Netanyahu dragging Mossad into politics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ahead of yet another election, seems to be following every trick in the book. It has been reported that he would like to have Mossad Director Yossi Cohen continue in some governmental capacity after his term ends this summer. Rumors persist that Netanyahu would like to see the spy chief join his political party.

This would be highly unusual, even though there is a history of former generals and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chiefs entering politics, since Mossad chiefs are supposed to have a cooling-off period. 

In response to the reported announcement by Netanyahu, Cohen released an even stranger statement, denying any political affiliation with the prime minister or his Likud Party. 

Netanyahu has worked to erode many aspects of Israeli democracy over his nearly 12 consecutive years in power, centralizing power at the Prime Minister’s Office and taking away key decisions from the Foreign and Defense ministries. He conducts many policies himself, seemingly without even consulting others in his coalition. 

Cohen has been a phenomenal head of Mossad. He has been praised by those who know him and the organization he is currently leading. He is said to have a good relationship with the prime minister, unlike some former intelligence heads such as Meir Dagan, who slammed Netanyahu repeatedly in 2016.

In August 2019, reports emerged that Netanyahu viewed Cohen or former ambassador to the US Ron Dermer as “fit to lead Israel” after he leaves office. Netanyahu has often heralded the credentials of the Mossad over the last years, lauding it for bringing out the secret nuclear archive from Iran and helping in the nation’s battle against the novel coronavirus. 

However, it is not clear whether releasing this information has helped Israel or the Mossad, or helped Netanyahu’s political fortunes. Politicizing the organization or even releasing information that may improve Netanyahu’s political standing is a dangerous and toxic mix of national security and politics.

The attempt to use the new relations with the United Arab Emirates has continued unabated, to the point of harming relations with Jordan and embarrassing Israel. Normally state visits are planned well in advance and have a large entourage. In Israel, Netanyahu does things without even consulting his foreign and defense ministers, as though it were a one-man, not even one-party, state.

Remembering Halabja chemical carnage of 16th March 1988 by Iraqi dictator Saddam

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has criticized duality of Western policies towards Middle East and West Asia. He condemned them for supplying chemical weapons to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, which Saddam used against Kurdish people in northern Iraq on 16th March 1988.

“16th March 2021 is the 33rd anniversary of the chemical carnage in Halabja. Some care not to remember those who provided Saddam with the deadly chemicals, which killed over 5,000 innocent civilians. Still, want to talk about ‘malign regional behavior’, the Iranian foreign minister said in a tweet.

The tweet came in under heightened tensions between Iran and the West over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 under Donald Trump. Now Joe Biden says that reviving the nuclear deal is not enough and that other issues such as Iran’s influence in the region and its defensive missile program must be included in any future talks, something that Iran firmly rejects.  

The West claims that Iran’s influence in the region is malign, but Iran officials say it’s the United States that pursues malign behavior in the region. 

In March 2019, Zarif had said the Iranian and Kurdish brothers in Iraq will never forget the Halabja and Sardasht chemical attacks. “First they denied it happened—then they blamed Iran. When it was clear it was their own ally, using their own chemical weapons, they were silent. The West may like to forget about horrors of Halabja and Sardasht—31 years ago today—but neither we nor our Kurdish brethren, ever will,” Zarif tweeted at the time. 

On March 16, 1988, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his air force to attack Halabja in northern Iraq with chemical bombs, using nerve agents such as VX and mustard gas to kill thousands of innocent civilians. The attack killed between 3,200 and 5,000 people and injured 7,000 to 10,000, most of them civilians.

The Halabja attack was part of the Al-Anfal Campaign in northern Iraq. The attack has been recognized as a distinct event of genocide conducted against the Kurdish people by the Saddam. The Iraqi High Criminal Court recognized the Halabja massacre as an act of genocide on March 1, 2010.

In March 2020, Iran’s Consul General in Sulaymaniyah, Mehdi Shoushtari, said that the Iraqi Baath regime’s chemical attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq was a “big anti-human tragedy.”

“Undoubtedly, this criminal incident against the innocent people of Halabja by a criminal regime through using chemical weapons manufactured by certain Western countries, which make claims about defending human rights, was one of the biggest anti-human tragedies,” he said in a message to Halabja Governor Azad Tofigh.

Shoushtari also said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran fulfilled its Islamic and humanitarian duty in this respect and supported the people of Halabja. These supports continued in different periods of time during history such as fighting terrorism and extremism.”

Widening breach between Israel and Jordan

Israeli ties with Jordan have not been good for a long time. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah do not publicly meet and do not publicly speak. It looks as if Israel’s relations with its neighbor are non-existent; there is barely any trade, tourism, or diplomatic cooperation.

The reasons behind the tension vary. There is the Palestinian issue and lack of progress on the peace track, which the King seems to blame on Netanyahu. There is continued settlement construction which the King blames on Netanyahu. There are other issues like Jordanian concern that the Hashemite Kingdom is losing its hold over al-Aqsa Mosque as well as the way Netanyahu gave a hero’s welcome to an Israeli security guard who shot and killed two Jordanians in Amman in 2017.

The origins of the latest round can be found last Wednesday when Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah had planned to visit al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount following coordination with Israel on his security. However, the prince arrived at the Israeli border with more armed guards than had been agreed on, Israeli sources said. The additional guards were not permitted to enter Israel and Hussein canceled his visit.

As a result – and possibly in response – Jordan canceled the permission it had given Israel for Netanyahu’s plane to pass through its airspace on its way to the United Arab Emirates where he was supposed to meet on Thursday with the UAE leader and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

As a result, Netanyahu had to cancel what was supposed to have been a historic first visit to the UAE. It was the fourth time the visit was canceled or postponed, not exactly a positive sign when it comes to building new relations between the two countries.

Israel’s decision to prevent a large number of armed Jordanians from entering the Temple Mount was likely done to try and preserve an image of Israeli sovereignty over the holy site. In response, and due to the insult, the Jordanians banned Netanyahu’s plane for the same reason, if you don’t let us into your sovereign territory, we won’t let you into our sovereign territory.

All of this is bad for Israel, bad for Jordan and bad for the region. One of the pillars of stability for Israel over the last few decades has been the fact that it does not face a conventional military threat from the East due to the peace it has with Jordan. As a result, Israel has been able to focus its military where it really needs to – from Gaza in the South to Hezbollah and Syria in the North.

Jordan has also gained from its peace with Israel. It improved its relations with the United States, began to purchase American military hardware and reaps benefits from the close military relationship between Jerusalem and Amman.

For too long, the peace between Israel and Jordan has been cold. It has existed almost exclusively on a government-to-government level with very little public expression or people-to-people exchange.

Normalization between Israel and the UAE shows what is possible but also the type of investment that is needed to make it work. Israel and Jordan need to set aside their differences and reestablish common ground. They will not agree on everything, but working together will be more beneficial for the two countries.

Biden not likely to take any bold action against Iran or Saudi Arabia

Within a very short span of time, it has become evident that President of United States, Joe Biden is not likely to take any bold actions, especially with regard to the Middle East. 

Khashoggi killing was a test case for Biden, who had promised to penalize the Saudi crown prince, but his administration exempted him. This raises serious questions about his proclamation of upholding human rights.

In his election campaign, Biden pledged to reverse Trump's policies and make fundamental changes in US foreign policy. Some observers doubt he can make any significant difference. There is hardly any difference between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to foreign policy of the United States. The conservative-liberal divide appears more significant when it comes to domestic policies.

Biden administration has imposed a ban on some Saudi officials for the Khashoggi killing. But it was not extended to bin Salman. Many believe Biden is not serious when he is talking about human rights, especially with reference to Saudi Arabia.

It may not be wrong to say human rights issues never determine the US foreign policy, it is just a propaganda tools. The mantra is used against hostile states and not the friendly ones. Saudi Arabia is still a US ally and the US does not want to undermine its relations with Riyadh.

It was the United States that pulled out of JCPOA unilaterally in 2018, but Biden administration is not taking concrete steps to rejoin and lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran unilaterally. Biden wants to use the existing sanctions to force Iran to agree to talks on other issues.

Biden policies towards Iran seem even more confusing because he is trying to keep Trump's sanctions in place as well as talking about diplomacy. He wants to force Iran to make some basic concessions, such as reducing its missile program and changing its regional strategy. Biden wants to achieve these goals through diplomacy. Trump, too, wanted to talk to Iran, provided Tehran agreed to his conditions.

Presidents of United States are generally more receptive to Israeli Mantra. Israel has been advising the US not to return to the JCPOA without significant concessions from Tehran. Some hardliners in Israel still hope to trigger a military confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Israel’s military chief has warned of a new plan to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Some Iraqi groups have claimed that Israel is behind some provocative attacks on US military bases in the Iraqi territory. All this is aimed at derailing the process of revival of JCPOA.

Tehran-Islamabad working on expanding bilateral trade

Iranian Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hassan Abqari said, “Iran and Pakistan are working together to remove the obstacles in the way of expanding mutual trade”. Abqari said, “Ways to address exchange and banking problems have been identified and pursued by the governments of both the countries.”

Abqari, who traveled to Islamabad on Friday to meet with Pakistani officials and discuss economic relations, pointed to the positive measures taken by the Pakistani government. He said, “Fortunately, relations between the two countries are at a very good level under the Government of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and we are hopeful about the outcomes of these mutual efforts.”

The official noted that Iran and Pakistan have a joint venture company, 50 percent of which is owned by the Iranian government and the other 50 percent by the Pakistani side.

“The Company is in a good condition and the works pertaining to the financial and credit institutions of the two sides are conducted through this joint venture” he added.

According to Abqari the major focus of the governments of Iran and Pakistan is the expansion of trade, especially in border areas.

He noted that this issue was addressed in a meeting with Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, Minister of Finance and Revenues of Pakistan in Islamabad on Friday.

Referring to the new conditions facing trade and economic relations of countries due to the outbreak of the coronavirus over the past year, the official said, "We consider these conditions as an opportunity for Iran and Pakistan to improve their previous level of trade relations; we are determined to move forward to resolve some issues related to financial and banking exchange."

In the meeting with Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, the two sides had also discussed the issues related to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the two countries' trade.

During the discussions, Sheikh informed Iran's Deputy Economy Minister about his country’s comprehensive economic reform program that is aimed at achieving sustainable economic development.

Considering Pakistan’s relatively large consumer market, expansion of trade with the country and boosting exports to its market has become one of Iran's priorities in recent years.

Iran's exports to Pakistan in the past Iranian calendar year were reported at US$1.18 billion, but in the meantime, financial and banking problems have still created obstacles in the way of trade relations with this country.

Earlier this month, the two sides have held an online meeting to discuss issues related to developing border trade and reached an agreement to establish the two countries’ first joint border market.

* Abqari is also Head of Iran Foreign Investment Company (IFIC).

Quad holds first virtual summit

Member countries of the Quadrilateral Framework (Quad) held a virtual summit on Friday. Addressing the meeting, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison highlighted cooperation among the member countries to beat the global COVID-19 pandemic, with joint partnership on vaccines, and emphasized the need for an open and free Indo-Pacific region. 

“We are united by our democratic values and our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Our agenda, covering areas like vaccines, climate change, and emerging technologies make the Quad a force for global good. We will work together, closer than ever before on advancing our shared values and promoting a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” said Modi, who described the Quadrilateral Framework as an “important pillar of stability in the region.”

The member nations agreed to ensure equitable access to vaccines to counter the pandemic. A joint statement, titled ‘The Spirit of the Quad’ said, “We will join forces to expand safe, affordable, and effective vaccine production and equitable access to speed economic recovery and benefit global health.”

Addressing the meeting, President Biden emphasized that the Indo-Pacific region should be governed in accordance to human rights.

 “And we're renewing our commitment to ensure that our region is governed by international law, committed to upholding universal values and free from coercion. We’ve got a big agenda ahead of us,” said Biden.

Addressing the gathering, Morrison laid out the agenda of the Quad in the near future and said, “We join together as leaders of nations to welcome, what I think will be a new dawn in the Indo-Pacific through our gathering.”

Prime Minister Suga acknowledged the new dynamism that Quad has received because of the meeting of the top leaders of the member countries.

 “With the four countries working together, I wish to firmly advance our cooperation to realise, a free and open Indo Pacific, and to make a tangible contribution to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region, including overcoming COVID-19,” he said.

The ‘Quad’, has been taken to the apex level, said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla during a special briefing on the leaders’ summit.

“We are all committed to free and open, inclusive, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Today’s summit adopted a positive vision to address contemporary issues with vaccine cooperation. Leaders agreed to strengthen, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Shringla, who described the focus on the vaccines as the “most pressing”.

He informed that Japan, US and Australia will finance the vaccine initiative that India has welcomed.

“We look forward to participating in the initiative whole-heartedly. During the discussion there was wholesome appreciation of the Vaccine Maitri initiative,” said Shringla.

The vaccine expert working group, a critical and emerging technology working group, and a climate working group for technology, capacity building and climate finance have been cleared during the summit. The Foreign Secretary also said the Quad leaders have agreed to meet in person during the coming months.

“The Quad does not stand against anything, it stands for something,” said Shringla, explaining that Quad is a value-based grouping that is trying to deal with the need for vaccines, climate change and other such issues. He informed that the issue of military takeover in Myanmar came up during the discussion among the leaders.

Ending Afghan war remains daydreaming

The United States recently drafted proposals to end the conflict in Afghanistan, but its several features are being opposed by Taliban. The ‘Peace Plan’ calls for the current Afghan constitution to serve as the framework for a future constitution, elections and power sharing, all of which have been flatly rejected by the Taliban in the past.

The plan was sent on 28th February this year to Afghan government and Taliban by Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation.

The proposal includes three parts: 1) Guiding Principles for Afghanistan Future, 2) Transitional Peace Government and Political Roadmap, and 3) Permanent and Comprehensive Ceasefire. All the three negate Taliban’s interpretation of Islam.

The Islamic Emirate has been engaged in a struggle and Jihad for the past one and a half decade to establish an Islamic government in Afghanistan. They have increased political efforts to come to mutual understanding with the world in order to solve the current ongoing situation.

Taliban insist that this understanding does not mean stopping Jihad or accepting the constitution of the stooge Kabul administration. Islamic Emirate is utilizing its political wing alongside its military presence and Jihad to realize the national and Islamic aspirations of the nation and its martyrs.

At the Moscow conference in November 2018, Taliban had said that the Afghan constitution has been copied from the West and has been imposed on Afghanistan’s Muslim society under the shadow of occupation.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that the Constitution must be based on principles of Islamic religion, national interests, historical achievements and social justice. The Taliban has insisted that only Islamic scholars of its liking can draft a new constitution.

The future Constitution should provide for free and fair elections for Afghanistan’s national political leadership. Ultimate authority to take decisions of paramount national importance rests with the country’s elected government officials. 

In March 2020, just one week after signing Doha Agreement, Taliban issued a religious decree calling for installation of an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which will be led by Taliban Emir Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.