Page 5 - aruba-today-Sept 2 2020

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 2 september 2020

In this handout photo provided by the Malacanang
Presidential Photographers Division, Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he meets members of the Inter-
Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases at
the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines
on Monday Aug. 30, 2020.
Associated Press
Duterte orders customs Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, center left, elbow bumps with an Emirati official

chief to shoot, kill as he leaves Abu Dhabi, Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Associated Press

drug smugglers UAE's warm welcome to Israelis

By JIM GOMEZ reflects changing region
Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ro- By ARON HELLER briefing with the visiting re- A model was put on display
drigo Duterte publicly ordered the country's top cus- Associated Press
porters Tuesday. "There are of the future Abrahamic
toms official to shoot and kill drug smugglers in one ABU DHABI, United Arab too many conflicts in the Family House, a massive
of his most overt threats during a deadly four-year
campaign that has been the centerpiece of his presi- Emirates (AP) — In less than region and it's high time to multi-faith complex under
24 hours on the ground, look forward to sustainable construction set to open by
dency. Duterte has steadfastly denied authorizing
extrajudicial killings but has repeatedly and openly Israel's first-of-its-kind del- ways forward and hope for 2022.
It aims to house a mosque,
egation to the United Arab the future."
threatened drug dealers with death. He and the na-
tional police, which has led enforcement of his anti- Emirates received a royal The overnight visit, after a church and a syna-
gogue, and is being touted
welcome that would have the first-ever direct com-
drug campaign, have said most of the suspects killed
by police during the campaign fought back and been nearly unthinkable mercial passenger flight as the most expensive Jew-
just a few weeks ago.
between Israel and the ish house of worship ever
threatened the lives of law enforcers. Duterte gave
the order to Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Dozens of Israeli officials UAE, marked the apex of built.
and their accompanying an accelerating warming On Tuesday, representa-
Leonardo Guerrero in televised remarks from a Cabi-
net meeting on the coronavirus pandemic Monday traveling press corps got relationship that had been tives of the international
a dizzying taste of Abu mostly clandestine before media visited the Al Dhafra
night. Guerrero, a retired army general and former
military chief of staff, was not present when Duterte Dhabi's glamorous hotels, the surprise Aug. 13 White air base, where 5,000 Amer-
landmarks
ican troops are stationed,
and House announcement es-
historic
spoke, but the president said he met Guerrero and
two other officials earlier Monday at the presidential scorching climate. The Emi- tablishing Israeli-Emirati ties. to highlight the close Emi-
rati charm offensive was on Since then, telephone lines rati-American military alli-
palace in Manila. "Drug is still flowing inside the country
through customs," Duterte said, adding he has earlier full display as the hosts liter- were quickly connected ance. The Israeli journalists
ally pulled out the red car-
between the countries, the were taken to the Sheikh
approved Guerrero's request for firearms. "I approved
the purchase of firearms and until now you haven't pet at the airport as they UAE's ruler issued a decree Zayed Grand Mosque and
sought to convey a new formally ending the coun-
to a cultural center, with a
killed even one? I told him, 'Shape up.'" "I told him
straight, 'Drugs is still flowing in. I'd like you to kill there spirit of friendship following try's decades-long boycott nod toward potential fu-
the historic U.S.-brokered of Israel and several Israeli ture Israeli tourists. Cheery
... anyway, I'll back you up and you won't get jailed. If
it's drugs, you shoot and kill. That's the arrangement," deal to normalize relations companies signed business government minders hand-
between the two countries. deals with Emirati counter-
ed out souvenirs and UAE-
Duterte said without elaborating. More than 5,700
mostly poor drug suspects have been killed under Emirati diplomats in their parts. themed trinkets.
white
garb For the traveling journalists Even so, it was a tightly
traditional
Duterte's anti-drug crackdown, which has alarmed
human rights groups and Western governments and warmly greeted their Is- from Israel in tow, the visit controlled visit, with the
raeli counterparts, some offered a crash course in Emiratis insisting almost all
sparked an examination of alleged crimes against
humanity at the International Criminal Court. Duterte wearing Jewish skullcaps, Emirati culture and hospi- exchanges be kept off-re-
as they hammered out the tality and a brief window cord.
has vowed to continue the deadly crackdown in his
remaining two years in power. Human Rights Watch initial details of agreements into a nation that had long Only before departure,
on a range of issues, in-
with an Israeli flag flap-
been mysterious and inac-
called Duterte's order "savage." Phil Robertson, dep-
uty Asia director of the U.S.-based rights group, said cluding diplomacy, trade, cessible to Israeli citizens. ping on the Abu Dhabi
science, technology and The hosts arranged a pri-
Airport tarmac below, did
the U.N. Human Rights Council, which convenes this
month, should establish an independent international cooperation in countering vate tour of the sparkling Al Musharakh, the senior
Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, Foreign Ministry official, ex-
the coronavirus pandemic.
investigation into the killings in the Philippines. "The
continuing carnage also explains why the interna- "It is a message of coexis- with a guide highlighting press himself publicly.
tence. It is a message of to-
its Jewish-themed artifacts He said the UAE remained
tional community led by the European Union needs
to act decisively on this ongoing rights catastrophe getherness and tolerance and official photographers committed to solidarity
with the Palestinians yet felt
in the region," said Jamal Al capturing images of the Is-
in the Philippines and not be swayed by the govern- Musharakh, a senior Emirati raeli visitors that were later compelled to move ahead
ment's falsehoods about its record," Robertson said.q
Foreign Ministry official, in a shared online. nonetheless with Israel.q