News

Egyptian Military Conducts Assault against Militants Based in the Sinai

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – The Egyptian military has announced a full-scale military assault on militant groups in the Sinai Peninsula in response to militant attacks against the Egyptian state.

 

Egyptian Military launches attacks against militants based in the Sinai Peninsula. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Since July of this year, militant Islamist groups in Sinai have killed dozens of Egyptian officials in an insurgency sparked frustrations over the military coup that took Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi out of power, and in response to the military government’s treatment of pro-Morsi civilians and Islamist party members, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt’s judiciary has taken steps to declare an illegal organization returning the democratically elected former president’s party to the status it had under the Mubarak regime.

The military campaign comes in direct response to a failed assassination attempt carried out against an Egyptian government official last week. Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a militant group based in the Sinai Peninsula whose name translates to “Supporters of Jerusalem”, has claimed responsibility for an attack last Thursday that targeted the Egyptian Interior Minister. The group promised more attacks in retaliation for the military government’s crackdown on Egypt’s Islamists.

The group issued a statement on its website that said, “God allowed us to break the security system of the minister of interior … through a suicide operation committed by one of Egypt’s lions that made the interior butcher see death with his eyes, and what is to come will be worse.”

Last week’s attack was carried out in broad daylight by a suicide bomber who detonated himself in a car next to Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim’s convoy as the minister left his home in Cairo. Two people were killed, including an unrelated passer-by, in the attack and 20 more were injured.

In response to the attack, the Egyptian military deployed several helicopters to the region on Saturday. The Egyptian military helicopters conducted several air strikes in the Sinai targeting the militants.

Israel has expressed support for the military campaign. Amos Gilad, a senior official in Israel’s defence ministry, who called the assault “impressive,” said in a speech that the airstrikes represent Egypt’s first ever serious counter-terrorism campaign in the Sinai region which borders the Jewish state. He said, “For the first time, we see a determined struggle against terrorism in Egypt’s Sinai, unrelated to the interests of Israel.”

Communications were jammed and internet access was blocked in the Sinai region on Monday as the Egyptian military resumed attacks against the militant groups in the region. On Monday, the military attacked the southern Sinai town of Rafah, which is allegedly a militant hideout.

So far, twenty people have been killed, and twenty more have been captured, since the Egyptian military began the operation. Since the operation began, people have begun fleeing villages in the region, heading to coastal villages and attempting to enter the Gaza strip though underground tunnels.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Egyptian Tanks, Helicopters Push Through Sinai – 9 September 2013

Al Jazeera – Egypt Military Strike Rebels In Sinai – 9 September 2013

Al Jazeera – Sinai Group Claims Attack On Egypt Minister – 9 September 2013

The Guardian – Egypt Announces Full-Scale Assault on Sinai Militants – 9 September 2013

Chilean Artists Who Challenged Pinochet’s Dictatorship

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – The Brigada Ramona Parra (BRP) is an artistic collective that focuses on painting murals. The BRP was founded in 1968 by a group of young Chilean communists. The group was named after Ramona Parra, a nineteen-year old woman who was shot dead by Chilean police during a protest in the capital city of Santiago in 1946.

View of the BRP mural at the GAM in Santiago
BRP murals can be found all over Santiago and often feature the Chilean working class. (Photo Courtesy of Gideon Long/BBC)

Inspired by the revolutionary essence of the late 1960s, the members of the BRP would head out to paint in the streets of Santiago. They saw murals as a way of brightening up the city’s walls and as a way to encourage radical social change.

In 1970, BRP propaganda helped launch the Socialist presidential candidate, Salvador Allende, into power. However, in 1973 their movement suffered a huge blow. General Augusto Pinochet seized power in a military coup and the Communist Party was outlawed.

As the coup unfolded, the BRP split. Several young communists wanted to take on the military in open combat while others thought it was too dangerous. The BRP and thousands of other Chilean leftists went underground moving between safe houses to avoid detection, but continued to paint in defiance of the dictatorship. BRP activists were tortured and driven into exile, and the military government painted over their murals.

“We worked clandestinely,” says Juan Tralma, a founding member of the BRP. “It was impossible to paint big murals so we would just paint a simple letter R, ringed by a circle with a star next to it. The R stood for resistance, the circle was a sign of unity and the star a symbol of the BRP.”

Reflecting on the coup now, Mr. Tralma says the BRP was right to retreat rather than confront General Pinochet’s forces. “It was a powerful, brutal dictatorship,” he says. “It would have been a massacre. We would have sent kids out onto the streets with paint brushes to confront men with machine-guns.”

“We had to keep our eyes peeled all the time,” recalls Beto Pasten, another veteran member of the BRP. “The police could turn up at any moment. They’d come and kick over our paint pots, throw paint on our murals and arrest us. We’d do a mural at the weekend and by Monday they’d painted over it in black. Then the following week we’d come back and paint again, on top of their black paint.”

With the return to democracy in 1990, the BRP came out of hiding. Presently, the BRP still paints murals in Chile, supporting contemporary causes such as workers’ and indigenous rights and the campaign for education reform. Striking murals of the BRP can be found at the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center, the main cultural center in Santiago, and at the headquarters of the Worker’s United Center of Chile, the country’s main trade union federation.

On September 11th, Chile will mark the 40th anniversary of Pinochet’s military coup.

For more information please see:

El Commercio – Los muralistas chilenos que desafiaron a Pinochet – 8 September 2013

MSN Latino – Los muralistas chilenos que desafiaron a Pinochet – 8 September 2013

BBC – The Chilean muralists who defied Pinochet – 5 September 2013

More Than 160 Anti-Islamist and Counter-Protesters Arrested in London

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England – Over 160 protestors were arrested in East London on Saturday after police officers sought to prevent clashes between hundreds of anti-Islamist activists and thousands of counter-demonstrators near a large Muslim community.

Police managed to deter any major clashes between the two groups. (Photo courtesy of Reuters UK)

Roughly 3,000 police officers were deployed to segregate the two groups in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. The police formed barriers across the streets to keep the anti-racist counter-demonstrators in assigned areas while attempting to enforce restrictions on the anti-Islamist activists.

The English Defence League (EDL), which focuses on the perceived threat of radical Islam to traditional British values, had been denied permission to march through the neighborhood, as many feared a threat to public order in the Muslim-heavy community.

The police attempted to implement geographic and time restrictions on the EDL, after the group lost a court battle to overturn the restrictions on Friday.

Around 150 counter-protesters were arrested when a group broke away and headed toward the Tower Bridge, where the march was supposed to end, according to a police spokesman.

Another 14 protestors, mostly from the EDL, were arrested for violent disorder and possession of knives and fireworks. The EDL’s leader, Tommy Robinson, has been arrested for incitement, according to the group’s Twitter page.

Despite the number of arrests, the police spokesman said there were no serious clashes. “The police presence did manage to keep the two groups apart,” the police spokesman stated.

Local members of Parliament had written to the police department, requesting a ban on the march, as many feared a repeat of violent clashes in 2011 between the EDL, the police and anti-fascist groups in Tower Hamlets.

The counter-demonstration was organized by Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of Unite Against Facism. Bennett was pleased with the turnout, and ultimate results of the counterdemonstration. “They [EDL] didn’t come up with enough numbers and they really depended on the police to be able to escort them in an area where they were not really wanted. It really was like outsiders trying to cause trouble,” Bennett said.

Chief Superintendent Jim Read, a senior officer involved in the policing effort, said there were minor clashes during the day, but only 5 people injured.

“Our intention was to prevent violence and show support to the local communities and we believe we achieved this today. We want to thank the local communities for working so well with us on what has been a difficult day. The key point is the two groups did not meet.” Chief Supt Read said.

For more information, please see:

The Independent – More Than 160 Arrested at EDL Tower Hamlets March – 8 September 2013

Reuters UK – More Than 160 Anti-Islamist and Rival Protesters Arrested in London – 8 September 2013

The Times of India – UK’s Far-Right Leader Tommy Robinson Charged Over London Protest – 8 September 2013

NY Times – Rival Protests in London Over Islamists – 7 September 2013

 

 

International Community Split on How to Deal with Syria

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday that the number of countries ready for military intervention in Syria is now in the “double digits.”  Kerry spent the better part of last week trying to bolster support for intervention with G-20 countries and members of the Arab League.

Kerry, who has been adamant about the need for US involvement in Syria, said this will be a “Munich moment” for the world. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

Kerry’s mission will likely be aided by 13 videos released Sunday by the Senate Select Commission on Intelligence which purport to depict the deaths of victims in the August 21 sarin gas attack in Damascus.  The videos, which are posted on the Senate committee’s website, show victims of the chemical assault convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

While the United States pushes for supporters in a military response, the international community remains divided on the issue.  German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday that German Intelligence has doubts about whether Bashar al-Assad gave permission for the August 21 chemical weapon attack.

In an interview with PBS reporter Charlie Rose, Assad told Rose that the United States has no evidence that he ordered a chemical weapon attack on Syrian civilians.  Assad refused to confirm whether he had stockpiled chemical weapons, however, he posited that if Syria did have them, they would be under “central control.”

Member nations of the Arab League agreed Sunday that Assad used chemical weapons and recognized that their use crossed an international “red line.”  So far, none of the League members have endorsed a US led airstrike against Syrian weapons depots.  Kerry said that Saudi Arabia has endorsed airstrikes in private but is reluctant to make a public statement on the issue.

As of Sunday, France alone has publicly backed the US call for punitive military action against Syria.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Obama and Kerry push case for Syria strikes, as gas attack video released – 8 September 2013

NBC News – Arab League agrees with Kerry on Assad chemical weapons use – but not military action – 8 September 2013

The Guardian – Assad tells Charlie Rose no evidence he is responsible for Syria chemical attack – 8 September 2013

BBC News – Kerry says support for action against Syria is growing – 7 September 2013

The New York Post – With the World Watching, Syria Amassed Nerve Gas – 7 September 2013

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence – Syrian Chemical Weapons Use Videos – (Warning: Contains graphic content)

Al-Shabab Bombs Local Mogadishu Restaurant, Killing 15

By: Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Somali Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, bombed a local restaurant in the capital, Mogadishu, killing 15 people and wounding 23.  Al-Shabab set off a car bomb and a suicide bomber in the crowded restaurant on Saturday.

Somali security officials gather at scene of bombing (photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

The car bomb went off first outside the popular restaurant and then a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the restaurant immediately after the car bomb, Mohamed Yusuf, a spokesman for the Mogadishu authorities, told Reuters.

According to news reports, the explosions ripped off most of the restaurant’s roof. The restaurant is a popular spot for government employees, journalists, and students, and is located about a half mile from the presidential palace and National Theatre.

“They attack the restaurants because they hate to see people peacefully spending time together,” Mohamed Abdi, an Interior Ministry employee at the scene of the attack, told the Associated Press. “They are committed to obliterating any sign of peace. Because of such attacks, it’s very hard for the government to restore security in the near future.”

This wasn’t the first time this restaurant has been bombed. In September 2012, the restaurant was targeted by two suicide bombers that killed 14 people.

The restaurant is run by Somali businessman Ahmed Jama, who returned to the country in 2008 from the U.K. Mr. Jama told BBC News that “I won’t let this stop me. I will start the clean-up tomorrow.”

“My decision was to do something and as long as I live, I will continue – I’m a business guy with restaurants and I’m going to continue with that,” Mr. Jama told BBC.

Somalia’s al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab militia claimed responsibility for the attacks. It has continued to wage a deadly insurgency even after being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011.

“Government officials, military forces, workers and their security always meet here,” an al-Shabab spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, told Reuters. “We had targeted it even before today, and we shall continue targeting it.”

Al-Shabab’s Somali-language Twitter feed read: “Successful operations carried out in Hamarweyne,” referring to the Mogadishu district where the attacks occurred. Al-Shabab’s Engligh-language Twitter account has been suspended.

Al-Shabab also claims to have killed “key officials” on its Twitter feed; although witnesses told Yahoo! that the casualties looked like ordinary civilians.

The UN secretary-general’s special envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, said: “I am appalled by this act of savagery and condemn it in the strongest terms.”

“I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, Islamist militants, and its neighbors all battling for control.

“The terrorist elements used to claim they target Somali government (officials) but such an attack is proof they have no sympathy for anyone, they kill innocent civilians at restaurants,” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told a press conference.

Shebab fighters, who have claimed responsibility for a string of recent attacks aimed at overthrowing the government, remain a potent force.

For further information, please visit:

BBC News – Somalia’s Al-Shabab says it bombed Mogadishu eatery – 7 September 2013
Reuters – Al Shabaab bombers strike Mogadishu restaurant, 15 dead – 8 September 2013
The Washington Post – Somali militants kill 15 in bombing at popular Mogadishu restaurant – 7 September 2013
Standard Media – At least 15 killed after blasts hit restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia – 7 September 2013
The Peninsula – Twin blasts kill 18 in Somali capital – 8 September 2013
Yahoo! News – Shebab claim twin blasts in Somali capital that kill 18 – 7 September 2013