Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 24 OcTOber 2017
US sanctions for Tillerson:
Hezbollah will Room for Taliban in new Afghan government
not hit banks:
Banker By MATTHEW LEE against terrorist groups that “Clearly, we have to con- So we are looking to en-

By BASSEM MROUE ALEX BRANDON have found safe haven tinue to fight against the gage with those voices
Associated Press Associated Press within its borders.Speak- Taliban, against others, in and have them engage
BEIRUT (AP) — New U.S. BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghan- ing on an unannounced order for them to under- in a reconciliation process
sanctions against the mili- istan (AP) — U.S. Secretary trip to Afghanistan where stand they will never win leading to a peace pro-
tant Hezbollah group ex- of State Rex Tillerson said he met Afghan President a military victory,” Tillerson cess and their full involve-
pected to be released Monday there is a place Ashraf Ghani, Chief Execu- told a small group of report- ment and participation in
in the near future are not for moderate elements of tive Abdullah Abdullah ers allowed to accompany the government.”
likely to affect the coun- the Taliban in Afghanistan’s and other senior officials at him from the Qatari capi- “There’s a place for them in
try’s banking sector that is government as long as they Bagram Air Base north of tal of Doha. “And there the government if they are
the backbone of the tiny renounce violence and ter- Kabul, Tillerson said the Tal- are, we believe, moderate ready to come, renounc-
Arab country’s economy, rorism and commit to sta- iban must understand that voices among the Taliban, ing terrorism, renouncing
a top Lebanese bank- bility. He also delivered a they will never win a military voices that do not want to violence and being com-
er said Monday.The U.S. blunt warning to neighbor- victory and should prepare continue to fight forever. mitted to a stable prosper-
House of Representatives is ing Pakistan, insisting Islam- to negotiate with the gov- They don’t want their chil- ous Afghanistan,” Tillerson
expected to vote as early abad must step up action ernment. dren to fight forever. said. q
tions against Hezbollah. It is Dozens found dead after IS ‘massacre’ in Syria
as this week on new sanc-

still not clear whether the
sanctions will target Hez- captured Qaryatayn on
bollah’s allies in Lebanon. Saturday, showed several
The U.S. has been increas- bodies lying in the streets.
ing pressure on Hezbollah In the video, a town resi-
and earlier this month im- dent said IS “monsters”
posed sanctions on two killed more than 100 peo-
Hezbollah officials and ple, including soldiers and
offered millions of dollars civilians.
for information leading to “These are people who
their capture.Joseph Tor- don’t know God, they
bey, head of Association don’t know anything.
of Banks in Lebanon, told They killed children and
reporters that U.S. officials women with knives, they
have reassured a Leba- beat women, broke their
nese banking delegation arms,” he said, speaking
that visited Washington on condition of anonym-
recently that the sanctions ity out of fear for his own
are not going to target the safety.
Lebanese banking sector The Britain-based Syrian
as long as they abide by Observatory for Human
American regulations.He Rights said it had docu-
added that the Lebanese mented the killings of at
banking delegation tried This Saturday, Oct 21, 2017 frame grab shows two Syrian soldiers walking in the street of Qarya- least 128 people in Qarya-
through its meetings with tayn, a town in central Syria which was recaptured from Islamic State group militants on Saturday. tayn, including at least 12
U.S. officials and bankers The bodies of at least 67 Syrian civilians, many summarily killed by the Islamic State group, have killed by government forc-
“to shield the Lebanese been discovered in Qaryatayn, activists said Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. es on suspicion of aiding
economy from negative (AP Photo) the IS militants.
repercussions resulting By SARAH EL DEEB advancing government but many others were also AbdulKarim and Mo-
from the new laws.”The Associated Press troops. caught in the revenge kill- hamed Hassan, an activist
new American sanctions BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic Terrified residents said they ing. who runs the Palmyra Net-
will come nearly two years State militants came into watched the slaughter “Our curse is from within work News, put the death
after then U.S. President the Syrian town with a hit from their windows or in the us,” he said, speaking to toll at 75 civilians, saying
Barack Obama signed the list. By the time they left streets. The Associated Press from many more remain unac-
Hezbollah International Fi- three weeks later, more One former resident said his northern Syria, where he counted for.
nancing Prevention Act than 70 civilians had been surviving family members fled years ago. They said the dead includ-
that imposes sanctions on killed — shot or beheaded, walked for miles to find cell Once a predominantly ed some who were shot by
banks that knowingly do their bodies dumped in phone coverage so they Christian town known for its government forces.
business with the group. farms and ditches. could tell him of the deaths ancient monastery, Qarya- But Hassan said most of the
Washington considers He- The apparent revenge kill- of his uncle, two cousins tayn has changed hands slayings were by Islamic
zbollah a terrorist organi- ings in the town of Qarya- and a fourth relative. An- between IS and the Syrian State militants. “It seems it
zation and has imposed tayn underscore the ability other uncle remains miss- government several times was mostly revenge,” he
sanctions on the group of the extremists to inflict ing. during Syria’s civil war. said.
and its top commanders. heavy losses even when “They came into town with Parts of the 1,500-year-old Another activist network,
The expected new sanc- they’re in retreat — and a hit list,” said Abdullah St. Elian monastery were the Palmyra Coordination
tions come at a time when portend more violence as AbdulKarim, adding that demolished the first time IS Committee, released the
the Trump administration is they fight to hang on to 35 of the 50 militants who took over the town in 2015 names of 67 civilians who
increasing pressure on Iran, their last strongholds in Syr- overran the town late last and thousands of its Chris- were confirmed killed and
Hezbollah’s main backer ia. month were originally from tian residents fled, fearing said the number was likely
that has been supplying News of the gruesome Qaryatayn. He said the the extremist group’s bru- to rise.
the group with weapons slayings began to emerge militants accused many of tality. It said at least 35 of the
and money for more than late Sunday, after IS mili- their victims of collaborat- An AP video, filmed as Syr- dead were found dumped
three decades.q tants were driven out by ing with the government ian government troops re- inside a ditch. q