Judicial

WASHINGTON - The United States is preparing to label the Islamic State terror group’s new leader, introduced to the world as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, as a “specially designated global terrorist.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement Tuesday during a briefing with reporters, referring to al-Qurashi as Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, one of the IS leaders many aliases. The move comes more than a month after U.S. defense and intelligence officials first unmasked al-Qurashi’s true identity, which IS had tried to keep hidden by assigning him a nom-de-guerre. A religious scholar, al-Qurashi was imprisoned in the now infamous U.S.-run Camp Bucca in Iraq, starting in 2004, where he met former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Intelligence officials say he wa

Moscow, The Russian Foreign Ministry has affirmed that terrorist organizations in the de-escalation zone in Idleb have rearmed themselves and launched counter-attacks against the Syrian Arab Army.The Ministry, in a statement quoted by RT on Monday, stressed the need to eliminate and hold those organizations accountable.“Large armed groups belonging to various terrorist organizations, are gathering in Idleb, including “Haya’at Tahrir al-Sham and Hurras ad-Din”, which continue to use ideological principles and terrorist methods of al-Qaeda,” the statement said, adding that these two terrorist organizations refused to recognize the recent cessation of hostilities agreement in Idleb.Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Riyadh, President of Human Rights Commission Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad has praised all precautionary measures being taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He commended efforts of all committees concerned with following up on the health situation of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Saudi Arabia.He also stressed that all measures being taken by Saudi Arabia respect human rights in all aspects, including the right of having all information on this virus, treating infected people or isolating the suspected, and the right of protecting the society from diseases.Dr. Al-Awwad clarified that all measures being taken by Saudi Arabia reflect its great ability to estimate the situation, efficient crisis management and efficient implementa...

Riyadh, President of Human Rights Commission Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad has praised all precautionary measures being taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He commended efforts of all committees concerned with following up on the health situation of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Saudi Arabia.He also stressed that all measures being taken by Saudi Arabia respect human rights in all aspects, including the right of having all information on this virus, treating infected people or isolating the suspected, and the right of protecting the society from diseases.Dr. Al-Awwad clarified that all measures being taken by Saudi Arabia reflect its great ability to estimate the situation, efficient crisis management and efficient implementa...

PENTAGON / WASHINGTON - U.S. warplanes soaring through the skies of Iraq hit a series of sites belonging to an Iranian-backed militia, exacting revenge for a deadly attack on American and coalition troops just 24 hours earlier.The airstrikes late Thursday and early Friday targeted five weapon storage facilities belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, blamed for a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad late Wednesday that killed two U.S. service members and a British soldier, while wounding 14 others.In a statement, the Pentagon described the strikes as "defensive, proportional, and in direct response to the threat," adding that some of the weapon depots had been used to store the Katyusha rockets used in the attack on Camp Taji.The U.S. statement also said the strikes against Kata...

PENTAGON / WASHINGTON - U.S. warplanes soaring through the skies of Iraq hit a series of sites belonging to an Iranian-backed militia, exacting revenge for a deadly attack on American and coalition troops just 24 hours earlier.The airstrikes late Thursday and early Friday targeted five weapon storage facilities belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, blamed for a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad late Wednesday that killed two U.S. service members and a British soldier, while wounding 14 others.In a statement, the Pentagon described the strikes as "defensive, proportional, and in direct response to the threat," adding that some of the weapon depots had been used to store the Katyusha rockets used in the attack on Camp Taji.The U.S. statement also said the strikes against Kata...

GENEVA - The United Nations has suspended the current 43rd session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, because of the spread of coronavirus. The council was due to end its current session on March 20.The president of the Human Rights Council, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, says the fast-moving coronavirus has had a profound impact on the work of the council. She says almost every day this week the United Nations has been forced to take increasingly restrictive measures to create a safe environment for the hundreds of delegates in attendance."When WHO declared that this was a pandemic, which stretched to well over 100 countries and when we also had recommendations by the Swiss authorities, by UNOG [U.N. Office at Geneva] and actually a lot of worries from various delegations, we said the respo...

CAPITOL HILL - More than two months after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, increasing tensions between the United States and Iran and renewing discussion about presidential war powers, U.S. lawmakers are finally sending new ground rules to President Donald Trump.By a 227-186 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Iran War Powers Resolution that the U.S. Senate approved 55-45 last month. The resolution enforces the 1973 War Powers Act, requiring presidents to seek congressional approval for military engagements abroad that extend past an initial 60-day time frame.Trump is expected to veto the resolution, which did not garner the two-thirds support of the Senate needed to override his actions.Trump tweeted about his opposition to the me...

STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States is accusing authoritarian governments around the world of suppressing people with severe human rights "violations and abuses" to control any activities that might threaten their power."Experience teaches that government officials who oppress, abuse, and tolerate the denial of the human rights of their own people are also responsible for creating social environments that are ripe for both economic and humanitarian crises, and that encourage corruption, violent conflict, and terrorism," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement Wednesday unveiling the 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.IranOn Iran, the U.S. report highlighted the widespread protests that began last November after a fuel price increase. The Tehran government "bl...

Prague, Speaker of the Czech House of Representatives, Chairman of the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party Tomio Okamura on Tuesday affirmed that the Turkish regime is practicing acts of killing in Syria and it continues to support terrorists in the country.Okamura, in a comment on his page on the Facebook, pointed out to the agreement which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin last Thursday on the cessation of hostilities in Idleb at status-quo.Okamura noted that the agreement represents an admission by the Turkish Regime’s President Recipe Type Erdogan on his defeat, thereby, he should now withdraw his forces which are deployed illegitimately on the Syrian territory.Source: Syrian Arab News Agency