Exclusive meeting with daughter of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi
Hajj Qassem, or Hajji as many people call him was the head of the Quds Forces who fought Takfirism and terrorism in the Middle East region. Hajj Qassem was also a father, friend, uncle, and a man for everyone. He was a man for all seasons.
Sayyeda Batoul Moussawi, daughter of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, former head of Hezbollah who was assassinated by an ‘Israeli’ raid inside Lebanese territories in 1993, told al-Ahed news about her acquaintance with Hajj Qassem and the times they spent together; not much time maybe but very precious moments.
Sayyeda Batoul first met Hajj Qassem in 2013 during her visit to Iran for religious tourism.
Sayyeda Batoul said that Hajj Qassem didn’t know her father in person, adding that he got acquainted to him through current Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. “When Sayyed Hassan used to tell Hajj Qassem about Sayyed Abbas, martyr Soleimani’s tears ran down and wetted his shirt as he was very emotional once listening to the nice stories narrated about his personality,” she explained.
“We did not know of Hajj Qassem until his pictures started to circulate online during the war on terrorism when he stood in the face of the extremists such as Daesh in Syria and the region. I got to meet him for the first time at his office, when I seized the opportunity and went to pay him condolences on the demise of his mother.”
“He was very friendly, and down to earth. I felt like I knew him since long years. He asked me about my family members, my husband and kids, what my husband did for a living and how I spend my time usually. When you talk to Haj Qassem you feel a certain warmth like that of a father or uncle or grandfather.”
“When we arrived to his office, he welcomed us in person. When I saw him, at first I was anxious but then I felt this delight that I cannot describe. The first thing that came to mind was; he was a passionate and loving father. I felt like I knew him since long time ago. I was the daughter of a martyr in his eyes, and he took good care of the families of martyrs. I can say he was a father to almost everyone he knew,” Sayyeda Batoul added.
“We had juice together and discussed different topics. He joked about the juice saying ‘we prepared you the fruit cocktail juice, the popular one in Lebanon which everyone likes!’”
Sayyeda Batoul also pointed out that since that very first meeting, she could feel from his words how he has been longing to become a martyr. He had so much passion towards people and later on when stories about him uncovered, one can see how he is kind to all people from all walks of life. His passion was to help others, and defend people in face of all forms of tyranny and war.
“It is true that our meetings with Hajj Qassem and his visits to our place in Lebanon (my siblings and I) were a few, but these meetings were enough to reveal his kind heart and nature. Just like I told you before, he is like a loving father who cares about everyone around him. He is so humble and near to the hearts of everyone.”
“One time, he came to visit me and my family at my own place. It was such a pleasure. He brought flowers and gifts along. He always brought gifts along, for everyone young and old. When he saw my brother Mohammad who suffers from a sickness and is disabled, his heart ached. He sat down and we started talking, but he could not take his eyes off my brother and kept asking us about who takes care of him. His heart ached because my parents were martyred and had to leave a disabled kid behind who needs special care.”
In another incident, Sayyeda Batoul also said that “one time, while discussing politics, the siege on Nobol and Zahra in Syria was mentioned. The people of that area had suffered harsh circumstances because of the siege and war launched against them by the takfiri forces of Daesh. He expressed that it is painful for him to see or hear of such a scene, and that these are innocent people who should not be suffering. This is what his spirit was like, he thinks about everyone and tries to help anyone in need for help. He feels uneasy about the sufferings of people he does not know.”
She went on to say “During our meetings, he would even pay attention to address the little kids and joke with them. He would take time to ask about everyone, and talk to everyone and get to know them. He would sit and talk to us all, joke with us and laugh at our jokes, give us advice and tell us meaningful stories through which we can learn. And then he would get up to distribute the gifts by himself.”
When he is at the war fronts, he would find time to call us and ask how we are doing. He used to address me and say “Ammou, how are you” (Ammou meaning uncle). He was closer to me than a father and he was our backbone.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry reminded the US government of its “definitive international responsibility” for the assassination of top commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, saying it has adopted measures to hold the contributors and perpetrators of the terrorist crime accountable.
The ministry on Friday issued a statement on the occasion of the second anniversary of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani’s martyrdom.
In January 2020, a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport assassinated General Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. The attack — that also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units [PMU] anti-terror group, and their companions. The crime took place as General Soleimani was on an official visit to the Iraqi capital.
The text of the ministry’s statement included the following:
“On the eve of the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the valiant General of Islam, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran commemorates this immortal martyr who spent his blessed life in sincere service to Iran, Islam, peace and security.
Martyr General Soleimani invariably played a role in line with the principled policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran to help establish peace and stability at the regional and international levels, and adopted various measures and devoted a great deal of efforts to combat international terrorism and growing terrorist outfits across the region.
For this reason, he has rightly and proudly been titled the Hero of the Fight against Terrorism and the General of Peace. Despite this role and position, the US government, through applying double standards and false claims like that of countering terrorism, in a criminal act that violates the rules and principles of international law, planned and carried out a terrorist attack against Martyr General Soleimani as one of the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the territory of Iraq as the host country.
The move by the US officials to publicly assassinate the International Counter Terrorism Hero is in itself a message of support for terrorist groups that explicitly expose the lies of counter-terrorism claimants.
The martyrdom of General Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their great companions, not only did not diminish the capacity of the Axis of Resistance, but on the one hand imbued the domestic environment of Iran with national cohesion and unity, and on the other hand further highlighted the strategy and discourse of the Resistance.
In response to this assassination, the prompt and effective action of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in slapping the American troops stationed at the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq in the face, along with the spiritual effects of the blood of Iranian and Iraqi martyrs, upset the equations and brought about the failure of US regional strategy. The US fleeing from Afghanistan, the beginning of the process of withdrawal from Iraq and the change in the strategy of the US military presence in the geostrategic region of Persian Gulf showcase a small part of such impacts and consequences.
Undoubtedly, the criminal act of the United States in martyring General Soleimani is a clear manifestation of a “terrorist attack” that was orchestrated and carried out in an organized manner by the then US government for which the White House is now responsible.
According to international and legal standards, the US government bears “definitive international responsibility” for this crime. In this context, all the agents, instigators, contributors and perpetrators of this terrorist crime are responsible. Therefore, in cooperation with other agencies and the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adopted a number of measures from the very beginning based on the legal principle of “combating the impunity of criminals” to hold such individuals and entities accountable before the courts and will continue on this path until the final result is achieved.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken numerous measures with the aim of following up the issue at all domestic, bilateral, regional and international levels, the reports of which have been presented to the great Nation of Iran at various points to the extent possible. This pursuit of this path will continue vigorously and comprehensively.
These measures have been taken in the political, legal, international and public diplomacy dimensions. In this regard, in the foreign and international arena, special efforts were made to prevent the distortion of truth by the United States and its manipulation of the situation. The moral, political, and legal condemnation expressed towards the US government on an international level for committing this crime has been one of outcomes of such efforts.
In following up this issue, it is necessary to point to the continuation of endeavors by the Joint Judicial Committee between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has always taken effective and active measures to establish peace and stability in the region. Now, according to the approaches of the 13th government, which reaches out to the neighbors of the Islamic Republic of Iran for extensive and stable engagement and cooperation, the groundwork for the development and strengthening of relations among the countries of the region is laid more firmly than before.
The government and people of Iran consider themselves to be on the side of the governments and nations of the region and have not and will not spare any assistance to maintain territorial integrity and establish lasting stability and security, and development and prosperity among the countries of the region and the Islamic world.
In the end, together with all Iranians in the motherland and all over the world, we pay tribute to the lofty spirit of the General of Peace and Security, Haj Qassem Soleimani.”
Al-Manar revealed on Friday truth behind Lebanese sides involved in the captagon smuggling attempts at Beirut and Dubai ports.
Quoting security sources in Beirut, Al-Manar revealed that Lebanese Customs arrested the Lebanese contractor Wael Mosbah Obeid, 31, from the northern town of Dinniyah, who confessed to being responsible for the transaction of the two seized shipments.
The Lebanese authorities arrested four people involved in the smuggling attempts, including three Syrins, the sources added to Al-Manar.
Lebanese authorities on Wednesday, intercepted a shipment of fake oranges which hid nearly nine million of Captagon pills at Beirut Port. The cargo was reportedly en route to Kuwait.
Earlier on December 23, Dubai police said they arrested four men “of Arab nationality” for trying to smuggle millions of dollars worth of Captagon into the United Arab Emirates.
The more than one million tablets were also concealed in plastic lemons among a shipment of real lemons.
On a trip with the martyr Soleimani from Mehrabad Airport to Kerman, a young man approached Haj Qassem and said “I would very much like to see you closely and to talk together. Are you going to Kerman?”
Haj Qassem answered: “Yes.” Haj Qassem addressed me and said “take the flight ticket from this young man, and give him yours so that he can sit next to me.”
For an hour and a half, Haj Qassem and the young man were discussing different matters and issues throughout the flight. On January 3rd Haj Qassem was killed by US special ops and was martyred. In the afternoon the young man showed up at the ceremonies in the Kerman Husayniyeh. We were busy arranging for the funeral when I suddenly saw a young man approach me with tears in his eyes. He addressed me and said “Don’t you remember me?” I apologized and said I do not have presence of mind since I was busy and unfocused. He reminded me of that one and a half hour he got to spend with Haj Qassem when we exchanged flight itineraries. The young man said “Haj Qassem saved my life.”
He then took out a key from his pocket and said “This is the key to my house, my house is open to anyone who has come from a far place and has nowhere to stay and wants to participate in the funeral of Haj Qassem. This is what I can offer and I wish I could offer more. The words of Haj Qassem during that flight changed my life. He put some sense back into my head and showed me the right way and from that day on I was born again to become a good person.”
Told by former Head of the Foundation of Sacred Defense
In good times and bad times he was there…
When my father passed away, Haj Qassem with his hectic days and nights and all the responsibilities he had on his plate, did not forget to call me and pay condolences. For someone like General Soleimani who has barely time to rest or eat, it means a lot when he does such a thing. He was a humble person and was never proud with who he was and what he did. He never believed he was better than other people and cared about everyone around him.
The story does not stop here, he actually showed up at my father’s funeral the next day to take part in the ceremonies. Maybe another commander who is fighting terrorism and extremism represented by Daesh in an entire region would not take time to think about such issues, but he was present everywhere and he was a backbone to everyone.
His personality was extraordinary and he would communicate with everyone, young and old, poor and rich, famous and ordinary. He was there for all of us during the good and bad times.
There was this other incident when we were present at the wedding of my friend’s daughter. The last thing that would come to mind is that he show up in such a place while being busy fighting an existential threat to all people, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Secular, people from all faiths and walks of life.
He was honest and humble in his interaction with everyone around and he was always there for everyone to help and support. He was a man for everyone.
Told by Iranian Expert Dr. Masoud Asadollahi
A true father
The families of the martyrs loved Hajj Qassem. For instance, when he would go to visit the children of Martyr Maghfouri, who was one of the leaders of Tharallah battalion, they would feel like their father has come to visit them especially Fatima, Maghfouri’s daughter. He truly believed he was a father to them. One time Fatima’s child fell ill, and he needed surgery. Haj Qassem, the commander of the Quds Force was at war in Syria and Iraq helping defeat Daesh, the extremist groups that killed everyone and sabotaged everything. He must have been working day and night to fulfill his duties. When Haj Qassem knew, he took off and went to the hospital, and waited until the little kid underwent the surgery.
Fatima then told him, “Uncle Qassem, you should go, duty calls you and you are still sitting here.”
And this was Haj Qassem’s reaction: “Np, I have to sit here and wait until your child wakes up from surgery.” This was how he dealt with the sons of the martyrs, he contacted them weekly, brought them gifts, sent them letters from the front wars, and took care of them in person when needed.
Al Mayadeen correspondent reports that 20 UAE-backed Giants Brigades members were killed and many others were injured as a result of missile strikes.
20 members of the UAE-backed Giants Brigades were killed
The Yemeni Army and Popular Committees had seized control of all 5 Hadi Forces border camps at Al-Yatama area, the administrative center of the Khub Washaaf District, which shares borders with Najran, Saudi Arabia.
Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that 20 members of the UAE-backed Giants Brigades were killed and many were injured as a result of a missile attack on Khammuma camp in the lower Markha District, northwest of Shabwa Governorate in the country’s east.
Our reporter added that “the Giants’ forces had sent large military reinforcements to Shabwa governorate to redeploy there, claiming to regain control of the strategic districts of Baihan, Ain, and Usaylan from the grip of the Yemeni armed forces.”
“During the past hours, Saudi coalition fighter jets launched more than 10 raids on Usaylan and Baihan districts to back the Emirati-backed Giants Brigades,” he concluded.
Al Mayadeen correspondent reported on Tuesday a violent explosion that took place in the airport of Ataq, the capital of Shabwah Governorate, eastern Yemen.
The correspondent confirmed that the explosion happened hours after the arrival of the UAE-backed Giants Brigades to the airport controlled by Al-Islah party forces.
UAE-backed Giants Brigades arrived in Shabwa Governorate only 3 days after President Hadi dismissed the governor, affiliated with the Al-Islah party, Muhammad bin Adyo, and appointed Awad Al-Awlaqi, affiliated with the Transitional Council, in his place.
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced that operation Fajer Al Sahra (Desert Dawn) liberated a total area estimated at more than 1,200 square kilometers.
Tomorrow at 4 p.m., a press briefing of the armed forces to reveal the details of the large-scale military ( Fajer Al Sahra'a operation) with special scenes documenting the operation and other important details.
He revealed that the operation inflicted heavy losses on the Saudi-led coalition, including 35 deaths and 45 prisoners, and damaged 15 vehicles, noting that the air defense units shot down a US-made ScanEagle spy plane during Al-Yatama Battle.
Saree underlined that the aggression is circulating lies with the aim of dividing Yemenis using sectarian slogans, stressing that Al-Jawf tribes actively participated in the Fajer Al Sahra operation.
Since the 2014 Yemeni revolution, Yemenis have not only proven a great resilience in confronting US-backed Saudi aggression against their homeland, but also revealed a combat strategy like no other.
The Yemeni mountains, with their difficult topography, the social composition of their people, and their solid beliefs, constitute one of the few places in this world that are resistant to the invasion of foreign states and empires states.
Such Traits can also be attributed to the mountains of Afghanistan. In both of these cases, the country’s political capital sometimes fell, as Kabul came under British control for a brief period in the wars of the British Empire, as well as the last NATO war in Afghanistan. The same goes for Sanaa, which was resistant to two Ottoman invasions in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Ottoman forces did not enter the capital until the day dispute arose between its notables; the ottoman attempt took place in the nineteenth century.
In both the Ottoman and English invasions, when the urban elite conceded, the tribes would just return to their rugged mountains, as if nothing had happened only to revolt after several decades over the established rule. This is what defines a rebellion movement.
What is fundamentally different in the ongoing war on Yemen is that we are not dealing here with a “rebellion” or a “resistance movement” in the academic sense; neither Sanaa has fallen, nor a number of strategic cities in Yemen did. The city of Al-Hodeidah, which is situated in the middle of the western coastal plain of Yemen, did not fall to the Saudi coalition despite being subjected to all kinds of air and artillery bombardment, and its “rebels” did not have to fall back to the mountains, as resistance movements do in asymmetric wars.
Since 2014, every attempt to occupy the capital, Sanaa, ended in a humiliating defeat for the Saudi coalition forces. Hence, the Sanaa forces show an exceptional capability in holding the acquired land.
A significant factor is also the ability of the Yemeni armed forces and Ansar Allah to fight similar types of pitched battles, in which the weaker party does not just strike and flee, but is committed to preserving the land and achieving progress at other times, in a predetermined battlefield.
The Yemeni revolution also emerged from what we can call the ‘Maoist style’ of resistance, and in fact, it enjoys broad popular support without a doubt, but it does not use this popular, civilian environment in hostilities directly but rather wages battles using conventional tactics. It includes hit and run, as well as harassment and ambushes, but still, we find the exact opposite of a regular insurgency or a rebellion in Yemen. The deterrence imposed by Yemen on the coalition of aggression is closer to be a conventional deterrence, rather than the actions of irregular movements. In a simpler sense, usually in the early stages of a revolution, rebels usually have weak capabilities, so they pull benefit from the aggression of the stronger party against civilians as a means to attract the latter to their cause.
In Yemen, the situation is quite different. The Yemeni revolution has a very high popular embrace, and while there is no doubt that these attacks constitute a factor of attraction for the Yemeni society towards the ongoing revolution, but the deterrence equation imposed by the Yemeni armed forces, seems to be aimed primarily at protecting the Yemeni people first, then the infrastructure and institutions of Yemen.
2019 Operation Victory from God
The operation Victory from God carried out by Sanaa forces can constitute a clear example of this type of warfare. The proximity of the operation to the Saudi-Yemeni international borders did not prevent the Yemenis from deluding the Saudi coalition forces and their mercenary brigades by fainting a tactical retreat from the area. Subsequently, the Saudis and their allies chased the retreating forces just to fall into a trap in Jbara valley, where the advancing forces were attacked by Yemeni forces from both flanks in a pincer movement. The operation culminated in the total destruction of several infantry brigades. In the process, hundreds of vehicles were destroyed or damaged, their burning columns appeared in the videos published by the Yemeni military media.
Map showing various phases of the 2019 Operation Victory from God (Credits: english.iswnews.com)
Operations of this complexity and magnitude, not only require a physical presence of forces of a certain size but also require a high level of coordination and professionalism in moving military units and battalions, as well as a high ability to conceal these forces from the eyes of the enemy reconnaissance and intelligence. All these military actions are taking place under the uncontested air control of the US-Saudi coalition.
As it is quite difficult for inexperienced, or guerrilla organizations, to accomplish such combat maneuvers, Ansar Allah and the Yemeni armed forces show a clear superiority over the regular and modern Saudi forces, as they define themselves. Another aspect of the equation is the imposition of deterrence equations on the Saudi coalition, in case civilians or infrastructures structure of the Yemeni state and committed massacres, a balanced response is due.
Destroyed Saudi LAV-25 after the 2019 Operation Victory from God, Yemeni Military Media
This deterrence was achieved by striking sensitive and strategic targets of the countries of aggression, such as oil facilities, military airports, and military centers, with the infliction of a negligible number of civilian casualties. Here, Yemenis accused of being just “rebels” act more faithfully to the ethics and laws of war than the US-backed Saudi coalition, which practices a policy of collective punishment and deliberately bombs civilians.
Sanaa forces regularly use precision weapons, such as the Tochka (OTR-21) missile, to strike the enemy’s military bases. Examples of such strikes happened in Safer, Mocha, and Khamis Mushait Air Bases. In the latter, the commander of the Saudi Air Force, Muhammad bin Ahmed Al-Shaalan, suffered “a heart attack” four days after the Khamis Mushait Air Base was bombed in June 2015. The announcement of the commander’s death came in mysterious circumstances. On the other hand, the US-backed Saudi coalition regularly practices collective punishment and deliberately bombs civilians.
2021 large-scale Jazan operation
“In combat, soldiers fight for their comrades. The primary group motivates people. Cohesion is the bond of trust between members of a group. There are four types of cohesion: horizontal cohesion among peers, vertical cohesion, from subordinate to commander, and organizational cohesion within the army. Cohesive units fight better, suffer fewer casualties, train better, do not disintegrate, require less support, and provide members with a better quality of life.”
This quote comes from a guide for the US Navy from 2002, which shows the importance of the cohesion of military units in terms of their performance, and the difficulty of destroying these units when they are under attack or pressured by fire. During the war in Yemen, the Saudi forces showed very poor cohesion and discipline, even at the beginning of the war, not to mention their gradual decline as the war dragged on.
Yemeni soldiers during the large-scale Jazan Operation, Yemeni Military Media
This can be explained by several factors: at the individual level, we cannot judge due to the absence of perceptual evidence at the level of relations between soldiers, as it may be affected by the constant periodic drafts, or by the high rate of losses, so that replacement becomes necessary. As for the relation between commanders and the army, the relation looks to be negative, as evidenced by the al-Akhbar [Lebanese] newspaper in an article by writer Ali Murad, titled “Bin Salman through the eyes of his officers: We have perished to this child [MBS]!”. The article narrates, through leaks of a former Saudi high ranking officer, the collapse of the fighting spirit of the soldiers since the first months of the war and their lack of belief in its outcome, neither in its cause nor in Bin Salman himself, who is running the war.
In the large-scale Jazan operation that took place in May-June 2021, Saudi performance and the discipline of its soldiers were scandalous; video clips showed the escape of mercenaries of Yemeni and Sudanese nationalities, and some of the fleeing soldiers were wearing Saudi ground forces uniforms fleeing without their helmets, weapons. the complexities of carrying out such an operation of this magnitude lay mainly in transferring offensive forces to the front without being noticed by the enemy. Since ancient times, training soldiers included was not only aimed at increasing their resistance to being “broken,” but also to commit retreats in the most organized fashion, since most losses of the defeated do not happen within the battle itself, but during the process of the retreat itself.
Yemeni soldiers during the large-scale Jazan Operation, Yemeni Military Media
In addition to the above, armored vehicles were completely absent from the front during this operation. The only armored vehicle that appeared was an M-113 personnel carrier, along with dozens of Toyota civilian trucks. During the past years, Saudis were rarely successful in introducing their armor to the battlefield as the results were catastrophic. Yemenis excelled in the destruction of such vehicles, to the extent that they destroyed Canadian LAV-25 armored vehicles using 12.7-caliber anti-material sniper rifles, the bullets of which penetrated the back of its turret and burned it. Many vehicles were burned with only a lighter, the one used for lighting cigarettes.
What will the soldiers of any army think if that army pulls its armored vehicles and tanks, which cost millions of dollars to the rear lines while placing them on the front lines? Won’t the idea that their live flesh is cheaper for their superior cross their minds? On the other hand, Yemenis show military toughness, cohesion, and discipline, much higher than those whom they fight, and who are defined in Western academic literature as a “modern regular army.”
2022 Marib Liberation operation?
A similar operation to Victory from God occurred a few months ago, operation Victory Spring (Rabi al-Nasr), but this time in the vicinity of Marib. The city is controlled by the Saudi coalition and its mercenaries and has seen fierce battles during the years of war. The ongoing battle around the city has been described by many experts as the battle that is going to decide the outcome of the war.
Currently, the Sanaa forces are about 8-10 km away from the strategic city from their closest position in al-Balaq al-Sharqi mountains. Such achievements were a result of the previously mentioned complex operation. In brief, the Yemeni forces eluded the coalition forces that the main attack is going to be launched from the north-western flank of the city, but the main thrust came from the South-west. Despite it being heavily defended as well, the combat readiness of its troops seemed to be meager, as Sanaa forces manages to advance almost 60 km in 2-3 days, a rate that was not expected by the Saudi coalition and neither by their backers. The speed and coordination of that attack prevented the enemy from reacting to it, and as a result, Sanaa Forces now threaten both north and southwestern flanks of the Saudi coalition forces.
Results of the operation Victory Spring (Rabi al-Nasr), (Credits: english.iswnews.com)
By looking at the map, one can only expect that the liberation of Marib is just a matter of time. This assumption is not only based on the material factors in play but also the perseverance of Yemeni forces on previous occasions. Such steadfastness and perseverance made them resist and survive on the harshest wars and sieges launched by the US and its allies against a country in this century.
2022 is, without a doubt, going to be the year for Yemen and its brave people.
A struggle for influence in Shabwa, Brigadier General Nasr Al-Shazly
The weapons captured by the Army and the People’s Committees during Operation Desert Dawn
Sanaa forces end the presence of Hadi forces and the military coalition in Al-Jawf Governorate
A strike at Ataq airport, and a report on the operation deep in the desert
Tehran – The Deputy Commander of the Quds Force in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRG], Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh [Abu Baqir], told Al-Ahed that “recent American and Zionist threats to the Islamic Republic of Iran are empty and are no more than propaganda campaigns that are part of their psychological warfare against Iran.”
“They will not achieve anything. The resistance soldiers will remain firm on the path of martyr Qassem Soleimani and will stand alongside the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on this path. They will remain steadfast until the divine promise of the demise of the Zionist entity and the disruption of America’s feeble projects in the region are fulfilled.”
In an exclusive interview with Al-Ahed on the occasion of the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani, Commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, and their companions, Brigadier General Fallahzadeh sent his “deep condolences on this anniversary to Sahib Al-Zaman, the Leader of the Revolution, to the entire Islamic nation, and to the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Responding to a question about the Zionist entity’s recent acknowledgment of its role in the assassination, Fallahzadeh said: “In fact, the Zionist entity and America are two sides of the same coin – the front of falsehood. They have grown up in one trench throughout history, always preoccupied with suppressing popular uprisings and those with rights. From the era of the Messenger Muhammad [PBUH] to the stage of Ali al-Murtada [PBUH] and the pure imams [PBUT] and until now, that evil front is still fighting the front of truth. And since the victory of the Islamic Revolution until today, the enemy front has spared no effort to put down this revolution.”
“Their aim of assassinating martyr Soleimani was to extinguish the flame of the resistance, bring about geopolitical transformations in the region, and block the way for the Islamic Revolution and obstruct the path of its progress. Thank God they were unable to achieve their flimsy goals, and they will not achieve them in the future, too.”
“Both the Zionist entity and America are under the illusion that they are able to destroy the wheels of progress of the Islamic Revolution, but in light of our belief and under the wise leadership of the Islamic Revolution, they will not be able to achieve any of their miserable plans,” Fallahzadeh added. “We will continue on this path until the appearance of Imam Mahdi. On the other hand, they are the ones who are heading towards destruction and collapse, and every day we witness their fall into the cliff of decline. We see now how the Zionist entity is heading towards demise, collapse, and destruction, and we are also witnessing the decline and collapse of America’s power. Hence, the front of truth will always be victorious, and its strength will grow and increase day after day with glory and might.”
Regarding the recent wave of threats looming by both America and the Zionist entity, Brigadier General Fallahzadeh told Al-Ahed that “these empty threats are no more than propaganda campaigns that come in the context of their psychological warfare against the Islamic Republic, but they will not achieve anything from it. The resistance soldiers will remain firm on the path of martyr Qassem Soleimani and will stand alongside the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on this path. They will remain steadfast until the divine promise of the demise of the Zionist entity and the disruption of America’s feeble projects in the region are fulfilled.”
Posted on December 31, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians
ناصر قنديل
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مع نهاية عام وبداية عام جديد يقوم الناس بجردة حساب لما مضى ومحاولة رسم الآفاق لما هو قادم، وهذا يحدث على المستوى الفردي الشخصي وكذلك على مستوى الجماعات والشعوب والدول، والمنطقة التي نعيش فيها والعالم الذي ننتمي إليه، وقد شهد العالم أكبر التحولات التي تؤسس للعام المقبل، مع الانسحاب الأميركي من أفغانستان الذي شكل أول حدث من نوعه منذ الانسحاب السوفياتي من أفغانستان، الذي أدى بتداعياته إلى إطلاق مسار انهيار الاتحاد السوفياتي، وقبله الانسحاب الأميركي من فييتنام الذي بقي مصدر ردع يمنع الذهاب الأميركي إلى حروب جديدة لعقود طويلة، وهذا الانسحاب الأميركي من أفغانستان الذي قال الرئيس الأميركي جو بايدن إنه ترجمة لقناعة ثابتة بأن التدخل العسكري ثبت فشله كطريق لصناعة السياسة وتعميم الديمقراطية، وأن المزيد من البقاء سيعني المزيد من الخسائر والمزيد من الفشل.
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في المنطقة شهد العام الذي يلملم ما تبقى منه ليرحل، أبرز تطور في القضية التي تحكم مستقبل السياسة فيها، عبر المعركة الفاصلة التي عرفت بسيف القدس، بين قوى المقاومة في غزة، وجيش الاحتلال، وخلال أيام المعركة برزت معادلة ردع جديدة كانت خلالها تل أبيب تحت صواريخ المقاومة، فيما كانت الأراضي المحتلة عام 48 تسجل أعظم انتفاضاتها المستدامة، والقدس تقدم شبابها وصباياها شهداء في عمليات الطعن والدهس، ليدخل الصراع في المنطقة مرحلة جديدة عنوانها بلوغ التراجع الإسرائيلي مرحلة غير مسبوقة منذ نشأة هذا الكيان وتسيده على المنطقة، بصفته القوة الوحيدة القادرة على صناعة الحرب، وبقوة جيش قيل عنه إنه لايقهر، وبات يقهر ويقهر ويقهر.
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بين العالم والمنطقة يدخل التفاوض في فيينا اختبار البحث عن فرص السياسة لتجاوز الاستعصاء وملء الفراغات بالسياسة، فالإدارة الأميركية التي تحاول أن تتماسك الاخفاء الندوب التي تملء جسمها الاجتماعي والسياسي والاقتصادي، وترفع صوتها وتصرخ، على أمل تحسين شروط التفاوض بحثاً عن سنوات ضرورية لالتقاط الأنفاس، وتطلق عليها أسماء جذابة وبراقة، كالعودة إلى الدبلوماسية والسياسة، وأولوية أميركا العظيمة على أميركا العظمى، وتشكل العودة الأميركية إلى الإتفاق النووي إعلان نهاية زمن العقوبات كأداة لصناعة السياسة، بمثل ما شكل الانسحاب من أفغانستان إعلان نهاية زمن القوة العسكرية في صناعة السياسة، لتظهر المفاوضات مع روسيا إعلاناً مزدوجاً لنهاية الزمنيين معاً، فتفقد أميركا القدمين اللتين كانت تقف عليهما في العالم، القوة والمال، بمثل ما فقدت “إسرائيل” قدميها أيضاً، الاحتلال والردع، وبعدما فشلت حروب الوكالة أو الحرب الناعمة فرصها في تشكيل بديل مناسب، وكانت سورية الإعلان الأهم لهذا الفشل، حيث كانت أيضاً روسيا، وكانت إيران، وكان الشهيد قاسم سليماني الذي تحل ذكراه بعد أيام وتخصص له البناء عدداً خاصاً يوم الثلاثاء تشارك في مقالاته أسماء لها باعها في صناعة السياسة، يتقدمها وزير خارجية سورية الدكتور فيصل المقداد ورئيس كتلة الوفاء للمقاومة النائب محمد رعد، تبدو واشنطن وتل أبيب في العام الجديد على موعد مع الفراغ الاستراتيجي، وفيما تملك واشنطن استراتيجية الخروج بالتفاوض، تواجه “إسرائيل مستقبلها القاتم، كما سبق وحذرتها وزيرة الخارجية الأميركية السابقة هيلاري كلينتون.
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في لبنان حيث الرقص فوق صفيح ساخن، سجل العام الذي يمضي نهاية حركة الشارع التي بدأت مع انتفاضة 17 تشرين الأول عام 2019، وتحول الرهان على إعادة رسم توازنات النظام السياسي نحو الانتخابات، التي يدرك الجميع أنها لن تحمل أكثر من تعديلات في الأوزان والأحجام ستحفظ بمفهوم الديمقراطية التوافقية، حق الفيتو لجميع اللاعبين الكبار، وكما يظهر لبنان الغارق في انهيار اقتصادي وسياسي وانسداد قدرة المؤسسات الدستورية على التعامل مع الأزمات، تبدو الإشارة الوحيدة الايجابية هي أن لبنان الذي ذهب في أزمات مماثلة إلى الحرب الأهلية، يبدو بعيداً عنها بسبب معادلة قوامها “أن من يقدر عليها لا يريدها، ومن يريدها لا يقدر عليها”، وبفعل قوة المقاومة سيكون أمام لبنان فرصة للاستفادة من عائدات التحولات الاقليمية المقبلة، ليقف على طرف التلقي الايجابي بدلاً من موقع تقليدي كان يحجز له هو الوقوف على طرف التلقي السلبي.
Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine warns that if prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash is martyred, the movement will deal with the matter in accordance with its commitment to respond to any assassination.
Al-Nakhala stressed that if Abu Hawash is martyred, the PIJ will consider the matter an assassination by “Israel”.
The Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ), Ziyad Al-Nakhala, warned that the movement will consider prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash‘s possible martyrdom an assassination carried out by the Israeli occupation with premeditation.
In a statement, Al-Nakhala stressed that if Abu Hawash is martyred, the PIJ will deal with the matter in accordance with its commitment to respond to any assassination.
Al Mayadeen sources revealed Thursday that there are Egyptian and international efforts pressuring “Israel” to end the arrest of Abu Hawash, noting that the Resistance notified Egyptians about a possible escalation in case Abu Hawash loses his life.
For his part, Moaz Abu Sharkh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners Information Office, told Al Mayadeen that Abu Hawash’s life is in grave danger, noting that the prisoner has lost the ability to hear and speak.
Very critical stage
Earlier, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission warned that the health condition of the hunger-striking prisoner, Hisham Abu Hawash, is deteriorating rapidly and has reached a very critical and dangerous stage.
The media spokesperson for the Commission, Hassan Abd Rabbo, announced that Abu Hawash is still being held at the Ramla Prison Clinic and that his life is in danger due to a shortage in fluid and salt in his body, knowing that his weight went down to 40 kilograms and his internal organs are shutting down.
Who is Abu Hawash
Abu Hawash, 39, from Dura, Al-Khalil, has been detained since October 2020. He is also a former prisoner who spent a total of 8 years in occupation prisons.
The prisoner has previously received two administrative detention orders for a period of 6 months and is currently in an extremely critical health condition.
Why was the assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani and his companion Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis an exceptional event? What are the motives behind the assassination? And how did the regional reality change two years after the assassination?
The fact that the United States of America committed this crime against a high-ranking Iranian military official and then declared responsibility, constitutes a significant regional development. It clearly meant that the US administration had lost its indirect tools of influence and deterrence in the face of the axis of resistance and that it needed to change the rules of engagement and restorte to the old methods based on assassinations and bullying.
Why Soleimani in particular?
Choosing Major General Soleimani as a direct target was based on two factors:
The first factor: The effective role the Quds Force played under his leadership over a period of three decades that undermined American hegemony and the tyranny of the Zionist occupation.
This role had different dimensions: arming the resistance wings, training, and coordination. The martyr realized the importance of countering the US political influence, not just its military presence.
For example, he was keen to track and thwart American projects and steps aimed at perpetuating the US presence in Iraq. And whenever the Americans tried to gather the threads of their political proxies in this country, Commander Soleimani would obstruct it. His presence disrupted those proxies and plans.
If he heard that the Americans were supporting the nomination of so-and-so to a senior position in this country, he pushed things in the opposite direction, knowing that the Americans want their interests first and foremost.
Of course, he wouldn’t have assumed such a great role had it not been for the leadership of the Islamic Republic and its various apparatuses forcefully backing the Quds Force in carrying out its duties.
The second factor: The unique personality of the martyr, which combines several traits, the most prominent of which were:
1- The clarity of the ideological-political premise of the school he represents, which is the school of Imam Khomeini. This school produced many cadres and leaders who became martyrs in the battlefields of Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
By ideological premise, we mean here the radical stance against the Zionist entity and the American policies that the late Imam described as arrogant policies. It is well-known that Hajj Qassem was asked by a US commander in Iraq to discuss the possibility of coordinating the war against Daesh, and he refused to open a dialogue with the American.
2- The strategic vision: Martyr Soleimani had a comprehensive vision of the conflict with the American and “Israeli” enemies. He viewed the region from Afghanistan to Palestine as an integrated field of action, even if the circumstances of each country differed from the other. For example, he was fully aware of the importance of removing the American occupation from the region, specifically from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, considering this presence as a factor of instability and a reason for direct intervention in determining the future of these countries and a direct threat to the Islamic Republic. He was also very serious in strengthening the capabilities of the resistance against the Zionist occupation, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
3- Field presence: Martyr Soleimani was distinguished as a man of the battlefield. He had a special dynamic. He was fond of being on the frontlines among the fighters so he could get a closer look at the nature of the situation, to strengthen them, and to show the importance of their battle at these pivotal stations. This had a significant impact on recharging the resolve, concentrating military and political efforts, and achieving victories.
4- The role model and the example: He was keen to set an example in the fraternal and cordial dealings with the fighters to give the battle its true moral dimension. The two opposing fronts are not distinguished by military force or political position, but rather by the spiritual values that each group carries and translates into Islamic behavior based on the teachings of the Messenger’s household [PBUT].
5- The initiative: It is true that Major General Soleimani was a military leader, but he was distinguished from many military leaders in that he was a man of initiative; he did not wait to receive the taklifs [obligations]. Rather, by virtue of his long experience and his all-pervading sense, he diagnosed what was required and then moved to obtaine approval from the leadership.
The Goals of the Assassination:
Far from the American pretext that was given to justify the assassination, which centered on allegations that martyr Soleimani planned an imminent attack on the American embassy in Baghdad – the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard described the killing of General Qassem Soleimani was an “arbitrary killing” that violated the UN Charter, and that the United States did not provide evidence that planning was underway for an “imminent attack” on its interests – motives for this crime and the manner in which it was committed can be identified as follows:
– Spreading fear and demoralizing within the resistance axis (through the method of intimidation) and trying to re-establish deterrence in the face of Iran and push it to withdraw its support from its allies. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed this trend at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution in January 2020, in a symposium titled “The Restoration of Deterrence: The Iranian Example”. He noted that Soleimani was killed as part of a broader strategy to deter challenges posed by Washington’s opponents, focusing in particular on Iran.
This strategy was previously eroded by the axis of resistance amid the decline in the American prestige and presence in the region, which was established by almost no achievement in all areas. Meanwhile, the axis of resistance was advancing and besieging the American military presence and influence in Iraq and was pushing Washington to think about withdrawing its forces from Syria as it failed to arrange any gains that would contribute to changing the reality there.
The failure of America’s allies in Yemen, the accumulated American military deficit in Afghanistan, and the failure of the Zionist entity to confront the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon were additional reasons for demolishing the image of US policy in the Middle East.
During the Trump era, the Americans felt that the axis of resistance was becoming increasingly emboldened. There are numerous examples – the attack on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia, Iran’s downing of a 130-million-dollar American drone, and the intensification of the frequency of operations against American forces in Iraq.
– Getting Iran to submit to its nuclear program. Trump’s ambition was to reformulate the nuclear agreement in a way that takes into account the viewpoint of his allies on the Zionist right.
– Restoring the confidence of America’s allies in Iraq and the region. This confidence and bets on the United States have been shaken by the experiences in recent years, despite the massive American military spending. Washington realized that removing its forces from Iraq again (after the first exit in 2011) means losing the greatest political influence in this country and its surroundings. That is why the Americans were keen to maintain a military presence there to install their allies and tools.
– Attempting to enhance the image of the Trump administration inside the United States and rallying up the masses against external enemies (specifically Islamic ones). This is important in light of the sharp internal partisan polarization in this country.
– Was Soleimani’s assassination also an “Israeli” demand? This may be one of the most important and perhaps main motives in light of Netanyahu’s and the Zionist lobby’s extraordinary influence on the American president at the time. And Donald Trump recently – about a year after his exit from office – expressed his dissatisfaction with Netanyahu for believing that he used him to assassinate Soleimani. According to the American Axios news website, Trump said that Netanyahu was “willing to fight Iran to the last American soldier.”
The former head of the “Israeli” Military Intelligence Division, Tamir Hayman, also revealed that the Mossad played a role in the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, according to the “Israeli” Kan radio station.
We can guess the reason why the enemy pushed the US administration to get rid of a high-ranking leader of Soleimani’s stature, in light of the role he played at the head of the Quds Force in terms of strengthening the resistance wings, providing them with the means of strength, and deterring the Zionist entity.
The strategic response
All these motives and goals did not change the outcome of the reality of US policy in the region. The axis of resistance was affected for some time by the assassination of Soleimani, but it has maintained its goals and program of work and is continuing to implement the strategy of removing US forces from the region, starting with Iraq and Syria.
Here, it’s worth recalling what the Leader [Imam] Khamenei said on the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Quds Force commander, when he stressed that “driving out the American forces from the region will be the most powerful blow” to respond to his assassination, after the initial bold response to the crime.
He also vowed to avenge Soleimani by punishing those responsible for giving orders and carrying out the assassination “whenever the opportunity arises.” His Eminence called for accelerating technological, scientific, and military progress to enhance deterrence against the enemy, which is becoming evident day after day.
Thus, Washington and those who seek refuge under its umbrella were disappointed that Soleimani’s absence had no impact on the strategy of the axis of resistance. And the rush by the United States to arrange its military presence in Iraq before the end of 2021 is an indication of the continuing presence and influence of this axis, despite all the tremendous pressures exerted by successive US administrations.
Russia Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
The Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow seeks firm security guarantees from the West in the upcoming talks between Russia and NATO member states amid rising tensions over Ukraine.
“During the talks we will seek firm legal guarantees of Russia’s security from the US side, namely that NATO will not move eastwards and that weapons systems threatening Russia will not be deployed near our borders,” Maria Zakharova, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a news briefing in Moscow on Thursday.
Zakharova said the talks between Russia and the US-led military alliance are scheduled for January 10, adding that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and his American counterpart will lead the security talks in the Swiss city of Geneva.
“I can report that on January 10 in Geneva, we plan to hold inter-ministerial delegation talks between the US and Russia. The Russian delegation will be led by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and the US delegation will be led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman,” the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson added.
Russia is also due to hold talks with NATO in Brussels on January 12, before a broader meeting on January 13, which Zakharova said would take place in Vienna.
The January 13 talks will involve the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes the United States and its NATO allies, as well as Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last Monday that talks on a list of security guarantees Moscow wants from Washington regarding the rubbing points in relations with NATO over Ukraine are scheduled to be held between Russian and American officials next month.
Lavrov said in an interview live-streamed on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website that the talks would take place immediately after Russia’s New Year holidays. The first official working day of 2022 in Russia starts on January 10.
Earlier in the month, Russia unveiled a list of security proposals it wants to negotiate with the US, including a pledge that NATO would give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has said a number of Russia’s security proposals are obviously unacceptable but that the US will respond with more concrete ideas on the format of any talks.
Tensions have been mounting in eastern Ukraine since November, when several Western media outlets reported that Russia had been amassing troops near the border with the objective of a large-scale military invasion of the country. Moscow denies the allegations, saying it is free to move its troops around within its own borders and that its military buildup is in response to increased NATO activity near its borders.
Russia says it does not seek an armed conflict with Ukraine but “has all the capabilities in place to ensure a full military and technical response to any kind of provocations that might unfold around us.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned the West against crossing the Kremlin’s red lines by staging military exercises in and sending lethal weaponry to Ukraine.
Moscow has already ordered some 10,000 servicemen who had gathered close to the Ukrainian border to return to their permanent bases.
Days after his passing, Cape Town, South Africa celebrated the life of anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu.
From Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s commemoration ceremony in Cape Town
Cape town held Wednesday a musical in commemoration of anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu, who passed away just a few days ago.
The service was held at City Hall as a tribute to Tutu, and it was attended by his family members and politicians. Many attendees wore purple in honor of the Nobel peace laureate’s renowned purple robes. He had been nominated for the prize in 1981, 1982, 1983 and finally won it in 1984.
The funeral was one of many events held to commemorate the South African icon known for his activism that knew no bounds, which he did not stop despite his old age.
He was one of the main figures to lead to the end of South Africa’s apartheid rule, under which black South Africans suffered at the hands of the white minority of the country.
Ahead of his funeral on Saturday, South Africans commemorated him all over their country, celebrating the life of the hard-working liberation fighter, who was also renowned for his criticism of human rights abuses across the world.
The late was a confidant and friend of South African leader Nelson Mandela.
He saw that the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation was similar to the liberation struggle against the South African apartheid government, comparing the two oppressive regimes, and taking a solid stance in favor of Palestine, which he eternalized in many of his addresses and articles throughout his life.
Tutu went as far as to urge the Episcopal Church not to invest in companies that support the Israeli occupation, and asked for a global boycott of “Israel”.
Despite limited numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commemorations appropriately celebrated the icon, with many South African artists attending and performing in a tribute to the late Archbishop.
ينشط خصوم سورية واللاعبون على حبال الخلاف بينها وبين حلفائها وخصوصاً روسيا وإيران لبث الشكوك، وتقدم الغارات “الإسرائيلية” على سورية، ساحة نموذجية لتحقيق هذا الهدف، فالغارات تتواصل ولا تكاد تتوقف عن معدل غارة في الأسبوع، وسورية تكتفي بصد الصواريخ بصواريخ مضادة، وتحقق غالباً نتائج جيدة، لكن الأثر المعنوي للغارات يبقى جارحاً على مستوى الرأي العام السوري خصوصاً، والعربي عموماً، وتظهر المطالبة بالرد وقد تجاوزت مع الغارة الأخيرة على مرفأ اللاذقية كل المرات السابقة، ومثلها الانتقادات التي تطال الموقف الروسي، وتحمله مسؤولية التمادي “الإسرائيلي”، ويصل البعض إلى حد اتهام روسيا بالتواطؤ والشراكة، وليس فقط اغماض العين عن هذه الاعتداءات.
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في مثل هذه القضايا تلعب الحرب على المعنويات دوراً هاماً، ولا يكفي فقط قراءة أبعاد العمل العسكري ميدانياً واستراتيجياً ووضعه في سياق الإطار العام للقيادة العسكرية المعنية في أولويات المواجهات وتخصيص الموارد لها، ويكفي النظر إلى أهداف الغارات “الإسرائيلية” نفسها لمعرفة أنها غالباً بمفعول ضئيل من الوجهتين الاستراتيجية، أي تغيير موازين القوى ووجهة الأحداث، والتكتيكية أي الحاق الأذى الجسيم بالبنى والهياكل العسكرية والمدنية، لكن الغارات تستمر للبعد المعنوي سواء في تأكيد التفوق “الإسرائيلي” تجاه الرأي العام المشكك بقدرة قيادته على خوض حروب جديدة، وتتخذ القيادة “الإسرائيلية” من عدم الرد علامة على موازين القوى التي تحكم علاقتها، ليس في سورية فحسب، بل بمحور المقاومة المستهدف عبر هذه الغارات، تحت عنوان منع تدفق الأسلحة الإيرانية لقوى المقاومة، ومنع تموضع القوات الإيرانية وقوى المقاومة في المناطق القريبة من حدود الجولان السوري المحتل، ولو كان هذا الشعار إعلامياً فحسب، هذا إضافة إلى زرع الشكوك بما تقوله قيادة المحور عن تفوقها الاستراتيجي على كيان الاحتلال، وتصريحات قادة المقاومة عن القدرة على محو “إسرائيل” من الوجود، وصولاً إلى زرع الشكوك بين قوى المحور وروسيا، أو على الأقل زعزعة ثقة جمهور المحور وفي قلبه سورية تجاه مضمون التحالف مع روسيا.
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في العقل البارد لقيادة محور المقاومة وعلى رأسه إيران وفي قلبه سورية، والقيادة الروسية، ثقة متينة بالتحالف الذي نجح بتحقيق انتصارات أحبطت المشروع الأميركي الذي كانت “إسرائيل” في قلبه، وكان يرمي لاسقاط سورية وتفتيتها وتحويلها إلى إمارات ومشيخات ودويلات ومناطق نفوذ، وثقة بحجم التضحيات التي بذلها أطراف هذا التحالف وبالنتائج التي ترتبت عليه لكل منهم، وتسليم بخصوصية إدارة العلاقة بالغارات الإسرائيلية، بين كل من أطرافه، حيث روسيا ملتزمة بإعادة بناء الدفاعات الجوية لسورية وقد فعلت الكثير في هذا السياق، وهو ما تظهره عمليات التصدي للصواريخ بالصواريخ واسقاط الكثير الكثير منها، وهو ما تكفل بإسقاط أول طائرة “إسرائيلية” في الأجواء السورية قبل أربعة أعوام، وهو ما يمنع “إسرائيل” من دخول الأجواء السورية مجدداً منذ ذلك التاريخ، لكن روسيا التي رسمت دورها في سورية دولياً تحت سقف دعم الدولة الشرعية في مواجهة الجماعات الارهابية، ليست مستعدة لتوسيع نطاق التزامها ليطال التحول إلى طرف في صراع تاريخي قائم ومستمر بين سورية و”إسرائيل”.
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بالنسبة إلى محور المقاومة بلا استثناء وفي طليعته إيران وفي قلبه حزب الله، يبقى سقف الموقف هو ما ترسمه القيادة السورية، واحترام جدول أولوياتها، وفي سورية تبقى الأولوية لمواصلة تحرير الأرض السورية الواقعة خارج نطاق سيطرة الدولة، بفعل سيطرة الاحتلالين الأميركي والتركي والجماعات التقسيمية أو الارهابية العاملة في ظلالهما، وطالما أن الغارات “الإسرائيلية” ذات طابع إعلامي، فالدولة السورية ماضية في أولوياتها، خصوصاً أن ذلك يريح العلاقة بينها وبين موسكو التي تشاركها هذا الالتزام ضمن إطار المهمة الأصلية التي جاءت القوات الروسية على أساسها إلى سورية، وطالما كان ذلك ممكناً ترغب الدولة السورية بعدم الاستجابة لمحاولات استدراجها إلى طرق جانبية تربط هذه الخطة.
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الغارة الأخيرة على اللاذقية تختلف عن سابقاتها، فهي تأتي في ذروة الأزمة الأوكرانية التي تعيشها روسيا في محاولة لتغيير قواعد الاشتباك، والقول لموسكو إن مدى الحركة “الإسرائيلية” لن يراعي الخطوط الحمر الروسية، وإلا فإن “إسرائيل” تملك قدرة التأثير في مسار المواجهة في أوكرانيا عبر جاليات يهودية فاعلة في روسيا وأوكرانيا، وتستهدف “إسرائيل” من هذا التوسيع لنطاق الحركة، التأثير على مسار التفاوض الدائر في فيينا حول الملف النووي الإيراني، عبر السعي لفرض تصعيد عسكري في المنطقة يعقّد مسار التفاوض ويضغط على الموقف الأميركي، ويضعه في زاوية صعبة، ولذلك كان ذا مغزى ما تضمنه البيان الروسي من اتهام “إسرائيل” بالاحتماء بطائرات روسية كان تحلق في أجواء اللاذقية، وتم اختيار التوقيت “الإسرائيلي” بعناية ليتزامن مع هذا التحليق، وما يرافقه من تعليق عمل الدفاعات الجوية السورية تفادياً لوقوع كارثة شبيهة بالتي حدثت قبل سنوات، وأسفرت عن اسقاط طائرة روسية بصاروخ سوري.
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الأكيد الآن هو أن التعامل مع هذه الغارة ليس كما قبلها، وأن الكل ينتظر روسيا لمعرفة طبيعة الاجراءات التي ستتخذها في ضوء البيان الصادر عن وزارة الدفاع الروسية، خصوصاً أن المرة الماضية شهدت موقفاً روسياً قاسياً أوقفت خلاله موسكو العلاقات السياسية مع حكومة الاحتلال، وزودت الجيش السوري بشبكات دفاع جوية حديثة، وأقفلت الأجواء السورية بوجه الطائرات “الإسرائيلية” في كل مناطق الانتشار الروسي، ومنها اللاذقية ودمشق وحمص، لكن الأكيد أن الموقف الروسي يبقى روسيا، وأن رداً سورياً منتظراً لن يكون بعيداً، ومن خلفه كل محور المقاومة، وأن معادلة الصواريخ مقابل الغارات ستكون على الطاولة لترسم قواعد اشتباك جديدة، خصوصاً أن واشنطن التي أيدت في عهد الرئيس ونالد ترامب ضم الجولان، لم تنسحب بعد رسمياً من هذا التأييد في زمن إدارة الرئيس جو بايدن، والقرارات الاستيطانية الأخيرة لم يجف حبرها بعد.
After several western attempts to block its construction, citing “dependence on Russia”, Russia’s Nord Stream 2 is complete and ready for commissioning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the SPIEF in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 4, 2021 (Reuters)
Russian Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline is ready for commissioning after its second line from Russia to Germany has been filled with gas, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller announced Wednesday.
According to Miller, the Russian energy giant has met all long-term gas supply contracts.
“Today at 12:58 Moscow time [09:58 GMT], Gazprom completed the filling of the second thread of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with gas. The first and second threads of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline are under operational pressure and are fully ready for operation,” Miller declared.
The CEO also revealed that the company had fulfilled its obligations to transit gas through Ukraine.
“Gazprom fully fulfilled its obligations under the contract for gas transit via Ukraine, our planned volume of 40 billion cubic meters of gas. Today we have already transited 41.5 billion cubic meters through Ukraine,” he said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia ready to supply gas to Europe
President Putin announced that Russia would be ready to immediately start supplying Europe with Gas if the European countries decide to launch Nord Stream 2.
Now, of course, he said, everything depends on Moscow’s partners, European consumers, and Germany.
“As soon as they decide to start work, large volumes, additional volumes of Russian gas will immediately begin to flow to Europe. Let me remind you that this is 55 billion cubic meters per year.”
According to Putin, the launch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will see gas prices decreasing, not only for Europe but also for Ukraine.
The Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Economic Cooperation said Wednesday Washington’s sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project were pointless, as the construction of the gas pipeline had been completed.
“To be honest, we see no point in Washington’s sanctions policy in conditions when the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has already been built,” the diplomat declared.
In light of the Russian-Ukrainian tensions, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday Russia’s Nord Stream 2 would not be allowed to operate in Ukraine, citing an agreement between Washington and Berlin.
The pipeline, which has been backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the one hand and Scholz’s predecessor Angela Merkel on the other in recent years, has been criticized by several sides.
The US and several Eastern European countries are worried that Europe would be too dependent on Russia.
Under media pressure, the US military admitted to its March 2019 massacre of dozens of civilians in the Syrian border town of al Baghouz.
Syria: Why the US massacre at Al-Baghouz?
Under media pressure, the US military admitted to its March 2019 massacre of dozens of civilians in the Syrian border town of Al-Baghouz. But that same media also promoted the Pentagon’s false cover story: That this happened as a result of the US military ‘fighting ISIS’.
The fog of war is used to muddy all evils.
The New York Times prided itself on uncovering the fact of the massacre of dozens of Syrian civilians and exposing the coverup. However, it then simply adopted the Pentagon’s claim that this bombing occurred “in the last days of the battle against the Islamic State in Syria when members of the once-fierce caliphate were cornered in a dirt field next to a town called Baghouz”. This context was pure fiction.
Syrian sources show that the US Air Force was attempting to bomb Syrian Arab Army (SAA) placements on the outskirts of Al-Baghouz, in an attempt to remove the SAA presence from that part of the border and so hand full control of the zone to its Kurdish-led SDF proxy, deployed all across eastern Syria since 2018.
Syrian General ‘A’, with experience in the Deir Ezzor region, told this writer that there were no ISIS terrorists in Al-Baghouz in March 2019. It was then and still is a town dominated by the US-backed SDF, but with SAA posts on the outskirts of the town. This hybrid remains the pattern across much of eastern Syria.
The Syrian, Iranian, and Iraqi alliance has controlled the Al-Bukamal-Baghouz border crossing area since late 2017 after they destroyed the major ISIS (DAESH) centers in the Deir Ezzor region. The late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the hero of the regional anti-ISIS war, led the October 2017 push, down the Euphrates from Deir Ezzor city through Al Mayadeen to the border area at Al-Bukamal.
While the US military positioned itself all along the Syria-Iraqi border, from Hasakeh in the north to Al-Tanf in the south – so as to divide regional resistance forces – the Al-Bukamal-Baghouz area was and remains the only crossing they failed to control.
As a result, there have been many US and Israeli missile and drone attacks on that strategic border area, both before and after the Al-Baghouz massacre, all aimed at Iranian, Iraqi PMU, and Syrian forces. Those attacks were ongoing in November 2021.
General A pointed out that the Al-Baghouz villages have been brutalized by both ISIS and the SDF, and that drives them to seek refuge with the SAA.
Properly understood, ISIS is a sectarian proxy created by the Saudis in Iraq and Syria, under US directions, to use sectarian violence to divide and weaken both states. There have been multiple admissions by US officials (including Joe Biden, when he was Vice President) that their major allies funded and armed ISIS, and all the other ‘jihadist’ gangs in Syria.
Despite the admissions, Washington has tried to maintain the myth of its own ‘arms-length’ from this notorious terrorism. The war media follows suit.
The March 2019 massacre of civilians at al Baghouz, in an attempt to deliver that area more fully to the SDF, is reminiscent of the September 2016 US-led bombing attack on Syrian soldiers posted on Thardeh mountain behind Deir Ezzor Airport, which did in fact help ISIS take over that strategic position.
There, a carefully planned bombing raid by the US and Australian air forces, which lasted for an hour and killed over 120 soldiers, was simply labeled a ‘mistake’. The western media did not question this absurd explanation. They did not even ask how such a ‘mistake’, which enabled an ISIS takeover of the mountain, was not corrected.
In fact, as many Syrian Army sources (routinely ignored by the western war media) have long pointed out, ISIS remains a tool of the US and, after 2017, is still used in small attacks, helped by the SDF, to harass Syrian forces in the eastern desert.
The SDF holds many former ISIS fighters in its prisons and releases groups from time to time, for just such missions.
Why would the NYT simply adopt the Pentagon’s ‘good intentions’ defense over Al-Baghouz massacre, having uncovered the shocking crime and its coverup?
Simply put, the western war media imposes clear limits to ‘respectable’ criticism of NATO’s bloodthirsty wars of aggression.
The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.
An explosion shook Ataq city, the capital of the Shabwah governorate, hours after the arrival of forces belonging to the Giants Brigades.
The blast was not confirmed to have resulted in deaths and injuries.
Al Mayadeen correspondent reported on Tuesday a violent explosion that took place in the airport of Ataq, the capital of the Shabwah governorate, eastern Yemen.
The correspondent confirmed that the explosion happened hours after the arrival of the UAE-backed Giants Brigades to the airport controlled by the Al-Islah party forces.
Al Mayadeen correspondent confirmed that the airport was bombed with missiles, although, the blast was not confirmed to have caused deaths and injuries to this moment. The spokesperson of the Giants Brigades denied in a tweet any damages on Ataq Airport.
UAE-backed Giants Brigades arrived in Shabwa governorate only 3 days after President Hadi dismissed the governorate, affiliated with the Al-Islah party, Muhammad bin Adyo, and appointed Awad Al-Awlaqi, affiliated with the Transitional Council, to replace him.
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The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Commission [IRCC] said the United States is not serious about leaving the Arab country, stressing that the American dream that its troops will be at peace in Iraq is a mere “illusion” that will never come true.
“It becomes clearer to us every day that the occupying forces of the United States are not serious in fulfilling the demand of our dear nation to implement the Iraqi parliament’s bill regarding their withdrawal,” the IRCC said in a statement on Tuesday.
It was making a reference to a bill that was passed into law on January 3, 2020 by the Iraqi parliament requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign forces in the country.
The bill came two days after the US assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, near the Baghdad International Airport. Soleimani’s companions, including the deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units [PMU] Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were also martyred in the operation.
The statement said the Iraqi resistance groups have waited so far so as to give yet another chance to the American forces to leave the country as demanded by the law.
It called on the government to fulfill its duty of expelling the occupying forces from Iraq, but added that it seems the US insists on maintaining its occupying troops in the Arab country.
The US, according to the statement, intends to retain its forces in the current bases and also take control of Iraqi airspace in order to spy on areas that are bereft of the Daesh [Arabic for ‘ISIS/ISIL’] terrorists.
“The US dream that its occupying soldiers will feel at ease and that their bases will be in peace and stability in Iraq is an illusion that will never come true,” the IRCC emphasized.
At the outset, the Israeli military decision to revise its open-fire policies in the occupied West Bank seems puzzling. What would be the logic of giving Israeli soldiers the space to shoot more Palestinians when existing army manuals had already granted them near-total immunity and little legal accountability?
The military’s new rules now allow Isreali soldiers to shoot, even kill, fleeing Palestinian youngsters with live ammunition for allegedly throwing rocks at Israeli ‘civilian’ cars. This also applies to situations where the alleged Palestinian ‘attackers’ are not holding rocks at the time of the shooting.
The reference to ‘civilians’ in the revised army manual applies to armed Israeli Jewish settlers who have colonized the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in defiance of international law and Palestinian sovereignty. These settlers, who often operate as paramilitary forces in direct coordination with the Israeli army, endanger the lives of their own families by residing on occupied Palestinian land. Per Israel’s twisted standards, these violent Israelis, who have killed and wounded numerous Palestinians throughout the years, are ‘civilians’ in need of protection from rock-throwing Palestinian ‘assailants’.
In Israel, throwing rocks is a “serious crime” and Palestinians who throw rocks are “criminals”, according to Liron Libman, Israel’s former chief military prosecutor, commenting on the new rules. For Israelis, there is little disagreement on these assertions, even by those who are questioning the legality of the new rules. The point of contention, according to Libman and others, is that “a person who is fleeing does not present a threat,” though, according to Libman himself, “the new policy could potentially be justified,” The Times of Israel reported.
The ‘debate’ on the new open-fire policy in Israeli media, gives one the false impression that something fundamental has changed in the Israeli army’s relationship with occupied Palestinians. This is not the case at all. There are numerous, daily examples in which Palestinians, including children, are shot and killed with impunity, whether throwing rocks or not, going to school or merely protesting the illegal confiscation of their land by the Israeli military or armed settlers.
In the Palestinian village of Beita, in the northern occupied West Bank, eight unarmed Palestinians have been killed since May. This small village has been the scene of regular demonstrations against Jewish settlement expansion and against the illegal settlement outpost of Eviatar, in the Palestinian rural area of Mount Sabih. The victims include Muhammad Ali Khabisa, the 28-year-old father of an eight-month-old child, who was shot dead last September.
Though the new rules have placed much emphasis on the status of the supposed Israeli victims, labeling them ‘civilians’, in practice, the Israeli military has used the exact same standard to shoot, maim and kill Palestinian alleged rock-throwers, even when armed settlers are not present.
A famous case, in 2015, involved the killing of a 17-year-old Palestinian teenager, Mohammad Kosba, at the hands of an Israeli army colonel, Yisrael Shomer. The latter alleged that Kosba had thrown a rock at his car. Subsequently, Shomer chased down the Palestinian teenager and shot him in the back, killing him.
The Israeli officer was “censored” for his conduct, not for killing the boy, but for not stopping “in order to aim properly,” according to The Times of Israel. The Israeli military chief prosecutor at the time concluded that “Shomer’s use of deadly force under the framework of the arrest protocol was justified from the circumstances of the incident.”
Israel’s disregard of international law in its targeting of Palestinians is not a secret. Israeli and international human rights groups have repeatedly condemned the Israeli army’s inhumane and barbaric behavior in the occupied territories.
In an extensive report as early as 2014, Amnesty International condemned Israel’s “callous disregard for human life by killing dozens of Palestinian civilians, including children, in the occupied West Bank” over the years. AI said that such killings had taken place “with near total impunity.”
“The frequency and persistence of arbitrary and abusive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers and police officers – and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators – suggests that it is carried out as a matter of policy,” the Amnesty report read.
Even Israel’s own rights group, B’tselem, concurs. The organization decried the Israeli army’s “shoot-to-kill policy”, which is also applied to “people who have already been ‘neutralized’”. Indeed, in the case of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, a Palestinian man who was shot point-blank in Al-Khalil (Hebron), by an Israeli military medic, Elor Azaria, in 2016, was not only ‘neutralized’ but also unconscious.
According to B’tselem, Israeli “soldiers and police officers have become judge, jury and executioner”. With this tragic and sinister trajectory in mind, one is left to wonder why the Israeli army would amend its open-fire policy at this particular moment. There are three possible answers:
One, the Israeli government and army are anticipating a surge in Palestinian popular resistance in the coming months, possibly as a result of the massive expansion of illegal settlements and forced evictions in occupied East Jerusalem.
Two, by perfectly aligning the existing open-fire policy with the aggressive shoot-to-kill military practice already in place, Israeli courts would no longer have to contend with any legal repercussions for killing Palestinians, including children, regardless of the circumstances of their murders.
Finally, the revised rules would allow Israel to make a case for itself in response to the open investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC), concerning human rights violations and war crimes in occupied Palestine. Israel’s Attorney General will now argue that no war crimes are taking place in Palestine since the killing of Palestinians is consistent with Israel’s own military conduct and judicial system. Since the ICC is investigating alleged war criminals, not the government itself, Israel hopes that it can spare its own murderers from having to contend with the legal expectations of the Court.
Though the timing of the Israeli military decision to amend its open-fire policy may appear sudden and without much context, the decision is still ominous, nonetheless. When a country’s military decides that shooting a child in the back without any proof that the alleged ‘criminal’ posed any danger whatsoever is a legal act, the international community must take notice.
It is true that Israel operates outside the minimum standards of international and humanitarian laws, but it is the responsibility of the international community to protect Palestinians, whose lives remain precious even if Israel disagrees.
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website iswww.ramzybaroud.net
It appears that the united West is preparing what I would call a “negotiations zoo” which would include not only Russian-US talks, but also NATO and even the OSCE. True, the US-Russia summit would take place 2 days before, at least that is the idea, but I still get the impression that the US has decided to use the Europeans like a kind of a political fig leaf behind which it would hide telling the Russians “but, unlike you, we are real democrats, and we need to consult with all our allies, friends and partners”.
So, say, Estonia will be consulted before any decision is taken.
If so, then this is headed nowhere and Russia will have to act unilaterally.
Some recent news are particularly funny. Like the Pentagon announcing that it will keep an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean to “reassure our European allies”. As if Russia did not have the means to reach to the mid-Mediterranean. And if we are talking about the western Mediterranean, than ask yourself how far the aircraft based on the carrier would have to fly to “deter” Russia: the truth is that the Russian “reach” is much longer than the US one, making the entire exercise a pure PR action.
If my feeling is correct, then the following will happen: the Russians will see this zoo and interpret that as a way for the US not to seriously negotiate, either because they don’t want to, or because they are unable to. Makes no difference to the Kremlin.
The Kremlin made a clear (and, frankly, quite reasonable) offer to the US, which now seems poised to drown it in enpty verbiage, empty PR actions and empty threats. If so, then Russia will have no choice but to turn on the “pain dial” until the West comes back to reality.
What do you think – are you also getting the feeling that the US is simply unable to negotiate seriously?
‘Israeli’ Walla! news website published a roundup about the ‘Israeli’ military in 2021 admitting that the Zionist regime’s ‘freedom’ to operate along the Lebanese border has been “harmed.”
The report detailed that “Syria has stepped up the activeness of its air defenses, operations in the occupied West Bank increased, deterrence in Gaza has been preserved, and Iran is some two years ahead of deciding on a nuclear bomb.”
The ‘Israeli’ occupation’s estimations for the next year consider “the main challenge that will face the military and the security establishment is the “Shia” axis,” it claimed, explaining that it extends from Iraq and is positioned in Syria and Lebanon.
It then added that the “security challenges on the Palestinian arena come in the last place.”
The news website claimed that the ‘Israeli’ military in general enjoys a high level of freedom of operations on the aerial, naval, and ground levels; pointing, however, to that the status of the aircraft has deteriorated in the past year as aerial defense systems have been deployed in the region.
The ‘Israeli’ website also reported that the Zionist military is trying to overcome the “harmed freedom” of its aerial attacks.
Additionally, in recent months, the Zionist military attempted to actively deal with difficulties in flying in the Lebanese airspace, in which it started indeed to construct the wall that separates the Lebanese and ‘Israeli’-occupied Palestinian borders.
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UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 