THE CASE FOR WORLD FREEDOM AND PRAYERFUL CALL FOR GREAT LEADERSHIP Freedom in the World is a yearly survey and report by Freedom House that attempts to measure the degree of democracy and political freedom in every nation and significant disputed territories around the world. A. DEMOCRATIC BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE BALANCE The emergence of popular movements for reform were the driving force behind major gains in the Middle East last year, according to Freedom in the World 2013, Freedom Houses annual report on the state of global freedom. However, a number of regions experienced setbacks due to a hardened and increasingly shrewd authoritarian response to these movements. While the number of countries ranked as Free in 2012 was 90, a gain of 3 over the previous year, 27 countries showed significant declines, compared with 16 that showed notable gains. This is the seventh consecutive year that Freedom in the World has shown more declines than gains worldwide. Furthermore, the report data reflected a stepped-up campaign of persecution by dictators that specifically targeted civil society organizations and independent media. Among the most striking gains for freedom was that of Libya, which advanced from Not Free to Partly Free and registered one of the most substantial one-year numerical improvements in the reports nearly 40-year history. Burma and a number of African countries, including Côte divoire, Guinea, Lesotho, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, also saw major advances. Noteworthy declines were recorded for Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Middle East showed ambiguous results for the year. In addition to major gains for Libya, and Tunisias retention of sharp improvements from 2011, Egypt experienced relatively modest progress. The country held a flawed but competitive presidential election and direct military rule came to an end, yet the elected parliament was dissolved and President Morsi pushed through a new constitution under deeply problematic circumstances. Moreover, the gains for the Arab Spring countries triggered a reaction, sometimes violent, by authoritarian leaders elsewhere in the Middle East, with resulting setbacks for freedom in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. .......I would inject current events as Im able to do so as this report by CNN recently. Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) - The militant jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria killed dozens of Syrian troops and workers during an attack on a gas field in central Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, killed 270 Syrians, including national guard members, security guards and employees, after storming and seizing the al Shaer gas field in Homs province on Thursday, the group said. The death toll could climb. Another 90 security guards and employees are missing, the anti-goverment activist group added. Word of the slaughter in Homs came after ISIS violence against Christians and other minority groups in Iraq in recent weeks. C. The reports findings were especially grim for Eurasian countries. Russia took a decided turn for the worse after Vladimir Putins return to the presidency. Having already marginalized the formal political opposition, he enacted a series of laws meant to squelch a burgeoning societal opposition. The measures imposed severe new penalties on unauthorized demonstrations, restricted the ability of civic groups to raise funds and conduct their work, and placed new controls on the internet. Citing an accentuation of repression in a number of critical countries, the report urges the United States and other democracies to demonstrate leadership in the struggle for freedom. It criticizes both the Obama administration and the Republican opposition for a reluctance to provide that leadership. Key global findings: The number of electoral democracies stood at 118, an increase of one compared to 2011. Three countries, Bhutan, Georgia, and Libya, achieved electoral democracy status, while two were dropped from the category, Mali and the Maldives. Four countries moved from Partly Free to Free: Lesotho, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tonga. Three countries rose from Not Free to Partly Free: Côte dIvoire, Egypt, and Libya. Mali fell two tiers, from Free to Not Free, and Guinea-Bissau dropped from Partly Free to Not Free. Some notable trends highlighted in the report include increased Muslim-on-Muslim violence, which reaching horrifying levels in Pakistan and remained a serious problem in Iraq and elsewhere; a serious decline in civil liberties in Turkey; and among the Persian Gulf states, a steady and disturbing decline in democratic institutions and an increase in repressive policies. Worst of the Worst: Of the 47 countries designated as Not Free, nine have been given the surveys lowest possible rating of 7 for both political rights and civil liberties: Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Two territories, Tibet and Western Sahara, were also ranked among the worst of the worst. An additional 5 countries and 1 territory received scores that were slightly above those of the worst-ranked countries, with ratings of 6,7 or 7,6 for political rights and civil liberties: Belarus, Chad, China, Cuba, Laos, and South Ossetia. Key regional findings: Middle East and North Africa In a region notable for sectarian polarization, civil strife, and repressive autocracies, freedom scored some grudging but nonetheless impressive gains in 2012. Gains: Tunisia maintained dramatic improvements from the previous year, and Libya and Egypt both moved from Not Free to Partly Free. Declines: Syria suffered by far the worst repercussions from the Arab Spring. Declines were also seen in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. .....NOTE ... North Central insurgency by daily terrorist activities by Boko Haram Militants is a shameful killing of innocent Africans of Christian persuasion. Boko Haram Militants Kill More Than 100 In Northeast Nigeria HARUNA UMAR AP 07/19/14 12:55 PM ET MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Boko Haram extremists have killed more than 100 people and hoisted their black and white flag over a town left undefended by Nigerias military, just 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the northeastern state capital of Maiduguri, a civil defense spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday. Hundreds of villagers in another northeast area, Askira Uba, are fleeing after receiving letters from the Islamic extremists threatening to attack and take over their areas, spokesman Abbas Gava of the Nigerian Vigilante Group said. Nine major villages are on the run, he said. Survivors said Saturday that insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and lobbed homemade bombs into homes, and then gunned down people as they tried to escape the fires in the attack on Damboa town launched before dawn Friday. Most of the town has burned down, they said. A human rights advocate said the extremists struck again as people were trying to bury the dead later Friday, and said the death toll is probably much higher than 100. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to reporters. The only defense came from vigilantes armed with clubs and homemade rifles, Gava said. The town had been under siege for two weeks since Boko Haram dislodged soldiers from a new tank battalion camp on its outskirts. It seemed that instead of offering protection, the camp drew the wrath of the extremists. The Defense Ministry had claimed to have repelled the attack and killed at least 50 insurgents for the loss of six soldiers including the commanding officer. But locals said many soldiers were killed and the military was driven from the base. They said the extremists twice have ambushed military convoys trying to reach the base in the past week. The militants had cut off access to the town from the south on Monday when they blew up a bridge further south. Damboa is on the main road south from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, and at a strategic crossroads for farmers to bring their produce to market. Hundreds of thousands of farmers have been driven from their lands in the 5-year-old insurgency, and officials have been warning of imminent food shortages. Both Nigerias military and Boko Haram have been claiming victories on the battlefield in the rapidly spreading Islamic insurgency in Africas most populous nation and biggest oil producer. Boko Haram has attracted international condemnation for the abductions of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls who have been held in captivity for 3 months. The insurgents have increased the number and deadliness of attacks this year, particularly in their stronghold in the northeast, though they also have detonated bombs as far away as Lagos, the commercial capital in the southwest. Human Rights Watch published a report this week which said the insurgency has killed at least 2,053 civilians in an estimated 95 attacks during the first half of 2014. That compares to an estimated 3,600 people killed in the first four years of the insurgency. Boko Haram wants to enforce an Islamic state in Nigeria though half the countrys population of 170 million is Christian. Associated Press writer Michelle Faul contributed to this report from Lagos, Nigeria. D. Sub-Saharan Africa In recent years, sub-Saharan Africa has ranked as the worlds most politically volatile region, with major democratic breakthroughs in some countries, and coups, civil strife, and authoritarian crackdowns in others. While the region saw several significant gains, especially in West Africa, civil conflicts and the emergence of violent Islamist groups prevented an overall upgrade for political freedom. Gains: Three countries moved from Partly Free to Free: Lesotho, Sierra Leone, and Senegal. Côte dIvoire moved from Not Free to Partly Free. Guinea and Malawi also showed gains. Declines: Mali suffered one of the greatest single-year declines in the history of Freedom in the World, dropping precipitously from Free to Not Free, and Guinea-Bissaus status declined from Partly Free to Not Free. Declines were also seen in the Central African Republic, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, South Africa, and Uganda. Central and Eastern Europe/Eurasia The return of Vladimir Putin to the Russian presidency ushered in a new period of accelerated repression. With Russia setting the tone, Eurasia (consisting of the countries of the former Soviet Union minus the Baltic states) now rivals the Middle East as one of the most repressive areas on the globe. Indeed, Eurasia is in many respects the worlds least free subregion, given the entrenchment of autocrats in most of its 12 countries. Gains: Improvements were seen in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as in the disputed territories of Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the latter of which moved from Not Free to Partly Free. Declines: Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine all had notable declines. KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine made fresh charges of Russian involvement in its conflict with separatist rebels, suggesting Moscow may have had a role in an air strike on Tuesday that killed at least four people. The accusations come a day before European Union leaders meet to discuss the crisis, where they might consider adopting fresh sanctions against Russia. Tomorrow in Brussels, the heads of state and government will again assess the situation on the ground and, should it be required, adopt necessary decisions, the blocs enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. E. NOTE:.......Again it is necessary to give the latest and as reliable information of daily changes to liberties in the world today. UKRAINIAN security services claim to have intercepted two phone conversations in which pro-Russian separatists discuss having just shot down a civilian plane. A transcript of the phone intercept was made shortly after MH17 was shot down. The participants are reportedly pro-Russian rebel leader Igor Bezler, his superior Vasily Geranin, a rebel fighter going by the name ‘Major’ and another comrade called ‘Greek’. ROLLING COVERAGE: Aussies among 298 dead on MH17 GALLERY: Malaysian Airlines plane shot down This how their discussion ran: Igor Bezler: We have just shot down a plane. Group Minera. It fell down beyond Yenakievo. Vasili Geranin: Pilots. Where are the pilots? IB: Gone to search for and photograph the plane. It’s smoking. VG: How many minutes ago? IB: About 30 minutes ago. (Ukrainian Security Service Comment: After examining the site of the plane the terrorists come to the conclusion that they have shot down a civilian plane. The next part of the conversation took place about 40 minutes later.) “Major”: These are Chernukhin folks shot down the plane. From the Chernukhin check point. Those cossacks who are based in Chernukhino. “Greek”: Yes, Major. “Major”: The plane fell apart in the air. In the area of Petropavlovskaya mine. The first “200” (code word for dead person). We have found the first “200.” A Civilian. “Greek”: Well, what do you have there? “Major”: In short, it was 100 per cent a passenger (civilian) aircraft. “Greek”: Are many people there? “Major”: Holy sh--t! The debris fell right into the yards (of homes). “Greek”: What kind of aircraft? “Major”: I haven’t ascertained this. I haven’t been to the main sight. I am only surveying the scene where the first bodies fell. There are the remains of internal brackets, seats, and bodies. “Greek”: Is there anything left of the weapon? “Major”: Absolutely nothing. Civilian items, medicinal stuff, towels, toilet paper. “Greek”: Are there documents? “Major”: Yes, of one Indonesian student. From a university in Thompson. Pro-Russian separatist ... Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Borodai, arrives at the crash site. Source: Supplied Even before the phone call was revealed, it was looking increasingly likely a Russian separatist movement was behind the shooting down of the flight as it passed over Ukraine toward the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 777-200 commercial MH-17 flight from Amsterdam, code sharing with Dutch national carrier KLM flight KL-4103, was carrying 295 people including 15 crew when it disappeared from radar. The plane scattered over a wide area in fields near the village of Grabovo, 40km from the Russian border near the rebel-held regional capital Donetsk. ‘We downed an An-26’ Social media posts by pro-Russian insurgents - most of them hastily removed - suggest the rebels thought they had shot down a Ukrainian army plane before realising in horror that it was in fact a packed Malaysian airliner. F. Asia-Pacific For years ranked among the worlds most repressive regimes, Burma continued to push ahead with a process of democratic reform that was launched in 2010. While it remains a Not Free country, it registered improvements that brought it ahead of China in both its political rights and civil liberties ratings. Gains: Improvements were seen in Burma, Bhutan, Indian Kashmir, Mongolia, and Tonga. Declines: The most serious declines in the Asia-Pacific region for 2012 took place in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Americas As the year ended, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez was in a Cuban hospital attempting to recover from surgery for an undisclosed form of cancer. For over a decade, Chávez has been a significant figure in regional politics and has aspired, with less success, to a leading role on the global stage. His reelection in 2012 was ensured by the massive abuse of state resources. Gains: The region of the Americas saw no substantial improvements. Declines: Ecuador, Paraguay, and Suriname suffered notable declines. Western Europe and North America Although Western Europe and North America continue to grapple with the impact of the financial crisis and, in Europe, an increase in nationalist sentiment in response to an influx of immigrants, they have managed to weather these challenges without a serious weakening of their traditionally high level of respect for democratic standards and civil liberties. There were no major gains or declines in this region. Note: Reports with asterisks in the following list are for territories rather than countries. B. DetailsBy Name TABLE OF CONTENTS Release Booklet Methodology Checklist Questions and Guidelines Charts and Graphs Map of Freedom 2013 Essay: Democratic Breakthroughs in the Balance A. Wikipedia Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. B. ABOUT FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world. Today, as more than two billion people live under oppressive rule, Freedom House speaks out against the main threats to democracy and empowers citizens to exercise their fundamental rights. We analyze the challenges to freedom; advocate for greater political and civil liberties; and support frontline activists to defend human rights and promote democratic change. Founded in 1941, Freedom House was the first American organization to champion the advancement of freedom globally. C. updated 9:20 PM EDT 07.18.14 Report: ISIS kills 270 at Syrian gas field By Shelby Lin Erdman, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Hamdi Alkhshali, CNN D. Huffington Post Boko Haram Militants Kill More Than 100 In Northeast Nigeria HARUNA UMAR AP 07/19/14 12:55 PM ET MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Boko Haram extremists have killed more than 100 people and hoisted their black and white flag over a town left undefended by Nigerias military, just 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the northeastern state capital of Maiduguri, a civil defense spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday. E. Ukraine Suggests Russia May Have Had a Role in Deadly Air Strike By Reuters Filed: 7/15/14 at 10:59 AM F. NEWSCOM.au Russian rebels are ‘likely responsible’ for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over the Ukraine JULY 18, 2014 1:49PM
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:30:22 +0000
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