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TUESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10938 September 11, 2018 Moharram 1, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Qatar, US review ties PR move to Our Say attract more capital and

By Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Editor-in-Chief investment O Cardholders will enjoy health, The root of His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani met at his off ice at the Amiri Diwan yesterday with the President of US Chamber of Commerce Thomas Donohue and US businessmen delegation, who called on the Deputy Amir education benefits to greet him on their visit to the country. During the meeting, they reviewed the strong relations between Qatar and the US terrorism and discussed ways to boost and develop them in various fields especially economic partnership and trade exchange, in he initiative to grant permanent and investment purposes in accord- light of the Qatar-US Business Council. They also exchanged views on future joint projects which will benefit both countries residency to non-Qatari indi- ance with stipulations. and their people. Tviduals will help increase invest- The cardholder may leave the coun- still exists ments and attract more capital, con- try and return to it during the period of tributing to further economic growth its validity without obtaining any con- In a a series of co-ordinated at- in the country, while the State can also sent or permit. tacks on the morning of September benefi t from people with special com- The terms and conditions for such 11, 2001 the twin towers of the World petencies. benefi ts will be issued at a later date Trade Center collapsed, claiming This was highlighted by Brigadier by the Cabinet, the offi cial Qatar News the lives of hundreds of innocent Salem Saqr al-Muraikhi, director of Agency said. civilians in a matter of hours and in Qatargas signs 22-yr deal the Ministry of Interior (MoI)’s Legal Brigadier al-Muraikhi noted Qatar’s a city that enjoys a big part of my Aff airs Department, at a press confer- continuous eff orts to provide better memory, New York City. ence held by the MoI in Doha yester- services to citizens and residents. He September 11, 2001 began as an- day to discuss various aspects of the said the idea of the PR Card has been in other ordinary day in New York be- with PetroChina unit recently issued Permanent Residency the works for some time, and is not the fore people all over the world held Law No 10 of 2018 and the procedures result of any specifi c event. their breath while watching live on for granting the Permanent Residency “Offi cials in the country always screen the stunning and horrifi c atargas has announced a long- LNG from Qatargas continues to con- (PR) card. wanted to provide better services for scenes of people hysterically run- term sale and purchase agree- tribute towards meeting the huge de- The press meet was also attended by those living on this land,” he stressed. ning, screaming, shouting, passing Qment (SPA) with PetroChina mand for energy in the world’s second Brigadier Mohamed Ahmed al-Ateeq, “The importance of the Permanent out, and dying. On that day, 2,996 International Company to supply Chi- largest economy. director-general of Passports. Residency card lies in its appreciation innocent civilians were savagely na with around 3.4mn tonnes of lique- “With China expected to become Brigadier al-Murakhi explained the and recognition of some categories of killed reportedly by some extrem- fi ed natural gas (LNG) per year. one of the world’s largest gas mar- rights and privileges a PR cardholder long-term residents. It is an exten- ists for no reason. PetroChina International Company kets, this SPA will further strengthen would enjoy in accordance with the law sion of the fundamental constitutional Sadly enough, 15 of the 18 hijack- is a unit of PetroChina Company Lim- the existing relationship between Qa- in terms of health, education, invest- concepts as it appears clearly in the ers, who took part in the attacks ited (PetroChina). targas and PetroChina over the long- ments, etc. The card will be valid for a speeches of His Highness the Amir were Saudis, and the majority of Under the 22-year SPA, which ends term.” period of fi ve years, which is renewable. where citizens are paired with resi- them either grew up in government- in 2040, Qatargas will supply LNG Saad Sherida al-Kaabi The SPA allows fl exibility in deliver- For instance, the PR cardholder may dents,” he said. supported religious camps in Saudi from the Qatargas 2 project, a joint ing LNG to various receiving terminals receive treatment and education in Brigadier al-Ateeq said the MoI re- Arabia, or were Imams (clerics) venture among Qatar Petroleum, Exx- world’s largest LNG producer, supply- across China, including the Dalian, government institutions within the lies on providing its services through there. Other nationalities that par- onMobil and Total, to diff erent re- ing safely and reliably across the globe. Jiangsu, Tangshan and Shenzhen LNG State on a par with Qataris, in accord- an electronic system. In line with this, ticipated in the attacks include the ceiving terminals across China, with “We are very pleased to be of sup- receiving terminals, utilising Qatargas’ ance with the terms and conditions, an electronic network has been built, United Arab Emirates and Egypt. the fi rst cargo to be delivered to the port to the People’s Republic of China fl eet of 70 conventional, Q-Flex and according to the MoI. Also, the spouse tried and tested to implement the per- Ironically, they are the same coun- People’s Republic of China later this in its quest to secure LNG supplies Q-Max LNG vessels. of the cardholder and his/her children manent residency law. tries blockading my country Qatar month. to meet the country’s growing en- Qatargas is the world’s largest LNG shall enjoy the privileges granted to the “A committee has been formed now. On the landmark agreement, Qatar ergy requirements. As we announce producing company with an annual PR cardholder pertaining to residence, based on this law, which will decide on As all of us already know, amongst Petroleum president and CEO Saad this long-term SPA, we look forward production capacity of 77mn tonnes. health and education until the age of 18 these applications, receive them, dis- all the Arab countries the mental Sherida al-Kaabi, also Qatargas chair- to continuing to supply reliable and PetroChina is China’s largest gas years. cuss them and issue the relevant deci- image of Saudi Arabia is that of the man said, “I would like to thank the clean energy to China and to countries supplier, meeting 66% of China’s do- The holder of the PR card shall have sions,” he said. one and only country which is deep- Government of the People’s Republic all over the world that seek to use the mestic demand in 2017. It is anticipat- the right to invest in sectors of the na- He noted that a working team was ly and heavily associated with Islam, of China and PetroChina for this im- cleanest fossil fuel available to meet ed that the People’s Republic of China tional economy without a Qatari part- formed to implement the mechanisms given the fact that the two holy cities portant SPA. This agreement under- their energy needs.” will become one of the world’s largest ner. The establishment of a company for receiving applications and hand of Makkah and Madinah are located scores Qatar’s trusted capability in Qatargas chief executive offi cer gas markets. shall be in accordance with the law over cards on completion of the rele- there. The indication here is not that ensuring energy security to countries Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani Chinese gas consumption grew by governing commercial companies, the vant procedures. A PR card application Islam as a religion promotes such around the world, particularly in Asia, said: “This is an important milestone 15% in 2017 alone, with LNG imports statement notes. Besides, the PR card- form has also been prepared with all re- barbaric acts. Rather, it is the Saudi as well as its unique position as the for Qatargas. We are very pleased that growing by more than 40%. holder may own real estate for housing quired data, he added. Page 4 government-based version of Islam that arguably encourages so. To Page 20 [email protected] US diplomat hails Qatar’s GROUND ZERO Motorists fume at long queues to fi ll up cars REVISITED, role in fi ght against terror ong queues of vehicles at petrol 17 YEARS ON stations continue to be a com- QNA regard. “We have one model and ap- Lmon sight at many places in and Doha proach to work on this level,” he said. around Doha, causing much inconven- Pages 18, 19, 20 The deputy chief of mission ex- ience to motorists. pressed hope that Qatar and the US The situation has worsened since he US embassy’s deputy chief will deepen co-operation on issues schools reopened and people started Qatar regrets of mission Phillip Nelson has related to the elimination of terrorism returning to the country in large num- closure of PLO Tpraised Qatar’s role in the fi ght and money laundering. He pointed out bers following the summer holidays, it against terrorism and money launder- that the delegations participating in is learnt. mission in US ing, while stressing that Qatar is an im- the training course by US Department Though Qatar Fuel (Woqod) has Qatar expressed regret over the portant partner of the US in this fi eld. of Justice and FBI, refl ect the broad re- US administration announcement He was speaking to offi cial Qatar lations between Qatar and the US. of the closure of the Palestinian News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines In a speech at the opening of the ses- 30 more fuel stations Liberation Organisation (PLO) of a training course launched by the sion, Nelson hailed the participation of by year-end Rush at a Woqod petrol station in Doha. office in Washington. Institute of Criminal Studies under the FBI and Department of Justice staff In a statement yesterday, the the title ‘the guide on the investiga- at the US embassy in the fi rst session Woqod will construct four fuel opened a number of petrol stations tions, during the daytime and also in Ministry of Foreign Affairs said tion of money laundering, fi nancing of the newly established Institute of stations on the Orbital Highway – permanent as well as mobile - over the evening, are simply unbearable. We that the closure of the office would of terrorism and sources of assets’ in Criminal Studies. He pointed out that and the new truck road connecting the past few years and more are in the hope the authorities will soon fi nd a increase Israel’s intransigence co-operation with the US Department the co-operation between the two sides Mesaieed, Hamad Port, Dukhan, pipeline, the existing facilities are still way out to overcome the current prob- and encourage it to continue its of Justice and the US Federal Bureau of refl ects the close relations between Qa- Lusail and Al Khor and start not enough to cope with the country’s lems,” a long-time Qatar resident said internationally rejected practices, Investigation (FBI). tar and the US in the fi eld of security, operations of 30 fuel stations vehicle population, the motorists point while recalling the time when he would in addition to widening distance Nelson explained that the US and law enforcement and judiciary. during the remainder of 2018. The out. What has compounded the prob- not have to spend even fi ve minutes to between the US administration Qatar are co-operating in the fi ght He pointed out that the topics dis- company recently floated tenders lem is the closure of some privately op- get his car refuelled. and the PLO, thereby hampering against the fi nancing of terrorism and cussed at the session, notably combat- for the construction of four fuel erated petrol stations in key locations, There has been a more than four-fold international efforts to revive money laundering in various aspects, ing money laundering, monitoring and stations on the Orbital Highway they argue, adding that some private rise in the country’s population over the peace process to reach a especially technical ones, in order to prosecuting the fi nancing of terror- and the new truck road, Woqod petrol stations that were closed appar- the last 15 years or so. While there were comprehensive and just peace enable investigators and prosecutors ism, and the confi scation of the assets CEO Saad Rashed al-Muhannadi ently due to renovation show no signs fewer than 600,000 people in Qatar to- agreement between Palestinians to promote joint co-operation and of criminals, are very important topics said yesterday. Page 5 of reopening. wards the end of 2002, now the fi gure is and Israelis. - QNA try to get rid of pressing issues in this for Qatar and the US. Page 4 “The long queues at several sta- inching towards 2.75mn. To Page 5 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 QATAR

Amir sends Minister hosts US chamber president cables of new NHRC to hold Hijri year greetings conference on is Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Hmad al-Thani yesterday exchanged cables of congratula- tions on the occasion of the new Hijri year with leaders of frater- ‘peace issues’ nal Arab and Muslim countries. His Highness the Deputy Amir HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al- delivers a speech during a working dinner held in honour of US Chamber of Commerce president Thani exchanged new Hijri year and CEO Tom J Donohue (left) and his accompanying delegation, who are currently in Doha. greetings with crown princes Looking on is Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani. The meeting reviewed and deputy heads of state of the economic, trade, and investment relations between Qatar and the US and means of developing Arab and Islamic countries. HE in Tunisia them. It also focused on preparation for the next phase of the Qatar-US Economic Roadshow, the Prime Minister and Minis- which was held in April. ter of Interior Sheikh Abdullah he National Human to investigate human rights equality, justice and freedom. bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani Rights Committee violations in Yemen Kamal The third round table will exchanged similar cables with T(NHRC) will organise Jendoubi, including speeches deal with action for Equality heads of governments of frater- an international conference on by some of the participat- and non-discrimination and nal Arab and Muslim countries. “Issues of Peace” in Tunis from ing bodies such as Unesco discuss issues of information September 26 to 29. and Asfari Institute for Civil technology, new communica- Qatari envoy presents credentials The conference is the fi rst Society and Citizenship. tion tools and topics related to Advisory Council of its kind organised by NHRC Another round table will be arts, culture and education and in Tunis in co-operation with held under the title “Artifi cial it is chaired by President of the to attend forum in the Arab Institute for Human Intelligence of Robotics and Arab Network of National Hu- Indonesia Rights, the United Nations Morals.” The NHRC will chair man Rights Institutions Fafa Educational, Scientifi c and the fi nal dialogue between ex- Zerrougui, while the Secre- The Advisory Council will Cultural Organisation (Unesco) perts and attendees to discuss tary-General of the Union of participate in the Parliamentary and the NGO-NESCO Liaison the recommendations of the Arab Lawyers Nasser Hamoud Forum on Sustainable Development committee. programme of action for the al-Karaouine will chair over to be held on September 12-13 in More than 120 organisations, conference in its fi rst focus. the general conclusions session Bali, Indonesia, under the theme 250 participants and observers, NHCR chairman also ad- and concluded the conference. “Partnership towards Sustainable and Unesco member states will dresses the second theme of On the sidelines of the con- Energies for All”. attend the four-day conference the conference. ference, Unesco will hold its The forum will discuss a number as part of the celebration of the Mohamed El Nsour, head of 9th International NGO Fo- of issues related to sustainable 70th anniversary of the Uni- the Mena offi ce of the UN High rum entitled “Another Look at development, its objectives and versal Declaration of Human Commissioner for Human Migration”. mechanisms for achieving them. Rights and International Day Rights (OHCHR) will lead the The Unesco biennial con- of Peace. fi rst roundtable. ference is one of the most im- HE Dr Ali bin Smaikh al- The second roundtable will portant mechanisms of the Supreme Judiciary Marri, chairman of the Na- deal with as issue on working organisation in the context of tional Human Rights Com- to promote inclusion, equal- consultations on the prepara- Council president mittee, will deliver a speech ity and non-discrimination tion of the med-term strategy, meets Russian team at the opening session of the for all human beings and dis- where non-governmental or- conference. A roundtable on cusses universal rights, shared ganisations share their views Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Hamad The head of Court of Cassation “Peace Today” will be held responsibility and education and proposals to formulate al-Sabah received a copy of the credentials of Bandar bin Mohammed al-Attiyah as Qatar’s and president of Supreme and chaired by chairperson on human rights as an in- written recommendations on extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah wished the ambassador Judiciary Council Judge Masoud of the UN International and strument against discrimi- the priorities and programme success in his work, and the bilateral relations further development. Mohamed al-Amiri met with a Regional Panel of Experts nation, as well as issues of of the organisation. Russian judicial delegation led by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Judge Vyacheslav Lebedev. During the meeting, they Lt Gen al-Ghanem attends GCC chiefs of staff meeting Qatar, EU officials hold talks discussed aspects of co-operation and co-ordination in judicial and legal fields and ways to boost them between both judicial authorities.

Sudan president receives papers of Qatari envoy Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir yesterday received the credentials of Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Secretary-General Dr Ahmed Abdulrahman bin Ali al-Kubaisi, bin Hassan al-Hammadi met yesterday with the minister ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary at the EU delegation (non-resident) to Qatar, plenipotentiary of Qatar to Sudan. Alar Olljum. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral The ambassador conveyed the Qatar participated in the meetings of the 15th session of the Supreme Military Committee of GCC chiefs of staff , held yesterday in relations and ways of supporting and developing them, in greetings of His Highness the Amir the sisterly state of Kuwait. Qatar’s delegation to the meeting was headed by HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, Lieutenant addition to issues of common concern. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem. Discussions during the meetings dealt with several issues that would contribute to to the Sudanese president, wishing enhancing the future of Gulf defence policy, in addition to strengthening co-ordination in the areas of military co-operation among the president good health and member states in accordance with a unified strategy that serves the regional security. happiness and the people of Sudan continued progress and prosperity. For his part, the Sudanese president entrusted the Population shows ambassador to convey his greetings to His Highness the Amir and wished the Qatari 4.5% rise in August people more prosperity and Focus on awareness during progress. He wished the atar’s population of the corresponding period ambassador success in his new showed a 4.5% rise on last year (2,446, 328, August duties to further support and QAugust 31 compared 2017), it is learnt. strengthen the friendly relations to the fi gures recorded at the As per the August fi gures, and co-operation between of Qatar Patient Safety Week end of the previous month, there were 1,931,077 males Qatar and Sudan. the Ministry of Develop- and 630,566 females in the ment Planning and Statistics country, while in July they atar Patient Safety cept of patient safety among international organisations. leaders, healthcare providers (MDPS) announced yesterday. were 1903,888 and 546,397 Ghana minister Week, being organ- employees and patients of Al-Kathiri said that Qatar and the public. The rise is apparently owing respectively. Qised by the Ministry of healthcare institutions. Patient Safety Week, held under The event is sponsored by Pri- to the return of a considerably The highest monthly popu- receives papers of Health from September 16 to Huda Amer al-Kathiri, di- the theme “Patient Safety from mary Health Care Corporation, large number of residents from lation fi gure for women in the Qatari envoy 22, aims to transform the cul- rector, Healthcare Quality and Book to Bedside”, has contrib- Hamad Medical Corporation vacation. The population rose country was in May, 2018, ture of patient safety from the- Patient Safety at the Ministry uted to raising awareness about and Medical Services in Qatar to 2,561,643 at the end of last when there were 697,899 fe- Ghana’s Minister of Foreign oretical to practical, with a fo- of Public Health, highlighted patient safety, recognising lo- Armed Forces, Hamad Health- month, from the year’s low of males (which was 25.54% of Aff airs and Regional Integration cus on spreading this concept to the ministry’s keenness to cal achievements in improv- care Quality Institute, Sidra 2,450,285, recorded on July 31. the population of that month). Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey healthcare institutions in Qatar. continuously develop the ac- ing patient safety, and sharing Medical and Research Center, Usually in the three months If the trend continues, the fe- received yesterday a copy of the Qatar Patient Safety Week, tivities of Qatar Patient Safety important knowledge and skills Al Ahli Hospital and Al Emadi between June 1 and August male population may exceed credentials of Mohammed bin under the patronage of HE the Week for the fourth year in a through meetings between lo- Hospital, as well as sponsors of 31, the country’s population the 700,000-mark for the fi rst Ahmad al-Homaid, ambassador Minister of Public Health Dr row to improve the culture of cal and international experts, the World Health Organisation, shows a decline. time before the end of the year. extraordinary and plenipotentiary Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, is patient safety in healthcare fa- providing healthcare institu- Qatar University and Aspetar, However, the latest popula- Last year’s highest popu- of Qatar to the country. The an annual event organised by cilities and make it a priority tions with the opportunity to University of Calgary in Qatar, tion fi gure is almost 117,000 lation was recorded in No- minister wished the ambassador the ministry at the national lev- target, noting the co-operation demonstrate their successes in WCMC-Q, Qatar Red Crescent, lower than the highest of vember, when the ministry success in his work, and the el as an initiative and an educa- in this fi eld by the health and improving patient safety and World Innovation Summit for 2,731, 910, recorded in May. released fi gures of 2,682,596, bilateral relations further tional and awareness campaign educational institutions in the developing eff ective commu- Health (WISH) and Doha Clinic The August fi gure is 4.7% which included 672,579 fe- development and prosperity. aimed at spreading the con- country as well as the relevant nication between healthcare Hospital. more than the population males (25.07%).

QCS to present programmes at World Cancer Congress The Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) will more responsibilities and tasks “Such participations provide Fall in number of building permits in August present its programmes and services to become an active member of the QCS with an opportunity to provided in Qatar and highlight its this global platform. develop the field of awareness total of 493 building per- to seasonal factor related to of- Al Da’ayen Municipality with 54 gust, while the percentage of ad- innovation in disease prevention, QCS chairman Sheikh Khalid bin and provide the best ways and mits were issued in Au- fi cial holidays. However, the permits (11%). The rest of the ditions permits constituted 40% early detection and diagnosis Jabor al-Thani stressed that it services by looking at all that is Agust by all municipalities, Al Shamal municipality saw an municipalities were as follows: (195 permits), and fi nally fencing at the World Cancer Congress. is important for the Society to new in this regard, especially since registering a decrease of 39% in increase of 60%. Umm Salal 31 permits (6%), Al permits with 4% (21 permits). The congress is organised by the keep abreast of the international the World Congress is attended comparison to July, according to Al Wakrah Municipality Sheehaniya 24 permits (5%), Al On the other hand, commer- International Union Against Cancer experience and expertise by more than 3,000 people from buildings permits and building comes at the top with 133 per- Khor 18 permits (4%), and Al cial buildings were found to be in in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from to develop its programmes 150 countries,” he pointed out in a completion certifi cates data. mits in terms of number of Shamal 13 permits (3%). the forefront of non-residential October 1 to 4. and future plans through press statement yesterday. The decrease was clearly not- building permits issued – 27% In terms of type of permits is- buildings permits with 48% (30 The QCS’s participation in participation in all conferences The QCS’s participation in this global ed in most municipalities: Umm of the total permits issued while sued, data indicates that the new permits), followed by industrial the conference comes after it and internal and external events, forum, he said, aims to present its Slal (56%), Al Sheehaniya (55%), Rayyan Municipality came in building permits (residential buildings e.g. workshops and joined the International Union thus enriching its work through achievements at the international Rayyan (47%), Doha (40%), Al second place with 121 permits and non-residential) constitutes factories with 32% (20 permits), Against Cancer, which is one exchanging ideas and visions level, as well as get acquainted Khor (27%), Al Wakrah (20%), (25%), followed by Doha Munic- 56% (277 permits) of the total then governmental buildings of the largest international among specialists from diff erent with the best practices by experts Da’ayen (16%). The fall is due ipality with 99 permits (20%), building permits issued in Au- with 13% (8 permits). institutions in this field, putting sectors and interests. involved in various fields. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 3 QATAR Vodafone Qatar launches Smart N9 lite

odafone Qatar launched yester- fone Smart N9 lite comes complete with a days. Moreover, the device comes with a day the Vodafone Smart N9 lite, a suite of applications so that younger users two-year warranty. Vperfect 4G smartphone for fami- can explore and enjoy their device safely. Vodafone Qatar COO Diego Camberos lies and children at an aff ordable price of Parental restrictions on the device allow said, “The Vodafone Smart N9 lite is a just QR429. It features an easy-to-grip parents to control the access and screen fantastic addition to our strong portfolio but slim exterior and the latest technol- time their children can have. of Vodafone devices that give customers a ogy combined with safety, security, and It includes a new ‘force ring’ feature, wide choice of high-quality products with control solutions to give parents peace of giving parents the ability to call their attractive features that allows them to get mind. children at full ring volume – even if the the most from Vodafone’s world class net- The Vodafone Smart N9 lite boasts a child’s phone is on silent. The Vodafone works.” 5.3” display with a premium-level 18:9 Smart N9 lite comes with the latest An- The new Vodafone Smart series is de- aspect ratio – perfect for enjoying Apps, droid 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) operating sys- signed and tested by Vodafone in Ger- games, and videos on a wide screen that tem, and is powered by a Quad-core Me- many to give Vodafone customers award- fi ts perfectly in the hand. The ‘more diaTek processor, 16GB of internal storage, With each purchase of the Vodafone winning, world-class design, the latest screen, less bezel’ Smart N9 lite reassures and a reliable 2460mAh battery. The Vo- Smart N9 lite, new and existing postpaid technology, and uncompromising quality with a robust, tactile anti-slip grip and is dafone Smart N9 lite comes complete with customers will receive up to 21GB of free at the best possible price. For further in- available in satin-touch White Pearl and an 8MP rear-facing camera with fl ash, and data over three months, and prepaid cus- formation, visit www.vodafone.qa/en/ suede-feel Black Ice variants. The Voda- a front-facing 5MP camera. tomers will receive 6GB of free data for 90 phones. Vodafone Smart N9 Lite

Green signal for Al Doha Al Jadeeda Qatar Airways announces new destination to Mombasa

atar Airways will popular with tourists inter- launch direct fl ights ested in exploring Kenya’s Qto Kenya’s second beautiful tropical beaches city, Mombasa, opening and coastline, as well as im- up the country’s beautiful mersing themselves in the coasts to international hol- city’s fascinating diverse iday-makers. cultural mix,” he noted. The new four-times Al-Baker added that this weekly service will be Qa- second new route to Kenya, tar Airways’ second Kenyan in addition to the airline’s destination, in addition to existing three daily services existing fl ights to Nairobi. to the capital Nairobi, will The airline’s fl ights be- help make Qatar Airways tween Doha and Mombasa “the fi rst choice for travel- (MBA) will be operated with lers wishing to explore this an Airbus A320 with 12 beautiful country.” Business Class seats and 120 Bordering the Indian Economy Class seats, from Ocean, tropical Mombasa is December 11 with a fl ight Kenya’s main coastal tour- time of just over six hours. ist destination and a popu- “Qatar Airways sees Ken- Bordering the Indian Ocean, tropical Mombasa is Kenya’s lar gateway to the country’s ya as an important market main coastal tourist destination and a popular gateway to amazing white beaches and for our passengers so we are the country’s amazing white beaches and coral reef diving. coral reef diving. Qatar Rail managing director Abdulla Abdulaziz al-Subaie and the project team have celebrated the approval of the first delighted to off er this new Qatar Airways fi rst start- underground station, the Metro Red Line’s Al Doha Al Jadeeda, by Qatar’s Civil Defence. (Image courtesy of Qatar Rail service to a second Kenyan Group chief executive Akbar our new direct daily service ed fl ying to Nairobi in No- Twitter page) destination,” Qatar Airways al-Baker said. “We are sure to Mombasa will prove very vember 2005.

Recall of Mercedes-Benz Tourismo Bus models

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, has announced the re- call of Mercedes-Benz Tourismo Bus models of 2016-2017 over faulty passenger door function. The MEC said the recall cam- paign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that automobile dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them. The MEC said that it will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out. CRA leads capacity building for next-gen IPv6 technologies

he Communications Regulatory IPv6 co-exist on the same network. Authority (CRA), in collabora- This enablement will ensure the Ttion with Reseaux IP Europeens full readiness of Qatar to connect with Network Coordination Centre (RIPE the rest of the world, as well as the NCC), is conducting a three-day tech- achievement of the socio-economic nical IPv6 training course with the pri- benefi ts associated with the creation of mary objective of Internet resources an advanced ICT infrastructure, such management capacity building in Qa- as having advance technology-ready tar’s ICT sector. infrastructure for international events. The certifi cate course runs from Jassmi was appointed president of September 10 to 12, 2018 and covers ‘IPv6 Council Qatar’, a chapter of the key topics related to IPv6 confi guring, International IPv6 Forum dedicated deploying, routing, and security. This to the advancement and promotion of is part of a series of training courses IPv6 best practices and integration. planned by CRA under the IPv6 Na- The training course has attracted par- tional Implementation Strategy. ticipants from government and private As an enabler of adoption of the lat- entities, including the Ministry of Ad- est technologies, CRA aims to position ministrative Development, Labour and Qatar as a regional and global leader in CRA Technical Aff airs Department Social Aff airs (Madlsa), RigNet, QSAT using these technologies to enhance manager Abdulla Jassmi. Communications (QSat), Kahramaa, the quality of living in the country. In Qatar University, particular, next generation telecom- cations,” said engineer Abdulla Jassmi, Northwestern University in Qatar, munications technologies such as 5G Technical Aff airs Department manager Texas A&M University at Qatar, Carn- and Internet of things (IoT) will require at the CRA. egie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar a large number of devices to be inter- As the government organisation Foundation, and MEEZA among oth- connected for the nation’s readiness leading the transitions through the ers. The attendees will be given inter- in hosting world-class events such as IPv6 Taskforce from legacy Internet nationally recognised certifi cations on 2022 FIFA World Cup. protocols (IPv4) to next generation In- IPv6 engineering. “Enabling IPv6 in Qatar will provide ternet protocol (IPv6), CRA is working The CRA IPv6 Taskforce recently higher Internet security, contribute to with the relevant public and private concluded its third bi-monthly meet- Qatar’s transition to becoming a dig- sector stakeholder organisations to ef- ing documenting signifi cant progress ital society, and will further develop fi ciently manage the expected increase made by its stakeholders. The partici- the mobile network transformation in the use of computing and communi- pants presented their progress towards needed to make Qatar a regional hub cations technologies in the near future. transitioning to IPv6, establishing the for technology innovations. The CRA IPv6 Taskforce has seen IPv6 test labs, readiness towards IPv6 IPv6 will help to accommodate next positive results in the uptake of IPv6 dual stack enablement and deploy- generation technologies needed for with its strategy of enabling dual ment for individuals and stakeholders IoT, e-commerce, and big data appli- stack solutions where both IPv4 and organisations.

Participants of the three-day technical IPv6 training course. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 QATAR

Training course held on investigation of money laundering and terror fi nancing Mechanism for QNA tion Unit, the Qatar Financial Centre, nancing of terrorism and money laun- Doha and the Qatar Central Bank, as well as dering as crimes that pose a threat to about 30 members of the Public Prose- the country and society. cutor’s Offi ce, are attending the train- Al-Malki expressed confi dence that he fi rst training course by the ing course. the two-week training course would Institute of Criminal Studies In his opening remarks, Abdullah achieve its objectives in developing Twas launched yesterday under al-Malki of the State Prosecutor’s Of- the skills of participants to the best the title of “Investigation Guide on fi ce said that the Institute of Criminal practices and capabilities necessary to PR explained Money Laundering, the Financing of Studies aims to train the members and combat the fi nancing of terrorism and Terrorism, and Sources of Assets” in assistants of the Public Prosecutor’s money laundering. he mechanism for submitting co-operation with the US Department Offi ce to develop their scientifi c and The Institute of Criminal Studies applications for the Permanent of Justice and the US Federal Bureau of practical skills as well as holding spe- was recently inaugurated is a special- TResidency (PR) card will be Investigation (FBI). cialised dialogue seminars, and pre- ised body to train the staff of the Public made available through the Ministry A number of government represent- paring scientifi c studies and research. Prosecutor’s Offi ce through continu- of Interior (MoI)’s website or one of atives, including from the National He added that the Public Pros- ous courses and workshops through- its electronic applications, it was an- Counter-terrorism Committee, the ecutor’s Offi ce in Qatar has taken the out the year. nounced yesterday. National Committee for Combating initiative in partnership with the US The institute will include a statisti- The MoI held a press conference Money Laundering and the Financing Department of Justice and the FBI to cal centre that provides accurate sta- yesterday to discuss Permanent Resi- of Terrorism, the Financial Informa- organise a training course on the fi - tistics on crime. dency Law No 10 of 2018 and the pro- cedures for granting the PR card. It was attended by Brigadier Salem Saqr al-Muraikhi, director of the Le- gal Aff airs Department, and Brigadier Mohamed Ahmed al-Ateeq, director- general of Passports. The applications will be reviewed to meet legal requirements and condi- tions stipulated by legal auditors of the committee formed to deal with such cases, the MoI said. A sample Permanent Residency card. The applications will be submitted to the committee. Also, the applicant should enjoy a “As a result, this law was developed In case of approval, the applications good reputation and be of good con- and various authorities in the country will be referred to the General Direc- duct, and has not been convicted by a discussed it before it was issued fi nally torate of Passports to issue a PR Card. fi nal ruling within or outside Qatar. a couple of days ago. It will be imple- Al-Muraikhi said specifi c and clear The applicant should also be fl u- mented once it is published in the Of- criteria will be set by the authorities. ent in the Arabic language, the offi cial fi cial Gazette,” he noted. Explaining the conditions for grant- added. Explaining the measures taken by ing a PR Card, he said the applicant The following categories of people the MoI to implement the law, he said should have continuous normal legal are exempt from the above conditions: that a working group has been set up to residency in Qatar for 20 years if born the children of a Qatari woman mar- make the necessary preparations. outside, and 10 years if born within the ried to a non-Qatari man, the non- In this regard, meetings have been country, provided the period of resi- Qatari husband of a Qatari woman, held with various authorities, includ- dence is consecutive and prior to the the non-Qatari wife of a Qatari man, ing the Ministry of Administrative De- date of applying for a PR permit. the children of Qataris by naturalisa- velopment, Labour and Social Aff airs, The clause of continuous stay is not tion, individuals who have done great he added. undermined by the applicant staying service to the country, and individuals Al-Muraikhi stressed that Qa- outside the country for up to 60 days with special competencies needed by tar could be considered a pioneer in in a year. the country. adopting the PR law for its expatriate In all cases, this period shall be de- One of the aims of the initiative to residents, certainly in the Arab world. ducted from the time calculated as grant permanent residency, al-Mu- He said that the validity of a PR card residency in the country. raikhi said, is to fi nd mechanisms to will be fi ve years, which is renewable. The applicant should have enough provide better services “to the resident He noted that the law does not dif- income to meet the applicant’s needs who is competent and giving”. ferentiate between males and females, as well that of dependents. Besides, there are categories that are adding that the system is still at an A committee will evaluate this to fi x of interest to the State, such as Qatari early stage and all possible outcomes a reasonable minimum income. children, he added. will be assessed and evaluated. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 5 QATAR 30 more fuel stations by Motorists fume at long queues to fi ll up From Page 1 hours such as late in the night ties to consider operating more or early in the morning, say mobile stations such as the one Similarly, there has been a motorists. on B-Ring Road, near Jaidah huge increase in vehicles over “The situation is becom- Flyover. end of 2018: Woqod the years – numbering well ing increasingly diffi cult as Long queues outside petrol over 1mn, according to ear- long queues of vehicles are a stations also add to congestion lier reports. However, this has regular feature at most petrol on Doha roads, say motorists. Company eyes 120 ma, Kharaitiyat, Al Gharrafa not been matched by a cor- stations,” a transport com- “Sometimes an entire lane is new fuel stations (Zaghawa), Wholesale Market, responding increase in the pany offi cial said. He cited the blocked as cars wait for their Mesaimeer South, Al Wakrah, Al number of petrol stations in example of a Woqod petrol turn to enter a petrol station. across the country by Thumama, Al Froosh, Al Azizi- the country, enquiries found. station in the Al Hilal area of This can lead to major snarls 2020 yah, Umm Ebairiya, Wadi Aba With thousands of new ve- Doha, where he had to spend on some of the key roads,” said Saleel, Al Messila, West Bay and hicles added to the country’s more than 30 minutes on a one of them. “Access to petrol oqod will construct four Onaiza-3. roads every month, the situa- recent evening waiting for his stations could be better de- fuel stations on the Or- Woqod said “it is ensuring the tion will only get worse unless turn. signed to ensure that traffi c Wbital Highway and the increase of dispensers in new prompt and adequate steps are To avoid such a situation, he fl ow is not aff ected.” new truck road connecting Me- stations. Hence, the number of taken to address the issue, ac- and his staff are now getting Some residents of Rayyan saieed, Hamad Port, Dukhan, Lu- fuel dispensers is expected to be cording to some Doha inhabit- their fl eet of vehicles, includ- also demanded more petrol sail and Al Khor and start opera- increased by 50% by the end of ants. ing cars and vans, refuelled stations within their munici- tions of 30 fuel stations during the Woqod new fuel station under construction at Old Slata. 2018, in comparison with 2017.” “It is true that the country has in the early in the morning pal limits. One of them said the remainder of 2018. Woqod is targeting 120 fuel witnessed the opening of several though that means staying up town cannot meet the require- The company recently fl oated large areas of up to 20,000sq m for standards in accordance with the stations across Qatar by the end new petrol stations over the past at odd hours. ments of vehicle owners with tenders for the construction of the service of cars and trucks. requirements, specifi cations and of 2020. 5-6 years. But they are simply Residents also echoed simi- the existing number of outlets four fuel stations on the Orbital Additionally, an area of standards in force in Qatar, it said. Al-Muhannadi concluded by inadequate to meet the require- lar views about petrol stations there. Highway and the new truck road, 20,000sq m has been allocated in Al-Muhannadi revealed Wo- emphasising that “Woqod will ments of the growing number of in Mesaimeer and other places. Enquiries found that vehicle Woqod CEO Saad Rashed al-Mu- each site (adjacent to the petrol qod had opened and operated not miss any opportunity for vehicles,” said a sales manager at A Qatari citizen said large owners in Wakrah, too, have hannadi said yesterday. station) to be used for parking and eight fuel stations so far this year. construction of fuel stations on a rental fi rm. He said every time tracts of private land are avail- similar complaints. Around In selecting sites for the new rest areas. The construction work is un- any land allocated inside and he goes out to refuel his vehicle, able along many key roads 80,000 residents have report- fuel stations, Woqod said it has Station design, separate en- derway for another 26 permanent outside the city of Doha, to meet he fi nds long queues at most in Doha and beyond. He said edly moved to housing facili- coordinated with the Urban Plan- trance and exit points as well as and mobile stations, most of which the needs of the State of Qatar, petrol stations within a 5-6km Woqod could explore the pos- ties in Wukair in recent years ning Department at the Ministry movement of vehicles includ- will be opened by end-2018. regardless of the cost”. radius of his accommodation in sibility of forming partnerships with a number of independent of Municipality & Environment, ing trucks within the fuel station Fuel stations in the following “Woqod is grateful to all par- the Old Airport area. with the owners of such land to villa compounds coming up in Public Works Authority (Ashghal) compound have all been taken into areas are nearing completion: ties for their contribution to One way to beat the long set up more petrol stations and the area. However, there are and the Ministry of Transport and consideration, Woqod said. Fareej Kulaib, Old Slata, Lusail completing the fuel and service queues is to visit a petrol sta- provide relief to motorists. only a handful of petrol sta- Communications. The design also has taken into City- Fox Hill, Hamad Interna- station projects as soon as pos- tion, especially one located in A Doha entrepreneur, mean- tions in the area, sources told The sites have been allocated account all the security and safety tional Airport, Rawdat Al Hama- sible.” a busy neighbourhood, at odd while, appealed to the authori- Gulf Times.

HBKU-CHLS programmes complement Qatar’s national health sector aspirations

amad Bin Khalifa Univer- The college curriculum is de- in Biological and Biomedical Sci- treatment to promote health.” vision of state-of-the-art labo- sity’s (HBKU) College of signed to address the study of na- ences. CHLS faculty includes nine ratory facilities and guidance of HHealth and Life Sciences tional, regional and global health Dean Dr Edward Stuenkel said: professors whose specialisations subject matter experts. (CHLS) is complementing the threats through a rigorous academ- “At CHLS this year, 41 new and and achievements in the fi eld of The College enjoys strong growth of the national healthcare ic and research-based approach. 54 returning students will pursue health and life sciences provide bonds with a wide range of stake- sector as it witnesses unprece- CHLS stands at the forefront of innovative multi-disciplinary students with a unique educa- holders in the fi eld of health and dented growth, it was announced graduate education in the fi eld of degrees, whose areas of focus tional opportunity for growth life sciences. in a statement yesterday. health and life sciences and ad- – such as biomedical sciences, under the scholarship of interna- These include relevant stake- Health and life sciences – the vances the objectives outlined in genomics and precision medi- tionally renowned academics. holders in academia, healthcare concentration of science that fo- the National Health Strategy. cine – impact whole populations. Additionally, CHLS’ faculty and government alike, including cuses on preventing disease, pro- The college is home to an in- This is because genomics, bio- and students also collaborate Hamad Medical Corp, Ministry of longing life, and promoting health novative selection of academic medical and biological sciences with HBKU’s research institutes, Municipality and Environment, through both individual and collec- degree programmes, including all commonly focus on establish- particularly the Qatar Biomedi- Ministry of Public Health, Prima- tive societal eff orts – necessitates a master’s and PhD degrees in Ge- ing a mechanistic understand- cal Research Institute, to facilitate ry Health Care Corporation, Qatar systematic approach, grounded in nomics and Precision Medicine as ing of disease and subsequently the development of self-driven University, Sidra Medicine, and thorough research and education. well as master’s and PhD degrees developing personalised medical student research through the pro- Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar. Research and study complement health sector aspirations.

Music Steps adorn The Pearl-Qatar’s Qanat Quartier

nited Development Company (UDC), a leading Qatari share- Uholding company and master developer of The Pearl-Qatar, has un- veiled a delightful musical surprise in the form of a giant piano laid on one of the staircases overlooking Qanat Quartier’s retail area at The Pearl- Qatar. Located on the fl ight of stairs linking QQ7 boardwalk with the mezzanine level, UDC said Music Steps will be a fi rst in Qatar. Surrounded by colourful residences, elegant boutiques, restaurants and coff ee shops, Music Steps are set to become a unique attraction for The Pearl’s residents, tourists and visiting families. The 30-step piano produces me- Children skip, hop and jump to play musical notes on Qanat Quartier’s Music lodic tones with blinking lights and Steps at The Pearl-Qatar. sounds every step of the way. Visitors can now hop, skip, and jump to play serve to enthral the thousands of visi- families to skip the elevator and in- musical notes and sound eff ects, or tors the island receives every day while door locations and take the stairs to can enjoy 10 classical melodies already introducing visitors to shops, restau- enjoy outdoor settings with this fun programmed. rants and cafes across the island and interactive. As a premium lifestyle developer in cementing The Pearl-Qatar’s position This announcement comes shortly Qatar and the region, UDC is always as a leading tourism and entertainment after UDC wrapped up its month of keen to stage breakthrough events and hub. summer beach activities, which at- bringing world-class attractions to its Subsequently, with the cooler tracted more than 10,000 participants, fl agship development The Pearl-Qatar. months approaching, Music Steps bolstering retail businesses across The UDC noted that these attractions will entice visiting kids and their Pearl-Qatar.

‘Amazing World of Gumball’ celebrates back to school season

oha Festival City’s (DHFC) fun-fi lled Dactivities during the back to school season with “The Amazing World of Gumball”, has been enjoyed by hundreds of children, accord- ing to a statement yesterday. The celebrations will continue until September 14 with family entertainment, including various activity zones. Children can enjoy an en- tire range of popular activi- ties, including an interactive gaming station, a dodge ball game, blind folded games, photo opportunities with their favourite Gumball characters, as well as an arts and crafts section. DHFC recently signed a one-of-a-kind entertain- ment partnership with Car- toon Network to provide guests with the opportunity Children can enjoy an entire range of activities at DHFC’s ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’. to interact with their on- screen favourites through DHFC, ranging from Ben10, “DHFC is the perfect outlets available at the mall, immersive digital experi- which took place in August, destination to spend the whilst also shopping for ences. to Adventure Time, set to be last few weeks of summer, their essentials for the new A series of exciting in- unveiled for Qatar National as families will also have the academic year,” the state- stallations have debuted at Day December 14-30. chance to dine at numerous ment added. Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD

CONFLICT UNREST LEGAL DIPLOMACY POLITICS 49 Palestinians injured Iraq PM visits Basra Hariri murder trial Italian foreign minister Sudan president swears during protest in Gaza after deadly violence enters final phase in Benghazi for Haftar talks in new prime minister

49 Palestinians were injured during a rally at the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sought to ease The trial of four Hezbollah suspects in the as- Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir swore in a new pre- coastal seaside, north of Gaza Strip demanding an tensions in Iraq’s oil-rich south yesterday with sassination of Lebanese ex-prime minister Rafiq held talks with Libyan military strongman Khalifa mier yesterday in a bid to ease an economic crisis, and end to Israeli blockade, Palestinian Ministry of Health a visit to Basra, rocked by deadly protests over Hariri enters the final stretch today with closing Haftar in Benghazi yesterday in a bid to strength- lambasted eff orts to “block” his country from foreign said yesterday, QNA reported. The Ministry of Health alleged corruption and government neglect. arguments in the long-running case. Hariri’s en ties, his ministry said. The two men “had a long markets. Outgoing irrigation minister Moutaz Mousa said in a statement that the total number of Israeli After 12 demonstrators were killed and many son Saad, Lebanon’s premier-designate, is and cordial conversation which relaunched close Abdallah took the oath of off ice at the presidential attacks on demonstrators and participants of the of Basra’s institutions torched, calm returned expected to attend the special UN-backed court relations with Italy, in a climate of consolidated palace, after Bashir fired the incumbent prime minister march has reached 49 Palestinians. Israeli forces to the city late Saturday as Abadi’s rivals in in the Netherlands as prosecutors and defence trust,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. and cabinet on Sunday. The 31-member cabinet is to used live bullets and suff ocation tactics and 10 were Baghdad said they wanted to form Iraq’s lawyers make their final statements. But the A source close to Haftar confirmed the talks to be slashed to just 21 portfolios, as the country grapples transferred to hospital for treatment, it added. Earlier, next government without him. For five days defendants themselves will be absent, as they AFP without providing further details. Italy, a key with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation a sea rally was launched in Gaza Strip near the last week protesters had flooded the streets, have been throughout a extraordinary trial supporter of the UN-backed government of Fayez above 65%. Abdallah replaces Bakri Hassan Saleh, who northwestern border with the participation of some clashing with security forces and torching the which seeks to bring to justice those behind the al-Sarraj in Tripoli, wants to “maintain an active will retain the post of first vice president. “There’s no 50 boats carrying scores of people aff ected by the provincial headquarters, the Iranian consulate huge suicide truck bombing in Beirut that killed dialogue” with all well-intentioned actors in Libya, need to have a huge government at a time when the Israeli blockade. and the offices of armed groups. Hariri in 2005. Moavero Milanesi said. people are struggling to aff ord basic items,” Bashir said.

Saudi arrests Egyptian over breakfast video with woman

Saudi authorities have arrested an Egyp- adhere to government regulations that tian hotel worker who appeared in what stipulate a gender-segregated work- More than 30,000 displaced off icials described as an “off ensive” video place. As the video sparked a torrent of eating breakfast with a female co-worker. criticism, the public prosecution urged The footage, which sparked outrage on expats in the kingdom to respect “values social media in the kingdom, showed and traditions of Saudi society”. The the pair sharing a meal at a desk. The incident comes in the midst of Crown in latest Idlib off ensive: UN woman, draped head-to-toe in niqab, is Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s far-reach- seen waving to the camera and feeding ing liberalisation drive that have ended Reuters the man — who was filming — with her decades-long bans on women driving Beirut/Geneva hand. “The labour ministry arrested an and cinemas, and allowed some mixed- expatriate in Jeddah after he appeared gender concerts. in an off ensive video,” the ministry said The backlash underscores the challenges ore than 30,000 people in a statement on Sunday. Local media facing the prince. In April, Saudi sports have so far fl ed their homes has identified the man as an Egyptian authorities shut down a female fitness Min northwest Syria since national. centre in Riyadh over a contentious Syrian government and allied forces The ministry said the hotel owner had promotional video that appeared to show resumed air and ground bombard- also been summoned for failing to a woman in tight gym clothes. ments there last week, the UN agen- cy co-ordinating relief eff orts said yesterday. The UN Offi ce for the Co-or- dination of Humanitarian Aff airs (OCHA) said an all-out military as- sault on the last major stronghold of active opposition to President Bashar al-Assad could set 800,000 people to fl ight. The OCHA chief, Mark Lowcock, warned that this risked provoking the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st Century. Damascus, backed by Russia and Iran, has been preparing a major as- sault to recover Idlib and adjacent areas of northwest Syria from rebels. Russian and Syrian warplanes re- Rescuers remove the rubble to open a road amid the destruction caused by reported government forces’ bombings sumed their bombing campaign last in the town of Al Habit on the southern edges of the rebel-held Idlib province, yesterday. week and the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia on Friday failed to had increased, especially in the have moved to camps, 29% are Abu al-Baraa al-Hamawi, a agree on a ceasefi re that would fore- northern Hama countryside and staying with families, 14% have rebel leader in northern Hama, stall the off ensive. southern Idlib rural areas. settled in informal camps and 10% said about 95% of people had left OCHA spokesman David Swan- He said 47% of those displaced are in rented accommodation. a number of villages in northern son told Reuters that as of Sunday, and western Hama province and 30,542 people had been displaced in southern Idlib province in the from northwest Syria, moving to US warns on tougher response if chemical weapons used last three days due to intensive air different areas across Idlib. strikes. About 2.9mn people live in the President Donald Trump’s national use of chemical weapons will result More than half a million people opposition-held area, which com- security adviser said yesterday the in a much stronger response,” have been killed and 11mn already prises most of Idlib province and United States, Britain and France Bolton said. forced to flee their homes in Syria’s adjacent small parts of Latakia, had agreed that another use of US off icials have said in recent days seven-year-old war. Hama and Aleppo provinces. chemical weapons by the Syrian they have evidence that Syrian Christy Delafield of Mercy Around half of them are already government would result in a “much government forces are prepar- Corps, one of the largest organisa- displaced from other parts of Syr- stronger response” compared to ing chemical weapons ahead of tions delivering aid in Syria, said it ia. “We are very actively preparing previous air strikes. a planned assault on a rebel-held has been hard for aid workers and for the possibility that civilians “We’ve tried to convey the mes- enclave in Idlib in the northwestern communities to keep up with the move in huge numbers in multiple sage in recent days that if there’s a part of the country. displacement. directions,” OCHA head Lowcock third use of chemical weapons, the Marine General Joseph Dunford, the Turkey is a leading opposition told a news briefing in Geneva. response will be much stronger,” na- chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , supporter which has troops in the “There needs to be ways of deal- tional security adviser John Bolton told reporters late last week he was country and has erected 12 obser- ing with this problem that don’t said while fielding questions after a involved in a routine dialogue with vation posts around rebel-held turn the next few months in Idlib policy speech. the White House about military op- Idlib. Turkish Defence Minister into the worst humanitarian catas- “I can say we’ve been in consulta- tions should Syria ignore US warn- Hulusi Akar yesterday was report- trophe with the biggest loss of life tion with the British and the French, ings against using chemical arms. ed as saying by broadcaster NTV of the 21st Century,” he said. who joined us in the second strike, Bolton, after a speech condemning that air and ground attacks on Idlib Swanson said that since Friday’s and they also agree that another the International Criminal Court. must stop and a ceasefire must be summit, mortar and rocket attacks established.

Two dead in suspected IS suicide bomb attack on Libya oil fi rm HQ

AFP and then we heard an explo- Tripoli sion,” the offi cial said. The UN denounced what it called a “terrorist” at- uicide bombers sus- tack, the latest to target pected of being from Libya’s vital oil sector amid Sthe Islamic State the chaos that has gripped group stormed the head- the North African country quarters of Libya’s National since the 2011 uprising that Oil Company yesterday and toppled late dictator Mua- killed at least two people, mmar Gaddafi . Witnesses offi cials said. also spoke of hearing a blast An oil company offi cial, and gunfi re before security who asked not to be named, forces rapidly surrounded said masked gunmen had the headquarters and fi re- exchanged fi re with guards fi ghters and rescuers arrived and attacked the NOC’s on the scene. headquarters in the capital Two people were killed Tripoli. and 10 wounded in the “I jumped out of the win- attack, said the health dow with other colleagues, ministry.

PLO offi ce to be shut down in Washington

The United States announced yesterday it will shutter the Palestinians’ mission in Washington, adding further pressure on them to enter peace talks with Israel.State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert accused the Palestine Lib- eration Organisation (PLO) of refusing to support negotia- tions while a Palestinian off icial called the move a “danger- ous escalation” of tensions in the region. “We have permitted the PLO off ice to conduct operations that support the objective of achieving a lasting, compre- hensive peace between Israelis and the Palestinians since the expiration of a previous waiver in November 2017,” said Nauert. “However, the PLO has not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel,” Nauert said. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 7 AMERICA

Trump blasts Florence strengthens into Woodward, says will ‘write Category Four hurricane the real book’ By Martin Pengelly Reuters lowed by heavy rains that could cause Guardian News and Media Miami fl ooding in much of the US Southeast, the NHC said. The governors of Virginia, North onald Trump has promised to lorence has strengthened fur- Carolina and South Carolina all de- “write the real book” on his presi- ther into a Category Four hurri- clared states of emergency. Ddency, to correct a record he says is Fcane in the Atlantic, the US Na- Residents as far north as Virginia misrepresented by Bob Woodward, veteran tional Hurricane Center (NHC) said in were warned that Florence could author of a highly anticipated work, Fear, its latest advisory yesterday. bring a life-threatening coastal storm that will be published today. The system is located about surge, as well as inland fl ooding from “The Woodward book is a Joke,” Trump 1,985km east southeast of Cape Fear “prolonged and exceptionally heavy tweeted yesterday morning. in North Carolina, packing maximum rainfall,” the NHC said. “Just another assault against me, in a bar- sustained winds of 195kph, the NHC North Carolina Governor Roy rage of assaults, using now disproven un- said. Cooper urged his state’s residents to named and anonymous sources. Many have North Carolina offi cials yester- get ready, noting the storm was gen- already come forward to say the quotes by day ordered residents to evacuate the erating swelling waves and dangerous them, like the book, are fi ction. Dem(ocrat) state’s Outer Banks barrier islands currents. s can’t stand losing. I’ll write the real book!” beginning yesterday ahead of Hur- NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen Members of the administration includ- ricane Florence, the fi rst major hur- said historically, 90% of fatalities ing the defence secretary, James Mattis, ricane to threaten the eastern United from hurricanes, tropical storms and who Woodward says compared Trump States this year. tropical depressions have been caused to “a fi fth- or sixth-grader” and chief of The National Weather Service by water. staff , John Kelly, who is said to have called warned the storm would be “an ex- Some 27% of the deaths have come Trump an “idiot” and working for him tremely dangerous major hurricane” from rain-driven fl ooding, sometimes “Crazytown” — have disowned remarks by the time it made landfall, forecast hundreds of miles inland. attributed to them by Woodward. in the Carolinas on Thursday. The NHC also was tracking two But in the book, a copy of which was All of Hatteras Island was under other hurricanes farther out in the obtained by the Guardian, Woodward pre- mandatory evacuation order and Atlantic. empts Trump’s charge about anonymous other parts of the Outer Banks will Isaac strengthened into the fi fth sources. His interviews, he writes, were have to evacuate by 7am today, Dare hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season conducted “under the journalist rule of County Emergency Management said on Sunday, the NHC said. ‘deep background’. This means that all the in a statement. Hurricane Helene, was spinning in information could be used but I would not Hurricane-force winds could buf- the Atlantic off West Africa’s Cape say who provided it.” fet the Carolinas by tomorrow night Verde islands with 140kph winds yes- Many scenes in Fear are recounted in with landfall likely in South Carolina terday, but did not appear to pose an This NOAA/RAMMB satellite image taken at 11.45am yesterday shows Hurricane Florence off the US east coast in the direct quotes, and seem to communicate and North Carolina on Thursday, fol- immediate threat to land. Atlantic Ocean. the experiences of among others former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, former Survey: Most Americans get news staff secretary Rob Porter and former chief from social media, despite doubts economic adviser Gary Cohn. In the same note, Woodward writes: Two-thirds of American adults get at least some of “President Trump declined to be inter- their news from social media, even though many are Washington threatens to arrest ICC viewed for this book.” skeptical about the accuracy of that information, a Woodward’s employer, the Washington survey showed yesterday. Post, released audio of a conversation be- The Pew Research Center report found 68% said tween Trump and Woodward in which the they used social networks for news, with 20% saying judges who probe war crimes author insists he tried repeatedly to gain they got information “often” from those services an interview and Trump claims not to have including Facebook and Twitter. been told of the requests. The percentages were largely unchanged from a By Paul Handley, AFP necessary to protect our citizens and those of On NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, the year ago despite heightened scrutiny over misinfor- Washington our allies from unjust prosecution by this il- White House adviser Kellyanne Conway mation and manipulation of online platforms, includ- legitimate court,” Bolton said. admitted: “I didn’t bring the request to the ing by foreign actors. “We will not cooperate with the ICC. We president directly.” More than half of those surveyed — 57% — said he United States yesterday threat- will provide no assistance to the ICC. We Woodward appeared on NBC yesterday, they expect the news they see on social media to be ened to arrest and sanction judges certainly will not join the ICC. We will let the telling Today his reporting on the Trump “largely inaccurate,” according to Pew. Tand other offi cials of the Internation- ICC die on its own.” White House was “not anonymous”. Still, most respondents said getting news this way al Criminal Court if it moves to charge any The condemnation of the ICC added to “It gives a date, it gives a time, who par- has made little diff erence in their understanding of American who served in Afghanistan with the White House’s rejection of many supra- ticipates, most often the president himself current events — 36% said it helped their understand- war crimes. national institutions and treaties the presi- and what he says,” Woodward said. ing of current events while 15% said it made them White House National Security Advisor dent does not believe benefi t the United He also said he had “never seen an in- “more confused.” John Bolton called the Hague-based rights States. stance when the president is so detached The survey comes with social networks under body “unaccountable” and “outright dan- Bolton also condemned the record of the from the reality of what’s going on”. intense scrutiny as they become more important gerous” to the United States, Israel and other court since it formally started up in 2002, Fear contains scenes of cabinet members “gatekeepers” of news, with President Donald Trump allies, and said any probe of US service mem- and argued that most major nations had not and advisers actively blocking Trump’s and his allies recently accusing tech firms of political bers would be “an utterly unfounded, unjus- joined. policy priorities, including trade and the bias. tifi able investigation.” He said it had attained just eight convic- alliance with South Korea and a proposed In the Pew survey, only 11% of respondents said “If the court comes after us, Israel or oth- tions despite spending more than $1.5bn, and assassination of the Syrian president, news on social media was “too biased” while 10% said er US allies, we will not sit quietly,” Bolton said that had not stemmed atrocities around Bashar al-Assad. the information was “low quality.” said. the world. It also says that in late 2017, Trump Concerns about accuracy were more prevalent He said the US was prepared to slap fi nan- “In fact, despite ongoing ICC investiga- nearly sent a tweet about withdrawing among Republicans, with 72% expressing this con- cial sanctions and criminal charges on offi - tions, atrocities continue to occur in the “all US military dependants — thousands cern, compared with 46% of Democrats and 52% of cials of the court if they proceed against any John Bolton ... tough stand Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, of family members of 28,500 troops” from independents. Americans. Libya, Syria, and many other nations.” he South Korea. He was dissuaded because a An estimated 67% of Facebook’s users get news “We will ban its judges and prosecutors tigation into alleged war crimes committed added. North Korean offi cial had indicated such a there, as do 71% of Twitter users and 73% of Reddit from entering the United States. by the US military and intelligence offi cials But Bolton said the main objection of the withdrawal would be interpreted as “a sign users. We will sanction their funds in the US fi - in Afghanistan, especially over the abuse of administration of President Donald Trump of imminent attack”. “The possible tweet But because Facebook’s overall user base is much nancial system, and we will prosecute them detainees. is to the idea that the ICC could have higher scared the living daylights out of the Pen- larger, far more Americans overall get news on Face- in the US criminal system,” he said. Neither Afghanistan nor any other gov- authority than the US Constitution and US tagon leadership,” Woodward writes. book than on other sites. “We will do the same for any company ernment party to the ICC’s Rome Statute has sovereignty. On NBC yesterday, Woodward said: Smaller percentages get news from other online or state that assists an ICC investigation of requested an investigation, Bolton said. “In secular terms we don’t recognise any “The things that Trump did and does jeop- platforms such as YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Linke- Americans,” he said. He said the ICC could formally open the higher authority than the US constitution,” ardise the real national security.” dIn, Snapchat and WhatsApp, according to the report. Bolton made the comments in a speech in investigation “any day now.” he said. The president seemed to have been Pew surveyed 4,581 US adults between July 30 and Washington to the Federalist Society, a pow- He also cited a recent move by Palestinian “This president will not allow American watching. “Bob Woodward is a liar who is August 12, with an estimated margin of error for the erful association of legal conservatives. leaders to have Israeli offi cials prosecuted at citizens to be prosecuted by foreign bureau- like a Dem(ocratic) operative prior to the full sample of 2.5 percentage points. Bolton pointed to an ICC prosecutor’s re- the ICC for human rights violations. crats, and he will not allow other nations to Midterms (elections),” he wrote. “He was quest in November 2017 to open an inves- “The United States will use any means dictate our means of self defence.” caught cold, even by NBC.” For families of some 9/11 victims, new DNA tools reopen old wounds

By Gabriella Borter and Twin Towers debris was dumped from decomposing trash into in the Middle East that persists to Barbara Goldberg, Reuters and buried. the atmosphere, according to this day. New York “We are grateful that the iden- the Freshkills Park Alliance, New A scientifi c breakthrough in tifi cation continues, but there York City’s nonprofi t partner in the extraction of genetic mate- is more material that could have developing the park. rial was made this year and an- breakthrough in DNA been part of that had the city not Charles Wolf lost his wife nounced by the New York City analysis is helping iden- been so cavalier with us,” said Katherine on September 11 and chief medical examiner last Atify more victims of the Diane Horning, who led a failed her remains have not been iden- week, as the 17th anniversary of September 11, 2001, attacks in court battle by a group called tifi ed. If they are in the sealed the attacks approached. New York, but the scientifi c ad- World Trade Center Families for landfi ll, he considers it “God’s The new technique places vance is of little consolation for Proper Burial that hoped block will” and he is “at peace” with it. bone fragments in a chamber families of those whose remains the park project. “What’s the remedy? Dig eve- containing liquid nitrogen to may have been buried in a Staten Horning led the group, al- rything up and risk exposing all make them more fragile so they Island landfi ll. though her son Matthew was one those toxins again to the envi- can be pulverised into fi ne pow- The offi cial death toll in the of those identifi ed early on. ronment?, Wolf said. der. The more a bone is pulver- attacks on lower Manhattan’s Matthew, 26, a database ad- “No, that’s not the answer, be- ised, the more likely it becomes World Trade Center is 2,753, ministrator for an insurance cause all of a sudden now the cure to extract DNA. including the missing and pre- company, was working the 95th is worse than the disease.” It is the latest eff ort in the sumed dead. Only 1,642 of them, fl oor of the North Tower when The ability to identify more largest forensic investigation in or about 60%, have been posi- the planes hit. victims is the latest chapter in US history, involving a medi- tively identifi ed. New York’s Second Circuit a saga of pain that began on the cal examiner’s team of 10 scien- The New York City Medical Court of Appeals found in 2009 morning of September 11, 2001, tists working on remains once Examiner’s Offi ce has worked for that accusations that the city had when two airliners crashed into thought too degraded from jet 17 years to identify the remaining mishandled the remains at Fresh the Twin Towers of the World fuel, heat and other conditions to 1,100 victims. Kills amounted to “lack of due Trade Center. undergo testing. Using advances in DNA ex- care,” which was not suffi cient to Destruction of the Twin Tow- “We’re going back to the same traction techniques over the past successfully sue the city. ers was part of the coordinated remains that we’ve tried fi ve, 10, fi ve years, it has made fi ve more New York offi cials said at the hijackings of four airliners by 15 times,” Mark Desire, who heads identifi cations. time that the city did not intend Al Qaeda militants that killed the Medical Examiner’s crime lab, A May 26, 2014 of Sally Regenhard, who lost her son on 9/11, speaking at a news conference with other The advances have been bit- to be insensitive or off end vic- nearly 3,000 people in New York, said in the briefi ng last week. family members on the steps of City Hall in New York City. tersweet for 9/11 families who tims’ families. Washington and western Penn- “We are making DNA profi les unsuccessfully fought to stop the To create the park, Fresh Kills sylvania, where one of the planes from remains we had no hopes of Park project, was gratifi ed by the ple who still want them,” he said. telephone interview. “I remem- city from making a park out of Landfi ll was covered with lay- crashed in a farm fi eld. identifying in the past,” he added. renewed eff ort. “I’ve gone through a lot of ber watching Nancy Reagan Staten Island’s enormous Fresh ers of soil and other materials to The attacks triggered an esca- Wolf, who was not among “It warms my heart that possibly trauma with nothing to grieve touch her husband’s casket. I Kills landfi ll, where 1.8mn tons of prevent the release of toxic gas lation of US military involvement those who opposed the Freshkills there will be remains found for peo- over,” Wolf said, choking up in a miss not having that.” Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 AFRICA

Zimbabwe fi nance minister wants to clear WB arrears Cape Town set to ease

By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters to single-digit levels, say analysts. strict water rationing Harare Ncube said he would discuss the size of the civil service wage bill with new Presi- dent Emmerson Mnangagwa, but did not AFP October 1, he said in a statement. imbabwe’s new fi nance minister go into further detail. Cape Town Residents can now use 70 litres said yesterday he would accelerate Previous eff orts to cut public sec- a day, up from 50 litres. By com- Zplans to pay arrears to the World tor wages — responsible for 93 % of the parison, a single toilet fl ush uses Bank and the African Development Bank national budget — and civil service jobs outh Africa’s second city nine litres of water and a one- and would work on a three-year pro- were blocked by former president Robert Cape Town, battling its minute-long shower uses 10 litres. gramme to cut government spending. Mugabe. Sworst drought in 100 years, Until June, the city which Mthuli Ncube did not spell out how he “Internally we need fi scal consolida- announced yesterday that it would is the seat of parliament and a would speed the clearance of $1.8bn in tion and making sure that on the ex- ease severe water rationing after major tourist draw, had been arrears — but said it would be a vital step penditure side, we live within our means signifi cant rains in the region. projected to run out of water as in rebuilding investors’ confi dence. or move towards that. That is always a The Western Cape region had early as July, forcing the closure “It’s one building block,” he told re- process, always need a kind of three year gone without substantial rain for of household taps and severe re- porters after being sworn in as fi nance process, fi scal consolidation is not a big more than three years, forcing strictions. minister to watch over an economy bang approach,” the minister said. Cape Town authorities to slash The drought also aff ected wa- struggling with a severe shortages of dol- Ncube confi rmed media reports he Ministers take their oath of off ice during the swearing in ceremony for Zimbabwe’s residential water consumption. ter intensive companies, such as lars, and with unemployment above 80%. would look into removing the quasi cur- new cabinet ministers at State House in Harare yesterday. “Cape Town’s dam levels are winemakers who make up 11% Economist have said the repayments rency bond note in a package of currency nearing 70% of storage capacity of the southwestern region’s would be a vital step towards Zimbabwe reforms due to be announced at the end of a bid to ease acute shortages of cash. in the monetary policy statement the fi rst due to good rainfall at the beginning economic output and sustain qualifying for an International Monetary September, and said he eventually wanted The shortages have however worsened steps towards that,” Ncube said. of winter and the phenomenal con- 300,000 jobs. Fund (IMF) programme. to bring back Zimbabwe’s own currency. while a black market continues to thrive. The 55-year-old Cambridge University servation eff orts of Capetonians,” According to the International But such a programme could come with The southern African nation dumped its “Ultimately we would like to have graduate is a former chief economist and said Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson. Organisation of Vine and Wine politically painful conditions, includ- currency in favour of the US dollar in 2009 a Zimbabwe dollar that is stable, that vice president at the African Develop- “Water restrictions and the (OIV), output from Africa’s top ing a reduction of the huge civil service following years of hyperinfl ation, and in- we have confi dence in and we will start ment Bank and is a visiting professor at associated tariff s are thus to be wine producer is set to slump by and a cut in the budget defi cit from 16 % troduced bond notes in November 2016 in working towards that and you will hear Oxford University. conservatively lowered,” starting over 20% this year. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 9 ASIA/AUSTRALAISA

New Australian PM survives Husband kills wife, fi rst test but discontent grows

Reuters motions by the opposition unity. Australia’s prominent Sydney Labor party to debate Turn- Newspoll in The Australian bull’s ousting that would newspaper yesterday showed have amounted to a confi - the coalition would lose up ustralia’s centre-right dence vote. to 30 seats if an election was kids in Perth home government united The coalition lost its a held now. Abehind new Prime majority of only one seat in The poll of 1,653 voters AFP Minister Scott Morrison to parliament with Turnbull’s showed Labor ahead by 56 Perth, Australia fend off a de facto vote of no resignation in August, leav- to 44 on a two-party-pre- confi dence yesterday but his ing it precariously placed to ferred basis in which votes coalition still appeared likely push ahead with its agenda for minor parties are dis- 24-year-old man killed his to be heavily punished by and hold off calls for an early tributed under preference wife, three toddlers and voters at an election due by election. deals. Amother-in-law at their sub- May. “Given the public mood It was the 40th straight urban family home, where he re- Morrison’s Liberal Par- and the circumstances be- losing poll for the coalition mained for several days before turn- ty, the senior partner in a hind Turnbull’s departure, and a sharp deterioration ing himself in, Australian police said Liberal-National coalition, there was the very real pros- from the 51-49 result in the yesterday. The alleged murders are fractured in August when pect that some backbenchers last days of Turnbull’s lead- the third such family tragedy to rock a backbench revolt forced would have moved against ership. Western Australia state in recent then prime minister Mal- the government in order to The government will soon months. colm Turnbull from offi ce in bring about an election,” said face a by-election for Turn- Police charged Anthony Robert a party-room vote, ushering Haydon Manning, a Flinders bull’s harbourside Sydney Harvey with the murders of his two- in Australia’s sixth leader in University political science electorate and the Newspoll year-old twins Alice and Beatrix, his 10 years. professor. indicated the once-safe Lib- three-year-old daughter Charlotte His fi rst session of parlia- The impact of the politi- eral seat could be in jeopardy. and his 41-year-old wife Mara in the ment as leader was hostile cal infi ghting has been laid A defeat would leave Mor- southwestern city of Perth. but Morrison’s government bare in recent days despite rison beholden to a group of Harvey, who lived in the home, is united to defeat a series of yesterday’s fragile show of independent lawmakers. also alleged to have killed his moth- er-in-law Beverley Quinn, 73, after she arrived at the same address the next day. Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told reporters no fi rearms were used in the attacks which police believe were carried out with several weapons including “a blunt instrument and knives”. “We’re alleging that the Forensic police and other off icials remove a dead body from the crime site in the suburb of Australia’s western city of murders took place over two days,” Perth. Australian police said a young man has been charged with the murder of five family members including three he said. toddlers after their bodies were found in a suburban home in a grizzling mass killing that has shocked the country. “The mother Mara and her three children were all murdered over a Sunday — a week after their deaths. ing that Mara’s young children “were said Richard Fairbrother, who lives period of time on the third (of Sep- A Facebook profi le believed to be her world” and she was “so proud of next door to the family’s house. tember), and that Mrs Quinn was Mara’s showed her cradling a new- each of them”. “This world is a sad- “We could hear and see the kids murdered the following morning.” born in her arms, with a man report- der place with the loss of these fi ve playing in the backyard quite often.” Dawson said the two women were ed to be Harvey beside her, and stat- beautiful people but Heaven has Other neighbours spoke of a allegedly attacked in the kitchen ed that she was engaged in August gained fi ve new angels.” shocked community that had been while the children were killed “in 2014. A real estate listing showed a Earlier a friend of Mara’s told Fair- close, calm and peaceful. Dawson other rooms of the house”. “We are modest three-bedroom house and fax Media she was “pretty unlucky in said it was the third tragedy involv- alleging that Mr Harvey remained a standalone garage. Mara Harvey’s love before she met him ... so (when ing multiple deaths in a family home at the ... house for some days” be- sister Taryn, also Quinn’s daughter they got together) it was like ‘yay, in his state since May. In July a man fore heading north, he added. Police and the children’s aunt, wrote about now she gets to start a family’”. A allegedly killed his mother and two found the bodies of the fi ve victims her heartbreak at the killings. neighbour told national broadcaster siblings. A grandfather shot dead his at the unassuming detached family “There are no words to explain ABC he had returned from a holiday wife, daughter and her four children home after Harvey walked into a po- the emptiness and loss that we are to “silence in the street”. “We no- in a murder-suicide in May. Harvey lice station in a remote mining area feeling,” she wrote in a statement re- ticed that the house next door was is expected to return to court on Sep- some 1,500km north of the city on leased by police late yesterday, add- pretty quiet, which was unusual,” tember 19. China calls on US, N Korea to implement Singapore deal China’s top legislator voiced hope that North Korea and the United States will imple- ment their nuclear summit agreement as he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Chinese state media said yesterday. Li Zhanshu, sent by President Xi Jinping to attend North Korea’s 70th anniversary parade on Sunday, said China was committed to the goal of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the Xinhua news agency said. “We have high regards of the eff orts the DPRK has made towards regional peace and stability,” Li was quoted as saying, using the acronym for the North’s off icial name. Xinhua said Li also conveyed his hope that North Korea and the United States could implement the outcome of the June summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore and work to preserve peaceful talks. Trump and Kim reached a vague agreement to work towards the denuclearisa- tion of the Korean penin- sula, but there has been little movement since and Trump has accused Beijing — North Korea’s sole major ally — of complicating Washington’s relationship with Pyongyang. But North Korea re- frained from displaying its intercontinental missiles during Sunday’s parade, a conspicuous absence that Trump hailed as “a big and very positive statement”. For his part, Kim said North Korea adheres to the consensus reached at the summit and “has taken measures in this regard while the US side should take corresponding actions to jointly promote the political settlement of the Korean peninsula issue,” according to Xinhua. In the missive, according to Xinhua, Xi wrote that it “is an unswerving policy of the CPC (Communist Party of China) and the Chinese government to safeguard, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations”. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 ASIA Thousands of supporters demand Khaleda’s release

AFP “We have said the charges Dhaka against her were false. She should be released immediately and be treated at a private hospital,” housands of opposition Alamgir, secretary general of the supporters staged protests BNP, said. Tacross Bangladesh yester- Zia, already serving a fi ve-year day demanding immediate release term, attended a hearing last week of their leader and three-time in a wheelchair, telling the court former premier Khaleda Zia, jailed she was extremely ill and is losing early this year for graft. feeling in her hand and in a leg. Zia, 73, is currently on trial Her lawyers have said that try- on several corruption charges in ing her in the abandoned prison a makeshift courtroom inside a is unlawful. They met with the 19th century British-built prison chief justice on Sunday to lodge a where she is the only inmate and in complaint. failing health, her lawyers say. Zia was granted bail in a corrup- A police offi cial said that some tion case in May but remains in jail 4,000 activists of the main op- while she fi ghts dozens of other position Bangladesh Nationalist violence and graft charges. Party (BNP) joined protests out- The Dhaka Central Jail in the side the National Press Club at the old Mughal district of Dhaka was heart of capital Dhaka. built under British colonial rule in Thousands more joined simi- the 19th century and was Bangla- lar demonstrations in cities and desh’s largest until it was declared Thousands of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters stage a protest in Dhaka yesterday, demanding the immediate towns across the country. abandoned in 2016. release of their leader and three-time former premier Khaleda Zia, who was jailed early this year for graft. But opposition spokesman Fa- Zia was jailed for fi ve years in khrul Islam Alamgir has said some February after being convicted of embezzling money intended for an in a general election to be held in “Some 1,200 of our activists 20,000 protesters, many shout- corruption, a sentence that trig- orphanage, a charge she dismissed December. have already been arrested,” ing slogans calling Zia’s jailing il- gered clashes between police and as politically motivated. Alamgir has accused the gov- he said, adding the detentions legal and a sham, turned up at the thousands of BNP supporters. Zia is appealing against the ver- ernment of launching a crackdown were aimed at manipulating the Dhaka rally. She was found guilty then of dict which bars her from standing on the party ahead of the elections. polls. Five Thais held UN rights chief urges new panel for possessing anti-monarchy for Myanmar prosecutions

logo on shirts AFP other top military command- for prosecution would comprise Geneva ers for crimes against human- a separate group of experts. ity and genocide against the Bachelet, a former Chil- DPA Rohingyas. ean president, stressed yester- Bangkok he UN rights chief called Some 700,000 Rohingya day that the panel would also yesterday for the creation Muslims fl ed northern Rakhine “complement and support the Tof a new “mechanism” state to Bangladesh after My- preliminary examination of the t least fi ve Thais were arrested for tasked with preparing crimi- anmar launched a brutal crack- ICC Prosecutor.” possessing shirts with an anti- nal indictments over atrocities down on insurgents in August The International Criminal Amonarchy, pro-republic logo, a committed in Myanmar, amid last year amid accounts of ar- Court announced last week human rights lawyer said yesterday. allegations of genocide against Michelle Bachelet speaks on son, murder and rape by sol- that it had jurisdiction to probe Three men were arrested on Wednesday the Rohingya minority. the opening day of the 39th diers and vigilante mobs in the the crisis because of the cross- and charged with sedition, a law frequent- In her fi rst speech as head of UN Council of Human Rights in mainly Buddhist country. border nature of the alleged ly used by the military regime to quell dis- the UN rights offi ce, Michelle Geneva yesterday. Myanmar has vehemently “deportations” of the Rohing- sent with a maximum punishment of sev- Bachelet called on the UN Hu- denied allegations of eth- yas to Bangladesh - a decision en years in prison, said Pavinee Chumsri of man Rights Council to create ter to the General Assembly for nic cleansing, insisting it Myanmar’s government has Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. “an independent international its endorsement, so that such a was responding to attacks by “resolutely” rejected. One of the men was released on bail, mechanism for Myanmar, to mechanism can be established,” Rohingya rebels. Bachelet welcomed the ICC while the other two were detained at a collect, consolidate, preserve she said. The fact-fi nding mission is decision, describing it as “an Bangkok prison, Pavinee said. and analyse evidence of the most Such a panel has already been asking the UN rights council, immensely important step to- Two women were also arrested from serious international crimes, created for the Syrian confl ict. which opened yesterday and wards ending impunity and ad- their homes in and near Bangkok on in order to expedite fair and A UN Fact-fi nding Mission will be in session through Sep- dressing the enormous suff er- Thursday. independent trials in national last month issued a damning tember 28, to renew its mandate ing of the Rohingya people. One has been released with only a and international courts.” report concluding there was for another year. “I emphasise the imperative warning, while the other remained in “I urge the Council to pass a enough evidence to prosecute If created, the new mecha- of justice for Myanmar,” she military detention in Bangkok, according resolution, and refer the mat- Myanmar’s army chief and fi ve nism focused on preparing cases said. to the lawyer. “We were just contacted by the families of these people. We don’t have much infor- Former Lanka mation about their situation because the army wouldn’t tell us anything,” she said. leader’s brother Defence ministry spokesman Vietnam bars another rights indicted for fraud Kongcheep Tantravanich said the arrests were due to the shirts produced by the A brother of former president Organisation for a Thai Federation, an activist from economic forum Mahinda Rajapakse was indicted underground anti-monarchy movement. yesterday on charges of siphoning “The group wants separation from the Reuters Nations (Asean) from today to bad name,” Amnesty’s secre- off over $250,000 in state funds to Thai state, so we have to do something Hanoi Thursday, an event touted as tary-general, Kumi Naidoo, build a memorial for his parents by about it,” Kongcheep said, adding that he the country’s biggest diplo- said in a statement posted on a Sri Lankan anti-corruption court. had no further details of the arrests. matic gathering this year. its website. Gotabhaya Rajapakse - whose The all-black polo shirts have a small ietnam has refused to Amnesty condemned the “We condemn this decision brother Mahinda ruled Sri Lanka logo, a red-and-white-striped fl ag of the let a campaigner from decision to block the entry of to stifl e debate from a regu- from 2005-15 - and six of his movement. VAmnesty International Minar Pimple, its senior di- lar contributor to the WEF, off icials were read the charge- The Thai national fl ag has three colours attend the World Economic rector of global operations, who has spoken at the highest sheet at a special court which was - dark blue, red, and white - with dark Forum (WEF) set to be held adding that the step came at levels on human rights issues set up this year to expedite high blue representing the monarchy. in the southeast Asian nation a time when freedom of ex- around the world.” profile corruption cases. The omission of the dark blue indicates this week, the rights group pression was under threat in A spokeswoman for the Gotabhaya was charged on seven the movement’s anti-monarchy stance. said yesterday, the second Vietnam. World Economic Forum counts of misusing state money Since coming to power in a 2014 coup, such refusal in as many days. “The government’s actions (WEF) said it had been in- to build a memorial and museum the pro-monarchy military has put sever- Hanoi will host the World undermine an event that de- formed that Vietnam had for his parents in their home town al civilians under incommunicado deten- Economic Forum on the As- pends on a plurality of views, denied Pimple’s request for a of Hambantota. tion in cases involving national security. sociation of Southeast Asian and they are giving Asean a visa. He has already been charged in another court over the transfer of weapons to a private company with a loss of Rs11.4bn ($76mn) to the state when he was the defence ministry’s top off icial. Cambodia opposition leader freed on bail The government created the special court in May following criticism of the slow pace of AFP later the CNRP was dissolved by a us of his residence,” his daughter handling cases from Rajapakse’s Phnom Penh court. That paved the way for the Monovithya Kem said. controversial decade of rule that ruling Cambodia People’s Party to A court-issued warrant seen ended in January 2015. win all 125 parliamentary seats in by AFP showed a small triangle Last month, the court charged ambodia’s opposition the election, turning the country in downtown Phnom Penh that the former president’s chief of leader Kem Sokha was re- into a one-party state and ex- Sokha is not permitted to leave, staff with embezzling millions Cleased from jail early yes- tending Hun Sen’s stay in offi ce. and also barred the opposition of dollars from a state insurance terday a year after he was detained Dozens of supporters and me- leader from meeting with CNRP firm. Mahinda Rajapakse’s top on treason charges, as the coun- dia gathered outside Kem Sokha’s members and anyone else related civil servant, Lalith Weeratunga, try’s strongman ruler loosens his house in Phnom Penh, where he to the case. has been convicted of grip on opponents after sweeping returned in the early hours of He also is not permitted to meet misappropriating $4mn and one-sided elections. Monday after a year in a remote with any foreigners or host any sentenced to three years in prison. Over a 33-year rule, the wily CNRP leader Kem Sokha. border prison. rallies or political activities, the Two of the former president’s Hun Sen has tightened and re- He was bailed from pre-tri- document said. three sons have also been laxed his chokehold on opponents arrested on September 3, 2017, al detention on condition that But the end to his prison or- charged with money-laundering at will, most recently launching a and accused of treason. he does not fl ee “proceedings” deal - for now - was welcomed by and other relatives face broad crackdown in the run-up to The move took out one of the against him, a court in Cambo- supporters whose political views corruption allegations. July elections that gifted his rul- kingdom’s few outspoken po- dia’s capital said in a statement. were muffl ed during the election The former president was ing party an uncontested victory. litical fi gures who can still pull a The opposition fi gure still fac- period by Hun Sen’s repression. questioned last month over the As part of that action Kem crowd. es up to 30 years if convicted of “We hope that from now abduction and torture of a journalist Sokha, the head of the only seri- The case against the 65-year- treason. Cambodians will have freedom in 2008. He denies any wrongdoing ous opposition the Cambodia Na- old was widely seen as politi- His bail conditions state he to talk on all topics,” supporter and has accused the new tional Rescue Party (CNRP), was cally motivated. Just two months must be “confi ned to a block radi- Sun Socheat said. government of a witch-hunt. (AFP) Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 11 BRITAIN

FRAUD ROYALTY PEOPLE CRITICISM DEAL Academy chain accused Harry and Meghan’s first Jamie Oliver wins praise Lack of off icers is a fraud Network Rail sells railway of misusing govt funds tour plans revealed for tackling ‘burglar’ on public: police chief arches to real estate firms

An academy chain has been accused of claiming The Duke and Duchess of Sussex yesterday Neighbours hailed TV chef Jamie Oliver as Police forces are so overstretched and Network Rail has sold its railway arches to a pair £600,000 in taxpayers’ money to rebuild announced details of their first major a hero after he chased a suspected burglar, underperforming that it amounts to a fraud on the of real estate investors as part of a £1.5bn deal and schools – then pocketing the cash instead. The Commonwealth tour. Prince Harry and who tried to break into his £8.9mn mansion, public, a off icer claimed. Everyday operations now vowed that businesses working from the newly Bright Tribe Trust received public money for Meghan will visit Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New and pinned him to the ground. The suspect depend on off icers working long hours and their acquired spaces will be protected by a “tenants’ building work, lighting upgrades and fire safety Zealand between October 16 and 31. In Sydney had allegedly tried to smash his way into days off unpaid, and working for two forces at the charter”. Telereal Trillium and Blackstone Property improvements that were either not finished or the couple will focus on the 2018 Invictus homes in Highgate. Praising 43-year-old same time, chief superintendent Gavin Thomas Partners won the bidding for 5,200 properties, never done, according to an investigation by Games — the Olympics-style event created by Oliver, one neighbour told the Mirror: “It said. The criticism from Thomas, president of the the majority of which are arches, the operator of BBC’s Panorama. The alleged false claims for the prince, where wounded, injured or sick was brave. Despite the hairy situation, Jamie Police Superintendent’s Association, comes amid Britain’s rail network said yesterday. The sale has government grants have raised questions about armed services personnel and veterans take was laughing and joking with the coppers.” alarm over the failure of forces to cope with crime. raised fears among tenants, such as independent whether the funding of academies is transparent part in sports. The tour programme will also Scotland Yard said they were called to “The delivery of routine policing functions should shops and restaurants, that the new owners may enough. New trustees were appointed at Bright focus on youth leadership, the environment reports of an “aggressive male” who tried not be dependent on off icers eff ectively giving impose unaff ordable rent hikes. Concerned tenants Tribe two months ago and have commissioned and conservation, including the dedication to enter houses at 7.13pm on September 4. their time for free by staying past their shift times have united under the banner of the campaign independent investigations into all aspects of of the new Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy It is understood the man was believed to be or working on leave days,” he said. “That exploits group Guardians of the Arches. The Guardian has the organisation. projects. suffering from health issues. police off icers and defrauds the public.” approached the group for comment. Corbyn’s seat to be axed in constituency boundary recast

Guardian News and Media “With no plans to reduce the London number of ministers, the gov- ernment is weakening the role of parliament and creating un- he fi nal plans for re- precedented levels of executive vamped parliamentary dominance at the expense of Tconstituencies have been backbenchers, when parliament published, which would cut the is meant to be taking back con- number of seats in the House trol,” she said. of Commons from 650 to 600, “Cutting the number of MPs proposals condemned by Labour by 50 as we prepare to leave the and electoral campaigners as un- European Union is further proof fair and pointless. this government is clamouring Among the changes would to tighten its grip on power. be the disappearance of Jeremy “With the workload of MPs Corbyn’s Islington North seat, set to rise after Brexit, with as well as that of the former thousands of pieces of impor- Brexit secretary David Davis in tant legislation expected to Haltemprice and Howden. come through parliament, it An anti-Brexit demonstrator waves flags outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, yesterday. The former foreign secretary would be utterly ludicrous to Boris Johnson could face a tough go ahead with these boundary battle to keep his Uxbridge and changes.” South Ruislip constituency, The plan was also condemned where he has a 5,000 major- by the Electoral Reform Society, ity, with a Conservative-leaning which said the reduction in the district replaced by a strongly number of MPs would reduce the Labour area. scope of the Commons for inde- The fi nal plans from the sepa- pendent scrutiny, and failed to Brexit deal ‘realistic’ in six rate boundary commissions for address more glaring unfairness England, Scotland, Wales and in the voting system. With the Northern Ireland are the product demands of Brexit, the reduction of a long and complex consulta- to 600 seats “could not happen tive process that began in 2016. at a worse time”, the organisa- The Boundary Commission tion said. to eight weeks: Barnier for England said its fi nal re- If the number of ministers port took account of more than remained unchanged, the ERS AFP place, citing fears of shortages Last week Barnier told Brit- deadlocked over the future trad- as the first half of November 35,000 comments from the pub- said, it would mean 23% of MPs Bled of food and goods could lead to ish MPs that a deal on the ing relationship between Britain and that future ties could be lic. and 45% of Conservative MPs disorder. terms of Britain’s divorce from and the remaining 27 EU states. the subject of a political state- Sam Hartley, the secretary to being obliged to vote with the “I think that if we are real- the bloc was 80% agreed. But officials in Brussels say ment that would be fleshed out the commission, said: “We’re government, saying this would U Brexit negotiator Michel istic, we are able to reach an But he warned them it was that a concrete divorce agree- during a post-Brexit transition confi dent that the map we have be a historic high. Barnier yesterday said it agreement on the fi rst stage of at risk of being scuppered by ment could be finalised as early period. proposed is the best match of the The ERS also said changes to Ewas “realistic” to expect this negotiation, which is the any failure to strike a deal on legal rules parliament has set us. equalise constituencies were an agreement on a divorce deal Brexit treaty, within six or eight the border between EU mem- It’s now up to parliament to de- tinkering when the fi rst-past- with London within the next weeks,” Barnier told a confer- ber Ireland and British-ruled Johnson launches new attack on May cide whether these boundaries the-post electoral system meant eight weeks, striking an opti- ence in Bled, Slovenia. Northern Ireland. Boris Johnson launched another President Donald Trump’s example. will be used at the next general the number of votes needed mistic note as the clock ticks Barnier’s comments may Britain is set to leave the bloc broadside against Prime Minister “Now is the time for this Conserva- election.” per MP at the previous general down to Britain’s departure bring some relief to Prime Min- on March 29 and the two sides Theresa May yesterday amid tive government to show how a Ministers have yet to say when election varied from just under from the bloc. ister Theresa May, who is under have said they want to reach rumours that he is preparing a post-Brexit Britain will be a happy the plans, which need to be ap- 28,000 for the DUP to more than The pound rose against the regular attack from within her the divorce agreement by an leadership bid as Brexit tensions and dynamic economy,” he wrote in proved by parliament, will be put 500,000 for the Green party. dollar on Barnier’s comments, own deeply divided party, with October 18-19 EU summit to divide their party. Rumours about his weekly column in the Daily Tel- to MPs. Labour has fi ercely op- Darren Hughes, the chief ex- which come after weeks of in- former foreign minister Boris give their parliaments enough the former foreign minister’s marital egraph. The centre-right newspaper posed the idea, and with some ecutive of the ERS, said: “Cut- creasing anxiety that an agree- Johnson launching a fresh time to endorse a deal. infidelities also swirled, with his allies said that Johnson’s remarks “will do Conservatives expected to rebel, ting the number of MPs with ment to avoid Britain crashing broadside against her yesterday. But diplomats and officials accusing government off icials of little to dampen speculation that he it remains by no means certain Brexit around the corner would out in a “no-deal” Brexit would Johnson resigned from the in Brussels privately acknowl- leaking information to undermine is preparing to make his pitch to take the new system will be put into be like a company laying off its not be reached in time. government in July over May’s edge this deadline is likely to Johnson’s chances. Johnson urged over as Conservative leader”. John- eff ect. staff having just secured a major British police chiefs have re- plan for Britain to retain close be missed, and an emergency May to give Britain a post-Brexit son resigned from the government The shadow Cabinet Offi ce new contract. Backbench scru- portedly even drawn up con- trade ties with the EU after summit in November is on the economic boost by committing to in July over May’s plan for Britain to minister, Cat Smith, said the fi nal tiny will be needed more than tingency plans to deal with civil Brexit and rumours abound that cards. not raising taxes or introducing new retain close trade ties with the EU recommendations amounted to ever after we leave, making this unrest in the event of Britain he is plotting to try to oust the Aside from the Irish border taxes, saying she should follow US after Brexit. “an undemocratic power grab”. cut hugely irresponsible”. leaving the EU with no deal in PM. conundrum, the two sides are

Terror trial Hillsborough police offi cer Walsall hit-and-run enters not guilty plea suspect arrested Guardian News and Media Hours before the hit-and- London run, another officer was hurt Guardian News and Media regarding the 96th victim, Tony voice. The maximum sentence for when his police car was rammed London Bland, who was 18 when he went manslaughter by gross negligence by a van as he pursued a sus- to Hillsborough to support Liv- is life in prison. man has been arrested pected shop robber. He was left erpool at the match against Not- Mackrell is accused of being in connection with a with neck and back injuries. avid Duckenfi eld, who tingham Forest. Bland sustained culpable for Sheffi eld Wednes- A hit-and-run incident in The federation called for was in command of the severe brain damage due to loss of day’s failure to agree with the which a police officer attending policymakers and police leaders D1989 FA Cup semi-fi nal at oxygen in the crush on the Lep- police before the semi-fi nal the a domestic dispute was “left for to make sure officers have the Hillsborough stadium when 96 pings Lane terrace, and remained arrangements and number of dead”. right equipment and sufficient people were killed, has formally on life support in hospital for four turnstiles for admitting Liverpool The 51-year-old male was de- staffing levels to do their job. pleaded not guilty to manslaugh- years. The life support was turned supporters into the Leppings Lane tained on suspicion of assault at Richard Cooke, the branch ter charges at Preston crown off after a court application by his and north-west terraces, in con- an address in the Birchills area chairman, said he knew of at court. The former South Yorkshire family, based on medical evidence travention of the club’s safety cer- of Walsall, West Midlands, on least 10 incidents this year police chief superintendent, wear- that he would never recover from tifi cate for Hillsborough. Sunday, West Midlands police where he believed officers ing a blue suit and tie, made his his vegetative state. The second criminal charge ac- said. He is in custody and being could have been killed. “We had plea by videolink. Duckenfi eld has not been cuses Mackrell of failing to take questioned by police about the an incident where we had an of- Graham Mackrell, at the time charged in relation to Bland’s death reasonable care for people’s health incident, which happened on ficer run over and left for dead, the secretary and safety offi cer of because a manslaughter charge in and safety under the 1974 Health Thursday. and another officer left with a Sheffi eld Wednesday – the own- 1989 could not be applied if the and Safety at Work Act. A female officer, 50, was left broken leg after a firearms pur- ers and operators of the football victim died longer than a year and He is alleged to have failed as the lying in the road with a serious suit,” he said. ground – also entered a plea of not a day after the alleged criminal acts club’s safety offi cer to take reason- head injury, a punctured lung “The fact is there are more guilty to two criminal charges of occurred. able care in relation to arranging and broken ribs after being run serious injuries of officers and breaching safety legislation. The names of the 95 people for suffi cient numbers of turn- over by a car. She was still in when there are more serious This was the fi rst time both de- with whose deaths he is charged stiles so “no unduly large crowds hospital recovering from the injuries, there’s more chance of fendants had formally entered a were read out by the court clerk, would be waiting for admission”, injuries yesterday. someone getting killed.” Cooke plea to the criminal charges since Mark Nicholson, to Duckenfi eld. and in drawing up contingency Last week, the West Midlands said a shortage of officers and the judge, Sir Peter Openshaw, A group of family members whose plans for coping with “exception- Police Federation said the levels equipment left police “more ruled in June that their prosecu- relatives were among those killed ally large numbers of people arriv- Sally Lane (right) and John Letts, parents of Jack Letts of violence against offi cers was exposed than ever before”. He tions should go ahead. at Hillsborough were in the court’s ing at the ground”, and to deal with who is believed to have left the United Kingdom to join “reaching crisis levels”, after six added that that only about 850 Duckenfi eld is charged with public seats attending the hearing. situations where the available en- Islamic State (IS), arrive at the Old Bailey court in central of the force’s offi cers were in- of the 3,300 frontline officers manslaughter by gross negligence When Nicholson asked how he trances “have proved insuffi cient London yesterday, for the start of their trial. jured in one 36-hour period. A on the force were armed with in relation to 95 of the people who pleaded to the charges, Ducken- to stop unduly large crowds from The parents are on trial accused of funding terrorism. further fi ve were hurt this week- Tasers – with 1,400 planned by died. No charge has been brought fi eld replied “not guilty” in a clear gathering outside”. end in two separate incidents. next year. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 EUROPE Afghan migrants should not take the blame for crimes of a few: UNHCR

Reuters French police have meanwhile including by the Taliban and Is- UNHCR spokeswoman Melis- the issue manipulated for politi- Geneva detained a man who wounded lamic State. sa Fleming later clarifi ed that cal purposes. several people in a knife attack “There is a lot of pressure for such exclusion applies only when “This is very dangerous, be- in central Paris late on Sun- Afghans to return. Our advice a serious crime has been com- cause asylum-seekers and refu- uropean countries must day evening, police and judicial is to carry out this process with mitted before the asylum-seeker gees in their overwhelming ma- not rush to repatriate Af- sources said yesterday (see re- great caution because condi- enters a country, and is then tak- jority do not commit crimes, and Eghan refugees to their in- port below). tions from the security point of en into account during the asy- are particularly vulnerable to dis- Grandi: Asylum-seekers and refugees in their overwhelming majority creasingly insecure homeland The attacker, who a police view are deteriorating,” he told a lum process, before the person is crimination.” do not commit crimes, and are particularly vulnerable to or blame their community for source said was from Afghani- news conference on return from determined to be a refugee. Pakistan and Iran together host discrimination. isolated crimes such as recent stan, stabbed tourists and pas- Afghanistan. Refugee status is retained some 2.5mn Afghan refugees, but deadly attacks in Germany and sersby. Grandi, asked whether he when a refugee commits a crime only 12,000 returned home so far placed this year alone, UN emer- “That probably is also the sin- in France, the top UN refugee of- Filippo Grandi, United Nations feared any backlash against Af- in the asylum country, but that this year compared with 40,000- gency humanitarian co-ordina- gle biggest thing that will con- fi cial said yesterday. High Commissioner for Refu- ghan nationals in Europe, said: person is subject to prosecution. 50,000 at this time in 2017, ac- tor Mark Lowcock said. tribute to better economic pros- Two Afghans have been de- gees (UNHCR), said that send- “If anybody who is either an asy- Grandi said that suspects must cording to his agency. He welcomed talks between pects and people feeling more tained in Germany on suspicion ing Afghan refugees home was lum-seeker or a refugee commits bear the full force of law, but Some 40,000 people were the government of President confi dent about the prospects of killing a 22-year-old German, a “complex issue in Europe” – crimes, this person has to be ex- voiced concern that an entire killed or maimed in the past four Ashraf Ghani and Taliban insur- and then that is what will be big- the public prosecutor’s offi ce said despite a spate of suicide bombs cluded from the (asylum) process community could be blamed for years of confl ict in Afghanistan gents, saying that they needed to gest driver in Afghans feeling on Sunday. and attacks across Afghanistan, or from refugee status.” the crimes of an individual, or and 170,000 people newly-dis- be supported. they can go home,” he added. Swedish polls result

French police off icers are seen late on Sunday on the scene where a man attacked and injured people with a knife in the in political impasse streets of Paris. Reuters the right-wing Moderates and weeks and possibly fail. Stockholm Christian Democrats to talks be- Akesson challenged Kristers- ing instantly, and publicly, re- son to choose between seeking buff ed. support from the Sweden Demo- Seven wounded in weden faces a political im- Many online surveys, which in crats for an Alliance government passe after its mainstream the last election had gauged the or accepting four more years of Scentre-left and centre- Sweden Democrats’ vote better Lofven as prime minister. Paris knife attack right blocs virtually tied in an than conventional polls, had sig- Kristersson called on Lofven election on Sunday, while the nalled that they could dethrone to resign, but also rebuff ed Akes- far-right – which neither wants the Social Democrats as the na- son. AFP Car chase ends on to deal with – made gains on a tion’s biggest party – a position “We have been completely Paris airport runway hardline anti-immigration plat- the centre-left has held for a clear during the whole election. form. century. The Alliance will not govern or A wild police chase in With nearly all votes counted In the end, the Sweden Demo- discuss how to form a govern- man wielding a knife southeast France yesterday yesterday, the ruling centre-left crats were beaten by Prime Min- ment with the Sweden Demo- and an iron bar injured ended with the pursued driver Social Democrats and Greens, ister Stefan Lofven’s Social Dem- crats,” he said. Aseven people, includ- ramming his car through an and their Left Party parliamen- ocrats by a 10-percentage point Both sides laid claim to be- ing three tourists, in Paris, in airport terminal and speeding tary ally, had 40.6% of the vote, margin and eclipsed also by the ing best placed to form a gov- an attack that bystanders tried onto a runway before he was while the opposition centre- Moderates of Ulf Kristersson, the ernment, although votes from to stop by throwing petanque arrested. right Alliance had 40.3%. Alliance’s candidate for the pre- Swedes living abroad are not due balls at the assailant. Prosecutors in the city of Lyon That translates into a single- miership. to be declared until tomorrow Four of the victims were in a said they have opened an seat advantage in the 349-mem- “In some sense we’re happy and these could still sway the fi - critical condition, police said, investigation and that they ber Riksdag. the Sweden Democrats didn’t nal outcome slightly. after the man, believed to be are working to determine the The Sweden Democrats, a par- grow more than they did,” Liberal Yet in the same breath, leaders an Afghan national, went on man’s motivation. ty with white supremacist roots, Party lawmaker Allan Widman of both sides called for bipartisan the rampage next to a canal in Prosecutors in Paris, the off ice won 17.6%, about fi ve percentage told Reuters. “The bigger they accommodation to avoid grid- the northeast of the capital on responsible for suspected ter- points more than four years ago. become, the more hard-pressed lock in parliament. Sunday evening. rorist incidents, are not taking It was the biggest gain of any all other parties become.” The scenario of a bipartisan Two British tourists, an the case, though they are in party and in line with conven- The Sweden Democrats’ suc- coalition is highly uncertain. Egyptian tourist and a local contact with the local team. tional opinion polls but fell far cess follows a rise in popularity Centre-left and centre-right man, were among the injured, No one was injured in the inci- short of the 20-30% that their of other far-right parties in Eu- parties have ruled together only police added. dent, according to off icials. leader Jimmie Akesson had pre- rope amid growing anxiety over a handful of times since the mid- The suspect, believed to be Police began pursuing the dicted. national identity, the eff ects of 1930s. in his thirties, had been over- man after he drove the wrong Akesson was adamant that his globalisation and fears over im- Also, a 2014 accord to neutral- powered by bystanders and way down a motorway. party holds the balance of power. migration boosted by confl icts in ise the Sweden Democrats and was unconscious when offi cers The driver then sped through “We won’t participate in let- the Middle East and Africa. let the biggest bloc rule proved arrived on the scene and took the security barriers at the ting through a government which Sweden saw itself as a “hu- deeply unpopular among centre- him to hospital, police said. Lyon-Bron Airport, used doesn’t give us infl uence,” he told manitarian superpower” for This picture taken yesterday in Stockholm shows a selection of the right grassroot members and A source close to the inquiry largely for business flights. TV4. “On the contrary, we will do years, but a rise in gang violence front pages of Swedish newspapers, a day after the general elections. rapidly unravelled. added that though he had tar- He then raced on towards the what we can to bring down any in immigrant-dominated, de- As expected, neither the centre-left nor the centre-right bloc The Moderates – the biggest geted foreigners, “nothing at the larger Lyon-Saint-Exupery such government.” prived city suburbs has also won obtained a majority in the legislative elections, and the far-right party in the Alliance – are not in- this stage suggests a terrorist Airport nearby, crashing Unless parties on the centre- support for the Sweden Demo- Sweden Democrats solidified their position as the third-biggest party. terested in co-operating with the attack”. through the glass doors of left and centre-right break ranks crats. The Metro cover shows Kristersson (left) and Lofven. Social Democrats, and any such Chaos erupted on the banks Terminal 1 and driving onto with their blocs, it is likely to be After the arrival of 163,000 deal would also raise questions of the Bassin de la Villette, an the tarmac, where police impossible to form a stable gov- asylum-seekers in 2015 – the dramatic election gains. derscored a broader shift to the about democratic accountability. area popular with locals and overpowered him. ernment without some kind of most in Europe in relation to the That was shared in Brussels. right in one of Europe’s most so- Voters might see the Sweden visitors who frequent the ca- Local media reported that the support from the Sweden Demo- country’s population of 10mn, “It is clear that the claim that cially progressive nations. Democrats as the country’s only fes, cinemas and other cultural car had been stolen earlier the crats, who want the country to the government suspended many the far-right is on an inexorable Senior fi gures in the main- opposition party. venues along its banks, just af- same day, and that an airport leave the European Union and of its liberal asylum policies. roll and will devour everything stream parties headed into meet- A new election will be called ter 11pm (2100 GMT). employee had been slightly freeze immigration. There was a sense of relief that stands in its way is false,” ings yesterday to produce a strat- if parliament doesn’t agree on Eyewitness Youssef Najah, injured. Yet Akesson’s overtures found among supporters of mainstream said one EU offi cial. egy for forming a government. a prime minister after four at- 28, said he was walking beside few takers with a letter inviting parties about the far-right’s less Still, the Swedish election un- But the process could take tempts. the canal when he saw a man running and holding a knife petanque balls, iron bars and about 25-30cm (10-11”) long. sticks” and “looked drugged”. Greenland seeks new government as “There were around 20 peo- Interior Minister Gerard ple chasing him. They started Collomb in a statement praised months-old ruling coalition collapses throwing petanque balls at those who intervened to stop Journalists quit Turkey opposition him,” Najah said, referring to the attack for their “respon- Greenland was scrambling to form a new government yesterday the sport popular in France also siveness and courage”. after its ruling coalition fell apart due to diff erences over the known as boules. “Around four A police investigation has daily after leadership change funding of a planned upgrade of the autonomous Danish territory’s or fi ve balls hit him in the head, been launched for attempted airports. but they weren’t able to stop murder, according to a judicial The four-month-old coalition, led by the Social Democratic Siumut him.” source. AFP Court jails six for life over 2016 Ankara bombing party of Prime Minister Kim Kielsen, lost its parliamentary majority According to the same wit- It is the latest of several knife Ankara when the left-wing pro-independence party, Naleraq, quit in protest ness, the attacker then dived attacks France has seen in re- Six men were handed multiple life sentences by a court in Ankara yester- over Copenhagen’s direct financial participation in the project. into an alleyway, where the cent weeks. day over a February 17, 2016 bomb attack in the Turkish capital targeting Naleraq’s departure left Kielsen three seats short of a majority in man “tried to hide behind two On August 23, a man stabbed slew of Turkish journal- soldiers, which left 29 dead and was claimed by Kurdish rebels. Greenland’s 31-seat parliament. British tourists”. his mother and sister to death ists from the opposition The state-run Anadolu news agency said the suspects were each given With Denmark’s Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen currently “We said to them: ‘Watch and seriously injured another ACumhuriyet newspaper, 29 aggravated life sentences for “deliberately killing” those who died in on a visit to the world’s largest island, the pro-independence party out, he has a knife’. But they person in a town near Paris be- one of the last bastions of press the bombing, which also injured dozens and was among a spate of deadly accused Kielsen of conducting the negotiations without it. didn’t react.” fore being shot dead by police. freedom in Turkey, quit the daily attacks to rock Turkey that year. “The implosion of the government comes as no surprise. It just The pair, said by police to be The motive for the violence in the past few days in anger over The men, among 68 people on trial for the attack, were also given a further happened earlier than expected, barely four months after the in their fi fties, were then at- remained unclear despite a management changes. life sentence each for “destroying the state’s unity and country’s integrity”. election,” said Mikaa Mered, professor for polar economics and tacked, he said. claim by the Islamic State The latest drama to hit Cum- They also received an additional 1,185 years in prison for the attempted geopolitics at the ILERI institute in Paris. A security guard at one of group that it was an attack by huriyet – which means “Repub- murder of 75 people and transporting explosives. two cinemas on either side one of its fi ghters respond- lic” – comes after 13 of its jour- of the water said that he had ing to the terror organisation’s nalists were sentenced to prison Kazakh leader replaces key aide seen the attacker running away propaganda. in April on terrorism charges, in a Turkey observers say that to rebels fi ghting the Syrian gov- from two men who were trying Authorities said that the case that sparked global outrage Coskun’s appointment repre- ernment. Long-ruling Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev appointed to stop him. 36-year-old had serious men- over press freedom. sents a power shift at the paper The case was widely criticised a new chief of staff yesterday, sending a loyalist into retirement “He had an iron bar in his tal health problems and had They remain free pending ap- as he was a fi erce critic of the by international observers. in what could be interpreted as a move towards a managed hand which he threw at the been on a terror watch list since peal. previous leadership and is a na- Cumhuriyet has seen numer- succession. men chasing him, then he took 2016. Columnists Cigdem Toker, Ay- tionalist Kemalist – a vehement ous run-ins with the Turkish At 78, and with nearly three decades of rule under his belt, the out a knife,” he told AFP. That attack came days af- din Engin and Asli Aydintasbas supporter of the ideals of modern authorities, which has accused former Soviet bigwig has never anointed a successor, and changes An Algerian man identi- ter an Afghan asylum-seeker as well as cartoonist Musa Kart Turkey founder, Mustafa Kemal some of the paper’s journalists of at the top of government tend to fuel intense speculation. fi ed as Smain told Le Parisien was arrested in the south- were among 20 journalists to re- Ataturk. supporting the Gulen movement, According to an order published on the presidential website, newspaper that he was part of western town of Perigueux sign after editor-in-chief Murat As well as the sacking of blamed for the failed 2016 coup 47-year-old Asset Issekeshev, former mayor of the capital Astana, a group that apprehended the for a drunken rampage with a Sabuncu was replaced on Friday. Sabuncu, one of the paper’s most against President Recep Tayyip will take up the powerful chief of staff position which comes with attacker. knife in which four people were Sabuncu was ousted after high-profi le reporters, Erdem Erdogan. privileged access to the strongman himself. “I managed to jump on him wounded, one seriously. management changes behind the Gul, the paper’s Ankara bureau Since then more than 77,000 Issekeshev will replace Adilbek Jaksybekov, 64, a long-time loyalist and throw him to the ground Police said investigators had scenes, including the appoint- chief, was fi red by fax on Sunday. people have been arrested and who once served as prime minister. and get his weapon off him,” he “very quickly” dismissed a ter- ment of executive Alev Coskun as Gul was jailed for revealing about 150 media outlets shut- Nazarbayev’s current term as president expires in 2020. said, adding that the attacker rorist motive after the August the chair of the foundation which state secrets in 2016 after report- down under a two-year state of He can stand for reelection, but has yet to indicate whether he may sustained “several blows from 13 incident. owns the daily. ing that Turkey tried to ship arms emergency which ended in July. opt to retire instead. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 13 INDIA BJP, RSS view Gandhi with ambivalence: historian

IANS ambivalent about Gandhi. When assassination in 1948. While the strumental, tactical, or a clear the Father of the Nation. “At gious sentiments” and “the vic- particular pull for him in chroni- New Delhi Gandhi was alive, the RSS ac- vast majority of the book is ded- departure from how the Sangh the same time, they seek to di- timisation of minorities”. cling Gandhi’s life in such detail, tively disliked him. They were icated to chronicling Gandhi’s Parivar views Gandhi. At best, I minish his stature by elevating “I think Gandhi would disown and with extensive research that absolutely opposed to equal life, times and controversies, would say that the Sangh Parivar their own heroes,” he points even the Congress Party of today demanded sourcing archival istorian Ramachandra rights for Muslims. In their list of Guha spends 30-odd pages in views Gandhi with ambivalence, out, before sharing examples because he clearly did not be- materials from museums and Guha, who has written a heroes, Gandhi ranks very low... tracing the presence of “Gandhi and when he was alive they did such as the installation of V D lieve in dynastic politics,” Guha libraries in several countries, Hmonumental 1,100-page Through the 50s and 60s, they in Our Time”, the book’s epi- just the same,” said the 60-year- Savarkar’s portrait in the Cen- said. apart from the fact that “for biography of Mahatma Gan- paid very less attention to him logue. old historian, known for highly tral Hall of Parliament in 2003 He, however, noted that Gan- any historian of modern India, dhi, says that he fi nds double and his teachings. From the late “There are clearly some as- acclaimed books such as India during the Bharatiya Janata dhi’s philosophies and values are Gandhi is certainly the most in- standards in the respect that the 60s onwards, his name started pects of Gandhi’s philosophies after Gandhi and Gandhi Before Party’s first spell in power. alive in many social, environ- fl uential and most controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and appearing in their programmes,” that are unacceptable to the India. He noted that most of the at- mental and feminist movements. fi gure”. its ideological parent, the Rash- Guha told IANS in an interview. RSS. And Mr (Narendra) Modi In the last section of his tacks on Gandhi on social media “His philosophies are alive He shared that even in his ear- triya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), His book, Gandhi: The Years may have picked them up as an book, Guha notes that the RSS today come from the Hindu- in many citizen-action pro- lier works on the environmental accord to the Father of the Na- That Changed The World charts RSS worker. Today, he invokes and the BJP profess respect for right. Guha said that Gandhi grammes but certainly not in movement and India’s democ- tion nowadays. Gandhi’s story from the time he Gandhi from time to time but Gandhi in public in the con- would particularly be “disap- politics.” racy, Gandhi’s infl uence was vis- “The RSS particularly is very left South Africa to his dramatic it is not clear whether it is in- text of his formal standing as pointed by polarisation of reli- Guha said that there was no ible. Allegations of jobless growth baseless, says top offi cial

IANS “Similarly, Amazon requires New Delhi a large number of couriers. That is a huge job market ex- pansion. These are basic level llegations of jobless full-time jobs and there are growth are baseless and large number of such jobs be- Athe country is witness- ing created. The question is ing large creation of jobs, a where in your insurance data senior offi cial has said. How- does it show? ever, there is a serious lack of “I have a problem with a data on jobs in the informal blanket statement being made sector, as also seasonality and that there is jobless growth. migration, he said. If there was actually jobless “Job creation is a major issue growth, you would see many in a country of our size and our other things happening. We A Congress leader wears a mask of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mock him during a protest against the hike in the price of fuel and petroleum products during a nationwide demographics. But the question are seeing income tax pay- strike, in Bengaluru yesterday. is, is it the case which has been ments going up. GDP growth so-called the jobless growth? rate is clearly rising,” he said. No,” Principal Economic Ad- The economy grew at 8.2% viser to the Finance Ministry in the April-June fi rst quar- Sanjeev Sanyal told IANS. ter of 2017-18, signalling the “Part of the problem is lack completion of its V-shaped re- of data. For example, you had covery process. It was dented massive growth in truck sales by demonetisation and Goods this year. Now someone is and Services Tax (GST) that Opposition strike over driving those trucks. Similarly, drove many small enterprises in the last three-four years, out of business. However, large there has been a huge increase fi rms are now set to gain from in Ola cabs, etc. Where in the the uniform tax regime after data does that show?” the initial disturbance. Sanyal said the government On people becoming obsolete has been working for several mid-career due to advance- high fuel prices hits life years to come up with an ap- ments in technology and fast propriate methodology for changes in the economy, Sanyal Agencies party activists held protest lashed out against Prime Min- sentials that are carried by vehi- prices was “temporary” and de- collection of labour data. It said: “This is a debate about re- New Delhi marches and rallies and forced ister Narendra Modi, saying the cles costlier,” Dravida Munnetra termined by global factors that has been proving diffi cult due skilling and not about job crea- the closure of shops and estab- BJP leader was silent on issues Kazhagam leader T K S Elangovan, were beyond the control of the to the informal sector and the tion. It is not the biggest of our lishments in states like Uttar that were aff ecting and hurting said, criticising the government government. seasonal nature of the jobs in concerns because our average ransport services were Pradesh and Maharashtra. people. for high taxes on petrol and diesel. A Mood of the Nation survey the country, he said. Indian is 26 years old.” disrupted, businesses Road and rail traffi c was also “Ever since the BJP came to “The failure of the govern- of 15,000 respondents in April As for the Employees’ “I cannot make policies Twere shut and incidents aff ected in some parts of the power (in 2014) fuel prices have ment to check petrol prices is and May showed Modi’s popu- Provident Fund Organisation on individual cases. I have to of violence were reported from country as protesters blocked been going up. Prime Minister causing an all-round price in- larity rating dipping two per- (EPFO) payroll data, which make policies based on large several parts of India yesterday roads and railway tracks. Modi has failed to deliver on his crease,” he said. centage points from 2014 to 34% Prime Minister Narendra Modi number of people and I have during a strike by opposition The protests turned violent promises to the people,” Gandhi, The rupee’s slide has made while Gandhi’s rose eight points uses to claim job creation, to make trade-off s. Given our parties to protest against record in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, 48, told a crowd in Delhi. India’s massive imports of oil, to 24%. Sanyal said it is partial data but demographics and where we high petrol and diesel prices. where activists smashed car and “Your money is being looted. priced in dollars, more expen- In a speech late on Sunday, reliable. On Employees’ State are in our growth cycle, our The impact of the shutdown bus windows and vandalised a Hatred is being spread. Wher- sive. Modi was in bullish mood none- Insurance Corporation (ESIC) fi rst bet has to do with deploy- was felt in opposition-ruled petrol pump, offi cials said. ever you see, Indians are fi ghting Further strain on the economy theless. data, which showed an oppo- ing the young workforce and states including Kerala and West A number of trader organisa- one another,” he said. has came from the government’s “We have started our journey site trend, he said he was una- leapfrog it to the highest level Bengal, as well as metropolitan tions supported the protest ac- He declared the opposition surprise removal of vast quanti- (towards general elections) with ware about this. of technology they can absorb. cities including the fi nancial tion. would oust BJP from power as it ties of cash from the system in confi dence. We enjoy the confi - While the recent EPFO data “We need to prioritise re- capital of Mumbai and the IT Government offi ces and edu- had refused to check the rising 2016, and from a drive to simpli- dence of 1.25bn people of India,” showed creation of 4.7mn skilling, upskilling and very hub of Bengaluru. cational institutions were also prices and had broken the trust fy the tax code launched in 2017. he said in the capital. new jobs between September importantly technological At least 22 opposition par- closed in some states. of people. Federal Law Minister Ravi “We do not see any challenge 2017 and June 2018, ESIC data leapfrogging. If we allow our- ties, led by the Congress, were Yesterday, the price of petrol To underline the point, pro- Shankar Prasad blamed the op- (from the opposition). Their al- showed 2.3mn jobs were lost in selves to get caught by some part of the fi rst joint protest ac- touched a peak of Rs88.12 per li- tests in Bengaluru saw cars and position for “politicising” the legations are based on falsehoods the same 10-month period, as Luddite ideas that this (tech- tion against the ruling Bharatiya tre, while the rupee had plunged vehicles being pulled by horse- issue. and web of lies. When they were per the Ministry of Statistics nology) is destroying jobs, that Janata Party (BJP) ahead of next to its lifetime low of 72.50 to a carriages and bullock-carts. He asserted Indians were in power they were a failure, and and Programme Implementa- thinking will actually destroy year’s general elections. dollar. “Rising fuel prices are making against the shutdown because they are a failure even when they tion (MoSPI). jobs,” he said. Daily life was disrupted as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi products like foodgrains and es- they understood the rise in fuel are in opposition.”

Naidu leaves Chicago Five workers die while Court rejects Gandhis’ cleaning sewers in Delhi

Agencies why authorities continue to use plea against I-T notice New Delhi manual labourers rather than machines to clean the sewers. According to the Sanitation IANS edly not disclosed their income shares is unpersuasive,” said uthorities have ordered Workers Movement, media re- New Delhi earned through Young Indian the bench. an investigation after fi ve ports indicate that 2,000 work- Pvt Ltd (YI) for the year 2011- The court also rejected the Amen working in New Del- ers die every year in the sewers in 2012. Sonia Gandhi’s submission hi’s sewers died as a result of gas India due to exposure to poison- he Delhi High Court yes- The I-T department has told that the Income Tax depart- poisoning. ous gases. terday dismissed petitions the court that they have con- ment had mala fide intention The sanitation workers who Bezwada Wilson of the rights Tby Congress president cealed facts for evading tax. in sending the reassessment lost their lives in the Moti Na- group has campaigned to put an Rahul Gandhi and his mother Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are notice. gar residential area – four on end to manual sewage cleaning, Sonia Gandhi challenging the major stakeholders in Young In- Earlier in March, Young In- Sunday and the fi fth yesterday most of which is done by mem- Income Tax department’s notice dian which has acquired Associ- dian requested the court to stay – were apparently not provided bers of the Dalit community. seeking tax reassessment for the ated Journals Limited (AJL). The the recovery of tax and interest adequate safety equipment by Federal minister and Lok fi nancial year 2011-2012. National Herald newspaper was of Rs249.15 crore raised in pur- the contractor. Janshakti Party leader Ram Vi- A bench of Justice S Ravindra published by AJL. suance to a December 27, 2017 State Labour Minister Gopal las Paswan called the incident Bhat and Justice A K Chawla said “The reference to the mone- notice issued under section 156 Rai ordered a “fact-fi nding in- “shameful and inhuman”. the petitions fi led by the Gan- tary nature of the transaction ie; of the IT Act for the assessment quiry to decide the course of ac- “The LJP has been demanding for dhis have “failed.” fair market value, certifi ed by the year 2011-12. tion against the defaulting agen- years an immediate ban on manual However, the court clarifi ed auditor, means that the promot- The company has submitted cies/fi rms,” and the probe will cleaning of sewer drains. For this, a that the Gandhis could use their ers and shareholders of the com- that it is a charitable fi rm and be completed within three days, law should be made immediately rights as assessee and take up pany visualise that the shares of does not have any income and government spokesman Nagen- to provide for strict action and the their grievance with the Income YI, a not-for-profi t company, that the Income Tax authorities dar Sharma said yesterday. guilty should be punished with im- Tax authorities. can increase, depending on its have wrongly raised a demand of The Delhi administration pro- prisonment of at least 10 years,” he The order of the bench came activities and income derived by Rs249 crore. vides its workers with equip- said in a statement. while it was hearing the pleas it,” the court said. On March 19, the Delhi High ment, and its agreements with The National Human Rights of the Gandhis and party col- “This court is of the opinion Court directed Young Indian Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is being seen off private contractors stipulate that Commission (NHRC) issued league Oscar Fernandes against that the assessees’ argument to deposit Rs10 crore in the by Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna on his they also have to provide workers notices to the Delhi government the March I-T notice seeking tax about nondisclosure of their Rs249.15 crore income tax pro- departure from Chicago yesterday. safety equipment and training. and the Delhi police seeking a reassessment. They have alleg- interest upon acquiring the ceedings against the fi rm. Media outlets have questioned detailed report. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 INDIA

ACHIEVEMENT TRAGEDY EDUCATION INVESTIGATION Tejas fighter plane Guest on TV show dies IGNOU starts course in Kerala nun died due to refuelled midair during live telecast Korean language, culture drowning: postmortem

In a first, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) A well-known educationist collapsed and Expanding avenues for foreign language learning The postmortem report of a nun whose body yesterday refuelled a Tejas fighter aircraft midair died yesterday during a show in Srinagar. for Indian students, the Indira Gandhi National was found inside a well at a convent near over Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the company Rita Jatinder, 86, who was also a writer, was Open University (IGNOU) inaugurated the Korean Kollam in Kerala has said the cause of death said. “The light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas LSP8 answering questions about her life and language course at the Korean Cultural Centre was drowning. However, her abdomen showed was transferred 1,900kg fuel from an Indian Air achievements on the channel’s Good Morning India in New Delhi yesterday. The six-month the presence of naphthalene balls. Also both Force (IAF) IL78 aerial refuelling tanker at an J&K show when she slumped on her chair, certificate programme which started taking her wrists were found to be slashed. On Sunday altitude of 20,000ft,” the aerospace major said in a stunning the anchors and viewers. Show student registrations in July, will formally begin around 9am the body was identified as that of statement. The milestone of refuelling was done at host Zahid Mukhtar told IANS that Jatinder classes after the inauguration. The language, 54-year-old Susan Mathew, a nun who taught 9.30am when the aircraft flying at 270 knots. “With was at that point of time imitating the now already available as a study option in Jawaharlal at the St Stephens School in Pathanapuram, this, India joins the elite group of countries who ailing Bollywood star Dilip Kumar. “When she Nehru University (JNU), University of Delhi (DU) about 80km from Thiruvananthapuram. Both have developed the air-to-air system for military collapsed, we thought she was acting... It took and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), was termed as the school and the convent are run by the class of aircraft,” HAL chief R Madhavan said in us a few moments to realise something was part of a “consistent endeavour to promote Kottayam-headquartered Malankara Syrian the statement. A dry run of refuelling was held on seriously wrong. We tried to revive her. But she Korean language in India” by the South Korean Orthodox Church. Meanwhile, police have taken September 4 and 6 over the same airspace. “The did not respond. She was rushed to a hospital ambassador Shin Bong-kil. “So far, 800 students statements from a few convent employees. The performance of aircraft systems during the trial where she was declared dead,” Mukhtar said. have registered from various regions. This course convent authorities have reportedly informed were in line with the design requirements and was Jatinder was a former secretary of the Academy can be taken by anyone who has passed the the police that of late Susan had not been closely matching with the results of ground tests of of Art, Culture and Languages in the Jammu and high school. The programme fee is Rs2,500,” the keeping well and was worried about it, and that air-to-air refuelling system,” the company added. Kashmir government. Korean Cultural Centre said in a statement. they have concluded it to be a suicide case.

Big response Anniversary celebration to doorstep delivery of CBI seeks services, says Delhi govt extradition of IANS New Delhi

he Delhi government yes- terday launched the door- Nirav brother Tstep delivery of 40 public services which received a huge response from people living in the national capital with 369 ap- pointments fi xed within hours. Chief Minister Arvind Kejri- wal, who launched the scheme at in PNB fraud the Delhi Secretariat, will moni- tor the output data personally on IANS court said that if they failed to formed and managed in a “very an hourly basis for the next few New Delhi appear, their properties would be complex manner to camoufl age days, a statement from the Delhi confi scated under the newly en- the criminal origin of funds in government said. acted Fugitive Off enders Act. these companies,” the offi cial Within hours of its launch, the he Central Bureau of In- The Interpol has issued similar said. hotline 1076 was fl ooded with vestigation has sought the a notice against Nirav Modi, who “Some trusts were also incor- calls. Textradition of fugitive dia- along with his family and uncle porated for money laundering,” By 1.30pm over 1,200 calls mond trader Nirav Modi’s broth- Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Group he said, adding that Purvi was were received and 200 appoint- er and Belgian national Neeshal left the country in January, a found to have links with Montec- ments were booked, according to Modi. A request has been for- month before the fraud came to risto Trust, Ithaca Trust and New the data provided by the govern- warded to the Ministry of Home light. Zealand Trust. ment. By 6pm, 2,728 calls were Aff airs for necessary action, an Nirav Modi’s wife Ami, a US The ED further revealed that connected. Out of these, 1,286 offi cial said yesterday. citizen, left on January 6 and bank accounts were opened in were connected directly and for “The request for extradition of Choksi on January 4. her name and in the name of her rest, the operators called back. Neeshal Modi from Belgium was Choksi had taken the citizen- companies in overseas locations “A total of 21,000 calls were shared with the MHA on Friday. ship of Antigua and Barbuda in like Barbados, Mauritius, Swit- attempted but could not be con- It will be forwarded to the Minis- November 2017. zerland, Singapore, the United nected due to very heavy traffi c. try of External Aff airs for further Offi cials said yesterday that Kingdom and Hong Kong, among The operators will call back each action,” the CBI offi cial said. following a request from the En- others. unique number,” the offi cial data The agency has fi led a charge- forcement Directorate, Interpol “The funds stolen from PNB to said. sheet against Neeshal Modi and had issued a Red Corner Notice the tune of over Rs500 crore were Of the total appointments his extradition is necessary for against Purvi. invested in Firestar India via For- fi xed, in seven cases the docu- investigation in the Punjab Na- An ED offi cial said Purvi was eign Direct Investment (FDI) af- ments were also collected. tional Bank fraud of over Rs- the owner and director of several ter layering through above men- “However, the number of calls 135bn, the offi cial said. shell companies formed solely tioned companies,” he said. compared to day one is likely to According to the CBI offi cial, for the purpose of laundering the Beside laundering money, go down on the consecutive days the extradition process was ini- money and was the direct benefi - Purvi Modi also purchased prop- as there were many callers who tiated after Neeshal Modi was ciary of the proceeds of crime. erties in foreign countries in the called just out of curiosity and spotted in Belgium. “Purvi Modi played a major name of shell companies con- to know whether the scheme has The Interpol in July issued a role in laundering the proceeds trolled by her, the offi cial said. started,” it said. Red Corner Notice (RCN) against of the crime generated from the “Earlier, Purvi Modi was the Gopal Mohan, the man be- Nirav, Neeshal and Nirav’s com- PNB scam. She is benefi ciary of benefi ciary of Dubai and Hong hind the initiative and Kejriwal’s pany executive Subhash Parab at least $133mn scam money,” the Kong-based dummy companies adviser on technological and following a CBI request. ED offi cial requesting anonymity in which letters of undertaking anti-corruption subjects, has The Interpol website displays told IANS. (LOUs) were credited. Later, her been working on the scheme for Neeshal’s picture, citing charges “She is owner/ director of name was removed from these the last three years. He is also of criminal conspiracy, criminal shell/ investment companies companies and dummy direc- working very closely on Delhi breach of trust by a public serv- formed solely to launder the pro- tors were introduced,” the offi cial government’s Wi-Fi and CCTV ant, or by banker merchant or ceeds of the crime through com- said. schemes. agent, cheating and dishonesty panies - Fine Classic FZE (UAE), “Therefore, she actively par- Mohan said making the plan including delivery of property Lili Mountain Investment, ticipated in the crime of money was essential as everyone is not apart from off ences under the Pristyn Holdings Ltd, Novelar laundering and layering of the comfortable with the online Prevention of Corruption Act. International Holdings Ltd and money thus acquired and was services. “Only 7-8% were com- In August, a special court in Pavilion Point Co-operation in also the benefi ciary of the pro- fortable with the online system Mumbai issued summonses to British Virgin Islands, Islington ceeds of crime,” he said. when it was planned in Decem- Nirav Modi’s sister Purvi Modi International Holdings Pvt Ltd The red corner notice is issued ber 2015, but could not imple- Fireworks light up the sky above the Golden Temple on the occasion of the 414th anniversary of who too is a Belgian citizen, and and Belvedere Group Holdings to seek the location and arrest of ment this due to a number of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the religious book of Sikhs, in Amritsar, Punjab, yesterday. Neeshal, asking them to appear Ltd in Singapore,” he said. wanted person(s) for extradition reasons,” he told IANS. before it on September 25. The “These companies were or similar legal action. Two get death penalty for Karnataka seeks Hyderabad bomb blasts Rs20bn fl ood aid IANS cultural and horticultural crops New Delhi have been aff ected, with a loss of IANS Gokul Chat, 10 lost their lives at 2008. Three others including IM around Rs8,000 crore.” Hyderabad Lumbini Park, in near-simultane- chief Riyaz Bhatkal and his broth- Former prime minister H D ous blasts around 7.45pm that day. er Iqbal Bhatkal are still at large. arnataka Chief Minister H Deve Gowda, Karnataka Deputy An unexploded bomb was also The case was initially inves- D Kumaraswamy yester- Chief Minister G Parameshwara, court yesterday sentenced found under a bridge at Dilsu- tigated by the Andhra Pradesh Kday urged the central gov- Revenue Minister R V Desh- two men to death and a khnagar. police and following bifurcation ernment to immediately release pande and Irrigation Minister D Athird to life sentence 11 The court had convicted them of the state, it was handed over Rs20bn for undertaking fl ood K Shivakumar were part of the years after twin bomb blasts on September 4. to the Counter Intelligence (CI) and other relief work in the state. delegation. rocked the southern city of Hy- Earlier in the day, the court wing of Telangana police. The demand made by a state Kumaraswamy told Modi that derabad killing 42 people. found Anjum guilty of providing Three charge-sheets were fi led delegation led by Kumaraswamy over half the state’s area was fac- Anique Shafi q Syed and Akbar shelter to the other accused. against the accused. In 2014, the to Prime Minister Narendra ing drought situation this year Ismail Choudhary, alleged mem- Two others - Farooq Sharfud- court framed charges against Modi comes in the backdrop of due to a weak monsoon while un- bers of the banned Indian Muja- din and Sadiq Ahmed Sheikh - them. They were charged with losses of Rs120bn due to fl oods in even distribution of rain was re- hideen (IM) group, were sentenced were acquitted last week for lack murder and other off ences under parts of Karnataka in August and corded over the north and south to death, while Tariq Anjum was of evidence. the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and drought in other parts. interior Karnataka. given the life sentence. Public prosecutor Seshu Reddy Explosive Substances Act. The delegation met Modi yes- Deshpande said that crop on Second Additional Metropoli- said the convicts told the court The trial was shifted to a court terday and apprised him about 23,123 hectares was aff ected due tan Sessions Judge T Srinivas Rao that they were falsely implicated hall located in the premises of the the loss of human life, agricul- to fl oods, leading to losses total- delivered the judgment at the in the case and that since they prison in June this year on secu- ture and infrastructure by tor- ling Rs12.42bn. high security Cherlapally Central have already spent 10 years in jail, rity grounds. rential rains. “There has been a dry spell in Prison on the city’s outskirts. they should be set free. However, This is second bomb blast “We told him that the fl ood September and if it continues Two powerful explosions the judge was not inclined. case in which operatives of the loss is to the tune of Rs3,705 there will be 50% crop loss. As ripped through the popular Gokul Reddy said the records relat- banned terror group have been crore,” Kumaraswamy told re- many as 67 people have lost lives Chat restaurant and an open-air ing to the sentence will be sent for sentenced. In December 2016, porters after the meeting. in the fl oods,” Deshpande said, theatre at Lumbini Park, near the confi rmation to the high court, fi ve senior operatives of IM were “Also, the state has been wit- adding Modi promised immedi- State Secretariat, in Hyderabad where the convicts can chal- given the death penalty by a A man makes his way through floodwaters from the overflowing nessing severe drought during ate fi nancial assistance. on August 25, 2007 killing 42 peo- lenge the verdict. The accused special National Investigation Panchanai River in Siliguri, West Bengal, yesterday. Continuous the last 13 of the 17 years. As per “We look forward to the cen- ple and wounding 68. were arrested by the Maharashtra Agency court in the February rainfall has caused flooding and landslides in parts of Siliguri and preliminary estimates, more tral government for liberal as- While 32 people were killed at Anti-Terrorism Squad in October 2013 Hyderabad blasts case. surrounding areas, aff ecting road travel and daily life. than 15 lakh hectares of agri- sistance.” Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 15 LATIN AMERICA

DECISION EVENT CRIME TRADE PROJECT US, Central American UN rights chief agrees to More than 100 inmates flee Brazil ‘to be second-largest Engineers back completion off icials’ meeting called off meet Venezuela minister after gunmen storm prison cotton exporter in 2018-19’ of new Mexico City airport

A US-hosted meeting with Mexico and Central New UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has agreed Heavily armed men blew down the front gate of Brazil could become the world’s second- A top engineering association has backed the American countries scheduled for this week in to meet Venezuela’s foreign minister, who is due a maximum security prison in northeastern Brazil largest cotton exporter in the 2018-2019 crop completion of Mexico City’s new airport, a $13bn Washington has been called off , off icials said as to address the top UN rights body in Geneva this early yesterday and with guns blazing enabled cycle, jumping ahead one position to surpass project which president-elect Andres Manuel President Donald Trump’s policies test relations week, her off ice said yesterday. “I can confirm more than 100 inmates to escape, authorities said. India in the global rankings, Brazilian trade Lopez Obrador has threatened to scrap, arguing it with the region. The US said the conference of that Venezuela requested a meeting and the high Off icials said the assault was carried out by about group Abrapa said. Brazil is expected to export is too expensive and tainted by corruption. Lopez the Alliance for Prosperity, a US-led economic commissioner will be meeting with the minister 20 men in four vehicles, who fired on watchtowers 1.12mn tonnes of cotton lint in the 2018-19 Obrador said last month his government would and security group, was postponed because of of foreign aff airs” Jorge Arreaza, UN rights off ice and used explosives to destroy the front gate of harvest, which would place it second to only either finish the hub, or expand a military base “scheduling conflicts” and with agreement by spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said. She did the Romeu Goncalves Abrantes prison. The prison, the US, Abrapa’s executive director Márcio north of the capital, depending on the results of a the participating countries. But El Salvador said not say when the meeting would take place, but a maximum security facility with 680 inmates, is Portocarrero said. The US-China trade war is public consultation due in October and a review it was Washington’s decision to suspend the Arreaza is to address the UN Human Rights Council located in Joao Pessoa, the capital of Paraiba state. set to directly benefit Brazilian cotton growers, by engineering experts. Ascension Medina meeting and that it did not know the reason. today. Bachelet mentioned Venezuela in her first By midday, 41 of the 105 escaped prisoners had with Chinese cotton processors indicating Nieves, president of Mexico’s college of civil “We are currently exploring alternate dates,” speech as head of the UN rights off ice yesterday, been recaptured as security forces locked down they would buy up any additional supply of engineers said that on the basis of the available said an off icial for the US State Department who listing it among a long line of states with human the state capital, closing schools and medical cotton that Brazilian farmers can produce, information, the only “feasible, viable and reliable declined to be named. rights situations she was concerned about. centres as a precaution. Portocarrero said. solution” was to continue with the new airport. Argentina faces key week for IMF loan negotiations

AFP with an initial $15bn tranche of Buenos Aires that handed over in June, in large part to prop up the peso. Although it briefl y calmed the rgentine President Mau- storm, market confi dence waned ricio Macri’s government again, in part due to the impact Awill continue discussions of the crisis in Turkey on the with the International Monetary currencies of emerging coun- Fund this week as eff orts to stave tries. off an economic crisis multiply. Argentina went back to the It will be a crucial week for IMF and asked for an advance on Macri and his government after loan payments due in 2020 and a turbulent few months in which 2021, but the announcement it the currency has been badly hit was doing so hurt the peso again. by a crisis of confi dence, while In a desperate bid to steady public protests have increased in turbulent waters, Argentina’s regularity and fervour. central bank hiked interest rates “Argentina will start again, to a world-high 60% until at but there is a transition to navi- least the end of the year. gate,” Macri admitted on Friday. But with infl ation expected to Fernando Haddad (centre), presumed to be former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s replacement candidate in the presidential elections, speaks with Lula’s lawyers after The peso was starting to re- reach 40% for 2018 and Argen- visiting his mentor in prison at the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, southern Brazil, yesterday. cover at the end of last week af- tines feeling the pinch from rising ter a dramatic two days of crash- prices their meagre salaries are es the week before. ill-equipped to cope with, fear Having lost 20% against the and discontent are on the rise. dollar over two days a week earlier, Macri introduced austerity it regained 5.35% from Wednesday measures, but those proved un- to close at 37.77 on Friday. popular with citizens — protests But that still represents a loss have become a daily occurrence Lula plea on poll candidacy of around half its value since the — while also failing to appease start of 2018. nervous investors. Panicking Argentines, who Some protesters have been view the dollar as a safety net for chanting for the government to their savings, have withdrawn stop paying its debt, while Macri’s $500mn from the banking sector popularity has been falling. deadline extension rejected since April. In return for accelerated IMF According to offi cial estimates, funding, Argentina has pledged they are holding $300bn out- to eliminate its primary budget AFP But electoral court president of his successor, according to of all charges and has branded until all his appeals are exhaust- side of their country’s fi nancial defi cit in 2019. It was 3.9% of Brasília Rosa Weber said there was “no PT sources. his legal travails political per- ed before the Supreme Court. circuit, either in cash or abroad, GDP in 2017. justifi cation” for such an exten- The PT’s board of directors is secution aimed at preventing The lawyer said Lula’s team mostly in Uruguay and the US. Any advance of loans would sion. due to meet in Curitiba today. him from standing in the elec- would continue to press the top The micro-recovery has been have to be approved by the IMF razil’s electoral court yes- Lula was barred on Septem- Lula’s lawyers had been hop- tion. court on the recommendation helped by positive noises coming executive board, which doesn’t terday rejected a request ber 1 from running under Bra- ing for a deadline extension to When he left the president’s of the United Nations Human out of Washington, where Fi- meet until the second half of Bby barred presidential zil’s “clean-slate” law due to September 17 when the court offi ce on January 1 2011, he did Right Committee made up of nance Minister Nicolas Dujovne September. candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da his conviction for accepting a is due to settle all outstanding so with sky-high ratings fol- independent experts that Lula met with IMF head Christine Argentina has had to admit Silva’s Workers’ Party (PT) for bribe, for which he is currently cases relating to the election. lowing an economic boom and be allowed to run. Lagarde last week. that the economy is in a worse an extension to a deadline to serving a 12-year prison sen- As well as denying Lula’s ex- widely praised social reforms to Earlier the head of Brazil’s But Macri says the public is state than previously hoped. name his replacement. tence. tension request, Weber sent to reduce poverty. military has issued a warning right to remain worried. Before returning to Buenos The PT has until 7pm (2200 Until then, he had been the federal supreme court an He was subsequently caught against Lula’s presidential can- “All the structural issues have Aires, Dujovne admitted that GMT) today to name a substi- streaks ahead of the competi- appeal by the former president up in the sprawling “Car Wash” didacy. not been resolved because we the country was “going through tute candidate to include on tion in polls and looked a good to annul the electoral court’s in- corruption probe that has en- In an interview in the Estadao had three days of calm,” said the a recession” and that recovery the ballot paper for the October bet to win a third term in offi ce. validation of his candidacy. snared many of Brazil’s political de S.Paulo newspaper, General president. “Hopefully the calm would be “slow.” 7 fi rst round of voting, or risk The 72-year-old, president However, there is little and business elites. Eduardo Villas Boas.Villas Boas will continue, because we don’t Having hoped the economy missing out altogether. from 2003-10, met with his chance of the court hearing the A lawyer for Lula said he will said that “the worst scenario” know if another storm is com- would grow between 0.4% and It has still not given up hope running mate and likely re- case before today. continue his legal battle to win would be for a president to be ing.” 1.4% this year, Dujovne said it of forcing Lula back into the placement, Fernando Haddad, On top of his bribery convic- the right to run in next month’s elected with a pending court Argentina’s currency troubles would actually shrink by 1%, but race having taken appeals to the at his prison in the southern city tion, Lula is facing fi ve other presidential elections. ruling, “removing legitimacy... led the government to approach some sources have spoken of a country’s supreme court and of Curitiba last week, when he is corruption-related cases, al- Lawyer Luiz Casagrande and further dividing Brazilian the IMF and secure a $50bn loan, fall of 2.4%. even the United Nations. said to have settled the question though he insists he’s innocent Pereira said Lula wants to wait society.” Ortega ready to meet ELN snubs Duque’s Trump despite US threat peace talk terms AFP Colombia’s high commis- Havana sioner for peace, Miguel Ce- Reuters rule out a military intervention,” “The idea of having a dialogue ballos, said the “Colombian Paris he said. with a power like the US is nec- government is continuing to An advance copy of the inter- essary,” said Ortega, interviewed LN guerrillas yesterday express its desire for peace.” view was given to Reuters by the in Spanish with English transla- branded as “unaccept- But, speaking to Colombian icaraguan President Dan- news TV channel. tion. “It could be an opportunity Eable” conditions set by Caracol Radio, he said it was iel Ortega yesterday said US government offi cials were (to meet Trump) at the United Colombian President Ivan doing so “with concrete ac- Nhe is open to meeting not immediately available to re- Nations General Assembly Duque to restart peace talks in tions and not rhetoric.” US leader Donald Trump at the spond to Ortega’s comments. (UNGA).I’d like to go.” Cuba aimed at ending their in- The main sticking point for United Nations later this month The annual gathering of world surgency. Duque’s government is ELN despite expressing concerns that “We are under threat. We leaders starts on September 24 Right-winger Duque gave hostages. It says the release of the US could launch a military in- can’t rule out anything at the UN’s headquarters in New the Marxist rebels a one- those detainees — believed to tervention on his country. out as far as the US is York. month deadline after his in- be 16 — is a precondition for More than 300 people have concerned. We can’t rule Ortega said he was keen to auguration on August 7 to any resumption of peace talks. been killed and 2,000 injured out a military intervention” restart dialogue with his op- convince him they are serious With an estimated 1,500 in crackdowns by Nicaraguan ponents and had approached about laying down arms and fi ghters, the ELN is the last police and armed groups in pro- April’s protests escalated into Spain and Germany to help play re-entering civilian life. recognised armed rebel group tests that began in April over an broader opposition against Or- a role. That cut-off point expired operating in Colombia. abortive plan by leftist Ortega’s tega, who has been in offi ce since The current violence comes on Friday. Authorities believe it is fi - government to reduce welfare 2007. He also served as president after years of calm in Nicara- By refusing to recognise nanced through drug traffi ck- benefi ts. in the 1980s when he was a no- gua and is the worst since his agreements reached under Du- ing and illegal mining. The US on September 5 de- table Cold War antagonist of the Sandinista movement battled que’s predecessor, Juan Manuel It has said it is prepared to clared Nicaragua’s civil unrest US during Nicaragua’s civil war. US-backed “Contra” rebels in Santos, “and unilaterally plac- release its hostages and last a threat to the region’s security, Accusing the US of training the 1980s. ing unacceptable conditions, week let go three soldiers cap- saying government repression of armed groups to stoke trouble Washington has blamed Or- this government is...ending tured a month earlier. protests risked creating an over- in his country, Ortega reiterated tega, a former Marxist guerrilla the process of dialogue” aimed But Ceballos doubts the whelming displacement of peo- that early elections would be leader, and his wife, Vice Presi- at reaching a peace agreement, ELN’s sincerity, saying they ple akin to Venezuela or Syria. detrimental to Nicaragua. dent Rosario Murillo, for the National Liberation Army have carried out 30 “armed ac- “We are under threat,” Ortega The next presidential vote is situation. (ELN) negotiators in Havana tions” in the last month alone. told France 24 TV in an interview due in late 2020. The US has also imposed said in a statement. “I would not interpret that being broadcast yesterday. “We Ortea said he would be pre- sanctions against three top Nic- The statement called for re- in any other way than the ELN can’t rule out anything out as far pared to meet Trump if it could araguan offi cials, citing human Demonstrators shout slogans during a march against Nicaraguan starting talks “with no further continuing to ignore the gov- as the US is concerned. We can’t be arranged. rights abuses. President Daniel Ortega’s government in Managua yesterday. delays.” ernment’s will,” he said. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 PAKISTAN Overseas Pakistanis showing little interest in iVoting for by-elections

Internews there are estimated 520,000 ex- Using this Internet voting tial voters have showed interest overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), Islamabad pats potentially eligible to exer- service, overseas Pakistanis will in getting themselves registered. a Pakistan machine-readable cise their voting right with regard be able to cast their vote online Overall, the total number of passport, and should have been to these constituencies. in their respective constituen- overseas Pakistanis is estimated registered as a voter in respective Registration of overseas Pakistanis ends on September 15. verseas Pakistanis have so However, just 3,000 qualifi ed cies from anywhere in the world, to be around 8mn. constituencies. far shown little interest in for this and are ready to vote in using any Internet-connected A special website has been The registered voter will be is- constituencies: 11 National As- cast his or her vote. Ogetting themselves regis- by-election. device. prepared for this purpose: www. sued voter pass between October sembly constituencies and 26 The names of constituencies tered for iVoting in the upcoming “These qualifi ed persons will Lack of awareness and interest overseasvoting.gov.pk. 10 and 14, and can cast his or her provincial constituencies. have already been uploaded on by-elections in 37 constituen- be using their respective pass- could be attributed to this luke- The Election Commission’s vote in a concerned constituency A designated list of candidates the website. cies, with only 6,000 so far sign- words to take part in voting,” they warm response from the overseas website mentions the eligibility on October 14 from 8am to 5pm of the selected constituency will Once information is shared ing up to vote. explained. Pakistanis in iVoting. criteria for an overseas Pakistani Pakistan Standard Time. then be displayed by the system with the Election Commission, it Sources in the Election Com- Registration of overseas Paki- This is the reason cited to ex- voter: he or she should possess Registered overseas Pakistanis and the voter will select the elec- is verifi ed before the process be- mission of Pakistan (ECP) said stanis closes on September 15. plain why less than 1% of poten- the national identity card for will be casting their vote in 37 tion symbol of the candidate to gins for voter registration.

28 sentenced to death in a month

Pakistan’s army chief has confirmed death sentences for 13 militants, authorities said yesterday, bringing the total Imran sets up 14 panels executions ordered by secret military courts over the past month to at least 28. The military said the 13 convicted militants sentenced yesterday were involved in attacks on the armed forces, destruction of schools, and killing of civilians. for ‘fi rst 100 days’ plan “On the whole, they were involved in killing of 202 persons Internews In past decades, such talk- is working to identify “100 big ordinary vehicles of the Prime This would require an amend- ing local governments in Punjab, – 151 civilians and 51 armed Islamabad shops were formed by successive fi shes”. Minister House on September 17. ment to the Constitution and, which are dominated by the Pa- forces/frontier constabulary/ governments to address the very In the absence of other op- A second austerity-driven therefore, the backing of a two- kistan Muslim League – Nawaz police off icers – and injuring 249 same issues now referred to the tions, however, it may rely whol- committee, comprising archi- thirds majority in Parliament, as (PML-N). others,” the army stated. ince assuming offi ce on new task forces. ly on a list already prepared by tects and other experts, would well as the approval of the Pun- The new system would be ex- It came after the army said on August 18, Prime Min- Few recommendations have the Federal Investigation Agency suggest the best possible uti- jab Assembly. tended to KP and Baluchistan, August 16 that it had sentenced Sister Imran Khan has es- translated into practice. (FIA). lisation of historical buildings, The prime minister has also but the Pakistan Peoples Party 15 militants to death. tablished 14 task forces, com- Similarly, some of the jobs be- Before being elected prime governor houses, and state guest established a committee to re- (PPP) government would not be The military courts allow the mittees, and commissions to ing undertaken by the present minister, Khan vowed to houses. structure the system of local inclined to introduce it in Sindh. army to try civilians on terror recommend ways of expediting committees would fail to pass strengthen the National Ac- One more task force would government, with senior Punjab Addressing the government’s charges in secret, despite his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf because the government lacks countability Bureau (NAB) law. make recommendations for the minister Aleem Khan playing the economic priorities, a task force criticism from rights groups. (PTI) party’s “fi rst 100 days” the numbers in parliament to A task force headed by Law administrative merger of the leading role. has been constituted to recom- They were established in the plan to improve national gov- enact constitutional changes. Minister Farough Naseem would Federally Administered Tribal It envisages the unprecedent- mend measures to create 10mn wake of a December 2014 ernance. Prominent among the 14 new suggest changes to the legisla- Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ed direct election of mayors and jobs over fi ve years. Taliban massacre at an army- Each forum has been given committees is a task force given tion. (KP), a matter already politically district council chairmen. It would work closely with a run school in Peshawar that left just a couple of weeks to fi rm the job of fi nding ways to re- Another task force has been decided through a constitution- This idea was not part of the separate committee on the Chi- more than 150 people, mostly up proposals for a series of tasks patriate wealth illegally stashed formed to suggest austerity al amendment. local council system introduced na Pakistan Economic Corridor. schoolchildren, dead. taken up by the PTI-led govern- abroad. measures sought by Khan. Similarly, a body has been in KP by the previous PTI ad- In turn, they would co-or- Following that attack, the ment. Led by Mirza Shahzad Akbar, As its fi rst move, the govern- formed to facilitate the creation ministration. dinate with a task force formed government lifted the However, it could be a case of special assistant to the prime ment has scheduled the auction of a new province in southern The primary objective of this to plan the construction of 5mn moratorium on the death penalty. deja vu. minister on accountability, it of 102 excess bulletproof and Punjab. proposals is to replace the exist- low-cost houses. – AFP What led to the move to drop Mian’s nomination?

Internews a petition fi led in the Islamabad Even Jemima Goldsmith, Islamabad High Court challenging his ap- Khan’s former wife, criticised pointment. the government decision in a The “call to attention” no- tweet: “The founder of Pakistan, espite his resolve to retain tice in the National Assembly Quaid-e-Azam, appointed an Atif Mian as a member of was submitted by Maulana Asa- Ahmadi as his foreign minister. Dthe Economic Advisory dur Rehman, the son of Jamiat “Indefensible and very disap- Council (EAC), internal dissent, Ulema-e-Islam – Fazlur (JUI-F) pointing. New Pak government coupled with “reports” of possi- chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asks renowned and respected ble countrywide violent protests and, in the Senate, it was moved Prof of economics to stand down Abbasi: would launch a campaign in NA-124 later this month. by religious organisations, forced by Maulana Ataur Rehman, the because of his Ahmadi faith.” Prime Minister Imran Khan to re- brother of the JUI-F chief. A PTI leader termed the situ- verse the decision. Parliamentarians belonging ation “unfortunate”, saying that Highly-placed sources said to the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal the move had damaged the par- that the government had to swal- (MMA), the Pakistan Muslim ty’s image. Abbasi to run poll low the bitter pill of taking a U- League – Nawaz (PML-N), and He said that the party had turn on the issue of Dr Atif Mi- even liberals and secular na- taken the decision keeping in an’s nomination as EAC member tionalist parties from Khyber view last year’s incident, when campaign in Lahore within three days after receiv- Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan the previous PML-N government ing reports that some religious provinces, had also put their sig- had been forced to accept most groups were planning to stage natures on the notice in the Sen- of the demands of the Tehreek- Internews sit-ins in Islamabad on Friday ate. e-Labbaik Pakistan after its sit- Lahore (September 7), at a time when The Pakistan Peoples Party in at Faizabad against proposed foreign dignitaries from China (PPP), however, did not support changes to the Khatam-e-Nabu- 124, we will work hard and not and Saudi Arabia were scheduled Imran Khan: was warned that the situation could become ugly for the the move and its members fl atly wat declaration for election can- ormer prime minister take the contest easy,” he said. to arrive. government at a time when it was still in the process of settling down. refused to sign the notice in the didates. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi The former premier is not Moreover, the sources said, Senate. The PTI leader admitted that Fhas moved to Lahore to considering NA-124 a make- some members of the federal ernment to review the decision, ment had asked the US-based A PML-N senator later his party had not supported the contest NA-124 by-election shift arrangement for him to cabinet, including the religious the sources added. academic to step down from the claimed that he and some other then-government at that time as he hopes to clinch the seat send him to the parliament. aff airs minister, urged the prime The opposition parties say that EAC. members of his party had also due to political compulsions, and without any diffi culty and “I am contesting for this seat minister to review his decision, the government had appointed The PTI leaders said that the refused to sign the notice, adding now the opposition had done so return to parliament to help on the wish of Nawaz Sharif warning him that the situation Mian as EAC member without government had made the deci- that those PML-N members who in a “tit-for-tat” move. Opposition Leader Shehbaz and Shehbaz Sharif. I will not could become ugly for the gov- consulting them and later with- sion to avoid any controversy. had signed the notice had done so In a Twitter message, the PPP’s Sharif give the Imran Khan-led leave this constituency after ernment at a time when it was drew his nomination in haste, The controversy has deep- in their individual capacity as the Senator Sherry Rehman opposed government a tough time. getting elected. I will serve the still in the process of settling again without taking them or ened further, however, when two party had no such policy. the “call to attention” notice, al- Abbasi has also started people of NA-124 for fi ve years, down. parliament into confi dence. more EAC members – Dr Asim Sources in the ruling party though another leader of the par- holding meetings with Paki- making sure the PTI govern- Khan was told that the gov- Within three days of its rheto- Ijaz Khwaja from the Harvard said that besides Prime Minister ty, former deputy speaker of the stan Muslim League – Nawaz ment does not deprive this ernment could face an embar- ric about the rights of minori- Kennedy School and Dr Imran Khan, a number of senior PTI Sindh Assembly, Shehla Raza, (PML-N) workers from the constituency of development,” rassing situation if the protests ties, the PTI government buckled Rasul, a professor of economics leaders and some federal min- had earlier criticised Prime Min- constituency of old Lahore, said Abbasi, who was prime continued while Chinese Foreign under pressure from religious at University College, London – isters felt “depressed” after the ister Khan, calling him a hypo- vacated by Hamza Shehbaz. minister for 10 months after Minister Wang Yi and Saudi In- groups and asked Mian, who quit the EAC over the withdrawal withdrawal of the nomination crite as he had appointed the Sources say that Shehbaz the disqualifi cation of Nawaz formation Minister Dr Awwad belongs to the Ahmadi commu- of Mian’s withdrawal. of Mian, a professor of econom- great grandson of Mirza Ghulam Sharif has appointed Hamza as Sharif in the Panama Papers bin Saleh al-Awwad were in Is- nity, to step down from the prime The sources said that the gov- ics, and the only Pakistani to be Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadi a focal person to facilitate Ab- case in July last year. lamabad. minister-led EAC. ernment had apparently suc- considered among International faith, as his adviser. basi in his campaign, directing To a question on whether The lack of political support It was on Friday that PTI Sena- cumbed to the pressure gener- Monetary Fund’s (IMF) “top 25 Sources in the PPP said that his son not to be complacent. his election campaign would on the issue, mainly from the two tor Faisal Javed and Informa- ated by notices submitted in both brightest young economists”, the party leadership had taken The Pakistan Tehreek-e- based on Nawaz’s narrative major opposition parties, also tion Minister Fawad Chaudhry houses of parliament against Mi- and the resignation of two other note of Shehla Raza’s tweet and Insaf (PTI)’s Nauman Qaisar – give respect to the ballot – played a role in forcing the gov- announced that the govern- an’s nomination in the EAC and members from the EAC. reprimanded her. lost in the July 25 election to Abbasi said: “Like that of July Hamza, with a margin of about 25 elections, the PML-N will 70,000 votes. stick to the slogan and high- The PTI leadership has not light extensive development yet fi nalised a candidate to the government in Punjab has pitch against Abbasi, after carried out in the last 10 years.” Foreign Minister Qureshi to travel Qaiser declined to contest the In the July 25 general elec- by-poll. tion, Abbasi lost two National Abbasi said yesterday that Assembly polls in his home- to Afghanistan this Saturday he would launch a full-fl edged town of Murree (NA-57) and campaign in NA-124 later this in Islamabad’s NA-53, to PTI month. chairman Imran Khan and Internews US Secretary of State Mike Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that he had held Sadaqat Abbasi, respectively. Islamabad Pompeo’s visit to Islamabad, Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign meetings with party workers Although Khan has vacated and US Defence Secretary James Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is in the constituency, and with NA-53, the PML-N leadership Mattis’s unannounced visit to visiting Islamabad on Friday their co-operation, he found has avoided fi elding the former oreign Minister Shah Mah- Kabul early this week would (September 14). no problem in reaching the premier for the same seat, con- mood Qureshi will visit made Qureshi’s visit interesting. He is schedule to meet Presi- voters. sidering it insecure. FAfghanistan on Saturday Well-placed sources said late dent Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Abbasi believes that even in The NA-124 is the only Na- (September 15) for one-day trip yesterday that Qureshi will also Khan separately. case of low turnout in the by- tional Assembly constituency on the invitation of his Afghan be meeting President Ashraf The sources said that he will election, he will maintain the vacated by the PML-N among counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani. Ghani. convey the message of Turkish victory margin. the eight NA constituencies in Qureshi: this would be his first overseas trip since becoming foreign It will be his fi rst foreign trip Ghani will be invited to Is- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “Although there are clear Punjab where by-elections are minister. since becoming foreign minister. lamabad by Qureshi on behalf of to the leadership of Pakistan. chances of our victory in NA- being held on October 14. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 17 PHILIPPINES

Nearly 57,000 homes for police, soldiers remain ‘unoccupied’ Of the 60,000 housing units for Court rejects plea for arrest members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) nationwide, 57,000 remain unoc- cupied, according to Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, Manila Times reported. Ejercito, warrant against Trillanes chairman of the Senate Commit- tee on Urban Planning, Housing By Neil Jayson Servallos and Resettlement, who visited on Manila Times Friday the AFP and PNP housing units in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City, said the National Housing nother Makati trial court Authority (NHA), in consonance has rejected the Depart- with a joint resolution filed by Ament of Justice’s ur- him and Rep. gent request for an arrest war- Alfredo Benitez (3rd District, rant and hold-departure order Negros Occidental) that was against Sen. Antonio Trillanes approved by President Rodrigo 4th, saying due process must be Duterte, was authorised to re- followed. distribute the housing units to The Makati Regional Trial willing takers, who are qualified Court (RTC) Branch 150 yester- beneficiaries. day allowed Trillanes to chal- Issuance of a joint resolution lenge state prosecutors, as it prompted informal settlers led was not persuaded by the gov- by Kadamay (Kalipunan ng ernment’s insistence on waiving Damayang Mahihirap)-Negros the need for a hearing. and its allied groups to storm Executive Judge Elmo Alame- the military and police housing da set a hearing on September site in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod 14, 9 am for the omnibus motion City, to demand that the units be fi led by the Justice department. awarded to them. “While the motion has been But the NHA said 1,498 housing denominated as ex-parte (for units have already been awarded one party)… the court is of the to uniformed personnel. view that acting on the motion Ejercito said Kadamay members without setting it for hear- can avail of the houses, as long ing would defi nitely prejudice as they can pay and they are the right of the accused to due qualified. “I hope they understand process,” the order stated. that the collections will be used Prosecutors last week sought to build more housing units,” he an alias warrant of arrest and a added. hold-departure order before the The senator pointed out that Makati RTC Branch 148. 1.2mn housing units are immedi- Judge Andres Bartolome of ately needed. It will go up to 6mn Branch 148 declined to issue an in 2022 if the housing backlog arrest warrant and hold-depar- will not be addressed. ture order immediately, and set “What Kadamay did was not a hearing for the fi rst omnibus Civilian members of the “Magdalo” group, an organisation set up by young military off icers including Senator Antonio Trillanes to denounce corruption in the military and then good. It does not help the situ- motion of the Justice depart- president Gloria Arroyo in 2003, raise clinched fists as they hold a rally in support of Senator Trillanes outside the Senate building in Manila, yesterday. ation,” Ejercito said, citing what ment on September 13. the militant group also did in Trillianes’ amnesty was re- such as admission of guilt. Also, the court’s dismissal of Trillanes was among the deliberate on the petition of the justices were whether or not Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and re- voked by President Rodrigo Sought for comment, Pal- Trillanes’ rebellion charges in leaders of the takeover of the Trillanes assailing the revoca- they would order the Offi ce of cently in Bacolod City. Uniformed Duterte last week. Proclama- ace spokesman Harry Roque Jr 2011 stands, unless the Supreme Oakwood Premiere serviced tion of his amnesty during its the President, through the Of- personnel are paying P200 to tion 572 stated that the amnesty told reporters: “We defer to our Court rules otherwise, Valen- apartments in Makati City on regular en banc session today. fi ce of the Solicitor General, to P400 a month for every housing granted to Trillanes in 2011 by courts.” cia said. On September 7, 2011, July 27, 2003, and the Manila Associate Justice Diosdado comment on the case, or dis- unit and even the lowest salaried the Aquino administration was Lawyer Diosfa Valencia, Judge Alameda dismissed the Peninsula siege on November Peralta, the magistrate in charge miss the case outright and re- government workers are trying “void ab initio (void from the Branch 150 clerk of court, said rebellion charges against Tril- 29, 2007 which sought to oust of the case, is expected to make mand it to the Makati RTC for to save money for the housing beginning),” because the ex- the court would not issue any lanes after he was granted am- then President Gloria Macapa- his recommendation to the en being “premature” because the units, the senator added. navy offi cer and coup plotter warrant without the side of the nesty by then President Benigno gal Arroyo. banc. The Manila Times sources high court has no jurisdiction failed to meet the requirements senator. Aquino. The Supreme Court (SC) will said that among the options of over the case. Galvez warns groups against Deal set to boost sowing disunity in military electricity in

By Dempsey Reyes ing intrigues and discord among we will not anymore comment which were all attempts to have Zamboanga Manila Times its offi cers and enlisted per- on its merits as we hope other then-President Gloria Maca- sonnel. You will not succeed,” parties would follow suit,” the pagal-Arroyo ousted via coup Galvez said. AFP chief said. d’etat. By Jordeene Sheex Lagare he chief of staff of the He reminded soldiers to stay A former Defence offi cial also Apart from Trillanes, former Manila Times Armed Forces of the Phil- away from politics after Duterte yesterday said Trillanes’ amnes- Marine captain and now con- Tippines yesterday warned issued Proclamation 572 revok- ty application and those of his gressman Gary Alejano was also groups attempting to split the ing Trillanes’ amnesty granted fellow former mutineers went granted amnesty, as well as 22 P2.5bn deal with a joint military organisation that they by then-President Benigno through proper procedures. other military offi cers and per- venture will help stabilise would fail because the AFP is Aquino in 2011. Honorio Azcueta, former De- sonnel. According to Azcueta, Apower supply in Zam- bigger than its offi cers and men. Duterte earlier said there was fense undersecretary and chair- Trillanes and the other amnesty boanga City, according to the “While I am aware that the a plot to oust him by Trillanes, man of the Ad Hoc Committee grantees’ narrations on the mili- National Electrifi cation Admin- troops have individual views on the Liberal Party and the com- that granted Trillanes’ amnesty tary uprisings “maybe diff erent” istration (NEA). many issues, those merely are munists. application, added that the ap- when they applied for reprieve in NEA Administrator Edgardo hallmarks of an intelligent and Galvez said he has commis- proval of the application was in 2011. Masongsong has said Zam- mature organisation like the sioned the general court martial accordance with Proclamation Defence Secretary Voltaire boanga City residents stand to AFP. But we always put the in- (GCM) to resume hearings on the 75 issued by Aquino. Gazmin granted the application of be spared soon from rotating terest of the organisation and case of Trillanes, a former Phil- “I can honestly say that as Trillanes. brownouts, after the awarding the nation above our own,” Gen. ippine Navy lieutenant senior chairman of the Ad Hoc Com- National Security Adviser Her- of an investment management Carlito Galvez Jr said in a state- grade. mittee on amnesty, I conscien- mogenes Esperon Jr said Aquino contract (IMC) to the joint ven- ment. However, he said proceed- tiously did my job in accordance should have issued a “specifi c am- ture of Crowninvestment Hold- The statement came over a ings of the GCM shall be shelved with Proclamation 75 and its nesty” to Trillanes. ings Inc and Desco Inc, to help word war on the loyalty of sol- pending Trillanes’ petition be- rules,” Azcueta told reporters. Esperon was the Armed Forces resolve business and fi nancial diers between President Rodrigo fore the Supreme Court (SC) to He said Trillanes, along with chief when the Manila Peninsula Galvez: warning groups woes of Zamboanga City Electric Duterte and his staunch critic determine the legality of Proc- his comrades from the Magdalo siege transpired in 2007. Co-operative Inc (Zamcelco). Senator Antonio Trillanes. lamation 572 issued by Duterte group, admitted guilt over the “(Trillanes) was not given am- amnesty. (Aquino) simply issued Esperon said the military can “The off er is truly great for “Let me take this occasion to last week. Oakwood mutiny in 2003, the nesty by President Aquino. It was a general amnesty via (Proc- have jurisdiction over Trillanes if Zamcelco. An off er that perhaps warn persons or groups that at- “In deference to the SC that Marine standoff in 2006 and the Secretary of National Defence lamation) 75,” he told Manila he will be tried by the court mar- you cannot refuse. I am already tempt to divide the AFP by sow- has taken cognisance of the case, Manila Peninsula siege in 2007, (SND) Gazmin who issued the Times. tial and if his amnesty is revoked. optimistic when one co-op works with another co-op, what more with a P2.5bn investor?,” Masongsong told reporters. He said if the bidding process for the IMC is delayed further, debts of Zamcelco will just in- Presidential aide says open to Senate inquiry crease, adding that the offer of the lone bidder is “too tempt- ing.” By Catherine S Valente tigation or Senate inquiry that and documents, I will immediately Masongsong added that the Manila Times Trillanes will call in relation to tender my resignation. But if the next step for the IMC winning my family’s alleged involvement allegations are fake and concocted proposal is confirmation of in “billions of pesos” worth of then my accuser, Senator Trillanes, the deal in the annual general resident Rodrigo Duterte’s projects. I am even asking Trillanes should resign,” Go said. membership confirmation that top aide yesterday said he to start as soon as possible. I can Duterte’s spokesman Harry will be forwarded to the agency Pwas open to an investigation go to the Senate tomorrow so that Roque Jr said Malacanang respects for evaluation and confirma- by the Senate on the multi-billion- I can visit him where he is hiding,” the Senate prerogative to conduct tion. peso public works contracts alleg- Go said. inquiries. Last week, the joint venture edly awarded to fi rms owned by his “I will be more than happy to “That’s the prerogative of the announced that it clinched the father and half-brother. face the inquiry as this will give me Senate. It can investigate on any- IMC, besting Davao Light and Special Assistant to the President another chance to prove my non- thing and everything it wants. It has Industry, Nikolas Manage- Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go involvement and another Senate plenary powers to do so,” Roque told ment, Filinvest and Comstech, said he would be “more than hap- appearance will also give me free reporters. which did not submit a finan- py” to face the inquiry to prove his media mileage,” he added. The Philippine Centre for Inves- cial proposal. innocence. Go vowed to resign immediate- tigative Journalism in a report said Zamcelco failed to secure a Yesterday, Sen. Antonio Trillanes ly if he was found involved in the Duterte “gave the largest share of bid for the IMC in the last three said he would fi le a resolution seek- awarding of contracts to his family public works funds in the 2017 na- years. The co-op and the joint ing a probe on the alleged question- members. tional budget” to his hometown venture believe the capital to able infrastructure projects cor- But he also dared Trillanes to re- Davao Region. be infused in the debt-ridden nered by Desiderio Go and Alfredo sign if he cannot prove his involve- It said CLTG Builders, owned by Zamcelco would immediately Go, father and half-brother, re- ment. Deciderio, and Alfrego Builders, spur businesses in the city spectively, of the president’s special “In the course of the investi- owned by Go’s half-brother, were as it would be used to repay assistant. gation, if my involvement will be among the contractors that re- the power co-op’s existing Christopher Go: ready for probe “I welcome any, and all, inves- proven and substantiated by facts ceived billions in contracts. obligations. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Djokovic –from sicknote Serb to Grand Slam warrior

Novak Djokovic was once the sick-note Serb whose undoubted promise was at the mercy of a variety of frustrating aches, pains and assorted strains. But with a third US Open title to go with the Wimbledon crown he secured in July, he has matched American Pete Sampras on 14 Grand Slam titles and there is little doubt that the 31-year-old is one of the sport’s greats. Djokovic, playing in his eighth US Open fi nal, delivered a GROUND ZERO REVISITED, 17 YEARS ON businesslike 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over third-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Since a quarter-fi nal exit at Roland Garros left him threatening to skip Wimbledon, he has lost just one match, claiming not only a third title at the All-England Club but also a fi rst Cincinnati Masters title in the build-up to the US Remembering and Open. From his lowest ranking in 12 years, he continues to rise. Sixth coming into the Open he is projected to rise to three in the world. Now, Djokovic is three behind Rafael Nadal’s total of 17 Slams, six shy of Roger Federer’s record of 20. But he has time on his side — Federer has already reinterpreting 9/11 celebrated his 37th birthday. Djokovic’s ability to thrive amongst the greats has never zHijackers who took over and crashed the four airplanes on September 11 came from countries now blockading Qatar been in doubt, but the size of his heart led to questions in his early days. secondary debate about how memories Saudi citizen, albeit one who had been bin Laden from his exile in Sudan to At Wimbledon in 2007, he retired with a back injury in the By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Baker Institute Fellow for the Middle East of that era-defi ning day are recalled. stripped of his citizenship by the Saudi his new haven in Afghanistan made a third set of his semi-fi nal Throughout the ages, history and mem- authorities and were facilitated by stopover in the UAE. against Nadal. ory have been contested and recreated funding which largely fl owed through It is inevitable that the mean- Djokovic’s He also quit at the even- as time has passed and agendas have Dubai on its way to the US. ing of historical events will change 2006 and 2007 French teen changed. In Britain, the way the First And yet, one of the first acts of the over time, but we live in a world of ability to thrive years World War was remembered shifted ‘Anti-Terror Quartet’ was to com- ‘alternative facts’ and ‘fake news’ that Opens at the third round Shave markedly in the 1950s as the generation mission a documentary by Sky News give new meaning to George Orwell’s amongst the and quarter-fi nal stages passed since the of parents of the soldiers who had died Arabia – a joint venture between the famous line from 1984 that “He who respectively, while at the terrorist attacks in that war passed away and the horrors UK-based Sky group and the Abu controls the past controls the future. greats has never 2009 Australian Open, of September of 1914-18 were superseded by those Dhabi Media Investment Corporation He who controls the present controls where he was defending 11, 2001, long of the Second World War. As it became owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed the past.” It was perhaps no surprise been in doubt enough for an more socially acceptable in Britain to al-Nahyan, a leading figure in Abu that the day of the hacking of the Qa- champion, he pulled out of entire generation to grow up under its question why the First World War had Dhabi’s ruling family. The documen- tar News Agency, an article recalling his quarter-fi nal with Andy Roddick citing heat exhaustion. shadow. Kids born on 9/11 are begin- been fought in the fi rst place, radical tary – for which I was approached to the Khalid Sheikh Mohamed episode But at the 2012 Australian Open, nobody was questioning ning their senior year in high school and critiques such as Oh! What a Lovely appear in but declined out of concern was published in Foreign Policy by a his courage anymore when he beat Nadal in the longest fi nalising their college applications and War and The Donkeys redefi ned popular at its lack of integrity – sought to senior figure at the Foundation of the Grand Slam fi nal of all time, a draining 5hr 53min people must be in their 20s to hold any images of the war for an entire genera- recast the entire history of 9/11 by fo- Defence of Democracies to coin- direct memories of the day itself. tion, immortalised in the lampooning cusing on the role of its mastermind, cide with a conference that it later masterpiece. As a college instructor teaching the of the bungling generals in Blackadder Khalid Sheikh Mohamed, and the cir- transpired was financed by funds later Djokovic captured the fi rst of his 12 majors in Melbourne in history and politics of the modern Goes Forth in the early 1990s. cumstances of his time and departure traced back to special interests acting 2008, but it was three years before he added his second. Middle East, I really became aware of Memories of the September 11 attacks from Qatar in the mid-1990s. on behalf of the UAE. He dropped gluten from his diet, his lithe physique the generational shift when I heard my on New York and Washington, DC have Qatar…The Road to Manhattan cov- In this environment where percep- allowing him to chase down lost causes, transforming him students talking about 9/11 the way I do come under renewed focus over the past ered material that had long been in the tions are mixed with facts and fi ction about the Iranian revolution as some- year as they have intersected with the public domain and was catalogued in until they become indistinguishable into the rubber man of tennis. thing that happened before my time Gulf crisis caused by the blockade of the offi cial report of the 9/11 Commis- from one another narratives matter, After leading Serbia to a maiden Davis Cup in 2010, he but whose legacy continues to resonate Qatar by four regional states posing as sion that was released in 2004. While especially to a White House that took raced through the fi rst half of 2011, building up a 48-1 powerfully today. There is nothing quite an ‘Anti-Terror Quartet.’ Between them, the circumstances of Khalid Sheikh offi ce in January 2017 with so little winning run. like realising that one’s students were the four members of the so-called Mohamed’s time in Qatar are indeed experience or interest in international Only a semi-fi nal defeat at the French Open prevented barely born when events took place that Quartet – Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, damning, using an event from 1996 to aff airs, and which showed itself so vul- still seem as if they happened yesterday and the United Arab Emirates – con- pin 9/11 on Qatar is a stretch, and the nerable to infl uence-shaping attempts him from becoming just the third man to capture a calendar to make one feel they are getting old. stituted the nationalities of 18 of the documentary’s producers inexplicably in its turbulent opening months in Grand Slam. As with any other major world event, 19 hijackers who took over and crashed omitted another mention of 1996 in offi ce which now are being investigated Despite that, he still fi nished 2011 with a 70-6 win-loss the inexorable passage of 9/11 from the four airplanes on 9/11. Moreover, the 9/11 Commission Report which had by Robert Mueller and his team. (kc31@ record, a haul of 10 tournament victories and year-end lived experience into history triggers a the attacks were masterminded by a noted that the plane that carried Osama rice.edu) number one for the fi rst time. Back-to-back Australian Opens followed in 2012 and 2013, although the French Open remained frustratingly out of reach with three heart-breaking losses until his 2016 breakthrough. In Paris that year, he became the fi rst player to break through the $100mn barrier in prize money. Djokovic has also not been afraid to innovate, bringing in Boris Becker as part of his coaching team for the start of the 2014 season. However, despite his achievements, Djokovic appears doomed never to be held in the same esteem as Federer and Nadal, the ‘people’s champions’. His past run-ins with the umpires and crowds could be one reason for that, but all that could change if he manages the next few years of his life without further troubles.

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Memories of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, DC have come under renewed focus over the past year as they have intersected with the Gulf crisis © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved caused by the blockade of Qatar. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 11, 2018 19 COMMENT GROUND ZERO REVISITED, 17 YEARS ON 9/11 triggered the ‘war on terror’ but radical groups are still on the rise

By Osama bin Javaid killed in terrorist attacks, according to terror” which has seen US kill lists ex- mass destruction” - the pretense for Qaeda off shoot to ourish.fl AQIM. latest Global Terrorism Index by the pand beyond countries and continents. that war was later found to be faulty Although Al Qaeda has been operat- As US forces were spread in the Mid- Institute for Economics and Peace. Al Qaeda began attacking US targets and based on sexed up intelligence ing in Yemen since the 1990s, it wasn’t dle East, Washington relied on indirect he planes hit the towers and As wars and confl icts intensifi ed, in the 1990s but the frequency, ferocity reports. until 2009 when its Saudi and Yemeni support for partners in North Africa’s the world changed. so did lawlessness and proliferation of and locations multiplied after the US Iraq was the next phase in the US franchises united to form Al Qaeda in Sahel and Sahara to suppress the infl u- September 11, 2001 was an radical armed groups. went to war with the group. war on terror and despite the toppling the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP. ence of Al Qaeda. Tunprecedented seismic event But eff orts to wage wars have been Al Qaeda originated on the Pakistan- of the Saddam Hussain government US support for the Yemeni leader Although AQIM’s leaders are be- in modern politics of our times which referred to as fi ghting fi res with petrol. Afghanistan border when Muslim the fi ghting intensifi ed. (who was deposed during the Arab lieved to be in the Algerian and Malian sparked yet another generational con- The lack of a strategy or real eff orts fi ghters from across the globe fl ocked The leader of Al Qaeda’s Iraq wing Spring protests) failed to wipe out Al deserts, its activities spread to Niger, fl ict after the Soviet era. to address the underlying causes to fi ght alongside the then US-spon- - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi soon became Qaeda from Yemen. Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Ivory Only this time it was against an un- (including economic, political and sored Afghan Mujahideen. too violent for Al Qaeda itself. US air strikes and drone attacks have Coast. known, unidentifi ed, stateless enemy. ideological) has seen an exponential The men called to wage a holy war His branch of Al Qaeda later continued to kill AQAP leaders but The group has relations with the Just as diffi cult to explain the days of growth in the ability of hardline groups against the Soviet Union included Arab morphed into Islamic State of Iraq and casualties have included US citizens, Somali Al Qaeda-linked faction Al non-smart phones, absence of Wi-Fi to recruit and expand. fi ghters such as Saudi-born Osama bin the Levant - commonly known as ISIL, women and children. Shebaab and partnerships with hard- and simpler airport procedures, it’s Many emirs, commanders, leaders Laden, who later became the leader of ISIS or the Arabic acronym Daesh. The collateral damage has helped line organisations in Tunisia, Libya and diffi cult to tell young people these days and heads of fi ghting gangs have been Al Qaeda’s pan-Islamic vision. Since its onset, the group picked up AQAP to recruit. Egypt. that we live in a post-9/11 world. killed, yet their operations continue. Its affi liates remain a potent threat fi ghters and Sunni military person- In the last few years a Saudi-led Roots of AQIM - or Al Qaeda in the A place where the US vs THEM After the attack on New York’s from Syria’s Al Nusra Front to Soma- nel from Saddam’s army who were blockade and troops on the ground Islamic Maghreb can be traced to the narrative is no longer weak and in the World Trade Center, the United States lia’s Al Shebaab. disbanded with the Iraqi army under a have pushed back AQAP into the desert Algerian civil war of the 1990s and shadows. US directive. and mountains of Yemen but its infl u- the Salafi st Group for Preaching and British author Jason Burke in his Many of its later leadership (includ- ence is far from over. Combat (known by its French acronym 2011 book The 9/11 Wars writes that ing its current supremo Abu Bakr al- AQIM GSPC). around 1,000 English-language books Baghdadi) became hardened fi ghters This year marks the 10th anniversary As I write this, the Middle East is with the word ‘terrorism’ in their under US-run torture sites such as the of US Africa Command or AFRI- throbbing with discontent. titles existed in 1995, in ten years that Abu Gharib prison. COM which has as many as 7,200 US Another Russia-Iran-Syria off ensive number multiplied nearly 11 times. ISIL declared its global intentions uniformed personnel, Department of is impending in the northern city of Burke argues that the reduced two years into the confl ict in Syria. Defence civilians, and contractors. Idlib, protesters are burning offi cial emphasis on nations as sponsors of Its ranks and strength were buoyed Across the North African desert buildings in southern Iraq where basic terrorism was replaced with a new by the infl ux of foreign fi ghters and region from Somalia in the east to services, power and electricity have focus on non-state groups (who were lack of international leadership in the Mauritania in the west, groups like been almost missing since the US many times portrayed as a monolith, wake of complex proxy wars from re- Al Qaeda have taken advantage of the invasion, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis united, multi-headed monstrosity). gional and international players inside disenfranchised and impoverished lo- is worsening with aid cuts, Libya’s “Islam” became a hot issue, “Islamic Syria. cal population. capital is riddled with armed gangs, militancy” nom de guerre of non-con- The highest number of deaths from In 2006 militant leaders pledged the Saudi Arabia-UAE-Bahrain-Egypt ventional guerrilla warfare and terms ISIL attacks has been in Muslim ma- allegiance to Al Qaeda and formed bloc shows no sign of resolving a self- like “Islamists” were conjoined with jority countries. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or created confl ict with Qatar. terrorists rather than scholars. Now its self-declared caliphate in None of this is related to what hap- Violence has become more wide- Iraq and Syria has crumbled after a pened on September 11, 2001 – yet spread and has had a profound impact (as the unoffi cial leader of the free Here’s a list of countries where Al high humanitarian cost and its online everything is tied to a complicated on society, economics, politics and world) took it upon itself to begin the Qaeda and its affi liates have a presence. recruitment campaigns have been world order and the chain of events even religions. so-called “war on terror”. Afghanistan, Indonesia, Philippines, largely diminished. which followed that fateful day. Since 2001 Muslim majority coun- Al Qaeda Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, But its sleeper cells and operatives tries have faced more incidents of Afghanistan has become the longest Yemen, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, are believed to have spread out from zOsama Bin Javaid is a senior jour- terrorism. running US war with no near end or Uganda, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauri- the Middle East to Europe, Asia and nalist working in the Middle East. About 94% of all terrorism-related exit strategy in sight. tania, Morocco, Spain, France, UK, Africa. In the last two decades, he has cov- deaths happened in the Middle East In less than a month after the twin Belgium, Germany, Italy. AQAP ered confl icts in Mena and South Asia and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, tower attacks, on October 7, 2011 the ISIL War-torn Yemen’s impoverished with a focus on armed groups in the and South Asia. US invaded Afghanistan. On March 20, 2003 US forces neighbourhoods have provided the region and beyond. He can be reached In 2016 nearly 26,000 people were It was the beginning of the “war on invaded Iraq to get rid of “weapons of perfect environment for another Al on twitter @osamabinjavaid Culmination of US actions in Arab world: Ghabra

By Ayman Adly cluding the Israeli-Palestinian confl ict. diff erent parts of the world during with much more violence and loss as among large sectors of the Arab pop- Staff Reporter Accordingly, America assumed the role the 1970s such as some of the violent a consequence. ulation in the Arab regimes’ ability of a major player in the region and its Marxist groups in Latin America, Ghabra pointed out that September to lead change led to the Arab Spring. history. Europe, Germany and Japan. Al Qaeda 11 had a lasting impact on the rela- But the roots of the Arab Spring he September 11 attacks of After the conclusion of the Soviet- took a Salafi st Wahhabi Islamic cover tions between the American and the could be found in the events that took 2001, which were unprec- Afghan war in the late 1980s America and played on the disappointment of Arab and Islamic world. For instance place after September 11. The entire edented in the modern history and its Arab allies gave up Osama bin many Arab young people with their during 2003-2005, the US called for Arab order was discredited once the Tof the US, shocked America Laden, the founder of Al Qaeda. In own regimes and with US policy in the more regime reforms in the Mid- US forces landed in Iraq and changed and the whole world equally due to the addition, the end of the war created the Middle East and in Palestine. Ghabra dle East, “some leaders said we will its regime,” Ghabra said. massacre of large groups of innocent problem of what is known as the Arab explained that it is typical that many reform and make changes including The academic stressed that the re- civilians, according to Dr Shafeeq Afghan fi ghters, who returned to their violent groups adopt a revolutionary Egypt and Syria but ultimately no gion suffers from what he called “the Ghabra, Professor of Political Science countries after the war, but their gov- stand. major positive changes took place on small state syndrome and the large at Kuwait University. ernments failed to rehabilitate them He said that though Taliban, which the ground.” states bullying”, which was the situ- In a telephone interview with Gulf and give them the necessary jobs and was in power at that time in Af- “After the US invasion of Iraq, ation in Europe before World Wars Times, the academic pointed out that social security. Accordingly, their issue ghanistan, denounced the September some neighbouring countries were I and II. Accordingly, small states the events of September 11 represented escalated and started to pose serious 11 attacks, the US went ahead and in fear saying “we are next. Syria have to form strong alliances with big a culmination of the various engage- risks to such regimes. attacked Afghanistan. Then they at- supported many terrorist groups powers to ensure their stability and ments of the US in the Arab world “I believe that bin Laden purposely tacked Saddam Hussain and entered in Iraq to keep America busy there security. until then. It has supported various chose mostly young Saudi people to Iraq with the intention of changing and was involved with Al Qaeda and “This can only change once the undemocratic regimes, engaged in hijack the aircraft and execute the at- Dr Shafeeq Ghabra: “the roots of the the regime and reshaping the region. al-Zarqawi during 2002-2004. They region is able to create a security ar- various military actions at various tacks to embarrass the Saudi regime, Arab Spring could be found in the events Ultimately, both wars failed and the used this defence strategy to keep rangement with all the powers of the spots there and imposed diff erent a close ally of America. He intended that took place after September 11” conflict and violence deepened in the the Americans away as they thought Gulf including Iran, Iraq and Yemen. sanctions and blockades against some to weaken or dampen the US support region with much loss for America that they would be next after Iraq. Dialogue and trust building must come other regimes. to the Arab regimes in the Middle East East,” Ghabra said. estimated in hundreds of billions of Similarly, Iran waited patiently and fi rst,” he said. He said the US has a history of be- and make America draw back on its He said Al Qaeda adopted revo- dollars. Besides, a power vacuum was made the US dependent on Iranian ing in the midst of the Middle East’s role in the area. However, this never lutionary Islamic ideology employ- created giving room for more terror- neutrality to minimise the violence in zDr Shafeeq Ghabra is Professor of dynamic events with interventions in worked out and America got involved ing violence to enforce their desired ist organisations to flourish and grow Iraq,” he explained. Political Science at Kuwait University various major events in the region in- in more actions to reshape the Middle changes, like many other groups in including Al Qaeda, IS and others “The constant disappointment ([email protected]) Attack was an offspring of the Cold War

By Nabal Khammash countries, and the Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia play a much bigger fi nancing the jihadist operations In the early stage, the Arab it is mandatory for each Muslim in Al Khobar, which killed 20 exploitation of Islam in such role on the level of political through the resale of the seized Afghan saw that it was necessary and the Arab Peninsula people US military personnel. Though confrontation was the target, communication with the Jihadist illicit drugs instead of destroying for them to be independent from in particular, to fi ght until the bin Laden did not assume declaring war on atheism. Command. Saudi Arabia hurried them. the Afghan fi ghting factions and land of the two holy mosques responsibility for any of the two, n spite The second element to join this project out of its Jihad in Afghanistan was formations, and decided to have is completely purged. Again, he issued later in the same year of the entailed the transfer from the wish, or rather obsession, of declared worldwide and young their own camps. Taking into the call for jihad adopted an his fi rst statement on “declaring attempts psychological and cultural leading the Arab and Islamic enthusiastic people from consideration that bin Laden international form, and what jihad to expel infi dels from the of confl ict to the stage of worlds, especially after the different countries hurried to was the most prominent jihadist is known as Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula”, calling on I Saudis to attack the US forces in many Arab confrontation. This involved regression of the Egyptian role join in. The Saudis, Egyptians, leader, he was able to establish Arabian Peninsula was created. countries the preparation of a country and rising competition from Algerians, Moroccans, Syrians six camps that attracted those The relations between Al the Gulf region. to deny neighbouring the Soviet Union, the Islamic Revolution in Iran. and Palestinians accounted willing to join from among the Qaeda and the CIA at this stage In an escalation that climaxed their direct and use it as a model, copying Besides, Saudi Arabia found in for 25,000 to 30,000 fighters young Arab men. The group was started to worsen and bin Laden in 1998, he called through a links to the the experience of the US war declaring a holy war on atheism within the first five years called Al Qaeda, and experts in was considered an enemy and a coalition with a number of comprehensive plans prepared in Vietnam. Accordingly, the at Afghanistan a justifi cation for of declaring jihad. Those Islamic movement see that the terrorist. First, the CIA accused Islamic groups in Afghanistan by the Central Intelligence ideal choice was Afghanistan its failure to address the more were known later as the Arab name appeared for the fi rst time bin Laden in 1994 of fi nancing for the killing of Americans Agency (CIA) to resolve the Cold to produce a confrontation that immediate challenge of the Afghan, and formed the basis of between August 1988 and the camps to train terrorists in east and Jews including civilians War, which lasted for nearly takes the shape of a holy war. Arab-Israeli confl ict. the Al Qaeda organisation. The end of 1989. Sudan. In the following year, anywhere, anytime. Based on three decades between the US This strategy was designed Brzezinski expressed his Pakistani intelligence agency Eventually, the Russians CIA accused him of the same in this fatwa, it was natural that and the erstwhile Soviet Union, as a target to be implemented happiness regarding the ISI, under the supervision of withdrew from Afghanistan in east Yemen. Things became hard the operations targeting the the many resources, explored throughout the late 1970s enthusiasm of the Saudi the CIA, opened a services 1989, and all the involved groups on the leader of Al Qaeda and US sites and locations would by specialist researchers, have during term of President Jimmy prince for the project. When office in Islamabad for dispersed and ceased the jihadist after moving through diff erent increase, most prominently the revealed beyond doubt that Carter. His National Security they discussed fi nances, the receiving Arab fighters and operations against atheism. countries including Saudi explosions at the US embassies many were involved in the Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski prince suggested that the two preparing them to join the However, the beast was already Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and in Nairobi, Dar-e-Salem, process. accordingly became the engineer sides establish a rotary fund, fighting operations. unleashed and became a threat Yemen, bin Laden returned to his Tanzania, and Kenya. For each The main features of the and supervisor to implement the where Riyadh and Washington Salafi st Abdullah Azzam was for its creators. safe haven in Afghanistan, where blast, the accusation pointed plan had been prepared by plan. fi nance evenly on condition the fi rst to supervise this offi ce. In time, bin Laden returned he and his organisation enjoyed to bin Laden and his jihadist US intelligence institutes and During his visit to Riyadh in that minimum credit at any He used to receive direct support to his home country without the protection of Taliban. organisation, until the major research centres for decades. January 1980, Brzezinski met given time should not be less from the US. According to a abandoning his project, and the However, this place was also accusation came, which was The elements of the plan agreed the then Saudi Crown Prince than $1bn. From the very start number of narratives, he was the presence of US military forces not safe, especially after US charging him for the September with the status of confl ict during Fahd bin Abdulaziz and briefed Saudi Arabia was committed to one who convinced the Saudi on the Arab Peninsula pursuant President Bill Clinton issued an 11, 2001, attacks in New York the time of cold war. The fi rst him on the main aspects of the pay its share on time. However, young man Osama bin Laden to to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait authorisation to the CIA in 1996 and Washington. element was “the launching of holy war project in Afghanistan. following an advice given by join the ranks of the jihadists. in 1990 was an incentive for to use every means to destroy ideals before fi ring the shots”. The Crown Prince instantly the president of the French Bin Laden was already convinced him to continue his holy war. the network of bin Laden. Two zNabal Khammash is a Taking into consideration fell in love with the project. In Intelligence Agency to the then with the ideas and eventually He based his jihad on the fatwas major explosions took place in Jordanian writer and political the deep psychological rift addition to the required fi nances US President Ronald Reagan, decided to join the fi ghters in of a number of Salafi st Sheikhs Saudi Arabia in 1996. The fi rst analyst (nabal.jordan@yahoo. between Muslim peoples and for the project, he asked that the US paid its obligations by 1982. (Muslim clergymen) saying that was in Riyadh and the second com) Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, September 11, 2018 QATAR GROUND ZERO REVISITED, 17 YEARS ON The root of terrorism UAE’s malicious role in 9/11 still exists From Page 1 Each state has its own life- cycle. Talking about the elimi- Our one and only catastrophe nation of corruption and hand- nowadays is that some countries ing over the corrupt to justice is attacks needs scrutiny are maniacally trading in religion a beautiful gesture and a reform to achieve few short-term polit- initiative. However, is it really er people mention the September The integral part the Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yem- of the UAE for the internation- ical goals to serve their internal the case that Prince Mohamed 11 attacks, fi ngers are pointed at UAE played in the attacks en, and Somalia.” al community which must be and foreign policies. The naivety has been fi ghting corruption Saudi Arabia as the main culprit, was in providing fi nancial In another report published brought to an immediate end, if of engaging in such a sensitive or establishing a more absolute thanks to the overwhelmingly support to the hijackers in The American Conservative the world wants to prevent fu- ‘business’ does not only lie in the rule where all the power is cen- large number of terrorists from magazine on June 22, 2018, writ- ture catastrophes. The world can fact that this venture is doomed tralised in his hands? that country who took part in the which a terrorist exists in area er and author Brian Saady refers no longer bear the consequences to boomerang. Rather, it cre- I strongly support Prince dastardly act, forgetting about X and wants to bomb area Y. He to the UAE as “A Hub for Terror- of UAE’s defi ance and reckless- ates a butterfl y eff ect that pas- Mohamed-led reforms that the involvement of United Arab can never do anything in Area Y, ist Money Laundering.” Ques- ness — evident in its ongoing sively aff ects not only desperate have so far created some free- Emirates (UAE) in the tragedy. unless there’s fi nancial support. tioning the US approach, Saady support for terrorism directly as Muslims all around the world, dom for activists and granted Too many indicators and reve- With fi nancial muscle, you in- asks: “We claim to be fi ght- is the case in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, but also the image of Islam as a women the right to drive. Nev- lations have exposed the Emirati crease the probability of execut- ing terrorism. So why don’t we Somalia, Libya, and others, or in- heavenly religion. ertheless, is it reasonable to role in the attacks. Still, some of ing your plot, which is where the get tougher on the United Arab directly through being one of the Saudi Arabia is well-known imprison activists like Israa al- the popular Western media out- UAE, thanks to the suspicious Emirates?” safest havens for money laun- for its exploitation of political Ghomgham and others, while lets try to hide it partly due to the role of its banks, facilitated the The argument about the UAE dering for terrorists. Islam and it has been made evi- simultaneously he presents ubiquitous petrodollars which culprits. and its close links to September Sooner than later, the aura of dent in many wars, especially himself as a reformer? Or is it By Ahmed al-Qudah Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mo- As already known to the in- 11 terror attacks is not new. Writ- infl uence the UAE has been shap- in the Arab region; some of the reasonable to imprison writer News Editor, Qatar Media hamed bin Zayed, the de facto ternational community, the ing for Huff Post, activist Kristen ing for decades, whether in the examples are the separation war and entrepreneur Essam al- Corporation ruler of the country, has so far UAE has been a vigorous hub for Breitweiser detailed a report in US, Europe, or in other parts of of Yemen in the 1990s and the Zamel for writing about Ara- been able to ply them with. money laundering for decades. which she highlighted the means the world, has to be exposed and wars in Iraq and Syria. The ma- mco and the need for economic To some extent the 9/11 epi- A 2016 report by US Department through which the UAE helped Abu Dhabi denied the ability to jority of the ISIS fi ghters were reforms? s the world still mourns sode could have been avoided of State designated the UAE as a support the 9/11 attacks. In the support terrorist networks. Ac- Saudis who were intentionally Saudi Arabia is somehow the fateful death of thou- had the UAE placed some con- country “of primary concern” report, Breitweiser underlined tivating ‘Justice Against Spon- freed from prisons to join the turning against itself in that it Asands of innocent people trol over the mayhem-like nature in this regard. According to the the hesitation on the US part sors of Terrorism Act’ (JASTA) wars in neighbouring countries. has been creating internal en- in the attacks on Twin Towers of of illegal transactions its banks report, the US has “some indica- to “to acknowledge, sanction/ will also hopefully, bring positive Riyadh’s immature use of emies for itself on a daily ba- the World Trade Center in New were making at the time. The in- tions trade-based money laun- blacklist, and hold accountable outcomes, and help eliminate the political Islam has caused the sis. The talk here is about the York City on September 11, 2001, tegral part the UAE played in the dering occurs in the UAE … and every nation that participates in reign of terror Saudi Arabia and spread of the beast of terror- various crackdowns the king- a major complicit in the terrorist attacks was in providing fi nancial that such activity might support the funding of terrorist groups.” the UAE have unleashed upon ism, and, until now, this beast dom has launched on thinkers, attacks is still somehow playing support to the hijackers. sanctions-evasion networks and In my considered view, there the world. is out of control. Saudi Arabia is politicians, moderate religious smart and on the loose. Whenev- Consider the scenario in terrorist groups in Afghanistan, is so much contempt on the part [email protected] responsible for introducing this fi gures and activists like Sal- beast to Islam, and it is now up man al-Awdah, who has been to the international community described by UN experts as a to rein it in. This has to stop. “reformist”. Total recall: The day that shook the world It is no secret that Saudi Ara- In my view, the region is still bia has been actively using se- a fertile area for extremists was then that I realised that this target was assumed to be any “with us or against us”. Regardless aftermath fomented ongoing lected government-supported and terrorism, mainly due to was no figment of imagination and one of the White House, US of the red heat it generated for conflicts and rebellions, but the Imams to educate and infl uence the dictators ruling infl uential the skyscraper which had looked Capitol, Camp David retreat in its covenant, it impacted global scale of death and destruction young people, passively inject- countries. Look at Egypt as an like a spitting image of the World Maryland, or one of a clutch geopolitics on a scale never before that had become the norm and ing into their minds the seeds of example, from where news of Trade Center was, in fact, just that: of N-plants along the East seen, and which saw the eff ective peaked with the devastating hatred, malice, grudge and ze- killings or bombings is com- South Tower, taking a startling hit. Seaboard, but which fell through ouster from principled locations attack on America in 2001 has ro-tolerance, while, simultane- ing out almost on a daily basis. It took a while to absorb that all after determined passengers in Afghanistan of the Taliban reduced. Although by no means is ously promising them godly re- Egypt could have been a perfect this was really happening — that and flight attendants, who had, from operational power, and a the world out of the radar of terror, wards. In other words, the role example of a Middle Eastern the world’s sole superpower by then, learned of the attacks draining but eventually successful it is more aware of the pitfalls of assigned by the government country that was able to demo- was under attack — a series in New York and Washington campaign to eliminate Osama bin not meeting the menace head-on to those Imams was to decep- cratically elect a president in of incredibly precise missions via cellphones, fought off Laden-led Al Qaeda, and years and suff ering isolationism. tively recruit ‘Jihadi’ puppets a transparent manner, had not impossible one after the other the hijackers by reportedly, and keep them on standby until the petro-dollars of Saudi Ara- (all in a day’s terror work) — attacking the cockpit with There can be any number of arguments in favour of or further notice. bia and the UAE intervened to By Kamran Rehmat beyond the wildest imagination a fire extinguisher — had against the response from the Bush Administration to the Although some may argue literally destroy the dreams of of a Hollywood scriptwriter. unequivocally, challenged terrorist attacks in terms of its dimension and dynamics, otherwise, modern ‘Jihadism’ Egyptian youths of having and Even though it is 17 years to the America’s preeminence and but there can be no denying that the rearguard was emerged with the appearance of living in a democratic state. I remember the day vividly. Just day, there is still that aura of power to influence the world. inevitable and instructive Al Qaeda in Afghanistan to fi ght One may say that Prince Mo- a few minutes shy of 5pm when disbelief that the mightiest of all Now that the dice had been cast, the Soviets in the 1970s . It was hamed (MbS) is really trying to I was about to leave for work in nations could be a sitting duck it posed a present and clear later, the mastermind himself. In 2014, I had occasion to visit the initiated by Saudi Arabia with reform the kingdom. Still, our Muscat, the languid capital of for the while it lasted. But what is danger to the basic civilisational This space would be scant to 9/11 Memorial, an experience so the support of the US spy agen- merciless reality ponderously Sultanate of Oman, where I served beyond a shadow of doubt is that structure of the West, in general, discuss the length and breadth profound that it takes you in its cy CIA. So far, Riyadh has been negates that. The Saudi ver- as News Editor in Times of Oman, the deadliest terrorist attacks in and America, in particular, but of the impact made by the global sweep. In a way, it symbolises a a devoted and robust donor and sion of liberalism and the quick the country’s leading English history did change the world, for also other parts of the globe war on terror. But very briefly, global communion — remember sponsor of the armed group. pace of the reforms are creating language broadsheet, I switched both America and the rest of us vulnerable by association. The what it did was dramatically citizens of more than 90 countries The Saudi-government’s Ji- a serious sense of alienation, on the TV; its volume pressed on this cinder of a planet. world itself had to change to overhaul the established perished in the attacks and the hadi recruitment has for long let alone the consequent pre- low. It just so happened that the There can be any number of counter it. And it fell upon the US security policy in the US. Safety, majority of them paid with their been an infamous part and par- dominant feeling of the lack of channel on cue was CNN. arguments in favour of or against to lead the charge. surveillance and privacy took on lives in the Twin Towers tragedy. cel of Riyadh’s foreign policy. It hope amongst Saudi youth. Un- I watched smoke billowing from the response from the Bush Declaring a war on terror the a whole new dimension with a Regardless of religion, race, is no secret that Al Qaeda was doubtedly, this warns of grave a skyscraper but since I did not Administration to the terrorist same night, President George series of measures — such as the ethnicity, language, or any other (is) secretly in touch, if not an consequences the kingdom initially pay attention to the tickers attacks in terms of its dimension Bush said in a televised national US Patriot Act — which critics say distinction, the spirit of humanity affi liate, of Saudi intelligence. In may subtly avoid if it engages in at the bottom of the screen, it and dynamics, but there can be no address: “Terrorist attacks can came at the cost of civil liberties. weighed heavy and whilst recalling a report published two years ago logical thinking and good rea- seemed eerily like a scene out denying that the rearguard was shake the foundations of our But what it did do was to largely the nerve-racking moments of the by Reuters, Zacarias Moussaoui, soning. of a movie. I thought as much. inevitable and instructive. biggest buildings, but they and eff ectively insulate the US tragedy on the day that shook the a former Al Qaeda operative im- Just then, a plane emerged from In a nutshell, the attacks on cannot touch the foundation from the kind of damage the 9/11 world, there was an inescapable prisoned for life for his role in In my view, the region the middle of the TV screen powerful symbols of American of America. These acts shatter attacks wrought on it. feeling that may be the world had the Sept 11 attacks, admitted in is still a fertile area for on the right and rammed into might — Twin Towers signifying steel, but they cannot dent the Down the road, it has led to far underestimated the propensity of a testimony fi led in Manhattan extremists and terrorism, the building. This intrigued me, the country’s financial might; steel of American resolve.” stricter immigration policies evil and it took an epic tragedy to federal court that “a list of do- mainly due to the dictators because the plane looked real — Pentagon denoting the military Thus began the US-led Operation resulting in trigger-happy draw the realisation and fight back. nors from the late 1990s during ruling infl uential countries. real enough for me to raise the might; and the fourth one in Enduring Freedom, pivoted on the deportations. Elsewhere on the The writer is Features Editor Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Lad- Look at Egypt as an volume and figure out the fuss. It Pennsylvania, whose intended black-and-white stated policy of globe, the terror war and its at the Gulf Times. en’s tenure included some ‘ex- example, from where news tremely famous’ Saudi offi cials, of killings or bombings is including Prince Turki al-Faisal coming out almost on a al-Saud, the former Saudi intel- daily basis ligence chief.” Just recently, The Associated Instead of wasting millions Press (AP) published an inves- of dollars on imprisoning the Images of 9/11 attacks etched in memory tigative report detailing how youth, princes, activists, Jihad- Saudi Arabia and the UAE man- ists, wars (in Yemen, Syria, and aged to cut deals with Al Qaeda Iraq) and other terrorism-related By Anthony Harwood not something that would stop story. The Sky News ticker-tape were talking to relatives on them in the towers and nobody knew commanders in strife-torn areas, Saudi Arabia, along with London Correspondent me going to buy a sandwich for my feed then began reporting that a or the fi res that had started in the how many were dead. It was just Yemen in a cooperative move the UAE, can invest that money lunch. The shop was fi ve minutes fourth plane was missing, pre- buildings had knocked out the an unbelievable horror, not just that shows how close the re- in creating jobs, and improving away and as I returned to my desk sume hijacked. We all wondered telecommunications. for them, but for the passengers lationship is between the sup- the educational curricula. or my parents’ generation I glanced at the screen, which was where that could be heading. Twelve minutes after the Pen- on the planes as well. For now it posedly ‘enemies,’ i.e., Saudi Unless Saudi Arabia and the it was President Kennedy’s still showing the same plume of The White House? Congress? tagon was hit the intense heat appeared that the attacks were Arabia and Al Qaeda. Ironically, UAE return to the right path Fassassination that every- smoke coming out the tower. Where would all this end? generated by the fi reball caused over and we could get on with the report also recounts how , terrorism will continue to one remembered: what they were Just as I hung up my jacket with Our offi ce was on the 22nd fl oor the South Tower to collapse, live getting the paper out. hundreds of the groups’ mem- thrive. Yet, why would they doing, where they heard the news my back turned to the TV screen, of the tallest building in London, on TV. We wiped out the front page bers were recruited to join the both choose to continue on the come through. the second plane slammed into the pyramid tower at One Canada It was a truly jaw-dropping with the single image that the Saudi-UAE coalition to fi ght same direction of destroying For me it was the death of the South Tower. “Did you see Square, which was right next to moment. None of us expected the world’s media went for – a pho- the war in Yemen. states and turning countries Princess Diana in 1997 and the that?’ someone said. “A plane’s City Airport. Over the coming days building to disintegrate like that. tograph of both towers drenched This lame technique of re- into failures? Is it their own September 11 terrorist attacks in gone into the other tower.” planes would be coming into land “My God, how many people in a fi reball of fl ame with the cruiting Jihadists is enacted way to escape internal political 2001, or 9/11. An argument then broke out past us all the time, and people work in those towers?” was all that headline: ‘War on the World’. By in almost every region where reformation? Why would Saudi Like most people I was in bed as another person insisted: “No, started craning their necks won- we could think about. “And how 11pm everything was done and Saudi Arabia has a presence. Arabia insist on representing enjoying a weekend lie-in when I that was just a replay of what dering if they were fl ying past or many had managed to get out?” reporters were being briefed to The kingdom’s petro-dollars the divine legitimacy of Islam heard about Diana’s car crash be- happened before.” into us. We knew that our rivals had Less than fi ve minutes later get themselves to New York any are what facilitate the said op- on earth, exactly as the crusad- cause the story broke over night. It was not long before we re- reporters living on Manhattan who another plane crashed in Penn- way they could. eration. The money could have ers used to do during the Middle But 9/11 – arguably the biggest alised what was unfolding – that would be on their way to the scene sylvania. Was it the one from ear- With US air space probably been positively used, had the Ages? This is totally unrealistic single news event since World America was under attack by ter- – named Ground Zero – and we lier which we thought could have closed for days, they would have kingdom invested it instead in and a disconnect. War II – broke slap bank in the rorists. “That’s Bin Laden,” said urgently needed to fi nd a reporter been heading towards Washing- to fl y to Canada or Mexico and developing its educational in- Against this background, I middle of our working day. one of the reporters, referring who could get there for us. ton, DC and the White House? drive across the border. One re- frastructure and in solving the see the reasons that led to the And at the time I was Deputy to the leader of Al Qaeda, which On a story as big as this every Thirty minutes later the North porter who was in Los Angeles problems of extremism or even September 11 attacks are still News Editor of the Daily Mir- had been carrying out attacks on newspaper needs a fi rst person Tower collapsed. The area look like was told to start the 3000-mile in bringing down the terrorism alive in our region. The imma- ror, based at London’s Canary US and Western targets for years, despatch from someone at the something out of a nuclear winter drive to the East coast. As we beast Riyadh has created. It is ture foreign policies adopted Wharf. although nothing ever as spec- scene who can convey the enor- as a cloud of dust enveloped Lower went for a late night pizza we no secret too that Turki al-Da- by some countries in the re- The News Editor had booked tacular as this. The Foreign Edi- mity of what has happened. We Manhattan covering the suits of spared a thought for the reporter khil, Saudi General Manager of gion should stop. Launching a holiday that week so I was the tor called our man in New York managed to get hold of a decent fl eeing offi ce workers in dust. from The Times who had chosen Al Arabiya News Channel, was wars and using proxies should one responsible for the day- Andy Lines, who was actually news agency reporter working By now the Editor, Piers Mor- to arrive in style for his new post- also an active advocator for Ji- also stop. Bringing justice to to-day running of the report- living outside New York City, to for Splash News, whose name gan, who had been at home re- ing in New York. hadism in Afghanistan in the the Palestinian people, ending ers and drawing up news lists to tell him to get to Manhattan as was in the paper the next day covering from a back operation, As the embers of the Twin 1990s. the wars in Syria, Yemen, and be presented in conference to fast as possible. even though he was not one of had arrived in the offi ce as had Towers began to cool he was In this context, one may ques- Libya, dissolving proxies, and the editor. In our offi ce at that Thirty minutes after the plane our staff reporters. the News Editor, who’d cancelled stranded with his family on a tion the validity and credibility stopping destabilisation and time there was a large TV screen hit the South Tower, a third air- Meanwhile we began hitting his holiday. We began prepar- trans-Atlantic cruise and would of Crown Prince Mohamed bin intervention in the internal af- showing Sky News round the liner fl ew into The Pentagon in the phones from London. We got ing for conference: Bin Laden’s not embark in Manhattan for an- Salman’s gargantuan Vision of fairs of other countries, shall, clock and it was here that I fi rst Washington. Seven minutes af- a list of companies working in the terrorist organisation, Al Qaeda, other week! 2030 and the reforms which he for sure, end terrorism. Saudi saw footage of the World Trade ter that America shut down its towers and began calling them up had struck the big one bringing Anthony Harwood is a is reportedly implementing in Arabia and the UAE must real- Center in New York with smoke airspace and Manhattan closed to try and speak to someone who down the most famous symbols former Head of News at the Daily the kingdom. For this vision, I ise this; otherwise, the beast of coming out of the North Tower. its bridges and tunnels. So Andy could tell us what was happening. of American economic power Mirror and Foreign Editor at the personally wish unprecedented terrorism will continue to grow The TV commentary suggested could not get to the Twin Tow- But we found the numbers were and the heart of its defence es- Daily Mail success and hopefully the re- and will totally get out of con- a light aircraft had fl own into the ers and we could not fl y reporters constantly engaged (occupied) tablishment. anthonyharwood@cliomedia. forms led by Prince Mohamed trol. building, an interesting story but over from London to cover the either because terrifi ed people Fifty thousand people worked co.uk will see light soon. [email protected]