Hoot 21-1399 Thursday 11 March 2021 INo: 289- Vol: LVIII I N T E R N A T I O N A L

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AFN 77.78 AFN 107.32 AFN 1071 AFN 492 AFN 92.80 AFN 0.35 AFN 21.15 Pentagon confirms Biden set new China's president says security situation 'uncertain,' urges military preparedness rules on drone strikes in foreign lands China's President Xi Jinping has called on the country's mili- The Pentagon has confirmed tary to be prepared to confront any that US President Joe Biden has threat in a "largely uncertain" se- set new rules on how the US mili- curity environment. tary and intelligence services can "The current security situa- conduct drone strikes and com- tion of our country is largely un- mando raids in foreign lands, re- stable and uncertain," President Xi storing the kind of control over the said during a panel discussion at- decision-making process that tended by armed forces represen- former president Donald Trump tatives on Tuesday. "The entire scrapped. military must coordinate the rela- Pentagon spokesman John tionship between capacity build- Kirby said on Monday that the ing and combat readiness, be pre- new rules represented "interim pared to respond to a variety of guidance" that was issued "to en- complex and difficult situations at sure the president has full visibili- any time." ty on proposed, significant ac- He said the Chinese armed forc- tions, which the National Security es needed to gear up to "resolutely opposed to the deployments to the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue," Council will review." safeguard national sovereignty, se- strait, which are made to support Wang said, urging the State Depart- Kirby added that the new rules curity, and development interests, the secessionist government in ment to "change the previous ad- were part of a broader review by and provide strong support for the Taipei. ministration's dangerous practices the Biden administration into the comprehensive construction of a Last week, China's Foreign of 'crossing the line' and 'playing legal and policy frameworks that come a cause for too much law- Last month, 's ambassador prohibition of the threat or use of modern socialist state." Minister Wang Yi called on US with fire.'" govern when and how those mis- yering and interminable meetings. and permanent representative to force," Majid Takht-Ravanchi was The Chinese president's re- President Joe Biden to reverse the Biden has not signaled a shift sions take place outside of parts Obama devised that system the UN warned of the unchecked quoted by media as saying in an marks come amid simmering ten- former administration's policies on in US posturing vis-à-vis Beijing. of the world that are clearly de- after the number of deadly US tendency by some countries to use address to the UN Security Coun- sions between Beijing and the new Taiwan. China is also involved in a bor- fined as war zones, like , Syr- drone strikes under his own pres- deadly force under the pretext of cil in New York. He pointed to the US administration. And they fol- "We urge the new US adminis- der dispute with India. ia, and Afghanistan. idency soared, prompting interna- exercising their right to self-de- assassination of General Soleimani, low a series of similar remarks by tration to fully understand the high "It's too early to come to grips tional outcry over the civilian fense, referring to the assassina- the commander of the top officials. with what reality is going to be, or deaths in those operations. tion by the US of Iran's Lieuten- of Iran's Islamic Revolution The president himself said last the impact it's going to have on The United Nations (UN) and ant General Qassem Soleimani. Guards Corps, in Iraq as a gross week that the United States was ‘Appalled’: UN urges specific parts of the world or on other organizations have criticized "If unchecked, the right to self- violation of the basic norms and the "biggest threat" to China's eco- specific terrorist groups," Kirby the US drone strikes as unlawful, defense will not only be abused principles of international law. The nomic and political growth and sta- said. condemning assassinations and more frequently by such states, US military assassinated General bility. probe into killing of "It's interim. It's not meant to saying US militarism is out of con- but also they will institute further Soleimani and his companions in And General Xu Qiliang, the be permanent, and it doesn't mean trol. exceptions to the principle of the Iraq on January 3, 2020. Presstv second-in-command of the Chinese it's a cessation" of the drone and Armed Forces after the president, Philippine activists commando strikes, he added. "The on Friday called for an increased authorities in some parts of the Top Bahraini cleric cautions against death defense budget in the face of ten- world are going to get visibility at sions with the United States and the National Security Council." of political inmates, warns about instability India. The New York Times first re- Separately, Chinese Defense ’s most prominent Shia cleric said no serious solution or in mid-February 2011, as recurring ported last week that Biden had Minister General Wei Fenghe said cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim has successful reconciliation would be demonstrations throughout the secretly limited assassination on Saturday that the nation's warned about the death of politi- accepted without the release of years demanded that the ruling Al drone strikes away from the war cal dissidents in the Manama re- prisoners and that the success of Khalifah family relinquish power. armed forces needed to enhance zones, requiring military and in- gime’s prisons and demanded their the solution is linked to the release However, the regime has brutally their combat preparedness, warn- telligence operators to gain higher- immediate release, stressing that of all prisoners of conscience as suppressed dissent, and has arrest- ing that China's national security level approval as a stopgap mea- their confinement would lead to well as top leaders and figures of ed, injured and killed thousands of had "entered a high-risk phase." sure to tighten the loosened instability in the Arab country. the popular political movement, people in the Persian Gulf coun- "We are facing mounting tasks Trump-era assassination activities Sheikh Qassim was quoted by which was launched in Bahrain in try. and the United in national defense… and we must and airstrikes. the -language Bahrain Mir- 2011 to protest the suffering of Arab Emirates have also helped the comprehensively improve military During Trump's presidency, ror news website as making the the people under the Al Khalifah Manama regime in its ruthless training and preparedness for bat- the supervision, policy standards, remarks in a series of tweets on regime and to call for radical re- crackdown. Top Bahraini cleric tle so as to increase our strategic and procedures for using lethal Tuesday, saying the Bahraini re- forms in the government. Sheikh Isa Qassim says Bahrainis capabilities to prevail over our force outside designated war zones gime should prevent from the death A human rights group calls for will continue their struggle despite strong enemies," Wei said. The United Nations human the evidence was falsified. that his predecessor Barack Obama of political prisoners and not al- the release of six political activists the regime’s brutal crackdown. The Ties between Washington and rights office has condemned the Vice President Leni Robredo, had put in place in a 2013 order low cemeteries to be filled with who have been arbitrarily arrested February 14 Youth Coalition, a Beijing particularly soured under killing of nine activists by Philip- who was elected separately from were removed. their dead bodies since the coun- in Bahrain. movement named after the date of former US president Donald pine police over the weekend and Duterte and is from the opposi- According to that order, a sus- try would no longer have stability. “The alternative punishment the beginning of the Bahraini up- Trump, who clashed with China urged the government of President tion, condemned the incident and pect had to pose a "continuing and "The release of political pris- system is not a solution and it is rising, called last month for the for- on trade, technology, and regional Rodrigo Duterte to investigate the called it a “massacre”. imminent threat" to Americans to oners and all prisoners of political similar to the open prisons sys- mation of a coalition consisting of security, among other things. incident, as his national security “The Filipino people deserve be the target of assassinations out- movement is necessary for justice tem,” he added. “The solution lies all political groups as well as the The US regularly dispatches adviser confirmed a “shoot-on- better than this murderous re- and will be a serious introduction in giving freedom to all prisoners people of the Arab country to side a US war zone. warships and warplanes to the sight” order against the activists, gime,” Robredo said in a statement. to reform if it happens," Sheikh of conscience. Do it quickly for overthrow the country’s political Military and intelligence op- South China Sea and the Taiwan who are alleged to be communist Tens of thousands of people Qassim said in another tweet. the sake of the whole nation." The system. erators complained that under that rebels. have died in the conflict with Com- Bahrain’s most prominent Shia popular uprising in Bahrain began Reuters Strait. China claims sovereignty system, policy limitations had be- over nearly the entire sea and is “We are appalled by the ap- munist rebels that started more parently arbitrary killing of nine than 50 years ago. Successive Phil- activists,” Ravina Shamdasani, a ippine governments have struggled Myanmar generals hire lobbyist as anti-coup protests continue spokesperson for the UN High to end the fighting. Commissioner for Human Rights, The activists were killed just said during a news briefing in Gene- two days after Duterte ordered Myanmar’s generals have from the area people chanted: “Are ment that is intended to cripple Assistance Association for Politi- ing licences. At least 35 journalists va on Tuesday. government forces to “kill” and hired a Canadian lobbying firm to we staff united? Yes, we are unit- government business and bring cal Prisoners, an advocacy group have been arrested since the coup, “We are deeply worried that “finish off” all communist rebels help “explain the real situation” in ed” and a commentator claimed about the restoration of the elect- that is monitoring the arrests. according to Myanmar Now, one these latest killings indicate an es- in the country. He also urged gov- the country, as security forces on police were trying to remove bar- ed government of detained civilian On Tuesday, an National of the news organisations that has calation of violence, intimidation ernment forces to ignore human Wednesday were engaged in a ricades and threatening to shoot. leader Aung San Suu Kyi. League for Democracy (NLD) of- come under fire. Of those detained, harassment and ‘red tagging’ of rights, saying he was “willing to standoff at the staff compound of Details could not be indepen- The military response to the ficial said the party’s Zaw Myat 19 have since been released. West- human rights defenders.” go to jail” to defend his directive. railway workers opposed to the Linn had died in custody after he ern countries have condemned the “Red-tagging” refers to govern- Rights groups say the threats February 1 coup and the United was detained in Yangon at about coup and tightened sanctions on ment and military efforts to label against Maoist rebels no longer States said it was “repulsed” by 1:30am (19:00 GMT on Monday). some of the generals involved in- anyone critical of human rights appear to make any distinction the use of lethal force against pro- His wife said he had injuries to his cluding coup leader Min Aung Hla- abuses or fighting for labour rights between armed rebels and main- testers. abdomen. Speaking on Tuesday in ing. The European Union has in- as a communist. Shamdasani said stream rights defenders, left-wing Footage posted on social me- Washington, DC, State Depart- dicated tougher sanctions focusing an investigation into the deaths groups and other critics of the dia showed security forces gath- ment spokesman Ned Price said on miltary-linked businesses, but would be “a critical test for the Duterte administration. ered on the street near the railway the US was “repulsed” by the mil- the UN Security Council has been domestic investigative mechanisms On Tuesday, Duterte’s Na- staff compound, in an echo of the itary’s continued use of lethal force, struggling to reach an agreement on it has established for cases of this tional Security Adviser Hermo- military’s efforts on Monday night and urged the security forces to a response. On Tuesday, the 15- kind.” genes Esperon Jr defended the to barricade protesters into San- use “maximum” restraint in deal- member body failed to agree on a A total of nine activists were president’s order and said the op- chaung, also in Yangon. ing with the protests. “The latest statement that would have con- killed on Sunday after the govern- eration that killed the nine activ- One person involved in the escalations that we’ve seen in re- demned the coup, called for re- ment forces launched a “counter- ists was legitimate. strike told the Reuters news agen- cent days of violence, it’s just an- straint by the military and threat- insurgency” operation, which hu- “In the name of law and order, cy by telephone they feared an other indication of the military’s ened to consider “further mea- man rights activists described as a shoot-to-kill order has been is- imminent crackdown. complete disregard for the people sures”. China, Russia, India and “Bloody Sunday”. At least six oth- sued against armed CPP-NPA “I think they are going to ar- of Burma.” Price said, using an- Vietnam all suggested amendments er activists were also arrested. members,” Esperon said in a news rest us. Please help us,” said the dently verified. Police and army now-daily protests has become other name for Myanmar. “It’s un- to the text of a British draft, ac- Police said they have also re- briefing, referring to the armed person, who asked to be identified officials did not respond to re- increasingly violent with at least acceptable.” The military has also cording to diplomats, including the covered firearms and ammunition rebel groups. “It is really shoot on only as Ma Su rather than their quests for comment. 60 people thought to have been stepped up actions against inde- removal of a reference to a coup from the locations of the opera- sight. That’s really the order of the full name. The railway workers are part killed in the crackdowns and near- pendent media reporting on the and a threat to consider further tion but rights groups and family president,” said Esperon, who is a In a Facebook live broadcast of a mass civil disobedience move- ly 2,000 detained, according to the unrest, raiding offices and revok- action. members of the people killed said former military general. Reuters