Media Review: The Guardian says Britain must acknowledge its role in the 1953 coup in Iran

Media Review: The Guardian says Britain must acknowledge its role in the 1953 coup in Iran

    Tuesday, August 15, 2023   No comments

A report in the British newspaper, The Guardian, spoke today, Tuesday, about "the need for the United Kingdom to recognize its role in the coup that took place in Iran in 1953, which toppled the democratically elected government of Muhammad Mossadeq, and replaced it with a military government that allowed the Shah to restore his dictatorial powers on a large scale in the country." for two and a half decades, before the Islamic Revolution overthrew him in 1979.

In the context, former British Foreign Secretary David Owen said, "The United Kingdom must finally acknowledge its role in the coup, for the sake of the credibility of Britain and the Iranian reform movement."

The United States officially acknowledged its primary role in the coup 10 years ago, after declassifying a large number of intelligence documents, which made it clear that the overthrow of the elected Prime Minister, Muhammad Mosaddegh, 70 years ago this week, was a joint endeavor between the British and American intelligence services. The CIA and MI6.

So far, the UK government's official position has been to "refuse to comment on this intelligence matter".

According to the report, the original plot, codenamed "Operation Bout" or "Ajax", was formulated by the British Secret Service after Mossadegh became prime minister and the dominant British oil company in Iran was nationalized.

The report states that "the administration of Harry Truman, the US president, did not want to have anything to do with this process, and considered Mossadegh as a bulwark against communism, but Winston Churchill, the UK prime minister at the time, was able to convince his successor Dwight Eisenhower of the importance of carrying it out."

In the spring of 1953, the CIA began joint planning with British intelligence, and the operation was renamed Ajax.

On the 70th anniversary of the start of the coup, on Tuesday, David Owen, who was foreign secretary from 1977 to 1979, told the Guardian newspaper, "There are good reasons today to recognize the UK's role with the US in 1953 in overthrowing democratic developments in Iran."

And he stressed that this must happen "by recognizing that we were wrong in doing so, and we damaged the steps that were developing towards a democratic Iran, and through this we can make reforms now more bearable," he said.

During Lord Owen's tenure at the Foreign Office, the Islamic Revolution in Iran overthrew the Shah's regime, and Owen said, commenting on that period: "I made it clear to the Shah that his style of government should give way to democratic reforms, but I wish I had known about his serious illness, and I could have The pressure was on him much earlier, in 1978, to stay in Switzerland for medical treatment."

He added, "Today, the British government will help the cause of the dissidents in Iran, and make it more likely to succeed without neglecting it, if we admit our previous mistakes in 1953, as well as the mistakes we committed in the period from 1977 to 1979."

Documentary film about the coup suppressed by Britain

The report in the "Guardian" touched on a new film entitled "Coup 53", which traces the history of the coup in Iran, and focuses on a young British spy who played a pivotal role in it, named Norman Darbyshire.

Despite receiving rave reviews and ratings, director Taghi Amirani and veteran Hollywood editor Walter Murch were unable to find a distributor for the film, a fact they attribute to the UK's continued cloak of official secrecy on the subject.

Amirani said they were subjected to “the most bizarre and sinister attempts to suppress both the contents of the film and its chances of distribution, through so many twisted turns,” while Richard Norton Taylor, author of The Secret State, a book on British intelligence and the media, said it was “sad.” It is absurd, even counterproductive, for the British government to continue to hide behind its old motto of "neither confirm nor deny" and to continue refusing to acknowledge its leading role in the overthrow of Mosaddegh.

Despite the insistence of British politicians to present the British role in Iran as a supportive role for democracy, many Western reports and books on the history of politics in the region and intelligence operations confirmed that the main goals that constituted Britain's motive in Iran are economic ambitions for Iran's oil, and political ambitions due to its strategic location in Iran. confront the Soviet Union.

Last January, Iranian intelligence arrested a high-ranking British agent, Ali Reza Akbari (61 years), former assistant to the Minister of Defense, on the grounds of his conviction of spying for Britain, of which he holds nationality, and the Iranian judiciary later announced the execution of the death sentence issued against him.

The Century Project.. Algeria announces the completion of a road linking its borders with Tunisia and Morocco

The Century Project.. Algeria announces the completion of a road linking its borders with Tunisia and Morocco

    Sunday, August 13, 2023   No comments

Algeria announced, on Saturday, the completion of the “East-West Highway,” which starts from the country’s western border with Morocco and reaches its eastern border with Tunisia, with a length of 1,216 km.

This came during the inauguration of the Algerian Prime Minister, Ayman bin Abdel Rahman, the last section of the road that connects the city of Daraan (Al-Tarif Governorate in the far east) with the Tunisian border at a distance of 84 km, according to state television.

Thus, Algeria has completely completed the completion of this road, which began to be built at the beginning of the new millennium and was called the “Project of the Century”.

According to official figures of the Algerian government, the total cost of the road exceeded 13 billion dollars, and it was supposed to be completed in 2012.

The project experienced delays due to technical and administrative problems, and at that time a corruption case erupted, known as the “scandal of the century,” and the trials ended in 2015 with the Algerian judiciary issuing prison sentences and financial fines against those involved.

And the Algerian authorities relied on the immediate exploitation of every section of the road that was prepared, until it was completely completed, on Saturday.

Bin Abdul Rahman called for activating road maintenance networks and ensuring that it is suitable for vehicle traffic.

The last section of the road allows for an increase in the volume of trade exchanges with Tunisia, in addition to ensuring the smooth movement of people between the two countries.

The "giant road" is located within an economic and commercial integration scheme drawn up by the Union of Arab Maghreb States, to link the land of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, but the differences between Algeria and Rabat and the closure of the land borders between them since 1994 prevented the completion of the road scheme.

And the Algerian Prime Minister, Ayman bin Abdel Rahman, inaugurated the last section of the road, which connects the city of Daraan (Al-Tarif Governorate in the far east) with the Tunisian border, at a distance of 84 kilometers, and thus Algeria has completely completed the completion of this road, which began construction at the beginning of the new millennium, and was named with the "Project of the Century".

The Algerian Prime Minister said that Algeria "now has the longest road network on the continent, with a distance of 141,000 km, of which 9,000 km are highways, according to international standards."

Bin Abdul Rahman called for "activating road maintenance networks and ensuring that it is suitable for vehicle traffic." The last section of the road allows for an increase in the volume of trade exchanges with Tunisia, in addition to ensuring the smooth movement of people between the two countries.

In this regard, bin Abd al-Rahman said that this road is "the artery of the economy, and we are working with an economic approach to endorse development and end isolation," pointing out that "although the Dhara'an section was completed by foreign institutions, the project involved many competencies and hands." qualified Algerian worker.

The East-West Highway is of paramount importance, in terms of the economic, developmental and social dimension, and its completion means the complete opening of the motorway that connects 17 northern Algerian states, out of 58 states, that make up the Algerian Republic, and also connects Algeria with other Arab countries.

In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

    Thursday, August 10, 2023   No comments

The leaders of West African countries stressed Thursday that they will make negotiations with the military leaders who seized power in Niger the "base" of their efforts to defuse the crisis, in retreat from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.

"We prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the basis of our approach," said Nigerian President Paula Tinubu, who is chairing the emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

The military council in Niger forms a new transitional government that includes 21 ministers

Today, Thursday, the head of the military council in Niger, Abd al-Rahman Tiani, signed a decree forming a new transitional government, local media reported.

Actoniger reported that Tiani signed the decree forming the transitional government yesterday, Wednesday, which is composed of 21 ministers and includes a small number of military personnel.

On July 27, soldiers in the Nigerien army announced, on state television, the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum, his detention in his residence, the closure of borders and the imposition of a curfew, explaining that they had decided to put an end to the current regime, after the deterioration of the security situation and economic mismanagement in the country.

In response to the military council's move, the Economic Community of West African States "ECOWAS" announced the imposition of sanctions on Niger, including closing its airspace and suspending trade exchanges with it.

For his part, Tianyi rejected these punishments, describing them as illegal, unfair and inhumane.

In early August, the participants in an emergency meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Abuja, adopted a plan in the event of a military intervention in Niger.

After mobilizing a force of 25,000 ECOWAS soldiers for possible intervention in Niger, the military council refused to receive the delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations.

Coinciding with the announcement of the African crowd of a possible military intervention, the leaders of the military council announced the appointment of Ali Mahman Lamine Zain, an economist and former minister of finance, as prime minister in the country after Bazoum was dismissed due to his allowing foreign interventions in the country.

The military council announced the cancellation of a number of military cooperation agreements with France, in addition to ending the missions of the country's ambassadors to France, the United States, Nigeria and Togo.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the military council's decision to cancel the agreements concluded with it, stressing that it "only recognizes the previous authorities of Muhammad Bazoum" and rejects the decision.

It is noteworthy that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a statement that his country's government had decided to freeze some "foreign assistance programs" from which the government of Niger benefits.

Likewise, the United States and ECOWAS confirmed that they hoped to reach a diplomatic solution in Niger that would put things back in order.

It is noteworthy that both Mali and Burkina Faso supported the Transitional Military Council in Niger, and declared clearly that "any intervention by the Economic Community of West African States to return Bazoum to power would be tantamount to declaring war on them."

In the same context, Russia believed that foreign intervention would not allow a solution to the crisis in Niger, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "it is unlikely that the intervention of forces from outside the region will allow the situation to improve."

It is noteworthy that the countries of the European Union began yesterday, Wednesday, to prepare to impose the first sanctions on members of the military council in Niger.

The situation in Niger raises concerns about the future of the country and the region, at a time when it faces increasing security challenges due to the threat of armed groups growing in the Sahel region. It also raises concern in the West, especially France and the United States of America, because the ousted president is considered Paris's first man in the African Sahel countries.

Kazakhstan, and soon Russia, increase export of agricultural goods through Iran via the INSTC

Kazakhstan, and soon Russia, increase export of agricultural goods through Iran via the INSTC

    Tuesday, August 08, 2023   No comments

In another sign of activating alternative paths for global trade with the uncertainty in the Black Sea due to the conflict in in Ukraine, Kazakhstan decided to export its agricultural goods across the Persian Gulf through the Islamic Republic of Iran to open a new direct route to free waters, which starts from the port of Korik in Kazakhstan, then the Iranian port of Amirabad overlooking the Caspian Sea, and then to the port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf.

The Iran route reduces the duration of the transfer of goods through presence in the ports of the Emirates, India, Pakistan, the Far East and the coasts of East Africa, in addition to that this route can export Kazakh goods to the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Srik Jumangarin, held talks with the head of an Emirati shipping and transport company, to employ joint investments for this goal.

This is a major development, which practically, could allow Russia to export its goods and services through this route directly or through Kazakhstan, bypassing the risk associated with the Black Sea trade route. However, this North-South route has been in the making for over two decades, and only now it is showing its potential in a new geopolitical climate.

What is the International North–South Transport Corridor—INSTC?

It was first conceived in the early 2000’s. The idea was to build a transport corridor linking Russia’s Baltic Sea coast to India’s western ports in the Arabian Sea via Iran. Russia, India and Iran signed preliminary agreements to develop the 7,200-km-long International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) in 2002. NSTC consists of sea, road, and rail transportation systems with investments for building the railroads and truck highways coming mostly from India, Russia, and Iran. 

The INSTC's western route passes through Russia, South Caucasus, and Iran. The middle axis reaches India through Saint Petersburg – Astrakhan – Caspian Sea – North and South ports of Iran (Amirabad, Anzali, Chabahar, and Astara ports). The eastern axis passes through Russia-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan-Iran.

Three years later, Azerbaijan signed up for the project. This agreement was eventually ratified by 13 countries — India, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine.

Now the NSTC is allowing states close to its main path to benefit from this increased North-South activities created by the sanctions imposed on Russia and the new sanctions imposed on Iran after the collapse of the Nuclear Deal. Iran stands to benefit most from this initiative, which, together with China’s BRI project will create new networks I the region and east Africa.

A racist group hostile to Islam in Denmark burns the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of Islamic countries in Copenhagen and raises slogans against Muslims

A racist group hostile to Islam in Denmark burns the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of Islamic countries in Copenhagen and raises slogans against Muslims

    Tuesday, August 08, 2023   No comments

On Tuesday, the Danish capital, Copenhagen, witnessed new attacks against the Noble Qur’an.

The Anadolu Agency correspondent said that members of a group called “Danish Patriots” burned copies of the Qur’an in front of the embassies of Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iran in Copenhagen.

He pointed out that the provocative actions took place under the protection of the Danish police, and that members of the racist and anti-Islam group chanted slogans against Muslims.

The members of the group also published the moments of the assault on the Noble Qur’an through live scenes from their pages on social networking sites.

Facebook had imposed restrictions on some of the group's videos.

Recently, in Sweden and Denmark, incidents of insulting the Qur’an by extreme rightists in front of the embassies of Islamic countries have been repeated, which sparked angry Arab and Islamic reactions, officially and popularly, in addition to official summons for the diplomats of the two countries in more than one Arab country.

On July 26, the United Nations adopted a consensus resolution, drafted by Morocco, condemning all acts of violence against the holy books as a violation of international law.

  

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

    Monday, July 31, 2023   No comments

And the statement of the Ministry of National Defense stated that, "At the invitation of Lieutenant General Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, pays an official visit to the Russian Federation, starting today."

"The visit, which falls within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the People's National Army and the Russian Armed Forces, will enable the two parties to discuss issues of common concern," the statement added.

The visit happens as Algeria’s media outlets reported on increased tension with Morocco, which appears to be using its connections to some Western governments to normalize its occupation of Western Sahara.

The Algerian newspaper, Al-Khabar, accused the UAE of supplying Morocco with a new spying system developed by the Israeli company Quadream, intended to penetrate the phones of officials and journalists in ten countries, as it was installed near the Algerian border, in a detailed report published last Thursday titled “Abu Dhabi.” The capital of confusion,” which is an Algerian slang word meaning “sedition.’

Algerian lawmakers comment on regional security matters: Tensions with Morocco are unprecedented, the return of relations is excluded, and Israel's participation in the US-led African Assad maneuver is provocative

Two Algerian parliamentarians said that restoring relations with Morocco is unlikely, and that they are going through a period of intense tension.

According to their talk, the current tensions are unprecedented in the relations between the two countries in recent years, and they are in contrast to the message of reassurance sent by King Mohammed VI in his last Throne Day speech.

Earlier, King Mohammed VI of Morocco called on Algeria to open the borders between the two brotherly neighboring countries and peoples.

This came during a speech by the King of Morocco to his people, on the occasion of Throne Day, which coincides with the twenty-fourth anniversary of his accession to the throne.

The King of Morocco said, “Our work to serve our people is not limited only to internal issues, but we are also keen to establish strong relations with brotherly and friendly countries, especially neighboring countries, according to a statement that Sputnik obtained a copy of.

"In recent months, many people have been asking about the relations between Morocco and Algeria, which are stable, and we look forward to them being better," he added.

Commenting on what was stated in King Mohammed VI's speech on Algeria, the Algerian parliamentarian, Moussa Kharfi, says that restoring relations with Morocco at the present time is not possible.

Kharfi explained, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the matter is mainly related to relations between Morocco and Israel, as well as the issue of the Sahara.

Pointing out that the failure to settle the Sahara issue excludes the restoration of relations with him.

The Algerian parliamentarian, Riz

kani Suleiman, says that the relations between the two countries are currently farther than ever from the dialogue table.

Adding: “The statements of King Mohammed VI contradict the reality of relations between the two countries, as tension prevails in relations, which the Algerian president described four months ago as having reached the point of no return.”

And he continued, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the prevailing tension in relations comes against the backdrop of what he describes as “provocations regarding the Sahara issue, as well as with regard to normalization with Israel.”

He believes that Israel's participation in the African Assad maneuver, led by the United States, came within the framework of provocations on the part of Morocco.

And he went on to say, “Algeria severed its relations with Morocco two years ago and prevented Moroccan airlines from passing through Algerian airspace as a response to the amount of evil that it received from Morocco.”

And he added, "Certainly no one benefits from the situation, and we all hope for a better reality for relations, especially for the common denominators that bring the two peoples together."

Earlier, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that severing relations with Morocco was an alternative to war.

On August 24, 2021, Algeria severed its relations with Morocco, after closing the borders between the two countries since 1994 after the “Atlas Asni” hotel bombings in Marrakech, when the late King Hassan II imposed a visa on Algerians to enter the country, which prompted Algeria at the time to close the land borders. Between the two countries, this tension was also perpetuated by the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Africa's new and perennial challenges

The African continent is a state of flux as it seeks to adjust to the new multipolar world order. 

Many African leaders attended the Russia-Africa Summit hosted by Putin in Russia this week. This week also saw another military takeover of the government, the removal of the president of Niger.

Algeria will support Niger in case of external military aggression, according to the Algerian publication Intel Kirby.

They reported on the potential invasion of Niger under the leadership of ECOWAS, stating that Algeria will not remain idle while its neighboring country faces an invasion.

There were already unconfirmed reports that the Algerian army has started increasing security measures and raising its level of readiness on the border with Niger.

The Russia-Africa Summit adopts a joint action plan for 3 years

The Russia-Africa Summit adopts a joint action plan for 3 years

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today, Friday, that the participants in the Russia-Africa summit agreed to declare the second summit and adopted a joint action plan until 2026.

President Putin affirmed that "African leaders have expressed their political desire to cooperate with Russia," stressing that Russia and Africa are united on the formation of a just and multipolar world order based on the principles of international law.

Putin said that Russia had agreed with African countries to work in the United Nations Security Council on easing sanctions against African countries.

Russia and Africa agreed to increase trade in quality and quantity, as well as the use of national currencies in commercial transactions, according to the Russian president.

Putin pointed out that Russian companies are open to transferring technology in public administration and the banking sector to African countries.

He also stressed that Russia will continue to supply African countries with grain, whether on a commercial or free basis.

Today, Putin announced that Russia will allocate an additional $90 million to African countries for debt relief, revealing that about $23 billion of African debt owed by Russia has been written off so far.

Moscow held the second Russia-Africa Summit, in addition to the Russian-African Economic Forum, from July 27-28, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The Russia-Africa summit is the main and largest event in Russian-African relations. It aims to achieve "a qualitatively new level of mutually beneficial partnership that meets the challenges of the twenty-first century."

This event calls for "strengthening comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African countries in all its political, security, economic, scientific, technical, cultural and humanitarian dimensions," according to its organizers.

The economic forum held within the framework of the second Russian-African summit is a unique event in Russia's relations with the countries of the African continent, and aims to diversify the forms and areas of Russian-African cooperation, as well as determine the development of these relations in the long term.

It is worth noting that the first Russian-African summit was held in October 2019 in the Russian city of Sochi.

In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that, “With Russia cut off from the European market, North African countries have moved on to become voracious buyers of Russian diesel and other refined oil products.”

The ambassador of special missions in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and head of the secretariat of the Russian-African Partnership Forum, Oleg Azorov, had previously stated that his country has many opportunities in the field of oil and gas to develop relations with Africa.

The ambassador for special missions in the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed Moscow's gratitude to African countries for their balanced policy towards Russia.

Azorov had stated that his country is negotiating with many African countries regarding the conversion of trade into national currencies, describing it as a "complex process", which requires decision-making by both the Russian and African regulatory authorities.

It should be noted that the second Russian-African summit will be held today and tomorrow in Petersburg.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's advisor on diplomatic affairs, Yuri Ushakov, said that the Russian president will deliver an "important speech" during the summit in which he presents his vision of Russian-African relations and "the formation of a new world order."

Supremacism in Europe: Third scandal hits Finland’s government in space of a month

Supremacism in Europe: Third scandal hits Finland’s government in space of a month

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

The Garden of Prosperity has a problem: Is it racism or migration?

Last Thursday, July 27, the Finnish newspaper "Helsingen Sanomat" revealed the messages sent by Minister Wille Rydman (of the far-right "Finns Party") about 7 years ago (in 2016) when he was a member of parliament.

The newspaper said that it had obtained the messages in which he used "racist language against minorities" from his ex-girlfriend, "Amanda Blake", noting that she decided to reveal them due to the important ministerial position he holds.

At the time the letters were sent, Rydman was a member of the Constitutional Law Committee and the Administrative Committee, during which he helped pass anti-immigrant laws, according to the newspaper.

In one of his letters to his girlfriend, Redman likened the growth of a plant to the Somalis in the country, saying, "But as soon as you bring a lily-of-the-valley to this spot, you will find it everywhere, and it spreads and multiplies like the Somalis."

In another message, Rydman shared with his girlfriend a song written by his fellow parliamentarian, "Juho Irola", which inappropriately talks about a Muslim leaving his homeland. "Irola" had written it after many asylum seekers flocked to Finland in 2015, according to the deputy's statement to the newspaper.

Rydman suggested to his girlfriend that the song be used in student parties, and the minister commented in another message on previous news about the Belgian government allowing employers to ban the wearing of the veil, saying, "I prefer to prevent those who wear the veil over banning the veil alone."

The messages revealed Rydmans use of offensive terms such as "monkeys" or "desert monkeys", referring to Arabs or people of the Middle East.

In other messages, his girlfriend expressed her desire to give her child Jewish names, and he said in response to her, "We - the Nazis - do not like these Jewish names," and he also expressed his regret that Germany had left "its Nazi traces fading."

Media outlets quoted Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orbo as confirming that he did not support the language that Rydman used in his messages, but at the same time he confirmed his confidence in him and did not mention the existence of any measures against him.

It is noteworthy that Minister Rydman was appointed as a replacement for former Economy Minister Wilhelm Gonella, who resigned last June after only 10 days of taking office, due to his old pro-Nazi statements.

For his part, Minister Rydman stated in his response to the leaks that he was considering suing the newspaper "Helsingen Sanomat", and wrote on Twitter, "The writer of the story in the newspaper is already suspected of defamation against me, as well as his source mentioned in the story, and the police reported that the matter is under legal follow-up." .

"The real scandal is that the newspaper is a platform for those who lied to me, and the other scandal is that the letters exchanged years ago - whether true or not - were considered the subject of a story for a big newspaper," he added.

"The most difficult since World War II"... Sweden confirms the deterioration of security after insulting the Qur'an

The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Christerson, announced that Sweden is facing "the most difficult security situation since World War II," after the activities of burning a copy of the Noble Qur'an.

Christerson said, after meeting with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, that his government discussed with the Danish government the situation over the insult to the Qur'an, adding, "We are currently facing the most difficult security situation since World War II."

The Swedish Prime Minister indicated that some countries "could take advantage of the deteriorating security situation in Sweden," stressing that the authorities of the two countries consider such a situation "dangerous" and will take the necessary measures.

On the first day of Eid al-Adha, a video clip spread showing the extremist Sloan Momica tearing up a copy of the Holy Qur’an at the Stockholm Central Mosque, after the Swedish police granted him permission to organize the protest following an official decision, and this was met with widespread condemnation from various countries and organizations.

Later, the Swedish police again agreed to organize a demonstration in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, in which the demonstrators, including the extremist Mumika, burned the Iraqi flag and a copy of the Noble Qur’an, which also sparked widespread condemnation.

In response, Baghdad severed its relations with Stockholm, and expelled the Swedish ambassador. A few days ago, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, Faiq Zaidan, confirmed the follow-up to Silwan Momica's recovery file.

The "Ansar Allah" movement also issued a decision to boycott Swedish goods by banning their import, and canceling the registered agencies for goods and products of Swedish origin.

In Denmark, a Danish far-right anti-Islam group burned a copy of the Holy Quran and the Iraqi flag, a few days ago, in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen.

The Danish government affirmed that "burning sacred texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act that does not respect the religion of others," stressing at the same time the need to respect what it called "freedom of expression and assembly," and supporting "the right to peaceful protest," as it said.

On the tenth anniversary of Muharram, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, affirmed that the governments of Sweden and Denmark and the whole world must understand that "we are a nation that does not tolerate aggression and abuse of its symbols and sanctities," calling on Muslims to punish those who abuse the Qur'an.

Likewise, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyid Abd al-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, affirmed that "what the Jewish lobby in Western countries is doing, in terms of burning and tearing copies of the Qur'an, is the height of blasphemy and an assault on Islam and Muslims."

Mr. Al-Houthi called for severing diplomatic relations with countries that allow the burning of copies of the Noble Qur’an, in addition to boycotting them economically, stressing that “if the nation’s position does not live up to this possible ease, then it is a great failure towards the most important sanctity of Muslims.”

Iran's new missile: "Abu Mahdi", the first Iranian long-range cruise missile that uses artificial intelligence

Iran's new missile: "Abu Mahdi", the first Iranian long-range cruise missile that uses artificial intelligence

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

The missile was named after Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, who was assassinated by the United States in early 2020, accompanied by Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, on the road to Baghdad airport.

It is a generation of Iranian ground-based cruise missiles such as the "Sumar" and "Hoveizeh", which have a range of 1,350 km. It is also an advanced version of cruise missiles owned by the Iranian Navy, with a range of 15 to 350 kilometers, including "Kawthar", "Zafar", "Qadir", "Raad" and "Naseer".

Production history

In June 2020, the former commander of the Iranian Army Navy, Amir Khanzadi, revealed that his country had produced a long-range naval missile, which he called "Talaiya". But Iran changed its name on August 20 of the same year to "Abu Mahdi," and it was revealed that day during a military parade on the occasion of Iran's Defense Industry Day, in which the Ministry of Defense displayed a model of the missile with the word "paint" engraved on it.

The Ministry of Defense put the missile into service on July 25, 2023, and delivered dozens of winged models of it to the Army and Revolutionary Guard navy in the Gulf waters, in the presence of Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.

Ashtiani described the "Abu Mahdi" missile as "pointed, strategic and unique in its characteristics, and has no equal in overcoming the enemy's defense systems and completely destroying enemy ships, frigates and destroyers."

Technical Specifications

• Range: more than a thousand kilometers.
• Flight: at a low altitude with the help of radar altimeters, which complicates the interception process.
• Fuel: The fuel of the first engine is solid and the fuel of the second engine (jet) is liquid.
• Diameter: 55 centimeters.
• Number of wings: 9 rectangular wings with a circular head, four of which are clipped and fixed in the sacrum, and another 3 are at the end of the missile body, and two are in the middle of the main structure.

Tactical features

The most prominent tactical features mentioned by Iranian military leaders about the "Abi Mahdi" cruise missile were:

1. The use of artificial intelligence in the flight path design, command and control program.
2. Using the dual radar seeker technology to counter electronic warfare and stealth when approaching the target.
3. The use of explosives with high destructive power in the warhead.
4. The use of integrated and advanced navigation systems makes finding the launchers a difficult task for the enemy before launching the missile.
5. The ability to choose different ways to fly towards the target and attack it from different directions after turning around.
6. It is equipped with a "Tulu" jet engine, which has proven its usefulness in Karrar drones and cruise missiles of the "Nour", "Qader" and "Qadir" generation.
7. Equipped with a radar active homing head.
8. Overcoming enemy radars and passing through other natural and artificial obstacles.
9. Launching from all fixed and mobile platforms from the coast, and by submarines and naval battleships.
10. Preparation and launch in a very short time, maximum operating speed and quick reaction.
11. Several missiles can be launched from different directions towards a target and hit it simultaneously.
12. Capable of updating target final position in flight and managing target selection in the field.
13. The ability to change course and flight altitude according to the complexities of geography and enemy air systems.
14. High controllability.
15. The possibility of increasing the missile's range to distances of more than 1,000 km.

Colonial media practices: The blatant double standards will mark the fall of the "free world" discourse on previously-universalized values

Colonial media practices: The blatant double standards will mark the fall of the "free world" discourse on previously-universalized values

    Wednesday, July 26, 2023   No comments

Western governments have used the pillars of their modern civilization to shame and intimidate other communities to submit their systems of dominance. Human rights, free press, free speech, individual rights were all used as universal values that legitimized western interventionism. It worked because many thinkers and leaders in the Global south communities actually bought into this discourse. However, with new technologies that enabled impoverished communities to build their own institutions, and enjoy a degree of autonomy, the Western discourse revealed its superficial commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Sanctions and bans became a favorite instrument in the hands of Western states to punish speech they did not like. Suddenly freedom of speech became limited; they just needed to find the context for banning it. That is now creating a problem for the so-called free world.