Category Archives: Global Politics

Paris attacks: nurse discovers man he tried to save was bomber | World news | The Guardian

David says he did not see Abdeslam walk into the restaurant. He believes he had been sitting at the terrace when he detonated the bomb.“He had a large opening on his side, about 30 cms (11.8 inches),” he said. “When you lift a T-shirt and you see wires, you know that’s not normal.”David says police told him Abdeslam’s bomb had not fully exploded.“[Later] I was thinking about how I lay him on the floor, with me doing CPR. It’s a pretty vigourous process. By just doing that, I also could have been gone,” he said.

Source: Paris attacks: nurse discovers man he tried to save was bomber | World news | The Guardian

Malaysian leader calls on world leaders to confront terrorism | Reuters

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on world leaders to confront Islamic terrorism, saying its “barbaric acts” do not represent any race or religion, as he opened a regional summit overshadowed by a spate of attacks around the globe.Islamist militants killed 19 people in an attack on a hotel in Mali on Friday before Malian commandos stormed the building and rescued 170 people, many of them foreigners. This came a week after Islamic State militants killed 129 people in coordinated attacks in Paris.”The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed, nor should we allow them to claim to do so,” Najib said in his opening speech at the ASEAN summit.”They are terrorists and should be confronted as such, with the full force of the law.”Malaysia has deployed extraordinary security measures around Kuala Lumpur as leaders from 18 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama, arrived for a pair of weekend summits.

Source: Malaysian leader calls on world leaders to confront terrorism | Reuters

For Russia, Links Between Caucasus and ISIS Provoke Anxiety – The New York Times

Much like the disaffected Muslim communities in Europe, the Caucasus region and the swath of former Soviet republics across Central Asia have become a vital recruiting ground for the Islamic State. Law enforcement officials estimate that there are at least 2,000 fighters from the Caucasus among up to 7,000 recruits from Russia and the former Soviet Union now in Syria and Iraq.At the same time, the Islamic State is steadily establishing a foothold in the Caucasus. It is tapping into the rage and resentment over Russia’s constant, brutal and arbitrary security presence in order to foster a new crop of homegrown, fanatical opponents to revive the insurgency that the Kremlin suppressed.

Source: For Russia, Links Between Caucasus and ISIS Provoke Anxiety – The New York Times

Raad Rahman: Will I Die a Muslim? – Guernica / A Magazine of Art & Politics

I wonder how I will die, because none of this is my Islam. I’ve spent the better part of the years since 9/11 instinctively apologizing for the acts of extremist Muslims who have absolutely nothing to do with me, and everything to do with a brand of Islam that is despicable to all Muslims. I am exorbitantly angry with these extremists for continuing to try to tie my identity with their damnable actions.One look at my mini-skirts, tube-tops, and swimsuits, and if you’re even the most conservative of Americans, you end up asking me, “But you look so ‘normal.’ What causes you guys to take the step to go over the other side?” This actually happened with a well-meaning white woman from the Midwest on a flight to Chicago, who was shocked to hear there is no other side for us moderates and liberals. Such ignorant Islamophobia is pervasive to many of the encounters I have had over the last decade.

Source: Raad Rahman: Will I Die a Muslim? – Guernica / A Magazine of Art & Politics

www.german-foreign-policy.com France to Germany and rest of EU: assist in attacking IS

The EU Mutual Defense ClauseTo rally the EU behind its leadership in its fight against the IS, Paris has now evoked the “EU Mutual Defense Clause” in accordance with Article 42, Paragraph 7 of the Lisbon Treaty, according to which all EU member nations are obligated to come to France’s aid. The political results are obvious. Whereas, over the past few years, EU foreign policy has been focused on the struggle around Ukraine – under German predominance and leadership – the new set of priorities for fighting IS would be predominantly under France’s leadership. Paris, at least, would be able to relativize Berlin’s predominance. Therefore, the French government has leaked its wish to have the Bundeswehr participate in this fight against IS – of course, under French command – i.e. German support with aerial refueling of French fighter bombers and German air freighters. Berlin, however, is not disposed to submit to a French command, and made it clear that it will not participate in France’s attacks on IS in Syria. According to Germany, “there are already enough participants intervening with their fighter bombers.”[4] However, they would gladly come to France’s aid by sending the Bundeswehr to Northern Mali to relieve French troops operating there. In fact, the basis for an operation in Northern Mali had been adopted already months ago. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[5])

Source: www.german-foreign-policy.com

Coalition Efforts Against ISIL

However, there are times, of course, when we believe it’s in our national security interests and the President authorizes for more direct action missions. So you’ve seen that against Abu Sayyaf, the number one financier of ISIL, in an operation into northern Syria about five, six months ago now. And we collected more information off that site than we have in any Special Forces operation in history. It was what has led now to a number of operations to really just completely uproot ISIL’s economic financial networks in Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, and you’re going to see more of that. A lot of that came out of that raid. And of course, when we helped the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga do the rescue operation against the 70 hostages, and of course we lost a brave American in that operation.

Source: Coalition Efforts Against ISIL

Is defeating the Islamic State impossible? – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

To defeat IS, the world needs to hit the core of the group, and this means untying the shroud of knots surrounding it and cutting blood off from IS’ heart. A counter model is needed to fight the IS model, a model that is powerful, modern and shows real respect and appreciation for Islam. With such a model it would be easier to deprive the terrorist entity of sympathizers who might become future operatives. As former IS operative Abu Omar told me, “IS is very clever and smart in attracting people with potential; they know how to talk to them and how to address their ambitions. They are also very smart in exploiting mistakes committed by their enemies, and use these mistakes to prove to their supporters why they are the right choice.” He said, “I was behind their walls; therefore, I understand the mentality. If you really want to finish IS, you need to address people’s concerns, let the sheikhs talk to youths and stop making big mistakes. IS is surviving as the result of the dire mistakes committed by governments of the region.”Defeating IS should not be impossible if the above is addressed and serious military and economic steps are taken to prevent the group from expanding both financially and geographically. This means doing battle on the war fronts and imposing sanctions on countries and individuals financing the group or allowing money to flow to it or buying goods, mainly oil, from territories under its control. Long-term strategic steps must be taken or IS will be here to stay and expand. ​

Source: Is defeating the Islamic State impossible? – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Terror a Means to an End for Islamic State – SPIEGEL ONLINE

IS strategists look several moves into the future. To defeat the terror group, the West must do the same. It must bring together pro-regime Syrians with the rebels, a project that will not succeed so long as Assad remains in power and which is made all the more difficult by Russia’s intervention. In Iraq, Sunni and Shiite factions divided by fear and hate must be brought together again — though the West can only help, it is the Iraqis themselves that must achieve this. In short, the West — together with Russia, Iran and the Arab Gulf states — must create the conditions that could make a ground offensive against the jihadists possible in the first place.But as long as that doesn’t happen, the world will allow a monster to continue growing. It is a monster that is today applying its battle-tested “Syria Model” of power expansion to Libya. And it is a monster that may even cease launching terror attacks were it left alone to continue expanding its foothold in the Middle East. Because terror, in the final analysis, is but the means to an end for Islamic State.

Source: Terror a Means to an End for Islamic State – SPIEGEL ONLINE

www.german-foreign-policy.com – Portugal still not safe yet!

It is still unclear how this will develop in Portugal. On November 10, a vote of no-confidence by the center-left parliamentary majority defeated Passos Coelho’s second attempt to form a government. The plan to maintain Passos Coelho in power – with the help of renegade PS parliamentarians – has failed. In accordance with democratic traditions, Cavaco Silva would have at least handed government power over to the left majority by now, which he persistently refusing to do. If he continues to persist, Passos Coelho will remain in office until new elections can be held, which, according to Portuguese law, can take place in June 2016, at the earliest. Passos Coelho could therefore continue governing without democratic legitimacy, for more than six months, in spite of a functional democratic parliamentary majority.No Room for DemocracyWithin the EU, over the past few years, democratic majorities have repeatedly been nullified, if they would not guarantee the implementation of a German-dictated austerity policy imposed on the entire Eurozone. In Italy for example, Mario Monti’s “cabinet of experts” ruled from November 16, 2011 until April 28, 2013. Prime Minister Monti did not rise to power through democratic elections. He was installed under pressure from Brussels. The “Troika” comprised of representatives of the EU, ECB and IMF – without democratic legitimacy – decides varying degrees of national policies in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus. Last July – under German pressure – the EU even disregarded the Greek population’s clear rejection of a continuation of the austerity policy, imposed by Berlin and Brussels. A three-fifths majority had voted “No” in a referendum on the question. Greece was then punished with the imposition of even harsher austerity measures.[4] A leading German daily considered the de facto suspension of democracy in indebted countries to be an appropriate measure, by seeking to apply private law conditions to interstate relations, which are entirely different. “There are a few things in the world, where there is no room for democracy,” the daily wrote, “for example, debts.”[5]The Only WayIn Portugal, Cavaco Silva has repeatedly reiterated over the past few days that he will take his time in deciding on the next government. At the beginning of the week, he ostentatiously made a two day visit to Madeira for business talks, in spite of considerable indignation in Lisbon. Today, he will discuss the situation with board members of several Portuguese banks. Carlos Costa, head of the Central Bank, has already stated his opposition to a possible center-left government, warning that the country will have to “pay for all the mistakes made today,” meaning the sovereign decisions taken by an elected government.[6] The results of Cavaco Silva’s talks today with leading Portuguese bankers will also depend on the concessions the PS candidate for prime minister, António Costa, has made to leading bankers, with whom he negotiated on Monday.[7] Relinquishing all positions critical of the EU and its German-inspired austerity policy is usually the only way to win the acceptance by the EU-oriented establishment.

Source: www.german-foreign-policy.com