SANAA, Yemen –September 26’s website, run by the Yemeni Defense Ministry, claimed that an Interior Ministry source said that Jamal al-Badawi is still detained and not freed, as security officials stated earlier.  The unnamed source said that al-Badawi is a detainee of the Interior Ministry and is under investigation by the concerned authorities.  Yemen’s official news agency, SABA, printed a short statement that a security source confirmed that al-Badawi is still is custody.  The Interior Ministry source stated that al-Badawi was not completely free, but did not clarify whether he was in prison or under house arrest.  According to the Yemen Observer, more than one security official at Aden Central Prison confirmed that al-Badawi was in prison.  A source stated that he “will remain in prison and under close scrutiny.”

On October 25, security officials claimed that al-Badawi was released to house arrest after pledging allegiance to Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh and promised not to participate in terrorism.  Members of al-Badawi’s family told Reuters that his sentence was commuted to house arrest and that they visited him at his home.  Also, witnesses told the Associated Press that al-Badawi received family and friends at his home in Aden.

Al-Badawi was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in planning and carrying out the 2000 attack on USS Cole.  The sentenced was later commuted to 15 years in prison.  Two weeks ago, he turned himself in after escaping from prison in 2006.

For more information, please see:

Almotamar – Al-Qaeda militant al-Badawi in custody and under interrogation – 28 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – Mastermind of USS Cole attacks still in detention, 2 Yemeni government web sites say – 28 October 2007

NewsYemen – Yemen denies al-Badawi release – 28 October 2007

Reuters – Yemen says bomber of U.S. destroyer Cole still detained – 28 October 2007

SABA – Al-Badawi is in custody: official source – 28 October 2007

Yemen Observer – Jamal al-Badawi is in jail – 28 October 2007

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

YEREVAN, Armenia – On Thursday, supporters of a bill in the US Congress labeling 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as “genocide” have agreed to postpone the measure.

In early October, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill censuring World War I killing of Armenians.  But support for the bill deteriorated later in the month when Turkey recalled its US ambassador and the Turkish government’s angry reaction fueled fears within Congress that it would cripple the ties between the two nations.

Turkey is a key US military and diplomatic ally in the Middle East region.  Declining relations with a rare Muslim ally could deny American access to Incirlik airbase, or other supply lines vital to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Once this potential geopolitical impact became known, the White House also began to persuade the bill sponsors for postponement.

Eventually, the four main sponsors of the bill – Democrats Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Anna Eshoo and Frank Pallone – bowed to White House pressure.  Still, the four believe the bill still has significant backing in Congress and their colleagues will vote for it when “timing is more favorable.”  Democrats also argued that “by refusing to condemn the Armenian massacres as ‘genocide,’ the United States will encourage impunity for current and future crimes against humanity.”

Republican House minority leader John Boehner, in contrast, agreed with the decision to delay the vote.  Although he acknowledged that “the suffering the Armenian people endured was tragic,” “this 90-year-old issue should be settled by historians, not by politicians.”

Many Western historians say the killing of at least 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1917 by the Ottoman Empire was genocide.  While Turkey accepts there were mass killings, they dispute the number of dead and the depiction of the killings as genocide.  On Friday, Armenian officials said they were “surprised” that concerns on US-Turkey relations had been allowed to stall this non-binding, symbolic “verbal acknowledgement.”

For more information, please see:

News.com.au – US vote on Armenia ‘genocide’ delayed – 27 October 2007

Reuters – Armenia ‘surprised’ at storm over genocide – 26 Octboer 2007

BBC News – US delays Armenia ‘genocide’ vote – 26 October 2007

AFP – Backers of Armenia genocide bill agree to delay vote – 25 October 2007

SANAA, Yemen – Jamal al-Badawi, a Yemeni man convicted of plotting the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, which resulted in the death of 17 US soldiers, was freed to house arrest by Yemen.  In 2004 he was sentenced to death for his role in plotting and carrying out the attack on the USS Cole.  This sentence was later commuted to 15 years imprisonment.

Badawi was one of 23 prisoners that escaped from jail in 2006.  He voluntarily turned himself in two weeks ago.  A Yemeni government official said that Badawi remains “under close scrutiny and control of security forces.”

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stated that “the United States is dismayed and deeply disappointed in the government of Yemen’s decision not to imprison Badawi.”  He claimed that Yemen’s action is inconsistent with the bilateral counterterrorism cooperation between the US and Yemen.

For more information, please see:

BBC – USS Cole plotter freed by Yemen – 27 October 2007

AHN – USS Cole bomb plotter in Yemen freed – 26 October 2007

Associated Press – US criticizes Yemen on terrorism – 26 October 2007

Reuters – Yemen grants house arrest to Cole attack planner – 26 October 2007

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, approved sanctions against Gaza in an attempt to halt rocket attacks.  Israel hopes that by cutting off electricity and other supplies, Gaza residents will pressure militant groups to stop launching rockets into Israel.  Last month, Israel declared Gaza to be a “hostile entity” and reasoned that it would not be violating international law if they stopped supplying Gaza with electricity, water, or fuel.  Palestinians and many international organizations disagree and state that Israel has a responsibility, as occupiers, that these resources are supplied to Gaza.  The Carter Center, a human rights group began by former US President Carter, viewed the proposal as enforcing collective punishment against 1.4 million Palestinians for the actions of a few.

A senior defense official stated that Palestinians need to be shown that life does not go on when rockets land in Israel; “If rockets are fired, then the Palestinians will pay a price.”  Israeli Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilnai, led the development of the proposal.  He said the amount of power Israel supplied to Gaza will be “dramatically reduced” over the several weeks.  Officials stated that electricity will be shut off for 15 minutes following a rocket attack and the period will be extended as the attacks continue.

It appears that Israel plans to eventually stop supplying Gaza with electricity at all.  Vilnai stated he hoped that Gazans would be able to produce their own electricity and would not be dependent on Israel.  Currently, 120 of the 200 megawatts consumed in Gaza are delivered directly from Israel.  Only 65 megawatts are produced in Gaza and the rest comes from Egypt.

Israeli officials claim that they do not intend to cause a humanitarian crisis.  However, serious humanitarian issues already exist in the area.  Gaza is already isolated following a Western freeze on aid, when Hamas won elections in 2006, and Israeli border restrictions, following Hamas’ takeover of Gaza in June 2007.  The border restrictions allow only “vital humanitarian supplies.”  However, according to Gaza’s governor, 200 Red Cross vehicles carrying food and humanitarian aid are needed, but only 60 have been allowed to enter Gaza.  Hospitals are running out of supplies and only patients with serious injuries are treated.

For more information, please see:

Ha’aretz – PA seeks int’l intervention as Gaza power cuts imminent – 26 October 2007

Al Jazeera – Israel approves Gaza Sanctions – 25 October 2007

BBC – Israel approves Gaza power cuts – 25 October 2007

Guardian Unlimited – Israel proposes cutting power to Gaza to deter attacks – 25 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – Israel plays down Mideast conference, approves Gaza sanctions – 25 October 2007

Jerusalem Post – Barak okays plan to gradually reduce power supply to Gaza – 25 October 2007

Reuters – Barak approves limiting Israel’s Gaza power supply – 25 October 2007

Yedioth – Palestinians: Limiting Gaza power supply a crime – 25 October 2007

Al Jazeera – Israel set to sever power to Gaza – 24 October 2007

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq- Two Marines are being charged for the incident revolving the incident in Haditha, Iraq.  Lance Cpl. Steven Tatum’s charges are “involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.”  (BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial)  Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is has been charged with “dereliction of duty and failing to report and investigate deaths.”  (BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial)  Lt. Col. Chessani was also released of his command in April 2006 because of his role in the killings.  The Lt. Col. is the highest ranking officer since the Vietnam War to face court martial regarding his actions in combat.

The incident occurred in Haditha, which is located in the Anbar province, November 19, 2005.  Twenty-four Iraqi civilians were killed, including three women and seven children. The United States military initially reported that an improvised explosive device was set off that killed both Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas and many of the Iraqi civilians.  The other civilians were supposedly killed by ensuing gunfire with insurgents.

However, local Iraqi survivors reported that the Iraqi civilians were actually gunned down by the American Troops.  The Iraqis stated that some angry American troops killed five unarmed men in a taxi who approached the bombing, and later gunning down the other 19 Iraqis at close range.  The incident gained great notoriety through a video that showed the aftermath of the killings.  The American military later changed its stance and apologized to the survivors in Haditha.

The trial will hopefully bring justice to the victims’ survivors through forcing each person to take responsibility for their actions attacking innocent civilians.  The trial will determine the US military’s stance on unjustified behavior and must show that incidents like Haditha are intolerable and demand high sanctions.

There are many reasons that the military must sanction the individuals responsible for the deaths at Haditha.  First, high sanctions must be imposed for the Haditha crimes to dissuade others from committing similar crimes in Iraq.  Secondly, the United States can only take a vocal stand against other nations for violating human rights laws, if it holds its own citizens responsible to high standards.  Lastly, the military must sanction the men severely in order to win over the people of Iraq.

The marines will be tried in Camp Pendleton, which is located north of San Diego, California.  A trial date has not yet been set.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial- 20 October 2007

BBC News- What happened at Haditha?- 21 December 2006

CNN- Two Marines to face courts martial in Haditha incident- 19 October 2007

New York Times- Haditha Charges Pressed in 2 Cases- 20 October 2007

Reuters- Two U.S. Marines face Haditha courts-martial- 20 October 2007

Time Magazine- Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?- 19 March 2006