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Here’s why Israelis are protesting Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan

March 27, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(JERUSALEM) — Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets in Israel on Monday, the latest day in a series of protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul.

Here’s what you need to know about the deepening political crisis:

Why are people protesting in Israel?

Stores, restaurants and the biggest airport in Israel were closing their doors on Monday amid an escalation in protests that have kept the nation’s attention for weeks. Tens of thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of people filled the streets in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and elsewhere. The country’s stock exchange is set to close on Tuesday as part of a strike.

The country’s biggest union, Histadrut, announced on Monday that it would begin a “historic” strike, with most of its 800,000 members stopping work in protest of Netanyahu’s reform plan.

Israelis are protesting against a judicial reform plan proposed by Netanyahu’s hardline nationalist government — a plan that some see as a consolidation of power, with parliament increasing its oversight of the court system.

Netanyahu on Monday called for protesters to “behave responsibly and not to act violently,” according to a translation of a statement he posted on Twitter.

“We are brotherly people,” he said.

Supporters of Netanyahu’s plan are also scheduled to counterprotest Monday night.

Netanyahu was meeting with Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, and other politicians at the Knesset Monday afternoon but still has yet to make any public statements on the legislation.

What is the judicial overhaul in Israel?

After Netanyahu, a member of the conservative Likud Party, formed a right-wing coalition government in December 2022, he announced he would return to his role as Israel’s prime minister.

His government, which is said to be the most right-wing government in the country’s history, then announced it would introduce a measure countering what it saw as the growing influence of the judicial system.

The changes would allow lawmakers at the Knesset — Israel’s parliament — to override many decisions made by the country’s Supreme Court. It would also give ruling lawmakers more control over appointments to the high court. Opponents of the plan say it amounts to a power grab.

Some officials have said Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for charges including corruption and bribery, should bow out of the discussions over the reform, calling his participation a conflict of interest.

Netanyahu spoke on March 19 with President Joe Biden, who told him that “fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support,” according to a readout of the call from the White House.

In his conversation with Biden, Netanyahu said “that Israel was, and will remain, a strong and vibrant democracy,” according to a statement from his office.

Why did Netanyahu fire the country’s defense minister?

The biggest spark in the continuing protests was the firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday.

On Saturday, Gallant had spoken out against the judicial overhaul.

“The events taking place in Israeli society do not spare the Israel Defense Forces — from all sides, feelings of anger, pain and disappointment arise, with an intensity I have never encountered before,” Gallant said in a televised address on Saturday after the end of the Jewish Sabbath. “I see how the source of our strength is being eroded.”

Gallant said that the national crisis over the judicial overhaul has created a “clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the state.”

Netanyahu’s office did not provide further details of the firing, but it signaled he doesn’t appear to be backing down from the judicial plan yet.

What happens next?

Several top lawmakers and Netanyahu allies called on Sunday and Monday for Netanyahu to postpone or suspend his plan. But the prime minister during months of public debate has not signaled his willingness to do so.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Israel is in the midst of a little thing on judicial reform,” Netanyahu said in a speech at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in February.

He said at the time that Israel is “a democray and will remain a democracy, with majority rule and proper safeguards of civil liberties.” Much of the conversation about the proposal as been “frankly reckless and dangerous,” he said at the time.

Parts of the overhaul could be enacted as early as this week.

The prime minister was meeting late Sunday with top officials at his home in Jerusalem, with thousands of protestors nearby. Observers said he may be considering whether to pause the changes.

Israel’s airport departures suspended amid public outcry over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s justice reform bill

March 27, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Protesters stormed Israel’s streets overnight, as thousands voiced their opposition to a controversial justice reform bill and the prime minister’s decision to fire the defense secretary who spoke out against it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday unceremoniously dismissed Yoav Gallant a day after Gallant called for a halt to the planned overhaul of Israel’s judiciary that has fiercely divided the country. Military and business leaders have also spoken out against the plan.

Netanyahu’s office announced Gallant’s firing in a terse statement, saying “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided, this evening, to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.” The prime minister’s office did not provide further details.

Gallant, a former army general, is a senior member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party. On Saturday, he called for a pause in the controversial legislation until after next month’s Independence Day holiday, citing the threat to Israel’s national security.

After a night of protests, including police water cannons shot at demonstrators, thousands gathered on Monday morning outside the Knesset, where Israel’s parliament meets. Many more assembled in central Tel Aviv, where a massive rally had been planned.

Ronen Bar, the head of Israeli’s intelligence operations, arrived at Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem just after midnight on Monday as protests continued outside.

Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main international airport, halted all departures on Monday, as Histadrut, the country’s largest trade union, protested against the planned reforms. Arrivals will continue to land at the airport, although as many as 35,000 people were expected to have their travel disrupted.

Netanyahu crossed all the “red lines” on Sunday night, Histadrut’s leader, Arnon Bar-David, said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, according to a translation. He called for an “historic” strike to begin on Monday.

The strike action extended to hospitals, cafes and shopping centers, with many remaining closed on Monday morning.

Washington urged Israeli leaders to find a compromise, with National Security spokesperson Adrienne Watson saying in a statement that the White House was “deeply concerned by today’s developments out of Israel, which further underscore the urgent need for compromise.”

“As the president recently discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu, democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Watson said.

Protests have simmered in Israel for months, since the planned changes were rolled out in December. Under Netanyahu’s reforms, Knesset lawmakers would be able to override decisions made by the country’s supreme court, a change that’s seen by many as a move to consolidate power.

The prime minister and President Joe Biden discussed the changes on a March 19 phone call.

Biden at the time told Netanyahu that “democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and that fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support,” the White House said.

Two prominent Israeli lawmakers came out against Netanyahu’s judicial reforms as protests continued in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Aryeh Deri, one of the founders of the Shas political party, called on Netanyahu to pause the judicial reforms early Monday morning, according to local media reports.

Miki Zohar, minister of Culture and Sports, said early Monday morning that while the “reform of the judicial system is necessary and essential … when the house is on fire, you don’t ask who is right,” according to a translation.

“If the prime minister decides to stop the legislation in order to prevent the rift created in the nation, we must support his position,” Zohar said.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Edward Szekeres, Ellie Kaufman, Nasser Atta, Bruno Nota and Jordana Miller contributed to this report.

Russian jets of newer generation increase ‘dominance’ in combat zone, Ukrainian official says

March 27, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Newer generation fighter jets are giving Russia “increasing dominance” in the skies over the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

It is a potentially worrying shift for the United States and its allies because Russia’s inability to achieve total air superiority throughout the course of the war has been key to Ukrainian successes on the battlefield.

In a briefing last week with journalists, a Western official downplayed the concern, stating that Russia’s ability to control the skies has been limited by air defense and surface-to-air missiles.

“We’re not seeing a huge change in that situation,” the official said.

The senior official in Kyiv, who spoke exclusively to ABC News, said Russia had replaced older models of aircraft with its more modern Su-35.

The Su-35 is equipped “with very effective radar and long-distance rockets,” the official said, and Russia is using these aircraft to attack Ukrainian jets in the air as well as for ground support operations.

Ukraine “does not have capabilities” to counter this threat, the official added.

“[Russian] air superiority is a real risk,” the official said, adding that more air defense systems from the United States and its allies is currently “priority No. 1” for Ukraine.

Two other Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian dominance of the skies over the combat zone was a top issue, with one official claiming Russia has “12 times more aircraft” than Ukraine.

“This is a problem,” one official said. “What we keep telling the Americans is that in the end, there is no other solution than to give us [Western] fighter jets.”

The Biden administration has so far resisted calls to supply Ukraine with F-16s.

Asked if he was open to the idea, President Biden said “no” in January.

Discussions are ongoing between Ukraine and NATO countries about the supply of modern fighter aircraft.

Two Ukrainian pilots have been taking part in an assessment in Arizona on flight simulators in order to ascertain how much training they would need if they were to adapt to Western fighter jets.

Retired Col. Steve Ganyard, who is also an ABC News contributor, said he believes Russia’s air superiority may largely come down to numbers.

“Sometimes quantity can be better than quality,” Ganyard said. “Being short on aircraft and anti-aircraft systems is putting Ukraine at increasing disadvantage.”

Last week Slovakia said it had handed over the first four of 11 Soviet-era Mig fighter jets which it had promised to Ukraine.

Poland has also promised to supply a number of Mig fighter jets to Ukraine.

On a trip to London last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a very public plea for Western fighter jets.

The senior Ukrainian official who spoke to ABC News suggested there was now more of an acceptance in Kyiv that U.S. military aid should be focused on other priorities such as air defense systems and the provision of artillery ammunition.

The official recognized that the supply of modern fighter jets, as well as the missiles to go with them, would require “a huge amount of money” and it could only come from the United states at the expense of other types of military aid.

Putin says he’ll move nukes to Belarus, prompting Ukrainian alarm; US says no sign of imminent risk

March 26, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(MOSCOW) — U.S. officials and lawmakers reacted with a mix of caution and concern this weekend in the wake of comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would be moving tactical nuclear weapons into neighboring Belarus, which provided a crucial staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s government denounced such a move as a provocation and called for a U.N. Security Council meeting.

Speaking on Russian TV on Saturday, Putin insisted that the reason for the decision, reached with the agreement of Belarus, was the U.K. supplying depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, though British officials have called such munitions “a standard component and … nothing to do with nuclear weapons.”

The weapons Putin would move into Belarus would be less powerful and with a shorter range than other kinds of nuclear weapons; he said the storage necessary for them would be ready by July.

“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms and training their crew,” Putin said on TV.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said later Saturday that the U.S. hasn’t seen any indications Russia is going to imminently use a nuclear weapon and will not be changing its own posture.

“We have seen reports of Russia’s announcement and will continue to monitor the implications,” Watson said, adding, “We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”

The State Department responded similarly, with a spokesperson saying in a statement that “Russia and Belarus have talked about doing this for some time.”

“This could be political signaling on Belarus Freedom Day, which is celebrated by the democratic opposition to the Lukashenka regime,” the spokesperson said, referring to Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that “we have not seen any indication he’s [Putin] made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around.”

“We’ve, in fact, seen no indication he has any intention to use nuclear weapons — period — inside Ukraine,” Kirby said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Obviously, we would agree that no nuclear war should be fought, no nuclear war could be won and clearly that would cross a major threshold.”

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Rep. Mike Gallagher said Putin’s remarks amounted to posturing but were troubling nonetheless.

“Putin has engaged in nuclear saber-rattling since the start of this crisis. It is something to be concerned about, but we should not allow his threat to deter us,” said Gallagher, R-Wis. “We can’t allow that to be a cause for delaying critical weapon systems that we need to deliver to the Ukrainians.”

The risk of nuclear weapons being used has reemerged on the world stage since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

U.S. President Joe Biden said at a fundraiser in October that Putin was “not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons” and that “we have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis” in the 1960s.

Kirby subsequently said on “This Week” in October that Biden was reflecting the very high “stakes” of the conflict rather than immediate danger.

“We are monitoring this as best we can, and we have been monitoring his nuclear capabilities, frankly, since he invaded Ukraine back in February,” Kirby said then.

Putin declared last month that Russia was suspending its participation in the New START treaty, first signed in 2010 and extended in 2021, which implements caps on the number of nuclear weapons deployed by Russia and the U.S. and inspections of nuclear sites.

He blamed NATO support for Ukraine.

Soon after, Biden told ABC News anchor David Muir that Putin had made a “big mistake.”

“Not very responsible. But I don’t read into that that he’s thinking of using nuclear weapons or anything like that,” Biden said.

ABC News’ Tal Axelrod, Cheyenne Haslett, Matt Seyler, Tanya Stukalova and Edward Szekeres contributed to this report.

‘I wish I could tell you I am shocked, but I’m not. I am tired’: Uganda’s Parliament passes tough anti-LGBTQ bill

March 26, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — In the days after Ugandan Parliament passed one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ bills, members of the country’s LGBTQ community who spoke to ABC News said they were worried about their personal liberties and safety.

“There are no words to describe the feeling of being persecuted by everyone around you, just for being yourself, for being who you are,” Atuhaire, a Kampala-based member of Uganda’s LGBTQ community told ABC News, using only their first name to protect their personal safety.

Atuhaire added, “When we leave work every day our colleagues know they have a safe place to go home to. We no longer have even that luxury. As we speak, I am facing eviction.”

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 — which was passed on Tuesday evening after several readings and hours of debate — proposed tough penalties against Uganda’s LGBTQ+ community, who have been on the end of increasing discrimination and violence.

The sweeping legislation would criminalize “the offence of homosexuality,” meaning anyone who identifies as LGBTQ or “any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female” may be subject to imprisonment of up to 10 years if convicted.

The bill would also outlaw the promotion of homosexuality,” meaning anyone advocating for LGBTQ rights or anyone who provides funding to organizations that do faces the threat of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding 1 billion Ugandan shillings, or about $265,900.

The bill touches on landlords and property owners too. They face the threat of prosecution through penalties or imprisonment if their premises are found to be used for “homosexual acts.”

“This country will stand firm, and once it is passed, I can tell you madam speaker, we are going to reinforce the law enforcement officers to make sure that homosexuals have no space in Uganda,” said Musa Ecwery, a lawmaker from Uganda’s Amuria District, speaking in parliament.

Parliamentary Speaker Anita Annet announced the passing, saying, “The Ayes have it.” She was met with cheers and applause in the packed parliamentary chamber. The bill was supported by 283 of 389 legislators.

“This house will continue to pass laws that recognize, protect and safeguard the sovereignty, morals and cultures of this country,” Annet said.

If the bill passes into law through assent by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, anyone caught engaging same-sex sexual activity could face life imprisonment, as would anyone convicted of grooming or trafficking children for the purpose of “homosexual activities.”

“Aggravated homosexuality,” a broad term encapsulating perpetrators who are HIV positive, among other categories, would also could carry a life sentence for those convicted.

In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the bill’s passing was “deeply disturbing” and threatened to erode gains made over the years.

“The passing of this discriminatory bill — probably among the worst in the world,” Türk said, adding, “Let us be clear: this is not about ‘values.’ Promoting violence and discrimination against people for who they are and who they love is wrong and any disingenuous attempts to justify this on the basis of ‘values’ should be called out and condemned.”

The bill was introduced in early March 2023 by Asuman Basalirwa, a lawmaker who said homosexuality was a “human wrong” that threatened traditional family values and the continuation of humanity.

“The vitriol and we receive daily on social media has always been vicious, but nothing like the last few months,” Grace, an LGBTQ+ activist, told ABC News in a phone interview. “Especially following the Anglican church debacle and comments form the president calling us deviants and so on and so forth, the list goes on — this is the climate for us in Uganda.”

“I wish I could tell you I’m shocked, but I’m not. I am tired,” Grace said. “But the beauty of our community and what I love is no matter what bill, intimidation or what have you, or what circumstance, we will not be erased or silenced. We will keep speaking up for our rights.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the bill “undermine[s] fundamental human rights” of Ugandans and could “reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS.” He called on Museveni to veto the bill.

In a White House press briefing, National Security Council coordinator John Kirby and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the bill, saying the East African nation may face repercussions — “perhaps in an economic way” — should the law be enacted.

“We’ll have to take a look. No decisions. We’re watching this very, very closely,” Kirby said

The U.S. currently provides Uganda with an annual assistance budget exceeding $950 million as well as health assistance through PEPFAR.

Museveni, the president, has said the West has “weird cultures” and has vowed not to bend to western pressure.

“Western countries should stop wasting the time of humanity by trying to impose their practices on other people,” he said in an address earlier this month.

Homosexuality was already illegal in Uganda, as in over 30 of Africa’s 54 countries. Human rights advocates said they planned to challenge the bill in court if it’s signed into law.

“The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke about how pernicious and ghastly it is that people are penalized and killed simply and solely on the basis of their sexual orientation and called on us to all oppose this injustice,” Türk said. “I would like to renew his plea today.”

Vice President Harris arrives for historic Africa trip, focused on investment and empowerment

March 26, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ACCRA, Ghana) — Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Accra, Ghana, on Sunday, kicking off a weeklong trip on the continent that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia.

Harris, the first Black woman U.S. vice president, is making her first trip to Africa while in office.

She arrived Sunday in Air Force Two with the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and was greeted by Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

The welcome ceremony included a gift of flowers, dancers and drummers as she walked down a red carpet and a large group of children gathered to the side of the stage where she made brief remarks.

“What an honor it is to be here in Ghana and on the continent of Africa,” she said on the tarmac of Kotoka International Airport.

“I’m very excited about the impact of Africa on the rest of the world,” she said, pointing to a future in the coming decades in which the population — with a current median age of 19 — would help put African nations at the center of international relations.

While on her trip, Harris said she wants to promote “increasing investments,” the “economic empowerment” of women, girls and young businesspeople, “digital inclusion” and food security in light of mounting challenges from climate change.

She said she will also be discussing democracy and government as she meets with various leaders and will be observing just some of the innovation and creativity that is “inspiring the world.”

“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and again I’m so very excited to be here,” she said.

The vice president will meet with Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday and hold a news conference following their meeting.

She travels to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday afternoon, and then departs Tanzania for Lusaka, the Zambian capital, on Friday, where she will meet with President Hakainde Hichilema.

She returns to Washington on April 2.

Harris continues the Biden administration’s outreach to African countries amid competition from China and their growing influence on the continent, where countries have forged trade and other ties with Beijing.

Previewing the vice president’s agenda on a call with reporters on Thursday evening, senior administration officials said Harris will be asking the leaders not to “choose” between the U.S. and China but to “expand” their options.

“We can’t ignore the current geopolitical moment. It’s no secret that we are engaged in competition with China. And we’ve said very clearly we intend to out-compete China in the long term,” the officials said.

In a show of how much Tanzania values their relationship with China, President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s first state visit outside of Africa last November was to meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing where their meeting focused on areas of cooperation such as agriculture trade and infrastructure.

Two notable moments to watch for during Harris’ trip will be in Ghana and Zambia. The administration officials said that on Monday, Harris will tour Cape Coast Castle, a former slave-trade outpost and location of the so-called “Door of No Return,” and deliver remarks on the “brutality of slavery and the African diaspora.”

And Harris’ time in Zambia will be notable as it marks her return to the country for the first time since she was a young girl. In the 1960s, she traveled there to visit her maternal grandfather, who was a civil servant in India and worked for several years in the Zambian government on refugee resettlement issues.

“Hotel Rwanda” hero Paul Rusesabagina to be released from prison, Rwandan government says

March 24, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The Rwandan government announced Friday that Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the acclaimed 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, will be released from prison nearly three years after he was captured and detained.

The 68-year-old Rwandan hotelier-turned-dissident, who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was tried and convicted on a slew of terrorism-related charges in Rwanda’s High Court in Kigali in 2021. He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Rusesabagina’s prison sentence was commuted by presidential order on Friday after consideration of requests for his clemency and approval by the Cabinet, according to Rwandan Minister for Justice and Attorney General Emmanuel Ugirashebuja.

“Under Rwandan law, commutation of sentence does not extinguish the underlying conviction,” Ugirashebuja said in a statement. “If any individual benefitting from early release repeats offences of a similar nature, the commutation can be revoked and the remainder of the prison sentence will be served, in accordance with the conditions specified in the Presidential Order. Other penalties imposed by the Court, such as compensation owed to victims, are not affected by this commutation and thus remain in force.”

Rwandan government spokesperson Stephanie Nyombayire confirmed to ABC News that Rusesabagina would be freed within 24 hours.

When asked for comment, Rusesabagina’s family told ABC News in a statement on Friday: “We are pleased to hear the news about Paul’s release. The family is hopeful to reunite with him soon.”

Last year, the U.S. Department of State determined that Rusesabagina, who has maintained his innocence, had been “wrongfully detained.” The U.S. House of Representatives subsequently passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the Biden administration to demand Rusesabagina’s release on humanitarian grounds. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Rwanda in August 2022, members of Congress sent a letter urging him to push for Rusesabagina’s “immediate release” and “safe return to the United States.”

Rusesabagina was the manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when divisions between Rwanda’s two main ethnic groups came to a head. The Rwandan government, controlled by extremist members of the Hutu ethnic majority, launched a systemic campaign with its allied Hutu militias to wipe out the Tutsi ethnic minority, slaughtering more than 800,000 people over the course of 100 days, mostly Tutsis and the moderate Hutus who tried to protect them, according to estimates from the United Nations.

More than 1,200 people took shelter in the Hotel des Mille Collines during what is often described as the darkest chapter of Rwanda’s history. Rusesabagina, who is of both Hutu and Tutsi descent, said he used his job and connections with the Hutu elite to protect the hotel’s guests from massacre. The events were later immortalized in Hotel Rwanda, with American actor Don Cheadle’s portrayal of Rusesabagina earning an Academy Award nomination for best actor in 2005.

Rusesabagina, who fled Rwanda with his family in 1996 and later settled in San Antonio, Texas, rose to fame and was lauded as a hero after the movie’s release. In 2005, he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the American president. He also wrote a book, gave paid speeches and became an outspoken critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has been in office for the last two decades.

In August 2020, Rusesabagina traveled to Dubai to meet up with a Burundi-born pastor who Rusesabagina alleges had invited him to speak at churches in Burundi about his experience during the Rwandan genocide. The pair hopped on a private jet that Rusesabagina believed would take them to Burundi’s capital, according to Rusesabagina’s international legal team.

Rusesabagina did not know that the pastor was working as an informant for the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and had tricked him into boarding a chartered flight to Kigali. He was subsequently arrested and charged with several terrorism-related offenses, with Rwandan prosecutors alleging that Rusesabagina wanted to go to Burundi to coordinate with rebel groups based there and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rusesabagina’s family and lawyers have repeatedly expressed concern over his condition and treatment while under detention in Rwanda’s capital. The married father of six is a cancer survivor and is prescribed medication for a heart disorder. He was held in solitary confinement for more than eight months after his capture and has been denied proper medical care, according to his international legal team. The U.N.’s Nelson Mandela Rules state that keeping someone in solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days is torture.

Additional attacks on American bases in Syria Friday after US retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian-backed groups

March 24, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. official told ABC News that there were two new attacks late Friday on two U.S. facilities in Deir ez-Zor Province in eastern Syria after another earlier in the day and a drone attack on Thursday that prompted retaliatory U.S. airstrikes that targeted Iranian-backed militias believed responsible.

Both attacks late Friday happened about the same time, the official said. One involved three drones targeting one facility and the other involved five rockets fired at a separate facility, according to the official, who said one American service member was wounded and was in stable condition.

The official said that two of the three drones that targeted one U.S. facility were shot down, but one drone made it through. There were no injuries in that attack.

The official said that five rockets were fired at another U.S. facility where the American service member was wounded. That individual is in stable condition, the official said, and that a damage assessment of the facility was still underway.

Earlier Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said the first of the three attacks on U.S. bases did not cause any damage and there were no injuries.

“On the morning of March 24th, at approximately 8:05 am local time, 10 rockets targeted coalition forces at the Green Village in northeast Syria,” said Lt. Col. Phil Ventura, a Pentagon spokesman.

“The attack resulted in no injuries to US or coalition personnel and no damage to equipment or facilities,” he added.

The new attacks, of which there have been about 80 since the start of 2021, come a day after the U.S. military conducted retaliatory airstrikes in eastern Syria on Thursday against the Iranian-backed groups after a one-way explosive drone attack targeting a U.S. base in the region killed a U.S. contractor and injured six others, including five U.S. service members, the Pentagon said.

“Earlier today, a U.S. contractor was killed and five U.S. service members and one additional U.S. contractor were wounded after a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle struck a maintenance facility on a Coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Two of the wounded service members were treated on site, while the other four Americans were medically evacuated to coalition medical facilities in Iraq, officials said. A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that both contractors were American.

U.S. intelligence assessed that the one-way attack drone that struck the base on Thursday was Iranian in origin, according to the statement. Iran has used such drones in the past in attacks on Saudi Arabia and in Yemen, but this drone technology has become more noticeable after it provided hundreds of Shahed drones to Russia that have been used in attacks against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure targets.

Earlier on Thursday, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who as the commander of U.S. Central Command is the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, told Congress that there have been 78 such attacks since the beginning of 2021.

“At the direction of President [Joe] Biden, I authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),” Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in the statement, issued late Thursday.

“The airstrikes were conducted in response today’s attack, as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” he added.

A U.S. official told ABC News that the airstrikes were carried out by U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter aircraft as part of a response approved by President Joe Biden earlier on Thursday.

Biden was enroute to Ottawa, Canada, when he approved the airstrikes presented by the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community as response options to the drone attack, White House spokesman John Kirby said during an appearance on CNN.

“He made the decision very, very shortly in that discussion to authorize the strikes against these particular targets,” Kirby said. “We’re going to work to protect our people and our facilities as best we can. It’s a dangerous environment.”

“We are not seeking a conflict with Iran,” said Kirby. “We’ve been very clear with the Iranians and with our partners about how serious the mission that we’re doing in Syria is and how we’re going to protect that mission.”

“Iran should not be involved in supporting these attacks on our facilities or on our people, we’ve made that very very clear,” said Kirby.

At a news conference with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Friday afternoon, before the reports of even more attacks, Biden said, “make no mistake, the United States does not — does not, emphasize — seek conflict with Iran but be prepared for us to act forcefully protect our people. That’s exactly what happened last night.”

The U.S. has about 900 troops in eastern Syria providing assistance to Syrian Kurdish forces in preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State.

In recent months, some of the bases have been the target of drone attacks that had, in most instances, not led to injuries or physical damage. Iranian-backed groups in Syria are believed to have been responsible for these attacks.

“These precision strikes are intended to protect and defend U.S. personnel. The United States took proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties,” the Pentagon statement read.

“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will strike our troops with impunity.”

“Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of the contractor who was killed and with those who were wounded in the attack earlier today,” the defense secretary added.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command leader Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla said, in part, that the U.S. “will always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing. We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks.”

“Our troops remain in Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, which benefits the security and stability of not only Syria, but the entire region,” he added.

During Thursday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing focused on the Middle East and Africa, Kurilla was asked by Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon about the frequency of Iranian proxy attacks on U.S. forces.

There have been 78 such attacks since the beginning of 2021, according to Kurilla.

“It is periodic. We see periods where they will do more,” he said

“So what Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies — that’s under UAVs or rockets — to be able to attack our forces in Iraq or Syria,” Kurilla added.

ABC News analyst Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and retired CIA officer, said the U.S. “must strike back at the Iranian forces in Syria responsible for these attacks to such an extent that they know the consequences of killing and injuring Americans will not be worth the costs.”

Another attack on an American base in Syria Friday after US retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian-backed groups

March 24, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Two U.S. officials told ABC News that there was another attack on a U.S. base in eastern Syria Friday, following a drone strike on Thursday, but that no damage or injuries resulted from the most recent attack.

The officials said the Friday attack was from indirect fire and one of the officials confirmed it was a rocket attack.

The U.S. military conducted retaliatory airstrikes in eastern Syria on Thursday against Iranian-backed groups after a drone strike targeting a U.S. base in the region killed a U.S. contractor and injured six others, including five U.S. service members, the Pentagon said.

Two of the wounded service members were treated on site, while the other four Americans were medically evacuated to Coalition medical facilities in Iraq, officials said. A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that both contractors were American.

“The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack, as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” he added.