Former IDF Lt. Colonel Amos Guiora to speak at University of Montana April 23

Missoula, April 21 (Al-Masakin)–Former Lt. Colonel, 19 year IDF vetern, and former legal adviser to the IDF Amos Guiora will speak at the University of Montana at 7pm Thursday April 23.  Guiora will be participating in the 7th Annual Central and Southwest Asia Conference to be kicked-off Wednesday April 22 and will conclude Friday April 24.  Mr. Guiora is an alleged legal expert on Israeli targeting of civilians.  Guiora is a Professor of Law at the University of Utah.

The main topics of discussion at the event will be Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.  Israeli terrorism and Palestinian counter-terrorism, Iran, and the role of Arabic language studies in efforts to curb international and state sponsored terrorism will also be discussed at the event.

It is unknown whether Mr. Guiora has or will be indicted for war crimes.  Al-Masakin is not aware of any outstanding Interpol Red Notices for Mr. Guiora and it appears unlikely that he will be arrested at the event.

EHC/EHC

Media Alert: University of Montana to host 7th Annual Central and Southwest Asia Conference April 22-24

Conference On Central, Southwest Asia At UM April 22-24

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Jennifer Sauer Thursday, 16 April 2009 16:46

UM will host the Seventh Annual Central and Southwest Asia Conference at UM from Wednesday to Friday, April 22-24.

April 16, 2009

Contact: Brian Lofink, UM Central and Southwest Asia Program coordinator, 406-243-2299, brian.lofink@mso.umt.eduThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

CONFERENCE ON CENTRAL, SOUTHWEST ASIA AT UM APRIL 22-24

MISSOULA –

The University of Montana will host the Seventh Annual Central and Southwest Asia Conference at UM from Wednesday to Friday, April 22-24.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is presented by UM’s Central and Southwest Asia Program. The theme of this year’s conference is “Beyond the Headlines: Peace and Conflict in Central and Southwest Asia.”

The conference will bring internationally renowned scholars, diplomats, analysts and journalists to UM to engage the campus and the community in a discussion about the challenges countries in Central and Southwest Asia are facing and how those challenges impact the United States.

A complete conference schedule with information about all speakers is online at http://www.umt.edu/ip/newsevents/centralasiaconference.aspx.

Wednesday, April 22:

• 7-9 p.m.: Keynote presentation — “Islam in the New Afghan Public Sphere,” University Center North Ballroom.

Thursday, April 23:

• 9:30-11 a.m.: “Tajikistan: An Ancient Nation in Transition,” University Center North Ballroom.
• 12:30-2 p.m.: Keynote presentation — “Independence, Civil War and International Mediation: Tajikistan’s Path to Peace,” University Center North Ballroom.
• 2:30-4 p.m.: “On the Frontline: Afghanistan and the Struggle Against Terrorism,” University Center North Ballroom.
• 7-9 p.m.: Keynote panel — “Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights in Israel and Palestinian Territories,” University Center North Ballroom.

Friday, April 24:

• 10:30 a.m.-noon: “Kyrgyzstan and the New Great Game,” University Center Theater.
• 1-3 p.m.: “The Role of Arabic as a Language of War and Peace,” University Center Theater.
• 2 p.m.: Tajik Corner Opening Ceremony, University Center Room 220.
• 3:30-5 p.m.: “Confrontation in the Caucasus: The Conflict Between Georgia and Russia,” University Center Theater.
• 7-9 p.m.: Keynote presentation — “Islamist Movements in the Arab World, Iran and Afghanistan and the Potential of U.S. Engagement,” University Center Theater.

The conference is sponsored by the University’s Central and Southwest Asia Program, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, International Programs, the Office of the Provost and UM President George Dennison, the Office of the Provost, the Montana World Affairs Council and Humanities Montana.

Closing of U.S. base in Manas, Kyrgyzstan final

Kyrgyzstan says closing US base final

Politics    2/6/2009 8:48:00 PM

MOSCOW, Feb 6 (KUNA) — The government of Kyrgyzstan said Friday its decision to close the US air base was final. The Kyrgyz leadership will not reverse its decision to close the air base in Manas, Adakhan Madumarov, secretary of the Kyrgyz Security Council, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying. He said an agreement with the US which allowed the opening and using of the air space would be scrapped. Washington has 180 days to evacuate the air base once officially notified by Bishkek. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regretted the Kyrgyz decision, announced by Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev last Tursday. Madumarov, however, said Kyrgyzstan would continue its cooperation with the international coalition in Afghanistan despite the closure of the Manas air base. (end) as.bs KUNA 062048 Feb 09NNNN

State Department press conference with Secretary of State Clinton and French FM Kouchner

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/05/18568492.php

State Department press conference with Secretary of State Clinton and French FM Kouchner

by al-masakin
Thursday Feb 5th, 2009 4:42 PM

Press conference at the State Department with U.S. Secretary of State H. R. Clinton and French FM Bernard Kouchner

kouchner-clinton_state_department_5feb09.pdf
download PDF (90.1 KB)

By Edward Campbell

Missoula, Feb. 5 (Al-Masakin)—Secretary of State Clinton met with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner at the State Department today. The Secretary of State said that the United States was committed to its transatlantic alliance with the country which she called “oldest and closest that the United States has in the world.”

She praised French President Nicolas Sarkozy for helping achieve a ceasefire in the Republic of Georgia and said that the United States was both “proud and grateful” that France was a coalition partner in Afghanistan, noting that the Foreign Minister had “longstanding work in that country, going back many years,” and stating how impressed she was as the new hospital France has built in the capital Kabul.

She went on to say that France was working closely with the United States in the process of closing the American prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and said France and America have mutual concerns over the possibility that Iran may build a nuclear weapon pledging to use “smart diplomacy” to engage the international community, including Russia, to prevent Iran from achieving that aim, and said there was much ahead of the two nations with respect to “global financial reform.”

Foreign Minister Kouchner said that although he saluted President Obama’s victory in the election “we are not always a hundred percent in agreement,” but the relationship between the two countries is “a very sound friendship.”

The Foreign Minister went on directly into the question of the Middle East saying that the French government is “really very anxious about the situation of the people of Gaza, and we were in agreement together with Madame Secretary of State to make pressure on both side[s] to open the crossing.” He went on to stress the need to strengthen Abu Mazen in order to establish a “a government of national unity,” in Palestine.

He went on to assert that the French were in complete agreement with the Egyptian initiative.

At the press conference which followed the opening remarks of the Madame Secretary and the Foreign Minister, the Secretary of State said that Ambassador Holbrooke was on his way to London then Munich where he will meet with Foreign Minister Kouchner tomorrow, then on to Pakistan, then Afghanistan, with a stop in India, hoping to overcome an impasse with Kyrgyzstan over the possible closure of the NATO air base there which is badly needed as a line of communication to Afghanistan especially after the NATO supply line was cut by Islamic militants at Khyber near Peshawar Feb. 3. She went on to note that she was especially thankful to be working with FM Kouchner who was a doctor in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion and therefore had a great deal of first hand experience in the region.

Her French counterpart went on to say that “Afghanistan will be the hardest and the most important task of President Obama’s…However, I think that the key word about Afghanistan is what I call “Afghanization.” That means we must give the people in Afghanistan control of their own destiny in the sense that with the progress that has been made already, it’s there. They have elected their own government. They have a parliament that has been elected, with women in the parliament, two members, which we didn’t dream of some time ago. So we need to make it known to the Afghan people that they are in control of their own progress and their own future, and that they have something to look forward in terms of their family and their future in one of the poorest countries of the world, where 80 percent of the population works in farming. I think that this is what we need to do.”

The French Foreign Minister went on to say that although France has indirect talks with Hamas through other nations such as Turkey in the process of supporting the Egyptian Initiative, it does not have direct talks with the organization because France feels that Hamas is “not part of the peace process.” He went on to say that France would consider talking to Hamas only after Hamas recognized the signatures of the PLO on the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Secretary of State went on to stress that the United States “will not in any way negotiate with or recognize Hamas until they renounce violence, recognize Israel, and agree to abide by, as the foreign minister said, the prior agreements entered into by the PLO and the Palestinian Authority.”

EHC / EHC
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Digest of the U.S. State Department’s Daily Press Briefing February 5, 2009

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/05/18568479.php

Digest of the U.S. State Department’s Daily Press Briefing February 5, 2009

by al-masakin
Thursday Feb 5th, 2009 3:39 PM

Secretary of State to make first trip to South East Asia

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will depart Washington, D.C. on tour of Asia Feb. 15.

state_department_digest_for_february_5__2009.pdf
download PDF (67.5 KB)

The Secretary of State will visit Japan Feb. 16 – 18, Indonesia Feb. 18 – 19, Republic of Korea Feb. 19 – 20, and China Feb. 20 – 22.

North Korea

Secretary of State’s Asian tour to be part of the Six-party framework.

The ‘Six-party framework’ to pressure the DPRK to abandon its nuclear program will be on her agenda. The Six-Party Talks began in August 2003 as a multilateral approach to ending North Korea’s nuclear program. The member states of the Six-party framework are: the United States, North Korea, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan.

Indonesia

Islam and the Peace Corps on the agenda.

Indonesia was placed on the agenda because it is “the largest Muslim country in the world and the Secretary feels it’s important that we need to reach out and reach out early to Indonesia,” Press Secretary Wood said this morning. Mr. Wood also indicated the Secretary of State will likely raise the question of reactivating the Peace Corps there.

China

In China the Secretary of State hopes to engage the help of China in resolving a number of humanitarian issues in the world. “We want to see how we can partner with the Chinese to try and help resolve some of these horrible and horrific humanitarian situations we have…the subjects of human rights and Tibet always come up in conversations with our Chinese counterparts…So I would suspect that those issues could very well come up,” Mr. Wood replied to questions from the press. Secretary of State to investigate whether or not Congress’ “Buy American” package wil violate WTO agreements between the two countries.

Afghanistan

Richard Holbrooke the point man.

Members of the press asked the Press Secretary why the Secretary of State had not chosen to make her first trip as Secretary of State to South Asia, particularly to India, in order to address the growing problems in Afghanistan. To this inquiry Mr. Wood replied, “Ambassador Holbrooke…will be on his way to the region from the Munich conference…she will eventually be going to the region, but the fact that we’ve got a very distinguished negotiator…Richard Holbrooke, going to the region, that’s very significant as well.”

Guantanamo Bay

State Department implies that intelligence sharing agreements between the U.K. and the United States have gagged British courts on releasing details of the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison.

Q. “There are communications between U.S. and UK intelligence agents that describe what happened – apparently describe what happened to this man when he was held in detention, which a UK court would like to make public, and the UK Government is preventing them from doing so, saying it is because the U.S. Government doesn’t want them made public. And it’s not clear to us whether or not the U.S. Government, under an Obama Administration, really does want these things to be kept secret.”

A. “President Obama has – as you know, through an executive order, has, you know, basically requested a review of the detention of, you know – or should I say the detention conditions at Guantanamo. But beyond that, I just don’t have anything more I can give you on it.”

Iran

Russia to help Iran activate N. plant at Bushehr on the Persian Gulf in southwestern Iran.

Kyrgyzstan

United States has not been officially notified that it must close the NATO air base at Manas near the capital Bishkek. Negotiations to keep the base open are ongoing.

Ethiopia

No details on Foreign Service officer allegedly killed there.

United Nations at Geneva

The United Nations mission at Geneva reviewing human rights records around the world, U.S. seat there has been empty.

Q. “Human rights organizations say that the United States seat has been empty this week, including during the review of Russia’s human rights record. And I gather this is one of the only forums in the UN context in which countries can be asked direct questions about their human rights records by other UN members… why has the United States not been present and participating… does the U.S. plan to participate?”

A. “We’re currently looking at what our policies are likely to be toward the UN Human Rights Council…taking a close look at the institution and its record. The President and the Secretary have made very clear that we want to fully engage and make reforms of the overall…international human rights system.”

Q. “The United States took a decision to stop participating in the commission’s work…any country can come and ask questions during the sort of UPR process. And the human rights groups are perplexed that the Administration and the U.S. Government, which has a longstanding policy on human rights around the world, wouldn’t participate, which it can do; even if it is not actively a part of the commission, any country can come and speak… has a policy decision been made not to take part in this process until you have decided the broader question of how and whether you will work with the commission?”

A. “We need to take a close look…at the Human Rights Commission…we want to make sure that we have a very coherent, cohesive policy with regard to engaging the UN and other actors in the international human rights system…We’re not trying to send any signals at this moment one way or the other.”

Although China’s record on human rights is scheduled to be on the agenda next week, when asked if the United States intended to participate in the review of China’s human rights record, or to speak on the issue of human rights in China, the spokesman for the State Department replied, “we don’t know.” The reporter then redirected the question to pertain to the scheduling of Ms. Clinton’s trip to China the week following the human rights review.

Q. “Review of the UPR that is for selected countries. China, I believe, is next week. Yeah. She’s going to China the week after that… And I’m just wondering if there will be a – if the decision – the review that you’re talking about will be completed in time… for you to participate or not participate… the President and the Secretary both campaigned on, you know, making human rights a priority, it’s just a little surprising that there hasn’t been anything – they haven’t made even the effort to show up.”

A. “When something’s a priority, you don’t rush to make a decision on it.”

Q. “I take it there’s been no decision yet on the Durban conference?”

A. “Not yet.”

The Durban Conference will be held in Geneva April 20-24. The Durban Conference is a follow-up to the 2001 UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (WCAR). The UNCHR is responsible for organizing and convening the event. Israel and the United States condemned the First Durban Conference, calling it an instrument of racism itself for allowing the slogan “Zionism is racism” to be raised there, and for war crimes charges to be leveled against Israel, and for participants of the conference comparing Israel to South Africa under Apartheid rule.

Al-Qaeda

State Department confirms Al-Qaeda is active in a number of places besides Yemen.

Cyprus

State Department differs questions on the fate of an Iranian ship alleged to be laden with weapons and held at port in Cyprus to the Pentagon.

No clarification as to whether or not the Iranian ship that docked at the Port of Beirut Jan. 29 with humanitarian aid for Gaza is the same ship intercepted by the US Navy in the Red Sea Jan. 27 or a different ship.
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Kyrgyzstan: journalists required to provide authorities with personal information

Kyrgyz Regional Officials Requiring Journalists To File Personal Information

 

January 22, 2009

 

BISHKEK — Local officials of the National Security Committee in the Talas region have begun requiring journalists to provide their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and political affiliations.

A Kyrgyz nongovernmental organization, Journalist, told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service on January 22 that the heads of local media in the northwestern region complained of being summoned to the committee’s offices and interrogated on January 19.

Neks radio director Aybek Turdaliev confirmed that he had such a meeting and was required to provide such a list to them.

According to Journalist, such methods are being employed in an effort to frighten journalists.

The Talas region has been the scene of several opposition meetings in recent weeks where opposition leaders have been harassed and had charges brought against them.