Latest Analysis and Commentary
by Majid Rafizadeh • July 2, 2022 at 5:00 am
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian bragged that he had "long but positive meeting" with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and added that "What is important for Iran is to fully receive the economic benefits of the 2015 accord." "The message for the Biden administration [regarding the attempted kidnapping of a US citizen last year], which has frequently proclaimed its intention to defend pro-democracy dissidents, is that Iran and other foreign dictatorships won't shrink from launching attacks inside the United States unless deterred....'" – The Washington Post, July 10, 2021. The Iranian regime is not going to change until it has all the world governed under one Islamist regime -- or until it is stopped. This objective comes as a part of the theocratic establishment's core revolutionary principle: exporting its revolution to other countries. "We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until the cry 'There is no god but Allah' resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle." — The Islamic Republic of Iran's founding Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The European Union is doing all it can to revive the nuclear deal and open the flow of funds to Iran, lift sanctions, and put the ruling mullahs on a legal path to becoming a nuclear state. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian bragged that he had "long but positive meeting" with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on June 25, and added that "What is important for Iran is to fully receive the economic benefits of the 2015 accord." Pictured: Amirabdollahian (R) receives Borrell in Tehran on June 25, 2022. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
The European Union is doing all it can to revive the nuclear deal and open the flow of funds to the Iranian regime, lift sanctions against Tehran, and put the ruling mullahs of the Islamic Republic on a legal path to becoming a nuclear state. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently travelled to the Islamic Republic, a "top state sponsor of terrorism" according to the State Department, in order to "reverse current tensions" and seal the nuclear deal. Apparently, Borrell succeeded at resuming the nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian bragged that he had "long but positive meeting" with Borrell on June 25, and added that "What is important for Iran is to fully receive the economic benefits of the 2015 accord".
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by Alan M. Dershowitz • July 1, 2022 at 5:00 am
Tribe's blanket statement that never in history have Americans gone to bed with fewer rights than when they woke up is not only wrong historically and constitutionally, but also extremely insensitive to African Americans, Native Americans, the mentally ill, Japanese Americans and other marginalized groups that have been denied the most basic rights over the years. The truth, which Tribe denies in the interest of his partisan narrative, is that the pendulum of rights has swung widely throughout our history. Even if Martin Luther King Jr. was correct when he said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice," that arc has not always pointed in the direction of rights -- or justice. In a democracy with a complex system of separation of powers, checks and balances and federalism, there will always be some back and forth with regard to rights. Tribe seems to take for granted that his preferred rights are an ever-expanding given. Falsehoods will not set us free. Only hard work, based on truth, will push the arc toward justice.
Whatever one may think of Dobbs v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade, some critics have overstated its uniqueness in taking from Americans their preexisting rights. Pictured: The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2022. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Whatever one may think of Dobbs v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade, some critics have overstated its uniqueness in taking from Americans their preexisting rights. Professor Laurence Tribe badly misinformed his readers when he said the following: "Friday was a singular day in our history: the first day in living memory that Americans went to bed with fewer inalienable rights than they had when they woke up. Not just in living memory. Ever."
Tragically, there have been dozens of cases throughout our history in which Americans had their most fundamental rights taken away.
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by Soeren Kern • June 30, 2022 at 5:00 am
Over time the agreement could spur new investment in gas exploration and infrastructure in Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Israel and potentially transform the Eastern Mediterranean into an energy powerhouse. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as "a big step forward in the energy supply to Europe" and "the first step leading to a Mediterranean-wide agreement." "The war in Ukraine has really changed the equation in a way, including for the EU where they're willing to overlook, at least in the short term, the desire to go green as soon as possible." — Dov Lieber, The Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2022.
The European Union has signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel and Egypt that paves the way for potentially significant quantities of Israeli natural gas to be shipped to Europe. Pictured: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (back) looks on as EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson (L), Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek el-Molla (C), and Israeli Minister of Energy Karine Elharrar (R) sign a trilateral natural gas deal in Cairo on June 15, 2022. (Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)
The European Union has signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel and Egypt that paves the way for potentially significant quantities of Israeli natural gas to be shipped to Europe. The trilateral agreement, signed on June 15 in Cairo at a meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), an intergovernmental organization, calls for Israeli gas to be sent to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Egypt. From there, the gas in liquid form will be transported across the Mediterranean Sea on LNG vessels to markets in Europe.
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by Lawrence A. Franklin • June 30, 2022 at 4:00 am
One of the leaked documents, which contains "a shoot to kill order" for guards in the camp's watchtowers, confirms that these camps are indeed prisons. Another leaked report stipulates how detainees are to be transported from one site to an alternate location: ankle shackles, handcuffs and hoods. Previous leaks of official documents, unauthorized films, commercial satellite images and testimony from escaped former inmates have scripted a profile of the hell that the Chinese Communist state has crafted for the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. This massive province-size gulag regime includes forced abortions, sterilization and rape of female detainees, separation of husbands and wives, removal of children from the custody of parents, obligatory retraining of workers in skills supportive of CCP economic goals, and daily ideological indoctrination of inmates. Democratic countries should distribute these leaks globally as cautionary warning to all societies that the CCP's projected panda bear image of China obscures the reality of a quite different animal with an insatiable appetite.
The massive gulag regime for ethnic Uighurs in Communist China's Xinjiang Province includes forced abortions, sterilization and rape of female detainees, separation of husbands and wives, removal of children from the custody of parents, obligatory retraining of workers in skills supportive of Party economic goals, and daily ideological indoctrination of inmates. Pictured: "The Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Center," a facility where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, north of Kashgar in Xinjiang. (Photo by Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)
Documents and photos of thousands of ethnic Uighurs arrested by Chinese authorities, made public in late May, lend additional indisputable evidence to the Communist regime's massive human rights violations in Xinjiang. Many of the leaked documents are official Chinese Ministry of Interior dossiers of incarcerated individuals just from Shufu, one among 61 counties in Xinjiang Province. The Shufu County in the Kashgar Prefecture is the site of several large internment camps. One of the leaked documents, which contains "a shoot to kill order" for guards in the camp's watchtowers, confirms that these camps are indeed prisons. Another leaked report stipulates how detainees are to be transported from one site to an alternate location: ankle shackles, handcuffs and hoods.
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by Judith Bergman • June 29, 2022 at 5:00 am
The ongoing world energy crisis... seems to have proven for once and all that energy independence is a matter of national security. To transition to renewable energy, America would have to transform its energy infrastructure and invest heavily in wind turbines, solar panels and electric cars, all of which require rare earth materials as central components. A single industrial-size wind turbine, for instance, requires about one ton of four different kinds of rare earth materials. Guess who mines more than 70 % of the world's rare earth materials, and holds at least 85% of the world's capacity to process them into materials that manufacturers can use? China. Who produces more than 60% of the world's solar panels, and 45% of the global supply of solar-grade polysilicon, the base material used in solar cells? China. Moreover, rare earths is not a market that outsiders can simply enter. According to the Danish Institute for International Studies: "China today has the expertise, IP rights and production facilities, as well as its own REE- [rare earth elements] consuming industries. China also manufactures a significant and growing share of goods containing REEs, making it practically impossible for competing companies outside China to get a foothold."
The ongoing world energy crisis, which began in 2021 and has caused record price spikes for oil, natural gas and coal, seems to have proven for once and all that energy independence is a matter of national security. (Image source: iStock)
The ongoing world energy crisis, which began in 2021 and has caused record price spikes for oil, natural gas and coal -- in combination with Russia's war on Ukraine -- seems to have proven for once and all that energy independence is a matter of national security. Both Europe and the US have recently had to relearn this lesson -- yet again -- when Russian President Vladimir Putin cut gas supplies to a number of European countries after they refused to pay in Russian rubles -- and before that, when the West was confronted with the need to sanction Russian oil and gas exports, while at the same time being dependent on them. US President Joe Biden let nearly two weeks go by after Putin invaded Ukraine, before announcing that he would finally ban US imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal, which, until then, had been helping to pay for Putin's war on Ukraine. In 2021, 36% of Russian government revenues came from the sale of oil and gas.
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by Lawrence Kadish • June 29, 2022 at 4:00 am
(Photo by Getty Images)
A contemporary of Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, penned a series of acerbic commentaries and observations in a book, The Devil's Dictionary, still in print. Some of his biting but spot-on definitions include: Apologize, (verb) – to lay the foundation for a future offense. Acquaintance, (noun) – A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to. A degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor or obscure, and intimate when he is rich or famous. Politics, (noun) – A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. Year, (noun) – a period of three hundred and sixty-five disappointments. Bierce was clear eyed about the human condition and politics in particular. One can only imagine what he would make of our current political landscape.
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by Khaled Abu Toameh • June 28, 2022 at 5:00 am
When Hamas and Hezbollah talk about "develop[ing] the program and axis of resistance," they are referring to terrorist attacks against Israel. The two terrorist groups have tens of thousands of rockets and missiles that are ready to be fired towards Israel at any moment from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Haniyeh's visit to Beirut has outraged many Lebanese and Arabs, who expressed concern that the Hamas-Hezbollah alliance would further destabilize Lebanon and bring it closer to a military confrontation with Israel. It is clear that Haniyeh and Nasrallah are seeking to use Lebanon as a launching pad not only to attack Israel, but also as a base for intimidating Saudi Arabia and other Arabs into avoiding alliances with Israel against Iran. "When will the Biden admin learn that Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Iran's regime are all the same?" — Lisa Daftari, Iranian-American investigative journalist, Twitter, June 16, 2022. "Iran occupied Lebanon through its powerful arm, Hezbollah, which took control of Lebanon by the force of Iranian weapons. This occupation was justified by the absurd claim that these weapons aim to impose a balance of terror with the Israeli enemy and prevent its attacks, when in fact its use was purely internal to terrorize and kill." — Huda al-Husseini, Lebanese political analyst, Asharq al-Awsat, June 23, 2022. "Iran penetrated Syria after the outbreak of the revolution against the regime in 2011 and Bashar Assad resorted to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to defend what remained of his regime. Tehran gave orders to Hezbollah to get involved, commit the most horrific massacres, terrorize opponents, and restore the [Syrian] army's control. This made the Syrian regime in the grip of Tehran. Iran completed its expansion plans through its weapons to Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen." — Huda al-Husseini, Asharq al-Awsat, June 23, 2022. The meeting between Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon should set off alarm bells in Washington: the meeting shows that Iran is taking advantage of the perceived weakness of the Biden administration in failing to confront the mullahs' covetous schemes in the region. It only remains to be seen whether the Biden administration's policy of appeasement toward the mullahs enables the Iranians and their proxies to redouble their efforts to spread their expansion, terrorism and bloodshed throughout the Middle East.
As part of Iran's efforts to thwart normalization between the Arab countries and Israel, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh travelled to Beirut last week for talks with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Pictured: Nasrallah (R) meets with Haniyeh in Beirut, Lebanon on June 29, 2021. (Hezbollah Media Relations Unit)
Iran and its terrorist proxies have intensified their efforts to sabotage US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to the Middle East, which is scheduled to take place in mid-July. The effort to sabotage the visit comes amid reports that Biden will try to advance Israel-Saudi relations and broker a military alliance between Israel and a number of Arab countries to confront the threats and terror by Iran and its proxies. According to the reports, Biden is planning to form a regional conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The coalition will include the US, Israel, and some Arab countries, including Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. "The new alliance is intended to contain Iran and, in the first stage, will be based on an air defense system against Iranian missiles and attack drones and cyber security measures," said Prof. Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations.
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by Uzay Bulut • June 28, 2022 at 4:00 am
Turkey is now using the distraction of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a cover to increase its likelihood of officially annexing Cyprus's north. It is not just part of the island country of Cyprus that is being occupied and demeaned. What is being occupied, colonized, and culturally destroyed is a significant part of Western history and civilization. It is part of the "Great Replacement" predicted for Europe but ridiculed as a "conspiracy theory". One only need look back at the replacement of the Christian Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire and then Turkey, or the replacement of the indigenous Copts in Egypt. With Cyprus and Greece under attack from Turkey, where are the West's principles, strength and resolve?
It is not just part of the island country of Cyprus that is being occupied and demeaned by Turkey. What is being occupied, colonized, and culturally destroyed is a significant part of Western history and civilization. Pictured: Turkish Army soldiers and tanks on parade in the Turkish-occupied part Nicosia, Cyprus, on July 20, 2021. (Photo by Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images)
Turkey became a member of NATO in 1952. Twenty-two years later, in 1974, Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus, and to this day continues illegally to occupy 36% of the island. Turkey has ethnically cleansed non-Turks from the northern part of Cyprus and largely destroyed both the Christian and Jewish cultural heritage of the area they occupy.
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by Gordon G. Chang • June 27, 2022 at 5:00 am
At least one of Taiwan's "eggs" can kill tens of millions of Chinese, perhaps more. China's Three Gorges Dam creates a reservoir of 39.3 billion cubic meters of water on the Yangtze River and is upstream from about 400 million people. Almost 30% of China's population, therefore, is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the structure, such as one caused by a missile strike. That means Taiwan possesses a conventional weapon that packs the wallop of a nuclear one. Now, China's regime looks as if it wants to go to war. The harsh remarks of China's Defense Minister, General Wei Fenghe, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this month, are a clear warning of hostile intent. China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions. Yes, we are that close to war.
China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. Almost 30% of China's population is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the Three Gorges Dam (pictured), such as one caused by a missile strike. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
On June 21, China's People's Daily reported that the United States and Taiwan were about to participate in the annual Monterey Talks. The U.S. side, China's most authoritative publication stated, was expected to offer 20 types of weapons for sale to Taiwan, "with emphasis on building 'asymmetric capability.'" Taiwan, which the People's Republic of China claims as its 34th province, already has asymmetric capabilities, and one of them could be as powerful as a nuclear weapon. Beijing maintains that Taiwan cannot defend itself. "Military expert Song Zhongping said it is impossible for Taiwan to form 'asymmetric capabilities,' no matter what kind of weapons it purchases from the U.S. as the gap between the military capacities of the two sides is 'too huge,'" People's Daily, a Communist Party newspaper, reported.
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by Raymond Ibrahim • June 26, 2022 at 5:00 am
In the video, the Christians appear on their knees, their hands tied behind their backs. A man holding a knife stands behind them. The terrorists claim that the murder of these 20 Christians is "payback" for ISIS leaders killed three months earlier in Syria by the U.S.... [A] 2015 video [Muslim terrorists slaughtering 21 Christians in Libya] received six times less media coverage than the killing of a gorilla about the same time. The video of the Nigerian Christian also barely made a peep in the Western media -- as if the ritual slaughter of Christians is now so normal, it does not merit a report. — saharareporters.com, May 12, 2022, Nigeria. The same day the video was released, a Muslim mob beat, stoned and then burned the body of Deborah Emmanuel, a Christian college student who earlier had refused the sexual advances of a Muslim man. — Ganzi Magwi, Twitter, May 12, 2022, Nigeria. "We know and have evidence of how some of these allegations of blasphemy are false and just for blackmail or settling scores with perceived enemies or well-mannered young girls who have refused sexual advances by the opposite sex from another religion. We are also aware of how fanatics have in the past raised lies in the name of blasphemy." — The Rev. Joseph John Hayab, Morning Star News, May 23, 2022, Nigeria. Anooshavan Avedian, a 60-year-old Iranian-Armenian Christian, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for teaching other Christians in his house church what Judge Imam Afshari called "educational and propaganda activities contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam." — articeeighteen.com, May 5, 2022, Iran. A married Muslim couple who converted to Christianity face a 100-lashes punishment on the bizarre charge of "adultery." — Morning Star News, May 3, 2022, Sudan.
On Sunday, May 8, 2022, a Muslim man barged into the Cathedral of Metz (pictured) in France and began to scream repeatedly "Allahu akbar!" After arriving, police found a knife in his possession. (Image source: Immanuel Giel/Wikimedia Commons)
The following are among the abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of May 2022: Murder and Mayhem in Nigeria:
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by Amir Taheri • June 26, 2022 at 4:00 am
The problem is that if Putin manages to reshape Ukraine into a downsized nation, he might be tempted to revert to the doctrines that, based on their different and yet similar mystical views of Russia's role in human history, Khomyakov and Lenin advocated. And that could mean other conflicts and even wars in Europe and, perhaps, even in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
(Photo by Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)
As the war in Ukraine drags on, many commentators wonder where and when Russian President Vladimir Putin might decide to call an end to his current aggressive behavior. Digging into Russian history, some may assert that even if he does stop, it would be a tactical move of the kind that Lenin described as "one step back, two steps forward." Putin's behavior has its roots in the Russian psyche. From early days of appearing as a distinct people, Russians have always feared that they may become like others while, lacking in natural defenses, their vast territory was vulnerable to foreign invasion.
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by Lawrence Kadish • June 26, 2022 at 2:00 am
Mark Twain, circa 1895. (Photo by Ernest H. Mills/Getty Images)
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin misquoted Mark Twain about the Russian president's cancer: "The rumors about my death were greatly exaggerated," Putin was quoted as saying about his cancer by Fortune and The Guardian. Mark Twain had actually said about an illness: "The report of my death has been grossly exaggerated." The same assessment by Mark Twain also applies to the Jews and the great American author's view of them, as in his remarkable article, "Concerning the Jews," published by Harper's Magazine in March, 1898:
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by Majid Rafizadeh • June 25, 2022 at 5:00 am
The Biden administration's weak leadership -- to hold accountable those who are violating Iran sanctions -- is likely a critical reason the Iranian regime is flamboyantly ignoring the US and forging ahead -- soon, most likely, to become a nuclear state. Presumably to take even further advantage of the Biden administration's weak leadership, the Iranian regime is also signing long-term agreements with its oil clients to permanently insulate its economy from the US sanctions. The ruling mullahs are now producing more oil and selling it at levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China, which desperately needs more oil, while the Biden administration has cut off US oil exploration. One of its terms [of the deal recently signed between China and Iran] is that China will invest nearly $400 billion in Iran's oil, gas and petrochemicals industries. In return, China will have priority to bid on any new project in Iran that is linked to these sectors. China will also receive a 12% discount and can delay payments by up to two years. China will also be able to pay in any currency it chooses. It is also estimated that, in total, China will receive discounts of nearly 32%. The Biden administration must impose drastic economic sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors: that would threaten the ruling clerics' hold on power, forcing the leadership to recalculate its priorities. The US must hold those who violate the sanctions strictly accountable, and make clear to the ruling mullahs that if they continue advancing their nuclear program, military options are on the table.
Presumably to take even further advantage of the Biden administration's weak leadership, the Iranian regime is also signing long-term agreements with its oil clients to permanently insulate its economy from the US sanctions. Pictured: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Iran's then Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the signing of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic 25-year partnership agreement on economic and security cooperation, in Tehran, Iran on March 27, 2021. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
With total disregard to the Biden administration and the European powers, the ruling mullahs of Iran are defiantly and rapidly advancing their nuclear program to a point where they are now reportedly only few weeks away from manufacturing nuclear weapons according to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the White House. The Biden administration's weak leadership -- to hold accountable those who are violating Iran sanctions -- is likely a critical reason the Iranian regime is flamboyantly ignoring the US and forging ahead -- soon, most likely, to become a nuclear state. The US sanctions are not hurting Iran's economy anymore or cutting off the flow of funds to Tehran. The ruling mullahs are now producing more oil and selling it at levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China, which desperately needs more oil, while the Biden administration has cut off US oil exploration.
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by Pierre Rehov • June 24, 2022 at 5:00 am
Civilian institutions are concerned that Sudan's new puppet government is simply a cover for the return of Bashir and that, although he is in prison, he is behind every development in the Sudanese government. This, apparently, is also the conviction of El Nur. He notes with distress that the massacres organized by the Janjaweed and the Rapid Intervention Forces have not seen any let up. Daily peaceful demonstrations in Khartoum and the rest of the country are interrupted by the police and state militias, who fire live ammunition at the crowds, while raids are conducted throughout Sudan. Homes are burned. Villagers are forced into the desert without food or water. Summary executions take place. Women and children are crushed by cars. Students are mown down by bullets. To this day, although the American government has scrupulously honored its part of the agreement, the Sudanese authorities have been careful not to respect the slightest paragraph. In northern Sudan, mercenaries from the Wagner Group, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, have, with the apparent complicity of the regime, taken over the main gold mines of Al-Ibediyya. Day and night, extracting this gold is carried out by "free" Sudanese whose symbolic salary is close to slavery. Where does this gold go? No one is sure, but reportedly it could be feeding the coffers of Moscow and perhaps those of its ally, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran. Last month, the Biden administration suspended all aid to Sudan, including that linked to its normalization agreement with Israel, and informed Jerusalem that no support should be given to the Khartoum government until there are democratic elections. We may have to wait for a new coup d'état. Perhaps, this time, it will be led by the Sudanese people at the instigation of El Nur, the "Mr. No" who has always refused to compromise with dictatorial regimes.
In Darfur, an area of Sudan, massacres have been taking place on a daily basis for several decades. This is happening everywhere in the country. But who is talking about it? Pictured: Militiamen of the Sudanese regime's Rapid Support Forces prepare to receive then President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the town of Umm al-Qura in South Darfur province, on September 23, 2017. (Photo by Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images)
In Darfur, an area of Sudan, massacres have been taking place on a daily basis for several decades. This is happening everywhere in the country. But who is talking about it? The Western world seems lack empathy, perhaps due to its weariness in the watching this tragedy for so long, and masked by geopolitical and economic interests. As for the international community, it remains focused on a conflict between two nuclear superpowers, the US and Russia, at the gates of Europe, Ukraine, and that could degenerate into a world war. For anyone following the media, it would seem that, with the exception of the fighting there, the rest of the planet is experiencing an unprecedented period of peace.
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by Con Coughlin • June 23, 2022 at 5:00 am
Mr Macron, in particular, has emerged as the chief European cheerleader in favour of Ukraine making concessions to Russia to end the fighting, while the leaders of Germany and Italy, which both rely heavily on Russia for their energy needs, are also said to favour Ukraine ceding territory to Moscow – a result that would only whet the appetite of other predators looking on. Rather than agreeing to their demands, Mr Zelensky responded by pointedly reminding his visitors that the more weapons Ukraine receives from the West, the faster it will be able to liberate its occupied land and end the war. In this context, plans by the European Union to offer membership to Kyiv represent a welcome gesture of support for the Ukrainian people, one that should provide a much needed morale boost for Ukrainian forces. In what amounts to a significant geo-political shift in Europe, the European Commission has given its backing to Ukraine's bid to be given candidacy status, the first step towards achieving full EU membership. The challenge for the EU now will be to make sure priority is given to processing Kyiv's application, and not allow it to become caught up in the stultifying bureaucracy of Brussels. Any attempt by the EU to delay Ukraine's membership of the bloc will simply be taken as a sign by Mr Putin that Europe is not prepared to defend its allies, and encourage the Kremlin -- and others -- to launch further acts of aggression.
Plans by the European Union to offer membership to Kyiv represent a welcome gesture of support for the Ukrainian people. However, any attempt by the EU to delay Ukraine's membership will simply be taken as a sign by Putin that Europe is not prepared to defend its allies. Pictured (from left): Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hold a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 16, 2022. (Photo by Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
At a time when there is mounting concern that European leaders are suffering from "war fatigue" over the Ukraine conflict, the prospect of Kyiv becoming an official candidate for European Union membership constitutes a much-needed morale boost for the Ukrainian people. With the conflict now reaching the four-month mark, the early enthusiasm demonstrated by Western leaders for supporting the Ukrainian cause has been replaced by apathy as it becomes clear that the war is likely to drag on for months to come. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson highlighted this general sense of war-weariness among European leaders after he made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital last weekend, and called for the West to demonstrate resolve in its support for the Ukraine cause. "When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need," Mr Johnson said.
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