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EDITORIAL — The cost of negligence
As of early evening yesterday, the death toll from a vehicular collision in Cotabato stood at 17, with four others needing hospitalization for injuries and severe burns......»»
US-Led Coalition Shoots Down 15 Yemen Rebel Drones, CENTCOM Says
Dubai, UAE - U.S. and allied forces shot down 15 one-way attack drones fired by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Saturday, the U.S. military said.Shortly afterwards, the rebels claimed the attack, saying they had fired missiles at an 'American' commercial ship and launched drones at U.S. warships in 'the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.'It was one of the Houthi's largest attacks sin.....»»
US-Led Coalition Shoots Down 15 Yemen Rebel Drones, CENTCOM Says
Dubai, UAE - U.S. and allied forces shot down 15 one-way attack drones fired by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Saturday, the U.S. military said.Shortly afterwards, the rebels claimed the attack, saying they had fired missiles at an 'American' commercial ship and launched drones at U.S. warships in 'the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.'It was one of the Houthi's largest attacks sin.....»»
Freed Pinoy now out of hospital — DFA
The Israel-based Filipino caregiver who was among those freed by the Hamas extremist group has been discharged from the hospital, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday. DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said Gelienor “Jimmy” Pacheco received medical evaluations at Shamir Medical Center, one of the largest government hospitals in Israel. “[He is] out of the hospital and staying at a hotel near the embassy,” De Vega told Daily Tribune. Pacheco, a 33-year-old caregiver, was among the first batch of hostages freed by Hamas following its surprise cross-border attack on Israel on 7 October. His release was a result of the Qatar-mediated deal for a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The deal includes the release of 50 captives held in the enclave, as well as the release of around 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails. Pacheco was one of the two Filipinos missing since the 7 October surprise attack. The other Filipino has been identified as Noralyn Babadilla. Like Pacheco, Babadilla is believed to have also been taken hostage by Hamas along with over 200 individuals from Israel. De Vega said Pacheco was not physically hurt by his captors. He, however, was traumatized by the incident. “He was traumatized by what he experienced. He said he did not have any wounds or anything,” De Vega said in a separate interview. Despite his traumatic experience in the Middle East, Pacheco said he does not have any plans to return to the Philippines for good. He, however, intends to visit the Philippines next month. “Coming home next month. In December shortly before Christmas. No exact date [yet],” De Vega said. Over the weekend, Hamas released 17 hostages held in Gaza, including a 4-year-old American girl in the third batch of hostages. For its part, the Israeli government freed 39 Palestinian prisoners......»»
Musk tours site of Hamas attack with Israeli PM
Tech tycoon Elon Musk visited the site of a Hamas attack in southern Israel Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the two discussed artificial intelligence with defence chiefs, officials said. Musk and Netanyahu held a brief interview on the billionaire's online platform X, formerly Twitter, following their tour of Kfar Aza, one of the kibbutzim -- communal farms -- in southern Israel attacked by the Palestinian militant group on October 7. "We have to demilitarise Gaza after the destruction of Hamas," Netanyahu said, calling for a campaign to "deradicalise" the Palestinian territory. "Then we also have to rebuild Gaza, and I hope to have our Arab friends help in that context." Netanyahu told Musk he hoped to resume US-mediated normalisation talks with Saudi Arabia after Hamas's defeat and "expand the circle of peace beyond anything imaginable". None of the prime minister's public statements addressed charges of rampant anti-Semitism on Musk's social media outlet. Earlier in the day, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Israel had reached an understanding in principle on the use of Starlink satellites, operated by Musk's company SpaceX, in Israel and the Gaza Strip "with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications". Musk and Netanyahu also "held an extended meeting on the security aspects of artificial intelligence," a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office said. "Senior security establishment officials in the fields of artificial intelligence and cyber participated in the meeting." The American tycoon was also set to meet with President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Israel. Herzog would address "the need to act to combat rising anti-Semitism online", the office of Israel's figurehead president said Sunday. Musk has come under fire over what critics say is a proliferation of hate speech on X since his takeover of the social media site in October 2022. He has also been accused by the White House of "abhorrent promotion" of anti-Semitism after endorsing a conspiracy theory seen as accusing Jews of trying to weaken white majorities. Herzog's office said the meeting would be joined by "representatives of families of hostages held by Hamas, who will speak about the horrors of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, and of the ongoing pain and uncertainty for those held captive". Israel bombarded the Gaza strip for weeks and launched a ground assault in response to the attacks, before a four-day ceasefire took effect on November 24. In September, Netanyahu urged Musk "to stop not only anti-Semitism, or rolling it back as best you can, but any collective hatred" on X. Musk, the world's richest person, said while his platform could not stop all hate speech before it was posted, he was "generally against attacking any group, no matter who it is". X Corp is currently suing nonprofit Media Matters on the grounds that it has driven away advertisers by portraying the site as rife with anti-Semitic content. Musk has also threatened to file suit against the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, over its claims that problematic and racist speech has soared on the site since he completed his $44-billion takeover......»»
Iraqi religious leader demands closure of American embassy
Influential religious leader Moqtada Sadr called on the Iraqi government Friday to close the United States embassy in Baghdad because of Washington’s “unconditional support” for Israel in its war with Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. “If the government and parliament do not respond, we will take a different position that we will announce later,” the Shiite cleric, who often criticizes the government, warned on X. On 22 October, Washington ordered all non-essential staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad’s high security Green Zone and its consulate in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has criticized the “Zionist occupation” since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza, calling it a “genocide” of the Palestinian people. On 7 October, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, who were shot, mutilated, or burned to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the areas under attack. More than 7,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in response to the attacks, according to the Hamas health ministry in the territory. Iraqis stage regular protests to condemn the Israeli bombing and in support of the Palestinians. Militia attacks All Iraqi political factions support the Palestinian cause, and like its neighbor Iran, Israel’s sworn enemy, Iraq does not recognize the Israeli state. US forces and their coalition allies in Iraq have been the target of attacks mostly claimed by the group “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” on Telegram channels tied to pro-Iran factions. On Thursday, the Pentagon said there had been 16 such attacks in Iraq and Syria this month, and blamed “Iranian-supported militias.” The Baghdad government is supported by parties that have close links with Tehran, but it is working to maintain relations with the US, which has 2,500 soldiers on Iraqi territory. On Monday, Baghdad called the attacks on American soldiers “unacceptable” and promised to investigate. WITH AFP The post Iraqi religious leader demands closure of American embassy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Haiti leader’s killer gets life sentence
A United States court on Friday sentenced to life in prison a retired Colombian military officer suspected as the leader of a mercernary group that assassinated Haiti’s president in 2021. The US says it has jurisdiction in the case because it alleges the plot to kill president Jovenel Moise was hatched in part in the country. German Rivera, considered one of the leaders of the mercenary squad that shot and killed Moise in his residence outside Port au Prince, appeared before Judge Jose Martinez to hear the sentence. Rivera, a retired captain, pleaded guilty last month to taking part in the plan. On Friday, dressed in brown prison garb, with his feet and wrists bound, Rivera passed on an opportunity to address the Miami court before the sentence was read out. He was the second person convicted in the US over the assassination, which plunged Haiti -- already plagued by poverty, gang violence, natural disasters, epidemics and a weak government — further into crisis. In June, another member of the conspiracy, Haitian-Chilean Rodolphe Jaar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for his role in supplying weapons to carry out the assassination. The 53-year-old Jovenel was gunned down on 7 July 2021 at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombians. His security detail did not intervene to protect him. In February, US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe told a new conference that underlying the attack on Jovenel was a lust for money and power. Lapointe said two managers of a Miami security firm, CTU, devised a plan to kidnap Moise and replace him with Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American citizen who wanted to become president of the Caribbean country. In exchange for toppling Moise, they were promised lucrative contracts to build infrastructure and provide security forces and military equipment in a future government led by Sanon, also indicted in the US, prosecutors said. The plot at first was aimed at kidnapping Moise, but then evolved to assassination, according to court filings. In Haiti a probe into the assassination has not led to anyone being put on trial. WITH AFP The post Haiti leader’s killer gets life sentence appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US says anti-Iran strikes in Syria hit ammunition depots
The United States said Friday it sought to degrade ammunition supplies of Iranian-linked militias with strikes in Syria but insisted it did not want to widen the Middle East conflict. The Pentagon on Thursday announced air strikes on two sites in eastern Syria it said were used by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after a string of attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. "The purpose for those two sites that we targeted was to have a significant impact on future IRGC and Iran-backed militia group operations," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday. "It went right at storage facilities and ammo depots that we know will be used to support the work of these militia groups, particularly in Syria." "The main goal was to disrupt that ability and also to deter -- to prevent -- future attacks," he said. The White House earlier said that President Joe Biden had relayed a direct warning to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against militias' strikes on US troops in Syria and Iraq, where US forces are stationed as part of efforts against the Islamic State group, which also has clashed with Shiite Iran. There have been at least 14 attacks on US and allied forces in Iraq and six in Syria since October 17, a period in which 21 American military personnel suffered minor injuries and one contractor died from a cardiac incident, according to the Pentagon. The US strikes on Thursday were the first on Iranian interests since March, breaking a stretch of calm after the Biden administration opened quiet diplomacy with the US arch-enemy that led to a prisoner swap and conversations on Iran's disputed nuclear program. The October 7 assault by Hamas and Israel's retaliatory strikes have inflamed the region. Iran's clerical leaders back Hamas, while the United States is the foremost ally of Israel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a statement Thursday, said that the strikes were "narrowly tailored" to protect US personnel. "They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict," Austin said. The Pentagon said Friday evening that its current assessment is the strikes did not cause casualties. 'Finger on the trigger' In new pressure, the United States -- which already considers Hamas and the Revolutionary Guards to be terrorist organizations -- said it was imposing sanctions on a Hamas official based in Iran and members of the IRGC. The Biden administration has vowed to target the finances of Hamas, which holds hundreds of millions of dollars in global assets, according to US Treasury Department estimates. Iran also has a close relationship with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia and political movement that has repeatedly fired at Israel but has so far stopped short of opening a full second front. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday that he has spoken with Lebanese and Palestinian militants and they "have their finger on the trigger" if Israel expands its ground operation into Gaza. Speaking to US National Public Radio from the United Nations, Amir-Abdollahian said the militants' actions would be "much more powerful and deeper than what you’ve witnessed." "Therefore I believe that if this situation continues and women and children and civilians are still killed in Gaza and the West Bank, anything will be possible," he said. Amir-Abdollahian insisted, however, that militants would decide their own actions, saying, "We don't really want this conflict to spread out." Addressing the General Assembly on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian said that the Palestinians "as a nation under occupation" have the "legitimate right to resist the occupation using all available methods, including armed struggle." Hamas militants on October 7 stormed out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, including children, the elderly and revelers at a music festival, and took more than 220 hostages in the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Israel has struck back with a relentless bombing campaign which Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says has killed 7,326 people, mostly civilians, among them 3,038 children. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meeting Friday with Amir-Abdollahian, urged Iran to work toward the "unconditional and immediate release of hostages held in Gaza." The post US says anti-Iran strikes in Syria hit ammunition depots appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US strikes Iranian assets in Syria after attacks on American troops
Tel Aviv [Israel], October 27 (ANI/TPS): US military forces struck two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated terror proxies, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday. The strikes came in response to a series of attacks this week by Iranian-backed groups against American personnel stationed in Iraq and Syria. An American contractor died from a heart attack.....»»
Colombian gets life sentence in US over killing of Haiti’s president
A US court sentenced a retired Colombian military officer to life in prison for his role in the assassination of Haiti's president in 2021. The United States says it has jurisdiction in the case because it alleges the plot to kill President Jovenel Moise was hatched in part in the US. German Rivera, considered one of the leaders of the mercenary squad that shot and killed Moise in his residence outside Port au Prince, appeared before Judge Jose Martinez to hear the sentence. Rivera, a retired captain, pleaded guilty last month to taking part in the plan. On Friday, dressed in brown prison garb, with his feet and wrists bound, Rivera passed on an opportunity to address the court before the sentence was read out. He was the second person convicted in the United States over the assassination, which plunged Haiti -- already plagued by poverty, gang violence, natural disasters, epidemics, and a weak government -- further into crisis. In June, another member of the conspiracy, Haitian-Chilean Rodolphe Jaar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for his role in supplying weapons to carry out the assassination. The 53-year-old Jovenel was gunned down on 7 July 2021 at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombians. His security detail did not intervene to protect him. In February, US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe told a new conference that underlying the attack on Jovenel was a lust for money and power. Lapointe said two managers of a Miami security firm, CTU, devised a plan to kidnap Moise and replace him with Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American citizen who wanted to become president of the Caribbean country. In exchange for toppling Moise, they were promised lucrative contracts to build infrastructure and provide security forces and military equipment in a future government led by Sanon, also indicted in the United States, prosecutors said. The plot at first was aimed at kidnapping Moise, but then evolved to assassination, according to court filings. In Haiti a probe into the assassination has not led to anyone being put on trial. Haiti has spiraled into deeper chaos since Moise's death. No election has been held and he has not been succeeded. Gangs control around 80 percent of the Haitian capital, and violent crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and carjackings continue to escalate in the impoverished Caribbean nation. The post Colombian gets life sentence in US over killing of Haiti’s president appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Goal: End terror
The United Nations, thus far, has fared dismally in fulfilling its role in the Israel-Hamas conflict that has been playing out for over two weeks. Instead of giving clarity to the situation by making an unequivocal stand against the reign of terror, the UN has turned into an accomplice of the Hamas terrorists in the unprecedented brutality that was wreaked on 7 October when more than 1,400 mostly civilians were massacred. The UN has repeatedly called for a humanitarian pause, which is coopting to the wishes of the terror group. More than 200 people were taken hostage by the extremists who rampaged through the peaceful communities. Relatives of the Hamas hostages and their supporters called on the UN the other day to do its part in bringing back their family members and rendering justice. One by one, members of the hostages’ families stood on a podium in front of the United Nations, pleading to world leaders for help rescuing their children, parents, brothers, and sisters who had nothing to do with the raging war. “We have not heard anything from anybody. Do your work. Give us signs of life. Give a sign of hope. We’re waiting for that. We’re not getting anything, I’m sorry,” said Orna Neutra, the mother of a hostage. In the plaza across the street, a solidarity rally displayed the horrors of war, putting up the names and photos of the missing hostages and setting shoes next to each poster. “These are the little shoes of 4-year-old girls that danced and walked in the kibbutz and now are held hostage in Gaza,” American resident Shany Granot-Lubaton said. “We just want people to understand how real it is for us. These are our family. These are our friends. This is what it looks like. These are real people.” The UN response led by Russia and China — which received support from the UN leadership — was appalling, calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to deliver “desperately needed food, water, medicine and fuel,” which Israeli officials said would benefit the besieged terrorists. Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed the US-authored draft resolution condemning the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said that had these nations endured a similar massacre, they would have acted with much greater force. “In Israel, we are fighting for our very survival. If any of your countries endured a similar massacre, I am certain that you would act with much greater force than Israel,” he said. “There would be no question in your mind that such a barbaric slaughter requires a broad military operation against the terrorists who committed such inhumane atrocities to eradicate their terrorist capabilities, to make sure that such atrocities can never happen again,” he said. The draft resolution condemned the attack by Hamas on Israel and called for the release of the hostages and compliance with international humanitarian law. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for universal condemnation of Hamas’s terrorism and the immediate release of hostages. “I implore every member here, use your voice, use your influence, use your leverage to secure their unconditional and immediate release,” Blinken said. Ten countries on the UN Security Council backed the resolution, while Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates voted against it, and two other nations abstained. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said his country won’t support the US resolution, adding that they see no point in it as the document has no demand for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the parties to the conflict. As a victim of similar atrocities inflicted by terrorists in Marawi City, Filipinos know a quick resolution is essential to end the crisis, which for Israel is the complete elimination of Hamas. The post Goal: End terror appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US police launch huge manhunt for shooter who killed at least 22
A massive manhunt was under way Thursday for a gunman who a local official said killed at least 22 people and wounded "many" more in mass shootings in the US state of Maine, the deadliest such incident this year. Police said Robert Card -- seen in surveillance footage pointing a semi-automatic weapon with an extended clip as he walked into a bowling alley in the town of Lewiston -- "should be considered armed and dangerous." Card is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserve, CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources. Lewiston city councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN that law enforcement had "confirmed 22 dead, many, many more injured", with local media reporting shootings had occurred at multiple locations. Swathes of Lewiston were locked down, with businesses urged to shutter and people ordered to shelter in place, as the scourge of horrifying gun violence once again ripped through an American community. Maine public safety official Mike Sauschuck said he was not prepared to give a death toll, calling it "a very fluid situation." He told reporters police were flooding the streets as they sought the gunman. "We have literally hundreds of police officers working around the state of Maine to investigate this case, to locate Mr. Card," he told reporters. Rescue vehicles rushed in from around central Maine to tend to the wounded, city councilor McCarthy said, and the two Lewiston hospitals "have called in every off-duty staff member that they could to deal with this." President Joe Biden made calls -- stepping away from a state dinner honoring Australia's prime minister -- to Maine's governor, its two senators and a local congressman to offer federal support, the White House said. Early on Thursday, armed police were seen guarding the Central Maine Medical Center, where some of the wounded were being treated. Several Maine school boards and educational institutions, including Bates College, said they would not be holding classes on Thursday, according to statements. Multiple locations Police and rescuers reportedly arrived at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley at about 7:15 pm local time (00:15 Thursday GMT) in response to an active shooter, and then received reports of another shooting at the Schemengees Bar & Grille, according to the Sun Journal local newspaper. Police issued a number of photographs of 40-year-old Card at the bowling alley, where he appears calm and composed as he moves through the doorway with his rifle raised. "Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts," they said. Sauschuck said officers had located a "vehicle of interest" they had been looking for -- a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) -- in Lisbon, a town around eight miles (12 kilometers) from Lewiston, where residents had also been warned to stay off the streets. Card was not in the vehicle, reports said. Law enforcement "are investigating two active shooter events," the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department said on social media. "We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate. The suspect is still at large." Maine Governor Janet Mills said she was "aware of and have been briefed on the active shooter situation in Lewiston." CNN reported that at least 50 people were wounded in the incidents, citing multiple law enforcement sources, but said it was unclear how many of the injuries were the result of gunfire. It was unclear if initial reports of shots being fired at a third site, a Walmart distribution center, were accurate. My hometown Maine Congressman Jared Golden wrote on social media that "like all Mainers, I'm horrified by the events in Lewison tonight. This is my hometown." "Right now, all of us are looking to local law enforcement as they gain control of the situation and gather information. Our hearts break for those who are affected," he said. Distraught citizens flocked to local hospitals. "I'm just overwhelmed. I've been here trying to spread, you know, some kind of comfort, some kind of support," Cynthia Hunter, a local resident, told CBS affiliate WGME. The shooting is one of the deadliest since 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in Las Vegas, killing about 60 people. Gun violence is alarmingly common in the United States, a country where there are more guns than people and where attempts to clamp down on their spread are always met with stiff resistance. The United States has recorded over 500 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-governmental organization that defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed. Wednesday's attack was the deadliest mass shooting in 2023 so far, according to the GVA's data. Efforts to tighten gun controls have for years run up against opposition from Republicans, staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms. The political paralysis endures despite widespread outrage over recurring shootings. Lewiston is the second most populous city in Maine located some 30 miles north of the largest city, Portland. The post US police launch huge manhunt for shooter who killed at least 22 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden prodded on joint WPS patrols
Members of the United States House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee condemned China’s “unlawful” actions in the West Philippine Sea that led to collisions of a Philippine resupply boat and its Philippine Coast Guard escort ship. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), along with Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Chairwoman Young Kim (R-CA) and Ranking Member Ami Bera (D-CA), issued a joint statement to express their support for the Philippines. “We unequivocally support the Philippines and condemn the unlawful actions by the Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea,” the US lawmakers said. “The Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels intentionally hit PCG ships over the weekend and continue to violate international law, endanger Filipino crew members, and obstruct Philippine vessels’ access to their own exclusive economic zone,” they added. The 22 October incident was “part of a larger pattern of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, its maritime militia, and the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive and provocative behavior in the South China Sea, where it actively intrudes in other states’ exclusive economic zones,” they said. Over the weekend, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea accused the CCG of performing “dangerous blocking maneuvers” that resulted in a collision with the Unaiza May 2, an indigenous boat contracted by the AFP for its routine resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. During the mission, a Chinese maritime militia vessel “bumped” the PCG ship, BRP Cabra, on its port side. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the PCG to investigate the incident. The American legislators also backed US President Joe Biden’s announcement of increased joint patrols with the Philippines and other partners in the South China Sea and his administration’s reaffirmation to uphold its commitment under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Earlier this week, the White House said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assured Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Año of US support in safeguarding its sovereign rights in the WPS under the two nations’ MDT. Signed in 1951, the Philippines and the US agreed under the MDT that an armed attack on either of the parties would be considered an attack on the other, thus, joint actions may be taken by the US and the Philippines to protect each other. Meanwhile, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the collisions would convince more countries to undertake freedom of navigation sorties with the Philippines in the WPS. “I believe it will invite more countries that have an interest in freedom of navigation to participate not only in joint patrols but in other security engagements with the Philippines,” Teodoro said. Teodoro said the Philippine government is considering many options to address China’s increasing aggression in the WPS. The post Biden prodded on joint WPS patrols appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Humanity’s holocaust
In a war, there is no justification for protagonists to resort to slaughter and the abduction of civilians, which are acts of cowardice and unbridled evil at the same time. Using weapons to harm civilians is unacceptable in the civilized world, which makes the Hamas act on 7 October and thereafter the exact definition of terrorism. The release of hostages in batches does not improve the image of Hamas to the world, which has become aware of the ruthless character of the group supposedly fighting for the independence of Palestine. Hamas practices the same brand of terrorism as the Islamic State and the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups in the local setting, all abominations of the faith that teaches peace and coexistence. The 7 October terror attack was the worst in Israel’s 75-year history, if not the world’s, with the massacre of 1,400 individuals by a murderous horde that crossed the border from Gaza. Around 200 foreigners were confirmed dead by their national authorities, many also holding Israeli nationality. Israel estimates 222 people were abducted. The United States reported 31 dead, 13 missing, others abducted, with 13 Americans unaccounted for. Hamas released two American hostages on Friday, which was calculated to delay the imminent ground assault by Israeli troops. Another two Israeli hostages were released on Tuesday. Thailand has among the most casualties after Israel and the US, with 30 dead. Some 19 Thai hostages are in the hands of the terror organization. About 30,000 Thais work in Israel, most in the agricultural sector. France counted 30 dead, one hostage and six missing; Russia: 19 dead, two hostages, seven missing; Ukraine has 18 dead; the United Kingdom reported nine dead, seven missing; Nepal revealed 10 of its citizens killed and one missing; Argentina has nine dead and 21 missing; Canada said six citizens died while two are missing; Austria confirmed four deaths while one is missing; China’s foreign ministry said four Chinese were killed and two missing. An attack on a kibbutz and on the music festival, just kilometers from the Gaza border, killed four Filipinos, while two are missing. It does not stop there as Portugal also counted four dead and four missing; Romania reported five dead and one taken hostage; Belarus counted three dead, one missing; Brazil has three deaths; Peru has three deaths and four missing; South Africa announced two of its nationals had been killed. Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey have reported at least one of their citizens were slaughtered. The German foreign ministry said Wednesday that many of their nationals were killed without giving a precise number. Nations with unaccounted-for citizens who were likely taken hostage are Mexico, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Israel Ambassador Ilan Fluss told DAILY TRIBUNE editors that the war against Hamas is not only the fight of Israel but should be an international effort to defeat terror groups, considering the international dimension of the carnage. Fluss was also reminded of the Holocaust, which was Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s genocide of Jews in World War II, a method employed by Hamas in the plunder and murder of civilians that included burning people alive. Several of those killed were children, babies, and the elderly who could barely walk. Even the most ruthless gangs in other nations do not involve the weak in their acts of violence. Indeed, 7 October will live in infamy as the second Holocaust that has affected the whole civilized world. The post Humanity’s holocaust appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Shame on int’l media’
As the conflict between the state of Israel and the Hamas terror organization intensifies, international media coverage has thus far been described as dismal and heavily slanted against the Jewish nation. Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss cited as an example the Hamas missile attack on the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which was hit directly a few days after the 7 October attack by a rocket fired from Gaza, resulting in Israeli deaths and injuries. In contrast, an explosion on 17 October at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that resulted in a massive number of fatalities and injuries was splashed all over broadcast and print media and was immediately blamed on an Israeli air strike, a narrative peddled by Hamas. Investigations by Israel and the United States proved that a missile launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based terror group more radical than Hamas, had misfired and landed on the hospital grounds. “Nobody in the media reported that an Israeli hospital was bombed in Ashkelon, which had so many patients injured and killed. The rockets were shot at the hospital. No media picked it up and condemned nobody,” Fluss lamented during an interview with Daily Tribune editors. “So, for me, this incident is a shame on the international media. These news (outfits) and (media) people sort of still live with this image that it is the ratings that must (dictate the news coverage),” Fluss said. New York Times sorry US publication The New York Times issued on Monday an unprecedented admission that it had “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas” in its reporting of an explosion at a Gaza hospital. The newspaper issued the statement five days after running a headline on its front page, above the fold, reading: “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.” “The Times’ initial accounts attributed the claim of Israeli responsibility to Palestinian officials and noted that the Israeli military said it was investigating the blast,” according to NYT’s editor’s note. “However, the early versions of the coverage — and the prominence it received in a headline, news alert, and social media channels — relied too heavily on claims by Hamas and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified,” the NYT continued. NYT editors also acknowledged that “the report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.” The note said Times reporters quickly edited the story on the website, as Israeli officials denied striking the hospital. Nonetheless, it added, “Given the sensitive nature of the news during a widening conflict and the prominent promotion it received, Times editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation and been more explicit about what information could be verified.” Islamic Jihad missile Israeli officials have vehemently denied responsibility for the explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital and have released audio files of Hamas officials admitting that the blast was caused by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad projectile that fell onto Gaza. Also provided were images showing that the parking lot where the blast occurred did not have a crater in the ground, and there was no structural damage to nearby buildings, both of which typically would have been left by an Israeli Defense Forces strike. Recurring phenomena Media bias, as Fluss indicated, is a persistent issue. Terror groups like Hamas know this and take full advantage to sway public opinion. “As a result, coverage is often selective, stories get framed misleadingly, or certain perspectives go missing,” according to the American Jewish Committee, or AJC, which is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. “Instead of focusing on Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians, Israel’s efforts to thwart terrorists, destroy terrorist headquarters and weapons sites, and prevent more civilian deaths, some major media outlets characterize Israel’s targeted response as attacks on innocent and beleaguered Palestinians — feeding an unequivocally false narrative,” the AJC said. It added that Western media outlets often use the term “militant” to describe Hamas and other terrorist groups. For example, in the New York Times coverage of Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel on 7 October, the word “terrorists” was nowhere to be found on the front page of its website. The AJC said, “Hamas is not a militant group. It is a terrorist organization internationally designated as such by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, and others that has fired thousands of rockets and slaughtered Israeli civilians in cold blood.” Hamas has set two long-term goals articulated in its charter: The end of the Jewish state and the creation of an Islamic state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. In the current conflict, Hamas has murdered over 300 Israelis and wounded nearly 2,000. “Using the term ‘militant’ to describe Hamas diminishes the true threat that the terror group poses. Media outlets need to call a terrorist a terrorist,” the AJC added. No occupation Some media accounts on the Gaza Strip often blame Israel’s “occupation” as the root cause of the conflict. Fluss pointed out, however, that Israel does not occupy the Gaza Strip and has had no presence in the coastal enclave for nearly two decades. From 1948 to 1967, the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt, which took control of the territory during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, also known as Israel’s War of Independence. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel took control of the Gaza Strip from Egypt. In 2005, Israel, facing huge political pushback, withdrew from the Gaza Strip, and dismantled its settlements and military forces in the name of peace and in hopes of creating a better future. However, those hopes were shattered after Hamas came to power through elections and, with it, violence and rocket attacks on Israeli civilian population centers. Since 2007, when Hamas violently ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip, it began launching tens of thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Hamas terrorists also infiltrated Israel through land, sea, and air incursions from Gaza to murder and abduct Israeli civilians. Over 600 Israelis were murdered on the 7 October large-scale infiltration into Israeli territory from Gaza. The post ‘Shame on int’l media’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Hands off our war!’
Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Ilan Fluss, stressed yesterday that his country does not want the United Nations to interfere in its war against the extremist group Hamas, which killed at least 1,400 people, mostly Israeli civilians, in an unprecedented attack last 7 October. In a roundtable discussion with DAILY TRIBUNE editors and reporters, Fluss accused the UN of having a long-standing anti-Israel bias as he brushed aside a UN Security Council call for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict. The UN was founded 78 years ago to the day today, on 24 October 1945. “We’re in a war against Hamas, which is like the war in Afghanistan (following the 11 September 2001 or 9/11 terror attacks against the United States),” said Fluss, describing the attack by Hamas as second only in barbarity to what Israelis faced during the holocaust. Hitler’s Nazi Germany exterminated about six million European Jews from 1941 to 1945 during the Holocaust in World War 2. The genocide would spur the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. “We will make sure that there’s no humanitarian crisis as much as possible, and we are trying hard to minimize the casualties there,” he said, explaining that the airstrikes in the Gaza Strip are targeting well-known Hamas enclaves. Israel, with about 300,000 soldiers and armor massed at its border with Gaza, has expressed an intent to launch a ground offensive to rout Hamas, without occupying the territory it left in 2005. Fluss pointed out that civilians in Gaza are being warned in advance of the attacks, with pleas made for them to relocate to its south, away from the fighting. War on terror “Our objective in this war is to ensure that Hamas will no longer be able to attack Israel like it did. We will remove their capability in a war that is solely against Hamas and not the Palestinians,” Fluss said. The envoy stressed that Israel is not against delivering humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza, while stressing Israel’s right to protect its citizens against terrorist groups like Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Fluss said that nobody, not even the UN, can stop Israel from a war that it did not start, one that was “forced on us” by Hamas with the latter’s massacre of innocent Israelis, including women and children. Enemies of Israel He explained that while the Philippines enjoys recognition by all countries, Israel has for decades, if not centuries, been trying to be recognized as a state with the right to exist peacefully. But Fluss lamented that the UN has been passing resolutions — at least 20 every year — “which are anti-Israel, (resolutions) that take the Palestinian narrative.” “There is no recognition of the Israeli narrative. The bias against Israel in the UN is well-known,” he said. He said that the UN and its agencies, like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, otherwise referred to as the UN Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA, have allowed themselves to be used by the enemies of Israel. Fluss cited as an example the use by Hamas of UNRWA facilities, supplies and even marked vehicles in attacking Israel. UNRWA had been accused in the past of perpetuating destabilizing events in order to have a perpetual supply of refugees to justify its existence and funding. It has over 18,900 staff working in 138 countries. Israel, as the lone Jewish state in the UN, is ranged against an automatic majority of countries that support the Palestinian initiatives. The Arab League has 22 members in the UN, while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members. It may be recalled that a number of Arab countries had banded together to wage wars against Israel, including in 1948 during its founding. The UN has also accommodated Palestinians many times in the past. In October 1974, or 14 years before the Palestine Liberation Organization nominally forswore terrorism, the UN General Assembly voted to invite it to send a spokesperson to take part in its deliberations. No one who was not a representative of a government — except the Pope, and even he was the head of a quasi-state — had ever before been granted such a privilege. The vote to extend the invitation was overwhelming, 105 to 4, with only the United States, Israel, and two Latin American governments opposed. The assembled delegates heard Yasser Arafat proclaim the necessity of getting at the “historical roots” of the issue, namely, “the Jewish invasion of Palestine [that] began in 1881,” and addressing it with a “radical antidote,” rather than “a slavish obeisance to the present.” Expulsion try In 1975, the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference were determined to have Israel expelled from the UN. The PLO lined up support for this move at a meeting of the African states while training its sights on a ministerial meeting of the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) scheduled a month later, in August 1975, in Lima, Peru. Washington then objected. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger delivered a major speech on the subject, with a thinly veiled warning that the United States might turn its back on the United Nations. In addition to Washington’s hard line, the drive to expel Israel was also slowed by disarray within the Arab’s ranks. The most decisive factor that disrupted the expulsion move was the surprising position of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who announced his opposition to it because “Israel must be present at the United Nations if it is expected to comply with its resolutions.” Israel’s enemies soon came up with an alternative that again targeted Israel through a resolution of the General Assembly, echoing Arafat and Soviet propagandists who declared Zionism to be “a form of racism.” In 1982, the body declared that Israel “is not a peace-loving member state and that it has not carried out its obligations under the Charter.” Likewise, the UN General Assembly has voted each year on 70 to 100 resolutions, including from 15 to 20 resolutions pejorative to Israel. Of all General Assembly resolutions that criticize a particular country, three-quarters apply to Israel. The relentless recitation of UN declarations reinforces the conviction in the Arab world that all right lies on the Arab side and that Israel is irredeemably evil. The post ‘Hands off our war!’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 American hostages freed
Gaza’s Hamas rulers freed two Americans among the 200 hostages they kidnapped in the deadly 7 October attacks in Israel. More hostages may be released, the group hinted. According to the Israeli government, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter, Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were returned to Israel late Friday. There was no word on their condition, but US President Joe Biden was “overjoyed” by the news. Biden called the two women after they were released. Hamas also announced it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, implying that more could be released. An Israeli emissary met the couple at the Gaza border and took them to a military base in central Israel “where their families are waiting to meet them.” The Ranaan family, like many of the captives, had begun a worldwide campaign to pressure Hamas to release them. Hamas said the “al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons” after being approached by Qatar and Egypt. The Islamist rulers of Gaza said they were “working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions permit.” It provided no specifics about its demands. Israel claims that Hamas militants took 203 people during the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history, including Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners. According to the authorities, at least 1,400 individuals were killed, mostly civilians. Relentless bombing Israel has retaliated with a continuous bombing campaign against Gaza, killing at least 4,137 people, mostly civilians. The hostages have become a massive problem in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stating that the government will use “any means available to locate all those missing and bring all those kidnapped home.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said it helped transport the freed Americans to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for more releases “immediately and unconditionally.” “Every single one of them should be released,” said Blinken, adding that a team from the US Embassy would visit the two freed women. Qatar is a major aid donor to Gaza, and two Hamas leaders are based in the Gulf state. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said the country had mediated between Hamas and the United States and that the release followed “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved.” The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive even though some dead bodies have been found on incursions into Gaza. The military said more than 20 hostages were minors, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. Saudi factor Biden said Friday he believed Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel two weeks ago aimed to disrupt the warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia. “One of the reasons they acted like they did... why Hamas moved on Israel... (was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden told guests at a campaign fundraiser. “The Saudis want to recognize Israel... unite the Middle East,” he said. The momentum toward a landmark US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia — the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites — was shattered by the 7 October attack by Hamas militants on Israel. A bombing campaign launched in response by Israel has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Saudi officials announced on 14 October during a visit to Riyadh by US Secretary Blinken that the country had suspended talks with Israel on the normalization of relations. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had spoken of progress with Israel but also insisted on movement on the Palestinian cause. The Gulf kingdom has never recognized Israel and did not join the 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, which led neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Morocco, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. With AFP The post 2 American hostages freed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Drones attack U.S. forces in Iraq
Drones attacked American and coalition forces in Iraq in the last 24 hours but all unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down with troops suffering only minor injuries. The United States Central Command reported the attacks Wednesday but did not say the source of the drones. Pro-Iranian forces have threatened to attack American troops in Iraq because of Washington’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas. “In western Iraq, US forces engaged two drones, destroying one and damaging the second, resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces. Separately in northern Iraq, US forces engaged and destroyed a drone, resulting in no injuries or damage,” CENTCOM said. There are around 2,500 American soldiers and a thousand troops from other members of the anti-Islamic State coalition in Iraq in a training and advisory role, after the official end of their combat mission in December 2021. A US defense official said earlier on Wednesday that two “one-way drones” had been downed when they attempted to attack American and coalition forces in Iraq, while Kurdish counter-terrorism forces said in a statement that an explosives-laden drone had crashed Wednesday in the Arbil governorate in the country’s north. The drone shootdowns came a day after a strike on a hospital in Gaza left hundreds dead, with Hamas blaming Israel, which in turn said another Palestinian armed group was responsible. Hamas launched a surprise assault inside Israel on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking hostages back into Gaza. After Israel declared war and began retaliatory strikes, nearly 3,500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, mostly civilians as well, according to Hamas health authorities. Pro-Iranian factions in Iraq have accused Israel and the US of carrying out a “massacre” in Gaza, with one of them — the powerful Ketaeb Hezbollah group — demanding that American forces leave Iraq or face attack. The post Drones attack U.S. forces in Iraq appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
War in Israel a new front in US election campaign
The surprise Hamas assault on Israel has opened up a new front in the US election campaign as Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of being soft in his defense of Israel and in his handling of Iran. "I think this is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel -- time and time again –- and Joe Biden has been weak," Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Saturday on Fox News. Americans will choose a new president and control of Congress in November 2024, with Biden, 80, seeking another term in a race that looks likely to pit him against former president Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. Trump used the stunning Hamas attack by land, sea, and air at dawn Saturday to target Biden. “The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as weak and ineffective and with a very weak leader,” he said. Other Republican presidential hopefuls, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, also dismissed Biden as weak. US stands with Israel A stern-faced Biden gave a short speech from the White House on Saturday to stress firm US support for Israel. "Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas," Biden said. "In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back." Republicans zeroed in on a recent decision by the Biden administration to release $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue frozen in South Korea in exchange for the release of five Americans who were being held prisoner in Iran. Tehran is the main sponsor of Hamas, which the United States and other countries classify as a terrorist group. Senator Rick Scott, for instance, said that in unfreezing that money -- it was transferred to a bank account in Qatar for use only for humanitarian purposes -- the United States had in effect financed the Hamas attack, which won praise from Iran. That charge angered the White House, which called it a "shameful lie" and insisted that the money was tightly controlled in how it could be used and none of it had been spent. A senior administration official speaking to reporters on Saturday accused Republicans of spreading disinformation. Help from congress The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed it was too early to say whether Iran was directly involved in Hamas' large-scale attack, but that there was "no doubt Hamas is funded, equipped and armed by Iran and others." Aside from the 2024 election, the Republican attacks pose political problems for Biden. The United States already provides billions of dollars a year for Israel but Biden will need Congress if he wants to send more now that Israel has declared itself at war with Hamas. That means Biden has to work with the Republicans, who are blocking passage of a yearly budget. Making matters worse, the House of Representatives is in chaos and limbo now because of the ouster of its speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last week in a revolt by a handful of far right Republicans. The White House would also like the Senate to approve Jack Lew soon to be the new American ambassador to Israel. His nomination was announced more than a month ago. This will require goodwill from the Republican minority in that chamber. The post War in Israel a new front in US election campaign appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Major airlines cancel dozens of flights to Tel Aviv
Major airlines have canceled dozens of flights to Tel Aviv this weekend after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack against Israel. American Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates and Ryanair are among those pulling flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. However, airport authorities did not stop commercial air links with Israel's second international airport at Eilat, a tourist destination on the Red Sea. And Israeli flag carrier El Al said Sunday that it was maintaining its Tel Aviv flights for now, though some flights operated by foreign partners had been cancelled. "We might cancel flights to places where we don't have a lot of Israelis to help other Israelis in other places," a spokeswoman told AFP. In a statement, El Al added that it was operating "in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security forces", with all flights now departing only from Terminal Three at Ben Gurion airport. Like most other airlines, it said clients could change their tickets without charge. After Saturday saw a list of major carriers cancelling flights Spain's AENA airports operator told AFP four of nine flights scheduled to Tel Aviv on Sunday had been cancelled, two from Madrid and two from Barcelona. Another nine flights, from Tel Aviv to airports in Spain, have so far been unaffected, the operator said. Spain's Air Europa said it had cancelled its two flights scheduled between Madrid and Tel Aviv, while Iberia Express, the low-cost arm of national carrier Iberia, went ahead with a Madrid-Tel Aviv flight after suspending two on Saturday. Vueling, the Barcelona-based low-cost airline, said given the situation in Israel, "flights to/from Tel Aviv are affected and experiencing delays". A spokesman for Germany's Lufthansa on Saturday cited "the current security situation" to say it was cancelling all flights to and from Tel Aviv "up until and including Monday", adding it was monitoring the situation. Brussels Airlines, part of the Lufthansa group, also cancelled its Tel Aviv flights. Air France said it had halted Tel Aviv flights "until further notice", and the Air France-KLM group's low-cost carrier Transavia said it was cancelling all flights from Paris and Lyon to Tel Aviv up to and including Monday. Spanish airline Iberia announced that its budget subsidiary Iberia Express was cancelling its Tel Aviv flights. Italy's flag-carrier ITA airways cancelled its flight until Sunday morning at the earliest "to protect the safety of passengers and crew", while Polish carrier LOT also cancelled its flights from the Polish capital on Saturday. Other airlines suspending flights included Aegean, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Wizz Air and Air Canada. The post Major airlines cancel dozens of flights to Tel Aviv appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»