Kamis, 11 April 2019
Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange arrested - BBC News - BBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuL8hmOFoYU
2019-04-11 09:44:17Z
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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested by police in London - NBC News
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By Patrick Smith and Alex Johnson
LONDON — Julian Assange, the fugitive founder of WikiLeaks and publisher of state secrets that embarrassed governments across the world, was arrested in London on Thursday almost seven years after he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Assange was wanted by British police for skipping bail in August 2012, while he was under investigation for sexual assault and rape in Sweden.
London's Metropolitan Police said the Ecuadorian government had withdrawn asylum for Assange, adding that officers had been "invited into the embassy by the ambassador."
Footage shot by the Ruptly news agency showed a bedraggled Assange being carried out of the building by seven men.
As he was bundled into a waiting police van, Assange shouted: "You must resist. You can resist ... the U.K. must resist."
He was taken to a local police station and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court "as soon as is possible," authorities said.
The Australian national has maintained that if forced to leave the embassy he would eventually be extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
WikiLeaks said in a tweet that Assange's political asylum had been "illegally terminated in violation of international law."
The group has repeatedly claimed that the Justice Department is building a criminal case centered on the leaking of Democratic emails hacked by the Russians in the 2016 election.
President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, told a congressional hearing in February that former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone was in contact with Assange before WikiLeaks released leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee.
Assange, 47, has always maintained that the source of the leaks was not Russia, contrary to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies.
Special counsel Robert Mueller recently concluded his probe into Russian electoral interference and the Trump campaign.
Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 and made news four years later with the publication of leaked information provided by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst and self-described whistleblower.
These included a video of a U.S. military helicopter fatally shooting people in Iraq, and thousands of classified military logs revealing sensitive information about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, thought to be the biggest leaks in U.S. military history.
Manning last month refused to testify before a federal grand jury looking into the release of documents to WikiLeaks.
In November 2010, the Swedish government issued an international arrest warrant for Assange in connection with allegations of sexual assault and rape from two women. Assange, who has denied the allegations, surrendered to British police the following month and was released on bail — whereupon he fled, breaking the terms of his bond agreement.
Assange's lawyers have often warned that he would be handed over to U.S. prosecutors because of WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents. Rafael Correa, then the president of Ecuador, granted him asylum in 2012.
Sweden later dropped its investigation and Assange is no longer wanted there — but he remained in the embassy because London's Metropolitan Police said he would be arrested for violating his bail as soon as he stepped outside. The local force has been running an expensive operation to post officers outside the building in case that happens.
Assange became an Ecuadorian citizen last year, even though his relations with his hosts had soured years ago.
In 2016, the Ecuadorian government cut off his access to the internet in the embassy after WikiLeaks published a trove of emails from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The government said it was trying to make sure he couldn't interfere in the affairs of other countries.
In January, WikiLeaks sent a 5,000-word email to journalists listing 140 things they should not say about Assange, from asserting that he has been an agent of any intelligence service to that he has ever bleached his hair.
Patrick Smith reported from London, and Alex Johnson from Los Angeles.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-police-london-n991236
2019-04-11 09:41:00Z
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Sudan unrest: latest updates - CNN
Omar al-Bashir came to power in Sudan in 1989, when he lead a coup against then Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. Bashir dissolved the government, political parties and trade unions, and declared himself chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.
He survived a coup attempt the following year. He later ordered the execution of more than 30 army and police officers implicated in the failed takeover.
In 1993, Bashir dissolved the Revolutionary Command Council and restored Sudan to nominal civilian rule, with himself as president. At an election in 1996, he was returned with more than 75% of the vote. That margin would increase to 85% in 2000.
Violence broke out in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2003, and Bashir was criticized for not cracking down on the Janjaweed militia, a pro-government militia accused of murdering and raping people in Darfur.
In 2008, the International Criminal Court filed charges against Bashir for genocide and war crimes in Darfur. Repeated attempts to bring him to justice were unsuccessful, however.
At the country's most recent election in 2015, officials said Bashir had been re-elected president with more than 94% of the vote. Many major opposition groups boycotted the election.
Late last year, anti-government protests broke out in many cities in Sudan, demanding Bashir's removal. He declared a year-long state of emergency in February 2019, as his forces attempted to crack down on demonstrations.
Those efforts appear to have been ultimately unsuccessful. On Thursday, the 75-year-old Bashir stepped down as president after 30 years in power.
https://www.cnn.com/africa/live-news/sudan-latest-updates/index.html
2019-04-11 09:25:00Z
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Sudan unrest: latest updates - CNN
Thousands took to the streets Thursday morning in Sudan to celebrate the anticipated ouster of President Omar al-Bashir.
A CNN stringer on the ground saw thousands marching towards the military headquarters in the capital, dancing, drumming and chanting against the government. Cars honked their horns in support and women ululated in celebration.
People chanted: “He is a coward and he is fallen!”
There is heavy deployment by the Rapid Security Forces in the capital especially on the main bridge on connecting Khartoum with Um Dorman. They didn’t engage with the crowds, CNN’s stringer reported.
Military troops however responded to the celebrating protesters, flashing the victory sign. One soldier was seen patting a protester’s back to congratulate him.
https://www.cnn.com/africa/live-news/sudan-latest-updates/index.html
2019-04-11 08:36:00Z
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White House preparing to roll out Kushner's Israeli-Palestinian 'peace plan': Sources - ABC News
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection victory secured, the Trump administration is preparing to roll out Jared Kushner's "peace plan" as early as this month, sources familiar with the plan tell ABC News.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the plan, which Kushner and a small "peace team" have been quietly working on for months. The text itself remains a closely guarded secret -- even within the White House -- and has only been seen in its entirety by four people within the administration, the sources said.
The text hasn't even been shared with allies, including the Israeli government, the U.S. officials said.
Those familiar with the plan said it aims to bring a non-traditional approach to addressing the seemingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict by including a robust economic development package for the Palestinian people and seeking to address political elements of the conflict.
The White House declined to comment when asked about details of the plan.
(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images, FILE) White House senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, walk to Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Oct. 30, 2018.
Kushner and his team traveled to several Arab countries in February to brief diplomats on the economic aspects of the peace plan. An official said some of the broad economic concepts of the plan were warmly received, in principle, during that trip.
Though the plan's release could come this month, sources cautioned a release date has not been finalized and that the administration is weighing a variety of factors. Potential causes for delay could include the upcoming holidays of Passover and Ramadan.
Early in his presidency, Trump tasked his son-in-law with working on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as one of his high-profile assignments in the White House. In describing his hopes of achieving peace, Trump has referred to a prospect as "the ultimate deal."
Trump expressed optimism Wednesday for peace plan's prospects now that Netanyahu has been reelected.
"The fact that Bibi won, I think we'll see some pretty good action in terms of peace," Trump said at the White House when asked by a reporter if Netanyahu's victory meant he would soon release the administration's peace plan.
(Carlos Barria/Reuters) President Donald Trump gestures to gathered news media as he welcomes Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, March 25, 2019.
Two weeks ago, the president received Netanyahu at the White House in an effort to shore up support for his friend in the final stretch of a tough reelection bid.
"Everybody said you can't have peace in the Middle East with Israel and the Palestinians," Trump said Wednesday. "I think we have a chance. And I think we have, now, a better chance with Bibi having won."
Netanyahu has said he welcomes an opportunity to review the plan.
"I look forward to receiving the plan, and we will look at it once it's presented," Netanyahu said in February, during a meeting attended by Vice President Mike Pence and Kushner in Poland. "I have to say that I know the Trump administration seeks to ensure the security of Israel for generations."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-preparing-roll-kushners-israeli-palestinian-peace/story?id=62317060
2019-04-11 08:03:45Z
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Sudan’s Military to Make Announcement as Protests Swell Against Omar Hassan al-Bashir - The New York Times
GULU, Uganda — Sudan’s state news media said Thursday that the military would make an important announcement, a development that comes as protests against the decades-long rule of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the country’s authoritarian leader, have engulfed the nation.
“The armed forces will present an important statement shortly,” a television anchor said on state media. “Be ready for it.”
Mr. al-Bashir, who has long been regarded as a pariah in the West and is wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges in connection with atrocities in Darfur, has ruled Sudan longer than any leader since the country gained independence in 1956.
The state news media report, accompanied by patriotic music, was made as protesters demanding Mr. al-Bashir’s ouster gathered outside the military’s headquarters in Khartoum, the country’s capital.
Protests swelled on Thursday morning. Those calling for Mr. al-Bashir’s ouster would not be satisfied if he were simply replaced by another general, said Sara Abdelgalil, a spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association, which is organizing the protests.
“We have asked for people to continue the sit-in in front of army base — headquarters — and the uprising continues,” she said.
The protests will continue “ until there is a complete step down of the whole regime,” she said. “We insist on a civil government and we don’t support any coup.”
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One protester wrote that there was dancing in the streets, with people chanting, “We won, we won.”
Mr. al-Bashir came to power as a little-known general in 1989 during an Islamist and military-backed coup. In the following years, he purged Islamists and insiders from his party, and demonstrated a knack for political survival.
Protests began in December over rising food costs but quickly expanded to a broad challenge to Mr. al-Bashir’s hold on power. In recent days, rival factions within the security services have battled each other, raising fears of a complete breakdown in order as armed military groups fight for control.
A striking photo of one protester standing on a car and wearing a white thoub, a long robe, and gold earrings as she urged on a crowd this week was called an iconic image of the demonstrations and was shared widely online.
Mr. al-Bashir’s three decades of rule have been marked by famine and war, with the country dividing and a new nation, South Sudan, gaining independence in 2011. South Sudan and Libya, Sudan’s neighbor to the northwest, are each now gripped by armed conflict, raising the threat of widespread regional instability should Sudan also fall into civil war.
For months the security services have detained and attacked protesters in an effort to prevent the demonstrations from swelling, but in recent days, crowds opposed to Mr. al-Bashir have grown outside the compound in Khartoum that houses his residence and the military’s headquarters.
Mr. al-Bashir is the only active leader to be wanted by the International Criminal Court. As word of his possible ouster emerged, human rights groups called for him to face trial over his role in crimes against humanity and genocide in the Darfur region.
“If the Sudan military’s important announcement is that Pres Bashir will finally step down, it should demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and an end to mass atrocities by delivering him to the International Criminal Court to face charges,” Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said on Twitter.
Sudan is also listed by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, although it does cooperate with the United States on some counterterrorism efforts, the State Department said in a 2017 report.
Last week another leader in the region, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, stepped down as president of Algeria after weeks of street protests, bringing an end to his 20-year rule.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/africa/sudan-omar-hassan-al-bashir.html
2019-04-11 07:52:30Z
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Harry Kazianis: Trump summit with South Korea president could bring progress in North's denuclearization - Fox News
President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet Thursday at the White House to discuss efforts to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to get rid of his nuclear weapons and long-range missiles and forge a lasting peace with the South and the United States.
Accomplishing this won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. Dealing with North Korea has been a foreign policy and military nightmare since Korea was split into two nations in 1948 – the communist North aligned with Russia and China, and the South aligned with the U.S.
In fact, we are still technically at war with the North. The Korean War, begun in 1950, ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Offering Kim a peace treaty as part of a deal on denuclearization could be one of several incentives to get him to give up his nation’s status as a nuclear power.
TRUMP TO MEET WITH SOUTH KOREA’S MOON IN APRIL, WHITE HOUSE SAYS
Tensions rose considerably between Washington and Pyongyang in the dark days of 2017 when Trump and Kim traded threats of military strikes. But since then the two leaders have met in two summits in a so-far unsuccessful effort to resolve their differences.
Having no diplomatic relations makes things harder, with simple messages taking days to travel between key policymakers in the U.S. and North Korea. Establishing diplomatic relations would be a big win for Kim – and could be another incentive for him to make major concessions on denuclearization.
The good news is that if President Trump is willing to take a small leap of faith, there is a clear path forward that could guarantee a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and a real end to the Korean War, ensuring that the nuclear threats of the past remain in the history books.
The good news is that if President Trump is willing to take a small leap of faith, there is a clear path forward that could guarantee a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and a real end to the Korean War, ensuring that the nuclear threats of the past remain in the history books.
This is where South Korea’s President Moon can make a difference.
The Moon Miracle, or what many refer to as Seoul’s strategy to facilitate a détente between the U.S. and North Korea, has been transformative.
Moon played a key role in a historically successful Winter Olympics in South Korea last year, three inter-Korean summits, a comprehensive inter-Korean military de-escalation agreement along the Demilitarized Zone, and the normalization of dialogue between the two Koreas.
These successes have done much to ensure the dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang moves forward. In engineering them, Moon has put his own legacy in clear jeopardy, while weakening his own position back home. He will be judged either a great success or an enormous failure, depending on how the North responds to his overtures.
Now we will find out if Moon’s miracle can be truly be sustained. On Thursday he will try to ascertain where President Trump stands on several key issues that could determine the future of relations with North Korea.
First, Moon will seek to figure out if Trump is really committed to a concrete diplomatic negotiation with North Korea, or only willing to deal with the Kim regime if it will surrender its nuclear weapons before getting any relief from economic sanctions.
Next, Moon must find out who is the key decision-maker on Trump’s team when it comes to dealing with North Korea. It is clear that there is not unanimity among Trump’s advisers.
It will be important for Moon to know if National Security Adviser John Bolton – a hardliner on dealing with the North – is just trying to project an image of strength, or whether he is truly the man driving the Trump administration’s negotiation strategy.
If Bolton is in the driver’s seat he will most likely demand what amounts to North Korea’s complete nuclear capitulation for any sort of concessions. A demand like this will most likely result in Kim ending any sort of talks for the foreseeable future.
Assuming Bolton is not driving administration policy, Moon needs to know if Washington is committed to absolutely no sanctions relief until full denuclearization – something that could take a decade or more to achieve – or if there is some middle ground that could be found.
If there is a middle ground, here is where Moon can truly make a difference. Moon should propose a compromise deal to provide limited sanctions relief to the North.
Under such a deal, North Korea would be required to close all facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex under international supervision, including a delegation of U.S. nuclear experts. In return, Pyongyang would be granted a temporary suspension of select sanctions.
Some U.N. Security Council resolutions could be suspended and the two Koreas could be allowed to work together on one or two joint economic projects under such a deal. The relaxation of sanctions on specific inter-Korean economic projects could include the linking of railways and roads across the North-South border.
This limited sanctions relief would cost the U.S. very little and be a significant boost to Moon’s separate inter-Korean reconciliation initiative. And it could accelerate the prospects of a peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula.
This play on words – calling the action “a temporary suspension of select sanctions,” matters tremendously and could be the key to a compromise deal.
President Trump would be able to say that he is not dropping any sanctions, at least not formally. Also, the Trump administration could embrace the role of the reasonable adult in the room and offer the North Koreans enough flexibility to prove that its intentions towards peace and denuclearization are more than just talk.
This would allow Washington to grant Pyongyang a key concession while throwing the ball on North Korea’s side of the court to demonstrate its sincerity.
There is, however, one catch to this agreement. The U.S. would need to insist on a snapback provision for sanctions. This way, if the Kim regime does cheat, America and South Korea can reapply sanctions quickly.
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This is a deal President Trump should embrace. Now that any immediate danger from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has passed, Trump surely would love to change the media narrative and focus the American people’s gaze on something much more positive, especially with the 2020 elections right around the corner.
There is no bigger accomplishment that would allow Trump to claim a real legacy than helping bring real peace to the Korean Peninsula along with denuclearization. Here’s to hoping that the U.S. and South Korean presidents get a real shot at making history, and maybe even a Nobel Peace Prize.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY HARRY J. KAZIANIS
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/harry-j-kazianis-trump-summit-with-south-korea-president-could-bring-progress-in-norths-denuclearization
2019-04-11 03:24:02Z
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