The Iranian ambassador presenting his credentials to President Assad (IRNA, June 13)
The Iranian minister of transportation and urban development upon his arrival in Damascus. (Mehr, June 16)
Overview
- Leaders of the “Resistance Front” and Middle Eastern officials congratulated the elected Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, for his victory in the presidential elections, held on June 18, and wished him success in his role. Among those who congratulated Raisi are Syrian President al-Assad; the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Nasrallah; the Prime Minister of Iraq, al-Kazimi; Iraqi President, Salih; the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government; the Shia pro-Iranian militias in Iraq; and the Palestinian factions Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In his first press conference after his victory, Raisi stressed Iran’s commitment to continue supporting the Palestinians, and declared that Iran’s regional activities are not up for negotiation.
- Iran’s incoming Ambassador to Syria, Mehdi Sobhani, presented his credentials to Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad.
- An Iranian delegation made up of senior economic officials, headed by Iran’s minister of transportation and urban development, conducted a visit to Syria, lasting several days, and met with senior Syrian officials. During the visit, a conference was held in Damascus focusing on expanding economic cooperation between the two countries and ways to overcome the barriers hindering the deepening of economic relations between the two countries.
- The Lebanese paper al-Akhbar reported that the head of Hamas’ Politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, intends to visit Iran soon and meet with senior regime officials in Tehran.
Iranian Involvement in Syria
- On June 13, Iran’s incoming Ambassador to Syria, Mehdi Sobhani, presented his credentials to Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad. The ceremony was attended by Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faysal al-Miqdad, and the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mansour Azzam (IRNA, June 13). Sobhani, who was posted in Syria in May, previously served as the executive director for strategic planning at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; a general consul of Iran in Karachi, Pakistan; deputy executive director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for west Asian affairs; and the deputy ambassador in Turkmenistan and the Ukraine. He replaced Javad Torkabadi in his position as ambassador to Damascus.
- On June 15, the Iranian Minister of Transportation and Urban Development, Mohammad Eslami, arrived for a visit in Syria at the helm of a delegation made up of senior economic officials. During his visit, the minister met with senior Syrian government officials, including the Prime Minister, Hussein Arnous, and the ministers of economy, trade, housing, and transportation. Upon his arrival in Damascus, the Iranian minister declared that Tehran and Damascus decided to expand the economic cooperation between them, particularly in the sectors of reconstruction and development. He remarked that the two countries discussed all the issues and factors that may facilitate productive cooperation during Syria’s phase of reconstruction. Eslami added that the abilities of the Iranian private sector in the sectors of industry and development should be utilized in furthering joint projects between the two countries (ILNA, June 16).
- During the visit of the Iranian minister of transportation to Syria, the two countries held a conference intended to discuss ways to deepen their economic cooperation and how to overcome obstacles hindering the expansion of trade between them. The conference was held in Damascus in the Joint Iranian-Syria Chamber of Commerce and was attended by industrialists, businessmen, traders and representatives of the Joint Chamber of Commerce, the Syrian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and Iran’s Trade Center. The Syrian Minister of Economy and External Trade, Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, stressed during his speech at the conference the need to elevate the level of trade ties between the two countries and to expand the cooperation in the spheres of investments and joint projects, led by both the private and public sectors. He urged the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the Joint Chamber of Commerce of the two countries to present a list of possible products that could be traded between the countries (Tasnim, June 19). Meanwhile, the Secretary on Syrian Affairs in the Arab-African Department of the Iranian Organization of Trade Development, Soheila Rasoulinejad, reported that the volume of Iranian exports to Syria in the first three months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2021 – June 21, 2021) has increased by 73 percent compared to the volume during the same period last year, and has risen to 48 million dollars (IRNA, June 19).
- Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad, congratulated the newly elected Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, for his victory in the elections held on June 18. In his congratulatory message sent to Raisi, the Syrian president wished him success and expressed hope for deepening the cooperation between the two countries (Tasnim, June 20). The Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, also sent a congratulatory message to Raisi, in which he remarked that his victory ignites new hope among the people of the region. He expressed hope that Raisi will support Hezbollah and the “resistance” (IRNA, June 20).
Iranian Involvement in Iraq
- During his weekly press conference, the Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Khatibzadeh, addressed the most recent visit of the Commander of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qa’ani, to Iraq. He remarked that a visit, carried out upon the invitation of governments and leaders of countries, is a natural matter, and that the spokesman of the IRGC can provide additional clarifications with regards to Qa’ani’s visit, which lasted five days. Khatibzadeh also addressed in the remarks his own visit to Iraq, during the first half of June, reporting that during the visit, he discussed with senior Iraqi officials expanding economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries, and abolishing the need to obtain pre-arrival visas for travelers between the two countries (ISNA, June 14). The commander of the Qods Force of the IRGC arrived for a visit in Iran on June 9 and held meetings with senior Iraqi government officials, politicians, and commanders of the Shia militias. His visit was held against the backdrop of ongoing attacks by pro-Iranian Shia militias against American targets in Iraq. The website al-Araby al-Jadeed reported (June 11) that during his visit, Qa’ani met with the head of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU, al-Hashd al-Shaabi), Abu Fadak al-Mohammadawi.
- The Iraqi President, Barham Salih, and the Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kazimi, congratulated the incoming Iranian President, Ibrahim Raisi, for his election victory. Kazimi, who spoke with Raisi on the phone, discussed with the incoming president the expansion of cooperation between the two countries (ISNA, June 19). The President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, also congratulated Raisi and stressed the need to bolster cooperation between the Kurdish region and Iran. The Shia pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, including Kataeb Hezbollah, also sent congratulatory messages to Raisi upon his election victory (Tasnim, June 20).
Iranian Involvement in the Palestinian Arena
- The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar (June 11) reported that the Head of Hamas’ Politburo, Ismail Hanniyeh, intends to visit Iran soon and meet with senior regime officials, including the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and the outgoing President, Hassan Rouhani, as well as IRGC officials. Hanniyeh is also set to visit Lebanon and meet with senior Lebanese government officials and the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
- During in the first press conference, he held after the announcement of his victory, Iran’s President-Elect, Ebrahim Raisi, stressed Iran’s commitment to continue supporting the Palestinians. In response to a question raised by the reporter of the Lebanese al-Mayadin TV Channel, Raisi stated that the Palestinians are the owners of Palestine and that the “Zionist regime” ought to fear the residents of Palestine more than it fears Iran. He argued that the initiative is now in the hands of the Palestinian fighters and that Iran will continue to support them. The president-elect also reiterated Iran’s official position that its regional activities and missile program are not up for negotiations (Fars, June 21). Following Raisi’s election victory, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued statements of support for the president-elect, wished him success and called on Iran to continue supporting the Palestinian people (al-Alam, June 19).
Fall 53: Die Achse des Guten vs Facebook Ireland – Heinrich Heine als Hassredner
Die “Achse” publiziert den mit 1,2 Millionen unique usern pro Monat reichweitenstärksten politischen Blog der Bundesrepublik („Der einflussreichste deutsche Autorenblog“, Berliner Zeitung; „Die Polemik der Achse des Guten ist in der Regel liberal.
Individualistisch, westlich und marktwirtschaftlich orientiert“ Die Zeit; „Ein Zusammenschluss von Publizisten, die allesamt mit Verve den Mainstream herausfordern. Eine Vereinigung von Freunden des unkonventionellen Denkens“, Der Tagesspiegel; „Ein rechtspopulistisches Islamhasserblog“ Neues Deutschland). Am 19.04.2021 veröffentlichte die “Achse” auf ihrem Blog den Text „Der maskierte Putsch“ des Gastautors Milosz Matuschek und postete einen entsprechenden Link auf ihrer Seite bei Facebook. Herr Matuschek ist im Strafrecht promovierter Jurist, er war u.a. sechs Jahre lang Kolumnist der “Neuen Zürcher Zeitung”. Die “Achse” postete einen Link zu diesem Artikel mit einem Zitat von Heinrich Heine (Einblendung). Nur 33 Minuten nach dem Erscheinen des Postings löschte Facebook diesen Inhalt wegen „Hassrede“ und sperrte die “Achse” für 24 Stunden vom Zugang auf ihrer Plattform.
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U.S. Intelligence: Afghan Government Could Fall Sooner Than Previously Expected
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| Afghanistan’s government could collapse as soon as six months after U.S. forces finish withdrawing from the country, according to a new assessment by the U.S. intelligence community, unnamed officials told the Wall Street Journal. As the Taliban gains territory, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Washington ahead of a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden (TOLOnews) tomorrow.
U.S. intelligence experts previously estimated that the Afghan government could survive for as long as two years after the withdrawal, but last week shortened that timeline to between six and twelve months. Intra-Afghan peace talks that were promised in a February 2020 agreement between Washington and the Taliban have stalled, and the militant group now claims control (AFP) of at least 80 of Afghanistan’s 421 districts. Ghani and Biden are expected to discuss what U.S. support for Afghanistan will look like (DefenseOne) after the troop withdrawal is complete. Biden is also under pressure to announce a plan for the evacuation of Afghans who worked as translators for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces during the war. |
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| Analysis |
| “Troubling but likely accurate assessment of what will result from US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. What makes it all so frustrating is that this is happening after we had arrived at a relatively low cost formula for sustaining the government there,” CFR President Richard N. Haass tweets.
“The key to the war in Afghanistan is not American soldiers but American dollars. The Biden administration should couple the withdrawal of soldiers with a long-term commitment to monetary aid which prioritizes sustainability, avoids unrealistic conditions, and shares the burden with foreign donors,” Swarthmore College’s Dominic Tierney writes for War on the Rocks. |
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Good question, I don’t have an answer.
In April 2019, a BBC journalist managed (most likely by paying $$$) to gain access to British Islamic State militants held captive by the SDF in Hassakah following the siege of Baghuz. Since then other journalists have visited the prison suggesting that it is very easy to obtain interviews, assuming that the price is right (before you call me cynical, I am just being realistic.)
One of the British men in the prison is Zakariyya Elogbani, alias Abu Omar and nicknamed Abu Mumkin, a British male who for some reason I have not been able to fathom was with Katiba Badr, Ahmad Chataev’s IS brigade based in Manbij from about mid 2014.
Katiba Badr was almost entirely made up of Chechen and Ingush militants most of whom came from Europe.
However, there were a couple of anomalies in the brigade—including a Danish male, Lukas Dam (alias Abu Ismail Denmark) and Abu Omar alias the topic of this post, Zakariya Elogbani. |
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- Hakan Demiray – Jun 24 2021 02:20 Gmt+3 – The Justice and Development Party (AKP) started its journey with the dream of creating a democratic country where citizens would not have to know the name of the military’s chief of general staff.
Yet two decades later, Turkey remains a garrison-like country, where not only the top commander’s name, but also that of numerous other soldiers, continue to invade the public sphere.
Eyes have already turned to next August’s Supreme Military Council (SMC) meeting, where decisions on appointments, discharges, and retirements are made about generals, colonels, and admirals.
Chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the next SMC meeting will offer insights into the state of Turkey’s ruling coalition. Indeed, Erdoğan has already started to shape the battlefield with ‘long-range artillery fire’ as the SMC meeting approaches.
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Die Partei für Gerechtigkeit und Entwicklung (AKP) begann ihre Reise mit dem Traum, ein demokratisches Land zu schaffen, in dem die Bürger den Namen des Generalstabschefs des Militärs nicht kennen müssten.
Doch zwei Jahrzehnte später bleibt die Türkei ein Garnisonsland, in dem nicht nur der Name des Obersten Kommandanten, sondern auch der zahlreicher anderer Soldaten weiterhin in die Öffentlichkeit eindringen.
Die Augen richten sich bereits auf die Sitzung des Obersten Militärrates (SMC) im kommenden August, bei der Überernennungen, Entlassungen und Pensionierungen über Generäle, Oberste und Admirale getroffen werden.
Unter dem Vorsitz von Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan wird das nächste SMC-Treffen Einblicke in den Zustand der türkischen Regierungskoalition geben. Tatsächlich hat Erdogan bereits damit begonnen, das Schlachtfeld mit “Langstrecken-Artilleriefeuer” zu gestalten, während das SMC-Treffen näher rückt.
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- Anatolian Dispatch AHVAL NEWS – Jun 24 2021 12:51 Gmt+3 – The relationship between the United States and Turkey was always one of necessity for Turkey and practicality for political leaders in Washington, said Özgür Ünlühisarcıklı, the director of the Ankara based German Marshall Fund.
“There’s no such thing that Turkey and the United States once had a golden age in their relations and now it has been lost. The reality is that they never had one,” Ünlühisarcıklı told Edward Stafford in a podcast for Ahval’s Anatolian Dispatch on Tuesday.
“It was never a love affair, or a relationship based on historical friendship. This is and needs to be a relationship based on realistic expectations on both sides,” he said.
Ties between the United States and Turkey have deteriorated after Ankara acquired S-400 air defence missiles from Russia in 2019, which resulted in its exclusion from the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme and sanctions against its defence procurement agency.
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Die Beziehungen zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und der Türkei seien für die Türkei immer eine Notwendigkeit und praktikabel für die politischen Führer in Washington, sagte Özgür Ünlühisarclé, direktor des in Ankara ansässigen German Marshall Fund.
“Es gibt nicht so etwas, dass die Türkei und die Vereinigten Staaten einst ein goldenes Zeitalter in ihren Beziehungen hatten, und jetzt ist es verloren gegangen. Die Realität ist, dass sie nie eine hatten”, sagte Ünlühisarcléklé edward Stafford in einem Podcast für Ahvals Anatolische Botschaft am Dienstag.
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Der Journalist René Pfister ist als Korrespondent des Nachrichtenmagazins “Der Spiegel” in den USA tätig. In der aktuellen Ausgabe des Magazins analysiert er die “Critical Race Theory”, die zunehmend das Handeln staatlicher und nichtstaatlicher Institutionen in den USA prägt. Diese Ideologie stelle einen “Angriff auf zentrale Werte des Westens” dar und finde auch in Deutschland zunehmend Anhänger.René Pfister: „Ein Hauch von Nordkorea“, ……
René Pfister: Die Critical Race Theory als „Angriff auf zentrale Werte des Westens“
- Juni 2021 Ambrogio Lorenzetti – Die Allegorie der schlechten Regierung (gemeinfrei)
Der Journalist René Pfister ist als Korrespondent des Nachrichtenmagazins „Der Spiegel“ in den USA tätig. In der aktuellen Ausgabe des Magazins analysiert er die „Critical Race Theory“, die zunehmend das Handeln staatlicher und nichtstaatlicher Institutionen in den USA prägt. Diese Ideologie stelle einen „Angriff auf zentrale Werte des Westens“ dar und finde auch in Deutschland zunehmend Anhänger.1
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Die New York Times berichtet, dass die Anlage, die diese Woche ins Visier genommen worden sein soll, auf einer Liste möglicher Ziele aufgetaucht war, die Israel der Regierung des ehemaligen US-Präsidenten Donald Trump Anfang 2020 vorgelegt hatte.
Von Neta Bar und ILH Mitarbeiter – ISRAEL HAYOM – Veröffentlicht am 24.06.2021 um 08:11
Dem Bericht zufolge gehörte die Anlage in Karaj City der Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, auch bekannt als TESA, die Klingen für Urananreicherungszentren herstellt. Während Berichte darauf hinwiesen, dass die Anlage bei dem Angriff beschädigt wurde, wurden keine Informationen über das Ausmaß des Schadens geliefert.
Die New York Times berichtete, dass ein iranischer Beamter mit Kenntnis der Angelegenheit sagte, dass die Drohne aus dem Inneren des Landes in der Nähe der Anlage gestartet wurde. Der Bericht stellte fest, dass die Anlage in Karaj City einer der zentralen Standorte ist, an denen der Iran lebenswichtige Operationen für die Herstellung von Zentrifugen durchführt.
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