Colombian Rebels (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)
By Patrick Vanderpool Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BOGOTA, Colombia – According to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, the Colombian military killed nine rebels in a fierce battle on Monday in the southern part of Caqueta, in the Amazonian region.
Colombian officials stated that the Colombian Air Force and Joint Task Force OMEGA located a rebel camp run by Rodolfo Atanas and took action. During the attack, Colombian armed forces seized a 60 mm mortar, guns and radio communication equipment.
This attack comes on the heels of another attack on a rebel camp on Sunday, which occurred in the central state of Tolima and claimed the lives of 12 rebels.
In what proved to be a bloody day in Colombia’s constant fight against guerrilla groups, ten Colombian soldiers were also killed Sunday in a separate battle with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the Arauca state in northeastern Colombia. The FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group, is said to have 8,000 fighters.
According to President Uribe’s website, a female rebel leader known as “Maryeri” was among those killed on Sunday. Maryeri is said to be responsible for as many as 70 Colombian soldiers’ deaths spanning the past eight years. Additionally, the rebel group targeted on Sunday is responsible for more than 30 attacks in the Tolima area over the past two years.
In Arauca state, Colombian soldiers approached members of the rebel group as the guerrillas were attempting to blow up an electric plant. When the rebels spotted the Colombian military, a gun fight broke out, killing ten Colombian military officials.
The Colombian government has been battling the FARC, as well as other paramilitary rebel groups, since the mid-1960’s. Many of these groups use the drug trade, as well as extortion, to finance their activities. The FARC also routinely capture people and holds them hostage in exchange for ransom. In March, the FARC released one hostage and in June, Colombian officials successfully rescued four additional hostages.
The FARC appears to be stepping up activities with the approach of the August 7 presidential inauguration of former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santo. The weekend’s clashes between Colombian security forces and rebels left a total of 31 people dead. However, it is being hailed as a significant blow to the FARC’s southern bloc.
by Warren Popp
Impuntiy Watch Reporter, Middle East
Israeli soldiers onboard one of the overtaken flotilla ships. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)
TEL AVIV, Israel – An internal military investigation headed by Israel’s Major General, Giora Eiland, which was created to look into the deadly Gaza aid flotilla incident, recently completed its work. The deadly flotilla incident covered by the report occurred on May thirty-first when the Israel Defense Force (IDF) attempted to overtake a convoy of ships that was determined to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The report found that the IDF faced violent resistance by armed activists, including being shot, stabbed, and beaten with metal objects. Activists claim that the IDF indiscriminately used live fire against activists as they boarded the ship, and that the IDF was the first to fire. The incident left several IDF soldiers seriously injured, nine activists dead, and dozens of other activists wounded. According to the IDF Spokesperson, “The [investigation] team was appointed by the Chief of the General Staff to examine the deployment towards the flotilla, the chosen course of action and other possible alternatives, advance preparations, and the operation’s implementation.”
The report concluded that the military made several mistakes in the preparation for the raid, including a failure to utilize all possible intelligence gathering methods (although the IDF claims there is no guarantee that a complete intelligence gathering effort would have created a full intelligence picture); a failure to plan for all possible contingencies, including both the general outcome that ensued and especially for the expected level of violence; and a failure to seek other technological alternatives for stopping vessels from reaching Gaza, although here the report emphasized that no country in the world, at least to their knowledge, has the ability to stop a vessel at sea in a non hostile manner.
In terms of the actions of the IDF commandos, the IDF spokesperson said the following in regards to the report: “The team determined that the Navy Commando soldiers operated properly, with professionalism, bravery and resourcefulness and that the commanders exhibited correct decision making. The report further determines that the use of live fire was justified and that the entire operation is estimable.” The report also found there were mistakes made “at quite a senior level” but did not recommend punishments for any of the officers involved in the May 31 raid.
Israel has rejected calls by the United Nations Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other world leaders for an international investigation, and has claimed it will not cooperate with a Human Rights Council commission that is being set up to investigate the incident.
In addition to the mlitary investigation, Isreal has set up a panel, the Tirkel Committee, to investigate the incident, and to decide whether the raid was in compliance with international law. This panel consists of three retired judges and two experts, and also includes two prominent foreign observers: David Trimble, a Northern Ireland politician, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the Canadian jurist, Ken Watkin. The Tirkel Committee has no power to summon anyone from the IDF except for General Ashkenazi. Prime Minister Netanyahu , Defense Minister Barak, and General Ashkenazi are all expected to testify before the panel publicly and under oath. Al Jazeera reported that Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli government, told Al Jazeera that, “Israel’s investigatory process, both civilian and military, meets the highest international standards,” and, “It’s standard operating procedure [to investigate] after any military operation, especially an operation that has human fatalities.”
The Turkish group that organized the humanitarian convoy, IHH, criticized the report, particularly the claim that the IDF was justified in using live ammunition. The IHH maintains that the IDF commandos were responsible for starting the violence. Huseyin Oruc, a member of IHH’s board reportedly told Al Jazeera, “If you compare the passengers on the Mavi Marmara and the soldiers, even their equipment… you can understand how much balance there was between the two sides.”
Turkey, whose close diplomatic relationship with Israel have faced serious strains since the incident, including the withdrawal of the Turkish Ambassador to Israel, welcomed the internal investigation and report, but is still calling on Israel to agree to a full and impartial international investigation. All nine of the activists who were killed in the incident were Turkish, including one who was a dual United States-Turkish citizen. Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said that he welcomed the acknowledgement that “mistakes” were made, but believed that IDF commandos committed “a crime” and that an international investigation is warranted.
Crew members onboard a Libyan ship before its departure towards Gaza. (Photo Courtesy of Al Arabiya News channel)
The report was issued during the same time that a humanitarian aid ship from Libya was heading for Gaza. The ship is carrying about fifteen activists, primarily from Libya, and a dozen crew members. The ship is associated with the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation (GICDF) led by the son of the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi. The foundation of GICDF said on its website that the boat’s goal was to deliver two-thousand tons of aid to Gaza. After threats by Israel to intercept the ship, including a disputed report that Israel issued an ultimatum to the Libyan vessel, the ship reportedly changed course on July thirteenth, and is now slowly heading towards Egypt (mechanical difficulties along with a reported dispute between the crew of the ship and the activists regarding the final destination make confirmation of this by news agencies difficult). The Egyptian government has offered to accept the ship at one of its ports in the Sinai Peninsula and then deliver the goods to Gaza. Youssef Sawani, the executive director of GICDF said, “We hope the Israelis will not ban the ship from entering the port of Gaza. If they decide to do so we have no means to object to that. This is a peaceful mission”
ICC judges issued an arrest warrant charging al-Bashir with three counts of genocide: by killing, by causing mental and physical harm, and "by deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction." (Photo Courtesy of ABC)
By Sovereign Hager
Managing Editor- News, Impunity Watch
THE HAGUE, Netherlands-The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a second arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir. The chamber found reasonable grounds to believe Bashir responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic groups.
The ICC issued its first arrest warrant against Bashir in March of 2009 and it continues to be in effect. The first arrest warrant is for five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape. It also included two counts for war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population and pillaging.
The initial arrest warrant rejected the genocide charge, which the Prosecutor appealed on July of 2009. In February of 2010, the Appeals Chamber reversed the decision unanimously on the genocide charge due to an erroneous standard of proof. The Appeals Chamber then ordered the Pre-Trial Chamber to decide the genocide charge again based on a correct standard of proof – reasoable grounds.
The Pre-Trial Chamber I concluded that in fact there was reasonable grounds to believe that Bashir had the specific intent to destroy in part three ethnic groups.
In issueing the warrant, the Pre-Trial Chamber I seeks international co-operation in obtaining the surrender and arrest of Bashir for the charges on both the first and second arrest warrants. A request has been sent to the Sudanese authorities as well as to all State Parties to the Rome Statute, and the United Nations Security Counicl members that are not parties to the Rome Statute.
The United Nations Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC via resolution 1593, on March 31, 2005. Four cases are being heard under this resolution.
The Sudanese government criticised the ICC decision, calling it a “political decision” and stating that “Sudan does not pay attention to this political campaign and will respond to it with more economic achievements. Sudan’s minister of information called the indictment a “desperate attempt to create instability in Sudan in order to stop its development process.” Bashir refuses to recognize the ICC’s authority and refuses to stand trial.
Genocide is considered the gravest crime in international law, requiring proof of an intent to wipe out “in whole or in part” a racial, religious, or ethnic group. ICC Prosecutor, Moreno-Ocampo accused Bahir of keeping 2.5 million refugees from specific ethnic groups in Darfur in camps “under genocide conditions, like a gigantic Auschwitz.”
By Polly Johnson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Gilad Shalit's parents meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo Courtesy of Ha'aretz.)
JERUSALEM, Israel – Last Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara held an hour-long meeting with the parents of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Noam and Aviva Shalit reached Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem following a twelve-day march, in an effort to secure their son’s release. Gilad, now twenty-three years old, was captured in June 2006 by Palestinian militants and has been held in Gaza by Hamas militants who have demanded the release of as many as one thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit’s release.
Shalit’s family set up a protest tent at the culmination of the protest march, vowing to demonstrate outside the weekly cabinet meetings until their son is released. Over the weekend, visitors streamed in and out of the tent, in a showing of support for the family.
Following the meeting with Netanyahu, Noam Shalit said that there was no new news, but also indicated that the family did not have high hopes prior to their meeting with Netanyahu.
“We have received no news yet that might calm us or change the situation. We’ll remain in the tent as planned; there is no change. We’ll stay here until Gilad returns,” Noam said.
Netanyahu, who recently returned from a trip to the United States, told the couple that the issue of their son’s release was one of the topics discussed with U.S. President Barack Obama and other senior officials in Washington.
“It’s not just the tens of thousands of marchers who support you, but all the citizens of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu told the Shalits. “There are also millions of people abroad who are with you, as are my wife and myself.”
Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported on Sunday that Netanyahu asked former U.S. president Bill Clinton to help mediate the release of Shalit. Netanyahu met with Clinton during his trip to Washington, where he proposed that Clinton visit Gaza to negotiate with senior Hamas officials.
Netanyahu has said that Israel will release one thousand Palestinian prisoners, though not all the ones that Hamas wants. Some that might be released are serving multiple life sentences for their roles in organizing suicide bombings.
By Ricardo Zamora
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BOGOTA, Colombia – President-elect, former defense minister Juan Manuel Santos, may be taking the high office in August, replacing the popular Alvaro Uribe, as the UN vows to investigate Santos’ and Uribe’s involvement in many civilian deaths.
Santos, as defense minister in the Uribe administration from 2006–2009, was in charge of the Colombian military during the height of its alleged “false positives” policy of murdering civilians. Army units allegedly killed civilians to give a false representation of combat fatalities during armed encounters against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
One of Santos’ primary responsibilities included leading Uribe’s mission to rid Colombia of the FARC in an effort to restore peace and security. The mission was a success insofar as it forced FARC out of urban areas and into the jungles, reducing the number of kidnapping and killings in the cities. Colombia praised Uribe for his efforts and many even consider him “the man who saved Colombia.”
However, many families of missing individuals notified human rights organizations with concerns over the reasons for their disappearance and alleged that military gains over FARC were being boosted by what became known as “false positive” killings of innocent civilians.
Investigations following those allegations resulted in the removal of the chief of the Colombian military and 27 other officers. Santos, however, kept his post and maintains that the killings were not ordered by the government but acts committed by individual soldiers.
UN investigators openly challenge Santos’ account and believe that while the Colombian government has taken steps to prevent such killings, over 98% of the deaths remain unpunished.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, Philip Alston, wrote in a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council last month that “[t]here have been too many killings of a similar nature to characterize them as isolated incidents carried out by individual rogue soldiers or units, or bad apples. Soldiers simply knew that they could get away with murder, he added.
Uribe, taking a slightly different approach than Santos has argued that the use of all necessary force to combat FARC was worth it. He claims that the ends justified the means.
Human rights and UN officials are apprehensive about Santos’ ascent to the Presidency. Having been the head of Uribe’s FARC offensive in the past, he is likely to continue on the same course and time will only tell if the unjustified killings continue, and whether those responsible for past killings are brought to justice.
