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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Britain
'Implosion' in Muslim world fuelling refugee crisis: UK ex-foreign minister
2016-02-06
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Civil wars crippling many Muslim states and fuelling a global refugee crisis are driven in part by major struggles within Islam that cannot be ignored, former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday.

This "implosion" in many Muslim-majority countries has forced people from their homes in "unheard-of" numbers, said Miliband, now head of the New York-based humanitarian group International Rescue Committee.

Miliband spoke at the international affairs think-tank Chatham House in London. He will take part in a major conference on Thursday in the British capital that aims to raise billions of dollars from donors to respond to the Syrian crisis.

"More people are fleeing conflict, they're fleeing conflict significantly in Muslim-majority countries, so the implosion in the Islamic world, in Afghanistan, in the Middle East, is driving it," he said.

Venturing into what he called "tricky territory", he added it would be dishonest not to report that his organization's work was increasingly focused on crises in Muslim-majority countries.

"It seems to me there are big questions, big debates happening within Islam about the reconciliation of Islam to modernity, to democracy, of different segments within the Islamic tradition," he said.

"To pretend that that's not part of the story wouldn't be right," he added, without elaborating.

In several war-torn countries, bad boy Sunni literalists such as the Taliban and Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 are battling other Muslims who want the faith more adapted to the modern world or belong to a minority sect such as Shi'ism.

Miliband added his analysis did not apply to the whole of the Muslim world, citing Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, and Bangladesh as two examples of countries that did not fit into the narrative.

"It's not right to pretend that all Muslim-majority countries are undergoing this implosion," he said. "But I think if you look at the story in South Asia over the last 30 years and the story in the Middle East over the last 20 years, then that's part of the story."

Miliband said the Syrian crisis was a long-term issue, with large numbers of refugees likely to be living in Leb, Jordan, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
 and other countries for many years, and this called for a change in the scale and nature of the response.
Miliband is correct in his diagnosis, just wrong in his prescription. Yes, the Muslim Arab world is collapsing. Syria, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan are shitholes. Iraq and Tunisia are semi-shitholes. The Arabian peninsula has potential to be a mega shithole. There is clearly an implosion as the people come to recognize that their ideology and their leaders have failed.

Miliband is wrong in how to fix this: you don't do so by importing all the problems to Europe in the name of 'compassion'. The shorter-term fix is to keep the refugees in their countries, and to do so by setting up safe spaces for them: camps that are protected by European powers and funded by European money where the refugees can go, protect their families, and catch their breath. The Euros are going to pay anyway whether the refugees are in Germany or Syria. The longer-term fix is to empower the refugees to take their countries away from the evil, crazy, religion-sputtering leaders who run them. That will take work but it's the right direction.

Oh and Mr. Miliband: 'south Asia' has not failed. India is doing reasonably well. Perhaps you're speaking in code?
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Britain
UK govt forced to publish U.S. torture allegations
2010-02-11
The British government lost a legal battle Wednesday to prevent the disclosure of secret U.S. intelligence material relating to allegations of "cruel and inhuman" treatment involving the CIA.

London's Court of Appeal rejected a request by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to prevent senior judges from disclosing claims that former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed had been shackled and subjected to sleep deprivation and threats while in U.S. custody.

The office of Dennis Blair, U.S. director of national intelligence, issued a statement saying the British court's decision "to release classified information provided by the United States is not helpful, and we deeply regret it."

"The protection of confidential information is essential to strong, effective security and intelligence cooperation among allies," the statement said. It indicated the ruling would create "challenges" but the two countries would "remain united in our efforts to fight against violent extremist groups."

Miliband had argued that full disclosure of the redacted claims might make the United States less willing to share intelligence and thus prejudice Britain's national security.

Recent events showed the importance of sharing intelligence, and the U.S. authorities were concerned about the release of such material, he told parliament, adding that he was working with U.S. officials to ensure bilateral ties were not damaged.

Mohamed, an Ethiopian national and British resident, was arrested in Pakistan in April 2002. He says he was flown to Morocco on a CIA plane and held for 18 months, during which he says he was repeatedly tortured, including having his penis cut with a knife. Morocco has denied holding him.

He was transferred to Afghanistan in 2004 and later moved to Guantanamo Bay, U.S. authorities have said. He was never charged and returned to Britain in February 2009.

KEY PARAGRAPHS 'REDACTED'

London's High Court ruled in 2008 that the British government must disclose all evidence held against Mohamed.

The court excluded seven sensitive paragraphs supplied by U.S. intelligence services, and judges said later the United States had threatened to end intelligence cooperation if the evidence of alleged torture was released.

But last October, two High Court judges ruled there was "an overwhelming public interest" in releasing the details, a decision the Appeal Court upheld Wednesday.

"The treatment reported ... could be readily contended to be at the very least cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the United States authorities," the now public judgment said.

Miliband said the Appeal Court would have upheld the principle that no country should disclose intelligence from another without its agreement -- had the substance of the paragraphs not already been put into the public domain by a U.S. court judgment in a separate case in December.

"Without that disclosure, it is clear that the Court of Appeal would have overturned the Divisional Court's decision to publish the material," Miliband said in a statement.

He told parliament Britain was opposed to torture. "The UK firmly opposes torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. This is not just about legal obligations, it is also about our values as a nation ..."

Human rights campaigners said the government had gone to great lengths to conceal torture and the Foreign Office had been concerned mainly with saving face.

"These embarrassing paragraphs reveal nothing of use to terrorists but they do show something of the UK government's complicity with the most shameful part of the War on Terror," said Shami Chakrabati, director of rights campaign group Liberty.
Looks like Chakrabati's idea of what is the most shameful part of the WoT diverges from reality.
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Afghanistan
Karzai To Offer Work and Pensions To Taliban
2010-01-21
[Quqnoos] President Karzai will unveil a plan to offer work, education, pensions and land to Taliban fighters who lay down their arms, according to reports

President Hamid Karzai intends to launch the reconciliation and reintegration plan at the start of next week's London conference on Afghanistan, British newspaper, the Guardian, reports.

The Afghan president has also pledged to hold a new peace conference in the spring, restating a standing invitation to insurgents ready to swear an oath to the country's constitution.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband promised the initiative would have international backing.

US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, in his recent visit to Kabul said his government also supports Karzai's reintegration plan.

Afghan officials say the Kabul government has learned from earlier mistakes and promise that the plan will be far more comprehensive, offering in some cases, a totally new life to the Taliban, the report adds.

The initiative, which was presented to senior western diplomats in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, will include jobs or land to farm, education for young fighters and pension for older insurgents who may have fought for much of the past three decades of conflict.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iranian MPs propose cutting ties with Britain
2010-01-14
[Al Arabiya Latest] Dozens of Iranian members of parliament have put forward a proposal to cut relations with Britain, which Tehran has often accused of interfering in its internal affairs, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.

State radio said the initiative was backed by 40 MPs in the 290-seat assembly. The ISNA news agency put the number at 35.

But it was unclear when, and if, the proposal would be debated and voted upon by the legislature. ISNA said the proposal was for a complete cut in "political" relations.

Speaker Ali Larijani said it was the task of parliament's foreign policy and national security commission to handle the issue of relations with Britain, which is among Western powers accusing Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs.

Late last month, Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki threatened Britain with a "slap in the mouth" if it did not stop interfering in Iranian affairs.

That came after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband criticized Iranian authorities after eight people were killed in anti-government protests on Dec. 27.

Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Western powers, including Britain, of fomenting street protests that erupted after the Islamic Republic's disputed election in June.

"Considering the sinister actions of the British government towards the Iranian nation, it is the duty of the national security commission to decide about this country ... and I thank them for working on it," Larijani said, ISNA reported.

The commission's chairman, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said the proposal by the MPs had not been coordinated with the commission and called it a hasty move, ISNA reported.

Even if the parliament voted to cut or reduce relations with Britain, such a move must be approved by a powerful legislative body, the Guardian Council.

The United States cut relations with Tehran shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah.
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India-Pakistan
Pakistan Offers Ammo for Foreign Troops in Afghanistan
2010-01-11
[Quqnoos] Pakistan has offered to supply ammunition to foreign troops fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistani Foreign Minister said on Saturday.
He promises it will be cheaper than their current suppliers... although there may come to be questions about quality and reliability of delivery after payment is made. Much like the current situation with fuel deliveries.
Pakistan can provide quality ammunition to British and other coalition troops in Afghanistan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi told at a joint news conference with his British counterpart.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in an official tour to Pakistan, discussing bilateral issues with the Pakistani officials, including its role in the Western counter-terrorism campaign in the region.

Miliband said peace and security in Afghanistan depends on security and stability in Pakistan.

Security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan depends on security, stability and prosperity in Pakistan, he said.

He said the main objective of his visit, the sixth since he took over, was to take Pakistan into confidence about the London Conference on Afghanistan on January 28.

Britain is going to host an international summit later month in London on aiding war-weary Afghanistan.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Larijani raps US, UK over Tehran protests
2009-12-30
Iran's parliament speaker condemns US and British officials for their reactions to disturbances in Tehran, saying that they orchestrated the "sacrilegious" events.

Addressing the parliament on Tuesday, Ali Larijani said that Iran was not surprised about the stance that Washington and London had taken towards the anti-government protests, which were held during Sunday's Shia Muslim ceremonies of Ashura.

According to Tehran chief prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, seven people were killed in the clashes that broke out between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran on Sunday.

The Tehran police headquarters said that the police forces neither used violence nor fired a single bullet on Sunday.

"US and British officials' disgraceful comments about the sacrilegious events of Ashura are so disgustingly vivid that they clarify where this movement stands when it comes to destroying religious and Revolutionary values," Ali Larijani said.

"Israel's restlessness and its covert efforts to secure more Western aide for these sacrilegious movements has worsened the political situation. The anxiety of royal Wahhabi media has also caused an especially big scandal," he added.

Larijani also singled out US President Barack Obama's defense of Sunday's anti-government protests and said that his reactions was a "gift from God" that would prevent any "naive interpretations" about a possible shift in US policy.

"Washington's behavior during the past few months was nothing but an opportunist attempt to harm the national interest of Muslim Iranians.

"That goes for its childish interference in our internal affairs and its duplicitous gestures on the nuclear issue," he said.

After the Sunday protests, Obama condemned what he called "Iran's crackdown on protesters" and called for the release of the people who were detained.

"We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran," Obama said on Monday in Hawaii, where he is on vacation.

Obama said that the US will support protesters during the "extraordinary events."

On Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also hailed what he called the "great courage" of those who took part in the illegal protests.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has vowed to summon the British Ambassador to Tehran, Simon Lawrence Gass, in reaction to Miliband's remarks.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran to summon UK envoy over Miliband remarks
2009-12-29
[Iran Press TV Latest] The Iranian Foreign Ministry says it will summon the British ambassador to Tehran over London's reaction to the unrest in the capital on Sunday.

Tehran will summon British Ambassador Simon Lawrence Gass to formally protest the "meddling" remarks made by British officials, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told Press TV on Monday.

Mehman-Parast said British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's comments were hasty and undiplomatic.

On Monday, Miliband hailed the "great courage" of opposition supporters who took part in illegal protests in Tehran one day earlier, during which several people were killed and public property was damaged.

In a statement issued in London, Miliband condemned the crackdown on the protesters, saying it was "particularly disturbing" since it happened during the holiest event for Shia Muslims, Ashura, which is the anniversary of the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (PBUH).

At least eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and demonstrators that broke out during the protests, according to the Tehran police headquarters.

The police also said that the police forces neither used violence nor fired a single bullet on Sunday.

However, Miliband blamed the Islamic Republic for the deaths, saying they were "yet another reminder of how the Iranian regime deals with protest."

Mehman-Parast said that the British have proven that they believe they will benefit from sowing discord among Iranians.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also advised British officials to rethink their policy toward Iran.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran releases five detained British sailors
2009-12-03
[Al Arabiya Latest] Five British yachtsmen detained in the Gulf last week by Revolutionary Guards were freed Wednesday after it was determined they had inadvertently strayed into Iran's territorial waters, Iranian media said.

"The five Britons who had illegally entered with their vessel into the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and who were arrested near the Siri Island have been freed hours ago, state radio quoted a statement by the Guards as saying.

The elite force whose navy patrols the Gulf waters said the five sailors were interrogated and "after investigation it became evident that their illegal entry was a mistake."

"So they were freed after taking the needed written commitments."

The five had been held since Nov. 25 and on Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie warned they would be dealt with "firmly" if found guilty of illegal entry into Iranian waters.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki late on Tuesday and called for formal consular access to the men and their speedy release. They were detained on Nov. 25.

Relations between Britain and Iran have been dogged by tension in recent years over a range of issues, from Tehran's nuclear program to Iranian allegations of British involvement in post-election violence in June this year.

Britain stressed the five men were civilians and played down parallels with an incident in March 2007 when Iran seized eight British Royal Navy sailors and seven marines off its coast.

Miliband had also demanded consular access to them, saying they appeared to have "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian waters.

He also said the incident has "nothing to do" with politics or the standoff over the Islamic republic's nuclear program, which the West suspects has military aims despite Tehran's denial.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
World powers threaten Iran with sanctions
2009-12-01
[Bangla Daily Star] World powers threatened new sanctions against Iran yesterday after Tehran defiantly pledged to build 10 more uranium enrichment plants, but Russia warned against further escalating the dispute.

Iran's weekend vow to build the plants sparked strong reactions from the United States, Germany, Britain and France -- four of the six world powers negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear programme.

But China had yet to respond to Iran's announcement, while Russia's energy minister said Moscow was against escalating Iran's nuclear row. Backing from China and Russia, close trade partners with Iran, would be key to imposing new penalties.

France was harsh in its criticism, with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner branding Iran's threat "ridiculous" and "childish".

Defence Minister Herve Morin said Tehran's defiance meant the international community "would probably have to impose new economic sanctions."

"The uranium enrichment programmes have no other goal than a military goal," he said, citing what he said was evidence "from the intelligence services of several countries, notably France."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Iran would face new sanctions if it builds the plants.

"What is clear is that if Iran rejects the hand that has reached out, it must expect heavier sanctions," Westerwelle said in a statement.

"Iran must know that the international community's patience is not unlimited."

Britain could begin mulling new sanctions next month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said, while also stressing the importance of talks.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that "instead of engaging with us, Iran chooses to provoke".

"Iran can flaunt its isolation but this will only increase the calm, determination and unity of the international community," Miliband said.

Iran's announcement on Sunday that it planned to construct the new plants came after a resolution passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last week condemning Tehran for building a second uranium enrichment site.

Russia and China had backed the IAEA resolution on the plant near the Shiite holy city of Qom.

Western countries suspect Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at building atomic weapons, a charge that Tehran has consistently denied.

The UN Security Council has already imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran for enriching uranium at its first plant in the central city of Natanz.

But Western powers, led by the United States, are seeking to both engage Iran and hold out the threat of new sanctions.

They want Tehran to agree to an IAEA-brokered deal which envisages sending its stocks of low-enriched uranium abroad in one go.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement after Iran's announcement that time was running out for Tehran.

"If true, this would be yet another serious violation of Iran's clear obligations under multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself," Gibbs said in a statement.

"Time is running out for Iran to address the international community's growing concerns about its nuclear programme."

Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, who was visiting Iran on Monday, said Moscow wanted to see more talks.

"I think there is still good scope to continue negotiations," Shmatko told a joint media conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Five Britons held in Iran after yacht seized in Gulf
2009-12-01
[Al Arabiya Latest] Five Britons have been detained in Iran after their racing yacht may have inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Monday.

In the incident on November 25, "a racing yacht owned by Sail Bahrain and crewed by five British nationals, was stopped by Iranian naval vessels," a Foreign Office said in a statement.

"The yacht was on its way from Bahrain to Dubai and may have strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters. The five crew members are still in Iran. All are understood to be safe and well and their families have been informed."

Foreign Office officials "immediately contacted the Iranian authorities in London and in Tehran on the evening of 25 November, both to seek clarification and to try and resolve the matter swiftly", Miliband said.

"Our ambassador in Tehran has raised the issue with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and we have discussed the matter with the Iranian embassy in London.

"I hope this issue will soon be resolved. We will remain in close touch with the Iranian authorities, as well as the families."

On Sunday, Miliband was among several world leaders to condemn Iran's announcement that it planned to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants in a major expansion of its atomic program. Miliband accused Iran of choosing to "provoke and dissemble" rather than engage in talks.

In April 2007, Iranian forces seized eight British Royal Navy sailors and seven marines, in the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway that separates Iran and Iraq.

They were later freed unharmed as a "gift" from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who scolded Britain for not being "brave enough" to admit they had made a mistake and strayed into Iranian waters.
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India-Pakistan
Britain to support Pakistan unconditionally: Miliband
2009-11-30
[Dawn] Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband held a meeting to discuss issues of mutual interests in order to strengthen bilateral ties.

They met at the sidelines of the European Union Conference on Saturday.

Issues relating to strategic dialogues and promotion of bilateral ties came up during the discussion.

UK Foreign Secretary Miliband lauded Pakistan's role in the war against terror and its efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.

He added Britain will continue providing unconditional support to Pakistan.
"Please don't send us any more terrorists!"
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
World slams Ahmadinejad's new Holocaust slur
2009-09-20
[Al Arabiya Latest] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement that the Holocaust was "a myth" is "totally unacceptable," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday, echoing world powers, which united to slam Ahmadinejad's comments. "Such statements, wherever they come from, contradict the truth and are totally unacceptable," ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said in the statement.

" Attempts to rewrite history, especially as the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II is being marked this year, are an offence to the memory of all victims and all those who fought fascism "
Russia ministry statement
"Attempts to rewrite history, especially as the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II is being marked this year, are an offence to the memory of all victims and all those who fought fascism," he added.

Nesterenko said Ahmadinejad's comment "does not contribute to creating an international atmosphere that would foster a fruitful dialogue on issues concerning Iran." Iran and six powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are to meet again on Oct. 1 on Iran's nuclear program amid fears that Tehran is planning to build an atomic bomb, which the Islamic Republic denies.

Ahmadinejad made the statement as he addressed the annual Quds Day rally in Tehran on Friday, reiterating earlier comments that had sparked outrage around the world.

Ahmadinejad's comments
" If as you claim the Holocaust is true, why can a study not be allowed? "
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The United States, Britain, France and Germany all issued statements slamming his latest outburst dismissing the killing of some six million Jews of occupied Europe by the Nazis during World War II. "The very existence of this regime is an insult to the dignity of the people," the hardline Ahmadinejad said of Iran's arch-foe Israel.

"They (the Western powers) launched the myth of the Holocaust. They lied, they put on a show and then they support the Jews. If as you claim the Holocaust is true, why can a study not be allowed?" he said to chants of "Death to Israel" from the crowd gathered for the annual display of solidarity with the Palestinians.

"The pretext for establishing the Zionist regime is a lie... a lie which relies on an unreliable claim, a mythical claim, and the occupation of Palestine has nothing to do with the Holocaust," he added. "This claim is corrupt and the pretext is corrupt. This (the Israeli) regime's days are numbered and it is on its way to collapse. This regime is dying."

Washington condemned Ahmadinejad's comments as ignorant and hateful.

World powers slam Ahmadinejad
" The coincidence of today's comments with the start of Jewish New Year only adds to the insult "
David Miliband -- British Foreign Secretary
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded the comments "abhorrent as well as ignorant," and said they were "not worthy of the leader of Iran."

"The coincidence of today's comments with the start of Jewish New Year only adds to the insult," he added. French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero called the remarks "unacceptable and shocking. We resolutely condemn them." In Berlin German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said they shamed Iran.

Similar comments by Ahmadinejad shortly after his first election as president in 2005 also sparked an international outcry.
Nobody fusses, really, when the same Iranian President Ahmadinejad announces that Israel will be wiped off the map. But many weep bitter tears for Jews long dead. We should all be grateful, I suppose, that President Ahmadinejad holds no brief for the Gypsies, as they'd not even get so much as crocodile tears from the world.
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