₦airaland Forum

Stampede kills 32 mourners at funeral of Qassem Soleimani and leaves nearly 200 injured after huge crowds gathered in his home town ahead of his burial

By Tim Stickings For Mailonline and Associated Press

05:11 07 Jan 2020, updated 11:24 07 Jan 2020

-Thousands of mourners converged on Qassem Soleimani's hometown of Kerman where he will be buried

-State TV said 32 people had been killed and 190 injured after a stampede broke out during the procession

-Revolutionary guards chief Hossein Salami told the crowds that Iran would 'set ablaze' places linked to the US

-Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a direct retaliation rather than relying on Iranian proxies

-US officials said they are anticipating a 'major' attack of some type within the next day or two

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7859571/amp/Thousands-prepare-bury-Iranian-general-killed-US.html?__twitter_impression=true

Seun Lalasticlala

Built2last:
See Iran like our Naija politicians.

Pure nonsense.

How can you bribe millions with free lunch? If free food is provided in a funeral, Iran does that during the annual Ashura mourning commemoration for ten days. They provide free food for people narking Ashura. It is a cultural practice to provide food during mourning ceremonies.

Free grades? Lol

Free bus rides? Why not? Its a national mourning and a state funeral. If I hate someone, free ride won't make me mourn for him or participate in a procession.

Millions went to the streets. I doubt there is that much poverty that people would participate for lunch. I was expecting to see $1,000 for each person. And that itself Iran can't provide because its sanction hit economy won't be able to spend that much.

This twitter poster must be a rogue Iranian living abroad in exile.

“All what Qassem Soleimani did was stand up for Christians against ISIS and Al Qaeda”

A mass was held in the evangelical church of Aleppo, Syria to honor the martyrdom of General Soleimani who had an essential role in the liberation battle of Aleppo against US-backed Jihadists. pic.twitter.com/yEgU4FyRAO

— Hadi (@HadiNasrallah) January 6, 2020

CC Seun Lalasticlala

Beijing slams Washington for fueling tensions in Middle East with ‘military interventionism’

https://www.rt.com/news/477551-china-us-stability-middle-east-iran/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Seun Lalasticlala

ANC slams ‘inhumane’ US airstrikes in Iraq, labels it ‘international terrorism’

News24 Wire

The ANC said it would utilise South Africa’s position in the UN Security Council to focus on conflicts locally and internationally.

The African National Congress has slammed what it calls “inhumane” airstrikes by the United States in Iraq, which saw (Iranian) General Qassem Soleimani, Commander of Iranian Quds Force killed.

The governing party called on the United Nations to take action against “this act of international terrorism” and for restraint between countries.

In a statement on Saturday, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule described the airstrikes as an attack on the people of Iran.

“The ANC and all progressive formations of the world cannot afford to remain silent while the actions of the US appear to be undermining peace and security with impunity – a clear and deliberate erosion of Iran’s national stability,” Magashule said.

“We urge the nations of the world, through the United Nations, to act firmly and expeditiously against this act of international terrorism. We urge all parties to this conflict to give peace a chance. We appeal for maximum restraint”.

Magashule said the act could cause another world war.

“The ANC rejects this raw aggression against the people and government of Iran, which has the potential to plunge the Middle East and the World into a full-scale war.

“History has shown that the majority of the victims of this kind of international terrorism are the elderly, women and children. Young people also suffer serious displacement with the prospect of a bleak future.”


A funeral procession was held in Baghdad, Iraq for Iranian Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, who were both killed by a US air strike. #QassemSoleimani #Mahdi al-Muhandis #Baghdad

The party further rejected what it called “right-wing populism”, saying it hinders peace.

“The ANC rejects right-wing and populist-led unilateralism that undermines collective global decision-making.

“These are an affront to multilateralism, by which peace and social justice will be created within and between countries.”


“We urge the US to take a leaf out of the African Union (AU) book on its commitment to silence the guns through a progressive call dubbed ‘silencing the guns by 2020’ as part of Agenda 2063 aiming to create a better Africa – a trajectory that South Africa will openly advance and advocate for as it assumes the Chair of AU through President Cyril Ramaphosa this year.”

A funeral was held for Soleimani in Iran on Saturday.

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/government/2224313/anc-slams-inhumane-us-airstrikes-in-iran-labels-it-international-terrorism/?fbclid=IwAR2EDHmXT4lMm1XuwG-uui1bLgv9NLYR-YDbFrrsov4e49pdkHJgv3RK5_g#.XhDfb2cFC9U.facebook

CC Seun Lalasticlala Mynd44

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/05/iraqi-parliament-votes-expel-all-american-troops-and-submit-un-complaint-against-us

Seun
Mynd44
Lalasticlala

ahmedbrown:
.

Please send me the link. This format doesn't appear on my browse. Thank you.

Babycherry:
X or ov 1.5 is always better

Please can someone kindly teach me how to use that feature. I'd appreciate a screenshot of where it is found or an explanation of how to use it. I cannot find it on my app. Thanks.

US faults FG on soldiers indicted in Army, Shi’ites’ clash

The United States on Tuesday noted that there was no record that the Nigerian or military authorities had demanded accountability from the soldiers implicated in the December 2015 clash between the Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria led by Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

The US stated this in the International Religious Freedom Report for 2017 released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.

The report also noted that the Nigerian government continued to hold El-Zakzaky and restrict the free movement and association of his followers.

It read, “Human rights groups continued to report the Federal Government often failed to prevent, quell, or respond to violence affecting religious groups, particularly in the North Eastern and central regions of the country.

“In November, Kano State police fired tear gas and bullets, killing three members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria during its annual Ashura procession.


“The government continued to detain the leader of the IMN, the country’s largest Shia group, and restrict the activities, free movement, and free association of its members.

“There were no reports of accountability for soldiers implicated in the December 2015 clash between the army and IMN members that, according to a Kaduna State Government report and reports from non-government observers, left at least 348 IMN members and one soldier dead, with IMN members buried in a mass grave.”

It, however, alleged that dozens of IMN members were still being held since December 2015, charged with the death of the soldier.

It recalled that in August, the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo announced the creation of a Presidential Investigative Panel that was committed to transparently and credibly investigating human rights abuses committed by the military.

It said the IMN, however, publicly stated that it would boycott the panel because it doubted its sincerity.

External human rights observers, it noted, also expressed concern over the lack of transparency and rigour of the panel.

The report noted that the Nigerian government had yet to obey court orders on the detained El-Zakzaky and his wife.

“The government stated publicly that Sheikh El-Zakzaky, leader of the IMN and a prominent Shia cleric, would remain in what it said was ‘protective custody’ pending the appeal of the December 2016 decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the government must release him.

“At year’s end, El-Zakzaky remained in prison.

“The court also ruled that the government must provide him with a house and pay him and his wife restitution of N25m ($69,600) by January 15; at year’s end, the court’s order had yet to be followed,” it said.

The report also indicated that terrorist organisation, Boko Haram, and its splinter organisation, the Islamic State-West Africa, continued “carrying out numerous attacks, committing mass killings, and targeting civilians. “

It quoted Nigeria Watch as estimating that activities by Boko Haram and ISIS-WA resulted in the deaths of 1,794 persons in 2017, including members of the two groups.

The Ministry of Defence’s spokesman, Charles Nwodo, said he could not comment on the report till Wednesday (today), when he would be back to the office.

“Defer the report till tomorrow. I will be back to the office by then.”

Nwodo declined further comment.

Meanwhile, the Director of Information, Defence Headquarters, Brig. Gen. John Agim, could not be reached for comment as his line rang out.

Also, a text message sent to his phone had yet to be replied as of the time of filing this report.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, also could not be reached for comment as of press time.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment as the minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, did not respond to calls. He had yet to reply to a text message as of the time of filing this report.

The MFA spokesman, Tope Elias-Fatile, could also not be reached as calls to his phone indicated that he was unavailable.



http://punchng.com/us-faults-fg-on-soldiers-indicted-in-army-shittes-clash/

carinmom:
Don't forget that GEJ also murdered THREE of El Zakzakiy's sons in 2014.

This propaganda that GEJ also killed three sons of Zakzaky should stop in 2018.

In 2014 there was a road traffic clash between an army patrol vehicle and a Shia procession of Zakzaky’s IMN. The army killed 34 including three of Zakzaky’s sons. El Rufai, then in the APC opposition described the attack as “genocide” by the “Jonathanian army” on social media. You can consult google for that post by El Rufai.

Jonathan personally telephoned Zakzaky and apologized for what had happened. Zakzaky rejected the apology. El Rufai again went online to blab that “Zakzaky rejected Jonathan’s sorry”. El Rufai paid a condolence visit to Zakzaky for the 2014 incident. The same El Rufai who became governor in 2015 of Kaduna and the Zaria massacre happened in December 2015 under his watch in which over 300 civilians (by official estimate) were killed in Zaria.

After the road incident, GEJ did not send the army to attack the Shi’a center, did not ask the army to lay siege on the house of Zakzaky, did not kill over 300 women, children and men observing a religion ceremony, did not dump them in mass grave, did not shoot Zakzaky and his wife and did not arrest them and detain them for three years without charge and did not ignore a court order for their release. Worse, GEJ did not go on live TV to justify the massacre or road shooting incident. GEJ apologized. That goes to show that GEJ did not or may not have sanctioned the incident and it could have been purely a coincidence or the army acted not in a premeditated attack.

So please GEJ can’t be personally held responsible. The same GEJ who handed over power because he believes that shedding Nigerian blood is not worthy of his political ambition couldn’t have ordered for that attack in which 34 people were killed, including the first set of three sons of Zakzaky. Look at the sequence of the incident in 2014 and the aftermath and compare with the massacre in 2015 and the aftermath.

Exclusive: Lebanon believes Saudi holds Hariri, demands his return

Laila Bassam, Tom Perry

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon believes Saad al-Hariri is being held in Saudi Arabia, from where he resigned as Lebanese prime minister, two top government officials in Beirut said, amid a deepening crisis pushing Lebanon onto the frontlines of a power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

A third source, a senior politician close to Saudi-allied Hariri, said Saudi Arabia had ordered him to resign and put him under house arrest. A fourth source familiar with the situation said Saudi Arabia was controlling and limiting his movement.

In a televised statement indicating deep concern at Hariri’s situation, his Future Movement political party said his return home was necessary to uphold the Lebanese system, describing him as prime minister and a national leader.

Hariri’s resignation last Saturday, read out on television from Saudi Arabia, came as a shock even to his aides and further embroiled Beirut in a regional contest between Riyadh and Tehran.

Hariri’s exit fueled wide speculation that the Sunni Muslim politician, long an ally of Riyadh, was coerced into stepping down by Saudi Arabia as it seeks to hit back against Iran and its Lebanese Shi‘ite ally, Hezbollah.

In his resignation speech, Hariri denounced Iran and Hezbollah for sowing strife in Arab states and said he feared assassination. His father, a former prime minister, was killed by a bomb in 2005.

Saudi Arabia has denied reports he is under house arrest.

But Hariri has issued no statements himself to that effect, and has not denied that his movements are being restricted.

RESTRICTED FREEDOM

“Keeping Hariri with restricted freedom in Riyadh is an attack on Lebanese sovereignty. Our dignity is his dignity. We will work with (foreign) states to return him to Beirut,” said the senior Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the government had yet to declare that position.

Saudi Arabia says Hariri resigned because Hezbollah, which was included in Hariri’s coalition government, had “hijacked” Lebanon’s political system.

Hariri aides had until Thursday denied he was under house arrest but took a dramatically different tone after a meeting of the Future Movement convened at Hariri’s Beirut residence on Thursday.

A statement read by former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said his return was “necessary to recover respect for Lebanon’s internal and external balance, and in the framework of full respect for Lebanese legitimacy”.

Hariri’s aunt, Bahia, sat next to Siniora as he read the statement. The party stood behind his leadership, it said.

Hariri came to office last year in a political deal that made the Hezbollah-allied Christian politician Michel Aoun head of state and produced a coalition government grouping most Lebanese parties including Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia blessed the government at the time, but has been fiercely critical of the Hariri-led government since he stepped down, saying it failed to act against Hezbollah, whose guerrilla army is far more powerful than the weak state.

Saudi Arabia had wanted Hariri to take a tougher stance toward Hezbollah, and he failed to do so, the fourth source said. “He was functioning as if it is business as usual, so the Saudis had to accelerate the process and to force a resignation.”

Saudi Arabia this week lumped Lebanon together with Hezbollah as parties that are hostile to it, breaking with a long-established policy that has drawn a line between them and raising concerns of further Saudi measures.

SAUDI ARRESTS

Hariri flew to Saudi Arabia last Friday.

The top Lebanese government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Lebanon is heading toward asking foreign and Arab states to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to release Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.”

The official said Hariri was still Lebanon’s prime minister, echoing other Lebanese government officials who say his resignation had not been received by Aoun, and his government therefore remained in place.

The resignation of Hariri, a business tycoon whose family made its fortune in Saudi Arabia, happened at the same time as a wave of arrests of Saudi princes and businessmen accused of corruption by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The senior Lebanese politician close to Hariri said: “When he went (to Saudi Arabia) he was asked to stay there and ordered to resign. They ordered him to read his resignation statement and he has been held under house arrest since.”

Two U.S. officials said the Saudis, led by Crown Prince Mohammed, had “encouraged” Hariri to leave office.

The fourth source said: “He is under controlled movement by the Saudis, limited movement.”

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc said Saudi Arabia must halt its interference in Lebanese affairs.

He made a one-day flying visit to the United Arab Emirates, a close Saudi ally, earlier this week before returning to Saudi Arabia.

Hariri’s office said in a statement he had received the French ambassador to Saudi Arabia at his Riyadh residence on Thursday. He had also met the head of the EU mission to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, and on Tuesday the British ambassador and the U.S. charge d‘affaires.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert confirmed U.S. Charge d‘Affaires Chris Henzel met with Hariri. Asked about reports Hariri was being held in Saudi Arabia, Nauert declined to elaborate on his status or what was discussed, calling the talks “sensitive, private, diplomatic conversations.”

Nauert indicated the United States would not treat the Lebanese government any differently as a result of the uncertainty over Hariri.

Saudi Arabia warned its citizens on Thursday against travel to Lebanon and said those already there should leave. It has issued similar advice about Lebanon to its citizens before.

Lebanon’s Maronite patriarch will visit Saudi Arabia next week and has received “a positive response” from Saudi officials over the possibility of seeing Hariri, his spokesman said.

Patriarch Beshara al-Rai’s visit “had been decided on a long time ago. In light of the developments, his mission has become national,” Walid Ghayyad said. The patriarch will take a message to the kingdom that “Lebanon cannot handle conflict.”

Additional reporting by Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Ellen Francis, Sarah Dadouch and Lisa Barrington in Beirut and John Walcott in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Toby Chopra and Peter Cooney
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-politics/exclusive-lebanon-believes-saudi-holds-hariri-demands-his-return-idUSKBN1D914F

Saad Hariri’s resignation as Prime Minister of Lebanon is not all it seems

He certainly did not anticipate what happened to him. Indeed, Hariri had scheduled meetings in Beirut on the following Monday – with the IMF, the World Bank and a series of discussions on water quality improvement; not exactly the action of a man who planned to resign his premiership

By Robert Fisk
November 9, 2017

When Saad Hariri’s jet touched down at Riyadh on the evening of 3 November, the first thing he saw was a group of Saudi policemen surrounding the plane. When they came aboard, they confiscated his mobile phone and those of his bodyguards. Thus was Lebanon’s prime minister silenced.

It was a dramatic moment in tune with the soap-box drama played out across Saudi Arabia this past week: the house arrest of 11 princes – including the immensely wealthy Alwaleed bin Talal – and four ministers and scores of other former government lackeys, not to mention the freezing of up to 1,700 bank accounts. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s “Night of the Long Knives” did indeed begin at night, only hours after Hariri’s arrival in Riyadh. So what on earth is the crown prince up to?

Put bluntly, he is clawing down all his rivals and – so the Lebanese fear – trying to destroy the government in Beirut, force the Shia Hezbollah out of the cabinet and restart a civil war in Lebanon. It won’t work, for the Lebanese – while not as rich – are a lot smarter than the Saudis. Every political group in the country, including Hezbollah, are demanding one thing only: Hariri must come back. As for Saudi Arabia, those who said that the Arab revolution will one day reach Riyadh – not with a minority Shia rising, but with a war inside the Sunni Wahhabi royal family – are watching the events of the past week with both shock and awe.

But back to Hariri. On Friday 3 November, he was in a cabinet meeting in Beirut. Then he received a call, asking him to see King Salman of Saudi Arabia. Hariri, who like his assassinated father Rafiq, holds Saudi as well as Lebanese citizenship, set off at once. You do not turn down a king, even if you saw him a few days’ earlier, as Hariri had. And especially when the kingdom owes Hariri’s “Oger” company as much as $9bn, for such is the commonly rumoured state of affairs in what we now call “cash-strapped Saudi Arabia”.

But more extraordinary matters were to come. Out of the blue and to the total shock of Lebanese ministers, Hariri, reading from a written text, announced on Saturday on the Arabia television channel – readers can guess which Gulf kingdom owns it – that he was resigning as prime minister of Lebanon. There were threats against his life, he said – though this was news to the seYou curity services in Beirut – and Hezbollah should be disarmed and wherever Iran interfered in the Middle East, there was chaos. Quite apart from the fact that Hezbollah cannot be disarmed without another civil war – is the Lebanese army supposed to attack them when Shia are the largest minority in the country (many of them in the army)? These were not words that Hariri had ever used before. They were not, in other words, written by him. As one who knows him well said this week, “this was not him speaking”. In other words, the Saudis had ordered the prime minister of Lebanon to resign and to read his own departure out loud from Riyadh.

I should add, of course, that Hariri’s wife and family are in Riyadh, so even if he did return to Beirut, there would be hostages left behind. Thus after a week of this outrageous political farce, there is even talk in Beirut of asking Saad Hariri’s elder brother Bahaa to take his seat in the cabinet. But what of Saad himself? Callers have reached him at his Riyadh home, but he speaks only a few words. “He says ‘I will come back’ or ‘I’m fine’, that’s all, only those words, which is very unlike him,” says one who must know. And what if Hariri did come back? Would he claim that his resignation had been forced upon him? Dare the Saudis risk this?

He certainly did not anticipate what happened to him. Indeed, Hariri had scheduled meetings in Beirut on the following Monday – with the IMF, the World Bank and a series of discussions on water quality improvement; not exactly the action of a man who planned to resign his premiership. However, the words he read out – scripted for him – are entirely in line with the speeches of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and with the insane President of the United States who speaks of Iran with the same anger, as does the American Defence Secretary.

Of course, the real story is just what is going on in Saudi Arabia itself, for the crown prince has broken forever the great compromise that exists in the kingdom: between the royal family and the clergy, and between the tribes. This was always the bedrock upon which the country stood or fell. And Mohamed bin Salman has now broken this apart. He is liquidating his enemies – the arrests, needless to say, are supposedly part of an “anti-corruption drive”, a device which Arab dictators have always used when destroying their political opponents.

There will be no complaints from Washington or London, whose desire to share in the divvying up of Saudi Aramco (another of the crown prince’s projects) will smother any thoughts of protest or warning. And given the smarmy reporting of the Crown Prince’s recent speeches in the New York Times, I have my suspicions that even this elderly journalistic organ will be comparatively unworried by the Saudi coup d’etat. For that is what it is. He unseated the interior minister earlier this year and now Mohamed bin Salman is getting rid of his opponents’ financial power.

But ruthless men can also be humble. Hariri was allowed to see the King – the original reason for which he believed he was travelling to Riyadh – and even paid a visit to the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates this week, an ally-nation of the Saudis who would prevent him jumping on a flight to Beirut. But why on earth would Hariri want to go to the Emirates? To prove that he was still free to travel when he cannot even return to the country which he is supposed to be ruling?

Lebanon is always going through the greatest crisis since its last greatest crisis. But this time, it’s for real.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/lebanon-prime-minister-saad-hariri-resignation-not-all-seems-quits-resigns-surprise-saudi-arabia-a8045636.html

US joins calls for PM's return to Lebanon from Saudi Arabia

Associated Press

ZEINA KARAM and BASSEM MROUE

Associated PressNovember 10, 2017

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese officials insisted Friday on the return home of Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Saudi Arabia, and the leader of the militant group Hezbollah said the Saudis had "declared war" on Lebanon by holding Hariri against his will.

The U.S. added its voice to those urging that Hariri be allowed to return to Lebanon. A political crisis has gripped the country and shattered the relative peace maintained by its coalition government ever since his stunning announcement Nov. 4 from the Saudi capital that he was resigning.

The announcement from the Saudi-aligned Hariri jolted Lebanon and thrust it back into the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The move and exceptionally strong statements by the Saudis against Iran that followed have deepened the mystery about Hariri's fate and led to rumors that he is being held in the kingdom against his will, despite his denials.

For the past year, Hariri has headed a coalition government that included members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. He cited meddling in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region by Iran and Hezbollah in his decision to step down, adding that Iran's arm into the region will be "cut off."

Saudi Arabia appears to want to see Lebanon headed by someone would form a government without Hezbollah, perhaps believing Hariri has become too lenient toward the group.
In a message apparently aimed at the Saudis but which could easily include Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson cautioned against using Lebanon as "a venue for proxy conflicts."

If Hariri wants to step down, Tillerson said, he needs to "go back to Lebanon" and formally resign, "so that the government of Lebanon can function properly."

Lebanese President Michel Aoun told Saudi Charge d'Affaires Walid al-Bukhari on Friday that the manner in which Hariri resigned "was unacceptable," a Lebanese official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. He called for Hariri's return.

In a televised speech, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Hariri was being detained in Saudi Arabia and that his "forced" resignation was unconstitutional because it was made "under duress."

"It is clear that Saudi Arabia ... declared war on Lebanon," he said.

Nasrallah said he was certain that Hariri was forced to resign as part of what he called a Saudi policy of meddling in Lebanon's affairs. Hariri is being prevented by Saudi officials from returning to Lebanon, he said, adding that his detention should not be accepted.
But Tillerson said he's seen "no indication" that Hariri was being held against his will.
An official in French President Emmanuel Macron's office also said Hariri has told foreign ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, where he has been since the resignation announcement, that he is not a prisoner.

The French and U.S. ambassadors met with Hariri, who "says he is not a prisoner, the (Saudi crown) prince says he is not a prisoner," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Macron visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the tensions between the kingdom and Lebanon, a former French protectorate.
The official said Hariri did not ask to see Macron, and French officials "don't have any specific signs" that Hariri's life is in danger.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe-1 radio that "to our knowledge," Hariri is not being held against his will, adding that France believes "he is free in his movements, and it is up to him to make his choices."

The crisis was widely seen as a bid by Saudi Arabia to wreck Lebanon's coalition government to try to undermine and limit Iran's influence in the country through the power that Hezbollah wields.

In the first concrete action against Lebanon after days of threats by Saudi government officials, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries ordered their citizens to leave the country amid the soaring tensions. Dozens of citizens of Gulf Arab countries were seen leaving Lebanon early Friday via Beirut's international airport.

In remarks to reporters while flying from China to Vietnam, Tillerson said Washington "supports the stability of Lebanon and is opposed to any actions that could threaten that stability."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said it's essential that Lebanon remain peaceful, warning that a new conflict could have "devastating consequences" in the region.

Hariri's appointment as prime minister and the formation of a government was a result of a tacit agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to sideline Lebanon from other regional proxy wars, particularly in neighboring Syria.
Iran is widely seen to have prevailed over mainly Sunni rebels in Syria, and with the wars in Yemen and the crisis in Qatar at an impasse, the Saudi crown prince may have decided to try to curb Iran's influence in Lebanon.

It is unclear what Saudi Arabia's long-term calculation is with Hariri. So far, it appears to have united the Lebanese against the kingdom, with most people seeing the incident as an affront and a humiliation for him.
Any Saudi military moves in Lebanon would likely be opposed by the international community, which wants to see Lebanon remain calm. Many fear an escalation will pave the way for Israel to strike Hezbollah. The two have fought a number of wars, but there appears to be no immediate indication of an attack.

There is concern that Saudi Arabia could impose punitive measures that would hurt Lebanon's fragile economy.

Lebanese officials are acting with caution, insisting on Hariri's return before starting the complicated task of forming a new government.

In his speech, Nasrallah said Saudi Arabia is punishing Lebanon's people instead of his group. He said the kingdom has shifted its attention to Lebanon after a failed 30-month war in Yemen and with Saudi-backed rebels in Syria suffering setbacks.

"If you think that you can defeat Lebanon, the resistance (Hezbollah) ... then you are wrong, mistaken and will fail, the way you did in all arenas," Nasrallah said.

Without providing any proof, Nasrallah said that Saudi Arabia had asked Israel to attack Hezbollah in return for billions of dollars.
Nasrallah said war with Israel is unlikely amid the Hariri crisis, adding that the group is watching carefully for any Israeli attempts to use it to begin hostilities against Lebanon. He said Israel is cautious and unlikely to make such a move.

Still, he warned Israel against "miscalculation" or "taking advantage of the situation."
___
Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet and Angela Charlton in Paris, Josh Lederman in Washington and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/france-lebanons-hariri-not-believed-saudi-custody-090856308.html

Saad Hariri: Hezbollah and Lebanese government demand return of prime minister ‘kidnapped’ by Saudi Arabia

Officials in Beirut accuse Riyadh of detaining Sunni leader in the country against his will after shock – and some suspect forced – resignation

Bethan McKernan Beirut @mck_beth Friday 10 November 2017 17:15 GMT

At one point on Wednesday evening, more than 22,000 Britons were following the progress of a Nairobi-London flight online, waiting for now ex-International Development Minister Priti Patel to touch down.

A few hours later, thousands in Lebanon were doing the same, tracking a private plane that was supposed to be delivering newly resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Riyadh home to Beirut.

When the plane landed, however, Mr Hariri was nowhere to be seen – and the consequences could have much graver fallout than Ms Patel’s tentative holiday meetings.

On Friday the President of Lebanon’s weak government, Michel Aoun, as well as Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, both declared that they believed Mr Hariri had not returned to Beirut because he is being held in Saudi Arabia against his will.

The Prime Minister – who was appointed just over a year ago, ending a two-and-a-half-year deadlock in Lebanon’s parliament – amazed his aides and rivals alike with a surprise resignation delivered from the Saudi capital last Saturday.

Mr Hariri cited his inability to unite Lebanon’s disparate political parties due to foreign Iranian “meddling”, as well as his assassination fears, in a stumbled-over statement broadcast on Saudi television.

Later the same day he made a phone call to President Aoun tendering his resignation, which the President rejected. He has not been heard from since, Lebanese officials say.

Meetings and appointments in his calendar for this week were not cancelled in anticipation of any such move.

In a televised address on Friday, Hezbollah’s powerful Hassan Nasrallah threw Riyadh’s accusations of war-mongering in Yemen back at the Kingdom and claimed the Saudi authorities are holding Mr Hariri hostage.

“During the last year, Lebanon was in a period of political stability and the situation was good. A president was elected, a prime minister was appointed and a government was formed, Mr Nasrallah said.

“We condemn the blunt, bare-faced Saudi intervention in our domestic affairs.

“Any offence to the Lebanese prime minister is an offence to all Lebanese, even when he is our adversary,” he added.

Mr Hariri’s Sunni Future Movement party has long been backed by the Saudis as a bolster in Lebanon’s parliament against Shia, Iran-allied Hezbollah, but it is believed Riyadh had grown impatient with the Prime Minister’s inability to contain Hezbollah’s growing strength both at home and over the border, where it is fighting in Syria’s civil war.

Hariri’s own party has already called for his immediate return home for the “dignity of the nation”.

The international community remained remarkably quiet on the unprecedented Riyadh-Beirut tensions until Friday, when the US, French and German foreign ministries put out statements which said that they believed Mr Hariri was in Riyadh of his own free will.

A delegate travelling with French President Emmanuel Macron, who embarked on a surprise visit to Riyadh on Thursday, told the AP on condition of anonymity that Mr Hariri had told foreign ambassadors himself that he is not a prisoner in Saudi Arabia.

However, the French foreign ministry later offered more nuanced comments which suggested he may not be operating freely.

“We wish that Saad al-Hariri has all his freedom of movement and be fully able to play the essential role that is his in Lebanon,” deputy spokesperson Alexandre Georgini said in a statement.

The Lebanese premier is not the only person who is rumoured to be under house arrest after a week of frantic activity in Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrests of more than 200 people, including 11 princes, ministers and influential businessmen, in an anti-corruption purge widely viewed as a concentrated effort to consolidate his own powers.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said from a tour of China that there was no reason to believe Mr Hariri was being prevented from returning to Lebanon but he is “monitoring” the situation.

The US supports “the legitimate government of Lebanon” and is “asking other outside parties to stay out of it,” Mr Tillerson added.

In Lebanon, however, the mood remains tense. Dozens of Saudi nationals left the country on Friday after an order from Riyadh for all citizens to evacuate – a decree issued four times over the last five years.

Many Lebanese are despairing over the collapse of a government which held so much promise a year ago, as well as the looming spectre of conflict if Riyadh has indeed decided the tiny country is the new front in its struggles against Iran.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saad-hariri-latest-update-lebanon-hezbollah-saudi-arabia-kidnapping-prime-minister-return-war-a8048571.html

CC: Seun Lalasticlala Mynd44

I am trying very hard to understand the meaning of Osinbajo going to London to meet Mr President for only one hour long meeting, with no statements released and no pictures of him and the president. What if Mr President has resigned? That could be the reason why Osinbajo will brief the nation later today. Possibly Mr President gave him a recorded message to deliver to Nigerians. Time will tell.

slick1:
What was a five-year old doing at such a rally?
The parents or whosoever took him there place no value on his life.
The soldiers take second blame and his parents the first blame.

The point of taking children along with them by Shia parents is to demonstrate first and foremost that it is a peaceful procession. That the innocence of the children and the women would convince anyone who aims to throw doubt at the peacefulness of their gatherings that the gathering is nothing but innocent and peaceful.

Which parent would take his children to the battlefield or to confront soldiers? Taking children to a religious precession, not even a rally or demonstration or protest as widely reported, is aimed at showing that there is no intention by the adults to cause any trouble. Any bloodshed that results would be as a result of nothing short of a deliberate offensive attack by the armed men.

Further, this same strategy was demonstrated by Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and who's revered by Shia Muslims as their third holy imam and successor of the Prophet, in the Tragedy of Karbala. Imam Hussein took along all his family members and children including his 6 months old son to Karbala to demonstrate that he had no intention to fight anyone. Yet, the army of the Sunni caliph, Yazeed massacred all the family members of the Prophet including Imam Hussein and his 6 months old son in Karbala. This is annually commemorated by Shia Muslims on Ashura Day. And on ashura annually Shia Muslims commemorating the Tragedy of Karbala are attacked and killed in different countries around the world. Just out of plain evil and wickedness.

So next time know that it's not by coincidence, mistake or miscalculation that Shia take their children along. It is both to show the world that they are peaceful people and victims, and to show the world how evil and heartless their killers and enemies are just as Yazeed and his soldiers were in Karbala.

CC: Seun

sorry1:
afonja man! agent of disharmony and progress! The divisive coneheaded devil!

Are you from Delta, rivers, cross rivers, akwa ibom, imo states? Who are you to tell us that biafra is made up of only 5 states Which was a grand divisive work of your myopic grandfathers?

check the time and tell me that biafra is not giving you sleepless night? Why are u so envious of igbo nation? Biafra encompasses the 5 eastern states, all south eastern states with the exemption of some parts of edo state and with the inclusion of some middlebelt states. Now, cry me a river Mr agent of division!!!

Look at the glaring contradiction in your statement. You speak of Biafra as multi ethnic, but still talk of "Igbo nation".

Has biafra ever been a political entity, historically speaking? Was it ever in existence, other than in the figment of your imagination? You can even add kaduna. That doesn't mean those you're adding accept to be part of you. And as history has shown, they have actively stood against your imagination of Biafra. So your quest to dominate others can't succeed because it will be resisted.

ZorGBUooeh:
Hahaha!Drew which blood first?Don't be a unity beggar..The dominators must go..Just let dem be and be redy to live alone..Simple

Your room is inside my house, how can it be a house on its own?

If this country is to break up, it's not igbos that will lead or should lead or can lead the motion. If you do, you're alone on your own. And if the south is to unite to be a one bloc to ask for independence, that unity will be doubtful and highly unlikely to happen. So abeg make una siddon. Stop claiming what you're not.

slash112:
nigeria say they hate the igbo, why not allow then to go and suffer on there biafra but still fought them to remain in one nigeria, unity beggar stop worried about how biafra will be, go and worried about your vegetable in london

You forget that if your five states get independence, your so called Biafra will still be within Nigeria. And Nigeria can literally kill you off through land and air blockade. That's what is meant by the title of the write up. Your clamor for independence will end up to be cries of siege. If I'm to break it down for you like a kindagarten pupil, your Biafra will end up inside Nigeria and that means Nigeria will forever own your Biafra. It is like when your room is inside my house.

ZorGBUooeh:
Here we go again..Its not about jonathan or election..Its about the hate ad oppression of ibos since 1968.

If you want to use history, you guys drew blood first. You threw the first punch. Didn't you? Na una start the hate killings and bigotry. Otherwise after independence it was all even. You wanted to dominate. It's part of your agreessive nature to dominate others. And that's bad. If only you remember then that the bible says "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword". It's a classic example here. You drew blood first!

slash112:
Trash, biafra is give you sleepless night since 1400AD

Fine! If it makes you sleep well at night.

Abumtestimony1:
Biafra issue is really giving some Unity beggars and almajiris sleepless night. Some will commit suicide if Biafra eventually succeed.

No one deserve to be called "unity beggars" than you. Your call for independence is aimed at having hegemony over the south south if allowed to materialize. You are just political blackmailers in the end of it all. You have nothing in your miserable five states to offer. They attract no Foreign Direct Investment. They do not even attract investment from Igbo businessmen themselves. What is your bluff for?

ZorGBUooeh:
Hahaha! My man as long as those pompous bulliez upnorth keep oppressing ibos ad southerners,its possible reasonable ad workable

Political gimmicks.

You have a choice to make your weight and figures and voice heard when it's election time. Stop voting on sentiments. It won't have killed you or damaged you if you had made the political calculations right. In politics, it is strength to vote for your enemy when you know well he's stronger than you and he's bound to win. It was written on the wall Jonathan was going to lose. Yet you put all your eggs in his basket and voted based on sentiments and religious and ethnic hatred instead of solid political calculations. If all of you were like Amaechi and rochas, you'd be good politicians. Politics is interests and not emotions.

slash112:
see payment ,why you come carry biafra matter for head past biafran

That's your problem. Zero honesty and credibility. You think everyone is a sellout like you. I wish I was paid as you claim. I only express my honest opinion on this contentious issue out of concern for the wellbeing and peace of all Nigerians. If this was solely an Igbo problem and the rest of the country is immune, no one will care. So stop massaging your empty ego and flattering your flat head to think anyone cares about you. The toy you are using to play with and blackmail others using the ugly name of "biafra" is not just a name. It is war, conflict, siege, hunger and destruction. And if it happens, it will befall everyone. You're playing with a dangerous toy. Others do not want to be victims of your greed and stupidity if the inevitable happens. So stop being stupid or you will eventually have to be the only ones to pay for your stupidity. And no one then will care or feel sorry to the echoes of your cries.

ZorGBUooeh:
Lubbish write up..Pls don't let Ipond hear you..Stay in Nigeria ad do what?If yorubas wanna stay in nigeria good but pls count iponds out..

Dey go now.

It is more feasible if Kanu start building a rocket from scratch to relocate and launch Igbos into Jupiter than to clamor for Igbo independence. It's just not reasonable and not workable. It's like shooting one's self on the foot. In fact Buhari made a mistake by imprisoning him and giving the clown more weight than he deserves.

Seun and Lalasticlala this thread is my opinion. You can please help push it to front page let others think along too!

Khd95:
obviouslyu didn't catch the joke

iam no biyafran,iam a Nigerian ok

Yeah! I got it late.

Khd95:
op izit ur biyafra


they developed Lagos,Dubai,Malaysia and even London,why don't u want them to develop onisha,aba,Enugu etc

bad bele

When you developed those places, was there Biafra over there? Who's stopping you from developing your states? If your people are not even convinced to invest in those five states in times of peace, will they be foolish enough to invest in them in times of conflict? As igbos like money and are greedy? I Doubt! Your Biafra project is just political blackmail. Nothing more.

EzeUche:
Blah blah blah

Tell us something new.

A donkey has no comprehension ability. It only understands the language of the whip. Voices of reason and those for peace, tolerance, coexistence and dialogue will continue to oppose your devilish division. Peacefully you stand no chance with your devilish plan and through force you stand the chance to be beaten silly. That's what I think.