Western Media Review: After the Ukraine war, the West has become more isolated

Western Media Review: After the Ukraine war, the West has become more isolated

    Thursday, February 23, 2023   No comments

A year after the war in Ukraine, the West has never been more isolated, Politico reported Thursday.

The newspaper said, "The war in Ukraine accelerated the development of a post-Western world, and given current trends, it seems that this world may be more united, but also more isolated from the rest."

She added, "A year after the war in Ukraine, European and American governments defied critics with an extraordinary display of unity," asking: "But has this internal cohesion been achieved at the expense of external influence?"

This is the main question explored in a new survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Europe in a Changing World project at Oxford University, which covers public opinion from 10 European countries and five from other regions of the world.

According to the results of the survey, while the war brought the West closer together, it also revealed a gap between the West's perception of Russia and the war, and the perception of other countries, and part of this gap comes from radically different perceptions of the state of the world.

Citizens from Europe and non-Western countries share the same conviction that the US-led liberal order is over, but their understanding of what kind of order will come next differs sharply, according to the survey.

He also revealed that many in the West believe, through the legacy of the Cold War, that we are entering a bipolar world dominated by the United States and China, but in other parts of the world, they do not believe this division. The fundamental reason for this is that from the perspective of those in China, Turkey or Russia, we are entering a multipolar world between many centers of power, not a bipolar one.

In other words, the citizens of these countries believe that fragmentation into different systems will determine the future. In this scenario, the entire West would be just one center of power among many others, which would not single-handedly define order and lead global democracy.

According to the newspaper, the most fundamental reason for this view is that people in non-Western major powers now tend to believe that they also represent a real democracy. % of Indians, 36% of Turks, and 20% of Russians.

The newspaper pointed out that with Western governments anticipating the return of the Cold War-type bipolarity between democracy and tyranny, they often tend to view countries such as India and Turkey as swing states that can be persuaded to take sides, pointing out that "these countries see themselves completely differently, As emerging great powers, they may side with the West on some issues, but not on everything.

She also reported that "the ability of the West to work alongside those international partners who have a different understanding of the conflict will have an important impact on the outcome of the war, as well as on the shape of geopolitics," noting that "it takes humility to see countries like India, Brazil and Turkey as partners." In shaping the future system, not as players being moved to the right side of history."

Dmitry Medvedev: Defeating Russia will Trigger Nuclear War

Dmitry Medvedev: Defeating Russia will Trigger Nuclear War

    Wednesday, February 22, 2023   No comments

Known for his biting commentaries, sharp wit, and concise articulation of policy-sourced analysis, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, unleashed an attack on US President with a chillling warning: Defeating Russia will Trigger Nuclear War. Medvedev published this ominous warning on his favorite social media platform, Telegram, with the title, About two performances. For full context of his Feb. 22 post, we provide a full translation below.

_______________

1. Yesterday there was a Message from the President of Russia to the Federal Assembly, which, among other things, announced the suspension of our participation in START-3. An overdue decision, the inevitability of which I noted last year. The decision prompted by the war declared by the United States and other NATO countries to our country. A decision that will have a huge resonance in the world in general and in the United States in particular. After all, the American establishment has been thinking until now something like this: we will spoil you everywhere and in everything, we will supply gigantic volumes of weapons to the Kiev regime, we will work to defeat Russia, we will limit and destroy you, but strategic security is a separate issue. It is not connected with the general context of relations between the US and Russia. She is almost a sacred cow.

This conclusion is worse than a crime - this is a gross mistake of the Americans. An error generated by their mania grandiosa. Their sense of superiority and impunity. After all, it is obvious to all reasonable forces that if the United States wants the defeat of Russia, then we are on the verge of a world conflict. If the United States wants to defeat Russia, then we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapon, including nuclear. And as Vladimir Putin rightly said: "It is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield." It is with this that the suspension (for now) of START-3 is connected. Let the out-of-touch elites in the US think about what they have achieved. We will also observe the reaction of other nuclear powers - NATO members: France and Britain. Their strategic nuclear forces were usually not included in the balance of nuclear warheads and carriers when preparing agreements between the US and the USSR (Russia), but it is high time to do so.

2. Biden addressed the Russian people in front of a crowd of Poles. In fact, he delivered a sermon in the traditional messianic key for America, adjusted for senile insanity. Heaped high words about how important it is to defend democracy, and that the US is not going to attack Russia. It looked dishonest and ridiculous. Who is this strange grandfather, broadcasting with a bewildered look from Poland? Why does he appeal to the people of another country at a time when he is full of domestic problems? With what fright should we listen to a politician from a hostile state that exudes hatred for our Motherland? Why should the citizens of Russia trust the leader of the United States, who unleashed the most wars in the 20th and 21st centuries, but reproach us for aggressiveness? A person who directs all his weakening intellectual capabilities only to ensure that Russia suffers a “strategic defeat”.

And further. To paraphrase a famous expression, Biden said in Warsaw: “If Russia stops its invasion, it will end right now. If Ukrainians stop defending themselves, that will be the end of Ukraine.” This is a refined lie. The truth is quite different.

If Russia stops the SMO without achieving victory, Russia will not exist, it will be torn to pieces. If the US stops supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime, the war will end.

On February 24, Medvedev added this:

It's been a year since the special operation has been going on. A year since our servicemen restore order, peace and justice in our land, protect our people and destroy the roots of neo-Nazism. They are heroes.

The whole country helps them, supplying the front with everything necessary.

Victory will be achieved. We all want this to happen as soon as possible. And that day will come. We will return our territories and reliably protect our people, who have suffered during the years of genocide and shelling.

What's next?

Then there will be negotiations, which, I am sure, will become difficult and nervous. First of all, because the formal participants in the negotiations on the part of our enemy are one, and the actual leaders are completely different. And decisions for the Kiev regime will, of course, not be made by some kind of Zelensky, if he is still alive, or his clique. The decision will be made across the ocean by those in whose hands the supply of weapons to Kyiv and the allocation of money to maintain the remains of the Ukrainian economy. The motives of the main enemies of our country are obvious: to weaken Russia as much as possible, to bleed us for a long time. Therefore, they are not interested in ending the conflict. But sooner or later, according to historical laws, they will do it. And then there will be an agreement. Naturally, without fundamental agreements on real borders or on a new Helsinki Pact that ensures security in Europe. Just some kind of agreement.

Then, most likely, no less difficult time will begin. Exhausting months and years of confrontation, tantrums and rudeness on the part of those who will manage the stub that remains of Ukraine. Their fate is unenviable. They will not be able to recognize the results of the SVO without the risk of being executed on the same day. The nationalists will continue to control the powerful camarilla, because none of them have any other ideology than Bandera's neo-Nazism. Recognition of defeat for them is like death. Therefore, the ideology of “something to win” can remain for a long time.

And at some point, the new bloody boys, backed to the wall by once again unbelted Bandera, who call themselves the legal Ukrainian authorities, will again provoke a world conflict. It doesn't matter - on the eve of the elections or just on the next Maidan.

This cannot be allowed.

Therefore, it is so important to achieve all the goals of a special military operation. Push the borders of threats to our country as far as possible, even if these are the borders of Poland. Destroy neo-Nazism to the ground. In order not to waste time later on catching the remnants of Bandera gangs in the Little Russian forests. So that the world will find the long-awaited peace.

 

Dmitry Medvedev Bio:

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev graduated from the Faculty of Law of Leningrad State University in 1987 and completed his post-graduate studies at Leningrad State University in 1990. Holds a PhD in law and the title of associate professor.

Medvedev is a Russian politician who has been serving as the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev also served as the president of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and as the prime minister of Russia between 2012 and 2020.

Putin: The relations between Russia and China are developing...and waiting for the Chinese President's visit

Putin: The relations between Russia and China are developing...and waiting for the Chinese President's visit

    Wednesday, February 22, 2023   No comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today, Wednesday, that Russian-Chinese relations are developing as planned, stressing that the two countries are reaching new stages.

This came in a meeting with the Head of the Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Wang Yi, in which, on the Russian side, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, and the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, participated.

Putin added, during the meeting, that "Russia is waiting for Chinese President Xi Jinping on its territory," saying that "a visit like this will give impetus to the development of relations between the two countries."

And he stressed that "Russia is aware of the very important internal political developments that have taken place recently in China, which certainly contribute to the country's strength, and create the appropriate conditions for its continuous development in accordance with the plans of the Chinese Communist Party."

Speaking about the growing trade relations between Beijing and Moscow, the Russian president indicated that "the volume of trade exchange between the two countries will reach $200 billion before 2024."

"We set a goal to reach the level of 200 billion dollars in 2024. Last year it already reached 185 billion, and there is every reason to believe that we will achieve our goals in terms of trade, perhaps even earlier than planned," Putin told Wang Yi. .

Lavrov, in turn, stated that relations between Russia and China are developing dynamically despite the international turmoil, stressing that Moscow and Beijing are ready to defend each other's interests.

For his part, Wang Yi stressed during his talks with Lavrov that "Russian-Chinese relations maintain a high momentum," expressing his hope to "reach new agreements."

The Chinese official pointed out that "the Chinese-Russian relations, which are based on broad partnership and strategic cooperation in the new era, maintain a high momentum of development thanks to the strategic direction of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin."

And the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced earlier today that Russia and China agreed to jointly confront all forms of unilateral intimidation.

"The two sides expressed their willingness to jointly practice true multilateralism, confront all forms of unilateral intimidation, and promote the democratization of international relations and multipolarity," she added.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen multilateral cooperation, and stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

This came during a meeting between the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, and Wang Yi, yesterday, Tuesday, which dealt with the development of bilateral relations between Russia and China.

GT, Chinese English Daily, reported that Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi started his Russia visit on Tuesday after his trip to France, Italy, Hungary and a series of meetings with diplomats from countries including the US and Ukraine in Germany on the sideline of the Munich Security Conference, with analysts saying China is making efforts for mediation by engaging with all relevant parties involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while the US keeps on adding fuel to the flame and exploiting the conflict to make a political show. 

Secret documents reveal for the first time.. Bush and Blair were certain of Iraq's inability to develop weapons of mass destruction two years before the war

Secret documents reveal for the first time.. Bush and Blair were certain of Iraq's inability to develop weapons of mass destruction two years before the war

    Tuesday, February 21, 2023   No comments

Britain recently released documents to the British Cabinet that reveal information about the US-British lies that the two countries told before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The documents revealed that London was confident that the allegations of Iraq's possession of any ability to obtain weapons of mass destruction or long-range missiles, at least two years before its invasion, were false.

And the “BBC” considered that these documents are the first of their kind that “proves that the British Prime Minister (at the time) Tony Blair knew that Iraq was devoid of any capabilities to possess prohibited weapons in accordance with United Nations resolutions issued before and after the removal of the Iraqi army from Kuwait in February. 1991, in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.

Twenty years after the start of the war, the documents confirm that "the policy of containment and the strict international sanctions imposed on Iraq after the liberation of Kuwait from the occupation of its army in 1991 achieved its goal of preventing Saddam Hussein from developing weapons that were not permitted."

The documents refer mainly to the effectiveness of British military, arms and technological sanctions in the context of a review conducted by the Blair administration in 2001 of the US-British policy on Iraq, and this review was agreed upon during the first visit of the British Prime Minister to Washington after the inauguration of George Bush Jr., as US President.

The documents confirm that (at the time) Britain offered the Bush administration a new policy called “a contract with the Iraqi people” aimed at obtaining support, especially from the countries and peoples of the Arab region, for the US-British policy in dealing with Iraq.

The review clearly confirmed, according to the documents, that “without the containment policy that we follow, it was likely that Iraq would now possess a long-range missile capable of reaching Britain and Europe, as well as chemical, biological and nuclear warheads for such a weapon (the missile).”

She pointed out that the United Nations ban on Iraq manufacturing missiles with a range not exceeding 150 kilometers "is a major restriction that prevents it from developing such a missile."

The documents say that "the Blair administration sought to communicate effectively with the French to persuade them to include elements of the contract with the Iraqi people in any statements issued to promote our new approach at the United Nations."

The review suggested that “we may inform major Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait about the new approach in order to issue supportive statements.”

Is China Taking Gloves Off? "U.S. has no right to lecture on possible arms supplies to Moscow"

Is China Taking Gloves Off? "U.S. has no right to lecture on possible arms supplies to Moscow"

    Monday, February 20, 2023   No comments

Media review: Global Politics

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin: 

"It is the American side, not the Chinese side, that constantly supplies weapons to the battlefield. Who calls for dialogue and peace, and who distributes knives and encourages confrontation? The United States has no right to lecture China, and we will never allow the United States to dictate or pressure Sino-Russian relations." 

Al-Assad from Muscat: The region is now more in need of the role of the Sultanate of Oman

Al-Assad from Muscat: The region is now more in need of the role of the Sultanate of Oman

    Monday, February 20, 2023   No comments

Today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a working visit to the Sultanate of Oman, where he was received at the Royal Private Airport by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Sultan of Oman.

Al-Assad and Bin Tariq held an official session of talks at Al-Baraka Al-Amer Palace in Muscat, in the presence of the two official delegations, where the latter renewed his condolences to President Al-Assad and the Syrian people for the victims of the devastating earthquake, stressing his country's continued support for Syria to overcome the effects of the earthquake and the repercussions of the war and the siege imposed on the Syrian people.

For his part, Al-Assad expressed his deep thanks to the Sultan, the government and the brotherly Omani people, for their solidarity and standing with Syria and for sending relief aid, noting that the greatest thanks is for Oman's standing by Damascus during the terrorist war against it.

The talks also dealt with the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, and the areas of joint cooperation, where it was agreed between the two sides to strengthen and advance bilateral cooperation in all fields, and Al-Assad indicated that Syria and Oman have relations of mutual trust and an old and deep understanding.

Al-Assad considered that Oman has always maintained its balanced policies and credibility, and that the region "now more needs the role of the Sultanate of Oman in serving the interests of its people in order to strengthen relations between Arab countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in the affairs of other countries."

For his part, Bin Tariq said that Syria is a brotherly Arab country, "and we look forward to its relations with all Arab countries returning to their natural context."

The official talks session was followed by a closed session of talks, then Al-Assad and his accompanying delegation left Muscat, concluding his working visit to the sisterly Sultanate of Oman. 

China's President Xi Jinping set to visit Iran

China's President Xi Jinping set to visit Iran

    Saturday, February 18, 2023   No comments

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Iran, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced at the end of the Iranian president's three-day visit to China.

A joint statement from the two countries said Xi Jinping "gladly accepted the invitation" of his Iranian counterpart, but the date of the visit was not mentioned.

Earlier in the day, Raisi called his visit to China "extremely fruitful and successful," expressing his hope to advance cooperation with China in various fields.

In a press statement upon his arrival in Tehran, Raisi announced the signing of 20 memorandums of cooperation in the presence of the presidents of the two countries, stressing that there is a serious desire on both sides to enhance cooperation in the trade, economic, energy, scientific and technological fields.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Raisi's first visit to Beijing will help stability in the Middle East, and will not target any third party, but will contribute to the well-being of the Iranian and Chinese peoples.

The Iranian president met his Chinese counterpart on his eighth foreign visit during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand a few months ago. In the bilateral meeting, the Chinese president officially invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Beijing.

The 36th summit of the African Union.. What is on its agenda?

The 36th summit of the African Union.. What is on its agenda?

    Saturday, February 18, 2023   No comments

A number of challenges are facing the African summit, most notably considering the file of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as well as the frozen memberships of countries, including Sudan.

There will also be closed sessions to adopt the agenda, and to hear reports on the state of peace and security, and the African Free Trade Area, in addition to other files related to the evaluation of the implementation plan for the first decade of Africa's Vision 2063, and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

In a speech, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, said, "What is required is to activate the African Free Trade Area quickly to meet the various challenges," adding that the continent's partners "impose strict conditions for financing our various projects."

Faki also called for "the necessity of reforming global governance that excludes Africa from the Security Council," noting that "some of the goals adopted by the continent have not been achieved due to the lack of political will among some."

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission warned of the expansion of terrorism in Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, explaining the need for international solidarity with the affected countries.

For his part, the Ethiopian Prime Minister said in his speech that "Africa must be represented in the Security Council with at least one permanent seat and two non-permanent seats."

In turn, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "The Russian-Ukrainian war has directly affected the lives of the African people, who bear the greatest challenges," he said.

Guterres considered that "Africa needs international financing to relieve the burden of debt burdened with it," calling on the other hand for the return of the democratic path in Sudan, Mali and Burkina Faso.

And the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry announced earlier that the leaders of 36 African countries confirmed their attendance at the summit, which begins with an open session that includes several speakers, most notably Senegalese President Macky Sall, head of the ending session of the Union, and President of the Comoros Ghazali Osmani, head of the next session, in addition to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

In a message to African leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that he stands ready to work with leaders of African countries to build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.  Xi made the pledge in his message to the 36th African Union (AU) Summit, in which he extended congratulations to African countries and the African people on the opening of the summit, according to Chinese media reporting.

By not calling the Syrian government with words of condolence for the dead Syrians, Erdogan may have missed his chance to rehabilitate his sectarian supremacy

By not calling the Syrian government with words of condolence for the dead Syrians, Erdogan may have missed his chance to rehabilitate his sectarian supremacy

    Thursday, February 16, 2023   No comments

When a government minister from Greece, a country with which Turkey is threatening with war, becomes the first among his European colleagues to visit quake-hit Turkey to survey the extent of the disaster caused by the quakes there, Erdogan’s government should have done the same with its Syrian counterpart. After all, Erdogan has played a pivotal role in the crisis in that country that destroyed the country and left nearly 20% of its territory outside the control of the government. Instead, Erdogan chose to ignore common human compassion, Islamic norms that require ta`ziya, and neighborly obligation in order to preserve his political posturing.

Politics should never supersede human decency. That is why many of the Arab rulers who wished for the overthrown of the Syrian government and invested in that project, like the King of Jordan, the Sheikh of UAE, and Egypt’s Sisi’s, all of them despite their disagreements with the Syrian government, called the Syrian president for ta`ziya and to offer help. Sixteen other Arabi governments that cut ties with the Syrian government during the crisis reached out with words of support and offers of help. But not Erdogan.

Erdogan, who reshaped Turkish society to his liking, wanted to recreate his neighborhood as well, not work with his neighbors. He used religion, nationalism, and politics to pursue an agenda of supremacy driven by the same callous Darwinian capitalism that is at the root of most of the social and environmental illnesses. His refusal to do the decent thing and pick up the phone and say to his counterpart in the neighboring country that was devastated by the same deadly and destructive earthquake, inna lillahi wa-inna ilayhi raji`un, shows that he lacks the temperament of a leader who is supposed to represent the values of his society not his personal impulses and sectarian biases.

We say secterian bias because it is clear thzt Erdogan is willing to make peace with all former enemies, yet he resists making peace with the Syrian government and the only reason we see is because Assad is not a Sunni Muslim, he is seen by sectarian leader as a person who belongs to an inferior sect ruling over the majority-Sunni country. That is why only another sectarian nation-state, Qatar refuses to deal with the Syrian government, prompting a renouned journalist to write a public letter to the emir, we share it here because it highlights the same issues addressed in this editorial.

His Highness Sheikh “Tamim bin Hamad,” this is an open letter to public opinion and before God Almighty, from a crushed and overpowering Arab citizen to Your Highness. Perhaps you will hear these words emanating from a heart squeezed by grief and pain over a nation that is being written off from the map of influence, and is living in the worst stages of an era of deterioration.

Your Highness: Syria, which was hit by a devastating earthquake that left thousands of victims and tens of thousands of afflicted, displaced and wounded, is living the tragedy of the century, and its people are groaning under the weight of a double catastrophe after years of war and siege. Millions in Syria are below the poverty line, ravaged by poverty, hunger, destitution and cold.. Children, women, the elderly and decent families Mastoura has become homeless or breadwinner. You may be aware of this through reports that are supposed to reach you.

Many countries of the world, led by Arab and Islamic countries, have come to the aid and relief with the commendable capabilities they can, and the countries of Qatar have lagged behind in that. I know that you are helping our brothers in Turkey, and this is a humanitarian work that you bear witness to. And you help our brothers in northern Syria where the Syrian government has no control, and this is a blessed act, but excluding areas such as Aleppo, Latakia, Jableh and Hama because they are located in the areas of the Syrian government or the “regime” as you call it from relief, and withholding any sympathy for them or conveying their suffering, or even condolence with them . Allow me to say that this approach is wrong, and it harms the State of Qatar, its reputation and its future, more than it harms the Syrians at a painful but fleeting moment in the course of history.

  The human tendency does not differentiate between one person and another on the basis of where he resides. Arab brotherhood, Arab blood, magnanimity, originality, and Arab honor necessitate transcendence over political differences and fear to save simple people, brothers, and human beings anywhere, regardless of the political dispute with the government or the difference in orientations. The State of Qatar must help the brothers and the Syrian people in Aleppo, Lattakia, Jableh and Hama, just like its donation to help the Syrian people in Idlib, Jandiris and other regions of the north.

If there is a political disagreement and a rift between you and the Syrian leadership, then let it not be, and no one will ask you to change your political orientations according to what you see as serving the interests of your country. But at the same time, there is no political dispute between the Syrian and Qatari peoples. It is a common sympathy and pain, and I am confident that your Qatari people are in pain for every Syrian and do not differentiate between those who sit in the open in Aleppo or those who sleep in the cold in Idlib. The entire Syrian people is afflicted and needs the embrace of its Arab brothers. Syria has always been the first to extend a helping hand to all Arabs in their tribulations and misfortunes, and it has never been stingy or hesitated for a single moment in offering even lives for Arab causes.

Your Highness: Perhaps you know or have heard about the gift of the Syrians in all cities, as well as the Arabs and Muslims in all countries, to defend Qatar in the face of bullying, racism and confusion practiced by Western countries during Qatar's hosting of the World Cup. They gave you love and sympathy, and this is more valuable than all the treasures and money of the earth. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian activists in Damascus, Homs, Aleppo and other cities did not say that there is a political dispute that necessitates refraining from defending our brothers who achieve a common achievement that raises the heads of all Arabs.

The Syrian people are a dear and dignified people, full of dignity, dignity and pride. A word of sympathy and consolation. Watching the Arab brothers flock to them and their planes landing in their country is more important to them than bread, medicine, housing and money.

I know this people very well, and I know that Syria, the homeland, will not be burned or drowned. This is Syria, the mother of every Arab. The homeland is for those who have no homeland. Syria is the holy land, the kind and warm people, and the civilization steeped in history. An earthquake, war, or disaster cannot erase it.

Your Highness, deafen your ear, even for a moment, to the voices of blind hatred, the voices that filled the space around you with calls to stop and cut aid to Syria in the most difficult disaster it is going through, and sayings that the Syrian regime benefits from the disaster and that aid saves the regime from the siege. The truth is that the children of Syria are languishing under the rubble and in the open.

These voices are now insulting to Qatar and to the image of its peaceful, loving and open people. Those voices that were stripped of humanity and blinded by hatred, blackness of the heart and sickness of the mind.

Deaf ears to the calls not to help the afflicted because they are in the “regime” areas. These are shameful and disgraceful calls, and hear the voice of the Arab blood that flows in your veins. Hear the voice of the facts that indicate that there are Arabs and non-Arabs. Come to the differences, renounce hatred and break the siege for the sake of Arab and human brotherhood, from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritania, Libya, Lebanon, the Sultanate of Oman and Bahrain, while Qatar seems isolated, measuring its humanity with narrow political calculations. A victim from the opposition area, and this is a victim from the regime area.”

Your Highness the Emir: It is not too late, and the State of Qatar can suspend the political dispute, and rush now to Syria to offer a helping hand and assistance, or at least offer condolences for the victims, just like its Arab and Muslim brothers and the free countries of the world. Your blessed efforts to help in Turkey and northern Syria remain incomplete if they do not include assistance to all those affected by the earthquake, wherever they are or reside, and whatever the circumstances and differences. Your position is not permissible humanly, morally, legally and patriotic before God and the court of history and peoples.

  One day, Arab brotherhood and one Arab blood will be victorious, so Your Highness contributed to making this day soon, and do not make sisterly Qatar a prisoner of a chorus of sick people who live on differences and are addicted to insults, grudges and provoking division.

This is the message of an Arab citizen who has no power or power and only possesses the word of truth and seeks nothing but God's approval.

Kamal Khalaf

Writer and Journalist

The Chinese and Iranian presidents agree to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries

The Chinese and Iranian presidents agree to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries

    Tuesday, February 14, 2023   No comments

 The importance of Iran's president visit to China can be assessed not only by the deals signed between the two leaders, but by how the official Chinese media covers it. 

A case in point is Chinese daily global media, GT, editorialized about the event.

The Chinese newspaper "Global Times" reported today, Tuesday, that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi agreed with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during their meeting today in Beijing, to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran.

"The two sides are expected to increase coordination within the framework of multilateral platforms, such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and to inject positive energy for peace, regionally and globally," the newspaper said.

According to the newspaper, Chinese experts said that Raisi's three-day visit to Beijing, the first since he assumed office in August 2021, would accelerate the implementation of a 25-year agreement between the two countries.

Experts pointed out that this meeting between the two presidents will direct bilateral cooperation to a higher level, which confirms the deep mutual trust between the two countries.

After the meeting, the two presidents witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of agriculture, trade, tourism, environmental protection, health, disaster relief, culture and sports, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

For his part, the Iranian president said, during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, that the implementation of the comprehensive document of the strategic partnership between Iran and China is an important measure to achieve stability and peace in the region.

Raisi added, "Despite the opposition of the enemies of Iran and China to the consolidation and expansion of relations between the two countries, these relations have made great strides under the good management of the two parties."

He pointed out that "Iran and China are friends in difficult times," stressing that "the consolidation of these relations and friendships is effective in the security of the region and the world."

The Iranian president expressed his appreciation for China's positive and constructive role in the nuclear talks, noting that "the Westerners have once again fallen into a miscalculation with regard to Iran, not realizing that Iran and its people are determined, more than ever, to follow the path of development and progress." .

Raisi made it clear that Iran is ready to implement the Belt and Road project.

In turn, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his country supports the Iranian side in protecting its "legitimate rights" and "encourages a speedy and appropriate solution to the Iranian nuclear issue."

"China will continue to constructively participate in the negotiations on the resumption of the Iran nuclear deal," Xi added.

Prior to his visit to Beijing, Raisi indicated, in a press statement, yesterday, Monday, that the goals and plans for his visit to China are to implement the strategic document that was signed between the two countries for 25 years, on March 27, 2022, and during this visit, economic agreements will be developed and accelerated between the two countries. .

It is noteworthy that the Iranian president had met his Chinese counterpart on his eighth foreign visit, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, months ago. In the bilateral meeting, the Chinese president officially invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Beijing.

This is my president's tenth foreign visit in less than a year and a half of his government's life.

During the visit, the Iranian president will participate in the joint meeting of businessmen and economic experts from Iran and China, meet with Iranians residing in China, and talk to senior intellectuals and thinkers in China, according to local Iranian media.

China is Iran's largest trading partner. According to Iranian customs statistics, China is the main export destination for Iran, which imports from it exceeded 12 billion and 600 million US dollars.

China: Iranian President's visit helps stability in the Middle East

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the first visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Beijing will help stability in the Middle East and does not target any third party.

"The visit will contribute to the well-being of the Iranian and Chinese people," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, according to the Chinese government newspaper, the Global Times.

On Tuesday afternoon, Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a welcoming ceremony for his Iranian counterpart in the Great Hall of the People. After the ceremony, the two presidents will hold a closed meeting.

Last Sunday, China announced that the Iranian president would visit Beijing for 3 days, from 14 to 16 February.

Sino-Iranian relations have recently witnessed tension, following what Iran described as the positions raised during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Chinese President signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two countries, on the sidelines of the Chinese President's visit to the Kingdom.

At the time, the Iranian president said, "Some of the positions that were raised during the Chinese president's recent visit to the region caused dissatisfaction and discontent with the people and government in Iran."

Iran summoned the Chinese ambassador to Tehran to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to express its strong dissatisfaction with the statement of the Chinese-Gulf summit, which included "the status of the Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands, and the nuclear agreement negotiations."

Last September, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani confirmed that "all allegations made in the final statement of the Gulf Cooperation Council regarding the three Iranian islands are unacceptable."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "China's relations with Iran will not be affected by the current circumstances, but rather will be permanent and strategic."

On March 27, 2022, China and Iran signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement in Tehran, and the Iranian president stressed the need for continued cooperation between the two countries to implement the nuclear agreement.

Is the visit by Iran’s president to China a relation-repair opportunity or a bilateral strategic summit?

Is the visit by Iran’s president to China a relation-repair opportunity or a bilateral strategic summit?

    Monday, February 13, 2023   No comments

In December of 2022, the Chinese president made a visit to Saudi Arabia, and while meeting with representatives of other GCC members states and representatives of some Arab governments, Xi, out of courtesy, signed GCC statement issued at the conclusion of the gathering. The Chinese president also delivered a speech while attending the Arab-China summit.

The statement, however, contained language of support for the UAE in reaching a negotiated and peaceful solution to the issue of the three islands that Iran considers part of its territory, as well as calling on Iran to seriously engage in negotiations to return to the nuclear agreement.

In response to Xi’s endorsement of the statement, Tehran summoned the Chinese ambassador to Iran, to protest against the statement of the Gulf-Chinese summit, which touched on the status of the Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands.

China responded immediately. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a clarification saying that the GCC countries and Iran are all China's friends, and neither China-GCC relations nor China-Iran relations are targeted at any third party, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a press briefing. China supports the GCC countries in improving relations with Iran based on the principle of good-neighborly friendship, conducting win-win cooperation with Iran and jointly promoting the development and stability in the Persian Gulf. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in this regard, Wang said.

China also sent its Vice Prime Minister Hu Chunhua to Tehran on December 13th to try and contain the situation. From there, Chunhua stressed that "China supports Iran's national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national honor, and combats foreign interference."

When the Vice Premier Hu Chunhua met with Raisi in Iranian capital Tehran during the same December visit, Raisi stressed that no matter how the international and regional landscapes change, Iran will remain firmly committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

On Sunday February12, 2023, the Chinese government announced that, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay a state visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday. Later on the same day, the Iranian government confirmed the visit. IRNA, the official news agency of Iran, reported that delegations from both sides are due to sign "cooperation documents,” and that Raisi will also take part in meetings with Chinese businessmen and Iranians living in China.

Chinese media predict that Raisi’s visit will enhance the two countries relations, especially in the context of the major channels that connect the two countries. "Cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will give China and Iran more space for cooperation. It is foreseeable that after this meeting, China-Iran relations will enter a new and higher stage," report the Chinese daily, GT.

How and why do US-Trained Afghan Troops, ISIS, and Syrian Rebels end up Fighting on either side in Ukraine?

How and why do US-Trained Afghan Troops, ISIS, and Syrian Rebels end up Fighting on either side in Ukraine?

    Monday, February 13, 2023   No comments

In the 1970s and 80s, the US and Saudi Arabia worked together to radicalize, train, and equip fighters in Afghanistan with the hope that these fighters who combine a sectarian zeal and military skill will bring down the Soviet Union. The religious sectarian zeal empowered these fighters to attack the US on September 11, 2001.

Ten years later, in 2011, the US, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia trained and supplied fighters who were trained or inspired by the Afghan rebels to bring down the Syrian government. Russia stepped in in 2015 and reversed the gains made by al-Qaeda and ISIL troops.

Since 2002, the US military and intelligence started to train and arm an elite force in Afghanistan, some 30,000 fighters. Twenty years later, the US pulled out of Afghanistan and left that country in the hands of Taliban, the same government the US dislodged in 2002. Most of these elite Afghani troops were left behind. We are now learning that many of them, about 2/3 of them, are recruited to fight with Russia in Ukraine, the country that has received nearly $100 billion in aid and military equipment to help it fight the Russians.

 Over the twenty years since it invaded Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States has built, equipped, and trained the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. In order to enable these forces to fight the Taliban, which allied with al-Qaeda at the time, Washington spent nearly 90 billion dollars, until there were between 20-30 thousand Afghan special forces as a military elite that the Afghan government was proud of being trained by the Navy Special Forces. American, known as "SEAL", British Air Force Special Forces.

And with the start of implementing its decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in August 2021, Washington tried to transfer these soldiers and officers out of the country on the grounds that they were at risk from the Taliban movement, which took over the reins of government. For this, the United States established a huge air bridge, which was described as the largest operation of its kind in the history of the United States, and through which Washington was able to evacuate about 130,000 Afghans and foreigners from the country. However, the US airlift only transferred a few hundred senior Afghan Special Forces officers, leaving the bulk of them face to face with the advancing Taliban. About 1,000 Afghan special forces were evacuated to the United States, while a few others managed to reach Europe and Turkey, while about 20,000 of them were left behind inside Afghanistan.

Soon, these people changed their loyalties, and some of them fought in the ranks of the opposition groups, such as the National Resistance Front, the anti-Taliban political and military alliance led by Ahmed Shah Massoud, and took the Panjshir Valley as a center for its operations, and even a few of them resorted to fighting in the ranks of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, While a large number of them fled to neighboring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, where they are awaiting asylum in a Western country due to their previous close ties to the US alliance.

With thousands of former Afghan soldiers and officers flocking to Iran, many American fears have been raised about transferring their unique knowledge of US army tactics and training to its arch-rival Iran, which poses a major security threat to the United States. It is easy for them to transfer their institutional knowledge of the US military, including the mechanics of collecting sensitive intelligence information, to Iran or other enemies of the United States if they communicate with them. And as stated in a report by Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the US Congress, the catastrophe of evacuating Afghans a year and a half ago endangered US intelligence assets, including the Afghan special forces, as “(they) could pose a threat to US security.” If they are coerced or recruited to work with one of Washington's adversaries, including international terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (in Khorasan) or countries such as China, Russia and Iran."

Events quickly proved that the fears of American officials were correct, as it began to become clear in the past few months that the Afghan Special Forces, which previously carried out advanced raids against the Taliban and bore the brunt of the American war on the Islamic movement, some of its men moved to fight on the side of Russia, the enemy. The arch-enemy of the Americans and the West as a whole these days, after hundreds of them received generous offers that included guaranteeing a safe life for them and their families, as well as obtaining Russian citizenship.

These efforts were led by the "Wagner" special combat group close to the Kremlin and made up of mercenaries fighting for Russia, which plays a prominent role in the war against Ukraine. Moscow hopes to draw on the experiences of former Afghan officers, after the battles over the past year showed that the Russian officers did not perform well on the battlefield against the Western-backed Ukrainian resistance. Media sources have confirmed that about a third of the former Afghan Special Forces are already fighting for Russia.

Meanwhile, as reported previously, ISIS fighters have relocted from Syria and Iraq to fight on the side of US supported Ukrainian forces. Recent Associated Press reporting (see AP Photos, below) depicted ISIS Black patches on the unforms of Ukrainian fighters.

  

Abe's memoirs after his assassination: I met Putin despite Washington's objection...and rejected sanctions against Moscow

Abe's memoirs after his assassination: I met Putin despite Washington's objection...and rejected sanctions against Moscow

    Saturday, February 11, 2023   No comments

The memoirs of the late Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, were issued seven months after his assassination, and revealed that his visit to Russia in 2016 angered the then US President, Barack Obama.

Abe said in his memoirs: “When I visited the United States in 2016 to participate in the Nuclear Security Summit, I told Obama that I would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in May, and soon signs of discontent appeared on his face, and he answered me angrily: If I was in your place, when you did that."

He added, "I visited Sochi, and met Putin, despite Washington's objection."

Abe also pointed out that Obama's position stems from the United States' desire to keep intensifying the efforts of the Group of Seven countries, collectively, on the issue of pressure on Moscow, following the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation.

Abe mentioned in his memoirs that Obama's sudden proposal, during the "G7" summit in Brussels in 2014, to impose sanctions against Russia, due to differences over Ukraine and the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation, sparked reactions and reservations by some European countries. Like France, which was planning to export amphibious ships to Russia, and Germany, which relies mainly on Russian gas.

Abe confirmed that "Obama was strict in raising the issue of sanctions" against Russia, and he distributed himself, surprisingly and contrary to diplomatic norms, the list of sanctions to the participants in the summit, although this list was not passed to experts, for study before it was presented.

Abe said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked him about Tokyo's position on sanctions, and he replied, "Japan will not participate in sanctions against Russia, because that would strain negotiations between the two countries, but we can issue a document of condemnation in the form of criticism."

He pointed out that Merkel suggested that everyone issue a statement condemning Russia, and leave the discussion of sanctions at the administrative level of each country, as it deems appropriate.

Abe noted that "everyone felt relieved," because the issue of sanctions against Russia was not agreed upon among the countries of the group, and it was adopted to issue a statement, collectively condemning Russia, instead of sanctions.

Likewise, Abe touched in his memoirs on the peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo in 2018, and considered that it was not "considered a concession by Tokyo," because according to the joint Soviet-Japanese declaration on October 19, 1956, the Soviet Union pledged at the time to return Shikotan Island, and many The uninhabited islands adjacent to the Lesser Kuril Mountain Range, to Japan, upon the conclusion of a final peace treaty, between the two countries.

He described Japan's demand to Russia to return all the islands of the southern part of the Kuril Islands at once as illogical, and means that these islands will never return to Japan.

It is noteworthy that Abe's memoirs include 18 press interviews, in a question and answer format, for a total of 36 hours. It was not published before due to its very sensitive nature, and it was put up for sale in Japan this week.

It is reported that Abe (67 years old) was subjected to an armed attack on July 8, 2022 while he was giving a speech at an election event in the city of Nara, in the west of the country, where he was shot with a gun from behind, after which he was transferred to the hospital, and died of his wounds.

Syria and Turkiye Earthquake: A father holds the hand of his daughter without letting go, among the rubble and destruction

Syria and Turkiye Earthquake: A father holds the hand of his daughter without letting go, among the rubble and destruction

    Friday, February 10, 2023   No comments

Adem Altan, a photographer of forty years who spent fifteen of them at Agence France-Presse, was working in front of a collapsed building when he saw a man sitting near the rubble in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the earthquake that killed more than 14,000 people in Turkey alone.

According to the agency, "Agence France Presse," that no rescue team had arrived at the site on Tuesday the day after the disaster, and residents were trying to remove the rubble themselves to save their families.

According to the agency, the man in an orange jacket remained motionless in the midst of the commotion, indifferent to the rain and cold.

It was then that Adem Altan noticed that a man 60 meters away from him was holding an outstretched hand from among the rubble. At that time, he began filming the scene: a father holding the hand of his dead child without letting go, amid the rubble and destruction.

Altan took the pictures while the man watched him, who whispered to him in a trembling voice, “Take pictures of my baby.” He left her hand, which he did not want to let go for a moment, to show the photographer the place where his 15-year-old daughter lay, before rushing to grab her again.

“I was so touched at that time,” says Adam Altan.

Then the photographer asked the man his name and the name of his daughter, and the father, Massoud Hanser, replied, "My daughter, Irmak."

"He spoke with difficulty, in a very low voice. It was difficult to ask him more questions as the residents around him asked people to remain silent so that they could hear the voices of the possible survivors trapped under the rubble," the photographer says.

At that moment, the photographer immediately thought that the photo summed up the pain of the earthquake victims, but he could not imagine the impact it would have.

Masoud Hanser, the Turkish father who remained holding on to the only visible part of his 15-year-old daughter Ermak's body, after she died as a result of the devastating earthquake in the Kahramanmaraş region.

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh: The CIA carried out the Nord Stream bombing

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh: The CIA carried out the Nord Stream bombing

    Thursday, February 09, 2023   No comments

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh blamed the US administration for the bombing of the Russian Nord Stream gas pipeline, which took place last September.

According to a report by the veteran journalist, the bombing of an underwater gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea was a covert operation ordered by the White House and carried out by the CIA.

In a 5,000-word lengthy report, Hirsch wrote that the operation was disguised "under the guise of a widely publicized NATO mid-summer exercise known as Operation Baltic-22" that took place this past June. .

In the report, Hersh says that the American divers in the deep sea used NATO military exercises as a cover, and planted mines along the pipelines, which were later remotely detonated.

The famous American journalist added that the "black operation" was ordered by President Biden, and the attack was carried out by the CIA in cooperation with Norway.

He added that Biden's decision to sabotage the pipelines came after more than 9 months of top-secret planning within the US national security community.

Speaking about his source, Hirsch said: "At the time, the issue was not whether the task should be done, but how to get it done without a clear clue as to who was responsible."

In his report, Hersh included statements and information that he considered as indications of the US administration's responsibility for the attack, describing its behavior as a result of complete insistence.

The journalist mentioned that Biden met in his office, in the White House, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, less than 3 weeks before the Russian military operation that began at that time in Ukraine, and he had defiantly said in the press conference that followed the meeting: “If Russia invaded Ukraine, There will be no Nord Stream 2, and we will put an end to it."

Hersh continued in this context, recalling that the US Undersecretary of State, Victoria Nuland, had delivered the same message in a press briefing at the Ministry, with little press coverage. In response to a question at the time, she said: "I want to be very clear with you today, if Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 will somehow not move forward."

The American journalist Hersh, known for his investigative reports on American crimes in Vietnam and the Middle East wars, was able to obtain information about the operation from an unnamed source, but he stated that he was directly involved in its preparation, as he put it.

It is noteworthy that Hersh was the one who revealed the torture scandal in the Iraqi Abu Ghraib prison, which sparked a global outcry and widespread condemnation of the US administration.

For its part, the Pentagon responded to Hersh's report and said that the United States had nothing to do with the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

Today, Department Spokesperson Jaron Gorn stated that the United States was not involved in the Nord Stream explosion, as he referred to the speech of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper, who claimed on October 4 that "the United States was not involved in any Anyway" in this matter.

On the other hand, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that all the facts cited by the American journalist in his investigation, about the role of the United States in the sabotage of "Nord Stream", must be commented on by the White House.

Zakharova added that Moscow has repeatedly expressed Russia's position on the involvement of the United States and NATO in this incident.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed that the West did not hide this, adding, "The West was bragging to the whole world about its intention to destroy the civilian infrastructure through which Europe obtained Russian energy resources."

Last Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a joint interview on the "Russia 24" channel and the "Novosti" agency, accused the United States of being directly involved in the bombing of the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline.

Last September, a series of powerful explosions destroyed the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which pass through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and provide cheap gas to Europe, and it was soon revealed that the attack was an act of deliberate sabotage. The perpetrator has not yet been identified.