News

German Intelligence Delegates Will Visit White House to Discuss Spying

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States –  The National Security Agency (NSA) has been listening in on calls made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the past ten years according to German Language news service Der Spiegel. Chancellor Merkel, outraged by the news, summoned the US ambassador for the first time in decades.

In response to news of NSA spying, officials from Germany and France have asked the United States to sign a no spying deal by the end of the year. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

German government spokesman Georg Streiter announced that officials from Germany’s foreign and domestic intelligence agencies will be traveling to the United States to talk with White House and NSA officials sometime in the near future.

“We are seeking a basis for cooperation between our [intelligence] services, which we all need and from which we have all received a great deal of information … that is transparent, that is clear and is in keeping with the character of being partners,” Merkel said.

European Union leaders, angry over allegations of widespread NSA spying, have reluctantly agreed to maintain their partnership with the United States.  Analysts suspect France and Germany may be seeking an arrangement similar to the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing agreement the United States has had with the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada since just after World War II.

News of Chancellor Merkel’s phone calls being bugged is just one of several reports that surfaced last week detailing widespread NSA spying.  Headlines in European newspapers this past week have included allegations that the NSA has been spying on millions of French citizens. Additionally, a British newspaper says it has obtained a confidential memo detailing NSA spying on 35 foreign leaders back in 2006.

A statement released by EU leaders Friday warned that “[a] lack of trust could prejudice the necessary cooperation in the field of intelligence-gathering.”

President Obama ordered a review of U.S. surveillance programs after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents detailing widespread spying operations that outraged US citizens.

For more information, please see:

NBC News – US spied on German leader Merkel’s phone since 2002: report – 26 October 2013

Times of India – German spy chiefs to head to US for talks – 26 October 2013

ABC News – Germany, France Want US to Agree to Curb Spying – 25 October 2013

BBC News – Top German spy chiefs to go to Washington for talks – 25 October 2013

TIME – Germans Coming to U.S. On Heels of Snooping Reports – 25 October 2013

Unclear Czech Elections Prompt Negotiations to Create a New Administration

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Following an inconclusive election, political parties in the Czech Republic will soon hold negotiations to form a new coalition government to replace the coalition taken down by corruption last June.

A close win for Social Democrats enabled the party to help determine who will form the new coalition administration in the Czech Republic. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

In June 2013, allegations of corruption, espionage, and abuse of power broke down the governing Czech coalition, led by Prime Minister Petr Necas. At that time, Necas had an affair with a close aide, who authorities arrested on suspicion of bribery and ordering an intelligence agency to follow Necas’ wife.

Without a proper administration in the coalition’s place, in July 2013, Czech President Milos Zeman angered parties when he created a caretaker cabinet of technocrats to govern the country.

The 25-26 October 2013 election placed the Social Democrats on top. But with only 20% of the vote, the Social Democrats are not powerful enough to form a government on their own. Although the election was meant to resolve months of uncertainty, analysts say the failure to produce a clear winner could lead to another unstable coalition.

Since the 1989 “Velvet Revolution” marked the fall of Communism, Czechs have used the ballot against established parties stained by corruption. The recent election sought a way to reverse the previous administration’s austerity policies, which fueled the longest recession in the country’s history.

Prague resident Petr Janecek said he voted for the new party ANO “because I think that the Czech political scene needs some changes.”

The Czech people join a list of European countries that have toppled established political parties due to austerity measures in recent years.

The centre-right parties removed from power in June suffered a massive defeat.

Social Democrat leader Bohuslay Sobotka stated that he was ready to begin negotiations with all parties, even though the election results were “not what we expected.” On 27 October, Sobotka put sights on new centrist party ANO, which mustered votes on their anti-corruption platform, and the Christian Democrats, a traditional small centrist party.

In the 200-member lower house, the Social Democrats won 50 seats, ANO 47 seats, and the Christian Democrats 14 seats.

If talks last several months, the country will likely begin 2014 with a provisional budget, which limits spending to 2013 levels.

President Zeman holds the right to appoint prime ministers, and will play a critical role in negotiations. While parliament convenes on 25 November 2013, Zemen expected the establishment of a new government to take between two and three months.

To prevent long-term damage, the Czech Republic will need a firm government that lifts the people’s trust and brightens investors’ projections.

For further information, please see:

Reuters – Czech Social Democrats Look to Protest Party to Form Government – October 27, 2013

BBC News – Czech Election: Social Democrats Lead but No Clear Winner – October 26, 2013

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Center-Left Party First in Czech Elections – October 26, 2013

Bloomberg Businessweek – Czechs Vote as Social Democrats Pledge U-Turn on Austerity (2) – October 25, 2013

Child Solider Recruitment in DR Congo Remains ‘Endemic’ Says New UN Report

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — The United Nations peacekeeping mission for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or MONUSCO, issued a report Thursday detailing the continuing recruitment of child soldiers in the DRC.

Child Soldiers in the DRC (Photo courtesy of Amnesty International UK)

According to the report 1,000 cases of child recruitment were verified by MONUSCO between January 2012 and August 2013, predominantly in the conflict prone eastern province of North Kivu. The armed groups Nyatura, Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the 23 March Movement (M23) were identified as having recruited 451 children total during the reporting period. Children formerly associated with M23 describe how they were forced to dig graves for other children and adults killed in fighting with the DRC army.

In  most of cases, children were abducted and forced to join the groups. Other children joined voluntarily after having been promised money, education, and jobs by recruiters. Children were used as porters, cooks, spies, sex slaves, guards and combatants. The children are also reported to have been victims and witnesses to other children’s rights violations, such as rape, abduction, killing and maiming.

“Despite awareness raising campaigns and attempts to pacify armed groups, recruitment of children remains endemic in the country, with high numbers of children recruited in the past two years as a result of renewed hostilities in the east of the country,” the report states.

“This situation is unacceptable and has been going on for much too long with impunity. Recruiting children into armed groups is a crime, and destroys the lives of the victims who are forced to do things that no child should be involved in…We need to stop this now. One case of child recruitment is one case to many,”said Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for DRC and head of MONUSCO.

MONUSCO has called on all armed groups and their commanders in the DRC to halt recruiting children and to unconditionally release all children currently in their custody.

The mission recommended that the Government, the international community, donors and all child protection advocates ensure that all efforts are made to prevent child recruitment and to ensure long-term, sustainable reintegration programs for victims of child solider recruitment.

For more information, please see:

UPI — U.N. envoy says child-soldier recruitment in Congo ‘unacceptable’ — 25 October 2013

United Nations News Centre — Child recruitment remains ‘endemic’ in DR Congo, UN says in new report — 24 October 2013

UPI — Rwanda denies backing child soldiers in DRC — 7 October 2013

Reuters — U.S. sanctions Rwanda, others over child soldiers — 3 October 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nigerian Pirates Kidnap Two Americans

By Brandon Cottrell 
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America 

Two U.S. citizens were abducted when pirates attacked an oil industry vessel early Thursday.  According to the Nigerian Navy, which confirmed the piracy attack, the captain and chief engineer of the vessel were the ones abducted.  The number of pirates involved in the attack is unknown.  The FBI has begun its investigation and the attack is being treated as a kidnapping-for-ransom and not an act of terrorism.

Despite patrols of the coast by the Nigerian Navy, pirate attacks are still prevalent, as evidenced by Thursday’s kidnapping (Photo Courtesy BBC).

Jack Cloonan, a specialist in international piracy, kidnapping, and extortion, has said that “If you take the Americans, you get a good price, but at the same time you bring a lot of heat on you too.”  He looks forward to seeing the initial demands because he said the initial demand provides valuable information in regards to determining who exactly they are dealing with.  He also expects the hostages to be safely released.

The Nigerian Navy has since “directed its operational command to search for and rescue the vessel and the crew members” and stated that, “right now, the search is going on, and we are tracking down the culprits.”  The Navy also added that they were not sure how the piracy attack was carried out.

An official that works for the AKE Group, a private security firm, also stated that, “All we know is this attack happened, and these were the people who were kidnapped.”

White House spokesman, Jay Carney, said the administration was “seeking additional information so that we can contribute to the safe resolution of the situation.”  He further expressed their concern about “the disturbing increase in the incidents of maritime crime, including incidents of piracy off the coast of West Africa, specifically in the Gulf of Guinea.”

This year, oil-searching vessels in the Gulf of Guinea have been targeted by pirates who abduct crewmembers of ransom.  According to Maritime Industry officials, most abductions are not reported and the ransoms are settled and paid quickly.

While the United Nations has reported that Somali piracy is at a seven-year low, there have been significant increases in piracy off the coast of West Africa.  For example, in 2012 there were more piracy attacks off the coast of West Africa than off the coast of Somalia.

The United Nations has described this difference by the “increased international policing, tougher prosecutions of pirate gangs, and greater use of private security on vessels” in Somalia.  In West Africa, however, armed private security guards are not allowed on vessels.

There have been a total of 200 incidents of piracy this year across the world, with 11 hijackings.  Most incidents involved stealing commodities and seeking ransom for hostages.  Since 2010, it is estimated that $100 million of oil products have been stolen.

American Capitan Richard Phillips, who was held hostage several years ago, may have described the threat of piracy best when offered the following statement, “If you don’t want to deal with piracy you [maritime workers] need to get another job.”

 

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Pirates Singled Out Americans in Ship Attack Off Nigeria, Official Says – 24 October 2013

BBC – Nigeria Pirate Attack: US Sailors Seized – 24 October 2013

New York Times – Pirates Abduct Two Americans on Oil Ship Off Nigerian Coast – 24 October 2013

Reuters – Pirates Kidnap Two U.S. Sailors Off Nigerian Coast – 24 October 2013

Tensions in Kashmir Boil Over, Pakistan and India Exchange Fire

By Brian Lanciault
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India– Indian and Pakistani troops opened fire with machine guns and mortars. The gun fight over the line dividing territorial claims in the Kashmir region have wounded at least 12 people — including children —  in the middle of what appears to be some of the worst tension in a decade over the disputed region.

Indian officials report that at least 2 children have been injured in the recent round of gun-fire at the Kashmir border. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

Analysts believe that it is too early to determine whether the firing signals a more serious conflict between India and Pakistan. The two nuclear-armed neighbor countries have an extensive history of animosity, with particularly strong focus on the Kashmir dispute. Vivek Katju, a retired Indian diplomat, believes the violence could be an attempt to further increase tensions along the Kashmir dividing line to garner international attention to the conflict.

A 2003 cease-fire between India and Pakistan has, for the most part, held such tensions at bay, although there have been sporadic violations. In recent days, however, skirmishes in Kashmir have escalated significantly.

Both India and Pakistan reported an increase in the number of cross-border attacks since the current Pakistani and Indian prime ministers held their first face-to-face meeting last month in New York and agreed on the need to reduce tensions.

The latest violence in the Jammu and Kashmir region, which borders Afghanistan and China, began Thursday night. At approximately two dozen military posts along the India-Pakistan dividing line, gun-fire erupted into violent skirmishes. As in most cases of firing in the area, India and Pakistan accused each other of initiating the fighting, with neither side conceding any sort of responsibility.

Shantmanu, an Indian civil administrator in Kashmir who uses only one name, said 10 civilians, including four children, were wounded.

Pakistani military officials, speaking from Islamabad, said Indian troops fired first, wounding two civilians. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with military policy.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry called the cease-fire violations “a matter of great concern.”

On Wednesday, India accused Pakistani troops of firing guns and mortars on at least 50 Indian border posts overnight in Kashmir, calling it the most serious cease-fire violation in a decade. There has yet to be confirmation of these accusations.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised concerns about Kashmir tensions during a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday. Obama praised Sharif for seeking to end tensions between Pakistan and India.

“Billions of dollars have been spent on an arms race in response to these tensions,” Obama said. “Those resources could be much more properly invested in education (and) social welfare programs on both sides of the border between India and Pakistan.”

Sharif requested for the United States to act as a mediator in the Kashmir conflict, but Obama flatly rejected the idea.

India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of the Jammu and Kashmir region, which is divided between them and claimed by both.

A 1948 ceasefire split control over the region along a cease-fire line that is now called the “Line of Control,” and remains a hot spot for conflict.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of supporting Kashmiri rebels, who have been fighting on the Indian side since 1989 for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

An estimated 68,000 people have been killed over the course of the conflict, though most resistance is now in the form of street protests. Pakistan denies giving any backing to the rebels beyond moral support.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera– Kashmir tensions rise as India, Pakistan exchange gunfire — 25 October 2013

Deseret News– India, Pakistan exchange gunfire over border— 25 October 2013

Washington Post– India, Pakistan exchange gunfire over border in disputed Kashmir region— 25 October 2013

BBC News– Kashmir: India says eight civilians injured in Pakistan firing— 25 October 2013