Five accused of involvement in 9/11 attacks

According to reports new pre trial proceedings are due to begin for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al Shibh, Mustafa Ahmad al Hawsawi, Ali Abdel Azis Ali and Walid bin Attash accused in connection with the September 11 attacks.

Reportedly the trial which began in 2008 was announced following new legislation that authorised a military hearing. The first judge was a brigadier general of the marine corps. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed complained that it was not a trial, it was an inquisition. The defence brought up a high school ethics class conducted by the brigadier debating torture.

Reportedly Mr Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 as a result of intelligence reports and confessed to the fbi that he masterminded the 9/11 attacks, the murder of Daniel Pearl, a journalist for the Wall Street journal and the 1993 world trade centre bombing. A cia officer was said to have cautioned that much of what he said was to terminate daily interrogations. In 2006 and 2008 he was called as a witness in other trials.

Reportedly the prosecution claimed Walid bin Atash aided in the preparation of the east Africa u.s. embassy bombings of 1998, the u.s. Cole bombing of 2000 and was previously a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. He was formally charged with selecting and helping to train several of the September 11 hijackers.

According to reports, u.s. officials claimed Ali Abdel Azis Ali was a lieutenant who assisted his uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in executing the 9/11 attacks. Mustafa Ahmad al Hawsawi was reportedly charged with being involved in the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks. Ramzi bin al Shibh was said to have tried to enrol in a Florida flight school. According to a report he was believed to be a missing fifth member of the hijacking team on the fourth plane that crashed, and was suspected of planning other suicide attacks.

According to reports the five defendants have been detained in Guantanamo, Cuba for nearly 15 years.

Housing for All

According to the government’s new Housing for All plan, around 4,000 affordable homes will be made available to buy, 2,000 to rent and said to be 10,000 social homes will be made available for low income families per year until 2030.

According to statistics there were 8,132 homeless people in emergency accomodation in Ireland during the week 19-25 July 2021, does not include people denied emergency accomodation.

The European Court of Justice

According to reports the council of Europe is distinct from the eu though both use the flag of Europe, twelve circular stars on a blue background. Reportedly Winston Churchill first mentioned a council of Europe during the second world war. His vision was a united states of Europe. According to a report, after the war he joined forces with a new european movement who were working towards a united Europe.

Reportedly the congress of europe in 1948 discussed a future system, rule of law and the role of the european council but in 1951 the eu became a seperate institution. Reportedly the eu was first established as a club for democracies, for the problem solving of post war issues and in the interests of peace.

According to reports the council of Europe has the power to enforce select international agreements, though the council is distinct from the council of the European Union. The eu and the European council both claim to draw on the universal declaration of human rights. The eu established the European court of Justice.

The Irish free state

Reportedly the Irish convention of 1917-18 proposed by the then prime minister of the uk of Britain and Ireland resulted in the government of Ireland act, 1920. According to the report the act divided Ireland into two self governing polities, north eastern counties to form northern Ireland. Both north and south Ireland were to remain part of the uk. Reportedly provision was made for future reunification through a council of Ireland. In 1918 according to reports the uk parliament introduced the third Irish home rule bill, that is self government within the uk.

According to reports, following the Irish war for independence, the anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 partitioned Ireland, southern Ireland becoming a free state within the group of nations known as the British empire. Civil unrest ensued between pro treaty and anti treatyists until 1923. Pro-staters won. Reportedly people carried on as before though there was a ban on public service employment, former soldiers of the republic and their families didn’t get pensions as financial assistance and many republicans emigrated.

German elections

According to a report the leader of the christian social union said a social democratic party coalition with the Linke would lead to Germany leaving nato. Reportedly the csu operate for Bavaria within the centre right Christian democratic union party. Elections are planned for 26 September. According to their website the Linke are in favour of a reshaping of the social and economic system and a society that promotes self-determination, peace, dignity and welfare.

According to reports the 2005 elections resulted in an alliance of the cdu with the spd. Reportedly both parties wanted the chancellorship, after three weeks of negotiations Angela Merkel became the new chancellor.

Israel and Palestine

According to a report the new Israeli prime minister has said Israel is not party to the u.n. joint comprehensive plan.

Reportedly there is a plan to reopen the u.s. embassy in east Jerusalem, but the area is under dispute as is Samaria.

Reportedly Samaria was first colonised atleast from the 13th Century BC. According to reports Assyria who conquered Babylon during the 13th Century BC had a policy of displacing populations. Biblical reports are of the resettling of populations in Samaria from around 722 BC.

According to reports Benny Gantz, deputy prime minister and minister of defence met Mahmoud Abbbas, president of Fatah, the palestinian authority in Samaria on Sunday. The meeting, said to be approved by the prime minister was reportedly the first high level face to face meeting in over a decade. According to reports, on the agenda was money, security issues and shaping the future in Samaria, Judea and Gaza.

The two state solution reportedly advocated by the u.s. and u.n. fails to recognise that Palestinians live in three distinct areas nor geographically connected. Currency is said to be the egyptian pound, Israeli shekel and Jordanian Dinar.

The George Bush administration

Reportedly Dick Cheney was u.s. secretary of defence for most of George Bush’s 1989-93 term, overseeing the gulf war of 1991, and was vice president to George Bush from 2001-2009. The terror attack on the world trade centre buildings and the pentagon was reportedly followed by a declaration of war on terrorism, an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003.

According to reports the Gulf war began when Iraq invaded Kuwait because they were selling oil to the u.s. Reportedly the first units to enter Iraq were the special air service/sas. A special force unit of the British army trained in covert activities such as scouting, espionage and direct action. Reportedly a ground force of 150,000 troops invaded Iraq. Many Iraqis were said to have been taken as prisoners of war. Iraq withdrew from Kuwait in February 1991. They reportedly blew up 700 oil wells before leaving.

According to reports the Iraq war of 2003 began when the u.s. and u.k. invaded Iraq claiming the Saddam Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction. The u.n. sanctioned the illegal invasion in retrospect. The war continued for eight years and according to an estimate resulted in 1,033,100 deaths. Reportedly u.s. troops were withdrawn in 2011, reemerging in 2014 at the head of a new coalition.

Reportedly, from 1995-2000 Dick Cheney was chief executive officer of Haliburton, one of the world’s largest oil exploration and production companies. Reported profits for 2018 were us$2.467 billion.

According to a report an ongoing Persian Gulf crisis began with a build up of u.s. military ships in the region in 2019, according to the u.s. to deter Iran and possibly others who were planning a campaign to attack u.s. forces and interests in the Persian gulf and Iraq. Political tensions were said to have risen between Iran and the u.s. because of sanctions, resulting in a breakdown of the u.n. joint comprehensive plan of action.

Reportedly, in 2018 the European commission announced its intention to declare sanctions against Iran illegal. According to the report the commission instructed the European central bank to facilitate European companies’ investment in Iran.

Afghanistan food shortages

According to a report the usa have frozen a large part of billions of dollars Afghanistan has in foreign reserves. Reportedly Afghanistan has been facing severe food shortages. The u.n. food assistance program is said to run out in September without further funding.

The u.n. Who’s in charge?

According to reports the u.n. charter of 1945 grants permanent seats on the security council to the uk, usa, France, Russia and China. Ireland, India, Kenya, Mexico and Norway were chosen, and the united Arab emirates, Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana were reportedly elected by the 193 nation assembly. According to reports, in 2013 Saidi Arabia refused a seat on the council, said to be due to disputes concerning Syria, Iran and Palestinian suffering.

Reportedly founded by the big four victors of world war II; the uk, usa, Russia and China, the charter which states all member nations are equal and sovereign, prohibits the use of force in international relations. The purpose of the u.n. according to the charter is to maintain international peace and security, to take collective measures to prevent threats or breaches to the peace and to settle international disputes. Criteria according to the charter is to develop friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and self determination, and promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all regardless of race, sex, language or religion.

According to reports, the settling of disputes by the international court of justice has not been to everyone’s satisfaction. Often appearing partisan. Religion is often blamed for disputes concerning assets. Reports are that nations sell oil to the u.n. at an undisclosed price, being prohibited from selling to others, and in the case of Yemen Saudi Arabia were reportedly paid for Yemen’s oil while many Yemenis are suffering from a food crisis. Other reports have been that water has been targeted as a deterrent. A possible reason for the continued exodus from Syria after isis were beaten. Results in food shortages. Other reports concerning the u.n. that don’t identify human rights are of wives and children of isis being put into camps and the children being taken away to europe to an unknown future.

Reportedly the current u.n. secretary general was the commisioner for refugees during major displacement crises due to conflicts in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere. According to a u.n. report over half a million Afghans have been displaced this year, 80% said to be women and girls.

The u.n. presidency reportedly rotates on a monthly basis. Ireland takes the presidency in September. One role of the security council is voting in resolutions. According to a report a u.n. resolution for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan got 13 votes in favour. Russia and China abstained. Other issues are said to be women, girls and education. Reportedly an estimated 3.7 million children do not attend school, 40% of which are girls. There are possibly not enough schools in Afghanistan. Also said to be suffering from food shortages.

Afghanistan

Reportedly a u.s. drone strike on Sunday was said to have blown up a vehicle they claimed was carrying multiple suicide bombers, thought to be in retaliation for Thursday’s attack in Kabul. Reportedly relatives of the deceased said they were ordinary citizens. According to a report i.s. have claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Monday targeting Kabul airport.