Following President Trump decision to designate the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization, Iran has
responded in kind, declaring US Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terror group on their own list.
The US move, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says was his request,
is meant to allow the US to further target the Iranian military and
those with ties to it. How much this will mean is unclear, as decades of
US sanctions have cut such contact substantially.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement saying the
US declaration was illegal and a major threat to regional stability.
They did so in the context of their own retaliatory declaration.
The US move is likely to be combined with the State Department’s
decision to raise the alleged number of US troops Iran killed during
America’s occupation of Iraq, as a talking point for drumming up
international hostility, and threatening war with Iran.
Finally someone has the balls to call a spate a spate.
No mention of the important reason/result. Iran is now using the IRG for keeping drugs from Afghanistan from its own vulnerable people but also from spreading further ie to Europe.Of course the USA dos not care about its allies, as we notice from the sanctions the EU has been forced to put on Russia, but it could affect even the USA.
US soldiers were killed by Iraqi resistance, and following the eagerly anticipated and carefully nurtured sectarian violence — they were killed by the very Sunni islamist sects created on purpose by General Petraeus. Called Sunni Awakening — they were armed. Arms were just handed out to anyone who stood in the liine. Money as well. Seected leaders, of course. Does our political class realy think we are such idiots and do not know the smal fact that there were no Shia terrorists in the Middle East. And that Sunni sects were set up under the excuse to fighr nin existent Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Of course, the same Al-Qaeda we funded and promoted in Afghanistan. Sunni fundamentalists were supposed to break up Iraq and Syria into smitherines. And create Sunni state from portions of Iraq and Syria, as well as Kurdistan in Iraq and Syria — while arming PKK in Turkey. Biden practically defined the desireable division of Iraq. What went wrong? Coup in Ruyadh in June 2017 removed the last in the succession of Saudi rulers that bankrolled the Sunni extremism. With the change, sniping against uppity Saudi Prince started, but the air got out of the entire Sunni project. Blaming Iran for helping Iraq and Syria beat back the Islamists left in disarray, with the loss of financial and official Wahhabi support — is absurd. US and all Western powers litterly encouraged deluded and unstable Moslem youth in fheir countries to go and figh “butcher” Assad. Now, they are not allowed to come back. Good — that will teach stupid youth a valuable lesson. Do not get used.
Now, there is nobody on this planet that believes in the American stories of Shia terrorism. Shia have only defended their back yards — be that in Bahrein, Yemen, Lebanon ir Syria.
Now it is al sour grapes. We are stuck in Syria, not able to give Kurds their autonomy to use as our base, and are sitting next to Rukban refugee camp – not giving iota about the hunger, violence and disease there. Holding them like hostages, not letting people go home now that they can.
Does this sound as a strategy? It is chais, snd Israel the only game in town. Russia, Turkey or Syria all carefully avoided getting into much desirable conflict. So without excuses to fight — someone, somewhere in the Midfle East, Israel is the only game in town. Let us see how much more can they push Arabs — giving Israel everything while it appears that nobody is willing to do anything.
This is probably the biggest gamble in Israel’s history. It has Arabs all united against it, fight against Iraq Jsrael and US can forget — and both blindly pushing the envelope until something gives.
Israel may not like the outcome. This is a quiet before the storm. There will be some assimetrical measures, remainst to see what.
I am betting on Gaza. What will Israel do jf a coalition of countries gets invited into Gaza , and essentially end Israeli occupation? And declare independence? The very presence there will bix Israel into having to think its long term prospects. Without any allies in the neighborhoid, and US tied down by relationships without having an upper hand —Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Israel may have to consider its Belt and Road future. Unmesz jt believes that EU or US plan to outdo China in building trade infrastructure.
For alm the talk of free trade, we have invested only in mechanisms that were meant to control the trade via controls of various streits, canals, shipping lanes. This backfired as Eurasian continental rkhfes became standardized (Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus), and Northern Route secured by Russia. Trans African route from Kenya diagonally to African North-West, and a string of coastal ports. The patrern js continuing after a huge success of Pyrheus port in Greece to the just signed deal with Italy on Trieste. And in it goes. Iran and Turkey are key nodes.
Israel needs to think its future. The world need not say anything — all is clear. It is up to Israel — to remain isolated from world flows of trade, or to connect. For now, it is still working on getting US help and squeeze maximum. But without US miljtary option against anyone in the region — it is just wasting time. US subsidies may not last forever.
i agree with their assessment of centcom. so does the world.