Iran Afghanistan discuss completion of Khaf-Herat railway

Reportedly, Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister, Mohammad Eslami and his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Yama Shams discussed the details of Khaf-Herat railway project.

In the meeting, held through video conference, the officials discussed several issues including the inauguration of the project, the financial issues, insurance services, manpower training, freight and passenger transportation, customs, technical and security issues, etc.

Speaking in the meeting, Eslami stressed the need to pay attention to the details and various aspects of the contracts for the operation of the Khaf-Herat railway, and said: "High goals can be established for this railway line."

“The work is not done with the construction and operation of this railway line…. it is the starting point and the cornerstone for the development of strategic relations between the two friendly and neighboring nations,” Eslami said.

Khaf-Herat railway which is part of the Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor connects Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Afghanistan’s western city of Ghoryan.

The construction of the 193-kilomeres-long railway, which is underway in four parts taht began in 2007.  

In a meeting with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar in Tehran on June 22, Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said that the third section of Khaf-Herat railway project which connects the rail networks of Iran and Afghanistan will come on stream in the third quarter of the current Iranian calendar year.

In early July, Iranian and Afghan officials held a committee meeting to investigate the ways to complete Khaf-Herat railway.

Afghan official with Herat Governor's Office Jilani Farhad informed that the joint committee was set up following the emphasis of the Afghan president to accelerate construction and completion of the project considering its significance to improve transit between Iran and Afghanistan.

Two parts of the railway (77 km), which is located in Iran, has been completed a long time ago but the two other parts (116 km), on the Afghan soil, are yet to be worked out.

Biden and Trump are two sides of the same coin

While Donald Trump and Joe Biden bitterly criticize each other’s Iran policy, it may not be wrong to say there are no differences in their policies. They pursue the same goal, but their tactics are different. Regardless of who wins election, the US may change its policy towards Iran after the November election.

Trump has said repeatedly that if he loses the November presidential election, Iran and China would “own America.” Trump reiterated that Iran, along with countries, prefers Biden victory over him.

However, Iran has made it clear many times that it does not attach importance to the victory of a certain candidate in the US election. In fact, Iranian officials have stated that it does not matter for them who will win the November election.

Some analysts and commentators have claimed that Iran prefers the election of Biden because he would reenter the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other world powers if he is elected. These analysts argue that Biden’s election means, Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran would come to an end.

The US intelligence community also strengthened the narrative of Iran preferring a Biden victory. In a statement, William Evanina, the chief of the National Counter-Intelligence and Security Center, alleged that Iran seeks to undermine President Trump. 

“We assess that Iran seeks to undermine US democratic institutions and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections by spreading disinformation,” Evanina said.

Tehran’s motivation to conduct such activities is driven by a perception that President Trump’s reelection would result in a continuation of US pressure on Iran in an effort to foment regime change.

“Democrats are not better than the Republicans. The only difference is that President Obama worked quietly, while Trump works vociferously. These sanctions have been imposed by the Democrats especially under Obama, said Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on international affairs.
 
The regime change policy is nothing new in the US foreign policy. The US has pursued this policy against many countries. It launched military campaigns to overthrow the regimes of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. In addition to overt military campaigns, the US has also launched covert operations to topple political systems in Iran, Venezuela, and Syria. The government of Mohammad Mosaddeq, the first democratically-elected prime minister of Iran was toppled in 1953 in a CIA and MI6 orchestrated coup.
 
During and after the revolution, the US sought to topple the newly established Islamic Republic. The policy of regime change in Iran once again gained steam in Washington’s foreign policy circles after it became clear that the US has forever lost its grip on Iran.

The US imposed sanctions, which still remain in place. Trump has increased the sanctions pressure on Iran to an unprecedented level, a move widely seen as a way to overthrow the government of Iran through fomenting social unrest across the country.

Trump or Biden: Who will be the next US President?

There are growing feelings that Donald Trump, regardless of how much he is hated even by some segments of the American society, may win the November election. Ignoring the survey results, it will not a bad idea to explore, can Joe Biden be the next president. 

The same happened in 2016. Many surveys showed Hilary Clinton would be the next president, but she did not. Many ask how it happened and why surveys made a mistake in their conclusions. 

Many analysts around the world are saying Biden is not the best candidate for the presidency. He is not as charismatic as Barak Obama. He has a problem in social connection that gives Trump an edge. 

Biden is also termed too old, but many analysts are sure he could be the next president. This belief comes of Trump’s actions. The biggest Trump’s ability is how he could use Machiavelli's advice in his work. He is a big liar. He is a populist and has the ability to gather vulnerable people around himself. 

Trump uses the conspiracy theory in his speeches to show that every miserable thing that happens in the world is because of the small groups who rule the world. He hates China because many workers in America hate China, a good card to play with it. He blames all those who are against him. He knew everything about the coronavirus at the beginning but he intentionally did nothing. 

He coined a new name for coronavirus and called it China virus. He uses this term to blame China. He says China made it. Scientists disagree, but he insists on it. He is a showman. He exaggerates in his speeches and uses words, like tremendous, great job or biggest. 

Trump always use these words without comparing things to each other. He said except the Lincoln government, his government was the best in history that worked for the black people. Nobody asks him how he says such junk words. 

He lies without any shame. He does not know the difference between bacteria and virus but he shows himself as a great scientist that knows what is good for people in the coronavirus pandemic. Such behavior is good for millions of Americans. It wrongly shows that he is a determined and reliable leader in crises. 

Abraham Lincoln has a very famous quote that says, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” From the first day he took over as president, he started to divide people into different groups. He tried to scare one group from another. He is popular between the poor and religious people. 

Trump is not a good candidate for the people who are logical. All know he is a billionaire and not a religious person but he is a good actor. He had run casinos during his life and had relations with prostitutes. But he could play his role as a superman for these groups very well. 

The Oscar academy should nominate him as the best leading role actor. He could fool people very easily but from the first day he made a very big mistake. He did not care about the difference between politics and business.

From the first day, he ignored women, black people, and minority groups. In the beginning days, all women understood he wanted to keep his seat for the next term. He could do everything to make white and religious people happy. Abortion rights and many other rights that women have gained over the past 100 years are now under threat.

Since he became president, black people faced an increased rate of racism in the US. Hate and discrimination have again resurfaced in many neighborhoods. Hispanic groups and Asian have been insulted for nearly four years of his presidency. 

Hispanic people are mentioned in Trump’s speeches as a big problem for the U.S. economy, calling them rapist, burglar and smuggler. Asians and now Chinese are blamed for the coronavirus pandemic. 

It is absolutely clear most of these groups will participate in the election and will give vote to Biden. One point is important and no analyst should ignore that the US election is different from other countries.

Tiny and small groups could change the result of the election. The electoral vote has the ability by only one vote in bailout to give all of the votes in one state to one candidate. For example in the 2000 election only a hundred votes in Florida made Gorge W. Bush the president.

In this situation the role of the Supreme Court is important. It is evident that most of the Republicans in the Senate want to choose a new judge for the Supreme Court as soon as possible. 

However, nobody can manipulate the election if people participate in the election. Now many analysts believe that one can count on the votes of the blacks, Asians, and Hispanics for Biden and he could be elected the next president.

What could be the outcome of US presidential election if a candidate dies or becomes incapacitated?

After the breaking news that US President, Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have tested positive for coronavirus, stocks in Europe, United States and Asia nosedived on Friday. The news heaps even more uncertainty onto a growing pile of unknowns facing investors, including how the diagnosis might affect the 3rd November 3 election and policies on trade, tariffs and many other issues beyond then.

According to White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, Trump has mild symptoms, but the diagnosis less than five weeks ahead of 3rd November election. However, the news has raised questions, what happens if a presidential candidate or the president-elect dies or becomes incapacitated.

The most important question being asked is, will election be postponed? It is very unlikely to happen because the US Constitution gives Congress the power to determine the election date. Under US law, the election takes place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives would almost certainly object to delaying the election, even if the Republican-controlled Senate voted to do so. The presidential election has never been postponed.

Another question is what happens if a candidate dies ahead of the election?

Both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee have rules that call for their members to vote on a replacement nominee. However, it is likely too late to replace a candidate in time for the election.

Early voting is underway, with more than 2.2 million votes cast. The deadline to change ballots in many states has also passed; mail ballots, which are expected to be widely used due to the coronavirus pandemic, have been sent to voters in two dozen states.

Unless Congress delays the election, voters would still choose between the Republican Trump and Democrat Joe Biden even if one died before 3rd November. If the winner is deceased, however, a new set of questions emerges.

What happens if a candidate dies before the Electoral College votes?

Under the Electoral College system, the winner of the election is determined by securing a majority of “electoral votes” allotted to the 50 states and the District of Columbia in proportion to their population. The Electoral College’s electors are scheduled to meet on 14th December to vote for president. The winner must receive at least 270 of the 538 total Electoral College votes.

Each state’s electoral votes typically go to the winner of the state’s popular vote. Some states allow electors to vote for anyone they choose, but more than half of the states bind electors to cast their votes for the winner.

Most state laws that bind electors do not contemplate what to do if a candidate dies. Michigan’s law requires electors to vote for the winning candidates who appeared on the ballot. Indiana law, by contrast, states that electors should switch to a party’s replacement if the candidate has died.

In the event of a candidate’s death, the opposing party might challenge in court whether bound electors should be allowed to vote for a replacement. How will the Supreme Court handle a controversy like this? It is unlikely that a party would try to defy the will of voters if it was clear a particular candidate won the election.

What if a winner dies after the Electoral College has voted, but before Congress has certified the vote?

No winning candidate has ever died after the election but before inauguration. The closest instance came in 1872, when Horace Greeley died on 29th November, weeks after losing the election to Ulysses Grant. The 66 electoral votes that Greeley earned ended up largely split among his running mate and other minor candidates.

Rising fears of war in Iraq

Reportedly, the United States has started making preparations to withdraw diplomats from Iraq after warning Baghdad it could shut its embassy. Any move by the US to scale down its diplomatic presence is being seen as an escalation of its confrontation with Iran.

“The American threat to close their embassy is merely a pressure tactic, but is a double-edged sword,” said Gati Rikabi, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary security committee. He said US moves were designed to scare Iraqi leaders into supporting Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

However, there are growing concern among Iraqis is that pulling out diplomats could be followed by military action against forces Washington blamed for attacks and turn their country into a battle zone.

Many fear the possibility of military action, with just weeks to go before an election in which US President Donald Trump has campaigned on a hard line towards Tehran and its proxies.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened to close the embassy in a phone call a week ago to President Barham Salih.

Populist Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who commands a following of millions of Iraqis, issued a statement last week pleading for groups to avoid an escalation that could turn Iraq into a battleground.

One of the Western diplomats said the US administration did not “want to be limited in their options” to weaken Iran or pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, Washington is expected to respond militarily.

Earlier it was said the US would reduce its presence in Iraq to 3,000 troops from 5,200. Pentagon reinforced its committed to support Iraq’s long-term “security, stability, and prosperity”.

In a region polarized between allies of Iran and the US, Iraq is the rare exception, a country that has close ties with both. But that has left it open to a perennial risk of becoming a battleground in a proxy war.

That risk became more evident after Washington killed Iran’s most important military commander, Qassem Soleimani, with a drone strike at Baghdad airport. Iran responded with missiles fired at US bases in Iraq.

Since a new prime minister has taken power in Iraq, supported by the US, Tehran is still maintaining close links with powerful Shia factions.

Rockets regularly fly across the Tigris towards the heavily fortified US diplomatic compound, constructed to be the biggest US embassy in the world in central Baghdad’s so-called “Green Zone” during the US occupation after a 2003 invasion.

“Preemptive strike against Iran still an option”, says Israeli Prime Minister

Reportedly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that his country has not ruled out a preemptive strike against Iran. He was addressing a memorial service for those who fell in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

“A preemptive strike is a difficult thing to do,” said Netanyahu. “I know that if Iran wants to base itself in the North, we are ready to fight them. This is a direct lesson of the Yom Kippur War. We will do everything in order to protect the State of Israel; we are not ruling out a preliminary strike.”

He reiterated, “This is the power on our side,” added the prime minister. It is the power that has brought peace with Jordan, Egypt, agreements with the UAE and Bahrain. This power will bring peace with additional states.”

While families across the country were prevented – due to the coronavirus lockdown – from visiting the graves of loved ones who fell in war, Netanyahu was joined at the state ceremony by President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister and Alternative Prime Minister Benny Gantz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem

“We embrace you from afar,” Rivlin told bereaved families. Harking back to events of 47 years ago, Rivlin reflected on how swiftly synagogues had emptied as people spontaneously went to war.

In the families of those who fought and fell in the Yom Kippur War, he said, there are already grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

Rivlin called the war a decisive victory “for which we paid a terrible price. The Yom Kippur War will remain with us forever.”

Alluding to Israel’s lack of preparedness at the time, Rivlin cautioned that “we must always be alert to danger” and do something about threats before they become a reality.

 “The surprise that was our lot in that war must not be forgotten and must not be repeated: not in security, but also not in health or in the economy,” he said.

“I fought in the killing fields of that terrible war, and here I am today,” Rivlin said.

 “Almost a jubilee later, and I well remember how we won that war. In the trenches, we fought shoulder to shoulder. No one checked to see if you had peyote folded under your helmet or if you were wearing your red pad, a symbol of the Histadrut. We stormed together, knowing that if we did not rush forward, there might not be anywhere to return to.

“Our national security requires a rebuilding of the contract between the public and its elected representatives, respect for the law and obedience to guidelines, and the reconciliation of the deep rifts among the people,” the president said.

“We will wake up the day after the plague,” Rivlin said. “I do not know when this day will arrive, but it will arrive. And when it arrives we must make sure we wake up to it as brothers to each other, responsible for one another.”

Will China and Russia be the next targets if United States succeeds in imposing sanctions on Iran?

Reportedly on 14th August 2020, the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously rejected a resolution moved by United States to extend an arms embargo on Iran. All other JCPOA participants and most of the UNSC members argued that since the US was no longer a JCPOA participant it cannot use these provisions.

The majority of the UNSC members said they would not support the US move to snapback sanctions. One can still recall that US President, Donald Trump had signed a document reinstating sanctions against Iran after announcing its withdrawal from JCPOA on 8th May 2018. It is also on record that the US after ending its participation in the JCPOA had spared no effort to destroy the agreement.

One has to explore the validity of the US claim. It is believed that there is no legitimacy of the US claim. The imposition of sanctions and the defacto blockade of Iran is a long-standing act of the US to usher regime change, similar to those it had carried out in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. 

The next question to be explored is; will other members of the UNSC back the US move? It is doubtful that Russia or China would back anything the US aims at hitting Iran. The repeated failures of the US in UNSC have prompted it to move unilaterally to pursue its agenda against Iran.

Yet another question arises, can the US force other JCPOA members to back its actions? Historically, the US has used a variety of tools to threaten and coerce nations around the globe to support its demands. Its current trade war with China is in many ways designed to pressurize Beijing to make concessions. It is becoming evident that both China and Russia know that if the US is successful in imposing sanction on Iran, it will also become easier to take similar actions against them.  

The last question to be answered is, why has Trump focused on the Iran issue months before the 2020 presidential election? Trump had started talking about "ending the Iran deal" even before becoming president. If one looks at US foreign policy agenda, all US presidents eventually end up adopting the US policy papers like the Brookings Institution's "Which Path to Persia?" Declaring a desire to first create, then withdraw from a deal with Iran in order to make the US look like it tried to be reasonable before moving on to more extreme tactics. 

Barack Obama and Donald Trump merely played their role in this game - Obama created the deal and Trump withdrew from it. There are reasons to believe that the US had no intention of honoring its commitments even before its representatives sat down with their Iranian counterparts. Trump may win or lose the upcoming election, maximum US pressure will continue on Iran. Other JCPOA participants will have to deal with the US aggression pragmatically.

US aircraft carrier enters Persian Gulf

Reportedly a US aircraft carrier has entered the Persian Gulf for the first time in ten months, as tensions soar between Tehran and Washington over a number of issues.

US 5th Fleet announced on Friday that USS Nimitz passed through the Strait of Hormuz with the guided-missile cruisers USS Princeton and USS Philippine Sea and guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett.

“The [Carrier Strike Group] will operate and train alongside regional and coalition partners, and provide naval aviation support to Operation Inherent Resolve,” the statement said.

Nimitz is the first carrier to operate in the Persian Gulf since USS Abraham Lincoln made the Strait of Hormuz transit last November. The last capital ship to sail in the Persian Gulf was USS Bataan in April.

“The Nimitz Strike Group has been operating in the 5th Fleet area of operations since July, and is at the peak of readiness,” strike group commander Rear Admiral Jim Kirk said.

“We will continue our support to the joint force while we operate from the (Persian) Gulf alongside our regional and coalition partners,” he added.

Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads since Donald Trump became president. The Trump administration is set to re-impose UN sanctions against Iran under the Iran nuclear deal, despite the fact that other parties to the deal have resoundingly rejected the US measure as illegal.

It is the latest move in the “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, which the US pursued after it withdrew from the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018.

It came after Washington failed to extend the conventional weapons embargo set to expire next month under the JCPOA.

“We expect every nation to comply with UN Security Council resolutions -- period, full stop,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday. 

“And the United States is intent on enforcing all the UN Security Council resolutions. And come Monday, there will be a new series of UN Security Council resolutions that we enforce, and we intend to ask every country to stand behind them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Britain, France and Germany told the UN Security Council on Friday that UN sanctions relief for Iran would continue beyond September 20, when the US asserts that the sanctions should be re-imposed.

In a letter to the 15-member body, the three European parties to the JCPOA said any decision or action taken to re-impose UN sanctions “would be incapable of legal effect.”

Iran has also dismissed the US bid, with President Hassan Rouhani congratulating the Iranian people on the imminent defeat of the US to trigger the so-called snapback sanctions against Tehran.

“In advance, I congratulate the Iranian nation on the upcoming Saturday and Sunday victory [of Iran] and the US humiliating defeat,” Rouhani said during a cabinet session on Wednesday morning.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Pompeo was wrong to think that the UN sanctions on Iran would be re-imposed on September 20.

“Wrong again, Pompeo. Nothing new happens on 9/20. Just read Resolution 2231. Bolton—who convinced the boss to order you to ‘CEASE US participation’—did. In his words: Process is not ‘simple’, automatic or snappy, but intentionally ‘complex and lengthy’. US is not a participant,” Zarif tweeted on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Zarif wrote in a tweet that Trump is being pushed toward a war with Iran by “the habitual liar”, referring to Pompeo.

“The habitual liar bamboozled @realdonaldtrump into assassinating ISIS' enemy #1 by raising a false alarm,” Zarif said, adding, “Now he's trying to sucker him into mother of all quagmires by leaking a new false alarm, time to wake up.”

It came hours after Trump threatened Iran with a “1,000 times greater” attack in response to a fake story, which claimed Iran is planning to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa.

US Dollar Gaining Strength

The record breaking moves in the S&P 500 have drawn investors into US assets and in turn the USD. The greenback extended its gains against all of the major currencies on Wednesday with EUR and AUD experiencing the steepest declines. 

Non-farm payrolls will be released on Friday and ADP is an important barometer of labor market health. According to the private payroll provider, US companies added 428,000 workers last month, about half the forecasted amount. When the number was initially released investors reacted by selling USD, but the rally resumed quickly as buyers returned.

Even if non-manufacturing ISM report shows service sector activity slowing and employment gains weakening, the general sentiment in the market is that the rally in stocks signal a more durable recovery that should lead to lower unemployment.  While there are a lot of problems with this theory including the possibility of a second wave as schools re-open, sheer optimism is the main reason why investors are buying US stocks and the greenback. According to Beige Book released by the Fed, economic gains were modest. Business contacts had mixed expectations for staffing in the months ahead with manufacturers expecting staff increases and the service sector anticipating the need for reductions.

The reversal in EUR gained traction with the single currency headed for a test of 1.18 versus the USD. Eurozone retail sales are scheduled for release, it could miss expectations. Signs of the Eurozone recovery losing momentum are worrying investors and with the single currency rising to heady levels, there’s a strong sense of profit taking especially after ECB Chief Economist Lane said EUR/USD rate would matters. 

Last but certainly not least, GBP followed EUR lower. As it was said at the start of the week, there’s very little on the UK calendar but the data that one has seen so far has been better with house prices following mortgage approvals higher. Still GBP is taking its cue from the market’s appetite for USD. 

Dollar bomb can burst any time

The scale of money being printed in the United States has become unprecedented; the government is spending more money than ever before. It is being said that more than 60 cents out of every dollar the government spends is printed. The US Federal Reserve is printing more money than the government is collecting in taxes.

Critics are challenging the myth that the US economy was strong before Covid-19. They say it wasn’t strong at all; it was the weakest it has ever been. It was the biggest bubble that has ever existed, that’s the reason economy imploded after Covid-19 pandemic. The air has started leaking in the fourth quarter of 2018 and the dollar is being wiped out now.

It is being said openly that everything the US government did in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis was imprudent. Its monetary as well as fiscal policies were faulty. As a consequence, the US economy never recovered from the crisis, which was caused by the Fed and the government.

The US is about to experience inflation on an unprecedented scale. The cost of living is going to skyrocket and it’s going to happen very quickly, but people are not going to see this.

More people will be blindsided by the dollar crisis than by the financial crisis. The dollar crisis will be much worse than the financial crisis. When the dollar crisis happens, printing dollars will not help because nobody wants them.

Analysts warn that there will be a sovereign debt crisis. The dollar will fall through the floor and inflation is going to ravish the US. If this happens the world will go off the dollar standard and go back to the gold standard, it has already started happening.

The entire US economy is built on the perception that the dollar is the world’s reserve currency. Once the dollar become just like any another currency, it will be the end of the game for US. The fear is growing that the dollar may collapse any day. That is the reason individuals, corporate and governments are buying gold to hedge the financial risk.

The world response to UAE - Israel agreement

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Persian Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalizing relations with Israel. It is also the third Arab nation to reach such a deal with Israel, after Jordan and Egypt. The "Abraham Agreement", was made public by United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, securing an Israeli commitment to halt further annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank.

However, addressing reporters later in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to "delay" the annexation as part of the deal with the UAE, but the plans remain "on the table". It is necessary to see how other nations and the various stakeholders in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reacted to the Israel-UAE deal. The UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, defended the deal. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Mohammed bin Zayed decision to normalize ties with Israel reflected badly needed realism.

"While the peace decision remains basically a Palestinian-Israeli one, the bold initiative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has allowed, by banishing the specter of annexing Palestinian lands, more time for peace opportunities through the two-state solution," Gargash said in a series of tweets. "Developing normal ties in return for this is a realistic approach forwarded by the Emirates," he said. "The successful decision is to take and give. This has been achieved."

In a statement, Democratic United States presidential candidate Joe Biden said, "The UAE's offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly-needed act of statesmanship ...  A Biden-Harris Administration will seek to build on this progress, and will challenge all the nations of the region to keep pace." Biden also said, "Annexation would be a body blow to the cause of peace, which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president," he said.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the agreement between Israel and the UAE. He said, "The UAE and Israel's decision to normalize relations is hugely good news."  "It was my profound hope that annexation did not go ahead in the West Bank and today's agreement to suspend those plans is a welcome step on the road to a more peaceful West of Asia."

The Persian Gulf state of Bahrain welcomed the accord between the UAE and Israel. The small island state of Bahrain is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, which has not yet commented on the agreement.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a close ally of the UAE, welcomed the agreement. "I followed with interest and appreciation the joint statement between the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Israel to halt the Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands and taking steps to bring peace in the West of Asia," said Sisi.

Jordan said that the UAE-Israel deal could push forward stalled peace negotiations if it succeeds in prodding Israel to accept a Palestinian state on land that Israel had occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

"If Israel dealt with it as an incentive to end occupation ... it will move the region towards a just peace," said Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Israel's failure to do this would only deepen the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict and threaten the security of the region as a whole. The agreement must be followed by Israel ending any unilateral moves to annex territory in the occupied West Bank that that obstruct peace prospects and violate Palestinian rights.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the accord, saying the Palestinian leadership rejects and denounces the UAE, Israeli and US trilateral, surprising announcement. He also termed the deal a "betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, and the Palestinian cause."

Hamas rejected the US-brokered deal establishing formal ties between Israel and the UAE saying it did not serve the cause of the Palestinians. This agreement encourages the occupation by Israel to continue its denial of the rights of Palestinian people, and even to continue its crimes against our people.

Oman said it backed the normalization of ties between the neighboring United Arab Emirates and Israel and hoped the move would help achieve a lasting West of Asia peace.  A foreign ministry spokesman expressed the sultanate's "support for the UAE's decision regarding relations with Israel", according to a statement on Oman's official news agency.

US Naval Ship getting too close to China

Reportedly, for the first time since 2017, the US Navy has positioned three of its aircraft carriers on the doorstep of the disputed South China Sea, as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to soar. The dispatch to the Western Pacific of the three vessels was likely intended to send a message to China that, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the United States military would continue to maintain a strong presence in the region.

According to reports, two of US Navy’s ships, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups had begun dual carrier flight operations in the Philippine Sea.

The two strike groups were scheduled to conduct air defense drills, sea surveillance, replenishments at sea, defensive air combat training, long-range strike drills, coordinated maneuvers and other exercises.

“This is a great opportunity for us to train together in a complex scenario,” said Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9. “By working together in this environment, we’re improving our tactical skills and readiness in the face of an increasingly pressurized region and COVID-19.”

While it was not clear where in the Philippine Sea the US carriers were operating or where they would head to next — the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines is the entryway into the flash point South China Sea.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea, though the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims in the waters where the Chinese, US, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies routinely operate.

The US Navy has angered Beijing by regularly conducting training and so-called freedom of navigation operations close to some of the islands China occupies in the waterway, including its man-made islets, asserting that freedom of access is crucial to international waterways.

Washington has lambasted Beijing for its moves in the waterway, including the construction of the man-made islands, some of which are home to military-grade airfields and advanced weaponry.

The US fears the outposts could be used to restrict free movement in the waterway, which includes vital sea lanes through which about $3 trillion in global trade passes each year.

Chinese state-run media lashed out last week as news emerged that the three carriers were simultaneously operating in the Pacific. In a report, the hawkish Global Times said that the deployment could put Chinese troops at risk.

“By massing these aircraft carriers, the US is attempting to demonstrate to the whole region and even the world that it remains the most powerful naval force, as they could enter the South China Sea and threaten Chinese troops on the Xisha and Nansha islands as well as vessels passing through nearby waters, so the US could carry out its hegemonic politics,” the report quoted Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie as saying.

The Xisha and Nansha Islands are the Chinese names for the Paracel and Spratly chains in the South China Sea. But the report also said that China could counter the US by holding its own naval drills in the waters at the same time, Li said.

It also highlighted the weapons at Beijing’s disposal, notably mentioning its “wide range of weapons designed to sink aircraft carriers,” including the DF-21D “carrier killer” and DF-26 “Guam killer” ballistic missiles.

The US military has in recent months grappled with the coronavirus as it battled to maintain its formidable presence in the Western Pacific, while both reassuring allies and preventing China from capitalizing on any perceived opening.

The Navy has rebounded after cases of COVID-19 were detected on some of its ships, including infections aboard all three carriers currently in the Philippine Sea, with many of the hard-hit vessels returning to action.

“Our operations demonstrate the resilience and readiness of our naval force and are a powerful message of our commitment to regional security and stability as we protect the critically important rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea for the benefit all nations,” said Rear Adm. James Kirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11.

US carriers have conducted dual carrier strike group operations in the Western Pacific, including in the South and East China seas and Philippine Sea for several years, according to the navy. These operations typically occur when strike groups deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations from the US West Coast link up with the forward-deployed carrier strike group from Yokosuka.

This month’s deployment to the Pacific is the largest since 2017, when the US sent three carriers to the region amid tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea.

Have Trump and Adelson cut a deal on annexation of West Bank?

As back as May 2019, I had written a blog and its title was “Sheldon Adelson: Jackpot for Israel”. Its opening paragraph was, “A bet on Donald Trump for president may have seemed risky two years ago, but for billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson the payout has been spectacular. Adelson (85-year old) and his wife Miriam gave around US$82 million to Republicans and candidate Trump in 2016 and within two years his two major asks were met: moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and withdrawing of US from Iran nuclear deal”. Today I have managed to gather some details, which are worth reading.

Sheldon Adelson, the Israel-loving, Iran-war-craving casino baron, talks to Donald Trump all the time, and for good reason, he and wife Miriam are the biggest Republican donors, poised to give as much as US$200 million this year. Now that the White House appears to be lying down for the Israeli government as it moves to annex portions of the West Bank despite a growing chorus of international condemnation, the focus should be on Adelson. He has always been a strong supporter of Israeli expansion, a man who says, “There’s no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Adelsons have gotten everything they wanted from US President: tearing up the Iran deal, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, defunding Palestinians, recognizing the Golan annexation, treating settlement expansion as legitimate, even a presidential medal of freedom for Miriam, etc. Right up to yesterday — a Trump attack on the ICC in the name of Israel. As Trump once said when a Republican rival was getting Adelson’s money, Adelson wanted a “perfect little puppet.”

Most important, the Adelsons got the Trump “peace plan,” which paves the way for annexation of the West Bank. When Trump announced his “vision,” there they were in the front row. Especially if Trump loses in November, as appears more and more likely — this is the Adelsons’ last chance to get annexation. They speak to Trump all the time.

Look at it from Trump’s point of view. He doesn’t care about peace in the Middle East or Palestinian human rights. He wants one thing, to win in November, and he needs money. Why would the Adelsons risk US$200 million on a loser? Well, because it’s not a losing cause; they get their payback now. They figure that Israeli annexation is permanent no matter what happens to Trump. “Facts on the ground” is the Israeli way of expansion. The embassy move will never be reversed by a Joe Biden. So let’s annex.

Sheldon’s Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom is promoting annexation. He believes, annexation is Israel’s right, and it poses no threat to the interests of either the United States or the Jewish state. The paper is an important rightwing voice in Israel, and the Adelsons have been big supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu. So they may also play a role in Netanyahu’s zeal to annex, when he had a lot of opportunities to dismiss that policy.

The Guardian said in February that insiders expect the Adelsons to donate between US$100 and US$200 million to Trump’s reelection hopes this year. If that seems like a big lift, look at their track record: The Adelsons gave more than US$100 million to Republican causes in 2016 and another US$123 million during the 2018 election.

McClatchy reported last year that the Adelsons were putting off their big donations in 2020 until as late as possible, so as not to excite negative publicity. Adelson is a funder and board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition that calls Trump the most pro-Israel president ever and, big coincidence, the RJC “is launching a lobbying effort on Capitol Hill to rally support for Israeli annexation.

The RJC is chaired by the ex-senator Norm Coleman. . . who is said to have strong ties to Adelson that benefit the RJC and other Super Pacs and dark money outfits where Coleman is a big player.

Coleman helps lead fundraising for a Super Pac, the Congressional Leadership Fund, and a dark money outfit, the American Action Network, that respectively back Republican House members and their policies and have received seven-figure checks from the Adelsons in recent elections.

The Adelsons have seemed to have their way on annexation so far. Annexation of large parts of the West Bank is green lighted in Trump’s deal of the century. Adelsons wanted the plan out well ahead of the election, Dan Raviv of i24 said, so that Israel would be freed to set its own border this year before November comes and possibly limits its autonomy. Adelsons may be the most important actors in this entire foreign policy discussion. Maybe the media should be telling us more about them now. . .

United States and China entangling in a new type of cold war

Over the last more than two months many countries were told by World Health Organization (WHO) to opt for lockdown to fight wide spreading coronavirus pandemic. In the mean time one of the equally fast developing narratives is that it is an ongoing biological war between United States and China.

If one can recall Saddam Hussein of Iraq was accused for the production of weapons of mass destruction. A few sites were identified and destroyed, but soon it became evident that the entire propaganda was very well concocted. However, some observers went to the extent of saying that these sites produced material which was used against Iran in a war spread over more than a decade.

Coming back to my topic, it may be suspected that United States was not happy, rather afraid of growing economic might of China. Initially to keep a close watch the US companies were allowed to make huge investment in China and Chinese were allowed to invest in United States. Growing deficit in balance of trade prompted United States to impose restrictions on the entry of Chinese good, but all in vain.

One of the conspiracy theories is that United States leaked a virus in Wuhan, to ultimately reach the industrial hub of Shanghai. The move backfired as China saved its industrial hub, but virus spread to almost all the countries on the plant, except a few.

Scanning the content printed one is inclined to arrive at a conclusion that this is not a pandemic but a biological war. After more than four decades of engagement, the two superpowers have been unable to bridge the ideological gulf that separates them. A global pandemic might have served as an occasion for more cooperation; instead it has only made the divide more obvious. The two countries now stand on the brink of a new type of cold war.

The level of trust between China and the United States is at its lowest point since diplomatic ties were established in 1979. The deterioration in US-China ties began long before the pandemic and even before the Trump presidency. A fundamental shift in the relationship has taken place. American interests now diverge more than they converge.

China’s return towards communist orthodoxies since Xi Jinping became president in 2013 has had a crucial impact. Tthe fundamental difference in ideology between the US and China can be summed as, “Between 1978 and 2012, the Communist party put aside its communist roots and focused on developing economic strength. Once China succeeded economically, the CCP went back to refocus on its original intentions of building socialism. For decades, this bargain delivered impressive commercial gains; making China the prime engine for global growth.

Tens of thousands of US companies set up business in China and bilateral trade last year amounted to US$541 billion.  China is often accused of showing less willingness to accept US global leadership and began carving out its geographical spheres of influence. One critical breach of trust was termed deployed huge military infrastructure on the islands by China.

 The insecurities of United States started mounting on rising military might of China. Images of sailors standing on the deck of a Chinese guided-missile destroyer were clear signs of defiance by China. As China’s economy grew, it showed progressively less willingness to accept US hegemony.

In US-China commercial relationship accusations of violation of intellectual property rights became a big hurdle. This prompted Washington to impose tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, triggering a 20-month trade war that was put on hold in January this year with a truce deal that remains extremely fragile.

Reportedly, total Chinese investment in the US fell to US$5 billion last year, from a recent peak of US$45 billion in 2016, when Chinese companies were much more free to acquire US businesses. On top of that Trump administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been considering other moves against China, including more stringent export controls, curbs on investment flows and limits on integrated supply chains between the two countries — all in the midst of a deep global recession.

Trump also threatened to terminate the January trade deal with China, which could lead to a new flare-up in tariffs, because of skepticism over China’s willingness to honour its pledge to buy billions of dollars of American goods. 

Apparently, both sides claim that good progress is being made and fully express willingness to meet their obligations under the agreement in a timely manner, but ongoing blame game becomes the biggest dampener. Some observers predict continued tension, with nationalist sentiment and recession supporting hardliners in both countries. It appears extremely difficult to contain deteriorating relationship. Strategic competition will remain the dominant factor.

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