southfront--2020-12-30--Japanese Foreign Policy in the Biden Era: Bow and Smile

Will Japanese foreign policy change with the new Biden administration ?
The media line right now in the US is all about “ new beginnings ” and that is echoed in the Japanese mainstream media as well .
However , “ new beginnings ” is defined as a return to normal ” , and “ normal ” is–by definition– .
In the Age of COVID , ‘ normal ’ is regressive .
Joe Biden is an institutional politician : representative of an aging , if not fundamentally conservative political culture , favoring off-the-shelf solutions provided by “ deep state ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to double down on neo-liberal , neo-imperialist foreign policies in place since the end of WWII , which , in fact , did not change much during Trump ’ s tenure .
Although Japan is seen as a loyal American ally , like many US vassal state elsewhere that , for the most part , obediently follow the lead of whomever rules in Washington , it is in many respects more independent than it is given credit for – more so than Canada , for example , or even Germany .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not exotic – and a different set of standards apply .
The Japanese themselves have always agreed with this notion of cultural singularity .
The Japanese are proud of their which they call “ ” , the spirit of a culturally isolated island people .
The think they have evolved as a unique race through centuries of isolation — a different species , as it were .
In the end , the look after their own interests , which they defend passively rather than aggressively since their existence now depends on trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate situationalists .
As the anthropologist Nakane Chie says , they have no principles of the kind that Americans say they have : determines everything , not abstract ideals .
There is no black and white , only a spectrum of colors and shades .
Simple honesty is the mark of a fool .
If George Washington were Japanese , he would have lied about the apple tree .
If you live in Japan , as I do , you have to quickly learn the difference between “ ” “ face ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you feel .
Also “ ” –that which is “ in front ” and “ ” that which is behind .
Social deceit in Japan is an art form , which promotes interpersonal harmony .
In Japan , everything is about stability and balance , which is why tradition and maintenance of appearances are so important .
Accordingly , Japanese politics have been dominated by a single party since 1945 , with “ opposition ” parties , really factions of the main party , and decisions reflecting a consensus of Japan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolferen calls the “ iron triangle ” , which is composed of the Ministries ( Japan ’ s “ deep state ” ) , Business ( the after-retirement “ ” : destination of ministry officials ) , and a hereditary political class , comprising 30 to 40 % .
The Public ?
They go with the flow .
The Prime Minister is little more than a spokesperson for the three estates that make up the triangle and whose interests are aligned to maintain a co-dependent relationship with the foreign world .
When Perry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19th Century , the Japanese saw the need for unity .
But to win against the foreign devils , they had to borrow their weapons and learn to play the Western game , no Go , but poker .
From the Japanese point of view , the American President is just an icon on the political desktop .
Click the Biden Smiley and a whole program opens up , which does not surprise anyone here where the state is nothing if not “ deep ” .
In Japanese society , relationships are defined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case in many other societies .
But Japan is collectivist , and the expression of power must be curbed by the group , which has evolved a unique social system to balance tribalism and factionalism .
Some might say that Japan is intrinsically fascist .
.
But in the western way with its emphasis on individual leaders .
Let us keep in mind that fasces are a bundle of rods .
An individual rod is useless .
A bundle can beat you to death .
In Japan , as in China , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ govern .
Ordinary just want to get on with life , and leave politics to the politicians , who nevertheless claim to represent the will of the people .
The Japanese do this somewhat Confucian system differently from the Chinese .
Each Japanese is dependent on others according to defined social contexts : younger/older ; child/parent ; worker/manager but these dependencies–while apparently binary – are not dichotomous exclusive as they would be in Western cultures It is not the links one on one that matter but the whole .
Your is your superior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his , inferior .
But more than he —because he has to be responsible for you and look after you , so weakness or inability and your part will not degrade the strength of the chain as a whole .
, of course , are someone else ’ s .
And is someone else ’ s .
The separate chains interlink to form a matrix .
So , everyone has an interest in maintain vertical order .
And leap-frogging to a higher position is not permitted or forgiven .
Japan lost WWII ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : for Americans that was a simple master-slave relationship .
For the Japanese American military superiority made them and Japan .
But are not slaves anymore than children are the slaves of their parents .
The Americans had bombed the entire country into rubble .
There were no resources to exploit .
No oil .
No gold .
No minerals .
All Japan had to offer was a strategic position relative to Korea , Russia and China which made the islands useful to Americans as very large alternatives to aircraft carriers .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Japanese jurisdiction , the US still controls a large chunk of the islands.
, with bases that are extra-territorial , outside of Japanese jurisdiction , mini-colonies—as are the other bases elsewhere in Japan .
The Japanese leveraged this postwar quasi-colonial relationship of dependency by borrowing technologies from the West and dominating Western markets with consumer appliances and cars and the like .
In other words , they are quickly creating a Japanese style mutually dependent relationship in the US , as gave more than it received .
The Japanese , as , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places to play soldier and generally support American policy – since it was to their advantage .
As I said , the is expected to give more than he receives , which is primarily social respect and expressions of loyalty , which cost little .
As , the Japanese borrowed American technologies as the Chinese have been accused of – and like the Chinese improved on them .
While taking over the entire American consumer appliances industry and much of the auto industry , they protected their own economy with so-called “ non-tariff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were to “ open ” to their Western partners—but unable to do so because they were not yet strong enough or because the public resisted the government ’ s efforts .
All those uneducated farmers , y ’ know—what can we do ?
Now , however , America has less and less to give .
The future for Japan the West—the West – not Europe and America .
West of Japan is —China , Korea and Russia .
Call it the “ A good example is Japan ’ s “ Eurasian West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While most , if not almost all of the American ’ s nominal vassal states , went along with American sanctions and distanced themselves from Russia after Crimea rejoined Russia , and after MI6 ’ s Skripal false flag , Japan did not change its stance towards its ( New ) Western neighbor .
The English language Japanese media rationalize this as just the nice , polite , etiquette-prone Japanese wanting to play nice with the Russians in the hopes of getting back at least two of the four islands in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in line with common stereotypes of the Japanese .
Douglas MacArthur , for example , once called the Japanese “ a nation of children ” and many Americans still believe it .
The Japanese play the role well but are anything but it is just that – role-play .
Intelligent Japanese laugh inwardly .
In reality , the Japanese knew an agreement with Russia is never going to happen as long as they host American military bases and maintain their military alliance with the US , which is anti-Russian .
Also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputes , possession is nine tenths of the law , as both the US and Japan have often demonstrated throughout their histories , with numerous illegal annexations as a result of war .
Judo PR expert , Vladimir Putin , of course , knew exactly what the Japanese thinking .
The contrast between Japan ’ s behavior relative to Russia and that of other members of the “ Western Alliance ” is striking if you look at it objectively .
After Russia accepted Crimea ’ s application for repatriation , US officials bleated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
American allies joined the chorus and queued up to apply sanctions and called Putin a “ thug ” , “ dictator ” , and the “ Russian Hitler ” .
Prime Minister Abe , on the other hand , had friendly—and respectful – meetings with Putin five times .
Donald Trump would later be accused of treason for just wanting to to Putin .
The Japanese people reacted to the “ annexation ” also differently from Americans .
Natalia Vladimirovna Poklonskaya , the Prosecutor General of Crimea was a media star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gifted the Evil Vladimir with an Akita puppy .
So , the Japanese are not Russophobic like Americans .
Vladimir Putin calendars still regularly outsell those of local Japanese celebrities .
Putin is especially popular among Japanese women .
In the US , selling Putin calendars would earn you a visit from the FBI and a lengthy interrogation .
In Japan , Russian things are not anathema as in the US .
Vladimir is not the Devil .
Then again , there is no Satan in Buddhism .
Japan responded to American pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Washington but made sure they were pretty toothless .
The rather conciliatory attitude of the Japanese in dealing with the Russians , and indeed Japanese sympathy for Vladimir Putin , set Japan apart from other American allies .
It is not much remarked upon in the Western Media , which put all this in the Oriental Exotica frame .
As we said , earlier : the Japanese are !
They eat raw fish .
The are like children .
In any case , the Japanese are careful to publicize the orchestrated Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity ” –sound and fury from sound trucks which ordinary Japanese just laugh at as a kind of neo-nazi cosplay .
“ We ’ re with you ” , say the Japanese to the Americans .
In the case of Russia , geopolitics are paramount for the Japanese .
Russia is a close neighbor and it has considerable influence in the East Asian area , Japan ’ s vital backyard .
Regarded as an honest broker with the Chinese , the Vietnamese and the Philippines , among others , the Russian Federation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil and gas and other natural resources , not to mention an increasingly strategic advantage in the arctic , including control of potential trade routes .
Add to that , sooner or later , high speed rail to Russian ports on the Pacific .
Imagine Moscow to Beijing in two days !
Russia is on the rise and Eurasia is the new frontier .
Go West young man !
China : Don ’ t Bite The Hand That Feeds You .
The Japanese ministries and large businesses which really run the country can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Australia , with China cutting off crucial imports from that country as punishment for anti-Chinese activities , in line with American policy .
That said , the Japanese public , which may like Putin and Russian girls , has a long-standing bias against Chinese ( along with Koreans ) , who they tend to regard as third-class Japanese .
Asians , yes .
But not Japanese .
Once again , the Japanese have territorial disputes which generate such mixed feelings—in this case , a slanging match over the Diaoyu Islands , known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a group of five islands just off Taiwan , which were taken from China during the first Sino-Japanese war .
The Japanese control these islands : the Chinese say they are theirs under the accords that ended WWII .
The islands themselves are just rocks and would be unimportant but for the natural resources in the area , which would be hard for the Japanese to exploit without Chinese cooperation .
Once again , there is a lot of rhetoric aimed at convincing the US that Japan hates the Chinese as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over islands is just a blip in the big picture : the US and European markets are in decline and China is… … .
Japan China .
It also needs Eastern countries such as Thailand , Vietnam and the Philippines – all of which are wary of the US .
The Belt and Road : China and Russia Together More recently , the Japanese have joined RCEP , the Chinese trade agreement that forms a massive trading block catering to a quarter of the world ’ s population—but excludes the US .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was designed to facilitate the Belt and Road Initiative which is Eurasian , and also to function as non-exploitative alternative to the now defunct TPP initiative .
BRI ( the Belt and Road Initiative ) will , at some point , have to include the European Asian Economic Union , which is Russia , Armenia , Belarus , and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan .
Russia itself has FTAs with Vietnam and is apparently negotiating other FTAs with ASEAN countries .
It has a strong cooperative relationship with China with trade on track to double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from RCEP ; rather its development of the EAEU , links the RCEP agreement to the Belt and Road initiative .
Its task is to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and get Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in line , while dealing with Islamic terrorism in Syria and Russia ’ s soft underbelly , the legacy of decades of American meddling .
Uyghur jihadism is extreme and now threatens Turkey and even the Arab oil states .
But CIA support remains steady , as long as US interests are not overtly threatened .
The Russians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional consensus and deterring jihadism – which is another reason for both the Japanese and the Chinese to maintain good relations with them .
There can be no BRI without Russia .
In another move , unremarked about in the media , Japan has signed a medical agreement with Cuba in tacit defiance of US sanctions and policy .
This is the era .
Cuba is a world leader in immunology and vaccines and in the age of “ novel ” viruses , Japan does not want to be left behind .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Pfizer and Moderna , in preference to the much cheaper and equally efficacious Russian Sputnik V vaccine , simply because Japanese Pharma wants access to American mRNA technology which has a huge range of applications in drug manufacture .
As it was mentioned above , the Japanese have no principles .
They don ’ t care about ideology , only getting along .
As time goes on , it needs the US less and less .
Their loyalties depend on the situation .
For example , Japan recognized Juan Guaido as interim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the US ’ s allies in Europe did .
Venezuela didn ’ t have anything it wanted .
If that country had something to offer , you can be sure , the Japanese would have pretended to be neutral .
The US bases in Japan are really essential to Japanese security .
Japan has the fifth strongest military in the world – and unlike Iran , could , if it wanted , go nuclear in six months due to advanced delivery systems , large stores of weapons grade plutonium and nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese , however , to pretend to a kind of pacifism and yet remain loyal to the Americans .
They can say to the Chinese and Russians — “ It isn ’ t fault—we are occupied by the Americans and we can only follow orders ” .
Therefore , the Japanese can belong to the “ Quad ” —a semi-formal anti-Chinese strategic alliance of Japan , India , Australia , and the US , without generating the same animosity from the Chinese as its three partners .
Leverage— .
Dependency— .
The Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s HK Security Law and quickly let the matter slide .
With the recent jailing of HK pro- “ independence ” activists funded by American semi-governmental bodies , Japan voiced “ grave concerns ” using a lower level spokesperson , whose comments received little notice .
The US , NZ and other countries voiced outrage of Chinese graphic artist Wuheqilin ’ s depiction of an Australian soldier slitting a child ’ s throat – in response to reports of many such atrocities by Australian soldiers .
The Japanese remained quiet , not that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wartime atrocities .
A rather convenient excuse .
As it was said above , the Japanese see themselves as a different species , literally In world , each culture represents a different species of human , with evolutionary hierarchy defined by proofs of power .
As an archipelagic people , they see each culture is an island in which human beings evolve differently , just as animals tend to do in ecological niches .
The Japanese won wars against the Russians and Chinese and attribute their final losses in WWII to superior American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resist the Russians and Chinese on the Asian mainland .
But for the war with the Americans , they still think they could have triumphed in China and Siberia .
In the Japanese public mind , Americans are therefore superior , which no doubt is why the ubiquitous heroes and heroines more often than not look Western .
White people are considered somehow physically superior , but especially Koreans and the Chinese are still seen as inferior .
Once the Japanese went to war to subjugate their neighbors — but now all wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power is changing but the manner in which power is applied .
China ’ s obvious military and economic superiority generates ambivalence on the Japanese side , as does Korea ’ s leadership in certain technological areas .
Japanese quasi-racist nationalism is easy to see with regard to territorial issues : the Diaoyu Islands ( China ) , and Dokto Island ( Korea ) , but also Japanese ambivalence .
Japanese diplomats try to use a kind of cultural judo with their Chinese and Korean counterparts – and also the US –characterized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicious application of leverage but it is all talk not action .
There are some basic rules .
• None When in doubt , blame the public .
Of course , the public consensus is directed by the media , which are in turn controlled by that “ Iron Triangle ” that Wolferen talks about , with Press Clubs performing stenography for government and business .
But Japan , like other members of the American imperium , must to be a democracy .
• Otherwise , blame your weakness as an American quasi-colony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this .
A good example is the recent decision of Japanese banks to abide by US sanctions on Carrie Lam and presumably others in HK and China .
Lam herself describes these sanctions as essentially meaningless .
Japan should not want to scare away Chinese investment in Japan when its economy is sinking .
The Japanese statement is clearly , “ Our businesses operating in the US under law must abide by it ” .
Unstated is what they are probably also telling the Chinese : “ law is another matter ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Japanese will blame a host of factors and just say their favorite word : “ ” —which means “ difficult ” , in the sense of “ impossible ” .
“ We ’ d like to do it but it is too “ ” .
” Biden ’ s cabinet is full of neoliberal and neocon war-hawks from previous administrations .
You can expect this new President to continue Obama ’ s attempt to stall Chinese and Russia ’ s economic growth , just as Trump did , although in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not the substance .
But the fact is that China is the only country showing solid economic growth , even with optimistic predictions for Western economies .
American sanctions have actually benefited the Middle Kingdom–just as they benefited Russia by forcing economic and technological independence .
America ’ s 21st Century attempts to maintain its empire are rather like Rome ’ s in the 4th Century : they foster the independence –and the power–of other nations .
The US tried to interfere in HK , which merely prompted the Chinese to assert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
American and Turkish efforts to encourage Islamist separatism in XinJiang led to greater Chinese development of the region , the encouragement of moderate Islam and secularization .
For American businesses including the tech sector , to survive , they need China , which puts them at odds with the so-called “ Deep State ” in the US , which consists of officials in government agencies , the military , thinktanks and the like .
After all , in 2009 , China was the economic engine that dragged the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Global Recession of 2008 .
In Japan , the ministries the “ Deep State ” work in close cooperation with Business .
The Japanese are considered “ conformist ” but this is only in a “ Western ” sense .
This country is racially , ethnically and regionally very homogeneous .
Unanimity is therefore easier to establish than in America ’ s melting pot , which is full of stuff that just refuses to melt .
Simply put , in Japan people find it easier to work together for practical goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not against it each other as is often the case in America , where the “ common good ” must genuflect to the individual .
Biden is just a placeholder President .
He must do as he is told .
His policies are dictated by his teleprompter .
But who writes the script ?
A good indicator of Biden ’ s status is the sudden media interest in his son Hunter , whose dealings were redacted from news coverage before the election and are now in the spotlight , although still “ sanitized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than as corrupt dealings with foreign agents .
There is no talk in the media of prison time for Hunter as there is for Trump .
Although it is quite clear that Biden must have known about his son ’ s dubious dealings , and undoubtedly enabled them , there is no mention of this either .
One can expect the FBI to wrap Hunter ’ s knuckles and exonerate Joe , just as they did with Hillary Clinton and her illegal server back in 2016 .
Another indicator of a red line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Russia accused of cyber terrorism .
These two events may be regarded as warning shots .
It happened to Trump , too – except in his case his feckless attempt to talk to the Russians and Xi led to an endless barrage of heavy guns , forcing him into Russophobic and Sinophobic policies to prove his allegiance to the flag .
Since Hunter Biden was clearly involved with the Chinese , Biden can not go soft on the Chinese , who are a target for the Deep State .
Hunter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem because they are a CIA creation .
Biden will toe the line .
In any case , Kamala is waiting to pounce since given Biden ’ s age and obvious cognitive issues ; there is little chance of his making it to the end of a second term .
On the Japanese side , Abe has been replaced by Suga , another placeholder without real support from any of the major factions .
He will be replaced in 2021 , after taking the blame for Japan ’ s COVID crisis , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything that Abe set in motion .
Therefore .
Je has neither the power nor the inclination to challenge the existing consensus which favors trade with China and positive diplomacy with Russia to ensure access to central Asia .
But he must still genuflect to the US .
That relationship must remain paramount – for the time being .
The US is at war with the world but eventually it will defeat itself .
The Chinese have made clear that they are going to take a harder line against American aggression , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan , if the Japanese get too far out of line .
They are increasingly more assertive regarding the Daioyu Islands , which could easily end up as Chinese bases just as the Dokto ( Liancourt Rocks ) which ended up occupied by the South Koreas .
Japan will tread carefully .
Pretending to be pro-American but in reality promoting closer relations with China and Russia .
They need Eurasia more than they need the US and the EU .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia Deploys S-300V4 To Kuril Islands .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Country

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Written by Julian Macfarlane exclusively for SouthFront
Will Japanese foreign policy change with the new Biden administration?
The simple answer is no.
The media line right now in the US is all about “new beginnings” and that is echoed in the Japanese mainstream media as well. However, “new beginnings” is defined as a return to normal”, and “normal” is–by definition– same-old, same-old. In the Age of COVID, ‘normal’ is regressive.
Joe Biden is an institutional politician: representative of an aging, if not fundamentally conservative political culture, favoring off-the-shelf solutions provided by “deep state” culture. So, you can expect him to double down on neo-liberal, neo-imperialist foreign policies in place since the end of WWII, which, in fact, did not change much during Trump’s tenure.
Although Japan is seen as a loyal American ally, like many US vassal state elsewhere that, for the most part, obediently follow the lead of whomever rules in Washington, it is in many respects more independent than it is given credit for – more so than Canada, for example, or even Germany.
The Japanese Cultural Divide
For Americans, the Japanese are different, if not exotic – and a different set of standards apply. The Japanese themselves have always agreed with this notion of cultural singularity.
The Japanese are proud of their insularity which they call “shimaguni konjo”, the spirit of a culturally isolated island people. The think they have evolved as a unique race through centuries of isolation — a different species, as it were. In the end, the look after their own interests, which they defend passively rather than aggressively since their existence now depends on trade with other peoples.
The Virtue of Deceit
The Japanese are the ultimate situationalists.
As the anthropologist Nakane Chie says, they have no principles of the kind that Americans say they have: context determines everything, not abstract ideals.
There is no black and white, only a spectrum of colors and shades. Simple honesty is the mark of a fool. If George Washington were Japanese, he would have lied about the apple tree. If you live in Japan, as I do, you have to quickly learn the difference between “tatemae” – “face” a kind of personal PR—and “honne” what you really feel. Also “omote” –that which is “in front” and “ura” that which is behind. Social deceit in Japan is an art form, which promotes interpersonal harmony.
In Japan, everything is about stability and balance, which is why tradition and maintenance of appearances are so important.
Accordingly, Japanese politics have been dominated by a single party since 1945, with “opposition” parties, really factions of the main party, and decisions reflecting a consensus of Japan’s three neo-feudal estates: what van Wolferen calls the “iron triangle ”, which is composed of the Ministries (Japan’s “deep state”), Business (the after-retirement “amakudari”: destination of ministry officials), and a hereditary political class, comprising 30 to 40%. The Public? They go with the flow.
The Prime Minister is little more than a spokesperson for the three estates that make up the triangle and whose interests are aligned to maintain a co-dependent relationship with the foreign world. When Perry’s black ships arrived in the 19th Century, the Japanese saw the need for unity. But to win against the foreign devils, they had to borrow their weapons and learn to play the Western game, no Go, but poker.
From the Japanese point of view, the American President is just an icon on the political desktop. Click the Biden Smiley and a whole program opens up, which does not surprise anyone here where the state is nothing if not “deep”.
In Japanese society, relationships are defined by power, as is also the case in many other societies. But Japan is collectivist, and the individual expression of power must be curbed by the group, which has evolved a unique social system to balance tribalism and factionalism. Some might say that Japan is intrinsically fascist.
Maybe. But not in the western way with its emphasis on individual leaders. Let us keep in mind that fasces are a bundle of rods. An individual rod is useless. A bundle can beat you to death.
In Japan, as in China, the public relies on a mandarin class to govern. Ordinary just want to get on with life, and leave politics to the politicians, who nevertheless claim to represent the will of the people.
Leveraging Dependence
The Japanese do this somewhat Confucian system differently from the Chinese.
Each Japanese is dependent on others according to defined social contexts: younger/older; child/parent; worker/manager but these dependencies–while apparently binary – are not dichotomous or exclusive as they would be in Western cultures. It is not the individual links one on one that matter but the whole chain. Your senpai is your superior by age or designation. You are his kohai, inferior. But he gives more than he receives—because he has to be responsible for you and look after you, so weakness or inability and your part will not degrade the strength of the chain as a whole.
You, of course, are someone else’s senpai. And your senpai is someone else’s kohai. The separate chains interlink to form a matrix. So, everyone has an interest in maintain vertical order. And leap-frogging to a higher position is not permitted or forgiven.
Japan lost WWII; it became nominally dependent on the US: for Americans that was a simple master-slave relationship. For the Japanese American military superiority made them senpai and Japan kohai. But kohai are not slaves anymore than children are the slaves of their parents.
In 1945, Japan was totally dependent.
The Americans had bombed the entire country into rubble. There were no resources to exploit. No oil. No gold. No minerals. All Japan had to offer was a strategic position relative to Korea, Russia and China which made the islands useful to Americans as very large alternatives to aircraft carriers. Even today, while it has returned Okinawa to Japanese jurisdiction, the US still controls a large chunk of the islands., with bases that are extra-territorial, outside of Japanese jurisdiction, mini-colonies—as are the other bases elsewhere in Japan.
The Japanese leveraged this postwar quasi-colonial relationship of dependency by borrowing technologies from the West and dominating Western markets with consumer appliances and cars and the like. In other words, they are quickly creating a Japanese style mutually dependent relationship in the US, as sempai gave more than it received. The Japanese, as kohai, were therefore happy to give the Americans places to play soldier and generally support American policy – since it was to their advantage.
As I said, the senpai is expected to give more than he receives, which is primarily social respect and expressions of loyalty, which cost little. Bow and smile.
As kohai, the Japanese borrowed American technologies as the Chinese have been accused of – and like the Chinese improved on them. While taking over the entire American consumer appliances industry and much of the auto industry, they protected their own economy with so-called “non-tariff barriers”, all the while insisting they were trying to “open” to their Western partners—but unable to do so because they were not yet strong enough or because the public resisted the government’s efforts. All those uneducated farmers, y’know—what can we do?
Now, however, America has less and less to give. The future for Japan is the West—the real West – not Europe and America. West of Japan is Asia—China, Korea and Russia. Call it the “Eurasian West”.
Pivot to the Eurasian West: Russia
A good example is Japan’s “Eurasian West” tilt is its relationship with Russia.
While most, if not almost all of the American’s nominal vassal states, went along with American sanctions and distanced themselves from Russia after Crimea rejoined Russia, and after MI6’s Skripal false flag, Japan did not change its stance towards its (New) Western neighbor.
The English language Japanese media rationalize this as just the nice, polite, etiquette-prone Japanese wanting to play nice with the Russians in the hopes of getting back at least two of the four islands in the “northern territories”. This narrative is in line with common stereotypes of the Japanese.
Douglas MacArthur, for example, once called the Japanese “a nation of children” and many Americans still believe it. The Japanese play the role well but are anything but it is just that – role-play. Intelligent Japanese laugh inwardly.
In reality, the Japanese knew an agreement with Russia is never going to happen as long as they host American military bases and maintain their military alliance with the US, which is anti-Russian. Also, they are well aware that in territorial disputes, possession is nine tenths of the law, as both the US and Japan have often demonstrated throughout their histories, with numerous illegal annexations as a result of war. Judo PR expert, Vladimir Putin, of course, knew exactly what the Japanese thinking.
The contrast between Japan’s behavior relative to Russia and that of other members of the “Western Alliance” is striking if you look at it objectively. After Russia accepted Crimea’s application for repatriation, US officials bleated about the “Russian invasion of Crimea”. American allies joined the chorus and queued up to apply sanctions and called Putin a “thug”, “dictator”, and the “Russian Hitler”. Prime Minister Abe, on the other hand, had friendly—and respectful – meetings with Putin five times. Donald Trump would later be accused of treason for just wanting to talk to Putin.
The Japanese people reacted to the “annexation” also differently from Americans. Natalia Vladimirovna Poklonskaya, the Prosecutor General of Crimea was a media star in Japan.
The Governor of Akita gifted the Evil Vladimir with an Akita puppy.
Putin responded with a Siberian kitten.
So, the Japanese are not Russophobic like Americans.
Vladimir Putin calendars still regularly outsell those of local Japanese celebrities. Putin is especially popular among Japanese women. In the US, selling Putin calendars would earn you a visit from the FBI and a lengthy interrogation.
In Japan, Russian things are not anathema as in the US. Vladimir is not the Devil. Then again, there is no Satan in Buddhism.
Japan responded to American pressure to apply sanctions on Russia as directed by Washington but made sure they were pretty toothless.
The rather conciliatory attitude of the Japanese in dealing with the Russians, and indeed Japanese sympathy for Vladimir Putin, set Japan apart from other American allies. It is not much remarked upon in the Western Media, which put all this in the Oriental Exotica frame. As we said, earlier: the Japanese are different! They eat raw fish. The are like children.
In any case, the Japanese are careful to publicize the orchestrated Japanese rightwing hullabaloo in Japan about “national integrity” –sound and fury from sound trucks which ordinary Japanese just laugh at as a kind of neo-nazi cosplay.
“We’re with you”, say the Japanese to the Americans. And smile and bow.
Geopolitics
In the case of Russia, geopolitics are paramount for the Japanese.
Russia is a close neighbor and it has considerable influence in the East Asian area, Japan’s vital backyard. Regarded as an honest broker with the Chinese, the Vietnamese and the Philippines, among others, the Russian Federation is a net agricultural products exporter, has oil and gas and other natural resources, not to mention an increasingly strategic advantage in the arctic, including control of potential trade routes. Add to that, sooner or later, high speed rail to Russian ports on the Pacific.
Imagine Moscow to Beijing in two days! Russia is on the rise and Eurasia is the new frontier. Go West young man!
China: Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You.
China is Japan’s leading trading partner.
The Japanese ministries and large businesses which really run the country cannot fail to see what is happening to Australia, with China cutting off crucial imports from that country as punishment for anti-Chinese activities, in line with American policy.
That said, the Japanese public, which may like Putin and Russian girls, has a long-standing bias against Chinese (along with Koreans), who they tend to regard as third-class Japanese. Asians, yes. But not Japanese.
As usual Japanese attitudes are ambivalent.
Once again, the Japanese have territorial disputes which generate such mixed feelings—in this case, a slanging match over the Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkaku’s in Japanese, a group of five islands just off Taiwan, which were taken from China during the first Sino-Japanese war. The Japanese control these islands: the Chinese say they are theirs under the accords that ended WWII. The islands themselves are just rocks and would be unimportant but for the natural resources in the area, which would be hard for the Japanese to exploit without Chinese cooperation.
Once again, there is a lot of rhetoric aimed at convincing the US that Japan hates the Chinese as the Americans do.
Yet, this spat over islands is just a blip in the big picture: the US and European markets are in decline and China is…again…rising.
Japan needs China. It also needs Eastern countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines – all of which are wary of the US.
The Belt and Road: China and Russia Together
More recently, the Japanese have joined RCEP, the Chinese trade agreement that forms a massive trading block catering to a quarter of the world’s population—but excludes the US. Let us keep in mind that this agreement was designed to facilitate the Belt and Road Initiative which is Eurasian, and also to function as non-exploitative alternative to the now defunct TPP initiative.
BRI (the Belt and Road Initiative) will, at some point, have to include the European Asian Economic Union, which is Russia, Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Russia itself has FTAs with Vietnam and is apparently negotiating other FTAs with ASEAN countries. It has a strong cooperative relationship with China with trade on track to double by 2024. It was never excluded from RCEP; rather its development of the EAEU, links the RCEP agreement to the Belt and Road initiative. Its task is to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and get Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in line, while dealing with Islamic terrorism in Syria and Russia’s soft underbelly, the legacy of decades of American meddling.
Beginning in 1979, the CIA, operating with the ISI Pakistani Intelligence Service and Saudi money, funded and equipped reactionary Mujahedeen forces in Afghanistan to bring down a revolutionary government there. The U.S. cultivated and promoted extreme religious fanaticism, based in Saudi Arabia, against progressive secular regimes in the region. This reactionary force was also weaponized against the Soviet Union and an anti-imperialist Islamic current represented by the Iranian Revolution. For four decades, the CIA and secret Pakistan ISI forces in Afghanistan sought to recruit and train Uyghur mercenaries, planning to use them as a future terror force in China. Chechens from Russia’s Caucasus region were recruited for the same reason. Both groups were funneled into Syria in the U.S. regime-change operation there. These fanatical religious forces, along with other small ethnic groups, formed the backbone of the Islamic State group (IS) and Al-Qaida.
Uyghur jihadism is extreme and now threatens Turkey and even the Arab oil states. But CIA support remains steady, as long as US interests are not overtly threatened.
The Russians have made a lot of progress in promoting regional consensus and deterring jihadism – which is another reason for both the Japanese and the Chinese to maintain good relations with them. There can be no BRI without Russia.
Latin America
In another move, unremarked about in the media, Japan has signed a medical agreement with Cuba in tacit defiance of US sanctions and policy. This is the COVID era. Cuba is a world leader in immunology and vaccines and in the age of “novel” viruses, Japan does not want to be left behind. Japan has signed on for the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, in preference to the much cheaper and equally efficacious Russian Sputnik V vaccine, simply because Japanese Pharma wants access to American mRNA technology which has a huge range of applications in drug manufacture.
As it was mentioned above, the Japanese have no principles. They don’t care about ideology, only getting along. As time goes on, it needs the US less and less. Their loyalties depend on the situation.
For example, Japan recognized Juan Guaido as interim president of the Venezuela, just as most of the US’s allies in Europe did. Venezuela didn’t have anything it wanted. If that country had had something to offer, you can be sure, the Japanese would have pretended to be neutral.
The US bases in Japan are not really essential to Japanese security. Japan has the fifth strongest military in the world – and unlike Iran, could, if it wanted, go nuclear in six months due to advanced delivery systems, large stores of weapons grade plutonium and nuclear technology.
The American bases allow the Japanese, however, to pretend to a kind of pacifism and yet remain loyal to the Americans. They can say to the Chinese and Russians — “It isn’t our fault—we are de facto occupied by the Americans and we can only follow orders”.
Therefore, the Japanese can belong to the “Quad”—a semi-formal anti-Chinese strategic alliance of Japan, India, Australia, and the US, without generating the same animosity from the Chinese as its three partners. Leverage—again. Dependency—again.
The Japanese made the appropriate noises about China’s HK Security Law and quickly let the matter slide. With the recent jailing of HK pro- “independence” activists funded by American semi-governmental bodies, Japan voiced “grave concerns” using a lower level spokesperson, whose comments received little notice. The US, NZ and other countries voiced outrage of Chinese graphic artist Wuheqilin’s depiction of an Australian soldier slitting a child’s throat – in response to reports of many such atrocities by Australian soldiers. The Japanese remained quiet, not that they are in any position to talk about wartime atrocities. A rather convenient excuse.
Japanese Speciesism: Winners and Losers
As it was said above, the Japanese see themselves as a different species, literally Homo Sapiens Iaponia.
In their world, each culture represents a different species of human, with evolutionary hierarchy defined by proofs of power. As an archipelagic people, they see each culture is an island in which human beings evolve differently, just as animals tend to do in ecological niches. The Japanese won wars against the Russians and Chinese and attribute their final losses in WWII to superior American power, which impeded Japanese ability to resist the Russians and Chinese on the Asian mainland. But for the war with the Americans, they still think they could have triumphed in China and Siberia.
In the Japanese public mind, Americans are therefore superior, which no doubt is why the ubiquitous manga heroes and heroines more often than not look Western. White people are considered somehow physically superior, but especially Homo Sapiens Americanus represented in Japan by Hollywood.
Koreans and the Chinese are still seen as inferior. Once the Japanese went to war to subjugate their neighbors — but now all wars are economic. Not just the balance of power is changing but the manner in which power is applied. China’s obvious military and economic superiority generates ambivalence on the Japanese side, as does Korea’s leadership in certain technological areas.
Japanese quasi-racist nationalism is easy to see with regard to territorial issues: the Diaoyu Islands (China), and Dokto Island (Korea), but also Japanese ambivalence. Japanese diplomats try to use a kind of cultural judo with their Chinese and Korean counterparts – and also the US –characterized by evasion, circular movements, and judicious application of leverage but it is all talk not action.
There are some basic rules.
When in doubt, blame the public. Of course, the public consensus is directed by the media, which are in turn controlled by that “Iron Triangle” that Wolferen talks about, with Press Clubs performing stenography for government and business. But Japan, like other members of the American imperium, must pretend to be a democracy. Otherwise, blame your weakness as an American quasi-colony. The Americans are forcing us to do this. A good example is the recent decision of Japanese banks to abide by US sanctions on Carrie Lam and presumably others in HK and China. Lam herself describes these sanctions as essentially meaningless. Japan should not want to scare away Chinese investment in Japan when its economy is sinking. The Japanese statement is clearly, “Our businesses operating in the US under US law must abide by it”. Unstated is what they are probably also telling the Chinese: “Japanese law is another matter”. Wink, wink. Nod, nod. If the Americans become insistent, the Japanese will blame a host of factors and just say their favorite word: “muri”—which means “difficult”, in the sense of “impossible”. “We’d like to do it but it is too “muri”.” Smile and bow.
Biden and the Post Covid Economic Slump
Biden’s cabinet is full of neoliberal and neocon war-hawks from previous administrations. You can expect this new President to continue Obama’s attempt to stall Chinese and Russia’s economic growth, just as Trump did, although in a different way. The style will differ but not the substance.
But the fact is that China is the only country showing solid economic growth, even with optimistic predictions for Western economies.
American sanctions have actually benefited the Middle Kingdom–just as they benefited Russia by forcing economic and technological independence. America’s 21st Century attempts to maintain its empire are rather like Rome’s in the 4th Century: they foster the independence –and the power–of other nations. The US tried to interfere in HK, which merely prompted the Chinese to assert greater control of HK as a Chinese state. American and Turkish efforts to encourage Islamist separatism in XinJiang led to greater Chinese development of the region, the encouragement of moderate Islam and secularization.
For American businesses including the tech sector, to survive, they need China, which puts them at odds with the so-called “Deep State” in the US, which consists of officials in government agencies, the military, thinktanks and the like. After all, in 2009, China was the economic engine that dragged the rest of the world, including the US out of the Great Global Recession of 2008.
In Japan, the ministries aka the “Deep State” work in close cooperation with Business. The Japanese are considered “conformist” but this is only in a “Western” sense. This country is racially, ethnically and regionally very homogeneous. Unanimity is therefore easier to establish than in America’s melting pot, which is full of stuff that just refuses to melt. Simply put, in Japan people find it easier to work together for practical goals, which benefit the common good, not against it each other as is often the case in America, where the “common good” must genuflect to the individual.
In Japan, don’t think conformism—think unanimity.
A Placeholder President
Biden is just a placeholder President. He must do as he is told. His policies are dictated by his teleprompter. But who writes the script?
A good indicator of Biden’s status is the sudden media interest in his son Hunter, whose dealings were redacted from news coverage before the election and are now in the spotlight, although still “sanitized” as ”tax issues” rather than as corrupt dealings with foreign agents. There is no talk in the media of prison time for Hunter as there is for Trump. Although it is quite clear that Biden must have known about his son’s dubious dealings, and undoubtedly enabled them, there is no mention of this either. One can expect the FBI to wrap Hunter’s knuckles and exonerate Joe, just as they did with Hillary Clinton and her illegal server back in 2016.
Another indicator of a red line for Biden is Russiagate Part II, with Russia accused of cyber terrorism.
These two events may be regarded as warning shots. It happened to Trump, too – except in his case his feckless attempt to talk to the Russians and Xi led to an endless barrage of heavy guns, forcing him into Russophobic and Sinophobic policies to prove his allegiance to the flag.
Since Hunter Biden was clearly involved with the Chinese, Biden cannot go soft on the Chinese, who are a target for the Deep State. Hunter’s involvement with Ukrainian Nazis is not a problem because they are a CIA creation. Biden will toe the line. In any case, Kamala is waiting to pounce since given Biden’s age and obvious cognitive issues; there is little chance of his making it to the end of a second term.
On the Japanese side, Abe has been replaced by Suga, another placeholder without real support from any of the major factions. He will be replaced in 2021, after taking the blame for Japan’s COVID crisis, the ultimate fall guy for interregnum troubles and anything that Abe set in motion. Therefore. Je has neither the power nor the inclination to challenge the existing consensus which favors trade with China and positive diplomacy with Russia to ensure access to central Asia. But he must still genuflect to the US. That relationship must remain paramount – for the time being. The US is at war with the world but eventually it will defeat itself.
The Chinese have made clear that they are going to take a harder line against American aggression, both economic and otherwise and that will include Japan, if the Japanese get too far out of line. They are increasingly more assertive regarding the Daioyu Islands, which could easily end up as Chinese bases just as the Dokto (Liancourt Rocks) which ended up occupied by the South Koreas.
Japan will tread carefully. Pretending to be pro-American but in reality promoting closer relations with China and Russia. They need Eurasia more than they need the US and the EU.
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southfront--2020-12-30--Explosions Follow Saudi-Backed Yemeni Government To Aden’s Presidential Palace

On December 30 afternoon , a large blast was heard near Aden ’ s Presidential Palace , which hosts the Prime Minister and all 24 members of the newly-formed Saudi-backed Yemeni government .
Government members were moved to the palace earlier today after an attack on Aden Airport .
Several projectiles struck the airport shortly after a plane carrying the ministers arrived from Saudi Arabia .
The explosions in Aden Airport left 22 people dead , according to a number of Yemeni sources .
More than 50 others were reportedly injured .
The explosion near Aden ’ s Presidential Palace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack .
The UAE-based al-Arabiya TV said the explosion was caused by the successful interception of an armed drone that was heading to attack the palace .
No human losses were reported .
The characteristics of today ’ s attacks in Aden suggest that the Houthis , Ansar Allah , were the perpetrators .
However , the Yemeni group denied responsibility for the rocket strike on the airport .
“ The confused statements of the mercenary government of Riyadh about the explosions in Aden Airport are questionable , ” Dhaifallah al-Shami , Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government , said on Twitter .
“ It is an attempt to cover up their crimes against civilians and to settle the inter-accounts of mercenary parties.
” The new Yemeni government was formed in the framework of the 2019 Riyadh agreement that put an end to a heated crisis between pro-Saudi parities and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council .
The attacks in Aden will likely enflame the already tense situation in Yemen .
Fierce battles between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are still taking place on several fronts .
Despite the UN-backed peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be far from over .
The intra-Yemeni peace talks , which saw some progress last year , are yet to bear any fruit .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Saudi-led Coalition Bombed Crash Site Of Its Combat Drone Shot Down By Houthis ( Video , Map )

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On December 30 afternoon, a large blast was heard near Aden’s Presidential Palace, which hosts the Prime Minister and all 24 members of the newly-formed Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
Government members were moved to the palace earlier today after an attack on Aden Airport. Several projectiles struck the airport shortly after a plane carrying the ministers arrived from Saudi Arabia.
The explosions in Aden Airport left 22 people dead, according to a number of Yemeni sources. More than 50 others were reportedly injured.
The explosion near Aden’s Presidential Palace was apparently the result of a follow-up attack. The UAE-based al-Arabiya TV said the explosion was caused by the successful interception of an armed drone that was heading to attack the palace. No human losses were reported.
The characteristics of today’s attacks in Aden suggest that the Houthis, Ansar Allah, were the perpetrators. However, the Yemeni group denied responsibility for the rocket strike on the airport.
“The confused statements of the mercenary government of Riyadh about the explosions in Aden Airport are questionable,” Dhaifallah al-Shami, Minister of Information in the pro-Houthi Sanaa-based Salvation Government, said on Twitter. “ It is an attempt to cover up their crimes against civilians and to settle the inter-accounts of mercenary parties.”
The new Yemeni government was formed in the framework of the 2019 Riyadh agreement that put an end to a heated crisis between pro-Saudi parities and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.
The attacks in Aden will likely enflame the already tense situation in Yemen. Fierce battles between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are still taking place on several fronts.
On December 29, Ansar Allah attacked positions of Saudi-led forces in Jabal Murad and reportedly captured Ahdhan Mountain.
The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 150 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours.
On December 29, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on Sanaa Airport.
On December 29, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Zaher area.
On December 29, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 5 airstrikes on the Kitaf area.
On December 30, clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces were reported near the Labanat base.
Despite the UN-backed peace efforts, the war in Yemen appears to be far from over. The intra-Yemeni peace talks, which saw some progress last year, are yet to bear any fruit.
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southfront--2020-12-30--Syrian Army Supported By Russian Forces Continues Operation Against ISIS In Desert

The Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) large-scale operation against ISIS cells in the country ’ s vast central region is still ongoing .
The operation , which was launched by the army and other pro-government forces on December 22 , is meant to secure the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle .
During the last few months , ISIS terrorists carried out dozens of attacks on troops and civilians in the region .
On December 30 , the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that heavy clashes between army troops and ISIS terrorists are still taking place in the triangle .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation since the day one .
In the last 24 hours , a number of airstrikes targeted ISIS terrorists and their hideouts in eastern Hama , southern Aleppo and southern Raqqa .
The ongoing clashes in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle led to casualties among the both sides .
However , there are no details on the losses .
During 2020 , ISIS terrorists managed to expand their influence in Syria ’ s central region beyond their stronghold , the Homs desert .
The terrorists established hideouts in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle as well as in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SAA and its allies will have to adopt a more aggressive approach to counter the growing ISIS threat in the central region if they want to neutralize ISIS cells before their operations reach urban centers .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Drama In Al-Qaeda ’ s Safe Haven : U.S. Drone Strike Hits Vehicle In Greater Idlib ( Photos ) • Tel Aviv Believes That Best Present Is War .
Israel Warplanes Pound Damascus Countryside ( Photos , Video )

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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) large-scale operation against ISIS cells in the country’s vast central region is still ongoing.
The operation, which was launched by the army and other pro-government forces on December 22, is meant to secure the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle. During the last few months, ISIS terrorists carried out dozens of attacks on troops and civilians in the region.
On December 30, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that heavy clashes between army troops and ISIS terrorists are still taking place in the triangle.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have been supporting the operation since the day one. In the last 24 hours, a number of airstrikes targeted ISIS terrorists and their hideouts in eastern Hama, southern Aleppo and southern Raqqa.
The ongoing clashes in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle led to casualties among the both sides. However, there are no details on the losses.
During 2020, ISIS terrorists managed to expand their influence in Syria’s central region beyond their stronghold, the Homs desert. The terrorists established hideouts in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle as well as in the western Deir Ezzor countryside.
The SAA and its allies will have to adopt a more aggressive approach to counter the growing ISIS threat in the central region if they want to neutralize ISIS cells before their operations reach urban centers.
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southfront--2020-12-30--Russia Suffers Casualties In Greater Idlib. Israel Pounds Damascus Countryside

On the morning of December 30th , warplanes of the Israeli Air Force once again carried out strikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus .
According to reports one person was killed and 3 others injured in the attack .
Earlier , an unidentified , unmanned aerial vehicle struck several oil tanks near the village of al-Hamran , which is located north of the town of Manbij in northern Syria .
The village is situated on the contact line between territories controlled by Turkish-backed forces and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to SDF-linked oil smugglers , who were selling oil looted from the US-controlled oil fields on the eastern bank of the Euphrates to Turkish-linked entities .
This oil smuggling business sheds light on the real face of the Kurdish SDF leadership , which likes to make loud statements about its alleged patriotism and its plans to expel the Turkish Army from northern Syria .
In Idlib , three Russian service members received minor injuries as a result of an ATGM strike on their armoured vehicle , the Russian Defense Ministry reported on December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armored personnel carrier of the Russian Military Police came under attack from the territory controlled by Turkish-backed militants .
Russian forces , in cooperation with the Turkish military and Syrian security forces , are looking for those involved .
These developments came as the Turkish Armed Forces were working to evacuate their observation point near the town of Tell Touqan .
This was one of their last remaining points within the territories , which have been liberated by the Syrian Army .
Over the past months , Turkey has withdrawn a group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Syrian troops .
In light of this , the recent increase in attacks by Turkish proxies along the contact line may be a part of the Turkish game aimed at demonstrating that any decrease of the Turkish military presence in Greater Idlib would lead to the deterioration of the security situation there .

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You can read this article in German. LINK
On the morning of December 30th, warplanes of the Israeli Air Force once again carried out strikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus. According to reports one person was killed and 3 others injured in the attack.
Earlier, an unidentified, unmanned aerial vehicle struck several oil tanks near the village of al-Hamran, which is located north of the town of Manbij in northern Syria. The village is situated on the contact line between territories controlled by Turkish-backed forces and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
According to local sources, the oil tankers belonged to SDF-linked oil smugglers, who were selling oil looted from the US-controlled oil fields on the eastern bank of the Euphrates to Turkish-linked entities. This oil smuggling business sheds light on the real face of the Kurdish SDF leadership, which likes to make loud statements about its alleged patriotism and its plans to expel the Turkish Army from northern Syria.
In Idlib, three Russian service members received minor injuries as a result of an ATGM strike on their armoured vehicle, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on December 29. The report said that an armored personnel carrier of the Russian Military Police came under attack from the territory controlled by Turkish-backed militants. Russian forces, in cooperation with the Turkish military and Syrian security forces, are looking for those involved.
These developments came as the Turkish Armed Forces were working to evacuate their observation point near the town of Tell Touqan. This was one of their last remaining points within the territories, which have been liberated by the Syrian Army.
Over the past months, Turkey has withdrawn a group of its posts, which had been besieged by Syrian troops. In light of this, the recent increase in attacks by Turkish proxies along the contact line may be a part of the Turkish game aimed at demonstrating that any decrease of the Turkish military presence in Greater Idlib would lead to the deterioration of the security situation there.
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southfront--2020-12-31--Joint Russian-Turkish Center To Monitor Karabakh Ceasefire Will Start Working In 10-14 Days: Azerbai

Joint Russian-Turkish Center To Monitor Karabakh Ceasefire Will Start Working In 10-14 Days: Azerbaijani President

A joint Russian-Turkish center to monitor the ceasefire regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh region will start working in 10-14 days , President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said on December 31 .
“ The Azerbaijani side is now building a center to be located in the Agdam region .
This monitoring center will be ready in the next ten days – maximum two weeks , ” Aliyev said at a meeting with the Turkish delegation led by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar , according to TASS .
The Azerbaijani President said that the Turkish side is fully ready for the participation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities , the better .
Because , despite the fact that almost two months have passed since the end of the war , threats still exist .
Uncontrolled Armenian military formations operate on our territory , some of which do not want to surrender .
Therefore , to eliminate this threat and , in general , to ensure peace and stability in the region in the future , a monitoring center is definitely needed , “ Aliyev noted .
He expressed confidence that the Russian-Turkish “ will cope ( with this task ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh : • On December 30 , the Artsakh Ministry of Defense issued a statement denying any involvement of its forces in clashes in the Hadrut area .
• As of December 31 , 1113 bodies have been retrieved from the battle zone , according to the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh • On December 31 , Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar arrived in Baku and met with Turkish soldiers who will participate in the ceasefire monitoring process in the Karabakh • On December 31 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint Turkish-Russian center to monitor the ceasefire in Karabakh will be established within the next two weeks MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Crisis In Armenia Deepens Due To Ongoing Demarcation Of Border With Azerbaijan

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A joint Russian-Turkish center to monitor the ceasefire regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh region will start working in 10-14 days, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said on December 31.
“The Azerbaijani side is now building a center to be located in the Agdam region. This monitoring center will be ready in the next ten days – maximum two weeks,” Aliyev said at a meeting with the Turkish delegation led by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, according to TASS.
The Azerbaijani President said that the Turkish side is fully ready for the participation.
“The sooner the monitoring center starts its activities, the better. Because, despite the fact that almost two months have passed since the end of the war, threats still exist. Uncontrolled Armenian military formations operate on our territory, some of which do not want to surrender. Therefore, to eliminate this threat and, in general, to ensure peace and stability in the region in the future, a monitoring center is definitely needed, “Aliyev noted.
He expressed confidence that the Russian-Turkish “will cope (with this task) with honor”.
A brief overview of the recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh:
On December 30, the Artsakh Ministry of Defense issued a statement denying any involvement of its forces in clashes in the Hadrut area.
As of December 31, 1113 bodies have been retrieved from the battle zone, according to the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh
On December 31, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar arrived in Baku and met with Turkish soldiers who will participate in the ceasefire monitoring process in the Karabakh
On December 31, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that the joint Turkish-Russian center to monitor the ceasefire in Karabakh will be established within the next two weeks
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southfront--2020-12-31--Rusia Sufre Bajas En El Gran Idlib. Israel Bombardea La Campiña De Damasco.

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Rusia sufre bajas en el Gran Idlib. Israel bombardea la campiña de Damasco.
En la mañana del 30 de diciembre, aviones de combate de la Fuerza Aérea Israelí llevaron a cabo nuevos ataques contra supuestos objetivos iraníes en la campiña de Damasco. Según informes, murió una persona producto del ataque y otras 3 resultaron heridas.
Más temprano, un vehículo aéreo no tripulado sin identificar impactó varios camiones cisterna con petróleo cerca de la aldea de al-Hamran, al norte de la ciudad de Manbij en el norte de Siria. El pueblo está situado en la línea de contacto entre territorios controlados por fuerzas respaldadas por Turquía y los controlados por las Fuerzas Democráticas Sirias (SDF), dominadas por los kurdos.
Según fuentes locales, los camiones cisterna pertenecían a contrabandistas de petróleo vinculados a las SDF, los que vendían a entidades vinculadas a Turquía petróleo sustraído de campos petrolíferos de la orilla oriental del Éufrates controlados por Estados Unidos . Este negocio de contrabando de petróleo arroja luz sobre el verdadero rostro del liderazgo kurdo de las SDF, el que gusta de hacer altisonantes declaraciones sobre su patriotismo y planes de expulsar al ejército turco del norte de Siria.
En Idlib, tres miembros de los servicios rusos recibieron heridas leves producto de un ataque contra su vehículo blindado con un misil guiado anti tanque , según informó el 29 de diciembre el Ministerio de Defensa ruso . Según el informe, un vehículo blindado de la Policía Militar rusa fue atacado desde el territorio controlado por militantes respaldados por Turquía. Las fuerzas rusas, en cooperación con el ejército turco y fuerzas de seguridad sirias, están buscando a los responsables.
Estos acontecimientos se produjeron mientras que las Fuerzas Armadas turcas estaban evacuando su punto de observación cerca de la ciudad de Tell Touqan. Este era uno de los últimos puestos que les quedaban dentro de los territorios liberados por el ejército sirio.
En los últimos meses, Turquía ha retirado tropas de varios puestos que habían sido sitiados por las tropas sirias. A la luz de esto, el reciente aumento en los ataques a lo largo de la línea de contacto por parte de militantes vinculados a Turquia puede ser parte del juego turco que apunta a mostrar que cualquier disminución en la presencia militar turca en el Gran Idlib llevaría al deterioro de la seguridad en esa zona.
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southfront--2020-12-31--Iranian President Vows Soleimani Killing Will Not Go Unpunished In Eerie Warning To US President Don

Iranian President Vows Soleimani Killing Will Not Go Unpunished In Eerie Warning To US President Donald Trump

On December 30th , Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech , in which he reminded that the assassination of Quds Force commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani would not go unpunished .
The entire statement is available in English on the Iranian presidential website .
Rouhani made some interesting claims , such as that the US assassinated Soleimani because it wants to harm “ the Islamic Republic of Iran , independence of regional countries and revenge against those great nations that stood against the conspiracies of the United States and Zionism and foiled that conspiracy ” .
Furthermore , Rouhani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American mercenaries in the region and stressed : The only parties , according to the Iranian President , who benefit from chaos and instability in the region are the US and Israel .
Finally , Rouhani made an eerie statement regarding US President Donald Trump , hailing his departure from office and saying that his “ in just a few days , the life of this criminal will end.
” This can be seen on the screenshot below from the official English version posted on the presidential website as of noon on December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces are in the region , the region will not experience good days , President Rouhani said expressing hope that regional nations would “ someday cut the foot of the aggressors and criminals.
” Separately , Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said that there was no expiry date for taking revenge on assassination of Iranian Commander Lt General Qassem Soleimani .
In his statement , Baqeri said that the US should leave the West Asia region ; this is inevitable , and all revolutionary youth across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double effort to achieve the end .
He further highlighted determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran , the Muslim nations and freedom-seekers across the world advocating proportionate retaliation of the crime .
Earlier , spokesman for headquarters in charge of organizing the first anniversary of assassination of General Soleimani , Hossein Amir-Abdollahian , had said at a TV program that Iran has prepared documents to issue criminal indictment against those behind the assassination of Soleimani .
Today , Iran could identify who was the leader of the attack , from which country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave information about terrorist operation to the US , Amir-Abdollahian has noted .
Tensions in the Middle East , and specifically in the Persian Gulf are at the boiling point , with Iran preparing for a potential US and Israeli attack .
The US has the USS Georgia nuclear submarine , loaded to the brim with Tomahawk missiles , as well as two guided missile destroyers .
Israel also deployed a submarine .
Since the U.S. strike on Soleimani , the U.S. has been anticipating retaliatory moves from Iran .
In the days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wave of missiles at U.S. positions in Iraq , though no deaths were reported .
The U.S. has been on alert for additional Iranian attacks amid increasing revenge rhetoric from Iran .
On December 29th , the U.S. deployed a pair of B-52 bombers to the region , amid reports of a potential “ complex attack ” against Americans in Iraq .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Israel Sends Submarine To Persian Gulf .
Iran Is Preparing To Repel US-Israeli Attacks

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On December 30th, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech, in which he reminded that the assassination of Quds Force commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani would not go unpunished.
The entire statement is available in English on the Iranian presidential website.
Rouhani made some interesting claims, such as that the US assassinated Soleimani because it wants to harm “the Islamic Republic of Iran, independence of regional countries and revenge against those great nations that stood against the conspiracies of the United States and Zionism and foiled that conspiracy”.
Furthermore, Rouhani called ISIS a handful of Zionist and American mercenaries in the region and stressed:
“They did not want the ISIL to end like this, they wanted ISIL to take over the region, and that is why when they were wounded, the Israelis would take them to their hospitals, healed them and re-equipped them”.
The only parties, according to the Iranian President, who benefit from chaos and instability in the region are the US and Israel.
“No one in the region would benefit from an insecure in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen or Afghanistan”.
Finally, Rouhani made an eerie statement regarding US President Donald Trump, hailing his departure from office and saying that his “in just a few days, the life of this criminal will end.”
This can be seen on the screenshot below from the official English version posted on the presidential website as of noon on December 31st.
As long as the US forces are in the region, the region will not experience good days, President Rouhani said expressing hope that regional nations would “someday cut the foot of the aggressors and criminals.”
Separately, Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said that there was no expiry date for taking revenge on assassination of Iranian Commander Lt General Qassem Soleimani.
In his statement, Baqeri said that the US should leave the West Asia region; this is inevitable, and all revolutionary youth across the region and the world will make double effort to achieve the end.
He further highlighted determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Muslim nations and freedom-seekers across the world advocating proportionate retaliation of the crime.
Earlier, spokesman for headquarters in charge of organizing the first anniversary of assassination of General Soleimani, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, had said at a TV program that Iran has prepared documents to issue criminal indictment against those behind the assassination of Soleimani.
Today, Iran could identify who was the leader of the attack, from which country the attack was carried out and who gave information about terrorist operation to the US, Amir-Abdollahian has noted.
Tensions in the Middle East, and specifically in the Persian Gulf are at the boiling point, with Iran preparing for a potential US and Israeli attack.
The US has the USS Georgia nuclear submarine, loaded to the brim with Tomahawk missiles, as well as two guided missile destroyers. Israel also deployed a submarine.
Since the U.S. strike on Soleimani, the U.S. has been anticipating retaliatory moves from Iran. In the days after his death, Iran did launch a wave of missiles at U.S. positions in Iraq, though no deaths were reported. The U.S. has been on alert for additional Iranian attacks amid increasing revenge rhetoric from Iran. On December 29th, the U.S. deployed a pair of B-52 bombers to the region, amid reports of a potential “complex attack” against Americans in Iraq.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-12-31--All Eyes On Aden, As Saudi Arabia Shows Inability To Protect Its Yemeni Puppet Government

On December 30th , a large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden .
This became a sort of “ greeting ceremony ” for the arrival of the new “ unity government ” that arrived to purportedly lead the country .
Yemen ’ s Interior Ministry said least 26 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded in the blast .
Yemen ’ s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has sworn in a new government that was formed thanks to a power-sharing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia .
There is no doubt whatsoever that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new government , headed by Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik , represents Yemen ’ s northern and southern areas with equal numbers of members from each region .
The formation of the government was part of the Saudi Arabia-backed Riyadh Agreement , signed between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council ( STC ) in November 2019 to seek an end to military clashes between forces of both parties .
The Houthis were not part of the agreement and the fight against them continues .
Regardless , the source of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no group claimed responsibility for attacking the airport .
No one on the government plane was hurt .
Hours after the attack , a second explosion was heard around Aden ’ s Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik , as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen , had been taken to safely , residents and local media said .
It was unclear what caused the second blast and there were no immediate reports of casualties .
Abdulmalik condemned the airport attacj as “ treacherous ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the airport said he heard two explosions .
“ At least two explosions were heard as the cabinet members were leaving the aircraft , ” the correspondent said .
As the easiest accusation , Yemen ’ s Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani blamed the attack on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels , adding that all the members of the government were safe .
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed , who was on the plane , tweeted that he had survived the attack and was safe .
Riyadh , for its part , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement , saying Abu Dhabi “ strongly condemned ” what it called a “ cowardly terrorist attack ” and a “ sinister project ” meant to destabilize the country .
State Department spokesperson Cale Brown said the U.S. too “ strongly condemns ” the Aden attacks .
The US , however , didn ’ t blame the Houthis or anybody else for the attack .
He noted that the timing and apparent target of the attacks “ once again demonstrate the malicious intent of those trying to destabilize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ categorically denied responsibility for the attack in the Saudi-proclaimed capital of Yemen .
The real capital of Yemen – Sana ’ a is under Houthi control .
Abdulelah Hajar , a veteran Yemeni diplomat who serves now as adviser to the presidency of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council , offered his condolences for the victims and issued a thinly-veiled allegation against Saudi Arabia .
Supreme Political Council member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti also put the blame on Saudi Arabia and its ongoing dispute with the Southern Transitional Council , a group backed by the UAE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more regions in Yemen throughout 2020 , after the power-sharing deal had been signed .
Others in Yemen ’ s pro-Houthi leadership blamed the UAE-supported faction , which violently split with the government of exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour in August of last year .
Amer , who also serves as head of the Ansar Allah Media Center , said the Southern Transitional Council likely lashed out of frustration over the agreement ’ s terms .
It is most likely that the Houthis did not carry out the attack , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southern Transitional Council who want to have more influence over Yemen .
As such , the incident itself is showing of how weak Saudi Arabia ’ s control is over the entire situation , and it is evidenced by how poorly it is doing in clashes against the Houthis .
The Saudi-chosen and protected capital of Yemen was subject to attacks , which killed civilians , and incidents such as these are not exactly uncommon .
After all , it should be reminded that earlier in 2020 the STC captured Aden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to loosen their control over the city .
As of the end of 2020 , the conflict in Yemen turned into the full disaster for the Saudi Kingdom and its allies .
The Saudis not only failed to achieve a military victory in the conflict , but in fact appeared to be on the brink of losing it .
The Saudi-led coalition collapsed and the only influential player formally allied to the Saudis that openly participates in the war in the UAE .
At the same time , relations between Saudi Arabia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states pretend on the diplomatic and economic leadership on the Arabian peninsula as well as support different factions in Yemen .
Until recently , the Saudi-backed Hadi government and the UAE-backed STC were in the state of open conflict .
The formation of the new Aden-based government that arrived in Yemen from Saudi Arabia on December 30 was intended to contribute to at least some stability in the coalition-occupied part of the country .
Nonetheless , it seems that far from everybody is interested in this .
Taking into account that the Houthis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been carried out by the STC or affiliated structures .
The STC reasonably considers it a more military capable force than the Saudi-backed Hadi government and repeatedly demonstrated this already .
Other suspects are ISIS and al-Qaeda that enjoy the freedom of actions in the state of chaos established in southern Yemen .
Another factor is the advance of the US-Israel policy in the Middle East .
Public rapprochement of Arab monarchies and Israel strengthened the positions of Iran as the only country which not only declares itself as Palestine ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but actually puts words into practice .
Saudi Arabia ’ s leadership will particularly suffer in terms of loss of popularity among its own population , already damaged by the failed war in Yemen and intensifying confrontation with UAE , both of which are already using their neighbor ’ s weakness to lay a claim to leadership on the Arabian Peninsula .
In these conditions , the further setbacks in the Yemeni conflict not only undermines the regional positions of Saudi Arabia , but also instigates negative tendencies and political tensions within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

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On December 30th, a large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden.
This became a sort of “greeting ceremony” for the arrival of the new “unity government” that arrived to purportedly lead the country.
Yemen’s Interior Ministry said least 26 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded in the blast.
Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has sworn in a new government that was formed thanks to a power-sharing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the government is entirely a Saudi puppet one.
The new government, headed by Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik, represents Yemen’s northern and southern areas with equal numbers of members from each region.
The formation of the government was part of the Saudi Arabia-backed Riyadh Agreement, signed between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in November 2019 to seek an end to military clashes between forces of both parties.
The Houthis were not part of the agreement and the fight against them continues.
Regardless, the source of the explosion was not immediately clear and no group claimed responsibility for attacking the airport. No one on the government plane was hurt.
Hours after the attack, a second explosion was heard around Aden’s Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, had been taken to safely, residents and local media said.
It was unclear what caused the second blast and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Abdulmalik condemned the airport attacj as “treacherous” and “cowardly”.
“This treacherous, cowardly and terrorist attack, places the government at the heart of its responsibilities, which is the task of ending the coup, restoring the state, spreading stability and the recovery of our country,” Abdulmalik said.
An AFP correspondent at the airport said he heard two explosions. “At least two explosions were heard as the cabinet members were leaving the aircraft,” the correspondent said.
As the easiest accusation, Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani blamed the attack on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, adding that all the members of the government were safe.
“We assure our great people that members of the government are fine, and we assure you that the cowardly terrorist attack by the Iran-supported Huthi militia will not deter us from carrying out our patriotic duty,” he said on Twitter.
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, who was on the plane, tweeted that he had survived the attack and was safe.
“The cowardly terrorist act that targeted Aden airport is part of the war being waged against the Yemeni state and our great people,” the tweet read, “and it will only increase our insistence on fulfilling our duties until the coup is ended and the state restored and stability, mercy for the martyrs and healing for the wounded.”
Riyadh, for its part, has condemned the airport attack.
“The targeting of the Yemeni government upon its arrival at Aden airport is a cowardly terrorist act targeting all the Yemeni people, their security, stability and their daily life, ” Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jabir tweeted,” and confirms the extent of disappointment and confusion that the makers of death and destruction have reached as a result of the success of the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement and the formation of the Yemeni government and its initiation to start its tasks to serve the Yemeni people.”
The UAE Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement, saying Abu Dhabi “strongly condemned” what it called a “cowardly terrorist attack” and a “sinister project” meant to destabilize the country.
“The Ministry stressed that the continuation of these attacks illustrates the nature of the danger facing the region from the Houthi coup, and the efforts of these militias to undermine security and stability in the region,” the statement said, ” stressing that the Arab coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to support and support everything that achieves the interest of the brotherly Yemeni people and contributes to its stability and its security.”
State Department spokesperson Cale Brown said the U.S. too “strongly condemns” the Aden attacks. The US, however, didn’t blame the Houthis or anybody else for the attack.
He noted that the timing and apparent target of the attacks “once again demonstrate the malicious intent of those trying to destabilize Yemen.”
“Such attacks will not stop or undermine efforts to bring a lasting peace that the Yemeni people deserve,” he added. “These violent acts must end, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. The United States supports the legitimate government of Yemen and stands with the people of Yemen as they work towards a better future for all Yemenis.”
The Houthis, however, categorically denied responsibility for the attack in the Saudi-proclaimed capital of Yemen.
The real capital of Yemen – Sana’a is under Houthi control.
Abdulelah Hajar, a veteran Yemeni diplomat who serves now as adviser to the presidency of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council, offered his condolences for the victims and issued a thinly-veiled allegation against Saudi Arabia.
“It does not require intelligence or analysis to know that whoever undertook the criminal terrorist act by bombing Aden airport is the same one who undertook the aggression against Yemen six years ago and killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of innocent Yemenis by airstrikes and imposed siege by land, air and sea,” Hajar wrote on Facebook.
Supreme Political Council member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti also put the blame on Saudi Arabia and its ongoing dispute with the Southern Transitional Council, a group backed by the UAE, which attempted to capture Aden, and more regions in Yemen throughout 2020, after the power-sharing deal had been signed.
Others in Yemen’s pro-Houthi leadership blamed the UAE-supported faction, which violently split with the government of exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour in August of last year.
“In fact, the conflict in Aden and in the various Yemeni governorates occupied by the coalition of aggression against Yemen has been raging for a long time, and it is not only a political conflict, but rather a military conflict and a large-scale war, and the Riyadh Agreement came as an imposition from Saudi Arabia on the parties, especially those that follow the UAE,” Nasreddin Amer, Deputy Secretary of the pro-Houthi Information for the Center said.
Amer, who also serves as head of the Ansar Allah Media Center, said the Southern Transitional Council likely lashed out of frustration over the agreement’s terms.
“They have no desire for the implementation of this agreement and, as a result of their fear of Saudi pressure, they turned to using another method of conflict,” Amer said. “This other method is what happened today in Aden, as the fire came out from under the ashes into the open, and the government they wanted to be a solution turned into a problem and a crisis.”
It is most likely that the Houthis did not carry out the attack, but it was another faction, and potentially the Southern Transitional Council who want to have more influence over Yemen.
As such, the incident itself is showing of how weak Saudi Arabia’s control is over the entire situation, and it is evidenced by how poorly it is doing in clashes against the Houthis.
The Saudi-chosen and protected capital of Yemen was subject to attacks, which killed civilians, and incidents such as these are not exactly uncommon. After all, it should be reminded that earlier in 2020 the STC captured Aden and there had to be negotiations for them to loosen their control over the city.
As of the end of 2020, the conflict in Yemen turned into the full disaster for the Saudi Kingdom and its allies. The Saudis not only failed to achieve a military victory in the conflict, but in fact appeared to be on the brink of losing it. The Saudi-led coalition collapsed and the only influential player formally allied to the Saudis that openly participates in the war in the UAE. At the same time, relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also complicated. Both states pretend on the diplomatic and economic leadership on the Arabian peninsula as well as support different factions in Yemen. Until recently, the Saudi-backed Hadi government and the UAE-backed STC were in the state of open conflict. The formation of the new Aden-based government that arrived in Yemen from Saudi Arabia on December 30 was intended to contribute to at least some stability in the coalition-occupied part of the country. Nonetheless, it seems that far from everybody is interested in this.
Taking into account that the Houthis denied their responsibility, the attack may have been carried out by the STC or affiliated structures. The STC reasonably considers it a more military capable force than the Saudi-backed Hadi government and repeatedly demonstrated this already. Other suspects are ISIS and al-Qaeda that enjoy the freedom of actions in the state of chaos established in southern Yemen.
Another factor is the advance of the US-Israel policy in the Middle East. Public rapprochement of Arab monarchies and Israel strengthened the positions of Iran as the only country which not only declares itself as Palestine’s and Islamic world’s defender, but actually puts words into practice. Saudi Arabia’s leadership will particularly suffer in terms of loss of popularity among its own population, already damaged by the failed war in Yemen and intensifying confrontation with UAE, both of which are already using their neighbor’s weakness to lay a claim to leadership on the Arabian Peninsula.
In these conditions, the further setbacks in the Yemeni conflict not only undermines the regional positions of Saudi Arabia, but also instigates negative tendencies and political tensions within the Kingdom itself.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-12-31--Military Situation In Syria On December 31, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria : • On December 31 @ @ @ @ @ shelled SAA positions in the Tal Tamar area ; • On December 30 , artillery @ @ @ @ @ positions in the Ain Issa area ; • On December 30 , 25 people were @ @ @ @ @ injured in an ISIS attack on busses with Syrian Army troops in the Kabajib area @ @ @ @ @ , artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SAA positions in town of Saraqib ; • On @ @ @ @ @ Army sent a convoy consisting of dozens of vehicles to Syria via Kafr Lusin crossing @ @ @ @ @ , the US-led coalition targeted a vehicle near Salqin with a Ninja ” R9X guided @ @ @ @ @ reported .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • IDF Carried Out 50 Strikes In Syria @ @ @ @ @ In 2020 • Map Update : Turkey Is Reducing Number Of Its Observation Posts In @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
On December 31, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SAA positions in the Tal Tamar area;
On December 30, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions in the Ain Issa area;
On December 30, 25 people were killed and 13 others were injured in an ISIS attack on busses with Syrian Army troops in the Kabajib area;
On December 30, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SAA positions in town of Saraqib;
On December 30, the Turkish Army sent a convoy consisting of dozens of vehicles to Syria via Kafr Lusin crossing;
On December 30, the US-led coalition targeted a vehicle near Salqin with a Ninja” R9X guided missile. No casualties were reported.
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