Monday, January 28, 2013

Iran successfully sends monkey into space: Minister

Iran on Monday successfully sent a monkey into orbit, paving the way for a manned space flight, Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state television.

Arabic-language channel Al-Alam and other Iranian news agencies said the monkey returned alive after travelling in a capsule to an altitude of 120 kilometres (75 miles) for a sub-orbital flight.
"This success is the first step towards man conquering the space and it paves the way for other moves," General Vahidi said, but added that the process of putting a human into space would be a lengthy one.
"Today's successful launch follows previous successes we had in launching (space) probes with other living creatures (on board)," he added.
"The monkey which was sent in this launch landed safely and alive and this is a big step for our experts and scientists."
Iranian state television showed still pictures of the capsule and of a monkey being fitted with a vest and then placed in a device similar to a child's car-seat.
A previous attempt in 2011 by the Islamic republic to put a monkey into space failed. No official explanation was ever given.
A defence ministry statement quoted by Iranian media said earlier Iran had "successfully launched a capsule, codenamed Pishgam (Pioneer), containing a monkey and recovered the shipment on the ground intact".
Iran announced in mid-January its intention to launch a monkey into orbit as part of "preparations for sending a man into space," which is scheduled for 2020.
Iran's space programme deeply unsettles Western nations, which fear it could be used to develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads they suspect are being developed in secret.
The same technology used in space launch rockets can also be used in ballistic missiles.
The Security Council has imposed on Iran an almost total embargo on nuclear and space technologies since 2007.
Tehran has repeatedly denied that its nuclear and scientific programmes mask military ambitions.
Iran's previous satellite launches were met by condemnation from the West who accused Tehran of "provocation."
The Islamic republic has previously sent a rat, turtles and worms into space. It has also successfully launched three satellites -- Omid in February 2009, Rassad in June 2011 and Navid in February 2012.
In mid-May last year, Tehran announced plans to launch an experimental observation satellite Fajr (Dawn) within a week but it did not happen and Iran gave no explanation for the delay.
The Fajr satellite was presented by Iranian officials as "an observation and measurement" satellite weighing 50 kilos (110 pounds), built by Sa-Iran, a company affiliated to the defence ministry.

Egypt's Black Bloc condemns 'defamation' by Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya

The Black Bloc anarchist group in Qena, Upper Egypt, has condemned 'defamatory photos' posted on the Facebook page of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya. 

The newly formed group, which espouses the use of political violence to fulfill the goals of the January 25 Revolution, said photos of people 'making love' at a protest were not members of the Black Bloc, as was claimed by Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya.
The photo was first published in a French magazine and was not taken in Egypt, Egyptian Popular Current member Hamada Alaa told the Al-Ahram Arabic website.
Black Bloc members have participated in recent protests in Cairo.
The group announced its formation in a YouTube video last week. It vowed to fight the "fascist" Muslim Brotherhood regime and warned the Interior Ministry not to intervene.
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya is an ultra-conservative Islamist group.

Egypt's National Salvation Front rejects dialogue with Morsi

Egypt's National Salvation Front (NSF), a coalition of opposition parties and groups, rejected on Monday an invitation by President Mohamed Morsi to hold talks aimed at resolving the current political crisis.

At a press conference held at Wafd Party headquarters in Cairo, the NSF – in a statement read out by NSF co-founder and Constitution Party chief Mohamed ElBaradei – rejected Morsi's proposed dialogue as a "facade" and issued several pre-conditions for talks.
"We are not against holding talks, but we will not let the Egyptian people down by engaging in fake dialogue," ElBaradei said.
"Many missteps have led to the current situation…security measures will not solve the current crisis, but a political solution must be found," he added.
NSF members who attended the conference – including failed presidential candidates Hamdeen Sabahi and Amr Moussa, along with Wafd Party chief El-Sayed El-Badawi – said they would soon unveil their "conditions" for dialogue.  
The NSF had earlier proposed five demands that it said were necessary for national consensus.
"We met with Morsi earlier, and all we got from the meeting was a dictatorial constitutional declaration," said Sabbahi. "The second dialogue meeting did not accomplish anything either."
Sabbahi went on to demand that the president "acknowledge his responsibility" for the bloodshed, admit the legitimacy of the "people's demands" and respect peaceful protests. He further demanded that interior ministry and security officials be prosecuted for using excessive force to disperse recent demonstrations.   
The opposition front also stressed its commitment to "the revolution," saying it would engage in any actions that would lead to the realisation of revolutionary goals. It went on to claim that it would only employ peaceful methods and condemned all forms of vandalism and violence.
NSF leaders also denied they had plans to form a "presidential council."
The NSF also stressed its solidarity with the people of Port Said, Ismailia and Suez, adding that they would not tolerate the "isolation" of the three canal cities.
Clashes have been ongoing between police and protesters in the three cities since Friday, which marked the second anniversary of Egypt's January 25 Revolution. More than 40 people have been reported killed in the violence.
The death toll rose dramatically in Port Said when a court on Saturday sentenced 21 Port Said residents to death for their involvement in last February's Port Said stadium disaster, in which scores of football fans were killed. Since then, the city has witnessed intense rioting, with residents accusing the central government of scapegoating and marginalising them.
Intermittent clashes remain ongoing in Cairo, Damanhour and Alexandria. The nationwide death toll is now estimated at more than 50 with hundreds more injured. At least 296 protesters have been arrested since Friday, according to security sources.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Algeria hostage-takers 'aided by Libyan Islamists'

Libyan Islamists provided logistical support to the militants who seized an Algeria gas plant before they were killed in a bloodbath which also left 37 foreigners dead, well-informed sources said.

"Logistical support was provided from Libya," a source close to extremist groups in Libya told AFP.
The source did not specify the exact nature of such aid but acknowledged that Libyan Islamists were responsible for establishing contacts between the captors and the media.
International media groups, including AFP, were able to get from Islamist circles based in eastern Libya telephone numbers of the kidnappers as they last Wednesday overran the In Amenas gas plant in the deep Algerian desert.
"There were no Libyans in the group which led the attack," the source said but recognised that there were "contacts" between the captors and Libyan jihadists.
The source also said that Libyan Islamists had no organisational link with the group, "Signatories in Blood", that led the four-day siege of the gas complex.
The group is led by one-eyed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, one of the founders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM ). Belmokhtar left Al-Qaeda in October to create his own group.
Since the fall of the regime of Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011, Libyan Islamists have gained influence and inherited a large military arsenal from the conflict that ousted and killed the former Libyan strongman.
Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said on Monday the Islamist militants who carried out the attack on the gas plant had crossed from northern Mali.
He said they had planned the attack for nearly two months, much before France's intervention in northern Mali.
The militant group had said that their attack on the gas complex was in retaliation for French intervention in northern Mali.
Thirty-seven foreigners were killed in the attack on the remote gas plant, some of them executed with a bullet to the head, Sellal said.
He said that a total of 29 militants were also killed and three captured in the siege, which ended in a final showdown on Saturday after Algerian special forces stormed the sprawling gas complex.
Algeria has said its special forces managed to free 685 Algerian and 107 foreign hostages, most of them on Thursday, during their first rescue operation.

Tehran suggests Cairo for nuclear talks with P5+1 powers


Iran has suggested that the next round of nuclear talks with world powers should take place in Cairo, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Islamic state's foreign minister.
"When I was in Egypt ... it was suggested that the next meeting be held in Cairo," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by ISNA on Wednesday.
"This issue was welcomed by our dear friends in Egypt and Egypt will consult with the P5+1 for hosting this meeting."
The last round of negotiations between Iran and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had ended last Friday in the capital Tehran with no deal, awaiting a second meeting on 12 February.
The IAEA conducts regular inspections of Iran's unveiled nuclear sites, seeking access to other facilities where it believes are sites for undeclared activities at developing nuclear weapons took place since 2003.
According to AFP, it was unclear what went wrong this time but in the past Iran has insisted that the agreement include clauses that could infringe on the IAEA's ability to conduct proper inspections.
Iran incessantly denies having worked on devoting nuclear energy for military purposes.
At their last meeting, held in Moscow in June, Tehran rejected P5+1 calls for it to scale back its nuclear enrichment activities, while asking for substantial sanctions relief.
The Islamic republic's economy is currently struggling to survive with punitive measures adopted by the US and the EU targeting its key oil sector and access to international financial markets.
 Salehi, for his part, told Al-Ahram newspaper in August that Tehran is keen on establishing relations of "friendship and brotherhood" with Egypt, adding that Iran hoped to restore "normal" ties after relations were terminated in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Such statement came ahead of his meeting with Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi on 9 January to discuss the Syrian crisis in Cairo.

Hamas prime minister prepares for elections in Gaza

Haniya

Gaza-based Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya will invite the Central Election Commission (CEC) to the Gaza Strip within the next few days, Salah Al-Bardawil, a leader of the Islamist movement, said on Thursday.

The prime minister will ask the CEC to begin updating voter registration lists, Al-Bardawil told the Palestinian Maan News Agency.
"Hamas has the willingness and persistence to implement all the terms and conditions stipulated in the reconciliation deals signed in Cairo and Doha with Fatah," Bardawil said.
The formation of the committee to supervise elections in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was stipulated in the deal signed by Fatah and Hamas in Cairo in April 2011.
Hamas Political Bureau member Ezzat Al-Rashak said on Friday that the group had agreed with rival group Fatah to form a cabinet of "independents," during reconciliation talks in Cairo the day before.
According to Egyptian state news agency MENA, Al-Rashak said the long-awaited "unity" cabinet was chiefly assigned the task of organising the next legislative and presidential elections, if held.
"Fatah and Hamas agreed on ending the period of political division. All indicators on the ground signify the complete readiness of both movements to implement the reconciliation deal," he said.
"This is the last opportunity given to us by the Palestinian people to sort out our problems, and we should take advantage of it."
Fatah, the political party of Palestinian President which runs the West Bank, and Hamas, which rules Gaza, agreed on Thursday 17 January to revive their long-stalled reconciliation accord by the end of this month, the head of the Fatah delegation told AFP.
"Fatah and Hamas agreed at a meeting in Cairo on Thursday between delegations of the two movements on a timetable for implementing Palestinian reconciliation," Azzam Al-Ahmad said by telephone from the Egyptian capital.
"We are in agreement on the mechanisms and timetable to end the division, the most important being the resumption of operations by the Central Election Commission (CEC) in the Gaza Strip on the 30th of the month at the latest and afterwards in the West Bank," he said.
The two groups reached an Egyptian-sponsored unity agreement in April 2011, although the deal's main articles have not been applied so far.
In December, leaders of Hamas and Fatah called for the renewal of reconciliation attempts that have been stalled for more than one year.
In Gaza, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in his first-ever trip to the coastal territory, said it was time for the bitter opponents to make good on the deal they signed in Cairo in 2011.
The deal had been intended to pave the way for presidential and legislative elections by May 2012, but disagreements over who would head up a transitional government snarled implementation of the agreement.

Back to Africa: Egypt's Morsi arrives in Addis Ababa Sunday


Morsi to Addis

President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday is scheduled to arrive in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where the African Union is located, to take part in an African Summit.
"This is an important sign of Egypt's commitment to bolstering its ties with Africa,” said Egyptian ambassador to Ethiopia Mohamed Idris.
The trip will be Morsi's second visit to the Ethiopian capital since he was sworn in as Egyptian head of state on 30 June. Morsi's last visit to Addis Ababa was last July, when he took part in the previous African Summit.
In the years preceding the 2011 revolution, several African countries had complained about Mubarak-era Egypt's seeming disinterest in the continent. Since Egypt's Tahrir Square uprising two years ago, however, Cairo appears to have stepped up its interest in Africa.
According to Idris, Morsi will meet with top African officials and leaders – especially those of the Nile Basin – on the summit's sidelines.
Morsi's current Ethiopia visit comes amid continued Egyptian concern over a new dam that Ethiopia is building over the Nile River with the aim of expanding its annual share of Nile water. The new dam, Cairo fears, could bite into Egypt's traditional allotment of water.
Egyptian officials have repeatedly warned of a brewing "water crisis" and have been working with counterparts from Nile Basin countries to ensure that any changes of water allotments would not come at the expense of other states' shares.  
Egypt and Sudan – now Egypt and North Sudan – have both taken exception to a recent agreement adopted by Nile Basin countries aimed at redistributing Nile water. Both countries have been urging greater cooperation between all Nile states in hopes of maximising use of the river's resources.
Nile water resources will be on the agenda of Morsi's address in Addis Ababa.
"Cooperation between Egypt and Ethiopia in several fields, including maximising the use of Nile water, will be on the agenda of the president's talks with top Ethiopian officials and those of the Nile Basin countries," Idris said.
Morsi's visit to Ethiopia is his first since Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi died last August. Zenawi was known for his apprehension regarding Egypt and Egypt's vast water needs.
Haile Mariam Desalegne, Zenawi's predecessor, is reportedly committed to Zenawi's dream of building a series of dams over the Nile to help generate electricity. Egypt plans to manage its relations with Desalegne in hopes of achieving better cooperation on water sharing.
Morsi is expected to address key issues on the summit's agenda. At the top of this is the current situation in Mali, where an African-led international force is acting to deter Islamist fighters from toppling the France-supported regime.
The Morsi administration has not supported the military intervention in Mali, conducted at the request of the Malian government, and had hoped instead to broker a deal between the rebels and the regime.
Developments in Mali and the potential role of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (from which Morsi hails) in bringing radical Islamists in the Middle East and Africa to a more moderate version of political Islam will both likely crop up in Morsi's talks with French counterpart Francois Hollande. The two heads of state are scheduled to meet in Paris on 31 January.

Protesters, security forces clash outside Alexandria courtroom

Clashes erupted in Alexandria on Sunday afternoon between protesters and security forces outside an Alexandria criminal court.

Unidentified assailants raided the court after the clashes and set fire to legal papers and documents inside, MENA news agecy said.
Fighting broke out when activists and the relatives of slain protesters waiting outside the courtroom learned that the panel of judges – who were presiding in the ongoing case of demonstrators killed during Egypt's 2011 uprising – had decided to step down only one day before delivering a final verdict.
Security forces used teargas and birdshot against the angry crowd on Alexandria's corniche, from the Manshia district to El-Raml train station. Some protesters accused Central Security Forces of using live ammunition to disperse them.
Two police cars were set on fire, the witness said. Security forces detained some protesters, the state news agency MENA said, and dozens of people were injured.
Dozens of protesters, some of whom set fire to an empty police vehicle, were detained by security forces.
Sunday's incident represents the second such clash between protesters and security forces outside Alexandria's criminal court building since the trial first began.
 

Kuwaiti parliament backs law to privatise airline


Kuwait's parliament approved an amended draft law on Wednesday paving the way for the long-overdue privatisation of Kuwait Airways, state-run news agency KUNA reported.
Parliament first backed privatising loss-making Kuwait Airways Corp KAC.L in 2008 but the process has been repeatedly held up by the global economic crisis, political turmoil and a restructuring at the airline.
 
Under the draft law, the carrier will change its name to Kuwait Airways Company and own all assets and property of KAC, except for outstanding payments from the Iraqi government and Iraqi Airways, KUNA said.
 
Iraq and Kuwait agreed last year that Baghdad will pay $500 million in compensation for Gulf War-era debts. The cash will go to the state treasury, not KAC, the report said.
 
The Kuwaiti carrier faces challenges such as high labour costs, an aging fleet and tough competition from other Gulf airlines, Communications Minister Salem al-Athaina said, according to KUNA. He did not give a timeline for the privatisation process.
 
Under a plan approved by the cabinet in April the government will offer a 35 per cent stake to companies listed in Kuwait and to "specialised" local or international firms within three years.
 
The government would retain 20 per cent with 5 per cent to be distributed to KAC employees.
 
The remaining 40 per cent would be allotted in the same way to citizens registered with the Public Authority for Civil Information, the Kuwaiti body that issues civil identity cards.

Neqabi Human Rights advocate






















Photo:Mahmoud Elsobky


Neqabi woman that run a human rights organization,Neama Ibrahim ,33 years old.She was born in Assuit ,Upper Egypt then moved to Cairo after her marriage.Neama,is the board director the Serious Work Association (SWA).
"I have been defending women rights for years and planned to establish our NGO ,but the ex-regime was oppressive and we were not able to register our association".Mrs.Ibrahim said.
After the great revolution of 25 January that helped us to get rid of the tyranny ,we were able to register our association under the number 4463 for the year 2012 with the mission of Combating violence against women where justice, equality, rejection of discrimination and empowering women prevails.


SWA consists of a mixture of a group of young people and others with extensive experience in field work. This team gathered together with one desire, that is community service and hard work for a better society, and took of the slogan "Promoting and protecting human rights" an approach to work and way of development.SWA's board consisted of five female members from different ages. SWA's idea based on participation and equality among all sections of society.

SWA, was established in the Great Sea district, Giza governorate which is a densely populated area of the poor who are suffering a lot of problems, especially women who suffer from poverty, marginalization and violence. From this scope SWA was established. Among the current activities carried out by SWA is to extract official documents for women (national ID cards - birth certificates) that will help them to get social security pension.Also, SWA works on literacy by teaching women and girls who didn’t have the opportunity to go to schools. As well, SWA provides training on crafts to women so as to enable them to have the ability to invade markets through handicrafts to 
reduce their dependence on men.Mrs.Ibrahim added.

As for SWA General Objectives:
1-work on combating violence against women and on empowering them.
2- Caring and developing target groups socially, culturally and healthy.
3-Provide guidance and psychological services for women and the family.
4- Modify the wrong family trends.
5-Participate in finding real solutions to the problems that face marginalized groups such as women and children.
6-cooperation and coordination of efforts between the Association and all those interested in women's rights, whether individuals, organizations, governmental or non-governmental organizations inside or outside Egypt to achieve development of community, especially for women.
7-Work on women's literacy as input to a comprehensive development and raise their human rights, health, cultural and environmental awareness.
8- Supporting democracy. 

"We observed the last referndum on the constitution and we are going to monitor the coming elections.Neama added

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Mali Islamists advance closer to capital despite French intervention


France is using air and ground power in a joint offensive with Malian soldiers launched on January 11 against hardline Islamist groups controlling northern Mali. (AFP)
France is using air and ground power in a joint offensive with Malian soldiers launched on January 11 against hardline Islamist groups controlling northern Mali. (AFP)


Islamist militants in Mali gained more territory Tuesday and are now closer to the Capital Bamako despite ongoing French aerial bombardments and ground operations.

Declaring France had “opened the gates of hell” with its assault, the rebels threatened retribution.

“France ... has fallen into a trap much more dangerous than Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia,” declared Omar Ould Hamaha, a leader of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, one of the rebel groups controlling the north, speaking on French radio Europe 1.
French fighter jets have been pummeling the insurgents' desert stronghold in the north since Friday, determined to shatter the Islamist domination of a region many fear could become a launch pad for terrorist attacks on the West and a base for coordination with al-Qaida in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.

The Islamist fighters responded with a counter-offensive Monday, overrunning the garrison town of Diabaly, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Segou, the administrative capital of central Mali, said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

West African defense chiefs will on Tuesday approve plans to speed up the deployment of African troops against Islamist rebels in northern Mali, with some regional soldiers seen arriving next week.

“On Jan. 15, the committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff will meet in Bamako to approve the contingency plan,” the mission head of the ECOWAS grouping of West African states, Aboudou Toure Cheaka, told Reuters.

“I can tell you that in one week, the troops will effectively be on the ground,” he said, adding their immediate mission would be to help stop the rebel advance while preparations for a full intervention plan continued.

Refugees

The United Nations said more than 30,000 people had fled the fighting and accused the Islamists of stopping thousands of them from travelling south into government-held zones.

The Islamists said they had made a “tactical retreat” from Timbuktu and other key towns where they have imposed a brutal version of Islamic law for nearly 10 months.

French jets on Monday hit Douentza, 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Bamako, which the Islamists have held since September. But residents said the fighters had left before the warplanes arrived.

In Timbuktu, where inhabitants have been executed or had limbs cut off in some of the worst abuses, the Islamists reportedly fled in anticipation of an attack.

“The mujahideen have left. They are really scared,” said one resident in the historic city, where the militants have destroyed centuries-old Muslim monuments.

In Gao, another northern city held by the Islamists, the jihadists were nowhere to be seen after bombing by Rafale warplanes on Sunday, residents there said.

Mali's Foreign Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly said in Paris that he believed more than 100 Islamists had been killed in the four days since France launched operations to stem a guerrilla advance towards Bamako.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian acknowledged that French forces were facing a “difficult” situation in the west of the country, where he said the rebels are well armed.

France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius hailed the “quasi-unanimous” international backing for the offensive.

Britain and Canada have offered military transporters to the French military and the United States says it will share intelligence and provide logistical support.

Algeria said it had closed its 2,000-km (1,250-mile) desert border with northern Mali to stop Islamists crossing into the country. To the west, Mauritania said it had sent soldiers to close its border with Mali.

The Islamists seized upon the chaos of a military coup in Bamako in March to seize northern Mali, sparking widespread international fears that they could set up a terrorist safe haven.

Iraqi MP killed in suicide attack


An Iraqi member of parliament and his bodyguard have been killed in a suicide attack in western Anbar province, officials say.
Ayfan Sadoun al-Essawi, a member of the secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that is part of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national unity government, was targeted as he inspected a road being constructed south of Fallujah.
"The moment he stepped out of the car to check out this road between Fallujah and Amriyah, at this moment, there was a man. He came to him, hugged him, said Allahu Akbar, and blew himself up," said Sohaib Haqi, the chief of Essawi's office.
The attack is likely to raise tensions with Iraq already grappling with a political crisis that has pitted Maliki against Iraqiya, which has frequently called for him to resign.
Anbar province, which is dominated by Iraq's Sunni minority, has been the scene of more than three weeks of protests against the Shia-led government. They were sparked by the arrest of bodyguards assigned to Iraq's Sunni finance minister, who comes from the al-Essawi tribe as the lawmaker who was killed on Tuesday.

Morsi visits train crash victims at Maadi Military Hospital

Morsi

President Mohamed Morsi visited victims of the Badrashin train crash at Maadi Military Hospital on Tuesday afternoon amid a heavy security presence.

According to the Al-Ahram Arabic news website, Morsi arrived in a military helicopter.
At a brief press conference held at the hospital, the president expressed his grief and promised that the injured will receive the needed treatment.
"This is sad day for each Egyptian, I send my condolences to the families of martyrs who were on their way to fulfill their national duty and my prayers to the injured for speedy recovery… yet the condolences will never bring back the lost souls."
A 12-carriage train carrying 1328 Central Security Forces conscripts was en route to Cairo from Upper Egypt when one of its cars - carrying around 200 soldiers – derailed on Monday night, hitting a goods train parked outside a storage depot.
This is the second tragic train accident to take place in Egypt since Mohamed Morsi became president.
In November, 51 school children were killed when their bus was hit by a train as it drove through a railway crossing in the Assiut village of Manfalout, Upper Egypt.
President Morsi was severely criticised for not commenting on the Assiut accident until six hours after it took place.
Activists reminded the president of his stance towards a similar accident in 2002 in the Giza governorate village of Al-Ayyat which killed 18 people. Morsi, an MP at the time, vehemently criticised the response of Egypt’s former prime minister Atef Ebeid and ultimately held him responsible.

US Senator John McCain visits Egypt


US Senator John McCain has arrived in Cairo for a three-day visit to meet with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and other Egyptian officials.
McCain, who arrived on Tuesday, is scheduled to hold talks with Essam Al-Haddad, the president's assistant for foreign affairs, along with a number of opposition figures and parliament members, Egyptian state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.
Talks will primarily focus on Egypt's transition to democracy as well as current developments in the region, namely the ongoing crisis in Syria and the Palestinian issue.
Last November, McCain called on the Obama administration to withhold financial aid from Egypt unless Morsi responded to opposition demands and rescind a controversial decree that was later reversed.
Second to Israel, the United States provides more than $1.9 billion in financial aid annually to Egypt, an amount which is mostly allocated to the Egyptian military.

Egypt's prosecutor general orders burial of train derailment victims

Badrasheen

Talaat Abdullah, Egypt's prosecutor general, has ordered the burial of 19 victims killed in an overnight train accident in Giza.

Nineteen Central Security Forces conscripts were killed and 120 injured after a train carriage derailed minutes before midnight on Monday in the Giza town of Badrashin, according to a statement released by the ministry of transportation on Tuesday morning.
The 12-carriage train, which was carrying 1328 conscripts, was on route to Cairo from Upper Egypt when one of its cars - carrying around 200 soldiers - derailed hitting a goods train parked outside a storage depot.
As police forces carried out a rescue operation, witnesses said some soldiers battled for their lives under the rubbles of the derailed carriage.
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Ahram Online many of the wounded were in a critical condition, raising the possibility of a rise in the death toll during the next few hours.

Many ambulances ferried the injured to a nearby hospital while Egyptian officials started arriving at the scene around three hours after it the accident took place, Ahram Online’s Mohamed Nada said.

Hussein Zakareya, head of Egypt’s Railway Authority, said the derailed carriage hit another cargo train after it went off the rails.

The deadly incident comes less than two months after 51 schoolchildren were killed when their bus was hit by a train as it drove through a railway crossing in the Assiut village of Manfalout, Upper Egypt.
In the same month, November 2012, at least three Egyptians were also killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo.
Dozens of train accidents have plagued the country during the past decade. In 2002, in one of the most deadly incidents, 373 passengers were killed after their train caught fire. Seven years later, at least 30 people died in another accident on the same railways. 
Egyptians have long complained about poor levels of safety and maintenance in the out-of-date railway system. The Egyptian government vowed on numerous occasions to upgrade the ageing trains, but little had been accomplished in that regard.

“We have to admit that the railway system is decaying. We will carry out investigations to know whether the accident happened because of defects in the train or rails or because of other reasons,” transportation minister Hatem Abdel-Latif, who has been in office for 10 days, told Al-Ahram’s Arabic website.

Abdel-Latif recently replaced Rashad El-Metiny, who resigned in the wake of the Assiut school bus tragedy, in a partial cabinet reshuffle carried out by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Tunisia sends in army after border town unrest


Tunisian soldiers were deployed on Sunday in a town near the border with Libya after a week of clashes between police and residents protesting over social inequalities, an AFP reporter said.
Units from the army and national guard were sent a day before Monday's second anniversary of the Tunisian revolt that began the Arab Spring, sparked by unemployment and tough living conditions.
Ben Guerdane, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, has witnessed sporadic unrest since last Sunday, fuelled by Tripoli's decision to close the Ras Jdir border crossing in early September for security reasons.
There was no sign of police on the streets of Ben Guerdane on Sunday, and no reports of clashes a day after youths set fire to the local police station for the second time in three days.

On Saturday, protesters also hurled abuse at the ruling Islamist Ennahda party, whose local headquarters were ransacked during the week. A customs office was also torched. The protesters, who are demanding a series of development projects to revive the area's local economy and reduce unemployment, asked on Saturday that soldiers be sent in to keep the peace in the town.
Tunisia's military is better thought of by the people than the police force, which was at the heart of the repressive regime of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who fled the country for exile in Saudi Arabia two years ago.
Civil representatives from Ben Guerdane are forming a delegation to be received in the capital on Tuesday by the Islamist-led government to discuss their demands.

"The delegation will be received on Tuesday at 10:00 am in Tunis," Amar Hamdi, who heads the local branch of Tunisia's main trade union confederation the UGTT, told AFP.
Despite the border crossing with Libya being reopened on Thursday, the UGTT went ahead with a general strike in the town to demand investment and jobs, with only chemists, hospitals and bakeries remaining open.
There is ongoing social discontent in Tunisia two years after the uprising that overthrew Ben Ali, with strikes and protests often degenerating into violence.

Violent attacks by Islamists and political deadlock over a new constitution also continue to threaten the country's stability.

Syria calls peace envoy's mission 'useless'

Brahimi

Official media in Syria renewed attacks on UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Sunday, calling him biased and saying his peace mission aimed at solving the country's crisis was "useless."

On Wednesday, Brahimi criticised as "one-sided" a proposal by President Bashar al-Assad to end the crisis, and two days later he met top US and Russian officials and urged "a speedy end to the bloodshed" in the strife-torn country.
"It is clear that Mr Brahimi is now out of the loop for the solution for Syria. He has taken sides, he is not a mediator," wrote the pro-regime daily Al-Watan on Sunday's front page.
"Brahimi is incapable of finding a solution to the Syrian crisis.
"He acknowledged in his last meeting with President Assad (on December 24) that Turkey and Qatar will not stop supporting terrorist groups and that he cannot prevent them from doing so," it wrote.
"Brahimi's mission is useless, just like (his predecessor) Kofi Annan, who resigned when he realised that he had no role to play in a war waged against Syria by several Western capitals," said Al-Watan.
Brahimi was appointed to replace Annan in September 2012, after the former UN secretary general resigned when his own peace plan failed to prevent further fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Assad.
Since the start of the uprising in March 2011, Damascus has labelled those calling for Assad's fall as foreign-backed "terrorists."
Brahimi, who last week criticised a three-step solution announced in a rare speech by Assad, "represents the Turkish, US and Gulf states' position, and is not an objective mediator," said Al-Watan.
After Brahimi told the BBC on Wednesday that Assad's proposal was "more sectarian, more one-sided" than similar initiatives he had made in the past official media in Syria accused him of "flagrant bias."
Assad's plan called for dialogue, but only with groups deemed by the regime to be legitimate.
The proposal was rejected outright by the Syrian opposition -- including groups tolerated by the regime -- and the West.

Israel plans 170 new settler homes in Jordan Valley

Israel's defence ministry has published plans for 170 new housing units and another 84 guest rooms in the West Bank settlement of Rotem in the Jordan Valley, anti-settlement activists said on Sunday.

The settlement itself previously received government approval, but no building plan was set out, according to Hagit Ofran of the Peace Now organisation.
"Last week it was deposited for public review. It is talking about 200 units, 30 of them are already built. In addition, another 84 units are proposed for guest rooms," she said.
"It will be deposited for 60 days for the public to file objections. After all objections are collected and heard, the planning committee will decide whether to approve or refuse the plan. Usually they approve it."
The Israeli government has moved forward aggressively in recent weeks with settlement construction plans in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, prompting angry condemnation from the Palestinians, and international criticism.
Israel says settlements are an issue to be discussed during negotiations, but the Palestinians say they will not hold peace talks while the Jewish state builds on land they want for their future state.
The international community considers Israeli settlements built in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, to be illegal under international law.

NSF to field one list in upcoming parliamentary elections

parliament

Opposition coalition the National Salvation Front (NSF) will participate on "one list across all constituencies nationwide in the coming parliamentary elections," its new electoral commission spokesperson Mahmoud El-Alialy announced late Sunday.

El-Alaily, who is assistant secretary-general of the liberal Free Egyptians Party, was appointed NSF elections spokesperson Saturday.

The names of the candidates in constituencies where the bloc will run are expected to be announced during the NSF's forthcoming meeting on Wednesday, El-Alaily added in his first statement as spokesperson.

"Each member party of the NSF will field their candidates and priority will be given in accordance with standards set earlier by the front."

In December, President Mohamed Morsi called for a national dialogue between all political powers in a bid to solve the deepening political crisis after the controversial new Constitution was ratified.


However, the meetings were widely boycotted by the opposition.

In its sixth session, the national dialogue proposed a final draft of amendments to parliamentary elections law: two thirds of seats will now be contested under the party list system, while one third will be won by the individual candidates.

In addition, a document of amendments proposed by the national dialogue on some disputed articles of Egypt's newly-passed national charter will be put to the House of Representatives (lower house of parliament) during its first session after it is elected.

The parliamentary elections law, which is currently being drafted by the Cabinet, must first be examined by the Shura Council (upper house of parliament) and then passed to the High Constitutional Court (HCC) before being issued ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

On Wednesday, officials at the presidency told Reuters that Egypt will hold parliamentary elections in April.

"The exact date for the vote has not been fixed yet. The president will announce it no later than February 25," the unnamed source confirmed.

The NSF issued a statement Saturday listing eleven conditions necessary to ensure fair parliamentary elections.

These include: full judicial supervision, holding elections over two days, ensuring stamped ballot papers, allowing NGOs to monitor the process, limited appropriations of electoral campaigns, as well as ensuring a minimal of one female representation among every three candidates.

Furthermore, the NSF demanded the formation of an unbiased government before announcing the date for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The National Salvation Front is a recently-formed umbrella group led by former presidential candidates Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa, along with reform campaigner and head of the Constitution Party Mohamed ElBaradei.

Egypt govt ready to 'reconcile' with Mubarak-era officials charged with financial impropriety

Egypt's Public Funds Prosecution (PFP) is ready to settle outstanding cases concerning the embezzlement of public funds with a number of Mubarak-era officials, including former finance minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali and former trade minister Rashid Mohamed Rashid, PFP Attorney-General Mostafa Hussein told Ahram Online on Sunday.

Sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison by a Cairo court for financial corruption, Boutros-Ghali currently lives unmolested in the UK despite calls by Interpol for his arrest.
Mubarak's trade minister was also sentenced in absentia to 15 years on graft charges related to the illegal sale of steel-manufacturing licenses.
According to Hussein, prosecutors are ready to discuss reconciliation with those individuals already found guilty of pilfering public funds, including several Mubarak-era cronies – with the exception of those involved in the killing of protestors during Egypt's 2011 Tahrir Square uprising.
"It's important to understand that the prosecution is not a party to any of the disputes," Hussein told Ahram Online. "The reconciliation initiative only came after the government had agreed to settle its disputes with Mubarak-era officials."
He added that no new legislation was needed to carry out the proposed reconciliation process.
"Reconciliation attempts are supported by an investment promotion law drafted in 1997 and a draft law enacted by Egypt's Supreme Military Council in 2011," Hussein explained.
He added that the PFP was "not biased" towards any particular political entity or individual interest, stressing that the agency's primary role was to "protect public funds and the public interest."
The PFP has already agreed to "reconcile" with 20 convicted individuals in exchange for the reimbursement of funds obtained illegally, said Hussein.
He went on to point out that all Mubarak-era figures charged with financial misdealing had asked the PFP to settle their respective financial disputes in exchange for acquittals.
"The reconciliation initiative will certainly benefit the economy," said Hussein. "Through it, the state will be able to return looted funds that are often untraceable."
The PFP recently acquitted or released on bail a number of Mubarak-era officials, including former culture minister Farouk Hosni and former top media official Ossama El-Sheikh, both of whom had been found innocent of pocketing public funds.
Several human rights groups have slammed the 'reconciliation' proposal, which they say violates the rights of the Egyptian public since it stipulates that offenders must return improperly-acquired funds according to those funds' original value – thus ignoring the appreciation of the assets in question since their acquisition.
The government of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil has attempted on several occasions to settle pending cases with businessmen charged with illegally acquiring public funds and property during the Mubarak era. These overtures, however, were met with widespread criticism on the part of Egyptian opposition groups.

No More Elections

"No more elections" this is a statement which a simple Egyptian farmer said to me ."I am tired of going to the polling centers and the long time of wait to vote.I have to take part in democracy process whatever the sacarfice is" the farmer added.
from the Egyptian scene ,we see that the democratization process faces a lot of obstacles from the opposition as they are not well existed in the streets among the poor people.On the other hand the opposition keep shouting and crying  that elections were rigged.
One of the other farmers said that the opposition should work very hard and work on achieving the desired development instead of fighting with the Islamists hence they will find a lot off supporters and can gain a lot of seats in the elections but they wont learn the lesson and they will keep shouting and crying.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Egypt’s prosecutor-general forms body to investigate crimes against revolutionaries


Talaat Abdullah

Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah has ordered the formation of a special prosecution body to investigate crimes committed against revolutionaries by members of the former regime.
The move was made to comply with President Mohamed Morsi’s constitutional declaration of 22 November which said "crimes of terror committed against revolutionaries by anyone who held a political or executive position under the former regime" would be reopened.
Attorney-General Amr Fawzy will head the new ‘protection of the revolution’ body, and twenty prosecutors have been appointed to work with him.
Al-Ahram Arabic website said the team would hold its first meeting on Thursday.
Fawzy is expected to inform the public prosecutor’s office of his team’s progress on a weekly basis.
The body will investigate the report of a fact-finding committee into the deaths and injuries of protesters during and after the revolution which was handed to the public prosecutor on Tuesday.
It will also investigate other incidents that have been reported to the public prosecutor.
The fact-finding committee was formed by President Mohamed Morsi in July to investigate the deaths and injuries of protesters from 25 January 2011 and until he was sworn in on 30 June 2012.
The report was submitted to the president on 2 January before being passed on to the public prosecutor.
Earlier this month several newspapers and media outlets unofficially reported some of the committee’s findings.
Lawyer Mohsen Bahnasi, a member of the committee, told CNN Arabic website on 2 January that former president Hosni Mubarak had watched all the events of the revolution through an encrypted TV channel set up for him by former information minister Anas El-Fiqi.
He also said there was evidence that police and army officers had tortured protesters during the Friday of Rage (28 January 2011) and the Camel Battle (2 February 2011).
The report also includes information about the Port Said massacre on 1 February 2012, that left more than 70 dead and hundreds of injured following clashes after a soccer game between Masry and Ahly, on which a court ruling is expected on 26 January.
Most of the report's content has not yet been officially released.

Hisham Ramez replaces Farouq El-Oqda as Central Bank of Egypt governor

Ramez

President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday named Hisham Ramez, a former deputy central bank governor, as the new head of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) after accepting the resignation of longstanding CBE governor Farouq El-Oqda, who has headed the bank since 2003.

Ramez will formally take up the position on 2 February. His first term will expire on 23 November 2015.
Ramez served as CBE number-two from 2008 to 2011, after which he briefly served as vice-chairman and managing director for Egypt's Commercial International Bank (CIB).
At a press conference at the presidential palace on Thursday, El-Oqda dismissed speculation that his resignation was  linked to recent devaluations of the Egyptian pound, stressing that he had tendered his resignation three weeks earlier because he had already exceeded his maximum eight-year mandate.
El-Oqda added that the CBE was the body that had initially suggested limiting the governor's tenure to two four-year terms in Egypt's recently-approved constitution.
At the conference, Ramez attempted to reassure attendees about Egypt's ongoing currency woes, saying "the current situation regarding the Egyptian pound is not a cause for much worry despite recent consecutive drops against the US dollar."
The Egyptian pound currently stands at 6.55 against the dollar.
It is expected that Ramez will maintain El-Oqda's longstanding monetary policies. El-Oqda has attempted to shore up the Egyptian pound against foreign currencies by tightening restrictions on currency speculation.
"I'm leaving the institution [the CBE] in safe hands," El-Oqda asserted at the conference.
Ramez, for his part, declared that Egypt's inflation rate was currently "stable." Annual inflation in December reached 4.7 per cent, representing slight growth over recent months, according to official data released Thursday.
El-Oqda, who worked with Ramez for nine years, has praised the latter's expertise as a banker.
In December, it was reported that El-Oqda had resigned for health reasons. Several days after the resignation reports, however, El-Oqda denied that he had stepped down, assuring that he remained central bank governor.
In 2011, El-Oqda received the "Central Bank Governor of the Year" award for the Middle East and North Africa on the sidelines of an IMF/World Bank meeting.

Hisham Ramez replaces Farouq El-Oqda as Central Bank of Egypt governor

President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday named Hisham Ramez, a former deputy central bank governor, as the new head of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) after accepting the resignation of longstanding CBE governor Farouq El-Oqda, who has headed the bank since 2003.

Ramez will formally take up the position on 2 February. His first term will expire on 23 November 2015.
Ramez served as CBE number-two from 2008 to 2011, after which he briefly served as vice-chairman and managing director for Egypt's Commercial International Bank (CIB).
At a press conference at the presidential palace on Thursday, El-Oqda dismissed speculation that his resignation was  linked to recent devaluations of the Egyptian pound, stressing that he had tendered his resignation three weeks earlier because he had already exceeded his maximum eight-year mandate.
El-Oqda added that the CBE was the body that had initially suggested limiting the governor's tenure to two four-year terms in Egypt's recently-approved constitution.
At the conference, Ramez attempted to reassure attendees about Egypt's ongoing currency woes, saying "the current situation regarding the Egyptian pound is not a cause for much worry despite recent consecutive drops against the US dollar."
The Egyptian pound currently stands at 6.55 against the dollar.
It is expected that Ramez will maintain El-Oqda's longstanding monetary policies. El-Oqda has attempted to shore up the Egyptian pound against foreign currencies by tightening restrictions on currency speculation.
"I'm leaving the institution [the CBE] in safe hands," El-Oqda asserted at the conference.
Ramez, for his part, declared that Egypt's inflation rate was currently "stable." Annual inflation in December reached 4.7 per cent, representing slight growth over recent months, according to official data released Thursday.
El-Oqda, who worked with Ramez for nine years, has praised the latter's expertise as a banker.
In December, it was reported that El-Oqda had resigned for health reasons. Several days after the resignation reports, however, El-Oqda denied that he had stepped down, assuring that he remained central bank governor.
In 2011, El-Oqda received the "Central Bank Governor of the Year" award for the Middle East and North Africa on the sidelines of an IMF/World Bank meeting.

Hisham Ramez replaces Farouq El-Oqda as Central Bank of Egypt governor

Ramez

President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday named Hisham Ramez, a former deputy central bank governor, as the new head of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) after accepting the resignation of longstanding CBE governor Farouq El-Oqda, who has headed the bank since 2003.

Ramez will formally take up the position on 2 February. His first term will expire on 23 November 2015.
Ramez served as CBE number-two from 2008 to 2011, after which he briefly served as vice-chairman and managing director for Egypt's Commercial International Bank (CIB).
At a press conference at the presidential palace on Thursday, El-Oqda dismissed speculation that his resignation was  linked to recent devaluations of the Egyptian pound, stressing that he had tendered his resignation three weeks earlier because he had already exceeded his maximum eight-year mandate.
El-Oqda added that the CBE was the body that had initially suggested limiting the governor's tenure to two four-year terms in Egypt's recently-approved constitution.
At the conference, Ramez attempted to reassure attendees about Egypt's ongoing currency woes, saying "the current situation regarding the Egyptian pound is not a cause for much worry despite recent consecutive drops against the US dollar."
The Egyptian pound currently stands at 6.55 against the dollar.
It is expected that Ramez will maintain El-Oqda's longstanding monetary policies. El-Oqda has attempted to shore up the Egyptian pound against foreign currencies by tightening restrictions on currency speculation.
"I'm leaving the institution [the CBE] in safe hands," El-Oqda asserted at the conference.
Ramez, for his part, declared that Egypt's inflation rate was currently "stable." Annual inflation in December reached 4.7 per cent, representing slight growth over recent months, according to official data released Thursday.
El-Oqda, who worked with Ramez for nine years, has praised the latter's expertise as a banker.
In December, it was reported that El-Oqda had resigned for health reasons. Several days after the resignation reports, however, El-Oqda denied that he had stepped down, assuring that he remained central bank governor.
In 2011, El-Oqda received the "Central Bank Governor of the Year" award for the Middle East and North Africa on the sidelines of an IMF/World Bank meeting.

Draft law on recovery of stolen Mubarak regime assets

The Egyptian justice ministry has proposed a new draft law for the repatriation of stolen money sent abroad by members of the Mubarak regime, Ahram Online can reveal. 
The new law will allow for investigations to be carried out in a “more efficient and professional way,” a source at the ministry said.
The ministry has already introduced the final draft to Prime Minster Hisham Qandil’s cabinet.
“The Illicit Gains Department (IGD) at the ministry has been trying to issue the law since August 2011,” the source said.
IGD is investigating a number of criminal cases against former regime figures, including ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Although the Asset Recovery Judicial Committee (ARJC) and IGD began their investigations soon after the revolution in early 2011, they have so far failed to recover any money from abroad.
“The new draft law aims to establish a more institutionalised mechanism to recover the assets,” the source said. 
The justice ministry believes such a mechanism will also boost Egypt’s ability to recover assets stolen in the future.
Ahram Online understands the draft will be introduced to the Shura Council, the current legislature, before the end of January.
The draft law says judicial and government agencies will be the main part of the proposed mechanism. 
Meanwhile, the UK will send one of its experts to help Egypt return its frozen assets.
“We plan to second a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer to Cairo soon,” a UK government source told Ahram Online.
The lawyer will serve as a regional asset recovery adviser who will assist with casework and forge links between law enforcement and prosecutors in the UK, Egypt and the region.
The UK government has frozen a total of £85 million ($133 million) worth of Egyptian assets.

Break-through in Saudi Arabia: women allowed in parliament


Saudi King Abdullah has introduced cautious economic and social reforms including his latest historical decree by allowing women to participate in the Shura Council for the first time. (Photo courtesy Saudi Press Agency)

King Abdullah in Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia issued Friday a historic decree allowing women to be members of the kingdom’s previously all-male Shura Council for the first time.

Soon after his decree which amended two article in the council’s statute introducing a 20 percent quota for women in the country’s 150-member Shura Council, the king fully appointed 30 women to join the consultative assembly.

The assembly, which is appointed by the king, works as the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia. It can propose draft laws and forward them to the king who can pass or enforce them.

Saudi Arabia is known for its conservative culture where women are not allowed to drive vehicles despite that there is no law banning to them from driving. King Abdullah has introduced cautious economic and social reforms aimed at reconciling Saudi Arabia’s religious traditions with the needs of a modern economy and youthful population.

Thuraya al-Arrayed, an education specialist, who was appointed by the king as a Shura Council member told Al Arabiya that the royal decree “gave confidence to women to take part in important decision making areas in the country.”

“It is an opportunity given to us and I expect this experience to succeed. They are all qualified women,” she said.

“We are here not to represent ourselves but to represent the public, women and men alike.”

“I expect this decision to open doors for qualified women to take part in all fields no just in politics but in all areas,” al-Arrayed said.

Translation of the two amendments to the Saudi Shura Council statute:

First amendment: Article 3

The Shura Council constitutes of 150 members, chosen by the king among scholars, experts and specialists, with women's representation to be no less than 20 percent of the number of members. The rights of members and their obligations and all their affairs are defined by a royal decree.

Second amendment -- Article 22

First, each committee of the specialized committees constitutes of a number of members defined by the council, but should not be less than five. The council chooses these members and names the head of the committee and his deputy among them taking into consideration the committees' need, the specialization of the member and the women's participation in the committees.


Second, the council can form among its members special committees to study a particular subject, and each committee has the right to form among its members a branch committee or more to study a particular subject.

Third, the woman enjoys in her membership at the Shura Council complete membership rights and abides by the obligations, and responsibilities and assumes tasks.

Fourth, in confirmation of what was stated in the preamble of this decree of ours, the woman member commits to the principles of Islamic Shariah without any breach whatsoever and observes proper hijab taking into account especially the following:

1: Reserving a place for the woman to sit, as well as her own gate for entry and exit in the main Council Chamber, and everything related to her affairs to ensure independence from men.

2: Reserving places for women, fully independent from places reserved for men, to include offices for them and for employees with required equipment and services, and space for prayer.

Fifth: This decree of ours is to be delivered to specialized parties for adoption and implementation

Iraqis awarded $5m over Abu Ghraib abuse


A US defence contractor whose subsidiary was accused of conspiring to torture detainees at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has paid $5.28m to 71 former inmates held there between 2003 and 2007.
Tuesday’s settlement marks the first successful effort by lawyers for former prisoners at Abu Ghraib and other US-run detention centres to collect money from a US defence contractor in lawsuits alleging torture.
Another contractor, CACI, is expected to go to trial over similar allegations this summer.
The payments were disclosed in a document that Engility Holdings Inc filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission two months ago but which has gone essentially unnoticed.
On Tuesday, a lawyer for the ex-detainees, Baher Azmy, said that each of the 71 Iraqis received a portion of the settlement.
Azmy declined to say how the money was distributed among them. He said there was an agreement to keep details of the settlement confidential.
“Private military contractors played a serious but often under-reported role in the worst abuses at Abu Ghraib,” said Azmy, the legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
“We are pleased that this settlement provides some accountability for one of those contractors and offers some measure of justice for the victims.”
Eric Ruff, Engility's director of corporate communications, said the company does not comment on matters involving litigation.
'Criminal conduct'
The ex-detainees filed the lawsuit in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, in 2008.
L-3 Services "permitted scores of its employees to participate in torturing and abusing prisoners over an extended period of time throughout Iraq", the lawsuit stated.
The company "willfully failed to report L-3 employees' repeated assaults and other criminal conduct by its employees to the United States or Iraq authorities".
The defendant in the lawsuit, L-3 Services Inc, now an Engility subsidiary, provided translators to the US military in Iraq.
In its defence four years ago against the lawsuit, L-3 Services said lawyers for the Iraqis alleged that there were no facts to support the conspiracy accusation.
Sixty-eight of the Iraqis "do not even attempt to allege the identity of their alleged abuser" and two others provide only “vague assertions”, the company said then.
A military investigation in 2004 identified 44 alleged incidents of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib.
No employee from L-3 Services was charged with a crime in investigations by the US Justice Department. Nor did the US military stop the company from working for the government.
The Abu Ghraib prison scandal erupted during President George W Bush's re-election campaign in 2004 when graphic photographs taken by soldiers at the scene were leaked to the news media.
They showed naked inmates piled on top of each other in a prison cell block, inmates handcuffed to their cell bars and hooded and wired for electric shock, among other shocking scenes.