James Denseiow

This month America stood still - as it has done for the last eighteen years – to mark the events of the 9/11 attacks and remember those who died on that fateful September day. Yet this year the marking of a moment of national crisis took place against the backdrop of an arguably even greater national crisis. How to remember the dead at a time of mass dying? So far Covid-19 has taken the toll of sixty-five 9/11s. Soon the USA, already a world leader in fatalities, will cross the 200,000 lives lost.

The course of world events that followed 9/11 have claimed a far greater cost. According to the “Cost of War Project” over 801,000 people have died due to direct war violence caused by 9/11, and several times as many indirectly. This includes over 335,000 civilians killed because of fighting, 37 million refugees and persons displaced, and a US federal price tag for the post-9/11 wars estimated at over $6.4 trillion dollars.

If the attacks of 9/11 were a rock dropped into a pond the ripples and shockwaves sent out are at a scale far larger than the attack itself. So, as we mark the moment of the attack what is the state of the world that it helped to create? Putting the pandemic to one side we see the US focused on extracting itself from conflicts that it used 9/11 as a pretext to get involved in. Scrambling and rushed withdrawals are leaving fragility, violence and chaos in their wake.

In Iraq the US will withdraw more than a third of its troops from Iraq within weeks, its top Middle East commander has said. Gen Kenneth McKenzie told reporters the troop presence would be reduced from about 5,200 to 3,000 during September. U.S. military forces in Iraq peaked at 170,300 in November 2007. Yet the decision to withdraw more troops from the country is far more about US domestic politics and the country’s apathy towards ‘forever wars’ than it is about a secure and stable Iraq.

Indeed ISIS, despite the defeat of the physical state-like entity, have ramped up attacks in Iraq, forcing government troops to step up counter-insurgency operations just as the US have pared back their presence in the country. The jihadi group staged at least 566 attacks in Iraq in the first three months of the year and 1,669 during 2019, a 13 per cent increase from the previous year.

If Iraq is the highest profile 9/11 inspired adventure, then Afghanistan was the first and the most protracted. Whilst the race to topple Saddam involved WMD conspiracies and a litany of contested reasons, the logic of the Afghanistan invasion was always simpler. The Taliban provided safe harbour to Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and thus that haven had to be removed. But the removal of the Taliban from government didn’t mean the US was able to remove the Taliban from the country and this month the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators launched historic peace talks, aiming to end decades of war through a political settlement that would be unprecedented in the country’s recent history.

The proponents of the 9/11 wars see a deeply unsecure Iraq threatened by a dangerous terrorist organisation and a conflict-ridden Afghanistan in which the only hopefully roadmap towards peace involves bringing the arch enemies into the peace tent. It is no surprise therefore to see the number of proponents of the ‘war on terror’ very much in the political minority.

Donald Trump in addition to focusing on accelerating US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq has gone further and started withdrawing US troops from Europe whilst threatening to withdraw them from other more traditional strategic locations, such as South Korea, unless their ‘pay their way’. Indeed, the highwater mark of the 9/11 wars has now created a backlash that is going far beyond countries like Afghanistan and Iraq where they were originally fought. The backlash is typified by extreme nervousness from the Coalitions involved as to using military power and a predominance of more of isolationist agenda.

Such isolationism is retarding a truly global response to the global pandemic and it is a tragic irony that the memories of the thousands dead in 9/11 has not manifested in a world better prepared to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people today.

by : jamse danselow

The UN at Seventy-Five How is important to bring German Jihadist home?

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.