southfront--2020-06-16--North Korea Says It Blew Up Liaison Office, Army Preparing For Potential Military Action Against Sou

North Korea Says It Blew Up Liaison Office, Army Preparing For Potential Military Action Against South

On June 16th , relations between North and South Korea took a somewhat sudden turn for the worse .
North Korea blew up a liaison office set up to improve communications with the South , according to media reports .
South Korea ’ s unification ministry said the North had set off an explosion at the joint liaison office at 2:49 pm , in the North Korean border town of Kaesong .
YonHap , the South Korean outlet responsible for most of the anti-North propaganda , reported that Pyongyang said the liaison office had been ‘ tragically ruined with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was blown up after a warning by Kim Jong-Un ’ s sister , Kim Yo-Jong .
Just hours before the liaison office explosion , North Korea ’ s KCNA reported that the army is “ getting fully ready ” to take military action against South Korea if activists continue their campaign of sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea .
In the latest warning from the North , the General Staff of the Korean People ’ s Army ( KPD ) said it has been studying an “ action plan ” to reenter zones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ turn the front line into a fortress.
” Responding to the threat , the South Korean defense ministry called for Pyongyang to honor the 2018 agreement .
The entire situation is a result of two factors : • Defector-led groups have taken to regularly sending flyers along with food , money , mini radios , and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news into North Korea by way of balloon or bottles thrown into the river .
These leaflets also criticize the North ’ s alleged human rights abuses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely failing to meet its side of the obligations when it comes to assisting in the de-escalation which also causes the North to fend for itself .
On June 15th , South Korea ’ s military has strengthened its monitoring of North Korea , but no unusual moves have been detected so far .
Describing the current tensions on the peninsula as “ extremely high , ” Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the military is maintaining a firm readiness posture “ against all possible situations.
” MORE ON THE TOPIC : • “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Says Trump-Kim Bromance Is Over

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On June 16th, relations between North and South Korea took a somewhat sudden turn for the worse.
North Korea blew up a liaison office set up to improve communications with the South, according to media reports.
South Korea’s unification ministry said the North had set off an explosion at the joint liaison office at 2:49 pm, in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.
YonHap, the South Korean outlet responsible for most of the anti-North propaganda, reported that Pyongyang said the liaison office had been ‘tragically ruined with a terrific explosion’.
Apparently, it was blown up after a warning by Kim Jong-Un’s sister, Kim Yo-Jong.
“Before long, a tragic scene of the useless North-South joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen,” she said on June 13th.
Just hours before the liaison office explosion, North Korea’s KCNA reported that the army is “getting fully ready” to take military action against South Korea if activists continue their campaign of sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea.
In the latest warning from the North, the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPD) said it has been studying an “action plan” to reenter zones that were demilitarized in 2018, threatening to “turn the front line into a fortress.”
“Our army will rapidly and thoroughly implement any decisions and orders of the Party and government,” the KPA said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Responding to the threat, the South Korean defense ministry called for Pyongyang to honor the 2018 agreement.
“We’re taking the situation seriously,” defense ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said in a briefing. “Our military is maintaining readiness posture to be able to respond to any situation.”
The entire situation is a result of two factors:
Defector-led groups have taken to regularly sending flyers along with food, money, mini radios, and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news into North Korea by way of balloon or bottles thrown into the river. These leaflets also criticize the North’s alleged human rights abuses and nuclear ambitions. The US is entirely failing to meet its side of the obligations when it comes to assisting in the de-escalation which also causes the North to fend for itself.
On June 15th, South Korea’s military has strengthened its monitoring of North Korea, but no unusual moves have been detected so far.
“We are closely monitoring North Korean military’s moves and are maintaining a firm military readiness posture. As of yet, there has been no incident to give additional explanations on,” JCS spokesperson Col. Kim Jun-rak told a regular press briefing.
Describing the current tensions on the peninsula as “extremely high,” Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the military is maintaining a firm readiness posture “against all possible situations.”
“In order to effectively curb and respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats, our military will … continue to develop various measures to implement a catered deterrence strategy based on a firm South Korea-U.S. alliance,” Jeong said.
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southfront--2020-06-16--The Corona Pandemic and Trump’s Trade War against China: America’s Dependence on “Made in China”. Po

The Corona Pandemic and Trump’s Trade War against China: America’s Dependence on “Made in China”. Potential Disruption of the US Economy

The US has been threatening China with trade sanctions for several years .
At the outset of the Trump administration in January 2017 , Washington not only envisaged punitive trade measures , it also called for “ an investigation into China ’ s trade practices ” focussing on alleged violations of U.S. intellectual property rights .
This initiative was then followed by renewed threats to “ impose steep tariffs on Chinese imports [ into the US ] , rescind licenses for Chinese companies to do business in the United States….
” And then in September of 2019 “ The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion worth of Chinese imports , ” An understanding of the geopolitical and strategic dimensions is crucial .
The conflict with China is not limited to bilateral trade .
President Trump ’ s political rhetoric directed against China has become increasingly aggressive .
Washington ’ s unspoken objective is to derail China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) which consists in developing trade relations with a large number of partner countries in major regions of the World .
China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) predicated on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an encroachment on US hegemonic interests .
US hegemony is also coupled with US militarization of strategic waterways in the East and South China seas combined with numerous US military bases in locations within proximity of China .
In a bitter irony , the rhetorical gush of threats by president Donald Trump , was accompanied by seemingly “ constructive ” bilateral trade negotiations leading up to the signing of the First Phase of a detailed and comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the United States and China in mid-January 2020 at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
According to U .S .
analysts this historic Agreement signed on January 15 , 2020 would “ hopefully signal the beginning of the end of the trade war “ .
But that did not happen .
Two weeks after the signing of the Agreement , the Trump administration announced the curtailment of air travel with China , which was accompanied by the disruption of transportation and trade relations with China , with repercussions on China ’ s export manufacturing sector .
Trump ’ s decision on January 31 , 2020 was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO Director General of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ( PHEIC ) ( January 30 , 2020 ) .
In many regards , this was an act of “ economic warfare ” against China .
And then , following Trump ’ s January 31st decision to curtail air travel and transportation to China , a campaign was launched in Western countries against China as well against ethnic Chinese .
The Economist reported that “ The coronavirus spreads racism against and among ethnic Chinese ” The unspoken truth is that America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial and manufacturing base , heavily dependent on imports from the PRC .
Despite America ’ s financial dominance and the powers of the dollar , there are serious failures in the structure of America ’ s “ Real Economy ” : i.e marked by the closing down of factories as well as failures at the level of both physical and social infrastructure .
This Import-led economic structure has a long history .
It was the result of US policies formulated in the late 1970s and early 1980s to delocate a large part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost ” locations in China including the Special Economic Zones ( SEZ ) ( created in 1979 ) and the “ development zones ” or “ special trading areas ” ( established in 14 designated coastal cities in 1984 ) .
A large share of US manufacturing was relocated , followed by a later stage of relocation of several high technology production sectors .
The US no longer has a hegemony in high technology production and intellectual property .
In the course of the last decade , China has consolidated its position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high tech development and production which are dependent on Chinese owned intellectual property .
This inevitably had repercussions on California ’ s Silicone Valley , the once prosperous cradle of high tech industries and research labs .
A contradictory relationship has evolved in which the US is not only dependent on “ Made in China ” imported manufactured goods , China has surpassed the US in several areas of high technology including the telecom industry and 5G : According to the Wharton Business School ( University of Pennsylvania , emphasis added ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. needs a policy that can address China ’ s rise in technology ” .
It would appear that the “ policy ” contemplated by Washington precludes the notion of US “ acceptance ” of China ’ s lead in several high technology sectors .
The “ Made in China 2025 ” in May 2015 , essentially consists in supporting the high technology sectors while also upgrading China ’ s industrial base in manufacturing .
The Made in China 2025 agenda also “ highlights green manufacturing , energy saving and new energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new information technology and robotics… ” ( Global Times , May 20 , 2015 ) Made in China : Retail Trade in the US Imagine what would happen if president Trump decided from one day to the next to significantly curtail America ’ s “ Made in China ” imports .
It would be absolutely devastating , disrupting the consumer economy , an economic and financial chaos .
A large share of goods displayed in America ’ s shopping malls , including major brands is “ Made in China ” .
“ Made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a wide range of industrial inputs , machinery , building materials , automotive , parts and accessories , etc .
not to mention the extensive sub-contracting of Chinese companies on behalf of US conglomerates .
What the Trump Administration does not comprehend is how the US trade deficit ultimately benefits the US Economy .
It contributes to sustaining America ’ s retail economy , it also sustains the growth of America ’ s GDP .
“ Made in China ” is the backbone of retail trade which indelibly sustains household consumption in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , footwear , hardware , electronics , toys , jewellery , household fixtures , food , TV sets , mobile phones , etc .
Ask the American consumer : The list is long .
“ China makes 7 out of every 10 cellphones sold Worldwide , as well as 12 and a half billion pairs of shoes ’ ( more than 60 percent of total World production ) .
Moreover , China produces over 90 % of the World ’ s computers and 45 percent of shipbuilding capacity ( The Atlantic , August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tremendous profit and wealth in the US .
Consumer commodities imported from China ’ s low cost economy are often sold at the retail level ten times their factory price .
This process creates a “ value added ” which then leads to an increase in Gross Domestic Product .
In a wide range of economic activities , production does not take place in the USA .
The producers have given up production .
The US trade deficit with China is instrumental in fuelling the profit driven consumer economy which relies on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies suggest that China imports trigger an increase in value added in the US of 8-10 times the factory price of the commodities imported from China .
What this means is that a large share of US GDP growth is attributable to production outside the US , namely China .
Without Chinese imports , the US growth of GDP would inevitably be undermined .
What this signifies is that in real economy terms , China is the largest national economy Worldwide .
Chinese policy makers are fully aware that the US economy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Trump : The “ Paper Tiger ” .
How does the Coronavirus Crisis affect US-China Relations ?
With an internal market of more than 1.4 billion people , coupled with The Belt and Road initative and a buoyant global export market , the veiled threats by President Trump are not always taken seriously .
Trump is “ A Paper Tiger ” .
In the words of Mao Zedong : “ Now U.S. imperialism is quite powerful , but in reality … it is nothing to be afraid of , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is made of paper , unable to withstand the wind and the rain… ( US Imperialism is a Paper Tiger , Selected Works , 1951 ) US imports from China have declined significantly as a result of the pandemic , the impacts on US retail trade are potentially devastating .
In this review , we should distinguish between the following factors : 1 ) The disruption in trade largely triggered by concrete economic factors ( production , supply lines , international transport caused by the corona crisis .
This process of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early February ) .
2 ) The disruption of a political and geopolitical nature largely related to accusations and threats by the Trump administration , claiming that China is responsible for “ spreading the virus ” .
These accusations started in April .
At the time of writing , there is no evidence that president Trump ’ s accusations have a bearing on the April commodity trade figures analyzed below .
In April the tendency was towards a recovery of US-China trade .
It is difficult to assess the implications of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s most recent threats , the January 15th , 2020 bilateral US-China trade agreement has been signed .
US imports from China were of the order of $ 452.243 billion .
In contrast , US exports from the US to China were of the order of $ 106.627 billion reflecting a significant decline in bilateral US-China trade in relation to 2018 .
The US trade deficit with China in 2019 was a staggering $ 345.617 billion .
The available monthly figures for 2020 suggest a substantial decline in ( monthly ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to 2019 ) : A 28.3 % decline ( average over first three months of 2o2o in relation to first 3 months of 2019 ) , largely attributable to the coronavirus crisis .
What are the prospects ?
The decline of US imports from China in the month of March was of a staggering 36.5 % in relation to March 2019 .
Does this figure indicate a significant collapse in US-China trade ?
While China ’ s export economy is in the process of normalization in the wake of the China pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed against China by president Trump could potentially lead to a “ slump ” in US-China bilateral trade .
Moreover , according to figures quoted by the the Financial Times ( largely attributable to the deep-seated financial crisis which started in February 2020 ) , the value of newly announced Chinese direct investment projects into the US has fallen by about 90 % : $ 200m in the first quarter of 2020 , down from an average of $ 2bn per quarter in 2019 .
What is significant , however , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in April rose by 3.5 % ( in relation to April 2019 ) , according to data from China ’ s General Administration of Customs released in early May .
While these figures reflect a recovery of China ’ s overall export trade , China ’ s exports to the US in April experienced a significant decline , namely 7.9 % .
A major redirection of China ’ s exports has taken place : Exports to the US in April were of the order of the order of 32,060.4 million ( compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In contrast , compensating for the decline in exports to the US , China ’ s Eurasian trade has picked up .
China ’ s total imports in April 2020 fell 14.2 % in relation to the same period in 2019 .
China ’ s trade surplus for the month of April was a staggering $ 45.34 billion .
China Viewed as a “ Threat ” by the Trump Whitehouse .
The US president is not only blaming China for the corona pandemic without a shred of evidence , his newly appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. John Ratcliffe stated unequivocally at the US Senate confirmation hearing : To which the Senate Committee asked him to clarify : Does this appointment have a bearing on the future of US-China relations ?
On May 21 , Rep Ratcliffe was nominated as Director of National Intelligence ( DNI ) with a mandate to “ counter threats from great powers ” on behalf of the Trump Whitehouse .
The Director of the DNI oversees and coordinates 16 intelligence bodies , including the CIA , the National Security Agency ( NSA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The head of the DNI has links to the White House .
While the DNI coordinates the various Intel entities , it is not intelligence agency .
Declarations from the head of the DNI are more of political nature .
Will Ratcliffe ’ s declarations be used in support of Trump ’ s 2020 election campaign ?
Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author , Professor of Economics ( emeritus ) at the University of Ottawa , Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization ( CRG ) , Montreal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taught as visiting professor in Western Europe , Southeast Asia , the Pacific and Latin America .
He has served as economic adviser to governments of developing countries and has acted as a consultant for several international organizations .
He is the author of eleven books including The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order ( 2003 ) , America ’ s “ War on Terrorism ” ( 2005 ) , The Global Economic Crisis , The Great Depression of the Twenty-first Century ( 2009 ) ( Editor ) , Towards a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Nuclear War ( 2011 ) , The Globalization of War , America ’ s Long War against Humanity ( 2015 ) .
He is a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica .
His writings have been published in more than twenty languages .

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Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky; Originally appeared at Global Research
Introduction
The US has been threatening China with trade sanctions for several years. At the outset of the Trump administration in January 2017, Washington not only envisaged punitive trade measures, it also called for “an investigation into China’s trade practices” focussing on alleged violations of U.S. intellectual property rights.
This initiative was then followed by renewed threats to “impose steep tariffs on Chinese imports [into the US], rescind licenses for Chinese companies to do business in the United States….” And then in September of 2019 “The Trump administration enacted tariffs on roughly $112 billion worth of Chinese imports,”
An understanding of the geopolitical and strategic dimensions is crucial. The conflict with China is not limited to bilateral trade. President Trump’s political rhetoric directed against China has become increasingly aggressive. Washington’s unspoken objective is to derail China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which consists in developing trade relations with a large number of partner countries in major regions of the World.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) predicated on Eurasian economic integration is viewed by Washington as an encroachment on US hegemonic interests.
“Over time the BRI could threaten the very foundations of Washington’s post-WWII hegemony”,(Thomas P. Cavanna The Diplomat)
US hegemony is also coupled with US militarization of strategic waterways in the East and South China seas combined with numerous US military bases in locations within proximity of China.
In a bitter irony, the rhetorical gush of threats by president Donald Trump, was accompanied by seemingly “constructive” bilateral trade negotiations leading up to the signing of the First Phase of a detailed and comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the United States and China in mid-January 2020 at the very outset of the coronavirus pandemic in China.
According to U .S. analysts this historic Agreement signed on January 15, 2020 would “hopefully signal the beginning of the end of the trade war“.
But that did not happen.
China-US Relations and The Corona Pandemic
Two weeks after the signing of the Agreement, the Trump administration announced the curtailment of air travel with China, which was accompanied by the disruption of transportation and trade relations with China, with repercussions on China’s export manufacturing sector.
Trump’s decision on January 31, 2020 was taken immediately following the announcement by the WHO Director General of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) (January 30, 2020). In many regards, this was an act of “economic warfare” against China.
And then, following Trump’s January 31st decision to curtail air travel and transportation to China, a campaign was launched in Western countries against China as well against ethnic Chinese. The Economist reported that “The coronavirus spreads racism against and among ethnic Chinese”
“Britain’s Chinese community faces racism over coronavirus outbreak” According to the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong): “Chinese communities overseas are increasingly facing racist abuse and discrimination amid the coronavirus outbreak. Some ethnic Chinese people living in the UK say they experienced growing hostility because of the deadly virus that originated in China.” And this phenomenon happened all over the U.S. China Town, San Fransisco US-China Trade. America’s Dependence on “Made in China”
While China is the object of tariffs, trade restrictions, not to mention veiled threats, what the Trump administration fails to comprehend is that the United States is heavily dependent on commodity imports from China.
The unspoken truth is that America is an import led economy with a weak industrial and manufacturing base, heavily dependent on imports from the PRC. Despite America’s financial dominance and the powers of the dollar, there are serious failures in the structure of America’s “Real Economy”: i.e marked by the closing down of factories as well as failures at the level of both physical and social infrastructure.
This Import-led economic structure has a long history. It was the result of US policies formulated in the late 1970s and early 1980s to delocate a large part of its industrial base to “low cost” locations in China including the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) (created in 1979) and the “development zones” or “special trading areas” (established in 14 designated coastal cities in 1984).
A large share of US manufacturing was relocated, followed by a later stage of relocation of several high technology production sectors.
High Technology
The US no longer has a hegemony in high technology production and intellectual property. In the course of the last decade, China has consolidated its position. China is now leading in several areas of high tech development and production which are dependent on Chinese owned intellectual property.
This inevitably had repercussions on California’s Silicone Valley, the once prosperous cradle of high tech industries and research labs.
A contradictory relationship has evolved in which the US is not only dependent on “Made in China” imported manufactured goods, China has surpassed the US in several areas of high technology including the telecom industry and 5G:
All the cases form a big picture in which Washington and its allies are suppressing Chinese telecom companies. Huawei is the world’s largest telecom equipment maker and second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. It also produces high-quality chips. It is pathetic that such a comprehensive high-tech enterprise [Hwawei] is accused and undermined. The US is realizing its political purposes by judicial means. (Global Times, January 17, 2019)
According to the Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania, emphasis added):
“China’s technology sector has grown so rapidly in the last two decades that it is pushing the United States out of its long-held position at the top of the digital food chain. Advancements by companies like Huawei, WeChat, Baidu, Tencent and others are helping the Chinese economy grow at an unprecedented rate and influencing the global economy. China and the U.S. are battling to be the leader in 5G technology, a fight it seems that Chinese tech companies are winning.
According to author Rebecca Fanning “The U.S. needs a policy that can address China’s rise in technology”. It would appear that the “policy” contemplated by Washington precludes the notion of US “acceptance” of China’s lead in several high technology sectors.
“China has top-down government directives that are propelling the country forward in all kinds of technology sectors. The “Made in China 2025” [plan] has designated time periods where China is going to lead globally in certain sectors, and the U.S. really does not have anything that’s the equivalent to that.” (Wharton School Interview, emphasis added)
The “Made in China 2025” 中国制造2025 first launched by Beijing in May 2015, essentially consists in supporting the high technology sectors while also upgrading China’s industrial base in manufacturing. The Made in China 2025 agenda also “highlights green manufacturing, energy saving and new energy vehicles, high-end equipment manufacturing, including new information technology and robotics…” (Global Times, May 20, 2015)
Made in China: Retail Trade in the US
Imagine what would happen if president Trump decided from one day to the next to significantly curtail America’s “Made in China” imports. It would be absolutely devastating, disrupting the consumer economy, an economic and financial chaos.
A large share of goods displayed in America’s shopping malls, including major brands is “Made in China”. “Made in China” also dominates the production of a wide range of industrial inputs, machinery, building materials, automotive, parts and accessories, etc. not to mention the extensive sub-contracting of Chinese companies on behalf of US conglomerates. What the Trump Administration does not comprehend is how the US trade deficit ultimately benefits the US Economy. It contributes to sustaining America’s retail economy, it also sustains the growth of America’s GDP. “Made in China” is the backbone of retail trade which indelibly sustains household consumption in virtually all major commodity categories from clothing, footwear, hardware, electronics, toys, jewellery, household fixtures, food, TV sets, mobile phones, etc. Ask the American consumer: The list is long. “China makes 7 out of every 10 cellphones sold Worldwide, as well as 12 and a half billion pairs of shoes’ (more than 60 percent of total World production). Moreover, China produces over 90% of the World’s computers and 45 percent of shipbuilding capacity (The Atlantic, August 2013) . It is the source of tremendous profit and wealth in the US. Consumer commodities imported from China’s low cost economy are often sold at the retail level ten times their factory price. This process creates a “value added” which then leads to an increase in Gross Domestic Product. In a wide range of economic activities, production does not take place in the USA. The producers have given up production. The US trade deficit with China is instrumental in fuelling the profit driven consumer economy which relies on Made in China consumer goods. Case studies suggest that China imports trigger an increase in value added in the US of 8-10 times the factory price of the commodities imported from China. What this means is that a large share of US GDP growth is attributable to production outside the US, namely China. Without Chinese imports, the US growth of GDP would inevitably be undermined. What this signifies is that in real economy terms, China is the largest national economy Worldwide. Chinese policy makers are fully aware that the US economy is heavily dependent on “Made in China”. Trump: The “Paper Tiger”. How does the Coronavirus Crisis affect US-China Relations? With an internal market of more than 1.4 billion people, coupled with The Belt and Road initative and a buoyant global export market, the veiled threats by President Trump are not always taken seriously. Trump is “A Paper Tiger”. In the words of Mao Zedong: “Now U.S. imperialism is quite powerful, but in reality … it is nothing to be afraid of, it is a paper tiger. Outwardly a tiger, it is made of paper, unable to withstand the wind and the rain… (US Imperialism is a Paper Tiger, Selected Works, 1951) Bilateral Trade Crisis US imports from China have declined significantly as a result of the pandemic, the impacts on US retail trade are potentially devastating. In this review, we should distinguish between the following factors:
1) The disruption in trade largely triggered by concrete economic factors (production, supply lines, international transport caused by the corona crisis. This process of disruption was largely initiated in late January early February).
2) The disruption of a political and geopolitical nature largely related to accusations and threats by the Trump administration, claiming that China is responsible for “spreading the virus”. These accusations started in April. At the time of writing, there is no evidence that president Trump’s accusations have a bearing on the April commodity trade figures analyzed below. In April the tendency was towards a recovery of US-China trade.
Disruption in US-China Commodity Trade
It is difficult to assess the implications of the most recent wave of Trump accusations. Despite Trump’s most recent threats, the January 15th, 2020 bilateral US-China trade agreement has been signed.
2018-2019 Data
US imports from China were of the order of $452.243 billion. In contrast, US exports from the US to China were of the order of $106.627 billion reflecting a significant decline in bilateral US-China trade in relation to 2018.
The US trade deficit with China in 2019 was a staggering $345.617 billion.
January-April 2020
The available monthly figures for 2020 suggest a substantial decline in (monthly) US commodity imports from China (in relation to 2019): A 28.3% decline (average over first three months of 2o2o in relation to first 3 months of 2019), largely attributable to the coronavirus crisis.
What are the prospects? The decline of US imports from China in the month of March was of a staggering 36.5% in relation to March 2019.
Does this figure indicate a significant collapse in US-China trade?
While China’s export economy is in the process of normalization in the wake of the China pandemic, the political confrontations including the accusations directed against China by president Trump could potentially lead to a “slump” in US-China bilateral trade.
Moreover, according to figures quoted by the the Financial Times (largely attributable to the deep-seated financial crisis which started in February 2020), the value of newly announced Chinese direct investment projects into the US has fallen by about 90%: $200m in the first quarter of 2020, down from an average of $2bn per quarter in 2019.
“Chinese direct investment into the US stood at $5bn, a slight drop from $5.4bn in 2018 and well off a recent peak of $45bn in 2016, when Chinese companies were much more free to acquire US counterparts”
What is significant, however, is that China’s overall exports (dollars) in April rose by 3.5% (in relation to April 2019), according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs released in early May. While these figures reflect a recovery of China’s overall export trade, China’s exports to the US in April experienced a significant decline, namely 7.9%.
A major redirection of China’s exports has taken place:
A 3.5 % overall increase in exports coupled with a 7.9% decline in exports to the US, which inevitably will have a detrimental impact on the U.S. economy.
Exports to the US in April were of the order of the order of 32,060.4 million (compared to 34,798.9 million in April 2019). In contrast, compensating for the decline in exports to the US, China’s Eurasian trade has picked up.
China’s total imports in April 2020 fell 14.2% in relation to the same period in 2019. China’s trade surplus for the month of April was a staggering $45.34 billion.
China Viewed as a “Threat” by the Trump Whitehouse.
How will US-China Relations evolve?
The US president is not only blaming China for the corona pandemic without a shred of evidence, his newly appointed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Rep. John Ratcliffe stated unequivocally at the US Senate confirmation hearing:
“I view China as the greatest threat actor right now,” “Look with respect to COVID-19 and the role China plays; the race to 5G; cybersecurity issues: all roads lead to China,” he told the panel. (emphasis added)
To which the Senate Committee asked him to clarify:
“whether he would politicize the intelligence process to keep the president happy”.
Does this appointment have a bearing on the future of US-China relations?
On May 21, Rep Ratcliffe was nominated as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with a mandate to “counter threats from great powers” on behalf of the Trump Whitehouse.
The Director of the DNI oversees and coordinates 16 intelligence bodies, including the CIA, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the FBI’s counterintelligence division.
The head of the DNI has links to the White House. While the DNI coordinates the various Intel entities, it is not intelligence agency. Declarations from the head of the DNI are more of political nature. Will Ratcliffe’s declarations be used in support of Trump’s 2020 election campaign?
***
Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal, Editor of Global Research. He has taught as visiting professor in Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. He has served as economic adviser to governments of developing countries and has acted as a consultant for several international organizations. He is the author of eleven books including The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003), America’s “War on Terrorism” (2005), The Global Economic Crisis, The Great Depression of the Twenty-first Century (2009) (Editor), Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011), The Globalization of War, America’s Long War against Humanity (2015). He is a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.
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southfront--2020-06-16--U.S. Media Propaganda Machine Turns Inward

In view of the coverage of the US protests , a very apparent phenomenon is being observed in MSM .
The current mainstream narrative is such that it is an avalanche of Black Lives Matter , and no statements , articles , and even considerations against this avalanche are acceptable , even in the slightest .
This happens regardless the real state of events in the field of ethnic violence and problems that appear from this situation .
In such a way , this MSM approach is leading to a very apparent example of the double-faced reporting that has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When conflicts are away from the US , reporting is uniform – if the government is allied to Washington and is a “ partner ” , the protesters are rioters , and their activities are constantly condemned , with constant calls for their adventurism to stop , because they ’ re essentially funded by China , Iran and/or Russia and are fighting against democracy and human rights .
If the government is not allied – Venezuela , Syria , and so on , the “ moderate opposition ” ( regardless of the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprised of terrorists ) is fighting for human rights , democracy and for the US to be able to cooperate with the new government and received benefits ( in the form of resources more often than not ) .
Propaganda is pushed in all spheres of life and there is a sort of relentless tide of it in order to push forward any and all US interests .
This is the same for all conflicts and a short review would very evidently prove it so .
In the US , clearly that approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally for Black trans lives took place in Brooklyn , it saw massive numbers and support .
This is a positive event , according to the mainstream narrative .
And there can be no doubt , protests are likely necessary , since change is due .
At the same time , they are presented as absolutely vital , and there ’ s nothing stopping them .
• US President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters on June 20th .
This is taking place when most of the US is recovering from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have passed , as debates are still taking place .
Health experts are disagreeing with his decision .
The thing is that both events are taking place at the same time ( roughly ) , and the epidemiologic situation is similar – one is necessary , the other isn ’ t .
It is difficult to push US interests forward via mainstream media , when the events are transpiring inside the country , and it is needed to paint Donald Trump as some sort of enemy of the people , while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are plenty of examples that are presenting the absurdist representation of events , and it is more apparent than ever , due to it happening in the US , unlike it being largely ignored when it is happening in a similar manner on the other side of the world .
The media coverage is such that violence by protesters against police officers , or other civilians , and the looting are being presented not exactly as positive , but are getting almost no mention .
At the same time , any response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is propagated and even possibly blown out of proportion to push the narrative forward .
Another example is that the US Department of State is applying its tactics when it comes to the US protests .
US President Donald Trump has been positioned as an opponent of the protests .
At the same time , the US Department of State , part of the Trump administration is posting messages of support and even branded a massive Black Lives Matter banner .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Protests In U.S. And UK Continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wing

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In view of the coverage of the US protests, a very apparent phenomenon is being observed in MSM.
The current mainstream narrative is such that it is an avalanche of Black Lives Matter, and no statements, articles, and even considerations against this avalanche are acceptable, even in the slightest. This happens regardless the real state of events in the field of ethnic violence and problems that appear from this situation.
In such a way, this MSM approach is leading to a very apparent example of the double-faced reporting that has been going on for quite a while.
When conflicts are away from the US, reporting is uniform – if the government is allied to Washington and is a “partner”, the protesters are rioters, and their activities are constantly condemned, with constant calls for their adventurism to stop, because they’re essentially funded by China, Iran and/or Russia and are fighting against democracy and human rights.
If the government is not allied – Venezuela, Syria, and so on, the “moderate opposition” (regardless of the fact that in the Syrian example it is comprised of terrorists) is fighting for human rights, democracy and for the US to be able to cooperate with the new government and received benefits (in the form of resources more often than not).
Propaganda is pushed in all spheres of life and there is a sort of relentless tide of it in order to push forward any and all US interests.
This is the same for all conflicts and a short review would very evidently prove it so.
In the US, clearly that approach doesn’t work.
Following are examples:
A rally for Black trans lives took place in Brooklyn, it saw massive numbers and support. This is a positive event, according to the mainstream narrative.
Rally for Black trans lives draws enormous crowd in Brooklyn. https://t.co/J3qlK0r89X — NBC News (@NBCNews) June 15, 2020
And there can be no doubt, protests are likely necessary, since change is due. At the same time, they are presented as absolutely vital, and there’s nothing stopping them.
US President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters on June 20th. This is taking place when most of the US is recovering from a COVID-19 shutdown, the peak of which may have passed, as debates are still taking place.
President Trump plans to rally his supporters next Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus. But health experts are questioning that decision. https://t.co/7FquU1wWw2 — NBC News (@NBCNews) June 14, 2020
Health experts are disagreeing with his decision.
The thing is that both events are taking place at the same time (roughly), and the epidemiologic situation is similar – one is necessary, the other isn’t.
It is difficult to push US interests forward via mainstream media, when the events are transpiring inside the country, and it is needed to paint Donald Trump as some sort of enemy of the people, while others are protesting for the greater good.
There are plenty of examples that are presenting the absurdist representation of events, and it is more apparent than ever, due to it happening in the US, unlike it being largely ignored when it is happening in a similar manner on the other side of the world.
The media coverage is such that violence by protesters against police officers, or other civilians, and the looting are being presented not exactly as positive, but are getting almost no mention. At the same time, any response (or initial violence) by authorities is propagated and even possibly blown out of proportion to push the narrative forward.
Another example is that the US Department of State is applying its tactics when it comes to the US protests. US President Donald Trump has been positioned as an opponent of the protests. At the same time, the US Department of State, part of the Trump administration is posting messages of support and even branded a massive Black Lives Matter banner.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-06-16--U.S. F-15C Crashed Off Coast Of England, Pilot’s Body Discovered

On June 15th , a US F-15C Eagle fighter jet crashed during a training mission off the coast of England .
The pilot died , and his body was later recovered , officials cited by NBC said .
“ A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle crashed at approximately 0940 today in the North Sea .
The aircraft was from the 48th Fighter Wing , RAF Lakenheath , United Kingdom .
At the time of the accident , the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board .
The cause of the crash as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time , and U.K. Search and Rescue have been called to support , ” the initial statement said .
The UK ’ s Coastguard was coordinating the search response and said it received reports of “ an aeroplane going down into the sea 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head.
” The cause of the crash remains unknown and the pilot is not being identified until their next of kin is informed , according to Col. Will Marshall , commander of the 48th Fighter Wing .
Calling the incident “ a tragic loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepest condolences go out to the pilot ’ s family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron.
” US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson tweeted his condolences .
In addition aircraft spotters on social media have also tracked U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle , CV-22 Osprey tilt rotor , MC-130 special operations transport , RC-135W reconnaissance , C-17 transport , KC-10A Extender tanker , and B-52 heavy bomber aircraft in the vicinity of the crash .
After the crash , a French Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft flying over Poland flew west , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act as a backup or relieve the NATO AWACS on-station if necessary .
Although an older jet , the F-15 has a record of 104 shutdowns to 0 losses in air-to-air combat .
Three F-15s have been lost to air defense fire : one Saudi jet was downed by anti-aircraft fire in 2018 and two F-15E Strike Eagles were lost to ground fire during the 1991 Gulf War .
The U.S. Air Force has lost three fighter jets in the past month .
On March 20th , a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a F-35 experienced a landing gear collapse after landing , causing unspecified damage to the aircraft .
MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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On June 15th, a US F-15C Eagle fighter jet crashed during a training mission off the coast of England.
The pilot died, and his body was later recovered, officials cited by NBC said.
“A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle crashed at approximately 0940 today in the North Sea. The aircraft was from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board. The cause of the crash as well as the status of the pilot are unknown at this time, and U.K. Search and Rescue have been called to support,” the initial statement said.
The UK’s Coastguard was coordinating the search response and said it received reports of “an aeroplane going down into the sea 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head.”
The pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing has been located, and confirmed deceased. This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community, and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot's family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron.https://t.co/GwCWFwImaS — RAF Lakenheath (@48FighterWing) June 15, 2020
The cause of the crash remains unknown and the pilot is not being identified until their next of kin is informed, according to Col. Will Marshall, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing.
Calling the incident “a tragic loss,” Marshall said that “our deepest condolences go out to the pilot’s family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron.”
US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson tweeted his condolences.
“It is with great sorrow that we have learned of the loss of our Airman today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to family, friends and U.S. forces in the UK,” he said.
F15C lost over N.Sea today. Source tells me 493rd Sqn. More KC135s heading out from RAF Mildenhall to join search and tt pilot is still missing (not confirmed) #F15C #RAFLakenheath pic.twitter.com/uUMgec1Pns — Alexander Dunlop (@dunlopalex) June 15, 2020
In addition aircraft spotters on social media have also tracked U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle, CV-22 Osprey tilt rotor, MC-130 special operations transport, RC-135W reconnaissance, C-17 transport, KC-10A Extender tanker, and B-52 heavy bomber aircraft in the vicinity of the crash.
Alert for Foreign Military Contact in London FIR: "FAF902" 201 [Boeing E-3F Sentry] of French Air Force France at 36055ft AMSL Squawking 3317 {@EGXWinfoGroup Robot} pic.twitter.com/cAxQzoqkcF — EGTTinfo (@LondonFIRinfo) June 15, 2020
After the crash, a French Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft flying over Poland flew west, toward the North Sea, possibly to act as a backup or relieve the NATO AWACS on-station if necessary.
Although an older jet, the F-15 has a record of 104 shutdowns to 0 losses in air-to-air combat.
Three F-15s have been lost to air defense fire: one Saudi jet was downed by anti-aircraft fire in 2018 and two F-15E Strike Eagles were lost to ground fire during the 1991 Gulf War.
The U.S. Air Force has lost three fighter jets in the past month.
On March 15th, a F-22 Raptor crashed at Eglin Air Force Base.
On March 20th, a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter also crashed at Eglin.
On June 9th, a F-35 experienced a landing gear collapse after landing, causing unspecified damage to the aircraft.
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southfront--2020-06-16--DSAR-15P Assault Rifle (Infographics)

DSAR-15P Assault Rifle (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The DSAR-15P is a piston-driven AR-15 platform manufactured in South Korea by Dasan Machineries @ @ @ @ @ :

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The DSAR-15P is a piston-driven AR-15 platform manufactured in South Korea by Dasan Machineries.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Russian Court Finds Ex-US Marine Paul Whelan Guilty Of Espionage, Sentences Him To 16 Years In Priso

Russian Court Finds Ex-US Marine Paul Whelan Guilty Of Espionage, Sentences Him To 16 Years In Prison

Eighteen months after he was arrested in a Moscow hotel room and accusing of spying , a Russian court has handed down a 16 year jail term to Paul Whelan , a national of four western countries : Canada , Ireland , the US and the UK .
The 50-year-old defendant described the trial , partly held behind closed doors , as a “ sham ” and protested his innocence throughout the process .
After Monday morning ’ s verdict , he immediately stated that he intends to appeal .
There have been suggestions that Whelan could be returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His lawyer has named Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko – two Russians jailed in the US – as potential candidates .
Bout , who Russia considers a ‘ political prisoner , ’ is serving a 25-year term for arms dealing .
Meanwhile , Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 in what the Russian Foreign Ministry described as a “ kidnapping ” and brought to the US .
He had never set foot in the country before .
Russian authorities have repeatedly complained about the harsh conditions and lack of medical care he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2018 , former US marine Whelan was detained in the Russian capital ’ s five-star Metropol Hotel after he accepted a USB device from an undercover FSB officer .
Prosecutors alleged the flash drive included information related to active-duty members of Russia ’ s secret service .
Whelan ’ s defense said he was the victim of a sting .
His legal team insisted Whelan believed he was receiving a flash drive containing photos of a joint event he set up with a Russian man he believed to be a friend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a frequent visitor to Russia since the mid-2000s , and he reportedly appeared on the security service ’ s radar as a possible intelligence threat several years before his arrest .
From the start , his family has rubbished claims he ’ s involved in espionage , describing him as a travel enthusiast who visited Moscow for a wedding .
Whelan maintained an account on Russian Facebook-clone VKontakte where in January 2019 , according to ABC News , his 55 “ friends ” were almost exclusively young men , most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to the armed forces posted on their page .
Only three were women .
Following the illegal American and British-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 , Whelan served in the US Marine Corps Reserve for five years , holding the rank of staff sergeant .
In January 2008 , he was court-martialled for “ larceny ” and later given a “ bad conduct ” discharge .
Until 2016 , he was senior manager of global security and operations at Kelly Services , an American office staffing company .
Whelan has also worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Born in Canada , he was living in Michigan before his arrest in Russia .
The US Ambassador to Moscow , John Sullivan , spoke outside the court building .
“ The United States demands that US citizen Paul Whelan be released immediately , ” he said .
“ His conviction is a mockery of justice , the world is watching.
” Russia ’ s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov indicated on Monday that Moscow might be open to a prisoner swap deal .
“ We have repeatedly proposed options where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are serving sentences in Russia to be exchanged for Russian citizens who are serving sentences on far-fetched and unlawful charges ( in the US ) , ” he told Ria Novosti .
“ I have no reason to speculate on what may happen next , these ideas have been offered to the Americans many times.
” Sullivan said that the US was not looking for an exchange , but rather “ justice ” for Whelan .
A notable feature of the saga has been restrained reporting from the US press , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature massive coverage .
For example , at lunchtime on Monday , the New York Times buried the story in its “ other news ” section under the neutral headline “ Russian Court Sentences Paul Whelan , an American , to 16 Years on Spy Charges.
” This has raised eyebrows in Moscow media circles .

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RT reports (source):
Eighteen months after he was arrested in a Moscow hotel room and accusing of spying, a Russian court has handed down a 16 year jail term to Paul Whelan, a national of four western countries: Canada, Ireland, the US and the UK.
The 50-year-old defendant described the trial, partly held behind closed doors, as a “sham” and protested his innocence throughout the process. After Monday morning’s verdict, he immediately stated that he intends to appeal. There have been suggestions that Whelan could be returned to the US in a prisoner swap.
His lawyer has named Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko – two Russians jailed in the US – as potential candidates. Bout, who Russia considers a ‘political prisoner,’ is serving a 25-year term for arms dealing. Meanwhile, Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 in what the Russian Foreign Ministry described as a “kidnapping” and brought to the US. He had never set foot in the country before. Russian authorities have repeatedly complained about the harsh conditions and lack of medical care he has received in US prison.
In December 2018, former US marine Whelan was detained in the Russian capital’s five-star Metropol Hotel after he accepted a USB device from an undercover FSB officer. Prosecutors alleged the flash drive included information related to active-duty members of Russia’s secret service. Whelan’s defense said he was the victim of a sting.
His legal team insisted Whelan believed he was receiving a flash drive containing photos of a joint event he set up with a Russian man he believed to be a friend, rather than highly classified information.
Whelan has been a frequent visitor to Russia since the mid-2000s, and he reportedly appeared on the security service’s radar as a possible intelligence threat several years before his arrest.
From the start, his family has rubbished claims he’s involved in espionage, describing him as a travel enthusiast who visited Moscow for a wedding. Whelan maintained an account on Russian Facebook-clone VKontakte where in January 2019, according to ABC News, his 55 “friends” were almost exclusively young men, most of whom seemed to have some sort of connection to the armed forces posted on their page. Only three were women.
Following the illegal American and British-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Whelan served in the US Marine Corps Reserve for five years, holding the rank of staff sergeant. In January 2008, he was court-martialled for “larceny” and later given a “bad conduct” discharge. Until 2016, he was senior manager of global security and operations at Kelly Services, an American office staffing company. Whelan has also worked as a police officer in the US. Born in Canada, he was living in Michigan before his arrest in Russia.
The US Ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, spoke outside the court building. “The United States demands that US citizen Paul Whelan be released immediately,” he said. “His conviction is a mockery of justice, the world is watching.”
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov indicated on Monday that Moscow might be open to a prisoner swap deal. “We have repeatedly proposed options where it would be possible for those US citizens who are serving sentences in Russia to be exchanged for Russian citizens who are serving sentences on far-fetched and unlawful charges (in the US),” he told Ria Novosti. “I have no reason to speculate on what may happen next, these ideas have been offered to the Americans many times.”
Sullivan said that the US was not looking for an exchange, but rather “justice” for Whelan.
A notable feature of the saga has been restrained reporting from the US press, which typically would give a case of this nature massive coverage. For example, at lunchtime on Monday, the New York Times buried the story in its “other news” section under the neutral headline “Russian Court Sentences Paul Whelan, an American, to 16 Years on Spy Charges.” This has raised eyebrows in Moscow media circles.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Al-Qaeda Factions Create New Coalition In Idlib

Early on June 14 , the Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly carried out airstrikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the villages of al-Bara and Deir Sunbul in southern Idlib .
Since the signing of the new de-escalation agreement with Turkey on March 5 , the Russian military has halted active operations in Greater Idlib .
Nonetheless , it continued isolated precise strikes on high value terrorist targets .
The June 14 airstrikes followed the creation of a new coalition by several al-Qaeda-linked groups operating in the region : Horas al-Din , Ansar al-Din , Ansar al-Islam , Liwa al-Muqatlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dubbed “ Fa Ithbatu ” , is in fact an expanded variant of another al-Qaeda-linked coalition , Ghurfat Eamaliat wa-Harid al-Mu ’ minin .
This very faction recently conducted a large attack on Syrian Army positions near Tanjarah and Fattirah killing several soldiers and destroying at least one BMP infantry fighting vehicle .
Therefore , despite the claims of pro-militant propaganda that militant groups are uniting their forces in order to fight back the possible aggression of the ‘ bloody Assad regime ’ , the creation of Fa Ithbatulikely reveals preparations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Turkish leadership , which is also committed to pushing propaganda about the ‘ evil Assad regime ’ , clearly understands the real situation on the ground .
So , it has continued expanding the network of observation posts along the M4 highway in southern Idlib in an attempt to keep the situation under control .
The most recent Turkish observation posts were created near the villages of Farkia , Bsanqul , Kafer Shalaya , Urum al-Jawz and Mareian .
Nonetheless , even these extensive efforts did not allow Turkish forces to at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the so-called opposition-held area .
On June 13 , fighting erupted between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and a local armed group in the village of Salqin near the Turkish border .
The conflict started after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members assaulted a displaced civilian from Ma ` arat al-Nu ` man for setting a food stand near their shop .
The fighting stopped only after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham deployed large reinforcements to the village .
This was just the most recent incident in a long pattern of violence , which has been ongoing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 15 , warplanes of the Syrian Air Force bombed ISIS hideouts near the town of Uqayribat in southeastern Hama .
Last weekend , the Syrian Army , the National Defense Forces and Liwa al-Quds launched an anti-ISIS operation in the very same area .
The operation came in response to ISIS attacks near the town on June 11 and June 12 .
However , it is unlikely that limited security operations in the desert area , which are being conducted by government forces , will fully remove the ISIS threat from the @ @

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Early on June 14, the Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly carried out airstrikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the villages of al-Bara and Deir Sunbul in southern Idlib. Since the signing of the new de-escalation agreement with Turkey on March 5, the Russian military has halted active operations in Greater Idlib. Nonetheless, it continued isolated precise strikes on high value terrorist targets.
The June 14 airstrikes followed the creation of a new coalition by several al-Qaeda-linked groups operating in the region: Horas al-Din, Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Islam, Liwa al-Muqatlin al-Ansar and Tansiqiyat al-Jihad. The coalition, dubbed “Fa Ithbatu”, is in fact an expanded variant of another al-Qaeda-linked coalition, Ghurfat Eamaliat wa-Harid al-Mu’minin. This very faction recently conducted a large attack on Syrian Army positions near Tanjarah and Fattirah killing several soldiers and destroying at least one BMP infantry fighting vehicle.
Therefore, despite the claims of pro-militant propaganda that militant groups are uniting their forces in order to fight back the possible aggression of the ‘bloody Assad regime’, the creation of Fa Ithbatulikely reveals preparations for more aggressive actions against government forces.
The Turkish leadership, which is also committed to pushing propaganda about the ‘evil Assad regime’, clearly understands the real situation on the ground. So, it has continued expanding the network of observation posts along the M4 highway in southern Idlib in an attempt to keep the situation under control. The most recent Turkish observation posts were created near the villages of Farkia, Bsanqul, Kafer Shalaya, Urum al-Jawz and Mareian. Nonetheless, even these extensive efforts did not allow Turkish forces to at least create the image of order in the so-called opposition-held area.
On June 13, fighting erupted between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and a local armed group in the village of Salqin near the Turkish border. The conflict started after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members assaulted a displaced civilian from Ma`arat al-Nu`man for setting a food stand near their shop. The fighting stopped only after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham deployed large reinforcements to the village. This was just the most recent incident in a long pattern of violence, which has been ongoing in the militant-held areas.
On June 14 and June 15, warplanes of the Syrian Air Force bombed ISIS hideouts near the town of Uqayribat in southeastern Hama. Last weekend, the Syrian Army, the National Defense Forces and Liwa al-Quds launched an anti-ISIS operation in the very same area. The operation came in response to ISIS attacks near the town on June 11 and June 12. However, it is unlikely that limited security operations in the desert area, which are being conducted by government forces, will fully remove the ISIS threat from the region.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Russian Su-27 Fighters Intercepted US Air Force Strategic Bombers Over Baltic Sea (Video)

On June 15 , the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Su-27 multirole fighters had intercepted B-52H strategic bombers of the @ @ @ @ @ Balitc Sea .
The US bombers were int the area as a part of the @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Earlier , Ruussian fighters were forced to react , when B-1B strategic bombers @ @ @ @ @ entered the area of their responsibility over the Black Sea .
MORE ON THE TOPIC @ @ @ @ @ U.S. F-22 Jets Intercept Russian Strategic Bombers Over Inetrnational Airspace ‘ Near Alaska ’

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On June 15, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Su-27 multirole fighters had intercepted B-52H strategic bombers of the US Air Force over the Balitc Sea. The US bombers were int the area as a part of the NATO-led drills “Baltops -2020”.
Earlier, Ruussian fighters were forced to react, when B-1B strategic bombers of the US Air Force entered the area of their responsibility over the Black Sea.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Turkish-backed Forces In Libya Raped Civilian With Assault Rifle

Forces of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord ( GNA ) and Syrian militant groups that receive a direct support from Turkey are imposing own order in areas , which they captured from the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
For example , on June 15 , a video appeared online showing how GNA fighters raped an unidentified person with an assault rifle .
Earlier , mutliple reports surfaced online that Turkish-backed forces were killing and torturing Egyptian workers that they were captured near Misrata and Tripoli .
Meanwhile , the Turkish state propaganda continues claiming that Ankara is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Libya by supporting the UN-backed GNA .
This is how the videos above show how this ‘ law and order ’ looks like on the ground .
The similar situation is now developing in Syria ’ s Idlib , where Turkey is de-facto defending al-Qaeda-linked groups .
On June 16 , Al Arabiya reported that the Egyptian Parliament authorized the coutnry ’ s President El-Sisi to take necessary measures to deal with the situation in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam .
The prosecution and torturing of Egyptian citizens by Turkish-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivate the Egyptian leadership to make a direct action to protect own interests in Libya .
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2.1 ( 7 votes) Turkish-backed Forces In Libya Raped Civilian With Assault Rifle 2.1428571428571 out of 5 based on 7 ratings. 7 user reviews.
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Forces of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and Syrian militant groups that receive a direct support from Turkey are imposing own order in areas, which they captured from the Libyan National Army (LNA).
For example, on June 15, a video appeared online showing how GNA fighters raped an unidentified person with an assault rifle.
Earlier, mutliple reports surfaced online that Turkish-backed forces were killing and torturing Egyptian workers that they were captured near Misrata and Tripoli.
#Libya: The spokesman of Libya army, Ahmed Al-Mismari, published a footage showing Turkish-backed GNA war crimes and torturing Egyptian civilian workers in the city of Misrata. Libyan military sources confirm the workers were murdered afterwards.#Egypt #Turkey #GNA #LNA #TSK pic.twitter.com/ajfa117Dz6 — Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) June 15, 2020
Meanwhile, the Turkish state propaganda continues claiming that Ankara is bringing ‘the law and order’ to Libya by supporting the UN-backed GNA. This is how the videos above show how this ‘law and order’ looks like on the ground. The similar situation is now developing in Syria’s Idlib, where Turkey is de-facto defending al-Qaeda-linked groups.
On June 16, Al Arabiya reported that the Egyptian Parliament authorized the coutnry’s President El-Sisi to take necessary measures to deal with the situation in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
هيئات برلمانية تفوض السيسي لاتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة بشأن ليبيا وسد النهضة #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) June 16, 2020
The prosecution and torturing of Egyptian citizens by Turkish-backed forces could become another factor that would motivate the Egyptian leadership to make a direct action to protect own interests in Libya.
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southfront--2020-06-16--India Confirms 20 Soldiers Killed In Border Clash With Chinese Forces; Reports Of 43 PLA Casualties

Earlier in the day we reported that Indian Army officials said that three troops – an officer and two soldiers , to be more precise – had been gunned down by Chinese forces during a “ violent faceoff ” in Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region Monday night .
In an official follow-up statement , the Indian Army now says as of Tuesday evening local time that an additional seventeen soldiers were critically injured in the exchange of fire , and since succumbed to their wounds after being “ exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 soldiers killed .
With the whole incident still shrouded in contradictory claims and lack of confirmation on potential Chinese casualties from Beijing – even after widespread unverified Indian media reports claimed that up to 43 Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA ) were killed or injured in the clashes , one thing is for sure that this is the biggest and deadliest border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in a half-century .
The only thing approaching an ‘ official ’ statement from Beijing appears to come via state media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xijin , who ’ s often served as unofficial mouthpiece conveying Beijing official sentiment to the West tweeted the following in the aftermath Tuesday , calling it “ goodwill from Beijing ” : Importantly , Xijin confirmed that there were indeed casualties on the Chinese side .
He stated further : “ Based on what I know , Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash , ” in a follow-up tweet .
“ I want to tell the Indian side , don ’ t be arrogant and misread China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China doesn ’ t want to have a clash with India , but we don ’ t fear it , ” the GT editor added .
And BBC reports of the new statements : It added that “ 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty ” and died from their injuries , taking the “ total that were killed in action to 20 ” .
China did not confirm any casualties , but accused India in turn of crossing the border onto the Chinese side .
Chinese foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossed the border twice on Monday , “ provoking and attacking Chinese personnel , resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides ” , AFP news agency reported .
India blamed Beijing for “ an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo ” on the border , according to Indian media .
With tensions this high , and no doubt the national medias of each country about to spend days whipping their citizens into a frenzy , there ’ s likely more to come along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( LOC ) .
We should add that strangely , the Indian army is still claiming as of Tuesday that “ no shots were fired ” in this latest major clash .
This is of course a not so insignificant detail which has left many observers scratching their heads , but then again , border skirmishes between the two have been known to involve stones , sticks , and fist-fights .
Given the high casualty count , gunfire is most likely , or perhaps they fought with bayonets ?

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Earlier in the day we reported that Indian Army officials said that three troops – an officer and two soldiers, to be more precise – had been gunned down by Chinese forces during a “violent faceoff” in Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region Monday night.
In an official follow-up statement, the Indian Army now says as of Tuesday evening local time that an additional seventeen soldiers were critically injured in the exchange of fire, and since succumbed to their wounds after being “exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.” This brings the official Indian death toll to 20 soldiers killed.
With the whole incident still shrouded in contradictory claims and lack of confirmation on potential Chinese casualties from Beijing – even after widespread unverified Indian media reports claimed that up to 43 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were killed or injured in the clashes, one thing is for sure — that this is the biggest and deadliest border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in a half-century.
The only thing approaching an ‘official’ statement from Beijing appears to come via state media. The highly visible editor of state-run Global Times Hu Xijin, who’s often served as unofficial mouthpiece conveying Beijing official sentiment to the West tweeted the following in the aftermath Tuesday, calling it “goodwill from Beijing”:
The Chinese side didn’t release number of PLA casualties in clash with Indian soldiers. My understanding is the Chinese side doesn’t want people of the two countries to compare the casualties number so to avoid stoking public mood.
Importantly, Xijin confirmed that there were indeed casualties on the Chinese side.
Chinese side didn’t release number of PLA casualties in clash with Indian soldiers. My understanding is the Chinese side doesn’t want people of the two countries to compare the casualties number so to avoid stoking public mood. This is goodwill from Beijing. — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) June 16, 2020
He stated further: “Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash,” in a follow-up tweet.
“I want to tell the Indian side, don’t be arrogant and misread China’s restraint as being weak. China doesn’t want to have a clash with India, but we don’t fear it,” the GT editor added.
And BBC reports of the new statements:
It added that “17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty” and died from their injuries, taking the “total that were killed in action to 20”. China did not confirm any casualties, but accused India in turn of crossing the border onto the Chinese side. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said India had crossed the border twice on Monday, “provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides”, AFP news agency reported.
India blamed Beijing for “an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo” on the border, according to Indian media.
With tensions this high, and no doubt the national medias of each country about to spend days whipping their citizens into a frenzy, there’s likely more to come along the restive and disputed Line of Control (LOC).
We should add that strangely, the Indian army is still claiming as of Tuesday that “no shots were fired” in this latest major clash.
This is of course a not so insignificant detail which has left many observers scratching their heads, but then again, border skirmishes between the two have been known to involve stones, sticks, and fist-fights. Given the high casualty count, gunfire is most likely, or perhaps they fought with bayonets?
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southfront--2020-06-16--Russian Tor Surface-To-Air Missile Systems Shot Down 45 Drones In Syria

Tor short-range surface-to-air missile systems have downed more than 45 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Syrian militants , according to the chief of the Russian Air Defense Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov .
“ Since the start of combat duty , the calculations of the Tor combat vehicles targeted over 45 UAVs crafted by militants ” , Leonov said in an interview with the National Defense magazine .
Tor missile systems , alongside with short range Pantisr-S and long rage S-400 systems are the core of the air defense capabilities of the Russian military group deployed in Syria .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UAVs and 27 rockets fired towards the Hmeimim airbase .
In 2020 , the intensity of UAV and rocket attacks on Russian military facilities in western Syria decreased .
The main reason is the successful counter-terrorism operations in the southern part of the Idlib de-escalation zones in previous years that allowed for the destruction of infrastructure used by militants for such attacks .
Meanwhile , the militant-held part of Greater Idlib remains in a state of constant chaos even without any large-scale clashes involving the Syrian Army .
On June 15 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was assassinated south of the village of Ariha .
Another militant commander , Abu Usama , was injured in the incident .
Usama is a member of Liwa al-Hansa .
Both Jaish al-Suqour and Liwa al-Hansa are a part of the coalition of Turkish-backed militant groups known as the National Front for Liberation .
Pro-government sources say that the assassination indicates the ongoing undercover conflict between militant groups directly controlled by Turkey and their more independent counterparts .
Turkey and its proxies seek to expand their influence and gain additional leverage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Turkistan Islamic Party , Horas al-Din and other militarally capable organizations .
On the other hand , these groups resisting Turkish attempts to do so are simultaneously continuing to receive financial and military support from Ankara .
On June 16 , the Syrian Army sent reinforcements to the contact line with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militants south of the M4 highway in the Idlib de-escalation zone .
Damascus is deeply concerned by the growing Turkish military presence in the area and reasonably expects that radical militants may use it as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On June 15 , locals from the villages of Jamalu and Merikiz in the Syrian province of al-Hasakah blocked a Turkish military patrol and prevented it from passing the area .
Such protests in northeastern Syria are a rare development .
Turkish forces do not shy away from using force against Kurdish protesters if they pose even the slightest threat to their interests .
The Turkish military regularly claims that Kurdish armed groups , which it considers to be terrorist organizations , prepare attacks on Turkish positions in the area of Operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ankara justifies the use of force there .

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Tor short-range surface-to-air missile systems have downed more than 45 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Syrian militants, according to the chief of the Russian Air Defense Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov.
“Since the start of combat duty, the calculations of the Tor combat vehicles targeted over 45 UAVs crafted by militants”, Leonov said in an interview with the National Defense magazine.
Tor missile systems, alongside with short range Pantisr-S and long rage S-400 systems are the core of the air defense capabilities of the Russian military group deployed in Syria. In 2019 alone, Russian forces intercepted 53 UAVs and 27 rockets fired towards the Hmeimim airbase.
In 2020, the intensity of UAV and rocket attacks on Russian military facilities in western Syria decreased. The main reason is the successful counter-terrorism operations in the southern part of the Idlib de-escalation zones in previous years that allowed for the destruction of infrastructure used by militants for such attacks.
Meanwhile, the militant-held part of Greater Idlib remains in a state of constant chaos even without any large-scale clashes involving the Syrian Army.
On June 15, the head of Jaish al-Suqour, Abu Husain, was assassinated south of the village of Ariha. Another militant commander, Abu Usama, was injured in the incident. Usama is a member of Liwa al-Hansa. Both Jaish al-Suqour and Liwa al-Hansa are a part of the coalition of Turkish-backed militant groups known as the National Front for Liberation. Pro-government sources say that the assassination indicates the ongoing undercover conflict between militant groups directly controlled by Turkey and their more independent counterparts.
Turkey and its proxies seek to expand their influence and gain additional leverage to put pressure on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Horas al-Din and other militarally capable organizations. On the other hand, these groups resisting Turkish attempts to do so are simultaneously continuing to receive financial and military support from Ankara.
On June 16, the Syrian Army sent reinforcements to the contact line with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militants south of the M4 highway in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Damascus is deeply concerned by the growing Turkish military presence in the area and reasonably expects that radical militants may use it as a cover for attacks on the government-controlled territory.
On June 15, locals from the villages of Jamalu and Merikiz in the Syrian province of al-Hasakah blocked a Turkish military patrol and prevented it from passing the area. Such protests in northeastern Syria are a rare development. Turkish forces do not shy away from using force against Kurdish protesters if they pose even the slightest threat to their interests. The Turkish military regularly claims that Kurdish armed groups, which it considers to be terrorist organizations, prepare attacks on Turkish positions in the area of Operation Peace Spring. By such claims, Ankara justifies the use of force there.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Tor Short-Range Surface-To-Air Missile System (Infographics)

can fire on the move !
how fast is your toyota in 12 inch mud ?
how fast is it @ @ @ @ @ Oh did u forget to add that part !
youre excused !

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The Tor is a Russian all-weather low to medium altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed for destroying airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, precision guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and short-range ballistic threats.
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southfront--2020-06-16--Somalia Agenda Changing The Africa Horn Region

A new political shift seems to be developing in the African Horn region .
Somalia is traditionally in the center of these developments .
Today Somalia is a formally federal republic that includes 6 autonomous entities .
In the north it is divided up among the regions of Puntland , which considers itself an autonomous state , and Somaliland , a self-declared unrecognized sovereign state .
Jubaland is an autonomous region in southern Somalia that appeared on some maps a couple of decades ago .
In central Somalia , there are Galmudug the South West State of Somalia and Hirshabelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most populous city in the country and is an important port connecting with traders over the Somali Sea .
The central authorities of Somalia stay quite weak , which is due to internal contradictions , low motivation of the armed forces , and mainly to the wide spread of various terrorist groups on its territory .
These factors lead to the division of the country and the acquisition of greater independence by the regions .
The 15th of June , the Somalia Central government was forced to officially recognize Ahmed Mohammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of the Jubaland .
Jubaland itself represents an arid region with a small population , where is no developed road system or navigation , which makes it dependent on neighboring regions .
It has been seeking autonomy since 1998 , but due to clashes between its clans , the final agreement was reached only when the region had been flooded with Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda .
With the support of Kenya and the African Union Muaskar RAS Kamboni militia , led by Ahmed Mohamed Islam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 2012 .
In 2013 Madobe was elected President , and in 2015 a Parliament was formed based on representation of different clans .
Since then , Jubaland has been considered a Kenyan “ buffer ” against al-Shabaab , and therefore is extremely important for the regional anti-terrorist agenda .
Earlier , the administration of the current Somali leader , Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed , refused to recognize its autonomy , but it was pressured by the UN .
Probably , the United States is implementing its own interests in the region through an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in recognizing a broad autonomy or even the independence of the region , since they maintain a military presence in its territory .
Jubaland is of strategic importance because of its proximity to the border with Kenya , where the forward US operating bases Camp Simba and Mombasa are deployed .
In general , the territory of Somalia is of great interest to both regional and global powers .
Various international terrorist organizations also represent influential actors .
All this contributes to the division of the country into de facto independent regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own individual ethnic , religious , economic and natural characteristics .
However , they are of different interest to external actors .
The situation in Northern Somalia stands out , where the autonomous self-proclaimed entity of Somaliland is located with a fairly strong vertical of power , ethnic uniformity , and all the signs of an established state .
These facts force the government in Mogadishu to be considered with the regional leadership of the ruling clans of Somaliland .
Previous talks between the parties took place on 14-15 June in Djibouti in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Somaliland delegation was led by head of administration Muse Bihi , and the Central government of Somalia was led by President Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo .
The negotiations , which the parties had placed high hopes on , ended without success after the representatives of Somaliland called for the recognition of Somaliland ’ s sovereignty to be included in the meeting ’ s agenda .
Apparently , the position of the head of the Somaliland Parliament was influenced by the decision of the Central government to officially recognize the interim President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put the issue of recognition of sovereignty back on the agenda .
Virtually the state of Somaliland is 29 years old since the unilateral Declaration of independence in 1991 .
All these years , Somaliland has been seeking an international recognition simultaneously building a state .
As a result , Somaliland has reached a high level of stability .
During the entire period of de facto independence , there were five presidents .
All of them were chosen through democratic elections .
Somaliland has stable customs inspections and its own armed forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular service members and even include a naval component .
The infrastructure is also being developed successfully .
It is estimated that the total road network in Somaliland is about 9,035 km , of which 1,010 km are paved roads , 1,225 km are unpaved roads , and about 6,800 km of unpaved roads are tracks with difficult driving status , especially during rainy seasons .
Despite the lack of international recognition Somaliland has political contacts with its neighbors as well as with Belgium , France , Ghana , Russia , South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintains representative offices without an official diplomatic status in Ethiopia , the UAE , South Africa , Sweden , Italy , USA and Kenya .
Moreover , Ethiopia , Turkey , Djibouti , UK , Denmark , Kenya have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa .
For all that , Somaliland ’ s true diamond is the port of Berbera .
The port capacity is about 100,000 containers per year .
According to reports , the port is 51 % owned by DP World , the third largest port operator in the world and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company owned by the government of Dubai .
The abundant support of the United Arab Emirates is connected with the transportation of livestock to the Gulf Countries through the port of Berbera .
The livestock is among key export products of Somaliland itself and neighbouring Ethiopia .
The UAE even wanted to place there its naval military base which could also serve the development of logistics for the Saudi coalition forces in Yemen .
A high percentage of ownership of the port of Berbera ( 19 % ) belongs to Ethiopia , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important transport route .
Moreover , Egypt has its own interests in the region .
However , having a situational Alliance with the UAE to conduct joint military actions in Libya against Turkey , it does not pursue an active policy in Somaliland that could contradict its partner ’ s interests .
The US is also interested in the stable development of Somaliland , which could guarantee calm in the horn of Africa region and the safety of navigation .
US military bases are located in Kenya , Uganda , and Djibouti , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain the regional influence of Iran and China .
Independence of Somaliland definitely is the way to the international investments and loans , including the World Bank and the IMF , but it would also bring great benefits primarily to the UAE , as well as strengthen the political influence of Iran and China .
The US is not interested in officially recognizing the independence of Somaliland .
Washington is satisfied with the existing status quo .
As to the possible independence of Somaliland , the US position can be described as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status of Somaliland is in the interests of leading regional and global actors .
Factually , they are involved in an ongoing struggle for influence on the elites of this formation .
At the same time , the deteriorating global economic situation and the growing contradictions between world powers may lead to an escalation of contradictions in the territory of Greater Somalia , which will affect all intra-regional political forces .
The role of a global stabilizing factor could be played by the situational alliance of the US and China in this region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future of one or two years .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • A Reconsideration Of Domestic Challenges To Achieving A Peaceful Settlement In Libya • Russian Contribution To Fight Against Piracy Off Coast Of Somalia

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A new political shift seems to be developing in the African Horn region. Somalia is traditionally in the center of these developments. Today Somalia is a formally federal republic that includes 6 autonomous entities. In the north it is divided up among the regions of Puntland, which considers itself an autonomous state, and Somaliland, a self-declared unrecognized sovereign state. Jubaland is an autonomous region in southern Somalia that appeared on some maps a couple of decades ago. In central Somalia, there are Galmudug the South West State of Somalia and Hirshabelle. The capital of Somalia is Mogadishu, the most populous city in the country and is an important port connecting with traders over the Somali Sea.
The central authorities of Somalia stay quite weak, which is due to internal contradictions, low motivation of the armed forces, and mainly to the wide spread of various terrorist groups on its territory. These factors lead to the division of the country and the acquisition of greater independence by the regions.
The 15th of June, the Somalia Central government was forced to officially recognize Ahmed Mohammed Islam Madobe as the “interim President” of the Jubaland.
Jubaland itself represents an arid region with a small population, where is no developed road system or navigation, which makes it dependent on neighboring regions.
It has been seeking autonomy since 1998, but due to clashes between its clans, the final agreement was reached only when the region had been flooded with Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda. With the support of Kenya and the African Union Muaskar RAS Kamboni militia, led by Ahmed Mohamed Islam, managed to dislodge al-Shabaab from Jubaland in late 2012. In 2013 Madobe was elected President, and in 2015 a Parliament was formed based on representation of different clans. Since then, Jubaland has been considered a Kenyan “buffer” against al-Shabaab, and therefore is extremely important for the regional anti-terrorist agenda.
Earlier, the administration of the current Somali leader, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, refused to recognize its autonomy, but it was pressured by the UN. Probably, the United States is implementing its own interests in the region through an international organization. The Americans are clearly interested in recognizing a broad autonomy or even the independence of the region, since they maintain a military presence in its territory. Jubaland is of strategic importance because of its proximity to the border with Kenya, where the forward US operating bases Camp Simba and Mombasa are deployed.
In general, the territory of Somalia is of great interest to both regional and global powers. Various international terrorist organizations also represent influential actors. All this contributes to the division of the country into de facto independent regions. Each of these regions has its own individual ethnic, religious, economic and natural characteristics. However, they are of different interest to external actors.
The situation in Northern Somalia stands out, where the autonomous self-proclaimed entity of Somaliland is located with a fairly strong vertical of power, ethnic uniformity, and all the signs of an established state. These facts force the government in Mogadishu to be considered with the regional leadership of the ruling clans of Somaliland.
Previous talks between the parties took place on 14-15 June in Djibouti in the form of two – day summit. The Somaliland delegation was led by head of administration Muse Bihi, and the Central government of Somalia was led by President Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo. The negotiations, which the parties had placed high hopes on, ended without success after the representatives of Somaliland called for the recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty to be included in the meeting’s agenda. Apparently, the position of the head of the Somaliland Parliament was influenced by the decision of the Central government to officially recognize the interim President of Jubaland, and the Somaliland delegation decided to put the issue of recognition of sovereignty back on the agenda.
Virtually the state of Somaliland is 29 years old since the unilateral Declaration of independence in 1991. All these years, Somaliland has been seeking an international recognition simultaneously building a state. As a result, Somaliland has reached a high level of stability. During the entire period of de facto independence, there were five presidents. All of them were chosen through democratic elections. Somaliland has stable customs inspections and its own armed forces. Currently, they count about 60,000 regular service members and even include a naval component.
The infrastructure is also being developed successfully. It is estimated that the total road network in Somaliland is about 9,035 km, of which 1,010 km are paved roads, 1,225 km are unpaved roads, and about 6,800 km of unpaved roads are tracks with difficult driving status, especially during rainy seasons.
Despite the lack of international recognition Somaliland has political contacts with its neighbors as well as with Belgium, France, Ghana, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the UK. It maintains representative offices without an official diplomatic status in Ethiopia, the UAE, South Africa, Sweden, Italy, USA and Kenya. Moreover, Ethiopia, Turkey, Djibouti, UK, Denmark, Kenya have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa.
For all that, Somaliland’s true diamond is the port of Berbera. The port capacity is about 100,000 containers per year. According to reports, the port is 51% owned by DP World, the third largest port operator in the world and a subsidiary of Dubai World, a holding company owned by the government of Dubai. The abundant support of the United Arab Emirates is connected with the transportation of livestock to the Gulf Countries through the port of Berbera. The livestock is among key export products of Somaliland itself and neighbouring Ethiopia. The UAE even wanted to place there its naval military base which could also serve the development of logistics for the Saudi coalition forces in Yemen.
A high percentage of ownership of the port of Berbera (19%) belongs to Ethiopia, for which it is a convenient and strategically important transport route. Moreover, Egypt has its own interests in the region. However, having a situational Alliance with the UAE to conduct joint military actions in Libya against Turkey, it does not pursue an active policy in Somaliland that could contradict its partner’s interests.
The US is also interested in the stable development of Somaliland, which could guarantee calm in the horn of Africa region and the safety of navigation. US military bases are located in Kenya, Uganda, and Djibouti, which, above all, help to contain the regional influence of Iran and China.
Independence of Somaliland definitely is the way to the international investments and loans, including the World Bank and the IMF, but it would also bring great benefits primarily to the UAE, as well as strengthen the political influence of Iran and China. The US is not interested in officially recognizing the independence of Somaliland. Washington is satisfied with the existing status quo. As to the possible independence of Somaliland, the US position can be described as a silent sabotage.
Thus, the current status of Somaliland is in the interests of leading regional and global actors. Factually, they are involved in an ongoing struggle for influence on the elites of this formation. At the same time, the deteriorating global economic situation and the growing contradictions between world powers may lead to an escalation of contradictions in the territory of Greater Somalia, which will affect all intra-regional political forces. The role of a global stabilizing factor could be played by the situational alliance of the US and China in this region, which is difficult to imagine in the future of one or two years.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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