy.

Most importantly, we should not try to micromanage the future of Syria. We want to ensure the protection of Christians, Kurds and other minority groups, but Syria is unlikely to become a Western-style democracy. We should talk with everyone and be willing to facilitate dialogue but not choose sides.

If Syria maintains peace with its neighbors (including Israel) and rejects global jihad, we should see the new Syria as a potential ally, not an enemy. If it is willing to give up or destroy its chemical weapons, we should be happy to help it root out Al-Qaida and the Islamic State group from Syria with intelligence and logistics, but not boots on the ground.

The new Syria provides hope but no guarantees. It may all go up in flames if internal factions war with each other or the victors take vengeance on the defeated. The United States should do what it can to encourage peace and reconciliation, but should not pour gasoline on the fire by taking sides.

Anti-Genocide Activists Target Israeli Drone Manufacturer in Brooklyn


Activists hope to evict Easy Aerial from its headquarters for providing drones and software to the Israeli military.

By Arvind Dilawar , 

Truthout

December 19, 2024

Easy Aerial / Truthout

On December 11, activists opposing the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip picketed the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City for the fifth time since September. The activists, collectively known as Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard (DBNY), seek to pressure the manufacturing complex’s board of directors to evict two tenants connected to the Israeli military: Crye Precision, which produces camouflage and tactical gear, and Easy Aerial, which produces drones and related software.

Easy Aerial has come under pressure from activists following a report from the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in November, which not only describes the Israeli assault on Gaza as “consistent with the characteristics of genocide,” but specifically highlights “the use by Israel of artificial intelligence in directing its military campaign.” The report explicitly points out the complicity of businesses that provide such technology.

Since October 2023, the Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed at least 44,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health as cited by Al Jazeera. The true toll of the genocide, obscured by the ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade, as well as a propaganda campaign by Israel, may top 330,000 deaths by the end of the year, according to estimates published in The Guardian.

As the U.S. government continues to provide Israel with both weapons and diplomatic cover — most recently, by voting against a UN resolution demanding a ceasefire, coincidentally also on December 11 — activists like DBNY see collective direct action as their best means of curbing the violence. They also describe their organizing as a direct response to solidarity requests from Palestinian labor unions urging workers around the world to halt the flow of weapons to Israel.
“Instrumental to Maintaining and Optimizing Israel’s Military Occupation”

Easy Aerial manufactures autonomous aerial and ground drones, and develops related software, with headquarters in Brooklyn and additional offices in Gan HaShomron, Israel. The company was founded in the United States in 2014 and had one of its early forays into the Israeli market in 2019, when it and an Israeli drone developer, Blue White Robotics, received a grant from the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, a joint Israeli-U.S. governmental initiative funding cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. The grant was meant to further development of drone software for “homeland security” applications, but the project never went to market due to a lack of subsequent funding and competition from other developers, according to Ivan Stamatovski, co-founder of Easy Aerial.


Israel Has Built an Economy Fueled by Genocide at Home and Abroad
With the help of the US, Israel exports instruments of oppression abroad, while testing them against Palestinians.By Ciudong Ng , Truthout September 1, 2024

Nevertheless, Easy Aerial has been connected to the Israeli military since at least 2021, when the company advertised its products being used to monitor the Israeli border. In addition, Easy Aerial has provided drone-related software to Elbit Systems, the largest weapons developer for the Israeli military, since at least 2022, according to a social media post from Easy Aerial’s other co-founder, Ido Gur.

Stamatovski describes the company’s earlier efforts as “paid research,” but says that the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, are what really introduced Easy Aerial’s products into the field.

“What we make is ‘tethered drones’ that can stay in the air for multiple hours,” Stamatovski told Truthout. “Wherever you place them, they can provide overwatch and perimeter security. And this is what was an immediate need after October 7.”

Stamatovski acknowledges the demonstrations organized by DBNY, but writes them off as misguided, as he characterizes Easy Aerial’s drones as defensive rather than offensive. He also says the UN’s recent warnings to businesses providing technology to the Israeli military doesn’t apply to Easy Aerial for the same reason.

But legal advocates reject such distinctions between offensive and defensive technology as overly simplistic.

“New technologies, such as surveillance drones, have been instrumental to maintaining and optimizing Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian territories and entrenching its system of apartheid, segregation, land grab and population control,” Marwa Fatafta of Access Now, which advocates for human rights in technology, told Truthout. “The argument that these surveillance drones are not used for military purposes is ludicrous, to say the least.”

Fatafta points out that companies like Easy Aerial presumably have little control over whether their products are deployed within the internationally recognized boundaries of Israel or in the Palestinian territories — which would make such companies complicit in the occupation. Furthermore, surveillance is an intrinsic aspect of both traditional warfare and AI-directed warfare, in which a vast amount of data, like surveillance footage, is used in the selection of targets.

Even if Easy Aerial claims ignorance of these facts, the company is not absolved of its responsibility, according to Fatafta. In addition to the aforementioned UN report implicating businesses that provide technology to the Israeli military, the International Court of Justice issued an opinion in July reiterating the illegality of Israel’s occupation, and obligating states — and, by extension, businesses therein — “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
“They Work Alongside War Criminals”

Since September, DBNY has been taking the fight to Easy Aerial’s doorstep. Each week, activists with the group distribute flyers to the more than 11,000 people who work for over 450 businesses in the 300-acre complex, including art studios, food vendors and entertainment companies. The flyers in English and Spanish provide background on Easy Aerial, Crye Precision and the Brooklyn Navy Yard itself, which was formerly a shipbuilding facility for the U.S. Navy, but today is owned by New York’s municipal government and managed by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation as an industrial park. In addition to the weekly flyering, DBNY has organized demonstrations to coincide with the corporation’s board meetings and public events. Activists have also been directly petitioning the corporation’s executives, board members and staff, demanding they evict Easy Aerial and Crye Precision from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

While the response from the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to DBNY has been official silence paired with harassment from hired security — including drone surveillance — the response from workers has been “overwhelmingly positive,” according to the activists.

“Most of them have been shocked and disgusted to learn that they work alongside war criminals,” a spokesperson for DBNY, who declined to share their name due to the persecution of activists in the United States, told Truthout. “Despite the silence and escalating repression from Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, our movement is only getting stronger, with the increasing participation of local workers and community members.”

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Truthout.

Similarly, DBNY has received no response from Easy Aerial or Crye Precision, which supplies camouflage to the Israeli military via a private Israeli manufacturer, Agilite.

Crucial to DBNY’s messaging to the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s workers and neighbors is the fact that companies like Easy Aerial and Crye Precision are not only profiting from the Israeli genocide in Gaza, but from the increasingly militarized policing of people in the United States as well. As the activists’ flyers underscore, in addition to the Israeli military, Easy Aerial and Crye Precision supply the U.S. military, border patrol and even the New York City Police Department, which announced a partnership with Easy Aerial in 2022.

Ultimately, DBNY hopes to replicate the recent successes of other activists targeting weapons manufacturers supplying the Israeli military. Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Boston, for example, was able to force the closure of Elbit Systems’s offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in August, following a year of demonstrations, as reported by Cambridge Day.

According to DBNY, until the Brooklyn Navy Yard ceases to host businesses trading in “blood money” from targeting people in Gaza and the United States alike, all New Yorkers and visitors should boycott the complex. To that end, the activists have created a petition demanding the eviction of Easy Aerial and Crye Precision, as well as pledging a boycott until that time.

“We also urge all tenants and workers to take autonomous actions at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and by joining our campaign to disrupt, strike and boycott all genocide profiteers,” said the DBNY spokesperson. “Through sustained collective action, we will force Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to terminate their contracts with Easy Aerial and Crye Precision, and cut ties with the military-industrial complex.”

“We will continue to fight until Crye Precision and Easy Aerial are expelled from the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” they continued. “And we will continue to resist until all war criminals are out of Brooklyn.”

This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the terms of the license.


Arvind Dilawar is an independent journalist. His articles, interviews and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Daily Beast, and elsewhere. Find him online at: adilawar.com

Doctors Without Borders Says Israel's Assault on Gaza Bears 'Clear Signs of Ethnic Cleansing'

"People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave," said the humanitarian group's secretary-general.


Palestinian children gather to receive bread in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, Gaza on December 19, 2024.
(Photo: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Jake Johnson
Dec 19, 2024
COMMON DREAMS

The international humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières published a report Thursday detailing how the Israeli military has systematically destroyed conditions of life in the Gaza Strip over the past 14 months by dismantling the enclave's healthcare system, forcibly displacing most of the population, choking off humanitarian aid, and reducing much of the territory to rubble.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, noted in its 34-page report that its staffers have witnessed and in some cases been the victims of large-scale "violence unleashed by Israeli forces," which has "caused physical and mental damage on a scale that would overwhelm any functioning health system, let alone one already decimated by a crushing offensive and a 17-year-long blockade."

While MSF secretary-general Christopher Lockyear stressed that the group doesn't "have legal authority to establish intentionality" on the part of the Israeli military, "the signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation—including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment—are undeniable."

"People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave," said Lockyear, who visited Gaza earlier this year. "The recent military offensive in the north is a stark illustration of the brutal war the Israeli forces are waging on Gaza, and we are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped, and bombed."

"What our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict," he added, "is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organizations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza."

Even if Israel's assault ended today, MSF said, "its long-term impacts would be unprecedented, given the scale of the destruction and the extraordinary challenges of providing healthcare across the strip."

"The cumulative physical toll and mental trauma caused by the extreme violence, loss of family members and homes, repeated forced displacement, and inhumane living conditions will scar generations," the group added.



Medics care for patients at a clinic set up by Doctors Without Borders in Rafah, Gaza on April 24, 2024. (Photo: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)



MSF's report, titled Gaza: Life in a Death Trap, finds that Israel's response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack "provoked the collapse of Gaza's already-vulnerable healthcare system" and compromised its ability to provide humanitarian assistance with attacks on aid workers.

Since October 2023, at least eight MSF workers and "many of their family members" have been killed in Gaza, the group said Thursday.


"The pattern of attacks outlined above coupled with its foreseeable consequences and the denial of access to medical care and humanitarian assistance... effectively demonstrate Israeli forces waging a 'war on the health of Gazans' that has left the healthcare system in shreds," the new report states.

The report quotes MSF staffers relaying their horrifying experiences working in Gaza's barely functional hospitals and clinics without adequate supplies to treat the massive influx of Israeli airstrike victims.

"There are wounded lying everywhere," Karin Huster, medical referent for MSF in Gaza, said in June. "Bodies are being carried out in plastic bags, the smell of blood is unbearable. Hundreds of people are in the hospital waiting for news of their loved ones injured in the bombardments."

"Nothing justifies what I saw today," Huster added. "These children, the three-month-old baby, the 7-year-old, the 12-year-old who died, the 25-year-old man, the 78-year-old woman, all with horrific injuries: Why did they deserve this?"

MSF's report contributes to a rapidly growing body of research and analysis accusing the Israeli government of perpetrating genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

Human Rights Watch said Thursday that "Israeli authorities have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths."

"In doing so," HRW added, "Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide."

Doctors Without Borders said Thursday that "an immediate and sustained cease-fire must be implemented" and the "complete destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza and all things that make up the very fabric of society must stop."

Additionally, the group urged Israel's allies to end their unconditional support for the assault on Gaza and demanded an independent investigation into attacks on humanitarian workers.

"Israeli authorities continue to actively block MSF and other humanitarian organizations from providing lifesaving assistance to people trapped under siege and bombardment," the group said. "States must leverage their influence to alleviate the suffering of people and enable a massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip."