LOS ANGELES: Two serving members of the US Navy have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
The men are suspecting of selling secret information to Beijing that included manuals for warships and their weapons systems, as well as blueprints for a radar system and plans for a huge US military exercise.
“These arrests are a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People’s Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it,” said Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, which was involved in the sting.
China “compromised enlisted personnel to secure sensitive military information that could seriously jeopardize US national security.”
In a press release, the Department of Justice said sailor Jinchao Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, had handed over dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems.
These included technical and mechanical manuals that dealt with the weaponry of his own vessel.
The 22-year-old, who is alleged to have been paid thousands of dollars for the information, faces possible life in jail if convicted.
In a separate case, the DoJ said Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, had spied for China for nearly two years from his perch at Naval Base Ventura County, north of Los Angeles.
Zhao is alleged to have been paid almost $15,000 by a Chinese intelligence agent for information about a large-scale US military exercise in the Indo-Pacific, including details on the timing and location of amphibious landings.
He is also alleged to have handed over electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system at a US military base in southern Japan, where the United States has a large military presence.
“By sending this sensitive military information to an intelligence officer employed by a hostile foreign state, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath to protect our country,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said.
“Unlike the vast majority of US Navy personnel who serve the nation with honor, distinction and courage, Mr. Zhao chose to corruptly sell out his colleagues and his country.”
If convicted, Zhao faces up to 20 years in jail.
Two US Navy men arrested on China spying charges
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Two US Navy men arrested on China spying charges
- The men are suspecting of selling secret information to Beijing that included manuals for warships and their weapons systems
Russia celebrates victory in World War II as Putin accuses the West of fueling global conflicts
MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, as President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by hailing his forces fighting in Ukraine and blasting the West for fueling conflicts around the world.
Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory remains the most important and widely revered symbol of Russia’s prowess and a key element of national identity.
Putin has turned Victory Day — the country’s most important secular holiday — into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in power and a justification of his military action in Ukraine.
Two days after beginning his fifth term in office, he led the festivities across Russia that recall the nation’s wartime sacrifice.
“Victory Day unites all generations,” Putin said in a speech in Red Square that came on the coldest May 9 in decades amid some snow flurries. “We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia.”
As battalions marched by and military hardware — both old and new — rumbled over the cobblestones, the sky cleared briefly to allow a flyby of warplanes, some of which trailed smoke in the white, red and blue of the Russian flag.
Putin hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine as “our heroes” for their courage, resilience and self-denial, adding that “all of Russia is with you.”
He accused the West of “fueling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centers of global development.”
With tensions with Washington over Ukraine soaring to their highest level since the Cold War, Putin issued another stark reminder of Moscow’s nuclear might.
“Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us,” he said. “Our strategic forces are in combat readiness.”
Nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were pulled across Red Square, underscoring his message.
The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in World War II, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family.
Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSR’s hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The US, U.K, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8.
The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Putin’s native Leningrad — now St. Petersburg — still serve as a powerful symbol of the country’s ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges.
Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring missiles, tanks and fighter jets. Medal-bedecked veterans joined him Thursday to review the parade, and many — including the president — wore the black-and-orange St. George’s ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day.
About 9,000 troops, including about 1,000 who fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursday’s parade.
Although the US and UK ambassadors did not attend, Putin was joined by other dignitaries and presidents of several former Soviet nations along with a few other Moscow allies, including the leaders of Cuba, Guinea-Bissau and Laos.
In his speech, he accused the West of “revanchism … hypocrisy and lies” in seeking to play down the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany.
Putin described Victory Day as “very emotional and poignant.”
“Every family is honoring its heroes, looking at pictures with dear faces and remembering their relatives and how they fought,” he said.
Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded.
As Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Putin did not believe she had died — saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was 3, one of more than 1 million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation.
For several years, Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches — as did others honoring relatives who were war veterans — in what was called the “Immortal Regiment.”
Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine.
As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalized the “rehabilitation of Nazism” that include punishing the “desecration” of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of World War II history.
When he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin evoked World War II in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis.
Putin tried to cast Ukraine’s veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who cooperated with the Nazis in World War II as a sign of Kyiv’s purported Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, who was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, as an underlying justification for the Russian military action in Ukraine.
Many observers see Putin’s focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the USSR’s clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices.
“It’s the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare ‘denazification’ as the goal of the war,” Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
The Russian leadership, he said, has “locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past.”
International Muslim History Month participation increases tenfold, organizers say
- A key objective of the annual event, founded in 2021, is to counter Islamophobia and shatter stereotypes by highlighting contributions to society by Muslims throughout history
- The theme this year is #MuslimLegacies ‘in various fields such as science, art, literature, philosophy and architecture, as well as their influence on social and political development’
LONDON: Global participation in the fourth annual International Muslim History Month, which began on May 1, has increased tenfold compared with last year, organizers said, and more countries are taking part.
The aim of the annual global event, which was founded in 2021 by the World Hijab Day Organization in the US state of New Jersey, is to highlight the achievements and contributions of Muslim men and women throughout the ages.
The month-long celebration therefore “serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of Muslim heritage and the indelible mark Muslims have left on history,” the organization said, adding: “IMHM is an inclusive commemoration, welcoming participation from people of all ethnicities and religious affiliations.”
The organization told Arab News: “IMHM is fairly a new initiative and change is slow. However, looking at our social media platforms, we can see that our reach and engagement are 10 times more than that of last year.
“We are very happy to see actual events taking place in countries like Scotland to commemorate IMHM. Additionally, we had prominent scholars such as (Zimbabwean) Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk retweeting our post to bring awareness of IMHM.
“From pioneering scientists to visionary artists, from compassionate leaders to groundbreaking scholars, Muslim history is filled with stories of resilience, innovation, and compassion.”
One of the key objectives of the event is to actively counter Islamophobia on a global scale by encouraging students, educational institutions, workplaces, businesses and organizations to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the valuable contributions to society made by Muslims.
The theme this year is #MuslimLegacies, which the organization said “refers to the lasting impact, contributions, achievements and cultural heritage left behind by Muslims throughout history.” This “includes their advancements in various fields such as science, art, literature, philosophy and architecture, as well as their influence on social and political development in different regions of the world.”
The event is using social media platforms to draw attention to the stories of Muslim change-makers in the modern era, the specific inventions, innovations or developments they brought about, and their lasting effects on the world.
The Muslim figures in the spotlight this year include: Saudi biotechnologist Dr. Hayat Sindi; Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan; Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza; Saudi medical student Renad Al-Hussein, who developed technology to make driving safer for hearing-impaired people; Afghan tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob; and the late African American civil rights activist Malcolm X.
“Additionally, we are conducting a month-long International Muslim History Month Virtual Conference every Friday in May, live on (all the World Hijab Day social media platforms), with lineups featuring esteemed speakers from diverse backgrounds, including technology, medicine, politics, humanitarianism and fashion, offering invaluable insights into their respective fields,” the organization said.
“Through IMHM, our objective is to unite the world in learning about, acknowledging and celebrating the significant contributions of Muslim men and women, both historical and contemporary, who have profoundly influenced humanity.
“With Islamophobia at its peak amid the current situation, our aim is to foster connections between communities by embracing and honoring IMHM.”
It continued: “In the last 25 years, especially after 9/11, people seem to have forgotten about all the good things Muslims have done. Instead, they unfairly stereotype Muslims as terrorists. That’s why we’re using this hashtag (#MuslimLegacies), to gently remind everyone of the positive impact Muslims have had.
“It’s a way to highlight the many great things Muslims have accomplished throughout history and still do today. We want to challenge those stereotypes and show the world the true diversity and richness of Muslim culture and contributions.”
World Hijab Day is collaborating with Islamophobia Awareness Month, which was founded in 2012 by several British organizations and takes place in November each year, to help promote International Muslim History Month.
Organizers invite people to participate by posting messages of support and joining in the conversations on social media platforms using the #MuslimLegacies hashtag. They are also encouraged to contact government officials around the world to request a UN resolution officially recognizing May as International Muslim History Month, call for support of Muslim businesses, and encourage them to donate to Muslim organizations such as World Hijab Day to help them tackle discrimination against Muslim women and girls who choose to wear the hijab head covering.
Supporters of the event are also urged to read a biography of an influential Muslim figure, share the story, and call out any discrimination or prejudice against Muslims when it is identified in their communities.
The organization in particular called on educational institutions to raise awareness of International Muslim History Month in schools and universities and provide support by, for example, adding Muslim-related literature to curricula, making an effort to accommodate fasting students, providing halal meal options, offering areas designated for prayer, and inviting Muslim professionals, such as police officers and firefighters, to share with students details of the ways in which Islam plays a part in their working lives.
Lawyer accuses Arizona university of ‘double standard’ in treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters
- 27 students at Arizona State University were arrested and suspended on April 26 for ‘creating a disturbance’ while protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza
- Attorney David Chami says they were treated ‘far more unfairly’ than pro-Israel activists, including a faculty member accused of harassing a female Muslim student not involved in the protests
CHICAGO: Students protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza are being treated more harshly and unfairly by authorities at Arizona State University than pro-Israel activists, including a professor accused of harassing a Muslim woman who was not involved in the protests, according to a lawyer in Michigan.
Authorities arrested and suspended 27 pro-Palestinian protesters at the university on April 26 for “creating a disturbance.” The suspensions could prevent them from graduating. Attorney David Chami, who is representing 22 of the students, described the response as “disproportionate and unfair,” and said the intention was to “quell free speech.”
The lawyer told Arab News that ASU officials were treating pro-Palestinian protesters “far more unfairly” than pro-Israel activists, including an ASU postdoctoral research scholar, Jonathan Yudelman, who is now on leave pending an investigation into allegations that he aggressively harassed a 20-year-old female Muslim student who was wearing a hijab but not involved in the campus protests.
Chami graduated from ASU Law in 2009 and said that during his time there he worked in the university’s Student Legal Services Department defending student rights.
“I can tell you without a doubt, there have been students (involved in past incidents) who caused property damage, vandalized dorm rooms, gotten DUIs, … breaking the law, violating the student code of conduct, doing things that are not free speech, constitutionally protected activities, and they don’t get suspended from school,” he said.
“Some of them have been kicked out of dorm rooms but they don’t have their access to complete their course work disrupted. I think the evidence will establish that ASU’s actions were disproportionate and intended to quell free speech. This has nothing to do with any alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. This is about shutting down protests and future protests.”
Authorities at ASU argued that the action taken by students “was more than a protest,” and said it violated university policies that prohibit erecting tents.
Chami described this as “ridiculous” and “a double standard,” comparing the way in which the university had responded to “non-violent” protests by students with its response to a faculty member, Yudelman, who he said had engaged in a verbal assault that might be classified as a “hate crime.”
In a video of the incident on May 5, Yudelman can be heard mocking the woman, who tries to walk away and asks him to leave her alone, saying: “You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries.”
Yudelman responds menacingly, saying: “I am literally in your face. That’s right … You disrespect my sense of humanity.” He also uses a derogatory word for a woman. Another man is heard calling the student a “jihadi.”
Chami said another man seen in the video, who also confronts the woman, is believed to be an “outside agitator,” allegedly an Israeli soldier who has harassed students during pro-Palestinian protests.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that what ASU has done is to make an example of these (pro-Palestine) student protesters in order to do exactly what the law doesn’t allow, and that is to chill future protests, to place these students and other students in fear that if they were to come to campus and protest they could face expulsion or suspension, and to discourage them from participating in these types of activities,” Chami said.
"On May 6, ASU President Michael Crow gave one final assignment to graduates, and that was to fight; he literally used the words ‘fight for your freedoms,’ and he identified the freedoms to be — and I will limit it to the two important ones — freedom of speech and freedom of religion. This was one week after he suspended 27 students for free speech and freedom of religion.”
Neither Crow nor Yudelman responded to requests for comments.
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee on Wednesday said that the harsh responses to pro-Palestine demonstrations at dozens of college campuses across the US, including arrests, expulsions and harassment, while similar conduct by pro-Israel protesters is ignored, is a problem.
“ADC is outraged at the continued reckless endangerment of university students by the very administrators responsible for their well-being,” the organization said.
“Early this morning, we witnessed another excessive show of force against student protesters, this time in Washington, D.C. at the George Washington University Gaza solidarity encampment. This follows the military-style invasion of hundreds of NYPD officers into Columbia University.
“Across the country, police officers have physically assaulted students, torn hijabs off Muslim students, violently thrown students down stairs, used mace from point-blank distance, and choked students with their knees as they were handcuffed.”
The ADC denied allegations that pro-Palestinian protests are “antisemitic,” pointing out that many Jewish students and activists have also been “speaking out against Israel’s government actions.” It said it has established a legal defense fund for student protesters assaulted by university officials, police or counterprotesters.
Bangladeshi influencers promote tree planting to fight record heat
- Climate change is causing more frequent, severe and lengthy heatwaves
- Last week, temperatures climbed to over 43 C in Bangladesh
DHAKA: Social media influencers in Bangladesh are urging millions of their followers to plant trees as part of a campaign to combat climate change as the South Asian nation reels from the worst heatwave in decades.
Bangladesh recorded extreme temperatures for most days in April, with the mercury climbing to over 43.8 C last week. Meteorologists say last month saw the country’s longest heatwave, prompting authorities to shut schools and encourage citizens to stay indoors during the day.
Scientists have said climate change is causing more frequent, severe and lengthy heatwaves during the summer months.
In the capital, Dhaka, where rapid changes have stripped the crowded city of the trees, lakes and ponds that once offered its residents relief and shelter, social media influencers and students have launched initiatives in a bid to create a more livable environment.
One of the calls came from influencer Iftekhar Rafsan, who announced a plan to plant a million trees to his 4.3 million followers on Facebook on April 21.
“The temperatures in this country are now getting unbearably high. On the other hand, Dhaka is one of the worst cities in the world in terms of pollution levels … These two issues combined guided my ideas to plant trees. I care about the sustainability of this planet,” Rafsan told Arab News over the weekend.
The 26-year-old is meeting with city officials to coordinate his initiative, which will also involve year-round monitoring and nursing to ensure sustainable growth.
“We have heard about global warming since childhood. Now, it has become a reality … I am going to put my best effort into making this tree plantation campaign a success. If everybody does it together, it’s going to be easier,” he said.
Since announcing his campaign Rafsan, known as a food vlogger in Bangladesh, said he had received positive feedback from his fans.
“The youths among my followers seemed much more concerned about the issue, and that makes me more optimistic about the future. They care a lot about what’s happening around them,” he said.
The cyberspace call to look after the environment was echoed by Peya Jannatul, a 32-year-old model, actor and lawyer, who last month asked her 1.6 million Facebook followers to start planting 10 trees each.
“Many people have no idea why this heatwave is happening. Through my plantation initiative, I want to increase awareness among the people,” Jannatul said.
“My intention is to work on mitigating the overall impact of climate change, and it can’t be done alone. The more we can engage the people with more awareness, it will yield even better results.”
She hopes to encourage her followers to start gardening at home and use their rooftops for planting, while also promoting other environmentally friendly ideas such as recycling.
Jannatul is hoping to use her platform to spread more awareness in Bangladesh, which is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Like Rafsan, her campaign has been well-received by the online community.
“We don’t live here on this Earth only for ourselves. There are greater reasons. The impacts of climate change are severely impacting birds and animals too. To maintain the ecological balance, every creature on this earth is equally important. So, it’s our responsibility to maintain a planet livable for all,” she said.
As the persistent and intense heatwave swept across Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Students’ League also launched a campaign to plant 500,000 trees “to overcome the ongoing severe heatwave” in the country, hoping to engage its membership of over 5 million.
Established in 1948, BSL is the oldest students’ political organization in Bangladesh and the student wing of the country’s ruling party Awami League.
BSL Vice President Khadimul Bashar Joy said the campaign was part of a mega-project the group hoped would continue in the years to come.
“Since we are facing a global challenge of climate change, it is our responsibility to act in this regard as a conscious citizen,” Joy told Arab News.
“It is our sacred duty to plant at least two to three saplings every year to make this Earth livable for the next generation. It’s not only for our country, it’s for the whole world, for the people on this planet.”
UK system of arms exports to Israel not the same as US, Cameron says
- Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the US to withhold weapons
LONDON: Foreign Secretary David Cameron described Britain’s system and scale of arms exports to Israel as completely different from those in the United States, saying the sales it licenses were relatively small and policed by strict procedures.
Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the US after it warned that it would withhold weapons from Israel in case of a major invasion of Rafah.
“There’s a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation,” Cameron said after a speech.
“The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel ... we do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licenses, and I think our defense exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1 percent of their total.”
