Syrian kills Russian wife for supporting President Assad

A Syrian businessman in Aleppo has shot his wife for supporting President Bashar al Assad, AFP reported quoting the deceased woman’s cousin.

­Mohammad O., around 40 years old, who runs a clothes shop in the al Maissar district of Aleppo, reportedly shot his spouse three times using a pistol, 30-year-old office employee Ahmad said.

“The dispute started when he criticized Bashar al Assad, while she defended the President. The quarrel escalated, and he shot her,” Ahmad told AFP.

The husband then went outside and explained to onlookers that his wife, whom he met in Russia during a business trip and has been married to for 4 years, “didn’t stop showcasing her support for Bashar [al Assad],” and that he simply “couldn’t take her attitude anymore.”

The neighbourhood in which the couple lived has been wracked by unrest and is under the partial rule of the rebels, the police are virtually powerless and the husband was not detained after the killing.

Insurgents seized the town in July,  since then the town has been divided into sectors, with approximately half of it controlled by the government, and the other half by rebel forces.

Syrian conflict becoming increasingly sectarian – UN

The Syrian civil war is becoming increasingly sectarian, as Sunni-majority rebel forces fight government troops supported by country’s religious and ethnic minorities, a new UN human rights report has revealed.

­The report – which is based on interviews with Syrians who fled the country and covers the period between September 28 and December 16 – said that foreign fighters with links to extremist Sunni groups are infiltrating Syria to fight against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

The foreign fighters are reportedly operating independently but coordinate with the Free Syrian Army, an armed opposition group supported by Western nations.

“The commission is extremely worried by the presence of foreign fighters… who are not fighting for human rights and democracy,” said Sergio Pinheiro, the head of the independent UN commission that produced the report. “By their own admission, they are very proud of their breaches of humanitarian law.”

More than 20,000 people have been killed on both sides of the Syrian conflict since the fighting began, according to UN estimates.

Most of the casualties in the nearly two-year war were civilians, and both sides are responsible for human rights abuses such as torture and executions, Pinheiro said.

The rebels have hidden in Syrian cities among the civilian population, resulting in deadly government artillery and air strikes, the report said.  

The conflict has also continuously drawn in other minority groups – especially Christians, Armenians, Druze and others – who mostly support President Assad.

The main divisions in Syria are between the Sunni and Alawite communities; most of Syria’s senior government and military leaders belong to the latter.

As the fighting between government and rebel groups approaches the end of its second year, the conflict has become overtly sectarian in nature, the report said. The commission has received credible reports of anti-Assad groups attacking Alawites and other minority communities.

“We think this is a war where no military victory is possible,” Pinheiro said. “It is a great illusion that providing arms to one side or the other will help end it.”

As the conflict drags on, the belligerents have become “ever more violent and unpredictable,” leading to conduct that is increasingly in breach of international law, the report concluded.

Russia - 2 arrested in Defense Ministry’s $100MN corruption case

Yekaterina Smetanova, the head of the Expert Center for Legal Support company and a suspect within the Oboronservis embezzlement case.

A court in Moscow has sanctioned the pre-trial detention of two suspects as part of a major embezzlement case involving the Oboronservis company which is affiliated to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Khamovniki District court ordered the arrest of Yekaterina Smetanova and her partner Maksim Zakutailowho reportedlyare close friends of another suspect – the former head of the Defense Ministry’s property department Yevgeniya Vasilyeva.

According to investigators, Smetanova, who works as a general director in a law firm, planned and managed the sales of the 31st State Design Institute of Special Construction – a major state company that built docks for nuclear submarines, missile silos and launch pads for space rockets. In 2011 the institute was sold off by the Defense Ministry.

Smetanova was also detained earlier this year as she took part in the alleged kickback scheme during the sale of a supermarket building in the South Russian city of Samara. However, this case was quickly closed due to the lack of evidence.

The court agreed for the defendants to be detained because they possess real estate abroad and could flee Russia in order to avoid justice. In court Zakutailo asked the judge to release him on 800,000 roubles bail ($25,000) as with both partners under arrest no one would look after their children, but the judge ruled otherwise.

The defense lawyers said they plan to appeal the decision within three days.

A week ago the Central Investigative Committee conducted a search in Yevgeniya Vasilyeva’s Moscow apartment as part of their investigation into the alleged embezzlement of about 3 billion roubles (US $100 million) from the Oboronservis company.

Law enforcers suspect Defense Ministry officials of investing heavily into real estate before selling it to affiliates at well below market prices, the Investigative Committee’s spokesman said in a statement.

According to press reports, investigators seized about $3 million worth of gems and jewelry in Vasilyeva’s apartment.

Comments from Russia’s Chief Military Prosecutor Sergey Friodinskiy suggested that the Oboronservis probe touched upon a much broader corruption scheme. “A malicious system squeezed money from state budgets by means of joint stock companies controlled by the Defense Ministry”, the official said.

Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov said the ministry was closely monitoring the situation with Oboronservis and stressed that any public statements on the amount of damage and the complicity of particular officials in the alleged fraud were nothing more than allegations. The minister stressed that Oboronservis was a separate commercial structure with its own regulation and management and noted that the Defense Ministry, just like anyone else, is interested in a detailed investigation into all charges the company managers are facing.

Earlier this week, Business daily Vedomosti reported on investigators’ plans to question Serdyukov about the case, but the government’s daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote that representatives of the Investigative Committee dismissed the report as unfounded.

On the day of the first search Serdyukov met with President Vladimir Putin, who instructed him to “ensure full cooperation with the investigation launched into Oboronservis,” presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

'600 killed in Bani Walid fighting in one day' – source

Amid conflicting reports that the Libyan city of Bani Walid was captured by army forces, RT has learned that 600 people were allegedly killed in Wednesday’s fighting, and over 1,000 have been hospitalized. Locals are appealing for international aid.

Libyan officials claimed that government forces conducted a 20-day siege before capturing Bani Walid, the last stronghold for supporters of the Gaddafi regime, and seized the city. Sources in the town gave conflicting reports, saying that local militias were responsible for the siege and now control of the area.

“We continue to receive conflicting reports. From sources on the ground, we’re hearing that the army is withdrawing from the city, although we are hearing of widespread killings. Government sources say the city has fallen,”

An individual in Italy who allegedly has relatives in Bani Walid spoke to RT about the current state of the city. Calling himself ‘Alwarfally’ – referring to a tribe from Bani Walid – he asked to remain anonymous for the interview.

He said he contacted his family in the besieged city, who told him that the situation there has stabilized: The militia retreated, but only after kidnapping a local member of the ‘Council of the Elders,’ which was tasked by Bani Walid’s tribal leaders with governing the city after the fall of Gaddafi.

 “Bani Walid’s people got the control of the city again,” Alwarfally told RT. “[The] situation in Bani Walid is better now. Militia fell back after the fight that happened yesterday, and everything is good.”

“Militia kidnapped the consul of Bani Walid, his health is poor,” he said. “They will take him to Misrata and I don’t know what will happen to him. He is a very good man. He didn’t have anything to do with what happened, he is just a council member in Bani Walid.”

The Misrata militia that allegedly laid siege to Bani Walid was the same group accused of war crimes by Human Rights Watch last week.

Alwarfally also claimed that at least hundreds of people were killed during the 20-day siege.

“The number is really big,” he said. “One the first day that [the militia] came, there were about 70 bodies from the fighting. Yesterday night there was 600.”

“The number of people in the hospitals is over 1000,” he added.

Whether government forces or militias are behind the violence, video footage from the town paints a very graphic picture.

“Some of the photos and video we’ve been receiving show dismembered bodies and children who have been killed. Some of that footage is coming from Bani Walid television,” Slier said.

Militias blockaded the town for the past 20 days in an attempt to locate those responsible for the death of Omran Shaaban – the man credited with capturing Muammar Gaddafi last year. The Warfalla tribe controlling Bani Walid was accused of kidnapping and torturing Shaaban.

The people of Bani Walid have been appealing for help from the international community – but Moscow's aid efforts were stopped by the United States.

Washington blocked a draft statement, proposed by Russia, on the resolution of violence in Bani Walid earlier this week. The statement called for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Ex-TSA agent: We steal from travelers all the time

A TSA agent convicted of stealing more than $800,000 worth of goods from travelers said this type of theft is “commonplace” among airport security. Almost 400 TSA officers have been fired for stealing from passengers since 2003.

­Pythias Brown, a former Transportation Security Administration officer at Newark Liberty International Airport, spent four years stealing everything he could from luggage and security checkpoints, including clothing, laptops, cameras, Nintendo Wiis, video games and cash.

Speaking publicly for the first time after being released after three years in prison, Brown told ABC News that he used the X-ray scanners to locate the most valuable items to snatch.

“I could tell whether it was cameras or laptops or portable cameras or whatever kind of electronic was in the bag,” he said.

Brown often worked alone, screening luggage behind the ticket counters. He was frequently told the overhead surveillance cameras, installed to prevent theft, were not working.

“It was so easy,” he said. “I walked right out of the checkpoint with a Nintendo Wii in my hand. Nobody said a word.”

With more electronics than any one individual could need, Brown began to sell the stolen items on eBay. At the time of his arrest, he was selling 80 cameras, video games and computers online. Brown said the theft was comparable to an addiction.

“It was like being on drugs,” he said. “I was like, ‘What am I doing?’ but the next day I was right back at it.”

Brown was finally caught after selling a camera he stole from the luggage of a CNN producer. When he sold the camera on eBay, he forgot to remove the news networks’ logo stickers.

“I got complacent,” he said.

TSA’s culture of theft

But while Brown believes he might have been one of the worst thieves at the TSA, he imagines the agency’s culture makes it easy for others to do the same. Many officers don’t care about their work and complain about low pay and being treated badly, he claims, which prompts them to steal. To make it even easier to get away with, TSA managers also never search their employees’ bags.

The agency says it has a zero-tolerance policy for theft and terminates the contracts of all thieves within the TSA. In the past ten years, almost 400 TSA officers have been fired for stealing, 11 of which were fired this year.

ABC’s interview with Brown highlights the extent of the dilemma passengers face when traveling with valuables. Brown is just one of many officers caught in the act of stealing goods worth thousands.

In February, 2011, two TSA officers were arrested for stealing $40,000 in cash from a checked bag in New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. Using an X-ray machine, the men found that the bag contained $170,000 and removed some of the money.

In the first two months of this year, a TSA baggage screener in Orlando was arrested for stealing valuables by hiding them in a laptop-sized hidden pocket in his jacket and selling the goods on Craigslist. And, a New Jersey-based agent stole $5,000 in cash from a passenger’s jacket as he was going through security

While in April, a Texas-based TSA officer stole eight iPads from checked bags, while another officer stole a $15,000 watch from a passenger at the Los Angeles International Airport in May.

“It was very commonplace, very,” Brown said, describing the frequency of theft within the TSA.

“TSA is probably the worst personnel manager that we have in the entire federal government,” said Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation Committee. “It is an outrage to the public and, actually, to our aviation security system.”

Army general charged with sex crimes

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair

A Brigadier general in the US Army has been charged with forcible sodomy and a slew of other sex crimes.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, an active member of the Army with nearly three decades’ worth of experience, “has been charged with multiple violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice," Col. Kevin V. Arata, a public affairs officer for the 18th Airborne Corps, confirmed to the press on Wednesday.

Sinclair had been serving in Afghanistan earlier this year until allegations were brought forth and he was reassigned to domestic duties back in May. Now after months of investigation, the general has been formally charged and could face courts martial over the charges, which include forced sex, wrongful sexual conduct, violating an order, possessing pornography and alcohol while deployed and misusing a government travel charge card and filing fraudulent claims.

Speaking to the Associated Press, two US defense officials say on condition of anonymity that Brig. Sinclair is being charged with having inappropriate relationship with several female subordinates as well.

Sinclair was made aware of his charges on Monday and the news was relayed to the press two days later. Next, Sinclair will be the subject of an Article 32 investigation, which will determine what route to take next. The result of that hearing, which has not been assigned a date yet, will determine how seriously the military will pursue the case. During Wednesday’s press conference at Fort Bragg, Col. Arata declined to answer any questions on the case.

Since being sent back from Afghanistan, Sinclair has served as a special assistant to the commanding general of 18th Airborne Corps, the Associated Press reports. Sinclair has previously served in the first Gulf war and was deployed twice to Iraq during his military career, which has so far stretched the span of 27 years. A biography published by a Fort Bragg reporter at Patch.com adds that Sinclair has received a political science degree from West Virginia University, a master’s degree from Central Michigan University, and a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Earlier this year, Army Brig. Gen. Roger Duff pleaded guilty to charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and other crimes. He was fined $10,000 and forced to retire.

European lawmakers ‘meddling in Russia’s internal affairs’ – Foreign Ministry

Moscow has responded harshly to a European parliament resolution entitled, ‘On Use of Justice for Political Purposes in Russia,’ saying the document is an example of meddling in the country’s affairs.

­The European Parliament's resolution has been derided by the Russian Foreign Ministry as the latest attempt by European lawmakers to make unfair conclusions on the internal situation in the country.

“We have read through the European Parliament’s latest resolution on Russia and unfortunately we have to say that the MEPs have once again failed to provide a balanced analysis of the situation in our country,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Friday. “The resolution seems to be based on unconfirmed and biased reports, which is further compounded by unfair ‘analysis.’”

The EU resolution mentions several high-profile cases in Russia, including the murders of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, who were gunned down together in January 2009 in Moscow. Following a thorough investigation, the killer – identified as a Russian nationalist with a grudge against Markelov due to his “anti-fascist work” – was sentenced to life in prison.

The investigation also determined that Baburova had the misfortune of being with Markelov at the time of the attack.

The EU report labels the solved case as slow progress.

As to the complaints concerning Russia’s legal system, Russia’s envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov reminded that every country “has its own laws, and legislation even differs inside of the European Union."

Chizhov questioned why the EU parliament never consulted Russia on the developments of the court cases it mentions in the report.

"I understand that this debate was dominated by a speech delivered by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton,” the Russian envoy said. "The wording of this resolution is regrettable and gives a biased picture of the events. Some of them raise questions even from a factual point of view."

If Ashton wanted to get Russia's viewpoint, she could have done so, Chizhov added.

The Foreign Ministry also mentioned human rights violations in the EU itself, including the issue of not providing citizenship to Russians living in Latvia and Estonia.

Earlier, President Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters the EU document was ‘unacceptable’.