By Ahmad Shihadah
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SA’NA, Yemen – The father of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni religious scholar who has reportedly been added to a US hit list, says his son will halt his anti-US messages if Washington removes him from the list.

Al-Awlaki, accused by the US of having links to al-Qaeda’s Yemeni offshoot, was added to the CIA’s list of targets to be killed or captured for directly plotting against the US, a US intelligence official said last week

U.S. officials said on Tuesday that the administration of President Barack Obama had authorized operations to capture or kill U.S.-born  al-Awlaki – a leading figure linked to al Qaeda’s Yemen-based regional wing which claimed responsibility for a failed bombing of a U.S.-bound plane in December.

But Yemeni authorities said on Saturday that they had not received any evidence from the US to support allegations that the US-born al-Awlaki is recruiting for an al-Qaeda offshoot in Yemen. “Anwar al-Awlaki has always been looked at as a preacher rather than a terrorist and shouldn’t be considered as a terrorist unless the Americans have evidence that he has been involved in terrorism,” Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, the Yemeni foreign minister, said.

Awlaki’s tribe has denounced U.S. plans to target him, vowing it “will not stand by idly and watch.”

Heavily armed tribes in Yemen, the poorest Arab country, often try to protect their kin by seeking to gain their release or favorable treatment. At times, they have kidnapped foreign tourists to pressure the government.

Yemen is beset by serious political and administrative problems. In addition to the conflict with the regional branch of al-Qaeda, Yemen’s weak central government has struggled to contain separatists in the south and Houthi fighters in the north.

The government and the Houthis reached a ceasefire agreement in February. But the separatist problems in the south show no sign of a resolution.

For more information, please see;

Al-Jazeera – Yemen’s Awlaki Family Offers Deal – 12 April 2010

Washington Post – Yemen Says Seeks Cleric, Yet To Get U.S. Intelligence – 12 April 2010

Saba Net – Al-Awlaki is Required To Surrender To The Yemeni Authorities; Top Yemen Official – 12 April 2010

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NAIROBI, Kenya– The crew of a Turkish-flagged carrier is now back in control of the vessel after pirates abandoned the ship.  The ship was hijacked while en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

The vessel, the Yasin C, was seized on Wednesday approximately 250 miles east of Mombasa.  Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarer’s Assistance Program, told Reuters that the “Yasin C was abandoned yesterday.  The pirates abandoned it, and I think the crew will seek aid from the navy before coming to Mombasa.  All the 25 crew were unharmed.”  He added that the vessel had yet to arrive in Mombasa.

Faith Kabal, a spokesman for Bergen Shipping which operates the vessel, told Turkey’s state run news agency that “the ship’s captain gave the good news that the pirates had abandoned the ship.”  The crew had apparently locked themselves in the engine room until they realized the pirates were gone.

Over the last few years, piracy groups have seized dozens of ships in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.  And despite increased international naval patrols, pirate activity is expected to increase in the coming months as weather in the area is expected to improve.

It is unknown at this point why the pirates abandoned the vessel.

In a related story, the United States Navy said it captured six suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden when the pirates opened fire on a navy vessel with small arms from their boat.  The USS Ashland fired two rounds at the pirate skiff from her 25-mm gun said a Navy spokesman.  The skiff caught fire and the suspected pirates abandoned their boat.  Personnel of the Ashland then deployed to assist the pirates who were in the water near the skiff.

For more information, please see:

National Turk- Hijacked Turkish Cargo Ship Released by Pirates in Indian Ocean– 10 April 2010

Reuters- Pirates Abandon Turkish-Flagged Ship off Kenya– 10 April 2010

AHN- Turkish Vessel Hijacked by Somali Pirates– 10 April 2010

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza – Amid the stalemate in prisoner-swap negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, a Hamas spokesman has advocated abducting more Israeli soldiers as part of a strategy to “force the hand” of the Israelis.

The statement from Hamas came as Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody enter their second week of a prison strike. The prisoners are demanding equal treatment between Palestinians and Israeli prisoners in Israeli-run prisons.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on April 8 that Palestinians must support the prisoners’ strike, adding that “Palestinians who seek justice for prisoners may be obliged to search for new friends for Gilad Shalit,” referring to the Israeli soldier who has been held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since June 2006, and who has been the focal point of the prisoner swap negotiations.

While the Hamas rhetoric ramped up, militants in Gaza fired rockets across the border into southern Israel, where an Israeli Defense Forces patrol was reportedly hit, though no injuries were reported. The rocket fire came within twenty-four hours after Palestinians reported that six mortar shells were fired at Israel, but landed in Gaza, short of their target, and injured six Gazans. Hamas has asserted it is not responsible for the rocket fire, and says that it is working to stop the rocket attacks.

“The government in Gaza is in charge of the situation, and it does know clearly who launches the rockets,” said Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha to the BBC. “It is working hard to deter any faction from acting individually.”

Meanwhile, Hamas has come under international criticism for officially reinstating the death penalty after a five-year hiatus. Human Rights Watch called on Hamas to rescind its announcement that it would once again execute criminals by hanging or firing squad. In its statement, Human Rights Watch argued that the death sentences imposed by the Hamas military courts violated fair trial standards. Most of those who have been executed in the past have been members of the rival Fatah political party, or those who have been accused of collaborating with Israel. Human Rights Watch reports that many political prisoners in Gaza are not allowed access to lawyers until after interrogation, and that judges selectively allow defense counsel to present evidence at trial.

For more information, please see:

Ma’an News Agency – Amid Jail Strike, Hamas Urges More Soldier Abductions – 9 April 2010

Associated Press – Hamas in Gaza Takes Steps to Carry Out Executions – 8 April 2010

Ha’aretz – Hamas: We Will Abduct Israelis Over Maltreatment of Palestinian Prisoners – 8 April 20101

Human Rights Watch – Gaza: Do Not Resume Executions – 6 April 2010

By Ahmad Shihadah
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SA’NA, Yemen – A 13-year-old Yemeni girl died three days after marrying a man twice her age, due to internal bleeding following intercourse, a Yemeni human rights group and UNICEF said.

The girl’s death comes amid ongoing debate on whether to set a minimum age for brides in Yemen, where human rights groups say one in every three girls is married before the age of 18.

Elham Mahdi Shoi died in the west of the Arab state earlier this month, said Sisters Arab Forum (SAF). “Elham is a martyr of abuse of children’s lives in Yemen and a clear example of what is justified by the lack of limits on the age of marriage,” SAF said in a statement.

A medical report by the hospital where she was treated said she had suffered a tear to her genitals and severe bleeding after intercourse, the group said. In a statement obtained by the Reuters news agency, Unicef’s regional director, Sigrid Kaag, said the UN child agency was “dismayed by the death of yet another child bride in Yemen.”

The Yemeni rights group said the girl was married off in an agreement between two men to marry each other’s sisters to avoid having to pay expensive bride-prices. The group said that was a common arrangement in the deeply impoverished country.

Yemen’s gripping poverty plays a role in hindering efforts to stamp out the practice, as poor families find themselves unable to say no to bride-prices in the hundreds of dollars for their daughters.

Human rights groups have been pressuring the authorities to outlaw family-arranged child marriages in Yemen, which has a tribal social structure.

For More Information, Please See;

BBC – Yemen Child Bride ‘Bleeds to Death’ – 8 April 2010

The Washington Post = Child Bride Dies Of Internal Bleeding In Yemen – 8 April 2010

AP – 13-Year-Old Yemeni Bride Dies Of Bleeding – 8 April 2010

The National – Dead Yemeni Bribe, 13, ‘A Victim Of Childhood Abuse’ – 8 April 2010

By Bobby Rajabi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On April 8, the United Nations Ambassadors of six world powers met to discuss the possibility of new sanctions being imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The countries that attended were the United States, China, Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia.  The meeting took place in New York and was a forum for the world powers to express their concern with Iran’s developing nuclear program.

Those who attended later spoke of how while the talks were productive, there will more meetings int he coming weeks. China and Russia have thus far refused to back any of the new measures proposed by the United States and European states. The two countries have repeatedly stated that the negotiations have not been exhausted in efforts to persuade the Islamic Republic to rein in its nuclear program.

Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, later commented that his country is concerned about Iran, saying that, “We cannot turn a blind eye to this.” He also added that Russia favored “smart” sanctions. Medvedev noted that he favors sanctions that will change the government’s behavior as opposed to resolutions that will bring down the government or impose hardship on its people The Russian President also expressed concern about the Islamic Republic’s lack of cooperation, saying that, “unfortunately Tehran is not reacting to an array of constructive compromise proposals.”

Iran has repeatedly insisted that its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes. Top leaders in the country lashed out against Western nations over the threats of new sanctions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attacked comments by US President Barack Obama where the American president emphasized his goal of working with Russia and the UN Security Council to pass sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad said that his country does not welcome the idea or threat of new sanctions.

Iranian commander General Hassan Firouzabadi used more pointed language, saying that Iran was willing to strike back at United States forces in the Middle East if it is attacked. Despite the strongly worded statements, Iran insists that it needs to highly enriched uranium for research, not for the development of nuclear weapons.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Talks Begin on Iran Sanctions – 9 April 2010

BBC – World Powers Hold UN Meeting on Iran Nuclear Sanctions – 8 April 2010

Voice of America – Iranian Leaders Criticize New Threat of International Sanctions – 8 April 2010