Ballistic missiles, battle tanks and other heavy weaponry have rolled through Moscow’s Red Square in the annual Victory Day parade, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany more than 60 years ago. But this year’s parade, seen as a revival of a Soviet era tradition, was also there to demonstrate the growing military confidence of the new Russia. Jonah Hull reports from Moscow.
Al Jazeera’s Paul Allen reports on three former East Timorese soldiers arrested in Indonesia that are to be extradited to Dili in the next few days. They are suspected of involvement in assassination attempts on East Timor’s President and Prime Minister. The country’s leadership has had a tenuous relationship with its military. In 2006, nearly half the army shed their uniforms sending the country spiralling into civil unrest.
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, hundreds of US veterans of the war say the American military has been covering up widespread civilian killings in that country.
And Al Jazeera’s Tom Ackerman reports their sentiments aren’t necessarily getting a warm reception.
The Turkish incursion into northern Iraq is entering its sixth day amid claims and counter-claims of violence. The Turkish military says it’s killed more than 150 Kurdish rebels since crossing the border on Thurday.
But the PKK rejects the casualty figures and has warned Turkey it has entered a conflict it cannot win. Many of Turkey’s Kurds are also growing increasingly frustrated.
Our correspondent, Hoda Abdel Hamid, went to the southeastern town of Diyarbakir where she found growing support for the PKK.
But first, James Bays is on the Iraqi side of the border where he was given exclusive access to a town caught in the middle of the conflict.
Inside Turkey, there’s widespread support for the military action against the PKK. The only major political party to oppose it is the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, whose constituency is almost entirely Kurdish.
But now Turkey wants to ban the DTP, prompting warnings about the state of democracy in the country, and what might happen if Kurdish political representation is censored.
Laurence Lee reports.