Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts

Sunday, June 18, 2023

U.S. has resumed indirect talks with Iran - CNN reported

    Sunday, June 18, 2023   No comments

The U.S. administration has secretly resumed indirect talks with Iran to curb its nuclear program and release U.S. prisoners, CNN writes, citing sources. 

The talks began last December in New York and have since continued in Oman. 

According to U.S. officials, the U.S. goal is to reach a "political truce."

In return, Tehran is demanding the unfreezing of billions of dollars of Iranian assets abroad.



Chinese Foreign Minister: Relations with Washington are at their lowest level since 1979

    Sunday, June 18, 2023   No comments

Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Gang announced today, Sunday, that "relations between Beijing and Washington are at their lowest level since 1979" (the date of the start of diplomatic relations between them).

Gang told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that the Taiwan file represents "the most significant threat" to relations with Washington.

"The Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests, and it is the most important issue in Sino-US relations and the most prominent threat to it," Gang added, according to what was reported by the official Chinese CCTV.


And the US State Department announced that the Chinese foreign minister had agreed to visit Washington, after holding "constructive talks" with his US counterpart, Anthony Blinken, in the capital, Beijing.


US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said that Blinken had extended an invitation to his Chinese counterpart and that they "agreed to set a date for the visit at a time convenient for both parties."


Earlier today, the Chinese Foreign Minister received his US counterpart in Beijing, amid escalating tensions between the two largest economies in the world, due to a number of issues, including Taiwan and the war in Ukraine.


The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that Blinken, who is the first representative of the United States at the ministerial level since the Biden administration took power in early 2021, will visit Beijing on June 18 and 19.


Blinken is spending two days in the Chinese capital as part of this visit, which was originally scheduled for February, but was suddenly canceled at the time after a Chinese balloon flew over American territory, which Washington considered to be for "espionage" purposes, while Beijing confirmed that it was a meteorological vehicle that deviated from its course.


Blinken's visit is the first by a US Secretary of State to China since a visit in October 2018 by his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, who later pursued a strategy of confrontation with Beijing in the last years of Donald Trump's presidency.


A few days ago, the US State Department reported that its secretary had made a phone call to his Chinese counterpart, during which he stressed the importance of maintaining "open lines of communication" to responsibly manage relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China to avoid miscalculation and conflict.


Earlier today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded to an article published by the US agency "Bloomberg", about alleged provocative activities by the Chinese army.


And the Chinese spokeswoman confirmed that "if a military conflict breaks out between the United States and China, it will be caused by the activities of the American army near Chinese territory."


read Chinese media coverage


Thursday, April 06, 2023

media review: CIA Director expressed dissatisfaction with Saudi Arabia's rapprochement with Iran

    Thursday, April 06, 2023   No comments

According to media reports, the CIA chief complained US was blindsided by Saudi outreach to Syria and Iran. Similar reports appeared in the Wall Street Journal. According to the newspaper, William Burns told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the United States is shocked by Riyadh's rapprochement with Iran and Syria, which are still under the influence of Western sanctions.


The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, during an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the kingdom's authorities to establish relations with Iran and Syria. This was reported on Thursday with reference to sources by The Wall Street Journal.


Earlier, Al Arabiya TV channel reported, citing a source, that the CIA director visited Saudi Arabia this week to meet with representatives of the kingdom's authorities. According to the interlocutor of the TV channel, Burns confirmed Washington's desire to strengthen cooperation with Riyadh on security issues and the fight against terrorism. The representative of the administration did not specify with whom exactly the head of the CIA met and how long he was in the kingdom.

On March 10, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within two months. Representatives of the two countries held talks in Beijing for several days, following which a trilateral statement was prepared.




Monday, March 20, 2023

Replicating US State Department practice, China's Foreign Ministery issues a report on "The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022"

    Monday, March 20, 2023   No comments

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report entitled "The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022" on Monday. The report collects a multitude of facts, media comments and expert opinions to present a complete and real picture of American democracy over the year.


The full text of The State of Democracy in the United States report is published by Chinese FM and many Chinese media outlet. A PDF version is linked below.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Beijing submits a peace plan proposal as a public position for the conflcit between Russia and Ukraine

    Friday, February 24, 2023   No comments

Media coverage of the Chinese proposal related to the military conflict in Ukraine is different depending on the source and its connection to the political systems. Here, a fact-driven, sourced summary is presented to serious readers who wish to understand, not take side.

With increased pressure on China to stop "thinking about" providing Russia with lethal weapons, China chose instead to propose a road map for ending the conflict. There are many legitimate questions as to the timing of the proposal and the increased pressure on China and other countries to take public stance about the conflict. A summary of the Chinese proposal as explained by Chinese officials and Chinese media is provided here along with some references for context.


In a 12-point position paper dubbed "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," issued on Friday morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for ceasing hostilities and resuming peace talks, stopping unilateral sanctions and abandoning the Cold War mentality.

It also called for respecting the sovereignty of all countries and expressed opposition to the use of nuclear weapons. 

Chinese experts said the document should be viewed as a blueprint that has made China's principles clear for resolving the crisis and pointed out the basic path to achieve it constructively.

Although the document reflects China's position as a peacemaker and negotiation facilitator, as well as China's great sincerity in global governance, experts suggested that the course of the conflict largely depends on the willingness of both sides to resolve the conflict peacefully. And the atmosphere and willingness to negotiate are seemingly still far from being mature given the US and NATO's interference. 

Beijing called for stopping military operations in Ukraine, starting a negotiation process, and resuming direct dialogue as soon as possible.

Today, Friday, in a statement coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry considered that "it is necessary to cease-fire and military operations," calling on "all parties to maintain rationality and restraint and avoid further aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis or even It's out of control."

The statement indicated that it was necessary to "support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other to resume direct dialogue as soon as possible."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that "dialogue and negotiations are the only possible way to solve the Ukrainian crisis," adding: "The international community should create conditions and provide a platform for the resumption of negotiations. China is ready to continue to play a constructive role in this regard."






China considered it important to abandon "unilateral sanctions and pressure, as it will not solve the problem and will create new problems."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called for "reducing strategic risks" and stressed "resistance to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons."


This statement was preceded by an announcement in which China said that it would submit a proposal this week to reach a political solution to end the war, which has been going on for nearly a year.


It is noteworthy that China has called on the United States more than once to settle the Ukrainian crisis politically instead of fueling it, and also called for an end to the war in Ukraine, and confirmed that its relationship with Russia is not against anyone.


In the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, the head of the German Foreign Intelligence Service, Bruno Kahl, saw yesterday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "currently interested in ending the conflict on the battlefield," while the Kremlin previously ruled out resuming talks with Kiev, especially after the latter passed a law. It stipulates that no negotiations with Russia should continue.


Likewise, the Kremlin accused Kiev of withdrawing from peace negotiations with Moscow last March on orders from Washington, and stressed at the same time that "Russia does not give up the possibility of negotiations with Ukraine, but postponing negotiations makes it difficult to agree."


Negotiations took place between Moscow and Kiev after the Russian military operation in Ukraine to end it. The foreign ministers of the two countries also met last March in Turkey without reaching substantial results. Since the negotiations faltered, the two sides exchanged accusations of causing this stalemate.

Updade (to reflect Russsia's reaction):

The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed China's sincere desire to contribute to the settlement in Ukraine through peaceful means, and expressed Moscow's share with Beijing's vision for a settlement.


And the Russian Foreign Ministry statement said: "We share Beijing's proposal for a settlement, and we are committed to respecting the United Nations Charter, international and humanitarian law, and comprehensive security, in a way that does not enhance the security of one country at the expense of another country, or one group of countries at the expense of another."


She added, "We, along with China, see any restrictions imposed outside the scope of the UN Security Council as illegitimate, and a tool in unequal competition and economic warfare."


The Foreign Ministry affirmed that "Moscow is open to achieving the goals of the military operation through political and diplomatic means."



References:

Thursday, February 23, 2023

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."


Wednesday, February 22, 2023

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.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

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.”


Monday, February 20, 2023

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." 









Wednesday, January 18, 2023

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.


Monday, November 14, 2022

The Turkish Minister of Interior accuses Kurdish Units of masterminding the Istanbul bombing and criticizes the United States

    Monday, November 14, 2022   No comments

The Turkish authorities continued to reveal the latest details and pictures as part of their investigations into the Istiklal Street bombing in Istanbul. Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu accused the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units of being responsible for the bombing, but they denied it.

And the Turkish Security Directorate in Istanbul announced today, Monday, that the suspect - who was arrested at dawn with more than 40 others - holds Syrian nationality and is called Ahlam Al-Bashir (23 years old).

Soylu accused the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) of being responsible for the bombing, and said that the order to carry it out was issued in the city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have carried out operations against those units in recent years.


The Turkish minister criticized the support provided by the United States to these units, and said that his country does not accept the condolences offered by the American embassy.


Soylu likened the American position to "a murderer who is among the first to arrive at the crime scene."


"We do not accept condolences from the US embassy, ​​we know who supports terrorism in northern Syria, and we know the message they wanted to deliver to Turkey through this attack," he said.


He stressed that "those who support terrorist organizations in northern Syria carried out the attack against us."


For its part, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) denied responsibility for the bombing of Istiklal Street, and said in a statement posted on its website today, Monday, "It is not possible for us to target civilians in any way."


The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the Kurdish units are the main component, also denied any connection to the Istanbul bombing.


The Kremlin: Russian-American talks took place in Ankara at the request of Washington

    Monday, November 14, 2022   No comments

Today, Monday, the official spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Russian-American negotiations were taking place in Ankara today, at the initiative of the American side, stressing that their content had not been revealed.

And Turkish media indicated that the director of Russian foreign intelligence, Sergei Naryshkin, held a meeting with the director of the CIA, William Burns, in Ankara regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

Burns told the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service a message about "the consequences of Russia's use of nuclear weapons, and the risk of escalation for strategic stability," according to the White House National Security Council.

The same source stated that Burns "does not conduct any kind of negotiations, nor does he discuss a settlement for the war in Ukraine," indicating that the Ukrainians were informed in advance of the meeting.

The meeting between Burns and Naryshkin is one of the rare meetings at this level between the two countries since the start of the Russian military operation. Washington and Moscow maintained "communication channels" between them, especially through the US embassy in the Russian capital, to discuss bilateral issues and exchange messages about developments in Ukraine, despite the escalating tension between them.


A few days ago, the American Wall Street Journal reported that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held secret talks with senior aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin.


Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko denied, earlier, that his country had previously held negotiations with the United States regarding Ukraine, commenting that "Kyiv has adopted a law that prevents it from conducting peaceful negotiations with Moscow."


Tuesday, October 11, 2022

The White House: Washington is reassessing the relationship with Riyadh after the “OPEC +” decision

    Tuesday, October 11, 2022   No comments

 The United States announced that it needs to reconsider relations with Saudi Arabia, after it supported the decision of the "OPEC +" group to reduce oil production.

John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council at the White House, told CNN that the United States needs to reassess its relationship with the kingdom, including arms sales.


"I think the president has been very clear that this is a relationship that we have to continue to re-evaluate, that we need to be ready to reconsider, and certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think this is his time," he added.

 

"We are willing to work with Congress to think about what that relationship should look like," Kirby said when asked about his reaction to Democrats' call for a freeze on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.



On Friday, oil prices jumped to their highest level in five weeks, two days after “OPEC +” cut its production by two million barrels per day, before falling back on Monday amid fears of a possible global recession.


This comes after Democratic lawmakers called for a freeze in relations with Riyadh, most notably Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the US Senate, who called for a freeze on cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including arms sales.


 "I think it's time for a comprehensive reassessment of the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia," Senator Chris Murphy, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East, told CNBC.


In the House of Representatives, Tom Malinowski, Sean Kasten, and Susan Wilde introduced legislation seeking to withdraw US forces from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.


Rep. Robin Gallego suggested that the United States restore the Patriot missile defense systems deployed in Saudi Arabia, adding on Twitter: "If they prefer the Russians that much, they can use their very reliable military technology."


A few days ago, the "Washington Times" newspaper reported that a group of US Democratic representatives proposed a bill that would provide for the withdrawal of all forces from Saudi Arabia, in addition to the withdrawal of missile defense systems.

And the newspaper "Bloomberg" indicated that the United States should end the "special status" of the Kingdom in US foreign policy, and reduce the level of diplomatic relations with it.

As for US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, he said that the United States is studying a number of response measures, including Saudi Arabia, after the "OPEC +" decision to reduce oil production.

The United States criticized the decision, considering it "short-sighted", while the White House saw that the decision shows the bias of the "OPEC +" alliance to Russia.


Meanwhile, UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed meets Putin, highlighting the shifting of allliances and roles resulting from the war in Ukraine.

Speaking with Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Putin said Russia aimed to create stability on energy markets and ensure that supply and consumption were balanced.








Monday, August 22, 2022

European Union's foreign policy chief: Iran's response to the European proposal on the nuclear deal "reasonable"

    Monday, August 22, 2022   No comments

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, considered today that Iran's response to the bloc's recent proposal for a nuclear agreement with the United States is "reasonable."

He added during an event at a university in the city of Santander in northern Spain: "I presented a proposal in my capacity as the coordinator of the negotiations ... and there is a response from Iran, which I considered reasonable. He was transferred to the United States, which has not yet officially responded.


Borrell was referring to a response Iran sent last week to the European Union's latest proposal to update the 2015 nuclear deal, following 16 months of indirect talks between the United States and Tehran.


For his part, the Russian envoy to the Vienna negotiations, Mikhail Ulyanov, said that he met the new permanent representative of Iran to international organizations in Vienna, Mohsen Naziri, and they discussed a number of issues related to the final stage of the Vienna negotiations on the nuclear agreement.


He added that Iran had made reasonable proposals regarding the nuclear agreement, and the Russian official expressed his hope that Washington would not delay in responding to the Iranian proposals, as he put it.


Monday, August 08, 2022

UAE backs China on Taiwan, condemns 'provocative visits' after Pelosi trip

    Monday, August 08, 2022   No comments

A day after Pelosi's trip, on Thursday, the influential GCC state, UAE,  reiterated its support for China's "sovereignty" over Taiwan and condemned "provocative visits" after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed on the island earlier this week.

"The UAE affirmed its support for China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the importance of respecting the 'One China' principle... the UAE indicated its concern over the impact of any provocative visits on stability and international peace," the Emirati foreign ministry said in a statement.



Pelosi landed in Taiwan as part of a wider Indo-Pacific tour on Tuesday - enraging China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province.


The UAE is a key US ally in the Middle East, but also has burgeoning ties with China. It has previously expressed strong support for China's sovereignty over Taiwan.


A Sky News investigation found earlier this year that the UAE was providing China with "black sites" to detain and forcibly disappear Uighur activists.


Abu Dhabi and Washington have taken differing stances on some key global issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine - with the UAE failing to follow the US in condemning Moscow for its actions.


The US reportedly intervened last year in Beijing's construction of a Chinese military base in the UAE.

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Iran's President, Raisi: Iran's positions on the nuclear deal are right, and we will not retreat from them

    Thursday, July 14, 2022   No comments

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will not retreat from its logical and correct positions" in the negotiations to revive the nuclear deal.


Raisi said, in his speech on Wednesday, "We recommend the Americans to adopt a realistic view, and to draw lessons from the past, instead of repeating the failed experiment of the policy of maximum pressure on the Iranian people."


The Iranian president added, during a cabinet meeting, that "those who violated the nuclear agreement should be vigilant and not think of repeating previous wrong experiences," noting that "the Islamic Republic of Iran did not present any demands outside the framework of the nuclear agreement, and practiced a rational approach in the negotiations."


Raisi reiterated that Iran's positions are "right and logical, and we will not retreat from them, and no party has the right to address us with the language of force," adding: "We recommend Washington to take a realistic view instead of repeating the failed experiment of the policy of maximum pressure," which it knew mainly during the rule of former President Donald Trump.


Raisi continued, "The Americans say that Iran must return to the nuclear agreement, while they are the ones who withdrew from it and violated their obligations, not us," referring to the "unjust US embargo imposed on the Iranian people."


"The United States has repeatedly declared that the pressure it is imposing on the Iranian people is unprecedented, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry has officially confirmed that these pressures have failed shamefully," he said.


Raisi noted, "The Americans must have realized over the past 43 years that they cannot speak to the Iranian people with the language of force, but they continue this approach, which will certainly not bring them any results."


Referring to the visit of the US President and other officials to the region, Raisi stressed that "if these visits aim to strengthen the position of the Zionist entity and normalize its relations with some countries, then Washington must know that its efforts in the region will not achieve security for the Zionist entity."


Addressing the US administration, Raisi said: "If you want to know the impact of your movements in the region, then look at the attitude of its peoples toward the Zionist entity, for the hatred against the Zionists and their crimes has increased in the hearts of the peoples of the region."


Raisi stressed that Iran "is closely monitoring developments in the region, and we will not lose sight of any movement in it," saying, "We have repeatedly told the Americans that we will respond firmly to the slightest move that affects Iran's territorial integrity."

Tehran denies selling drones to Moscow

In related news, on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian affirmed that his country "rejects America's allegations regarding Iran's sale of hundreds of drones to Russia."

In an interview with the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica", Amir Abdollahian added: "We have various types of cooperation with Russia, including defense cooperation, but we do not provide support to both conflicting parties, because we affirm the necessity of stopping the war, and we are working on that."


The Iranian foreign minister stressed that "Tehran is making efforts to stop the Ukrainian war," noting that "the problem lies elsewhere, as some Western countries, especially America, manufacture weapons and are trying to sell them."


Yesterday, Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said that "the record of cooperation between Iran and the Russian Federation, in the field of modern technologies, dates back to the period before the Ukrainian war," noting that "no remarkable development occurred in this regard, during Recently".


"These allegations by US officials came at a time when America and Europe turned the occupying and aggressor countries, including in West Asia, into stockpiles of deadly weapons," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Russia: The Iranian rallies deal with Russia is misleading the American media

In turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the matter, stressing that "the Iranian rallies deal to Russia is a US media misinformation that accompanies President Joe Biden's tour in the Middle East."


"This kind of disinformation by Washington has become commonplace," a State Department source said. "It's yet another baffling and ridiculous statement by a high-ranking American representative, but we're leaving it to Jake Sullivan (National Security Adviser)."


According to the source, "this statement was apparently timed to coincide with Biden's Middle East tour scheduled for July 13-16."


He noted that this disinformation "is aimed at further heating up anti-Iranian sentiment in Arab countries, through the deliberate dissemination of misinformation about cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the sensitive military-technical field."


The source added, "Although the official representative of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani, actually refuted this misinformation, it must be noted that the media event itself was chosen in vain, and that Jake Sullivan's logic is not convincing, and completely devoid of logic."


Moreover, the transfer of a large number of highly efficient Iranian-made drones to the Ukrainian theater of operations far from the Middle East, would significantly reduce the risks of their use directly in the region, and could not raise the concerns of the Arab countries.


And the US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, had said, earlier, that his country had information that “Iran is preparing to supply Russia with hundreds of drones,” and “train Russian soldiers to use them in the Ukrainian war,” claiming that “Iran will begin this in current month".




Friday, October 18, 2019

Full text of Turkey, US statement on northeast Syria

    Friday, October 18, 2019   No comments
U.S.-Turkey statement on pausing Syria incursion – full text

  1.     The US and Turkey reaffirm their relationship as fellow members of NATO. The US understands Turkey's legitimate security concerns on Turkey's southern border.
  2.     Turkey and the US agree that the conditions on the ground, northeast Syria in particular, necessitate closer coordination on the basis of common interests.
  3.     Turkey and the US remain committed to protecting NATO territories and NATO populations against all threats with the solid understanding of "one for all and all for one".
  4.     The two countries reiterate their pledge to uphold human life, human rights, and the protection of religious and ethnic communities.
  5.     Turkey and the US are committed to D-ISIS/DAESH activities in northeast Syria. This will include coordination on detention facilities and internally displaced persons from formerly ISIS/DAESH-controlled areas, as appropriate.
  6.     Turkey and the US agree that counter-terrorism operations must target only terrorists and their hideouts, shelters, emplacements, weapons, vehicles and equipment.
  7.     The Turkish side expressed its commitment to ensure safety and well-being of residents of all population centers in the safe zone controlled by the Turkish Forces (safe zone) and reiterated that maximum care will be exercised in order not to cause harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.
  8.     Both countries reiterate their commitment to the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria and UN-led political process, which aims at ending the Syrian conflict in accordance with UNSCR 2254.
  9.     The two sides agreed on the continued importance and functionality of a safe zone in order to address the national security concerns of Turkey, to include the re-collection of YPG heavy weapons and the disablement of their fortifications and all other fighting positions.
  10.     The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces and the two sides will increase their cooperation in all dimensions of its implementation.
  11.     The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow the withdrawal of YPG from the safe zone within 120 hours. Operation Peace Spring will be halted upon completion of this withdrawal.
  12.     Once Operation Peace Spring is paused, the US agrees not to pursue further imposition of sanctions under the Executive Order of October 14, 2019, Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Syria, and will work and consult with Congress, as appropriate, to underline the progress being undertaken to achieve peace and security in Syria, in accordance with UNSCR 2254. Once Operation Peace Spring is halted as per paragraph 11 the current sanctions under the aforementioned Executive Order shall be lifted.
  13.     Both parties are committed to work together to implement all the goals outlined in this Statement.
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Friday, June 16, 2017

Trump cancels Obama’s deal with Cuba

    Friday, June 16, 2017   No comments

ISR Comment: Threatening to cancel the #IranDeal is understandable: Iran has n0 defenders in the U.S. and it is always popular to bash Iran and blame everything, including one's lousy bet the Cavs winning the NBA 2017 championship. But with the announcement today that Trump is cancelling Obama's deal with Cuba, the pattern is established. This president's mission is to ungovern, not govern. More accurately, it seems that Trump intends to spend his four years in the White House undoing what his predecessor has done in the last eight years. It is absolutely clear, too, that doing so is very personal to Trump. A close look at his short record and all his achievements, unaccomplished as they may be, are in fact undoing the accomplishment of Obama: Obamacare, Paris Treaty, U.S.-Saudi relations, environmental regulations, financial regulations... and the list goes on and on... Trump either does not have any original ideas or he has issues with Obama.



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President Trump on Friday announced his tough new policy on Cuba — and demanded that the Communist country return the American fugitives it harbors, including cop-killer Joanne Chesimard.

“Return the fugitives from American justice including the return of the cop-killer Joanne Chesimard,” Trump thundered to applause and shouts of “Viva Trump.”
“To the Castro regime, I repeat, the harboring of criminals and fugitives will end. You have no choice. It will end,” he said at an event in Miami’s Little Havana.

Chesimard, a Queens-born black activist who changed her name to Assata Shakur, was a Black Liberation Army member who was convicted of killing a police officer in 1977.

She escaped from prison with the help of other BLA terrorists and in 1984 fled to Cuba, where the Castro regime granted her political asylum.

Under the president’s policy — which reverses some but not all of the changes introduced by the Obama administration when it restored diplomatic ties with the island nation — American citizens will be barred from staying in US-based hotels that operate in Cuba in partnership with the Cuban government. source

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