American officials of all stripes shamelessly tell lies and even make scandalous allegations against others. The latest to join this long list is US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power.
Didn’t the Western rulers and their media tell us that they are opposed to the takfiri terrorists? So why are they so grief-stricken at the terrorists’ defeat in Aleppo?
Some bizarre theories are doing the rounds in Washington that have even been joined by the White House. Senior government officials, members of Congress and of course the media led by the Washington Post have alleged that Russian hacking of the November 8 presidential election benefitted Donald Trump giving him victory.
With 98 percent of East Aleppo already cleansed of terrorists, liberation of the remaining two percent came quickly today December 13. Under a deal brokered by Russia and Turkey, the terrorists were allowed to leave the city with only light weapons.
As the Syrian army backed by local militias punches its way into East Aleppo, the desperation in Western capitals is clearly visible. Publicly claiming to be opposed to the terrorists, their actions belie their statements.
Syrian forces make rapid progress with Russian air support against the terrorists in eastern Aleppo. Next stop will be Raqqa.
While the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmarga forces have launched operations from the southeast and northeast respectively into Mosul, the western corridor to Syria remains wide open for the takfiris to escape. Why?
2While the rise of Russia is seen as a good sign to contain America’s belligerence, on the flip side, Moscow is courting the Serbs in Bosnia threatening the Muslim majority country in the Balkans.
2Major donors to political parties and to individual politicians have totally corrupted the American political system. This explains why wars are waged all over the world leading to much bloodshed and hatred for the US.
2Three countries in South Asia—Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan—have between them enormous mineral and energy resources. This makes them the special target of predatory powers.
2Canadian writer and scholar Eric Walberg reviews two books that consider Barack Obama’s legacy as president. Eric Walberg considers the Obama legacy through the eyes of James Petras who wrote The End of the Republic and the Delusion of Empire (Clarity Press, 2016; 254pp., $24.95 pbk), and Jeremy Hammond, author of Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Worldview Publications, 2016; 538pp., $22.99 pbk).
Russian-Iranian relations form the backdrop of this review in which Western writers are found to lack understanding of other societies because they have little knowledge of local languages, culture or access to primary sources. Dmitry Shlapentokh, associate professor at Indiana State University, South Bend, Indiana, reviews Russia-Iran Relations Since the End of the Cold War by Eric D. Moore (Routledge, 2014; 242 pp., $8.84 hbk).
July’s failed coup attempt in Turkey has exposed more than the coup plotters. Turkish President Recept Tayip Erdogan has realized that Western rulers and Nato members are not his real friends. Russia and Iran are.
Tawfik Ahmed welcomes an end to the unipolar world and unilateralism in global affairs.
Britons voted to leave the European Union. Coupled with Turkey’s failed coup, it has changed the global situation radically. There will now be new political realignments in the region.
1What is Russia upto in Syria? The general impression is that it backs the Bashar al Asad’s government. This does not reflect an accurate picture. Russia has its own objectives in which Syria and Asad are mere pawns.
The unelected regime of Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan is incapable of protecting the interests of the people as evident from his lack of interest in protecting Karabakh that is illegally occupied by Armenia.
By announcing withdrawal of the bulk of its forces from Syria, Russia has signaled that it is genuinely interested in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Syria. It is now for Nato countries to show whether they want peace.
Major changes are underway in global politics as the US-led unipolar world comes to an end. A multipolar world is emerging in which new more robust players are active. Islamic Iran is a central component of this new arrangement.
Peace in Syria requires the abandonment of unrealistic demands and a transparent political process to enable all the people to participate in it.
