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UN adopts resolution to cut off ISIL funding

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The Security Council passed a resolution to disrupt all funding sources for ISIL in its first finance ministers meeting.

ISIL gets their money from ransom payments and other criminal activities [AP]

ISIL gets their money from ransom payments and other criminal activities [AP]

by Al Jazeera

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution to cut off all sources of funding for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIL) and other groups it classifies as terrorist organisations.

In its first meeting at the finance ministers’ level on Thursday, the 15 member states stepped up their efforts to disrupt money supply for ISIL, including preventing access to ransom payments.

The Council called for “enhanced actions, from closing financial system loopholes to stopping the abuse of charitable causes, as well as updating the existing ISIL and al-Qaeda Sanctions List”.

The UN calls ISIL a splinter group of al-Qaeda and stresses that “any individual, group, undertaking, or entity supporting ISIL or al-Qaeda” is subject to UN sanctions, including an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Council at the start of the debate on Thursday that ISIL has been far too quick and successful in attaining resources for their violent and deadly acts.

“As Daesh (another name for ISIL) and other terrorist groups disseminate their hateful propaganda and ratchet up murderous attacks, we must join forces to prevent them from acquiring and deploying resources to do further harm,” he stressed.

Ban called for increased international cooperation in sharing information and expertise, especially in stopping the illegal trade of cultural artefacts, and closer cooperation with the private and charitable sectors to identify suspected transactions, the UN press release released on Thursday said.

The Council also called on members to be prepared to detect any diversion of explosives, raw materials and components that can be used to manufacture improvised explosive devices or unconventional weapons.

The US said earlier this month that ISIL has made up to $1.5bn from looting banks in Iraq and Syria and through black market oil sales.

Syrian opposition: No ceasefire unless Assad goes

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Syrian opposition says they will not agree to any peace process that includes President Bashar al-Assad.

More than 250,000 people have died since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 [Mohammed Badra/Reuters]

More than 250,000 people have died since Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011 [Mohammed Badra/Reuters]

by Diana Al Rifai, Al Jazeera

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said the opposition would not agree to a ceasefire unless Bashar al-Assad signs an agreement to step down as president of Syria.

The comments came on Wednesday as the United States and Russia prepared for the next Syrian peace talks in New York on Friday.

“If they [US and Russia] want to fight terrorism as they say, why not get rid of the main problem, the government that is targeting civilians in Syria everyday?” SNC Vice President Naghm al-Ghadri told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

“The US and Russia have always disagreed on the fate of Bashar al-Assad, but agreed on countering [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], which is ironic because instead of getting rid of the root of all problems, they want to tackle an off-shoot that resulted because of the government itself.

“It is our basic right to choose what we want for our country. We are not be waiting for anyone to tell us the fate of a Syrian leader lies with the Syrian people. We were born with this right.

“Yes they will meet abroad and negotiate on behalf of Syria’s future, but at the end of the day the whole world knows that if the Syrian people do not agree on any given political solution, they will not apply it.

“All those people who were killed and the millions of refugees living in tents for the past five years did not go through all this so one day the international community can make up their minds regarding Syria. We will decide our own fate, regardless of all the talks and meetings held by them.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday and agreed to hold the peace process on Syria in New York on Friday.

“We will meet this Friday on the 18th in New York with the International Syria Support Group, and then for the purposes of affirming under the UN auspices what we are doing within that group, and if promoted, that we would pass a UN resolution regarding the Vienna communiques and the next steps with respect to negotiations and hopefully a ceasefire,” Kerry told a press conference on Tuesday.

The SNC vice president said that the opposition coalition was not officially invited to the New York talks, but they expressed their views and opinions about the meeting through ambassadors of countries they consider as friends of Syria.

“We know if we were asked to attend the talks in New York, which are going to be a follow up to Vienna 1 and 2, the Syrian government would want to attend too. We refuse to negotiate with the government at this point,” Ghadri said.

Riyadh Talks

The opposition met in Riyadh last week and agreed on a transitional government in the country that does not include Assad.

The coalition, headed by Khaled Khoja, aims to replace Syria’s current leadership with a transitional government after achieving international recognition.

“Many factions signed the agreement in Riyadh which highlights and stresses on the importance of Assad leaving. If some day we were left with no choice but to sit at the same table as the government, we will, but nothing the Syrian people do not want will be applied in our country.

“As we speak there are Russian jets targeting two areas in Latakia suburbs, where there is absolutely no presence for ISIL or al-Nusra Front, why? Because it is now clear, the intention is to target the Syrian rebels and not ISIL or al-Nusra. They mock us by saying they are targeting ISIL,” Ghadri said.

Kerry and Putin agreed to continue what they called a final stage on listing terrorist organisations and on providing assistance to the UN in forming the opposition delegation that should be representative and that should be ready for negotiations with the Syrian government.

Turkey: Our patience with Russia ‘has a limit’

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Foreign minister says Moscow overreacted when it fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea on Sunday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Russia has put itself in a 'ridiculous position' [Andrej Cukic/EPA]

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Russia has put itself in a ‘ridiculous position’ [Andrej Cukic/EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Turkey’s foreign minister has said Ankara’s patience with Russia “has a limit” after Moscow’s “exaggerated” reaction to a naval incident between the two countries, an Italian newspaper reported.

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea on Sunday to avoid a collision. The Turkish military attache in Moscow was summoned over the incident.

“Ours was only a fishing boat. It seems to me that the reaction of the Russian naval ship was exaggerated,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera in an interview.

The incident is likely to heighten tensions between the two nations, which are already at odds over Syria, and Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian fighter jet last month.

“Russia and Turkey certainly have to re-establish the relations of trust that we have always had, but our patience has a limit,” the Turkish foreign minister said.

Cavusoglu said Russia had already “put itself in a ridiculous position” with accusations by President Vladimir Putin that Turkey had shot down the jet to protect oil supplies from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

“No one believed it,” he said.

He also criticised Russia’s military intervention in Syria, saying it was aimed at propping up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, not aimed at fighting ISIL.

“Unfortunately Russia is not in Syria to fight terrorists,” he said, adding only eight percent of its air strikes had been aimed at ISIL, while 92 percent were against other groups hostile to Assad.

Cavusoglu also said air strikes were not sufficient to defeat ISIL and soldiers on the ground were necessary, according to the interview.

Saudi Arabia forms Muslim ‘anti-terrorism’ coalition

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Alliance includes 34 mainly Muslim states but excludes regional rival Iran as well as Iraq and Syria.

The Saudi defence minister said Muslim states needed a coordinated effort to take on 'terror' groups [Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters]

The Saudi defence minister said Muslim states needed a coordinated effort to take on ‘terror’ groups [Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia has formed a coalition of 34 mainly Muslim countries – including powers such as Egypt and Turkey – to coordinate a fight against “terrorist organisations”.

The alliance was announced by Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s defence minister and deputy crown prince, on Tuesday.

Arab countries such as Qatar and the UAE will join the coalition, as well as Middle Eastern, Asian, and African states, including Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Nigeria.

Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran and its allies Syria and Iraq, were excluded from the alliance despite the states sharing a common enemy in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Bin Salman said the states would work together to target  “any terrorist organisation, not just ISIL” in countries including Iraq, Syria. Libya, Egypt, and Afghanistan.

Military operations would work in accordance with local laws and in cooperation with the international community, he added.

In an earlier press statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency, officials said that the group would be led by Saudi Arabia, which would host a “joint operations centre to coordinate” efforts.

ISIL threat

Most of the countries in the coalition are currently involved in military operations against ISIL or have been targeted by the group.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have carried out air strikes against the fighters in Syria and were targeted by the group in Yemen, where they are involved in a separate war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

In August, an ISIL suicide bomber killed 15 people, mainly special forces soldiers, at a mosque in Asir province bordering Yemen.

ISIL has also targeted Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority, killing dozens in bomb attacks on mosques.

Saudi authorities have carried out raids detaining hundreds of suspected ISIL members and sympathisers in response.

Gambia’s president declares Islamic statehood

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Leader Yahya Jammeh says his nation must reflect its Muslim majority and needs to break away from its colonial past.

Gambia's government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses [AFP]

Gambia’s government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses [AFP]

by Al Jazeera

Gambia’s president has declared the West African country an Islamic republic saying the decision was made because Islam is the religion of most citizens and the nation must break away from its colonial past.

President Yahya Jammeh made the declaration at the end of a political rally held on Friday at the coastal village Brufut, about 15km west of the capital Banjul.

“In line with the country’s religious identity and values, I proclaim Gambia as an Islamic state,” the Gambian leader said.

About 90 percent of Gambia’s 1.8 million people are Muslim. The country gained independence from Britain in 1965.

“Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy,” Jammeh said.

In an attempt to allay the fears of religious minorities, Jammeh said the rights of Gambia’s Christian community – who make up about eight percent of the country’s population – will be protected.

Jammeh said there will be no mandates on dress. “We will be an Islamic state that would respect the rights of all citizens and non-citizens.”

The head of the country’s Islamic body would not say if he endorsed the declaration.

“We haven’t met yet to discuss over the presidential announcement,” said Supreme Islamic Council chairman Imam Momodou Lamin Touray.

Hamat Bah, of the opposition National Reconciliation Party, criticised the decision. “There is a constitutional clause that says that Gambia is a secular state,” he said. “You cannot make such a declaration without going through a referendum.”

Jammeh’s government has been regularly criticised by Britain and other Western powers for human rights abuses. Jammeh has ruled Gambia since seizing power in 1994.

Jeffrey Smith, a senior advocacy officer at the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that Jammeh’s “unilateral” decision to call Gambia an Islamic republic is part of a “larger pattern of capriciousness” and has ulterior political motives.

“Gambia is not a country of laws but is rather ruled by the whims of Yahya Jammeh,” Smith said.

“Second, Jammeh has burned all bridges with his former donors in the West due to his deplorable human rights track record and the rampant corruption that he has participated in.

“As such, he is desperately attempting to foster a closer and more lucrative relationship with the Arab world. By couching his decision in terms of ‘fighting colonialism’, we can see that he is trying to cozy up with other parts of the world that harbour anti-West sentiments,” he said.

Jammeh’s announcement came after Gambia said on Wednesday it would take in Rohingya refugees as part of its “sacred duty” to alleviate the suffering of fellow Muslims fleeing Southeast Asia to escape oppression.

The government of the West African nation appealed to countries of the region to send Rohingya refugees to its shores, where it said it would set them up in refugee camps.

“The government of Gambia notes with grave concern the inhumane condition of the Rohingya people of Myanmar – especially those referred to as ‘boat people’ – currently drifting in the seas off the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia,” it said in a statement.

“As human beings – more so fellow Muslims – it is a sacred duty to help alleviate the untold hardships and sufferings fellow human beings are confronted with.”

Erdogan: Turkish troops in Iraq on PM Abadi’s request

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Turkish president tells Al Jazeera troops have been in northern Iraq since 2014, blames Iraq and Iran of sectarianism.

Turkey says its troops are in Iraq to train Iraqi forces, but Baghdad calls the deployment "an invasion".

Turkey says its troops are in Iraq to train Iraqi forces, but Baghdad calls the deployment “an invasion”.

by Al Jazeera

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkish troops are in Iraq at the request of Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi prime minister, since 2014.

The arrival of a heavily armed Turkish contingent near the front line close to Mosul has added yet another controversial deployment to a war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group that has drawn in most of the world’s major powers.

“Turkish soldiers are in Basheeqa camp at the request of Haider al-Abadi in 2014. Now I am asking why he was silent since 2014,” Erdogan said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

Turkey says its troops are in Iraq to train Iraqi forces as Baghdad calls the deployment “an invasion”.

Iraq asked NATO on Tuesday to put pressure on alliance member Turkey to withdraw its troops immediately from northern Iraq after Ankara said it would not deploy any more but refused to pull out those already there.

In the Al Jazeera interview, Erdogan also said that Iraq and Iran’s governments pursue sectarian policies both in Syria and Iraq.

“What will happen to Sunnis? There are Sunni Arabs, Sunni Turkmen and Sunni Kurds? What will happen to their security? They need sense of security,” Erdogan said, criticising the Shia-dominated Iraqi government.

“For a long time mainly due to the regional governance in northern Iraq, people lost their rights.

“They need their rights back. A lot of Arabs in the region have lost their rights. Unfortunately we cannot see fair governance in Iraq. That’s why people there are so worried,” he said.

Tajikistan earthquake rocks Central Asia

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Magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits Tajikistan, sending mild tremors across northern Pakistan and India.

Earthquake Tajikistan

by Al Jazeera

An earthquake measuring 7.2 magnitude struck in Tajikistan, shaking buildings as far away as the Indian capital of New Delhi and in Pakistan, the US Geological Survey and witnesses said.

The epicentre of the quake was 111km southwest of Karakul, a sparsely populated mountainous area, at a depth of 28 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

A spokesman for Tajikistan’s Emergencies Committee said it had no information so far on any casualties or damage from the quake.

The quake did not affect Russian military bases in Tajikistan, RIA news agency reported, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

A Dushanbe resident told Reuters news agency by telephone the quake had been felt in the capital, but described it as moderate.

Half of Yemen ‘one step away’ from famine: UN

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Food insecurity at “emergency” levels in 10 of Yemen’s 22 governorates, World Food Programme says.

The UN says 14.4 million people of the country's 23 million are food insecure [EPA]

The UN says 14.4 million people of the country’s 23 million are food insecure [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

The United Nations food agency has warned that food supplies in Yemen are deteriorating quickly and the country is at risk of slipping into famine.

Ten out of Yemen’s 22 governorates were now classified as facing food insecurity at “emergency” levels, which is one step below famine, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

“Clearly, Yemen is one of the hardest place in the world today to work – massive security concerns, escalation in the fighting, and the violence across the country,” Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s deputy regional director, said in the capital, Sanaa.

“We are doing well, we are improving our reach and getting to more people every month, but clearly with half of the country now just one step away from famine, we need the international community to really come behind us and support us, particularly over the next few months,” he added.

According to the UN’s 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview in November, 14.4 million people of the country’s 23 million are food insecure, struggling to get enough food to live a healthy life.

That includes 7.6 million people in desperate need of food assistance.

“It’s a country that cannot take any further shock,” Abeer Etefa, the WFP’s spokesperson for the Middle East region, told Al Jazeera.

“It’s a very serious situation. We are doing our best so that we don’t see a deterioration of the situation that’s already extremely compromised.”

‘People have nothing’

Since March, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has conducted air strikes in Yemen in an effort to curb the expansion of the country’s Houthi rebels, who have fought government forces for control of the country.

The conflict has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, and many more are struggling to access the basic necessities, including food, water and fuel.

Battles have been going on for weeks in and around Taiz as forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi – supported by coalition air strikes – clash with Iran-backed Houthi rebels for control of the strategically located city, seen as a gateway between south Yemen and the capital.

The UN says more than 5,700 people have been killed in the country since then, nearly half of them civilians.
“I appeal to all people of good will. Look at these displaced people. They are your brothers from Yemen. You must look at them and consider them. Help them with anything, food, clothes, mattresses,” a displaced Yemeni, Mohamed Ahmed Hassan, told the Reuters news agency.

“People here have nothing. They don’t even have anything to sleep on. They sleep on the ground,” Hassan said.

Israeli settlers, forces storm Al-Aqsa mosque

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Palestinian men walk past the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on October 23, 2015. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

Palestinian men walk past the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on October 23, 2015. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

by Press TV

Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli forces, have once again stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

According to reports on Wednesday, the settlers entered the holy site while escorted by a group of Israeli troops.

The development came after a large number of Israeli military forces arrested at least 23 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during their overnight raid on a refugee camp.

The Palestinians were detained when more than 1,500 Israeli forces, backed by a helicopter and several snipers, stormed the Shu’afat refugee camp in northeast of the occupied city of al-Quds (Jerusalem), reports said on Wednesday.

According to the reports, Israeli forces blocked entries to the refugee camp, fired tear gas at Palestinians and set off stun grenades. Local residents told the al-Aqsa TV that Israeli forces also prevented ambulances from entering the camp.

The Israeli soldiers were deployed in the refugee camp ahead of the planned demolition of a home of a Palestinian who allegedly carried out an attack against Israeli forces last year.

The home set to be demolished was the residence of Ibrahim al-Akari who, Israel alleges, carried out a car-ramming attack on November 5, 2014, which killed two people, including a border police officer. He was shot dead in the incident.

The reports come as tensions continue between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The wave of unrest, which was triggered by Israel’s imposition in August of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, has left over 100 Palestinians killed. Almost 20 Israelis have also lost their lives in the clashes.

More than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly behind bars in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers, many of them without charge or trial.

Report: Arrivals by sea in Europe approach 1m mark

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Over 900,000 people reached the continent and 3,563 went missing or drowned trying to make the journey, monitors say.

About 5,000 refugees are reaching Europe each day along the so-called Balkan migrant route [Santi Palacios/AP]

About 5,000 refugees are reaching Europe each day along the so-called Balkan migrant route [Santi Palacios/AP]

by Al Jazeera

More than 900,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe since January 2015, and over 3,000 have drowned or gone missing during the same period, according to the UN and an organisation which monitors the migration flow.

Since January 2015, at least 907,712 refugees and migrants made the journey to Europe, including 878,495 who have arrived by sea, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

That means that almost 97 percent arrived by sea.

At least 3,563 people have gone missing or drowned trying to reach Europe, the IOM said.

The UNHCR put the number of arrivals by sea at 886,262, and 3,515 reported missing or dead.

The IOM and UNICEF said that children accounted for 20 percent of those arriving in 2015.

The share is greatest along the Eastern Mediterranean route from Turkey to Greece and through the Western Balkans, where children make up over one-quarter of arrivals.

In October, more than 90 children died on their way to Greece, and in the past week, nine of the 12 deaths on this crossing were children, the IOM said.

Mostly Syrians and Afghans

Along the journey, children are also more at risk of illness and injury, as well as exploitation, separation from family, kidnapping and trafficking.

Greece has seen the largest number of refugees arriving by sea, where at least 738,465 refugees have arrived since January this year.

The majority of those arriving in Europe by sea come from the world’s top 10 refugees-producing countries, the highest being Syria and Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the EU struck a deal with Turkey in Brussels that aims to limit the flow of refugees into the continent.

The agreement includes providing Turkey with $3.2bn, along with closer ties with the EU in return for handling the refugees from war-torn countries on its territory.

The UNHCR reported in June that the worldwide displacement was at the highest level ever recorded, in which, by the end of 2014, a staggering 59.5 million people were forcibly displaced.

It also said that globally one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum.

Since 2011, the main reason for such a rise in figures has been the war in Syria, now the world’s single-largest driver of displacement.

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