The New York Times: Russia's economic growth confirms the limited impact of Western sanctions

The New York Times: Russia's economic growth confirms the limited impact of Western sanctions

    Tuesday, January 31, 2023   No comments

The New York Times published today, Tuesday, a report under the headline "Russia's Economic Growth Indicates Limited Impact of Western Sanctions".

The newspaper said in its report that the resilience of the Russian economy helps support global growth, according to a new report issued by the International Monetary Fund, which indicates that efforts by Western countries to weaken Moscow due to its war in Ukraine appear to be faltering.

In a report, the International Monetary Fund expected Russian production to expand by 0.3% this year and 2.1% next year, in defiance of previous expectations, of a sharp contraction in 2023, amid a set of Western sanctions, according to the newspaper.

Also, the newspaper indicated that a plan coordinated by the United States and Europe to cap the price of Russian oil exports at $60 a barrel is not expected to significantly reduce energy revenues.

"At the current G7 oil price ceiling level, Russian crude oil export volumes are not expected to be significantly affected, with Russian trade continuing to be redirected to non-sanctions countries," the IMF said.

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund, in a report, improved its forecast for the performance of the Russian economy for the next two years.

In 2024, the Russian economy will grow by 2.1%, which is 0.6% better than the October forecast for the same period.

A few days ago, a United Nations report showed that the size of the Russian economy shrank by about 3% in 2022, compared to previous expectations of a decline of 15%.

The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, said Saturday's Iran attack was carried out by Israel

The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, said Saturday's Iran attack was carried out by Israel

    Sunday, January 29, 2023   No comments

The Wall Street Journal quoted US officials and informed sources as confirming that Israel carried out Iran's attack on Saturday.

And the newspaper published, citing US officials and others familiar with the matter, that "Israel carried out the raid yesterday, with a drone, on the military defense complex of the Iranian armed forces in Isfahan."

She pointed out that "the United States and Israel are looking for new ways to contain Tehran's nuclear and military ambitions."

The Wall Street Journal stated that "the Israeli army refused to comment on the matter," and linked the attack to the visit of CIA chief William Burns a few days ago to the occupied Palestinian territories.

And the American newspaper recalled what it had quoted from the Israeli Chief of Staff, Halevy, last week, who declared that "Israel and the United States are preparing for the worst."

Earlier today, the Iranian Ministry of Defense announced that it had repelled an attack on one of its centers in Isfahan, in the center of the country, stressing that "the failed attack was carried out using drones, targeting a defense industry complex affiliated with the Ministry of Defense."

And she explained that "one of the drones was shot down by air defenses, and two other planes fell into defensive traps, and they were detonated," and confirmed that "the attack did not cause loss of life, nor did it cause any defect in the equipment and tasks of the ministry's complex."

And the ministry’s statement stated that “on the evening of January 28, about half an hour before midnight, a failed attack was carried out using drones on one of the military complexes of the Ministry of Defense,” and indicated that “the air defenses of the complex shot down one of the drones, while it was surrounded.” Two marches and they exploded."

In turn, the deputy governor of Isfahan, Mohammad Reza Janisari, confirmed, in a televised statement today, that the attack "did not result in injuries," adding that an investigation had been opened to determine its causes.

Video clips filmed by Iranian citizens showed that a small explosion occurred on the roof of one of the buildings adjacent to a main street in Isfahan. It indicates that it is the explosion of the march itself.

Argentina, Brazil reject the German request to send weapons to Ukraine

Argentina, Brazil reject the German request to send weapons to Ukraine

    Sunday, January 29, 2023   No comments

 Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced today, Sunday, that his country and other countries in Latin America are not considering sending weapons to Ukraine.

Fernandez's remarks came during his joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Argentina, in which he said, "Argentina and Latin America will not do that, and they are not considering sending weapons to Ukraine or to another conflict zone."

Earlier, the Brazilian newspaper "Folha" reported, quoting military and government sources, that Brazilian President Luis Inacio (da Silva) also rejected a request from the German government for ammunition for Leopard tanks, in order to maintain neutrality.

According to media reports, the commander of the US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, said that the United States is working with nine Latin American countries to transfer their Russian weapons to Ukraine in exchange for supplies of American equipment.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz went to Latin America, where he will meet Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva for the first time since assuming the presidency, in addition to a meeting with the presidents of Argentina and Chile.

Schultz's tour began in Argentina, accompanied by about 12 senior business managers, then he visited Chile, and concluded his tour in Brazil, the first economic power in Latin America, to leave on Wednesday.

The visit comes as German companies look for new opportunities abroad after suffering an economic shock from the crisis in Ukraine, and as concern rises due to heavy commercial dependence on China.

Roberto Goulart Menezes, of the Center for International Relations at the University of Brasilia, said, "Germany is one of the most important European Union countries investing in Brazil."

Pakistan: We will get Russian oil starting next April

Pakistan: We will get Russian oil starting next April

    Friday, January 27, 2023   No comments

Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Mossadeq Malik announces that Pakistan will start importing crude oil from Russia in April 2023, stating that this "will be beneficial for both countries."

Pakistani Petroleum Minister Mussadeq Malik announced today, Friday, that Pakistan will start importing crude oil from Russia in April 2023, after Moscow and Islamabad ended their negotiations on the terms of supply, including the issue of payment related to the use of a currency other than the dollar.

Malik added, "In March, all trade clauses of the agreement with Russia will be finalized, after which low-cost crude oil will start arriving in Pakistan. It will be beneficial for both countries," according to the Pakistani newspaper News.

Pakistan has also begun to develop a comprehensive energy security plan, which will be completed by the end of 2023, and includes the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), pipeline gas, and other petroleum products, according to the newspaper's report.

Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov and Pakistan's Economy Minister Ayaz Sadiq held a meeting, where the two sides agreed to agree on all details of oil and gas supplies by March.

Shulginov noted that discussions on oil supplies will not begin until after February 5, after the price ceiling for Russian refined products, introduced by Western countries, comes into effect.

Shulginov added that "Russia may participate in power generation projects in Pakistan, including the modernization and construction of hydroelectric power plants and thermal power plants."

On January 19, Russia and Pakistan announced their readiness to sign the necessary documents for the construction of the "Pakistani Stream" gas pipeline.

The Russian delegation headed by Shulginov arrived in Pakistan, on January 17, to hold bilateral talks for a period of 3 days, within the framework of the work of the joint Russian-Pakistani governmental committee for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation.

Western countries have been seeking ways to limit Russia's revenues from oil and gas exports, as well as its dependence on Russian fuel since Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

On December 5, the European Union set a ceiling for the price of Russian oil, $60 a barrel, and the G7 countries and Australia joined.

Despite this, Washington and its allies agreed to review the level of the ceiling imposed on the export prices of this oil next March.

Canada's Prime Minister, Trudeau, appoints Canada’s First Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia

Canada's Prime Minister, Trudeau, appoints Canada’s First Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia

    Friday, January 27, 2023   No comments

 A statement issued by the Canadian Prime Minister's office said that journalist and activist Amira Al-Ghawabi will fill the position "to be an advocate, advisor, expert and representative to support and strengthen the federal government's efforts to combat Islamophobia, systemic racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance."

Al-Ghawabi is a human rights activist, public relations officer at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and columnist for the Toronto Star, having previously worked for more than a decade at CBC (CBC). CBC) Canadian Public Broadcasting.

In her new position, Al-Ghawabi will promote awareness of the diverse and intersecting identities of Muslims in Canada and advise the government in developing comprehensive policies, legislative proposals, programs and regulations that reflect their realities, helping to promote respect for equality, inclusion and diversity and highlighting the important contributions of Muslims to the Canadian national fabric, according to her. Prime Minister's statement.

For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised - via Twitter - the appointment of Al-Ghawabi, which he saw as "an important step in our fight against Islamophobia and hate in all its forms."

"Diversity is really one of Canada's greatest strengths, but for many Muslims, Islamophobia is very familiar," he added.

Over recent years, a series of bloody attacks have targeted Canadian Muslims.

In June 2021, 4 members of a Muslim family were killed when someone ran them over with his truck in Ontario.

And 4 years before that, 6 Muslims were killed and 5 injured in an attack on a mosque in Quebec City.

In a series of tweets she posted on Thursday, El-Ghawabi listed the names of the people killed in the recent attacks, writing, "We must never forget."

The creation of the new position came as part of the recommendations of a national summit on Islamophobia organized by the federal government in June 2021 in response to these attacks.

Commenting on Sweden's permission to burn the Qur'an, Turkish FM, Cavusoglu, says, Hate crimes are not freedom of expression

Commenting on Sweden's permission to burn the Qur'an, Turkish FM, Cavusoglu, says, Hate crimes are not freedom of expression

    Monday, January 23, 2023   No comments

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will denounce the Swedish authorities' permission for the leader of the far-right Danish "hard line" party, Rasmus Paludan, to burn a copy of the Holy Qur'an in the capital, Stockholm, and stressed that such crimes do not fall within the framework of freedom of expression.

Çavuşoğlu said that they "do not allow the burning of books of other religions, but when it comes to the Holy Qur'an and hostility to Islam, they immediately invoke freedom of thought and expression."

The Turkish minister stressed that hate and racism crimes do not fall within the framework of freedom of thought and expression, whether according to Swedish laws or decisions of the Council of Europe or the European Court of Human Rights.

He pointed out that Turkey was quick to take the necessary steps as soon as it learned that the Swedish authorities had allowed the extremist in Al-Wadan to burn a copy of the Noble Qur’an in front of the Ankara embassy building in Stockholm.

Davutoglu indicated that the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara to the ministry's headquarters and issued the necessary warnings to him, explaining that the Turkish ambassador to Stockholm, Yonat Janzel, spoke directly with the Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilstrom in this regard.

He expressed his hope that the Swedish authorities would take the necessary measures at the last minute and prevent this racist and hate crime from happening, which would cause outrage in the entire world.

After the event, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Sweden should no longer wait for Ankara to take any step within the framework of accepting its accession to NATO, in light of the burning of the Holy Quran in Stockholm.

Erdogan added, "You want to support terrorist organizations, and you support those who are hostile to Islam, and you want us to support your joining NATO... This will not happen at all."

And the Turkish president added, "We say clearly... Sweden is no longer waiting for any support from us for its accession to NATO... We say clearly that no one has the right to insult our sacred values."

Last Saturday, the Swedish-Danish extremist Ramsos Paludan carried out what he promised to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, amid great police protection and a large media presence.

Joseph Borrell: "You can't say I consider you a terrorist because I don't like you."

Joseph Borrell: "You can't say I consider you a terrorist because I don't like you."

    Monday, January 23, 2023   No comments

In a rare admission, the EU top diplomat suggests that the label “terrorist”, when used by politicians, can be void of any legal validity. Speaking before a meeting of EU foreign ministers which will discuss the designation of Iran’s revolutionary guards, a branch of the Iranian armed forces, as a terrorist entity, he declared that "You can't say I consider you a terrorist because I don’t like you."

The European Union foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell, conditioned the validity of the designation by a court ruling: "This matter cannot be decided without a court, a court decision first."

He pointed out that a court in an EU member state must issue a concrete legal conviction, before the bloc itself can move in this regard.

Will next week be decisive in determining the fate of the global economy?

Will next week be decisive in determining the fate of the global economy?

    Sunday, January 22, 2023   No comments

Bloomberg Agency presents a reading of the most important global economic changes, and indicates the possibility of a total change in global markets, especially after the Chinese decision to completely abandon the steps to combat Corona.

Next week may show more reasons for hope about the global economy, after bleak months filled with negative signs of a deep recession, as some data could reflect the gradual improvement of business partnerships in most parts of the developed world.

Economists expect purchasing managers' indices for both the United States and the eurozone to rise, while many metrics will still point to contraction, the upward trend of travel could add to optimism, according to a Bloomberg report.

Global Purchasing Managers Activity

Such possibilities are reinforced by China's post-pandemic reopening, evidence of slowing inflation, and the emphatic views of some senior European officials that their economies will not stagnate. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva hinted on Friday that the lender may soon raise its forecasts for this year.

"We have, clearly, the strength of labor markets translating into consumer spending and sustaining the economy, and as China reopens, we expect growth this year to again exceed the global average," Kristalina Georgieva said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

But prices in the US will also be decisive, and the first estimate of Q4 GDP there, due on Thursday, could be helpful. The economy is expected to show expansion at an annual rate of 2.7% in the last three months of 2022, after a pace of 3.2% in the third quarter.

While this data points to strong growth, recent data, including retail sales, home construction and industrial production, showed that momentum was starting to fade in late 2022.

Economists, polled by Bloomberg, see US gross domestic product falling for two consecutive quarters in the middle of this year as sharp interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve curbed demand.

While Asian momentum could provide a boost to these expectations, the IMF chief noted that there is a risk that its contribution to the global economy could be derailed.

Expert point of view

America's fourth-quarter GDP will be boosted largely by strong consumer spending on services, even as goods decline.

Households continued to benefit from excess savings from the stimulus and benefit from strong wage gains, and tightening monetary policy means that 2023 will see significantly weaker demand.

Elsewhere, multiple interest rate decisions may include a possible eventual BoC hike, and a 12th consecutive rate hike in Colombia.

Australia and New Zealand may report slowing consumer price growth, while Eurozone policymakers have one last chance to speak before they meet the following week.

United States and Canada

Apart from the US PMI and GDP reports, the government is expected to announce on Friday that inflation-adjusted personal spending on goods and services fell in December for the first time in a year.

The data is also expected to show moderate inflation rates on an annual basis, but they will remain high. Fed officials, who are watching ahead of the end-of-month meeting, will take note of signs of a slowing economy and moderate inflation. Other reports are expected to show a decline in new home sales and core capital goods.

Looking north, the Bank of Canada appears to have put a cap on one of the most aggressive tightening campaigns in its history, with what economists and markets expect to be a final 25 basis point increase in borrowing costs on Wednesday.

Policy makers led by Governor Tiff Macklem will likely refrain from announcing a complete halt to hikes, opting instead to keep the benchmark rate at 4.5% while maintaining a hawkish tone while watching how quickly the economy declines.

The decision is complicated by conflicting data. Canada's ultra-tight labor market continues to add jobs with unemployment near a record low, and economic output is set to expand in the fourth quarter of 2022 at twice the pace of the central bank's previous forecast.

Annual inflation remains uncomfortably high at 6.3%, but the underlying pressures are showing clear signs of abating. Meanwhile, heavily indebted Canadian households are feeling the crunch of higher rates and are starting to cut back on their spending.

Asia

Australia and New Zealand reported their latest inflation figures in the middle of the week, as the RBA contemplates halting its tightening cycle and the RBNZ contemplates its next move after a big rally in November.

In South Korea, Thursday's GDP results may show the economy contracting, a result that could reinforce caution in the central bank.

In Japan, Friday's Tokyo CPI data should indicate whether inflation is closer to peaking in the world's third-largest economy.

Two closely watched South Asian economies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will decide key interest rates, along with Thailand.

In turn, the Philippines reported the performance of its economy in 2022, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. estimated would grow at 7%.

The Thai Ministry of Finance will provide its latest economic estimate later next week. China will be closed all week due to the Lunar New Year holiday.

Europe and Africa

The last window for ECB officials to communicate ahead of the February 2 interest rate decision will close on Thursday. At the same time, Eurozone data may give more indications of the health of the economy.

Officials are scheduled to appear several times before then, including Bank President Christine Lagarde, who pledged to the Davos audience that she would "stay the course" on monetary policy.

In Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz is now convinced a recession will be avoided, Wednesday's Ifo Business Confidence report is expected to show improvement across all measures. Meanwhile, the first estimate of Spain's GDP for the fourth quarter may reveal a slight expansion.

The UK faces a few quieter days than it has lately, with no monetary policy speakers from the Bank of England and the PMI survey and fiscal data among the only items expected.

And in Hungary, the central bank will set the base interest rate at a monthly meeting on Tuesday, as investors eye a possible pivot towards monetary easing at the depository tender two days later. To the east, Ukrainian officials are expected to keep their benchmark unchanged at 25%.

Regarding Africa, the Central Bank of Nigeria is expected to slow its monetary tightening on Tuesday, with an increase of 50 basis points. Inflation slowed unexpectedly in December, but remained well above the policy target, deterring saving.

On Wednesday, Mozambique's policymakers are likely to leave official borrowing costs unchanged for the second consecutive meeting as inflation expectations slow.

Having prepared early for its battle against the worst global inflation shock in a generation, the Reserve Bank of South Africa is also likely to slow its rate hike on Thursday. Investors expect a more than 80% chance of a rate hike of 25 basis points.

Latin America

On Tuesday, consumer price reports are likely to confirm the formidable challenge facing policymakers in the region's two largest economies.

On an annual basis, Brazil may record a gradual move down from the level of 5.9%, while the main and fundamental results in Mexico as a whole remain unchanged from their latest readings at 7.86% and 8.34%, respectively.

In Argentina, GDP data could be disappointing for a third month, with an overvalued peso and near triple-digit inflation threatening deflation in the fourth quarter.

All certainty, the Central Bank of Chile will keep its benchmark rate at a two-decade high of 11.25% for the second consecutive meeting on Thursday. Inflation that has reached 4 times the target as the economy slips into recession puts Central Bank President Rosana Costa in an awkward position.

Observers in Colombia largely expect the central bank to extend a record cycle of interest increases, with 12 consecutive rate hikes to 13%, in the face of the sharpest wave of inflation in a generation.

Surprisingly, Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo, who is a voting member of the bank's board of directors, said on Tuesday that "the bank does not need to raise again and inflation has peaked, both of which contradict the bank's own polls of analysts."

Saudi Religious Rulers: There is no validity to apostasy law in Islam

Saudi Religious Rulers: There is no validity to apostasy law in Islam

    Sunday, January 22, 2023   No comments

For years, the Saudi political rulers used the fictitious apostasy law to kill political opponents, religious Salafi authority found the fictitious bases for the political rulers to do so. Now with the Saudi political rulers changing their tune about apostasy, the Saudi Religious Rulers are preparing the ground for them to change apostasy law. An influential Saudi religious authority just declared this: "There is no validity to apostasy."

Tolerance with regard to leaving the Islamic religion in Saudi Arabia, or what is known as apostasy and the apostate from Islam, was not permissible or open to discussion.

“There is no punishment for apostasy unless the apostate is against the ruler.”

However, as the Kingdom entered the era of openness, rational voices began to address these controls, the latest of which was what Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the former director of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, dared to do, and his writing of an article entitled “There is no validity until apostasy.”

Al-Ghamdi said in his article, which sparked controversy among Saudis, that what is established in the court texts of the Qur’an is the freedom of man in his faith, and that there is no compulsion in religion. Abstract apostasy is an explicit, coherent, correct text that cannot be challenged.

Al-Ghamdi added: I will explain here the response to the suspicions of this objection, as follows: First: They argued with what the two sheikhs included in their Sahihs on the authority of Ibn Masoud, who said: The Messenger of God said: “The blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but God and that I am the Messenger of God is not lawful except in one of three “A life for a life, the married adulterer, the one who separates from his religion and the one who abandons the group.” They said, “This is a report in the Two Sahihs that states that the apostate should be killed.” I said: This hadith is incorrect, and it is not accepted that it is clear for the following: First: Its chain of transmission is weak, because its effect is on the most basic, and it is fraudulent. He narrated it with cursing, and what he cursed will not be accepted from him.”

The Saudis were divided over Al-Ghamdi's interpretations. Some of them found that he inferred false evidence, and its purpose was to waste God's law, and some of them found that Sheikh Al-Ghamdi is leading a battle of thought and enlightenment against the extremists.

Those who rejected Al-Ghamdi’s article invoked what Ibn Taymiyyah said in Al-Sarim Al-Masloul: Apostasy is of two types: an abstract apostasy, and a severe apostasy, the law of killing in particular, and both of them have established evidence that the owner must be killed.

The Saudi authorities were leveling accusations of apostasy, not only with regard to leaving Islam, but those charges included insulting the divine being and the Prophet Muhammad, and criticizing the Saudi state for applying the provisions of Sharia, for example, the charges that were leveled against the Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayyad, and a death sentence was issued against him. Then it was commuted to 8 years in prison.

Saudi Arabia has not yet abolished the “punishment of apostasy,” and in some cases replaces its mandatory punishment with death, with imprisonment.

Dmitry Medvedev: the loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war

Dmitry Medvedev: the loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war

    Thursday, January 19, 2023   No comments

While Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, maintains his distance from social media, former president and former prime minister and the likely future president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, uses social media to deliver the kind of thinking that is guiding Russia's military and diplomatic policies and activities. Here is his recent statement:

Tomorrow, at NATO's Ramstein base, the great military leaders will discuss new tactics and strategies, as well as the supply of new heavy weapons and strike systems to Ukraine. And this was right after the forum in Davos, where underdeveloped political party-goers repeated like a mantra: "To achieve peace, Russia must lose."

And it never occurs to any of the poor to draw the following elementary conclusion from this: the loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war. The nuclear powers did not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends.

But this should be obvious to anyone. Even to a Western politician who has retained at least some trace of intelligence.

On January 22, Medvedev added this statement:

Meeting in Ramstein and

the allocation of heavy weapons to Kyiv leaves no doubt that our enemies will indefinitely try to wear us down, or rather, destroy us. And they have enough weapons. If necessary, they will start producing new ones. Therefore, there is no need for illusions. What are the conclusions from this? First, it will be very difficult. Secondly, in the event of a protracted conflict, at some point a new military alliance will form from those countries that the Americans and their pack of castrated dogs got. This has always happened in the history of mankind during long wars. And then the States will finally throw old Europe and the remnants of the unfortunate Ukrainians, and the world will again come to a state of equilibrium.

Unless, of course, it's too late.

On January 28, Medvedev added this commentary on the new developments:

There are no number of fools in the power structures of Europe.

Some Minister of Defense of Italy called the supply of armored vehicles and other weapons to Ukraine as the prevention of a third world war. A rare eccentric with the letter "m".

The neighbors of a gifted minister from an evil misty kingdom with an empire complex went even further. They say that all the weapons that NATO has should be "right now" provided to Kyiv. And fighters, and hundreds of tanks, and long-range missile systems. Like this is the only way to prevent the expansion of Russia and, again, a world war.

Firstly, the protection of Ukraine, which no one needs in Europe, will not save the decrepit Old World from retribution, if something happens. Secondly, if the third world war starts, then, alas, it will not be on tanks and not even on fighters. Then for sure - everything is in ruins.

However, what to expect from an entrepreneur with an incomplete higher education and his stupid neighbors who pumped themselves up during a pandemic right at their workplaces located at 10 Downing Street. Although the spirit of W. Churchill would be pleased with the successors.

On January 31, 2023, Medvedev added this commentary:

Enemy countries do not have the courage to admit that their "hellish" sanctions have failed miserably. Does not work. The vast majority of industrial products and consumer goods were replaced by our own, Russian, and the missing ones - by Asian brands. Parallel imports also work, from which we get the same Western brands, and their owners get nothing. So everything is as always: the Americans earn on a humiliated Europe. Crushed Europe endures and loses money. At the same time, even the IMF predicts economic growth in Russia this year.

It remains only to adopt the rules on the use of their intellectual property. Without any licenses and payment of royalties. This, among other things, will be our retaliatory sanctions on their property rights. For everything from movies to industrial software. Thanks, by the way, to those who have developed various programs for the unlicensed use of their expensive intellectual products. In short, for piracy in personal sanctions mode😄. What, à la guerre comme à la guerre...

...

The "double standard" of the British media... This is how London's lies were promoted before the invasion of Iraq

The "double standard" of the British media... This is how London's lies were promoted before the invasion of Iraq

    Wednesday, January 18, 2023   No comments

The British "Declassified" website talked about the role of the British media in promoting the lies of the British government before the invasion of Iraq.

The site said that the British media repeated the government's lies and fabrications without scrutiny, and became part of the government's propaganda machine, before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He pointed out that the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, provided the British public with false information twenty years ago about the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons of mass destruction, in order to prove the case of the illegal invasion of Iraq.

He added that Blair was not tried yet, but was honored and given the "Rabat" medal, which is the highest honor in the British Kingdom, pointing out that the journalists who repeated his lies were not tried either, but rather climbed the ladder of the profession to its highest levels.

On the other hand, those who dared to expose the lies of the war, such as the Australian journalist Julian Assange, are now in prison.

According to the site, there were serious investigations into false reports about Iraq in the United States, while this was not the case in Britain, where the press and broadcast media became an advanced part of the government propaganda machine.

Likewise, senior British journalists reported uncritical lies about the British government, often adding new fabrications of their own, according to the site.

He added that the Guardian newspaper, for example, "swallowed" the Blair government's bogus claim that Saddam Hussein's agents were looking for uranium in Africa to buy a nuclear bomb.

Under the headline: "Iraq file: African gangs offer a path to uranium - the nuclear suspicion lies with the Congo and South Africa," the newspaper claimed that it had seen secret documents proving contacts between African militias and Baghdad.

The Observer was "more intelligent and creative on the pro-war case," looking for more interesting angles to prove actual or alleged Saddam Hussein's malevolence, such as a 1,560-word interview with a woman claiming to be a former lover of Saddam Hussein, whom she claimed was With Osama bin Laden as a guest in one of Saddam's palaces, and that Saddam was financing Osama.

In turn, the "Sunday Telegraph" newspaper pumped a huge amount of government propaganda, as it published sensational reports that fueled public anxiety on the eve of the war, according to the site.

On January 19, 2003, the newspaper claimed that UN weapons inspectors "discovered evidence that Saddam Hussein is trying to develop an arsenal of nuclear weapons." Indeed, when the weapons inspectors issued their verdict a few days later, they concluded no such thing.

Meanwhile, critics of the war were marginalized or vilified. The site pointed out that Scott Ritter, the United Nations weapons inspector, has repeatedly questioned the allegations of Britain and the United States about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, stressing that the importance of his words were downplayed, while the narratives of the attack were reinforced.

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman

    Wednesday, January 18, 2023   No comments

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman, in which he appealed to him not to send aid to Jordan, so that it would not reach “pockets of corruption and the corrupt,” after he had submitted his resignation from Parliament last month. Past.

And the official Jordanian News Agency, Petra, stated that the House of Representatives decided to dismiss Al-Fayez, noting that “92 out of 110 deputies who attended the session voted on the Legal Committee’s decision related to the dismissal of Representative Al-Fayez.”

The reasons for the decision stated that the representative violated “parliamentary and diplomatic norms, with regard to the manner of addressing and insulting issued by him in a letter addressed to a sister Arab country, and discrediting the Kingdom through it.”

Al-Fayez had sent, in mid-December, a message to Ibn Salman through the ambassador of Riyadh to Jordan, in which he said: “We do not want aid and we do not want donations.

He added, “All your goods reach the pockets of corruption and the corrupt, and the notion that your donations go to pay the bills of all Jordanians, including innocent people, is a lie.” He added, “We hear about aid to the state, but it only goes to a corrupt class that gets richer at the expense of the dignity of the proud Jordanian.”

Al-Fayez, who belongs to the Bani Sakher tribe, one of the largest tribes in Jordan, and many of its members hold leadership positions in the state, submitted his resignation from the House of Representatives on December 22, justifying that by "the parliament's inability to achieve anything."

This comes at a time when Jordan is suffering from difficult economic conditions, which were exacerbated by the “Covid” pandemic. Unemployment rates rose in 2021 to about 25%, according to official figures, while it rose among the youth category to 50%.

The poverty rate rose to 24%, and the public debt exceeded $47 billion, or more than 106% of the GDP.

The Kingdom's economy, which suffers from a scarcity of natural resources, relies heavily on aid, especially from the United States, the European Union and the Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia.

According to the Jordanian constitution, the parliament has the power to decide whether to accept or reject a request for the resignation of deputies. If it rejects it, the deputy’s membership continues to complete the legal term of the parliament, which is set at four years, even if he does not attend any of the parliament’s sessions. But if it is accepted by the majority of its members, the seat is filled.

Chechens and Caucasus, Albanians and Uzbeks are moving to Idlib to fight in Ukraine

Chechens and Caucasus, Albanians and Uzbeks are moving to Idlib to fight in Ukraine

    Sunday, January 15, 2023   No comments

Intersectional reports indicate that foreign fighters from extremist groups have begun to migrate from Idlib in northern Syria towards Ukraine to fight the Russian army there, and reports say that most of those who move to eastern Europe are Chechen and Caucasian battalion fighters, Uzbek and Tajik fighters, and a group of Albanian fighters, and the vast majority belong to These fighters belong to the ranks of “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham,” which was formerly “Al-Nusra Front,” linked to Al-Qaeda and led by “Abu Muhammad al-Julani.”

Accounts of activists in the areas controlled by extremist groups in northern Syria speak of the departure of dozens of foreign fighters since the beginning of this year. These fighters, according to the details of the battles in the past years in Syria, are considered the most ferocious and experienced in martial arts and street warfare.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that more than 170 people have left the Syrian territory in batches since last October, and all of them are from the Caucasus and Chechens. They headed towards a European country based on pressure and a request by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

It is not known until now the mechanism for the transfer of dangerous fighters, who are classified as terrorists by the countries of the world, from Idlib in northern Syria to eastern Europe, and whether American or Western intelligence agencies are working to involve these fighters in the war against the Russian forces in an organized manner, and to repeat the model of the war in Afghanistan during the occupation Soviet. Where the American intelligence formed Al-Qaeda in partnership with Saudi and Pakistani intelligence to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan, and after this was achieved, the states sought to eliminate the organization by launching direct attribution to the occupation of the country, and pursuing Al-Qaeda fighters, and it is also unknown whether these groups were fighting under the command of the Ukrainian army or in coordination with NATO. Their peers have already fought in Libya under the command of NATO.

The dissident Salafist from Tahrir al-Sham, Ali al-Arjani, said on Telegram, “The Caucasus and Albanian group leave Idlib for Ukraine, because they found that Ukraine is more free for them than Idlib, and the battles in it are real, and it seems that they are following the old fatwa of Ayman Haroush, that going out to the country of the infidels is better.” From sitting in Idlib under the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Julani.” A video recording was published showing Abdul Hakim al-Shishani (Rustam Azif), the leader of the Caucasus Soldiers group, and his group fighting against Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and Russian media published the video recording, indicating that the United States had begun using terrorist groups to support the Ukrainian army.

A state of disagreements prevailed between some of these groups, which are based on foreign fighters, and between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its leader al-Julani in northern Syria, as al-Julani tried to domesticate and control these groups in the context of the changes that occurred in al-Julani's approach in an attempt to enter the political space and satisfy Turkey on the one hand and flirt with the United States On the other hand, to ensure the consolidation of his control over Idlib and some of the northern Syrian countryside.

At the same time US think-tank-experts warn of the difficulty of disrupting the Iranian drone program by the Americans and Europeans, Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March

At the same time US think-tank-experts warn of the difficulty of disrupting the Iranian drone program by the Americans and Europeans, Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March

    Sunday, January 15, 2023   No comments

The National Interest magazine stated that "it would be best for the United States to adopt a new strategy to disrupt Iran's drone program" after failing to disrupt it through economic sanctions and export controls.

The magazine added, in a report, that “the United States has for years imposed sanctions on Iran’s military-industrial complex and manufacturing base, including entities such as IAIO (which designs and manufactures Mohajer-6 medium-range reconnaissance and combat drones), and HESA and FACI, Iranian Helicopter Support and Refurbishment Industries (PAHNA), and Iranian Aircraft Industries (IACI), to name a few.

However, "the Iranian aviation sector and the drone industry continued to expand and prosper, and Western sanctions could not prevent Iran from becoming a prominent player in the military drone market, and sharing the technology of these drones with partners and agents inside and outside the Middle East," he said. National Interest.

According to the magazine, "Despite the US sanctions on the companies that manufacture Iranian drones, Russia used Iranian drones in the war in Ukraine, such as the Shahed-136, which paralyzed Ukraine's vital infrastructure," she said.

In addition to increasing sanctions against Iranian drone companies, the magazine stated that "Washington intends to impose controls on exports and pressure on private companies to disrupt the technological supply chain related to the drone industry in Tehran, especially with the emergence of reports stating that Shahed 136 is manufactured with American and British components, which made It shows Tehran's extraordinary ability to bypass sanctions."

But, as with Western sanctions, "more export controls and corporate pressure are unlikely to significantly reduce Iran's access to these components," according to the National Interest.

The reason for this, the magazine explained, is, first, "the incorporation of foreign components into a robust drone program with an established supply chain." And secondly, states cannot prevent companies like eBay or Alibaba from selling dual or multi-use technology to Iran and other countries.

In the context, the National Interest spoke about the Iranian drone sector, noting that "Iran has manufactured and operated military drones since the Iran-Iraq war in the mid-1980s."

"With more than 33 examples, Iran's highly advanced military drone complex forms one of the four pillars of its security strategy and force structure, complementing missile technology, proxy forces, and electronic warfare," she added.

The National Interest report stated, "Iranian drones are cheaper than their Western counterparts, and have proven effective on the battlefield, whether against local and regional militants, or US assets and allies in and around the Gulf."

Likewise, "drones have enabled Iran to project its power and earn profits, display technology and enhance its prestige, strengthen alliances, and influence conflicts in the Middle East and beyond," according to the magazine.

To this end, the National Interest noted, “Iran has delivered drones and their designs, components, and training to partners in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, as well as to foreign governments such as Ethiopia, Russia, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela—transactions facilitated by the end of the UN arms embargo on Iran in October 2020".

According to the National Interest, "the Iranian leadership adopts a whole-of-government approach, using all available tools, from regime elites studying at universities abroad to electronic espionage, to gain access to the latest technology."

She added, "Iran's high human capital can allow it to accelerate domestic production of UAV components, and such a result can be achieved thanks to the first-class scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians produced by Sharif University of Technology and other distinguished Iranian educational institutions."

"Given the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of disrupting Iran's drone program through economic sanctions and export controls, the United States would do well to adopt a new strategy," the National Interest continued.

She explained, "This strategy would seek to use an innovative and comprehensive approach to break the endless cycle of imposing US sanctions and avoiding Iranian sanctions."

Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March 

Speaking to Tasnim, member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Shahriar Heidari said the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets that Iran has ordered from Russia are going to arrive in early 1402 (begins on March 21).

The lawmaker noted that Iran has also ordered a series of other military equipment from Russia, including air defense systems, missile systems and helicopters, most of which will be received soon.

Media reports suggested earlier that Iran will receive 24 of the fourth-generation twin-engine, super-maneuverable fighter jets that are primarily used for air superiority missions.

Some of the combat aircraft are anticipated to be housed at Tactical Air Base (TAB) 8 of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), which is located in the Iranian city of Isfahan in the country's center.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) says the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet “combines the qualities of a modern fighter (super-maneuverability, superior active and passive acquisition aids, high supersonic speed and long range, capability of managing battle group actions, etc.) and a good tactical airplane (wide range of weapons that can be carried, modern multi-channel electronic warfare system, reduced radar signature, and high combat survivability).”

Iran hasn’t acquired any new fighter aircraft in recent years, excluding a few Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters it bought in the 1990s.

Iran and Russia have signed major deals in recent months to boost their economic, trade, energy and military cooperation.

Western Sahara: The Polisario movement's 16th congress began its conference to renew its leadership

Western Sahara: The Polisario movement's 16th congress began its conference to renew its leadership

    Friday, January 13, 2023   No comments

The Polisario Front, seeking to obtain the right to self-determination in Western Sahara, began its conference to renew its leadership, in the context of severe tensions between its ally Algeria and Morocco, which controls 80% of this region.

The conference will be held in the presence of more than 2,200 members of the Front and 370 foreign guests over a period of five days, 175 kilometers south of the Algerian city of Tindouf, in the Dakhla refugee camp, which bears the name of a coastal town in Western Sahara, an area rich in phosphates and fisheries at the heart of an ongoing conflict. half a century ago.

Polisario leader Brahim Ghali, 73, who enjoys indispensable support from Algeria, appears confident of his re-election at the conference, which kicks off at noon on Friday.

"This is the first conference since the resumption of the armed struggle" at the end of 2020, Mohamed Yeslam Bessat, the representative of the Sahrawis in South Africa, told AFP.

A decades-old dispute has been taking place over Western Sahara, which Morocco controls most of its territory, and considers it an integral part of its territory, proposing to grant it autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, is calling for its independence.

It is a major cause of tension in relations between the two Maghreb countries, as Algeria cut off diplomatic relations with Rabat since the summer of 2021.

A ceasefire resolution in force since 1991 was violated, in mid-November 2020, after the deployment of Moroccan forces in the far south of the region to expel the Polisario fighters who were blocking the only road leading to Mauritania and considered it illegal because it did not exist when the agreement was reached with Rabat.

Since then, the Polisario Front says it is "in a state of war in self-defense" and has declared "a war zone for all the territory of the Sahrawi Republic, including land, sea and air."

The conference takes place at a time when Western Sahara is at the center of escalating tensions between the two powerful states of the Maghreb.

Algeria effectively cut off its diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021 due to deep differences over this file and the security rapprochement between Rabat and Israel.

And after the recognition of former US President Donald Trump's administration at the end of 2020 encouraged Morocco's sovereignty over this region in exchange for rapprochement with Israel, Rabat has since increasingly used its diplomatic activity to mobilize the support of other countries for its positions.

The 16th conference is being organized under the slogan "Escalating Fighting to Expel the Occupation and Complete Sovereignty."

And ending with the convening of the conference, the governorship of Ghali, who succeeded in July 2016 the historical leader Muhammad Abdel Aziz, who died a few weeks ago. In addition, Ghali is the president of the “Sahrawi Arab Republic,” declared unilaterally in 1976.

The representative of the Polisario Front in Geneva, Omaima Abdel Salam, confirms that “the last word will be for the Sahrawi people during this conference. The position of Secretary-General is not exclusive to anyone,” refuting press reports about a struggle to succeed Ghali.

She explained, “So far, there is no list of candidates for the position of Secretary-General. These are just rumours.”

Internet, Space, Politics, and War: How Western government-business collaborations and connections is spurring other countries to develop their own

Internet, Space, Politics, and War: How Western government-business collaborations and connections is spurring other countries to develop their own

    Friday, January 13, 2023   No comments

The US administration has used connections between private businesses in China and the Chinese government as a reason for banning Chinese companies from operating within the country. They argued that data collected by these businesses may end up in the hands of foreign governments. When some European governments joined the US government and put restrictions or bans on China-based businesses, it made this problem a global one. At the same time, it brought to the forefront the relationship between the private sector and governments. The media coverage may suggest that the problem with governmental use of data, information, or technology owned by businesses applies only to businesses operating out of China, implying that Western governments do not use tools from businesses or collaborate with businesses to achieve national political and economic advantages. The Recent and ongoing events around the world, however, are confirming that there is not a divide between private and government entities. All governments end up leaning on companies and businesses operating from their territory to use their resources and assets to protect and further what they see as their national interest. The connections and relations between business-government was revealed clearly during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

During the pandemic, drug companies received government funds to develop vaccines and anti-viral drugs. And that private-government partnership extended to the control of the production and distribution of drugs according to government priorities, not market forces or public good conditions. For example, EU governments prohibited European vaccine makers from selling their products outside Europe to prioritize the vaccination of Europeans over the rest of the world.

Also, with the start of the war in Ukraine, US-based social media, Internet companies, and media outlets all fell in line with policies and guidelines developed by Western governments to control the narrative about the war, which consisted of filtering out any coverage or information that may appear to be sympathetic to the Russian point of view.

Also, with the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the then-richest person on earth and the majority owner of SpaceX, the company behind the Starlink project which deliverers high-speed internet from space, Elon Musk, announced that he will allow the government of Ukraine to use the service. Similarly, when demonstrations broke out in Iran the fall of 2022, Musk told Iranians that he will make Starlink services available to the anti-government protesters.

With China facing similar pressure related to its claim over Taiwan, the ban on Chinese technology companies and the willingness of US-based companies to support US positions on global conflicts, it was not hard for the Chinese leaders to build or strengthen alternative to US- and EU-based companies so that they cannot be used against them the way they have been used against Russia and Iran. We also anticipate Russia and Iran to allocate resources to developing similar structures to address these issues. The recent revelation about the emergence of a Chinese competitor to Starlink and SpaceX bolster this conclusion. The media coverage, blow, should provide more context.

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