The
smallest country in Central America – El Salvador – has approved a law
prohibiting all metal mining in an attempt to protect the environment and
natural resources. It is the first country in the world to do so.
The
new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction, and
processing of metals both in open pits and mines.
“It’s a historic day in El Salvador. It’s a historic day for
the whole world,”, Environment Minister Lina Pohl told reporters
after a vote in Congress, as quoted by the Financial Times.
“This is a brave step, an extraordinary step, and an
enormous step toward reversing the environmental degradation in this country,” she added.
The
level of environmental pollution in El Salvador is one of the highest in the
region, second only to Haiti, and the availability of drinking water is the
lowest, according to UN data.
 |
| El Savador Miners |
“Mining is an industry whose primary and first victim is
water. We are talking about an issue that is a life-or-death issue for the
country,” said
Andrés McKinley, a mining and water specialist at Central American University
in San Salvador, as quoted by the New York Times.
The
legislation was passed despite interest from international gold and silver
mining companies.
In
October, El Salvador won a lawsuit at the World Bank's International Center for
Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) against the Australian-Canadian miner
OceanaGold Corp.
The
company demanded $250 million compensation after El Salvador retracted an
extraction permit in 2009. OceanaGold was instead obliged to pay the country $8
million in legal costs.
El
Salvador has the population of about six million people and has a $25.9 billion
gross domestic product.
Editorial
BOMBS AND LIES
So
far there is not a shred of evidence that the Syrian army used chemicals
weapons in its war on terrorists.
The
Russian Federation insists that the chemical weapons were being manufactured by
the terrorists and that the Syrian government has not used them.
In
spite of the fact that no evidence has been produced to back the claims of the
United States of America and its allies in the West, the Trump administration
has already dropped bombs on a Syrian airbase.
The
aggression against the Syrian people is a clear violation of international law
to the extent that it did not receive the approval of the UN Security Council.
It
reminds us of the blatant aggression against Iraq based on falsehood.
We
unreservedly condemn this aggression against the Syrian people and warn that it
can only embolden the terrorists.
Galamsey apart, ‘marching forward to the
past’
 |
| Ajoa Yeboah Afari |
By Ajoa
Yeboah-Afari
The current national focus on uprooting
illegal gold mining also underscores to observers further question marks about
the sector at the other end of the spectrum, concerning some of the major
players and management issues.
Following Lands and Mineral Resources Minister John Amewu’s
ultimatum to the ‘galamsey’ people to stop their activities, there have also
been calls for the Government to “nationalize” the mining industry. But is
nationalization the appropriate remedy?
A few months ago, Professor Akilagpa Sawyerr highlighted
some critical failures in the industry which are clearly worthy of attention by
the new Government.
It was a passionate wake-up call by the Professor to those
looking after Ghana’s gold mining industry supposedly in the national interest,
but is the alarm he sounded being heeded?
Prof Sawyerr, President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and
Sciences, expressed his concerns in an incisive address to the academy on
November 15, 2016 under an intriguing heading, ‘Marching forward to the past:
from Newmont II, back to Newmont I – via Gold Fields’.
As indicated, three important mining agreements were central
to Prof Sawyerr’s presentation, Newmont 1, Newmont II and Gold Fields.
I hope that I have managed to convey the import of his paper
in the following very abridged form.
***************
Newmont I
“In 2003 a draft Investment Agreement was submitted to the
Government of Ghana by Newmont Mining Corporation of Denver, Colorado, USA, in
respect of mining leases held by its local subsidiaries for prospects at Ahafo
in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana and Akyem in the Eastern Region.
“The draft agreement was referred to the Minerals Commission
for assessment and advice, as required by law … The Chairman of the Commission
sent a report to the Minister of Mines, listing up to 33 grounds of objection
to the draft ….
“The report ended with this observation:
"It is the view of the Commission that Government would
be setting a bad precedent if approval is given to this Agreement in its
current form quite apart from the fact that a number of the provisions . . .
are contrary to the laws of this country." (Emphasis supplied)
“With no reaction from the Minister, as far as records show,
with no further engagement with the Minerals Commission, and with none of the
issues raised by the Commission addressed, the Investment Agreement was signed
on 17 Dec., 2003. It was ratified by Parliament on Dec 18, 2003, one day after
signature.
“Newmont II
“Six years later, in 2009 … the newly-elected President of
Ghana, President J E Atta Mills, took advantage of a courtesy call by the head
of Newmont Mining Corporation to press the point that the terms of 2003
Agreement needed urgent adjustment to bring it in line with contemporary
realities.
“Newmont readily agreed to a renegotiation of the 2003
agreement …. Finally, in June 2011, a Technical Review Committee was set up to
review Newmont I, and help move the process on.
“Following the recommendation of the Technical Review
Committee, a National Mining Review Committee (MRC) was inaugurated on 31
January 2012, to review the national mining regime generally, and undertake the
renegotiation of mining agreements with stability provisions. I had the honour
to be appointed Chair of the Committee and Chief Negotiator for Government …
“The terms of Newmont II addressed virtually all the
excesses pointed out by the Minerals Commission in 2003 and repeated by the
Technical Review Committee in 2011…
“In addition to all these other positives, we got Newmont to
agree to pay what amounted to a ‘signing on premium’ – an upfront cash payment
of USD27million, duly paid to the Ministry of Finance a month after
Parliamentary ratification of the agreements!
“It is this successful move to correct the lop-sidedness of
Newmont I to the extent possible, and remain consistent with the continental
drive to increase the share of the state in natural resources rent that is
referred to in the title to this lecture as a forward march …
“It might be noted that the Newmont II agreements were
concluded in November 2014 … (in) a total of 12 months from conclusion to
ratification. Quite a change from Newmont I - ratified by Parliament ONE DAY
after signature!
“Gold Fields
“As part of its original mandate, the MRC established and
maintained contact with Gold Fields Ghana Ltd., one of the three leading mining
companies in Ghana …
“Following the conclusion of the Newmont Agreements (Newmont
II), the MRC began formal negotiations with Gold Fields in May 2015 …
“In August 2015 the MRC … suspended the negotiations in
order to enable Gold Fields bring up its proposals for new investment … through
the Minerals Commission …
“The MRC heard nothing further about this till February
2016, when it received the surprising news that a draft agreement had been
settled between Government and Gold Fields, awaiting Cabinet approval and
signature.
“As Chairman of the MRC, I asked for and received a copy of
the draft agreements for review. After a hurried review I sent in comment on
the draft, pointing out a number of what I considered serious flaws in the
draft, concluding that:
“… on the basis of a quick assessment and for the reasons
given above, the Gold Fields Development Agreements are …. unsupportable in
their present form.”
“Though Cabinet reportedly took note of our comments
and asked for appropriate modifications in the final draft, the Agreements were
signed on 11 March 2016, virtually unchanged.
“They were tabled in Parliament on 16 March 2016 and
referred to the Select Committee on Mines and Energy the same day. The
Committee reported back the following day, 17 March!
“As reported in the Hansard, Parliament first waived the
Standing Order requirement for a 48-hour wait, thereby enabling the motion for
approval to be immediately put for consideration by the House.
“The motion, which was tabled at 9.30 pm, was approved and
the Gold Fields Agreements were ratified at 9.40 pm. Thus, the substantial and
complex investment agreements were ratified by Parliament after fully 10
minutes of discussion on the floor of the House, one day after they were first
tabled, and one week after they were signed!
“It is difficult not to see the similarity between the
circumstances surrounding Newmont I and Gold Fields – receiving Parliamentary
ratification one day and one week, respectively, after conclusion of the
agreements - in contrast to Newmont II, ratified a year after conclusion!
“However, the similarity/difference go beyond the rush and
superficiality of the approval process in the first two cases …
“The terms of Gold Fields, like Newmont I, but unlike
Newmont II, run counter to the continental trend and recent Ghana efforts to
increase the state revenue share from mining enterprises, hence the reference
to “MARCHING FORWARD TO THE PAST” in the title of this lecture.
“What is the basis for these give-aways by Government? …
“While the terms of Newmont II represented a substantial
enhancement of the benefits Ghana enjoyed under Newmont I, the same terms in
the Gold Fields agreement represented a reduction of what we had prior to the
negotiations …
“In any event, we did not consider the outcome of Newmont II
as ideal, such as would constitute a proper benchmark for future agreements …
“Leaving the Government so exposed is a glaring instance of
technical incompetence on the part of our negotiators. What is surprising is
that they had access to the Revised Newmont Agreement (Newmont II), which had
addressed this particular defect!
“To sum it up, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that,
just as in Newmont I (2003),
- Ghana gave away more than we had to in the revised
Gold Fields Agreements;
- the enhanced concessions given in the agreements
were almost certainly illegal, and
- all this could have been avoided, had there been competent
and committed negotiations on behalf of Ghana!
“But could this be put down solely to naivety? Ignorance?
Incompetence? Hardly!
“Lessons
“What lessons are we to draw from this story? “a.
Technical/Political
“The use of politician-dominated, non-expert bodies to
conduct technical negotiations in Newmont I and Gold Fields - in the latter
case bypassing a negotiating team that successfully renegotiated Newmont II and
was available to undertake or back the technical negotiations.
“This wilful playing down of technical competence,
professionalism and experience raises serious questions about the good intentions
of the decision-makers and their commitment to the public good.
“The prime instance of this phenomenon was the famous Ghana
Telecom-Vodafone case (2008) … (whose) outcome has been widely criticised as a
sell-out of the national interest.
“b. Failure of institutional responsibility and oversight
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the
Minerals Commission failed in the discharge of their duty to ensure that the
2016 Gold Fields negotiations had the proper institutional base, and (were)
conducted with diligence, competence and honesty …
“At least as grievous, was the complete failure of
Parliament - both sides of the House - to treat the ratification process with
the slightest seriousness.
“But, ultimately, the buck stops with the President of the
Republic, in whom the Constitution of the Republic vests primary responsibility
for safeguarding our natural resources and ensuring their optimal exploitation
and management …
“Conclusion
“Failure to confront and deal with such matters has
contributed to the entrenchment of mediocrity, corruption and cynical disregard
of the public interest as the norm for managing national resources and public
affairs …” Prof Sawyerr emphasized in his concluding statements.
*************************
Evidently Prof Akilagpa’s caution is that the country’s
mineral resource endowment, “a vital force for national development”, is
additionally critical in the heritage agenda and the caretakers need to be
conscious of that in all their decisions and actions.
I found particularly haunting three observations by the
Professor:
- Ghana gave away more than we had to in the revised
Gold Fields Agreements;
- the enhanced concessions given in the agreements
were almost certainly illegal, and
- all this could have been avoided, had there been
competent and committed negotiations on behalf of Ghana!
Will the Professor’s critique provide the impetus for
comprehensive action, ‘galamsey’ apart, by Mr Amewu and where “the buck stops”:
by President Akufo-Addo?
NDC brouhaha: Show your Faces – Cowards! –
Valerie writes
 |
| Valerie Sawyerr |
By Kwame Acheampong
Since the morning of
March 27th, I have received lots of telephone calls and messages, mostly asking
‘what is going on’. Indeed, within twenty-three hours, I have counted at least
1,032 messages and calls, some from persons I do not even know. Some carry messages
of comfort, others carry messages of combat wanting to know what I want to be
done in response to the untruths being peddled.
I am grateful to you
all for your love and support.
Anybody who knows me knows that I am not a ‘greedy bastard’. ‘Greed’ is defined as excessive and rapacious desire especially for wealth and possessions. ‘Bastard’ is a child born out of wedlock. Both terms cannot be applied to me by any stretch of one’s imagination.
Anybody who knows me knows that I am not a ‘greedy bastard’. ‘Greed’ is defined as excessive and rapacious desire especially for wealth and possessions. ‘Bastard’ is a child born out of wedlock. Both terms cannot be applied to me by any stretch of one’s imagination.
Let me add that there
are many beautiful and respectable people born out of wedlock. Indeed, I salute
the single mothers who have sacrificed so much to ensure that their children
have been fed, clothed, schooled and disciplined into worthy persons of
society.
To those who were
directly affected negatively by yesterday’s act of depravity, please remain
calm and focused. It would be advisable to wait for the Kwesi Botchwey report,
which will put us in a better position to determine the way forward for our
Party.
I just finished a good session of praise and worship. I have a big smile on my face as I say – ‘Bring it On!
I just finished a good session of praise and worship. I have a big smile on my face as I say – ‘Bring it On!
Part 1 … My first
instinct was to find out who the players were and whether they should be taken
seriously. It soon became clear to me that they were ‘followers’ of some
section aiming to take over the reins of NDC going forward. I dare the actual
persons behind the group to show their faces. Do not hide and pull these
pathetic strings. If you are really men and/or women – show your faces!
Cowards!!!
When you send gullible
young men to do your dirty work, it is important that you draft better
statements for them to read. Statements which will enable them to get the
message across, no matter how dirty the message, but in a manner that will not
expose the young men to legal action. When you push them to categorically state
that ‘X is a thief’, you have exposed them to legal action.
But if you put in your
draft that ‘there seems to be a widespread perception that X has
misappropriated campaign funds’, you would have managed to get your message
across while still protecting the young men. It may be a nasty untruthful
message, but it would be safer for the stooges you are using to do your hatchet
job.
As it is, if the
victims of that press conference decide to resort to court process, you – the
puppet master and/or puppet mistress – will be coolly relaxed in your room
while the puppets face the storm. That does not show that you care about the
puppets. It means you are prepared to sacrifice the puppets for your own
agenda.
And to the puppets, I
say – whenever you are looking for a tree under whose branches you will seek
refuge, please find a good solid tree with branches that provide shade, not a
diseased tree with thin branches, which keep falling to the ground.
Part 2 … My second
instinct was to look at the caliber of puppets used. I received pictures of the
front liners and others at the press conference and looked through to see who
they were and how they should be weighed.
Part 2A … During the
campaign, I paid surprise visits to various Greater Accra constituencies to
ascertain how effective they were on the ground. I usually had a small team
with me. I would ask them to identify the most difficult areas and go round
with them – house to house, market stall to market stall, mechanic shop to
mechanic shop.
When we got to the
Okaikoi North constituency, most of our time was spent listening to complaints
from the constituency executive such that in the end we only managed to go
round one market before leaving.
I gave them a mobile PA
system, to make house-to-house campaigning easier. They said they needed funds
for mobilization so I gave them some. These were all personal contributions –
not coming from Party or campaign funds.
One of the executive members present was Kodzo Hamenya Keglo, the spokesperson of the Action Movement.
One of the executive members present was Kodzo Hamenya Keglo, the spokesperson of the Action Movement.
On November 24, 2016 at
8:18pm he sent me the following message
“Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks from Okaikoi North constituency. We are grateful momy. Momy may God bless you for this wonderful assistance to our constituency.
“Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks from Okaikoi North constituency. We are grateful momy. Momy may God bless you for this wonderful assistance to our constituency.
We will work hard. We
have just finished our house to house with your machine. We will not fail you I
promise. We will put it into writing on the critical areas for you for your
assistance. We are grateful. Secretary Okaikoi North constituency and election
director.’
There was also
something else he wanted done. I did it – but I will not go into the details.
Even as I smile, I ask
– is this a person I should take seriously?
Part 2B … Emmanuel Ashaley Tetteh was at the high table during the press conference. He is the Klottey Korle Constituency Communications Officer and was a henchman for the Klottey Korle Parliamentary Candidate’s campaign team in the 2015 Primaries and the 2016 election. He would climb the stage during mini rallies in the constituency and say scandalous things about me – so this is nothing new.
At a point in the
campaign, the young NDC men of Klottey Korle started complaining that the PC
was not campaigning for JM. Some of them therefore formed a group called
Klottey Korle for JM (KK4JM) whose aim they said was to promote JM – not to
bring down the PC. Their impression was that she was largely campaigning for
herself alone, and that others needed to campaign for JM for a balance to be
struck.
Ashaley led gangs to
beat up and brutalise members of this group and to prevent them from
campaigning for JM. Hundreds of posters of JM, which had been pasted, were
covered at night with posters of only the PC. Thousands of NDC flags were torn
down at night because they were hung by KK4JM. Vehicles would follow the KK4JM
van, which was going round touting the good works of JM.
As soon as they passed
through an area, they would follow announcing that the KK4JM group was an NPP
group and should not be listened to. Any challenge would lead to macho men
appearing at the homes of the young men to threaten or beat them up. Several
cases were reported to the police. A reign of terror was perpetrated in the
constituency to prevent those campaigning for JM from doing so.
The results? The PC won
but JM had less votes. Those whose eyes are not covered with blinkers can make
their own deductions.
We woke up one day to find pictures of Ashaley all over our whatsapp platforms running on the streets of Sukura in his underwear. Apparently, he had been caught in flagrante delicto on another man’s wife and was beaten up.
Even as I smile, I ask
– is this a person I should take seriously?
Part 2C … I remember one day, as I walked into Flagstaff House, I met someone at the entrance who greeted me nicely. It was obvious he knew who I was, even though I didn’t know him. I smiled nicely and struck up a conversation. He walked with me towards the elevator. On our way he said ‘Madam have you seen that tall man over there’.
Part 2C … I remember one day, as I walked into Flagstaff House, I met someone at the entrance who greeted me nicely. It was obvious he knew who I was, even though I didn’t know him. I smiled nicely and struck up a conversation. He walked with me towards the elevator. On our way he said ‘Madam have you seen that tall man over there’.
I looked and saw a dark
gentleman standing there. He looked quite presentable. I asked what the problem
was. He said ‘he is an armed robber, he poses as part of national security but
has been doing very dangerous dirty jobs robbing people’. I said – ‘as in
actual armed robber?’ he said ‘yes’. I told him not to spread rumours but he
insisted that he knew what he was saying.
We parted at the
elevator, as I wanted to walk up the stairs for exercise.
Even though I had tried to brush away what he said, I quickly called one of the security heads, described the man to him and told them to check on his background and if he was a suspicious character they should be circumspect in allowing him into the Flagstaff House to prevent any possible scandals.
As I looked at the pictures, I recognized him in a khaki vest. I understand he was JJ’s boy. I do not know if this is so.
Even as I smile, I ask
– is this a person that I should take seriously?
Part 2D … I sent pictures to some of the youth on the ground to see if they could identify others in the group. One of the gentlemen was described to me as a ‘chicken thief’. They claim that anywhere you see him, if you have live chickens, ensure that you do not take your eyes off the chickens. The message that came back was ‘Madam please don’t mind him he is called ‘Kankpe Wuor’ because he is known for stealing chickens. Chicken in the Ga dialect is ‘wuor’. ‘Kankpe’ means something that is hardened. They claim he was a FONKAR boy. I do not know if this is so.
Even as I smile, I ask
– is this a person that I should take seriously?
Conclusion … What I will say to all those who were maligned by the press conference is – Do not take it to heart. Do not be discouraged. Continue working hard for the Party as we wait for Prof Botchwey’s committee to submit its report. Let peace reign!
Of course, since the
statements were seriously unguarded and highly defamatory, to say the least, it
may be useful to pursue the option of redress in the law courts.
Needless to say, the
NDC Party will have to sharpen its disciplinary structures to bring hope to the
battered, because not everyone will accept this kind of indiscipline and let
things be – for the sake of the Party.
Still … ehe edzor bordorrrrrrrrrr!!!
Still … ehe edzor bordorrrrrrrrrr!!!
Wor dzii NDC, ni wor
shee moko gbeyee
… (we are the NDC and we fear no foe)
Wor dzi t3saaa, ahum ko ny33 wor atswa
… (we are the rock, no wind can blow us down)
K3 wor heny3loi borlee wor
… (when our enemies surround us)
Wor ts3 nyonmor y3
… (our father God is with us)
Wor shee gbeyeee
… (we are not afraid)
… (we are the NDC and we fear no foe)
Wor dzi t3saaa, ahum ko ny33 wor atswa
… (we are the rock, no wind can blow us down)
K3 wor heny3loi borlee wor
… (when our enemies surround us)
Wor ts3 nyonmor y3
… (our father God is with us)
Wor shee gbeyeee
… (we are not afraid)
Gbortsui ashi gb3nt3 –
emashi dani kanya ba!!!
Source: Dr. Valerie
Sawyerr, a former deputy chief of staff
New Standards Authority boss resigns
 |
| Dr Addae Mensah Otchere |
By Kwame Acheampong
The newly appointed
Director of the Ghana Standards Authority Dr. Addai-Mensah Otchere has resigned
from the position.
It is unclear why Dr.
Otchere, who was appointed last week – March 27, 2017 – by President
Akufo-Addo, left the post, but StarrFMonline.com sources say he
was pressured to resign.
Sources say the
Presidency was being compelled to revoke his appointment by party members
because of some harsh comments he allegedly made about the governing party
while they were in opposition.
The former acting Dean
of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the KNUST was reportedly invited by
the president over the claims and urged to be cautious of his utterances.
He, however, decided to
leave the post after meeting the President.
Source:Starrfmonline
Security agencies will stop political
vigilante groups — Kan-Dapaah
 |
| Albert Kan Dapaah |
By
Musah Yahaya Jafaru
The
Minister for National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, has described the
activities of political vigilante groups as criminal and affirmed the resolve
of the security agencies to confront the groups and stop their activities.
He
told Parliament yesterday that the groups had the tendency to degenerate into
militant groups whose activities could have serious repercussions for the
security of the country.
He
cautioned that any member of political vigilante groups arrested would be dealt
with in accordance with the laws of the country, irrespective of their
political affiliations.
Mr
Kan-Dapaah was answering questions posed by the Minority Chief Whip and Member
of Parliament (MP) for Asewase, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, on when all
political vigilante groups would be disbanded.
There
were other questions from other MPs.
No registered action groups
Some
youth affiliated to political parties have engaged in the seizure of government
institutions and the harassment of government officials after a change in
government in the country.
The
recent disturbances following the victory of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in
the December 7, 2017 elections are said to be caused by the Delta Force and the
Invincible Forces.
However,
Mr Kan-Dapaah said there was no such group as the Delta Force or the Invincible
Forces.
Rather,
he said, "some people have constituted themselves into action groups and
are undertaking certain actions that are against the laws of Ghana".
The
minister said it was about time the country dealt with all such action groups
and indicated that the security agencies "are working to ensure that these
persons do not escape sanctions, as stated in the Constitution”.
"The
law enforcement agencies are doing everything to ensure that those who were
involved in the recent incidents in Kumasi will be dealt with appropriately and
in accordance with the laws of this country," he said.
Don't politicise crime
Mr Kan-Dapaah
stressed the need for the criminal activities of the action groups not to be
mixed with politics.
He
asked political leaders to be pragmatic and accept that some members of the two
political parties — the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) — had
been known to constitute themselves into action groups to molest and unleash
violence on peace-loving people of the country either from within or outside
their political parties.
"We
must not mix criminality with politics. Lawlessness must be punished as
demanded by the laws of the country. The government has made its position clear
by asking the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to deal with all criminals,
irrespective of their political affiliations," he said.
Collaborative effort
Mr
Kan-Dapaah said the activities of the action groups had been with the country
for some time and indicated that he had always been disturbed by their
activities.
Therefore,
he said, the impression should not be given that this was the first time the
country had to deal with something to do with militant groups.
He
stressed the need for Parliament to impress on political parties to collaborate
to discourage the activities of action groups.
"We
must resolve, as a House, to urge all political leaders in the country to come
together to deliberate on measures to discourage the establishment of and
recognition of such groups in political structures in the interest of national
security," he said.
Reviving the ‘Chemical Weapons’ Lie
 |
| Collin Powell lied at the UN about WMD in Iraq |
By Patrick Henningsen
Here
it comes again. As the enemies of peace continue to pressure a new US President
into deeper war commitments overseas, and as Washington’s Deep State works
relentlessly opposing Russian moves in Syria at every turn, the war drums have
started again – beating harder than ever now, clamouring for a new US-led
attack on Syria. This morning we saw the familiar theme emerge, and just
in time to provide a convenient backdrop to this week’s Brussels’ ‘Peace
Talks’ and conference on “Syria’s Future”.
The
US-led ‘Coalition’ prepares to make its end-run into Syria to ‘Retake Raqqa,’ and impose
its Safe Zones in order to partition Syria, more media
demonization of the Syrian government appears to be needed by the West.
On
cue, the multi-billion dollar US and UK media machines sprung into overdrive
this morning over reports based primarily from their own ‘activist’ media
outlets. Aleppo Media Center and
others embedded in the Al Nusra-dominated terrorist stronghold
of Idlib, Syria, alongside their media counterpart the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) funded
by the UK and EU, are all now claiming that the Syrian and Russian Airforces
have launched a chemical weapons airstrike killing civilians in Idlib.
In
their report today entitled, “Syria conflict: ‘Chemical attack’ in
Idlib kills 58”,
the BBC is also alleging in their report that Sarin gas was used.
The
alleged “chemical airstrikes” are said to have taken place in the town of Khan
Sheikhoun, about 50km south of the city of Idlib.
Predictably,
the BBC and other similar reports by CNN, have triggered a wave of ‘consensus
condemnation’ and indignation by the usual voices, the UN’s Staffan
de Mistura, Francois Hollande, and, of course, UK Foreign
Secretary Boris Johnson, who said that President Bashar
al-Assad “would be guilty of a war crime” if it somehow be proven that his
‘regime’ was responsible.
“Bombing
your own civilians with chemical weapons is unquestionably a war crime and they
must be held to account,” he said (reported by BBC).
But is
the mainstream media’s version of events what actually happened?
The
BBC claims in their article that, “Opposition activists said Syrian government
or Russian warplanes carried out the strikes.”
This
claim should be checked against any Russian air sorties scheduled for the same
period. As of this morning, Russia’s defence ministry has stated that it
had not carried out any air strikes the area.
The
problem here is that the BBC and others are not only taking ‘opposition
activists’ reports of a chemical attack at face value, they are also
elevating claims that the Syrian and Russian airforces were then later
hitting the medical clinics who were treating the survivors:
“Later,
aircraft fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors, medics and
activists said.”
Expectedly,
as with past claims of “chemical
attacks,” the notorious US-UK funded ‘NGO’, the White Helmets have
already played a central role in scripting
the narrative for
this latest chemical attack.
As
with so many other previous reports on Syria, the BBC, CNN and AP’s
reporting relies exclusively on “opposition activists” and “opposition
media agencies,” including the ‘pro-opposition’ Step News agency’,
the Edlib Media Center (EMC), and ‘opposition journalists’ like
photographer Hussein Kayal, as well as an unnamed “AFP news agency
journalist”.
The
unnamed “AFP journalist” is particularly interesting, as it seems to be the
source of a key portion of the BBC’s version of events:
“An
AFP news agency journalist saw a young girl, a woman and two elderly people
dead at a hospital, all with foam still visible around their mouths.”
The
journalist also reported that the same facility was hit by a rocket on Tuesday
afternoon, bringing down rubble on top of doctors treating the injured.”
However,
as you read further down the BBC report, the story gets less certain, as the
story becomes very loose:
“The
source of the projectile was not clear, but the EMC and the opposition Local
Co-ordination Committees (LCC) network said warplanes had targeted several
clinics.”
After
their source the SOHR refused to say which “chemical” was supposedly dropped, the
BBC quickly moved in to fill in the blanks by framing the story that the
Syrian-Russian Airforces had launched a “Sarin Attack”.
“The
SOHR said it was unable to say what exactly was dropped. However, the EMC and
LCC said it was believed to be the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and
considered 20 times as deadly as cyanide.”
At no
point in its reporting does the BBC ever express any skepticism that maybe
their ‘activist’ sources could be providing false or misleading information.
Ultimately, these reports can be used to trigger renewed calls by Western
officials for military strikes against the ‘Syrian Regime’ – which was exactly
what happened today after these news stories were circulated. Within a few
hours after these reports circulated, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R,
Illinois) came on CNN with Wolf Blitzer who asked Kinzinger point
blank: What can be done to remove this regime? Kinzinger then replied
by calling outright for US airstrikes to “Take out the Assad Regime in
Syria”, including “cratering their airstrips so no planes can take off” and
creating a “No Fly Zone” over Syria.
These statements,
as bombastic as they may sound, are serious and should not be taken casually.
The problem is they are based on a series of lies. Of course, Kinzinger was
followed on-air by John McCain protesting against US Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson’s recent comments this week
that, “The Syrian people should be able to choose their own (political) future”
– effectively holding the overwhelming majority of Syrian in contempt for
supporting their government.
CNN
Senior Middle East correspondent Arwa Damon also chimed in with Blitzer
from New York, and without any real evidence presented as to what has happened
and who is to blame, she swiftly concluded that the Idlib “chemical
attack” was the work of ‘the regime’ and that America cannot stand back idly
and do nothing, and how this would show a “lack of humanity,”
The
BBC does briefly mention an alternative report, but carefully tried to
discredit it in the court of political opinion by labeling it as from
“Pro-Government journalists,” stated here:
“Pro-government
journalists later cited military sources as saying there had been an explosion
at an al-Qaeda chemical weapons factory in Khan Sheikhoun that was caused
either by an air strike or an accident.”
As
expected, the UN affiliated chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, quickly
announced they were “seriously concerned” about the alleged chemical attack,
and that they were now “gathering and analysing information from all
available sources”. One hopes that this will entail more than just looking
at ‘activist’ or White Helmets material being circulated on the US
and western media.
Incredibly,
Kinzinger also said on national TV with CNN that people should ignore any
stories which DO NOT implicate the Syrian government waged chemical
attacks against its own people in East Ghouta in 2013 – and that these should
be dismissed as “fake news” put out by ‘the Russians and the FSB.’ By this
statement, Kinzinger is essentially saying that award-winning American
journalists Seymour Hersh and Robert Parry are akin to
being Russian agents. In fact, Kinzinger is wrong and lying in his capacity as
a high-ranking House Committee member.
In
2013, the US and UK went on an all-out propaganda blitz to try and implicate
the Syrian Government in advance of war votes in both Washington and London.
The campaign failed.
The
following are links to a small sample of factual reports publicly available
which clearly show that the alleged “Sarin Attack” in 2013 was in
fact the work of western and Gulf-backed ‘opposition rebels’ (terrorists)
and not the Assad government, and all of these reports have
been more or less ignored by CNN, BBC and the entirety of the western
mainstream media – because they do not fit into the western ‘regime change’ and
US-led military intervention narrative:
C.J. Chivers
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/world/middleeast/new-study-refines-view-of-sarin-attack-in-syria.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/world/middleeast/new-study-refines-view-of-sarin-attack-in-syria.html
Carla Del Ponte, UN
Inspector
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/uns-carla-del-ponte-says-there-is-evidence-rebels-may-have-used-sarin-in-syria-8604920.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/uns-carla-del-ponte-says-there-is-evidence-rebels-may-have-used-sarin-in-syria-8604920.html
Carmen Russell-Sluchansky
http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-failed-pretext-for-war-seymour-hersh-eliot-higgins-mit-professors-on-sarin-gas-attack/188597/
http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-failed-pretext-for-war-seymour-hersh-eliot-higgins-mit-professors-on-sarin-gas-attack/188597/
Swedish Doctors for Human
Rights
http://theindicter.com/swedish-doctors-for-human-rights-white-helmets-video-macabre-manipulation-of-dead-children-and-staged-chemical-weapons-attack-to-justify-a-no-fly-zone-in-syria/
http://theindicter.com/swedish-doctors-for-human-rights-white-helmets-video-macabre-manipulation-of-dead-children-and-staged-chemical-weapons-attack-to-justify-a-no-fly-zone-in-syria/
Patrick Henningsen (2013
chlorine incident)
http://21stcenturywire.com/2013/03/27/iraq-2-0-west-will-now-lean-on-un-to-delivery-a-wmd-verdict-in-syria/
http://21stcenturywire.com/2013/03/27/iraq-2-0-west-will-now-lean-on-un-to-delivery-a-wmd-verdict-in-syria/
More on the MIT study debunking
West theory on Ghouta:
http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/01/20/mit-study-further-destroys-washingtons-syria-chemical-weapons-claim/
http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/01/20/mit-study-further-destroys-washingtons-syria-chemical-weapons-claim/
Chemical Weapons Attack on Idlib: Why Questions Need to Be
Asked
© REUTERS/ Ammar Abdullah
By John Wight
The Assad
government has nothing to gain from launching chemical weapons attacks in Syria
— and never more than now when it is winning the conflict, both on the ground
and diplomatically. Indeed, launching such an attack now would be tantamount to
insanity.
The
footage of men, women, and children in paroxysms of agony
in the wake of a chemical weapons attack near the town of Khan
Shaykhun in Idlib province, should make even the most hardened
among us to weep. Such human suffering obliges us to question
the very premise upon which we like to consider our world
as advanced or civilized. And it is precisely because of this that
when we are witness to such an ontological breakdown in humanity that
we must resist the pressure to accept the officially prescribed narrative
of responsibility at face value.
When
it comes to this particular attack, just consider for a moment the
timing. It arrived immediately after the Trump administration confirmed
that regime change was off the table where Syria was concerned, stating
that its priority was fighting Daesh. It arrived in advance of an
international donor conference concerning
Syria in Brussels, organized by the EU. Then we have the fact that
on the ground pro-government forces are winning the conflict,
with all opposition forces in the northwest of the country
forced into Idlib province after the liberation of Aleppo back
in December 2016.
In
other words, for pro-government forces to carry out such an
attack at this time would constitute an act of political and
diplomatic self-harm of near-historic proportions.
There
is also the fact that the assertions carried widely in the Western media,
blaming pro-government forces for the attack, have emanated
from openly and avowedly pro-opposition sources within Idlib.
This is because no Western journalist or news crew would dare set foot there,
or indeed in any part of opposition-controlled Syria, knowing that
as soon as they did they would be kidnapped and butchered.
The
Syrian government did not deny that it carried an airstrike in Idlib
around the same time footage emerged of such unconscionable human
suffering. Their explanation is that they bombed a weapons depot close
to the town in which Salafi-jihadi groups were storing chemical
weapons. Confirmation that such
groups are in possession of chemical weapons came in 2013
from UN special investigator Carla del Ponte, based on a UN
investigation carried out concerning previous allegations of their
use.
This,
of course, is not the first time that pro-government forces have been
accused of launching a chemical weapons attack during the conflict
in Syria. In August 2013, it was claimed that the Syrian Army fired
artillery shells containing the nerve agent sarin against civilians
in the then pro-opposition district of eastern Ghouta on the
outskirts of Damascus. The fallout on that occasion almost led
to US and Western military intervention against the government —
intervention called off at the very moment the ships and aircraft were
ready to be unleashed by the Obama administration.
In the
wake of what would have been a disastrous turn of events, should said
intervention have gone ahead, Russia succeeded in brokering a deal with the
Syrian government that saw its entire stock of chemical weapons destroyed.
This was undertaken and completed in 2014
under the supervision of the Organization for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The UN
investigation into the attack on eastern Ghouta did not establish the
provenance of the weapons, or who used them, regardless of the howl
of condemnation of the government that ensued in the West.
However various dissenting voices were raised challenging the allegations,
though likewise they also found themselves demonized.
Among
those dissenting voices was the veteran US investigative reporter, Seymour
Hersh.
In
an article that appeared
in the London Review of Books in December 2013, Hersh
provided a forensic deconstruction and debunking of the official
narrative, writing:
"In
the months before the attack [on eastern Ghouta], the American
intelligence agencies produced a series of highly classified reports,
culminating in a formal Operations Order — a planning document that
precedes a ground invasion — citing evidence that the al-Nusra Front, a jihadi
group affiliated with al-Qaida, had mastered the mechanics
of creating sarin and was capable of manufacturing it
in quantity. When the attack occurred al-Nusra should have been a suspect,
but the administration cherry-picked intelligence to justify a strike
against Assad."
It is
worth repeating: the fact that a negotiated settlement to a conflict
of such unremitting suffering over six long years remains elusive is
an indictment. However the idea that regime change can be seriously considered
part of any settlement is also an indictment.
The
days of destroying countries in order to save them are over; and
rightly so given the damning evidence available of the domino effect this
particular exercise in folly has produced. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya… haven't
these people done enough damage?
Why Accusations of Chemical Weapons Used by Syrian Army 'Not
Supported by Facts'
© REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki
 |
| President Assad |
Syrian
opposition claimed Tuesday that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad
had used a chemical gas on people in the northwestern province
of Idlib, killing nearly 80 and injuring 200.
Assad
argued that his government has no chemical weapons after agreeing
to have them destroyed in 2013. He also ruled out having used
chemicals against his own people.
The
Russian Defense Ministry said early Wednesday that the airstrike near Khan
Shaykhun was carried out by Syrian aircraft, which struck a terrorist
warehouse that stored chemical weapons slated for delivery to Iraq.
According
to a senior researcher of the Center for Arab and Islamic
Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian
Academy of Sciences, Boris Dolgov, these accusations are part of a
new campaign to discredit the Syrian leadership.
“The
Syrian Army is accused of using chemical
weapons,
while the data that is being used by those who launched this campaign, is
based on the statements made by the NCESC and by an organization
called Human Rights Observatory in Syria, which is located in London
and in fact, has no means of its own to really monitor the
situation,” Dolgov told Sputnik.
He
added that the “data is not confirmed by facts or any evidence.”
In his
opinion the chemical weapons were not used by the Syrian army because it’s
absurd to use such weapons on the territory of one’s own
country, in the area where the government’s army is operating and
especially against the civilian population.
“It's
unfortunate that both the US and the new president joined this campaign
without bothering to understand in detail as to what is actually
going on,” the researcher said.
He
further said that it remains unclear how chemical weapons or its
components ended up with
the terrorists.
“There
were reports that they were illegally imported through Turkey or some
other channels. It was said that the militants use this weapon, this was
proven, moreover, documented and certified by Russian experts,” Dolgov
concluded.
Earlier
in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said during her
weekly press briefing that the US and other countries submitted a draft
resolution on Syria which is "completely" based on fake
reports.
Maria
Zakharova said that the White Helmets and the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights (SOHR) cannot be considered to be reliable sources as they
have been repeatedly caught spreading fake reports on the situation
in the war-torn country.
She
added that the same images were used to illustrate the situation
in Aleppo are now being used to allegedly prove the chemical attack
in Idlib.
Who needs modern monarchs?
 |
| Queen Elisabeth |
By
Sergei Vasilenkov
Modern
European monarchy is, perhaps, one of the most discussed topics in relation to
Europe. Some are happy about the cultivated tradition and strongly support the
monarchy in the EU, while some are very unhappy with the ruling family and call
it a sham. The latter are largely right as the monarchs have forgotten about
their responsibilities.
The debate about the so-called royal monarchs of Europe has been ongoing for a long time. Some argue that contemporary European monarchs have no real power and serve as decorative pieces that are only a symbol of national traditions and former dignity, while others believe that the monarchs were sent by God for good purposes.
Out of
over 230 world countries, only 41 have a monarchical form of government. Today
monarchy is a very flexible and diverse system, ranging from tribal forms seen
in the Arab countries to monarchical version of democratic European countries.
Europe is the second largest region in the world in terms of number of
monarchies - 12. The monarchy is presented here in a limited form in the
countries that are considered EU leaders (UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg,
etc.), as well as the absolute form of government in small countries like
Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Vatican. The quality of life in these countries
differs. The level of involvement of the monarchs in the country management
also varies.
A
monarchy is not only a form of the government but also a collection of certain
spiritual and social ideas. A monarchy is characterized by the principles of
unity of command, inherited power and primacy of the moral principles. In
Orthodoxy, the monarch was seen as a person sent by God to minister their
people. A monarchy is a universal form of organization of the nation that
can coexist with most of today's socio-economic and socio-political models.
Over the decades, liberals and socialists have been consistently propagating
the idea that a monarchy is an obsolete and outdated form of government that
should be replaced by a more advanced Republican form.
Multiple
pieces of evidence are presented. First, many countries have already abandoned
the monarchy or maintain it out of inertia. Monarchs in these countries are
merely a tradition and play no significant role in the domestic and foreign
policies of their countries. Second, the evidence of a "regressive"
nature of monarchy is the fact that after its fall there are no attempts to
return to this form of government. This theory has many supporters. Yet, one
cannot say that monarchy is evil because many European monarchies are the world
leaders.
Some
experts, discussing the pros and cons of monarchy, bring up England, Spain,
Sweden and Norway as an example. These countries maintain a normal monarchy,
and their monarchs are not just symbolic figures but really manage their
countries. The supporters of the theory that the monarchs in these countries
have real authority refer to the law of the state that gives the monarchs
significant authority. For example, the Queen of England appoints the
Government, is entitled to dissolve the parliament, and no bills passed by the
Parliament are considered valid without her. The opponents of this theory argue
in response that all these provisions are a mere formality, since the power is
really in the hands of the party oligarchy. The monarchs also should serve as
examples of high moral and be an authority in the society.
Do the
contemporary monarchs of Western Europe meet the requirements of moral ideals?
In most cases (with the exception of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein) the answer
to this question would be "no." In addition, the monarchy not only
does not meet the standards of the moral values in the minds of people, but
even promotes lack of spirituality. In these monarchic states sodomy and
adultery flourish, nations degenerate, and the authority of the Church is at
its lowest.
In
monarchical Spain, King Juan Carlos in June of 2005 signed a law that legalized
same-sex marriage in Spain. The church and personally Benedict XVI protested
the law. However, the protests did not affect the King. The situation in the
church in Sweden also speaks of the decline of morality. 80 percent of people
in this country consider themselves atheists. Ethics professor Hans Hammar
Berryer invited his compatriots to blow up churches or turn them into
pizzerias, cafes, homes, or industrial facilities. SPA-salons and centers of Chinese
medicine are opened in churches. All of the above is happening in the country
ruled by King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Several
years ago, artist Elizabeth Olson Valine showcased a painting in Belgrade
depicting King Carl XVI Gustaf in a company of other famous men eating pizza
from the naked belly of a pop singer he used to have an affair with. How can
these people be the authority for the ordinary residents? Are monarchy and
authority synonymous concepts?
The
main duty of a true monarch is the implementation of sovereignty. A monarch
must be a national arbiter standing above classes and parties. A monarch should
regulate social relations and not let demagogues and careerists into power. It
used to be the case. What do we see in the modern monarchies of Europe? There
are no monarchs who perform their duties, despite some legislative powers. In
addition, the current European monarchs are simply toys in the hands of
powerful politicians.
Monarchs
do not prevent irresponsible politicians from taking office, allowing them
robbing the budget and in acting absurd laws. It was partly the powerlessness
of the monarchs that led to a severe economic crisis, the fall of morality and
the dominance of immigrants. Now, as evidence shows, European monarchs do not
have a major impact on the situation in their countries.
Contemporary monarchs in Europe are a sham. They no longer have authority and dignity; they are mired in scandals and immorality. They are accustomed to expensive palaces, beautiful clothing, plush celebrations and elegant ceremonies, forgetting their main goal - strengthening of the national unity and power of the state.
Contemporary monarchs in Europe are a sham. They no longer have authority and dignity; they are mired in scandals and immorality. They are accustomed to expensive palaces, beautiful clothing, plush celebrations and elegant ceremonies, forgetting their main goal - strengthening of the national unity and power of the state.
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