MESOPOTAMIA KURDISTAN DAILY INDEPENDENT NEWSSERVICE
Mezopotamian Development Society (Registered) GERMANY
THE MOST REQUESTED DAILY & ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWSSERVICE ON KURDISTAN FOR THE HIGHLY INVOLVED PEOPLE – email : mesop@online.de – Watch our website : www.mesop.de
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MESOP NEWS SYRIA – KURDISTAN : “REVOLUTIONARY” PYD/PKK CANCELLING “ROJAVA”
Yes ‘north Syria’ replacing Rojava in Kurd-led announcement of federal system, but overall plan quite interesting – WATCH HAWR NEWS TEXT http://www.mesop.de/?p=81577
MESOP Highlights
A brief history of the GRU, the spy service causing so much mischief lately: The GRU: Putin’s No-Longer-So-Secret Weapon
Long regarded as the understudy of the infamous KGB and its successor services, Russian milit… thedailybeast.com http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/31/the-gru-putin-s-no-longer-so-secret-weapon.html
MESOP SHORT CUTS : OBAMA PLUS KERRY = THE MOST ADVANCED FOOLS ON EARTH
Putin Outfoxes Obama in Spy War
BY Anna Nemtsova – The Daily Beast 31 Dec 2016
Moscow laughs off the Obama administration’s sanctions and expulsions as feeble last gestures and promises to respond in kind—then doesn’t. www.mesop.de
MESOP NEWS TODAYS HISTORICAL ANALYSIS : A Westphalian Peace for the Middle East
Why an Old Framework Could Work
By Michael Axworthy and Patrick Milton – FOREIGN AFFAIRS 31 Dec 2016 – Between 1618 and 1648, central Europe, and the Holy Roman Empire in particular, was devastated by a series of conflicts that were caused by competing visions of political order, great power, and dynastic rivalries, and that were exacerbated by religious differences. This soon came to be called the Thirty Years’ War. But the Peace of Westphalia, which successfully ended the German phase of the conflict, has been much misunderstood. The 1648 settlement is widely thought to have inaugurated a modern system of sovereign independent nation-states in Europe (often referred to as the Westphalian system). Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=81581
MESOP TODAYS EDITORIAL : Terrorists Don’t Have to Win – They Just Have to Survive: Counterterrorism in 2016
December 30, 2016 | Bennett Seftel – CIPHER – Bennett Seftel is deputy director of editorial at The Cipher Brief.
Editor’s Note: Over the coming days, The Cipher Brief presents some of our most incisive coverage on key issues of 2016 and a look ahead at what is yet to come in 2017. Read full report http://www.mesop.de/?p=81563
MESOP NEWS TODAYS OPINION : Surrender or die – Syria’s sieges are the difference-makers in the conflict
By Kareem Chehayeb is a Lebanese writer and musician based in Beirut. He is the co-founder of Beirut Syndrome, a grassroots media platform. You can follow him on Twitter @chehayebk – Thursday 29 December 2016
Allowing aid into besieged areas of Syria has proven to be a successful diplomatic tool for negotiating, but civilians always pay the price for these truces
On 13 December 2016, Bashar Jaafari, the current permanent representative of Syria to the United Nations, declared: “Aleppo has been liberated from terrorists and those who toyed with terrorism; Aleppo has returned to the nation.” Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=81591
MESOP NEWS ANALYSIS : IN POSTMODERN POSTTRUTH TIMES A CEASEFIRE IS NOT A CEASEFIRE
ERDOGAN UNDER PUTIN’S UMBRELLA – Four important points stand out in the Putin Syrian ceasefire announcement: (DEBKA FILES)
- Syria cannot celebrate final peace – or even a total end of hostilities. Even if the 62,000 fighters of the seven main rebel groups and government forces truly lay down arms from Thursday midnight, the war against the big jihadist groups, the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda’s Syrian franchise, the Nusra Front, will go on.In the face of it, the situation of the jihadist groups has taken a turn for the worst, since the Syrian government army and its backers will now be free to focus on smashing them for good. On the other hand, some of the fringe rebel groups may reject the truce and peace deal on the table and prefer to carry on fighting in the ranks of the Islamist groups, bringing their arms with them.
- The incoming Trump administration in Washington is presented with a serious challenge in terms of world influence by the Russian president’s success in halting warfare in all parts of Syria after a breakthrough Russian-backed government victory in Aleppo. Russia has by these feats hauled itself up to a new, enhanced strategic standing in the Middle East. Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Thursday that Trump’s administration would be welcome to join the Syrian peace process once he takes office on Jan. 20. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=81571
!KNOW BETTER WITH MESOP NEWS! : Turkey’s Power Play: The Creation of an Indigenous Military Industry and its Neo-Ottoman Offensive
RESEARCH TURKEY – By Matthew. T.Gullo[*]
Abstract –This paper examines Turkey’s nascent indigenous military industry and its future implications towards Turkish foreign policy. Through a construction of a two-level (domestic and international) analysis of current and previous Turkish politics that is juxtaposed by global trends and theories of international relations, this paper will present how Turkey’s new hard-power component has the potential to become a significant lever in its foreign affairs (neo-Ottoman) engagement. Through this analysis, this paper hypothesise that the utilisation of an indigenous military industry serves as a catalyst for achieving two imperative foreign policy objectives for the Turkish State. First, it will help Turkey proliferate its influence in the Middle East through military transfers. Second, it will simultaneously create autonomy for itself in the international political system by ridding itself of foreign dependencies pertaining to its armed forces. These objectives are part of Turkey’s purposeful plan to pursue an independent foreign policy that is less constrained and less beholden towards any specific geopolitical orientation; especially one that is centred on NATO, Europe, and the United States of America, as it aspires to be recognized as an independent and influential global player on the international stage. Read full Research http://www.mesop.de/?p=81565
WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA)
MESOP BACKGROUNDER : HOW THE DEAL LOOKS- PUTIN & ERDOGAN
How Russia and Turkey Brokered Peace in Syria — and Sidelined the US
By Tim Lister – 2016-12-30 (CNN) — Call it a pop-up alliance. After spending much of this year berating each other after Turkey shot down a Russian jet over the Syrian-Turkish border, the two governments are suddenly the “honest brokers” of a ceasefire in Syria — one that is designed to lead to political negotiations. The United States, which has long championed the stuttering diplomatic process on resolving the Syrian conflict, is nowhere to be seen. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=81561
MESOP NEWS : ALDAR XELIL (PYD/PKK) ABOUT ENKS SYRIA – KURDISTAN
30 Dec 2016 – Kurdistan Omer: Aldar Xelîl dixwaze ENKS bibe hevparê aloziya TEV-DEMê
K 24 K 24 3 demjimêrên bûrî 0 Şirove – WATCH VIDEO SPEECH http://www.mesop.de/?p=81588
SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ)
MESOP NEWS : FOR NOW – WE GO ! – PKK Withdraws from Sinjar: Top Leader – Murat Karayılan said they are meeting with Kurdistan officials for the withdrawal
Leyla Hemid – BasNews – 30 Dec 2016 – ERBIL — A prominent leader from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said the party will withdraw from Sinjar while he expressed his discontent by a recent threat against the PKK by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister. Speaking to Sterk TV, a channel close to PKK, Murat Karayılan said on Thursday that his party will pull out its forces from the Yezidi town of Sinjar. Kurdistan and US officials several times urged the PKK to vacate Sinjar and allow the IDPs return to their hometown, but the PKK officials turned down the calls, saying that they are on their own land. As for the timing of the withdrawal, Karayılan said they are currently meeting with Kurdistan Region officials and will withdraw once the discussions conclude. Read more http://www.mesop.de/?p=81569
MESOP NEWS : THE OIL BARON OF PUK ! SOUTH KURDISTAN / IRAQ
Q&A: Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim – Political “chaos” and financial struggles aren’t stopping the Kirkuk governor from courting BP and bolstering defenses against the IS group. Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim) meets in his office with BP’s Middle East President Michael Townshend on June 8, 2016. (Source: Kirkuk governorate media office)
By Ben Lando of Iraq Oil Report – Published Wednesday, December 28th, 2016
The oil fields in Kirkuk province could bring Gov. Najmaldin Karim additional revenues and political clout, and he’s pressing BP to revive a deal that was paused after the invasion of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in 2014 as one way to achieve that.In a recent interview with Iraq Oil Report, Karim outlined some of the details of the offer.It’s still a long shot, considering it requires both the federal and Kurdistan region governments to come to terms on the unitization of field… www.mesop.de
MESOP NEWS INSIDER : THE Mosul Campaign Day 74, Dec 29, 2016 – UPDATE
MUSINGS ON IRAQ – By Joel Wing
| The second phase of the Mosul campaign officially opened on December 29. Offensive operations actually started on December 24 when several east Mosul neighborhoods were attacked. The new push involves unitsfrom the Golden, 16th, 15th, 9th Divisions, along with the Federal Police, SWAT, and Hashd al-Watani, a militia backed by Turkey, which follows former Ninewa Governor Atheel Nujafi. There are three lines of attack, one from the northeast, one from the east, and another from the southeast. It appears the plan is to have the Golden Division supported by the army and Federal Police push in the middle to hold down Islamic State fighters, while the 9th and 16th Divisions, police and the Hashd al-Watani make a pincer move from the north and south encircling all of east Mosul. The U.S. just knocked out the last bridge crossing the Tigris River that connects west and east sides of the city to trap IS forces in the latter. It also blew up a makeshift boat bridge IS had constructed across the river. American artillery is also supporting the attack. The ISF is also shellingthe city extensively in a change of tactics. Before the Iraqi forces were trying to keep civilian casualties low, but with their own losses mounting and the original push into the city having stalled it is now willing to accept the consequences. Read more : |
NORTH KURDISTAN (TURKEY)
MESOP NEWS : HIGH RANKING PKK FIGURES CAPTURES / FROM AND EN ROUTE KANDIL
5 senior PKK figures caught: Turkish Interior Ministry – ANKARA – Hurriyet 30 Dec 2016 –
Five senior figures of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been apprehended as part of efforts targeting the activities of the PKK and the outlawed Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the Interior Ministry said on Dec. 30, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
The PKK figures – identified only by the initials as H.A., S.A., M.Ö., B.A., and E.A. – were detained in operations carried out across Turkey. H.A., S.A. and M.Ö. were detained in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, B.A. was apprehended in the southern province of Antalya, and E.A. was caught in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa. H.A. was reportedly among the senior figures of the KCK and worked in a senior position at the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) in Syria’s Qamishli. Read more http://www.mesop.de/?p=81573
MESOP NEWS “ERDOGANS ANTI-KURDISH & ANTI-PKK WAR DEVELOPS
Turkey Imposes Fresh Curfews in 11 Southeast Villages
Nrttv / Mesop 2016-12-31 The Turkish government launched fresh curfews on Wednesday (December 28) in 11 villages in an effort to launch military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdish –dominated southeastern province of Diyarbakir.The curfews went into effect at 5 p.m. in 11 villages located in Lice, Hazro and Kocakoy districts, according to a statement issued by the Diyarbakir Governorship. Read more http://www.mesop.de/?p=81579
A MESOP NEWS INSIDER : DONALD T’S SPECIAL RUSSIAN CONNECTIONS ? – Russia & The West
30 Dec 201 – The Curious World of Donald Trump’s Private Russian Connections – By James S. Henry – THE AMERICAN INTEREST
Did the American people really know they were putting such a “well-connected” guy in the White House?
Throughout Donald Trump’s presidential campaign he expressed glowing admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Many of Trump’s adoring comments were utterly gratuitous. After his Electoral College victory, Trump continued praising the former head of the KGB while dismissing the findings of all 17 American national security agencies that Putin directed Russian government interference to help Trump in the 2016 American presidential election.
As veteran investigative economist and journalist Jim Henry shows below, a robust public record helps explain the fealty of Trump and his family to this murderous autocrat and the network of Russian oligarchs. Putin and his billionaire friends have plundered the wealth of their own people. They have also run numerous schemes to defraud governments and investors in the United States and Europe. From public records, using his renowned analytical skills, Henry shows what the mainstream news media in the United States have failed to report in any meaningful way: For three decades Donald Trump has profited from his connections to the Russian oligarchs, whose own fortunes depend on their continued fealty to Putin. Read full text http://www.mesop.de/?p=81585
THE GERMAN CHAPTER
MESOP NEU : NICHT JEDER BESTELLTE BLÖDSINN IST EINE LARS-STERN-STUNDE
Flüchtlinge stimulieren die deutsche Wirtschaft
SPIEGEL ONLINE 30 Dec 2016 – “Die staatlichen Ausgaben für Geflüchtete haben im Jahr 2016 das Wirtschaftswachstum um etwa 0,3 Prozent erhöht”, sagte der Präsident des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, der “Rheinischen Post”.
“Die staatlichen Leistungen für Geflüchtete wirken wie ein kleines Konjunkturprogramm, denn ultimativ kommen sie vor allem deutschen Unternehmen und Arbeitnehmern durch eine höhere Nachfrage zugute.” Der positive Effekt der Geflüchteten auf die Wirtschaftsleistung könne langfristig sogar bei 0,7 Prozent Wachstum pro Jahr liegen.
Ifo-Chef Clemens Fuest wies darauf hin, dass die Geflüchteten auch den privaten Konsum steigen lassen. “Beides stimuliert die Binnenkonjunktur”, sagte er.
THE GERMAN CHAPTER
MESOP CULTUR : DEN DEKONSTRUKTIVISTEN SCHLÄGT JETZT DIE FINLE STUNDE DER REALIEN / DIE THEORIE-PUBERTÄT LÖST SICH IN KOPFSCHÜTTELN AUF
Donald Trump: Katerstimmung bei den pubertären Theoretikern
Seitdem die Rechte postfaktisch geworden ist, hat die kulturwissenschaftliche Linke ein echtes Problem. – Ein Gastbeitrag von Michael Hampe – Michael Hampe – Jahrgang 1961, ist Professor für Philosophie an der ETH Zürich. Zuletzt erschien von ihm Die Lehren der Philosophie. Eine Kritik.
Meinen Freunden und Studenten von der KWL geht es gerade schlecht. Die KWL ist die kulturwissenschaftliche Linke. Sie machte zweierlei: historisch dekonstruieren und politisch korrigieren.
Wer etwas über die Entdeckung des Nordpols oder die Wahrheit moralischer Aussagen herausfinden wollte, wurde von ihr als Ewiggestriger müde belächelt. Nahm man etwa an, dass es den Nordpol als Tatsache gebe? Hatte man noch nicht gehört, dass “Nordpol” für ein Konstrukt steht, das durch technische Geräte, Diskurse, Politiken hergestellt worden war? Über die Erfindung des Nordpols, meinte die KWL, könne man wohl noch schreiben, nicht aber über seine Entdeckung. Fragte man zurück “Aber kalt ist es dort doch wirklich?”, zog man sich als Nutzer des Wortes “wirklich” gleich den nächsten Lacher zu. Und wem es um die Wahrheit moralischer Aussagen ging, der war nicht nur hoffnungslos gestrig, weil er noch an “die Wahrheit” glaubte, sondern vermutlich auch ein Authentizitätsfanatiker, der nach überhistorischen moralischen Verbindlichkeiten suchte und noch nicht kapiert hatte, dass auch Moral kulturell konstruiert und historisch bedingt ist.
Nun kann man das Spielchen, dass etwas kulturell konstruiert und historisch bedingt ist, immer spielen. Auch meine Oma ist kulturell konstruiert und historisch bedingt, denn Omas können als hilfserziehungsberechtigte Weihnachtskeksbäckerinnen natürlich nur in bestimmten kulturellen Kontexten entstehen. Und wenn meine Oma nicht 1902, sondern 1972 geboren worden wäre, wäre sie zweifellos eine andere gewesen. Aber gab es deshalb meine Oma nicht wirklich?
Volltext http://www.mesop.de/?p=81559