U.S.-Jordanian Partnership Out in the Open

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AMMAN, Jordan– Last week’s suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA operatives and one Jordanian intelligence officer has exposed the partnership between Jordanian and American intelligence sources.

Despite Jordan’s involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations since 2001, they have worked hard to keep their involvement secret due to the high unpopularity of both wars in the Arab world.  However, with last week’s bombing in which a distant relative of Jordan’s King Abdullah II was killed, the intelligence partnership between the two countries has been forced into the open.

In such conflicts, the CIA has a long history of turning to local intelligence agencies for their ability to provide human resources.  Most notably, in 2006, Jordan’s intelligence service, the General Intelligence Directorate (GID), provided the U.S. military with crucial intelligence that led to the airstrike which killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian born leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Yet, despite the intelligence collaboration, the GID has a fearsome reputation in the Arab world.  They have been accused of human rights abuses as well as cooperation with the CIA’s extraordinary rendition of al Qaeda suspects.

In light of the suicide attack last week, Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs, Naser Judeh, not only acknowledged his country’s presence in the Afghanistan war, but pledged that such a role was going to expand.

In comments to Secretary of State Clinton last week in Washington, Judeh said that “our presence in Afghanistan today is two-fold: number one, to combat terrorism and the root causes of terrorism, but also to help out in the humanitarian effort that is needed there.”  He further commented that “our presence in Afghanistan will be enhanced and increased in the coming phase. This is something that is ongoing.”

With the increased presence, there are fears among those in Jordan.  A senior official, who specializes in Islamic movements, said the announcement is expected to heat up Jordan’s war with al Qaeda.  As the analyst noted, “it will widen the war with al Qaeda where Jordan was formerly not a priority target.”

For more information, please see:

The National- Jordan Reveals Growing Role in Afghan War– 9 January 2010

Christian Science Monitor- CIA Killings in Afghanistan Spotlight Jordan as Key U.S. Intelligence Partner– 6 January 2010

BBC News- Afghanistan CIA Killings a Major Blow to U.S. and Jordan– 5 January 2010

UN to Continue Giving Somalia Food Aid Despite Insecurity

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
MOGADISHU, Somalia – According to the top US military official, al Shabaab rebel group’s disruptions of the UN World Food Program’s (WFP) operations could worsen Somalia’s humanitarian crisis.

“(The situation) is a great concern because over an extended period of time, the potential for a humanitarian crisis is pretty significant,” said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He also called the al Shabaab a “growing terrorist organization.”

Al Shabaab militants threatened the WFP, causing it to suspend operations in much of southern Somalia.  According to WFP Spokeswoman Emilia Casella, the rebels demanded that the agency remove all women and pay protection money to guarantee the safety of its staff.  Nevertheless, the agency has said that the lines of communication are open and that it has no intention of leaving Somalia.

“We have not closed any doors.  We have not closed any lines of communication,” said Casella.  “What we are hoping is that a resolution can be found so that we can have assurances that humanitarian principles will be respected and that the safety of our staff willbe respected and guaranteed so that we can return to working in the southern part of Somalia as we are continuing to work in the rest of Somalia.”

Nearly three quarters of the country’s 3.76 million who are in need of aid are concentrated in central and southern Somalia.  The WFP has emphasized that the suspension is only temporary and that aid to the rest of the country is still in operation.

“We do anticipate that it is possible there will be movement or could be movement to other parts of Somalia by some people who have been affected or towards the borders,” said Casella.  “And, so for that reason, the staff and the supplies and equipment that were in our six offices in the southern part of Somalia have already been moved from that area to areas of Somalia where we are continuing to work.”

WFP is anticipating demand increasing in certain areas and is working with its partner organizations to pre-position supplies in those areas.

Despite WFP’s suspension of operations, several UN agencies remain in operation in southern Somalia, although they are facing difficulty, said Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Byrs did say that there has been a steady decline of humanitarian staff following incidents of looting, extortion, assaults, and kidnappings of aid workers.

“Discussions are also under way to determine whether and how other programs, such as nutrition, could be adjusted to mitigate any potential negative effects in the area under suspension,” she said.

Over the past year, the number of people in need of aid has risen over half a million bringing the total number of people in need to well over half of the population.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – UN Food Aid Trouble in Somalia ‘a Great Concern’: US – 09 January 2010

UN News Centre – UN Aid Agencies Will Not Abandon Somalia Despite Insecurity, says Official – 08 January 2010

VOA – WFP Sees No Quick Solution to Somalia Crisis – 08 January 2010

Sri Lanka Rejects Execution Video Claim

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka- Sri Lanka has rejected UN claims that a video which shows extra-judicial killing by Sri Lankan troops is genuine.  On Friday, the government said that a video allegedly showing its troops killing blindfolded, naked Tamils during the civil war was a fabrication and dismissed as biased a U.N. investigation confirming its apparent authenticity.

U.N. Human rights investigator, Philip Alston, said on Thursday the footage was probably real, and called for a war crimes investigation into the final months of the war between the government and Tamil rebels that ended in May.

Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said on Friday, “We don’t accept his conclusions, and we believe his conclusions are highly subjective and biased…We believe he is on a crusade of his own to force a war crime inquiry against Sri Lanka.”  He said the government’s own investigation of the footage revealed it was filled with “discrepancies and shortcomings,” and accused Alston of not following proper procedures before announcing his conclusions about the footage.

The footage which appears to show the summary execution of Tamils by Sri Lankan troops, was shot by a Sri Lankan soldier using a cell phone in January 2009, according to Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, which released the footage.

While the government dismissed the footage as fake, Alston said reports by three U.S.-based independent experts on forensic pathology, video analysis and firearm evidence “strongly suggest that the video is authentic.”  These experts concluded the footage of the shootings showed the use of live ammunition, and there was no evidence that the images of two people being shot in the head at close range had been manipulated.

The U.S. State Department has accused the government and the rebels of possible war crimes in the killing of civilians during the final months of fighting, when government forces crushed the rebels and ended 25 years of civil war.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, said on Friday “We believe a full and impartial investigation is critical if we’re to confront all the very big question marks that hang over this war…Obviously if the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Sri Lankan government has done nothing wrong, it will have nothing to fear from an international investigation.”  Sri Lanka however, has on numerous occasions rejected calls for international investigation of its conduct during the fighting as an infringement of its sovereignty.

The civil war on the island nation killed between 80,000 and 100,000 since 1983, and more than 7,000 civilians were killed in the last months of the war.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Sri Lanka rejects UN Execution Video Claims– 8 January 2010

The Canadian Press- Sri Lanka Reject UN’s Conclusions on Video Purporting to Show Army’s Execution of Tamils – 8 January 2010

The New York Times- Sri Lanka Rejects U.N. Execution Video Report– 8 January 2010

Shelling in Mogadishu Kills 20

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 20 people have been killed and more than 35 others wounded in north of the Somali capital Mogadishu, just as heavy shelling landed into several areas in the capital on Thursday afternoon.

The bombardment started after rebel fighters launched mortar attacks on the Somali presidential Palace, which was hosting a meeting between Somali president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and traditional elders. African Union troops, which guard the palace, responded to the attack with heavy artillery shells that landed in Mogadishu’s northern neighbourhoods of Yaqshid and Shibi.

Mostly civilians were confirmed as casualties by the Mogadishu ambulance workers, who had hard time evading the shelling themselves in order to reach the wounded.

Reports say that most of the areas where the mortar shells affected were: Tokyo neighborhood, Sukba’ad, the second largest market in Mogadishu and Yakshid police station, all in the north of the capital.

Ali Muse, head of the emergency ambulance said that they took 19 wounded civilians including all parts of the people and added that they saw 11 dead bodies in the area as well.

The Somali PM called on international community not to organize another national reconciliation talks but instead to help his fragile government. The Somali government, which only control few blocks of Mogadishu, has been faced with daunting task of restoring peace and order in a country. The country has been marred by years of civil strife.

For more information, please see:

Garrowe Online- Shelling Rocks Mogadishu, 20 Dead – 7 January 2010

Shabelle Media Network – Heavy Shelling Kills 20, Wounds More Than 35 Others in North Mogadishu – 8 January 2010

Shabelle Media Network – Mortars Murder 1, Injuries 3 Others in Mogadishu – 8 January 2010

Iraq Bombing Targets Security Forces

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

HEET, Iraq – Coordinated bombings on January 7 targeted the homes of four police officers in western Iraq. The bombings took place in the Iraqi town of Heet and killed seven individuals. Among the dead was the town’s anti-terror chief. The bombings wounded six individuals. Heet is located thirty five miles

The attackers alleged planted explosives around the bedrooms of the policemen in the town. According to Lieutenant Colonel Fadhil Nimrawi, the head of Heet’s emergency response unit, “at 3:00am, men planted bombs around the bedrooms of four houses belonging to members of the police force, including Major Wali al-Heeti, the head of Heet’s anti-terror department.”

According to Nimwari, the dead include Heeti’s wife and mother, child and three other police officers. The four houses targeted were in different neighborhoods across the center of the city. No vehicles were being allowed in or out of the town as part of the ramped up security.

Nimwari also said that several people had been arrested in connection with the attack, but did not specify how many. Security forces were still looking into other people they suspected of being involved in the bombings. According to Sheikh Muhammad Abu Wissam, a tribal leader, “there are terrorist cells there and they are benefiting from an security breach to carry out more attacks.

Violence has been rising in Iraq as the country prepares for a March general election. The attack comes a week after a double suicide blast in the provincial capital Ramadi killed twenty five people and severely injured regional governor Qassim Mohammed. The Anbar Province, where Heet is located, will have over half its seven thousand five hundred American troops withdrawn by the end of the month.

The BBC reports that Anbar province was once a hotbed of insurgency, but two years ago, local Sunni tribes and their followers turned against the militants, and joined common cause against them with the Iraqi government and American forces. The province remained relatively calm for some time, but it appears to be suffering from a number of revenge attacks by Islamist militants.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Anti-terror Chief Among Seven Killed in Iraq Blasts – 7 January 2010

BBC – Iraq Bomb Attack on Senior Police Kills Eight – 7 January 2010

New York Times – Blasts Strike at Officials in Iraq’s West – 7 January 2010

Reuters – Bombings Target Iraqi Army Commander – 7 January 2010