‘Paraglider’ images at pro-Palestinian march were peace symbols, court told

A lawyer representing two of the defendants has claimed police have been fed a narrative by partisan social media groups

George Lithgow

PA

Heba Alhayek, 29, (left) and Pauline Ankunda, 26, arrive at Westmintser Magistrates’ Court

 (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Three people accused of showing images of paragliders at a pro-Palestinian march were actually displaying a “cartoon parachute” used as a “symbol of peace”, lawyers have claimed.

Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, are accused of attaching images of paragliders to their backs, while Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, is said to have stuck one to the handle of a placard – just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7.

But a lawyer representing two of the defendants has claimed police have “mistaken” what they saw that day, and have been fed a narrative by partisan social media groups.

Mark Summers KC, representing Alhayek and Ankunda, said: “A parachute isn’t a paraglider.”

The suggestion that the image was a paraglider started with “an internet group with an agenda”, who circulated it on social media, he said.

Mr Summers continued: “[A parachute] is a well known nationalist symbol of peace.

“The police have mistaken what they have seen that day.

“Police have taken the narrative that’s been fed to them and brought it blindly to your door.”

Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, arrives at Westmintser Magistrates’ Court

 (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Giving evidence on Monday, former journalist Victoria Brittain, who is a patron of the group Palestine Solidarity, claimed a parachute was a “typical Palestinian symbol of flight and escaping prison”.

Ms Brittain, who was present at October’s demonstration, said balloons and kites had also been used with the same meaning.

But when questioned by the prosecution, she admitted she had not seen any images of parachutes at the march.

The trio displayed the images on October 14 2023, prosecutors allege, just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7 before killing more than 1,000 Israelis.

Hamas is banned as a terror organisation in the UK.

The defendants’ display of the images was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told.

After the Metropolitan Police launched a social media appeal to find them, Alhayek and Ankunda handed themselves in to Croydon Police Station, the court heard.

Pro-Palestinian protesters carry placards during a 'National March for Palestine' demonstration in central London

 (EPA/ANDY RAIN)

In a police interview, the pair initially claimed someone at the demonstration “who was not known to them” had stuck the images to their backs, before changing their statements, admitting they had attached them themselves, the court was told.

When arrested and interviewed under caution, Taiwo claimed to have been handed the placard and not paid proper attention to the “blurry image” it displayed, the court heard.

Closing the prosecution case, Brett Weaver told the court: “Their reaction was firstly to lie and then to retract that denial.

“[Parachutes have] no obvious association with freedom or liberation.

“It’s no coincidence that the defendants were displaying the images a week after the attack… no coincidence that the images they had related to the methods that Hamas used.

“There’s a clear nexus between the images displayed and the events of October 7.”

The three defendants deny the charges.

The trial continues.

To stop Muslim 'radicalisation', end UK support for Israel's genocide in Gaza

Refusing to reflect on the root causes of radicalisation, the UK's counter-terrorism policies are just an excuse to criminalise Muslims, writes Nadeine Asbali.




Nadeine Asbali
12 Feb, 2024

British Muslims are outraged and disillusioned by their government's unchecked support for Israel's war on Gaza, writes Nadeine Asbali.

[Getty]

Over the last few decades, the term ‘radicalisation’ has become so politicised and laden with Islamophobic ideas that it can be hard to unpack what it actually means.

Radicalisation is “the action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues”. To me, this sounds like a process that many of us go through as the adult world opens our eyes to the manifold inequalities in the systems that govern us.

Yet for many, ‘radical’ simply means any iteration of Islam that isn’t sanitised for the white gaze; to be ‘radical’ as a Muslim means being dangerous, extreme and even a terrorist.

Last week, the head of UK counter-terror policing said that Israel’s indiscriminate war on Palestinians in Gaza had created a “radicalisation moment”, with the potential to push many Muslims towards acts of terror, akin to the effect of the Iraq war on previous generations.

"Despite acknowledging that this is a pivotal and significant moment with the potential to disenfranchise British Muslims further than we already are, it’s clear that the state has no appetite to use this as an opportunity for introspection"

It’s not often that I find myself agreeing with anyone involved in the UK’s draconian and racist counter-terror apparatus, which has had a proven disproportionate impact on British Muslims, particularly children. But this time, I found myself agreeing because I feel it too.


I feel it in myself and in the shift in the people around me, the communities I live in and come from. Gaza has changed us. Many of us are angry, disillusioned and bereft.

We are disoriented from weekends spent protesting and evenings spent absorbing heinously graphic content of a genocide occurring in real time, only to have to go to work on a Monday morning to find the people around us talking about something as inane as the weather or last night’s TV shows.

I, for one, have never felt less British than when I see my elected representatives (including the so-called opposition) clamour for the support of the blood-stained illegal occupier that is inflicting this ethnic cleansing on the people of Gaza, which has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.

But, despite acknowledging that this is a pivotal and significant moment with the potential to disenfranchise British Muslims further than we already are, it’s clear that the state has no appetite to use this as an opportunity for introspection.

No, there is no evidence at all that this moment will see the state reflect on how its own policies of enabling the massacres of Arabs and Muslims all over the world push young people to the very behaviours that it so rigorously criminalises.

One thing is clear: this “radicalisation moment” will serve as an excuse to police and securitise Muslims in even more invasive and unjust ways. What else could we possibly expect from a government that thrives on manufacturing the conditions of our disillusionment and then criminalising our righteous anger?

What more could we expect from a state built upon the colonisation of our bodies, lands and beliefs, that has no interest in our liberation or struggles?

UK Muslims deserve praise, not hate, for standing with Gaza

Perspectives  Ross Slater

What we have seen is a violent uptick in the criminalisation of Muslims, even though the counter-terror machine acknowledges that it is Britain’s support for Israel that is causing this rising resentment amongst communities.

In the past four months of Israel’s assault, 33 people have been arrested in the UK under terrorism laws. This includes those who have been reprimanded by the police for protest signs, such as the teacher who received a police caution for holding a sign of Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman next to coconuts.


In 2023, there was a 13% increase in referrals to Prevent with top policing figures saying that even eleven and twelve year olds are getting into “troubling conversations online”.

But is this all a sign of an increased risk of terrorism or is it evidence of a heightened atmosphere of Islamophobia in which support for Palestine is itself viewed as a precursor or symptom of terrorist activity?

"We are living in a time when calling for an end to violence carried out by a British ally with British complicity makes you a 'terrorist' but cheering on a genocide does not"

Even the briefest look at the state of the media over the last few months reveals the answer. Palestinians and their allies invited to speak on news shows face demands that they “condemn Hamas”, even when they speak about their families being killed.

In schools across the country, the same assumptions are being made. Shortly after 7th October schools received guidance from the education secretary that explicitly called for the protection of Jewish children, with millions pledged to ensure their safety, and the need to treat anti-Semitism seriously.

The same guidance did not even explicitly mention Muslims, Arabs, or Islamophobia, only making vague references alongside teachers’ duty to report anything suspicious to Prevent.

Some London schools saw extra police patrols stationed outside and “intelligence gathering” taking place on school grounds with teachers mandated to pass any evidence of “community tensions” onto police.

The blatant Islamophobia of the post 9/11 era is back

Voices   Nadeine Asbali

We have seen peace marches calling for a ceasefire portrayed as “hate marches” by the former home secretary and celebrities and citizens alike losing their jobs for speaking out in support of the victims of genocide in Gaza.

We are living in a time when calling for an end to violence carried out by a British ally with British complicity makes you a ‘terrorist’ but cheering on a genocide does not.

It has never been clearer that the UK has no desire to view counter-terror through the lens of anything but surveillance, criminalisation and discrimination of Muslim communities whilst continuing its bloodlust imperial agenda overseas.

If this truly is a “radicalisation moment”, then it is one the UK’s own making. Until the state is able to accept this, then the apparatus Britons rely upon to keep them safe from terrorism is unfit for purpose.


Nadeine Asbali is a secondary school teacher in London.
Follow her on Twitter: @najourno

Opinions expressed here are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect those of their employer, or of The New Arab and its editorial board or staff.

Dutch Court Orders Government to Stop F-35 Parts Exports to Israel

February 12, 2024
By VOA News

An Israeli F-35 lands at Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel, Oct. 24, 2021.

An appeals court in the Netherlands ordered the government Monday to stop exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, following a lawsuit filed by human rights groups raising concerns about Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.

"It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said.

Israel has denied committing war crimes in Gaza, where it launched a military operation against the Hamas militant group following an October Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli response has killed more than 28,300 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

The Dutch court said the government must comply with the ruling within seven days.

The decision can be appealed.

The Netherlands is host to a warehouse of U.S.-owned F-35 parts that are exported to several countries.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

UK Sanctions Israeli West Bank Settlers, Citing Human Rights Abuses

February 12, 2024
By VOA News

A Palestinian man checks a car burned in a raid by Israeli settlers near Salfit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Dec. 3, 2023.

Britain imposed sanctions Monday against four Israeli nationals, accused of violently attacking Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the four individuals “extremist Israeli settlers” and imposed strict financial and travel restrictions on them because of what was described as their "egregious abuses of human rights."

"Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs," he said.

The British Foreign Office said over the past year there have been unprecedented levels of violence by residents who have illegally settled in West Bank outposts.

"This behavior is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through," Cameron said.

"Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians," Cameron added.

The United States also imposed sanctions earlier this month on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank.

The European Union is also mulling over imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank but so far, there has not been unanimity among the member states on such measures.

Four diplomats who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal EU deliberations said that Hungary and the Czech Republic, two strong allies of Israel, made clear in an EU committee meeting Thursday that they were not ready to approve a proposal on sanctions.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Wednesday now was "definitely not the time" to sanction Israeli settlers, state news agency MTI reported. Budapest says the EU's focus should be on helping Israel to defeat Hamas and free hostages taken by the militants during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said his country was not "substantively" blocking sanctions on settlers inciting violence. Lipavsky, however, expressed reluctance to adopting such measures alongside sanctions against Hamas, which the EU has listed as a terrorist organization over the October attacks.

"An act of terrorism is not on the same level as acts by settlers,” he said. "These things cannot be connected."

France, which has been pushing for settler sanctions, is expected to introduce national travel bans on two or three individuals imminently. Reports say France is hoping that once its measures are in place, European partners will be more willing to press ahead.

"Once we have our measures, we shall see how the others react," said a French diplomatic source.

The European Union has not spelled out what the sanctions would entail but officials have said they would include bans on travel to the EU.

Some information in this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and The Associated Press.

Britain sanctions 4 'extremist' Israeli settlers for West Bank violence against Palestinians


Palestinian Wadha Nawaagah pours water for her goats in the village of Susya in the south Hebron hills, West Bank. Britain on Monday sanctioned four "extremist" Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The British government on Monday sanctioned a group of "extremist" Israeli settlers who it said have violently attacked Palestinians in the West Bank.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced the sanctions against Moshe Sharvit, Yinon Levi, Zvi Bar Yousef and Ely Federman who he said joined other extremist settlers in targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians and therefore "undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians."

"Today's sanctions place restrictions on those involved in some of the most egregious abuses of human rights. We should be clear about what is happening here. Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs," Cameron said. "This behavior is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through."

Officials said settler Levy, who was previously sanctioned by the United States earlier this month, and Sharvit, have used physical violence against displaced Palestinians, while Yosef set up an illegal outpost to harass Palestinians and Federman was involved with "multiple incidents" against Palestinian shepherds in South Hebron Hills.

As part of the sanctions, all four will face strict financial and travel restrictions.

British officials said the Israeli government's failure to take action has left the settled to attack Palestinians with "near total impunity" in the West Bank.

Yesh Din, an Israel-based non-governmental organization, accused Israeli settlers this past weekend of throwing stones car the cars of Palestinians and tear-gassing drivers.

"The measures taken today are part of wider U.K. efforts to support a more stable West Bank, which is vital for the peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis," the office said.

UK sanctions 'extremist' Israeli settlers in West Bank

MEMO

February 12, 2024 

Britain today imposed sanctions on four Israeli nationals saying they were extremist settlers who had violently attacked Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Reuters reports.

The measures impose strict financial and travel restrictions on the four individuals, who Britain said were involved in “egregious abuses of human rights”.

“Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.

“This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through.”

According to the government: “Two of the individuals designated today – Moshe Sharvit and Yinon Levy – have in recent months used physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities.”

While another settler, Zvi Bar Yosef, set up an illegal outpost in the occupied Palestinian territories which has “been described by local Palestinian residents as a ‘source of systematic intimidation and violence’.”

The fourth settler to be hit with sanctions is Ely Federman, who was described as being “involved in multiple incidents against Palestinian shepherds in the South Hebron Hills.”

Britain’s Foreign Office said there had been unprecedented levels of violence by settlers in the West Bank over the past year.The US also imposed sanctions earlier this month on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank.

Smotrich urges Israel banks not to enforce US sanctions on settlers


Israel’s Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks during 

a parliament (Knesset) meeting in Jerusalem on July 10, 2023

 [MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images]

MEMO
February 5, 2024 

Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, seeks to prevent Israeli banks from taking action against four settlers on whom the US has imposed economic sanctions, due to their involvement in terrorist attacks targeting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported last night that Bank Leumi froze the account of one of the settlers targeted by American sanctions. This prompted Smotrich to try to intervene.

The report noted that two of the four settlers have accounts in Bank Hapoalim, which has not yet decided on the measures that will be taken in regards to the US sanctions.

Smotrich spoke to the banks supervisor in the Ministry of Finance in an attempt to prevent Israeli banks from taking similar measures and asked him to issue a clarification to all banks stating that the United States’ decision should not change anything in terms of Israeli law.

It is “unthinkable” for an Israeli bank to take action against an Israeli citizen following a US decision, Smotrich said.

“I will take action as the finance minister and do what I must,” he said, noting that “if need be, we’ll advance legislation on the matter.”

Officials in Israeli banks confirmed that they are obliged to enforce the measures Washington imposed on the four settlers, otherwise the US could sanction banks who continue to serve sanctioned individuals.

Second protest death deepens Senegal political crisis

AFP
Sat, 10 February 2024 

A 23-year-old man died Saturday after being shot during clashes in the capital Dakar, two of his relatives told AFP (GUY PETERSON)

Senegal's political crisis deepened as a second person died Saturday in increasingly violent protests against President Macky Sall's decision to postpone upcoming presidential elections.

A 23-year-old man died Saturday after being shot during clashes in the capital Dakar, two of his relatives told AFP, while a 22-year-old student died Friday in the northern town of Saint-Louis in still uncertain circumstances.

"The international and regional community must bear witness to the excesses of this dying regime," said presidential candidate Khalifa Sall (no relation).


Modou Gueye, a market vendor, took "a live round to the stomach" on Friday in the Colobane neighbourhood of the capital Dakar, said his brother Dame Gueye, 29, who was with him at the time.

His brother-in-law Mbagnick Ndiaye said he succumbed to his injuries Saturday morning.

Authorities have yet to confirm Gueye's death, but videos posted to social media suggest there were others injured as well.

In Saint-Louis, Alpha Yoro Tounkara died on the campus of Gaston Berger University where he was studying geography, and a hundred of his classmates held an all-night vigil for him.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement denying that security forces had operated within the university campus.

- Reputation in question -

Anger has mounted since President Sall last week postponed until December a presidential election scheduled February 25. The postponement came hours before official campaigning was due to begin.

Protests were held across the country Friday and police made wide use of tear gas to keep crowds away from a main central square in Dakar, also closing main roads, rail lines and major markets.

Reporters Without Borders said at least five journalists were targeted by police in Dakar.

A new round of protests are planned for Tuesday.

Sall said he postponed the election because of a dispute between parliament and the Constitutional Council over potential candidates who were not allowed to stand, and has said he wants to begin a process of "appeasement and reconciliation."

The postponement has been criticised by the United States and European Union. Senegal's parliament backed the move after security forces stormed the chamber and removed some opposition deputies.

Parliament also voted to keep Sall in office until his successor takes office, which is unlikely to be before early 2025. His second term was due to end April 2.

The crisis has called into question the West African country's reputation for democratic stability in a region beset by military coups.

amt/gv/giv

Senegal plunged into crisis as opposition blasts 'democratic bankruptcy'

HINDUTVA DISGUISED AS SECULARISM

India’s Himalayan state becomes first to pass controversial uniform law for religions

Shweta Sharma
Thu, February 8, 2024 


India's Bharatiya Janata Party supporters celebrate after Uttarakhand state lawmakers passed a uniform marriage law for all religions in Dehradun, India (AP)

The Indian state of Uttarakhand became the first in the country to pass a contentious bill that will establish a unified personal law for all citizens irrespective of their religion.

The landmark Uniform Civil Code was passed late Wednesday following two days of discussion after it was introduced by Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

The law – opposed mainly by Muslim minorities – has remained one of the main promises of prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mr Dhami called it an “important day” for the state and thanked Mr Modi for his strong support and encouragement.

Uttarakhand’s approval has now set the stage for other BJP-ruled states to pass similar legislation ahead of the next general election in which Mr Modi is confident to secure a third term in office.

It will be now approved by president Draupadi Murmu before it becomes law.

The code means that there will be a single set of laws for all residents of the state irrespective of religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, center, gestures as he arrives to attend a special session of the state assembly that passed a uniform marriage law for all religions in Dehradun (AP)

It will override the different laws and customs that are followed by Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other minority groups currently on various personal matters.

The new law bans polygamy and sets a uniform age for marriage for men and women – 21 and 18 respectively – across all religions and also includes a uniform process for divorce.

One of the contentious features of the law will require the couples in live-in relationships to register themselves with the authorities and non-compliance would mean punishment of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to Rs 25,000 (£239), or both.

Under the law, officials could reject or accept their registration and partners would be required to declare termination of their relationship in case of separation. Children born out of such relationships will be considered legitimate offspring of the couple, inheriting all legal rights available to those born within a traditional marriage.

The law excludes Scheduled Tribes that constitute three per cent of Uttarakhand’s population.

Opponents of the law have called it an interference in their faith and said the Modi government is using it for electoral benefit.

India, the world’s most populous nation with more than 1.4 billion people, is home to around 80 per cent Hindus and 14 per cent Muslims. Muslims accuse Modi’s right-wing party of pursuing a Hindu agenda that discriminates against them and directly imposes laws interfering with their faith.

"This is a nefarious political design to drive a wedge in the society on religious lines," said Yashpal Arya, an opposition Congress party lawmaker.

Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, said the legislation is merely a Hindu code that applies to all.

"I have a right to practice my religion and culture. This bill forces me to follow a different religion and culture. In our religion, inheritance and marriage are part of religious practice," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Dhami, the top elected official in Uttarakhand state, however, said the law is not to target any religion but to remove complexities.

"This law is about equality, uniformity and equal rights. There were many doubts regarding this, but the two-day discussion in the Assembly clarified everything. This law is not against anyone. It is for women who have to face difficulty because of the social norms. This will strengthen their self-confidence,” he said.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board said the law goes against India’s principle of diversity and is “inappropriate” and “unnecessary”.

“The bill is unnecessary, and goes against the principle of diversity. Its primary target appears to be Muslims, especially since even (some Indigenous tribes) have been exempted,” it said in a statement.

Mr Dhami said the bill will be amended in future as the need arises.

For Whom is Uttarakhand’s New Live-in Relationship Law?

WAIT, WHAT?!

CIA terminates whistleblower who prompted flood of sexual misconduct complaints

JIM MUSTIAN and JOSHUA GOODMAN
Thu, February 8, 2024

CIA Sexual Misconduct
FILE - This courtroom sketch depicts Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith of the Fairfax County General District Court, presiding over the assault and battery trial of CIA officer trainee Ashkan Bayatpour, seated left, in Fairfax, Va., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Standing in front of the judge are the prosecutor, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Jenna Sands, left, and Bayatpour's defense lawyer Stuart A. Sears, right. The judge found Bayatpour guilty Wednesday of attacking a fellow CIA trainee with a scarf in the stairwell of CIA headquarters at Langley the previous year. Seated right is an unidentified defense team member. (Dana Verkouteren via AP, File)
ASSOCIATED PRESSMore


The CIA this week terminated a woman whose whistleblower account of being assaulted in a stairwell at the spy agency's headquarters prompted a flood of colleagues to come forward with their own complaints of sexual misconduct. The woman's attorney called the action a brazen retaliation.

While the CIA said that accusation was “factually inaccurate,” it wouldn't comment further on the case and declined to explain why the 36-year-old did not make it through the agency’s clandestine officer training program known as “the Farm” and, unlike many of her classmates, was not hired into another job.

“To be clear, the CIA does not tolerate sexual assault, sexual harassment or whistleblower retaliation,” CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp told The Associated Press, adding the agency uses “consistent processes to ensure the fair and equal treatment of every officer going through training.”


The woman’s termination came less than six months after she filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging the CIA retaliated against her for reporting what she said was a 2022 stairwell assault in Langley, Virginia, to law enforcement and testifying about it in a closed congressional hearing.

The lawsuit accused the agency of giving her harsher performance reviews and “slut shaming” her by improperly releasing her personal information during the state prosecution last year of Ashkan Bayatpour, a then-fellow CIA trainee convicted of assaulting her with a scarf.

The woman’s attorney, Kevin Carroll, told the AP that the CIA has now “unlawfully ended a young woman’s career only because she had the moral courage, lacking in her managers, to stand up and be a witness about her sexual assault.”

“The agency’s festering workplace sexual violence problem,” Carroll said, “is now harming the retention of young women who won’t put up with it any longer.”

The woman, who is not being identified because the AP does not generally identify victims of alleged sexual abuse, was credited with launching a reckoning, of sorts, at the CIA because hers was the rare allegation of sexual misconduct at the super-secret spy agency to make it into a public courtroom.

An AP investigation found the case helped embolden at least two-dozen women to come forward to authorities and Congress over the past two years with their own accounts at the CIA of sexual assaults, unwanted touching and what they contend is a campaign to keep them from speaking out.

Their accusations ranged from lewd remarks about sexual fantasies at after-work happy hours to a case in which a senior manager allegedly showed up at a subordinate’s house at night with a firearm demanding sex. Some of the alleged incidents go back years and took place as officers were on risky covert missions overseas, while others took place at CIA headquarters.

A congressional inquiry and bipartisan calls for a watchdog investigation prompted CIA Director William Burns last year to launch a series of reforms to streamline claims, support victims and more quickly discipline those behind misconduct.

It remains unclear whether the woman’s firing will prompt further action. Offices of the U.S. senators leading the inquiry, Virginia Democrat Mark Warner and Florida Republican Marco Rubio, did not respond to requests for comment.

Carroll, the woman's attorney, said she had been given protected whistleblower status before speaking with Congress. But those familiar with the Whistleblower Protection Act cautioned that such protections can be limited, especially at the CIA.

Tom Devine, a longtime whistleblower rights advocate who is legal director for the Government Accountability Project, said CIA employees don’t have the same rights as other federal employees because of national security concerns.

“You can blow the whistle, but only within the intel community," Devine said. “So when she went to the police, she was very much on her own. It’s an obnoxious loophole."

In her testimony to a Virginia judge last summer, the woman recounted the moment when Bayatpour allegedly tightened the scarf around her neck and tried to kiss her against her will.

“He made a face like he was trying to really hurt me,” she testified. “That face, that’s what stays with me to this day. That’s the hardest part.”

Bayatpour acknowledged wrapping the scarf around the woman in the stairwell but insisted his actions were intended in jest during a 40-minute walk together. The incident, his attorney said, was “a joke that didn’t land the way it was intended to land.”

Bayatpour, a 39-year-old Alabama native and former Navy intelligence officer, remained employed at CIA for several months after he was convicted in August of misdemeanor assault and battery, sentenced to six months probation and ordered to surrender any firearms.

But as of last month, he no longer works for CIA, according to a person familiar with the situation who wasn't authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Bayatpour deferred questions to his attorney, Jennifer Steeve, who said her client has maintained his innocence and is appealing his conviction, which allows him a jury trial.

___

Mustian reported from New York and Goodman from Miami.

___

Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/

CIA fires whistleblower who is suing over claim she was sexually assaulted at spy agency’s headquarters

Katie Bo Lillis, CNN
Fri, February 9, 2024 



A female CIA trainee who claims she was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at CIA headquarters in 2022 and is now suing the agency alleging intimidation has been fired, her lawyer said on Thursday.

In an email sent to House Intelligence Committee staff, who have been hearing testimony from alleged victims of sexual assault at the CIA, the lawyer called the dismissal “clear retaliation for her protected whistleblower statements to law enforcement, Congress and the IG (Inspector General) as a sex assault victim.”

In a statement, CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp called the attorney’s statement “factually inaccurate.”

“To be clear, CIA does not tolerate sexual assault, sexual harassment, or whistleblower retaliation,” Thorp said.

The unnamed trainee failed the agency’s rigorous training program for clandestine officers, known colloquially as “The Farm,” according to the lawyer, Kevin Carroll — after she had testified before the House Intelligence Committee about her assault, he said. She was then given 90 days to find another job within the agency or be terminated. She was unable to secure another posting and was dismissed on Monday, he said.

According to Carroll, the trainee is a highly qualified project manager who speaks multiple languages, including Russian and Ukrainian.

Thorp said: “Regarding allegations related to the Agency’s rigorous training, as you would expect, CIA uses consistent processes to ensure the fair and equal treatment of every officer going through training.”

The trainee’s dismissal comes four months after she filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in Virginia claiming that the agency inappropriately intervened on behalf of her assailant in his criminal trial last year.

The suit comes as the CIA continues to face scrutiny on Capitol Hill over its handling of sexual harassment and sexual assault cases. The CIA inspector general last year initiated a “special review” after a number of women told congressional intelligence committees that their allegations of sexual misconduct were “grossly mishandled.”

At issue in the victim’s suit is not the assault itself — for which her assailant was convicted of assault and battery in Fairfax County General District Court — but the CIA’s handling of the victim’s initial report and efforts to seek justice.

The suit alleges that the agency improperly shared her internal workplace instant messages with her assailant’s criminal defense team, which the victim claims were intended to falsely portray her as having an extramarital affair with another colleague.

The IMs were not provided to the court as a result of a court-ordered subpoena or a request from law enforcement, according to the suit, and the victim now argues that their provision was in violation of her Privacy Act rights and represent an attempt by the CIA to prevent the conviction of her assailant by intimidating her from testifying.

A CIA spokesperson declined to discuss the specifics of the case at the time, citing the litigation. “CIA protects the privacy of our officers and acts in accordance with the law.”

Settlement negotiations are underway in the civil suit, Carroll said, but it’s not clear whether they will be successful.

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife die 'hand in hand' by euthanasia at age 93

MOLLY QUELL
Fri, February 9, 2024 

THE HAGUE (AP) — Dries van Agt, the Christian Democrat prime minister of the Netherlands from 1977 until 1982, has died by euthanasia, “hand in hand” together with his wife, according to the human rights organization he founded. They both were 93.

The news was made public on Friday by The Rights Forum, which said the couple died Monday and and would be buried in a private ceremony in the eastern city of Nijmegen.

“He died hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support and anchor with whom he was together for more than 70 years and whom he always continued to refer to as ‘my girl,’” the non-profit organization said in a statement.

The two both had been in fragile health for some time. In 2019, Van Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage while giving a speech at a commemoration event for Palestinians and never fully recovered.

A Christian Democrat from traditional Dutch stock, Van Agt became increasingly progressive after he departed politics, ultimately leaving his party in 2017 over ideological differences with the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal's approach to Israel and the Palestinians.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who referred to Van Agt as his “great-great-grandfather in office,” spoke highly of the former politician.

“With his flowery and unique language, his clear convictions and his striking presentation, Dries van Agt gave color and substance to Dutch politics in a time of polarization and party renewal,” Rutte said in a statement.

The Dutch royal family also praised him. “He took administrative responsibility in a turbulent time and managed to inspire many with his striking personality and colorful style,” King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix said in a joint statement.

Van Agt was known for his archaic references and grandiose language, as well as his passion for cycling. He was forced to quit that hobby in 2019 after a fall.

Together with the right-wing Liberal Party, the Christian Democrat Appeal governed the Netherlands with Van Agt as prime minister from 1977 until 1981. After elections, he again became prime minister, forming a coalition with the Labor Party and the centrist Democrats 66 in a government that held for a year.

Following a visit to Israel in 1999, he became increasingly vocal about his support for the Palestinian people. He referred to his experience of the trip as a “conversion.”

In 2009, he founded The Rights Forum, which advocates for a “just and sustainable Dutch and European policy regarding the Palestine/Israel issue,” according to the non-profit organization.

He is survived by his three children.

BOTH SIDES ARE ETHNIC CLEANSING

UN chief urges all nations to do everything possible to stop the 'horrible' war in Sudan

EDITH M. LEDERER
Thu, February 8, 2024 

 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, at United Nations Headquarters. The United Nations chief on Thursday, Feb. 8, urged the international community to mobilize and do everything possible to stop the war in Sudan, saying “what is happening is horrible.” Guterres said there is no military solution to the conflict between forces supporting rival generals that began in mid-April 2023. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie, File)More


UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief on Thursday urged the international community to mobilize and do everything possible to stop the war in Sudan, saying “what is happening is horrible.”

Secretary-General António Guterres said there is no military solution to the conflict between forces supporting rival generals that began in mid-April 2023, and he stressed that continued fighting “will not bring any solution so we must stop this as soon as possible.”

Guterres told a U.N. press conference that it’s time for the warring rivals — Sudan’s military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — to start talking about ending the conflict, which has killed at least 12,000 people and sent over 7 million fleeing their homes.


The U.N. is working with the regional group IGAD, the African Union and the Arab League, and Guterres expressed hope he will meet with them at the upcoming AU summit on Feb. 17-18 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, “to see how we can converge our efforts to bring these two generals to the table” and achieve a ceasefire and create conditions to get humanitarian aid into Sudan for people in “desperate condition.”

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday that the rival generals assured him very recently they would attend a meeting in Switzerland to discuss humanitarian issues and Sudan’s beleaguered civilians. “I’m still waiting to see when that happens,” Griffiths said.

Sudan plunged into chaos last April with street battles between the generals’ rival forces in the capital, Khartoum, that spread to other areas. Western Darfur, which was wracked by bloodshed and atrocities in 2003, has been an epicenter of the current conflict, an arena of ethnic violence where paramilitary troops and allied Arab militias have been attacking African ethnic groups.

In 2005, the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court, which is charged under the Rome Statute that established the tribunal with investigating and prosecuting the world’s worst atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide — and the crime of aggression.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told the council in late January it was “quite stunning” in visiting different refugee camps in Chad, which borders Darfur, that people who lived through the Darfur conflict from 2003 told him spontaneously that what is happening today “is the worst ever.”

“Based on the work of my office, it’s my clear finding, my clear assessment, that there are grounds to believe that presently Rome Statute crimes are being committed in Darfur by both the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated groups,” Khan said.

Secretary-General Guterres urged support for the ICC, saying its role in prosecuting those involved in “atrocities” in Darfur “is absolutely essential.”

Humanitarian chief Griffith and U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi appealed for $4.1 billion in international support for embattled civilians in Sudan amid signs that some may be dying of starvation after nearly a year of war.

The agencies said that half of Sudan’s population, or around 25 million people, requires support and protection, and that the requested funds would go to help millions of civilians in Sudan and others who have fled abroad.

'Sudan keeps being forgotten': U.N.

Reuters Videos
Updated Thu, February 8, 2024 

STORY: “Sudan keeps being forgotten by the international community."

The United Nations has urged countries not to forget civilians caught up in Sudan's conflict.

A ten-month war there has devastated the country's infrastructure, prompted warnings of famine, and displaced millions of people.

But despite this, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said in Geneva on Wednesday (February 7), it has been "extraordinarily difficult" to get attention on the crisis.

"... Because of course we have all these competing crises, Gaza, we were here in this place for Ukraine the other day, and so forth. But I don't think there's anywhere quite so tragic in the world today as Sudan."

The United Nations is appealing for $4.1 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of those both inside Sudan and those who have fled to neighboring countries.

Griffiths said an appeal last year by the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was less than half funded.

The international community needs to act now, he added, with a sense of heightened urgency.

“We must not forget Sudan, that's the simple message that I have to say today."


Two decades on, Sudan's Darfuris fear world has abandoned them

AFP
Thu, February 8, 2024 


More than two decades after the outbreak of war in Darfur, fears are growing that the world has abandoned its people as a new conflict ravages Sudan and the perpetrators of atrocities act with impunity.

The vast western region of Sudan was still suffering from the carnage that started in 2003 when a new war erupted last April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

With the conflict has come a fresh litany of horrors including rampant sexual violence, ethnically motivated massacres and mass displacement.

According to a report by United Nations experts, seen by AFP, the RSF and allied militias have killed between 10,000 and 15,000 people in the West Darfur city of El Geneina alone -- at least five percent of its pre-war population.

Fighters "targeted the Massalit community" in what "may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity", the report said.

The RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed militia that former president Omar al-Bashir unleashed in Darfur, now controls four out of five state capitals in the vast region.

Civilians have been left to face what one Sudanese researcher called "their worst nightmare".

"The marauders who terrorised them for decades -- raped them, pillaged their lands and murdered them en masse for their ethnicity -- now rule," she told AFP from another country, requesting anonymity to protect family members still in Sudan.
Refugee camp massacres

On October 31, the RSF took the Central Darfur state capital of Zalingei, allegedly committing atrocities including "mass murder, summary executions, arbitrary detention, sexual assault, torture and looting", human rights defender Mohamed Bera told AFP from another country where he has sought refuge.

Internet blackout hits Sudan as UN appeals for $4.1 billion to ease ‘epic suffering’ caused by war

Ingrid Formanek and Nimi Princewill, CNN
Fri, February 9, 2024 


Internet connectivity was shut down for a third day in Sudan amid ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have left thousands killed and millions displaced in nearly 10 months of fighting.

Internet monitoring firm, Netblocks confirmed the outage Friday, saying that “a near-total telecoms blackout” has limited communication in the country and prevented the Sudanese people from seeking safe zones and accessing healthcare and banking services.

The Sudanese foreign ministry blamed the RSF for the blackout which further complicates the dilemma of millions of locals unable to flee the conflict and who the UN says are in dire need of humanitarian aid. The RSF has yet to publicly deny responsibility for the blackout.

The UN on Wednesday appealed for $4.1 billion to meet the “most urgent humanitarian needs” amidst “epic suffering” in Sudan, adding that half of its population - some 25 million people need support and protection, with millions hungry and displaced by the war.

Citizens facing acute hunger

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched the joint appeal, seeking $2.7 billion for humanitarian aid to 14.7 million people, and $1.4 billion to support nearly 2.7 million refugees in five countries neighboring Sudan.

“Ten months of conflict have robbed the people of Sudan of nearly everything – their safety, their homes and their livelihoods,” said the UN’s emergency aid chief Martin Griffiths, adding that last year’s appeal was less than half funded.

While the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF have both failed to honor their previous commitments to facilitate humanitarian aid for civilians, attacks on humanitarian workers, facilities and supply convoys have taken place since the war’s outset. Humanitarian aid has been severely hampered by the fighting and lack of access.

The RSF on Thursday, in an apparent effort to deflect responsibility for the large scale civilian suffering in Sudan called for “prompt action from regional and international organizations and agencies to provide urgent relief, adding that Sudanese civilians were “facing the real possibility of starvation.”

The organization’s head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, in a post on X, wrote that the crisis is “largely due to the obstruction of humanitarian aid by the opposing forces”.

Nearly 18 million people are facing acute hunger, according to OCHA, with civilian infrastructure like water supplies damaged by the fighting, and three-quarters of health facilities not functioning in conflict areas.

Some 19 million children not attending school, continued widespread human rights violations, and gender-based violence are among the challenges cited in the UN’s funding appeal.

The war that erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s Armed forces and the paramilitary RSF has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, with children making up nearly 4 million of those fleeing their homes.

In Sudan’s North Darfur Zamzam camp for displaced people, at least one child dies every two hours from malnutrition, according to estimates by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.

Sudan’s two warring factions have been accused of gross human rights violations.

The US determined that both SAF and RSF members have committed war crimes, holding the latter responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Sudan.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor said “there are grounds to believe” genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity – are being committed in Sudan’s Darfur region by both SAF and RSF, and their affiliated groups.

Opinion: Amelia Earhart and the continuing search for her Lockheed Electra

Opinion by Dorothy Cochrane
Thu, February 8, 2024 

Dorothy Cochrane - Carolyn Russo, NASM

Editor’s Note: Dorothy Cochrane is curator for General Aviation in the Aeronautics Department of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and is responsible for the collections of general aviation aircraft and flight materiel, aerial cameras and the history of women in aviation. The views expressed here are hers.

The sonar image is intriguing, to say the least. A marine robotics company recently captured an object on the ocean floor, about 15,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.  

The object — which faintly resembles the shape of a plane — lies roughly 100 miles from Howland Island, the uninhabited strip of land just north of the equator where pilot Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan were due to land on the morning of July 2, 1937. Their failure to arrive at Howland in their Lockheed 10-E Electra following more than 19 hours of flight from Lae, New Guinea, made headline news more than 87 years ago and has remained one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our time.

Earhart, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and consistently graced most admired and best dressed lists in her day, was the first woman to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean and across the United States in 1932; she set several speed and altitude records. When she vanished in 1937, while trying to fly around the world, the world mourned — and still does. She continues to captivate us because she flew when very few people did and even fewer women. She was an aviation pioneer and a bona fide celebrity. As I wrote in 2017, while she “had achieved economic and personal independence, she empathized with the average woman and challenged her to be more autonomous. She used her celebrity status to appeal for individual, legal and societal change.” Her fate remains one of the greatest unsolved American mysteries.

Tony Romeo, chief executive of Deep Sea Vision (DSV), is convinced the image captured by a submersible vehicle shows Earhart’s plane. While some experts aren’t so sure, it’s safe to say that Romeo and his team have at the very least found something worthy of further investigation. Another expedition will hopefully result in photographic images with more clarifying details as to its identity.

While we wait for those details, the good news for me and many other historians, aviation aficionados and Earhart fans is that DSV is following the facts of her flight. Given just how many theories there are surrounding Earhart’s fate, it is critical that DSV is taking a fact-based approach and searching in the right area of the Pacific Ocean. Mobilizing the necessary resources and funding is difficult and deep-water searches are daunting and tedious. Therefore, it makes sense to stick with the premise that Earhart and Noonan were following their intended flight path – they were indeed flying to Howland Island.

Not everyone follows the logic of this plan. Many other theories about their disappearance and final resting place have been brought forth. To date, no one has found definitive evidence of Earhart, Noonan or the Lockheed Electra.

However, people following the facts of the flight should have the edge. Earhart’s flight plan was well known. According to Earhart biographer Doris Rich, the US government had obtained permits for the countries she would stop in along the way. As the Roosevelt administration was establishing a US presence in the western Pacific Ocean in the face of Japan’s expanding presence, Earhart’s husband George Putnam suggested the stop at Howland Island, wrote Rich.

And it fit her need of a refueling stop in the western Pacific Ocean. The US government built the landing strip and the US Coast Guard cutter Itasca was drifting off the coast of Howland to provide fuel for the next leg of her flight — from Howland to Honolulu, Hawaii. The stage was set. Earhart’s sporadic radio transmissions to the Itasca grew ever stronger as the time for her arrival neared — suggesting she was approaching the island. In some of her last transmissions, she stated she had only a half hour of fuel left. The transcripts were recorded by the Itasca and have been quoted in nearly every article, newsreel, and book about her: “We must be on you but cannot see you, but gas is running low.” The captain and crew stated in official records, cited by Rich, that they were sure Earhart was not far away.

Searching in the vicinity of Howland was and still is the logical thing to do. The US government mounted immediate sea and air searches around this and other islands, noted by Rich as encompassing 250,000 square miles, all of which came up empty. The official search was called off on July 19, 1937. However, private underwater expeditions, like the one conducted by DSV, continue.

In the 21st century, how do you select a worthy search area? It’s a tough call given the sheer size of a “reasonable” position around Howland at the time of her fuel exhaustion. In 1997, pilot Elgen Long and his wife Marie Long published the book, “Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved.” The Longs laid out facts and solid suppositions for others to follow. The Longs’ extensive research over 25 years, including interviews with Earhart’s contemporaries, US Coast Guard personnel, and industry and government professionals combined with Elgen’s own professional aviation knowledge and calculations (and others), shrank the outer perimeter of possibility, and offered more practical search options.

In the early 2000s, the ocean exploration company Nauticos Inc. brought together an experienced oceanographic team that refined and “reengineered” the Longs’ data and selected sonar search areas. The team made three expeditions to the vicinity of Howland Island but was unsuccessful in locating relevant information or imagery. They are refining their next search area.

DSV utilizes the Longs’ research and its team members’ own diverse backgrounds, including in the ever-evolving tech industry, to calculate its own search area and now has a sonar image worthy of more research. Once again, the public’s attention has been piqued.

When the Lockheed Electra NR16020 is finally found, the next challenge will be to assess its condition and determine if is it feasible, or in the best interest, to attempt to raise it (or parts of it) from the ocean floor. Recovery will be very difficult and costly and preservation plans will need to be in place prior to a recovery. The National Air and Space Museum will certainly be interested in its final disposition.

It is natural to want to know what happened to one of the most famous people of the 20th century. How could she, her navigator and her Electra, just vanish? Ultimately a variety of issues, especially communication problems with the Itasca, doomed their safe arrival at Howland. But if we can lay this question to rest, we can then integrate it into the broader picture of Earhart’s life and legacy.

Earhart the aviator made great contributions as a record-breaking pilot and as a woman. Earhart the lecturer earned her own living and supported the well-being and advancement of women. Earhart the celebrity drew people to aviation. She is still doing all of those today. We all hope for a resolution to this enduring mystery.

This article was modified to more accurately characterize where the US Coast Guard cutter Itasca was positioned.