Official Discussion Forum for the works of Stephen R. Donaldson
https://kevinswatch.com/phpBB3/
yeah .. arse covering as it is also called ——————————————————————————————
Placards from a protest in Istanbul against the killing of Palestinian journalist Yaser Murtaja.
Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
Days after Israeli troops fatally shot a Palestinian photojournalist covering protests on the Gaza border, Israel's defense minister alleged the photographer had served as a high-ranking member of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas since 2011.
But State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the photojournalist had passed a U.S. government vetting process for his media company to receive a U.S. aid agency grant. The U.S. does vetting to ensure grant recipients have no ties to militant organizations or activities.
The seemingly conflicting claims by Israeli and U.S. officials about the photographer's identity are raising new questions over a killing that drew international media coverage and calls for an investigation.
[…]
U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said government vetting of Murtaja began in late 2017. The officials said that last month Murtaja's Gaza media production company, Ain Media, became a beneficiary of a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told NPR the United States relies on Israeli intelligence to vet Palestinian organizations and individuals for links to militant groups before awarding them USAID grants. Nauert said the U.S. was looking into questions about Murtaja's alleged Hamas affiliation.
Israeli officials declined to elaborate on the defense minister's claims and would not say why the journalist was shot. The Israeli military says it is investigating. Palestinian rights advocates argued the claims of Hamas affiliation were intended to retroactively justify the killing.
[…]
IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger accused Israeli Defense Minister Liberman of a cover-up
A Palestinian reporter killed last week by Israeli fire was detained and beaten by Hamas security forces in 2015, a global journalist body said Wednesday, after Israel accused him of being a member of the Islamist group.
[…]
A case file from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) documented how Murtaja was detained and beaten by Hamas security forces in 2015 while filming.
The file, seen by AFP, said Murtaja and three other colleagues were filming the demolition of a home near the Israeli border when a man demanded to see their documents.
After they refused, a jeep belonging to the Hamas security forces arrived and "pulled the photographer Yasser Murtaja into their jeep without explaining what was going on."
It said inside the van he was beaten by Hamas police, leading to his eventual hospitalization. After an interrogation, his photographs were eventually seized.
Murtaja and the other journalists were interviewed by an IFJ researcher at the time, the file said.
IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger accused Lieberman of a cover-up.
"It is clear that having murdered a journalist the Israeli defense minister is more interested in spouting propaganda and engaging in a cover-up than in carrying out a thorough and transparent investigation and bringing Yasser's killers to justice," he said in a statement.
[…]
Breaking news. (photo credit: JPOST STAFF)
The Bolivian envoy to the United Nations, Sacha Llorenty, called Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem a violation of international law in a meeting of the UN Security Council on Saturday.
Llorenty expressed Bolivia's concern over recent airstrikes in Syria by the United States, France and the United Kingdom in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks the Syrian regime carried out earlier this week against civilians. He called the strikes by the US and its allies a violation of international law, and said it was just one action on a list of such violations. These violations included Trump's "unilateral decision on Jerusalem."
Llorenty went on to say that Bolivia heard US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley's earlier words in the meeting, that the US was "locked and loaded" should the Syrian regime execute another chemical attack, with concern.
"We heard her words with a great deal of concern and a great deal of sadness... we know that [the US has] a huge arsenal of weapons and we also know that they have nothing but scorn for international law."
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the 29th Summit of the Arab League at the Ithra center in Dhahran, Eastern Saudi Arabia, on April 15, 2018. (AFP/STR)
At opening of Arab League summit, Salman says East Jerusalem is an 'integral part' of the Palestinian territories, denounces Iran for 'blatant interference' in other countries
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday opened an Arab League summit by criticizing US President Donald Trump's decision to transfer the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
"We reiterate our rejection of the US decision on Jerusalem," the king said in a speech in Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia.
"East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories," he added.
[...]
Salman also announced on a $150 million donation for the maintenance of Islamic heritage in East Jerusalem.
"Saudi Arabia announces $150 million grant to support the administration of Jerusalem's Islamic property," the king told the Arab League meeting.
Two weeks ago, Salman reaffirmed his nation's support for the Palestinians in a conversation with Trump, Saudi state media said, a day after his son and heir apparent said Israel has a "right" to a homeland.
Saudi Arabia and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes their ties appear to have improved in recent years in the face of what they see as a common Iranian threat.
[...]
Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.
Bolivia isn't a player on the world stage. And the UN had Libya in charge of its human rights council. Neither are relevant.Kizza wrote:Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.
Just sayin'!!
The UN needs to be relevant. It has been whiteanted by the major players.Cail wrote:Bolivia isn't a player on the world stage. And the UN had Libya in charge of its human rights council. Neither are relevant.Kizza wrote:Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.
Just sayin'!!
The UN is not taking sovereignty from anyone.Cail wrote:No country is going to hand over its sovereignty to a third party. The UN will never be relevant because of this. Best to disband it, or make it clear in the charter that it's for advisory purposes only.
I can relate to that. Because I do not like it when my mother in law puts her hand out. She gets me on the humanity point though, as she is a widow and has a history with our family.Hashi Lebwohl wrote:......... Why should I give money to someone (or a group) who hates me?
^^^^^^^^^Avatar wrote:Agreed. Problem is that while everybody hastens to blame the UN, nobody is willing to give it the teeth it needs in order to be even vaguely effective.
At the very least, as a start, eliminate the veto.
--A
And this is exactly what I was saying. No country is going to hand over its sovereignty to the UN.Skyweir wrote:^^^^^^^^^Avatar wrote:Agreed. Problem is that while everybody hastens to blame the UN, nobody is willing to give it the teeth it needs in order to be even vaguely effective.
At the very least, as a start, eliminate the veto.
--A
This
Totally agree with you Kizza
And Av that is exactly where to start.
