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Australian Police Raids Conducted Across Sydney Over Domestic ISIS Threat

By Max Bartels

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

 

Canberrra, Australia 

The largest counter-terrorism operation in the history of Australia took place today as somewhere between 800 to 1,000 Australian police officers took part in raids across Sydney to apprehend members of ISIS plotting terror acts in the city. 15 suspects were arrested and over a dozen raids executed on properties across Sydney. The Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott stated today that he was briefed by Australian intelligence agencies Wednesday night about a potential plot by ISIS member in Sydney to stage a public execution in an attempt to demonstrate the groups reach. The police have further stated that they have gathered evidence showing that ISIS supporters in Australia have been plotting these attacks since May.

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Australian police arrest suspects in pre-dawn raids across Sydney Thursday Morning (Photo Curtesy of The Independent)

Calls for attacks in Australia have apparently been coming from an Australian who is reported by Abbott to be high up in the ISIS ranks. Abbott refused to state the name of the suspected high up Australian ISIS member. Police arrested a 22- year- old member of ISIS, who prosecutors say planned to gruesomely behead a randomly selected person in public with a clear intent to shock and horrify. The police have since stated that 9 of the 15 suspects arrested during the raid have been released on bail.

Raids on a smaller scale were executed in Brisbane last week, where two men were arrested for attempting to recruit members to join the AL-Qaeda off shoot group called the “Nursa Front”. These men were also preparing to leave for Syria themselves. In the wake of these recent events the Australian government has raised the terrorist threat level from medium to high. Australian intelligence agencies report that some 60 Australian citizens have gone abroad to fight for ISIS and other militant Islamic groups in the Middle East. These agencies also report that they believe that there are around  100 Australians in Australia supporting ISIS by recruiting fighters, grooming suicide candidates and providing funds and equipment.

On Thursday night a crowd of around 300 protesters gathered in Sydney to protest against the raids. Australian Islamic groups are warning the government of potential unrest over the governments new anti-terror polices. The leader of one of these Islamic groups stated that the Muslim community is being made scapegoats and that he believes  the real terrorists are the government. He further stated that Muslims in Australia do not feel safe and that the Muslim community has been victimized for years.

Last week Australia announced that it would be contributing to the international effort to combat ISIS by deploying military forces to the Middle East. Abbott stated then that there was a concern of ISIS threats in Australia. He has recently played down concerns that Australia’s involvement abroad could increase the risk of attack at home.

For more information; please see: 

NBC News — Raids Foil Alleged Beheading Plot in Support of ISIS — 18 September 2014

CBS News — Australian in Australia: We Thwarted Grisly ISIS Plot — 18 September 2014

Fox News — Australia Raids Foil Reported ISIS Beheading Plots — 18 September 2014

The Guardian — Terrorism Raids: ISIS Urging Followers to Behead Australians’, Says PM

Fijian Soliders Freed After Captivity in Syria

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Suva, Fiji

In late August 45 Fijian soldiers acting as U.N. peacekeepers, were kidnapped by Syrian rebels on the border between Syrian and Israel known as the “Area of Separation”. The “Area of Separation” refers to a 70- Kilometer strip between the border of Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights region, which has been policed by U.N. peacekeepers since 1974. The kidnapping militants said the reason for the action was because they believed the U.N. peacekeepers were supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar- al Assad and ignoring the plight of the Syrian people.

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Fijian Soliders in the video posted to the internet by Syrian rebels.
(Photo courtesy of ABC News)

Military officials in Fiji released, immediately after the incident that they were in negotiations with the Syrian Militants.  The Fijian military then released to the press, earlier this week that they had secured the released of their soldiers from the Syrians, who have been identified as the Nursa Front, without any demands or conditions. They then immediately tried to retract their statements, but the reason for this is still unknown. The U.N. never reported any such progress with the negations for the release of the Fijian solders. The Associated Press reported that it would be unlikely that the U.N. gave permission for Fiji to release that their soldiers would be coming home, as the U.N. usually doesn’t release information on hostage matters until it is completely resolved.

After Fiji prematurely released their statements the Syrian militants posted a video of the captured soldiers on their Twitter and YouTube accounts of the soldiers saying they were being treated well and expected to be released soon. The Fijian government then reported again that the Syrians had dropped all demands and conditions and that the soldiers were to be released. This time the statements were not premature,  after the videos were posted the Fijian soldiers were released on the Syrian side of the border. The soldiers were made to walk through the border crossing to the Israeli controlled territory. They were reported to be in good condition and were sent to receive medical treatment in Israel before being able to return home to Fiji. Fiji’s presidential candidate Frank Bainimarama called the Fijian soldiers heroes, to be able to keep their cool under such extreme circumstances. He further stated that it was the discipline of his troops that kept any militants and any U.N. forces from being killed throughout the incident. Many nations have now pulled out their military contingents from U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Golan Heights out of concern that the war in Syria will spill over the border.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press — Fiji May Have Jumped the Gun on Fate of its UN Troops — 10 September 2014

Al Jazeera — Syria Rebels Free UN Peacekeepers — 11 September 2014

ABC News — UN: 45 Fijian Peacekeepers Freed in Syria — 11 September 2014

Reuters — U.N., Fiji Say No Word on Location of Peacekeepers Abducted in Golan Heights — 31 August 2014

 

Italy’s Good Intentions and Humanitarian Efforts May Ultimately Harm Europe

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ROME, Italy – With all of the turmoil and fighting currently widespread throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa, many citizens have flocked from countries like Libya, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, and elsewhere. In an effort to help these refugees, Italy has opened up its borders for refugees to enter into Europe, particularly in Southern Italy around Sicily.

Mehdi Nemmouche, the shooter in the Brussels Jewish Museum murders, stands with his ak-47 during the attack. (Photo courtesy of Breitbart)

Italy’s new immigrant policy, dubbed “Mare Nostrum”, or “Our Sea”, came last year after Pope Francis flew to the scene of a sunken migrant vessel off the coast that went down unaided. Pope Francis asked, “Who has wept for the people who were on the boat?” Italy took this as inspiration to help refugees who make it across the Mediterranean Sea. Now, Italy takes in refugees, offers them medical treatment, food, water, and temporary shelter. Further, Italy has decriminalized migrants, and also adopted a de facto “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy where refugees may stay a few nights and then move onwards to other European nations, such as Germany and Sweden, that often grant asylum.

While this initially seems great, and for many it is a wonderful thing, there also comes skepticism. Italy is taking in nearly 1,000 migrants per day, and has already taken in 119,939 migrants since January, far more than the 42,000 from all of 2013. The problem lies in that the nearly 120,000 migrants have entered into Europe with relative ease as far as security checks goes, and now may be moving fairly undetected and unaccounted for throughout Europe. With a particular eye on some of the nations where the refugees are coming from, countries where ISIS is growing and expanding at a scary rate, this creates a serious security concern for Europe.

One of the countries with many emigrants to Italy is Libya, a nation that France calls a ‘terrorist hub’. And while it may be unclear exactly if or how many dangerous migrants may have snuck through already, one thing is clear: there has already been at least six serious attacks planned against member states of the European Union. British Prime Minister David Cameron warned the British people, “be in no doubt about the threat that so-called Islamic State poses to us.” Cameron went on to cite the deadly attack in a Brussels Jewish museum as a successful ISIS attack on European soil.

Even without new ISIS members coming into Europe, there already exists a serious problem throughout Europe as Europeans continue to be recruited into ISIS. Two Austrian girls of 15 and 16 years in age, Samra Kesinovic and Sabina Selimovic, have recently been recruited by ISIS and have already led at least two additional girls, ages 16 and 14, to try and follow to Syria to convert.

It is quite clear that the ISIS problem in Europe is a present problem and very likely to get much worse as ISIS’s presence and influence continues to spread. ISIS is already in Europe and influence is spreading throughout Europe in the form of recruiting, and increasing via immigration through open borders like Italy. While Italy is helping many who are in dire need of help, it must be careful to prevent the same people from coming over who caused the massive flocks to begin with.

For more information, please see:

New York Post – Gun-wielding teen girls from Europe join ISIS – 10 September 2014

RT – France calls for new Libya intervention, calls it ‘terrorist hub’ on Europe’s doorstep – 10 September 2014

The Washington Post – Amid flood of refugees to Europe, Italy opens a back door – 9 September 2014

Breitbart – Prime Minister: Six ISIS Attempted Attempts Against European Nations Already – 9 September 2014

VDC: The Weekly Report 9-8-2014– 15-8-2014

 

BP “Grossly Negligent” in Setting Off Largest Oil-Spill in U.S. History

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

WASHINGTON DC, United Sates of America – On Thursday a judge ruled that oil giant BP PLC (formerly British petroleum) was grossly negligent in its conduct which lead to the blowout that caused an explosion that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and caused the largest oil spill in United States history. Carl Barbier, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, finding of gross negligence, or more reckless and extreme behavior, means that BP faces up to $18 Billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act. BP faces as much as 18 billion in pollutions fines, mostly in penalties under the Clean Water Act, far more than the $3.5 billion the company had put aside to pay for civil penalties it expected under the Clean Water Act. If the judge’s ruling is upheld the payout the company will be forced to pay under the Clean Air Act would be higher than any penalty paid in the history of the legislation. BP shares fell $2.72, or 5.7 percent, to $44.99 per share midday on Thursday, dropping the company’s market value by $7 billion. The price per share was near $60 just before the April 2010 spill.

Fire boats battled a blaze at the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig on April 21, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico just after an explosion killed 11 rig workers and sparked a blowout that would cause the largest oil spill in United States history. (Photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal)

As a result of the ruling BP now faces a fine under the Clean Water Act of $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled during the 2010 spill. While the total number of barrels spilled is being debated it is likely to fall between 2.4 million and 4.1 million, which would make for a fine of between $10.3 billion and $17.6 billion. BP has said that it will appeal the ruling which will put on hold the final decision on the total fine to be paid by BP and will likely delay pending court cases concerning the 2010 spill.

During the six months after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded more than 8,000 birds, sea turtles and marine mammals were found injured or dead in the Gulf region. Scientists are still assessing the long-term effect that the estimated 170 million gallons of crude oil that spewed into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP oil spill will have on the Gulf and its critical ecosystems. Although oil is no longer readily visible on the surface of the water in the Gulf, it isn’t gone. Scientists have found significant quantities of oil on the seafloor, and the oil that has already washed into wetlands and beaches will likely persist for several years or even decades. Microscopic particulate oil is also hazardous for marine life, effecting life at all levels of the food chain and ultimately impacting the fishing economy in the gulf region.

Scientists will continue to watch for fluctuations in wildlife in the gulf region. Four years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil disaster, the largest oil spill in United States history until the 2010 BP oil spill, the herring population collapsed demonstrating that the effects of oil on ecosystem’s may take years to be seen. Nearly 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spill the Herrin population has not yet recovered.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Court Orders BP to Pay Up To $18 Billion in Damages for Gulf Oil Spill – 4 September 2014

Bloomberg – ‘Worst Case’ BP Ruling On Gulf Spill Means Billions More in Penalties – 4 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – BP is Found Grossly Negligent in Deepwater Horizon Disaster – 4 September 2014

The National Wildlife Federation – How Does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat? – 2014