UK may have killed up to 32 civilians in Syria campaign against Daesh: charity

UK may have killed up to 32 civilians in Syria campaign against Daesh: charity
The US has said that 1,437 civilians may have been killed in the aerial campaign against Daesh between August 2014 and May 2023. (File/AFP)
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Updated 23 March 2023

UK may have killed up to 32 civilians in Syria campaign against Daesh: charity

UK may have killed up to 32 civilians in Syria campaign against Daesh: charity
  • Figure undermines Ministry of Defence claim that RAF strikes caused single civilian casualty: BBC

LONDON: Airstrikes launched by the UK’s military in Syria may have killed up to 32 civilians, research by a charity has reportedly revealed.

According to the BBC, the Action on Armed Violence organization, which investigates conflicts around the world, said its research had shown that at least nine attacks by the Royal Air Force led to civilian casualties between March 2016 and 2018.

It undermines a claim by the UK Ministry of Defence that its activities only led to a single civilian death during Britain’s seven-year aerial campaign against Daesh.

A ministry spokesperson said that military personnel examine evidence and mission data from every operation, and that there was “no evidence” of civilian casualties in the airstrikes investigated by AOAV.

A statement by the ministry said it had “identified nothing to indicate that such civilian casualties were caused in Syria.

“The RAF always minimizes the risk of civilian casualties through our rigorous targeting processes … but no evidence has been identified in these instances.”

The charity’s research claims that “at least 26 civilians are likely to have been killed” in RAF airstrikes during the two-year period, while “up to 32 civilians may have actually been killed.”

AOAV used “self-reported” civilian deaths to reach its figure, where military personnel under the US-led coalition against Daesh reported the high likelihood of civilian casualties following an operation.

The charity found that the reports were “credible” in eight of the nine RAF airstrikes.

It cross-checked the reports with the Ministry of Defence’s own internal mission data as well as information from US Central Command and other charities.

The single civilian death that the UK Ministry of Defence has admitted came in May 2018, when a motorcyclist was killed by a Reaper drone targeting Daesh fighters.

But another report surrounding possible civilian deaths, which the ministry has denied, centered on an RAF jet operation in May 2017, when Tornado aircraft attacked seven Daesh targets in Iraq’s Mosul.

The incident led to a “self-reported” claim by coalition personnel, with The New York Times newspaper finding that three civilians were nearby one of the strike targets, according to US mission data.

The data said: “The explosion from striking the mortar site was large enough to conclude that any person in the blast radius was seriously injured or killed in the strike.”

The US has said that 1,437 civilians may have been killed in the aerial campaign against Daesh between August 2014 and May 2023.


Egypt reopens historic mosque after long restoration

Egypt reopens historic mosque after long restoration
Updated 12 sec ago

Egypt reopens historic mosque after long restoration

Egypt reopens historic mosque after long restoration
CAIRO: A 13th century mosque that fell into disrepair after being used over the years as a soap factory, a slaughterhouse and a fort reopened in Cairo on Monday after undergoing a long restoration.
The mosque of Al-Zhahir Baybars, built under Mamluk rule in 1268, spans an area of three acres just north of central Cairo, making it Egypt’s third-largest mosque.
The mosque underwent mechanical and chemical restoration to bring it back to its original condition, said Tarek Mohamed El-Behairy, who supervised the restoration.
“Some parts were destroyed, some parts have been dismantled because they were structurally unsuitable to remain in the mosque,” he said.
“But we were very keen, even in the reconstruction process, to work according to the correct archaeological style.”
The restoration, which cost $7.68 million, was co-funded with Kazakhstan and began in 2007.
For 225 years, the mosque was either closed, abandoned or had operated for non-religious purposes that contributed to its disrepair.
During Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt it was used as a military fort, then under Ottoman rule in the 19th century as a soap factory. Later, when the British invaded Egypt in 1882, it was used as a slaughterhouse.
Al-Zahir Baybars was a prominent figure in Egypt’s history credited with cementing Mamluk rule in Egypt which spanned three centuries up to 1517.

UAE-Japan Committee for Women Career Development hosts 16th forum 

UAE-Japan Committee for Women Career Development hosts 16th forum 
Updated 05 June 2023

UAE-Japan Committee for Women Career Development hosts 16th forum 

UAE-Japan Committee for Women Career Development hosts 16th forum 
  • Forum was held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak

DUBAI: The UAE-Japan Friendship Committee for Women Career Development held its 16th forum in Abu Dhabi with the aim of empowering women in the energy industry, Emirates News Agency reported on Monday. 

The forum was held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women’s Union. It was also attended by Dr. Maitha Salem Al-Shamsi, the UAE’s minister of state, executive director of Japan Cooperation Center Petroleum, Tsuyoshi Nakai, senior leaders at Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., as well as delegates from energy companies from the UAE, Japan and other Gulf countries.

During her address, Al-Shamsi reaffirmed her continuous support for forums which bolster ties between the UAE and Japan and which unlock women’s potential. 

“The oil and gas industry has made great progress towards gender diversity, but there is still a long way to go to ensure that women in this sector receive equal benefits in terms of performance and productivity,” Al-Shamsi said. 

“To achieve this, more opportunities need to be provided for women to participate and build confidence in their ability to work in the frontline and across all fields. 

“I commend ADNOC for recognising that the growth and success of the organization depends on a skilled, diverse, and committed workforce.”

As part of its 2030 Sustainability Strategy, ADNOC is striving to become a regional leader in diversity and employee development.

ADNOC Offshore CEO Tayba Al-Hashemi said: “Women are key to a more sustainable future. 

“Under the guidance of Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al-Jaber, minister of industry and advanced technology and ADNOC managing director and group CEO, ADNOC has made excellent progress empowering females, and we have ambitious plans to double female representation in technical positions to 25 percent by 2030.

“We need diverse thinking to deliver the maximum energy and minimum emissions the world needs, and in line with the UAE leadership’s vision, we will continue to empower women and ensure all our people can unlock their potential to help build a more sustainable future.”


Palestinian toddler shot by Israeli troops in West Bank dies of wounds

Palestinian toddler shot by Israeli troops in West Bank dies of wounds
Updated 05 June 2023

Palestinian toddler shot by Israeli troops in West Bank dies of wounds

Palestinian toddler shot by Israeli troops in West Bank dies of wounds
  • Mohammed Al-Tamimi was shot in the head near his village of Nebi Saleh
  • The Israeli military has opened an investigation into the incident

A 3-year-old Palestinian boy who was shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank last week died of his wounds, Israeli hospital officials said Monday.
Mohammed Al-Tamimi was shot in the head last Thursday near his village of Nebi Saleh while riding in a car with his father. He was airlifted to Israel’s Sheba Hospital, which announced the boy’s death.
The Israeli military has said it opened fire after gunmen in the area shot at an Israeli guard post at a nearby Jewish settlement.
But the boy’s father, Haitham Al-Tamimi, told The Associated Press that he had just buckled up his son in the car and they were driving to visit an uncle when the bullet struck. The father was also shot and treated at a Palestinian hospital.
The Israeli military has opened an investigation into the incident.
Rights groups, however, say that such investigations rarely lead to prosecution or disciplinary action against soldiers.
The shooting was the latest bloodshed in a more than yearlong surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. That fighting has picked up since Israel’s new far-right government took office in late December.
Nearly 120 Palestinians have been killed in the two areas this year, with nearly half of them members of armed militant groups, according to an AP tally. The military says the number of militants is much higher. But stone-throwing youths and people uninvolved in violence have also been killed.
Meanwhile, Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis in those areas have killed at least 21 people.
Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem, along with the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians seek these territories for a future state.
Some 700,000 Israelis now live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Most of the international community considers these settlements illegal or obstacles to peace.


France seeks removal of Lebanese ambassador’s immunity after rape accusation

France seeks removal of Lebanese ambassador’s immunity after rape accusation
Updated 05 June 2023

France seeks removal of Lebanese ambassador’s immunity after rape accusation

France seeks removal of Lebanese ambassador’s immunity after rape accusation
  • The first former employee, aged 31, filed her complaint in June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador’s private apartment
  • The second woman made a complaint last February after what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations

PARIS: French authorities will on Monday ask Lebanon to lift the immunity of Beirut’s ambassador to Paris after an investigation was opened into alleged rape and intentional violence by the envoy, a source said.
“Steps in this direction will be taken during the day,” a French diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
The ambassador, Rami Adwan, is being investigated in France following complaints by two former embassy employees. He has diplomatic immunity but could face trial if Lebanon agrees to France’s request.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry said Saturday that it would send an investigation team to the embassy in Paris to question the ambassador and hear statements from embassy staff.
The first former employee, aged 31, filed her complaint in June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador’s private apartment, according to sources close to the investigation, confirming a report by the Mediapart news site.
According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the ambassador, who carried out “psychological and physical violence with daily humiliations.”
The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations.
She says Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on the sidelines of last year’s Normandy World Peace Forum.
“In view of the seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities,” the French foreign ministry told AFP late Friday.
Adwan’s lawyer Karim Beylouni has said his client “contests all accusations of aggression in any shape or form: verbal, moral, sexual.”
He said Adwan had had “romantic relationships” with the two women between 2018 and 2022 that were “punctuated by arguments and breakups.”


Israel jails Palestinian for life over West Bank killing

Israel jails Palestinian for life over West Bank killing
Updated 05 June 2023

Israel jails Palestinian for life over West Bank killing

Israel jails Palestinian for life over West Bank killing
  • The Israeli military court sentenced Moath Hamed, 39, to two life sentences for the attack

Jerusalem: An Israeli court on Sunday sentenced a Palestinian to life in prison for the 2015 killing of an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank, the military said Monday.
The Israeli military court sentenced Moath Hamed, 39, to two life sentences for the attack, which he admitted to carrying out on behalf of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the army said.
On June 29, 2015 Hamed fired at a vehicle, killing Malachi Rosenfeld, 25, who was returning from a basketball game near Shilo, an illegal settlement in the West Bank.
Three other Israelis were also injured in the attack.
In July 2015, Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency said it had arrested seven Palestinians in connection with the attack.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said Hamed had been arrested by Israeli forces in April 2022 after being “pursued by the occupation (Israel) for seven years.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.
Cases involving events in the West Bank are tried by Israeli military tribunals.
Nearly three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, as do around 490,000 Israelis in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.