Terrorism – News Agency nabakhabar

Iran sanctions British individuals, entities over terrorism, rights abuse

News Agency nabakhabar — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:00:29 +0000

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday issued a statement declaring sanctions against a number of British individuals and institutes for their support of terrorism, inciting violence, and violating human rights.

The Foreign Ministry announced the embargoes are a “tit for tat” move against the sanctions that have been imposed by some European countries on Iran, Press TV reported.

The statement went on to name three entities and nine individuals that have been blacklisted under the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sanctions regime.

The named entities include the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Volant Media, Global Media, and DMA Media and anti-Iran TV channels that they support namely, the BBC Persian and Iran International.

According to the statement, sanctions have been imposed on Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat, Royal Navy Commodore Don MacKinnon, Chair of the Labour Friends of Israel in House of Commons Steve McCabe, Chair of Conservative Friends of Israel in House of Commons Stephen Crabb, and honorary chair of Conservative Friends of Israel in House of Lords Stuart Polak.

The sanctions have also targeted Conservative member of the House of Commons Bob Blackman, Member of the House of Commons and former secretary of state for environment Theresa Villiers, British politician Anthea McIntyre, and former Chief of the General Staff General Mark Carleton-Smith.

Reminding the British government of its international commitments to confront terrorism, hatred and rights abuse, the Foreign Ministry said failing to confront the actions of the named entities or facilitating their measures amount to a gross violation of the UK’s commitments at the international scene.

The sanctions will bar the targeted individuals from obtaining visas and entering Iran and will freeze their possible assets and bank accounts inside Iran.

The Foreign Ministry also noted that Iran holds the UK government to account for backing terrorists and human rights violators who are “organizing and inciting riots and terrorist acts” in Iran from the UK soil.

Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who visited EB patients as victims of sanctions, had said that new sanctions will be imposed on some European individuals and entities for violating human rights and abetting recent deadly riots in Iran.

The ministry’s decision came just two days after EU council of foreign ministers decided to levy sanctions against 11 Iranian individuals and four entities over the country’s response to the foreign-instigated riots that followed the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.

Mahsa Amini who had been arrested by morality police in Tehran on September 13 to receive training on dress code fainted and later pronounced dead in hospital three days later.

After a thorough study, the Forensic Medicine Organization determined that she had died not because of a trauma or a blow to her vital bodily organs.

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Irresponsible meddling, terrorism cause of Kabul incidents

News Agency nabakhabar — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 12:00:35 +0000

Iranian President says that in addition to the terrorists, the responsibility for attacks in Afghanistan lies with the countries that have played the biggest role in destabilizing this country in recent years.

Raeisi condemned the terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital of Kabul which led to the killing of more than 20 students.

Offering condolences to the families of the victims of the attacks, the Iranian President said that in addition to the terrorists, the responsibility for these attacks in Afghanistan lies with the countries that with their irresponsible interventions under the pretext of securing security have played the biggest role in destabilizing this country in recent years.

The President also called on the Afghan governing body to do its utmost to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, in which the majority of victims are innocent children and students.

More than 20 people including students have been killed and 11 others wounded after two blasts targeted a boys’ school in the Afghan capital’s Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood, a Kabul police spokesman has said.

Tuesday’s explosions occurred as students were coming out of their morning classes at the school, which can house up to 1,000 students. It was not immediately clear how many children were in the school at the time of the explosions.

The blats came two weeks before the first anniversary of the bombing of Sayed Ul-Shuhada High School in western Kabul that killed at least 90 students and wounded scores more, most of them teenage girls leaving class.

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Terrorism is a serious business and attributing the label wantonly to any act of violence makes a mockery of the term

News Agency nabakhabar — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 10:16:46 +0000

I wince when I read when someone wants to promiscuously brand any group they don’t like ‘terrorists’. The recent calls to expand it to include the misogynist ‘incel’ movement are a perfect example of the term’s devaluation.

Incels, are ‘involuntary celibates’ who blame feminists and women for their sad, sexless predicament. Some have lashed out against their lack of sexual and cultural status, while others have murdered women in Canada and the United States.

This week, Alek Minassian, a self-described incel, was convicted of killing 10 people and injuring 16 others in his 2018 van attack in Toronto. Minassian’s depraved act of violence was motivated by his hatred of women, but does that mean that this mass murderer is a terrorist?

Law enforcement agencies in Canada are certainly leaning in this direction. Last year they announced terrorism charges against a 17-year-old boy from Toronto for the murder of a woman at a massage parlour. The police claim that the boy was motivated by incel extremism. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police justified this decision on the grounds that incels are an ‘ideologically motivated violent extremist’ movement.

Acts of murderous violence against women have been perpetrated throughout the ages. But it is only now that some wish to rebrand these criminal acts as ‘terrorism’. It is not just violent acts committed by incels that are interpreted through this prism now. In the United States and the UK, there is a growing tendency to apply the recently invented term of ‘domestic terrorism’ to acts of violence.

In the United States, there is a move afoot to enact laws that will criminalise violence committed by right-wing activists as an act of terrorism. One commentator wrote of a “yawning gap in the existing law,” which is the “absence of standalone statute that criminalises domestic terrorism.”

In recent years, the campaign for new laws targeting domestic terrorism is frequently justified on the grounds that it is far more dangerous than the threat posed by Islamic jihadists. A headline from the New York Times – ‘As Domestic Terrorists Outpace Jihadists, New U.S. Law is Debated’ – sums up this approach. Anyone reading this article is likely to conclude that the jihadists are no longer much of a threat. It cites experts who assert that the threat from white supremacist extremists is high while those from Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and related groups is low.

A relaxed tone about Islamic terrorism is conveyed by Matt Stied when he reports that ‘Domestic terrorism Is Still a greater Threat Than Islamic Terrorism’. A similar story is frequently communicated in the British media. ‘Fastest-growing UK terrorist threat is from far right, say police’, reports the Guardian.

Those ‘misguided’ individuals who still worry about jihadist inspired terrorism rather than about the activities of the far right are likely to be denounced as racist or suffering from Islamophobia. Drawing attention to the “white face of domestic terrorism,” one commentator claimed that “Islamophobia distorts the reality of terrorist violence in America.” The implication of this statement is clear – only an Islamophobe would fail to see the real threat posed by white supremacist violence.

The expansive use of the terrorism label in Anglo-American societies is intimately linked to the politicisation of identity and the cultural conflict surrounding it. Consequently, it is not enough to condemn violent behaviour by men, it becomes essential to associate that violence with male identity and invent the political category of ‘male violence against women’. The association of terrorism with incel violence is really another step in the moral condemnation of this identity.

In effect, the project of expanding the use of the label ‘terrorist’ coexists with the claim that society is far too hasty in applying it to acts of violence committed by Muslims. One consequence of this selective and distorted application of the terrorist label is that it underestimates the real threat facing society.The politics of culture also permeates the competitive claims surrounding white versus Islamic terrorists. Frequently, when an act of terrorism is committed in the name of Allah, observers in the media express their concern that this episode will be exploited by Islamophobes. It is unlikely that commentators discussing right-wing violence in Washington are likely to worry about this event being exploited by anti-right-wing activists.

Most normal people who saw the scenes of chaos surrounding the bombing of the Manchester Arena or heard about a jihadist beheading are likely to experience these events as more of a threat than that emanating from white supremacists. That’s because they live in the real world. All extremist violence is to be condemned and ruthlessly punished. But those who equate the recent riots in Washington, DC with the destruction of the World Trade Centre are in desperate need of a reality check.

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Terrorism can never be justified, it continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind: India at UNHRC

News Agency nabakhabar — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 18:01:03 +0000

India on Tuesday stated that terrorism can never be justified, adding that it continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind. Speaking at a high-level segment of the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted, “Terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind.”

Jaishankar also said, “Terrorism can never be justified. It is a crime against humanity and violates the most fundamental human right–the Right to Life. India has always played an active role in global promotion and protection of human rights.”

Speaking on India’s Constitution, he said, “Our Constitution has enshrined basic human rights as fundamental rights, guaranteeing civil and political rights, stipulating provisions for the progressive realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.”

“Our approach to UNHRC guided by the spirit of engagement, dialogue and consultation. Equal emphasis should be placed on the promotion and protection of human rights. They’re best pursued via dialogue, consultation and cooperation amongst states and technical assistance and capacity building,” the EAM added. He stated that multilateral institutions and mechanisms need to be reformed to deal with challenges effectively.

“Human Rights’ agenda continues to face severe challenges, most of all from terrorism. Perennial concerns remain equally strong, be it global inequities or armed conflicts. Ongoing pandemic complicated the situation,” he said. Jaishankar also added, “As a member of UNHRC, we remain committed to working together with fellow members to achieve consensus. Violation of and gaps in the implementation of human rights must be addressed in a fair manner with non-selectivity and respect to principles of non-interference in internal affairs.”

Pointing out to India’s COVID-19 vaccine outreach at UNHRC, EAM Jaishankar said, “India has pledged its vaccine manufacturing capacity to make vaccines accessible and affordable to all. From Bangladesh to Brazil and from Morocco to Fiji, the pharmacy of the world is today supplying millions of vaccine doses to more than 70 countries.”

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Bomb blast in W Afghanistan kills four policemen

News Agency nabakhabar — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 15:23:10 +0000

The spokesperson for the governor of Farah province announced that a powerful explosion has taken place in front of the local police headquarters on Wednesday, BBC reported.

Four policemen have been killed and 10 civilians injured, he noted.

The spokesperson added that the death toll could rise due to the severity of the blast.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far.

In 2001, US forces along with NATO waged a war in Afghanistan claiming to fight against terrorism and since then the number of military and civilian casualties in the country has steadily increased.

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Kremlin urges Belarus to release 33 detained Russians

News Agency nabakhabar — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:13:19 +0000

Russia has urged Belarus to immediately release 33 Russian private security contractors detained on terrorism charges, dismissing the accusations against them as bogus.

“The unwarranted detention of the 33 Russian citizens doesn’t fit into the framework of the allied relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a conference call with reporters on Friday.

“We expect our Belarusian allies to clear up this incident immediately and release our citizens,” he said.

Peskov further explained that the Russian citizens had been en route to an unspecified country when they were detained after missing a connecting flight to Istanbul at the airport in the Belarusian capital of Minsk.

“They have done nothing wrong and carried no illegal items,” he added.

On Wednesday, Belarus arrested the employees of private Russian military contractor Wagner, accusing them of plotting terror attacks in Belarus amid the country’s presidential election campaign.

The allegations represent an unprecedented escalation of tensions with neighboring Russia.

Some observers see the move as a campaign stunt by Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, who seeks a sixth term in the country’s presidential election, set for August 9.

The 65-year-old president is campaigning to maintain his post amid mass opposition protests and the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.

Belarusian election officials have barred Lukashenko’s two main rivals from running in the presidential election next month.

The move sparked mass protests in Minsk, with police detaining more than 250 people.

Relations between Minsk and Moscow initially soured last year after the two sides failed to agree on an oil supply contract for this year.

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Hezbollah slams US harassment of Iran airliner as ‘terrorism’

News Agency nabakhabar — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 06:21:15 +0000

In a statement released by its Media Relations Office, Hezbollah “firmly denounced the hostile act by US warplanes,” according to al-Manar.

The US warplanes threatened and intimidated a civilian Iranian plane in the Syrian airspace, the statement said, describing the attack as “terrorist and dangerous that could have unknown repercussions on the entire region.”

US warplanes’ interception of an Iranian civilian plane carrying on board Lebanese passengers requires an international stance, Hezbollah said, stressing that the US is an occupation power in the Syrian territories and airspace.

On Thursday night, US warplanes operating illegally in Syria conducted aggressive maneuvers dangerously close to an Iranian Mahan Air flight over Syria’s al-Tanf region.

Mahan Air’s Flight 1152 had taken off from Tehran and was en route to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, when the incident happened.

Lebanon’s Health Minister Hamad Hassan also denounced the US move, calling it “a blatant attack” and saying that it would be only normal to file a complaint with international courts.

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Spokesman: Iraqi PM’s Visit to Iran Aimed at Broadening Economic Ties, Anti-Terrorism Cooperation

News Agency nabakhabar — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:53:27 +0000

Spokesman: Iraqi PM’s Visit to Iran Aimed at Broadening Economic Ties, Anti-Terrorism Cooperation

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee said on Tuesday that the current visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Tehran is highly important for the two countries’ efforts to further develop economic relations and anti-terrorism cooperation.

“Mr. al-Kadhimi’s visit is aimed at strengthening relations between Iran and Iraq and we have a strategic background too. Annihilation of the ISIL terrorists, obviation of environmental threats and foreign currency exchanges are among the important bilateral issues,” Rabiyee told reporters in Tehran.

He dismissed al-Khazimi’s mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia or Iran and the US for resumption of ties, saying that “we welcome all proposals” but do not accept any mediation for relations with Washington.

Rabiyee also said that Iran will certainly legally pursue the US assassination of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and punishment of the culprits behind it in talks with the Iraqi side.

Al-Kadhimi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday. The Iraqi prime minister is to meet with top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

Chairman of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Yahya Al-e Es’haq said on Tuesday that the two countries are seeking to attain $20 billion worth of bilateral trade exchanges.

He pointed to the visit of al-Kadhimi to Iran today, and said, “The visit of Iraqi prime minister to Iran will play a very constructive and important role in developing and strengthening trade ties between the two neighboring countries.”

During the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Iran, planning to reach the horizon of $20 billion bilateral trade between Iran and Iraq will also be discussed, Al-e Es’haq added.

He further noted that economic issues will include a major part of the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iraq’s debt to Iran on importing electricity and energy will be the other important issues that will be discussed between Iranian and Iraqi officials, he said, adding, “agreements have already been made on the repayment of Iraq’s about $3 billion debt to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is gradually being implemented, and during this trip, its payment system will be examined clearly.”

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UK introduces bolstered legislation for terrorism offences – here’s what it means

News Agency nabakhabar — Thu, 21 May 2020 21:02:35 +0000

The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill entered parliament on Wednesday as the British government continued its mantra of toughening up on terror — something that it highlighted after two attacks in London last year.

Referring to the attacks, which were carried out by two convicted terrorists on early release from prison, Home Secretary Priti Patel said they revealed “serious flaws” in the way the law dealt with them.

She added: “We promised to act and today we are delivering on that promise. Those who senselessly seek to damage and destroy lives need to know we will do whatever it takes to stop them.”

But this new bill has been met criticism from human rights defenders, who say the measures would be a “draconian” setback in administering justice.

What’s in the bill?

People suspected of terror offences, under current law, can be imposed with terrorism prevention and investigation measures known as Tpims, which have a set time limit of two years.

They generally monitor the suspect using curfews and travel restrictions over the time period.

But under the new bill, this two-year limit could be removed indefinitely, and the burden of proof to impose them in the first place could be lowered.

“We still need to see exactly what’s being proposed, but the suggestion that existing Tpims measures are to be made even more draconian would be a serious setback for the proper administration of justice in this country,” said Amnesty International UK’s legal expert Rachel Logan.

“It was never right to drastically curtail people’s liberty on the basis of secret, untested evidence using control orders or Tpims – and we seem to be diving headlong into that territory where the standard of proof is extremely flimsy and people’s liberties can be curtailed on an indefinite basis.”

Changes to sentencing

Also under the Bill are propositions to increase sentencing procedures for judges presiding over terror cases.

In February, emergency legislation was passed into law to block the automatic early release of terrorism offenders; the new bill seeks to put an end early release in general for the most serious crimes.

A new “Serious Terrorism Sentence” has also been proposed, carrying a prison term with a minimum of 14 years behind bars, and a further 25 years on licence.

The maximum penalty for a number of lesser offences, including being a member of a terror organisation, would see maximum sentences increased by four years to 14 years.

Courts will also be given the option to consider if an offence is terror-related to impose harsher sentences, while offenders could be required to undertake lie detector tests.

“Terrorists and their hateful ideologies have no place on our streets. They can now expect to go to prison for longer and face tougher controls on release,” said Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland.

He added: “From introducing a 14-year minimum for the most dangerous offenders, to putting in place stricter monitoring measures, this government is pursuing every option available to tackle this threat and keep communities safe.”

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Soleimani assassination is at least international terrorism, says Chomsky

News Agency nabakhabar — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 20:46:13 +0000

“It (Soleimani’s assassination) is at least international terrorism, arguably worse,” Chomsky told the Hindustan Times.

He was responding to a question on Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif who described Soleimani’s killing by a U.S. drone strike as an instance of “international terrorism”.

After the U.S. killed the IRGC Quds Force chief in a drone attack in Baghdad on January 3, Zarif tweeted, “The US’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani… is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.”

Chomsky suggested that Soleimani’s killing is a violation of international law.

He pointed out, “International law is quite explicit on these matters. It bars the threat or use of force in international affairs, with narrow exceptions that plainly do not apply here (in the case of Soleimani’s death).”

Chomsky also feels that there is no sign that the U.S. military’s domination in West Asia will diminish over the coming weeks and months.

U.S. military presence in the region hasn’t diminished “from the norm over the years and I see little reason to expect it to. All unpredictable. Depends on how matters develop”, he said.

However, he argued that the domination of American military power in the region is now much less compared with what it was in 2003.

“It is diminishing from the peak during the invasion of Iraq (in 2003), the worst crime of this millennium,” Chomsky said.

The United States assassinated Soleimani, Iran’s top anti-terror commander, and his comrades-in-arms in an airstrike in Baghdad on January 3.

The U.S. airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the anti-terrorist Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Soleimani is recognized internationally as a legendary commander in the battle against terrorist groups, especially Daesh (ISIS). He commanded forces who resisted ISIS which was advancing toward the Iraqi Kurdistan and came close to Baghdad.

Officials in Tehran and independent generals in the world have said the Soleimani assassination amounts to an act of war against Iran.

On Wednesday morning, Iran carried out the Shahid (Martyr) Soleimani Operation against an American airbase in Iraq with more than ten missiles.

Iran had vowed to take “tough revenge” for Soleimani’s blood.

In a statement, the IRGC warned the United States that any more aggression or movement will receive a more “painful and crushing” response.

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