veteranstoday--2020-08-21--NEO – Turkey: The political economy of Hagia Sophia

by Salman Rafi Sheikh , …with New Eastern Outlook , Moscow , …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa .
[ Editor ’ s Note : We are taking a breather from the Beirut bombing story and Trump ’ s continued efforts to dominate the political dialogue with his bombastic claims .
He is not the only politician using this tactic , as Salman Rafi Sheikh presents to us below .
Erdogan has stolen a page from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Netanyahu , to always attack as a smokescreen to hide your weakness .
As Rafi Sheikh points out , Erdogan ’ s economy had tanked before the pandemic and is worse now , so like Trump , he needs some diversions to hold his base together .
As for international projection of power , he has simply gone on military offense with more overt Turkish aggression in Idlib province in Syria , and his invasion and occupation of Libya , which might have been paid for by the UAE , as Egypt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go along with its wars as long as they are fought by American volunteers and proxy foreign forces , which sadly include terrorist elements , something admitted by the former FM and OM of Qatar on the Charlie Rose Show .
He gave up the ghost saying that the US Coalition had spent $ 160 billion dollars trying to overthrow and carve up Syria to destroy it as a country , a violation of a number of international laws .
Imagine that .
Erdogan ’ s relations with Putin are mixed .
Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its S-400s , that can now be held as blackmail to hand over to the US or NATO if Erdogan ’ s demands on Putin are not made .
On the other hand , Russian ex-military contractors are fighting beside Erdogan ’ s throwaway jihadi teenagers , who can die and be crippled by the boatload with no political blowback for Erdo back home .
He has done the same in Idlib and Kurdish areas along Syria ’ s borders , arming gangs of hoodlums to keep the SDF forces tied up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level neverending war of shellings , farm crop burnings , private property looting , along with car and truck bombings and assassinations .
That ’ s quite a foreign policy .
Back in the old days , Turkey would have a military coup when it had an inept president , but Erdo cleaned out everyone in the officer corps that had ever dreamed of a coup after the last failed attempt .
Casual labor for Turks in the EU has dropped way off , which might trigger a flow back home to Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tasted a better life in countries not openly run by gangsters .
Their ranks could strengthen the Turkish opposition , but who knows if it would make a difference .
The bottom line politically is that , after the drubbing Erdo took in the last elections in losing a number of key metropolitan areas , an enhanced replay of that scenario could be his last .
If he saw he was going to lose , he would create an incident to save himself .
We have a presidential contender that I suspect has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a scenario of Trump losing , Erdogan could face endless litigation for his corruption and looting while in office .
On the plus , side he has kept the military with him by using refugee camp militia young people and expendable jihadis to fight and die in Syria to keep his own troops out of harms way… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as of recently , has been in a freefall , indicating the overall health of Turkish economy .
Since the beginning of 2020 , Lira has fallen by 20 per cent against US dollar .
Its adverse impact on the economy and politics has , however , been largely absorbed by the euphoria of Hagia Sophia and the intense symbolism of return to Ottoman glory .
Whereas Turkey ’ s Erdogan blamed the pandemic and Beirut explosion for the recent devaluation , Turkey ’ s economy was already on the verge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As it stands , the Turkish central bank has lost almost a third of its foreign exchange reserves this year , despite heavy foreign-currency borrowings from Turkish banks to artificially boost reserve numbers .
Coupled with Erdogan ’ s stunning defeat in elections last year , when his party lost control of major municipalities , including the capital Ankara and commercial hub Istanbul , the on-going economic crunch was already hitting the self-styled ‘ neo-Ottoman ’ leader in his face when he decided to convert Hagia Sophia , a cathedral-tuned-museum , into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in no dire need of mosques .
Just a year ago , Erdogan inaugurated the Çamlıca Mosque on the Asian side of Istanbul—a huge complex designed to accommodate more than 60,000 worshippers per day .
Certainly , Hagia Sophia was not converted into a mosque to accommodate more faithful worshippers ; the conversion was/is meant to give a religio-nationalist boost to the domestic political landscape to help Erdogan raise his political stature above the dwindling economy and Turkey ’ s costly external interventions in Libya and Syria .
Indeed , just when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey , Turkey ’ s economy was in tatters , forcing Ankara , lacking the essential funds to provide a meaningful social shield against the economic fallout of the pandemic , to launch a campaign to collect donations from the public .
The fact that these measures have failed to put the economy back on track and that a dwindling economy does not bode well for Erdogan ’ s political future also explain why the regime has not decided to knock on the IMF ’ s door .
Already , about 85 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packages due to adverse impact of the pandemic on their economies .
Going to the IMF at this stage when the official narrative continues to paint Turkey as a ‘ strong economy ’ would have been self-defeating .
Indeed , Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party ( AKP ) have long maligned their predecessors for borrowing from the IMF , depicting a new , economically strong Turkey that no longer needs the IMF support .
While the AKP regime would not go to the IMF , there is no gainsaying that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implications for Erdogan , allowing the opposition to rally people against him ; hence , Erdogan ’ s increasing resort to populism to buttress his failing fortunes and create a smoke screen of ‘ Ottoman glory.
’ As such , by projecting this conversion as a ‘ reconquering ’ and a ‘ great victory ’ and calling ‘ Al-Aqsa ’ mosque as the next target , Erdogan underscored the political message of creating a ‘ neo-Ottoman ’ territory that goes beyond Turkey ’ s current territorial borders .
Indeed , Erdogan regime has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interventions , particularly in Libya , as the key to reclaiming the lost ‘ Ottoman glory.
’ The drive towards reclaiming the lost glory is rooted in Erdogan ’ s brand of Turkish nationalism and the way he diffuses it with religion .
Hagia Sophia ’ s conversion , in this context , symbolises the increasing rise of religious forces in Turkey and the hegemony of the practitioners of a particular brand of faith .
Indeed , while a lot of Western countries were quick in their criticism of the move , Erdogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism to his advantage to pitch even more effectively his ‘ neo-Ottoman ’ credentials to his voters .
Indeed , popular media punditic close to the regime have equally been investing their time and energy in glorifying this conversion as the revival of the lost glory .
For Yusuf Kaplan , this conversion shows , “ Turkey ’ s recovery , reclaim of its identity , history and spirit , its mental liberation…The re-opening of the Hagia Sophia Mosque is the spark that will trigger the great journey we have been called upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spun by the West – and which we had entered voluntarily – to build the new age… ” The rhetoric speaks a lot of populism whereby Turkey is projected as “ going away ” from the west , even though the same regime continues to pitch to the US ideas to create a global supply route to counter China .
These ideas show a desire far deeper engagement with the West than a calculated distance .
For Erdogan and AKP , this conversion is also the key to Turkey ’ s leadership in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how the regime is speaking to its voters .
“ The conversion of Hagia Sophia signifies that Turkey will rise to the position of a founding country that will a kick-start a new age , build a new age , lead the Islamic world in the establishment of a new world , and the declaration to the whole world that Turkey is the only country that can achieve this ” , wrote Kaplan .
This is Erdogan ’ s populist political strategy that he intends to use to counter political opposition which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the questions of economic development and corruption in the AKP to defeat the ruling party in Istanbul elections twice .
For the opposition parties , the task will now be to focus on the regime ’ s economic and political performance than this conversion , which is anyway is a ‘ popular ’ measure , to build a strong counter-narrative .
Salman Rafi Sheikh , research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan ’ s foreign and domestic affairs , exclusively for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook ” .

by Salman Rafi Sheikh, …with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow, …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa.
[ Editor’s Note: We are taking a breather from the Beirut bombing story and Trump’s continued efforts to dominate the political dialogue with his bombastic claims. He is not the only politician using this tactic, as Salman Rafi Sheikh presents to us below.
Erdogan has stolen a page from the Trump playbook, who also stole it from Netanyahu, to always attack as a smokescreen to hide your weakness. As Rafi Sheikh points out, Erdogan’s economy had tanked before the pandemic and is worse now, so, like Trump, he needs some diversions to hold his base together.
As for international projection of power, he has simply gone on military offense with more overt Turkish aggression in Idlib province in Syria, and his invasion and occupation of Libya, which might have been paid for by the UAE, as Egypt never chips in money.
Americans can go along with its wars as long as they are fought by American volunteers and proxy foreign forces, which sadly include terrorist elements, something admitted by the former FM and OM of Qatar on the Charlie Rose Show. He gave up the ghost saying that the US Coalition had spent $160 billion dollars trying to overthrow and carve up Syria to destroy it as a country, a violation of a number of international laws. Imagine that.
Erdogan’s relations with Putin are mixed. Moscow has to worry about not being paid for its S-400s, which can now be held as blackmail to hand over to the US or NATO if Erdogan’s demands on Putin are not made.
On the other hand, Russian ex-military contractors are fighting beside Erdogan’s throwaway jihadi teenagers, who can die and be crippled by the boatload with no political blowback for Erdo back home.
He has done the same in Idlib and Kurdish areas along Syria’s borders, arming gangs of hoodlums to keep the SDF forces tied up and their population stressed with a low-level neverending war of shellings, farm crop burnings, private property looting, along with car and truck bombings and assassinations. That’s quite a foreign policy.
Back in the old days, Turkey would have a military coup when it had an inept president, but Erdo cleaned out everyone in the officer corps that had ever dreamed of a coup after the last failed attempt.
Casual labor for Turks in the EU has dropped way off, which might trigger a flow back home to Turkey of angry, unemployed Turks who have tasted a better life in countries not openly run by gangsters. Their ranks could strengthen the Turkish opposition, but who knows if it would make a difference.
The bottom line politically is that, after the drubbing Erdo took in the last elections in losing a number of key metropolitan areas, an enhanced replay of that scenario could be his last. If he saw he was going to lose, he would create an incident to save himself.
We have a presidential contender that I suspect has been looking at similar options. Similar to a scenario of Trump losing, Erdogan could face endless litigation for his corruption and looting while in office.
On the plus, the side he has kept the military with him by using refugee camp militia young people, and expendable jihadis to fight and die in Syria to keep his own troops out of harm’s way… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
– First published … August 13, 2020 –
Turkish lira, as of recently, has been in a freefall, indicating the overall health of the Turkish economy. Since the beginning of 2020, Lira has fallen by 20 percent against the US dollar. Its adverse impact on the economy and politics has, however, been largely absorbed by the euphoria of Hagia Sophia and the intense symbolism of return to Ottoman glory.
Whereas Turkey’s Erdogan blamed the pandemic and Beirut explosion for the recent devaluation, Turkey’s economy was already on the verge of collapse even before the pandemic hit Turkey. As it stands, the Turkish central bank has lost almost a third of its foreign exchange reserves this year, despite heavy foreign-currency borrowings from Turkish banks to artificially boost reserve numbers.
Coupled with Erdogan’s stunning defeat in elections last year, when his party lost control of major municipalities, including the capital Ankara and commercial hub Istanbul, the on-going economic crunch was already hitting the self-styled ‘neo-Ottoman’ leader in his face when he decided to convert Hagia Sophia, a cathedral-tuned-museum, into a mosque.
Surely, Turkey was in no dire need of mosques. Just a year ago, Erdogan inaugurated the Çamlıca Mosque on the Asian side of Istanbul—a huge complex designed to accommodate more than 60,000 worshippers per day.
Certainly, Hagia Sophia was not converted into a mosque to accommodate more faithful worshippers; the conversion was/is meant to give a religion-nationalist boost to the domestic political landscape to help Erdogan raise his political stature above the dwindling economy and Turkey’s costly external interventions in Libya and Syria.
Indeed, just when the pandemic was only beginning to spread in Turkey, Turkey’s economy was in tatters, forcing Ankara, lacking the essential funds to provide a meaningful social shield against the economic fallout of the pandemic, to launch a campaign to collect donations from the public.
The fact that these measures have failed to put the economy back on track and that a dwindling economy does not bode well for Erdogan’s political future also explains why the regime has not decided to knock on the IMF’s door.
Already, about 85 countries have gone to the IMF for bailout packages due to the adverse impact of the pandemic on their economies. Going to the IMF at this stage when the official narrative continues to paint Turkey as a ‘strong economy’ would have been self-defeating.
Indeed, Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have long maligned their predecessors for borrowing from the IMF, depicting a new, economically strong Turkey that no longer needs the IMF support.
While the AKP regime would not go to the IMF, there is no gainsaying that a continued economic fall will have severe political implications for Erdogan, allowing the opposition to rally people against him; hence, Erdogan’s increasing resort to populism to buttress his falling fortunes and create a smokescreen of ‘Ottoman glory.’
As such, by projecting this conversion as a ‘reconquering’ and a ‘great victory’ and calling ‘Al-Aqsa’ mosque as the next target, Erdogan underscored the political message of creating a ‘neo-Ottoman’ territory that goes beyond Turkey’s current territorial borders. Indeed, the Erdogan regime has also been projecting Turkey’s foreign interventions, particularly in Libya, as the key to reclaiming the lost ‘Ottoman glory.’
The drive towards reclaiming the lost glory is rooted in Erdogan’s brand of Turkish nationalism and the way he diffuses it with religion. Hagia Sophia’s conversion, in this context, symbolizes the increasing rise of religious forces in Turkey and the hegemony of the practitioners of a particular brand of faith.
Indeed, while a lot of Western countries were quick in their criticism of the move, Erdogan was clever enough to even use this criticism to his advantage to pitch even more effectively his ‘neo-Ottoman’ credentials to his voters.
Indeed, popular media pundits close to the regime have equally been investing their time and energy in glorifying this conversion as the revival of the lost glory. For Yusuf Kaplan, this conversion shows,
“Turkey’s recovery, reclaim of its identity, history and spirit, its mental liberation…The re-opening of the Hagia Sophia Mosque is the spark that will trigger the great journey we have been called upon so that we can escape the web spun by the West – and which we had entered voluntarily – to build the new age…”
The rhetoric speaks a lot of populism whereby Turkey is projected as “going away” from the west, even though the same regime continues to pitch to the US ideas to create a global supply route to counter China. These ideas show a desire far deeper engagement with the West than a calculated distance.
For Erdogan and AKP, this conversion is also the key to Turkey’s leadership in the Muslim world. Indeed, this is how the regime is speaking to its voters.
“The conversion of Hagia Sophia signifies that Turkey will rise to the position of a founding country that will a kick-start a new age, build a new age, lead the Islamic world in the establishment of a new world, and the declaration to the whole world that Turkey is the only country that can achieve this”, wrote Kaplan.
This is Erdogan’s populist political strategy that he intends to use to counter political opposition which was able to focus their campaign entirely on the questions of economic development and corruption in the AKP to defeat the ruling party in Istanbul elections twice.
For the opposition parties, the task will now be to focus on the regime’s economic and political performance than this conversion, which is anyway is a ‘popular’ measure, to build a strong counter-narrative.
Salman Rafi Sheikh, research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan’s foreign and domestic affairs, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.


veteranstoday--2020-08-21--Airlines: Reap What You Have Sewn

Airlines: Reap What You Have Sewn

Health Editor ’ s Note : American Airlines is facing a class action suit seeking air-fare refunds for trips that were cancelled due to COVID-19 either because where they were going was closed , they were discouraged to continue their trip , or perhaps they thought it would be better for their health to not be crammed into a plane , breathing and rebreathing the same air as everyone else on the plane .
If a potential passenger could not make the flight due to the constraints of COVID-19 , and did not board a plane , then they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s face it…airlines charge huge fees , then add on other fees for what used to be complimentary drinks and snacks , baggage fees , etc .
and have been doing so since the price of gas went up , eons ago .
Fuel prices have gone back down , and currently we are seeing very low prices at the gas pumps , but the airlines has not decreased the price of flying .
Gas prices for airplanes must also be down .
Right ?
Airlines got used to making the passengers/consumers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now consumers think they should still be paying the high prices for an airline ticket , just because the airlines continue to make sure they profit .
Bring down ticket prices , to where they should be…Carol ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity .
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Some content may be satirical in nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT .

American Airlines Seeks to Toss COVID-19 Class-Action Suit
American Airlines seeks to toss COVID-19 class-action suit seeking ticket refunds https://t.co/j1fXVVIeUJ – American says anyone who canceled flight – rather than waiting for airline to do so – is not eligible for cash refund — AviationLawNews (@AviationLawNews) August 18, 2020
Health Editor’s Note: American Airlines is facing a class action suit seeking air-fare refunds for trips that were cancelled due to COVID-19 either because where they were going was closed, they were discouraged to continue their trip, or perhaps they thought it would be better for their health to not be crammed into a plane, breathing and rebreathing the same air as everyone else on the plane. If a potential passenger could not make the flight due to the constraints of COVID-19, and did not board a plane, then they should be given their money back.
Let’s face it…airlines charge huge fees, then add on other fees for what used to be complimentary drinks and snacks, baggage fees, etc. and have been doing so since the price of gas went up, eons ago. Fuel prices have gone back down, and currently we are seeing very low prices at the gas pumps, but the airlines has not decreased the price of flying. Gas prices for airplanes must also be down. Right? Airlines got used to making the passengers/consumers pay so they would not loose money and now consumers think they should still be paying the high prices for an airline ticket, just because the airlines continue to make sure they profit. Bring down ticket prices, to where they should be…Carol
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-08-21--Attack on Russian COVID-19 Vaccine: Just Another ‘Cold War’ Tactic

Russia Claims They are Being Negatively Targeted for Their COVID-19 Vaccine .
Health Editor ’ s Note : The idea that there is an “ information war ” against the Russian coronavirus vaccine is not a far fetched idea on the part of the Russians .
Pretty much anything Russia does is looked at with a microscope to find hidden ‘ evil ’ meaning it it .
Too many of us remember there was a very long ‘ Cold War ’ , which was fake….designed to keep Americans afraid and uneasy .
Not unlike the the way our current government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so….removing post office delivery/drop boxes , already setting up the big question as to ‘ if we will have an election in November ’ , economy failing , businesses going under , blaming others for coronavirus , etc .
While the Russians may have skipped the usual final phase 3 part of the testing/research for a vaccine , there is no reason to believe that it will be ineffective or harmful .
The world needs a vaccine against COVID-19 because coronavirus is not phasing itself out as long as it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should not make a difference who comes up with THE vaccine that will get us out of the HELL .
It should not be a race between countries or even pharmaceutical companies .
This is a race to find a vaccine to save human lives .
I have said this before , more than once , but ALL information about vaccine production , should have been shared by all involved in the research to produce a successful vaccine which should them be given free of charge to everyone who wants to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to find a vaccine , not a competition between countries to see who will be first .
Last time I checked a Russian is just the same human being that I am…Carol

Russia Claims They are Being Negatively Targeted for Their COVID-19 Vaccine.
Russia says countries have launched "information war" against its vaccine, claims a billion doses requested https://t.co/fpe1RE2n3u — Newsweek (@Newsweek) August 20, 2020
Health Editor’s Note: The idea that there is an “information war” against the Russian coronavirus vaccine is not a far fetched idea on the part of the Russians. Pretty much anything Russia does is looked at with a microscope to find hidden ‘evil’ meaning it it. Too many of us remember there was a very long ‘Cold War’, which was fake….designed to keep Americans afraid and uneasy. Not unlike the the way our current government has kept us on edge and continues to do so….removing post office delivery/drop boxes, already setting up the big question as to ‘if we will have an election in November’, economy failing, businesses going under, blaming others for coronavirus, etc.
While the Russians may have skipped the usual final phase 3 part of the testing/research for a vaccine, there is no reason to believe that it will be ineffective or harmful. The world needs a vaccine against COVID-19 because coronavirus is not phasing itself out as long as it has humans to infect.
Most importantly, it should not make a difference who comes up with THE vaccine that will get us out of the HELL. It should not be a race between countries or even pharmaceutical companies. This is a race to find a vaccine to save human lives. I have said this before, more than once, but ALL information about vaccine production, should have been shared by all involved in the research to produce a successful vaccine which should them be given free of charge to everyone who wants to take it. This should only be a race to find a vaccine, not a competition between countries to see who will be first. Last time I checked a Russian is just the same human being that I am…Carol
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-08-21--Cockup of the Century: FBI set to name ‘Eye Irritant’ lawn fertilizer as Beirut Bomb material (an in

Cockup of the Century: FBI set to name ‘Eye Irritant’ lawn fertilizer as Beirut Bomb material (an intel drop)

[ Editor ’ s Note : An essential part of using a tactical nuclear weapon that some country or party deems necessary , requires sophisticated planning on how the media spin must steer 99.999 % of the public ’ s attention away from the real cause .
Why ?
Because , once determined that a mini-nuke has been used , the perpetrator suspect list is very short , and in the Mideast , lists only one country…Israel .
So I will add , there has been a rumor going around for decades that Israel somehow , mysteriously has huge influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is for another day .
I mention this now to set up the question , did Israel have people working for it in domestic media in Lebanon ?
Of course , because it has people working for it everywhere in media .
Then how about the ports ?
The answer is of course .
It has agents in all the ports of the Mideast to keep an eye on who is smuggling what through those ports , and to make sure it can move anything through them as needed .
Espionage tradecraft would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what caused an explosion , with a series of backup plans if needed , as the timing of pulling the trigger on the cover stories and the absolute assurance they will be published determines the success of diverting the cause of the attack in the desired direction .
In Beirut we started with the firecracker diversion , a long slow smokey blaze designed to focus the city ’ s whole attention , with phone cameras rolling and all eyes horizontal and focused on one specific area , the port .
On 9-11 the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the towers .
The fertilizer story was stage two , a manufactured hoax of the fireworks fire building up to the point where it “ cooked off ” the ammonium nitrate ‘ explosive ’ material , with the economically stressed Lebanese port management directly in the cross hairs as patsies for the blame .
But there was a problem .
The science for the ammonium nitrate bomb was zero , so a media hustle had to be rolled out that ‘ everybody knows ammonium nitrate can blow up ’ , so no explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be needed , and hence none was supplied .
ALL the media reposting that the fireworks set off the fertilizer ‘ bomb ’ became an unquestioned fact .
But it was not a fact with VT , or any other semi competent intel agency , as you could search for technical information on the web , even if you did not have a Phd organic chemist on retainer .
We knew from the start it was a tactical nuke , as we have studied the topic for a decade .
We were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early hours , because it was one of the bread crumb trails to the real perpetrator .
As VT readers know , we burned the fertilizer bomb story down , and no one with a reputation to lose , no government agency or official has challenged us on it , nor have we been spotlighted for our solid reporting .
As punishment for that oversight , Gordon will now pour concrete over the fake cover story via the vastly dangerous operation we have just concluded , never mind the huge expense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning labels on home use fertilizer bags .
( Mort de rire ) Please enjoy , and ask yourselves , how could all of the media have rolled over so easily on a totally unsupported cover story ?
Furthermore , not a single intelligence agency spotlighted the hoax to demonstrate its expertise… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > Go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ammonium nitrate .
It will say “ Lawn Fertilizer ” on it .
Check to see if a warning is on the label saying “ explosive ” or “ flammable.
” It will not be there and for a very good reason .
Yet , when the media tells you that your lawn fertilizer blew up a city because it “ caught fire , ” which is impossible , you believed them .
When VT showed you evidence of a nuclear attack , some of you doubted it .
When President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can understand why you would doubt him but why doubt us ?
Now , after reading this , for some of you , you will be proven , as we so often do , to be total fucking idiots .
A few days ago , 9 FBI agents were sent to Beirut , Lebanon told to find that ammonium nitrate lawn fertilizer had destroyed the city exactly as though it had been hit with a modern low radiation nuclear weapon .
You see , all lawn fertilizer is N P K , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nitrate , normally 95 % of the bag and “ P ” for phosphorous usually non existent and a small amount of “ K ” for potassium .
Lawn fertilizer is almost 100 % ammonium nitrate with cheaper fertilizers using ammonium sulfate .
Both fertilizers can be used to ‘ manufacture ’ explosives .
If you check the bag of lawn fertilizer you have in your garage , which is relatively pure ammonium nitrate , there will be a warning .
AN is a skin and eye irritant .
However , please note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thus , when garages catch fire , they don ’ t explode with huge mushroom clouds .
Nor does your lawn explode when it rains after you put fertilizer down .
So , if the FBI tells us that every lawn fertilizer sold in America will explode when either subjected to a spark or flame or if wet , will armies of secret agents be storming our sheds and garages seizing our ability to nuke our own neighborhoods ?
Who can make the FBI lie like that ?
This is humiliating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michel Aoun is now willing to accept that lawn fertilizer is now both flammable and explosive and that Lebanon may order all sales of varying “ Turf Builder ” products to be listed as both explosive and “ highly exothermic ” even though you can ’ t burn it with a blow torch .
Aoun will be proven to be both a clown and coward .
Next we add , why do so many Americans , seemingly over 200 million , suddenly believe their lawn fertilizer is a threat to national security ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply labeled the bags “ Lawn Fertilizer ” instead of “ Ammonium Nitrate ?
”

…by Gordon Duff, Senior Editor
[ Editor’s Note: An essential part of using a tactical nuclear weapon that some country or party deems necessary, requires sophisticated planning on how the media spin must steer 99.999% of the public’s attention away from the real cause. Why? Because, once determined that a mini-nuke has been used, the perpetrator suspect list is very short, and in the Mideast, lists only one country…Israel.
So I will add, there has been a rumor going around for decades that Israel somehow, mysteriously has huge influence on media worldwide. That full story is for another day.
I mention this now to set up the question, did Israel have people working for it in domestic media in Lebanon? Of course, because it has people working for it everywhere in media.
Then how about the ports?
The answer is of course. It has agents in all the ports of the Mideast to keep an eye on who is smuggling what through those ports, and to make sure it can move anything through them as needed.
Espionage tradecraft would entailed having an immediate cover story for what caused an explosion, with a series of backup plans if needed, as the timing of pulling the trigger on the cover stories and the absolute assurance they will be published determines the success of diverting the cause of the attack in the desired direction.
In Beirut we started with the firecracker diversion, a long slow smokey blaze designed to focus the city’s whole attention, with phone cameras rolling and all eyes horizontal and focused on one specific area, the port. On 9-11 the focus was the first plane strike of the towers.
The fertilizer story was stage two, a manufactured hoax of the fireworks fire building up to the point where it “cooked off” the ammonium nitrate ‘explosive’ material, with the economically stressed Lebanese port management directly in the cross hairs as patsies for the blame.
But there was a problem. The science for the ammonium nitrate bomb was zero, so a media hustle had to be rolled out that ‘everybody knows ammonium nitrate can blow up’, so no explanation as to how it might blow up would be needed, and hence none was supplied. ALL the media reposting that the fireworks set off the fertilizer ‘bomb’ became an unquestioned fact.
But it was not a fact with VT, or any other semi competent intel agency, as you could search for technical information on the web, even if you did not have a Phd organic chemist on retainer. We knew from the start it was a tactical nuke, as we have studied the topic for a decade.
We were looking for the expected cover story in the early hours, because it was one of the bread crumb trails to the real perpetrator. As VT readers know, we burned the fertilizer bomb story down, and no one with a reputation to lose, no government agency or official has challenged us on it, nor have we been spotlighted for our solid reporting.
As punishment for that oversight, Gordon will now pour concrete over the fake cover story via the vastly dangerous operation we have just concluded, never mind the huge expense, of taking a close look at the warning labels on home use fertilizer bags. (Mort de rire)
Please enjoy, and ask yourselves, how could all of the media have rolled over so easily on a totally unsupported cover story?
Furthermore, not a single intelligence agency spotlighted the hoax to demonstrate its expertise… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
*
Go to your garage and find your bag of ammonium nitrate. It will say “Lawn Fertilizer” on it. Check to see if a warning is on the label saying “explosive” or “flammable.” It will not be there and for a very good reason.
Yet, when the media tells you that your lawn fertilizer blew up a city because it “caught fire,” which is impossible, you believed them. When VT showed you evidence of a nuclear attack, some of you doubted it. When President Trump said it was a nuclear bomb, I can understand why you would doubt him but why doubt us?
Now, after reading this, for some of you, you will be proven, as we so often do, to be total fucking idiots.
A few days ago, 9 FBI agents were sent to Beirut, Lebanon told to find that ammonium nitrate lawn fertilizer had destroyed the city exactly as though it had been hit with a modern low radiation nuclear weapon.
You see, all lawn fertilizer is N P K, with “N” standing for ammonium nitrate, normally 95% of the bag and “P” for phosphorous usually non existent and a small amount of “K” for potassium.
Lawn fertilizer is almost 100% ammonium nitrate with cheaper fertilizers using ammonium sulfate. Both fertilizers can be used to ‘manufacture’ explosives.
If you check the bag of lawn fertilizer you have in your garage, which is relatively pure ammonium nitrate, there will be a warning. AN is a skin and eye irritant.
However, please note that it is neither flammable nor explosive.
Thus, when garages catch fire, they don’t explode with huge mushroom clouds. Nor does your lawn explode when it rains after you put fertilizer down.
So, if the FBI tells us that every lawn fertilizer sold in America will explode when either subjected to a spark or flame or if wet, will armies of secret agents be storming our sheds and garages seizing our ability to nuke our own neighborhoods?
Who can make the FBI lie like that? This is humiliating.
We are also told that Lebanese President Michel Aoun is now willing to accept that lawn fertilizer is now both flammable and explosive and that Lebanon may order all sales of varying “Turf Builder” products to be listed as both explosive and “highly exothermic” even though you can’t burn it with a blow torch.
Aoun will be proven to be both a clown and coward.
Next we add, why do so many Americans, seemingly over 200 million, suddenly believe their lawn fertilizer is a threat to national security?
Would Beirut still be standing if they simply labeled the bags “Lawn Fertilizer” instead of “Ammonium Nitrate?”


veteranstoday--2020-08-21--Biden stands against the RKM’s TV Clown

Biden stands against the RKM’s TV Clown

Trump has said he will send Israeli trained militarized police in SWAT gear and armored vehicles to polling places around the country , armed with rubber bullets and tear gas to protect America from “ lefty voters.
” He started with this lunatic rant but it got so much worse as Trump called for armed street thugs to intimidate voters .
The military is going to have to protect polling places from fake militas , meth cookers and the army of ex convicts who make up the Trump base .
Trump went on Hannity and promised this : Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Proud Boys and the Klan to take a day off cooking meth to show up at the polls as well : Here in West Michigan our mail sorting machines are disabled , our blue boxes have been yanked out of the ground and mail is slowing down , we are now losing one or two days so far and it will get worse , much worse .
Will America allow that ?
We already allowed him to say it and he is still alive .
VT has chosen to run the History @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s speech .
We believe that America was given the gift of Donald Trump as punishment by the RKM and Trump has milked us dry like was promised at Fink ’ s Bar in Jerusalem those years ago when Benjamin Netanyahu met with VT Editor Jeff Smith .

Trump has said he will send Israeli trained militarized police in SWAT gear and armored vehicles to polling places around the country, armed with rubber bullets and tear gas to protect America from “lefty voters.”
He started with this lunatic rant but it got so much worse as Trump called for armed street thugs to intimidate voters. The military is going to have to protect polling places from fake militas, meth cookers and the army of ex convicts who make up the Trump base.
Trump went on Hannity and promised this:
Trump has also asked for his base, Qanon, Proud Boys and the Klan to take a day off cooking meth to show up at the polls as well: Here in West Michigan our mail sorting machines are disabled, our blue boxes have been yanked out of the ground and mail is slowing down, we are now losing one or two days so far and it will get worse, much worse. During his 'I'm a victim' rant on Hannity last night, Trump vowed to send sheriffs, law enforcement, US attorneys, AGs & 'everybody' to polling stations to stop voter fraud
We NEED people to volunteer to counter-watch the polls!
PLEASE think about this!https://t.co/Gh3uhi0i53 — Mona (@Monaheart1229) August 21, 2020 Will America allow that? We already allowed him to say it and he is still alive. VT has chosen to run the History of the RKM along with Biden’s speech. We believe that America was given the gift of Donald Trump as punishment by the RKM and Trump has milked us dry like was promised at Fink’s Bar in Jerusalem those years ago when Benjamin Netanyahu met with VT Editor Jeff Smith. A rock solid performance from Joe Biden. VT Background article: Most Controversial Document in Internet History: The Hidden History of the Incredibly Evil Khazarian Mafia We The People have learned the secret, forbidden history of the Rothschild Khazarian Mafia (KM) that was excised from the history books and libraries by the KM…


veteranstoday--2020-08-23--MASK DEBATE! Ed Corrigan Says “Wear It!” Kevin Barrett’s Not Convinced

Watch the MASK DEBATE starting a little past the 14 minute mark above ; click HERE for links to the stories we covered International lawyer Ed Corrigan has thrown down the gauntlet : There are sane and sensible limits to freedom , he says , and mandatory masking during a pandemic falls squarely within those limits .
Most of our audience at False Flag Weekly News disagrees .
A few think the whole pandemic is a hoax .
Almost all think the virus was made in a lab and designed , like 9/11 , to shred the Bill of Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and roll back freedom on a worldwide scale .
Most think the threat has been exaggerated .
And they are inarguably right .
As I recently observed in American Free Press , a scientific survey has shown that people in the US , Europe , and Japan believe , on average , that the pandemic is about 100 times worse than it actually is .
The exaggerated fear of COVID may not be quite as insane as the fear of terrorism after 9/11 , but it ’ s obviously a case of mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear .
My position is that if indeed the pandemic was made in a lab and unleashed deliberately to accelerate the trend toward global tyranny , as seems likely , we should rise up in all-out revolution against the entire power structure that is complicit in that monstrous action—and be ready and willing to risk our lives to do so , tearing down that power structure no matter what the price .
There is no point living under tyranny .
Death resisting it is infinitely better .
But Ed is Canadian , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ live free or die ” stuff .
So he thinks that during a pandemic , even one that is only 1 % as bad as people think , we should all just be nice and wear our masks .
Another pro-mask voice at False Flag Weekly News is Allan the producer .
Allan wants everyone to wear an N-95 mask .
That way you ’ re protecting yourself as well as others , he says .
Allan even thinks there may be a conspiracy to prevent the US from getting COVID under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Why doesn ’ t the government produce mass quantities and hand them out free along with instructions for sterilizing them in your oven or microwave for re-use ?
Is it because they want the COVID emergency to continue ?
” I understand how a reasonable government might mandate universal N-95 masking if the threat reached a certain crisis level .
If a COVID were three times as infectious as it is , and twice as lethal as Ebola , then who would argue ?
But in anything less than an apocalyptic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass masking .
It isn ’ t just a minor inconvenience .
It is an absolute nightmare , a social catastrophe .
Not being able to see other people ’ s faces is profoundly alienating .
Facial gestures are at least as important as spoken language in communicating the full gamut of human emotion , which is what interaction is all about .
Going to a public place and seeing everybody wearing masks is like something out of a horror movie .
For that reason , I don ’ t go out at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of local , uncrowded places where masks aren ’ t much in use .
I love face-to-face socializing but have always found it extremely stressful and alienating to talk on the phone , and never , ever talk on the phone for fun—so maybe I am hypersensitive to the absence of bodily presence and facial gesture .
And seeing the face you ’ re talking to on a screen doesn ’ t work for me either .
I do all my talking on Skype and Zoom as part of my truth jihadi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high level of stress as part of that , but never in my whole life have I spoken over a telecommunications device for fun .
I can ’ t imagine why other people torture themselves by doing so , when they could be sitting down with real people and talking face-to- ( unmasked ) -face .
I lived the first fifteen years of my adult life without a telephone , have never owned a cell phone , and spend most of my time far away from my landline .
So again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I suspect other people are also alienating themselves and making themselves miserable by using telecom technology , or , worse , beholding crowds of people in masks .
They just aren ’ t emotionally aware enough to realize it .

VT: On another amusing note, a good friend run the ICU at a local hospital, all 8 beds of it.
All are full, COVID 19. All are looking at a negative outcome.
According to the CDC, the county where this hospital is located has no COVID 19 patients of any kind. And so it goes…
Watch the MASK DEBATE starting a little past the 14 minute mark above; click HERE for links to the stories we covered
By Kevin Barrett, VT Editor
International lawyer Ed Corrigan has thrown down the gauntlet: There are sane and sensible limits to freedom, he says, and mandatory masking during a pandemic falls squarely within those limits.
Most of our audience at False Flag Weekly News disagrees. A few think the whole pandemic is a hoax. Almost all think the virus was made in a lab and designed, like 9/11, to shred the Bill of Rights, terrorize the population into submission, and roll back freedom on a worldwide scale.
Most think the threat has been exaggerated. And they are inarguably right. As I recently observed in American Free Press, a scientific survey has shown that people in the US, Europe, and Japan believe, on average, that the pandemic is about 100 times worse than it actually is. The exaggerated fear of COVID may not be quite as insane as the fear of terrorism after 9/11, but it’s obviously a case of mass hysteria in service to the politics of fear.
My position is that if indeed the pandemic was made in a lab and unleashed deliberately to accelerate the trend toward global tyranny, as seems likely, we should rise up in all-out revolution against the entire power structure that is complicit in that monstrous action—and be ready and willing to risk our lives to do so, tearing down that power structure no matter what the price. There is no point living under tyranny. Death resisting it is infinitely better.
But Ed is Canadian, and he’s too polite for such “live free or die” stuff. So he thinks that during a pandemic, even one that is only 1% as bad as people think, we should all just be nice and wear our masks.
Another pro-mask voice at False Flag Weekly News is Allan the producer. Allan wants everyone to wear an N-95 mask. That way you’re protecting yourself as well as others, he says. Allan even thinks there may be a conspiracy to prevent the US from getting COVID under control via N-95 masks. He asks: “Why doesn’t the government produce mass quantities and hand them out free along with instructions for sterilizing them in your oven or microwave for re-use? Is it because they want the COVID emergency to continue?”
I understand how a reasonable government might mandate universal N-95 masking if the threat reached a certain crisis level. If a COVID were three times as infectious as it is, and twice as lethal as Ebola, then who would argue?
But in anything less than an apocalyptic emergency, I would look askance at mass masking. It isn’t just a minor inconvenience. It is an absolute nightmare, a social catastrophe. Not being able to see other people’s faces is profoundly alienating. Facial gestures are at least as important as spoken language in communicating the full gamut of human emotion, which is what interaction is all about. Going to a public place and seeing everybody wearing masks is like something out of a horror movie. For that reason, I don’t go out at all any more, except to a couple of local, uncrowded places where masks aren’t much in use.
I love face-to-face socializing but have always found it extremely stressful and alienating to talk on the phone, and never, ever talk on the phone for fun—so maybe I am hypersensitive to the absence of bodily presence and facial gesture. And seeing the face you’re talking to on a screen doesn’t work for me either. I do all my talking on Skype and Zoom as part of my truth jihadi vocation, and am willing to endure a high level of stress as part of that, but never in my whole life have I spoken over a telecommunications device for fun. I can’t imagine why other people torture themselves by doing so, when they could be sitting down with real people and talking face-to-(unmasked)-face. I lived the first fifteen years of my adult life without a telephone, have never owned a cell phone, and spend most of my time far away from my landline. So again, maybe I’m an extreme case. But I suspect other people are also alienating themselves and making themselves miserable by using telecom technology, or, worse, beholding crowds of people in masks. They just aren’t emotionally aware enough to realize it.


veteranstoday--2020-08-23--Judge Orders Trump to Pay Stormy Daniels $44,000 for?????

How about the 13 year old Trump is accused of raping and bludgeoning ?
What does she get ?
Guardian : A California judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay the adult film actor and director Stormy Daniels $ 44,100 , to cover legal fees in the battle over her non-disclosure agreement ( NDA ) with the president .
Daniels , whose real name is Stephanie Clifford , says she had an affair with Trump from 2006 until 2007 .
Trump denies it .
Daniels sued in 2018 , seeking to be released from an NDA she signed with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen , 11 days before the 2016 election .
The lawsuit was dismissed as the agreement was deemed unenforceable .
Trump ’ s lawyers said Daniels didn ’ t win the case and therefore wasn ’ t entitled to lawyer fees .
But Judge Robert Broadbelt III disagreed in his ruling on Monday , which determined Daniels to be the “ prevailing party ” under California law .
The ruling was posted online by Daniels ’ lawyers .
The White House did not immediately comment .
Cohen paid Daniels $ 130,000 .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to void the agreement .
Trump and his supporters denied the president knew about the payment , before Trump acknowledged it in May 2018 and said Cohen had been reimbursed .
In court , Trump ’ s lawyers also argued Daniels didn ’ t prove the president was a part of the NDA , which was made under the name “ David Dennison ” .
Judge Broadbelt wrote there was a large amount of evidence showing Cohen chose Dennison as a pseudonym for Trump .
After her lawyer announced the decision , Daniels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another win.
” Read more…

(Google ‘trump, jane doe’)
Guardian: A California judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay the adult film actor and director Stormy Daniels $44,100, to cover legal fees in the battle over her non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the president.
He fucked a porn star while his new bride was home with their baby. And then he illegally paid her off. And lied about it. That’s who @JoeBiden is running against. Remember that Nov3… #trump #Biden #Election2020 @StormyDaniels #StormyDaniels https://t.co/M1cQAnrZh8
https://twitter.com/Dyann057/status/1297179751283531777?s=20
In a normal world this would be a career ending scandal but in trumpworld it’s just a normal Friday https://t.co/A8U8zhkTfb — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) August 22, 2020
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had an affair with Trump from 2006 until 2007. Trump denies it.
Daniels sued in 2018, seeking to be released from an NDA she signed with Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, 11 days before the 2016 election. The lawsuit was dismissed as the agreement was deemed unenforceable.
A California Superior Court judge recently ordered Donald Trump to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels’ legal fees, amounting to $44,100 https://t.co/NH1yixSR6w — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 22, 2020
Trump’s lawyers said Daniels didn’t win the case and therefore wasn’t entitled to lawyer fees. But Judge Robert Broadbelt III disagreed in his ruling on Monday, which determined Daniels to be the “prevailing party” under California law. The ruling was posted online by Daniels’ lawyers.
This one was home with a kid and related recovery issues so Trump was OK to cruise, this time without Epstein for once
The White House did not immediately comment.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000. After Trump’s election, she sued to void the agreement. Trump and his supporters denied the president knew about the payment, before Trump acknowledged it in May 2018 and said Cohen had been reimbursed.
In court, Trump’s lawyers also argued Daniels didn’t prove the president was a part of the NDA, which was made under the name “David Dennison”. Judge Broadbelt wrote there was a large amount of evidence showing Cohen chose Dennison as a pseudonym for Trump.
After her lawyer announced the decision, Daniels wrote on Twitter: “Yup. Another win.” Read more…


veteranstoday--2020-08-22--Who is Disrupting the Afghan Peace Process?

Since the US special envoy for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad started his efforts to convince the Taliban to have direct talks with the US , he admitted that Pakistan have been playing a major role , as Islamabad succeeded in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating Table .
Zalmay Khalilzad who , repeatedly , visited Pakistan and met country ’ s civil and military leadership admired Pakistan ’ s role in the US-Taliban peace dialogue .
It was because of Pakistan ’ s major role that in Doha-the capital of Qatar on February 29 , this year , the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for bringing peace to Afghanistan .
The deal was signed by Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a witness .
Afterwards , Pompeo said : “ To Afghanistan ’ s neighbours , including Pakistan , we thank you for your efforts in helping reach these historic agreements and make clear our expectation that you will continue to do your part to promote a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan so that the country and region can reap the benefits of lasting peace.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baradar also acknowledged Islamabad ’ s role in the peace deal and thanked Pakistan for “ its efforts , work and assistance.
” In the agreement , it is committed that within the first 135 days , the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 from the current 13,000 , working with its other NATO allies to proportionally reduce the number of coalition forces over that period , while America would withdraw all forces from Afghanistan in 14 months .
Implementing the agreement , America has started withdrawing its troops from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prisoner swap .
Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March [ 2020 ] , when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were due to start .
But , less than 24 hours after the US-Taliban agreement , the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had rejected prisoner swap with Taliban and refused to release the Taliban prisoners .
In the end of March , this year , during his visit to Afghanistan , the US Secretary of State Pompeo warned Kabul about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid .
Pompeo elaborated that the inability in Afghanistan had “ harmed US-Afghan relations and , sadly , dishonours those Afghan , Americans , and coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country.
” In a statement , Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed stated that the Taliban group was living up to its side of the agreement , and that it was willing to negotiate a countrywide cease-fire , including intra-Afghan talks , which had to begin within 10 days of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hold because of the political bickering in Kabul .
However , due to American pressure , Ghani had released 550 detainees based on age factor .
The Taliban had freed 60 prisoners .
Meanwhile , in response to the air attacks by the Afghan government and the US , the Taliban have carried out almost 2,804 terror assaults since the agreement was signed .
However , Taliban have not attacked the US or NATO troops , as they already said .
But , main purpose the attacks of the US-led Afghan regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the US-Taliban deal .
It is mentionable that Afghan President Ghani has used various pretexts and delaying tactics in completion of the US-Taliban agreement , including release of the Taliban prisoners .
Sometimes , he availed the opportunity of coronavirus pandemic and sometimes , he refused to set free those Taliban , allegedly saying that they had been involved in human crimes .
Hence , from time to time , Washington pressurized the Afghan rulers and they started releasing the Taliban prisoners .
Under American duress , the Afghan government on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 of a last group of 4,600 Taliban prisoners and so far , the Taliban has released around 1,000 detainees .
Earlier , in a video meeting on August 3 , 2020 , the US Secretary of State Pompeo discussed the state of the Afghanistan peace process .
The discussions included the issue of Taliban prisoners whose release by the Afghan government-the Taliban were demanding , Suhail Shaheen , the Taliban spokesman in Doha said on Twitter .
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inception of intra-Afghan negotiations ” and they “ emphasized that the release of the remaining prisoners are essential for commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations.
” It is regrettable that on the direction of India , in the recent past , Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan for terror attacks in Afghanistan .
In this connection , New Delhi and Kabul which want to prolong the stay of the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan are exploiting the dual policy of America against Pakistan , China , Russia and Iran .
Afghan rulers think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdraw from Afghanistan , their regime will fall like a house of cards owing to the assaults of the Taliban .
Even , India would not be in a position to maintain its secret network in wake of the successful guerrilla warfare of the Taliban .
So , both the countries want NATO ’ s permanent entanglement in the Afghan conflict .
Regarding Indian activities in Afghanistan the then NATO commander , Gen. McChrystal had pointed out : “ Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to render Indian proxy support against Pakistan ineffective .
It will suit Indian designs , if Afghanistan does not move towards peace and keeps simmering .
In this regard , reliable sources as mentioned in Pakistan ’ s media on August 18 , 2020 disclosed that Afghanistan-based the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ( TTP ) has merged with its splinter groups Jamat-ul-Ahrar ( JuA ) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar ( HuA ) in Afghanistan .
Their sole objective is to restart terrorist activity against Pakistan , while simultaneously sabotaging efforts to restore peace and stability in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Directorate of Security and India ’ s Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW ) played a key role in their reunification .
The agreement , reportedly , designated Mufti Noor Wali as the amir ( Chief ) of TTP , making him responsible for all planned terrorist activities inside Pakistan and Afghanistan .
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of turning a blind eye toward TTP and other terrorists who fled to Afghanistan to escape counter-terrorist operations in Pakistan .
Pakistan ’ s concerns were supported in a recent report presented to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN report of July 26 , 2020 , “ The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and its splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar ( JuA ) continue to target Pakistan from their bases in Afghanistan…the leadership of TTP is also operating from Afghanistan , including Noor Wali Mehsud , supported by his deputy , Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani , claiming responsibility for various high-profile attacks in Pakistan and has facilitated others by JuA and Lahskhar-e-Islam…the significant presence of ISIL-K ( The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Khorasan ) in Afghanistan ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a global agenda .
In addition , the UN report warns of “ a strong presence of ISIL-India in Kerala and Karnataka .
ISIL-K considers Afghan territory a base for spreading terrorist influence across the wider region…The investigators found links between Indian nationals and terrorist attacks in Sri-Lanka .
According to diplomatic sources , there is now pressure on India to curb the financing from ISIL-India to its affiliates in line with the FTAF recommendations to prevent terrorist financing ” .
It is notable that female Afghan negotiator Fawzia Koofi of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations with the Taliban , was slightly injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen on August 16 , this year .
The incident came just days before Koofi and her team were expected to go Doha to begin another round of dialogue with the Taliban .
The Taliban have denied they were behind the attack , which came as the two sides prepared for talks .
NATO senior civilian representative Stefano Pontecorvo said , “ Attack on Fawzia Koofi is yet another despicable attempt at silencing voices of those who advocate for peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the fight against terrorism ” .
Earlier , a high-ranking Education Ministry employee Abdul Baqi Amin who previously participated in talks with Taliban in Doha was killed in a bomb blast in the Afghan capital Kabul on August 19 , 2020 .
So far , no militant group claimed responsibility for the attack .
It clearly shows that collusion among terrorist outfits such as ISIS , TTP , NDS and their linked groups led by India and some afghan top officials who want to sabotage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the cost of Afghan people .
Besides creating difference between Taliban and NATO , these entities are also providing the Afghan rulers opportunity to delay the Afghan peace process .
Notably , Pakistan ’ s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Zalmay Khalilzad at Islamabad on July 1 , 2020 and warned that “ Afghan peace process has entered into a crucial phase and there is a need to be cognizant of the elements that want to sabotage the peace efforts in Afghanistan ” .
In the meeting , Qureshi reiterated Pakistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play its reconciliatory role in establishment of peace in Afghanistan with sincerity through collective responsibility .
He said that “ Pakistan is ready to cooperate with regional and international stakeholders for enduring and peaceful political solution to the Afghan issue…the development of whole region depends on establishment of peace in Afghanistan…the agreement of all sides on intra-Afghan dialogue and announcement of negotiating teams is a good omen ” .
Later in a statement , Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that India “ has been continuously trying to destabilize Pakistan to divert attention from its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ India is interfering in Balochistan province of Pakistan at the same time it is also adversely affecting peace efforts in Afghanistan.
” So , Afghan people and the US-led Western major countries or NATO need to realize that Indian and Afghan governments which have sponsored trained and propagated all anti-Afghanistan and anti-Pakistan elements to destabilize both Afghanistan and Pakistan are attempting to disrupt Afghan peace process .
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book : US vs Islamic Militants , Invisible Balance of Power : Dangerous Shift @ @ @

By Sajjad Shaukat for VT
Since the US special envoy for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad started his efforts to convince the Taliban to have direct talks with the US, he admitted that Pakistan have been playing a major role, as Islamabad succeeded in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating Table. Zalmay Khalilzad who, repeatedly, visited Pakistan and met country’s civil and military leadership admired Pakistan’s role in the US-Taliban peace dialogue.
It was because of Pakistan’s major role that in Doha-the capital of Qatar on February 29, this year, the US and the Taliban signed the historical agreement for bringing peace to Afghanistan. The deal was signed by Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a witness.
Afterwards, Pompeo said: “To Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Pakistan, we thank you for your efforts in helping reach these historic agreements and make clear our expectation that you will continue to do your part to promote a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan so that the country and region can reap the benefits of lasting peace.”
In his speech, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also acknowledged Islamabad’s role in the peace deal and thanked Pakistan for “its efforts, work and assistance.”
In the agreement, it is committed that within the first 135 days, the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 from the current 13,000, working with its other NATO allies to proportionally reduce the number of coalition forces over that period, while America would withdraw all forces from Afghanistan in 14 months. Implementing the agreement, America has started withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.
The deal also provides for a prisoner swap. Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March [2020], when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were due to start.
But, less than 24 hours after the US-Taliban agreement, the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had rejected prisoner swap with Taliban and refused to release the Taliban prisoners.
In the end of March, this year, during his visit to Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State Pompeo warned Kabul about the US decision to cut $1 billion aid. Pompeo elaborated that the inability in Afghanistan had “harmed US-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonours those Afghan, Americans, and coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country.”
In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed stated that the Taliban group was living up to its side of the agreement, and that it was willing to negotiate a countrywide cease-fire, including intra-Afghan talks, which had to begin within 10 days of the February 29 deal, but are still on hold because of the political bickering in Kabul.
However, due to American pressure, Ghani had released 550 detainees based on age factor. The Taliban had freed 60 prisoners.
Meanwhile, in response to the air attacks by the Afghan government and the US, the Taliban have carried out almost 2,804 terror assaults since the agreement was signed. However, Taliban have not attacked the US or NATO troops, as they already said. But, main purpose the attacks of the US-led Afghan regime ware to create an obstacle in implementation of the US-Taliban deal.
It is mentionable that Afghan President Ghani has used various pretexts and delaying tactics in completion of the US-Taliban agreement, including release of the Taliban prisoners. Sometimes, he availed the opportunity of coronavirus pandemic and sometimes, he refused to set free those Taliban, allegedly saying that they had been involved in human crimes.
Hence, from time to time, Washington pressurized the Afghan rulers and they started releasing the Taliban prisoners.
Under American duress, the Afghan government on August 16, this year freed the first 80 of a last group of 4,600 Taliban prisoners and so far, the Taliban has released around 1,000 detainees.
Earlier, in a video meeting on August 3, 2020, the US Secretary of State Pompeo discussed the state of the Afghanistan peace process. The discussions included the issue of Taliban prisoners whose release by the Afghan government-the Taliban were demanding, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Doha said on Twitter.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, Shaheen wrote “Both sides talked about the inception of intra-Afghan negotiations” and they “emphasized that the release of the remaining prisoners are essential for commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations.”
It is regrettable that on the direction of India, in the recent past, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan for terror attacks in Afghanistan.
In this connection, New Delhi and Kabul which want to prolong the stay of the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan are exploiting the dual policy of America against Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran.
Afghan rulers think that in case, the US-led NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, their regime will fall like a house of cards owing to the assaults of the Taliban. Even, India would not be in a position to maintain its secret network in wake of the successful guerrilla warfare of the Taliban. So, both the countries want NATO’s permanent entanglement in the Afghan conflict.
Regarding Indian activities in Afghanistan the then NATO commander, Gen. McChrystal had pointed out: “Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions.”
And the US-Taliban peace deal is likely to render Indian proxy support against Pakistan ineffective. It will suit Indian designs, if Afghanistan does not move towards peace and keeps simmering.
In this regard, reliable sources as mentioned in Pakistan’s media on August 18, 2020 disclosed that Afghanistan-based the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has merged with its splinter groups Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA) in Afghanistan. Their sole objective is to restart terrorist activity against Pakistan, while simultaneously sabotaging efforts to restore peace and stability in its war-ravaged Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) played a key role in their reunification. The agreement, reportedly, designated Mufti Noor Wali as the amir (Chief) of TTP, making him responsible for all planned terrorist activities inside Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of turning a blind eye toward TTP and other terrorists who fled to Afghanistan to escape counter-terrorist operations in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s concerns were supported in a recent report presented to the United Nations Security Council.
According to the UN report of July 26, 2020, “The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and its splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) continue to target Pakistan from their bases in Afghanistan…the leadership of TTP is also operating from Afghanistan, including Noor Wali Mehsud, supported by his deputy, Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani, claiming responsibility for various high-profile attacks in Pakistan and has facilitated others by JuA and Lahskhar-e-Islam…the significant presence of ISIL-K (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Khorasan) in Afghanistan”, which the UN warns “now pursues a global agenda.
In addition, the UN report warns of “a strong presence of ISIL-India in Kerala and Karnataka. ISIL-K considers Afghan territory a base for spreading terrorist influence across the wider region…The investigators found links between Indian nationals and terrorist attacks in Sri-Lanka. According to diplomatic sources, there is now pressure on India to curb the financing from ISIL-India to its affiliates in line with the FTAF recommendations to prevent terrorist financing”.
It is notable that female Afghan negotiator Fawzia Koofi of the country’s peace team, carrying out negotiations with the Taliban, was slightly injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen on August 16, this year. The incident came just days before Koofi and her team were expected to go Doha to begin another round of dialogue with the Taliban.
The Taliban have denied they were behind the attack, which came as the two sides prepared for talks.
NATO senior civilian representative Stefano Pontecorvo said, “Attack on Fawzia Koofi is yet another despicable attempt at silencing voices of those who advocate for peace and equal opportunities…NATO would continue to support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the fight against terrorism”.
Earlier, a high-ranking Education Ministry employee Abdul Baqi Amin who previously participated in talks with Taliban in Doha was killed in a bomb blast in the Afghan capital Kabul on August 19, 2020. So far, no militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.
It clearly shows that collusion among terrorist outfits such as ISIS, TTP, NDS and their linked groups led by India and some afghan top officials who want to sabotage the US-Afghan deal for their selfish interests at the cost of Afghan people. Besides creating difference between Taliban and NATO, these entities are also providing the Afghan rulers opportunity to delay the Afghan peace process.
Notably, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Zalmay Khalilzad at Islamabad on July 1, 2020 and warned that “Afghan peace process has entered into a crucial phase and there is a need to be cognizant of the elements that want to sabotage the peace efforts in Afghanistan”.
In the meeting, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s commitment “to continue to play its reconciliatory role in establishment of peace in Afghanistan with sincerity through collective responsibility.
He said that “Pakistan is ready to cooperate with regional and international stakeholders for enduring and peaceful political solution to the Afghan issue…the development of whole region depends on establishment of peace in Afghanistan…the agreement of all sides on intra-Afghan dialogue and announcement of negotiating teams is a good omen”.
Later in a statement, Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that India “has been continuously trying to destabilize Pakistan to divert attention from its own internal chaos” by adding: “India is interfering in Balochistan province of Pakistan at the same time it is also adversely affecting peace efforts in Afghanistan.”
So, Afghan people and the US-led Western major countries or NATO need to realize that Indian and Afghan governments which have sponsored trained and propagated all anti-Afghanistan and anti-Pakistan elements to destabilize both Afghanistan and Pakistan are attempting to disrupt Afghan peace process.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com


veteranstoday--2020-08-22--NEO – Turkey strengthens its position in Libya

by Valerie Kulikov , …with New Eastern Outlook , Moscow , …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa .
[ Editor ’ s Note : Turkey is in Libya with both feet , one on the sand and one in the Mediterranean where it is claiming vast oil and gas drilling rights , with warships currently sailing with exploration drilling rigs .
Erdogan asked no one ’ s permission , and NATO has been silent on the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored , and Kulikov has all the details below concerning the Turkish naval base going in at Sirte , military academy training of young Libyan officers in Turkey , and extensive training for current forces in the GNA army in Tripoli .
One would have thought Libyans had learned how to fight by now , but this training will go beyond the mounted machine guns on technicals , ‘ Desert Rats ’ style combat .
They will learn integrated operations from planning , logistics , offensive and defensive intelligence , everything a modern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as a large Egyptian well-armed army sits on its eastern border supporting the pompous Field Marshal Haftar ( CIA ) forces in Benghazi .
The UNSC seems to be sitting out this growing new war , seemingly busy with other matters , as is the EU with intense coronavirus and economic issues , plus the Mr. Trump wildcard on top of all that .
Yours truly smells major chaos in the air , and there are low hanging fruit targets .
Erdogan is taking advantage of this to even provide an instant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dividing up the Eastern Mediterranean .
Israel has been quiet , so far .
The more entrenched Turkey becomes in Libya , the tougher their negotiation position will be in the upcoming battle over undersea exploration rights .
Erdogan appears to be showing that he views resource expansion claims a life or death struggle for his broke country and government , given the substantial opposition at home .
The big question will be whether he has pushed across a bridge too far in Tripoli and everything under the water in between .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with French ships already sailing to remind Erdogan they have superior naval forces to his .
Russia is already involved with Haftar via contract forces and the Egypt nexus .
Obviously an international conference needs to get involved in these conflicting claims , and the sooner the better… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > Turkey has taken major steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strengthen its position in the Mediterranean , with the aim of showing its neighbors in the region along with its NATO allies that Turkey plays a key role there .
Ankara has been focusing much of these efforts on protecting its interests in Libya , with which it shares maritime border in the Mediterranean Sea .
From the very beginning of the Libyan Civil War , Turkey has backed Fayez al-Sarraj ’ s Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in Tripoli , as have the UN , the EU , and Qatar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tobruk-based government ( the House of Representatives , HoR ) and the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar ( backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia ) .
[ Editor ’ s Note : And the UAE ] Apart from countering Egypt and Saudi Arabia , Greece is another reason why Turkey is siding with Tripoli .
After the US coalition deposed Muammar Gaddafi , who had guaranteed the security of the maritime borders in the Mediterranean shared by Libya and Turkey , 39,000 square kilometers of EEZ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece and Turkey since 2014 , and this issue was discussed extensively in Tripoli by Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar and Fayez al-Sarraj ’ s Government of National Accord ( GNA ) during talks held in 2018 .
Even at that stage , Turkey promised Tripoli help to protect these territorial waters , serving both Libyan and Turkish interests , including offshore energy reserves in contested waters that Greece also claims in its maritime dispute with Turkey , using the continental shelf of the island of Crete between Turkey and Libya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” or the “ Blue Homeland ” naval doctrine , which is Turkey ’ s ambitious plan for geopolitical supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean , has now become one of Ankara ’ s priorities in foreign policy .
It encompasses Ankara ’ s longstanding fight with Greece over divided Cyprus and competition with Athens and maritime neighbors Egypt , Israel and Lebanon over oil and gas drilling rights .
This doctrine reached a zenith when Libya ’ s civil war broke out , which has steadily drawn in several foreign powers even before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Ankara and Tripoli were signed at the end of 2019 for the specific purpose of countering Greece : The Libya–Turkey maritime deal , delineating maritime borders in the eastern Mediterranean , and a second deal on security and military cooperation , to protect Tripoli from an offensive by Haftar ’ s LNA , which began in April last year and was later supported by several countries including the United Arab Emirates , Egypt , France and Russia .
Under the security deal , Turkey can send troops to Libya at any time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Sarraj .
Indeed , Ankara has already sent additional weapons and military advisers to the country in violation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya at the Berlin Conference .
The news that Ankara and Tripoli had signed these agreements was met with a great deal of caution in Greece when it broke in 2019 , given that Ankara could use these documents as a legal basis to send drillships escorted by warships to search for oil and gas reserves in the Greek EEZ around the island of Crete , and if this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resort to using military force against its NATO ally .
To counter the Libya-Turkey deal , Egypt and Greece signed their own agreement on August 6 , which sets a sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone .
Athens makes no secret of the fact that it took this step in response to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of National Accord on delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas .
These two deals contradict each other , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same waters .
The question is how the signatories will go about defending their borders now .
Then a message was tweeted on the LNA support page about a new batch of weapons the Libyan GNA had received from Turkey despite the UN arms embargo .
To be more specific , the tweet listed military equipment , as well as MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles and M4 automatic carbine assault rifles produced in the United States , which were delivered by a military transport plane that arrived at the Misrata air base .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence in the southern Mediterranean , Ankara has begun implementing the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to expand its network of military bases and build new ones on the territory in Libya controlled by the GNA in Tripoli .
Within the past year alone , a hangar to equip and store Turkish drones was built on the grounds of the civilian airport in Misrata .
A Korkut 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system has also been spotted at the al-Watiya Air Base .
On August 17 , Defense Minister Hulusi Akar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Turkish Armed Forces Yaşar Güler arrived in the Libyan capital on an unannounced visit .
Another plane landed in Tripoli carrying Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyahi , who joined the officials from the Turkish military establishment .
According to sources cited by the Al Arabiya TV news channel , Turkey , Qatar and the Libyan Government of National Accord then signed an agreement to establish a Turkish naval base and a tripartite military coordination center in the Libyan city of Misrata , and also agreed to set up training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doha .
The parties have also reportedly agreed to have Qatari military advisers sent to Libya to train the Libyan military , and have agreed to provide training at their military academies for Libyan cadets , in order “ to boost the combat capability of pro-GNA forces ” .
According to the Saudi press , the current military situation east of Misrata and the plans for the attack on Sirte and al-Jufra were also supposed to have been discussed during the trilateral talks .
According to assessments from the League of Arab States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intervention in Libya ’ s sovereign affairs has been the worst thing to happen throughout the entire Libyan crisis .

by Valerie Kulikov, …with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow,…and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa.
[ Editor’s Note: Turkey is in Libya with both feet, one on the sand and one in the Mediterranean where it is claiming vast oil and gas drilling rights, with warships currently sailing with exploration drilling rigs. Erdogan asked no one’s permission, and NATO has been silent on the issue.
The Libyan weapons embargo has been ignored, and Kulikov has all the details below concerning the Turkish naval base going in at Sirte, military academy training of young Libyan officers in Turkey, and extensive training for current forces in the GNA army in Tripoli.
One would have thought Libyans had learned how to fight by now, but this training will go beyond the mounted machine guns on technicals, ‘Desert Rats’ style combat.
They will learn integrated operations from planning, logistics, offensive and defensive intelligence, everything a modern army needs to take and hold territory, as a large Egyptian well-armed army sits on its eastern border supporting the pompous Field Marshal Haftar (CIA) forces in Benghazi.
The UNSC seems to be sitting out this growing new war, seemingly busy with other matters, as is the EU with intense coronavirus and economic issues, plus the Mr. Trump wildcard on top of all that. Yours truly smells major chaos in the air, and there are low hanging fruit targets.
Erdogan is taking advantage of this to even provide an instant navy to Libya as its partner in dividing up the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel has been quiet, so far.
The more entrenched Turkey becomes in Libya, the tougher their negotiation position will be in the upcoming battle over undersea exploration rights. Erdogan appears to be showing that he views resource expansion claims a life or death struggle for his broke country and government, given the substantial opposition at home.
The big question will be whether he has pushed across a bridge too far in Tripoli and everything under the water in between. I certainly think it’s possible, with French ships already sailing to remind Erdogan they have superior naval forces to his. Russia is already involved with Haftar via contract forces and the Egypt nexus.
Obviously an international conference needs to get involved in these conflicting claims, and the sooner the better… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
The history of conflict in North Africa seems never ending
– First published … August 22, 2020 –
Turkey has taken major steps over the past few years to significantly strengthen its position in the Mediterranean, with the aim of showing its neighbors in the region along with its NATO allies that Turkey plays a key role there.
Ankara has been focusing much of these efforts on protecting its interests in Libya, with which it shares maritime border in the Mediterranean Sea. From the very beginning of the Libyan Civil War, Turkey has backed Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, as have the UN, the EU, and Qatar.
The GNA s rivaled by the Tobruk-based government (the House of Representatives, HoR) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar (backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia). [ Editor’s Note: And the UAE ]
Apart from countering Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Greece is another reason why Turkey is siding with Tripoli. After the US coalition deposed Muammar Gaddafi, who had guaranteed the security of the maritime borders in the Mediterranean shared by Libya and Turkey, 39,000 square kilometers of EEZ and continental shelf have been disputed by Greece and Turkey since 2014, and this issue was discussed extensively in Tripoli by Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar and Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) during talks held in 2018.
Even at that stage, Turkey promised Tripoli help to protect these territorial waters, serving both Libyan and Turkish interests, including offshore energy reserves in contested waters that Greece also claims in its maritime dispute with Turkey, using the continental shelf of the island of Crete between Turkey and Libya as an argument.
“Mavi Vatan” or the “Blue Homeland” naval doctrine, which is Turkey’s ambitious plan for geopolitical supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean, has now become one of Ankara’s priorities in foreign policy.
It encompasses Ankara’s longstanding fight with Greece over divided Cyprus and competition with Athens and maritime neighbors Egypt, Israel and Lebanon over oil and gas drilling rights. This doctrine reached a zenith when Libya’s civil war broke out, which has steadily drawn in several foreign powers even before it began in 2014.
Two agreements between Ankara and Tripoli were signed at the end of 2019 for the specific purpose of countering Greece: The Libya–Turkey maritime deal, delineating maritime borders in the eastern Mediterranean, and a second deal on security and military cooperation, to protect Tripoli from an offensive by Haftar’s LNA, which began in April last year and was later supported by several countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia.
Under the security deal, Turkey can send troops to Libya at any time if invited to do so by Fayez al-Sarraj. Indeed, Ankara has already sent additional weapons and military advisers to the country in violation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya at the Berlin Conference.
The news that Ankara and Tripoli had signed these agreements was met with a great deal of caution in Greece when it broke in 2019, given that Ankara could use these documents as a legal basis to send drillships escorted by warships to search for oil and gas reserves in the Greek EEZ around the island of Crete, and if this were to happen, Athens would have to resort to using military force against its NATO ally.
To counter the Libya-Turkey deal, Egypt and Greece signed their own agreement on August 6, which sets a sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone.
Athens makes no secret of the fact that it took this step in response to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of National Accord on delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas. These two deals contradict each other, as the parties to each agreement claim the same waters. The question is how the signatories will go about defending their borders now.
Then a message was tweeted on the LNA support page about a new batch of weapons the Libyan GNA had received from Turkey despite the UN arms embargo. To be more specific, the tweet listed military equipment, as well as MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles and M4 automatic carbine assault rifles produced in the United States, which were delivered by a military transport plane that arrived at the Misrata air base.
In order to strengthen Turkey’s presence in the southern Mediterranean, Ankara has begun implementing the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to expand its network of military bases and build new ones on the territory in Libya controlled by the GNA in Tripoli.
Within the past year alone, a hangar to equip and store Turkish drones was built on the grounds of the civilian airport in Misrata. A Korkut 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system has also been spotted at the al-Watiya Air Base.
On August 17, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Yaşar Güler arrived in the Libyan capital on an unannounced visit. Another plane landed in Tripoli carrying Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyahi, who joined the officials from the Turkish military establishment.
According to sources cited by the Al Arabiya TV news channel, Turkey, Qatar and the Libyan Government of National Accord then signed an agreement to establish a Turkish naval base and a tripartite military coordination center in the Libyan city of Misrata, and also agreed to set up training centers and headquarters for GNA fighters in Doha.
The parties have also reportedly agreed to have Qatari military advisers sent to Libya to train the Libyan military, and have agreed to provide training at their military academies for Libyan cadets, in order “to boost the combat capability of pro-GNA forces”.
According to the Saudi press, the current military situation east of Misrata and the plans for the attack on Sirte and al-Jufra were also supposed to have been discussed during the trilateral talks.
According to assessments from the League of Arab States, Ankara’s highly active level of intervention in Libya’s sovereign affairs has been the worst thing to happen throughout the entire Libyan crisis.
Valery Kulikov, political analyst, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.