Why Is Washington Backing Al-Qaeda and ISIL in Syria And Yemen?

TEHRAN (FNA)- Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari has once again denounced sanctions imposed on his country by the United States and the European Union, saying the bans are harming the Syrian people.

Jaafari told a Security Council session on Monday that foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists and the sanctions imposed by the US and the EU are inflicting suffering on the Syrian people.

On May 28, the EU extended its restrictive measures against the Damascus government until June 1, 2019. The sanctions currently in place against Syria include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments and a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank held in the EU. The EU bans are also in place on dozens of companies linked to the Syrian government.

Because of the bans, the US and the EU lack moral and ethical standards while dealing with today’s crises, particularly in the universal war against terrorism. But why should the US be willing to embark on such measures that end up in supporting Al-Qaeda and its offshoots like Nusra Front in Syria? It is not as strange as it may seem:

The US-led war on Syria has admittedly required Washington to partner up with “moderate militants” in pursuit of its colonial and aggressive foreign policy goals, including partitioning Syria and protecting Israel. But the war has produced too much evidence to keep the myth of "moderate militants" alive, even for pro-US experts and media. Though completely clear and globally condemned, this de facto alliance with terrorists and extremist groups, even ISIL, is necessary to facilitate the more long-term goals in the Middle East. This includes regime change in Iran.

That explains why the US is turning a blind eye to Al-Qaeda and ISIL and their crimes, and why President Trump says there will be no arms sales ban for Saudi Arabia despite the fact that its rulers were behind the grisly murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

As for Syria, and more specifically for the Idlib province, it suffices to state that according to President Trump’s Special Envoy to fight ISIL, “Idlib province is the largest Al-Qaeda safe haven since 9/11.”

US officials – including President Trump himself – keep warning the Syrian government not to re-take its own territory from Al-Qaeda control because if Idlib is re-taken by the Syrian army, Wasington or more specifically the Pentagon loses its major foothold in the country, meaning that the American, Saudi and Israeli dream of “regime change” for Syria will be buried altogether and that will be the last and probably most effective ring in the chain of victories of Syria and its allies, Iran and Russia, in burying the US scheme for Syria.

One of the last groups of ISIL fighters in Syria is around the Al-Tanf US military base which has operated illegally in Southeastern Syria - that is assessed as a strategic juncture at Syria's border with Iraq and Jordan - for the past two years. The US has no permission from the Syrian government to be there. Anytime Russia warns the US military in the region that it is about to launch an assault on ISIL fighters around the illegal US base, the US responds by sending in Marines and conducting live-fire exercises as a warning.

The US is occupying the region while it has turned a blind eye to ISIL and Al-Qaeda in the neighborhood as it helps to prolong the bloodshed, justify occupation, and protect Israel. Syria, Russia and Iran have been protesting at the US for allowing ISIL terrorists to operate in the region freely. The US has warned that it has imposed a no fly zone in the region on the pretext of protecting its military, but this has provided the ISIL with free movement without any worries about Syria and Russian air power.

The base that is also used by the US military troops to train Syrian anti-government militants is adjacent to The Rukban refugee camp, which now hosts about 50,000-60,000 people, at Al-Tanf district (Homs province) near the Jordanian border. The US has been hindering the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to the area, while tens of thousands of refugees are dying of hunger. UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said on Monday the United Nations is prepared to immediately send a humanitarian convoy to the al-Rukban camp once safe conditions for its passage can be ensured.

"The UN is ready and willing to proceed with the convoy immediately," Lowcock said, just days after a planned aid delivery was delayed due for security reasons. "Please, make the necessary arrangements to ensure the security of the humanitarian personnel and the accompanying convoy so it can proceed without delay".

Lowcock also said reports of insecurity along the planned delivery route had forced the UN and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to postpone plans to deliver the aid on Saturday. Initially, UN, humanitarian workers along with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, had planned to deliver aid to some 50,000 people, begin a vaccination campaign for around 10,000 children and conduct a rapid needs assessment during their visit to the camp, Lowcock stressed.

US troops are protecting ISIL and starving tens of thousands of people at Al-Tanf to admittedly train anti-government forces in quest for its regime change fantasies in Syria. Yet, this is not the only case of Washington's detrimental and lethal presence in the country. The United States' military forces have established a much wider presence along Eastern Syria to the North-East.

The same foreign policy game is being played in Yemen. The US-backed, Saudi-led war on the impoverished nation is benefiting Al-Qaeda. Washington and its allies have been fighting the Ansarullah (Houthi) movement that has been the only force fighting the Al-Qaeda terrorists in the country, while the Saudi-backed militants of Mansour Hadi have admittedly been working with Al-Qaeda in a number of regions to fight off Ansarullah popular movement. Again, the US helps Al-Qaeda in Yemen to prolong the war, justify occupation, protect Israel and Saudi Arabia, plunder Yemen’s energy resources, and fight the Iranian influence in the Peninsula.

Long story short, the United States and its regional allies are aiding ISIL and Al-Qaeda, which did attack the West and the region. But they justify such deadly ignorance on the pretext of containing Iran in the region - a country that hasn’t attacked its neighbors for more than two hundred years and is at the forefront of the war on terror in Syria.

Meaning, the US-led warmongers are supporting various terrorist groups for their regime change fantasies, and under international law they are complicit in war crimes and crimes committed against humanity by their terror proxies or due to their direct and indirect protection and support for internationally recognized terrorist groups.

HELLO, THEY LIED TO YOU ABOUT IRAN!

Andre Vltchek

Have you ever considered the possibility that almost everything that you have been told about the world by the Western mass media is a lie and fabrication?

I am sure you have, at least lately, when the insanity of Western propaganda is becoming very clear and obvious. But what about the extent of indoctrination you were subjected to?

If you live in Europe or North America, how poisoned are you by the lies about Cuba and Venezuela, Russia and China, North Korea and yes – about Iran? Are you beyond recovery? If you see the truth, if you were confronted by reality, would you still be able to recognize it, or would you perceive it as propaganda and lies?

I have just left Tehran, a city with a tremendous history and culture, overflowing with museums, theatres, wonderfully kept parks dotted with modern art sculptures. It is a city with modern and fully subsidized public transportation, consisting of high-tech metro, ecological bus ways, as well as suburban trains. A city of tall trees, and quiet squares, of elegant cafes, and extremely educated and kind people.

A city that could easily be part of the ‘top ten’ cities on Earth, were it not be the capital of a country that the West is trying to ruin, first with unjust and draconian sanctions, and then, who knows, even by a militarily invasion.

What do most Westerners know about Iran; what were they told? I think the image the mass media outlets want to project is of “Iran – a radical Muslim country, some sort of Shia Saudi Arabia”, or perhaps worse. Much worse, as Saudi Arabia, the closest Arab ally of London and Washington,cannot be touched in the West, no matter what barbarity and terror it spreads all around the world.

Those who know both Jeddah and Teheran would laugh at such a comparison. Saudi Arabia, and its semi-colony Bahrain, despite their wealth from oil, are some of the most compassionless societies on the planet, misery rubbing shoulders with repulsively vulgar and extreme showing off of wealth.

Iran is in its essence a socialist country. It is internationalist, in full solidarity with many oppressed and struggling nations on our planet. No, I am not talking about Syria, Yemen or Palestine only; I am talking about Cuba and Venezuela, among many others. You did not know? It is not surprising: you are not supposed to know!

You are also expected to remain ignorant about Iran’s social system, clearly socialist. Free education and medical care, greatly subsidized public transportation and culture, huge public spaces and to some extent, strong government and at least partially, central planning.

Despite those absolutely unjust, terrible sanctions imposed, with some interruptions, from Washington and its allies, Iran is standing tall, trying as much as it can to take care of its people. And despite the terrible ordeal Iranian people are being put through, they do not cheat and do not steal. The exchange rate collapsed after Washington imposed another round of bizarre sanctions, triggering frustration, even protests. But the majority of Iranians understands who the real culprit is. And it is no secret that the so-called opposition is often financed from the West.

Most visitors do not understand anything about the local currency or exchange rates. I am no exception. I simply give taxi drivers or waiters my wallet, and they only take what is due. I checked with my Iranian colleagues: and the amount that is being taken is always fair.

Iranians do not display ‘arrogant pride’; they only show the determined, decent and patriotic pride of a nation with thousands of years of great culture which knows perfectly well that it is on the right side of history.

You were told ‘how religious Iran is’; I am sure you were. But unlike in Saudi Arabia or Indonesia, religion is not ‘being thrown into your face’ here; it is not waved as a flag. In Iran, religion is something internal, deep, which is expressed humbly and without noise. While the mosques of Jakarta broadcast, for hours a day and usingpowerful loudspeakers, entire sermons, while people are now being thrown into jail for even criticizing this brutal imposition of religion on the general public, in Tehran I could hardlyeven detect Adhan(call for prayer). Most of the local female Teheran city-dwellers only cover their hair symbolically – one third or even just a quarter, keeping most of their hair exposed.

But the West would never inflict sanctions on Indonesia or antagonize it in any other way, no matter how brutal it is to its own people: Washington, London and Canberra already ruined its socialist direction after the US-orchestrated coup of 1965. Jakarta is now an obedient, turbo capitalist, anti-Communist, West-junk-food-and-crap-entertainment-loving society. It has nothing public left. The elites have fully robbed the country on behalf of the West. Religions in Indonesia are used to uphold the pro-Western fascist regime.

Iran is totally the opposite: its interpretation of religion is ‘traditional’, as it used to be before the West managed to derail its essence in so many parts of the world. It is socialist, compassionate, spiritual and yes – internationalist.

Unlike in places like Jeddah or Jakarta, where going out to eat is now the height of cultural life (and often the only option of how to ‘enjoy the city’), Tehran offers high quality art cinemas (Iranian films are some of the greatest and most intellectual in the world), world-class museums and galleries, vast public spaces, as well as a great number of sport and amusement public facilities, including beautifully maintained parks.

You want to hang from a rope and fly over a valley, near one of the tallest TV towers on Earth – you can do it easily in Teheran. You want to see a series of the latest Chinese art films –you can, at the magnificent palace called the Cinema Museum. Or maybe Chekhov or a Tennessee Williams theatre play, if you understand some Farsi? Why not?

Of course you can sit in a horrendous traffic jam, if you are in love with your car, as you would in Riyadh or Jakarta, but you can also zip through the city in comfort and cheaply, on board the super modern metro system. You can walk on beautiful sidewalks, under tall trees, some of which grow from the clean creaks that separate driveways from pedestrian areas.

What else were you told; that you cannot look into a woman’s eyes or you will be stoned to death? Couples are holding hands everywhere in Tehran, and annoyed girls are slapping the faces of their men, teasingly and sometimes even seriously.

But would you believe it, if you saw it? Or is it too late; have you reached the point of no return?

One day, a driver who was taking me from my hotel to the Press TV television studio, exclaimed in desperation:

“Europeans who come here, even for the first time: they don’t want to learn. Even if they come to Iran for the first time, they land at the airport, get into my car, and begin preaching; teaching me about my own country! They all come with the same story, with the same criticism of Iran. There is no diversity! How can they call themselves democratic countries, if they are all thinking the same way?”

In Teheran, the diversity of thought is absolutely striking. With my colleagues and comrades, we discuss everything from the war in Yugoslavia, to Latin America and of course, Iran itself. They want to know about Russia and China. I love what I see and what I hear – when people are curious and respectful of other cultures, it is always a great start!

Iran is bleeding, suffering, but it is strong. Not everyone agrees with government policies here (although most of them do support their government), but everybody is determined to fight and defend his or her country, if it is attacked militarily or by other means.

Whenever I come here, I have this impolite urge – I want to shout at my readers: Come here and learn something! Iran is not perfect, but this is real – here, life is real and so are the people. Thanks to their culture and history, they somehow know how to separate precious stones from junk, pure thoughts from propaganda, cheap and deadly capitalism from the great strive for a much better world. If you don’t believe me, just watch their films; one masterpiece after another.

Perhaps that is why the West wants to first ruin, and then to totally destroy this country. For the West, Iran is ‘dangerous’. Iran is dangerous, even deadly,for the imperialist arrangement of the world, as China is dangerous, as Russia is, as Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and Bolivia are.

To ruin Iran will not be easy, I would even say:it could prove impossible. Its people are too smart and determined and strong. Iran is not alone; it has many friends and comrades. And even Iran’s neighbors – Turkey and Pakistan – are now quickly changing direction, away from the West.

Don’t take my word for all this. Just come and see. But do no preach: ask questions, and then, please sit, listen and learn! This country has more than 7,000 years of tremendous history. Instead of bombing it, read its poets, watch its films, and learn from its internationalist stand! And then, only then, decide, whether Iran is really your enemy, or a dear comrade and friend.

*Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books areRevolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism, a revolutionary novel “Aurora” and a bestselling work of political non-fiction: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire”. View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “On Western Terrorism”. Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. 

METASTASES OF THE "CIVILIZATION OF SODOM"

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CHRISTIANITY

Mikhail Tyurenkov

Liberal "Western Christianity" is gradually losing its last moral foundation, turning into a post-Christian subculture

You read contemporary news tapes and wonder. One can be arbitrarily tempted on the agenda by a journalist, but when you see an announcement in the spirit of "the eleventh LGBT-Christian Forum of Eastern Europe and Central Asia will be held in Yerevan from November 15 to 18, 2018" becomes uncomfortable. As Archpriest Habakkuk wrote in his "Life", "the heart froze and his legs trembled."

It's one thing when you've heard more than once that somewhere in the "decaying West" there are post-Christian sects that "crown" same-sex couples, and quite another, when the party congress of such pervert is held not in some Ibiza, but in post-Soviet Yerevan.

But to understand where the very term "LGBT Christians" originated (translating from the tolerant: "perverted Christians"), I propose to understand what is the attitude of various Christian confessions to this so aggressively spreading sin throughout the world. From where did the tendency of its justification go, fundamentally contradicting the Holy Scriptures, in which, in particular, in the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, it is unequivocally stated: "will the sodomites of the Kingdom of God not inherit?" Not to mention the fact that the Old Testament says even more specifically: "If a man lies with a man, as with a woman, they both made an abomination." Moreover, in many canonical rules, which were anciently shared by both Orthodox and Catholics, it was clearly stated that adherents of Sodom's sin were not allowed not only to Communion, but also to the cathedral. These people, after repentance and entering the path of correction, must for many years cry for their sins in the temple vestibule. And only years later, by great indulgence, an "amnesty" could be applied to them.

Protestant ethics and the spirit of materialism

Without going into the analysis of the Protestant teachings, it must be said that from the principle of the Reformation of the sixteenth century Sola Scriptura ("Only the Scriptures"), many of them have long ago departed. Today, both Lutherans and even a significant number of Anglicans (even in the first half of the 20th century considered to be the most conservative and even close to Orthodoxy) abandoned the previously mentioned "anti-Sodom" principles of Holy Scripture.

The notorious "Overton windows" opened gradually. From innocent discussions about the rights and freedoms of women to the women's priesthood, from the liberalization of anti-homosexual legislation, once inherent in all countries of the Christian world, to the "wedding" of same-sex couples and even - to ordinations to the priestly and bishopric of open perverts. Of course, even today, among traditional Protestants, moralistic communities remain, but these fundamentalists are drowning in the general trend of liberalization of Western Christian communities.

Undoubtedly, the problem arises from the fact that the distortion of the Orthodox doctrine inevitably entails the introduction of a banal gibberish into Christianity. In the case of Protestantism, these innovations are attempts to get rid of the Holy Tradition and adapt the covenants of Christ to the conditions of the modern world, the world of purely materialistic, and in fact pagan. Speech, of course, is not about worshiping fictional gods and spirits, but about the cult of the golden calf and comfort that was peculiar to the ancient Jews who retreated from the Creator.

It is in this spirit of eudemonic materialism that the roots of "LGBT Christianity" are hidden, in which practically nothing remains of Christianity. Especially if you take into account the free interpretation of Holy Scripture, including the fact that the commandment "Be fruitful and multiply" is not imperative, but the love given by God to people can take a variety of forms. That is why such liberal Protestants would have been much more honest to call themselves by any other name, but not "Christians." But honesty, obviously, is far from being the main virtue in this community.

Pope against the Catechism?

In the case of another western denomination - the Roman Catholic Church - the situation is somewhat different. It would seem that in some matters the Latins are even more conservative than Orthodox Christians. Thus, Roman Catholics categorically forbid divorce (and if it happened, the twenties do not have the right to receive communion), the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church towards non-abortive contraceptives is much more strict. As for the attitude towards homosexuality, the position of the Roman Catholic Church is no different from the patristic one. It is another matter that in practice the Catholic hierarchy increasingly begins to lean towards concessions. So, back in 2014, the report prepared by the committee of Catholic clerics with the blessing of Pope Francis was actively discussed, where it was said that it is not worth to divorce the Roman Catholic Church "as divorced and second-rate Catholics and homosexuals, as well as non-traditional married couples ". The wording, of course, was very cautious, but the next window of the Overton was opened.

And already in 2016, Pope Francis apologized to homosexuals for past oppression. Of course, even such a liberal pope has not yet advocated same-sex marriages, however, the common flair around the figure of an elderly pontiff is more and more unhealthy every year. And the latest scandals related to the alleged secretion by Pope Francis of clergymen-pedophiles - only the next link in this chain. It is clear that in vilification of the Vatican are not interested in respectable conservative Catholics, but the fact of the liberal roll of the Roman Catholic Church - is evident.

Fast train "Sodom - Yerevan"

Changes in the political life of modern Armenia are very revealing. But in order to show their obedience to Western political elites, it is very important for Armenian revolutionaries to conduct demonstrative actions. In the past, attempts to hold gay pride parades in Yerevan have already failed. To a large extent this is due to the fact that the bulk of the Armenian society remains committed to traditional values. But even here it's already full of windows and windows of Overton. So, during the last months an unprecedented action was undertaken to discredit the hierarchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church - up to the seizures by the liberal revolutionaries of the residence of the patriarch-Catholicos in Etchmiadzin.

The danger of "light-Orthodoxy"

The position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the issue of attitude towards homosexuality and other sexual perversions does not depart from the Christian Holy Scripture and Tradition in anything.

Nevertheless, even in the Orthodox environment, liberal theologians have recently begun to appear, for which "everything is not so unambiguous." Thus, the archbishop of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diocletian, in early 2018, delivered an article published in the LGBT journal "Wheels". In this material, Metropolitan Kallist, in particular, expressed bewilderment of the "too heavy" burden that the Orthodox Church places on people with a homosexual inclination.

Alas, in this position, the representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is not alone. In 2017, severe criticism for such views was subjected to the famous American video blogger in the monastic order of the nun Vassa (Larina).

In fact, it is about bringing to Orthodoxy the very liberal-Protestant ideology, which was mentioned at the beginning of this material. However, in recent years, the hierarchy of our Church has repeatedly stated that in relations with the same Protestants it is guided in strict compliance with the conciliar definitions.

Thus, at the Council of Bishops of 2013, "it was impossible to communicate with such faiths that openly violate biblical moral standards."

There's nothing to add. It remains to be hoped that the "light Orthodox" missionary and educational tendency, which calls for "treating" the cancer tumor of the Sodom civilization by the methods of psychoanalysis, will be given a similarly clear assessment. Otherwise, her metastases can spread with the same rapidity as happened in the Christian West.

How Worldview Precedes Cultural Development

From coffee to politics, everything is shaped by worldview

By Tahir Mahmoud

 

One of the most frequently used words today is objectivity. Everyone claims to be “objective” but the fact is everyone is pushing a particular worldview (din — comprehensive Arabic term often used for religion). This phenomenon manifested itself during a recent trip to Malaysia, where a popular bookstore placed Dr. Richard Dawkins’ book titled, Science in the Soul in the general references section.

Anyone with even basic information about Dawkins and his activities might immediately feel confused. Why? Dawkins is an activist atheist preacher. Anyone thinking that Dawkins can separate his naturalist, atheist, anti-religious and anti-Islamic assumptions from his writings, lives in a world of illusion. Dawkins’ writings should be shelved under religion or more accurately pseudo-religion, preferably next to shallow Wahhabi booklets with which Dawkins shares his dogmatic style.

We all have a worldview (din) and that worldview greatly influences our positions, from science to coffee culture. This is not a problem in and of itself. It becomes problematic when we start claiming that our position and perspective is not shaped by our underlying core worldview. That is why Crescent International identifies itself as the newsmagazine of the Islamic movement. We are not in the business of deception; our perspectives are shaped by our Islamic worldview, unlike our wealthy secular counterparts we do not conceal our core underpinnings.

Worldview even shapes hard sciences. In January 2016, NPR’s Planet Money show produced a fantastic podcast titled, “The Experiment Experiment.” The podcast refers to research done by Professor Brian Nosek at the University of Virginia. A few years back Nosek put together a team that attempted to replicate several experiments from various disciplines and see if they could be repeated.

Nosek’s project attempted to replicate 100 certified studies. Only 39 could be replicated, 61 could not. Why? Confirmation bias is real in hard sciences. As Nosek correctly pointed out during his interview with NPR’s Planet Money show, “When I do research in the laboratory, I have choices I make about how to analyze the data and about what of the data that I get to report. And so I might be more likely to find a way of analyzing the data that looks good for me — right? It confirms my hypothesis. It provides a result that’s exciting, that’s very publishable. I might decide that must be the right way to analyze the data, and I might do that while thinking and trying to be genuine and accurate. But — and the fact that I have a conflict of interest in this — where the results have implications for me and my career advancement, means that I might construct stories to myself that lead me to finding results and reporting results in literature that just are exaggerations of reality that just aren’t true.”

It is not just hard sciences, even coffee culture is shaped by our worldview. How? In the Muslim world, coffee was initially used in Sufi circles to remain awake at night to perform recommended ‘ibadat (coffee was introduced to the world by the Muslims of Yemen and initially it was dubbed the “Muslim drink”!). Today, even in the Muslim world, coffee is primarily used for social intimacy with one’s social circle, not God. Coffee was once a means of “meeting” God through dhikr and salah al-layl (night prayers); today it is a means to meet your supervisor in a wakeful state in the early morning.

Even contemporary economic mechanisms are a product of a particular outlook on life. Today the standard narrative in economics is that credit is absolutely necessary for a functioning economic system. Is it? Yes, credit does at times allow one to increase productivity, but its contemporary form also fuels over-consumption and usury. Instead of advocating the usefulness of credit, why do we not advocate living within our means and increasing spending only through increase in productivity? For this to take place, the outlook on economics has to be disassociated from the wider outlook on life dominating the world. But this will not happen. Consumerism is an integral part of the contemporary secular global order; it indoctrinates humans that we are material beings with a semi-spiritual side to us that can be “taken care of” through a couple of Yoga classes at our local shopping mall. It is all very simple and neat!

MESA: the Arabian NATO?

Arabian military alliance to bring more petro-capital to imperial purveyors of war

By Tahir Mustafa

Uncle Sam and nephew Moshe are always scheming new ways to squeeze more money out of Arabian rulers. Playing on their fears borne of insecurity, hundreds of billions of dollars have been squeezed out of them over the last two decades by selling them weapons. The ill-trained and ill-motivated Arabian armies cannot use most of these weapons. But more sales are in the pipeline.

There is little evidence that these regimes feel any more secure by acquiring vast quantities of weapons than they did without them. If massive purchases of weapons cannot buy them security, what else can they do?

Uncle Sam has come up with another idea: the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA). There is nothing strategic about the new alliance that would comprise the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plus Egypt and Jordan. The US would act as godfather and supervise the quarrelling potentates to prevent them from coming to blows with each other.

The idea of creating MESA is not entirely new. It is a modified version of the “Arab NATO” that had been talked about even before Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2017. As is customary with many of his hare-brained ideas that he periodically throws up, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman had proposed the establishment of an Islamic army to “fight terrorism.” He even recruited the former Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif to head this army. Various reports say he is paid a six-digit salary in US dollars; not a bad deal for doing virtually nothing!

The problem with the “Islamic army” is that there is no army despite Bin Salman proposing an alliance of 34 countries. The alliance pointedly excluded Islamic Iran, Iraq, and Syria — three countries most severely affected by terrorism. Since the election of Mahathir Muhammad as prime minister, Malaysia has also pulled out of the so-called alliance. Indonesia had already said it would not send troops for the proposed “Islamic army.”

There is a simple solution to fighting terrorism: Saudi Arabia, Zionist Israel, and imperialist America should stop supporting and arming terrorists masquerading as rebels, insurgents, or freedom fighters. In mid-September, there were reports that Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the self-styled khalifah of the terrorist outfit Da‘ish or ISIS (or whatever other four-letter-word it is known by) had relocated to Afghanistan. Fleeing Syria would not have been possible without direct US help. Both the Russians and Afghans (former president Hamid Karzai, for instance) have publicly stated that Da‘ish terrorists have been airlifted to Afghanistan in “unmarked” helicopters. This was a broad hint that the Americans did it.

But back to the idea of MESA or “Arab NATO” or whatever other fancy label is attached to it. Taking advantage of the presence of so many Arabian rulers or foreign ministers in New York for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gathered them to deliver a stern lecture about “working together.” This was the first time that all six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) sat under one roof after the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar was launched in June 2017. The blockade had US blessing. Others at the September 28 meeting in New York were representatives of Egypt and Jordan — both basket cases looking for financial handouts.

But here is the rub. On his Saudi visit last year, Trump had announced arms deals worth some $350 billion. Soon thereafter, the US also sold $12 billion worth of helicopters to Qatar. On September 29, Trump even announced that he had told the Saudi king that since they have “trillions of dollars” — yes trillions with a “T” — they must give this money to the US. The Najdi Bedouins, it seems, would soon be heading back to the desert!

Egyptian President ‘Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, Saudi King Salman, and US President Donald Trump visit the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 5-20-2017, the occasion where the US chief executive announced his plans for an “Arab NATO.” Any serious security alliance involving the United States in the Muslim East will not happen without Israeli oversight, full participation, and approval. This means that for all the other “Sunni” regimes to tag along as cannon fodder, Bani Saud will have to deal openly with Israel — the only credible, if unofficial, military presence in MESA — if the alliance is to have any real credibility, to wit all the not-so-secret overtures from Arabia to Israel that have been taking place under pressure from the Trump administration and the rising principled influence of Iran.

The Saudi-Qatari spat, entirely artificial, shows how the US operates: first create a crisis and then milk both sides of the dispute. The only exception is Zionist Israel whose implantation in the heart of the Muslim East is the source of all instability. While the US rakes in tens of billions of dollars annually from Arabian potentates, Zionist Israel gets billions in free arms and other handouts.

The imperialist-Zionist duo is talking up the alleged threat from Islamic Iran. For the record, Iran has not attacked any country in 250 years. It desires peace and good neighborliness with all regional countries. The only exception is Zionist Israel, that usurper entity illegally squatting on Palestinian land.

The Arabian potentates backed by the US, Israel, and Europe even tried to destroy the Islamic Republic through the eight-year war that was launched in September 1980 but they failed. Islamic Iran valiantly defended its land, integrity and honor.

The imperialists and Zionists have sold the diabolical plot to the Arabian potentates that Islamic Iran is a greater threat to them than Zionist Israel. In what would make sense only in an upside-down world, this is true. Israel would not survive without the presence of the illegitimate Arabian regimes. David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, had admitted in a moment of candor that the Arabian regimes are Israel’s first line of defence!

In pursuit of the MESA idea, the US is planning a high-level meeting with Arabian dictators in January. The aim, according to a senior US official, is to speed up forging an alliance whose principal aim would be to confront Islamic Iran.

Tim Lenderking, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian (sic) Gulf Affairs, toured the region in August and September to drum up support for MESA — a concept not dissimilar to the Arabian NATO. “The more we have coordinated efforts, the more effective in enhancing stability,” Lenderking told Emirati website The National on September 26, calling Iran the “number one threat” on the MESA list. Cyber attacks, conflict management, and Syria and Yemen were also thrown in for good measure. In both Syria and Yemen, the aggressors have failed and their policies are falling apart. It is, however, internal conflicts among these potentates that are most problematic. They behave like children, friends one moment and mortal enemies the next and at each other’s throats. The acquisitiveness of the material rather than the aspiration for the moral is endemic to this kind of fratricidal infighting.

With its militaristic policies in the region falling apart, Washington seems to be in a hurry to establish MESA as another mischief-making tool. “We [US] would like to agree on the concept of MESA by the January [2019] summit,” Lenderking said, adding that the US was “flexible” on the date given the talks were still in the early stages. “Flexibility” is also necessary because of the fickleness of Arabian rulers. Lenderking acknowledged the ongoing rift between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt on the one hand and Qatar on the other. Pompeo’s September 28 meeting in New York failed to resolve these differences.

“In the long term, with the MESA that we envision, it would be hard to have two or three countries in this alliance in this kind of confrontation,” Lenderking admitted. “We can continue to develop the concept and work on some of the pillars but ultimately you have to see the rift de-escalated.”

The bottom line of all these manouvres is to protect Zionist Israel. Along the way, the US wants to make tons of money by selling useless weapons to the incompetent Arabian armies that train their weapons only on hapless people, whether in Yemen or in their own oppressed societies.

Saudi Savages

Listening to music while chopping up Khashoggi — alive!

By Yusuf Dhia-Allah

The Saudi consulate in Istanbul doubled as slaughterhouse, at least on October 2. The butchers from Riyadh had come with a bone-cutting saw. They had an important mission to accomplish: grab Jamal Khashoggi and cut him into pieces. Audio recordings of the macabre ritual on the study table of the Saudi Consul General leaked to the Turkish media reveal that Khashoggi was chopped up while he was still alive.

The lead chopper — Salah Muhammad al-Tubayqi — was part of the 15-member squad (their names and photos were published in the Turkish daily, Sabah) that had arrived earlier in the day at the consulate. Identified as a 20-year veteran and head of forensic evidence in the Saudi general security department, al-Tubayqi put on earphones and listened to music as he dismembered Khashoggi with a bone saw. He advised other members of the squad to do the same in order to drown out Khashoggi’s screams. Was he listening to Beethoven as he went about his macabre ritual?

“When I do this job, I listen to music. You should do [that] too,” al-Tubayqi was recorded as saying, according to the Middle East Eye quoting a Turkish source (October 17). First, Khashoggi’s fingers were chopped. Obviously they had to go first because he used them to type “nasty” reports published in the Washington Post. Next, his arms were sawed off. Turkish media reports say that people downstairs in the consulate could hear Khashoggi’s screams. The consul general Muhammad al-‘Utaybi, perhaps a little faint-hearted, was also told to leave his office!

Barbarism is in Najdi Bedouins’ DNA. It has also been reported that after completing the chopping task that took 11 minutes from which Khashoggi took seven minutes to die, all 15 members went to the consul general’s house for dinner. That they could enjoy dinner after indulging in such a gruesome act speaks volumes about their demonic nature. Perhaps, people would now get a better sense of the Saudi mentality.

Let us get some basic facts straight: Khashoggi was no revolutionary or champion of freedom of speech or even basic freedoms. For decades he served the Saudi royals faithfully acting as advisor to Turki bin Faysal, the Kingdom’s long-time intelligence chief. He also headed many media outlets, acting as apologist for the regime. Khashoggi had also denounced Shaykh Nimr al-Nimr as an “outlaw” and applauded his beheading in January 2016.

Such sycophancy, however, did not guarantee his safety. With thousands of academics and religious scholars imprisoned by the impetuous crown prince Muhammad bin Salman (MbS), Khashoggi fled the country settling in the US.

The Washington Post, which is basically a deep-state/CIA front organization, provided him space for a regular column. He started to express mild criticism of Bin Salman’s policies but this was quite tepid and not meant to rock the Saudi boat. Even this, however, was not acceptable to the crown prince.

There were probably other reasons as well but first let us be clear that Bani Saud deserve no sympathy. Those responsible for the ghastly murder should be held accountable. The Saudi admission on October 19 that Khashoggi was murdered in the consulate after a fistfight broke out is a crude attempt to deflect responsibility from Bin Salman. It was Donald Trump who first floated the theory of “rogue killers” being responsible. Soon thereafter, he dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh and Turkey (October 16-17) for private consultations and issue instructions on how to sweep the matter under the rug (damage control).

An artist’s rendering of what a Saudi apology — not to Khashoggi’s family, the field of journalism, or the world, but to the US and Israel — means in real-world terms. The White House’s tepid response to the whole incident suggests that it was a setup for a trillion dollar shakedown in order to bolster the US economy and thereby improve President Trump’s chances for re-election in 2020. Should the clown prince accept culpability, hush money will have to be paid (mostly to Washington); should he deny responsibility and refuse to pay up, then the message has been sent: you are on a fault line that we control, and we will replace you with a more pliable prince who accedes to our security guarantees and any strings that come attached. This scenario seems to concur with the news leaked by the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon about the CIA setting up the assassination and dismemberment of Khashoggi.

The Saudis announced that 18 people had been arrested and were being investigated. Ahmad ‘Asiri, deputy head of intelligence, and Sa‘ud al Qahtani, a senior guard in Bin Salman’s security detail, were dismissed from their posts. Saudi media also reported on October 20 that an investigation had been launched.

Appearing on Fox News (October 21) Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Khashoggi’s killing was a “terrible mistake” and the people arrested had been involved in a “cover-up,” hence the earlier Saudi denials about the journalist’s death. Much of the world (except the White House) as well as human rights organizations dismissed Saudi explanations as an attempted “whitewash.”

Both Turkey and the US — the latter eagerly protecting the Najdi Bedouins — are exploiting this to further their own interests. This is shocking even by their own low standards. Trump does not want to jeopardize the $110 billion Saudi arms deal; he wants — and will get — billions more from the Saudis for giving MbS, now dubbed “Mr. Bone Saw,” a clean bill of health.

Turkey is demanding billions in Saudi investment and recognition as leader of the Muslim world. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan’s pledge on October 20 to reveal the “naked truth” about the murder on October 22 turned out to be a rehash of stuff already known. Did he back down from revealing more details under pressure from the US?

There is also speculation that the Saudis may have increased the bribe amount; nonetheless he appears dissatisfied with the reported $5 billion offered so far. He wants many more billions before he would destroy the audio and videotapes to exonerate Bin Salman of Khashoggi’s murder.

On October 21, the Turkish daily Yeni Safak reported that Bin Salman had spoken to Khashoggi minutes before the latter was killed at the consulate. Mahir ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Mutrib’s cell phone was used. Mutrib is a member of Saudi intelligence and is close to Bin Salman. There was also a Skype conversation between Sa‘ud al-Qahtani (another Bin Salman guard) and Khashoggi at which the former told the journalist to return to the Kingdom. When Khashoggi refused, al-Qahtani ordered the team to bring the “head of this dog to Riyadh.” This seems to have been obeyed and Mutrib is believed to have taken Khashoggi’s body parts in his luggage back to Riyadh (he did not go through security screening because he carries a diplomatic passport).

There has, however, been major fallout from the ghastly murder. Saudi stocks plunged 7% losing some $50 billion on October 14. Leading Western investors and executives pulled out of the “Davos in the Desert” conference (October 23–25) in Riyadh. It would have been too much even for the Western bloodsuckers to be shaking hands with MbS while Khashoggi’s blood was still dripping from his hands.

Any speculation that this would lead to Bin Salman’s removal from power is premature. He is too closely tied to Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The hope is that the hoopla over the Khashoggi murder would soon subside. It should have by now, but for the relentless campaign by the Washington Post and the CIA that want to squeeze a lot more money from the Saudis.

What the Khashoggi saga has resulted in is that Bin Salman has been greatly weakened although it would be unrealistic to expect that he would be forced to resign or that there will be major changes in Saudi policy. No more should be expected than for Bin Salman to maintain a low profile for a while until the issue blows away. Such are the ways of modern diplomacy and politics.