“We are expecting this to be a very long trial proceeding,” said Omar Jamal, the director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, which helps Somali immigrants with legal and social issues. “How long has it been since the United States tried a pirate? They must dig through the books for precedents.” ...
New York is a logical site for the trial because the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan has developed great expertise in trying crimes that occur outside the United States, including cases in Africa involving terrorism against Americans, such as the Al Qaeda bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998. Under international law, any country can prosecute acts of piracy committed in international waters, but in practice, not all nations have incorporated anti-piracy statutes into their domestic legislation...
NYT: where to from here? 7 recommendations from the experts
AP: 28 dead in clashes with Mungiki gang in Kenya
The Mungiki emerged in the 1990s, inspired by the 1950s Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule, and the gang has been linked to extortion, murder and political violence. The group is believed to have thousands of followers, drawn from the Kikuyu, Kenya's largest tribe and the dominant force in the country's politics and business...
[One member of the Mungiki] said hundreds of young men and policemen had come into Gathaithi on Monday night looking for Mungiki members, and he expected a second wave of attacks. Two of his colleagues had been shot and were hiding elsewhere in the bushes trying to recover, he said. A mob of villagers, he said, had killed 13 of his fellow gang members in the last three weeks...
[An anonymous source] told the AP that the Mungiki had been extorting money from businesses in the area with the full knowledge of the police until last week, when police switched sides and backed residents who then lynched gang members.
AP: al-Bashir in Ethiopia despite ICC war crimes warrant
Since the International Criminal Court issued the arrest warrant on March 4, al-Bashir has visited Eritrea, Egypt and Libya, attended an Arab League summit in Qatar and performed a pilgrimage to Islam's holiest city, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. In March, the Arab League formally rejected the charges against al-Bashir.
Many African countries have said they will not arrest al-Bashir. The African Union, which is based in Ethiopia, has said al-Bashir's arrest would dangerously imperil the fragile peace process in Sudan and has asked the U.N. to defer the warrant for one year.
CSM: the challenges of reconciliation in Algeria
In 2005, the country passed a National Reconciliation Charter with the approval of a reported 97 percent of the electorate. The controversial document ended the fighting between the state and Islamist militants by granting amnesty to almost all fighters on both sides.
It also offered financial compensation to the families of those disappeared in the war, but also made it illegal to criticize government conduct during the conflict, effectively closing the door to any future investigations... Under Article 45 of the charter, individuals are forbidden from filing complaints against the government, police, or military for their conduct during the war. Those who do, face a five-year prison term and a fine as high as $33,000.
CSM: and of maintaining security gains in Iraq
While the Iraqi Army has become relatively adept at conventional operations and has improved its planning and logistics, much of the drop in attacks over the past year has been achieved through counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations increasingly partnered with Iraqi troops but still led by US forces.
IRIN: 100,000 civilians still trapped in northeastern war zone
Reuters: Q+A on the current fighting
On Tuesday, the military was advancing and expanding its control of the 17 square km (6.5 sq mile) no-fire zone, after troops on Monday breached an earth bund blocking the main route out of the area. It is all but certain this will be the final conventional battle of the 25-year-old war. It is a safe bet the military will replicate the tactics they have used around the edges of the no-fire zone. They will use snipers to pick off Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels trying to block people from fleeing. In any case, the military has vowed no more truces. So a conventional defeat looks on the cards very soon for what has long been regarded by many as one of the most resilient and ruthless guerrilla groups.
AP: Gaza an environmental mess post-conflict with Israel
BBC: while Hamas accused of extrajudicial killings of Fatah rivals
Eighteen men were were summarily executed, most suspected of collaborating with Israel, during the fighting, HRW said. In the three months since January, another 14 people were killed, including at least four in detention, the report released on Monday said... "The widespread practice of maiming people by shooting them in the legs is of particular concern," the report said.
Reuters: Pakistani government increases police salaries in North West Frontier Province by 30% amidst violence
BBC: Cheney favors disclosure of torture memos (as long as they're positive)
"One of the things that I find a little bit disturbing about this recent disclosure is that they put out the legal memos... but they didn't put out the memos that show the success of the effort," Mr Cheney told Fox News. "There are reports that show specifically what we gained as a result of this activity. They have not been declassified. I formally ask that they be declassified now."
Gdn: Obama, for first time, opens up possibility of prosecutions for waterboarding
AP: Russian military makes moves toward South Ossetia
At a military checkpoint between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia, the word "Russia" is hand-painted in pink on a concrete security barrier. "It will be Russia," said a Russian army lieutenant as the Ossetian soldiers under his command nodded...
By reinforcing its military presence at a time of potential political instability, Russia appears determined to maintain pressure on Saakashvili, whom Moscow has openly said must be replaced before relations can be repaired.
AFP: quick! blog about it!
No comments:
Post a Comment