theduran--2020-03-02--The Doha Peace Deal

The Doha Peace Deal

03/01/2020 – An “ agreement ” with “ The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban ” seems to have been signed on Leap Year ’ s Day , a day that only happens once every four years .
As an accomplishment , the US has just signed an agreement with an entity “ not recognized by the United States.
” How does that happen ?
Is the force of any law behind this ?
Given America ’ s record of compliance with international law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure of the date , the document also sites both the Hijiri Solar and Lunar Calendars .
At least we can all agree what day it was .
It may be the only thing we know from this document .
Much of it or some of it is secret .
We don ’ t know .
It ’ s a secret .
In fact , the meaning and effect of the agreement is more elusive than the leap year day except for one thing , it serves as Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
The real time question is how long will it be before this “ peace deal ” becomes meaningless ?
Maybe that ’ s up to the eye of the beholder .
Maybe it already is meaningless .
Today ’ s Google searches bring up reams of stories filed about this event with two words , “ peace deal ” .
Maybe a better question is : how long will it be before the algorithms serve up something else ?
Old Afghan hands will remember that we measure time in minutes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan is measured in blood .
Donald Trump has to hope that the next train out of Afghanistan for the US comes soon .
Afghans haven ’ t always allowed invaders to leave gracefully .
Who is lying more to whom in this peace deal remains to be seen .
Certainly , the “ Afghan Peace Deal ” signed by representatives of Pakistani controlled Taliban members and SECSTATE Mike Pompeo will deliver anything but peace .
Optimistic statements delivered by parties to the ceremony are only that , just statements .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign promise before the next election .
Mr. Trump ’ s ticket on next train out of Afghanistan has driven the entire Doha charade since Trump took notice of what were glorified prisoner swaps .
In the short term , Trump gets what he wants , a way out of Afghanistan .
In a slightly longer term , Trump ’ s enemies in Washington get what they want , a failure that they can blame on Trump .
Intercepted Taliban communications indicate that they have no faith in it either .
It already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is supposed to take place before so-called “ intra Afghan talks ” .
But the likelihood of those talks is diminishing .
We can thank Zalmay Khalilzad for that .
Khalilzad promised to release “ up to ” 5000 Taliban prisoners he does not have .
They are being held by the Afghans .
However , like the “ deal of the century ” , the US has given away what does not belong to them .
Think about this : they are giving away something that they don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t recognize .
Already , Ashraf Ghani , has said that the prisoners are vital to having any kind of leverage in any talks the Kabul government holds with the Taliban and that they have no intention of releasing any prisoners before any talks .
They would be out of their minds to give away what little leverage they have without securing any concessions from the Taliban .
For their part , the Taliban is in no position to give much in the way of concessions as Doha negotiators have limited recognition by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of control is demonstrated by the fact that Khalilzad had to shuttle to Pakistani GHQ to get this deal through .
It was all the Taliban delegates could do to get “ reduced violence ” for a matter of days .
This was predictable and jezail.org has written about this before .
The talks at Doha have always been window dressing for the inevitable .
At no time did Pakistan come under any serious pressure to deliver any concessions by Khalilzad .
When Khalilzad went to Pakistan , he went there to beg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under persistent attacks by various players because we will never stop pointing to this and other fantasy aspects of virtually all elements of US foreign policy thinking in the region .
We have also been critical of the Kabul government fantasies about what to expect from Washington .
In keeping with this tradition , we wish to highlight that the expendable nature of the Kabul government has also been revealed by this agreement .
This should have been clear from the moment the US forbade Kabul from talking to their neighbors in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious from the Bonn agreement .
We have exposed American policy indicators repeatedly over many years in the many stories we have published .
We have long covered the lack of serious commitment on the part of the US to build an effective army or government in Afghanistan .
From the construction of dysfunctional hospitals to aircraft and military support failures and rackets to rigged elections , the American objective in Kabul was never to support the regime while to cosmetically appearing to .
Make no mistake : it was never because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was always because they didn ’ t want to .
The money and bets placed by US diplomatic officials on the region were always on Pakistan and never on Afghanistan .
That ’ s where their jobs , patronage , grants , board memberships and careers have been anchored for 50 years .
The money was in Pakistan , not Afghanistan .
A free standing Afghanistan , able to govern itself and defend its own borders was simply not the goal of the US foreign policy establishment .
They said the exact opposite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver at every stage over at least the last twenty years .
The real and unspoken assumption of the US foreign policy establishment was that sooner or later , Pakistan was going to swallow up or annex all or some of Afghanistan and dominate it .
This had been a subject discussed at American diplomatic cocktail parties since the mid 1960 ’ s .
Afghanistan was always meant to fall in Pakistan ’ s lap like a ripe fruit .
That , in itself was meant to be a payoff .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invented the myth of a Pakistani alliance which they knew was a lie too .
Behind the scenes , they always advocated placing portfolio and career bets on Pakistan while paying lipservice to the dream of Afghanistan .
Unfortunately , because so much of Afghan life is in a dream world all its own , many Afghans bought the story or were forced to accept it .
The entire episode can be characterized as a blood soaked collective hallucination .
It was also a collection of war crimes unthinkable to American military professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US “ ally ” from the Cold War .
They served us against the Soviets and we armed them against the Indians .
Some years ago , when the Congress began to realize that Pakistan was double dealing the US , the story from our diplomats and the MSM began to change and the relationship came to be described as “ complicated ” .
It wasn ’ t complicated at all .
America was getting screwed by a partnership of military contractors , an oil pipeline consortium and Pakistan .
A new word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own Rachel Maddow to descibe the relationship , “ frenemy ” .
Even as America was at war with a Pakistani sponsored enemy , American foreign policy leadership stuck to keeping Pakistan out of US cross hairs for their own corrupt interests .
Unfortunately , by then , thousands of US service people had been wounded or killed .
Yet STATE continued to back pedal from admitting fundamental betrayals by Pakistan .
They did this through 3 presidential administrations .
Again , that was because the key diplomats involved had careers depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Pakistan since the invention of that country in 1947 .
Jezail.org identified a key beneficiary , Ambassador Robin Raphel , years ago for lying to the Congress about the relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban .
Not a single diplomat , military professional or bureaucrat stood on their hind legs and said anything .
We now know that they almost all knew she was lying .
She was the single most responsible person for getting the Taliban rolling .
She remained untouchable in Washington in spite of an FBI investigation recommending that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s good to be a friend of Bill Clinton .
In her case , her Clinton connection was a get-out-of-jail-free-card .
Her revolving door career from K street to Foggy Bottom defines a pattern of legalized corruption in Washington .
It is this kind of abuse by Washington officials that has brought us to this point .
It may be that by accident or design , Donald Trump has pried America out of Afghanistan by opening up lucrative opportunities for foreign policy bureaucrats in India and lure them away from Afghan policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ train out of there and it came from Doha .
It wasn ’ t pretty and it ’ s going to get uglier , but it just might work .
Like it or not , it had to be done .
Some of our Afghan friends have been cross with us because we always advocated that the minority populations of Afghanistan and their leadership needed to prepare for this day to come .
They pleaded with us to shut up as they desperately tried to unify the country .
It was a noble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by ISI directed bombings and assassinations .
But we never trusted the Bonn agreement nor the centralized Kabul government arrangement .
We always saw all of it as designed to fail .
We have been in trouble with old dear friends because we have always said : “ cache weapons and be prepared to fight again.
” The warlord system of power sharing will come back .
Massoud was a warlord .
The next warlords will be proxies of other outside interests .
Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev is reputed to have said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , first you have to be a politician ” .
In Afghanistan , in order to be a politician , first you have to be a warlord .
American diplomacy refused to understand this simple truth .
We know that when the last US troops leave Afghanistan , the violence will not be over .
It will continue based on the other layers of ethnicity , ambition , appetites and conflict that have been obscured by outside interventions .
The scale of the fighting will only be limited to the budgets of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly hope that we are wrong but we know that the bloodshed will continue .
In any case , the struggle for modernity in Afghanistan is essentially over .
It has failed as it failed for the Soviets .
It never really got far beyond the machine gun range of the authorities in Kabul .
The same can be said of the women ’ s rights issues which were always a fig leaf for the ambitions of empire .
The situation for women in Afghanistan has been made worse by it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those dreams are gone and will be as forgotten as Soviet propaganda films .
If these dreams ever do appear again , it will be for the purposes of raising money in the West and it will be a racket as it always was .
The only struggle that may survive is the struggle for Afghan unity and that will be an attempt to unite the smaller ethnicities against the Pashtun which is what Massoud was trying to do before he was assassinated .
The continuing struggle of Afghan minorities to throw Pashtun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very center of the fight against the Taliban .
Most Western observers have ignored or downplayed this tension .
Yet American foreign policy bureaucrats have always connived , schemed and rigged elections to keep the Afghan presidency a position filled by a Pashtun .
Tension between the dominant Pashtun tribe and Afghan minorities was actually at the root cause of the anti communist violence before the Soviets invaded .
Even if , out of weariness , the minorities initially capitulate , we are confident that the incompetence of Taliban governance will create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most Afghans can no longer remember an Afghanistan in a time of peace .
Many know how to fight .
Many are about to learn .
Just because US military advisors couldn ’ t get them to fight , doesn ’ t mean they can not or will not , especially with their backs to a wall .
As the Taliban close in for the kill in Kabul , they are likely to experience some of their own difficulties .
Like short wedges all aimed at a distant center , as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under pressure from either side .
It would not be surprising to see Taliban fighting Pakistan and among themselves .
There is already some speculation that the Taliban may now break away from its dependance on Pakistan .
The relationship has been deteriorating for years .
It has been clear that the Taliban operating in Doha have little authority over the Taliban in the field .
Without a foreign enemy , the bonds between them will continue to unravel .
There is also some speculation that the long simmering dispute over the Durand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quetta .
Jezail.org does not see any of this as serious unless some outside entity chooses to play it – which is possible .
For the moment , too many of the regional players are interested in the success of China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative to upset any apple carts .
However , Pakistani leadership has a history of punching above their weight and over playing their hand .
If they try to exert more control over the border areas , for example , Pakistan could expose themselves to being imploded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or expand an insurgency .
If they try to enforce or even negotiate their interpretation of the Durand line border , a lot could go wrong very quickly .
The cost of supporting an insurgency is far below the cost of a counter insurgency and well within the reach of smaller players .
We note the success of Iran ’ s support for Yemen even though Iran is seriously short of funds .
Pakistan may even attempt to moderate Taliban imbecilities .
However , jezail.org sees real limits to what Islamabad can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything from the Soviet and American experiences in Afghanistan , they will know that it is best to be modest in one ’ s aspirations in Afghanistan .
However , modesty is a quality jezail.org sees lacking in Pakistani ambitions or appetites in the region .
Jezail.org believes that Pakistan will likely be happy with a continued state of violence and uncertainty in Afghanistan .
From behind this uncertainty , they will be able to base various Jihadi brands , dominate the opium trade and annex Afghanistan ’ s eastern provinces while appearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own invention .
Projecting power through terror is the single most effective foreign policy tool Pakistan has ever possessed .
They are not going to give it up .
It has been more effective than using the nuclear threat .
An unstable Afghanistan will be a great garage to keep that stolen hotrod .
As we have all learned , this invites blowback and Pakistan is long over due notwithstanding the fighting they have engaged in in the FATA .
One thing is certain .
In the vacuum the US leaves behind in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wholly owned by Pakistan , not the Kabul regime nor the Taliban .
What we think is likely to happen is a reach by Pakistan at some of the border provinces of Afghanistan .
They already have been building madrassas there which teach Afghans to speak the Pakistani language , Urdu .
They have also been issuing Pakistani ID cards to Afghans in those provinces .
We have seen Pakistani intelligence officials who have publicly advocated looting Afghanistan outright as well .
One thing is certain .
Pakistan will not leave Afghanistan alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own hubris , it will inject itself into a situation that confounded The British Empire , The Soviet Union and the US , to name a few .
It ’ s been a longtime thorn in the side of at least some of its ’ neighbors .
If Pakistan does go into Afghanistan , it ’ s not hard to imagine those neighbors cheering Pakistan on .
The “ peace deal ” has opened a door for America to get out .
Who goes in next will be interesting .
Regards to All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We name names , not just policies

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
03/01/2020 – An “agreement” with “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban” seems to have been signed on Leap Year’s Day, a day that only happens once every four years. As an accomplishment, the US has just signed an agreement with an entity “not recognized by the United States.” How does that happen? Is the force of any law behind this? Given America’s record of compliance with international law, the question maybe moot. As if to make sure of the date, the document also sites both the Hijiri Solar and Lunar Calendars. At least we can all agree what day it was. It may be the only thing we know from this document. Much of it or some of it is secret. We don’t know. It’s a secret. In fact, the meaning and effect of the agreement is more elusive than the leap year day except for one thing, it serves as Donald Trump’s ticket out of Afghanistan before the election. The real time question is how long will it be before this “peace deal” becomes meaningless? Maybe that’s up to the eye of the beholder. Maybe it already is meaningless. Today’s Google searches bring up reams of stories filed about this event with two words, “peace deal”. Maybe a better question is: how long will it be before the algorithms serve up something else? Old Afghan hands will remember that we measure time in minutes, hours, days or months. Time in Afghanistan is measured in blood. Donald Trump has to hope that the next train out of Afghanistan for the US comes soon. Afghans haven’t always allowed invaders to leave gracefully. Who is lying more to whom in this peace deal remains to be seen.
Certainly, the “Afghan Peace Deal” signed by representatives of Pakistani controlled Taliban members and SECSTATE Mike Pompeo will deliver anything but peace. Optimistic statements delivered by parties to the ceremony are only that, just statements. Mr. Trump needs to make good on a campaign promise before the next election. Mr. Trump’s ticket on next train out of Afghanistan has driven the entire Doha charade since Trump took notice of what were glorified prisoner swaps. In the short term, Trump gets what he wants, a way out of Afghanistan. In a slightly longer term, Trump’s enemies in Washington get what they want, a failure that they can blame on Trump. Intercepted Taliban communications indicate that they have no faith in it either. It already is foundering over a key prisoner swap that is supposed to take place before so-called “intra Afghan talks”. But the likelihood of those talks is diminishing. We can thank Zalmay Khalilzad for that. Khalilzad promised to release “up to” 5000 Taliban prisoners he does not have. They are being held by the Afghans. However, like the “deal of the century”, the US has given away what does not belong to them. Think about this: they are giving away something that they don’t have to an entity that they don’t recognize. Already, Ashraf Ghani, has said that the prisoners are vital to having any kind of leverage in any talks the Kabul government holds with the Taliban and that they have no intention of releasing any prisoners before any talks. They would be out of their minds to give away what little leverage they have without securing any concessions from the Taliban. For their part, the Taliban is in no position to give much in the way of concessions as Doha negotiators have limited recognition by Taliban in the field. Their lack of control is demonstrated by the fact that Khalilzad had to shuttle to Pakistani GHQ to get this deal through. It was all the Taliban delegates could do to get “reduced violence” for a matter of days. This was predictable and jezail.org has written about this before. The talks at Doha have always been window dressing for the inevitable. At no time did Pakistan come under any serious pressure to deliver any concessions by Khalilzad. When Khalilzad went to Pakistan, he went there to beg.
For years, jezail.org has been under persistent attacks by various players because we will never stop pointing to this and other fantasy aspects of virtually all elements of US foreign policy thinking in the region. We have also been critical of the Kabul government fantasies about what to expect from Washington. In keeping with this tradition, we wish to highlight that the expendable nature of the Kabul government has also been revealed by this agreement. This should have been clear from the moment the US forbade Kabul from talking to their neighbors in Iran. Really, it should have been obvious from the Bonn agreement. We have exposed American policy indicators repeatedly over many years in the many stories we have published. We have long covered the lack of serious commitment on the part of the US to build an effective army or government in Afghanistan. From the construction of dysfunctional hospitals to aircraft and military support failures and rackets to rigged elections, the American objective in Kabul was never to support the regime while to cosmetically appearing to. Make no mistake: it was never because they weren’t able to; it was always because they didn’t want to. The money and bets placed by US diplomatic officials on the region were always on Pakistan and never on Afghanistan. That’s where their jobs, patronage, grants, board memberships and careers have been anchored for 50 years. The money was in Pakistan, not Afghanistan. A free standing Afghanistan, able to govern itself and defend its own borders was simply not the goal of the US foreign policy establishment. They said the exact opposite. They lied. They predictably failed to deliver at every stage over at least the last twenty years. The real and unspoken assumption of the US foreign policy establishment was that sooner or later, Pakistan was going to swallow up or annex all or some of Afghanistan and dominate it. This had been a subject discussed at American diplomatic cocktail parties since the mid 1960’s. Afghanistan was always meant to fall in Pakistan’s lap like a ripe fruit. That, in itself was meant to be a payoff. To that extent, US State Department officials invented the myth of a Pakistani alliance which they knew was a lie too. Behind the scenes, they always advocated placing portfolio and career bets on Pakistan while paying lipservice to the dream of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, because so much of Afghan life is in a dream world all its own, many Afghans bought the story or were forced to accept it. The entire episode can be characterized as a blood soaked collective hallucination. It was also a collection of war crimes unthinkable to American military professionals before 911.
Pakistan was originally a US “ally” from the Cold War. They served us against the Soviets and we armed them against the Indians. Some years ago, when the Congress began to realize that Pakistan was double dealing the US, the story from our diplomats and the MSM began to change and the relationship came to be described as “complicated”. It wasn’t complicated at all. America was getting screwed by a partnership of military contractors, an oil pipeline consortium and Pakistan. A new word was invented by the MSM’s own Rachel Maddow to descibe the relationship, “frenemy”. Even as America was at war with a Pakistani sponsored enemy, American foreign policy leadership stuck to keeping Pakistan out of US cross hairs for their own corrupt interests. Unfortunately, by then, thousands of US service people had been wounded or killed. Yet STATE continued to back pedal from admitting fundamental betrayals by Pakistan. They did this through 3 presidential administrations. Again, that was because the key diplomats involved had careers depending on continuing the corrupt relationship they had enjoyed with Pakistan since the invention of that country in 1947. Jezail.org identified a key beneficiary, Ambassador Robin Raphel, years ago for lying to the Congress about the relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban. Not a single diplomat, military professional or bureaucrat stood on their hind legs and said anything. We now know that they almost all knew she was lying. She was the single most responsible person for getting the Taliban rolling. She remained untouchable in Washington in spite of an FBI investigation recommending that she be prosecuted for espionage. It’s good to be a friend of Bill Clinton. In her case, her Clinton connection was a get-out-of-jail-free-card. Her revolving door career from K street to Foggy Bottom defines a pattern of legalized corruption in Washington. It is this kind of abuse by Washington officials that has brought us to this point. It may be that by accident or design, Donald Trump has pried America out of Afghanistan by opening up lucrative opportunities for foreign policy bureaucrats in India and lure them away from Afghan policy interference. Then he took the first train out of there and it came from Doha. It wasn’t pretty and it’s going to get uglier, but it just might work. Like it or not, it had to be done.
Some of our Afghan friends have been cross with us because we always advocated that the minority populations of Afghanistan and their leadership needed to prepare for this day to come. They pleaded with us to shut up as they desperately tried to unify the country. It was a noble and sincere effort sabotaged at every turn by ISI directed bombings and assassinations. But we never trusted the Bonn agreement nor the centralized Kabul government arrangement. We always saw all of it as designed to fail. We have been in trouble with old dear friends because we have always said: “cache weapons and be prepared to fight again.” The warlord system of power sharing will come back. Massoud was a warlord. The next warlords will be proxies of other outside interests. Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev is reputed to have said: “in order to be a statesman, first you have to be a politician”. In Afghanistan, in order to be a politician, first you have to be a warlord. American diplomacy refused to understand this simple truth. We know that when the last US troops leave Afghanistan, the violence will not be over. It will continue based on the other layers of ethnicity, ambition, appetites and conflict that have been obscured by outside interventions. The scale of the fighting will only be limited to the budgets of the parties to the continuing conflict. We truly hope that we are wrong but we know that the bloodshed will continue.
In any case, the struggle for modernity in Afghanistan is essentially over. It has failed as it failed for the Soviets. It never really got far beyond the machine gun range of the authorities in Kabul. The same can be said of the women’s rights issues which were always a fig leaf for the ambitions of empire. The situation for women in Afghanistan has been made worse by it. The Soviets tried that one as well. Those dreams are gone and will be as forgotten as Soviet propaganda films. If these dreams ever do appear again, it will be for the purposes of raising money in the West and it will be a racket as it always was. The only struggle that may survive is the struggle for Afghan unity and that will be an attempt to unite the smaller ethnicities against the Pashtun which is what Massoud was trying to do before he was assassinated.
The continuing struggle of Afghan minorities to throw Pashtun tribal domination off of their backs is the very center of the fight against the Taliban. Most Western observers have ignored or downplayed this tension. Yet American foreign policy bureaucrats have always connived, schemed and rigged elections to keep the Afghan presidency a position filled by a Pashtun. Tension between the dominant Pashtun tribe and Afghan minorities was actually at the root cause of the anti communist violence before the Soviets invaded. Even if, out of weariness, the minorities initially capitulate, we are confident that the incompetence of Taliban governance will create a reaction and it will be violent. Most Afghans can no longer remember an Afghanistan in a time of peace. Many know how to fight. Many are about to learn. Just because US military advisors couldn’t get them to fight, doesn’t mean they cannot or will not, especially with their backs to a wall. As the Taliban close in for the kill in Kabul, they are likely to experience some of their own difficulties. Like short wedges all aimed at a distant center, as they move toward that center, they come under pressure from either side. It would not be surprising to see Taliban fighting Pakistan and among themselves.
There is already some speculation that the Taliban may now break away from its dependance on Pakistan. The relationship has been deteriorating for years. It has been clear that the Taliban operating in Doha have little authority over the Taliban in the field. Without a foreign enemy, the bonds between them will continue to unravel. There is also some speculation that the long simmering dispute over the Durand line will create tension between Islamabad and Quetta. Jezail.org does not see any of this as serious unless some outside entity chooses to play it – which is possible. For the moment, too many of the regional players are interested in the success of China’s Belt and Road Initiative to upset any apple carts. However, Pakistani leadership has a history of punching above their weight and over playing their hand. If they try to exert more control over the border areas, for example, Pakistan could expose themselves to being imploded by an outside player willing to support or expand an insurgency. If they try to enforce or even negotiate their interpretation of the Durand line border, a lot could go wrong very quickly. The cost of supporting an insurgency is far below the cost of a counter insurgency and well within the reach of smaller players. We note the success of Iran’s support for Yemen even though Iran is seriously short of funds.
Pakistan may even attempt to moderate Taliban imbecilities. However, jezail.org sees real limits to what Islamabad can do. Assuming that Pakistani leadership has learned anything from the Soviet and American experiences in Afghanistan, they will know that it is best to be modest in one’s aspirations in Afghanistan. However, modesty is a quality jezail.org sees lacking in Pakistani ambitions or appetites in the region. Jezail.org believes that Pakistan will likely be happy with a continued state of violence and uncertainty in Afghanistan. From behind this uncertainty, they will be able to base various Jihadi brands, dominate the opium trade and annex Afghanistan’s eastern provinces while appearing to fight some miscreant party of their own invention. Projecting power through terror is the single most effective foreign policy tool Pakistan has ever possessed. They are not going to give it up. It has been more effective than using the nuclear threat. An unstable Afghanistan will be a great garage to keep that stolen hotrod. As we have all learned, this invites blowback and Pakistan is long over due notwithstanding the fighting they have engaged in in the FATA.
One thing is certain. In the vacuum the US leaves behind in Afghanistan, the initiative for action is wholly owned by Pakistan, not the Kabul regime nor the Taliban. What we think is likely to happen is a reach by Pakistan at some of the border provinces of Afghanistan. They already have been building madrassas there which teach Afghans to speak the Pakistani language, Urdu. They have also been issuing Pakistani ID cards to Afghans in those provinces. We have seen Pakistani intelligence officials who have publicly advocated looting Afghanistan outright as well. One thing is certain. Pakistan will not leave Afghanistan alone.
If Pakistan succumbs to its’ own hubris, it will inject itself into a situation that confounded The British Empire, The Soviet Union and the US, to name a few. It’s been a longtime thorn in the side of at least some of its’ neighbors. If Pakistan does go into Afghanistan, it’s not hard to imagine those neighbors cheering Pakistan on. The “peace deal” has opened a door for America to get out. Who goes in next will be interesting.
Regards to All,
jezail.org on the web
and
jezail.org on FaceBook
We mean to hold people accountable
We name names, not just policies
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theduran--2020-03-02--The Great Asylum Racket

The Great Asylum Racket

Does a nation have the right to protect its own borders ?
Western nations don ’ t , according to every contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination .
To a man and woman these politically correct morons voted to decriminalise illegal migration into the United States , effectively opening its borders .
Europe has seen similar calls from the usual ragbag leftist mobs : “ No one is illegal !
” is one of their slogans .
“ Refugees welcome here ” is another .
And anyone who opposes this policy can only be racist , right ?
Yet curiously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stream of refugees , economic migrants and bogus asylum seekers trying desperately to get into racist Europe , especially the UK , and almost all these immigrants come from non-white nations .
Bogus asylum seekers ?
Yes , with extremely rare exceptions – like Malala Yousafzai who came to England as a medical emergency – almost all asylum seekers are bogus .
Last month , the BBC ran a story about a woman from liberated Zimbabwe .
Her name is Angel , and she claims to be a lesbian .
She is said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago after the police found her in bed with another woman .
Not only that , she was forced into marriage with an abusive husband , she has a young daughter she left behind ( read deserted ) , and she was raped by two men in an act of what South Africans call corrective rape .
Can you hear the violins yet ?
Regarding the rape allegation , every woman who claims asylum in the UK and other predominantly white nations claims to have been raped .
Every one with precious few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most are not , but one of the few who was , is Amine Muse .
On December 1 , 1998 , she saw her brothers murdered in Somalia , where she was also gang-raped .
At least , that was the sob story she told immigration officials .
An investigation proved she could not have witnessed these ( imaginary ) murders anymore than she could have been raped by soldiers , the secret police or whoever because she had been living in Sweden since 1995 !
She also went by the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granted Swedish citizenship , she is probably not originally from Somalia .
In January 2011 , she was given a four and a half year sentence at Harrow Crown Court for fraud .
Far , far worse than her was Beatrice Munyenyezi ( pictured above ) , who also had a sob story to tell when she turned up in Manchester , New Hampshire in 1998 .
Rather than the usual rape canard she claimed to have been the victim of political persecution .
In 2013 , she was given a ten year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it came to light she had taken an active part in the Rwandan genocide !
Coming back to Angel , Britain does not need anymore lesbians , it has more than enough of its own , but let ’ s not talk about Harriet Wistrich and Julie Bindel .
A woman who is married with a daughter can hardly claim to be a lesbian , bisexual yes , but so what ?
Did she really have to seek asylum in the UK ?
Couldn ’ t she have gone to South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far less racist ?
If a fake rape victim is admitted to the UK at the drop of a hat , one would think , hope , a convicted rapist would be kicked out .
Not so .
Somali national Abdalla Hemed turned up in Scotland as a refugee .
That was in 2002 .
In July 2004 , he raped a woman in his apartment .
He was arrested for that rape , and on August 1 , 2006 , he was granted bail .
The following day he raped another woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he tried to rape another woman , again at knifepoint , and eight days later tried to rape yet another woman whom he had lured to his apartment .
Considering the sentence Harvey Weinstein is facing after his conviction of two rapes on dubious evidence but without aggravating features , Hemed appears to have been lucky to be released while he can still walk without a Zimmer frame , yet he was parolled in September 2013 .
At this point he should surely have been deported , and that was the intention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Theresa May .
However , Hemed appealed the deportation order , and the Inner House of the Court of Session ruled in his favour .
Asylum seeking is a racket , one that exists because it is extremely profitable both politically and financially , in the latter case for lawyers , immigration consultants and many others who make a comfortable living out of it .
Then there are the NGOs who seem intent on flooding Europe with unassimilable immigrants .
The mainstream media is largely complicit in this scam , and few politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The mere word “ racist ” is enough to silence most of them .
Now though , with the rise of international terrorism and the current coronavirus crisis , the time has come for America and Europe to say “ No mas !
” Years ago , a fringe far right politician suggested the best way to stop this seemingly endless flood would be to sink a couple of refugee boats .
To that one might add that instead of building his wall , Donald Trump would have been better to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s land between the US and Mexico .
Anyone who stepped inside it without proper authorisation would be shot on sight .
If these two suggestions sound drastic , they would have worked .
True , there would have been howls of indignation from all manner of “ civil liberties ” groups and “ anti-fascists ” , like those who routinely denounce and even attack Trump supporters , but in the medium term and most definitely the long term , they would have saved countless lives .
The instigation of Draconian anti-illegal immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help these people , indeed we should , but there are positive ways to do it .
One is by the development of open source technology including investment in solar energy .
On a continent where the Sun never stops shining there should be a constant source of electricity .
Another way is by cancelling much of Africa ’ s debt .
As like the national debts of Western nations , much of this debt is created out of thin air , there is no reason it can ’ t be vanished into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hedge funds have to take a haircut , tough .
Another and extremely important way of helping Africa is to stop supplying its governments with weapons .
A nation that can afford arms on the scale of liberated Zimbabwe can afford to feed its people .
Curiously , when Zimbabwe was Rhodesia and ruled by a handful of whites , it provided all its people with a higher standard of living than all its black African neighbours , but that ’ s another story .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Does a nation have the right to protect its own borders? Western nations don’t, according to every contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination. To a man and woman these politically correct morons voted to decriminalise illegal migration into the United States, effectively opening its borders. Europe has seen similar calls from the usual ragbag leftist mobs: “No one is illegal!” is one of their slogans. “Refugees welcome here” is another. And anyone who opposes this policy can only be racist, right?
Yet curiously there appears to be a never ending stream of refugees, economic migrants and bogus asylum seekers trying desperately to get into racist Europe, especially the UK, and almost all these immigrants come from non-white nations.
Bogus asylum seekers? Yes, with extremely rare exceptions – like Malala Yousafzai who came to England as a medical emergency – almost all asylum seekers are bogus. Last month, the BBC ran a story about a woman from liberated Zimbabwe. Her name is Angel, and she claims to be a lesbian. She is said to have fled her country five years ago after the police found her in bed with another woman. Not only that, she was forced into marriage with an abusive husband, she has a young daughter she left behind (read deserted), and she was raped by two men in an act of what South Africans call corrective rape.
Can you hear the violins yet? Regarding the rape allegation, every woman who claims asylum in the UK and other predominantly white nations claims to have been raped. Every one with precious few exceptions. Some are caught out, most are not, but one of the few who was, is Amine Muse.
On December 1, 1998, she saw her brothers murdered in Somalia, where she was also gang-raped. At least, that was the sob story she told immigration officials. An investigation proved she could not have witnessed these (imaginary) murders anymore than she could have been raped by soldiers, the secret police or whoever because she had been living in Sweden since 1995! She also went by the name Ayan Abdulle, and although she was granted Swedish citizenship, she is probably not originally from Somalia. In January 2011, she was given a four and a half year sentence at Harrow Crown Court for fraud.
Far, far worse than her was Beatrice Munyenyezi (pictured above), who also had a sob story to tell when she turned up in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1998. Rather than the usual rape canard she claimed to have been the victim of political persecution. In 2013, she was given a ten year sentence and stripped of her American citizenship when it came to light she had taken an active part in the Rwandan genocide!
Coming back to Angel, Britain does not need anymore lesbians, it has more than enough of its own, but let’s not talk about Harriet Wistrich and Julie Bindel. A woman who is married with a daughter can hardly claim to be a lesbian, bisexual yes, but so what? Did she really have to seek asylum in the UK? Couldn’t she have gone to South Africa which is not only much nearer but far less racist?
If a fake rape victim is admitted to the UK at the drop of a hat, one would think, hope, a convicted rapist would be kicked out. Not so. Somali national Abdalla Hemed turned up in Scotland as a refugee. That was in 2002. In July 2004, he raped a woman in his apartment. He was arrested for that rape, and on August 1, 2006, he was granted bail. The following day he raped another woman at knifepoint. In December 2006, he tried to rape another woman, again at knifepoint, and eight days later tried to rape yet another woman whom he had lured to his apartment.
Considering the sentence Harvey Weinstein is facing after his conviction of two rapes on dubious evidence but without aggravating features, Hemed appears to have been lucky to be released while he can still walk without a Zimmer frame, yet he was parolled in September 2013. At this point he should surely have been deported, and that was the intention of the Home Secretary, future Prime Minister Theresa May. However, Hemed appealed the deportation order, and the Inner House of the Court of Session ruled in his favour.
Asylum seeking is a racket, one that exists because it is extremely profitable both politically and financially, in the latter case for lawyers, immigration consultants and many others who make a comfortable living out of it. Then there are the NGOs who seem intent on flooding Europe with unassimilable immigrants. The mainstream media is largely complicit in this scam, and few politicians have the backbone to stand up to it. The mere word “racist” is enough to silence most of them.
Now though, with the rise of international terrorism and the current coronavirus crisis, the time has come for America and Europe to say “No mas!” Years ago, a fringe far right politician suggested the best way to stop this seemingly endless flood would be to sink a couple of refugee boats. To that one might add that instead of building his wall, Donald Trump would have been better to declare a hundred metre no man’s land between the US and Mexico. Anyone who stepped inside it without proper authorisation would be shot on sight.
If these two suggestions sound drastic, they would have worked. True, there would have been howls of indignation from all manner of “civil liberties” groups and “anti-fascists”, like those who routinely denounce and even attack Trump supporters, but in the medium term and most definitely the long term, they would have saved countless lives.
The instigation of Draconian anti-illegal immigration measures does not mean we should not help these people, indeed we should, but there are positive ways to do it. One is by the development of open source technology including investment in solar energy. On a continent where the Sun never stops shining there should be a constant source of electricity. Another way is by cancelling much of Africa’s debt. As like the national debts of Western nations, much of this debt is created out of thin air, there is no reason it can’t be vanished into thin air, and if a few hedge funds have to take a haircut, tough.
Another and extremely important way of helping Africa is to stop supplying its governments with weapons. A nation that can afford arms on the scale of liberated Zimbabwe can afford to feed its people. Curiously, when Zimbabwe was Rhodesia and ruled by a handful of whites, it provided all its people with a higher standard of living than all its black African neighbours, but that’s another story.
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theduran--2020-03-03--Coronavirus begins its advance in the USA and Europe [Video]

When the novel coronavirus first made its appearance in Wuhan , China , it was newsworthy , but it seemed difficult to trust the information coming out of China , due to its communist governmental structure .
To some extent , this suspicion appears to have been justified , as one of the main doctors who warned his own government about the danger of this virus just died from it .
Now the virus appears to be making rapid advances in free nations , most notably Italy , South Korea and Japan , and in Iran , sadly taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top advisers on Monday morning , March 2nd .
It also is making headway in the United States , having claimed two lives there over the past weekend .
There are still gaping holes in our body of reliable information about this virus , its activity and effects on people .
This is exacerbating a real period of turmoil in the world ’ s markets , with the Dow Jones marking a drop of more than ten percent in one week last week , travel being sharply curtailed from many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so on .
We hope to periodically chronicle this story until it come to its resolution point .
Any real news on the origin of the virus ?
As yet , there is no direct news conceringing where coronavirus originated , or how .
The present narrative still is that story of the virus arising from some sort of transmission from the sale of bats and pangolins in a Wuhan market .
It is probably not presumptuous to say that no one who is paying close attention to this story believes this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling such products that would have the virus in the first place .
However , a story trying to gain traction among some folks , and from fairly reputable sources , that this virus was an American bioweapon attack against China over trade issues , is equally unreliable , though certainly sensational .
It is also stupid , given that bioweapons do not usually care who they kill .
The very nature of a virus is to self-replicate , and viruses do not consider one ’ s country , age , sex or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to host .
However , the notion that the virus originated in a biolab in Wuhan does seem to be quite likely .
Here is why : • The Chinese tried to deploy a cover story that is inconsistent with reality , the aforementioned open air market in Wuhan .
New natural viruses do appear all the time , but… • The Chinese goverment sequenced the genome of the virus and distributed it worldwide in very short order .
While this is possible to do with any virus , the speed at which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , on an offical level .
• The Chinese government engaged in operations to prevent information from openly getting out to the public , though they did provide the virus genome sequence .
A government that has nothing to hide would seem , logically , to hide nothing .
While one can not be sure with a communist regime like China ’ s , we do know that a doctor who tried to warn the government was punished for trying to do so .
All that being said , the likely origin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more people than those directly involved with it if it were a secret project .
Right now , though , this hardly matters other than to note that as a bioweapon , coronavirus seems to be relatively benign , for its fatality rate seems to be around two percent .
The only possible benefit from such a virus is its ability to immobilize a population for some period of time , without major fatalites , but with debilitating illness for several weeks .
This would make better sense as a viable bioweapon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t wipe out – everyone on the planet .
That being said , the stupidity factor of such bioweapons still comes into play : that inability to control the virus and restrict it or completely cut it off once its deployment has achieved its purpose .
The Chinese government ’ s swift exposure of the virus and its genome stands as a sign that the State knew it messed up , and that letting this carry on would be completely reprehensible on the world stage .
China is very likely trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many reasons to do so .
That dovetails into a topic all its own , of course , which we may look at in another news piece if someone else hasn ’ t already done an adequate job dealing with it .
How is the world being affected ?
Rather than go to gleaning other news sources , I decided to make use of the wide number of contacts I have in the world to ask them to talk about what is happening locally .
My respondents were very good to tell me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send photos of interesting situations as they related to the virus .
Here is what we can show you .
The names of my witnesses will be rendered as anagram initials , simply for their protection .
However , if any of them wish to be recognized by name in this news piece , they will contact me and ask , and I will reveal their names .
It just seemed helpful to everyone ’ s privacy to do it this way .
Walsenburg , Colorado [ I.H . ]
reports that nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populated area of southern Colorado .
However , I.H .
reports that emails are in circulation describing COVID-19 , what it is , and how to help prevent it via hand washing and other known procedures .
Central New Mexico [ A.P.L . ]
Also nothing seen or heard that is out of the ordinary .
Online there are reports from correspondent Michael Yon saying to go buy facemarks and stock up , but also , APL notes that the US government is saying that the masks are not needed and that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted a disconnect in this regard too , when Mr. Azar was on with Chris Wallace and Mr. Wallace asked about the utilization of the War Powers Act and what it might have factories in the US make .
Sec .
Azar mentioned that they would make masks .
But in a comment earlier or later , Secretary Azar noted that masks are not needed , and that they are not necessarily helpful ; possibly even harmful .
The contradiction may be out of context , for medical professionals would need masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not a distinction clearly made between when masks are helpful and when they are not helpful .
See for yourself : Braunschweig , Germany [ KOD ] This witness reports that it is impossible to find antiseptics and soap in Hanover as well as Braunschweig .
Some food shelters are sold out and are presently empty .
People are reportedly buying ad stocking toilet paper , canned goods , and pasta .
Lewis Center , Ohio [ PFE ] This witness personally sees nothing but nervousness and people starting to “ prep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our local Meijer and Costco this weekend and sent me pictures like this : Northern New Jersey [ JJS ] This witness reports people buying hand sanitizer by the grocery cart load .
But at a local Walgreens ( a very major American drugstore chain ) , one of the clerks reported selling but three masks .
[ WE WILL UPDATE THIS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK WHILE THE VIRUS WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH ITS CYCLE ] At the same time as we see this , we also see psychological indications that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to be helping .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed a few minutes ago at the time of this writing , up over 1,200 points , the largest single-day point rise in history .
Apple , one of America ’ s most significant companies with factories in China , reported a share price jump of US $ 25.45 , a 9.81 % increase in one day , after the company shed about twice that in value from its recent highs .
The investment markets are notorious for overselling and overbuying , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show a significant drop , unless there are continuing positive signs that the crisis appears to be fading worldwide , even as the virus has not made its full run .
We can only wait and watch .
Stay tuned for further updates from us at The Duran as we chronicle this story .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
When the novel coronavirus first made its appearance in Wuhan, China, it was newsworthy, but it seemed difficult to trust the information coming out of China, due to its communist governmental structure. To some extent, this suspicion appears to have been justified, as one of the main doctors who warned his own government about the danger of this virus just died from it. Now the virus appears to be making rapid advances in free nations, most notably Italy, South Korea and Japan, and in Iran, sadly taking the life of one of Ayatollah Khameini’s top advisers on Monday morning, March 2nd. It also is making headway in the United States, having claimed six lives there over the past weekend and into this week (updated March 3rd, 2020).
There are still gaping holes in our body of reliable information about this virus, its activity and effects on people. This is exacerbating a real period of turmoil in the world’s markets, with the Dow Jones marking a drop of more than ten percent in one week last week, travel being sharply curtailed from many of the infected regions to relatively clear ones, and so on.
We hope to periodically chronicle this story until it come to its resolution point.
Any real news on the origin of the virus?
As yet, there is no direct news conceringing where coronavirus originated, or how. The present narrative still is that story of the virus arising from some sort of transmission from the sale of bats and pangolins in a Wuhan market.
It is probably not presumptuous to say that no one who is paying close attention to this story believes this claim. The market was not actually selling such products that would have the virus in the first place. However, a story trying to gain traction among some folks, and from fairly reputable sources, that this virus was an American bioweapon attack against China over trade issues, is equally unreliable, though certainly sensational.
It is also stupid, given that bioweapons do not usually care who they kill. The very nature of a virus is to self-replicate, and viruses do not consider one’s country, age, sex or political affiliation while they travel from host to host.
However, the notion that the virus originated in a biolab in Wuhan does seem to be quite likely. Here is why:
The Chinese tried to deploy a cover story that is inconsistent with reality, the aforementioned open air market in Wuhan. New natural viruses do appear all the time, but…
The Chinese goverment sequenced the genome of the virus and distributed it worldwide in very short order. While this is possible to do with any virus, the speed at which this was done was simply “amazing”, on an offical level.
The Chinese government engaged in operations to prevent information from openly getting out to the public, though they did provide the virus genome sequence. A government that has nothing to hide would seem, logically, to hide nothing. While one cannot be sure with a communist regime like China’s, we do know that a doctor who tried to warn the government was punished for trying to do so.
All that being said, the likely origin of the virus will eventually be known to more people than those directly involved with it if it were a secret project. Right now, though, this hardly matters other than to note that as a bioweapon, coronavirus seems to be relatively benign, for its fatality rate seems to be around two percent. The only possible benefit from such a virus is its ability to immobilize a population for some period of time, without major fatalites, but with debilitating illness for several weeks. This would make better sense as a viable bioweapon – something that severely sickens – but doesn’t wipe out – everyone on the planet.
That being said, the stupidity factor of such bioweapons still comes into play: that inability to control the virus and restrict it or completely cut it off once its deployment has achieved its purpose.
The Chinese government’s swift exposure of the virus and its genome stands as a sign that the State knew it messed up, and that letting this carry on would be completely reprehensible on the world stage. China is very likely trying to save face, and she has many reasons to do so. That dovetails into a topic all its own, of course, which we may look at in another news piece if someone else hasn’t already done an adequate job dealing with it.
How is the world being affected?
Rather than go to gleaning other news sources, I decided to make use of the wide number of contacts I have in the world to ask them to talk about what is happening locally. My respondents were very good to tell me their own personal experiences as well as send photos of interesting situations as they related to the virus. Here is what we can show you. The names of my witnesses will be rendered as anagram initials, simply for their protection. However, if any of them wish to be recognized by name in this news piece, they will contact me and ask, and I will reveal their names. It just seemed helpful to everyone’s privacy to do it this way.
Walsenburg, Colorado [I.H.] reports that nothing new is physically visible in this lightly populated area of southern Colorado. However, I.H. reports that emails are in circulation describing COVID-19, what it is, and how to help prevent it via hand washing and other known procedures.
Central New Mexico [A.P.L.] Also nothing seen or heard that is out of the ordinary. Online there are reports from correspondent Michael Yon saying to go buy facemarks and stock up, but also, APL notes that the US government is saying that the masks are not needed and that there is nothing to worry about.
I noted a disconnect in this regard too, when Mr. Azar was on with Chris Wallace and Mr. Wallace asked about the utilization of the War Powers Act and what it might have factories in the US make. Sec. Azar mentioned that they would make masks. But in a comment earlier or later, Secretary Azar noted that masks are not needed, and that they are not necessarily helpful; possibly even harmful. The contradiction may be out of context, for medical professionals would need masks, but it caught my attention that there was not a distinction clearly made between when masks are helpful and when they are not helpful. See for yourself:
Braunschweig, Germany [KOD] This witness reports that it is impossible to find antiseptics and soap in Hanover as well as Braunschweig. Some food shelters are sold out and are presently empty. People are reportedly buying ad stocking toilet paper, canned goods, and pasta.
Lewis Center, Ohio [PFE] This witness personally sees nothing but nervousness and people starting to “prep”. The witness’ spouse went to our local Meijer and Costco this weekend and sent me pictures like this:
Northern New Jersey [JJS] This witness reports people buying hand sanitizer by the grocery cart load. But at a local Walgreens (a very major American drugstore chain), one of the clerks reported selling but three masks.
[WE WILL UPDATE THIS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK WHILE THE VIRUS WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH ITS CYCLE]
At the same time as we see this, we also see psychological indications that the weekend of updates from the American government seem to be helping. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed a few minutes ago at the time of this writing, up over 1,200 points, the largest single-day point rise in history. Apple, one of America’s most significant companies with factories in China, reported a share price jump of US$25.45, a 9.81% increase in one day, after the company shed about twice that in value from its recent highs.
The investment markets are notorious for overselling and overbuying, so tomorrow’s market is likely to show a significant drop, unless there are continuing positive signs that the crisis appears to be fading worldwide, even as the virus has not made its full run. We can only wait and watch.
Stay tuned for further updates from us at The Duran as we chronicle this story.
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theduran--2020-03-03--Can Bulgaria & Greece hold the line against Erdogan’s migrant push? (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Erdogan ’ s failing attempt to flood Europe with migrants kept in Turkey as a weapon to pressure EU and NATO members to support his war in Syria .
So far the Greek and Bulgarian governments have held firm in keeping the borders closed to migrants being pushed towards border crossings by Turkish authorities .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Europe “ will reach millions ” unless the European Union takes responsibility for the crisis , Greece continued efforts to fortify its borders and diplomatic initiatives to tackle what it calls an “ asymmetrical threat.
” On the diplomatic front , the government ’ s initiatives have led to a planned visit on Tuesday to the Greek-Turkish border in Evros by the presidents of the European Commission , Council and Parliament – Ursula von der Leyen , Charles Michel and David Sassoli – accompanied by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis .
Even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message , it is expecting practical support from its partners , stressing that Greece ’ s borders with Turkey are also European .
On Sunday , Greece announced emergency measures to tackle the crisis , including a further tightening of border controls to the maximum level , a temporary one-month suspension of asylum applications and the immediate return of undocumented migrants to their country of origin .
According to the International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) , the number of refugees and migrants at the Greek border is estimated at around 13,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to push through .
Tensions were also running high on the islands following the arrival over the weekend of around 1,000 refugees and migrants , with locals trying to prevent one smuggling boat from docking .
Meanwhile a military exercise with live ammunition was held in the Evros River border region by Greek army units on Monday , with the aim of sending out a message that Greece will not allow its national borders and security to be violated .
At the same time , EU border protection agency Frontex on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance for the surveillance of the Evros border and the Eastern Aegean .
Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said the agency was withdrawing border guards participating in other operations so that they can be sent to Greece .
Senior Frontex officials told Kathimerini that border guards will arrive in Greece within the next five days , while technical assistance ( boats , airplanes , vehicles , etc . )
is expected in the next 10 days .
European officials , meanwhile , condemned Erdogan ’ s stance , with German Chancellor Angela Merkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing a very big challenge in northwestern Syria , it is “ wholly unacceptable ” that instead of seeking a solution through dialogue with the EU , Erdogan is “ taking it out on refugees.
” Echoing similar sentiments , von der Leyen expressed sympathy with Turkey over its problems in Syria but noted that allowing refugees to amass at the Greek border “ can not be ” the answer or the solution .
US President Donald Trump spoke on the telephone with Mitsotakis and reportedly acknowledged Greece ’ s right to implements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Turkey ’ s Anadolu Agency , US defense chief Mark Esper said what Turkey does on its Greek border regarding refugees and migrants is “ its own decision to make .
”

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Erdogan’s failing attempt to flood Europe with migrants kept in Turkey as a weapon to pressure EU and NATO members to support his war in Syria.
So far the Greek and Bulgarian governments have held firm in keeping the borders closed to migrants being pushed towards border crossings by Turkish authorities.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via Ekathimerini…
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Monday that soon the number of refugees crossing into Europe “will reach millions” unless the European Union takes responsibility for the crisis, Greece continued efforts to fortify its borders and diplomatic initiatives to tackle what it calls an “asymmetrical threat.”
On the diplomatic front, the government’s initiatives have led to a planned visit on Tuesday to the Greek-Turkish border in Evros by the presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament – Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and David Sassoli – accompanied by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Even though Athens believes the visits send a powerful message, it is expecting practical support from its partners, stressing that Greece’s borders with Turkey are also European.
On Sunday, Greece announced emergency measures to tackle the crisis, including a further tightening of border controls to the maximum level, a temporary one-month suspension of asylum applications and the immediate return of undocumented migrants to their country of origin.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of refugees and migrants at the Greek border is estimated at around 13,000 people and tensions are rising as they try to push through.
Tensions were also running high on the islands following the arrival over the weekend of around 1,000 refugees and migrants, with locals trying to prevent one smuggling boat from docking.
A child died when one vessel capsized.
Meanwhile a military exercise with live ammunition was held in the Evros River border region by Greek army units on Monday, with the aim of sending out a message that Greece will not allow its national borders and security to be violated.
At the same time, EU border protection agency Frontex on Monday accepted Greece’s request for immediate assistance for the surveillance of the Evros border and the Eastern Aegean. Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said the agency was withdrawing border guards participating in other operations so that they can be sent to Greece.
Senior Frontex officials told Kathimerini that border guards will arrive in Greece within the next five days, while technical assistance (boats, airplanes, vehicles, etc.) is expected in the next 10 days.
European officials, meanwhile, condemned Erdogan’s stance, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying that while she understands Turkey is facing a very big challenge in northwestern Syria, it is “wholly unacceptable” that instead of seeking a solution through dialogue with the EU, Erdogan is “taking it out on refugees.” Echoing similar sentiments, von der Leyen expressed sympathy with Turkey over its problems in Syria but noted that allowing refugees to amass at the Greek border “cannot be” the answer or the solution.
US President Donald Trump spoke on the telephone with Mitsotakis and reportedly acknowledged Greece’s right to implements its laws on its border.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, US defense chief Mark Esper said what Turkey does on its Greek border regarding refugees and migrants is “its own decision to make.”
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theduran--2020-03-03--Assange ‘Show’ Hearing Comes to an End, Along with Western Democracy

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Johanna Ross , journalist based in Edinburgh , Scotland… Julian Assange ’ s extradition hearing came to an end on Thursday ; a trial which , according to his supporters bears all the hallmarks of a ‘ show trial ’ straight from the pages of a Kafka novel .
The former Wikileaks editor , has already served around 13 years in arbitrary detention , despite not having been charged with any crime .
If there was ever any confirmation of the helplessness of the individual in relation to the state , this was it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstration needed that the West is moving away from democracy towards authoritarianism , this was it .
Detail on the court proceedings – which are now adjourned till May – has not , of course , come from the mainstream media , but from the few journalists and commentators who were allowed into the public gallery .
By far the best daily summary of proceedings has come from former UK ambassador turned human rights activist Craig Murray , which can be read on his blog .
As Murray has related , Assange has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that of a violent terrorist , not a publisher wanted for unveiling state secrets .
Confined to a glass box , from which he has not been able to hear a word of what is said in the court , Assange stated he was as much a participant of the proceedings as a ‘ spectator at Wimbledon ’ .
Strip searched 11 times and repeatedly handcuffed , such was the treatment Assange received from prison officers in the UK ’ s highest security prison on the first day of the trial .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be seated beside the legal team was refused by Judge Baraitser as she claimed the Wikileaks founder presented a danger to the public .
Edward Fitzgerald , Assange ’ s lawyer , argued that on the contrary , he was a “ gentle man of an intellectual nature ” and not a violent terrorist .
This did little to sway Baraitser , who didn ’ t budge .
As Craig Murray has aptly put it : “ Baraitser ’ s intention is to humiliate Assange , and to instill in the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of the state .
The inexorable strength of the sentencing wing of the nightmarish Belmarsh Prison must be maintained .
If you are here , you are guilty.
” It may sound pessimistic , but the reality is that the fate of Julian Assange has long been sealed .
He has already been found guilty by the British and US establishment and any hope that he may be given a fair and objective trial is futile .
For as journalists Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis have exposed , behind Judge Baraitser is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security service establishment , in the form of Chief Magistrate , Lady Arbuthnot , a woman not impartial to the Wikileaks founder ’ s fate .
Kennard and Curtis point out that Arbuthnot took charge over Assange ’ s case from 2017 to 2019 , during which time she delivered two controversial rulings .
She rejected the UN support for Assange , and refused to recognise the political asylum granted to him by Ecuador .
Although she no longer personally presides over the Assange extradition proceedings , Arbuthnot retains the position of guiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdiction , i.e .
Judge Baraitser .
And despite having not declared any conflict of interest in the case , Kennard and Curtis have shown otherwise .
It has been revealed that the Arbuthnot family has a deep-seated interest in ensuring Assange is extradited to the US .
According to Kennard and Curtis , Lady Arbuthnot and her husband had previously received gifts and hospitality from a military and cybersecurity company exposed by Wikileaks .
Her husband also plays an important role in the British military and intelligence establishment .
Even their son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company founded by the UK security service and staffed by US intelligence officials from agencies involved in pursuing Julian Assange .
Assange ’ s lawyers previously complained about Lady Arbuthnot ’ s potential bias in the case , hence the fact why Baraitser replaced her at subsequent hearings , to which the judiciary responded : “ There has been no bias demonstrated by the chief magistrate .
The chief magistrate , however , is aware of the judicial conduct guidance that advises on avoiding the perception of bias and is not hearing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is where it ends would be mistaken .
Judge Baraitser , according to Kennard and Curtis , was likely chosen with Arbuthnot ’ s consent , and Arbuthnot continues to oversee the legal proceedings .
Craig Murray provides us with a scathing portrait of Judge Baraitser , whom he asserts is trying to ‘ humiliate ’ Assange as much as possible .
He describes her desire to isolate Assange from the court proceedings and interrupt his Defence lawyer as much as possible with distracting questions and remarks .
As for the prosecution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , argued that its framing of the case amounted to a misrepresentation of the facts and ‘ abuse of process ’ .
Stating that the motivation for Assange ’ s extradition was ‘ political ’ , he suggested that the current extradition treaty between the UK and US could not be applied as it did not cover political extraditions .
The prosecution lawyer , Lewis , on the other hand refused to accept that Assange could be classed as a political refugee as he maintained he had not committed any political offence ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations could not have had more of a political impact ) .
Judge Baraitser also chimed in to say that the UK/US extradition treaty , on which the extradition was based , was not incorporated into English law ( ! )
.
To which Fitzgerald quite rightly noted ‘ On the face of it , it is a very bizarre argument that a treaty which gives rise to the extradition , on which the extradition is founded , can be disregarded in its provisions .
It is on the face of it absurd.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important word of all here .
For it could be argued that absurdity goes to the very heart of this trial .
The British authorities are simply going through the motions , putting on a performance of Shakesperian quality , to give the impression that due process is being carried out .
In fact , the verdict has long been decided , as has Assange ’ s fate .
This is a historic moment , a pivotal one .
We have been gradually moving away from democracy and liberal values for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened by both the Johnson and Trump administrations , but this is a moment not only journalists , but every one of us should be concerned about .
It brings to mind the poem by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller : First they came for the socialists , and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist .
Then they came for the trade unionists , and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist .
Then they came for the Jews , and I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Jew .
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland…
Julian Assange’s extradition hearing came to an end on Thursday; a trial which, according to his supporters bears all the hallmarks of a ‘show trial’ straight from the pages of a Kafka novel. The former Wikileaks editor, has already served around 13 years in arbitrary detention, despite not having been charged with any crime. If there was ever any confirmation of the helplessness of the individual in relation to the state, this was it. And if there was ever any demonstration needed that the West is moving away from democracy towards authoritarianism, this was it.
Detail on the court proceedings – which are now adjourned till May – has not, of course, come from the mainstream media, but from the few journalists and commentators who were allowed into the public gallery. By far the best daily summary of proceedings has come from former UK ambassador turned human rights activist Craig Murray, which can be read on his blog. As Murray has related, Assange has been subjected to treatment on a par with that of a violent terrorist, not a publisher wanted for unveiling state secrets. Confined to a glass box, from which he has not been able to hear a word of what is said in the court, Assange stated he was as much a participant of the proceedings as a ‘spectator at Wimbledon’.
Strip searched 11 times and repeatedly handcuffed, such was the treatment Assange received from prison officers in the UK’s highest security prison on the first day of the trial. His lawyer’s request that he should be seated beside the legal team was refused by Judge Baraitser as she claimed the Wikileaks founder presented a danger to the public. Edward Fitzgerald, Assange’s lawyer, argued that on the contrary, he was a “gentle man of an intellectual nature” and not a violent terrorist. This did little to sway Baraitser, who didn’t budge. As Craig Murray has aptly put it: “Baraitser’s intention is to humiliate Assange, and to instill in the rest of us horror at the vast crushing power of the state. The inexorable strength of the sentencing wing of the nightmarish Belmarsh Prison must be maintained. If you are here, you are guilty.”
It may sound pessimistic, but the reality is that the fate of Julian Assange has long been sealed. He has already been found guilty by the British and US establishment and any hope that he may be given a fair and objective trial is futile. For as journalists Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis have exposed, behind Judge Baraitser is the weight of the UK defence and security service establishment, in the form of Chief Magistrate, Lady Arbuthnot, a woman not impartial to the Wikileaks founder’s fate. Kennard and Curtis point out that Arbuthnot took charge over Assange’s case from 2017 to 2019, during which time she delivered two controversial rulings. She rejected the UN support for Assange, and refused to recognise the political asylum granted to him by Ecuador. Although she no longer personally presides over the Assange extradition proceedings, Arbuthnot retains the position of guiding and supporting the junior judges in her jurisdiction, i.e. Judge Baraitser. And despite having not declared any conflict of interest in the case, Kennard and Curtis have shown otherwise.
It has been revealed that the Arbuthnot family has a deep-seated interest in ensuring Assange is extradited to the US. According to Kennard and Curtis, Lady Arbuthnot and her husband had previously received gifts and hospitality from a military and cybersecurity company exposed by Wikileaks. Her husband also plays an important role in the British military and intelligence establishment. Even their son has been linked to an anti-data leak company founded by the UK security service and staffed by US intelligence officials from agencies involved in pursuing Julian Assange.
Assange’s lawyers previously complained about Lady Arbuthnot’s potential bias in the case, hence the fact why Baraitser replaced her at subsequent hearings, to which the judiciary responded: “There has been no bias demonstrated by the chief magistrate. The chief magistrate, however, is aware of the judicial conduct guidance that advises on avoiding the perception of bias and is not hearing the case”. But to think that is where it ends would be mistaken. Judge Baraitser, according to Kennard and Curtis, was likely chosen with Arbuthnot’s consent, and Arbuthnot continues to oversee the legal proceedings.
Craig Murray provides us with a scathing portrait of Judge Baraitser, whom he asserts is trying to ‘humiliate’ Assange as much as possible. He describes her desire to isolate Assange from the court proceedings and interrupt his Defence lawyer as much as possible with distracting questions and remarks. As for the prosecution, Assange’s lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, argued that its framing of the case amounted to a misrepresentation of the facts and ‘abuse of process’. Stating that the motivation for Assange’s extradition was ‘political’, he suggested that the current extradition treaty between the UK and US could not be applied as it did not cover political extraditions. The prosecution lawyer, Lewis, on the other hand refused to accept that Assange could be classed as a political refugee as he maintained he had not committed any political offence (quite an extraordinary assertion as Wikileaks’ operations could not have had more of a political impact). Judge Baraitser also chimed in to say that the UK/US extradition treaty, on which the extradition was based, was not incorporated into English law (!). To which Fitzgerald quite rightly noted ‘On the face of it, it is a very bizarre argument that a treaty which gives rise to the extradition, on which the extradition is founded, can be disregarded in its provisions. It is on the face of it absurd.’
‘Absurd’. Perhaps the most important word of all here. For it could be argued that absurdity goes to the very heart of this trial. The British authorities are simply going through the motions, putting on a performance of Shakesperian quality, to give the impression that due process is being carried out. In fact, the verdict has long been decided, as has Assange’s fate. This is a historic moment, a pivotal one. We have been gradually moving away from democracy and liberal values for some time now, with the media being threatened by both the Johnson and Trump administrations, but this is a moment not only journalists, but every one of us should be concerned about. It brings to mind the poem by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Worth thinking about.
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theduran--2020-03-03--Turkey and Syria Are at War without a Declaration of War

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… Although Turkey has supported anti-Syrian government forces , especially terrorist organizations like ISIS and the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra and Turkistan Islamic Party , since the very beginning of the Syrian War in 2011 , no declaration of war has ever been announced between the two neighboring countries .
Russia became militarily involved in 2015 and its intervention saw the quick defeat of ISIS and the recovery of large swathes of the country back into Syrian government control , as well as a partnership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
However , this now appears to be well and truly over .
Oleg Zhuravlyov , chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria , said on Sunday that the Syrian government was forced to declare the closure of airspace over Syria ’ s northwest Idlib province .
However , it was his following comment that sent social media into a frenzy with speculation that Russia would begin attacking jets illegally operating in Idlib .
“ In such conditions , the command of the Russian taskforce can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planes over Syria , ” said Zhuravlyov .
Many people have interpreted this as Russia threatening Turkish jets .
This is not the case , and rather , Russia is warning Turkey that it will not restrain the Syrian Army in attacking the Turkish military , especially after Turkey downed two Syrian jets yesterday .
It was a tense day , even though no Syrian pilots were killed .
The day saw six Turkish drones downed and then in the early morning , Turkish ambulances were seen at the Syrian-Turkish border point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Syrian Army attack on a military convoy at Qamenas near Sarmin in Idlib countryside .
All this happened yesterday on the first day after a deadline set by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ended which demanded the Syrian Army to withdraw to positions it held earlier in the year .
Although Turkey has not declared war on Syria , there is little doubt that the two countries are now at war and Russia will do little to restrain the Arab country from defending its territory .
The Syrian army command announced on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the country is now closed .
The situation in Idlib escalated after Turkish-backed and Al-Qaeda affiliated Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham launched a large-scale attack on Syrian government forces on February 27 , with the Syrian army striking back in retaliation and killing 36 Turkish soldiers and wounding another 30 .
Immediately afterwards , Russia took steps to ensure a short ceasefire to enable Turkey to recover the bodies of their fallen and wounded .
Moscow has expressed concern over Ankara ’ s support for terrorist organizations in Idlib .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel , and then with Erdoğan , who described the implementation of the agreement with Sochi as the main condition for the settlement in Idlib .
This has been problematic as Erdoğan has refused to stop supporting terrorist organizations in Idlib as set out by the Sochi agreement .
In turn , Putin expressed concern over the increase in terrorist activity in the province , while also noting the need for unconditional respect for Syria ’ s sovereignty and territorial integrity .
Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 Turkish soldiers killed in February alone , testing Moscow ’ s patience with Ankara , especially with Erdoğan showing his arrogance after asking Russia to step aside and allow Turkey to engage against Russia ’ s Syrian allies directly .
Although Ankara has received verbal backing from Washington , it is unlikely that Turkey would receive backing from NATO because of the asymmetric weaponization of illegal migrants that Erdoğan unleashed against Greece .
Greece on Friday blocked a joint communique from NATO being announced on Friday night that intended to support Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to the anger of the U.S. , UK , Germany and France , pushing the case further that Russia needs to prioritize Greece as relations rift with Turkey .
This is especially necessary as relations have broken down so badly that the Turkish military are writing “ With Love for Putin ” on Turkish bombs destined for Syria .
Although NATO wanted to show a united front against Russia and support Turkey against Syria , it was unable to do it because of Greece ’ s veto .
Despite not having international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is little doubt that Turkey is at war with Syria directly now , rather than in an indirect manner like in previous years .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
Although Turkey has supported anti-Syrian government forces, especially terrorist organizations like ISIS and the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra and Turkistan Islamic Party, since the very beginning of the Syrian War in 2011, no declaration of war has ever been announced between the two neighboring countries. Russia became militarily involved in 2015 and its intervention saw the quick defeat of ISIS and the recovery of large swathes of the country back into Syrian government control, as well as a partnership emerging with Turkey to discuss the Syrian crisis.
However, this now appears to be well and truly over. Oleg Zhuravlyov, chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, said on Sunday that the Syrian government was forced to declare the closure of airspace over Syria’s northwest Idlib province. However, it was his following comment that sent social media into a frenzy with speculation that Russia would begin attacking jets illegally operating in Idlib.
“In such conditions, the command of the Russian taskforce cannot guarantee safety of flights by Turkish planes over Syria,” said Zhuravlyov.
Many people have interpreted this as Russia threatening Turkish jets. This is not the case, and rather, Russia is warning Turkey that it will not restrain the Syrian Army in attacking the Turkish military, especially after Turkey downed two Syrian jets yesterday. It was a tense day, even though no Syrian pilots were killed.
The day saw six Turkish drones downed and then in the early morning, Turkish ambulances were seen at the Syrian-Turkish border point to retrieve dead and wounded Turkish soldiers after a Syrian Army attack on a military convoy at Qamenas near Sarmin in Idlib countryside. All this happened yesterday on the first day after a deadline set by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ended which demanded the Syrian Army to withdraw to positions it held earlier in the year. Although Turkey has not declared war on Syria, there is little doubt that the two countries are now at war and Russia will do little to restrain the Arab country from defending its territory.
The Syrian army command announced on Sunday that the airspace over the northwestern part of the country is now closed. The situation in Idlib escalated after Turkish-backed and Al-Qaeda affiliated Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham launched a large-scale attack on Syrian government forces on February 27, with the Syrian army striking back in retaliation and killing 36 Turkish soldiers and wounding another 30. Immediately afterwards, Russia took steps to ensure a short ceasefire to enable Turkey to recover the bodies of their fallen and wounded.
Moscow has expressed concern over Ankara’s support for terrorist organizations in Idlib. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin first conducted trilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and then with Erdoğan, who described the implementation of the agreement with Sochi as the main condition for the settlement in Idlib. This has been problematic as Erdoğan has refused to stop supporting terrorist organizations in Idlib as set out by the Sochi agreement. In turn, Putin expressed concern over the increase in terrorist activity in the province, while also noting the need for unconditional respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey has blamed Russia for the at least 50 Turkish soldiers killed in February alone, testing Moscow’s patience with Ankara, especially with Erdoğan showing his arrogance after asking Russia to step aside and allow Turkey to engage against Russia’s Syrian allies directly. Although Ankara has received verbal backing from Washington, it is unlikely that Turkey would receive backing from NATO because of the asymmetric weaponization of illegal migrants that Erdoğan unleashed against Greece.
Greece on Friday blocked a joint communique from NATO being announced on Friday night that intended to support Turkey in its war against Syria. This came to the anger of the U.S., UK, Germany and France, pushing the case further that Russia needs to prioritize Greece as relations rift with Turkey. This is especially necessary as relations have broken down so badly that the Turkish military are writing “With Love for Putin” on Turkish bombs destined for Syria.
Although NATO wanted to show a united front against Russia and support Turkey against Syria, it was unable to do it because of Greece’s veto. Despite not having international legitimacy or making a declaration of war, there is little doubt that Turkey is at war with Syria directly now, rather than in an indirect manner like in previous years.
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theduran--2020-03-04--To pay debts Ukraine will have to sell land

More than nine billion US dollars .
In such an amount , the National Bank of Ukraine estimated the need of the country in foreign currency for 2020 .
And this amount is necessary only for servicing and paying off the foreign currency part of the state debt .
This is approximately 6 % of GDP .
A huge amount for Ukraine .
And ensuring the influx of currency into the country ’ s budget is a very , very difficult task .
Last year , a debt of three billion euros paid by Gazprom turned out to be very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the foreign currency investments in the budget .
This year there is no place to wait for such a gift .
And one of the significant assets that can provide the necessary inflow of currency to the budget is the putting up for sale of agricultural land .
Currently , the main sources of foreign exchange are : transfers of labor migrants from abroad , credit funds and assets of foreign investors .
And at present , difficulties arise in all these areas .
Over the past six years , in search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three million Ukrainians have left for Europe .
And further growth is not expected .
Recently , the global economy has seen a downward trend .
The so-called recession .
And in the event of financial difficulties for European employers , labor migrants will be the first to be hit .
And the fact of their existence significantly increases the added value for the products of other states .
At the same time , Ukraine itself incurs losses .
Last year , hryvnia and foreign currency bonds of government debt were placed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hryvnia and up to 7 % on foreign currency bonds .
And it was a very attractive offer for foreign investors .
This year , rates have halved .
Now hryvnia bonds can still be placed at 9.5-10 % , and the first placement of securities in dollars took place at 3.4 % .
Therefore , the National Bank of Ukraine has so far managed to fulfill the borrowing plan in foreign markets only by 55-80 % .
While last year , demand exceeded supply .
The Ukrainian leadership expects to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive decision , a program of 5.5 billion for a period of three years will be adopted .
At the same time , the first tranche will most likely be comparable with the amount of debt repayment for the current year ( 1.4 billion ) .
That is , the bulk of the funding will be spent on servicing of previously issued loans .
And one of the main conditions for the allocation of funds is the lifting of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land .
The country needs large financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either by again increasing interest on government loan bonds or by opening the land market to external agents .
And it seems that the choice has already been made .
The Verkhovna Rada is currently considering a bill to lift a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land .
The law is proposed by the president .
Deputies made more than 4,000 amendments .
It is considered hard .
But sooner or later they will accept him .
And Ukrainian lands may become not completely Ukrainian .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
More than nine billion US dollars. In such an amount, the National Bank of Ukraine estimated the need of the country in foreign currency for 2020. And this amount is necessary only for servicing and paying off the foreign currency part of the state debt.
This is approximately 6% of GDP. A huge amount for Ukraine. And ensuring the influx of currency into the country’s budget is a very, very difficult task.
Last year, a debt of three billion euros paid by Gazprom turned out to be very good help. It provided almost half of the foreign currency investments in the budget. This year there is no place to wait for such a gift. And one of the significant assets that can provide the necessary inflow of currency to the budget is the putting up for sale of agricultural land.
Currently, the main sources of foreign exchange are: transfers of labor migrants from abroad, credit funds and assets of foreign investors.
And at present, difficulties arise in all these areas.
Over the past six years, in search of a better life, more than three million Ukrainians have left for Europe. And further growth is not expected. Recently, the global economy has seen a downward trend. The so-called recession. And in the event of financial difficulties for European employers, labor migrants will be the first to be hit. And the fact of their existence significantly increases the added value for the products of other states. At the same time, Ukraine itself incurs losses.
Last year, hryvnia and foreign currency bonds of government debt were placed at huge interest. Up to 20% on hryvnia and up to 7% on foreign currency bonds. And it was a very attractive offer for foreign investors. This year, rates have halved. Now hryvnia bonds can still be placed at 9.5-10%, and the first placement of securities in dollars took place at 3.4%.
Therefore, the National Bank of Ukraine has so far managed to fulfill the borrowing plan in foreign markets only by 55-80%. While last year, demand exceeded supply.
The Ukrainian leadership expects to resume cooperation with the IMF. With a positive decision, a program of 5.5 billion for a period of three years will be adopted. At the same time, the first tranche will most likely be comparable with the amount of debt repayment for the current year (1.4 billion). That is, the bulk of the funding will be spent on servicing of previously issued loans. And one of the main conditions for the allocation of funds is the lifting of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land.
The country needs large financial injections. And they can be secured either by again increasing interest on government loan bonds or by opening the land market to external agents.
And it seems that the choice has already been made. The Verkhovna Rada is currently considering a bill to lift a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land. The law is proposed by the president. Deputies made more than 4,000 amendments. It is considered hard. But sooner or later they will accept him. And Ukrainian lands may become not completely Ukrainian.
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