Militants Attempt to Disrupt Supply Line in Afghanistan

By Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NANGARHAR, Afghanistan — Militants have attacked a U.S. base in the Nangarhar province near the Pakistani border, setting dozens of parked NATO supply vehicles on fire, officials said. Dressed as Afghan police officers, three insurgents were killed after a lengthy gun battle with helicopter gunships. The incident was described as an “attempted but unsuccessful coordinated attack by enemy forces”.

NATO supply vehicles were set ablaze in the attack, blocking the supply route from Pakistan.

Ahmad Zia Abdulzia, a Nangarhar provincial spokesman, said militants wearing suicide vests and carrying weapons initiated the attack and that Afghan and U.S. forces exchanged gunfire with the insurgents until NATO helicopters joined the fight. The encounter began at approximately 6:30 A.M. and lasted three and a half hours.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in an upwelling of violence in Afghanistan. The violence is being interpreted by some as an effort by the Taliban to test the strength of Afghan forces ahead of the planned withdrawal of U.S.-led forces anticipated to occur by the end of next year.

The U.S. provides the bulk of military presence in Afghanistan with 68,000 troops, followed by the U.K. with 9,000 troops.

Officials have stated that no Afghan or U.S. soldiers were killed in the raid, and the attacks never gained entry to the base.

The financial cost of the attack to the United States is likely to be enormous.  “Our investigation shows some 41 vehicles – supply trucks and vehicles belonging to U.S. forces – were destroyed in the attack.” Abdulzai said.

The U.S. base is home to roughly 66,000 American troops along with forces from other countries. The base is an essential stopping point for NATO vehicles. The highway between Jalalabad city and Torkham, leading to the base, has been closed due to the attack.

Militants have frequently targeted the supply line through Afghanistan, leading NATO to a shift in transporting a majority of its supplies along routes in Central Asian states instead of through Pakistan.

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Taliban bombers attack US base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

UPI – Militants launch unsuccessful attack near U.S. base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

The Independent – Taliban attacks Nato base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

Yahoo! News – Afghan Taliban attack US base, NATO supply vehicles – 2 September 2013

Dutch-Born Former Nazi Officer Due in Court for Murdering POW in WWII

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

Former SS officer Siert Bruins, accused of murdering a Dutch resistance fighter over 70 years ago, is set to appear in court on Monday in Hagen, Germany.

Bruins is due in German court on Monday. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

Bruins, now 92 years old, is charged with the murder of Aldert Klaas Dijkema back in September 1944, while Bruins was stationed at the Dutch-German border. Bruins could face life imprisonment if he is found guilty of the murder.

Bruins, originally from Groningen in the north-east of the Netherlands, is one of the last suspected Nazi criminals to be detained in Germany.

Another former SS officer, Heinrich Boere, was convicted of murdering three Dutch civilians during World War II back in 2010.

Bruins is accused of shooting POW Aldert Klaas Dijkema four times in the back, in September 1944 in the Appingedam area east of Groningen. Bruins has admitted being present at the scene of the murder, but denies being the triggerman to the shooting. He contends that he was marching alongside Dijkema when the shots occurred. An alleged accomplice to the murder has recently died.

“I was marching at the prisoner’s side. Suddenly I heard a shot and he fell,” Bruins has stated.

Bruins was one of roughly 30,000 Dutch citizens who worked with the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

After the collapse of the Third Reich, Bruins was sentenced to death by the Netherlands in April 1949 for participating in this murder, as well as two other shootings, and the sentence was converted to life imprisonment. However, Bruins had become a German citizen, as Germany conferred German nationality on all foreigners who aided the Nazis during World War II. Accordingly, Dutch authorities failed to detain Bruins because he fled to Germany, as Germany does not extradite its nationals.

Bruins was, however, detained by the German authorities and sentenced to seven years in prison in February 1980 for the murder of two Jewish brothers in Delfzijl in the Netherlands in April 1945.

For more information, please see:

The China Post – Former SS Officer to Stand Trial in Germany – 2 September 2013

BBC News – Nazi Murder Trial: Ex-SS Man Siert Bruins Due in German Court – 1 September 2013

The Gulf Today – Former SS Officer, 92, to Stand Trial in Germany – 1 September 2013

Huffington Post – Siert Bruins, German Man, Charged With Nazi War Crimes – 1 September 2013

 

Yemeni Prime Minister Survives an Attempted Assassination

Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 SANAA, Yemen-Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa survived an assassination attempt when unidentified assailants opened fire on the Prime Minister’s motorcade on Saturday while he was returning from his office.  No one was injured during the attack.

Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa survives an attempted assassination (photo courtesy of Al Arabiyah)

Prime Minister Basindwa was appointed by President Abd Rabbuah Hadi in 2011 following the resignation of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh during a “Gulf-brokered power transfer deal.”  This is the first attack on the Prime Minister while other of his cabinet members have been targets.

With its prime location beside Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s top oil exporters with key access to international shipping routes, stability in Yemen has captured the attention of many Western countries.

However, Yemen has been experiencing numerous bouts of upheaval and turmoil in the last few years following Saleh’s resignation.  Southern and eastern Yemen have seen frequent assassinations of military and security officials in the past two years following an Islamist insurgency.

As of now, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, however, authorities have reason to believe Al Qaeda is involved.  Yemen is home to the headquarters of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is considered one of the most hostile branches.

It was discovered last week, via an intercepted phone call, that Al Qaeda was planning an attack that would “change the face of history.”  Authorities believe this attack and assassination attempt are what led to the closing of many U.S. and other Western embassies in the Middle East earlier this month.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying “We strongly condemn this brazen assassination attempt and remain committed to supporting Yemen as it pursues meaningful and peaceful reform through its ongoing transition process.”

The U.S. has long supported Yemen with funds and logistical information while regularly using drones to hunt down wanted Al Qaeda militants.  On Friday, four suspected members of Al Qaeda were killed in a drone strike while Saturday saw five other Al Qaeda leaders killed in a similar strike.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry said that Qa’ed al-Dahab, the commander of a local Al Qaeda-linked group, has escaped the last two drone strikes and remains a central threat.

Ali al-Sarari, an aid to the Prime Minster, reported that security forces are in the process of tracking down the vehicle used in the shooting.  He further stated that Basindwa’s guards identified the license plates of the vehicle.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Arabiya-Aide: Yemen’s PM escapes assassination attempt-September 1, 2013

Al Bawaba-Yemeni PM survives assassination attempt-September 1, 2013

Aljazeera-Yemen PM escapes assassination attempt-August 31, 2013

BBC-Yemen violence: PM Basindwa unhurt in assassination bid-August 31, 2013

Reuters-Yemen PM escapes unhurt after gunmen shoot at motorcade: aide-August 31, 2013

President Obama Seeks Congressional Authorization to Intervene in Syria

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – President Obama announced plans on Saturday to delay military action against Syria, opting to ask Congress to authorize strikes against Syrian chemical weapon depots.  This announcement came days after the United States accused the Assad regime of using sarin gas to kill 1400 of its own civilians.

President Obama spoke from the White House rose garden Saturday, calling on Congress to pass an authorization for the use of military force. (Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

After laying out evidence that Bashar al-Assad’s forces were responsible for the August 21 attack in Damascus, President Obama explained that a strike against Syria’s chemical weapons depots, while important, is not time sensitive.  President Obama then surprised his advisers on the President’s National Security Council by asking for Congressional approval to make limited strikes to Syrian military targets.

The President explained that he believes a military response is necessary to demonstrate the consequences of ignoring international treaties banning the use of chemical weapons.  He noted that any military action in Syria would not involve “boots on the ground” or a prolonged occupation.

Reactions to President Obama’s decision were mixed.  Secretary of State John Kerry praised the President’s willingness to consult the People’s Representatives, calling his decision “courageous.”  While appearing on “Fox News Sunday” Kerry warned that the President would not wait for Congressional approval if there was evidence of further chemical weapon attacks.

President Obama stated that members of both parties in Congress have agreed to schedule a debate and vote as soon as Congress comes back into session September 9. Some members of Congress praise the President for seeking their authorization for military force.

Presidents are not required to seek Congressional approval for limited military interventions under the War Powers Act.

Political analysts speculate that shifting the decision to Congress allows the President to walk back statements he made to Assad last year. President Obama told Assad last year that the use of chemical weapons would be the “red line” by which the United States would be forced to intervene.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post – Obama says U.S. will take military action against Syria, pending Congress’s approval – 31 August 2013

CBS News – Obama seeks Syria strike with Congress’ approval – 31 August 2013

The New York Times – Kerry Casts Obama’s Syria Decision as ‘Courageous’ – 1 September 2013

USA Today – Obama surprised staff with decision on Syria – 1 September 2013

CNN – ‘War-weary’ Obama says Syria chemical attack requires response – 30 August 2013

War Crimes Court to Rule on Liberia’s Ex-President

By: Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Africa

MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberia’s ex-president, Charles Taylor, faces the international court handling his appeal against his conviction for war crimes, such as aiding and abetting atrocities by rebels, in Sierra Leone.  The court will deliver its decision next month.  Taylor seeks to overturn his conviction and 50-year prison sentence.

Liberian ex-president, Charles Taylor, at hearing in May 2012 (photo courtesy of Africa Review)

Last year Taylor was found guilty of lending support to Sierra Leone rebels who raged a terror campaign during a civil war that claimed 120,000 lives between 1991 and 2001, in exchange for “blood diamonds” mined by slave labor.

The Liberian war officially ended in 2002.

The court found him guilty on 11 charges, including acts of terrorism, murder, rape, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers.

Taylor’s defense attorneys appealed, arguing that the judges made systematic errors during Taylor’s trial and that the sentence was too severe.  They further argued that there is no evidence linking Taylor to the crimes the rebels committed.

Prosecutor’s also appealed, arguing that Taylor personally ordered rebels to commit crimes and that his sentence was too light.  Prosecutors seek Taylor’s prison time to be increased to 80 years.

Taylor’s sentence in May 2012 was the first handed down by an international court against a former head of state since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in 1946.

Taylor was president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, until he was forced to resign under international pressure.  Taylor was accused of giving rebels guns and ammunition during the conflict, which judges found were known for its mutilations, drugged child soldiers, and sex slaves.

After a 3 year exile in Nigeria, Taylor was returned to Liberia in 2006 and transferred to a Special Court.

Taylor’s trial, which ended in 2011, saw a number of high-profile witnesses testifying.  These witnesses included British supermodel Naomi Campbell, who told the court she received a gift of “dirty diamonds” from Taylor.

If Taylor, who is 65, loses the appeal, he is expected to be transferred to a UK prison to serve his sentence.

For further information, please visit:

Yahoo! News – Liberia’s Taylor to hear appeal ruling on September 26 – 27 August 2013
AllAfrica – Liberia: War Crimes Court to Rule On Charles Taylor Appeal – 27 August 2013
The New Zealand Herald – Court sets date for Charles Taylor appeal judgment – 28 August 2013
Voice of America – War Crimes Court to Rule on Charles Taylor Appeal – 27 August 2013
DailyMe – War Crimes Court to Rule on Charles Taylor Appeal Sept. 26 – 27 August 2013
Africa Review – Court to rule on Charles Taylor’s appeal case next month – 28 August 2013