russiainsider--2020-02-21--Iran Spends Heavily to Have Regional Allies - This Makes it Invulnerable to US / Israeli Aggression

Many Iranians question the benefits of arming and financing Iran ’ s many allies in the Middle East while Iran is suffering the harshest ever US “ maximum pressure ” .
Iran ’ s allies are spread over Afghanistan , Yemen , Iraq , Syria , Lebanon and Palestine .
Is Iranian support for these allies the main cause of the US ’ s aggressive attitude towards the Iranian people and their state , or there are other factors ?
What makes Iran finance these allies and strengthen them with the most advanced warfare equipment , and be ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since Iran ’ s “ Islamic Revolution ” prevailed in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeini , the country has been heavily sanctioned , sanctions increasing with the advent of almost every new US President .
In 1979 , Iran had no allies but was surrounded by enemies .
Its regional neighbors joined western countries in supporting Saddam Hussein ’ s war on the “ Islamic Republic ” .
The US war on Iran has its origin in the fall of its proxy the Pahlavi Shah .
It was disclosed how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized Coup d ’ état against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohamad Musaddeq in 1953 in order to keep Iranian oil under US-UK control .
Democracy has never been the real issue : western-provoked wars can be understood as motivated by self-interest and the quest for dominance .
But attempts to overthrow regimes are always publicly justified by the West in the name of freedom and democracy .
In 1979 , the US set a trap to drag the Soviets into invading Afghanistan by supporting the mujahedeen from whom al-Qaeda was born .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are habitually described as “ unintended consequences ” in order to rationalize the devastating costs of these savage interventions into other people ’ s lives and in world affairs .
However , in 2001 the US fell back into exactly the same type of quagmire and invaded Afghanistan with tens of thousands of US troops .
The US plan was to block the path of a possible return by Russia to Eurasia ; to weaken the Russians and to encircle Iran with a chain of hostile elements ; to bully all countries concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thus preventing any possible alliance with Russia and China .
This is still the US objective in the Middle East .
History has never been a good guide to powerful leaders and their administrations because they apparently consider themselves not subject to its lessons .
Iran found itself deprived of allies .
With the consent of the Gulf states , notably Saudi Arabia , Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to remove and subdue the Palestinian Liberation Organisation ( PLO ) led by Yasser Arafat , who had rejected King Fahd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unintended consequences ” of the invasion and the occupation of the first Arab capital by Israel ( Beirut ) offered Iran an excellent opportunity to respond to the demands of a group of Lebanese asking for help to stand against the Israeli aggressor .
Imam Khomeini replied to his Lebanese visitors ( who described the horror and the killing committed by the Israeli war machine ) : “ al-kheir fima waqaa ” , meaning “ What has happened is a blessing ” .
His visitors did not understand the meaning of Khomeini ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran found in the Lebanese Shia fertile ground to plant seeds for its ideology .
The ground was already prepared in 1978 .
Lebanese Islamist followers of Sayyed Mohamad Baqer al-Sadr were already receiving training in various Palestinian camps , including the Zabadani training boot camp ( Syria ) , and had embraced the Palestinian cause .
When Imam Khomeini took power in Iran , Sayyed Mohammad Baqer al-Sadr asked his followers in Iraq and Lebanon to declare loyalty to Imam Khomeini and “ melt into him as he has melted into Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khomeini as your Imam and Marja ’ al-Taqleed ” ) .
Iran established great ideological compatibility with the Lebanese Shia , who had historically been considered second-class citizens in Lebanon .
Their territories in the south of Lebanon were considered disposable and were put on offer to Israel by Lebanese leaders , elites and governments ( Lebanese President Emil Eddé offered south Lebanon territories to Israel to reduce the number of Shia population in Lebanon ) .
The Iranian constitution stipulates ( articles 2 and 3 ) that the Iranian government will support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppressor .
Its outlook fits perfectly with the oppressed Lebanese Shia .
The Iranian IRGC ( Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ) traveled to Lebanon and shipped their weapons via Syria to strengthen the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon , known later as Hezbollah , and defend their country from the occupier .
It was , therefore , necessary to establish a strategic relationship with the Syrian President because most shipments arrived via Syria .
The Iranian-Syrian relationship went through various ups and downs .
It had reached its high point in the last years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when his son Bashar was responsible for the relationship with Lebanon and Hezbollah in particular .
The destinies of Lebanon , Syria and Iran became linked .
President Bashar al-Assad was struggling to keep his country out of the conflict when the US-occupied Iraq in 2003 .
The circle around Iran became tighter , and US forces occupied neighboring Iraq .
Even though getting rid of Saddam Hussein was a blessing for the Iranian regime , Saddam was so weak that he did not represent any real danger to Iran .
The US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no friends in the Gulf countries after his invasion of Kuwait and his bombing of Saudi Arabia .
The US prevented Iran from moving forward to support the Iraqi resistance to overthrow Saddam Hussein , instead of establishing its own control over Baghdad .
The next US objective was Syria and Lebanon .
Secretary of State Colin Powell warned President Assad that he was next on the list of presidents to be taken down if he continued offering support to Hamas and Hezbollah .
The US declared itself an occupying power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country was acknowledged by the United Nations resolutions .
Assad , like Iran and Saudi Arabia , supported the insurgency against the US occupation forces in Iraq .
The Saudis rejected Shia-dominated governance over Iraq .
The Iranians were next on the US list .
So Iran chose to fight the US on Iraqi ground , which was much less costly than fighting on Iranian ground .
Strengthening Iraqi allies was , therefore , an essential component of Iranian national security and an important line of defence .
In 2006 , the Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ehud Olmert to agree to destroy Hezbollah .
This was an opportunity to conquer Syria and cut the supply of Iranian arms .
The US and its allies were aiming to close the circle around Iran by eliminating its strong ally in Lebanon .
Hezbollah was an impediment to the US-Israeli project of bringing all the Arabs to the negotiating table , eliminating the Palestinian cause and its defenders , and weakening Iran as a prelude to overthrowing its government .
When Israel bombed and invaded Lebanon in 2006 with the goal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warehouses and offered dozens of game-changing anti-tank missiles and anything Hezbollah needed to fight back , regardless of Israeli air force superiority .
Assad became an essential partner in the successful defeat of Israel in Lebanon .
The fall of Hezbollah would have had devastating consequences for Syria and Iran .
Joining the destinies and alliances of the Lebanese-Syrian-Iraqi-Iranian front was necessary for the survival of each .
In 2011 , the world declared war on Syria .
It took President Assad two years before he realized the plot was both regional and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Levant and to produce a failed state dominated by jihadists .
The same ideological jihadists first planted in Afghanistan were expanding and offered a perfect tool for the US to destroy Iran and its allies .
The regional and world intelligence services infiltrated the jihadists , and well understood their strengths and weaknesses .
They were well suited to fighting the Iranian ideology and Iran ’ s ally .
Wahhabi jihadism was perfect cancer to destroy Iran on many fronts .
Jihadists were growing in Iraq and expanding in Syria under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence sources themselves revealed .
The Levant was the perfect and most desirable ancient place for jihadists to mushroom and expand .
This was when President Assad asked his allies for support .
Iran ’ s IRGC forces came to Damascus and the journey to liberate Syria started .
Syria , like Iraq , offered a vital defense line to Iran .
It was another platform to fight – on non-Iranian soil – an enemy that was about to migrate to Iran ( had Syrian been defeated ) .
An opportunity that Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s strategic importance .
It took Russia until September 2015 to wake up and intervene in the Middle Eastern arena , in Syria in particular .
All these years , the US was planning to leave no place for Russia to create alliances , preparing to vanquish Iran and its allies , the “ Axis of the Resistance ” standing against US hegemony in the Middle East .
All Gulf countries succumbed to US power , and today they are hosting the largest US military bases in the region .
The US had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these bases and through them enjoyed superior firepower to any country in the world .
Still , Iran and the Levant ( Syria and Lebanon ) remained impervious to the US attempt at complete dominance .
Without Iran ’ s allies , all US military efforts would have been concentrated on Iran alone .
The US would have moved from sanctions to military attack with little fear of the dire consequences .
Today , the US needs to consider the now unquestioned fact that if Iran is attacked , its allies in Palestine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open hell for the US and its allies in the Middle East .
Forty years of Iranian support for its allies have created a wall of protection around it and a bond whereby the allies join their fate to that of Iran .
There are no allies in the world any country could count on to sacrifice their men more readily and stand for a common ideological motivation and shared objectives .
Iran is not only investing in its partners , but it is also investing in its own security and well-being .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrifices provided by its allies to support them when needed .
Many Lebanese and Iraqis fought in the Iraq-Iran war .
Thousands of Iranian , Iraqi and Lebanese Hezbollah ( and other allies ) lost their lives in Syria protecting the well-being of the Syrian ally and preventing the country from falling into the jihadists ’ hands .
Many Iranians and Lebanese were killed in Iraq to support the Iraqis against the terror of ISIS .
Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah are today in Yemen , supporting it against the Saudi-led genocidal massacres .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of supporting the Palestinians and their cause to free their land , to have their own state and the right to return home .
No US allies anywhere in the world are ready to offer comparable solidarity to the US .
Iran has created deep alliances whereas the US has failed to do so .
Iran openly attacked the US Ayn al-Assad military base following the unlawful assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani .
No other country in the world has dared to attack the US face-to-face and inflict over a hundred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge US hegemony .
There was no need for Iran to ask its allies to act on its behalf .
Iran and its partners on the battlefield are united against their enemies .
The US wants Iran without missiles , without armed drones , and without access to intelligence warfare .
These vital programs have proved crucial to protecting the country and preventing it from becoming vulnerable .
If Iran did not have the allies it has today and the missiles it has manufactured , the US would already have retaliated without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
Iran and its allies are still in the heart of the struggle , and the US and Israel are not sitting idly by .
Solidarity between Iran and its allies is needed more than ever .
The question of how much of its annual budget Iran is spending on its partners is less than relevant , though ordinary Iranians may complain and even challenge its benefits .
The spirit of sacrifice that unites allies in mutual protection can not be limited to monetary considerations .
It is priceless .

Many Iranians question the benefits of arming and financing Iran’s many allies in the Middle East while Iran is suffering the harshest ever US “maximum pressure”. Iran’s allies are spread over Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Is Iranian support for these allies the main cause of the US’s aggressive attitude towards the Iranian people and their state, or there are other factors? What makes Iran finance these allies and strengthen them with the most advanced warfare equipment, and be ready to fight and die on their territory?
Since Iran’s “Islamic Revolution” prevailed in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, the country has been heavily sanctioned, sanctions increasing with the advent of almost every new US President. In 1979, Iran had no allies but was surrounded by enemies. Its regional neighbors joined western countries in supporting Saddam Hussein’s war on the “Islamic Republic”. The US war on Iran has its origin in the fall of its proxy the Pahlavi Shah. It was disclosed how the CIA brought Pahlavi to power in an organized Coup d’état against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohamad Musaddeq in 1953 in order to keep Iranian oil under US-UK control. Democracy has never been the real issue: western-provoked wars can be understood as motivated by self-interest and the quest for dominance. But attempts to overthrow regimes are always publicly justified by the West in the name of freedom and democracy.
In 1979, the US set a trap to drag the Soviets into invading Afghanistan by supporting the mujahedeen from whom al-Qaeda was born. This catastrophic result and similar destructive phenomena are habitually described as “unintended consequences” in order to rationalize the devastating costs of these savage interventions into other people’s lives and in world affairs. However, in 2001 the US fell back into exactly the same type of quagmire and invaded Afghanistan with tens of thousands of US troops. The US plan was to block the path of a possible return by Russia to Eurasia; to weaken the Russians and to encircle Iran with a chain of hostile elements; to bully all countries concerned into submission, particularly the oil-rich states, thus preventing any possible alliance with Russia and China. This is still the US objective in the Middle East. History has never been a good guide to powerful leaders and their administrations because they apparently consider themselves not subject to its lessons.
Iran found itself deprived of allies. With the consent of the Gulf states, notably Saudi Arabia, Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to remove and subdue the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) led by Yasser Arafat, who had rejected King Fahd’s peace initiative. However, the “unintended consequences” of the invasion and the occupation of the first Arab capital by Israel (Beirut) offered Iran an excellent opportunity to respond to the demands of a group of Lebanese asking for help to stand against the Israeli aggressor. Imam Khomeini replied to his Lebanese visitors (who described the horror and the killing committed by the Israeli war machine): “al-kheir fima waqaa”, meaning “What has happened is a blessing”. His visitors did not understand the meaning of Khomeini’s words until many years later.
Iran found in the Lebanese Shia fertile ground to plant seeds for its ideology. The ground was already prepared in 1978. Lebanese Islamist followers of Sayyed Mohamad Baqer al-Sadr were already receiving training in various Palestinian camps, including the Zabadani training boot camp (Syria), and had embraced the Palestinian cause. When Imam Khomeini took power in Iran, Sayyed Mohammad Baqer al-Sadr asked his followers in Iraq and Lebanon to declare loyalty to Imam Khomeini and “melt into him as he has melted into Islam” (which means “adopt Imam Khomeini as your Imam and Marja’ al-Taqleed”). Iran established great ideological compatibility with the Lebanese Shia, who had historically been considered second-class citizens in Lebanon. Their territories in the south of Lebanon were considered disposable and were put on offer to Israel by Lebanese leaders, elites and governments (Lebanese President Emil Eddé offered south Lebanon territories to Israel to reduce the number of Shia population in Lebanon).
The Iranian constitution stipulates (articles 2 and 3) that the Iranian government will support any group or country suffering from an oppressor. Its outlook fits perfectly with the oppressed Lebanese Shia.
The Iranian IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) traveled to Lebanon and shipped their weapons via Syria to strengthen the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, known later as Hezbollah, and defend their country from the occupier. It was, therefore, necessary to establish a strategic relationship with the Syrian President because most shipments arrived via Syria.
The Iranian-Syrian relationship went through various ups and downs. It had reached its high point in the last years of President Hafez al-Assad’s rule when his son Bashar was responsible for the relationship with Lebanon and Hezbollah in particular.
The destinies of Lebanon, Syria and Iran became linked. President Bashar al-Assad was struggling to keep his country out of the conflict when the US-occupied Iraq in 2003. The circle around Iran became tighter, and US forces occupied neighboring Iraq. Even though getting rid of Saddam Hussein was a blessing for the Iranian regime, Saddam was so weak that he did not represent any real danger to Iran. The US embargo had weakened him, and he had no friends in the Gulf countries after his invasion of Kuwait and his bombing of Saudi Arabia.
The US prevented Iran from moving forward to support the Iraqi resistance to overthrow Saddam Hussein, instead of establishing its own control over Baghdad. The next US objective was Syria and Lebanon. Secretary of State Colin Powell warned President Assad that he was next on the list of presidents to be taken down if he continued offering support to Hamas and Hezbollah. The US declared itself an occupying power, and the Iraqi right to defend their country was acknowledged by the United Nations resolutions. Assad, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, supported the insurgency against the US occupation forces in Iraq. The Saudis rejected Shia-dominated governance over Iraq. The Iranians were next on the US list. So Iran chose to fight the US on Iraqi ground, which was much less costly than fighting on Iranian ground. Strengthening Iraqi allies was, therefore, an essential component of Iranian national security and an important line of defence.
In 2006, the Bush administration pushed an unprepared Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to agree to destroy Hezbollah. This was an opportunity to conquer Syria and cut the supply of Iranian arms. The US and its allies were aiming to close the circle around Iran by eliminating its strong ally in Lebanon. Hezbollah was an impediment to the US-Israeli project of bringing all the Arabs to the negotiating table, eliminating the Palestinian cause and its defenders, and weakening Iran as a prelude to overthrowing its government.
When Israel bombed and invaded Lebanon in 2006 with the goal of defeating Hezbollah, President Assad opened his warehouses and offered dozens of game-changing anti-tank missiles and anything Hezbollah needed to fight back, regardless of Israeli air force superiority. Assad became an essential partner in the successful defeat of Israel in Lebanon. The fall of Hezbollah would have had devastating consequences for Syria and Iran. Joining the destinies and alliances of the Lebanese-Syrian-Iraqi-Iranian front was necessary for the survival of each.
In 2011, the world declared war on Syria. It took President Assad two years before he realized the plot was both regional and international, aiming to create chaos in the Levant and to produce a failed state dominated by jihadists. The same ideological jihadists first planted in Afghanistan were expanding and offered a perfect tool for the US to destroy Iran and its allies. The regional and world intelligence services infiltrated the jihadists, and well understood their strengths and weaknesses. They were well suited to fighting the Iranian ideology and Iran’s ally. Wahhabi jihadism was perfect cancer to destroy Iran on many fronts.
Jihadists were growing in Iraq and expanding in Syria under the eyes of the US, as US intelligence sources themselves revealed. The Levant was the perfect and most desirable ancient place for jihadists to mushroom and expand. This was when President Assad asked his allies for support. Iran’s IRGC forces came to Damascus and the journey to liberate Syria started. Syria, like Iraq, offered a vital defense line to Iran. It was another platform to fight – on non-Iranian soil – an enemy that was about to migrate to Iran (had Syrian been defeated). An opportunity that Iran could not miss because of Syria’s strategic importance.
It took Russia until September 2015 to wake up and intervene in the Middle Eastern arena, in Syria in particular. All these years, the US was planning to leave no place for Russia to create alliances, preparing to vanquish Iran and its allies, the “Axis of the Resistance” standing against US hegemony in the Middle East. All Gulf countries succumbed to US power, and today they are hosting the largest US military bases in the region. The US had deployed tens of thousands of troops to these bases and through them enjoyed superior firepower to any country in the world. Still, Iran and the Levant (Syria and Lebanon) remained impervious to the US attempt at complete dominance.
Without Iran’s allies, all US military efforts would have been concentrated on Iran alone. The US would have moved from sanctions to military attack with little fear of the dire consequences. Today, the US needs to consider the now unquestioned fact that if Iran is attacked, its allies in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq will open hell for the US and its allies in the Middle East. Forty years of Iranian support for its allies have created a wall of protection around it and a bond whereby the allies join their fate to that of Iran. There are no allies in the world any country could count on to sacrifice their men more readily and stand for a common ideological motivation and shared objectives. Iran is not only investing in its partners, but it is also investing in its own security and well-being. Iran is prepared to offer the same sacrifices provided by its allies to support them when needed.
Many Lebanese and Iraqis fought in the Iraq-Iran war. Thousands of Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese Hezbollah (and other allies) lost their lives in Syria protecting the well-being of the Syrian ally and preventing the country from falling into the jihadists’ hands.
Many Iranians and Lebanese were killed in Iraq to support the Iraqis against the terror of ISIS. Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah are today in Yemen, supporting it against the Saudi-led genocidal massacres. Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah took the risk of supporting the Palestinians and their cause to free their land, to have their own state and the right to return home. No US allies anywhere in the world are ready to offer comparable solidarity to the US. Iran has created deep alliances whereas the US has failed to do so.
Iran openly attacked the US Ayn al-Assad military base following the unlawful assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani. No other country in the world has dared to attack the US face-to-face and inflict over a hundred casualties on US service members while continuing to challenge US hegemony. There was no need for Iran to ask its allies to act on its behalf. Iran and its partners on the battlefield are united against their enemies. The US wants Iran without missiles, without armed drones, and without access to intelligence warfare. These vital programs have proved crucial to protecting the country and preventing it from becoming vulnerable. If Iran did not have the allies it has today and the missiles it has manufactured, the US would already have retaliated without hesitation.
The war is far from over. Iran and its allies are still in the heart of the struggle, and the US and Israel are not sitting idly by. Solidarity between Iran and its allies is needed more than ever. The question of how much of its annual budget Iran is spending on its partners is less than relevant, though ordinary Iranians may complain and even challenge its benefits. The spirit of sacrifice that unites allies in mutual protection cannot be limited to monetary considerations. It is priceless.
*(Top image: General Soleimani Statue Near Lebanon-Israel Border.)


russiainsider--2020-02-21--A Truly Influential Writer Needs Your Help to Attend the Assange Court Hearings Next Week - Please C

A Truly Influential Writer Needs Your Help to Attend the Assange Court Hearings Next Week - Please Chip In! (Craig Murray)

Craig Murray is a retired high-level British diplomat ( former ambassador to Uzbekistan ) who is a major force in the alternative media world .
He is the most widely read journalist in the UK , beating out anyone publishing in the mainstream media , plus he has an enormous international audience .
He is one of the very best , and most effective honest voices out there .
Please send him a few $ .
Do it for Julian .
It is a sad and damning fact that nobody in the United States has ever been jailed for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the massacre of journalists and of children , for the torture or for the corruption .
Instead , the publisher who helped whistleblowers to get the truth out to the people has suffered enormously , and is threatened with incarceration for the rest of his life .
Julian Assange will stand next week in the armoured dock , accused of the “ crime ” of publishing .
It is worth recalling that Wikileaks has a 100 % record of accuracy .
Nothing it has published has ever been shown to be inauthentic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling the truth – more than that , of telling freely to the ordinary people of the world about the crimes which the powerful seek to conceal .
We might also consider that none of Julian ’ s publishing ever took place inside the United States .
The USA is trying to extradite him for publishing American secrets outside the USA , in a startling claim of worldwide jurisdiction .
It is a prosecution that would if successful have a massive chilling effect on investigative journalists all over the globe .
The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ republished Wikileaks ’ revelations are not also in the dock reflects the fact that the security services are now very confident they have those outlets under control .
For these and many other reasons , Julian ’ s hearing next week is extremely important and I am going down to London today for ten days to cover it and to take part in associated events .
I do hope everybody will make a real effort to join the protests .
With great reluctance , I am obliged to ask for donations to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have rented a house close to the court and I will be trying to queue in the early hours of the morning to get one of the tiny number of seats available to the public at the hearing .
The last year has seen constant travels down to London to support Julian in one way and another , and funds for the blog are running very low at the moment – very substantially less than 1 % of readers subscribe ( I am grateful to and humbled by those who do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek one off donations , as long term income is required to keep things on the road , but for the Assange – and Salmond – cases to be covered properly an exception is needed .
With humility and reticence , I therefore ask if a few people could put some small donations forward using the standard payment details below .
Unlike our adversaries including the Integrity Initiative , the 77th Brigade , Bellingcat , the Atlantic Council and hundreds of other warmongering propaganda operations , this blog has no source of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It runs entirely on voluntary subscriptions from its readers – many of whom do not necessarily agree with the every article , but welcome the alternative voice , insider information and debate .
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received .
Subscriptions are still preferred to donations as I can ’ t run the blog without some certainty of future income , but I understand why some people prefer not to commit to that .

Craig Murray is a retired high-level British diplomat (former ambassador to Uzbekistan) who is a major force in the alternative media world. He is the most widely read journalist in the UK, beating out anyone publishing in the mainstream media, plus he has an enormous international audience. He is one of the very best, and most effective honest voices out there. Please send him a few $. Do it for Julian.
From Murray's blog:
It is a sad and damning fact that nobody in the United States has ever been jailed for the war crimes Wikileaks has revealed, for the massacre of journalists and of children, for the torture or for the corruption. Instead, the publisher who helped whistleblowers to get the truth out to the people has suffered enormously, and is threatened with incarceration for the rest of his life.
Julian Assange will stand next week in the armoured dock, accused of the “crime” of publishing. It is worth recalling that Wikileaks has a 100% record of accuracy. Nothing it has published has ever been shown to be inauthentic. Julian stands accused of the crime of telling the truth – more than that, of telling freely to the ordinary people of the world about the crimes which the powerful seek to conceal.
We might also consider that none of Julian’s publishing ever took place inside the United States. The USA is trying to extradite him for publishing American secrets outside the USA, in a startling claim of worldwide jurisdiction. It is a prosecution that would if successful have a massive chilling effect on investigative journalists all over the globe. The fact that the mainstream media editors who gleefully republished Wikileaks’ revelations are not also in the dock reflects the fact that the security services are now very confident they have those outlets under control.
For these and many other reasons, Julian’s hearing next week is extremely important and I am going down to London today for ten days to cover it and to take part in associated events. I do hope everybody will make a real effort to join the protests.
With great reluctance, I am obliged to ask for donations to help this blog cover the Assange court case. We have rented a house close to the court and I will be trying to queue in the early hours of the morning to get one of the tiny number of seats available to the public at the hearing. The last year has seen constant travels down to London to support Julian in one way and another, and funds for the blog are running very low at the moment – very substantially less than 1% of readers subscribe (I am grateful to and humbled by those who do subscribe). I generally do not seek one off donations, as long term income is required to keep things on the road, but for the Assange – and Salmond – cases to be covered properly an exception is needed. With humility and reticence, I therefore ask if a few people could put some small donations forward using the standard payment details below.
——————————————
Unlike our adversaries including the Integrity Initiative, the 77th Brigade, Bellingcat, the Atlantic Council and hundreds of other warmongering propaganda operations, this blog has no source of state, corporate or institutional finance whatsoever. It runs entirely on voluntary subscriptions from its readers – many of whom do not necessarily agree with the every article, but welcome the alternative voice, insider information and debate.
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Recurring subscriptions:
Alternatively:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address Natwest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Subscriptions are still preferred to donations as I can’t run the blog without some certainty of future income, but I understand why some people prefer not to commit to that.


russiainsider--2020-02-21--The Lyrical Christian Art of One of Russia's Most Beloved Painters (Mikhail Nesterov)

Mikhail Nesterov was not a monumentalist by the nature of his talent , but rather a lyricist .
For almost twenty years of his creative biography , however , he decorated churches and painted icons .
The first church to be decorated by Nesterov was St. Vladimir ’ s Cathedral in Kiev , and the last one was the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Sumy .
Mikhail Nesterov was invited to participate in the mural painting of St. Vladimir ’ s Cathedral in Kiev after having painted his work The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew .
Nesterov was drawn to monumental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the personality of Viktor Vasnetsov , who also worked on the murals of St. Vladimir ’ s Cathedral .
Nesterov admired the realistic and picturesque frescoes by Vasnetsov ; he used to say that “ they are like living people ” .
At first he began by imitating Vasnetsov , but then he found his own style .
Compared to Vasnetsov ’ s paintings , which are full of energy and audacity , Nesterov ’ s paintings are more lyrical .
They are even closer to the art nouveau style due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refined and incorporeal images , the subtlety of the silver color .
The real life remains the source of Nesterov ’ s inspiration in his church works : he paints all his images from nature ; the living residents of Kiev are his prototypes .
Nesterov paints two big pieces The Nativity of Christ and The Resurrection in the altar part of the temple ( in the altar and sacristy ) .
He paints icons for iconostases .
He also paints a fresco of Baptism in the baptismal part of the church .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective often conflicted with his desire to portray not just a real image , but the concept of it , a certain abstract idea of the spiritual life of this or that person .
Perhaps that is why Nesterov ’ s icons , which are conceptual by definition , were so often accompanied by naturalistic details , which did not go well with the images .
Nesterov goes even further on the path of convergence with the art nouveau style in his paintings for the St. Alexander Nevsky Church in Abastumani , Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom .
The project was commissioned by the heir to the Russian throne , Prince George , who approved Nesterov ’ s sketches and suggested that he get acquainted with some samples of paintings in famous Caucasian temples .
Nesterov studied the frescoes and mosaics of the Gelati Monastery , the church in Mtskheta , the Sapara Monastery , and the Zion Cathedral in Tiflis , but did not consider it necessary to imitate what he saw , although it made a strong impression on him .
He only sought to preserve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colors seen in the temple of the Zarzma village in his paintings .
In the end , however , he was not satisfied with his work in Georgia .
More significant to him were his monumental paintings in the church of the St. Martha and St. Mary ’ s Convent in Moscow , built by the architect Shchusev on commission of the Grand Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna .
The architect built the Church of the Holy Protection in the style of old Novgorod and Pskov architecture .
Nesterov did not want to make his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although they had just been cleared from the later additions and made many artists admire their monumental splendor .
It was only in the images made for the iconostasis that he used the succinct lines and generalized silhouettes of the original sources .
He painted most of the paintings based on specific visual impressions .
He paints sketches for the scene “ Christ at Martha ’ s and Mary ’ s house ” in Italy and retains impressionistic polychromaticity , the blue and purple shadows of spring that were new for church paintings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary and Martha and the church in honor of the Holy Protection are erected at the personal expense of the Grand Princess .
This is the work of her heart .
This whole idea , which is expected to last for eternity , will cost a lot of money , so the sum assigned to “ art ” is relatively small ; since my long-time dream is to leave something worthwhile in Moscow , I accepted the job ( to the Grand Princess ’ s sincere pleasure ) , despite the modest pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , I committed myself entirely to this project ” , Nesterov wrote to A.A. Turygin .
The iconostasis and the Royal Door were painted by Nesterov , as well as frescoes .
A special place among them belongs to the Path to Christ piece situated above the western refectory arch .
Essentially , it is an artistic reflection of the key topic of the Gospel – selfless service as a path that leads to God .
However , the stucco was poorly made , so the main piece , The Path to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paints got flaky .
Mikhail Nesterov then decides to repaint the mural but on a copper plate instead .
At some point , the artist becomes desperate .
“ I was more and more convinced that the walls of the temples were beyond my control .
The pantheistic religious outlook , which is typical of me , could hardly be possible on temple walls , and , moreover , in the icons on iconostases… ” The artist ’ s decision to give up painting for the Church , which slowly developed in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his God-sent artistic talent manifested itself in its entirety in his later works , which glorified the Holy Russia .

The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew by Mikhail Nesterov
Mikhail Nesterov was not a monumentalist by the nature of his talent, but rather a lyricist. For almost twenty years of his creative biography, however, he decorated churches and painted icons. The first church to be decorated by Nesterov was St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kiev, and the last one was the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Sumy.
Mikhail Nesterov was invited to participate in the mural painting of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kiev after having painted his work The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew.
Nesterov was drawn to monumental painting, and he was also fascinated by the personality of Viktor Vasnetsov, who also worked on the murals of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral. Nesterov admired the realistic and picturesque frescoes by Vasnetsov; he used to say that “they are like living people”. At first he began by imitating Vasnetsov, but then he found his own style.
Compared to Vasnetsov’s paintings, which are full of energy and audacity, Nesterov’s paintings are more lyrical. They are even closer to the art nouveau style due to their decorative flatness of composition, the refined and incorporeal images, the subtlety of the silver color. The real life remains the source of Nesterov’s inspiration in his church works: he paints all his images from nature; the living residents of Kiev are his prototypes.
Nesterov paints two big pieces The Nativity of Christ and The Resurrection in the altar part of the temple (in the altar and sacristy). He paints icons for iconostases. He also paints a fresco of Baptism in the baptismal part of the church.
The Resurrection by Mikhail Nesterov
The Nativity of Christ by Mikhail Nesterov
The specific nature of Nesterov’s perspective often conflicted with his desire to portray not just a real image, but the concept of it, a certain abstract idea of the spiritual life of this or that person. Perhaps that is why Nesterov’s icons, which are conceptual by definition, were so often accompanied by naturalistic details, which did not go well with the images.
Nesterov goes even further on the path of convergence with the art nouveau style in his paintings for the St. Alexander Nevsky Church in Abastumani, Georgia. The artist was given full creative freedom. The project was commissioned by the heir to the Russian throne, Prince George, who approved Nesterov’s sketches and suggested that he get acquainted with some samples of paintings in famous Caucasian temples.
Nesterov studied the frescoes and mosaics of the Gelati Monastery, the church in Mtskheta, the Sapara Monastery, and the Zion Cathedral in Tiflis, but did not consider it necessary to imitate what he saw, although it made a strong impression on him. He only sought to preserve the effect of the gentle radiance of the colors seen in the temple of the Zarzma village in his paintings. In the end, however, he was not satisfied with his work in Georgia.
More significant to him were his monumental paintings in the church of the St. Martha and St. Mary’s Convent in Moscow, built by the architect Shchusev on commission of the Grand Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna. The architect built the Church of the Holy Protection in the style of old Novgorod and Pskov architecture. Nesterov did not want to make his paintings look like ancient Novgorod frescoes, although they had just been cleared from the later additions and made many artists admire their monumental splendor. It was only in the images made for the iconostasis that he used the succinct lines and generalized silhouettes of the original sources. He painted most of the paintings based on specific visual impressions. He paints sketches for the scene “Christ at Martha’s and Mary’s house” in Italy and retains impressionistic polychromaticity, the blue and purple shadows of spring that were new for church paintings.
“The convent in honor of Mary and Martha and the church in honor of the Holy Protection are erected at the personal expense of the Grand Princess. This is the work of her heart. This whole idea, which is expected to last for eternity, will cost a lot of money, so the sum assigned to “art” is relatively small; since my long-time dream is to leave something worthwhile in Moscow, I accepted the job (to the Grand Princess’s sincere pleasure), despite the modest pay. And having accepted it, of course, I committed myself entirely to this project”, Nesterov wrote to A.A. Turygin.
The iconostasis and the Royal Door were painted by Nesterov, as well as frescoes. A special place among them belongs to the Path to Christ piece situated above the western refectory arch. Essentially, it is an artistic reflection of the key topic of the Gospel – selfless service as a path that leads to God.
However, the stucco was poorly made, so the main piece, The Path to Christ, disappeared in 1909 because the paints got flaky. Mikhail Nesterov then decides to repaint the mural but on a copper plate instead.
The Path to Christ by Mikhail Nesterov
At some point, the artist becomes desperate. “I was more and more convinced that the walls of the temples were beyond my control. The pantheistic religious outlook, which is typical of me, could hardly be possible on temple walls, and, moreover, in the icons on iconostases…”
The artist’s decision to give up painting for the Church, which slowly developed in his critical self-consciousness, was predetermined. However, his God-sent artistic talent manifested itself in its entirety in his later works, which glorified the Holy Russia.
Sergius of Radonezh, 1899 by Mikhail Nesterov
Holy Rus’, 1901-1906 by Mikhail Nesterov


russiainsider--2020-02-21--The Young Russian Math Genius Behind the #2 Cryptocurrency, Ethereum, and His Plans for a 'Democrati

The Young Russian Math Genius Behind the #2 Cryptocurrency, Ethereum, and His Plans for a 'Democratizing World Computer' - (Vitalik Buterin)

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology were meant to liberate the oppressed , bank the unbanked and democratize countries with opaque authoritarian governments .
Whether or not the crypto sector has actually achieved these goals remains a topic of debate , but it is fair to say that a surprising number of crypto startups , initial coin offerings and blockchain companies have either missed the mark or proven to be outright scams .
But Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has been unassailable in his mission to build the “ World Computer.
” Since piecing together a revolutionary white paper in 2013 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ether cryptocurrency has been a steady advocate for the democratizing capacity of decentralized networks .
Born on Jan. 31 , 1991 , Buterin lived the first six years of his life in the Russian city of Kolomna - roughly 62 miles away from Moscow - before he and his parents relocated to Canada in search of better employment opportunities .
Buterin performed well in school , attending The Abelard School in Toronto and displaying an uncanny aptitude for mathematics and science .
Buterin finished one year at the University of Waterloo before dropping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for blockchain technology could not wait for finishing his studies .
Although Buterin had been an active participant in the Bitcoin community since 2011 , as a co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine , he is better known as the man responsible for the seminal Ethereum white paper .
As an active participant and contributor to numerous Bitcoin communities , Buterin frequently proposed building a more fluid version of the Bitcoin core network that would support the swift creation of decentralized apps without functionality-layering procedures .
Eventually , after a succession of failed proposals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with built-in support for smart contracts ; and the rest is history .
Initial coin offerings , made possible in large part by the ERC-20 token standard , came to the end of their era after the 2017 hype .
The Ethereum project at times seemed to have lost its way , and both average observers and Ether advocates will likely agree that the development team is more focused on network upgrades and hard forks than stabilizing the value of the altcoin .
For some speculators , that could be a negative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believers would say the explicit desire to focus on the network ’ s functionality instead of Ether ’ s price is a net positive in the long term .
Recently , the network successfully implemented the Istanbul hard fork - the eighth to date - and the developers still intend for the network to shift to ETH 2.0 , dubbed Serenity , in 2020 .
What sets Vitalik Buterin apart from some of his peers is his approach to decentralization and his desire to preserve democratic principles in the crypto space .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ diverse and pluralist , ” and during times when the network ’ s decentralization has come under question , Buterin has stepped in to espouse the value of ensuring that all perspectives are heard and the collective desire is acted upon .
“ Recently , I am spending a lot of time working on the proof-of-stake and sharding protocols .
This is what the Ethereum research community is focusing on more than anything else at this point .
We think that proof-of-stake and scaling are both really important and there has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the algorithms and the development of multiple limitations over the last couple of months .
I ’ ve also been looking at the economic analysis of transaction fees and how transaction fee algorithms can be improved to basically cut fees down and make the protocol alignment centers better and more efficient.
” Buterin further explained that cryptocurrency needs to be easy enough to use that one could “ walk into a convenience store , get a card , pay $ 5 and get $ 5 , minus some small fee of like Bitcoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and start using it.
” Now that 2020 is underway , the general focus within the crypto space has shifted to the upcoming Bitcoin reward halving as well as the maneuvering of large institutional investors into cryptocurrencies .
Rather than obsessing over Etheruem ’ s valuation in its Bitcoin and USD pairings , Buterin is deeply focused on pushing the network toward its transition to Ethereum 2.0 .
If implemented successfully , many in the sector believe the network upgrade will have a significant impact on the entire sector , including other networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ontology — all of which claim to be superior to Ethereum .
Ethereum ’ s status as the most popular smart contract platform underlies the significance of the upcoming Ethereum 2.0 upgrade .
Proof of the network ’ s popularity is shown by the frequent overloads , where transaction times slow to a snail ’ s crawl and transaction fees rise to the point of rendering the network ’ s use less than sensible .
This congestion shows that demand for the network is steady , and if Ethereum 2.0 successfully launches , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand .
According to Buterin , Ethereum 2.0 would stand as a serious competitor to other networks , and once fully implemented , transaction times could drop from minutes to approximately three seconds .
As Buterin said during the first sharding workshop in Taipei in 2018 :

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology were meant to liberate the oppressed, bank the unbanked and democratize countries with opaque authoritarian governments. Whether or not the crypto sector has actually achieved these goals remains a topic of debate, but it is fair to say that a surprising number of crypto startups, initial coin offerings and blockchain companies have either missed the mark or proven to be outright scams.
image courtesy of CoinTelegraph
But Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has been unassailable in his mission to build the “World Computer.” Since piecing together a revolutionary white paper in 2013, the soft-spoken genius behind the Ethereum project and Ether cryptocurrency has been a steady advocate for the democratizing capacity of decentralized networks.
Born on Jan. 31, 1991, Buterin lived the first six years of his life in the Russian city of Kolomna - roughly 62 miles away from Moscow - before he and his parents relocated to Canada in search of better employment opportunities. Buterin performed well in school, attending The Abelard School in Toronto and displaying an uncanny aptitude for mathematics and science. Buterin finished one year at the University of Waterloo before dropping out in 2013, as his passion for blockchain technology could not wait for finishing his studies.
Although Buterin had been an active participant in the Bitcoin community since 2011, as a co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, he is better known as the man responsible for the seminal Ethereum white paper.
As an active participant and contributor to numerous Bitcoin communities, Buterin frequently proposed building a more fluid version of the Bitcoin core network that would support the swift creation of decentralized apps without functionality-layering procedures. Eventually, after a succession of failed proposals, Buterin decided to develop a new blockchain with built-in support for smart contracts; and the rest is history.
Ethereum in the post-ICO era
Initial coin offerings, made possible in large part by the ERC-20 token standard, came to the end of their era after the 2017 hype. The Ethereum project at times seemed to have lost its way, and both average observers and Ether advocates will likely agree that the development team is more focused on network upgrades and hard forks than stabilizing the value of the altcoin. For some speculators, that could be a negative, but most of Ethereum’s true believers would say the explicit desire to focus on the network’s functionality instead of Ether’s price is a net positive in the long term.
Recently, the network successfully implemented the Istanbul hard fork - the eighth to date - and the developers still intend for the network to shift to ETH 2.0, dubbed Serenity, in 2020.
Buterin provides a steady hand
What sets Vitalik Buterin apart from some of his peers is his approach to decentralization and his desire to preserve democratic principles in the crypto space. According to Buterin, the future of cryptocurrency is “diverse and pluralist,” and during times when the network’s decentralization has come under question, Buterin has stepped in to espouse the value of ensuring that all perspectives are heard and the collective desire is acted upon.
In August 2018, Buterin told Forbes:
“Recently, I am spending a lot of time working on the proof-of-stake and sharding protocols. This is what the Ethereum research community is focusing on more than anything else at this point. We think that proof-of-stake and scaling are both really important and there has been a lot of progress on improving the algorithms and the development of multiple limitations over the last couple of months. I’ve also been looking at the economic analysis of transaction fees and how transaction fee algorithms can be improved to basically cut fees down and make the protocol alignment centers better and more efficient.”
Buterin further explained that cryptocurrency needs to be easy enough to use that one could “walk into a convenience store, get a card, pay $5 and get $5, minus some small fee of like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, etc and start using it.”
Now that 2020 is underway, the general focus within the crypto space has shifted to the upcoming Bitcoin reward halving as well as the maneuvering of large institutional investors into cryptocurrencies. Rather than obsessing over Etheruem’s valuation in its Bitcoin and USD pairings, Buterin is deeply focused on pushing the network toward its transition to Ethereum 2.0.
If implemented successfully, many in the sector believe the network upgrade will have a significant impact on the entire sector, including other networks like Tron, Cardano, EOS and Ontology — all of which claim to be superior to Ethereum.
Ethereum’s status as the most popular smart contract platform underlies the significance of the upcoming Ethereum 2.0 upgrade. Proof of the network’s popularity is shown by the frequent overloads, where transaction times slow to a snail’s crawl and transaction fees rise to the point of rendering the network’s use less than sensible.
This congestion shows that demand for the network is steady, and if Ethereum 2.0 successfully launches, the network would be in even higher demand. According to Buterin, Ethereum 2.0 would stand as a serious competitor to other networks, and once fully implemented, transaction times could drop from minutes to approximately three seconds.
As Buterin said during the first sharding workshop in Taipei in 2018:


russiainsider--2020-02-21--Zuckerberg Asks German Government for Instructions on 'What Discourse Should Be Allowed' - the Death

Zuckerberg Asks German Government for Instructions on 'What Discourse Should Be Allowed' - the Death of Free Speech

I have written for years on the effort of European countries to expand their crackdown on free speech globally through restrictions on social media and Internet speech .
It appears that Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has relented in what may prove the death knell for free speech in the West .
Zuckerberg seems to relent in asking governments for regulations stipulating what speech will be permitted on Facebook and other platforms .
It is the ultimate victory of France , Germany , and England in their continuing attack on free expression though hate speech laws and speech regulation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday at the Munich Security Conference that “ There should be more guidance and regulation from the states on basically — take political advertising as an example — what discourse should be allowed ?
” He did add : “ Or , on the balance of free expression and some things that people call harmful expression , where do you draw the line ?
” The problem is that his comments were received as accepting that government will now dictate the range of free speech .
What is missing is the bright line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
As tragically demonstrated in France , Germany , and the United Kingdom , speech regulations inevitably expand with time .
The desire to silence one ’ s critics becomes insatiable for both governments and individuals .
Zuckerberg is facing great pressure , including from Democratic leaders in the United States , to regulate political speech and he seems to be moving away from the bright-line position against such regulation as a principle .
Instead , he is accepting the fluid concept of “ balanced ” regulations that has always preceded expanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a lot of decisions in these areas that are really just balances between different social values .
It ’ s about coming up with an answer that society feels is legitimate and that they can get behind and understand that you drew the line here on the balance of free expression and safety .
It ’ s not just that there ’ s one right answer .
People need to feel like , ‘ OK , enough people weighed in , and that ’ s why the answer should be this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ”

I have written for years on the effort of European countries to expand their crackdown on free speech globally through restrictions on social media and Internet speech. It appears that Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has relented in what may prove the death knell for free speech in the West. Zuckerberg seems to relent in asking governments for regulations stipulating what speech will be permitted on Facebook and other platforms. It is the ultimate victory of France, Germany, and England in their continuing attack on free expression though hate speech laws and speech regulation.
Zuckerberg told an assembly of Western leaders Saturday at the Munich Security Conference that “There should be more guidance and regulation from the states on basically — take political advertising as an example — what discourse should be allowed?” He did add: “Or, on the balance of free expression and some things that people call harmful expression, where do you draw the line?” The problem is that his comments were received as accepting that government will now dictate the range of free speech. What is missing is the bright line rule long maintained by the free speech community.
As tragically demonstrated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, speech regulations inevitably expand with time. The desire to silence one’s critics becomes insatiable for both governments and individuals.
Zuckerberg is facing great pressure, including from Democratic leaders in the United States, to regulate political speech and he seems to be moving away from the bright-line position against such regulation as a principle. Instead, he is accepting the fluid concept of “balanced” regulations that has always preceded expanding speech codes and criminalization:


russiainsider--2020-02-21--Russia Is Defeating The US in the Middle East Oil Game

Historically , Russia goes to great lengths to hide or disguise its strategic intentions but it clearly feels empowered enough in the Middle East to very obviously stake its claim in the region – excluding , for the time being only , Saudi Arabia – by stating that a slew of Russian companies are to spend up to US $ 20 billion on oil projects in Iraq in the near term .
“ Since [ U.S. President Donald ] Trump outlined the new U.S. foreign policy of not engaging in conflicts abroad unless they were directly aligned with U.S. interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively withdrawing from Syria and from supporting the Kurds , Russia and China have felt that they can bring forward their plans to bring Iraq within their geopolitical arc of influence , ” a senior source who works closely with Iraq ’ s Oil Ministry told OilPrice.com last week .
“ They know that provided that they do not impinge on Saudi Arabia and , at a pinch the UAE and Kuwait , or launch attacks against U.S. personnel , then they can basically do whatever they want anywhere else , hence this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .
Before this announcement - which specifically mentioned Zarubezhneft , Tatneft , and Rosneftegaz as companies interested in pursuing specific but as yet unnamed projects , in addition to those Russia companies already active in the country ( including Lukoil , Bashneft , and GazpromNeft ) – Russia had adopted its usual stealth approach to building up its presence in Iraq .
The oil and gas prize for the Russians in Iraq is , of course , huge , but many in the industry do not realise that it is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are that Iraq has around 149 billion barrels of reserves ( 18 per cent of the Middle East total and 9 per cent of the global total ) and is currently the second-largest oil supplier in OPEC , after Saudi Arabia .
All of this oil coming at a mean average ‘ lifting cost ’ per barrel in Iraq of US $ 2 to US $ 3 per barrel , according to the IEA , at least as competitive as Saudi Arabia .
For gas , the official figures are slightly less impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underestimated than the oil figures , with Iraq having about 135 trillion cubic feet of reserves ( the 12th largest in the world ) , mostly associated at the moment with oil fields in the supergiant fields in the south of the country .
However , despite the occasional increase in reserves estimates over the past few years – extremely modest by the standards of its neighbours , incidentally – much of Iraq still remains unexplored or under-explored compared with other major oil-producing countries .
According to the International Energy Agency ( IEA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Geological Survey ( USGS ) 2000 assessment and subsequent updates , the level of ultimately recoverable resources at that time was around 232 billion barrels of crude and natural gas liquids .
Even this , though , might prove on the low side , added the IEA , as a detailed study by Petrolog around that time reached a similar figure but did not include the parts of northern Iraq in the KRG area or examination of the geological anomalies prevalent in the central and western regions of the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number , Iraq had just a decade ago only produced around 15 per cent of its ultimately recoverable resources , compared with 23 per cent for the Middle East as a whole at that time .
At that point , of the 530 potential hydrocarbon-bearing geological prospects identified by – only - geophysical means in Iraq only 113 had been drilled , with oil being found in 73 of them , a success rate of 65 per cent .
Although more of these geophysically-identified sites have now been drilled many more new ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sophisticated analysis of seismic and historical data .
This is one of two key reasons why Russia has exploited every opportunity to expand its footprint in the north and south of Iraq .
In the north it has been extremely successful so far in using its corporate proxy , Rosneft , to gain control over key elements of the region ’ s oil and gas infrastructure while in the south it had been forced by the U.S. ’ s own former ambitions to tread more stealthily .
Although it has always been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran ’ s political and military over Iraq for its own purposes , these had to be sidelined for a while , at least whilst the real power in Iraq – Moqtada al-Sadr – was getting settled in to his power-broking role .
As this was initially founded on the ultra-nationalist message ( ‘ Iraq for the Iraqis , with no undue foreign influence ’ , in essence ) of his election-winning ‘ Sairoon ’ power bloc , Moscow was able to tinker only the edges .
In such strategies , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence it can ultimately wield starting from such a tiny access point is absolutely extraordinary .
The most recent example of this – and a template for such strategies for any aspiring superpower , frankly – was the ‘ awarding ’ of a hitherto unknown development block in the middle of a wasteland by a hitherto unknown Russian company at a time when no one else was aware that anything was due to be awarded .
As highlighted in-depth by OilPrice.com at the time , Russia ’ s Stroytransgaz ( an almost unknown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the U.S. whose Office of Foreign Assets Control extensively sanctioned it in 2014 ) signed a preliminary contract with the oil ministry in Baghdad for oil and gas exploration in Anbar province ( a wasteland as far as Iraq ’ s oil and gas sector development goes ) .
On the face of it , there was – and is - no real prospect of any substantial amounts of oil or gas being recovered from its Block 17 and additionally stationing any normal oil and gas workers there would be perilous to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an area torn by warring tribal communities , which even Islamic State avoided where possible .
The key to this , though – and vital in understanding the purpose behind the announcement of a doubling ( possibly tripling ) of Russian overt investment into Iraq – is that the area is critical in Russia fortifying its presence in the central Middle East and being able to secure a warm water multi-layered military presence in the Mediterranean .
In this context , then , Block 17 in Anbar – and the US $ 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect sense for the Russians , as it intends to secure what the U.S. military used to call ‘ the spine ’ of Islamic State where the Euphrates flows westwards into Syria and eastwards into the Persian Gulf .
Along the spine running from east to west are the historical ultra-nationalist and ultra-anti-West cities of Falluja , Ramadi , Hit and Haditha , and then there is Syria , with its key strategic ports of Banias and Tartus .
By happy ‘ coincidence ’ both Banias and Tartus are also extremely close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the S-400 Triumf missile system .
Although the base only came in to operation in 2015 supposedly to help in the fight against Islamic State , Russia appears to have changed its tactical plans for it , having also signed a 49 year lease on it , with the option for another 25 year extension .
A short flight away is Russia ’ s Latakia intelligence-gathering listening station .

Historically, Russia goes to great lengths to hide or disguise its strategic intentions but it clearly feels empowered enough in the Middle East to very obviously stake its claim in the region – excluding, for the time being only, Saudi Arabia – by stating that a slew of Russian companies are to spend up to US$20 billion on oil projects in Iraq in the near term.
“Since [U.S. President Donald] Trump outlined the new U.S. foreign policy of not engaging in conflicts abroad unless they were directly aligned with U.S. interests [October 2019], and then effectively withdrawing from Syria and from supporting the Kurds, Russia and China have felt that they can bring forward their plans to bring Iraq within their geopolitical arc of influence,” a senior source who works closely with Iraq’s Oil Ministry told OilPrice.com last week. “They know that provided that they do not impinge on Saudi Arabia and, at a pinch the UAE and Kuwait, or launch attacks against U.S. personnel, then they can basically do whatever they want anywhere else, hence this announcement from Russia last week,” he added.
Before this announcement - which specifically mentioned Zarubezhneft, Tatneft, and Rosneftegaz as companies interested in pursuing specific but as yet unnamed projects, in addition to those Russia companies already active in the country (including Lukoil, Bashneft, and GazpromNeft) – Russia had adopted its usual stealth approach to building up its presence in Iraq.
“It is incremental colonialism, beginning one day with one relatively small contract being taken up by some Russian company nobody has heard of, then more Russian companies turn up in the same place under ‘contractor’ terms having been engaged by the company you gave the original contact to, then security companies turn up to guard all of the personnel, and suddenly you have a major Russian occupation of part of your key oil and gas infrastructure,” the Iraq source underlined.
The oil and gas prize for the Russians in Iraq is, of course, huge, but many in the industry do not realise that it is still underestimated. The official figures for oil are that Iraq has around 149 billion barrels of reserves (18 per cent of the Middle East total and 9 per cent of the global total) and is currently the second-largest oil supplier in OPEC, after Saudi Arabia. All of this oil coming at a mean average ‘lifting cost’ per barrel in Iraq of US$2 to US$3 per barrel, according to the IEA, at least as competitive as Saudi Arabia. For gas, the official figures are slightly less impressive, but they are likely even more underestimated than the oil figures, with Iraq having about 135 trillion cubic feet of reserves (the 12th largest in the world), mostly associated at the moment with oil fields in the supergiant fields in the south of the country. However, despite the occasional increase in reserves estimates over the past few years – extremely modest by the standards of its neighbours, incidentally – much of Iraq still remains unexplored or under-explored compared with other major oil-producing countries.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and derived from the landmark United States Geological Survey (USGS) 2000 assessment and subsequent updates, the level of ultimately recoverable resources at that time was around 232 billion barrels of crude and natural gas liquids. Even this, though, might prove on the low side, added the IEA, as a detailed study by Petrolog around that time reached a similar figure but did not include the parts of northern Iraq in the KRG area or examination of the geological anomalies prevalent in the central and western regions of the country. Even using the much more conservative USGS number, Iraq had just a decade ago only produced around 15 per cent of its ultimately recoverable resources, compared with 23 per cent for the Middle East as a whole at that time. At that point, of the 530 potential hydrocarbon-bearing geological prospects identified by – only - geophysical means in Iraq only 113 had been drilled, with oil being found in 73 of them, a success rate of 65 per cent. Although more of these geophysically-identified sites have now been drilled many more new ones have arisen due to identification by more sophisticated analysis of seismic and historical data.
“The Russians have done their own testing of potential oil and gas reserves over the years and they think it is about double the current official estimates on both of those [oil and gas],” the Iraq source told OilPrice.com last week.
This is one of two key reasons why Russia has exploited every opportunity to expand its footprint in the north and south of Iraq. In the north it has been extremely successful so far in using its corporate proxy, Rosneft, to gain control over key elements of the region’s oil and gas infrastructure while in the south it had been forced by the U.S.’s own former ambitions to tread more stealthily. Although it has always been able to rely on being able to use Iran’s political and military over Iraq for its own purposes, these had to be sidelined for a while, at least whilst the real power in Iraq – Moqtada al-Sadr – was getting settled in to his power-broking role. As this was initially founded on the ultra-nationalist message (‘Iraq for the Iraqis, with no undue foreign influence’, in essence) of his election-winning ‘Sairoon’ power bloc, Moscow was able to tinker only the edges.
In such strategies, though, Russia is a master, and the influence it can ultimately wield starting from such a tiny access point is absolutely extraordinary. The most recent example of this – and a template for such strategies for any aspiring superpower, frankly – was the ‘awarding’ of a hitherto unknown development block in the middle of a wasteland by a hitherto unknown Russian company at a time when no one else was aware that anything was due to be awarded. As highlighted in-depth by OilPrice.com at the time, Russia’s Stroytransgaz (an almost unknown Russian oil and gas company - except by the U.S. whose Office of Foreign Assets Control extensively sanctioned it in 2014) signed a preliminary contract with the oil ministry in Baghdad for oil and gas exploration in Anbar province (a wasteland as far as Iraq’s oil and gas sector development goes). On the face of it, there was – and is - no real prospect of any substantial amounts of oil or gas being recovered from its Block 17 and additionally stationing any normal oil and gas workers there would be perilous to say the least, as it is an area torn by warring tribal communities, which even Islamic State avoided where possible.
The key to this, though – and vital in understanding the purpose behind the announcement of a doubling (possibly tripling) of Russian overt investment into Iraq – is that the area is critical in Russia fortifying its presence in the central Middle East and being able to secure a warm water multi-layered military presence in the Mediterranean.
“Russia risked full-on military confrontation with the U.S. to get a full-scale Black Sea port [Sevastopol] with access into the Mediterranean when it annexed Crimea in 2014, so there’s nothing it won’t do to build out its foothold in Syria and in the transit and supply route to Syria, which includes Iraq,” said the Iraq source.
In this context, then, Block 17 in Anbar – and the US$20 billion investment announced last week – makes perfect sense for the Russians, as it intends to secure what the U.S. military used to call ‘the spine’ of Islamic State where the Euphrates flows westwards into Syria and eastwards into the Persian Gulf. Along the spine running from east to west are the historical ultra-nationalist and ultra-anti-West cities of Falluja, Ramadi, Hit and Haditha, and then there is Syria, with its key strategic ports of Banias and Tartus. By happy ‘coincidence’ both Banias and Tartus are also extremely close to the massive Russian Khmeimim Air Base and the S-400 Triumf missile system. Although the base only came in to operation in 2015 supposedly to help in the fight against Islamic State, Russia appears to have changed its tactical plans for it, having also signed a 49 year lease on it, with the option for another 25 year extension. A short flight away is Russia’s Latakia intelligence-gathering listening station.


russiainsider--2020-02-24--Russians and Ukrainians Are the SAME PEOPLE - Watch Putin Explain It Brilliantly in Excellent New In

Russians and Ukrainians Are the SAME PEOPLE - Watch Putin Explain It Brilliantly in Excellent New Interview Series

Arguing that Ukrainians are a different nationality from Russians , is like arguing that Texans are a different nationality from Americans .
It is false on the grounds that they are a people of the same ethnic make-up and have a shared cultural , religious , and linguistic history .
The first part of the interview is about the tasks of the new Russian government .
The second part of Vladimir Putin 's interview is about the Russia - Ukraine relationship .
The 20 Questions with Vladimir Putin project is an interview with the President of Russia on the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russia and the world .
06:52 — What did Ukraine lose when relations with Russia fell apart ?
03:56 — On relations between the Russian and the Ukrainian churches 01:59 — Who are the Ukrainians and what unites them with Russians ?
This project is the first-ever of its kind not only for TASS , but for the Russian segment of the Internet .
The episodes will be uploaded from February 20 to March 26 .
Watch them on all TASS platforms !
In this episode : Has Vladimir Putin seen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is dialogue with Zelensky possible ?
How to view Ukrainians ’ national identity ?
Are Russians and Ukrainians one people ?
In the second episode of our “ 20 Questions with Vladimir Putin ” video interview , Andrei Vandenko spoke with the President about relations with Ukraine .
Our special project “ 20 Questions with Vladimir Putin ” consists of 20 episodes , in which we asked the President important and very bold questions .
- Ukraine .
Have you seen the ” Servant of the People “ series ?
- Even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wristwatch like Putin 's ?
- I have n't seen it .
I do n't know either Goloborodko or who is choosing what there .
I have n't seen it .
- Ok .
Though a very interesting pair forms : a galley slave and a servant of the people .
- Ultimately , it ’ s not what you call yourself , it ’ s what you do and how you do it .
- As you know , whatever goes around comes around .
- Is there a chance that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hope is the last thing to die .
Yes , there is a chance .
But unfortunately , after his return from Paris he started talking about the necessity to revise the Minsk Agreements .
This begs the question .
Nevertheless , we managed to agree on the exchange of detained persons and we now managed to agree on gas .
- Does the fact that today we are not friends with Ukraine represent a loss for us ?
-Yes , of course , but as I have repeatedly said I believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
-The Ukrainians do n't like it very much either .
- I do n't know whether they like this or not but if you look at the reality that is true .
You see , we had no difference in our languages until the 11th , 12th and 13th centuries .
And only as a result of Polonization , the part of the Ukrainians who lived in the territory under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , only around the 16th century the first language differences appeared .
- In general , the Ukrainians were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainians were the people who lived on the frontiers of the Russian state .
There were Ukrainians in Pskov ; Ukrainians were the people who defended the southern frontiers from attacks by the Crimean khan .
Ukrainians were in the Urals .
Ukrainians were everywhere .
We had no language differences .
Moreover , around the same time , before the 14th and 15th centuries , even those people , the east Slavs , who lived in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – both in Muscovy and in Poland – were called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much later… - History is history , but now we are talking about the present day .
- To talk about today or tomorrow we need to know history , need to know who we are , where do we come from , what unites us .
- What unites us is… - Now many things divide us .
- Many things divide us .
But we should not forget about things that unite us .
And should not destroy what we have .
For example , the Church .
Why did one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian Orthodox Church ?
You know that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is in fact fully autonomous ; it has been fully autonomous before , including in terms of the election of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate .
The Moscow Patriarchate has never had any influence on the election of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate .
In fact , it has always been independent , completely .
There has been only spiritual unity and mentioning .
The Patriarch of Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in churches .
That 's it !
It has been the only thing uniting the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate .
But they needed to cut the cords that bind .
Why ?
You say people do not understand .
They simply do not know it .
If they know , they will understand better .
- They should be told that .
Why should one be embarrassed ?
Is it insulting for people ?
- Some time passed .
As a result of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Europe , a community of people feeling to some extent independent from the Russian State began to emerge .
How should we feel about that ?
I have already said : we should respect that .
But we should not forget about our shared community .
Moreover , in the modern world , our joint efforts give us huge competitive advantages .
And , vice versa , division makes us weaker .
The Ukrainian factor was specifically played out on the eve of World War I by the Austrian special service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to divide and rule .
Absolutely clear .
Nevertheless , if it happened this way , and a big part of the Ukrainian population got a sense of their own national identity and so on , we should respect that .
We should proceed from the reality but not forget who we are and where we come from .
By the way , the fathers of the Ukrainian nationalism , they never spoke about the urgent need to break up with Russia .
Strange as it may seem , but their major works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is : a ) multinational and should be a federal state , and Today ’ s nationalists seem to have forgotten that .
I will tell you why they have forgotten that .
Do you know why ?
Because the interests of the Ukrainian people are not the main issue on their agenda .
How can it be the interest of the Ukrainian people if the break-up with Russia has led to loss of space engineering , shipbuilding , aircraft engineering and engine manufacturing ; it is virtually the deindustrialization of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be among interests ?
The World Bank demands to stop cross-subsidizing .
What 's good in it ?
Or , they make them export round wood from the Carpathians .
Soon the Carpathians will turn bald .
Why do this if , by joining efforts , we increase our competitive advantages manifold ?
Why lose it ?
Why throw everything away , what for ?
Because the Ukrainian leaders or those who got power pursued their self-interests .
And what were they ?
It was not even to earn more by robbing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been plundered before .
This was the main objective .
So , where is the ‘ dough ’ ?
Pardon my French .
Where is the money ?
In foreign banks .
What do they need to do for this ?
Show that they serve those who have this money .
Hence , the only thing they sell is Russophobia .
Because some like dividing Ukraine and Russia , they believe it 's a very important mission .
Because any integration of Russia and Ukraine , along with their capacities and competitive advantages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rival , a global rival for Europe and the world .
No one wants that .
That 's why they 'll do anything to pull us apart .

Arguing that Ukrainians are a different nationality from Russians, is like arguing that Texans are a different nationality from Americans. It is false on the grounds that they are a people of the same ethnic make-up and have a shared cultural, religious, and linguistic history.
The first part of the interview is about the tasks of the new Russian government. The second part of Vladimir Putin's interview is about the Russia - Ukraine relationship.
The 20 Questions with Vladimir Putin project is an interview with the President of Russia on the most topical subjects of social and political life in Russia and the world.
From TASS:
06:52 — What did Ukraine lose when relations with Russia fell apart?
03:56 — On relations between the Russian and the Ukrainian churches
01:59 — Who are the Ukrainians and what unites them with Russians?
This project is the first-ever of its kind not only for TASS, but for the Russian segment of the Internet. The episodes will be uploaded from February 20 to March 26. Watch them on all TASS platforms! In this episode:
Has Vladimir Putin seen the Servant of the People TV series? Is dialogue with Zelensky possible? How to view Ukrainians’ national identity? Are Russians and Ukrainians one people? In the second episode of our “20 Questions with Vladimir Putin” video interview, Andrei Vandenko spoke with the President about relations with Ukraine. Our special project “20 Questions with Vladimir Putin” consists of 20 episodes, in which we asked the President important and very bold questions.
- Ukraine. Have you seen the ”Servant of the People“ series?
- Even the segment when president Goloborodko is choosing a wristwatch like Putin's?
- I haven't seen it. I don't know either Goloborodko or who is choosing what there. I haven't seen it.
- Ok. Though a very interesting pair forms: a galley slave and a servant of the people.
- Ultimately, it’s not what you call yourself, it’s what you do and how you do it.
- As you know, whatever goes around comes around.
- Is there a chance that you come to terms with Zelensky?
- About peace, about friendship.
- Hope is the last thing to die. Yes, there is a chance. But unfortunately, after his return from Paris he started talking about the necessity to revise the Minsk Agreements. This begs the question. Nevertheless, we managed to agree on the exchange of detained persons and we now managed to agree on gas.
- Does the fact that today we are not friends with Ukraine represent a loss for us?
-Yes, of course, but as I have repeatedly said I believe that we are one and the same people.
-The Ukrainians don't like it very much either.
- I don't know whether they like this or not but if you look at the reality that is true. You see, we had no difference in our languages until the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. And only as a result of Polonization, the part of the Ukrainians who lived in the territory under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, only around the 16th century the first language differences appeared.
- In general, the Ukrainians were called the people who lived …
- Ukrainians were the people who lived on the frontiers of the Russian state. There were Ukrainians in Pskov; Ukrainians were the people who defended the southern frontiers from attacks by the Crimean khan. Ukrainians were in the Urals. Ukrainians were everywhere. We had no language differences.
Moreover, around the same time, before the 14th and 15th centuries, even those people, the east Slavs, who lived in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – both in Muscovy and in Poland – were called Russians. The first language differences appeared much later…
- History is history, but now we are talking about the present day.
- To talk about today or tomorrow we need to know history, need to know who we are, where do we come from, what unites us.
- What unites us is… - Now many things divide us.
- Many things divide us. But we should not forget about things that unite us. And should not destroy what we have. For example, the Church.
Why did one need to destroy the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church?
You know that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is in fact fully autonomous; it has been fully autonomous before, including in terms of the election of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Moscow Patriarchate has never had any influence on the election of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. In fact, it has always been independent, completely. There has been only spiritual unity and mentioning. The Patriarch of Moscow has been mentioned, recalled all the time in churches. That's it! It has been the only thing uniting the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
But they needed to cut the cords that bind. Why?
You say people do not understand. They simply do not know it. If they know, they will understand better.
- They should be told that. Why should one be embarrassed? Is it insulting for people?
- Some time passed. As a result of people sharing the border with the Catholic world, with Europe, a community of people feeling to some extent independent from the Russian State began to emerge.
How should we feel about that? I have already said: we should respect that. But we should not forget about our shared community.
Moreover, in the modern world, our joint efforts give us huge competitive advantages. And, vice versa, division makes us weaker.
The Ukrainian factor was specifically played out on the eve of World War I by the Austrian special service.
Why? It is well-known – to divide and rule. Absolutely clear.
Nevertheless, if it happened this way, and a big part of the Ukrainian population got a sense of their own national identity and so on, we should respect that.
We should proceed from the reality but not forget who we are and where we come from.
By the way, the fathers of the Ukrainian nationalism, they never spoke about the urgent need to break up with Russia. Strange as it may seem, but their major works of the 19th century say that Ukraine is:
a) multinational and should be a federal state, and
b) should build good relations with Russia.
Today’s nationalists seem to have forgotten that. I will tell you why they have forgotten that. Do you know why? Because the interests of the Ukrainian people are not the main issue on their agenda.
How can it be the interest of the Ukrainian people if the break-up with Russia has led to loss of space engineering, shipbuilding, aircraft engineering and engine manufacturing; it is virtually the deindustrialization of the country that is happening. How can it be among interests?
The World Bank demands to stop cross-subsidizing. What's good in it? Or, they make them export round wood from the Carpathians. Soon the Carpathians will turn bald.
Why do this if, by joining efforts, we increase our competitive advantages manifold? Why lose it? Why throw everything away, what for?
Because the Ukrainian leaders or those who got power pursued their self-interests. And what were they? It was not even to earn more by robbing the Ukrainian people but to retain what has been plundered before.
This was the main objective.
So, where is the ‘dough’? Pardon my French. Where is the money? In foreign banks.
What do they need to do for this? Show that they serve those who have this money. Hence, the only thing they sell is Russophobia. Because some like dividing Ukraine and Russia, they believe it's a very important mission.
Because any integration of Russia and Ukraine, along with their capacities and competitive advantages, would lead to the emergence of a rival, a global rival for Europe and the world.
No one wants that. That's why they'll do anything to pull us apart.