Libyan detainees die after torture, says Amnesty International 26 January 2012 Several people have died after being tortured by militias in Libyan detention centres, human rights group Amnesty International has said. It claimed to have seen patients in Tripoli, Misrata and Gheryan with open wounds to their head, limbs and back. Meanwhile, charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has suspended operations in Misrata after treating 115 patients with torture-related wounds. The UN says it is concerned about the conditions in which patients are held. "The torture is being carried out by officially recognised military and security entities as well as by a multitude of armed militias operating outside any legal framework," a spokesman for London-based Amnesty said. 'Exploited' "After all the promises to get detention centres under control, it is horrifying to find that there has been no progress to stop the use of torture," Donatella Rovera, from the charity, said. Medecins Sans Frontieres said it was being "exploited" as some patients were being brought to them between interrogation sessions. "Our role is to provide medical care to war casualties and sick detainees, not to repeatedly treat the same patients between torture sessions," said general director Christopher Stokes. More than 8,500 detainees, most of them accused of being loyal to former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, are being held by militia groups in about 60 centres, according to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay. Analysis Caroline Hawley In a detention facility in Misrata late last year, I met a man with deep scars all over his back. He had been whipped with electric cables shortly after his capture, on simple suspicion of supporting Muammar al-Gaddafi. In another prison, in Tripoli, a former pilot showed me the results of electric shocks on his arm. Libyan officials have repeatedly promised to tackle the abuses which, in October, Amnesty International warned were "staining" the record of the new Libya. But the stain is spreading. The experience of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Misrata - and of Amnesty International - suggests that torture is becoming more entrenched. The government can no longer claim that it is the work of rogue militias, and international concern is growing. This is not the new page for human rights that many had hoped for in Libya. "The lack of oversight by the central authority creates an environment conducive to torture and ill treatment," she said. "My staff have received alarming reports that this is happening in places of detention they have visited." Fighting between armed groups is continuing in parts of Libya, three months after the official end of the revolution that ousted Col Gaddafi. At least four people were killed in the town of Bani Walid on Monday but it is unclear whether the clashes were between rival militias or local militia and remnants of forces loyal to Col Gaddafi. Libya's interim leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil has warned of the dangers of a civil war if militias are not disarmed. As the country continues its transition from civil war to stable democracy, the government wants to replace the different armed groups with a national army and police. Col Gaddafi was killed in his home town of Sirte in October 2011, some 42 years after seizing power in a bloodless coup. Arab League to call for UN backing on Syria plan  26 January 2012 The Arab League is to ask the United Nations Security Council to back its plan to end the violence in Syria. On Sunday, the League called for the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, to step down and hand power to his deputy. The organisation's chief Nabil al-Arabi and the Qatari prime minister are to travel to New York on Saturday to seek support for its proposals. Meanwhile, there are reports of renewed clashes between security forces and protesters near the capital Damascus. On Thursday, activists say security forces launched an offensive against the Damascus suburb of Douma, days after pulling out following intense clashes with anti-regime fighters. BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has visited Douma and says the centre of the town is in the hands of the rebel Free Syrian Army, made up mainly of defectors from President Assad's forces. 'Flagrant interference' Mr Arabi said he and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani were to "hold a meeting with the UN Security Council on Monday to seek ratification of the Arab League decision on Syria". The League's plan also calls for Syria to form a national unity government with the opposition within two months.  “Start Quote getting into #Douma very difficult because surrounded by #Assad forces. Aborted one attempt in daylight because of roadblocks†Jeremy Bowen Middle East editor The Syrian government has already rejected the plan, calling it "flagrant interference" in Syria's internal affairs. It says it is fighting "terrorists and armed gangs" and claims that some 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed. Some 5,000 people have died since the crackdown which began last March, the UN says. Russia has said it would consider "constructive proposals" to end the the violence but was opposed the use of force or sanctions against its Syrian ally. Russia and China have already vetoed one resolution condemning the crackdown by the Syrian government. Diplomats say European and Arab governments are drafting a new text they hope to put to a vote in the Security Council early next week. Iran ready to talk over nuclear plans From: AFP January 27, 2012 IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that Tehran is ready to sit down with world powers for talks on its nuclear drive as he downplayed the harmful effects of newly imposed sanctions. "They have this excuse that Iran is dodging negotiations while it is not the case," the Iranian leader was quoted as saying by state media. "A person who has logic and has right on his side, why should (he) refrain from negotiations?" Ahmadinejad asked rhetorically. He was implicitly responding to comments made by Western officials urging the Islamic republic to return to negotiations over its contested nuclear programme. "The European Union stands together in sending that clear message to the government of Iran: that we wish to go back to negotiations, to invite them to pick up the issues which were left on the table in Istanbul a year ago," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. The last round of talks between Iran and the major powers consisting of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States was held in Turkey in January 2011, but the negotiations collapsed. The six powers are still waiting for Iran's reply to a letter Ashton sent in October, stressing that negotiations should focus on the "key question" of the Iranian nuclear issue, in order to remove doubts. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland highlighted that the letter "very specifically offers talks if Iran is ready to be serious about coming clean with regard to its nuclear programme." "So just saying you're open for talks doesn't meet the criteria that we have set, which is to be ready for talks and ready to be serious about letting the world know all of the details of your nuclear programme and proving your claims that it's for peaceful purposes." The Islamic republic, which is already under four rounds of United Nations sanctions, vehemently denies its nuclear programme masks an atomic weapons drive as the West alleges, and insists it is for civilian purposes only. Several Iranian officials have said publicly that Tehran was ready to resume talks, but without specifying the content of the talks, and have so far not formally responded to Ashton's letter. "Iran is ready to negotiate on the basis of mutual respect," Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. He said he would forward the response from Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, "on the date and place of negotiations," to his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, who is acting as an intermediary, to be given to Ashton. The European Union on Monday slapped an embargo on Iranian oil exports as the West ramped up pressure on Tehran over its controversial nuclear drive and urged it to return to the negotiating table. In his televised comments, Ahmadinejad brushed off the effects of the newly imposed sanctions, saying they would not hurt his nation. The bloc imported some 600,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil in the first 10 months of last year, making it a key market alongside India and China, which has refused to bow to pressure from Washington to dry up Iran's oil revenues. The new EU sanctions would make it even more difficult for Iran to be paid in foreign currency for its oil exports, which were worth more than $100 billion in 2011. 11 Iranian pilgrims kidnapped in Syria, report January 27, 2012 Iran’s foreign ministry says 11 Iranian pilgrims have been kidnapped by an unknown group in Syria, which has been swept by civil unrest. Tehran is calling on the Syrian government to “use all means†to help secure their release. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on January 26 that the 11 Iranian citizens were traveling by road to Damascus when they were abducted. In a similar incident in late December, seven Iranian engineers were kidnapped in the Homs region of central Syria — a hub of unrest and government crackdowns that have beset the Arab state since March. Syria is Iran’s main ally in the Arab world. Anti-regime circles have accused Tehran of aiding the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Oil market supply is adequate: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Jan 26, 2012 DAVOS: Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said on Thursday that supply to global oil markets was “adequate†and that he was comfortable with oil prices at their current level. “Our long-standing policy is to have stability and that’s why we’ve always provided excess capacity for the market and we’ve been there during growth, during all kinds of events in the market. And in my view the supply is adequate at this point.†Al-Assaf said Saudi Arabia did not like very high prices. Asked on CNBC television if he was comfortable with crude at around $100 he said: “I’m comfortable with that, as a finance minister, yes.†Meanwhile, oil prices rallied Thursday on news that the US Federal Reserve would keep interest rates low for more than two years to boost growth in the world’s biggest economy. New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in March, jumped $1.19 to $100.59 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for March climbed $1.05 to $110.86 in late London deals. “Yesterday’s Fed announcement underpins crude oil prices in two main ways,†said Jack Pollard, an analyst at Sucden Financial Research. Algeria said Thursday it will not boost crude oil exports in the event Iran suddenly cuts supplies to Europe after the EU imposed new sanctions. “We have a program in place that won’t be modified,†Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi told Algerian news service APS. Also Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada is very concerned about the economic problems facing Europe and the United States and fears they could become even more severe in future. Harper told the forum that the uncertain international outlook meant he would focus on boosting the Canadian economy by cutting red tape as well as slowing the growth of spending. Canada is particularly impatient with what it sees as foot-dragging by euro zone countries and has urged Europe to do what it takes to solve its debt crisis. "We remain very concerned about the continuing instability of the global economy," Harper said in the prepared copy of remarks to a Davos audience. UAE can still export its oil, if Iran closes Hormuz January 26, 2012 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be able to use ports on the Gulf of Oman for oil exports if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, transit point for about a fifth of the global oil supply, Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, said in an interview with Bahrain TV last night.  A strategic pipeline for UAE’s oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz could face more delay due to differences with the Chinese construction company, industry sources said. The pipeline will have a capacity of around 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) and give the UAE an alternative route to exporting oil via the strait, which Iran has threatened to block over western sanctions on its oil exports. The 370-kilometre Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline has been delayed, with Minister of Energy Mohammad Bin Dha’en Al Hameli this month pushing back the start of operations to May or June. Gulf News 286 citizens officially registered as polling candidates 27 January 2012 KUWAIT: Up to 286 figures including 23 women have been officially approved as candidates for the 2012 National Assembly elections, following closure of the nomination and withdrawal of a number of contenders from the race. Up to 62 candidates of the total number of 286 nominees will represent the first constituency, 61 the second constituency, 67 the third, 49 the fourth and 47 the fifth district, according to statistical figures released by the electoral commission of the Ministry of Interior on Thursday. Number of the former candidates who opted to withdraw reached 108, with 17 representing the first constituency, 19 the second, 16 the third, 27 the fourth and 29 the fifth division. Figure of disqualified nominees reached four; two from the fifth constituency, one from the first and another from the third. Overall number of citizens who had been nominated reached 398; 80 from the first and second constituencies, 84 from the third, 76 from the fourth and 78 from the fifth district. Parliamentary elections are due early on Feb. 2. Polling is due to proceed till 8 a.m. (Kuwait local time) and names of winners of seats in the National Assembly will be declared in the later hours. UAE economy set to grow 4% 26 January 2012 DUBAI — The UAE economy is forecast to grow by at least four per cent in 2012, Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansouri said on 
Thursday. “Under the circumstances, this is healthy, this is good,†Al Mansouri was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. Al Mansouri’s forecast for the UAE economy is very upbeat in contrast to various growth estimates given by economists. Standard Chartered Bank has projected a 2.4 per cent growth in 2012 versus 3.8 per cent in 2011 while National Bank of Kuwait said it expects record low inflation would spur further economic growth in 2012 following a 4.6 per cent growth in 2011 as the UAE’s major business hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi become more cost-competitive. The Oxford Business Group is also confident of the UAE’s strong economic performance in 2012. National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s group chief economist Dr Gýyas Gokkent said UAE’s nominal gross domestic product, or GDP would rise to $344 billion in 2012 from $340.1 in 2011 as the GCC economy would reach $1.36 trillion. The Dubai Economic Council said in a forecast that Dubai’s real GDP, which accounts for nearly a third of the UAE economy, is projected to grow by around 4.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 while inflation could remain as low as 1.5 per cent. On UAE’s stance with regard to International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) initiative to boost its resources by $500 billion from its members, the UAE minister said the UAE was not part of the issue for the time being. Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal said big emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia, India and China
 would not aid the West in its financial crisis unless they are given more influence in running the global economy. “The financial crisis and great recession were born in the West, developed in the West yet hit hard throughout the world. If we have to clean up your mess then we’ve got to have a say in the way our money is going to be handled from now on,†he was quoted as saying by Saudi newspapers. He said the tipping point of economic power is now well and fully heading towards the East and the Middle East. The IMF, which co-finances loans to Greece, Ireland and Portugal, identified a potential global financing need of $1 trillion in coming years and is seeking $500 billion in new lending resources from its members to address potential loan demand. |
