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20 June 2014
In an interview with Reuters, a top Pakistani government official stated that two recent drone attacks that were conducted by the CIA in the area of North Waziristan were deployed ‘with the express approval of the Pakistan government and army’. The government official remained unnamed at his own request as, according to Reuters, he was not permitted to discuss the matter with the media. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.S. Drone Hits Pakistan for 2nd Time in 12 Hours
Source: The Times of India | After lull, US drone strikes kill 13 in Pakistan
19 June 2014
In a statement issued on 17 June, the Shi’ite-led government of Iraq accused Saudi Arabia of promoting ‘genocide’ in Iraq by assisting Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The statement said that ‘we hold them responsible for supporting these groups financially and morally, and for the outcome of that – which includes crimes that may qualify as genocide: the spilling of Iraqi blood, the destruction of Iraqi state institutions and historic and religious sites’.
Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia finances and supplies Sunni rebels in Syria, but that it denies assisting ISIL.
Source: Reuters | Baghdad blames Saudi Arabia for promoting 'genocide' in Iraq
16 June 2014
A report from the charity Freedom From Torture (FFT) has raised concern that British aid money may be funding police who are employing rape as a means of state-sanctioned torture against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report found that the Congolese police and security staff are systematically raping the female opponents of President Joseph Kabila, after they were imprisoned in state detention facilities. The report is based on medical evidence from 34 female political activists who fled from DRC to the UK. The findings have raised concerns about the British government’s programme to give over GBP 60m to the DRC’s national police and ‘internal security sector’ to enhance its performance and accountability. (more…)
Source: The Guardian | British aid money may unwittingly be funding rape and torture in DR Congo
15 June 2014
This is our News Items Overview of 16 May 2014-15 June 2014, a summary of recent news relating to shared responsibility. (more…)
13 June 2014
On 12 June, the United States President Barack Obama pledged military support to Iraq, possibly including air strikes, in order to halt militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who want to set up their own state in Iraq and Syria. Nevertheless, Washington said that the primary responsibility for security in Iraq rests with the Iraqi government and criticised Baghdad for the failure to secure national assistance with more inclusive policies. (more…)
Source: Reuters | Exclusive: Alarmed by Iraq, Iran open to shared role with U.S. - Iran official
Source: The Guardian | Obama pledges US support to Iraq as Isis militants approach Baghdad
Source: The New York Times | Russia Sees American ‘Adventurism’ in Iraq Behind Current Conflict
Source: The Guardian | Security collapse in Iraqi city of Mosul is not solely Maliki's responsibility