By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – An American teacher has been deported from Bahrain for allegedly inciting “hatred” through her publications. The Ministry of Communications said the unnamed teacher was deported for her alleged tweets and publications made in online journals. According to a statement made by the Ministry of Communications the unnamed American teacher was deported as a result of “activities linked to radical opposition groups,” and for allegedly violating the terms of her work permit by working as an unaccredited journalist.

The ministry alleged that she published a number of articles under a penname for several journals, including the As-Safir newspaper, which has been linked to Hezbollah, as well as a human rights newsletter published by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, a group whose publications have been banned by the Bahraini government.

However, Maryam al-Khawaja, acting head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights denied that the teacher was writing for the organization, saying; “That was something made up by the government.” Al-Kahwaja also stated that a journalist at As-Safir had told her that the teacher had not written for their publication either.

Al-Khawaja, who was planning on entering Bahrain ahead of protest planned for this week, was recently stopped from boarding a British Airways plane heading from London to Bahrain because of a Bahraini government order preventing her from entering the country. She said the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was attempting to contact the American teacher to determine if she has been subjected to human-rights violations while in the custody of Bahrain authorities.

The gulf state has seen massive waves of protests since the Arab Spring hit the region in 2011. The protests have been mostly led by members of the state’s Shia population calling for democratic reforms from the Sunni ruling family.

The state has responded to these calls for democratic reform by cracking down on dissent and free expression. The state has been accused of creating fake Twitter accounts and using these and other false evidence in order to convict its citizens of crimes against the state. The state has also raided the homes of protesters and activists.

Al-Khawaja said of the Bahraini states tactics that: “They have even increased house raids. It used to be one every other night. But since the Tamarod announcement, the raids are day and night – up to 100 or more per day.” She explained that security forces often break down doors during these raids on civilian citizens, enter with guns drawn and vandalize homes during the raid. She also explained that these tactics are intended to spread fear of the state.

The state response to calls for democratic reform has been to attempt to create an atmosphere of fear in the country in order to demonstrate the state’s power. However, the Bahraini government’s attempts to squash calls for democratization have remained unsuccessful. The Bahraini anti-government and opposition activists have called for anti-government rallies to be held on Wednesday, August 14, the anniversary of the gulf state gaining independence from the British Empire.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Bahrain Bans US Teacher for ‘Radical’ Writing – 12 August 2013

CNN International – Bahrain Expels U.S. Teacher, Says She Incited ‘Hatred’ – 12 August 2013

Fox News – Bahrain Says American Teacher Deported over ‘Radical’ Writings – 12 August 2013

Jerusalem Post – Bahrain Deports US National for Associating with ‘Radical’ Groups – 12 August 2013

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Witnesses have reported that an air strike in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt’s north-eastern region bordering Israel, has killed five suspected armed fighters. The attack also destroyed a rocket launcher near Israel’s Sinai border, the launcher may have been intended to launch rocket attacks into southern Israel. The air strike is believed to have been carried out by an Israeli drone.

The attack occurred just one day after Israel briefly closed its airport in Eilat, a Red Sea resort close to the Sinai, in response to unnamed security warnings. In the past, Eilat has been targeted by rocket fire from the Sinai region.

The Israeli government has remained silent about the attack. However, Israeli officials have suggested that if Israel where involved in the attack, the state would be interested in remaining silent in order to avoid embarrassing the Egyptian military. The Jerusalem Post has reported that Israeli Defence Forces may have coordinated with the Egyptian military in order to conduct the attack. However, an Egyptian military official has denied Egypt’s involvement.

An Egyptian military spokesperson denied the report that the militants were killed in an Israeli airstrike and suggested that there may be another possible cause for the explosion. Egypt’s official news agency reported that explosion destroyed a rocket launcher set up near the Israeli border to launch attacks into Israel, and at least five Islamic militants were killed. But it did not elaborate on the cause of the explosion.

Uncertainty over the political future of Egypt has led to rising fears in Israel. The overthrow of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has raised fears in Israel that extremist militants could exploit anger over the coup felt by Islamists in the region, which could result in more attacks from the Sinai region. Tensions have risen between Israel and Egypt since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. Over the past two years, Israel has increased surveillance along the Egyptian border and is currently building a 150-mile barrier along the frontier border in order to keep militants and African migrants out of Israel.

Despite rising tensions between Israel and Egypt, there is evidence that the two states are cooperating on anti- terrorism efforts. A former senior Israeli defence official said that the airport closure came after the Egypt government sent Israel a warning about a possible attack originating in the Sinai Peninsula. He cited this as a sign of greater corporation between the two states. “The cooperation is not new; the level of cooperation is new.” the former Israeli official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity of Israel’s relations with Egypt.

For more information see:

Al Jazeera – Deadly Air Strike Reported in Sinai – 9 August 2013

Jerusalem Post – Report: IAF drone strikes Jihadist Rocket Launcher in Sinai, Killing 4 Terrorists – 9 August 2013

New York Times – Sinai Blasts Kill up to 5 Islamic Militants – 9 August 2013

Washington Post – Egyptian Officials: Israeli Drone Strike Kills 5 Islamic Militants in Sinai Peninsula – 9 August 2013

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SANA’A, Yemen – On Wednesday, Yemen authorities claimed they had foiled multiple al-Queda terrorist plots aimed at blowing up oil pipelines, seizing oil and gas export facilities, and taking over two of the country’s main ports.

Rajeh Badi, a press adviser to Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa, said, “The plot aimed to seize the al-Dabbah oil export terminal in Hadramout [province] and the Belhaf gas export facility, as well as the city of Mukalla,” referring to the Hadramout provincial capital.

Badi discussed specifics of the plan, stating that dozens of al-Qaeda members planned to dress in Yemeni army uniforms and seize the facilities on the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, which was last Sunday.

Yemeni security forces have increased their presence in the country to protect likely terrorist targets. Hundreds of armored vehicles have been positioned around the capital city of Sana’a with tanks and troops surrounding foreign missions, government buildings, and the airport.

Since reports of the foiled terror-plots surfaced, U.S. drones have killed eight suspected militants over the past two days. Six were killed by a drone strike in the country’s southern province of Shabwa and two more in an attack in the eastern province of Hadramout. At least twenty-five suspected militants have been killed by U.S. drone attacks since July 28, but only one of the dead has been confirmed to be on Yemen’s twenty-five most-wanted terrorist list.

Despite the alleged foiled terror-plots, U.S. officials reiterated broad warnings of an increased risk of terrorist attacks in Yemen and the surrounding area. Yemen’s state news agency later cited government security officials that downplayed the alleged foiled plot and denied there had been a threat against oil facilities.

Recently, there have been complaints by U.S. officials that the Yemeni government is not doing enough to disrupt and eradicate Al-Queda in the Arabian Peninsula, otherwise known as AQAP. AQAP, believed to be behind the current terror warnings across the area, is considered to be one the most aggressive and well-organized al-Queda subdivisions.

For further information, please see:

Reuters – Drone strikes kill eight suspected militants in Yemen – 8 August 2013

Al Jazeera – Yemen: Plot to seize oil facilities foiled – 7 August 2013

BBC – Yemeni authorities ‘foil al-Queda plot to seize ports’ – 7 August 2013

New York Times – Yemen, on Alert for Terrorism, Says It Foiled a Queda Plot  – 7 August 2013

Wall Street Journal – Yemen Steps Back From Terror-Plot Claims, Highlighting U.S.’s Challenge – 7 August 2013

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – The Israeli cabinet voted on Sunday to expand its list of West Bank settlements eligible for government subsidies. The vote came just days after the resumption of the long-halted peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.

The Cabinet voted to expand the number of communities included on its “national priority map,” a list of poor communities prioritized to receive housing subsidies and other government benefits. The list includes 91 settlements in the occupied West Bank region, up from 85 on the 2012 version of the map.

Many of the West Bank settlements included on the list would most likely be required to evacuate if the current peace talks result in an agreement between the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

Until recently, three of the settlements added to the list, Rehelim, Sansana and Bruchin were classified as “illegal outposts”, meaning they were constructed without the approval of the Israeli government. However, the Israeli government retroactively legalized them by normalizing their last year though a cabinet vote. They are now recognized by the Israeli government and eligible for government funding.

The Palestinian Authority seeks to reclaim lands captured by Israel in 1967, in the hopes of establishing a state that will include the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, with Israel’s borders returning to the pre-1967 lines. Since 1967, the Israeli government has allowed the construction of dozens of settlements on Palestinian lands. The settlements have been deemed illegal under international law by most of the international community. These settlements are now home to roughly 560,000 Israelis.

Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official stated that she believes the cabinet’s action “will have a destructive impact” on the peace process. She believes that the vote affirmed suspicions felt by many Palestinians about the Israeli government’s motivations for agreeing to participate in the peace negations. She argued, “[t]his is exactly what Israel wants. Have a process for its own sake, and at the same time have a free hand to destroy the objective of the process.”

Four Israeli ministers abstained from voting on this issue, including Amir Pertz, the current  Environment Minister and former Minister of Defense from 2006-2007, said of the vote, “I don’t think it is the time diplomatically, or from a socioeconomic point of view, to include new settlements that until recently were illegal.”

Mark Regev, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, pointed out that the list voted on by cabinet is only a list of communities eligible to receive funding and that the Israeli government would have to grant additional approval for any subsidies to settlements to be dispersed.

The vote can be viewed as an attempt to shore up support for the coalition government in communities added to the subsidies list. Likud, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s party has historically supported settlements. Some of the settlements added to the subsidy list are political strongholds of the Jewish Home Party, one of the member parties of the governing coalition. It is opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian State.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Israel expands West Bank settlement subsidies – 4 August 2013

Jerusalem Post – Despite peace talks, cabinet approves preferential status for settlements – 4 August 2013

Jewish Telegraphic Agency – West Bank settlements join Israel’s list of national priority communities – 4 August 2013

Reuters – Israel puts 91 Jewish settlements on priority spending list – 4 August 2013

Wall Street Journal – Israel Expands Settlements Eligible for Subsidies – 4 August 2013