Washington Reneges on Palestine Aid Pledge Thought for Today WEST BANK (Dispatches) – The has reneged on a pledge to contribute $45 million to a agency tasked with providing services for Palestinian refugees, adding A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool to cutbacks announced earlier this week. speaks first and then thinks. The U.S. State Department said that the $45 million was a pledge to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to help it with “forecasting,” but it was not a guarantee. Amir al-Momeneen Ali (AS)

VOL NO: LV 10521 TEHRAN / Est.1959 Saturday, January 20, 2018, Dey 30, 1396, Jamadi al-Awwal 2, 1439 Slams U.S. Military HRW Blasts Presence as ‘Act of Aggression’ for Rights Abuse Syria for the foreseeable future “We will discourage economic to defeat terrorists, and added relationships between the Assad that the U.S. would not fund the regime and any other country... reconstruction of any part of Once Assad is gone from power, Syria, where President Bashar al- the United States will gladly Assad is in power. encourage the normalization of According to figures the economic relationships between Pentagon released in December, Syria and other nations.” there are at least 2,000 troops Contrary to the U.S. position, in Syria as well as a diplomatic Russia has once and again presence in cities such as Kobani. expressed support for Assad, and The Syrian statement further criticized the U.S. for seeking said U.S. presence and all of “regime change.” Moscow’s Washington’s actions in the Arab envoy to Syria said last month This image provided by an activist, who requested anonymity, shows country are aimed at protecting the that he saw no reason why Assad Bahraini regime forces during a raid on a sit-in in the village of Diraz, Daesh terrorist group, which was “shouldn’t or wouldn’t run for Bahrain, on May 23, 2017. U.S. troops sit atop an armored vehicle on a road near the northern created by the former American another presidential term.” Syrian village of Ain Issa on June 3, 2017. administration. Tillerson tried to portray DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – the right to only give his opinion The Damascus government President Donald Trump’s policy MANAMA (Dispatches) – Human wounded. The sit-in had been in place in Syria has strongly condemned a in that because this violates the “does not need a single dollar toward Syria as something better Rights Watch has warned about the support of the country’s most prominent U.S. plan to maintain its military international law and contradicts from the United States for than President Barack Obama’s deterioration of human rights situation Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim. presence in the Arab country the most important theories of reconstruction because this dollar approach, calling it better than in Bahrain, saying the ruling Al Khalifah Manama regime authorities also as interference in its internal the constitutional law,” Syria’s is stained with the blood of the “more years of wishful thinking.” regime used fabricated charges last year to stripped 105 persons of Bahraini affairs and a blatant violation of state news agency, SANA, quoted Syrians,” the statement added. Trump administration officials, harass, intimidate, and imprison human citizenship since late October, effectively international law. a Foreign Ministry official as Tillerson elaborated on a U.S. including Defense Secretary Jim rights advocates and their relatives. placed more than 20 rights activists, “The internal affairs in any saying in a statement. plan to further weaken Syria, Mattis, had previously disclosed The international non-governmental lawyers, and political opposition figures country in the world is an The statement comes after U.S. already shattered by almost seven elements of the policy but organization said in a report that the under a travel ban, ordered dissolution exclusive right of the people of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson years of war, to push for a faster Tillerson’s speech was meant to tiny Persian Gulf kingdom continued its of the opposition National Democratic this country, thus nobody has said U.S. troops would stay in political transition in the country. formalize and clearly define it. “downward spiral on human rights.” Action Society (Wa’ad) and closure of the “Bahrain’s tolerance for dissent country’s only independent newspaper is approaching [a] vanishing point, al-Wasat, and upheld a two-year prison erasing whatever progress it made after sentence against distinguished human Zionist Regime Apologizes to promising to make reforms following rights activist Nabeel Rajab over TV the unrest in 2011,” HRW’s interviews between 2015 and 2016. Over Deadly Embassy Incident Director Sarah Leah Whitson said. Thousands of anti-regime protesters The report further shed light on flagrant have been holding demonstrations in AMMAN (Dispatches) – Jordan were also pulled out. gates of al-Aqsa, which is the third Netanyahu’s office said Thursday human rights violations in Bahrain in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever says the Zionist regime has submitted a “The [Jordanian] government holiest site for Muslims. that full operations would be 2017. since a popular uprising began in the formal apology notice over an incident will take appropriate measures The Zionist regime finally resumed in the Israeli embassy in They include the execution of three country in mid-February 2011. in July 2016 that led to the deaths of in accordance with the supreme succumbed to international pressure Amman immediately. Shia activists Abbas al-Samea, 27, Sami They are demanding that the Al two Jordanian citizens at its embassy national interests in light of the and removed the barriers from the Jordan and are the two only Mushaima, 42, and Ali al-Singace, Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and in Amman, with Tel Aviv saying it will Israeli memorandum, especially mosques, but Jordan, which is the Arab states that have a peace treaty 21, in January following unfair trials, allow a just system representing all reopen its mission there, which was as it included a response to all custodian of the holy site, said it with the Zionist regime. sentencing 14 political dissidents to Bahrainis to be established. closed in the aftermath of the shooting. conditions set by the government would not allow the regime to reopen Amman has ignored widespread death, ratification of a constitutional Manama has gone to great lengths Government spokesman following the embassy incident in its embassy in Amman until proper calls among the public to abandon amendment giving military courts to clamp down on any sign of dissent. Mohammad al Momani said that the order so the [Zionist] ambassador legal actions were taken against the the 1994 treaty and has maintained jurisdiction over civilians, and using On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi regime’s ministry for foreign affairs may be returned, including all legal guard. close relations with the Israelis over excessive deadly force in a raid on a sit- Arabia and the had sent a memorandum expressing proceedings,” Momani said. Jordan’s King Abdullah voiced the years. in protest in the village of Diraz, which were deployed to assist Bahrain in its “deep regrets and apologies” over The embassy incident came in the anger at Zionist Prime Minister left five demonstrators killed and dozens crackdown. the killing of the two, a workman and midst of an uprising back then in the Benjamin Netanyahu at the time for a bystander, by a Zionist guard in the occupied East al-Quds giving the guard behind the deadly UN Sanctions Urged on Saudi Crown embassy compound. amid anger at an Israeli decision to shooting a hero’s embrace, saying it The memorandum said the restrict their access to the al-Aqsa was “provocative on all fronts.” Prince Over War occupying regime would take legal Mosque. Momani further told state news action against the guard, who was Jordan, where pro-Palestinian agency Petra that had also RIYADH (Dispatches) – Human arms and cluster munitions in their kingdom’s southwestern border region swiftly repatriated by the Israelis to sentiments run deep, also saw vowed to take legal action against Rights Watch has called on the United “indiscriminate and disproportionate of Jizan, in retaliation for the Riyadh avoid prosecution in Jordan, while protests against the installment of an Israeli trooper who had killed an Nations to impose sanctions on Saudi airstrikes” in Yemen that have killed regime’s military campaign against the Arabia’s military leaders, including thousands of civilians. crisis-hit country. the ambassador and embassy staffs security checks and cameras at the unarmed Jordanian judge in 2014. Crown Prince , The rights group also noted that it had A military source, speaking on who also serves as the defense minister, documented six deadly Saudi air raids condition of anonymity, told Yemen’s over atrocities committed in the war on since December 2017. Arabic-language al-Masirah television U.S. Approves $500mn Missile System Deal Yemen. “Coalition military actions have network that Yemeni forces shot and The New York-based rights violated laws-of-war prohibitions on killed four Saudi troopers in Quwa and With organization said in its World Report restricting humanitarian assistance and Hamezah villages of the region, located 2018 that Saudi Arabia, which has on destroying objects essential to the 967 kilometers southwest of the capital RIYADH (Press TV) – The U.S. The package also includes spare Facilitated by Trump’s son- been waging a military campaign survival of the civilian population,” Riyadh, on Thursday afternoon. State Department has approved a parts and logistical support for in-law and senior adviser Jared on Yemen since March 2015, has HRW said in its report. Earlier in the day, Yemeni army possible $500-million sale of missile Patriot and Hawk missile systems. Kushner, the massive package repeatedly attacked the impoverished “These violations, as well as the soldiers and fighters from the popular system support services to Saudi Last week, the U.S. Army includes missiles, bombs, armored country’s populated areas. coalition’s disregard for the reported committees fired a short-range ballistic Arabia in defiance of global calls awarded Sikorsky, a leading personnel carriers, combat ships, The kingdom, it added, has deepened suffering of the civilian population, missile at a Saudi air defense camp in for Washington to stop providing American aircraft manufacturer, terminal high altitude area defense a humanitarian crisis in Yemen through suggest that the coalition may be Najran, causing substantial damage at Riyadh with military support due to a contract worth nearly $200 (THAAD) missile systems and imposing a blockade, destroying violating the prohibition against using the site. the regime’s war crimes in Yemen. million to supply 17 Black Hawk munitions. infrastructure and restricting starvation as a method of warfare, Separately, a civilian lost his life The Defense Security Cooperation helicopters to Saudi Arabia. The announcement generated humanitarian workers’ access to the which is a war crime,” the report and another sustained injuries when Agency made the announcement in The deals come as the U.S. is backlash in Congress, with conflict-ridden state. added. Saudi military aircraft carried out two a statement, saying Congress had under pressure to suspend its arms Republican Senator Rand Paul Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle It further referred to the Western airstrikes against a highway in the As been notified of the decision. sales to the Saudi regime, which promising to work to block at least East director at HRW, denounced war powers’ complicity in the war on Safra district of Yemen’s northwestern Congress now has 30 days to has been waging a deadly military parts of the package. crimes committed in Yemen over the Yemen, demanding the UN to include province of Sa’ada. review the proposed sale, but it is aggression against Yemen since The Trump administration is past almost three years, noting, “United Saudi leaders in its blacklist. At least 13,600 people have been not required to take any action. 2015. At least 13,600 people have looking to loosen restrictions on Nations Security Council sanctions on Meanwhile, Whitson told reporters killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia’s The potential sale follows a been killed since the start of the American arms sales to boost the Houthi leaders should be extended to that “the U.S., UK, France and others military campaign against Yemen in request by Saudi Arabia for war. country’s weapons industry. senior [Saudi-led] coalition military are risking complicity in unlawful 2015. Much of the Arabian Peninsula continued technical assistance for During his first trip to Saudi The move seeks to ease export leaders, including Saudi Defense coalition airstrikes by continuing to country’s infrastructure, including Patriot Legacy Field Surveillance Arabia last year, President Donald rules for military equipment “from Minister Mohammed bin Salman, for provide weapons to Saudi Arabia.” hospitals, schools and factories, has Program (FSP), the Patriot Trump signed a $110 billion arms fighter jets and drones to warships their role in obstructing aid and other In the latest development, Yemeni been reduced to rubble due to the war. Advanced Capability 3 (PAC- deal with the Saudis, with options and artillery,” according to officials abuses.” army soldiers, backed by fighters The Saudi-led war has also triggered 3) and the Patriot Engineering to sell up to $350 billion over a familiar with the plan. The HRW accused Saudi Arabia and from allied Popular Committees, have a deadly cholera epidemic across Services Program (ESP). decade. its allies of using Western-supplied shot dead four Saudi soldiers in the Yemen.