Belgium Remains on High Alert After Weekend Arrests

BRUSSELS — Brussels remained on high alert Monday with increased security after a weekend sweep that left three in jail facing terrorism charges, including relatives of two of the March 22 suicide attackers.

The MIVB metro system said a half-dozen subway stations have reduced entry on request from authorities, but all subway lines in the Belgian capital were running during the morning rush hour.

On Saturday, authorities charged three men with terror-related crimes after raids and the detention of 40 people in a major investigation. Authorities said the probe required "immediate intervention" because they feared a new attack was close.

Among those arrested were relatives of the El-Bakraoui brothers, who were among the suicide bombers in the March 22 attacks.

"We know that radicalism, violent extremism, is in a small minority of the Muslim community and it targets families," Interior Minister Jan Jambon said in an interview with RTBF radio, responding to a question about the family ties among those arrested. He declined to elaborate, beyond saying that "it makes it easier to follow them, because we know where the links are."

Prime Minister Charles Michel said the nation would remain "extremely vigilant, hour by hour," and that the terror level across the country would remain at the second-highest level, meaning a threat of an attack "is possible and likely."

Associated Press. "Belgium Remains on High Alert After Weekend Arrests." June 20, 2016. New York Times. June 20, 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/06/20/world/europe/ap-eu-belgium-security-.html>.

Response:

The article is a short article about the 3 men who have been charged with terrorism charges. Belgium is intensely watching out for any possible attacks because the government has deemed that another attack seems close at hand. They had a major investigation of about 40 people because the authorities wanted "immediate intervention" before a terrorist attack actually happened. 2 of the 3 men who have been charged with terrorism crimes were a relative of suicide attackers from the March 22 attack. The author seems to be unbiased since the article is clearly an informative form, not presenting the bias of one side or the other. It seems to me that Belgium officials are in close attention towards any possible attacks and the family ties "make it easier to follow them [terrorists]" due to their links. The country is in its second=highest level of terror level in that the likelihood of a terrorist attack is very high and possible. This is a very wise act on the part of the government because it is being cautious about a possible disaster and as proven by the 3 men who were arrested, the chances of preventing terror attacks is present.

Philippine Officials Confirm Canadian Hostage Was Beheaded

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials confirmed Tuesday that Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded a Canadian man, the second Canadian hostage to be killed in two months after their demands for a large ransom were not met.

The hostage, Robert Hall, was abducted from a marina last September along with another Canadian, a Norwegian and a Filipino. The other Canadian, former mining executive John Ridsdel, was beheaded in April.

Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma condemned "the brutal and senseless murder" of Hall. He had been held by the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of southern Sulu province for nine months.

"This latest heinous crime serves to strengthen our government's resolve to put an end to this reign of terror and banditry," he said in a statement.

A militant video obtained by Philippine police officials and seen by The Associated Press showed Hall in an orange shirt and kneeling in front of a black Islamic State-style flag before he was killed in a jungle area.

An Abu Sayyaf deadline for the payment of a large ransom lapsed Monday and police later found a severed head of a Caucasian man outside a Roman Catholic cathedral in Sulu province's main Jolo town.

In Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was "compelling reason to believe" that Hall had been killed by his captors, and that the Canadian government was working with Philippine authorities to confirm his death.

"We have every reason to believe that the reports are unfortunately true," Trudeau said.

He said he was "horrified" by the killings and reaffirmed Canada's refusal to pay ransoms.

"The government of Canada will not and cannot pay ransoms for hostages to terrorist groups, as doing so would endanger the lives of more Canadians," Trudeau said in a statement.

"We are more committed than ever to working with the government of the Philippines and international partners to pursue those responsible for these heinous acts and bring them to justice, however long it takes."

Trudeau recently urged leaders of other members of the Group of Seven rich nations to reiterate their opposition to paying ransoms.

After being abducted from the marina on southern Samal Island last September, the hostages were taken by boat to Sulu, where the Abu Sayyaf has held hostages for years in mountainous jungle camps.

Ridsdel was beheaded on April 25 after a ransom demand of 300 million pesos ($6.3 million) was not paid.

In an Abu Sayyaf video posted on YouTube after Ridsdel's death, Hall and the two other hostages, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino woman Marites Flor, pleaded to Canadian and Philippine officials to negotiate their release.

"We live like this every day, go to bed like this," Hall said, raising his arms to show that he was handcuffed. We have a hundred people heavily armed around us all the time that dictate to us and talk to us like children. We've been humiliated in every way possible. One of us has already been murdered."

Hall spoke later in the video for a second time, sounding resigned to a tragic fate.

"I would also like to thank my family for the effort they put in — my family and friends for the effort they put in — to get me out of here. I know you did everything you can, and I truly appreciate it. I'm sorry I got you in this mess," he said.

Trudeau extended his "heartfelt condolences" to Hall's relatives and friends.

The United States and the Philippines have both listed the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for kidnappings, beheadings and bombings. The group emerged in the early 1990s as an extremist offshoot of a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the country's south.

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Gillies reported from Toronto.

The Associated Press. "Philippines Officials Confirm Canadian Hostage was Beheaded." 14 June 2016. The New York Times. 14 June 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/06/14/world/asia/ap-cn-canada-philippines-hostages.html>.

Response:

The article is about the recent beheading of a Canadian hostage by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines. This Canadian hostage, Robert Hall was not the first of the Canadian hostages that were murdered because a man named John Risdel was killed on April. The cause of the murder seems to be because the Canadian government has refused to pay a large ransom that was demanded by Abu Sayyaf. The Canadian government has said that they "will not and cannot pay ransoms for hostages to terrorist groups as doing so would endanger the lives of more Canadians." This may seem a little cold but it is logical in the sense that they cannot risk the lives of many more people by "funding" a terrorist group by paying an extreme amount of ransom for the hostages that Abu Sayyaf had captured. The article also points out that Abu Sayyaf hadn't only captured/kidnapped Canadians but a Norwegian and a Filipino as well the two Canadians. The article doesn't seem to have a clear bias in that it presents both side's wants but it could be bias in a sense that it doesn't have clear information of the group. The Abu Sayyaf group has been categorized as being a terrorist group by the United States and the Philippines due to their kidnappings, beheadings, and bombings. It seems to me that there are so many groups around the world that would do anything for their causes. I think that the Canadian government's response to not paying the ransom was right in that even if they had paid the ransom, there wasn't a large probability that the group would have released the hostages alive. It is sad that individuals have to die in such ways where no one is able to help them and I wish that there was some way where these things could stop happening but sadly and unfortunately such things happen continuously. Therefore I am not sure how this could be prevented rather than that everyone is more cautious about everything, including countries and governments. 

U.N. Experts Condemn Duterte’s ‘Incitement to Violence’ in the Philippines

The President-elect is accused of sending "a permissive signal to potential killers"

Rodrigo Duterte has not yet taken office as the President of the Philippines after winning an election on May 9. But the tough-talking Davao City mayor has already gotten into a spat with the U.N.

Two independent experts who advise the U.N.’s Human Rights Council on Monday condemned recent comments made by the President-elect.

Duterte has pledged to give law enforcement shoot-to-kill powers, and has been linked to the motorcycle death squads who roam his home city, executing suspected criminals. He insists journalists are “not exempted from execution,” and says that most of the scores of reporters killed with impunity in the Philippines in recent years were themselves corrupt.

“A message of this nature amounts to incitement to violence and killing, in a nation already ranked as the second-deadliest country for journalists,” Cristof Heyns, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on summary executions, told reporters in Geneva, according to a U.N. press release. “These comments are irresponsible in the extreme, and unbecoming of any leader, let alone someone who is to assume the position of the leader of a country that calls itself democratic.”

David Kaye, the special rapporteur on freedom of expression, says Duterte’s comments could “be understood as a permissive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is acceptable in certain circumstances and would not be punished.”

“This position is even more disturbing when one considers that Philippines is still struggling to ensure accountability in notorious cases of violence against journalists, such as the Maguindanao massacre,” Kaye adds, referring to the still unsolved 2009 mass murder when a group of 57 people, many of them journalists, were killed en route to cover the registration of an opposition candidate in an election.

Duterte has generally shrugged off censure for his comments. Responding last week to international criticism, including from media, he attacked the idea that his policies might be held up to the standards of U.N. conventions. “F-ck you U.N., you can’t even solve the Middle East carnage … couldn’t even lift a finger in Africa,” he said, according to the Philippines-based Inquirer newspaper. “Shut up, all of you.”

Lewis, Simon. "U.N. Experts Condemn Duterte's 'Incitement to Violence' in the Philippines." 6 June 2016. Time. 6 June 2016. <http://time.com/4359466/un-duterte-philippines-incitement-violence/>.

This article is about the soon-to-be president of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused by U.N experts for allowing potential murder against journalists. Duterte has said that journalists are "not exempted from execution" and that most reporters that were killed in recent years were corrupt themselves. The U.N fears that this may be permission for the murder of journalists, as David Kaye says in the article. David Kaye also says that the stance taken by Duterte is "more disturbing when one considers that Philippines is still struggling to ensure accountability in notorious cases of violence against journalists," showing his concern for the lives of the journalists in Philippines and their safety. The article seems a little biased in that it continuously shows Duterte allowing murder while it does not provide information on why the safety of journalists is such a minor concern for Duterte. I personally agree with the article in that Duterte was careless to say things in the tone as if he didn't care that journalists were mistreated since they were corrupt as well. The article also shows how Duterte resents the U.N and looks at them as if they were useless since they "couldn't even lift a finger in Africa" and can't solve the "Middle East carnage." In a way I think that U.N or other countries should not get involved in this issue in the Philippines until human rights are clearly violated and Duterte actually takes action to deliberately "kill" or "allow killing" of journalists. This is not because U.N hasn't been able to "help" as Duterte implies but because Philippines is a country of its own and they should be able to take care of national issues on their own without foreign interference.