Ilhan Omar Wins Democratic Party Nomination

Firebrand US Representative Ilhan Omar clinched the Democratic Party nomination for a fourth term on Tuesday, in a victory for progressives after losses in party primaries by two fellow members of the group nicknamed "The Squad."

Omar defeated former Minneapolis city council member Don Samuels in Minnesota's 5th District Democratic primary.

With 216 of 217 precincts reporting results, Omar was leading Samuels, according to Minnesota Secretary of State tallies.

At the end of a spirited campaign, Samuels acknowledged Omar's victory in a telephone interview, but said the results showed "there are still people who are feeling left out of the congresswoman's leadership."

Omar's robust campaign fundraising likely played a significant role in her victory. She collected US$6.8 million since the 2022 election, more than double the typical House member's reelection campaign and well over Samuels' US$1.4 million, according to federal campaign disclosures.

"Because Omar had a tough primary last cycle (the 2022 election), she was prepared this time around with a strong ground game and excellent fundraising numbers that far outpaced Samuels," said Ryan Dawkins, a political science professor at Minnesota's Carleton College.

The Minnesota lawmaker, one of four progressive women whose 2018 election created The Squad, is expected to easily win the November 05 election. Control of Congress will be up for grabs as Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump seek the presidency.

Fellow Squad members Representatives Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri lost their party primaries over the past few months, facing opponents who had won substantial support from the pro-Israel fundraising group AIPAC.

Bowman, Bush and Omar had all expressed opposition to President Joe Biden's support for Israel in its war against Hamas militants in Gaza, but AIPAC as of mid-July had given just US$25 to Samuels' campaign, according to data collected by Open Secrets. Bowman and Bush's losses will whittle away The Squad's ranks from its peak of nine members.

They also reflect a Democratic Party that has backed away from some of its furthest-left causes, like calls for providing government-backed healthcare for all Americans or talk of defunding police, which came to the fore during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before Biden secured the nomination.

The absence of a significant 2024 Democratic primary before Biden ended his candidacy last month, passing the torch to Harris, meant that further-left candidates such as independent Senator Bernie Sanders did not drive the debate.

"I understood going into this election cycle that the progressive movement was going to be burdened because of the absence of somebody carrying the banner on the center stage of American politics," said Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America.

Nevertheless, he argued that progressive priorities, such as making prescription drugs and childcare more affordable still resonate with voters.

Omar and some fellow Squad members voted against some Biden priorities including the US$ one trillion infrastructure bill signed into law in 2021. They mainly objected because it did not move in tandem with a bill to expand social programs, including childcare, as had been promised.

Unlike the hardline Republican House Freedom Caucus, whose roughly three dozen members have repeatedly blocked their own party's priorities, members of The Squad have generally voted in step with fellow Democrats on legislation.

Omar, who arrived in the United States as a refugee from Somalia, describes her politics as "visionary, bold and loud" and says she has delivered millions of dollars in federal funds for community development in her district.

She argued she has paid close attention to her district's large immigrant population - including Somalis - in part by probing whether large banks discriminate against Muslim Americans.

She has faced criticism for antisemitic remarks, with House Republicans in 2023 voting to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee over a 2019 social media post suggesting that Israel's supporters were motivated by money rather than principle. Omar has apologized for that post.

Jamaica-born Samuels, a former toy developer and leader of a non-profit organization, had positioned himself as a pragmatic alternative, saying he agreed with many of Omar's policy stances, but not what he called her divisive governing style.

 

Time to initiate war crime proceedings against US administration

According to the latest reports, the United States on Tuesday has approved sale of US$20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel as it prosecutes a 10-month-old war in the Gaza Strip. 

It is on record that United States has supplied Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

The war has devastated Gaza and resulted in a heavy civilian death toll. Since October 07 Israeli assaults on the Hamas-governed enclave have killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, reduced buildings to rebels and caused a hunger crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the sale of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly US$19 billion along with tank cartridges valued at US$774 million, explosive mortar cartridges valued at over US$60 million and army vehicles worth US$583 million. The Boeing, F-15 fighter jets were expected to take years to produce, and deliveries were expected to begin in 2029. Other equipment would begin delivery in 2026. An expert on the process said some deliveries could be even earlier than 2026.

"The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability," the Pentagon said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a post on X, thanked US officials for helping Israel maintain "its qualitative military edge in the region" and the US commitment to Israel's security.

Why is Iran being pressured not to attack Israel?

There can’t be any denial to the fact that the support of United States and its allies encourages Israel to continue atrocities and threaten peace and security. The war in any part of the world is not in the interest of any country, but a punitive response to an aggressor is a legal right of states and a way to stop crime and aggression. The pressure on Iran not to retaliate is void of political logic, in complete contradiction to the principles and rules of international law and excessive.

According to media reports, Iran has dismissed calls from Britain and other Western countries to refrain from retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.

Amid a flurry of international diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to "stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack” in a rare telephone conversation on Monday. But Pezeshkian said retaliation was a “way to stop crime” and Iran’s “legal right”, according to Iranian state media.

Israel, which did not say it was involved in Haniyeh’s assassination, has meanwhile put its military on its highest alert level.

The United States has warned that it is preparing for “a significant set of attacks” by Iran or its proxies as soon as this week, and has built up its military presence in the Middle East to help defend Israel.

Hezbollah movement in Lebanon is also threatening to retaliate over Israel’s killing of one of its top commanders in an air strike in Beirut.

On Monday evening, the leaders of the Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran and its allies to “refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions”.

"They will bear responsibility for actions that jeopardize this opportunity for peace and stability,” Keir, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

Later, the British prime minister also expressed his deep concerns directly to Iran’s president by telephone - the first such call since March 2021.

Kier told Pezeshkian that “there was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration”, Downing Street said.

“He called on Iran to refrain from attacking Israel, adding that war was not in anyone’s interests,” it added.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it was taking Iran’s statements seriously.

“We are prepared at peak readiness in offense and defense, and we will act according to the directives of the government,” spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a briefing.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has dispatched a second aircraft carrier strike group as well as a ballistic missile submarine to the Middle East to reinforce what the Pentagon said was the “United States’ commitment to taking every possible step to defend Israel”.

Saudi Arabia condemns storming Al-Aqsa

According to Saudi Gazette, the Kingdom has condemned in the strongest terms the blatant and repeated incursions by Israeli occupation forces and a number of settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed the Kingdom’s warning of the consequences of the continuation of such violations of international law and the historical status of the city of Jerusalem.

The Israeli acts also provoke the sentiments of millions of Muslims around the world, especially in light of the humanitarian catastrophe witnessed by the people of Palestine, the statement pointed out.

While emphasizing the importance of respecting religious sanctity, the ministry called on the international community to assume its responsibility towards stopping the ongoing Israeli violations of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

According to reports, more than 2,000 illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on Tuesday morning, under the heavy protection of Israeli troops, to perform a religious event. The act provoked tensions with Palestinian Muslims present at the holy site, the Jordan-run Islamic Endowments Department said in a statement.

Approximately 2,250 Israeli settlers toured the complex and conducted Talmudic religious rituals. It was also reported that Israeli settlers were seen waving Israeli flags while storming the complex of the mosque.

The settlers’ entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex came in response to a call from extremist Jewish groups to commemorate Tisha B’Av, an annual Jewish fast day that marks the occurrence of several disasters in Jewish history, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

The settlers entered the mosque through the western Al-Mugharbah Gate, a route frequently used during such incursions, it added.

US deploys submarine to protect Israel

US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Sunday, as the region braces for possible retaliation by Iran and its allies after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, reports Reuters.

Austin reiterated the United States’ commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

Austin has also ordered the Abraham Lincoln strike group to accelerate its deployment to the region.

The USS Georgia, a nuclear-powered submarine, was already in the Mediterranean Sea in July, according to a US military post on social media, it was a rare move to publicly announce the deployment of a submarine.

The US military had already said it will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East as Washington seeks to bolster Israeli defenses.

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Iran-backed Hamas, was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31. Iran blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has not claimed responsibility.

The assassination and the killing of the senior military commander of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr, by Israel in a strike on Beirut, have fueled concern the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.

Iran has said the US bears responsibility in the assassination of Haniyeh because of its support for Israel.

Reuters reported several US and coalition personnel were wounded in a drone attack on Friday in Syria, in the second major attack in recent days against US forces amid soaring tensions in the Middle East.

Bangladesh: Hasina Breaks Silence

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently taking refuge in India, has broken her silence by accusing foreign powers like the US of playing a hand in her ouster. This comes days after the Indian government said it was analyzing the possibility of a “foreign hand” behind the political crisis in Bangladesh.

“I could have remained in power if I had left St. Martin and the Bay of Bengal to America,” she said in a message conveyed to her Awami League supporters Saturday.

 The Hasina government saw strained relations with the US for many years. Ahead of January’s elections this year, she said “a white man” had offered her a smooth return to power in exchange for an airbase.

 In her latest statement, Hasina, the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh’s history, warned the new interim government not be “used” by such foreign powers.

The 17-member advisory council, which includes four members who lean towards the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and three affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami, took oath Thursday night.

The Bangladesh Parliament was dissolved earlier this week, after army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation shortly after she fled the country.

“I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over your (students’) bodies, I did not allow it. I came with power,” read Hasina’s statement.

“Maybe if I was in the country today, more lives would have been lost, more wealth would have been destroyed,” she added.

She is also expected to address the media while in India next week.

Over 300 people died in weeks-long student protests against Hasina. The United States, Britai, Canada and other countries have called for investigations into the deaths of students.

With the new interim government in Dhaka, Washington said it hopes it will “chart a democratic future” in Bangladesh.

Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus, leading the new interim government, is believed to have strong ties with the US. In the past, he has held frequent meetings with American diplomats to “bemoan” the state of Bangladeshi politics, according to WikiLeaks cables.

The US is also Bangladesh’s largest foreign direct investor.

 ‘I will return soon’

In her message to supporters and party cadres, she vowed to return to the country, though accepting her defeat.

“I will return soon inshallah.  The defeat is mine but the victory is [that of] the people of Bangladesh,” she stated.

“I removed myself, I came with your victory, you were my strength, you did not want me, I myself then left, resigned. My workers who are there, no one will lose morale. Awami League has stood up again and again,” she added.

The former prime minister also accused people of distorting her words.

“I want to repeat to my young students, I never called you Razakars…My words have been distorted. A group has taken advantage of your danger. ,” she said in the message.

The term ‘Razakar’ is considered to be derogatory in Bangladesh as it refers to ‘volunteers’ who collaborated with the Pakistan Army during Bangladesh’s 1971 war for independence.

 

Bangladesh: General Zaman not liked by India

Indian government officials had reportedly alerted former Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about the potential dangers associated with the appointment of General Waker-Uz-Zaman as Army Chief in June of last year.

Despite these warnings, Hasina moved forward with the appointment, a decision that many analysts believe contributed to her recent political downfall.

In the face of rising youth protests, General Zaman took a hardline stance by issuing an ultimatum to Hasina, demanding that she and her sister leave the country.

The report also highlights a significant development in the political landscape, noting the Army’s swift decision to release opposition leader Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

This move suggests that Islamist groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatrashibir, may be poised to play a more influential role in the country’s politics moving forward.

General Zaman dedicated nearly four decades to military service, including two tours as a UN peacekeeper. He began his tenure as Chief of Army Staff in June, succeeding General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed.

His extensive experience includes commanding an infantry battalion, an independent infantry brigade, and an infantry division. He has also held significant staff positions at the Infantry Brigade, School of Infantry and Tactics, and Army Headquarters.

Educated at the Bangladesh Military Academy, General Zaman furthered his studies at the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Mirpur and the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the UK.

He holds advanced degrees in Defence Studies from both the National University of Bangladesh and King’s College, University of London.

As the principal staff officer to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Armed Forces Division, General Zaman played a critical role in shaping national defence strategies and international peacekeeping efforts.

His contributions have earned him the Army Medal of Glory (SGP) and the Extraordinary Service Medal (OSP) for his efforts in modernizing the army.