The document discusses the devastating impact of mines, booby traps, and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria. It notes that when people returned to their homes in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane and Manbij after battles, they found their towns littered with explosives, which killed and injured many civilians. MSF medical facilities treated over 190 people injured by explosions in just one month. The widespread use of improvised explosive devices not only during battles but also aimed indiscriminately at civilians constitutes a violation of international law. Clearance of the contaminated areas is urgently needed but local capacity is limited.
טקטיקת "המגן האנושי" בה נוקט ארגון חיזבאללה tal kerem
מרכז עלמה פיתח מאגר נתונים הכולל 28 אתרים הקשורים לשיגור, לאחסון וייצור טילי Fateh 110 / M 600 לטווח בינוני של חיזבאללה. הטווח של Fateh 110 הוא עד 300 ק"מ או 186 מיילים, בעוד שדגמים משופרים המכונים "D 'Al-Ficar" יש טווח גדול יותר של עד 700 ק"מ או 435 מייל", כותבים בדיווח.
כמעט כל האתרים נמצאים בדרום ביירות, אזור בשליטת חיזבאללה, ונמצאים בשכונות אזרחיות, בתוך בתים פרטיים, מרכזים רפואיים, כנסיות, אתרי תעשיה, משרדים ציבוריים, רשתות מזון מהיר, כמו גם בשטחים פתוחים בקרבת מקום. זוהי ולכן מעניקה להם הגנה מפני תקיפות מנגד.
WEEK 8 Synthesis of CBRN ThreatsLessonWelcome to Week.docxphilipnelson29183
WEEK 8: Synthesis of CBRN Threats
Lesson
Welcome to Week 8 of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats to the Homeland course! Course wrap up and some final thoughts…
In 2011, the death of the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was a highlight to the global effort on terror. While his philosophies were the foundation of a blossoming global organization that attracted violent extremists, he was an extreme advocate of terrorism focused specifically at the United States. According to Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism, “Even in the years when he had to limit and manage his contacts with the rest of the organization, it was clear from the trove of information collected from the compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, that he remained deeply involved in directing its operations and setting its strategy” (2012, 5).
Despite blows in and around the world to al-Qaeda and its affiliates, its believers remain adaptable, both abroad and here in the United States. “They have shown resilience; retain the capability to conduct regional and transnational attacks; and, thus, constitute an enduring and serious threat to our national security” (Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism 2012, 5).
Recently the civil war in Syria has resulted in many second and third order effects to include WMD use, proliferation of chemicals and radiological material, and a one of a kind effort to remove chemical weapons from a hostel environment. According the the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) both sides of the conflict claim to have been attacked with "Toxic Chemicals." Many believe this started with CWs and was later followed by the use of Chlorine against both sides of the conflict.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has caused great global concern over their ability to obtain WMD. In June 2014, ISIS members broke into Mosul University in Iraq stealing a cache of radiological materials. They have also been known to possess Chlorine and use it against their opponents in Syria. As ISIS continues to grow their nihilist world view makes them potentially willing to use WMD.
One result of the threat posed by the Assad regime and ISIS was the multinational action to remove the large stockpile of CW from Syria. According to the Paul Walker of the Arms Control Association,
This was an enormously ambitious and difficult effort, especially in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria, the refusal of Syria to cover the costs of demilitarization, the strong reluctance of any other country to destroy the Syrian chemical stockpile on its territory, and the ongoing allegations of continued and indiscriminate chemical weapons use against rebel forces and civilian populations in Syria.
As of October 20, [2014] according to the OPCW, almost 98 percent of Syria’s declared stockpile of 1,308 metric tons of sulfur mustard agent and precursor chemicals had been destroyed in four countries and on board the MV Cape Ra.
טקטיקת "המגן האנושי" בה נוקט ארגון חיזבאללה tal kerem
מרכז עלמה פיתח מאגר נתונים הכולל 28 אתרים הקשורים לשיגור, לאחסון וייצור טילי Fateh 110 / M 600 לטווח בינוני של חיזבאללה. הטווח של Fateh 110 הוא עד 300 ק"מ או 186 מיילים, בעוד שדגמים משופרים המכונים "D 'Al-Ficar" יש טווח גדול יותר של עד 700 ק"מ או 435 מייל", כותבים בדיווח.
כמעט כל האתרים נמצאים בדרום ביירות, אזור בשליטת חיזבאללה, ונמצאים בשכונות אזרחיות, בתוך בתים פרטיים, מרכזים רפואיים, כנסיות, אתרי תעשיה, משרדים ציבוריים, רשתות מזון מהיר, כמו גם בשטחים פתוחים בקרבת מקום. זוהי ולכן מעניקה להם הגנה מפני תקיפות מנגד.
WEEK 8 Synthesis of CBRN ThreatsLessonWelcome to Week.docxphilipnelson29183
WEEK 8: Synthesis of CBRN Threats
Lesson
Welcome to Week 8 of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats to the Homeland course! Course wrap up and some final thoughts…
In 2011, the death of the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was a highlight to the global effort on terror. While his philosophies were the foundation of a blossoming global organization that attracted violent extremists, he was an extreme advocate of terrorism focused specifically at the United States. According to Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism, “Even in the years when he had to limit and manage his contacts with the rest of the organization, it was clear from the trove of information collected from the compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, that he remained deeply involved in directing its operations and setting its strategy” (2012, 5).
Despite blows in and around the world to al-Qaeda and its affiliates, its believers remain adaptable, both abroad and here in the United States. “They have shown resilience; retain the capability to conduct regional and transnational attacks; and, thus, constitute an enduring and serious threat to our national security” (Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism 2012, 5).
Recently the civil war in Syria has resulted in many second and third order effects to include WMD use, proliferation of chemicals and radiological material, and a one of a kind effort to remove chemical weapons from a hostel environment. According the the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) both sides of the conflict claim to have been attacked with "Toxic Chemicals." Many believe this started with CWs and was later followed by the use of Chlorine against both sides of the conflict.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has caused great global concern over their ability to obtain WMD. In June 2014, ISIS members broke into Mosul University in Iraq stealing a cache of radiological materials. They have also been known to possess Chlorine and use it against their opponents in Syria. As ISIS continues to grow their nihilist world view makes them potentially willing to use WMD.
One result of the threat posed by the Assad regime and ISIS was the multinational action to remove the large stockpile of CW from Syria. According to the Paul Walker of the Arms Control Association,
This was an enormously ambitious and difficult effort, especially in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria, the refusal of Syria to cover the costs of demilitarization, the strong reluctance of any other country to destroy the Syrian chemical stockpile on its territory, and the ongoing allegations of continued and indiscriminate chemical weapons use against rebel forces and civilian populations in Syria.
As of October 20, [2014] according to the OPCW, almost 98 percent of Syria’s declared stockpile of 1,308 metric tons of sulfur mustard agent and precursor chemicals had been destroyed in four countries and on board the MV Cape Ra.
This research led us to conclude that American soil is under a real threat with Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The historical momentum, the facts, and the evidence supporting them, which are described in a chronological context, are sufficient to persuading us about this premise, although some skeptical consider this is just another conspiracy theory.
Hardship for conflict-affected civilians in eastern UkraineDonbassFullAccess
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine continuously monitors conflictaffected areas and reports on the precarious humanitarian situation impacting the lives of the most vulnerable groups of the population in Ukraine. The SMM has observed that ongoing hostilities infringe on the living conditions of civilians on both sides of the contact line. This includes their access to adequate housing, safe drinking water, energy for cooking, heating, lighting, and access to essential medicine and basic health services, including psychological support. Civilians residing along the approximately 500-kilometre-long contact line are significantly affected by the conduct of hostilities including the presence of Ukrainian Armed Forces, so-called “LPR” and so-called “DPR” armed formations and the use of heavy weapons in or near their villages, cities and towns.
Hardship for conflict-affected civilians in eastern UkraineDonbassFullAccess
This report covers the challenges faced by conflict-affected civilians living along the contact line in accessing adequate housing, safe drinking water, and energy for cooking, heating, lighting, and essential medicine and basic health services. It does not provide a comprehensive assessment of the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine; it seeks to provide an overview of the current humanitarian challenges and key concerns that arise from the conduct of hostilities in populated areas as well as by relevant measures adopted by the sides.
The findings in this report are based on regular monitoring by the SMM from May to end of September 2016. On a daily basis the SMM monitors the situation of civilians living on both sides, near and along the approximately 500-kilometre-long contact line throughout Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Particular attention is given to populations living in hard-to-reach locations, and to locations where “DPR” and “LPR” armed formations have established positions or are using equipment within or near populated areas. Similar situations involving the Ukrainian Armed Forces are also a focus for the SMM. The SMM monitors the human rights situation of these civilians, their living conditions and humanitarian needs through direct observation and interviews.
Based on the definitions of terrorism that your group came up with.docxjasoninnes20
Based on the definitions of terrorism that your group came up with, decide: 1. Which of the situations below are “terrorism”; 2. Who are the “terrorists” in the situation; and 3. What additional information you would need to know to be more sure of your answers. All the situations below are true, but the names of countries and peoples have been changed. It may help your group to make a diagram of some of the situations
Situation One: Soldiers from the country of Marak surround a refugee camp made up of people from the country of Bragan. The refugee camp is crowded and the people there are extremely poor. Most of the Bragan people in the refugee camp hate the Marak army, believing that Marak has invaded Bragan, has taken all the best land and resources for themselves, and treats people from Bragan very poorly. Young men in the refugee camp sometimes fire guns at the soldiers. According to an eyewitness, a reporter from the New York Times, Marak soldiers use loudspeakers to call insults into the refugee camp—in the Bragan language. Over the loudspeakers, soldiers shout obscenities and things like, “Son of a whore!” They dare Bragan boys to come out near the electric fence that separates the refugee camp from a wealthy settlement of Marak citizens. When the boys—sometimes as young as 10 or 11—and young men go near the fence to throw stones or yell at the Marak soldiers, the soldiers use silencers and fire on the boys with live ammunition, often killing or maiming them.
In an article, the New York Times reporter expressed horror at what he witnessed. He wrote: “Children have been shot in other conflicts I have covered—death squads gunned them down in El Salvador and Guatemala, mothers with infants were lined up and massacred in Algeria, and Serb snipers put children in their sights and watched them crumple onto the pavement in Sarajevo—but I have never before watched soldiers entice children like mice into a trap and murder them for sport.” The Marak government clearly knows about the behavior of their soldiers and does nothing to stop them. Indeed, Marak soldiers so regularly taunt Bragan citizens that this behavior appears to be the policy of the Marak government. One additional fact: Every year, Marak is given enormous amounts of money and military equipment by the country of Bolaire, which is aware of how these are used by Marak.
Situation 2: Farmers from the country of Belveron are angry at their own government and at a corporation from the country of Paradar. The Belveron government has allowed the Paradar corporation to plant “test” crops of genetically-engineered cotton. The genetically-engineered crops produce their own pesticide. Many Belveron farmers worry that the genetically-engineered crops will pollute their crops—as has happened many times in other countries—and will lead to a breed of super-pests that will be immune to chemical pesticides and also to the organic pest control methods many poor farmers use. Without growing and ...
The Implications of Settling Displaced Persons in Host Communities on Managem...ijtsrd
The objective of this study is to investigate the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management in Yobe State. In addition to the body of literature consulted on the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management, the study adopts Human Need theory developed by Abraham Moslow and Burton. The study adopts qualitative method, whereby data on the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management was collected from 9 sampled respondents through direct interview. The study finds that IDPs face limited job opportunities and often resort to low paying manual labor to make ends meet. It also finds that trade opportunities are limited in IDPs communities, and that many IDPs are dependent on NGOs for support. The study also notes that the government is not providing job opportunities to IDPs and those NGOs are only providing employment on a contract basis. The study concludes that the overall impact of IDPs settlements on public services management is negative, affecting key areas, such as employment, trade, and nutrition. Thus, the study recommended implementing and enforcing existing laws and policies on IDPs providing adequate assistance and protection to IDPs addressing the underlying causes of displacement providing livelihood opportunities enhancing education and healthcare services, etc. Bashir Muhammad Yusuf | Dr. Hindatu Yerima Maigari | Dr. Naziru Mohammed Musalli "The Implications of Settling Displaced Persons in Host Communities on Management of Public Services in Yobe State" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-3 , June 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/papers/ijtsrd57508.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/management/other/57508/the-implications-of-settling-displaced-persons-in-host-communities-on-management-of-public-services-in-yobe-state/bashir-muhammad-yusuf
The simplified electron and muon model, Oscillating Spacetime: The Foundation...RitikBhardwaj56
Discover the Simplified Electron and Muon Model: A New Wave-Based Approach to Understanding Particles delves into a groundbreaking theory that presents electrons and muons as rotating soliton waves within oscillating spacetime. Geared towards students, researchers, and science buffs, this book breaks down complex ideas into simple explanations. It covers topics such as electron waves, temporal dynamics, and the implications of this model on particle physics. With clear illustrations and easy-to-follow explanations, readers will gain a new outlook on the universe's fundamental nature.
How to Add Chatter in the odoo 17 ERP ModuleCeline George
In Odoo, the chatter is like a chat tool that helps you work together on records. You can leave notes and track things, making it easier to talk with your team and partners. Inside chatter, all communication history, activity, and changes will be displayed.
Executive Directors Chat Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, and InclusionTechSoup
Let’s explore the intersection of technology and equity in the final session of our DEI series. Discover how AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be used to support and enhance your nonprofit's DEI initiatives. Participants will gain insights into practical AI applications and get tips for leveraging technology to advance their DEI goals.
This research led us to conclude that American soil is under a real threat with Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The historical momentum, the facts, and the evidence supporting them, which are described in a chronological context, are sufficient to persuading us about this premise, although some skeptical consider this is just another conspiracy theory.
Hardship for conflict-affected civilians in eastern UkraineDonbassFullAccess
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine continuously monitors conflictaffected areas and reports on the precarious humanitarian situation impacting the lives of the most vulnerable groups of the population in Ukraine. The SMM has observed that ongoing hostilities infringe on the living conditions of civilians on both sides of the contact line. This includes their access to adequate housing, safe drinking water, energy for cooking, heating, lighting, and access to essential medicine and basic health services, including psychological support. Civilians residing along the approximately 500-kilometre-long contact line are significantly affected by the conduct of hostilities including the presence of Ukrainian Armed Forces, so-called “LPR” and so-called “DPR” armed formations and the use of heavy weapons in or near their villages, cities and towns.
Hardship for conflict-affected civilians in eastern UkraineDonbassFullAccess
This report covers the challenges faced by conflict-affected civilians living along the contact line in accessing adequate housing, safe drinking water, and energy for cooking, heating, lighting, and essential medicine and basic health services. It does not provide a comprehensive assessment of the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine; it seeks to provide an overview of the current humanitarian challenges and key concerns that arise from the conduct of hostilities in populated areas as well as by relevant measures adopted by the sides.
The findings in this report are based on regular monitoring by the SMM from May to end of September 2016. On a daily basis the SMM monitors the situation of civilians living on both sides, near and along the approximately 500-kilometre-long contact line throughout Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Particular attention is given to populations living in hard-to-reach locations, and to locations where “DPR” and “LPR” armed formations have established positions or are using equipment within or near populated areas. Similar situations involving the Ukrainian Armed Forces are also a focus for the SMM. The SMM monitors the human rights situation of these civilians, their living conditions and humanitarian needs through direct observation and interviews.
Based on the definitions of terrorism that your group came up with.docxjasoninnes20
Based on the definitions of terrorism that your group came up with, decide: 1. Which of the situations below are “terrorism”; 2. Who are the “terrorists” in the situation; and 3. What additional information you would need to know to be more sure of your answers. All the situations below are true, but the names of countries and peoples have been changed. It may help your group to make a diagram of some of the situations
Situation One: Soldiers from the country of Marak surround a refugee camp made up of people from the country of Bragan. The refugee camp is crowded and the people there are extremely poor. Most of the Bragan people in the refugee camp hate the Marak army, believing that Marak has invaded Bragan, has taken all the best land and resources for themselves, and treats people from Bragan very poorly. Young men in the refugee camp sometimes fire guns at the soldiers. According to an eyewitness, a reporter from the New York Times, Marak soldiers use loudspeakers to call insults into the refugee camp—in the Bragan language. Over the loudspeakers, soldiers shout obscenities and things like, “Son of a whore!” They dare Bragan boys to come out near the electric fence that separates the refugee camp from a wealthy settlement of Marak citizens. When the boys—sometimes as young as 10 or 11—and young men go near the fence to throw stones or yell at the Marak soldiers, the soldiers use silencers and fire on the boys with live ammunition, often killing or maiming them.
In an article, the New York Times reporter expressed horror at what he witnessed. He wrote: “Children have been shot in other conflicts I have covered—death squads gunned them down in El Salvador and Guatemala, mothers with infants were lined up and massacred in Algeria, and Serb snipers put children in their sights and watched them crumple onto the pavement in Sarajevo—but I have never before watched soldiers entice children like mice into a trap and murder them for sport.” The Marak government clearly knows about the behavior of their soldiers and does nothing to stop them. Indeed, Marak soldiers so regularly taunt Bragan citizens that this behavior appears to be the policy of the Marak government. One additional fact: Every year, Marak is given enormous amounts of money and military equipment by the country of Bolaire, which is aware of how these are used by Marak.
Situation 2: Farmers from the country of Belveron are angry at their own government and at a corporation from the country of Paradar. The Belveron government has allowed the Paradar corporation to plant “test” crops of genetically-engineered cotton. The genetically-engineered crops produce their own pesticide. Many Belveron farmers worry that the genetically-engineered crops will pollute their crops—as has happened many times in other countries—and will lead to a breed of super-pests that will be immune to chemical pesticides and also to the organic pest control methods many poor farmers use. Without growing and ...
The Implications of Settling Displaced Persons in Host Communities on Managem...ijtsrd
The objective of this study is to investigate the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management in Yobe State. In addition to the body of literature consulted on the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management, the study adopts Human Need theory developed by Abraham Moslow and Burton. The study adopts qualitative method, whereby data on the implications of settling the IDPs in host communities on the public services management was collected from 9 sampled respondents through direct interview. The study finds that IDPs face limited job opportunities and often resort to low paying manual labor to make ends meet. It also finds that trade opportunities are limited in IDPs communities, and that many IDPs are dependent on NGOs for support. The study also notes that the government is not providing job opportunities to IDPs and those NGOs are only providing employment on a contract basis. The study concludes that the overall impact of IDPs settlements on public services management is negative, affecting key areas, such as employment, trade, and nutrition. Thus, the study recommended implementing and enforcing existing laws and policies on IDPs providing adequate assistance and protection to IDPs addressing the underlying causes of displacement providing livelihood opportunities enhancing education and healthcare services, etc. Bashir Muhammad Yusuf | Dr. Hindatu Yerima Maigari | Dr. Naziru Mohammed Musalli "The Implications of Settling Displaced Persons in Host Communities on Management of Public Services in Yobe State" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-3 , June 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/papers/ijtsrd57508.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/management/other/57508/the-implications-of-settling-displaced-persons-in-host-communities-on-management-of-public-services-in-yobe-state/bashir-muhammad-yusuf
The simplified electron and muon model, Oscillating Spacetime: The Foundation...RitikBhardwaj56
Discover the Simplified Electron and Muon Model: A New Wave-Based Approach to Understanding Particles delves into a groundbreaking theory that presents electrons and muons as rotating soliton waves within oscillating spacetime. Geared towards students, researchers, and science buffs, this book breaks down complex ideas into simple explanations. It covers topics such as electron waves, temporal dynamics, and the implications of this model on particle physics. With clear illustrations and easy-to-follow explanations, readers will gain a new outlook on the universe's fundamental nature.
How to Add Chatter in the odoo 17 ERP ModuleCeline George
In Odoo, the chatter is like a chat tool that helps you work together on records. You can leave notes and track things, making it easier to talk with your team and partners. Inside chatter, all communication history, activity, and changes will be displayed.
Executive Directors Chat Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, and InclusionTechSoup
Let’s explore the intersection of technology and equity in the final session of our DEI series. Discover how AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be used to support and enhance your nonprofit's DEI initiatives. Participants will gain insights into practical AI applications and get tips for leveraging technology to advance their DEI goals.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
4. 4 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
1
INTRODUCTION
5. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 5
similar to that reported in Palmyra in Syria, Ramadi in Iraq
and Sirte in Libya – all scenes of battles against the Islamic
State group (IS).
MSF runs six medical facilities across northern Syria and
supports more than 150 hospitals and health centres across
the country. In northern Syria, MSF teams treat consequences
of explosive devices, but remain powerless to address the
cause of these injuries and deaths. The personal accounts
below are just a few examples of the impact of the thousands
of mines, booby traps and unexploded ordnance left behind
even after the fighting has moved elsewhere.
Currently battles against IS are being fought in multiple
areas, such as Raqqa city, and environments contaminated
by mines, booby-traps and other explosive devices will
continue to have devastating effects – both in terms of their
direct deathly impact on the people living in these areas as
well on the ability to provide humanitarian assistance to
them. Increased support is urgently needed to ensure prompt
humanitarian clearance of mines, booby traps and explosive
remnants of war3
in areas where local people are returning to
their homes, and to build up the local capacity to undertake
clearance activities in the long term. These activities should
be an absolute priority in the aftermath of military operations,
in order to allow the safe return of displaced civilians and
unhindered humanitarian access.
The Syrian war enters its seventh year
and fighting intensifies for control over
the Raqqa city - the Islamic State group’s
self proclaimed capital. Displaced
households assisted by Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF) recount the fear
of mines, booby-traps and explosive
remnants of war while they flee from
active frontlines or return to their homes.
On 25 November 2016, the MSF-supported Kobane hospital
received eight people with injuries caused by blasts from
explosive devices. All eight were from families displaced from
their homes in the northern Raqqa countryside and in the
area northeast of Al Bab. This was unfortunately nothing new
to the hospital staff. Just over a year ago, as the population
returned to their homes in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane1
district,
they found their houses, streets and fields planted with mines
and booby traps2
and littered with explosive remnants of war.
Some months later, in the summer of 2016, a similar situation
occurred in the Manbij area, from where hospital staff
received, over the course of just four weeks, more than 190
people injured by blasts from explosive devices.
MSF has witnessed the impact of mines, booby traps and
explosive remnants of war on the civilian population through
its medical activities in northern Syria. Not only the extensive
use of explosive weapons during the hostilities, including
bombs dropped from aircraft, but the widespread planting
of mines, and booby traps including in private homes, fields
and civilian infrastructure are having a devastating effect on
civilians returning to their homes. Given the limited local
capacity to clear these areas and make them safe again, it will
also affect their lives and livelihoods in the long term. The
situation in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane and Manbij is strikingly
1
District and city in northern Syria in Aleppo governorate, officially Ayn Al
Arab (in Arabic) but also known by its Kurdish name Kobane.
2
For the purposes of this report, “mine” and “booby-trap” refer to the legal
definitions included in Art 2.1 and 2.2 of the protocol 2 on prohibitions or
restrictions on the use of mines, booby traps and other devices. Geneva,
10 October 1980. “1. “Mine” means any munition placed under, on or
near the ground or other surface area and designed to be detonated or
exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person or vehicle,
and “remotely delivered mine” means any mine so defined delivered
by artillery, rocket, mortar or similar means or dropped from an aircraft.
2. “Booby trap” means any device or material which is designed,
constructed or adapted to kill or injure and which functions unexpectedly
when a person disturbs or approaches an apparently harmless object or
performs an apparently safe act.”
6. 6 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
This report is based on what MSF teams have witnessed in
the northeast of Aleppo governorate and in the north of
Raqqa governorate, with medical data collected in MSF-
supported health facilities or shared by other hospitals in
the area. Interviews were conducted between October 2016
and February 2017 with patients, medical staff and other
people from these areas whose lives have been affected by
explosive devices as well as local authorities and international
organisations working on mine clearance. The geographical
coverage of the research was limited to areas in the two
governorates that were accessible to MSF teams and does not
claim to be exhaustive.
3
Humanitarian clearance differs from military clearance as “it
aims to clear land so that civilians can return to their homes
and their everyday routines without the threat of landmines and
explosive remnants of war (ERW), which include unexploded
ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance. This means that
all the mines and ERW affecting the places where ordinary
people live must be cleared, and their safety in areas that have
been cleared must be guaranteed. Mines are cleared and the
areas are thoroughly verified so that they can say without a
doubt that the land is now safe, and people can use it without
worrying about the weapons. The aim of humanitarian demining
is to restore peace and security at the community level” (http://
www.mineaction.org/issues/clearance).
Some victims made it
to a medical facility and
survived, but many did
not. It was devastating to
witness that for people
who already lost so much,
that was still more to lose.
8. 8 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
2
EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS
IN URBAN AREAS AND
INDISCRIMINATE USE OF
MINES, BOOBY TRAPS AND
OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
9. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 9
The incidents documented by MSF
in this report are mainly linked to
detonations of unexploded ordnance
and of victim-operated improvised
explosive devices,4
meaning that they
are designed to be detonated by the
presence, proximity or contact of a
person or vehicle.
According to an explosive ordnance disposal expert who
has worked in northern Syria,5
victim-operated explosive
devices have not only been used defensively, to prevent
or hinder enemy advances, but also to deliberately target
civilians returning to their homes after the end of hostilities.
Improvised explosive devices have been found planted
around military sites or to protect firing positions. Improvised
explosive devices have also been found planted in fields,
streets and houses; placed in doorways or under objects likely
to attract civilians, such as teddy bears, dolls, fridges and
televisions. The impact of this tactic has been devastating.
People returning to their homes have been killed or injured
as they stepped through their front door, opened the fridge
or bent down to pick up a toy from the floor. The improvised
explosives appear to have been planted with the aim of
inflicting damage indiscriminately on returning civilians.
4
Victim-operated improvised explosive devices
contain a “type of switch that is activated by the
actions of an unsuspecting individual, these devices
rely on the target for the device carrying out
some form of action that will cause the device to
function” (glossary of the International Mine Action
Standards, mineactionstandards.org)
5
Interviewed by MSF on 10 December 2016
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE
DEVICES AND PROJECTILES
Anti tank
Improvised
mortar
Anti-personnel
mine
Improvised
rocket
Hell Cannon
Fragmentation
Mine
70 cm
IED hidden in
teddy bear
11. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 11
A home destroyed by the conflict,
Kobane, January 25, 2017.
13. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 13
Serbest, a mathematics teacher from Jomali, was among the
returnees. “When the fighting reached our area in 2014, we
escaped to Turkey for seven months. When we came back to
our village at the beginning of 2015, the tractor was destroyed
and explosive devices had destroyed part of our house. We
were hosting some displaced people, and one time we found
their children playing with an object that we discovered was an
explosive device. We realised that there were mines and other
explosive remnants of war everywhere in our village. Luckily, no
one in our village was injured or killed – up until yesterday.”11
The extensive use of explosive weapons in urban areas,
including 700 airstrikes by coalition forces, left almost
80 percent of Ayn Al Arab/Kobane destroyed and densely
contaminated by unexploded ordnances. An international
NGO estimated that there were on average ten pieces of
munition per square metre.12
Villages and surrounding
fields, as well as urban areas, had also been littered with large
numbers of mines and booby traps.
An MSF staff member who was in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane town
some weeks after the end of hostilities describes what she
saw: “The streets were littered with explosives – people had to
watch every step they took. When spring started, more and more
families started to return, bringing life back into the streets of
Kobane. However, as more families returned to rebuild their
lives, reports of incidents involving explosives became a daily
occurrence. Some victims made it to a medical facility and
survived, but many did not. It was devastating to witness that for
people who had already lost so much, there was still more to lose.”
AYN AL ARAB/KOBANE
AND TAL ABYAD
The districts of Ayn Al Arab/Kobane
and Tal Abyad were the scene of battles
between IS and the People’s Protection
Units (YPG) between August 2014
and the summer of 2015.
The majority of the population of Ayn Al Arab/Kobane
district – more than 150,000 people – sought refuge in
Turkey; others fled to other parts of Syria and to Iraq. When
IS forces retreated at the end of January 2015, residents started
returning to the area. By the end of February 2015, IS forces
were 30-50 km from Ayn Al Arab/Kobane town.9
In the two
months after fighting in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane ended, Turkish
authorities reported that some 37,000 people had returned
to Syria through the Mürșitpınar/Kobane border crossing.10
By June 2015, this number had reached 62,500, but figures
reported by local authorities were higher given that people
were also crossing back into Syria through unofficial routes.
On their return, the population of Ayn Al Arab/Kobane found
that their towns, villages and agricultural land were littered with
huge numbers of unexploded ordnances, mines and booby traps.
9
UNOCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin Syria: Issue 2, 2 June 2015
10
UNOCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin: Syria operations from Turkey,
Issue 14, 18 Feb – 30 March 2015
11 Interviewed by MSF on 24 October 2016
12
Handicap International, Kobani: A city of rubble and unexploded
devices, Factsheet, May 2015 [www.handicap-international.org/
wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DOC3_ENG.pdf ]
14. 14 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
In the first weeks after clashes ended in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane,
MSF collected the details of 67 people killed or injured
by blasts from explosive devices in 45 separate incidents
from the local military hospital, where most of the patients
were treated. The data below provides a snapshot of these
45 incidents, all of which occurred in the period between
27 January and 7 April 2015. However, as not all incidents
are reported or systematically registered, these numbers are
unlikely to reflect the true scale of incidents.
As the frontlines of the fighting moved east towards Tal
Abyad, as well as southwards, they triggered more temporary
displacements, with people leaving their homes until
hostilities had ceased. The scenes they described on their
return were similar to those in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane.
Shiyar B, who runs a diesel station in Jirn, west of Tal Abyad,
describes how two of his relatives were killed by detonating
mines: “My cousin Ahmed B fled to Iraq during the clashes. In
July 2015, he came back alone to check on the situation before
allowing his family to join him. When he tried to open the door
of his house, the whole house exploded. He died and his family
has still not returned. He wasn’t the first one: in June 2015,
Izaddin B was riding his motorcycle on the road to his home,
southwest of the village, when he hit a mine which killed him.”13
An explosive ordnance disposal expert14
who worked in the
area in 2015 told MSF that it was clear that only a few of
the improvised explosive devices were placed for reasons of
defence; according to him most were placed to cause maximum
damage to civilians returning to their homes. Large numbers of
explosive devices were placed in fields, in houses, behind closed
doors, in toys and in other objects likely to attract civilians.
An assessment carried out by an international NGO in April
2015 concluded that booby traps were anti-personnel by
nature because they had “either a steel casing that would
naturally create shrapnel on exploding, or additional
fragmentation”.15
In other words, the devices were specifically
designed to incapacitate, injure or kill people. From the
western part of Kobane city alone, international NGOs and
local security forces stated they removed six tons of the
main explosive charges from improvised explosive devices.
According to the explosive ordnance disposal expert, apart
from the unexploded ordnance, almost all the improvised
explosive devices were victim-operated, with very few
triggered by remote control or timer.
13 Interviewed by MSF on 16 November 2016
14
“Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) is the detection, identification,
evaluation, render safe, recovery and disposal of Explosive Ordnance”,
International Mine Action Standards Glossary
15
Handicap International, Kobani: A city of rubble and unexploded devices,
Factsheet, May 2015 [www.handicap-international.org/wp-content/
uploads/2016/09/DOC3_ENG.pdf ]
2
0
4
6
8
10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
12
14
Incidents and victims of blasts from explosive devices
in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane area (2015)
incidents
victims
number
of
victims/incidents
epidemiological week
15. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 15
In the 45 incidents shown in the graph on the left, 47 people
died and 19 were injured. Medical staff in the hospital
reported that 80% of the victims were civilians. The majority
(85%) of the victims were male. Over half (53%) of the
victims were under or of the age of 30; four were children
under 15.
The map above shows the location of the incidents, where it was
possible to identify them. While incomplete information prevents
us drawing conclusions about which areas were most affected, it
still gives an indication of the impact of explosive devices on the
region as a whole during the first weeks after people returned to
their homes in the Ayn Al Arab/Kobane region.
16. 16 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
When he tried to open
the door of his house the
whole house exploded.
He died and his family
hasn’t retuned yet.
A house with bullet ridden walls,
Kobane January 25, 2017.
18. 18 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
16
Whatsapp interview by MSF on 8 January 2017
17 Interviewed by MSF on 20 November 2016
18
MSF was supporting Arin hospital with equipment,
medical supplies, incentives for staff and technical
support provided by MSF staff present in Ayn Al
Arab/Kobane. The facility was closed after the
opening of Kobane hospital in September 2016
where MSF provides the same level of support.
NGOs visiting the city in the immediate aftermath of the
battle, all public or private spaces were potentially mined,
including streets, schools and hospitals. In people’s houses,
any everyday object – a sofa, a television, a door – could be
a deadly trap.17
With very limited healthcare services available in Manbij
during the month of August, a significant number of the
casualties were referred to the MSF-supported Arin hospital18
in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane. Those in need of surgery were then
referred with MSF financial support to Amal hospital
(a private facility in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane) or to Qamishli
(seven hours’ drive from Manbij).
An MSF doctor describes how the team in Arin hospital were
confronted with large numbers of wounded:
“In August 2016, enormous numbers of war-wounded
civilians started arriving in Kobane to access one of the few
functioning health facilities in northern Syria. It was very
challenging to cope with this mammoth load of patients, many
of them critically injured. As a medic trained to deal with
mass casualties, I must say the scenario was poles apart from
what we were trained for. It was even more complicated when
truckloads of patients injured by mine blasts or improvised
explosive devices started arriving at the hospital. To avoid the
armed conflict, civilians took the road they considered safe to
travel on, but instead ended up in the minefields.”
During the last phase of the SDF’s offensive on Manbij, and
in the weeks immediately after they took control of the city,
the only functioning public health facility in the whole area
was a health post in Abu Qalqal, in eastern rural Manbij. Any
patient in need of hospital care had to be referred to Ayn Al
Arab/Kobane.
MANBIJ
In late May 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
began an offensive on Manbij, a city in the north of Aleppo
governorate which had been under IS control since January
2014. Clashes took place first in rural areas around the city,
and then progressively in Manbij itself. In mid-August 2016,
the SDF announced that they were in full control of the city.
As a result of the fighting, large numbers of people left their
homes in both rural and urban areas. This displacement
tended to be relatively temporary, with civilians fleeing as the
frontline approached, and returning to their houses as soon as
the situation stabilised.
A large number of displaced people returned to their homes
in Manbij in the first three weeks of August, immediately
before and after the end of the offensive. The exact number
of returns remains difficult to verify. According to Needs
and Population Monitoring, from 13 August to 7 September,
13,220 displaced people returned to the city, with a total
population of 86,448 in the city in August 2016.
On their return, people found the city had been extensively
planted with mines, booby traps and other explosive devices.
A doctor who remained in Manbij throughout the fighting
told MSF, “During the battle, IS fighters were occupying houses
and forcing the families out. They were then planting booby
traps when they had to retreat to another house.”16
According
to the local humanitarian affairs office, as well as international
19. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 19
The data below reflects information on the number of patients
with injuries related to blasts from explosive devices received
in the 13 weeks from 16 June to 16 September 2016 in Arin
hospital and Amal hospital. These figures do not show the
full reality, as only a portion of Manbij’s war-wounded were
received in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane, due both to the distance
involved and the existence of alternative health facilities. The
medical data does not differentiate between injuries related to
unexploded ordnance and injuries related to mines or booby
traps. Nevertheless, most witnesses describe a significantly
higher number of mines and booby traps, probably related to
the relatively short duration of fighting in the city.
An MSF nurse in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane describes what
happened to one family who fled Manbij during the fighting:
“Father, mother, two daughters and two sons. Exhaustion and
grief mark their faces. Openly, they share with us what they
have been through in recent days. The family lost their three-
year-old daughter while they were escaping from Manbij. She
was shredded by one of the mines that IS had scattered around
the entire city. The oldest daughter was injured and has burns
and shrapnel wounds all over her body. Due to the severity
of her injuries, the parents had no choice but to go directly to
Kobane so she could receive medical care. There was no time
to bury or mourn for the little daughter, so she was left behind.
Only those surviving counted.”
After the peak of cases in mid-August, the number of
people with injuries caused by explosive devices dropped
significantly. According to local authorities, most people
returned to the city in August, and became progressively more
aware of the risks posed by unexploded ordnance, mines and
other improvised explosive devices. A manager of Kobane
hospital said: “Currently we are seeing fewer cases from Manbij,
because there are hospitals in the city where people go, and they
no longer have to come to Kobane. The population is also more
careful and the SDF have cleared the roads. But there are still a
lot of mines in the fields.”19
There are currently no fully-functioning public hospitals in
Manbij. The National Hospital of Manbij – the city’s main
public health facility – is severely damaged and provides only
very limited health services. However, five private hospitals
have now reopened, allowing some of the injured to receive
healthcare in Manbij itself. The closest towns where people
can access free hospital treatment are Jarablus, Azaz and Ayn
Al Arab/Kobane.
19
Interviewed by MSF on 25 October 2016
Medical data shows a dramatic increase in the number of
injuries related to blasts from explosive devices in the last
three weeks of the offensive, reaching a peak in the first week
after the SDF announced their full control of the city when,
very rapidly, a large proportion of displaced people returned
to the city from the surrounding countryside.
20. 20 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
We can’t go to some fields,
and villagers are afraid to
send their children to the
village school.
Mortar remnants of war
amid the rubble, Kobane,
January 23, 2017.
23. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 23
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Since the start of its humanitarian
response plan for Ayn Al Arab/Kobane,
the humanitarian community prioritised
“the clearance of explosives during the
first phase of the response”21
In spite
of the security and access constraints,
humanitarian mine action agencies were
able to start training and clearance
activities in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane in
May 2015.
These initiatives were abruptly interrupted in late June 2015
when IS infiltrated the city, killing more than 200 civilians. Most
humanitarian agencies evacuated the city, returning over the
following months. Due to access constraints, clearance activities
were only briefly resumed in October 2015. According to mine
action activity reports, the agencies engaged in clearance were
nevertheless able to remove more than 14 tons of explosive devices.
Since November 2015 programmes have been limited to educating
people in Kobane town about the risk of explosive devices.
In Manbij, too, the humanitarian community identified clearance
of explosive devices as a priority to allow the safe return of the
population and access for humanitarian assistance. Despite this,
the only concrete activities were carried out by local military
groups and police forces with limited training and equipment, and
humanitarian agencies were limited to providing risk education
in Manbij city. However, more recently an international donor has
hired a private company to train civilian mine clearance teams and
start decontamination activities in the Manbij area.
21
OCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin: Syria operations from Turkey,
Issue 14, 18 Feb–30 March 2015
22 Faqir ()ريقف: poor in Arabic
23
Interviewed by MSF on 15 November 2016
LOCAL INITIATIVES
To address the limited response by humanitarian agencies
specialised in clearance activities, local authorities and private
individuals have begun to clear areas, though with limited training
and equipment. According to local authorities, the local police
– known as Asayish – set up a unit of five volunteers to work in
Ayn Al Arab/Kobane town. The volunteers, who had only limited
experience, are now all dead from injuries sustained in blasts of
leftover explosive devices. Some individuals have also volunteered
to clear houses of mines, either for free or for payment.
Muhammad, from Ayn Al Arab/Kobane, who has no training
in mine clearance, tried to clear the village of Jirn, west of Tal
Abyad, with his friend Ahmed. He describes what happened: “I
had a poor friend called Ahmed, so poor that we used to call him
‘Ahmed faqeer22’
. He had a six-month-old son who had a hernia,
but he didn’t have the money to take him to the hospital. Ahmed
told me that he knew how to clear mines, and was thinking about
doing this job in Kobane to earn money. I advised him not to do it,
but he convinced me that it was necessary due to the situation after
the battle of Kobane. In the end he even convinced me to go with
him. We started clearing houses in the village of Jirn and defused
around 30-40 improvised explosive devices. IS had even booby-
trapped the devices. Ahmed lifted up an explosive device, and I saw
another one below, but it was too late. The explosion killed Ahmed
and injured me – my leg had to be amputated below the knee. It
was 24 July 2015.”23
Ahmed was among six people (three civilians and three from the
military, according to local villagers) who lost their lives while
trying to clear the village of Jirn of mines and other improvised
explosive devices.
In December 2016, Asayish announced the establishment of a
new unit in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane to clear mines flagged by the
local population.
24. 24 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
I can’t sleep because
I’m always worried
that one of my four
children will step on
one of the mines
around the house.
27. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 27
Shyiar’s neighbour, Jasem M, lives with two mines just a few
metres from his doorstep. He says: “I can’t sleep because I’m
always worried that one of my four children, or a dog or a
sheep, will step on one of the mines around the house. When
an animal approaches the house, we all run away in case it
detonates a mine.”
According to the villagers, of the population of 500, at least
50 have been unable to return to their homes because of the
explosive devices, and remain displaced elsewhere in Syria
or in Turkey or Iraq. Jasem M says: “My father’s house was
destroyed by explosive devices, and now it’s too dangerous to
rebuild the house with so many mines in the ground.”
It is a similar scene in other villages in the area. Half of
the village of Sarzouri, some 20 km west of Tal Abyad, is
completely deserted because of the explosive devices which
litter its streets, wells and fields. Darwish, a farmer from
Sarzouri, says: “The village is composed of two parts, one
close to the road and the other between 500 m and 1 km from
here. The part of the village close to the road, where the school
and the health centre are, is completely deserted. You can find
explosive devices everywhere: in hen coops, in wells, in the
fields, as well as in IS trenches that have not been removed.
Around 15 houses are still booby-trapped. To visit a health post
or go to school, we have to go to other villages.”
Darwish’s brother, Sardar, is among those who cannot return
to their homes. He says: “I had to leave the village and move
to Ras Al Ayn because of the presence of mines. Most of the
village’s population is now living in Jazeera canton, in Kobane
or in Tal Abyad.”
According to a former employee of a mine action agency, “the
only people left in these highly contaminated villages are those
who cannot afford to relocate to other places.”24
Even in areas which IS left more than
a year ago, the threat of improvised
explosive devices and unexploded
ordnances remain a daily reality for the
local population. Incidents of people
being killed or injured continue to be
reported, even in locations believed to
be safe. Meanwhile, the fact that some
people still cannot return to their homes
or access their fields is having an impact
on their livelihoods.
The rural areas east of Tal Abyad are particularly affected.
They were the scene of fierce clashes between the YPG in
the summer of 2015. After the fighting ended, agricultural
land was left contaminated with landmines and unexploded
ordnance, and whole villages were booby-trapped. More than
a year later, the situation is little different from what people
found in 2015 when they first returned to their villages.
Jirn is one of many villages west of Tal Abyad where people
are still living alongside improvised explosive devices and
unexploded ordnances.. The latest incident in Jirn occurred
in January 2016, more than five months after the end of
offensive, when a blast in the centre of the village injured
three of Ahmed faqeer’s children, six months after their father
was killed while trying to clear improvised explosive devices.
Shyiar, a resident of Jirn, says: “There are still mines, booby
trapped houses and unexploded ordnance. We can’t go to some
fields, and villagers are afraid to send their children to the
village school.’’
24
Interviewed by MSF on 22 October 2016
28. 28 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
In Bendir Khan, a village 35 km west of Tal Abyad, five people
were killed when their houses exploded because of booby
traps. Ibrahim, a teacher and farmer from the village, says the
latest incident took place in April 2016: “Muhammad went
back to his home near the hill in the village, and he triggered
an explosion by opening the door. The inhabitants of the village
cannot come back because of this problem and many fields
cannot be sown.”
In Tiri, a village 20 km further west, Mustafa lives alone in his
house while his family stays on in Turkey. He says: “My family
is in Turkey and I do not want them to come back because I am
afraid of exposing them to the risk of mines. The village school,
for example, is completely surrounded by mines. There is only
one road to reach it that is considered safe, but the children
have to walk just a few metres from explosive devices. We know
where some mines are, but we do not know how to remove
them.”25
Even in areas thought to be safe, incidents continue to be
reported. Serbest, from Jomali, was brought to Kobane
hospital on 23 October 2016. His father describes what
happened: “The incident happened on a road that we have been
using for more than a year – it was considered safe. Serbest was
ploughing the field with a tractor and, while doing a U-turn
on the road, a mine exploded. It was a big one; it completely
destroyed the tractor – some pieces were found 200 m away. We
came directly to Kobane hospital by car.”26
Serbest underwent surgery to his abdomen to remove pieces
of shrapnel. He also has a fractured arm and various wounds
to his legs and back.
25
Interviewed by MSF on 16 November 2016
26
Interviewed by MSF on 24 October 2016
My father’s house was
destroyed by explosives
devices, and now it’s too
dangerous to rebuild
the house with so many
mines in the ground.
30. 30 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
We were hosting some
displaced people, and
one time we found their
children playing with an
object that we discovered
was an explosive device.
33. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 33
When the fighting leaves an area, the unexploded ordnances,
mines and booby traps left behind, present a constant threat
to the returning civilians. Abu Mohammad, a farmer from
Ayn Al Wardah, a village west of the city of Raqqa, explains
to MSF that “IS forces started planting mines ten days before
the frontline reached their location”. He then describes what
happened when they returned to their village: “When the
clashes approached our village, we decided to head westwards
to a safer area. Later the same day, the SDF told us we could
go back to our village, and by sunset we were there. They
recommended that we stay in one safe house while they cleared
the village of mines. The next morning, 2 January 2017, we sent
our son Mohammed to buy cigarettes. While he was walking
down the street he stepped on a mine. As IS planted the mines,
we memorised the locations, but we must have missed some of
them.”28
Eleven-year-old Mohammed was brought to Kobane
hospital for treatment for his injuries.
People fleeing eastwards from the areas between Al Bab and
Manbij report similar situations, with roads, fields and whole
villages planted with mines and booby traps.
Since 2015 intensive battles have taken
place in Northern Syria followed by the
withdrawal of IS from several areas.
Each time the armed group withdraws
from territory it previously held, large
numbers of mines and booby traps, are
found, leaving a deadly legacy for people
returning to their homes.
The intensive use of explosive weapons by parties to the
conflict on the ground and from the air adds to the dangers
for the returning population. Civilians injured or killed by
explosives have been reported in the rural areas north and
west of the city of Raqqa as well as between Manbij and
Al Bab. Some incidents occur as people try to flee from the
fighting; others when they go back to their villages after the
frontline has moved further away.
Um Turki came to Kobane hospital with two of her children,
aged four and ten, after both were injured by a mine on
25 November 2016 as they fled clashes in the northern
countryside of Raqqa governorate: “Our village was between
the two parties’ frontlines, IS and the SDF. IS expelled us from
the village. They came and told us to move towards Raqqa but
we decided to flee towards SDF-controlled areas. [As we left]
we saw IS planting mines in our village and on the route to
SDF areas, to prevent us from going there. We were driving in
a convoy of three cars. There were three families in our vehicle
and we were in between the two other cars. The first car passed
the mine without any harm. My husband also avoided the
mine, but then drove over another one which we hadn’t seen.
Five people were injured and a child died.”27
27 Interviewed by MSF on 30 November 2016
28 Interviewed by MSF on 4 January 2017
34. 34 Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria
The aim, identified in 2014, of all states which are party to
the Mines Ban Treaty to meet its goals “to the fullest extent
possible by 2025”,29
3 including “no new mine victims”,
is looking increasingly unlikely to be met in syria. The
widespread use of victim-operated devices deliberately
targeting the civilian population contravenes the Geneva
Conventions binding on all state and non-state warring
parties. The failure of states party to the Mines Ban Treaty
and to the Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War to meet
their obligations to facilitate the clearance of unexploded
ordinances only exacerbates civilian suffering and the deadly
impact of this war tactic. Without proper support to the
humanitarian clearance of mines, booby traps and explosive
remnants of war, and with poor humanitarian access to
the affected areas, people displaced from their homes will
be unable to return safely, and the dangers posed by such
explosives will continue to affect their livelihoods and safety
for a long time to come.
Marouf is from a village 20 km north east of Al Bab, which
until recently was under IS control. He decided to go back
to his village when the frontline moved further west. His
brother recounts what happened: “On 20 November 2016,
Marouf drove over a mine on his motorcycle inside the village.
IS have planted mines everywhere.” Marouf was taken to Amal
hospital in Ayn Al Arab/Kobane and then to a private hospital
in Qamishli. Unable to afford further private treatment, after
undergoing surgery he was brought to Kobane hospital for
post-operative care.
These personal accounts are just some examples of a scenario
that has been witnessed repeatedly in the Ayn Al Arab/
Kobane and Manbij areas. Civilian casualties as a result of
explosive devices seem destined to increase dramatically with
the offensives against IS approaching urban centres such as Al
Bab and Raqqa.
29
MAPUTO +15, Declaration of the States Parties to the Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of
Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, 27 June 2014
35. Set to Explode: Impact of mines, booby traps and explosive remnants of war on civilians in northern Syria 35