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?

The correspondent of the Danish public service station, Mathilde Kimer, reveals that the Ukrainian intelligence services asked her to carry out propaganda work for Ukraine, in order to prove that she is not pro-Russian

The correspondent of the Danish public service station, Mathilde Kimer, reveals that the Ukrainian intelligence services asked her to carry out propaganda work for Ukraine, in order to prove that she is not pro-Russian

    Friday, December 30, 2022   No comments

Denmark's leading historian of the war in Ukraine, Matilde Kimer, revealed last week that "the Ukrainian secret service has revoked her permission to work in Ukraine and will not return it, unless she agrees to let the spy agency direct its reporting."

“The proposal was made to her by an officer of the Ukrainian Security Service, the intelligence agency known as the SBU, during a meeting this month in Kyiv, which was also attended by two diplomats from the embassy,” Kimer, the award-winning Moscow correspondent, told Danish public service broadcaster DR. Danish".

Kimer added that Cavalli had told her, by phone from Copenhagen, that "a lot of multiple accusations had been made against her, and there was a lot of talk about random photos from her Facebook profile, primarily the photos taken in Donetsk in 2017."

According to Kimer's Facebook account, "an intelligence officer named Oleg told her that the photos she posted on the social network from the Victory Day parade on May 9 in Donetsk were suspicious, because they showed decorated people and vehicles, which the Ukrainians are preparing." Illegal Soviet propaganda.

Kimer said that when she asked the Danish diplomats how to convince the Ukrainian intelligence service that she was not working on Russian propaganda, the Ukrainian official suggested that Kimer agree to produce a series of "good stories" about the war, based entirely on the video and photos he provides her. State Security Apparatus, and published it on its Facebook page, in order to prove that it was not pro-Russian.

The first meeting between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria in Moscow

The first meeting between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria in Moscow

    Wednesday, December 28, 2022   No comments

  A statement by the Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that the meeting of the defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria and the heads of the Syrian and Turkish intelligence services in Moscow took place in a constructive atmosphere.

The statement said that the Turkish Minister of Defense, Hulusi Akar, and the head of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan, held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, the Syrian Minister of Defense, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, and the heads of Turkish and Syrian intelligence, in Moscow.

Syria confirms the meeting, too. The Syrian Ministry of Defense said in a statement: “Today, a meeting took place between the Minister of Defense and the Director of the Syrian General Intelligence Department with their counterparts, the Minister of Defense and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Service, in the Russian capital, Moscow, with the participation of the Russian party. The two sides discussed many files, and the meeting was positive.”

The meeting discussed the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and "joint efforts" to combat all terrorist organizations in Syria.

As a result of the meeting, which "was held in a constructive atmosphere," the Turkish Ministry of Defense statement said, "it was agreed to continue the tripartite meetings, to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole."

And the Russian Ministry of Defense announced this evening, Wednesday, that the defense ministers of the Russian Federation, Syria and Turkey held tripartite talks in Moscow, which dealt with ways to solve the Syrian crisis and the refugee problem, and joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria, and they also discussed the continuation of stability in Syria and the region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the parties participating in the meeting confirmed "the constructive nature of the dialogue.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement: “The defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria held a tripartite session of talks in the Russian capital, Moscow, today, Wednesday, to discuss ways to solve the Syrian crisis, and the need to continue dialogue to achieve stability in Syria.”

She added, "They discussed ways to solve the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and joint efforts to combat armed groups in Syria."

And the Russian Ministry of Defense continued: “After the meeting, the parties noted the constructive nature of the dialogue that took place in this way and the need for its continuation in order to increase the stability of the situation in Syria and the region.”

Russia offered mediation

It is noteworthy that the Turkish presidency announced, earlier, that Moscow had offered to mediate in order to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow announced that it was "ready to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."

It is noteworthy that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed on December 15 that he "wants to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad," noting that "Russian President Vladimir Putin's view is positive on the matter."

This came after the leader of the Justice and Development Party, Orhan Miri Oglu, revealed earlier this month, "Damascus rejected Ankara's request to arrange a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad."

Saudi Salafi Religious Leaders rebuke Taliban over Women Education Ban

Saudi Salafi Religious Leaders rebuke Taliban over Women Education Ban

    Saturday, December 24, 2022   No comments

 The largest Saudi religious body calls on the Taliban to reverse the ban on girls from university education and affirms that “preventing women from education is not permissible in Islamic law.” The Afghan government orders civil organizations not to allow women to come to work

Today, Saturday, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars called on the Afghan government to enable Afghan women the right to education in educational institutions, and to reverse its decision to prevent women from doing so, noting that preventing women from education is not permissible in Islamic law.

And the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars stated in a statement today, Saturday, that “Islam, with its tight legislation and its complete constitution, preserves every human being, male and female, his rights,” and lists his duties, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The commission, which is the largest religious body in the Kingdom, affirmed that “Islam, with its rulings and legislation, preserves the legal rights of women completely and undiminished, so women enjoyed, under this true religion, their rights that preserve their humanity and preserve their dignity. diverse science, and participated in the Muslim community throughout history in its renaissance, leadership and prosperity.

The Council of Senior Scholars noted, “At the forefront of the rights that Islam has preserved for women is the right to education, as the legal texts that encourage and encourage learning tend towards women as well as towards men.”

Last Wednesday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's surprise and regret at the decision of the Afghan caretaker government, led by the Taliban movement, to prevent Afghan girls from having the right to university education.

Last Tuesday, the Taliban decided to ban university education for women in Afghanistan indefinitely, according to a letter sent by the Ministry of Higher Education to all public and private universities.

The letter, signed by Minister Nada Muhammad Nadeem, said: “I inform you all to implement the aforementioned order to stop female education until further notice.”

The ban on higher education for women comes less than 3 months after thousands of them took university entrance exams across the country.

"Serious complaints have been received regarding non-compliance with the Islamic headscarf and other rules and regulations related to women's work in local and international organisations," the ministry responsible for approving licenses for NGOs operating in Afghanistan said in a letter seen by AFP.

In its letter addressed to international and local non-governmental organizations, the ministry added that “in the event of neglecting the guidance … the organization’s license will be revoked.”

Two non-governmental organizations that spoke to AFP confirmed that they had received the letter from the ministry.

"We are suspending all our activities as of Sunday," a senior official of an international organization involved in humanitarian work in several remote areas of the country told AFP, on condition of anonymity. "We will soon hold a meeting of senior officials from all NGOs to decide how to deal with this issue," he added.

Likewise, another official working for an international non-governmental organization concerned with food distribution said that the ban is “a big blow to female employees.”

"We have a large number of female staff to address concerns about humanitarian assistance to Afghan women," he added, asking, "How do we address their concerns now?"

Dozens of international and local NGOs operate in various sectors in various remote areas of Afghanistan, and many of their employees are women.

In response to the latest decision, the UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, said the ban was "a clear violation of humanitarian principles."

Biden: the Iran Nuclear Deal is dead, but we're not gonna announce it

Biden: the Iran Nuclear Deal is dead, but we're not gonna announce it

    Wednesday, December 21, 2022   No comments

 A video has emerged of Joe Biden declaring the peaceful nuclear energy deal with Iran "dead" even as talks continue.

The US president made the comments to some woman who claims is Iranian at a campaign rally with fellow Democrat congressman Mike Levin in Oceanside, California on November 4, at a time when protests were going on in Iran with support from Washington.

"President Biden, can you please announce that JCPOA is dead? Can you just announce that?" asks one woman. Biden replied "no", prompting the woman to ask "why not?"

"A lot of reasons. It is dead, but we're not gonna announce it," Biden told her. "Long story, but we're gonna make sure..."

Macron reaffirms his position on giving Russia security “guarantees” in the event of peace negotiations at the end of the war in Ukraine

Macron reaffirms his position on giving Russia security “guarantees” in the event of peace negotiations at the end of the war in Ukraine

    Tuesday, December 20, 2022   No comments

 French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday stuck to his position on giving Russia security "guarantees" if peace negotiations take place at the end of the war in Ukraine.

Some leaders of Eastern European countries criticized Macron more than once, considering that he had exaggerated expectations from Moscow regarding a future settlement of the conflict.

Macron said in an interview recorded on Monday and broadcast on Tuesday evening on the French “TF1” and “LCE” stations, that “Peace Day requires talks. First of all about guarantees to Ukraine, its territorial integrity and long-term security. But also to Russia, given that it will be a party to an armistice and peace treaty.

And the French president added, “Whoever blames me for thinking about such an issue, let him explain to me what he proposes.”

And Macron warned that “what those who refuse to prepare for this matter and work on it are proposing is an all-out war that will include the entire continent,” stressing his rejection of this option.

In early December, Macron faced criticism from Ukraine and some Eastern European countries, as some voices accused him of being overly open to Moscow.

"Is there anyone who wants to provide security guarantees for a terrorist and murderous state?" Secretary General of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksiych Danilov said on Twitter.

The French president was also subjected to implicit criticism from the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.

Borrell said at the time that the way out of the Ukrainian conflict is by providing “security guarantees to Ukraine,” adding that “with regard to Russia, we will talk about it later.”

However, the French President confirmed in his television interview that his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, never expressed to him his annoyance or the annoyance of his ministers about his statements, and added, “No one party concludes a peace treaty on its own,” and “lasting peace includes the sitting of the concerned parties, and therefore Russia, around the table.”

Macron did not elaborate while on a visit to the Middle East. Today, he is  in Jordan, in connection with the events of the second session of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership kicks off, at the invitation of the Jordanian King Abdullah II, and in coordination with French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shayaa Al-Sudani, and in their presence.

The French presidency said, "The aim of such a meeting is to bring Iraq's neighbors and partners around the table, in an attempt to move forward by promoting dialogue."

The conference aims, according to the Elysee Palace, to "provide support for Iraq's stability, security and prosperity, and to study the situation in the entire region, given that Iraq is a pivotal country in it."

The meeting is also likely to address common issues, such as climate warming, food security and regional energy cooperation.

On the agenda of Macron, who visited on Monday the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off the coast of Egypt to celebrate Christmas with the French forces, a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan; "An ally in the fight against terrorism," according to Paris.

US-Turkish relations: US will not be selling F 16 fighter jets to Turkey

US-Turkish relations: US will not be selling F 16 fighter jets to Turkey

    Tuesday, December 20, 2022   No comments

Turkish leaders will have to make new choices soon in the light of developments in the region and around the world.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already threatened that Turkey may turn to countries such as Russia if the US fails to follow through a pledge to deliver F-16 fighter jets.

In July, the White House said that Turkey would be excluded from the more sophisticated F-35 stealth fighter jet program after it purchased the Russian S-400 air defense missile system despite warnings from Western allies.

The Pentagon later confirmed that a process is already underway to move the production of Turkey-made F-35 parts – worth at least $9 billion to Turkish manufacturers – to suppliers in the United States and other countries.

“Unfortunately, Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible,” White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham said in a Wednesday, July 17 statement.

Jordan: popular protests are escalating, civil disobedience is approaching, and security forces are mobilizing and arresting 44 people

Jordan: popular protests are escalating, civil disobedience is approaching, and security forces are mobilizing and arresting 44 people

    Saturday, December 17, 2022   No comments

Security authorities in Jordan have arrested 44 people who participated in the riots that erupted during protests over the rise in fuel prices in the kingdom, Jordan's Public Security Directorate announced in a statement published Saturday.

The Directorate said in its statement that it “dealt with riots in a number of regions of the Kingdom, and 44 people who participated in these acts were arrested in various regions,” explaining that “they will be referred to the competent authorities in addition to those who were arrested in the previous days,” without adding anything. details.

The Security Directorate added that it had "intensified its security deployment in the kingdom's governorates to ensure the enforcement of the rule of law and the preservation of citizens' security." At the same time, however, it indicated "a significant decline in the number and unity of riots from Thursday, especially in the southern governorates."

Since the beginning of this month, governorates in southern Jordan have witnessed mostly peaceful strikes, in protest against the rise in fuel prices, starting with truck drivers who were sometimes joined by taxi and public bus drivers.

Markets and shops were closed on Wednesday in Maan and Karak (about 114 km south of Amman) and Madaba Governorate (35 km south of Amman) in solidarity with this movement.

On Friday, the Public Security Directorate announced the death of Colonel Abdul Razzaq al-Dalabeh in southern Jordan, with a gunshot wound to the head while he was dealing with “riots,” during which an officer and a non-commissioned officer were wounded by gunshots, according to the directorate.

In its statement on Saturday, the Public Security Directorate indicated that the riots “were carried out by a group of vandals and outlaws in the Husseiniya area in Ma’an Governorate” (about 218 km south of Amman).

And she emphasized that “the investigations into the martyrdom of Colonel Al-Dalabeh are continuing, and will not stop until the perpetrator is arrested and handed over to the hands of justice so that he receives deterrent punishment, and we will not hesitate to protect lives, honor and property.”

On Friday, Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the killing of the colonel, stressing that "we will not rest until the criminal receives his punishment before justice for his heinous crime."

In a statement on Friday, the notables and sons of Ma’an mourned Colonel Al-Dalabeh, stressing their “rejection and denunciation of any act outside the law.”

In its statement on Saturday, the Directorate called on "everyone to adhere to and stay away from riot sites and not to participate in them," expressing "thanks to all the citizens who cooperated with the Directorate and gathered around its men in rejection of the attacks and out of concern for the homeland."

Jordan is witnessing difficult economic conditions, which were exacerbated by foreign debts that exceeded fifty billion dollars and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governorates in southern Jordan have recently witnessed mostly peaceful strikes, in protest against the rise in fuel prices, which started with truck drivers a few days ago, leading to the closure of markets and shops, last Wednesday, in Ma’an, Karak and Madaba governorate, in solidarity with the protests.

Likewise, some other areas witnessed road closures with burning tires, in addition to quarrels between security forces and protesters, but they ended peacefully.

Currently, fuel prices in Jordan are nearly double what they were last year, especially diesel, which is the main fuel for trucks and buses, and kerosene, which is the main heating fuel for the poor.

A liter of "90 octane" gasoline is sold for 920 fils (about one and a half dollars), and "95 octane" for 1170 fils (1.6 dollars). As for a liter of diesel or diesel, it costs 895 fils (1.3 dollars), and kerosene costs 860 fils (1.2 dollars).

Jordan suffers from difficult economic conditions, which were exacerbated by the Corona pandemic, so the unemployment rate rose in 2021 to about 25%, according to official figures, while it rose among the youth category to 50%.

The poverty rate rose to 24%, and the public debt exceeded $47 billion, or more than 106% of the GDP.

The Jordanian government offered some solutions, including increasing shipping fees and distributing sums of money to the most affected families, but it seems that they were not sufficiently satisfactory to the protesters.

Gulf rulers signal their fears of similar protests in their countries by signaling to thier people to support the rulers of Jordan

Unlike their unconditional support to the violent protests in Iran, the Saudi rulers and their media platforms are expressing solidarity with the rulers of Jordan instead of supporting the legitimate demands of the protesters.

Gulf platforms interacted with the rapid events in Jordan, and street strikes and protests against the rise in fuel prices. Gulf activists wished Jordan safety, saying: Cool and peace, Jordan.

Saudi tweeters interacted with the incident of the killing of Jordanian Colonel Abd al-Razzaq al-Dalabeh in Ma'an Governorate at the hands of outlaws, and expressed their grief, and called on Jordanians to preserve their country and their monarchy, and to stand up to what they described as saboteurs, the same description used by the official Jordanian public security statement.

Thousands of Turks are protesting against preventing the mayor of Istanbul from practicing politics

Thousands of Turks are protesting against preventing the mayor of Istanbul from practicing politics

    Thursday, December 15, 2022   No comments

Thousands of Turks gathered in a square in central Istanbul today, Thursday, in solidarity with the opposition mayor of the city, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was issued a judicial decision against him, preventing him from practicing politics, before the presidential elections scheduled for next year.

Yesterday, Wednesday, a criminal court sentenced Ekrem Imamoglu to more than two years in prison, and prevented him from practicing politics for the same period, on charges of "insulting members of the Supreme Election Commission in 2019."

Earlier today, Davutoglu announced his rejection of the judicial decision against him, stressing that he would confront the "coup against the will of the people."

For his part, Oglu's lawyer confirmed that he would appeal the verdict, which means that he would remain in the position of mayor, but he is now excluded from the presidential elections scheduled for next year.

The US State Department expressed its "great alarm and disappointment" at the prospect of excluding one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest rivals from the political scene.

Germany described the decision as a "harsh blow to democracy," while France urged Turkey to correct "its deviation from the rule of law and democracy, and respect for fundamental rights."

Turkish opposition

It comes six months before an election in which the Turkish opposition is putting its best foot forward to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled the country for 20 years, while a jail sentence against Davutoglu has raised the risk of a presidential struggle between opposition poles.

Turkey's fractious opposition is struggling to unite behind a single candidate to challenge Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for two decades, in the upcoming elections.

However, the leader of the "Republican People's" party, Kamal Kilicdaroglu, is still pressing hard for the candidacy, and the shares of Meral Aksener, the leader of the "Good Party", rose to run for the competition.

Imamoglu and six opposition party leaders marched side by side in a crowd of supporters in a rally meant to show defiance to Erdogan.

Imamoglu addressed the crowd, saying, "I am not at all afraid of their illegitimate rule," adding, "I do not have judges to protect me, but behind me are 16 million Istanbulites and our nation."

A Metropoll poll showed that even voters of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party believe the case against the Istanbul mayor is "politically motivated".

The poll found that 28.3% of AKP voters believe that "the issue is politicized," while 24.2% believe that it is related to "defamation."

How the West Brought War to Ukraine

How the West Brought War to Ukraine

    Thursday, December 15, 2022   No comments

Recently, a member of the European Parliament from Ireland, Claire Daly, reminded the world of what the West avoids talking about, remembering, or even referring to: NATO’s attack on Libya and the murder of Muammar Gaddafi. The European politician described Libya after NATO's intervention making it a country "torn by conflicts, its economy is ruined, and its population, which was once the richest in Africa, has been dragged into poverty and drowned in it." Immigrants are bought and sold in slave markets. One million people hope for humanitarian aid. This is a country of mass graves and crimes against humanity. This is NATO's legacy, this is NATO's strategy for human rights and democracy,” She concluded.

Here, another essay describing NATO’s role in the current dangerous crisis in Ukraine.

For almost 200 years, starting with the framing of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States has asserted security claims over virtually the whole Western hemisphere. Any foreign power that places military forces near U.S. territory knows it is crossing a red line. U.S. policy thus embodies a conviction that where a potential opponent places its forces is crucially important. In fact, this conviction is the cornerstone of American foreign and military policy, and its violation is considered reason for war.

Yet when it comes to Russia, the United States and its NATO allies have acted for decades in disregard of this same principle. They have progressively advanced the placement of their military forces toward Russia, even to its borders. They have done this with inadequate attention to, and sometimes blithe disregard for, how Russian leaders might perceive this advance. Had Russia taken equivalent actions with respect to U.S. territory — say, placing its military forces in Canada or Mexico — Washington would have gone to war and explained that war as a defensive response to the military encroachment of a foreign power.

When viewed through this lens, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is seen not as the unbridled expansionism of a malevolent Russian leader but as a violent and destructive reaction to misguided Western policies: an attempt to reestablish a zone around Russia’s western border that is free of offensive threats from the United States and its allies. Having misunderstood why Russia invaded Ukraine, the West is now basing existential decisions on false premises. In doing so, it is deepening the crisis and may be sleepwalking toward nuclear war.

This argument, which I now present in detail, is based on the analyses of a number of scholars, government officials, and military observers, all of whom I introduce and quote from in the course of the presentation. These include John Mearsheimer, Stephen F. Cohen, Richard Sakwa, Gilbert Doctorow, George F. Kennan, Chas Freeman, Douglas Macgregor, and Brennan Deveraux.

...read this essay as on author's medium page.