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.”

The Aftershocks of France’s Colonial Supremacy is Empowered by its Current Hubris

The Aftershocks of France’s Colonial Supremacy is Empowered by its Current Hubris

    Friday, February 03, 2023   No comments

 France continues to refuse to accept responsibility over its crimes of colonialism in Algeria, refuse to pay reparations for the harm it caused to Algerian families, and refuse to pay for the cleanup of its nuclear waste in the Algerian Sahara that is still causing harm to people and the environment. Yet, French leaders continue to lecture Muslim-majority countries about human rights and insist that they do not have access to nuclear technology, be it peaceful or otherwise. Historical records, however, show how France’s actions have created many of the most perennial problems that it now wants other countries to solve. Among these actions taken by French leaders is how their determination to hold on to Algeria allowed them to help other colonizers develop weapons of mass destruction and shield them from any criticism and safety measures, such as the monitoring of nuclear facilities by UN institutions, while they continue to accuse Muslim-majority countries of being irresponsible with their developing of nuclear programs.

 Here is a good place to start reading about this and related topics:

Specifically, during the mid-1950s France’s control over Algeria—which it considered part of France and not just another colony—was increasingly contested by a domestic insurgency that was receiving substantial support from the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. Paris responded by eliciting Israel’s help in providing intelligence on the Algerian situation in return for French conventional weaponry. The opportunity to transform this into nuclear cooperation presented itself in 1956 when Paris asked Israel to provide France and Britain with a pretext to intervene militarily in what became the Suez Canal crisis.   

-- From The Story of How American Jews and France Built Israel’s Nuclear Weapons

 

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

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

    Friday, January 13, 2023   No comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Uk’s 83 Military Interventions Around The World Since 1945

The Uk’s 83 Military Interventions Around The World Since 1945

    Wednesday, January 11, 2023   No comments

Britain has deployed its armed forces for combat over 80 times in 47 countries since the end of the Second World War, in episodes ranging from brutal colonial wars and covert operations to efforts to prop up favoured governments or to deter civil unrest)

The British military has used or threatened to use military force much more in the postwar world than is conventionally remembered or believed. Declassified has documented 83 interventions by the UK armed forces since 1945, in 47 different countries.

The most striking of the British uses of force have been the overt invasions or armed attempts to overthrow governments such as in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1953, Egypt in the 1950s, Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011. 

The brutal colonial counter-insurgency wars of the 1950s and 1960s – in Kenya, Malaya, Aden and Cyprus – involved the widespread use of torture and, often, pernicious operations to displace large numbers of people to control the local population. 

In Malaya between 1948 and 1960, British forces herded hundreds of thousands of people into fortified camps, heavily bombed rural areas and resorted to extensive propaganda to win the conflict. 

British brutality fighting ‘Mau Mau’ forces in Kenya demanding independence from the UK resulted in tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of deaths, often from starvation in concentration camps. 

Read full article at the source

Africa

Africa

    Sunday, January 01, 2023   No comments

Why would a continent that is home to about 32% of the mineral wealth and 65% of the land suitable for agriculture on Earth, also suffer from the worst rates of poverty?

China: Our investments and aid to Africa are not a trap, but a benefit

China: Our investments and aid to Africa are not a trap, but a benefit

    Wednesday, December 14, 2022   No comments

Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Chen Gang, has criticized allegations that China is creating a "debt trap" in Africa.

 "The continent should be a place for international cooperation, rather than an arena in which major powers compete for geopolitical gains," Gang said, on the sidelines of the US-Africa leaders' summit in Washington, which brings together leaders of 49 African countries and the African Union.

 The Chinese ambassador added, "Chinese investments and financial aid to Africa are not a trap, but rather a benefit."

 "Over the past decades, China has provided loans to help Africa's economic and social development," Gang said. "You can see hospitals, highways, airports, stadiums. It's clear, it's not a trap, it's not a conspiracy, it's transparent and honest."

 

The Chinese ambassador to the United States referred to a study published last July by the British charitable foundation "Deep Justice", which showed that the volume of African countries' debts to Western private lenders represents 3 times the size of their debts to China, pointing out that the interest rate on Private loans are twice the rate of Chinese loans.

 

"These results prove that China is not the largest creditor in African loans, and that Chinese loans are only a small part," he stressed.

 

And yesterday, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), Patrick Ryder, warned, that the development of the relationship between African countries and China will have negative repercussions on the relationship of these countries with the United States.

"We will be keen to issue statements for the ongoing discussions, and we continue to consult with our African partners, as any engagement in certain activities with the People's Republic of China may have some negative repercussions on their relations with us," Ryder said.

 

Earlier, US Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves acknowledged that the United States had fallen behind after China overtook US foreign investment in Africa.

 

And before the start of the summit of the leaders of the United States and Africa yesterday, the White House announced President Joe Biden's support for the African Union to become a permanent member of the Group of Twenty.

 

It is noteworthy that the US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said earlier that the United States will pledge, during the US-Africa summit, to support Africa with an amount of $ 55 billion over the next three years.

 

It is worth noting that the volume of trade between China and Africa exceeded $254 billion in 2021, compared to $64.33 billion between the United States and Africa.

To contextualize Western  aid to African country, the $55 billion pledged by the US to Africa’s 50+ countries over three years is less than the amount actually given to Ukraine by the US in just one year. In this context, the West should be encouraging other countries to invest more in Africa not ask African countries to reject Chinese investment.

 

 

Josep Borell, EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Chief: "Europe is a garden... the rest of the world is a jungle"

Josep Borell, EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Chief: "Europe is a garden... the rest of the world is a jungle"

    Wednesday, October 19, 2022   No comments

 After days of mounting international backlash, Josep Borrell, the European Union's outspoken foreign policy chief, has apologised for people being hurt by his comments, but necessarily for what he said.

"My reference to 'jungle' has no racist, cultural or geographical connotation," the diplomat said. "Unfortunately, the 'jungle' is everywhere, including today in Ukraine."

Josep Borell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has triggered a controversy by saying that Europe was a garden and “most of the rest of the world” was a jungle. He warned in a speech at the European Diplomatic Academy on the 13th of October that the “jungle could invade the garden”.

“The gardeners should take care of it, but they will not protect the garden by building walls. A nice small garden surrounded by high walls in order to prevent the jungle from coming in is not going to be a solution. Because the jungle has a strong growth capacity, and the wall will never be high enough in order to protect the garden. The gardeners have to go to the jungle. Europeans have to be much more engaged with the rest of the world. Otherwise, the rest of the world will invade us, by different ways and means.”

"Europe is a garden. We have built a garden. Everything works. It is the best combination of political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion that the humankind has been able to build – the three things together," Borrell said during the event.

"The rest of the world," he went on, "is not exactly a garden. Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden."

Borrell then appeared to refer to EU ambassadors as "gardeners" and urged them to "go to the jungle," that is to carry out their diplomatic work around the world and advance the bloc's geopolitical agenda.

"A nice small garden surrounded by high walls in order to prevent the jungle from coming in is not going to be a solution. Because the jungle has a strong growth capacity, and the wall will never be high enough in order to protect the garden," he said.

"Europeans have to be much more engaged with the rest of the world. Otherwise, the rest of the world will invade us, by different ways and means."

But over the weekend, the "garden vs jungle" metaphor gained traction across social media, fuelling backlash against the diplomat for what many saw as condescending, out-of-touch and racist undertones and a stark reflection of the Western sphere's superiority complex over the Global South.

Video clips on Twitter received hundreds of thousands of views. International media, such as the New York Times and Al Jazeera, offered critical coverage of the fallout.

The United Arab Emirates summoned the acting head of the EU delegation in the country and asked for explanations over the "inappropriate and discriminatory" remarks.

Marc Botenga, a Belgian MEP from the Left, said Borrell's words were "rooted in colonialism and racism."

On Monday morning, when asked about the growing criticism against his remarks, Borrell said he was "very okay" and that "every day is as much as intense as the previous one."

Standing his ground

By Tuesday evening, as backlash continued, the diplomat, who is affiliated with the socialist party, offered a careful apology but stood his ground and stuck to the metaphor.

"The metaphor of 'the garden' and 'the jungle' is not my invention. Some truly dislike it because, among others, it has been used by US neo-conservatives, but I am far from this school of political thought," he wrote in his personal blog.

"Regrettably, the world in which we live today looks more and more like a 'jungle' and less and less like a 'garden', because in many parts of the world, the law of the strongest is eroding agreed international norms."

Borrell said Europe had managed to replace centuries of war with lasting peace, cooperation and the rule of law, while other countries outside the continent, such as Russia, were resorting to "force, intimation and blackmail to get their way."

"I also have enough experience to know that neither Europe nor 'the West' is perfect and that some countries of 'the West' have at times violated international legality," he admitted.

Skulls were returned from France to Algeria do not all belong to the resistance fighters

Skulls were returned from France to Algeria do not all belong to the resistance fighters

    Tuesday, October 18, 2022   No comments

The New York Times reported, on Monday, that the skulls that Algeria recovered from France in 2020 do not all belong to the resistance fighters, and that these remains all remained French property even after they were handed over.

Documents from the Museum of Man and the French government, obtained by the American newspaper, revealed that 18 skulls were of uncertain origin, among the 24 skulls recovered by Algeria.

These skulls were returned under an agreement signed by the two governments on June 26, 2020, which included a 4-page appendix detailing the identities of the remains, according to Al-Hurra.

The document obtained by the "New York Times" showed that among the remains recovered by Algeria were imprisoned thieves, and three Algerian infantrymen who served in the French army.

Neither government has publicly acknowledged these facts as they seek to extract a "diplomatic advantage" from the recall, according to the New York Times.

And in July of 2020, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received a C-130 Hercules plane coming from France, carrying the remains of 24 Algerian fighters against French colonialism on board.

The plane landed at Algiers International Airport, after being escorted by fighters from the Algerian army, where the coffins received an official reception. They drew the Algerian national flag and were carried by soldiers from the guard of honor with 21 artillery rounds.

The American newspaper says that the process of France's return of these remains, which were on display in the Museum of Humanity, was accepted by Algeria, where the two countries celebrated the gesture as a milestone in their efforts to rebuild relations.

The Algerian government did not respond to The New York Times' requests for comment, and it remains unclear why it accepted some skulls that did not belong to popular resistance fighters, especially as it was highly critical of aspects of French President Emmanuel Macron's policy towards the country, at least until Snow melt in recent years.

Macron's office also declined to comment, redirecting questions to the Foreign Ministry, which said the list of the skulls returned was "approved by both parties."

Upon the handover in 2020, the French presidency stated that "this gesture is part of a process of friendship and healing of all wounds throughout our history."

She added, "This is the meaning of the work that the President of the Republic started with Algeria, which will continue with the respect of all in order to reconcile the memories of the French and Algerian peoples."

During a visit to Algeria in December 2017, President Macron pledged to return the Algerian human remains, which are in the Museum of Man of the National Museum of Natural History.

The American newspaper described the process as a "flawed return", which revealed a broader problem than returns, which are often "secret and muddled" and do not rise to the level of correcting the mistakes of the colonial era.

"Diplomatic issues prevailed over historical issues," said Catherine Maureen Desailly, the center-right French senator who has long worked to return mortal remains.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron

    Sunday, August 28, 2022   No comments

 

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that he had agreed with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to "establish a full partnership between their two countries in the light of mutual respect."

During a joint press conference with Macron, who arrived in Algeria today for a 3-day official visit, Tebboune said: "I agreed with Macron to establish a full partnership in light of the principles of respect and a balance of trust between the two countries... We aspire to enhance trade exchange between Algeria and France."

"I discussed with Macron the situation in Libya, Mali, the Sahel and Western Sahara," he added.

For his part, Macron told his Algerian counterpart: "We have a common, complex and painful past, which contributed somewhat to not looking at the future... We have to look at this past with the will of truth... Let's open the archives from the beginning of the (French) occupation to independence without taboos... And this in order to build the future.

The French president considered that "we did not choose the past, but rather we inherited it, and we have the responsibility to build the future for ourselves and for future generations."

French President Macron arrived in Algeria today, Thursday, "hoping to build trade relations and turn the page on a diplomatic dispute," and was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Relations with Algeria became more important for France, because the Russian special military operation in Ukraine led to an increase in Europe's demand for North African gas, and because of the increased migration across the Mediterranean.

 It is noteworthy that Algeria canceled, today also, the entry visa of the chief rabbi of France, "Haim Corsia" because of his support for "Israel", according to what a reliable source told "Al-Mayadeen", who stressed that "Algeria will not be drawn towards normalization and rejects it in all its forms, and it is firm on the Supporting just causes, most notably Palestine and Western Sahara.

Last July, Tebboune sent a congratulatory message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of his re-election for a second presidential term, in which he expressed his "satisfaction with the quality of our personal relationship characterized by trust and affection, and with the developments achieved, albeit relatively, by the Algerian-French partnership."

In it, Macron called for a visit to Algeria "soon, to launch together a dynamic that pushes forward in dealing with major issues, and to intensify and expand Algerian-French relations."

Last March, the Algerian president declared that the "crimes of French colonialism" in Algeria will not be subject to a statute of limitations, calling for a "fair treatment of the file of memory and history in an atmosphere of frankness and trust."

This came after relations between the two countries fell to their lowest level, when Macron said he doubted the existence of an "Algerian nation" before French colonialism.

Macron denounces the African position on the Russian operation, describing it as "hypocrisy"

Macron denounces the African position on the Russian operation, describing it as "hypocrisy"

    Tuesday, July 26, 2022   No comments

French President Emmanuel Macron stressed, today, Tuesday, in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, that his country "will not abandon the security of the African continent," reiterating his desire to "reinvent" the French military and security apparatus, especially in the Sahel region.

"France will remain firmly committed to the security of the continent, in order to support our African partners and at their request," Macron said, during a speech to the French community in Yaounde.

Today, in Cameroon, Macron began a four-day tour of the African continent, during which he will also visit Benin, which faces security challenges in the Sahel region, in addition to Guinea-Bissau.

The French president added: "We are reorganizing our system by withdrawing from Mali because the political framework is no longer available (...), with the aim of expanding our apparatus, outside the Sahel region, to the Gulf of Guinea and the countries that now have to confront terrorist groups that are expanding and causing turmoil in the entire region."

"We will remain committed to the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to help them fight the militants who, for many years, have been spreading death in the far north of Cameroon," where Boko Haram is active, he added.

"France must be there in an even more visible way, at the request of African countries, which is a clear and explicit request, through our greater presence on the issue of military training and equipment, providing support to African armies and staying close to them, to help them increase their capabilities, by linking Our apparatus has always been in security, defense, diplomacy and development."

Macron stressed that "this tripartite is the only one that allows us to respond to the security emergency in the face of terrorism and to address its root causes."

The French president indicated that his country "is under attack by some who say that European sanctions are the cause of the global food crisis, including the African one," adding that "this is completely wrong, because, simply put, food, as well as energy, has become a weapon of war in the hands of Russia."

Macron saw the need to "build new collective partnerships with a new approach by linking existing companies, start-ups, associations and civil society".

He met this afternoon, at the Cameroonian presidential palace, his 89-year-old counterpart Paul Biya.

After the meeting, Macron denounced, during a joint press conference with Biya, what he considered "hypocrisy, especially from the African continent", which, according to Macron, is "the lack of clear recognition of Russia's unilateral aggression towards Ukraine, as the European Union did."

He explained that "the choice the Europeans made first is not in any way to participate in this war, but to recognize and name it," adding that he "often sees hypocrisy, especially on the African continent (...) for not naming the Russian military operation in Ukraine, because There is diplomatic pressure," he said, adding, "I am not naive."

Last June, the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of the Central African Republic, Reuven Binam Beltango, stated that Russia had helped his country to restore 90% of its lands that were held by armed groups, noting that this leads to attracting investors in the country.

Macron stressed that the European Union decided "to do everything necessary to stop this war without participating in it, and to punish Russia for disrupting its war effort, and to isolate it diplomatically."

He continued, "Here we need you, otherwise this pattern (the military operation in Ukraine) will be repeated over and over. It is not this international system that we want, (we want the system) that is based on cooperation and respect for the sovereignty of each country."

The French president stressed that his country is "the country that made the greatest commitment to African countries at its request to ensure its security, but within a clear framework at the request of a sovereign state and to fight terrorism," noting that "this framework is no longer available after the military coup in Mali."

On Monday, a grouping of political parties in Cameroon called on French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize France's colonial crimes, hours before his visit to the country, where he will meet his counterpart Paul Biya, according to an AFP correspondent.

On Saturday, the African Union hailed the agreement signed between Russia and Ukraine on resuming grain exports as a "welcome development" for the continent facing the growing threat of famine.

The African Union indicated, in a statement, that this agreement comes "in response" to the visit of the President of the African Union and President of Senegal, Macky Sall, and the Chairman of the Commission of the Union, Moussa Faki, last June to Moscow," where the two parties stressed during their meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on "the necessity of returning the export of grain from Ukraine and Russia to world markets."

Last June, the African Union President and Senegal's President, Macky Sall, announced that "the sanctions imposed on Russia have deprived African countries of access to grain and fertilizer, which has exacerbated the situation in the field of food."

On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began a 5-day tour of African countries, during which he will pay working visits to Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo. During his visit, Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the international and regional agenda and bilateral cooperation.

On May 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated African leaders and heads of government on the occasion of Africa Day.

The Kremlin said that Putin said in the congratulatory message that "Russia and African countries can enhance security and stability in the whole world through joint action."