Sayyed Nasrallah to Israelis: To return North, end war on Gaza

Posted on May 14, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

May 13, 2024

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Sayyed Nasrallah underlines that the continuation of the Lebanese Resistance’s operations and the Gaza front is “a settled matter not open for discussion.”

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, giving a speech on the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mustafa Badreddine. on Monday, May 13, 2024 (Al Mayadeen)

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah affirmed that the Lebanese front continues, in various forms and methods, its operations in support of the Resistance in the Gaza Strip and imposes its own rules of engagement.

In a speech delivered on the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mustafa Badreddine, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the continuation of the Lebanese Resistance’s operations and the Gaza front is “a settled matter not open for discussion.”

He stressed that the entire world “has accepted this fact,” adding that this is why the Americans conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there is no solution for the Northern front without a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Resistance leader addressed the settlers in northern occupied Palestine, who are eager to return to their settlements, calling on them to pressure their government to end the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

‘Israel’ hits a brick

Sayyed Nasrallah explained that evaluating the results of the war requires assessing the battlefield and not relying on Israeli claims about victory, indicating that “there is a consensus on the failure in Israel.”

He also pointed out that even allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mock him when he says he is “one step away from victory,” emphasizing that the issue “is not limited only to Israeli failure to achieve objectives but to more strategic losses.”

The Resistance leader touched on Israeli opinion polls regarding confidence in “Israel” as a “state” and in its army, highlighting that at least 30% of settlers believe that “Israel” is uninhabitable.

The Hezbollah chief considered that the “real achievement” is the failure of “Israel”, backed by the West, to retrieve its captives or achieve victory, not to mention its inability to protect its ships from missiles launched from thousands of kilometers away.

Sayyed Nasrallah added that the “image of deterrence” within the Israeli occupation entity is declining, especially after Iran’s Operation True Promise.

In the same context, he mentioned that senior Israeli generals say that Netanyahu, through his insistence on war, “is leading us to the abyss,” noting that Israelis also speak of “daily attrition in Gaza, in the support fronts, and in the economy.”

He added that “Israel” fears withdrawing from Gaza because that would mean its defeat, which comprises a disaster for the entity, indicating that the Israeli leadership “has no vision for the day after the war.”

In light of this, Sayyed Nasrallah asserted that the Israeli occupation is “facing a dead end and is searching for any image of victory,” pointing out that “Netanyahu wants to invade Rafah to escape the image of defeat.”

As for the mediators’ proposal that Hamas agreed to, Sayyed Nasrallah said that it surprised Netanyahu because it meant his defeat and victory for Hamas (because it fulfilled Hamas’ demands).

Therefore, “the Israeli occupation has two options, either return to the mediators’ document, which means defeat for Israel, or pursue the [war of] attrition,” he maintained.

‘US deception should not trick anyone’

In a different yet related context, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah spoke about the continued US support for the Israeli occupation in its war on Gaza, stressing that “even if the United States stops an arms deal bound for Israel, it will re-allow it as this constitutes an American deception because what is happening is nothing more than a tactical dispute between the United States and Israel.”

“These theatrics that we are witnessing nowadays should not deceive anyone, as Washington stands with Israel [no matter what],” he stressed.

Furthermore, Sayyed Nasrallah maintained that what happened at the United Nations and the International Court platforms confirms the US’ continuous, unabating support for “Israel” and that the US position has not changed at all. 

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Sayyed Nasrallah also pointed out that one of the most significant results of the war is “Israel’s” acknowledgment that it did not achieve victory, highlighting that 70% of Israeli settlers are demanding the resignation of the Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

He also emphasized that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the resilience of the people, and the images of the blood of children and women in Gaza and southern Lebanon have shown the true colors of “Israel”.

Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that among the goals of the Palestinian Resistance and the Axis of Resistance declared since the beginning of Al-Aqsa Flood battles was to revive the Palestinian cause, remind the world of forgotten Palestine, and uphold the rights of its people inside the occupied territories and in the diaspora.

“The most important scene that reflects the victory of the Resistance is when the Israeli #UN delegate raised a picture of the leader Yahya al-Sinwar,” he maintained.

Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that, since the start of Al-Aqsa Flood, the Palestinian cause is now the talk of the town worldwide, including at the United Nations, where most countries demand a ceasefire.

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah also touched on the protests taking place at universities in the United States and across Europe, confirming that these protests, bearing the name of Palestine, “are the fruit of October 7 and following events.”

He mentioned that some Arab rulers were about to sign the death certificate of the Palestinian cause through normalizing ties with the Israeli occupation, which was looming in the coming months.

He also noted that some Arab regimes and media outlets are now promoting the Israeli occupation entity as “the only democratic state” in the region.

US, EU hindering Syrian refugees return

On the internal Lebanese front, and specifically regarding the file of Syrian refugees, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General confirmed that there is a “consensus to address the issue,” explaining that the meeting of the Lebanese Parliament, next Wednesday, is “an opportunity to present practical proposals” to this end.

Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that everyone is in favor of the return of Syrian refugees to their country, with the exception of some non-governmental organizations, which means that “the main obstacle standing in the way of the return of Syrian refugees to their country is the US along with the EU.”

In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled his visit to Syria where he met, years ago, with the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, who encouraged the return of the refugees to al-Qusayr, stressing that “those who were preventing them from doing so were the EU-funded organizations.”

The Lebanese Resistance leader considered that “it is inevitable to communicate with the Syrian government to ensure the return of refugees,” stressing that a delegation must be formed to visit countries, such as the United States, in order to convince them of the need for their return.

He also called for “taking a Lebanese national stance to open the sea for the voluntary departure of Syrian refugees to Europe,” explaining that this is when the West and the EU “will rush to Lebanon and pay 20 billion dollars instead of one” to prevent so when such a decision is made.

“When we are our own masters and not slaves and we possess the elements of power, that is when we can impose our conditions on the enemy,” Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed.

He also emphasized that Syria is capable of getting back on its feet within a few years once the sanctions imposed on it are lifted.

Syria’s stance regarding Palestine firm, consistent

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that they wanted to force Syria, through the global war waged on it, into the American grip or into a civil war, stressing that it had “come out of the war and still maintains its [original] position, despite the siege and the difficult conditions” imposed on it.

The Lebanese Resistance leader also indicated that Damascus’ stance regarding the Palestinian cause is firm and consistent, affirming that the goal behind Hezbollah’s engagement in the war in Syria was to keep the country within the Axis of Resistance.

Regarding the occasion, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah confirmed that Martyr Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine deserved a medal for every walk of his life as a freedom fighter and a combatant, as a wounded individual, as a captive, as a commander, as an achiever, and as a martyr.

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Martyr Badreddine “is present across all battlefields, as is the case with all martyrs, especially the leaders,” explaining that the Resistance that is fighting today is “a cumulative result of the past and present leaders and fighters and those who will join in, any time in the future.”

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US on alert as UAE seeks to join Turkish-Syrian reconciliation talks

Posted on January 9, 2023 by fada1

As the UAE tries to join Russia in mediating between Ankara and Damascus, the US is looking to establish a middle ground between Turkiye and the SDF in hopes of preventing normalization with Syria

January 08 2023

(Photo Credit: Emirates News Agency)

ByNews Desk- 

During a speech in Ankara on 5 January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad may soon take place, “as part of efforts for peace.” He added that a tripartite meeting between the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Russia and Syria is scheduled to be held in the near future for the first time since 2011.

The upcoming meeting aims to enhance communication after Russian-sponsored talks between the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers were held in Moscow on 28 December. The meeting was the highest-level of official meetings between Ankara and Damascus since the start of the Syrian war.

In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 5 January, Erdogan called on the Syrian government to “take the steps to achieve a tangible solution concerning the case of Syria.”

The US seeks to establish a middle ground between Ankara and the SDF in order to prevent Turkish-Syrian reconciliation

The Syrian-Turkish rapprochement via declared Russian mediation was paralleled by Emirati-Syrian rapprochement – the latest of which was a “brotherly” meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation and restoring historical relations between Assad and Foreign Minister of the UAE Abdallah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, according to SANA.

Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the UAE seeks “to join Russia in sponsoring Syrian-Turkish relations at a high level,” noting that the Emirati foreign minister’s visit to Damascus sought to arrange Turkiye’s participation in the tripartite meeting of Syrian-Turkish-Russian foreign ministers, making it a quadripartite meeting.

The meeting is meant to pave the way for a presidential meeting between Erdogan and Assad in the presence of Putin. Reportedly, the UAE has offered to host this summit, with a possibility of a high-level UAE official being present at the meeting if it will be held in Moscow.

Asharq Al-Awsat added that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu plans to visit Washington on 16-17 January to brief US officials on the developments of Turkish-Syrian normalization, his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faysal Mikdad, and the “roadmap” sponsored by Moscow in the context of security, military, political and economic fields – as agreed upon by the defense ministers as well as the intelligence chiefs in Syria, Turkiye and Russia over the past weeks.

As Turkiye has been launching successive operations against Kurdish groups both on the Turkish-Syrian border as well as within Syria itself under ‘Operation Claw Sword,’ a Western official informed Asharq Al-Awsat that a high-ranking US official will be visiting Ankara in the coming hours as part of efforts to mediate between Turkiye and the SDF in northeastern Syria.

Ankara has demanded that Moscow and Washington commit to the implementation of the bilateral military agreements signed at the end of 2019. The agreements stipulate the withdrawal of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to beyond 30 kilometers from the Turkish border, and from the areas of Manbij and Tal Rifaat, in addition to the withdrawal of all heavy weaponry.

The SDF says that it has fulfilled its obligations, and will not withdraw its police force – known as the Asayish – nor dismantle its local councils, despite Turkiye’s insistence on dissolving all Kurdish military and civil institutions in the area.

Meanwhile, Cavusoglu told media on 29 December that Ankara is willing to withdraw from the territory it occupies in northern Syria and hand it over to Damascus in the event that “political stability” is reached – after cooperation in “neutralizing ISIS members, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the YPG.”

The Saudi newspaper’s report stated that US mediation seeks to reach a “compromise” between the Kurdish groups and Ankara without a new Turkish incursion taking place ahead of the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-2023. This mediation seems to be an attempt at circumventing the imminent Syrian-Turkish reconciliation.

Another official source disclosed that Ankara was “uncomfortable with the leaks following the meeting of the Syrian, Turkish and Russian defense ministers in Moscow, and that it had agreed to a full withdrawal.” However, the source confirmed that, “it is true that Ankara and Damascus consider the PKK a common threat, and will work against any separatist agenda, because it is an existential threat to both countries,” adding that the two countries will “work to open the Aleppo-Latakia Highway.”

Following the UAE’s visit to Damascus, which came after the US called on its allies and international partners to refrain from normalizing ties with Syria, Asharq Al-Awsat quoted an official as saying that the US has been the only western country to issue a statement against normalization, and is working alongside Paris, Berlin, and London to assume a united stance against normalization with Syria.

Communication is currently underway for a meeting between the representatives of Paris, Berlin, London, and Washington and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson in Geneva on 23 January. This meeting will take place before Pedersen’s visit to Damascus to meet with the Syrian foreign minister to “confirm the position against normalization, and support the provision of funding for electricity projects within the timeline of early recovery,” stipulated by a resolution for international aid that will be extended before 10 January.

Asharq Al-Awsat said that the UAE has proposed to contribute to the funding of economic and electrical projects in Syria – within the confines of the Caesar Act.

Simultaneously, Jordan, who was the first to open high-level channels of communication with Damascus, is leading efforts alongside other Arab countries to reach a “united Arab position that defines Arab demands in order to make normalization possible.”

The newspaper quoted another western official as saying that Jordan is calling for coordination to put pressure on Damascus to provide political and geopolitical steps for the coming phase in southern Syria, as Amman confirmed that there has been an increase in the smuggling of Captagon, weapons and ammunition across the Syrian border following the start of the normalization process. Additionally, Amman has said that the Iranian presence in southern Syria near the Jordanian border has not diminished, and that there has been an expansion of ISIS activity in the area, according to the official.

Syria’s Arab League membership was suspended in November of 2011 following the start of the Syrian war, and it has been excluded ever since.

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سوريا: أميركا تصعّد حرب التجويع

Posted on December 16, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians

لا دواء… لا مواد أولية… لا قَطع أجنبياً: أميركا تصعّد «حرب التجويع» على سوريا

 الخميس 15 كانون الأول 2022

فراس الشوفي

لم تتضّح بعد الاستراتيجية التنفيذية للقانون العدائي الجديد ضدّ سوريا (أ ف ب)

في إطار سياسة «الضغوط القصوى» الممارَسة على سوريا، تتّجه الولايات المتّحدة إلى تضييق الخناق على هذا البلد تحت ذريعة تحوّله إلى «دولة مخدرات». وفي ما يشبه تماماً الحملات التي استهدفت يوغسلافيا السابقة ودولاً في أميركا اللاتينية، بدأت الخطوات العملياتية على طريق تشديد الحصار على سوريا، التي تعيش أصلاً مأساة اجتماعية واقتصادية هائلة، في ظلّ هبوط حادّ في سعر العملة الوطنية، وفقدان للموارد

يستمرّ الكونغرس الأميركي في سنّ القوانين الهادفة إلى تصعيد «الضغوط القصوى» الممارَسة على سورية، في سياسة مستدامة منذ عام 1970. آخر الخطوات على هذا الطريق، هي «قانون مكافحة الكبتاغون»، الذي من المفترض أن يقرّه الكونغرس ويوقّع الرئيس جو بايدن قريباً عليه، بعد عبوره مجلس النواب ولجنة القوات المسلّحة لمجلسَي النواب والشيوخ. وفيما تغرق سوريا، مع غياب الحلول السياسية، في مأساة اجتماعية واقتصادية هائلة، وهبوط حادّ في سعر العملة الوطنية جرّاء الحصار الأميركي الخانق وفقدان الموارد، يشكّل القانون مادةً جديدة لتشديد الخناق على الشعب والاقتصاد السوريَين، في ظلّ الحديث بشكل علني عن ضرورة منْع الحكومة من الحصول على القَطع الأجنبي، بذريعة تحوّل سوريا إلى «دولة مخدّرات». وتبدو الدعوات الصادرة عن نواب وسيناتورات أميركيين، فضلاً عن بعض وسائل الإعلام ومراكز الأبحاث، لإعلان سوريا «دولة مخدرات»، مُشابِهةً للحملة التي استهدفت يوغوسلافيا السابقة، بعد إضعافها بتزكية نيران الحرب في البلقان، وقبل تدميرها بعدوان مباشر من حلف «الناتو»، وتفكيكها إلى دويلات. كما أن هذه السياسات لا تختلف عن تلك المتّبَعة مع دول أميركا اللاتينية التي لا تخضع للمشيئة الأميركية.

القانون الذي بُنيت استراتيجيته من ستّة بنود، يستند إلى التقارير الآتية من دول جوار سوريا، وإلى مجموعة من المواد الصحافية والإعلامية التي أسهمت طوال المرحلة الماضية في شيطنة هذا البلد، وتكريس اتّهام الدولة السورية و«حزب الله» بتغطية مختبرات إنتاج مادة الكبتاغون، وتهريبها إلى الخليج العربي ومصر، وحتى إلى أوروبا. باختصار، تشكّل البنود الستّة استراتيجية أمنية وسياسية واقتصادية متكاملة للتغلغل أكثر في محيط سوريا، وتطويقها وقطْع المواد الأوليّة عنها، بذريعة تفكيك «البنية التحتية لشبكات الكبتاغون للنظام السوري». ويكلّف القانون الإدارات الأميركية الأمنية المتعدّدة، تقديم الدعم والتعاون الأمني والديبلوماسي للجهات المعنية في دول الجوار السوري، ومساعدة وكالات مكافحة المخدّرات فيها على التطوّر وتقديم التدريب والدعم المادّي لها، واستهداف شخصيات وكيانات بالعقوبات، وممارسة الضغوط الاقتصادية على دمشق بالتعاون مع مؤسّسات وشركاء دوليين، وشنّ الحملات الإعلامية ضدّ الحكومة السورية. وبينما يضع القانون مهلة 180 يوماً أمام الإدارات التنفيذية لإنجاز استراتيجية تطبيق القرار الأميركي قبل عرضه مجدّداً على الكونغرس، يَظهر أن الخطوات العملية قد بدأت بالفعل.

وكانت الحملة الإعلامية سبقت مشروع القانون بكثير، وانخرطت فيها العديد من وسائل الإعلام العالمية والعربية، في خطوات ممنهجة لربط تجارة الكبتاغون بأخصام الولايات المتحدة في سوريا، وخلْق غيمة من التشويه ضدّ شخصيات سورية. أمّا مسألة التعاون مع وكالات مكافحة المخدرات والإدارات الأمنية في محيط سوريا، فهذا الأمر يجري بشكل منتظم مع الأردن ولبنان والعراق والدول الخليجية. والدعم العسكري والاستخباراتي الأميركي للأردن يشتمل، ضمن ما يسمّيه الأميركيون خطّة طرْد إيران من الجنوب السوري، «مكافحة المخدرات»، وقد سبق للأردن أن أعلن مراراً توقيف مهرّبين على الحدود مع سوريا. أمّا في لبنان، فيزداد التواصل الأميركي والدعم للأجهزة الأمنية، فيما وسّعت إدارة مكافحة المخدرات الأميركية، وهي وكالة لإنفاذ القانون تابعة لوزارة العدل، اهتمامها بمكتب مكافحة المخدرات المركزي في بيروت، انطلاقاً من مكتبها الدائم في قبرص. وعلمت «الأخبار» أن الدعم المادّي الأميركي للمكتب سيُستأنف قريباً بعد توقّفٍ سبّبته اتهامات للأخير بحالات تعذيب تَبيّن أنها حصلت في مكاتب أخرى. في المقابل، سبق للمندوب السوري لدى مكتب الأمم المتحدة والمنظمات الدولية الأخرى في فيينا، السفير حسن خضور، أن أعلن أمام لجنة المخدرات في الأمم المتحدة في آذار الماضي، أن مشكلة المخدرات قد تنامت في سوريا بفعل سيطرة التنظيمات الإرهابية المدعومة من عدّة دول على بعض المناطق الحدودية، الأمر الذي خلق مناخاً ملائماً لنقل المخدرات وترويجها، ووفّر عوائد مالية ضخمة لتلك التنظيمات، مؤكّداً أن الجماعات الإرهابية تبتكر دائماً طرقاً للتهريب وهي تمتلك تقنيات. وطلب السفير السوري تعاوناً دولياً مع بلاده وتبادلاً دائماً للمعلومات، وتوفير القدرات الفنية والتجهيزات المخبرية وأجهزة الكشف على المعابر الحدودية.

وعلى الرغم من أن الاستراتيجية التنفيذية للقانون العدائي الجديد ضدّ سوريا لم تتضّح بعد، وما إذا كان يتضمن توجيه ضربات عسكرية أو أعمالاً تخريبية أمنية بذريعة مكافحة المخدرات، عبّر عدد من المعارضين السوريين عن اعتراضهم على القانون كونه لا يتضمن خطوات عدائية أكثر وضوحاً ضدّ سوريا. لكن يجري حديث بالهمس يردّده مقرّبون من الأميركيين في بيروت، عن أن هناك نوايا لشنّ هجمات مجهولة الهويّة ضد مواقع لـ«إنتاج المخدرات» في سورية. إزاء ذلك، يلفت مصدر حكومي سوري، في حديث إلى «الأخبار»، إلى أن «هناك دائماً ذرائع كاذبة للاعتداء على سوريا كما يحصل من قِبل العدوّ الإسرائيلي»، مؤكّداً أن «الأجهزة السورية تسعى بكلّ قوتها لمكافحة المخدرات، وسوريا تاريخياً هي دولة عبور، إنّما بسبب الحرب استغلّت العصابات الإرهابية والجنائية المعارك العسكرية وانشغال الدولة بالحرب لتقوم بالترويج والتهريب والتصنيع، وبعضها يتلقّى دعماً غربياً وفي مناطق تحت سيطرة الأميركيين، لكن الدولة تستعيد قوتها وتعمل على ضرب هذه الأوكار وتحتاج إلى المساعدة والتعاون مع الدول الصديقة وليس إلى الحصار».
وعدا عن تبرير التجسّس على سوريا، وتعميق التدخّل في دول الجوار، يضع القانون بعض المواد الأوليّة اللازمة لصناعات عدة، لا سيّما الأدوية، تحت حصار جديد، من شأنه إضافة مأساة أخرى إلى مآسي الأزمة الطبّية الهائلة في هذا البلد. إذ أشار أكثر من تقرير غربي وعربي، ضمن الحملة الأميركية، إلى أن بعض المواد المصنّعة يتمّ استيرادها إلى سوريا من الصين والهند، وهي بمعظمها مواد تدْخل في الصناعات الدوائية، القطاع الذي تعرّض لنكسة كبيرة خلال الحرب ولتدمير مقصود من قِبَل الجماعات المسلّحة.

فيديوات ذات صلة

Damascus focuses on reviving productive projects in the face of Western sanctions
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: The American occupation forces and militias continue their systematic looting of basic resources

مقالات ذات صلة

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S. Nasrallah Warns ‘Israel’ against Miscalculation: We’ve Reached End of Line, Ready for All Options

Posted on August 9, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians

August 9, 2022

Marwa Haidar

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah Warned the Zionist entity against any miscalculation towards Lebanon, stressing that Hezbollah has reached “the end of the line” regarding the issue of gas and maritime border.

Addressing mourners in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh) on Ashura Day, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that the Lebanese resistance group is fully ready to confront all options, in response to Israeli threats and in a clear message that Hezbollah is prepared for war.

Sayyed Nasrallah hailed what he called the legendry steadfastness of Gaza’s people and resistance in face of Israeli aggression, voicing full commitment to Palestine as the central cause of the nation.

His eminence also voiced sympathy and support to Nigeria’s Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and people of Bahrain, Yemen and Syria.

Sayyed Nasrallah also warned Iraqis against foreign schemes.

Ashura and Nigeria

Sayyed Nasrallah started his speech by offering condolences for Imam Mahdi (a.j.), the lord of the age, and all Muslims over martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (a.s.).

Talking via a video link, Sayyed Nasrallah renewed allegiance to Imam Hussein, noting that “throughout 40 years, we haven’t abandoned him, and we will never do so.”

He voiced sympathy with Nigeria Shia cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has been for years subjected to repeated crackdowns by Nigerian authorities.

“Ashura is the day when we shall voice support to all those who are oppressed. We voice sympathy with Sheikh Zakzaky, along with his supporters.”

Palestine and Bahrain

The Hezbollah S.G. then stressed that Palestine is the central cause of the nation, praising those who were martyred and injured to defend the occupied country.

“Palestine is the central cause. We don’t expect mercy from the US, but we address those who claim they are Arabs. To be Muslims or Arabs is to support oppressed people.”

“We feel proud of the martyrs and resistance fighters over their legendry steadfastness. We renew our commitment to this affair.”

Sayyed Nasrallah, meanwhile, slammed Bahraini regime over normalizing ties with the Zionist entity, and over attacking Ashura ceremonies across the Arab island.

“One of the ugliest parties who normalized ties with Israel is the regime in Bahrain who proved that it doesn’t tolerate a black flag,” he said referring to flags raised during Ashura ceremonies.

“We recall the oppression of people of Bahrain, whose rights are stolen by their treacherous rulers who are embracing the enemies of this nation.”

Yemen, Iraq and Syria

Sayyed Nasrallah then reiterated the Lebanese resistance group’s stance towards Yemen.

“In the day of oppressed (Ashura) we reiterate that we stand by the people of Yemen who have been for years tirelessly fighting for their dignity and confronting tyrants.”

“People of Yemen are real personification of Karbala and supporting them is a duty.”

The Hezbollah S.G. also urged Iraqis to solve their disagreements, calling on them to foil schemes set by the nation’s enemies.

On Syria, Sayyed Nasrallah said the country has overcome the universal war launched by many international regional sides, but stressed that the blockade represented by the US Caesar Act.

His eminence also praised Iran, describing the Islamic Republic, led by Supreme Leader Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, as the heart of the Axis of Resistance.

In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled sacrifices made by martyrs Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis who were martyred by a US strike in Baghdad in 2020.

In Lebanon, Another Account to Settle

On Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah was very clear, as he responded to Israeli threats and warned the occupation regime against any miscalculation.

“The Lebanese are the only people who decide their fates and make their decisions. Throughout 40 years we have confronted all forms of challenges including wars, blockades and assassinations.”

“We look forward to a free and powerful Lebanon that is capable to defend its dignity and to invest its wealth. We look forward to Lebanon which is capable of cutting off any hand that would extend to its wealth.”

Meanwhile, his eminence called on Lebanese sides to exert joint efforts in a bid to form a government and to cope with current crises, urging officials to feel the pain of the Lebanese citizens.

On the issue of gas, oil and maritime border, Sayyed Nasrallah said Hezbollah will see the responses to the Lebanese State’s requests in the coming days.

Addressing resistance supporters, and especially resistance fighters, Sayyed Nasrallah said they should be ready for all options.

“We are dealing with this battle with utmost level of seriousness. I say to the Israelis and the Americans (US administration): Lebanon will never tolerate stealing its wealth.”

“We have reached the end of the line and we will keep up on this way.”

On the other hand, Sayyed Nasrallah responded to Israeli remarks regarding the “messages” behind the last 3-day aggression on Gaza.

“Yes, I was watching the latest developments in Gaza and the message was delivered. We have seen heroism and steadfastness in Gaza as well as the unity of its resistance factions. Gaza managed to impose its own equation of deterrence. As for Lebanon, there is another account to settle.”

In this context, his eminence warned: “any aggression on any person in Lebanon won’t go unpunished. We remind you that we are the lovers of Imam Hussein (a.s.) who once said ‘Humiliation, never!’.”

Source: Al-Manar English Website

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President Assad Visits Iran, Meets Iranian Leaders Khamenei and Raisi

Posted on May 10, 2022 by martyrashrakat

ARABI SOURI

Syrian President Bashar Assad paid a working visit to the Iranian Capital Tehran, during his visit, President Assad and his hosts emphasized the strong relations between Syria and Iran, its historic roots, continuous developments, and its future growth.

During this visit, the Syrian and Iranian leaders paved the way to increase the cooperation and coordination between their two countries to the highest levels and in all fields including combating terrorism and economic aspects.

The following report by the Syrian Ikhbariya news channel details the visit and its outcome:

The video is also available on BitChute, and Rumble.

Transcript

President Bashar al-Assad made a working visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran, during which he met Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and Ibrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meetings dealt with the historical relations that unite Syria and Iran, which are based on a long path of bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding on the issues and problems of the region, and the challenges they face, in addition to topics and issues of common interest and the latest developments on the regional and international arenas.

During his meeting with Mr. Khamenei, President al-Assad affirmed that the course of events proved once again the correctness of the visions and the approach that Syria and Iran have followed for years, especially in confronting terrorism, this confirms the importance of continuing to cooperate in order not to allow America to rebuild the international terrorist system that it used to harm the countries of the world, especially the countries of the region over the past decades, noting that the United States today is weaker than ever.

His Excellency stressed that the Palestinian cause today is re-imposing its presence and importance more and more in the conscience of the Arab and Islamic world thanks to the sacrifices of the heroes of the resistance.

For his part, Khamenei reiterated Iran’s continued support for Syria to complete its victory over terrorism and liberate the rest of the Syrian lands, considering that Syria is achieving historic victories thanks to the steadfastness and courage of its president and the strength and steadfastness of its people and army.

Addressing President al-Assad, Khamenei added: We have no doubt that you will be able to liberate the rest of the Syrian lands and under your leadership, Syria will remain united, and we have to maintain the strong relationship that unites our two countries and peoples, this is beneficial not only for our two countries but also necessary for the region.

In turn, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ibrahim Raisi affirmed that his country has the serious will to expand relations between the two countries, especially the economic and trade relations, both public and private, and that it will continue to provide all forms of support to Syria and its people, especially in light of the difficult economic conditions the world is witnessing and will remain by Syria’s side to help it overcome difficulties, considering that any suffering for Syria is suffering for Iran.

Syrian President Bashar Assad Visits Tehran - Iran Meets Khamenei and Ebrahim Raisi - الرئيس بشار الأسد يزور طهران - إيران ويلتقي خامنئي وإبراهيم رئيسي
From the meetings President Bashar Assad held with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi

President al-Assad described Iran as the leadership and people of the brotherly, friend, and loyal partner, considering that the approach taken by the Islamic Republic of Iran in dealing with regional and international issues does not serve the interests of Iran and Syria only, but all the countries and peoples of the region.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian tweeted that President Assad’s visit and the high-level meetings with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Iranian President have opened a new chapter in the strategic relations between the two countries; He added: We are determined to raise the relations between the two countries to the appropriate level.

The Iranian foreign minister concluded that “the defeat of the terrorist plot in Syria is due to the cooperation between the two countries.”

End of the transcript.

Despite the very strong decades-long unshaken relations and high level of agreement on most topics of importance between Syria and Iran and in the face of unprecedented challenges, the two countries are yet to achieve the needed levels of bilateral economic cooperation aspired to by the people in the two brotherly countries.

The Syrian – Iranian relations have withstood and overcome the US hegemony and US-led wars direct invasion, terrorism, attrition, blockade, sanctions, assassinations, destabilization, and direct piracy and theft. Their joint cooperation not only foiled the US’s evil plots for the region, but they also managed to weaken the US’s ability to impose its will on the rest of the world by breaking its military might after the illegal invasion of Iraq, and by breaking up the US proxies in the region, mainly Al Qaeda and ISIS.

The Pentagon Threatening to Revive ISIS

The hefty price paid by the Syrian people has also saved the people of the world by absorbing the major terrorism and direct aggression shock and awe by the USA, Israel, NATO forces spearheaded by Turkey, and their proxy terrorists of Al Qaeda, and ISIS. The steadfastness of the Syrian leadership, army, and people has awakened Russia, China, and Iran to the dangers of the Western plots and allowed them to build their capabilities to come out of the cold and solidify a front against the imperial Zionist Nazi evil camp of NATO and its stooges.

Syrians are waiting to see a payback visit by the Iranian president to Damascus, it’s been over a decade since an Iranian president visited Syria, long before the US-led war of terror on the Levantine country despite several visits paid by the Iranian presidents around the world including to countries in the region that have been in the enemy camp against Syria, like Turkey, and like Egypt during the rule of the anti-Islamic Muslim Brotherhood president Morsy.

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Filed under: Al Qaeda, American Aggression, American Hegemony, American Lies, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, ISIS – Daesh, Syria, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Takfiris, The Islamic Republic of Iran, War on Syria | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on President Assad Visits Iran, Meets Iranian Leaders Khamenei and Raisi

Biden Forces Continue Stealing Syrian Oil; Kurdish SDF Terrorists Killed

Posted on May 8, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians

ARABI SOURI

Biden forces and their Kurdish SDF separatist terrorists continue ‘business as usual’ by stealing more of the Syrian oil and breaching Syria’s sovereignty as both of them work for the ‘Greater Israel’ project which has the Turkish madman Erdogan play a leading role in it, the Syrian national resistance in northern Syria also continue ‘business as usual’ by targeting the oil thieves and their proxy terrorists.

More than 50 vehicles most of which are tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil were seen heading toward the Kharab Al Jir (Karab Al Jeer) military airport in the northeastern Hasaskah province before heading to Iraq through an illegal border crossing, the vehicles were operated by the Biden forces illegally present in Syria and were guarded by the Kurdish SDF separatist terrorists.

Near the village of Al Sajir in the northeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, a group of Syrian national resistance attacked an illegal military point manned by the US-sponsored Kurdish SDF separatist terrorists, local sources confirming the attack also confirmed casualties among the targeted terrorists.

More in this report by the Syrian Ekbariya news channel:

The video is also available on BitChute, Odysee, and Rumble.

Transcript

A number of the US-sponsored SDF militants were killed and wounded in separate attacks targeting militia vehicles and points in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

Al-Ekhbariya reporter quoted local sources as saying that an armed attack was carried out by unidentified persons with machine guns and RPGs, targeting a military point of the SDF militia in the village of Al-Sajir, north of Deir Ezzor, amid almost confirmed news of the death and injury of a number of militants of that militia.

The American occupation transferred a convoy of tanks filled with stolen Syrian oil and military equipment to its base at Kharab Al-Jeer Airport in the Yarubiyah countryside, in preparation for its expulsion to Iraq through the illegal Al-Waleed crossing.

Local sources indicated that a convoy of 50 vehicles, mostly tankers loaded with stolen oil, and a number of tankers loaded with artillery and military equipment, were accompanied by eight military armored vehicles of the American occupation forces headed from the Tel Hamis area in the eastern countryside of Hasaka to Kharab Al-Jeer airport in the town of Al-Yaroubiyeh, which the occupation forces use as its base.

The sources pointed out that the exiting vehicles stopped at Kharab Al-Jeer Airport to head to the illegal Al-Waleed crossing.

End of the transcript.

All of the Biden’s regime talks, and the talks of the regimes of his predecessors in the USA and in all NATO member countries, about the need to respect the freedoms of people, protect the borders of countries, respect the sovereignty of nations, as their current hysteria over Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity, are all talks to justify their policies, talks targeted for the consumption of their gullible citizens who only foot the bills of the criminal interventions of the ‘Collective West’ in the targeted countries, the only goal is the hegemony of the haves in order to have more on the account of the rest of the world.

The sanctions (legally termed: unilateral coercive measures) the collective west imposed on Russia allegedly for the Russian military operation in Ukraine are nothing but a continuation of punishing countries who reject the absolute US hegemony, for decades, the US consecutive regimes have imposed inhumane sanctions and blockades on Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and many other countries, their sanctions on Syria dubbed ‘Caesar Act‘ are the most draconian sanctions as they target companies and entire countries who deal with any Syrian business.

In addition to their illegal occupation of areas in northern Syria, where Syria’s main oil fields and wheat fields are, the Biden forces also occupy a military post in the furthest southeastern desert at Al Tanf area where they provide a protected zone for ISIS remnants.

Trump Forces Continue Looting Syria’s Oil in his Last Days in Office

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Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC Briefing on the Political and Humanitarian Situation in Syria

Posted on March 25, 2022 by martyrashrakat

Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360°  

Mme.President,

We thank Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Geir Pedersen, Head of UN OCHA Martin Griffiths, as well as Assistant Secretary-General of the Leagues of Arab States Hossam Zaki for their insights.

We welcome the beginning of the 7th round of the Editorial Board of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva. We are convinced that there is no alternative to Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political settlement under UN assistance that should be free of external interference and artificial deadlines, and should remain within the framework of UNSC resolution 2254.

We do hope that “methodological” reservations will not impede fruitful conclusion of this round, and the work will mainly focus on dialogue between the Syrian delegations and their readiness to come to an agreement on the issue of constitutional reform. We call on Geir Pedersen to concentrate on this without getting distracted by other initiatives.

Mme.President,

Progress of political settlement is in even greater demand now that the situation on the ground remains tense and potentially explosive. Main security threats to Syria have to do with the rise of activity of terrorists who found refuge at Damascus-uncontrolled territories in Idlib, cross-Euphrates area, and Al-Tanf. This problem can be solved if the uncompromising fight against internationally-recognized terrorist groups, first of all ISIL and HTS continues; illegal foreign military presence that violates Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is put an end to; and Israel’s arbitrary air strikes stop for good.

We believe the key reason creating this hazardous situation is the West showing indulgence towards terrorists and trying to use them for own purposes. Among the resent consequences of this dangerous stance we can name a large-scale terrorist attack on al-Sinaa prison in Hasakeh. When cleansing the prison and surrounding urban areas from militants, US aviation and armored vehicles were used. Measures for protection of civilians were ignored, which is richly illustrated by mass outflow of peaceful population from combat zone: more than 45,000 people by OCHA estimates.

Even though Washington poses its military presence as a counter-terrorism operation, we see no active fight against terrorists there. Besides, by available records, ISIL and other extremists from across the Euphrates are being transferred to other hotspots where spreading chaos is beneficial for the US. It is worth reminding that the United States and its allies repeatedly launched massive missile and bombing raids against Syria’s military and industrial infrastructure in violation of the international law and the UN Charter – on a far-fetched pretext of eliminating chemical weapons. Apparently, this is what West-promoted “rules-based order” looks like.

This being said, and also in view of the fact that the Secretary-General stepped back from conventional “neutral language” that is appropriate for an international civil servant in the context of Ukraine, we request A.Guterres to be consistent and give an assessment to whether the presence of the US and other forces in Syria meets the UN Charter. We count on him to call the names of those who illegally occupies the Syrian territory, first of all in Al-Tanf, and specify who is responsible for the situation in IDP camps that are out of control of Damascus. Otherwise we will have to perceive his silence as a manifestation of double standards.

We also remind the Secretary-General that we never heard him give an assessment to the US bombardments of Raqqa, Hajin, and Baghouz. By UN data, there was no single medical facility in Raqqa left unaffected by hostilities. At least 80 people (most of them women and children) died during the bombardment of Baghouz. After his emotional assessments of the developments in Ukraine that were based on unverified or even unverifiable data, Head of the United Nations is obliged to call things by their real names in the context of continuing US occupation of Syrian territories based on data that is confirmed by international agencies.

Mme.President,

At the humanitarian track, we share the assessments of M.Griffiths that the international community is failing Syrians from year to year. Implementation of UNSC resolution 2585 that is called to boost comprehensive humanitarian assistance to Syria is stalled. Planned cross-line convoys from Aleppo to Sarmada were blocked by militants in Idlib. According to the incoming reports, Nusra fighters openly say that they would not let through any internal convoys (that carry aid to approximately 43,000 people in need) until the renewal of the cross-border mechanism (CBM) in July, of which they are somehow convinced. There is also no access to the three other zones of Turkish operations – even COVID-19 vaccines cannot be delivered there.

In parallel to this, our Western colleagues try to connect member states’ obligations under the unanimously adopted resolution 2585 with political preconditions. While politicizing humanitarian assistance, Europeans and Americans keep suffocating Syria with unilateral sanctions that erode the humanitarian situation and seriously complicate efforts of specialized organizations, i.a. due to related chilling effect and overcompliance by banks, insurance companies and economic operators. Again, didn’t we make decisions defining hunger as an unacceptable method of warfare that contradicts the IHL?

We must not relax our attention to assisting Syrian IDPs and facilitating refugee return – this task remains on the agenda. Host countries – Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey do not conceal that there are limits to their accommodating capacities.

We believe we need to uphold the fundamental right of refugees to return, as stated in UNSC resolution 2254 and given scrupulous coordination of such efforts with Damascus.

Colleagues,

As we all know, the CBM mandate expires this summer. Of all provisions of the resolution, only one is being implemented at the moment – cross-border humanitarian deliveries. It seems no one is going to implement the other provisions. At the same time, Damascus has proven that cross-line deliveries to Idlib are possible and that peaceful population can receive humanitarian aid if it departed from the territory of Syria. We strongly call you to not forget this and not expect that we turn a blind eye to nonfulfillment of resolution 2585 that becomes more and more outspoken.

Thank you.

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Four signs that a US-Gulf ‘divorce’ is in the making

Posted on March 21, 2022 by martyrashrakat

The rapid-fire ‘messages’ directed at Washington from old Persian Gulf allies are brutal, and strongly suggest that the days of US hegemony are done

March 20 2022

In all the geopolitical salvos issued left and right last week, nothing was less expected than the visit of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to the UAE. It is a strong sign of the Persian Gulf’s dissatisfaction with its US ally.Photo Credit: The Cradle

By Abdel Bari Atwan

If any good has come out of the Ukraine war for the Arab world, it is the diminished status and influence of the US in West Asia. Washington is losing many of its traditional allies in the region, especially in the Persian Gulf, and this trend looks like it will accelerate.

Four recent developments illustrate this.

First, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to the UAE on Friday. The warm welcome laid on for him by its leaders was a slap in the face of the US administration, its strongly stated objections to the visit, and its sanctions aimed at de-legitimizing the Syrian government.

Second, the growing defiance of US hegemony by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, OPEC’s two largest oil producers. Most notable was their rejection of US President Joe Biden’s pleas to increase oil production in order to push down prices and provide extra supplies to enable western sanctions of Russian oil and gas imports.

Third, the failure of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit – on Washington’s behalf – to Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, where he conveyed veiled threats to the two countries should they fail to toe the western line on Ukraine, join in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, or break their oil production agreements with it.

Fourth, Saudi Arabia’s invitation to China’s President Xi Jinping for an official visit and Riyadh’s openness to pricing its oil sales to Beijing in yuan. This signals that the kingdom and possibly other Gulf states may be willing to join the new global financial system Russia and China are developing as an alternative to the western one.

Of the four developments, the reception accorded to President Assad in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was the clearest sign of this Gulf rebellion against the US and its domination. The visit didn’t need to take place now; that it did shows more about the mood in the Gulf centers of power than anything else.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have reportedly declined to receive US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is keen to follow up Johnson’s visit to try to succeed where he failed.

Instead, in a snub seen around the world, the UAE’s foreign minister Sheikh Ahmad Bin Zayed visited Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The public show of bonhomie they displayed was bound to rub salt into the American wound.

The timing of Assad’s trip – on the 11th anniversary of the start of the US-led war on Syria aimed at toppling its government, and three weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine – and the UAE’s indifference to the angry US reaction, are further signs of the start of divorce proceedings with an abusive partner that fleeces and cheats on its allies.

Assad’s visit to the UAE provided important gains for both countries and their leaders. It broke Syria’s official isolation in the Arab world and heralded the breaking of the US embargo imposed on the country. This caps a broader process of Arab ‘normalization’ which is set to see Damascus regain its membership of the Arab League and role in collective Arab decision making, and take part in the Arab summit to be held in Algiers in November.

This bold step also benefits the UAE in many ways. It helps offset the hugely negative impact on its image that resulted from its signing of the so-called Abraham Accords and enthusiastic courtship of the Israeli enemy.

Building bridges of trust and cooperation with the Axis of Resistance via Syria, Iran’s closest ally, could also help the UAE and Saudi Arabia find ways out of their quagmire in Yemen. It may be no coincidence that Riyadh is proposing to host an all-party Yemeni dialogue and has officially invited the Houthi Ansarullah movement to take part.

In short, what we are seeing today are manifestations of a revolt against US hegemony in the Arab world by the axis of Arab ‘moderation’ led by the Egyptian-Emirati-Saudi trio. It is open for other Gulf and Arab states such as Iraq, Algeria, and Sudan to join should they wish. This new axis may take clearer shape at the Algiers summit in the fall.

The process of Arab normalization with Israel is bound to slow down. It is the most grievous error that normalizing countries – old and new – could have made, and should be halted completely. But there is optimism in this regard, as turning against the US also implies turning against Israel.

Meanwhile, Assad’s presidential plane, which over the past decade has only flown to Moscow and Tehran, looks set to do a lot more traveling in the coming weeks and months. Its next destination after Abu Dhabi could be Riyadh or Cairo, despite the best efforts of the US to bar its way.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Filed under: Algeria, American Hegemony, China, House of Saud, Syria, The Islamic Republic of Iran, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates UAE, United Kingdom UK, War on Syria | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Four signs that a US-Gulf ‘divorce’ is in the making

Virtual Ukrainian invasion virtually imminent

Posted on February 1, 2022 by martyrashrakat

JANUARY 31, 2022

Source

By Lilia Shumkova

UPDATE: This article has been finished and ready to be emailed to The Saker, when the news coming from the government of Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics confirmed my observations expressed here.

In my extensive library of e-books, there is a book by Reese Erlich titled Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect. The book outlines the situation developed in Syria by 2014 that was pushed, sponsored, narrated, and propagated by the United States.

In Chapter 11 of the book, “United States, Russia, and Outside Powers” Reese Erlich writes: “Meanwhile, the Obama administration was pursuing a secret military track. The CIA began overseeing arms shipments to the Free Syrian Army no later than June 2012 when it leaked the story to the New York Times. The CIA began directly arming and training rebels in early 2013 (see chapter 5). Proclaiming support for nonviolent resistance while arming rebels was not seen as a contradiction, according to State Department critic Kathy. She said the State was populated with ‘humanitarian interventionists,’ people who favor one or another form of military intervention by claiming it will, in the end, protect civilians. ‘But we never discuss the legality of such attacks, let alone the morality,’ she told me. Controversial policies are sent to the legal department for review. ‘They’ll always find a way to justify whatever policy is decided.’”

The Biden administration was soaked to the brim by Obama’s people and their “expertise.” Let’s say, they are unparalleled in inflicting “pain” on people of targeted nations.

“State Department officials insisted that Syrians would benefit from US policy in the long run. The spokesperson acknowledged that ordinary Syrians were hurt by American economic sanctions, which had caused a massive drop in their standard of living. But, as if admonishing naughty children, the spokesperson told me Uncle Sam would make it up to them. ‘Once the behavior changes, once we have the Assad regime step down, we will make sure this is an environment where Americans can do business.’ There’s an interesting logic here. He assumed that the solution for economic collapse is American business investment. What’s good for American business, apparently, is good for the Syrian people. Similarly, the State Department saw no contradiction between criticizing Assad’s human-rights record and supporting pro-US regimes elsewhere in the region also committing abuse, such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The State Department simply assumed that US allies can and will change while enemies will not. The spokesperson explained that allies may abuse human rights, ‘but we work with them.’”

Recalling the standard disclaimer on investment products. “Past performance does not guarantee future results,” with the political operatives teams only one thing is certain. The results for Ukraine will be very different, but the methods are the same.

In the beginning of December, Russia’s Ministry of Defense issued an unheard of warning about the possibility of the false flag attack in Ukraine with someone impersonating the Russian military.

A couple of days later, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had handed the Biden administration demands for the security guarantees, and in another two days the rest of the document was posted on the ministry website. The demand for the security guarantees for Russia from the US and NATO acted as a giant monkey wrench thrown into the spinning wheel of the Western propaganda of the “invasion of Ukraine.”

Claims of “invasion” have been circulating on and off for the past 8 years, and started sounding louder in April of 2021. In November, Zelensky announced that Russia wants to topple his regime. In December, the Russian government published warnings about upcoming false flag attacks and made the diplomatic moves that somewhat confused and wobbled the “invasion” proponents. They only gained some ground by now, which is the end of January.

On Friday, January 28, the DOD and Biden administration announced the “imminent” invasion of Ukraine during a Biden/Zelensky phone conversation. Zelensky disagreed and, counterintuitively, insisted that there wasn’t much proof that the Russian army was going to “invade Ukraine.” According to CNN, the conversation “did not go well.” Zelensky and Biden disagreed about the immediacy of the threat of a “Russian attack on Ukraine.” The White House and Pentagon has been emphatic that they believe the attack could be “imminent.”

The Zerohedge article collected a hilarious confusion of the warmongering CNN coming with war propaganda and then removing it after a few hours and claiming that they were deceived by their source in the Zelensky administration.

So, the cover fall out and we witnessed a giant mix of fear, greed, hatred, russophobia,incompetence, bloodlust, and pure clinical insanity, which constitute the modern American policy-making. Many right, exact, deep and very funny things have been said and written since, but there was something else that I wouldn’t want to go unnoticed.

During his Friday press briefing, Zelensky said something that holds the golden key to the mystery of an “invasion.”

Tucker Carlson included this important segment into his Friday night monologue.

Tucker: This is a slow motion disasterhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/-0z55whpRvg?feature=oembed

In case the video won’t be available, here is a short description.

Zelensky sits in a chair on some podium in front of a room full of journalists. The White House says that the conversation between Biden and Zelensky came down to “Russian invasion is imminent,” “Kiev will be sacked,” and “prepare for impact,” and insists that Zelensky asking Biden to stop fear mongering and to turn down the rhetoric never happened. Zelensky, however, says it did happen:

“We talked to the president. We talked about the same things, about the media and that there has to be a balanced approach. I’m not saying that he is influencing the American media, they are independent, but media policy has to be more balanced. If they want to know what the situation is here in Ukraine they should come to Kiev. Do we have tanks on the streets? No! The image that the mass media creates is that we have troops on the roads, we have mobilization, people are leaving for places. That’s not the case. We don’t need this panic!”

Prior, Jen Psaki claimed that the Biden administration had 18 scenarios of “Russian invasion of Ukraine.” Sergey Lavrov responded by saying that 17 scenarios were written by 17 intelligence agencies and one by the DOS staff. The only thing was certain, it would be a false flag attack, because Russia didn’t have any plans to take over Ukraine. It’s very expensive, since we would have to feed their population, solve its problems, and ensure its general well-being. All this would be an enormous injustice to us, Russians, since it’s only recently that we started to live better. The economy is growing the fastest ever. Good and fair energy prices in Europe and great prices for our other exports like wheat and fertilizers pay higher pensions and paychecks of doctors, teachers, military and law enforcement, and other federal employees.The government just recently undertook gigantic investments into mega infrastructure projects and mega oil and gas processing plants (source).

It’s beyond stupid and evil to think that after trillions rubles in new investments Russian government should decides it wants to occupy and feed the failed state of Ukraine.

So, the whole thing is just a Biden admin manufactured pretext to impose new illegal trade restrictions that would per their design crush our economy and make us all poor, again.

But, going back to the gold key to the mystery that fell out of Zelensky’s mouth. What scenario will the US use to stage a false flag attack to blame it on Russia?

Here is a spoiler alert.

At 2:37 on the Tacker Carlson video, the image allegedly from Ukraine looks like the black-and-white WWII footage.

Fake war footage

Zelensky said during his interview, “Do we have tanks on the streets? No! The image that the mass media creates is that we have troops on the roads, we have mobilization, people are leaving for places. That’s not the case!”

And that’s our Oscar winning scenario of virtual invasion. It was staged and prerecorded and was supposed to be broadcast all over the world.

Last week, some British news channel aired an interview with Ukrainian general Oleksandr Pavliuk who famously said that he has half a million veterans who are ready “to tear Russians apart with their bare hands.” (source)

I couldn’t find this footage again, but if you happen to come across it you will notice a middle aged overweight man in khaki looking like a stuffed sausage or the Michelin Man. He slowly runs across the snowy field,and then appears behind the general, while someone on the background shouting and shooting aimlessly, and a smoke machine in the snow emits dense vapor covering the whole scene with a couple of military trucks and a couple of men hiding behind them.  The whole scene is a movie set, and they are filming scenes of a virtual “Russian invasion.”

In Zelensky’s own words: Do we have tanks on the streets? No! The image that the mass media creates is that we have troops on the roads, we have mobilization, people are leaving for places. That’s not the case!

So, when we see news on tanks on the streets in Ukraine, troops on the roads, mass mobilization and people in khaki leaving for places – it’s an image of the “Russian invasion” that western media have created.

Newsweek image of alleged middle-aged “Ukrainian soldiers”.

Borrowed from here:

Ukraine is a very poor country. People there would do anything for money, especially act in a movie.

On Monday, January 31,  The head of the People’s Militia Department, Yan Leshchenko, announced that Kiev is preparing staged and filmed stories about the military actions allegedly unleashed by the republics of Donbass and Russia against Ukraine (source)

“Our intelligence obtained reliable information about the development and implementation by Ukrainian special services with the support of Western intelligence agencies of a special information campaign codenamed Crushing Sword. The purpose of this campaign is to mislead the world community and accuse the People’s Republics of Donbass and the Russian Federation of aggression against Ukraine,” Leshchenko quotes the Telegram channel of the People’s Militia of the LPR (source)

Lugansk now has reliable information that Kiev is preparing professionally acted and staged TV stories as part of the campaign. “At the first stage of the information campaign with the beginning of aggression by the Ukrainian Armed Forces the Kiev regime planned to broadcast pre-prepared staged videos on the alleged beginning of military operations against Ukraine by the People’s republics and the Russian Federation,” Leshchenko said.

The Ukrainian authorities organized videos about the residents of Donbass, who allegedly ask “to free them from Russian oppression.” “Kiev is ready to release staged videos on television in which specially trained citizens on behalf of our people will talk about the “horrors of war” and ask “to free them from Russian oppression,” the head of the People’s Militia department informed.

TASS reported that according to Leshchenko, Kiev propagandists want to convince the world community of the legitimacy of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allegedly liberating Donbass from terrorists. “Ukrainian propagandists intend to demonstrate the successes of the Ukrainian army in allegedly successfully repelling the imaginary aggression of the people’s republics, as well as conducting an offensive on Donbass. According to the plan, the international community and the population of Ukraine will have to make sure of the legality of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allegedly liberating Donbass from terrorists. The death of civilians in the people’s republics will be presented as the destruction of terrorists,” he said in a statement.

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This one-two punch from China and Russia marks the end of American adventurism

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Zara Ali

15 Jan, 2022 

By Bradley Blankenship

Source

FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / Gokhan Sahin
Syria’s inclusion in the Belt and Road Initiative is the final act in a long saga against American imperialism that shows how China and Russia can effectively counter U.S. intervention in the future.

Damascus officially joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Wednesday, which will provide a massive lifeline to the country that has been torn to shreds after more than a decade of war and Western sanctions. But more than this, this development has set a precedent that will fundamentally change the geopolitical landscape. 

This is because the decade-spanning Syrian conflict has hosted several proxy conflicts, which has invariably left the United States and its Western allies the losers. 

For starters, while the conflict itself was, at least initially, part of the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, numerous sources (including U.S. government sources published by WikiLeaks) suggest that the United States had been seeking regime change in Syria long before then. There are also countless reports by very good journalists, including on RT, that have dug up these connections.

However, this attempt devolved so quickly, and was so futile and messy, that the U.S. had ended up siding with the very terrorists it sought to destroy in the wake of 9/11. Syria was almost completely overrun by the likes of Islamic State (formerly ISIS; the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and was on the verge of becoming a terror nexus – until Russia intervened in September 2015.

This was not a Russian invasion per se, but a legitimate intervention based on an invitation from Syrian President Bashar Assad. I was actually in college when this happened and remember discussing on my radio show how huge of a deal this was. Another major power was cleaning up America’s mess with boots on the ground. 

From then until now, the UN-recognized Syrian government has managed to regain virtually all its territory, and extremist elements like the Islamic State group have been pushed back. There remain a few holdouts, for example, near the Turkish border and in the country’s southeast still occupied by U.S. forces, but the difficulty faced in the country’s attempt to get back to normal has to do with external forces.

There’s the diplomatic side, but, since Syria has continued as a UN member, this has primarily been a regional issue. Syria’s membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 as the conflict began, however it’s highly anticipated that it will be readmitted very soon – perhaps even at the group’s next summit in March. 

Other welcoming signs of Syria’s normalization are the fact that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain both reopened their Syrian embassies, Jordan reopened its border with Syria in September and the global law enforcement body Interpol readmitted Syria to its ranks in October. 

But the main problem for a true normalization of Syria on the world stage is its access to international finance and trade, which has been nearly impossible thanks to U.S.-led sanctions, including the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, called the Caesar Act. 

Journalists have reported since the implementation of these latest sanctions that they have actually been more detrimental to the country than the war itself, and this corrosive effect has also extended to the country’s neighbors, like Lebanon. Never mind the intended effects of these sanctions, the reality is that they are artificially placing the country in a position where rebuilding from this devastating war is impossible. 

Enter China. As the second-largest economy in the world and the driving force behind the greatest global infrastructure and development drive in history, the BRI is a natural fit for Syria. It will help the country rebuild, rebound and provide win-win opportunities for both countries while also likely bringing the conflict, finally, to an end. It is the quintessential example of how America bombs and China builds. 

While that is certainly something on its own, in the context of how this U.S.-led foreign intervention was resisted largely thanks to Russia, I believe it shows a sort of one-two punch that can and will be repeated. 

Even if this was not coordinated originally, it is a precedent I believe both Moscow and Beijing should and undoubtedly will apply elsewhere. It goes to show that Washington’s military and economic aggression can both be countered if Russia and China work in tandem as a bulwark against unilateralism. It’s for this reason I believe Syria will be the graveyard of American adventurism. 

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أميركا تسابق الانفجار الإقليمي بالانسحاب وقدماها عالقتان

Posted on November 24, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians


الأربعاء 24 تشرين الثاني 2021

ناصر قنديل

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يبدو القلق من الانفجار الإقليمي هاجساً أميركياً يحضر في خلفية كل السياسات، بمقدار ما يبدو السعي لتوفير بيئة آمنة للانسحاب الأميركي من المنطقة هدفاً للسياسات، وتبدو السياسة الأميركية عالقة بين القلق الذي تؤشر إليه كل الملفات المتصاعدة في سخونتها، والسعي الذي يحضر في السياسات الأميركية في مواجهة هذه الملفات، وتبدو أميركا عالقة وعاجزة عن إنجاح سياساتها الهادفة لتوفير مناخ مناسب لانسحابها، لارتفاع كلفة التسويات التي لا بد منها خلق مناخ التهدئة الممهد للأنسحاب، بقياس التمسك الأميركي بضم المطالب المتصلة بالأمن الإسرائيلي إلى شروط هذه التسويات، بمقدار ما يظهر حجم تأثير التصادم بين محور المقاومة وكيان الاحتلال عاملاً متسارعاً في صناعة خطر الانفجار.

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الانسحاب الأميركي من المنطقة كخيار استراتيجي يتوقف تحوله إلى سياسة على ما يسميه الأميركيون بشبكة الأمان المفقودة، لكنه يبدو خياراً ثابتاً لم تنجح دعوات حلفاء واشنطن بدفعها لاستبداله بخيار الانخراط في مشاريع المواجهة، فواشنطن لا تزال متمسكة بالسعي للعودة للاتفاق النووي مع إيران، ولا ترى في البدائل التي يعرضها حلفاؤها في المنطقة أي إغراء، كما تبدو واشنطن عند كل منعطف في الصراع يفتح الباب نحو خطر التصعيد مستعجلة لتجاوز مخاطره بتراجعات، كمثل التفرج على معارك الجنوب السوري التي خاضها الجيش السوري تحت أنظار قاعدة التنف وانتهت بحسم عسكري كامل ضد الجماعات المسلحة التي كانت تلوذ بالتنف كداعم ومساند، ومثلها الانكفاء الأميركي من طريق المواجهة مع قرار المقاومة بجلب سفن كسر الحصار المحملة بالوقود الإيراني، وذهابها لرفع عدد من العقوبات التي يفرضها قانون قيصر على سورية، من خلال الموافقة على استجرار الغاز المصري والكهرباء الأردنية إلى لبنان عبر سورية، لكن واشنطن في كل ذلك لا تجرؤ على المضي قدماً نحو تسويات للملفات المأزومة من دون زج الأمن الإسرائيلي في دفتر شروط هذه التسويات، من سورية وربط الانسحاب بانسحاب إيران وقوى المقاومة، وربط العودة للاتفاق النووي مع إيران بفتح ملفات مثل مستقبل دعم إيران لحركات المقاومة وكبح تطورالبرنامج الصاروخي الإيراني.

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القلق من الانفجار الإقليمي هاجس أميركي ناجم عن هذه المراوحة، حيث لا قدرة أميركية على المخاطرة بتبني خيار المواجهة، ولا قدرة أميركية على تجاوز مخاطر التسويات على مستقبل كيان الاحتلال ومصادر قوته، لجهة ما تتيحه من تنامي في قوة محور المقاومة، لكن واشنطن تدرك أنها لا تملك الزناد الذي يقدح شرارة الإشعال، حيث تسارع الأحداث في اليمن وفلسطين وسورية والعراق، قد يجعل الانفجار مفاجأة يصعب تفاديها، فتجد واشنطن نفسها عالقة وسط النيران، وإذا كان التراجع أمام تصاعد الوضع في ساحات كاليمن أو العراق أو سورية ولبنان ممكناً، فإن الخشية من الوضع الأشد خطورة الذي يمثله تسارع التصاعد في المواجهة في فلسطين، تدفع واشنطن للقلق من تجدد مشهد معركة سيف القدس، بذات الأسباب والشروط التي تمثلت قبل شهور بالتصعيد المباشر في مدينة القدس والمناطق المحتلة عام 48، حيث المستوطنون الصهاينة  والمواطنون الفلسطينيون يقفون وجهاً لوجه وعلى تماس يومي تصاعدي نحو الانفجار، وحيث حكومة الاحتلال وقوى المقاومة ستكون حكماً على طرفي هذه المواجهة مع انفجارها، والجديد بعد معادلة محور المقاومة التي أعلنها الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصرالله تحت عنوان، القدس تعادل حرباً إقليمية، صار المسار واضحاً بالنسبة لواشنطن، وخطر الانفجار الإقليمي حاضر بقوة.

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المقاربة التي تسعى إليها واشنطن للاستجابة للتحديات التي يفرضها المأزق، تقوم على السعي للفصل بين استعداداتها للعودة للاتفاق النووي، والطلبات الإضافية التي تطال الملفات الإقليمية، أملاً بأن يسرع هذا الخيار فرص العودة للاتفاق بصورة تقترب من الشروط الإيرانية، مقابل التفاهم مع حكومة كيان الاحتلال على ضم القدرات الأميركية تحت عباءة الجيش الإسرائيلي للتلويح بعمل عسكري ضد إيران وقوى المقاومة كخيار يسير بالتوازي مع العودة للاتفاق، وعلى ضفة ثانية السعي لتسريع ترسيم الحدود البحرية بين لبنان وفلسطين المحتلة بشروط يمكن قبولها من لبنان، أملاً بخلق ضوابط جديدة تحول دون انخراط المقاومة في لبنان بأي حرب إقليمية، ومن جهة ثالثة الجمع بين الانسحاب الأميركي من سورية وتقديم المؤازرة اللازمة تقنياً واستخبارياً للغارات الإسرائيلية على سورية وقوى المقاومة فيها، وتبقى هذه الخيارات تحت الفحص أملاً بأن تشكل شبكة أمان افتراضية لتغطية الانسحاب وتسريع التفاهمات، رهاناً على خلق تبريد متوسط المدى يبعد خطر الانفجار الإقليمي ما أمكن، ويطمئن الحلفاء في حال وقوعه إلى التزام واشنطن معهم، في ظل تقديرات خبراء أميركيين تقول إن واشنطن تقنع نفسها بحل وهمي، فهي ترغب بالانسحاب وقلقة من الانفجار وقدماها عالقتان.

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Touch Move; America’s Vicious Circle in Lebanon

Posted on September 18, 2021 by martyrashrakat
Al Mayadeen English

September 18, 2021 

Source: Al Mayadeen

By Lea Akil 

In light of Lebanon’s current energy and unprecedented economic crises, Hezbollah’s decision to import Iranian oil to aid Lebanon led the US into a state of confusion, thus limiting its options.

Visual search query image
Foreign Policy: The United States has no active plan to rescue the country

Lebanon’s economic crisis is a book with many authors. This is a tale of a country that plunged into poverty, dragging down a large percentage of its population. 

The Lebanese are desperate, as the economic situation in the country worsens. So, the hopes of some Lebanese were pinned on the United States, which issued several statements and expressed some reactions, but made no solid actions. In other words, the United States never intended to provide an action plan to help the country out of its crisis.

It is worth mentioning that one factor of the country’s economic crisis is the siege that the US has put the country under. 

The opening; oil ships to Lebanon 

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a speech on August 20, stated that the “Caesar Act on Syria was not only meant to besiege Syria alone but also Lebanon.” The country is isolated from all directions, Syria from the north and east with the longest borderline, and Palestine since its occupation in 1948.

During the same speech, Sayyed Nasrallah announced, “We agreed with the Iranians to start loading the third ship of oil derivatives,” adding that Lebanon will need more than 3 ships to face the forthcoming stage of the crisis.

He emphasized that there are no aims for trade or profit, “our aim is to alleviate the suffering of the people.” 

The first ship reached Syria’s Baniyas Port on September 12 and its cargo was unloaded. Passing through Syria, the Syrian tankers, each carrying 50,000 liters of Iranian diesel, have made it to Lebanese soil a few days later. 

Back to the US agenda

International politics and its game rules dictate that there is no clear agenda on the table, especially when it comes to western agendas in West Asia. However, history can sometimes speak for itself.  

During a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Sep 24, 2020, former US Under Secretary of State, David Hale, revealed that the United States has spent $10 billion in Lebanon, on security forces and the army on one hand, and on the civil society represented mostly by non-governmental organizations on the other, throughout several years.

He continued to say that Washington’s support for the Lebanese army comes within the US strategy to confront Hezbollah’s “terrorism”, explaining that the Lebanese army is “capable of carrying out its tasks.”

Back in 2010, July 8, the former US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman revealed that after Lebanon’s 2006 war, the US invested $500 million to demonize Hezbollah’s image using the media and to drive people away from the party. 

Feltman’s testimony, one of many, reveals that the US wanted to assist and support Lebanon after the war by “reducing” Hezbollah’s appeal to Lebanon’s youth. To this end, the US rushed to invest millions of dollars through USAID and the Middle East Partnership Initiative. 

“Hizballah’s persistence as a well-armed terrorist group within Lebanon, as well as its robust relationships with Iran and Syria, and the transfer of increasingly sophisticated missiles and rockets to Hizballah, threaten the interests of the United States, Lebanon, and our partners in the region, especially Israel,” Feltman stated. 

US policy in stalemate 

There are two moves to play here, either to impose sanctions on Hezbollah or to intervene militarily directly or by proxy. Sanctions were already pushed to their limits, while war looks costly under the current balance of power, with an intrinsic possibility of insurmountable losses.

Following its policy of maximum pressure, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. The three parties were the main players in the current oil transportation route, but sanctions were already there years back. Starting from when the ship set sail from Iran, reaching Syria’s Baniyas port, and then ending on Lebanese territories, America’s siege was considered broken and the US reached stalemate. 

Sayyed Nasrallah clearly and purposely emphasized that the oil ships will indeed reach Lebanese territories. In other words, he was stressing that any attack on the ships would be considered a violation of Lebanese national sovereignty, which will rationally lead to retaliation. Since the other party does understand this simple algorithm, the question is: Is the US ready for escalation?

For a closer look, take a few steps back to August 6. On that day, in response to Israeli raids on Lebanese territories, the Resistance responded.

Hezbollah fired rockets in response to the raids on open areas in Al-Jarmaq and Al-Shawakir, noting that the bombing was carried out with about twenty 122mm rockets.

Checkmate; a win-win for Hezbollah 

In light of talks that Hezbollah would import Iranian oil to Lebanon, a delegation of four US senators announced that the US is looking to help Lebanon overcome its crisis, but warned against importing Iranian oil.

Senator Richard Blumenthal added that there should be no reason for Lebanon to depend on Iran because there are plenty of “other sources” that could be relied on.

Following Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech, in which he announced that Iran would be sending oil ships to Lebanon, the US ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, revealed that the Biden administration is ready to facilitate Jordanian surplus electricity and the export of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon via Syria. 

It is worth mentioning that the announcement about exporting Egyptian gas was made over a month ago, but the facilitation of the process was hastened right after Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech that without a doubt created a rush of speculations and catalyzed the reactions in the political arena.

This announcement by the Biden administration seems to unintentionally benefit Hezbollah’s plans to aid Lebanon. Needless to mention that the gas they said they will help to export will pass through Syria, a country that is already under a US siege imposed by the Caesar act. It looks like the Americans will have to seek Syria’s help in this regard. 

Zugzwang; the compulsion to move 

The US created a corridor that defies the point behind the siege, which it has imposed on Lebanon, thus forcing it to waiver sanctions on Damascus. As such, the US is forced to either rehabilitate the infrastructure in war-torn Syria or to give it funds to do so in order to use the electric transmission line and gas pipelines, which both need repairs. 

Moreover, Hezbollah welcomed the plan that offers aid to Lebanon, whether from Iran, Jordan, or Egypt, as long as it serves the country. Stability after all appears to serve the interests of the Lebanese party more than its foes’. 

The US policy for Lebanon could be easily marketed as a fierce competition with Iran, but the US plan could nevertheless assist Lebanon out of its crisis, regardless of its real intentions, thus, a win-win situation for Hezbollah that is after stability in its home country. The US, on the other hand, seems to only judge Lebanon primarily through the lens of Israeli interests. 

In sum, just as the Foreign Policy wrote, “The United States has no active plan to rescue the country—nor is there any indication that one is in the works,” adding that, “the United States has only offered ad hoc support, doing the minimum to keep the country from utter collapse.”

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With Fuel from Iran, Hezbollah Steps In Where Lebanon Has Failed

Posted on September 17, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians

September 17, 2021 

With Fuel from Iran, Hezbollah Steps In Where Lebanon Has Failed

By Ben Hubbard and Hwaida Saad – NYT

Hezbollah said it trucked more than a million gallons of Iranian diesel fuel into Lebanon from Syria on Thursday, celebrating the move as a way of spiting the United States while bringing much-needed aid to a country nearly paralyzed by fuel shortages.

With Lebanon suffering one of the worst economic collapses in modern history, Hezbollah portrayed itself as a national savior, stepping in where the Lebanese government and its Western backers had failed.

Hezbollah supporters lined roads in northeastern Lebanon as dozens of tanker trucks arrived. They waved Hezbollah flags, distributed sweets, and blasted heroic anthems in celebration.

The fuel delivery — which a Hezbollah official said was the first installment of more than 13 million gallons — underscored the severity of Lebanon’s crisis, as well as the government’s failure to address it.

The move appeared to violate American sanctions involving the purchase of Iranian oil, but it was unclear Thursday whether the United States would press the issue. Hezbollah, blacklisted by the United States, is already subject to American sanctions. Although the group is part of Lebanon’s government, it appeared to be acting independently.

The American Embassy in Beirut declined to comment on Thursday. But when Hezbollah announced last month that fuel was on the way from Iran, the American ambassador played down any threat of punitive measures.

“I don’t think anyone is going to fall on their sword if someone’s able to get fuel into hospitals that need it,” the ambassador, Dorothy Shea, told Al Arabiya English.

The fuel arrived as Lebanon struggles through what the World Bank has called one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns since the mid-1800s. Since the fall of 2019, the national currency has lost 90 percent of its value, and prices for many goods have tripled.

Fuel shortages have caused widespread electricity cuts and left many Lebanese waiting in long lines to fill up their cars.

The government bodies charged with overseeing energy imports were not involved with the delivery. The trucks drove from Syria into Lebanon over an open stretch of land, not via an official border crossing, with no customs or security checks. It was unclear whether the imports had any legal authorization or if any taxes would be paid on them.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who formed a new cabinet this week and has vowed to work to ease the country’s woes, made no public statement about the fuel shipment on Thursday. Nor did the authorities overseeing the borders.

“The country is facing a serious crisis, so the government couldn’t care less whether the trucks entered legally or illegally,” said Elias Farhat, a retired general in the Lebanese Army. “We’re in an emergency situation.”

The shipment was the first tranche of 13.2 million gallons an Iranian ship delivered to the port of Baniyas, Syria, this week, Ahmed Raya, a Hezbollah media official, said. The rest will take several days to offload and transport to Lebanon.

TankerTrackers.com, a group that tracks global oil shipments, estimated that the ship carried less than eight million gallons.

The fuel crisis set off a showdown of sorts between Hezbollah and its allies and the United States over who could act faster to ease the people’s pain, a competition that Hezbollah won, at least for the day.

Nearly every step of the fuel’s journey was a challenge to the United States, which has imposed sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil, the Syrian government, Hezbollah and the Hezbollah-linked company that will distribute the fuel inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s Secretary General, [His Eminence Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah, said the fuel had been paid for by unnamed Lebanese businessmen and that most of it would be donated to institutions that included government hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, the Lebanese Red Cross and organizations involved in water distribution.

Cut-rate fuel will also be sold to private hospitals, medicine factories, bakeries, supermarkets and private electricity providers, he said.

“Our aim is not trade or profit,” Mr. Nasrallah said in a speech on Tuesday. “Our aim is to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

He also said three more Iranian ships, one carrying gasoline and two carrying diesel, were en route to Syria.

Jessica Obeid, an energy policy consultant and nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, said that the one million gallons Hezbollah reported bringing on Thursday was not a lot relative to the country’s needs, but that it could help individual institutions.

A hospital generator, for example, might burn about 26 gallons per hour, she said.

Hezbollah has blamed the United States for Lebanon’s economic crisis, claiming that it has put Lebanon under siege.

“This feeds into the image that Hezbollah has won the battle of perseverance against the US siege,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

After Mr. Nasrallah’s announcement, Shea, the United States ambassador, said she was working to put in place another arrangement to help solve Lebanon’s energy crisis. It calls for natural gas from Egypt to be sent to Jordan and transferred to Lebanon via a pipeline through Syria.

A high-level delegation from Lebanon visited Damascus, Syria, this month to discuss the plan, but its details remain unclear, including how long it will take to repair the pipeline, who will pay for it and what fees Syria will charge for letting the gas pass through its territory.

That could pose yet another challenge to the United States, which has sanctions against anyone who does business with the Syrian government.

“I’m not sure how willing the US is to risk placing sanctions on a needy population,” Mr. Hage Ali said. “That would paint the US as being harsh and heavy-handed, and that is a win for Hezbollah.”

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 سفينة نوح اللبنانية

Posted on September 17, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians

سفينة نوح اللبنانية

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يطلق عادة تشبيه سفينة نوح على إحدى حالتين، الأولى هي تعدد المكونات التي تحملها سواء كان التعدد إشارة للكثرة أو للتناقص، والثاني هو الطابع الإنقاذي الذي مثلته سفينة نوح بتجنيب ركابها خطر الغرق في الطوفان، وسفينة المحروقات التي جلبتها المقاومة من إيران وعبرت ناقلاتها حمولة المحروقات عبر الحدود السورية إلى لبنان، تشبه سفينة نوح في المسار الذي تمثله لجهة تعدد المجالات التي أطلقت فيها مسارات جديدة لم تكتمل عناوينها بعد، أو لجهة موقعها الإنقاذي بتجنيب لبنان خطر الغرق في طوفان كان يهدّد كل شيء بالغرق.

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جاءت سفينة المقاومة كطليعة لأخواتها لتفتح الباب لجملة تطورات في العديد من الملفات، ففي الملف السياسي كانت السفينة رسماً لمعادلة جديدة عنوانها نقل مفاعيل معادلة الردع التي أرستها المقاومة في البر إلى البحار، في لحظة تراجع وارتباك أميركية بعد الانسحاب من أفغانستان بما حمله من تعبير عن الاعتراف الأميركي بفشل اللجوء إلى فائض القوة العسكري لصناعة السياسة، وسعي الإدارة الأميركية لتفادي الانخراط في مواجهات تعرض قواتها وسياساتها للخطر من دون أن تكون هذه المواجهات دفاعاً صريحاً عن الأمن الأميركي بوجه تهديد غير قابل للتأويل، وفي لحظة نزف مستمر لكيان الاحتلال تحت وطأة معادلات المواجهة في فلسطين والقلق من تسييل قوة المقاومة من لبنان نحو فلسطين تحت شعار القدس تعادل حرباً إقليمية، بحيث صارت السفينة تحدياً لقرار بحجم التورط الأميركي «الإسرائيلي» بحرب، أو تقبل تمدّد معادلة الردع نحو البحار كمسار قابل للتوسع، ليست عملية التنقيب عن النفط والغاز واستخراجه إلا أولى الخطوات المرشحة لتشكيل حلقة من حلقاته، أو البحث عن بديل ثالث، بدأت طلائعه برفع الحظر الأميركي عن استعادة العلاقة مع سورية نقيضاً لما بشر به قانون قيصر، من بوابة أولى ستتسع كلما كانت المعادلة حاضرة، وهي ستحضر، والبوابة كانت بالتراجع عن منع رسمي لاستجرار الكهرباء الأردنية والغاز المصري عبر سورية، والخطوة الأهم في البديل التراجعي أمام مسار السفينة كانت بالتدخل الأميركي المباشر للضغط لولادة عاجلة للحكومة ومسابقتها لوصول السفينة، وفتح الباب لتجديد تمويل دعم استيراد المحروقات من قبل مصرف لبنان، وكل الذي يجري يعني القول بالتسليم بالفائض السياسي لمعادلة الردع على البر مقابل تجميد مفاعيلها في البحر، والتجاذب مستمر بين المسارين.

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جاءت السفينة لتصيب كبد النظام الريعي الذي جمع فيه قطاع المحروقات ما كان يمثله أصلاً في بنية النظام الاقتصادي في الحرب الأهلية وبعدها، مع ما ورثه من موقع ومكانة القطاع المصرفي الشريك الكامل في اقتصاد المحروقات الذي تحول إلى ميدان حصري للعمل المصرفي مع توقف نظام الاستثمار في الدين وسندات الخزينة، وقد تحول اقتصاد المحروقات منذ بدء الأزمة إلى نقطة تقاطع الاحتكار وتجار الأزمات ومهربي الأموال إلى الخارج، فهذا الاقتصاد استحوذ بفضل الدعم المشبوه على أكثر من عشرة مليارات دولار من أموال المودعين، شكلت الأرباح منها أكثر من سبعة مليارات منها ما حول للخارج خلسة ومنها ما تحقق عبر التهريب والسوق السوداء، وتشاركت فيه قوى سياسية وتجار كبار ومصارف، وجاءت السفينة لتصيب هذا الاقتصاد في الكبد، فهي تبشر بدخول لاعب كبير، بقياس حجم الكميات التي ستدخل الأسواق، ونظيف وشريف، بقياس عدم سعيه لتحقيق الربح، ووطني، بقياس التزامه بعدم التمييز بين اللبنانيين على أساس المناطق والطوائف في التعامل مع هذا الملف خصوصاً، وبذلك تعيد السفينة تشكيل المشهد الاقتصادي بصيرورة مفتوحة على إعادة تشكيل للأحجام والأدوار والأنماط، وتتيح عبر مركزية قطاع الطاقة وضع الأسس لمفهومين جديدين، التوجه شرقاً، ورفع مكانة القطاعات الإنتاجية.

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جاءت السفينة لتربك التنظيم الاجتماعي القائم على زيادة الأغنياء غنى والفقراء فقراً، لتضع أولوية جديدة في المفهوم الاجتماعي عنوانها أولوية مكانة الفقراء، سواء بحجم مكانتهم في الأولويات أو بحجم النتائج التي ستترتب على جداول نفقاتهم، وسيكون مفاجئاً التعرف إلى ما بدأت ملامحه في مناطق ما كانت لتنفتح يومياً على المقاومة، وأقيمت بينهما جدران عالية، حطمتها السفينة، ولأن الخطر الأكبر الذي أطاح بكل مفاعيل مسعى تغييري شعبي كان الانقسام الطائفي القابل للتحول بسرعة إلى عصبيات قاتلة، فان أهم ما بدأت ملامحه بالظهور مع السفينة هو هذا الانفتاح للمناطق على بعضها من خارج جدران الطوائف والعصبيات، حتى بدأت القوى الطائفية تتحسس الخطر.

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سفينة نوح اللبنانية جمعت عناوين مصيرية كبرى في السياسة والاقتصاد والمجتمع، وشكلت نقطة انطلاق لمسار إنقاذي من الطوفان الذي كانت بوادره تقترب.

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بوتين والأسد يفتتحان المرحلة الجديدة

Posted on September 15, 2021 by martyrashrakat
 ناصر قنديل
إدلب إلى الواجهة مجدّداً: هل يتكرّر سيناريو «M5»؟

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يقدم الاجتماع الهام الذي جمع الرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين بالرئيس السوري بشار الأسد في موسكو، تأكيداً جديداً على ما أظهرته أحداث السنوات العشر الماضية من إشارات لموقع ومكانة سورية في معادلات المنطقة، بعدما أريد لهذه الأحداث ان تمحو تلك المكانة التي حجزتها سورية على مدى عقود ماضية، وتكمن أهمية لقاء الرئيسين بوتين والأسد أنه يأتي في لحظة تقاطع جملة أحداث دولية وإقليمية وسورية، ليشكل نقطة انطلاق لمسار جديد ترتسم معالمه بسرعة بعد جمود امتد لسنوات في ملفات المنطقة منذ إعلان الانسحاب الأميركي من التفاهم النووي مع إيران، ضمن سياق تصعيدي لكسر جبهة المواجهة التي تضم روسيا والصين وإيران وسورية ودول وقوى آسيوية أخرى، جمعها السعي لكسر مشروع الهيمنة الأميركية على أكبر قارات العالم مساحة وسكاناً، والتي تختزن أكثر من نصف ثروات العالم وأكثر من نصف قدرات العالم العسكرية، فصمدت جبهة المواجهة ونجحت باحتواء عاصفة التصعيد.

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خلال هذا العام ومع تسلم الإدارة الأميركية الجديدة، شهدت آسيا تكريساً لتفاهم القوى الصاعدة في آسيا على قطع الطريق أمام عروض الصفقات الثنائية التي توهمت إدارة الرئيس الأميركي الجديد جو بايدن أنها سياسة قادرة على استعادة زمام المبادرة، وبدأت ملامح التسليم الأميركي بالفشل مع الانسحاب الأميركي من أفغانستان، الذي تزامن مع انتقال دول وقوى محور المقاومة إلى الهجوم لكسر خطط الحصار الأميركية، فخرجت فلسطين منتصرة من معركة سيف القدس، وخرجت إيران بانتخاباتها الرئاسية تحمل راية القائد الجنرال قاسم سليماني بإخراج القوات الأميركية من المنطقة، وبلغ الملف النووي الإيراني مراتب علمية تضع واشنطن بين خيارات أحلاها مر، فإما تقبل بلوغ إيران اللحظة النووية الحرجة المتمثلة بامتلاك كمية من اليورانيوم المخصب على درجة عالية تكفي لتصنيع قنبلة نووية، أو الانكفاء عن الشروط وقبول العودة بلا شروط إلى الاتفاق النووي، وتوج هذا الهجوم المعاكس مشهد السفن الإيرانية التي استقدمها حزب الله تحت شعار السفن قطعة أرض لبنانية، لتنقلب واشنطن من خط الحصار إلى البدء بفك الحصار من باب التراجع عن بعض عقوبات قانون قيصر لتتيح نقل الغاز من مصر والكهرباء من الأردن عبر سورية إلى لبنان.

موسكو كانت على ضفة التلقي لكل هذه المتغيرات المتحركة، حتى جاءت زيارة المبعوث الأميركي الخاص بالملف الإيراني روبرت مالي إلى موسكو مدخلاً لإحداث النقلة في السياسات، فسورية هي حجر الرحى في معادلات المنطقة، وقد باءت كل محاولات تجاوزها بالفشل، بمثل ما فشلت خلال السنوات الماضية مشاريع إسقاطها وتفتيبها، فلا شام جديد فاعل بلا الشام، ولا قمة جوار العراق تنجح بلا الجار الأول، وواشنطن تعترف بفشل العقوبات في صناعة السياسة كما اعترفت بفشل القوة العسكرية بصناعتها وفقاً لتوصيف الرئيس بايدن لحاصل الحرب في أفغانستان، ويحضر العرض الروسي على طاولة المباحثات، تشجيع روسي لإيران للعودة إلى مفاوضات فيينا وإنجاز تفاهم تقني أولي مع الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية مقابل التزام أميركي بالتخلي عن الأوهام التي عطلت التوصل لتفاهم في جولات فيينا يضمن العودة إلى الاتفاق الأصلي من دون تعديلات وشروط وإضافات، ودعوة روسية لواشنطن لحسم أمر الانسحاب من سورية لقوات أميركية تتواجد بصورة غير شرعية، لحساب تولي موسكو مواصلة الحرب على “داعش” وإدارة الحوار بين الجماعات الكردية التي ترعاها واشنطن والدولة السورية وتنشيط العملية السياسية، بما يفتح الباب لسقوط الذريعة التركية للبقاء في شمال غربي سورية. وجاءت المعارك التي خاضها الجيش السوري في منطقة الجنوب، والتي انتهت بدخوله إلى درعا تحت نظر قاعدة التنف لتقول لجميع الجماعات الموهومة بالإسناد الأميركي أن مرحلة جديدة قد بدأت، وأن بسط سيطرة الدولة السورية على كامل أراضيها تنطلق.

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يدرك الأميركيون معنى فقدان المشروعية الداخلية والخارجية للبقاء في سورية والعراق بعد انسحابهم من أفغانستان، بعدما فقدوا شرعية هذا البقاء في العراق بعد مطالبتهم من مجلس النواب العراقي بالانسحاب، بينما لم يملكوا شرعية وجودهم في سورية يوماً، كما يدرك الأميركيون أن فترة السماح المتاحة أمامهم لإعلان الانسحاب لن تطول قبل أن تبدأ عمليات المقاومة باستهدافهم، ويدركون أن المخرج المتاح بأقل الخسائر هو تظهير الانسحاب من سورية كحلقة من حلقات تقاسم مهام الحرب على الإرهاب مع روسيا، وإظهار نية التشارك مع موسكو في الدفع باتجاه تنشيط فرص الحل السياسي في سورية على قاعدة التراجع التدريجي عن العقوبات وفكفكتها لحساب توفيرالتمويل لإعادة النازحين وإعادة الإعمار، كما قالت دراسة الدبلوماسي الأميركي السابق الخبير بشؤون سورية جيفيري فيلتمان، ونصائح السفير الأميركي السابق لدى سورية روبرت فورد.

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مرحلة جديدة في المنطقة ستبدأ من سورية، وفرص يمكن أن يلتقطها، ويفترض أن يلاقيها بعض العرب واللبنانيين كي لا يظهروا مجرد صدى للصوت الأميركي.

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الأسد الاستراتيجي.. هابوك.. فحاربوك..

Posted on September 13, 2021 by martyrashrakat
See the source image


الاثنين 13 أيلول 2021

سماهر الخطيب

منذ أن تسلّم الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد مقاليد الحكم في تموز من عام 2000، بدأت معظم مراكز الدراسات العربية والغربية والأميركية عبر أبحاثها ودراساتها حول شخصية الرئيس الجديد لسورية وطريقة حكمه طرح العديد من السيناريوات التي حاول معدّوها في الغرف السوداء عرض أفكارهم وآرائهم حول شخصية الرئيس الأسد وكيفية السيطرة على سورية من خلال تفنيد سياساته وقراراته والبحث في تطلعاته.

شكل مجيء الرئيس بشار الأسد إلى سدة الحكم، مع ما يحمله من أفكار، استمرارية لمسار والده الرئيس الراحل حافظ الأسد وتطويراً لمدرسة الأب بما يحمله الإبن من أفكار استراتيجية عصرية، الأمر الذي شكل هاجساً لدى صناع السياسة وأصحاب القرار في المجتمع الدولي، خاصة أنه عبّر، مع أول خطاب له، عن رغبته في تحرير النظام السياسي والاقتصادي وتعزيز الديمقراطية في الداخل السوري، معلناً نيّته إطلاق عمليات لبرلة اجتماعية واقتصادية وقد أعطى الأولوية للإصلاحات الاقتصادية بهدف خلق الشروط الملائمة للدمقرطة السياسية اللاحقة، فعُرفت بداية عهده بـ(ربيع دمشق)، وباتت سياساته هدفاً للسياسة الأميركية التي لم تُرِد سورية قوية كعهدها.

لم يحدّد الرئيس الأسد فقط نهج سورية في المجالين الاقتصادي والتقني بل حدّد مسارها الديمقراطي؛  مسارٌ لم يكن مستنسخاً عن الغرب، بل هو خاص بسورية تستمده من تاريخها وتحترم عبره مجتمعها. وقال في موضوع الديمقراطية: «لايمكننا أن نطبّق ديمقراطية الآخرين على أنفسنا، فالديمقراطية الغربية على سبيل المثال، هي نتاج تاريخ طويل أثمر عادات وتقاليد تميّز الثقافة الحالية في المجتمعات الغربية. ولتطبيق ما لديهم علينا أن نعيش تاريخهم مع كل أهميته الاجتماعية، كما أنّ من الواضح أن هذا مستحيل، ينبغي أن نمتلك تجربتنا الديمقراطية التي هي خاصة لنا وهي استجابة لحاجات مجتمعنا ومتطلبات واقعنا».

كما انتقد الرئيس بشار الأسد منذ استلامه مقاليد الحكم «بيروقراطية الدولة» معتبراً أنها «عقدة رئيسية أمام التطور»، قائلاً: «لا تعتمدوا على الدولة ليس لديها عصا سحرية وعملية التغيير تتطلب عناصر لا يملكها شخص واحد.. السلطة بلا مسؤولية هي السبب في الفوضى» وتابع: «يجب أن نحرر أنفسنا من تلك الأفكار القديمة التي غدت عقبات، ولننجح نحتاج إلى تفكير حديث.. قد يعتقد بعضهم أنّ العقول المبدعة ترتبط بالعمر وأنها يمكن أن توجد مع العمر غير أنّ هذا ليس دقيقاً تماماً فلدى بعض الشباب عقول قوية حية وخلاقة».

خارجياً، بدأت القيادة السورية تعمل جدياً على وضع استراتيجية سياسية خارجية للبلاد، فأولت اهتماماً لروسيا والصين دولياً، ولإيران وتركيا إقليمياً، مع الحفاظ على مكانة سورية في التعاون العربي – العربي وتعزيزه، بهدف تشكيل ائتلاف لاحق يمنع الانتشار الأميركي وتمركزه في المنطقة ويحول دون إعادة توزيع القوى في الشرق الأوسط لصالح هذا التمركّز.

حينها، تخطّت سورية العديد من الصعوبات التي واجهتها منذ 2001، فعززت دعمها للمقاومة في لبنان وفلسطين واستقرّ وضعها الداخلي وحافظت على علاقاتها مع الداخل العراقي وتعاونت مع طهران وتركيا لبناء شبكة إقليميّة. وطيلة الفترة الممتدّة بين 2001-2006، واجهت سورية زلازل إقليمية عديدة كانت تنذر بالسوء والأخطار الكبيرة عند كل منعطف.

ثم بدأ الوضع بالتحسن منذ خريف 2006 وخرجت سورية من دوامة الأزمات والعقوبات التي فرضت عليها، وأخذت تتعافى تدريجياً وتستعيد حيويتها الإقليمية في الأعوام 2007 و2010 وتجدّدت علاقاتها العربية، خاصة مع لبنان والعراق، ومدّت جسوراً مع أوروبا والولايات المتحدة وتعمّقت تحالفاتها، وفي الوقت عينه، واصلت دعمها للمقاومة في العراق ولبنان وفلسطين. كما بدأت رؤية سورية الاستراتيجية لربط البحار الخمسة، المتوسط والأحمر والخليج والأسود وقزوين، بشبكة تعاون إقليمية، من خلال إقامة شبكات ربط للنقل البحري بين المرافئ السورية ونظيراتها في كل من رومانيا وأوكرانيا، أو من حيث ربط شبكات إمداد الطاقة الكهربائية أو الغاز العربية مع منظومة الطاقة الأوروبية عبر تركيا، كخطّ الغاز العربي الذي يتم العمل على ربطه بمنظومة الغاز التركية عبر سورية، وبالتالي بمنظومة الغاز الأوروبية، ليس هذا فحسب، بل إن هذه الرؤية تلقى دعماً من قادة الدول الإقليمية التي تشكل عناصر أساسية في هذا الفضاء الاقتصادي وينظر إلى توسيعه لربطه مع الدول المطلة على بحر البلطيق الأمر الذي يقع في صلب الرؤية الاستراتيجية لسوري، ومن ينظر إلى المشروع الصيني يدرك أنه استكمال لتلك الاستراتيجية.

تبيّن للرئيس بشار الأسد حال الفراغ الاستراتيجي الناجم عن الأزمات التي لحقت بالدور والوجود الأميركيين في المنطقة، قارئاً وجود تحوّل كبير في معادلات الجغرافيا السياسية وعلومها، مستنتجاً سقوط مفهوم الشرق الأوسط، مورداً البديل لمفهوم الأقاليم الجديدة، مقدّماً صياغته لمنطقة إقليمية تحلّ مكان مفهوم الشرق الأوسط هي منطقة البحار الخمسة، وفيها تصير روسيا وإيران وتركيا ودول أوروبا المتوسطية شركاء في إقليم جغرافي واحد، مخاطره واحدة ومصالحه متقاربة، داعياً إلى منظومة تعاون إقليمية بين القوى الكبرى لحفظ الأمن وقيام التعاون الاقتصادي.

في سبيل ذلك، أجرى الرئيس الأسد في 2 كانون الأول 2010 مباحثات في القصر الرئاسي في كييف مع الرئيس الأوكراني فيكتور يانوكوفيتش في سبيل تفعيل تلك الاستراتيجية عبر توقيع اتفاقية التجارة الحرة بين البلدين، ما أثار الغضب الغربي والأميركي الذي كانت له رؤيته الخاصة للشكل الذي ينبغي أن تتطور الأمور عليه. فكان هدف واشنطن فرض رقابة لصيقة على العمليات الجارية في الشرق الأوسط وكان أحد شروطها المركزية إضعاف إيران، إنما سارت الخطوات السورية الموجهة نحو توحيد قدرات الدول الإقليمية الكبرى بالتعارض مع المخططات الأميركية، فوقفت دمشق «عثرة» أمام تحقيق الاستراتيجية الأميركية في المنطقة.

تمّ التأكيد على التحالف الاستراتيجي بين إيران وسورية في نهاية شباط 2010، وقام الرئيس الإيراني حينها محمود أحمدي نجاد بزيارة هامة إلى دمشق التقى فيها الرئيس بشار الأسد والأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصر الله، كما التقى رئيس المكتب السياسي لحركة حماس خالد مشعل والأمين العام لحركة الجهاد الإسلامي رمضان شلح، وأعلن الرئيسان الإيراني والسوري عن «التوحد أمام التحديات والتهديدات، وأنّ أيّ حركة يمكن أن ترفع التوقعات في الدراما الدولية في ما يتعلق بأيّ من الدولتين».

كما أعلن الرئيس الإيراني أنّ «على العالم أن يعرف أنّ إيران ستقف خلف الشعب السوري إلى النهاية، وأن الروابط  الإقليمية قوية للغاية». وأشارت أحداث اللقاء إلى أنّ حلفاً استراتيجياً يتكون ويتأكد، ويشكل جبهة جديدة في مواجهة التحالف الأميركي – «الإسرائيلي» ومن يسانده من العرب والقوى الأخرى.

أدرك الأميركيون حينها، أنهم إن لم يوقفوا عمليات توزع القوى الجديد في المنطقة فإنهم مضطرون للتعامل مع إقليم جديد تماماً وعلى درجة عالية من التضامن ومن المستبعد أن يكون مستعداً للخضوع لإدارتها بلا قيد أو شرط.

ويمكن لمتتبع السياسة الأميركية تجاه سورية أن يعلم مسبقاً أنها لطالما دأبت على محاولات «إخضاع» الدولة السورية والتغيير «القسري» للنظام، واهتم المحافظون الجدد بإمكانية السعي إلى فرض تغيير قسري للنظام في سورية. ففي عام 1996 نشرت مجموعة من المحافظين الجدد الأميركيين، بينهم دوغلاس فيث وريتشارد بيرل، تقريراً قدّمت فيه توصيات لرئيس الوزراء الصهيوني المقبل آنذاك بنيامين نتنياهو في ما يتعلق بسياسة الأمن القومي «الإسرائيلي» وهي تتضمن «استخدام القوة لتحقيق أهداف إضعاف واحتواء بل وحتى صدّ سورية».

كان على سورية أن تجري حسابات إقليمية استراتيجية لا تتخلى عن مواصلة السعي إلى توازن عسكري تكنولوجي مع «إسرائيل» ومواجهة حروب وأزمات أخرى اشتعلت في الوقت ذاته تقريباً. حيث استندت في مواجهة تلك التحديات الأقليمية إلى استراتيجية واضحة كرّسها وعدّلها الرئيس حافظ الأسد منذ 1975. بدأ الرئيس بشار الأسد استلهام دروس استراتيجية والده وفي أساس تلك الاستراتيجية كان بناء الجبهة المشرقية (جبهة لبنان وسورية والأردن والفلسطينيين تمتد من رأس الناقورة في جنوب لبنان إلى مدينة العقبة جنوب الأردن)، فعمّق علاقات سورية بلبنان والأردن والمقاومة الفلسطينية خلال السبعينات، وبات الدعم الذي تحصل عليه سورية من روسيا وإيران يوازي الدعم الأميركي لـ»إسرائيل»، معتمداً على ما قاله الرئيس الراحل حافظ الأسد في كلمته بمناسبة عيد الثورة في آذار 1992: «التحالفات الجديدة القادمة لن تكون كالتي كانت. التحالفات الجديدة ستبحث في مجالات حيوية.. إن العرب كمجموعة لم يفعلوا شيئاً لمواجهة المستقبل ولم يقدموا جديداً للتعامل مع العالم الجديد، وإلى أن يتكوّن وعي عربي أفضل يفهم أبعاد ما يحدث فإنّ سورية في سياستها وفي أفعالها تأخذ بالاعتبار هذه الأبعاد كما تراها واثقة أنها ستظل القلعة الوطنية القومية. فسورية لن تجامل ولن تساوم أحداً على المبادئ، خاصة عندما يتعلق الأمر بالأبعاد القومية هكذا نحن وهكذا سنبقى وهذا هو دور سورية القومي النقي ماضياً وحاضراً ومستقبلاً، مهما ضخمت مصاعبنا فالتسليم ليس خيارنا.. السلام الذي نقبله هو الذي يعيد الأرض ويعيد الحقوق وينشر الأمن في المنطقة وأقل من ذلك هو استسلام.. إذا كان أحد يظن أن المتغيرات الدولية ترضخ الشعوب فبئس هذا الأحد لأنه لم يستعد السيرة البشرية ولم يستوعب مدلولاتها وعبرها ولم يدرك أن النسيج النفسي والاجتماعي للشعوب يجعلها تنتزع من كل ظرف جديد خلاصة العناصر والإمكانات التي تجعلها قادرة على التكيف ومواجهة التحديات الجديدة».

بالتالي، فإنّ استراتيجية الرئيس بشار الأسد لم تكن جامدة، بل تعامل مع استراتيجيته كخياط ماهر يتعاطى مع رقعة قماش على طاولة يجري فيها تعديلاً وتفصيلاً لتتلاءم مع متطلبات المرحلة. فعكف على تثبيت استراتيجية سورية جديدة تأخذ بالاعتبار كافة المتغيرات. ومن جملة الدروس المستوحاة أنّ سورية لم تغيّر خطابها القومي، ورغم تواضع ثروات سورية الاقتصادية أصبحت دولة مركزية في المشرق العربي شديدة الاستقلال في قراراتها وخياراتها وهو استقلال أصبح نادراً بين الدول في العقد الأول من القرن الحادي والعشرين وأشار إليه كبار الباحثين الأوروبيين.

اليوم تواجه سورية تحدياً اقتصادياً يعود تفاقمه إلى أسباب عديدة أبرزها القانون الأميركي (قيصر)، وعُقوباته التي تريد عرقلة عملية التطوير، لكنّ من صمد وتصدّى لمختلف أساليب الحرب ببشاعتها فإنه سيدير هذه الأزمة بضراوتها.

هو الأسد الذي قاد سورية نحو العز والنصر…

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SLHC SG Nasri Khoury: A ’Silent Effort’ By the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council

Posted on September 8, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians

 SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

SLHC SG Nasri Khoury: A ’Silent Effort’ By the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council

By Mohammed Eid

The Secretary-General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council [SLHC] Nasri Khoury underscored the importance of Syria’s response to the Lebanese request to bring in Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity through its territory. The response highlights the eagerness of the Syrian state to build close relations with neighboring Lebanon. In doing so, it rises above the many abuses committed against it by some Lebanese forces and parties. This is based on its belief in joint action, which is beneficial to all.

Mutual feasibility

In an exclusive interview with al-Ahed News, Khoury expressed his hope that the Lebanese have realized that it is in the interest of their country to coordinate and consult with the Syrian state, at least from an economic standpoint. This provides great benefit to both countries, especially Lebanon that suffers from great economic and financial distress amid deep political divisions.

According to Khoury, Syria continually rises above the wounds and fires unleashed upon it by some Lebanese factions. It focuses on the importance of openness and the positive results that this openness has on both sides.

He also indicated that Syria’s production capabilities are widely available, which serves as a major asset to Lebanon. Syria also needs Lebanon’s many capabilities, as well as strong ties with Jordan and Egypt, which will lead to overcoming crises imposed by unjust decisions, such as the US blockade on Syria that had negative effects on Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.

Khoury drew attention to the role played by the SLHC in arranging a visit to Damascus by a high-ranking Lebanese delegation and the accompanying silent effort to reach positive conclusions. This happened more than ten years after the Lebanese government prevented its delegations from consulting and coordinating with Damascus.

Agreement to maintain lines of communication and networks

According to the Secretary-General of the SLHC, Syria always acts according to the logic of a state that knows its interests and preserves the interests of others. Therefore, it is not surprising that it took the initiative to agree to the request of the Lebanese side to bring Egyptian gas to Lebanon through its territory, and in doing so it complies with all that is required of it in this context.

Meanwhile, others still have to abide by their duties within the framework of activating the agreement to get Egyptian gas to Lebanon through Syria and Jordan, which was signed in 2009 and applied for two years before Egypt stopped pumping gas.

Khoury explained to Al-Ahed that the Syrian side, represented by Oil Minister Bassam Tohme, had discussed with the Lebanese side, represented by Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar, all technical issues related to the maintenance of networks and power transmission lines that extend over long distances inside the Syrian and Lebanese territories, especially since some of them have been subjected to systematic sabotage by terrorist groups located in southern Syria.

He expressed his hope that the agreement to get Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity to Lebanon through Syrian territory will be reactivated again, and that it will be a prelude to signing new agreements between Lebanon and Syria that take into account the broader interests of the two countries and the entire region.

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صفي الدين: بضربة واحدة كسرنا حصار 3 دول

Posted on September 6, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians

أيلول 6 2021

أكد رئيس المجلس التنفيذي في حزب الله، السيد هاشم صفي الدين، أن «إنجازات المقاومة أكبر من لبنان بكثير، ولكن البعض لا يستوعب هذا الأمر رغم اعتراف الأميركي والإسرائيلي».

وقال خلال حفل تأبيني في بلدة قعقعية الجسر الجنوبية «إذا كان هدف الأميركي الضغط على المقاومة في لبنان لنخلي الساحة، فنقول للأميركي إننا سنكون حاضرين بشكل  أكبر وأقوى».

ورأى أن «المشكلة الأساسية في لبنان هي النظام، يُضاف إليها الضغط الأميركي لتتخلى المقاومة عن سلاحها»، مشيراً إلى أن «غباء السفيرة الأميركية كان في مسارعتها لردة الفعل التي فضحت النيّات الأميركية». وتابع «بضربة واحدة كسرنا حصار ثلاث دول، حيث اشترينا المازوت من إيران، وعبرنا به من سورية واستفاد منه لبنان المحاصر وهذه خطوة أولى وسنستكملها بخطوات».

وفي الشأن الحكومي، قال «طالبنا بتشكيل سريع للحكومة وأن يتخلى المسؤولون عن بعض الخصوصيات كي لا نقول  أنانية ويعتب البعض، لمصلحة لبنان»، قائلاً «إن شاء الله لا يأتي اليوم الذي سنقول فيه للذين خربوا وعرقلوا ودمروا لبنان أنكم أدوات أميركية سواء كنتم تعلمون أو لا تعلمون».

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Hezbollah’s Deterrence Equation in Place: US-“Israeli” Maritime Siege Has Been Broken

Posted on September 5, 2021 by martyrashrakat

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

Hezbollah’s Deterrence Equation in Place: US-“Israeli” Maritime Siege Has Been Broken

By Mohammad Slim

Beirut – On the 16th of February 2018, Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced the first direct threat regarding the maritime dispute between Lebanon and “Israel”.

He stated that the conflict concerning Block 9 in the Lebanese maritime borders is the battle of all the Lebanese nation. His Eminence issued a warning on any drilling by the “Israeli” occupation regime concerning the disputed borders.

Since then and on several occasions, Hezbollah emphasized on the importance of the maritime borders dispute, taking in consideration the “Israeli” ambitions concerning oil and gas sources in the disputed waters.

Considering the full support of the United States to “Israel” regarding the maritime dispute, and with the US government vetoing oil and gas extraction from the Lebanese water, the latter faced a heavy siege on several aspects especially on the fuel and gasoline sources, which caused a severe crisis in the power plants and transportation sectors, leading to an immense shortage on both parts.

The US-“Israeli” message has been delivered to all the Lebanese parties and public, as any government backed by Hezbollah and its allies will face sanctions affecting the country’s efficiency and life concerns; in the light of this, the resulting crisis will be attributed to Hezbollah’s policy.

Amid the severe crisis taking place, Hezbollah had to deal with it in a matter of short time, and a very precise act to face the sanctions and the siege imposed on the country.

The Caesar Act imposed lately on Syria by the US government, is an additional method that made a crystal clear image of the American siege, which might put a lot of obstacles and barriers towards any step forward to solve the current social and economic issues resulting from it.

Hezbollah’s political council and Sayyed Nasrallah on different occasions tackled the issue of the US-imposed Caesar Act, accusing it of being the direct cause of the current crisis. They demanded a quick lift of this act and all other sanctions related to Lebanon and Syria together, plus the American prohibition on any international aid to Lebanon, be it financial or social.

To rub salt into the wound, the currency inflammation caused by the governor of Lebanon’s central bank Riad Salameh, a US ally, as he collaborated mostly with the latter government in the severe drop of the dollar exchange rate, made things even worse.

The more tightened the US siege is, the more badly the Lebanese society is affected, especially with the 80% decrease in economic security.

In the light of Hezbollah’s long lasting patience, Sayyed Nasrallah announced the finalized deterrence equation in Lebanon on the 10th of Muharram, through receiving a fuel tanker from Iran, breaking the American siege. Moreover, His Eminence confirmed that the ship will be considered a Lebanese land, in a step forward to deter the “Israeli” occupation from attacking or besieging the ship itself.

Following the Ashura commemoration, Sayyed Nasrallah declared the arrival of 3 other fuel tankers, in addition to several others as long as the current circumstances circle the Lebanese people in a bid to earn financial security – which Hezbollah has successfully earned given all the political reactions to the His Eminence’s announcement – most importantly, the deterrence equation in Lebanon by land, air and sea has been successfully accomplished.

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هل يسقط خط السفن الإيرانية مبرّر البقاء الأميركي في سورية والعراق؟

Posted on September 3, 2021 by uprootedpalestinians


أيلول 3 2021

 ناصر قنديل

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يجزم الخبراء الأميركيون على تنوع خلفياتهم، بأنّ سببين من ثلاثة أسباب لبقاء القوات الأميركية في سورية والعراق قد سقطا مع الانسحاب الأميركي من أفغانستان، وهما أولاً، البقاء لضمان وزن وحضور لفريق حليف، فالقوات الأميركية تشكل المصدر الرئيسي للحفاظ على قوة وحضور الجماعات الكردية المنضوية تحت عنوان قسد، كما كانت بالنسبة لحكومة أشرف غني، وثانياً، الحفاظ على توازن جيوسياسي في منطقة التواجد، فالقوات الأميركية تحقق نوعاً من التوازن بين حضور اللاعبين الإقليميين الكبار، خصوصاً تركيا وإيران، كما كانت في أفغانستان تفرض توازناً على حدود الصين وروسيا وإيران، وبالمقارنة بين الوجود العسكري الأميركي في أفغانستان والعراق وسورية، تسقط كلياً عوامل البقاء انطلاقاً من هذين السببين طالما أن النموذج الأصلي قد سقط في أفغانستان، وأن ما هو قائم في العراق وسورية نسخة ضعيفة وهشة بالمقارنة مع النموذج الأصلي.

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السبب الثالث الباقي للحفاظ على القوات الأميركية في سورية والعراق بخلاف أفغانستان، هو الدور الذي تؤديه في توفير ضمانات لأمن كيان الاحتلال، الذي يحتل أولوية في مفهوم الأمن الاستراتيجي الأميركي في آسيا وأفريقيا، وفي هذا المجال نصف الاعتبار قد سقط أيضاً، وبقي نصف آخر، النصف الذي سقط هو الرهان التفاوضي على مقايضة الانسحاب الأميركي بانسحاب قوى المقاومة وإيران من سورية، وقد حاول الأميركيون خلال سنوات تقديم عروض مختلفة على هذا الصعيد وصولاً لربط الاستعداد لرفع عقوبات قانون قيصر عن سورية، مقابل ما وصفوه بالعودة إلى ما قبل 2011، أي خروج اللاعبين الإقليميين والدوليين الذين وفدوا إلى سورية بعد 2011، بمن فيهم الأميركيون والإيرانيون والأتراك، والتوافق على بقاء الروس وحدهم، وفشلت العروض بالوصول إلى نتيجة، أما النصف الذي بقي يبرّر البقاء في سورية والعراق، فهو الإمساك بالحدود السورية- العراقية من الجانبين السوري والعراقي، عبر مثلث قواعد التنف وعين الأسد والقامشلي، وذلك لقطع طريق التواصل بين إيران وسورية، باعتبار هذا التواصل أحد أبرز مصادر الدعم للمقاومة، خصوصاً في لبنان وفلسطين.

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تدخل المفاجأة الاستراتيجية التي يمثلها خط السفن الإيرانية إلى المتوسط، والتي بدأ التمهيد لها بإرسال سفن دعم لسورية في مجال المحروقات، وحاول الأميركيون اعتراضها بالحؤول دون عبورها قناة السويس والبحر الأحمر، فاستدارت عبر البحار ودخلت من مضيق جبل طارق حيث تعرّضت للاحتجاز على أيدي البريطانيين، ما تسبّب بردّ إيراني كاد أن يتحوّل إلى حرب سفن مع احتجاز سفن بريطانية تجارية، حتى انتهى الأمر بالإفراج المتبادل ومواصلة السفينة الإيرانية طريقها نحو سورية، وتأتي السفن التي أعلن عنها حزب الله لتقول علناً إنّ مسار هذه السفن في جزء منه سيعود للمقاومة، سواء عبر الموانئ اللبنانية أو السورية، ولا يمكن تجاهل حقيقة أنّ هذا المسار استهلك سنوات من التحضير والمواجهات، وعبر العديد من المحطات، حتى صار عبور سفن يستحضرها حزب الله من إيران قادرة على عبور الطريق البحري من إيران إلى المتوسط في مضيق باب المندب والبحر الأحمر وقناة السويس، ويلجأ الأميركي و»الإسرائيلي» إلى مناورة تذكيرية بالوجود بين مواعيد مرور السفن الإيرانية، والاختباء في خليج العقبة لتفادي التصادم مع هذه السفن.

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السؤال الذي لم يقدّم الخبراء بعد أجوبة وافية عليه، لكنه موضوع على الطاولة، هو مبرّر الاحتفاظ الأميركي بقواعد عسكرية ستكون عرضة للاستهداف، بعد سقوط مبرر الرهان على قطع شرايين التواصل بين إيران سورية وقوى المقاومة.

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