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world news Diaranson 17 november 2021

Poland uses water cannon against migrants at Belarus border

(AP) — Polish forces at believed to be involved in grants from Belarus this fall.
the border with Belarus attacking the Polish forces at
used a water cannon Tues- the crossing near Kuźnica, “We’re not collecting refu-
day against stone-throw- said Border Guard spokes- gees all over the world and
ing migrants, as Warsaw woman Anna Michalska. The bringing them to Belarus, as
accused Belarusian au- crossing has been closed to all Poland has informed the Eu-
thorities of giving smoke traffic since last week. ropean Union. Those who
grenades and other weap- come to Belarus legally, we
ons to those trying to cross Police spokesman Mariusz accept here, the same way any
the frontier. Ciarka later said the migrants other country would. Those
at the crossing had been “pac- who violate the law, even in
The events marked an escala- ified.” He added that the at- the slightest, (we put) on a
tion in the tense crisis on the tackers had been given smoke plane and send back (home),”
European Union’s eastern grenades by the Belarusians he told a government meet-
border, where the West has and threw stones at the Pol- ing dedicated to the situation
accused President Alexander ish police, with the entire at the border.
Lukashenko of using the mi- operation monitored by the
grants as pawns to destabilize Belarusian services using a In May, however, he had Some of the migrants have to destroy border fences, and
the 27-nation bloc in retali- drone. railed against the EU sanc- children with them at the its Interior Ministry posted
ation for its sanctions on his tions imposed on his country border in their desperate bid video apparently showing
authoritarian regime. Belarus The Belarus State Border for its harsh crackdown on to reach the EU. Most are migrants trying to tear one
denies orchestrating the cri- Guard Committee and the internal dissent, saying: “We fleeing conflict, poverty and down. It said the migrants
sis. Belarusian Foreign Ministry were stopping migrants and instability in the Middle East are using the smoke gre-
both said they would investi- drugs — now you will catch and elsewhere. At least 11 nades and similar weapons
The Poland Border Guard gate Poland’s actions. them and eat them yourself.” deaths have been reported in given to them by Belarusian
agency posted video on Twit- recent weeks as the weather troops who no longer seem
ter showing a water cannon “These are considered vio- At Tuesday’s meeting, Lu- has turned colder and they to be trying to conceal their
being directed across the lent actions against individu- kashenko said he and Ger- are trapped in the dank forest involvement.
border at a group of migrants als who are on the territory of man Chancellor Angela between the forces of the two
who appeared to be throw- another country,” commit- Merkel agreed Monday by countries. Poland has taken a tough
ing objects. Polish authorities tee spokesman Anton Bych- phone that neither Belarus, stand against the migrants’
said nine of its forces were kovsky was quoted as saying nor the EU would benefit While some have managed illegal entry, reinforcing the
injured — seven policemen, by Belarus’ state news agency from an escalation of the to get into the EU before border with riot police and
one soldier and a female bor- Belta. border situation. He said he Poland, Lithuania and Lat- troops, rolling out razor wire,
der guard. proposed a resolution but did via bolstered their borders, and making plans to build a
Lukashenko on Tuesday not say what it was, adding passage appears to be much tall steel barrier. The Pol-
Some 2,000 migrants were again rejected accusations that Merkel is discussing his harder now. ish approach has largely met
at the frontier in makeshift of engineering the crisis and proposal with other EU lead- with approval from other EU
camps in the freezing weath- said his government has de- ers. Poland’s Defense Ministry nations, who want to stop an-
er, but only about 100 were ported about 5,000 illegal mi- said Belarusian forces tried other wave of migration.

Liverpool taxi bombing suspect named as police release 4 men

(AP) — A suspected when a blast ripped through volved. bility that further links can lovely guy.”
bomber who died when the vehicle as it pulled up be detected,” Hinds told the
his homemade device ex- outside Liverpool Women’s Four men in their 20s who BBC. “People sometimes talk A spokesman for Liverpool’s
ploded in a taxi outside Hospital on Sunday morn- had been detained under the about lone wolves and so on Anglican Cathedral said Al
a Liverpool hospital was ing. The taxi driver was in- Terrorism Act as part of the -- people are rarely totally Swealmeen was baptised
an asylum-seeker from jured. investigation were released alone because they talk to there in 2015 and confirmed
the Middle East who had late Monday. Russ Jackson, others and so on.” in 2017, but lost contact with
converted from Islam to Police have called the blast a the head of counterterrorism the cathedral in 2018.
Christianity, British po- terrorist act and believe the policing for northwest Eng- The Times of London said Al
lice, church officials and dead man built the bomb, land, said “following inter- Swealmeen — who also used “Like so many, I have been
others said Tuesday. but they are still working to views with the arrested men, the name Enzo Almeni — shocked and saddened by the
determine his motive, how we are satisfied with the ac- claimed to be of Syrian and bombing in Liverpool and
Police said 32-year-old Emad the attack was planned and counts they have provided Iraqi background and had the revelation that the bomb-
Al Swealmeen was killed whether anyone else was in- and they have been released applied for asylum in Britain er was part of the cathedral
from police custody.” in 2014, but was rejected. It’s community for a while,” said
unclear what his legal status Bishop Cyril Ashton, who
Jackson said police now had was at the time of the bomb- conducted the confirmation.
“a much greater understand- ing.
ing of the component parts The taxi driver, David Perry,
of the device, how they were Liverpool couple Malcolm escaped from the vehicle be-
obtained and how the parts and Elizabeth Hitchcott told fore it was engulfed in flames.
are likely to have been as- British media that Al Sweal- He was treated in a hospital
sembled.” But he said “there meen had spent time in a and released.
is a considerable way to go to psychiatric hospital several
understand how this incident years ago and stayed with Britain’s official threat level
was planned, prepared for them for eight months after was raised from substantial to
and how it happened.” his release. The couple said severe — meaning an attack is
Al Swealmeen was interested highly likely — following the
Security Minister Damian in Christianity and converted blast, the U.K.’s second fatal
Hinds said police needed to the faith. incident in a month. Con-
“time and space” to investi- servative lawmaker David
gate. “We’re just so, so sad,” Eliza- Amess was stabbed to death
beth HItchcott told the BBC. in October in what police
“There’s always the possi- “We just loved him. He was a said was an act of terrorism.