BAGHDAD: A Katyusha rocket struck an Iraqi military base hosting US troops at Baghdad’s international airport on Wednesday, an Iraqi military statement said.
No damage or casualties were reported from the attack, the third in as many days since Monday’s anniversary of a US airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani in Baghdad two years ago.
The Iraqi military statement said a rocket launcher with one rocket was located in a residential district in western Baghdad. The area has been used in the past by Iran-backed militias to fire rockets at the airport.
On Monday, two armed drones were shot down as they headed toward a facility housing US advisers at Baghdad airport. Two explosives-laden drones targeting an Iraqi military base housing US troops in western Anbar province were destroyed on Tuesday.
The 2020 US drone strike at Baghdad’s airport killed Gen. Qassim Soleimani, who was the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Pro-Iran Shiite factions in Iraq have vowed revenge for the killing and have conditioned the end of attacks against the US presence in Iraq on the full exit of American troops from the country.
The US-led coalition formally ended its combat mission supporting Iraqi forces in the ongoing fight against the Daesh group last month. Some 2,500 troops will remain as the coalition shifts to an advisory mission to continue supporting Iraqi forces.
The top US commander for the Middle East Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie warned in an interview with the Associated Press last month that he expects increasing attacks on US and Iraqi personnel by Iranian-backed militias determined to get American forces out.
Katyusha rocket hits military base at Baghdad airport
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Katyusha rocket hits military base at Baghdad airport
Restoring damaged crusader castle may be possible in new Syria: director
- Many centuries later, after civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, the castle again became a battleground, sustaining damage this time between government forces and rebels vying for its strategic location
KRAK DES CHEVALIERS, Syria: Fully restoring Syria’s war-damaged Krak des Chevaliers fortress, one of the world’s most famous Crusader castles, may finally be within reach if the new authorities allocate the necessary resources, according to its director.
Sitting atop a high ridge in what is now the Homs province of modern-day Syria, the UNESCO-listed fortress was built by a medieval Catholic military order, the Knights of St. John, who held it from 1142 to 1271, when it was captured by a Mamluk sultan.
Many centuries later, after civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, the castle again became a battleground, sustaining damage this time between government forces and rebels vying for its strategic location.
Since long-time president Bashar Assad was ousted over a week ago after an 11-day offensive by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and its allies, the fortress’s director Hazem Hanna has regained hope that Krak des Chevaliers can come back to life.
“We are now in a period of recovery and we hope that we will receive the necessary resources to restore what was damaged in the castle,” he told AFP.
The castle, which could once accommodate a garrison of 2,000 men, sustained damage at the height of the war, most notably to its Gothic reception hall and chapel.
In 2013, two years into the devastating civil war, the Krak des Chevaliers was put on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list, alongside the ruins of Palmyra and the old city of Aleppo.
Conditions in north Gaza hospital ‘appalling’: WHO chief
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: UN health agency and partners reached the facility ‘two days ago, amid hostilities and explosions in the vicinity of the hospital during the mission’
- Ghebreyesus: Team had ‘delivered 5,000 liters of fuel, food and medicines, and transferred three patients and six companions to Al-Shifa,’ the Palestinian territory’s main hospital
GENEVA: A World Health Organization official said Monday a humanitarian team finally reached one of northern Gaza’s only functioning hospitals at the weekend to deliver fuel, food and medicines, and found “appalling” conditions.
Kamal Adwan Hospital is located in Beit Lahia, a city at the center of an intense Israeli military operation aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping in northern Gaza.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that after multiple attempts, the United Nations health agency and partners reached the facility “two days ago, amid hostilities and explosions in the vicinity of the hospital during the mission.”
The team, he said, had “delivered 5,000 liters of fuel, food and medicines, and transferred three patients and six companions to Al-Shifa,” the Palestinian territory’s main hospital.
Kamal Adwan is one of the last operational medical facilities in the north of the war-ravaged territory, with the WHO warning earlier this month that it was operating at a “minimum” level.
The agency said efforts to deliver desperately needed supplies have been repeatedly hampered.
Earlier this month, it said a mission reached the hospital on November 30 after weeks of unsuccessful attempts, bringing aid and an international emergency team, including surgeons and other specialists.
But days later, that team was among large numbers who fled the hospital amid heavy hostilities around the facility.
“This has left the hospital without specialized personnel for surgical and maternal care,” Tedros warned, adding that the attacks have resulted in further damage to the facility and its oxygen and electricity supplies.
“The conditions in the hospital are simply appalling,” he said.
“We urge for the protection of health care and for this hell to stop! Ceasefire!“
The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Since then, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 45,000 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
UN must put justice for torture victims in Libya ahead of election plans, Security Council told
- Libyan human rights activist Ali Omar warns that any political process will be undermined if victims of torture, arbitrary detention and other crimes are denied justice
- He presents alarming report documenting more than 280 ‘grave’ violations of human rights in the country this year alone
NEW YORK CITY: A leading Libyan human rights activist called on the UN Security Council to prioritize accountability for human rights violations in the country over the planning of elections.
Addressing council members on Monday, Ali Omar, the director of Libya Crimes Watch, warned that any future political process would be undermined by the absence of justice for the victims of torture, arbitrary detention and other crimes.
He presented an alarming report that documented more than 280 “grave” violations of human rights in Libya this year, “perpetrated by both eastern and western authorities” in the country.
He said: “These figures are not mere statistics but reflect harrowing stories and real tragedies of victims, including the most vulnerable groups such as women and migrants, as well as activists, journalists, lawyers and others.
“These violations include torture in prisons, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Such practices not only destroy the lives of individuals and their families but also sow fear throughout society and undermine any hope for peace.
“These heinous crimes are not isolated acts, but systematic and recurrent, carried out and overseen by all sides in the conflict, including the Libyan Armed Forces, the Government of National Unity, and other military groups.”
Omar, who lives in exile, urged the Security Council to shift its focus from planning an electoral process for Libya to the urgent need to hold accountable those responsible for rights abuses in the country.
“The persistence of these violations poses a serious threat to social peace and stability in Libya,” he said.
“How can a country where individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity hold the senior positions of power, how can such a country organize fair and transparent elections?”
Omar, himself a former prisoner of conscience, added: “Prisons and unofficial detention centers represent a dangerous and ongoing phenomenon. In these places, human dignity is stripped away and individuals are treated as mere numbers without value.”
He highlighted as particular concerns the ongoing repression of civil society, the arbitrary detention of activists, and the deaths of prisoners in suspicious circumstances. He told how three detainees — a woman and two followers of Sufi orders, a religious minority long subjected to persecution — died under torture at an unofficial detention center in Benghazi in November 2023.
“This culture of impunity perpetuates violence and political instability,” Omar said.
He also spoke about the chilling effects of repressive government legislation, including anti-cybercrime and anti-terrorism laws that were used to justify the arrests of more than 50 activists in eastern and western Libya in 2023 alone.
Omar highlighted the cases of 16 people, including four children, who were arrested for demonstrating peacefully in support of the former Libyan regime following the catastrophic collapse of two dams in Derna in September 2023 following a storm. The disaster claimed at least 6,000 lives. Demonstrators were arrested for protesting against the corruption and governmental negligence they believe contributed to the disaster, and demanding that those responsible be held accountable.
Calling for urgent reforms in Libya, Omar urged the Security Council to establish an independent international mechanism to investigate violations of human rights and hold the perpetrators accountable.
He also called for the UN Support Mission in Libya to be granted a stronger mandate to address issues related to human rights, including the protection of vulnerable communities and an end to arbitrary detentions.
“Libyan civil society and human rights defenders in exile are asking for one thing: accountability,” Omar said. “Without it, no political process, no election, will be credible.”
Libya continues to grapple with deep political divisions and ongoing violence, despite years of international efforts to mediate peace and facilitate democratic elections.
The nation has been in turmoil since the Arab Spring protests in 2011 that led to the overthrow and killing of Muammar Qaddafi, who had ruled for 42 years. It is split between two rival governments backed by armed militias and international patrons. In the west of the country, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah heads the internationally recognized Government of National Unity. In the east, Prime Minister Ossama Hamad heads the Government of National Stability, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.
Given this fractured governmental structure and competing military factions, many fear the continuing failure to address human rights violations can only prolong the instability and prevent the formation of a legitimate, unified government.
Omar urged council members to “look into the eyes of the victims” and take decisive action to prevent further atrocities.
Golan Heights: strategic Israeli-occupied plateau on Syria border
- A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin said "it is perfectly clear under international law that this area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria and that Israel is therefore an occupying power"
JERUSALEM: Since the toppling of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad more than a week ago, Israel has sparked international condemnation with its moves in the Golan Heights, a strategic territory on the border with Syria.
Israel has occupied most of the Golan since 1967 and in 1981 annexed the area, in a move recognised only by the United States during President Donald Trump's first term.
Here is a look at the territory, its history, and significance:
The Golan Heights are a popular nature spot for Israelis. The plateau overlooks Lebanon and Jordan and offers sweeping views of Israel to the west and deep into Syria to the northeast.
The area is bordered by Mount Hermon, whose snowy peak rises to more than 2,800 metres, popular with skiers.
Israel conquered around two-thirds of the Golan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and one month later established its first civilian settlement there, Merom Golan. Twelve additional communities were created by 1970.
Further fighting erupted during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, with clashes continuing into the following year until Israel and Syria reached an agreement on an armistice line that for most of the past 50 years has remained peaceful.
As part of the deal, an 80 kilometre-long (50 mile) United Nations-patrolled buffer zone was created on the east of Israeli-occupied territory, separating it from the Syrian side and watched over by the multinational UN Disengagement and Observer Force. UNDOF's positions include a post atop Mount Hermon.
Syria retains control of the rest of the Golan east of the buffer zone.
In December 1981, Israel annexed the Golan territory it had occupied.
Today the Golan Heights are still sparsely settled but are home to an estimated 30,000 Jewish residents who live in more than 30 settlements, along with about 23,000 Druze.
The Druze, whose presence predates the Israeli occupation, are an Arab ethno-religious minority who also live in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel as well as Syria and the occupied Golan.
Many have not accepted Israeli nationality, and still identify as Syrian.
The Golan is also home to multiple Israeli military bases.
In 2019, during his first term in office, then-US president Donald Trump formally recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan, making the United States the only country to do so.
The move prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June of 2019 to announce the creation of a new settlement, Trump Heights, named after the US leader.
On Sunday, a week after Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in a lightning offensive, the Israeli government approved a 40 million shekel ($11 million) plan to double the population of the Golan.
Netanyahu's office said the plan comes "in light of the war and the new front in Syria and the desire to double the population."
He said that strengthening the Golan was key to strengthening Israel, after declaring a week earlier that the Golan would remain in Israel's hands "for eternity".
"We have no interest in confronting Syria. Israel's policy toward Syria will be determined by the evolving reality on the ground," Netanyahu said in a separate video statement.
Israel has previously announced plans to increase the number of settlers in the Golan, with the government of then-premier Naftali Bennett approving a $317 million, five-year programme to double the settler population in December 2021.
At the time, the Israeli population in the occupied Golan Heights was around 25,000.
Germany was among those opposing the new plan.
A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin said "it is perfectly clear under international law that this area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria and that Israel is therefore an occupying power".
Riyadh's foreign ministry expressed "condemnation and denunciation" of the plan, which it called part of "continued sabotage of opportunities to restore security and stability in Syria" after Assad's overthrow.
Days earlier, while Assad's rule was collapsing in Syria, Netanyahu ordered troops into the buffer zone, saying it was a temporary and defensive measure in light of the "vacuum on Israel's border and in the buffer zone".
On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to "prepare to remain" in the buffer for the winter.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and an Israeli government spokesman both confirmed that Israeli troops had also moved beyond the demarcated buffer zone.
Israel's move into the buffer zone was also widely condemned.
A UN spokesman called it a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
A Turkish foreign ministry statement said Israel had moved into the buffer zone at a sensitive time for Syria.
"When the possibility of achieving the peace and stability the Syrian people have desired for many years has emerged, Israel is once again displaying its occupying mentality," the statement said.
Morocco to double airport capacity by 2030
- Morocco received a record 15.9 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the total in the entire previous year thanks to more air routes, according to tourism ministry figures
RABAT: Morocco plans to expand its airport capacity to 80 million passengers by 2030 from 38 million currently, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said.
The plan is part of Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 soccer World Cup, together with Spain and Portugal, and promote tourism, Akhannouch told members of parliament.
Casablanca’s airport capacity will be expanded to 23.3 million passengers, while tourist hubs Marrakech and Agadir will have a capacity of 14 million passengers and 6.3 million respectively by 2030, he said.
Morocco received a record 15.9 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the total in the entire previous year thanks to more air routes, according to tourism ministry figures.
Morocco is also working to extend its high-speed train network to Marrakech before the World Cup, and further south to Agadir.
The rail operator also aims to expand its network to double the number of cities it serves to 43, or 87 percent of the Moroccan population, by 2040.
The prime minister also mentioned the expansion and renovation of 45 stadiums and training sites in the six cities that are planned to host the World Cup, in addition to the construction of a new stadium with 115,000 seats near Casablanca.
Investments in stadium construction and expansion would cost Morocco up to 5 billion dirhams ($500 million), the government has said.
Morocco is also hosting the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in 2025.
