The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN&#39;s top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. 
 
Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O&#39;Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a &quot;medieval&quot; siege from taking hold. 
 
&quot;The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area,&quot; O&#39;Brien told the council. 
 
&quot;This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen.&quot; 
 
O&#39;Brien, the UN&#39;s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. 
 
Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan&#39;s ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was &quot;overwhelming support for the idea&quot; among the 15 council members. 
 
French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo&#39;s plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said &quot;the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again.&quot; 
 
Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. 
 
Syria and its allies are &quot;determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about,&quot; Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. 
 
Enough is enough 
 
Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. 
 
On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
&quot;Enough is enough now,&quot; British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. 
 
Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. 
 
Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria&#39;s ally, would back such a measure. 
 
Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. 
 
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, &quot;there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster.&quot; 
 
The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. 
 
&quot;Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies,&quot; said US ambassador Samantha Power. 
 
The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. 
 
(AFP)

Warning that food will soon run out, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly pauses for deliveries of essential supplies

The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN's top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a "medieval" siege from taking hold. "The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area," O'Brien told the council. "This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen." O'Brien, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan's ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was "overwhelming support for the idea" among the 15 council members. French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo's plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said "the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again." Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. Syria and its allies are "determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about," Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. Enough is enough Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Enough is enough now," British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria's ally, would back such a measure. Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, "there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster." The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. "Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies," said US ambassador Samantha Power. The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. (AFP)

UN Security Council backs call for Aleppo truce

The International Crimes Tribunal awarded death sentence to three and life imprisonment to five others on Monday, as they were found guilty of war crimes during Bangladesh&#39;s war of independence in 1971. 
 
The suspects from Jamalpur region were accused of murder, abduction, torture, arson and loot.&nbsp;The court said in its verdict that charges against three of them have been proven beyond doubt. 
 
&quot;We have just received the verdict for the case concerning the crime committed in then Mahkuma (sub-division) of Jamalpur in 1971, we had eight accused persons in this case and we got 100 per cent conviction that is all eight of them are found guilty for the offences committed. However, as per as the sentencing is concerned, out of eight only three got death penalty and the rest of five got life imprisonment,&quot; said Tureen Afroz, a prosecutor, in Dhaka. 
 
The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed. 
 
The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks. 
 
In May 2016, Bangladesh hanged an Islamist party leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, for genocide and other crimes committed during the war, drawing an angry reaction and some scattered violence from supporters. 
 
Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was executed at Dhaka Central jail just after midnight after the Bangladesh Supreme Court rejected his final plea against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of intellectuals during the war. 
 
About three million people were killed, official figures show, and thousands of women were raped, during the nine-month war, in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called west Pakistan. 
 
(Reuters)

Five others were given life imprisonment. The suspects from Jamalpur region were accused of murder, abduction, torture and loot

The International Crimes Tribunal awarded death sentence to three and life imprisonment to five others on Monday, as they were found guilty of war crimes during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. The suspects from Jamalpur region were accused of murder, abduction, torture, arson and loot. The court said in its verdict that charges against three of them have been proven beyond doubt. "We have just received the verdict for the case concerning the crime committed in then Mahkuma (sub-division) of Jamalpur in 1971, we had eight accused persons in this case and we got 100 per cent conviction that is all eight of them are found guilty for the offences committed. However, as per as the sentencing is concerned, out of eight only three got death penalty and the rest of five got life imprisonment," said Tureen Afroz, a prosecutor, in Dhaka. The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed. The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks. In May 2016, Bangladesh hanged an Islamist party leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, for genocide and other crimes committed during the war, drawing an angry reaction and some scattered violence from supporters. Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was executed at Dhaka Central jail just after midnight after the Bangladesh Supreme Court rejected his final plea against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of intellectuals during the war. About three million people were killed, official figures show, and thousands of women were raped, during the nine-month war, in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called west Pakistan. (Reuters)

Bangladesh: Three awarded death penalty for 1971 war crimes

Implementing a UN resolution calling for the investigation of alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during a war with separatist rebels is complicated and needs more consultations to build confidence, a senior US official said. 
 
The United States along with other Western countries have long demanded an international investigation into the killing of thousands of ethnic minority Tamils in the final weeks of the war, in 2009, under then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 
 
Both the military and Tamil rebels &quot;most likely&quot; committed war crimes including mass killings of civilians, during the 26-year war, the United Nations said in a landmark report last year. 
 
Sri Lanka has promised to implement the UN resolution adopted in October that calls for a special court with foreign judges to investigate. 
 
But President Maithripala Sirisena, who came to power last year, is facing resistance to an investigation from political rivals led by his predecessor, Rajapaksa. 
 
US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski said international participation in a special court had been emphasised because of &quot;an erosion in the confidence&quot; in Sri Lankas courts over the years.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;These are complicated issues and there needs to be a process of consultation with all in order to ensure these things are done in a way that earns confidence of the people,&quot; Malinowski told a group of reporters in Colombo late on Thursday. He said the UN resolution respected Sri Lankas sovereignty. 
 
&quot;Under the resolution, the government of Sri Lanka will determine the structure and the composition of the court,&quot; he said, noting that Sri Lanka had made a commitment to include some international participation in the investigation. 
 
The UN resolution also calls for an inquiry into missing people and progress in reconciliation. 
 
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad Al Hussein said in an annual report last month Sri Lanka must rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes and win the confidence of the Tamil minority. 
 
He also said witnesses must be protected under an effective transitional justice mechanism that should include international judges. 
 
Rajapaksa, while president, rejected international intervention in addressing rights abuses and denied visas for top UN officials who wanted to assess conditions in the South Asian country after the war ended in May 2009. 
 
(Reuters)

US, along with other countries, has long demanded an international investigation into the killing of thousands of Tamils

Implementing a UN resolution calling for the investigation of alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during a war with separatist rebels is complicated and needs more consultations to build confidence, a senior US official said. The United States along with other Western countries have long demanded an international investigation into the killing of thousands of ethnic minority Tamils in the final weeks of the war, in 2009, under then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Both the military and Tamil rebels "most likely" committed war crimes including mass killings of civilians, during the 26-year war, the United Nations said in a landmark report last year. Sri Lanka has promised to implement the UN resolution adopted in October that calls for a special court with foreign judges to investigate. But President Maithripala Sirisena, who came to power last year, is facing resistance to an investigation from political rivals led by his predecessor, Rajapaksa. US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski said international participation in a special court had been emphasised because of "an erosion in the confidence" in Sri Lankas courts over the years. "These are complicated issues and there needs to be a process of consultation with all in order to ensure these things are done in a way that earns confidence of the people," Malinowski told a group of reporters in Colombo late on Thursday. He said the UN resolution respected Sri Lankas sovereignty. "Under the resolution, the government of Sri Lanka will determine the structure and the composition of the court," he said, noting that Sri Lanka had made a commitment to include some international participation in the investigation. The UN resolution also calls for an inquiry into missing people and progress in reconciliation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad Al Hussein said in an annual report last month Sri Lanka must rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes and win the confidence of the Tamil minority. He also said witnesses must be protected under an effective transitional justice mechanism that should include international judges. Rajapaksa, while president, rejected international intervention in addressing rights abuses and denied visas for top UN officials who wanted to assess conditions in the South Asian country after the war ended in May 2009. (Reuters)

US acknowledges complications in Sri Lanka war crimes investigation

The United Nations today said Ukraine&#39;s forces had indiscriminately shelled residents while pro-Russian insurgents and Kiev battalions had summarily killed civilians in what may have constituted &quot;war crimes&quot;. 
 
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) study painted a bloody picture of inhumane treatment of captives and non-combatants as well as the engagement of multiple-rocket systems never intended for use in urban areas. 
 
It particularly pointed the finger of blame at rebel groups within the self-proclaimed &quot;people&#39;s republics&quot; of Lugansk and Donetsk - a separatist region in Ukraine&#39;s eastern rustbelt that Kiev says is backed up by Russia. 
 
The 26-month revolt against the pro-Western government in Kiev has killed nearly 9,500 people and plunged Moscow&#39;s ties with the West to a post-Cold war low that has complicated the resolution of other urgent matters such as the Syrian war. 
 
The Kremlin persistently denies either plotting or backing the insurgency in order to keep its western neighbour - the largest of the former Soviet republics outside Russia - within its historic sphere of influence. 
 
The exhaustive study into the Ukrainian conflict by OHCHR was conducted between January 2014 and May of this year. 
 
&quot;OHCHR recorded executions of members of Ukrainian forces and elements of armed groups who had surrendered... mainly in 2014 and during the first half of 2015,&quot; the report said. 
 
&quot;OHCHR also recorded a considerable number of alleged summary executions and killings of civilians who were not taking part in hostilities, mostly in 2014 and in early 2015.&quot; 
 
The series of alleged crimes committed by Kiev&#39;s troops included one in which two suspected rebels were kept in a dry well and then killed by &quot;a drunken soldier&quot; who threw a grenade down the shaft. 
 
Such cases are &quot;recognised as a war crime in an armed conflict,&quot; the OHCHR said. 
 
&#39;Indiscriminate shelling&#39; 
 
The UN report estimated that about 2,000 civilians have died in one of Europe&#39;s bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars. 
 
&quot;The vast majority of civilian casualties, recorded on the territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine and on those controlled by armed groups, were caused by indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, in violation of the international humanitarian law (on) principle of distinction.&quot; 
 
The Ukrainian army has resorted to targeting militia-held areas from distant positions with highly imprecise rockets and shells. 
 
Human rights groups have previously accused both sides of torturing and executing their captives - a charge that Kiev has repeatedly vowed to investigate and resolve. 
 
But the OHCHR said &quot;there has been no accountability for the vast majority of alleged summary executions and killings committed in the conflict zone.&quot; 
 
February 2014 carnage 
 
The tragic chain of events began to unfold when then-president Viktor Yanukovych unexpectedly pulled out of a historic deal with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia in November 2013. 
 
The three months of pro-EU protests that followed culminated in more than two days of carnage that the OHCHR said killed 108 protestors and bystanders as well as 13 law enforcement officers loyal to Yanukovych. 
 
The shock of seeing more blood spilt in Ukraine than at any time since World War II prompted the government to effectively dissolve and Yanukovych to flee to Russia with the help of a secret operation conducted by Kremlin special agents. 
 
The OHCHR did not conclude who was responsible for firing the first shots during the standoff between protesters and the anti-riot police - an issue hotly disputed by Moscow and Kiev. 
 
But it noted that the demonstrations were &quot;characterised by violence and excessive use of force by the police and other law enforcement agencies.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The study said Ukraine's forces had indiscriminately shelled residents and spoke of inhumane treatment of captives and non-combatants

The United Nations today said Ukraine's forces had indiscriminately shelled residents while pro-Russian insurgents and Kiev battalions had summarily killed civilians in what may have constituted "war crimes". The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) study painted a bloody picture of inhumane treatment of captives and non-combatants as well as the engagement of multiple-rocket systems never intended for use in urban areas. It particularly pointed the finger of blame at rebel groups within the self-proclaimed "people's republics" of Lugansk and Donetsk - a separatist region in Ukraine's eastern rustbelt that Kiev says is backed up by Russia. The 26-month revolt against the pro-Western government in Kiev has killed nearly 9,500 people and plunged Moscow's ties with the West to a post-Cold war low that has complicated the resolution of other urgent matters such as the Syrian war. The Kremlin persistently denies either plotting or backing the insurgency in order to keep its western neighbour - the largest of the former Soviet republics outside Russia - within its historic sphere of influence. The exhaustive study into the Ukrainian conflict by OHCHR was conducted between January 2014 and May of this year. "OHCHR recorded executions of members of Ukrainian forces and elements of armed groups who had surrendered... mainly in 2014 and during the first half of 2015," the report said. "OHCHR also recorded a considerable number of alleged summary executions and killings of civilians who were not taking part in hostilities, mostly in 2014 and in early 2015." The series of alleged crimes committed by Kiev's troops included one in which two suspected rebels were kept in a dry well and then killed by "a drunken soldier" who threw a grenade down the shaft. Such cases are "recognised as a war crime in an armed conflict," the OHCHR said. 'Indiscriminate shelling' The UN report estimated that about 2,000 civilians have died in one of Europe's bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars. "The vast majority of civilian casualties, recorded on the territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine and on those controlled by armed groups, were caused by indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, in violation of the international humanitarian law (on) principle of distinction." The Ukrainian army has resorted to targeting militia-held areas from distant positions with highly imprecise rockets and shells. Human rights groups have previously accused both sides of torturing and executing their captives - a charge that Kiev has repeatedly vowed to investigate and resolve. But the OHCHR said "there has been no accountability for the vast majority of alleged summary executions and killings committed in the conflict zone." February 2014 carnage The tragic chain of events began to unfold when then-president Viktor Yanukovych unexpectedly pulled out of a historic deal with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia in November 2013. The three months of pro-EU protests that followed culminated in more than two days of carnage that the OHCHR said killed 108 protestors and bystanders as well as 13 law enforcement officers loyal to Yanukovych. The shock of seeing more blood spilt in Ukraine than at any time since World War II prompted the government to effectively dissolve and Yanukovych to flee to Russia with the help of a secret operation conducted by Kremlin special agents. The OHCHR did not conclude who was responsible for firing the first shots during the standoff between protesters and the anti-riot police - an issue hotly disputed by Moscow and Kiev. But it noted that the demonstrations were "characterised by violence and excessive use of force by the police and other law enforcement agencies." (AFP)

UN sees evidence of possible war crimes in Ukraine

The official inquiry into Britain&#39;s role in the Iraq war finally reports today, seven years after it launched, with former prime minister Tony Blair expected to face severe criticism. 
 
Relatives of some of the 179 British troops who died will gather in London for the publication of the Chilcot report, which runs to 2.6 million words -- more than four times the length of &quot;War and Peace&quot;. 
 
The inquiry, launched in 2009 as the bulk of British troops withdrew from Iraq, was tasked with investigating the run-up to the 2003 US-led invasion and the subsequent occupation. 
 
Anti-war protesters are converging on the conference centre near the Houses of Parliament where civil servant John Chilcot will present his report, to repeat their calls for Blair to be prosecuted for war crimes.&nbsp;Tens of thousands of Iraqis died during the conflict and the sectarian war that followed. The country remains plagued by violence, seen most recently in Sunday&#39;s car bomb in Baghdad that killed more than 200 people. 
 
The US-led invasion was deeply controversial at the time as it did not have explicit approval from the UN Security Council, while claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved unfounded. 
 
Chilcot was not asked to rule on the legality of the invasion, but leaks suggest Blair will be heavily criticised over the decision-making process.&nbsp;His critics are already lining up against him, with former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond gathering cross-party support to bring legal action or symbolically impeach him. 
 
Blair apologised last year for the fact the intelligence was wrong, and for mistakes in the planning, but said he did not regret removing Saddam Hussein.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t set out to criticise individuals or institutions,&quot; Chilcot said ahead of the report launch at 1000 GMT.&nbsp;&quot;However, I made very clear right at the start of the inquiry that if we came across decisions or behaviour which deserved criticism then we wouldn&#39;t shy away from making it.&quot; 
 
More than 120 witnesses gave evidence during months of public hearings, including Blair, his successor Gordon Brown, spy and military chiefs and ministers.&nbsp;The inquiry panel -- one of whom has since died -- trawled through 150,000 government documents, in an investigation Chilcot said was on &quot;an unprecedented scale&quot;. 
 
Their report was delayed by wrangling over what could be published, from diplomatic notes to records of cabinet meetings, as well as the need to give key figures prior warning. 
 
Among the documents to be published are reportedly 29 letters sent by Blair to US president George W Bush, and some record of conversations between the pair. 
 
Bereaved relatives had pressed for the inquiry amid criticism of the planning and management of the conflict, and accusations that the troops were not properly equipped. 
 
Lawyers for some of them said they would be looking for evidence of neglect of duty or misconduct in public office. 
 
However, other relatives are boycotting the publication, declaring that they already expect it to be a whitewash. 
 
The International Criminal Court, which was petitioned at the time to examine possible evidence of war crimes, has said it will consider the report but has no investigation open. 
 
The legality of the war is outside its jurisdiction. 
 
Admiral Alan West, the head of the Royal Navy when the war began, told The House magazine that he hoped the report would not spark a witchhunt. 
 
&quot;What one really wants out of it is lessons so that we don&#39;t make the mistakes again. I have a horrible feeling what other people want is to be able to get at people,&quot; he said. The war, which at one point saw 46,000 British troops deployed, mostly in southern Iraq around the strategic oil hub of Basra, still looms large over British politics. 
 
It has led to deep reluctance to commit ground troops elsewhere, notably in Libya and Syria, and still divides Blair&#39;s Labour party, which is now in opposition. 
 
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is currently facing a rebellion by his own MPs, but is expected to use the report to bolster his position. 
 
The veteran socialist, who was only elected last year, was strongly opposed to the war in Iraq and maintains it was illegal, while many of his critics had supported it. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Protesters are repeating their calls for Blair to be prosecuted for war crimes after investigation of an 'unprecedented scale'

The official inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war finally reports today, seven years after it launched, with former prime minister Tony Blair expected to face severe criticism. Relatives of some of the 179 British troops who died will gather in London for the publication of the Chilcot report, which runs to 2.6 million words -- more than four times the length of "War and Peace". The inquiry, launched in 2009 as the bulk of British troops withdrew from Iraq, was tasked with investigating the run-up to the 2003 US-led invasion and the subsequent occupation. Anti-war protesters are converging on the conference centre near the Houses of Parliament where civil servant John Chilcot will present his report, to repeat their calls for Blair to be prosecuted for war crimes. Tens of thousands of Iraqis died during the conflict and the sectarian war that followed. The country remains plagued by violence, seen most recently in Sunday's car bomb in Baghdad that killed more than 200 people. The US-led invasion was deeply controversial at the time as it did not have explicit approval from the UN Security Council, while claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved unfounded. Chilcot was not asked to rule on the legality of the invasion, but leaks suggest Blair will be heavily criticised over the decision-making process. His critics are already lining up against him, with former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond gathering cross-party support to bring legal action or symbolically impeach him. Blair apologised last year for the fact the intelligence was wrong, and for mistakes in the planning, but said he did not regret removing Saddam Hussein. "We haven't set out to criticise individuals or institutions," Chilcot said ahead of the report launch at 1000 GMT. "However, I made very clear right at the start of the inquiry that if we came across decisions or behaviour which deserved criticism then we wouldn't shy away from making it." More than 120 witnesses gave evidence during months of public hearings, including Blair, his successor Gordon Brown, spy and military chiefs and ministers. The inquiry panel -- one of whom has since died -- trawled through 150,000 government documents, in an investigation Chilcot said was on "an unprecedented scale". Their report was delayed by wrangling over what could be published, from diplomatic notes to records of cabinet meetings, as well as the need to give key figures prior warning. Among the documents to be published are reportedly 29 letters sent by Blair to US president George W Bush, and some record of conversations between the pair. Bereaved relatives had pressed for the inquiry amid criticism of the planning and management of the conflict, and accusations that the troops were not properly equipped. Lawyers for some of them said they would be looking for evidence of neglect of duty or misconduct in public office. However, other relatives are boycotting the publication, declaring that they already expect it to be a whitewash. The International Criminal Court, which was petitioned at the time to examine possible evidence of war crimes, has said it will consider the report but has no investigation open. The legality of the war is outside its jurisdiction. Admiral Alan West, the head of the Royal Navy when the war began, told The House magazine that he hoped the report would not spark a witchhunt. "What one really wants out of it is lessons so that we don't make the mistakes again. I have a horrible feeling what other people want is to be able to get at people," he said. The war, which at one point saw 46,000 British troops deployed, mostly in southern Iraq around the strategic oil hub of Basra, still looms large over British politics. It has led to deep reluctance to commit ground troops elsewhere, notably in Libya and Syria, and still divides Blair's Labour party, which is now in opposition. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is currently facing a rebellion by his own MPs, but is expected to use the report to bolster his position. The veteran socialist, who was only elected last year, was strongly opposed to the war in Iraq and maintains it was illegal, while many of his critics had supported it. (AFP)

Former British PM Tony Blair in spotlight as UK Iraq inquiry gives verdict

Islamist rebels and jihadists in Syria are guilty of war crimes, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday, accusing them of &quot;a chilling wave of abductions, torture and summary killings&quot;. 
 
The London-based rights group named five Syrian anti-regime factions operating in northern Syria: Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, hardliner Ahrar al-Sham, Nureddin Zinki, the Levant Front and Division 16. 
 
The groups have detained and tortured lawyers, journalists, and children, among others, for criticising them, committing acts seen as immoral, or being minorities, the report said. 
 
&quot;Many civilians live in constant fear of being abducted if they criticise the conduct of armed groups in power or fail to abide by the strict rules that some have imposed,&quot; said Philip Luther, head of Amnesty&#39;s Middle East and North Africa programme. 
 
&quot;In Aleppo and Idlib today, armed groups have free rein to commit war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law with impunity,&quot; he added. 
 
The report is based on 24 accounts of abduction by anti-regime groups between 2012 and 2016 and another five cases of torture. 
 
Halim, a humanitarian worker, was kidnapped and tortured by Nureddin Zinki rebels in Aleppo city until he confessed to a crime. 
 
&quot;When I refused to sign the confession paper, the interrogator ordered the guard to torture me,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;He then started beating me with cables on the soles of my feet. I couldn&#39;t bear the pain so I signed the paper,&quot; Halim said. 
 
Jihadist and hardline religious groups operate their own religious courts which punish crimes such as apostasy or adultery with death. 
 
Saleh was held by Al-Nusra in late 2014, and was told by his guard that five women accused of adultery would &quot;only be forgiven by death.&quot; 
 
He said he later watched a video showing Al-Nusra militants publicly killing one of the women execution-style. 
 
Amnesty said it documented violations in Idlib, which is held by Al-Nusra and its allies, and Aleppo. 
 
Syria&#39;s conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests but has since broken down into an all-out war, leaving more than 280,000 people dead. 
 
Rights groups have accused both the regime of Bashar al-Assad and anti-government factions of indiscriminate attacks, torture and detention. 
 
Amnesty called on world powers to &quot;pressure armed groups to end such abuses and comply with the laws of war&quot;. 
 
The report said regional powers must also stop providing weapons or other forms of support to any factions involved in war crimes or other violations. 
 
It said some of the accused groups &quot;are believed to have the support of governments such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the US&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

The report is based on 24 accounts of abduction by anti-regime groups between 2012 and 2016 and another five cases of torture

Islamist rebels and jihadists in Syria are guilty of war crimes, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday, accusing them of "a chilling wave of abductions, torture and summary killings". The London-based rights group named five Syrian anti-regime factions operating in northern Syria: Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, hardliner Ahrar al-Sham, Nureddin Zinki, the Levant Front and Division 16. The groups have detained and tortured lawyers, journalists, and children, among others, for criticising them, committing acts seen as immoral, or being minorities, the report said. "Many civilians live in constant fear of being abducted if they criticise the conduct of armed groups in power or fail to abide by the strict rules that some have imposed," said Philip Luther, head of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme. "In Aleppo and Idlib today, armed groups have free rein to commit war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law with impunity," he added. The report is based on 24 accounts of abduction by anti-regime groups between 2012 and 2016 and another five cases of torture. Halim, a humanitarian worker, was kidnapped and tortured by Nureddin Zinki rebels in Aleppo city until he confessed to a crime. "When I refused to sign the confession paper, the interrogator ordered the guard to torture me," he said. "He then started beating me with cables on the soles of my feet. I couldn't bear the pain so I signed the paper," Halim said. Jihadist and hardline religious groups operate their own religious courts which punish crimes such as apostasy or adultery with death. Saleh was held by Al-Nusra in late 2014, and was told by his guard that five women accused of adultery would "only be forgiven by death." He said he later watched a video showing Al-Nusra militants publicly killing one of the women execution-style. Amnesty said it documented violations in Idlib, which is held by Al-Nusra and its allies, and Aleppo. Syria's conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests but has since broken down into an all-out war, leaving more than 280,000 people dead. Rights groups have accused both the regime of Bashar al-Assad and anti-government factions of indiscriminate attacks, torture and detention. Amnesty called on world powers to "pressure armed groups to end such abuses and comply with the laws of war". The report said regional powers must also stop providing weapons or other forms of support to any factions involved in war crimes or other violations. It said some of the accused groups "are believed to have the support of governments such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the US". (AFP)

Syrian rebels, jihadists guilty of war crimes: Amnesty report

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