Biden administration accused for Trump shooting

The Kremlin on Sunday said it did not believe the current US administration was responsible for Saturday's assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, but that it had created an atmosphere that provoked the attack.

Trump was shot in the ear during a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, in an attack now being investigated as an assassination attempt that left the Republican presidential candidate's face streaked with blood.

"We do not believe that the attempt to eliminate and assassinate Trump was organized by the current authorities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "But the atmosphere around candidate Trump...provoked what America is confronting today.

"After numerous attempts to remove candidate Trump from the political arena - using first legal tools, the courts, prosecutors, attempts to politically discredit and compromise the candidate - it was obvious to all outside observers that his life was in danger."

US President Joe Biden condemned the attack, saying there was no place for that kind of violence in America.

Peskov said there were no plans for Putin to call Trump in light of the incident.

 

The world must help Israel stop Iran and its proxies, not appease them

President elect of Iran, has outlined his policy in an open letter to the world leaders. Pressure is building on Israel to stop genocide in Gaza and the United States is also openly asked to stop supply of lethal arms to Israel. Under the prevailing circumstances Israel’s daily The Jerusalem Post has written an anti-Iran editorial prove that Iran and its proxies are real threat for Israel and the world.

Following is the text of the Editorial:

As the war against Hamas rages on and attempts are made to reach a new hostage deal, we should never forget who the primary sponsor of terror against Israel is – Iran. Its proxies include “the 3H” – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

We should also not turn a blind eye to the fact that Iran is edging closer and closer to becoming a nuclear power, which could pose an existential threat to Israel. This cannot be allowed.

After the latest NATO Summit in Washington, Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted Thursday on X that one of the main topics discussed by the foreign ministers attending the summit – including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – was the need to increase pressure on Tehran.

“Israel, NATO, and the entire world share a common enemy – the Iranian regime,” Katz wrote. “We must stop Iran now before it’s too late.”

No one seems to know the status of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, including the United States. On Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote a letter to Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, accusing the administration of being in violation of the law by failing to report to Congress, as required by legislation Graham himself drafted every six months about Iran’s nuclear progress.

In the letter, Graham notes that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently censured Iran for failing to cooperate with it and escalating its uranium enrichment up to 60% purity in May. This, he says, is only “a small technical step away from weapons-grade 90% purity” and brings Iran that much closer to building a nuclear bomb.

In response, White House national security spokesperson James Kirby said on Thursday that President Joe Biden remained committed to making sure that Tehran would never develop nuclear weapons but denied a claim by Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, that the US and Iran were holding indirect nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman.

“No active negotiations are going on right now with respect to Iran’s nuclear ambitions,’ Kirby said. “I won’t speak or can’t speak to channels of communication with Iran one way or the other, but there are no active negotiations going to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.”

Kirby made it clear last Monday that the US would not resume nuclear talks with new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, citing Tehran’s support of terrorism as a significant obstacle.

According to IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi, Iran has exceeded uranium enrichment limits and is now “weeks, not months,” away from having enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.

Iran's looming threat

Stopping a nuclear Iran, which has always been a top priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will surely be high on the agenda of his visit to Washington later this month when he is due to address a special joint session of Congress.

But Israel and the US cannot deal with the Islamic Republic alone. An international alliance is necessary to curb the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, led by the United Nations via bodies such as the IAEA and NATO. It must also enlist the support of the European Union and key players in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.

Besides closer supervision of Iran’s nuclear program, the international community must enforce tighter economic sanctions against Tehran.

Ways must be found to stop it from funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. And its funding of anti-Israel protests in the US, as Haines warned last week, must be thwarted. But this is not enough. Only decisive action will show Iran that it cannot get away with terrorism.

“Candidate objectives to be attacked should include Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps installations, Iranian naval assets, critical energy infrastructure, and even nuclear weapons development facilities with strike packages that are more destructive than any launched by Iran’s proxies,” he said. “Iran’s religious leaders must feel the ground shake under their own feet, both politically and militarily. If this threat is not made manifest in their minds, they will continue to feel free to attack American interests wherever and whenever they wish.”

On the other hand, as Haines concludes, if the US – and the rest of the world – continue to appease the ayatollahs, “there will be no peace.”

 

 

Israel adamant at erasing Gaza

A new report from the British medical journal, The Lancet, estimates that the death toll in Gaza could reach 186,000. The world may be shocked by this figure, but it seems harsh reality.

This new expert assessment is in line with the figures Ralph Nader has put forward earlier this year when he estimated as many as 200,000 have been killed by Israel in Gaza.

It must be kept in mind that bombs and bullets are not the only weapons that kill in war.

From the beginning, the Israeli occupation forces have weaponized hunger and disease by choking off food, electricity, and water. They have intentionally bombed and raided hospitals, set drones to take out ambulances trying to retrieve the wounded, and withheld or destroyed medical supplies.

Israeli forces have collapsed entire apartment buildings full of frightened families and continue to fire on schools.

When they forced the last Gazans into crowded, tent-city refugee camps in one tiny corner of the strip – they even bombed the tents.

It is known from the beginning that the death toll published by the Gaza Health Ministry (GHM) was lower than the real number.

The GHM numbers are simply the confirmed, recorded deaths documented in hospitals and morgues.

It is known that at every step, Israel has sought to decimate Gaza’s infrastructure and deny them the chance to survive by any means at all. We don’t have to guess at their intent – they’ve told us, repeatedly.

Biden and Nethanyahu partners in genocide

The Biden administration's decision this week to lift a pause on the transfer of 500-pound bombs to the Israeli military drew outrage from the US peace advocates who warned the weapons would be used to commit additional war crimes in the Gaza Strip, which has been pulverized by nine months of relentless Israeli attacks.

Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of Win Without War, said in a statement Thursday, "We utterly condemn" the administration's decision to release a shipment of 1,700 500-pound bombs to Israel's military, which has killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza since October 07, 2023 attack. The shipment was paused in May as Israel prepared to launch its deadly assault on Rafah.

"We are dismayed because these bombs will almost certainly be used to kill more innocents in Gaza, where indiscriminate bombing continues and where a starvation crisis only worsens," said Haghdoosti. "And if they are not used there, they risk being used to terrible effect in Lebanon, where civilians would again bear the brunt of a disastrous possible war between Hezbollah and the Israeli government."

"We are perplexed because the White House is, yet again, using arms transfers to directly undermine its stated policy aims—both to secure a cease-fire and protect civilians in Gaza, and to avoid a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah that would devastate the region," Haghdoosti continued. "Releasing this transfer signals to the Israeli government that, if cease-fire talks again stall, the war in Gaza can continue and that a massive conflict with Hezbollah can begin, with no real US pushback."

President Joe Biden "must reverse this decision, which makes no sense as politics or policy," she added.

Biden, who is facing mounting calls to drop his reelection campaign, was not asked about the reversal during his closely watched press conference at the conclusion of NATO's 2024 summit in Washington, DC late Thursday.

The administration's decision to lift the pause came following what The Washington Post described as "a pressure campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and pro-Israel lobbyists in the United States, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, demanding the resumption of all weapons shipments regardless of their lethality."

Last month, Netanyahu—who is facing a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC)—released a video complaining that the administration was "withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel."

The US is Israel's top arms supplier and has sent Israel billions of dollars worth of weapons and other military equipment since October 07—weaponry that Israel has repeatedly used to commit atrocities in Gaza.

An unnamed administration official the US was mostly concerned about the 2,000-pound bombs that were part of the initially planned shipment, rather than the 500-pound bombs. The 2,000-pound bombs will remain on hold, the official said.

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) joined Win Without War in demanding that the Biden administration walk back its decision to lift the pause on the 500-pound bombs, warning that "providing such massive, explosive weapons with wide-area effects despite Israel's systematic and deliberate deployment of such bombs in built-up civilian areas throughout Gaza further exposes US officials to liability for war crimes prosecution."

"This week alone, Israel used US weapons to strike a school during a soccer game killing scores of children, and ordered the forced evacuation of hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians from Gaza City," said DAWN senior adviser Josh Paul, who resigned from the US State Department last year over the Biden administration's continued arming of Israel.

"Lifting a suspension on the delivery of 500-pound bombs meant to prevent the invasion of Rafah, only to then send Israel those bombs to enable the further destruction of Gaza City, is not only an act of perversity but a lawless one as well," Paul said.

Raed Jarrar, DAWN's advocacy director, called on the ICC to "investigate US officials for their complicity in the genocidal atrocities in Gaza, insisting on providing Israel with some of the most lethal weapons in the world despite full knowledge that Israel is using them unlawfully against Palestinian civilians."

"The Biden administration is fully culpable for the slaughter of civilians in Gaza, and should be held accountable for its role in aiding and abetting Israel's shocking war crimes and crimes against humanity," Jarrar added.

 

Pakistan clinches a new deal with IMF

In a most anticipated event, Pakistan authorities have reached Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new 37 months Extended Funded Facility (EFF) of US$7 billion. This new program aims to strengthen the macroeconomic stability and set the road for resilient and inclusive growth. This agreement will now be followed by board approvals which normally takes couple of weeks after the SLA.

Our note of dissent

We are of the opinion 1) Pakistan already suffers from unsustainable debt servicing and the new agreement would never enable the country to come out of debt circle. Pakistan will keep on borrowing and repaying through the nose, 2) Hike in electricity and gas tariffs will further erode competitiveness of the local manufactures and adversely impact exports, 3) the country does not have infrastructure to workout cost of crops and in turn income of farmers, the proposed 45% rate would be meaningless, 4) the breach of “confidence deficit” will widen further 5) the hatred against “ruling elite” is already on the rise and 6) in case anti-government demonstration start, these could turn violent and create serious law & order situation.

The press release issued by IMF conditions this agreement to timely confirmation of necessary financing assurances from Pakistan’s development and bilateral partners.

Some of the key milestones or reforms that Pakistan has already taken or will take over the course of the program are:

Increase in tax to GDP ratio by 300bps: 

1-      Under this 37-months program, the Government has to enhance tax to GDP ratio by 300bps. Measures to achieve half of this target (150bps) are already taken in FY25 budget by removing various exemptions and broadening the tax base.

2-       Taxing the untaxed and undertaxed: 

Under this program, Government has also changed tax regime of exporters from 1% of turnover full and final regime to normal tax regime, wherein exporters will now be paying tax equal to other corporates at 29% of profit before tax plus applicable super tax. Also, in a bold move, Government has taxed retail sector and plans to introduce tax on agriculture income from January 2025.

3-      National Fiscal Pact to be signed: 

The new national fiscal pact is likely to be signed between provincial and federal government for fair fiscal balance between federal and provincial units. Through this, provincial governments will be required to spend higher on education, health, social protection, and regional public infrastructure investment, enabling improved public service provision. This will result in lower expenditures of federal government in above areas. However, there is no timeline given for such measure.

4-      Monetary Policy: 

On monetary policy stance, IMF has noted, it will continue to focus on supporting disinflation.

5-      Privatization: 

On privatization side, it is noted that, highest priority is given to most profitable State Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

6-      Other Measures: 

Few other important measures are, phasing out of agriculture support prices, phasing out incentives granted to special economic zones, refraining from new regulatory or tax based incentive, or any guaranteed return scheme including those projects which are channeled through Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

Some of the key measures which Pakistan took before clinching this deal were: 1) increasing the power tariff, 2) increasing the gas rates, 3) approval of budget FY25, and 4) amendment in SOEs law, as per news report. It is believed that some of these measures were taken as part of the prior actions of the new deal.

 

China becoming uncontrollable might

The United States may need to take further and "more creative" actions beyond tariffs to protect US industries and workers against China's growing excess industrial capacity, the US Treasury's top economic diplomat said on Wednesday.

Jay Shambaugh, Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs, told a Council on Foreign Relations event that China's production has become "untethered" from its own demand or demand in the global economy, unleashing exports that threaten jobs in the US and other countries.

He said the traditional trade defense toolkit, including the "Section 301" tariffs that President Joe Biden recently increased, may not be sufficient to deal with such challenges.

"More creative approaches may be necessary to mitigate the impacts of China’s overcapacity," Shambaugh said.

"We should be clear: defense against overcapacity or dumping is not protectionist or anti-trade, it is an attempt to safeguard firms and workers from distortions in another economy."

Shambaugh did not elaborate on further steps that may be necessary or under consideration by the Biden administration.

A group of bipartisan lawmakers and steel producers earlier on Wednesday called on Congress to pass new legislation that would apply US anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Chinese goods to those produced by Chinese companies in third countries.

The "Leveling the Playing Field 2.0" bill sponsored by Representative Terri Sewell, a Democrat and Representative Bill Johnson, a Republican, also would allow China's "Belt and Road" subsidies for projects in other countries to be counted in anti-subsidy cases.

The Biden administration also on Wednesday unveiled a new effort with Mexico to combat China's circumvention of US steel and aluminum tariffs, instituting a new North American "melted and poured" standard for steel imported into the US from Mexico.

Shambaugh's remarks amplified concerns voiced by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on a trip to China in April, when she warned that Beijing's overinvestment and excess production capacity in key industries was unacceptable.

The trip foreshadowed Biden's steep tariff hikes on an array of Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors and critical minerals.

He defined China's overcapacity as "production capacity in excess of domestic demand and untethered from global demand," stemming from persistent overinvestment that is facilitated by extensive state support.

China's production capacity in some industries far exceeds global demand projections, including for solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, he said, adding that China's factory utilization rates were falling, while the share of money-losing firms was rising, reaching 28% of publicly traded Chinese automakers.

"These conditions would not appear in a normal, market economy. What we are seeing is a fundamental distortion, driven by government policy," Shambaugh said.

It would be better for China to work with other countries to address their concerns and rein in excess capacity to boost efficiency and productivity, expand its social safety net and boost domestic demand efficiency.

"We will take defensive action if needed, but we would prefer for China to take action itself to address the macroeconomic and structural forces that are generating the potential for a second 'China shock' for its major trading partners," Shambaugh said.

 

 

Pezeshkian message to the world

Iran's President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, has issued a detailed letter outlining his policies. There is an urgent need to understand his message, particularly for the regional countries so that these don’t fall in the trap of anti-Iran and anti-Muslim elements. 

Following is the text of his message:

On May 19, 2024, the untimely passing of President Ebrahim Raisi - a deeply respected and dedicated public servant - in a tragic helicopter crash precipitated early elections in Iran, marking a pivotal moment in our nation's history.

Amidst war and turbulence in our region, Iran’s political system demonstrated remarkable stability by conducting elections in a competitive, peaceful, and orderly manner, dispelling insinuations made by some “Iran experts” in certain governments. This stability, and the dignified manner in which the elections were conducted, underscore the discernment of our Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the dedication of our people to democratic transition of power even in the face of adversity. 

I ran for office on a platform of reform, fostering national unity, and constructive engagement with the world, ultimately earning the trust of my compatriots at the ballot box, including those young women and men dissatisfied with the overall state of affairs. I deeply value their trust and am fully committed to cultivating consensus, both domestically and internationally, to uphold the promises I made during my campaign.

I wish to emphasize that my administration will be guided by the commitment to preserving Iran's national dignity and international stature under all circumstances. Iran’s foreign policy is founded on the principles of "dignity, wisdom, and prudence", with the formulation and execution of this state-policy being the responsibility of the president and the government. I intend to leverage all authority granted to my office to pursue this overarching objective. 

With this in mind, my administration will pursue an opportunity-driven policy by creating balance in relations with all countries, consistent with our national interests, economic development, and requirements of regional and global peace and security. Accordingly, we will welcome sincere efforts to alleviate tensions and will reciprocate good-faith with good-faith. 

Under my administration, we will prioritize strengthening relations with our neighbors. We will champion the establishment of a "strong region" rather than one where a single country pursues hegemony and dominance over the others. I firmly believe that neighboring and brotherly nations should not waste their valuable resources on erosive competitions, arms races, or the unwarranted containment of each other. Instead, we will aim to create an environment where our resources can be devoted to the progress and development of the region for the benefit of all. 

We look forward to cooperating with Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and regional organizations to deepen our economic ties, bolster trade relations, promote joint-venture investment, tackle common challenges, and move towards establishing a regional framework for dialogue, confidence building and development. Our region has been plagued for too long by war, sectarian conflicts, terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking, water scarcity, refugee crises, environmental degradation, and foreign interference. It is time to tackle these common challenges for the benefit of future generations. Cooperation for regional development and prosperity will be the guiding principle of our foreign policy. 

As nations endowed with abundant resources and shared traditions rooted in peaceful Islamic teachings, we must unite and rely on the power of logic rather than the logic of power. By leveraging our normative influence, we can play a crucial role in the emerging post-polar global order by promoting peace, creating a calm environment conducive to sustainable development, fostering dialogue, and dispelling Islamophobia. Iran is prepared to play its fair share in this regard. 

In 1979, following the Revolution, the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran, motivated by respect for international law and fundamental human rights, severed ties with two apartheid regimes, Israel and South Africa. Israel remains an apartheid regime to this day, now adding "genocide" to a record already marred by occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, settlement-building, nuclear weapons possession, illegal annexation, and aggression against its neighbors. 

As a first measure, my administration will urge our neighboring Arab countries to collaborate and utilize all political and diplomatic leverages to prioritize achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza aiming to stop the massacre and prevent the broadening of the conflict. We must then diligently work to end the prolonged occupation that has devastated the lives of four generations of Palestinians. In this context, I want to emphasize that all states have a binding duty under the 1948 Genocide Convention to take measures to prevent genocide; not to reward it through normalization of relations with the perpetrators. 

Today, it seems that many young people in Western countries have recognized the validity of our decades-long stance on the Israeli regime. I would like to take this opportunity to tell this brave generation that we regard the allegations of antisemitism against Iran for its principled stance on the Palestinian issue as not only patently false but also as an insult to our culture, beliefs, and core values. Rest assured that these accusations are as absurd as the unjust claims of antisemitism directed at you while you protest on university campuses to defend the Palestinians' right to life. 

China and Russia have consistently stood by us during challenging times. We deeply value this friendship. Our 25-year roadmap with China represents a significant milestone towards establishing a mutually beneficial "comprehensive strategic partnership," and we look forward to collaborating more extensively with Beijing as we advance towards a new global order. In 2023, China played a pivotal role in facilitating the normalization of our relations with Saudi Arabia, showcasing its constructive vision and forward-thinking approach to international affairs. 

Russia is a valued strategic ally and neighbor to Iran and my administration will remain committed to expanding and enhancing our cooperation. We strive for peace for the people of Russia and Ukraine, and my government will stand prepared to actively support initiatives aimed at achieving this objective. I will continue to prioritize bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Russia, particularly within frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Eurasia Economic Union. 

Recognizing that the global landscape has evolved beyond traditional dynamics, my administration is committed to fostering mutually beneficial relations with emerging international players in the Global South, especially with African nations. We will strive to enhance our collaborative efforts and strengthen our partnerships for the mutual benefit of all involved. 

Iran's relations with Latin America are well-established and will be closely maintained and deepened to foster development, dialogue and cooperation in all fields. There is significantly more potential for cooperation between Iran and the countries of Latin America than what is currently being realized, and we look forward to further strengthening our ties. 

Iran’s relations with Europe have known its ups and downs. After the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in May 2018, European countries made eleven commitments to Iran to try to salvage the agreement and mitigate the impact of the United States’ unlawful and unilateral sanctions on our economy. These commitments involved ensuring effective banking transactions, effective protection of companies from US sanctions, and the promotion of investments in Iran. European countries have reneged on all these commitments, yet unreasonably expect Iran to unilaterally fulfill all its obligations under the JCPOA. 

Despite these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set our relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing. European countries should realize that Iranians are a proud people whose rights and dignity can no longer be overlooked. There are numerous areas of cooperation that Iran and Europe can explore once European powers come to terms with this reality and set aside self-arrogated moral supremacy coupled with manufactured crises that have plagued our relations for so long. Opportunities for collaboration include economic and technological cooperation, energy security, transit routes, environment, as well as combating terrorism and drug trafficking, refugee crises, and other fields, all of which could be pursued to the benefit of our nations. 

The United States also needs to recognize the reality and understand, once and for all, that Iran does not—and will not—respond to pressure. We entered the JCPOA in 2015 in good faith and fully met our obligations. But the United States unlawfully withdrew from the agreement motivated by purely domestic quarrels and vengeance, inflicting hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to our economy, and causing untold suffering, death and destruction on the Iranian people—particularly during the Covid pandemic—through the imposition of extraterritorial unilateral sanctions. The US deliberately chose to escalate hostilities by waging not only an economic war against Iran but also engaging in state terrorism by assassinating General Qassem Soleimani, a global anti-terrorism hero known for his success in saving the people of our region from the scourge of ISIS and other ferocious terrorist groups. Today, the world is witnessing the harmful consequences of that choice. 

The US and its Western allies, not only missed a historic opportunity to reduce and manage tensions in the region and the world, but also seriously undermined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by showing that the costs of adhering to the tenets of the non-proliferation regime could outweigh the benefits it may offer. Indeed, the US and its Western allies have abused the non-proliferation regime to fabricate a crisis regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program - openly contradicting their own intelligence assessment - and use it to maintain sustained pressure on our people, while they have actively contributed to and continue to support the nuclear weapons of Israel, an apartheid regime, a compulsive aggressor and a non-NPT member and a known possessor of illegal nuclear arsenal. 

I wish to emphasize that Iran’s defense doctrine does not include nuclear weapons and urge the United States to learn from past miscalculations and adjust its policy accordingly. Decision-makers in Washington need to recognize that a policy that consists of pitting regional countries against each other has not succeeded and will not succeed in the future. They need to come to terms with this reality and avoid exacerbating current tensions. 

The Iranian people have entrusted me with a strong mandate to vigorously pursue constructive engagement on the international stage while insisting on our rights, our dignity and our deserved role in the region and the world. I extend an open invitation to those willing to join us in this historic endeavor.