Escalation in Syria

Important News Updates further down !
Last Update: October 5, 2015

Last night, the Arabic channel of Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar came with further news describing an escalation in Syria, after Russian warplanes had begun their attacks of what they called positions of Islamic State forces and which are destabilizing Russia's only ally in the region, the already weakened regime of Bashir al-Assad in Damascus. However, first news received the day before about Syrian civilians perishing in operations that should be targeting only military positions made room for even worse reports about cruel attacks of civilian living quarters in different parts of Syria.

Foreign voices are criticizing Russia's president Putin for his hazarduous step to interfere in a volatile region, even more after bilateral talks have taken place between Putin and his high-ranking counterparts: Israel's prime minister Netanyanhu, the French president Hollande and U.S. President Obama. Now Turkey's strongman Erdogan made clear what he intends to tell Russia's president Putin when he would meet him in the coming days.




فرنسا تشترط على روسيا استهداف مواقع تنظيم الدولة و القاعدة لا غير وضمان سلامة المدنيين و رحيل الأسد

France reminds Russia to concentrate exclusively on positions of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda and to ensure the security of citizens and the [emigration] of Assad.




أردوغان: سأتحدث مع بوتين عن العمليات الروسية بسوريا و سأنقل له أسفنا و انزعاجنا من مقتل المدنيين السوريين

Erdogan: I will speak to Putin about Russian operations in Syria and I will inform him about our affection and our irritation regarding the assassination of Syrian citizens.
[Quotation from last night's broacast of an interview granted by Turkey's president Erdogan to the Arabic channel of Al-Jazeera. An Arabic translation of Erdogan's exposition of the subject can be found below. Until now, there is no English version of the interview available.]






المعارضة السورية تقول إن الغارات الروسية تستهدف مدنيين و مواقع للجيش الحر و موسكو تنفي ذلك

The Syrian opposition says Russian [air] raids are targeting citizens and positions of the Free Syrian Army which Moscow denies.




تواصل الغارات الروسية على مناطق عدة في سوريا مخلفة قتلى و جرحى بين المدنيين

Russian [air] raids continue at numerous regions in Syria leaving behind dead and wounded citizens.






مقتل 100 و إصابة 200 في قصف لقوات النظام استهدف أسواقا شعبية بمدينتي الباب ودير حافر بريف حلب الشرقي

100 died and 200 were wounded during a bombing [in favour of] forces [loyal to] the regime and that was targeting popular markets in the townships of Al-Bab and Dayr Hafir in eastern Aleppo Governorate.
[Editor's Note: Dayr Hafir is situated in the neighbourhood of Al-Bab which is reportedly under full control of the Islamic State.]


From the Arabic website of Al-Arabiya TV in Dubai:

بالصور.. كيف يعيش الجنود الروس في سوريا
With pictures ... Russian soldiers in Syria - How are they living ?

U.S. President Obama on 3rd October 2015: Russia's strikes in Syria 'strengthening ISIL' قـال الـرئيس الأمريـكي أوبامـا أن الاستقرار للـتنظيم الإرهابـي ـ «داعش» يترتب على غارات من القوات الروسية في سوريا و رفض أوباما «حرباً بالوكالة» مع روسيا وتوقع «فشل» الغارات

Further News for 3rd October 2015: طهران تقيل قائد قواتها المقاتلة في سوريا لفشله Tehran has dismissed the commander of its combat forces in Syria for having failed. أفادت مصادر إيرانية أن طهران أقالت اللواء حسين همداني من قيادة قوات الحرس الثوري الإيراني المقاتلة في سوريا، بسبب ضعف أدائه وفشله في العمليات العسكرية المتتالية ضد قوات المعارضة السورية.ـ Iranian sources indicated that Tehran has dismissed brigadier general Hossein Hamadani as a commander of the fighters for Iran's Revolutionary Guard Forces in Syria for the reason of his weak performance and his failure in successive military operations against opposition forces in Syria. [Al-Arabiya] [Editor's Note: Hossein Hamadani is currently serving in Syria as both an advisor to the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War and as commander for the special force of the Revolutionary Guards, the so-called Quds Force. In the frame of an Iranian support for the regime of Bashir al-Assad it should be noted that Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and who enjoy a close relationship with Iran are as well fighting in Syria to oppose the Islamic State.] Postscriptum on October 9, 2015: مقتل العميد حسين همداني القيادي في الحرس الثوري الإيراني بنيران تنظيم الدولة في ريف حلب Brigadier general Hossein Hamadani, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, died under fire from the Islamic State in the rural environment of Aleppo. [Al-Jazeera TV]

News Update for October 4, 2015: ـ52ـ محرضاً سعودياً يدعون إلى النفير في سوريا 52 militant Saudis are calling for a mobilization in Syria. دعا 52 محرضاً هم أكاديميون ودعاة سعوديون إلى "النفير" في سوريا لقتال القوات الروسية.ـ 52 Saudi militants, among them academics and activists, are calling for a "mobilization" in Syria to fight Russian troops. [Al-Arabiya]

News Update for October 5, 2015: تركيا تقول انها اعترضت مقاتلة روسية اخترقت مجالها الجوي Turkey said it intercepted a Russian bomber entering its air space. اعلنت وزارة الخارجية التركية الاثنين أن مقاتلات اف 16 تركية اعترضت، السبت، مقاتلة روسية انتهكت المجال الجوي التركي عند الحدود السورية (جنوب شرق).ـ [This] Monday the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs declared that, [last] Saturday [i.e. October 3], Turkish F-16 warplanes intercepted a Russian bomber which violated Turkish air space at its (south-eastern) border to Syria. [Al-Alam, Iranian TV news]

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Visitor from West Africa reminding NATO air raids in Libya.




Turkish visitor to "blueprint news" interested in Russian history.

Blood Moon Facing Earth

ـ"قمر دموي" نادر يطل على الأرض فجر الاثنين

Rare "Blood Moon" Facing Earth Another Dawn

[The Al-Arabiya news ticker on September 26 is mentioning
recent victim numbers of the Mina incident where 769 died
and 934 were left wounded during the "stoning of the devil"
which makes part of the annual pilgrimage to nearby Mecca]

Some rare 'Supermoon' total lunar eclipse is being expected within the next 24 hours. The moon will enter Earth’s much darker umbral shadow at 1:07 a.m. Greenwich time on Sept. 28. Sixty-four minutes later, the moon is entirely within the shadow, and sails on within it for 72 minutes until it begins to find its way out at the lower left (southeastern) edge.

For Europe and Africa, the midpoint of this eclipse occurs roughly between midnight and dawn on Sept. 28, and the moon will therefore still be well placed in the western sky. However, nearly 1 billion people in the Western Hemisphere, nearly 1.5 billion throughout much of Europe and Africa and perhaps another 500 million in western Asia will be able to watch as the Harvest Full Moon becomes a shadow of its former self and morphs into a glowing coppery ball. The lunar eclipse will also feature the "biggest" full moon as the moon will appear at its closest distance to Earth.




حدثت 3 خسوفات متتالية للقمر الأحمر في 5 قرون، و
لخسوفه 4 مرات هذه المرة علاقة بالشرق الأوسط

The saying goes about 3 consecutive eclipses of a red moon in 5 centuries.
And 4 times each eclipse was related to the Middle East.

This time, however, we have a sequence of even 4 blood moon appearances, as 3 preceding appearances have already been observed since spring 2014.




Even though, natural phenomena have always been regarded by astrologists as a heavenly sign introducing important changes on Earth, there were, as well, those who denied any relation between such planetary phenomena and human life. One of them was the famous Persian poet Hafiz (1320-1389) who warned to rely on astrology while intending to make one's fortune. A stance from one of his Ghazals, - some Persian literary form resembling the old English sonnet -, is still showing his mistrust in the revelations of astrology:

Do not expect, oh Hafiz, any cheer
Of fortune gained from planets' wheeling sphere;
Fate has a thousand turns of ill,
And never a tremor of good will.




The above quoted stance, combined with the name of its author,
is being presented using Arabic scripture. The calligraphy as it is
shown below was created by Ulysses some years ago and has
been colored only recently to fit with the Red Moon subject.

المانيا بشأن الأزمة السورية

المانيا بشأن الأزمة السورية

ميركل: يجب مشاركة الأسد في مفاوضات الحل

أعلنت المستشارة الألمانية أنغيلا ميركل، الخميس، أن رئيس النظام السوري بشار الأسد يجب أن يشارك في أي مفاوضات تهدف إلى حل الأزمة السورية.ــ

وقالت ميركل للصحافيين عقب قمة أوروبية طارئة في بروكسل "علينا أن نتحدث مع أفرقاء كثيرين، وهذا يشمل الأسد وكذلك أيضاً أطرافاً آخرين. ليس فقط مع الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وروسيا ولكن أيضاً مع شركاء إقليميين مهمين، إيران السعودية".ـ

[سبتمبر 24 - العربية نت]

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... و بشأن 800.000 اللاجئون السوريون في كل السنة 2015

اللاجئون (السوريون) في ألمانيا ـ ماذا بعد الترحيب؟

شهد ألمانيا العديد من المبادرات التي ترحب بقدوم اللاجئين وهي في أغلبها مبادرات تطوعية. وبالرغم من هذا الترحيب فإن بعض المدن الألمانية شهدت هجمات معادية للاجئين، بالإضافة إلى مظاهرات معادية نظمها اليمينيون المتطرفون.ـ

[سبتمبر 24 - DW راديو وطني الماني]




مصدر: المجلس النيابي الالماني

الجيش الروسيا في سوريا

آخر تحديث في 28 سبتمبر

الجيش الروسيا في سوريا

مسؤولون أميركيون: موسكو نشرت 28 مقاتلة في سوريا
[العربية نت 22 سبتمبر 2015]

البنتاغون: روسيا نشرت 4 مقاتلات في سوريا
[العربية نت 19 سبتمبر 2015]



صورة نشرتها فورين بوليسي، وهي من غوغل إيرث، تشير إلى بناء قاعدة جوية قرب اللاذقية
[العربية نت 19 سبتمبر 2015]


بوتين: روسيا لا تنوي نشر قوات مقاتلة في سوريا

قال الرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين إن روسيا لا تنوي نشر قوات مقاتلة في سوريا، مشيراً إلى أن الهدف من الوجود العسكري الروسي في سوريا هو دعم حكومة رئيس النظام بشار الأسد ضد الجماعات الإرهابية.ـ

[العربية نت 28 سبتمبر 2015]

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بوتين يهدئ مخاوف إسرائيل بشأن نشر أسلحة روسية في سوريا
[بيبيسي 21 سبتمبر 2015]



[العربية نت 22 سبتمبر 2015]




استمرار تدفق الأسلحة الروسية إلى سوريا
[العربية نت 27 سبتمبر 2015]

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ISIS Compared with Historical Order of Assassins

ـ"الحشاشون" و"داعش": انتحار واغتيال وإن اختلفت المذاهب!ـ

"The Assasins" and "ISIS": Suicide and Assassination despite Ideological Differences !

ـ"الحشاشون" اتخذوا "ألموت" مكمناً حصيناً لهم

The "Assassins" [i.e. the medieval Nizari Ismailis' secret Islamic sect of assassins] brought with them a sociological monoculture of "Death".

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 6th August 2015]


Editor's Note:

The origins of the Assassins can be traced back to the time preceding the First Crusade, around 1080. Early sources about the Assassins are either written by enemies of that Islamic sect, or are based on legends. Most sources dealing with the order's inner structure were destroyed with the capture of Alamut, the Assassins' headquarters, by the Mongols in 1256. However, it is possible to trace the beginnings of the cult back to its first Grandmaster Hassan-i Sabbah (1050s–1124).



Old Persian style painting: The Assassins' stronghold of Alamut.

A passionate devotee of Isma'ili beliefs, Hassan-i Sabbah was well-liked throughout Cairo, Syria and most of the Middle East by other Isma'ili, which led to a number of people becoming his followers. Using his fame and popularity, Sabbah founded the Order of the Assassins. While his motives for founding this order remain unknown, it was said to be all for his own political and personal gain and to excert vengeance on his enemies. Because of the unrest in the Holy Land caused by the Crusades, Hassan-i Sabbah found himself not only fighting for power with other Muslims, but also with the invading Christian forces.

Hassan-i-Sabbah founded the Nizari Ismaili State (1090-1256) which comprised a group of unconnected strategic strongholds throughout Persia (Iran), Iraq and Syria. Those strongholds were surrounded by huge swathes of hostile territory. The Nizari Ismaili state managed a unified power structure that proved more effective than the Ismaili Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt, or the Sunni Seljuq Empire, both of which suffered political instability.

Long after their near-eradication at the hands of the Mongol Empire, reminders of the Assassins were preserved within European sources such as the writings of Marco Polo who depicted them as trained killers, responsible for the systematic elimination of opposing figures.




يا اهلينا انضمو لينا في حزب الحشيش

Be welcome joining us in the Party of Assassins !
Be welcome joining us in the Hashish Movement !
Image from an Egyptian journal in spring 2014,
referring to the connection between the Arabic
words describing the "Assassins" and the drug
"Hashish" which had been reportedly applied to
make novices of the Assassins believe in the
existence of Allah's Paradise.


News of the Day:



On the same day, 6th August 2015, the Arabic world discussed the suicide bombing targeting a mosque in southwestern Saudi Arabia, near the Yemenite border, and which killed at least 15 Muslims. According to a Saudi TV station, the Islamic State (ISIS) declared itself responsible for that bombing which has been staged far away from the organization's usual area of operations.

[Source: Al-Jazeera الجزيرة on 6th August 2015]




داعش يخطف 230 مدنياً بعد استيلائه على "القريتين" بحمص

ISIS abducted 230 citizens after taking over some village in Homs [province].

There are 60 Christians among those 230 hostages abducted in the rural area of Homs, Syria.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 7th August 2015]

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Death of Bin Laden Relatives

ثالث كارثة جوية تحل بعائلة بن لادن وتقتل بعض أفرادها

A third air catastrophe strikes the family of Bin Laden and kills some of its members.

Members of the Bin Laden clan and their pilot died in the aircrash of an Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 jet on its flight from Milan, Italy, to Blackbushe in Hampshire, Britain, about 103 km away from London. The Phenom 300 can carry eight passengers and is worth some 8,5 million U.S.$. Its crash took place when the jet tried to land on Blackbushe airfield and rushed into a neighbouring car show. The aircraft went down in near perfect conditions [Source: Guardian].

As the Bin Laden clan enjoys much influence in Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A., where Bin Laden Enterprises are engaged in the trade of oil and weaponry, high-ranking officials are now offering their condolences.




صورة لضحايا "طائرة بن لادن" المنكوبة في إنجلترا

Picture of the victims in the "Bin Laden Plane" that perished in England.

Media reports said the victims included Osama bin Laden's half-sister along with her husband and mother. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV named those killed as Sana' Mohamed bin Laden, her husband Zuhair Hashem and Sana's mother, Raja' Hashem.




Prominent victim of the Bin Laden [clan], known among Saudis as "Mother of Orphans".




Mohammed bin Awad Bin Laden and his first son Salem who died as well in air plane accidents
in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. in 1967 and 1988. [Right: Mohammed is Osama Bin Laden's father]

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 1st and 2nd August 2015]


The guy who dropped out from the Bin Laden family scheme and found himself new friends:



An Osama Bin Laden warrant dating from times when he was hiding
in Afghanistan which was then ruled by Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Still remember Michael Moore? The U.S. filmmaker who reported on September 11 and the dirty secrets of U.S. politics under the presidency of George Walker Bush. Here the official trailer of Fahrenheit 9/11, a documentary that opened our eyes on what we should see as a "sublime war against terrorism":



For those who want to learn more about Fahrenheit 9/11 and business relations between
the Bush clan and the Saudi Bin Laden Enterprises, here part one of the complete movie:

News on Afghan Taliban Leader Omar

Important Update added on 30th July !



أفغانستان.. هل قٌتل زعيم حركة طالبان الملا عمر؟ـ

Afghanistan: Was Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, [finally] killed ?

قالت الحكومة الأفغانية الأربعاء 29 يوليو/ تموز إنها بصدد التحقق من مقتل زعيم حركة طالبان، الملا محمد عمر.ـ

On Wednesday July 29 the Afghan government said that it was convinced of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar being dead.

وأعلن مسؤول حكومي أفغاني، اليوم الأربعاء، أن الملا محمد عمر، زعيم حركة طالبان، توفي منذ عامين في باكستان بعد مرضه.ـ

An Afghan government official informed today, Wednesday, that Mullah Mohammed Omar, leader of the Taliban, died from a disease in Pakistan [already] two years ago.

وقال المسؤول الحكومي، الذي رفض الإفصاح عن اسمه، في تصريحات لوكالة الأنباء الألمانية: “لدينا تأكيد من السلطات الباكستانية ومصادر من طالبان بأنه توفى قبل عامين في باكستان جراء إصابته بمرض”.ـ

And the government official who refused to tell his name, told in declarations for the [.....] press agency: " We have confirmation from Pakistani authorities and Taliban sources that he died within the last two years in Pakistan [in the proceedings of] an acquired disease."

كما كانت هناك عدة تقارير عن وفاة الملا عمر في الماضي.ـ

..... There were also several reports on the death of Mullah Omar in the past.

وكانت مصادر حكومية تحدثت في وقت سابق عن مقتل زعيم حركة "طالبان"حسبما نقلت عنها هيئة الإذاعة البريطانية.ـ

And there were government sources referring to the killing of the Taliban leader much earlier according to quotations by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

[Source: Al-Alam قناة العالم, Iranian TV channel in Arabic on July 29, 2015]

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Important Update on 30th July:



Afghanistan - In an announcement, the Taliban confirm
the death of their former leader Mullah Omar.
According to FRANCE 24, Omar died in 2013.




مجلس شورى حركة طالبان الأفغانية يؤكد وفاة زعيم الحركة
الملا محمد عمر و انتخاب ملا أختر منصور خليفة له

The Shura assembly of the Afghan Taliban confirms the death
of the organization's leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and the
election of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as his successor.
Screenshot from Al-Jazeera Arabic TV on 30th July.

The Taliban has elected Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as its new leader, Taliban sources have told Al Jazeera, as the group confirmed the death of their founder Mullah Omar.

The election, which was reported on Thursday, has not been officially confirmed by the Taliban. But a commander present at the meeting to elect Mansoor confirmed the report to Reuters news agency.

Reports said the election was held in Pakistan's city of Quetta.

[Source: Al-Jazeera الجزيرة on 30th July 2015]

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was previously Minister of Civil Aviation in Taliban-led Afghanistan. Mansoor was appointed deputy to Mullah Omar in 2010. He is believed to be in his 40s as of 2015, and is from southern Afghanistan near Kandahar.

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Another Cold Case ...

Plans of Getting Tougher on ISIS

U.S., Turkey and Saudi Arabia are probably joining forces in their fight against ISIS. Such are today's headlines by CNN, France 24 and Al-Arabiya.




الملك سلمان: يجب القضاء على داعش ولتركيا حق حماية شعبها

King Salman: There is need for the annihilation of ISIS
and for [a rule allowing] Turkey to defend its people.

في اتصال هاتفي جرى بين العاهل السعودي الملك سلمان والرئيس التركي رجب طيب أردوغان بحث الزعيمان التطورات الأخيرة ومستجدات الأوضاع في المنطقة.ـ

In a telephone call between the Saudi ruler King Salman and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the two leaders discussed recent developments.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 28th July 2015]




Turkey: The offensive against ISIS and PKK intensifies.

The US and Turkey have agreed to work together to drive Islamic State jihadists from northern Syria, a senior US official said Monday, as Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said its military could "change the balance" in the region. Plannings of a Turkish U.S. cooperation should entail Turkey supporting US "partners on the ground" that are already fighting IS extremists.

But many question whether Turkey is more interested in limiting Kurdish capabilities in Syria and Iraq than tackling IS. Turkey has called an extraordinary NATO meeting for Tuesday over its two-pronged cross-border "anti-terror" offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and IS jihadists. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg backed Turkey's right to defend itself but told the BBC Sunday "of course self-defence has to be proportionate".

Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu told a group of Turkish newspaper editors that Ankara's intervention would "change the balance" in the region, but ruled out sending ground troops into Syria. He denied Turkey was worried by Kurdish gains against jihadists in northern Syria, pointing to Ankara's relations with autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkey has given the United States the green light to use its Incirlik air base to attack IS after months of tough negotiations. Davutoglu said Ankara's demands for a no-fly zone were addressed "to a certain extent", according to the Hurriyet daily. "Air cover is important, the air protection for the Free Syrian Army and other moderate elements fighting Daesh [i.e. IS]," he said. "If we will not send ground forces -- and that we will not do -- then certain elements that cooperate with us on the ground must be protected," Davutoglu added.

Up to now, direct fighting between Turkey and IS was restricted to some crossing-border shelling, seen as a retaliation for IS targeting Turkish territory. Turkey has already planned to bolster security along its border with Syria following a suspected suicide bombing in the town of Suruc which killed 30 people, most of them students, and left about 100 others wounded, only some days ago on 20th July.

[Source: France 24 / Al-Jazeera on 28th July 2015]

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Iran Nuclear Deal - Israel Divided

Important Update included on 25th July 2015



إسرائيليون يفتحون سفارة لإيران بتل أبيب ويبحثون عن سفير

Israeli [citizens] are opening some "unique style" Iranian embassy in Tel Aviv
and are [now] searching for an ambassador. [Al-Arabiya on 13th July 2015]


Quotation from a Jerusalem Post publication on 13th July 2015:

Lapid: Netanyahu's campaign against Iran deal is a colossal failure.
Yesh Atid leader says Netanyahu caused the White House
to stop listening to Israel.

National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday morning that the ongoing negotiations in Vienna over Iran's nuclear program will likely lead to a deal that will be completed in the next day.
"As things look now, it's final. The nuclear deal with Iran will be signed in the next day," Steinitz told Army Radio.
Steinitz defended the government's handling of the Iranian nuclear issue and said Israel's diplomatic efforts led to sanctions being imposed on Iran. The minister also said that Israeli intelligence mitigated the interim nuclear deal with Iran.

Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid, on the other hand, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's diplomatic campaign on the Iranian nuclear issue has been a "colossal failure."
Lapid said the diplomatic efforts must now shift to focus only on the international supervisory mechanisms on the Iranian nuclear program.
In a separate interview that Lapid gave on Monday morning he said that Israel was sidelined from the talks with Iran because the White House shut Netanyahu out.
"I also am not thrilled by [US President Barack] Obama's polices. But Netanyahu crossed a line that caused the White House to stop listening to Israel," Lapid told Army Radio.
"In the last year we weren't even in the arena, we had no representative in Vienna, our intelligence cooperation was harmed, and the door to the White House was closed to us," he added.

Netanyahu, alone among world leaders publicly railing against the apparently impending nuclear deal with Iran, said Sunday that Iran is not hiding its aggressive intentions against Israel and the US even as the negotiations in Vienna are continuing.
He said that the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted over the weekend as saying that Iran “needs to plan to fight the US regardless of whether there is an agreement.”

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U.S. President Obama hails Tuesday's nuclear deal with Iran
and asks for its backing by U.S. Congress.

The U.S. still retain the right to military action despite the deal, as Vice President Joe Biden reassured lawmakers on Wednesday, 15th July.

Nevertheless, Iranians have been celebrating Tuesday's landmark nuclear deal, because the deal lifts economic sanctions from the U.S., European Union and United Nations. In exchange, Iran has agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme.

The lift of sanctions could quadruple estimated Iranian exports in the next few years. Furthermore, Iran's energy minister hopes to attract $100B investment in oil.

[Source: Al-Jazeera الجزيرة, international service, on 15th July 2015]

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Iran's Religious Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
and Revolutionary Guard Qasem Soleimani

واشنطن: قاسم سليماني سيبقى على لائحة الإرهاب الأميركية

Washington: Qasem Soleimani will remain on the U.S. list of terrorists.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 17th July 2015]




Major General Qasem Soleimani
Chief of the Al-Quds Brigades
Iranian Revolutionary Guards

وضحت ويندي شرمان، مساعدة الشؤون السياسية لوزارة الخارجية الأميركية، أن واشنطن ستبقي قائد فيلق القدس التابع للحرس الثوري الإيراني، اللواء قاسم سليماني، على لائحة الإرهاب الأميركية. و ذكرت شرمان، بحسب ما نقلت “العربية”، أن الاسم الذي ورد في المرحلة الأولى من العقوبات التي سيتم رفعها عن إيران هو قاسم سليماني آخر، ويشغل منصب مدير أحد مناجم ...ـ

Wendy Sherman, [under-secretary] for political affairs for the U.S. State Department, made clear that Washington will retain major general Qasem Soleimani, chief of the Al-Quds Brigade [and which is subordinate to] the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, on the U.S. list of terrorists. Sherman reminded that [, whatever "Al-Arabiya" reported, ] the name which had been provided in the first phase of sanctions to be lifted for Iran, [was that of] [Ghasem] Soleimani. He holds the position of a director of one of the mines ...

Editor's Note:
For clarification it should be mentioned that Ghasem Soleimani, the director of one of the Iranian uranium mines, and who has been included in the UN designation list at phase one of the sanctions, is not identical with major general Qasem Soleimani. The commander of the Al-Quds Brigades is mentioned on the UN designation list at phase two of the sanctions and remains on the U.S. terrorist list as indicated by under-secretary Wendy Sherman on a press conference of the U.S. State Department on 16th July 2015.

[Source: inews-arabiya iNews عربية on 17th July 2015]

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The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that will clear a path for international sanctions crippling Iran's economy to be lifted. Representatives of all 15 countries on the Security Council voted on Monday, 20th July, by raising their hands.

[Source: International Media on 20th July 2015]

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Most recent U.S. visitors interested in the Iranian subject.





Above: Reminder of an Israeli air raid in 2012
targeting Iran's armament facilities in Sudan.



In the news on 24th July 2015 - U.S. foreign secretary John Kerry warns:
Any Israeli attack on Iran would be 'a huge mistake with consequences'.
[Source: Al-Jazeera, RT (Russia Today) and other international media]

China - Reorientation in Financial Turmoil

Now that a Chinese stock market bubble finally burst, giving way to a 30% fall of shares, the global financial community is on the alert.



Shanghai Composite Index 09-07-2015

Here an excerpt from an article published by the British daily Telegraph on 9th July 2015:

" In any normal summer, a 30% fall in the Chinese stock market – a loss of value roughly equivalent to the UK’s entire economic output last year – after an ascent which had seen share prices more than double within the space of a year would have been front page news across the globe. The dramatic series of government interventions to stem the panic – hitherto unsuccessful, it should be added – would similarly have been up there at the top of the news agenda. Yet the pantomime of the Greek debt talks, together with the tragi-comedy of will they, won’t they leave the euro, has relegated the story to little more than a footnote - even though 940 companies, more than a third, have now suspended trading on China’s two main indices. "

The complete text compares China's current economic situation with the Black Friday Scenario of 1929 when the breakdown of U.S. stock markets caused a global economic crisis. It should be noted, however, that Chinese stocks are still much higher than a year ago !


On the same day, a Chinese language article, published by People's Network / Renmin Wang, dealt with the problem of "sleeping assets" that need to be activated in order to provide enough money for China's current economic needs. Here an excerpt from that article:




中国经济半年报：盘活存量资金唤醒沉睡财政

Half year report on China's economy: Revitalize assets and capital funds
to awaken the financial [system] from a sound sleep.

中国农业银行首席经济学家向松祚则建议，为了能够最大程度地盘活存量资金，应该更多地对中小企业减税，同时对个人所得税进行调节，降低税收的负担，之所以有这么多的存量资金，可能说明目前我国的宏观税负太高，适当降低税负可将这些资金重新实行再分配。而对于一些真正需要财政支持的部门或项目，可以进行更多的财政转移支付。

The chief economist of China's agricultural bank Xiang Songzuo proposes: In order to be able to revitalize assets and funds on the largest degree, it needs to further reduce taxes for China's small business. At the same time, people income tax should be adjusted. .......... From a macroscopic view it could be said that the tax burden in our country is too high. A suitable reduction of tax burden could again invoke a redistribution of such funds. As to the sectors or projects that really need financial support, this could realize more financial transfer payments.

[Source: People's Network 人民网 on 9th July 2015]

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China - Signs of Policy Change

President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi in a Buddhist temple.

When China's President Xi Jinping received India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2015, he led him to a Buddhist temple and underlined the common cultural link between both countries and which is based on Buddhism. Centuries ago, Buddhism had started in India and had made its way into China, such dominating China's culture until the Communist movement of Mao Zedong swept away each and every ideology seen as opposing the new doctrine of atheism. Only to mention the fierce campaign against Confucianism during the Cultural Revolution and, in recent times, the pursuit of members belonging to the Falungong movement which described itself as some kind of spiritual way to live in peace with nature without any political goal at all. As to the Falungong movement, Chinese authorities argued that politically motivated foreign influence was behind it. This, however, cannot be entirely excluded as the Falungong movement found itself a strong base in North America, home of the eternal enemies to Communism.

Now, an anti-Communist Chinese paper pretends to detect further signs of Buddhism entering daily politics in Communist China; - a nice opportunity to look into the internal proceedings of a country that managed to develop its most successful capitalist state economy on the basis of a dominating Communist ideology.




习近平—再释信号

Xi Jinping - Another Signal for Buddhism.

“历史性时刻”将临

" A historic moment " to be faced.

密审周永康后 习近平祭出大动作

After a close examination dominating many weeks,
Xi JinPing [now] celebrates a big movement.

横扫“东北恶虎”徐才厚、密审“政法沙皇”周永康之后，习近平的下一个目标是谁？就在各方猜测之际，习近平连番祭出“大动作”，剑指江派大佬曾庆红、江泽民。评论指出，中国时局的拐点，已然清晰浮现。

After endless weeks of sweeping away the " evil north-eastern tiger's " gentle ability and kindness and a close examination of " tsarist politics and law " : What [now] is the target addressed by Xi Jinping ? [Hence] everywhere it is guessed at the moment that Xi Jinping is repeatedly celebrating a big movement. The sword being pointed at the boss of the Jiang [Zemin] faction Zeng Qinghong and Jiang Zemin himself. A comment is pointing out that the break point of China's current political situation has already clearly appeared.





陈云家族转向 太子党联盟反江

[The mighty clan] changes its direction: The party of the
crown prince forms an alliance to counter Jiang [Zemin].

[Source: epochtimes 大纪元时报, the European edition of an anti-communist Chinese paper on 1st July 2015]. Another Chinese publication came with a similar stance:

陈云家族变脸 太子党八大家族结盟倒江

A sudden turn of [the mighty clan]: The [mighty eight] in the party of
the crown prince are forming an alliance to topple Jiang [Zemin].

[Source: chinaexaminer 中国观察 on 5th July 2015]


Editor's Note:

Zeng Qinghong is a retired member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China. During the 1990s, Zeng was a close ally of then-Party Secretary General Jiang Zemin (1989-2002), and was instrumental in consolidating Jiang's power. For years, Zeng was the primary force behind the party's organization and personnel.

Before his retirement from daily politics between 2007 and 2008, Zeng used his political strength to secure the elevation of Xi Jinping into the Politburo Standing Committee. Xi Jinping, who succeeded Zeng in his posts of Vice-President and executive secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, then became the heir apparent to succeed Secretary General Hu Jintao (2002-2012) as China's top leader.

Recent Chinese publications now indicate a change of policy under the guidance of Secretary General Xi Jinping and which is targeting former leader Jiang Zemin and his faction represented by Zeng Qinghong.

2014年习近平还提出了“依法治国”，从那时起利用法律来彻底清除江派的计划 就开始紧锣密鼓地进行了。

In 2014 Xi Jinping put forward the adage of "ruling the country according to law". From that time on, the law was utilized to totally erase the Jiang faction's plannings engaged in starting an intense publicity drive. [=> quotation from epochtimes]

What has been translated as the " mighty clan " or the " mighty eight ", is essentially referring to the Politburo Standing Committee and the Secretary General of China's Communist Party.

Whether the approach of Buddhist virtues is just a means of delivering some new policy or an enrichment of Communist ideology based on national tradition remains to be confirmed. After all it should be noted that India's premier Modi visited China at first place to discuss urgent problems between both countries and to sign some important agreements.

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