UNSMIL condemns militia and government security forces clashes

Yesterday, UNSMIL condemned the truce violations between militias and government forces during the Eid holidays in Tripoli, including the violence of Sunday night and the attack on the premises of the High National Election Commission.
UNSMIL urged all parties to respect the truce and not undermine it. ''When conflict occurs in urban areas, the propensity for civil casualties is very high. Law enforcement should have as its main objective not just preventing crime, but importantly the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure as much as possible so that people can go about their daily lives in peace.
The Mission is closely monitoring violations and reminds all to avoid provocative acts and escalation and to resort to dialogue through the truce mechanism.
UNSMIL is actively engaging with key stakeholders to address the emerging challenges to ensure the sustainability of the truce and urges all parties to commit to it.
The Mission reminds all parties that the UNSC called in its recent press release for those responsible for attacks against civilians to be held accountable''.
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Libya Herald

2 days ago

• Libya Herald

187 new security posts taken over from militias – PM declares victory for the state as all vital Tripoli sites come under its exclusive control for the first time since 2011

Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Abdel Hamid Aldabaiba hailed that what has been achieved by enabling the Ministry of Interior to secure the capital Tripoli on its own is a real victory for the state, which has not happened since 2011. He stressed that this achievement would not have been possible without the elimination ‎‎of the largest outlaw groups (militias), and everyone's compliance with the state's procedures and its project to establish a sovereign state.‎ ‎Tripoli's new Security Arrangements Plan Aldabaiba was speaking on Wednesday while chairing an expanded security meeting in Tripoli to follow up on the implementation of the new Security Arrangements Plan in the capital, in the presence of Acting Interior Minister Emad Trabelsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Security Affairs Mahmoud Saeed, Tripoli Security Director Khalil Ohiba, and a number of security leaders.‎ The new Security Arrangements Plan for Tripoli entails Ministry of Interior or Ministry of Defence forces taking over the securing of key government ministries and sites such as the Central Bank of Libya, the Audit Bureau and all the ministries, from militias. In the longer term it entails pushing all militias to the outer perimeter of Tripoli to protect civilians (and their property) from being caught in the crossfire of possible state v militia or militia v militia clashes. Successive governments since the 2011 revolution (that ended the 42-year Qaddafi regime) have attempted to impose their will on the militias by taking over this task but have been too weak or unsuccessful. ‎No room for revolutionary warlords and leaders in regular forces Aldabaiba said: 'The era of Sheikh and Hajj (tribal and holy leaders) in our security and military services is over, and there is no place in the (security) ranks except for those who are qualified, disciplined, subject to authority, and servants of the law alone.'‎ Aldabaiba here was sending a message to militias such as those led by a popular or warlord leader and to the powerful Abdelrauf Kara, the head of the Special Deterrence Force (SDF / RADA), who considers himself and is considered by his devout followers a Salafi religious leader. Kara controls Mitiga prison where he is accused by the international community of permitting human rights abuses. His presence on Mitiga airport is also a latent threat to the airport itself. ‎A new maturity of the Interior Ministry in dealing with demonstrations? Continuing, Aldabaiba added that the demonstrations that took place in the capital during the past period passed without any attack, harassment, arrest or prosecution, which reflects the maturity of the Ministry of Interior and its deep respect for public freedoms and citizens' natural rights to peaceful expression.‎ ‎Police, Defence Ministry and Internal Security coordination For his part, Interior Minister-designate Emad Trabelsi reviewed the new security arrangements plan, stressing that the ministry is working according to a clear vision to extend security, enhance the deployment of police stations, and ensure effective coordination with the Ministry of Defence and the Internal Security Agency.‎ ‎Trabelsi stressed their commitment to implementing the Security Plan in accordance with the instructions issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and to ensure the protection of citizens and state institutions.‎ ‎187 new security posts secured from militias Tripoli Security Director Major General Khalil Ohiba also confirmed that the field plan included 187 new security posts, implemented in the sites previously occupied by armed formations (militias). He said that the redeployment was carried out in a deliberate manner to secure the capital's locations, end any security vacuum, and fully extend the authority of the state.‎ ‎Plan needs continued government and public support The attendees at the meeting stressed that the success of the Security Plan depends on the continuation of political and administrative support for the security authorities, and strengthening citizens' confidence in their regular institutions.‎ . The Interior Ministry had spent LD 50 billion in 13 years with no result: Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi Nearly 1 million crimes reported to police stations – confirms urgent need to dissolve all parallel security agencies / militias

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

• Daily Mirror

'War could spark fresh UK terror attacks - there's no going back for Israel'

Regardless of who you believe about Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions the seal is now broken and there is no going back for Israel. It is fully committed and will have to press on with its strikes, hoping to lure America into the fight, with its superior bunker-busting bomb power. But the escalating Iran crisis has serious implications for Israel's western allies too and could boost the risk of terror attacks in countries like the UK. As America's junior partner and ally in the Middle East, Sunni Islamist jihadists and groups aligned with Shia Iran are a huge risk in Britain. British warplanes have in the past taken part in shooting down missiles sent to Israel by Tehran and that will not be forgotten by the Iranian regime. And as Shia Tehran has proved with its backing for Hamas in Gaza, a Sunni organisation, it is very capable of putting aside its religious differences to trigger violence. And Iran has even hosted al-Qaeda leaders in hiding including, it is believed, Osama's son Hamza, who Donald Trump announced had been killed in 2019. The Mirror revealed last year that in fact intelligence officers believe Hamza escaped that attempt to kill him and he now leads al-Qaeda, probably from Afghanistan. Hezbollah and its Iranian islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sponsors have contacts in the UK and these shadowy organisations could launch revenge attacks. The UK has long been regarded as a legitimate target for the region and as Iran begins to lose the conflict with Israel it will likely turn to other means. And they don't even have to radicalise anyone since the internet allows rogue states to seduce lone wolves and small criminal gangs into acting on their behalf for money. Rogue states and terror networks are known increasingly to be tapping into criminal networks across the UK. By putting distance between it, using a criminal gang or naive footsoldier, Iran could easily encourage the spilling of blood in the UK whilst remaining under the threshold for war. The attacker may not even know whom he or she was working for and who they have been speaking to on the internet. Every day and night our MI5 counter-terror officers operate, often in the shadows, trying to smash terror plots, forced to prioritise against an ever-more complex and increasing threat. We in the UK take for granted the relative daily peace we enjoy and yet the threat level for a terror attack in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remains 'substantial.' This means MI5 believe an attack is 'likely,' so not only can the threat of a terror attack is not be discounted - it is probably going to happen. Targets could be Jewish sites, groups or religious centres in the UK or simply putting the general UK public in its crosshairs with deadly terror strikes. The ongoing fanatical Iranian revolution which started in 1979 has taken a serious toll in recent years - its Hezbollah and Hamas proxies brought to their knees by Israel. It has also lost its huge presence and influence across Syria after the toppling of dictator Bashar al-Assad but it does have a militia foothold in Iraq. For years Iran had steadily spread its influence across the Middle East, stretching across its 'Shia Crescent' from Tehran, through Iraq and Syria, Lebanon and all the way to Israel's doorstep. It has lost all of this in the space of just three years and now the regime is facing an uncertain future. Iran could turn on the west like a wounded animal, launching a wave of terrorism reaching all the way to UK streets. However this current crisis is resolved there will be an increased risk to civilians in Britain and perhaps abroad as Iran seeks revenge. And whilst Israel may have pushed back or destroyed Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions forever, the world may become a safer place. But not as safe as it was.

NBC News

2 days ago

• NBC News

Judge says hate crime prosecution in Boulder, Colorado, attack can proceed

DENVER — A federal judge said Wednesday that prosecutors can proceed with a hate crime charge against a man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a group of people demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, appeared in federal court in Denver for a preliminary hearing following the June 1 attack in Boulder that injured at least eight people. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire "to kill all Zionist people." Soliman's defense attorney, David Kraut, urged Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella not to allow the case to move forward. Kraut said Soliman's anti-Zionist statements and his online search for a "Zionist" event to attack showed he targeted the demonstrators because of their perceived political views — their assumed support for the nation of Israel and the political movement of Zionism. An attack motivated by someone's political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman said the government alleged that the attack was a hate crime because Soliman targeted people based on their national origin — their perceived connection to Israel. Prosecutors are not alleging that Soliman targeted demonstrators, who carried Israeli and American flags, because he believed they were Jewish, noting that he has said that not all Jewish people are Zionists. Hindman said Soliman did not use the term Israel. But she pointed out that he doesn't support its existence on what he called "our land," which he defined as Palestine. "He is targeting Israel, and he is targeting anyone who supports the existence of Israel on that land," she said. Starnella acknowledged that some of the evidence undercut the government's allegation that the demonstrators were targeted because of their perceived national origin but said other evidence supported it. At this stage, the government gets the benefit of the doubt on questions about evidence, she said. Investigators say Soliman told them he had intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his over two dozen Molotov cocktails while yelling "Free Palestine." Soliman told investigators he tried to buy a gun but was not able to because he was not a "legal citizen." Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family. During his Wednesday appearance, Soliman's lower right arm and hand were wrapped in a thick bandage, with handcuffs around his wrists. Police previously said he was taken to a hospital for unspecified injuries right after the attack. FBI agent Timothy Chan testified at Wednesday's hearing that Soliman burned himself as he threw the second Molotov cocktail. Soliman wrote "1187" with a marker on the shirt he was wearing during the attack, a reference to the year that Muslims liberated Jerusalem from Christian Crusaders, Chan said. The significance of that year and battle were also discussed in documents found in Soliman's car, he testified. Soliman did not carry out his full plan "because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before," police wrote in an arrest affidavit. One of the injured suffered burns over 60% of their body, Chan testified. An unspecified number of those injured remain in the hospital, he said. Authorities consider 15 people and a dog as victims of the attack at the downtown Pearl Street pedestrian mall. One is a Holocaust survivor. Some are considered victims because they could have been hurt. Soliman is charged separately in state court with multiple counts of attempted murder, assault and offenses related to more than a dozen additional Molotov cocktails police say he did not use. Run for Their Lives, the group targeted in the attack, started in October 2023 after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. Suspect's family asks for help Federal authorities are seeking to deport Soliman's wife and their five children. They range in age from 4 to 18 years old and are being held in an immigration detention center in Texas, according to court documents. The White House said in a June 3 social media post that one-way tickets had been purchased for the family members, adding: "Final boarding call coming soon." A Colorado federal judge temporarily blocked their deportation with a restraining order on June 4. The case has since been transferred to Texas, where a federal judge on Wednesday extended the restraining order another two weeks. Lawyers for the family had asked to keep the order in place, even though government lawyers said in court documents that the family would be deported under the normal process, not an expedited one because the lawyers did not address the earlier comments from the White House. In a statement Wednesday, Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, said she and her children sent their love to the many families suffering as a result of the attack but also urged the American people to consider their plight now. She focused on the trouble her children were having. "All they want is to be home, to be in school, to have privacy, to sleep in their own beds, to have their mother make them a home-cooked meal, to help them grieve and get through these terrible weeks," she wrote.