Banished from Pakistan: Islamabad Moves on Afghan Refugees

Across the globe, refugees, always treated as the pox of public policy, continue to feature in news reports describing anguish, despair and persistent persecution. If they are not facing barbed wire barriers in Europe, they are being conveyed, where possible, to third countries to be processed in lengthy fashion. Policy makers fiddle and cook the legal record to justify such measures, finding fault with instruments of international protection such as the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951.

Israel Enters Hamas Stronghold in Gaza’s South

Latest Developments

Israeli forces entered Khan Younis — the largest city in southern Gaza — on December 5 after several days of intensified shelling of Hamas targets. The head of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, said that IDF troops are engaged in the “most intense” battles since the war began as battles raged in southern Gaza.

Erdogan Does Not Care About the Palestinians

Under Erdogan’s leadership, Ankara has demonstrated the extent of its moral and ethical failure.

James Carville coined one of the most quoted phrases in political discourse when he stated, “it’s the economy, stupid”—a reference to George Bush’s loss of the 1992 U.S. presidential election against his rival Bill Clinton. This also happens to be the very same reason why Erdogan is not serious about economically boycotting Israel. Since Hamas carried out the October 7 terror attacks, Erdogan has attempted to position himself as Israel’s premier critic in the Muslim world with rhetorical outbursts, equating Israel’s counterterrorism mission in Gaza as a clear demonstration of the Jewish state’s “genocidal” intentions towards the Palestinian people. Other than rhetoric, what has Erdogan done to advocate for Palestinians?

Iran’s Regime Soon to Have Nuclear Bombs; Hezbollah Is Next

The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated. Iran’s regime has frequently threatened to wipe a whole country — Israel — off the map, and is also increasing military cooperation with Venezuela and Cuba to threaten the US. Europe, too, remains a rich target for nuclear blackmail. Iran would not even have to use its nuclear bombs; the threat would be enough.

It is high time for the Biden administration and the European Union at least to stop Iran from selling its oil. If not, much of the planet will soon see itself either in World War III or a surrender.

It would have been so much less costly in life and treasure to stop Hitler before he sent the German army across the Rhine in 1936. Perhaps US President Joe Biden is trying to bribe the mullahs not to create any more mayhem before next year’s US presidential election – but the only result of such timidity is that the price goes up – with a worse war to follow. Biden would not have won WWII.

The Iranian regime, through its proxies, has already attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria at least 74 times since October 17. US retaliation – against the proxies, not Iran – apparently could not impress Iran’s regime less. Someone else takes the bullet: that is why Iran has proxies in the first place… The Biden administration is not only allowing to Iran’s mullahs to create a war cost-free, it is paying them to do it.

Iran is closer than ever before to obtaining nuclear bombs; meanwhile, the Biden administration’s only policy toward the ruling mullahs of Iran is to keep “rewarding” them with billions of dollars.

After the Iran-backed Hamas terror group launched its genocidal war against Israel and Jews, the Iranian regime ratcheted up its enrichment of uranium. The regime claims it now has enough enriched uranium to make three nuclear bombs, according to one of the two confidential reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and seen by Reuters.

On November 22, 2023, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned in his latest report on verification and monitoring:

"Iran's stockpiles of uranium enriched up to 5%, enriched up to 20% and enriched up to 60% – high enriched uranium – have all increased since we met in September with the increase of the 60% continuing at the same rate as I reported at the time of the last Board."

The regime has also barred IAEA’s inspectors from entering Iran to monitor its nuclear activities. In a press briefing, Grossi said:

"Iran has ceased to implement lots of aspects and nuclear related obligations under the JCPOA [the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and it's not implementing mutually agreed additional measures under the joint statement of March 4th."

The European Union and the Biden administration have been turning a blind eye to the escalation, ostensibly because they reportedly do not want to add “fuel” to the current hostilities in the Middle East (which Iran’s proxy Hamas started it in the first place). Nonsense. This is simply the most dangerous, disingenuous, cowardly appeasement policy in modern history. The West is basically saying, “Let’s not upset the mullahs! Instead, let’s allow the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism to continue its march toward having nuclear weapons in the hope that it will not use them.”

“There is a sort of paralysis, especially among the Americans… because they don’t want to add fuel to the fire,” said a senior European diplomat to Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

“The picture is pretty bleak, but the fact at the moment is that there is no appetite to provoke a reaction in Iran in the context of the war in the Middle East,” an unnamed senior diplomat told Agence France-Presse.

This feckless rush to appease aggressors and abdicate of responsibility for national security is exactly that Winston Churchill warned against: “Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last.”

Once the Iranian regime gets access to nuclear weapons, it will most likely provide some of them to its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated. Iran’s regime has frequently threatened to wipe a whole country — Israel — off the map, and is also increasing military cooperation with Venezuela and Cuba to threaten the US. Europe, too, remains a rich target for nuclear blackmail. Iran would not even have to use its nuclear bombs; the threat would be enough.

General Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made the regime’s plans vehemently clear: “Our strategy is to erase Israel from the global political map,” he announced on Iran’s state-controlled Channel 2 TV in 2019.

In case anyone had a doubt, Iran’s Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published “Palestine,” a 416-page “guide to destroying Israel,” and railing against “The Great Satan,” the United States

It is high time for the Biden administration and the European Union at least to stop Iran from selling its oil. If not, much of the planet will soon see itself either in World War III or a surrender.

The present strategy of Western powers is no different than enriching Nazi Germany during WWII or the Soviet Union during the Cold War. For the expansionist, hegemonic Islamic Republic of Iran, concessions and appeasements mean only weakness. It would have been so much less costly in life and treasure to stop Hitler before he sent the German army across the Rhine in 1936. Perhaps US President Joe Biden is trying to bribe the mullahs not to create any more mayhem before next year’s US presidential election – but the only result of such timidity is that the price goes up – with a worse war to follow. Biden would not have won WWII.

The Iranian regime, through its proxies, has already attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria at least 74 times since October 17. US retaliation – against the proxies, not Iran – apparently could not impress Iran’s regime less. Someone else takes the bullet: that is why Iran has proxies in the first place. The proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad — are Iran’s human shields. The more the US and the EU give Iran a pass, the more belligerent it will become. The Biden administration is not only allowing to Iran’s mullahs to create a war cost-free, it is paying them to do it.

L’état de siège : un échec personnel du président Tshisekedi ?

Un des problèmes majeurs auxquels Félix Tshisekedi n’a pas apporté de solution pendant son mandat, c’est l’insécurité dans l’est de la RDC. Malgré l’état de siège, cette partie du Congo reste un véritable mouroir. Beaucoup de civils y ont perdu la vie. Massacres, viols, embuscades, destruction d’habitations par des groupes armés, tel est le quotidien de la population du Kivu et de l’Ituri. La tragédie dure depuis près de 30 ans.

Guinée-Mali-Burkina-Niger : une « Alliance de putschistes » aux intérêts multiples se crée en Afrique de l’Ouest

Le 26 juillet dernier, le Niger a basculé dans une grande incertitude suite à ce qui risque d’être la pire crise politique de ces dernières années dans ce pays de la région très instable du Sahel. Le président de la République Mohamed Bazoum, démocratiquement élu et en fonction depuis avril 2021, est arrêté par des membres de sa propre garde. Leur chef, le général Abdourahamane Tchiani, s’est proclamé deux jours plus tard « président du Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP) » et nouveau chef de l’État. Depuis, celui qui se présente comme un otage de certains éléments de l’armée nigérienne est maintenu dans son palais à Niamey. La junte militaire qui vient de le renverser justifie son coup de force par la « détérioration de la situation sécuritaire » dans le pays qui est en proie à des attaques terroristes depuis plusieurs années.

Au Sahel, la dégradation de la situation sécuritaire profite aux groupes terroristes

La confirmation de la mort d’Evgueni Prigojine par les autorités russes à la suite du crash de son avion le 23 août dernier constitue un tournant majeur dans la guerre « géostratégique » à laquelle se livrent certaines puissances – Etats-Unis, France et Russie – au Sahel.

Même si le désengagement des combattants du groupe paramilitaire russe Wagner n’a pour le moment été constaté dans aucun pays où ils opèrent, la disparition au mobile douteux de Prigojine avec certains de ses bras droits risque de fissurer le groupe Wagner dont le patron annonçait dans sa dernière sortie l’expansion sur le continent africain.

Can The Inflation Increase In Russia Affect Its Social ‘Stability’?

As we reach the end of 2023, while the Russian government celebrates “healthy” econo­mic growth of around 3%,[1] ordinary Russians seem to be disturbed by the rapid increase in retail prices. By late November, the cost of many foodstuffs (including “benchmark” bananas and eggs), staple goods and services recorded a solid jump: eggs are now 23%, more expensive than they were a year ago, poultry 26%, bananas 47%, oranges 80%, and tomatoes 121%.[2] In its attempt to fight accelerating inflation, the Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media, blocked a popular website “Prices today” where different prices were compared from across the country.[3] Meanwhile, as the Bank of Russia gradually revises its 2023 inflation forecast to 7.5% from 5%, as was released in July,[4] the Kremlin is addressing the issue extremely often as it has become a matter of concern among the Russian population.

From The MEMRI Archives – October 4, 2021: Hamas-Sponsored ‘Promise Of The Hereafter’ Conference For The Phase Following The Liberation Of Palestine And Israel’s ‘Disappearance’

Below is a report published by MEMRI on October 4, 2021:

The September 30, 2021 “Promise of the Hereafter[1] – Post-Liberation Palestine” conference, sponsored by Hamas leader in Gaza Yahyah Al-Sinwar and attended by senior officials from Hamas and other Palestinian factions, discussed preparations for the future administration of the state of Palestine following its “liberation” from Israel after the latter “disappears.”

Hamas Policy Document: Palestinian State In 1967 Borders Is ‘National, Agreed-upon and Joint Formula’ By Hamas, PLO – Yet Armed Struggle Will Continue, And Palestine Extends From River To Sea

On May 1, 2017, Hamas published a policy document approved by all the movement leaders. The leaders clarified that the document was not replacing the Hamas Charter[1] but was aimed at adapting the movement’s position to the current time. The document was presented by Hamas spokesmen as a development that did not compromise their principles.[2]