War Crimes Prosecution Watch Volume 10, Issue 16 – October 19, 2015

War Crimes Prosecution Watch is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that compiles official documents and articles from major news sources detailing and analyzing salient issues pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes throughout the world. To subscribe, please email warcrimeswatch@pilpg.org and type “subscribe” in the subject line.

Opinions expressed in the articles herein represent the views of their authors and are not necessarily those of the War Crimes Prosecution Watch staff, the Case Western Reserve University School of Law or Public International Law & Policy Group.

Contents

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Central African Republic & Uganda

Darfur, Sudan

Democratic Republic of the CongoKenyaLibya

Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

AFRICA

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Mali

Chad

Nigeria

MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

Iraq

Syria

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Special Tribunal for Lebanon

Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal

War Crimes Investigations in Burma

TOPICS

Terrorism

Piracy

Gender-Based Violence

 

Suicide Bombing in Turkey Kills 95

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey – Last Sunday, protestors took to the streets to mourn the deaths of as many as 95 people who were killed by an apparent suicide bomber at a peace rally in Ankara the day before.  The names of those who died, were read one by one on television, on Sunday.

Family members of a victim of suicide bombing mourn the victims death. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

The government stated that it was likely that either the Islamic State or the Kurdish rebels were responsible for the suicide bombing. It is alleged that the bombing is similar to a previous suicide bombing incident that had been carried out by the Islamic State in July. That incident had killed 33 Turkish and Kurdish peace activists.

Mourners of the latest suicide bombing placed blame on Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The protestors blame him for promoting nationalism and violence in order to gain votes for the upcoming election.

President Erdogan has pursued a military campaign against Kurdish forces and much of the public does not agree with that decision. The government attempted to shut down social media sites like Twitter an Facebook, in order to prevent images of the carnage from circulating, but were unsuccessful.

The attack was one of the deadliest in modern Turkey, and many fear it is just the beginning of violence and political turmoil. Ahmet Yilmaz, who had been injured in the bombing, stated, “If these crises, bombings and blood continue, we will all be crippled in Turkey.”

The government stated that elections will still be held on November 1, 2015, as planned. Many fear that the bombings have compromised a fair election, because of people’s belief that the President is promoting violence for nationalist goals. President Erdogan wants the ruling party to remain in the majority. The military campaign against Kurdish rebels is seen as an attempt to gain the votes of nationalists. A previous polling volunteer, Omur Bolat, stated, “This bombing shows quite clearly that the election will not be conducted in a free, fair, and healthy way.”

A military campaign against the Kurdish rebels may end up benefiting the Islamic State, however. The Kurdish rebels have allied with the Syrian Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State. A Turkish military campaign would against Turkey’s Kurdish rebels would take pressure off of the Islamic State.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Islamic State Could Gain From Turkish Peace Rally Bombing – 11 October 2015

Los Angeles Times – Protests and Skepticism in Turkey Follow Bombings at Peace Rally – 11 October 2015

Reuters – Turkey Sees Islamic State Hand in Bombing, Vows Election Will go on – 11 October 2015

The Huffington Post UK – Turkey Focuses Investigation of Peace Rally Bombing on Islamic State – 11 October 2015

At Least Seven People Killed in Suicide Bombing in Pakistan

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan –

At least seven people were killed in a suicide bombing on Wednesday in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. Several other people were wounded in the attack.

The bombing was carried out at the office of lawmaker Sardar Amjad Farooq Khan Khosa, who leads the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz political party. Mr. Khosa was in Islamabad at the time of the bombing, but some of his junior officials and supporters were meeting at his office and were killed.

Rescue workers and others responding to the bombing at Mr. Khosa’s office. (Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

Police believe that a suicide bomber approached Mr. Khosa’s office on foot, but witnesses have reported that two attackers drove into his office on motorcycles and detonated the bomb.

While the motive for the attack remains unclear, authorities believe that the attack was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban because they have previously taken credit for similar attacks. District Police Chief Ghulam Mubashir Maken stated that the attack could have been made in retaliation for the recent killing of Malik Ishaq, a former leader of anti-Shiite militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Mr. Ishaq was killed by Pakistani security forces in July.

Mr. Khosa told the New York Times that he did not know what the motive behind the bombing could be and that he had not received any threats from militant groups. He also stated that he had no disputes with anyone. Mr. Khosa has condemned the attack and has stated that while many of his close political workers were killed during the bombing, he and his party will not abandon their battle against terrorism.

Last year, Pakistan began a campaign against the Pakistani Taliban and other terrorist groups. Overall, while the campaign has been successful in decreasing violence in Pakistan, there have still been attacks such as the killing of Punjab’s home minister, Shuja Khanzada, earlier this year. Mr. Khanzada was meeting with people in his constituency office in Punjab when he and seventeen others were killed by a suicide bomber.

The bombing comes at the start of Muharram, a holy month in the Islamic calendar which has been marked by terrorist attacks in years past. In the past decade, tens of thousands of people in Pakistan have been killed in attacks initiated by local and al-Qaida-linked foreign Islamic militant groups.

 

For more information, please see:

The Guardian – Seven Killed in Suspected Suicide Bombing at Pakistan MP’s Office – 14 October 2015

Khaleej Times – Bomb Blast Targeting Lawmaker Kills 7 in Pakistan – October 14 2015

Newsweek Pakistan – Bomb Kills Five in Taunsa – 14 October 2015

The New York Times – Suicide Attack at Lawmaker’s Office in Pakistan Kills at Least 7 – 14 October 2015

Pakistan Today – Blast at MNA’s political office in DG Khan, Seven Killed, Several Wounded – 14 October 2015

U.S. News and World Report – Police: Suicide Bombing Targeting Ruling Party Lawmaker Kills 7 in Central Pakistan – 14 October 2015

 

U.S. to Aid in Fight Against Boko Haram

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 

YAOUNDE, Cameroon – Today, at the request of the Cameroon government, the U.S. has promised to deploy 300 troops to aid in the fight against Islamist militant group, Boko Haram. The troops will be there to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, but should not be expected to engage in any live combat.

Nigerian Forces Clearing Boko Haram Camp. Photo Courtesy of ABC News

President Barack Obama announced his decision today in a War Powers Act notification letter addressed to the U.S. Congress. This letter not only told congress of plans to send troops to Cameroon but also informed them that 90 military personnel had arrived as of Oct. 12. The non-aggressive nature of these troops was stressed by assuring congress that they were only armed for personal for security and not for any offensive combat.

 

Once the full 300 troops arrives they will be providing a multi-nation task force, made up of troops from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin, with information from airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. There is no set time frame on how long these supporting troops are supposed to be in Cameroon. President Obama stated in his letter that, “they will remain in Cameroon until their support is no longer needed.”

 

The White House later commented that this decision was not prompted by any change in the assessment of threats in the region. It is notable that since Nigerian forces began having success fighting Boko Haram, the threat has spread out into neighboring countries and has taken on more guerilla style tactics. Although no change has been made to the threat assessment from the U.S.’s stand point, Boko Haram has certainly spread out of Nigeria in recent months and become more dangerous to the surrounding area.

 

In the last two weeks Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for multiple suicide bombings in Nigeria and neighboring countries. On Oct. 10, three suicide bombings went off in Chad and left 41 dead. The very next day, two suicide bombings took place in Cameroon and left 9 dead and 21 injured.

 

This is not the first time in recent memory that the U.S. has sent troops to help in the fight against Boko Haram. Last year, Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian girls from their school during a raid. At that time the U.S. sent 80 troops with drone surveillance equipment to help search for the missing girls. Sadly many of them where never found. Time will tell if these 300 troops are able to be more assistance against Boko Haram.

 

For more information, please see:

 

ABC News – US Deploying 300 Troops to Cameroon to Help Fight Boko Haram – 14 Oct. 2015

France 24 – US to send 300 troops to aid fight against Boko Haram – 14 Oct. 2015

The Hill – Obama pledges more troops to fight Boko Haram – 14 Oct. 2015

The Guardian – Obama to deploy 300 US troops to Cameroon to fight Boko Haram – 14 Oct. 2015