Azerbaijan president criticizes mediators; fighting rages on

October 03, 2020

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Heavy fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan continued Saturday in their conflict over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, while Azerbaijan’s president criticized the international mediators who have tried for decades to resolve the dispute.

Fighting that started Sept. 27 is the worst to afflict Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas since the 1994 end of a war that left the region in Azerbaijan under the control of ethnic Armenian local forces backed by Armenia.

Shushan Stepanian, a spokeswoman for the Armenian Defense Ministry, told The Associated Press that “intensive fighting is taking place along the entire front line,” and claimed that Armenian forces had shot down three planes.

Azerbaijan’s defense ministry did not respond to the claim of planes being shot down, but said Armenian forces had shelled civilian territory within Azerbaijan, including the city of Terter. Nagorno-Karabakh officials have said more than 150 servicemen on their side have been killed so far. Azerbaijani authorities haven’t given details on their military casualties but said 19 civilians have been killed and 55 more wounded.

Nagorno-Karabakh was a designated autonomous region within Azerbaijan during the Soviet era. It claimed independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, about three months before the Soviet Union's collapse. Full-scale war that broke out in 1992 killed an estimated 30,000 people. By the time it ended in 1994, Armenian forces not only held Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial areas outside the territory's formal borders.

Several United Nations Security Council resolutions have called for withdrawal from those areas, which the Armenian forces have disregarded. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a television interview that the forces must withdraw from those areas before fighting can stop.

In the interview with al-Jazeera, a transcript of which was distributed Saturday by the presidential press office, Aliyev criticized the so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has tried to mediate a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

One of the reasons behind the current fighting is that “the mediators do not insist or exert pressure to start implementing the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he said. “We have no time to wait another 30 years. The conflict must be resolved now.” Aliyev said.

Associated Press writers Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia, and Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.

EU sanctions Belarus over election, gets in-kind response

October 02, 2020

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union imposed sanctions Friday on 40 officials suspected of election misconduct and a brutal security crackdown on protesters in Belarus, which quickly retaliated by announcing its own sanctions against the EU and recalling its ambassadors from Poland and Lithuania.

Russia, in turn, said it would follow Belarus' lead on sanctioning officials in the 27-nation European bloc, while the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it had followed the EU and imposed sanctions on eight Belarus officials.

The individuals subject to the sanctions that EU leaders endorsed overnight do not include Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose disputed reelection to a sixth term has triggered nearly eight weeks of protests and a government crackdown on peaceful protesters, opposition activists and journalists.

The EU leaders suggested that Lukashenko, once dubbed Europe’s last dictator, could be subject to sanctions later, if he does not enter into talks with his country's political opposition. Those targeted in the meantime include Interior Ministry, police and security officials, as well as members of the Belarus Central Electoral Commission.

“This sends a strong message of EU support to the democratic right of the Belarusian people to elect their president through free and fair elections, and our condemnation of repression and violence against people exercising their fundamental rights,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

The leaders also urged the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, “to prepare a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus.” The Foreign Ministry of Belarus gave no details about its retaliatory sanctions list, but warned of “more serious consequences” such as pulling out of joint projects or revising the country's diplomatic relations with the EU if the bloc ratchets up “the sanctions flywheel.”

“Belarus is always, in words and in deeds, against confrontation. We are for dialogue and understanding. But as a sovereign state, we’re also determined, albeit not without regret, to respond to unfriendly actions in order to naturally defend our national interests,” the ministry said in a statement.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the EU’s move and said Moscow would adopt the Belarusian sanctions list since the move would be in line with Russia's obligations under its union agreement with Belarus, a former Soviet republic.

In Washington, the Treasury Department said the individuals subject to new U.S. sanctions include Belarus' interior minister, his deputy, and two top members of the country’s election commission who “are responsible for, or have participated in, undermining democratic processes in Belarus.”

Several law enforcement officials were also targeted by the sanctions, which include a freeze on any assets they may have in U.S. jurisdictions and a ban on Americans conducting business with them. “The Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations to choose their own leaders and peacefully exercise their rights have been met with violence and oppression from Belarusian officials,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. “The United States and our international partners stand united in imposing costs on those who have undermined Belarusian democracy for years.”

EU agreement on the sanctions was held up for weeks by one of the smallest member countries, a standoff that embarrassed the world’s biggest trading bloc. Cyprus used its veto to block the action, which required a unanimous vote of the 27 EU members.

Cyprus wanted its EU partners to also impose sanctions against Turkey for its energy exploration work in waters where the Mediterranean island nation claims exclusive rights before it would agree to the Belarus sanctions. The deadlock was broken just after midnight when the leaders issued a statement in Cyprus' support and criticized Turkey.

All EU member countries, including Cyprus, reject the official results of the Aug. 9 presidential election in Belarus, which gave Lukashenko 80% of the vote to extend his 26-year tenure. Like Belarusian opposition leaders, they all want a new presidential election held.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said Friday he was pleased with the EU summit’s conclusions because his goal of rallying fellow European leaders behind a demand to hold Turkey accountable for “unlawful actions” in Cypriot and Greek waters had been met.

Cyprus said it agreed with other European Union members to forego more sanctions on Turkey in order to give diplomacy “another chance” at getting Ankara to halt its hydrocarbons prospecting in its waters and to ease tensions.

Sanctions against Turkey “were never an end in themselves,” Anastasiades told reporters in Brussels. At the same time, he said EU leaders have left the door open to impose them at their next scheduled summit in December, if Ankara doesn’t cease and desist by then.

“I repeat that the responsibility and the burden for what comes next are on Turkey,” he said. Anastasiades’ remarks appeared designed to save face after his government strongly suggested in the run-up to the summit that it would accept nothing less than fresh sanctions against Turkey. Cypriot officials had said sanctions would drive the point home that EU pronouncements of solidarity with member states must be backed up with actions.

Two Turkish vessels escorted by warships continue a search for gas inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone. A similar move by Turkey in August in an area that Greece claims falls within its continental shelf sharply raised military tensions between the two NATO allies. Those tensions subsided after Turkey pulled the research vessel back, opening a window for negotiations on delimiting the two countries’ maritime borders.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed the summit’s conclusions as aiming only to satisfy members Cyprus and Greece while making “veiled threats to impose sanctions.” He also criticized the EU for calling Turkey’s operations in the eastern Mediterranean “illegal.”

The EU extended a carrot as well as a stick to Turkey, agreeing that if Ankara reacts positively in talks with Cyprus and Greece, the bloc would “launch a positive political EU-Turkey agenda” with trade and customs incentives.

If not, the leaders warned, “the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal,” to “defend its interests and those of its member states.” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisakis echoed his Cypriot counterpart, saying that EU leaders “had made it clear, with absolute certainty" that EU-Turkish relations would remain in a deep freeze if Turkey continued its “aggressive behavior.”

The Greek prime minister repeated that if talks with Turkey on a maritime border deal fall through, Athens would be prepared to take the matter to the international court at the Hague.

Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Jim Heintz in Moscow and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this story.

EU slaps sanctions on 40 Belarus officials, not Lukashenko

October 02, 2020

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday officially slapped sanctions on 40 officials in Belarus that the bloc says are responsible for cracking down on peaceful demonstrators, opposition politicians and reporters, as well as for “misconduct” during the country's August presidential election.

The individuals subject to the sanctions that EU leaders endorsed overnight do not include Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, once dubbed Europe’s last dictator, but the leaders suggested this might happen later if he does not enter into talks with his country's political opposition.

Those targeted include Interior Ministry, police and security officials, as well as members of the Belarus Central Electoral Commission. “This sends a strong message of EU support to the democratic right of the Belarusian people to elect their president through free and fair elections, and our condemnation of repression and violence against people exercising their fundamental rights,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Borrell said the European Union hopes its action “will encourage the Belarusian leadership to refrain from further violence, to free all the unlawfully detained people, including the political prisoners, launch a thorough investigation into all alleged violations and abuses, and engage in a genuine and inclusive dialogue with the opposition in view of finding a peaceful way out of the current crisis.”

Agreement on the sanctions was held up for weeks by one of the EU’s smallest countries, a standoff that embarrassed the world’s biggest trading bloc. Cyprus used its veto to block the move, which required a unanimous vote of the 27 EU members.

Cyprus wanted its EU partners to take action against Turkey for its energy exploration work in disputed waters off the Mediterranean island nation’s coast before it would agree to the Belarus sanctions. The deadlock was broken just after midnight when the leaders issued a statement in Cyprus' support and criticized Turkey.

All EU member countries, including Cyprus, reject the result of the Aug. 9 election that returned Lukashenko to power for a sixth term. They all want a new presidential election held in Belarus and agree that sanctions should be slapped on dozens of officials, perhaps even Lukashenko himself at some later point.

“The list of persons targeted will be under constant review, and the EU is ready to impose additional restrictive measures, if the situation does not improve,” Borrell said. The leaders also urged the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, “to prepare a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus.”

King, Crown Prince extend condolences to Kuwait emir over passing of Sheikh Sabah

[10/1/2020]

AMMONNEWS - His Majesty King Abdullah and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II extended condolences on Thursday to Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, over the passing of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.

During a visit to Kuwait, King Abdullah expressed deep sympathies, on behalf of Jordan’s people and government, to Sheikh Nawaf and the people of Kuwait.

His Majesty said the Arab and Muslim nations lost a wise leader who was dedicated to serving his people and defending Arab and Islamic causes.

The King paid tribute to Sheikh Sabah’s noble positions in support of Jordan, stressing the deep-rooted ties between the Kingdom and Kuwait.

Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, Senate President Faisal Fayez, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies Bisher Khasawneh, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti also extended condolences.

Source: Ammon News.

Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleno=44121.

Crown prince becomes oil-rich Kuwait's new ruling emir

September 30, 2020

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah became the oil-rich nation's new ruling emir Tuesday night, reaching the highest post in the country after decades in its security services.

Sheikh Nawaf, 83, had served as the crown prince since 2006, jumping a traditional order of alternating rule between the Al Jaber and the Al Salim branches of the country's ruling family. While his taking of the throne came as prescribed by Kuwait's constitution, there likely will be negotiations behind the scenes in the weeks ahead over who will become the country's next crown prince.

Those discussions likely will take time as Kuwait mourns its late ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who died Tuesday at the age of 91, and weighs who best represents a country that had carefully positioned itself amid regional rivalries.

Sheikh Nawaf “may provide a welcome respite of unity in transition," wrote Kristin Smith Diwan, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. ”Yet, 83 years old and without any clear national program, his reign is unlikely to deter the sharp competition already underway to claim the title of his successor."

State television carried an address by Anas Khalid al-Saleh, Kuwait's interior minister and deputy prime minister, announcing Sheikh Nawaf had taken the position just hours after Sheikh Sabah's death.

Sheikh Nawaf, like his half-brother Sheikh Sabah, was born before Kuwait discovered the oil that would make this small nation among the richest in the world. Born June 25, 1937, Sheikh Nawaf became a governor of Kuwait's Hawalli region and later the country's interior minister, a position he held for nearly a decade.

As interior minister, Sheikh Nawaf negotiated in 1980 with two Jordanians who hijacked a Boeing 727 heading from Beirut to Kuwait City. The hijackers ultimately gave up the plane without harming any passengers on board. Sheikh Nawaf negotiated in other hijackings as well.

Kuwait separately faced militant bombings during his time as interior minister, which authorities blamed on Iran. Sheikh Nawaf served as Kuwait's defense minister beginning in 1988. He'd be in the role in 1990, when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and occupied the nation for seven months.

“Our citizens inside Kuwait are disobeying orders and not following instructions and they are being mistreated," Sheikh Nawaf said at the time. On Feb. 24, 1991, U.S. troops and their allies stormed into Kuwait. It ended 100 hours later. America suffered only 148 combat deaths during the whole campaign, while over 20,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed.

Sheikh Nawaf briefly served as social affairs and labor minister after the war, then as the deputy chief of Kuwait's National Guard and again as interior minister. He became the crown prince under Sheikh Sabah in February 2006.

Sheikh Nawaf is married, with four sons and one daughter. He hasn't been known for making any major political decisions while serving as crown prince. Sheikh Nawaf is “is seen by many in Kuwait as an uncontroversial choice as emir, albeit probably serving only a short term considering his age,” analysts Simon Henderson and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen wrote in an analysis last October for the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. “His uncertain health may also affect both the length and the vigor of his time as emir."

The analysts added: "These facts, together with his easy-going personality, make it more likely that whoever becomes his crown prince will have the opportunity to more forcefully shape the direction of Kuwaiti leadership.”

Merkel applauds 'impressive' women protesters in Belarus

September 30, 2020

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised women in Belarus for staging peaceful protests in the wake of the country's disputed presidential election and said Wednesday that she plans to meet soon with the main opposition candidate.

Merkel's comments came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania. Tsikhanouskaya went into exile there after the Aug. 9 election that Belarus officials claimed President Alexander Lukashenko won with 80% of the vote to her 10%.

Opposition activists and some poll workers say the results that gave Lukashenko a sixth term were fraudulent. Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions on the president, his son and six government officials over a crackdown during weeks of post-election protests in Belarus.

The European Union is considering whether to impose sanctions as well. Germany currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. “We don’t recognize the election of President Lukashenko," Merkel told German lawmakers, reiterating her condemnation of the violent crackdown on political opponents in Belarus.

“I will meet soon with the opposition activist Ms. Tsikhanouskaya," she said, adding: "When you see the bravery of women that’s on display in the streets there, for freedom and a life without corruption, then I can only say: I admire that and I find it really impressive.”

Merkel, who has been Germany's chancellor for 15 years, joined the newly emboldened opposition movement in East Germany shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, declined to say whether a date and place for the meeting with Tsikhanouskaya had been set.

Asked about Britain and Canada's decision to impose sanctions on Lukashenko, Seibert said Germany is “firmly resolved” that the European Union should also agree on sanctions against Belarus. “We regret that this hasn't been possible yet,” he told reporters in Berlin. “But it remains our goal that such restrictive measures are taken.”

“To do this we are continue to have intensive exchanges with our European partners,” Seibert said. “The goal is therefore comparable to that of Britain, for example.”

UK, Canada impose sanctions on Belarus president, officials

September 29, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Britain and Canada imposed sanctions Tuesday on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, his son and other senior government officials following the disputed presidential election and a crackdown on protesters in Belarus.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that the sanctions were introduced as part of a coordinated approach with Canada “in a bid to uphold democratic values and put pressure on those responsible for repression.”

The British measures include a travel ban and asset freeze on eight individuals from the Belarusian government, including Lukashenko, son Victor Lukashenko and Igor Sergeenko, the head of the presidential administration. Similar sanctions were imposed by Canada.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Canada and the U.K. acted in concert to ensure the sanctions have a greater impact and “to demonstrate unity in our condemnation of the situation.”

“Canada stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus as they struggle to restore human rights and achieve democracy in their country,” Champagne said. The British government said that Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for over 26 years, is the first leader to have been sanctioned under Britain’s new global human rights sanctions program, which was introduced in July.

“Today, the U.K. and Canada have sent a clear message by imposing sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko’s violent and fraudulent regime. We don’t accept the results of this rigged election,” Raab said in a statement.

“We will hold those responsible for the thuggery deployed against the Belarusian people to account, and we will stand up for our values of democracy and human rights.” The political opposition in Belarus has challenged the results of the country's Aug. 9 presidential election, which gave Lukashenko a sixth term with 80% of the vote. Protests demanding his resignation have continued for more than seven weeks. Opposition figures and some poll workers say the results were fraudulent.

During the first few days of demonstrations, police arrested more than 7,000 people and used violence on protesters. Since then, opposition activists have been jailed and threatened with prosecution.