US to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround

US to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround
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A view of a NASAMS air defense system used during exercise Joint Viking 2017 in Finnmark, Norway. (US Defense Department photo)
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A NASAMS surface-to-air missile launcher is seen in production at the assembly line of the Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace weapons factory in Kongsberg, Norway on January 30, 2023. (AFP)
US to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround
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In this screen grab from a video, a glide bomb is shown on flight during a Boeing and Saab test of their Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) in Sweden on March 20, 2015. (Boeing video via YouTube)
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Updated 03 February 2023

US to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround

US to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround
  • The longer-range bombs are the latest advanced system, such as Abrams tanks and the Patriot missile defense system, that the US has eventually agreed to provide Ukraine
  • Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said Kyiv is prepared to offer guarantees to its Western partners that their weapons won’t be used to strike inside Russian territory

WASHINGTON: After months of agonizing, the US has agreed to send longer-range bombs to Ukraine as it prepares to launch a spring offensive to retake territory Russia captured last year, US officials said Thursday, confirming that the new weapons will have roughly double the range of any other offensive weapon provided by America.
The US will provide ground-launched small diameter bombs as part of a $2.17 billion aid package it is expected to announce Friday, several US officials said. The package also for the first time includes equipment to connect all the different air defense systems Western allies have rushed to the battlefield and integrate them into Ukraine’s own air defenses, to help it better defend against Russia’s missile attacks.
For months, US officials have hesitated to send longer-range systems to Ukraine out of concern that they would be used to target inside Russia, escalating the conflict and drawing the US deeper in. The longer-range bombs are the latest advanced system, such as Abrams tanks and the Patriot missile defense system, that the US has eventually agreed to provide Ukraine after initially saying no. US officials, though, have continued to reject Ukraine’s requests for fighter jets.
Ukrainian leaders have urgently pressed for longer-range munitions, and on Thursday officials said the US will send an undisclosed number of the ground-launched, small diameter bombs, which have a range of about 95 miles (150 kilometers). The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the aid package not yet made public.

To date, the longest-range missile provided by the US is about 50 miles (80 kilometers). The funding in the aid package is for longer-term purchases, so it wasn’t clear Thursday how long it will take to get the bomb to the battlefield in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said Thursday the country is prepared to offer guarantees to its Western partners that their weapons won’t be used to strike inside Russian territory, adding that Kyiv needs weapons with a range of up to 300 kilometers ( about 185 miles) to expel the Russian forces.
“If we could strike at a distance of up to 300 kilometers, the Russian army wouldn’t be able to mount a defense and will have to withdraw,” Reznikov said at a meeting with EU officials. “Ukraine is ready to provide any guarantees that your weapons will not be involved in attacks on the Russian territory. We have enough targets in the occupied areas of Ukraine, and we’re prepared to coordinate on (these) targets with our partners.”
The US aid package includes $425 million in ammunition and support equipment that will be pulled from existing Pentagon stockpiles and $1.75 billion in new funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to purchase new weapons from industry.
The assistance initiative, which will pay for the longer-range bombs and the air defense system integration, also funds two HAWK air defense systems, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition, and counter-drone systems.
Since Russia’s invasion last February, Western allies have pledged a myriad of air defense systems to Ukraine to bolster its own Soviet-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defense systems, and the latest aid package aims to provide the capability to integrate them all, which could improve Ukraine’s ability to protect itself against incoming Russian attacks.
The US has pledged medium- to long-range National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and truck-launched short-range Avenger air defense systems; the Netherlands, Germany and the US are sending Patriot missile defense systems; Germany is sending medium-range IRIS-T air defense systems; and Spain is sending Aspide anti-aircraft air defense systems.
The addition of longer-range bombs to the latest aid package was first reported by Reuters.
Ukraine is still seeking F-16 fighter jets, which US President Joe Biden has opposed sending since the beginning of the war. Asked Monday if his administration was considering sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, Biden responded, “No.”
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian defense minister was asked if Biden’s ‘’no” to F-16s was the final word.
“All types of help first passed through the ‘no’ stage,” Reznikov said. “Which only means ‘no’ at today’s given moment. The second stage is, ‘Let’s talk and study technical possibilities.’ The third stage is, ‘Let’s get your personnel trained.’ And the fourth stage is the transfer (of equipment).”


UN accuses Russia, Ukraine forces of ‘summary executions’ of prisoners

UN accuses Russia, Ukraine forces of ‘summary executions’ of prisoners
Updated 25 March 2023

UN accuses Russia, Ukraine forces of ‘summary executions’ of prisoners

UN accuses Russia, Ukraine forces of ‘summary executions’ of prisoners
  • Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of mistreating prisoners of war since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded a year ago

KYIV: The United Nations said Friday it was “deeply concerned” by what it said were summary executions of prisoners of war by both Russian and Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
The allegations come shortly after Kyiv accused Russian forces of killing a captured Ukrainian serviceman who was filmed saying “Glory to Ukraine” before being shot dead.
The head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday that her organization had recently recorded killings by both sides.
“We are deeply concerned about (the) summary execution of up to 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat by the Ukrainian armed forces, which we have documented,” Bogner said.
“This was often perpetrated immediately upon capture on the battlefield,” she said.
“While we are aware of ongoing investigations by Ukraine authorities into five cases involving 22 victims, we are not aware of any prosecution of the perpetrators,” she added.
Bogner also expressed “deep” concern over the alleged executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners by Russian armed forces after their capture.
She said the Wagner mercenary group, which claims to be leading Russia’s assault for Bakhmut — the longest and bloodiest battle of the war — was responsible for 11 of those killings.
Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of mistreating prisoners of war since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded a year ago.
One UN report issued Friday claimed Ukrainian military personnel had subjected prisoners of war to death threats, mock executions or threats of sexual violence. Some beatings were “purely retaliatory,” it said.
“In some cases, officers beat POWs saying: ‘This is for Bucha,’” the mission reported detainees as saying, referring to a town near Kyiv where Russian forces were accused of widespread atrocities.
“Before questioning, they showed me an axe handle covered in blood as a warning,” the report quoted a Russian POW as saying.
“The questioning lasted for about an hour and they used electricity six times, whenever they thought I was lying,” the detainee said, according to the report.
Ukrainian POWs quoted said they were subjected to torture, sexual violence, a lack of food and water and denied medical attention that sometimes led to death.
They said they were tortured and ill-treated to extract information or as a form of punishment, the mission said.
Ukrainian prisoners reported being beaten with shovels, stabbed, subjected to electric shocks and strangled.
“Some of them lost their teeth or fingers, had their ribs, fingers or noses broken,” the report said.
“They did not just beat us, they broke us. They used their fists, legs, batons, tasers. There were POWs who had their arms or legs broken,” one man was quoted as saying.
The Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said on Friday that he was “surprised” by the allegations against Ukrainian troops and said he had not been informed of them in advance.
He said on Telegram that he wanted to “know the facts and the indisputable arguments on which the conclusions” of the UN report are based.


UK-based runners complete Palestine Marathon to raise thousands for charity

UK-based runners complete Palestine Marathon to raise thousands for charity
Updated 25 March 2023

UK-based runners complete Palestine Marathon to raise thousands for charity

UK-based runners complete Palestine Marathon to raise thousands for charity
  • They were running on behalf of international humanitarian charity Penny Appeal
  • The cash raised will support its projects to help Palestinians

LONDON: A group of 90 runners from the UK raised thousands of pounds for charity by competing in the Palestine Marathon this month.

They were running on behalf of UK-based international humanitarian charity Penny Appeal, and the cash they raised, which has reached over £200,000 ($245,000) so far, will be used to support its projects that provide food, medical supplies, olive trees and emergency relief to people in need in Palestine.

“The Run for Palestine is a popular event that brings together runners of all levels and backgrounds to support a good cause,” Penny Appeal said.

“The marathon took runners through different views of Palestinian everyday life. The route itself is a technical course, with a few steep hills coupled with some fast sections, in scenery like no other marathon.

“The runners were delighted to have completed the race and to have raised money for a good cause.”

The main race begins at the Church of Nativity in the center of Bethlehem’s Old City, taking the runners through the city and two refugee camps, Al-Aida and Ad-Dheisheh, it added. In addition to the full marathon, this year’s Penny Appeal participants had the alternative options of taking part in a 5K,10K or half marathon.

“I’m thrilled to see our charity runners complete the Run for Palestine and to have raised funds for such an important cause,” said one volunteer.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support of our friends, family, and the amazing volunteers who made this event possible. We’re proud to have made a difference in the lives of those who need it most.”

Ridwana Wallace Laher, Penny Appeal’s CEO, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in the Run for Palestine and helped us raise funds for this important cause.

“The money raised will go a long way in helping us make a difference in the lives of people in need around the world.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support of our runners, volunteers and sponsors, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event.”


Indian Parliament disqualifies Rahul Gandhi after conviction in defamation case

India's Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, second left, arrives at the district court in Surat on March 23, 2023. (AFP)
India's Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, second left, arrives at the district court in Surat on March 23, 2023. (AFP)
Updated 24 March 2023

Indian Parliament disqualifies Rahul Gandhi after conviction in defamation case

India's Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, second left, arrives at the district court in Surat on March 23, 2023. (AFP)
  • Gandhi says is willing to pay any price in his fight for ‘the voice of India’
  • He was sentenced to two years in jail in a defamation case linked to PM Modi’s surname

NEW DELHI: India’s Parliament disqualified main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, a day after he was convicted in a defamation case and sentenced to two years of imprisonment. The former president of India’s Congress party and a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has given the country four prime ministers, was found guilty of defamation by a lower court in Gujarat — the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The court convicted Gandhi for comments made in a speech ahead of the 2019 general election, in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi.

“Rahul Gandhi, a member of Lok Sabha (lower house) representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction, i.e. 23 March, 2023,” the lower house of Parliament said in a notification on Friday.

If a higher court does not overturn the conviction, Gandhi would be barred from contesting next year’s polls, in which he has been seen as a main opponent to the rule of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

According to Indian law, a convicted legislator cannot contest elections for six years after the end of their jail sentence.

Gandhi took to Twitter after his disqualification to say that he is “fighting for the voice of India” and is “willing to pay any price for that.”

Gandhi is on bail for 30 days and his party said would it appeal the Gujarat court’s verdict. The party led a protest march outside the parliament building on Friday, with opposition leaders carrying a large banner reading “democracy in danger.”

“They (BJP) tried all ways to disqualify him. They don’t want to keep those who are speaking the truth, but we will continue to speak the truth,” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters.

“If needed, we’ll go to jail to save democracy.”

Gandhi, 52, is the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His grandmother Indira Gandhi was India’s first female leader, and his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the country’s founding prime minister.

Opposition parties, cutting across their political differences, condemned his disqualification from parliament.

“In PM Modi’s New India opposition leaders have become the prime target of BJP,” tweeted Mamata Bannerjee, chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal and a strong regional leader.

“Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy.”

But experts say the conviction and disqualification may offer the opposition a new card to play.

“However the Congress does it, it’s going to be a big challenge for them. There is a potential they can convert this disqualification into a qualification for a much bigger thing,” Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst, told Arab News. But to stay the conviction or have Gandhi acquitted means a long legal battle for him and the Congress, which is preparing for local polls this year and general elections in 2024.

“They are getting ready for a bunch of state elections and parliament polls and would like to package Rahul’s disqualification as an attack on democracy and how voices are being smothered that are opposed to BJP or Modi, but they would have to rely a lot on how determined Rahul is to fight,” said Sanjay Kapoor, chief editor of the political magazine Hard News and former secretary-general of the Editors Guild of India.

“A fall in his morale could see Congress slipping badly in state elections as well as 2024 polls. It’s a big challenge for the Congress and Rahul.”

 

 


Muslim man asked not to pray inside Ottawa train station

Muslim man asked not to pray inside Ottawa train station
Updated 24 March 2023

Muslim man asked not to pray inside Ottawa train station

Muslim man asked not to pray inside Ottawa train station
  • Viral video of incident showed guard in security vest telling man prayers were disturbing other people
  • Via Rail issued unreserved apology to Muslim community, promised full investigation

DUBAI: A security guard subcontracted to work for Canada’s Via Rail has been suspended pending investigation after asking a Muslim man not to pray at an Ottawa train station.
CTV News Ottawa on Thursday reported that the worshipper, who identified himself only as Ahmad, had just finished praying in an empty hallway when the guard approached him and said, “don’t pray in here … Pray outside next time.”
Ahmad told the news channel that the incident happened on Monday at the station in the Canadian capital.
According to Ottawa Citizen news website, a video of the incident that went viral showed the guard in his security vest telling the man that his prayers were disturbing other station users.
Via Rail issued an unreserved apology to the man and the entire Muslim community and promised a full investigating and “appropriate actions” based on its findings.
Following a meeting to discuss what was described as a “regrettable and saddening incident,” Via Rail and the National Council of Canadian Muslims, a civil rights and advocacy group, issued a joint statement that said the two parties had held constructive talks and that the operator was working to improve its diversity and inclusion policies.
“The conversation focused on common objectives, namely, to ensure that Via Rail provides an inclusive environment where passengers and employees feel safe practicing freedom of religion, including the ability to worship,” the statement added.
The guard also reportedly told Ahmad, “we don’t want you praying here. You’re bothering our other customers, OK?”
Ahmad told CTV News that he was left feeling shocked, hurt, and disrespected.
He said: “He made me feel embarrassed. I was just disgusted. Like, this is Canada? This is the nation’s capital? This is Ottawa?”
Via Rail officials noted that the firm would be sharing its diversity and inclusion policies with the NCCM and would work with the group on “any improvements that could be brought to help prevent these incidents in the future.”
The railway company also pointed out that it strongly condemned Islamophobia and any discriminatory behavior.
The security guard was not an employee of Via Rail, but a spokesperson said the firm had asked its subcontractor to remove him from all Via Rail contracts pending the outcome of the investigation.
The NCCM has since been in contact with Ahmad.
 


More than two-thirds of Muslims in England, Wales live in high unemployment areas

More than two-thirds of Muslims in England, Wales live in high unemployment areas
Updated 24 March 2023

More than two-thirds of Muslims in England, Wales live in high unemployment areas

More than two-thirds of Muslims in England, Wales live in high unemployment areas
  • Muslim Council of Britain: ‘Level playing field for young Muslims’ will prove a ‘national asset’
  • A study published last year in the Ethnic and Racial Studies journal found that discrimination had contributed to the creation of a “Muslim penalty” in Britain

LONDON: More than two-thirds of Muslims in England and Wales live in local authorities that report the highest levels of unemployment, The Guardian reported on Friday.
Census data shows that about 2.6 million Muslims live in areas where the recorded unemployment level was as high as one in 20 people aged 16-64.
The data has led to campaigners urging the government to focus on Muslim youth as part of its plan to “level up” Britain’s economy.
New figures from the Office of National Statistics also revealed that Muslims in England and Wales reported the highest unemployment rates among religious groups, at 6.7 percent.
Only 26 percent of Christians, as well as 25 percent of atheists, live in areas with the highest unemployment levels, but for Muslim communities in England and Wales, the figure stood at 68 percent.
In the three local authorities that reported the highest unemployment rates in the country — Birmingham, London’s Newham and Wolverhampton — 7 percent of people of working age are looking for jobs.
However, the ONS said that the age trends among Muslims, as compared to other groups, may be a contributing factor to the statistics, with younger Muslims more likely to be studying than youth in the general population.
Of those who identified as Muslim in the census, the percentage of students in the group was almost twice the rate seen in the overall population in England and Wales.
In response to the census findings, a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said: “The inter-generational cycles of poverty impacting British Muslim communities can result in young people being forced to leave education in pursuit of work so they can help support their families.
“Those that are able to break into the job market, pursuing chosen careers, can face Islamophobic prejudice and discrimination in the workplace.”
A study published last year in the Ethnic and Racial Studies journal found that discrimination had contributed to the creation of a “Muslim penalty” in Britain, with Islam being deemed a “significant barrier” to entering the workforce.
The MCB spokesperson added: “The post COVID-19 economic reality is that ‘leveling up’ is not just a priority for our rural communities. Targeted support is needed in the heart of inner cities where minority ethnic and Muslim populations may reside.
“Given a level playing field, the dynamism and sheer potential of young British Muslims will prove itself to be a strategic national asset.”