Chechen Republic President explains why his troops are fighting in Ukraine

Chechen Republic President explains why his troops are fighting in Ukraine

    Friday, March 17, 2023   No comments

The President of the Chechen Republic has sent troops to Ukraine since the start of the military operation there. He offered many reasons for doing so—from protecting the Russian federation (fatherland), to fighting evil. With the increased number of Chechen and central Asian Muslims joining the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine”, the foreign armed group founded by order of the president of Ukraine, the leader of the Muslim republic found it necessary to justify his decision to send troops to fight for Russia to Muslims inside and outside Chechenia. In his most recent statement, Kadyrov showed a video that allegedly show Ukrainian government fighters burning the Quran, to recall the event of burning the Quran in Europe. He captioned the video with the following statement:

Turkey's ruling party considers Assad's conditions to meet Erdogan "inappropriate"

Turkey's ruling party considers Assad's conditions to meet Erdogan "inappropriate"

    Friday, March 17, 2023   No comments

A member of the Central Decision and Implementation Authority of the Turkish "Justice and Development" Party, Orhan Miri Oglu, confirmed today, Friday, that Damascus' conditions regarding negotiations between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are "inappropriate" to normalize relations between the two countries, pointing to the possibility of holding a meeting between them after the elections. Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14.

"Al-Assad demands Turkey to withdraw from Syrian territory as a condition for normalizing relations with Turkey. It is not permissible to raise the ceiling of demands in diplomatic relations with the start of the talks if the negotiating parties intend to reconcile, understand and find a solution to the differences," Merioglu said in an interview with "Sputnik" agency.

He continued, "Al-Assad's start to set preconditions for talks with Turkey gives the latter the right to demand that Damascus stop supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces."

He added, "The possibility of a meeting between Erdogan and Assad before the Turkish elections is very low. As for their meeting after the elections, it will become clear according to the results and balances of the elections."

Yesterday, Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said from Russia that "there is no disagreement between the Syrian and Turkish peoples, and the problem lies in the private ambitions of Turkish politicians."

Commenting on the possibility of meeting Erdogan, al-Assad affirmed that the priority is in "the withdrawal of illegal foreign forces, i.e. Turkish and American," noting that "Erdogan's priority is the elections and nothing else. As for Syria, the priority is the withdrawal and restoration of sovereignty."

And the Syrian president added that if the conditions are met, "there is no specific date for Erdogan's meeting, it may be today or tomorrow, and the timing is not a problem."

Last November, Erdogan hinted at the possibility of reconsidering relations with Damascus after the 2023 elections in Turkey, saying: "We can reconsider our relations with the countries with which we face problems, after the elections."

Likewise, the Turkish president said that he is "ready to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad when the time comes," and he confirmed earlier that "low-level talks with the Syrian side are still on the way."

The Garden of Prosperity Today

The Garden of Prosperity Today

    Thursday, March 16, 2023   No comments

Scenes not from the jungle; from the garden of prosperity; Paris today:

After striking a security deal that opened the door to political normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Shamkhani eyes security upgrades with UAE

After striking a security deal that opened the door to political normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Shamkhani eyes security upgrades with UAE

    Thursday, March 16, 2023   No comments

The UAE National Security Adviser, also self-described as the architect of UAE national security, Tahnoon Bin Zayed, confirmed during the reception of the Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, in the UAE, on Thursday, that cooperation with "strong Iran" is very important for the UAE. 

Tahnoun bin Zayed said, as quoted by the official Iranian news agency IRNA, that "cooperation and friendship with the great and powerful country of Iran is very important and one of the priorities."

The Emirati adviser added that "the development of fraternal relations between Abu Dhabi and Tehran is one of the priorities of the United Arab Emirates", stressing that "the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a building block in the expansion of peace, stability and sustainable security in the region".

He continued: "I hope that Admiral Shamkhani's visit will be a turning point in the relations between the two countries and the development of cooperation between them", adding that cooperation and friendship with Iran is one of the priorities of the Emirates.

For my part, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security of Iran considered this trip to the Emirates "a useful start for the two countries to enter a new stage" in political, economic and security relations.

Shamkhani said that "cooperation and rapprochement should be replaced by enmity and distance" in order to overcome the challenges that cannot be sustained in the interest of the countries of the region.

Earlier today, Shamkhani asserted, before leaving Tehran for Abu Dhabi, that "Tehran's goal in neighboring diplomacy is to create a strong region".

And at the end of 2021, the Minister of National Security of the UAE visited the Iranian capital, Tehran, and met with Shamkhani, in response to the latter's invitation.

A few days ago, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced their agreement to resume diplomatic relations and open embassies between the two countries within two months.

Shamkhani also met the president of UAE, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

   

Saudi Arabia will stop oil supplies to countries that set a price ceiling on its oil

Saudi Arabia will stop oil supplies to countries that set a price ceiling on its oil

    Thursday, March 16, 2023   No comments

In another guesture in support of Russia and dismiss of EU actions, Saudi Arabia announced that it will stop oil supplies to countries that set a price ceiling on its oil

This was stated by the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

In his view, price ceilings set for a country or a group of countries, for oil or any other commodity, will lead to individual or collective responses with serious consequences.

"So if there is a price cap on Saudi oil exports, we will not sell oil to any country that imposes a price cap on our supplies, and we will cut oil production, and I would not be surprised if others do the same," he said. the minister said.

The Saudi Energy Minister, Abdulaziz bin Salman, and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, confirmed during their meeting in Riyadh, today, Thursday, their countries’ commitment to the decision taken by “OPEC +” to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023.

The Saudi Press Agency, "SPA", stated that bin Salman and Novak discussed the conditions of the global oil market, and the efforts of the "OPEC +" group aimed at "enhancing market stability and balance."

The two sides affirmed their countries' commitment to the decision taken by the "OPEC +" group, last October, to reduce production by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023, and the continuation of cooperation between the two countries, within the framework of the group, to enhance the stability and balance of the global market.

A few days ago, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Energy Affairs, Jose Fernandez, called on oil-producing countries, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to "increase the quantities of crude supplied in the markets."

And in early October 2022, “OPEC +” decided to reduce its production by two million barrels per day, at a level that it has not changed since then.

It is noteworthy that the American "The Intercept" website had previously stated, quoting informed Saudi sources, that Riyadh had pressured to cut oil production twice more than what Russian President Vladimir Putin had requested.

On October 14, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, John Kirby, said that "more than one member" of "OPEC +", without specifying them, disagreed about the size of the cut, but Saudi Arabia forced them to agree to it.

 

US Senator Roger Marshall: "The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt"

US Senator Roger Marshall: "The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt"

    Thursday, March 16, 2023   No comments

A statement that was true for almost all previous empires, is now discovered to apply to the US: "The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt". That is the conclusion of a US Senator Roger Marshall.

"I’m often asked what's the greatest threat our nation faces and I'm here to tell you [that] it's not Russia. It's not China. It's not North Korea. It's not Iran. And no, I love the environment, it's not climate change.  The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt of $31 trillion and growing," Marshall told the US Senate Budget Committee.

Reportedly, according to Marshall, President Joe Biden has spent more than any other president in US history during his first 20 months in office.

He adds that energy prices have risen by more than 37%, home heating fuel by more than 52%, electricity prices by more than 23%, gasoline by more than 45%, and groceries by more than 19% during the Biden administration.

 

Lessons from history support this point of view: almost all major empires collapsed under the weight of crushing debt, not due to outside military threats.

   

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: will not meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unless Turkey withdraws its forces from northern Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: will not meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unless Turkey withdraws its forces from northern Syria

    Thursday, March 16, 2023   No comments

Hours after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced that he will not meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unless Turkey withdraws its forces from northern Syria, Turkish officials called off a low level meeting among representives of the four states, Iran, Russia, Turkiye, and Syria. 

The Syrian president announced that he will not meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unless Turkey withdraws its forces from northern Syria.

Assad said that "(any assembly) is related to reaching the stage of Turkey's formation, in which it is clearly and without any ambiguity ready for the complete withdrawal from Syrian territory".

The Syrian president added that Turkey has "stopped supporting terrorism", referring to the militant groups that control the northern regions of Syria, some of which receive training and support from Turkey.

Assad added: "This is the only situation in which there can be a meeting between Erdoğan and Erdoğan."

He added questioningly: "Other than that, what is the value of the meeting if it does not achieve final results for the war in Syria?"

A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the meeting of deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria, which was scheduled for this week, has been postponed to a date yet to be determined.

And the source said that the meeting was postponed "for technical reasons", I don't know the details.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had mentioned last week that the deputy foreign ministers of the four countries will meet this week in Moscow before scheduled talks between the foreign ministers at a later date in order to resolve the crisis in Syria.

Cavishoglu said, after meeting Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian last week, that Iran expressed its desire to join the talks between Turkey, Syria and Russia, and that Turkey agreed to it.

In this context, the Turkish Anatolia Agency pointed out that the meeting of deputy ministers would be held on March 15 and 16.

Turkey has troops in Syria and continues to supports and/or supplies armed groups controlled the northwest of Syria and a strip in the north, the rest of the territories outside the government control remain under the US and Kurdish forces; as the map below shows.

New opinion polls show that the opposition candidate for the Turkish presidency, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by more than 10 percentage points ahead of the May 14 elections

New opinion polls show that the opposition candidate for the Turkish presidency, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by more than 10 percentage points ahead of the May 14 elections

    Tuesday, March 14, 2023   No comments

Opinion polls show that the opposition bloc, which is called the Nation Alliance, leads the parliamentary race, by at least six points, from the Justice and Development Party, led by current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies.

New opinion polls show that opposition candidate for the Turkish presidency, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is leading President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by more than 10 percentage points ahead of the May 14 elections.

Opinion polls published by Reuters show that the opposition bloc, called the Nation Alliance, leads the presidential race, by at least six points, over Erdogan's Justice and Development Party and its allies.

An opinion poll published by Aksoy Research, conducted on March 8, showed that Kilicdaroglu is leading against Erdogan by 55.6% and 44.4%, respectively.

It showed that the main opposition bloc received 44.1% of the vote, and the Peoples' Democratic Party 10.3%. As for the Justice and Development Party and its nationalist allies from the National Movement Party, they got 38.2%.

A poll conducted by Alf Research from March 6 to 7 showed that Kilicdaroglu's rate was 55.1%, and Erdogan's 44.9%. The Republican People's Party, led by Davutoğlu, was the most popular with 31.8%, while the Justice and Development Party came next with 31%.

The poll showed that the main opposition bloc got 43.5% of the vote, while the Peoples' Democratic Party got 11.3%. Likewise, the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party together received 37.5% support.

Piar Research showed Kilicdaroglu winning with 57.1%, while Erdogan was behind with 42.9%.

ORC research showed Kilicdaroglu ahead with 56.8% and Erdogan with 43.2%, according to a poll conducted March 4-6, before the official announcement of Davutoglu as the opposition candidate.

There is no doubt that the earthquakes had an impact on the popularity of the Justice and Development Party, as it appeared in a survey conducted by the "Metropoll" company, that 34.4% of people blamed the government for the losses during the earthquake, while 26.9% blamed the contractors, and the municipalities third, 15.4%.

"Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards" is not a new, isolated event

"Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards" is not a new, isolated event

    Tuesday, March 14, 2023   No comments

 Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards is not a new, isolated event taking place now under the most extremist regime. Bus segregation is just a sample of what apartheid systems do.

The government of Israel has been discriminating against Palestinians since it was founded. Segregation in busses and public transportation has been done for more than a decade at least, as these sample references show. What is new is who is carrying out these politicies now.

The head of an Israeli settlement in the West Bank said that he directed that Arab passengers be disembarked from buses even if they hold a blue identity card (a permanent residency identity given to Palestinians from East Jerusalem).

This came in statements made by “Meir Rubinstein,” head of the “Beitar Illit” settlement, 10 km south of Jerusalem, to the ultra-Orthodox “Scobim” website, which was reported by the Hebrew “Wala” website.

"I ordered Arab passengers to be removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards," Rubinstein said.

He added that he insisted on his decision despite the request of the Israeli police and the Ministry of Defense to retract the decision.

And "Rubinstein" went on: "We stopped the buses at the entrance to the city (the settlement) and dropped off dozens of Palestinians with blue ID cards."

On Thursday, residents of Beitar Illit were instructed to stay in their homes for fear of a Palestinian infiltration into the city, after an explosive device was found in a bag left inside a bus in the settlement.

Last year, Rubinstein was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a murder in Jerusalem in 1990, but he was later released due to lack of evidence, according to the same source.

Recently, the racist approach of the Israeli right towards the Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated dramatically, which was evident, including in at least two attacks launched by settlers last February on the town of Hawara in the northern West Bank, which resulted in the death of a Palestinian and the injury of dozens, as well as the burning of homes, cars and property. , amid Arab and international condemnation.

  

How the US aggressive, political, and inhumane use of sanctions could turn sanctions into a liability

How the US aggressive, political, and inhumane use of sanctions could turn sanctions into a liability

    Monday, March 13, 2023   No comments

The basic principle behind the use of sanctions is this: short of changing the behavior of rogue governments by force (war), and to protect the people from their belligerent unrepresentative governments, responsible governments should use economic tools to bring such governments into compliance. Sounds reasonable enough.

In practice, however, and since the collapse of the Soviet Union, sanctions have been used to isolate and punish governments that do not further the political and economic interests of the Western bloc, regardless of whether they are representative, elected governments or not. By the same logic, governments that are unelected, abusive to the rights of their citizens, but who join the Western bloc are not only immune to Western sanctions, but they are also shielded by Western governments from any criticism even by NGOs.

Such a disconnect between the principled sanctions and the politically driven sanctions is bound to grow beyond ambiguity, unmasked the inhumane, ineffective, self-interested use of sanctions turning it into an effective tool, or even a tool against those who have exploited.

First, when sanctions are deployed with ease against any government, the large number of sanctioned governments around the world could unite to counter the effects of sanctions allowing them to function as a default bloc against the sanctioning side.

The near unanimous Western support of Ukraine against Russia during the ongoing armed conflict, which in reality started in 2014, placed pressure on many countries to take side. Those who took the side or Russia or remained neutral were subjected to sanctions, including Russia and China—the two major global powers in the world. The sheer large number of states impacted by sanctions made it possible for these countries to unite to counteract the effects of sanctions. This is the context in which Belarus finds it way to Iran, culminating the historic visit of the Belarusian president to Tehran this week to sign many strategic agreements between the two countries.

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi affirmed that the agreements signed by Iran and Belarus, during the visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Tehran today, are fruitful, expressing Tehran's readiness to put its expertise in recent years at the service of Minsk.

Raisi said, during a joint press conference with Lukashenko following the signing of a joint cooperation map between the two countries, that "the agreements that were signed are fruitful and we hope to take good steps in developing relations between the two countries."

 

He added, "Iran intends to expand bilateral relations with Belarus in international organizations."

 

He continued, "We are ready to put our expertise during the past period in the service of Belarus, and the two countries are determined to strengthen their relations in all fields."

 

In turn, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko affirmed that the sanctions imposed on Belarus and Iran represent an opportunity to develop relations between them, stressing the depth of trust between the two countries.

 

"I hope that the road map signed today will help expand relations between the two countries in the long run," Lukashenko said.

 

And the Belarusian state agency Belta reported that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi signed a comprehensive cooperation roadmap between the two countries for the period 2023-2026 after their talks in Tehran.

 

"The roadmap provides for comprehensive cooperation between Belarus and Iran in the political, economic, consular, scientific and technical fields, as well as in the fields of education, culture, arts, media and tourism," the statement said.

 

An agreement was reached on the development and preparation of the document during the meeting between Lukashenko and my president in September 2021 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

 

Earlier, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei discussed, with his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in conditions of sanctions, and mutual support in international organizations.

 

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said that the two sides affirmed "the common interest in building trade and economic cooperation to face the pressures of sanctions," and focusing on the positive dynamics in developing bilateral relations.