Category Archives: human rights

How a Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became a Crisis for Donald Trump – The New York Times

The story began in September 2015, when a wealthy Republican donor who strongly opposed Mr. Trump put up the money to hire a Washington research firm run by former journalists, Fusion GPS, to compile a dossier about the real estate magnate’s past scandals and weaknesses, according to a person familiar with the effort. The person described the opposition research work on condition of anonymity, citing the volatile nature of the story and the likelihood of future legal disputes. The identity of the donor is unclear.

The Archaeological thefts | nadiaharhash

An Israeli colleague of mine, from an Israeli organization that stands against Israeli policies (Emek Shaveh) in what is claimed to be archeological and national parks as means to displace Palestinians and grab more control on the land, found while surfing some archaeological journals on the web, about some new findings in Deir Dib Wan, a town on the outskirts of Ramallah in what is categorized as a B area according to Oslo Accords. The excavated site was on the C area of the village, which seemed to have been covered by an American mission belonging to a theological institute within the University of Texas for the last twenty years, without even bothering to search for the landowners or taking any permission. The Israeli Coordination offices in charges of area C, however, no one has the right to enter a land and use it, excavate it without the permission or the notice of its people. Something that kept happening for twenty years. What we know from the journal, and thanks to this!!! That the area has a 1500 years old Byzantine city, the excavations revealed a church, homes, potteries, and definitely more. The university has been conducting exhibitions on the findings in the last years.

Source: The Archaeological thefts | nadiaharhash

FBI chief given dossier by John McCain alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts | US news | The Guardian

Most explosively, the report alleges: “FSB has compromised Trump through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him.” The president-elect has not responded to the allegations.CNN reported on Tuesday that the FBI was still investigating the credibility of the documents but added that the intelligence chiefs had included a summary of the material in a secret briefing on Russian interference in the election delivered last week to Barack Obama and Donald Trump.The emergence of the documents is potentially explosive, 10 days before Trump’s inauguration and on the eve of his first planned press conference since July last year.

Source: FBI chief given dossier by John McCain alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts | US news | The Guardian

Jeremy Corbyn: UK can be better off out of the EU | Politics | The Guardian – The very definition of “pimping for votes” and “caving” to British racism.

He will say Labour’s priority in EU negotiations will remain full access to the European single market, but that his party wants “managed migration” and to repatriate powers from Brussels that would allow governments to intervene in struggling industries such as steel. Sources suggested that the economic demands were about tariff-free access to the single market, rather than membership that they argued did not exist.

Source: Jeremy Corbyn: UK can be better off out of the EU | Politics | The Guardian

It’s Against My Religion to Accommodate Nazis. | Rebelle Society

 

The backlash so far is mostly vindictive, verbally violent, and devoid of insight that tables have turned on the flamethrowers. This lack of self-awareness is stunning, if not surprising. The same constituency who applauded business owners who exercised their freedom of religion by denying service to LGBTQ patrons are now howling at the injustice of being unwelcome beyond certain doors or, in this case, a door.While it’s amusing to observe the confused flailing of bullies receiving a taste of their own medicine, there’s a larger kernel of wisdom to pluck from this story. Even as they are placed firmly in the shoes of their victims, the new GOP are incapable of making the leap to empathy.They see no connection between harm they’ve done and their own outrage at being excluded from places to which they’ve denied others entrance. This is the hubris of white males who believe the myth of their superiority, but it’s also something more troubling.The GOP’s devolution escalated with the election of Barack Obama. At a secret dinner, the night of Obama’s inauguration, 15 Republicans schemed to block the new president and do everything in their power to bring down his presidency. They put party ahead of country, caring little if the downward-spiraling economy bullet-trained to the abyss.

Source: It’s Against My Religion to Accommodate Nazis. | Rebelle Society

South Korean monk self-immolates over ′comfort women′ deal | News | DW.COM | 08.01.2017

A South Korean monk set himself on fire to protest the government’s deal with Japan on compensation for wartime sex slaves. Japan’s PM Abe has also called on Seoul to remove a “comfort woman” statue as part of the deal.

Source: South Korean monk self-immolates over ′comfort women′ deal | News | DW.COM | 08.01.2017

Israeli diplomat who plotted against MPs also set up political groups | World news | The Guardian

An Israeli embassy official who plotted to “take down” MPs regarded as hostile has also set up a number of political organisations in the UK that operated as though entirely independent.Shai Masot was filmed covertly as he boasted about establishing several groups, at least one of which was intended to influence Labour party policy, while appearing to obscure their links to Israel.The disclosure comes as Labour demanded the government launch an immediate inquiry into “improper interference in our democratic politics”. A former Tory government minister also called for an inquiry into the Israeli embassy’s links with two organisations, Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and Labour Friends of Israel (LFI).

Source: Israeli diplomat who plotted against MPs also set up political groups | World news | The Guardian

When betrayal becomes a perspective. So called Syrian opposition as an example | nadiaharhash

When I think of regimes that oppress their people, I can by no mean compare it with a system that is occupying another people. Because if you work on yourself as a nation, you can at some point get to a level where you can bring change to your own regime. But you cannot bring change to a regime that is not part of you. A regime that made its existence on yours.As the image of Syrians hosted in the Hebrew university continue to flash in my memory, I cannot but feel ashamed… ashamed of humanity that has really lost its face.When I see Israel suddenly becoming humanist, when the people of Gaza who were displaced as the result of the fiercest aggression that humans can face, while these people in thousands are still displaced and actually freezing to death in the nakedness of the harshness of the aggression that never seem to end.These same people refuse to see the children of Gaza, the displaced families. The poverty, the oppression that befell on them as a result, and decide that children of Aleppo who the Assad regime has regained (mind you here … Assad regime is Syrian in Syria!!!), and host the opposition, and treat the fighters of Nusra (whom Israel in some occasions decide they are terrorists) then one cannot but say. This is a nasty face of evilness disguised in human shapes.Should I remind us of what the Hebrew university did during the war on GAZA to the Palestinian students? Or to the support they showed to the army that was brutally and savagely killing Palestinian women and children ?I am just disgusted of those Syrian so called opposition who not only destroyed Syria , but also destroyed the fabrics that was once made of Arab nationalism.Somehow…. Somewhere deep in me …I would not be surprised to see a day when Israel occupy the Arab world.. and when this happen , I may think.. well .. enjoy the democratic state of Israel …Of course, then , we Palestinians will be consultants for the new paradigm !!!

Source: When betrayal becomes a perspective. So called Syrian opposition as an example | nadiaharhash

Russia spreading fake news and forged docs in Sweden: report – The Local

Sweden’s most respected foreign policy institute has accused Russia of using underhand methods, including fake news, counterfeit documents, and other disinformation, to influence Swedish decision-making.The report by Martin Kragh, a Russia expert at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, is the first empirical study detailing Russia’s use of ‘active measures’ in its information war against Sweden, which is largely directed at steering the country away from joining Nato.

Source: Russia spreading fake news and forged docs in Sweden: report – The Local

Russia Requires Apple and Google to Remove LinkedIn From Local App Stores – The New York Times “Money first, Morals/Principles pfft!”

Direct blocking of websites has been done by China, Russia, Turkey and several other nations for years, usually through their state-run internet service providers. But civil rights groups say the pressure authoritarian governments are now placing on Apple and Google is a new wrinkle.“Apps are the new choke point of free expression,” said Rebecca MacKinnon, who leads a project on open internet tracking at New America.Increasingly, United States tech companies are complying with those demands.