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Laying Groundwork for Iran Attack

by Oui Tue Dec 28th, 2021 at 03:08:40 PM EST

Israel launches second air strike in December against Syrian port of Latakia | AFP News |

"At around 3:21 am [0121 GMT], the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression with several missiles from the direction of the Mediterranean ... targeting the container yard in Latakia port," the Syrian state news agency, Sana, cited a military source as saying. The strike caused "significant material damage", it added.

Asked about the strike, an Israeli army spokesperson said: "We don't comment on reports in foreign media."

While Israel rarely comments on individual strikes it carries out on its northern neighbour, it has acknowledged mounting hundreds since 2011. According to a report by the Israeli army, it hit about 50 targets in Syria in 2020.

In the deadliest operation since the strikes began, Israel killed 57 government troops and allied fighters in eastern Syria in January this year.

The Israeli military has defended the strikes as a necessary measure to prevent its arch-foe Iran from gaining a foothold on its doorstep.

Israel's head of military intelligence, Maj Gen Aharon Haliva, has accused Iran of "continuing to promote subversion and terror" in the Middle East.

Israel strike targets Iran weapons in Syria port, triggering explosions: monitor | AFP News - Dec. 7, 2021 |


Israel to expand occupation of Trump Heights of Syria

Biden is Out, Bennett will only follow Trump …

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Laying Groundwork for Iran Attack | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Tehran Times Frontpage (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Dec 28th, 2021 at 07:05:48 PM EST
Biden Has to Move On Trump Sanctions (none / 0)
Not so sure ...

See my previous diary ...

A Nuclear Iran: Full Court Press and Warmongering

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Dec 28th, 2021 at 07:08:59 PM EST
Timeline Expiration Obama's JCPOA Nuclear Deal (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Dec 28th, 2021 at 07:14:18 PM EST
Support for the Palestinian Cause (none / 0)
Emma Watson pro-Palestinian post sparks antisemitism row | The Guardian |

Emma Watson, 31, is an outspoken feminist who has used her platform to support a number of high-profile causes, earning her a spot on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.

In 2014 she was appointed as a UN women's goodwill ambassador and delivered an address at the UN headquarters in New York to launch HeForShe, a campaign that urges men to advocate for women's equality. A year later Malala Yousafzai told Watson she had decided to call herself a feminist after hearing her speech.

Watson was appointed to a G7 advisory body for women's rights in 2019, consulting with leaders on foreign policy.

Of course Danny Danon personifies all that is evil in Israel, the occupation, torture and inhumane treatment of Palestinians.

Where's the outrage over Netanyahu trying to interfere in the US election? | Mondoweiss |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 at 09:14:35 PM EST
Re: Support for the Palestinian Cause (none / 0)

Even liberal Zionists have labeled him M-KKK

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 at 09:15:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ungrateful Europeans on Palestine Issue (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Jan 6th, 2022 at 11:58:58 PM EST
Nephew Exits Rob Malley's Team JCPOA Talks (none / 0)

Rob Malley's Deputy Special Envoy for Iran, Richard Nephew, leaves position | JPost |

Richard Nephew is "no longer serving" as deputy special envoy for Iran, a senior State Department official said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL on January 24. The official did not give a reason for the change, saying, "We are not going to get into specifics of our internal policy discussions."

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Nephew left after differences of opinion within the U.S. negotiating team. The newspaper said he had advocated a tougher posture in the current negotiations.

The departure comes at a critical time in the talks, which resumed almost two months ago in Vienna. The United Staters and European allies last week said there were just weeks left to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:04:09 AM EST
Human Wrongs the American Way (none / 0)

So this US Envoy on Iran talks visits the corrupt authoritarian states in ME ...



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:05:19 AM EST
Re: Human Wrongs the American Way (none / 0)
Yemen's civil war began in 2014. [Not true - see my recent post with overview US War on Terror] Although it has ground on for the better part of a decade, peace seems no closer today than it did eight years ago. That September, the Houthi rebels seized control of Yemen's capital of Sanaa, provoking a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015 to restore the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

In 2019, the United Arab Emirates, part of the Saudi alliance, drew down its commitments in Yemen as progress stagnated and criticism of the civilian toll from coalition activities sharpened.

After taking office last year, U.S. President Joe Biden called the war a "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe" and ramped up diplomacy to end it. Yet fighting continues, and the humanitarian situation remains dire as funding shortages force cuts in emergency assistance and civilians navigate the threats of landmines and airstrikes.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:09:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Israel to Unite Arab Allies Against Iran (none / 0)
Using the economic ties to establish a military alliance of NATO signature in the region under command of the United States ... a minimal CENTO alliance of a new Cold War.

Abraham Accords key to countering regional threats: Ex-US Iraq envoy | Arab News - Sept. 13, 2021 |

The Abraham Accords are an important tool for countering regional threats such as Iran and should be celebrated, former US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey said on the first anniversary of the deal.

In a press briefing hosted by the Woodrow Wilson Center and attended by Arab News, Jeffrey -- chair of the think tank's Middle East program -- said the accords are "a significant step forward for the region."

They established diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between the UAE and Bahrain on one side and Israel on the other. Morocco and Sudan later joined the accords following US diplomatic overtures.

The accords "give both the (Biden) administration and, more importantly, the states in the region, another tool to use to build common positions and deal with problems that are shaking the entire region, and have for decades now," said Jeffrey, whose decades-long diplomatic career spanned postings in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, the Balkans and more.

Among the most important threats shared by Arab countries and Israel are Iranian-made missiles, he added.

"When you look at the threats to the region from a military-violence standpoint, it's rocket missile systems of Iranian origin and various terrorist movements," he said. For Arab states, "Israel is seen as a highly effective partner on both of those issues," he added.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:29:03 AM EST
Re: Israel to Unite Arab Allies Against Iran (none / 0)
Israel eyes UAE-Iran rapprochement with caution | JPost - Dec. 6, 2021 |

Recent regional developments have Israel worried, as some of its newfound allies are inching closer to its archrival Iran. 

The announcement by an Emirati official last month that a delegation from the United Arab Emirates is slated to visit Tehran in the near future is the latest cause for concern in Jerusalem. But, while monitoring events closely, Israel has faith in the ties forged with the UAE.

Still, relations in the Middle East can be fickle. What appears stable one day may experience upheaval the next.

"This is very worrisome for Israel," said Dr. Moran Zaga, an expert on the Gulf states from the University of Haifa and Mitvim − The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. "Rapprochement will come with a price. Getting closer to Iran and getting closer to Israel doesn't work together."



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:44:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Israel to Unite Arab Allies Against Iran (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 at 09:47:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Round #8 Vienna Talks JCPOA Recovery (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Jan 27th, 2022 at 09:05:14 AM EST
Re: Round #8 Vienna Talks JCPOA Recovery (none / 0)
China plays discreet but critical role in Iran nuclear negotiations | France24 |

China is trying to position itself as a key player in the region, and for good cause: It is in Beijing's interest to push for the lifting of US sanctions on Iran, with which it has signed a historic bilateral partnership.

Beijing plays host to Sunni envoys

In addition to the financial aspect, the rapprochement with Iran allows China to counterbalance US actions and to assert its increasing diplomatic power in the region, say experts.

"The Middle East was not a major element of Chinese diplomacy. But this has changed in the last five years with Iraq as a turning point," said Di Meglio. "After the war, China seized the opportunity to take over the exploitation of Iraqi oil fields, which it is currently reconstructing."

At the UN, China is also adding the full weight of its Security Council vote on decisions regarding the region. This includes Iran as well as Syria, with China aligning itself almost systematically with Russian positions favourable to Bashar al-Assad.

In Beijing, too, for the past few weeks, Chinese diplomacy has been working at full speed. Between January 10 and 14, Foreign Minister Wang Yi received no less than five of his counterparts in the region. The heads of diplomacy of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Iran, as well as the Turkish foreign minister and the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), took turns visiting the Chinese capital.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Jan 27th, 2022 at 09:05:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Round #8 Vienna Talks JCPOA Recovery (none / 0)

Iran dismisses UK's Truss remarks, advises other parties to drop repetitive blame game, dull discourse

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Jan 27th, 2022 at 09:06:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Laying Groundwork for Iran Attack | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


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