Afghanistan recalls ambassador to Pakistan over security threats
Afghanistan on Sunday said it was recalling its ambassador to Islamabad over "security threats" after the envoy's daughter was briefly kidnapped in the Pakistani capital......»»
‘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......»»
DND: No decision yet on Afghan refugees issue
Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro on Monday said they are still awaiting the legal opinion of the Department of Justice regarding the United States' request to grant some Afghan refugees special immigrant status in the Philippines. In a chance interview, Teodoro said the government is still “carefully” assessing the legality of the request. “Hinihintay pa namin ang opinyon ng DOJ kung ito ay legal at pwedeng pagbigyan o hindi kung hindi maari sa batas ng Republika, ano pa ang pag-uusapan natin? (We’re still waiting opinion from the DOJ if it is legal and can granted or not. If it is not allowed in our law, what we should talk about?),” Teodoro told reporters. Teodoro said the Philippines has yet to craft a formal response to the US’ request, but it has no timeframe. “Lahat ng gawain natin kailangan may legal basis tayo. Hindi puwedeng wala (In everything we do, we must have legal basis),” he said. Teodoro said the matter is yet to reach President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for discussion, as they still need to evaluate if the country has sufficient resources to house the US-backed Afghan nationals. “Bagamat gusto nating tumulong, ay may mga kababayan din tayo dito na nangangailangan din ng tulong, pabahay at pangangalaga (While we want to help, our fellow Filipinos also need help, housing and care),” he said. In a separate television interview, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said the country's response to the request may become available on 15 July. “I would think that before the middle of July, we should be able to make a decision. The memorandum for the President’s approval or disapproval, whichever the case may be, will be sent to Malacañang as probably as late as July 15… That is more or less what we are tracking right now from here, from Washington DC,” Romualdez said. Last Friday, Senator Imee Marcos urged Teodoro and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año to explain the US’ request to grant some Afghan refugees special immigrant status in the country. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations launched an investigation after Marcos filed Senate Resolution 651, seeking an inquiry into the request. Marcos noticed that no data have been made public on the said Afghans' status as legitimate refugees, employees of the US government, or American companies. There's a lack of transparency in the present case," Marcos said, comparing the previous administration's policy of accepting Afghan refugees when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of American troops. "We need to know the real nature of the agreement between the Philippines and the United States and the course of action the executive branch plans to take," she stressed. The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 stated that the admission of refugees for religious, political, or racial reasons should serve a humanitarian purpose and not be opposed to the public interest. Meantime, Teodoro noted that the US did not cite humanitarian considerations in its request. "Ito, hindi humanitarian ang hinihingi eh. SIV (special immigrant visa) ito so ibang kaso ito at kahit na humanitarian ang rason, inaaral pa rin ng ating gobyerno ang lahat ng implikasyon (The reason for their request is not humanitarian. This is about SIVs, so it is a different case. And even if it is for humanitarian reasons, the government needs to study all the implications),” he said. The post DND: No decision yet on Afghan refugees issue appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Palace Afghans decision out next month
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may release next month his decision on whether or not the Philippine government will grant the request of the United States to allow the temporary housing of Afghans in the country, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Wednesday. In a television interview, Romualdez, who earlier said he received the US request in October last year, said Malacañang may come up with a decision by mid-July. “I would think that before the middle of July, we should be able to make a decision and I think the memorandum for the President’s approval or disapproval, whichever the case may be, will be sent to Malacañang probably as late as 15 July,” he said. “I’m just guessing but that’s more or less what we’re tracking right now from Washington D.C.,” he added. Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, led an investigation into the matter last week. At the hearing, it was pointed out that the Afghans — for whom the US is seeking temporary settlement in the country while Washington processes their special immigration status — were not refugees but former employees of the US government in Afghanistan. ‘Not at all’ Should the Philippine government deny the US request, Romualdez said it would not hurt the bilateral relations between Manila and Washington. “Not at all. There are many more things that we need to work [on] with the United States,” he said. “There’s mutual respect, in my view, between the US and the Philippines, especially now that they know the Philippines is a sovereign nation, that we have our own laws, and that we want to strengthen our position in everything. I think it’s not fair for anyone to even think that the United States is out there to push us to do this and that,” he said. Romualdez denied allegations that he was lobbying for Washington, stressing that he is only doing his job. The post Palace Afghans decision out next month appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate inquiry on Afghans wasteful exercise
There is an obvious attempt at grandstanding and self-projection when a lawmaker proposed a Senate investigation on the issue of Afghans coming over for a temporary stay owing to their being persecuted in their country as former employees or allies of the United States government. It is being made to appear that the US has demanded from our country the acceptance of these Afghan refugees. It is being floated as well that their stay is a threat to national security with the implied innuendo that they could be terrorists or that they are being sent here to spy on us. The proponent of the senate inquiry is a re-electionist in the 2025 senatorial elections, hence like those who would seek re-election of their present positions, and those aspiring to be in the upper chamber of Congress, this senator is jumping at every opportunity to be in the news for the much-needed media mileage. In the first place, the US government is not demanding or compelling our country to give them shelter. This writer is no fan of the former colonialmasters but common sense will tell us that the US government will not dare compel us to do something against our will. It knows better than to employ such a crude and outrageous move which is tantamount to an assault on our territorial integrity and sovereignty. As officially and clearly explained by the Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Babes Romualdez, the matter of the Afghan refugees coming to the Philippines was a “ request that was made by the United States in October last year via a ‘concept note’ outlining the proposal for the Philippines to temporarily host Afghan nationals — especially those who were formerly employed by the US government and their qualified dependents — while they wait for the SIV application to be processed by the US Embassy in Manila.“ Contrary to what the initiator would like the public to believe, the proposal was not kept from the public. It was coursed thru the usual bureaucratic process. The request was made to the PMS (Presidential Management Staff), and the latter referred it to the Department of Foreign Affairs which, acting as the lead agency, in turn, endorsed the US proposal to various government agencies, e.g. Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The National Bureau of Investigation and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency were invited to assess the security implications of the proposal as well as to evaluate the background of the Afghan nationals. In other words, it was not a cloak and dagger thing. There was transparency at the very inception. In its request, the US government made it clear that the Afghan nationals applying for the SIV will only stay temporarily and at its expense. Perhaps it is important to consider the fact that these Afghans were formerly employed with the US government before the Taliban seized power, and for that reason their continued stay in Afghanistan put their lives and their families in peril. Our country has a history of giving succor to refugees and those displaced because of war and armed atrocities in their countries. It will be recalled that in 1934 President Manuel L. Quezon for humanitarian reasons gave haven to Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazis. At the height of the Vietnam War, thousands of Vietnamese fled their country riding in boats. They found sanctuary in our country because our race cannot turn our backs on fellow human beings in dire need of refuge. Even without the request of the US government to house the Afghan nationals temporarily, by reason of their endangered situation, the Filipinos given their compassionate and generous hearts would welcome them if the Afghans themselves so request. And even if they don’t ask us, should other countries shut their doors to them, it is an absolute certainty that our country would invite them here for their shelter and safety. So what is the Senate investigation for, but a waste of time and the people’s money? It is also a venue for publicity and self-aggrandizement. We already have enough of that nauseous exercise. Instead of a useless legislative probe, legislation should take top priority. The post Senate inquiry on Afghans wasteful exercise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Envoy: US request for temporary housing of Afghans not a secret
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez on Thursday clarified that the supposed request of Washington to temporarily house some Afghans in Manila was “not a secret.” In a television interview, Romualdez the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. received the formal request as early as October last year. He noted that it was transmitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he said, “went through the system.” [Related story: US Embassy mum on request to house Afghans in the Phl] “In November, when Vice President Kamala Harris went to the Philippines, I was in that meeting. The vice president actually asked the President if he had received their request. And I think the President said yes, and I think something to the effect that the President said that he would look into it," he said. “The United States felt that it was a positive development, and they were hoping that the Philippines would indeed accept their request for the processing of Afghan citizens in Afghanistan that worked with the United States government,” he added. Romualdez said that the request was also transmitted to the National Security cluster to be discussed thoroughly. “There was absolutely no intention whatsoever that this is going to be a sudden thing that you were just going to announce that we were doing it,” he said. “You know in the Philippines, when there are more than three people who know about something, it's not a secret it's just close to 100 people know about this,” he added. He issued the remarks after Senator Imee Marcos, eldest sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., called for a Senate inquiry into the “real intention” behind the US request. Marcos in her resolution also stressed that no data have been made public on the said Afghans' status as legitimate refugees or employees of the US government or American companies. She also noted that her sources said that the memorandum of agreement was already in the works. However, according to Romualdez, the president has yet to make a decision on the matter as he is still waiting for the recommendation from the DFA and the national security cluster. "The President is not going to make a decision on this by simply receiving a request," he said. "He wanted to thoroughly see what the implications are and what is the role that the Philippines will be playing, and I think that he's doing it very cautiously, and rightly so," he added. Likewise, Romualdez, who is a second cousin of the Marcoses, said he “extremely pleased” that the Imee called an inquiry to the request so it can "bring out all the concerns that we have." “Senator Imee is doing exactly what she is supposed to do as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She'd like to know exactly what this kind of request from the United States all about. Everything is very transparent and that's what democracy is,” he said. “You can see we may be all related but we're doing our jobs. I'm here in Washington D.C., sending the request as the ambassador to the United States; the president received the request and now Senator Imee is doing her job by making sure that this is something that will not affect our national security and any other concerns that she may have in mind,” he added. Morally right thing to do For his part, Romualdez said that the Philippine government should grant the request, emphasizing that it is the “morally right thing to do.” “In my personal view, it is the morally right thing to do and it is a humanitarian act of gesture that we have,” he said. “We’ve had this type of tradition for many, many years since the 1920s—the white Russians, the Jewish people that were allowed to come in here by President Manuel Quezon, the father of the president during the Vietnam war,” he pointed out. The post Envoy: US request for temporary housing of Afghans not a secret appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Afghanistan recalls ambassador to Pakistan over security threats
Afghanistan on Sunday said it was recalling its ambassador to Islamabad over "security threats" after the envoy's daughter was briefly kidnapped in the Pakistani capital......»»
Israel bombs Gaza, fights Hamas around hospitals
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Security Council warns of foreign interference in 2025 polls
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Marcos Jr. eyes stronger maritime ties with India
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Holy Week security in place: Zambo police
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Tech advancements in agri sans job threats in Date 2024
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Jaishankar, Philippines counterpart discuss shared interests in ensuring maritime safety
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Kathryn Bernardo marks 28th birthday as Lancome s first Filipino ambassador
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Police beef up security in Davao region for Holy Week
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