The Middle East

Turkey uses air strikes in Iraq

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Senior Desk Officer Impunity Watch, Middle East

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq- Turkey has decided to use air strikes to attack the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in Iraq.  The PKK is a militia seeking an independent Kurdish state.  The attack followed the deterioration of diplomatic discussion between Turkey and Iraq, because the Turks believed that their interests regarding the PKK would not be fully represented through diplomacy.  However, the action by the Turks also shows its desire to avoid a full scale invasion of the northern Iraq, because a full scale invasion could be very damaging to Turkey.

Turkish helicopters raided suspected hideouts of the PKK.  The Kurds have stated that the raids have not affected the PKK militia but rather only hit abandoned houses and shacks.  The earliest reports also seem to indicate that no one was killed in the initial attacks.  The Turkish military must try to avoid to collateral casualties, because it must not allow the PKK to incite the 14 million Kurds in Turkey to join an independence movement.

Prime Minister Erdogan has been under constant Turkish pressure to respond to the PKK’s attacks on the Turkish military.  In the month of October, 48 Turkish soldiers were killed by PKK attacks.  As the death toll increased, the Turkish government has come under increased pressure by the Turks to take action to prove that the Turkish army can act independently to protect its soldiers.  The Turkish government seems to be somewhat reluctant about this aerial attack is a reluctant attack, because it understands that the destabilization of the region could undermine Turkey’s chances to enter the European Union.

The limited aerial strike seems to be a good solution for Turkey.  It will enable the Turkish government to show it citizens that it values its soldiers.  Also, assuming the number of Kurdish casualties are limited, the aerial strikes will not enable the PKK to garner the support that it needs to engage in a full secessionist movement.  Aerial strikes should not destabilize the region too much either, which will ensure that the number of casualties in the region will be very limited.  However, the strike will only be successful if it calms down the warmongers in Turkey and does not turn into a full scale invasion.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press- Turkish Helicopters Strike Inside Iraq- 13 November 2007

Economist- Back from the brink?- 22 October 2007

Economist- Iraq’s Kurdish leader in a bind- 8 November 2007

MSNBC News- Turkish air strikes inside Iraq- 13 November 2007

New York Times- Turkish Aircraft Attack Abandoned Iraqi Villages- 13 November 2007

Opposition accuses Jordanian government of interferring with elections

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AMMAN, Jordan – On November 20, Jordanians will vote for a new Parliament.  This election was to be a show-case of the country’s dedication to become more democratic.  However, fear of Islamic movements, such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and of secular liberal political parties, caused the government to drop many reforms planned for this election.  Fear of a growing Islamic movement caused the Jordanian government to delay some electoral reforms, to the disadvantage of liberal and moderate secular parties or those advocating greater Palestinian rights.

Many critics already allege that the government is interfering with the election or will use illegal tactics employed in past elections.  At the end of October, the government approved a list of more than 900 individuals who may run in the election.  The authorities banned Toujan al-Faisal from running for Parliament.  Al-Faisal is a former MP and an outspoken critic against government corruption.

Jordanian election laws prohibit an individual from being a candidate if they are committed a crime, unless it was political, and if they were sentenced to more than one year in prison.  This criminal record is erased after five years the sentence is completed.  In 2002, al-Faial was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail for “harming the state’s dignity” when she accused a former prime minister and his cabinet of financial corruption.  After serving 100 days of her sentenced, she was pardoned by King Abdullah II.  Since al-Faisal did not serve her entire sentence, the government claims that she is ineligible to run for Parliament.  Al-Faisal stated, “here, the head of a corrupt government decides who can and cannot run for office.  They want a Parliament that won’t hold the government accountable for corruption.”  She accused the government of “hand-picking” its opposition.

Another group that is unhappy about the current election regulation is the Muslim Brotherhood, which is represented in Jordanian politics by the Islamic Action Force (IAF).  The group finds most of its support in urban areas and among Jordan’s naturalized Palestinian population.  The IAF is the main opposition party and in the last parliamentary election, in 2003, it won 17 seats in the 110 seat parliament.

The IAF claims that current election laws and practice prevent a truly democratic result.  The districts are gerrymandered so that representatives in the urban areas, which are 50 to 60 percent Palestinian, represent around 95,000 people.  However, legislators of rural areas each represent about 2,000 individuals.  The IAF also claim that pro-government parties bus individuals, such as soldiers, to election districts where the race is tight and so that their candidate wins.

Ever since Hamas’ victory in the Palestinians elections and their violent take over of Gaza, Jordanian officials have expressed concerns over the degree of freedom granted.  IAF’s former secretary general, Hamza Mansour, uses language and ideas that are similar to those of Hamas. Officials fear similar sanctions or instability will occur in Jordan if Islamists win a majority, or even a substantial minority, in Parliament.  A supporter of a pro-government candidate, Ahmed Saffadi, stated “we have democracy, but we do not want it to go to the extent where radical people could rule the country.”  Another supporter claimed that the conditions would not allow for more freedom, but rather the wisest and safest move would be to encourage stability.

For more information, please see:
Jordan Times – Elections watch – 12 November 2007

Al Jazeera – Jordan backtracks on electoral law – 11 November 2007

New York Times – Jordan, fearing Islamists, tightens grip on elections – 11 November 2007

International Herald Tribune – Jordan’s first woman MP ruled ineligible to contest upcoming elections – 23 October 2007

BRIEF: Hamas and Fatah clash at Arafat rally

GAZA CITY, Gaza – On November 12, Palestinians celebrated the life of Yasser Arafat.  In Gaza City, several thousand Fatah supporters took part in the biggest rally organized by Fatah since Hamas took-over in June.  While public gatherings are banned by Hamas, they did not act to prevent the rally.  However, members of Hamas’€™ security force, the Executive Force, were positioned around the rally.

During the rally, weapons were fired.  The BBC reports that five people were killed and over a hundred wounded as members of Hamas’ Executive Force fired at the protesters.  According to the Associated Press, five people were killed and at least 31 injured; three critically.  Eyewitnesses report that members of the Executive Force detained protesters following the incident.

Hamas officials state that members of the Executive Force fired as a result of protesters throwing stones at them.  They also claim that militants affiliated with Fatah were on the rooftops and were firing at the crowd.

For more information, please see:

AFP -€“ Deadly gunfire at massive Arafat rally in Gaza -€“ 12 November 2007

Al Jazeera – Five dead in Gaza rally shootings – 12 November 2007

Associated Press – Hamas, Fatah supporters clash in Gaza – 12 November 2007

BBC – Five die at Arafat rally in Gaza -€“ 12 November 2007

Reuters – Five dead in gunfire at Fatah rally in Gaza – 12 November 2007

BRIEF: Israel arrests two Hamas lawmakers

RAMALLAH, West Bank – On November 12, the Voice of Palestine radio program reported that the Israeli military arrested two Hamas legislators.  According to the report, Mariam Saleh was arrested in Ramallah.  Saleh is the first female lawmaker to be arrested by Israel.  Israel has confirmed Salah’s arrest.  The second arrest, which remains unconfirmed, is of Khaled Tafesh in Bethlehem.

These recent arrests bring the number of detained Hamas lawmakers to 41.  In January 2006, Hamas won the parliamentary elections, winning 74 of the 132 seats.  Hamas accused Israel of trying to interfere with parliament’s ability to meet and function.  Palestinian sources report that 16 others, mostly members of Hamas, were also arrested in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

For more information, please see:

Al Bawaba – Israel nabs two Hamas lawmakers – 12 November 2007

International Herald Tribune – Two Hamas lawmakers arrested by Israeli troops in West Bank – 12 November 2007

Reuters – Israel arrests two Hamas legislators – 12 November 2007

Yedioth – IDF arrest 2 Hamas lawmakers – 12 November 2007

BRIEF: Aid Agencies fear impending winter

Refugee aid agencies fear that they will not be able to adequately help the 60,000 Iraqis who flee their homes every month.  The fear is magnified by the approaching winter, which will further inhibit the aid workers seeking access to the remote areas containing the displaced.

The difficulties that the agencies must overcome are accurately assessing the number of displaced people, what the displaced people need, and how to safely reach those in need.

The difficulty of reaching the displaced peoples is that they are less likely to flee to other nations because of the tighter border control restrictions.  The tighter control of the border has lead many people to flee to the mountains, which compounds the problem of reaching the remote areas with the necessary blankets and other needs.

The aid agencies are trying to provide the basic necessities for the displaced peoples, and if possible also provide education.

For more information, please see:

IRIN News- IRAQ: Aid agencies struggle to support over two million displaced Iraqis- 11 November 2007