A clash of ideas: Bosnian Serbs rally for and against govt

May 14, 2016

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Tens of thousands of people rallied Saturday in separate demonstrations for and against the regional Bosnian Serb government in the northern city of Banja Luka, kept apart by police and barricades to prevent violence.

The pro-EU Alliance for Changes is accusing the Bosnian Serb government of corruption and its leader Milorad Dodik of dictatorship, saying he has brought the region to the brink of financial collapse. The Alliance claims Bosnian Serbs would be much better off cooperating with others in the country on reforms to improve people's lives and get Bosnia into the 28-nation European Union.

Dodik's camp accuses the opposition of betraying Bosnian Serb national interests, which according to him lie in seceding from Bosnia and creating a new Serb country with close ties to Russia. Bosnian Serbs fought in a 1992-95 war for secession and annexation to neighboring Serbia but the conflict ended with 100,000 dead with a peace agreement that left Bosnia's the external borders intact but divided the country into two regions — Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosniaks and Croats. Each have their own state-like institutions and are linked by a joint government, a three-member presidency and a parliament.

International officials have repeatedly told Dodik the dissolution of the country is impossible but his obstructions to the functioning of the state have left Bosnia lagging on the road toward the EU. His opponents claim he wants a separate country so he can control the courts and hide his financial embezzlements that have enriched him and his allies but impoverished the people.

Both sides brought thousands by bus Saturday to Banja Luka. Opposition supporters held banners saying "You will all go to jail," and demanded an early general election while Dodik's supporters carried pictures of him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If we do not have a country, we will be killed," Dodik told his supporters. "Republika Srpska is a country and we are defending it." He then sang a folk song with the lyrics "nobody can do us any harm, we are stronger than destiny."

A few hundred meters (yards) away, opposition supporters called for his resignation and chanted "Thief! Thief!" The Alliance for Changes a year ago began revealing evidence of corruption Dodik and his allies were allegedly involved in as well as economic data showing how Bosnian living standards have eroded during his reign.

One after the other, speakers at the opposition rally complained about the bad living conditions, how their retirements are the lowest in Europe and how the children of officials in Dodik's government own property abroad while theirs don't even have jobs.

"Is this in the Bosnian Serb national interest?" asked Milana Karanovic-Miljevic, who came from Drvar, one of Bosnia's poorest towns. At both rallies, former soldiers who fought for Republika Srpska competed in patriotic speeches claiming their respective camp was the real keeper of the ideas of wartime leaders Radovan Karadzic and general Ratko Mladic. Both men are jailed by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. One is convicted of war crimes and the other is on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity, committed while creating Republika Srpska.

Adding to the confusion, Mladic's son appeared on the stage of the pro-government rally to greet Dodik's supporters, while Karadzic's daughter spoke on the other stage, greeting opposition backers. Both said they spoke on behalf of their fathers.

The rallies ended peacefully.

Turkey strips immunity from lawmakers, clears way for trials

May 20, 2016

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's parliament on Friday approved a bill to amend the constitution to strip lawmakers of immunity, a move that paves the way for trials of several pro-Kurdish and other legislators.

A total of 376 deputies in the 550-seat assembly in Ankara voted in favor of the government-backed bill, which was enough to avoid a referendum. It now needs to be ratified by the president. The amendment was proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party after the president accused the pro-Kurdish party, People's Democratic Party, HDP, of being an arm of outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution on terror related charges. It puts 138 lawmakers, the vast majority of them from two opposition parties, at risk of prosecution.

The result of the vote was criticized by officials in the European Union and Germany and condemned by Turkish opposition lawmakers, who said they would fight against it. Speaking in the Black Sea town of Rize moments ahead of the final round of voting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope the bill would be adopted, saying "my people don't want to see criminal deputies in parliament."

The decision coincides with a wave of violence in Turkey's southeast following the collapse of a more than two-year peace process between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK. The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the PKK, considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its allies. The party has urged the government to end security operations in the southeast and to resume peace efforts.

Turkey has a history of excluding Kurds from politics and critics see the bill as an effort to wipe out the pro-Kurdish party at a time when Erdogan is trying to push forward other controversial reforms, including a constitutional amendment to transform Turkey into a presidential system.

Out of 667 legal files, 405 are against the HDP and 102 concern members of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), according to a Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

The parliamentarians at risk of prosecution fall roughly into three categories: those who like HDP members are accused of supporting the PKK, those who are accused of insulting the president, and those under investigation for corruption or other criminal offenses.

Murat Somer, politics professor at Istanbul's Koc University, said the legal proceedings risk paralyzing parliament and weakening government oversight. The legality and constitutionality of the amendment is also likely to come under question.

"Parliament is one important platform where the opposition can voice its criticism and represent its interest but now the parliament itself will be weakened," he said. "It will create a long series of legal questions and complexities."

Turkey is undergoing a period of political transition as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced he will be stepping down. On Sunday the ruling party is due to confirm an ally of the president, Binali Yildirim, as the next premier and party chairman. Many see the shake-up as one in a series of measures designed to concentrate power in the office of the presidency.

Speaking after the vote, HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas struck a defiant tone saying a request would be presented to the Constitutional Court to abolish the amendment. "No one from our party, including me, will go to the court will-nilly as if nothing has happened," he said. "Everyone should know this. The fighting has just started."

The result of the vote caused alarm in the EU, which has been working closely with Turkey to address the migrant crisis despite a series of controversies relating to human rights and press freedom that have put pressure on their relationship.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, the bloc's top official for enlargement, issued a joint statement describing the decision as a "matter of serious concern." "A restrictive interpretation of the legal framework and the Constitution in particular continue to pose a risk to the freedom of expression of Members of Parliament in Turkey," they added.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert also expressed concern "about the increasing polarization of the domestic debate in Turkey" and said it would be a topic of discussion in an upcoming meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Turkish counterpart.

The NATO member is also part of the U.S.-led alliance against the Islamic State group.

Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin and Lorne Cooke in Brussels also contributed. Bram Janssen and Berza Simsek in Istanbul also contributed.

Turkish president accuses Europe of 'dictatorship, 'cruelty'

May 08, 2016

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's president has kept up his rebuke of European nations, accusing them of "dictatorship" and "cruelty" for keeping their frontiers closed to migrants and refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict.

Addressing an audience attending a short film competition titled "Mercy and Justice" in Istanbul Sunday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said European nations had "no mercy and no justice." This week, Erdogan threw into doubt the future of a deal with the European Union which would allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel in Europe, by suggesting that Turkey wouldn't meet a EU demand for his country to reform its anti-terrorism legislation.

His harsh words against the EU came after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who negotiated the deal, announced he would step down later this month, following a rift with Erdogan.

Afghan capital locked down for massive demonstration

May 16, 2016

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Authorities locked down Afghanistan's capital Monday as tens of thousands of members of an ethnic minority group marched through the streets to protest the proposed route of a power line.

By early morning, members of the Hazara minority had filled streets leading into central Kabul. But their path to the presidential palace, their intended destination, was blocked armed police and stacked shipping containers, closing off Kabul's commercial center to all vehicle and foot traffic.

Most of the city's shops were shuttered and armed police units had taken up positions around the city. Authorities told protest organizers that the march would be confined to a specific route that would not take them near the presidential palace. A November demonstration by Hazaras turned violent.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul closed its consular section and warned Americans to limit their movement within Kabul. "Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence," it said in an emergency message.

Daud Naji, a protest leader, said the Hazaras were demanding access to a planned multimillion-dollar regional electricity line. The so-called TUTAP line is backed by the Asian Development Bank with the involvement of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The original plan routed the line through Bamiyan province, in Afghanistan's central highlands, where most of the country's Hazaras live. But that route was changed in 2013 by the previous Afghan government.

Leaders of Monday's demonstration have called the routing of the line away from their territory evidence of enduring bias against the Hazara minority. Hazaras account for up to 15 percent of Afghanistan's estimated 30 million-strong population, are considered the poorest of the country's ethnic groups, and often complain of discrimination.

Bamiyan is poverty stricken, though it is largely peaceful and has potential as a tourist destination. Hazaras, most of whom are Shiite Muslims, have been persecuted in the past, notably by the extremist Sunni Taliban's 1996-2001 regime.

Afghanistan is desperately short of power, with less than 40 percent of the population connected to the grid, according to the World Bank. Almost 75 percent of the country's power is imported. Political commentator Haroun Mir said that what started as an isolated grievance from an ethnic minority has gained momentum and grown into an umbrella issue for the many opponents of President Ashraf Ghani's government.

"This is a mobilization and I know many Tajiks are supporting Hazaras, not because absolutely they want this thing to go through Bamiyan but because they hate this government and this is an opportunity for them to further weaken it," he said.

Intense negotiations between Ghani and lawmakers aimed at cancelling the protest broke down late Sunday. Hazara lawmakers had walked out of parliament on Saturday to pressure the government on the issue.

The president appointed a 12-member team to investigate the viability of rerouting the line through Bamiyan and suspended work on the project until the commission reported its findings later this month, his office said in a statement.

Jordan, Turkey compete to woo Jerusalem

Author: Adnan Abu Amer
May 19, 2016
Translator: Pascale el-Khoury

Jordan and Turkey are vying for power in Jerusalem, and Turkey appears to be gaining the upper hand at this point.

In a clear sign of the decline of the Jordanian role in Jerusalem, Jordan recently called off its agreement with Israel to install surveillance cameras in Al-Aqsa Mosque's courtyards. The cameras were supposed to help control the security situation on the Temple Mount, but the Palestinian Authority wasn't consulted — and wasn't happy about it.

At the same time, Turkey's activity in Jerusalem seems to be gaining momentum. On April 25, Istanbul hosted the “Thank you Turkey” festival organized by Arab nongovernmental organizations in appreciation of Turkey’s role in the protection of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem. The festival was attended by Khaled Meshaal, head of the Hamas political bureau, and Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the mufti of Jerusalem and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The festival also aimed to thank Turkey for increasing financial and in-kind aid to residents of Jerusalem and implementing a series of charity and development projects in the city at a cost estimated at tens of millions of dollars.

This may indicate a switch between the roles of Jordan and Turkey in Jerusalem: Turkey seems to be gaining influence, while Jordan seems to be losing its influence.

Sabri told Al-Monitor, “The Turkish aid to the holy city contributed to its reconstruction in general and alleviated the suffering of Jerusalemites by funding social and humanitarian projects. We, the Jerusalemites, thank Turkey's president, government and people for their aid to the city.”

Sabri urged Turkish citizens and institutions to visit Jerusalem, in light of declining Arab support. He added, ”Arab countries are preoccupied with their internal problems and bloody conflicts and have neglected this city, not to mention the competition over influence between Turkey and Arab countries.”

Perhaps a comparison and look back at how Jerusalemites welcomed visiting Jordanian and Turkish officials indicates the changing influence and implicitly reflects the great appreciation the Jerusalemites have for Turkey. Jerusalemites welcomed Mohammed Gormaz, the Turkish minister of religious affairs, with great warmth when he visited May 15, 2015, and he was asked to deliver the Friday sermon at the mosque.

Only a week later, a visit by Ahmed Halil, Jordan's chief of judges, must have embarrassed him. He was prevented from delivering the Friday sermon or praying at the mosque. There was an attempted attack on the Jordanian delegation, which included Minister of Religious Endowments Hayel Daoud, forcing the group to flee from an Al-Aqsa courtyard.

Meanwhile, Turkey has done more to aid Jerusalem. Some Turkish institutions are implementing charitable projects such as Tika Agency, the Meshale International Student Association and Kanadil Organization.

Bulent Korkmaz, Tika program coordinator in Jerusalem, told Al-Monitor, “Turkey’s projects in Jerusalem are humanitarian and relief projects. These include completing the student housing project at Al-Quds University at a cost of $10 million, equipping the Sharia Court archives, restoring the elderly care home, providing thousands of suhur [breakfast] and iftar [dinner] meals in the holy month of Ramadan, supplying electronic equipment to Jerusalem’s schools, restoring houses and shops and increasing the number of classes of some schools.”

Two reasons may have led to Turkey's growing influence in Jerusalem. First, the Turks have strong feelings of solidarity toward their Muslim brothers — Sunnis in particular — who urge them to support Al-Aqsa Mosque. Second, Turkish leaders aspire to play a regional role similar to that of the Ottoman Empire in the Arab and Muslim world. This probably explains Turkey's increased support in the Palestinian territories.

“The competition between the Turks and the Jordanians in Jerusalem is very obvious, especially with regard to aids and promotion of religious tourism," Khalil Tufakji told Al-Monitor. Tufakji is a Palestinian expert on Jewish settlements and head of the Maps and Survey Department at Jerusalem's Orient House, the PLO headquarters in Jerusalem.

He noted that the countries "are not publicly declaring their competition, yet Turkey’s financial aid and its support for religious tourism in Jerusalem indicates an increased Turkish influence in Jerusalem and, in turn, a remarkable decline of Jordan’s influence."

"The competition between Jordan and Turkey has an economic dimension," he added. "Amman wants Turkish tourists, initially heading to Jerusalem, to travel by road and pass through Jordan, which will generate revenues for its treasury, instead of taking a direct flight from Ankara Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, without passing through Jordan.”

Turkish delegations continue to visit Jerusalem; most recently, Adnan al-Husseini, Palestinian minister of Jerusalem affairs, received a delegation from the Turkish Green Crescent Society visiting Jerusalem on April 21 to discuss Jerusalem issues.

Turkey has been working on promoting its ties with Jerusalem for some time. Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) issued a decision in April 2015 to include Al-Aqsa Mosque into the Umrah religious pilgrimage. Turkish citizens will stay three days in Jerusalem, four days in Medina and seven days in Mecca.

Former Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Khaled Abu Arafa told Al-Monitor, “Jordan and Turkey’s competition in Jerusalem is no secret, yet they made sure to keep it muffled so as not to sour their relations. It is clear that Ankara has an agenda ... aimed at increasing its influence in Jerusalem, to encourage its citizens to intensify their visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque and to provide scholarships to large numbers of Jerusalemites to complete their studies in Turkey.”

He added, “Turkey has been sending its officials to Jerusalem without coordination with Amman, angering Jordan, which considers itself the guardian of Jerusalem, though there is no agreement binding Turkey to inform Jordan in advance of its intent to make an official visit to Jerusalem. It seems that Israel is concerned about the increasing influence of Turkey in Jerusalem, given that Turkey is a strong state, while Jordan does not seem to have the same strength.”

Turkey’s strength is manifested by its currently thriving economy, whereas Jordan faces a difficult economic situation. A study published in April by Israeli researcher Pinhas Inbari reveals that Israel condones Turkey’s increased influence in the holy city, even though Israel is concerned about the proliferation of Turkish flags and photos of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the streets of Jerusalem.

The Jordanian-Turkish competition for influence in Jerusalem has been reflected for years in political speeches. Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's prime minister until recently, stated on several occasions that Turkey considers Jerusalem one of its "domestic affairs." On Nov. 7, 2014, he said, “Al-Quds [Jerusalem] is our cause.”

In September 2015, Erdogan warned that Turkey will not tolerate Israel's continued aggression against Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the hill where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, and said Israel is playing with fire. On the other hand, Jordanian King Abdullah II said in February that the protection of the mosque falls within the royal family's guardianship over Jerusalem.

Hanna Issa, secretary-general of the Islamic-Christian Commission for Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, told Al-Monitor, “Jordan is the guardian of the holy sites in Jerusalem, while Turkey is providing Jerusalemites with financial aid and relief services, given its status as a rich country with a powerful economy, while Jordan's economy is stumbling." (Jordan is just beginning to recover from a $3 billion budget deficit and is still burdened by the cost of hosting 1 million Syrian refugees and severely strained by regional instability.)

However, Issa added, "Coordination between the two countries is ongoing to serve Jerusalem and Jerusalemites."

Turkey has close ties with Hamas, whose relations with Jordan have been almost nonexistent since Hamas leaders were ousted from Amman in 1999 and numerous Qatari mediations failed to mend the ties.

The PA’s relationship with Jordan was marred by Jordan's agreement in October with Israel to install the surveillance cameras at the mosque without consulting the PA. PA President Mahmoud Abbas also fears Jordan’s support of his archenemy, Mohammed Dahlan, who visited Amman in April. This situation may work in Turkey’s favor, allowing it to extend its influence in Jerusalem at Jordan's expense.

The spread of Turkish flags, Turkish shawarma restaurants and photos of Erdogan on the walls of Jerusalem indicate that the Turks are serious about increasing their influence in the city.

Source: al-Monitor.
Link: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/turkey-jordan-palestine-jerusalem-competition-influence.html.

Lebanon holds local elections amid tight security

May 08, 2016

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese voted Sunday in municipal elections in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley amid tight security and a low turnout in the capital that has recently seen the largest anti-government protests in years following a months-long trash crisis.

Security was tight in the country as authorities took strict measures to guarantee that the vote passes without trouble. Lebanon was hit by a wave of bombings in recent years that killed scores of people and Syria's civil war has spilled over in the past.

Sunday's vote is the first to be held in the country since 2010. The government has postponed parliamentary elections, citing security concerns linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria. Lebanon has also been without a president since 2014, with the parliament failing to elect a leader amid political disagreements, and a paralysis among political rivals often related to their stance on the war in Syria.

Polling stations for the municipal election will be open on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (0400 GMT to 1600 GMT). Results are expected as early as Monday. There are 1.8 million voters registered for this round of voting. Three other rounds will take place over the coming weeks in other parts of the country.

In Beirut, residents are voting for the first time since an eight-month trash crisis ignited anti-government protests, with an outsider group of candidates challenging a political establishment widely seen as corrupt and incompetent.

Beirut Madinati, Arabic for "Beirut, My City," has vowed to clean up both the city's streets and its politics. It is running against "Beirutis," a list backed by several political groups, including the powerful predominantly Sunni Muslim Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the Shiite Muslim Amal group and the country's three main Christian groups.

Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah group is only backing neighborhood mayors, but not municipal candidates, in Beirut. Hezbollah has a strong base in the country's south and the Bekaa Valley, and is fielding municipal candidates there.

But turnout was low in Beirut by the afternoon. The interior minister said turnout was at 13 percent in the capital. The highest turnout was in Baalbek, a Hezbollah-stronghold near the Syrian border, where 33 percent voted.

Nadine Labaki, a well-known film director and candidate on the Beirut Madinati list, called on voters to "not let us down" in a televised interview. "It is not necessary that everything related to our daily life must wait for political parties to come to an agreement," she told Al-Jadeed TV.

Madinati hopes to channel the energy of the protest movement, which emerged in response to the trash crisis that stemmed from a government failure for months to reach an agreement on how to deal with it. The protests went on to challenge the political class that has governed Lebanon since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war.

In one of the Bekaa's main cities, Baalbek, political groups, primarily Hezbollah and allied Shiite group Amal are pitted against family-backed candidates. A day ahead of the elections, Lebanese army and police intensified patrols and deployed in front of polling stations. Motorcycles were banned on the day of the vote in an apparent attempt to head off potential attacks or speedy getaways. And to avoid late night crowds, Beirut's famed nightclubs were ordered closed while bars and restaurants had to shut after midnight Saturday.

In the eastern town of Arsal, a curfew was imposed on tens of thousands of Syrian refugees until the polling stations close. Lebanon is home to more than a million registered Syrian refugees, the equivalent of a quarter the country's population of 4.5 million. Another half million unregistered Syrians live in the country.

"Their situation is not right. It is a dangerous thing. Hopefully, when the municipality is elected, they will find a solution for them and they don't stay in town here and return to their country," said voter Walid Saramani from Zahleh, a major town in the Bekaa valley.

Successfully organizing the municipal elections will strengthen the argument that delaying other votes for security concerns is unnecessary. "These (elections) prove that Lebanon's democracy is in good shape and we can hold elections," said Hariri, the son of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated by a massive bomb in Beirut in 2005.

Associated Press writers Maeva Bambuck and Andrea Rosa in Beirut contributed to this report.

The number of minor females marriage increasing in Jordan

5/10/2016

AMMONNEWS - The number of minor females marriages in the kingdom is increasing from the last years, the number of females who married last year; 2015 is (10866) minors, increasing from the last year, which the minors who married in, is 10834.

In 2013 there were 9618 cases according to what was revealed in a formal statistics recently from the Supreme Judge Department, and Ammon could get a copy.

According to statistics, Jordan gave in marriage 31318 minors in the last three years.

The percentage of the minor females in the kingdom last year is 13.35% of the total marriages number percentage. The number of marriage cases in the kingdom last year was 81373 cases, (10866) of them are minors, 494 minors of them divorced in the same year, which means the percentage of 8.8%.

The status law texts in article 10, the age of the couple should complete 18 solar years, but the law allows the marriage of people whom complete 15 years old under the agreement of the Supreme Judge, and in some cases he permits.

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleno=31308.

Paramount to make armored vehicles for Jordan

5/10/2016

AMMONNEWS - An industrial partnership of Paramount Group, the African-based global defense and aerospace company, has begun local production of one of the world’s most advanced armored vehicles for the Jordanian Armed Forces.

Paramount Group and Jordan Manufacturing Services Solutions (JMSS) announced the signing of a new contract that will see JMSS leading on the local production and assembly of the MBOMBE 6x6 at a dedicated facility in the Dulail- King Abdullah II Design Development Bureau (KADDB) Industrial Park. The announcement was made at the Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (Sofex-2016) in Amman, Jordan.

Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and executive chairman of Paramount Group, said: “We are extremely proud to expand our collaborative partnerships with local Jordanian industry, working together to bolster local industrialization, creating advanced technologies and skilled jobs. It is an honour to collaborate on the production of the MBOMBE 6x6 for the Jordanian armed forces and I am committed to developing further such partnerships across the Middle East.”

The international partnership will ultimately deliver 50 MBOMBE to the Jordanian Armed Forces. Paramount Group has been producing the first MBOMBE in South Africa and the process of vehicle delivery has started with the first 25 vehicles expected to be delivered to Jordan over the summer of 2016.

Additional local partners who form the supply chain include: the King Abdullah II Design Development Bureau (KADDB), the Jordan Advanced Machining Company (JAMCO), which will manufacture the turret and pestle mounts, and Aselsan Middle East, which will provide intercom systems.

Khaled Tashtshe, general manager, said: “JMSS is a regional leader in manufacturing Medium and Heavy vehicles, recognized for its technical excellence. We are proud to play a leading role in the local production and assembly of the MBOMBE armored vehicle.”

As with other such Paramount Group partnerships across the Middle East, Jordan will benefit from the South African company’s extensive industrial and technical training programs. Paramount Group will deliver vehicle maintenance training and other highly-skilled courses for Jordanian employees of JMSS and members of the Jordanian armed forces will receive training on the operation and technical maintenance of the MBOMBE.

Ichikowitz added: “Regional governments are working valiantly to confront security threats of unprecedented scope and scale in an era of squeezed military budgets. But they cannot do it alone. Regional security starts with economic security and the defense industry must accept the responsibility of offering more affordable, adaptable solutions.

“As a South African company, with a proven track record of providing solutions to stabilize asymmetrical warfare, Paramount Group is a trusted partner to governments across the Middle East.

“Paramount Group is privileged to play our part in supporting the growth of the Middle East’s military industrial capability, and we look forward to announcing further such collaborations in the future.”

JMSS and partners will start immediately to fabricate the jigs to build the MBOMBE hulls before producing the second tranche of 25 armored vehicles in Jordan. The proposed build will require them to fabricate the hull assembly as all welded sub-assemblies and cut and bend plates will be delivered by Paramount Group. The bolt on assembly will be done in Jordan, as with the major sub-assemblies like the power pack, wheel stations, suspension and hatches.

The Jordanian MBOMBE is a bespoke version developed by Paramount Group. It can uniquely withstand the extreme climates of the Middle East: during the armored vehicle’s development it underwent extensive trials comprising 50-degree Celsius desert environments in Jordan and the UAE, to -50-degree Celsius during winter trials in Kazakhstan.

Across all models, the MBOMBE contains the latest armoured and land mine protected technology in the world, providing unrivalled protection against landmines, IEDs, side blasts and RPG attacks. – TradeArabia News Service

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleno=31309.

Cabinet Holds Emergency Meeting Over 'Municipalities' Riots

10/15/2011

AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Wednesday evening called for an emergency meeting for the cabinet and security chiefs to discuss the riots and chaos that took place on Wednesday in several places in the kingdom against the Municipal Elections.

Ammon News learned that Bakhit and Minister of Interior Mazen Saket called for the emergency meeting at the Prime Ministry to deliberate on means of dealing with the various protests taking place demanding mergers or disengagement of local municipalities.

Local residents on Wednesday had blocked the main Queen Alia International Airport highway and main desert highway leading to Aqaba and southern governorates in protest of the municipal decisions.

The riots witnessed fired gunshots, vandalism of passing vehicles, burning rubber tires, and hurling rocks.

The international road leading to Aqaba remained blocked from Al Jiza district and in several other locations, including Al Damakhi, Muwaqqar, and Zamileh.

Several governorates throughout the kingdom had also witnessed protests throughout the week with local residents calling for establishing new municipalities for their respective districts.

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=14117.

Protest Against 'Neoliberalism' in front of US Embassy in Amman

10/15/2011

AMMONNEWS - A Jordanian coalition of pro-reform movements announced that it will partake in a protest organized to take place in front of the American Embassy in Amman on Saturday, October 15.

The Popular and Youth Coalition for Change on Wednesday said it will participate in the protest organized by reform movements, trade unions, and political activists at 5 PM on Saturday against "Capitalism, global neoliberalism, privatization, and destroying the role of the private sector," according to their expression.

The protest comes around the same time as similar demonstrations throughout the world, including the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests in New York, encompassing similar slogans and objectives.

Various governorates throughout the kingdom will also witness demonstrations on Friday organized by populist and youth movements under the banner "Our Unity and Freedom and Red Lines."

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=14115.

Libyan boy to receive treatment in King Hussein Medical Center

10/13/2011

AMMONNEWS - Under His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives, an eight-year-old Libyan boy arrived in Amman on Tuesday night to receive treatment at the King Hussein Medical Center.

Siraj Salem, who suffers from a brain tumor, will undergo the necessary medical tests and diagnosis before receiving treatment.

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=14131.

Protest at Israeli Embassy in Amman Thursday

10/12/2011

AMMONNEWS - A group of political activists called on citizens to partake in a protest scheduled to take place near the Israeli Embassy in Amman on Thursday.

In a press statement, the group said that their movement and protest against the presence of an Israeli diplomatic mission on Jordanian land is not "incidental or seasonal" but ongoing until Jordan expels the mission and closes the Israeli Embassy.

The group, which has been holding the protest in front of Al Kaluti Mosque in Rabiya district near the Israeli Embassy, will hold its 82nd protest on Thursday at 6 PM.

It is noted that the a group on the social networking site 'Facebook' had called for a "million person march" against the presence of the Israeli Embassy in Amman back in September, which caused Israel to recall its diplomatic mission for several days out of fear of a similar incident as took place at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo.

The Israeli Ambassador and the diplomatic mission returned to Amman after the weekend following the protest in which only several hundred protesters took part in.

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=14116.

Algeria: Massacres of 8 May 1945 - Peaceful Protest Turned Tragic

7 May 2016

Setif — The peaceful protest, staged in Setif (300-km east of Algiers) on the morning of 8 May 1945, ended in the killing of thousands of Algerian civilians by the French colonial forces in the eastern province as well as in other parts of the country.

Believing that the suppression of the protest would obliterate the national movement, the French occupying forces killed brutally more than 45.000 people in several regions of Algeria, especially in the eastern provinces of Setif, Guelma and Kherrata.

However, the genocide, which exposed the cruelty of the French colonialism, paved the way to the Revolution of 1 November 1954, according to many historians.

In a statement to APS, the president of 8 May 1945 Foundation, Abdelhamid Selakdji said that the march started at 8:30 near the mosque of the station of Setif heading for the commemorative stele of the Unknown Soldier, near Benbadis mosque (currently).

The participants wanted to celebrate the victory of the allies over the Nazis and remind France of its promise to the Algerians, who fought the Nazi Germany to free France: "Help us to liberate France and you will have your independence."

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201605091088.html.

Spain preparing to receive its first refugees from Greece

May 15, 2016

MADRID (AP) — Spain says it is preparing to receive its first two batches of refugees from Greece and also expects to welcome more from Italy as part of a European Union relocation program. Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said Sunday a first group of 87 refugees from Greece is due to arrive in Spain "between May 24 and 26" and 63 more would arrive "at the beginning of June."

Fernandez Diaz said 18 refugees — 17 Eritreans and one Syrian national — had come from Italy in November and 32 more were expected to arrive soon. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said last year that Spain had approved the resettlement of 854 refugees from countries bordering Syria and planned to accept a total of 1,449 refugees over a two-year period.

Large marches in Spain on 5th anniversary of Occupy protest

May 15, 2016

MADRID (AP) — Thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Madrid to mark the fifth anniversary of a protest movement that led to the creation of Podemos, now Spain's third most-popular political party.

The Democracy Now platform had urged people to "occupy squares in all the world's cities on Sunday" to protest austerity, corruption, high unemployment and a lack of transparency in government. Madrid's Puerta del Sol square became the scene of a protest that lasted 28 days in 2011, sparking a movement that spread across Spain and similar "Occupy" sit-ins in cities across the world.

The protests by those calling themselves "Indignados," or people angered by Spain's existing political parties, led to the emergence of Podemos, which will vie for power in a June 26 election. In a bid to break the political deadlock that Spain has endured since an inconclusive December vote resulted in no parties able to form a government, Podemos on Friday announced an alliance with the smaller United Left party under the name Unidos Podemos, which means "United We Can."

Polls and analysts have said the alliance could get more votes and parliamentary seats than the center-left Socialists. Spain has been in a political stalemate, governed by a caretaker government with Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy as prime minister since the Dec. 20 vote, when newcomers Podemos and Ciudadanos upset the longstanding dominance of the Popular Party and Socialists who came second.

National students' union leader Ana Garcia, 29, who was at Puerta del Sol, said millions of ordinary people expressed their anger on May 15, 2011 and said "no to paying for Spain's financial crisis." "We were not going to pay through cuts to our education, health care and human rights," Garcia said.

Organizers posted images late Sunday of well-attended marches in cities including Barcelona, Bilbao and Malaga, as well as Paris — all re-enacting the events of five years ago. Speaking at a political event in northeastern Barcelona, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz acknowledged that "those who once occupied Sol" had ushered in a new era with fresh faces elected to parliament, but emphasized that change needed to be achieved by democratic elections and not through blocking streets.

3 Spanish reporters home after 10 months captivity in Syria

May 08, 2016

MADRID (AP) — Three Spanish freelance journalists held captive in Syria for nearly 10 months returned home Sunday, tearfully hugging relatives as they got off a military jet sent to Turkey to bring them back.

Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre shook hands with Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria on the tarmac of the Torrejon de Ardoz air force base on the outskirts of Madrid. They then smiled and cried as relatives ran to hug them.

Images on Spain's state-owned TVE television channel showed their arrival but reporters were kept outside the base and away from the three journalists, only catching sight of a dark blue van carrying them from the base.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy posted a photograph of the journalists descending from the aircraft with a caption saying "Welcome!" on his official Twitter account. "Allied and friendly" countries had assisted in ensuring the journalists' release, his office said in a statement late Saturday.

It highlighted Turkey and Qatar, saying they had helped out "especially in the final phase" of the journalists' liberation. It provided no information on the captors and how they were convinced to give up the journalists.

The three journalists went missing on July 12, near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. At the time, the region was under the control of al-Qaida's branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the journalists had taken off "at midnight from a city in southeast Turkey called Hatay," accompanied by Ambassador Pablo Gutierrez Segou, head of consular emergencies.

"This adventure has ended happily," Garcia-Margallo said. TVE said in its afternoon news bulletin that the journalists had gone to a cafe in Madrid with their friends and relatives, where they received a phone call from King Felipe VI. They told journalists that they had no idea what part of Syria they had been held captive in.

The broadcaster said Lopez explained that the three had been incarcerated together for the first three months, after which Pampliega was taken away and not seen again until just before the flight home.

Pampliega's mother, Maria del Mar Rodriguez, told the Reporters Without Borders organization that it had been "marvelous" to be able to speak with her son. "He had the same voice he's always had, since he was a boy, and he continually asked my forgiveness for what he'd put me through," she said. "I'm going to prepare him a plate of spinach in bechamel sauce, his favorite dish."

Many of the country's political leaders, out campaigning for a general election due June 26, expressed their relief and joy at the release. "I join in with the happiness felt by their families, colleagues and friends," Rajoy said in another tweet.

The journalists, who provided news to several media outlets, had traveled to Syria to report on the war that broke out there in 2011. All three were experienced freelance journalists who had worked in Syria before and knew what type of precautions they would need to take, according to Elsa Gonzalez, president of Spain's federation of journalists.

Three other Spanish journalists were released in March 2014 after being held hostage by Syrian extremists for months. The Spanish government has never given details of how it secured the releases.

EU to simplify visa waiver suspension as Turkey watches on

May 20, 2016

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday sought to make it easier to suspend its visa waiver program with countries, just as Turkey looks to secure visa-free travel for its citizens. EU interior and migration ministers hope to seal agreement Friday on a so-called suspension mechanism that would apply to Georgia, Ukraine, Kosovo and Turkey.

Dutch Migration Minister Klaas Dijkhoff said the mechanism would go into action "if things are not going as planned on whatever country we're dealing with, when unexpected things happen." The system would kick in to ensure security or if a country fails to readmit people who left its territory but are not allowed to stay in Europe.

Ministers and EU officials have been at pains to point out that the mechanism applies to all visa waiver countries so that Turkey does not feel targeted. The EU has offered Turkey a visa waiver as incentive — along with up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks — to get it to stop migrants leaving for Europe and take back the thousands who have arrived in Greece from Turkey since March 20.

While the number of migrants arriving in the Greek islands has dropped significantly since that agreement came into effect, the EU believes that Ankara must do more. "There's still work to be done when it comes to processing people and giving them an individual assessment of their claim to asylum, and then getting people readmitted to Turkey," said Dijkhoff, who is chairing the meeting in Brussels.

Under the migration agreement, the EU had pledged to grant a visa waiver to Turkey by June 30. But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected an EU demand to narrow the scope of Turkey's anti-terror laws to end crackdowns on journalists and dissenters.

It appears that October might now be the earliest date by which Turkish citizens could be eligible for short-term visa-free visits to Europe. "To get visa liberalization, it's important that they change their terrorism law. Mr. Erdogan says he doesn't want that, so that's a problem, no?" said Belgium's top migration official, Theo Francken.

Israeli defense minister announces resignation

May 20, 2016

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister announced his resignation on Friday, citing a lack of "trust" in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after reports in recent days that he is soon to be replaced.

In a Facebook post, Moshe Yaalon said that he told Netanyahu that "following his conduct in recent developments and in light of the lack of trust in him, I am resigning from the government and the Knesset (Israel's parliament) and taking a time out from political life."

Netanyahu and Yaalon have clashed in recent days over the role of the military in public discourse, with the prime minister arguing that military officials should not discuss policy matters publicly. Tensions between Yaalon and Netanyahu escalated in March, when military leaders criticized a soldier who was caught on video fatally shooting an already-wounded Palestinian attacker. The solider is now on trial for manslaughter. While Yaalon has backed the military, hard-liners have backed the soldier.

Reports over the past few days indicate that Netanyahu intends to appoint former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to the post. Lieberman, 57, is one of the country's most polarizing politicians. Over three decades, he has at times been Netanyahu's closest ally and at other times a fierce rival.

Netanyahu this week invited Lieberman's ultranationalist Yisrael Beteinu party to shore up his shaky parliamentary coalition and negotiation teams have been meeting to hammer out the details of their alliance.

Yaalon's resignation solidifies the takeover of hardliners in the party. Cabinet Minister Gila Gamliel said that Yaalon's leaving is a "tremendous loss" for the ruling Likud party. She told Israel Radio she believes it was a "mistake" not to offer Yaalon another position and keep him in the coalition.

Many Israelis have questioned the wisdom of appointing Lieberman to the sensitive post of defense minister over Yaalon, a former army chief of staff who is generally respected for his knowledge of military affairs. Polls commissioned by Israeli TV stations broadcast Thursday showed that a majority of Israelis prefer Yaalon as defense minister over Lieberman.

Lieberman has held a number of Cabinet posts in the past, including stints as foreign minister. His hard-line stance has made him an influential voice at home but has at times alienated Israel's allies overseas. He has questioned the loyalty of Israel's Arab minority and confronted Israel's foreign critics. He has expressed skepticism over pursuing peace with the Palestinians, and is now pushing a proposal to impose the death penalty against Arabs convicted of acts of terrorism.

With Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in a deep freeze, Lieberman's addition to the government could push the prospect of reviving talks even further into the distance. Lieberman rose to prominence as the engineer of Netanyahu's successful run for prime minister in 1996, and he later became Netanyahu's chief of staff.

His tough stances have long stoked controversy. As a Cabinet minister last decade, he called for the bombing of Palestinian gas stations, banks and commercial centers. He also led a recent parliamentary drive to exclude Arab parties from running for election — a move that was overturned by Israel's Supreme Court.

Yet despite his rhetoric, Lieberman has shown signs of pragmatism. He served as a Cabinet minister in two centrist Israeli governments, though he was fired for opposing Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and resigned to protest peace talks that begun at the 2007 conference in Annapolis. His plan for redrawing Israel's borders would also mean dismantling some Jewish settlements.