July 27, 2010
Yemen – Yemen’s army battles rebels in north; dozens dead
Mexico – Mexican police investigate possible new drug gang
Turkey – Turks, Kurds clash after deadly attack on police
Iran – Iran nuclear sanctions by EU unacceptable, says Russia
Venezuela – Chavez reinforces Colombia border
Yemen
Yemeni soldiers battled Shiite rebels a short distance from the capital on Monday in clashes that killed dozens, a tribal leader said. A cease-fire unraveled in June, re-igniting a six-year conflict that spilled across the border last year by drawing in the Saudi military. The new fighting threatens to siphon Yemeni military resources away from a separate battle against the country’s al-Qaida offshoot. The U.S. and other countries have pressured Yemen to resolve the rebellion so that it can concentrate on fighting the al-Qaida franchise, which is suspected of masterminding the failed attempt to bomb an airliner in the U.S. on Christmas Day. Fighting in Yemen’s northern provinces killed at least 53 people last week and rebels have seized several towns. Monday’s battles took place in the town of al-Zalaa, 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of the capital. The tribal leader described a heavy deployment of government troops, tanks and armored vehicles but said they failed to push the rebels back. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
Mexico
Mexican authorities are investigating the possible emergence of a new drug gang that appeared to take credit for six killings through a message left with the bodies Monday, officials said. The six men were found inside a car in the southwestern city of Chilpancingo, Guerrero state police said in a statement. Next to them lay a message reading: “This will happen to all rapists, extortionists and kidnappers. Attentively, the New Cartel of the Sierra.” Authorities are investigating the authenticity of the gang, said an official with the state prosecutors office, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the case. The official said authorities had no previous knowledge of such an organized crime group. The car was reported stolen hours before the bodies were found, according to the police statement. The owner told police that armed men intercepted him on a highway and forced him out of the car.
Turkey
Police fired tear gas to break up clashes between Turkish and Kurdish protesters in southern Turkey Tuesday after a deadly attack on police in the area fueled ethnic tensions.
The fighting followed similar ethnic clashes in northwest Turkey a day earlier. The interior minister blamed provocateurs for the violence as Turkey prepares for a September referendum on constitutional reform and a parliamentary election next year. Monday evening gunmen in a van shot four Turkish police officers, opening fire on their vehicle in the town of Dortyol in the southern province of Hatay. While the identity of the gunmen was unclear, local suspicions appeared to be directed at Kurdish militants — the shooting triggered clashes between Turks and Kurds. State-run Anatolian news agency said some of the protesters chanted slogans in Kurdish in support of the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla group, which has recently stepped up attacks against security forces. Turkish protesters subsequently attacked and set fire to the local offices of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP) and Kurdish workplaces in Dortyol, broadcaster NTV reported.
Iran
Russia has branded EU sanctions against Iran as “unacceptable”, saying they undermine international efforts to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The European Union on Monday adopted new sanctions targeting Iran’s foreign trade, banking and energy sectors. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman has condemned the “deeply regrettable” sanctions and vowed to continue its uranium enrichment work. The EU measures go beyond the fourth set of UN sanctions adopted on 9 June. They include a ban on dealing with Iranian banks and insurance companies, as well as steps to prevent investment in Tehran’s oil and gas sector. Russia, one of six world powers negotiating with Iran, supported the UN sanctions last month, but has objected to extra unilateral measures imposed by the US and EU since then.
Venezuela
Venezuela has sent more troops to its border with Colombia amid an escalating row over Bogota’s claims that guerrilla fighters are holed up inside its neighbour’s territory. About 1,000 Venezuelan National Guard soldiers arrived in the border region over the weekend and were reinforcing posts along the 2,200km frontier, Franklin Marquez, a regional commander for the Guard, said on Monday. Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia after the allegations that it hosted the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). He called the charges a “hoax” and an excuse for Colombia to launch a US-backed invasion he says would start a “100-year war”. But Colombia presented photograph, videos and maps of what it said were Farc camps inside Venezuela.
