STATE DEPARTMENT BLAMES SYRIA FOR NEW 'HOLOCAUST,' RUSSIA SAYS U.S. PREVENTING PEACE
October 3, 2019, 2:49 pm

STATE DEPARTMENT BLAMES SYRIA FOR NEW 'HOLOCAUST,' RUSSIA SAYS U.S. PREVENTING PEACE

A general view of the Turkish Red Crescent camp near the village of Atmeh, which hosts nearly one million displaced Syrians along the Turkish-Syrian border

The State Department has issued one of its strongest condemnations yet of Syria, while Russia's top diplomat indicated it was the United States preventing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Speaking at the Council of Foreign Relations, State Department spokesperson Josh Rayburn laid out six conditions Wednesday for reestablishing relations with the Syrian government, "whether it is the current one or the future one." The final point called for the prosecution of war criminals, accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's administration of running a "killing machine" and citing NGOs that have placed the number of reported disappearances in Syrian prisons as high as 215,000.

"The Assad regime is rerunning the Holocaust in the 21st century," Rayburn said. "All of us have an important stake in making sure that one of the lessons from the Syrian conflict is that an authoritarian regime cannot kill its way out of a crisis it has created because of its unwillingness to acknowledge the legitimate cost of reform for these people."

He also accused Moscow of propping up the Syrian government, but that same day Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered his take on the conflict, where he deemed Washington's methods "illegal" throughout the eight-year war.

Rayburn said that "the Assad regime could not survive without the support Russia gives them," but in Lavrov's comments to Saudi-linked newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, he defied the characterization of Moscow "saving the regime" with its 2015 entrance into the conflict. He said his country "responded to the Syrian authorities' request and provided assistance in the war on terror" and both Russia and Iran's efforts in support of the Syrian government.

"The only legitimate basis for such a presence can be based on the invitation of the legitimate authorities, or on the basis of a Security Council resolution," Lavrov told the outlet. "Iran is present in Syria at the request of Damascus, unlike the United States, for example, which has been 'known' worldwide for illegal anti-Syrian military actions."

While President Donald Trump largely severed assistance to an increasingly Islamist insurgency against Assad to focus on defeating the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), he also ordered strikes against the Syrian government in April 2017 and 2018 in response to allegations of chemical weapon use that Moscow has denied. The U.S. previously drew criticism for historical references here when, in 2017, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons" during the 20th-century Holocaust, in which millions, mostly Jews, were executed in gas chambers.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last week that the U.S. has again determined that Syrian forces used chemical weapons in an attack in the insurgent-held territory in May and declared new sanctions against "Russian entities for supporting Assad's brutal war machine and facilitating the shipments of jet fuel to Russian military forces in Syria." He accused Assad of "innumerable atrocities," including also including "killings, torture, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts."

Washington and Moscow have rhetorically clashed about over one another's interventions, with both accusing the other of having sponsored human rights abuses. The latter has also used Holocaust-era imagery, with the Russian military saying the conditions of the Rukban refugee camp in U.S.-controlled territory "reminds one of the concentration camps of the Second World War."

With the joint U.S.-Russian foe of ISIS mostly defeated, Lavrov said Wednesday that "questions arise about the purpose of the continued U.S. presence on Syrian soil."

"There is a strong sense that Washington's mission is to prevent the restoration of Syria's territorial integrity, in direct violation of Security Council resolution 2254, and we hope that the United States will honor the promise made by Donald Trump in December 2018 to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria," Lavrov said.

For its part, Damascus has also dismissed accusations of chemical weapons use. Responding to Pompeo's most recent allegations, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem told Lebanon-based outlet Al Mayadeen that "this is merely a lie and a false claim hiding behind it an attempt to export the problems of the United States."

He echoed Lavrov's defense of Iran and questioning of U.S. in Syria, saying "Iran did not come as the United States came to Syria, Iran was invited to contribute to our fight against terrorism, and there are no Iranian armies at all." Meanwhile, Rayburn listed "severing ties with the Iranian regime and its proxies" as the first condition for recognizing the Syrian government during Wednesday's talk.

SOURCE : newsweek

Britain and EU trade blame over new Brexit plans US Urges 'Plan B' for Islamic State Fighters, Families in Syria

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.