Ilhan Omar 

US lawmaker meets Afghans at vocational centre in Haripur, Pakistan

The Newspaper's Correspondent

Published April 24, 2022

HARIPUR: US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar visited the Government Technical and Vocational Centre here on Saturday and met Afghan refugees being trained.

She told them that the people of her country would continue providing every possible support for the well-being of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

The US lawmaker said she, being a refugee herself, could understand the feelings of Afghans, who, despite having facilities from by the hosts or other aid agencies, desperately wanted to go home.

“On return to the US, I will explore avenues for better services for and uplift of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan,” she said.

Ms Ilhan Omar appreciated the Pakistani government, Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, Haripur administration and aid agencies for providing education and healthcare to refugees for over four decades.

Says Americans will continue working for their well-being

The centre’s administration briefed her on vocational training programmes offered to Afghan refugees along with the children of hosting communities.

The US Congresswoman also visited the primary school set up for Afghan girls in the Panian refugee camp, where the students presented different tableaus in their native languages.

She interacted with them and asked them about their education.

Also, a group of Afghan elders met her and appreciated the initiatives of Pakistani government and INGOs for striving to improve the standard of their living.

Assistant commissioner Rao Hashim Azeem briefed her about the facilities provided by the district administration to Afghan refugees and said Hazara division hosted over 150,000 refugees and provided education and healthcare and livelihood opportunities to them for their development.

Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Mohammad Abbas Khan, who was also in attendance, informed the US lawmaker about the government’s steps for the well-being of refugees.

Earlier, the assistant commissioner and the commissioner for Afghan refugees received her on arrival at the helipad and took her to the GTVC and Afghan camp amid tight security measures.

The residents said there was a curfew-like situation in Khalabat Township and the areas housing refugee camps during the visit of the US congresswoman and that some link roads leading to those places were closed to traffic.

PROTEST: The residents of Khalabat Township on Saturday protested gas outages and warned they would agitate if the issue wasn’t resolved in two days.

Led by elders Qari Mohammad Ihjaz, Mohammad Ibrahim and Sajid Tofiq, the protesters complained about the suspension of gas supply during Iftar and Sehr time for the last few days in Mohallah Alflah, Jagal and Mohallah Ilyasi of Sector No 2 of the Khalabat Township.

They demanded the early restoration of smooth gas supply to prevent more street protests.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2022

Loyalists turn on Sri Lankan PM as protest pressure grows

AFP

Published April 24, 2022 - 

Demonstrators shout slogans against Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, near the Presidential Secretariat, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo on April 23. 

— Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s beleaguered prime minister came under increased pressure to step down on Satu­rday, as a cabinet minister and other senior party members backed street protests calling for resignations over a worsening economic crisis.

Media minister Nalaka Godahewa announced his support for the thousands outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office who are demanding he and other members of his powerful family quit power.

Sri Lanka is suffering its most painful economic downturn since independence in 1948, with months of lengthy blackouts and acute shortages of food, fuel and other essentials. The crisis has sparked countrywide protests, with angry demonstrators camped outside Rajapaksa’s office for more than three weeks.

Under pressure, the president dropped two of his brothers — Chamal and Basil — and nephew Namal from the cabinet this month, but protesters rejected the changes as cosmetic.

Godahewa, previously a staunch Rajapaksa loyalist, said the president should sack his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa — the head of the family — and allow an all-party interim government to take over.

He said the government had lost its credibility after the police killing of a protester on Tuesday. Godahewa said he had offered his resignation but President Rajap­aksa had not accepted it. “We need to restore political stability to successfully meet the economic crisis,” Godahewa said in a statement on his Facebook page.

“The entire cabinet, including the prime minister, should resign and [there should be] an interim cabinet that can win the confidence of all.”

Police and the military stepped up security in the central town of Rambukkana on Saturday, ahead of the funeral of 42-year-old Chaminda Lakshan, who was shot dead when police broke up a protest against spiralling fuel prices.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2022

'I’m exhausted': Why these nurses are preparing to strike — and others already have
2022/4/23
© The Mercury News

Mark O'Neill plays a game with his daughter Emily, 4, in their home on April 20, 2022, in Oakland, California. - Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group/TNS

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Stanford nurse Mark O’Neill could have quit his job caring for desperately ill COVID and cardiac patients, joining the exodus of other health care workers seeking a reprieve from the stress of the past two years.

Instead, on Monday he’ll walk a picket line.

“I’m exhausted, but we need to push really hard to get help for the issues we’re facing,” said O’Neill, one of 5,000 nurses slated to strike next week at prestigious Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital after the collapse of three months of labor negotiations, with no future bargaining sessions scheduled. “We’re asking Stanford for a change.”

The Stanford nurses join a growing number of other U.S. health care workers with shared grievances about staffing, pay, benefits and quality of life that have mounted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last Monday, 8,000 nurses across Northern California staged a one-day strike at 18 Sutter Health facilities. Recent health care strikes also occurred in Oregon, Massachusetts, New York, Montana and Alabama. A massive strike of 50,000 Kaiser health care workers was narrowly averted last November.

With nurses in short supply, unions have new leverage — and have emerged as increasingly powerful voices in a tight job market. Fatigued by the pandemic, many nurses are rethinking their careers. A new McKinsey report found that the share of nurses who said they were likely to leave their positions in the coming year rose to 32%, up from 22% last February.

In preparation for Monday’s walkout, “strike nurses” from around the nation are being flown into the Bay Area and delivered by bus to Stanford’s top-ranked hospitals. Strike nurses are typically the highest compensated nurses in the industry, with agencies like HSG and U.S. Nursing paying $12,000 to $13,000 a week to the Stanford replacements.

“If you put your badge down, I’m going to pick it up,” said Aleehya Carr of San Antonio, Texas, who hopes to work the Stanford strike. “People walk out on patients that still need help…Imagine if it was your mother or your father.”

But the regular nurses have their own set of frustrations toward the highly-paid temps. That tension played out at Sutter Health this past week, when nurses staged a one-day walkout but were replaced for the whole week by contract nurses.

“They’re getting housed, they’re getting transported to the hospital, they’re getting fed, they have extra lab people and clerks — all the things that we want,” said Carol Hawthorne-Johnson, a registered nurse who has worked in Eden’s intensive care unit in Castro Valley for 30 years. “They’re also getting different salaries and that’s what’s encouraging nurses to come out here.”

During the pandemic nursing shortage, hospitals have increasingly turned to high-paid travel nurses to fill the gaps, fostering resentment year-round.

To reduce its workload next week and ensure it can provide critical and emergency care, Stanford may reschedule some elective procedures, said spokesperson Julie Greicius. But the larger issue looms.

There are several reasons why nurses have chosen this moment to push for change, said Joanne Spetz, director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at UC San Francisco.

For one, contracts have expired, so it’s time to re-negotiate. Nurses have seen profits rise at Stanford and other large health systems, even as COVID cases soared. According to the university’s 2021 annual report, revenues at the two hospitals exceeded expenses by $845 million, compared to $107 million in 2020 — although some of that was due to one-time federal relief grants.

Nurses also know they are harder to replace – and want their contributions acknowledged in the form of improved working conditions, protected vacation time, higher wages and better benefits.

“Nurses have given so much during this pandemic,” Spetz said.

On a relative basis, nursing is a lucrative profession, and not just for the strike replacements. But throughout the country, nurses say they’re depleted by long hours and short staffing, and traumatized by the magnitude of death. Through surge after surge, they risked infection. They responded to repeated appeals to work overtime shifts. They missed family dinners and canceled vacations. They helped dying patients say goodbye to their families on video calls. They cried in their cars and fought deep fatigue on their long drives home.

“Nurses are fed up,” said Diana Mason, professor with the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University School of Nursing.

“When you are working short staffed, there’s moral distress,” she said. “You know that patients are getting complications that they should not have gotten, because you couldn’t be there for them.”

To be sure, hospitals must meet legal nurse-to-patient ratios. But that just sets the bare minimum, said Mason and Spetz. Few hospitals have solid strategies to adjust these staffing ratios in response to very sick patients.

Stanford nurses are asking for annual wage increases of 7% for each of the next two years and 6% in the final year of their contract, with $3,000 bonuses and ongoing mental health counseling.

This will boost staffing levels, they say, because it will be easier to recruit and retain workers.

Stanford is offering wage increases — 5%, 4% and 3%, plus ratification and retention bonuses. In the first year, annual base salaries for entry level nurses would start at $143,000 and climb to $211,500 for nurses at the top of the pay scale.

With so many nurses out on quarantine during the pandemic, Stanford boosted ranks by bringing on traveling nurses who work on a contract basis. Stanford would not provide a count of these traveling nurses, but the union says it can approach 25% in some sites, such as the Intensive Care Unit.

But veteran nurses say it’s challenging to work with a rotating cast of newcomers, who earn much more than they do. Because these traveling nurses aren’t allowed to work on the very sickest patients, they say, the toughest work gets shifted to the lower-paid veterans.

Despite the influx of traveling nurses, there still isn’t enough staff, they say.

When working overtime shifts in the ICU and later the post-anesthesia care unit, Kathy Stormberg recalled times at home when “there weren’t enough hours in a row to get a load of laundry washed, dried and folded….I cancelled going places, and seeing friends. I cancelled eating dinner with my family.”

For O’Neill, who lived in hotels during the first three months of the pandemic, “the hardest part was the time that has been spent away from my family,” missing his young daughter’s new vocabulary and sense of humor. “FaceTime calls aren’t the same as a hug or kiss.”

And the pleas for overtime shifts are constant, he said. “You’ll be working a 12-hour shift, and be asked to stay over for another four hours. On a daily basis, we’ll get at least one text message saying the unit is short-staffed, asking ‘can I come in to work overtime?’ ”

“Nurses can’t even relax on their day off, because they keep getting these texts,” said Stormberg.

Stanford warns that the strike will be unsettling for patients and highly divisive to its care teams. “The impact can be deep and long lasting and should not be taken lightly,” it cautioned.

But it could fundamentally change the standing of many veteran workers, said Spetz.

“This is really an opportunity to draw attention to the fact that nursing is a highly respected profession that requires a lot of skill and knowledge to do it well,” she said. “And often it is overlooked.”

2 homeless camps removed ahead of President Biden's Seattle visit

2022/4/23 
© The Seattle Times

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on Earth Day at Seward Park in Seattle on April 22, 2022. -

 MANDEL NGAN/Getty Images North America/TNS

SEATTLE — The city of Seattle cleared two homeless encampments within a few blocks of the Westin Seattle this week in anticipation of President Joe Biden's visit.

Biden visited Seattle on Earth Day, in part to sign an executive order at Seward Park aimed at protecting old-growth forests from the ravages of wildfires. He also touched on ever-rising health care and prescription drug costs as a driver of booming inflation in a speech at Green River College in Auburn.

His visit caused traffic snarls around the county and large gatherings of people who wanted to see or protest the president.

It also spurred Mayor Bruce Harrell to remove about 15 people from the two downtown encampments where they had been living, according to Jamie Housen, spokesperson for the mayor's office.

Housen said that the people living there were to leave so that the city could close the streets and limit access to sidewalks to ensure the safety of the president. The mayor's office said that staff were unaware of Biden's exact travel routes and timing.

Seattle Parks and Recreation staff gave two days' notice that any remaining belongings must be removed by Thursday.

Housen said that nine tents and shelter structures were removed from Virginia Street to Olive Way between Sixth and Fifth avenues. Three people staying there left on their own and four others were referred to shelter by the city's encampment outreach team.

Four tents were removed between Lenora and Virginia streets, from Fifth Avenue to Fourth Avenue. Four people there left voluntarily and two others were referred to shelters.

Several other encampments were also cleared this week, including one at Thorndyke Park. Housen said those were unrelated to Biden's visit.

However, the reduced visibility of one of the region's top issues rubbed some the wrong way.

Executive director of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Alison Eisinger denounced the city's decision to remove the camps.

She said the city needs a "better planned" and "genuinely helpful" approach to addressing encampments, and criticized Harrell's approach. She said that residents of camps should be given more forewarning that the city plans to make them move, and that it disrupts homeless people's ability to stay connected to social services.

"Attempting to justify these harmful actions because of a presidential visit is shameful," Eisinger said.

Oh, the irony: Boris Johnson slams ‘misogynistic abuse’ of Angela Rayner

Boris Johnson condemned the 'misogynistic' article directed at Angela Rayner on Sunday - turning a mirror towards his own 'sexist language'.

 by Tom Head
2022-04-24 

22/04/2022. Delhi, India. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives 

Hyderabad House with Prime Minister Modi. 

Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has responded to a vile report in the Daily Mail, which claimed that Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner tried to distract him by ‘showing off her legs’. This playground behaviour has been slammed by BoJo, but he’s perhaps not one to talk…

Boris Johnson slams ‘misogynistic abuse’ – for a change…

In a Tweet posted on Sunday morning, Johnson felt the need to distance himself from Rayner’s political views before offering her some very basic human decency. He rejected the offending Mail on Sunday article as ‘deplorable’ and ‘misogynistic’.

“As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue, I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today.”Boris Johnson

Angela Rayner fights back in row with Mail on Sunday

Rayner herself has responded to the bizarre – and downright weird – claims made by The Mail. Although she thanked Johnson for his show of support, the firebrand politician still slammed the PM for ‘dragging his party into the sewer’. Ouch…

“Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin. It is the PM who is dragging the Conservative Party into the sewer – and the anonymous Tory MPs doing his bidding are complicit.”Angela Rayner

A brief history of misogyny staring Boris Johnson!

Meanwhile, many social media users have been keen to point out that Boris Johnson *maybe* isn’t the best person to call out the use of misogynistic language. After all, Boris is very well versed in his own use of sexist terms…

We’re talking about the same bloke who once said the best way to manage a female colleague was to “pat her on the bottom and send her on her way” – a remark that even drew condemnation from Priti Patel.

In his journalistic days, Boris was previously scathing of single mothers, and even made reference to a ‘tottymeter’ in one of his columns. His time in politics hasn’t been much better. During a 2005 election campaign, her argued that voting Tory would ‘make your wife’s breasts larger’. And it doesn’t end there…

‘Girly swots’, ‘women volleyball players glistening like wet otters‘, and ‘big girl’s blouse’ are all terms used by the Prime Minister during his career in public service. All that, without mentioning his sincere belief that misogyny shouldn’t be classed as a hate crime.

A senior UK Conservative has claimed that the House of Commons is a safe place to be a woman despite more than 50 MPs being subject to sexual misconduct allegations.'

Row over claims Angela Rayner distracted Boris Johnson by “crossing and uncrossing her legs”

Angela Rayner has accused Tory MPs of using anonymous briefings to spread “desperate, perverted smears” about her by claiming she has sought to distract the Prime Minister provocatively in the Commons.

By The Newsroom

Sunday, 24th April 2022,

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner who has accused Tory MPs of using anonymous briefings to spread "desperate, perverted smears" about her by claiming she has sought to distract the Prime Minister provocatively in the Commons. Boris Johnson, in a show of support for the deputy Labour leader, said he "deplored the misogyny directed at her anonymously"

Boris Johnson, in a show of support for the deputy Labour leader, said he “deplored the misogyny directed at her anonymously”.

The Mail On Sunday (MoS) reported that Conservatives had claimed Ms Rayner enjoyed attempting to put Mr Johnson “off his stride” during Prime Minister’s Questions by “crossing and uncrossing her legs”.

Ms Rayner often sits next to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and opposite the Prime Minister during the weekly Commons clashes.

In a series of tweets, Ms Rayner lashed out at the “lies” being briefed about her.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said: “Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin.

“They know exactly what they are doing. The lies they are telling.”

She said Mr Johnson and his backers “clearly have a big problem with women in public life” and that they “should be ashamed of themselves”.

“I won’t be letting their vile lies deter me. Their attempts to harass and intimidate me will fail,” Ms Rayner added.

Sir Keir said the sexism displayed by those briefing the Sunday paper was a “disgraceful new low from a party mired in scandal and chaos”.

Tulip Siddiq, the shadow economic secretary to the Treasury, said the accusations were “disgraceful”.

The Labour politician told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “At the end of the day, Angela Rayner is an MP who was elected on merit.

“To talk about the fact she is using her legs or her posture to manipulate the Prime Minister is ridiculous and I’m really upset about it.”

One Tory MP is said to have told the MoS: “She (Ms Rayner) knows she can’t compete with Boris’s Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks.

“She has admitted as much when enjoying drinks with us on the (Commons) terrace.”

Mr Johnson tweeted: “As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue, I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today.”

Ms Rayner thanked the Conservative Party leader for standing up for her.

When asked on Sophy Ridge about the coverage, Tory chairman Oliver Dowden said he did not recognise the claims attributed to his party’s MPs.

Former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said she agreed with Ms Rayner’s assessment that she had been targeted for being a woman.

“Really sorry Angela. Totally unacceptable comments,” the Tory MP tweeted.

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

By APR editor -

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

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

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

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

READ MORE: Other reports on the Julian Assange case

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Pacific Media Watch collaborates with RSF.

KJK: Revolutionary people's war must be expanded

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


ANF
BEHDINAN
Wednesday, 20 Apr 2022, 17:22

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

The KJK statement released on Wednesday includes the following:

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

'GUERILLA IS LEADING STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM'

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

'RESISTANCE SHOULD BE EXPANDED'

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

'SHENGAL ATTACK AND ISIS GENOCIDE'

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

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

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

'EVERYWHERE SHOULD BE AN AREA OF RESISTANCE’

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

'LET'S SUPPORT THE GUERILLAS'

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

Stop the Turkish war of occupation in Kurdistan!

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


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

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

The appeal released on Friday includes the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

ANF
NEWS DESK
Tuesday, 12 Apr 2022,

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

The article is as follows:

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

Three trillion dollars for the military

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

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

Exposing the economic interests of the state

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

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

Imperialist Greed

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

Society opposes the war

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


CIVAKA AZAD
BERLIN
Sunday, 24 Apr 2022

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

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

What is Turkey aiming at with this war of aggression?

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

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

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

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

Why is Turkey attacking right now?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What successes have past Turkish offensives had in South Kurdistan?

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

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

What about the international reactions?

And why does this war concern us at all?