Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs presents this narrative, in an
interview on “Winter of Our Discontent” forum - Belgrade, Serbia.
“I'm deeply unimpressed with the analysis that the war in Ukraine began on 24 February, by an unprovoked attack by President Putin - it's just not true.”
Charlie Hebdo newspaper published, on its Twitter account, a caricature entitled "Today's Drawing", which showed a number of buildings destroyed by the earthquake in Turkey, and commented on the drawing, "There is not even the need to send tanks."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed today, Monday, that the death toll from the earthquake has risen to 912, and 5,383 people have been injured. Turkish Vice President Fuad Oktay also confirmed the collapse of more than "1,700 buildings as a result of the earthquake."
Oktay said in a statement to reporters that schools and university dormitories were not damaged, while schools were suspended in 10 states for a week due to the earthquake.
The Turkish representative added that 102 mobile broadcasting stations for mobile phones were sent and operated to the areas affected by the earthquake, adding that Hatay Airport was closed and civil aviation traffic was stopped in the states of Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep, and Adana Airport was closed to flights until further notice.
Oktay indicated that the concerned authorities had "stopped the supply of natural gas to many areas" because of the earthquake, pointing out that "the aid will be coordinated under the supervision of the Turkish Emergency and Natural Disasters Administration and distributed to those affected by the earthquake."
Oktay stated that the earthquake affected large areas in Turkey and abroad, indicating that the specialized teams began search and rescue work from the first moments.
He stated that many Turkish ministers had moved to the areas affected by the earthquake to continue the search and rescue work.
Oktay called on citizens not to use their cars and roam the streets in order to keep the roads passable for the movement of cadres supervising rescue operations and ambulances.
Regarding the details of deaths and injuries as a preliminary outcome, Oktay said: "We have 70 deaths and 200 injuries in Kahramanmaraş, 4 deaths and 7 injuries in Hatay, and 20 deaths and 200 injuries in Osmaniye."
He continued: "13 deaths and 22 injuries in Adiyaman, 14 deaths and 226 injuries in Diyarbakir, 18 deaths and 200 injuries in Sanliurfa, 80 deaths and 600 injuries in Gaziantep, 10 deaths and 118 injuries in Adana, and 47 deaths and 550 injuries in Malatya."
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Syria was affected by the devastating earthquake that shook several provinces in southern Turkey today, Monday, with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale.
Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported that the total number of earthquake victims rose to more than 592 people in various Syrian governorates, while Sarmada was classified as a disaster area.
According to the latest toll announced by the Syrian Ministry of Health, the death toll from the earthquake rose to 371 deaths and 1,089 injuries, most of them in Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Tartous, stressing that this outcome is not final.
According to the Ministry, readiness has been raised in hospital ambulance departments in all governorates, and response teams that transfer injuries to hospitals have been mobilized, pointing out that the general emergency plan and the supply plan for supplies and medicines have been implemented to supply the affected places with them.
27 ambulances and 7 mobile clinics were sent from Damascus, Rif Dimashq, Quneitra, Homs and Tartous as support to Aleppo and Lattakia, while 4 truckloads of medicines and surgical and first aid supplies were sent to Aleppo, Lattakia and Hama.
According to the Director General of the National Center for Seismology, Raed Ahmed, the most affected areas are those near the epicenter of the earthquake in Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo, stressing that the earthquake is the strongest during the investment lifetime of the national seismic network in Syria, that is, since 1995.
According to Ahmed, aftershocks have occurred and will occur successively, but they are much weaker than the strength of the earthquake that occurred, explaining that the state of seismic instability will continue, but with tremors that are weaker in impact and within the limits of 5 degrees.
The Director General of the National Center for Seismology confirmed that the buildings will be damaged and affected by the earthquakes, according to the response of their building structure and its resistance to earthquakes.
150 deaths in Aleppo and its countryside
Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported that there were more than 50 victims in Aleppo as a preliminary outcome of the devastating earthquake, explaining that the number of rescue teams in Aleppo is very few, and the capabilities are weak as a result of the war and the siege on Syria.
Al-Mayadeen correspondent indicated that more than 50 buildings were destroyed in Aleppo as a result of the earthquake.
The collapse of more than 60 buildings in Lattakia
Likewise, Al-Mayadeen correspondent in Lattakia reported that at least 80 people died, and 300 others were injured in a preliminary outcome as a result of the earthquake that struck the province, which led to the collapse of more than 60 buildings completely and partially, and cracks in hundreds of homes, with the continuation of the work of removing rubble in areas many in the province.
The earthquake, which measured 7.8 degrees on the "Richter" scale, caused the complete collapse of 21 buildings in the streets of Rumaila, Ghazalat and Rumaila in the city of Jableh, which led to the death of more than 30 people and about 200 injuries, as the mechanisms of civil defense, firefighting and the rest of the government sectors work to remove the rubble. Under difficult weather conditions, to get out the trapped under it.
A number of buildings collapsed on Damsarkho Highway, Al-Raml Al-Janoubi, and some floors in Al-Azhari and Al-Awaina roundabouts in Lattakia. Significant damage and cracks occurred in dozens of homes in the city, which led to the death of a number of its residents and the injury of others.
Likewise, the collapse of a number of houses over the heads of their occupants was recorded in the villages of Video, Bustan Al-Basha, Satamo and Al-Haffah, and a number of deaths and injuries were recorded, in addition to the removal of a number of survivors from under the rubble, while continuing the work of removing the rubble and evacuating some buildings from their residents after cracks occurred in them. by the earthquake.
The Lattakia governorate has urgently secured shelters for residents whose homes were damaged by the earthquake, and provided urgent relief and food assistance to those affected.
Tens of thousands of residents rushed to evacuate their homes after the earthquake occurred in Lattakia Governorate, as streets, squares, and public roads were crowded with people from Monday night until the morning hours, for fear of aftershocks that had followed after the severe earthquake, with all medical staff on alert to transport the dead and wounded to hospitals.
The collapse of an entire neighborhood in the Syrian countryside of Idlib as a result of the earthquake
Video footage captured by a drone showed the extent of the destruction in an area belonging to the Syrian governorate of Idlib, as a result of a strong earthquake that struck at dawn today, Monday, the regions of southern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving hundreds dead and injured, and was felt by a number of countries in the region.
A distress call from the Red Crescent
The Secretary-General of the Syrian Red Crescent, Khaled Ircsous, confirmed that there is a severe shortage of medicines and fuel needed to operate hospitals in light of the catastrophe of the earthquake that hit the country.
Ircouss indicated that the Red Crescent teams are still working to recover bodies from under the rubble, stressing that "we see injured people under the rubble, but we cannot reach them due to the lack of equipment."
Earthquake damage affects Syrian archaeological sites
The Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums stated that initial reports received from some governorates indicated that damage had occurred to some archaeological sites as a result of the earthquake at dawn on Monday.
And the Directorate stated, in a statement, that "Aleppo Citadel suffered minor and moderate damages, including the fall of parts of the Ottoman mill, and the occurrence of cracks and cracks and the fall of parts of the northeastern defensive walls, and large parts of the dome of the Ayyubid mosque minaret fell, and the entrances to the castle were damaged, and parts fell of stones, including the entrance to the Mamluk defensive tower, and the facade of the Ottoman hospice was damaged.
The statement stated that some of the museum artifacts inside the display storage were damaged, and cracks and cracks appeared on the facade of the National Museum in Aleppo.
According to the statement, the historic neighborhood of Aqaba, adjacent to the city's western wall, was damaged and collapsed, and it is not far from Bab Antioch. The same applies to the historic Al-Jalloum neighborhood, where severe damage occurred, including the fall of dip ceilings, walls, and parts of facades.
Arab and international solidarity with the victims of Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed to his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, his country's readiness to provide the necessary assistance to overcome the effects of the earthquake that struck Syria at dawn today.
In his telegram, Putin offered his sincere condolences to the victims of the earthquake, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
In turn, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a phone call with President Assad, confirmed his country's stand with Syria and its solidarity with it as a result of the devastating earthquake, and offered sincere condolences for the hundreds of victims who fell, stressing that his country is fully prepared to help the Syrian people overcome the effects of this disaster.
Likewise, the Sultanate of Oman expressed, in an official statement, its solidarity with both Turkey and Syria, and extended its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred in southern Turkey, and to the Turkish and Syrian peoples, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
Algeria extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the governments and peoples of Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake that struck the two countries, and left heavy losses in lives, property and infrastructure, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national community abroad.
Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyah, announced in a statement: "We made quick and successive contacts with the Syrian Ministers of Transport and Health, conveying to them our condolences on behalf of the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Council of Ministers, and stressing that Lebanon is a state and people fully prepared to provide all possible assistance." And within the available capabilities, in everything that the Syrian state requires to face the repercussions of the earthquake that struck last night in the north of it, and other regions and countries as well.
Medvedev added, during press statements, by saying: “Our response can be anything, and the Russian president confirmed that. We do not set ourselves any restrictions and, depending on the nature of the threats, are ready to use all kinds of weapons.”
"If Ukraine launches any attack on Crimea, there will be counter-attacks, and the rest of the Ukrainian lands that are still under Kyiv's control will turn to ashes," the deputy head of the Russian Security Council stressed.
In a related context, the adviser to the President of the Russian Republic of Crimea for media policy, Oleg Kryuchkov, described the threat of the Kyiv authorities to launch a missile attack on the peninsula as “barking” from under the sofa, according to “Sputnik”.
Earlier, the adviser to Vladimir Zelensky's office, Mikhail Podolyak, said that after agreeing with the West on the supply of tanks, Kyiv is negotiating the supply of long-range missiles and aircraft to launch strikes in Crimea.
Crimean Tatars are ethnically connected to the people who live in the Republic of Tatarstan. Founded in 1005 on the banks of the Volga River, about 500 miles east of Moscow, Kazan, the capital of the republic, was a main stop along the Silk Road, the historic trade route for the exchange of not only of goods and services, but also of habits and cultures. Today, about 53% of Tatarstan's population are Muslims, the rest are mostly Russian Orthodox Christians.
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
Chad Kunkle wrote an article in the American magazine "The National Interest" in which he said that during the past month, the "War Powers Resolution in Yemen" was withdrawn from voting in the US Senate, and that if the resolution had been approved, it would have ended the direct US military intervention in the Saudi war in Yemen. The bill was withdrawn by its sponsor, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders.
According to the article, "This step came after President Joe Biden and his administration promised to veto the resolution if it passed, and urged other senators to vote against the bill." This is what the magazine considered "another major setback in efforts to end US involvement in a conflict that has resulted in one of the most devastating and least discussed humanitarian crises of our time."
This war has caused enormous suffering to the Yemeni people, as it has caused civilian casualties, diseases, internal displacement and famine in the population.
Ending US involvement in this conflict has garnered bipartisan support in Congress over the years despite many failed attempts to pass forms of the Yemen War Powers Resolution (YWPR). The move hit many roadblocks, such as a veto of legislation by President Donald Trump, but it also saw some recent successes, as Biden reversed some of the policies pursued by his predecessors, vowing to stop supporting offensive Saudi military operations and remove the Houthis from the terrorist designation list.
However, these transitions have largely failed to address the key issues that have kept this conflict and all the atrocities associated with it running. The United States has remained the main supplier of weapons to Saudi Arabia, and many US-made aircraft and weapons used in offensive operations by the (Saudi) coalition receive maintenance and support from the US military and US contractors long after Biden pledged to end this support. The Biden administration justified its decision to press against the current iteration of the draft "Yemen war power resolution" by claiming that the situation on the ground had changed, with a UN truce managing to reduce violence for most of 2022 and keeping Saudi airstrikes at bay — even after the truce. The armistice ended in October. The US administration fears that passing the draft resolution will harm the peace process by weakening Saudi Arabia's position at the negotiating table, while critics of the move argue that this leaves the door open for Saudi Arabia to launch a new bombing campaign with the help of the United States.
This decision also appears to be a dangerous reversal on the part of Biden and many key foreign policy officials. Senior Biden associates, such as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, have signed letters to Trump (perhaps he means Biden) supporting past iterations of the "Yemen War Powers Resolution," and Biden's promise to make Saudi Arabia a pariah in his presidential campaign. The move to block the Yemen War Powers Resolution appears to be the latest example of a major shift in the administration's attitude toward the Saudis, which has garnered considerable attention since Biden's visit to the kingdom last July, which was marked by Biden's failure to secure increased oil production by the Saudis. And the rest of OPEC Plus.
Thus, it seems that the US administration is blocking the decision in another attempt to appease the Saudis, preceded by a recommendation from the administration to grant Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immunity in a lawsuit filed against him by Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée, in addition to continuing arms sales to the kingdom. Meanwhile, Mohammed bin Salman recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and signed several investment deals with Beijing. This was the final step to increase ties between Saudi Arabia and China. It is clear that this evolving relationship, compared to the marked deterioration in US-Saudi relations, is causing concern in Washington.
The author of the article added that while such developments may cause major changes in US policy in the Middle East, the potential results do not justify a worrisome response that includes appeasement, facilitating disasters such as the war in Yemen. The United States has the ability to invest in alternative energy sources, including domestic oil production. A Saudi shift toward China would also incentivize the United States to define its relationship more clearly with Saudi Arabia, disengaging itself from the frustrating and often contradictory status of quasi-alliance that constrains the flexibility of US policy in the region.
He continued: Attempts to distance countries from their natural interests rarely lead to success, and it is reasonable to assert that the world's largest oil exporter seeks closer relations with its largest buyer is a natural development, especially since the Saudi economy is almost entirely dependent on oil exports. In addition, China's emerging interest in Saudi Arabia will be complicated by Beijing's long-standing attachment to Iran.
The writer concludes by saying that the war in Yemen has been a disaster, and the desperate and unnecessary attempts to prevent Saudi Arabia from pursuing alternative relations to America are no reason for the United States to continue aiding destruction by providing direct military assistance. The decision to seek to rein in that potential is worth the potential disruption of long-term policy, especially when that policy is not feasible to US interests and more beneficial alternatives exist.
It is noteworthy that the Saudi Foreign Minister discussed the Yemeni file in Switzerland with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and stated that the war in Yemen must end through negotiation.
It is noteworthy that, last October, Sanaa announced that negotiations to extend the UN armistice in Yemen had reached a dead end, after Saudi Arabia refused to pay the salaries of public servants from the revenues of oil and gas produced from the Yemeni governorates, to stop the war and lift the blockade on the country.
A human rights report was issued late last month and documented "the crimes of the US-Saudi aggression during the year 2022", and indicated that the number of victims reached 3,083 deaths and wounded civilians (643 deaths and 2,440 wounded).
It is noteworthy that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed the Yemeni file in Switzerland with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and stated that the war in Yemen must end through negotiation.
It is noteworthy that, last October, Sanaa announced that negotiations to extend the UN armistice in Yemen had reached a dead end, after Saudi Arabia refused to pay the salaries of public servants from the revenues of oil and gas produced from the Yemeni governorates, to stop the war and lift the blockade on the country.
A human rights report was issued late last month and documented "the crimes of the US-Saudi aggression during the year 2022", and indicated that the number of victims reached 3,083 martyrs and wounded civilians (643 martyrs and 2,440 wounded).
When will the war in Ukraine be declared a world war?
With almost all NATO member states and EU countries now openly providing weapons to Ukraine, pressure will be buidling on the rest of the world to take clear position on this conflict--though Russia has not openly asked for any military assistance from what it calls "friendly nationa states."
It should be noted also that only three Muslim-majority countries, Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco, provide some form of military aid to Ukraine.
From Europe, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Moldova still observe conditional neutrality.
The New York Times published today, Tuesday, a report under the headline "Russia's Economic Growth Indicates Limited Impact of Western Sanctions".
The newspaper said in its report that the resilience of the Russian economy helps support global growth, according to a new report issued by the International Monetary Fund, which indicates that efforts by Western countries to weaken Moscow due to its war in Ukraine appear to be faltering.
In a report, the International Monetary Fund expected Russian production to expand by 0.3% this year and 2.1% next year, in defiance of previous expectations, of a sharp contraction in 2023, amid a set of Western sanctions, according to the newspaper.
Also, the newspaper indicated that a plan coordinated by the United States and Europe to cap the price of Russian oil exports at $60 a barrel is not expected to significantly reduce energy revenues.
"At the current G7 oil price ceiling level, Russian crude oil export volumes are not expected to be significantly affected, with Russian trade continuing to be redirected to non-sanctions countries," the IMF said.
Earlier, the International Monetary Fund, in a report, improved its forecast for the performance of the Russian economy for the next two years.
In 2024, the Russian economy will grow by 2.1%, which is 0.6% better than the October forecast for the same period.
A few days ago, a United Nations report showed that the size of the Russian economy shrank by about 3% in 2022, compared to previous expectations of a decline of 15%.
The Wall Street Journal quoted US officials and informed sources as confirming that Israel carried out Iran's attack on Saturday.
And the newspaper published, citing US officials and others familiar with the matter, that "Israel carried out the raid yesterday, with a drone, on the military defense complex of the Iranian armed forces in Isfahan."
She pointed out that "the United States and Israel are looking for new ways to contain Tehran's nuclear and military ambitions."
The Wall Street Journal stated that "the Israeli army refused to comment on the matter," and linked the attack to the visit of CIA chief William Burns a few days ago to the occupied Palestinian territories.
And the American newspaper recalled what it had quoted from the Israeli Chief of Staff, Halevy, last week, who declared that "Israel and the United States are preparing for the worst."
Earlier today, the Iranian Ministry of Defense announced that it had repelled an attack on one of its centers in Isfahan, in the center of the country, stressing that "the failed attack was carried out using drones, targeting a defense industry complex affiliated with the Ministry of Defense."
And she explained that "one of the drones was shot down by air defenses, and two other planes fell into defensive traps, and they were detonated," and confirmed that "the attack did not cause loss of life, nor did it cause any defect in the equipment and tasks of the ministry's complex."
And the ministry’s statement stated that “on the evening of January 28, about half an hour before midnight, a failed attack was carried out using drones on one of the military complexes of the Ministry of Defense,” and indicated that “the air defenses of the complex shot down one of the drones, while it was surrounded.” Two marches and they exploded."
In turn, the deputy governor of Isfahan, Mohammad Reza Janisari, confirmed, in a televised statement today, that the attack "did not result in injuries," adding that an investigation had been opened to determine its causes.
Video clips filmed by Iranian citizens showed that a small explosion occurred on the roof of one of the buildings adjacent to a main street in Isfahan. It indicates that it is the explosion of the march itself.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced today, Sunday, that his country and other countries in Latin America are not considering sending weapons to Ukraine.
Fernandez's remarks came during his joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Argentina, in which he said, "Argentina and Latin America will not do that, and they are not considering sending weapons to Ukraine or to another conflict zone."
Earlier, the Brazilian newspaper "Folha" reported, quoting military and government sources, that Brazilian President Luis Inacio (da Silva) also rejected a request from the German government for ammunition for Leopard tanks, in order to maintain neutrality.
According to media reports, the commander of the US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, said that the United States is working with nine Latin American countries to transfer their Russian weapons to Ukraine in exchange for supplies of American equipment.
Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz went to Latin America, where he will meet Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva for the first time since assuming the presidency, in addition to a meeting with the presidents of Argentina and Chile.
Schultz's tour began in Argentina, accompanied by about 12 senior business managers, then he visited Chile, and concluded his tour in Brazil, the first economic power in Latin America, to leave on Wednesday.
The visit comes as German companies look for new opportunities abroad after suffering an economic shock from the crisis in Ukraine, and as concern rises due to heavy commercial dependence on China.
Roberto Goulart Menezes, of the Center for International Relations at the University of Brasilia, said, "Germany is one of the most important European Union countries investing in Brazil."
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