The previously-secret 14-page file – obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by journalist Joseph Trevithick for War Is Boring – offers a rare insight into internal military workings. It also makes clear that the US and its 12 international allies have long known of significant allegations of civilians killed in some 6,500 airstrikes – far more than the two deaths presently admitted to.

Matthias Spielkamp, Vorstandsmitglied von Reporter ohne Grenzen: „Der BND ist ganz offensichtlich unkontrollierbar geworden. Sein Präsident vertritt offensiv Rechtsauffassungen, die dem Grundgesetz widersprechen und zum Beispiel dazu führen, dass die Kommunikation von Journalisten unerlaubt überwacht damit der Quellenschutz ausgehöhlt wird. Das ist für eine Demokratie inakzeptabel. Vor allem kann es nicht einem Geheimdienst überlassen bleiben, Recht und Gesetz für sich auszulegen. Doch die Regierung ist offenbar nicht willens oder in der Lage, den BND in seine Schranken zu weisen. Daher haben Reporter ohne Grenzen Klage erhoben und sind zuversichtlich, dass die Gerichte dem BND – und damit auch dem Kanzleramt – die Grenzen aufzeigen werden.“

What came out of these talks – or should we say negotiations ? – is only rumour, but this rumour has it that a deal was struck for the nomination of a new intelligence chief, if a ceasefire and transitional phase are indeed implemented. The man for that job is supposedly no other than General Mustafa Tlass, formerly a close associate of the al-Assad clan, who jumped ship in 2011 but never formally sided with the rebels. He has been living in France ever since he left Syria.

»Wir fordern von der Bundesregierung, die rückhaltlose Aufklärung aller BND–Skandale im Interesse der Glaubwürdigkeit unserer Demokratie voranzutreiben und alle geheimdienstlichen Verstöße gegen das Grundrecht auf informationelle Selbstbestimmung und auf Achtung der Privatsphäre vollständig einzustellen und zu ahnden«, schreiben die Aktivisten in der Ankündigung. Schließlich sei der BND »tief verstrickt in die massenhafte Überwachung der Kommunikation durch internationale Geheimdienste« und verletze die im Grundgesetz verbrieften Rechte, moniert die ILM weiter.

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Now obviously, the idea that somehow Syria is going to be able to organize and carry out any kind of elections amid the violence is beyond ridiculous or, as Sami Nader, head of the Beirut-based Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs politely puts it, „how can you organize a fair election in a country that’s shattered by war, with no security, fair electoral law or freedoms?”(…)
In the end, the more likely scenario is, as we‘ve always predicted, that the Assad regime falls and (very) shortly thereafter, US marines storm in to „liberate“ Damascus at which point a puppet government will be installed – a puppet government which will coincidentally see the utility in allowing the Qatar-Turkey pipeline to be run through Syria.

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Following is the British Government’s response to the petition delivered last month accessed at the base of the petition:

Im digitalen Zeitalter muss der Schutz von Informanten der Presse grundsätzlich besser geregelt werden. Journalisten sollten, wenn es um den Umgang mit Daten geht, per Gesetz genau so behandelt werden wie Rechtsanwälte oder Seelsorger.

The U.S.-Saudi-UAE campaign against Yemen has failed to achieve its aims. While the bombing of Yemen continues and the nation is blockaded an all sides the losses on the Saudi side are also increasing.
The UAE attack from the south is now stuck in Taiz and skirmishes there continue. Strong UAE lobbying power in Washington does not make up for a lack of military capacity. The attack from the north-east towards Sanaa is stuck in Marib.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Up to 27 bystander civilians may have been killed by Canadian airstrikes in the north of Iraq, Canadian media outlets quoting US military officials are reporting.
The CBC claimed that it has obtained a Pentagon document that raised questions about the quality of the investigation conducted by coalition forces into an allegation that 27 civilians lost their lives because of an airstrike carried out by Canadian CF-18 fighter jets at a key highway near Mosul in late January 2015.

The text messages sent to some lawmakers warned that if they failed to vote against the anti-terrorism bill they will face the same fate as opposition lawyer Mahfooz Saeed who was injured after being stabbed earlier Friday.
The SMS sent to the journalists said „all journalists will be killed“ and to consider it as a warning to all.
The video called on the government to stop harassing former human rights envoy Ibrahim ‚Sandhaanu‘ Luthfee and stop trying to force him to return to the Maldives.

The other senior official, who similarly spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “This is the last thing NATO wanted to be involved in, but the Americans seemed to want everyone in on it. I guess they felt it gave them political cover.”
“They were sitting around there giving thumbs up or down, like gladiators in a stadium,” the second official said. “While it was meant to be a protection against civilian casualties, it made some of them very uncomfortable, particularly the Germans.”
While Germany has a significant contingent still in Afghanistan, it has always observed rules about avoiding engagement in offensive combat operations, which is forbidden by German constitutional law, with some narrowly defined exceptions.