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Der deutsche Außenminister beteiligt sich diese Woche in New York an Gesprächen über einen möglichen Interessenabgleich der Großmächte im Syrien-Krieg. Hintergrund sind parallel verlaufende Entwicklungen, die eine Beendigung oder zumindest ein Einfrieren des Kriegs für die westlichen Staaten als angeraten erscheinen lassen. Russland erstarkt und kann im Mittleren Osten nicht mehr ignoriert werden.

Eine Einheit des 6. Regiments der US-Marines trainiert derzeit zusammen mit den Königlichen Marinesoldaten der britische Armee Häuserkampf auf dem Trainingsgelände Follingsby Park in Gatesheads, im Nordosten Englands. Doch der Versuch der Marines, im Rahmen der Übung ein Haus zu stürmen, scheitert schon beim Wurf der Rauchgranate.

“We would like to have more details about the concept of self-defense reflected in the aerial strikes of a State that is not attacking anyone without permission, as well as to which extent this coincides with international law,” stated spokeperson of Russia’s Minister of Foreign Relations Maria Zakharova on Facebook.

At least 75 civilians mostly women and children have been killed after a Saudi airstrike on a wedding party in Yemen‘s southwestern province of Ta’izz as more civilians fall victim to the kingdom‘s military aggression against its impoverished southern neighbor.

Further troops – about 250 to 300 over the course of several missions – are being sent to carry out specific tasks in South Sudan, such as engineering advice and combat training.

However, the US president admitted that military action does not amount to a lasting solution, adding that his administration is prepared to work with any nation “including Russia and Iran to resolve the conflict.”

(14.September) Regierungsmacht lässt sich, einmal angehäuft, nur schwer wieder aufgeben, auch Obama erlag rasch der Versuchung. Er verkündete, er wolle „nach vorn blicken, nicht zurück“, und sprach sich gegen umfassende neue Untersuchungen des Einsatzes von Folter, der rechtswidrigen Gefangenenüberstellungen, der geheimdienstlichen Ausspähung amerikanischer Bürger im Inland und anderer möglicher strafbarer Handlungen des Regierungsapparats unter George Bush aus.

(23.September) Less than three months after announcing it was considering turning major social media platforms into unpaid government informants, the Senate Intelligence Committee is dropping its proposed requirement that Facebook, Twitter, etc. report „terrorist activity“ to designated agencies.

Well, „dropping“ is the polite phrasing. It‘s actually been forced to give up this demand (by one of the more rational members of the SIC, Ron Wyden) to ensure it gets its intelligence funding bill passed. As Wyden points out, social media entities should be in the business of social media, not acting as under-equipped stand-ins for law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

(26.September) Im Konflikt zwischen Armenien und Aserbaidschan um die Region Berg-Karabach im Südkaukasus sind mindestens 5 Soldaten bei Gefechten ums Leben gekommen. Laut dem aserbaidschanischen Aussenministerium handelt es sich dabei um vier Armenier und einen Aserbaidschaner.

The attempts of Armenian armed forces to become active were prevented as a result of the proactive measures taken by the Azerbaijani armed forces’ units on the contact line of the two countries’ armies on Sept.27-28, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

As a result, Azerbaijani armed forces eliminated seven Armenian servicemen, said the ministry.
Additionally, a large number of Armenian servicemen got injured.

Palmedia Media Center – www.palmedia.ps

(22.September) The European activist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because his employers do not permit him to talk to reporters, provided photographs of the episode. One showed a soldier pointing his weapon at Ms. Hashlamoun, and another showed her lying on the ground.

He said a soldier had asked Ms. Hashlamoun to open her bag for inspection. “When she was opening at her bag, he began shouting: ‘Stop! Stop! Stop! Don’t move! Don’t move!’ ” the activist said. “She was trying to show him what was inside her bag, but the soldier shot her once, and then shot her again.”

The activist said three or four other soldiers had raced to the scene and also fired.

(23.September) Im Westjordanland in Israel haben israelische Sicherheitskräfte eine 18-jährige palästinensische Frau erschossen.

Der Vorfall ereignete sich am Dienstag. Das berichtet die Daily Mail, die auch Fotos veröffentlichte. Darauf sind die vollverschleierte Frau und zwei Soldaten zu sehen, wie sie ihre Waffe auf die Passantin richten.

(21.September)

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Let’s do a thought experiment. Let’s say a young Jewish woman dressed in Orthodox clothing was shot dead by uniformed Palestinian policemen somewhere in the West Bank. Let’s say that several eyewitnesses said the woman — we’ll call her Anna Agustovsky — had done nothing wrong except to possibly misunderstand orders that the Palestinian police had barked in Arabic. There were photos of one policeman leveling his automatic weapon at Anna, and more photos as she lay on the ground after they shot her. A few days later, Amnesty International, citing the many witnesses, called the killing “an extrajudicial execution.”

Would the New York Times continue to ignore the story? Or would there be wall-to-wall coverage?

Iran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham has rejected some media reports about a visit of the former Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi to Saudi Arabia under a fake name.

She said that the Iranian diplomat, who is still missing following the crush in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca on Sept. 24, had entered Saudi Arabia with a regular passport Iran ’s official IRNA news agency reported Sept. 28.

A military unit has suffered an armed attack in Turkey’s Bitlis province, Kanal7 TV channel reported Sept.28.

The unknown people have shelled the barracks of the military unit.