Al Jazeera – January 8, 2025
US says Sudan’s RSF committed genocide, announces sanctions on leaders
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says US committed to ‘holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities’.
The United States has determined that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan, announcing sanctions targeting the group’s leader.
In a statement on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the RSF has carried out direct attacks on civilians and systematically murdered men and boys because of their ethnicity.
He also accused the group of using rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls because of their ethnicity.
“The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities,” Blinken said.
A brutal war between Sudan’s military and the rebel RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million internally over the last 18 months.
Thousands have also been killed through conflict-related causes such as illness and starvation, according to a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
“The RSF and RSF-aligned militias have continued to direct attacks against civilians,” Blinken said.
“Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies.”
The US Treasury Department also announced sanctions against RSF leader Mohamed HamdanDagalo. The sanctions bar him from travelling to the US and freeze any US-based assets he may have.
International organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have struggled to access areas of Sudan where civilians are struggling to survive amid shortages of food and other critical goods.
“Malnourished children and mothers are dying due to lack of access to care, and cholera is spreading in many parts of the country,” WHO’s regional director HananBalkhy said at a media briefing in October.
The United Nations has also said that countries providing weapons to the RSF and Sudanese army, both of which are reported to have committed atrocities, are “enabling the slaughter” and that arms supplies must be cut off.
The Sudanese government has said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is arming the RSF, an allegation the Gulf nation has denied.
The US Treasury Department said in a release on Tuesday that sanctions were also being applied to seven RSF-owned companies located in the UAE.
In recent months, the US itself has been accused of facilitating severe human rights abuses, including genocide, in the Gaza Strip.
There, its ally Israel has carried out a military campaign that has killed 45,885 Palestinians, supported by US military aid. The US has denied that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Chile lawyers demand arrest of Israeli soldier over Gaza war crimes
Lawyer and former Chilean ambassador Nelson Haddad calls for the immediate arrest of the soldier for his crimes in Gaza.
At least 620 attorneys in Chile have sought the arrest of a discharged Israeli soldier from Battalion 749 for his role in crimes against humanity and genocide during the war on Gaza, local media reported.
Saar Hirshoren is now traveling in the South American country, and, according to the complaint, was involved in the deliberate destruction of "residential neighborhoods, cultural sites and essential facilities in Gaza, committing inhumane, cruel and degrading acts, causing ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the population."
The lawsuit was supported by testimony from a Palestinian lady residing in Chile, whose family members had been victims of Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Lawyer and former Chilean ambassador Nelson Haddad stressed Friday that the complaint was made in order to ensure an investigation takes place and "as a preventive measure, the immediate arrest of this Israeli soldier is carried out so that he can be held accountable for the crimes committed and take responsibility before international criminal justice."
At a news conference, Haddad stated that the arrest must occur "before the imminent escape attempt," adding that the situation is "extremely urgent" and emphasizing that "we cannot accept that after having massacred hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, mostly children and women, they can be allowed to come to Chilean Patagonia for vacation.”
Recently, a Brazilian court directed police to investigate an Israeli soldier accused of committing war crimes in Gaza. The directive follows a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a human rights organization "devoted to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity."
The HRF alleges that the suspect, currently in Brazil as a tourist, was involved in the demolition of civilian homes in Gaza as part of the Israeli occupation's genocidal campaign.
"This individual actively contributed to the destruction of homes and livelihoods," said HRF lawyer MairaPinheiro, referencing video and photographic evidence purportedly linking the suspect to the crimes.
Israeli soldiers face 50 global charges for Gaza crimes: Israeli media
Pro-Palestinian organizations have filed 50 complaints in local courts around the world against Israeli reserve soldiers for committing crimes in Gaza, Kan revealed on Monday.
In a report, Kan noted an increase in attempts to prosecute Israeli army soldiers abroad since the onset of the aggression on Gaza in October 2023.
"Approximately 50 complaints have been filed against reserve soldiers, with ten of them leading to investigations in the respective countries, though no arrests have been recorded so far," the report stated.
Itfurther reported that data from the Israeli army's Information Security Department showed that occupation soldiers publish approximately a million pieces of online content per day, including incriminating footage documenting their involvement in crimes carried out in Gaza, heightening their risks of exposure and prosecution.
Trump's comeback marked with territorial ambitions, petty criticism
Trump is back with even bigger ideas than before with territorial ambitions insinuating some pretty unconventional foreign policy moves.
In a chaotic news conference on Tuesday, one day after Congress certified his election victory, Donald Trump threatened military action on the Panama Canal and economic measures against neighboring Canada. The event, initially called to announce a $20 billion Emirati investment in US technology, quickly devolved into a rally-style speech where Trump revisited many of his campaign themes.
"Since we won the election, the whole perception of the whole world is different. People from other countries have called me. They said, 'Thank you, thank you,' Trump remarked as he outlined his plans for the next four years to reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Trump took a jab at President Joe Biden over the 2025 transition, accusing the White House of making it more difficult for him.
On the international scene, Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" and threatened huge tariffs on Mexico unless it stopped illegal border crossings. He also refused to rule out using military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, repeating his criticism of late former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to allow local management of the Central American canal.
When asked if he would use military force to pressure Canada, he responded, "No, economic force," suggesting that erasing the "artificially drawn" US-Canada border would benefit national security.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by saying that there is a "snowball's chance in hell" of Canada merging with the United States, while his foreign minister added that the country will "never back down" in the face of Trump's threats.
A 'burning' world
He slammed Biden on the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as US foreign policy in Ukraine and Syria, reiterating the common erroneous assertion that America "had no wars" during his first administration and taking credit for the downfall of ISIS.
"Now I'm going into a world that's burning with Russia and Ukraine and Israel," he remarked.
Much of the event was devoted to criticizing Biden, whom Trump accused of being behind the several legal issues he faces, including the potential release of a federal probe into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and a sentence scheduled for Friday in his New York hush-money case.
He slammed him on inflation and promised to revoke the Democrat's executive order prohibiting offshore oil and gas drilling off large stretches of US coastline.
Russian concerns understood by Trump
Trump acknowledged Russia's opposition to Ukraine's admission to NATO, citing that he "can understand their feeling about that" and expressing that there were "a lot of mistakes made in that negotiation," referring to Russia's demand that NATO never involve itself with Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has often stated that Ukraine's potential participation in NATO endangers Russia's security. In June 2024, Putin stated that abandoning Ukraine's ambitions to join NATO was one of the conditions under which Moscow would be willing to end the war and begin peace talks.
Regarding NATO allies, he reiterated his demand that they increase their defense expenditure to 5% of GDP, reinforcing his long-held allegation that they are underpaying for US security.
"They all can afford it, but they should be at five percent, not two percent," the next US president told reporters.
In 2023, the transatlantic alliance's 32 nations agreed to a minimum level of defense spending of 2% of GDP, and Russia's war in Ukraine has prompted NATO to bolster its eastern flank and increase investment.
Trump is not the first high figure to advocate for an increase; NATO leader Mark Rutte stated last month that "we are going to need a lot more than two percent."
In his first major address since becoming NATO secretary-general, Rutte warned that European nations were unprepared for the possibility of potential conflict with Russia, urging them to "turbocharge" their defense spending.
Trump announces $20 billion Emirati investment
Back to the main reason for the conference, Trump announced a $20 billion Emirati investment in US data centers, aiming to bolster his claims of garnering fresh economic backing before becoming president.
"The investment will support massive new data centers across the Midwest, the Sun Belt area, and also to keep America on the cutting edge of technology," Trump told reporters.
"Artificial intelligence is very big into the data centers, and that's going to be a very hot item in the coming years."
Trump stated that the deal was with DAMAC Properties, with whom he has a longtime commercial connection, including a golf club in Dubai.
Hussain Sajwani, the chairman of DAMAC, has been a close friend of the Trump family and supported the president-elect during the attack on the Capitol in 2021 when other corporations turned him down.
The newest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have produced a significant demand for data centers, with major technology companies investing heavily to establish new infrastructure throughout the world.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump-s-comeback-marked-with-territorial-ambitions--petty-cr
IRGC Aerospace Force launches 'Eqtedar 1403' drills near Natanz nuclear facility
The Aerospace Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched a large-scale military exercise in the central province of Isfahan.
The first stage of the exercise, codenamed Eqtedar (Authority) 1403, began on Tuesday on the periphery of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility upon the order of Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of the country's Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base.
During this phase of the military exercise, air defense units of the IRGC Aerospace Force are providing a complete protection of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan nuclear site, also known as Natanz site, against a multitude of aerial threats under critical electronic warfare conditions.
Iranian military forces hold routine exercises according to a detailed schedule in various parts of the country in order to test their weaponry and equipment and evaluate their combat preparedness.
The country’s officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities which are entirely meant for defense against potential new threats.
Various real-world scenarios performed in Eqtedar 1403 drills, says IRGC chief commander
The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says various real-world scenarios were designed and implemented during a large-scale military exercise to protect the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran’s central province of Isfahan.
“We tried to perform what we expected the enemies would do in real-world conditions in the form of preplanned scenarios during the [Eqtedar (Authority) 1403] war game. Fortunately, encouraging results and fairly valuable achievements were obtained,” Major General Hossein Salami said on Tuesday.
He added that the Iranian Armed Forces have made impressive progress in the field of air defense over the past few months.
“Since this domain of our defense capabilities is among the most determining spheres, it was necessary to once again exhibit the capabilities out air defense systems in a nearly real-world and very precise situation,” Salami pointed out.
Also on Tuesday, the IRGC Aerospace Force employed a new air defense missile system equipped with loitering munitions during the Eqtedar 1403 drills.
The IRGC has not provided much information about the specifications of the air defense system, codenamed 358, which launches drone-based missiles.
Moreover, the air defense division of the IRGC Aerospace Force employed point-defense tactics (self-defense at close ranges) to protect the Natanz nuclear site by engaging with 30 aerial targets in the exercise.
Short-range air defense systems, such as Dezful and Tor-M1, could detonate drones and cruise missiles at low altitudes.
Iranian forces also activated Dey-9 air defense missile system to practice interception of a bunker buster dropped from a warplane.
The homegrown air defense system could track, intercept and destroy the heavy weapon in less than 15 seconds at a distance of 17 kilometers away from the nuclear site.
Additionally, the IRGC Aerospace Force operated many other air defense systems to practice electronic warfare tactics.
Iranian military forces hold routine exercises according to a detailed schedule in various parts of the country in order to test their weaponry and equipment and evaluate their combat preparedness.
The country’s officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities which are entirely meant for defense against potential new threats.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/08/740515/Various-real-world-scenarios-performed-in-Eqtedar-1403-drills,-says-IRGC-chief-commander-
