Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog

Locals starving and allegedly forced to eat family pets

Yesterday I saw a photo of the head of a cat posted on social media with a knife to its throat. A second photo showed what appeared to be a skinned animal revealing the meat of a small creature. Initially I thought it was some horrible animal torture ritual as the caption was not in English. It was only later I learnt that the animal, possibly a family pet was allegedly being killed to feed starving civilians in Madaya, a Syrian town of 40,000 mainly Sunni Muslim residents near to the Lebanese border. A number of locals are said to have died in recent weeks according to local activists.

A mother feeds her daughter water mixed with jam (Image ITV)

I could not independently confirm the images however Madaya has been under siege since July by forces loyal to the government of Bashar al Assad and their allies Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement. Recent media reports claim civilians are in dire circumstances as food supplies have almost run out and malnutrition has now replaced mercy. Locals are so desperate in their fight for survival they are “forced to eat grass and drink water flavoured with jam or spices” claimed a Sky News report.

According to the BBC,

“activists said the siege of Madaya had been stepped up by the government and Hezbollah in retaliation for the rebel siege of Foah and Kefraya.

The situation in the predominantly Shia villages, about 7km (5 miles) to the north of the rebel-held provincial city of Idlib, is also reported to have worsened since the fall in September of a nearby government air base where helicopters were able to land and drop off food supplies.”

On January 4th, a poster appeared on a Facebook page which read, “190 days of siege, awaiting death, #Madaya”. Humanitarian aid was last able to reach the town in October when 20 lorries made it through but the situation is now worse. The young and elderly are most at risk. Mother are unable to provide milk for their babies and children appear hollow eyed and listless.

The Guardian reported “rice is sold by the gram because a kilogram costs as much as $250 (£170), the paper also stated, Louay, a social worker who spoke by phone saying,

“people are dying in slow motion. We had some flowers growing in pots at home. Yesterday, we picked the petals and ate them, but they were bitter, awful.”

Boy stated he had been without food for 7 days (Image ABC)

ABC’S Sophie McNeil was sent a video (which could not be independently confirmed) which showed a young boy who said he had not eaten for 7 days. A baby was said to have been without milk for a month and was being fed a mixture of salt and water. Medecins Sans Frontiers told ABC,

“‘we are very worried about recording more deaths due to malnutrition or lack of access to food,’ the official said, speaking on anonymity because they work inside besieged parts of Syria”

See ABC video report on the following link,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-07/msf-says-thousands-starving-in-besieged-syrian-town/7072892

Majid Freeman (Winter in Syria, One Nation) tweeted,

The people in #madaya don’t just need food for a few meals (even though that would help) but they need the siege to be broken. Dua pls

Louisa Loveluck (Middle East reporter for the Daily Telegraph)

Mother in Madaya: “My daughter is so thin I see her muscles straining when she cries, and I cannot help. I am her mother and I cannot help.”

Syrian government response

AFP have just updated that “the Syrian government has agreed to allow much-needed aid into the besieged town of Madaya where thousands take starvation.” The Straits Times stated,

“DAMASCUS (AFP) – Syria’s government on Thursday (Jan 7) gave permission to the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid to three besieged towns including Madaya near Damascus, the United Nations said.

“The UN welcomes today’s approval from the Government of Syria to access Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya and is preparing to deliver humanitarian assistance in the coming days,” a UN statement said.”

English translation of Hezbollah response re allegations of starving in‪#‎Madaya‬ Translation of ‪#‎Hezbollah‬ communiqué by @witayim , gathered by @MaxDanieldiber

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Photo alleging use of cluster bombs in Sanaa (Nasser Arrabyee)

Allegations continue to emerge accusing Saudi Arabia of using cluster bombs on Yemen in the ongoing war following Houthi rebel group take over of the capital Sanaa. The latest attack was said to be on the 6th January 2016. Cluster bombs are banned under a treaty signed by 116 countries, but not by Saudi Arabia. The Cluster Munition Coalition state,

“cluster munitions are dropped from aircraft or fired from the ground or sea, opening up in mid-air to release tens or hundreds of submunitions, which can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields. Anybody within the strike area of the cluster munition, be they military or civilian, is very likely to be killed or seriously injured.

The fuze of each submunition is generally activated as it falls so that it will explode above or on the ground. But often large numbers of the submunitions fail to work as designed, and instead land on the ground without exploding, where they remain as very dangerous duds.”

New photos have emerged posted by Nasser Arrabyee, Yemeni Journalist, Film-maker of (Yemen Alaan, meaning Yemen now) which claim to show evidence of their use on the streets of Sanaa yesterday. Arrabyee claimed 15 cars were damaged and showed photos of buildings allegedly hit. He said Yemen authorities were warning people not to touch remains of cluster bombs.

Photos claiming to show evidence of cluster bombs

“US-backed Saudi war criminals dropping, hysterically and randomly cluster bombs on streets of Sanaa Yemen today” Nasser Arrabyee

Past allegations

Back in October 2014, Yemeni doctors appealed for help in treating injuries from alleged prohibited weapons showing photos of a man with extensive injuries, see following photo and link,

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/yemeni-doctors-appeal-for-help-in-treating-injuries-from-alleged-prohibited-weapons/

In May 2014, the BBC reported that Human Rights Watch stated, “it had evidence that the bombs were used at least twice against Houthi rebels. There were no reports of casualties.” BBC also said,

“the US and the other countries in Saudi Arabia’s military coalition are not signatories of the 2008 treaty (which banned cluster bombs). The US does however bar the sale of the weapons to countries that use them in civilian areas.”

Saudi Arabia denies using cluster bombs.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

“Yemen blind boy appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

Demonstrators took to the streets today in protest at Saudi Arabia bombing of al Noor Center for Care and Rehabilitation of the Blind in Sanaa, Yemen by Saudi Arabia. The attack on the building in the al-Safia district on the 5th January 2016 wounded at least 3 people according to an official quoted by Yemen News Agency (Saba Net). The Intercept reported that “the city’s chamber of commerce, a wedding hall, and at least one residential area” were also damaged.

Abdullah Ahmed Banyan, who attends the centre told IB Times,

“people with disabilities are being struck in their residence. Around 1.30am, two missiles hit the live-in quarters of a home for the blind. Can you imagine they are striking the blind? What is this criminality? Why? Is it the blind that are fighting the war?”

Dr Nasreen, Social equity activist from Northern California tweeted President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin asking, “where’s the United Nations Security Council Resolution condemning this, ending Saudi Arabia war on Yemen?”

Back in October 2014 Medecins Sans Frontier (MSF) health facilities were targeted in an aerial bombing in the northern province of Saada, Yemen. There were no deaths from the Saudi Arabia led coalition airstrike though MSF reported 2 staff suffered injuries due to flying debris (see link),

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/yemen-another-msf-hospital-bombed-international-rules-of-war-ignored-again/

Then in early December an airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition hit a clinic in Taiz, southern Yemen run by MSF, wounding nine people, including two MSF staff (see article),

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/yemen-nine-wounded-in-saudi-led-coalition-airstrike-on-msf-clinic-in-taiz-statement-medecins-sans-frontieres/

Nasser Arrabyee a Yemeni Journalist, Film-maker at (Yemen Alaan, meaning Yemen Now) is critical of countries backing Saudi Arabia and turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and highlighted, “US, UK. France silence over Saudi war crimes is very dangerous against all their values and threat to their nations. And their support is war crimes.”

Arrabyee posted a series of photos detailing the demonstration on Tuesday led by blind Yemenis. One man read out a poem, Arrabyee said “the translation of the poem is, Saudi war crimes in Yemen is a big shame on humans.”

Blind civilians and their families affected by bombing on school/care centre

“Yemen blind man reciting poem denouncing Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemenis in Sanaa today appealing to the world for stopping Saudi war crimes against schools and disabled people”

“Saudi war criminals jets bombed destroyed places N Sanaa Yemen only to scare students. Walking out, screaming. I saw them” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind woman appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind boy with father appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school” Nasser Arrabyee

“This is the Blind People School destroyed by Saudi war criminals today in Sanaa Yemen” Yasser Arabyee

“Yemen disabled people appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind boy appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroyed blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind girl appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroyed blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind children appealing humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemen blind man appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

“Yemeni woman appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee 

“This is the Blind People School destroyed by Saudi war criminals today in Sanaa Yemen Nasser” Arrabyee

“Yemen blind children appealing to humanity for stopping Saudi war crimes after destroying blind school in Sanaa Tuesday” Nasser Arrabyee

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

The use of the death penalty last year increased dramatically in countries closely allied to the UK, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to new figures collated by human rights organization Reprieve.

The governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan both oversaw unprecedented numbers of executions. The Pakistani authorities hanged some 322 people after reinstating the death penalty in December 2014 – making it the world’s third most prolific executioner. Saudi Arabia killed 158 people in 2015, in comparison with approximately 88 in 2014. The Saudi authorities went on to begin 2016 with a mass execution of 47 prisoners on Saturday (2nd). Those killed included Sheikh Nimr, a well-known activist and critic of the government, and three young men arrested for attending protests.

China was believed to have topped the list of executioners in 2015, killing over 1,000 people, although exact figures are a state secret. Iran followed close behind, with nearly 1,000 hangings – a marked increase from 2014.

Executions took place amid concerns over juvenile arrests, unfair trials and the use of police torture to extract statements. In Saudi Arabia, there are fears that three juveniles arrested for attending protests – Ali al-Nimr, Dawoud al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher – could be next in line for execution, despite having been tortured into ‘confessing.’

The UK government is known to have signed security and justice-related cooperation agreements with both the Saudi and Pakistani governments – support that includes funding for Pakistani counter-narcotics forces, whose arrests have led to death sentences. Last night, Tobias Ellwood was repeatedly asked by MPs to publish secret Foreign Office and Home Office cooperation agreements with the Saudi government, and to condemn that government’s executions. However, he refused to do so.

Concerns have also been raised about the UK’s commitment to preventing executions, after it emerged the government had abandoned its previous strategy for the abolition of the death penalty.

Commenting, Maya Foa, Director of Reprieve’s death penalty team, said: “Over the last year execution rates accelerated dramatically in both Iran and Saudi Arabia, while Pakistan embarked on an unprecedented execution spree that saw more than 300 people hanged. All three countries handed down death sentences to children, the mentally ill, and people convicted of non-lethal offences – from political protest in Saudi Arabia to drug offences in Pakistan to ‘crimes against God’ in Iran.

“Despite these alarming spikes in the use of capital punishment, 2015 saw the British Government abandon its commitment to fight the death penalty overseas, while providing millions in funding for brutal police forces which send non-lethal offenders to death row. Reprieve is now calling for the Government to publish a proper plan to fight the death penalty abroad, and freeze support for foreign police forces whose raids enable executions”.

ENDS

Links

Reprieve website

http://www.reprieve.org.uk/
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate

On Wednesday 23^rd of December 2015 the district of Sangin in southern Helmand province was completely cleansed from the filth of occupation and afforded an opportunity to breathe the clean fresh air of freedom for the first time in 14 years.

Many media conglomerates broadcasted this event and many analysts debated the pitfalls and shortcomings of the righteous campaign but none actually veered into the depths of this monumental event and searched beyond the storyline to understand the sacrifices, courage and epics which transpired here.

The epic of Sangin is not some one-day event or some average incident that can be summarized in a few short radio segments or analysis rather this event has a 14 year story and enormous sacrifices behind it. Sangin has not only defeated the local auxiliary forces rather Britain, America and many European countries have also tested their mettle and each one has left with a mountain of skulls and tidal waves of disappointments.

Today as I reminisced in my memories I was hit with a seemingly endless series of untold tales of heroics, valor and sacrifices that have taken place in every corner of the proud land of Afghanistan. Although the long story of Sangin cannot be done justice to by writing it down on a piece of paper however I wish to share a small sample of my recollections.

Getting to know Sangin

I had heard of the name Sangin but only came to know it as a Jihad-loving and invader crushing region when British soldiers entered it and found themselves embroiled in bloody fighting in 2007. I still vividly remember how BBC was shocked by the fact the British had lost 10 soldiers in a single week at Sangin. The then British general in Helmand frustrated by the war in Sangin and with a spirit of vengeance declared during an interview: As a soldier I believe the history of Maiwand will not be repeated in Sangin, meaning that the English forces will not accept defeat at the hands of Afghan villagers.

This arrogant assertion would be proven wrong by history as the Englishmen left Sangin wishing Maiwand had shown her face and delivered them from this humiliation.

Axe wielding child vs Tanks

This incident was narrated to me in the year 2009 by Mullah Ruhul Amin Ruhani, a resident of Sangin’s Sarwan Kala region who at the time was the Jihadi in-charge of Uruzgan province.

One day a convoy of about 32 vehicles mainly Ford Ranger pickup trucks of hirelings backed by several US tanks (APCs) arrived at Sarwan Kala region from Kajaki district. Mujahidin cut-off all 3 routes leading out of Sarwan Kala before initiating attacks on the enemy. At this moment many villagers rushed out in the support of Mujahidin to the extent that I saw an elderly woman shooting at the Englishmen with a pistol, a child wielding an axe as he ran towards the battlefield and an old man firing round after round with his old Enfield rifle. These attacks forced the enemy troops to begin abandoning their vehicles and running towards the nearby hills to seek protection as bullets flied towards them from behind. All in all only 2 vehicles managed to escape towards Sangin center while the other vehicles along with a large amount of arms and equipment including 4 mortar tubes with 300 rounds each were seize by the Mujahidin. At night about 30 helicopters arrived to the area, not to engage the Mujahidin, but merely to recover the bodies of their comrades and rescue the stranded.

Story by Mullah Obaidul Rahman

Mullah Obaidul Rahman is a famous Taliban commander and the nephew of the martyr, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Uthmani.

I met him in the month of May 2010 when he was a 25 year old commander of a Jihadi front in Sangin. He narrated the following to me about the situation of Sangin:

The enemy has erected about 30 check posts in the very small area between Sangin riverbed and Greshk and they have similarly built big outposts in Sangin bazaar and Majeed intersection. The enemy has exerted a lot of force to secure the road stretching towards Kajaki however the entire outlying rural areas are under the control of Mujahidin.

Every time the enemy combat patrols leave their bases they run into a labyrinth of IED networks or Mujahideen groups who engaged them with 82mm recoilless rifles, RPGs, snipers and M16 rifles, often forcing the enemy to throw smoke grenades for cover as they collect their casualties and begin their march back towards their bases.

The enemy base located at Majeed intersection is regularly targeted by Mujahideen from the adjacent buildings where they have constructed small holes into the walls from to shoot at any soldier who dares to show himself. Mujahidin have killed many enemy personnel manning the guard tower that is why they have now concealed them with camouflage which makes their spotting very difficult.

The enemy is also using small aircrafts which they fly from their bases for recon before setting out on their patrols however the Mujahidin have countered them with sniper fire, taking into possession around 12 various shaped planes. Similarly over the past one and a half month over 35 enemy tanks (APCs) have been destroyed in this area alone with IEDs and rocket attacks.

Countering IED finding robot

Mullah Obaidul Rahman also narrated how they foiled a new technique of the foreign invaders.

He said that as the losses of the foreigners began mounting and their routes were closed off due to the effective use of IEDs by the Mujahidin, they began employing robotic vehicles which would veer out of the enemy outposts before a patrol set out.

This technique was successful to an extent as the enemy managed to destroy many IEDs using this robot to would drive to the area of concern, place explosives over a detected IED and detonate it after driving away to a safe distance.

This robot began causing concern among the Mujahidin so one day 2 courageous Mujahidin drove close an outpost where an IED was placed in anticipation of the robot. When the robot came out to search for IEDs, one of the Mujahid ran towards it and wrapped it in his shoulder shroud as the second drove towards him in a motorbike before both sped off with their prized trophy.

Both of the participants of this operation said that the robot beeped a multitude of sounds during its captivity but technology succumbed when faced with the power of Iman (faith).

Unnamed heroes

It goes without saying that the epics of Sangin like all other victories are only gained with a multitude of skulls and selfless sacrifices of a caravan of unnamed heroes who present their souls to the Lord of the Universe in no other hope but gaining a moment of His pleasure while asking for nothing else in return.

In this series I remembered the story of an old man from Sarwan Kala region’s Alokozo village who displayed the power of his faith to the infidels on January 18^th2011 when he struck an American commander in the head with a stone and put him to everlasting sleep. I cannot remember the name of this old man who was later martyred with hundreds of bullets but I do remember the name of another teenager who about a month later stabbed to death 2 American soldiers in Sangin bazaar, his name was Jalat Khan.

Other such heroes who have laid down their lives in the battles of Sangin and through the blessings of whose sacrifices we are celebrating this current victory are Mullah Abdul Bari, Haji Nasrullah, Mawlawi Sa’aduddin, Hafiz Nasim, Mullah Muhammad Nazar Farooqi, Mullah Abdul Qawi, Mullah Amin Tofan, Mullah Abdul Ghafar, Mullah Lala, Haji Ahmad, Haji Mullah Muhammad Jamali and hundreds of others, may Allah accept their martyrdoms.

WWI tactic and current advance

The invaders exerted all force they could muster to tame Sangin, erecting thousands of posts in the province and hundreds in Sangin before exhaustion caught up with them as the unending guerilla tactics of Mujahidin took its toll.

On the 19^th May of 2013 hundreds of Mujahidin crossed the wild Helmand River and infiltrated into Sarwan Kala region, formally bringing an end to guerilla tactics and ushering in a period of frontal warfare by launching fierce relentless attacks on the Arbaki militia check posts.

Taliban easily uprooted the enemy check posts but the huge fortified army bases needed a strategy buried deep inside history books. A tactic used by the French forces against the fortified German positions a hundred years earlier.

According to a Taliban commander, the Mujahidin painstakingly began digging tunnels towards the enemy outposts from a distance of about a hundred meters before placing between 1000-1200 kg of explosives right under them and blowing these structures to smithereens.

Realizing the strategic importance of Sangin, the governor of Helmand Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund initially cleared Sarwan Kala region and closed it off the road stretching towards Kajaki. With his orders the Mujahidin then demolished all check posts located between Sangin and Gerishk districts which resulted in the complete isolation of enemy troops in Sangin. To break this siege and reverse Taliban gains the regime launched an operation dubbed ‘Zulfiqar’ in the month of February 2015 where they set fire to Malmand bazaar and razed around 1500 homes and orchards on the road between Gerishk and Sangin.

However these barbarities failed to yield the desired outcome rather it had the complete opposite effect as it further infuriated the nation resulting in the state we are witnessing today; Sangin cleansed from the enemy scourge, basking under the shade of the white flag of Islamic Emirate.

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate

On Tuesday 1^st December, civilian houses were raided by the internal mercenary soldiers in the evening in ‘Siya Chobe’ area of ‘Ghani Khail’ district in ‘Nangarhar’ province. They were thoroughly searched out, people were badly beaten, four ordinary villagers were incarcerated and several valuables of the people were looted by these unrestrained armed forces.

On Thursday 3^rd December, the house of an ordinary villager named ‘Silani Aka’ was hit by a mortar shell indiscriminately fired by the internal stooge soldiers in ‘Dab’ area of ‘Shinki’ district of ‘Zabul’ province in which his wife was martyred.

On Friday 4^th December, ten ordinary innocent countrymen were martyred and eight others were injured both including children when a mortar shell indiscriminately fired by the amateurish stooge soldiers hit civilian houses in ‘Otrio’ area of ‘Said Abad’ district in ‘Maidan Wardak’ province. According to the local eye-witnesses, this tragic incident took place when the people had gathered in front of the mosque and warming themselves up around a fire when a mortar shell, randomly fired from the nearby mercenary army base, landed amidst the people and resulted in the above mentioned losses and casualties. The local people blocked the main ‘Kabul-Kandahar’ highway for traffic for several hours in protest of this felony and chanted slogans against the puppet regime while demanding the earliest possible trial of these felons. This poignant incident was confirmed by the provincial officials of this province too.

On Saturday 5^th December, an innocent countryman was martyred and another one was injured by the unrestrained local Arbaki militiamen in the suburbs of ‘Chardara’ district in ‘Kunduz’ province.

On Saturday 12^th December, a civilian house was hit by a mortar shell, randomly fired by the internal amateurish soldiers in ‘Hadira’ area of ‘Nawa’ district in ‘Helmand’ province in which a young man, a woman and two children were martyred.

On Monday 14^th December, an ordinary villager named ‘Dildar’ was martyred in a joint raid of brutal foreign occupiers and their internal stooge soldiers on civilian houses in ‘Kalbad’ area of ‘Dsht-i-Archi’ district in ‘Kunduz’ province.

On Monday 14^th December, the houses of civilian people were raided by foreign invaders collaborated by their internal mercenary soldiers in ‘Shira Kala’ of ‘Deh Yak’ district in ‘Ghazni’ province. According to the local eye-witnesses, civilian houses were thoroughly searched out. After finding nothing, a local mosque was ruthlessly bombarded in which the Imam (one who leads congregational prayers) of the mosque named Moulave Nasrullah, an ordinary villager named Mohammad Umar Jan, and four innocent students of madrassa were martyred.

On Tuesday 15^th December, when bodies of the above mentioned martyred persons were shifted by the local people for burial ceremony to the cemetery of ‘Tasan’ village of this district, once again, the internal stooge soldiers opened indiscriminate fire on the funeral procession in which an innocent participant named ‘Mohammad Shah Khan’ was martyred and two others villagers named ‘Haji Mohammad Sharif’ and ‘Mohammad Nabi’ were wounded.

On Wednesday 16^th December, four ordinary countrymen were martyred in ‘Qala-i-Nao’ area of ‘Khanashin’ district in ‘Helmand’ province due to a blind raid of brutal foreign occupying forces in the series of their night operations which were announced banned by the present stooge regime of Kabul.

On Wednesday 16^th December, the brutal foreign invaders raided on civilian houses in ‘Chardehi’ area of Bati Kot’ district in ‘Nanagarhar’ province in which several ordinary villagers were beaten and tortured, one person was martyred and two others were first injured and then taken away as prisoners with them.

On Tuesday 22^nd December, a fifty years old woman and his young son were martyred by the unrestrained local Arbaki militiamen in ‘Koldash’ village of ‘Faiz Abad’ district in ‘Jozjan’ province.

On Tuesday 22^nd December, the houses of civilian people were checked during search operations of the internal stooge forces in ‘Dagi’ area of ‘Ghani Khail’ district in ‘Nangarhar’ province in which innocent people were badly beaten and eventually two ordinary villagers were detained and taken away as prisoners by them.

On Tuesday 29^th December, ‘Chinar’ area near the central bazaar of ‘Sangin’ district in ‘Helmand’ province was raided by the savage foreign invaders collaborated by their internal mercenary soldiers in which an ordinary villager was injured and two doctors of a local hospital were taken away as prisoners by  them.

Sources: (BBC, Radio Liberty, Afghan Islamic News Agency, Pazwak, Khabaryal website, Larawbar, Nunn.Asia and Benawa websites.)

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood (Image CFI)

A UK Government minister was this evening repeatedly asked by Members of Parliament to condemn the execution of protesters last weekend in Saudi Arabia, and to publish secret agreements signed between the UK and Saudi governments, but refused to do either.

Foreign Office (FCO) minister Tobias Ellwood was taking questions from MPs on British relations with the Kingdom in the wake of last weekend’s mass execution of 47 people, including at least four sentenced to death over their involvement in protests calling for reform in 2012.

Hilary Benn, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron both asked Mr Ellwood whether the Government would publish Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the UK’s Home Office (HO) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and their Saudi counterparts, concerning cooperation in their respective areas.  However, Mr Ellwood failed to answer to either of their questions.

While Mr Ellwood expressed “concern” over the executions, he also refused requests from several MPs – including Mr Farron and the Greens’ Caroline Lucas – to condemn them.

MPs – including the Conservatives’ Mike Wood and the SNP’s Margaret Ferrier – raised specific concerns over the cases of three juveniles sentenced to death as children over their involvement in protests: Ali al Nimr, Dawoud al Marhoon, and Abdullah al Zaher – who continue to be at risk of execution at any time.  Mr Ellwood responded that the UK had raised their cases with the Saudi authorities and did not expect them to be executed.

Commenting, Maya Foa, Director of the death penalty team at international human rights organisation Reprieve said: “The UK Government’s continuing secrecy over its dealings with Saudi Arabia is unacceptable.  If the Home Office or Ministry of Justice are using public resources to support a state which is carrying out appalling human rights abuses, the British public deserves to know.  It is also disturbing that the Government is continuing to refuse to condemn the execution by the Saudi Government of protesters calling for political reform.  The Minister claims that ‘foghorn diplomacy’ doesn’t work, but given the bloodbath last weekend it is hard to see how the UK’s softly-softly approach is doing any good.”

ENDS

Links

Reprieve website

http://www.reprieve.org.uk/
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate

In the whole Jihadi era of our beloved country against the foreign invaders, certainly 2015 was the most successful year in the last fourteen years of occupation. The enemy, both internal and external, admitted their defeats, losses and casualties. Furthermore the whole world witnessed the increase and organization in Mujahidin strength. During the whole span of this year, hundreds of large and small attacks against the foreign invaders and their internal stooge forces were carried out in different parts of the country including the capital city of Kabul which resulted in great achievements for Mujahidin and colossal damages for the enemy. In the following lines, we will discuss some incidents of 2015 which were unprecedented in the past several years.

In an extraordinary move in 2015, Taliban successfully managed to establish well-organized and well-equipped military squads in various provinces of the country which inevitably helped them by changing the balance of war in their favour, to capture vast areas throughout the country and get rid of several challenges faced by the Islamic Emirate.

On Wednesday 18th March, the brutal police chief of Uruzgan province who was involved in torturing and killing hundreds of innocent civilian people was killed in a martyrdom attack inside Kabul. Just one week later on Wednesday 25th March, another acting police chief of Uruzgan province named Gulab Khan, was killed along with one his body-guards in Tarin Kot city, the capital of this province.

On Thursday 9th April, the appeal court and attorney office in Balkh province were attacked by four martyrdom seeking Mujahidin. This was an unprecedented attack in which hundreds of stooge officials and mercenary security forces were killed and injured though the enemy only confirmed death of eighteen persons and injuries to more than forty.

On Monday 22nd June, the central building of parliament was attacked by seven martyrdom seekers. It was started with a huge blast in which a portion of this building was demolished and tens of soldiers were killed. Subsequently the remaining Mujahidin attacked the premises of the building and the surrounding soldiers, inflicted heavy losses and casualties on them.

On Thursday 7th August, hundreds of internal stooge forces, foreign invading soldiers and foreign contractors were killed and injured in a successful and simultaneous martyrdom attack on the NATO headquarters and the police academy of puppet regime in the heart of capital city Kabul.

On Monday 28th September, Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate successfully managed to capture the capital of Kunduz province, one of the most significant and strategic commercial hubs of the countries. They broke into the central jail of this city and liberated nearly four hundred prisoners. In addition hundreds of military tanks, armoured vehicles, huge amount of light and heavy weapons and ammunition were confiscated in their about two week control of the city. Since the ruthless foreign invaders were directly involved in this fighting and they were indiscriminately bombing the civilian houses and people therefore the Mujahidin decided to tactically withdraw from the city. Besides Kunduz province nearly twelve other provinces were on the verge of collapse due to the ceaseless attacks of Mujahidin in 2015.

On Sunday 13th September, Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate broke into the central jail of ‘ Ghazni province in which more than four hundred and fifty prisoners were freed and tens of stooge soldiers were killed and injured.

During last fourteen years of illegal foreign occupation and the ensuing Holy Jihad, a number of various types of planes, fighter jets and helicopters of the foreign brutal enemy were hit and destroyed by Mujahidin. But on Monday 12th October for the first time the American invaders acknowledged that one of their most sophisticated F-16 jet-fighter costing nearly a hundred million dollars was hit and brought down by Mujahidin in Said Karam district of Paktia province. This incident had two main facts in its fold. The first one, it needed advanced air defence weapons and the second that previously all such incidents were connected with technical faults. But this was the first time that the invaders themselves confirmed that their fighter was hit and destroyed by Mujahidin.

On Tuesday 24th November, a Moldavian helicopter was hit and forced into an emergency landing in Khwaja Musa district of Faryab province in which five soldiers were killed and eighteen stooge soldiers of the mercenary army including three Moldavian nationals were arrested by Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate who are still in their safe custody.

On Tuesday 8th December, nine martyrdom seeking Mujahidin collectively attacked the main Kandahar airport. These courageous Mujahidin fought for twenty nine consecutive hours against the foreign invaders and their internal mercenary forces in the heart of the airport in which heavy financial losses and casualties were inflicted on both foreign occupying forces and their internal stooge soldiers.

On Monday 21st December, another successful martyrdom attack was carried out against the American occupying forces in Bajurian area of Bagram district in Parwan province in which twenty foreign soldiers were killed and injured while only six fatalities were confirmed by the Americans themselves. It was considered the largest figure of casualties for the American foreign invaders in a single incident in 2015.

In addition to all those districts which were under Taliban control for the last several years more than thirty districts were completely captured and liberated from the enemy during the span of 2015. Surrounding areas of tens of other districts with the exception of their centres were also controlled by Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate.

Another crucial phenomenon during the span of 2015 was the emergence and fall of ‘Daish’ (i.e. ISIS). Though this group had started their activities in the closing months of 2014 in some areas of Afghanistan and some regional media outlets were largely propagating the increase in their influence but in January 2015, ‘Khurasan’ was announced as one of their provinces and a so called Amir (head) was also appointed for it. Western and some other media and security agencies wanted to undermine the strength of Taliban against the foreign invaders with the help of ‘Daish’ and thus facilitate an endless internal and sectarian fighting in the already war stricken country. This was the main idea that ‘Daish’ announced their illicit war against Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate for no reason.

In June 2015, The Islamic Emirate published and sent an open letter to the leadership of ‘Daish’ to make them realise the ground realities inside Afghanistan but one week later ‘Adnani’, a spokesman of ‘Daish’ used very abusive language against the realistic letter of the Islamic Emirate.

Foreign invaders as well the stooge regime in Kabul provided all possible military support to ‘Daish’ fighters which was used in Farah, Helmand, Zabul and Nangarhar provinces against Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate as well as the ordinary and innocent civilians resulting in some unprecedented atrocities by ‘Daish’ fighters.

Due to their religious and national obligation, the Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate eventually resorted to wide range military action against this anti-Islamic western conspiracy and successfully eliminated them from all parts of the country. Their sporadic activity can only be found in the eastern Nangarhar province, they are found but they will also be purged from this area very soon, Insha-Allah (God willing)!!!

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate

On 27 December 1979, the Red Army of the former Soviet Union invaded the blessed land of Afghanistan and occupied the country through their surrogates (Khalq and Parcham factions). This nefarious incident happened twenty months later, following communist coup of April 27, 1978. The invading forces viciously ousted the government of their puppet Hafeez ullah Amin. They installed surrogate government like the current Kabul Administration under the leadership of Babrak Karmal and started brutal war against Islam and the Afghan nation.

The relentless army of the Soviet Union used all kinds of sophisticated weaponry to dominate Afghanistan. They stained mountains and plains of our country with blood of the Afghan nation. Similarly, they mercilessly buried alive many anti-invasion activists. Many religious scholars, pious people, revered religious personalities and tribal elders disappeared, several Mujahideen were hanged to death without any trial, tens of thousands people were martyred, mothers lost their loved ones, women were windowed and children orphaned. Furthermore, homes, crops, animals and economical infrastructure were destroyed.

Soviet Union continued its occupation for nine years and fifty one days. During this time, its forces committed such atrocities that the pen is unable to write and tongue unable to explain. Finally, they faced defeat due to the holy Jihad of the Afghan nation and withdrew from Afghanistan on 15 February 1989. Meanwhile, they left a weak surrogate government under the leadership of Dr Najeeb which soon collapsed.

America is entangled in swampy circumstances like that of the Soviet Union not withstanding passage of fourteen years and three months of their illegitimate invasion. Because of anxiety they have lost their way and have resorted to strategy of lies and deception. One day they speak about peace and the next they say something else. Last year during these days they explicitly announced that they have ended their military mission. But still they are sucking the blood of Afghans and are physically involved in military operations and night raids.

For Afghanistan, both Soviet Union and America are invaders but the difference is that the previous invader soon realized that this country is not ready to accept foreigners. They fulfilled their promise after nine years and two months and ended the occupation but after fourteen years America still does not realize how to withdraw from this quagmire. One day they announce withdraw but next day they send brutal troops to front lines.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan assures its nation that due to the blessing and grace of the Almighty Allah and support of our nation, we will continue our sacred Jihad against the invaders until the invading forces have withdrawn from our soil and an Islamic system is implemented in our beloved country on the consensus of our people. As mentioned in our previous messages and announcements, we once again ask those Afghans who have supported America in its illegitimate invasion to join the ranks of Mujahideen or at the least leave the ranks of the infidels. Thus, they would be able to save their Islamic, Afghan honor and dignity and save themselves from the loss of this world and the Hereafter.

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate

Although America announced an end to its combat role in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, on the ground the combat is very much ongoing. American-led night raids, air bombardment and precision strikes continue killing civilians in spite of the superficial end of foreign combat role.

Last month for example, foreign and Kabul security forces raided a home in Dorazgay district of Khost, killing two civilians in the process.

To prove the innocence of the deceased, local residents brought the dead bodies to Khost City – in front of the governor’s office – and there held demonstrations against the injustices of the Kabul regime.

This two-headed brainchild of John Kerry has made a mess of Afghan national, political, economic and social justice issues. Yet its biggest failure has been the complete disregard for Afghan civilian casualties.

Due to the fact that Ashraf Ghani has unreservedly authorized – even encouraged – foreign led night raids on civilians while also consistently calling for indiscriminate aerial bombardment whenever his forces are on the verge of retreat, we have seen an exponential rise in civilian casualties since he came to office. Below we mention a couple of these incidents to illustrate this point.

On new year’s eve 2015, Kabul’s security forces blindly and disproportionately attacked house in Sangeen district of Helmand province. Tragically that house was the venue of a wedding on that night and the indiscriminate bombardent caused great grief – killing and injuring 150 civilians including women and children. Circumstantial evidence clearly showed that the house was deliberately targeted in retaliation for Mujahideen attacks on those forces.

Similarly on June the 5th local residents in the embattled district of Khost province were gathered for the funeral procession of a tribal elder and when returning back from there, these individuals were targeted by ‘precision strikes’ of American operated drones, killing 35 civilians.

The local elders vehemently condemned this callous incident and demanded that the perpetuators be trialed and brought to justice. They produced undeniable evidence to show that the deceased were local civilians and not Taliban fighters as had been customarily claimed by the ISAF forces.

Over the course of this conflict we have seen dozens of such large scale atrocities as well as hundreds of similar breaches albeit on a smaller scale. The frequency and impunity of these attacks suggest that either they are deliberate part of the military policy or otherwise else ISAF and is internal allies operate under extreme negligence, perhaps never before displayed by any internationally-endorsed occupying force.

Despite what the partial UN issued reports on civilian casualties claim, it is abundantly clear that indiscriminate aerial bombardment has been the biggest contributor to large scale civilian casualties while the most common cause of civilian casualties are raids by professional killers in the depth of the night who are completely out of their depth and unaccustomed to the locals.

Perhaps if the UN verified the civilian casualties more broadly and listened to both parties with equal conviction, its reports will more accurately reflect the plight of civilians on ground zero.

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.