By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

Islamabad, Pakistan

Obama announced on Thursday that U.S. counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan on Al Qaeda targets  killed an American and Italian hostage last January. The President took full responsibility for the deaths of American Warren Weinstein and Italian national Giovanni Lo Porto. The White House Press Secretary claimed Obama did not personally approve the strikes but they were in the bounds of policy guidelines. The White House did not admit that drones carried out the strikes that killed the hostages.

Al Qaeda captured Warren Weinstein in August 2011 while he was working as a USAID contractor in Pakistan. Lo Porto was taken hostage while working as an aid worker in 2012. Obama announced that the Inspector General is launching an investigation into the incident. Obama also stated that the U.S. government would compensate the families of both hostages. The U.S. did not recover the bodies of either hostage but multiple intelligence sources confirmed their deaths based off circumstantial evidence.

The President also disclosed that two American citizens, both Al Qaeda operatives, were killed by counter- terrorism operations in the same region of Pakistan. Ahmed Farouq was the Al Qaeda Deputy Amir for the Indian subcontinent and he was killed in the same strike that killed the two hostages. The other American, Adam Gadahn was also killed but the White House reported that he was likely killed in a separate operation.

Obama and the Press Secretary claimed that the U.S. government was not aware that the hostages  or that the two American Al Qaeda operatives were present at the target sites. Critics of the drone strike campaign are using the incident for continued pressure on the Obama administration even though it is yet to be officially disclosed that drones carried out these operations. Obama announced two years ago that he would be scaling back drone operations however; the administration claims that these strikes were carried out within the guidelines for such missions. Regardless, the ACLU pointed out that there is a significant problem with continuing these strikes if there is continued harm to civilians. The ACLU also pointed out that the deaths of civilians shows a gap between the stringent standards the government says its using and the standards that are actually being used when carrying out these strikes.

For more information, please see:

CNN — U.S. Drone Strike Accidentally Killed 2 Hostages — 23 April, 2015 

The New York Times — Obama Apologizes After Drone Kills American and Italian Held by Al Qaeda — 23 April, 2015

CNN — Al Qaeda Hostage, American Warren Weinstein, Killed in Operation — 23 April, 2015 

Daily News — American, Italian Hostages Killed in U.S Drone Attack Against Al Qaeda in Pakistan: White House — 23 April, 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

SANAA, Yemen — Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it is scaling back its military operations in neighboring Yemen, after more than three weeks of airstrikes that have so far failed to drive back the Shiite rebels who ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, President of the Revolutionary Committee, assumed power. The announcement could single the end of the largest military operation ever conducted by Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf State’s Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri announced that the coalition led by Saudi Arabia would transition to a new operation in Yemen that focuses on addressing a worsening humanitarian crisis, combating terrorism and finding a political solution to end the conflict. Despite the failure of the airstrikes to drive away the Houthi rebels the General claimed the operation was a success and that the campaign had achieved its military objectives by successfully eliminating threats to Saudi security, including the destruction of the Iranian backed Houthi rebels’ supply of missiles and heavy weapons. General Asiri said the objectives of the opposition were achieved”by a very good planning, very precise execution, by the courage of our pilots, our sailors, our soldiers.”

Supporters of Mohammed Ali al-Houthi remained defiant after the announcement from Saudi Arabia. “This announcement of a halt to this operation is nothing but a shameful defeat for Saudi,” said Mohammed Meftah, a pro-Houthis politician. He added that Saudi Arabian government would have to pay billions of dollars in reparations for the damage caused by the airstrikes, saying that state is criminally responsible for the damage.”

United States National Security Council spokesperson Alistair Baskey, said that “the United States welcomes” the Saudi announcement. He added, “we continue to support the resumption of a U.N.-facilitated political process and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance.” officials in the United States have grown uneasy about the Saudi coalition’s objectives and have become concerned that the airstrikes have shifted the security focus away al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen and has taken advantage of the chaos in the gulf state.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest would not make any direct comments on any Navy movements in Yemeni waters, but said the United States has concerns over Iran’s support for the Houthis rebels. Earnest said; “we have seen evidence that the Iranians are supplying weapons and other armed support to the Houthis in Yemen. That support will only contribute to greater violence in that country. These are exactly the kind of destabilizing activities that we have in mind when we raise concerns about Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East.” He added “the Iranians are acutely aware of our concerns for their continued support of the Houthis by sending them large shipments of weapons.”

For more information please see:

BBC News – Yemen conflict: Saudi Arabia ends air campaign – 21 April 2015

CNN International – Saudi Arabia launching political solution campaign in Yemen – 21 April 2015

The New York Times – Middle East Advertisement 63 Comments Middle East Saudis Announce Halt to Yemen Bombing Campaign – 21 April 2015

The Washington Post – Saudi Arabia says it will scale back its military campaign in Yemen – 21 April 2015

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

Damascus, Syria

This week ISIS fighters attacked and seized a large portion of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp outside of Damascus in Syria. The camp has been a humanitarian issue for years, when fighting in Syria broke out many groups such as Hamas supported Sunni rebels efforts to topple Assad’s government. Prior to ISIS involvement Assad limited food and aid coming into the camp. Over the last four years the camp has been virtually destroyed by the conflict between various factions. Most recently, ISIS has entered the fight for the camp with the intention of using it as a platform for further advances into the South of Syria and into Damascus itself.

ISIS has overrun the Palestinian militia group called Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis, a group aligned with Hamas to control an estimated 70 percent of the camp. It is reported that ISIS has support from one of its chief rivals in Syria, the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra front. Civilians left in the camp are caught in the crossfire between ISIS, its allies and various Palestinian rebel factions. Prior to the fighting in Syria the camp composed of about 150,000 Palestinian refugees, now that number has been reduced to just 18,000. 2,000 residents were evacuated during the latest outbreak of fighting by the U.N. and other international aid groups.

The humanitarian situation in Yarmouk is concerning. The camp has no water or power and the residents face constant shelling from forces on all sides. Aid has been unable to enter the camp because of the intense shelling and fighting since ISIS has entered the fold. In response to the worsening humanitarian situation the International Red Cross, among other agencies have called for all sides and all factions to allow aid to enter the camp immediately and for these agencies to be allowed to evacuate as many of the estimated 18,00 civilians still trapped inside the camp as possible.

Palestinian leaders in the West Bank have reported that they have come to an agreement with Assad’s government for the Syrian army to take military action to push ISIS out of the camp. Officials in the West Bank have stated clear support for the Syrian government and their effort to push ISIS out of Yarmouk however; there are Palestinian groups in the camp who have opposed Assad’s government since the beginning of the conflict. As of now it is unclear whether all the Palestinian factions in Yarmouk support the deal  between the West Bank and Assad for a Syrian military offensive to retake the camp.

For more information, please see: 

BBC News — Syria Conflict: Huge Suffering in Yarmouk, Activist Says — 8 April, 2015

Al Jazeera America — ISIL Takeover of Yarmouk a “Siege Within a Siege” — 8 April, 2015 

Reuters — PLO Backs Syrian Army Drive to Regain Yarmouk Camp From Militants — 9 April, 2015

Yahoo News — Palestinian Envoy: “Military Option Agreed for Syria Camp — 9 April, 2015

 

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

The Hague, Netherlands  

On Wednesday Palestine officially joined the International Court of Justice after signing the Rome Statute in January if this year. Palestine seeks to pursue charges against Israel for alleged war crimes committed on Palestinian territory by Israeli troops. Israel is not a party to the Rome Statue however; military and civilian officials could still face charges if the court believes that crimes were committed on Palestinian territory. The signing of the Rome Statute by Palestine also opens up Palestinian officials and militants to be prosecuted by the court.

There are reports that several Palestinian are set to file complaints with the ICC, however it is the prosecutors and the judges who decide which cases to pursue. When Palestine signed the Statute in January, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda launched a preliminary to determine if there will be a formal investigation into Palestinian grievances.

The Israeli government objected to the Palestinian Authority joining the Court, stating that Palestine is not recognized as a sovereign state. The U.S has also objected to the addition of Palestine to the Court for the same reason and warned that it would cut funding for the Palestinian authority. The Israeli government froze about $400 million in tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian organization. Human Rights Watch called for governments who are penalizing Palestine for joining the Court to end their pressure. Human Rights Watch claims that it documented what it believed to be war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict which claimed 2,000 Palestinian lives as well as 73 Israeli. However, both sides had prevented meaningful justice for these incidents. Israel has launched investigations into the incidents in Gaza but the Palestinian authority has not announced an investigation of its own.

It remains to be seen whether the Court will chose to launch formal investigations into the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The Court will be hesitant of being dragged into such a heavily politicized case. Furthermore, the ICC does not investigate cases that are already being looked into by other judicial institutions. The Court will not investigate these allegations if an Israeli judicial institution is investigating the case up to the standards if the International Criminal Court. Experts have stated that if the Court does open formal investigations they will not open them in an area that includes only Israel, they will want to look into both sides.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Palestine Formally Joins International Criminal Court — 1 April, 2015

BBC News — Palestinians Formally Join International Criminal Court — 1 April, 2015

The Huffington Post — Palestinians Join International Criminal Court, Risking Loss of U.S. Aid — 1 April, 2015

Reuters — Dilemma for Israel as Palestinians Join War Crimes Court — 31 March, 2015