Hezbollah Attack on Convoy Prompts Israeli Response, U.N Peacekeeper Caught in the Crossfire
By Max Bartels
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Jerusalem, Israel
Three causalities have been confirmed from an attack on an Israeli military convoy and the resulting retaliation by Israeli forces. Anti-tank missiles were fired at the convoy in the Sheeba farms area, an area where the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria meet.. Hezbollah has claimed the attack is retaliation for the Israeli airstrike that killed six of its fighters as well as an Iranian Revolutionary Guards General in the Golan Heights Area. The Israeli military responded with ground and air operations including firing at least 50 artillery shells into Lebanon where they claimed Hezbollah operational positions were along the border.
Two of the causalities were Israeli soldiers in the convoy as well as one U.N Peace Keeper. The U.N did not release the nationality of the peacekeeper however, the Spanish Prime Minister’s Twitter feed expressed sadness at the death of a Spanish Soldier in Lebanon. The Spanish Defense Ministry later confirmed that the peacekeeper was a Spanish soldier. A spokes person for the U.N force in Lebanon urged maximum restraint to prevent an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. At this point it is unknown whether the Israeli military or Hezbollah killed the Spanish soldier, the IDF is reported to be investigating the incident. Some reports suggest that the peacekeeper was killed by the Israeli retaliatory strikes in Lebanon.
An hour after the attack on the convoy an Israeli military position on Mount Hermon came under mortar fire and Israeli authorities evacuated a nearby ski resort. Israel reports that none were harmed during the attack. Lebanese officials stated that to their knowledge none were harmed by the Israeli artillery strikes, which reportedly missed populated villages in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the attack on the convoy a “criminal terror attack” and further stated that Israel will not hesitate to retaliate on all fronts. Recently Israeli aircraft bombed Syrian Army artillery positions after rockets were fired from Syria into the Israeli occupied Golan Heights region. These recent events have been the most deadly since the 2006 Hezbollah attack on an Israeli convoy that started a month long war in Lebanon. Both U.N and Israeli officials have expressed their hope that events do not escalate further.
For more information, please see:
BBC News — Three Killed as Israel and Hezbollah Clash on Lebanese Border — 28 January 2015
Aljazeera — Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Missile Attack — 28 January 2015
Yahoo News — Lebanese Hezbollah Hits Israeli Convoy, Killing 2 Soldiers — 28 January 2015
Inside Argentina’s Secret Relationship with Iran
By Delisa Morris
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina has come under fire in the press in the past few days with the suspicious murder of Prosecutor Alberto Nisman. Nisman was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head just hours before he was expected to come before Congress and charge President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of having illegal dealings with Iran.
His allegations, in part, accuse Fernandez and top officials with deep ties to labor unions, social movements, and attempting to strike a deal between 2011 and 2013 in which they would export food products to Iran in exchange for importing oil.
In exchange, the Kirchner government would attempt to remove eight Iranian suspects in the AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing from an Interpol arrest list.
The so-called “oil for food” deal never materialized, which Nisman attributed to Foreign Minister Hector Timerman’s inability to persuade Interpol to remove the Iranians from its list.
Mr. Timerman has responded to these allegations by calling them “baseless”, and states that Argentina has never imported oil from Iran as evidence to the fact. He claimed that: “We don’t have too much trade with Iran. In fact it was Iran who placed an embargo against Argentina because of the accusations about their role in the bombing … and that they lifted unilaterally in 2007. But our trade with Iran is very small”
Furthermore, Fernandez claimed that Argentina had never imported petroleum from Iran. Which is false. In another statement Fernandez noted that Argentina does not import crude oil from Iran, because they do not have the facilities to process it. Also a false statement.
While the trade data shows, that no “oil for food” agreement was ever reached, Iran and Argentina have a clear trading partnership. This comes at a time when Iran’s trading partners are few due to US sanctions against companies that choose to trade with the country. Iran is benefitting from Argentinian food and Argentina has proven their willingness to disregard US sanctions.
Also, Fernandez is calling for the dissolution of the intelligence agency after the Nisman’s death, stating that it’s time to reform the intelligence service, because the existing one “has not served the national interests.”
For now Nisman’s death will remain a mystery, but there are many conspiracy theories in the air.
For more information, please see:
Business Insider – All Of Argentina Is Questioning Its Relationship With Iran — Here’s What That Relationship Actually Is – 27 Jan. 2015
Bueno Aires Herald – Iran’s representative in Argentina Denies Parallel Diplomacy – 25 Jan. 2015
NPR – Argentina’s President Dissolves Intelligence Agency, Citing Prosecutor’s Death – 26 Jan. 2015
CNN – Argentina’s President pushes intelligence shakeup after Nisman scandal – 27 Jan. 2015
Canadian Prime Minister To Announce New Security Legislation
By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
OTTAWA, Canada- Canada is planning on introducing new legislation aimed at giving more power to its police in the wake of two attacks by Muslim converts last year. Last October, a gunman attacked Canada’s Parliament, fatally shooting a soldier at a nearby war memorial. The attack came two days after another Canadian convert ran down two soldiers in Quebec. Days after the attack Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised new laws giving police more power to detain and arrest suspected terrorists.
Immediately after the Parliament attack, Canada’s Conservative government introduced a bill to enhance the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency.“These measures are designed to help authorities stop planned attacks, get threats off our streets, criminalize the promotion of terrorism, and prevent terrorists from traveling and recruiting others,” Harper stated. The bill is expected to remove safeguards on police powers to arrest, detain and restrain people without charge or the commission of an actual crime. The new laws would also give authorities more powers to track terror suspects abroad.
The bill will also make it easier for police to disrupt suspected terror plots by reducing the legal prerequisites required to obtain court-ordered peace bonds. Such orders can substantially affect the quality of living of national security targets. Failure to comply with the laws can result in a one-year jail sentence.
The Canadian Bar Association says the change in legislation would be a “big mistake.” Experts in constitutional law have noted that law enforcement agencies already have a very wide-range of powers.Those opposed to the new legislation have expressed concern that arresting and detaining people based on inchoate evidence is dangerous in regards to human rights. They argue that under the 2001 Anti-terrorism Act the government added safeguards to ensure these rights would not be violated.
Harper said the new legislation would not infringe on constitutionally protected rights such as free speech, association and religion. The nation’s leading independent organizations have not yet briefed or consulted on the government’s looming new anti-terror legislation.
For more information, please see the following:
BUSINESS TIMES – Canada To Unveil New Security Legislation After 2014 Attacks: PM – 25 Jan. 2015.
OTTAWA CITIZEN – Anti-Terror Bill: Can Government Balance Security and Civil Rights? – 25 Jan. 2015.
REUTERS – Canada To Unveil New Security Legislation After 2014 Attacks: PM – 25 Jan. 2015.