8 International Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Trump presents ‘incredible’ hero of Baghdadi raid - Conan the dog Conan - the world’s most famous dog WASHINGTON: “So this is Conan - right now, proba- when he initially announced the high-profile October bly the world’s most famous dog.” In a stream of 26 operation. He went on to declassify the military superlatives, Donald Trump on Monday introduced to dog’s identity - a closely guarded secret - by the world the military dog involved in the raid that led retweeting its picture. And he went as far as publish- to the death of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr ing a photoshopped image of himself bestowing the Al-Baghdadi. “Conan did a fantastic job,” the US canine hero with the Medal of Honor, the country’s president told the White House press corps, assem- highest military distinction. bled for a brief, unannounced ceremony with the Belgian Malinois and its handler. ‘Ultimate fighter’ “So brilliant, so smart,” said Trump, joined for the Monday’s ceremony triggered a brief flurry of con- event by First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President fusion when the White House let it be known after the Mike Pence who lavished fulsome praise of his own on event that the canine “hero” was in fact a female - the four-legged “hero.” “The dog is incredible,” Trump only to later reverse course, confirming Conan was continued. “Conan is a tough cookie. And nobody is well and truly a good boy. Details about Conan’s life, going to mess with Conan.” According to the US achievements and family background are scant, but he account of the raid on Baghdadi last month, Conan certainly comes from good stock: US Navy SEALs cornered the jihadist leader in a dead-end tunnel in his used a Belgian Malinois in the 2011 raid in Pakistan Syrian hideout, where Baghdadi detonated a suicide that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. vest, killing himself and two children. The head of US Central Command, General Kenneth Conan was injured by the electric cables exposed McKenzie, has called Conan a “critical member of our in the detonation but appeared to have made a full forces,” with an impressive record of 50 combat mis- recovery. “Conan was very badly hurt, as you know,” sions in four years of service. Calling Conan the “ulti- Trump told reporters. “They thought maybe he was mate fighter, ultimate everything,” Trump said the dog not going to recover. He recovered actually very was “primetime, age-wise” and nowhere close to retir- quickly and has since gone on very important raids.” ing. “I asked one question,” Trump said. “I said, ‘What WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump (left), Vice President Mike Pence (2nd left) and First Lady Melania “I love this dog,” declared the president, saying chance would a strong man have - really strong, tough, Trump stand with Conan - the military dog that was involved with the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al- Conan had been awarded a “medal and a plaque” for a fighter - what chance would this person have against Baghdadi at the White House. — AFP its service. The US president - who ended a tradition Conan, without the guns? going back more than a century by not having a dog What chance?’ And I guess the answer, pretty Baghdadi, who had led IS since 2014 and at the time lot of work since the raid. Certain things have hap- in the White House - has made much of Conan’s role much, was ‘none.’” The US leader also took the of his death was the world’s most wanted man. “It pened that are very important,” he added, without in the raid. Trump had highlighted the dog’s injuries opportunity to trumpet once more the raid on was a flawless attack,” Trump said. “We have done a going into details.—AFP came through in response. News in brief Tension deepens One of the workers fired was connected to a petition condemning Google for working with the US customs US officials meet Haftar and border patrol agency, which has been involved in as Google fires the President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immi- WASHINGTON: Senior US officials met with Libyan gration. “Four of our colleagues took a stand and strongman Khalifa Haftar Monday to discuss steps ‘Thanksgiving Four’ organized for a better workplace,” read a Medium post toward ending his offensive on Tripoli, and accused by Google Walkout for Real Change, which organized a Russia of exploiting the conflict, the State Department staff protest last year over the issue of sexual miscon- said. The delegation, which included the US ambassador SAN FRANCISCO: Google has fired four employees duct. “This is explicitly condoned in Google’s Code of to Libya Richard Norland, aimed to establish “steps to on the grounds they had violated data security policies, Conduct, which ends: ‘And remember ... don’t be evil, achieve a suspension of hostilities and a political resolu- but the tech titan was accused of persecuting them for and if you see something that you think isn’t right - tion to the Libyan conflict,” the statement read. The offi- trying to unionize staff. The dismissals of the quartet - speak up.’ “When they did, Google retaliated against cials underscored full US “support for the sovereignty dubbed the “Thanksgiving Four” on social media - them.” Authors of the post contended that Google poli- and territorial integrity of Libya and expressed serious deepened staff-management tensions at a company cies on data security were tightened simply to provide CALIFORNIA: A man rides a bike past a Google sign and logo concern over Russia’s exploitation of the conflict at the at the Googleplex in Menlo Park, California. — AFP expense of the Libyan people.” —AFP once seen as a paradigm of Silicon Valley freedoms but cover for getting rid of the workers. “This is classic now embroiled in numerous controversies. union busting dressed up in tech industry jargon, and A memo to employees titled “Securing our data” we won’t stand for it,” they said. it could show a consistent approach towards other staff sought to correct what Google contended was misin- accused of the same conduct as the four. “If not, Kangaroo killer avoids jail formation about the purported wrongdoing, saying it Global disputes Google will likely have to reinstate the employees and involved “systematic searches for other employees’ The Google workplace has been disrupted by pay them back pay,” he told Bloomberg. Google’s virtu- SYDNEY: An Australian man who deliberately mowed materials and work.” Google, the money-making engine employee opposition to top-level decisions ranging al monopoly on internet searches has provoked accusa- down at least 20 kangaroos with a truck avoided jail of parent company Alphabet, confirmed a copy of the from forging contracts with the US military to tailoring tions that it abuses its global dominance to attract more yesterday after pleading guilty to animal cruelty, local note published by Bloomberg News but declined to a version of the search engine for China. A year ago, advertising money at the expense of others, such as the media reported. The dead animals, including two joeys, comment further to AFP. Google employees poured out of premises at its news media. were found littered over roads in the far south-east of The memo said the information accessed by the indi- Mountain View campus and around the world to In France, an alliance of press groups is fighting back the country in September. Bega District News reported viduals, “along with details of internal emails and inac- protest the company’s handling of sexual misconduct with a complaint under the European Union’s new that Nathan Sanger, 20, appeared in a local court yes- curate descriptions about Googlers’ work, was subse- allegations. When they were still suspended prior to the copyright law. AFP has brought a separate complaint terday where he admitted his role in the killing spree, quently shared externally.” But the Tech Workers firings, two of the quartet on Friday addressed a protest against Google. Like Facebook and Twitter, Google also which lasted an hour and sparked widespread outrage. Coalition said the employees had been fired for “orga- rally at the company’s San Francisco offices, according stands accused of turning a blind eye to political disin- The court heard Sanger had caused “a lot of suffering nizing at work” and urged others at Google to speak to US media. formation on its platforms. Last week, the search leader to a large number of defenseless animals” in an act of out. “This is meant to scare workers, don’t let it,” the Jeffrey Hirsch, a University of North Carolina law updated how it handles political ads, stepping up “gratuitous cruelty”.— AFP campaign group tweeted, appealing for other employ- professor and former National Labor Relations Board actions it says it is taking in the buildup to the US pres- ers to step in and hire the four. At least one job offer attorney, said Google could face legal problems unless idential election next year.— AFP Nine Pakistani navy killed Georgia opposition QUETTA: At least nine members of the Pakistan navy Bad weather were killed and 29 other people injured when their bus fell into a deep roadside ditch in the south of the coun- stages fresh protest try yesterday, officials said. The bus was on its way to threatens Karachi from a naval base in Balochistan province when it developed a technical fault and crashed on a despite crackdown mountain pass on the Makran Coastal Highway, Thanksgiving travel Muhammad Jameel, assistant commissioner for Bela TBILISI: Up to 20,000 opposition supporters rallied in town near where the accident took place said.