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I. Turkish Gendarmerie Fires Directly at Asylum-Seekers
Casualties on the Syrian Border continue to fall by the www.stj-sy.org Turkish Gendarmerie Casualties on the Syrian Border Continue to Fall by the Turkish Gendarmerie At least 12 asylum-seekers (men and women) killed and others injured by the Turkish Gendarmerie in July, August, September and October 2019 Page | 2 Casualties on the Syrian Border continue to fall by the www.stj-sy.org Turkish Gendarmerie At least, 12 men and women shot dead by the Turkish border guards (Gendarmerie) while attempting to access into Turkey illegally during July, August, September and October 2019. Turkey continues violating its international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, by firing live bullets, beating, abusing and insulting asylum-seekers on the Syria-Turkey border. These violations have not ceased, despite dozens of appeals and many human rights reports that documented these acts since the outset of the asylum process to Turkey in 2012.1 According to victims’ relatives and witnesses who managed to access into Turkey, the Gendarmerie forces always fire live bullets on asylum-seekers and beats, tortures, insults, and uses those they caught in forced labor, and deport them back to Syria. STJ recommends that the Turkish government and the international community need to take serious steps that reduce violations against asylum seekers fleeing death, as violence and military operations continue to threaten Syrians and push them to search for a safe place to save their lives, knowing that Turkey has closed its borders with Syria since mid- August 2015, after the International Federation concluded a controversial immigration deal with Turkey that would prevent the flow of refugees to Europe.2 For the present report, STJ meets a medical worker and an asylum seeker tortured by the Turkish Gendarmerie as well as three relatives of victims who have been recently shot dead by Turkish border guards. -
Syria: "Torture Was My Punishment": Abductions, Torture and Summary
‘TORTURE WAS MY PUNISHMENT’ ABDUCTIONS, TORTURE AND SUMMARY KILLINGS UNDER ARMED GROUP RULE IN ALEPPO AND IDLEB, SYRIA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2016 Cover photo: Armed group fighters prepare to launch a rocket in the Saif al-Dawla district of the Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on 21 April 2013. (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. © Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2016 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: MDE 24/4227/2016 July 2016 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 METHODOLOGY 7 1. BACKGROUND 9 1.1 Armed group rule in Aleppo and Idleb 9 1.2 Violations by other actors 13 2. ABDUCTIONS 15 2.1 Journalists and media activists 15 2.2 Lawyers, political activists and others 18 2.3 Children 21 2.4 Minorities 22 3. -
QRCS Delivers Medical Aid to Hospitals in Aleppo, Idlib
QRCS Delivers Medical Aid to Hospitals in Aleppo, Idlib May 3rd, 2016 ― Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is proceeding with its support of the medical sector in Syria, by providing medications, medical equipment, and fuel to help health facilities absorb the increasing numbers of injuries, amid deteriorating health conditions countrywide due to the conflict. Lately, QRCS personnel in Syria procured 30,960 liters of fuel to operate power generators at the surgical hospital in Aqrabat, Idlib countryside. These $17,956 supplies will serve the town's 100,000 population and 70,000 internally displaced people (IDPs). In coordination with the Health Directorate in Idlib, QRCS is operating and supporting the hospital with fuel, medications, medical consumables, and operational costs. Working with a capacity of 60 beds and four operating rooms, the hospital is specialized in orthopedics and reconstructive procedures, in addition to general medicine and dermatology clinics. In western Aleppo countryside, QRCS personnel delivered medical consumables and serums worth $2,365 to the health center of Kafarnaha, to help reduce the pressure on the center's resources, as it is located near to the clash frontlines. Earlier, a needs assessment was done to identify the workload and shortfalls, and accordingly, the needed types of supplies were provided to serve around 1,500 patients from the local community and IDPs. In relation to its $200,000 immediate relief intervention launched last week, QRCS is providing medical supplies, fuel, and food aid; operating AlSakhour health center for 100,000 beneficiaries in Aleppo City, at a cost of $185,000; securing strategic medical stock for the Health Directorate; providing the municipal council with six water tankers to deliver drinking water to 350,000 inhabitants at a cost of $250,000; arranging for more five tankers at a cost of $500,000; providing 1,850 medical kits, 28,000 liters of fuel, and water purification pills; and supplying $80,000 worth of food aid. -
Recent Online Resources for the Analysis of Terrorism and Related Subjects Complied and Selected by Berto Jongman
PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 12, Issue 4 Recent Online Resources for the Analysis of Terrorism and Related Subjects Complied and selected by Berto Jongman Note from the Editor: The amount of new publications, reports, policy papers, lectures, presentations, videos and briefings in the field of terrorism and counter-terrorism can be overwhelming for the untrained researcher as well as for young counterterrorism professionals. In the following, a selection of recent open-source online publications, grouped into a dozen categories, has been made by a seasoned former intelligence analyst. An attempt has been made to select items from a variety of sources and positions, presenting different perspectives. Selection not necessarily means endorsement for a certain position or specific lines of argumentation. The following includes also a number of non- terrorism specific items from the broader spectrum of political violence and armed conflicts reports. Most of the items included below became available online in July and August 2018. They are categorised under these headings: 1. Non-Religious Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns 2. Religious (mainly Jihadi) Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns 3. Terrorist Strategies and Tactics 4. Conflict, Crime and Political Violence other than Terrorism 5. Counter-Terrorism – General 6. Counter-Terrorist Strategies, Tactics and Operations 7. State Repression and Civil War at Home and Clandestine & Open Warfare Abroad 8. Prevention and Preparedness Studies (including Countering Violent Extremism, De-Radicalization, Counter-Narratives) 9. Intelligence 10.Cyber Operations and Information Warfare 11.Risk & Threat Assessments, Forecasts, Analytical Studies 12.Also Worth Reading 1. Non-Religious Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns R. -
Volume 3 Interactions and New Directions in Near Eastern Archaeology
Civilizations in Contact Proceedings of the 5th “Broadening Horizons” Conference (Udine 5-8 June 2017) Volume 3 Interactions and New Directions in Near Eastern Archaeology Edited by Costanza Coppini Francesca Simi EUT EDIZIONI UNIVERSITÀ DI TRIESTE TABLE OF CONTENTS XI Preface XIII Foreword Civilizations in contact: current research and new approaches in Mediterranean and Near Eastern Archaeology 3 Elena Rova How wide is the Near East? Some reflections on the limits of “Near Eastern Archaeology” 23 Beatrice Barbiero A territorial model of animal husbandry for the southern Caucasus: some preliminary results 41 Eloisa Casadei The pottery repertoire at the end of the third millennium BC as chronological marker between southern Mesopotamia and the neighbouring regions. The case-study of the Syrian Jazirah 59 Francesca Chelazzi, Simone Bonzano Thinking data. Integrative big data approaches towards an ‘introspective’ digital archaeology in the ancient Mediterranean 77 Francesca Cioé, Marzia Merlonghi The Crisis Areas Archaeological Database (CAAD): a WebGIS for monitoring and safeguarding archaeological heritage 93 Costanza Coppini Settling the land: settlements pattern and ceramics in the land behind Nineveh from the Middle Bronze Age to the establishment of the Middle Assyrian State 111 Lorenzo Crescioli ‘Living burials’: reopening actions in kurgans and tombs between Central Europe and the Eurasian Steppe 137 Vittoria Dall’Armellina From the Caspian to the Aegean, from the Caucasus to the Carpathians. The circulation of the “long-sword” in -
In Numbers Highlights
WFP Syria Crisis Regional Response Situation Report September 2018 In Numbers Highlights 5.6 million refugees from Syria • In September, WFP reached more than 3.2 million refugees – out of a total of 5.6 million registered Syrian refugees – and 3.2 million Syrian refugees assisted in July host community members across Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, USD 4.0 billion injected into local economies of and Turkey through various food and cash-based assistance Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey programmes under the Country Strategic Plan (CSPs) in Egypt and Lebanon, and Transitional Interim CSPs in the three through cash-based transfers, local food countries. procurement and other expenditure since 2012. • Self-organized refugee returns verified by UNHCR in 2018 totalled 28,251 as of September 2018. Results from UNHCR People assisted 49% 51% return intention surveys showed that voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity remains the preferred durable solution for September 2018 Syrian refugees in the region. Overall: Situation Update Regional Refugee US$ 4.4 billion and Resilience Plan Regional WFP share: • As of September 2018, there are around 5.6 million refugees (3RP) 2018-2019 US$ 1.5 billion from Syria in the neighbouring countries of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. • According to UNHCR’s Return Perception and Intention WFP Net Funding Requirements Surveys conducted in 2018, 76 percent of Syrian refugees (November 2018 – April 2019)* hoped to return to Syria one day, up from 51 percent in 2017, while 19 percent noted that they do not want to come back. Voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity remains the Regional US$ 307.4 million preferred durable solution for Syrian refugees in the region. -
Current Issues in Kurdish Linguistics Current Issues in Kurdish Linguistics 1 Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics
Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics 1 Songül Gündoğdu, Ergin Öpengin, Geofrey Haig, Erik Anonby (eds.) Current issues in Kurdish linguistics Current issues in Kurdish linguistics 1 Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics Series Editor: Geofrey Haig Editorial board: Erik Anonby, Ergin Öpengin, Ludwig Paul Volume 1 2019 Current issues in Kurdish linguistics Songül Gündoğdu, Ergin Öpengin, Geofrey Haig, Erik Anonby (eds.) 2019 Bibliographische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deut schen Nationalbibliographie; detaillierte bibliographische Informationen sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de/ abrufbar. Diese Veröff entlichung wurde im Rahmen des Elite-Maststudiengangs „Kul- turwissenschaften des Vorderen Orients“ durch das Elitenetzwerk Bayern ge- fördert, einer Initiative des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kunst. Die Verantwortung für den Inhalt dieser Veröff entlichung liegt bei den Auto- rinnen und Autoren. Dieses Werk ist als freie Onlineversion über das Forschungsinformations- system (FIS; https://fi s.uni-bamberg.de) der Universität Bamberg erreichbar. Das Werk – ausgenommen Cover, Zitate und Abbildungen – steht unter der CC-Lizenz CC-BY. Lizenzvertrag: Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Herstellung und Druck: Digital Print Group, Nürnberg Umschlaggestaltung: University of Bamberg Press © University of Bamberg Press, Bamberg 2019 http://www.uni-bamberg.de/ubp/ ISSN: 2698-6612 ISBN: 978-3-86309-686-1 (Druckausgabe) eISBN: 978-3-86309-687-8 (Online-Ausgabe) URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:473-opus4-558751 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20378/irbo-55875 Acknowledgements This volume contains a selection of contributions originally presented at the Third International Conference on Kurdish Linguistics (ICKL3), University of Ams- terdam, in August 2016. -
Control of Terrain in Syria: February 9, 2015
Control of Terrain in Syria: February 9, 2015 Ain-Diwar Ayn al-Arab Bab al-Salama Qamishli Harem Jarablus Ras al-Ayn Yarubiya Salqin Azaz Tal Abyad Bab al-Hawa Manbij Darkush al-Bab Jisr ash-Shughour Aleppo Hasakah Idlib Kuweiris Airbase Kasab Saraqib ash-Shadadi Ariha Jabal al-Zawiyah Maskana ar-Raqqa Ma’arat al-Nu’man Latakia Khan Sheikhoun Mahardeh Morek Markadeh Hama Deir ez-Zour Tartous Homs S y r i a al-Mayadin Dabussiya Palmyra Tal Kalakh Jussiyeh Abu Kamal Zabadani Yabrud Key Regime Controlled Jdaidet-Yabus ISIS Controlled Damascus al-Tanf Quneitra Rebels Controlled as-Suwayda JN Controlled Deraa Nassib JN Stronghold Jizzah Kurdish Controlled Contested Areas ISW is watching Changes since last Control Map by ISW Syria Team YPG forces have taken Ayn al-Arab/Kobani from ISIS and swept outward to clear the surrounding countryside. The YPG continues to pursue ISIS as part of the “Euphrates Volcano Operations Room,” along with three Aleppo-based rebel groups. These groups claim to have seized over 100 villages from ISIS control. YPG and rebel forces seized the Qarah Qawzaq bridge on February 7 and appear to be mobilizing for an oensive against Manbij. ISIS forces are reportedly conducting “tactical withdrawals” from al-Bab, amidst rumors of ISIS attempts to hand over its bases to the Aleppo Sala Jihadist coalition Jabhat Ansar al-Din. ISW is placing watches on both Manbij and al-Bab as ISIS forces regroup and the Euphrates Volcano Operations Room continues to advance. Meanwhile, Hezbollah forces have mobilized in the vicinity of the besieged JN and rebel enclave of Zabadani, northwest of Damascus city near the Lebanese border, amidst an increased regime barrel bomb campaign against the town. -
In Numbers Highlights
WFP Syria Crisis Regional Response Situation Report August 2018 In Numbers Highlights 5.6 million refugees from Syria • In August, WFP reached an estimated 3.0 million refugees – out of a total of 5.6 million registered Syrian refugees – and 3.0 million Syrian refugees assisted in July host community members across Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, USD 4.0 billion injected into local economies of and Turkey through various food and cash-based assistance Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey programmes under the Country Strategic Plan (CSPs) in Egypt and Lebanon and Transitional Interim CSPs in the three through cash-based transfers, local food countries. procurement and other expenditure since 2012. • Self-organized refugee returns registered by UNHCR in 2018 totalled 23,416 as of August 2018. The United Nations People assisted 49% 51% maintains that it does not promote refugee returns to Syria until conditions for voluntary, safe and dignified returns are in August 2018 place. Overall: Situation Update Regional Refugee US$ 4.4 billion and Resilience Plan Regional WFP share: • As of August 2018, there are around 5.6 million refugees from (3RP) 2018-2019 US$ 1.5 billion Syria in the neighbouring countries of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. WFP Net Funding Requirements Jordan (October 2018 – March 2019)* • The Nasib border crossing between Syria and Jordan remains closed for now. Media reports in August said that the crossing is ready to receive Syrian refugees’ return from Jordan. Nasib Regional US$ 256.4 million has been vital for the transport of goods from Lebanon and Syria to Jordan and the Gulf states until it was closed off in Egypt US$ 14.8 million 2015, when it fell to Syrian opposition factions. -
Syrian Armed Opposition Powerbrokers
March 2016 Jennifer Cafarella and Genevieve Casagrande MIDDLE EAST SECURITY REPORT 29 SYRIAN ARMED OPPOSITION POWERBROKERS Cover: A rebel fighter of the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army gestures while standing with his fellow fighter near their weapons at the front line in the north-west countryside of Deraa March 3, 2015. Syrian government forces have taken control of villages in southern Syria, state media said on Saturday, part of a campaign they started this month against insurgents posing one of the biggest remaining threats to Damascus. Picture taken March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ©2016 by the Institute for the Study of War. Published in 2016 in the United States of America by the Institute for the Study of War. 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 515 | Washington, DC 20036 www.understandingwar.org Jennifer Cafarella and Genevieve Casagrande MIDDLE EAST SECURITY REPORT 29 SYRIAN ARMED OPPOSITION POWERBROKERS ABOUT THE AUTHORS Jennifer Cafarella is the Evans Hanson Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War where she focuses on the Syrian Civil War and opposition groups. Her research focuses particularly on the al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra and their military capabilities, modes of governance, and long-term strategic vision. She is the author of Likely Courses of Action in the Syrian Civil War: June-December 2015, and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria: An Islamic Emirate for al-Qaeda. -
Syrian War at the Crossroads
\ POLICY BRIEF 4 \ 2020 Syrian war at the crossroads Curbing arms flow, imposing a no-fly zone and opening al-Yarubiyah border crossing Lena Schellhammer, Marius Bales \ BICC Policy recommendations to EU member states \ Impose a comprehensive arms embargo \ Establish a UN-mandated no-fly zone in to secondary conflict parties northern Syria Suspend the transfer of weapons, ammunition and To stop the cycle of mass displacement and attacks military equipment to secondary conflict parties, such against civilians, a UN-mandated no-fly zone must be as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to stop illegal re-transfers established in northern Syria. If a no-fly zone is not to the Syrian war zone. Existing national agreements successful in protecting civilians in northern Syria, a to suspend certain arms exports to Turkey (2019) by UN-mandated safe zone must also be considered and Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, France, the United ultimately implemented. Kingdom and Germany, as well as the export moratoria of limited duration for Saudi Arabia (2018), should be \ Extend humanitarian cross-border aid extended to a comprehensive, not time-limited EU (UNSCR 2165) and reopen the al-Yarubiyah arms embargo. border crossing EU member states must call on the UN Security Council \ Buy and destroy the still existing stocks to vote for continuing humanitarian cross-border aid of former Yugoslav weapons (UNSCR 2165) and to reopen the al-Yarubiyah border Many of the weapons that are re-exported to Syria are crossing with Iraq in north-eastern Syria to prevent old arms, produced in former Yugoslavian countries or the humanitarian situation from deteriorating further. -
Detailed Itinerary
Detailed Itinerary Trip Name: [10 days] People & Landscapes of Lebanon GENERAL Dates: This small-group trip is offered on the following fixed departure dates: October 29th – November 7th, 2021 February 4th – Sunday 13th, 2022 April 15th – April 24th, 2022 October 28th – November 6th, 2022 Prefer a privatized tour? Contact Yūgen Earthside. This adventure captures all the must-see destinations that Lebanon has to offer, whilst incorporating some short walks along the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) through cedar forests, the Chouf Mountains and the Qadisha Valley; to also experience the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful country on foot. Main Stops: Beirut – Sidon – Tyre – Jezzine – Beit el Din Palace – Beqaa Valley – Baalbek – Qadisha Valley – Byblos © Yūgen Earthside – All Rights Reserved – 2021 - 1 - About the Tour: We design travel for the modern-day explorer by planning small-group adventures to exceptional destinations. We offer a mixture of trekking holidays and cultural tours, so you will always find an adventure to suit you. We always use local guides and teams, and never have more than 12 clients in a group. Travelling responsibly and supporting local communities, we are small enough to tread lightly, but big enough to make a difference. DAY BY DAY ITINERARY Day 1: Beirut [Lebanon] (arrival day) With group members arriving during the afternoon and evening, today is a 'free' day for you to arrive, be transferred to the start hotel, and to shake off any travel fatigue, before the start of your adventure in earnest, tomorrow. Accommodation: Hotel Day 2: Beirut City Tour After breakfast and a welcome briefing, your adventure begins with a tour of this vibrant city, located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast.