This Week in Syria, Deeply: Monday, 27 January 2014
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Ukrainian Standoff Escalates as Yanukovych Seeks to Avoid Possible Emergency State
By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe Desk
KYIV, Ukraine – Ukrainian opposition leaders scoffed at what has been deemed President Viktor Yanukovych’s moment of weakness in the recent months of tension. Meanwhile, leaders and protesters throughout Europe support dialogue between Ukraine’s government and the opposition.
In November 2013, anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine; particularly, over President Viktor Yanukovych’s rejection of a deal that would have brought Ukraine and the European Union closer. In mid-January, tensions led to a number of fatalities, as police and protesters clashed. All three primary opposition leaders attended a funeral for Mikhail Zhiznevsky, a Belarussian national who was shot and killed at the height of the violence.
Activists occupied regional administrations in ten Ukrainian regions, where they protested against president-appointed governors. In four Ukrainian cities, thousands of activists laid siege to local government offices. Police broke up a rally in Zaporizhya with batons and stun grenades.
As protests spread into Eastern Ukraine, high tensions in Kyiv led to dozens of protesters seizing control over the Justice Ministry, smashing windows and erecting barricades. Ukraine said that it may issue a state of emergency if the situation at the Justice Ministry worsens.
On 25 January 2014, Yanukovych offered opposition leaders posts within the government, including offering Arseniy Yatsenyuk (Fatherland party) prime minister and Vitali Klitschko deputy prime minister. The next day, Ukrainian opposition leaders said the deal would not be enough to end the worst crisis since Ukraine gained independence.
In his offer, Yanukovych failed to address key demands, such as bringing forward presidential elections and releasing jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.
Klitschko, who is believed to have a personal rivalry with Yatsenyuk, said, “This was a poisoned offer by Yanukovych designed to split our opposition movement.”
However, opposition leaders have neither accepted nor expressly rejected any of Yanukovych’s proposals; but instead, stating that talks will continue. Feeling unprecedented pressure, Yanukovych’s office stated that Yanukovych is willing to consider constitutional amendments that would shift power and authority from himself to the prime minister.
Into the weekend, Europe urged dialogue within Ukraine. During his weekly Angelus prayer, Pope Francis expressed hope that “the search for common good may prevail in the hearts of all.” A crow and a seagull immediately attacked two doves released in hope of peace for Ukraine.
On 28 January 2014, Ukraine’s parliament will meet for a critical debate session. They are expected to debate key points of the crisis, including protest laws.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the situation as “not only tense but truly serious. The coming days could decide Ukraine’s path into the future.”
For a brighter day, Ukraine must hope that peace for its government and for its people is saved from assailants, both foreign and domestic.
For further information, please see:
Voice of Russia – Ukraine May Issue State of Emergency If Protesters Don’t Leave Justice Ministry – January 27, 2014
Associated Free Press –Ukraine Protests Spread as Opposition Snubs Compromise Offer – January 26, 2014
BBC News – Ukraine: President Yanukovych Blinks First over Protests – January 26, 2014
BBC News – Ukraine Protests ‘Spread’ into Russia-Influenced East – January 26, 2014
RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Rallies Held Abroad for Ukraine – January 25, 2014
Impunity Watch – New Deaths Make Ukrainians Unsure How Long Tensions Must Continue – January 23, 2014
Snowden Reveals NSA Conducts Corporate Espionage
by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden claims that the US intelligence agency engages in industrial espionage according to a German public television broadcaster. ARD released a statement prior to a television interview Sunday in which Snowden is quoted as saying that if German engineering company Siemans had something information beneficial to the US, the NSA would take it.
Snowden alleged that the NSA would take information from private industries even if the information had no connection to US national security needs. Snowden went on to tell the German broadcaster that he no longer has possession of any documents or information on NSA activities, adding that he has turned over all available information to selected journalists.
At present Snowden faces felony charges for the information he has incrementally released to journalists since last June when he offered information to The Guardian about NSA surveillance of American cell phone data.
A legal adviser for Snowden is quoted as saying Snowden would be open to entering talks with US Attorney General Eric Holder to negotiate his return to the US. However, that willingness to negotiate was premised on a guarantee of amnesty for crimes related to releasing classified information.
Jesselyn Radack, Snowden’s legal adviser, said she was glad to hear last week that the Attorney General was open to negotiating Snowden’s return, but expressed disappointment about the US government’s stance on amnesty.
“It’s a little disheartening that [Holder] seemed to take clemency and amnesty off the table, which are two of the negotiating points,” said Radack in an interview on “Meet the Press.”
Holder said in an MSNBC interview that the US government would not provide amnesty in some kind of “no harm, no foul” deal.
Snowden made a statement Thursday expressing his wish to return home and bring resolution to his conflict with the US government.
“Returning to the U.S., I think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself, but it’s unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistleblower protection laws, which through a failure in law did not cover national security contractors like myself,” Snowden wrote on the website “Free Snowden.”
For more information, please see:
Fox News – German TV: Snowden says NSA also practices industrial espionage – 26 January 2014
MSNBC – Snowden says NSA engages in industrial espionage: German TV – 26 January 2014
Reuters – Snowden won’t return to U.S. without amnesty, says legal adviser – 26 January 2014
The Guardian – German TV: Edward Snowden says NSA is involved in industrial sabotage – 26 January 2014
CNN – NSA leaker Edward Snowden says U.S. return ‘not possible’ given current laws – 24 January 2014
Egyptian Protesters Killed During Uprising Anniversary
By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
CAIRO, Egypt-On the third anniversary of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, at least 29 people have been killed throughout Egypt during nationwide protests. The worse violence has been directed at supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Photos that showed at least nine dead bodies wrapped in shrouds were taken by two witnesses in the Al Maskan. There are reports of multiple deaths in this area, which is a neighborhood in eastern Cairo.
Other reports by witness tell of deadly clashes in Minya, Giza, Alexandria, and several other governorates. The Egyptian health ministry has reported that along with the 29 daeths, more than 170 were wounded by 8:30pm local time on Saturday.
Two explosions hit Cairo on early Saturday morning and a third followed in Suez, targeting police base. Armed groups also stage three attacks on security forces with the most notable bringing down a military helicopter in north Sinai.
Around noon, activists who opposed both the army and the Brotherhood, tried to take the streets during a rally in Cairo’s Mohandiseen district. They were eventually chased off only to reorganize several hours later downtown where security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition.
Fortunately, the main pro-military event in Cairo’s Tahrir Square was conducted peacefully. The event was protected by a heavy deployment of soldiers and police. The crowds gather in the square to celebrate General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the military chief who deposed Morsi in July.
During the gathering in Tahrir Square, army helicopters circled overhead and dropped Egyptian flags and coupons for free blankets. Crowds continued to arrive throughout the afternoon, many of them chanting “the people demand the execution of the Brotherhood.”
“We want to show that we won’t go back to the Brotherhood, and we won’t be scared by their terrorism. This is about correcting the path of the revolution,” stated one protesting arriving at the Square with a group of about 20 people.
“We aren’t sacred. All of the people of Port Said, of Egypt, we are down in the streets today,” reported another protester.
No claims of responsibility for Saturday’s attacks where received. These attacks followed a series of four bombings across the capital on Friday. The deadliest, a car bomb, tore through security forces, killing four people and injuring more than 70.
For more information, please see the following:
Al Jazeera-Dozens killed on Egypt uprising anniversary-26 January 2014
Euro News-Egypt: over two dozen dead in clashes on third anniversary of anti-Mubarak uprising-26 January 2014
Guardian-Egypt: protesters killed on anniversary of anti-Mubarak revolt-26 January 2014
National-At least 29 killed in clashes on Egyptian uprising anniversary-26 January 2014
Peace Agreement Reached Between Philippines and the MILF
By Brian Lanciault
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
MANILA, Philippines– Representatives from the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Saturday signed the final piece of the four annexes to the Framework Peace Agreement, completing a vital cornerstone to a more than decades-old peace process.
Representatives led by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Teresita Deles, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and her counterpart in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Mohagher Iqbal, met late in the afternoon Saturday and affixed their signatures to a several page document, the annex on normalization and addendum on Bangsamoro waters. The resolution came at the end of four days of negotiation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Today the government and the MILF jointly signed the annex on normalization, the last of the four Annexes to the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), which was completed on 15 October 2012. This paves the way for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). This is indeed a long-awaited moment that is a gift to our people at the start of a new year of renewed hope and commitment,” Deles said.
Earlier, negotiators from both sides signed the annexes regarding transitional arrangements and modalities, revenue generation and wealth and power sharing.
“Long live peace,” those witnessing the signing of the landmark document during the 43 exploratory talks in Malaysia cheered. Video footage of the event was streamed live across the nation.
Malaysian facilitator Datu Abdul Gaafar Tengku said: “I am very proud to be part of this process. I’ve witnessed in 1986 the People Power and now this.”
Malaysia has played the role of a third party facilitator of the talks since 2004.
Iqbal said the signing of the normalization annex had been an emotional matter.
“All these documents that we had signed are important, but the annex on normalization and addendum on Bangsamoro waters is vital because it is the last of the four annexes that completes the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in October 2012,” he said.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who was in Kuala Lumpur to witness the event, said in his twitter post immediately after the signing of the last annex: “After more than a year of hard work, the peace panel in a moment of joy!”
A substantial portion on the annex on normalization includes the decommissioning of weapons from members of the MILF.
Coronel, during a video streamed press briefing, said the decommissioning and demobilization will be carried out in a multi-phase process.
“It will be gradual,” she said.
The MILF boasts some 12,000 fighters and the normalization process would involve the “decommissioning” of the firearms used by the rebels. Provisions provide for the absorption of a number of them into the police force of the yet to be created Bangsamoro.
With the completion of the four annexes, Coronel said negotiators can now proceed to crafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in order to complete the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
The BBL is set to be drafted by the Transition Commission which Iqbal also heads, but would also have to pass through a congressional vote, and would be subjected to a plebiscite in areas covered by the FAB.
The conflict in southern Philippines has cost the lives of an estimated 150,000 combatants and civilians over the last four decades.
For more information, please see:
The Australian– Philippines peace deal nears for Muslim south–26 January 2014
Gulf News– Philippines steps closer to Moro peace–25 January 2014
Inter Aksyon– Lacierda: Annex on Normalization signing is President Aquinoas defining moment–26 January 2014
The Wall Street Journal– Philippines, Rebel Group Step Closer to Peace–25 January 2014